#a returner's magic should be special AU

[xeilon]

I really like the idea of an AU where Desir is a bit older and worked in the Tower of Magic before the Labyrinth. Just like, idk, intern/researcher/answering letters from annoying nobles person.

And after he comes back from the future (and Zod and him got together in the Labyrinth) he knows that he's gonna be figured out in a day if he tries to tell anything Zod in person, so he starts leaving clues and very high level magic research for Zod to find. Records and warnings about stuff that's gonna happen etc. All of it anonymusly of course.

Zod is VERY interested in who the hell is their mysterious informant, notices how the puzzles seem to be left for him specificly, and how to figure them out he needs to use information that he didn't tell anyone who's still alive. (He might starts to fall a bit for how clever this person is. Maybe. But you can't prove anything.)

After combing through the files of everyone working in the Tower of Magic, and finding nothing, Zod teams up with Desir because he's the one who deals a lot with people, and he's the only one he's not suspicious of.

Desir knows that if he gets confronted he will fold immidietly. He goes along with watherver Zod's plan is to find their person, all the while praying that he doesn't get found out.

Zod halfway decides that Desir is actually very smart and could have left all the notes, with how witty he is, and he knows how to play the North sea's rule and is not pushy about topics that he does not want to share at all even tho they are pretty much laid out in front of him and ,oh, OH, fuck.

And now Zod knows but he doesn't know if Desir knows that he knows, so he decides to be stupid about it, except Desir has been dealing with the Tower Master for over a decade now and figures out in less than a week that Zod definately knows, and starts dropping hints about knowing that Zod knows.

It's a mess. It's beautiful. It's half the tower's nightmare fuel. Chess flirting and lab dates. Zod's both clueless and very much aware of everything. Desir is allergic to talking about feelings. They'll figure it out. Maybe.

[agroteraa]

Calling All My Lovelies

Felix Catton x f!Reader

My fic masterlist

Summary: AU where Saltburn's ending never happened. Felix lived happily up to 2017 (and on), where he happened to meet you. Meaning he is around 29-30 here.

Featuring the song "Calling All My Lovelies" by Bruno Mars

Also mentioning songs like "24K Magic" and "Too Good to Say Goodbye" by Bruno Mars, you can listen to them or even the whole "24K Magic" album for the right mood and atmosphere ❤️

Tags: fluffy angst, AU.

Warnings: mentions of sex, kinda?cheating, relationship misconception.

Word Count: 2,7K

Felix's London apartment was luxurious. Of course, it wasn't Saltburn, but there was a lot to see and be impressed by here too. Especially the view of the Thames, which was strewn on both sides with many lights of the most beautiful sights of the UK capital. Felix and all his guests found the lights especially bright in winter, as on this late February evening.

Especially the girls. Each of those whom he brought here stopped in awe at the huge panoramic windows and looked at the views almost from the height of the flight of a city bird. If before that they had somehow not been one hundred percent fascinated by Felix and his lifestyle, then this luxurious apartment was always the final charming argument.

Y/N was no exception.

When he brought you to his place after a fun evening full of alcohol, it seems that you looked at the views of the city more closely than anyone else and even managed to point out to him some new places from afar, which he did not pay much attention to or did not know what exactly these places were.

Felix smiled warmly - he would love to admire the view of the city with you, preferably standing in an embrace. But then he wasn't interested much of it back then, rather in something else. When he returned from the kitchen with a bottle of expensive alcohol and two glasses, you barely had time to taste the drink, as you merged again in a passionate kiss, which flowed into an even more passionate night. One of the best for both of you, and oh how he would like to repeat it.

But you weren't here right now.

There was no one but Felix himself, this evening was also full of alcohol, but there was little fun in it.

And all because you misunderstood each other. Very much.

When he brought you to his house from the club that day, he didn't think that you would take it all so seriously. Kate didn't take it in. Therefore, from her friend (or whoever you were to her, or maybe you didn't communicate that close? After all, if Felix had to think about it, it was the first time he saw you there with her…) he expected the same understanding.

You had a great time at the club, and then a night at Felix's apartment. Then you started to chat online a lot, went for a brunch and for a walk in the park, where you talked for a long, long time, cheerfully chatting about everything in the world. Well, except for discussing relationships. Then another night together, no less, if not more wonderful than that the previous one. Then another brunch. And after that… You had a lot of work and things to do, while Felix had a lot of free time and his own needs.

When you found out from Kate that he had slept with a couple of girls during that time (not with Kate herself, though they stopped sleeping not so long ago), you were crushed.

And she just shrugged her shoulders and said that you should have known or guessed that Felix lives in a free relationship mode.

You didn't know. Or you didn't want to know. And the main thing was that you thought that something special was going on between the two of you, you saw it in Felix's eyes, felt the distinct warmth of his touch and a certain special thrill overall. The way you talked to each other. It wasn't just sex or an empty mindless flirt, even if the beginning of your relationship was very fast and passionate. It was all felt even after two nights and many days, evenings and nights of mutual texting and calls.

Anyway, you didn't discuss otherwise. That was the whole point. And so, when, after things suddenly got clear, you received another usual message from Felix, you ignored it for a long time, unable to respond, being numb with pain, indignation and shame. You still was processing it and didn't believe to the end (that it would happened or that you were such a fool, you weren't sure yourself, probably both). Then, after a few more of his messages, you somehow pulled yourself together and answered all of them at once, quite briefly and dryly.

After some dialogue in this manner, Felix realized that there was clearly something wrong. He started asking what was the matter, to which you answered him:

"As if you don't know yourself."

"Explain?"

"I don't want to, I'm not in the mood to talk to you right now. If ever at all."

"???"

You didn't answer. Felix called. So, roughly in ten minutes of a phone conversation, you found out in raised tones that he "doesn't owe you anything nor didn't promise anything" that you "are fine as you are now, why complicate everything" and that "please, let's keep seeing each other, it doesn't mean anything special" was a real argument to him.

You shouted into the phone "No, if you don't want to complicate things, then I do, I'm sorry! More precisely, I wanted to. I thought we were serious.… Maybe... it seemed all... special. That's it, look, I... I don't want to talk any longer. And don't call me anymore, okay?"

And so, one day had passed, then two and three. And now the fourth day was already ending, turning into the fifth. You really didn't pick up the phone anymore and didn't respond to his messages, which were getting fewer and fewer every day.

But Felix had more and more thoughts in his head instead. He has almost passed all the stages of acceptance these days:

denial - "no, it's nothing, she's going to be mad a bit and come back to me";

anger - "not coming back? Well, fuck her!";

bargaining - "please, Y/N, answer my messages already...";

depression - "have I really lost touch with her forever?..".

Except for the acceptance itself, of course. And besides the fact that he was returning to all these stages randomly from time to time.

He really did not understand, he was not used to the fact that a girl could take a relationship with him that seriously, especially so immediately. Okay, these infatuations at school and even sometimes at university, when people fell head over heels in love with him, romanticizing him without really knowing him, but now? In the adult world, when everyone should understand the "rules of the game" and that no one seriously owes anyone anything until it is discussed. That was how Felix thought about it. And that was why it was so strange to him that it could hurt you so deeply.

He contemplated about it all the time and, to tell the truth, it even began to flatter him that someone could fall in love with him so much and take him that serious from the start. If he got everything correctly. Yes, at first it surprised him, then it worried him, then it flattered him, and after that... something inside him began to hurt unpleasantly?

He wasn't lying back then. These girl didn't mean a lot to him. But did this mean that Y/N did?..

His heart and mind began to fill with deep, complex feelings that he had not experienced for a long time and, to be honest, had not realized properly and processed in an adult way, being almost-thirty.

And Felix got scared. He was genuinely scared, that was why, first of all, he was pouring alcohol into himself all evening, inhaling lots of smoke as well.

And right now, he decided to brighten up his company not only with wine, champagne and cigarettes, but also with music. He chose Bruno Mars, whose new album he has listened to quite often since its release. Fancy stereo speakers filled his apartment with the loud sounds of "24K Magic".

Felix danced to the rhythm of the songs, sipping wine straight from the bottle. Now he tried to imagine that he was having fun in a club, and not alone in a dark empty apartment, and he almost succeeded in that.

That way Felix Catton decently lifted his mood along with the level of alcohol intoxication.

He skipped the song "Versace on the Floor" because he wasn't in the mood for slow romantic songs. But when "Calling All My Lovelies" started playing a little later, Felix was unable to switch it either.

He leaned back in one of the chairs, frowning and very intently listening through a decently tipsy consciousness to the lines of the song that had begun.

I got too many girls on hold for you to be so bold

Too many on my team for you to act so mean

"Oh, yeah. Exactly so," Felix thought.

You say you wanna go and have fun, well, you ain't the only one

If I ring, don't let it ring too long or I'm gone

"That's bloody right," he said aloud and nodded slightly several times, taking another sip of wine from the neck of the bottle.

I got Alicia waitin', Aisha waitin'

All the -eeshas waitin' on me

And also Stacey, Tracey, Macey, Lacey… Had he mentioned Tracey already? In general, all sorts of -aceys were waiting for him too, and not only them.

So why you contemplatin'? Playa hatin'?

If this is how it's gonna be

I'm callin' all my lovelies (Callin' all my lovelies)

'Cause I can't get a hold of you

At these words, Felix gripped the bottle so tightly that it almost broke under the force of his fingers squeezing it. It was definitely unpleasant for him to hear from Bruno Mars things that Felix was afraid to admit even to himself. He shook his head, closing his eyes. No, that was bullshit.

Since you ain't thinkin' of me (Since you ain't thinkin' of me)

Oh, look what you're makin' me do

Sharp breath. Closed eyes. Exhale.

Honey pie, I'm far too fly to be on standby

Sendin' me straight to voicemail, suga, what the hell? (What the hell?)

That was right! What the hell was all that? You ignored him too! How long had he been texting you and even calling you? Was that fair? Why should he run after you? He shouldn't.

Ooh, you ought to be ashamed, playin' these childish games

I don't get down like that, tell me where you're at, hit me back

Yes. Come and tell him that to his face. Oh, how he wanted you to be right in front of him now. Or didn't want to. No, he actually did. And not only to talk, getting things clear, but also to repeat the night like these… His imagination had already begun to draw pictures of how he would kiss you, undress you... and then… Your sensual moans echoed in his head. He almost felt your skin with his elictrified fingertips. And after that... no, no, stop.

Mmm, I got Alicia waitin', Aisha waitin'

All the -eeshas waitin' on me

"That's it, Bruno, you understand me, buddy! Felix mentally raised a bottle of wine as a toast and drank another sip to "them boys", to "free spirits".

So why you contemplatin'? Playa hatin'?

If this is how it's gonna be

He could have called any of the girls he mentally had listed. And everyone would come to him immediately or at least as soon as possible, doing everything Felix would have wished. Ha. How do you like that, Y/N?

But for some reason he didn't want to text to any of them, much less call them.

The only voice he wanted to hear right now was yours.

I'm callin' all my lovelies (Callin' all my lovelies)

'Cause I can't get a hold of you

Since you ain't thinkin' of me (Since you ain't thinkin' of me)

Oh, look what you're makin' me do

For the second time, he couldn't stand listening to these words. Abruptly and carelessly putting the bottle on the glass table and staggering decently, Felix wandered off to get his phone. It was time to call his not-even-ex-not-girlfriend. Catton-Jr. seemed to be listening to the dial tone more on purpose, just not to listen too closely to the words of the song that went on:

Pick up the phone, pick up the phone

'Cause all this lovin' needs a home, oh, yeah

Oh, no, look at what you started, baby

Now, I'm left here brokenhearted, baby

"Pick up the phone, yes, pick up the phone, come on," he repeated, tapping his foot. The phone dropped the call after a short time, and the guy dialed for the second, then the third time and…

There's a pain in my chest, I cannot explain

I told myself I wasn't gon' cry (Oh, not gonna cry, no, no)

But somebody's gotta come dry these eyes 'cause (Dry these, ah, 'cause)

The dial tone beeps continued. Felix studied London at night under their measured rhythm. His favorite activity was to peer at passing boats and ships of various sizes, models and speed, as well as trying to count their number. He often got distracted, but still loved it.

So, he didn't notice that the beeps from the real phone had flowed into the beeps from the song. In "Calling All My Lovelies" Bruno's imaginary crush was a famous actress. Her voice "responded" in lively yet sensual tone:

Hi, you've reached Halle Berry. Sorry I can't get to the phone right now

But if you leave your name and number, I'll get right back to you *mwah*

Damn... (Bruno Mars' voice hissed back with increasing echoes and annoyance).

At this point, Felix himself clenched his teeth and threw the phone on the floor out of anger. Fortunately, the carpet was soft enough for the phone to survive the fury of its owner and continue to function in case you suddenly wanted to respond.

I'm callin', callin', callin', callin' all my lovelies

'Cause I can't get a hold of you

Oh, since you ain't thinkin' of me (Since you ain't thinkin' of me, baby)

Look what you're makin' me do

Felix almost whimpered at the realization of what a fool he had been and what a stupid situation he was in right now. Where he led himself. Why couldn't you two just talk? Why couldn't he just tell it all at once, from the start? Maybe it would have been different otherwise now. Resting his forehead against the big window, he felt its pleasant coolness, but it could not cool down his burning resentment inside. Most of all, he did not like it when the blame for the current situation could not be shifted to anyone or anything else, and this pained him incredibly right now.

Pick up the phone, pick up the phone

'Cause all this lovin' needs a home, oh

He collapsed into a chair near the window, clutching its handles tightly and stretching his long legs. If only he would…

Felix inhaled and exhaled noisily, throwing his head back and taking a pack of cigarettes along with a lighter out of his shirt pocket. The fingers did not obey a little, as the hands of their owner were shaking slightly from nerves and alcohol intoxication. He growled slightly in irritation. When the guy was finally able to light a cigarette, he took a long drag on it.

Now he wasn't in the mood for energetic and carefree songs. He skipped "Finesse".

That was how the last song from the album started playing - "Too Good to Say Goodbye":

I've made mistakes

I could have treated you better

I let you get away

There goes my happily ever after

Tell me why, why can't we try and start again?

This can't be how our story ends…

Oh, please…

He really did miss you.

And he was not right.

He wanted to win you and your trust over again. He finally admitted it with all his heart to himself. He would try. Really.

If only you could…

The phone, thrown on the fluffy carpet, suddenly came to life and started vibrating.

Releasing all the smoke from his lungs, which Felix had inhaled, at once, he abruptly bent down to the carpet.

Your name appeared on the phone screen, gleaming brightly in the darkness.

[kisakis-boyfriend]

Kinktober Day 6: Cockbulge

Pairings: Inui x male reader

Warnings: Male!reader, top/dom!reader, demon!reader, sub/bottom!Inui, sorcerer!Inui, size difference, teratophilia, overstimulation, mind-breaking, dacryphilia, blood from neck biting briefly

Prompt List by: sakuyaserenitykira 🧡

Author's Note: This ended up being very different from my original concept (and also way longer than intended) but I hope you enjoy what it turned out to be! :D Keep an eye out for this AU in a future kinktober installment 🤫

Inui was well aware of the dangers that this particular ritual held. Sure, any summoning ritual could go awry and become trouble quickly, but this spell was especially fickle. One tiny mistake or missed detail and he could summon something unwanted, possibly some eldritch creature that would destroy every known universe, but to him, the risks were worth it

He had spent so much time meticulously studying the circle that he'd need to draw, which materials you needed to place around said circle, offerings you were supposed to make, and even studying another language to learn how to pronounce the incantation correctly. Everything should be fine, it would all go perfectly and he would get what he wanted with no problems...

...He said to himself, sweating profusely as his arms carrying the backpack full of spellcasting materials trembled... Nevertheless, he marched onwards, deeper into the dark forest where you were supposed to carry out the ritual

Inui found the spot that he needed, a small clearing in the woods where the grass was noticeably softer and the breeze seemed calmer, where the only red flowers grew within the entire forest. This was where he began prepping for the ritual, casting the intricate circle with dried herbs, flowers, and crystals. Fixing several candles around the pattern and lighting them before stepping away to pull out his book of incantations, reading over the lines and practicing in his head. He waited about an hour, just as the instructions mentioned, before standing up and facing the circle. Taking a deep breath, he began the chant, repeating it three times as he walked around the summoning circle

He then put his book away and returned to the circle, stripping off his robes before laying down in the center, announcing his offering to the demon, “In return for your arrival and services, I have brought an offering of... myself. My flesh, my mind, and my soul are yours to do with as you please. Now, come forth!”

Tonight, Inui was uncharacteristically impatient. Normally he had no problems waiting for summoned creatures to appear, or waiting for spells to take effect. Tonight's spell, however, was very special. The being that he was desperately attempting to summon was a demon of lust, not an incubus or succubus, mind you. This was supposed to be leagues above those kinds of demons. And He was rumored to only appear before men that He found exceptionally attractive, which is what made this ritual difficult to find. Most of the sorcerers that committed to this summoning had no results, the demon refusing to come forth for anyone within the last 300 years, give or take...

Many people regarded this spell as nothing more than a hoax, claiming that it had probably become lost in translation somewhere and that was the reason it never worked. Some of the world's most handsome and skilled sorcerers attempted the summoning with no luck, so the magical realms deemed the spell to be fraudulent, because who wouldn't find these men attractive? That's what they all said, anyways. But Inui was tempted by the promises that this spell makes. Promises of "pleasure unlike anything this Earth could ever provide." And, "A love that no other could provide." These were loose translations of course, but Inui was tempted nonetheless. Hoping that if he was the one to finally summon the demon after all of these years, the other sorcerers would have to acknowledge his work, no longer able to poke fun at him or disregard his magic

He had other motivations for this summoning as well. The prospect of demon sex was very tempting...and since it was this demon's specialty, why not dedicate an entire year to studying the ancient books to bring this fantasy to life?

-

Inui's mind wandered as he awaited the creature's arrival. He closed his eyes, feeling the breeze glide through his hair and brush against his bare skin, his mind conjuring up scenes of what he imagined the demon would do to him. If it has claws, would it use those to scratch his delicate skin, drawing blood and licking it up with it's long tongue? If it has sharp teeth, surely it would sink them into Inui's tender flesh, marking him as it's human toy. And what about it's size, surely the demon would want to shove it's monster cock deep inside of him?

Inui began to squirm, his skin felt impossibly hot, as if he was on fire. His back arched as a single moan slipped out of him, rubbing his thighs together as his cock began hardening from the lewd thoughts. Suddenly, his hips burned, not in a painful way though, in a way that caused him to moan out once again

“My, aren't you an adorable little thing~ ” A low voice purred into Inui's ear, impossibly hot breath hitting his neck as a shiver crawled up his spine. His eyes snapped open to find a large creature hovering over his body, it's hands firmly gripping his hips and haunting yellow eyes boring into his, visibly glowing in the darkness of the forest

Inui wanted to say something, but the words died in the back of his throat, only able to gasp and pant as the demon loomed over his comparably small frame. “What's wrong, little one? Too stunned to speak?” A small noise escaped from Inui involuntarily, unable to process that this was actually happening. “Oh, darling, I hope you're not afraid of me now?”

Inui shook his head, not wanting the demon to leave him. “Good, good. ” It chuckled, brushing it's slender fingers against his cheek, trailing it's touch down the human's neck, smiling when Inui arched his back again, squeaking out some cute response and tilting his head up to expose his neck further

-

You slowly licked your lips, leaning down and grazing your sharp fangs against Inui's sensitive flesh, causing him to flinch and gasp. Gently kissing his neck, your hands traveling to his stomach and trailing your fingers downwards, stopping at the base of his dick. Inui whined in response, raising his hips up a bit to chase the addictive touch. Desperately wishing you would wrap those hands around his cock and–

“Already excited, are we?” Purring, you tapped his fully erect cock, eliciting a tiny noise from Inui. “Such a horny little thing, I haven't even touched it yet. Are you desperate for this kind of attention, sweet thing? Is that why you summoned me? ” You teased, baring your fangs and growling, just as hungry with lust as the sorcerer was. Depraved from worthy offerings for centuries now

“Take m-me...please...” Inui whispered. Spreading his thighs for you. You cocked an eyebrow at the request, the sorcerer's tone was meek, but you could sense the sincerity behind his words. Humming, you brushed a hand through Inui's hair, and he leaned into the touch, looking up at you through pretty blond lashes

“This is what you want, human? Once we start, I will not stop until you are marked with my seal. Are you certain that you can handle this? ”

Inui swallowed hard, taking a deep breath before his answer, “Yes. I want this, I want y-you...all of you. ” This greatly pleased you, a toothy smile spreading across your face as your slender tail swished from behind

“Very good~ Then let us begin, cutie~ ” You positioned yourself so that your face was hovering over Inui's cock, using your long, forked tongue to wet the member while your hands held the human's thighs apart. Inui moaned loudly when you swallowed his entire length at once, your mouth now flush with his pelvis. He instinctually grabbed your hair, tightening his fist as you bobbed your head up and down, sucking on the tip harshly. Teeth grazing against the bottom of his cock and causing Inui to keen, throwing his head back against the ground and letting out a high-pitched moan

Precum hit the back of your throat, coating your tongue and drawing out a moan when you tasted the familiar salty flavour. You couldn't help but moan around Inui's thick cock, the vibrations causing his dick to twitch inside of your mouth. Which only egged you on more, now bobbing your head faster, wrapping your long tongue around his shaft. Inui was losing his mind, vision blurry as it felt like he was getting a handjob and a blowjob at the same time

He cried out your name, his back arching impossibly high off of the ground, “G-gonna– Aaahhh—!!! ” Your eyes rolled to the back of your head as the sorcerer's load poured down your throat, greedily swallowing every last drop. You slowly let his cock slide out of your mouth, releasing it with a wet pop sound, tongue lolling out and a bit of cum sticking to it

Already spent, Inui panted heavily. But you were far from finished with this new toy, licking your lips and immediately sticking your tongue into the human's hole, eliciting a scream from him. “Oh– Oooohh fffuuuck~ ”

You continued to lick and slurp Inui's ass, working your tongue deeper inside of him and shoving it against his prostate, making him shout out broken moans. Sobbing as his ass was stretched just from that thick tongue

Retracting your tongue, you quickly replaced the wet muscle with two fingers, pumping them in and out of Inui's wet hole. His head felt fuzzy again as his ass was stretched further, it already felt as if he was at his limit, his arm draped over his eyes and chest heaving. You wrapped your other hand around Inui's dick, giving it a few pumps before rubbing over his slit with your thumb. The poor human hissed, biting his lip and clawing at your arms, his dick still sensitive from the previous orgasm

This did not deter you, however. If anything it only made you move faster and push your fingers in deeper, once again hitting Inui's prostate and leaving your fingers pressed against it. Ripping yet another orgasm out of him as your hand milked more cum from his cock, the thick fluid leaking all down your fingers

Inui slumped against the ground, almost hyperventilating from the overwhelming pleasure. With his strength rapidly leaving him, his hands fell onto the ground, releasing their grip on your large arms. You rubbed your hands over the expanse of Inui's chest, cooing sweet praises into your human's ear. “You're doing so well, sweetie. Releasing all of this lovely fluid just for me~” Inui could feel the rumbling in your chest as you spoke, voice low and gravelly. “But we're just getting started~ ”

Inui's eyes opened in bewilderment. He knew that this would require way more stamina than usual, human sex. What he did not expect was how every single touch from your clawed, calloused hands seemed to drain that stamina immediately and light every last nerve on fire at the same time. It was as if your touch injected him with lust, keeping him constantly horny enough to keep going even if he could no longer hold himself up

The familiar sound of clothing hitting the ground brought his attention back to you, having just removed your trousers. Which allowed your cock to spring free of it's constraints. Inui's mind appeared to go blank at the sight, drool falling from the corners of his mouth as he stared at your fully erect length. Most humans would say something along the lines of, “No way in hell is that thing going to fit!” But Inui Seishu was not most humans. Inui was, to put it crudely, a cockslut and a size king. Always craving the things that would stretch him open enough to shut off his mind, only able to moan and take inch after inch deeper into his body

These thoughts were not unknown to you, as every last kink and preference became known as soon as they laid down in the enchanted circle. Which is exactly why you chose him. Inui would be capable of taking everything that you could give him; he craved an experience such as this one, and you were more than happy to give it to him

As if your body had its own gravitational force, Inui inches closer towards it, beckoning you to slide into his tight hole. So you grabbed his waist, impossibly tiny within your grasp, and lined your demonic dick up with his ass. He gulped, glassy eyes trained on your cock as the tip disappeared inside of him, the stretch already burning in the most delicious way

“Shh, breathe for me, lovely. There's still so much more that needs to go in.” Those soothing words echoed in Inui's mind as another inch slid past that ring of muscles. His eyes rolling into the back of his head and mouth falling open in a silent moan. You soothed the human as best as you could, sliding in further and further until your dick had disappeared entirely. “Ooohh fuuucckk yeeesss~ ” You hissed, panting as his tight walls convulsed around your cock, his hips jerking upwards as cum painted his chest white

A devilish grin spread across your face, slowly thrusting into Inui's twitching body. He came just from feeling you bottom out inside of him. Such a good little pet for you.

A familiar tightening in your core caused you to speed up, chasing your first release of the night while your human was already on his third. Yet, you could sense the passion inside of him, he craved more. And more is exactly what you would give him. Slamming your hips against his roughly, you growled praises against Inui's neck, nipping him with your fangs and flooding his insides with searing hot cum

Still partially recovering from his earlier orgasm, Inui arched his back high off of the ground, wailing as you fucked him and filled him. His body going completely limp in your hands, breathing erratically and making the cutest fucked out noises

You took a second to catch your breath and revel in the sight before you. There was a large bulge in Inui's stomach where he was stretched around your cock, his insides pushed aside to make room for the impossibly large intrusion. His blond hair clung to his forehead, beads of sweat sliding down his skin from the intensity of it all. Your hand brushed some of the wet hair away, nails scratching against his scalp and pulling a soft whine from him

You couldn't stop the smile growing on your features, it'd been far too long since you had felt this way towards a human. Especially one that intentionally offered himself unto you like this one did. Hungry lips met Inui's soft ones, moving together harmoniously as your eyes fluttered closed, enjoying this moment before you gave him another orgasm

Inui moaned into the kiss when he felt your fingers brush against his nipples, playing with them so you could hear more pretty noises from your sweet human, humping into his wet hole as you did so. Inui gasped as your hips snapped into him harshly, pinching his nipples simultaneously. Your thrusts began to speed up again, causing him to throw his head back in total bliss, fucking him at just the right pace

The temptation to mark your cute pet up was far too strong, leaning down to press an open-mouthed kiss to his sensitive neck. Nibbling on the soft flesh as you fucked your previous load deep into his gut, thrusting faster and faster so that you could add more cum to the mess already within his walls, making the bulge in his stomach even larger. Inui whined loudly, tangling his hand in your hair and tugging at the roots, begging for you to cum in him again, “Please– Ah!! More...cum in me more... Fill me with your cock until I can't think of anything else– F-fuuck—!! ”

Cum flooded his insides once again, dick twitching as his gummy walls squeezed it all out of you, your hips surely hitting him hard enough to leave a bruise later on. Blood trickled down Inui's neck as your fangs pierced his delicate skin. Tears ran down his cheeks from the combined intensity of everything

Inui's dick became hard yet again, still glistening from his previous orgasms. “Sweet thing, will you cum with me this time? ” You cooed, wrapping a hand around his length. Slowly pumping it as you peered into his gorgeous green eyes. “Just give me one more, then you can rest. Can you do that, darling? ” Inui nodded languidly, his hips rolling into your fist on their own

You smiled at him in response, taking a deep breath before thrusting into him again. The reaction from him was immediate; his hips jerked forward, head turning to the side as a loud moan erupted from him, hands grasping at your wrist that was gliding up and down his member. But you continued on, cock reaching the deepest places inside of him, rearranging his guts completely as his body molded to your length

Inui clenched around your dick, his fourth climax just within reach, crying out your name while your thrusting became sloppy. One hand continued to jerk him off, twisting your wrist as you stroked upwards and eliciting high-pitched screams from him, while your other hand rubbed at the bulge in his stomach. Effectively jerking yourself off through his body, almost using him as a fleshlight

The way his mind just shut off was instantly noticeable. Inui's eyes became vacant, unable to look away from your lustful gaze. Little “Ah! Ah! Ah! ” noises escaping him with each rhythmic thrust, no longer capable of forming words as he becomes your dumb little doll. Arms and legs completely limp, the only thing really moving is his hips as they thrust into your hand, chasing yet another orgasm even though his mind is unresponsive to the overstimulation

“I really did fuck you stupid, didn't I, little one?” No response, unless you count the slightest change in the pitch of the human's moans as anything. “So good for me. Mm, cum with me now, let us complete this pact~ ”

With that, you fucked into Inui roughly, snapping your hips into his and vigorously pumping his cock. Biting your bottom lip as you grow closer to your release and finally cumming within Inui's tight ass as he squeezes you once more, his own release following only a second behind yours. His body twitched and writhed under your grasp as a glowing red seal was burned onto his stomach, the large mark spanning from just above his bellybutton to right above the base of his dick. The same mark as your summoning circle, a mark of ownership. Telling all manner of demons and other creatures that this one belongs to you

Caressing the newly etched seal, a wave of possessiveness washed over your features for a moment. Your darling human was fast asleep, exhaustion finally taking over after so much excitement. His soft features became illuminated by the moonlight and you couldn't help but smile fondly

You slowly and carefully pulled out of him, so as not to hurt him or rouse him from slumber. Soothing your hands over his body and kissing his pale cheek before lying down next to his side. You pulled him against your chest and spooned his small body, wrapping your tail around his leg. Placing a kiss on the top of his head, you whispered a few more praises and loving words into Inui's ear before drifting off with him

Tagging: @steadybreadbluebird @6kabuki

[aerkame]

I just needed to get this out but reader cuddling with wally from the alive au cause everyone else is busy but him and reader just needs some cuddles

Ah yes, I can honestly imagine that. Sometimes Wally feels like the only person that really understands the reader. He isn't as clueless on feelings or how things work in this world like the others. If anything he probably craves physical touch after having come to life.

(This takes place in the Alive AU)

___________________________________________________________

It was a rainy afternoon by the time Wally finished another painting, something you had helped him with by getting the supplies he needed, you truly are a kind host.

Perhaps, it was time that he gave you something in return for your kindness. His friends were also keen on this as well, though they all had different ideas of what to give you. Wally was sure of what he wanted as a gift however, it would take quite some time to make.

Wally stood from his stool to go wash his hands off in the bathroom. He stood there, letting the feeling of cool water glide over his cartoonish skin. It still felt odd to him really.

He has always been a puppet for as long as he could remember. Wally Darling, the star puppet of a now forgotten kids show. He was so so lonely before, watching the years go by and collecting dust on an empty shelf in that antique store. Wally wasn't that lonely puppet anymore though, he was something entirely new. His friends, previously existing as only fictional characters, weren't so fictional once you picked both him and the "dead" puppet characters up. It's like you had a magic in you to bring life into them. What a wonderful person you were.

"Hey Mr.Darling..." You poked your head into the bathroom to greet him. Wally only sighed, you didn't need to be so formal all the time.

"Please dear, you may call me Wally, we've known each other for a while now." A smile crept onto his face. "But...if you're so insistent on calling me that, I might as well call you Darling as well. You are a sweet little darling to me after all.~"

A towel was thrown into his face that Wally caught with ease, looking back to you to see a reddened face. He loved it when you were flustered.

"Wally! We're not even married!" You knew he wasn't as innocent as the others so you really had no issue with scolding him on that. "I...I was going to ask if you wanted anything special for brunch." You kept trying to fan your cheeks, a habit he took notice of when you got flustered.

"Hmm...Let's see." He hummed in thought "Would French Toast be alright?" Goodness, he'd love that right now. The way you added cinnamon-dipped apple slices to it always made him yearn for more.

"Alright, I'll get started on that now since it'll take a while." You gave him a soft smile before turning to head to the kitchen. Wally left to sit in the living room while he waited, deciding to read the newspaper with one leg crossed over the other. A thought popped up in his mind. When did you start smiling like that? It was more...loving, not like your usual smiles. Maybe he was just imagining things. He felt warmth creeping onto his cheeks, a new feeling he was not used to.

Wally made an audible sigh as he leaned further into the couch not taking notice of his grip tightening.

Some time passed by as he read, foot tapping against the floor to the rhythm of the radio in the background.

"Alrighty! Brunch is ready, but you should probably wait a bit, it's pretty hot right now." You set the food on the coffee table in front of the couch plopping down next to Wally leaving him startled. That was rare. You didn't mind Wally eating here sometimes since you knew he never makes a mess. Also because the dinner table was currently littered with Julie's and Eddie's arts and crafts.

"Ah, thank you darling..." He mumbled, taking notice of the now torn paper from having gripped it too tightly. You gave him a concerned look.

"Wally, are you okay?"

Leaning against you on the plush pillows he wrapped an arm over your shoulders, trapping you against his side. "I am now." His face was so close to yours...unlike last time though, you leaned into his body and softly took his head in your hands, guiding him to lay down in your lap face up.

You bent down to grab the food off the table, handing it to Wally for him to eat. He wouldn't grab the plate, keeping his arm around you, face nuzzled into your torso instead. "Would you be a dear and cut it for me please?" The smug grin that you were so used to seeing finally revealed itself. You were feeling a little playful today though, so you indulged him.

"Alright Mr.Pompadour, open wide." You teased, digging the fork into a cinnamon apple slice, holding it up to his mouth.

He stared at it for a second with a blush dusting his cheeks before slowly taking a bite, enjoying the delicious sensations on his tongue, a recent ability he gained now no longer needing to stare at food to eat it. Piece by piece you slowly fed him brunch, allowing Wally to lay in your lap the whole time.

You set the plate aside once he was finished. Wally still had those dreamy eyes and dusted red cheeks as he stared straight up at you.

"You know, you truly are the most."

On second thought, trying to write fanfiction while lacking enough sleep might not have been a good idea. There are so many spelling mistakes I had to fix in this and I'm not sure if I got them all. On the bright side I'm really getting the hang of writing more now.

[plumadot]

ok. ok. connecting the pretty much confirmed "jimmy is codfather somehow someway" post to the "first time flower husbands kiss" post and "jimmy is familiar to scott but they're still awkward" post.

what if the love scott feel isn't romantic love (or at least, not the primary source of it. maybe a secondary/later love?). it's the remnants of the devotion he feels for the codfather. it's intertwined with jimmy's prescence, his very being. so how does scott react to this unknown force drawing him to jimmy? the one that makes him trip over his words, this one-side attraction that has no reciprication?

he mistakes it for love, (as all unknowing aros do (/J)). that's why he pushes himself to kiss jimmy, to tangle his hands into scruffy blond hair, to hold their lips together for longer than he likes.

it felt foreign. not right, not like books and plays make it seem. jimmy's lips were too hot, scott's own heartbeat too fast, and the fire sounded too loud in the quiet space surrounding them.

he pulled away quickly (quicker than he should have, he scowls in the privacy of his tent) and locks eyes with jimmy. they're wide, but scott doesn't know him well enough to place what emotion they carry. shock? fear? horror? "i-i'm sorry-" he stumbles out, his lips failing him. jimmy's eyes soften. "s'ok scott" he shakes his head slightly before getting up. "i'll be heading to bed now. are you good with fire duty?" scott nods, and jimmy smiles softly. "alright then. goodnight." he walks away from the glow of the fire, leaving scott alone with his own thoughts.

(WOW that got away from me sorry anyways love this au <3 -🍳 (emoji is mine now >:) )

oh scott is definitely unsure about... everything. and that feeling is not something he's familiar with at all. imagine having lost someone many many years ago and suddenly they return but... they're not the same. jimmy is not a god, but there's definitely a part of him that scott knows intimately.

on one hand there's jimmy as a person; a sweet, almost carefree guy that scott is getting to know to be way more hardworking and courageous than most people. and then there's jimmy as a sorcerer, who holds a part of the entity scott has built his whole life around, whose powers could be immeasurable if only he knew how to unlock them, how to become whole again. and scott is unsure whom he feels this affection for. sometimes he thinks it's just for his god, sometimes he thinks it's both.

he's not ready to tell jimmy everything either. jimmy knows he's special somehow, that he's meant to be kept safe and that his magic is important to the world, as well as to scott. which should feel amazing, being the chosen one, but it doesn't. and every time scott looks at him, he feels it too. like he's losing himself, like he's becoming someone else. someone he should be. and he's not sure if he's ready for it.

it's fucked up lmao and i am so sorry

[larluce]

If all the Merlins I created met each other

Familiar Merlin 🦅: (flies around the place in his bird form and then changes into his human form, falling gracefully)

"Dragonlord’s son" Merlin 🐉: wooow, how did you do that?! 😃

"From the grave to the cradle" Emrys 🧙‍♂️: (in his dragoon apparence) It's easier than you think. (Changes into younger apparence) We all have metamorphosis abilities. Some just have them more devoloped than others.

Time travel AU/tree Merlin 🌳: I was forced to be a tree for ten years. Does that count?

Merlin 🦅: OMG! I was forced into my bird form too! 😄 (Hi fives Merlin 🌳) I can change my form at will now though.

Merlin 🐉: wait, what?! 😨 Why would they do something like that to you?

Merlin 🌳: Magic deal with the sidhes.

Merlin 🦅: Some sorcerers wanted to control my magic.

Merlin 🐉: (to Emrys 🧙‍♂️) And you?

Emrys 🧙‍♂️: Oh, I was not forced into turning into anything.

Merlin 🐉: Thank the gods.

Emrys 🧙‍♂️: Yeah, I was only forced to wait for Arthur to come back from death for 1500 years until I got tired of waiting and decided to travel back in time to kidnap him as a baby.

Merlin 🐉: ...

Merlin 🦅: ...

Merlin 🌳: OMG! You traveled back in time too?! 😃 (tries to hi five Emrys 🧙‍♂️, but he just looks at him with the serious face he always wears so he lowers his hand, akwardly) Ahm... And why did it take you so long?

Emrys 🧙‍♂️: I was a fool with too much faith in destiny, so I waited for Arthur to return longer than I should have. And time travel spells are not that easy to do, specially if you're the only magic user alive.

Merlin 🌳: Yeah, Arthur told me he had to-wait, what do you mean with "the only magic user alive?'!!😱

Merlin 🐉: Are we seriously going to ignore the part when he said he kidnapped Arthur?!

Merlin 🦅: Oh, did you put him cage? I hope not, those are awful.

Merlin 🐉: That's the only thing that worries you?!

Emrys 🧙‍♂️: No, I did not put him in a cage.

Merlin 🌳: I don't understand your reasoning, but if it was the only way to save him-

Merlin 🐉: The only way?! You have to be kidding me! Am I the only sane one here?!

Emrys 🧙‍♂️: How old are you?

Merlin 🐉: 20. Why?

Merlin 🌳: Oh, just two seasons of traumas. That explains it.

Merlin 🐉: (sighs) And I thought being kidnapped by a dragon was the worst thing that could happen to me.

Merlin 🌳: You were kidnapped by a dragon? 😨

Emrys 🧙‍♂️: You were kidnapped just once? 😒

Merlin 🦅: Were you put in a cage?

Merlin 🐉: Yes, yes, and no, I was not put in a cage. (To Merlin 🦅) How are you not affected by any of this? You look younger than me. Shouldn't you be even more scandalised?

Merlin 🦅: (shrugs) I don't know. But I was kind of brainwashed into believing a was never human before, so maybe that affected my perception of things (starts eating a death lark he recently hunted) Yummy 😋. You want some? 😄

Merlin 🐉: ... 😰🤢

Merlin 🌳: ... 🥺😖

Emrys 🧙‍♂️: (not impressed at all) 😒 (sighs) No, thank you, little one. But thanks for asking.

[agirlwithdemonblood]

Breaking Free: Chapter 3- Finding Light

Pairings: AU! Mechanic Dean x Reader

Chapter Summary: Dean and Y/N have their first date, and Dean shows who he really is.

Series Masterlist here!! & Main masterlist here!

I woke up and glanced at the clock, a frown creasing my face when I saw it was almost noon.

There was a time when I'd rise early, whip up breakfast for Andrew and I, followed by a job and enjoying coffee at the diner. I used to think that our relationship was so normal. You know, like those housewives on TV who seemed so content. But that was just among the surface.

I didn't realize how unnatural our relationship was-the yelling, the screaming, the constant bullying. Now that I'm finally out of it, I see those things for what they were: toxic.

It wasn't normal for my fiance to explode if dinner wasn't ready, to check my texts and calls every night, or to be upset and physically punish me when I had an idea of my own. It took me months to realize that these weren't normal relationship dynamics; they were signs of something deeply unhealthy.

What scares me the most is that Andrew was my only experience with relationships, and now with Dean showing interest, I wasn't sure how I should behave around him. Is it okay to feel this strongly about him so soon? Will he think less of me because I don't know what a real, healthy relationship is?

As if fate was responding, my phone rang on the nightstand, displaying an unknown number. I hesitated briefly before answering and holding it to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Hey sweetheart, it's Dean."

Instantly, my worries melted away. There was something about him, something magical almost, because just hearing his voice made me feel better.

"Hey Dean, what's up?"

"I was just wondering if we are still on for tonight? Instead of dinner, I thought maybe I could take you somewhere."

A rush of questions and insecurities flooded my mind. Maybe he didn't want to be seen with me after yesterday, or maybe he wanted to cancel but didn't know how to tell me."

"Y/N? You there?"

"Oh sorry, yeah, if that's what you want to do. I mean, obviously its your decision."

There was a pause, and anxiety started to creep in. Had I said the wrong thing?

He chuckled into the phone, "Uh, I'm glad your thinking of me Y/N, but this is our date. I just wanted to bring you somewhere special. You can have an opinion, you know?" His laugh was reassuring, and I giggled in return.

Of course, he was a gentleman on top of everything else.

"I think that sounds amazing. What time should I be ready for?"

"How does 5:30 sound?"

I smiled to myself, "Sounds good. See you later Dean."

With that, I hung up and placed my phone back on the nightstand. A sigh of contentment escaped me as I thought about tonight. Perhaps this would be the night things changed for me.

Dean seemed like a genuinely nice guy, he hadn't judged me during the incident with Andrew. Maybe he was different from other men.

But as I thought about tonight, my nerves started getting the better of me. What would I wear? Dean hadn't specified if it was a fancy or casual outing. Not getting a clear instruction always made me anxious-I've made that mistake before.

i grabbed my phone and started typing a message, then hesitated, deleted it, and finally sent it. He responded almost immediately.

I smiled to myself as I read through the messages repeatedly. It was tempting to remain in bed reading them, but I knew I had to get up and start my day before my date later tonight.

As I made my way to my suitcase, I frowned, realizing I had fewer clothes than expected; half of my stuff was still at Andrew’s place, and I had no intention of going back there.

Unfortunately, I had to go shopping. I threw on my coat, grabbed my purse, and headed out, sitting in the car debating where to go. There was a nearby clothing store, but what if Andrew had talked to the staff and made things awkward there? There was another option out of town, but it was quite a distance.

My phone rang, and I couldn’t help but laugh seeing Dean’s name. I answered quickly. “Can’t stay away, huh?”

He chuckled deeply. “You caught me. Missed you already! But, I might need to push our date back an hour. Got stuck at work until 5:30 now instead of 4. Is it okay if I pick you up at 6:30?"

“No worries, that’s fine,” I replied.

“What are you up to today?” He questioned with a smile I could hear.

I debated whether to be vague or share. Part of me wanted to tell him about my day; strangely, he seemed genuinely interested. “Just going shopping. Turns out I need more clothes than I thought.”

“Well, have fun! Where are you headed?”

“Probably the next town over. I know there are a few shops there.”

He paused for a moment, and my heart skipped a beat. “Oh, that’s quite a journey. You must really like those stores,” he teased.

I nervously giggled, playing with my coat zipper. “Not really. Andrew has stirred up a lot of drama around here, and I prefer to avoid it.”

He sighed audibly, his concern evident even through the phone. "Sweetheart, stay right there. I'll bring something to help you out."

I chuckled softly, biting my lip. "Okay. I'll wait here."

Twenty minutes passed before I spotted Dean’s truck pulling in, a young girl sitting in the passenger seat. Dean smiled at me as he got out and opened the girl’s door.

“Y/N, this is Claire. She's a good family friend,” Dean introduced.

I extended my hand nervously. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Claire smiled back, shaking my hand. “You too. So Dean brought me here to go shopping with you, said people in this town were being assholes to you?”

I felt embarrassed, glancing at Dean who looked apologetic for his improvised plan. “Uh, yeah.”

“Well, don’t worry. People dislike me more than they could dislike you, and I also do enjoy shopping, so let’s go,” Claire said with a reassuring smile.

I laughed, silently thanking Dean for sending her my way. After Dean left, Claire hopped into my car, her manner friendly.

“Dean is crazy about you, it’s hilarious,” Claire remarked.

“Really?” I asked, surprised.

She chuckled. “I didn’t even have a chance to say yes. He was already at my door, pulling me into the truck, saying he needed a huge favor.”

“Oh…”

Claire frowned slightly. “Not that hanging out with you is a favour. He told me you didn’t have many friends here, and people weren’t treating you right. He thought we might get along, so here I am. I don't have many friends here either so it works out.”

I nodded, touched by Dean’s thoughtfulness but also feeling a pang of insecurity. It was sweet of him, yet I couldn't shake the feeling of being a charity case.

“Earth to Y/N?” Claire’s voice snapped me back to reality.

I managed a sad smile. “Sorry, I just… I hope this doesn’t seem pathetic. Like Dean had to beg you to be friends with me.”

Claire shook her head, laughing lightly. “Even if it does, he had good intentions. Maybe we’ll become great friends because of this, or maybe not. Either way, let’s make the most of today.”

I nodded in agreement as we arrived at the store. Claire’s easy confidence helped ease my nerves, and I found myself enjoying her company. She didn’t treat me like a charity case; instead, she was sassy and genuine.

As we browsed through clothes, Claire asked, “So what are you planning on wearing tonight?”

I shrugged. “Dean said something comfortable and casual.”

“Are you planning on… you know, tonight?” Claire asked bluntly with a smirk.

I blushed deeply, surprised by her directness. “Claire!"

She chuckled and nodded, "Yeah, I'm straightforward like that. But seriously, are you making any plans, or are you more of a wait-until-the-third-date kind of person?"

The idea of something potentially happening with Dean made butterflies flutter in my stomach. Did he expect us to be intimate tonight? Was that the norm for dating now?

"I honestly haven't thought about it until this moment. Do you think he's expecting it tonight?"

Claire laughed softly and shook her head. "Dean is a true gentleman. As much as he annoys me and gets on my nerves, he's kind, protective, and wouldn't harm a fly. It all depends on what you're comfortable with."

She offered me a couple of shirts, but they didn't quite fit my style. Dean had said to be comfortable, but I also wanted to impress him. The last times he saw me, I wasn't looking my best.

Claire returned with armfuls of clothes, a wide grin on her face. "Changing rooms, let's do this!"

Following her to the back, I stepped into a dressing room as she handed me various outfits. They weren't my usual choices, but surprisingly cute.

I tried on the burgundy leggings, a white tank top, and a jacket Claire gave me. When I looked in the mirror, I was surprised—I felt beautiful for once. The leggings fit my curves nicely, and the top showed off my shape. I knew Dean would be surprised; he's only seen me in baggy clothes before.

Stepping out, I found Claire waiting, her jaw dropping in awe. I couldn't help but laugh at her reaction. "Wowww. Girl, Dean won't know what hit him."

After paying and grabbing a quick lunch, I dropped Claire off at her house. Before she left, she asked for my number, which made me feel valued. It seemed like things were finally looking up.

Back at the motel, I checked the time—it was already 5:30, just an hour before Dean would pick me up.

I was feeling even more nervous now. Dean was coming soon, and I was wearing something a bit more revealing. It was scary, but I had a feeling Dean would like it. I couldn't wait.

I had just finished putting on makeup and getting dressed when a knock on the door grabbed my attention. Quickly adjusting my outfit, I nervously made my way to the door.

When I opened it, we both paused, taking each other in. Dean looked incredibly handsome in a red button-up shirt layered over a black t-shirt, paired with faded blue jeans. He looked even better than I remembered, if that was possible.

His eyes scanned me from head to toe, and he let out a low whistle before meeting my eyes with a smile. "Wow... Y/N, you look stunning."

Blushing wildly, I fiddled with my hands, trying to hide my flustered grin that probably made me look like a teenager—but he noticed, and it only made him smile wider.

He then pulled out a bouquet of flowers from behind his back and held them out to me. "Dean! You really didn't have to get me flowers."

He shrugged, his smile turning a bit shy. "I know, but I thought they might brighten up the motel room a bit."

I leaned in and kissed his cheek, chuckling softly as his cheeks turned red and he looked bashful. He was adorable when he was shy.

After putting the flowers in water, I grabbed my coat and followed him outside. I glanced around, looking for his truck, which caused him to laugh. "You didn't think I'd show up for our date in my tow truck, did you?"

"I wouldn’t judge if you did. Which car is yours?” I asked.

He pointed to the black car, and my jaw dropped. It was the most amazing car I’d ever seen. I didn’t know much about cars, but when I was a kid, my dad had taught me a thing or two, especially about this one.

“Oh my god. No way. A ‘67 Chevy Impala? Those are a rare breed.”

He froze, staring back at me in awe, clearly surprised that I recognized the car and its classic status.

“Whoa, a girl after my heart. You know a lot about cars?” he asked.

I shook my head and chuckled. “No, my dad was the car enthusiast. He collected them. We had a calendar of classic cars, and this Chevy was featured in May. I always thought it was the most beautiful car.”

His smiled wider, “Well, thank you. I love her, and I’m glad you do too.”

“Her? What’s her name?”

He blushed, looking down. “Baby.”

I giggled and playfully nudged his arm. “Does that ever confuse the ladies?”

He chuckled along with me, his blush spreading. “Nah, I mix it up depending on the person.”

“Good to know.”

He opened the car door for me and then walked around to the driver’s side. As he got in, I couldn’t help but be fascinated by the car. I barely noticed when we started driving; it was just such a perfect match for Dean.

He drove for a while, asking about my life-where I came from, how many siblings I had. It was clear he was avoiding talking about Andrew, and I was grateful for that. I turned to face him better, but then I froze. My eyes locked on the cut on his lip and the green bruise on his cheek.

“What?” He asked nervously, offering a smile.

“What happened to your face?” I asked, concern in my voice.

His hand went to his lip, and he nodded in understanding, seeming to have forgotten about his cuts and bruises.

“Oh, uh, nothing really. Family disagreement, nothing major.”

I narrowed my eyes and sighed, feeling a connection. “Look at both of us, the weirdos with bruises.”

He chuckled softly and placed his hand on my leg, squeezing gently. My heart skipped a beat, and I felt a rush of emotions like a teenager again.

It took a while to reach the lake Dean wanted to bring me to, and as soon as did, nerves flooded back. This was real-the first date. The night that could shape our relationship. It was more nerve-wracking than I remembered.

He got out of the car and went to the back, pulling out a blanket, a bottle of wine, and a cooler. I couldn't help but smile as my heart warmed; he had put so much thought into our first date, and it meant a lot.

Once the blanket was set up, he sat down next to me and opened the cooler, grabbing snacks for us both.

"Wow, Dean, you went all out."

His cheeks turned a shade of red as he chuckled nervously. "Sometimes I do."

He reached for the wine but hesitated, his eyes searching mine. "Um, is the wine okay or?"

I furrowed my brows in confusion, a nervous smile forming. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

He seemed lost in thought for a moment, as if trying to figure out how to explain something. Then it hit me—he must have heard the rumors around town. He believed them.

I dropped my head, feeling my heart sink. I had thought he, of all people, wouldn’t believe those things about me. But clearly, he was uneasy about drinking, afraid the rumours were true.

He sighed and placed his hand on my leg. “I didn’t mean anything by it... it’s just...”

“You heard the rumors about my drinking problem, and now you’re worried about me,” I finished for him.

His eyes widened, and he put the bottle down, leaning closer. “No! No, not at all! I just...”

He sighed heavily, brushing his hair back in frustration. “Sometimes rumours are spread, and sometimes there’s truth to them, even if it’s exaggerated. I just needed to check, to make sure you weren’t at risk or uncomfortable with drinking.”

He frowned, removing his hand from my leg, clearly feeling guilty. I wasn’t angry at him—I was frustrated with Andrew and those stupid rumors. I just wanted to be myself without judgment.

Turning towards him, I grabbed the wine and popped the cork, taking a sip to ease the tension. He smirked and nodded, taking the bottle from me and joining in.

I sighed and moved closer. “Okay, before our date really gets going, let’s clear the air. No more doubts about me. Tell me what you’ve heard, and I’ll tell you if it’s true. Whether you believe it or not is up to you.”

He nodded, turning to face me. After a moment of thought, he spoke up. “One thing I heard was that you used him and then left, but I already know that’s not true.”

“How do you know that’s not true?”

“Because I was at that motel that day. I saw what he was doing and the look on his face. Also, if you had used him and taken his money, you wouldn’t have come in without a tow truck that day.”

I smiled and nodded. “Good detective work. What else?”

He sighed and handed me the bottle. “That you have a drinking problem and get violent when you’re under the influence.”

“Okay. I don’t have a drinking problem. Andrew did. We went to parties, had a few drinks, and when I stood up to him because of the liquid courage, he blamed it on that. Also, I only hit him once—the day at the motel. That part was true.”

He nodded, his hand returning to my leg in a comforting gesture.

“What else?” I asked, handing him back the bottle. He took a swig and looked down.

“I heard that the bruises on your face were from a bar fight, and you blamed him for it. But again, I know that’s not true.” He laughed.

I sighed and nodded. “I was in a bar fight, technically. I was drinking with my neighbor, and this random girl thought she was hitting on her boyfriend—she actually was—so the girl got in her face. I stepped in, and the girl swung at me. But after that, I went home. My neighbor apparently told her husband I was the one hitting on the guy from the bar, and he told Andrew. When I got home, Andrew was furious and drunk. I tried to walk away, but he…”

I froze, tears welling up as I recalled the painful memory. “He grabbed me and threw me to the ground. That was the first time he hit me.”

Dean winced, his jaw tightening. “Is that when you left?”

I shook my head, tears streaming down my face. “No. I was stupid and stayed. About a week later, I found out he was sleeping with the neighbor. I confronted him, angry and hurt. He called me a liar, said I was drunk and imagining things. So I got even angrier, threatened to leave, and told him I’d expose him for who he really was. That’s when he snapped… I don’t remember much after that—it happened so fast—but I remember the pain of his fists over and over again. I remember seeing the blood on his hands and the smile on his face. I thought, ‘I’m going to die tonight. My fiancé is going to kill me.’ And honestly, at that moment, I was okay with it. The pain he caused me was unbearable.”

My head hung low as I sobbed quietly, the weight of the memories crushing me. Dean pulled me onto his lap, wrapping his arms around me protectively. “It’s okay. He’s not going to hurt you anymore. I won’t let him,” he whispered soothingly.

I sighed and looked up, Dean’s thumbs gently wiping away my tears.

“I’m sorry,” I choked out.

His brow furrowed in confusion. “Sorry for what, sweetheart?”

“For ruining our date. I shouldn’t have talked about that.”

He shook his head, holding me tighter. “Don’t apologize. You didn’t ruin anything. In fact, you’ve made me feel even closer to you. I appreciate you telling me. It couldn’t have been easy.”

I shook my head, resting against his shoulder, my arms holding him close. A weight lifted off my shoulders—I wasn’t alone in this anymore. Someone finally believed me.

He kissed my forehead and smiled softly. “Now, let’s sit down and talk some more. We’ll still have a great night, okay?”

I nodded, leaning in slowly to press my lips against his. Each kiss felt like the first, and with each one, I felt myself falling even deeper in love.

It was only our first date, but I knew—I was falling hard.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! Chapter 4 coming soon stay tuned!

Like, comment, and reblog, feedback is my fuel 💕

[thewisaaaaad]

so I was writing more about my Narinders Locker Au and uh.

It got a little out of hand. so I'm splitting it into parts.

Here's the part about Lamb and crew :D

The ship the lamb sails upon was once Narinders own ship. A gigantic beast of a galleon, its hide is made entirely of cast iron. Given its weight, the ship should not float at all. and for the centuries that Narinder was imprisoned, it didn't. But with the power of the red crown, the lamb can will it to rise from the depths or return to it at will.

It is a gigantic galleon, armed with sixty cannons a side, with two cannons that point forward as well. It has 8 sails, and an extra mast to match.

It is poorly balanced on purpose. the front of the ship catches an air bubble within it, and the rear is weighted with extra iron, causing the ship to tip backwards beneath the waves. This allows the ship to rise with the nose pointed upwards at a diagonal, permitting it to pierce heretical ships from below, or to fall upon vessels that are caught beneath it.

The crew, blessed by The One Below, are able to breath seawater as easily as air, and thus the ships ambush abilities can be used to their fullest potential.

the ships name is Iron vale, but the crew (and Narinder) affectionately call it "rust bucket". The lamb is unamused. (they want their ship to be cool, dammit.)

The crew is fiercely devoted to the lamb. After all, they did save all of them from the Captains, and all of them hold personal grudges against the Captains too.

All of them are trained in combat, though only half of them really engage in any given conflict. most use whatever weapons they have on hand, although some specialize in certain weapons and have claimed custom versions from the traveling weponsmith.

The lamb themself is a foolhardy youth, empowered by the crown they seek vengeance, and Narinder has to remind them often that part of their deal was that they had to seek adventure for all the fallen who never got to see the world.

They wear the crown as a tricorn (obviously) and wield it as a cutlass (also obvious). they wear a pair of well worn and oft patched pair of pants, held up with a sash woven from their mothers wool, and the sash is embroidered with sheep and Lilly of the valley in red thread, but the embroidering is unfinished. It will never be finished.

Their fleece is a red pirate coat that leaves its sleeves flowing in the wind, tied around their neck with a golden cord and clasped with a small anchor.

The lambs wool is constantly sopping wet, and they will never dry for they are tied to the sea now. Their horns are short and dull, and their tail undocked. The wool on their face droops down over one eye, giving the appearance of an eye patch.

In their chest sits a gaping hole where their heart once sat. It was taken from them by narinder, for a gift such as the crown cannot come without sacrifice.

That heart is Narinders most treasured possession.

Their magic takes a unique form too. Instead of balls of fire and lost souls wrought with their hands as in the game, they wield blood red brine and frozen ice flung from a flintlock instead. When the lamb falls in battle, they melt into blood red briny water that slinks back into the ocean, to find the bones and rotting flesh of sunken sailors to create a new body.

After all, one cannot simply stab the sea, and expect to have killed it.

[iwriteasfotini]

Our Love is Written in the Stars

......EVERYONE HAS A STORY......

*I am preparing for lots of links, so bear with the slow process of building this post to be more interactive. And I am still figuring out tumblr formatting.*

The Heir and The Spare - Year One, Sirius POV (25 Chapters, ~109k words) Rating: Mature Posting to Begin 10/31/24

THATS Quick Stats - Coming 10/28 THATS Synopsis - Coming 10/29 THATS Chapter headings - Coming 10/30 THATS Evergreen Content - Coming sometime after 11/23 THATS Playlist - Coming 11/23

The Prince's Pact - Year Two, Severus POV (25 Chapters, ~122K words) Rating: Mature Posting to Begin 12/21/24

The Bonds of Friendship - Year Three, James POV (28 Chapters, ~139k words) Rating: Mature Posting to Begin 2/14/25

What is this series?

**Special Note: I am a parent, I was a teacher, and I want to make sure my content is consumed by audiences of AN APPROPROATE AGE. If you are underage, please do not engage in the stories with Explicit ratings. I am working very hard to offer two versions of certain chapters to make sure this story is as accessible as possible.**

A canonesque Marauders era year by year series spanning 1971-1981 (maybe beyond).

A return to Hogwarts in the 1970's with modern attitudes about sexuality and gender because this is way more fun. Also I'm not getting into muggle racism or politics at all. The magical world has enough problems to tackle.

An exploration of morality and celebration of love.

A culturally expansive look at magical practices around the globe.

A creative delve into the six types of magic (inspired by POS wiki page and Evitative).

A testament to difficult choices in difficult circumstances.

A soul bond concept but not an AU.

A single POV for each installment. I refrain from chapter to chapter shifts.

Culturally diverse cast, plus all six main characters are at least bilingual.

Main Ships

Jegulus (platonic Jily and no Jeguily, if this proclamation stresses you out like it would me read this post.)

Wolfstar

Snily (turbulent, open relationship)

Side Ships

Rosekiller, Dorlene, Dumbledore/Grindelwald, Frank/Alice, Minerva/Poppy

I'm not sharing all the side ships due to spoilers.

Music

This series has two main theme songs, then each book has one/two theme songs. Plus sometimes I have a song attached to a chapter, which means each installment has its own playlist.

>>>Master Playlist<<< (Theme songs only - very short playlist)

>>>Epic Playlist<<< (Every single song in order, really really epic)

I will be sharing all of my playlists from Spotify, but due to spoilers, it won't be until each installment is fully published. Feel free to build your own playlists and please share them with me if you do!

Other things to know:

This story contains a large cast of queer characters who may or may not label themselves. There are also characters who identify as trans and nonbinary. Fair notice, my Regulus is not trans, though I know this is a common HC these days. But maybe with a little imagination you could still HC him as trans? And I'll say it until I'm blue in the face, I know this isn't realistic of the time period. Who cares!

Rating will span Mature to soft Explicit throughout the series with alternate chapters offered for a little more descriptive smut.

Posting will happen daily beginning on the scheduled day and continue at one chapter per day until each installment is complete. Then a few weeks of break between installments, for my sanity and to let people catch up.

Warning: People who have sensitivity to the following themes should approach this work with caution. It gets DARK. I will use trigger warnings by chapter and much of this does not begin until year five or later.

Underage drinking; underage recreational drug use; profanity; domestic abuse; blood; animal harm/death; self harm including attempting suicide; death; violence; grief; psychological abuse; torture; nonconsensual sex/sexual abuse; minor homophobia; sexual content; sexual themes

A final note:

If this sounds like an enticing series to you, please follow me or the tag (#Our Love is Written in the Stars) so you get updates when I start posting. I'm also going to share certain previews on Tumblr. This is a major passion project. I am writing for me 100% but I think some of you might also enjoy it, so I'm going to share.

Thanks for taking the time to read this introduction post. I hope to see you in the comments on AO3. Cheers!

**I do not agree with the original author's personal beliefs.**

**You can't find me on AO3 yet because this series is my first work of fanfiction. But my author name will be fotini.**

[sweetainwen]

ᴍᴀʟᴇᴅɪᴄᴛᴜᴍ [JJK]

Summary: trying to break free from a witch's curse was daunting, especially if it was a charade that would last until he had her to himself, but nothing was left unpunished by the rampage of a true walking curse, for every sin had to be atoned for.

Pairings: yandere duke witch hunter!Jungkook x fem!witch hunter?OC (you can think of her as Y/N)

Genre: made up world!au, supernatural!au, witch!au, yandere!au, smut

Disclaimer: this story is fictional, so each character is not as described in it.

Warnings: slight age gap (Jungkook 22 OC 26), obsession, manipulation, violence, blood, supernatural themes, burning at stake, major character death, murders, unprotected sex, fingering

Word count: 7.2+k

A/N: happy Halloween!

Tragic was life, bringing with it unexpected events that no one could prevent. The injustice of this filled hearts with sadness and helplessness, eyes that wanted to express them with tears but it was now useless.

Like her now gazing at the coffin of her third and brave husband being buried, passed away shortly after their wedding. People around her paying their condolences for the ill-fated event.

But she knew, knew how fear and judgments were hidden beneath them. She knew of the derogatory epithet that had been hung on her.

Their voices were loud, their looks piercing, their gestures blatant.

“She doesn't even shed a tear.”

“I wonder how it happened this time.”

“What a curse.”

The abyss dragged her down, shrouding her with its darkness.

However, his gentle hands brought her back up, firm and decisive, cutting that black thread that twisted overbearingly and undisturbed around her body.

As soon as she looked up, Jungkook’s tender smile calmed the turmoil that was taking over her, a hand squeezing her shoulder in comfort while the other was outstretched towards her.

“Let's get going, Minji. The air is getting very cold.”

She returned his smile with a more faint one and a slight nod of her head, resting her hand on his and letting him guide her out of the graveyard and to their carriage.

Her desire was only to marry and live happily, an accomplishment of almost every woman. She coveted that love as special as it was magical, for she had been deprived of it from an early age.

However, something prevented her from doing so.

The death of her first husband had been considered an accident, but that of her second husband a suspicion, and that of her third a confirmation.

Harbinger of misfortune, one glance was enough to cloud the poor unfortunate man's rationality, who acted rashly with a marriage proposal.

Whereupon those who fell victim to her beauty were cursed and perished.

The cursed woman.

That was what she was called by the townspeople, for there was a witch's hand in all these nefarious events.

A certainty due to the trails of magic found at the murder scene of her third husband.

“I am truly dismayed that you have been involved in this reprisal, my dear. We should have foreseen such an action.” The middle-aged man's sad voice reached her ears after they entered their mansion, being helped by the maids in freeing themselves of their coats.

“Do not blame yourself for this, my dear cousin,” she reassured, her palm brushing against his arm. “We are aware of who is really guilty. And I am confident that we will be able to find them, given our hunting abilities. The witches will not be able to escape for long.” Her hand rested gently on the cheek of the younger man beside her, whose doe-like eyes looked at her with concern and affection, before a sigh escaped her lips, “Now if you will excuse me, I shall retire to my chamber. I... need to be alone for a moment.”

The two men watched her as she made her way to the stairs, lifting her dress with her hands to prevent it from getting in the way of her steps, until she disappeared from their sight and they heard the door open and close.

The oldest cursed in a low voice, gritting his teeth, “Damn witches! If I could I would kill them all in one shot!” His gaze fell upon Jungkook, whose lips were pressed together. “Do everything to track down who it is.”

“Yes, father.”

“Just focus on hunting down these bastards, I will take care of the other family business.”

Jungkook nodded and before he began his task, his eyes drifted to the spot where his cousin had disappeared, and a sigh came out, his heart tightened with anguish at the memory of her worn-out appearance.

The fierce fury against her was personal, dictated by revenge in wanting to afflict of the same pain of losing comrades to the witch hunters.

What better way than to have a member of the Jeon, main duchy of the witch hunters' organization, as a victim?

And they had achieved their goal, with Minji pressing her lips together and tightening her grip on the reins of her horse at yet another shake of the head by one of their best hunters, Jin.

She could well hear the taunting giggles of those beings echoing through the forest even though they were concealed from their eyes, driving her frustration and anger almost to the edge. She was getting weary of the whole situation. And if she had to resort to different help, she would, even though she was reluctant.

She exhaled, "We will continue tomorrow. Going any further now will not yield any success. We will try another method."

Jungkook had not looked away from her for a second until he saw her pull the reins to turn around, followed by their second-best hunter, Namjoon.

"I knew they would curse us someday, but not that they would only come after one person,” Taehyung’s voice, another hunter, and the sound of the hooves of his horse on the ground to his left caught his attention, “They seem quite interested in your father’s cousin.”

Jungkook's gaze ended on her again, a knowing smile on his face, “They should never play with fire. It will burn them to death.”

Despite saying those words, hoping they would be heard by the tormentors, they were not getting their way, for the following days were a continuous search for them without success. And the one who suffered the most was Minji.

The frustration that was being shown on her face was not at all concealed, even if she tried to not let it get under her skin.

Her eyes that were slowly losing their vitality worried the most, for it was they that most captured people, that captured him as the first time he had seen her.

“This is Jeon Minji, a distant cousin of mine. She will stay here with us from now on. This is my son, Jeon Jungkook.”

He saw her get up from the sofa in their drawing room, walking in front of him.

The meeting was unexpected, since he had never heard of this cousin.

She curtsied, a smile tugging at her lips before stretching out her gloved hand, "Pleased to meet you, Lord Jungkook."

His hand moved on its own, taking hers and lightly placing his lips on her knuckles, “The pleasure is mine, Lady Minji.”

And the never-breaking eye contact allowed him to notice a gleam in her eyes that dazzled him.

That feeling had grown over time and did not appear to fade. It was as if he was enchanted and subjugated.

Like now as she watched the moon and stars, standing in the garden, the moonbeams over her figure making her ethereal and almost mystical.

“Can’t seem to sleep?” he asked, pulling a blanket over her shoulders to protect her from the chilling night.

She sighed, “Who would?”

“Would you like me to sing you a lullaby and stroke your hair?” he joked, a half-smile making its appearance.

She pressed her lips together to keep herself from laughing, the back of her hand lightly smacking his clothed chest.

He feigned hurt, pouty lips and knitted eyebrows, clutching the injured part.

“You big jester! It’s too late for that. I am no longer a child, but you have my gratitude.”

“Honored to be your jester, my lady.” A slight bow followed the last words, taking a small chuckle out of her.

A pleasant silence greeted them.

After the death of her first husband, their meetings had increased to be as close to her as possible and offer her all his support.

The more time they spent together, the more curiosity, affection, and attraction worked its way into him.

Her trust in him had improved so much that she was even able to tell him how her family had been exterminated by witches in an ambush.

She was the only survivor of part of his father's family.

There were many members of the Jeon family, but she had never been heard of except before that misfortune happened, in which news of an illegitimate daughter spread fast and unstoppable.

She was still a Jeon, it was a duty and right to help her.

“Worry moves your actions,” she spoke. Now face to face, Minji moved as many steps as it took to have their chests brushing against each other, “but you need not worry.” A tender smile graced her lips, her fingers caressing his cheek. “Despair will never cling to me, because I have you.”

A flutter came at those words and a pleasant warmth embraced his heart.

And he wrapped his arms around her waist, feeling her body heat through their fabrics of clothing.

"After losing everything, you and your father are really the only people I have left. My family."

He sighed, a glint of sadness in his gaze, “However, we are not enough for you.” Her features softened more, her heart throbbing restlessly at his reaction. “I am aware of the difference, yet you acted hastily. I know you want to get married, how you would like to create that family you could not have, but you did not even know them.”

“I would have as time went on.”

“It doesn't imply loving them.”

She did not argue back, mindful of the truthfulness of his words. Not all marriages had that happy ending. There were many different endings that could be reached. She knew that, but if she was held back by all these ifs and buts, she would only live in fear and paranoia.

The loss of that comforting warmth on one of her hips awakened her from her thoughts, finding it now on her cheek, his thumb gently stroking the skin of it.

“For that reason, you should look closer to you. And your eyes will see that the right person is precisely the one on whom expectations were nil.“

Silence fell. His eyes wanting to convey without more words what he wanted to say, and when they reached their destination, Minji almost lost her breath.

“I love you.”

She was completely taken aback, so much so that she could not find the right words.

Heart racing, thoughts jumbling together. She was happy.

She beamed and covered her mouth with one hand to hide it from the eyes of the young man, who, however, noticed it immediately.

And she decided to answer his silent question.

“This is outrageously embarrassing,” a little ashamed chuckle left her lips, “I… had a desire to get married so that I could forget what I felt, since… I believed that you could never reciprocate my feelings.” She began to speak swiftly, “I am aware that throwing myself into the arms of those men without having any knowledge of them was wrong, but I was sure it was the best solution to avoid a possible unintended consequence of my unrequited lo-“

Voraciously her lips were assailed by his, moving them gently and slowly, savoring and devouring with ardor that first impulsive kiss of theirs.

His fingers brushing her cheeks, her hands on his hips for support.

Pulling a short distance away, their eyes met, chests going up and down.

“You were totally in the wrong. Because I love you and long for you as if you are my breath. Marry me.”

“Your father-“

“Oh, my father would gladly approve of our union,” he chuckled. “His confession about me being the best husband for a woman like you was quite telling.”

She blinked in surprise, “Did he really say such a thing?”

“He says many things that are to your advantage, my dear.” He pecked her lips, making her smile. “We will find that witch and get married. I promise you.”

She nodded, her arms circling his waist and her head resting on his chest. He pulled her close to him, his chin on her head and a victorious, sly smile adorning his face.

Happiness was overtaking him.

Who would have expected such a turn of events? It was an opportunity he would not waste.

However, if he had realized it earlier, she would have been his before those bastards interfered with marriage proposals.

Resorting to this charade had been worth it anyway; he had been wanting to get rid of the worthless scums who had immediately ogled her shortly after her arrival for too long.

Witches were the enemy of humans. Evil beings who deceived you with their human guise. For that reason, the Jeon household became witch hunters for the salvation of humanity.

Making use of the grimoires taken from those beings, they succeeded in creating tools that allowed protection against them, to trap and execute them.

Even if they still existed after centuries, the Jeons would still fight. And Jungkook, now, was the successor to that duchy.

So, no one would notice that a human was to blame for those incidents if you tainted the crime scene with evidence against witches. Least of all Jeon Jungkook himself, the witch hunter.

“What’s the meaning of this?!” the young man on the ground shrieked in a strangled voice, the rope net that had opened from the ball attached to an arrow shot from a crossbow blocking his movements with electric shocks.

They had invaded his house, turning it upside down in search of something he didn’t know about.

His own friends were treaking him like a criminal, like a witch.

“They are here!” a hunter notified from one of the rooms.

Quick steps on the wooden floor before his gaze ended on Jungkook and Minji, the latter holding a grimoire and a voodoo doll, features distorted by betrayal and disappointment like the rest of those present there.

With glassy eyes and his heart pounding, he began to shake his head, “They're not mine! I could never!” Minji’s lips were quivering. “Lady Minji, believe me! I’m not a witch! Please!”

“Take him.”

It was the last thing he heard from Jungkook before he was dragged ruthlessly out of his own house toward his last breath, screaming and trying to wriggle out even against that net-like trap that thwarted him with pain.

His pleas would go unheard and the answer to his question about the reason for this dogged and unfair framing against him never given.

Loss of sanity and restraint was there when it concerned witches, and the Jeon's young successor was aware of this.

Finding someone as a scapegoat was not difficult either, finding someone else who had allowed himself to look at her more than he could as the culprit of the curse, fitting in manufactured evidence, had been easy.

If he had known his place, he would not have ended up at the stake, undergoing pain and pleading he was not a witch.

The shock the townsfolk had experienced in knowing that Jung Hoseok, such a kind and shy young man who had just moved from afar, had actually turned out to be one of those monsters had been severe.

For Minji, who had welcomed him gently to put him at ease and had even grown attached to him like a sister, it had been another loss.

She still recalled how he lowered his timid gaze and played with his fingers while talking, the selflessness he showed if someone needed some help, and the small smile of when he was asked or considered in conversations and jokes.

And as she and the others watched the flames that had now devoured him and left only a burned body, she wondered who she might or might not trust around her.

“My love…” his soft, gentle voice and his fingers intertwining with hers as a sign of comfort led her to look at Jungkook, “This view destroys our hearts, but you’re free now.” She flashed him a half-smile and was immediately engulfed in a hug. “I’m here. All is well. You’re safe.”

She held him close, the feeling of safety and warmth embracing her once again, “You are right. I have you. My soon-to-be husband.”

Ah, how he loved those words.

He was at the mercy of this victorious enthusiasm.

It seemed to him to be an illusion well devised by a witch for how much he still could not believe that he would finally make her his for eternity.

The fear of losing her had been swept away by the knowledge that he had her in his grasp.

She could not escape; he would not allow it.

She would have no reason to, either, for nothing connected the situation they had gone through with him.

Their lives would run smoothly. They would have children, see them grow up, and would tell them and their grandchildren about how magnificent their wedding day had been.

That white dress had made her look like a goddess come down to earth to tempt a man and enchant him for life with sweet words, gentle caresses and breathtaking smiles.

He had not resisted and with vows of love and a kiss, they had sealed that long-awaited union.

Her gasp of surprise and giggle when he had taken her in his arms had stirred his heartstrings into more chords of love and devotion.

And it shone through his eyes that did not leave Minji's for a moment as he removed the veil from her hair and then caressed one of her cheek.

“I still cannot believe that you are here, as my wife.”

She leaned her face into his hand, on which she placed her own, “Believe it. For I will be here with you until death do us part.”

Without another word, Jungkook pressed his mouth to hers harshly.

Her hand gripped the back of his neck, pulling him closer towards her. His hands quickly made their way around her waist and she could feel her breasts brush tightly against his chest as he continued to deepen their kiss and led her back towards the bed.

Both crawling up onto the middle, her back resting now on the mattress, Jungkook’s mouth continued to work against her own, his kisses becoming desperate, her fingers running through his dark locks. He groaned against her, lips finding the skin of her neck and trailing kisses up and down slowly.

She arched her back and spread her legs, his hips now comfortably against hers and the feeling of his hard bulge in his pants against her obvious. His hands lifted the skirts of her dress, fingers trailing on her skin light enough to send sparks and goosebumps down her body.

But a sense of stiffening was detected by Jungkook, leading him to break their lips apart to give her a questioning gaze.

“What is it, my dearest?”

A tint of red colored her cheeks in embarrassment and shyness, head lowering and hands tightening around the fabric of his clothing.

She was so adorable that he wanted to tease her.

“I… It won’t hurt again, will it? My former husbands had not been very… gentle. I’m afraid I…”

Silence fell in the room, but the rage lurking in Jungkook did not stop growing after those words.

They had been fortunate enough to have such a delicate and special flower in their arms and had instead decided to fill with pain and sadness that important bond between spouses.

Ungrateful pieces of shit.

A soft smile tugged at his lips, “Look at me.” She did. “I would never hurt you, in any way. I love you too much to commit such obnoxious actions.”

A slight nod of approval from her was all he needed to kiss her again, his hands shoving her dress up to expose her bare skin before trailing his fingers over her thighs and rubbing against her sensitive spot over her undergarments. She let out a soft gasp, goosebumps all over her body.

Taking advantage of this, his tongue swept in between her lips, playing with her own.

She gripped his hair as he tore her undergarments off, helping him kicking them off with her legs and hands. Pulling away again, her dress was next, pulling it up and leaving her completely bare under his gaze.

Lust filling their eyes and patience vanishing, he undressed himself quickly of his wedding suit, leaving his hardened dick on display.

Minji couldn’t help but look at him, almost losing her breath at how handsome he was. That hungry, dazed gaze made Jungkook completely insane.

She was looking at him.

Loving him.

A surprise gasp left her lips as one of his fingers slipped inside of her slowly, body hot and labored breaths.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered breathlessly, drinking in her beautiful face contorted with pleasure.

Leaning over, he bit down on her shoulder as he worked his finger inside of her, a moaning escaping from her.

“I’m gonna make you feel good,” he said in a dark voice, another finger starting to slowly push inside of her. “Make you feel how much I yearn to make you mine.”

She shut her eyes, his hot breath fanning over her neck, overwhelmed by his movements and hot body against hers.

His thumb pressed against her clit, sending more shivers down her spine as her hands gripped his hair and her back arched, hips rocking up toward his fingers.

“Jungkook-“

A breathless chuckle was his reply, “You’re so wet. You’re clenching so much.”

“Please- I’m-“

“Want to come right now? Or you want my cock to fuck your pussy? Mmh? Would you like that? Look at you, so ready to get fucked up.”

His vulgar words made her whimper more, his fingers bringing her close to her own release.

“Please, fuck me up, fuck me-“

The loss of his fingers made her grunt in disappointment, but a gasp of surprise left her lips as soon as she felt his cock pushing into her slowly.

He grabbed her wrists and brought them over the sheets, near her face, intertwining her fingers with his shortly after and kept rolling his hips back and forth as he was now buried deep inside her.

She looked at him, eyes half-lidded and everything around her disappeared.

She could only hear his fast breaths and see drops of sweat falling undisturbed along his temples, neck, chest.

His arms muscles flexing as they supported the weight of his body, eyes watching her with a glint of pure and primitive ecstasy

He was shuddering above her, showing how much she was making him feel fucking good. Bare. Hers.

A shift in his movements caused something inside of her to sent shots of electricity through her limbs and whimper in pleasure.

“You’re so good. Taking me so well.”

Pulling back from her body and then slamming into her roughly, it almost made her cry out in bliss.

Her legs hugged his hips, pulling him deeper inside her.

Clenching around his cock, she flashed him a lustful smile and his quiet grunts turned into moans as his thrusts became more erratic.

Dizziness invaded their senses and spasms ran through their bodies as Jungkook filled her with his seed, reaching their release.

Trying to catch their breath, he collapsed onto her, his face in the crook of her neck and her hand now stroking his hair.

He held her close, rubbing his nose against her neck, which made her giggle as she reciprocated the squeeze with a happy sigh.

The night was quiet while they enjoyed their proximity, but a sudden muffled noise caught Minji’s attention, her gaze ending on a black cat on the window sill glaring at her.

She reciprocated with a curious glance, but did not give it much thought.

The next few days she began to see him more often; he followed her wherever she went as if he were her shadow. So she decided to take care of him, eventually waiting for his arrival so she could cuddle and play with him. He was very affectionate for a stray cat.

Her heart melted like snow when the cat snuggled up on her thighs for a nap or just to be close to her, as he was doing now. The trust he placed in her filled her with joy. Getting it from an animal was not always easy, hence she was proud of it.

If she spoke to him, he understood. If her mood changed, he sensed it. A little moral support.

Her fingers passed gently through his fur, his purr widening her smile.

“You love that cat very much.”

Her cousin's voice rendered to a whisper brought her back to reality, the cup of tea between the fingers of her other hand now cold, sitting on a chair next to his bed.

Her gaze landed on him, seeing his softened features as he sipped his tea with his back resting on the back of his bed, the pillow making the resting comfortable.

“I do.”

She placed the cup on the undercup placed on the small nightstand to her right before reaching out her hands toward the cup and undercup he was holding out to her, the black cat coming down from her legs to wonder around the room.

"And Jungkook is still displeased."

She let a small chuckle escape her lips, "He is not some witch's familiar, the sphere would have reacted otherwise. Besides, Jungkook is displeased by anything that takes my attention away from him," she reminded him amusedly, setting the undercup and cup down next to hers.

“Oh! That young man is beyond smitten with you that he even wants to get rid of a cat! I wouldn't be surprised if one day he made all the animals around disappear.”

The man laughed wholeheartedly, enjoying the way his son was behaving out of his usual character. But coughing fits interrupped him, his hand over his mouth now smeared with his own blood.

Minji widened her eyes, concern again evident on her face as she knelt at the edge of the bed and handed him a handkerchief, wiping his hand with another.

He looked at her, a soft smile adorning his face, “You are such a kind soul, my lovely little cousin. I don’t see myself worried about leaving my son in bad hands. I’m glad you accepted to be his wife. It’s the best gift I could ever receive.”

She stood still, pain and sadness piercing her heart yet a sense of pride and gratitude followed those emotions at his words.

“Thank you, father-in-law.”

He caressed her cheek, tenderness and affection guiding his gesture, “Take good care of each other, all right?”

“Of course. Always.” She gave him a weak smile, “It’s better if I let you rest, I think I have stayed too long. I will visit again tomorrow.”

“I will wait for you, my precious daughter.”

And off she went, taking with her the tea cart carefully prepared by herself after placing the cups on it, the cat following suit.

After closing the door, she let out a sigh.

A few weeks after their wedding, as Minji and he were having their usual tea hour together, he had brought a hand to his chest before passing out.

Panic had risen, and when they had called the doctor, it was discovered that an illness had struck him.

It was incurable and nameless.

The despair and destruction she had seen pass across Jungkook's face had broken her heart more than the news had already done.

His complexion was pale, dark circles under his eyes, strength weakening, and some of his nights were sleepless.

Her cousin was dying and nothing could be done. Their helplessness was unbearable, but other than spending time with him, they could do nothing else.

He had taken care of her when she was left alone, welcoming her and engaging her immediately as if she was not a mistake of her father's with another woman. He had showered her with love, becoming a father and a brother.

She almost lost her mind.

But the appearance of that cat – which she had named Sese – had been a distraction. Jungkook was busy with family business in his father's stead, so he spent a lot of time in his office room. Caring for an animal helped keep her mind off that unforeseen tragedy, ignoring Jungkook’s disapproval.

The black cat was the witches' familiar. Deception and malice were part of them. Having one in the house brought bad luck, he had even come to believe that he was to blame for his father's illness.

This, however, was not possible, since if he had really been the bearer of misfortune, the protective sphere of the house placed on a pedestal in the basement would have counteracted his strength and prevented him from entering.

He was a normal black cat that she had chosen to take in.

Footsteps could be heard and she looked up, finding Jungkook coming her way with slow, tired movements.

“Is he sleeping?”

She nodded, “Likely. I left to let him rest.” He hummed and Minji approached him, her voice soft as she asked, “Do you want me to make you some tea?”

“What you have already prepared will be fine for me.”

“But it's cold.”

“It's still tea.”

“Alright, alright,” she exhaled before giving him a peck on his lips. “Go and relax a bit too. You need it. I'll join you right away.”

He gave her a weak smile, “Thanks, my dearest.”

Tired voice, slumped shoulders, dull eyes. His pain was palpable even now with his back to her.

She could understand him; he had lost his mother when he was young to a fall from a horse while hunting witches, and now he was losing his father to a disease.

She clenched her hands into fists.

It was not fair. They had begun happy days, their laughter filling the house, their fellowship with each other and even with the household employees.

She thought it would all end with the killing of the witch, but their family still seemed to be in the arms of a curse.

The organization was already mourning one of their important members, but when he actually died a few days later, no one could still believe that they were looking at his grave in the cemetery.

The rain and fog made the event more somber and unbearable.

Condolences and words of prayes were adressed to them with sympathy and compassion.

And the title of Duke had passed to Jungkook.

His obligations had increased and with them the pressure he perceived on himself because of the expectations other members now placed on him and the family business.

The incessant pounding in his head caused distraction and slowed his work.

And today was one of those days.

His vision was blurring and the hand that was holding the pen was trembling, the writings on those papers placed on the desk only meaningless ink.

He let go of the pen and with a sigh leaned back on the chair, rubbing his face with his hands to try to shake off the weariness.

A clink of something contrasting a surface awakened him, seeing his usual cup of tea on his desk and Minji at one side of it.

"Here's your tea, dear."

He reached out a hand toward her and Minji took it between hers, drawing her closer before wrapping his arms around her waist. His head resting on her stomach.

Her fingers began to run through his hair, slightly relieving his headache at which he breathed a sigh of relief.

He rubbed his face against her stomach.

She smiled, softened by his behavior considered childish, and let him be.

“Are you done with your work for the day?”

“Not quite. Unfortunately, I have a headache.”

She blinked, “Again?”

“Again.”

“Then drink, don’t waste time. You said it helps you get over it.”

“I will. Just let me stay like this a little longer.”

She snorted a chuckle and his heart skipped a beat.

He was so lucky to have her.

She supported him with simple gestures, understood when he needed something and assisted when he couldn't continue certain things himself.

She also declined every letter of invitation to tea parties to have a simple chatter with friends because she wanted to stay with him.

Everything about her was soothing. Her touch, her breath, her closeness. She was his main pivot. His life. His.

He couldn’t stop admiring and loving her.

And he was often caught staring at her like a fool and hearing her laugh every time she told him to stop was a cure-all.

For her he was also trying to like Sese, even though he was taking up too much of Minji's time. And she gently scolded him not to be jealous of a cat.

He probably was.

Normality was setting in again in their lives and he was over the moon.

However, something began to crack once again.

Minji was on the alert, often distant and silent. Whether at home or during meetings between members of the organization, or simply walking through the streets of the central city. Especially with him.

Anxiety and terror had mixed, shaping thoughts and theories that were taking root in his mind.

She was terrifying him. He was afraid she had grown tired of him. That she had a lover.

Just thinking about it sent him into a frenzy.

He had started having nightmares and the sleepless nights did not allow him to think properly.

And the discovery of her nocturnal outings fed his fear that was getting out of control even more.

She was not betraying him. She was not leaving him. She couldn't. She had no chance.

He had tried, he had tried to communicate, to understand the problem, but he had received no answer.

Every excuse was used to avoid confrontation.

This time he would wait for her to face the situation once and for all.

He saw her as she crossed the threshold of their bedroom with light steps so as not to make noise.

Her gaze had immediately focused on him, sitting in the chair by the window set at the left side of the bed. There was no surprise and fear of being caught red-handed; no, it was as if she knew someone was waiting for her.

Doubts crept more into him.

"Where were you?"

"I was thirsty, I drank some water."

"You were thirsty, you drank water,” he was mocking her as he got up, walking slowly up to her. “In your walking dress.”

He was so close that she could feel his breath on her face, the silent expressiveness in his eyes exposing his anxious thoughts.  hands shaking and slightly labored breathing.

He was so close that she could feel his ragged breath on her face. The quiet expressiveness in his eyes baring his anxious thoughts.

She tilted her head to the side, weirded out and irritated by his behavior.

“I put on the first dress I could find. Finding a suitable one would have taken time.”

“Can… Can we talk about it?”

“About what?”

“About how you’re lying to me.”

The snort she gave him left him stunned, the rope of sanity permanently snapping.

His heart began to pound faster, his trembling hands cupping her face. Despair clouded his mind at her faint mocking smile and no definitive answer.

He couldn't stand it. She was kind. She was loving. She loved him.

“What’s happening? Why are you reacting like this? Is someone bothering you? Threatening you? You don’t have to hide things from me. I’m your husband! I can help you!”

He was a mess.

He spoke fast, his voice quivering, and he felt like he was losing his mind.

It was exploding. He felt suffocated.

He took his head in his hands, his knees ending up on the ground, another headache suddenly occurring. This time heavier and more persistent.

His stomach burned, a lump forming in his throat until he vomited blood before falling sideways, a few splatters reaching Minji's dress.

She had moved a few steps closer, looking down on him.

Bent over, panting, shivering, frail.

“The tea has finally had its effect. Did you enjoy the nightmares? Probably of me leaving you alone. The twist is… you were always alone. I’m not your father’s cousin. I’m not part of your family. I am not a Jeon. Spreading rumors of an illegitimate child was a child’s play.”

Jungkook was gasping for air, tremendously shocked by what was happening. He looked at her, pupils shaking, face pale, jolts sweeping through his body.

"Too many questions you're asking me!” she chuckled, her arms behind her back with the fingers of one hand intertwined with the other. “My amazement at observing human greed will never end. Tearing books from witches and using them against them to feel powerful, killing them with no mercy whatsoever. Creating massacres and making children orphans. You have no respect for what you have. Truly deplorable.”

Anger was audible in her voice, her face disfigured with disgust.

“In two of those many massacres were the three most important people in my life. I am sure that the memory of a big wolf protecting a woman is not easily forgotten, as the sight of such a wolf is not every day occurrence. They were my parents. And I was watching with my husband and brother, hidden from your eyes under my parents' request. Shortly afterwards I lost my husband as well." A sinister glint appeared in her eyes, bending her upper body slightly toward him, "The pain I felt had been so immeasurable that I was burning with the desire to make you feel the same. You should have seen your father's face the day he died, when I revealed myself as a witch. My smile must have scared him a lot.” She smirked, “How do you feel?”

Betrayal was the only thing that was piercing his lungs and heart, immobilizing him from regular breathing and opening his mouth to respond.

Bitter tears began to stream down his cheeks.

“Nevertheless, I must admit that your obsession with me was a great benefit; you made access easier for me, and getting rid of those other lousy hunters didn't bother me at all.”

“Do you really have to tell him everything?”

The interjection of a dissatisfied male voice made her straighten up, but she didn’t take her eyes off Jungkook, whose attention was now on the young man who had stopped beside Minji with the black cat on his right shoulder.

“Where is Sese, brother?”

“On my shoulder.”

Jungkook saw the pet jump down and walk behind Minji.

He thought he would see him popping up from the other side, but what appeared before his eyes were boots. Looking up, he noticed pants, a shirt, and finally a face.

A face he had last seen burning at the stake.

“We should leave, I can't stay one more minute in this shitty place,” Hoseok grumbled, his arm resting on Minji’s shoulder. “I can still smell that damned burning smell and my skin being roasted.”

“You'll get over it.”

“You go to the stake next time, Yoongi.”

“What do we do now, Minji?” Yoongi completely ignored his  annoyed comment, addressing his sister.

Silence crept in.

They were watching Jungkook like a fucking prey. Like a trapped animal. And he was.

He couldn’t do much. He had been deceived.

“Burn everything down.”

As Minji uttered those words, his hand clutched her skirt in a desperate gesture, shaking his head.

He didn't care. He wanted his wife. His love. He didn't give a fuck about her being a witch or something else. He loved her. He fucking loved her!

“Don’t… Don’t leave me, please…”

“This bastard is desperate. Apparently, you left a deep mark,” Yoongi sneered, followed by a giggle from Hoseok.

Minji extended her hand in front of her brother, and he pulled out a hunter's knife taken from the house to give it to her.

“I told you destroying them from the inside would be more satisfying, brother. My role has more impact than yours. Even though women are witch hunters, they are still viewed differently than men. Taking advantage of this was essential. Look how they collapsed like a sandcastle. I hope you had as much fun as I did, Jungkook.”

The knife was held in mid-air above Jungkook, at heart level.

His fingers tightened on her skirt, pleading with his eyes not to, but she didn't listen. Instead, she released her grip on the knife.

And as if moved by an invisible force – her power – it cut through the air and pierced his chest, reaching his heart.

His eyes lost their vitality, his body stopped moving.

And the room fell silent again.

Some time later, the house began to catch on fire.

Yoongi hid and Hoseok took on the appearance of a cat again, while she warned the employees who lived in the house to get out.

It had been a wonderful sight in her eyes.

The flames that enthusiastically enveloped the Jeon house.

Bright, big, lightning up the night.

Like the witches who were burned at the stake.

It had all been so simple that it bored her.

When she discovered that her mixed blood could somehow nullify the effects of the witches' spells used by those humans, she realized that she could do something to destroy them.

And she was succeeding. After carefully studying the methods, observing the hunters, and strengthening herself, she had taken action.

Her brother was against it, he didn't want her to put herself in danger, but she assured him that it wouldn't happen. And here was the wonderful result.

She was thanking her father for being a werewolf, and the human stupidity in not having yet discovered the existence of other living beings with different abilities.

On top of that, the compassion they were showing her after this misfortune was truly hilarious.

Talking about how her late husbands, father-in-law and her distancing from society were the work of the successor to the dukedom, his obsession and fear of having someone take her away from him, how he started a fire and she ended up having to shove a knife in his heart in self-defense, it had been a theatrical show.

The Kim family even offered to host her. A kind family indeed, she had to admit. However, they had too much faith in the witchcraft that they detested so much, and she had once again entered another house of witch hunters without repercussions.

Humming as she sat at her dressing table in her new room, she looked at herself in the mirror, fixing some messy locks in front of her face.

"Jin, Namjoon or Taehyung? Who should I go for first?" she asked, eyes fixed on her reflection before showing an interested and pleased expression. "Oh, all three? Naughty."

After smiling one more time, she stepped out of her room, her reflection still adjusting her hair through the mirror.

Then she smiled, getting up and disappearing from the mirror.

A victorius and sly giggle echoing within the walls.

[bunnymermaidwrites]

Happy birthday!!!❤️

Also, it's the anniversary of my first Knights of the Alder fanficton! Isn't that fun?

For this special day, I thought we should revisit the Knights of the Alder Leader Aiden au!

I hope you like it❤️

All the characters belong to @writerfae

Of masks and crowns

Talon was born and raised in gold, bathed and showered in the precious shade of yellow since he was a child. All the way from his armor to his very eye color. And while this left him with many unidentifiable feelings, with a knot of snakes eating their own tails, that he did not wish to untie, lest he get himself bit, there were teachings from that time he still treasured.

He valued the magical sounds that he could summon from his violin with just his fingers. He held dear the slashes, and stabs, and perries of his sword that he learned to perform with ease. And, at the moment, he was most grateful for the dance lessons that were such an annoyance in his youth.

Back then, it always cunjured a boring, even sour taste in his mouth. To imagine himself with young ladies of who knew what sort, trying to avoid stepping on each other's feet, while there were other things he could be spending his time on. Ones that had much more use, such as being out there in shining armor, just like in the books his mother would read to him at night.

He supposed that back then, he simply didn't have the imagination to think up something like this.

Aiden, his one and only king, standing across from him in the middle of an emty ballroom, save for a silent musician. Black robes embroidered with the finest silver thread, painting beautiful swirls across the fabric. Tree bark brown curls falling onto his forehead from under the leaves that decorated his treasured crown. Right now, half of his face was hidden behind a beautiful mask.

His king wished for them to sneak into a masquerade that was to be held at the very heart of the Willow Court. Talon wasn't sure if that was such a good idea, fearing for Aiden's safety if they were to be discovered. At the same time, he knew, and so did everyone else, that when he was near, no harm could come to the Alder king. The others didn't call him his guard dog for nothing.

And now here they were. Holding a grand rehearsal of sorts, just him and Aiden, wearing ceremonial robes, and all, complete with two intricately made masks.

Talon thought that that would make him upset. To be unable to gaze upon the face that he just knew was sculpted by gods. Yet, when it was concealed like this, Aiden looked mysterious. Alluring, like a siren, who hides her telltale gills behind luscious hair, lest they give away her deadly secret too early.

He took Aiden's waist in one hand, grasping the elegant curve carefully, for it was oh so precious, he wouldn't dare risk breaking it. They tuched their palms together, a leaf resting on the surface of a lake. Then, the music burst to life like a fountain.

Talon pulled his lover to its rhythm, leading him across the dance floor.

On the gray ceiling hung a crystal chandelier. Its light rained down on the two people like ice in a big storm, like small, shiny dimonds.

The new Alder king, a sprout who seemingly just grew out of a dying tree, let himself be pushed and pulled, gently guided, completely trusting Talon to lead him. He couldn't ever not.

The music curled around them like vines, sweet as the wine that's made from its grapes.

Talon let go of his waist, and Aiden spun, grays and browns of the room blurring together in his vision. But the guard's other hand never let go. Neither did his own. As their arms extended to their full lengths, Aiden felt like he was holding onto a rope, and the rope was holding him in return. Then Talon pulled him close once more.

The music led them through the ballroom, echoing, the world emty, only the fae and the halfling existing. The song yanked them this way and that way, like a rowdy, playful child.

Aiden knew that his expression at the moment could be impassive. A strong branch, unmoved even by the wildest storm. Yet, he didn't worry. He need not, for his lover, his sharp guard saw through the blackest curtain, the thickest stone, the oldest tree with the most roots. He knew that Talon could see his smile, even if no one else did.

They stepped and twirled, and Aiden nearly chuckled. He could already picture his brother's face upon seeing the two of them.

That is...

Talon leaned down, the masks on the tips of their noses knocking into each other, chiming like a bell.

...If he noticed them.

The end

[linkemon]

Hogwarts AU headcanons 1

Friendly reminder that English is not my first language. You can check my Masterlists both in English and Polish here.

Kamisato Ayato ✧ Slytherin

✧ Ayato was sorted into Slytherin without much thought from the Sorting Hat. Even before he got to Hogwarts, he had a feeling that he was going to get there. As the heir to the Kamisato family and a pureblood wizard, he had little choice.

✧ He is extremely smart and resourceful. His scheming began from the first year, when he got in older classes’ bad books. They made an obvious mistake. They made a fool of themselves. They wanted to get him a few days later but they fall onto the teacher who chased Ayato down the long hall at night. The matter did not end there. He always found ways to fool them when they tried again. He quickly gained respect among the Slytherins and soon after other houses as well.

✧ His activities led to the founding of an elite group of students called the Shuumatsuban. Everyone knows that they exist but hardly anyone has any idea what they actually do or where to find them. You can only join by special invitation. Apparently, they keep order because they are especially liked by students who are unjustly harmed.

✧ Ayato felt that his little sister would end up in a different house than his own. He's happy about it. Their parents are dead and they carry the burden of great responsibility for the future of the family, so he hoped that her school years would be a respite.

✧ He's one of the few people who hasn't slept once in history of magic. Thoma couldn't help admiring his friend.

✧ Ayato happens to do something different than he should in class, but no one has caught him yet.

Naganohara Yoimiya ✧ Hufflepuff

✧ Yoimiya works hard at school to return to her grandfather as soon as possible. Her parents are no longer with her, so he takes care of her upbringing. She had never spent any worlds at Hogwarts. Legend has it that she is the first person to leave the school when it is time to return.

✧ She bought an owl so she could write home as often as possible. Grandpa sends her presents far too often. If it is food, she will immediately share it with others. Mainly because she has a lot of friends and colleagues. Really many. Ask anyone who knows her, they will surely say yes.

✧ In her free time, she likes to go to Hogsmeade and look for materials to make fireworks. She sells them to others for small amounts of money. She loves to see them happy when they fire them. She must be careful not to earn negative points for her house for this because the students slowly stop hiding with explosives.

Albedo ✧ Ravenclaw

✧ Meeting him is a miracle. He comes to class and always disappears somewhere. If you want to see him, it's best to contact Sucrose, otherwise he's hard to find. She has trouble with it herself.

✧ He used to hang out in the library at first but since students started coming in asking for tutoring, he found a different place.

✧ The boy has the highest scores in all the exams he takes, although he doesn't study much for them. He spends most of his time researching areas that really interest him. His teachers predict a bright future for him in the field of Transfiguration and Potions.

✧ Albedo managed to summon a Patronus very quickly compared to others. He took the form of a spider.

✧ He occasionally sketches but never shows his work to others. He doesn't feel the need to brag about it. Cards with his drawings can often be found in the Ravenclaw common room. He doesn't even know how other people admire them.

Hu Tao ✧ Gryffindor

✧ The girl everyone is secretly afraid of. Eccentric and very different from her peers. Usually everyone wants to be friends with her until they get to know her interests better.

✧ Very often she can be found in the company of an older student. Zhongli listens to all of her reasoning and seems to genuinely want to learn from her, though everyone knows that he probably knows more than her. Nobody understands their relationship.

✧ Hu Tao loves the Forbidden Forest. Nobody knows how but she manages to avoid teachers and sneaks out there very often. Interestingly, she is still alive. She somehow gets along with the various creatures that inhabit it, which then results in top marks in Care of Magical Creatures. Teachers regret that she does not pay attention as much attention to the rest of the subjects and barely passes them.

✧ Her parents were non-magical gravediggers and she wants to follow in their footsteps. After passing her exams, she intends to open her casket shop for wizards in Diagon Alley.

✧ She has a habit of spooking people out of the blue.

✧ Hu Tao often talks to the castle spirits. She especially loves to hear about the details of their deaths.

✧ She never gave much thought as to why Gryffindor. During the ceremony she stated that she didn't care. The tiara mentioned something about courage but who would remember that...

[talkfantasytome]

It's Instinct - Chapter 1

The Archerons arrive at their townhouse in Yin, settling in for a season of society.

Warnings: Emotional Abuse | Word Count: 3,251 | Read on AO3

It's Instinct Masterlist

a/n: Hello @dustjacketmusings!! Idk which you'll see first, but yes, it is I, your secret santa! I was soooo excited to get you and to have the chance to build something special for you! I hope you like it. I took into consideration your enjoyment of magical/supernatural AUs, am sprinkling in some rivalry, and definitely there will be some angst (I hope it comes across well). However, my schedule did not allow for me to write a short book in one month - how rude - so this will be some time in the making, but hopefully you'll enjoy taking this journey with me!

And thank you @acotargiftexchange for putting this all together and organizing this lovely exchange!

"Will you stop shaking your leg? Honestly, one would think you have to relieve yourself."

Her mother started on a new rant directed at Nesta. Droning on about proper, ladylike behavior again. A lady doesn't reveal her needs. A lady doesn't display extreme emotions. A lady doesn't fidget. A lady doesn't shake the carriage.

Nesta knew all these things. She was typically very good at them. But it took every ounce of will in her to remain even this calm as they neared Yin.

The scent of the dew unfathomably mixed with the first snow of winter grew with each mile they traveled. And the rattling of the wheels seemed to sing to the beat of "closer, closer, closer". Nesta's heart picked up the rhythm, beating along and growing in strength.

She hadn't seen Yin since her graduation day. That night her mother whisked them all back home and then on to a three-year tour of the most eligible bachelors the continent had to offer. Disguised as an opportunity to hone her power further, to learn from the best Reason masters in the world. Unsurprisingly, her mother didn't care to hear much about those lessons. Her thoughts and conversation revolved entirely around what Nesta would wear to the next ball, who she should speak to, what she should ask about, who to accept dances with, and regular emphasis on keeping her thoughts to herself.

For families who cared so much about intelligence and power, they seemed far more interested in finding a vapid and thoughtless jewel to adorn their sons' arms.

Not that the sons had much to offer. Nesta found their conversation bland and mediocre. They had nothing to say that was challenging in the least, save for their misogynistic undertones and expectations.

It shouldn't have come as such a shock that Nesta didn't manage to secure a 'suitable' marriage. The ones that were determined enough to make an actual offer never lasted longer than a week into the planning, much to Nesta's pleasure. And even more so to her mother's chagrin.

Nesta couldn't regret it, though, no matter how unpleasant her mother could be. As excited as she was to travel the continent, to learn from the masters and take in new knowledge they didn't teach in Prythian, she was ready to go back. Back to the city that had stolen her heart in her three years at the Academy.

She hadn't expected to be back so soon after they returned from the continent. But apparently her mother was in a rush, worried that news of her unfavorable disposition would reach Prythian before she could get Nesta married. And Yin was the only place in Prythian where they might find an appropriate match by her mother's standards. The only place that held families rich and powerful enough for that, though none so much as those on the continent - as her mother kept reminding her.

"It's really no wonder you couldn't find a husband. Your lack of self-control will be the destruction of this family."

Her mother had managed to pivot back to Nesta's horrible showing on the continent by the time they finally reached their town house. Her favorite subject.

"Eileen," their father sighed.

"Don't start with me, Owen!" she snapped before he had a chance to say anything else.

He let out a breath and gave in, opening the door to their carriage and leading the family into the house. Nesta was surprised he even bothered trying. Absent is too kind a word to describe his presence in Nesta's upbringing. He never cared for his eldest. Nesta sometimes wondered if she were really his.

The three sisters followed their parents in age order, not one of them feeling a sense of relief for being in the town house. It was never a home for any of them.

From the street, the house gave off a sense of welcome and life that would be drowned out the second Nesta stepped into the foyer. No one knew the lie that was the façade of this house. How the perfectly kept up flowers, bushes, and crawling ivy and morning glory was all just a front for the despair that laid within.

Inside was more of the same. Pristinely decorated, it was designed entirely for show. A place for the family to rest the few times a year they were in Yin. To help keep up appearances, ensure everyone knew they maintained a certain degree of wealth. Everyone who was anyone had a house in Yin. And while many wealthy families did permanently resid here, the Archerons main estate was in the port city of Adriata. It was far easier for their father, as a tradesman and merchant, to do his business from there. And when he had business in Yin, he often didn't bring the family, knowing he'd be able to keep his trip shorter that way.

Nesta hated this house. It was worse than the manor by the sea - at least that one was large enough she could hide, avoid her mother when it wasn't time for her various lessons. The grounds were sprawling. It was so easy to find a tree on the edge of them to settle under and read. It was well decorated, always perfectly clean and ready to entertain visitors, but it was still lived in. Books and notes and clothes were strewn about her room. Flowers from Elain's garden adorned almost every table. Feyre's paintings were hung in the private rooms of the manor. Their father's favorite treasures could be found accenting various rooms, a great conversation starter for those curious.

This house had none of that. It was filled with the latest trends in home décor. The right rugs and settees, tables made from the finest of mahogany or whatever wood was currently in season. Paintings only from the most famous of artists, flowers from some boutique shop, and there was not one ounce of character in any of the bedrooms. Any family could live here and no one would know.

She never truly felt at home in the manor, but here she was a prisoner. Made all the worse by her adoration of Yin. It was easier to be trapped far away from the city than to be just one wall away but unable to enjoy it.

Nesta reached her ordinary room, draped in fabrics of pale blue and silver, and plopped down on her bed. The journey from Adriata was long. She was certain she could've slept for two days, but before she could adjust her body to be properly on the bed, she heard a knock on the door.

"Nesta?" Elain's soft voice called from the other side of it.

"Hmmm?"

Taking that as an invitation, Elain opened the door and walked in, followed quickly by Feyre. They shut the door behind them and walked over to Nesta. "We were going to walk to the market and wondered if you'd like to come with," Elain offered.

"Get some fresh air," Feyre added. "Away from mo-oof." She was cut off by Elain's less-than-gentle nudge to the stomach.

Nesta let out a sigh and sat up. The stresses of travel were weighing heavily on her, but getting out of the house and into the city did sound wonderful. "Yeah," Nesta agreed. "Let me just change first. I'll meet you in the foyer in 15 minutes."

Her sisters nodded and left the room, likely to change out of their travel clothes as well.

The trunk with her dresses had already been brought up to the room, the carriage carrying their things likely arriving before they had. She walked over to it and quickly dug through her clothes, picking out a simple, purple grey dress. It had some minor detail on the torso, but was plain enough it wouldn't draw too much attention.

She pulled off her shirt and skirt and threw the dress over her, using the external straps to tighten the waist enough to show off her figure. The floor-length skirt shimmered slightly in the light breaking through her windows, giving off a slight glow to the fabric. She walked over to the mirror and took out her hair, the updo disheveled from the journey. She brushed through the long, golden brown locks and then re-did it, sticking it right back up into her favorite braided coronet style.

Nesta grabbed her deep purple, valor cloak and fastened it as she made her way out her room and down the stairs. The fur trim around the hood was already beginning to warm her up, and the delicate silver flowers at the bottom popped with each step she took. Elain and Feyre were already waiting for her in fresh dresses, pulling on their gloves and chatting quietly.

"Are you ready?" Feyre asked as Elain handed Nesta her own gloves.

"Absolutely," Nesta replied.

Sharp footsteps that had all three girls straightening sounded behind them. "And where are you three going?" their mother's pointed voice asked.

"We were just going to take a walk to the market, mama," Elain explained in a sweet voice she used to get her way. It almost always worked.

"We just arrived. Surely you three have to get settled in your rooms."

"Yes, but we've been traveling for so long. We thought getting some fresh air and sunshine would be good for us."

Their mother looked at each of her daughters, moving an assessing gaze from one to the next. "Fine. Be home in time for dinner."

"Yes, mama," the three said in unison. They turned and hastened through the door before she could change her mind.

Once out of the house they each took a breath of relief. Nesta was bristling with excitement as she took in the city around them. The clouds were as white and fluffy as ever, drifting across the azure sky. It was midday, and yet something about them looked as if dawn were still lingering, a rose gold glow lining them.

With their house residing in the Rì chū - as the locals called their neighborhood - it was only a short walk to the Lí míng Market, the unofficial center of the city. The true center was still a mile away, filled with golden buildings where business and politics took place. But the market, that was the social center. Shops lined the street and stalls filled it, displaying goods from all over the world. Political hopefuls would gather in the center, preaching their opinions and fighting for change. Old friends would meet in the various cafes to catch up over cups of tea. New lovers would wander the aisles, browsing aimlessly as they sought to know each other better.

There was always something to see or do at the market, always something to entertain. But what Nesta loved best was the variety. People from all over Prythian lived in Yin, and you could see them all at the market. Their different dress styles and how they wear their hair, the various accents and intonations they speak in. It was all here, in this bustling market.

They were browsing a small jewelry stall when Elain let out a loud sigh. "You know, as lovely as this city is, I do wish we could've spent a bit more time in Adriata before coming here."

"Speak for yourself," Feyre said, her eyes tracking a pack of boys around her age that were passing them. "Did all the guys look like that when you were at the Academy, Nesta?"

"Like rowdy, eighteen-year-olds? Yes." Nesta didn't even bother looking at the group, more interested in a rose pendant painted to look like flames.

She could hear the roll in Feyre's eyes as she responded, "Cute, Nesta. I meant cute."

"I wasn't paying that much attention," she explained, placing the pendant down. It was beautiful, but her mother would never let her wear it out. Even looking at it she could feel eyes on her, as if her mother was watching all the way from their house. "Some were cute, some weren't, I'm sure. But if you're truly interested, you could always enroll in the Academy."

Feyre let out a loud snort that drew more than a few eyes, but Nesta tried to ignore it, moving them along to the next stall. "As if I'd be allowed to," Feyre lamented. "Mother didn't allow Elain to enroll."

"Really? As I recall it, Elain opted not to enroll," Nesta countered.

"What?!" Feyre pivoted, eyes on Elain, who suddenly found a new stall she wished to see halfway across the market and rushed off. "She never told me that." Her voice softened slightly as she slid up to Nesta's side.

Nesta turned to give Feyre a small smile. "I think she was worried you'd think she was staying for you. You just assumed she didn't have the option, it was easier to keep it that way."

"Was she? Staying for me."

"Not entirely. She didn't want to leave you alone, but she also wanted to stay for father. And, in the end, she's not as interested in our magic. She was more interested in staying home, getting to spend time on her hobbies and the garden. But it was her choice. Believe me. I tried to convince her to go."

Feyre let out a contemplative sound, her eyes moving to the clocks made from wine bottles that were displayed on the stall in front of them. "I still doubt I'd be allowed to enroll, assuming I could get in."

"You'd get in. You're an Archeron."

"Doesn't change the mother of it all. She'd never let me go. She'd never spend that kind of money on me."

"Feyre," Nesta sighed, knowing exactly where this was going.

"Nesta," Feyre parried. "Don't pretend. Our whole lives, everything has been about you. She doesn't care about us. Only you."

Nesta simply shook her head. "That's not true."

It wasn't about Nesta.

It never was. Not one thing in her life. Not the dance lessons, the private tutors, the fancy dresses. Not even her birth. As her mother always said, she was bred. No, she wasn't born or conceived or made with love, but bred. Like a prize show pony.

It was one of the reasons Nesta enjoyed her time at the Academy so much. The freedom. She could stay up all night, engrossed in a book if she wanted to. She could spend hours in the various museums, devouring chocolate from her favorite shop, or strolling through the Lí míng Market.

It hadn't been perfect freedom. Her mother's eye was far-reaching, she still kept Nesta 'in line', but the boundaries were far larger than Nesta had ever experienced. She just needed to stay away from Instinct - the other school of magic. Emotional, raucous, intense - they were dangerous. Nesta had heard the stories of Reason practitioners who'd gotten mixed up in Instinct. It never ended well.

Feyre could lecture her all she wanted on how Nesta was given everything. How their mother's life revolved around Nesta, but it never truly did. Their mother's life revolved around their mother, and Nesta was a mere tool in the process.

Her tone turned sharper. "Well, that's how it looks to me." And with that comment, Feyre stalked away.

One day Feyre might understand, but Nesta sure hoped that would never happen. That her mother would never shift her focus to Elain or Feyre. She prayed to the gods every day that they would never know what their mother's 'caring' felt like.

Leaving her sisters to their own interests, Nesta continued her path down the aisle of stalls, stopping whenever something caught her eye. She never lingered for long, unable to shake that feeling that she was being watched. The hairs on the back of her neck remained upright, a tingling sensation spreading through her body.

Nesta was sure she was growing paranoid. There were hundreds of people at the market. Plenty probably looked at her for a moment, but surely no one was watching her. And her mother hated the market, she certainly wouldn't have come out to it just to watch Nesta shop.

When she reached the end of the aisle, Nesta looked around for the tenth time, her eyes scanning every divot and alleyway when her gaze fell upon a pair of bright, hazel eyes that were clearly following her. Even being caught, they remained on her, a spark igniting in them, mesmerizing Nesta and holding her stare. She lost her breath for a moment. It took a minute before she gathered the strength of will to break away from his gaze and look upon the face those eyes held.

His face was nearly as intense as his stare. A strong jaw and high cheekbones, with a scar through the left eyebrow, half-hidden by some of the dark hair that fell in his face. His lips were spread into a knowing smirk. It ignited something deep within her that she couldn't quite name.

He was leaning against a lamp post, his ridiculously muscular arms crossed over his just as insane torso. Even in that stance he was daunting. She could only imagine what he'd be like at full height.

Meeting his gaze again, she finally realized what it was she was feeling.

Fury.

The audacity of this man, to watch her go through the market. To give her such a smug grin, as if he knew she would come up to him now that she's seen him. She had the mind to do just that and tell him off. Before she could, she heard her name being called.

"Nesta! You must come see these!" Elain exclaimed, walking up to her and grabbing her hand, beginning to pull her toward some stall. Nesta looked to her sister reflexively, and when she looked back the man was gone. As if he'd disappeared on the wind. "Nesta?" Elain asked, noticing her sister not moving.

"Sorry," Nesta breathed, turning to Elain. "I was lost in thought. What are we looing at?"

Elain grinned widely and led her to a stall selling cloak clasps. Feyre was already there, holding up a beautiful clasp of stars. Nesta wasn't entirely sure how the designer was able to make a full clasp of defined stars, but there it was in her sister's hands, one of the most beautiful cloak clasps she'd ever seen.

"That's lovely, Feyre," Nesta said, the best peace offering she could provide. Feyre gave her a big smile and nod, her form of an acceptance.

"And look at these!" Feyre held up two others, a floral bouquet clasp and one of silver flames.

"Oh, wow!" Nesta could hardly get the words out as she took the clasp of fire and examined it. She'd never seen its equal.

Feyre could never full explain it, but whenever she was painting a representation of her sisters, she always painted these three symbols. Flowers for Elain, stars for herself, and flames for Nesta. Nesta's favorites were always the ones where she turned the flames silver, 'like your eyes,' she would say. Not that Nesta's eyes were actually silver, but apparently they could look that way in some lightings.

"It's just too perfect, isn't it?" Elain asked, already reaching into her coin purse and handing money to the keeper of the stall for all three of them.

"It's more than that. It's fate," Feyre agreed.

Nesta smiled softly as she wrapped her hand around her new clasp. "It's certainly something," she murmured.

a/n: I hope no one minds some sisterly moments. It wasn't truly purposeful, but there's something about giving the sisters a better bond that felt right for this fic.

I stuck with East Asia as inspiration for aspects of this city - particularly the names for now, but I'm going to be trying to work in more around fashion and other things throughout the fic - because this is meant to take place in the area that would be the Dawn Court in canon Prythian.

Pronunciations - I am linking to "word hippo" for the words I used. They have a little speaker icon you can click on to hear the pronunciation, as technically the English spelling is the phonetic spelling. I did speak with a native Mandarin-speaking friend to make sure I got the right words, but she could not help me with phonetic spellings, so this is the best way to do this, I believe.

Lí míng | Rì chū

Tag list: @live-the-fangirl-life @generalnesta @secretlovelybeauty @julemmaes @boredserpent @autumnbabylon @moodymelanist @sv0430 @nesquik-arccheron @gwynrielsupremacy @katekatpattywack @moonstoneriver77 @swankii-art-teacher @lemonade-coolattas @emily-gsh @my-fan-side @champanheandluxxury @imsointobooks @sayosdreams @simpingfornestaarcheron @imsointobooks @perseusannabeth @shinya-hiiragi @a-court-of-milkandhoney @pintas3107 @embersofwildfire @superspiritfestival @thewayshedreamed @lunabean @xstarlightsupremex @mis-lil-red @wannawriteyouabook @dealfea @bridgertononmymind @daydreamer-anst @chosenfamily-valkyriequeens @hiimheresworld @c-e-d-dreamer @kale-theteaqueen

[burstingdragons]

7 Reasons Why (You Should Be Happy, Not Sad) — NaLu

The once lost mages of Fairy Tail have emerged from the sacred grounds of Tenrou Island… but not everyone finds joy following this unexpected return. Seven long years have gone by in a flash and now, away from the celebration about life, Lucy mourns the passing of her father’s own.

An AU where Natsu is not present with Lucy when she discovers Jude has died prior to their return from Tenrou. He finds out a different way. And this time, has a different reaction. Written as a tribute for someone in my life & for the milestone of writing on FanFiction for 7 years now. Think of 7RW as a gift from me to you all for reading and supporting my various works. Enjoy! :)

He noticed his blonde companion slip away hours ago. The sudden decision to leave right at the party's peak bummed him exponentially. Lucy wasn't one to be involved with their constant brawls or drunken games, but even she usually stuck around for these special types of moments. Not today it seemed. What was special today? Well, Fairy Tail was in total jubilation due to their most recent discovery. After being presumed dead as a result of Acnologia's ferocious roar upon Tenrou Island… the x784 Tenrou team had finally made it back home.

But it wasn't all highs. Unbeknownst to even Natsu's attentiveness, Lucy had suffered a major blow that pulled desperately on her heartstrings. At the guild's highest of highs, his intelligent partner was dealing with the lowest of lows. Everyone present knew it wasn't x784 anymore, but none of the S-Class Trial recipients expected to find out, just hours in their eyes after defeating the dark guild Grimoire Heart in fierce solo or team spars and surviving a major blow from the Black Dragon, that they had been basically comatosed for over half a decade. Seven years had actually gone by with their physical states untouched. They were the same age, the same height, the same magic level… they were the same person! The entire world had kept turning while they unknowingly awaited Mavis' protection spell to fizzle.

Being younger than most was not as positively accepted to the universe as it was by the individuals themselves. A ticking clock meant that while their bodies and minds had been suspended in time, the rest of the world had been forced to change. That included those they loved. Fairy Tail had a new Guildmaster. Members that were once weak were now strong. People had come and gone.

Natsu tried to keep his mind focused but a lunge from his rival Gray caused him to backpedal as he crashed into the wooden table. That hit left him partially dazed and the black-haired ice user relented his swings as Elfman joined the fray, casually spewing about how fighting made someone a 'real' man.

He shook his head to the side, ignoring how a few tiny shards of glass pricked his skin. Mira was surely going to kill him for destroying another one of her good shot glasses. Or maybe she wouldn't. The She-Devil sometimes could become unpredictable when it came to her duties at the bar. Her temper was a lot like Lucy's. And that too sometimes scared him.

Lucy.

That recall helped get his head back in the game. No one in their tight family bunch had noticed the woman exit. She had quite literally gone undetected outside of his, and potentially the other dragon slayer's perceptive gifts. It was obvious he was concerned for her and so Natsu did what he did occasionally when he got impatient. He acted. The slayer had prepared to go chase after her, to see what next adventure awaited them, but another brawl abruptly started. Evidently though, Natsu's appetite for conflict caused him to lose sight of his best friend's whereabouts and he allowed himself to be dragged into the melee, going in flames ablazing.

Hours later, after he'd tracked her scent to a familiar location, the pinkette remained unmoving on the window sill. It felt wrong to just silently watch a distraught woman, a close friend nonetheless, cry her eyes out in her safe haven but… that was just how their friendship worked. She talked and he listened. That was one thing outside of food and fighting that he could excel at. Allowing people to express their emotions openly without judging them for it.

Spent from the waterworks show, Lucy lazily flung herself across her neatly made bed. She turned over onto her side. Puffy, red eyes watched him intently. He wasn't sure what to say or do. He wanted to know why she was so upset and yet he didn't want to push her buttons trying to accomplish that. Natsu understood he had to be patient. But that was the problem. Patience wasn't in his blood. All this had started to confuse him but what confused him even more was when his partner suddenly laughed.

"So, are you going to just sit there and stare at me or are you actually going to come in and stay for a while?"

Even when she was undoubtedly troubled about something meaningful to her the blonde always managed to show off her own fiery side. He knew it was her valiant attempt to put up a facade in order to hide her true feelings from others. She didn't want to appear weak. She wanted to be strong. Yet like him, Lucy wore her heart on her sleeve. It was one of the better qualities that Natsu favored in a person. Something he favored when it came specifically to Lucy. Whereas his emotions fueled him to push onward, Lucy's caused her to take a step back. He liked to use his fire to paint a new picture while she preferred to examine it in its entirety before coming to a decision. A risk taker versus a planner. What was his greatest strength was ultimately her greatest weakness. But he'd never viewed it that way. He wouldn't let her do so either.

"I'm not sure." His voice traveled smoothly across the room. Many men in the guild, who had been excluded from the S-Class Trials, had matured tones to their name. Natsu's vocal cords kept that boyish charm marking his place as one of the reunited members. "The window is a pretty peaceful spot. Maybe I need to be here when you start one of your infamous tirades." He quipped.

The slayer hoped that remark would get a rise out of his friend. A sliver of a smile tried to piece itself together over her hesitant features but it never fully made its way to the surface.

"Come on… it's getting chilly outside."

Natsu frowned. He didn't want to aggravate her at this specific time, but he also didn't want to intrude. He knew she was suffering tremendously inside right now. For once in his life though, he realized he couldn't just beat the answers out of something already in existence. And for once in his life, Natsu didn't have the answer to restore someone's damaged spirit. She scooted over, allowing him available space to have a seat on the other side of her. Seeing his questioning gaze, she huffed at his obviousness and patted the space next to her.

"Here. Now."

Fearing for his life, specifically at the way her mood had done a complete one-eighty, Natsu fulfilled her request and patiently awaited whatever she had in mind next. He didn't need to wait long.

"Can you tell me about your dad?" She unexpectedly asked as she laid down on her back. Once again registering his confusion, Lucy added, "Uh–sorry, I meant about Igneel."

Like a little kid entering a candy store, Natsu opened up the floodgates as he began to retell countless tales of himself and the mysteriously vanished King of the Fire Dragons. Their adventures, their training, their bond… by the time he had realized he was rambling the woman laying next to him was once more shedding tears.

"Ah, Luce!" He grimaced. "Don't do that. You know what power crying has over me."

"I know…" She tried to hide her teary eyes behind her arm. "I hate crying too. I-I just can't help it, okay?" Lucy expressed somberly. "I miss him, Natsu. I really do."

Jude Heartfilia was dead. There was no easy way to put it. From what he had gathered in between the shared tales of their lead caretakers, Lucy's tyrannical father had passed away a month before their return from the island. She had only just found out the previous day and kept her emotions bottled up inside for as long as she could. Her efforts were short-lived. Today had been the day that glass shattered and all the anguish from losing her remaining parent came rushing out. It was up to Natsu to pick up those broken shards and repair what was lost.

He couldn't fix this type of dilemma though. As far as he knew, and he was positive he was just a human with special dragon slaying abilities, he couldn't cheat death. Natsu Dragneel didn't have the power to bring back the dead or restore an extinguished soul. Jude was gone. There was no amending this situation. He could only ease the pain by simply being there for her.

"I know you do." The fire mage smiled down at her. She looked so fragile. As if she would break upon being touched. That wasn't Lucy. She was passionate and always focused on the future, always thinking about her next goal. He had to get her mind out of the past.

"We still weren't on the best of terms the last time I saw him… at least I don't think." Her pitched voice expressed painfully as she recounted the events of her besting the dark guild known as Naked Mummy. "I did find out embarrassingly that my name comes from a defected neon sign."

Natsu desperately tried to stifle the chuckle that escaped him. Obviously he failed.

"Yeah, yeah laugh it up mister." Her features remained impassive. "Dragneel, Igneel, seems kind of identical wouldn't you say?"

His eyes widened. "I can assure you Lucky Lucy that my last name does not come from Igneel."

"How do you know?" She pressed.

"Because he told me."

Now it was Lucy's turn to be amused by a simple answer.

"So gullible."

"Hey!" Natsu glared at her playfully and almost followed through with those intrusive thoughts of pushing her off the bed. But he decided against it at the last second. Seeing that healing process begin was worth the loss of some ego points.

Natsu's dark irises located a spot on her ceiling. He heard a dragon's roar from within. It was like receiving a reminder about his own past. He had been so determined to find the crimson dragon who ditched him at such a young age… but as his time at Fairy Tail extended, Igneel had slowly become more and more of an afterthought. It wasn't that his feelings towards the Fire Dragon King had changed. If anything he held more respect for Igneel than ever before. It leaned more towards the fact that he had something to look after. Something to actually fight for.

"I know your relationship with your dad was much different and painful than what I had with Igneel… but maybe some good can still come from this, Luce." He tried to explain his thought process to the woman next to him.

Her raised eyebrow helped him conclude that he was doing a rather terrible job. "Losing my dad was a good thing?"

"N-No!" He immediately shouted, almost surprising himself at his own nervousness. "What I meant is that losing any family is hard. Though we grow stronger as we overcome obstacles."

Lucy studied him in disbelief. "I'm having a hard time believing you're Natsu. How can I be sure you're not Levy using one of Mira's transformation spells?

Natsu groaned. "Seriously?"

"I mean… you're almost making too much sense here. I'm just a little surprised by your thoughtfulness. That's all, Natsu."

Okay now she was beginning to push his buttons. "That's it. I'm going to give you seven reasons why this could be helpful in the long run."

"Oh, really?" She replied with a smirk and folded her arms. "Let's hear them." Her brown eyes became illuminated as he began to count the points on his fingers in his head. "Oh, you're practicing. Then this should be good." Lucy spoke giddily as she sat up on the bed.

With his thoughts sorted out and his intentions set, despite her persistent teasing, Natsu jumped right into the fire.

"Seven reasons why you should be happy, not sad. By Natsu Dragneel."

Lucy snickered at the name. "Had to author it, huh?"

"Number one: Your dad and your mom are finally reunited." He spoke with such a tranquil approach that she was instantly floored by the words. "I don't mean that in a bad way either, I just hope that can help you find some peace through it all. They both are hopefully where Igneel is. Perhaps they're even friends." He smiled at that thought. Lucy smiled too. Neither voiced an opinion about whether or not Igneel was actually deceased. That was just based on acceptance after having gone absent for so long.

"Number two: You will always have important memories with him. No matter how big or small, good or bad, they're there. For you to look back on and remember the fun times you and your dad had. Those times before you joined up with us."

"Number three: I brought you to Fairy Tail because you didn't want to be 'Lucky' anymore. You wanted to be–"

"Just Lucy." She interrupted and looked the opposite away. He wasn't sure if she was angry or growing sad again, so he continued, although with a much softer tone to push the meaning.

"Yeah, Luce. You're free. He no longer can turn into what he once was and rule over you. You're free to just be you." He faintly noticed those new tears but ignored it. He had to finish. It would only help, not hurt her. "Now, number four: This ties back into the last one but mainly because your dad changed. You're allowed to be happy about that. Whether you made an impact on him or not towards the end of his life… your dad saw reason through his faults in some way and tried to amend what he could. That sounds like a loving father to me."

Her sobs grew louder and he looked over at her, chest burning inside. He knew the pain of regret. That feeling when you think you've lost the only parental figure you had left in the world. It wasn't fun. But death wasn't supposed to be fun. It changed you. And Natsu was determined to change Lucy's stance regarding death.

"Number five: Within your departure you proved you could take care of yourself. Without him involved. You relieved him of a burden that I'm sure even Igneel felt as he tried to teach me the ways of this world. I'm sure your dad was grateful to know he raised you up right enough that you could cover your own hide even when he was unable to do such a thing for himself anymore."

She had choked up and faced him again. "You–"

He held up a hand, as she often did to him whenever he was supposed to stay quiet about a certain subject. "I'm almost finished. Number six: Without your dad, there is no you, Luce. You can be joyful in knowing that you will always have a soft spot in each of your parents' hearts. I'm positive they were grateful for you."

"Natsu…"

"Number seven: He cared. Your dad left small gifts and continued to pay for this apartment even when he knew you might never get the chance to open them or walk through those doors. A struggling father believed in his daughter to the very end. Even when the rest of the world had given up on us, given up on you—Jude didn't."

Natsu's speech, so simple and yet so powerful, helped elevate the weight on her shoulders. He knew she felt guilt regarding her past actions and the way she rebuked her father countless times in their late stages. But her last impression on him had been impactful. He was sure of that. Even though he barely knew her father the once corrupt tyrant stature had certainly been left behind. The man responsible for bringing his best friend into the world had moved on to greater things. In a strange way, Natsu felt some appreciation for him.

Thanks for helping me find her.

Lost in his thoughts about his own feelings toward Jude, Natsu let his guard down for just a millisecond. That was all the time she needed. Lucy blasted the door down in her own special way as she pounced and sent them both tumbling onto the floor. By the time he had recovered, a shadow blocked the surroundings around him as he stared into an endless pool of chocolate instead of white drywall.

"Luce?" He questioned. The impact with the floor made it seem like his bell had gotten rung. "Why'd you do that…?"

Instead of answering him, Lucy shushed his lips with an unblemished finger as she smiled. The blonde leaned down and applied a light pressure against his cheek. Mentally his mind burst aflame. Then she pulled away and the unsettling feeling in his chest dispersed.

"What… What was that?!"

Lucy shook her head and giggled at his innocence. "That was my way of saying thank you, Natsu." She lifted herself off of him and held out an open palm for him to take. "Now come on, I want to show you something he left behind…"

He took the blonde's hand, but her words faltered off at the same time Natsu's soul left his body. Standing there, in his traditional black suit and stylish shades, was none other than the leader of the Zodiac.

"Good evening, Princess." He greeted the blonde sweetly before a sharp glare was projected towards the tense pink-haired dragon slayer. "Hi, Natsu." That authoritative voice was sickly sweet.

Even as Loke's fist lit up in that mighty golden hue and sent him flying into another dimension, ignoring Lucy's own fits in protest of course, Natsu's smile remained. Although the duration was short. He soon paled, realizing he had been unceremoniously thrusted into the Celestial World, as that serene smile vanished from fright.

I might be dead soon too.

Hope you liked it and thanks for stopping by! More Dragon Rage coming soon!

[petitelepus]

THE FOX'S WEDDING, PART 10

KITSUNE!RENGUKO KYOJURO X FEM!READER

Summary: You host a scary movie night with the Kitsune brothers and get a little tipsy.

Warnings: Drinking, Kissing

A/N: Female Reader, Kitsune Kyojuro, Kitsune Senjuro, Kitsune Rengoku, Monster Musume!AU

PART 1 II PART 2 II PART 3 II PART 4 II PART 5 II PART 6 II PART 7 II PART 8 II PART 9 II PART 10 II PART 11 II PART 12 II PART 13 II PART 14 II PART 15 II PART 16 II PART 17 II PART 18 II PART 19

Life went on with you and the Kitsune brothers, but now after your special night during the last full moon, Kyojuro noticed that you were stealing a lot of glances at him. At first, he didn't think much of it, thinking that you just really liked him… Which was true, but you liked him more than he could ever imagine.

So a couple of days passed and you, the fox brothers were going to be watching this horror movie called 'A Nightmare On Elm Street' and you and Senjuro were currently shopping for food, treats, and drinks.

You were excited when you found out that the younger brother seemed to enjoy horror-related stuff just as much as you did! Apparently, he had found your horror manga and despite being a little startled, he enjoyed them very much. So much in fact that he wanted to see a classical horror movie and you thought about the movie with Freddy Krueger as the bad guy, but you couldn't find the original one so the remake from 2010 had to do.

"Big sis…?" Senjuro looked at you and you blinked, realizing that you were staring at the chips shelf like you were in a coma. You turned to look at him and smiled, "I'm sorry Senjuro, what did you say?"

"How scary is this movie really?" He asked and you hummed as you you tried to remember, but it had been a while since you last time seen the said movie so you couldn't be sure.

"I can't remember." You replied honestly, "But not that scary that you would get nightmares."

"But…" The young boy blinked, "It's called 'A Nightmare On Elm Street'?"

"We can watch something else if you want-!"

"No!" He swallowed and put on a brave look, "I want to see it."

"Then, in that case…" You grinned as you looked at him, "You better get some movie snacks for yourself."

"How much should I get?" He asked and you smiled at how diligent he was. "Everything."

"You mean…?" His gorgeous eyes widened and you nodded, "You get to eat all candy, chips, and soda you want!"

"Really?" Oh, those eyes of his shined like stars and you were happy to see him so excited, "Yes! Go wild and grab anything you want. If you don't like something you picked then I think your brother will probably eat it without a problem."

"Alright!" Senjuro ran ahead to look for candy that he found interesting and wanted to try and you smiled as you followed him. This movie-night would be fun… But in reality, it was an excuse for you to get Kyojuro and that magical night the two of you had out of your mind.

As you followed Senjuro, you passed the alcohol aisle and you thought that hey, maybe you could have a couple of drinks? You grabbed yourself some hard lemonade and followed after the young fox brother to the candy aisle.

Soon the two of you were done with shopping and after buying everything you needed for dinner and movie night you made your way back home. The house was empty when you returned, but it was already pretty late so you figured that Kyojuro had gone out for a jog. His missing shoes were a clear clue.

So you and Senjuro put your groceries in their rightful places and got the dinner started. Oven vegetables such as carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli with some lemon pepper salmon. This was a simple dish to make and healthy as heck, so you didn't need Senjuro's help. No, you made him sit on the couch and relax for once. He was always helping you with housework, now was his turn to take things easy.

It took a moment for the veggies to cook properly, but you had no hurry since Kyojuro wasn't even home. Then, when the veggies were halfway done, you added salmon into the oven and while you were waiting you set the table… But soon both dishes were ready and there was no sign of your fiance. You had to take the food out of the oven or risk burning it.

"The food smells amazing," Senjuro said as he joined you in the kitchen and you nodded, but you weren't exactly smiling, "Thank you, but your brother isn't here yet…"

It was getting late… This wasn't like Kyojuro being late for dinner or any time when there was food served. You reached for your phone, ready to call him and ask where he was, but just as you did that, the front door opened and your fiance came back.

"I'm home!" He called and you rushed to welcome him back and call him to join you and Senjuro at the dinner table… But you were shocked when you saw that his clothes were torn and dirty and he looked like he was dragged through thornbushes.

"W-what happened!?" You asked, but just as Kyojuro was about to answer, you rushed to his side in panic and looked around him to see if he was hurt or worst.

"Hm! A little girl's cat was stuck in a tree so I stopped to help the little creature down!" The fox explained and you blinked, "What was that cat, a sabertooth tiger!?"

Your fiance just smiled until you sighed in relief, but just as you were about to scold him for doing something so dangerous he smiled as he sniffed the air while he was taking his shoes off. "It smells amazing here!"

"You're lucky, I just took the dinner out of the oven." You shook your head as you pointed at the toilet, "Go change and wash your hands before joining us at the dinner table."

"But my clothes-?"

"They are torn and beyond saving," You nodded, "We need to buy you new clothes, but these lasted for a good while."

"As my bride says!" Kyojuro nodded and rushed upstairs to freshen up, before joining you and his little brother on the dinner table. The three of you ate happily and once you were done with your veggies and fish, you chased the brothers out of the kitchen so you could clean the place before your movie night.

While you cleaned, you listened to Kyojuro tell Senjuro how exactly he saved the cat from the tree and you were reminded just how kind and sweet he was. Just like he was with you a couple of nights ago…

You found yourself reminiscing the night of the full moon when you had pleased yourself on your fiance's thigh and kissed him passionately… And just how kind and patient he was with you and your virgin heart.

Shaking your head, you tried to chase the memories and feelings they brought up away and instead, you went to get the drinks, took out the candy, and poured a generous amount of chips on a bowl before juggling everything into the living room.

"Movie time!" You cheered and Senjuro and Kyojuro immediately grabbed the bowl of chips and drinks from you and placed them safely on the coffee table. Once you placed the candy on the table, you made yourself comfortable on the couch, grabbed the remote, and opened the movie menu, ready to start your scary movie.

"Ready guys?" You asked and the brother nodded excitedly. You put the movie on, but just as it started, you remembered your own drinks. You quickly got up and fetched yourself a hard lemonade and joined the foxes on the couch.

Kyojuro took notice of your drink and got curious. "My Hime, what is that?"

"Ah, a little drink of my own." You nodded and he seemed satisfied with that and the two of you focuses on the movie.

The movie went on just as you remembered, Freddy Krueger haunting and killing teenagers. You weren't sure if it was really as scary as it was gory, but you enjoyed yourself and your drinks throughout the movie.

You took a peek at the brothers here and there and Kyojuro stared at the screen, not one bit scared, but Senjuro looked away during the goriest scenes. You kinda felt a little bad for picking such a gory movie as his first horror movie, but it was a classic, even if it was a remake, that usually had a bad reputation for not being as good as the original.

Once the movie ended, Kyojuro had eaten most of the snacks, Senjuro was a little startled, and you were a little tipsy. You hummed happily, your mind a little clouded thanks to the alcohol and you got up to clean, but your fiance quickly stood up and gently made you sit back down.

"Do not worry, me and Senjuro will clean this up!"

"But I-!"

"Have done enough!" Kyojuro smiled and pecked your forehead, "Rest my beloved!"

You did as he told you to, relaxing, and letting your body rest against the back of the couch. You sighed, letting your body go completely limp as you enjoyed yourself and the little buzz you were having due to alcohol.

A moment passed as you calmly listened to the brothers do what they did in the kitchen. You reached for your phone on the coffee table to check the time and saw it was already a little over 8pm. Huh, time sure passed when you were having a good time.

You hummed thinking about all the things you should do before heading to bed when suddenly Kyojuro popped up and sat across from you. "My Hime, are you feeling alright?"

"Yep, just a little tipsy." You nodded with a grin and your fiance nodded, "Do you need help to get to the bed?"

"I'm not that tipsy!" You laughed a little as you got up and you couldn't help but notice that Kyojuro followed your example, moving right behind you as if you could faint at any given moment and he would be there to catch you.

"Kyojuro, I'm not going to just pass out." You said, but you were also happy because of how thoughtful he was being, "I'm fine, trust me."

"I do trust you!" He nodded with that smile of his, "I just don't trust alcohol!"

"Ah-!" You blinked, remembering that both you and the Rengoku brothers had a bad history of alcoholism in your families. You hadn't even stopped to think how your fiance or his little brother would react to you drinking some.

You frowned as you realized that you might have offended them with your drinking. How could you be this selfish? Kyojuro and Senjuro were always so thoughtful, always thinking of others before themselves.

You turned to look at Kyojuro and cried out, "I- I'm sorry Kyojuro!"

"Hm!?" Your fiance blinked in shock, still smiling but even a tipsy person like you could tell that it was a tight smile.

"I should have asked if it was okay with you guys if I drank anything… I'm so sorry, I was such an idiot, please forgive me-!" You were cut off as you were suddenly embraced. You blinked, shocked, and looked to see Kyojuro hugging you close to his chest.

"Don't apologize when you have no reason to do so," He said gently and you pressed your cheek against his chest, "You're not mad at me…?"

"No, I'm not." He smiled as he petted your head, "It's not like you drank a whole bottle of sake or hurt anyone while under the influence of alcohol."

"I'm still sorry…" You mumbled and you could feel his chest vibrate against your face as he hummed thoughtfully, "And I keep telling you, not to… But I forgive you."

The two of you hugged for a minute, just enjoying each other's embrace… He was so warm and listening to his heart beat in his chest made you realize just how intimate this actually was. It was actually so intimate that you got flustered and had to pull away.

"Okay, so, uh, how about we settle for the night?" You asked and your fiance nodded and just as you got the words out, Senjuro joined you and his brother, "Is everything alright?"

"Yes," You and Kyojuro said in unison and then glanced at each other before smiling.

"I'll head to shower to clean up before bed!" Kyojuro said and you and Senjuro nodded as the two of you headed upstairs and towards your own rooms… But after the stairs and before either one of you made it to your rooms, the younger fox turned to look at you, "Big sis?"

"Yes, Senjuro?" You asked back and he looked a little uncertain, "I… I don't mind it if you drink a little bit if you really want to."

"Oh, Senjuro…!" You smiled a little sadly as you reached forward with your hand and gently ruffled the top of his head, the space between his fox ears, "I'll never drink like that. I promise."

"I trust you," He smiled a little and the two of you wished each other good night as you retreated back to your rooms to get some well-earned sleep. After changing clothes to your pajama shorts and T-shirt, you made yourself comfortable on your bed and peacefully closed your eyes, and prepared yourself for a trip to the dream world…

…Only, you couldn't sleep. One would think that falling asleep while tipsy would be as easy as pie, but you couldn't get even a wink of sleep.

You grumbled as you got up and decided to head downstairs and get some water for your parched mouth. One of the more unpleasant aftermaths of drinking. Once you had gotten your glass of water you felt a lot better. You yawned and headed back upstairs… Only you were so tired you accidentally walked to the first door and stepped into the wrong room.

Kyojuro's room and the said owner of the room was sitting on his bed, reading a book when you suddenly barged into his room. Tipsy and slow as you were, you blinked as you looked around in confusion and slowly you realized you were in the wrong room.

"This isn't my room." You blurted out and Kyojuro nodded as he put his book down on the small table by his bed. "My bride, did you get lost?"

"Yeah, um, sorry, I'll just-!" You were about to leave but the fox behind you called after you, "Come here!"

You stopped on the spot and glanced at your fiance over your shoulder, "What?"

"Come over here!" He raised his blanket and you blinked as your brains tried to make some sense of this situation you were in. Then suddenly, as if you were in a trance, you turned, walked over to his bed and you dove under the blanket…

…Only to find out that Kyojuro slept only in his boxers, but it was too late. It was like he was a venus flytrap and you were the bug lured in by the plant's sweet nectar. As soon as your body touched his bed, he threw his blanket over both of you, wrapped his arms around you, and hugged you tightly against that well sculptured body of his.

You were blushing from embarrassment, feeling his tight muscles press against your imperfect body. You tried to wiggle and get some space between the two of you, but the more you struggled, the harder you were pulled against that body of God's and you soon found yourself being the little spoon.

Suddenly, you didn't feel tipsy anymore. Apparently, nothing sobered you better than complete and utter shock.

"K- Kyojuro…!" You mumbled shyly as you tried not to look straight at him, for you were sure you would faint on the spot if you saw him properly while he was being almost naked.

"Yes, my beloved bride?" He asked as he held you and you felt your ears burning in embarrassment. "I can, uh, I can go sleep in my own room…"

"Too late!" The fox laughed happily, "I have you here in my arms where you belong!"

Ack, how could he say such cute and kinda romantic things like it was nothing!?

"I- if you won't let me go I'll bite you…!" You threatened, but it only made your fiance laugh harder and you pouted, "I swear, I will do it!"

"My bride is the cutest- Ouch!"

You did it, you actually bit his arm that was holding you against his chest, but as soon as he cried out you let go instantly.

"Ah-!" You gasped, immediately feeling bad for what you had done. Without wasting any time, you gently kissed the spot you had bitten, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-!"

"Don't worry my Hime, it didn't hurt!" Kyojuro smiled and he meant it, you had only pinched him with your teeth. No harm was done, but you didn't seem to catch the joke.

"Sorry…" You pouted as you kissed the spot again and the Kitsune tried his hardest not to tease you any further.

"It's alright, my beloved. If you want to sleep on your own, I won't hold you back." He said as he opened his arms and seeing an opening, you jumped out of the bed. You glanced nervously over your shoulder as if expecting him to jump at you, but he did no such thing. He just smiled as he looked at you and you nodded, heading to the door and reaching for the handle…

But you didn't open the door, you didn't even touch the handle. You felt like you were making a mistake. You could feel his gorgeous eyes looking at you, curious about how you hadn't left yet.

"I…" You turned around and blushed, "I changed my mind…"

"Hm?" Kyojuro hummed as he followed your every move as you timidly made your way back to his bed. You could barely look at him in the eyes, and your pretty face was so red when you whispered, "Can I… Can I still sleep with you?"

The fox smiled as he lifted his blanket and this time when you sneaked in, you took a bold step and hugged him. Kyojuro blinked as you hid your face against his pecs, the hair on your forehead tickling his muscles slightly.

"You… You smell so nice…" You muttered in a mixture of shyness and happiness as you nuzzled closer to him.

"Hm!" He nodded, "It's the soap you bought for me!"

"I like this scent…" You hummed and Kyojuro felt so happy that you had picked him a soap with a scent you would love. As the two of you made yourself comfortable he heard you softly murmur something, "…ike…u…"

"Hm?"

"I like you…" You murmured quietly and Kyojuro's fox ears shot upwards in excitement. He wanted to tell you how much he adored you back, but before he could say a word, someone knocked on his door. The fox blinked as he looked at you clinging to his arm in your sleep and then at the door that slowly creaked open.

"Big brother?" It was Senjuro who peeked inside his brother's room. "Are you sleeping…?"

"Senjuro!" Kyojuro whispered as loudly as he dared with you there by his side. "No, I'm awake. What's wrong?"

"That movie…" The shy boy muttered, partly scared and mostly embarrassed for being scared in the first place, "Can I… Can I sleep with you?"

The older Kitsune smiled as he moved you a little bit so he could use his free hand to lift the other side of the blanket as a silent invite and Senjuro quickly closed the door and climbed on the other side of the bed.

Good thing Kyojuro's bed was huge so he could sleep comfortably with all 5 tails of his, and have enough room to have his brother and bride there with him.

"It's not real, right?" Senjuro asked quietly as he swallowed, "The dream demon?"

"No, it's not," Kyojuro smiled, "And as long as you're with me you are always safe. I will not let anyone touch the people I love and care for."

Senjuro smiled, trusting his brother to keep him safe… And then he noticed you, clinging to his brother's other arm. The younger fox's ears twitched as he looked at you and then at his brother.

"Ah, was big sis scared also?" The young fox asked and Kyojuro's smile grew as he glanced at you sleeping so peacefully by his side.

"A little," He admitted, but Senjuro didn't know that you were actually scared of. It would be a secret between you and Kyojuro.

[sittiytaart]

There is Only 1 Sunset

In my MLP AU there is actually only one Sunset, Sunset as a young child was human and managed to accidentally phase through the portal and came to Equestria.

She was caught by the guards but was simply escorted out of the castle, where she struggled to live cuz she's a human child in a pony's body. However all humans have a hidden magic potential that they just can't use.

So after a few days of being homeless she manages to garner the attention of Princess Celestia after a magic incident (Which causes Equestria!Sunset's parents to never meet). And learning that Sunset is homeless Celestia decides to take her in as a student hoping she'd be the Element of Friendship.

Sunset forgets about her human life and lives well, Celestia makes a bunch of mistakes since this is honestly her first time being a 'Parent' to a filly and it sorta messes Sunset Shimmer a whole lot. Celestia sees that Sunset is a whole lot like her past self which freaks her out so she tries to steer her from her own path by showing her the mirror

And yadda yadda the plot happens but Sunset returns around the same age she should have been since entering the portal in alternate universe time so there it only has been a few years. Sunset has to be then Re-introduce to Human culture and is placed back within her family.

BUT IN SHORT:

Sunset is a Human turned Pony who forgot that she was Human turned back into a Human again. She's Special