#but in the wild light I showed the path to understanding the forest

[diejager]

If you might be taking requests at all, I was wondering if you'd be up for the idea of a fic with sleazy König or Ghost in an arranged marriage to the reader. Reader isn't quite happy with the marriage, but they are. It could be dark or cute, but I'd love to read a fic about an arranged marriage where reader is completely against it meanwhile their new husband is not. They've been hoping to marry reader for a while and now that they have, reader is all theirs in more ways than one. Scares off any men reader tries to date on the side and is hell bent on showing their lovely spouse that this marriage is perfect and that they truly do belong together.

Sleazy husband!König Cw: DARKFIC, DUB-CON/NON-CON, sleazy!König, arranged marriage, age difference/gap, scent kink, crusty balls, hairy König, tell me if I missed any.

König was a family friend, someone you’d seen a few times in your life, but had heard of many, many times that he was a commodity in your life, a subject you became familiar with without actually knowing the man. You’d caught glimpses of the giant when you accompanied your father to the military base for a quick visit, how he towered over you as a child and even more so now that you were an adult in your early 20s. You thought him an acquaintance, a trusted friend of your father, but you’d never thought of him in any other light. You saw him as someone dedicated to his duty, prideful and hungry for power and money, unbeatable and strong with his broad shoulders and gigantic stature. You wouldn’t have anything to do with him in your life, seeing how he barely glanced your way when you crossed path, he dutifully ignored you every time as if you were a plague.

And yet, you found yourself married to him; an arranged marriage. The colonel who avoided you and never seemed to like you had a private marriage with only your immediate family and a few men and women from the Company assisting to watch him embrace and take you home. A home you had no recollection of and were a stranger to. It wasn’t his flat, or the studio apartment you went to with your father. This big house was new and old, a newly bought house in with fresh paint and untouched furniture, in an old Austrian land with a beautiful and lush forest surrounding it. You didn’t even know the man, but you were married to him so quickly - in a month’s worth - that you were still too shell shocked to do anything about it. 

How could your mother and father agree to it so easily? To marry you off to someone you didn’t know. Then you remembered how close your father and he was, life companions that had fought battles together, bled for one another and would die to save the other. That was the reason you were promised without your consent or knowledge until it was too late. 

“Mein Herzchen,” he rasps, peering down at you, cold blues glowing under the darkness of his hood, “Come.”

König - your husband - was a man of few words, but wouldn’t stop talking if he found the right topic to touch, speaking your ears off about it. There were a lot you didn’t know about him, a mystery you didn’t dare try figuring out, but were forced to. You learned he was a dirty and immoral man, to have you marry him despite him being almost twice your age. He could’ve been your uncle, a man who’s age was near your fathers. You learned that he liked jerking himself to the sight of your open pantie drawers, an unwashed and stolen lace pressed into his face, the soft gusset pressed into his mouth and nose as he huffed and growled. You were repulsed by it, finally understanding why some of your underwearswere slightly crusty. 

You learned that he never shaved after your first night, consummating your marriage in the bed you later slept on. You were shocked to find that his chest and arms were as hairy as the tuff around his cock, wild and unruly, a messy bush crawling up his abdomen and spiraling around his chest and covering his paler tint in auburn brown. You learned that he never showered after a sweaty and stinky work out, his musk stinking up the house wherever he went and that he loved pressing you against his naked and sticky chest, smothering you in his thick smell that nearly had you gagging and choking. You couldn’t find the words to describe a man like König, as big and burly as he was hairy and smelly, he was unmoving in his resolve and liked to touch you whenever he wanted to, whether you liked it or not, his word was law.

Your husband was a sleazy man and you couldn’t do anything about it, the golden bound diamond ring on your finger was more so a chain than a wonderful promise.

Taglist: @sae1kie @yeoldedumbslut @bvxygriimes @distracteddragoness @konigsblog @im-making-an-effort @daisychainsinknots @0alk0msan @danielle143 @tuttifuckinfruttifriday @notspiders @brokenpieces-72 @petwifed @randominstake @cassiecasluciluce @hayleybarnesx @shironasumi @sparky--bunny @bloobewy @infpt-zylith @sweetnanah @aldis-nuts @evolutionarry

[dilf-din]

Tethered (to The Story We Must Tell)

For @therebelcaptainnetwork Secret Santa

WC: 3400

A/N: Merry Rebelcaptain-mas @mistressorinoco !! I hope you like this glimpse into a magical world with everyone’s favorite tragic heroes!

It was a quiet life Jyn had made for herself, tucked into the whispering woods, far from the irksome hustle and bustle of the nearby village. Nothing greeted her in the morning except for the sun and the birds as she floated to the well to draw her water each day. No other beings disturbed her as she foraged in the afternoon, finding herbs to dry on her windowsill, save the rabbits and squirrels whose noses would twitch in a secret language she had come to understand over the years. They were all she had to talk to after the loss of her parents left her achingly alone in the world, with not much else to do than listen to the Earth as She groaned. None of the townspeople would come within twenty feet of her on the days she had to venture in for the supplies she could not grow on her own. It was just her and the forest, and she liked it that way.

The truth was, nobody liked witches. But she had always thought that maybe they just didn’t understand them. Her father was one of the most powerful warlocks of their time. Jyn had spent every second she could in his presence, soaking up his knowledge. She would peek over the bannister at night as he communed with other powerful men of the great age, straining her ears to pick up bits and pieces of their hushed conversations. Galen Erso was well regarded across the realm for his deep rooted wisdom and power. With him gone, she knew she had to carry out his legacy. Mix balms and potions to heal the sick, care for the spirit of the wood, bless the grounds to yield plentiful crops.

For months now, she had been so busy preparing for autumn that she almost forgot about the prophecy, the legacy of the Erso family that her father had told her of long ago. One day, their magic would save the entire kingdom. One day a man would show up on her doorstep and beg her for help. She just didn’t expect that day to be today.

Her focus was on the pot in front of her, simmering over the fire. A rich, earthen smell filled every corner of the room, breathing life into the old beams. Jyn’s nimble hands were carefully dosing out dried petals and crushed up stems to add to the bubbling mixture when her cat started to weave itself through her legs, getting tangled in her skirts, and mewling loudly.

“Alright, alright. One second,” she sounded annoyed, but when she lifted her eyes, a light caught her eye from the other side of the room.

She quickly wiped her hands on her apron and rushed to the old crystal ball that stayed perched on its ornately carved base in the main room. Deep red rubies decorated the solid gold pillar showing long forgotten constellations charted out by the witches of old. The very center showed the phases of the moon carved out in opal, an homage to their guiding light. Jyn had used the ball from time to time when she was in search of a hard to find root as her father had taught her— and she certainly didn’t use it to get tangled up in the affairs of men, so this would be the first time it had shown her something unprompted.

Jyn watched the orb in front of her with an amused smile twitching at her lips. Deep smooth glass revealed hazy images of a dark haired man scrambling over roots and briars, falling several times in quick succession only to get up and keep going. He looked panicked, but determined. Competent but a wild card. He was following the path that was marked out for him long ago, he just didn’t know it yet. Outside her cabin, a strong wind swept through the trees, rustling the leaves loudly, signaling the man’s impending approach. Chills danced up her own arms in anticipation, and beside her on the table, an inky black cat hopped up to stare into the ball with deep green eyes mirroring Jyn’s own.

“So it begins, Pollux.”

——

Pounding. His head was pounding in sync with his steps. Each heavy footfall echoed through his body and made his head ring. For a moment, Cassian was afraid he would pass out. He didn’t have time for that though. Lord Vader’s ghouls were on his tail. Cassian was zigging and zagging through the trees, trying his best to shake the ghastly figures. Occasionally, he would hear their groans and see a flash of white, and it was like a fresh wave of adrenaline in his veins to keep going.

They weren’t dangerous from a distance. In fact, they were a lousy shot. But he didn’t want to know what would happen if he got within arm’s reach of them. Long slender fingers jutted out of the tattered sleeves of stark white robes. They were a gruesome mix of bone and metal, the result of a dark magic no sensible person would ever tamper with.

Cassian saw a clearing ahead and pushed into one final sprint. The ghouls came from several directions at once, screeching and wailing as he stumbled out of the tree line, tripping over one last root. He rolled to his back to accept his fate, having spent every drop of strength to make it this far. Cassian clamped his eyes shut and waited, but was surprised after a few moments that nothing happened. He tentatively peeked to see the crowd of ghostly figures pounding against an invisible wall that he happened to be on the other side of. His head swiveled to see an entire circle of pale blue light that sparked bright cerulean as they beat their eldritch fists against it, their distorted voices muffled by the barrier.

They were deterred almost instantly, fading back into the tree line while Cassian took the time to catch his breath. He had been chased for several kilometers and feared that his lungs would always feel that stab of fire when he breathed too deeply.

Having been given time for his thoughts to settle, he frantically patted his body until he felt the familiar lump in his pocket and gave another sigh of relief. With everything on his person intact and accounted for, he really started to take in his surroundings. He had landed next to a short stone well when he fell. Any farther, and he probably would’ve busted his head against the jagged base. And what the heck was that blue thing that stopped the ghoul troopers? He furrowed his brow and scrambled to his feet, slowly approaching the edge of the property. Cassian stuck a tentative hand out and was met with nothing but the chilled fall air. No pushback, no wall of energy, just a light peaceful breeze.

The cottage behind him stood humbly, weathered boards and a shingled roof not even cresting the nearby treetops. Vines of deep green ivy climbed two trellises on each wall, mirroring each other. Tendrils of heart shaped leaves spilled over the awning covering the door like a tuft of bangs, making the house seem almost human. The wide mouth of the door was stained a deep brown and hung on brass hinges so tarnished they were a dull, ashen color. The back of the house was almost flush with the treeline, leaves and branches seemed to hold on to it tightly, as if it belonged there. It was perfectly nestled in the wild of things, set apart from the rest of the kingdom.

A gust of wind brought a cocktail of new smells to his nose. Sweet things, earthen things, ancient things. Cassian took a deep breath. Something about the energy there felt like a lightning bolt through his bones, addicting, unfamiliar, and yet, like coming home, a feeling he had searched for his whole life. Along his arms, the hairs stood on end with anticipation as he approached the door, a hesitant knuckle reaching out to knock.

He gave three sharp raps and waited. Though there was no peephole, he couldn’t shake the feeling of having eyes on him, almost as if the trees had their guard up, ready to strike should he try anything with whoever stood on the other side of the door.

An eternity passed in the seconds he waited to hear the click of the lock, followed by the muffled sound of several chains and latches, before it finally swung open to reveal a girl. She came up to about his shoulder with green eyes wilder than the forest engulfing them. She had layers of lace and other thin fabrics covering her. Each piece turned into long, flowing sleeves or skirts of a different length cinched with a belt and a leather vest atop of stockings and knee high boots. Almost every finger and knuckle was adorned in silver rings of varying thicknesses, and on her neck sat a collection of necklaces on chains of different lengths, but the one that caught his eye, was a pale white crystal hanging low on her torso. It was shaped like a tear drop.

“Hello, Cassian Andor. I have long awaited your arrival,” she spoke with an almost sultry voice and a sly smile.

Suddenly, his mouth was dry and his palms were wet. Cassian was worried that if he spoke, it wouldn’t come out as more than a squeak. How did she know his name? What did she mean she had been waiting for him?

Thankfully, she ushered him inside before he found the nerve to speak. He took a second to take in the large open space they now stood in while she re-fastened all of the latches. The walls were lined floor to ceiling with shelves holding all sorts of odds and ends. Stacks of books, magnifying glasses and other gadgets, jars that held what he hoped were animal bones, more books, candles, and all sorts of loose papers. From the age of the cottage and the wear of the leather spines closest to him, he guessed it did not all belong to her. The living area was connected to the open kitchen with a staircase and small storage room at the back of the building. A wide window over the sink shed hazy light on bundles of herbs and flowers carefully wrapped and hung to dry in the sun. Every wall was wood, save for the back one adjacent to the sink that housed the large stone hearth currently holding a large pot over lazy orange flames.

Cassian recognized it as the same smell from outside, and wondered what it was that she was making. A black cat appeared seemingly out of nowhere and rubbed his leg, purring loudly.

“I’m sure you must have a million questions,” Jyn continued, turning to face him after drawing the curtains in the den, “And it is my goal to have a million answers. Shall we begin? My name is Jyn. Jyn Erso.”

Cassian was intrigued by her eccentricity. Even now, she was continuing over to the hearth to tend to the pot on the fire as if his coming there had interrupted her daily routine.

He watched her move with precision and intent. She never hesitated, never second guessed herself. She was everything he wasn’t, and he began to feel quite small.

“What brought you to me?” she asked over her shoulder.

Cassian took a few steps forward, being careful to not trip over the very affectionate cat that was now glued to his side.

He tried to collect his thoughts in a coherent way, knowing he needed to do his best to make his story a believable one. He prayed she would have pity on his urgency and point him in the right direction.

“I work for the king. Well, not exactly. I just work in the stable. But the king, see, he’s sick, so his council sent me to find a sorcerer. They said there was a man in the woods who could heal him. Do you know who they’re talking about?”

Jyn smiled at the floor, a sad smile full of longing, and turned to face Cassian, “They sent you in search of my father.”

“Is he here?”

“He died last winter.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” his voice came out thick with sincerity. He barely knew this girl but he could see how deeply the loss had struck her. Cassian hesitated before asking, “Do you think you could help us?”

“Of course,” she almost scoffed, “He taught me everything he knew. Well, close to everything. Anything he didn’t have time to is written down in one of these journals,” she gestured to the walls lined with books. “I’ve read them all cover to cover. Tell me what troubles your king.”

Cassian leaned against the kitchen counter, and the cat hopped up beside him, “He’s being poisoned by Lord Vader. He’s been deteriorating, wasting away. He fell ill a fortnight ago, but none of our best doctors have been able to cure him. We don’t think he has much time left. It’s like Vader is draining the life out of him somehow. His name is the only world he’s spoken in days.”

Jyn listened intently as Cassian spoke of the king’s mind and body slipping away from him. The table of her mind had journals and papers spread out as she combed through her archives to figure out what kind of enchantment he might be under. She could feel the warmth of her father’s hands on her shoulders, and for a second, she almost reached out to grab one.

“And they gave me this,” Cassian paused to fish something out of his pocket, offering a white teardrop shaped crystal identical to the one around Jyn’s neck, “They said it would lead me here, and it did. I’m not sure how to explain it. Its like I could hear it—“

“Talking to you,” Jyn finished with a smile on her lips. Her arms wound around her own neck and she undid the clasp to the necklace with ease. She plucked the other half from Cassian’s hand and held the two pieces together. They fit seamlessly and began emitting a pale blue glow, as it being one again filled the stone with some sort of power.

“The Kyber heart has been passed through my family for generations. This half belonged to my mother. She gifted it to the king many years ago as a blessing of protection. His taking it off is what led to his mind being poisoned. The two halves long to be together. Though they may separate for a time, they will always come back as one,” she finished softly, this time looking deeply into Cassian’s dark eyes.

“The other half belonged to your father,” he said gently, not breaking the gaze, and Jyn nodded.

“Keep it,” he smiled, reaching his hand forward to close her fist around it, but she shook her head.

“It’s yours now. It chooses its master. Some people are said to be born with Kyber in their own hearts. The stones are drawn to certain auras. They particularly like those who possess great courage within their hearts,” she explained as she reached around his neck to fasten the necklace.

A heavy weight settled in his chest, something akin to honor. The moment was quickly broken by the cat yowling loudly in Jyn’s direction.

“I know,” she said to the small creature as she smiled and leaned down for it to head butt her, “This is Castor. He was my mother’s cat. It seems he approves of you as well. She died when I was very young. I don’t see him come out often.”

Cassian smiled and reached out a hand for him to sniff while another cat hopped up beside Jyn. Sleek and black, identical to Castor.

“This is Pollux. He belonged to my father.”

Identical crystals. Identical cats. All this talk of fate had Cassian questioning his role in this story. If what she was saying was true, the gravity of this place was always going to find him. He would always find himself back in Jyn’s orbit. He so desperately wanted that to be true.

Against all odds and presumptions, Cassian began to feel at home, in these walls breathing the same air as her. He tried to shove it down, but it was like a geyser erupting in his stomach, a warm feeling spreading through his limbs. He had never believed in fate, but she spoke as if the cosmos were pulling the strings to his life and led him here, and it had never sounded more convincing.

He couldn’t let himself get caught up in this, not yet.

“Now what?” he asked, “I don’t mean to sound in a hurry, but I’m afraid the King hasn’t got much time.”

“Now, we search for the spell to break the enchantment,” she crossed the room to a stack of journals and plucked them from the shelf, “Luckily for you, I remember reading about this very thing recently. Tell me, Cassian Andor, is this a coincidence as well?” she spoke as if she could read his rambling thoughts and a flush crept into his cheeks.

Her lips held a knowing smile as she cracked open the journal on top, an aged leather with thick gold threading around the border.

“What we’re looking for is called ruptor vitis, more commonly known as a weed killer,” she explained as she began to thumb through pages, handing Cassian the next journal in the stack to aid in the search.

Pages turning, fire crackling, cats purring. Their eyes and hands worked quickly to find the information they needed. It was a race against time. The old grandfather clack across the room ticked ominously as they searched.

Cassian saw recipes for healing potions, hexes for confusion, spells for protection. A quick scan of that particular page confirmed that was what he encountered when he stumbled onto the property. They were designed to keep out everyone but the pure of heart. Another odd tug in his chest as he continued to cautiously approach the idea that he might be more than a lowly stable boy. The gem around his neck chose him. Castor chose him. The king’s court chose him to be the messenger.

All his life he had been nameless. All his life he had been alone. Now he was standing in a warm cabin a mere two feet from someone who looked at him like he was worth something. She said his name with confidence. She listened intently as he spoke, taking in every detail, every stumble, every hesitation in his breathing. His apprehension had been palpable, but he could feel it melting away.

A few more flips, and he saw himself staring at the words Ruptor Vitis in thick, neat writing.

“Jyn,” he called, drawing her attention to the aging book in front of him.

She scanned it with careful eyes, her lips parting almost imperceptibly as she read each line to herself. With a nod, she closed the journal and tucked it under her arm. She snapped her fingers, and the fire in the hearth snuffed out, a wispy trail of smoke drifted into the open room while she grabbed her cloak from a hook by the door.

“We’ll need to pick up a few things in town, but I know how to make it work,” she explained, tucking the book into a basket along with a few candles.

Cassian stood frozen, not knowing what to do next.

“Are you ready?” she reached out to give his hand a squeeze, and he felt that aforementioned courage flood into his veins. Suddenly it all became crystal clear.

He nodded.

“Lead the way,” she smiled.

And something in him must have changed, because when Cassian pushed the door open with no hesitation to trek back out into the forest, and the kyber around his neck hummed a melody outside of time, he didn’t stop to question why a powerful enchantress like Jyn would defer to someone like him.

[sunnified]

THERE SHE GOES !

synopsis. being guards of phoenix drop means not a lot of time with one another, however after a bumping into one another during work hours, you come up with a solution to fix that.

pairing. mcd!katelyn x gn!reader

content. established relationship, katelyn’s pov, one moan, a teeny bit of touching, really not that spicy just some light flirting and kissing

word count. 0.9k

a/n. wrote a lil request today after my exam, for this absolute cutie !!

the day is growing old, and the horizon dips into a paling orange as the sun sinks beneath the tops of pines. light streaks through the branches in brilliant, shadowed beams; they’re golden, shimmering across illuminated greens as a gift from the warm season. katelyn sighs as her boots continue to trudge along untrodden paths, flattening the wilderness as she patrols the surrounding forest outside of phoenix drop.

in her mind, the forest is where it’s easiest to breathe, expanding her lungs as air flows to the brain and soul. there’s a sense of kinship with the wild flowers, a feeling of belonging as her unnaturally iced eyes glaze over the surrounding areas. it’s beginning to get dark, and she should head back soon, but everything in the village has been so hectic lately and the calm atmosphere of the forest is too good to pass up.

her mind drifts from original thought, thinking of the first time she had ever docked in the place she know called home. it had been when she was still a member of the jury of the nine, investigating the whereabouts of a man she cared deeply for. back then, she’d been more willing to fight, living up to her title as the infamous ‘fire fist’ and executing her orders to the highest degree under who she know considered to be the enemy.

when she changed sides, pledging absolute loyalty to the lord of phoenix drop and becoming a protector for the village, it’d been a long time for any of the villagers to trust her. they’d tried to make peace with the fact a defected lived amongst them, but she knew that she’d never belonged amongst them. at least, not then.

she knows she bares the appearance of a warrior. her face is covered in scuffs, a noticeable scar cutting through her brow and leaving the permanent mark of battle upon her skin. she understands she must be intimidating, even just walking past the crops and towards the market.

a branch snapped behind her, and katelyn was quickly unsheathing the sword from her side, jerking her body to stare into the trees. her eyes narrowed, jaw clenching, as she went completely silent, waiting to see if the being sneaking up on her would show themselves. when there was no sign of any intruder, her steely voice called out into the branch coverage, “show yourself.” her leg moved back into a fighting stance, chin jutting out to make herself seem more threatening.

there was a beat of silence, the forest air still with thick tension.

then, you stumbled out of the foliage, hands in the air with shaky laughter trembling in your shoulders, “‘s just me.” you mused, raising a playful brow, “don’t hit, i might not survive.”

katelyn lowered her raised hands, sheathing the rusting sword back into the halter strapped to her hip, “you should be back by now.” she stated, surveying your armour clad body for any noticeable signs of trouble; she knew that you could handle yourself, but it never hurt to check.

“i came to find you.” she raised a brow at that, “lady katelyn.”

a scoff resounded from the back of her throat, and she recalled that out of the village’s custodians, you were by far the most unserious. in fact, she could probably write a longwinded script about how you seemed to be so carefree, especially in such tense times, “i asked you not to call me that.”

“well, i think it suits you.”

“ever the charmer, huh?”

“the garrison’s finest.”

she cracked a smile at that, shaking her head at your replies as though the world wasn’t experiencing tense times, “you’re unmanageable.” she sighed warmly, “come, the sun is beginning to set.”

the charming grin you returned was amusing, “what’s the rush?” your steps are light as you walk towards katelyn in the small clearing, despite the metal you wear weighting you down, “we have time. the village will still be there when we get back.”

as you near her, getting close enough to touch, her hand reaches out first, roughly pulling you closer. the metal plates fastened tight to both of your torso’s makes a nasty noise upon impact, but it’s forgotten rather quickly as you make quick work of pressing your lips against hers.

“mph—!” she protests, jaw slack as you pull away, “warn me next time, you nuisance.” she muttered under her breath, but her lips seek yours out once more.

her hands, scarred with the years of battle, landed on your waist, before she grew increasingly upset with the iron covering protecting your supple skin. her hands dug under the secured straps, chain mail clinking before she managed to lay her palms flat against the curve of your spine.

your arms find perch on katelyn’s shoulders, and she guides you backwards until your bumping into the bark of a pine tree. yet, your lips never disconnect, the obnoxious smacking fading into the air of the forest. your gasps are swallowed up by her, each cute noise that leaves you she selfishly commits to memory.

the sun is setting but dark has yet to appear over the horizon, and katelyn thinks she could spare a few moments here, in your arms.

it’s not like the village is going anywhere.

a sweet moan blesses her ears.

yeah, she can stay here a while.

[sunflowerabyss]

Moonlight Understandings

Pairings: Older!Remus Lupin x Fem!Reader

Plot: You bump into Remus in the Forbidden Forest.

Warnings: Age gap, reader is in her twenties.

____________________________________________________

The full moon hung in the night sky like a glowing orb, casting an eerie light on the Forbidden Forest. Leaves rustled in the gentle breeze as you cautiously made your way through the dense foliage. The offer to assist Hagrid in caring for the magical creatures had led you to the heart of the forest, where an unexpected encounter awaited you.

As you walked deeper into the shadows, the atmosphere thickened with tension. The distant howls of werewolves echoed through the trees, sending shivers down your spine. Yet, you pressed on, your senses alert. You knew the risks, but a strange calmness enveloped you, born out of a secret you had kept since your Hogwarts days.

A low growl pierced the silence, freezing you in your tracks. Slowly, the massive form of Remus Lupin emerged from the darkness, his eyes wild with the untamed ferocity of the wolf within. The moonlight illuminated his fur, creating a mesmerizing interplay of light and shadow.

"Remus," you whispered, your voice barely audible over the sounds of the night. You approached him cautiously, maintaining a respectful distance. You had always known his secret, discovered during a fateful night at Hogwarts.

Remus's snarl softened, replaced by confusion. He recognized you, but disbelief lingered in his eyes. You gestured for him to follow, a silent understanding passing between you. The two of you walked through the forest, the only sounds being the rustling leaves and the distant howls.

The werewolf kept a careful distance, his golden eyes locked on yours. The moonlit path led you to a clearing where you sat, the moon casting a silvery glow on the grass. Remus remained in his wolf form, his presence powerful and enigmatic.

"I've known for a long time, Remus," you confessed, your eyes meeting his. "I stumbled upon you during one of your transformations back at school."

Remus's gaze held a mix of gratitude and vulnerability. He couldn't speak in this form, but his eyes spoke volumes. You continued to share your understanding, recounting the challenges he faced and the strength he showed in the face of adversity.

Before the night fully ended, you rose from your spot in the clearing. The first light of dawn painted the horizon as you turned to Remus. "Meet me at my hut, to the left of Hagrid's, if you want to," you said, your voice carrying a gentle reassurance. "I'll be there."

The soft morning light filtered through the curtains as you stirred awake to gentle knocks on your door. Still groggy, you rolled out of bed and made your way to answer it. As the door creaked open, you were met with Remus Lupin standing on your doorstep.

"Morning," he greeted, a mixture of exhaustion and gratitude in his eyes.

"Good morning, Remus," you replied, inviting him inside. The atmosphere was calm but charged with unspoken words from the previous night.

Sitting down, you both took a moment before delving into the conversation about the events in the Forbidden Forest. "Like I said last night, I've known for a long time, Remus," you began, your eyes meeting his. "Back in school, I figured it out. You would disappear once a month, always on a full moon. You always looked rugged and tired the next day."

Remus sighed, his shoulders relaxing as the weight of his secret found understanding. "You never said anything."

"It wasn't my secret to share," you explained. "I saw the struggle, the pain, and I knew it wasn't something you chose. We all have our demons, Remus."

A grateful smile played on his lips. "Thank you for keeping it to yourself."

As the conversation shifted, Remus hesitated before speaking again. "Listen, I was thinking…maybe we could go out sometime. You know, like a date?"

You met his gaze, the sincerity in his eyes touching your heart. "I'd like that, Remus."

He smiled, a hint of insecurity lingering. "I hope this doesn't bother you. I'm a bit older."

You chuckled, "It doesn't bother me, Remus. What matters is the person, and I've always seen the strength, kindness, and resilience in you."

His eyes lit up with a mix of relief and gratitude. "Thank you for understanding."

On Saturday afternoon, Remus suggested a visit to the Three Broomsticks, a cozy pub in Hogsmeade. The warm ambiance and chatter of patrons created a comfortable setting as you settled into a corner booth. Remus, slightly nervous yet genuine, began to open up about his life.

"I've lived through so much, seen the world change in ways I never imagined," he confessed, his eyes reflecting the weight of his experiences. "Sometimes, I worry that my past might cast a shadow over what I have and ruin it."

You reached across the table, reassuringly placing your hand on his. "Remus, your past is a part of you, but it doesn't define your present. I see the person you are now, and that's what matters."

He smiled, the lines on his face softening. "Thank you...for accepting me."

The evening continued with laughter, shared stories, and a growing sense of intimacy. As you walked back through the cobbled streets of Hogsmeade, a light snowfall dusting the rooftops, Remus hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"I've enjoyed this, spending time with you," he admitted, his gaze searching yours. "And, I was wondering if you'd like to do it again. Perhaps, join me for dinner next weekend?"

You grinned, the invitation warming your heart. "I'd love to, Remus."

[raaorqtpbpdy]

Found in Glimwood Tangle

The story of how Amity and Danny found each other in Glimwood Tangle and together started their journey to beat the gym challenge and take on Galar's champion! Danny Phantom AU where Danny and company are pokémon and Amity Park is their pokémon trainer.

Written for @crossoverdanuary Week, Day six: General video games Pokémon Sword & Shield | Momentum

I never played video games as a kid, and now as an adult I still haven't played that many. (Although I'm really enjoying Paranormasight right now. If I'd finished it, I might have used it for the crossover instead.) Pokémon Shield was my first ever pokémon game and my second ever video game period, and I know people say it's one of the less good pokémon games but I still have a certain fondness for it.

AO3 Link

[No Warnings Apply]

There was a white-haired girl in the forest, probably only seven or eight years old. Her white dress was stained with grass and dirt and moss. She was sitting on a tree stump. She was crying. She was lost.

He could remember sitting right where she was now, lost and crying... back when he was a boy and not a stump. Curiously, he approached her. He moved slowly, cautiously, trying not to startle her. But she startled anyway when she finally noticed him.

"Ah! A pokémon!" she shouted, falling off the stump and scrambling away. "Please don't hurt me!"

He tilted his head, watching silently with big, round eyes, careful not to move any closer and scare her away. 

Her own eyes were wide with fear. She probably knew that wild pokémon were dangerous. But then, why was she here? Why had she wandered into Glimwood Tangle where it was so dark you could hardly see what was in front of you because the only light came from luminescent mushrooms. Why would she come to a place where the paths were so winding and confusing that even grown-ups sometimes got lost? Why would she go somewhere where ghost pokémon and psychic pokémon lived in such large numbers?

The Glimwood Tangle had been scary back when he was a boy. It must have been scary to her, too.

"H-hey," she said with a trembling voice. "You have green eyes, like me." It was true. Hers were even so bright they could almost be glowing, just like his were. "I've never seen a Phantump with green eyes before. I've only ever seen them with red eyes. But... I don't think you're a shiny Phantump, are you? You just have green eyes."

She seemed to be calming down now, so he risked floating a little bit closer to her. He hovered around her, checking to see if she was hurt. Her knees were bruised, but other than that, she looked okay.

"Dad says wild pokémon are dangerous, but you don't seem like you're gonna hurt me," she said, wiping the tear tracks from her cheeks. "My name is Amity, Amity Park. Do you have a name, little Phantump?"

He keened a response. I don't know. I can't remember.

Of course, she couldn't understand. She shuddered at the sound of his voice, but she didn't try to get away.

"Well... you've gotta have a name," she said. "Hm.... How about Danny? I always thought that was a nice name, don't you? You can be Danny the Phantump. Do you like it?"

Rather than try to answer when she wouldn't know what he was saying, he did a little flip in the air to show that he was happy. She'd picked out a good name for him, Danny. And now that she had calmed down a little, it was time to get her out of this forest.

Danny started floating away, back toward the path.

"Wait, where are you going?" Amity asked.

He stopped and turned back to look at her, nodding his wooden head for her to follow.

"You want me... to follow you?"

He did another flip of affirmation and waited as she hesitantly walked after him. She was tense, and trembling like a leaf, and stumbling on shaky legs, but she still followed, trusting him.

It had been a long time since Danny had gotten lost in these woods as a boy. Now, as a pokémon, he knew every path by heart. When they had to pass through tall grass, he floated high enough that Amity could see him, and tried to keep her away from any other pokémon he could spot.

They were almost to Ballonlea when a particularly bold and naughty impidimp jumped on Amity and she screamed.

Danny immediately flew to her rescue, hooking one of his branches around the impidimp and flinging it off. He saw that it was about to attack him next, but he tackled it and it ran away.

"Danny, you saved me!" Amity shouted, and wrapped her arms around his wooden head in an almost splintering hug.

For a moment, he let himself savor the contact. But her scream and shout would have attracted even more wild pokémon to her, and they would be here soon. He phased out of her grip and urged her forward. They weren't out of the woods yet, but they were so close. He could see the lights of Ballonlea piercing through the thick foliage of Glimwood Tangle.

"Right," Amity said determinedly as she realized what he was trying to do. "Let's keep going."

She stayed quiet and stuck close behind him, and he led the way and kept his eye out for other pokémon. Then, finally, A bright pink pokémon center stood before them, its neon sign lighting up the clearing. They had left Glimwood Tangle.

"Come on, Danny it's my turn to lead the way," Amity said. "My house is that way."

He hesitated, turning and looking back at the forest. He didn't belong in a town. Glimwood Tangle was his home. It was too bright here, too loud, too crowded.

"Do you not wanna come?" Amity asked, her face morphing into something very sad. "It's okay. I understand. Thank you for helping me. If you want to go back, I won't stop you."

Then again... Amity was his friend now, wasn't she? A friend. That was all he'd wanted since he died in those woods. A friend.

Danny did not turn back. Instead, unsure though he was, he floated forward. He cautiously followed Amity past the pokémon center, toward a big round building—the pokémon gym.

There were ropes cordoning off the entrance to the gym from the rest of the town. Amity slipped right under them and kept going without a thought.

"This year's gym challenge is going on right now, so they put these ropes up to keep gym challengers from getting lost," Amity explained. "Ballonlea can be hard to find your way around when you're not used to it."

She led the way up a hill, to a modest wooden house at the very top. It looked almost the same as every other house on the street, except the roof had been painted green instead of purple. Amity pushed open the lavender door with ease. It wasn't locked.

"Dad, I'm home!" she called.

"Amity! Sweetheart, where did you go?" A man hurried to the front doorway to wrap his daughter up in a hug.

Startled and uncertain, Danny tucked himself behind Amity, out of her father's sight.

"I was worried sick. I looked all the places you usually go, and couldn't find you. I was just calling the neighbors to see if they knew where you were. Are you alright? Your dress is all dirty. You're not hurt, are you?"

"I'm okay, now," Amity assured him, hugging him tightly back. "I heard someone in the woods calling for help. They sounded close, so I thought it would be okay if I went to help them, but whenever I got close to the voice, it would get farther away, and before I knew it, the voice was gone, and I was lost. I was really scared for a while, but then Danny came and showed me the way home."

"Danny?" her father questioned. "I don't know any Danny."

"He found me in the woods," she said. "It's okay, you can come out."

Cautiously, Danny showed himself to Amity's father.

"A wild pokémon?" he said. "Wait, but it has green eyes. I've never seen a phantump with green eyes before."

"Me neither," Amity said. "But he helped me, and protected me when another pokémon attacked. I know I'm only seven and you said I can't start training pokémon until I'm ten, but can I please please please have a pokéball so I can catch him and take care of him. Please!"

"Well... I don't know," her father said. "A pokémon is a lot of responsibility, especially when it used to be wild. I would feel much more comfortable if your first pokémon came from a breeder. I've spoken to Elena, who lives near the pokémon center and she said she'd be happy to breed a nice starter pokémon for you."

"But Danny saved me!" Amity insisted. "I want him to be my pokémon."

Her father sighed and looked back at Danny, his expression halfway between resigned and scrupulous. "Do you want to be Amity's pokémon?" he asked.

Danny keened and bobbed up and down.

"And you'll take care of her and keep her safe?"

Danny repeated the response.

Mr. Park turned to his daughter next. "And you'll take care of Danny, and make sure to train him properly?"

Amity nodded determinedly and clenched her fists.

Finally, her father sighed, giving in. "Alright, fine. I think I have a pokéball around here somewhere."

—

From that day on, Amity and Danny were partners, and Amity took her responsibility as a pokémon trainer very seriously. She would feed him every day, and talk to other pokémon trainers about how best to train him.

When his head got knocked around in a training battle with her neighbor's dwebble, Amity sanded away the splinters so they wouldn't turn into cracks.

On the day the whole family gathered around the television to watch the gym challenge finals, Amity sat on the floor, right up close, with a notebook and a pen, ready to write down everything they did so she could learn from them. Mr. Park sat behind her on the couch with Danny curled up on the seat next to him.

"You know," Mr. Park said softly, running his fingers over the wooden grooves on Danny's head. "I've never seen her so serious about anything. She's always been a light-hearted, carefree kid, but she sure cares about you."

Danny had been surprised to hear that. He'd blinked up at the man, confused. To him, Amity had always been like this. Amity was gentle, and caring, and kind. She worked hard, and studied, and did her best. It was hard to believe she was doing all this for him, and not just because it was her nature.

It was on that day that Danny swore to always protect Amity Park, no matter what.

If she was giving her all for him, then he would do the same for her.

The challenger lost to Raihan in the finals, and Raihan lost to Leon, but Amity had apparently taken a lot of notes on all the fights and was eager to apply them to her own training methods.

—

By the time Amity finally turned ten, she and Danny were inseparable. Everyone around town was so used to them, Danny hardly ever had to go in his pokéball. They were simply another feature of Ballonlea, like that weird guy who made sculptures in an alleyway and wanted to be a pokémon.

Then, on her birthday, something changed.

"Happy birthday, Amity," Mr. Park said, and he reached into his pocket, and handed her a pokéball. "I worked with Elena to pick out a good one for you."

Amity turned it around in her hands while Danny floated closer to examine it, confused. It seemed to be occupied. Danny could even catch a faint whiff of ozone coming from it. How strange.

"A pokémon?" Amity asked. "But I already have Danny."

Her father laughed. "You said you wanted to do the gym challenge this year, didn't you?" he said. "You'll need more than one pokémon if you want to have a chance of beating the champion. Even if your pokémon is as great as Danny."

"No one can beat the champion, that's why they call him Unbeatable Leon," Amity said. "But I guess you're right. As great as Danny is, I can't put all that pressure on him."

She could, Danny wanted to tell her. If Amity wanted to take on the gym challenge with him as her only pokémon, then he would fight like he'd never fought before. But Amity wasn't like that. She never gave him more than he could handle, and she wouldn't make him take on such a huge challenge alone. She was too kind for something like that.

"So which pokémon did you pick?" she asked.

"Throw it out and see," he answered with a smile, and gestured to the door to the backyard.

Once they were outside, Amity threw out the pokéball.

"Alright, pokémon, come on out!" she called.

The ball opened with a popping noise, and in a bolt of light, a little dog pokémon was standing on the moss lawn.

"Yamp! Yamp!" he barked.

"It's a yamper!" Mr. Park said brightly. "Normally, starter pokémon are either fire, grass, or water types, but Elena said especially talented trainers, or ones with more experience, have had a lot of success with electric types, who tend to be difficult to control for complete newbies. We thought yamper would be a good choice. What do you think?"

"Aww, he's so cute!" Amity said, kneeling down to rub her hands on the yamper's admittedly very fluffy-looking scruff. "I think I'll call him Tucker. That's a good name, right?"

"Uh... sure, whatever you like," her father agreed. "Although it's a bit atypical to give pokémon human names like Danny and Tucker, if you like it, that's all that matters."

"Oh, haha," she giggled as she stood up. "Look, the static is making it so his fur is trying to stick to me!"

Tucker ran in excited circles, electricity arcing around him. Danny floated down for a closer look and Tucker zapped him. It didn't seem intentional, but it was still rude. And that silly dog only yapped and rolled over, thinking it was terribly funny. The joke was on him, though. Electic-type moves weren't very effective on Danny.

"Elena says that yamper are best motivated with treats," Mr. Park said. "That should help you train him. He's still young and nowhere near Danny's level, but you have a couple months before the gym challenge to get him there."

"You say that like I'm already registered, but I need an endorsement to even sign up," Amity pointed out.

"Oh, don't be silly, Amity," her father said. "Everyone around here knows you're already a great pokémon trainer. I'm sure Opal is ready to endorse you the first chance she gets. When word got out it was your birthday today, I heard she was thrilled. She said, 'The next champion will come from Ballonlea!'"

Amity laughed. "That didn't happen!"

"Sure it did," her father insisted, though his smile betrayed him. "And anyway, I stand by saying she'll endorse you. I have no doubts about it."

—

At first, Danny was dubious about the new pokémon, but it was only a couple of days before the two of them were getting along famously.

So Amity and Danny spent the next few months training up Tucker. Amity had Danny remember some of his older, weaker moves for training fights with the much lower level yamper. And just like Mr. Park had said, Tucker wasn't very motivated and often had to be bribed with treats, especially sausages. But Amity was clever, and persevered, and soon enough, Tucker was a strong pokémon too.

Once sign ups for the gym challenge opened, Amity was sure her pokémon were ready for it. She took her pokémon to the Ballonlea gym and asked Gym Leader Opal for an endorsement to join. She had faith in Danny and Tucker, but just in case, she made sure to wear her pink dress when she asked. That would surely put Opal in a good mood.

"Why, Amity, I would be honored to endorse you," Opal told her. "But, I am also a gym leader, and it's a point of pride not to endorse just any trainer who asks without first testing their mettle."

"I'm ready," Amity said. "Whatever your test is, I'll take it now."

"Alright then, pop quiz," Opal said. "If I recall correctly from seeing you train them around town, your pokémon are a phantump and a yamper. What will they evolve into?"

"Tucker will evolve into a Boltund once he's strong enough. It shouldn't be long now," Amity answered. "And Danny won't evolve."

"Oh, I'm afraid that's only half-right, my dear," Opal said apologetically. "Phantump can evolve into trevenant."

"Yes, but a phantump only evolves into a trevenant when it's traded, and I would never trade Danny to anyone, even temporarily. You asked what my pokémon would evolve into. And my phantump isn't going to evolve. Besides, I don't think he would want to, anyway."

She was right. Tucker was always yapping excitedly about evolving into boltund, but Danny was perfectly happy just the way he was.

"Hm... I stand corrected," Opal said. "It seems you know your own pokémon even better than you know pokémon evolutions. If you'll come with me to my office a moment, I'll write you a letter of endorsement right now."

And she did just that.

"You take that letter to the gym in Motostoke, and they'll register you for the gym challenge," Opal explained. "It's quite a ways away, so you can call a flying taxi from the pokémon center when you're ready to go, but it's usually better to get to new places on your own two legs from there. You can train your pokémon on the routes between towns, and even catch new ones if you want to."

"I know," Amity said, taking the letter with reverence. "Thank you Ms. Opal. I won't let you down."

"I can't imagine you would," Opal said. "Good luck, Amity. I know you'll do great."

Amity was eager to get started. She went right home, packed her bag, and dressed in her favorite outfit, a white dress, white trainers, bright green leggings, and her favorite white boater hat. She'd gotten a lot better at keeping white clothes from getting dirty over the years, but she could only hope they wouldn't be ruined on her journey.

The ride in the flying taxi was amazing. The driver even let her keep Danny out of his pokéball since he was so well-behaved.

"Look at how small everything looks from up here," she said. Then she looked up at the massive bird carrying the taxi. "Maybe my next pokémon will be a corviknight."

"Oh, I wouldn't recommend that," the driver said. "A corviknight can be a lot to handle from the start. If you want one of these majestic pokémon, you'd do better to catch a rookidee and evolve it through training. That's how we get all the corviknight for the taxi service, that's why they're so gentle."

"A rookidee, huh?" Amity repeated. "Yeah, I like that idea. Danny, from now on, lets be on the lookout for a rookidee. I think Sam will be a good name for it. That will work whether it's a girl or a boy. What do you think?"

Danny keened in agreement, and Amity smiled like the sunshine. It had been a long time since his voice had made her shudder in the woods so long ago. And now, their journey was finally taking off.

[ikeromantic]

You already know I can't resist making just one celebration request so Could I pretty please with a cherry on top get Sasuke, Beauty 🥰? Thank you in advance, and congratulations on 1k followers (lol I said subscribers on my other ask, like your blog is a literary otome magazine 😆) Cheers to another 1k followers!

Hehehe you know I didn't even catch that. An otome literary fanzine would be pretty cool though. There probably already is one and I just don't know about it xD Well, anyway, here's some adorable Sasuke being too sweet for approx. 800 words.

Sasuke pushed aside another branch and waved away the cloud of gnats that flew into the gap. This trip was turning into quite the hike unexpectedly. But the road he intended to take was washed out and now he and Mai were forging their own path through the valley. On a map, it looked like a shortcut but in reality, it was kilometers of thick undergrowth that took a lot of time to navigate.

“Are we there yet,” Mai called from behind him. She was breathing hard but still smiling, her cheeks red with effort and the heat of a summer afternoon.

“It depends on what you mean by there,” the ninja countered. 

She laughed and stopped for a moment, leaning against a tree. “That wasn’t philosophical.”

Sasuke’s lips twitched into the ghost of a smile. “Oh? Well if we’re being literal . . . I guestimate another hour of this before we’re around the blockage and back on the road. Maybe two.”

“Ugh. Well, it’s not like we can call an Uber. I just hope there’s a bath and a really soft bed at the other end of this.”

“The odds of both are high.” Sasuke let her pass under the branch he held and then let it go. He hoped he was right about the town they were headed to. It was technically a work trip, so amenities were not a guarantee. If the facilities were lacking, he would make it up to her, he thought. 

Spoiling Mai was one of his favorite hobbies. Right up there with hanging out with his BFF and fanboy-ing the warlords. He knew all of her favorite foods, the bands she liked (but couldn’t listen to anymore), tv shows (same), colors, fabrics and . . . other things.

“Hey. Why are you smiling like that?” She glanced at him over her shoulder, catching him in the middle of a naughty grin. 

“No reason.” He pushed his glasses up on his nose and sped up to walk in front again. The smile stayed put as he navigated past thorn bushes and found paths around clusters of brush. 

They found the road again just as the sun began to set. It looked like they would arrive in town just after dark. Hopefully early enough to get a good meal and that bath he knew Mai would want. 

As they stepped out onto the smooth, packed dirt, she went a little ahead of him. Mai stretched up on her toes, reaching toward the blushing sky. Her hair hung in a braid, with the loose bits sweat-stuck to her forehead and the nape of her neck. A few leaves and twigs stuck out from her hair and clothes, and mud stained her hem. Sasuke was certain he’d never seen a more beautiful woman. 

“You are giving me a look again.” She dropped her hands to her hips. 

“Can’t help it.” The golden light set off the tint of her skin and made her eyes glow. He still couldn’t understand how a woman like her fell for a man like him. But he was so glad she had. Sasuke closed the distance between them in a few steps. “I can’t take my eyes off you.”

Mai blushed, staining her cheeks an even darker hue. “You’ve been spending too much time with Shingen. Are you going to ask me if I’m a thief next?”

“A thief?”

“Yeah, because I stole your heart.” 

Sasuke laughed. “No. You can’t steal something when I gave it to you already.” Which was also probably something Shingen could say. Well, you couldn't top the flirt-master. He reached for her hand and squeezed it gently. “I love getting to look at you every day.”

“Even when I’m filthy and sweaty and probably covered in bugs and dirt?” She raised a skeptical eyebrow.

“Especially then. You’re like a wild forest fairy today. Though, I don’t believe in fairies. But the fairy is an accurate comparison, as a literary device to denote -”

Mai kissed him, silencing the lecture with her sweet, salty lips. When she pulled back, she tapped him on the nose. “Sometimes you explain too much. You can stop at ‘fairy’.”

Sasuke felt his heart skip a beat at the love in her eyes right then. He chuckled and nodded. “Noted.” His thumb stroked her knuckles on the hand he still held. “Can I kiss you again?”

“Hmmm. I don’t know. Let’s weigh the pros and cons.” She nibbled her lower lip thoughtfully. “Pros, you are a really good kisser. And I like being kissed. That about covers it. Then cons. The cons are -” Mai paused. “Well, actually, I can’t think of any cons.”

“I’ll take that as a yes.” When he kissed her again, he felt as if he were flying. All of his tiredness disappeared in the softness of her lips and the feel of her in his arms.

[mommy-milkers69]

Orphan Tears

Genshin Sagau Part one. Part 2 coming soon! ...

You don’t know how far deep into the forest you ran, but you no longer recognize where you are. There are plants surrounding you on all sides, some of which you recognize and others you do not. You fall to the ground, painting for your breath.

The sky had already gotten dark, and stars were now showing in the sky. Without all the light pollution the night sky is beautiful and if it were any other day you would’ve stopped to look at it.

But right now, you had a lot of things on your mind and didn’t even give it a glance.

As you inhaled and took a second to reminisce on all the things that have happened. I just.. Don’t understand. It all happened too fast for me to comprehend.

The last thing you remember before appearing in Teyvat, was playing your favorite game, Genshin Impact.

…

I groggily rubbed my eyes trying to clear the sleepiness from them. The sun that gazed upon me made it easier to wake myself up. For some reason it was brighter than it usually was when the blinds were closed.

I got up from my laid position and stretched my arms out. I needed to get the stiffness out of my back from laying on the ground for so long.

Wait-. Ground!? That certainly got me awake.

Why am I sleeping on the ground? Where the hell is my bed? I looked around and saw that all around was not the fluffy, comfortable sheets that I’m used to, but grass.

It was warmed by the sun’s rays and was very comfortable, but that’s besides the point.

How did I even get here? I know I would not willingly sleep outside.

Did it finally happen? Did my parents kick me out?

But.. Where am I?

There was so many questions but so little answers.

I got up and dusted the back of my shirt. I should find some people so they can help me. They can tell me where I am.

Farther from where I was standing there is a dirt trail. I could probably follow that to civilization.

I started following the path. It did cross my mind that I could've been kidnapped. But I don’t understand why they would just leave me in the middle of nowhere. Maybe that’s what they do so people can go missing. I hope that’s not the case and I'm not far from home.

..Is that.?

On the ground, there was a wild flower that unmistakably looked like Lamp Grass from Genshin. But.. That can’t be right. Last time I checked there was no such thing in my world. I’m definitely seeing things.

I’m probably hallucinating from fear but don’t realize it..Maybe I’m in shock?

I just shook it off and continued on my walk. It didn’t take long until I saw a huge city that had windmills. It looked a lot like Mondstadt. The resemblance was uncanny.

This is kind of weird.. This is definitely not Mondstadt! It couldn’t be, it’s not real! Hehe, yeah..

I near the bridge that leads to the entrance of the city. There are pigeons crowding around one area where a little boy is watching them.

Timmy!?

That can’t be possible.

I avoid the birds by walking around them on one side, they just move away from me and luckily don’t fly away. I don’t want ‘Timmy’ yelling at me right now.

If it really is Timmy.

I walk pass the guards and they don’t stop me or anything they just give me weird looks.

I thought that they would stop me and ask who I am, like Amber did with Traveler in the beginning but this makes it easier. Although it is weird..

There isn’t as much people out and about as I thought there would be, but oh well.

Usually, If this happened I would be ecstatic, but right now I'm just downright confused.

This feels like a dream and I have no idea how to feel about this..

Kathryn waves to me from where she’s standing at the adventures guild.

I smile and wave back at her. I feel a kind gust of wind breeze past me.

Everything finally hits me all at once.

I’m in Genshin Impact.. I’m actually in Genshin! This is supposed to be impossible but I’m here! It’s like a dream come true! I’m so excited!

I can meet all of my fav characters! I wonder where the traveler is right now? And if it’s Lumine or Aether!

You know what? I’m going to go to the Plaza to see Venti’s statue. It probably is bigger and looks more detailed than in the game.

I start going up the steps.

When I finally got to the top, I realized to things. One, I need way more exercise, and two, I completely underestimated how huge this thing would be. It looks amazing though and if I had my phone I would definitely take pictures.

I’m so sad I don’t have my phone. I checked earlier and it’s nowhere to be seen. Sad.

“Hey!”

I hear shouting to the left of me and I see a couple of guards carrying there weapons up the stairs.

A few citizen bystanders are following behind them and I realize that there are more people out than when I first got here.

“You are under arrest for impersonating the divine creator. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law!”

What? Are they talking to me? Why am I getting arrested!?

“What!? What did I do?” I voiced my question out loud. The guards look at me with anger and some of the people that surrounded us look at me with disappointment.

Huh? I’m so confused once again. Then the guard starts speaking again, “Now you pretend to be clueless of this huge offense!”

“This is preposterous! Get them and lock them up. We will let the higher ups decide on what your punishment will be.”

They suddenly charged at me with their weapons raised.

Seeing this, I quickly made a run for the stairs and started climbing down them as fast as I could, but I was also careful to not fall.

They seem to be catching up quickly, but I’m honestly not surprised. I got tired just walking up them.

They also have been in this city longer than me, probably their whole lives.

They got closer and closer. I do not want to find out what would happen if they were to catch me.

It seemed like there was only one other option.

I run over to the ledge of the stairs and without looking down, I jump.

I felt my stomach float up to my chest and my breath caught in my throat.

I knew if I looked down before I jumped, I would’ve hesitated and may have not jumped at all.

But now I have to look down to see where I’m going to land.

The ground approaches at a high speed. It looks like I’m going to hit the concrete.

Hopefully I’ll only break a bone or two at most. I know that I’m going to break something since I dropped from an extremely high height.

I close my eyes shut as if it would numb the pain, as the ground reaches close.

I fall onto something and I don’t hear the expected crack of bones breaking. It sort of felt like a mushroom, but whatever it was boosted me further away from the beginning of the stairs at a fast pace, past the fountain, closer to one of the side exits. Somehow I landed on my feet. Not giving it a second thought, I ran away from Mondstadt through the side entrance.

…

The news of an imposter that bore the face of the creator spread like wildfire across the whole of Teyvat. Many important figures, including the archons, caught wind of this fake, and search parties sent out on missions find them.

They would not take any person disrespecting their lovely Creator’s name. They hope that catching this person will make their Grace proud of them.

The branded ‘Imposter’ was on the run for over a few days. At least, what they thought was days.

They wouldn’t know, there perception of time is messed up. The days seemed to be going quicker than they usually would back at their world.

They drank water from any source that was available to them, like ponds, lakes, or even potholes in the dirt that contained water. They ate food from the trees or plants they recognized as edible. As well as stealing from the hilichurls when they weren’t paying attention.

They took big risks so that they wouldn’t have to starve.

Going through many different regions trying to find a peaceful please that they can stay without worrying about the possibility of death looming over them as they sleep.

…

I sat on the floor and deeply breathed in and out repeatedly. Trying to calm my beating heart, not sure if it was from being on the run or from the actual running.

I think back to all the characters that looked at me with either disgust, anger, or disappointment, there was no other emotions shown other than those three unless they were accompanied by pity.

Some probably thought that I should just accept death.

That’s what awaited me if i ever got caught by any of them. I won’t let that happen though.

It broke my heart seeing all my beautiful, lovely characters look at me in that way when, to me, I’ve spent long hours and nights with them. I watched them all grow and get stronger.

I would even say that I felt a connection with them. I thought that they would understand me as I understand them.

It may have just been me though, they don’t even know me, although I know all their pasts and backstories.

Even though I felt hurt thinking of the way they treated me and how they feel about me, I could never bring myself to hate them.

I don’t know the reason why they feel that way about me, and why I’m labeled an imposter, but whatever the reason was that they had to treat me so badly, I probably deserve it.

Most of the characters are kind and whatever I did to make them so upset with me must’ve been horrible.

I wasn’t too deep into my thoughts, so I noticed when small yellow dots started to appear in my vision. They looked like fireflies so I didn’t think much of it, since it is night time after all.

But when one of them touched my leg, it didn’t feel or look like a firefly at all.

It was a literal yellow ball, that was extremely fluffy.

…What the hell?

I definitely must hallucinating. That doesn't make any sense, maybe the chase finally got to me. I don’t remember any creatures that looked like this.

When the trees around me started to feel like they were closing in, that’s when I decided that it was time for me to rest my eyes, for the good of my health.

…

[theladyofbloodshed]

A Court of Tangled Flames - Chapter 6

After the previous day’s deluge of rain, they were greeted with a gloriously warm day. Eris had caught Nesta tipping her face towards the sun in the garden as the chickens pecked about her feet so had invited her for a day of fun.

‘Don’t you have a lot of work to do?’

‘My court won’t fall apart without me for a few hours. Orla sent word that she’ll return tomorrow – so I’m afraid you’re stuck with me. I thought maybe I could show you a little more of my court.’

That was not the worst prospect in the world, but Nesta couldn’t admit that to him. She reminded herself that Eris was an ally to the Night Court but also an enemy. A male who’d abandoned Morrigan in the woods. Yet a small voice said that Eris hadn’t actually hurt Mor. Mor had been the one to snap at her at every occasion – so why did she care what had happened between the female and Eris, especially when he had been nothing but hospitable to her? Maybe one day, she’d question the male on it.  

Eris led the way through a forest, seemingly finding a path for them over ferns and spongy moss because he was made from the wild winds and the earth itself. Birds sang from the branches, undisturbed by their walking or the dogs loping through the woods, tracking any smells of interest. The forest smelt damp from the rain, a musty scent.

She had never ever considered herself a nature lover – that was more Elain’s thing. Forests in the mortal lands were filled with danger. More than that, she was never dressed for them. Eris had ensured she had a sturdy pair of boots that did not allow any water in. Her skirts hung a few inches above the ground and it was warm enough to not need a coat. Even Nesta could admit that the forest was beautiful. The sun filtered through the branches, showering the fallen leaves with buttery light. The forest seemed to have a heart. It breathed with them. The trees reached impossibly high and their golden canvas filled Nesta with a wonder that she hadn’t had since childhood.

‘How does the magic work? How is it always Autumn?’

It frustrated Nesta that she could not understand it. The Night Court followed the regular pattern of seasons. How could this exist in a perpetual Autumn? How could crops grow? How did people not grow tired of it?

‘I can almost hear your mind whirring, Nesta. Although it’s always autumn, we fluctuate between the beginning and the end of it. Some days are glorious like this, some are bitterly cold and wet. The way the magic works is still a mystery to me. I’d be glad for assistance in understanding it.’

‘How do the trees not run out of leaves?’

His hands rested on her hips as Eris lifted her over a fallen trunk in an ease that had settled in quickly between them. It was odd. Similar to Cassian, Eris did not pause to check if she kept up – but it was because he remained walking beside her, her arm linked with his. The pace was gentle, not a hurried march. He always stopped to pull back a branch so she could pass easier or stamped down on nettles for her.

Nesta sensed he had as much enjoyment to be out in the fresh air as she did. She could appreciate the world more when she wasn’t forced to trudge behind somebody trying to keep herself from falling.

The gargle of a river sounded in the distance so they pushed forwards to seek it out.

It fell over boulders slick with algae then frothed and continued on. A dragonfly skittered past her head then flew low over the water’s surface.  

‘It’s a nice day. Fancy a swim?’

‘In there?’

The river wasn’t particularly fast and Nesta could see the bottom. Her brows were tugging downwards. Never would she ever swim in a river as a mortal. It was a death sentence. She’d never warm up again. But Eris wasn’t joking. He had already slipped off his light jacket and sought a branch to hang it from.

‘You can swim?’

Nesta’s mother had been belligerent that all of her daughters must learn. ‘My mother swore that her cousin was drowned by a faerie. That’s not your plan, is it?’

‘Not today.’ Eris shucked off his boots first then his socks, tidying them into a neat pile and placing them on flat rock. 

‘You’re going in there? Seriously?’

‘It’s quite safe,’ Eris reassured her as he unlaced his breeches. ‘We are going for a swim. It will be good for you. The true Autumn Court experience.’

He turned his back to her to slip off his shirt and add that to his clothes. There were markings along his back. Thick rivets of purple or slim white lashings marred all of the skin. It was so rare for the fae to scar. Such wounds had to be serious. 

Nesta turned her face away and busied herself with the laces of her boot instead rather than stare although she wanted to know more about those wounds. 

She heard the sloshing of water as Eris entered the river. 

It was a lazy river so he waded in as deep as his stomach without the current tugging him away. Eris lacked the bulk of Cassian, but his body was lean and muscled still, the pale skin standing out starkly against the sun. Nesta didn’t know where to look. Her face felt hot all of a sudden. She glimpsed his trousers folded neatly and, for a second, wondered if he was completely naked in the water – then her face really did glow with heat.

‘Do not look,’ Nesta warned as she unlaced her stay. 

‘On my honour,’ he declared before throwing himself underwater. 

When Eris emerged, Nesta had removed most of her clothes but remained on the river bank in her white slip. Hurriedly, she covered her body with her hands. 

‘I said don’t look!’

‘Well, I thought you’d be in the water by now.’

Nesta dipped her toes in to the shallows. ‘It’s freezing, Eris.’

‘It’s not really. Once you get in, it’s divine. If you’re up for it, leap in from that ledge.’

Eris jerked his chin towards a steep ledge overhanging the river. He would need to follow the gorge upwards to the pool it landed in and Nesta would need to walk alongside the river to reach it. 

‘So, you can look up my dress?’

The male laughed richly. ‘Since you’ve suggested it, it would be rude not to.’

‘Do not,’ she warned again, pointing a finger at him.

It had to be sheer insanity that drove her to this: leaping into a river with Eris Vanserra lurking in it. She was still muttering to herself as she trod a path up river while Eris scrambled up the gorge with movement that suggested he had done it before. She did not dare to look and see if he was truly naked even if her traitorous eyes kept trying to flick towards him. Safera followed her along the path before leaping into the water after her master.

‘If you look up my dress, I will drown you.’

‘You’ll have to jump in to get me. Be brave, Nesta.’ Eris flopped back into the water, spreading out his arms to float.   

On the third attempt at jumping in where she skittered back from the rock, Eris made a raspberry sound. ‘Just jump. Stop being a chicken. It’s refreshing.’

With a final grasp of her courage, Nesta jumped into the river.

It was absolutely freezing.

Her teeth chattered when she broke the surface. ‘You lied!’

‘I’m a Vanserra! It’s what we do.’

Nesta was too cold to care when Eris hauled her through the water so she was flush against his body. His skin was too delightfully warm to care about propriety. Her teeth chattered in his ear as her arms weaved around his neck.

‘What part of this is enjoyable?’

Eris made a strangled sort of noise and seemed to struggled to keep his eyes on hers. ‘I can think of many reasons.’

Nesta glanced down. Her chemise had turned see-through in the water and clung to her skin where she pressed against Eris’ warm body. She pushed away from him in outrage.

‘You snake!’

The male’s laughter was ringing in her ears as she waded back towards the bank. She hissed over her shoulder for him not to look so the laughter stopped for a moment while his head dipped under the water. At least he’d given her that privacy.

Her teeth were still rattling painfully even as Eris winnowed out of the water and walked a few paces ahead of her. Thankfully, he was not completely naked, but he may well have been because the water had his undershorts clinging to his body. Her eyes went to the scars on his back again. Nesta could not be certain but due to the uniformity of them, they looked to be from a whip. She had not heard of Eris being captured in the war – and she knew he was not old enough to fight in the last one. The scars varied in age. This was a repeated punishment over years, decades, maybe longer. And it did not take much imagination to guess who might be responsible for it.

Eris held her clothes in his arms and gripped two of the dogs by their collar.

‘Slip my jacket on,’ he said, jerking his chin towards the branch.

Nesta did as she was told if only to keep her body covered then she felt Eris’ hand glide over her waist and they were winnowing back to Orla’s home. Fires burst to life in every hearth of the house.

‘I’d offer to warm you up, but I think you might kill me.’

‘I certainly would,’ Nesta grumbled, as she stomped towards the stairs, her body painfully cold.

Eris laughed loudly once more. ‘I cannot believe you trusted me enough to jump in.’

‘It will not happen again.’

***

Only five of them remained at training. The other three priestesses who still came were jittery, still inquiring after Nesta in her extended absence. Gwyn and Emerie followed suit too, not wanting to cast any suspicion upon themselves. Rumours swirled that her illness must be serious if a healer had not cured it in all this time.

The number dwindled each day that Nesta was gone. Soon, it would only be her and Gwyn coming to the roof. At their heart, they weren’t fighters – Emerie enjoyed the social aspect more – but soon it wouldn’t be worth somebody coming to Illyria to collect her.

They had not seen Cassian once since Nesta had disappeared. Even Azriel had been intermittent at their training sessions with them falling to Morrigan to instruct instead in recent days. She made the other females more comfortable than being alone with a male, at least, but the atmosphere without Nesta was tense. They’d overheard her complaining to Azriel that she couldn’t understand why the priestesses had stopped coming before he winnowed Emerie back to Illyria.

In a lull that day, Gwyn had managed to ask if Emerie had heard from Nesta since her first letter – but no others had come. Emerie had taken to sitting in her bedroom window and watching the streets after the sun had gone down with a delicate hope flickering that another letter might come. She just wanted to know if her friend was well. Nesta hid things too well. They didn’t know that she had been trapped in the House of Wind or forced to change herself. Unspeakable things could be happening to her. Then again, they had already happened to her in the Night Court.

It was becoming harder and harder for them to speak. With such low numbers at training, there was little noise. Shadows always remained in the training ring too. They spooked Emerie though Gwyn wasn’t particularly bothered by them. They tended to enjoy swirling around the priestess’ feet, but Emerie was certain they were listening in on their conversations.

‘You should visit Illyria one day,’ Emerie said casually. It might be the only way they could talk without a shadowsinger eavesdropping on them.

Gwyn did not seem thrilled by the idea of leaving the library, but before she could say no, Emerie continued on. ‘Remember the miniature Pegasus? We could have another sleepover like that.’  

***

Seeking redemption so early into their friendship was likely an ill-omen, but Eris feared he had pushed Nesta too far. Still, it had been good to see her temper lash out at him rather than her fire extinguishing into nothing. He prepared a hot lunch and drinks for them – and had been just about to deliver it to her bedroom when she emerged. Her golden hair was loose and damp, falling as far as her waist. Nesta had selected a soft, velvet dress the colour of dusk that had his breath catching in his throat.

‘I don’t think I will ever be warm again,’ she snapped.

Nesta moved past him, the scowl on her face so dramatic that he had to bite his knuckle before he laughed at it. She went to her knees as close as she could to the fire without setting herself aflame. Safera brushed against her then Yenor greeted her. Faintly, Eris could hear Nesta muttering insults about him to the dogs as she fussed them. He believed he heard the words pompous, arrogant prick.

‘I’ve made soup as an apology.’

‘Have you poisoned it?’

‘Oh, no. Poison is a female’s weapon. When I commit murder, I prefer it to be far bloodier.’

She shot him an incredulous look from her post by the fireplace. ‘I am beginning to understand why you are not well liked in Prythian.’

The more she insulted him, the more Eris enjoyed it. Nobody would dare such a thing in the Autumn Court – even Orla had needed a good three centuries before she could insult him without fearing her execution. Either Nesta did not care for his reputation or the need to insult him overrode that fear.

They ate with trays on their laps with Nesta occasionally shooting him a glare as she dipped a crust of bread into her soup.

‘Your cooking is fine.’

Eris covered his heart with his hand. ‘A compliment I will always think of fondly.’

‘Where is Maceo?’

‘It’s Sunday. A day of worship and rest.’

‘Rest? I almost died of shock in that water.’ Nesta settled her tray onto the table then reached for a blanket to draw around her shoulders as if she was still chilled to the bone from their dip in the river.  

‘I wouldn’t let you die. I enjoy your company too much.’

Nesta’s jaw tensed. ‘There is nothing enjoyable about my company, Eris. You will learn it soon enough.’

How much of these words were her own thoughts and how much was the parroted words of others. Five centuries of crossing paths with the Night Court meant Eris knew exactly how cruel and manipulative they could be.

‘What is so undesirable about you?’

It was a stone that Eris had to turn over. Even as Nesta’s face drew sullener, Eris knew he had to pursue this. He’d heard similar lines from his mother that she was a bad wife or a bad parent. Repeated enough times, lies become truth. He did not want the same for Nesta.

Nesta spoke again of her perceived failings as a child who did not go into the woods. She would not hear his rebuttals that she was only a child herself, one who did not know how to hunt, and one who would likely die if she had gone. Eris almost wished her father was still alive to hold him accountable for his negligence of his daughters. That lack of care had resulted in the discord that settled between the sisters.

She spoke of how she had failed her sisters. Failed to stop the fall of the Wall. Failed a father who died in front of her. Failed her family by slipping into drinking and sleeping with strangers to cope. Failed Feyre again by telling her the truth of her pregnancy.

‘Feyre seems desperate to be loved.’

‘Elain was my father’s favourite. Feyre was ignored by both of our parents.’

‘And you were your mother’s darling?’

Nesta’s hands stilled on Safera’s fur. ‘I was her project. A daughter who brought a duke to his knees at fourteen years old. I should have married for wealth to elevate our family further and instead, I became this.’

‘What was your mother like?’

‘A worse version of me.’

Eris knew exactly the sort of female that the matriarch of the Archeron was. He had experienced enough mothers who manoeuvred their daughters into social situations to talk to him, to force him into requesting a dance. His brothers were stupid enough to engage in the folly – and cruel enough not to care when hearts were easily broken or reputations ruined. If Nesta truly was her mother’s daughter, she’d have already tried to engage Eris into a relationship to seek his status. And definitely she would not have chosen a bastard born Illyrian to lie with.

‘I see a female who was willing to do anything to save her people. A female who had the courage to make seven high lords listen to her. Nesta, you were willing to sacrifice yourself for a nation that you did not know. You are a good person.’ Nesta turned away at his words, blinking rapidly as she resumed her stroking of the dog. ‘You were wasted in the Night Court.’

Over the patter of rain, Eris heard a small sob.

In an instant, he was there, arms weaving around Nesta. At first, she resisted his touch then she broke. All the parts of her that had been clinging on finally shattered. Through her tears, Nesta said that she did not want her sister to die. It was a fear she carried daily. Feyre Archeron was staring into an abyss that encroached closer every day.

‘I can’t go back there. I can’t. I already feel better here.’

Eris stroked the back of her head. ‘You are safe with me. I won’t let them take you. When Orla returns, I’ll figure out a plan that protects you and saves your sister.’

‘Why are you helping me?’

He could have lied. He should have. Should have said that she was valuable and nothing more. That Nesta Archeron was connected to the Cauldron and Eris knew there was a bottomless depth to her powers. Powers that were capable of tracking the Dread Trove and wielding them. He helped her only for his own benefit.

He could have said that he hated the Night Court so relished any opportunity to punish them. Stealing Nesta away from Cassian would be a delightful sort of justice. It was all lies. It didn’t matter that Nesta had tangled herself with him. He ought to have found it repulsive, but Eris found that he did not care what males had touched her.

Eris could not lie to Nesta.

Against everything he stood for, Eris told Nesta the truth. ‘When I saw you, you reminded me of my mother. I couldn’t bear to see another female be broken until she fitted the shape somebody else wanted.’

Soft eyes blinked at him. ‘I remember your mother from the Dawn Court. You protected her from Feyre’s fire.’

‘I’ve watched my mother recede more each year and soon I will no longer be able to reach her.’ There were only so many times that Eris could coax his mother to take a walk or to see the dogs. It took all of her energy to leave the confines of her bedroom some days, a prisoner of her own accord. ‘I want you to be happy here. How can I ensure your happiness?’

The sun had been banished with rain seizing dominance over the sky. It was a cosy afternoon, wrapped up in blankets beside each other, Nesta becoming braver with her words and requests. She wanted her friends to visit somehow. Eris did not know how he would achieve it, but promised he would do all he could to make it happen. Emerie, the Illyrian, would be easier. The priestess was cloistered away in their secret city that Eris had no access to. Somehow, he’d need Gwyneth to travel to Illyria so he could take both females from there. It was a minefield, but Eris would manage it.

More than seeing her friends, Nesta still held firm that Feyre’s life was a priority, despite what had occurred between the sisters. It worried Nesta in moments of silence; her brow would pinch as she pondered ways to introduce Orla to Feyre without revealing her own position in the court. More than that, she even expressed a worry over him – of what might happen to Eris if he was found to be harbouring her. His heart had thumped painfully loud at that. Only his mother worried for his safety.  

‘I’m grateful to Orla, but I would like to have my own residence. I have no money, but I’m willing to work. If you could find somewhere for me, I will work hard. I don’t need anywhere large. I value my own space.’

Money wasn’t an issue. Eris had enough. He amassed more each year with investments in the surrounding courts. If it would convince Nesta to stay then he’d buy her a damn palace. Despite better judgement, Eris was desperate for Nesta to call the Autumn Court home. He could hear Orla’s voice in his head, pealing as a warning bell to stop whatever feelings were filling up the cavern of his chest before they could take root.

‘I don’t want to be a burden.’

‘Stop.’ Eris counted to ten before he began again. His issue was not with Nesta, it was with the Night Court. ‘I am not keeping you here so you can be useful for me. I will not abandon you because you cannot offer me anything.’

Despite Eris’ best attempts at calming himself, wrath still charred inside of his veins. Nesta Archeron saved everybody’s lives in the war. It was because of this female that they weren’t on their knees serving Hybern. There ought to be a statue of her built in every damn court of Prythian. She should be sat in a palace surrounded by wealth for all of her sacrifices.

‘Is this how the Night Court works? They threaten a punishment if they cannot use you? Did they try the same tricks they did on your sister?’

‘What do you mean by that?’

‘What Rhys did to her Under the Mountain.’

Nesta gave him a wary look. ‘What happened Under the Mountain?’

That bastard had not told any of them what he’d done to Feyre. Night after night of drugging her. Eris had seen Feyre Archeron naked more than himself. That was why it had been such a surprise when she had remained in the Night Court. Eris was certain Rhys had used his powers on her to spite Tamlin. The knowledge that they were mates was even worse. Nesta sat in muted horror as he explained what had been done to her sister over that prolonged period. Amarantha hadn’t cared much for the mortal, but Rhys hadn’t been able to help himself from parading her out each night.

‘It explains why he’s so wary of Lucien,’ Nesta mused. ‘He’s the only one who knows what Rhys did. I cannot believe my sister can love him after that – and the secrets over her pregnancy.’

‘The Night Court has no allies for a reason, Nesta.’

Eris sensed the churning of her power within. An ancient beast awaking from a slumber. ‘That bastard had the gall to hold it over my head at every occasion that I didn’t hunt for Feyre and Elain meanwhile he humiliated and abused her night after night.

He thought of the weapons she had Made, her power that could likely rival Rhys’ if given the chance. Eris knew exactly why the Night Court hadn’t wanted Nesta to train her power – because she’d topple their court.

‘I’d like you to train, Nesta. That’s my only stipulation. Not physically, but your power. If you train your magic with me, I’ll buy you a castle.’ He swept her hair from her face. ‘When you set this world on fire, I want to stand beside you.’

Taglist:

@kitkat-writes-stuff @owllover123 @rarephloxes @this-is-rochelle

[hazzmat-shelter]

The Kind Witch

CW: Horror, gore

Once upon a time, there was a young witch who lived in the forest and foraged for her livelihood and the nearby village. She was loved by all in our village for she kept us safe with her medicines and knowledge of the dangers present all around us.

One day, she found that the once-great forest wasn't providing as it once did, and that it's resources had begun to dwindle. She was not the first to notice this, the plants and animals were the first to show signs of threat. Before long, they too were beginning to vanish.

She left her hut to venture deeper into the wood to forage, following the lead of the animals that came before her. The forest grew still and lifeless as she pressed on. The birds sang no songs, woodland creatures disappeared, and the once rich earth grew pale and cracked beneath her feet.

She came to a clearing covered in saltgrass, in the center of which sat a crumpled, writhing pile of wet nervous tissue that had once taken the form of a fallen tree it had long consumed.

She approached the quivering mass and made a communion with it. The mass spoke with many voices, those which she knew and those that had come long before her. It spoke in tongues she could not understand and in those she did.

The witch came to know this entity as the creator of this forest, its ruler and its captor both. She asked it why the forest was dying, and it laughed a hundred laughs. The forest could not be dying, for the forest was nothing but a byproduct of itself, and unlike the creatures that chose to make it their home it cannot meet an end.

The witch sought safety for the forest and all of its inhabitants. She begged the mycelial mass to feed its creation and restore the bounties that once abounded all around them. The entity scoffed and hissed, laughing away her cries for help. 

It went silent, no longer entertaining her presence. Without its help, her forest would disappear and everyone in our village would die. She made one final plea, something she knew it wouldn't pass up. The mass accepted this final plea with amusement and greed.

She returned to our village with a full basket and a promise to keep. The plants and animals returned and we lived in greater abundance than ever before, providing for ourselves more and more. 

Soon after she returned, however, she stopped coming around as often, seen briefly in the early morning hours and no later than that. Soon after that, only a few children managed to catch sight of her by hiding in the bushes outside her hut. Eventually, no one saw her again.

I was the last. I was one of the younger children in the village at the time. My older sister and I were determined to find what happened to her, so we left our home after everyone else in the village fell asleep.

We ventured into the wood to check her hut, and upon arriving we crouched in the bushes in wait. The dark ramshackle cottage sat still and empty, surrounded by broken pots and baskets, covered in moss and hidden from the moonlight by countless gnarled trees. A breeze glided through me and chilled me to the bone. The door swung on its hinge and clattered against the frame.

My sister grew restless and left me behind in the bush, taking the warmth and light of the lantern with her. I scurried out from my hiding place and followed her to the hut. She bravely pulled the door open with a stick and revealed its interior with her lantern. Light shone out through the cracks in the walls and their dirt-covered windows.

The inside looked ransacked, as if some wild beast had been stuck within. The lantern cast dancing shadows behind broken furniture and ripped cloth. The miasma of rotten food and mold made us gag and slam the door shut in hopes to trap it inside.

In her retching, my sister found dried footprints of someone in barefoot, headed away from the cabin. She ignored my pleas and followed them without me, once again leaving me in the dark with no other choice.

The trail lead off of the beaten path and deeper into the forest. Wet leaves and mud were stuck to my feet and my hair and clothes caught on branches and thistles as thorns scratched my skin, but my sister pushed on.

My sister slipped on the mud and slid down a hill until she crashed to a stop against a tree. In the moonlight I carefully made my way down to her in concern, but she stood on her own, focused on something in front of us.

Immutable darkness spread over us, such that the moon and stars in the sky disappeared, and the lantern did little other than illuminate our faces. The space around us grew silent. I turned to crawl back up the hill, only to find a void in its place. 

I turned back in time to see my sister disappear into the darkness ahead. She stared focused on something ahead, something invisible to me. 'Do you hear that?

Gurgling, like someone choking on their own fluids. A constant, nasally and wheezing groan, interrupted only by choked sobs and rambled words I didn't understand. They grew louder as we drew closer. The smell grew as well, musty and sick, similar to that of her hut. No longer able to gag, we continued with noses burning.

We stepped carefully over rough terrain, lit only by faint lantern light. In the orange glow I saw strange shapes all around us, indiscernible and featureless, recognized only by the texture felt when accidentally stepped on. I was beyond the point of asking to go home. I was lost and my only lifelines were my sister and the light she carried.

She froze ahead of me and held the lantern out to see something on the ground in front of her. The sobbing was close. I leaned around her and saw what she was looking at. Someone was hunched on all fours in a pool of mud, clenching at their hat and shaking in pain like a dying animal.

I shifted to get a better look, but my foot caught under something heavy and I had to grab my sister's dress to keep myself from tripping. I crushed something beneath me with a loud crack. I caught my balance and felt my shoes sink into something wet, like mud. My sister turned to help me and stepped into the same. She held the lantern down to the ground, and we leapt back in disgust. Our shoes were covered in the rotting innards of a dead animal, long unrecognizable. She slowly swung the lantern and revealed that all around us lay countless disheveled bodies in various stages of decay; bones, flesh, and organs spread evenly in the open air. With every step, mold spores burst out like smoke and stole my breaths. A mat of white tendrils wove over and throughout the carnage, pulsing as it consumed. The realization hit us at the same. The valley was silent.

My sister swung the lantern back around and screamed. We found the kind witch. Her blackened arms hung down at the sides of her filthy, torn dress, tipped by gnarled, mud-covered hands. Her face was blackened with rot, and those same tendrils tore down into her skin and pulsed while mushrooms burst from fetid sores all across her body, the fruit of her being. Her eyes were sickly yellow and seemed to burn in the lantern light, yet she did not blink.

Her hands shot forward and crushed my sister's scream in her throat, killing her instantly. The lantern fell from her hand and shattered on the rib cage of some unknowable creature, drowning me in darkness yet again.

In the dark I heard my sister's bones crushed with cracking and sickening crunches. Her skin was ripped away and her body was spread over the mycelium, while what remained of the kind witch mumbled and cried through the pain of her debt. I hid behind the ribcage and stifled my cries as my sister's blood and body were spread over me, as she left me in the dark and with no other choice for the final time.

Happy Halloween! This is a character that my fiance and I share and have created for this Halloween, so I put together a little story for her. Art by my fiance @glitcheli .

[s-b-party]

Vulpes Zerda: Tighnari and the Fennec Fox

****Possible spoilers from Tighnari’s story quest if you haven’t seen it yet!!!

So who is Tighnari? He’s one of the Forest Watchers of Avidya Forest, Collei’s mentor, and an alum of the Akademiya

His constellation means fennec fox, zerda itself isn’t Latin, it was taken from Arabic (means yellow/gold but can also be used at times to refer to the fennec fox specifically)

The smallest of foxes, they live in the desert regions; bc of their elusive nature enhanced by their already small size, most info about them is based on those in captivity rather than in the wild

In terms of symbolism, they’re often grouped w/ other well-known foxes in general who are usually associated w/ cleverness & wit, sometimes being viewed as evil tricksters, but I don’t think that fennec foxes themselves are usually seen in a negative way

The only possible connection I can see at the moment is that Tighnari displays cleverness & wit, the negative connotations don’t seem to be rlly relevant to him or his lore

Although he displays similar characteristics to fennec foxes, he shows that he’s more used to being surrounded by others although he might not necessarily interact w/ them (Character Story 4)

His Character Details passage shows that he’s very observant & can make sound conclusions based on what he perceives, which I find fitting bc if you think about it, fennec foxes seem to be very cautious/aware of their surroundings, which helps them to hide better when paired up with their camouflage. They even hint to his similarity to fennec foxes with the phrase “small, rare animal native to the forests”

Interestingly, the Valuka Shuna that he reads about seem to resemble fennec foxes even more so bc of their light-colored fur and they lived in the desert, which is where fennec foxes are usually seen if visible The touch of green on the fur was a blessing(?) from the Dendro archon rather than the result of evolution, which I think would have been an interesting alternate path/take if the game were different!

The green coloring was inherited by later generations when Tighnari’s ancestors coexisted together

We see that Tighnari enjoys learning, is a curious person, and is very in tune with the forest/nature His story quest further emphasizes his relationship with nature; he explains that he’s not exactly against machines, it’s more that he wants people to respect life instead of tampering around with it (since he knew that researchers would perform cruel acts on animals for their research)

At the end of his story quest, the script makes it seem that tighnari might end up handing over karkata to the akademiya bc of protocols (which meant Karkata would have been taken apart/destroyed) and bc he seems to be more active with nature rather than with machines; however it turns out that he was able to keep Karkata as his assistant

He’s someone who understands the value of life no matter what form it may take and bc of this, he’s able to see value in Karkata, a machine, which is considered abnormal bc machines aren’t usually seen as “alive” and yet, Tighnari already places value in Karkata

Looking at his lore overall, I personally feel that it’s a bit different from how I analyzed Diluc’s and Fischl’s constellations bc I was able to see more symbolic connections between them and their constellations

Tighnari’s constellation on the other hand feels more in tune with his personality & stories rather than with symbolism if that makes sense???? Like I’m not sure if I could find strong symbolic connections between the fennec fox & his stories

Yes, he is clever and witty like actual foxes at times for sure as we can see in his character story where he was able to prevent flowers from being completely wasted (he knew that if the Forest Watchers just put a ban in place, people would try to find ways around it and pick flowers illegally)

Even though the symbolic connections are not as strong here, I think there is something to be said about the Tighnari’s stories reflecting the idea of ecological preservation

One of his biggest concerns as someone who watches over the forest is the presence of Withering Zones, areas that are not safe for habitation & can have monsters around; very few things could possibly survive in these areas; when you see them, you can see everything is withered

Although the removal of Rukkhadevata was supposed to stop the Withering for good, who’s to say that no other physical manifestation of the Withering will appear in the future? The reason it first appeared is due to King Deshret introducing forbidden knowledge to his ppl

but is that the only way that the Withering can manifest? Who’s to say that no more forbidden knowledge will come into the world of Teyvat in the future? 👀

The fennec fox irl is currently listed as an animal of least concern in terms of whether they could possibly become an endangered species or worse, but they still face threats especially from habitat loss & from illegal pet trade since they’re valuable as “exotic pets”

Perhaps this is meant to show that despite the situation for both Sumeru & fennec foxes irl being fine or okay at the moment, something could happen in the future for them 🤔

This is of course not 100% an exact parallel between the withering zones & habitat loss irl but I think that it’s an important aspect of Tighnari’s lore to consider since he cares a lot about nature & wants to protect it

[axl-ul]

The Flight of the Western Crane: Chapter Three

(A reupload/repost of my fic/dark retellingof Journey tot he West because the whole AO3 site, where I originally posted this, got taken down for now)

(General info about this fic/wip/retelling is here)

****

It was early morning when the indigo clouds fled away. The rain was long gone and the sun showed its glamour. Because it was summer, the temperature was rising steadily and so was the humidity. It turned into a white mourning veil of weeping flowers sitting in their place, forced to stay on the lonely mountain. Wild partridges, yellow warblers and noisy jays quickly gathered to find some earthworms before the golden light became too strong for them. Their squabble was the only noise filling up the large foggy forest. No matter how much ears pricked up, no murmur of a brook was nearby. Nothing that would satisfy the thirst of bears, wolves, deer, boars and hawks or larks. All which can be found is countless caves, cliffs, pines and bushes. Among them the undisturbed grass is like a soft blanket covering the bed of the hills. Various spirals form on straws and branches while the wind brings some fresh breath to its home. Only a rocky path tears apart the emerald meadow. For it was still covered by the haze, a dozen feet carefully considered where to step without tripping over. Only two people from the travelling group didn’t have to walk with their heads tilted over. Sanzang gladly took Mei to sit with him in the saddle. Her injury was in a significantly better condition but nobody wanted to risk anything. Circumstances concerning Sanzang, too, allowed him not to ride the dragon-horse without being judged. He walked most of their days so taking a ride here and there was understandable. Especially since the passage was eight miles long.

Starting the day with playful banters they eventually grew calmer and fell into a bothersome silence. They walked for too long in a too silent place. Wukong, naturally, was the first to doubt the decision. He opened his mouth to growl something but a low thump of a hatchet shut him up soon. The brief chat with a blind woodcutter led them to his old shed. Watching how he and his son struggled the group pitied him. They promised to repair the roof as soon as they saw the holes in it - Wujing and the woodcutter’s son brought the needed materials while Bajie and Wukong balanced on the girders. The setting sun’s warmth fell on the four men. After some time and a considerate portion of hard work they decided to drop a few layers of their jackets, tunics or vests. While the monkey danced on the rooftop he felt a set of eyes on his bare shoulders. His back straightened meanwhile he casted a sidelong glance. Although she was offering a small teapot to the rest, Wukong was certain the witch had been watching his every single step. Not only that. His trained eye noticed Márgerdra was scanning the surroundings beside him, too. “At least I’m not the only one who’s being suspicious about the mountain,“ he thought to himself and remembered the odd rustling which rang in his ears the whole way. Strangely, it stopped as soon as they approached the old man. Wukong casually fixed his eyes into the distance. The endless green and brown lay in front of him. Tiny fireflies danced under the shadows. Flaming dots emerged one after another and in turns reappeared in various spots after the light vanished. Only two of them never left each other’s side. They floated side by side on the same level. One time they went to the side, later they repositioned above the rest. Yet they never left the late evening’s darkness unlike the other fireflies which courageously came closer to the Monkey King. For a moment, he locked eyes with the insect. Their colour undoubtedly caught his attention – the light had nearly golden hew and a weak glow followed anywhere they moved to. It was so strange yet felt so familiar. Certainly, it didn’t mesmerise him as the witch’s eyes but he still couldn’t look away. Then the breeze blew around him and tickled the torso. The sudden cold was enough to drag him away from the thought process. His chest trembled especially on the parts that were completely hairless and thus exposed to the harsh weather change. He quickly put on the dark undershirt he hung on the pillar nearby. Glancing back at the spot nothing was there any longer. The pair of insects probably found a better bush or a flower. Thus, the Great Sage returned to his duty not leaving his brothers anymore.

In the meanwhile, Mei and Sanzang took care of Bai Long Ma and later joined Márgerdra to help the old man with chores such as sweeping or preparing the dinner. The small talk was inevitable, meanwhile they enjoyed the tasty cabbage soup, some vegetable rolls and wild berries. Once the old man heard Sanzang was a monk he bowed and didn’t hesitate to offer some housing for the whole night. The blind man showed them some benches and a pile of dried grass the family gathered for their goat. After that he welcomed them to a tiny room with furniture as simple as one could expect from the mountain folks. In the bright fire of candles a pleasant atmosphere fell upon them. Everybody was smiling and chatting. Not one of them didn’t sigh with delight at least once after they tasted steamed dumplings that were prepared for the guests. A proper meal after hours or days was a win for anyone. Except for one person.

Wukong glared at the witch who sat next to the young man in the dark corner. Their conversation didn’t strike him right. He hated how close Qiang became with her. Wukong noticed the affectionate looks he gave her. She returned them the moment she thought nobody was looking. Everything was there - mischievous glint in eyes, a perfect smile, arms humbly hugging torso, legs shyly clutched together. But Wukong wasn’t stupid at all - he knew it was all a game for her. She was playing with a new toy. Pinching at the right angles, trying out new possibilities. Sooner or later her soft hand would come slowly up around his neck and squeeze. The grip wouldn’t loosen, no. The woman will continue to watch as all the life escapes from the man just to throw him away and find somebody else.

In Wukong’s eyes, that’s all she’s ever been. He notices it with Bajie, he sees it with the Princess and Master, he watches it on Qiang. To his dislike, nobody seemed to believe the old monkey. His blood boiled again and the anger spread in his veins. The pounding in his ears got louder. He was prepared to leave for fresh air outside when an unexpected twist occurred.

Qiang carefully slid his hand up Márgerdra’s knee to which the witch didn’t protest at all. The strange breaking point occurred once the young woodcutter leaned over and whispered something to her ear. The advisor’s grin froze. She kindly excused herself. Although she made sure to leave discreetly the monkey saw how brisk her steps were. It took less than five steps and she was out. No further hint for the woodcutter to follow her was displayed. Using the sudden reaction to gain his own answers he promised his concerned Master to keep an eye on her - the forest was dark and full of danger for everyone.

Outside the hut a light breeze caressed his form. He sniffed and once he picked up the trail the Wolf Witch couldn’t escape the Great Sage. The Monkey King trod like a mouse. Under his feet, not a single branch was broken. That couldn’t be said about a skirt being dragged behind its owner which helped Wukong to locate the advisor. He found her sitting on a trunk, palms entangled in hair. He stopped and just watched her for a while. No sound was made so as not to startle her. Her breaths were steady, head facing the floor. Back was bent as if pure melancholic boredom hit her. To be honest, her behaviour puzzled him. Only a few minutes before, he saw a feral beast in disguise of a temptress. Now, a loner was left in that shell of a body. A question popped in front of him - is she really bad? Or does he wish for her to be like that? Is it his own need to hate?

She sighed and raised her gaze, surprising him,“What do you want?“ An exhaustion could be heard in between the lines.

“Just checking. You don’t look well, blondie.“

“You don’t look well all the time so what’s your point, imbecile? Can you not afford sticking your nose somewhere else?“ she crossed her arms. Though her confidence was back, a certain gloom remained around.

Wukong somewhat got used to her being uptight but this time it felt personal. “Now, I really can’t. I’ve been looking for someone important. All I found is just you. Not much of a win but it still counts. So take your whiny ass and get inside the hut.“

“Do you know what privacy means?“

The monkey snout drew a simple pout,“No.“ Both of them were visibly annoyed. However, the Monkey King couldn’t let go of his chance to gain more information. “Or you might have another option. I’m going to ask you several innocent questions. In return, you’re gonna be offered some time before I’ll return for you. If I may advise for your own good I’d choose the latter. A less violent pick.“

The witch eyed him suspiciously. Small fumes formed around her nostrils while she stood up. Step by step, the woman closed the distance between them,“Insolent, brutish, cheeky ape. Are you threatening me?“

His reply was nonchalant at best. “Depends on your future actions.“

A gulp silently slid down her throat where a vein emerged. She didn’t trust him in the slightest. But he seemed to respect his Master’s decision, the only seal that kept the wild fiend away from harming her. How long is it going to last until the imp breaks it?

Balancing on the thin ice, the Lady Wolf Witch returned to the trunk and with an annoyed voice slowly started undoing the two long braids hanging from her low pinned bun,“You have three questions which I will respond to truthfully. After your limit is up we’re done, Great Sage. That I swear on both my title and the Princess’ well-being.“

“Good. Let’s not waste our precious time, blondie.“ Again, Wukong disappeared. Once he emerged next to the blonde, strands of hair slipped from long fingers as the heart missed a beat. Quickly, her palm clutched the hanfu covering her chest.

“Can you not do this ever again?“

“I am asking. Not you. Get in the line,“ he smiled from ear to ear. There was a slight tremor in his words. The monkey’s tail wiggled while the small nose sniffed. Then, the husky voice spoke,“I’ve never smelt anyone like you. Your perfume is too strong…“

She wrinkled her nose remembering the sweat and mud on his tunic and trousers and uttered another snarky remark. Frankly, her robes hadn’t been in a better condition since the cliff incident. The behaviour was met with honest unconcern. “You don’t need it that much even when you’re on the hunt for lovers. Witches are mortals who possess magical abilities gifted by either a pact with a god, a demon or gained through various rituals. Yet, they still smell like humans because they are humans. That being said, it’s only a camouflage, I suspect,“ his brown eyes lingered over the view of silky hair. It looked soft. Strange but soft and so long it had to measure by the middle of her thighs, at least. Curiosity about whether it was only regular wavy hair made his palm itchy.

“What are you?“ Like being in a trance, he stretched out his arm, never leaving the place he was squatting at.

“Wow, you’re such a gentleman. My perfume disturbs you so much you need to make a whole new scheme around it. Don’t I look human enough to you, monkey?“ an eye-roll was followed by a cheeky grin. Soon, it vanished into thin air. Red lips squeezed. The woman’s intense gaze lowered to the ground once more as she spoke in a fatigued whisper,“Next question.“

“You didn’t answer.“

“I’m annulling it. You still have three left. Don’t waste it. I’m not giving you another chance.“

Surprisingly, the monkey man nodded in cooperation. After all, there was plenty of time ahead of them.

“Is the capital which you’re leading us to a trap?“

“No, it isn’t. I’d be foolish to risk angering you and leaving Mei vulnerable.“ After the realisation of her word slipping kicked in, she cringed. Alas, too late. The Monkey King has already seized the chance.

“I see you two are close. But to refer to the Princess by her name…that doesn’t sound like your typical protocol rubbish. What’s the relationship between you two?“

The advisor resumed undoing her hair,“I admit I let myself to be quite…attached to the girl. I’m not even certain why exactly. I just know I must keep her safe.“

“Sounds dangerous.“

“Anything can be,“ tiny flames burned in both blue eyes and her voice carried a sheer determination when she continued,“That’s why I don’t plan to backaway. That is not how I was brought up. She deserves a better life.“

Thin fingers were only an inch away when Wukong paused. Corners of his lips twirled up, the gaze softened though it was brief and barely noticeable. He downright hated the witch, her manipulative and calculating manners. But under that mask of a cold-hearted temptress, there was something soft, kind. Loving.

The monkey demon took a deep breath through nose when he said calmly,“While we were at the hut you were getting…intimate with the man. Then he said something upsetting. What was it?“

A moment of complete silence surrounded them. Only cicadas dared to play their loud melodies. The moonlight shone on them brightly like the second sun.

“He expressed an interest. Which would be understandable. Look, I have my needs and I try to be as discreet about them as possible. So sweet little whispers and soft touches here or there shouldn’t pose a problem but…He apparently isn’t the brightest. He…wanted more,“ she fidgeted in her place and let the strands freed from braids flow around her shoulders like a veil that mesmerised the monkey. “I know what you’re thinking. That I’m a shrew who could’ve gone after your handsome master any time. But I have some morals, though it’s hard to believe. And the woodcutter is no different… I think I feel a bit bad about leading him on, now that you’re making me think about the encounter. Strange, so far I’ve always enjoyed this chase. But rules probably change over time,“ she sighed bitterly.

For some reason, Wukong didn’t believe her words much. Rather, he felt she wanted to tell more, however struggled to find the trust in him. He couldn’t blame her. After all, they were just strangers with a boulder around their hearts.

“I don’t think so.“

“Huh?!“

“I don’t think you mind being reminded about your looks by a toady. What or how he said it wasn’t at all what affected you. The happiness of your Princess is everything in this world, am I right? Seducing a man blindly falling for you and having remorse? I haven’t known you for long but that doesn’t seem to be your style. Instead,“ he felt the delightful warmth radiating from her when his index nearly touched the light blonde strand,“it brought up a memory, didn’t it? It reminded you of something. You feel guilty. Not towards anyone but yourself.“

Her jaw dropped slightly however the Great Sage paid it no attention as he went on,“What are you running from?“

Wukong’s boldness hit the witch’s nerve. On the other hand, she couldn’t hide the pain inside. She felt how the cold grabbed her frame. It was as if the night was devouring her slowly. The unfavourable teeth of forest shadows pulled her back to reality. “You’re calling me selfish but look into the mirror. You defied the Heavens…“

“I had my reason.“

“So did I!“ she snapped her head sideways. Both eyes widened and the witch jumped away as far as she could. Her pretty face twisted into a hellish mask fueled by fury. “What do you think you’re doing? Stop touching my hair! Or I’ll cut your tongue out, brute! Besides, you’re past your limit. We're done. Imbecile.“ she shouted at him.

The sudden change in her behaviour caught him off guard. The pitch in her voice crawled under his skin so badly he, too, jumped up. Not thinking straight he yelled back. Getting back at each other’s throats the Wolf Witch rather walked away before a serious fight erupted. The Monkey King at least held onto his part of the deal and finally left her alone in the dark. Despite gladly walking the opposite direction he was fighting the urge to look behind.

****

“Finally. Almost didn’t hold it in,“ Bajie swiftly dashed towards bushes opposite the humble shed. The liquid inside splashed against his whole belly and the burning only reddened his face. He was aware how well they renewed the host’s accommodation. Considering the rest was in relatively good mood he chose to just run out to relieve himself and not disgust their benefactor. He was lucky - Bai Long Ma was led to the pen where the last goat resided. So the whole place was completely private to him - nobody to chuckle at the demon’s satisfied expression.

He flapped his ears when he was done. Of course, the pig demon made a small mental note to drink less water by the evening. On the other hand, the delicious memory of overly sweetened zhou made his throat demand a drink even by this moment.

Wide hands tied up the knot around his waist so Bajie could return, at last. As he was turning on his heel suddenly a noise of a tiny object falling to the grass caught his attention. A weak glint lay among the tall straws under the cloudless sky nearly five feet from the demon. Slowly, step by step, Bajie approached it. He was hunched over, big ears tightly stuck by the sides of head. His lungs filled only with a minimum of air so the breaths would be as shallow as it was possible. He squatted by the strange flask and took it in his hands. It was light, filled only with few drops of liquid he did not dare to identify. Several dark green threads twined around the spherical glass by which the small vessel could have been carried on the neck. 

Pigsy thought hard for a second - how was it possible for such an object to lie abandoned here just like that? There’s not a single living soul around. On the other hand, the wind is picking up and the flask is not at all heavy. Trying to remember details of his own possessions an image of balms, oils and other items obtained by the apothecary entered his vision. Surely, his clumsy Junior must have lost some of it. 

Shrugging his shoulders, the pig demon lifted himself up, the discovery trapped in between his fingers. With a wide smile and satisfaction in his mind, Bajie stepped out. Alas, the night wasn’t done with him, at all. An eerie distant whistling echoed through the space. The sound itself was weak and brief. It was enough for Bajie to start hurriedly checking his surroundings. Cold sweat poured down his cheeks. His whole body was shaking. If it weren’t for him being quite the distance from the front door he’d let out a shriek. But now, it’s only him and the dark shadows of the desolate forest.

He repeated a mantra several times under his breath, though he doubted it would be of any help. Then, it happened.

While he was squinting into the forest a herd of five or six deer ran in front of him. The stags fumed as they raced with the wind itself. Bajie relaxed. No threat, no danger. Only wild animals.

Still chuckling, he faced the hut once again. Looking over his shoulders as if bidding farewell to the cruel joke his sight was rewarded by a cute view on a pair of fireflies. They flew around freely. Their constant movement was leaving golden ribbons of light behind. 

“Strange. Those usually fly closer to the ground. Not so high among the treetops,“ Bajie snorted and entered the building.

****

The following morning was quieter than usual. Young fledglings replaced fireflies on the scenery and loudly cried for their parents to come and feed them. The ears-piercing noise woke up the hosts. Upon seeing the two monstrous demons sound asleep they no longer held their trembling breaths. Nor did they avert petrified eyes. After all, the venerable monk assured them his disciples truly meant good. 

The smooth-skinned man was lying on the nearby bench, too, just like his disciples and two women. All five of them under one roof. Wait, five? There were six of them last night, except for that odd horse outside. Where’s the…?

“Good morning, benefactor,“ like a ghost the monkey disciple whispered and leaned over Qiang’s shoulder. The poor man’s soul almost left his body. “Sorry I scared you. Didn’t mean it. Not in a bad way,“ he added mischievously,“By the way, I brought some fruit. A little token of gratitude for sheltering us. Here.“

“You have our everlasting gratitude, Great Sage.“

“No need to bow, old man. I just wanted to repay our debt. Qiang, would you mind a word?“ With a pretended kindness he shifted and grabbed the man in a tattered jacket around shoulders. He walked them outside the hut just right where the unnervingly strange horse with snake eyes awaited.

The morning dew filled the air with freshness and tickled the nostrils. The four-legged creature snorted. Its salivas mixed with the snot. The repulsive mixture hit the young woodcutter in the middle of the face. Qiang felt like puking.

“Look, I’m not going to beat about the bush. What sort of demons have you dealt with? Your home’s full of the stench. So try to keep your answer short and straight-forward.“

Qiang shifted in his spot, the cold sweat pouring down his forehead. He had a feeling as if the Great Sage saw right through him with his wild look. Clouds above them fell hard on the woodcutter’s bull neck. The cold blue cornered him and the solid floor didn’t let the body get dug in it. Sage’s gaze held smouldering coals which continued the bright of blown out candles. Needles in the man’s stomach poked him at various angles only to let him feel the string of uncertainty and dread. Indescribable stubbornness and intransigence radiating from the figure in front of him plagued every inch of Qiang’s body. He hunched even more than Wukong himself and replied,“Well, I-I think so… I’ve lived in these mountains for twenty-seven years. My mother told me stories about various demons inhabiting some peaks when she was still alive. She used to tell me not only I should be aware of vixens but lizard demons, too. Those are even worse. Also spiders…“

“Benefactor, Brother Monkey wants details about recent sightings. No need for your family’s records and tales.“ The neigh-like voice made Qiang jump up. However, as soon as he turned to the creature Wukong was already standing there and petting the elongated snow-white snout. 

He soothingly shushed the stallion and continued in his interrogation. Although his firm shoulders were rising slowly with deep breaths the hectic twitching of tail and the slight pouting gave his real mood right away. “Alright, let’s take it from another end. Did you see anything suspicious? Eyes in the shadows, stuff being placed where it shouldn’t be, claw marks? Voices after sunset?“

“Ah, y-you meant this. Yes, I did. Well, no. Sort of. There’s been a lot of animal corpses scattered around lately. Didn’t Lady Wolf Witch tell you?“

Wukong’s hand froze.

“I told her that three of our four goats had been found half-eaten in the forest. We’ve never had such a problem as they’d be locked up. But something found a way to get inside their pen. Apart from that, my father claims to have heard footsteps yesterday.“

“Do you know when exactly?“

“Around midnight. When Lady Wolf Witch returned and everyone finally went to sleep.“

“I see,“ Wukong murmured under his breath. The pointy ear with a golden circle twitched as the monkey scratched it. The hope of the mystery starting to unravel in front of him was slowly growing. He knew they were watched. He knew the witch held a grudge against him. But she really doesn’t need to endanger the whole group. Except if she were…“Listen, boy. What do you think about the blondie?“

“Excuse me, Great Sage?“

“The witch. What are your thoughts on her?“

“Oh, I can’t express how much I envy you. You can be with her all day long while I must part ways with her soon. If only she had agreed to stay. But I see I’m not fit enough.“

Wukong rolled his eyes in annoyance. His tone was irritated when he spoke,“Sure. Such a great stuff to have her by my side all day long. At least she can get on my nerves routinely.“ His ears filled with Márgerdra’s voice cracking in pitch as she yells at him for refusing to give Mei more food. “And the smell?“

“Breathtaking. Just as her eyes. She’s such a sweet and heart-warming person. Lovely.“

“Of course. What else? Don’t you think the perfume is too strong?“

“Ehm, when you’re mentioning it, yes. I think my head could have been spinning last night because of that. Otherwise, it’s pretty.“

“Her hands? Are they smooth? Or do you think you noticed something, let’s say…unusual?“ The man couldn’t be completely dense, even though he did possess an expression of an oblivious youngster blessed with ignorance.

“No. Long and milky,“ he replied dreamily. “G-Great Sage, I’m sorry. But how is this relevant? If you have something on-going with the Lady Wolf Witch then I profoundly apologise. I’m not a ladies’ man. I’d never dare to intervene in anyone’s relationship.“

It was as if somebody threw freezing water into Wukong's marked face. “What?!“

“You…don’t like her? I thought when you went for her to the forest that you two cared for each other. Now, you’re posing questions about my feelings toward the lady.“

“Moron! That shrew can’t be of any good. I went to check up on her. So what? No big deal. I had to. Otherwise I wouldn’t even lift a limb! I’m telling you she’d rather see me stuffed with my head hanging beside her from the ceiling,“ the monkey demon lashed out. Every word was spat with an evident hatred. It wasn’t enough for him, though. Bai Long Ma quickly rested his head on Wukong’s shoulder in an attempt to soothe the provoked monkey. Fortunately, the Sage quickly came back to senses. For he must always have the last word, he murmured for the last time in a prideful tone,“Besides, I’m above this nonsense. I’m a disciple of a monk. I respect our precepts. Chances I’d look at a woman are zero. And vice versa.“

Qiang’s curiosity and obliviousness to the world and manners got the better of him. He uttered before he reconsidered his words,“Because you’re ugly or because you’re short, Great Sage?“

“Both, in fact. If I may, I’d like to add a third reason - he’s nasty. Good morning, by the way,“ the royal advisor answered instead of the monkey. Two men were so occupied by their conversation they didn’t notice how or when the woman had scuttled her way toward them. Her radiant smile was shining on them both, intoxicating as ever. Looking closer, something didn’t let Wukong’s mind rest. What was it, though? Its perfection? Then, he caught a glimpse of it. He’s never seen teeth so white…and so big. His index finger twitched, the demon wanted, needed, to raise her lips so he could observe it better. Why on earth would anyone need teeth this strange, this sharp, bestial almost? 

Wukong wrinkled his brows and furiously corrected her,“I’m average height. Just hunching over. What are you doing here, anyway? I think I heard Bajie calling for you to make him breakfast.“

“He’s already doing it himself,“ she hissed back at him. Bending down, the woman pressed her forehead against his. “I heard your Master calling for you to pack our things. We’re setting off, pipsqueak.“

Qiang cleared his throat before speaking up,“I’m sorry, my lady. May I be of some help?“

Márgerdra jumped back as soon as she realised they weren’t alone. Masking her true nature with another perfect smile the witch excused herself,“Oh, my dear, thank you but such a thing won’t be needed. This charming monk over here will do. He must stay in shape and not fall lazy. Am I right, Brother Monkey?“ she petted his head,“However, the Princess asked for some water. Could you fetch some, darling?“

The moment the young man vanished for a small ceramic jug Wukong grabbed Márgerdra by her wrist. The manoeuvre was abrupt. It twisted her forearm to the side and yanked the witch back to her place. She squinted briefly while sucking on the air.

“Why didn’t you tell me about those corpses?!“

“Imbecile, let go of me. You’re bruising my arm.“

“Answer me, bitch.“

“Language!“

Wukong yanked again. Márgerdra silently cried out. “Answer me. Why?“ His angry snarl revealed a set of white fangs.

“I wanted to. But there wasn’t time or place.“

“No time or place? Alright,“ he squeezed further,“now we have some. Talk quickly. Or are you afraid I’ll find a solid proof of you not being entirely human?“

“I told you I’m. I just look different because I’m a foreigner, imbecile.“ The woman didn’t hesitate and growled at him in an equally wrathful manner.

They locked eyes. A second seemed to have become an hour as they held it. Not one of them was willing to back away. Yet something broke inside Wukong. Corners of her lips twitched once again - she was worried. About what, though? Herself? Sanzang? Mei? Him? The Great Sage still didn’t fully trust her. Whatever intention she had, the blonde would never reveal it to him. Like the tiger, whose skin he was wearing as a kilt, he had to wait a little longer. Thus he relaxed his palm before saying quietly,“Sorry. Ask Ol’ Sha for a balm when you see him.“

Márgerdra hesitated for a second. She expected for the outburst to continue. A manchild with a hurt ego to force its way to the surface. However, now it was her who felt that way. “You’re right. I should’ve told you earlier… Qiang said those goats didn’t have heads. Their organs were also removed. He found one each night. After that, nothing repeated.“

“Did he say where he found them exactly?“

“The western path from here.“

“The one we must use. Damnit.“

“We can take a detour.“

“So we'll walk another week? No.“ He put one hand on his hip and scratched his head.

Both turned their heads towards the dragon-horse who’d been standing beside them in silence until then. “Bai Long Ma? What do you think? Which way?“

He lazily chewed on hay when he decided to take the offered role in the debate,“Take the western path. Even if we chose the other one there’s still a possibility something will track us down in the forest. In other words, it’s still the same risk. Just one dives right into the eye of the storm. The latter just takes slightly longer.“ 

Rivals came to an agreement with the Dragon Prince. At that exact moment, the rest of the group marched out of the hut putting their sleepiness aside. Before their departure, they quickly thanked their benefactors once more who in return gifted them with a portion of food supplies and fresh water. Of course, the repeated warnings about local monsters and rumours had an everlasting lingering in their farewells. Tripitaka Sanzang was the holiest of them all, what a pity it would be for him to perish.

They set off in an order they were more and more getting used to - the leading scout of the pilgrims Sun Wukong, right behind him the Lady Wolf Witch, then Tripitaka with Princess Mei were both riding on Bai Long Ma and on the very tail was smiling Sha Wujing carrying the luggage and his frowning Senior Zhu Bajie. 

Rocks under their feet crumbled and fell down the steep hillside. The daylight, fortunately, didn’t plan on vanishing soon, thus they agreed to continue in their journey without a break. At least, not until they can find yet another shelter. Strangely enough, the unpleasant weather of autumn wandered into the wrong season. The sun hid its crowned head behind the grey clouds by the early afternoon and the cold spread quickly among the foggy hills as the travellers ascended to the greater heights. It didn’t take long for it to claim its first victim.

Mei trembled against Sanzang’s chest. Her tiny palm clenched onto the light fabric she wore. A second later, a squeaky sneeze escaped from her. “I’m sorry, Tripitaka Sanzang. I didn’t mean to scare you out.“

“That’s completely alright, Your Highness. No need for an apology. I myself am starting to be a bit unwell.“ He spoke to her gently, as it was usual for him. In the meanwhile Wujing quickly threw a blanket over them which he managed to dig out.

The princess’ fingers were already so numb with cold that Sanzang had to help her to hold onto the warm piece of wool. Her high pitched voice shook but she followed her thoughts anyway and spoke them outloud,“Thank you kindly, Ol’ Sha. By the way, don’t you see a good cover for us? A small rest could be a helpful idea…“

“We’re going on. There’s no evening in my sight, Your Highness. This place is full of monsters, too. I see that even my Shifu needs to catch a breath. But we can’t afford to look for a break until we get closer to people. Besides, the sky has only been getting heavier since we set off…“ The monkey stopped and pouted. 

“Stop giving me this look, Wukong. You know well that I won’t support your manners though you may be right. “

“And you know well I value your life more than our comfort, Shifu,“ Wukong snapped his head back to Sanzang. The disciple looked up. 

The monk shook his head with a heavy sigh. The cheeky demon is once again being stubborn and talking back. “Wuneng, lead the way, please.“

Well aware it was pointless to state another ton of facts Wukong retreated. The urge to smack Bajie when he smugly smirked built up instantly. A question full of concern stopped Wukong from doing so. A question that made his blood freeze. “Lady Wolf Witch, what happened to your wrist?! It’s terribly swollen! How blue your skin has become!“

“Oh, please, don’t worry about such a trivial matter. I probably accidentally hit myself yesterday night. When I was in the forest I must have slipped and fell on my arm so unfortunately it bruised me.“

“It’s all around, though. I suppose I can see a handprint, Márgerdra.“

“Your eyesight must be affected by the weather, Your Highness. I’m sure it happened because of my own clumsiness. In fact, if it weren’t for the monkey’s earlier directions I’d be stranded to this day,“ the advisor assured both of the protected individuals though Sanzang looked over Wukong suspiciously. For a second, the monkey’s heart stopped beating. His lips trembled. The unmistakable pressure around his head reminded him of its presence. Mentally the disciple started counting when his Master would begin to chant the mantra. He feels his eyes being gouged out by the tightening headband. It’s burying into the fur, through it and into the skin, scaring it, hot metal burning everything. His eyes water even before his skull crumbles. The feral scream forces the way out of his throat which is so sore from the desperation. Thin legs give out and he falls on his knees. Then the whole body collapses on the ground. Arms can do little more than gather fingers around the cursed object and vainly attempt to remove it. When he was younger he dreamt of immortality and eternal life. Now, all he wants is to die.

Wukong slowly shut his eyes. He is prepared.

But nothing came. Listening more to the witch’s honeyed words the monk pitied her. The mount followed his Master’s instructions and began to move forward passing by the relieved Monkey King. The Tang monk simply petted his hairy head from the horse’s back. With a warm voice he said,“Thank you, Wukong. I knew there’s some good hidden inside.“

Dumbfounded, the Great Sage stood firmly in his place not moving an inch of his body. There was still a great portion of bitterness every time he saw the blonde woman. Yet, he was willing to admit he was grateful for her approach.

Big eyes were gazing to the distance and registering nothing around. Only the sweet flowery scent pulled him out of the thoughts. He silently murmured,“Why?“

She stopped in her footsteps. “Excuse me?“

“Nothing…Thanks, though.“ The rough reply left her astonished. Immediately, Wukong turned his back toward Márgerdra and followed his Master’s tracks.

“Well, you’re short-tempered. But you were sincere with your apology. I’m sure your Master only must appreciate your effort,“ she ran up to him. She was lying. Again.

****

By the evening they were lucky again. Once they found a small path, travellers succeeded in arriving at a small inn. The place was bustling with life of fellow wanderers, from local hunters and lonely merchants to the family running the business. There were five of them - the eldest was the old lady with thin hair, then it was her son alongside his wife and their two children who were either too curious about the newcomers or downright disobedient. Those little rascals whispered one to another whether it would be funnier to scare the fragile fish monk or his pig-like brother. Once they set eyes on the first disciple their mischievous smiles froze and eyes filled with frightened tears.

“Scaring people again, Wukong?“ Sanzang sat next to him on the bench. Bald head was freed from the traveller’s hat. Sweat drops occasionally covered the face however it only highlighted his soft beautiful features. The rain drummed against the window shutters as if the Dragon King lost his mind.

“I would never, Shifu,“ he chuckled in response, lazily turned his head toward the source of the voice and put both legs on the table in front of him.

“At least they learn some manners and won’t bother us,“ he continued and scanned the surroundings. He noticed some men gathering around laughing Márgerdra even though she and her princess were covered with cowls and cloaks,“Unlike some.“ 

He didn’t blink twice when out of the blue three pairs of smooth hands landed trays on the furniture. “Hope you don’t mind, Great Sage,“ the familiar voice spoke to him when he dodged the serving by a close shave. It was the princess accompanied by the innkeeper’s wife and a merchant. To be honest, to see her eyes beaming with happiness and freedom, he was quite glad she was warming up to them. On the other hand, she could use letting go of some manners oddly similar to those of her witch protector. “Me and Már…my sister were welcomed by the sheer kindness of these strangers. They even bought some food for us. Take a look!“ She was right. There was everything the travelling monks needed - both sweet and salty congee, some noodles, a soup, fruit, vegetable dumplings, water and a small hot teapot with six cups. 

“I don’t think we can repay you in any way possible, Your Hig…Ah Xiuying,“ Sanzang bowed. The princess in undercover smiled shyly.

“We took care of the rooms, too. We’re allowed to stay overnight. But there are only two rooms for six people in total. If you’re not against it we could…“

“Oh, please. Forgive me but that is not possible. Not at all. You see I am a monk…“Sanzang blurted out and blushed.

“...split rooms among us two so you and your disciples could share the other one,“ Mei finished in a hushed voice although an amusement coloured her bright eyes. “I meant this. Of course, I will understand if you don’t agree with the proposal. After all, these rooms have three beds at best. Which means somebody will either share a bed or will just sleep on the floor. However if one of you would like to come with us I see no problem with such a solution.“

“That won’t be needed, thank you,“ the monk stuttered. Subtly, he wiped away the cold sweat from his thin eyebrows with the wide white sleeve. A gulp fell down his dried-up throat. Thankfully, his slender arm stretched out and poured a cup of tea when he registered it. With a radiant, yet somewhat nervous smile plastered on his face, Sanzang invited the rest to have dinner with him.

The first one to jump in on the invitation was Pigsy. Not only he grabbed anything in his near sight he saw no problem with talking while chewing either. Pieces of food splattered all around him, salivas flowed down his unkempt stubble. 

“So, three beds, four guys,“ he began,“I don’t have problems with sharing my bed with you, Shifu. Or you, Ol’ Sha. But if ladies truly need a protection of a strong warrior against the terrors of the night…I’m willing to sacrifice myself for the greater good.“ He smiled at Mei who rather pretended to pour Sanzang the next cup of tea.

“Ol’ Sha, you’ve been pretty quiet since we left the woodcutter’s shed. Why don’t you tell us something?“

Friar Sand put away his chopsticks and nervously rubbed his hands. “Oh, truly? I’m sorry, Shifu. I just simply have nothing to share with you. By the way, Your Highness…“

“Ah Xiuying!“ the group collectively let out. Their shout was so loud the whole tavern confusedly looked over to their table. Soon, everyone went back to their business. One monk and his ugly disciples scared them away and though two women were as kind as the monk himself the scarves around their heads made them look either funny or weird. 

Sandy let his puppy eyes fall to the floor, shiny head drawn in between strong boulder-like shoulders,“Sorry, Ah Xiuying. I was wondering whether our food is enough for you?“

Mei shot a confused look,“Excuse me?“

Bajie quickly joined in,“Yeah! Excuse me?! Is it anything about me? Or my appetite?“

“No, Brother. I didn’t mean…“

“Oh, really?“

“Brother Bajie, I’m sure Brother Wujing didn’t mean it in the wrong way. He’s just concerned about my well-being. After all, I’ve been brought up differently than the rest of you.“

“She’s right, Wuneng. What’s more than enough for us, monks, doesn’t necessarily have to meet the standards of a higher class,“ Tang Sanzang weakly smiled toward Mei who in return apologetically squeezed both Wujing's and Bajie’s hands. “We are on a holy quest. So please, behave accordingly.“ As soon as the monk finished his sentence he turned his head where Wukong was sitting. The demon had his feet back on the table. He was leaning against the wall with arms crossed behind the head, elbows faced the ceiling. Dark eyes narrowed and pierced the space in front of them.

“Wukong, you’re not an exception, please. We’re eating. Sit properly and take a bite.“

“Yes, Great Sage. You’ve worked the hardest. You deserve the cabbage soup, at least.“

“Thanks, Shifu, Ah Xiuying,“ he chewed on his cheek instead,“I’m not hungry.“

“Great Sage, are you certain? You haven’t had anything since this morning. Even yesterday, I remember you barely touching any sort of meal.“ Mei pushed a small bowl with rice and tofu. 

“Wukong, please. At least one bite.“ Sanzang was, too, getting desperate to make his eldest disciple eat something. 

Alas, the monkey couldn’t have been more stubborn than wild rams,“Apologies, Shifu,“ he finally adjusted himself properly on the bench and focused his gaze on Márgerdra silently eating her noodles in front of him,“my teeth aren’t strong enough to chew on it. Maybe a particular strange fellow could help me with this.“

Bajie pushed away his meal,“Good Lord Buddha, not this again.“ Ol’ Sha resigned similarly by putting his elbows on the piece of furniture and sighed into his palms.

“Wukong, what does this mean? Hold your tongue and eat.“

“Yes, monkey. You better eat. Or flies may land on it.“ Márgerdra finally raised her eyes. Although half of her face was covered by an old scarf everyone noticed wrinkles around the root of her nose.

“Wretched shrew. Why don’t you come out with the truth yourself.“

“What truth, imbecile?“

“First the smell. The magnolia perfume. Bah! More like a cover for your real scent.“

“It was a present. From a friend.“ She squeezed the chopsticks so hard her knuckles turned completely white. 

The Monkey King paid it less attention than to the Tripitaka who was fuming beside him. “Then the friend must be the Emperor himself. No royal advisor could afford such luxury. But let’s continue, shall we, Lady Wolf Witch? You’re so open to anyone yet you speak about yourself less than the girl you’re ‘protecting’.“

“Wukong. Stop it. Now!“

“My life. My secrets. My business,“ the Wolf Witch proclaimed confidently.

“Why don’t you tell us more about your regeneration, huh? How is it so effective?“

“Like how?“ she crossed both arms on her chest.

“Like this,“ Wukong didn’t hesitate anymore. Every dish loudly bounced against the thick wood when he stretched out for a knife which was brought with the servings. It was old, the rust began to claim parts of it by the wooden handle. Everybody’s eyes widened and jaws dropped. Mei immediately threw herself on Márgerdra. Her small frame enveloped the older woman as the princess hugged her tightly. Petrified Sanzang let out a small cry when he swiftly tried to grab the Monkey King’s arm. Wujing’s vision went black for a second. He was brought back to reality by Bajie and both of them jumped at their brother to tackle him down. The fallen warlord was too slippery for all three of them. In the heat of the chaos, he raised the blade and cut his very own palm with it. Blood started pouring from the wound. The Sage stretched out the marked hand to the foreigner. Now he was so confident in himself he remained completely calm in both voice and manners. Not even his naughty tail dared to interrupt the tense moment. Only his chest was rising heavily. The fumes filled the room deprived of noise. Guests and the family either slowly locked themselves in their rented bedrooms or they froze on the spot. The thick darkness spread around and blew out the weak candlelight.

“When I broke your nose the bleeding stopped too soon,” the cut healed with each word spoken until there was no evidence of it,“ I beat you up severely with my cudgel, yet you’re relatively fine - breathing, walking, snarling like a mad wolf that is prepared to strike because it’s being cornered.“

As it wasn't enough for him he added the last drop when the witch didn’t respond,“Show your teeth.“

“No.“

“Show them.“

Sanzang quickly shouted,“That’s enough! You swore to protect. How can you be a monk when you’re still a fiend at heart? Don’t make me chant the mantra, you hear me?!“ The monk wanted so much to distract his disciple. From day to day, he felt a disgust and a hatred building towards the headband and the spell. Although, seeing how bestial Wukong could become Tripitaka was willing to turn blind eye to it. 

Márgerdra remained silent, unfazed. The scrawny demon locked eyes with her - they were cold just like when they first met.

“Let me guess. Your fangs are elongated, sharp. Nonhuman. Demonic…“

“Lunatic…“ the princess murmured against Márgerdra’s neck.

“What did you say?“

“That you’re a lunatic,“ Mei faced him with clenched fists,“Buddha did the right thing when he cast you out under the mountain. If only your Shifu didn’t release you. If only you’d be still locked up. There’s a saying that demons don’t have a soul. Probably not even a heart. I thought it must be nonsense. They’re just as alive. They must feel. However I see that you’re nothing but a prime example. Heartless, soulless, self-absorbed devil. I pray you’ll be punished for your repeated insolence.“

Márgedra stood up and leaned over to the girl whispering,“Mei, that’s enough. Let’s go.“

The young princess was shaking from anger. She had to take a few breaths before she agreed to finally visit their humble room.

The monkey, on the other hand, didn’t see her confrontation as the end. He was right. He had to be. “If I were you I’d pray for your new ‘mother’ not to get you killed.“

That was the last drop. Márgerdra couldn’t contain herself any longer.

As they were passing another table she grabbed a big bowl with soup. The woman clawed onto it and threw the boiling liquid into the imp’s face. To Sanzang’s dismay, the eldest disciple didn’t duck down in time. After his blood-freezing howl occurred the witch leaned over his arched back. Only then Wukong caught her holding back tears.

“I know you’re trying to protect your Master. But it gives you no right to spit in my face.“

Though his vision was blurry at best he heard how women’s fast footsteps ended with a loud slamming of the door. Soon, the tavern came back to life. People attempted to forget the horrific incident by playing a game of Fan-Tan or by discussing the current state of the market.

Once the Monkey King straightened his back, his eyesight was restored with no sign of injury. The same couldn’t be said of the Sage’s conscience.

He turned to Sanzang whose lips were clenched tightly together. His tall figure suddenly burst out of the tavern, all three disciples rushing and shouting after him. 

“Shifu! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to. It wasn’t my intention to belittle you.“

“You insolent ape! You didn’t belittle me! If so you should ask for forgiveness from the princess and the protector! I thought I taught you something. That you were finally on the right path. But no. Everywhere you go you make trouble. You’ll never learn, will you?“

“Shifu…“

“I care about you, Wukong. We all do. Is it too much for me to ask you to do good?“

“Shifu, I know there's not much evidence but these are important enough. She’s a demon. The girl is either another liar or she’s being deceived, as well. You must believe me!“

“Don’t touch me!“ the monk shrugged off Wukong when he tried to stretch his hairy limb. “I should have used the mantra. But I was too foolish.“ Sanzang swiftly repositioned and focused his hands into a praying manner. Wukong fell on his knees, eyes widened with pure terror, and pleaded like never before in his life. His brothers asked for forgiveness on his behalf, too. Three demons were now a little more than three terrified children.

A heavy silence fell on their shoulders. Tang Sanzang shook his head with an ache coming from his chest,“I hate doing this. I really do. But why won’t you listen? Do you really need to see evil in anything that moves?“

“S-shifu…“ the monkey let his head down and sobbed,“I know she’s deceiving us. I saw her fangs. That wicked witch is…she is…“

“She has her ups and downs. Just like any of us. She protects her princess in the same way you protect me.“

“Wukong, I’m not going to chant the spell today, I promise,“ Sanzang finally proclaimed and helped his disciple to stand up,“but you will apologise to Princess Mei and Lady Márgerdra.“

The Sage wiped away the rest of his tears and began to reason with trembling lips,“Shifu, but…“

“Tonight. Is it clear, my disciple?“

He hesitated before giving in,“Crystal clear, Shifu.“

“I don’t know whether I should be glad you can seek out your mistakes or disappointed that you always happen to make some…“ With that being said the holy man took away to the rented room and left his disciples under the ink clouds where the harsh wind whipped their miserable bodies. Naturally, the eldest disciple still wasn’t fully back to senses. Humiliated and like an abandoned dog he arched even more than it was usual and hugged his own torso.

When an arm gently tapped his shoulder the demon jumped up a bit. It was Wujing. “Let’s get inside. It’s going to rain soon. And the tavern is more than cosy, right“

“We should get a cup of peach tea, too. What do you reckon, Brother Monkey? You like that one,“ Bajie, equally concerned about his senior, walked up to him from the other side.

An ear-rupturing thunder echoed through the high peaks. Once they stepped in, rain fell down on the ground heavily.

****

“How do you feel? Better?“ Sandy asked his eldest brother. Wrinkles around his wide lips deepened when Wukong kept on being silent instead of choosing the usual energetic yells. To think about a better idea on how to cheer up the much admired senior Friar Sand looked around for inspiration.

The majority of guests had already gone to their beds to find soothing kind dreams. Their warm blankets and general welcoming cosiness of the spacious tavern were in complete opposite of the storm raging outside. While the harsh whips of mountains made the sky-reaching treetops bound to the earth, the candles were barely affected by the slow walking of the innkeeper’s wife. Shoes unpleasantly scratched against the floor, it sent shivers down the spine. She put down the small teapot and poured simple cups from the green pottery. Massive hands with hide-like skin of Zhu Bajie took the first shot. The mighty burp made the belly bounce, which earned a disapproving grimace from Sandy. Pigsy saw no problem with such an attitude. Huge portion of scallion pancakes vanished behind the tusks at once. Pigsy ate dish after dish, not sparing a single crumb of offered pancakes, biscuits or congee. Sandy didn’t mind sharing his portions. Once Bajie started peeking at Wukong’s bowls the sand monk immediately drove him off as a fly.

“Wukong, c’mon, Big Bro. Talk to us. Y’know we can keep our mouths shut. Not even Shifu will hear what you’re about to say. I promise you that. Really. Me and Bajie just want you to know that we’re here for you any time.“

“Stop it. Thanks for the meal. But go to sleep now. And leave me alone.“

The last phrase froze the blood of both demons,“Alone?! What do you mean? No, we can’t. If we do, you'll land yourself into bigger troubles.“

“So what? Shifu doesn’t want to hear the reason. Why would he? I’m but a fiendish monkey, after all. Nothing but a ball of fur and fleas. A parentless bastard…“ He paused. Realising his tongue slipped too much the monkey hunched over once more. Tips of his ears reddened. Lips no longer formed a pout but wrinkles of shame fell upon the sharp features. Carefully, he brought his fingers closer to his cheek. Under the soft touch, he ran over the skin.

Bajie jumped in before the monkey had another chance to bury himself into a deeper hole of misery,“Stop right there, Big Bro. A few days ago you had no problem with calling yourself ‘handsome’. So show us that smile you’ve mastered so well, heh?“ He elbowed the smaller demon by his left.

“Turn yourself down, idiot. Or the princess will hear you and you’ll be in trouble just like me.“

“Are you afraid of them?“

“I’m not. What sort of a question is that?“

“Then why do you insist on the Lady Wolf Witch being a demon like us?“

“Because she is! I know it. Proofs have also been presented. Don’t tell me you didn’t notice…“ Hoping to see some indications of general understandment but finding none, Wukong shook his head and began to stand up. “Enjoy your meal. Bajie, you can have mine.“

“Are you really not hungry?“ 

“No. Even if I were, I wouldn't eat. I don’t deserve it, anyway.“ Ear-piercing dragging of the bench was stopped by one sticky hand from left and the other, pink and bulky, from the right side. Body parts made the Sage sit down at lightning speed. At the same moment, Bajie lost his nerves. He took the bowl with rice and steamed vegetables, and nodded to Wujing who fixed Wukong’s jaw so the middle brother could feed the monkey. Chopsticks rapidly went in and out the imp’s mouth who desperately tried to fight them off. Once the bowl was empty both smirked simultaneously.

The monkey was of a different opinion - being fed as a small child was enough for him to become even more irritated. Quickly, his palm scrabbled around the table for a cup that would be still filled with the peach tea. 

“Now, when your stomach finally stops with the terrible growling, you can talk with a clearer mind. Don’t you think, Brother Wujing?“

“Surely, that must be the case, Brother Bajie.“

“To hell with you both,“ Wukong coughed. Although, he felt slightly stronger than before.

Wujing opened his mouth, hope radiating from him that the Monkey King is going to listen to the youngest for the final time, “The princess needs someone who’s going to take care of her. You saw how delicate, soft-spoken and fragile she is. She’s never been completely out of her palace. Suddenly, she’s thrown into the unknown world. Our Shifu is quite similar, don’t you think? Both need somebody they can rely on. Someone strong, wise and a skilled fighter. Lady Wolf Witch…she is the one. Look at yourself. Doesn’t her oath sound familiar to you? Protect with your very own life. When you mentioned your first meeting she seemed to be willing to die for her safety. Aren’t you the same?“

Cogwheels moved in Wukong’s mind. Her wounds were bleeding, life was escaping from her shaking body but the determination to protect never dared to leave her side. Words of poison, scolding aimed towards him and his brothers, yet it is all for the girl. The witch was mean, humiliating at times. But she backed away from ratting on him. Why did she do it? On that night when it was just the two of them, the strange woman was so soft. So warm. The witch was slightly more than a fragile doll. She lost herself in that dark place. Far from anyone else. As if she wanted to escape. From who, though? When she talked to Wukong he wanted to listen to her. But he couldn’t. At last, those eyes. Her deep blue eyes scarred with tears he made her shed. Though the woman had been wounded by him physically, seemingly it had never occurred to her to curse the monkey. Only his heavy words cut into her cold chest too deeply. It broke the thick ice and ripped the beating, lonely heart. No cudgel. Only Wukong’s unpredictable nature nearly ended it all.

Another memory popped in front of the Monkey King. His monkeys. The clan who took him in and brought him up. Oh, how they played, how they joked and how they enjoyed the freedom on the sun-kissed island crowned with the colossal Mount Huaguo. His family was big and loving. Although he had no birth parents they didn’t mind. He was a gem for them. The smallest of all young monkeys and yet he had the biggest heart. Big eyes gleamed with child-like mischief every time he appeared. It was no big deal the nameless baby monkey jumped on the elder and let himself be carried further. The monkey demon thought such kindness was everywhere wherever he set out his foot. It changed upon encountering the macaques and baboons outside his kingdom he left to pursue the goal of achieving eternal life. They were marked with cruelty in the same manner as humans were. A king of what? One miserable mountain in the middle of nowhere. That was all he was for them. They’ve never heard of the place of never-ending summer, blooming with joy and laughter. Where the hibiscus and peaches bloomed every night and day and where the waterfall rivalled the roar of the lion. Wukong, still a nameless monkey, was a simple target for them. He naively believed he could hide from them in the same way he managed to escape the tigers and bears. Unfortunately, he ran out of luck quickly. Wukong’s eyelids shut tightly, his pulse quickened. It’s the middle of the night. He’s so tired of hiding. When will he finally find someone to make him and his family immortal? Suddenly, he’s grabbed by the armpit. Sticks and stones come down on him. There’s growling, yelling, screams rupture his eardrums. The big macaque male with a ripped ear grabs him by the hips and pulls him closer. In his hand, a sharp rock glistens in the weak moonlight. The young monkey knows he’s an unwelcome guest. But all he desires is to just pass through. No, he must pay. They don’t know his pure mind is oblivious to their customs. The leading male can’t let such a youngling pose a threat. For that and many other reasons the hand fell down. Wukong cried out and kicked the bigger monkey. The manoeuvre had to break the jaw. The young king used the created chaos to his advantage and fled the group which assaulted him. Running until the sun came out, his breathless shaking frame stuck to the bottom of a wide rock under which he found an abandoned den. Tears fell down his gaunt cheeks. He was ready to thank all the Gods and saints that the stone didn’t crush his skull. When he got on his knees a sharp pain flashed through his head. His left eye, the vision in it was blurry at best. What’s worse, his nose caught the ironic smell of blood.

“You’re right. She deserves some respect.“

****

Márgerdra was sitting on the old bed, her back leaning against the cold wall. Her hair was naughtily slithering around her shoulders and hips, freed from the tight braids and bun. The lightning outside illuminated her wet cheeks. Under the woollen blanket, Mei was still cuddling her. She, too, was dressed in a similar undergarment with her long hair messily splattered around.

“Is it better now?“ She gazed up at her protector. 

Mei felt a heartfelt gratitude from Márgerdra. When the royal advisor turned to her the boulder fell from the princess’ heart. The blonde smiled, at last. “Yes, little one. With you, it’s always better,“ she hugged Mei tightly and lightly kissed her forehead.

Márgerdra peeked out through the tiny slit between the wall and the window shutter. Storm was still at its best outside. The whole sky was covered in ink. Returning her attention to the long candle on the table opposite to them she sighed with disbelief. The flame was already eating the base wax. “I’m sorry, Mei. You had to listen to me for an hour at least. I should’ve let you rest after such a tiresome day.“ The blonde began to stand up.

“No, you’re not going anywhere. I don’t mind listening to my friend. Everyone needs a shoulder they can rely on. You’re no exception,“ Mei blushed upon remembering her own memories and how many times she was so embarrassed with herself. The young beauty couldn’t imagine her life without the foreign woman. “Actually, I’m quite happy you don’t mind being yourself around me. Even if that devious, nasty meanie said such atrocities about you…I’m glad you trust me as much as I trust you, Márgerdra. Since mother died, you really are a blessing from her to me.“

“Oh, stop it right now, little one. You’re gonna make me cry again,“ the witch giggled as she hugged the girl again. The impact was unexpected and they both fell on the bed, chuckling to themselves.

“Márgerdra, you’ll need to move a bit. It’s getting uncomfortable.“

“I’m sorry. I’ll be off to the other bed, then.“

“No, you silly. You’re gonna get lonely. When you’re lonely, you’ll remember that stinky monkey. When you remember him you’ll cry again.“ The princess furrowed her brows which gave her the air of a child and she tucked her head under Márgerdra’s chin.

“Alright. Then I’m staying here.“

The raindrops hammered against the building. Strong wind threw several thick twigs or something similar to it on the rooftop. As the sound echoed through the small room with a dim light green silk rustled against the rest of the white sheets. Another thunder made the princess hold her breath.

“Are you still afraid of the storm?“

“And you aren’t?! Look how dangerous it is!“ Mei exclaimed. The poor girl soon added,“What am I saying? You never fear anything.“

“I think you’re wrong about this point, Mei. I’m scared of many things.“ Thoughtful expression landed on the witch’s soft face. “I can’t stand water. I hate it.“

Mei chuckled,“So you’re like a cat?“

“Well, yes. A cat, if you will.“ She then hissed like a feline to which both women laughed.

“My oldest sister, on the other hand, you can call her fearless. Yes. A brave warrior at heart, though she’d say she has none. She’s a liar, in fact. Ulfu always gave me the best hugs. Udu, my second sister, was close behind. Though Udu had always made a better honeyed porridge, I must admit,“ she touched her chin with an index finger and rambled about her elder sisters for a while.

Mei listened to her with great interest. “Wow, they sound pretty cool. What happened to them? Where are they now?“

Márgerdra’s enthusiastic smile froze. She had to blink several times to bring herself back to reality. A gulp formed inside her throat. “They’re gone. Unfortunately, I don’t know where exactly.“ Márgerdra wiped away tears forming in her eyes.

The princess rubbed her arm carefully. “I’m sorry to hear that.“

“Yeah, me too.“ The blonde looked the black-haired girl in the eyes and gave her the most radiant smile. “But since I have you, little plum Mei, everything’s great again. Don’t worry about me, alright? I need to see my little princess proud and happy. Especially since your big day is coming closer.“

“Yeah, my wedding…“

“What’s up with that frown again, huh?“

“I’m just…I don’t know. I feel like I’m not suited for this. It feels weird. I've never met my groom before. I wonder what it is like. You know, to fall for somebody real.“

“It’s beautiful. Sometimes it cuts you until you bleed,“ the witch paused for a second. She pursed her full lips. “But then that person comes and helps you to heal. When you feel abandoned they remind you that you’re the one who saved their world and became the most wonderful part of it.“

“Sounds like you’ve experienced it.“

“Yes. I did. Multiple times. Well, you don’t need to have romantic feelings for the person. All that’s needed is when you know they’re going to have your back no matter what. Sometimes it was my sisters. Sometimes it was my friend,“ her laughter rang again. It seemed to have lifted Mei’s cheerful spirit.

“I totally agree. I feel the same thing with you. My best friend,“ the girl winked at the blonde. Then she offered her pinky and waited for a response. It didn’t take long for Márgerdra to offer hers.

“I don’t want to be nosey. But have you ever had ‘those’ feelings?“ Mei widened her eyes with flaming interest.

The witch turned to her hesitantly. She gave in after several heart beats,“Yes. Now I suppose you’d like to know more about him, don’t you?“

“Yep!“

Márgerdra sighed. Strangely enough, Mei had always had an impact on her which made her feel much younger. She couldn’t complain, though. It was a nice change from time to time.

The sparks in her burnt brightly when she recalled him,“Looks or personality first?“

“C’mon. You’re not making this easy for me. But I guess, looks first? They say the best should be saved for the last.“ She giggled and lay her head on Márgerdra’s shoulder while intently she was  listening to every word.

“He was tall, handsome, and strong with dark green eyes. He had long hair as black as a raven's feathers. Oh, when I remember how nicely formed arms he had. Beautiful shoulders too. Broad and muscular. He had probably the smoothest voice I’ve heard. It was great for singing. Though, don’t think he was too soft for the world. No. In fact, quite the opposite. I remember when I used to tell him not to rush things and to be more patient. He actually listened. Unlike some. Those were times when he’d take my hand in his, caress it and whisper to me he’d return just for me if for nothing else. He was the kindest person around. No injustice would escape his keen sight. The true leader of his people. There wasn’t one soldier who’d dare to go against him.“ Her dreamy eyes stranded in the distant warm gaze of a man. She felt the strong arms gathering around her waist. His hot breath was so close to her hair. His fingers play with her braids she let him do.

“You sound like fate brought you two together. Where is he now?“

“You know the saying. The right person, the wrong time.“ Or was it the wrong person and the right time?

****

Sun Wukong let out a stream of hot air through the nose.

“Bajie. How do you talk to pissy ladies?“ the monkey rolled up sleeves on his tunic.

“Finally! Time for my advice to shine!“

“Could you be even louder? I barely heard you over the silence, idiot.“

“Brothers, please. Not so...“

Both elders blatantly ignored him and began to form a plan,“You see, you pissed her off. Like extremely off. If I were the witch you’d already be castrated at best…“

“But you aren’t, clearly. So go on without all this rubbish.“

“Right. So where was I? Oh, yeah. Walk up to the door…“

“Alright.“

“Knock on it.“

“Can’t I just barge in?“

“Have you lost your mind?“ Bajie slapped his forehead with a palm. “You want her to scream at you and to wake Shifu up?“

Wukong unwillingly rolled his eyes. “You’re right. Go on.“

“You knock, you wait for her to open the door and then you tell her you’re sorry. That’s it.“

“Bajie,“ Wukong placed a hand on Bajie’s shoulder with a proud look,“I thought you were the idiot here. But no. It was me for the whole time. Because asking you for advice is even worse than smearing honey over my face and running head first into an anthill thinking I’m going to find sutras there.“

Pigsy’s face reddened. Big tusks protruded through his mouth. He stamped on the floor and almost yelled if he weren’t shushed by Wujing,“Fine! Next time go after Bai Long Ma and ask him.“

“Bai Long Ma?“ Wukong cast a puzzled look.

“The dragon-horse.“

“Idiot, I didn’t forget who that is. I’m just wondering why I’d go to him.“ The monkey snorted and continued,“Fine, sorry that I snapped at you. Now, how do you apologise directly? How do you word it out? Keep in mind, I want to sound sincere about the whole situation.“

The pig demon frowned. Eventually he agreed to help his senior brother in both arms and beliefs. “Prick up your ears, Big Bro. Tell exactly this. Not a single word can be different. My Lady…“

“Pff. Alright. Wujing, give me the honey.“

Wukong was ready to wave over but Bajie forcefully grabbed him by the collar and sat him down. With an irritated voice, Pigsy whispered,“My Lady, you deserve every single bit of my profound apology for my incompetence and horrible behaviour. I belittled you in front of Her Highness, my Shifu and my sworn brothers. I can only imagine how deeply hurt you must have been. You’re just as wise as you’re beautiful though the most beautiful is Her Highness herself. I humbly ask for forgiveness and I swear on my very own life, no…, existence that such an incident won’t occur ever again for such a loyal soul could never be compared to a low-life.“

When the boar was done he looked around for a well-earned recognition and gratitude. All he found, though, was Wujing walking away to check up on sleeping Sanzang and Wukong scratching his armpit while yawning. Pigsy knew this was the moment for the ace up his sleeve. His brother just needs a little push or two. With the rest of the guests already sleeping tightly the whole situation only played into his cards.

“You don’t have the courage to talk to a woman.“

“What did you say?“

“That you’re a coward.“

The word resonated strongly within the monkey. He pouted, eyes narrowed and piercing Bajie through and through,“Repeat that, idiot.“

****

“He sounds like someone out of the sweetest dream.“

“Oh, and trust me he was, Mei. Like those times when we lay under the starlit sky and he whispered sweet nothings to me…“

Both young women sighed with a dream-like state.

“And then we have those like Great Sage himself…“

“No, don’t mention him anymore. Maybe he’ll hear you and he’ll barge in with another spit into your face, Márgerdra.“

“May he suit himself and show his true colours again. I dare him.“

“Not that I want to defend him. Sun Wukong brought your wrath upon himself by his own foolishness. To count in the insolence from this evening he does deserve a punishment. But you had your own remarks, didn’t you? You may say it’s just teasing. However it often grew into something more malicious. At least, that’s what it sounded to me like.“

Márgerdra paused in thought. An invisible worm gnawed her brain. The Monkey King wasn't the kindest of people and he truly had his shortcomings. Then she recalled his look. Once again, those damned warm eyes followed her everywhere she stepped in. Horrified cries of innkeepers resounded in the Lady Wolf Witch’s ears. An ugly monster. A disgusting runt. She too poked fun at him for his height and his face. Yet it wasn’t his fault. She cruelly provoked him for the sake of amusement.

The foreign beauty lowered her eyes. She used to live a tough life. Only her sister shielded her while being called the most humiliating names. Yet, Márgerdra honestly loved and cared for her well-being despite all. Why should the monkey be any different?

‘If I were you I’d pray for your new ‘mother’ not to get you killed.’ The sentence stabbed Márgerdra’s heart every time no matter how much time had passed since. Such a hateful creature yet she can’t bring herself to banish the thought of him. Maybe because she saw someone in him. Or because they were both equally lost. The Wolf Witch couldn’t answer it.

She must act somehow. Either she’ll make their journey a walk through Hell or Heaven. The choice was solely hers. For the sake of Mei the advisor chose the latter.

“I should find him.“

Mei, caught off guard, sat up,“Wow. From all the time we’ve spent together I’d expect much longer time for you to admit your fault.“

“Would you like to help me out?“ Márgerdra threw a jacket over her nightgown,“Or should I just give him a sweet treat in hopes of him realising I’d like to put the strife aside?“

****

Dark silhouettes swiftly zigzagged among the thick forest cover. The cold raindrops mercilessly wetted their garments. Outlines of their hunched bodies resemble snakes prepared for a deadly strike. Unfortunately, their true intentions didn’t differ much.

“Hey, pst, do you think this is the place?“

“Yeah, the guy said the monk resides in that tavern.“

“But they pay us every month so we don’t attack them anymore. If we do, the ruler won’t be happy with us.“

“The ruler doesn’t need to know. And if she does she’ll only try to bargain the monk for a good deal of money. I mean it’s still not as good as immortality. We kinda promised the monk to that guy, too. But consider all the other benefits we could try to force out of her. We’d be her right hand. We’ll have riches and also bitc…“

“Yeah, you. The dude with no maidens…I don’t know. The guy still doesn’t sit right with me. A cloak over his head, never coming out of the shadows. And those eerie burning eyes like two smouldering coals…He sounds fishy. Since he mentioned some darn monkey warlord we should pack our things even quicklier. The risk is bigger than the profit.“

“Brother, c’mon. One runt shouldn’t be a problem.“

The second person with protruding cheekbones smacked his hissing friend’s head from behind,“Moron! The ‘runt’ is the Great Sage. The demon king who fought Heaven itself.“

“And he was subdued and put under the mountain for who knows how long,“ the bandit with slit pupils massaged the stinging place. “We’re younger and have strength in numbers. Right, boys?“

He looked around. At least three dozen crawling bodies surrounded the wooden building. Some of them made their way into stables where they masterfully put out all the horses. Only one of them nearly gave them away if it weren’t for a massive blow into the white stallion’s head. Strangely enough, no blood appeared around his collapsed body.

“Weird creature. I’ve never seen a horse with a webbed-like mane,“ said the one with sharp cheeks. “Hey, so what about the ape guy?“

“Calm down. Relax. The cloaked guy took care of it. He said the group should have found some weird potion. He can’t show himself much so we need to take care of the rest. That means we need to make the ape drink it.“

“How?“

“Watch,“ the snake-like man insidiously smirked and pulled out a gifted whistle from his pocket.

****

Bajie gnawed his teeth and brought out hands of pockets. There was a small dot on his hand. He shook his head. Mosquitos aren’t an extraordinary discovery during the summer, especially in mountain forests like this one. Suddenly a genuine smile plastered over his wide face. “Brother, look. This was dropped by Ol’ Sha. I don’t know what kind of medicine it is but it may help you with building up confidence!“ Pigsy cringed to himself. His brother was the last person that needed any sort of such help. At the same time, an invisible force squeezed his neck as it was a punishment for thinking otherwise.

Wukong eyed him up and down. “What are you talking about, idiot? Give it back to Wujing. You know nothing about treatments. And I can’t tell you even from standing here it’s no ‘confidence helper’ like you want to believe.“

“If not then what is it, huh? C’mon. Tell me, you overclever boaster.“

“I don’t know. But there’s no way I’m going to drink it.“

“Trust me, brother. If Wujing’s been carrying it around with telling us it must have something to do with confidence. You know how shy he can be.“

The Monkey King showed Pigsy his back and checked his nails. None of them seemed to be broken.

“You’re just being prissy. Cowardly ape.“

“I’m a monkey,“ Wukong gritted his teeth and whipped his tail around.

“Cool. So you’re a cowardly monkey who’s too afraid to say sorry to one damned woman and to carry consequences from his Shifu. Also, did you drop your boots? Seems like you’re shorter than yesterday.“

The Sage froze on the spot. Even though his face wasn’t visible to Bajie his junior was sure the furry disciple’s eye twitched uncontrollably. He was well past the phase of pouting. This was getting dangerously serious.

“Give me the potion,“ in a second he appeared next to him like a ghost. The slender hand grabbed the small flask and mixed it with the rest of the peach tea Wukong found in the green teapot. In a matter of a second, the substance was finally circulating his insides.

****

“What did you do?“

“I activated the small magical rope which will make sure the one carrying it will deliver the substance to the target,“ the whistle carrier smiled from ear to ear. Hundreds of tiny teeth flashed through the stormy night.

His sworn brother smacked him again,“How do you know the monkey will be there and not scouting the area? Or that he will drink the liquid, huh? What if he refuses and finds out about the sting?“

The snake man widened his eyes. He swallowed hard before saying,“Well, I…kinda didn’t think of that option…“

“Moron! You want to have the monk yet you can’t come up with a good plan for kidnapping?! All you can do is to rely on pure luck!“

“You can try it next time yourself! All you do for the whole day is eat, take a piss, sleep and fart!“

“What did you say?!“ Both rogues threw themselves on each other. They pulled their clothes, bit and kicked each other.

One of the dark silhouettes stopped by them and whispered,“Boss, what now? Should we prepare for getting inside and subduing the rest of the pilgrims?“

The fighting duo stopped. The taller man with wolf-like cheeks and growling voice commanded,“No, we’re going back to the cave. Tell the troop to crawl out of the ro-“ He never got the chance to finish his sentence. A cold blade slicing his neck open released his last breath which was carried away by the howl of the storm.

The rogue spat on the corpse. “Never trust a snake, brother. I warned you when you decided to make our blood pact,“ the treacherous rogue wiped off the bodily liquid and continued in his newly found leadership,“Tell the boys to kill the fishman and the pig. The princess and the foreigner will be taken hostage with the monk. They’ll be a fine snack. Oh, last thing - don’t harm the monkey. The cloaked one wants him for himself.“

****

All of a sudden, Wukong had the urge to sit down. Despite his own displeasure something inside him poked him to laugh. Cold sweat rose above his eyebrows. Both hands began to shake uncontrollably. 

Smiling widely he asked,“Bajie, what was it really?“

“An ego booster.“

“You sure? Hehe.“

“Not completely. I just suddenly had the urge to give it to you. Strange…Eh, Big Bro? You okay? Your smile’s scaring me.“

Out of the blue, Sun Wukong jumped to his feet. He boldly stepped out and kissed Bajie on his cheeks. Throughout the movement the demon nearly lost balance. “Thank you, B-Bajie. I had to give you kisses for a goodnight. Because after tonight I’ll make s-sure to give you solely nightmares.“ The senior patted him and with wobbling pace he set out for the door of the princess’ bedroom.

Once he was there he leaned over the door frame and knocked. The Monkey King didn’t forget to wink back at his middle brother who gave him uncertain thumbs up before quickly returning back to Shifu and Wujing.

Nothing. Nobody responded. Wukong pressed his ear to the door and listened. There was hectic rustling of sheets and muffled female voices.They seemed to have repeated something over and over. The little stage was put aside once the monkey knocked again.

Instead of the tall blonde a black-haired girl peeked out from behind the sliding door,“Great Sage?! What are you doing here, this late at night? It must be well past midnight.“

“Your Highness,“ he tried to bow but considering his head started spinning Wukong chose to nod his head instead,“I wanted to s-say my sorry to you and your protractor, protu-protector. It was completely wr-wrong of me. You are on your way to secure your country. The road is dangerous. And Lady Márgerdra is more than suitable with h-her skills to prot-protect you.“

Finally, he succeeded in stammering out everything in a muffled voice that lay heavy on him. Unaware of the stunned witch listening to him hidden behind a corner he continued, ignoring his rising temperature,“Speaking of whom, is she here? I mean, she’s gotta be here. It’s her room, too, after all. Can-can I talk to her? P-person-nally, I mean…Your Highness.“

Márgerdra touched the shoulder of hesitant Mei,“Yes, you can.“ She whispered kindly.

Before she walked out of the room she didn’t forget to tuck Mei back to her bed. Following the swaying monkey demon she stepped into the dim light of the empty hall. She had a suspicious look. To Wukong, it reminded of the combat zeal she possessed on the day they first met. Candles gave her beautiful face a mysterious touch. He wasn’t sure if it was the effect of the potion or her eyes really glowed in the darker parts of the inn.

“So, Lady Márgerdra? Really?“ she raised her eyebrow and sat on the bench opposite to Wukong. She crossed her arms and legs simultaneously while listening to his odd rambling.

“What’s your problem now, blondie? Look, I’m sorry I spat in your face in front of the others. That was pretty child-dish of me. I just…I’m not s-sure what to make out about you. I’m just afraid my Shifu will be hu-hurt. And I partially took out my fr-frustration on you. You’re a solid guy…woman. You know w-what I mean, blondie. You’re a strange fellow, you see. And sometimes it can be kinda d-difficult to live up to Shifu’s expectations. Oh boy, it’s getting hot here, isn’t it?“ Wukong’s shaking fingers undid the sash around his waist so he could throw away his tunic. Once he was freed of the uncomfortable layer he wiped the sweat off of his brows and continued blankly staring into space in front of him. The dark undershirt was already soaking wet with his sweat. It stuck to his body, perfectly outlining every single muscle he possessed. Márgerdra wondered how long it took him to achieve such a well-defined build.

“Monkey?“

“Yep? All ears for you, blondie,“ he puffed and leaned with his back against the table behind him.

“Did you drink?“

“Me? And drinking? Are you m-mad, blondie? Nooo,“ Wukong tilted his head with laughter and stuck out his long tongue.

Another branch hit the shutters. The storm doesn’t seem to be satisfied with the havoc it’s causing.

When Wukong thought he was done he noticed what she was wearing. The nightgown was all too revealing for his taste. What a shame it would be if somebody saw her dressed up in thin white silk. It didn’t matter that she was pulling closer her jacket. Even worse for him. A monk should be sound asleep and not engaging at such a late hour with a woman in her best years. Nobody would listen to the poor monkey and his Master proving his disciple never looked over a single skirt in his entire life. It saddened him because he knew the witch had to be aware she’d be unrightfully degraded into a similar position. She doesn’t deserve it. Not after all she went through that day. He noticed she was rather sweet now. Not once did she raise her voice or scolded him. It was quite the other way around. The advisor watched him with sympathy. Wukong was slowly beginning to get lost in her big eyes. The Monkey King couldn’t help himself but raise the corner of his lip. He has to ask her now or never again. He must know the truth.

“Tell me - are you really such a bitch you like to pretend to be?“

If looks could kill and Wukong wouldn’t be immortal his body would be lying on the ground ripped to pieces. “What did you say?!“

“Not in a bad way,“ the demon shushed her down,“I noticed you l-like to be uptight, prissy. Y’know, a lady from the upper class. But you throw pretty good blows for somebody with a different up-bringing.“

There it was again. His deep look with the smug face she despised so much. His cover up.

“Maybe. I don’t want to talk about it.“ She slowly responded and watched the monkey demon as he stretched out for the peach a guest left on the table during the dinner. 

“Alright. As you wish, b-blondie. But is it true? Now, I don’t wanna generalise but there’s a lot, and I mean a q-quant-tum, of people who achieved similar positions by doing ques-stionable stuff…“

“So now not a shrew or a demon but a low-life, as well. That’s new. Thanks a lot.“

“Whoah, hold your reins, blondie. All I’m saying is that a rat can be any of us. Not that I’m into that stuff. But I’m not blind either. I see you’re rat-ther p-pretty. So…“

He stood up with difficulties. When he hunched over her Márgerdra felt his hot breath on her neck. Oddly, his odour wasn’t as disgusting as she remembered. Although sweaty, his body possessed, in fact, a pleasant smell. It was weak but still there. It was an intoxicating mix of salt, wet fur and bitter herbs. The witch breathed it in and out. She was surprised his own smell had a similar effect as she hoped so for her perfume.

About which she was right. Wukong knew what he was doing. On one hand, what he was about to say, he wanted it to be their little secret. Also, there was a need to get closer to the irresistible magnolia.

“Márgedra…“

“Did you just say my name?“

He ignored her stunned voice. “I was harsh towards you. Sorry for that. I think we should start over. W-what do ya think?“

When she remained silent he added,“Listen, if anyone happens to bother either you or Mei…just let me know, alright? I know you can take care of yourself. But sometimes it’s better when there’s someone having your back. I’ll make sure you…that you…“ 

‘…you’ll be safe’ was what he initially planned to say. However, he couldn’t find the will to say it outloud. An image of Qiang and Márgerdra and how fast she ran out of the shed unnerved him for some reason.

“I’ll tone myself down. I promise you that, monkey. And I’ll make sure your Master stays unharmed during our travels, too.“

“So, is it a deal, blondie?“ He locked eyes with her, their noses nearly touching. For the first time, Márgerdra thought she saw not only the familiar warmth but also honesty and kindness there.

She smiled weakly. “I guess so,“ she replied with a sweet whisper and grabbed the offered hand welcomingly.

Wukong’s knees gave up and he collapsed on her. While she tapped and gently caressed his back they both let out a silent chuckle. Wukong thought his new friendship couldn’t have started out better.

“Sorry, I forgot to mention something. Though I noticed it just a few seconds earlier.“

“What is it?“

“Duck behind the table, blondie.“

The Wolf Witch gave him a puzzled look when she heard a hissing from the corner of the room,“Get’em, boys.“

Somehow she managed to throw the simian from herself and jump behind the table, shielding herself from the whirlwind of daggers. All the candles were suddenly put out leaving the witch in absolute darkness for several heart-clenching moments. Before she cast the spell to summon the blinding light another light cut the black in half.

Two flaming dots moved at a lightning speed across the whole room. Once they were in the height of the human, the next moment they lit the corner of the ceiling. Apart from the terrifying sight of two demonic eyes the hectic movements were accompanied by dull thuds of a metal.

The witch’s face twisted into unholy contours. She grabbed the nearby dagger and followed the trace she found. Fearlessly, she stabbed several slimy bodies she saw in her way. Once she took out the weapon a sticky ooze poured out from the fatal wound.

In a few heartbeats, it was all over. A strong blow and the candles were finally lit again. Both Wukong and Márgerdra were covered in the unfamiliar liquid.

“How did you know we were going to get attacked?“ she threw away the dagger. Soon, she got frustrated by her vain attempts to wipe away the ooze.

“I told you I got a good n-nose. By the way, how did you see in the dark, blondie?“ Wukong, slightly more sober, made his way toward her. He still nearly tripped over his own legs.

The witch couldn’t let out a single word as a slow clapping of hands cut their conversation in half. However, the owner was nowhere to be found.

“Yeah, he warned me you’d be a tough nut to crack.“

Wukong growled,“Who are you, demon? Show yourself.“

A tall slender person walked out of the dark corner of the hall. Their head was bald and covered in dark green scales. Their yellow eyes with slit pupils targeted both rivals. The person stopped.

“Wait, don’t tell me you’re him,“ the snake-like person had a problem to contain his laughter. The man gestured with his hand as if trying to guess out the height difference between him and the demon he was hunting down.

Wukong sighed and rolled his eyes. He threw Ruyi Jingu Bang over his shoulders,“You got a problem?“

“Not me. But you, runt.“

“Careful. You have no idea who you’re speaking with, boy.“ The monkey demon confidently took a step closer.

“That’s the catch, old man. But why don’t you introduce yourself. I can do the same.“

Márgerdra nervously shifted in her place,“Monkey, no. He’s provoking…“

She didn’t finish her sentence because the impish disciple already took off. He landed a powerful punch into the rogue’s face. Several shards of knocked out teeth sank into his knuckles. “It’s Great Sage Equal to Heaven for you next time. No old man,“ the imp shook his palm and looked down at the astonished opponent who was thrown to the wall.

“Damnit, you’re still in shape. But how? You should be poisoned…“ the snake hissed back. Blood trickled down his short chin. The rogue demon’s dismay was short-lived - Wukong managed to grab his spinning head and painfully hissed. The golden cudgel slipped from his hand.

Márgerdra then realised something. The branches falling on the roof…weren’t branches. Horrified, her eyes widened beyond belief and her breath trembled. All she was able to say was,“Mei…“

She turned to run back. But, alas, it was too late.

“Boys! Plan B!“ The snake yelled out. Gathering the last strength he spat venom into Wukong’s eyes who had to lean over a wall to catch a breath. The monkey roared in pain. Right when he thought he was finally half-sober the opponent had to play dirty tricks on him. Same as Márgerdra, Wukong, too, remembered his brothers and Shifu. Unlike her, he had no way to run. The poison circulating in him made sure he stumbled and collapsed on the cold floor. Though the venom missed his eyes by an inch, the wound still hurt. Suddenly, something as black as a coal surrounded him and blocked his vision. A stinging stench hit his nose. He tried to move but an indescribable weight pushed him to the ground. He heard screaming, both male and female. The furniture was being destroyed in absolute havoc.

The Sage’s eyelids became heavy. His head wasn’t in a better state. It fell on the ground, the circlet rang against the floor. Sanzang calling his name in hopes of waking him up was the only thing Wukong was aware of before his body gave out and he passed out.

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Taglist (let me know if you'd like to be added): @vanessaroades-author @rubywrite @aohendo @rbbess110 @jgmartin @outpost51

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List of chapters:

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-one

Chapter Twenty-two

Chapter Twenty-three

Chapter Twenty-four

Chapter Twenty-five

Chapter Twenty-six

Chapter Twenty-seven

Epilogue

[sunlessea]

“ can i hold your hand? “ - travmare

& RE : they warned him, don't go there / @galaxiasus.

godless creature is he : he's so very lost, in the depths of their woods that have called them into the dark, thorn and rose alike wrapped 'round his lungs and heart. no light is there in the nowhere, less so is there a holy presence, even as he stands before a god, only in title. they weave between trees, each step a step of dance that follows their arms 'bove their head, near ethereal are they. a red herring, a false god, disgraced and still beloved. their lips quirk even as they dance, hair and dress catching flowing leaves that fall 'round them, they and he alike. one would think, when they laugh so uninhibited, they are making fun of him, so oft do they tease him, strange human he is. but it is a carefree, edgeless laugh, and their bare feet find home in the sunken earth as they fall into place in front of him.

so abruptly do they cease their dancing, it leaves their hair a calculated mess, strands 'cross their face, caught 'pon their lashes and between their lips. they do not bother to brush them free, moving with purpose closer to he, so moonstruck, so dazed, they think, that they are not sure he has truly accepted these woods as his reality. he is alice down the rabbit hole, a rabbit lost to the looking glass : so very out of place, away from lands he understands, and yet longing. a great many mortals they have crossed paths of, both of pure and tainted heart, and none, they believe, have ever been so confusingly in awe of them as he.

"kwara amae, man nat'." their eyes narrow, hand reaching out to him, now, as one might offer their hand to a partner at a ball. they are not, however, the gods of london's society. they do not offer kindness for the hesitation with which he works himself up to take their hand. the moment he reaches out, but does not commit, they grab his hand on their own, and pull him forward. again, do they begin to dance, this time dragging him along. these are not the steps of a ballroom soiree, nor of any form of class. they are hurried, rushed, in time only with the winds of the forest, and oh, if he listens closely, its heart offers a beat.

they force him, along their side, to follow along. it matters not, then, whether he is in tune with such wild dancing, whether he is capable of keeping up with that of such a strange creature as the mare : they do not show him mercy, and they do not offer him guidance. and yet still, even awkward as it must be, they do not leave his side. they work with his stumbling, use their grip 'pon his hand to twirl with him, and at times, so generous are they to take him into their arms and follow through their words. whether because he would stumble without them, or of his own free will, they do not know : but his hand finds its way to their waist, at times, where their messy steps will allow it, and against his very nature, they force his heart into freedom.

"let go of your human inhibitions," they bid him, click 'pon their tongue as they pull him along, "when you can dance with me, then i will allow you, both in and out of your daydreams, to hold my hand, beautiful, silly boy."

[jackrrabbit]

🤍 Haikyuu WIP excerpts

preview post for hq because recently i showed sara a list of my works in progress and she laughed at me and then made a dn joke like this is 2015 or something. we got:

🤍 communal property /// ushijima x f!reader x tendou 🤍 sunshower /// atsumu x f!reader x osamu 🤍 corporate ethics /// kuroo x f!reader

anyway these are all terrible first drafts and i'm not sorry. however i am very very into these pieces and if you're interested in seeing them finished, you should tell me fr fr

🤍 communal property /// Ushijima x f!Reader x Tendou

Summary: Tendou shares everything with Ushijima—his food, his dorm room, even the AVs he likes. Why not his girlfriend, too?

Tags/warnings: poly relationship in progress (only you and Tendou are dating at this point), mild suggestiveness ??, s*ze k*nk

Status: 10k words written (holy fuck lol) out of ~11k total? this bitch better get finished is2g

After the match, your voice is hoarse from screaming but you still manage to yell congratulations for your boyfriend when you meet him and Ushijima outside the locker room in the stadium. You’re pumped on the adrenaline of the game, so you don’t even protest like you usually would when Tendou picks you up in the middle of your hug and lifts you off the ground effortlessly. “How was I? Awesome, right? I told you we would beat them!”

“You did, you so did—“ Even though your throat hurts, you can’t help gushing about every rally, every soul-crushing block, every impossible spike. “—and then the guy on the left thought he was clear to shoot it but you just—“ You throw your arms in the air and mime hitting the ball down like a blocker. “Wha-bam!—and the look on his face! I thought he was going to punch you!”

Tendou laughs and lays a sloppy kiss on your cheek, just as thrilled as you are by the win. “You really liked it that much? I thought you weren’t into sports.”

“I loved it! You were so cool! I can’t believe I’m dating someone so cool!” You wrap your legs around his back and hug his face close to yours, reveling in the fact that this weirdo belongs to you wholly and entirely, that you get to have him to yourself (well, other than his roommate). “And I’m not into sports, I’m into you.”

Tendou smiles in a way that makes the sides of his eyes crinkle up and little red patches bloom over his cheeks, a look that says, I like you so much (Y/N), I like you I like you I like you, except he’s probably trying not to be mushy like that since Ushijima is standing off to the side.

You feel a little bad for ignoring him (no one likes being the third wheel, even if he never shows signs of caring) so when Tendou sets you down you turn to Ushijima. “And you! Holy shit, Tendou said you were good, but I didn’t know you were that good. The ball when you hit it was super loud—honestly, how are your hands okay? If I hit it that hard I’d probably break something.”

“My hands are fine…this is normal for me.”

But just because you’ve got them here in front of you and you’re still pumped from the exhilaration of the win, you can’t help grabbing Ushijima’s hand and flipping it palm-up to inspect. True to his word, there’s no redness, just the calluses he’s built up on his long fingers. “Wow.”

“You don’t need to worry about Wakatoshi,” Tendou tells you, grinning and then making a face. “He’s a monster, he can handle it.”

“No kidding. You’re both monsters.” You put the base of your palm up against Ushijima’s to gauge the size of his hand against yours, and without prompting Tendou grabs your other hand to press against his own. Tendou’s fingers are a bit longer, but Ushijima’s are…thicker, more solid. Your hands look like a little kid’s in comparison. “Can I be honest? Half the time I was thinking I actually feel bad for the other team. If I had to take on both of you at the same time, I’d probably cry.”

You’re (mostly) joking, but it’s still a complete shock when you see the side of Ushijima’s mouth curl up a tiny bit. You’ve known each other for months at this point, but you’ve never seen him smile until now. Half of you is wondering if this is some kind of optical illusion caused by the atmosphere and the dim light of the stadium cutting through the evening, but the other half of you enjoys it. You made Ushijima smile. You did that.

“Don’t sell yourself short, (Y/N).” Ushijima says, tipping his head to the side.

“Yeah!” Tendou chimes in, resting his chin on top of your head and folding his arms around your neck from his place behind you. “I’m sure you could take both of us. Right, Wakatoshi?”

So that’s probably a sign.

🤍 sunshower /// Atsumu x f!Reader x Osamu

Summary: [Kitsune AU] You find an old Ō-Inari shrine in the woods that may not be as abandoned as it looks.

Tags/warnings: Shinto religion, this preview is biased toward tsumu oops, yearning/soft vibes

Status: 3.9k words written out of 5–6k? total

Atsumu was the one who found you.

That’s how he likes to talk about it, that he found you, like you’d still be wandering around lost in the woods if it weren’t for him. Osamu thinks you would have found your way back home eventually but Atsumu likes it better this way, this framing that makes it seem like they saved you.

It’s hard for him to tell time linearly the way humans do but you mention once that you’ve known them for a year and that seems to fit. It’s spring now, almost barely tipping into summer, and it was spring when Atsumu found you. He remembers because of the way it was raining: light and tender, a summer rain early in the season, each little drop tapping off a leaf and then rolling into the forest bed to be eaten up by the grass and the soil.

Atsumu likes the rain, likes the sweet earthy smell it makes and the way the plants look so lush and green and alive, like they’d bleed if he sunk his teeth into them. He was out in the woods because of the rain ('Samu was in the shrine, as usual, attempting to set buckets under the millions of holes in the roof so the rainwater wouldn’t pool and rot through the wood underneath). But Atsumu was half asleep in a tree when he heard you crashing through the undergrowth, tripping over ferns and snapping every twig in your path (thought ya might be a bear, he tells you later, that’s how loud ya were) but he wouldn’t really have woken up if he hadn’t heard you singing.

(The odd thing is, you weren’t actually singing. You remember that day as vividly as they do: the warm, humid air making your skin feel sticky under your yellow raincoat; the tiny raindrops filtering through the canopy and kissing your cheeks; the ink feathering out on the damp xerox of the old map you found in your great-aunt’s attic so you could barely make out the “X” that was supposed to mark the location of the lost Inari shrine… You were cursing how stupid you’d been to go on a wild goose chase into the mountains with no cell service and no marked trail to look for a shrine that no one had seen in decades. You definitely weren’t singing.)

But Atsumu remembers it differently. No matter how many times you explain that you were just talking to yourself, when he replays the sound of your voice back then (reaching and lilting and falling, the way the birds talk to each other in the early morning, except the music of it was poured into syllables and words), it sounds like you’re singing. He wasn’t sure at first, hadn’t heard a voice that wasn’t Osamu’s in so many years that he gets tired counting them, but then he saw you push into view from between two bushes and he thought, a human!

A girl, too—it was hard to say at first because you were wearing that weird, slick jacket of yours, so bright yellow it was like an oversized flower blooming out of the grass, but then you tilted your head up to feel the rain on your face and the hood fell down and he knew. Not just a human, a girl! Atsumu wanted to yell for Osamu, make him come and confirm that there was a person wandering around not a mile from the shrine. A real person! Singing and smiling and wiping the rain off her cheeks (does that mean you like the rain, just like he does? did you come out to feel it too?) But he also wanted to surprise Osamu so he hid his tails and his ears and came down from the tree and asked if you had lost your way in the forest, since you were so far from any path…

When you think back on this yourself you’re amazed that you just went with him: a strange boy (man?) wearing a fox mask and traditional Shinto priest robes, which were somehow pristine white and red despite him having appeared from nowhere in the middle of a dense forest, who told you he had no idea what direction the village was but he could take you to the Inari shrine you’d been searching for…well. Maybe you were too surprised to be wary, or maybe you were just exhausted and lost. But you like to think you had a sense of it even then, the irrational belief that the boy in the woods was not just a boy in the woods.

Atsumu thinks you knew. Humans always understand, even when they try not to… He remembers, he took your hand that day in the forest and you saw that the claws on his fingers were too long to be human, and you said nothing because on some level you already felt it. Your skin was cool then, smooth and damp from the rain; he wanted to stop, run his hands up your arms, touch the places on your face where your mouth had been turned up at the corners and press his fingers into your cheeks.

🤍 corporate ethics /// Kuroo x f!Reader

Summary: [Office AU] The new junior marketing associate just happens to be Kuroo’s favorite camgirl, and he’s having trouble keeping his hands to himself.

Tags/Warnings: boss/employee, businessman!Kuroo as a reformed player, camgirl reader, this excerpt has a lil bit of 18+ content 👀

Status: 1.2k words written out of 4k? words total

Kuroo doesn’t watch porn.

It’s not, like, a moral principle or something. He has nothing against pornography. As far as he knows, it’s perfectly normal for single men. He just doesn’t like it…unless it’s you.

When he was in school it was easy. Being a teenager meant being so flooded with hormones that a warm breeze could get him up, and the adrenaline rush of winning a game was better than any big-titted porn actress faking moans into a shit-quality boom mic. Sure, he watched porn back then (what teenage boy didn’t?), but it was more out of curiosity than necessity. It was all kind of a mystery at that point, the way it can only be when you’re a clueless virgin and you and all your friends are too busy practicing for the next game to get girls.

Somehow Bokuto was the first one in their friend group to lose his virginity, and the memory of the dumbass self-consciously describing the experience has been lodged in Kuroo’s brain for the 10+ years since. “It was…I don’t know. She smelled good. You know how girls always smell good?” Bokuto’s hands twitched and his face was pink. “It’s just really…soft.”

Soft was right, Kuroo would reflect when he got laid for the first time a few months later. Soft, warm, wet. Sex was awkward at first, but before he knew it it was more natural than breathing.

It didn’t change much after high school, either. He didn’t get into volleyball for the groupies, but they didn’t hurt. There were girls when he played for his college team, more girls when he joined a business frat, so many girls he couldn’t keep track…they blurred together after a while. It didn’t take effort. You don’t need game when you’re 6’2 and you’re in the gym 40 hours a week, and you definitely don’t need porn.

So he never got into it. Now that he’s promoting volleyball instead of playing, things are more complicated. Kuroo’s never been the type who expects things to fall in his lap, but there are so many rules when it comes to dating in the real world. Good morning texts, anniversaries, flowers, parents. It’s exhausting. One time—seriously, just one time—Kuroo misses his girlfriend’s birthday to go watch a Jackals game, and the next time he sees her she throws her drink on him in public and keys his car. After that, Kuroo decides that until he’s ready to settle down there will be no more girlfriends. Which means no more reliable sex. Which means resorting to porn.

Which means you.

You, batting your eyelashes at the camera and biting the side of your lip. You, purring and mewing like a kitten. You, lying back on your pretty pink bedsheets in your pretty pink lingerie, sliding your hands between your legs. It takes Kuroo a full month to decide to pay for access to your website (Kenma’s unsolicited recommendation) but it takes less than five minutes for him to upgrade access to premium. You look like a wet dream—no, you look like the centerfold of every dirty magazine Kuroo managed to get his hands on when he was younger. Pristine and alluring and so deliciously out of reach.

And you make it so simple. No delicate emotional games with rules Kuroo never bothered to learn. No pretending to care how your day was. You untie the little bows on the side of your panties and lick your fingers and Kuroo just has to take his dick out and watch you. Getting off hasn’t been this easy for him since college. You’re a camgirl, you exist on his computer screen, and that’s how he likes it.

Which makes it a lot more awkward when Kuroo finds out that the only woman he’s gotten off to in the past…year, maybe?…somehow just got hired in JVA’s sports promotion department as his junior associate.

Your prim work blouse is buttoned up to the collar and your makeup is different, but he knows it’s you. You have to tell him your name twice because he’s too stunned to respond the first time, and even then he can’t summon up more of a response than a curt nod because his mouth tastes like dirt.

You smile a little awkwardly at his cool reception, and the hand you’d extended out to shake swings back down to your side. “Um, the guy at HR said he sent up my info yesterday…I’ll be working directly underneath you?”

Directly underneath me. Kuroo is taking a sip of his coffee when you say this. He doesn’t spit it out, but it’s close.

[sashi-ya]

Ch. 4 ~ NSFW ~ Trafalgar Law x F! Maid! Reader ~ A Dangerous Attraction.

AU : Mafia AU. Mafia boss Law. He IS a murderer.

TW: BLOOD. Mafia & murderers. Graphic depictions of violence. Smut. Explicit. Making love. Vaginal sex. Impregnation. Self harm. Marks, bites. Mental health issues. Trauma. Fluff. Angst.

WC: 4.2K

Chapters: one ; two; three; four; five; final

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/33273136

Tag list: @rivvd-art ; @chocokaylarobin ; @fantasyfairysworld ♥

“Law!!”

“Name-ya…”

Inked fingers squeezing around your wrist, your body hanging into the void. You try to climb, but little rocks fall every time you try to use your feet to push yourself up. The desperation and Law is simply not moving, he is just holding you. If he wanted, he could let go of you and you would fall instantly. If he wanted, he could kill you and no one would know. If he wanted…

“Law! Pull me up!” you shout, with tears in your eyes. He is not listening; Law is completely frozen. His eyes opened wide; he doesn’t blink. He doesn’t breathe. His jaw muscles are clenched. Your arm hurts, the only thing that is keeping you alive is Law grabbing you.

“Law don’t let me fall. Save me…” you beg with tears sprouting from your eyes. “LAW!!!” you shout. The time passes so slowly, so painfully scary.

Suddenly he blinks quickly and pushes you up. Your body falls over his, you are safe now. Law hugs you; he starts crying. Your head rests over his chest, but quickly try to release yourself from his arms. “Let me go!” you shout, in distress.

Law stops hugging you and you stand up, trembling, still crying. You take your hand to your wrist, massaging the fingertips marks he has left over your skin. “I’m… you don’t understand. I didn’t…” he tries to tell you, but he fails as he stutters nervously.

“I wanna go home. My home” you tell him and start walking back through the path. You almost run; you can feel him walking behind you. Law is sobbing, he can’t stop crying. You hear some scratching noises, but you decide not to look back. If you dared to even look at him, you’ll pity him and forgive what just happened.

But something stops you, you hear a loud noise and a whining. A painful whining. You turn around, and there is Law, kneeling on the ground, right arm bleeding from the scratches he has made on himself, swollen eyes from all the crying. He keeps violently scratching his skin, and he can’t stop.

“What the hell?!” you shout and run to him. You crunch next to him and grab his arm, “Stop doing that. You are hurting yourself”. “I’m… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it…” he says repeatedly. “Stop, please. You are bleeding” you tell him, holding his arm. He puts his forehead over your chest imploring forgiveness. Your shirt gets damp by his tears. A mafia boss crying like this, so weak…

“Why didn’t you pull me up instantly, Law?” you ask all of a sudden. You know that whatever he says won’t stop you from running away from him, but that question escapes your mouth unintentionally. “I… I’m… my dad. My uncle…” he stutters. “What happened?” you ask. “My uncle… killed my dad. Doflamingo pushed him by the same hill. I was in the car looking at everything. My uncle said my dad slipped away because he was clumsy, but he didn’t. He pushed him. And I saw everything. And didn’t say anything, I was afraid. My… dad…I was seven”. And suddenly everything makes sense… he was facing his trauma, but he never let you fall. He saved you… once again.

You hug him so close, poor thing. You caress his black hair, rocking him back and forth. “It’s ok, it’s ok…” you repeat. A few minutes after he stops crying, “I’m sorry” he says, nuzzled on your chest.

“It’s ok, Law…”

But you can’t take this anymore. You are going to end up dying if you stay next to him. You definitely are.

Both walk back to the cabin, you start packing your stuff leaving only the maid costume over the big, still undone, bed. Sitting on the mattress you take out the photo of your family and look at it. In the photo you see your sisters, your mom and you in your father’s arms. It’s your birthday. Behind, a tall man running with a little boy wearing a white hat. You don’t really remember their faces. You only remember that man was your father’s partner. Both policemen. They were fighting against organised crime. After your dad was shot, you never hear anything else from his partner, nor the little kid. But you keep focusing on your family, and those happy times. You were smiling so joyfully, so naive…

You hear the surgeon at the door, and quickly put the photo on your pocket. There is no way you let a mafia boss see the face of your family members. It’s just too risky...

“You sure you don’t want to stay?” asks Law, now with a white bandage around his scratched arm. “I am sure, please take me back to my apartment” you tell him. “(Name)-ya, please, stay at my house. I promise I won’t talk to you” he says, tears building up in his eyes. But you remain strong. “Please…I need time to be on my own” you tell him as if you were begging him to stop insisting. You don’t know how much you are gonna go without succumbing to the dangerous attraction he represents to you.

“At least let me keep you safe, I won’t visit you, I won’t call you. But please, stay in one of my apartments. I beg you” he finally says, approaching you. You back up instantly, somehow him touching you, scares you.

“Fine” you finally accept. He is right, if you dare to come back to that apartment you might be in danger. Law eyes sparkle, he breathes a sigh of relief. “Thank you, thank you so much” he says, approaching you once again as he was trying to hug you.

“Stop. Don’t touch me” you command. He freezes right away, the smile in his face is gone once again. “I’m sorry, I’ll be in the car waiting for you” he says, crestfallen and walks away. Your heart aches at him leaving the door, but you know too well this is the best decision you could have taken.

Once everything is set, and you are ready, you go downstairs. You give a last peek to the cabin, the place where Law and you let your passions go wild for the first time… a place where he almost chokes you to death… Closing the door behind you, you were sure this was the last time you would ever be in this place.

Opening the door of that amazing black car, you throw your bag on the backseat and sit next to Law. He is wearing black shades, tears falling through his cheeks. He is not speaking; he swallows and hits the gas. You don’t dare to look at him, so your head is turned towards the window. The magnificent forest, nature, a place where you’ve been the happiest… and the sudden memories of you almost losing your life for the second time…

No more than an hour passes, and you are already on the highway. The radio makes the painful silence a little less uncomfortable. A slowed cover of “We Found Love” by Rihanna playing.

“As your shadow crosses mine, what it takes to come alive.

It's the way I'm feeling I just can't deny. But I've gotta let it go.

We found love in a hopeless place…

Shine a light through an open door. Love and life I will divide.

Turn away 'cause I need you more”

“Tsk…” you express. “Hum?” he asks. “Nothing…”. There was no interaction, nothing. Law’s cheeks damped. Nose red from all the crying.

“(Name)-ya… would you prefer the 6th or the 8th floor?” he asks, sniffling. “Whatever you want, it’s ok for me either way” you tell him, feeling ashamed. You are leaving him, but still living on his property… this shouldn’t happen. “Ok… Then the 8th floor. It has a big terrace” he tells you and touches the screen of the car.

“Bepo, Law here”

“Law, I’m Pen. Tell me”

“Oh, Penguin. Please take all the (Name)-ya’s stuff to Swallow inns, the eighth floor”.

“Yes, boss. Are you ok? You need us to take some of your stuff too?”

“Just hers… oh, don’t forget the Kia”

Law hangs up before his friend could say anything else. His voice clearly shows how much he’s been crying; he knows his friend would ask. You simply ignore everything he says, you don’t really want to hear even though he is speaking via Bluetooth.

After two hours, you arrive at a luxurious apartment complex over the beach. A big sign that says “Swallow Inn” announces that this is the place you are gonna be living from now on. “Damn” you think, how the fuck your life changed so much that you ended up living in such a place…

“(Name)-ya, this is the place where the apartment is located. Our… your parking spot is the number 18” he informs you. “Uhm, ok…” you say, because you don’t even have a bicycle to park in there, but hey, thanks for the information. But, when you arrive at the said parking spot, a little black car is parked there. “Nice, someone parked on your spot” you say, sarcastically.

“It’s yours…” he says. “What? No” you categorically express. “Please, accept it. This place is far from the city, and there are no bus stops nearby. Please” he insists. “Ok…” you accept, even though you are sure you are not gonna use that car.

Law takes your stuff from the backseat and tells you to follow him inside. The place is modern, everything is clean, luxurious, white, pure. “Eighth floor” he says and presses the little 8th button of the elevator and a code. “Remember, you should enter this number so you can enter home, ok?”. You don’t speak, and just nod.

The doors open inside the apartment, again everything is so white and pure. Your stuff is already in place. Big windows show the immense sea ahead. Everything is perfect, so for rich people. “Law, this place is amazing. You sure you want me to live here?” you ask.

Law turns around, takes his sunglasses off. Swollen red eyes, more dark circles than ever. He fixes his grey irises on yours. “I’d rather you live with me. But this is the best second option I have to keep you safe”. You keep looking at him, you can’t take your eyes off him. It hurts so much, even more than the bruises on your wrist, on your neck… your heart shouts “stay with me”; but your head says no… no, or you are gonna end up dying.

“By the way, this is your phone. I recommend you use this one, it’s safer. Not for me, but for you” he says, lending you a mobile phone that’s over the breakfast nook. “Thanks” you nod and your fingers graze when gabbing the phone. How hard is this…

“Well, I know you want me to go, but, if you ever need me… just, call me. Ok?” says Law, taking his hand to your cheek, but quickly stopping himself. “Wait” you say and grab his hand to your face. He gasps but grazes your skin. You close your eyes and let your head rest over his palm for a moment.

“Thank you, Law… Give me some time, please” you whisper. “I’ll be waiting for you…” he says, and a few moments later he is gone. The elevator doors close, and your legs finally turn weak. You fall on your knees. You haven’t cried until now, and now you do. Tears won’t stop falling from your eyes to the marbled floor.

“Law…”

----

After all your tears have dry, you start looking around the apartment. Your bedroom is bigger than your ex-house. The bed looks just as the one Law has in his room. Satin sheets and white fluffy covers.

A wardrobe full of your clothes, old and some new outfits they bought you from the finest brands. And next to your clothes, men's ones. “Are these Law’s?”.

You can’t help but take one of his t shirts. You choose a yellow one, with black sleeves. “It has his smell…” you say, while taking the cloth to your nose. “I don’t think he would mind if I use it…” you say and put the shirt on. It has some kind of a smiley face stamped on it, and you wonder what it means.

The night comes, and your stomach growls. The fridge is full of ingredients, Law’s subordinates are so efficient. You cook a vegetable wok that you devour right away. The place is way too big for you, but it is what it is.

You inspect the new phone he gave you, such modern and pretty. You decide to pass all your photos from your old one to it. Same as the numbers. “I should call mum…” you think, remembering about the money. Where are you going to find any money to send them? “I can’t go back to the old bar; I’ll search for work tomorrow”.

“Hi, mum?”

“Darling!! I’ve been calling you, but you don’t seem to pick up. Is everything alright? Why are you calling from a private number?”

“It’s my new phone, I don’t know how to take it off. I will ask a friend to help me, and I’ll send you my number mum. Don’t worry” you lie. “How are you? How are the girls?

“Fine baby, but are you alright? You sound so sad…”

“I’m fine mum!! I moved! I will send you the address via text, ok? You should come someday! I have a sea view now!!” You act all excited, just for her not to worry, but moms know better…

“If you need mum, come spend some days with us darling. Ok?”

“Yes mum, I’m ok. I’ll be visiting you soon!” You lie once again, choking back tears.

The conversation is soon over, and after hanging up, tears run free. “I hate lying to my mum. Damn it. Damn Law…” you grunt, while searching for the picture of your family on your pocket.

“Where the fuck…?” You say, while searching for it desperately in your jean’s pockets. No sign of the photo, and you start to panic. The last photo you have with your dad, your seventh birthday…

“Don’t tell me I lost it, please!!!” You shout and start to look for it everywhere. Every place, every square. You can’t stop crying. You just can’t… something so precious to you.

“That’s what happens when you hang with the mafia… karma” you tell yourself before falling asleep, crying.

You wake up several times during the night, as nightmares invade your dreams. Law’s scratched arms, his eyes, the feeling of falling into the void. The day the police came to your house to tell your family, someone killed your dad. The way Law choked you… the way his hands were around your neck, the way his hips moved in and out of you, the way his kisses make you feel…

“Stop right there, (Name)” you say to yourself looking at the ceiling. How can you feel horny, huh? Are you crazy? “What’s wrong with me…?”. You know what’s wrong, of course you do. You are in love with Law and can’t deny it anymore. Your body misses him, you miss his scent, you are using his damn shirt to bed. You miss him so much; you are hugging a pillow pretending it is him.

Standing up from bed, you look through the big window of your room. The sea seems calm, sun is peeking from the horizon, still lazily resting until dawn. You sigh and say, “I fucking miss you… why aren’t you here?”.

Ding, Dong…

The sophisticated sound of the doorbell resonates all over the loft. “Fuck” you think, they’ve found you… Am I in danger? Should I call Law? Bepo? You tremble and walk towards the intercom.

Ding, Dong…

“Fuck” … you slowly pick up the phone of the intercom, and the little screen next to it turns on. The image of Law, a distressed Law appears. “What the fuck? I told him to give me some space…” you think, but he signs desperately for you to open.

“Law, what are you doing here?” You ask via the phone.

“Open, please, I have something important to show and tell you, I didn’t want to enter with my code” he says and shows a little square paper. Your most precious treasure, your family photo. You widen your eyes, “enter the code, come on”.

A minute passes and the door of the inside elevator opens. Law is standing right there; he looks like a mess. This must be the third night he hasn’t slept.

“Can I?” He asks for permission to even step into your -his- apartment. “Come in. Do you have my pic?” You ask ignoring the fact of wearing his shirt and only that over your body.

“Yes, but… I need to show you something about it” Law says, while looking at you up and down with a sweet expression. “Let’s sit, this is important” he insists. So, both of you sit on the couch. Law takes your photo out of his jacket pocket and puts it over the coffee table. “This is your photo, right?” He asks. “Yes, thank you!! Where was it?” You tell, but before you could take it, he stops your arm. “Wait… it was over the car seat. But, please, look at this…” he says and puts another photo next to it.

“L-Law…”

“I didn’t know, I promise”

“It can’t be, was your dad…?

“Yes, it was” …

Both of you start crying, recognizing how linked both of you are…

Law takes his finger to your cheek, wiping a single tear. You do the same, wiping the tears from his cheeks. “I’m so sorry…” he whispers. “Don’t…” you tell him, and you two hug. Pressing your bodies, you find the comfort, the warmth of home. That feeling you only experience when you know you are safe…

Your faces so close, your eyes fixed. The sun slowly rising, invading the place with lilac and orangey tones. Law is fighting not to kiss you, and you frankly too.

“Fuck it” you whisper and plant a sweet kiss over his lips. And that’s the spark you two needed to become fire. You set all your zipper free, no more clothes. You sit over his lap, both kissing so passionately, tongues playing with each other’s. Law cries, you cry. But you two smile pressing your foreheads.

You see how the scratches on his arm became scars already. You grab his arm and kiss softly over each wound. “Don’t do this ever again, please. If you have the need, talk to me, tell me, I’ll be there to help you…” you tell him, looking straight into his soul. Poor thing…

“I missed you” he says. “I missed you, too” you tell him. Even if you haven’t seen each other for some hours, your souls missed each other so much. You kiss him so relieved… your head keeps telling you stop, until the arousal drowns every single sign of reason.

Law gabs your thighs and stands up, carrying you to the bed. He softly puts you over the mattress, and he settles over your body. Gently kissing your neck, Law takes his time. His hands grazing your breasts so softly. “I want to make sweet love to you, I want to be gentle, I want it slow” he says, because he doesn’t want to hurt you. You smile and take your hands to his face. “Do it slow and do it faster. Do it gentle, and do it rough…make love to me, Law” you tell him.

His “death” hands travel from your neck to your waist, and even lower. His fingers buried on your hips as his mouth reaches your sex. “Spread, babe” he asks with a soft tone. You do it right away. “Good girl, now put your legs over my shoulders”. And so, you do.

Law’s mouth attacks your core, licking, tasting, devouring your juices. He little by little kneels on the bed, pushing you up. Your legs are still over his shoulders, he has better access to your core as he keeps giving you the best oral sex you ever experienced. You grab the sheets, pull from them, as your climax begins to arrive. Law presses your lower belly, while he sucks your clit. “Come on, come for me” he says, muzzled by your anatomy.

You are about to burst, and Law penetrates you with his middle finger and ring finger. The licking, the pressure, the fingering… you come, squirting, bathing his whole torso with your juices, as they come out with such pressure Law is not able to receive it all with his mouth.

“Such a good girl” he says, letting your legs over the mattress. You are panting, that position somehow made everything better… “L-Law…?” you mumble, still trembling from the orgasm you just had.

“What, baby?” He asks while wiping the rest of your climax off his chin with the back of his hand. “Don’t you ever stop fucking me like this” you tell him, so naturally, so unplanned.

“I won't, I won't ever stop”.

Law lays in bed, next to him, enjoying how you come back to normal, and the blushed on your cheeks that screams how good your orgasm felt. But he wants more, and of course, you too.

“Come here” he says and helps you to turn around. He is spooning you; you feel his hard member over your glutes. Law passes his right arm under your neck, and the left one reaches your left nipple. He pinches it, twists it. Law takes his index to your mouth and makes you suck it. “Wet it real good” he commands. Your teeth graze the E tattooed on his finger while sucking it so sexily.

The same finger, shiny from your saliva, is now tracing circles again over your nipple. You moan, it feels so good. He gropes you with his dick, your back feels the warmth of his inked chest. You push your ass against his member, trapping it in between both cheeks. Law grunts, and moves up and down, frotting his hard shaft over your rear entrance.

Your hand reaches for the surgeon’s hip. You carve your nails on his skin, pulling you even closer to you.

“Fuck me, fuck me now”. “If that’s what you want…” he says, while he bites your neck. The hand that was playing with your nipple now grabs his dick. He aligns it with your entrance, lubricating the tip with your dripping arousal. He slaps the shaft against your labia, forming strings of precum mixed with your juices.

His gland playfully hits your clit, and you squirm with it. But you burn with the need of being penetrated, filled by him. “I want you inside, please” you beg. “You want me inside? How much do you want it?” Law says pressing his mouth against your cheek, his beard grazing your skin. “Fill me up, I want it so bad. Fuck me, now…” you whine.

“Ok, my darling. Just because my shirt suits you so well” he says and kissing the side of your mouth he penetrates you so slow, little by little stretching your walls. The feeling of the tip going in and out, without fully penetrating you deep, sends you to heaven as it grazes your g spot. You can only whine his name, feeling as he gradually goes deeper, in and out.

You can feel Law’s wicked smile over your cheek as he finally penetrates you to the deepest point he can reach. Your walls clench around his member as he speeds up the pace. “Babe, you feel so good, so tight” he moans in your ear. The sound of his voice could kill you if it was meant for it.

You moan soundly, sure the neighbours could hear you, but unable to hold back as Law is now fucking you mercilessly. Soon the climax road is taken, and you are sure getting to it.

“I want to see your face while you come” Law says, and quickly turns you around. Classic missionary position, the most perfect man over you, his whole anatomy, sweating, panting.

Law puts your arms up your head, grabbing your wrists together. His body lean over you while he pounds into you, violent, deliciously thrusts. The way the muscles of his torso tightens when his hips move in and out are art, the finest piece of art you have ever seen.

And inevitably, both of you reach orgasms. This time, Law focused on your face, he didn’t bite his lip, he didn’t choke you, he didn’t lose track of reality. Law this time was being driven by love, by the only need of loving you, of making you happy… of not losing you.

You come, and so does he. Law fills you with his creamy seed. He collapses over you, still with his dick inside you, pushing his milk deep in you. Returning his breathing back to normal, he whispers into your ear “I think I’m still in love with you”.

“Still? What do you mean?” You ask, confused...

CH.5

[stolen-pen-name23]

how about #12 “it reminded me of you” with obi wan and satine ✨

Hey girlie!!! Thanks so much for the prompt, you know I have fun with these two! From these prompts/prompts now closed

Read on Ao3

Here ya go!

---

In every way, the forest felt enchanted, like the ones from the stories Obi-Wan was told as a youngling.

The sun’s stubborn beams broke their way through the dense forest canopy, allowing their light to shine on Satine every once in a while. For a brief, glimmering moment, the sunbeams turned blonde hair golden and Obi-Wan could not help but let his eyes be drawn to it.

For a moment he could forget that he was not here for some retreat or vacation, but rather, a mission.

Yes, a mission. He glanced over at Satine who walked in front of him like it was her mission and not his. Obi-Wan swallowed his pride and allowed himself this brief moment of peace.

For now, they were unaccompanied — left alone together to fend for themselves in the woods while Qui-Gon went the long way around to meet them at the rendezvous.

Obi-Wan was grateful to his Master for taking the bounty hunters on a wild goose chase far away from them. It meant that for now, the young Jedi and Duchess were safe — or as safe as anyone could be while they were on the run.

Obi-Wan took a deep breath and sank back into the Force. It was so alive here. Obi-Wan was never and would never be as in-tune with the Living Force as his Master, but right now, in the middle of this lush and thriving forest, Obi-Wan could feel it pulse around and through him, harmonizing with his beating heart.

Satine seemed to sense his lighthearted mood.

“What has you so lively this morning?” she asked turning around to face him. The sunlight danced on her curls when she turned her head like that and Obi-Wan tried to ignore the fluttering in his stomach.

“Must I have cause to be cheerful?”

“Seeing as you so rarely are, yes, you do. Now, what is it?”

Obi-Wan smiled. “This place… it’s nice.”

Satine frowned. “This forest? This hot, muggy forest? That’s what it takes to make you smile? A miserable environment?”

“It is not miserable,” he said defensively. “You wouldn’t understand it.”

“Try me.”

“I can… I can feel the life flowing through everything around us and it… I don’t know,” Obi-Wan was starting to feel rather stupid in his explanation. His cheeks flushed at the rare outpouring of emotion.

Satine, however, seemed unphased.

“Believe me, Jedi, I do not wish to be one of your kind,” she started, “but sometimes I wish I could see the world the way you saw it. Feel it the way you feel it. Just for a day.”

“I think that would be rather cruel,” Obi-Wan said.

“To be a Jedi for a day?”

“To have the Force for a day, only to have it ripped from you. It would be like someone gouging out your eyes and cutting off your ears all at once. I would not wish it upon my enemies.”

“Very well then, I take it back. I’ll continue on in my ignorance,” Satine smirked at him.

Obi-Wan shook off her remarks and they continued on their path, Satine still in the lead.

The forest was hot and muggy, Obi-Wan realized and he silently cursed Satine for pointing it out. Sweat coated his skin and his clothing stuck to him uncomfortably, but even that could hardly dampen his spirits.

Lost in his thoughts and in the swells of the Force, Obi-Wan startled when Satine stopped and let out a soft gasp.

Obi-Wan snapped to attention and looked to her. “What is it, Duchess?” His fingers grazed his lightsaber.

“Look!” she said, excitement of her own now lilting her voice upwards.

Obi-Wan stepped beside her and laid eyes on what caused her to gasp. The forest before them was blanketed it bright blue butterflies. Every trunk, every branch, every fallen log. The ground, the leaves, the mushrooms that plumed like clouds from the earth, all of it was covered by the winged insects.

Perhaps this is what was causing his lighthearted mood. Hundreds, thousands, of pure Force signatures pulsing and existing so close to him. “They must be migrating,” Obi-Wan whispered.

Wings opened and closed, some slow, some fast, some not at all. Some of the butterflies took flight, only to settle in with a different horde of its brethren. Obi-Wan turned to Satine and realized her eyes matched the color of the butterfly wings.

As though she could feel him staring at her, she turned to him. “What is it?”

“Do you wish to know how I see them?” he asked shyly.

“What do you mean?”

“Earlier you asked me why I was so happy. It was because of this. Because of all the life in the Force. Every living thing has its own Force signature that is uniquely theirs. I see them differently from you.”

“How do you see them then?”

“Well, as all living things are, they are unique from one another, and yet, there is a uniformity between them. They migrate together and I can see the connections between them,” Obi-Wan began. Satine was staring at the butterflies, but she was nodding her head along with him. He took it as permission to continue.

“It’s almost as if the air between them ripples with their shared connection, but not in a way that distorts my vision. And it is only if I’m actually looking for it, if I were not allowing myself to sink deeper into the Force, then I would not see it exactly this way.

“Their signatures pulse at their own unique pace, some faster, some slower. Some of them have their own color. It varies from butterfly to butterfly, but it’s… well it’s beautiful.”

“And every living thing has one? A Force signature you called it?” Satine asked.

“Yes, everything.”

“And you see everything like that?”

“If I choose to. I can filter it out if it’s overwhelming.”

“How do you see me?”

Obi-Wan paused and he faltered. How could he describe how he saw her? No poet nor scribe could assign words to it, and Obi-Wan could hardly call himself either one of those.

“I don’t know… you’re, well,” Obi-Wan stuttered.

Satine put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes, taking his hesitance for some sort of insult.

“How do you see me, Padawan Kenobi?” she said again.

“You’re golden,” he finally spluttered out. “You… you glow. Not like a Force-sensitive does, it’s different from that, but you glow brighter than most sentient life forms and it’s… enchanting.”

He flushed and looked away from her.

Enchanting? Did I really just use the word enchanting to describe her? Come on, Kenobi, what are you thinking?

Hardly a poet indeed.

“Enchanting?”

“Yes,” he cringed. “I… couldn’t think of a better word.”

Satine laughed, but there was no cruelty in it. “It is a fine enough word, though it is quite cliché,” she said. “I wish I could see you in the way you see me.”

“But you do see me,” he said. “Not like a Jedi, no. Maybe because you aren’t a Jedi. I don’t know, but you make me feel seen.”

Oh, he really was dipping into clichés now, wasn’t he?

This time Satine blushed. She turned her face further away from him and stared at the butterflies.

All at once, the butterflies took off — a curtain of blue interrupting the greens and browns of the forest. To Obi-Wan, the air shimmered with their individual signatures. It was as mesmerizing as it was dizzying, and Obi-Wan had to take a brief moment to look away.

“Are you all right?” Satine asked.

“Yes, Duchess,” Obi-Wan said, though he found looking at her to be even more dizzying. “I’m quite all right.”

Together, they stood and watched the butterflies flutter away until not even one remained.

The butterflies were gone and Obi-Wan and Satine kept moving forward.

***

10 Years Later

Obi-Wan strode down the ramp of his ship with a confidence he did not truly feel. Obi-Wan had always been good at faking it until he made it and now was no exception.

The corners of the rectangular box he held in his robe poked at him, but he ignored it.

“Master Kenobi,” Satine’s musical voice rang out. “A pleasure it is to see you on Mandalore once again.”

“A pleasure it is to visit, Duchess.”

“Come, I have much to show you before we head to the senatorial dinner.”

As promised, Satine showed him the new school she had built for the children of refugees. She showed him the new fine arts center and the library in all of its glory.

At the dinner, they sat beside one another, trading glances only they would understand the meaning of. Satine and Obi-Wan managed to get through it without offending any of the off-world politicians — a new record for them.

They allowed themselves a night together. Just one night. A moment of indulgence for two people who sacrificed everything for duty.

But morning came as it always did and the new day signaled the end of their short-lived escape.

Once again, they found themselves standing in front of the ramp of his ship, exchanging barbs and banter that would have been insulting to anyone else. But this was him and this was her and they had their own way of communicating.

Obi-Wan was about to offer his goodbyes before he remembered the rectangular box inside his robes.

“Oh! I almost forgot. I saw this on Pantora and… well… it reminded me of you.”

Obi-Wan handed her the box and she opened it gently. Inside, a delicate chain held the silver figure of a butterfly.

“Like all those years ago,” Satine said softly.

“Exactly.”

“It’s beautiful, Obi-Wan,” Satine said, looking at the necklace reverently.

“You like it?”

“Yes,” she said. She locked eyes with him and gave him a grin. “It’s… enchanting.”

Obi-Wan groaned. “You’re never going to let that one go, are you, Duchess?”

“Not in this lifetime, my dear Jedi,” she smiled mischievously. Gently she pulled the silver chain out of the box and began opening the clasp.

“Let me,” Obi-Wan said, and to his surprise, she did. He stood behind her and worked the clasp. He tried not to get caught up in the curve of her neck or the smell of her hair and focused on the task at hand.

“Can you not stay for just one more day?” Satine asked softly, just as the clasp snapped shut.

Obi-Wan sighed. If she had asked him before he would have said yes. But now…

“I must return to my Padawan, he is not pleased that I left him alone to his studies while I am off traipsing from planet to planet, surely having a better time than he,” Obi-Wan said rueful smile. He wanted to stay, but they both had their responsibilities. She knew that as well as he did.

“Right. I do not wish to keep you from him,” Satine said. Obi-Wan knew she understood, but he felt the melancholy of his departure as much as she did. “Until next time, Master Kenobi.”

“Until next time, Duchess Kryze.”

Obi-Wan allowed himself one last look at her before he turned around to leave.

The necklace glinted in the sunlight, but Obi-Wan paid it no mind. Its metallic glow was a shadow in comparison to hers, and her glow was all he cared to see.

[agustdakasuga]

You Never Walk Alone | Chapter 2

Genre: Werewolf!AU, Poly!AU?, Mate!AU, romance, fluff

Pairing: OT7 x Reader

Characters: Student!reader, Omega!Seokjin, Alpha!Yoongi, Beta!Hoseok, Alpha!Namjoon, Omega!Jimin, Beta!Taehyung, Alpha!Jungkook

Summary: You live a quiet life in your late grandfather’s cabin in the woods. You go to school just to graduate and get your diploma, not to make friends or stand out from the crowd. That was until one day, you enter your home to see a pack of wolves that need shelter.

You cannot stop thinking about the wolf. You felt a strong bond with it despite it only being around for a few hours. A part of you dreads going back to the quiet house without him there. 

“Did he get back to his pack safely?” You sighed as you looked out the window. For some reason, the wolf couldn’t leave your mind. You wondered how he was, if his bandages came loose, if he found his home. 

All the more your bullies were annoyed that you weren’t even sparing them a glance today. Your mind was somewhere else, thinking about someone else that they seemed invisible to you. Lifting your hand, you remembered how soft his fur felt against your fingertips. 

“God, he’s a wild animal who just needed shelter for the night. He’s gone.” You scolded yourself mentally. 

But for some reason, you were so captured by him. The way he would whine or grin at you like a person would. Or how he scoffs or rolls his eyes at your words, as if telling you to shut up. 

If not for his looks, he could be human. 

Maybe this was the universe telling you to get a pet and stop being such a loner. You couldn’t help but scoff at that thought.

“Omg, she has officially gone crazy. She’s even talking to herself.” Someone pointed at you, snickering. Everyone laughed alone. You just rolled your eyes and rested your chin in your palm. 

After working, that evening, you got down at the bus stop and headed through the forest track that you always took to get back to your wood cabin. You had your earphones blasting music in your ears as you walked. The darkness didn’t scare you. There weren’t many wild animals to be afraid of anyways, well... except now you knew there were wolves. 

*howl*

You pulled one earphone out when you heard a distance howl. Your heart grew warm as you thought that it could be your wolf. 

“I hope you found your family.” You smiled and continued on your path. When you reached your home, instead of going into the house, you sat on the log outside, admiring the stars. 

Hearing footsteps, you turned your forehead to see him. He walked over casually, planting his butt down next to your feet. You blinked at him. 

“You’re... still here?” You were confused. 

“Don’t you want to find your family?” You stroked his head. His head dropped and ears drooped at your words, letting out a whine. Did he not have a family like you? Was he also left behind? Sighing, you continued to stroke his head and even rubbed his ears. 

“Guess we’re both alone, huh?” You chuckled bitterly. 

"Well, at least we both have each other to count on now.” Jimin barked.

“Alright. You can stay here with me if you want.” You rolled your eyes as you shook your head. 

He stood up and smiled at you, wagging his tail as he let his tongue fall out of his mouth. You laughed but was caught off guard when he pounced on you, showering you in licks. 

“Yah! Yah! Stop!” You laughed. 

“Never!” Jimin laughed as he continued to shower you in kisses. He backed away and sat back down as you pushed yourself up. 

“Alright, let’s get dinner.” You dusted your clothes before unlocking the door and entering. As you left him to go shower, you stared at yourself in the mirror. You couldn’t stop smiling. You touched the mirror, it has been so long since you’ve even seen yourself smiling. There has just never been a reason to smile so you never did. 

You came out and changed into comfortable clothes. When you came back down, the wolf stood up and headed to you. 

“After dinner, we’re giving you a name. I don’t think you really like the name ‘wolfie’, huh?” You patted his head and he let out a bark in agreement. 

It was a dinner of mixed noodles for you and for the wolf, the same boiled chicken. He was not impressed, his expression was a dead giveaway as you put down the bowl in front of him.

“I need to go grocery shopping tomorrow, okay? This is all I have.” You said defensively. He huffed but dug into his food anyway. You sat on the couch to eat. 

As you watched your show, you felt something wet on your cheek, making you jump. 

“Yah! I should seriously attach a bell to you. You walk too quietly.” You scoffed as he used his nose to boop your cheek. You slowly inched away, only to have him step closer to you. He eyed your food and blinked up at you innocently. You knew what he was hinting at. 

“Nu uh. This is mine. You already ate your share.” You held the bowl away. He whined, staring into your eyes. 

“Sorry but puppy eyes don’t work on me, mister.” You scolded as you continued eating. He gave up, lying down next to you, resting his head on his front paws. 

After you were done, the wolf waited for you to wash up and do the dishes. He tilted his head, looking at you curiously as you pulled out a chart. 

“Here. Choose your name.” You pointed to the Korean alphabet. 

“Do you even know how to-”

He cut you off by stepping forward and using his right paw to tap at the alphabet. You quickly wrote down wherever he stepped on and put it together. He sat down and waited for you to put the words together. He smiled at the way you stuck your tongue out of your mouth as you were deep in thought. Finally, you slammed the writing pad down, making him jump. 

“Oops. Sorry... Jimin.” You looked up at him. 

“You got it!” He barked and you smiled, throwing your hands over him to pull him into a hug. 

“You like the name Jimin?” You asked again and he barked. 

“Nice to meet you, Jimin. I’m (y/n).” You pulled away. He barked and turned around, chasing his tail, making you laugh before falling onto his back and rolling around in joy. 

“(y/n)! What a beautiful name for a beautiful human.” Jimin softened. You smiled at Jimin and patted his head. Looking at the clock, you went upstairs to do your homework or it would be too late. You didn’t know that Jimin followed you. He watched as you settled in front of the desk with your books. 

“What are you doing in here?” You giggled. Jimin stood on his hind legs, resting his front paws on your thighs as he sniffed. 

“It’s math. You know math?” You chuckled, stroking his head. 

He jumped down and curled up next to my chair on your rug. You turned back to do your word. Jimin chuckled as he heard your occasional cursing as you wrote the workings wrong. 

“She reminds me of Jungkook...” Jimin looked at you fondly. But immediately grew sad at the thought of his youngest brother. How was he doing? Was he okay? 

After a few hours, you stood up and stretched your arms. Jimin lifted his head to watch you. You moved around the room, packing your things. He admired the way you would hum a random tune as you did your things like packing your bag and organising your messy desk. You were so amusing that he could watch you for hours. 

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer.” You said, making Jimin blink. 

“You probably don’t understand that.” You laughed, patting his head as you walked past. 

“Hmm... Tomorrow is Friday but I’m not working this weekend. Maybe we can have a picnic by the lake.” You checked your calendar. Jimin stood up and barked in approval, wagging his tail. 

“Maybe I can find my pack!” Jimin thought excitedly. 

“It’s been a while since I’ve been on a picnic.” You sat on the edge of your bed, a sad smile on your face. 

“What’s wrong, (y/n)? Don’t be sad, please.” Jimin whimpered, resting his head on top of your lap. You shook your head with a forced smile. Standing up, you went to the bathroom to brush your teeth before you returned, dressed in your pyjamas. 

“Your bed is in the living room, mister.” You pointed. Jimin whined. 

“Fine! You can stay here but on the ground. You haven’t had a bath yet so you’re not coming on my bed.” You glared and went downstairs to grab the blanket that Jimin used. 

“Here.” You laid it over him and slipped into your own bed. 

“Goodnight, Jimin.” You said, a smile on your face as you turned to lights off. You haven’t really wished anyone goodnight in a while and it made your heart grow warm again, you didn’t think Jimin would melt the loneliness. 

That night...

“No...” Jimin’s head perked up as he heard you. Standing up, he headed over to your side, seeing you toss and turn. You had a frown on your face and cold sweat covered your forehead as you whimpered. Jimin changed back into a human, covering his naked body with the blanket before he cupped your cheek, stroking it gently with his thumb. 

“You’re okay, (y/n). I’m right here.” He whispered with a soft smile. 

“Please don’t... leave.” You cried. 

“I’m never leaving you. I’ll always be here for you.” He leaned down to place a kiss on your forehead. You slowly calmed down, the frown disappearing from your face. 

Satisfied, Jimin turned back into a wolf. But this time, instead of going back to the rug, he curled up on the ground by your side of the bed. 

[Dream]

“(y/n)... Wake up.” A voice spoke. You opened your eyes and looked around. How did you get into the middle of the forest? The last thing you remembered was your nightmare, it was dark and lonely.

“(y/n).” The same voice called and you turned around to see a boy standing there. He was so good looking, almost like an angel. As you faced him, a smile grew on his face, his eyes turning into crescent moons. You blinked in confusion as he waved at you to come over. 

“Who are you?” You tilted your head. 

“Come on, you know me. Think about it.” He held your hands in his, his light laugh filling your ears.

“I’m sorry, I don’t recognise you.” You admitted in embarrassment. 

“Ah... I guess that’s okay. We’ll meet soon.” He tugged you towards him so he could hug you tightly. He pressed his face into your shoulder and you couldn’t help but melt at his warmth. 

It felt so different from your nightmare. That felt cold and dark. But with this mysterious boy, it was warm and bright. He pulled away and planted a kiss on your forehead that you swore felt real. Almost like lips were really touching your forehead. He pulled away with a big, bright smile. Waving, he ran off into the forest while you just stared blankly. 

“Oh, (y/n)!” He called, breaking your stare at you looked at him. 

“No more boiled chicken please! It’s too bland!” He laughed and realisation hit you hard as he said that. 

“J-Jimin?” You finally blurted out. 

“Hey! Wait! Jimin, don’t go!” You reached out to him but he disappeared behind the trees, leaving you to stand there alone. Was that boy really Jimin? That was nonsense, how could you dream of a wolf as a person? 

You stirred awake when you felt something wet on your cheek. Your eyes shot open and you recoiled in shock, only to see a curious Jimin sitting there, staring at you with his head tilted. 

“You scared the hell outta me!” You put a hand on your cheek. He let out a low howl and nodded over to your nightstand. 

“Oh damn! I forgot to set my alarm! Thanks, Jimin!” You rushed out of bed. Luckily Jimin woke you up only 5 minutes after your supposed alarm time so you weren’t that late. You brushed your teeth and took a shower, changing into your school uniform. 

“Jimin! Breakfast!” You called and he trotted into the living room. As you set the plate down, you remembered what human Jimin said in your dream. 

“No more boiled chicken please! It’s too bland!”

“Hmm...” You looked down at Jimin who just blinked back at you. 

“Nothing, go ahead. I’m just insane, as usual.” You scoffed and dug into your own eggs. Jimin inwardly sighed at the chicken but ate anyway. Being a wolf meant his appetite was huge. He was always hungry. 

“I’ll drop by the grocery store to get more meats for you, okay? But let me warn you, don’t expect Korean beef cause I’m not spending that much.” You folded your arms and Jimin grunted at that. You cleared up the kitchen as you ate. Jimin frowned in disapproval at that but he knew you were pressed for time and didn’t have time to properly clean. 

“I have to go!” You grabbed your bag and slipped your shoes on. Jimin sat in front of you patiently. 

“You can go back to sleep, Jimin.” You stroked his head. Jimin just sat there stubbornly. You shook your head with a smile and stood up, beginning the walk to the bus stop. Jimin stayed by your side until the main road. 

“People may see you.” You smiled down at him. 

“Like I care.” Jimin rolled his eyes but still stood by the edge of the forest to watch you. You watched him as you waited for the bus. 

When it finally pulled up, you gave him a small wave and he smiled, his tongue hanging out of his house. Once your bus disappeared out of sight, Jimin turned to head back into the forest. But instead of heading towards the forest, he went to the lake that you were supposed to go with him to tomorrow. 

“Please.” Jimin stepped closer to the water and drew a symbol into the surface, causing a rippling effect. 

“Thank God.” He let out a shaky sigh of relief as he saw the image 7 lit crystals appear. That meant his brothers were still alive, he could still find them. 

Being the head pack of their region, they had almost the status of princes. They each had their own coloured crystal that could appear in water if their pack symbol was drawn. 

Each symbol represented a member of the head pack. If one member died, they crystal’s light would die down as well. 

“I hope we find each other soon.” He said to his pack’s broken mind link and walked away from the lake, going back to the house. He entered through the side door that you now left unlocked for him to come in and out of. 

“Time to stretch.” He turned back into his human form. Even if he was alone, he wasn’t going to walk around naked so he wrapped a towel around his waist as he lounged inside the house. He felt like he could relax a little, knowing that his family was still out there. But for some reason, he didn’t want to leave you to find them. The thought of you coming back to the empty house again hurt him.

-

You grabbed a cart and pushed it through the supermarket. You had your usual music playing in your ears and people were looking at you, a girl in high school uniform, grocery shopping at close to 10pm. 

“What choice do I have? I had to work.” You mentally sighed as you grabbed rice and placed it in your cart. Then you went to the meat counter. 

“Girl, there’s a sale on beef since it’s the end of the day.” The butcher told you.

“But let me warn you, don’t expect Korean beef cause I’m not spending that much.” 

You smiled as you remembered what you told Jimin this morning. Maybe you should surprise him and treat yourself. You got the beef, some pork and chicken to store in the freezer. After that, you went to get some vegetables. Do wolves eat vegetables...?

“He’ll just learn to eat vegetables then.” You shrugged and placed an assortment in the cart, as well as some fruit. Once that was done, you paid and began to make your way home. 

“Jimin!” You called as you dragged the bags of groceries through the door. Jimin trotted over, staring as you fell down from the weight. 

“Sorry I’m late. Let’s have dinner.” You began to keep everything. Jimin poked his head into the plastic bags curiously, sniffing around to see what you bought for him. 

“What did you buy?!”

“Hey, no snooping.” You lightly hit his muzzle. He snorted. 

“Go on. I’ll make dinner now.” You said and began to prepare dinner. Heating up the pan, you dropped the steaks into it to sear it. You seasoned yours while leaving Jimin’s plain. From the living room, Jimin was smelling the amazing scent of meat being seared that he had a strong urge to just turn back into a human and eat it. 

“Dinner!” You called and he dashed over, sliding and knocking into your legs. You chuckled and took the plate with his food, putting it down. 

“It’s beef! No more disgusting chicken!” Jimin smiled in excitement, barking and jumping up and down. He happily dug in while you slurped your ice noodles with sliced beef on the side. 

“Enjoy it, babe.” You patted his back with a chortle. You made some lettuce wraps for yourself. 

“Want?” You casually held out a piece of lettuce to him. Jimin leaned forward to sniff a little when you grabbed a piece of beef off his plate. He growled. 

“Calm down! Geez, I just wanted to make a wrap.” You scoffed and wrapped the piece of beef in the lettuce, holding it out to him for him to eat. He sniffed it again and opened his mouth. You laughed and pushed it into his mouth. Chewing, Jimin opened his mouth again. 

“Huh... A wolf does eat vegetables.” You made another one for him to eat. 

After dinner, you showered and settled on the couch with a cut apple. Jimin sat next to you, his tail swaying for side to side as he waited for you to feed him. You focused on your drama, taking one bite and holding it out to Jimin. 

“Pay attention to me!” Jimin rolled his eyes. He leaned down to nibble to half bitten apple slice from your hand. 

“Look, Jimin!” You patted on him, pointing to the screen with a puppy. 

“Do you seriously think that pup is cute?! You seriously have not seen cute.” He shot you a flat look but of course, you didn’t notice as you were busy cooing at the puppy on the television screen. 

He sighed and laid down, putting his head on your thigh. He whined cutely and you looked down at him. 

“What?” You run your fingers through his fur. He stared back up at you as you turned back to the television. Jimin rolled down so you were rubbing his belly instead. His hind leg kicked in satisfaction, letting out sounds of happiness as his tongue rolled out the side of his mouth. You couldn’t help the smile that appeared on your lips. 

“You’re a puppy too, aren’t you.” You teased.

~~

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