#cause I thought we were going to get a glimpse of the villagers being totally cool with Inuyasha cause he’s technically their hero

[inusmasha]

I know we, as a nation, feel cheated of a post-canon InuKag wedding scene but…

I also feel cheated of a Miko Kagome Initiation Ceremony. I feel cheated out of seeing Kaede giving Kagome those red and white robes (hibakama?) and watching Kagome put it on for the first time. It’s the first day of the rest of her life yall. And! What about her first day with Kaede in the fields? Hello?

I want to know what a day as a village miko looks like!

AUGH! I will never know peace!

[myherowritings]

anywhere the wind blows

SUMMARY. After hunting a bounty near Wangshu Inn, you sensed the faint scent of qingxin blowing in the familiar wind. It seemed like it was leading you somewhere.

PAIRING. xiao x reader

WORD COUNT. 2.2k

GENRE. fluff, pre 1.3 release

A/N. my first genshin fic of my fav character xiao !! i’m definitely still getting used to writing for this world and for him but i hope this isn’t too bad 🥺 i’m so excited for xiao’s story and banner and can’t wait to learn more about him! if 1.3 comes and totally undermines the small guesses abt the lore i added into this fic then…we pretend we do not see u.u ANYWAY PLS ENJOY xx sof

“A rock shieldwall Mitachurl with a resistance to cryo,” you murmured to yourself with a satisfied smile, picking up the ominous mask and heavy horn that it dropped from the fight. “No more terrorizing Wangshu for you.”

You had just accepted a bounty handed out to you in Liyue and arranged for the proper party to come pick it up. The rewards were promptly transferred to your tab and you bade the team who came to collect the Mitachurl a swift goodbye.

It wasn’t normally on your daily agenda to hunt bounty for money—though the mora was quite appealing, you couldn’t lie—but when the beasts were too close to civilization and scared both residents and passerbyers in Liyue alike, you felt a greater need to step in. And now, after a job well done with some mora in your pockets, you realized just how tired and hungry that search made you.

Looking up, you saw the peak of the inn from a distance and followed the silk flower-covered path there. It wasn’t often you frequented Wangshu Inn, but you have visited enough to know their Jueyun Chili Chicken and Almond Tofu were pretty solid reasons to drop by again.

Your appearance was rather disheveled from your fight with the Mitachurl but you weren’t too messy-looking—certainly decent enough to interact with other humans you hoped. Smoothing down your clothes and practicing a smile, you headed over to the outdoor dining area and were greeted by a waitress who led you to an empty table as she asked for your order. The exchange was pleasant enough and you were soon left to your own devices once your food swiftly arrived.

It was dark out in Wangshu. The bounty hunt took most of your late afternoon and by now the sun had fully set. The dining area was quiet and empty with only the moon watching over you.

You hummed, taking in a mouthful of the sweet Almond Tofu. The night was nice and peaceful and quiet, just like most of your evenings.

A familiar breeze blew against your face, chilling yet warm. Captivating. There was a faint smell of qingxin, like the flowers you grew fond of during your explorations around Liyue’s stone forests.

The wind was different from what you experienced in Mondstadt. That air was light and playful. Free.

The wind you felt just now, on the other hand, seemed to convey something more wistful. Almost yearning.

And it wasn’t your first encounter with this qingxin-filled breeze either. When you helped comfort Little Luo back in Qingce Village and fended off the pesky Hilichurls on her trail, this wind blew around you and cooled the heat from your cheeks. Around Bubu Pharmacy when you spent time with Qiqi, a zombie you happened to stumble upon one day, you felt the same curious breeze.

Part of you felt like you were being watched over. But not in a bad way. It made you feel safe and protected, yet empowered enough to continue your bold expeditions and help the people of Liyue when you were needed.

The wind stuck around as you finished your meal, the aroma of Almond Tofu wafting through the air from the wandering breeze, almost as if it was seeking a taste. Once your plates were cleared and your drink emptied, you headed inside the inn and hoped they had a spare room on such a short notice and—to your surprise—for once they actually did.

On the way up the stairs, you passed by an open balcony near the top of the inn where you caught a glimpse of a lean figure with dark hair looking up at the night sky. You normally would have walked away from the balcony and left the man to his own devices, promptly going to your rented room to get some much needed rest, but the familiar scent of qingxin flowers dancing in the wind made you freeze mid-step.

Wangshu Inn wasn’t too far from mountain tops where qingxin grew… It could have been a mere coincidence.

But in Liyue, you knew that believing such things could be a coincidence would simply be fooling yourself.

The person on the balcony gave no indication that he felt your gaze, but you knew intuitively that he had already sensed your presence despite not having moved a single inch. His stance was so steady you might have thought he was a statue if not for his teal-tinged hair blowing in the wind.

Could he have been the cause of the qingxin breeze that recently started following you around?

“Hi,” you said gently to more formally announce your presence. On the off-chance he didn’t realize anyone was there, you definitely didn’t want to startle him. But judging by the unsurprised expression on his face as he slowly looked over his shoulder, you sincerely doubted he was one to startle easily. “May I stand here?”

His eyes were scrutinizing but not unkind as they looked you up and down. You took your time examining him as well— From the top of his silky-looking hair to the blue tattoos wrapping around his arms and to the mysterious horned mask hanging from his hip.

“I suppose you may,” he finally replied with a single nod, his voice neither welcoming nor rude.

You stood a few feet away from him, leaning against the wooden balustrades as you let the cool air hit your face. The night was quiet and calm, dimly lit by the moon peeking through the foggy sky. Sighing, your eyes fluttered shut in contentment as you felt the wind soothe the aches from the bounty hunt in your muscles.

You wouldn’t normally let your guard down like this in front of someone you just met, but for some reason you weren’t the least bit on edge. He didn’t seem like a stranger. And you had a feeling that maybe he wasn’t.

“Have we met before?” you found yourself wondering aloud. The mask on his hip looked familiar, though you couldn’t pinpoint exactly why, like you’ve seen it in a book you’ve read. And the air around him certainly felt familiar, though it seemed strange to describe why.

He didn’t respond.

Huffing, you tried a different approach. A more direct one. “Have you been following me?”

His brow raised but he uttered no words.

Was that approach too direct?

After a moment of silence, he said, “Were you not the one who followed me out onto the balcony? If I remember correctly, I was here first.”

“But were you not the one who drew me here with your qingxin-scented breeze?” you shot back, tone more curious than biting.

To your surprise, he said nothing to deny it. “Attentive, I see.”

“I’m not sure it’s quite that I’m attentive rather than you wanting me to know.” You hid a smile. He wouldn’t have made it so obvious otherwise, you were certain of it. For someone who held more power in his little finger than you could possibly fathom, you knew that him alerting you of his existence couldn’t be a mere accident.

“You’re right.” He shrugged. “But it’s not so much that I wanted to call you here than I didn’t mind if you happened to stumble by.”

You ran the palms of your hands over the railings, craning your neck to the side to face him. He was a puzzling creature, giving off the aura of something greater and more powerful than a human. The ominous mask dangling around his hip seemed to serve as a word of caution to indicate a menacing side he hadn’t shown you, but his calm stance and the small tilt of his head made him seem curious—almost inviting.

It was intriguing, to say the least.

“And why did you want me to, as you say, stumble by?” you said. “Not that I mind.”

“I don’t know,” he answered honestly, shaking his head and looking confused himself. “Intuition? I noticed you fighting, helping the people of Liyue. You’re doing a...good job.”

You shrugged, rubbing at the back of your neck as you shied away from his praise. “So you summoned me here to thank me?”

“I don’t know,” he said again, his impassive tone sounding almost frustrated.

At the small frown playing on his lips, you couldn’t help but let a noise of laughter escape you. He gazed at you in question. This whole situation seemed strange and peculiar, straight out of a dream you’d have at random only to forget the next morning. He seemed strange and peculiar, like a figure out of a story book lost in the ruins of Liyue.

And yet you found yourself enjoying this odd encounter.

“Well, Mr. Stranger, since you seem uncertain of so many things still, are you going to continue to have your wind follow me around Liyue until you figure whatever it is out?” you questioned teasingly, not at all minding that prospect.

He glared, looking slightly embarrassed. “It’s not that I was following you. I only sensed someone in need but happened to see you rushing along the way and decided to let you handle it. The less involvement in the affairs of mortals, the better.”

So he wasn’t a mortal himself, you thought, his words confirming your previous suspicions. Still…

“Is that so?” You quirked a brow. “And what is this if not for involvement in the affairs of a mortal?”

He folded his arms and didn’t say a word.

“Let me guess— You don’t know?”

“Hmph.”

You smiled. “Well, I guess it’s okay you don’t know. It’s okay not to know sometimes, you know?”

He blinked. “You aren’t making sense.”

“And you are?” you retaliated. “I still don’t know who you are or anything about you yet. But… I know you smell like qingxin flowers and feel like a cooling breeze. And I know that I rather enjoy it.”

The mysterious entity looked out into the mountain scenery, gloved hand resting on the dark balustrade. He seemed both lost in thought and completely aware of his physical surroundings at the same time. Suddenly, he spoke up.

“Xiao.”

Your gaze met his as he nodded once. “Xiao?”

“My name. Now you know who I am.”

You laughed, startled by how blunt he was. “I guess you’re right. Nice to meet you Xiao.”

“Hm.” Xiao waited one moment before he asked, “Do you plan to keep exploring Liyue?”

At his question, you briefly considered your options for the near future. You liked Liyue and there was so much you had left to see. Was it like home to you? No— Not yet anyway, though it could be if the situation was right. But that didn’t mean you wanted to leave just yet.

Not when you may have found a reason you would want to stay.

“For the time being, yes.”

He nodded in satisfaction. “That’s good. You being there to help the people of Liyue means less involvement with mortal affairs for me.”

Though his tone was haughty, he didn’t seem like he actually minded what he considered mortal affairs. If he did, why would he be so alert when he sensed people in need?

“And, if you ever need assistance during your ventures, I’ll be there.”

Xiao’s words comforted you as you looked at him, his hair blowing in the wind. Maybe one day you could reach out and touch it. But not today.

You sensed this meeting was about to end. The breeze picked up and you could feel him getting ready to leave. Whether he was going to leave to go to bed or leave the mortal world, you weren’t sure. But you would rather treasure this encounter than dwell on an inevitable—and hopefully temporary—farewell.

“Thank you, Xiao. And if you ever need assistance with...whatever it is you do, I’ll be there too!” you said confidently. “As I’m sure you’ve seen, I’m pretty handy at weilding a sword myself.” You doubted he would ever need much help in the physical or martial department. “Or, I could simply lend an ear as well.”

It happened so fast, you weren’t sure if it was actually there, or if your eyes were playing tricks on you— Xiao smiled. At least, you thought he did. But in the mere blink of an eye, it was gone.

Still, you don’t think you would ever forget that peaceful image no matter how hard you tried. Not that you wanted to.

Sensing the night coming to an end, you asked, “When will I be able to see you like this again?”

He paused. “In this human form, you mean?”

You nodded, though you figured the answer would be those three familiar words he had said many times tonight.

“I don’t know.”

A wry smile played on your lips. Knew it.

“The mortal realm is not where I naturally belong,” explained Xiao, amber eyes glowing brighter than the moon in the sky. “But I will meet you again in this state soon.”

The scent of qingxin grew stronger as the wind picked up. His skin grew paler, almost translucent as he met your gaze one last time for the night.

“Even if it takes time, at least the wind will tell me when you’re near.” You smiled, raising your hand in a wave. “Goodnight, Xiao.”

“Sleep well, traveller.”

And in your dreams that night, with qingxin in the air, you felt contentment and serenity in ways you never had before. You would see the entrancing being who called himself Xiao again. Soon. But you had the wind to keep you company while in wait.

[cosmicjoke]

So I just got through chapter’s 51 and 52 of Attack on Titan, and one thing that stuck out to me in 51, other than Levi’s obvious, deep anger with Erwin, which I’ll talk about in a minute, was how Levi made it a point to tell Connie that he’d done a good job after coming back with Hange from investigating his village.  Once again we see here Levi’s immense compassion for other people.  Nobody else really thought to give Connie that encouragement, despite his obvious distress in that moment.  They all were aware that Connie had lost everyone in his village, including his family, so it really demonstrates Levi’s thoughtfulness, once again, for other people and what they’re going through, that he takes the time to say just a few, kind words to Connie here.  

Then of course, there’s the big exchange in this chapter between Levi and Erwin, and there’s so much going on here.  But the first thing I noticed is the shift in Levi’s attitude, after he notices Erwin smiling upon hearing Hange’s theory about the Titan’s being humans.  At the beginning of this scene, Levi is showing Erwin a great deal of concern for his physical state, apologizing to him for him and Pixis showing up to talk, knowing how tired he must still be, saying to Erwin that he’ll understand if he would rather him and Pixis just come back later so he can keep sleeping.  Levi is giving Erwin the option here to deal with all of these new developments that they’re all dealing with later, and that offers a really insightful glimpse into the kind of respect and consideration Levi has for Erwin leading up to this point in the story.

What’s really interesting is the shift in Levi’s attitude here, after he sees Erwin smiling.  Levi starts to try and ask Erwin a question, after Hange’s revelations about the Titans, and he sees Erwin smiling to himself with a glazed, distant look in his eyes, and Levi’s horror is readily apparent.  He figures out almost immediately that Erwin is excited by this news, and Levi’s reaction is one of repulsion.  He even tells Erwin that he’s going to make him sick.  I think Levi’s reaction here is also partly fueled by his own feelings of deep dismay and horror at learning that all this time, he’s been killing other human beings.  So to see Erwin seemingly HAPPY about this revelation must seem particularly grotesque to Levi in that moment, while he’s dealing with his own feelings of guilt and despair and hopelessness.  Levi’s anger here is REALLY obvious, as he asks Erwin if this is the real reason he joined the Survey Corps.  We see Levi’s belief in Erwin starting to erode here, in real time.  Part of Levi’s anger, I think, must also stem from knowing that he’s put his faith entirely in Erwin, followed him with full belief in Erwin’s altruistic intentions, but now he has to face the possibility that his faith has been misplaced, that indeed the very REASON he joined the Corps to begin with, his faith in Erwin and his greater vision, may have been built on a lie.  This coming on the heels of realizing that Titans were actually humans, and he’s dedicated himself to killing them for years.  All of this leads you to really understand Levi’s controlled fury at Erwin in this scene.  When Erwin gets annoyed himself at Levi and tells him to lay off of him, and asks him to show him some pity, Levi says with obvious derision that, yeah, Erwin IS pitiful.  We see later in the scene Levi turn Erwin’s own words back on him, about him being mentally and physically exhausted, almost mocking Erwin with them as he reveals to him that he’s chosen to make the 104th his new squad and had Eren and Historia moved to an isolated location.  Levi’s anger here is really palpable, and it demonstrates the tension I think Levi’s probably always had with Erwin and their relationship.

Levi respects Erwin immensely, and I have no doubt he’d been ready to tell Erwin about his plans for the 104th with a lot more cordiality and willingness to involve him in that decision before Erwin’s motivations became revealed to him here.  But there’s always been that kind of conflict between them too, where Levi was willing to put his faith totally in Erwin’s vision, and in his ability to make the right choices, in order to advance the cause of humanity, but at the same time, felt deeply uncomfortable at times with Erwin’s methods towards achieving that goal, his willingness to sacrifice the lives of so many to that end, often resulting in the deaths of soldiers with no, substantial gain to be had.  He’s deeply aware of Erwin’s ruthlessness in getting the job done (we see that awareness later in chapter 52, when he asks Hange if they should run or kill their enemies before they can strike, and says it’s just like something Erwin would do when Hange says both).  It was Levi’s faith in Erwin, though, and his belief in Erwin’s purity and the righteousness of his cause, that allowed Levi to put his misgivings about Erwin’s methods aside, because he fully believed Erwin’s intentions were only to benefit humanity, and win them back their freedom someday.  So seeing Erwin smiling here, and having that faith in Erwin’s intentions thrown into question, alongside the awful revelation that Titan’s are actually humans, is obviously a pretty devastating blow to Levi’s own sense of balance and place, throwing into doubt what it is he’s been fighting for all this time, whether it was even real or not.  It’s like in one, fell swoop, Levi’s lost any amount of certainty in both what they’ve all been fighting for this whole time, and in the person he had put the most faith and trust in to guide them in the right direction.  I’m not sure how people could miss Levi’s anger towards Erwin here, or the reasons for it.  Levi is shown something in Erwin that makes him seriously doubt whether Erwin actually cares about humanity at all, or people at all.  Erwin appears happy that it turned out that Titan’s were humans, and Levi has no context, no way of knowing WHY Erwin would be happy about that.  He doesn’t know about his father, or the things his father told him, or how his father died.  So to Levi, it must just seem like Erwin is getting some sort of sick joy out of the revelation.  Again, to see something like that in the person you believed in the most, a person you admired deeply and thought of as superior to you, as holding a greater vision than you ever could, would be really, really hard.  It’s like Levi’s hero letting him down in the worst way possible.  

I think this should also be looked at in the context of Levi’s own experiences in life, and how that shaped his world view.  Levi comes from an extremely hard, deprived background, one of extreme poverty and desperation and violence.  That background, that difficult childhood, resulted in a necessary cynicism and jadedness in Levi.  He knows the way the world works, knows how hard life is, and how cruel and ruthless people can be.  He grew up in a world where there was no pretense, no civility or politeness to hide behind.  He grew up in a world where it was kill or be killed.  We see this weary understanding of how things really are later, again, in chapter 52, when Levi is explaining to Hange and the rest that they have two options, because the MP’s and those they work for aren’t going to just give up on getting their hands on Eren and Historia.  He knows they’re only going to try more forcefully and violently to get what they want, because that’s the way the world works, and that’s the way people are.  He also shows his worldly understanding of these sorts of things when he asks Hange how many of Nick’s fingernails they pulled, and knows that Nick likely didn’t talk because they pulled more than one.  It tells us about Levi’s experience and how he’s been exposed to the darker, crueler side of humanity, more than anyone else in that room.

So Levi also understands that if they just wait around, they’ll all eventually be killed.  He understands they can’t be passive here, and have to act immediately.  He impresses that reality unto Hange, who’s still reeling from Nick’s death, and forces her to make a decision as to what their next move should be.  He doesn’t allow her to wallow in her despair, and he does this for the sake of Eren and Historia, and all of them.  Once again, we see Levi being most concerned for the greater good, ready to act however is needed to help the most people.  He knows Hange is hurting, but he knows also that none of them can afford to be, as he says to her, timid.  They have to move.  Well, anyway, my point that I’m trying to make is that Levi’s life experience has forced him to be cynical about other people’s motivations and characters, about concepts of nobility and morality.  To look at other people’s true intentions with a skeptical eye, because he grew up in a cut-throat environment, exposed to deep poverty, trauma and pain, where people no doubt would turn on you, or abandon you in a moment for nothing more than a scrap of bread.  With that in mind, you have to realize that Levi’s faith in Erwin is rather remarkable.  That he’s able to BELIEVE that deeply in another person, to believe in another person’s goodness, and purity of intention, given Levi’s background and the life he’s lived, is extraordinary, and really tells us so much about who Levi really is.  Despite every experience in his life informing him  that he should be skeptical and cynical and mistrustful of people and their intentions, despite his every experience telling him that the world is a cruel, ugly, awful place filled with loss, pain and grief, Levi still wants so much to believe in something better.  To believe in purity of hearts and intentions, to believe in a higher morality and goodness.  And despite all of his life experience telling him otherwise, Levi is able to believe that’s who Erwin is.  A person with a higher, better moral standing, a person with a pure and true heart.  He believes it all the way.  So, to then have that faith, which Levi somehow held onto against all odds and reason, dashed against the rocks in a single, terrible moment of realization, would be horrible.  Levi is someone who wants so much to believe there can be a better world, with better people in it.  And I think Erwin represented that possibility to Levi, for a long time.  And so to learn that his belief in Erwin was, perhaps, too idealistic, to have that skepticism that his life’s beaten into him affirmed, rather than rejected, must have felt like the worst kind of betrayal to Levi, and just a crushing disappointment.

Of course, Erwin later is able to prove to Levi that his faith in him wasn’t misplaced, as he lives up to the ideal Levi saw in him to begin with, with Levi’s help and encouragement.  But that’s a different post altogether!  When I get to that part of the manga, I’ll be positing about it as well.

Also, Hange’s own sense of horrible guilt and remorse in these chapters, both over realizing she’d been experimenting on human’s this whole time, and over Nick’s death, was an amazing parallel to Levi’s.  I think the two of them share so many similar feelings and such a similar depth of feeling over everything.  Always trying to do the right thing, and struggling so much with whether the choices they make are the right choices, or whether any of this is worth the sacrifices they’re forced to make.

[revengeoftheantichrist]

Sacrifce

Warnings: Dub-con, breeding kink, Human sacrifice

AO3

The winter had been harsh and long. The snow was thick over the fields, making sure that no crops would grow. The village was down to its last few animals; even the ones that had perished due to the harsh conditions had to be used up and eaten. The winter rations used up long ago, when the people thought it would be a normal cold season. No one had suspected that the ice would remain for this long. Spring should have started by now, the fields should have been lush and green, lambs and calves should have been dotted around the meadows and pastures. But here you were, cocooned in all the furs the family owned, ignoring pangs of hunger, and wishing to feel the warmth of the sun once more. Clearly this was the anger of the gods, and something had to be done in order to appease them or else your entire village would perish. A decision was made. A sacrifice was needed. It couldn’t be livestock; you were already struggling. The village elders had decided that there were already too many mouths to feed, so a human life it would be. It couldn’t be one of the boys, because obviously strong young men were needed to do what little labour was needed in the village. Elders were needed to pass on knowledge. Mothers were needed to raise the children. And this particular entity did not accept the lives of children. That left the girls of marriageable age. ‘Typical’ you thought to yourself. Something in the back of your mind told you that it would be you. Your family wasn’t particularly important, you had no elders to vouch for you in the council, and as much as they cared about the ‘good of the people’, they were not prepared to let go of their own granddaughters. When the decision was announced, you were not surprised. You hoped it was quick, whatever it was. //// For some morbid reason, you were dressed like a bride. The ceremonial garb was far too thin for the temperature. Maybe you were to freeze to death. Whoever this god was, his temple was located in the mountains near your village. It was, however, a surprisingly short trek. You assumed you would perish along the way seen as you were barefoot, without furs and not well fed. The people of the village could not even extend those courtesies to you. You looked around at the entrance of the temple, it just seemed like a dark and icy cave. It had gone unused for so long. The Jotun god, Loki had fallen out of the people's favour long ago. Mischief and chaos were not welcome by the people. Instead, his brother, Thor remained as the favoured god of the region. Maybe the harsh winter was revenge and punishment for forsaking him. A harsh reminder to the people that he still existed, and that his anger was not to be taken lightly. An elder spoke to you as your hands were tied, you weren’t really listening. A bitter drink was given to you, it burned on the way down, but it was the most warmth you had felt in a while. A thick veil was placed over your head, apparently you weren’t allowed to see what was about to happen, a small mercy. You were led into the temple, the lack of harsh wind making things a little more bearable, but the pure ice on the floor made your bare feet hurt. You were pushed onto your knees, the cold seeping into your bones. The elder walked away. You listened as the voices of the men drifted away from the entrance, leaving your fate in the hands of something unknown. Your only company was the constant dripping, echoing from somewhere in the cave, and the sound of your own thoughts. You hoped it was worth it. A numbing sensation began to take over, probably caused by the drink from earlier. //// You jolted awake at the sound of total silence. The wind could no longer be heard, and the dripping had stopped. You still couldn’t see anything. Yet somehow the room seemed a lot bigger, you felt more exposed, missing the strange comfort of the enclosed space you were supposedly left in. Had you been moved? As your eyes began to grow heavy again, you heard a shuffling from in front of you. The noise causing you to sit up straight. Whatever it was, its presence was suffocating. “Now what do we have here?” The voice was like velvet. Otherworldly even. It seemed to descend, getting closer to you. “A shivering little lamb, all for me.” This must have been Loki. You fought the urge to run out of wherever you were. “Well, it seems like the people haven’t been able to forget me, no matter how hard they try.” He grabbed your tied wrists, the rope falling away like water. His hands felt so big compared to yours. His cold touch made you tingle. “Oh you poor thing. Freezing, aren’t you?” You could only nod. He responded with a light chuckle. “Are you going to eat me?” you blurted out, not thinking about what you were saying. He moved away from you. You could feel him staring at you. You knew he was grinning. “Of course, I am,” he got closer again, “it is up to you how,” he whispered. You gulped. There seemed to be innuendo in his statement. He moved again, this time directly in front of you. You gasped as you saw his fingers hook under your veil. Big and blue was the only way you could describe them, with raised ridges. You wanted to trace them with your fingers. Your thoughts were cut short by the tugging on your veil. Your hands shot up to cover your scrunched up eyes. You felt the veil come off, the cool air hitting your head. “Look at me, Y/N”, his voice boomed around the space. You never told him your name, you were sure of it. His tone left no space to argue. How could you defy a powerful god anyway? You knew what his wrath could bring first-hand. You lowered your shaky hands first, placing them on your thighs, gripping your knees. You slowly opened your eyes, letting them adjust to the new light. Your eyes fell to the bottom of the dais you were kneeling at. Ever so slowly your gaze travelled up, taking in each individual, intricately carved step. Finally, your eyes landed on the being sprawled out over his crystal throne. His head rested on his hand, a bored expression on his face. The only way you could describe him was ‘magnificent’. A beauty like no other. You could see why mortals would fear him, but he was not the grotesque creature you expected him to be. He seemed amused at your expression, raising a brow at you, causing you to blush, you wanted to be back behind the veil to hide your own embarrassment. “I expected a little more screaming, mortals usually can’t handle what they cannot understand,” he finally spoke again. You could do nothing but owlishly blink. “Stand,” he commanded. You scrambled up, your legs resisting after kneeling for so long. “Come here,” he made a ‘come hither’ gesture with his finger. You slowly made your way up the icy steps, becoming painfully aware of your bare feet. You tried to look away when you stood directly in front of him, even sitting the god dwarfed you in size. His icy hand reached forward, gently holding your chin and making you face him. Those red eyes seemed to study your face intensely. You stared right back, taking in all his features. High cheekbones and a sharp nose, all accented by the same ridges he had on his hands. You followed the patterns to the column of his throat, stopping yourself from letting your eyes wander further down; you knew he was covered in the lines. You wondered if they were natural in Jotuns, or if they were burned into the skin, like a rite of passage of sorts. You had heard other tribes in your area had similar traditions. Your thoughts drifted to mapping them out with your own hands. “Such a curious little thing you are,” he said. He must have caught you staring, your eyes darted away from him as he chuckled. You caught a glimpse at his teeth, pearly white and sharp. He pinched your cheeks as you tried to turn away, thoroughly enjoying the heat that rushed into them. “I forget how soft and delicate Midgardians are,” he mumbled. He pulled away from you, looking you up and down as he thought what to do with you. “Your people want salvation, yes? They want the winter to end?” he asked. You quickly nodded; it was the reason you were here. He hummed, his fingers digging into the soft flesh of your hips. A grin spread across his face. The room around you began to spin before you fell back onto soft furs. A fire crackled nearby, you sighed at finally feeling warmth after so long. Loki stood above you, staring you down, the light from the fire making his features sharper than before. You felt like a mouse at his feet. You almost screamed as he got down, hovering above you on all fours, engulfing you with his body. Your noses touching. “I will offer your people reprieve from my winter,” he started. “Th- Thank you,” you stuttered. “However,” his grin became more malicious, “If you do not provide me an heir by next spring, the winter will plague your lands until you do,” he whispered in your ear, placing a cold hand across your belly. His tone left no room for question, the future of your people depended on this. You were pulled out of your thoughts when Loki carried you to the furs next to the fire, warming you up even further, you hadn’t noticed you were shivering until you stopped. “I am a cruel god, but I will show mercy to those that deserve it,” he mumbled. His cool hands trailed their way down the column of your throat, you gasped as his lips flowed close behind. Stopping along the way to mark and nip you with his sharp teeth, the marks would scar. This was the closest anyone had ever been to you. His hands made quick work of the cord holding your dress together. He peeled the thin fabric away from you. You tried to cover your bare skin, but your hands wouldn’t move, held down by some sort of magic. His hands found your soft skin again, making you groan as he paid attention to your breasts. “What sweet sounds you make, little maiden.” He made eye contact with you as he took one of your nipples into his mouth. Your hands broke free and buried themselves into his hair, your head falling back in unfamiliar pleasure. He smiles with his wet lips, before moving onto the other. You felt like you were burning up inside. He let go of your nipple with a ‘pop’, the cool air brushing over them. “I hope these will be full soon.” His lips travelled down your abdomen to the tops of your thighs. His hands ran up your legs until they met his lips. In one swift movement he held them open, your legs over his shoulders as your wetness was exposed to him. You covered your face in embarrassment. His fingers ghosted over your sensitive flash, causing your hips to jerk at the sensation, wanting more. “Is your cunt dripping for your god?” His mouth was so close to your heat. He used his magic to remove your hands from your face, making you look at him again. His red eyes burned into yours as his tongue liked a stripe through your folds. You sighed at the feeling, tightening your thighs around him and wanting more. He continued to noisily suck, distracting you from his finger that began to enter you. The intrusion was so foreign to you, but you couldn’t help but give in. Wanting more. You felt so greedy, you had never felt this sort of wanting before. You didn’t think your mother would be happy with you if she found out. Loki began sucking at your sensitive bud, bringing you to the edge of whatever this was. “Please...” you breathed out. You looked down at him with teary eyes, you didn’t know what you were begging for. With one final suck, Loki had you seeing stars, finally falling off the edge you were headed towards. Your legs jerked around him, keeping him where he was as he looked up at you with amusement in his eyes. You looked down at him after coming down from your high, his face wet with your release. You let your legs relax, allowing him to move up to you, this time capturing your lips in a searing kiss, tasting yourself on his tongue. He broke away, leaving you breathless. Using his magic, he quickly got rid of what little clothing he was in. You were right about the ridges being everywhere, your hands were loose again, and you reached for his chest, finally getting a feel of the cool skin. He growled as your fingers traced the ridges down to his stomach. His hands stopped yours as you reached his hips. You let your eyes wander down, they widened at the size of his cock. He chuckled at your reaction. “Mortals are quite adaptable are they not? I’m sure your cunt will be able to accommodate me.” He brought your hands to feel his ridged and velvety skin. He sighed at the feeling of your warm hands. He shuffled you around again, spreading you open for what was to come next. He rubbed his cock along your folds, the temperature difference already making you hiss. You didn't think he would fit. With one hand on your hip, he guided the tip to your entrance. Slowly, he pushed in, stopping to let you stretch around him until he bottomed out. The only way you could describe the feeling was ‘full’. You knew no mortal man could ever fill you like this, they wouldn’t even get the opportunity to. His hand pressed down on your stomach, “Can you feel me here?” he groaned. All you could do is nod, no coherent words forming any time soon. Both hands found your hips this time, he began to thrust in a steady rhythm, slowly picking up the pace. You knew you’d never get used to his size, however long you were here. The room filled with the sounds of skin on skin, you moaned anytime he hit that spot inside you. Loki moved you so effortlessly, as if you were simply a toy, made for his pleasure. The coil in your belly began to tighten again, you didn’t know how much longer you would last. “Please, My King… I…” You squeezed your eyes shut, trying to fight the feeling.

“You want to cum again? So soon? Aren’t you being a little greedy mortal?” he taunted. His words made you clench around him a little tighter. You looked up at him with teary eyes, hoping he would show you this one mercy. “Pathetic little thing,” he grumbled, his fingers reaching for your clit, letting you tumble off the edge again. He kept on thrusting through your aftershocks, heightening the sensations. He fully sheathed himself inside you before his head fell back in ecstasy, pumping you full of his seed. You went limp on the furs, trying to catch your breath. The heat of the fire felt too much for you at that moment. Loki pulled himself out with an obscene noise, inspecting the aftermath of his work.

“Your people are lucky to have sent you, little mortal.” He effortlessly carried you back to the bed, letting you sink into the covers. “You were strong enough to last through receiving my seed, and you’ll be strong enough to carry my heir,” his hand rubbed your tummy, seemingly deep in thought, “Not many would have survived.” He climbed in behind you. You groaned as his fingers found your sensitive cunt. He speared you back onto his already hard cock, you whimpered at the stretch. “I’ll let you rest for a little while, but you will keep me warm until we can start again. You have a purpose to fulfil, remember?” “Yes My King,” you whispered back, trying to adjust to the foreign sensation.

[hysterialevi]

Hjarta | Chapter 15

Fanfic summary: In an AU where Eivor was adopted by Randvi’s family instead, he ends up falling in love with the man his sister has been promised to despite the arranged marriage between their clans.

Point of view: third-person

Pairing: Sigurd Styrbjornson x Male Eivor

This story is also on AO3 | Previous chapter | Next chapter

A FEW HOURS LATER

THE COAST OF BJORNHEIMR

The clouds rumbled with the drums of distant thunder, sending a subtle flash of lightning throughout the sky. Sea mist broke free from the restraints of its majestic waves, and gently tickled the skin of the warriors who sailed across its arctic tides. Meanwhile, the ocean rose and fell underneath their feet like the chest of a sleeping giant, and calmly guided the longship back to its home.

Life solemnly carried on with its infinite cycle despite the numerous souls that had just slipped free from its grasp, and offered no comfort to those left behind. The world remained entangled with the threads of endless stories that had yet to unfold, but even then... Eivor felt as if everything had come to a pause.

In his arms, Thora lay motionless beneath a layer of cloth, wrapped in her brother’s cloak to protect her from the elements. Her body was no more than an empty husk awaiting the fires of a ceremonial pyre, and yet, part of Eivor kept hoping that she wasn’t truly gone.

His mind still couldn’t quite fathom the idea that he would never see his sister again. He had gotten so used to having her company, that a world without her felt completely foreign to him. A fraction of Eivor even tried to convince himself that this was all a dream that would eventually come to an end, but in reality, he knew better. Thora would forever roam the halls of Valhalla from now on, and he’d have to accept it.

He just dreaded delivering the news to his father. Arngeir was already stressed enough due to Thora’s absence, and Eivor didn’t know if he carried the strength to inform him of what happened. His father was one of the most steadfast men in their clan, but even then, Eivor had seen the loss of a child break those he once believed to be invincible.

“...Eivor.” Sigurd whispered, lightly nudging the young man with his elbow. He waited until the Wolf-Kissed broke out of his thoughts, and then pointed to the land before them. “We’re home.”

Eivor peered at the battle-worn village with a deadpan expression on his face, barely shifting his body.

“Eivor?” Sigurd repeated, quickly taking note of the man’s empty nature. He leaned closer to his lover, wrestling with the urge to pull him into a hug. “Are you listening?”

The lifeless viking kept his gaze nailed on the village, swaying softly with the longship’s rhythmic motion. He hadn’t uttered a single word ever since their departure from Kjotve’s Fortress, and yet, Sigurd felt as if he could see his very thoughts etched into his eyes.

“...What am I going to tell my father, Sigurd?” Eivor finally replied. “Or Randvi? What do I do?”

The prince bowed his head in sympathy, unsure of how to answer the question. “I... I wish I knew, Eivor.”

The younger man glanced down at his sister’s veiled body, placing a hand on her arm.

“Thora’s death will destroy them. There’s not much in this world that can rattle my family, but... I have no clue what they’ll do once they realize she’s gone. I don’t even know if I can tell them.”

Sigurd offered his help. “I could do it in your stead, if you wish.”

Eivor shook his head. “No. It should be a family member. I found Thora’s body, so I should be the one to deliver the news. But thank you.” 

The older man nodded in understanding. “Of course. You know I’m here for you. I certainly don’t envy your position, though. You bear the burden of a lifetime. But don’t cast away your hope just yet...” Sigurd took a glimpse over his shoulder, glaring at the new captive sitting on their ship, “...we have Gorm now. And he will tell us what we need to know.”

Gorm struggled in his binds and let out a few muffled grunts, attempting to speak through the cloth that had been tied around his mouth.

“Be still, Kjotvesson!” The prince barked, his voice rough with spite. “Or I’ll hurl you over the edge and leave you to drown. Your cries mean nothing to the men here.”

Ulfar chimed in from the head of the ship, sharing Sigurd’s hostility towards the man.

“Indeed,” he added. “Normally, I’d say you’re fortunate to be alive, Gorm, but after everything you did to Thora, I imagine you’d be better off being swallowed by the ocean. Consider yourself lucky if the jarl doesn’t fashion wings out of your bones.”

The restrained viking tried to reply again, causing Ulfar to become even more irate than he already was.

“Osmund,” he said to one of his men, “silence this yapping dog, will you?”

The raider wasted no time in following Ulfar’s command and turned to Gorm, slapping him with a firm backhand across the cheek. The prisoner instantly fell silent upon the strike, and reluctantly complied with his captors’ wishes.

“...Anyway,” Ulfar said with a fatigued sigh, “we’re finally home, men. I know this has been an onerous journey for everyone, but you lot can rest for now. Tomorrow, we’ll bid farewell to those who have fallen, and raise a horn in their name. In the meantime, tend to your families. Odin knows they’ll need all the support they can get.”

Bringing his attention to the surrounding scenery, Ulfar remained quiet for the rest of their journey and leaned against the ship’s figurehead, doing his best not to linger on the thought of Thora’s death. He hadn’t felt this awful since Linnea first fell to Kjotve’s axe, and he grew increasingly restless as he pondered what to do with the rat hiding amongst them. He was more than positive that he knew who the traitor was by now, but the method he’d use to deal with them was a little less clear.

In the meantime, his men steadily shut the sails and lowered the mast, taking a hold of the oars as they brought the ship to land. Their bodies ached due to hours of huddling in the vessel’s cramped space, and their palms grew callused from the continuous toil of rowing the ship. They were eager to finally set foot on solid ground, and they longed for the warmth of a soft bed.

Eivor, on the other hand, dreaded their upcoming arrival. Much to his dismay, he spotted Arngeir waiting at the docks with Ingrida by his side as they anticipated their return, anxious to hear any news pertaining to Thora’s rescue. A glimmer of hope flickered in the jarl’s lost eyes, but the Wolf-Kissed knew it would soon be snuffed out. And it ruined him.

“Ulfar!” Arngeir called out, approaching the end of the pier. “You’ve returned safely, thank the gods. How do you fare, brother?”

The raider waited for the ship to come to a complete stop before hopping onto the docks, still somewhat wobbly from the ocean’s waves.

“I’m well, Arngeir,” he replied, “but I regret to inform you that Kjotve still lives. The bastard escaped.”

The jarl furrowed his brow in concern. “Escaped? How? Where is he now?”

Ulfar shrugged in annoyance. “No idea. He fled the fortress before we even arrived, the coward. I believe one of our own people warned him beforehand.”

Arngeir let out a breath. “...Is that so? Any ideas on how to track him?”

The other man glanced at the ship. “Yes, actually. Sigurd managed to capture Gorm alive. He claims to be unaware of Kjotve’s whereabouts, but with a blade to his throat, I’m sure he’ll sing soon enough. It’s only a matter of time.”

“Then there’s that, at least.” Arngeir paused for a second. “...And what of my daughter? Where is Thora? Is she with you?”

Ulfar’s expression dimmed at the question, and he found himself at a total loss for words. His silence alone was more than enough to plant a sickening fear in the jarl’s gut, but when the man saw Eivor stepping onto the pier with a blanketed body in his arms, his heart instantly froze inside his chest.

“Eivor...?” Arngeir said, mindlessly pushing Ulfar to the side as he strode towards the anguished boy. He looked down at the unidentified corpse and desperately waited for an answer, terrified by his own suspicion of who it was.

“Eivor,” he urged, gripping him by the shoulders. “Who... who is that?”

The boy met his father’s sturdy gaze, afraid to even speak. A million different thoughts swarmed his mind like voracious insects scouring a battlefield, and he stared at the jarl as if he were peering into the depths of Hel itself.

“...I’m sorry, father.” Eivor whispered plainly. “I couldn’t save her.”

Reaching down to grab his cloak, the young man slowly removed the sea-weathered fabric from Thora’s face and revealed who was hiding underneath, causing Arngeir to plummet into an abysmal pit of dolor. A sense of despair clouded his eyes like frost spreading across a lake, and his aura crumbled within a matter of moments.

It was clear that the jarl was one step away from completely breaking down, but for the sake of his clan’s morale, he simply reached out to Thora’s body and requested the solace of his daughter’s company, unable to fully process what was going on.

“...Give her here.” Arngeir said, gently taking Thora into his arms as if he were cradling a newborn infant. A single teardrop immediately streamed down his cheek upon touching her corpse, and he clenched his jaw in an attempt to stifle his agony. 

“My daughter...” he lamented, “my sweet, sweet daughter.” The jarl glanced at his son. “What... happened, Eivor? How did she die? Did she die with an axe in her hand?”

The young man shook his head without saying a word.

Arngeir shut his eyes in disappointment and sighed, already overwhelmed by grief.

“...I see. Then may her journey across the Gjallarbrú be swift, and may she find her way into her mother’s embrace.” He pulled the cloak back over Thora’s face, bidding his daughter farewell. “Rest easy, skǫrungr. Your battles are over. We shall meet again someday.”

Trying to offer the mournful father some comfort, Ingrida quietly walked over to the man and placed a hand on his shoulder, beckoning him to follow her to the temple. The seeress’ appearance had changed significantly compared to when Eivor last saw her, and it was as if twenty years had been added onto the woman’s face.

“Come, Arngeir,” Ingrida said softly. “Let us bring Thora to the temple. I shall say a final prayer for her, and prepare her body for the funeral. She will not venture the Gjallarbrú alone.”

“...Thank you, my friend.”

Guiding Arngeir away from the docks, the seeress led the melancholic jarl through the village as the rest of his clan settled into their homes, practically falling into the laps of the nearest benches they could find. The ocean’s wintry chill had seeped into the marrow of their battered bones, and their movements had become sluggish with fatigue.

As for Ulfar, the raider simply stayed in place and watched the jarl vanish in the distance, heartbroken to see his old friend in such a state. He couldn’t imagine the man ever being the same again after a loss as great as this, and for the first time in years, even Ulfar himself felt helpless. 

What would they do when they found Kjotve? If they found him? Would the strength of their alliance finally bring them the advantage they needed to win this war, or would they just end up sending more men to their deaths, and darken the shadow that already hung over Bjornheimr?

At this point, Ulfar no longer knew what to think. His ultimate dream was to witness Kjotve draw his dying breath, but he had also grown tired of ordering people into battle, only to never see them return. He may not have been directly responsible for their untimely demise, but he couldn’t deny that the casualties were starting to take a toll on him.

He just wanted this godforsaken war to end, and he knew exactly where to start.

Diverting his focus to Dag, Ulfar watched the man like a lion waiting to pounce and followed him off the docks, finally deciding to put this damned charade to rest. He hadn’t the faintest idea how this confrontation was going to unfold, but he was sick of keeping silent about his thoughts. Even if he didn’t get the outcome he desired, he simply wanted the people of Bjornheimr to be aware of the wolf hiding among their sheep -- and it all started now.

“Dag!” Ulfar blurted out, approaching the warrior as he wandered away from the longship. “Hold a moment.”

Despite having no intentions of doing so, the raider turned a few heads with his thunderous voice and attracted the attention of nearby onlookers, including Eivor and Sigurd themselves. They all stopped what they were doing to see what the commotion was about, and paused out of curiosity.

“Yes, Ulfar?” Dag responded, clearly not reflecting the man’s antagonistic mood. “What is it?”

Ulfar prowled towards the viking, unable to hide the glower now plastered on his face.

“The jarl’s daughter lies dead in a pool of cold blood... and you have the audacity to feign ignorance?”

Dag scoffed in a bewildered tone, shrugging innocently. “I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The older man halted in his tracks, keeping no more than a couple meters between them. “Do you think me blind and deaf, Dag? You know exactly what I’m talking about.” 

Ulfar began grumbling under his breath, pacing back and forth. “Damn it. I’ve been doubtful of you for a while now, but I never had anything to confirm my suspicions until today. I should’ve done something sooner.”

Dag rested his hands on his hips, growing impatient with their conversation.

“What is this about, old man? What are you getting at?”

Ulfar shot a glare at him. “You’re the rat. You’re the one who’s been feeding Kjotve our secrets, and you’re the one who told him to flee. You betrayed us.”

The blunt accusation caused a wave of murmurs to rush through the crowd around them, igniting a sudden spark of worry among the villagers.

“Is that truly what you think?” Dag questioned casually. “I know you’re short one eye, Ulfar, but even you can see how ridiculous that statement is.”

The raider refused to back down. “Give me one good reason why I should believe you. You sailed with me during the assault, Dag. I sent you as one of the scouts. Your job was to pave the way for us, and then give us the opening we needed to ambush Kjotve’s clan. But instead, you ran off to cower behind the fortress’ walls before our warriors could even reach the shore, and you lit the beacon far before we were ready. You forced what few men we had in the settlement to attack alone, and we lost a handful of people because of it.”

Ulfar’s nose crinkled in anger. “At first, I merely planned to berate you for your incompetence, but now it’s clear to me that you knew exactly what you were doing. You wanted the plan to fail.”

Dag did nothing but chuckle in response to the overwhelming accusations and waved a dismissive hand, reluctant to entertain the other man’s skepticism.

“You’re delusional, Ulfar. There is no traitor. We’ve simply been experiencing the horrible realities of war. People are going to die. Not everything is going to make sense. That’s just how it is, I’m afraid.”

Ulfar’s stare sharpened with wrath. “Oh, no. It all makes sense now. I stood idly by whilst you condemned our men to the pits of Hel because I wanted to find irrefutable evidence, but after what happened today, I’m done waiting for evidence. I’ll not allow you to endanger our clan anymore.”

Yanking out his axe, Ulfar brandished the weapon and raised it high in the air, making sure that everyone could hear his words loud and clear.

“I call a holmgang!” He announced. “Here, against the Raven Prince’s right-hand man.”

Sigurd froze upon hearing the challenge, and a stir of panic awakened inside his heart. Was this what Ingrida warned him about so long ago? Was this the betrayal his vision tried to convey?

The prince made haste to the front of the crowd with Eivor in tow, both of them now frightened to see how this would play out. 

“You wish to duel me?” Dag asked. “Are you certain that’s wise?”

The raider aimed the blade at his opponent. “This is no longer something I can take back. I’ve made the challenge. What happens next depends entirely on you. So, either pick up your axe and face me with what little honor you have left, or scurry off to the snake hissing in your ear.”

Dag laughed at the absurdity of the situation and drew his blade, bowing in a smug manner. “...Very well, Ulfar. If that’s what you wish. You’ve made a foolish choice, but I will accept your challenge. We fight to the death.”

Eivor automatically lurched forward, reaching a hand out for the older man. “Ulfar--!”

Sigurd instantly grabbed his arm and held him back, preventing him from interfering.

“Eivor...” he said in a hushed tone, “there’s nothing we can do now. The holmgang is set in place. They must go through with it.”

The younger man hesitated, flicking his eyes back and forth between Sigurd and the warriors. Out of honor, he knew that Ulfar was compelled to cross swords with Dag in a fight to the death, but he also did not wish to see the man risk his life so soon after their return. 

Eivor was already struggling to cope with the loss of his sister. If Ulfar were to perish as well... he didn’t know what he would do.

“I can’t risk losing him too,” he murmured. “Not after Thora’s just been killed. He’s my family. Sigurd, please.”

The prince kept his grip firm, giving him an apologetic look. “...I’m sorry, my love. But we can’t interfere. You know this.”

Eivor remained silent in response to Sigurd’s words and simply shifted his gaze back to the holmgang, uncertain of whether or not to heed his lover’s advice. Part of him wanted to throw himself between the two warriors and force them apart, but the other half knew that Ulfar’s honor would suffer if he did. The man would be relentlessly shamed if he backed down from his own challenge, and to some, that was a fate worse than death.

“...O-Okay, Sigurd.” He said, sighing in defeat. “I won’t interfere.”

Sigurd gently pulled him back into the crowd, trying to ease his nerves. “Thank you, Eivor. I’m sorry it has to be this way.”

Slinking into the prince’s arms, the Wolf-Kissed watched the holmgang from a distance as more villagers gathered around the scene, intrigued by the deadly spectacle. At this point, Ulfar and Dag were circling around each other like a pair of wolves and patiently waiting for the smallest sign of weakness, hoping to catch their foe off-guard.

Within a few moments though, Ulfar was already leaping at his enemy like a bear charging out of the shadows and swinging his axe with the strength of Fenrir himself, causing Dag to stumble backwards in an attempt to dodge the strike.

Regaining his footing, the bulky warrior countered the initial attack with a slice to the shoulder and thrust his blade forward, only to be blocked when Ulfar swatted it away with his axe. The older man whirled around Dag like a flame dancing in the wind and slammed his weapon downwards, aiming directly for the back of his foe’s skull.

Practically hurling himself out of the way, Dag evaded Ulfar’s attack just in time to save the skin on his scalp and sacrificed no more than a few strands of hair, giving him a second to catch his breath.

Dag had to admit -- he didn’t expect the old raider to be so agile after all these years. He assumed that Ulfar’s bones would have stiffened over time, but the man moved faster than many people half his age. It was clear to Dag that he had underestimated him, and now, he was starting to question just how big his chance of winning this really was.

But still, the man had to have a vulnerability. No one was invincible, after all. There had to be something that he could take advantage of. Something that could give him the upper hand.

Dag paused out of realization, suddenly noticing that Ulfar’s weakness was quite literally staring him in the face.

His wounded eye.

The raider’s vision had been cut in half thanks to his old injury, and Dag imagined that he would be able to slip out of his line of sight if he stayed at the right angle. He just had to be fast.

Flanking his opponent from the left, the dark-haired warrior crept into Ulfar’s blind spot and landed a strike on his upper arm, cutting straight through the sliver of fabric that sat between his layers of armor. Fresh blood instantly soaked the plain cloth hiding underneath, and for just a brief moment, Ulfar lost track of where his enemy had gone.

But a moment was all Dag needed.

In the blink of an eye, the larger warrior had bashed the hilt of his blade into Ulfar’s cheekbone and sent him tumbling to the ground, allowing him to shake the balance of the fight.

He relentlessly battered his way through the raider’s defenses and continued to pummel his weapon against Ulfar’s axe, fervently trying to disarm him before he could return to his feet.

Meanwhile, the older man backed away from Dag and slid across the dirt, desperately trying to put some distance between them before even attempting to get up. His arm was growing increasingly sore from having to endure the sheer impact of his opponent’s strikes, and soon enough, Ulfar found himself on the losing side of the battle.

Skirting around the edge of Dag’s blade, Ulfar just barely missed the last of his attacks and scurried back up to his feet, holding his axe out in front of him in a protective stance. By now, blood had leaked all the way down to his wrist, and a number of droplets even started to trail down his fingers. He was admittedly drained from deflecting the brute strength behind Dag’s swings, and with each passing minute, he could feel the energy fleeing from his body.

Still, in spite of the exhaustion now overtaking his mind, Ulfar refused to give up. This was his only chance to eliminate the rat hiding in their clan, and he had no intentions of wasting it.

Lifting his axe in the air, Ulfar steeled himself and prepared to send a vertical slice down on Dag’s forehead, doing his best to ignore the fatigue now hindering his movements. Before he could do anything however, the other man suddenly swerved to his left again and escaped his field of view, attacking him from the same angle. He heaved his blade into the side of Ulfar’s abdomen, and within seconds, the raider had fallen still.

Coming to an abrupt halt, the old warrior simply stared into the space ahead of him and drifted off into silence, unable to suppress the terror that was now swelling in his chest. His entire mind seemed to be paralyzed with an unfamiliar type of fear, and before he knew it, Dag had buried the axe in his torso.

“Ulfar!” Eivor cried, still struggling against Sigurd’s hold.

The raider let out a pained gasp and clutched his chest in shock, horrified by the numbness that was starting to petrify his limbs. The only thing he could hear was the rasp of his own breath scratching against his throat, and by now, the metallic taste of blood had started to envelop his tongue.

Yet, in spite of all this, Ulfar soon felt his fear fading away from him. The ethereal voices of the Valkyries called to him like the gaze of the moon, and in the bleak grey sky standing above him, he could almost see the feathery strips of the aurora forming a bridge to the Corpse Hall.

He had been chosen by the winged maidens, and would soon join Linnea’s side.

The final challenge he had to face now, was saying farewell.

Collapsing to the ground with a thud, Ulfar fell in the center of the arena and landed on his back, sparking a series of gasps in the spectating crowd. Dag’s blade still protruded from his chest like an axe lodged in a pile of timber, and most of the color had vanished from his skin.

As for Eivor, the young man finally broke free from Sigurd’s grip and rushed over to the fallen warrior, kneeling down by his side as the prince solemnly trailed after him.

“Ulfar!” Eivor exclaimed, reaching for his hand. “Ulfar, can you hear me?”

The other man looked up at him, uttering no more than a few words due to his lack of strength.

“...Oh, forgive me, little cub,” he whispered. “...I’ve been a damned fool.”

Eivor examined the raider’s wounds, knotting his brow in distress. “Shit...! Why did you do it? Why did you have to call a holmgang? We just lost Thora, and now you’re dying too? We need you.”

Ulfar felt a pang of guilt prodding him in the heart. “...I know, Eivor. I know. I never meant to leave you so soon. I’m sorry.”

Catching some movement in the corner of his eye, the old warrior turned away from the young man for just a second when he noticed Sigurd joining them, gazing down in a sorrowful manner. He appeared to share Eivor’s grief over the death of his new friend, and his expression was laden with desolation.

“Sigurd...” Ulfar said, beckoning him with a weak wave of the hand. “Come here.”

The prince knelt down, leaning closer to the man. “Yes?”

Ulfar gestured to Dag with a subtle flick of the eyes, giving Sigurd a regretful look.

“...I hate to pass this burden onto you... but you and I both know what needs to be done.”

Sigurd lowered his head in understanding, reluctant to face the horrid reality of the new task he’d just obtained. He despised the idea of finishing what Ulfar started, but he knew it was necessary to keep the clan safe.

“Yes. I do.”

“...Good. I know Dag is like a brother to you, but I need you to promise me you’ll do everything you can to protect these people.” Ulfar reached out his arm, awaiting Sigurd’s response. “Promise me.”

The prince clenched his jaw in an attempt to maintain his composure, admittedly heartbroken by the idea of turning against his childhood friend. Even though their lifelong relationship had reached the point of war, Sigurd would’ve been lying if he said he was willing to kill Dag.

In fact, part of him had even hoped that Ulfar would’ve done the job for him. He secretly wished that the raider would’ve emerged victorious from the holmgang, and he wanted nothing more than to spare his axe from Dag’s blood. But it seemed the gods felt different.

“Alright,” Sigurd assured, shaking the man’s hand. “I’ll do it. You have my word.

Ulfar nodded in satisfaction, barely clinging on to life at this point. “Then my death will not have been in vain. Thank you.”

Letting go of Sigurd’s arm, the dying vikingr finally decided to let the Valkyries whisk him away and closed his eyes in peace, drawing his last few breaths. The environment around him had become nothing more than a massive haze by now, but even then, he could still recognize the muffled sounds of Eivor’s mournful voice.

Ulfar felt terrible for leaving the boy behind. He didn’t wish to abandon him in his time of need, but alas, the Nornir clearly had other plans. 

Fortunately though, Eivor would not be entirely alone. He still had many people in his life who cared for him, and now, Ulfar would just have to trust that they would stay by his side. He hadn’t forgotten about Sigurd’s affection for the young man, and unlike before, he prayed that the prince wouldn’t shy away from it any longer.

As for Sigurd himself, he had become preoccupied with the new path the gods had lain out in front of him. For the first time in years, the road ahead was not obscured by uncertainty, or hesitance, or even fear. It remained clear as day, and yet, it would be the most difficult one for him to venture in his life thus far.

And so, with a heavy heart, Sigurd stood up from the ground and sulked away from Ulfar’s corpse, making a beeline straight for Dag. He laid a hand on the warrior’s shoulder and ushered him to a more secluded area, ensuring that their conversation stayed private.

“Dag,” he said quietly, “join me for a walk.”

The other man threw him a wary look, confused as to what the prince could want at this time.

“A walk? Now? Where are we going?”

Sigurd pointed to the waterfall in the distance. “The Tears of Ymir. Come with me. We’ll be back shortly.”

Dag clearly wasn’t interested. “Can this not wait, Sigurd? We’ve only--”

“--Just come.” The prince insisted, his tone hardening. “...We need to talk.”

Deciding not to question his friend any further, Dag simply went along with Sigurd’s mysterious plan and followed him into the surrounding wilderness, curious to see what the prince had in mind. 

In the meantime, the rest of Bjornheimr’s villagers dispersed from the scene of the holmgang and left Eivor alone with Ulfar’s body, giving him space to grieve on his own. Neither Arngeir nor Randvi had returned to see what had become of their old friend just yet, but he dreaded the moment when he’d have to show them.

How could this be happening? It wasn’t that long ago that Eivor was holding his deceased sister in his arms, and now, Ulfar had taken her place. Just within a day, they had already lost two of the most important souls in Bjornheimr, and gained nothing in return.

Kjotve was alive. Gorm was alive. But somehow, the gods had deemed it necessary to rob Midgard of its benevolent warriors, and leave no more than a grave of ashes in their name.

They always preached about living a life of honor, and yet, they had stolen it from the few who were willing to try.

Well, no matter what happened in the future, Eivor didn’t plan on watching anymore of his loved ones die. He didn’t care what it took to get Gorm to speak, or how long the interrogation would last. He would find the answers he needed, and track Kjotve down before the bastard had a chance to flee.

He promised himself he would kill the man for good this time, and he wavered not at the thought of death.

[luckhound]

— reprieve.

pairing.  alfonse/gender neutral reader (summoner)

genre.  fluff

description.  he’s not one for feasts and dances, but just like with everything else, you show up and change that.

note.  i’m not that confident writing for feh since this is my first piece, but somehow this is 2.2k words long and in alfonse’s pov 😐😐 anywayz no one should criticize me cause i tried

Another day, another village saved.

It had been evening when the battle with the forces of Múspell came to an end, the last of the opposing army retreating. As thanks, the villagers opened their only inn to the Order of Heroes, inviting them to stay the night and recuperate, before resuming travel early next morning. They accepted, seeing as most of their forces were exhausted from the day’s events. Pitching tents, tending fires, and eating rations hadn’t sounded appealing to any of them in the slightest.

Alfonse was thankful for their hospitality, not to mention eager to get some much needed rest. Only to learn that the villagers were so moved over being saved by the Order, they were throwing a feast in their honour. Apparently, they refused to take no for an answer. (Though he doubts his sister put up much of a fight when approached by the village elders.)

Which is how the Prince of Askr finds himself nursing a mug of ale, watching the festivities and wondering when would be the appropriate time to retire for the night.

The villagers had done a fine job, considering how impromptu the feast was. A bonfire roared in the center of the village, bathing the square in hues of red, orange, and gold. Tables were erected nearby, full to the brim with various foods. One of the villagers had brought out their lyre and was playing a jovial ditty, while children and adults alike danced merrily to the tune.

Sharena is among the revelers, having shed her armour for one of the dresses she’d packed for the journey. (Alfonse had raised a brow at her luggage and told her such finery wasn’t necessary, not when they were setting out to defeat Surtr and his forces. It seemed he was the wrong one.) Her hair is twisted into a braid and decorated with flowers by the young children who had taken to following after her like ducklings would their mother. One of her little admirers is in her arms, head thrown back in laughter as they are swung about.

He spots other familiar faces nearby as well. Commander Anna is engaged in friendly conversation with one of the villagers, a woman. Camilla of the World of Conquest is sampling some of the desserts, licking the sugar that dusts her fingers with relish. Frederick of the World of Awakening appears as uncomfortable as Alfonse feels, standing on the fringes with his hands clasped behind his back and still in full armour.

The only one missing is you, the Summoner. It has been some time since he had spoken to you last. He’d caught glimpses of you at the start of the feast, but he had been too busy conversing with the village elders alongside Sharena to approach you. Though he glances around, he doesn’t see hide nor hair of you.

Had you decided to cut the night short?

Suddenly, sticking around sounds even less appealing. He’s done his rounds, chatted with villagers and fellow Order members, and thanked the right people. Surely his duties are complete. He thinks wistfully of his room at the inn. It isn’t as spacious as the one back home, but a bed is a bed, and he’s tired.

Just as he considers retreating, not unlike the Múspell forces had, he feels a presence at his side. “Well, if it isn’t the life of the party.” He glances over to see your smiling visage.

You’re out of your summoner’s cloak, wearing a fetching tunic and pair of pants. A flower is tucked behind your ear; perhaps the children had gotten to you as well. Your skin glows in the firelight, which is reflected in your eyes.

Alfonse finds his gaze lingering on your form for longer than appropriate. He clears his throat, turning away. “I would hardly refer to myself as such.”

“I know, I was joking.” You sound amused. There’s a pause, wherein Alfonse curses himself for not realizing your words had been in jest, before you capture his attention again. “That title would go to your sister, I think.”

That piques his curiosity. He seeks out Sharena for a second time. She’s still dancing with the children. His sister is twirling one of the girls, a beaming grin on her features. It can’t be clearer how much she’s enjoying herself.

He smiles at the sight. “Sharena always has been the life of any party. She was over the moon every time we held balls at the castle.”

You knock your shoulder against his. The brief contact has his fingers tightening around the mug he’s holding, a reflexive reaction he can’t control. “Let me guess. You didn’t have much fun at those balls?”

His first instinct is to laugh awkwardly, write your words off as ribbing and leave it at that. But when he looks to you, your head is cocked to the side, your gaze trained on him. You seem to be awaiting a response. As if you genuinely want to know what he was like back when the kingdom of Askr was at peace, and not in the midst of war.

Alfonse gives the diplomatic answer. “I understood their function. It is important for royalty to host events at the castle. They present an opportunity for us to interact with our people and learn how they are faring.” At your expectant look, he admits, “...I didn’t particularly enjoy them, no. Actually, I was often scolded by my mother for leaving early.”

You chuckle at that, but not cruelly. “Huh. I can’t picture you getting in trouble with your mom. But hiding in a corner, so you don’t have to talk to other people?” You look at him pointedly, a teasing slant to your mouth. “That’s easier to imagine.”

Does he really come off that way? He frowns. That isn’t how he wants to appear to anyone, you especially. The thought is a bit disconcerting, because he’s not sure when your opinion of him started to carry such weight.

“It isn’t that I didn’t want to talk to anyone at those events.” He stares out at the crowd, so that he doesn’t have to meet your gaze. “The nobles who attended just confounded me. So many of them are duplicitous. They rarely say what they mean, and often attempt to befriend me for my title. And then there were the rules and conventions that had to be adhered. Sharena was capable of handling all that while still enjoying herself, but it was...difficult for me.”

(It didn’t help that his behaviour usually disappointed his parents, whether it be because he inadvertently snubbed a noble or left before it was appropriate. Now isn’t the time to think of his many failures as a prince, however.)

“Oh.” The quiet sound compels him to look at you. Your merriment from before is gone, your brows furrowed and the corners of your mouth tugged down. “I’m sorry, Alfonse. I didn’t mean to remind you about all that, especially when this is supposed to be a happy occasion.”

He blinks, taken aback, before shaking his head. “N-No, don’t be sorry. You didn’t say anything untoward. If anything, I should apologize for ruining the mood.”

Now you’re the one shaking your head. “You don’t need to apologize for speaking your mind! I asked you about it in the first place, anyway.”

Suddenly, he can’t help smile at the situation. The two of you are members of the Order of Heroes, battle-hardened and assured on the battlefield...but tripping over each other during a simple conversation at a party. “Then I guess neither of us need to be sorry.”

Maybe you realize the absurdity too, because you huff out a laugh. “Yeah, I guess so.”

Conversation comes easier then, the topic at hand turning to how you both spent your time at the feast thus far. You wax poetic about some of the pastries you ate, while he mentions the praises the village elders had for the heroes. There are brief silences in between, but it’s comfortable and not at all stifling.

During one such lull, Alfonse notices that Anna is no longer near the food tables. She’s being led by the hand to the makeshift dance floor, still in the company of the woman she’d been speaking with earlier. She’s smiling from ear to ear, with a lightness to her shoulders that’s rarely present when they travel.

He points the new development out. “Looks like the Commander and her new friend are planning to join Sharena.”

Your brows raise in mild interest, and you glance around for a moment before spotting the women in question. By now they have begun to dance, Anna’s arms twined around her companion’s waist. Your mouth quirks into a grin. “Oh, I doubt either of them are having friendly thoughts right now.”

He frowns. “What do you mean? They look friendly from where I’m standing.”

“Well, yeah, but...” You trail off, taking in his confusion. Then your eyes widen. “Uhhh...You know what? Nevermind! You’re totally right, they are.”

Alfonse gets the feeling that he’s missing something. He decides not to press you on it. Instead, he returns to watching the proceedings. He’s so engrossed in wondering how Sharena has yet to tire herself out, he doesn’t notice you glance from the dance floor to him, your teeth digging into your lip in contemplation.

“You know,” you begin carefully, “maybe we should join them too. As in, on the dance floor.”

It takes a moment for the words to sink in. Then he’s stammering, the nape of his neck warm. “Join them on the...I-I can’t. It’s not that I don’t want to, o-or do, that is to say— I don’t— I’m not a good dancer.”

You smile reassuringly. “That’s okay. I mean, look! Everyone's just dancing to the music!”

That’s the problem, he wants to say. He doesn’t have an aptitude for dance, but the waltz has steps he can follow. Here, in this tiny village so far from the castle, there is no structure to the dancing, villagers and heroes alike making it up as they go. Alfonse knows his two left feet will only embarrass him if he tries to join in.

His trepidation must show, because your smile disappears, a look of worry replacing it. “If you’re not comfortable, though, I’m not gonna force you. We can just stay here.”

He wants nothing more than to agree. But then you glance over at the dancing crowd, looking wistful, and he finds himself saying, “Well. Maybe just for a little bit.”

You turn back to him. “What? Are you sure? You don’t have to say so because of me. Really!”

His flush is spreading to his cheeks, and his mind is conjuring up all the ways he’ll slip up, and he’s afraid of making a fool of himself in front of you. And yet he still sets his mug down at a nearby table, before holding out his hand towards you. “I insist.”

It’s worth the trouble when your face clears up, an excited smile playing at your lips as you take his hand. Your fingers are warm, and a comforting weight on his palm. As one, you both head to the dance floor.

Sharena is the first to notice. Her brows raise in surprise, before she’s grinning at Alfonse with a knowing look. He avoids her gaze, feeling his flush worsen, only to lock eyes with Anna. She waggles her brows. He narrows his eyes, feigning irritation, and turns away.

Then his eyes meet yours. It’s impossible to look away from the warmth he finds there.

You take a step closer, until your chests are nearly brushing. “Here,” you say, so softly he has to strain a little to hear you. “Just do what I do.”

The villager on the lyre is playing a softer song, not quite as fast-paced as the previous ones have been. You guide him into a dance that matches the tempo. He stumbles at first, but you’re patient, smiling encouragingly at him as you continue to lead without issue. Just as confidently as you do on the battlefield. The comparison helps ease some of his anxiety.

Alfonse can feel sweat gathering under the collar of his tunic, from the press of bodies around him, the crackling bonfire, and his nerves. He’s much too cognizant of all the places he’s touching you, and you him. He’s been in close proximity to you before, but never quite like this.

It’s terrifying. It’s maddening. It’s exhilarating.

After some time, you grin. “Look at that! You’re dancing.”

Fondness blooms within his chest at how pleased you are with his success. His lips spread into a smile before he even realizes it. “So I am.”

Eventually, the song ends, only for another to start. Now is the perfect time to pull away, to retire for the night, just as he wanted to earlier. Yet Alfonse continues to follow your lead, despite his two left feet and nervous disposition.

We’re not friends with the Summoner, we’re allies, Alfonse had told his sister once. He’d meant it.

Now, he knows that’s not the case. That hasn’t been the case for a long time.

He doesn’t allow himself to think long about just what it is between the two of you. All he knows is that he wants to indulge in this feeling for as long as he possibly can.

[yukimoji]

My World: Part 3 ( Tanjiro Kamado x Reader )

( a/n: hello! welcome to part 3 and the final part of the “my world” series! this became longer than i had initially expected, i apologize deeply for that. also, i'm sorry if it seemed like i shitted on kanao too much, im so sorry bby i still love u. take note there will be grammar errors and typos, bec im blind and i always seem to miss those errors rip. thank you all for following “my world”, and i hope you all enjoy! )

(also, how do u even write angst?? i tried my best and i hope ya’ll dont get too disappointed with my poor excuse of angst lololol)

Part 1 I 2 I 3

Total words: 6600+ words

Genre: Angst and Fluff

!!MAJOR, MAJOR MANGA SPOILERS! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!

Warnings: Mentions of blood

--

With each passing day, it felt like you were getting closer towards the edge of the line.

In a dark tunnel, you stood there, wandering aimlessly towards the light that could not be even seen for miles and miles. An endless loop of nothingness, as the feeling of dread, terror, and fear consumes you from the hidden depths of your mind.

You hoped and wished that one day you could see even a tiny glimpse of what lies ahead of you. Wondering if there's more to it than the endless bloodshed and horrors you've seen hundreds of times now.

But then, suddenly, a warm entity started to walk alongside you. A feeling as warm as the bright rays of the morning sun, and an inexplicable feeling of something accompanying you on your endless journey.

Even when immersed in darkness, the underlying warmth seemed to radiate from that figure. There was a tinge of happiness in your harsh world that made the road to the unseen light seem less lonely than before.

However, with every step, the distant light gets dimmer and darker.

And the warm feeling beside you blazes into a raging, roaring, sea of fire.

The morning after you received the heartfelt letter from Tanjiro, word broke out that Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Zenitsu had defeated Lower Moon One.

You were rejoiced to hear that your comrades had defeated another member of the Twelve Demon Moons. When you heard the news for the first time, you promptly darted to find the nearest pen and paper to congratulate the trio. However, you stopped dead in your tracks when your Kasugai Crow screeched out the status of the Hashira that the trio had accompanied.

Rengoku Kyojuro, the Flame Hashira, has died after an encounter with Upper Moon Three.

Your eyes were as big as saucers, as you stood there in shock. You couldn't believe what you were hearing. Upper Moon 3? Hashira? Dead?

You've never really had a proper conversation with the Flame Hashira, but you've had high respects for him. The way he would hold his sword with pride and his never-ending sense of justice would always bring hope to you and your fellow slayers. You could still remember the words of encouragement he would say every time he would have encountered the lower ranks like you.

"Always set your heart ablaze!"

Hearing about the death of such an important figure in the Demon Slayer Corps made you tighten your jaw. Your hand clenches at the thought of someone so kind and strong had died of such a painful death. You inhaled tiny and long breaths as you try to calm yourself down from the frustration rising in your veins.

He would've wanted his death to inspire the Demon Slayers to fight harder, and you will. His fate will not be in vain as long as the Demon Slayer Corps will continue fighting on.

If you feel angry, you could only imagine as to how Tanjiro felt. Knowing the boy, he would've befriended and had grown attached to the fallen Hashira. Your face contorted into one of sadness. He would be distraught, seeing the Flame Hashira die in front of his very eyes.

You glanced at the paper and the pen at the corner of your vision, and decided to write to the Hanafuda-clad slayer. You went to grab the items and sat down to start writing your letter.

You couldn't be there to physically comfort him, you were too far away. You prayed that this letter would suffice, as you could not do anything more to console the Burgundy-haired boy.

--

Tanjiro made his way back towards the Butterfly Estate, after visiting the Rengoku Estate to deliver Kyojuro-san's final wishes. He gazed at the katana guard that was given to him by Senjoru, Kyojuro-san's little brother. He sighs sadly at the thought of the Flame Hashira, his words echoing in his mind.

"Live on and set your heart ablaze!"

Breathing out softly, his Crimson-hues looks upwards to the sky, staring at the moving clouds high above.

"CAW! A MESSAGE! A MESSAGE FOR KAMADO TANJIRO!"

"Yaah!" Tanjiro yells out in surprise at his crow's loud screeching, but his expression brightened at the sight of a letter attached to it's legs. He then puts his arm out to let the crow land on it.

"Thank you!" He affectionately pats the head of the crow, and proceeds to take the letter placed delicately on it's legs. The crow screeches once more, and takes off.

Tanjiro looks at the crow flying away, and returns his gaze towards the letter in his hands. He reads the message written in it, and can't help a smile forming from his lips.

"What can be done, is for us to not let it define our days to come. We can choose to heal, whilst bearing the scars, whether alone or with someone precious.

For as long as you want me to, I will be here for you."

I read that somewhere, but I couldn't remember where, hehe.

I'm sorry for what happened. I can't imagine what you're feeling, but I will always be here for you. Rengoku-san will not be forgotten, and he will always live in our hearts and memories.

Be kind to yourself, Tanjiro. You mean the whole world to me.

- [ L / N ] [ Y / N ]

Tanjiro chuckles softly at the letter, and holds it close to his chest. He sniffles as he flutters his eyes close, the corners of his mouth turning up into a thankful grin.

"Thank you, [ Y / N.]"

--

Months pass, another mission comes by after the completion of another mission. As the weeks gone by, you could find yourself growing stronger each passing day.

During your time apart, you and Tanjiro would often exchange letters. Usually, it was him describing his missions in full detail and how Zenitsu and Inosuke were doing as they worked alongside with each other. Every now and then, little scratches and odd pen marks will decorate the surface of the paper, which you could only assume is Nezuko's doing.

You, on the other hand, would also write about your missions. Occasionally, you would tell him about random stuff, little things on your mind as you go about your day.

One thing remains constant, though. The two of you would always end a letter with a heartfelt sentence that became your little way of saying "I love you" for each other.  

"You mean the whole world to me."

Today, me, Inosuke, and Zenitsu went to Yoshiwara with Uzui-san. He basically forced us to come with him, because he wouldn't stop harassing the poor girls back at the Butterfly Estate if we didn't go. He said he was looking for his three wives, as they stopped contacting him after going undercover to find a demon in the district. Can you believe it? Three wives?!

When we arrived, Uzui-san immediately dressed us up as girls and we were sent off to brothels where we could hopefully find the demon causing havoc in the area. Honestly, I'm kind of glad that you weren't here to see me. Not because I don't want you to be with me, no no no! I actually miss you so much and I just want see you again and I just-

It's because I looked absolutely ridiculous! Seriously, it was a miracle that I was able to pass up as a girl!

Anyway, it's my first night here, and so far, there's no sign of a demon. There's been rumors going around about young women suddenly committing suicide without explanation. There's something fishy going on around here, that's for sure.

I'm going to end my letter here. Tomorrow's another day, and we will do our best to make this mission a success.

Stay safe, [ Y / N ].

You mean the whole world to me.

- Kamado Tanjiro

Of course, there were moments where you were worried sick for the boy. When news broke out that the Sound Pillar and the trio defeated Upper Moon 6 in the Red Light District, you were absolutely ecstatic. Another Upper Moon had been slain, and you couldn't be more proud  for the trio.

That is, until Tanjiro abruptly stopped sending letters.

During those moments, you could only send letters to the Butterfly Estate, asking about Tanjiro's health and condition. You tried not to get your emotions get the best you, but you couldn't help it. Not when Tanjiro was laying in a bed, unconscious, and out of your reach.

You found comfort of the letters that replied to you. Kanao, the Butterfly Pillar's Tsuguko, started writing back to you, and kept you up-to-date of Tanjiro's well-being that would soothe your anxious nerves. You were thankful for her, as she would always write back to you every night without fail.  

Gradually, you began to get to know her, and eventually thought of her as a friend. Since she was a little shy, you gladly told her about your days and endless missions, and maybe a little bit of jokes and puns to lighten up her day.

It wasn't long too until she started talking about the things she liked, like how she enjoys blowing soap bubbles and considers it a hobby. She would also talk about how she likes sweets and accessories, squishing cat paws and helping with the cooking at the Butterfly Estate.

Who knew, that the girl who wrecked you mercilessly during your Rehabilitation training was actually such a lovely and adorable girl who enjoyed the little things in life?

When Tanjiro finally recovered, you never stopped sending letters to Kanao. She was a fun pen pal and a friend to have, because she would listen to each time you would either rant about your day or just say some dumb puns when you're too bored to function.

One day, Tanjiro told you that he was going to the Swordsmith Village to ask for a replacement for his sword. That night, he spoke of how the Love Pillar and the Mist Pillar were present in the village, and how he had the chance of speaking to Genya Shinazugawa, the Wind Pillar's younger brother.

For days on end, the Crimson-eyed slayer would tell you about a training doll that mimicked the strongest Demon Slayer who ever lived. He would rant endlessly, telling you about a swordsmith who trained him to the bone without food and water. He told you, one day, he accidentally smashed the doll into pieces, revealing a worn and old sword hidden inside of it.

You snickered, and you could already hear Tanjiro's voice, which was loaded with panic and anxiety, just by reading the contents of his letters.

You were pleasantly shocked the next day, when your Crow announced the news of the deaths of Upper Moon Five and Upper Moon Four.

Tanjiro was like a magnet for the Upper Moons, and you can't help but feel a heavy sensation in the depths of your stomach.

It felt like the calm before the storm, as after Tanjiro's experience in the Swordsmith Village, there was a rapid decline in Demon activity all across the country.

--

However, it seemed like the crow didn't exactly tell you everything regarding the Village's aftermath.

After what seemed like forever, you made your way back to the Butterfly Estate. Since demons have not been running all over the place, there weren't as much many missions as there was before. Your crow yelled at you to go back to the estate, but hey, you weren't complaining about that.

You couldn't contain the excitement, a giddy expression ever present on your face. Each step brought you closer to your destination, and as the Estate finally presented itself to your vision, you practically skipped your way in order to reach the area faster.

You heard shouting in the distance. There were cries of panic, seemingly asking someone to come back. You didn't stop your hurried pace, but your eyes widened in both joy and shock when you saw the familiar raven locks of your demon friend, who was now running towards you at full speed.

In broad daylight.

"[ Y/N ]! [ Y/N ]! [ Y/N ]!" Nezuko cries out in joy, jumping at you with all of her strength. You couldn't react on time as she lands on you, and the both of you tumbled to the ground. She was hugging you, a hand affixed on top of your head, patting it relentlessly.

"Oof! Hi, Nezuko!" You laughed at her antics, and hugged her back without hesitation.

You were confused, that's for sure. Even though you were absolutely overjoyed to see your friend, your mind was screaming confused thoughts on how on earth she was able to hug you underneath the blazing sun. Not only that, she was not wearing her usual bamboo muzzle and she spoke your name! She actually spoke! Her voice was absolutely adorable!

"Welcome back!" She cheered happily, and you already feel yourself melt into a puddle at how cute she was acting. She continued to nuzzle onto you, and you felt a sense of pride knowing that an incredibly cute and sweet girl was aggressively showering you with love and affection.

"EH?! [ Y / N ]'S BACK! SHE'S BACK!" You snapped your head to the source, and beamed at the sight of Zenitsu calling out to the residents of the estate, signalling your arrival.

"It's nice to see you again, Zenitsu!" You called out and waved at him, a bright smile present on your face. You couldn't really move, not when Nezuko wasn't done hugging you and spoiling you rotten with her affection.

Zenitsu's eyes widened for a second, until he began jumping around and screaming out a series of chants like the madman he is.

"REALLY? IT'S REALLY NICE TO SEE ME AGAIN?! AW! DON'T FLATTER ME, [ Y / N ]! YOU SHOULD'VE TOLD ME BEFORE THAT YOU HELD ME IN SUCH A HIGH REGARD! YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO ASK FOR MY HAND IN MARRIAGE!"

Your smile began to fade, and you could look at him with utter dismay as he proceeded to yell out nonsense.

But then, a familiar voice calls out. The voice that you've yearned to hear for months, as it makes your heart skip a beat as it gets louder and closer.

Tanjiro comes out from the estate, looking around frantically, a desperate expression evident in his gentle features. He looks at your direction and he goes stiff as a statue the moment he locks eyes with you. His eyes began to water, his lower lip quivering from the sight of you.

He races up to you, rivaling with the pace Nezuko had when she assaulted you. Instantaneously, he engulfs you in his loving embrace, and you couldn't hold back your giggles and laughter as he proceeded to wreak havoc on your face with little kisses.

Nezuko lets out a sound of pleasure and releases her hold on you. She watched her brother as he coddled you with so much attention, and she clapped happily at the sight.

After what seemed like ages, Tanjiro stopped attacking your face with kisses and raised a hand to softly caress your cheek. His crimson-hues looked at you with so much passion and adoration, and you gazed at him lovingly in reciprocation.

Slowly he leans in to you, his forehead brushing yours. The corners of his mouth are pulled up, a ridiculously goofy expression adoring his features. You could feel the blood rushing to your cheeks because of the close proximity to his face, but still, you gave him the biggest grin you could muster up.

He chuckles and closes his eyes, nuzzling on you as he holds you in his arms protectively.

"I missed you. So, so much." He breathes out, and you giggle as his warm breath fans your flushed face.

"I missed you too, you big baby." You fluttered your [ E / C ] close, holding him tight and not wanting to let go.

After months of hardship, stress, and pain, you find yourself once again welcomed by your home and your world.

You spent the next few days roaming around the estate, with Tanjiro beside you, holding your hand at every moment. Not just that, you've got to spend time in the garden with Nezuko again! Only this time, you were accompanied by the presence of Zenitsu, Inosuke, and even Kanao!

Each day was filled with laughter and joy. Even when the Hashiras decided to train every slayer in harsh training routines, your happiness never faded. Given the sweat and soreness of your muscles as you shift from one Hashira to another, you would always be rewarded with the sight of the bright stars shining brightly over all of you.

But one day, that happiness seemed to fade away. The devastation and cruelty that you had faced before came back from the ashes of the past, as each second escalated into the catastrophic hell that you were now forced to face.

One night, every Hashira unexpectedly went on a high alert. You couldn't understand what was going on, and you were even more perplexed when Tanjiro suddenly asked you to stay alert and left in a haste. You stood beside the campfire, confused, and you couldn't control the familiar feeling of dread swallowing you up again.

Your instinct was telling you that something terrible and unprecedented was about to happen. Your heart was thumping uncontrollably on your chest, as you started to sweat and tremble from the overwhelming feeling of uncertainty that made shivers run up to your spine.

Unfortunately, your fears were confirmed when a loud explosion was heard in the distance.

You gasped, as you felt the ground suddenly disappear. You couldn't respond quickly, your mind spinning out of control as you fell down to a fortress filled with demons that seemed to stretch out forever.

You breath hitched as you came back to your senses. You looked around, trying to find something or somewhere that could end your endless free fall. You felt a sense of hope as an area where you could land safely came into view. Your eyebrows were knit together, mouth clenching as you performed a breathing technique and landed swiftly at the edge of the structure.

The moment you landed, demons started to flock towards you. Your blood began to boil, rage rapidly overcoming you. You unsheathed out your sword, tightened your grip on the handle, and immediately slashed your way through the hordes of demons. It was then you realized, that it was the beginning of the end, and that it was going to be a long night.

In a blink of an eye, smiles turned into anger, laughter turned into screams, as what was once happiness was now destroyed and replaced by rage and anguish.

And whenever happiness is destroyed,

There's always the smell of blood.

--

Hours of endless bloodshed. Thousands upon thousands of casualties had rained upon the ranks of the Demon Slayer Corps. You had seen the brutal fighting with your very own eyes, and the rage only intensified with each life taken by the hands of those ruthless demons.

The Twelve Demon Moons had perished. But at the cost of their heads, were the lives of your mentors, comrades, and friends.

However, it finally seemed like their sacrifices were not in vain.

The sun had risen, and Muzan Kibutsuji howled out in pain as the sun's fiery rays started to burn him. He had taken the form of a large, hideous baby, as he desperately tries to hide away from the sun's burning gaze.

Almost everybody was severely injured; there were severed limbs, large gashes, and heavily bleeding wounds.  

Despite the overwhelming pain, the remaining slayers continued to fight on, too high on adrenaline and determination in order to bring Muzan to his demise. Everybody held on, performing everything they could do to make the Demon King roast under the sunlight and suffer for his crimes.

Right now, you were driving a bus, speeding towards the crawling abomination. You slammed on the pedals, accelerating at full speed as you rammed into the enormous, yet horrific excuse of a baby.

"Stay down, you bastard!" You yelled out, a dangerous glint twinkling in your eyes as you couldn't help the sides lips tugging up into smug smirk.

You jumped out of the vehicle right before a big hand smashed the front portion, as a voice commands you and nearby Kakushi to push the back portion to block Muzan from moving further. You all gathered together and pushed with all your remaining strength, yells of determination echoing out to stop Muzan from going further.

Your eyes widen as a large hand rises, but before he could smash you all into pieces, the Wind Pillar successfully cut off it's hand on time. You all continued to push, but Muzan was starting to overpower you all and was slowly going over the vehicle.

Then, you heard the loud clank of chains, and saw the monster stumble back as a large chain had wrapped itself on the demon's neck, forcing him to stay in place. You all moved out, and went to the Stone Pillar, aiding him by holding him in place as he uses all his power to grip unto the chains in order to pin the beast down. Muzan hollered out, as he continued to burn under the sun.

Determined to find shade and escape death, the huge monstrosity resorted to dig himself into the earth. The Hashiras then took turns attacking the abomination, attempting to wear off its stamina. All hope seemed lost, as the chains, and all of your energy rapidly depleted as Muzan continued his struggle.

Then, against all odds, the demon throws his head back in a final, ear piercing scream. Gigantic tears fell down from it's hideous face, and after what seemed like eternity, it's body finally crumbled into nothingness.

There was a pause. You all held your breath, the heavy tension in the air suffocating you all. Disbelief was evident on your faces, as you could not properly process what had just gone down.

Then, you all erupted into loud yells of victory.

Muzan is dead. The Demon Slayers had won.

You all cried out in happiness. Centuries of battle, bloodshed, and death finally bearing its fruit. Everyone embraced each other, beaming smiles present in every slayer's face as the shouts of triumph echoed across the battlefield.

"It's not over yet!" A Kakushi yells out, "Stand up! Treat the wounded! Don't cry, you fools, stay focused! We can save them!" You all looked around, and saw the bodies of several Hashira and Demon Slayers slumped up all around. The celebration ceased as everybody started to scatter; newly found strength flooding them as they sought out to save the heavily injured.

In your peripheral vision, you saw Kanao hunched up and unconscious, and she was being tended by several Kakushi. You ran up to her, and your jaw clenched as you observed the injuries and blows she had taken. You kneeled down, and asked for one of them for bandages so you could help patch up your friend.

As you started to wrap up some of Kanao's injuries, lilac hues started to flutter open. She takes a moment to look at her surroundings, and when she sees you and a few Kakushi patching her up, her lips formed a small yet grateful smile.

"...Thank you."

Your eyes darted to look up to the voice, you gasped in relief and your expression brightened as Kanao weakly gives you a wry smile.  

You stared at her, the corners of your mouth tugging up and your eyes flickering with gratitude. After wrapping her wounds, you gently took her hand and encased it with your own.

"We won, Kanao." You whispered. Shutting your eyes close, you recalled the memories of how hard she fought against Muzan, along with Zenitsu, Inosuke, and the Hashiras. The ravenette just paused, and her mouth falling open as she was reflecting on what you had just told to her. Then, she breathes out in delight, and slowly raised her other hand to caress your own. Kanao's whole face lit up, and she beams at you, nodding her head in appreciation.

But then, suddenly, in the corner of her vision, something captures Kanao's attention. She stiffened, and her hand started to tremble under your gentle hold. Her forehead furrowed and she struggled to find her voice.

" [ Y - Y / N ]-chan..!"

You opened your [ E / C ] eyes, and glanced at your friend's facial features. You grew concerned, trying to make sense as to why she was shaking and sweating so much. Then, loud shouts began to echo and you felt a heavy sensation start to enclose your chest. You started to tremble, the loud yells becoming more frantic by each second. The feeling of dread returned, seemingly to taunt you as goosebumps rapidly washed over you. The girl returned her attention to your bewildered expression, her lilac orbs filled with worry and regret.

You hesitantly turned around and looked to where Kanao had her gaze on to figure out the source of her behavior. Instantaneously, your eyebrows elevated, a hand immediately clasping your mouth. Your eyes welled up in tears and the cries of distress escaped away as you stomached in the scene before you.

You stared ahead to meet the figure of your beloved Tanjiro.

But he didn't look like your Tanjiro.

A beast roared out, screaming and assaulting any being that was attempting to get close to him. You saw a glimpse of Zenitsu and Inosuke trying to hold back your transformed lover, the Water Pillar frantically yelling orders not get close to the boy, but to no avail.

It felt like the whole world had shattered right before your very eyes. You struggled to swallow back the bile rising to your throat, your breathes becoming more erratic as the hot tears endlessly fall from your eyes. You become absolutely racked with sobs, the heavy feeling on your chest intensifying to the point of suffocating you.

"Stop crying!"  You mentally scold yourself. "Now is not the time to cry! You have to help! You have to save him!"

But you couldn't move. You couldn't speak. You couldn't do anything but wail out in absolute heartbreak as Tanjiro further succumbed into hysteria.

No matter how hard you tried, your feet were glued to the ground. Your mind hurled insults, screaming at you to step forward, to run, and try to save your beloved. You could only look up to the heavens, reciting a silent prayer pleading to every Deity who was listening to stop this madness.

In the midst of your emotional turmoil, you have flashes of what once was. You recall how Tanjiro would hold you in moments of peace, how his eyes would fill up with tenderness and love whenever you locked eyes with him, and how his beaming smile seemed to brighten up even your darkest days.

Your heart continues to pound painfully in your chest as you gasp out endless incoherent breathes. You could hear his loving voice resonate in your head, your cries becoming more erratic at the thought that you could never hear his warmth-filled sound again.

"You mean the whole world to me, [ Y / N ]."

You could only look helplessly as the now human Nezuko began to cry out to her corrupted brother, holding him in place so that he could no longer hurt more people. Tanjiro continued to screech and thrash in the sister's grasp, his screams releasing powerful waves of energy that would blowed away anyone who had even dared to come near him.

Zenitsu and Inosuke were swept away by the strong shockwaves, but Nezuko never weakened her grasp, as she continues to hold on to her brother desperately. Tanjiro dropped down, the sound of the tearing cloth ringing around as massive and sharp tentacles exploded out of his back. Zenitsu cries out, terror overtaking his face as he desperately reaches out to save Nezuko.

But something still puzzles you. Your stomach still twisted at the sight of Nezuko bleeding, but what was perplexing was that Tanjiro declined to bite his sister. Even though he had a taste of his sister's blood, he resisted and refused to attack her.

Maybe, just maybe, your Tanjiro was still there, fighting to break free from his eternal prison.

"[ Y / N ]-chan." Kanao calls out. You snap out of you emotional daze and faced the girl. She looked at you with a hopeful expression, and she takes out a small box from her belt.

"We can still save him..." She starts, opening the box to reveal an injection. "My master gave this to me, and she said that this is medicine made out of Wisteria flowers that could turn demons back into humans."

Kanao coughs up blood, her face scrunching up as she groans out in discomfort. She stumbles forward because of the pain, and you instantly hold her to prevent her from falling to the ground. She looks up to you, and gives you a sad smile.

"Tanjiro turned into a demon just now. Even if I could evade his attacks with one eye, my injuries could get the best of me." She coughs again, placing a hand to her re-opened wound on her waist. She takes your hand and places the injection on it.

"There's still time, [ Y / N ]. Tanjiro loves you too much to even raise a hand at you."  

You looked down at the injection, your eyes filled with renewed determination. You nodded in agreement, then took long breaths to calm yourself down. You knew what you needed to do, and now, you could save him.

You wiped the trails of dried tears on your face, eyebrows drewn together as your expression hardened. Tightening your grip on the object, you stood up and turned around to confront Tanjiro.

"Thank you." You breathed out, forever grateful to Kanao for giving you this oppurtunity.

You inhaled deeply, oxygen rapidly flooding your veins. You could feel your muscles become stronger each second, as adrenaline fills you once more. Bursts of energy traveled all across your body, giving you the courage and power you needed to pull this off. You focused your strength on your legs, and in a flash, you dashed towards your lover.

"Tanjiro.."

The demon takes notice of a presence rapidly approaching him. He growls and turns his attention towards you. Scowling, he screeches loudly, tentacles aggressively whipping around at all angles to attack you.

"When this is all over, let's make our own world,"

You looked up to meet his eyes, and you were with scarlet ones, which were filled with hatred and rage. Your breathe hitches momentarily as a shiver ran up to your spine.

"A world where no one could tears us apart."

Tanjiro had never looked at you with such hostility before. However, you didn't let that faze you as you continuously dodged his never ending assaults against you.

"Enough is enough, Tanjiro."

You jumped and evaded the whips his tentacles threw at you. Then, an opening presents itself, your eyes dilating and you bolted even closer until you came face to face with the demon.

"You musn't make Nezuko cry."

Tanjiro howls out loudly, and he raises a hand with the intent to smash you. You quickly caught the glimpse of his clenched fist, and you leapt, avoiding his arm as it plunged downwards with such speed and strength.

"Come back to us, and you won't be ever lost again,"

You swore everything looked like it was in slow motion. In that moment, a bright light engulfed your surroundings. Your body flew above the demon, and when his back came into full view, you immediately pushed the cure into him. Tears shone in your [ E / C ] orbs, as a love-filled smile appeared on your features.

You didn't even feel the pain when a rouge tentacle managed to successfully pierce itself into you. Your tender gaze never left the boy, and you finally breathed out in relief. You fluttered your eyes close, and you tumbled helplessly against the surface.

"You are the whole world to me."

"[ Y / N]!" Nezuko calls out to you, her face contorted into one of pure horror as she watches your body make harsh contact with the ground.

Suddenly, Tanjiro stops moving. His tentacles ceased it's assaults, and slowly, but surely, it retreats back into his body. The boy to started to shake uncontrollably, exhaling out heavy breathes as his eyes trembled wildly as he stares at the sight of your injured body.

With all the remaining strength you could muster up, you looked up to the demon. Instead of the hatred and rage you had saw moments ago, Tanjiro's Scarlet-hues were filled with regret. Tears ran down his cheeks, sadness clouding over his demonic features.

You inhaled softly, and with each passing moment, you saw his eyes slowly turn back into the Crimson colored orbs that you loved so much. As seconds pass by, your vision began to darken. Exhaling out in exhaustion, you felt thankful that you get to see a glimpse of your Tanjiro once more. You heard loud shouts resound through the field, feeling something tending to your wounds before your sight was further consumed by darkness as you fell into unconsciousness.

--

" -Ma..?"

" -Ma!"

"Mama!"

You jolt up in surprise, trying to catch your breath as cold sweat falls down from the side of your face.

You take a moment to observe your surroundings, and you could find yourself sitting in a bench that was located at an open lake. Sakura trees were abundant, and their beauty was obviously not overlooked as pink blossoms flew around with the cool spring breeze. Flora was flourishing all over, and the sounds of the little animals living in the lake was prominent.

A nightmare? You thought. Sighing deeply, you let yourself fall back in the bench where you were sitting on. A small hand shakes on your own frantically, as you turned your head and smiled softly as a gigantic pair of eyes, clearly filled with worry, gazed into your own.

"I'm sorry, Takeo. Did Mama scare you?" You chuckled, as the child in front of you pouts and crosses his arms over his chest.

"Stop dozing off like that! I was really worried when you started to cry in your sleep again!" Takeo exclaims out, puffing out his cheeks as he stomped on his foot in annoyance.

You laughed at his antics, your melodic voice echoing across the peaceful lake. You leaned forward and raised a hand to gently pat your son's head. The boy looked almost the same as you, seeing as he inherited your complexion, your facial features, and even your [H / C] hair.

There was one thing, though, that distinguished him from looking like a complete carbon copy of you.

He had Crimson colored eyes that he inherited from his father.

Takeo continues to huff out in annoyance, but he couldn't fight the flush rising up to his face from your act of affection towards him. Whether he was going to deny it or not, it was an irrefutable fact that he loved getting his head pats. As you observed Takeo's features, you felt warmth and tenderness embracing your chest. You pulled your hand away from his head and just chuckled at his failed attempts of trying to look angry at you.

"Papa asked me to fetch you, ya know.." Takeo mumbles, his Crimson-orbs looking away from you in embarrassment. "He says that Aunt Nezuko and Uncle Zenitsu are coming over today, along with Uncle Inosuke and Aunt Kanao. He figured that you would be glad to see them again."

"I see." You whispered. Your mouth slowly into a grin, and you nodded gratefully. You felt excitement and joy bubble up in you, as you beamed brightly to your son. "Thank you, Takeo. I'm absolutely delighted to hear that they're coming to visit today."

Slowly, you stood up from the bench, one hand holding on your son's arm for support and the other caressing your swollen belly. You looked up to the heavens, eyes sparkling with gratitude as a thankful sigh escaped from your lips. You shifted your attention away from the blue sky, and softly held your son's hand as you began your way back home.

"Let's go home, shall we?"

Once upon a dream, you never thought the possibility of true love coming to you all your life.

Growing up in a demon infested world, life seemed to be fond of throwing you into hardships and struggle. Despite the horrors of the world, you always persevered. For every challenge that has been hurled towards you, the tribulations have only made you grow stronger and better.

Your life may had started out roughly, but that doesn't mean that it did not change for the better. The endless bloodshed had become relics of the past, moments of time that helped shape the world as it is now.

Recalling those moments of uncertainty, the rays of sunlight peeking through what was once the dark and gloomy clouds had now completely engulfed your life with warmth and tenderness. What you once wanted to experience all those years ago, has now become your reality. The little bits of happiness that you yearned for, now held onto you, never wanting to leave any time soon.

As you get closer to your home, you could hear the voices of children laughing and playing. Soon, you saw a glimpse of your humble abode, and little kids that looked similarly to you and your husband came into view. Takeo releases his hold on you, and he excitedly makes his way towards his siblings. Your expression brightened, a permanent smile present on your face as you took in the sight of your children frolicking around with happiness evident in their faces.

Then, a warm hand snakes over your waist, pulling you towards a broad chest that belonged to your lover. You couldn't contain your giggles as your face was immediately assaulted by small pecks and kisses. His hanafuda earrings seemed to ring each time he moved his head, his long ponytail swaying alongside with the cool breeze. His crimson-eyes gleamed in adoration as he gazes into your own, an adorable grin affixed in his lips as he continued to lock you in his protective embrace.

Sakura petals flew all around, encasing your surroundings with a sense of peace and serenity. After years of struggle, you can finally wake up in the morning without the likelihood of a horrible and painful death looming over you, as your cruel and dark world was now behind you.

Those dark days were long over. Now that you had finally avenged your family and the numerous deaths Muzan Kibutsuji has inflicted upon humanity, you could finally spend the rest of your life in peace.

Now, you had finally found a place to call your home. With him, you had created a whole new world. A world that was overflowing with love and happiness. Now that he would always stay by your side, you won't have to be lost anymore.

Tanjiro lifts up a hand to softly caress your cheek, gazing at you with so much love and adoration. The corners of his mouth quirked up as he fluttered his eyes close and slowly leaned forward. Your expression softened, and you chuckled softly as you put your arms around his shoulders. Your eyelids close shut as you felt your chest swell up with so much emotion, as his lips finally captured yours into a love-filled kiss.

"You are the whole world to me, [ Y / N]."

( a/n: thank you, thank you, thank you so much for following “my world”! it means so much to me that some of you had taken a liking on this series :’D im sorry if there were mistakes and ooc-ness along the way;;;

thank you for reading, and stay safe! you all mean the whole world to me <3)

[brightideawritings]

Ahhhhhh, I only finished "The Rise of Kyoshi" on Sunday but immediately my mind has been overtaken by Kyoshi's story. Especially, her lovely relationship with Rangi! So, in order to get this fire out of my head I wanted to explore some events of the books from Rangi's perspective. Here is the first chapter surrounding the events of the first few chapters.

------

Burning Thoughts

Chapter: Mansion

Ragni did not give her opponent the time to react to her attacks, her fists blurred in front of her in a storm of quick jabs, she felt the heat of her chi travel through her arms to her hands and burst forth as incandescent fire, “Yaaaaah!” she let loose her war scream as the storm of fire burst across the training room at a blinding pace. Any lesser bender would have balked under the sudden barrage - a non-bender would have ran for cover. Rangi’s opponent did not stand idle or run for cover but instead stepped into the oncoming attack. Her opponent raised a right leg in Crane stance and brought it down in a single motion - an arc of fire sprang into being and cut through Rangi’s barrage like it had all been nothing. She noticed with ire that the force of the new flame snuffed out many of her own fire jabs - again, as if they were nothing.

Rangi’s mother, Hei-Ran, former headmistress of the Fire Nation’s Royal Training Academy for Girls was not like most opponents.

Her mother’s fire cut came directly for Rangi, and she had to bite down a curse - due to the fact that she was acutely aware that unless she wanted to go up like a light torch she needed to move aside. Again she cursed to herself as she leapt to her right, as soon as she had cleared the flame she had already begun to move her body into a low body crouch for a counter-attack but as she had predicted would happen her mother had used the momentary lapse in her daughter’s offense to close the gap between them with blinding speed. Time seemed to crawl to a snail’s pace as Rangi’s body settled into a stable enough stance that she could use another firebending technique to produce a double wave of flame by bringing both of her hands upward - anything to force Hei-Ran away. The bout would be over as soon as the older woman was within arm's length of her - again a fact she was acutely aware of that seemed to nonetheless scream inside of her head.

No sooner had she let the chi ignite with her arms swinging upward she cut off the flow of flame which winked out as quickly as it had appeared. She had not been fast enough.

“I yield,” Rangi said, she forced herself not to wince - more at the disappointment and frustration in her own voice than Hei-Ran’s fist inches from her face - though her mother had not ignited her firebending she could still feel heat radiate from them. A common technique that Rangi knew how to do as did every single firebender - it was a threat, a command to surrender. Still, the emotions she breathed was nothing next to the controlled response from Hei-Ran.

“I’ve seen children half your age with stronger fire jabs than those fire lights, Rangi.” Hei-Ran looked down at her. Firebending did not come from an outside element like that of the other arts - but from the chi inherent in a firebender’s own body - the power to create fire at a whim was powerful and dangerous. The first lessons that were drilled into Rangi and every firebender she had even known was control over their emotions. To lose control was to become nothing more than a chained beast belching flame in utter futility.

“I apologize,” Rangi bowed in deference - Fire Nation society stressed hierarchy as a core social tenant. In failing today she had disappointed Hei-Ran twice - as a student and as a daughter.

“I know you can do better,” Hei-Ran sighed and nodded her chin down, a mix of pride and concern written over her face, “I’ve seen you do much better. Your calm is off. Something is bothering you.”

An altogether different emotion fluttered in her chest like a bird trapped in a cage. Something must have shown on her face as her mother raised an eyebrow almost immediately. By the spirits, Hei-Ran could be as persistent as a vulturehound - trying to run away from the subject would only leave Rangi tired and on her last legs.

“It’s just...I can’t stand, Kyoshi!” Rangi gasped in exasperation and immediately wished the words would crawl back inside of her mouth.

“Oh?” Hei’Ran’s mouth quirked with no small amusement, “I thought you two were such good friends…”

“I mean...how she acts so meek to those brats in the village!” Rangi burst with a huff, she ignored the fact that they were all just about the same age, “They taunt her and she just takes it like she was made of stone.”

“Hmm. It would most likely go better for Kyoshi in the long run if she had ambushed and destroyed the leader of her tormentors to send an example to the others.” Hei Ran had shifted down into a sitting position, which Rangi had unconsciously copied. Her earlier hesitation warred with the good sense her mother had spoken. She had given similar advice to Kyoshi earlier that day had she not? The moment reminded her that many saw Rangi herself as a smaller version of Hei-Ran, again a common social norm among the old, noble families of the Fire Nation. It was a sign of respect and honor to her mother - though she had to admit there were still a great number of differences between them.

“At times I feel tempted to do so on her behalf.” Rangi said and frowned. She had heard of Kyoshi’s...problems that lived in the village from snippets here and there in the form of gossip between other members of the household staff of Jianzhu’s mansion. Not that she was particularly friendly with many of the household staff - the vast majority of them were not worth the breath to talk to, an opinion she had formed rather quickly from their own whispered jealousies of Kyoshi and their fear of Rangi. Again, not that they had told her any of this directly - she had been trained in infiltration and evasion tactics - and she had learned quite a bit from the staff when they thought their employer or his guests were within earshot.

-

Today had been different from what she knew, the village idiots that taunted Kyoshi had either been too swept up in their petty bullying of Kyoshi or perhaps too hopeful to catch a glimpse of the Avatar. Rangi had spotted the them as they climbed the path back to the mansion, taken in that they had followed Kyoshi well past the the point that Rangi had noted previously they would normally turn back, and had wordlessly used her firebending to propel herself over the perimeter wall and sprint at a full pace around it and then unnoticed into a tree not far from the gate.

A part of her had been extremely disappointed when they had not burst into flame at the single, first look she had given them. That was a firebending technique it was said that could only be mastered by the greatest fire sages, but Rangi had still tried. Instead they had the sheer audacity to run away like the cowards that they were and hurl the jar of pickled kelp into the air. She had tried to get Kyoshi to use her own earthbending but no matter how much she had pushed her friend the taller girl had not moved at all - no, that was not totally true.

Kyoshi had finally acted - by jumping on top of her to save her from what would have been a shrapnel storm of kelp and pottery shards. The memory of it even hours later caused something inside of her chest to feel like it wanted to burst in protest - at Kyoshi or her own actions she still was not sure. She knew several ways to unlock an opponent’s grapple and had exercised their use at plenty of opportunities in the junior corps. When Kyoshi had shielded her Rangi had felt strangely paralyzed in the other girl’s long limbed embrace, she remembered the smell of sweat and earth and it had not been unpleasant at all.

Then she had snapped back into her head and had pummeled on Kyoshi until she had let them both stand. The jar had been fine, somewhere Avatar Yun had been watching them and had saved the day - not that a broken jar would have been a disaster the likes of villages burned and the spirit world falling into chaos. Still, it had needled her that Yun had to have step into the situation at all - it was beneath him. Though, perhaps her reasons were not totally fair. Then of course Kyoshi had gone and said the utterly cheesy yet also charming words of calling Rangi a strong hero that would always protect her.

Rangi had rolled the words over and over in her head so much that she had not even noticed that she followed Kyoshi into the kitchen. She had been surprised but in her mind had executed a well-ordered retreat, she had reminded Kyoshi of her gift duties, then complimented her on her rank of being above a scullery maid and had left. She had memorized Yun’s schedule and she had known he would be in his firebending training with her mother so she had returned to the barracks until they had concluded. Something though had happened to Yun though as when she had arrived to see him only her mother had been there. Before she could press further Hei-Ran had pushed for them to train together.

-

“You are the Avatar’s bodyguard, Rangi, not a servant girl’s” Hei-Ran frowned at her but she noticed there was something off, her mother had paused slightly as if something weighed on the older woman’s mind, before she continued, “You will be his sword and shield, his will and his guide. You must not forget nor waver from your duty.”

“I know mother.” Rangi bowed her head in deference once more. She paused before she continued, she wanted to find the words how important Kyoshi was...to the Avatar, “I just want to ensure harmony in the household around Yun. Kyoshi is...close to Yun” at Hei-Ran’s alarmingly inquisitive eyebrow raise Rangi knew she needed to backtrack, “That is, she often attends to Yun’s needs” a part of her blanched at the possible connotation she had uttered, “She is an ear he can talk to, we are all the same age and she is not someone who expects something from him or a servant who is over-awed by him.”

“I will...trust your judgement on that, Rangi” Hei-Ran replied, “You aren’t mistaken. Yun has requested that Kyoshi join us when we travel to the Eastern Sea to negotiate with the daofei Tagaka and the Fifth Nation.”

“WHAT? WHY-” Rangi stopped herself, she needed to control the volume of her voice. She had practically shouted the words, “Why...why would he want her to come with us to deal with those dishonorable, pirate scum!?!”

On force of habit her hands curled in and out, as if she was squeezing the life out of an invisible person. Yun! What game was he playing at? The Fifth Nation were slaving pirates and despite the promise of a peaceful accord Rangi had very little faith the affair would be bloodless. Why else would Jianzhu also want to bring a compliment of guardsmen with them? He was her charge and her friend but there were times when it boggled her mind about how impulsive and reckless he could be - perhaps he was a fine enough successor to Kuruk.

Her face scrunched together with worry as she thought of all the ways that Kyoshi would be in danger out on an iceberg in the middle of the sea. Kyoshi certainly cut an imposing figure with her height but how could Yun expect a girl who let the village brats walk all over her deal with the presence of pirates?

A thought brought her whirling mind to a sudden crash. If this was all some sort of clever scheme by Yun to impress Kyoshi...

“He said he wanted someone normal there. Kyoshi does fit the girl, besides her height.” Hei-Ran replied again, a measure of amusement entered her voice, “You will have to look out for her when I or Amak are not with the Avatar. Think of this as a new aspect of your mission Rangi. My little tigress”

“Mother!” Rangi blushed at the use of her pet name that Hei-Ran had always called her when she was a little girl. It certainly had become less amusing when the other students at the Royal Fire Academy for Girls had grown taller than her. Hei-Ran only used it now a days when she WANTED to fluster Rangi or distract her. Warfare took many forms on and off the battlefield.

“I am being serious,” Hei-Ran replied, one corner of her lips rose upward in more amusement, “You will have to manage multiple persons and weigh which ones are the greater priority should something occur. Do you think you can handle this?”

“Of course,” Rangi steeled her features, she vowed that no harm would come to Yun or Kyoshi. If anything did come between them she would burn it to ashes. They were dealing with a daofei after all, nothing they could do or say would rattle her.

[mioriia]

𝖄𝖆𝖓𝖉𝖊𝖗𝖊! 𝕶𝖔𝖐𝖚𝖘𝖍𝖎𝖇𝖔𝖚 𝖃 𝕽𝖊𝖆𝖉𝖊𝖗 ➸ 𝕴𝖗𝖔𝖓 𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖎𝖓𝖘

●▬▬▬▬▬๑⇩⇩๑▬▬▬▬▬●

Headcanon of the day!

Kokushibou is known to be very loyal to those he see being worthy of, falling in love with a human is difficult indeed but being the Upper Moon One almost as strong as Muzan himself, meaning he could change their life if  he wants to.

●▬▬▬▬▬๑⇧⇧๑▬▬▬▬▬●

↱ Request by Celestflo from wattpad ↲

Since he isn't animated yet, I use a fanart instead to describe this chapter lol

━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━

The sun was shining brightly across the clear blue skies as the birds start singing the song of the beginning of a beautiful morning, leaves dancing freely becoming one as the wind.

It was a good start when someone woke up for the day.

Eyes fluttering, slowly revealing themselves to the world as a pair of (eyes' color) orbs taking in your surroundings before you sitting up, clearly still half-sleep as you let out a small yawn while rubbing your right eye.

❝Good morning...❞

You mumble typically to no one well except for the tiny baby bird, sitting in its nest on the  window of your room. Its start chirping, a sign of greeting you that was morning indeed.

A smile spreads across your lips, raising up from the futon and starts to get ready for the day.

♧⌞⌝⌟⌜⌞⌝⌟⌜⌞⌝⌟⌜⌞♧

❝Good morning, Miss (Name)!❞

A little girl was the first one to greet you when you reach the town to deliver medicines as usual and by the call of the little girl, everyone in the town from elderly to children come out of their house to witness the scene of the little girl hugging your leg.

❝Yay, (Name) is here!❞

❝(Surname) (Name)?❞

❝(Name)-san!❞

❝Darling, it's (Name)!❞

❝Mommy, I want to play with (Name)-neesan!❞

Did I forgot to mention that you were popular with the villagers?

Your kind and loving nature won the many hearts of the villagers, you always spare your time to help them with their works and even though you were busy as a doctor yourself. You didn't give a second thought of helping them out.

Your reason is simple really; to help others who are Inneed of saving because you won't allow anyone else to suffer the same way as you did as a child back then.

When you were very sick to the point of your body couldn't move on your own, You lost your parents one day when you ran out of medicines and your father decides to go out to the town to get a doctor when you start coughing nonstop.

What your father didn't know that something was going to change your life forever.

A man-eating monster; a demon followed your father when he lead a young doctor to your home where your mother was keeping you warm from the coolness of the night.

You didn't know how the creature got in, all you know was that the screams of horror as the one who could have saved your life was being pinned down by the creature of the night. Your father was already gone by then when the young man asked your mother to escape with you while the creature was focusing on him.

However, her life was cut short the moment she come to pick you up and take you to a safer place. The creature's sharp claws strikes, ripping the flesh as your mother dropped onto the wooden floor. It's an instant death, how cruel the world is to you at that time.

Yet the world decide to give you a chance again when you saw a taller figure slash the creature's neck as its head was shivering in fear at the sight of your savior.

You on the other hand was amazed by his graceful moves, normally in this kind of situation, anyone would be creep out at the sight of a person who has six eyes but you? Not really.

The demon who attacked your family was never to be seen again ever since the man whose name is Kokushibou by his fellow demon comrades have come to save you that time.

You didn't know why he decided to take care of you but you weren't complaining either since he was the one who nurse you back to health  and now the things you weren't allowed to do as a child, you could do anything now without a problem.

Because of his kindness, you grow to develop some feelings for the Upper Moon demon and even though it's forbidden for a demon and a human to be in a relationship, love conquer all and even Muzan himself seems rather calm about your relationship but you couldn't say the same thing to the other demons though.

Being a main target by other demons is a challenge to you and far more difficult to survive during the night, you starts to gain a large amount of sleepless rest and you were starting to get sick of staying awake during night time because of those demons.

When Kokushibou found out about your situation, he have gone far to put up some iron chains with wisteria poison on your windows and doors so you can sleep peacefully with them preventing other low-class demons from entering your home when he isn't around.

Normally this cause anyone to shiver in fear at the thought of having iron chains surrounded them because it's feel like as if it was a prison of chains. However, you knows he only did this to keep you safe.

❝Thanks for the medicine, doc!❞

❝We really appreciate your efforts, Miss❞

❝Oh no, it's nothing special. It's my job as a doctor to see my clients in a healthy condition❞

You give them a smile before waving goodbye to the villagers who have come out of their houses to see you off.

❝Take care, Miss (Name)!❞

❝Make sure you arrive home safely, (Name)! ❞

❝Don't forget to visit us tomorrow!❞

❝Let's play together soon, (Name)-neesan!❞

It was getting late and you know that by the look of the sunset sinking down into the earth but you still make time to respond to the villagers with a kind smile on your face.

❝Keep all your windows and doors locked so no wild animals bothered you all, okay?❞

❝We will!❞

You didn't tell them the truth about your parents' death nor the existence of the demons live in the darkness, you didn't want to cause trouble for your lover any longer.

Start to speed up your pace, the sun was a few minutes away from being consumed by the earth and the darkness of the night will take place. Your heart start pounding rapidly against your rib cage when the trees starts shaking and it was close. 

The sun was already gone by the time, you caught a glimpse of the wooden building within a few feets away.

❝Almost there...❞

Just when you were about to grab the handle of the doors, a loud thud was heard and the smell of blood was present.

❛Dear God... Someone please save... me!❜

❝Be a good girl, it's will be less painful that way❞

The demon start reaching out towards you as you lean closer to the door, trying to get away from the demon but you know it was hopeless to do so.

You were scared, you know that but you couldn't hold it in anymore, you duck down in fright as you scream out the first name that come into your mind.

❝Michikatsu!!!❞

❝Michikatsu? Who the hell is that-❞

❝That's would be me❞

The sound of flesh being ripped off was heard as a familiar figure stood in front of your shaking form and when you saw the black locks of hair in its signature ponytail, you immediately jump on him, hugging his torso like your life depends on it.

❝I apologize for being late, (Name)❞

❝It's totally fine now that you're here!❞

❝W-Why is one of the Twelve Demon Moons is with a mere human-❞

A slash of the sword was heard as the mouth of the demon was covered in blood, preventing it from speaking.

❝That's what you deserve for targeting her❞

Let's just say that you live a happy life with your lover acting as your bodyguard almost every day after that incident.

━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━

[loveistherootofhappiness]

Written for Bathena Week Day 1

Word Count: 2100

Summary: L.A.’s been said to be a weird place, but no truly one knows just how weird it is. No one truly knows what type of people lurk beneath the surface of the city’s famed glamour.

Also read here & here

xxxxx

A loud scream echoed through the small shop, followed by “stop it, Jalen.” The few patrons turned towards the source to see two small children running around. A boy, who is assumed to be Jalen, was chasing the little girl with vampire fangs in his mouth and fake blood on his face.

“But I want to suck your blood, Sophie,” Jalen said with an attempted accent as her chased the little girl, Sophie around the shop.

Jalen, Sophie!” A young woman called out to them, causing the children to stop in their tracks. “I told you guys to stop kidding around. Now get over here.” Sophie and Jalen ran to where the woman was standing. “I’m so sorry about them,” she put the items she wanted to purchase on the counter, “I don’t what’s getting into them, must be the full moon.”

“Oh they’re fine. One of mine gets real rowdy during the full moon,” Athena told her as she rung up the woman’s items. Out of her peripheral vision she could see Robert smiling in amusement. After telling her the total, she paid, “have a great one.”

The woman took the bag from her, “thanks, you too,” she and her kids left.

The few customers that were in the shop payed for the items they had and left. Soon it was empty and there was no one but Robert and Athena in the store.

Robert took advantage of the moment alone. While she was distracted by the books she was writing in, he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, “Have I told how much I love this little shop you’ve got here?” he breathed into her neck. He had to resist the urge to attach his lips to her pulse point.

“Robert, stop, someone could come in at any second.”

“That’s why you should close up shop for a while and come take a walk with me.”

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.” Athena silently moved out of his hold and moved towards the door. “Well, come on before I change my mind.” Athena made sure to lock up behind them when they left.

They weren’t even outside for two second before they heard a woman scream, “my purse!” Bobby and Athena looked back to see a man dressed and all black clothing running with the purse and two other men chasing after him.

Robert looked over at Athena. Her eyes took on their familiar yellow glow. He returned his focus to the guy, who seemed to suddenly trip over his own feet and fall, unceremoniously, to the concrete. The two guys running after were able to retrieve the purse and, deservingly, rough him up a bit.

He smirked as he looked back over at Athena. Her eyes had returned to their natural brown. She turned around and kept walking like nothing happened, “not a word Robert.”

“I wasn’t going to say anything.”

“Mm hmm.”

“I just find it cute that you always love to help the mortals.” As long as he’d known her and it had been a very long time, over 300 years, she’d always used her magic to help others. It was one of the things he loved most about her.

Athena glared at him and raised a hand. “Your magic doesn’t work on me, treasure. You know that.” He grabbed the hand and kissed the inside of her wrist.

“I don’t need magic to kill you, dearest.” She snatched her arm back. “I know your weaknesses.”

“It funny,” Robert said as he placed his hands behind his back. “You’ve been saying that, practically, since the day we met. Hasn’t happened yet.”

“That’s the amazing thing about immortality, there’s nothing but opportunity.”

“I’m hurt, treasure. Is this the thanks I get for saving you from that burning?”

“Must you always bring that up. And you saved me from nothing. It was laughable that piece of shit priest thought he could kill me.”

“You were tied to a pole, over a fire pit, surrounded by chanting idiots.”

“Semantics.” Athena waved it off as they kept walking, “though, I guess It was fun to see the fear in their eyes and you didn’t leave too much destruction in our wake. Didn’t even kill anyone.”

“Luckily for them I didn’t have to take it that far. They knew not to fuck with you ever again, hell that whole village did, and I knew I couldn’t violate the Wiccan Rede. You’d have been pissed.”

“I’d like to think I would have made an exception for those bastards.”

“After all the restraint I had to muster to completely mutilate them, now she tells me.” She ignored him as they kept walking. They walked in comfortable silence until they reached the Clubhouse a couple of blocks over.

“I should have known we were coming here.”

“Yes, you should have.” Robert saw the look he was giving her, “don’t look at me like that, you know you love it here. Plus, I thought I could use a drink.” His voice dropped an octave.

“You don’t drink alcohol.” Athena said cheekily, pretending she didn’t know what he was talking about.

“Not what I meant, treasure.” He smiled slyly as his pupils dilated and fangs descended.

As they walked into the club, Elaine gave them a wave as they passed the bar on the main floor and headed for his office in the back. As soon the door closed, he picked her up, placed her on the desk, and attached his lips to hers. He kissed along her jawline and moved down to the column of her neck.

“Don’t take too much, have me out here looking ashy like you did last time,” she grumbled.

He chuckled and said, “no promises, your fault you have the sweetest blood I’ve ever tasted,” before his fangs sunk in it the flesh of her neck. She moaned as her blood rushed into his mouth and down her throat. Hers was a taste unlike any other and he’d never tire of it.

His hands moved up her thighs, completely hating she was wearing pants today. Both of them were completely out of it, lost in what he was doing to her when, “oh fuck, sorry.”

Robert, reluctantly, retracted his fangs and lifted his head from Athena’s neck, at the sound of Buck’s voice. He was surprised that he’d been so distracted that he didn’t hear him coming. Athena swiped two fingers along her next and the holes he’d made there had healed. “Yes, Buck, what is it?”

“Oh, um, Lainey said you were back here. I was just coming to see if you needed anything from me, but you’re busy. I’ll come back-“

“It’s fine Buck,” Bobby smelled the strong sent of watermelon as backed up a bit from Athena “Buck did you go raiding watermelon patches again?

“Yeah, but it’s not my fault. There was some really good looking watermelons and I was hungry.”

“Did you let anyone catch you?” Athena asked him.

“No! Of course not. I’m smarter than that most... some of.... well, I was smarter than that today.” Athena raises as an eyebrow at him skeptically, but didn’t say anything further.

“I hope so,” Bobby said remembering what he and Athena had to do last time Buck had been caught shifting into wolf form. Granted he’s done many things he wasn’t proud of in his 350+ years of life, but even he had to hold back a shudder at that. “In any case, go shower and I’ll need your help with bartending when we get busy later.”

“Got it, Pops,” Buck said affectionately, using his term he’s called since they took him and his sister into their little group.

As he was going to close the door, Athena yelled out “and don’t go sniffing that new human bartender, Eddie, when he gets here.”

“No promises,” Buck answered back, never being one to resist the urge to be a little shit. He closed the door leaving Bobby and Athena alone again.

“He’s going to get himself killed.” Athena said with a little worry.

“He’ll be alright. He’s got us.”

“And I love him , but I’m not cleaning up another one of his messes.” She hopped down off the desk, smoothed out her clothing and using the tie on her wrist to pull her braids back.

Robert chuckled as he looked in the mirror. He whipped the traces of blood from his mouth and righted his clothing. “The others are here.”

“Yes, I feel their energy too. I think you’ve had your fill of me. Let’s go out there with them.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, treasure.” He strolled back over to where she was standing and gave her a peck on the lips “I could never have my fill of you.”

“I love you, too, Robert,” she said simply.

“Woah, you said that without sass or snark. I might need to be scared.”

“And I immediately regret it.” Robert went to respond but she stopped him, “let’s just go.”

Athena rolled her eyes at the laughter she behind her as she walked ahead of him. The walked out of the office and through the people scattered around to head to the section upstairs. Sitting in one of the booths at the end they found Hen, Chim, Maddie, and Buck already in the middle of a discussion. Robert and Athena slid into the booth beside them.

“With the full moon this week, Karen and I thought it’d be a good time to take Denny on his first hunt, but I don’t know if around Halloween is the best time to take him. He’s been begging us and he’s mastered shifting, but there are so many crazies in this town this time of year.” Hen said.

Maddie removed her arm from around Chimney to touch Hen’s shoulder. “Yeah, it can be scary, I remember when I took Buck on his first hunt. I was so worried his inexperience was going to draw unwanted attention. Unfortunately, it’s crazies out every day of the year. But he’s gotta learn how to hold his own.”

“This is L.A. of course this town is full of crazies trying to catch a glimpse of the supernatural and paranormal. One person out out a video of a possible sighting and now this place is chock full of amateur hunters trying to get cannon fodder for their bullshit YouTube channels. Speak of the devil, excuse me for a sec,” Chimney disappeared in a flash and reappeared just as quickly, “sorry about that some kids were playing around with a Ouija board trying to conjure a demon. So I gave them one. Scared the shit outta all of them.”

Everyone else, not phased and used to what just happened continued on as normal. “I remember the days when speaking of the possibility of stuff like this got people tossed in asylums.” Bobby commented.

“Right?” Athena agreed. “Might need to return to that, shits getting out of hand.”

“Well, I think it’s cool that humans are so cool with the idea of the supernatural and paranormal. Certainly makes it easier to exist and coexist with them,” Buck leaned across the table to steal some of Maddie’s food.

“You only say that because you want that bartender that just started working here.” Chimney deadpanned.

“No. Well, I do want him, but that’s not the only reason I said that.”

“Well whatever, I’m just glad we have a place like this where us supers can just be free and not have to worry about walking on eggshells around humans.”

“And we have Bobby to thank for it.” Hen held up her glass in salute.

“Thank Athena, she came up with the concept of this place. I just brought it to life.” Robert kissed Athena on the temple and brought her closer to him, “also when I do hire humans I make sure they are okay with everything that could take place here.” He looked directly at Buck.

Buck eyed them both. “he’s here, he’s at the bar now.” Athena told him. Buck was up and out of the booth and practically sprinted down the stairs like the over eager pup that he was.

Athena and Robert turned around to see Buck down at the bar, leaning over the counter, talking to Eddie.

“I hope this goes well,” Athena commented as they watched them. She thought about listening in on the conversation, but she ultimately decided against it.

“Of course it will, treasure, you’ve never been wrong before. He’ll be the one that keeps him out of trouble.”

A little supernatural au for your morning. I left it open just in case I wanted to go back and do more. Were you able to guess what everyone was (hopefully I made it obvious enough).

[alleywraith]

A Scouring Black Wind

((TRIGGER WARNING!! Putting the story under the cut. This is very violent and has elements that imply selling children for sexual slavery. DO NOT READ IF YOU MIGHT BE TRIGGERED BY THIS))

“Luke, you twat, why do we have to do business in a fucking cave?”

Luke, the big Seawolf smirked as he crossed his arms. As usual the Roe wore a vest to display the vast number of scars that ran along his arms, there were plenty to match all over his body, a hard life in a hard business had seen to leave its mark. “Watch it David or I’ll knock that buck toothed scowl from your face. We are here because some asshat informed the Jackets about our little gig.”

David spat to the side, his scowl still no going away. He was not pleased to have left the nice dry Thanalan weather for a damp cave in a remote armpit of a mining village in La Noscea.”They are all urchins no one should care if some rich fucker wants to buy them to…” The Midlander paused and tilted his head, he had heard what sounded like a scraping noise near the cave entrance. “Something is off.”

Before either man could speak again there was a blood curdling scream from the cave entrance, which was followed by calls to arms by the men posted to guard the meeting.

“David head back to make sure the slaves are ready and the guards on them are alert.” Luke was off at a run before he had even finished talking. “Gods damn Yellowjackets.”

What met Luke was not a squad of the La Noscean guard, but rather one man, a red headed Seeker dressed in a dark colored long coat. And that Seeker shot the larger man a look of predatory fury, a tiger ready to unleash the hate.

As soon as the Roe came into view Vash turned a steely gaze at the man that was now simply an obstacle to be removed. Powerful legs drove him forward toward his prey, long coat trailing behind him with the sudden burst of speed, and deep in his mind Vash was glad to be doing something other than training, to be back to a bit of blade work. He closed the gap in a flash, ducking low to make his profile even smaller.

Luke was shocked, but not to the point of being petrified and he looked like he welcomed the fight as much as Vash did. A big meaty hand went to his back to pull his greatsword free in a move that would aim to cleave the Seeker in two. The blade suddenly jarred in his grip and there was the unmistakable sound of steel hitting stone. The cave was too small for his weapon…

And that was all the opening Vash needed. He brought his own weapon around from where it had been hidden under his coat. There was a mechanical whir and snap as the magitek based gunblade snapped open from it’s stored position, and no sooner had the weapon come to life than Vash drove it into the gut of the Seawolf thug, angling it upward so that the blade got closer to the heart. Now there was a wicked smile from the redhead as he pulled the trigger of the weapon sending an ultrasonic vibration down the length of the blade. Vash twisted the weapon and sliced through his enemy’s torso easily, blood spattering both himself and the cave walls.

And it was over that quick, Luke almost looked like a beat had torn into him, and in a manner of speaking one had. But Vash spared the slaver not a second thought as he continued further into the cave.

No resistance was offered until he got to a larger cavern that housed a fenced in area full of several children, and six men of various races with weapons drawn and at the ready for the intruder that was disrupting their business.

Once more Vash had no intention of waiting for his prey to come to him, and he bolted forward because to hells with the odds. But he was not a foolish man, having made a very nice living in another lifetime being a meticulous planner. His arm whipped forward and he turned his head to the side just in time for a brilliant flash of light to fill the cavern punctuated by screams of frightened children and the shouts of the surprised gangsters. A tiger on the hunt, but a prepared tiger.

As men blinked to try and clear their vision he set upon them with twin long knives, a dark dervish slicing and stabbing before they could mount a successful defense, and within moments he had felled the majority of the thugs with no real resistance at all. As he readied to pounce on the remaining men he brought up his arm to block a blow from a staff that reverberated through his limb even despite the metal bracer he wore. The staff user tried to press the attack now, having mostly recovered from the flash bombs that head led to the demise of most of his cohorts.

Vash yielded ground for as the man with the staff was joined by another thug bearing knuckle dusters as his weapon of choice, they had him on the defensive and they were intent on earning their pay and a bonus for killing this disruptor. Or so they thought. Once more his arm whipped out in a smooth almost effortless motion, this time two thin throwing blades flying through the air, each blade bearing a thin blue line that pulsed softly as they made their deadly trip. One hit the staff itself, the man manageing to block that blade, but the other embedded itself in his thigh causing the gang member to howl in pain. That sound did not last long though as both knives suddenly pulsed and electricity arched between the two blades. Every muscle in the man’s body seized up and that was all Vash needed and he launched himself like a shot from a gun, in less than a second he buried a stiletto hilt deep through the man’s eye and into his brain causing the thug to fall to the ground like a puppet with his strings cut.

The fist fighter seemed to be totally taken aback by his companion’s demise, but he still charged forward and now Vash had a bit more of his work cut out for him. Fists and knives became a flurry of activity laced through with kicks and other close combat techniques from both of the men. Blows landed one each of them, but in the end Vash managed to allow himself to take a glancing blow to his jaw so that he could spin a blade and jam it up into an exposed armpit right before his other blade drove into a wonderfully exposed throat.

“S...stay back!” David, the sole survivor from the gang was holding a short sword as he tried to get the gate to the slave pen open, a desperate attempt to get a hostage.

Vash was on him in an instant, this time a sweep of a blade disarmed David in an instant, slicing easily through the tendons in the man’s wrist. He barely had time to cry out in agony before Vash started to work him over, blow after blow landing solidly even after he fell to the ground. The last slaver’s breathing was ragged through his ruined face as Vash relented to get to his feet and move to the slave pen, his gunblade shearing through the latch on the gate.

“Get out of here, all of you. Look for the men in blue by the windmill, they will get you to safety.”

As soon all of the kids were gone two emerald colored eyes turned back to regard the man writhing in agony on the ground. “C’mere…” Vash was not even close to gentle as he took a fistful of hair to David into the slave pen. “Selling children...and you know why they are being bought…”

“I...we had to...Goliath runs the racket!” David sobbed now as he held up his hands to try and ward off any more blows. “P..please...I..um...I’ll turn myself in! You can turn me in! Don’t kill me!”

Vash was ice cold as he looked down at the blubbering gangster, weighing the option briefly. “Nah...I don’t think so.” His hand seized the man’s jaw in a vice like grip painfully squeezing it open. As soon as David’s mouth was open far enough Vash stuffed a small sphere into the opening, breaking teeth in the process. He had gotten information by giving the man a glimpse of hope, but now it was time to finish things off. The Seeker stood and backed up even as David tried to work his now ruined jaw. But he did not have to worry about his jaw for long, a whirring sound emanated from the sphere right before tiny hooks snapped out from its surface painfully locking it in place. And then the fire shard went to work, and with a dull pop a rush of heat ended David’s life in a very painful boiling of his own tissues.

[talesoflittlemercy]

#7 - Watch the Road

Previous Story ||  First Story

It’s my first night guarding the gate.

Mister MacConnell picks me up from my house when the sun is almost down. MacConnell’s old now, but he was the first guard we ever had, back when the village was new and they’d just built the fence that keeps the kelpie out. He takes all the new blood out on their first night, and there’s been plenty of us. They’re running out of young lads now: it doesn’t take much to be a guard, just being fit enough to run, but some of the boys in our town haven’t been able since the war, and there weren’t many boys to begin with.

We stopped guarding the gate for years, but we’ve picked it back up, now. There’s more to be guarded against.

MacConnell takes me out along the church road - it’s still just light enough that I can see the church in the distance, up on its hill, but that’s not where we’re headed. About halfway along, where the church hill begins, he turns left onto a narrow dirt path leading out to the water. I follow him downhill, with his rifle in my hands, and the long grass brushing at the sides of our legs, until we reach the trees: on this side of the loch, the shoreline is shaded by trees and bushes that extend all the way out to where we stand, where the silver fence bars our way.

Where the path passes under and beyond, there is a gate. MacConnell lays a hand down on the gate, tenderly. In his other hand, he carries a lamp; silver and iron glint in the light of it like a warning.

“This is the one,” he says. This isn’t the only gate, but it’s the closest to the town. He looks at me, solemnly. “Are you sure you’re up to this, laddie?”

I shiver. With the trees on either side of us, the last of the night is crowded out by silhouettes. The wind passes through them, shaking the smaller branches, and as they sway, they black out new stars.

“Aye,” I say.

“Have you got any questions?”

I fiddle with the rifle in my hands. “What happens if I actually see it?”

MacConnell lets out a heavy breath. “Most times, you’re bound to see something. The dark’ll do things to your head. But if you really see the creature?” He nods to the gun. “That’ll keep it away long enough for you to get up to the church, and ring the bells, so folk know what’s coming. Alright?”

“Will it not kill it?” I try to keep my voice calm, but I still sound scared, and painfully young.

He raises his eyebrows at me. “Don’t go thinking you can kill this thing. I used to come out here with a boy who thought he could catch it, and we found his innards on the shore. If you see it, you run, aye?”

“Aye,” I mumble.

He sets the lamp down at my feet. “I’ll come back for you at dawn,” he says. He looks out to the trees, then back to me, and turns away to leave.

Before he’s taken his second step, I blurt out, “What if I see her?”

He turns back around to me, and his eyes narrow. “How old are you, lad?”

“Fifteen,” I say.

Something in his face relaxes. “So you would have been too young to be there?” he asks. He must see the uncertainty in my face. “Was your father involved?”

“No,” I tell him, hesitant, “But my brother was.”

His face turns sympathetic, and he steps forward to clap me gently on the shoulder. “Then you’ll be fine - she won’t bother with you. It’s only him you’ve got to worry about, alright, lad?” He inclines his head to the fields as he takes his hand away from my shoulder. “I’ll be listening out from the church in case something goes wrong. You’ll be fine.”

I give him a shaky nod. He gives me a parting nod in return, and he shambles off back towards the village.

mI’m left alone.

The sun has fallen, now. There are no cracks in the dark, just transitions into blue, or dark grey. The only exception is the lamplight: gold pools around my feet, and I wish I could pick the lantern up, but it would mean putting down the gun, and I won’t take my chances.

After a few minutes of staring into the total darkness behind the fence, I decide to risk it, long enough to hang the lamp from the closest fence post. I reposition myself with the gun, holding it aloft and pointed straight into the heart of the darkness, until my arms ache, and I lower it. A slow wash of dread coats my insides as I realise just how little time has passed.

There are initials scratched into the fence-poles, etched by the pocket-knives of boys long lost, to the war or the woods. I flick mine out, and mark myself down among their ranks.

Something rustles ahead.

My head shoots up, and I stare wide-eyed into the dark. I hold out my pocket-knife instinctively, then think better of myself, and raise the gun. Nothing moves.

I hear another rustle from the right side of the path. My chest tightens, and I spin with the gun. As I change my footing, I knock the lamp, and it falls on its side, halving my light before I can catch a glimpse of whatever caused the noise.

“Shit,” I hiss, panicked. My eyes dart from the path, now even less visible than before, to the lamp, and back up to the path again. I decide it’s safe to lower my guard, praying it’s only a bird, and I drop to the ground, and grab the lantern. As I set it upright, my eyes flick through the silver wire to the right side of the path, and I freeze. Slowly, I raise myself up, and peer over the fence.

There are fingers sticking out from the long grass at the edge of the path. Nausea curls heavy in the base of my mouth, as visions of some poor boy’s severed hands laying unseen in the grass fill my mind, soon replaced by the terrible thought that this hand might belong to something else.

As I lean closer to the gate, the fingers move, pushing out from the grass, revealing the beginnings of a hand, and a thumb. I let out a gasp, and it hitches in my throat as I scramble to raise up my gun again, and as I do, the hand extends out from the grass all the way to the wrist - a woman’s hand, slender, with prominent bones, white-skinned and dirtied. When it touches the path, it sinks its fingers into the earth, as if for purchase, and a forearm pulls itself into the light, up to the elbow.

I bend and grab the lantern, thrusting it out over the fence to illuminate the source of it, but to my horror, I see only the tall grass, undisturbed. An answering rustle from the left turns my head, and I see another set of fingers emerge, clawing their own arm free. The arms are identical. They are on opposite sides of the path, and they are three feet apart.

I don’t know what else I can do but watch. Another arm breaks free of the dark, further along, and then another one, closer to me. I stumble backwards, repulsed, but I don’t run, and I can’t tear my eyes away. My panicked breaths are drowned by the rustling of the grass.

The first of the arms, fully extended, continue to grasp at the dirt. They grab as if desperate, nails caked in dry earth as they claw around for something I can’t name. I consider calling out for help, but I don’t know if MacConnell would hear me, and there’s nobody else around. And besides, it isn’t the kelpie. I’ve never heard of it doing this.

But I can’t shake the nagging thought in my head.

“Jenny?” My voice is barely more than a whisper.

The path gives no reply, but as I watch the arms, I can see a change. The dry dirt of the footpath is darkening. As the hands claw at it, it's churning, turning to a thick, wet mud, glistening in the lamplight, spattering flecks of dark brown against their skin. The arms, face down, struggle for purchase in the filth. They are drowning.

From the grass, I hear a long, rattling breath.

A gasp catches in my throat and twists into something closer to a sob. My rifle clatters on the ground; I didn't even feel myself dropping it.

“I’m sorry,” I breathe, and I feel a tear roll down my face, burning. “It’s not my fault. I didn't do anything, please-”

The arms thrash harder. The breathing continues, slow and thick, rattling like its phantom lungs are full of water, growing increasingly laboured. From elsewhere in the grass, I hear an answering breath. I stand, shaking, hearing new rasping rising like a death chorus from the grass, surrounding me.

“Stop it!” I scream, my voice hoarse, desperate. “Please! Jenny, it was my brother, I didn't do anything! I wasn't even there! Leave me alone!”

“OI!”

The bellow from behind jolts a frightened, involuntary sound from me. A pair of strong hands grab me by the shoulders before I can react, wrench me around, away from the gate, and I’m face-to-face with MacConnell, staring back into his panicked face.

“What’s happened, lad? What’s wrong?” he demands. I can’t speak. On some level, I register that he’s out of breath - he must have come running when he heard me start to shout. He looks around me, hunting for something in the dark, and suddenly I’m confused - why isn’t he reacting?

“The arms,” I manage, and he looks back to me, concerned. “There’s arms. Her arms, on the path, can’t you see them?”

He shakes his head slowly, and my skin crawls with the way he’s looking at me, unsettled. “There’s nothing there, lad,” he says.

I’m at a loss. I turn, pulling free of MacConnell’s grasp to see the path again, and it’s empty. The dirt is dry. The grass is still. The rifle and lamp still lie shining and discarded on the ground.

“There were arms,” I say, slowly. “They were drowning. I saw it. I know it was there.”

MacConnell exhales deeply, a concerned, fatherly noise. “I told you, this dark will do things to you. You’ll see things you could swear are right there in front of you, and it’ll get in your head. Go home, lad.” He claps me on the shoulder, and I jump, despite myself. “I’ll stay out tonight.”

I stare off beyond the gate, half-hearing him. It takes a moment for his words to sink in, and for me to give him a tiny nod in response, before I turn slowly around to walk back down the path, my head heavy with thought. He gives me a sympathetic look, and walks past me, to the gate. I cast a look over my shoulder as I go, and catch him as he rights the lamp, and takes up the gun from the ground.

I turn back around, and with the night as my witness, I go home.

[jjkpls]

The Seeker (Harry Potter!AU #5) (PG15)

> genre : angst, fluff

> pairing : kim namjoon x reader

> words : 1.8k

> warning : depression, language, mention of sexual intercourse

> Kim Namjoon (Gryffindor, 7th yr) has always been a largely appreciated prodig. But lately, he is haunted by a sort of illusory obsession. (there is not much to this it’s more like a prompt i’ve never got around to develop, i was in a weird mood, angst, fluff)

/The Harry Potter!AU Masterlist/

Namjoon is sitting at the desk he always occupies during his free time. His elbows dig hard on the wood, hands holding his head by the temples with effort. It's past 11 pm and that well-furnished head of his weighs too much for his neck to carry alone. It seems the latter is not carrying any of it anymore as you watch his eyelids, fluttering behind his thick glasses in a threatening slow pace. He is about to slump, face first, on the surface of the hard table, you can tell.

“Hey, Namjoon-ah.”

He jumps in fright, a loud thud echoing in the room as his knee bump hard against the table. You wince slightly, biting back an amused smile when he massages the painful spot with a grimace.

“You scared the shit out of me.”

“Didn't mean too.”

He shoots one of his dimples your way. The smile doesn't reach his eyes though and you hurt when you realize it. Those eyes are not what they used to be. Soft, and warm, and mischievous, they are now dark and severe. He carries the gaze of a mature man that would have been eaten alive by his own secrets. You're not hopeless that one day, the dead stare would show an unexpected glint of the light it used to hold. That's why, as you take a seat in front of him, you smile brightly at him, ignoring the uncomfortable squeeze of your heart.

He is back at his work again. His large hands, free from holding the temporarily reenergized head, are fidgeting around trying to make sense and order of all the papers, parchments and books laid messily on the table. In the process, a dozen of loose papers go flying in the air but you're quick to catch them and place them back on the table in an ordered pile without missing a glimpse of the inscriptions and annotations covering them.

“Have you made any new discovery ?”

“There's this thing I found in...” His long arms swing wildly around, the big ring adorning his left hand missing by a mere centimetre your eye, then reach for a heavy-looking leatherbound book he holds in front of your nose. “This thing. It's a journal though. Written by a dude that... well, just look.” In a swift motion, he's haphazardly opened the book, holding it up for you to peek at the unconventional and bizarre writing scattered, between creepy doodles, on the yellow pages. Over the book, you peer at his expression. Eyes trying to reach for his eyebrows lifted high on his forehead, cheeks puffed in utter annoyance. “The dude was batshit crazy.”

You pick up the book to flip curiously through the pages as Namjoon goes on about what he suspects the author was on, spreading out his unnecessarily extended knowledge on magical drugs in the process. When you struggle to separate two pages stuck together by a weird, slimy material, he finally is back on Earth and calls for your name, a new shade covering the annoyed edge his voice took moments ago.

“The thing is he mentioned something in one of his daily entries and I know it might be bullshit but after reading the entirety of it, I did feel like maybe-” He is stumbling over his words now, eyes staring at his slightly trembling fingers.

“What is it ?” You press gently, a soft hand placing itself on his.

“There's this moment when he tells of a visit to a lost village in Russia and he says that, there, a poor family allowed him to spend the night during a snow tempest. And -that's so weird because he doesn't even extend on that, he just fucking mentions it once like that's normal- he says that the parents were a loving couple composed of a wizard and a dementor. And they had children! A little girl and a baby. Can you believe it ?”

You remain silent, feeling too coward to utter a word. You're brave enough to hold his wide eyes though, even when the brief ray of excitement wavers slowly to faint into definite darkness. He smiles humourlessly.

“I mean, obviously I don't...” He mumbles, exhaling hard before pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose, ready to dip back in his lectures.

“Joon, it's okay. Maybe this is the hint of a beginning.” You cringe at your own voice. You're overwhelmed with love and affection and tenderness for this tall lanky sad guy but you suck at expressing it. You wish you were better because as you see the shaking of his fingers getting stronger, and your heart cries in pain, you can't imagine how bad it must be on him.

“Or more like an umpteenth disillusionment.” He says simply, tone low and composed, being back to his usual collected smart prefect role.

“Namjoon-ah.” You have to call him a few more times for him to finally look back to meet your concerned eyes. And the role, for the first time in a long time, sways and flickers until the corners of his eyes redden and they start filling up with tears. He bites on his lip, looking down in shame. Your heart, dying in your bosom, doesn't matter anymore as you raise in a panic over the table to awkwardly wrap your arms around him.

It takes longer than ever for him to calm down. When he seems to be feeling better, blowing his nose in the dirty tissue he always keeps in his robe, you can't help but observe him with growing anxiety. You can't help but wonder how long it will take for him to not be able to get back from those little outbursts of his heart. You wouldn't tell him, because he doesn't need to hear it and is not ready to hear it, but you don't believe he'll ever find an answer. Simply because there is no answer. No matter how smart and ingenious and prodigious of a wizard he's always been, smarter, more ingenious and remarkable and wiser grandiose wizards have been there before him. It's a helpless cause he is pursuing for reasons he's never unbosomed to you. Dementors are not sick and therefore can't be cured. Once they're gone, there is no coming back from that darkness, that foulness that, not only inhabit them but have become the real essence of their very nature. But for some reasons -those hidden secrets he's never confessed to you nor anyone else- he wants to believe that there is a way and wouldn't stop looking for it.

“I'm sorry I'm not of any use to you.”

“You're my old friend.” His voice is hoarse from crying, and probably from how far he dragged those hearty words from and your whole inside warms up. Then he is smiling, genuinely, with the two deep dimples of his cheeks winking with total heartfelt disclosure and you allow some hope to fill you up.

You two are too engrossed in your moment to notice the obnoxious interruption of a tall, excited Hufflepuff. It's Jung Hoseok, one of Namjoon's past closest friends. They've never really broken up but it's true that, since Namjoon's mind has been preoccupied with all those serious issues, you know it not to be so easy on him to spend time with them when he knows they won't understand. Jung Hoseok's mind is where it has always been though. Therefore without taking notice of the small hand of yours warming intimately the cheek of his friend or even the red tip of the Namjoon's nose, he starts,

“Namjoon! I've been looking for your ass everywhere, what are you even- Doesn't matter. Super important: do you remember that spell from two years back ?”

The prefect face decomposes right there and then. Your attention doesn't miss the abrupt change. You have no idea why and stare in confusion.

“No, I don't. I'll see you later.” He tries to dismiss but Hoseok, known for his persistence, stands firmly his ground.

“I didn't even say which one! Listen, the one to fuck in public-”

You gasp, staring at Namjoon's previously pale as death complexion turning a deep red. He prompts Hoseok to leave, even tries to kick him -ends up hurting his own elbow- but the other guy doesn't care the least. “You know, the one that turns you invisible and gets those clones- wait, not clones, I mean hollogams or whatever, to replace us! You know the one? What is it ?” He asks again, pressing him by taping on his shoulder like an impatient kid.

“Fuck off, Jung! I don't fucking know!”

Hoseok obverses him quietly, for the longest time, a nasty and ominous scowl on his face before storming out, muttering something about him being a selfish prick.

When the tension has diffused a bit, after his departure, you allow a chuckle, quickly followed by a throng of other ones to burst out.

“I'm so- Honestly, two years ago, I- I mean, I don't do this anymore.”

“What? You really used to have sex in public?” You stare at him with the widest eyes and he is quick to deny with his whole body, shaking his hands widely in the air.

“NO! No, no, no. I- I mean we were young and stupid and real curious horn dogs but-”

“I'm just kidding. You do you, Namjoon. As long as I'm not in the room.”

“I don't do this and I've never had, I promise.” Namjoon sighs deeply, pressing his fingers against his tired eyelids, bumping his glasses in the way. “This dude is sick! I grew out of it, right? It was two fucking years ago! But he- he is still- what a-”

“I would have never imagined this evening to end like that.” He is staring at you with a pitiful, desperate eye but you can't contain your laugh no matter how hard you try. He decides to just give up and starts packing his things, cursing at Hoseok between tightly closed teeth. You two don't really talk until you reach the dorms, you, too busy giggling in the neck of your robe and he, lost in unpenetrable thoughts. It's when you wave goodnight to him, ready to climb up the stairs that the cat seems to lend him back his tongue.

“Thanks again for tonight.”

“No problem, Namjoon.”

“For always, actually.”

You smile at him from above and wave again before leaving for your bed, head fuzzy with the strange, complexed peaceful comfort Namjoon always brings you.

[writinanon]

Against Regulation

Yay! Here is one of my commissions that I finally got completed! I’m still cleaning up @wafflii‘s even though she says she’s happy with what I gave her. This one was for @azm0n and is JoeyXDep/JosephXDep, leaving it up in the air if August gets together with either of them.

  The small building in front of her was both welcoming and intimidating. Recently transferred into Hope County, August Guiterriez was the fresh-faced Junior Deputy Sheriff, having come from large cities she had felt that the rural area would be a good change of pace once she graduated from the academy. She pulled her hair back and straightened her uniform. She felt better in the uniform than she had in her pencil skirt and blouse. She didn’t do feminine very well, in her opinion. It didn’t matter what her friends told her; she knew what she saw when she looked in the mirror. But she liked to try. Because maybe one day, one day she could see what her friends saw too.

 “Well, are you gonna stand there or go inside?” A voice with an Australian accent asked. She turned sharply and there was a man a little taller than her standing there. He had a soft scruff on his face, cinnamon brown hair, and warm brown eyes. He was smiling at her and she realized it was Doctor Lee, the psychiatrist that evaluated criminals to see if they were fit to stand trial as well as offering criminal profiles. He was there at her interview because he also evaluated the members of the department.

 “Just nervous I guess.”

 “Don’t worry mate. Once this probationary period is over, you’ll be an official Deputy and we can drop that stupid ‘Junior’ part.” He chuckled and gently touched her shoulder; she caught the glimpse of a silver wedding band on his finger before he released her and headed for the doors. “But that period can’t even start is ya ain’t in here.” She straightened up and nodded. She needed to meet the other members of the department. She could do this. She passed the academy with flying colors. She walked into the building and was stopped by a kindly elderly woman with greying red hair and soft green eyes.

 “Hello, you must be the new Deputy!” She smiled brightly and nodded. “I’m Nancy and I run the front desk. Nobody in or out without me knowing. Everyone’s waiting for you, go on in honey. Nice to see you Benny!” She felt a little relieved and walked in. Ben gave her a light pat on; Whitehorse was waiting for her with several other people. Ben moved from her shadow her and around to stand beside Whitehorse and a woman with blonde hair pulled up in a bun. Her eyes were a sharp icy blue and though her face was covered in freckles she looked menacing.

 “Everyone, this is our newest member: Augustine Guiterriez. Treat her with respect and make sure you show her the ropes.” Whitehorse called and the other people looked at her. She blushed and fidgeted slightly under the attention.

 “Welcome.” A man with long brown hair said with a grin. “I’m Staci Pratt. The sulky one is Joey Hudson.” August looked over and was blindsided by one of the most beautiful women she had ever seen. Hudson punched Pratt in the arm.

 “I wouldn’t be sulking if someone remembered my coffee.” She hissed before smiling and August swallowed. “Nice to meet you. I’ll be your partner.” She held out her hand and August took it. Her hands weren’t soft but they were oddly gentle in their firm pressure.

 “Please call me August.” She managed and Hudson smiled.

 “Joey then. I’m sure you’ll do great.” There was a strange sort of determination in her voice but the source of it was lost on August. Someone coughed and she turned to see the blonde woman.

 “Name’s Mercy Stein. I’m the leader of the EMT and Search and Rescue branch of the Sheriff’s department.”

 “Aren’t those supposed to be two branches?” August blinked.

 “Oh, you are a city kid.” She chuckled and there was an odd lilt to the way she rolled some of her letters. “’Fraid I ain’t gonna steal her after all then.” She shrugged and motioned in a circle.

 “Everyone you see in this room makes up the law enforcement for the whole of the County. There aren’t any cities out here, there’s only two towns and everything else is villages. Hell, the hospital is in next county over. It’s why I’m a double branch and our station is up in the mountains. And why I’m the only one here. Speaking of I gotta go. It was nice meeting ya. Hope we work well together.” She shook August’s hand and then headed for the door. August turned to face her other coworkers. Ben was smiling warmly at her and gave her a thumbs-up. She felt a lot more tension ease from herself. Then she glanced to where Joey and Pratt were arguing about who was supposed to bring coffee and felt a new tension take its place. She could totally do this. She was a professional.

  August didn’t get to see Mercy very much at work, but that wasn’t surprising. It was nice however to sit in the bar, the Spread Eagle (which she snorted at the title the first time she heard it) and drink with her after a long shift. Sometimes it was easier to ignore her attraction to her partner than others. And sometimes Pratt loved to rag on her and tease her and be a frat boy. She understood that she was low man on the totem pole but sometimes it was a little much.

 “Staci being an ass again?” Mercy mused over the lip of her beer. They were sitting out in the small patio on the side of the bar, fairy lights above them on the wooden bodega they were under.

 “Oh my god yes! Ugh he’s just such a jerk.” August grumbled and took a long swallow from her bottle. “I mean I get it, I’m new but fuck off man. That shit got old three weeks ago.”

 “Look on the bright side, only a little over two months to go.”

 “Yuk don’t remind me.” She settled back into her chair. “At least Joey’s being understanding and standing up for me. She’s a great partner.” She smiled and when there was no following comment she looked over at Mercy.

 “You like Joey? Romantically?” August tensed faintly, recalling that Mercy was from the Rural South. “Ain’t exactly a good idea to date your partner.”

 “There’s nothing wrong with what?” She blinked and looked deeper at the blonde. She gave a faint smirk and pulled a pair of dog tags from around her neck, there was also a wedding band hanging from the chain, it looked like a man’s.

 “I won’t claim it’s a universal thing, but in the platoon of the Marines I was stationed in? No one gave a single fuck who or what you were interested in as long as you didn’t get us in trouble with it. I’ve lived by that motto since I was eighteen.” She settled the chain back down, below her shirt. “But if you were talking to my bible thumping bitch of a mother? Or any of my siblings other than Peter and Simon? You’d be 100 percent right in the stereotype.”

 “I’m sorry.”

 “Don’t be. It took my squad mate taking me down on the mats several times before the mentality stuck because of how I was raised. But back to the issue of you and Joey.” August blushed and hunkered around her beer.

 “I just… I think she’s bright and gorgeous and kind and funny and awesome.”

 “I’m not telling you not to pursue this but maybe you should talk about getting transferred to Ben or me then? Again, it’s not a great idea to date your partner, especially since it would have to be in secret.”

 “Right. Oh shit, that is in the handbook.”

 “If you were to transfer to Ben or me it wouldn’t be against the rules.”

 “I thought you didn’t want me.” August teased. Over the weeks Mercy had come to like her and take her under her wing for living in ‘the sticks’ as she sometimes called it. She had so many words, some of which she’d never heard before, for living in the rural end of nowhere.

 “Eh you ain’t so bad. And you can be taught. That’s the key thing. Some of those flunkies comin’ into my station think they know everything ‘cause they’ve had a little medical trainin’. Shit goes out the window when you gotta perform a tracheotomy in the dark while your partner’s fightin’ off bears and cougars who wanna eat your patient.” Mercy tended to slip into a drawl when she was annoyed or angry. “Shit’s fuckin’ annoying. Cunts oughtta get screened better but probie period gets most of ‘em.”

 “You’ve been spending a lot of time with Ben, huh?” August laughed a bit. That was one of his favorite curse words and he could often be heard grumbling it when he looked at the news. Mercy paused and gave her a confused look before she laughed and almost slammed her drink down. “What?”

 “Oh honey no. No, don’t get offended now. I jus’ realized we ain’t told ya. Benny and I are married. Have been since I got outta the service and he moved here to the states with me. Shit, ain’t I showed you pictures of our little girl?”

 “Dakota? She’s your daughter? I thought she was your niece!”

 “Fuckin’ little shit forced me through goddamned six hours of hard labor. She inherited my family’s dramatic genes.” Mercy chuckled and wiped a tear from her face. “But it does show that a relationship with a coworker is possible. Sure, Ben and I were married before we settled here and before we picked our jobs but we still work closely together. And don’t get sick of each other.”

 “I wow.” August was blown away but now that she looked back on it, Ben always stood beside her, and the wedding band on Mercy’s tags matched Ben’s. “Okay. So, after my probationary period is up you think I might be able to ask her out?”

 “Well I think you should test the waters before then but definitely put in to transfer as soon as you can so you can follow this.” Mercy took a drink. She chuckled faintly. “Can’t believe we didn’t tell you. Shit’s insane.”

 “I’m trying to wrap my head around the pair of you.”

 “We met while I was on vacation in India. You get leave and sometimes it’s not long enough to go home. Or Home isn’t an option.” Her eyes darkened. Mercy didn’t speak much of her family but August did know she didn’t have good relationships with anyone but her twin brother and her youngest brother. “He was there taking a break from studying. Needed to find himself or something. It was a dark time for him. I don’t ask too much just remind him he survived it. But we met because we were in the same hotel and were pretty much the only tourists that spoke English. We spent two weeks hanging out and doing dumb things together. We thought we’d never sea each other again. Until a year later, I took my leave and went to Australia. And it’s a small world apparently. We met up for every one of my leaves after that and kept in contact. It ended up a coin flip that decided he move to America with me. We got married a few months later. Dakota came along after we settled here in Hope.”

 “That’s so romantic. It’s like you were destined.”

 “Maybe. Anyway. We were trying to talk about you.”

 “Yeah but I’m not as interesting as that.”

 “Of course you are! August you’ve got a lot going on for you. But I get it if you feel like you have to hold back. Sometimes it isn’t easy fitting into a department and risks aren’t always worth the reward.” Mercy gave a soft sigh. August looked to her friend and smiled.

 “I think you’re right. I need to test the waters. I shouldn’t jump in without knowing if transferring randomly will be worth it. Or if I’ll lose a friend.”

 “The Spring Equinox Festival is coming up. Ask her to that. Makes for a good casual date.” Mercy offered and finished her drink. “You finished? It’s about that time.” August drained the last of her drink and stood up.

 “Oh my god, it makes so much sense why Ben’s always picking us up.” Mercy snorted and they headed to the bar to settle their tab. There was a man with slicked back hair and nice clothing there, talking with Mary-May. She was glowering at him and turned to look at them as soon as she could.

 “Come to settle your tab?” Her voice was icy.

 “Are you bothering Ms. Fairgrave?” Mercy’s voice had shifted, matching her now tense posture. The man smiled benevolently and wrapped his knuckles on the wood of the bar.

 “Well hello Ms. Stein, I worry about a woman of healing sinning in a place like this. Drink does terrible things to the hands. And mind.” Her voice was velvety, dark, but most importantly contained a familiar accent. It sounded very similar to Mercy’s.

 “Well, bless your heart, John Seed. But there ain’t a thing to worry about with me. See, I believe that a person is defined by their actions and not an outdated book.” She smiled, all teeth. “But since you love to thump those pages you might revisit the chapter on neighbors, wives, and coveting.” The man’s face turned red but his smile never dropped. His bright, bright blue eyes moved around Mercy and pinned August. Those were very intelligent eyes.

 “I don’t believe you’ve introduced me to your friend. Hello I’m John Seed, privet Lawyer.”

 “August Guiterriez, I’m the newest Deputy.” He held out his hand and August would have shaken it if Mercy were still standing between them.

 “I suppose I shall try again tomorrow night then Ms. Fairgrave? When your father’s in?” He lowered his hand and looked to her.

 “He’ll tell you the same damned thing. Now get outta my bar.” He held up his hands in mock surrender and left.

 “What was up with that?”

 “That was John Seed. He’s the youngest of the Seed Brothers. You’ll meet them soon enough. Jacob is the oldest, likes to sulk around the Veteran’s center, then there’s Joseph, he’s the one who brought them here and he’s a preacher. His… Cult of Christianity is known as the Project at Eden’s Gate.”

 “You don’t like them?”

 “It’s not about that. It’s…” Mary-May sighed. “They’ve tried to get my father to close the bar because it’s against their ‘morality’ to have a house of drink. They ran the strip club right out of town. John’s been buying up all the property he can get his hands on and they’re so secretive about what they do. Now look. I ain’t gonna tell someone their version of God is wrong. But when their version of God starts trying to take my livelihood? Then we’re gonna have problems.”

 “There’s been more and more disappearances since they moved in too. Sometimes we find them and they… To be honest it looks like they overdosed on something but we can’t find the usual drugs in their systems.” Mercy looked at the door. “They’re dangerous, try to stay clear okay?” August frowned and nodded but looked towards the door. It didn’t seem right to discount them for some strange circumstances, though their attempts to shut down the Spread Eagle weren’t good. But they had good reasoning, maybe there was a peaceful solution?

  In the following two weeks August didn’t find any time to be alone with Joey, Pratt had figured out what she was doing and was using it against her.

 “If you’re not gonna help then shut up.” She hissed and he grinned at her.

 “I am helping Rookie.”

 “Your definition of helping is strange.” Ben’s voice cut in. Both jumped and turned to look at him.

 “You are so silent man!” He grinned and winked.

 “My wife taught me a thing or two about stealth. Something you might want a lesson in Pratt.” He settled on the edge of August’s desk. “How’s it going?”

 “I just can’t find the right words. Like I don’t wanna sound like I’m pressuring her, I don’t wanna sound like I want a date-date, and I don’t wanna sound too casual.” August groaned softly and put her head on her arms. Ben patted the top of her head.

 “I’m sure you’ll figure it out you’ve got a month and a half to go yet.”

 “Would you mind if I came over and had dinner with you guys and brainstorm with Mercy?”

“Come on Mercy can’t hold your hand the whole time.”

 “Advice and hand holding are two completely different things.” Ben stated stiffly and smiled at her. “I wouldn’t mind and Dakota always enjoys meeting new people.” She grinned and they settled in for another quiet day.

  Dakota, the rambunctious little girl, was just as bright and happy as all the pictures of her and videos implied. She squealed brightly and happily bounced around, showing off her large plush bear named Cheesy. Mercy smiled and welcomed her into their home.

 “And this is the kitchen.” August was given a tour by the tiny girl and Ben and Mercy laughed before Ben scooped the little girl up.

 “It’s time for dinner Kotie!” He teased and tickled her, causing her to shriek with laughter.

 “We’ll talk after dinner since it’ll be Ben’s turn.”

  Mercy and Ben’s home was cozy. Their den was more cordoned off from the living room where Ben and Dakota were working on the Kindergartener’s ‘homework’ of coloring a picture of their home.

 “So?”

 “I just don’t know what to say! How do I not come off as creepy, or too invested, or like a teenager with a crush?” August grumbled and Mercy nodded and settled into her seat.

 “Well I suppose it’s more about phrasing, asking her to go with to the festival definitely implies a deeper relationship wanted but asking to meet implies alone and a much more casual way.”

 “Yeah but how do I open? Hey Joey you wanna go to the Festival that’s like a month away and then possibly date me?”

 “I’d leave the ‘date me’ part off for now. But maybe ripping the bandaid off is the best approach?” The blonde offered.

 “Maybe. I just… What if?”

 “The world would be wasted on what ifs. If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. Don’t torture yourself over this, kiddo.” August looked into sharp blue eyes and the friendly warmth there was enough to ease her fears, for the moment. “It’s okay to be nervous but you can’t let it rule you. I mean you got through the police academy and you transferred all the way out here. That takes guts given your city girl nature.” August laughed at the gentle tease.

 “Yeah, yeah country girl. You gotta take care of this city girl and make sure she doesn’t break a nail or something.” They laughed, which was apparently enough to draw the attention of Dakota as she zoomed into the room and bounced on her heels in front of Mercy.

 “Mommy! Mommy can we play outside with the sparklers tonight? Can we? It’s still bright out! I wanna show Ms. August the spinney trick. Please?!” She dragged out the last word and pouted. Mercy sat up and gave a wry smile.

 “Well we’ll have to ask Ms. August about that then huh? You up for going outside for a bit?” It was clearly an out to keep talking or to go home.

 “I’d love to see Dakota’s spinney trick.” She grinned and the little girl punched the air before pulling on Mercy’s hand.

 “Come on Mommy! Daddy said he’d get everything ready!” Once Mercy was standing it was August’s turn to be gently tugged on. She stood and Dakota gripped her hand. “Come on I’ll show you the way!” She rushed forward pulling the Deputy with her. She laughed and heard Mercy chuckling as she followed.

  August finally had everything she wanted to say in order. She had the perfect idea and knew exactly what she wanted to mean. With only a few weeks to the Festival she felt confident that this wouldn’t be seen as something with pressure. She had ‘prettied’ herself up a bit too, wearing a bit more than her standard foundation and neutral lipstick. She highlighted her eyes with some nice wings, she gave a touch of blush, and she tinted her lips pink. She felt more confident than ever. She had this in the bag.

 “Hey.” Joey smiled. Oh no, the words died on her tongue.

 “Hey, what’s up?”

 “Not much, I was wondering if you would like to come out for drinks tomorrow night after work? It’ll be nice to meet up outside of work and I wanted to ask you something important.” August felt her heart stutter and then hit double time.

 “I’d love to. Meet up at the Spread Eagle?”

 “Definitely, best place to get a drink with friends.” Joey grinned and moved to her desk, Whitehorse calling her away after a moment with Mercy at his side, a grave look on her face.

 “Well at least one of you finally bucked up.” Pratt’s voice cut through her happy bubble. She glanced over at him and then shrugged.

 “Sometimes letting the other person come to you is the right thing to do. Forcing yourself on other people isn’t cool.”

 “I never have to force it. The ladies love Staci. Have I told you I can fly a helicopter?”

 “Sure, you can.” She rolled her eyes, still feeling too giddy and excited to let him get her down.

 “I mean maybe it was because you finally put some effort into your look.” Oh, but he was determined, wasn’t he?

 “What do you mean?”

 “I mean the eyes, the lips, looks good. Maybe she finally appreciated something nice to look at.” Happy feeling gone. Nagging cold doubt thy name is August. She couldn’t let him know he got to her though. “I certainly do. It’s nice to know you clean up good.”

 “I don’t dress for you or Joey. I dress for myself.” Half truth but he wouldn’t know it. Pratt scoffed but before he could say anything else Joey was back, looking fuming mad about something. “What’s wrong?”

 “Freaking Seeds. Apparently, someone called in a possible domestic dispute at the Stein-Lee residence. The concerned citizen? John Seed. He apparently heard screaming from his little airfield at his ranch and was ‘concerned’ about them.”

 “What?” She and Pratt blinked.

 “Yeah so Mercy and Ben are tied up explaining that they have a five-year-old and she screams and plays. So, Ben’s gonna be gone until tomorrow so we’re basically on standby for that missing persons case, we’ll have to go over the evidence we have again and wait for his profile tomorrow.”

 “I’m sure he didn’t mean to cause trouble.”

 “Yeah, sure.” Joey grumbled. August rubbed her neck. She gave a small smile.

 “We can cancel drinks tomorrow if you need?”

 “No way!” Joey blinked before grinning. “Let’s not let that asshole keep us from having a good time.”

  August looked at herself in the mirror. Her dress was a soft navy blue with a few splashes of color in the form of pink and white flowers. She had her hair swept back, gently tucked. She’d taken Mercy’s advice and was wearing comfortable sandals and her favorite jewelry. Her makeup was simple, highlighting the deep warm brown of her eyes, making them look like chocolate pools shifting between dark and milk easily, and she darkened her lips a little more. She added a hint of bronzer to her blush, highlighting her cheekbones and making her face look thinner. She looked beautiful. She looked feminine. Her phone started ringing and she noticed it was a Mercy on skype.

 “Hey, looking good August.” She grinned, there was flour on her cheek.

 “That’s a good look for you too. What happened?”

 “I’m making a cobbler and Dakota’s helping.”

 “I said sorry mommy! I didn’t know it would go ‘splode!” Dakota’s voice called from somewhere below the camera. Mercy looked down and her phone shifted as she changed her grip.

 “It’s fine. Just means you get an extra bath tonight.”

 “Nooooooo!”

 “Yesssssss! Hey. You got this.” Mercy’s attention suddenly flipped back to August and her teasing smile widened and she gave a thumbs up. “Call if you need anything okay? I just wanted to check in and make sure you were okay.”

 “Thanks. I’ll let you know when I get there and if I need a ride home.”

 “Don’t worry about the time either. You know Ben and I don’t mind. And Dakota sleeps like a rock.”

 “I’ll be fine. Go back to making your cobbler.”

 “There’ll be a piece waiting for you tomorrow.”

 “Thanks. Thanks again Mercy.”

 “Don’t worry. You got this.” They hung up and August glanced at herself again. She had this. She could do this.

  Joey was already there and waiting for her when she arrived. She grinned and headed over, nodding to Mary-May, feeling her heart beat double time. Joey looked different out of uniform. Her hair was styled in a braid and she was wearing long dangling earrings. She looked lovely in her stylishly ripped jeans and a nice blouse. She perked up seeing August and blinked a bit.

 “Wow I wouldn’t have pegged you for a dressy girl. You look great.”

 “Thanks. Have you ordered yet?”

 “Yeah, Jen’s grabbing our drinks Mary-May said you and Mercy are here enough for her to know your drink order.”

 “…Jen?”

 “Oh, excuse me.” A soft voice said and August turned to move from the way of a woman with three beers in her hands. She set them down but didn’t sit she turned and smiled brilliantly at August. “You must be Joey’s new partner, August! It’s great to finally meet you! She talks about you all the time.” She gave a quick hug before backing off. “Oh sorry. I’m Jenny. Sorry.” She awkwardly stuck out her hand and smiled nervously.

 “Yeah I’m August.” She felt like there was a knife sliding between her ribs but she gently took the woman’s hand and shook it. “it’s nice to meet you. Joey hasn’t said a word about you.” At this Jenny turned and frowned at Joey and Joey blushed.

 “I don’t like to mix my personal life and work.”

 “You could at least tell people I exist.” Jenny mumbled and August felt so fucking awkward. “I know we haven’t been together long but I’d have at least thought you’d have told your partner about me.”

 “It’s no big deal!” August cut in and settled as Jenny looked at her worried. “Really. Did you need me to cover for your paperwork because you’re planning a secret get away? You coulda just asked.” She laughed and felt it managed to sound real. She was shattering inside. She missed her shot. She blew it. Pratt would never let her live this down. And Mercy’s gentle concern and attempts to console her will be worse.

 “Oh uh no. Do you also have a usual food too?”

 “Hm? Oh, Mercy and I eat appetizers, I was pretty hungry earlier though so I grabbed a sandwich at home.” She couldn’t stomach food. Honestly if it wasn’t for the fact that she didn’t want to seem rude she’d be chugging her beer, wanting the alcohol desperately.

 “I’m getting a burger what do you want?”

 “Same babe. Thanks.” Jenny nodded and went back to the bar. “Hey so uh I wanted to ask if this was okay?”

 “Huh? You and Jenny? Yeah, why wouldn’t it be?” Because it was slowly murdering her inside? Did Joey know. Oh god was this her trying to let her down easy with proof? What had August done to make her think that was necessary?

 “I know it feels a little third-wheelie but Jenny’s also new to the area and doesn’t have a lot of friends. I figured I’d introduce you guys and maybe you could give her a hand too?” Joey gave a soft pleading look. August’s heart melted and ached.

 “Yeah sure no problem.” She murmured and then pulled her phone. “Oh, my landlady needs me to come back, she forgot to let her dog out and since she’s out of town she asked if I can do it.” Joey blinked at how fast she spoke but nodded.

 “Hey no problem. I’ll give you a ride there and have Jen keep out table.”

 “Nah it’s okay. Like you said it’s a bit third-wheelie. Have a good night Joey. I’ll see you at work on Monday.” She smiled and sped out waving to Jenny who looked confused but didn’t give chase. She stepped out into the chilly night and took several deep breaths. Trying to hold back the tears. She could feel them streaming down her face and promised herself she wouldn’t sob. She pulled her phone back out and realized she couldn’t see it clearly enough to call Mercy. She was about to flick on voice command when someone cleared their throat.

 “Hello, I’m sorry to bother you but you seem to be in distress.” His voice was soothing and she looked up blinking as gentle blue eyes looked at her in concern. “Is there anything I can do to help you?” She wiped at her face and managed a smile.

 “Not unless you know how to heal a broken heart.” She muttered and he made an understanding sound.

 “I’m Joseph Seed, I’m the Father of the Project at Eden’s Gate, however I don’t have that power. All I can tell you is that the Lord is watching and He sees your suffering.” August blinked and finally took a good look at the man. He was wearing worn jeans and cowboy boots. He had on a nice white dress shirt and a black vest over it. He had scarred and tattooed forearms. His face was covered half with a beard but his eyes were still bright and concerned, peering at her from over the top of yellow sunglasses. His hair was pulled back in a bun but looked like it wouldn’t be too long if it fell free.

 “I’m Deputy August Guiterriez.”

 “Ah, my brother mentioned you looked familiar. Would you mind walking with me Deputy? I would feel much safer with a woman of the law at my side.”

 “Ha, uh I wouldn’t want to burden you with my presence. You should probably get back to your brother.” She sniffed and rubbed at her face again, now able to look down at her phone properly.

 “You are no burden August.” He assured and motioned to the street. “There is a lovely band playing tonight at the park. Please join me for a bit?”

 “You know what? Sure.” She put her phone away and they started walking.

 “It is a lovely evening. Spring is truly beginning.”

 “Yeah. So, what are you doing out?”

 “It’s not important really. What about you? What’s broken your heart Deputy?”

 “I missed my one shot with someone and now… Now I have to watch them be happy with someone else.”

 “I’m sorry to hear that. But perhaps it is for the best. Rumor has it you’re new to Hope and there is still much for you to see.”

 “I’m not that new. I’ve been here for almost half a year!” He chuckled softly and held up his hands as they continued to walk.

 “My apologies. You’re not new. If you might direct me to the Veterans Center some time?” August blushed and frowned at him.

 “Okay so I haven’t been all around the county, yet. But I will. I’m gonna be a Sheriff one day you know.”

 “I believe you.” He assured and they continued on in silence for a beat. “Have you ever thought that you were meant to feel heartbreak so that when the one truly meant for you found you, they would help you heal as you would help them heal?”

 “What do you mean?”

 “Perhaps your lost chance is much like mine. A long time ago I had the chance to have a family with a wonderful woman, whom I loved dearly. But it would have come at the cost of never finding my brothers again. Sadly, that chance passed me by. I have felt her loss and the loss of that family ever since, despite regaining my brothers. I can’t help but wonder if I have truly missed my chance at love, at happiness sometimes.”

 “I’m so sorry.” August paused and gently placed her hand on his arm.

 “All is well. I believe I’ve finally found the right path. I believe we’re all destined for something. I believe that there is a change coming, something we must all be ready for in the end.” He said, ending a bit gravely. “But I feel that there is still time for chances and fate to wave itself into something grand.” They had reached the park. August smiled. She weirdly felt lighter. The faint sounds of a fiddle and drums and guitar drifted lazily over to them.

 “Well we’re here. Safe and sound. I should probably call my friend and ask her to come and pick me up. I don’t really want to go home right now.”

 “Young friend being Ms. Stein? Does she not have a young child? Wouldn’t that wake her?” He asked gently and August blinked. She’d never really thought about it, Mercy always said to call if she needed it but it was probably a forced offer. Not something she wanted to do but would out of duty.

 “Yeah… Yeah she does.”

 “If you don’t want to head home just yet might I ask you to dance? I might not know modern dance but I know a good box step.” He offered his hand and she felt a small laugh bubble out of her before she smiled and accepted.

 “I’d love to.”

  They drifted lazily. Around the well-lit pathways of the park, slowly moving to the beat of the music.

 “You’re a wonderful dancer.”

 “Thanks, so are you.” August hadn’t felt this light in probably years, even when she’d thought that Joey had asked her out. “Have you ever been to the Spring Festival before?”

 “Oh yes. My family and I enjoy visiting and seeing all the vendors and the community come together. It is much more palatable than the other Springtime festival.” He grumbled a bit at the end and she wondered what he was talking about, she’d ask Mercy some other time.

 “Well would you mind if I tagged along with your family this year, it’s still a little new to me?”

 “I thought you weren’t new in Hope.” He teased gently but guided them to a stop.

 “Well maybe I’m looking for someone to guide me.” He smiled, something strange flickering through his eyes before he leaned close and tipped her head up.

 “I shall be happy to be your guide August.” He pressed a soft kiss to her lips and then pulled back. “Might I offer you a ride home?”

 “I’d like that, thanks.” She replied a little breathless.

  Mercy hummed softly and was cautious but August waved her worry off. She was helping to watch Dakota so that the couple could finish packing. They were taking a 6 month sabbatical to not only be part of Mercy’s twin brother’s wedding but also to see Ben’s family back in Australia.

 “You’re gonna miss the Festival.”

 “Sadly, but your twin brother only gets married twice and the munchkin hasn’t seen Nana and Papa since she was a toddler and almost got banned from the Zoo for attempting to ride a crock.”

 “You’re kidding.”

 “I swear she’s part Disney Princess with her animal affinity.” Mercy chuckled before looking at her. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay?”

 “Yeah. I’ve kinda met someone. He talked me down from a near panic attack that I didn’t realize I was having until later when I thought about it. We’re meeting up at the Festival.”

 “And who is this mystery man?”

 “You’ll meet him, when I know this is a solid thing. And not some passing fancy.” It didn’t feel like that. Whenever she saw Joseph something in her felt welcomed, felt right. But Mercy had her qualms with the Seeds and it would take time to smooth things over.

 “Well I ‘spose as long as you’re alright…” Mercy trailed off before motioning to the counter. “The pie ’s for you, peach pear.”

 “Thanks Mercy.”

  August yawned and blinked slowly at the others.

 “Coffee?” Pratt asked, looking a bit like a raccoon himself.

 “Thanks.” He nodded and they waited for Whitehorse to speak, along with the man next to him.

 “There has been video evidence released. It shows that Joseph Seed, is responsible for the death of a man. We’ve issued a warrant for his arrest and he’s hold himself up in his church, surrounded by his cult.” Suddenly August didn’t need any coffee. She was awake and staring at the Sheriff.

 “Marshal Burke is here to help us arrest him given the situation.”

  August stared at the phone in her hand and looked at the images playing, seeing the people and not having it connect to her brain. She felt her heart shatter anew.

[aserilla1]

White Rose

*This is a long backstory, but it’s worth reading the whole thing to understand the next few chapters!*

Pages Typed: 6 Full, single spaced

Word Count: 3,106

Time Writing This: 65 Days - August 31 to November 3

Next (Coming Soon)

Chapter 1 - Copper Chains & Shattered Trust

One of the oldest legends from ages past tells of the existence of a tree that gave two types of apple-like fruits. One side bore fruit as dark as the midnight sky and as vibrant as a swirling galaxy. The other bore golden fruit as bright as the midday sun and glowed like a searing flame. The tree was guarded by two brothers; one tended the dark side and the other tended the golden. The golden fruits represented the hops, dreams and positive memories of all living things. The dark ones represented their worries, fears and negative memories. Like Yin and Yang. With the brothers taking care of the ancient tree’s power the land remained peaceful for many years.

Illia Village. A small piece of a massive world. A world where the most important thing is a tree. I wish I could have seen more of this world before it was lost. He thought. Trying to make himself more comfortable on the high branch as the sun peeked over the trees. The same place he sat more then 26,000 years ago.

♥️ ♥️ ♥️

“Brother can you hear me?” A small skeleton called, searching the branches above him yet finding nothing.

“Coming!” He called back before leaping down in front of him.

“Oh! My big bro is so smug.”

“No, I’m not! Shut up, Rosen Dream!” He snapped then tried to regain his composure. “So? What do you want, dork?”

Rosen giggled and looked up at his brother’s pout, “I found an old book that mentions a White Shadow. And... I thought it was talking about you, a White NightMare!”

White stared blankly back for a moment, watching him excitedly bounce in place. A dumbfounded look sat plastered on his face

“What are you going on about? Were you looking through those old prophecy scriptures in the Eon Library again?” He shook his head, a disapproving look on his face. “You should take those with a grain of salt, Bro.”

“But-!”

“No butts here!” he smirked. “Eon has been in ruin for a several hundred years now. All that those old things are good for is to be moth food. Plus, they didn’t have magic as strong as what we have now. It couldn’t possibly be true, or anywhere close to accurate. They’re only fairytales.”

“Alright, Brother.” He whimpered.

White hugged his little brother and nuzzled his skull. Despite what he said, the prophecies made him uneasy. The more Rosen spoke of them, the more dread he felt. Though, he knew little of what his brother was reading this time, something about it didn’t bother him as much as usual. He straightened up and held the smaller skeleton at an arm’s length.

“The Autumn Fair is starting at 7: 00. The sun just started to rise so, we have about ten minutes to get there.” White chirped, trying to take his brother’s mind off the book’s words.

The gold-eyed little angel looked up at White’s indigo orbs, “But we didn’t have breakfast yet. Shouldn’t we go after?”

“Really? Ms. June was going to be giving away free jumbo caramel apples and chocolate oranges to the first 20 customers. Mr. Wood is selling ginger-almond cookies, pumpkin-maple muffins and cinnamon coffee. But if you want to skip all of that sweetness for buttered toast…” White cood.

“Well…” Rosen hesitated.

“And all the vendors are handing out recipes for what they’re sellin’.” He added.

“Move it! Let’s git going before they sell out.” Rosen shouted and started to shove White down the trail, towards the village.

“Ok! You don’ need to push me. But! Whoever gets there first doesn’t have to do this week’s laundry!” White chirped, running ahead of his little brother. Despite his lax, carefree & somewhat smug attitude he couldn’t shake the feeling that something big was going to happen. And It would be sooner rather then later.

🟈🟈🟈

White glanced down at Rosen, peacefully sleeping on his shoulder. The smaller cuddled into the left side of his older brother’s ribs. White put an arm across his back and pulled him closer. He glanced over to the new ivory-emerald bag, over-stuffed and overflowing with new recipes. The day had gone by easier then it usual would for them. He couldn’t have been more relieved for that.

White watched as the sun began to set. He couldn’t help but think of the way the villagers would normally act around them; they always loved, adored and admired Rosen. They saw him as their guardian, they felt safe with him around. No matter how bad they felt he could cheer them up in an instant. But it wasn’t really like that; HE wasn’t the one making them feel better. IT was. And White? They hated, feared and loathed him. They saw him as a mistake, an abomination that wasn’t supposed to exist. They didn’t want to be near him, they never felt safe when he was around them. If he tried to cheer someone up they would amediantly feel immensely worse. And making them despise him far more, causing more deceitful rumors to spread. But it wasn’t really as it seemed; HE wasn’t the one making them feel worse. IT was. They thought Rosen was cute, lovable and sweet. They saw him as a brave, smart and reliable person. But their vision was hazed.

When it was just the two of them it was totally… mostly different. Rosen was shy, mischievous and still adorable. But was someone who would freeze up in the face of danger and would become worried over little things. He was a little self absorbed at times. And there was very little he knew about the world outside or in their village. He was naive to a lot of things. He wasn’t the type to be able to focus on one thing at a time. He would be working on something, or helping someone with something just to get sidetracked by something else. But the thing that the villagers always seemed to forget? Rosen was only a child, just 10 years old. This really wasn’t something he should be involved in. Not yet, not so young.

White on the other hand was almost the complete opposite. The villagers would normally act like they feared, hated and loathed him. But he was the one who was always the one doing all he could to protect the village. At only 13, he was the one who was the true guardian of Illia. But they never saw him as anything more then a nuisance. On the surface he was fairly lax, mostly carefree, more then a little smug and coldly serious at times. But if someone really got to know him they’d see he’s very kind, sly, mostly fearless, a bit head-strong, dependable and extremely loyal. He’d risk his life for those he cared for, especially loved ones. Though the villagers would still favored his brother, Rosen Dream. And that was it.

He shook the thought outta his head, looking back at the book Rosen had shown him after winning it at one of the Fair’s competitions. His little brother’d been so excited and happy to be there, and knew he’d drag him around during the next four days the Fair’d be going on. He sighed, shoving the book back into the royal blue bag he’d won. He snuggled up to his little brother as his eyes grew too heavy to keep open. As he drifted off he thought of their bond, their roles and responsibilities an’ this being the first time in months they’ve had a chance to just relax. Will this really last? Being his final thought before sleep overcame him.

♥️ ♥️ ♥️

But the peace, tranquillity an’ happiness weren’t meant to last. One day, the brother that looked after the MidNight fruits felt envy because the Golden ones were much more eye-catching then his. He tried to deny it, but he wasn’t above jealousy. People came from far off lands to catch a mere glimpse. But criticised his all day, never staying long enough to see the true beauty they held in the darkness.

“Mine are just as good!... Right?” He’d wonder.

One night, with his emotions at a breaking point, White went behind his brother’s back to the ancient tree. He could hear a voice telling him to take the Fruit, that he would be happier if he did. Telling him to prove that he’d be able to do just as good, if not better then his brother could! Making him focus on a particular golden fruit. Though, something seemed off about the way it looked. But... at the last moment he turned away, shaking his head.

♥️ ♥️ ♥️

“What am I doing?! I could never do that to my own brother!” He growled.

Why not? Doesn’t Rosen deserve it? To understand what it’s like to be in someone else’s shadow for once? A voice came like a whisper, no owner to be seen.

He couldn’t see them, but would NEVER let someone speak poorly of his brother.

“No, not at all! I’m his older brother. I’m supposed to have his back, to be there for him. He doesn’t deserve to have me ruin his future. I WON’T allow it! He deserves to be happy.” Anger rose in White’s voice.

Why should his emotions matter? But! He’s not worthy of…

“But NOTHING!” He shouted, storming away and thinking to himself. He doesn’t need to know of this. It’ll only scare him.

🟈🟈🟈

The thing watched as he huffed away, smirking to itself. Wanting to laugh, but staying silent and nearly unseen from a wandering gaze.

You won’t do it? But I WILL! I’ll just have to be a little more DIRECT…

♥️ ♥️ ♥️

A two weeks later, it struck! On a cloudless night with Rosen’s emotions at a fever pitch, he went behind his brother’s back to the ancient tree. He could hear a voice telling him to take a particular Fruit, that he would be happier if he did. Telling him that this will prove that he’d be able to be stronger and wiser then his older brother. He’d do just as good, if not better then White at protecting their Village! Making him focus on a Golden-Amber Fruit with a Copper chain of three thin rings encircling the vibrant peel. Something seemed very off about the way it looked. He’d never seen anything grow between the very start of a branch’s fork before. It didn’t seem natural, like it was feeding off on his regret. But... it was too late he was entranced by it, he couldn’t turn away.

He grasped it in his small hands and sunk his teeth into the tender, juicy flesh of the Apple-like Fruit. However, when touched by someone full of envy and jealousy they rotted away and consumed. Each Fruit being lost to the child possessed by the copper rings. Soon, the Ancient Tree withered, most of the MidNight Fruits left crushed. Only a single, premature Golden Fruit left hidden behind two Dark ones.

The villagers filled with panic and fear as they gathered to see the tree in the sunrise’s light. They not to blame the brother of the MidNight Fruit, for only his brother stood in the wreckage. An Amber Fruit in his hand, they knew he was responsible for the fate of their beloved relic. They tried to corner him, but out of desperation he reached out to the Rings. A blood curdling shriek rang out as the rings wrapped around his small figure, but did not harm him. His new form was almost unrecognizable to those who saw him. Its power and corrupted light consumed him, becoming completely corrupted by its influence. He could feel the power growing by the second.

♥️ ♥️ ♥️

It’s too late now!! A demonic voice howled.

🟈🟈🟈

“Where is he?” He ran through the Village, not a Soul in sight. Soon he looked toward the tree, a horrified look spread across his face.

“NO!” White screamed. “Rosen! Where are you?! ... Brother?”

He cautiously approached the path to the tree. Dust and red smears covered everything in sight. The remanence of their owners lay scattered in the grass.

“Rosen! Is that really you? What happened here?!” He called to his younger brother. “Rose-!”

“Stay Away From Me You Traitor!” Rosen shrieks, thunder crackles from a neering storm.

His sorrowful and saddened eyes beg for a chance of redemption despite his words.

“I don’t want you here. You’re just a mistake!” he hissed, his gaze becoming hollow.

He froze in my tracks, shocked to hear such a thing from my own brother.

“I HATE you. You’re not important... YOU SHOULDN’T EXIST!!” Rosen screamed in absolute rage.

His hateful screams swirl with roaring thunder. He began to sob as his apologies are lost on the howling winds. His fallen lavender tears mix with the pouring rain. Shrieking cries of betrayal flow like a rushing waterfall. Words pierced his soul like sharpened blades. His hatred explodes like an erupting volcano in front of him. The last flicker of love & admiration in his eyes burnt out like a flame. His rage spread like a wildfire.

Pleas of “I’m sorry” & “I never wanted this” are lost to deaf ears.

Lightning shatters the sky as the copper chains take over and tighten their grip on him. Thunder cracks the air as the guilt thickens. White feels him losing the fight against it. But he knew this is where something terrible begins. He knew that today two fates would be left in shards.

🟈🟈🟈

White, now knowing what the new form of his brother had done he wanted to panic, but knew it wouldn’t help.

Before he could react Rosen flared out large, wing-like, diamond panels and lunged towards him. Tossing him into the branch with the small cluster of Fruits. He knew he needed to think of something, but what? As Rosen’s footsteps grew closer he noticed a faint energy radiating from the cluster. Without thinking he stuffed the three Fruits into the utility bag on his hip and jumped behind the tree. Disregarding the consequences, he ate one of the MidNight Fruits. Knowing if the tree couldn’t restore it that he’s have to plant the Midnight and Golden seeds somewhere safe.

He took a breath and stood, ready to confront his brother. He tried not to show worry as he summoned his scythe. How could this have happened? What went wrong?

♥️ ♥️ ♥️

“What happened big Bro? Aren’t you gonna give your li’le bro a good hug?” Rosen hissed sarcastically, arms open.

“You’ve brought suffering and sorrow to this innocent world! Why?!” White shouted, not able to hold back a few tears.

“You know what they say, White. In order to make an omelette ... some ‘eggs’ must be cracked! You were the chef between the two of us after all!”

“That has nothing to do with it! They weren’t eggs... they were innocent People. They’re Souls are lost now ‘cause of you!”

“So what? Get your head out of the clouds! They had it coming.” Rosen growled his temper rising.

“Rose, I know this isn’t anything like you. Let me help you. Please, I don’t want to fight you!”

“SHUT UP! YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME!!!” Rosen Howled.

Smaller, sharp panels being sent towards White. Only to be dodged.

“That’s the corny thing i’ve heard all day!” He added. “What!?”

“I have no other choice now. I will fight you. AND YOU WON’T BE FORGIVEN!” Tears ran down his cheeks as he made the next move.

Sharp panels, shadowed arrows and gleaming blades flew from hour to hour. Tempers burned brightly throughout the chaos. But even with his immense power Rosen still wasn’t as fast, skilled or experienced as White was.

“I may be beaten! But you are too weak to finish what you started... You’d never shatter another’s Soul!” Rosen screeched.

“I won’t have to...” White hissed.

The younger tried to escape, but was too slow from fatigue.

“And you can’t stop me!” Now pinning him to the ground with the withered tree’s shadow.

“NO! THIS WON’T BE THE END! YOU CAN’T DO ANYTHING! YOU DON’T HAVE THE GUTS!!” He yowled, trying to struggle out of the shadowy tentacles.

“Just stop… There’s no way out. You must pay for your Sins, NOW!” He wheezed.

“NO! NEVER!!”

“It’s too bad we had such fond an’ good memories together. And so many positive feelings, too!” A small smile faded just as it appeared.

“THAT DOESN’T MATTER!!”

“‘Doesn’t matter’, huh? You really aren’t him...” White breathed. “That’ll make this a lot easier.” A smirk spread across his face as he glared down.

♥️ ♥️ ♥️

Fortunately, the power of a single Dark Fruit, and a little too much fighting experience, was enough. Rosen couldn’t match him no matter what tricks he tried.

He wrenched the Copper Chains off Rosen, reverting them back to being a treo of rings. Leaving him gasping for air and barely able to stay concourse. At a moment’s notice, White sealed the Rings in stone and encased them in as many layers of his own crystallized magic as he could form. But when White turned back to his brother he was gone, only distant wing beats before an eerie silence.

That day, he left his world to seal the Rings away in an ancient library. One so vast none who dared enter could find it in the extensive and winding labyrinth of shelves. Left to be forgotten in time as he closed the heavy stone doors. Only to collapse from exhaustion where he stood. Yet, faintly seeing a figure running towards him in the distance as the world went black.

It is said that that one day the cursed Copper Rings will re-awaken and free itself from its stone and crystal prison. But at the cost and corruption of a new ‘Puppet’ and many, many millennium of tireless war. Yet peace will be restored on the final day. Bringing a new era of hope to those who faced the terror and loss.

At the door of Eon, carved into the aged stone a warning lays to all who enter its broken walls:

Of all who come past this point! Be careful of what you’ve come here for it could be a Blessing, a Curse or the Untold. Only the fearless may proceed. Brave ones, Foolish ones, Both walk not the middle road.

Good luck to all, Your Fate Changes Here!

[sarah-bae-maas]

A Court of Hearts and Darkness Chapter Twenty Eight

It’s been over a century since the epic and bloody war against Hybern, but a new, unprecedented horror lies in wait to threaten everything the Inner Circle holds dear.

At a mere 17, it seems that the only one who can save them is the Heir to the Night Court, Feyre and Rhysand’s daughter Eleana, but as a creature so vile promises to kill everyone she loves, she must combat the urge to succumb to the darkness herself. The key to success lies hidden within her mate, the bastard born Kaden, who is as oblivious to the bond as her Court is oblivious to the war on the horizon.

With the help of her cousin and warrior Felix, the son of the famed Nesta and Cassian, they will try to save everything they hold dear, hopefully before the darkness takes them all.

(This fic was written pre-acowar, so please bear in mind there are some small differences but it can still hopefully be enjoyed!)

Link on Ao3 Masterlist

1  2  3  4  5  6 7 8  9  10 11 12  13  14  15 16  17  18  19  20  21  2223  24  25  26  27

***

-Chapter 28-

Kaden awoke to Azriel gently nudging his shoulder, his eyes barely having to adjust in the still-dark room. For a moment, he felt confusion – about where he was, what he was doing – but he could never escape reality long. Kaden stood from his place on the floor, his gaze shooting between Thea and Quathryn who were both still asleep. He nodded to himself – it was good that they slept and dreamt if it meant it kept them away from this world for just a little bit. A world darkened, ripped and unable to be fixed.

Azriel patted Kaden’s hair and cocked his head in a sign of asking him to leave the room. Kaden checked the young girls once again, then followed Azriel from the room, shutting the door behind him. When they were done, he would open it again. He knew from experience that once you left the room you could no longer hear any of the noise from within, and he would hate to leave and for the girls to wake up and think they were alone.

“How are you?” Azriel asked.

Kaden ran his hand over his face and through his hair. “I don’t know,” he said, and it was true.

Once Cassian had left with the assurance that Azriel would be home soon and there were enough wards on the house to keep his children safe, Kaden retired to his room. He let Quathryn have the bed, she’d spread herself out like a starfish and was dribbling on his pillow, and Thea was nice and snug in her makeshift crib on top of his pianoforte. He took the floor, finding comfort in the place he knew best.

And for the first time, as he slept that night, he knew what it was like to have an Eleana-calibre night terror. Thankfully, he was quiet, and was honestly astonished at the fact. But when he woke up, he could’ve sworn he was still there, in the mountains, watching in horror as his best friend’s ghost rose from his mutilated body. When he realised what was happening, he reached out to Eleana, desperate for her comfort, but her shield was harder than ever. He needed her now more than he ever had before, and he knew she needed him as well. There were things he needed to tell her – something that he thought he’d found out about them that she needed to know.

He cried into the crook of his own arm until he fell asleep again.

“How are the girls? I checked on Cassian just before I came home, and he said they were here.”

“They’re fine – as good as they can be.”

“Kaden…” Azriel looked hesitant but reigned himself. “We can’t find Laya. Rhys and Feyre are downstairs, and they’re starting to get really worried. I wanted to let you rest, but we need your help.”

“Of course. I want to have her home as much as anyone else.” Kaden shook out his hair and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He opened the door right before brushing past Azriel to go downstairs. He met Feyre and Rhys in the hallway, the two pale and shaking with concern. The High Lady whispered her thanks, and you could see the gratitude from the High Lord in his eyes.

He nodded at them and started to walk away, his head higher than it had been in days now that he had a purpose.

“Wait.” From behind Feyre and Rhysand, Morrigan rose from the couches. In his sleep deprived state, he didn’t even notice her. Which caused him immense guilt, as this woman had done so much for him and he had forgotten her.

Kaden turned to look at her, Mor frowning at the sight of the dark bags under his eyes. She approached him with open arms, and he let her embrace him – needing a motherly hug. “Come back soon, okay? I want you home and safe with us.”  

He hugged her back tightly, and with that, he left to find his dark rose.

_____

 Kaden had no idea she had gone so far. No longer in the Night Court, his magic was steering him south for as long as the eye could see. It was no wonder no one had been able to track her, she’d winnowed as far as she could. From the looks of it, it seemed she was going to the Spring Court, which wouldn’t surprise him. She’d confessed to him that whenever the Night Court was too much High Lord Glaslane always welcomed her – had already this year after their disastrous first kiss.

He continued to fly, letting his mind get lost in the feel of the wind in his wings and the sound they made as he rushed to find Eleana. He barely gave any attention to the Courts that he knew were below, just wrinkled his nose at the strong smell of fire from their heaths and the surprising racket he sometimes heard. He knew nothing of the other Courts practises at night – it wouldn’t surprise him if they were awake at this hour.  

As he followed his magic, he saw that his presumptions we correct. Eleana seemed to be in the Spring Court.

He landed in a wooded area, just outside a small town on the boarder of the Autumn Court. He expected his magic to guide him towards the mansion, but it was also totally possible that in an effort to escape her own grief she wanted to avoid anyone she knew.

He tracked her with is magic, only few fae and faeries here awake. They all gave him curious looks, but he didn’t heed them any attention.

Eleana’s trail was a jagged mess, leading him out of the town and through the thick bushland, up a steep slope and left to the boarder. He stood atop the hill he had just climbed. To one side was the Spring Court, the tiny village starting to light up as more and more farmers started their day, and to the other was the Autumn Court. It was a very strange in-between. You could feel the cold winds from the Autumn Court warming as they came into Spring’s land – a phenomenon that wasn’t seen in the solar courts.

Kaden wasn’t totally sure where to go. He could see she clearly had gone into the Autumn Court, but the trail often buzzed back over to Spring, as if she’d been running, winnowing, or flying back and forth all night. It was a weirdly erratic behaviour he hadn’t been expecting at all – as if it wasn’t even Eleana.

He ventured into the Autumn Court, now taking the slopes downward in an effort to find his love. With every step, he ached more for her presence. He also needed to apologize to her for his actions. He just didn’t think straight when it came to Felix – neither of them did.

Eventually, his magic found a more definitive trail again, and as he followed it he felt like he was stepping out of a maze. The last two hours of looking for her had been an inconsistent mess, but he felt better knowing she must be close.

His lights guided him to where he needed to go, very occasionally showing him glimpses of Eleana being in the same place. The visions felt off though, in a way that made him squirm as he flew. It was like rather than looking through clear water, he had to wade his way through thick mud. Flashes of her were enough to keep him going though, regardless if they were what he was accustomed to or not.  

Her trail became farther and fewer between, so he took back to the skies, gliding over the Autumn Court. Smoke obstructed his vision slightly from the faeries beneath lighting fires to keep warm, and he found his eyes watering and squinting.

As he got closer to the Forest House, he started taking note of the smell of the smoke. It did not smell like kindling as one might presume it would, but much stronger and quite sour. The smell was actually putrid and had him gagging. He wondered what could possibly make a stench like that.

And then he heard.

There was screaming and banging as people raced through the tree tunnels, hundreds of people trying to flee the top tiers of the Forest House. In the distance, he could see High Lord Lucien spewing flames at enemies Kaden couldn’t see, and he rushed to his aide. As he got lower in altitude, Kaden’s eyes widened in trembling dread as he saw what was causing the citizens to flee.

No.

Not again.

Not so soon.

There were creatures everywhere, destruction and death following in their wake. The Autumn Court sentries were doing their best to kill them and hold them back so the people could flee, but they had no idea what they were up against. Bodies, thankfully not as many as Kaden expected, were littering the ground, and he felt every loss. Their families were soon to feel the pain he had become so well versed in, and he didn’t wish that upon anybody.

He flew as fast as he could to Lucien’s side, people aiming at him with spears but backing down with a bark from Lucien. He landed at the fox’s side, skidding to a halt just feet from him.

“What the hell is going on?”

“They got here an hour ago and it’s been chaos since,” High Lord Lucien spat through gritted teeth, still taking aim at the crawling creatures snapping at him and his men and women. “Thank the Cauldron we had some warning from Elain. Did you come with Rhys?”

Kaden speared his magic through an oncoming creature, his heart starting to race. “I followed Eleana’s trail here.”

“She’s here somewhere? Shit.”

“Where is Lady Elain? Why isn’t Rhys here yet if you summoned him?”

“Likely because there are at least three other courts that have been hit tonight,” he growled. “I had just gotten a message from Tarquin when my servants started screaming.” A creature yelped as Lucien dealt its death blow. “And my mate is safe, locked where they can’t get to her. I love her more than I love life, and under no circumstances will she die tonight.”

Kaden joined the High Lord at his side, fending away the creatures until the room was clean of them. The soldiers with them immediately went down to join their kin in the forests, hoping to save as many lives as possible. Lucien, with Kaden at his back, ran to the vaults where magic weapons of destruction were held. Constructed by the former High Lord Beron, only the High Lord of the time could access them. With the suddenness of the attack, Lucien hadn’t had a chance to fetch them.

“How the fuck did they get in here?” Lucien hissed to himself, thinking aloud.

Kaden mulled his words over, even if they weren’t intended for him. The answer, after everything he had been through, was painfully obvious. “The tunnels in the mountains.”

Lucien muttered darkly under his breath, surging down stairs. “Find Laya. No one but I can cross this point. And hurry. I’ll send another message to Rhys for help, and let’s just pray they haven’t been hit too.”

Kaden nodded and fled, wanting to find the closest exit so he could fly and look for her from above. Every moment without her was making him panic – it felt like his blood was sticking together, his limbs becoming heavy and slow. He felt full of ick, and knowing that she was out there somewhere was making him frantic and scared. Eleana was so lovely, he wanted her safe. And yet she always found her way into the darkest situations Prythian had to offer.

His search was lengthy. He had to stop constantly to help people, and his magic was wearing thin after a fitful night’s sleep. Her trail was also still as random and sporadic as it had been before, and the only thing stopping him from keeling over and having a panic attack was the bond he could still feel was there – meaning that wherever she was she was alive.

He was stabbing a scabby creature when from above he heard the most glorious sound – wings. He killed his target, looking up to see Illyrians above.

But only forty-nine of them. He knew, because even from here he could tell it was the Elite. At their head was what looked like Felix, but no, it was Cassian.  Kaden went to join their ranks, at the side of his brothers as he should be, but he was stopped by an all-encompassing shield.

“What the f-”

“You didn’t find her then.” High Lady Feyre stepped out from seemingly nothing, head to toe in Illyrian leather and fighting gear.

“She’s in this Court.” It was the best answer he could give her.

The High lady nodded her head, her lips pressed together and a fine line of fury marring her forehead.

“The Night Court-”

“Is fine,” she answered before she could finish. “But the Illyrian legions won’t come, not after the loss of the Bloodrite and the threat to our land. The Elite are here because they are under separate orders and because of their loyalty to Felix.”

“Surely the other Courts will come to our aide.”

High Lady Feyre looked at him despairingly. “Every Court has been hit but ours. I came here because of my allegiance to Lucien. Rhys and Azriel are with Tarquin. The other Courts have been left to fend for themselves.”

Kaden’s mouth opened in shock, and he flounded in front of his High Lady. Lost for words, he stared at her with the danger of the situation pounding in his mind.

If these creatures were capable of amounting an attack on six of the seven Courts simultaneously, then there were far more of them than anyone could have initially predicted. The soil of Prythian would once more run read with the blood of its inhabitants, and the civilian loss would be cataclysmic.

“Eleana-”

“Is powerful enough that hopefully she will be able to take care of herself,” Feyre interrupted again. “But, please, I beg of you, find her. Lead me to her. I will vanquish any foe we face on the way but I need my daughter home. Mor is there protecting Velaris, and I would feel much better knowing Laya is with her.”

Without another word, Kaden sprinted to where he could hopefully find Eleana, but Cauldron knew if he was even going the right way. From what he could tell, she was on the move and had been all day. Either that, or his magic was failing him.

Her path led him back to the centre of the Forest House, and he realised that she must be fighting her way through the creatures to try and get to Lucien – to somewhere safe. It seemed the High Lady made the same presumption, bolting ahead of him as soon as she realised where the path was going. He raced after her – her direction ringing true.

The Forest House was on fire.

Flames were licking at nearly every surface except the highest of turrets, but even that was just bare stone meant as a watch tower. There was no way anyone could take refuge there. There were winged creatures zipping around its roof, but never approaching. The Elite were there, picking them off one by one. Kaden squinted his eyes to focus, and he could see High Lord Lucien’s flame red hair blowing from the wind the creatures were creating and also-

And also a dark mane that could only belong to one.

The High Lady looked at her daughter like a blind man seeing for the first time, a woman seeing the sun after a long winter, a restless child seeing its parent, and she whimpered, “Rhys,” to summon her mate to her side.

Kaden stepped back when suddenly Eleana’s father, smeared with blood, winnowed next to his mate with a thunderous bang. He reached for his mate’s hand and winnowed them to the tower, leaving Kaden in their dust.

He quickly followed them, using what magic he had to winnow after them. He landed on the balls of his feet, immediately pushed back by the wind tunnel they had found themselves wrapped in.  Rhys put up a barrier between them all and the creatures raging outside.

It was like being trapped in a snow globe. What were once glassless windows were now barred by the High Lord’s magic, making the wind and fire swirl around them – a light show that cast them all in hues of red and yellow.

Eleana was facing away from them, overlooking the window with her hands gripping onto its sill. She looked serene, and Kaden wanted to cry from happiness at the sight of her. She had changed since she’d left the House of Wind and was now clad in a deep purple dress with a black train, her hair styled in waves down her back. Gold cuffs encircled her wrists, and a necklace that looked so tight it was constricting was clamped around her delicate neck.  

Kaden didn’t care that it was odd that she still looked so pristine in the middle of all this – if someone could manage it, it was Eleana.

He peeked at her parents, their reactions similar to his. Lucien on the other hand looked on with trepidation, his hand gripping a dagger tightly.

“Eleana,” Feyre sighed. “Butterfly, you’re safe. Thank the Cauldron.” She put one of her hands over her heart, as if trying to contain the overwhelming relief she must have felt.

Eleana stayed silent. Kaden thought maybe she was still overwhelmingly dismayed, but he sensed no sadness from her, not even discomfort. Her hair was shining in the light, its navy set alight by the flames around them. It was growing quite warm in the room, and Kaden felt sweat start to drip down his back.

“Laya, I’m so happy to see you.” Rhys stepped forward, resting his hand on her shoulder. “We have to go home, Butterfly, these horrible creatures are everywhere.”

She reached behind him and rested her hand on his shoulder. “I think you have me confused for someone else, High Lord Rhysand.”

She turned, and her violet eyes were flashing gold.  

They all reeled back but Lucien, Rhysand snapping his hand back as though it had been burned.

“Eleana-”

“You needn’t worry, High Lord. She’s still in here. She can see everything. Hear everything. She is just no longer in control.”

Kaden’s throat constricted at the image in front of him. It was Eleana – her smell, her body, her everything – but it was not her at all. There was an inflection to her voice he had never heard, an accent from Mother knows where. The way she stood, her posture, was completely unfamiliar to him. And her eyes… oh Cauldron, those eyes. The deepest gold he had ever seen, it was equally fascinating and sickening.

“Who the hell are you?” Rhys growled. “And where is my daughter?”

The prettiest, most serene smile crossed Eleana’s face. “I told you, she’s still here.” Eleana, no, not Eleana, walked forward, pushing past the High Lord like he was nothing.

Lucien still had his dagger raised, and that’s when Kaden realised that Lucien had seen this woman for what she truly was before they had arrived. What he had learnt from that interaction, Kaden was sure he would know soon.

The woman stopped less than a foot away from him and raised a hand to his scarred face. Frozen by familiarity and fear, he let her push back a single lock of hair that was covering his eyes. “Golden one, so matching to her blue.” Her hand slid down, and the sweat sliding down his body felt like spiders. Swallowing hard, his eyes followed her movements. “You are so precious, so valuable to her – the most important thing.”

She cocked her head to the side, and with a flick of her wrist, they were alone.

High Lord Lucien and Rhys were gone, High Lady Feyre – all whisked away from them due to the power this woman possessed.

A power that was once Eleana’s.

The shield remained – keeping Kaden and Eleana locked in this red world while the rest of existence fell apart.

She leaned forward, pressing Eleana’s chest against him, a hand slowly sliding south. “I meant what I said. She’s here, and she can feel everything.”

Kaden grabbed her wrist before it could find its intended target and flinched away from the woman. “You’re a liar,” he spat. “Where is Eleana? Tell me and I will give you the quick death I’ve granted the other wretched creatures.”

“I am no creature, I am Eleana. She is still here.”

Kaden wanted to punch her – use brute force to make this woman talk. But he could never hurt Eleana, even if it was just the illusion of her. Just the thought of laying a hand on this thing in front of him rendered him incapable.

“There is no way. Not even the strongest of daemati could penetrate her mind unless she wished it.”

“Has the thought ever crossed your mind that maybe she had?”

“No.”

She chuckled to herself, pacing back and forth in front of him.

Kaden was perplexed, and scared, and so very confused but the one thing he did know is that he held no power in this conversation.

“Fae, the most stupid species of them all. You know, I never did like the fae. Not just your kind, but them all. Even the ones who are halted by iron or have all their other forms.”

“You can’t call fae stupid and then claim iron hurts us. Do you know nothing?”

“On the contrary, I know more than you could ever comprehend.” She smiled at him, amused. Like he was a puppet in a show she was controlling. “I could entertain you by telling you stories of wolves and hawks and bitch queens with a world burned in fire – or maybe the story of how my kin learnt to create the most vicious but subservient life from nothing.”

Kaden reeled back once again, her words painting a very vivid picture in his mind. A thing, her, who had learnt to create life from nothing, the creatures, and bend them to its will. He was starting to see this woman in a new light. Before, he had been worried about where his dark rose was, even if all his magic was leading him here screaming here she is, this is what you’ve been looking for. Now, as he stood in front of this woman, he finally knew the answer to the question they had all been asking for a very long time.

“You made the creatures – you control them.”

Her answering smirk was as vicious as the smile of an Impeath, a look he had never seen on his lover’s face.

Now looking at her, at her sophisticated dress and jewels, a memory was served to him. A memory of Eleana and him on a rock, a day held most dear in his heart, when they rejected a present from the forest because it felt so different and foreign. Not a collar at all – but a twin to what she was wearing now.

“And now you’re controlling Eleana’s body – inhabiting it.” It was no longer a shocking realisation. One that has the power to do what this woman had already done likely was also capable of taking Eleana.

She clicked her fingers as she said, “Ding ding ding, right again.”

“But why?” His voice cracked, and his body became ridged as she stepped towards him again.

Her face, previously so cocky, changed into something darker. “Because I am tired. I have travelled between existences, and in every one there is an uproar that has killed legions of my family. I am done. What would a mortal say? I am no longer the sheep, but the wolf.”

“Why do you have Eleana?” Kaden threw up his arms, furiously gesturing to the chaos still raging on outside. “Look at what you’ve done already. Let her go, I beg of you.”

“It’s not Eleana I need – it is her magic. Some of the strongest I’ve ever seen, definitely the strongest from this hole of a place. You can rest assured, I gave her a good deal for it.”

“Eleana would never give herself over to something that has caused the Night Court such pain.”

“She would if it meant the end to the Night Court’s suffering.” She circled around him, her train elegantly following her. “Go home, my golden one. I will not touch you there.” Her smile returned. “That is, unless you want to be touched. Then you are welcome to find me.”

“I am not leaving. Not without Eleana.”

The rising sun glinted off her fangs as she smiled. “Then you will be here a long time.”

With that, she was gone and the encasement around the building followed suit – unleashing the real world on him once again.

 _____

 Eleana imagined this is what it would feel like to be stuck at the end of a bottomless well. Pitch black to all sides, with nothing but ringing voices as the queen who had taken shelter in her body talked to Kaden. Eleana felt like she was crying, but there were no physical tears. Eleana didn’t think there was anything physical about her anymore at all.

She just hoped her sacrifice had been worth the price – that the bargain she had struck that tattooed her ankle would be met.

She hoped that soon the inky blackness around her might also envelope her. Might save her from this awful fate.

She truly could feel everything.