#excuse me for being kinda angry. I’m getting it out in a healthy manner!

[dekusleftsock]

Recently I had someone piss me off about this very topic, so to get it out of my head it’s going here. Hi, welcome to the not well put together metas. Use this evidence how you please, but don’t harass anyone. Arguments are not owed to anyone. You can simply walk away if you don’t want to have it. And put your time into better things! Like this! A creative output! Go on, do ittt!!!! Make the negatives into something positive.

Tw for mentions of suicide.

In one of the very first scenes of this show, we see our wonderful, amazing, insecure, and downright unbearable to some degree, Bakugou Katsuki. He’s arrogant and most people think that this first action he ever does is irredeemable. Because telling someone to take a swan dive off of a roof so that he doesn’t try to get into UA (bc Katsuki knows that Izuku would find a way) is a really fucking shitty action and irredeemable.

This belief is true to a degree. But let’s establish a few points that are given to us. 1, this is out of character for Katsuki. The bullying no, but the extent of his bullying, yes. As pointed out here.

(Sorry for bad quality I wanted to get the official translation so I used my irl copy)

“You went too far today” aka “you went too far compared to what is the norm”. It’s not what he would usually do.

2, lip service. As stated on the can when he says this, it’s a tongue and cheek to Katsuki’s true beliefs. He doesn’t actually want Izuku to kill himself, nor does he believe it is Izuku’s fault. He is well aware of the severity of his actions the moment he makes them. The point of this scene is not to excuse his actions but to explain why he did them.

3, insecurity. The why of this scene. It’s a facade. Not what he truly believes.

But that’s the great part about his development; there is no justification. He just did it and it was bad. That’s honestly why I hate a lot of bullies in media. It’s always that they had a bad family life, or they were forced to, or they were protecting the mc. It’s never that they were a shitty fucking kid who was insecure. Now THATS the most realistic explanation. Part of the reason for why this is so common in media is because of how hard it is to do correctly. Mha does it in a phenomenal way. Katsuki never changes his personality, even when he gets his character development. He’s mellowed out a bit sure, but he’s still him. Katsuki. Bakugou Katsuki. The kid who yells at people when they tease him, the kid that still says “DIE” in every situation in heroics. He even made sure he kept most of his hero name. He didn’t just make it “dynamite”, he made it “lord explosion murder god dynamite”. He’s still himself.

The excuse will never appear. This is actually what a lot of bakugou/bkdk stans get wrong: there will never be an explanation passed what was given. Because it’s not needed to tell the narrative. No matter how many fanfics you write about it, or how many hc’s you add to it. In canon it will always remain this. Bakugou Katsuki did a shitty act, understood what he did was wrong, got passed their mis communications, did everything in his power to make up for it, and apologized for his actions. Standing side by side with Izuku. Your most important actions will always be what you do in the present over what you did in the past.

And my last point, which is just me putting this into perspective, but… you think that toga is more redeemable than him? What? Or Zuko? Hell, even fucking uncle Iroh. Name me a character that YOU think deserved their redemption arc. Was killing people or attempting to kill people better morally than telling someone to kill themself? You seriously BELIEVE THAT???

Face it. The reason why he is so hated for this scene is because of projection. Projecting him as a villain in dekus story. Someone for him to surpass and leave in the dirt. I fully understand WHY it’s so common, but if you’re gonna pick a fight, at least fucking get past the projection bit. He’s relatable, I get that. Fully understand that. Doesn’t make picking fights with people who disagree with you out of nowhere and unprompted any less bad.

(Also sorry for not posting for days, I’m back and there’s more stuff coming soon but for now, this is what you get lol. It’s my page and I can do what I want sibdodnd)

[cherryyjjk]

forever rain [2]

summary: to greek gods, it was a well-known fact that the fates liked to play tricks. but was this too far? what would happen when they made two unlikely gods have a tugging string in their hearts, yearning for each other?

pairing: hades!jin x persephone!reader

genre: fluff / angst / greek god! au / black swan! au

word count: 18.3k

warnings: the use of the word “whore” / cursing / snake mention

a/n: WOW this is the most i’ve ever written for a fic. please check out both pt 1 and the note about this series in my masterlist before reading! i know this is SO overdue like a year overdue. i’ve been writing it in the last three months bc school <<. anyways, thanks for reading and enjoy!! :D

By the time you wake up, he is gone— not that you had known he sat next to you. But when you rose up from your slumber, a coat fell from your shoulders.

His..?

You looked at it and wondered if he had given it to you. It was a thoughtful gesture, and a necessary one as your hands were getting numb. Before wrapping it around your shoulders, you stretch your hands above you. Blinking the drowsiness out of your eyes and sitting up a little further, you yawned and decided to stand up. Your feet hit a softer material that you weren’t expecting, making you look down. The cold floor that was there yesterday was covered by a soft gray rug and you moved your toes to feel it more.

Him and his dark colors.

You rolled your eyes at the color palette of the entire room and thought that maybe the guy hadn’t decorated in a while. It made you think of Yoongi's liking for dark colors even though he was viewed as basically the opposite— the god of love. If you were going to live here for the rest of your life, a thought that made you sigh, might as well change the place a bit. Adding tones of lighter colors would not be so bad, maybe brighten up the room and seem less like a cave and more like a palace. You looked around the room to the lanterns on the wall and decided that you would have to do something about that.

It didn’t even light up the room! What was the point of lights if you can’t even see the floor?

The air seemed less tense than when you entered the palace and you were definitely feeling it. The entire palace was suffocating when you walked inside, cold and sharp as if to hurt you. But now, it seemed different. Maybe not soft or lush like your home— or what was your home in the mortal realm. It was rather empty instead of spikes, a little bit better, but not great either.

You continued to look around the room before your eyes landed on a small nightstand and saw a few warmer clothes. You walked towards it and with one hand, as the other was tightly holding his coat, you felt the material. It was a lot thicker than your chiton and was a dark green, reminiscent of the forest trees back home. Your lips lifted up in a light smile at the thought and decided to change into it. Before removing your current dress, you saw that there was a flower. You didn’t understand how flowers could grow in the Underworld, and when you picked it up and realized it was a silver color, but fake. Not the color of jewelry that you often saw other mortals wearing, but like a coin. It was pretty.

A piece of paper fell on the floor that had been next to the flower. Picking up to read it, you were surprised by the penmanship.

My apologies, Persephone. I have some duties I must attend to in Olympus. This palace is yours as well, ask for anything to the ghosts and they shall bring it.

You grimaced. While it was a thoughtful gesture in any other circumstance, you still were wary of this God. Putting the flower back on the table, you changed. The dress made you feel a lot warmer and the cloak was quickly discarded.

What time was it in the mortal world?

You wondered how time seemed to simultaneously slow down and speed up. Slowly tip-toeing out the room, you closed the door behind you very softly and continued through the hall. The hall seemed a little more lit up but it was still darker than usual. You wondered if you could use your powers to grow a bioluminescent lily, and light up the hallway. But after squeezing your eyes shut to concentrate, holding your palms out, and thinking heavily about life, you could not do it. You couldn’t even produce a regular lily. You didn’t understand.

Where did my powers go? How would I go back home? Was I.. not a goddess anymore?

You took a few deep breaths and reminded yourself, relax, it’s fine. But it seemed far from fine, you would just have to ask Hades when you saw him. You roamed around the hallways, finding winding staircases, huge rooms, empty rooms, rooms that weren’t empty but you wished they were when you saw inside, and all filled with the scent of death. You quickly turned away from those rooms and opted to keep walking.

It seemed that minutes turned into an hour, an hour and a half, then two. You brought your hands together and rubbed them together. The hallway seemed to never end and you wondered where the door was. You just wanted some fresh air, you tried convincing yourself. It’s not like I’m trying to escape..

“Excuse me,” a voice called out. Your eyes widened and you whipped your head back to only see more darkness, and heard it continue, “but who are you?”

“Don’t come closer! I might seem weak but I could knock you out with one punch.” Your voice was a lot steadier than you let on. You were tired of being afraid all the time.

“..I’m sure you can but you didn’t answer my question. I don’t care what type of hero or princess you were as a mortal but you’re dead now. Listen up, I’m in charge here.”

“Mortal?”

“Yes, didn’t your mother ever tell you not to get a God angry?”

“..I’m Kore, the daughter of Demeter. Goddess of the Spring, flora, and fauna. Whoever you are, know this. I am in charge here.”

The hallway suddenly brightened up and you lifted yourself with your head held up high. While the light was too bright for your eyes, you tried not to let it phase you and faced the figure that revealed itself in the light. You glared at the man in front of you, he was wrapped in a black cloth— seriously, what was up with the color scheme here?— and wouldn’t meet your eyes. He quickly glanced at you with a grimace but kept his head down for the remainder of the time as he felt utterly embarrassed. His scythe that was on his back made your eyebrows raise.

“Well?”

“Look, I’m sorry—“

“You better be, and you better tell me quickly why you tried to trick me before I turn you into a cactus.”

“..I’m Thanatos, the God of Death, the one who reaps the souls. I..I come here to report to Hades. I didn’t know his wife was here.”

At the word wife, you twitched. You weren’t just someone’s wife, you were your own goddess. Styx, the gods needed to learn some manners. You stepped up close to him, still with a serious gaze. Grabbing his shoulder, you speak coldly.

“Don’t call me just his wife. I’m more than that.”

“R-right, sorry. Kore.”

“No, not Kore. That is reserved for my mother and the nymphs. Call me, Y/N.”

Thanatos looked at you quizzically. You seemed so calm and usually this was where the other gods would punish him. You gave a small smile before complimenting on his scythe. He had never encountered any god that was so carefree and kind. You looked young, maybe a few eons old, yet your eyes held a soft wise look that could only come with experiences.

You asked curiously, “Did you make it so that these hallways are so dark?”

Thanatos answered quickly and rushed over his words, “Um, yes. I apologize. It’s much brighter because Hades sometimes mirrors the daytime of the mortal world.”

“Hm, so you’re the one who made me lost!”

Thanatos tried to test his luck, he was a God he couldn’t possibly die, right?

“..You’ve been wandering in circles for the last half an hour.”

“..And?”

You scoffed at his continued rudeness but it seemed more playful than last time. It was better than being alone all the time, sure, but you wanted to ask someone who didn’t know what was going on like you. Couldn’t the Fates just help you out here? But truly, you were happy to smile and have a friend.

“It gets kinda lonely here, doesn’t it?”

“..Yes. Hades often works until he collapses.”

“You don’t have to be so formal with me, please let us walk.”

You pondered over Thanatos’s words, did he really work like that? That wasn’t healthy but you wouldn’t fret over it for too long, he could take care of himself. Switching to think about yourself, you realized you didn’t have any contact with Jimin, your mother, or anyone else you knew. It was just you in this huge palace, and the guy in front of you of course.

“Hm, Thanatos?”

“Yes?”

“Is it.. just you here?”

“Well, mortal souls come and go. Some heroes test their luck with Hades but he’s colder than Hera.”

“In that case, mind being my companion until I go home?”

Thanatos didn’t understand your request. Not only had you just asked the personification of death, the son of Nyx, to be your friend, but you proposed it as if you were leaving. No one but himself and Hades left the Underworld. Thanatos was baffled beyond measure and his face showed it completely. You tried not to get frustrated at his obvious confusion and waited patiently.

“Oh, um. Sure.”

“Awesome, now onto more important matters. Why the fuck am I here?”

“W-What? What do you mean? Didn’t Zeus—”

“Namjoon? I haven’t seen that old man in ages!”

Thanatos stuttered, understanding that you were a powerful Goddess was one thing but talking about the King of all Gods so casually was a whole other. “Well, Hades has visited you once, when you were younger. He asked Zeus for your name and Zeus told him that you and your mother would have wanted this union.”

“When I was younger? OH!”

Suddenly you remembered when you had first come down to Earth to live with your mother. She was busy the first few months and had let you wander off (with nymph supervision of course) but as the mischievous child you were, you had run fast away until you hit a river. At the river you distinctly remembered a young man, the same age as you practically, that held out a purple flower. Entranced by the dark petals— usually only bright yellows and oranges were flowers— and by the dashing young man, you had become friends. Rarely speaking about yourselves, you would talk about flowers. Something both of you really liked. Now that Thanatos mentioned it, the black messed up hair seemed to resemble Hades, and his love for dark colors— something that you didn’t quite agree with— was evident too.

“Oh..I see. Well, my mother would never give me off to someone! She’s wonderful and very protective so Joon’s lied to you. But I guess that’s something to settle with Hades himself. Now, what’s something fun we could do around here?”

Thanatos slowly smiled at your enthusiasm, it was like a breath of life into his life. He had lived most of his life in the shadow of his mentor, Hades and although he enjoyed Hades’s company..it was hurting him. Thanatos wanted to be known for his own thing, why didn’t he have altars or temples in the mortal realm? Though that question was probably fruitless since mortals didn’t know what they were doing most of the time.

For the next few days, or weeks— you couldn’t really tell— you spent your time with Thanatos when he was free. He was free almost all of the time, showing many new rooms and how to not get lost through the hallways. He also let you vent about your worries. You worried that your mother must have been saddened without your presence, and maybe even Jimin was missing your short talks. Hopefully the flowers in the meadow had fully bloomed by now. All of these things, and more, kept running through your head and you liked that Thanatos had basically nothing else to do but give you advice. You appreciated his company but you wanted to see the person that brought you here too. Hades— Seokjin you figured out from Thanatos— was apparently extremely busy with human deaths. Maybe there was a new sacrifice that Zeus was putting them through? Or maybe another war? You didn’t really care too much until you realized that Seokjin would have to stay up there, counting and making sure that everyone and everything that died was in place before coming back. That’s supposed to be Thanatos’s job but apparently even he couldn’t round that many people. Strange.

A conversation with Thanatos also raised your frustration.

“So Tan-Tan.”

“No.”

“Tosy?”

“Nope.”

“Tanny?”

“..Can you please just call me Thanatos, Y/N.”

“You call me Y/N! Come on, let me give you a nickname.”

“Y/N is the name you chose. That’s different and no.”

“You’re literally so boring. Anyways, when’s Hades coming back? I’m getting tired of your face.”

“I am literally not boring! I’m Death, how can I be boring? aND MY FACE IS PRETTY WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!”

“You talk like— never mind. Ignoring your pretty obvious questions, I asked, why is Seokjin taking so long?”

Thanatos paused, Zeus had warned the minor god that if he told Y/N what was happening in the world above, he’d be cursed. Being cursed as a God was the farthest from good.

“Mortals..have been in a war recently.”

“Oh, whatever for? They have food, warm weather, sunshine, and plentiful water. There shouldn’t be anything missing…Right?”

Good thing that he would be able to escape your line of questions by just disappearing in a fit of smoke. You glared at Thanatos and when you started seeing smoke forming. You lifted your hand to stop him but it passed through the air like nothing was there.

Stupid Thanatos, thinking he can trick me. I’ll figure out what’s happening up there!

You tried to be determined but you were scared too.

You reached for the front door of the palace, somehow making itself very easy to find, and you pulled on the handle. It didn’t budge. You pulled harder, it stayed the same. Realizing that you were still stuck here, you tried punching the door. But that only left you with a hurt pride and a bruised knuckle. Groaning loudly, you dragged your feet back to your bedroom and decided to take a nap.

Better than waiting for him to come back.

By the time you woke up, an empty gold plate was left on your nightstand. You rubbed the drowsiness out of your eyes and reached for it. Ghost servants usually came to give you your meals this way. An empty plate where you can think about what you want and it’ll appear. It was pretty nice but you were getting more tired about the fact that no one would eat with you.

You finished your lunch? Dinner? You didn’t know and didn’t bother figuring out. A few days ago, Thanatos had shown you a library and you had been encouraged to use it. You had picked out a few books and was still reading it. (F/G) was by far the best genre and you always liked authors that wrote about it.

While reading on the bed, you decided to move around for a change of scenery. Wandering the hallways alone, you stopped in front of your favorite room. The throne room. Also the room that was “off limits” but you lived here so you didn’t really care.

The warning was for a reason. Hades didn’t think you would be there and so when he first shadow travelled there, he was surprised. Finally, the person that plagued your days and nights had come home. But he didn’t look great.

You had heard his footsteps before seeing his face, thinking it was just Thanatos. You sat on Hades’s throne, as it was the only one there. It looked a lot like a hard brick of marble, and definitely felt like it, but it was a lot softer than you imagined too. Not nearly as soft as the meadows back home. It was cold and smooth, like the freshwater rivers.

Wonderful.

Soft footsteps grabbed your attention from the book and up to the person in front of you. Your feet that were haphazardly thrown over the throne quickly turned around to the front. The book once in your hands dropped to the floor but you didn’t rush forward to meet him.

Hades.

“What happened?” You asked breathlessly, your hands fumbling with each other but your feet didn’t move. Hades’s shirt was soaked with gold and he was limping towards you.

Was this a trick? To make you vulnerable?

He looked at you and you could only comprehend the soft murmur of your name on his lips before he fell forward, his eyes closing shut.

You’re here...Y/N..

Running towards his side, you caught him as he landed on your chest. You felt a blade handle on his back and held back a scream.

Hades had gone up to Mount Olympus the very next morning after your arrival into the palace. His brother Namjoon had looked at him in confusion, Seokjin never came late to their monthly briefings, opting to come on time and leave as fast as he could, but usually they would take a few weeks to finish. His hair had been tousled through several times and he kept clutching his feather necklace when listening to Namjoon, Hermes, and the other gods and goddesses’s discussion of famine, war, and other things that were troubling mortals.

They only knew this because mortals just loved to blame the gods for not being able to do anything to save them. But, when in peril, their curses turned into prayers and while it annoyed the everliving Styx out of all them, it made sense. Deities that were supposed to be all powerful couldn’t even get rid of a simple plague or bug that was absolutely destroying the population and food? Seemed sketchy.

Namjoon wanted to ask what his brother was thinking about but whenever he looked at the feather dangling from his neck, he shut his mouth. When the Gods were first born to take care of the world, Namjoon had banished Seokjin to the Underworld. Only giving a necklace with a black feather before doing so, saying that his miseries would be fulfilled when the necklace was put on its rightful owner. What authority did he have on his brother’s life if he was the one who made it so horrible?

No, Namjoon would keep his bruised ego to himself and stay silent. He did not get the right to ask him what the matter was— it just seemed wrong and distasteful. So, he turned a blind eye and let Seokjin leave in a rush. Jin always left in a rush, he didn’t like sleeping in Olympus for so long. Namjoon was so preoccupied with his thoughts, that he didn’t notice his brother stopping at the foot of Olympus and meeting her.

Unfortunately for Seokjin, it was only the mother of who he was so concerned about. He wondered if the Fates had just thought it would be funny to pair the quietest god with you. He had heard wonderful stories of you, Kore. The original reason he was so attracted to you. Zeus himself had told him that you were the strongest and kindest Goddess there was, sprinkling in your humor and beauty to try and make you seem more appealing. But Seokjin had met you once, you had mistaken him for a minor god. That was eons ago, you probably didn’t even remember but the way you had walked towards him, with such confidence and power.

God, he really liked you.

He felt bad at the same time, here he was, this lovestruck God, for a Goddess that probably despised him from taking you away from your home. Did the Fates hate you so badly to let Zeus convince him to take you? Jin was about to greet your mother but the slap to his face certainly made him backtrack.

Demeter slapped him and the fury she brought with her made all present in Olympus tremble. She spoke with such power, it was clear where you inherited your confidence.

“Are you happy? Now that you have my daughter all to yourself?”

Jin gently touched his red cheek, confused at the sudden aggression and onslaught of questions.

Didn’t Zeus say that Demeter and you were glad to be offered a proposal from him?

“She’s the only thing that kept me alive, the world spinning, and here you are, not even at her side! You fool! Don’t take my status among the Olympians lightly, I am still powerful and if you cross me I will make you regret it.”

Demeter yelled out in one breath, as if she had been waiting years to say it. Her frustration and anger was evident and the icy tone could easily cut harshly into the heart, “Does it bring you so much joy to have Persephone all to yourself? My most precious possession—?”

“She is not an object.”

Demeter paused, then scoffed at Seokjin’s quiet but confident interjection. She glanced up at him and almost gasped at his eyes which had a purple fire burning in them.

Instinctively taking a step back and crossing her arms around her shoulders, she continued, “..Obviously. But you’re still in the wrong. How dare you take her! I’m her mother, you are nothing.”

The fire in Seokjin’s eyes simmered down but were still clearly there, and he responded with a level tone, “It doesn’t matter who I am or will be to Y/N. You or any other living, dead, or immortal being can not talk about her like that.”

“Stop talking like the hero, you stole her!”

“Stole her? Zeus said—”

“Zeus is a liar. You, of all people, should know this.”

Seokjin fell quiet and his eyes returned to their normal color, he couldn’t bring himself to disagree now that he knew the truth. He had stolen you, and he laughed at himself in his thoughts. Who was he to defend you like this when he treated you the same way?

He was not your husband, whether or not the Fates tied your strings together, whether or not Zeus had assured him that you were happy to be with him. He had witnessed the marriages of his siblings and their respective significant others. The Olympians were famous for their affairs, demigod children, and stupidity. He had promised himself that he wouldn’t end up like that, or force his significant other to love him. No, that would be your decision and your decision only. But the moment you step into the Underworld, there was a rule that applied to everyone except himself and Thanatos. No one could leave.

“..Goodbye Demeter.”

Seokjin kept his head down and vanished with only a black smoke left behind in his wake. Demeter folded her arms and tapped her foot impatiently.

“You’ll regret this, God of Death. Mark my words, she is not yours.”

Seokjin appeared in the middle of Demeter’s palace, somewhere completely different to where he was aiming. He should work on his powers.

What type of god (a bumbling idiot for sure) couldn’t even control his powers? He wasn’t a few eons on for Styx sake! But he definitely acted like a blushing teenager when around you— again, another thing he sincerely had to work on.

He looked around the white, marble balcony he was standing in. He could feel you. But you weren’t here…right? Where was he? He willed himself to shadow travel again and landed in the middle of a town. If he could still call it that.

It was destroyed.

By war, famine, or a plague, even Seokjin would never know. It was barren, but he heard coughing in a few huts. The crops in the field nearby had dried up and the river that used to flow was only a trickle. He walked through the paths and found a family of two bundled together trying to fight off the cold— cold?

Now that he thought about it, it was freezing. There was frost on the ground. Usually the mortal realm was flourishing in either Spring or Summer but it was neither right now. What was this cold, soul-less feeling? Something was terribly wrong and Seokjin was sure Demeter should have fixed it back to Spring.

Was this her anger?

Seokjin shook his head in confusion. Obviously, Demeter was angry that her only daughter was taken from her. The thought made Hades nauseous, how would he fix this? Better question, shouldn’t Namjoon have said something in the meeting?

Seokjin’s ears burned red when he realized that they probably did. It’s just that he was too preoccupied by the thought of you and your enchanting eyes, and soft lips— oh shit, shit, shit. Trying to snap out of it, Seokjin failed to hear the small footsteps of a child behind him.

Not that it should matter, mortals couldn’t see him. Right? The Fates were probably laughing at him, one of the Big Three yet he was dumber than a skeleton.

“Sir?”

Seokjin whipped his head around so fast that he was sure he heard a crack. But he was more focused and confused on the little child staring up at him in curious wonder. The kid had matted hair and a cloth dress that was barely thick enough to keep her from getting goosebumps on her arms. She was staring up at him but the dagger in her hand radiated power, but not just any power.

Godly power.

It flowed through the dagger into the surrounding air and Seokjin was sure that at this point there was no way this child wasn’t a monster or a god in disguise.

Her eyes suddenly rolled back and turned white. With her mouth open, she started to chant ancient Greek at a speed even Seokjin couldn’t keep up to, but he picked up one phrase.

Περσεφόνη νεκρός, άνοιξη νεκρός.

Everything clicked in his head just as the girl seemed to vanish.

Persephone is dead, Spring is dead.

Seokjin felt an electric shock in the middle of his back, intense heat, and then he doubled over from pain. He hadn’t experienced such scalding and burning feelings ever. His legs collapsed from under him and when he looked at his hand covering his midsection, he saw ichor, the golden blood of all immortal beings, covering his hand. He looked behind him to see the young, mortal girl.

“Demeter.”

The young girl transformed into the goddess in an instant and the dagger in her hand was coated with ichor. Looking at it made him queasy— ironic because he’s the god of the dead and he’s getting nauseous from blood. Poseidon and Zeus would surely laugh at his deplorable state if they ever saw him. But Seokjin was still more concerned about why Demeter had stabbed him.

Demeter may have been angry but not enough to kill— even she had principles. But, nonetheless impressive, he’ll give her that. But the pain was making him see black flecks in his vision— poison perhaps. It made him more worried than he should be.

“You were foolish to think that I would let you get away with this. Truly, is there anything in that head of yours?”

“You— why? I didn’t take her on purpose!”

“LIES, you men are all the same! But, don’t you like my little toy? It’s wonderful, truly. Hephaestus must’ve pitied me, not that I care as he has his own problems with Aphrodite and Ares, but he made a weapon that even a God could get hurt from. Zeus said I had one chance, but judging by the fact he lied to me, I don’t care. Now, this. THIS is for Persephone. DO NOT FORGET IT.”

With that, Demeter stabbed Hades in the same wound and Seokjin yelled out. The tip of the blade sank deeper and Demeter twisted it to make sure the blade touched every part of his wound. She jerked it out only to push it further, making Seokjin choke and roar in agonizing pain. Demeter saw the ichor flowing freely out of the wound and stepped back. She disappeared into the night, leaving Seokjin alone. He had one thought in his mind while the pain took all energy out of him to do anything else.

Y/N

His form was gone with a flash and all that was left of his presence was the pool of ichor on the ground. Even that faded into the ground.

“Styx! Hades, Hades, stay awake!” You screamed while trying to see how to pull out the dagger that was inches deep in his back.

His breathing had slowed down and your hands were frantically trying to keep him up. The bedroom was way too far so you would have to set him down on the floor. Trying to be careful, you made him lean on you and sit on the floor. His head was on your chest and his eyes were closed. There was a bit of gold on his lips and you were getting increasingly worried.

You looked around, “Shit, this is bad. Thanatos! How did this..” You tried not to shuffle Hades around but your arms were weak with worry.

Thanatos immediately appeared in front of you at your request and the scene made him startled. His hands were shaking and he didn’t understand what was happening. The words you were saying were muffled and his eyes were blurred. He could only look at the deep gash and the skin cut around it, a horrible shade of green.

“Thanatos! Pay attention. I need you to stay calm and get me some bandages, okay? Can you do that?” Your voice was shaking but you tried to keep it level.

His head nodded slightly and he instantly disappeared. He’d have to find mortal supplies because there was no reason to keep medical supplies in a palace for a god. Something was very wrong. Gods couldn’t die, right?

“Okay, okay Y/N. You got this, just put pressure on the wound and seal it shut. Okay, how hard could this be?” You reassured yourself in frustration, you were scared beyond belief.

You hesitantly put your hands on the dagger’s handle and when you touched it, a blood curdling scream left Seokjin’s mouth.

His breathing was getting shorter and faster, but he was still awake. You had nurtured a squirrel back to life after it fell down a tree but that was basically all the experience you had with medical equipment. You reasoned that until Thanatos brought back bandages, you wouldn’t be able to securely stitch up his back wound. A thought entered your mind, Why are you helping him?, but you shook it off as soon as you thought about it. It didn’t matter, Hades didn’t deserve to die.

“O-okay Hades, I’m gonna need you to stay calm. Okay? I’m flipping you on to your stomach, just keep talking to me okay?”

“I.. okay. I’ll keep talking..”

“Good, that’s good. You’re doing great.”

“You can call me Jin, you know.”

“Oh alright, Jin. You can call me Y/N, just keep talking.”

You slowly put your hands on his chest, trying to ignore how your left shoulder was numb from his weight, and slowly focused on the dagger in front of you. You could see the wound was ghastly. Green and gold colors mixed, as if it was poisoned. Poison. You hoped you would be able to save him. The ichor had finally clotted on the dagger, but the green foam seemed to keep stopping Jin’s body from regenerating. You remembered when you fell once and got a scratch, it instantly healed.

“Shit, shit, shit. This i-isn’t working. I-I need to—“

Jin frowned, “It’s okay Y/N. Don’t…worry. I’ll be fine.”

“You’re not healing, you are not fine!” You insisted. “I wish I had my powers, then I could do something. Ugh, this is so stupid.”

Jin paused, thinking over your words. “They don’t work here? That’s odd. My palace..should let you have everything.”

You huffed. “Uh-huh, you’re telling me. Look, just…don’t die, alright? We’ve barely met and I’d like to be friends.. again.”

“Did..Thanatos tell you that we were friends?”

“..No, I remembered it on my own obviously. It’s not like it’s been eons since then.”

“Y/N,” Jin’s clammy hand found your open one. “You’re really…something.”

You grimaced when he squeezed your hand from the pain. You were pleasantly surprised with how this conversation was turning out, it didn’t seem too forced. But it was almost like the Fates were tricking you again. Probably laughing at your naivety and hope.

Jin groaned and particularly squeezed your hand tighter, making you yelp in surprise. He apologized softly but even you could see that the poison was seeping through his shirt more and making it lighter somehow— possibly from the golden color of his blood.

You’re losing time, and Jin is not getting better. You really don’t want him to die, and you’re not really sure why either.

What has Jin done for you? He’s taken you away from your home, forced you to live in his palace, and for what? To be his ever loving, loyal, and submissive trophy wife?  

Whispers in your mind keep telling you, don’t care! But you can’t. You can’t just leave him here, hurt and poisoned. You won’t.

Maybe that’s your fatal flaw. Helping everyone without actually considering if they deserve it. Maybe your mother was right, you aren’t ready for this world. But it didn’t matter. Jin needed your help, and you were going to help him. Somehow.

Looking down at Jin’s body, he was still breathing but definitely labored. You didn’t know how to help him other than try to put pressure on the wound. Recounting words from a friend, you decided that a certain god might be able to help you.

“Oh Apollo, God of Immeasurable Light, the Healer of Sickness and Diseases. Please, I ask you to heal Hades for he has done no wrong where this poison should have befallen him. Please, listen to my prayer.”

Kore, daughter of Demeter and Goddess of the Spring, flora, and fauna. You ask for too much. What has happened to Hades is of his own doing.

“Who has he hurt? Let him live and I will see to it that they are reimbursed for his sins.”

Oh, Y/N. You do not understand. He has hurt someone that is insatiable. What they want will never be allowed for.

“Who? Who has he hurt? Surely I can convince them?”

You will do it? For his life? What has he done that makes you compelled so? Saving his life is not simple. My powers may not curse you but you will be eternally bound to your duty after he has been healed.

“Do not ask a question that is none of your business. I shall complete your task when he has fully healed. Now, heal him!”

Alright. But do not beg me to undo this.

You didn’t think about what would happen to you. Hoseok was usually kind and the task would not be so heartless. You’re sure he was only being so formal because of pleasantries..right?

As you questioned your intentions, you saw that the green foam was becoming concentrated into a glass-like orb. It was the potent poison that the blade had been coated with. You carefully took it in your hand and stuffed it in one of the pockets of your dress.

Lifting Jin so that his face was facing you, you realized he was unconscious, probably from the pain. His eyebrows furrowed, and lips in a thin line made you think of how much stress he was in. But a more pressing matter plagued your mind.

Who did this to him?

After asking Thanatos for help, the two of you were able to lift Jin into his bed and let him rest there. The entire time Seokjin couldn’t bear to remove his hand from yours and you could practically see Thanatos’s eyebrows moving up and down in a suggestive manner. That god was basically a man-child at this point.

“So, what do we do?”

“We have to wait, Y/N. There’s not much else we can do.”

“Right, right..He’ll be fine, right? Like nothing will happen to him that bad, right? Maybe I should try praying to Apollo again, yeah—“

Thanatos put a hand on your shoulder to stop your rambling and look up at him. His eyes tried to tell you to stop but you could see the pity in it.

“Y/N. It’ll be okay. You did the right thing by praying to Apollo. You should probably be more worried about yourself and what duty you have to follow than Hades. Hades is the God of the Dead, he’ll be fine.”

Your heart twisted and you could feel your hands becoming clammy. You wondered why you kept feeling so anxious, hoping that it would go away if you walked around or something. You didn’t like the antsy feeling, wanting to get rid of it by all means. The duty Apollo had asked of you didn’t even register when you were praying, you just were too preoccupied with Hades almost dying.

“Right, right..But maybe I should stay here? To make sure he’s okay?”

“..It’s your choice, but don’t let it overtake you. I can’t help both of you if you collapse from exhaustion.”

“Haha, yeah..”

Thanatos disappeared quickly after, saying he had some work to do. Taking a seat, you brushed a piece of hair out of Jin’s face while trying not to disturb him in his sleep. His left hand was still holding onto yours, not letting go anytime soon. Gently trailing over his knuckles in an effort to soothe yourself and hopefully Jin, you started thinking about your stay here.

It was shit. You had been taken from your home, the Fates had told you that you got married to the God of the Underworld, who apparently was one of your oldest friends, you were stuck in a really dark palace, and now your spouse is resting in bed from almost dying. And you’re indebted to Apollo.

Great!

Swarmed with less than kind thoughts about Seokjin and how you managed to get here, you didn’t take notice of him stirring until his hand squeezed yours slightly, “Hey sleepy head..”

He blinked lethargically, raising his right hand to stretch,“..How.. how long was I out?”

“Not long, just a few hours at most. Are you feeling any better? Need anything?”

“No.. Um, why are you helping me?”

You paused, so maybe the thoughts that plagued your mind weren’t just in your head. Not knowing how to answer— because you had been beating yourself about it too— you shrugged your shoulders.

“You don’t deserve to die, no one does. The person who stabbed you.. should watch their back. I’ll personally give them the worst harvest for the rest of their life.”

Jin laughed abruptly but the pain in his chest didn’t subside, making him cough. You lifted him up more and patted him to try to calm him down, which worked for a while. The tips of his mouth were upturned, as if he didn’t just almost die, and his ears were turning red.

“I don’t understand you, Y/N and I don’t think I ever will.”

“No problem but you got to answer me this, what in the everliving Styx happened?”

Jin’s happy expression dropped for a second and you thought it was your imagination but you could feel that the atmosphere had changed quickly.

“..Humans have been starving recently, I was afraid to tell you because you have such a close connection to them.”

“So it’s not a war, like Thanatos told me?”

“…”

You sighed a shaky breath, as this majorly concerned you. Your mother was very strict in making sure everything in Spring was correctly taken care of and nothing was out of place. If it had become so bad where people were starving, well something was wrong. War wasn’t exactly starving people, sure it could lead to less food and things but the real problem here was why everyone kept hesitating to tell why this was happening. Was Zeus mad? Was Apollo mad? Who the fuck was mad to make the mortal world so bad?

“So..you’re not going to tell me who started this?”

Instead of fidgeting with your hands, you fully sat down on the bed. You looked at the bandages on his back and decided to redo them because they had already soaked through. Carefully unwrapping the bandages, you tried not to fluster at how close you had to be to unwrap the from around his body. While rewrapping the cloth and your hands were basically hugging his torso at one point to get them all the way, Jin gently put his hand on yours.

You stopped, suddenly too aware of how you were almost cuddling Jin and how he was soothingly rubbing your hands. You could already feel your face getting hot and you desperately tried to think of anything except his hard chest or his broad shoulder you kept brushing over.

“No..no, I can’t..”

You tried not to let his words have too much of an effect on you, it’s not like he couldn’t have some privacy from you. But this was different, his life was on the line a few hours ago. You hoped you would be able to persuade him later. Right now, you had a bigger responsibility to take care of. You tightened the bandages on his torso, causing him to yell in pain.

“HEY! What was that for?!”

“You’re not.. very nice, you know that?”

The moment you said the words, your entire body sagged and Jin could feel your hands slowly pulling away. But he didn’t want to let go, they were much too comforting, much too soft for him to let go of them. Jin tried to speak but your response cut him from doing so.

“Whatever, just go to sleep Jin!”

Jin heard the crack in your voice and got ashamed of himself for not being able to answer you. He didn’t want his relationship with you to be any more strained and telling you that your mom almost killed him would definitely screw it up. While your hands had stopped and your head was down, Jin slowly turned around so he could face you. You were so preoccupied with what he had said that you didn’t realize he was facing you until he cupped your cheeks.

Your eyes were glistening a little bit, which made Jin’s entire body soften and feel helpless, but you didn’t even know why. This didn’t even happen with your mother yet when Jin was hesitant to say who hurt him, you naturally started to feel sad and uncomfortable. A few tears started to fall down and Jin softened even more, wanting to try and help you or comfort you in some way. He brushed his thumb over your cheek to get rid of the tears and you closed your eyes at the movement.

“Why can’t you just tell me? Weren’t we friends once? I’m not that kid okay! I can handle it, I’m a lot stronger than I look.”

Jin’s heart breaks at your questions and he can’t even explain how the string in his heart starts to feel strained— you feel it in your own too. Taking his hands off your cheeks and holding yours, he swiftly puts a kiss to your forehead before you can even realize. It was soft but it burned into your memory. You could feel his eyes on you but the kiss was quick and yet your cheeks felt like they were on fire from the sweet gesture. If Jimin had done it, you wouldn’t have felt anything but now that Jin did it, you definitely were feeling something.

“I want to, I do! You’re not that kid anymore, you’ve definitely grown up. But, it’s complicated and you really wouldn’t believe me.”

While you were still reeling at the revelation that Jin kissed your forehead, the god in question started feeling immensely proud of how he was making you flustered. It was a much more welcomed look than you in tears, that sight would always hurt him. He smiled lightly at your shocked expression before feeling extremely drowsy from all the events.

“..I see, alright then. Tell me when we’re better friends.”

God, they’re really cute. I wonder if..

Taking another risk, Jin settled his head into your lap and you almost stopped breathing.

Never thought I’d say this but my husband is going to be the death of me.

“It’ll take a while but I will. Eventually.”

After that day, the two of you kept getting closer to each other. Whether that be when you woke up and saw that he had draped a blanket over you. Or when you found his office room, after a long time trying, and pushed his hair out of his face when you saw him trying to take a nap. You also helped redress his bandages because they seemed to wrinkle more often than usual; believing that Jin had something to do with it, you didn’t bring the question up.

Why would you not want to see your husband shirtless?

He even had another throne built for you beside his own, decorated with lighter colors which had made you laugh as it stood out so much in the dark room. The two of you would eat together in a dining room you didn’t even know existed. There were two big chairs on either side, but the table was so long so you opted to move it closer to him. Seokjin tried to play it off as if he was cool about it but on the inside he was screaming about how sweet the gesture was. At one point you even had the idea of making rings for each other. Seokjin was also the God of Wealth—since jewels are created underground— and so had an advantage, making two gold rings. While you tore a small piece of cloth of your green dress to make two cloth rings. Each of you wore both a gold and a cloth ring, symbolic for the friendship (and later love) you shared.

Once, he even showed you a large library, full of books about, death for sure but many others about adventures, myths, romances, fantasy, and some new ones about (F/G). You spent most of your time going between the bookshelves trying to find something to expand your knowledge on godly powers. For some practice with your own, you had asked Jin to get some seeds or plants down to the palace. But, the moment he did, they were instantly killed and even then, your powers couldn’t revive them.

“This is so useless!” You groaned for the umpteenth time, “How is it that my powers just disappear?”

Jin looked at you and hummed in solidarity, “I’m not sure, I’ll check the library for some books about godly powers and um, maybe Demeter..”

At the mention of your mother, you stiffened but forced yourself to loosen your limbs. You shook your head from the intrusive thoughts and nodded towards Jin, allowing him to lead the way to the library as you thought about what your mother had taught you about your powers.

They are an extension of yourself, Kore. If you’re uncomfortable, it’ll become jagged and out of control.

Jagged and out of control was certainly the emotions and atmosphere you had when you came into Hades’s palace.

You have to control your powers just like you are able to control your emotions.

Your environment is important. Olympus is not a place where your powers can work because Spring does not touch it. Only the mortal realm does.

Maybe the Underworld wouldn’t let you have powers either.

Be careful! When you get upset, those plants can grow thorns rather than flowers.

“Are you alright? You seem..disturbed.”

“Disturbed?” You came back to the present and raised your eyebrow as if the adjective Jin said was the most illogical word, “I’m fine, just a little confused.”

“Fair enough, but I think I know what book you need.”

You looked at the seemingly never ending shelves and rows of bookcases. The books in here defied time; there were section of ‘past’ books which were finished, ‘present’ books which added a new page and words every time the author wrote in real time, and ‘future’ books which had books with blank pages without titles but the date they would be finished was already printed on the cover. It was magnificent, you could find any book and read it as it was being written, and if you cracked the intense magic that protected the books, you could even read the literature that hadn’t even been written yet.

“Which?”

Jin sighed, running his fingers through his hair and taking one look at the library before fixing on you, “It’s in the past section which is good but the title escapes me, probably having something about godly power or an index of their abilities.”

“Who wrote that?”

“Athena, she’s a bit too enthusiastic when it comes to things like this.”

“..Did you just call Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom, a nerd?”

“Well-I mean..am I wrong?”

You laughed loudly, echoing across the long walls and between shelves. Your head tipped back and your arms hugged yourself to keep your frame from shaking. Jin’s ears turned red with embarrassment, for he had no idea why you were laughing so much. To be honest, you couldn’t either. It was just so funny that one of the most formal of gods talked so normally, a happy accident truly.

“It’s alright,” You were still giggled a little bit and by this time Jin was chuckling too, “Let’s go find this book. Split up?”

Jin nodded and went to the right part of the ‘past’ section while you headed over to the left. The two of you looked at the titles of each book but none of the key words or phrases in them matched. The search seemed useless.

Seokjin couldn’t find anything in his section, and even after having several ghost servants to help him— Thanatos showed up for a few minutes too— there was nothing to be found. Deciding that working together or at least being in the same company as you would be more beneficial then the current strategy, he headed to you.

You weren’t having any luck either, but hearing footsteps, your mood turned for the better. After spending some time with your husband, you had realized he had a lot of endearing qualities to him. He always took care of you when you were missing home, opting to bring fake flowers, like the silver one from your first day here, that wouldn’t die but would remind you of your home back in the mortal realm. They were delicate all the same, but you liked holding them and imagining yourself back in those fields.

You missed it, a lot. You missed your mother even more.

But you couldn’t deny that Jin’s company wasn’t delightful. He never made you do anything or feel afraid, his presence was calming and when you were together, the string in your hearts felt connected and alive. The two of you were unfortunately way too shy to admit it but, there was definitely some sort of love between you two. The way your heart soared when looking at each other or laughing at the most unfunny jokes. You hadn’t missed the red ears he had when you complimented him and he definitely didn’t miss your stuttering when he called you loving names in front of his servants or the inevitable mortal or “hero” who wanted something from Jin.

Since gods were not permitted to directly help mortals, often blessed or favored mortals called heroes emerged. They were given unimaginable powers and strength to fight off evil monsters or save villages. Once a man endowed with superhuman musical skills came to the two of you, asking for help. His singing moved the ghost servants and the gray horses that were outside the palace. The two of you were no match either.

“Oh God who rules the dark and silent Underworld,” The man sang with his lyre, tears in his eyes, “I beg you to help me. All lovely things at last go down to you. But I seek one who came to you too soon. The bud was plucked before the flower bloomed. I tried to bear my loss. I could not bear it.”

Seokjin knew that Orpheus was seeking out his wife, Eurydice, and the prominent aspects of love in the song tightened the string in his heart. While Orpheus sang for his dead wife’s revival, he glanced at your face and the refusal suddenly got stuck in his throat.

You looked longingly at Orpheus as his song for Eurydice’s freedom made you feel drowsy and heartbroken. Here was a newlywed couple, both full of joy that they could marry the person of their dreams, but then disaster struck. The woman had unfortunately died on their wedding day and here was her husband, traveling fearlessly through the depths of hell to beg for her back— all for love. A few tears escaped your eyes as the desire to resonate with the man was so strong. You wanted to feel as loved as Eurydice did, wanted someone to love you as strong as Orpheus did for her. Did Hades even know what love meant?

Seokjin could feel your pain, the string that connected your hearts often shared those strong emotions. He liked sharing the happy ones, when you were laughing at something he said or smiling brightly because of his cheesy and old fashioned jokes. Not because you didn’t feel loved. It was breaking his heart to know that you wanted to feel this love and despite his own insecurities of being unlovable, he promised himself that he would love you fully. He would love you as much and more than Orpheus loved his wife, and even more than that. Seokjin felt so heartbroken that you didn’t feel loved already and made it his mission to show you just how much he cared.

“My love is too strong. So I beg of you, King of the Dead,” Orpheus was on his knees and looked at only Jin, “Help me so that I may hold my Eurydice!”

Seokjin raised his eyebrows by the blatant disrespect that Orpheus showed by ignoring you completely. You most likely did not notice it but the clear distinction the man had from you and him was a glaring red flag. But Seokjin could also sense that you were too swept up with the song that you would want to see the couple reunited despite the rudeness.

You put your hands on the hand-rests of your throne to lift yourself up when Seokjin put his hand on yours to stop you. Setting yourself back down, you looked in confusion up to him whose eyes did not stray from the man in front of him. Although Orpheus’s story was tragic, he had heard of many before. As the overseer of the Underworld, his heart had to be hard as steel, and so it was— until you of course. You had softened him by doing practically nothing, but the thought of you continued to melt him. Many mortals had approached Hades to beg for loved ones back and all requests were always refused. No doubt, Orpheus' music was sweet and very moving, but the look in your eyes and tears that dropped down your cheeks were much more convincing; anything to see his wife happy.

Seokjin slowly rubbed your knuckles before finally answering Orpheus, “Your music is ever so moving, but you must know that many couples have begged for their lovers before. I have refused all.”

At the statement, you had gasped and swerved your head to your husband trying to comprehend how someone could refuse so many heartbroken lovers. Orpheus is distraught and close to sobbing harder, dropping his lyre to the ground. But ignoring it all, Seokjin gently chuckles at your expression and strokes your cheek.

“However..” Seokjin starts with a twinkle in his eye.

Furrowing your eyebrows, you ask, “However?”

“To my right side is Persephone, Goddess of the Spring, flora, and fauna. She is my equal, my other half, and the love of my life. Her presence moves me to help you more than your music. For that, I shall grant you your wish of seeing Eurydice again.”

There is that familiar blush Seokjin has witnessed almost everyday, that adorns your cheeks again. Your eyes bulged out at his words and you couldn’t help but lean over to his throne and kiss his cheek in appreciation. He snickers lightly but in reality, his heart almost beat out of his chest. He’s as smitten with you as you are with him. A loveless King had turned sweet for his Queen.

But Orpheus does not seem to care for the intimate words between the two of you. For he seems angry, possibly envious of the love you two share, and resentful that his music that could move rocks on every hillside and turn the course of all rivers was nothing compared to what you could do. The loving look you two shared made him more furious that Eurydice was not beside him at the very instant. Unfortunately, having such wonderful musical abilities often followed with instant compliments and help. For that praise to be lacking from the Gods hurt Orpheus’s pride, and would eventually lead to his demise.

Orpheus snatched his lyre from the floor and said, “My music.. did not move you? I am appalled.”

You tilt your head in confusion, still with a smile on your face you turn to face the man. Seokjin looks at you when you ask, “Appalled? What for?”

“How has a whore been able to influence you, my King?”

At the comment, your smile falters and you see Jin’s eyes light up with the purple fire you saw when you met him. But instead of being a warm, welcoming and even comforting flame, it is chaotic, burning, and seething. He doesn’t need to see your face to see the crestfallen look, but instead whirled around to walk towards Orpheus. Jin’s anger was immeasurable and Orpheus was alarmed at how his eyes seem to flicker brighter with every passing moment. Glowering down at the man, the god was Hades, not the Jin you were used to. His eyes flashed and Orpheus saw every moment in his life up to then and what looked like an older version of himself. Only later would he realize that the God of the Dead had shown him his life in only a few flashes to humble him of his worth and his insignificance.

Realizing that the man may be scorched by your husband’s anger alone, you gracefully walked up to them. Your presence eased Orpheus’s mind for a split second before his eyes flickered back to Jin’s, it was obvious that Jin would not back down. Showing disrespect to you would result in nothing less than banishment to the Mourning Fields of unrequited love for the rest of eternity, or even a trip to Tartarus, the deepest abyss known to all deities.

But he really should have paid more attention to the scowl on your lips.

You spoke with a steely, calm tone, but it reeked of annoyance, “Who are you, a trivial, fleeting thought for me, a Goddess? You are nothing. Mind your tongue and consider yourself lucky that I do not turn you into a corn plant right here.”

After summoning Eurydice with a wave of your hand, you continued, “As you ascend, do not look back as she follows you. Like the explicit disrespect you showed me today, I will take Eurydice away from you.You will lead a desolate and lonely life, as your music will never be heard again.”

Without waiting for a response, you sent the two on your way and sat back down on your throne. Jin sat next to you in utter disbelief and awe of how you commanded respect in the room. He would tease you about it later but it truly showed you how the two of you were so interconnected with one another. Many other challengers would come to try their luck with the softened God, but he didn’t accept all of them— only the ones that you also approved of.

“Hey,” Seokjin started and you only just noticed how dangerously close he was to your face, “Is everything okay? You zoned out for a while.”

Coming back to the present, you realized that you were still in the library trying to find a book to help you with your powers. You had opened one that was clearly not what you were looking for, as the title had something related to (F/G) instead of godly powers. Snapping the book abruptly shut, dust swept up into the air and you coughed up a bit. Seokjin leaned away while you put the book back into its rightful place and tried to clear the air.

You sighed, “I haven’t been able to find anything even remotely related to what we were searching for.”

“It’s alright,” Jin said as he placed a hand on your shoulder in comfort, “I haven’t either. Maybe we should look for a book about you specifically.”

“Me? You think I would be in a book?”

“Well, you are the Goddess of Spring.” He chuckled and patted your head, “Pretty sure that’s important, baby.”

“Did you just call me..?”

“Shit, I didn’t know if nicknames were okay. Are they okay? I’m guessing they’re not okay? Are you not okay with them? Can I call you something else? Should I just stick to Y/N? Or Persephone? Wait, what about Kore? Or is that only reserved—”

You stopped his rambling by grabbing his hand and interlocking them. Looking up to gauge his reaction, you were pleasantly surprised to see that his mouth was upturned and he tried to turn away from your gaze.  

“It’s perfectly fine, my love.” With your term of endearment, Jin groaned and shook his head, “Now what should we do next?”

“I call you something cute like baby and you call me my love? Are you trying to open up my wounds?”

“I’m sure your heart will stay intact, what you should be more worried about is your lips!”

“..My lips?!”

You giggled at his star struck expression before you realized that you may have come of as too strong. Deep in thought, you caress his hand with your thumb before grabbing the black feather necklace he’s always worn. It takes Seokjin by surprise and he leans towards you, his face only a few inches from touching yours. His eyes flicker to your lips then back to your eyes and your smile slowly relaxes. He subconsciously licks his lips, and you were so close to just capturing them but you think again.

Did he want you as much as you did?

Seokjin could cut the tension with a knife, and he was going crazy not being able to kiss your lips. He internally groaned because his shy side was poking at him to run away and hide in a corner while the confident side of him wanted to do nothing but kiss you.

God he wanted you, he hoped you did too.

“Can I kiss you, Jin?”

“Please do, you’re going to kill me if you don’t.”

“I think I’ll kill you either way, I’m a pretty good kisser.”

His eyes fluttered closed, and then your lips were on his. Unlike you had imagined— because yes, you had been dreaming for this for a while— he tasted like nothing but everything at the same time. Fireworks and bursts of warmth burned in your hearts and the string in your chest seemed to tie with Jin’s. Your arms wrapped around his neck and he gripped your waist, the both of you wanted to get as close as possible. You let go of each other eventually, and could only stare at each other in awe of what you had done. Glancing at his ears, you immediately grinned seeing them completely red and his flushed expression. Not that you were doing any better, the color tint on your lips was smudged and your chest heaved as you tried to catch your breath. It may have been your first kiss but it definitely would not be your last.

You eventually found the book you were looking for in the first place and Jin would help you control your powers until you could blossom flowers and fruits from the dead seeds he brought when he would go back up. It was a team effort and it definitely earned you some kisses whenever you were successful.

Almost six months had passed since your arrival in the Underworld. After Hades was poisoned, he did not show up to the meetings in Olympus, believing that he knew he was not welcome. Nor would he be able to clearly face Demeter, his mother-in-law, and not absolutely go ballistic. The love for his wife had increased one hundred fold since the last time he saw Demeter and any type of insult to how he cared for her daughter would surely set the deadly side of him off.

But many things happened in the mortal realm. Orpheus looked back at his wife just as the two were leaving the Underworld, and he would live in eternal sadness without his other half. The rest of the mortal realm was not faring well either. While the two newlywed Gods were happy, things like famine, drought, and death plagued mortals. Spring had not come, but was replaced with a harsh, cold winter. Diseases and frostbite was common since Demeter had no intention of changing the season until her daughter was back at her side. Since Hades was not the bringer of Death (Thanatos was), his job was maintaining a record of who died, was alive, and where they would spend their rest of their lives in.

The Fields of Punishment for eternal torture or The Fields of Elysium for rebirth?

The paperwork was clogging up as Hades had renounced his duty and was so lost in his love for his wife, that he only tended to his wife’s needs and taught their three-headed dog Cerberus how to fetch a bone of some unfortunate skeleton than anything else. At one point, your Seokjin had even gifted you a garden full of pomegranate trees, the only real plant that could successfully grow in the Underworld, to you as a sign of his love for you. You were overjoyed by the garden but he had warned you about something, but it all fell on deaf ears.

“You’re kidding..Jin!” You gasped, twirling around and noticing all the blossoming flowers and the vibrant colored plants in your garden.

“It’s for you,” Seokjin looked at you lovingly, seeing you so happy and bright made his heart and face glow too, “An entire garden of pomegranates for you. But be careful alright? They have powers that can make you stay here. So don’t eat them or then—”

“Mhmm.”

“You’ll stay here for that many months and I doubt that your mother—”

“Yeah, yeah, enough talk! Oooh, that one looks pretty.”

Seokjin’s face softened at your giddy expression and he couldn’t help but admire you from afar. But as he realized what your true intentions with the fruit were, he became worried.

“Y/N, wait! Don’t—”

Before Seokjin could finish his sentence, there you were, grabbing a pomegranate that split open with a gentle, magical prod by your finger. You took twelve seeds and threw them into your mouth with a smile on your face. Looking towards Seokjin, or at least where he was last, you saw that his eyes flamed with purple. He looked terrified.

Before you could even bite one of them, Jin was kissing you feverishly. His lips molded against yours and before you could blink, the gentle but insistent press of his hand on your waist made you part your mouth. He slipped his tongue past your own lips and while you were too distracted by the passion behind his actions, he had another thing to worry about. Finally when you parted, both of your lips were stained red with pomegranate juice and were breathing heavily.

Still reeling and drunk on his lips, you only barely noticed his frown and furrowed eyebrows. Jin licked his lips and you blinked slowly before wondering what he could possibly be thinking about. On your end, you definitely enjoyed that heated makeout session, and you were pretty sure his urgency was a good sign.

“Fuck, only got six seeds out,” Jin cursed, before looking at your satisfied expression, “You still ate the other six!”

“Uh, what?” You said lethargically, holding on to Jin’s arms to balance yourself.

“I tried to warn you that pomegranate seeds are dangerous, Y/N! If you had eaten all twelve of the seeds, you would have stayed in the Underworld for all twelve of the months in the year.”

Jin cupped your cheek and sighed, “I tried to kiss you to take them out but I only ate six so you still ate the other six. Now you’ll have to stay with me for half the year.”

“What? That doesn’t sound bad at all! I’m not regretting that kiss because, wow Jin you really know how to kiss someone, but I feel like I should have eaten all of them. What’s so wrong with being bound to you for all eternity?”

Everything, Jin wanted to say. But he could not get his lips to move for the breathless expression you had was too alluring. He stroked your cheek and wished that he could stay by your side but he knew that would not be good. While his ghost servants, Thanatos, and surely all the other Gods in Olympus believed that Seokjin had completely forgotten about his duties, he had not. He was too swept up with the thought of you to do anything about it but he knew that the mortal world was failing.

“It might be safer.”

“Bullshit! I would be much safer, here, with you.”

“I’m the God of the Dead, I doubt your mother wants a son-in-law like me.”

“And? She’s not married to you.”

“My kingdom, it stinks of death. You’ve lived all your life with the beauty of life, are you sure?”

“More than sure, my King. This kingdom is also mine.” You smirked, putting your hands on your hips, waiting for the next thing you would defend.

“The deaths that our love has caused? I’m sure Thanatos has slipped that by now.”

“He has! But what happens to mortals is not our fault, that’s someone else’s fault.”

He knew that. But he also knew that while he was in that poisoned, dying state, you had prayed to Apollo for help. Jin cursed himself for not being stronger so that you would not be indebted to the Hoseok, but he could not change the past. In his own time, Jin had asked Apollo for what you would have to do, and the answer made him scared beyond belief.

“She must go back home, that is her duty.”

“Home? Hoseok..”

“You and I both know that Demeter is mourning for Persephone. Without her daughter, she has put an eternal blanket of winter on the mortal lands. Even Hestia’s hearth in Olympus flickers away at times.”

“She won’t leave, Y/N will be suspicious of my intentions. She’s not some dumb deity that is oblivious to everything around her, she will ask why I am making her do this. I cannot do this.”

“Then lie to her. Tell Persephone that Demeter asks for her or that the mortal world is falling. Or better yet, betray her—”

“I cannot— no, I..I can’t.”

“Please, for the sake of Demeter and the sake of all mortals, force her back. If you must trick her into thinking you don’t..care for her— do it. Even Namjoon has tried convincing Demeter, she won’t budge.”

It was heartbreaking for him to know that Seokjin would have to hurt you like that. But he couldn’t allow himself to go against your duty and responsibility as the bringer of Spring and life. Your mother would not budge without seeing you, it was stated by the Fates too. Maybe if he betrayed you, then you would be safer and wouldn’t be with such a wretched god like himself.

Who was he kidding?

The God of the Dead with the Goddess of Life? It seemed like a cruel joke, especially because of how much he adored you.

Not wanting to worry you, Seokjin kissed your forehead and smiled as best he could. He realized that this might be the last time he could be honest with you, and so took off his black feather necklace and placed it on your neck. You grinned and pecked him on the lips.

“Maybe you’re right, Y/N.”

The Underworld had only one connection to the living world and that was by a boat ride on the River Styx with the reaper of souls. Unless you could play music, then you might be able to charm your way through like Orpheus, but even that was unlikely. In that sense, there are a few ways to get to the underworld but for a normal person, it was impossible.

But you were far from normal.

You were the Queen of the Underworld, Persephone or Y/N, alongside your king, Hades or Seokjin. It was nice having a title to yourself and not Kore, which was just ‘maiden’. It was yours and you loved it.

You couldn’t feel the sunshine on your face, the dewy breeze of a spring morning, the crisp droplets from a rainy night, nor anything else that you usually felt. Only the emptiness from the souls that were reaped, dying to be put back into the world above. But even that beautiful to you, the beauty of death often allured you. The dead stayed dead but even some of them were happy to leave their suffering above.

You wondered why your Jin had taken you for a walk around his palace, he hadn’t spoken a word to you the entire time either. Thinking it was just him being a little distant, you didn’t find anything weird. Seokjin wasn’t the most extroverted so instead of getting caught up with what his silence may have meant, you instead thought about the events that had happened in the last few months. Things had moved so fast, almost as if to compensate for your still life with your mother.

Originally, you had felt that she had done nothing but kept you inside like a prisoner but now you could clearly see why. The way Jin treated you was the biggest indication but you’ve realized your self-worth. You matter to both the mortal world and the Underworld, you’re a powerful Goddess, and you feel lucky that your first love was such a sweet, kind man. Mom wasn’t trying to force you into solitude, but she never trusted any of the Gods in Olympus and that’s why you didn’t even live up there anymore. It wasn’t like she forced you to stay home but the restrictions and ‘protection’ she gave was stifling.

You missed her so much. You missed the sunshine and you missed picking flowers and making flower crowns. You missed feeling the grass underneath your feet and how the Spring would hug your body.

You closed your eyes while taking a large breath in before opening them and smiling, anyone looking at you would have wondered in curiosity or more so horror. Who would smile in the Underworld?

You.

You would, for multiple reasons but mostly because it was more of a home that any place you had lived before. You looked at your bare feet and the black rocks beneath it. They were sharp unlike the grass above, but there was no pain due to the increase in your powers. Having always walked through fields and meadows, you were used to walking without any protection on your feet— though scorned and scolded by your mother.

“Jin, where are you taking me?” You asked at last, giggling a little but your patience running thin.

Seokjin did not answer nor did he move his head in your direction. He kept walking with longer strides, heading to the River Lethe. You had hated that river, a river to make those who touched it forget their memory. You had always expressed your disgust with the concept but Jin usually just laughed at the thought.

“You are the Queen of the Underworld, love.” He said, with a slight smirk on his face.

Jin cradled your chin and looked into your (E/C) eyes with a softness the other gods would’ve laughed and mocked. The god of the Underworld, your Hades, was happy and smiling with such adoration at your face that your cheeks started to heat up. You were a goddess but that didn’t prevent your heart from twisting when he said such sweet words.

He closed his eyes and touched your foreheads together, saying, “You shouldn’t be afraid of it, not when it’s yours.”

You smiled, closing your eyes and reaching out to hold his face in your hands. You weren’t afraid. As long as Jin was there with you.

You remembered the moments that you shared, when you’d be paranoid about your identity and your husband would reassure you that you did have a place in his— our world— he would say. That you were in the right place. A lot of things had happened in the past six months. But none of that could have prepared you for your husband’s next words.

“..You need to leave.”

“What? Seokjin, this isn’t the time to make jokes.”

“I’m serious, leave.”

Your heart pounded in your chest, you felt dizzy, as if the entire world was spinning. You couldn’t breathe for a moment, and then you took a shaky breath in before shaking your head in dismay, smiling to try and fight the large tears in your eyes.

But he continued, “This..isn’t right, your mother was right. We can’t be together.”

Your mother had warned you to not fall for such a man. Yet you had, for a man that you believed loved you back— no he loved you. A few tears rolled down your cheeks and you hurried to brush them away. You walked slowly towards your husband, your bare feet scraping against the dark rocks and your fern green dress trailed behind you.

You held out your hands in a comforting manner, trying to hold your beloved in your arms. In an instant, he shoved them away with his hand, his knuckles scraping against your arms. You winced but held your ground. “What are you saying? My mother was..right? Right about what?”

Jin’s resolve could have broken right there, but he stayed true to what he was told to do. He had to do this quick, or the tears in his eyes would fall and there would be no way to send you away. It hurt every fibre in his body to know that you were hurting because of him.

You looked up to try and find some sort of sign in Jin’s eyes, only to be met with dark purple ones— the very same that burned Orpheus only a few months ago. They looked empty yet were surrounded by that fire you hated.

“She told me this would never work out. And then poisoned me.”

You shook your head again, chuckling softly to yourself, trying to convince that this wasn’t true. You tried to speak confidently, but your voice started to shake after seeing his entire form move away from you.

“Do you truly think I’m so stupid to believe that lie? My mother may be overprotective of me and may have said this wouldn’t work out, but that doesn’t mean you should listen to her! And she would never hurt a God.”

At your words, Seokjin gets uncharacteristically angry at you, “She almost killed me and you defend her? Before me? When I have protected you—”

“Protected me from what?! Orpheus?! I am a Goddess, I do not need your protection!”

“You don’t need my protection?! Then leave! Stay with that mother of yours, even though we both know I’ve shown you more care than she ever will.”

He stated, turning his back to you and chucking the gold ring into the River Lethe. His ashy gray coat that covered his shoulders fell to the ground, at the feet of his dark robes. He didn’t even flinch, a tell-tale sign of him teasing or lying to you.

He wanted to forget you.

“Please,” You reasoned, “don’t send me away for such a stupid argument.”

“You’re right, I won’t be. You’ll leave on your own because you don’t belong here.”

Only then did you break into full sobs, you fell to the ground, clutching your heart in pain. This wet anger made you curse the Fates. Why did you have to be so weak in front of him?

You couldn’t believe it, the one man you had ever loved, threw you away. As if all the kind words, light kisses, and soft touches were worthless. He had lavished you with affection, even in front of disapproving others. From the day he unknowingly rescued you from a hell to now, he had always looked at you like you were his world.

You hadn’t said a word the night you had left with him, too much in shock with your future. But you couldn’t bare to let yourself ask him to take you back.

Anywhere was better than up there.

You had foolishly thought. And during that time you stayed with him. Fell in love. Thinking you would finally get a happy ending, one where the love of your life loved you back.

“Goodbye,” He stated, without looking back at you. All you could see was his tall figure in front of you before you disappeared. He was standing in front of your home. Or what you thought was. But home is where the heart is.

And yours was shattered.

He snapped his fingers and you were gone in a puff of dark black smoke. The feather on the black necklace that he once wore so diligently close to his chest, vanished with you. There was silence in his world for a few moments, after long months of happiness and joy. The flames in his eyes faded, for how could he be angry?

He had just screamed at the one he loved most.

“..Y/N.”

You didn’t see the tears that fell from his eyes without stopping, wetting his cheeks and the ground in front of him. You didn’t see how his shoulders shook with the thought of your absence. You didn’t see him scramble from his hunched position to the River Lethe. You didn’t see him dive in to try and find his ring and realize that it vanished. His legs started to burn from the river’s powers but he stayed in it, thinking that this was nothing to what he deserved. The green cloth ring that you had once put for him, kissing his hand and saying your vows with a happy voice, was still on his finger.

“I’ll stay with you, Seokjin, as long as you want me to. For you are my friend, my companion, and my truest love. I trust you.”

You didn’t see how broken he was when he came back to the palace only to collapse in front of your shared bed and scream until his throat went dry. You didn’t see that his heart was shattered too.

It wasn’t long until you made it back to the meadow, a small walk away from your mother’s palace in the mortal realm. It was dark, and you felt no sun on you. It was a different type of dark, rather than being ominous and mysterious, it held a type of serenity you weren’t ready for. But looking around, you felt empty.

The meadow was covered with some sort of cold, white fluff (snow, you would later find out) that pinched your toes. The once vibrant meadow, filled with plants of different colors and sizes, no longer welcomed you. The soft grass between your toes was now frozen ground and had grown into a long grass that reached your chest.

The world around you was imprisoned in a deafening silence, nothing was awake, nothing sang. The nightingales and woodpeckers were silent, there was nothing. It felt like the world above had stopped living the moment you left. Gashing winds had stripped the once bright green leaves from the trees, leaving them vulnerable and groaning from the cold.

You had never seen such coldness, felt such coldness.

Where am I?

The dark green dress you wore held up well, while the Underworld did not have as the biting cold as you experienced now, it was too similar for you to believe that you had really left there.

The stars twinkled sadly, as if crying out for someone. The moon waned brilliantly and yet everything felt dull. While this world seemed beautiful when you first entered, even though goosebumps had erupted on your limbs, it felt colder than you think it should have. The loneliness you felt was something you had never felt before, nor did you want to. The trees moved as if mourning and you felt like it was your death they were mourning.

Was this why people were dying..?

“..Kore?”

You turned around. Squinting to see the far-away figure, you realized it was your mother with her (H/C) hair in long locks, tumbling down her back— an unusual sight as she hated keeping her hair down— but she was hesitant to come to your side. She was looking at you differently, like she used to when you were a child. Not like how she pretended to when you got older but different. Better.

Like a mother should.

“Mom..” You whispered, but she heard it.

A flowing stream of tears started down Demeter’s face, and she made no move to wipe them away. Demeter held a hand out to her daughter, silently calling out to her. You slowly walked through the field to your mother’s side until finally putting her chin on her mother’s outstretched arm. As you saw your mother’s happy expression, you started to shakily smile and a few of her own tears started to drip down your cheek. Demeter stroked her daughter’s cheek and kissed your forehead in joy.

The mother and daughter were finally reunited.

Quickly after you reunited with your mother, she interlocked your hand and led you back to the palace. Your home. But even saying that had a sour taste in your mouth, because all you could remember was the dark walls and soft smiles of your husband. The walls of your room were just as blindingly white and clean and smooth as you remembered it. But, you remembered what you used to think in the Underworld. As much as you had loved it and the people who came with it, it wasn’t what you were used to. You loved the mortal realm much, much more, and finally seeing the lush vegetation wherever you walked, the pretty flowers sprinkled here and there, the ponds of clear water, and the countless species of animals was both a shock and a blessing.

A few days after you arrived, the winter and snow that had swept through the mortal realm was finally vanquished. Your mother held your hand and simply waved her hand, causing Spring to come back to the world. She was glowing, much more than before you left. You wanted to both strangle her and hug her.

You even asked her about the poisoned dagger and she confirmed what he had said, she did poison him. It made your stomach squeeze and feeling uncharacteristically angry and snappy, you conveyed your concerns to your mother, but she didn’t brush it off like you had feared.

“Mom, I won’t get mad if you tell me the truth.” You sighed out one night.

Demeter raised her eyebrows and laughed merrily, “Oh? This is new Kore, usually I would say that when you were younger!”

Your throat was feeling dry and scratchy but you pressed, “Heh, right, um. Did you.. poison him?”

“Don’t speak of that monster! I—”

“Whether you did or not, please answer me.”

Demeter looked at her only daughter. Her wonderfully talented, intelligent, witty, and beautiful daughter. She couldn’t imagine the emotional manipulation that she went through in the Underworld. Demeter wanted her daughter back and she was afraid of how you changed. That time when you were gone was over.

“Please, Mom.”

Your eyes pleaded and shined in the moonlight and even Demeter couldn’t hold back, “I didn’t have a choice. Even Zeus approved of it, but you have to realize that you were gone.” She poked your chest with your finger and you felt small, like a mouse in the presence of a hawk.

“I didn’t even know where you were and to learn that, the God of the Underworld had taken you..It wasn’t okay and I’m glad that you’re back. That’s all that matters now, don’t worry about it, okay? You’re safe.”

Demeter combed through your hair and smiled at you but her eyes didn’t crinkle up like usual and you knew that she wanted this conversation to be over. But you’d test her limits.

You continued, “But it could’ve killed him, Mom.”

“And?!”

Demeter didn’t miss the flinch at the raise of her tone and she instantly regretted her actions. She didn’t want to be like her siblings, loveless of their children and so enraptured by mortals. But at the same time, she wanted to protect you. Why couldn’t you see that she didn’t want someone like the God of the Dead, an emotional manipulator and kidnapper, to be any of your concern. It tore her heart in two.

“You are the most important part in my life, I used to only live for you. Obviously, that doesn’t mean your life should revolve around me but you were kidnapped!”

“It was Namjoon’s fault though, he told him that we wanted this.”

“You’re right, Zeus is just as punishable for this crime. But if he wanted your hand so much he could have easily come to us formally. Where was the need to capture you like that? None.”

But that wasn’t it either. Sure, you were upset that Seokjin had taken you away. Sure, that seemed logical from your mother’s perspective, realistic. But that’s not what happened. Namjoon was a drunk idiot and had told Seokjin a lie which caused all of this. But even with that figured out, you were still angry that you didn’t see the color black more often or you didn’t have a library full of books to read, or someone that would keep your head in their lap as you slept.

You missed him the most, and that’s why it hurt the most.

No, you repeat to yourself, You aren’t going to be caught down by someone you’ve only known for a few months. You’re better than this, Y/N.

So you busy yourself with other things that need your attention, like the new plants that are popping up in villages. It helps with the loneliness that seems to have taken you captive, even though your mother smothers you with affection. She wanted to celebrate the way you’ve finally come back to her, from that monster.

The new plants seem to have medicinal properties and you keep record of them in a small journal. In the same journal, you’ve been writing down your feelings as a way to cope with the environment changes. You’ve been liking the cool shade and swift breezes that come rather than the blinding sun that you were so used to. You often nestle between a few apricot trees, and would stare blankly at the fruit. It was so close to pomegranates but entirely different. The red color hurt and even the nymphs could see it, often asking you to pluck flowers with them far, far away.

Jimin visits you and the two of you spend an entire day in each other’s company. He talks about how he wasn’t able to visit you in the Underworld and missed you. You find comfort in his words and you confess that you miss Seokjin. Terribly. He’s the only person you have that won’t go to your mother and snitch on you.

“It hurts, Jimin. But I am afraid that you.. will not like what I have to say.”

“What does, Y/N? Don’t be afraid.”

“My heart..it misses him so much.”

Jimin had furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, he couldn’t understand why you would miss such a horrible God. He tried to comfort you about the matter, but it was stiff and rehearsed. When you had cried yourself to sleep that night, Jimin had quietly snuck out of your door only to see Demeter wiping her tears. Your mother had heard your pleas and she broke.

Why did you have to love such a disgusting monster?

Six months have passed and the world has been recovering. You don’t forget the black feather necklace on your neck and almost daily, you rub it to make sure it’s still with you. Your mother had asked what it was and Jimin had saved you before you could stutter out a response, saying he gifted it as nostalgia for being nicknamed pretty bird. Even the rings you had were considered a gift from other gods.

Demeter had looked at you in fear but hid her emotions well enough with a smile that you thought she wouldn’t ask again. She didn’t.

Seokjin couldn’t bear it anymore. Ever since you had left, his heart was heavy with the fact that he had pushed you away. Not even telling you anything and you just had to go.

Thanatos could see that his friend was drowning himself in his work, checking and double checking who were coming into the Underworld. Even Cerberus was ignoring Hades in fear of making him angrier. The dead souls rarely would see their king and while that usually did not worry many, those in Elysium were confused. Sometimes the two of you would visit their houses and get togethers, and even then they could make out his lovestruck expression whenever you talked. He looked at you like you were the moon, made of wonder and beauty, and had painted the stars in his world with small kisses.

Thanatos has gotten angry at Seokjin and forced him out of the palace, locking his office to be extra sure. Walking around aimlessly, everything in the palace reminded him of you. When you would walk next to him and talk about the most useless topics, it was the first time he noticed the sharp rocks on the floor. Instead of creating shoes or anything that a logical  God would’ve done, he offered to let you get on his back while you walked. At your shocked expression, he was sure he embarrassed himself more than he thought was possible. But you quickly grinned and jumped onto his back while he held on tight to your legs to keep you steady.

At the memory, Seokjin smiled bitterly and scoffed at the tears that escaped. He wished he was stronger. You were probably going through something a hundred times worse, the love of your life just randomly banishing you must have hurt.

It was to protect her.

Either way, it made him curse out the Fates for even allowing him to meet you once. It wasn’t fair, for either of you. He even cursed his brother Namjoon, he would never listen to his brother again. It wasn’t fair.

The pomegranate trees in front of him made him stop. He wanted to break down in tears and throw his life away for what he had done to you. The brightest red fruit was on the lowest branch, but it was open. With twelve seeds missing, Seokjin shook with fear.

Six months was almost up.

You walked through the meadow, somehow leaving the safety of the nymphs that followed you on Demeter’s request, and brushing through the flowers. You twirled around, feeling free for once. Not in a palace, under someone’s watchful eye or endearing gaze. You loved both of them dearly, but it was hard for Kore, the Goddess of flora, and fauna to be expected to stay in the same place. You felt lost everywhere but here, with nature, was where you felt at peace. There was some substance in what your mother said. Nonetheless, your duty as Persephone, Goddess and Queen of the Underworld, stayed the same. You would have to leave soon, but that made your stomach twist and turn.

While preoccupied with your thoughts, you failed to notice the grass parting behind you. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw something long shoot through the field. You froze, knowing that it was too late to move and your body felt on edge, the feather on your neck started to heat up and become uncomfortable. Another quick movement and—

THUD!

Something grabbed your arms and the intense motion made your eyes squeeze shut. You were shaking, and spots danced behind your eyes. It took you a few moments to realize who had grabbed you, and now shielded, sporting an all-too familiar clothing color palette.

“..Jin,” You whispered breathlessly, “You’re here.”

Worlds away from each other, lifetimes away, or in different versions of reality, Seokjin heard your words as if it burned in his mind, clear as day, your presence bringing him back to life. You could only stare at him as he stroked your cheek, probably because there was some dirt on it because you had fallen asleep on the crumbling soil before walking around.

“I ask you to go away,” He starts calmly, looking at your dumbstruck expression  “And you actually left, huh?”

Your growing smile for him saving you quickly falls and you roll your eyes with a hard frown on your lips. You push him away in annoyance and hurt, and walk away from him with your arms crossed. You tried to tamp down your irritation but you were fed up with Gods trying to take your life and just throw it around.

“Why,” You asked, seething with anger, “did you come here?”

You didn’t even turn around but with the way your fists were clenched, Seokjin knew that you were not feeling happy about his presence. Better than utter despair that he had thought of, you hitting and being angry at him was infinitely times better than you being sad.

“That snake wasn’t any ordinary one. I..” Seokjin said slowly, looking back at the dead reptile, “I was cursed by a God once that I wouldn’t be able to protect someone I loved from one of my own. And well, snakes are my sacred animal so..”

“So you think that I needed your protection again?”

Seokjin felt at odds with your response. Of course you could protect yourself, it was just his wish that you didn’t have to. That he could do so instead. He knew you were smarter than you let on, you knew exactly why he had sent you away and were angry why he couldn’t have just communicated it.

“I’m sorry,” He relented, putting a hand on your shoulder before you brush it off, “I was rude and disrespectful. You didn’t deserve that. I thought that you would leave and I was scared what would happen if you didn’t. The mortal world was dying—”

“So? I would’ve come up if you had just told me! It’s really not that hard,” You finally faced him, “especially when you’re supposed to be trying to be everything that my mother thinks you are, you shouldn’t have shouted.”

“Well.. you shouted too.”

“Yeah, to make sure I was heard over your voice!”

“I just wanted to protect you.”

Of course he was. Even when you had snapped at him, he was protecting you. Seokjin had promised you that he always would take care of you, and here he was, doing just that. The more you thought about the day you were forced to leave, you realized that Seokjin had tears in his eyes.

“I know but, there’s better ways to do it.”

Seokjin’s voice wavered with sadness, “I hope that you can forgive me for the stupid things I said. I promise I’ll work harder to show you that I deserve to be your partner and that I can take care of you.”

He was scared, afraid of your reaction and how you might refuse him outright. A figure in the distance, behind Jin, captures your attention and you’re thinking of them while Jin continues.

“I wanted to make your garden a little prettier,” He admitted, his thumb stroking your finger were both the golden ring and your makeshift cloth one was tied together, “I added flowers and different fruits that reminded me of your aura. But much of them are made of jewels since, well, you know, you can’t have live plants in the Underworld.”

“Mhmm, yeah.”

“And that ring I tossed into the River Lethe,” Your ears naturally perked up at the river’s mention, “was my ring and I found it just as soon as you left. I would never mean those things I said and I’m sorry you had to hear them.”

“Right, well,” Your eyes shined with excitement and giddy, “My mother is coming, so you better be able to convince her.” You quickly removed your hand from his before your mother burst in.

Oh shit.

“So you’re saying,” Demeter’s eyes burned into Seokjin and he could feel his mind turning to shreds at her words, “ you want my daughter to go back with you into that wretched palace?! She won’t return as long as I’m her mother and she has no obligation to leave. Kore will stay here.”

“Persephone is the Queen of the Underworld,” Seokjin looked at you tenderly, “it’s her duty now.”

You cringed at his wording, that was not the way to convince your mother. If anything, talking about duty would bring up the fact that she’s the Goddess of vegetation in the mortal realm. And mentioning her other name? Total loss.

“Do not defy my Hades. She will not leave my realm.”

You butted in, “I ate the pomegranate seeds, Mother.”

“You— what?” Her fiery anger dissipated into a tame flame, and her eyes glistened with unshed tears, “No, no. You,” She pointed straight to Seokjin, “You did this, didn’t you? Tricked her into eating the flirt of the Underworld to where she must leave me, her own mother for you? A lying cheat and disgusting, dishonorable coward!”

“I am no coward. I warned her and she said she wanted to,” He interlocked your hands and it made Demeter angrier, “She won’t be away for long. Only half of the year.”

“Half of the year?!” She moved towards Seokjin at a pace that even made him panic, “If you want my daughter’s hand, then propose to her properly. If she accepts, fine. She’s her own person and she had the right to choose her partner. But if she doesn’t, I will make sure your life is living hell.”

Kinda already is, Seokjin wanted to sarcastically comment but kept his mouth shut. But he reasoned that this was the best he was going to get. He turned to you and saw your wide smile and twinkling eyes. To him, you were the only person he needed. If he must, he would scourge the four realms and more to find you and even just hold your hand. With you, he had nothing to worry about.

So the two of you got “engaged” and you reapplied rings (different ones because your mother wanted you to have only the best) at the very place your mother met Seokjin. He summoned the most beautiful of jewels to make the rings and many other riches when he saw how Demeter’s eyes bulged and gravitated towards the power. She was warming up to him alright.

The night before you would leave, you held a celebration— the wedding— in a small gazebo that your friend Chan, or Hephaestus, happily built for you. He started crying in the middle of building it because his own partner, Yoongi or Aphrodite, seemed to have no interest in doing the same— but another story for another time!

Celebrating with your nymphs and other Olympian Gods and Goddesses that you had befriended long ago, it was a magical experience. You saw Jungkook, or Hera, and his husband Namjoon, or Zeus, arguing animatedly in the gazebo that you had proclaimed your love for each other earlier in the evening, something about how Namjoon never made any romantic gestures for him. In another place you saw Yoongi and Hoseok, or Apollo, sharing drinks with each other while Jimin, or Hermes, was flying around trying to meet everyone. Even Seokjin, basically the God of Shyness, was smiling and accepting praise from Irene, Wheein, and Taehyung, or Ares, Athena, and Hebe respectively.

You casually walked around, the rich purple wedding gown that you wore dragged through the grass but stayed dried, magical powers were always nice. Talking with some people, drinking and eating with others, it was wonderful. At the end of the night, Demeter came up to the two of you with flower crowns, and all the Gods watched with curiosity, except you and your mother of you knew what was to come next. The crowns were beautiful and matched your auras perfectly. One made with pink lilies, purple lavender, and white baby breath, while the other was made of cress, ferns, black and purple roses. The lighter one was for you and the darker for Seokjin.

“It’s tradition,” Demeter’s voice wavered with sadness and her hands trembled as she continued, “When a nymph is married and leaves my care, she is given a crown to remind her roots and to be happy in her new life.”

Demeter turned to you, the tears in her eyes finally came pouring out and she tried her best to allow this day to be a happy day. You looked ethereal in your dress and your expression made everything she had sacrificed worth it. Cupping your cheeks, she lovingly gazed at you and put your heads together. Your own tears were coming down and you held back a sob.

“Be powerful and strong, my Kore. If anything happens, I will always be waiting here for you and you can come back, alright? It is your duty in the next six months to take care of the Underworld, rule it with a wise mind and even sharper mouth. Many will test you but prove them wrong. Your husband’s duty is to take care of you, you are equals in love. Never forget my teachings and that I have and will always love you.”

You kneeled down to your mother and touched her feet in a sign of respect, and she crowned you with all the flowers you loved most. Standing up, you saw Demeter’s eyes stare at your husband. She looked neither happy nor angry, and everyone in the room held their breath.

“It is your duty,” She started as she firmly grasped the other crown, “to protect and take care of my daughter. She rules beside you as equals and you must treat her as such. When you are troubled, find peace in the fact that she can calm the ground we walk on from rumbling, a panther from pouncing, and my very nature. After seeing your love and hearing about it from Kore, I trust you and bless you to be a good King for the Underworld and a better husband to your Queen. You are part of my family now, Hades.”

Demeter looked pleased at how her heartwarming words touched Seokjin and made him weep as well. Maybe it was her own power, because all the deities present were desperately wiping their tears so others couldn’t see. Even Jimin, both known to be lighthearted and not as sentimental, had burst into tears when he saw his best friend crying and getting crowned while Taehyung tried to soothe him.

Seokjin kneeled and did the same as you when Demeter crowned him. Seokjin mouthed a ‘thank you’ to his mother-in-law and held out his hand for you to grab. You smiled and interlocked your fingers together before looking at your mother and then the rest of your guests.

“All hail, Persephone and Hades,” Your mother continued, “The Gods and rulers of the Underworld!”

The other gods and deities, and even nature itself seemed to bow down. But the two of you were so immersed in each other, that you only waved goodbye before Jin kissed you and the ground broke beneath you and went home.

© 2021 by cherryyjjk ;; all writings and other content on this blog are my intellectual property. you may not reuse, reprint, translate, repost, steal, or any other type of stealing of my works.

[baldwin-montclair]

The Unlikely Advocate

Roman Holiday Concluded

After bringing her to his home island of Ischia - off the coast of Naples - Baldwin introduces her to the customs of the island, as well as continuing their game of control.

Surprising confessions ensue.

FIRST PART

Tags: @adowbaldwin @butternuggets-blog @sylverdeclermont @lady-lazarus-declermont @ordinarymom1 @thereadersmuse @marirable @pleasereadmeok

“Bella!” The elderly matron appraised the work of her ‘priestesses’.

Clad in a white, very light and gauzy fabric chiton pinched in by ribbons, with her hair up in flowers, Eileen barely recognised herself. It seemed like a waste to get so dressed up to stain with the grape juice.

“Liber Pater will be pleased.”

“Baldwin?”

The three young women overseeing her transformation giggled.

“Our patron,” the Priestess explained “the Free Father. He has guarded us for centuries yet has never changed. We tend the fruits he grants us.”

“You think he’s a god?”

“No Senora,” the woman chuckled, “the gods do not answer prayers but he does. When we need him, he has always protected us.”

“I’ve found that,” Eileen smiled, remembering each time he’d come to her aid, “thank you for inviting me to be part of the celebrations?”

“He did not tell you?”

The women exchanged amused glances.

“It is the festival of Proserpina, consort to Liber, we’ve never had one before.”

“A Festival?”

“A Proserpina.”

“Wait, I’m not Baldwin’s consort, I’m just...” she stopped, unsure how to even continue, “this is technically our first date, if it’s even that!”

She wondered for the first time what was actually happening between them.

Friends didn’t seem sufficient, roommates might be closer since she’d been staying in his home for a few days. Roommates with benefits would require them actually being intimate, which is what she’d thought he was suggesting before spiriting her away to his Italian villa.

“I manage an international consortium of wine suppliers and buyers,” the Priestess nodded to the girls, “those are my granddaughters, they are going to Padua University in the fall, we live in the modern world like you. These are traditions we keep because they bring us together, and they are fun. We know what dating is, and the fact that you are our first and only Proserpina should tell you this is not that.”

“So,” Eileen started after a moment of stunned silence, “what is my part in the ceremony?”

“You and your maidens tread the first grapes of the harvest. In your absence they would perform this ritual as your proxies.”

“I’m guessing it’s quite messy?”

“Oh yes it is,” she smiled, “at the end, you will be quite covered. But we have cleaning facilities nearby.”

“High priestess,” Baldwin called from outside the tent, “if I may speak with the lady?”

“Of course pater,” she ushered the excited girls out the other side of the tent “she is ready”.

Eileen felt his gaze wash over her, cool and careful as she continued to look in the mirror.

“See something you like?” She asked.

“What I see is a vision of Venus herself!”

“Not Venus, Proserpina, consort of Liber who is, apparently, you.”

“It’s ceremonial, these are sensible people, they know I’m not really a God.”

“But your consort?” She challenged, catching his eye in the mirror reflection.

The grin held a glint of wolffish amusement as he approached her.

“I thought I would have more time to explain,”

his touch was light over the fabric on her shoulder but the coolness still imprinted on her climate warmed skin, “but our dear matron is much more strict with timing than any that have come before.”

“Explain what?” She asked with a dreamy sigh as he moved his hands to her waist.

“I was born here, the first time, I mean. We were wealthy, maintained the vineyard. I come here on this day every year, it just so happened to coincide with you, being here, with me. Is that fate or coincidence?” He pondered.

“It’s verging on a fairytale is what it is,” she shook her head, “a beautiful meal, two costume changes, a villa on an Italian island AND the opportunity to take part in a centuries old festival. What’s next? Are you planning on stealing the Crown Jewels for me?”

“Those trinkets,” he rolled his eyes, “I could show you stones of such size and rarity that they would destroy the global economy if they were to leave my vault.”

“Is that what you have planned for our next date?”

“Date,” he frowned, “you believe this is a mere date?”

“Honestly, I have no idea, it definitely does not fit the usual definition of ‘let’s go for a meal and awkwardly get to know each other’, but my frame of reference is kinda narrow.”

“Alright, let’s simplify it,” he framed her face in his hands and kissed her deeply, causing her to sigh in contentment, “as per our agreement, you put control in my hands until sunrise, call that our date if you wish.”

“And then?”

“And then, tomorrow, we’ll discuss my plans going forward.”

“Your plans?”

“Yes,” he answered with a bemused look, “that apartment is not safe. You’ll both move into the most secure floor in my building.”

“I can’t,” she choked, “I work from my home office, it’s where I meet my clients.”

“It’s a simple enough matter to redirect correspondence to your new address, and there is office space in the building, away from the living quarters. You can see your clients there.”

“Baldwin, I-“

“It will be your own apartment and I would only cross the threshold if invited to do so.”

“What, like a vampire?” She grinned.

“No, like someone with manners and a healthy grasp of social boundaries.” He retorted.

“Senora,” the woman called, “you are needed.”

“We can discuss the details later, you have a ceremonial duty to perform as my consort.” He teased, leaving the tent and her to her thoughts.

Move into his building? It was too much, too soon under normal circumstances but this was not normal circumstances. She had to consider what was best for Isobel, and the apartment was not safe.

The considerations could be decided later, for that night she was going to have fun, drink wine and not let the spectre of her family ruin her good time.

As it turned out, getting messy and sticky whilst stamping many grapes directly to hell was a much more cathartic and euphoric experience than several rounds with a punching bag.

Luckily there were showers set up to remove the grape entrails, otherwise the rest of the night would be more uncomfortable than it was already likely to be.

Wine.

A simple solution to a complex problem, a nice warm buzz was the goal and she interspersed the wine with water.

Dancing.

The energy of the towns inhabitants was infectious and just as intoxicating as the alcohol. She learned several dances, all the while aware of his Baldwin’s watching over her intermittently as he spent much of the evening on his cellphone.

An attractive, blonde South African male spent some time talking to her, and, being polite, she indulged him in conversation. This abruptly stopped when he placed a hand on her arm in a manner apparently too familiar for the sensibilities of the vampire watching over her, judging by the ice cold focus of his gaze on the site of contact.

The man’s eyes flickered off to the side and he retrieved his hand quickly, excusing himself.

Upon turning, Eileen found Baldwin standing a few feet away, glass in hand.

The festivities showed no sign of abating and after several more dances, Eileen scanned the celebrations for Baldwin but with no immediate success she determined that he would find her, and, enchanted by the gentle sound of the waves lapping against the sand, she followed the shoreline to where it was quieter.

With not another person in sight, she leant against the large, heavy stones making up the beginning of a cave system and removed her shoes.

She wiggled her toes into the warm sand and sighed, then smiled a little at a whimsical desire. Deciding to follow through, she waded ankle deep into the tide and closed her eyes, completely lost in the sensation of peace.

That’s when she felt the focused chill of a vampire’s gaze quicken her pulse.

“Who was he?” Baldwin asked with a silken tone, a few feet behind her.

“No idea,” she turned to look at Baldwin.

There was something different about him and it took her a few seconds to realise he wasn’t wearing his tie, surprising as he didn’t seem like the type who relaxed. But, there he was, leaning against the large heavy rock she had just been using to remove her shoes.

“I was just being friendly.” She shrugged and received no answer.

“You’re not angry because I spoke with him?” She stepped towards him.

He didn’t answer but the look he was giving warned her not to push further.

“Oh you are!” She purred, placing her hands on his broad chest and tiptoed her fingers up to his shoulders playfully.

It was a childish impulse but she felt a tinge of satisfaction from his show of possessiveness.

“Don’t-“

“Don’t what?” She prodded, letting her fingers lace together on the nape of his neck.

“Don’t test me!” He stood completely still, but the evenness of his tone suggested his stature was closer to that of a coiled snake than a prey animal caught in headlights.

“Alright, I won’t,” she turned away from him to look out at the water, “I suppose I could catch up with him, Charlie. He’s handsome, right? Athletic, strong. Probably has quite high stamina.”

“That’s enough!” He warned in a low growl, simultaneously setting off every self-preserving alarm and, perversely, every ‘make-him-snap’ impulse.

“Well obviously it’s not my first choice but since I think you’ve tired of me already, a girl has needs!”

“Be very careful about your next words little witch!”

“You don’t agree with my choice,” she teased, “you can’t just picture him helping me out of this dress, taking me to his bed,” she glanced back for emphasis but found his expression impassive, unreadable, “or maybe he’d want me on my knees first.”

He approached slowly, quietly, and gently placed his hands on her arms before lightly trailing his fingers down.

Surprised by his gentle treatment, given her challenge, she hesitated, ready to apologise for her behaviour.

The tightening grip when he reached her elbows made the words catch in her throat

Suddenly, she was pulled tightly against him, the broad wall of his chest proving an impenetrable barrier against her back as her wrists were captured in one of his hands. The other clasped her throat, instantly making her freeze.

“You are a Percy,” he lightly brushed his lips over her jaw, “that means you have been well warned on the danger of stoking vampire jealousy. Would that be accurate?”

She took a breath to answer but he tsk-ed her with a shake of his head, tightening his grip

“Not a word, just nod if my assessment is accurate.”

She complied.

“Good girl,” he cooed, “I think that pretty little mouth of yours has gotten you into quite enough trouble.”

Her wrists were under his control but her fingers still had agency enough to seek out the front of his pants, lightly running her fingertips across his growing erection, making him groan quietly.

“Not yet.” She again picked up the challenge.

He was just as aroused by providing the rough treat as she was receiving it.

“You play a dangerous game little witch,” he rasped menacingly, releasing her throat momentarily to bind her wrists together with what felt to her like silk.

His tie.

Unable to move enough to touch him and with both of his hands free to do what he willed, she was in the game now.

“I assumed there would be consequences for my disrespect-“

She was cut off by a low chuckle.

“You do not decide what happens this evening, I do,” he warned, “did you think you could provoke me to anger so easily?”

“It’s like you said,” she stammered, not as sure as before, “vampire jealousy.”

“You noticed that I removed my tie before your little piece of theatre, there’s nothing you could have done to cause or prevent this.”

His hands moved to her shoulders and he gently slid the thin straps of her dress down her arm.

“Baldwin,” she protested sharply upon feeling the cool night air brush against her bare breasts, “someone might see!”

He snaked his arm around her waist, holding her tightly to him as he gently nipped at the side of her neck.

The sensation of being trapped was doing interesting things to her body and she willingly leant against him for support, softening into his control.

“There’s no-one even remotely near us,” he reached up with the hand not holding her to him to her chest, letting his index finger circle around the hardening bud of her nipple, “vampire senses come in very handy.”

“There’s no way you can hear,” she gasped at the delicious contact, “the music, the waves.”

“I can hear well enough,” he gave a gentle squeeze at her breast before placing the palm of his hand over her heart, the family signet ring on his pinkie finger somehow colder than him, “but if you’re worried about me being distracted, those are not the main contenders.”

“My heartbeat?”

“Obviously, I’m sure even you can feel it, but even that is a secondary rival for my attention.”

She didn’t reply, not verbally anyway. His words had an effect on her and like she feared he knew, they caused her to press her thighs together, an imperceptible amount to anyone else, but enough to cause him to huff slightly in satisfaction.

“Am I to guess?” She snapped, receiving a sharper nip at the side of her neck.

There was something deeply wrong with her danger senses, she feared, given the fact that she was not only putting her veins on display for a vampire, but that she was deriving pleasure from the activity.

Her trust was rewarded when he put his hand in hers, still tied behind her back.

“It is clear to me that your needs run more extreme than I thought,” his tone was gentle, calm and warm, “just know that if we continue and you push me, I will retaliate but no harder than the nip I just gave you. If you understand and accept then squeeze my hand once, if it goes too far then squeeze twice and we end the game here.”

She squeezed once and he removed his hand from her grasp to wrap it lightly around her throat. From there, he tipped her face up to look over her shoulder at him and captured her lips in a crushing kiss.

She melted against him, the kiss lighting her on fire whilst soothing something wild and afraid within.

She hadn’t even realised that he had undone the fasteners on the back of her dress until the meagre weight of the garment settled on her hips.

From the waist up, she was bare to him, the skirts of the dress still provided some modesty.

With the hand not curved around her throat, he trailed his fingers down her sternum and navel to slip suggestively into the gap between her dress and underwear.

“Good behaviour is rewarded,” he told her between kisses, “do you want to be good for me?”

She nodded, straining for him to kiss her more.

“Tell me what you want.”

“Touch me!”

He smiled a little, hand tightening around her throat as if in response.

“I already am,” he teased, brushing his lips so close to hers but still just out of her reach, “so I must assume...”

Baldwin’s fingers travelled back up towards her navel and she fidgeted in his grasp.

“Be still!” He warned and she somehow managed to contain her movements.

“Aren’t you well behaved!” He taunted before slipping his hand inside her panties, causing her to gasp at the sensation of his cool skin against her warmth.

“I think if I don’t take you soon you may combust!” He murmured, stroking a finger between her folds, slick with desire.

He touched, teased and tested her readiness until she was a writhing, flushed and pliable putty.

In what seemed like a flash, he removed the tie, freeing her arms and turning her to face him.

He kissed her deeply and lifted her with her legs around his waist to the rocks where he effortlessly pinned her between himself and the sun warmed stone.

Pulling her underwear aside, he freed himself from just enough of his own clothes as necessary, then, with a nod of consent, he pushed into her warm, welcoming depth.

“You feel exquisite,” he groaned, pulling back slightly to push back in.

She clutched her fingers in the material of his shirt with the delicious sensation of being filled to the point of almost discomfort.

It had been a long time.

Baldwin gripped her thighs as he took her, hard, seeming to know exactly what she needed and he had her there much faster than anyone before.

“Baldwin” she cried, desperately trying to stop herself tipping over the edge, it was too quick, “I can’t, can’t stop.”

“You needed this, take it,” he kissed her as she shuddered in his arms, “and worry not little witch, this evening is far from over!”

Eileen woke as the sun started it’s ascent higher, 11am, according to the watch on the bedside, the watch still there as it’s vampire wearer himself was still asleep.

His skin was cooling her body under the hot Mediterranean climate, as she rested her cheek against his shoulder. The light cover tested loosely around their waist.

His heart beneath her hand barely beat as his chest rose and fell with shallow breathing.

He smelled tremendous, the Roman style bath he treated her to after their various exertions still bore the scents of the oil he gently cleansed her with, taking care to massage it into shoulders, wrists, anywhere he had earlier bound.

He then masterfully scraped off the oil with the strigil. A very intimate action given they were both naked at the time. A situation that normally might have been a cause of self-consciousness, at that time, after having been so thoroughly worked by his god-like stamina, she could only enjoy his attention.

The last thing she wanted to do was get up, disturb their peace so she huddled closer, her leg rubbing gently against his own, then she felt it brush her thigh.

Hard and cool as the marble in his frigidarium was his proud erection, now free from the confines of the fabric due to her movement.

She knew he was large, intimately so, but the sheer light of day exposed his skill in helping her to take so much of it.

Arousal twisted in her stomach at the sight of his powerful body and, mesmerised, she moved down the bed.

The first few quiet moans from him were gained from taking just the head into her mouth.

He didn’t actually awaken until she was halfway down the shaft.

“I see you’re still getting into trouble with that pretty little mouth of yours!” He grinned sleepily, lightly brushing his fingers across her cheek.

She released him with a definitive pop.

“It’s past sunrise,” she gazed up at him wantonly, her hand grasping tighter on his shaft, eliciting a hiss of arousal, “You’re no longer in charge.”

“Is that so?”

“Mm-hm,” she nodded, licking the tip of his cock for emphasis, “you just have to lie there and let me take care of you.”

There was a clear war in his mind from the frown on his brows to the half closed lids of his eyes.

“That’s not happening,” he brushed the hair from her face, “this trip is about you!”

“Now it’s about me showing my appreciation.”

Before he could respond, she took him into her mouth again, one hand on the base of his shaft as the other trailed up his body to rest over his heart.

“Fuck,” he groaned, his heart beating more insistent than before and she felt his muscles start to flex in an attempt to sit upright.

The wide eyed look of surprise on his face when he found himself pinned beneath her was satisfying as she again let him pop from her mouth.

“How-“ he inhaled sharply.

“You’ve never been with an earth witch, have you?”

“I’ve never been with a witch,” he confessed, “how are you preventing me from moving?”

“I can stop, if you want,” she offered with sincerity, “you’re probably not used to not being in control?”

“It’s disconcerting,” he admitted, “but you trusted me, perhaps it’s only right that I submit myself into your capable hands.”

“Are you telling me, after all the experience you’ve had, and how much you give, no-one has wanted to do this?”

“They have,” he admitted, “but, as you say, I like being in control.”

“Then, do I have your consent to continue?”

She felt the tension that settled into his muscles relax as he relaxed back onto his pillow.

He tilted his head to the side in an exaggerated attempt to study her proposal and brushed his thumb over her bottom lip.

“It appears I am in your hands Madame,” he grinned, “but please, I ask only that you are gentle with me.” He teased with infuriatingly attractive confidence.

She responded by placing a timid kiss on the tip whilst staring up at him with the most doe-eyed expression she could manage.

“As beautiful as you were last night,” he combed his fingers through her hair, “I must tell you, right now, you’re easily the most radiant creature I have ever seen.”

“You’re only saying that because I have your cock in my hands!”

“I’m saying that because it’s the truth, and another thing,” he tipped her chin up with his finger to force her attention on his gaze, “I’m in love with you.”

Whatever grasp on her earth witch powers allowed her to anchor on top of him was evaporated by his revelation.

Taking the opportunity of the upper hand, he pulled her to him and under him.

“Baldwin, I-“

“Don’t say anything,” he smiled gently, “it was my time to say it, if you feel the same way and find the right time for you, I’ll be there to hear it.”

Eileen bit her bottom lip as a mixture of pleasure and emotion combined into a heady mixture in her veins whilst Baldwin tested her readiness to take him once again.

With a push he was sheathed inside but stayed his movement for a moment to slip his arms beneath hers and brace his forearms at either side of her head.

The close quarters allowed him the capability to kiss her cheeks gently, then her forehead, the tip of her nose and finally, her lips. His hand gently cradled the back of her head as he started to move.

Overwhelmed by his admission and the tenderness of his actions, she buried her face in the crook between his neck and shoulder and her obligingly held her there until he felt her tighten around him.

“Baldwin, I-“

“I know, you’re almost there,” he soothed when she grasped at his back, “I’ve got you.”

He felt her flutter around him and took his own pleasure when he heard her speak.

“I love you too.”

After lunch, with the table in front of them covered in various documents and arrangements, they planned their immediate future.

“I’m not looking forward to packing,” Eileen rolled her eyes, “but it’s a small price to pay.”

“About that?”

“What?”

“I already had your things moved to the apartment I told you about. I’ll feel better with you close by, even on a different floor.”

“And we need a family friendly story.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Well,” she laughed, “when your sister asks to hear the grand tale of our confessing our feelings for each other I can hardly tell her that her brother said it whilst her friend had his cock in her hand-“

“And your friend said it when the aforementioned brother brought her to yet another satisfying conclusion.”

“We’ll say beach!” Both suggested in tandem.

[thistangledbrain]

Autism Awareness Month

Day 4!

“Reactions to ‘coming out’”

This might be my least favorite thing to touch on.

It was definitely a mixed bag.

My closest friends & family were like “well THAT makes sense”, and nothing really changed, except maybe showing me a little bit more understanding.

I took umbrage with the “friends” (more like acquaintances) who started treating me either like some sort of exotic creature they weren’t sure how to handle, or treating me as if I’m slow, and speaking to me as if I were a child. (A healthy chunk of those folks were the types who wouldn’t be the smartest person in the room even if they were standing in a phone booth, and it’s pretty offensive to be talked down to by those types.) 
I suppose I only was really stung by the people who *already knew me*...why would you treat me differently now? And it’s not like folks didn’t know “my weirdness”...as I mentioned in a prior post, I’ve always been myself - online and off. That “authentically me” thing is what draws many people to my circle in the first place. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I assume what bothers people is that you can’t shove me in a box, and at times I seem to be a walking contradiction. I run into this even with fellow auties...many women find it amazing that I served in the Marines (quite honorably - and frankly I think it would shock people to know how many auties find military service a very comfortable environment), and that I have more quiet confidence in myself than many can muster. (It’s not that I have all that much confidence all the time, so much as a “fuck it” sort of attitude lol...trust me, I end up embarrassing myself quite a bit 😆)

So occasionally I run up on suspicion even with other auties...plus the skepticism from some NTs I know. “Are you *sure* you’re autistic?” 🤦🏻‍♀️🙄 (Look - just because YOU experience my autism mildly, doesn’t mean I do. You know that “still waters run deep” saying? I wouldn’t necessarily class myself as ‘still waters’, but there is a LOT more going on under the surface than you’re aware of topside.)

Once again, autism is a spectrum. Folks maybe know a friend’s kid or young adult offspring who is a hot damn mess, or who is nonverbal, or who is violent and angry all the time, or who has ZERO idea of social constructs...and then there’s me, and I don’t seem to compare (*until you get to really know me* LOL...trust me, I’m a hot damn mess & DO need my “hand held” with certain things, and I *definitely* have a temper...I *used to* be a very angry person, and could be violent - but I’ve worked hard on that.)

Here’s the thing - NONE of us are really going to compare with each other like you want us to. It’s like assuming everyone with brown eyes acts the same, or something.

Think of the autism spectrum as a music mixing board. You know, with all those fun slide buttons? You increase the bass a little here, soften the drum track a little there, dial up the vocals in this part. Each autistic person you know has one of those mixing boards - but our buttons are all slid to different levels. I might have less issue with sensory processing than my Autie friend or son, but more issue with executive function. I know auties who can’t write a coherent thought, but speak eloquently - and vice versa (I’m the latter - I write far more coherently than I speak). In short, our abilities and dis-abilities vary greatly from person to person...just like anyone else.

I’ll close this entry out by saying, if you know a late diagnosed Autie, *be supportive*. It’s like we are finding ourselves again after diagnosis ...it can be scary for us, too, as we explore things we’ve suppressed so thoroughly our whole lives. Don’t make your newly diagnosed Autie feel bad if she suddenly feels like she has permission to carry a stuffed animal in her purse, or if you find him or her (usually her - females mask, mimic, and suppress, so it’s not uncommon for us to receive a diagnosis much later in life, when all that becomes TOO exhausting and we kinda...snap) suddenly okay with “stimming” around you (that can be rocking, flapping, or any manner of comforting, repetitive behavior)...or if she suddenly starts being okay with laying down some pretty sharp boundaries, after being passive and “accepting” since you’ve known her. (From an Autie perspective...you really have no idea the shit we put up with that we don’t want to, and it’s not uncommon, that I’ve seen, for women to get their diagnosis and just kinda go “welp, I’m fucking tired of pretending this is ok - it’s NOT”, and they now have permission/an excuse to tell someone to fuck straight off.

If your only exposure to autistic folks are the ones in the SPED class screeching and flapping around (hey - don’t write them off, either - many of them aren’t slow at all, they’re just TRAPPED, and chances are they’re frustrated as fuck about that), then someone like me is a real conundrum. How in the world are we both autistic?! (Psst. Because it’s a spectrum 😏)

Your best bet is to just get to know us individually, and not lump us all together. Or in other words...don’t stereotype us - that is the ultimate lesson in futility, and frustration.

I hope everyone out there is having a lovely Easter, if you celebrate it! And I hope these blogs open some eyes to the fascinating world of autism. ♥️

[wnb-o]

Twins of Twins (Beel x MC x Belphie)

hey yoooo. i got inspired from a satan(/levi) fic on ao3, and i’ve been wanting to write it down soooo, here it is. the part that i got inspo from is when MC was talking with satan (before and after canoodling, hehe) about pregnancy, and how dangerous it can be to conceive demon babies, even for female demons. so i kinda put my own take on what could happen. 

p.s., this piece is no way related to the work that it’s inspired from. this is my take on the idea of a demon/human pregnancy. also, this fic is part of one of my favorite series on ao3, and it’s got all the demon bros (belphie is not a love interest, however, but is included in the series), and diavolo and barb! it’s got romance, smut, drama, angst, and polyamorous relationships (consensual, ofc). honestly, it’s perfect. okay, imma stop talking now.

chapter warnings: language, vomiting, mentions of animal butchering, mentions of raw meat consumption

author’s note: pregnancy ain’t rainbows and sunshine, kiddies. nor is it how movies portray it. it is gross, raw, and it’s traumatic on the mom. but i applaud those who do, whether by choice or not.

italics: past

word count: 1,343

rating: 18+, r for future chapters

now, onwards and enjoy! (i’d also like to add that this is my very first fic for this fandom, and have not written anything else in quite a while, so critique is welcome)

______________________________________________________________

Being bedridden was not fun.

Not that it was by choice, though. The two little beings in my belly were the main cause of my bedridden state. I was huge by human standards, at five months. I looked more like I was almost at full term, with twins. Lucifer had told me that demon females usually only carry for five to six months, but with the babies being half-human, they weren’t really sure on how long I would be carrying. Although, it’s very possible that I would be delivering soon.

______________________________________________________________

Lucifer lightly knocked on my door, and called my name. “MC, it’s getting late, breakfast is getting cold... whatever’s left of it, anyway.”

I woke up very slowly, with the sudden urge to throw up. I could feel the acidic bile rising up my throat as I ran to my bathroom. Lucifer must have heard my retching, and announced that he was coming in my room. He came into my bathroom and immediately knelt to my side, rubbing my back in hopes to comfort me.

“Feeling better?” he asked, as I finally stopped heaving.

“Yeah, it just came out of nowhere,” I said, wondering if I caught a stomach bug. “Do you mind getting me a glass of water, please? There should a cup in the towel cabinet, from the tap is fine,” I ask him, still kneeling in front of the toilet, and spat out whatever remnants were left.

“Of course, darling,” he says, standing up. Just as he opened the cabinet door, I saw a glimpse of a box of tampons, and my stomach dropped again. Not enough to puke again, however.

“Here you go,” Lucifer turns to hand me the glass of water, and notices the complexed look on my face. “What’s wrong, do you need to throw up again?”

“I need my phone,” I say, as I stand up. I kind of wobbled on the spot, but Lucifer reached out to steady me with his free hand. “Thanks.”

I grab the glass and down it as fast as I could (at a reasonable pace, of course), and stepped out of my bathroom to look for my phone. It was usually where I left it, on the nightstand that was next to my side of the bed. I open my phone and check the calendar, trying to count the days of my last period.

Oh, shit.

I turn to Lucifer, with a worried look on my face.

“Lucifer... I’m late.” I whisper.

______________________________________________________________

Satan kept check on my well-being, making sure that he was following everything to the book on human pregnancy (and demon pregnancy), and then some. He and Lucifer had educated me early on how a demon pregnancy usually progresses. Satan also had to do further research on any possible demon/human reproductions that might have happened in the past. He found a few actual sources, but they weren’t very legible, nor were they pretty to read about, once deciphered.

Then he had to do more research on the female anatomy, and all the little (and major) changes my body will go through, and compared it with the demon female anatomy. “I need to do as much research as possible, MC. If I miss anything, it could be a matter of life or death for you, and none of us want that.” Awww... and yikes.

The only significant differences that he was able to find out about was the pain tolerance experienced during birth, the length of the pregnancy, and the cravings. I still got human food cravings, thank God (or is it Diavolo?). But I also got serious cravings for raw meat. Like, actual straight from the source, meat. It was challenging, because we had to determine what kind of raw meat that I (or the babies, in this case) was actually craving for. Turned out to be a type of mammal in the Devildom, much to my dismay. But Beel was able to provide it for me, bless his heart.

Belphie helps him in cutting up the mammal, and he’s always complaining to me about how much work it is to butcher up a 2,000-pound mammal. Although, Beel mentions to me (without letting Belphie know) that Belphie does the task with a smile and a hum. Beel asked him once if he enjoyed doing this, and Belphie simply replied, “As long as the babies are healthy and she’s happy, then I’m happy.” It warmed my heart to hear Beel slip that piece of information with me.

______________________________________________________________

Lucifer had called both of his younger twin brothers into his study a day later after the incident. He had to make an impromptu trip to the human world to pick up a few pregnancy tests. I asked him if there were any in the Devildom, to which he replied, “Even if there were, I wouldn’t want anyone to see me purchasing them. It could tarnish Lord Diavolo’s reputation and his plan for restoring bonds over the realms.” Of course, he would say that, damn him (again).

 His gaze was fixated on the couch I sat on, an angry and contemplative expression on his face. He wasn’t glaring at me, though. No, it seemed as if he was trying to put holes on the empty spots on the couch, spots that will soon be occupied by two certain individuals.

There was a knock on the door. “Come in,” Lucifer says, in an ominous tone.

Beelzebub was the first to enter, with Belphegor dragging along behind him.

“MC, what are you doing here?” Beel asked with a smile, and sat on my right side. Belphie plopped himself on the available side on the couch, and kissed my cheek. “Hey,” was all he said.

“Hi,” I replied timidly, to which Belphegor and Beel noticed right away, that something was wrong.

Belphie looked at my face for a while, to which I ignored to the best of my abilities. He fixed his gaze on Lucifer when I wouldn’t look him in the eyes. “What the hell is happening?” he asked Lucifer, with a tone that clearly said to not beat around the bush.

Lucifer stared straight back at Belphegor. “She’s pregnant.”

______________________________________________________________

Lord Diavolo and Barbatos had found out about it, naturally. Anything that happens in the Devildom never seems to slip past them. And boy, were they not impressed. A meeting was scheduled to be held at the Prince’s castle A.S.A.P., in regards to how to proceed with the pregnancy. The twins, Lucifer and I were summoned for this meeting.

“I ought to punish them for doing this to MC, Lucifer. You know how dangerous it is to rear demon children,” Diavolo said loud and clear, and glared at the twins with a disappointed look on his face. Belphie and Beel both kept their eyes on the table they were sitting in front of, both of them expressing their guilt for what they’ve done.

I raised my hand, “Excuse me, but just how dangerous is it?” I asked, feeling slightly stupid.

Diavolo sighed heavily, and rubbed his eyes in a frustrated manner.

“Rearing demon children is a very risky business, even for demon females. Because of the raw nature of their infancy, it is a danger that is considered fervently, first and foremost,” Barbatos explains in a cold tone. “As strong as we are as demons, the unpredictability of an infant demon could be disastrous for the mother, if not properly planned for.”

A chill went down my spine. Not properly planned for? What the hell does he mean by that?

“You say that it’s dangerous for even demon females... what about human females?” I ask, although I had an idea, but I didn’t like it.

Barbatos is quiet, gazing at me with a pitied look. I hated it.

“There have been very few attempts, before Diavolo’s reign, on demon and human reproduction... they never ended well. For the human involved, anyway. They always died.”

I took in a shuddering breath, and looked down at my stomach. Could this being really kill me, unintentionally?

______________________________________________________________

dun dun dun... this is originally gonna be longer than i intended (whoops), and i’m also not sure if i like the format i’m going with (jumping from present to past, and vice versa). but this is how a majority of my stories and ideas play out in my head, and writing it out like this makes sense to me, lol. i’ll try to be back with a pt.2 soon, might be up sooner if the fic is well-received :P stay safe out there, lovelies!

another author’s note: the other brothers will also feature in future chapters! also, i feel that i must warn that i WILL be writing about a very graphic birthing scene, and it’s gonna be gory (yay demon babies, jk). if that makes any of you uncomfortable, i’ll put out a warning in the chapter before the scene starts out so you can skip it.

[nyxdelanuit]

A Dream In Red Ch7

A03

Inasa had been looking for you after his class ended. He doubted you would have gone back to your dorm this early in the day, so he focused his search on the campus. He had thought that you would have stayed to yourself this early on in the semester, allowing him to settle back into your life and allowing him to become your sole confidant. He thought you would be all to himself, as you once had been. He knew it wasn’t very hero-like of him to be thinking this way, but you were the one thing he wanted to be selfish about. Why was he so hurt that you had made friends? He should be proud of you, breaking out of your stubborn shell that took him years to crack.

Maybe that was it, these new people had easily slipped through defenses that had taken him years to get through.

He finally saw you, angelic in his eyes. You were soundly asleep in the morning sun. The view would have warmed his heart if he hadn’t noticed who you had been laying on.

Kirishima smiled down at you, stroking your hair out of your eyes slowly. “Y/N, it’s time to get up. You’re going to sleep your whole break away.” Mina caught his eye as she made kissy faces at the redhead. He pinned her down with a stare, before turning back to your stirring form. “Come on, sleepyhead.” You stretched as you woke from a dreamless sleep. The chill wind helped you clear the sleep from your thoughts.

“G’morning Red.” you murmured, sitting up and rubbing at your eyes. You felt a pulse of joy from Kirishima, presumably from the affectionate nickname. You decided to pocket that information for later. Your eyes flitted over to Mina and Sero, the former with a mischievous glint in her eyes. She opened her mouth, no doubt to spill some sharp quip about your impromptu nap, but she was interrupted by a booming voice. Chill anger washed over your consciousness, causing a violent shiver to creep through your body.

“Y/N.” Inasa’s voice was rough and laden with emotion. You flinched slightly as you looked up at his imposing figure.

“H-hey ‘Nasa, what’s up?” you flashed him a nervous smile. You couldn’t remember the last time he was this angry.

“I was looking for you! Why weren’t you answering my messages?” A quick peek at your phone confirmed this, a slew of messages left unread.

“Sorry, ‘Nasa, I guess I was still tired. I kinda fell asleep.” You choked out a nervous giggle. This only seemed to stoke his anger.

“We talked about this! You can’t trust these people.” He seemed to spit these words like venom, causing your chest to ache.

“These people are my friends.” You struck back, your anger gathering from the pain.

“Friends? These aren’t friends! You haven’t even known them for 48 hours and you’re already letting your guard down enough to fall asleep on them?” His tone was scathing, and every word seemed to fall upon you like fire.

“Seems like we’re better friends than you.” Mina seemed to have had enough with his tirade, standing up to confront your longtime friend.

“You don’t get to make that decision, you don’t know her!” Inasa growled, causing Mina to flinch back. Sero stood behind her, backing her up. “And at least I’m not just friends with her to get in her pants.” Inasa leveled a glare at Kirishima, who flushed, but returned his own glare.

“Sounds like you need to get off Y/N’s dick.” A gravelly voice startled the group. Bakugou had finally found the squad and wasn’t too happy at the scene he walked in on. “Last time I checked, you weren’t her dad.” He scowled. This seemed to break Inasa out of his stride, allowing Mina to slip back into the squabble.

“Or her daddy. I don’t see her getting all wound up about all those girls you’ve been hanging out with.” Tears had begun to gather in your eyes. You didn’t want this. “It sounds like you just want to lock her up all for yourself, dude. You need to learn some boundaries.” You had hoped Inasa could be friends with them too. You felt so naive. Your tear seemed to scald your skin as it wound its way down your face. The pain in your chest started to radiate, and you felt your mind latch onto Inasa’s.

No, no, no, no, no, not now. Not here, not this. You felt your eyes glaze over as your mind latched onto Inasa’s anger, making it real.

There it was before you. You saw yourself, ethereal and wanton. You were pressed between a ghostly bastardization of Kirishima and Bakugou. You watched, unable to look away as your ghostly form kiss Kirishima passionately, messily winding your tongue around his. The ephemeral Bakugou had locked his teeth on your neck, drawing muted moans from your form. The scene seemed to waver and change, as an exaggerated form of Inasa materialized, ripping Bakugou from your neck, dissolving the ghostly Bakugou. You watched in horror as Inasa’s form tore Kirishima away from you, his hand gripped tightly around the redhead’s throat until his eyes rolled back into his head. You were then tucked into Inasa’s arm, and the scene vanished. As it fell away, your eyes locked onto Inasa, the trickle of tears now pouring down your face. Bakugou, although you were sure he wasn’t thrilled at your inclusion in his group, stood between the two of you.

It was all you could do to whimper to Inasa. “Why?”

“It looks like it’s about time for you to leave.” Bakugou’s anger simmered in the back of your head, indignant. Kirishima and Mina joined him, forming a wall between you and your friend. Was he still your friend? He seemed to think of himself as more of a bodyguard or a savior, didn’t he? Your own hero. The thought sat bitterly in your head.

You felt yourself being pulled away. It felt as if it was a dream. A nightmare. You would wake up and it would all be gone, right? You’d wake up on Kirishima’s lap, and you’d laugh, apologize. You’d accept Mina’s teasing and throw it right back to her and it would all be normal. After all, today was good. It was warm and good and not this.

A quiet voice drew you out from your own mind. Sero had sat you at a table, far enough that you couldn’t see the group anymore. His trademark grin was lost from his face, and he was gently wiping the wetness from your face.

“That’s it, Y/N, nice, deep breaths for me. You’re doing good. It’s all good. It’s not your fault.” Calming circles were being drawn on your shoulder as Sero tried to settle your breathing. This was real. A dread sat heavy in your stomach.

“I didn’t mean to do that.” Your voice seemed foreign to you, almost childlike. “I lost control of my quirk, I swear, I didn’t mean it.” You knew aside from Bakugou, Sero was the least trusting of you and your powers. This would only make it worse.

“It’s alright, calm down.” He didn’t stop or pull away, in fact, he pulled you into his shoulder. “They won’t think any differently of you. You didn’t do anything besides show his true intentions. If anything, we now know how he feels about us and now we can do something about that. If anything, I’m sure everyone’s worried about you.” Sero’s face was uncharacteristically serious. “I am too. You know that’s not healthy, how he thinks about you?”

“He just wants me to be safe.” Your objection was heavy with emotion, and you weren’t sure if you even believed what you said.

“He just wants to be the only one to keep you safe. From danger, from having friends, from life, from having a life at all.” It hurt to hear, but it was a dull hurt. You knew already. You made excuses for him.

But he was the one that had pushed you for a private internship, away from the public and away from your friends. He was the one who told you everyone was afraid of your quirk, and it would be better if you stayed away from them. He had been your only friend, the only one you kept in touch with, for a reason. You just didn’t think it was this bad.

“Now I know a thing or two about denial, so if you need to talk about it, let me know.” Sero’s smile slipped back on your face as he saw you relax.

“Why are you being so nice to me? I know you don’t like my quirk.” The words spilled from your mouth unbidden.

“Why? Cause Mina likes you. And Kaminari, Kirishima. I know Bakugou’s an acquired taste, but he’ll come around. And I like you. Not many people fit into our ragtag group, but you slipped in like a missing puzzle piece. You were meant to be here, and don’t let that meathead tell you any differently.” Sero tickled your sides, pulling a laugh out of you. “And as far as your quirk… I like Mina. A lot. And I’m sure you already knew this, I just… don’t want anyone to know. Yet. I want to do this right. I was just scared that if I let you into my head, it would all come out. It will eventually, I just want it to be my decision, ya know?” Sero looked abashed at his confession. You nodded roughly.

“I won’t tell a soul! Promise! Just please do it soon, you guys are too cute.” You held out your pinky to Sero, who chuckled and linked his pinky in yours.

“It’s a promise.” You smiled at Sero, now at ease with your strengthened friendship.

Mina had walked up during your promised, smiling warmly as she watched you. You were huddled into Sero’s side, under his arm. Your pinkies were locked together, and she could see the moist fabric Sero had used to dry your eyes. It warmed her to see Sero taking such good care of her friend. She wondered how Inasa could feel angry about your new friendships when all Mina felt was happiness. Even if this meant that Sero liked you and not her, she didn’t think she could bring herself to be mad at either of you.

Mina slid into the bench next to you, wrapping her arm around your waist and pulling you into a side hug. “Hey there, darling, I hope you two didn’t miss me too much. The boys should be here soon, so we should all get some lunch.” You leaned into Mina’s shoulder, grateful for her understanding and affection. You slipped your hand into her free one and grasped Sero’s in a similar manner. Sero seemed a bit uncomfortable with this, but after a quick look to Mina, he relaxed. Between the two of them, you felt safe. It was nice, to feel safe.

Bakugou and Kirishima wandered up later, unscathed. Bakugou still seemed quietly angry, while Kirishima looked relieved to see you. Seeing you snug between two of his best friends and accepting their support made butterflies erupt in his chest. He smiled at you, and you smiled back. Being close to them didn’t have to be complicated, you decided.

They walked around you, like a barrier. Mina led the charge, navigating your group to the cafe. Kirishima was to your right and Sero to your left. Bakugou seemed to fall behind the group, uncaring, but you could tell he was making sure no one could sneak up on you. You really were blessed.

Lunch was blessedly uneventful. Everyone was back to joking around, Bakugou was back to scathing remarks, that you belatedly realized had no real bite to it. The more you saw of him, the more interesting he became.

All too soon, it was time for the group to go their separate ways. Kirishima caught your attention, pulling you off to the side. “Hey listen, I know no one has really talked about what happened earlier. We’re all worried about you though. I hope you don’t take it the wrong way, but we’d all feel better if you let one of us walk you to your classes today, okay?” He looked embarrassed to even ask. “We don’t, like, feel that you can’t take care of yourself or anything, we just want to make sure you have someone in your corner if you need. I can even walk you if you want?”

“Isn’t your next class halfway across campus from mine?” He nodded, not seeing anything wrong with that.

“Shitty hair, my class is closer to hers. I’ll walk her. Pinky can pick her up from that class.” Bakugou shouted out, annoyed that it was taking this long to find a solution. You let out a soft giggle, causing Bakugou to scoff and look away. Kirishima sadly relented, giving you a sad smile.

“Well, I’d better get going then. Take good care of her Bakubro.” Bakugou rolled his eyes before walking off, making you jog to catch up to him.

“Hey thanks, Bakugou. For this and for earlier.” You still felt a bit awkward around him, especially alone.

“Listen up. You’re not so bad, for an extra.” Bakugou didn’t even look at you as he spoke, “But that guy isn’t even good enough to be a sidekick for some D-Lister hero with how he treats people he says are important to him.” His eyes slid to yours, “You’re 100 times better than him. Just remember that I’m thousands of times better than any of you.” He stopped abruptly in front of the door to your next class. You nodded at him briefly before walking in. As soon as you were through the threshold of your class, Bakugou walked off.

Hand-to-hand combat was exactly what you needed. You could focus all your emotion into beating on this dummy and strengthen your physical skills as well. Your muscles ached with how far you pushed yourself, but it felt better than letting your thoughts consume you. By the time your class was done, you were drenched in sweat, and sore. A trip to the showers was sorely needed. You stripped off your gym clothes and walked, towel in hand, to the near-empty shower area. You hung up your towel and turned on the shower, letting it build up heat before stepping beneath the relaxing stream. Your mind drifted to delicious nothingness as you soothed your aching muscles.

You thought you must have been daydreaming as lithe arms wrapped themselves around your waist, but panic set in soon after. A plush chest was pressed into your back with a giggle.

“Settle down sweetness! It’s just me.” Mina giggled as she stepped into your shower with you. “Wow, girl, you’ve been hiding a bodyyyy from us.” She gaped in mock surprise. You chuckled at her, settling your racing heart.

“Mina! You scared me half to death. What are you doing here?” you whined.

“My class time was spent experimenting with using my acid to melt different substances. But that means I got a bunch of different stuff on me, so I needed to wash off. I was walking out to meet you after class, but lucky me, I spotted you in here.” She shot you a wink. You grinned and stepped back into the shower’s warmth as Mina started to towel off her hair. You reluctantly turned off the shower, quickly patting down your hair before wrapping the towel around you.

You and Mina changed quickly, eager to chat in between your classes. This break was sadly short, but you and Mina took advantage of what little time you had. It was easy to fall into conversation with Mina. She was more than happy to talk about anything and everything. Right now, you were going back and forth with her on the best foods from each major type of cuisine.

“Come on, Mina, you know pasta is better than gelato, gelato is just heavy ice cream.”

“Okay, no, but also, other places made pasta besides Italy. And gelato is not ice cream. Fight me.” You rolled your eyes but continued on.

“Oh come on, you know Italian pasta is better than any other types of noodles. Carbonara, Spaghetti, I could go on.”

“Our friend Todoroki is going to hate you for saying that. I think you just haven’t had good gelato.”

The two of you fell into friendly laughter easily, and your class was much too close for your liking.

The last class of the day went by in a flash. It was a minor support class, meant to refine your abilities in emergency first aid, support items, and other skills for heroes that might not be fit for the front lines. A quick rundown of the syllabus and some reviewing of basic skills took up the entire class, and you were grateful for the end of the day.

Slinking out of your classroom, you were surprised to see Kaminari and Tetsutetsu waving you down.

“Heya, Y/N. The boys asked us to walk you back to the field by the dorms. They said you had a fight with that Inasa dude. Need me to zap him for ya?” Kaminari let a few stray sparks loose as he talked, grinning wildly. You shook your head softly.

“Honestly? I just kinda want to forget it ever happened.” You accepted an arm from each boy, and Tetsutetsu took your things. You let yourself be led through the campus, distracting yourself with the flirtatious remarks of the boys next to you.

“Aw, Y/N, you know I could get you buzzing with excitement.” Kaminari waggled his eyebrows.

“Sorry, I’m not into being electrocuted.” You giggled, watching his eyebrows wiggle like worms.

“Maybe she wants something a little more solid than your static.” Tetsutetsu huffed, flexing the bicep under your fingers. Your giggles turned into full-blown laughter as they went back and forth, comparing their pros and cons.

As you neared the dorms, you felt as if there was someone watching you. You tried to glance around without drawing the suspicions of your friends, but you couldn’t find anyone nearby. The feeling grew stronger the closer you got to your dorm, and you thought you saw Inasa, waiting outside the door to your dorm. Panic briefly coursed through you, you weren’t ready to talk to him yet. Luckily, you weren’t going to your dorm. You were worried that you’d have to walk past him though.

Kirishima came into view then, coming from the field behind the dorms. He ran to you, a smile bright on his face. It was like he had blinders on, he raced right past Inasa without even a glance. You unlinked your arms from Kaminari and Tetsutetsu, hearing complaints from both boys as you allowed Kirishima to whip you up into his arms in a twirl. He quickly set you down.

“Hurry up and get on my back, Y/N. Let’s ditch these guys!” You giggled maniacally and acted without thought, wrapping your arms around his neck and letting him grab a hold of your thighs. Kirishima quickly ran off into the field, and you had forgotten about the boy standing at your dorm, watching it all unfold.

[neverland93]

Peter Pan imagine/ Mad Hatter

Hi! Can you do a readerxpan with the song Melanie Martinez -Mad Hatter? Add whatever you want: smut, violence.. whatever you feel like, I don’t mind.

Warnings smut, violence,cursing

You weren’t a bad kid, but you definitely weren’t good, you had your share in getting grounded and in deep trouble, but nothing ever too crazy.

You see you lived in a small town called StoryBrooke , living with your sister Emma Swan the savior was kinda irritating. She was always on you for anything and everything, you weren’t aloud to be out a certain time of day, you couldn’t wear a certain type of style , you couldn’t hang with certain types of people, you were trapped it felt like, so of course you were going to rebel ever so often.

“Y/n!” Emma yelled for you . “You’re going to be late for school!”

“Okay okay okay!” You ran down stairs in a crop top, jeans, and some boots.

“Where do you think you’re going ?” Emma said

“To school?” You almost questioned it

“Not like that.” She said

“Oh come on.” You said rolling your eyes

“Go back upstairs right now and change .” She said

“I’m going to be late!” You yelled back

Emma looked at Hook for advice

“Would you rather her be late or in that ?” Hook asked

As she was about to say anything the bus honked

“Saved by the bell! Well in this case, a horn.” You ran out and didn’t say an other word.

Going to school you had one motive , graduate . You hated school, you didn’t get bullied or anything, but you just hated it. Clicks would aline, teachers were mean, P.E sucked , food was terrible. It was just a bad time all around , yeah you had friends but you always felt like you didn’t belong, when you were there all you wanted to do was to be gone.

The only thing that helped was music , you loved music, when you felt like everything and everyone was against you music made you feel better. It didn’t matter what type it was , as long as you hear music you knew everything was going to be okay.

Going home you saw that Hook and Emma were waiting for you at the door.

“Uh, yes ? “ you asked

“You got a D , in P.E , a D!!” Emma said a little louder than she should

“I told you to just home school me.” You folded your arms

“You know I can’t do that kid” She said

“Yeah because you’re too busy being everyone’s precious hero aren’t you?” You said

“That’s enough.” Hook said

“No it is not enough!” You said

“If you would just stick your head out of your ass for a second and care about your sister maybe I wouldn’t get such low grades!” You yelled

“That’s it , you’re grounded.” Emma said

“ Stop trying to be mom you will never be mom!” You yelled

“Your sister took your phone and threw it , crashing it, no more music , no more leaving this world for a couple of minutes and entering a place with only music and yourself, your peace was gone.

“No! How , how could you?” You yelled

You ran , You ran til you couldn’t run anymore, running into Mr Gold he saw you were crying.

“Why the tears Dear?” He said

You sniffled “ My sister destroyed the only thing that mattered.”

“And that is ?” He asked smiling

“My phone, it had music, I would listen to it when I was sad, or feeling alone, now, it’s gone. Just like how I want to be right now.” You said

“Gone ?” He asked

“Yes, gone, forever.” You said

“I can , make that happen.” He said with a smile

“How ?” You asked with a little hesitation

“I could send you to another world.” He said

“Really?! Where ?” You asked

“Ah ah ah, all magic comes with a price dearie, are you sure you want to know ?” he said

“Yes , I’m sure.” You said

“I can send you to a place called Neverland, BUT on one condition, your life here , will be gone forever, any memory of you will be no more , of you ever wanted to come back, no one would remember you.”

You were a little scared “No one ? At all? “ You said

“Never again.” He said

You thought about it for a while , but you thought about how truly un happy you were here, and it wasn’t healthy for you , you needed to leave , even if it meant to leave something such as your sister behind. “I’ll do it.” You said

“Ah yes of course .” He said

“Now drink this , and in a few seconds , you will see.”

He hands you a vile with liquid in it.

“What’s this ?” You asked

“It’s your ticket out.” He smiled

You were hesitant, but you drank it , it tasted bitter but also like cherry syrup.

“Yuck.” You said , you suddenly felt dizzy , and then you fell, but you didn’t fall on the floor, you fell through it.

“Whoa!” You yelled

Falling into what appears to be a galexy hole , you could see the moon, the stars, the Milky Way, all of it.

You arrived on Neverland , feeling scared, but hey who wouldn’t ?

Walking through the woods you were a little nervous, not knowing what kind of people you would run into ,if they would like you , if you would have a home or sleep on the streets, it was intimidating.

Then , you hear a twig snap behind you , you quickly turn around

“Who’s that ?!” You yelled but there was no one , you looked a little more in that direction, looking to see if there was an animal in need or anything like that. There wasn’t.

You turn around and bump into something hard.

“Ouch.” You said , face to face with a chest of young man.

“What ?” You said looking up , it was, a boy. A cute one at that.

“Who are you ?” He asked , he had a British accent.

“Uhm , I uh I I -“ You were stuttering, He was so damn gorgeous.

“Are you going to talk or ?” He asked with a little attitude

“My name is Y/n .” You said quickly

“Who brought you here?” He asked

“I was sent here .” You said

“How ?” He asked

“You sure have a lot of questions .” You said

“Do not make me repeat myself.” He said angry

“Uhm by magic.” You were a little nervous now

“Magic ? You know magic ?” He asked

“No I took a potion to send me here , because I needed to run away.” You twiddled your fingers .”

He rolled his eyes

“Gosh we have enough people as it is, first the lost boys, then the Indians , then the mermaids, now you!” He said with an attitude

“Oh…” you said a little sad

“What do you have to offer? He asked

“Excuse me?” You asked

“You heard me.” He said

“ I - I don’t know I just ran away , I really have nothing.” You said

“Well , we will have to find out then won’t we ?” He said

Grabbing your arm he pulled you to the campsite where all the lost boys are.

“Hey let go!” You yelled but he didn’t , in fact he picked you up and threw you over his shoulder, carrying you all the way over.

“You Asshole!” You yelled , kicked, scream, but eventually gave up.

You guys got close and he finally put you down.

“What the hell?!” You said

“Shh.” He said “These are the lost boys, lost boys, this is Y/N.”

“Hi” they all said at once , then went on doing their own thing.

“Who are they ?” You asked

“I literally jus told you.” He said annoyed

“You know what, there’s no need to be mean to me.” You said

“I’m king of this island and I can do whatever the hell I want.” He said

“Who died and made you king?” You said folding your arms

“Nobody died , I liked.” He said looking into your eyes , “So be careful what you say love.” He smiles in a wicked way.

You were in shock , not really knowing what to say.

Peter looked at you up and down, you didn’t say a word.

He then left you with the boys.

“So like, what are you doing here?” a boy asked

“I gave up my life style back at home and moved here, I was un happy.” you said

“Hmm.” he said then left

“Well it was nice talking to you too?” you said

Later on the night the festivities started.

One thing your learned very quickly from the boys ,they never walked, they ran, they ran like wild men, they had no manners, they fought over everything, they spit, they yelled, you wonder if this was a bad idea.

They ran to the dinner table, you were surprised at what they had, cookies, bread, soup,veggies, it was an interesting combination but you didn’t mind, you were hungry!

You ate and Peter sat next to you, watching you eat as he ate, it was intimidating. 

“What are you doing?” you asked

“Whatever I want.” he said bluntly

“Could not be an ashole for two seconds?” you said

He laughed “No. Now eat your food.” he said

You ate it with him looking at you, you didn’t know but the sight of you licking your fingers, the way you licked your lips, it turned him on.

Later that night all the boys went to bed and it was just you and Peter

“Let’s go.” he said getting up from the campsite, pouring water on the fire.

“What why?” you said

“Did I say you could ask questions?” he said, you shook your head no.

Peter felt bad he was being an ass , you were an attractive young girl, but an ass was the only way he knew how to act towards anyone.

He took you to his cabin, it was huge,,beautiful, luxury cabin.

“Wow.” you said , its beautiful

He went to the shower, “ Do you want to take one first or should I?” he asked

“Oh uh, uhm.” you stuttered

“I guess I will.” he said as he took off his shirt. and enters the bathroom, he shuts the door and you were shocked.

His body was amazing, he was hot, of course, but honestly, he was still an asshole.

A couple of minutes go by and he comes out with only an towel.

“My clothes are in the dresser.” he said bluntly 

Your eyes wonder and look at him, he gets a shirt and pants, and then goes back in the shower.

He comes out, and simply goes “Your turn.”

Showering in Peter’s bathroom was intriguing, all of his soaps , and smells, they smelled like mint and vanilla, there was a cinnamon one , you took that one, you put back on your clothes because you had only the ones on your back.

You went outside into the room.

“I only have these clothes…” you said

“I can get you others.” 

He gets up from the bed and opens the dresser

“You have other clothes for girls?” you asked

“I have a big t shirt, deal with it okay?” he said

You nodded.

You changed into his shirt, it was soft and it smelled amazing.

You came out , no bra, no panties, just his shirt.

You go to his bed, and he gets off, he puts a blanket on the floor and lay down on his back.

“The bed is mine?” you asked

“Yeah.” he said 

“Oh thank you.” he nodded

You stood awake in the late night, tossing and turning , 

Peter started to groan , almost whimper, it scared you, you sat and looked at him, he was still asleep, he was having a bad dream.

You tried to whisper his name but it only made it worse.

“Peter!” You yelled a little louder then he should he woke up and screamed , it was a terrifying scream. It scared the shit out of you .

 You can see the fear in his eyes. “Are you okay ?” You asked 

 “I’m fine.” He said taking off his shirt , he was sweating, a lot, he looked stressed, like he barely slept.

 “ Peter, whatever it is, I can help you.”

 “There’s nothing you can do.” He looked at you 

 “I can help.” You said

 “You see, I have nightmares too, what helps me is music .”You said

 “Music ?”he asked 

 “Why yes , music is beautiful, it helps all kinds of people through their pains and sufferings. You see his flute and pick it up, “may I?” You asked

 He nods

 You play a song you made up when you were little , you didn’t know much about the flute but you tried your best, it wasn’t best and it wasn’t the most terrible thing.

 At one point he even laughed because you played a note terribly wrong.

 “Hey shut up I’m trying.” You laughed as well

 “Thanks.” He looks ahead into nothing 

 “Peter are you okay ?” You asked

 “ you wanna know why I made this island?” He said

 You nodded your head and sat on the floor with him

 “I’m not the best person, I’m was way worse than I am now. You see , when I first moved to this place I was wreckless, I still am . I hated everyone, everyone that was normal , that’s why you noticed every lost boy has a little something off about them, they’re crazy , I feel more sane when I’m with them.” 

 You nodded , letting him know to go on “I’m nuts, I’m mad, I’m the craziest thing you would ever see. People say I’m psycho , well, I probably am. I used to kill my lost boys, I would teach them how to fly, then I would throw rocks at them, make them fall into their death, sometimes into the ocean and let them drown. I would make the fairies my slaves , I would make them do the most disturbing things for me, I would poison the pirates with all types of stuff , I would laugh at how drunk I was the morning after getting wasted , I drink so much , I would black out and wouldn’t be up until it got dark the next day.”

 You looked at him and shook your head , “ So, you’re crazy.” You asked

 “ Yeah , I guess, we’ll I mean so what if I am? The best people are.” He said

 You looked at his arms , his hands , they looked rough , like they haven’t been handled by a girl in so long . “Peter .” You looked at him He looked at you and he already know what you were thinking because he grabbed your chin and kissed you , you were taken back at first but you kissed him right back. 

His lips were like velvet, they melted like chocolate into yours, he slowly rubbed your legs going more and more up your big shirt, you were getting nervous, but you would never show it

. Grabbing his hair you got a little moan out of him, he then went under your shirt and grabbed the inside of your thighs , You twitched a little bit, you never been handled like that before, he picked you up so that you sat on his lap, still on the floor you disconnected your lips from his , he looked at you “ Are you okay?” He asked so politely You nodded your head , “ Go on.” You smiled He grabbed your ass and lightly squeezed it , you loved it , moaning a little bit and feeling nervous about being loud because the lost boys would hear.

 He then rubbed the top of your clit and you were slowly getting turned on , with his other hand he grabbed your boob and started to play with your nipple, flicking it and making it hard. He then lifted you up and lay you down on the bed , kissing your stomach and making his way to your thighs , he kissed your thighs so softly yet rough all at once , he kept getting closer to your clit , til he licked it and you gasped, it caught you off guard.

 He started to eat you and you couldn’t help but make noises “Oh fuck.” You moaned He fingered you and ate you out all at once , it was a lot for your first time.

 You were getting a little loud “Peter stopped and came up and kissed your forehead “Shh loves, the lost boys will hear.” He laughed, so hot. You nodded He began to take off his pants and his boxers It had to be at least 6 inches , You gulped loud “Peter.” You said “Do you not want to?” He asked “I’m a virgin…” You said “I’ll go slow okay ? If something hurts just tell me okay ?” You nodded, you didn’t understand he was being so sweet, it’s like sex changed him ,he was so much nicer.

 He slowly entered you and you lost it. “OH FUCK.” You screamed At this point Peter didn’t even care , you felt so good. “You’re so damn tight.” He said He thrust in you and you just kept moaning, scratching his back as he left hickeys all over your body, but not to where the lost boys could see, he only wanted to see them. He whispered sweet nothings into your ear He kept asking if you were okay , he kept telling you how beautiful you were, he kept telling you that you were going to be okay.

 He looked deep in your eyes and all you could do was just moan, you could barely speak, he left your breathless. He then took off your shirt and started to suck on your tits, licking and hitting on your nipple, he was so good at what he did . How the hell ? When the hell? It didn’t matter . He was amazing at it. He was getting close to cumming , and you were too. “Peter I’m gonna -“ “Me too just hold on a little longer love.” He said His thrust were getting sloppy and he was swearing up a storm.

 You scratched his his back so hard , leaving marks and even drawing blood, he loved pain, it turned him on.

 You then bit his neck and that’s when he lost it , he came in you and you came as well. Both moaned and yelled, he got off of you and lay on hi back , panting and breathing hard , looking at your and wondering what you were about.

 He was curious, he liked you already. “What ?” You asked shyly He laughed “You’re crazy, just like me.” He said “ how ?” You asked a little curious “ you came on my island this morning and by tonight I have you naked in my bed.” He smiled wickedly “You got on top of him “And , so what if I’m crazy ? The best people are.”

[zalrb]

i kinda get what that anon meant by it kinda being contradicting of you to ship bonnie and kai. kai may not be as bad as damon but he’s still an abusive piece of shit. why would you want bonnie w someone like that lol no sense

1. I read somewhere once that Tumblr has the psychological mindset of a 7 year old and I feel like I confront that daily simply because nuance doesn’t seem to be a concept that anons grasp. I don’t have to like one form of ship, I don’t have to stick to one kind of dynamic, the reasons I ship Bonkai are completely different from the reasons I ship Stelena and you know what, that’s OK.

2. Yes, Kai did shitty things because as a villain his role was to do shitty things, what I would ship of BK is a dark, non-redemptive dynamic. I have said this repeatedly. And I mean repeatedly. From a previous post:

…nor had I really seen a man approach Bonnie in this manner, there’s an instant intrigue on Kai’s part and it was a good contrast to Damon who spent his time constantly putting Bonnie down while with Kai “I just wanted to feel your hand on my chest” “Don’t listen to him Bonnie” like he was actively courting/seducing Bonnie and on the flipside of that, he saw her as a worthy opponent; he never underestimated her intelligence or her power, in fact he wanted to unleash it, he wanted her to realize just how much power she had whereas with opponents like Klaus, they’re constantly underestimating her and it was nice to see someone believe in Bonnie even if in a twisted sort of way. 

And then when Kai merged with Luke and was able to feel … I had my issues with it because I have an issue with TVD turning their antagonists into sappy, woe-is-me, I-had-a-hard-life characters, there always seems to be a need to stamp them with some sort of redemptive quality and I found Kai so refreshing because he had none of that but when he did feel, he was preoccupied with Bonnie. He was preoccupied with wanting to see her, wanting to get her to forgive him, wanting her to give him another chance, wanting her to see that he changed, he couldn’t stop thinking about her and that never happened before.

Bonnie has never really been anyone’s first choice — not even Jeremy, he chose Anna over Bonnie (”Why are you thinking about me when you’re calling her?” “I didn’t know that I was! I guess I never stop thinking about you”) and Anna had decided to let him go in 3x07 and that’s how he was able to move on because she forced him to — to the point that Kai risked dying so Jeremy could go back to the nineties to leave a clue for her, he played more of an instrumental part in her return than Elena did. (And to add to this even with BE, Enzo had to put her down and pine after Lily who had to die before he even looked at Bonnie). Bonkai is a relationship that is actually about Bonnie

The second reason why I ship Bonkai is because of the potential of what number 1 offers. I write Bonkai fanfiction and my fanfiction is grounded in the fact that Bonnie and Kai would not be a healthy relationship because I mean I don’t have any delusions about their dynamic: she killed him, he terrorized her, they manipulated each other and yet throughout these dangerous, bloody fights these two had, there was still this tension between them.

And I never thought TVD portrayed consuming relationships properly, never portrayed a I-hate-you-so-much-and-yet-I’m-obsessed-with-you-this-sucks-but-it-can’t-ever-stop relationship properly and I felt like that could be Bonkai. A scenario in which Bonnie is so resentful and angry and hurt that her friends did a terrible job in rescuing her, which makes her think about all of the things she’s done and given up for the people around her that sort of shifts her perspective of them so that when she gets back from the 90s, she’s not the same person she was before. She can’t connect to the people she had so many times previously sacrificed for, she’s numb and she’s completely disengaged and doesn’t feel anything but not a part of this world except for when she thinks about Kai or sees Kai because she’s overcome with rage at what he’s done to her, she’s overcome with hate, these violent emotions that are almost terrifying to experience but make her feel alive because she’s feeling something but when she’s confronted with him that same sexual tension is still there, which disgusts her but which is so intense that it can’t be ignored and which she is perversely grateful for because it’s something else she can feel. While on the other hand, Kai is battling having emotions surrounding Bonnie at all, conflicted and torn up with all of these feelings he never asked for or wanted but can’t get rid of and that are as overpowering as Bonnie’s savage sexual attraction to him and it all cumulates into a consuming, intense and yes, toxic relationship. Because Bonkai to me isn’t a great redemptive romance, Kai actually isn’t boyfriend material but instead of being JP about it and being a hypocrite about it (because how the hell is Damon boyfriend material either) I would play with that  — what happens when a man who isn’t boyfriend material is in this relationship with a woman he has such strong, dangerous feelings for while that woman has equally dangerous feelings about him and actually hates him but can’t stop herself from being in some sort of relationship with him? Because that’s the thing about consuming and toxic relationships, they can be unhealthy and they can be passionate and they can be excellent vehicles for character exploration (Spuffy is a very good example of this) and I think it would be so interesting to explore Bonnie through this lens. Because a) as I’ve said before, TVD never really explores a woman feeling something dangerous, feeling something dark and feeling something they can’t stand but actually can’t help feeling for a dangerous and morally repulsive man, instead what they have is a woman feeling romantic, gooey feelings for the wrong man and that’s what makes it “dark” the fact that the man is dangerous, the feelings themselves are not, which is why when Elena says “missing Bonnie makes me sad, missing Damon makes me dangerous” her feelings aren’t actually dangerous, what she feels isn’t actually dark, what she feels is just supposed to be regular emotions times ten that she does something supposedly crazy but with Bonnie I would make Kai bring out her more impulsive and darker emotions, which he already did in the prison world considering that Bonnie had never actually killed anyone before meeting Kai and I would have that connect to her magic, see how experiencing such intense and savage emotions that scare her for a man she hates affects her abilities as a witch, who she is as a witch, what she does as a witch; I mean the possibilities of that are endless. 

3. I realize people can’t wrap their heads around knowing a ship would be problematic but understanding the paths that it could take these two characters on and shipping it for those problematic qualities. There’s an inherent desire to excuse and defend.

[sure-as-eggs]

I feel like I’m missing something. Isn’t Ed making fun of Oswald’s limp/appearance just Ed being a villain? Shouldn’t he BE awful? I feel like people are holding him to good-guy standards. I hope this isn’t offensive. I’m just confused why people are mad that a villain is being a villain.

That’s a fair question, and I can absolutely tell that it was asked in good faith, so don’t worry!

I 100% agree that, as literal super-villains, the members of Gotham’s rogues’ gallery have to be interpreted a little differently than standard “good guy” characters… Oswald’s return to form after Arkham involves murder and cannibalism, and you kinda just go “oh hey, he’s back!!” Trying to keep track of who cut whose hands off so you know what to expect out of future alliances isn’t necessarily a ‘normal’ thing.

Let me see if I can try to explain why mocking someone’s disability or tapping into anti-Semitic tropes for a costume feels different to me…

One big problem here, right off the bat, is that Ed is a character we’re meant to root for.   He’s written to be sympathetic. We’re supposed to feel bad when bad things happen to him, and happy when he’s happy. Even in the scene when he’s literally strangled his girlfriend to death, the tragic music swells behind him as he sobs over her body, and it’s entirely his fault but his feelings are still just as important to the scene as his actions.

By comparison, the narrative never really sets us up to empathize with, say, Jerome or Jervis. I’m not saying you can’t do it, just that the show doesn’t expect you to. It is clearly not espousing the viewpoints it puts in Jerome’s mouth when he kidnaps Bruce: we’re supposed to be on Bruce’s side. We’re supposed to be happy when he wins and Jerome loses. We can feel that.

On the other end of the spectrum, we are meant to be sad when Ed shoots Oswald. It has nothing to do with either of their moral standing; even Oswald admits that murdering Isabella was a bad choice, though maybe not for reasons most people would be on board with. Oswald is a villain and a terrible person, and we are still supposed to care about him deeply and want him to be okay.

The upshot of all this is that the show has us primed to accept and excuse the things Ed does, to empathize with him and find some way to identify with him, or even to justify him. We forgive Sarah Essen for not standing up to the system. We forgive Harvey Bullock for his history of corruption. We (maybe, some of us,) forgive Lee for her self-destructive impulse to take the Tetch virus. We forgive Jim for whatever Thing he’s decided to do this week. We’re supposed to.

We forgive Oswald much worse acts. Again, we’re supposed to.

Would we forgive Ed more mundane cruelty? Are we supposed to?

There’s a different resonance to fantastical off-screen villainy like the way Oswald deals with his step-family than there would be to something immediate and petty and potentially familiar (potentially doable) like mocking someone’s limp. I really doubt many people out there have accidentally been tricked into eating their children, so it’s easy for all of us to move on from that scene. There’s a fairy-tale logic to it that we can all accept.

But I guarantee you that pretty much everybody with mobility issues has had to grin and bear it when somebody at some point in their life decided to play comedian. It’s not a fantasy to them. And it would hurt to see somebody they care about, even if they’re fictional, disrespect them.

…I’m going to risk getting too personal here and warn for self-harm for this next paragraph, so go ahead and skip ahead if you want, you won’t miss anything crucial, it’s just an example. I had a mild panic attack during the scene where Jim gets hit by the fear toxin and hallucinates Lee. I am years recovered, and I’ve handled scenes like Beth’s suicide attempt on The Walking Dead with little to no problem, but it took me quite a while to calm down from that scene because of how it was presented. It was framed as tragic and Bad, sure, but the lingering shot of the blood lapping between Lee’s breasts, the seductive “do it” whispers when Jim had the blade to his wrist… That scene didn’t reflect my experience. It didn’t CARE about my experience. That scene disappointed me after the excellent and nuanced way it handled Jim’s suicidal depression under hypnosis in Season Three, because it used something real people had really struggled with solely to create titillating drama for its fictional characters.

Okay, we’re good again. I’m not saying villains can’t be villains, or that dark themes and cruel actions can’t be portrayed, but we have to think about the reason we’re telling the story to begin with. If you hate Ed (and every other character) already for being immoral and a Bad Guy… Why are you watching the show?? If you write everybody off once they start down a villainous path, if you don’t empathize with them once they start taking actions you deem bad or wrong, if you’re not willing to suspend some disbelief and blur some lines to see through a character’s eyes, then who the hell are you left rooting for??

Again, if we weren’t supposed to care about Ed’s perspective, I think this would be a different issue. If I was sure the narrative would punish him for any Bad Guy shit he pulled, it would be another issue all over again. I’m thinking of Sal Maroni’s sexism in the Season One finale - that was GREAT. He was a bad guy being bad in a way that was going to hit home for female viewers, but nobody was rooting for him or thinking he was cool, and the climax of the scene was him getting shot in the face by somebody (a woman) whom we WERE supposed to think was cool.

It’s a badass scene with a sleazy character being sleazy and a violent character being violent, but it also conveys a message from the Real Live People running the show to the Real Live Audience: Sal Maroni is wrong. Sexism is wrong. Don’t do this in real life, don’t think you’re justified in pulling this shit, because it’s wrong.

Ed killing Kristen is another example I was really impressed with. Nobody pretends it’s anything but a horrific injustice, nobody on screen justifies it or wants it to have happened. Crucially, Ed himself knows it’s a tragedy. Seeing her killer regret what he’s done and continue to be haunted by it across seasons tells us that Kristen did nothing wrong, that it was a Bad Thing that should never have happened. Lee gets to voice that aloud, Jim gets to be disappointed and angry at the things Ed’s done. The viewers get a message completely separate from the act itself. The story goes out of its way to tell you that, even though you like Ed and care about him, there’s no excuse for his actions.

Who’s going to call him out for his anti-Semitic costume choices? Is Oswald going to bring it up if Ed is insensitive to his disability or mocks his mannerisms in a way that’s cruel to his sexuality? If it’s not addressed, then we have a problem. Because, while in-universe it might make perfect sense for Ed to be a total asshole, Ed isn’t real. And the people watching the show are. We tell stories for a reason, and if they result in anyone feeling justified in being more cruel or dehumanizing than they were before, then a mistake has been made.

…I’ve rambled for a long time here and I have no idea if I’ve made any sense.

Look, tl;dr: everybody watching Gotham has favorite characters, and all those characters have done terrible things. That’s OKAY. It’s natural to be fascinated and moved by the darker aspects of humanity. It’s healthy to stretch your empathy and your imagination. But at the end of the day, fiction becomes part of our reality. We carry things away with us. And stories have a responsibility to be cognizant of the messages and perspectives they’re supporting.

[pluvihelion]

HEADCANON: LANCE’S BEHAVIOR  (1/??)

so in lieu to going through many salt posts , blogs , and seeing lots of things that kinda made me question things . . .  i’ve determined that i'm making my lance  canon divergent .   and i want to discuss some of his canonical behavior in general.

topics include: lance’s relationship with keith in general and lance’s flirtatious behavior.

LET’S START WITH LANCE AND KEITH.  

i’ve always stated that the main reasoning behind why lance acts the way he does stems from insecurity and a desperate, inherent need to make a name for himself. this still stands true.  lance has a poor viewpoint of himself and unhealthily puts keith on a pedestal as someone perfect (despite, canonly, that keith is very much flawed and lance’s glorification of him is a manifestation of his own poor mental state --- which i’m not stating that keith isn’t talented, but rather that lance’s tunnel vision of keith is skewed and not entirely accurate).  

because of his own self deprecation, lance projects his negative feelings onto keith, whether he truly realizes what he’s doing or not.  keith is lance’s punching bag and in the moment it makes lance feel better,  albeit not helping the root cause of the issue.  lance doesn’t quite know how to regulate these emotions and handle them in a healthy manner, and thus keith (shown as someone quiet and not engaging) dismisses lance, which further aggregates that gnawing feeling of inferiority.  it quickly escalates and drives lance to continue to extremes, his dramaticism fueling this desire to be noticed.

these insecurities lance has does not excuse his shitty behavior

lance has both GOOD and BAD qualities, which is what makes him human.  we see keith and lance bond, and we also see them fight  (mostly one sided, as lance usually instigates and keith simply rolls with it).  and the fact they have the capacity to bond suggests to me that LANCE DOES NOT HATE KEITH, but hates himself and blames everyone else (mostly keith) for it.

so when i say that lance needs to come to terms with that being himself is enough and that there is nothing wrong with loving himself, i’m not insinuating that his behavior toward keith is acceptable. i’m stating that it’s okay that he’s just LANCE. he doesn’t need to be the best at everything to be worthy or good enough. and lance has so much to learn with this. he needs to learn self love, GROW UP, and apologize for his actions. he’s still so painfully immature and this behavior only exacerbates this phenomenon.  

i still wholly think they do not hate each other. that isn’t the root issue. and once a genuine moment of vulnerability and truth emerges between them, i feel they have the capacity to become great teammates, and possibly even friends.

especially because i feel like keith can understand lance?? hey may not get why it’s HIM that lance targets, and regardless keith will be angry and upset with lance, but there is that possibility that keith will understand that insecurity. there is so much potential, but lance needs to stop being shitty to keith (and not just that ---- learn to not project his emotions onto others) before any kind of true bonding can happen.

this definitely won’t happen until long after seasons 3 / bp keith , it will take so much development on BOTH ENDS to reach this point.

how am i diverging from canon?  simple :  my lance does not hate keith but rather hates himself , & his negative behavior CAN be corrected (unlike those who feel lance is a shitty person in general, whereas i believe that lance has developed unhealthy coping mechanisms and thus has the capacity to alter such into something much more healthy).

NOW TO LANCE’S FLIRTING...

LANCE 👏 DOES 👏 NOT 👏 HARASS 👏 WOMEN 👏

there is a SIGNIFICANT difference between someone being flirtatious and someone sexually harassing another being, and the fact i actually have to say this makes me ill.

i’ve seen things floating, mentioning that lance “sexually harasses allura and other women” because of his consistent flirting and  ‘ sexualization of the female body ‘ ... let me tell you how that isn’t true ----- more so for my interpretation of lance

first, appreciation of beauty does not equate sexualization. it’s firm canon that lance is attracted to the female form, yes.  he’s stated (verbally and nonverbally) of such things. but since when is attraction = sex?  lance does not view women as sex objects, he’s got so much respect for his female superiors at the garrison, for allura, hell even for his own family.  lance isn’t one to shy away from declaring the beauty of others, and because of this feat shouldn’t be demonized for it. just as we are allowed to state others are pretty / cute / etc , so is lance. plain and simple.

second, lance’s flirting is harmless. because of his inherent appreciation of beauty (particularly that in the female form) lance isn’t afraid to voice it.  at no point in any of the episodes do the women feel very uncomfortable (a notable feeling when otherwise sexually harassed) nor do these women take his minute comments seriously.  it’s mostly out of annoyance that allura would roll her eyes, and she knows lance is harmless with what he says.  the rest of voltron know this too.

and even if he were to make someone uncomfortable, no doubt lance would cut it out right then and there.  he doesn’t mean harm in any of the flirtatious words he says, nor is it his goal to make others uncomfortable or uneasy.  he’s simply teasing, voicing his appreciation in the form of pick up lines,  but when asked he will stop altogether.

this mostly stems from an inherent lack of impulse control, mostly relating to the fact he speaks before he thinks.  this also contributes to his rocky relationship with keith, as lance shows no regard to keith’s emotions when he lashes out.  

honestly . . .   call lance out on his shit and i have no doubt he will stop. he may be young and naive and immature, but he is not gross.  

also, just a bonus note:  his pick up lines are also usually used to test the interest level of the other party as well. lance is a romantic, and despite his search for love being frivolous as he should be focusing on loving himself, lance does not hesitate to try and see if those beautiful women might find him equally as beautiful back. he is a playful and passionate lover, and so his expression of intimate feelings will be different than that of keith or shiro or whomever.  

and just because lance expresses this side of him different doesn’t exactly mean it’s bad or unhealthy. 

[mollieflockka]

TM2 RANT

               TM2 RANT            

Hi guys! I know its been a very long time since I’ve posted any TM or TM2 recaps or rants but I’ve decided to start again because who doesn’t love hearing my judgmental opinion on a bunch of people none of know personally!? That being said, also know this: I’m well aware this show was filmed last year and I’m also aware that these opinions are based off of what we see on the show/IG/twitter ect. None of us know Leah, Chelsea, Jenelle or Kailyn in real life (although if you’ve watched the show since day one, we might feel like we do) so our opinions and things we say really are invalid. However, these people put their lives on television so in that case, they are putting themselves out there for judgement. (some more than others…) so here we go!

s7ep18

Watching Jenelle constantly disrespect her mother is sometimes painful.  Bab’s isn’t perfect but she deserves some respect. She is raising Jenelle’s child, which in my opinion, no grandparent should have to do. I give credit where it’s due and I think we can all agree Jenelle has come a long way and as far as we all know, she is no longer using but that doesn't change her mean spirited personality. Also, I think Nathan knows something we don’t and I’m staring to think that David might be a very controlling, angry person. He does show some signs of an abuser BUT I will not go as far as to call him one because as I stated above, none of us know what really goes on. The fact that these two have multiple baby mommas and daddies is a huge mess but I guess there are worse things in the world. Do I personally find it kinda nasty/irresponsible? Absolutely. Maybe she was embarrassed and that’s why she was trying to hide it. But either way, whats done is done. (Super done now because didn’t she just squeeze this baby out like last week?) Now on another note, someone needs to teach Jace some fucking table manners. He is beyond old enough to know how to eat like a human being. While I was grossed out by the scene in question, I was still paying attention. This little boy knows wayyy too much about the legal problems between Jenelle and Babs and they are both at fault here. Jenelle bad mouths Babs all the time right in front of Jace and we hear Babs say things like “Mommy and David don’t want me around.” I am 100% sure this confuses the shit out of the poor kid and you can always, always tell he would rather be with Barbara, which only makes sense because he has lived with his grandmother his whole life. That is the home he knows. Jenelle needs to understand that removing Jace from his environment now will proabably result in some mental trauma/confusion/behavioral problems and I think that a judge would feel the same way. Jenelle has turned her life around, we can all see how well she is doing but that doesn't excuse how selfish she was for the first seven years of Jace’s life. She will eventually have to find a way to make that up to him and popping out 93023954 more kids and trying to make him live like nothing bad ever happened is not it. I think Chelsea and Cole have absolutely made the right decision about putting off the wedding. Planning for a baby and a wedding at the same time sounds like some very stressful hell and I totally get what she means about wanting to pictures to look a certain way. I know for me personally, I’d wanna be at my smallest for my wedding so having a big ol baby belly probably isn’t her idea of perfection either. Aubree is adorable and Cole is great. I really never have anything bad to say about Chelsea (though I’m sure she’s not perfect and has her own issues)  From what we are shown, things look great. All that being said, can someone please punch Adam in his dumb fucking face? He is a loser with nothing to show for anything except having a nice body. That’s literally it. Hes a complete douche sandwich with the personality of a stiff sock and his girlfriend looks like a huge bitch. Adam acts like MTV owes him something when they definitely don’t. I have never seen him doing or saying anything nice since Chelsea’s episode of 16 and pregnant. He acts as if the viewers would give a shit if he stopped filming and I think most people would agree with me that seeing less of Adam would not break our hearts in the least. How dare he bitch and moan about 900 dollars in child support when that’s literally all he does for Aubree is pay for material shit? That’s great and helpful, but it’s not being a dad. Leah is boring me this season, not gonna lie. But the girls seem much better behaved now that she has her life straightened out. (I wish she would clean her fucking car though...) But good for her, she seems to be okay for the most part. I think Cory is a great dad but I think he maybe be in a little bit of denial about Ali’s condition. Should he have faith in her and in her doing things on her own? Absolutely 100% but he should also probably be prepared for what could happen. However, everyone deals with that kind of situation differently and I think for now this is his defense mechanism. As far as uprooting the girls from their classmates, I’m on Cory’s side and I’m glad he held his ground so the girls wouldn't have to go to a whole new school with kids they don’t know. But props to Leah for not starting a fight over it. Seriously, she’s come a long way. I have no doubt that if that would have been up for debate a few years ago, Leah would have been a big crying, screaming mess over not getting her way. I am so rooting for her and for this family. I really think they’re great people and they, to me, are the most relatable out of the series. FUCKING Kailyn....what in the name of all that is holy has happened to this girl? I remember watching Kail’s episode of 16 and pregnant and feeling awful for her. Her mom was (is?) a horrible bitch who should have been there for her the whole time. Jo was acting like a total dick at the time, which, now, looking back I kind of get. He was a sixteen year old boy with a kid on the way. (And I don’t say the same of Adam because he, unlike Jo still hasn’t grown up.) We watched as Kail struggled more, in my opinion, than any of these other girls. As Teen Mom came out, I remember seeing Kail do every fucking thing on her own. Getting into her little, tiny, place. Getting a job. Going to school. Getting a car. I will ALWAYS give Kail credit because she literally started from the bottom and she did work for everything in her life, on her own. For a while she was one of my favorite Teen moms because I loved watching her blossom and grow as a person and keep her life on track with no support. FAST FORWARD to now (or last year, rather, since that's when all this was going down.) what a difference I see in her! And not a positive one. Plastic surgery and MTV money have very clearly gone to her head. We all know she cheated on Javi first and that’s not even the fucking point anymore. Forget all the drama between the two of them. NO ONE (other than Jo and Vee, obviously) is taking two seconds out of their life to worry about how this is all affecting Isaac. It’s not hard to tell that Isaac is a very sensitive, sweet little guy with a huge heart and I was honestly fighting back tears watching Jo try to explain this current situation to him. Thanks to Jo, I think Isaac has a shot at some sanity here but if this was all left up to Kail, I don’t think she’d know how to handle his emotions. AND the reason for that is this; Kail doesn’t handle her own emotions. She was said before that she is robot. In my opinion, Kail has endured so much trauma and abandonment herself that she probably needs a fair amount of therapy to learn how to feel the things that she needs to feel. It is so heartbreaking to watch this family fall apart, but it is even more heartbreaking to hear Isaac say out loud that he is not okay, that he is scared and he doesn’t understand. I don’t think anyone should stay married if they are unhappy. That’s not healthy for anyone. But I think everyone involved needs to put themselves in Isaac’s shoes. He was been waiting for what seems like years to him for Javi to come home. Javi gets home, and then leaves again. He comes and visits, takes the boys places and then leaves again. How can Kail honestly believe that Isaac is just going to be okay? She is setting this poor little boy up for so many issues and I don’t think she even notices. Kail is strong, yes. And she’s been though a lot but I think she needs to realize that Isaac may not be as strong emotionally as she is trying to force him to be. On a lighter note, Javi’s friend is ridiculously hot.

Until next time, guys. <33