#fukae fanfic

[fukae-flwr]

Stained Hearts & Dark Desires

Chapter 1 Unexpected Reunions

Summary: Our story begins 7 years after the events of their 5th year at Hogwarts. Ominis and Sebastian check on Anne, who has been suspiciously silent for some time. Unexpectedly a long time enemy falls right into their hands.

Word count: 3.4k words

Rating: MATURE!!! 18+ (NO MINORS!!!)

Warnings: Violent thoughts and Slight mentions of murder but very brief

Chapter: 2,

“It's unlike Anne to not respond to your owls, Ominis.” Sebastian expressed his concerns. He took long strides in hopes to move faster towards Anne’s little cottage in Feldcroft. She had wanted to leave the cottage all together after what he had done, but having only been fifteen, and a female with no other living relatives willing to take her in, she had to stay, lest be an orphan on the streets.

With Ominis’s help, Anne was able to completely change the interior of the cottage, making it feel like a completely different home. With that and keeping her distance from Sebastian for the first three years, Anne was able to move on with her life. Sebastian wasn’t sure why, but after those three years, Anne finally wrote him a letter stating she’d be willing to slowly let him back in, but still held him responsible for their Uncle’s death.

Sebastian never felt more grateful than he did at that moment. He swore he’d never hurt her ever again like that. He has been working hard, at Anne’s pace of course, to win her back. She occasionally responded to his owls, but always responded to Ominis’s. It was fair, so he didn’t let his jealousy take hold of him; he understood the reason.

It was only recently when Ominis had sent his usual owl about their endeavors, that they realized Anne hadn’t sent a response in over a week. Usually Anne’s owl only took a few days, a week at most, but her replies were often consistent, unlike now. Which led them to where they were today, fastly approaching Anne’s cottage in hopes to find her in her living room going about her day. Due to prior engagements with the Ministry, they were unable to arrive in Feldcroft before sunset.

“I agree. Let’s hope she simply has not gotten around to sending her response yet.” Ominis was trying to stay positive, but Sebastian could tell from the look on his face, he was just as worried as he was. They quickly rushed to that familiar cottage with a lovely garden out front. Upon closer arrival, it was a little on the unmaintained side. Not quite fully neglected, but both the boys knew Anne enjoyed keeping her garden well maintained. If Anne was gone, she hadn’t been gone long.

“The garden is not as pristine as it should be,” Sebastian pointed out for Ominis.

“Perhaps she fell sick?” Ominis offered as he headed towards the front door. Sebastian close behind.

“Doubtful.” Even if she was sick, Anne could be as stubborn as Sebastian. She often thought since she survived through her curse, she could get through anything. Nothing stopped her from living her life anymore, not even something like illnesses.

It was dark inside, and much to their dismay, lifeless. Ominis walked over to the fireplace, while Sebastian ran to the bedroom upstairs. The bed was perfectly made and untouched. Everything was exactly where it had always been.

“The fireplace hasn’t been used in awhile.” Ominis called out. Feeling the suffocating anxiety building up inside, he quickly marched down the stairs.

“The bed hasn’t been touched either. Damn it!” Sebastian cursed.

“My wand isn’t depicting any signs of a struggle, perhaps she left of her volition?”

“Without telling either of us? Where could she have gone?”

Before Ominis could say anything, a loud thump filled the eerily quiet cottage. It was muffled as it must have come from outside.

“Outside. Quick!” Ominis quickly began to run out of the house. Sebastian right on his heels, headed for the source of the sound. Racing around the cottage, Sebastian spotted a woman not too far, running towards the forest line.

“Ominis!”

“I hear her!”

They both took off after her, Sebastian casting Arrest Momentum, but the woman rolled out of the way while turning to face them to throw a depulso back at him. Ominis was quick enough with pretago to block the spell, thankfully.

“It’s that woman Anne had over a while back!” Sebastian exclaimed as he threw out shots to stop her escape. She was clearly an expert at blocking the basic casts, throwing pretgo up at the right moments.

He recognized Penelope’s wavy long blonde hair, and piercing green eyes immediately. He had only met her once and it was over a year ago. Their first introduction had been pleasant, nothing out of the ordinary. She was overly friendly and apparently a fan of the both of them, but nothing all that strange. Thanks to the Daily Prophet, they had made quite the name for themselves.

Sebastian and Ominis chased Penelope into the forest, the woman avoiding all of their spells. She occasionally threw out a few spells herself, most of them being on the defensive side. Spells meant to slow or stop the opponent such as depulso, and glacius. She wasn’t really acting on the offense, only trying to get away. Something he wasn't going to let happen.

Finally getting close enough, Ominis casted the blasting curse at the closest tree to her, sending the large tree crumbling down in front of her. Pieces of the tree shot out towards her, knocking her slightly off balance while she shielded her face from the chunks. Taking the opportunity, Sebastian threw out the Incarcerous charm towards her. He watched the rope fly towards Penelope as she attempted to move out of the way after just barely gaining her composure. It wrapped itself around her legs, forcing her to fall backward down a slope off to the side.

“Got her!” Sebastian exclaimed victoriously.

“Good job, Sebastian!” Ominis quickly slid down the slope side, to reach her at the small clearing she had landed in. He quickly summoned her wand away from her, successfully cornering her. Sebastian, upon arriving noticed her little bag she carried had fallen off during her tumble. Some of her belongings laid out in the open off to the side. But what caught his eye was the faint glimpse of a mask poking out. Keeping her in his line of sight, he went over to her bag to find that the mask was an all too familiar one. A pale porcelain mask shined brightly, practically glowing in the moonlight. It had a few scratches here and there but otherwise remained well polished. This was the mask of the very dark wizard they had been hunting. A mask that often taunted Ominis and him whenever they had nearly captured the damn criminal. In a fury, he picked up the mask and marched closer to the woman. Why in Merlin’s beard did she have that blasted mask?!

“Where is Anne?” Ominis questioned.

“Ominis.” Sebastian handed the mask to him, never taking his eyes off the criminal.

Those same piercing green eyes just glared at the both of them remaining silent. Penelope had already taken the ropes off her ankles but knew she was cornered so made no move. Not once did she glance at the mask or her belongings, only focused on the two of them.

“So you’re the Masked Wizard,” Ominis spat, tossing the mask towards her.

“Where’s Anne!?”

She sat there for a moment, contemplating her next choice of words before ultimately sighing, and giving up.

“I..don’t know.”

“What do you mean?” Sebastian hissed, stepping closer threateningly. She didn’t even flinch, just held his glare with her own, despite being below him.

“I mean I. Don’t. Know.” Penelope repeated with venom lacing her voice.

“What were you doing at her house then?” Ominis interrogated.

“Same thing as you. Looking for Anne. She hasn't responded to my recent owls, and she was supposed to meet up with me but failed to show.” She explained as her eyebrows deepened with what Sebastian imagined to be faux concern.

“Please. What does a lowly criminal like you want with my sister?” Sebastian demanded. How stupid he was not realizing how much danger Anne had been all this time. The very criminal they were after had been pen pals with his sister, even meeting up for biscuits and tea! She could’ve threatened them with Anne at any time, or worse. She could’ve taken the last person he called family away from him. Merlin, he could kill her for that.

That very thought reminded him how he still hadn’t changed from his old ways. He knew better for sure, but still had that side of him buried, always trying to claw its way back out. That vile, disgusting part of him that was fueled by emotion and arrogance. He felt he was battling it everyday.

She just sneered at his remark, yet said nothing in return. Her own hatred filled those emerald eyes. Her own darkness taking hold of her. Something oddly familiar to him.

“Does she know who you are?” Ominis appeared to be very calm, but Sebastian knew better than anyone. He was on the verge of doing something on par with Sebastian’s own mistakes. Ominis was typically the most leveled headed of the two of them, but when involving the ones he loves, he was willing to do anything. It was something that had become more apparent when…she died. It was like something changed that day in Ominis. He still had his reservations about the unforgivables but became more motivated to do what is necessary to protect his loved ones. Even if it meant doing something unforgivable. Not to mention that if Penelope was truly the Masked Wizard, Ominis and Sebastian had unfinished business.

Something shifted in Penelope’s eyes, almost hesitating on what to say, but Sebastian crouched to her level, hoping to give her the appropriate motivation.

“Answer the question, or we’ll be taking a nice trip to Azkaban.” Her expression quickly darkened in response. As if closing off immediately, her eyes turned cold, devoid of any emotion aside from anger. She wasn't glaring per se, but her body language and eyes held no warmth.

“Do that, and Anne dies.” She immediately responded, not a second's hesitation. She spoke so confidently, as if what she said wasn’t anything other than pure fact. Before Ominis could even think of interfering, Sebastian snapped his arm out towards her.

“Sebastian!” Ominis called out, but it fell on deaf ears. This bitch was threatening Anne and he wasn’t going to let it slide. He didn’t give a damn how reckless it was.

“What did you do to my sister?!” He held her by the collar, holding her close but not enough to make her fall forward. Her shirt threatened to tear under his iron grip. He had half the mind to grip her by the throat.

He shot that thought down immediately. He needed to keep some control. He felt at war with himself. He hated how he momentarily he lost control, and yet part of him couldn't care less. She was asking for it and had been threatening his twin's life. How did someone remain calm in that kind of situation?

“You always fly off the handle? I expected more from the Ministry's golden boy” She snickered viciously at him, tuanting him. Ominis stood next to him, holding his shoulder firmly but gently. Unspokely trying to calm him down like he always did, and it was working. Sebastian gripped her collar tighter before fighting off his temper and dropping her like a sack of potatoes.

Stepping back, Ominis stood between him and her. Sebastian knew it was for his safety not hers. They didn't know what she was capable of even without her wand, and he was acting like a fool. Again. Part of him was off having a pity party, while the other half was telling him to focus. Anne was the most important thing now, not him and his lack of control. Three years of training wasn’t going to go to waste. He was better than that.

“Elaborate exactly what you mean Anne will die if you go to prison?” Ominis threatened.

“Exactly that. She’s cursed.” She repeated nonchalantly.

“No. That was cured years ago by a friend of ours that you killed.” Ominis corrected. Mentioning her death by the Masked Wizard had turned his voice menacing. It was terrifying when Ominis was really mad. It wasn’t something he often turned on Sebastian, but when he did, Sebastian felt his sins crawling on his back. She, too, must have sense that since that left her faltering for a moment. An unreadable expression appeared on her face but quickly vanished, returning to its empty stare once more.

“You call her your friend?”

“Watch it.” Sebastian warned. Ominis and Sebastian didn’t talk about her, but Edith’s death was something they carried with them everywhere, every day of their lives. It was something the both of them regretted. Part of them knew that if they had just tracked her down sooner, they possibly could have prevented her death. They had so many things that needed to be said, to be answered, and they all died with her that day on the cliffside.

Penelope just let out a breathless chuckle that held no true amusement behind it. It was more of a laugh of disbelief.

“You are avoiding the subject. Anne has been cured for years, so please explain how she needs you?” Ominis steered the conversation back to Anne and away from Edith. She shot Ominis a look that could kill while locking her jaw. Sebastian wasn’t sure what the point was in keeping her secrets now. She was caught, and either way, she was going to Azkaban. The Ministry had their ways to get information, remaining silent was futile.

“Anne…was…never fully cured.” She spoke like trying to get the words out was physically a challenge for her. She didn’t even look at them as she spoke. She turned her gaze to the ground, glaring as if it had been the source of her ire. Neither of them said anything, not wanting to interrupt the woman. They waited for Penelope to continue and were rewarded for their patience.

“I…that person didn’t cure Anne, not completely,” It didn’t escape either of them how she changed her words mid sentence, “She came up with a solution, yes, but a temporary one. One that needs constant tending to. If left unattended for long periods of time, the curse will retaliate against the temporary cure, causing Anne excruciating pain enough to kill her.” She explained, not looking up her fists in the dirt.

“And why should we believe a word you say?” Sebastian spat at her. There was no way this could be true. Anne would’ve told them, told Ominis at least. Keeping a secret like this for years? Why keep something important like that secret?! It made no sense. Anne may not have trusted Sebastian but she trusted Ominis and from the looks of it even Ominis wasn’t aware of this. Peneloe had to be lying to save herself.

She took in a deep breath before sitting up and glaring back at the both of them. Ominis eyebrows deepened as her appearance began to alter. Sebastian felt his stomach drop, and all his hatred, his confusion momentarily slipped away as her once golden hair slowly turned dark. It became black as the shadows around, while a part underneath and a stripe in the front became white as the moon. Familiar faint freckles dusted her cheeks and neck. Even physically, her form changed to a slightly smaller one, as her clothes hung just a tad bagger on her. Her emerald eyes turned a bright, vicious crimson color; something very different from the color she had growing up.

Sebastian felt like he couldn’t breathe right, his chest tightening to an unbearable amount. He had to be seeing a ghost. She died. She was murdered by the Masked Wizard. It was all over the daily prophet how the junior savior of Hogwarts was murdered. They even held a memorial for her at Hogwarts to honor her. This was a lie. A sick trick.

“Sebastian..”

“This is a trick! How dare you masquerade as her!” Sebastian marched towards Penelope. Edith just rose from the ground never backing down from him. She was like a perfect replica of her, matching how much shorter she would be compared to him. Everything was perfect right down to even the way she smelled. As much as he hated it, he was close enough for the scent to hit him. It was an old familiar smell she had when they went to Hogwarts together. Something earthy and floral, while being so refreshing it could comfort anyone who smelled it. Memories of a time long since past flooded his brain. All bittersweet now.

“Deny it all you want, Sallow but this is no trick. I never died.” Her voice came out just as he remembered it. Confident, yet gentle on his ears. He easily recalled all the times that voice called his name.

Ominis immediately picked up on her voice as well. He even forced himself closer with his wand pulsing that red light, trying to pick up any image it could to confirm what he was hearing. His expression was one of disbelief and fear. He knew Ominis couldn’t bear it if this truly was a trick. He hoped for it to be true. But Sebastian refused to be hurt by her if it was a bastard scheme to lower their guard.

“Then what was all that, huh? Why go through all that trouble?!” He stepped back, not wanting to be anywhere near her. Not when she looked like that.

“I needed to get the Ministry off my back. I was already wanted for petty crimes, might as well add murder to the list.” Edith retaliated.

“A likely story, though I'd say the use of Unforgivables doesn't qualify as petty crimes.” Sebastian rolled his eyes, ticking her off even more. Good. He wanted to get under her skin. Get her to lose her temper instead and trip up in her lie.

“You would think that, Sallow.” She narrowed her eyes, hinting at something Edith would know. His own eyes narrowing yet his heart thumped in his chest. Could it possibly be…?

“How can you prove you truly are Edith?” Ominis took a step back as well, catching on, “As Sebastian said, could easily be a trick. An appearance altering charm.” The words left Ominis’s lips, yet he tried to hide his hopefulness with his cold deamnor. Sebastian could see it, though.

“Believe it or don't. But if you send me to Azakban, I mean it. Anne will die. The curse will retaliate against my magic and will attack her with years of pent-up magic. It will kill her.” Edith stressed. It was very convincing. He could see how this would be a perfect lie to get her out of Azkaban, but if the off chance she was telling the truth…he wasn’t going to risk Anne’s life.

“Prove it.”

“What? That it’ll kill Anne?!”

“No! Prove you are telling the truth, and Edith really didn’t die that day! Tell me something only Edith would know.” Sebastian demanded. If he really was going to let her go, he needed to be sure this wasn’t a trick. Ominis needed to be sure as well.

She stood there for a moment, a long moment. It was agonizingly long. Each second felt like an itch under his skin, somewhere unreachable, and it was maddening. It didn't help that her face remained expressionless, giving off no hints as to what she was thinking.

“Somewhere underneath Hogwarts is Salazar Sythrin’s scriptorium. To get to the scriptorium, an unforgivable must be performed. Ominis wouldn’t do it, and you chastised him for it. So I performed it for you.” she finally spoke, her words cold and slow. Each word had both of them holding their breath, time coming to a halt.

Their adventures to the scriptorium was something they kept between the three of them. Ominis thought it best not to advertise that place to any other student getting ideas, despite the spell book being destroyed. They didn't want some unfortunate student to end up like Ominis’s aunt Noctua.

“You said, we’d regret performing the Cruciatus curse for the rest of our lives, Onimis. But I never regretted performing it on you Sbeastian.” She held her head high as her words stabbed at him, each dealing a painful blow.

“I wanted you to feel the pain Ominis had gone through, in hopes you’d learn something. Didn’t amount to much in the end did it?” She chuckled humorlessly.

It felt like the world had just halted for the both of them, and all that was there was her. Despite how cold and heartless her words were, it was her. She was alive, and they finally found her. She was breathing, blood running through her veins, alive. Sebastian swore he could almost cry.

“Edith…?”

So I'm determined to write a fic, whether its here or somewhere else. I have plans. This is where the story starts. Its a fic thatd be from different POVs between the 3 of them and majority of it takes place 5 years after their 7th year with flashbacks. Also I don't think someone like Sebastian just changes but he is working hard everyday to be better.

(New note) this fic will be mature rating. There will eventually be smut but not for good long while. This more of a slowburn mystery dark academia romance *im new to mystery so gimme a chance*

I hope you guys enjoyed it!!! I worked really hard. May improve on it but for now enjoy (≧◡≦)

[not-yet-usernamed]

(Hahaha the context is forbidden) (for my shitpost fanfic inspiration, I saw a meme that was just like "There's a Lily in my Flower garden" (because there's vocaloids called Lily and Flower y'know-) with like 20 vflowers copy pasted so I just kind of went Ooo hivemind and yeah fxvsfgb) (it's not fun! Anyway that's why Fuka's side is fucked) -[𝟺𝟹𝟸]

(zero context)

(HAHAHAHAHHAHAHA?? brilliant i love that)

(yikes!)

[bnha-polis]

Headcanon

Izuku's mom has a sister. He also has a cousin who is disabled and quirkless. After the series, Izuku and his cousin grow close and become friends.

[kamatha]

Fuka’s Stand Off

Despite not liking her as character, part of me wants Fuka to have some sort of self reflection moment by meeting the other version of herself. But I know that’s asking for too much at this point-

Since DRPG hasn’t exactly given us any information about Xeno Fuka, I’m just gonna say- X Fuka definitely went game over and came back to earth to destroy it, or at least part of it, for the sake of angst. This is for sure not because I read a fanfic right after this character showed up in jp

[gopunchuaan]

FANFIC PROMPT IDEA

" Go ! Kagetchu !"

Hinata wants to be the greatest pokemon trainer, and Kagetchu wants to be the best pokemon. Together, they will conquer everyone in The World Pokemon Championship

Pairing: Kagehina

Tags: Fluff, Pokemon AU, Ash!Hinata, Pikachu!Kageyama ,

Misty!Yachi, Staryu!Tsukishima

• None of day has passed without them bickering.

• Kageyama keep constantly move in his pokeball, resist to stay in there

• So Hinata let him out, under condition, that his leg is tied with rope

• " I CHOOSE YOU ! KAGETCHU !!"

" PIKAAAAA !!!"

His body shot electricity everywhere, due to feeling over excited , unfortunately the electricity also hit Hinata, his trainer

" Kagetchu ! Try to control your damn electric range !"

• They fight, even when the opponent is right in front of them.

" Emm, hello guys ? Do i need to remind you we're in the middle of batt-

"SHUT UP!!" "PIKAA!!"

Poor guys, get electrocuted

...and they still bickering over there

• The first time Kagetchu meet Staryu,

he tries to pat Staryu's head as a sign of greeting. But Kagetchu accidentally get electrocuted by himself cause Staryu suddenly wrapped its body with water. ( As soon as Kagetchu approach him)

• Yachi apologizes many times, and took Staryu back into its pokeball

• Hinata and Kagetchu tried to make code for specific movement .

" Listen Kagetchu ! Whenever i said Fuka-fuka , you go round and make them trapped in electric circle!"

"PIKA !"

"When i said fuwa-fuwa, you jump and shot electric from above !"

"PIKA !"

"When i said goro-goro, you come out from your pokeball and carry my bag!"

"PI-..ka..?"

"When i said piyo-piyo, carried me in your back !"

"....."

"And when i said bara-bara you should massage my bac- GYAAA !! KAGETCHU YOU BASTAARD !!"

"PIKAAAAA !!" ( BE SERIOUS DAMMIT!! )

• When Hinata ever witness Pokemon Trainer who treated their pokemon unfairly, he will boil with anger and tell kagetchu to hit them untill they got unconsious

• Love-Hated relationship

• Even though they bickering 24/7, they share the same vision. To win the Pokemon World Championship. And as for Hinata, he wants to collect every pokemon from all the region

I haven't made a masterlist yet, Yes now i have. Go type "The list" in tag, to choose story you want to read base from the summary. Thank you 🧡🌈☀️

[tasoku]

Wish for Happiness (Ozmafia!! Fanfic - Kyrie/Dorothy)

Synopsis: Kyrie wished to see her again. As a witch, she has to grant it. However, what does Dorothy really want?

----

After finishing the game, I was inspired to write this story. The ending was very bittersweet and I felt unsatisfied with how it ended. I decided to add a bit more of my take on it :)

Anyway, this story takes place a year after the grand finale ending. It contains spoilers if you are not done with the game yet (as you can tell by the pairing... oof). If you've played the game, you should know what might be in here so I won't really give warnings lol (Implied stuff but really I am very innocent about it). Also, some minor Fuka/Caesar because why not.

Part 2 (final): http://tasoku.tumblr.com/post/182624851122/wish-for-happiness-ozmafia-fanfic

Those piercing eyes.

There it was, staring at her, the strange look that kept whispering to her, "I want you."

Her face flushed a bright red and she looked away, but her curiosity always crept back and she'd return the gaze. Again, the eyes never left her. Even as the person in question would be doing unspeakable things with another, the eyes would eventually fall back onto her. She felt like she was the person underneath him at that moment, the one experiencing the pains and pleasures he was giving to that stranger. She felt her hand instinctively reach to clutch at her chest, and she had to walk away to breathe.

What was he doing? Why was he torturing her like this? He knew she couldn't leave the tower and yet...

He's just being his usual self, she reminded. Ignore the scarecrow. There are others you can be observing. She nodded at her thoughts and after calming down she went back to watching the rest of the town enjoy themselves.

---

He hoped she saw him. No, he knew that she did.

Even though he couldn't see her from the tall tower, he knew that she couldn't resist looking at him. He always made it a point to stare at her as he did his trivial pursuits. He didn't care about who laid underneath him; what kept him going was the pink hair maiden who stayed locked up in her tower, unable to leave. He wanted her to know that he never forgot about her, even when it seems like he finally had happiness. She was his happiness, and he wanted those words to be imprinted in her heart.

You belong with us, Dorothy. You should be here with me.

---

It was the day of the Meteor Shower Gathering again and everyone seemed to be busy with the preparations. As the townspeople worked on cleaning the streets and opening their booths for the night, Fuka walked around patrolling the streets with Axel. She saw her reflection in a nearby window shop and smiled faintly.

"Hm, it's been a year..."

"What was that?" The stoic boy next to her  replied absentmindedly, seemingly distracted by the abundance of dessert stands opening up.

"A year since everyone came back."

"Oh yeah." He walked a bit slower now.

Fuka stopped in her steps, seeing Axel stare at a gelato stand. She giggled.

"Axel, just go grab some." She gave him a small push, prompting him to almost trip but also end up in line for the gelato stand. He looked back at her with a small blush on his face.

"Well, it's rude to get out of line now.." he mumbled back and he stayed in line while looking at the menu. Fuka's smile grew bigger and she walked over to the shady side to wait for him. As she waited, she suddenly felt a light wind past her, blowing her hair wistfully. She realized that something felt missing, but it was a feeling that always came to her when everything was at peace. That something was the predator in her life, the hero that captured her heart while saving everyone. She looked up at the blue sky and thought to herself,

I wish you could be here too, Caesar.

----

On the night of the Meteor Shower Gathering, the young witch waited in the dark alleyway just like the year before.

She knew she shouldn't be here, but she also knew that she had to grant his wish. I want to see you again. She remembered those words etched in her heart, the butterflies that came to her stomach when she heard his wish. She calmly spoke to him and said she would grant his wish, but her true thoughts was that she wanted to thank him for caring so much about her.  Her heart ached for such a caring individual, but her brain screamed that she needed to stay away, she needed to be selfless. If she began to use her magic for such selfish purposes, she would become evil and she did not want to think of what would happen to the people she cherished.

"Dorothy."

She snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of her name. She looked at the source and smiled softly.

"Mr. Scarecrow."

He blinked at hearing the name, but let out a small chuckle.

"I'm different from that time now. Please, call me Kyrie." He took a step closer and held out his hand. She stared at his outstretched hand warily, before timidly reaching out with her own. When their hands touched, she felt the warmth of it immediately despite there being a glove between them. A shock wave of emotions went through her body, but she tried to pretend it didn't affect her by staying absolutely still. He stared into her eyes, his hand grasping around hers.

"You seem awfully calm for someone who hasn't had human contact in a year." His hand gripped on her tighter, as if he feared she would pull away and disappear at any second. She gave a small laugh.

"I should say the same. You seem calm for someone who hasn't seen me in a long time." She quickly realized her mistake when she spoke. He closed the gap between them, pulling her towards him while taking another step closer. This time their bodies were only inches from each other. She gasped.

"I'm not. If you've been watching me all this time, you should know that I'm shaking at the thought of being this close to you. I never thought I would ever get this chance again." This time his eyes felt like daggers in her soul. She remembered this look. The piercing gaze whenever he was with his lover. Her face immediately flushed a deep red and she looked down.

"How could I know? I've been busy watching other people too. You're not special." At these words, he let her go and stepped back. She suddenly felt the cold air between them, and her eyes went back to look at his. Instead of the anger she was expecting at her words, she saw a smirk on his face instead.

"I'm not special? Are you telling me that the only man who remembers who you are isn't special to you?" This time her eyes went wide, and she felt like he was making the world crash around her, even though everything around them was perfectly calm.

"I... There's still Soh..." she answered quietly. He gave a short laugh.

"Sorry, I should be clearer. A man who wishes to be with you from his own desires." As he said this, he closed the gap between them again, causing her to slowly retreat backwards. She realized as her back touched the dark wall behind her that he had pinned her.

"Then the times you were staring at me..." she whispered nervously. He grinned.

"So you did notice." His face moved closer towards her, and she shrunk to get away, feeling her legs tremble as she made herself smaller and smaller. However, before letting her fall, he gripped her arm to keep her still.

"Dorothy," he breathed, "you might be small, but you're not naive. You've lived just as long as I have. You know what I want. So..." The green-haired figure lifted her chin towards him, his piercing eyes staring into hers. "Tell me what you desire."

"What I desire...?" Of course she knew what she desired. She knew it in the depths of her heart, in the dark corners of her mind. At the bottom of her stomach, the butterflies that wanted to fly out to freedom. However, she remembered the tower that she was locked in, the faces of the people she loved, and the beautiful world that surrounded them as the night glistened with the shooting stars.

Her eyes began to fill with tears and she put on a brave smile as her hands reached towards his face. She touched his cheeks gently, feeling his warmth tingle at her fingertips.

"I want you to be happy Kyrie. I want everyone to live happily." As she said this, her body began glowing a bright white, and in an instant she disappeared, orbs of light taking her place. Kyrie's eyes widened at seeing the figure gone, and his hands reached towards the light. As it slowly faded away, his hands clenched into fists, and he slammed them against the wall.

"Don't you get it?? I can't be happy without you here...!!" He felt his heart torn again into a million pieces, and he bitterly wished again that he didn't have this brain that could remember the kind girl that went on this journey with him. The journey that had no ending. As long as she remained in the tower forgotten, he could never be satisfied.

----

By accident, Fuka witnessed the events in the dark alleyway. She tried to find Caramia so that she could end her patrol duties, however she ended up getting lost in the midst of the crowds. Trying to find a quiet area to re-evaluate her surroundings, she ended up in the same place she always gone to when she got lost. The beginning of her life when she was chased by Caesar. She shook her head at the thought of the wolf needling his way into her mind again, but noticed that there were two figures in the alleyway. She immediately hid and watched behind someone's home as the conversation took place. As her eyes made out the figures in the dark, she realized it was Kyrie and... she almost gasped. It was the witch that brought her to life.

What are they doing...? She thought to herself. She tried to hear what they were saying but she wasn't close enough to eavesdrop. However, she was able to see what was happening, and immediately recognized the strange relationship the two had as Kyrie pinned Dorothy to the wall. At first she thought maybe it was Kyrie being his usual creepy self, however at seeing Dorothy reach out to him and then fading away, and Kyrie hitting his fists against the wall, she realized the truth. She suddenly felt sorry for the two, and her hands clenched at her chest.

"Mr. Kyrie... Dorothy..."

Fuka looked up at the night sky, and saw that there were still shooting stars. She closed her eyes and her hands clasped together tightly.

"I change my wish. I wish..."

---

[everything-isfiction]

I kept this in my folder for a while and totally forget about it. This one is for @catsoul2 because I saw her reading most of my writing and really love all the jealous Touka/Kaneki fanfic. I’m sorry for the grammatical errors, I tried my best 😅💪 I hope you like this.

Characters/Pairing: Kaneki Ken, Touka Kirishima, Touken.

Words: 1000++

:::

Something had been bothering him, a feelings that he isn’t sure the reason behind it. His eyebrow creased, almost joining to each other, feeling slightly annoyed when he couldn’t find the answer that he wanted.

He saw a gentle side of her whenever she sit with the children –the Aogiri kids, the garden kids even with Hinami. Touka act differently, a softer interaction when she’s around them –or more precisely, when they surround her. Maybe that’s where his annoyance came from.

They were sitting next to each other at the moment, when the kids spotted them and calling “Touka-oneechan” and “King” from the ground, with one of them holding a story book. Kaneki wave at them from above, before Touka slowly withdraw her hands that had been underneath his own palm.

“I think it’s story time.”

His mouth turning into a pout without him realizing it, looking away as Touka ready to leave. He can still feel the warmth of her hands against his skin, sighing. He stayed for a while with them, watching and listening to Touka voice soothingly reading –and he found some peace just by being around them –until Fuka called out for the king, to have a discussion with Yomo and the rest.

Although he seems busy with his king duties, his eyes always searching for her presence. Whenever he passed by an empty room or a space fulls of junks where he heard giggles and laughter, Kaneki would stop to peek in –and find the kids playing around while Touka sitting silently watching over them. Touka often noticed him, but pretended that she didn’t, knowing that any little interaction with her will always drawn his feet towards her. It comes to his mind that they barely spend their times together –alone –anymore.

“King!”

He look over his shoulder, finding the three children walking towards him, smiling happily whenever they saw him –as if he was a figure that they looked up to.

“Do you know where Touka-oneechan is ? We’ve been looking everywhere for her.”

Touka-chan again ?

“Why don’t we look for her together ?”

Kaneki ruffles Yuki’s hair, before taking their hands, walking together towards the open space. Touka can hear them before she sees them, and only turn around when she feels a different voice talking over the kids giggles. She was sitting with Hinami, discussing something rather personal for anyone to hear.

The children started running towards them, hugging Touka and Hinami –commenting that she smells like coffee, a scent that he’s familiar with.

“Touka-oneechan, read us a book.”

“Again ?” Touka sighs, with a gentle smile still lingers on her face, “We already read all the books that we have.”

“We found a new one. It’s about a duckling.” They showed the thick hard-cover book, with a big picture of a group of yellow ducks with one being different from rest with a grey coloured feathers. They seems excited to learn about the stories, and Kaneki volunteer to read to them.

“You’re not allowed to read, king.”

“Why not ? I’m really good at it.”

“Touka-oneechan said you won’t stop when you start reading. We don’t want you to turn into a monster.”

He blinks, confused. He heard Touka snorting and Hinami giggling next to her. He frowns–Touka must’ve feeding these kids with fake stories to make sure they didn’t disturb him. Touka scoffs, “Your eyebag is getting worse, you know.” His hands quickly runs over his eyes, completely loss of words to argue –he force himself to smile, trying to find that small comfort in the circle, “I–I’m fine. It will only take a while, I’ll rest when it’s done.”

Touka stared at him, before shrugs her shoulder and passing the books. The children seems to be very excited to hear the stories. Kaneki take his seat next to her as Touka leaning her head slightly on his shoulder. He couldn’t fight off a big grin on his face, staring at the kids as if he had won something over them –they obviously have no ideas the meaning behind his smile.

“Once upon a time–” –and attentively listening to the stories.

:::

He slowly pulls her body closer towards him, brushing her hair back, exposing the creamy colored of her skin before leaning down and kisses that one particular spot on the side of her neck. Touka trembled as she pressed her face into his shoulder. His mouth sucking slowly on her skin and loving the soft whining that drumming into his ears.

Kaneki is never vocal about the intimate gestures, only using his action to send his messages. He loves marking her, but only leave a faintly red spots that could disappear within a day, after almost getting in trouble when he did leave a visible marks before. He knows her body very well, knows which button to push, knows which spots to loved and his grip tighten around her waist.

He gently kiss her cheeks, pushing her hair behind her ears and smiling down at her, “I feel like I didn’t get to see you much.”

His words only makes her flustered, turning her into a blushing mess. She was incredibly adorable –sometimes he couldn’t help himself. Kaneki was about to lean down to claim her lips when they hear voices calling out for Touka. He groans –annoyed and somehow guilty for having those feelings lingers around at the innocent children. Touka was quick to separate their bodies apart, before the children hesitantly pushed the cloth that works as a divider on the empty door.

“What’s wrong ?” she asked. The children looked worried, and reluctant to says anything when they saw the king is in the same room.

“A–are you in trouble, oneechan ?”

Touka followed their eyes, locking on the man standing behind her. She croutched down, holding their small hands, “No. The king just want to see me. Did something happened ?”

“ Well –” the girl grip her shirt, hesitated, “Hinami-oneechan and Miza-oneechan said we all should sleep together –like friends do when they’re at each others house. W–we thought we would like to invite you.”

Touka rarely participate much with this sort of things, Hinami doesn’t want to bother her, especially now that she’s not –entirely –alone. Touka considering their request, glancing at Kaneki briefly before agreeing with their request, “Okay.”

“Really ? Yay !”

Kaneki seems surprised with her decision, staring at her as if his eyes was pleading with ‘what about me, Touka-chan ?’

Touka gives her reassurance that she will be there and send them off. When she turn around facing him, Kaneki looks like a kid with his toys got taken away, “Touka-chan–” his voice seems down, earning a soft chuckled from her.

Touka pat his back, before leaving a soft kiss just underneath his jaw, “It’s only for tonight. I’ll sleep with you tomorrow”

It makes him flustered, “N–no, that’s not what I mean.” –but seeing her smiling with that soft gaze only meant to be for him, Kaneki says nothing more and nodded.

:::

Kaneki rubs his face, staring at the ceiling as the surrounding getting colder. He’s behaving like a kid now –he almost didn’t let Touka go earlier, just because the children get to spend more time with her than him. He turn to his side, hugging himself and missing the warmth that always there to accompany him sleep.

The next day, he leave earlier to hunt for the food and supply–and coming back just in time before the sun set. They managed to gather more food that would last for the whole months, thus taking a break for a few weeks before starting over with their new plan. Kaneki was agitated and somehow excited –as he make his way to her cot, only to find her sleeping peacefully on her bed.

She must’ve been waiting for him until she fell asleep. He sit beside her, brushing her hair as his hands trails down on her lips. Sighing, he smiles to himself –he had been trying to kiss her since yesterday. He leaned down to steal a kiss on her lips, before her eyes slowly open just few inches away from her lips, startling him as he let out a silent shriek.

“You’re back ?”

Kaneki cover his mouth, quickly nodding his head, unable to make out any words when he’s almost caught red-handed. Touka sits up, smiling at him, “Welcome back.”

He sighs, knocking his forehead gently against her, “I had enough.”

“Huh ?”

He pouts, hiding his face on her shoulder and mumbling, “The children can’t seems to leave you alone.”

“They just looking for someone to play with them.”

“They should find someone else to play with –they always end up finding you all the time.”

Touka snorts, when she finally get the ideas behind his pout, “Are you jealous of them ?” –chuckled, “They’re just children. Why do you want to compete with them ?”

He feels like his pride being trampled when he saw her laughing.

“I thought the king isn’t some pouty little brat.” Touka playfully poke his cheek, still giggling when he suddenly pushed her down on the bed, trapping her with both of his hands on the side of her head, silencing her immediately. That side of him always send shivers down on her spine –a darker side that she seems to love to provoke and let it appeared. Touka circled her arms around his neck–

“Punish me, king.”

[leyacer]

"Medea" -  Yandere Sim P5 AU fanfiction

I love creating new versions of things, and when I designed a Metaverse outfit and Persona for Yandere-chan I couldn’t just drop it after finishing it. So I wrote a fanfic, for fun, about Ayano awakening said Persona. It’s under the cut, because it’s really long.

Ayano didn't think her day could get any worse. She turned out to be horribly wrong.      It had started with that terrible substitute teacher, Mida Rana. Ever since she had come to school after Senpai's teacher had gotten ill, Ayano had seen her try to seduce Senpai time and time again. She did the same with the other boys, but Rana's attention seemed mostly fixed on Senpai. Ayano had already tried many different ways to get rid of that monster, but it always seemed to be one step ahead of her. And because she was a teacher, there was little left that Ayano could do without getting into major trouble if she wasn't careful.     Ayano looked through her phone, seeing if she could perhaps contact Info-chan for help, or find something herself. The only things that caught her eye before she was interrupted, was a text from the girl in question and a strange app she didn't remember installing.    Koharu Hinata, the girl sitting next to her, suddenly shook her shoulder and Ayano became aware of miss Fuka's piercing glare directed at her, and quickly put her phone away.    "Aishi, do not let me see you with your phone in class again, or you'll be wondering where it went the next time I do."    Ayano quickly nodded and apologized. Miss Fuka sighed and turned to the blackboard behind her, which was filled with all kinds of mathematical problems. "Now, Aishi, would you be so kind to as solve this problem for us?" 

After being disrupted from her scheming like that, Ayano wasn't exactly in a good mood. She groaned and started walking over to the courtyard, in the hope that seeing her beloved Senpai would cheer her up. What she didn't expect to see was him and that disgusting woman talking in the hallway.     When she saw the two standing together, Ayano walked in their direction and, when she was within earshot, took her phone from her bookbag and pretended to play a game on it, while truly eavesdropping on the substitute teacher and her pupil. From the corner of her eye she watched them have their conversation.    "Yamada," Rana said. "I've looked at your tests, and..." She made a tutting sound.    "What is it, miss Rana?" Senpai said, sounding slightly worried.     "Oh, Yamada..." Rana turned her head away from the boy in front of her. She looked sad and disappointed, but Ayano knew that had to be fake. That teacher couldn't be trusted.     "Your test scores... They are horrible. With grades like these, if we don't do anything, who knows what will happen... we might have to hold you back a year."     Ayano saw Senpai's eyes widen in surprise, and desperately wanted to run over to him and comfort him, telling him that witch was lying. But she told herself not to act too hastily, and kept listening.     "But miss, I'm sure I did well this year! My grades were perfectly fine a week ago!"     "Oh, Yamada, a lot can change over the course of a single week. Please do not act as if this is completely impossible." That was one of the worst excuses Ayano had ever heard, and she couldn't wrap her head around how people fell for this woman's tricks. One week, and Senpai's grades had dropped to the point where he might have to be held back a year? Ayano gritted her teeth and kept listening.    "Well, Math has been a bit harder lately..." Senpai mumbled.    "There is still hope. I could help you study, and that will get your grades back up in no time. What do you think of that? Would you like me to be your private tutor?"   With that, the woman leaned forward, getting up in poor Senpai's face, who Ayano saw was having a hard time keeping his eyes from wandering anywhere else than his teachers eyes. "I promise it'll really help."    Stammering, Senpai clumsily agreed to his teacher's offer, if it would indeed help him out. Ayano bit her lip while she saw Senpai walk away. Rana, she noticed, turned to a group of boys who had been watching her. "I could be your tutor too, if you want." she said to them, and winked. The girls standing a bit further down the hallway the teacher didn't even acknowlegde.    Ayano couldn't take watching her anymore, and walked away, following Senpai from a distance.

"Ugh!" Ayano groaned once outside the school gates, after she'd watched Senpai leave. Angrily, she tapped the screen of her phone, once she had taken it out of her bookbag again, and opened a random navigation app, not really paying much attention to what she was doing.    "How dare she! Trying to seduce my Senpai and other boys like that! And treating me and other girls like we don't matter!" Her phone buzzed as she kept tapping. "Does she think she can do this just because she's a teacher? Little miss Mida Rana isn't the queen of her own little palace!" Ayano grumbled.    Suddenly, Ayano got a headache for a moment. It wasn't awful, but just enough to make her grab her head for a moment and utter a small groan. But before she had the chance to wonder where it had come from, it was gone again. Ayano shook her head, slightly confused by the sudden headache.    "That was... strange."    She took a step forward, then realized something. "Oh no, I forgot to check near Senpai's locker for anything suspicious! Or something he left behind!" She turned around to head back into the school, but where the school should've been, there now was something completely different.   A giant building resembling a castle had taken the place of Akademi High. It was large and imposing, with dark walls and small towers. Nearly very one if the large windows was covered from the inside with golden curtains, and the glass doors that usually gave way to a school building had their place taken by heavy-looking ebony doors giving way to who knows what. The entire building's atmosphere was radically different from the school's. Whereas the school had radiated cheerfulness and carefreeness, this building that had taken its place had a strange, dangerous feeling to it. The skies above had somehow changed, too, and they were now stormy and dark, instead of sunny and bright.    "What..." Ayano muttered. "Where did the school go? What happened?"    Unable to control her curiosity, Ayano cautiously walked to the ebony doors. After listening for any suspicious sounds, she slowly opened the weighty wooden doors. When she got inside, what she saw went above and beyond her understanding of her already confusing situation. "What the hell is this?" she said, worried and perplexed.    A big hall that seemed to be a reception hall bathed in the dim light from the chandeliers hanging above. A golden staircase was in the centre of the room, leading up to the similarly golden balconies arouns it. The walls were decorated with dozens of paintings that showed off Mida Rana, in all kinds of poses, ranging from smart and scholarly to sensual and seductive. Ayano walked up to the centre of the room and looked around.   "What is up with this place... And those painti-"   "Stop right there!"    A raspy voice interrupted Ayano, and made her turn around. She was faced with a strange creature towering over her threateningly. It looked like a medieval castle guard, with a sword in hand and wearing heavy iron armor, but what was visible of its masked face seemed to be made of a strange red-and-black substance, which swirled about like water in a whirlpool. It was however, much more solid, as Ayano noticed when the creature grabbed her.    "How dare you intrude like this! You should be punished!"    Up until then, Ayano had been too bewildered to react, but when the creature grabbed her like that, she was suddenly pulled back into reality. "No! I don't even know what this is, and yet you want to punish me for mere curiosity? I'll leave, if that's what you want." she said.    The thing laughed, and before Ayano knew what had happened, it had hit her with the hilt of the sword it carried and knocked her out cold. 

 The first thing Ayano noticed when she woke up was the fact that she wasn't in her own room. Her bed was an actual bed, not the bench she was lying on now. Her room's walls were beige-colored, not bare stone walls, with chains hanging off of them. And the entrance to her room was definitely not a jail cell door.     As soon as she noticed this and recalled what had happened, Ayano got up and ran to the bars opposite her bench and shook them, in a weak attempt of trying to open them. After a short while, footsteps could be heard nearing the jail cell, and on the other side of the iron bars, accompanied by two creatures similar to the one from earlier, appeared...    "Mida Rana?"   The woman wore something very different from her usual school outfit. It was even flashier; a black dress with an incredibly low neckline, fishnet stockings and crimson stilettos. On top of her head was a golden tiara, similar to one little girls might play dressup with. It matched well with the red ermine cape hanging from her shoulders. The whole ensemble looked like she wanted to make a noticeable first impression, but didn't care enough in the end and raided her little sister's dress-up box for missing accessories.   The things with her opened the door, letting Rana enter before they did. Ayano quickly stepped back before one of them would walk into her. The creatures stayed near the door, making sure Ayano couldn't escape.    Rana, once inside the room, turned to one of the creatures, and asked with a voice that sounded just a bit off: "Guard, this is the intruder you were speaking of?"    The guard replied: "Yes, my queen. She was discovered nosing around in the reception hall."     Ayano snorted at hearing the guard-things call Rana a 'queen'. Rana seemed to have heard that and walked up to Ayano threateningly, until Ayano was with her back against the wall. Up close, Ayano noticed that her eyes weren't chocolate brown, but a golden yellow. And they were glowing.    "What was that, girl?"    Ayano didn't say anything. She still barely knew what was going on, and realised she only had her wits to help her out, but those were of little use with her being so completely overwhelmed by the events of this odd afternoon. So she simply watched everything play out, trying to make sense of what was happening.   "Wait..." Rana said. "I think I recognize you. You're that girl who's always spying on me and my Taro!"    Something in her expression must've showed some of the surprise and disgust Ayano felt hearing that, and Rana continued.   "Did you seriously think I didn't notice you?" She laughed. The guards laughed with her.    "Oh, but of course I didn't in the beginning. However, when someone always seems to be around at those specific moments and never otherwise..."    Ayano bit her lip and glared at the woman. She hadn't expected her to be so observant.    "And now you suddenly show up in my castle, unannounced, and start snooping around! I do absolutely not acc-"   "My queen?"   Rana's speech was interrupted by a soft, all too familiar voice. The guards who had been standing near the entrance of the cell, stepped aside to make way for a young boy. Behind his black bangs, the boy's stormy grey eyes looked at Ayano and Rana. He wore tight black pants and dress shoes, and a red shirt so thin you could see his bare breast underneath. Just like Rana, a crown was on his head, but it was less impressive -if you could call a dressup tiara impressive- than Rana's. Ayano could barely get the word out of her mouth.    "...S-Senpai?"    Hearing her, Senpai looked at Ayano with a face of contempt and disgust, and it was like someone had just kicked her in the stomach. Then, even worse, he walked over to Rana and stood incredibly close to her, as if he were her boyfriend.    "I have been looking all over for you. I didn't know you were checking on the prisoners."    Prisoner? The bars might've been a dead giveaway, but up until the moment she was actually called a prisoner the reality of it hadn't hit her yet. But now it did, and she was hurt and insulted by it, and by Senpai acting so close to Rana. Trying to keep her nerve in front of him felt like all she could do in this situation.    "This is a unique one, honey. She was found nosing around in the reception hall. What do you think we should do with her?"   Senpai seemed to think for a moment, and then, with a smirk, he said: "The punishment for unlawful entry is death, right? How about you just have her killed, my queen, and be done with it?"   This shocked Ayano to her very core. The Senpai she knew would never just agree to killing someone for trespassing. Trespassing, of all things! Why did he act like this? Why did he call that horrible Mida Rana his queen, and act like he was actually her boyfriend? No... This... This couldn't be her Senpai. No matter how much he looked like him, sounded like him, smelled like him, walked like him... this wasn't Senpai. This was an impudent imposter.   "Good idea, sweetie. I don't know why I even bothered with this. Guards!" Rana called. The guards heaved their swords, came walking at Ayano, the blades glinting menacingly...    "No! Wait!"    Ayano found herself yelling. She felt her panic, surprise, sadness, anger and confusion she had tried to supress suddenly all going wild.   "Being in the dark as to why I'm being punished so harshly for nothing drives me crazy! What did I ever do to you that deserves this treatment?"   Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing, caught off guard by the up until then tacit prisoner's sudden outburst. The prisoner, knowing waiting and watching wouldn't work out anymore, continued.   "Rana, you are not a queen! A queen doesn't act like this. You are merely a selfish girl who spends her time seducing innocent schoolboys for fun, claiming to teach them."    The self-proclaimed queen seemed to not be used to people talking to her like that, her eyes betraying absolute horror at the statements of her prisoner. But Ayano didn't stop there. The words kept coming out of her mouth, like a dam finally breaking and all the water flowing through. She turned her gaze to 'Senpai'.    "They didn't ask for that, and neither did I ask for this!"    It felt surprisingly good to yell out all the things she had been thinking and feeling all that time. It was satisfying.    "This is just you abusing your position, the power it holds! And I have no idea how it came to be in this place, but if at school the other teachers, the counselor, or even the damned headmaster back at school won't stop you, then I'll take it upon myself to make you stop!"   The guards quickly ran to Ayano, protectively stepping in front of their queen. Knowing she was nearing the end of her outburst, Ayano used her momentum to make a final statement.    "I'll tear you down! Starting here, in this miserable cell, all the way back to your miserable classroom from where you first started infesting this school!"

About time.

Suddenly, another woman's voice spoke loud and clear... in Ayano's head.

Are you finally done waiting?

Ayano screamed. Her head was suddenly hurting again, but so much more worse than last time. It was as if a thousand daggers were being thrust into it.

Aren't you tired of dancing to someone else's melody? Of someone else pulling the strings?

She wasn't dreaming. She was actually hearing a voice in her head that wasn't hers. Ayano screamed again, and grabbed her head in frustration and pain.

If someone else is pulling the strings, how about cutting those strings? Or pulling them yourself? Such is the will of your inner self, after all...

The pain wouldn't stop. It wouldn't stop. It was still there, and so was the voice. Ayano's legs were shaking, and would probably fail continuing carrying her soon.

Do you understand? Are you willing to do what it takes? Then, let us forge a contract...

The voice became louder, silencing everything else. Even the pain's chaos became a little less dominant. 

I am thou, thou art I...I will grant you my strength...

   With the voice continuing, oddly enough, within the pain and chaos, Ayano felt an growing feeling of determination, a strange determination she had never felt before.

 ...so that you may orchestrate this world's melody from here on out!

 And then it was gone. The pain, and the voice. In their place, a mask and a newly found determination.    Ayano didn't think or question anything of this. She merely acted out of instinct, and started pulling of the mask. It hurt immensely, but this was a different kind of pain, one she simply endured, and didn't fight against.    The mask came off. A split second after, everything faded to white.     When Ayano's vision and mind cleared up, it felt amazing. She felt a new kind of power at her fingertips, one that would allow her to do all the things she could never have done before. She could take on this miserable excuse for a teacher, and this disgusting imposter claiming to be Senpai.     She laughed. "I see now." She knew where this new power came from. It came not only from herself, but from her Persona as well. Ayano didn't have to look to know what the being now hovering behind her looked like. She knew it was a female humanoid, with light blue skin, her azure hair tied back in a ponytail, a few loose strands here and there. The multi-layered dress made her even more imposing, and beneath the mask similar to the one Ayano had teared off her face, sharp golden eyes that looked in the same direction Ayano's silver eyes did. A smile was on the Persona's lips as she played with the bars she held that controlled the marionettes hanging from them.     Ayano enjoyed seeing the confusion and surprise she had felt this entire afternoon on everyone's faces. She didn't linger on it long, however. She was finally finished waiting, done holding back, and yelled:    "Let's make these puppets dance, Medea! 

[previously-orokukarai]

heavenrend replied to your post: die-einzelganger SAID: BIG MOOD… I’M CHEERING FOR...

Wow did I send that in all caps? Wild. I’ve only really skimmed elusive because *shit attention span* but I really really like your writing!! When I was reading it I could picture everything so nicely… I guess people just don’t really like toga/fuka? Or when people read fanfic they want their idealized version of characters and not in character characters??? People like the “thing” I spoke of that one time, I guess. People are stupid.

ahh you didn’t speak in all caps, it’s just that when i copy replies off my blog and not the dashboard, they come out all caps. and ty!! i figure that people are apprehensive bc it’s tofu but i’ve also been told i got people into shipping it and i feel like... maybe my fics aren’t well-written and i’m using the tofu excuse to excuse my bad writing.

[fukae-flwr]

Stained Hearts & Dark Desires:

Chapter 3 Gibes and Jests

Summary: Ominis works through his emotions over Edith. He can't forgive her yet but can't bring himself to hate her. It's hard to work through

Word count: 5.3k

Warnings: angst, conflicted feelings,

Rating: MATURE 18+!!! (NO MINORS)

Chapter: 4

“Was there anything else Penny can get you, Mr.Gaunt?” Penny's cheery voice questioned. Ominis had just finished examining the room he was to call home for now. His wand could make out enough to tell this place was much bigger than he had been expecting. It was just a lovely and cozy home. The dark wood structures matched with elegant patterns gave the room a pleasant feeling. He did notice though how empty it felt. This room was physically filled with everything necessary for a guest room, yet lacked any life or presence. This room wasn’t used often.

“That’ll be all, Penny. Thank you.” Ominis shook his head. He hadn’t expected Edith to have an elf, much less be so relaxed by her company. He heard the way her voice softened drastically once Penny arrived. Even the soft breath she had released while talking to Penny was a sure sign to him of how comfortable she felt in Penny’s presence. Almost a complete contrast to how she interacted with him or Sebastian. A small part of him envied the elf, a small enough part that he could ignore.

“Well then, Penny wishes you a goodnight, Mr.Gaunt.” The elf concluded as she began to close the door.

“Goodnight to you too, Penny.” Ominis smiled softly. With the door closed, Ominis sat in his current bed and let the events of the day start to wash over him.

They found her. They actually found her. She was alive and breathing. He felt…relieved yet conflicted. She had been lying to everyone except Anne from the looks of things. She was the masked wizard they hunted for so long partially because they were fooled to believe the masked wizard had killed her. That wasn’t even including the emotions that began to rise as a result of everything that happened back in their 7th year. The swirling of powerful emotions was overwhelming. He felt happy she was alive, angry for everything she had done, betrayed for the disappearance, and among so many others. At this rate, he was going to implode in on himself.

Thankfully there was a welcomed distraction from his thoughts at his door. Walking over to the door, he found his partner standing before him. His own personal breath of relief, most of the time.

“Hey. Did you get everything you need?” Sebastian asked, stepping into the room immediately. Ominis just chuckled to himself as he just waltzed right in.

“Hello, Sebastian. Yes, please come in.”

“Great thanks.”

Ominis closed the door behind him and moved further into the room. It wasn’t a very large room, but these townhomes rarely had very spacious rooms. A single bed with a metal frame stood against the wall to the left side of the room. Right across was the wooden dresser a good distance away from the small fireplace with a fireguard. It was a cozy small room, perfect for guests.

Sebastian sat on the edge of his bed, deep in thought. Ominis could practically hear his raging mind working double time.

“I did have Penny retrieve a few of my things. Though, I didn’t want to overwork the elf, so we will need to stop by the house tomorrow.” Sebastian barely acknowledged that Ominis had said anything.

“I dread ever asking, but care to share your thoughts with me?” Ominis tried to make light of the tense atmosphere but went over Sebastian’s head.

“I hate her.”

“Do you?”

“...Yes.”

“Well, that is a perfectly reasonable response, given everything.” Ominis moved to sit next to him. He wasn’t super big on being physical with anyone on normal occasions, but he tried in his own ways with Sebastian. Sitting close enough for his shoulders and legs to come in contact with Sebastian’s was enough for now. It was what he could offer right now, and Sebastian knew that. From years of being together, Sebastian was familiar with Ominis’s small gestures of warmth.

“What about you, Ominis?”

“Do I hate her?”

“Yes.”

Ominis sat for a moment to think. Did he hate her? He was undoubtedly very angry with her, and his trust was broken for sure, but hate? He hated his family but had never really hated anyone before, aside from Hobhouse. He compared his emotions towards his family to Edith, and it was falling short.

“No. I don’t hate her.” Ominis sighed. If how he felt towards his family was directed at Edith, it lost its ire. He held no hate for her, but he was hurt by her. It was that pain she caused that made him mad and upset with her but not loathe her. He doubted he could hate her, even after everything. It was similar to how he felt about Sebastian all those years ago, after Solomon. He couldn't bring himself to hate Sebastian but couldn’t forgive him at that time either.

“Really?! After everything she’s done?” Sebastian questioned in disbelief.

“As if you have any room to speak. People do terrible things sometimes.” Ominis heard Sebastian slump in on himself.

“You don’t have to forgive her. I certainly haven’t. But we do need to work with her to find Anne.” Ominis comforted his partner. The heavy sigh Sebastian allowed to escape confirmed to Ominis how much his words helped him.

“You’re right.”

“Obviously.”

“You’re modesty is very becoming.”

“Please, modesty is for those unaware of their worth. I’m fully aware of my worth.” Ominis tsked confidently as he rose from the bed. It was uplifting to finally hear Sebastian laugh today. With how tense everything was currently, he was glad he could still get a chuckle from him.

“Perhaps along the way we can get the answers we’ve been looking for,” Ominis mentioned softly as he began to remove his coat, and vest for the night.

Sebastian didn’t respond to that, only joining him in getting comfortable as well.

~ * ~

Ominis learned two things in the night. One, the walls of this townhome were unbelievably thin. Ominis had amazing hearing, and if the walls had been thicker, things wouldn’t have sounded as clear as they did last night. Most times he could hear through walls to a degree. Often coming off much more muffled and disoriented but could still make out little things. These walls hardly did any of that. It was like he was present in the other room. Which led to the second thing he learned that night. Edith didn’t sleep.

She had her bath earlier in the evening, something abundantly clear thanks to the sounds of water he heard. He did his best to block out the sounds, feeling it was inappropriate of him to hear the water of her bath splashing around. He was a gentleman after all, and despite her transgressions, she was still an attractive young woman. After her bath, she paced around her room, constantly. He couldn’t quite make out what she was saying with how quietly she spoke but she was muttering a lot. Then at some point, she decided to rush upstairs to the third floor and move around in the room above. She was light-footed, but not enough to be silent. All night she was up there moving about, doing who knew what.

Ominis wasn’t sure what room she was in or what it was for. The two of them hadn’t been given a tour of the house yet. Penny assured them that Edith would do it today. They were only taken to their temporary rooms, though Sebastian quickly abandoned his room for Ominis’s. Not something he was complaining about, but just noted how quickly that idea went out the window.

After forcing himself to ignore her movements upstairs, Ominis could fall asleep, though not into a deep slumber. He was always acutely aware of where she was upstairs. She often moved between the two rooms upstairs, but nothing else that was noticeable. Now with the sun having risen, the light poking through the lace curtains, Ominis stretched out in bed. Sebastian started to stir awake from his movements, yawning and stretching as well.

“Did she ever go back to her room?” Sebastian slurred, half awake. Ominis wasn’t surprised he heard her as well. It wasn’t like she was trying to hide her footsteps. Sebastian may have slept better than Ominis but he wasn’t a deep sleeper when in unfamiliar places such as Edith’s home.

“I don’t think so.”

“Well, let's get up and get that tour then?” Sebastian threw the covers off and rose from the bed. Ominis couldn’t agree more. The sooner they could explore the house, the closer they’d be to finding possible answers. After getting dressed, both of the men walked down the stairs and to the kitchen. Using his wand, Ominis could get a vague image of the kitchen area.

It was a decently sized kitchen with a dark-colored metal stove. It was small enough for his wand to capture a good sense of everything around without him having to move much. Yet it was spacious enough to not give the sense it was crowded. The kitchen had a wooden island with all the kitchen items needed for prepping meals. Ominis could even make out what appeared to be an elf-sized step stool pushed up against the island. On said step stool, they found Penny, cleaning up the kitchen and using magic to prepare breakfast. She practically hummed in the kitchen with contentment. It was nice to know she was being treated kindly for her to be this happy with her life.

“Oh Good morning, gentlemen!” Penny greeted warmly. Ominis could hear the smile in her voice, “Penny is preparing breakfast now. Should be ready any moment, if you’d like to wait in the dining room.” She hopped off the step stool to throw whatever food she was prepping into the pan on the stove.

“Do you need any help?” Sebastian offered. Ominis knew Sebastian enjoyed cooking up meals. At their house, Sebastian was the chef between the two of them and his meals were quite delicious.

“Oh! Penny appreciates the offer! Thank you, Mr.Sallow!”

“Sebastian is fine.”

“Thank you, Mr.Sebastian!” Penny began to instruct Sebastian on what to do, while she prepared a separate tray.

“Is that for Edith?” Ominis pondered, wondering where she was. Had she still been in that room? He didn’t hear her ever leave nor come down from the third floor.

“Oh yes! Miss Edith often forgets meals, especially when she is busy with her research. So it’s Penny’s job to make sure Miss Edith doesn’t fall sick!” Penny spoke so casually as she snapped her fingers. Ominis could hear as the tray began to hover off the counter. He furrowed his brows at that. Research? What kind of research was she conducting so vehemently for her to continually neglect meals?

“What does she research?” Sebastian asked so casually, not missing a beat.

“Miss Edith explained it to Penny once. It was very complicated, but Penny remembers it involved a spell and…” Penny inhaled suddenly, stopping mid-sentence. Ominis turned, wondering if a silencing charm had been cast. He hadn’t heard any spell being performed but the elf had suddenly stopped and he wasn’t sure why.

“A..Are you holding your breath?” Sebastian inquired. Was she holding her breath? Ominis moved closer to see if his wand could pick up her image. The image was unique, to say the least, and much more vague than the nonliving things it depicted. His wand was much more suited for depicting structures and the environment around him rather than other people. The image he was able to barely see was a tiny elf holding both her hands to her mouth wide-eyed.

“Are…are you alright?”

“Oh yes! Penny just says things that shouldn’t be repeated. Miss Edith never gets angry but Penny knows she should practice learning when to stop talking!” Penny finally released her breath. So talking about Edith’s research was something that was not meant for others’ ears. Interesting.

“Well, Penny must bring Miss Edith’s breakfast now!” Penny quickly exited the kitchen bringing a tray. Ominis could barely call what was on it, breakfast. A pot of coffee with creamer and sugar and some toast. Not exactly a filling meal. He doubted it was something the elf had decided upon. Penny seemed like she would’ve been the one to overachieve what Edith wanted.

“So research on magic, for a spell…” Sebastian pondered aloud as he stirred whatever was in the pan.

“Any ideas?”

“Well, it's not like it's unheard of, for those who work in the ministry, that is. I even considered going to a similar field once this business with being an aurora is over.” Sebastian tapped the wooden spoon on the pan before moving the pan onto the counter. It was a discussion they had before. What they planned to do once they finished being auroras. Sebastian was leaning more toward studying magic scriptures, a job in the ministry involving his favorite thing, reading. Ominis, on the other hand, was more geared towards something a little less life-threatening than their current job as well. Perhaps he’d become a professor at Hogwarts; he wasn’t entirely sure what he wanted to do as of yet, but being aurora was not a lifetime thing. There had been only one reason they ever became auroras in the first place, and she was currently upstairs where they could easily find her.

“Dark wizards studying magic is rarely a good thing,” Ominis pointed out. For most dark wizards it was rarely a good thing, Ominis wasn’t quite sure about Edith yet. He just stood about the kitchen, thinking about what Edith could be working on as soft footsteps gave away the elf’s return. Sebastian had helped himself to the eggs and potatoes Penny had started. He even made a plate for Ominis as well.

“Miss Edith informed Penny that she would be down momentarily to give you the tour of the house.” Penny reported to them, “Penny also has another pot of coffee or tea if you’d like. Penny wasn’t sure which the gentlemen wanted so Penny made both!” Penny shuffled over to the stove, snapping her fingers to get the smaller pots to follow her. She moved over towards the dining room attached to the kitchen.

The dining room was just as roomy if not a tad smaller than the kitchen. In the center was her wooden round table, neatly set for guest use. The pots floated over to the table, and Sebastian placed the plates down in front of the seats. Ominis sat next to Sebastian as they ate their food.

“Does Edith get the Daily Prophet sent here?” Ominis questioned while he ate the eggs and potatoes graciously prepared for him by Sebastian and Penny.

“Oh, she does! Edith typically takes it up to the study. Penny remembers Miss Edith always enjoyed reading about the Ministry’s Duo. She even asks if Penny saw anything about them in the paper when Penny fetches it for her.”

Ominis couldn't help his smirk forming over the rim of his cup and heard the soft chuckle from Sebastian. How very interesting. Ominis perked a little as he heard the oh-so-subtle sound of footsteps coming down the stairs.

“Did she ever comment on the Ministry’s Duo?” Sebastian inquired curiously.

“Only how amusing it would be to watch the fools chase after the Masked Wizard,” Edith answered pointedly before the elf could say anything. Finally, she had come down from her hiding hole. Ominis could hear her move out from behind him, over to the opposite side of the table. The furthest spot from the both of them.

“And yet those very same fools caught you in the end. How amusing,” Sebastian taunted as he sat back in his chair.

“Tch. Luck is all it is.”

“Perhaps I should try my hand at the lottery then.” Ominis thought out loud.

“If you two are done, I’ll show you around the house now. I have things needing to be done today.” Edith crossed her arms impatiently. Ominis slowly placed his cup down and folded his hands in his lap, turning in her direction.

“What lovely errands do you have planned for us today, Ms.Winterald? I, for one, would like to stop by my house to grab a few more of my belongings.” Ominis remarked casually. Anything they did now involved each other, or at least one of them being with Edith. They might as well get comfortable with it starting now.

“Well since stopping by your house is not urgent, that’ll be something we do last.”

“You might as well just tell us what you’re doing today. We’ll find out eventually.” Sebastian tried to coerce Edith into telling them right now. Didn’t seem like it was working with how she immediately responded, feigning kindness with an overly sweet voice.

“Well, I guess you’ll just find out eventually.” And with that turned on her heels. Seemed like breakfast was forcefully brought to an end. Ominis just sighed as he picked up his wand and followed behind. Sebastian grumbled as he joined.

“You already saw the kitchen and dining room. The parlor is off to the side here.” She marched off toward the parlor. It was to the side of the stairs, diagonal to the kitchen. It was an average terrace living room. A darkened fireplace at the center of the furthest wall, and furniture placed around the coffee table that centered the room. A small alcove against the window, that allowed for natural light to filter into the room. A couple of shelves with books on them. Nothing much. Ominis noticed the only thing that seemed used was a fraying blanket loosely hanging off the loveseat closest to the fireplace.

“And then of course the bedrooms on the first level,” Edith continued her guided tour up the stairs. She showed them their bathroom, the smallest room they had seen in this house.

“Merlin’s beard, how does anyone fit in here?” Sebastian gawked. He was much more familiar with the hamlets near Hogwarts. They could afford to have much more space out there than homes in the cities. Though Ominis recalled never having a bathroom quite this small in his life. If he was at Gaunt’s Manor, the restrooms were about three times as big due to their wealth. It was just barely large enough for the white clawfoot tub at the very end, the toilet right next to it, and then the wooden vanity with the hand bowl on top of it next to the door.

“Considering I’m one person, easily.” Edith retorted. Closing the door, she began to tread up the stairs once more.

“Not gonna show off your room?” Sebastian quipped as they passed by her bed chambers she didn’t use last night.

“My my my. Who knew you’d grow to be quite the debauchee, Sebastian?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Sebastian hissed back, clearly irritated by her insinuation. Ominis selectively chose to keep how truthful her statement was, to a degree. Their private affairs weren’t any of her business for now.

“Hmm no thanks. My bed chambers are for an invited company only. And you're not invited.”

“Ah, so nightcaps,” Sebastian commented. Ominis couldn’t fight the grin on his face as he heard her heart lurch, and a sound similar to choking on air escaped her. She even nearly tripped over one step. Thankfully, his assistance to catch her was not needed, but he was ready nonetheless.

“That is none of your business!”

“Right.”

Edith just stomped up the rest of the stairs more feverishly. Moving his wand about, there wasn’t much to the third floor, just the two main rooms along the wall on the opposite side of the stairtop. She held open the door closest to the small window at the far end of the hallway, completely ignoring the first door.

“And finally this is the study. Everything pertaining to Anne is here.” Edith gestured towards the room. Upon entry, Ominis felt himself cringe at how utterly chaotic it was. The small room was filled with books and loose pieces of paper scattered about. It was spacious for how occupied it was currently with three grown adults standing amidst a librarian’s hell.

Ominis noticed quite a few clippings from the daily prophet regarding dark wizard activities, letters with Anne’s signature favorite wax seal, and other letters from others he didn’t immediately recognize. As the images of the room appeared in his mind, he slowly moved about, trying to avoid stepping on anything. It was proving to be almost as difficult as Sebastian’s study back home, or any room he claimed.

“And you thought I was messy, Ominis.” Sebastian broke the silence as he knelt on the ground behind him. He picked up a few letters closest to him, beginning to examine them. Ominis couldn’t tell what it was but knew they’d have plenty of time to examine every single piece of information offered to them.

“I stand by that statement. Edith must’ve picked up your nasty habits from years back.” He mused as he made his way to the desk covered in news clippings from the Daily Prophet. Holding his wand out front, he got a better image depicting how each clipping involved either him, Sebastian, or both of them. On the wall behind the desk were more clippings, not of just them, but other dark wizards as well. There was enough about the Ministry’s golden duo though to catch his attention. Penny’s words replayed in his mind. So the elf was speaking the truth, not that he ever doubted her.

“I like to think..”

“I seriously doubt that.” Ominis quipped absentmindedly.

“...of it as chaotically organized.” Sebastian finished pointedly.

“Call it whatever you'd like, it's still a mess.”

Ominis heard Edith step away to pick up a letter from the floor, attempting to hide her amusement. She thought she let out a small breathy chuckle quiet enough that they wouldn’t hear. She was wrong. It had been so long since the last time he heard her laugh. An annoyingly loud part of him wanted to hear it again, maybe get close enough to get a glimpse of that smile he had missed. He fought that part of him, reminding himself of all she had done. He couldn’t forgive her nor allow his guard to fall completely around her.

“You two haven’t changed,” Edith cleared her throat, attempting to regain her composure, “Still fighting like an old married couple per usual.” She couldn’t have been further from the truth. At this point, they were practically a married couple, without all the paperwork and so forth. They lived together, worked together, and spent almost every waking moment together. He was very happy with his life, but it wasn’t perfect. He knew what it was missing but refused to acknowledge it right now.

“I'm beginning to see a pattern with these over here. A fan, I take it?” Ominis already knew that answer thanks to Penny. Yet he found himself teasing her gently about it. He turned to her direction as the telltale sound of arms crossing flooded his ears.

“Hilarious. As I said before, I find it entertaining to watch the fools who think they could catch the Masked Wizard run around like a pack of frightened diricawls.” She spoke with a grin and condescension, clearly returning his tease. Her steps moved towards him, closer and closer, till he could feel her presence brush past him. A sensual chill ran down his spine. The wooden desk creaked as she leaned up against it to the right of him. She was very close yet still far enough to not be anywhere near brushing her arms against his.

His wand allowed him to see the folded paper she picked up and held towards him. It was a more recent print of the Daily Prophet with a bold headline reading “Ministry’s Deadly Duo”. Ominis wasn’t too much of a fan of their alleged fame in the paper. It seemed every success of theirs, as well as the occasional failures, were published for all of the wizarding world.

“The papers just can’t seem to get enough of you two. Makes staying two steps ahead quite easy.” She made no effort to hide her supercilious tone as she softly waved the paper, emphasizing her point. Another reason to hate their names in the paper as often as they were.

“And yet we still managed to catch you, didn’t we?” Sebastian derided as he rose from the ground and stalked over to Edith. Ominis stood by, delighted as the scene unfolded before him. Something about the slight back and forth between them was entertaining, despite everything else.

He watched as the paper was moved over to where the assumed Sebastian figure stood, preventing him from getting any closer to Edith. She was still very much caged between him, and the desk yet she used the paper to keep him at bay. He recalled the way she practically lept away from him last night at the base of the stairs. He heard how her heart pounded and startled so easily. Was it the physical proximity?

“Please. If my attention hadn’t been so divided due to Anne’s disappearance, you would’ve never caught me off guard. Even back then, you couldn’t beat me in a duel in the Defense Against the Dark Arts class.” She feigned confidence but her voice had a slight tremor that gave away her nervousness. It piqued Ominis’s interest in how nervous she was getting.

“Sebastian, perhaps, but I recall you having quite a difficult time against me, Edith,” Ominis reminded as he stepped closer to tower over her. He intentionally spoke with a softer voice on the off chance it might lead to something interesting. And his efforts were not in vain. He heard how rapidly her heart began to pound as he moved closer. His lowered voice just topped it all off.

“R..right…Well, I’ve improved my skills since Hogwarts.” Edith stammered momentarily as she quickly freed herself from the trapped corner she found herself in. She had moved over towards the door, putting distance between them. As much as he enjoyed how nervous she got around them, it probably was for the best. There was still much to discuss and heal from.

“As have I” Sebastian countered, taking the very same spot she had against the desk, by Ominis’s side.

“We shall see.” The way she spoke wasn’t malicious or coy. It was like she was far away, emotionally and mentally. As if she didn’t intend to find out how much they had grown since Hogwarts, similar to how she spoke that day back in their seventh year. She was far more melancholy then; now she was just devoided of emotions.

“I noticed you two seem to be sharing a room. Is something the matter with your room, Sebastian?” Edith swiftly changed the subject, what little jests they had gotten from her, were gone.

“Not particularly. Ominis and I share a room. It is of no use to me.” Sebastian informed so casually. As if two men sharing a room was a common occurrence. Ominis had no shame in his love for Sebastian, even still he felt his face flush ever so slightly with Sebastrian’s boldness.

“...I guess I can conjure another bed then?” Edith bemused. A reasonable reaction to what was just stated, though it didn’t stop Ominis’s cheeks from redding at Sebastian's immediate response.

“By all means but chances are I’ll just end up in bed with Ominis.”

“Sebastian! For Merlin’s sake do you have no decency?!” Ominis sighed, dropping the papers he had to cover his burning face. He loved the moron, he did, but he was doomed to be the death of him.

Edith remained quiet for a long time. It began to make his skin itch. Was she one of those people unaccepting of a man loving another man? He’d hate for this to be where their so-called friendship officially ends.

“You two are…courting?” Edith questioned. Ominis couldn’t quite make out the tone of her voice. It wasn’t disgusted as he feared it would be, but wasn’t exactly all accepting either. He couldn’t recognize exactly what she was feeling from her inquiry.

“Yea. Problem?” Sebastian had lost all the warmth in his voice and was back to his sharp tone. He was always quick to the defense when it came to the two of them. Ominis appreciated it most of the time, but he doubted this was one of those times when it was necessary. The Edith he remembered never cared about such things. He hoped that remained true.

“No. Just surprised is all.” Edith stated. She still sounded surprised by the revelation she just received, which was better than immediate ignorance and disgust. From what he could recall, Edith didn’t judge one by who they loved. She was a very accepting person. It was refreshing to know that remained true. Though her silence was off-putting once more. Clearing she was lost in her mind.

“I’m glad to see you two worked out your issues in my absence. I feared you’d stopped talking to each other just like 6th year all over again,” Edith sighed. Ominis remained silent. It was true without her, he probably wouldn’t have talked to Sebastian as quickly as he did. Her hand was forced for a while. She had been doing the best she could to divide what little free time she had between the two of them, practically running back and forth. She always made sure to mention how Sebastian was doing, despite him never asking. When word got out that Anne was coming back to Hogwarts, she started spending more time with Sebastian. She began to mention him more often to Ominis. He wanted to forgive him and knew eventually he would. The more he heard of him from Edith, the more he felt he needed to talk to Sebastian. Not completely forgive, but allow him to be present in his life once more.

Her disappearance in their seventh year, however, did almost break them. As ridiculous as it was, part of Ominis thought perhaps something had happened with Sebastian that had finally driven her away. Something he might’ve said or done leaving her to run away just as the school year was almost over. He blamed Sebastian for a short while, and they fought.

“Well, he stayed around so we could work through it. Didn’t take off.” Sebastian commented pointedly. Ominis could feel the room freeze over. He heard Edith's breath momentarily pause. Leave it to Sebastian to immediately point out the obvious. He wasn’t wrong, and yet Ominis felt the need to meditate ever so slightly.

“Sebastian..” Ominis warned darkly, but Edith cut him off. Her tone was empty and cold. The way she spoke was oddly familiar in a way. A way he would speak back when he was living in the Gaunt Manor. Guarded and distant so nothing could hurt him. It was a tone that gave off the feeling that nothing mattered to her. His purposely hurtful words appeared to not have hurt her, but he knew they did.

“It’s alright, Ominis. He’s not wrong.” Edith spoke so lightly as if it was amusing to her.

“Choose whoever you’d like to seek companionship in, the only thing that matters is finding Anne.” Her words returned with just as much spite and ire as Sebastian’s had. It was clear to him nothing did matter to her, nothing involving them two at least. She had her walls built and guard up.

He listened as her heels turned on the wood and moved towards the door. Ominis wasn’t sure why he began to call her name or what he would even say to her, but she quickly ended that for him by interrupting him.

“If you need anything else, Penny will assist you. I’ll be in my room.” And with a slam of the door, she was gone.

~ ♡ ~

( •̀ヮ•́) I've been so motivated to write these, like I already have the next 2 done, im just editing the fuck out of them.

Also.....HEADCANONS

Idk where the fuck i read an Ominis fic where he had like super human hearing, but I did and it has been my hc ever since soooo there you go.

Next his wand! ಠᗜಠ

my hc is that the wand can project structures and things WAY better than people. Like walls, desks, papers, couches, etc, so he doesn't trip and can move around and read well. His wand deems it more important than "seeing" people. He can get glimpses of people, but they are like super blurry unless his wand is like almost directly in front of someone's face. Colors are muted too, more so on people.

Remember, this is all for fun, so be kind. Im doing my best to keep them in character and keep it interesting. This is an Ominis x Sebastian x Mc story, and Im trying to keep it slow burn, but im rusty at fanfics, so sorry.

ANYWAYS THANKS AND LOVE YALL!!! ♡♡♡♡

[dearestjaemin]

hi

[fukae-flwr]

Stained Hearts & Dark Desires

Chapter 2: Compromises over Pride

Summary: Edith is caught in a very tough position. Enemies from her past have got her cornered, and now her fate lies with them. Maybe she can sway them in her favor.

Word count: 3.3k

Warnings: adult language, dirty thoughts if you squint hard,

Rating: MATURE 18+ (No Minors)

Chapter: 3

She waited with bated breath, heart pounding in her ears. She watched both men for any sign of aggression, or retaliation. They could attack the second she let her guard down. Her eyes saw the pain, relief and overall gentle fondness they had when gazing at her. Her heart wanted to believe them, but her mind refused to fall for it. As soon as they accepted she was alive, their bittersweet joy would turn to a roaring fire of rage. She was alive, and they had finally found her.

All those years of dodging them, going to great lengths to avoid them gone thanks to a momentary lapse in judgment. She had barely escaped out the upstairs window onto the roof as soon as she had heard Ominis and Sebastian approaching. Thinking she could just quietly slide off the roof onto the stack of wood Anne had behind the house, she dangled from the edge, trying to get her footing right. Unfortunately for her, the hay had been tickling her nose just enough for her to sneeze. Which, in turn, caused her to lose her footing, go tumbling down into the pile of wood, and knock all the wood pieces over with a painfully loud noise. Years of being masterful at stealth, and today was the one day she failed miserably at it.

Edith blamed the boys; they gave off an energy that always made her turn into some klutzy fool. Her luck was exponentially bad around them. She recalled too many times in their chases of her where they had come unbelievably close to capturing her due to her luck being gods awful that day. She’d always barely escape and played it off like it was all planned, when in reality she was sweating buckets. Nothing ever went to plan when Sebastian and Ominis were involved. Today was the day her luck had decided to up and leave her, resulting in her capture. She cursed every god under the sun for her rotten luck.

It was clear when she arrived that Anne had been taken. Everything was thrown about, the door blasted in, papers scattered about. Edith had frantically searched for anything. She had taught Anne that in a crisis to hide to the best of her abilities. She knew that by making enemies, it would put Anne at risk. So they went over things to do when this occurred. From the way the cottage had been torn apart, her small training sessions with Anne on protecting herself paid off. Anne didn’t go without a fight. The only reason everything was so immaculate was thanks to Edith casting repairo on everything. She couldn’t raise any alarms with the boys or the neighbors, a fat lot of good it did.

Bringing Edith back to her current situation. Anne disappeared, with hardly a clue as to where or why, not to mention due to her lack of arriving for their scheduled “appointment” now Anne was on borrowed time. Then topping it all off, Sebastian and Ominis decided today was the day they finally caught the elusive Masked Wizard. There was no way they were going to let her leave here alone. Perhaps not ship her off Azkaban just yet, but definitely not leaving her sight, which put a hinderience on finding Anne. Any way she looked at it, she was fucked.

“We’re clearly at an impasse, boys.” Edith hoped her voice sounded as calm and cold as she wanted, and not like the nervous wreck she was feeling internally. She fought viciously to stop her body from shaking with anxiety, but her throat began to clamp up as her back tensed. It felt like her muscles were refusing to let her get any words out confidently, and all her body wanted to do was curl up in a dark hole for the next hour to just calm down.

“Indeed. It appears you are right. What should we do with you?” Sebastian spoke first. Finally his eyes bore the emotion she was mentally prepared for, anger. That soft look that made her uncomfortable was replaced by the rage she knew he’d come to. He was always quick to temper, and she had braced herself for that hate, not for kindness. She didn’t know how to act with kindness. Yes, their hate and bitterness was something she was much more comfortable dealing with.

“You should let me go.”

“Ha! Hilarious!” He mused bitterly.

“Worth a shot.” Edith shrugged as nonchalantly as she could muster.

“As if we’d just let you, the most wanted criminal today, go. You need to be held accountable for your crimes.” Something told Edith, the "crimes" he was referring to weren’t the ones the Ministry had placed on her. No, they were the ones much more personal to the three of them.

“Oh but of course…after I find Anne. Finding Anne is top priority. Do with me what you will then.” She had no intention of going to prison once Anne was found. She escaped them once, she’ll easily do it again…somehow. That was a future problem for future Edith. Right now all her focus needed to go into finding Anne.

Edith had gathered some things from Anne’s house that could potentially point her in the right direction but she needed to get home first. And these two were wasting precious time.

“What do you suggest then, Ms.Winterald?” Ominis finally spoke up, calling her by her last name. It stung somewhere deep inside to hear how formal he was with her, knowing a lifetime ago, they were much more familiar. His soft expression was long gone too, replaced by a more professional and cold one you’d expect from an aurora.

Edith bit the inside of her cheek. The best bet would be to ditch them by shifting into her animagus form. However, the amount of magic it took to not only apparate to Anne’s house while keeping her appearance charm on, and then battle the both of them to escape with said charm still going, well it was suffice to say she was absolutely drained at the moment. She doubted she had enough in her to change into her animagus form, let alone hold the form long enough to fly away as quickly as possible.

She racked her brain for any solution other than the obvious one coming to mind. She could do small bits of wandless magic, nothing astounding nor worth giving away her trick up her sleeve. So long as Ominis held onto her wand, her options were limited.

She felt the words come up her throat, fighting through every ounce of her rationality telling her this was a bad idea. She desperately wished there was some other way but for the sake of Anne, someone had to give. Might as well be her, her pride be damned.

“I…propose…a temporary alliance.” Edith felt teeth grinded with itself as she forced the words out. The after taste of them, disgusting and bitter. They both watched her carefully not believing her, understandably so.

“Go on.” Sebastian crossed his arms. How was it he was so smug? He must’ve released how much of a jab her pride was taking at this moment. By Godric's heart she wanted to punch that smug asshole. Biting down her annoyance, she continued.

“You don’t send me to Azkaban right now, and I…will…allow you to be graced by my company. Just until Anne is found.” It felt like trying to pull a particularly stubborn mandrake out of the ground. The damned words felt nearly impossible to get out. Every part of her was saying this was a ridiculously bad idea. It defeated the whole reason she left in the first place. They weren’t supposed to get involved with her…at all!

“Hmm but how do we know you’ll keep your word? You could very likely just apparate away once you have gotten your wand back?” Ominis countered, fully convinced Edith wouldn’t keep her word. It was fair for him to think that, after all, she didn’t keep her word last time.

Before Edith could say anything, Sebastian opened his mouth, suggesting the absolute worst idea he has ever suggested.

“Make it an unbreakable vow.” He spoke confidently and condescendingly. Edith prayed to whatever gods she had been cursing that her expression remained cooled and unaffected contrary to the fact everything inside screaming in anger, anxiety, and all around panic. Of course, he would come up with that kind of solution, and it would work as assurance for them. It forced her to keep her word at the expense of her life, and she hated it. It was binding her to them more than she'd like.

“Sebastian, you know what happens if one breaks the oath.”

“So does she. And finding Anne is the most important task right now. This way we can focus on that and not worry about her running off the first chance she gets.” His words were as sharp as a viber, threatening to strike.

Edith felt her stomach coil, and her skin prickled. There was no way out of an unbreakable oath aside from death. An unbreakable vow could last as long as needed, and they could force her to commit to something for a lifetime. On the other hand, if she didn't agree, then they'd be wasting more time that could be spent trying to find Anne.

“I’ll do it, but only till Anne is found.” Edith compromised. She had to avoid anything lasting past that.

“Are you really making demands in your position?”

“That’s my condition. Take it or leave it, Sallow.” Edith snarled at him. She could be just as stubborn as him, and he knew that. He glared at her, deciding if it was worth it. His dark, almost black eyes bore into hers. Saying everything yet nothing all at once.

“Until Anne is found then.” He spoke the words as if they themselves were a threat. What threat? Edith couldn’t tell, nor did she plan to find out.

“Then it’s decided, an unbreakable vow.” Ominis confirmed. This was a terrible idea. Every fiber of Edith’s being screamed that this was a bad idea, but Anne had to be rescued. Anne’s life meant more than her own.

Edith begrudgingly stood firm in her spot and held out her arm to whoever would bind her to the unbreakable oath. Ominis looked over to Sebastian’s direction with a knowing look. Of course Sebastian, the prideful ass, wanted to be the one to bind her. His idea, he gets to do it.

With a victorious grin, he stepped up to her and firmly gripped her arm. The strength of his hold showed her just how much stronger physically he was than her. An uncomfortable pain shot up her arm, but she didn’t let him have the satisfaction of knowing it hurt. This pain was nothing compared to the pain Edith subjected her body to frequently for the past 7 years.

He watched her as she watched him, never taking their eyes off each other as Ominis stood off to their side, readying the spell. Edith took this time to examine how much Sebastian had changed. He was so much taller than her now. Before, he hadn’t been that much taller, maybe a few inches to half a foot, but nothing drastic. Now, she could feel her neck muscles stretch nicely to look at him. He was easily a full foot taller, and she wasn’t on the shorter side.

His hair was shorter yet still maintained that wild curls, something she loved in her past life. He had such strong features, devilishly handsome. Without obviously moving her eyes from his, she could tell from her peripheral vision that he had quite the muscular build as well. Something any woman with eyes would greatly appreciate. Edith could easily imagine some lucky woman being picked up in those strong arms, hands on her waist, probably pressed up against something such as a wall trapped by him. He'd be so close to her.

Edith felt herself flush just as she immediately halted her traitorous mind. Where the fuck was her mind going? Feeling her brain was wandering too much, she fought the slight heat she felt in her face. She made sure to give herself an internal slap for mental ogling over her enemy. Sebastian grew up handsome. Lucky him. She liked a pretty face. End of story.

“Something on your mind?” Sebastian questioned. His expression is a mix of mockery and genuine confusion. She easily forced an embarrassed scowl at him.

“Nothing of your concern.”

Looking away, Edith watched as the faint glow wrapped itself around the union of their arms. She turned her gaze to Ominis. who stood close by, maybe a tad too close for her comfort. Then again hundreds of miles from her still wasn’t far enough to be rid of the things they did to her emotionally. She couldn’t afford that weakness right now.

She tried not to be distracted by how much Ominis grew as well. He was much taller than before, even slightly taller than Sebastian, by a couple inches. He, too, had beautifully distracting features, clearly having gone from charming young boy to stupid handsome man. No wonder these two were quite popular with younger women. They were blessed with good looks. Aside from his face, he too had quite the muscle as well, not as wide as Sebastian but still muscular. His tailored suit did nothing to hide that, if anything, it enhanced his appearance. She imagined him rolling up his sleeves and loosening his tie just as he did in defense against the dark arts class, but as the man he was in front of her. Strong arms insinuated by the tightly rolled up white shirt. His long, thick neck exposed as he pulled his tie loose. A familiar heat tickled her face once more.

She had never been this weak to someone’s appearance. She could appreciate one’s looks, but she assumed it was because of who she was looking at. Old emotions she had been fighting for so long, deciding to surface now. Time to shove them back into the shadows.

“Will you, Edith Winterald, remain with close proximity to either myself or Sebastian until Anne has been returned?” Ominis asked, looking into her direction once the spell was performed. Everything screamed no, terrible decision, awful idea, but she was in the thick of it now.

“I swear.”

“Will you form a temporary alliance with both Sebastian and myself until Anne has been found and returned safely?”

“Yes…I will.”

“You will not disappear on us…while in pursuit of Anne” Sebastian added, giving her a pointed, dark stare. The silence in the middle of his statement spoke volumes. He was trying to keep her trapped. Part of her longed to say yes even after Anne was found, but knew that’d be a lie. She could promise only until, not after.

“I won’t.” The words hung over all of them, heavy and uncomfortable. The glowing lights had faded yet the mark remained, seared into her skin. She released Sebastian yet he did not release her. His grip significantly lessened but still enough to hold her in place. He searched her eyes for any lies, any tricks. As if finding none, he finally released her. She pulled her arm away and backed away from the both of them, feeling their presence suffocating her.

“Well now since you officially collared me,” Edith spoke bitterly, rotating her slightly sore arm, “ My wand.” She held her hand expectedly to Ominis. He hesitated for a moment then gently handed it over. Snatching it from his grip, Edith quickly turned on her heels to retrieve her bag and fallen items. She tossed the letters, galleons and mask into the bag and made sure to tightly seal it shut. Didn’t need to advertise her secret identity to the rest of the world.

“Now boys, I'm feeling positively exhausted so...I'm going home.” She faced them, absolutely annoyed with her current predicament, and was absolutely going to make it their problem.

“Seeing as I don't feel like dying immediately, you two are coming with.” Before they could even get a word in edgewise, she marched over to them, grabbed them tightly by the arms, and apparate out of the woods.

Once the familiar sight of her lovely home in London appeared in front of her, she shoved the disoriented men off and marched up to her door. Such a welcomed sight after the absolute shit of a night she had. Upon opening the door, Edith was greeted by the small home dressed in the shadows of the night.

“Penny?” She called for the only person she’d call family. In an instant, the little elf appeared in front of her with the warmest of smiles. On her head was her flower hat she proudly wore on her head. Edith had tried to give Penny a new dress, but Penny refused. Stating her hat was an enough gift from Edith.

“Miss Edith! Penny is most pleased to see you have returned home safely!” She beamed, all the stress of the day seeming to evaporate just in the presence of her warm smile. Penny was the only family Edith had at this point in her life. Penny chose to follow Edith, and she made sure Penny would never regret it.

“Thank you, Penny. Would you mind please draw me a bath and have some tea brought to my room? I absolutely need a soak after the day I've had.” Edith stretched out her tense shoulders.

“But of course, Miss Edith! However, Penny does notice you are not alone tonight. Shall Penny prepare a nightcap?”

“NO!” Edith felt her face burn brightly. Poor Penny stared wide-eyed at Edith, unsure of what she had done wrong. Edith could feel the two sets of eyes burning a hole into the back of her head.

“Ahem. No, thank you, Penny. That won't be necessary. They are only staying here temporarily. To assist in finding Anne.” Edith coughed, shoving her embarrassment down. She brings home a man once, and suddenly every man she brings home is here for a nightcap. She curses ever teaching that to Penny and for having brought men to her home at all.

Penny’s expression immediately turned to one concern at the mention of Anne. Forcing Edith to focus back on the reality of the situation. Penny often helped with retrieving Anne for their “appointments”. This time, when she went to retrieve her, Anne hadn’t been present in their usual spot, forcing Edith to come out and check on her.

“Oh my! Miss Anne has gone missing? Penny hopes she is ok.”

“So this elf knows my sister too?”

“Oh indeed! Penny finds Miss Anne to be very kind to Penny.”

“And this elf has a name, Sallow.” Edith turned to glare over her shoulder. His expression immediately turned from his disbelief to a much intense concerned one.

"I..I didn't mean it like that." He stepped forth as if getting closer would right the situation. Edith just turned away from him as memories of a situation with him in the undercroft regarding a goblin came forth. She hoped he had changed. He never had issues with elves before, but part of her felt the need to protect her family. Edith just rubbed her temple as a wonderfully timed mirgain began to pound.

"He truly didn't mean it like that, Edith," Ominis's voice was practically in her ear with how close he was. She felt the shiver skitter down her spine and her body tense instantly. Like having been burnt, she hastily stepped forward away from him. He was too close, too damn close!

"R..right. Penny, I'll be in my room." Edith kicked herself for stuttering, "In the meantime, please prepare the spare rooms for our guests.” Edith grumbled as she made her way to the wooden staircase in front of her.

“Edith?” Ominis stepped forward, wand pulsing brightly.

“Yes?” Edith paused on the steps, turning with hesitation towards him. With everything going on and had happened she was on edge around them.

“What are we to wear?” Oh.

“Your clothes? Have Penny retrieve anything you might be needing for your stay.” Edith just rubbed her head as she continued her tread up the steep staircase. This place wasn’t massive by any means, but it did have three levels. The main level had the kitchen, dining hall, and living room. Then the second level was 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. Lastly, the top floor was used as a study and a spare room Edith was using as her private room.

Edith was fortunate enough that Professor Fig was still taking care of her even in death. Much to her surprise, he had officially adopted her while he was at the ministry, and put everything he owned in his will to her. Which included his little home in London, one he shared with Miriam. Edith refused to change most of the place, but forced herself to move most of the photos of Professor Fig and Miriam to storage. She couldn’t bear to have his photos around watching her, knowing she’d failed him, and continued to fail him. Everything else, however, was just as he left it.

Finally making it to the second floor, Edith basically crawled to her master bedroom, kicking the door shut behind her. She plopped down onto her bed as the weight of the world came crashing down. By Merlin’s beard, today had officially been one of the worst days of her life. Everything began to circle in her brain. She quickly sat up, pulling out the letters and pieces of papers Anne hidden away in a secret crevice in her bedroom. Most of them were letters from her to Anne, something Anne was paranoid about anyone finding, despite Edith’s letters always being vague and under a different pen name. However, the one that really caught her eyes was the quickly crumpled up paper.

She quickly uncrumpled the paper, carefully pulling it open and found three words scrippled frantically on it.

“Half faced Ashwinder”

~ ♡ ~

Another chapter done! WOO! No art today. I wanted to focus on the story itself. Im having a lot of fun and also trying to put a lot of effort into this. I wanted to be a writer once, so I put 110% into my works. I dont have any beta readers or editors, so it's all me. I apologize for the errors.

Im trying to make sure the boys are in character, but also they're adult men, so they may have changed a bit since the game. Plus, this was in Edith POV, so she might miss some things from the boys cause her gaurds up. Also, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO IMAGINE YOUR OC OR YOURSELF. I use my oc only cus 1) hehe i have a story and 2) makes writing way easier to have a character. I hope you guys like it!!!!!

[fukae-flwr]

"I believe in you."

"I can't do it!" Edith cried out in frustration. The stupid stick wasn't doing what she wanted! She could feel that strange sensation tickling under skin, wanting to come out in the form of a blast or in the form of pulling things to her, like she had done so many times before. Yet with this "wand" as he called it, she can't get that feeling to do what she wants. It was so confusing. Without a wand, she could make someone's loose pounds end up in her own pocket, if she focused super hard. That usually also resulted in some window shattering as well, but she still got a pound or two somehow.

"Don't worry, you'll get it! The greatest wizards and witches didn't master their skills in a day." The professor comforted the young girl as he sat next to her on the couch.

"I'll never master the basics before the start of the school year." She grumbled. He assured her that once she mastered the basics, he would send her to a special school for people like her. Sounded super prestigious, but a part of her hoped it was the new beginning she's been working so hard for. Maybe, if she didn't fuck it up somehow, like she knew deep down inside, she would.

"It just takes practice." He smiled warmly. She just frowned, not sure he was right. All her life, she's only messed up. She was lucky when her "gifts" managed to land her a few pounds, but it always came with destroying something nearby or someone getting hurt by accident.

"How do you know that? You said this was simple magic. Any witch and wizard can do it, yet I've been trying for a week!" Edith questioned bolting up. She was never going to get this! It was easy for him to say since he was already a teacher in this kind of thing.

If she didn't get this right soon, he was going to see her for what she really was. Useless orphan no one wnated. Another street rat. He was going to give up on her just like everyone else.

She should've just ignored him that day. She should've just run after lightening his wallet. She was faster than him for sure, and she could've sold his strange coins for a pretty pound. But no, she just had to let her curiosity get the better of her, especially when he explained things she did that she never could explain. His promises of letting her get better at mastering her so-called magic and meeting other children like her filled her head with uselss hope.

She felt her eyes burn in frustration and something bitter and familiar. Bile and disgusting. She hated how it burned at her throat and how absolutely crushing it felt every time her hope slipped away. It was better when she didn't have it, better when she knew what to expect and nothing more. And yet it still keeps finding her to torment her.

She wasn't even looking at the professor anymore. She was too caught up in trying to suppress the pain.

"I'm used to it. I'm used to it. I'm fine. I'm fine." She repeated in her mind. It's what got her through the roughest of days. When she didn't have food for the night, when she would get a beating for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. She got through it.

"Simple. I believe in you, Edith." The professor smiled confidently at her. Edith shot her head up to meet Professor Fig's gaze immediately. The words ringing in her head. Not a single sliver of doubt in his eyes. D...did he actually mean that?

"Wha..What?" She hated how small her voice came off. She didnt mean to stutter either. She was just so caught off gaurd by his words. Her brain forgot how to speak.

"I said I believe in you Edith. I know you'll succeed, cuase I won't let you fail. No matter what." Professor Fig sat straighter, his chin high. He wasn't trying to look down on her like most did. He was sat with confidence, as if his words were factual. The look in his eyes made her chest tighten and her eyes burn. It was so warm and kind. She almost wanted to run in his arms and never let go.

"Shall I get you a tissue?" Professor chuckled, gesturing to his own nose. Edith felt her face flush in embarrassment as she quickly turned away, wiping her running nose and tears on her sleeve.

"I'm not crying!" She defended, not at all sounding like a whinning child. She quickly rubbed her face, hoping that would stop the tears, but it was futile. For some reason, it wouldn't stop. It was so childish, crying over three simple words, and yet it was the first time anyone had ever said those to her.

She kept hiding and trying to silence her sniffles, but it was pretty obvious in the quiet study. She almost didnt hear the sounds of movement behind her thanks to her emotional state.

She felt his gentle hand pat her hair atop her head. He said nothing but she felt his reassuring presence, letting her know she was ok and safe.

She kept her face hidden but she swore to herself she was going to make him proud.

She would not be a failure this time.

HEY GUYS!!!!!

I'm back again!!! I started replaying hogwarts again cus i was feeling magical. Plus i missed the wizarding world. So I made more art and short as well! This was really fun!

HC for Edith:

she was an orphan, who tried to steal from Fig almost a year before the events of Hogwarts Legacy

It took some convincing on Fig's part to get her to trust him much less go to a school she had never heard of, plus she needed some training in basic magic

She loosk really young but swear she is just a year younger then in game

[fukae-flwr]

Stained Hearts & Dark Desires

Chapter 4: New Looks

Summary: Glimpse into the past shows a little what this temporary cure is. Edith collects emotions and prepares to run errands

Words: 3.8k

Warnings: self-inflicted magic pain, selfwell-being neglect,

Chapter 5

Ratings: MATURE 18+ (NO MINORS)

~Before the 7th year~

“Edith?” Anne called out from up above. Edith quickly raced up the stairs, making sure to close the basement doors behind her. Coming up to the surface, Edith walked around her growing garden that surrounded the stone cottage.  Right in front of the wooden door was Anne dressed in her usual. She appeared much healthier now, less pale, and gaining some weight. It was wonderful to know she was finally getting better.

“Anne! Glad you made it. I can’t wait to show you what I've got for you.” Edith practically bounced in place with excitement. 

“Gallopin gorgons, Edith! Have you slept at all!?” Anne panicked, pulling Edith closer to examine her more closely. Edith crinkled her nose as she thought of the last time she ate and slept.

“The fact it is taking you so long to recall speaks volumes.”

“I had important things to do. I’ll take a nap later.” Edith kindly shrugged her off. She couldn’t have looked that bad. Anne was just a worrywort.

“No. We are going into your house so you can sit down and relax for a moment.” Anne put her foot down like a mother hen. Edith knew better than to fight her on it, plus seeing Anne become this confident, strong-willed person was amazing. She could only assume this used to be how Anne normally was before everything. It wasn’t often, but it was slowly coming back.

“Fine, but I still want to talk about your progress.” Edith gave in and began to walk into the house. It was a cute stone cottage Edith bought just outside Pit-Upon-Ford. The cottage was just outside the hamlet but still close enough to be deemed part of it. The location was perfect; close to the forbidden forest to encounter dark wizards and far enough to not draw too much attention to herself. Exactly what she needed.

“Now sit. I’ll make tea.” Anne gestured to the long wooden table on the left-hand side of the door with two benches on either side. Edith quietly cast a spell to start up the fire in the dark fireplace across from the table. It was where she cooked, brewed potions, and stayed warm on cold nights. Anne was in the small so-called “kitchen”. It was the area next to the wooden stairs that consisted of cabinets and counter space. Edith hung most of her dried things there, such as herbs and jerky. Anne had been here plenty of times to know where she kept all her teas.

“Shouldn’t I be making the tea for you, my guest?” Edith rested her chin on her hand as Anne moved about like she owned the place.

“Let me, please. You’re this haggard because of me; this is the least I can do.” Anne spoke so softly, her meek personality resurfacing.

“Anne. You know that’s not true.” Edith began to rise to comfort her but was immediately halted from one stern look from her. Surrendering, she sat back down with a soft smile.

“I know you’re not doing it for me, but still. I want to help you in return, so let me do this.” Anne smiled and continued to prepare the kettle for tea. Edith couldn’t say much in return for that. Anne wasn’t entirely right, but wasn’t entirely wrong either. She wanted to help Anne because she cared about Anne, at least she did now, after having gotten to know her. The real reason she started to cure Anne, however, was solely for them. She wanted them to be happy, and their happiness included her. She had seen how much pain they had been in due to Anne’s curse. After everything, she was no better than Isidora.

“Well, you do make better tea than I do, so I guess I'll accept. Practically forcing it down my throat.” Edith grinned, feigning indifference.

“So what discoveries were you so excited to tell me about?” Immediately, Edith brightened at her reminder. She quite literally began to bounce in her seat.

“Right! Did you bring the locket?”

“Of course. You told me to never take it off.” Anne gave Edith an unimpressed look as she passed her to place the kettle over the fire on the hook.

“Yes, and that remains true. You can never take it off until I find a real cure.” Edith pointed at her, impersonating an authoritative figure the best she could. The only ones coming to her mind were the professors at Hogwarts.

Once the kettle was left to boil, Anne sat across from Edith at the table and pulled out a large silver oval locket from her scarf. The chain was thick while the pendant was very heavy and obvious for lack of better words. It matched appearances with the large empty respository under the school, only much smaller. The locket radiated with red ancient magic; it wasn’t overflowing, but small traces circled the pendant. Only Edith could see the traces, but it still wasn’t safe for the locket to be so visible. It needed to be smaller to be more easily hidden.

“There shouldn’t have been any issues, but anything to report?” Edith questioned as she examined the locket. It was a shabby piece of jewelry, not very pretty. She just needed something quick and big enough to hold a lot of magic at the time. She found someone who could take the goblin metal she collected and turn it into a necklace, no questions asked. To them, it was just some strange piece of jewelry made from goblin metal. But to her, it was exactly the thing she needed to create a mini repository with.

“It’s heavy, but if you mean the pain caused by the curse, then the locket has been working well. I hardly feel the pain. I get a few waves of body aches. Sometimes I feel like I have to sit for a moment, but then I’m fine an hour later.”

"But you still feel it." Edith bit her lip as she pulled out her wand. That needed to be improved on. She quickly conjured a quill and paper to take notes.

"Only faint whispers of it, like a cramp. It's much better than it was, Edith." Anne quickly explained, her voiced lace with concern. Anne may have accepted the locket as it was now, but Edith didn't. It needed work.

“Any feelings of losing yourself, emotionlessness?” Edith always checked, paranoid she might’ve miscalculated something, and Anne would wake up like Isidora’s father.

“None. I feel more myself than ever with every day that passes.” Edith released the small breath she had been holding. It was the same every visit, but it still eased her mind hearing it.

“Good. Well, I’ve improved the weight and capacity the locket can hold.” Edith beamed as she pulled out her new piece for Anne. It was a significantly smaller locket and much more fashionable for any occasion. The chain was much thinner for more comfortable wear, and the pendant was an oval-shaped locket magically wrapped by a golden snake. The snake was enchanted by herself, only opening to her magic; a security measure so it couldn’t be opened unless it was by her. Edith specifically chose the design to represent the two houses dear to her, Slytherin, and her own house, Hufflepuff.

“It’s beautiful, but will it hold enough with how tiny it is?” Anne gasped as she took it in her hands. Edith flicked her wand so all the window curtains would draw close simultaneously. She had to be sure no one just happened to witness something they shouldn’t. Not many people came to where her house was, but still, it's better to be safe than sorry.

“Despite its size, it's way more capable than the one you’re currently wearing. It’ll hold much more for longer, and it won’t weigh you down as much. Those whispers of pain shouldn't be a thing, but I'll check next time. We will still need to do monthly visits. Also, I still recommend not showing it off, but if you do, at least now it’s pretty to look at.” Edith explained as she mentally readied herself for what was about to happen. She felt like she had to psych herself up every time. 

“Are you sure you able do this? You look really tired. You’re supposed to be relaxing!” Anne tried to convince Edith. Anne hated this way more than Edith did, and she was the one performing the spell. Anne always tried to persuade Edith not to perform it; she usually said something along the lines of it being her curse to deal with, and Edith shouldn’t be putting herself through this. It was heartwarming to know she cared.

“I’ll relax after. Better to get it over with than procrastinate, kinda like studying for finals.” Edith joked as she sat up straight. Anne seemed unconvinced yet said nothing. 

Edith focused on the old locket, digging deep inside herself for the magic she was looking for. As if hearing its name being called, the magic inside her pulsed to life. She could feel it begin to writhe inside her, thrashing around excitedly. It sent tingles coursing throughout her entire body, a warmth exploding inside her. It was powerful, excitedable, and ready to be used. It was addicting how incredible it felt and how it made her feel. She had to focus ,though, make sure the magic didn’t take over, and overwhelm her. Once she felt she had grasped the magic well, she pointed her wand at the old locket. The familiar red ancient magic shot down her arm, leaving goosebumps to blossom all over her body in its wake. It crawled out of her wand towards the locket, a leech drawn to warmth. The second it made contact, the locket sprang free, and ancient magic shot above their heads. 

Anne couldn’t see the small chaotic cloud of black, red, and blue magic made from her pain, over their heads, but she could. It was like the mess of the destroyed repository under Hogwarts but on a much smaller scale. The cursed magic circled about seeming alive, looking for its host to enact its purpose. 

Edith knew during this process Anne felt a hollow pit form inside her. It was evident in her face as her eyes clouded briefly. Her emotions, magic, and everything that made her who she was, had been temporarily separated. It needed to be returned quickly before disappearing. Edith quickly forced the dark magic, created by the curse, to separate from the emotions and pieces that made Anne who she was. With the violent magic separated, Edith quickly called the curse to herself with a pull of her wand, luring it with her much more powerful ancient magic. A sailor to a siren’s song, the curse quickly followed after and Edith absorbed it, just as she had done the time before.

Once she felt the curse secured inside her, she took what remained, and returned it to Anne’s chest. The clouds in Anne’s eyes dissipated and life shined in its place once more. Her skin even brightened up, and she sat up straighter. The last thing was to ensure the new locket would collect traces of the curse’s magic when it activated. To do so, Edith pointed her wand towards Anne’s chest and searched for the feeling of pain. It was faint but she could feel the curse’s magic still tightly clinging to Anne’s magic. If she had to describe the feeling, it was like sticking her hand in a warm cloud that was alive and ever-moving but then finding lightning inside, attacking everything in its wake. It was that lightning she was looking for. 

Having found it, she carefully pulled a small piece of it out only for it to be drawn into the locket. The locket emulated what the curse was after, strong magic, allowing it to trap it inside without inflicting the pain it was meant to do on Anne. Unfortunately, that kind of magic had to go somewhere eventually, lest it go back to the original host. That would most definitely result in the pain being doubled than what it would have originally been.

“All..done!” Edith clapped her hands together, attempting to lighten the mood. There was always an awkward pause after performing the spell because they both knew what came next.

Edith, for now, felt great, amazing even. Anytime she absored magic, there was this sense of power and ephoria that can with it. At first, that is.

"Now...shall we have..tea?" Edith attempted to sound as uplifting as she had before performing the switch, but the curse was slowly starting to thrash in her. Her ancient magic had returned to its dormant state, but the curse remained trapped, needing to fulfill its purpose. It wasn’t that painful yet, just uncomfortable.

Anne just watched her cautiously. She always had this sad guilty look to her. It was very endearing yet unpleasant. If Edith didn't want to do this, she wouldnt have. Plus it was too late to stop now; they both knew this when they put the first locket on Anne.

“D..Do you..like the design?” Edith tried to breathe through the rising pain, keeping up the facade that she was fine. She was. This was only temporary. The curse would eventually do what it was made for, and then pass. So, yes, she was fine; she was going to be fine, like always. Her magic always recovered eventually, thanks to her ancient magic.

“Of course, but are you alright?” Anne quickly rose moving towards Edith, fully aware of what was gearing up inside her. Edith tried to nod, but everything became blurred as a searing white hot pain shot throughout her body. It felt like her inside had been enginted by fire, while her head throbbed. The pain Anne would have felt every day for a month from the curse just ripped through Edith’s entire body all at once. It was why she preferred to cleanse Anne’s locket once a month. The longer they waited, the more pain she’d have to absorb once they finally emptied the locket. She learned that the hard way when she first created the locket.

 She did her best to suppress the painful cries but it was futile. Everything was hurting. Thankfully Edith didn’t have to endure it for much longer considering her consciousness faded as it always did. She knew she was in good hands, so she wasn’t too worried.

~ * ~

Edith had sat in her room, rereading the phrase over and over again. Half faced ashwinder. Half faced ashwinder. It didn’t make sense. Every ashwinder she had come across always concealed their face. It was either the top half with a wolf mask of some kind or a fabric cloth on the lower half with some beastly mouth print. Edith knew Anne was smart so this had to be a clue of some sort to help her. If it was something as simple as a skull or mask, Anne would’ve put something else, she hoped.

Edith needed to send an owl to an acquaintance who made it his job to keep updated on the happenings of the dark side of the wizarding world. That often meant going to Knockturn Alley to send an owl not her own, plus she had a few things she needed in Knockturn. Which meant having to face those two again.

It had been a couple of hours, and they had remained in the study upstairs. She hoped they were working through everything in there to find something she may have missed. She had gone through every piece in there at least three times last night and yet was pulling at straws. She didn’t have anything on this half-faced ashwinder. Most ashwinders served Rookwood and she made it her mission to get rid of them. With the Masked Wizard practically hunting them down, they made an effort to be nowhere near her anymore. Most of Rookwood’s people were dead or in Azkaban thanks to her. Any remaining were likely deep in hiding, fearful of her; all but one, apparently. She was going to make them pay for this.

Determined to find this scumbag, Edith quickly changed into something a little more appropriate so she wouldn’t stand out in Knockturn. She quickly pulled out her striped black collar jacket and skirt. She made sure to get her hat that covered a good portion of her hair. She wore her hair in a way where her black hair or her hat could hide her noticeable white hair. Once she was ready, she exited her room with her bag and wand.

She made her way up the stairs, taking a deep breath to lock down all her emotions before opening the study’s door. She found both men looking in her direction from where they sat. Ominis opted to sit on the couch under the window, while Sebastian sat comfortably on the floor. She briefly took in how relaxed their appearance was; Sebastian in his white shirt and suspenders while at least Ominis had his vest and tie already on.

Sebastian’s shirt did nothing to hide his distractingly muscular physique. Ominis' seemed to accentuate his form as well, showing how much they had grown since she had last seen them. Where Ominis had a more elegant yet dark appearance, Sebastian had this rugged, and dangerous appearance. Both being something she found begrudgingly attractive.

“You’re dressed for an outing,” Sebastian commented as he raised an eyebrow questioningly. Edith just flicked her gaze towards him, then looked back at Ominis.

“As I said earlier, I have things to do. I assume you’ll be accompanying me, Gaunt?” Edith adjusted her hat slightly, as a distraction for herself. Both of them rose immediately in response.

“And where is it we are going?”

“I’m coming too” 

Ominis and Sebastian spoke at the same time. Edith let out an airy breath that could’ve been passed as a chuckle but was more in disbelief. Even after making it very clear he hated her guts, he still chose to follow her. She wanted space from him, and he didn’t want to be around her, so why was he insisting? Edith looked to Ominis and then back to him. Right, his lover was following the enemy into unknown territory. It left a bitter taste in her mouth, the unwanted jealousy.

“No. Three is too conspicuous. Someone needs to stay.” Edith stood her ground. She needed space from Sebastian. Both of them were too much to handle at this moment, especially Sebastian. She hoped he’d had enough of her too, and would do the sensible thing of staying.

“Three is suspicious? Tell me. Exactly where it is you’re going for a group of three to be deemed suspicious?” Sebastian interrogated stepping closer into her personal space. She stood her ground, refusing to be scared off by him.

“Knockturn Alley.” Edith shrugged casually. Sebastian and Ominis both tensed immediately at the mention of the well-known alley for dark magic. A place where the Ministry's dogs weren’t exactly welcomed, to put it kindly.

“Not happening.”

“Too bad. I need to go there.”

“You’re not taking Ominis to a place like that without me,” Sebastian growled, trying to intimidate her into giving up which he wasn’t doing. This was for Anne, and nothing was standing in her way, not even Sallow.

“You’d only draw more attention.”

“You’re not going.”

“I am going whether he comes or not. If I should die trying, then so does Anne.” Edith crossed her arms, undeterred. No matter how intimidating Sebastian had gotten, she was not relenting. 

“Are you threatening me with my sister?!” Sebastian was practically inches from her at this point. Hell, she could smell him with how close he was, and it started to distract her. That familiar woods and fresh parchment smell filled her nostrils, flooding her mind with memories of times they had been close in their seventh year. Melancholy moments that once filled her with joy.

“Enough you two!” Ominis snapped, separating the both of them, “Must you egg him on, Edith?” Ominis frowned, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Edith just huffed as she turned to pull out a polyjuice potion for him.

“I’ll be fine Sebastian. We need to continue looking for clues on Anne’s whereabouts. I assume this has something to do with that, right Edith?” Ominis warned, trying to calm down his protective partner.

“Yes. Yes. I need to send an owl to an acquaintance who may have some infomation for me.” Edith dismissed as she dug around her bag. She had increased the size so she could carry a great deal of things; it was finding said things that was the challenge sometimes.

“And you can’t send an owl here, because…?”

“I’m a dark wizard, Sallow. Can’t exactly use my owl for this kind of thing. Plus he doesn’t accept just any owl. He’s got himself to protect.” Edith reminded them. She sensed how uncomfortable they suddenly got by her making mention of her status in the wizarding world. They couldn’t have possibly forgotten that, right?

“Ah ha! Here you are, you little bugger!” Edith quietly exclaimed victoriously as she pulled out the small vial.

“And what is that?”

“Polyjuice potion. I make sure to have some on hand. Never know when you need to escape the Ministry’s deadly duo.” Edith smirked as she handed it to Ominis.

“Is that how you did it?” Sebastian crossed his arms crediously.

“One of the ways. Now drink up. I can’t be seen with an aurora. I’d lose all my credibility, not to mention my reputation would be destroyed.” Edith turned on her heels and began to walk down the steps to wait for him in the parlor.

Once he finally came down, Edith had to hold in her laughter. He was much smaller than usual with long brown hair tied into a low ponytail. He was now about an inch taller than her, almost the same height as her. His clothes hung on him loosely, closely mimicking a child wearing their parents’ clothes. Even Sebastian was getting a kick out of it.

“I’d like to point out a flaw in your plan, Edith. My clothes don’t fit.” Ominis declared, gesturing to the very baggy clothing. His voice was even different. Edith was grateful for it. His normal handsomeness was way too distracting. At least this way she could stay focused.

“I think you look great, Ominis. Real fun sized!”

“Careful, Sebastian. I could still very well beat your ass.”

“Right. Right.”

“Here.” Edith chuckled as she waved her wand and gave him more appropriately sized clothes. She gave him a simple black suit, on par with her own. Nothing nearly as high quality as what he had been wearing previously, but nothing so poor as to raise alarm either. It was to match her in some way to pass off they were partners in a way. A dark thinly striped collared jacket and slacks; along with an off white shirt, black tie and vest. It was perfect for blending in with more frequent patrons of Knockturn Alley.

“Now, your name is Ernest. You don’t talk, and everything will be fine.” Edith gestured to him. This would be fine. There really shouldn’t be any problems. It was just another day trip to Knockturn Alley.

“Ernest??”

“Who would ever name their child Ernest!?”

Ominis gawked dramatically while Sebastian just fought his growing amusement. Edith didn't know whether to laugh or sigh. Opting to ignore them, she began to walk towards the front door, when Sebastian grabbed her by the arm. Her arm suddenly lit up, sending chills up her arm and down her spine. She quickly turned to look at him, finding he was unbelievably close again. She couldn’t help the first thing she noticed was his lips. His very soft, full pink lips. Immediately she forced herself back to reality and looked up into his eyes. He was looking down on her to be menacing, yet her brain wasn’t comprehending it correctly. He held a serious expression, yet her brain was fighting off old desires she thought she killed.

“If you let anything happen to him…,” He started but Edith immediately interrupted.

“I won’t.” He didn’t need to ask her. She would never let anything happen to either of them. Fortunately for her, they didn’t realize how much of a weakness they were to her to this day. If they ever did, she feared they would be her undoing.

~♡~

( •̀ヮ•́)

So I'm not the most skilled writer. This is all for fun, so I hope you're enjoying it too!!! Also remember this is a ominis x Sebastian x Mc fanfic, with mostly the boys focus on mc. I will do my best to add enough Ominis x Sebastian moments but they have an established relationship already. So if you're here for that...sorry I will not do them the justice they deserve ♡♡

YOU. ARE. AMAZING!!

Have a good day

[fukae-flwr]

"You are NOT My Enemy!"

Tw: mentions of death and ptsd (longer one shot sorry not sorry)

He awoke to the sounds of loud gasping, near the precipice of being a scream but not quite there. The walls were unbelievably thin, and with his unmatched hearing, there was no way he wouldn't have heard it. He wasn't in a deep slumber to begin with, not after the day he's had. Ominis looked over to his left to find Sebastian soundly asleep, with soft snores coming from him. It wasn't surprising to find Sebastian had climbed into his bed in the middle of the night. They often shared a bed, but in this situation, trying to get out without waking him would be quite difficult.

He slowly and carefully pulled his body from the mattress, only for Sebastian to stir.

"Where are you going?" Sebastian mumbled, barely awake, eyes still closed.

"For a glass of water. I'll be right back." Ominis whispered, his wand in hand. As he reached the door, he heard the soft snores of Sebastian return once more. Chuckling to himself how easily his partner could fall right back asleep, he exited the guest room into the hall. The cottage wasn't very big, but it was definitely larger than any back in Feldcroft. Edith seemed to be doing quite well for herself, for someone on the run from the ministry.

With his wand giving him a vague glimpse to his surroundings, he walked the hall till he heard soft footsteps in front of where Edith's door was located. The sound was much smaller and lighter than any full adult, so it had to be her house elf. His assumption was correct when the elf's voice greeted him quietly.

"Oh good evening, Mr.Ominis. Was there something the matter?" Penny whispered.

"Good evening, Penny. No, not at all. I was simply wondering if Edith was alright. I heard something from my room." Ominis explained. He heard the small elf's heart pick up a tad bit, seemingly nervous all the sudden.

"Oh um well Penny really shouldn't say. It is not Penny's place..." she mummbled, talking relatively fast. Ominis immediately knelt to the ground in front of the elf.

"Penny, please. If something is the matter, you must tell me." Ominis pleaded softly. There was a moment of silence before she let out a soft sigh.

"Mistress Edith has terrible nightmares. Most nights, there is no issue. Only Mistress doesn’t sleep much, but there are certain nights when Mistress Edith wakes horribly. She often calls for Penny to bring her tea on those nights and then never leaves her room for quite some time. Mistress usually comes back after a day or so but Penny worries for Mistress during that time." Penny rambled quietly.

Ominis blinked, making sure he was understanding, trying to listen carefully with how quickly she was speaking. He had to ignore the soft creak of a door behind them just to focus on Penny's spill of words. He knew Sebastian must've gotten up from hearing their soft chatter.

"Where is she now?" Ominis asked.

"Penny just brought Mistress Edith a cup of tea. She's in her room. Please help her. Penny is very worried." Penny begged.

Ominis felt bad for the elf. To be so worried about her master, it was apparent how much she cared about Edith.

Ominis nodded, not sure how he'd be able to help with something like this. He wasn't even sure if she would let him help. They weren’t as close as they used to be, but he wasn't about to let that stop him. He still cared for her, and no one should cry alone.

He carefully took hold of the handle to Edith's room and surprisingly found it unlocked. Quietly, he opened the door and immediately heard the tell-tale sign of crying. Soft wet sniffs, and her voice in a whisper, muttering something about being useless and apologies. He moved from the door frame, closing the door till there was only a crack. He knew the one lingering in the shadows was probably wanting to listen in, even though he could easily come in as well.

"G..go away, Penny," Edith's voice came out in a harsh whisper. He had never heard her voice so fragile before, not even when they were at hogwarts.

"No need to be so harsh with her. She's only trying to help you." Ominis suggested, making his presence known. His only response was the sound of her sudden stop of noise, no sniffing, no short breath, nothing. His wand didn't give him the best image of the dark room, but what he could make out was the small table in front of him and her on the window alcove.

He moved forward carefully, his feet on carpeted floors, and his wand blessing him with the sight of her outline. She was hunched over, and possibly had her hair covering her face and shoulders.

"D..Did I wake you?" She asked, attempting to sound composed. It wasn't fooling him.

"Indeed, the walls are extremely thin." Ominis stood infront of her, looking down where she sat.

"Apologies. I'll be sure to use a silencing charm next time." She responded bitterly.

"Don't bother. It'll only be more concerning if your room is deathly silent. I'll be inclined to check on you more." Ominis shrugged. It was so clear the warmth she had when she spoke earlier today had left with the sun, leaving only the cold and shadows of night. She was always distant, but this felt so very different.

"What do you want, Ominis?" Edith grumbled, her tone coming off exhausted and annoyed.

"For you to tell me what is going on. Why are you here crying alone?" Ominis knelt down, lowering himself to her level.

"Nothing that concerns you, so leave." She spoke harshly. If Ominis had learned anything from Sebastian it was how to never give up. He wasn't going to just leave her be despite how he probably should have.

"I'd say anything causing you pain is my concern." He stated calmly. He was not going to hide his feelings. He cared for her and it was clear she needed someone to lean on for a moment despite her impeccable walls she had built. He carefully reached for her hand against the cushions of the alcove only for her to violently retreat from his touch.

"Why do you care, Ominis?!" She roared, catching him off gaurd, "Why does it matter?! I abandoned you and Sebastian. I let everyone I cared about die! Now Anne's in trouble, and it's all my fault! You are an aurora, and I am your enemy! I embody everything you hate, so don't pretend to care! Just hate me like everyone else and leave me alone!" She raged, pulling away from him. He could hear the tears from the cracking of her voice. Ominis quickly took hold of both of her wrists and held them close to his chest. She struggled to free herself, but he wasn't letting go. Not now, not ever.

"Let me go!"

"Listen to me! You are not my enemy! You will never be my enemy! The ministry could pay a thousand times over, and I will never turn against you. I have always cared for you, and I'm sorry I can't ease your pain." Ominis held onto her, terrified she'd slip away if he loosened even a little bit. Her trembling hands in his felt so delicate, just like that night at the gala.

She had gone still in his hands. Her heart racing so fast he feared he was making things worse. He didn't know how to help her, but he so desperately wanted to. Was this a fraction of what Sebastian felt, trying to save Anne? By Merlin, it hurt so much to know she was suffering and he couldn't do anything to help.

"I can't make the pain go away, but I can listen. I can comfort you when you need it, but...please don't suffer alone. I don't know who you've lost, but you shouldn't shoulder the burden all by your lonesome. I am here, Edith." Ominis begged, his voice full of the pain he felt hearing her tears, hearing that unfamiliar fragile voice. He stroked her shaking wrists with his thumb, hoping it brought some sort of comfort.

She was so silent despite being so close, had it not been for her thundering heart, and her shaking wrists, he would've thought she vanished. The silence was defening before he heard her shuddering voice. A break in her walls, and hear the tears once more.

"I...I couldn't save any of them." Her voice came out so soft, barely a whisper. Her voice was what had cracked yet he felt it in himself.

"I couldn't save Professor Fig, nor Lodgok, and now Anne" he felt her head collapse onto her wrists he was holding. He couldn't say anything. He just held her weight and listened to her sorrows.

"I watched them die. I did nothing but watch! And we'll lose Anne too because I can't save anyone!" She sobbed into him. Finally releasing her arms, he wrapped around her and pulled her close into his chest. She was too distraught to care. She just cried into him, her tears almost making him fall apart. He couldn't, though. She needed him to be strong so she could break apart.

He remembered the day Professor Fig had died. She had seemed so drawn from everyone. Hardly spoke to anyone. Sebastian even said how she sat away from her house at the far end of the tables. When he had spoken with her, she barely spoke of Professor Fig, only simply moving on to tell Sebastian what she had learned about Anne's curse. The following year, she hardly ever mentioned Fig and seemed like everything had been forgotten. But it appears she had been suffering for so long. He didn't know much of this Lodgok, only bits Sebastian and her mentioned. A goblin friend of hers, but that's all she'd say. Now she was taking in this situation with Anne onto herself.

"You were a child, Edith. There's only so much you could've done. You can't blame yourself for their deaths. It wasn't your fault. And we will find Anne in time. Don't worry. You have Sebastian and I." Ominis stroked her hair as she shook.

"I..I failed him. I could've saved him...and I didn't!" Edith cried into his shoulder. Her grip around him tightened as if she was clinging to him for dear life. The way she stuttered with her words shattered his soul. How could he fix this? The one person cared for the most in this world and all he could do was stand by, watching her fall apart.

"I'm sorry," she whimpered. He knew it wasn't him she apologizing to. Though he wished he could give her the closure she needed. The only ones who could remained silent in the afterlife.

"You can't save everyone, but we won't fail Anne. I promise," Ominis assured. Holding her in his arms egnited a feeling in him, a feeling of protectiveness. He would do everything in his power to assure Edith didn't suffer alone anymore. And knew Sebastian in the hall would do so as well. They were not going to loose her again, not even to herself.

Hehehehehehehehehe! I finished my 3rd play through of the game and realized Mc hardly has time to process any deaths, so I made it my hc that Mc absolutely has ptsd from witnessing so much death from their 5th year. Hoped you guys enjoyed!!!

(Update: I added more cus I know i can do better!! (°͡ ͜ʖ °͡) )

[fukae-flwr]

Stained Hearts & Dark Desires

Chapter 5: Magical Beast Wonderland

Summary: Sebastian is left to his own devices and does the very thing Sebastian knows, entering restricted areas.

Words: 4.7k

Warnings: lots of environment descriptions, mention of blood, and serious injuries

Rating: MATURE 18+ (NO MINORS)

Chapter: 6

Sebastian had been sitting in the study for the past couple hours, reading all the letters and news clipping at his disposal. Edith was dedicated, he’d give her that much. Looking at everything she had, everything circled, questions written in the margins, was something akin to a madman. It was clear to him she meant what she had said earlier; the only thing that mattered to her right now was finding Anne. They’d find her for sure with Edith in their corner; he knew they would, he just hoped it was in time.

Reading over the letters from Anne was like a stab in the gut. He tried to focus on what Anne was saying in each letter but there was no denying the glaring fact that Anne had been lying to Ominis and him this entire time. She was fully aware of their reasons behind becoming auroras, and even going so far as to mourn her at the memorial. She must’ve had her own reasons, and he would bet every galleon he owned it was mostly Edith’s doing, yet he felt hurt. It helped how every other letter Anne made mention to Edith how she should let Ominis and him know somehow she wasn’t actually dead. Seeing how that never occured he could assume what Edith’s response was.

Restlessness was rampant inside him, and with a heavy sigh, he tossed the letter he had been reading to the floor in front of him. He enjoyed reading to the point he could do it for hours, but even he still needed a break every so often. Getting up, he decided to head downstairs for a drink and possible snack. As he walked, he got a better look at everything. The walls didn’t have many photos hanging on it, the occasional art piece every so often. The walls were mostly bare, only the wallpaper decorating the home. He could see faint old outlines of where photos used to hang at some point, but were removed. It was very vague; it had been some time since whatever was hanging in those spots had been removed. As lovely as this place was, Sebastian questioned how she was able to get such a lovely place all to herself with all the furniture it had. As far as he knew, making money as a criminal didn’t pay very well, unless said criminal was robbing the ministry. He never got any reports of the Masked Wizard doing anything like that; she mostly involved herself with things to do with magic crazed goblins, poachers, and dark wizards. She was mostly wanted for her use of the Unforgivables, being an unregistered animagus and alleged murderer of Hogwarts child hero, herself. None of that seemed like it was rewarded with much coin, especially enough to own a whole house in London.

As he reached the main floor, Sebastian heard Edith’s house elf moving about in the parlor. She sounded a little disgruntled, struggling with something. Seeing as how he didn’t have anything to do at the moment, he went to check on the elf.

When he entered the room he found her next to a large pail of water while two other pails floated behind. She had a brown sack open off to the right of the parlor, under the window. It seemed like she had spilled some of the water onto the floor. She was currently trying to clean it up with a wooden mop.

“Are you alright?” Sebastian questioned as he came close. The small elf just beamed up aim, brightening up immediately.

“Oh Mr.Sebastian! Yes, Penny is fine. Just made a small spill trying to get the beasts’ bath ready!” She explained.

“Beasts? As in magical beasts?” Sebastian frowned in confusion. Edith had magical beasts? Where in Merlin’s name was she keeping them?! This place was so small, and he didn’t see any vivarium entrances.

“Oh yes! Miss Edith loves her magical beasts very much. She told Penny she couldn’t bear to leave them behind. And the beasts seem very fond of Miss Edith as well!” Penny seemed so excited to explain it.

“Well where does she keep them?” Sebastian blinked, taken back. So she brought her magical beasts from Hogwarts with her when she left? How did she manage that? He didn’t even know she had magical beasts. The last he could recall Edith promised she’d show Ominis and him around her Room of Requirement. That was one of the promises she never kept considering that promise was made the day she left Hogwarts.

“In here!” Penny gestured to the large brown sack sitting in front of her. It was a worn leather sack with a few faded patches placed about it. It had bronze metal corners at the bottom of it with matching claps at the top under the handle. It clearly had seen many uses from how worn out it was. He was surprised it wasn’t falling apart.

“Edith keeps the beasts in here?”

“Oh Certainly! Penny will show you!” Penny stepped into the open sack, having snapped her fingers to make the broom disappear. As a courtesy he took the pail of water from her, and followed behind. He watched as the elf disappeared into the sack, lowering down slowly. Unsure, he stepped into the sack, feeling his foot land on something sturdy. Lowering his other foot, he found another serdy step. Before he knew it he was making his way down a ladder into the sack that should have been much smaller.

When he finally descended the ladder, he found himself in a small open room with books, and plants. It wasn’t very big, but did have a small wooden staircase with a railing along the edge across from the ladder. Going up to the railing, Sebastian could see a larger open space with many magical beasts all in different sections of the room, down below. There were two more levels. The one directly below him was filled with small to medium beasts. An enclosure for nifflers with a large tree surrounded by shiny golden things was placed next to a grass field enclosure with puffskeins. The level also had a family of diricawls, and kneazles in other enclosures further along the left side wall. Up above, hanging from the ceiling were many large bird houses; they hung low enough for him to see the fwoopers, and jobberknolls that nested in them. There was even a phoenix flying around, every so often landing on its nest that was perched along the opposite wall. The furthest right side wall mimicked a mountain side with a long path leading up to a long ledge where the nest sat. The birds flew around the entire place in content, seemingly at home in this wondrous place.

Far down below was the third level, the largest space for much larger magical beasts. It appeared there was a dark forest on the third level for the unicorns he could see. From what he could see, the giant purple toads and mooncalf were placed between the unicorns and thestrals. He could also hear hippogriffs and possibly graphorns but couldn’t see where exactly they were.

“Merlin’s beard…This place is incredible!” Sebastian was at a loss for words, completely having forgotten Penny was there. He quickly sped down the stairs to the first level, filled with excitement and awe. The creatures hardly paid Sebastian any mind, they mostly looked at him with curiosity. They were, however, very familiar with Penny. Many of the birds perched themselves along the railing nearest Penny. The beasts in pens came up to the enclosure gates.

“Penny agrees. Miss Edith cares so deeply for her beasts, she wanted to make sure everything was perfect for them.” Penny smiled so happily as she moved towards a wooden bin he assumed was a feeder. She opened the bin to grab different kinds of food for the beasts. She moved over to the enclosure to feed the beast their retrospected foods.

“Miss Edith always seems happiest when she is with the beasts. It makes Penny very happy.” Penny spoke fondly as the nifflers and kneazles took their food. Sebastian remembered how much trouble Edith and Poppy would cause thanks to their shared love of beasts. He was pretty sure all the times Edith went out fighting poachers, Poppy was there right alongside her.

“Now, Penny must get the beasts ready for baths. Miss Edith enjoys bathing them, but it takes a while to set up, so Penny prepares everything for Miss Edith.” Penny turned towards him reaching for the pail of water he had brought down. He noticed that the other pails had followed them down as well.

“Can’t you just pop in and out like elves normally do?” Sebastian questioned carefully handing the bucket to the elf.

“Miss Edith created this place with magic that protects unwanted visitors from entering any other way beside the entrance. Almost all of the beasts were once victims of nasty poachers, and Miss Edith wanted to ensure no harm would fall upon them. So Penny can’t magically enter the sack. Penny has to use the entrance like everyone else.” Penny explained as she began to walk down the stairs to the third floor with the pails.

Following behind her, Sebastian made it to the bottom floor, seeing all the massive beasts around. The pens for each creature expanded out and were sectioned off by wooden walls. There was an archway on the side of the faux mountainside on the far right. The rocky path that led up to the phoenix's nest was next to the archway. The archway seemed to lead into a small bright room filled with plants, both magical and non magical. He even saw glimpses of a large venomous tentacula at the far end near some vegetables.

The stairs ended in the center of the area where a shack was placed. It appeared that the shack at the center was filled with tools for both the animals and gardening, as well as toys for the beasts. The animal enclosures surrounded the open space; each space seemed to mimic what each creature needed as a habitat. Within each pen had a large tin filled with water, and had brushes to the side of them. Penny brought the pails she had over to the graphorns’ pin. The tub was nearly filled with the water, but looked to still have some filling to do.

“There has to be a better way to fill up these tubs.” Sebastian thought aloud as he looked the place over. Perhaps he could make a pulley system that would allow Penny to easily lower and raise pails of water.

“Penny uses magic to lift two pails of water and carries one. Penny doesn’t mind it; Penny loves helping Miss Edith!” Penny brushed off, pouring the pails into the tin for the graphorns. Sebastian still examined the area. He wanted to help as well. This place was amazing, and they shouldn’t have to work so hard to keep the animals taken care of.

He noticed high above there was a branch coming off from the nifflers’ tree. It stopped right above the top floor railing.

“I have an idea. Got any rope Penny?” Sebastian asked excitedly as he raced up the stairs. Penny followed behind with some rope she pulled from the shack. With the rope in hand, Sebastian went about trying to set up something for her to make the job easier. He ended up getting lost in his little project while Penny went about her business with the animals, helping whenever Sebastian asked. It ended up taking some time but he was able to get something useful made, even helped Penny lower filled buckets and raise empty ones.

“Mr.Sebastian, you are incredible!” Penny praised once all the water tubs were completely filled and the pulley system was fully functional. Sebastian was a bit proud of himself; he was able to help in a little way.

“It’s nothing. I’m just glad I could help. This will make getting baths ready way more easier.”

“Agreed. Miss Edith will greatly appreciate it.” Penny beamed, reminding Sebastian who’s magical sack he was currently in.

“Right.” He had completely forgotten about Edith for a moment. He was so lost in this amazing place and wanting to help he completely forgot he was most likely trespassing. If Edith had wanted him to see this, he was sure she would’ve shown him herself. Though since it was Penny who showed him, maybe she wouldn’t be nearly as upset. She did seem to care about her house a great deal. She practically turned to jelly when Penny greeted her at the door last night; her prickly shell softening immediately.

“Since all the baths are ready for the beasts, Penny should go prepare supper.” Penny informed as she headed towards the archway leading to the garden. Curious Sebastian followed her to the room.

Sebastian immediately felt blanketed by the warmth from the room as he entered. Closing his eyes it felt so peaceful reminding him of summer time back in Feldcroft. It was comforting and relaxing, also perfect for this small garden Edith had created. She seemed to be growing plenty of things he could cook with as well as many magical plants to brew potions with.

“She’s really got herself set up here doesn’t she?” Sebastian mumbled looking over her garden.

“Oh yes. Miss Edith has a great deal of effort into making this place. It seems like Miss Edith is always improving upon this place to make it better.” Penny had started to remove some carrots that were ready to harvest.

“Mr.Sebastian, if you’d like, will you grab some of those potatoes?” Penny grinned pointing over to the risen garden patch.

“Of course.” He walked over and began to dig out some potatoes. Thankfully he wasn’t unfamiliar with harvesting vegetables. In Feldcroft, Anne had started growing her own foods as well, and he even occasionally helped some of the farmers in the hamlet for coin. It helped him stay busy during the summer when it was just him by himself.

“Did Edith…ever talk about us? Me and Ominis that is?” Sebastian questioned as he dug. He doubted Edith would tell Penny everything, but if she knew something, maybe she’d tell him. He felt it might be grasping at straws till he finally confronted her. He’d get those answers eventually; he had a right to know why she left without so much as a letter, after everything they did. After everything she did for him.

“Miss Edith doesn’t enjoy talking about the past very much,” Sebastian sighed defeatedly. Of course she didn’t.

“But she does mention how sometimes she wishes to go back. She always seems sad thinking about the past. Miss Edith did tell Penny that eventually once she was done finding a permanent cure for Miss Anne, she was going to give up being a dark wizard.” Penny continued, focused on pulling the last carrot needed. Sebastian immediately snapped his gaze over to the elf in shock. She was only a dark wizard for Anne?!

“What?!”

“That was of course after a particularly hard night. Penny feared for Miss Edith’s health that night. Poor Miss Edith broke into a terrible fever after…..” Penny continued lost in thought before she quickly stopped, eyes gone wide. She immediately dropped everything and covered her mouth. Guess she wasn't exactly supposed to say that.

“...Oh no. Penny was not supposed to say that.” The elf suddenly looked like she was going to cry. Sebastian immediately sat up with his hands up in defense.

“No. No. No, don't cry. It’s fine. I won’t say anything. I promise.” Sebastian hastily consoled the elf. Damn. Way to go Sebastian, making the elf cry now. He mentally kicked himself as he tried to cheer her up.

“Hey don’t worry, ok? Even I can tell Edith really cares about you, so I doubt she’ll be super mad. Cheer up.” Sebastian comforted her. There was no way Edith would be super mad, probably a little annoyed but somehow he felt that annoyance would fall on him for even trying to get information out of the elf.

“Penny still feels bad. Penny really tries to stop talking, but it just comes out.” Penny sniffed, looking like she was a kicked puppy. Sebastian’s little heart clenched for her. He got up and patted the top of her flower hat.

“It’s alright. I promise. I’ll keep this between us. Here let me take these up.” He smiled down at her while holding his hands out for her carrot batch. She looked up to him, before giving him a small smile.

“Thank you Mr.Sebastian. Miss Edith is very lucky to have friends like you.” Penny thanked as she placed the carrots on top of the potatoes he had gathered. He had to fight the urge to retort a snide comment. He just took the vegetables and began to head upstairs, outside of the sack. Once he was finally back outside, he noticed the sun was almost sunset. The sky was beautifully bright but the sun was low. He hadn’t realized how much time had passed while he was down there.

He went to the kitchen and placed the vegetables on the island counter for Penny. As she stood there he let their conversation sink in. Edith was a dark wizard for Anne, and she was planning on giving up that life once Anne was completely cured. Was that why she left in the first place? But why didn’t she talk to Ominis and him about it? His mind began to race with all sorts of questions, but no answers presented themselves to him. It was beyond frustrating. Edith had all the answers but was so damn secretive and for what reason?! It wasn’t like Sebastian could’ve ever judged her for her choices. He had no room. As Ominis said, everyone did bad things sometimes, regardless of the reasons. She couldn’t possibly do anything worse than he did…hopefully.

As he let his brain toss and turn to the point of a headache, an idea popped into his head. Definitely something he would get in trouble for…if he was caught. He waited for Ominis’ voice of reason to pop into his head, but he could hardly hear it. So, in very much Sallow fashion, he quickly raced up the stairs to the third floor to sneak into a room he was probably forbidden from entering.

“Old habits die hard, I guess,” he mumbled to himself as he walked up to the first door on the left. The room next to the study. The room Edith didn’t show to them on her tour, and had spent all last night pacing around in. Curiosity was the main factor, but a part of him knew he might find some answers in there as well. Maybe she was holding out information crucial to finding Anne.

As expected, the door was locked, but with a quick cast of alohomora it was unlocked. He immediately opened the door and closed it behind him making sure he wouldn’t get caught.

The room was…unpleasant. The feeling of this room was cold and uninviting, almost like something in the room wanted him out. An energy wrapped itself around him instantly, making his shoulders feel tense and heavy. An energy that was disturbingly familiar to the way he felt when he held Salazar's spellbook and when he had the relic. It was almost suffocating yet very alluring. There was dark magic here. It wasn't exactly the same feeling the relic gave, but it was damn near close enough. Enough for Sebastian to know Edith was messing with magic she shouldn't have.

The room was similar to the study, maybe a tad longer with an alcove, but a mirror opposite structure wise. However, this room darkened by drawn closed thick curtains. The light barely passes through the small separation between the curtains, lighting up very little. The lantern on the wall thankfully lit up more for him to see. The first thing he noticed was the large shelf directly in front of the door against the wall between this room and the study. It had so many seemingly random objects, all made of silver. The things he saw were strangely designed and yet vaguely familiar. Most were large daggers and short swords; a few were more obscure like weirdly shaped oval objects the size of a small apple or of axes against the wall. There were lots of random bits of silver pieces placed on the shelf as well, just sitting there. All of them had unique designs that seemed oddly familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it.

Moving to the alcove drawn curtains were books taking most of the space. The books ranged from old magic, understanding spells, to dark and dangerous magic. Each book was worn, and had tabs sticking out of specific sections.

Along the far wall to the left was a long desk and a large board covered in papers. Many of the papers had scribbled drawings all over almost like runes, while others were just a page of writings with more writings on the margins. Many things on the pages were scribbled out, or heavily circled. The oil lantern on the desk seemed to be coming up on its last use. A necklace with a large pendant on it was carefully laid on the desk against the wall. Nothing he’d see any woman wearing today. The pendant was a round oval with the metal bent in strange ways. It bent over itself with many sharp edges yet formed a perfectly rounded oval with a hollowed center. It looked heavy as well, thick from the silver it was made from. It was similar to the other oddly designed objects on the shelf, but half the size. The chain attached to it was just as thick and uncomfortable looking.

Walking up to the desk, Sebastian began to read what was readily available to read. Aside from the strange necklace, the desk was covered almost completely. A couple of books on top of each other and many, many loose pages. The pages were very old, having seen their fair share of years. One was very familiar, though. A page he found with Edith many years back, covered in runes. She still had the torn page they found in the Undercroft.

The notebook on top of it all was left open on the desk and had two entries on it along with more rune scribbles and ineligible writings in the margins. The first entry was dated from a few months ago. There was a disturbing dark brown blotch stained at the center of the page, like ink having fallen on the page. Though Sebastian had a feeling that it wasn't ink that stained the page. The entry read:

“The effects of the locket are still effective. The curse hasn’t countered it yet. The locket is still good. More tests are needed to improve the capacity. A new locket may be needed. Redesign the old locket and improve it. The curse can be cured. There is still hope.”

Her writing seemed frantic, like she was convincing herself there was a cure. Her writing was still as beautiful as it had always been, but it seemed more unorganized and hurried. Her confidence wasn’t present like it used to be. She had only two things underlined; the word "effective, " and the phrase "there is still hope." The lines were very heavy-handed with multiple lines underneath to really emphasize it. In the margins around the entry were scribbled notes about how to improve this said locket. He flickered his eyes up to the necklace on the desk. So that was a locket that needed improving. The things written didn’t quite make sense, but he knew it involved ancient magic. Something Edith used to be able to see and wield.

He remembered she had a power unlike any other wizard he ever met, but she never brought it up ever again after their fifth year. Perhaps that was the source of everything.

He turned his attention to the second entry; this one was far more recent, being it was written only a month ago. The words of this were more ominous and unnerving. Nothing about it left him feeling like there was hope, or the answer he was looking for was something he’d like. The multiple dark drops stained into the page weren’t helping him feel any better either.

“There’s only one way to cure Anne. I will continue my research for alternatives and continue improving the locket for now, but it may be futile in the end. I need to prepare for the worst.”

What did that even mean? Edith knew how to cure Anne, but was trying to find a different way? What was the cure that had her so scared? Part of him wanted to confront her immediately, demanding she cure Anne the very second they found her, but the fact she was looking for an alternative to it was…terrifying. It meant whatever this cure was, even Edith didn’t want to do it unless she absolutely had no other choice.

As the uncomfortable feeling of fear started to tickle the back of his neck and twist his stomach into a know, he noticed another piece of paper under the book, much smaller than the others. A piece of paper with Anne’s handwriting; it was much more frantically written like she was in a panic. All it said was, “Half Faced Ashwinder”. A clue from Anne as to who took her!

Sebastian quickly picked up the note to study it closer; like the answer would present itself more if it was inches from his face. This was definitely Anne’s handwriting but how long did Edith have this note? Where did it even come from? Sebasatian pondered why Anne would write something like this and in such a sloppy manner. If she was writing this, it meant she wanted whoever read it to know. It was important to Anne, and if it was written in haste, she didn’t have much time to write. So perhaps was this half faced ashwinder the reason for Anne’s sudden disappearance?

“She…was kidnapped?” Sebastian came to the realization. He had suspected as much, but this truly confirmed it. Anne was in danger, and they needed to find this half faced ashwinder. He quickly pocketed the note as he turned to leave the room. He had an informant he could reach to see if they had any info on this. Leaving the room, he felt a little more irritated than when he had initially gone in.

How could Edith keep this from them? He understood not trusting them, but this involved the wellbeing of his sister. He and Ominis had every right to know every bit of info she had. Taking a deep breath, he quickly relocked the room. He hoped her only reason for not showing this to them was she hadn’t gotten to it yet. He’d give her a chance, albeit a small one. If what Penny said was true, Edith lived her life the way she did for Anne, so she had to care for Anne. For this one thing, he’d give her the benefit of the doubt.

As he made sure the door was locked once more, he heard the front door forcibly slam open followed by shuffling and quiet discussion. Sounded as if whoever just entered was in a hurry. Quickly Sebastian began to move.

“Ominis must have returned.” Sebastian mumbled as he headed down the stairs. It was only when Ominis started to call out to Edith frantically did something feel even more off. Ominis sounded terrified, and his voice shook. Sebastian immediately skipped steps, rushing to get down faster. Finally turning the corner at the top of the last flight of stairs, his blood ran cold at the sight before him.

Ominis, no longer looking like that overgrown paperboy, was in the foyer of the house in trepidation, appearing like something out of a nightmare. Spanning from his chest to the entirety of his left shoulder was covered in blood, Edith’s blood. Ominis was knelt to the ground, desperately clinging to a very limp and bleeding out Edith. A large angry gash reaching from her right shoulder to her sternum was pouring blood, staining her dark clothes, and painting her white blouse crimson. Her skin was paling while covered in a thin layer of sweat.

Ominis was calling out to her, shaking her gently, but she wasn’t responding.

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Heyo!!!! A new chapter his here!!! Gonna post chapter 6 soon, too, since I know this one didn't have much going!

Also, im thinking of adding this story to Ao3, but the start would be a little different. I want to add a little more hunting of Edith from the boys (͠≖ ͜ʖ͠≖)

Anyways I hope you guys are enjoying this!!