#got my eclipse hoodie finally!

[inspiredrawaw]

The Eclipse team!

Myrvin McGrove a star mage apprentice and next in line for fox protector of the local forest.

Jaxie Richard a knight in training who also works really hard to have a social life

Lemon “Lemy” Blixt a lemon orchard farmer who is very tired and is the life that gives you lemons

Charlotte Richard, a sneaky rogue of the land and also Jaxie’s sister!!! Family dinners are a bit tense

And now things I’ve changed for the design and whyyyyyy and how it fits in the storrryyyyyyyyyyyyy

First off! I had no desire to draw these characters for a while which told me that I needed to change some things to make them exciting to draw again.

Now originally this story was set in a modern world and the characters were placed into a fantasy world. I apparently don’t like modern settings for my stories so full on fantasy we go! I’m also a SUCKER for fantasy give me full control of the world to sandbox in

Because of this some designs were changed.

I changed Myrvins deer mask to fox because I feel like it’s a better insight into this guys character and there is a fox constellation! I also already have a deer character in my other story Opal Reapers and I didn’t want repeats

And due to my experiences with (hopefully temporary) vision loss I wanted to change a bit on how Myrvins vision loss worked. Such as having a short white ID cane that’s great to help with depth perception and having his mask cover 1 eye to make things easier for him. I did change his scar to be more star shape and his cape to look like that of a fox!

Now Jaxie, jaxie has been the one name from when these guys were septic ego OCs that kept the name so I also switched it and put an x in there. X marks the spot for Myrvins affection apparently and also probleeeemmmsss. He needs a break! 👏👏👏 went for more knight armor but kept some elements from his previous design such as ginger hair and his double lit candle tattoo. And the red hoodie that is his STAPLE

LEMY!!!!!! I love Lemy. So I never shared this character but they were suppose to be a guide for Myrvin in the original fantasy world. But now they don’t need that and I still wanted a reference to the original title dealing with orchard. But we already got our red character so yellow it was! Our sour lemon lantern orchard farmer. I designed her hat to look like a straw hat but still be part of her head design I am so happy with it. Also gives scarecrow vibes

AND CHARLOTTE!!!!!!!!! GOD SHES FINALLY BEEN GIVEN TRAITS DEAR STARS. So originally went from being Jaxies brother, to goth sister named Charlie, to now Charlotte problem was that I didn’t know what role she played in the story. She’s a lesbian mess with a knife I love her. She’s a rose both pretty and will slice ya. Big dramatic anime villain vibes for someone who is not a villain. Both Charlotte and Jaxie are trans because I think it’s funny to think that they were told to share as kids and shared everything including their gender and never asked for it back.

The story is still gonna revolve around the Solar and lunar Eclipses drama and poor communication skills and take up Myrvin and Jaxie as there champions as celestial entities DO. Which I shall design….. eventually

ANYWAY if you made it down here thanks for reading let me know what you think.

[pepsiboyy]

beyond the contract - part 7

P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 P8

pairing: matt sturniolo x reader summary: where the sturniolo triplets are part of an organization known as the eclipse alliance, matt has constantly failed to pull through with pulling the trigger on a target. fed up, their boss gives matt one last chance, where he is sent to northside high school to get some answers out of a girl. warnings: use of /yn, cursing, mentions of family death, angst author's note: HIII thanks for all the love lately u guys are the best, i hope this chapter is good!!! i love this one yayy WC: 1761 lowercase intentional !!

monday, april 14th.

my eyes scanned the parking lot for the familiar pair of blue eyes and fluffy brunette hair. i bit my lip in focus before gasping at the feeling of two familiar hands against my waist, turning to the boy and smiling brightly.

"hi, matt." i smiled warmly at him.

"hi, y/n." matt observed my features and hummed to himself before quickly grabbing his backpack off of his back and opening it, pulling out a baby blue hoodie. "you cold? put this on," he stated softly, throwing the hoodie in my direction before he made his way to his car and unlocked it.

i smiled and nodded, slipping on the hoodie and following him to his car.

matt had been taking me to school lately, and i was living for it. today we hadn't planned on hanging out, but on most days we end up thinking of something anyway.

i buckled my seatbelt and turned to matt as he began driving to my house, and i quickly cleared my throat as i looked at him.

"so um.. matt," i breathed, smiling softly.

matt spared me a quick glance before looking back at the road and humming softly in response.

i looked down at my legs and squeezed them together as if to gain some confidence. "i was thinking... maybe we could go to your place today? like.. to meet your brothers.. i'd love to get to kno-"

"absolutely not." matt quickly interrupted me to say, and my heart sank. i noticed his grip tighten on the steering wheel as i blinked a few times and frowned.

i had always wondered why matt seemed so close yet so far away. i tried to give him the benefit of the doubt in most cases, but my mind couldn't help but think back on a few specific moments with him.

when he told me he had dropped out.

when he noticed my tattoo.

when him and my dad stared at each other at the dinner table.

i bit my lip as i turned to matt, a few minutes of silence overcoming us.

"is there something you're hiding from me?" i whispered softly.

i could have sworn matt's entire face went pale.

"what do you mean?" he questioned, stopping at the red light before him and turning to me, giving me his full attention.

"i just.. i feel like there's some things i'm confused about, like why you react certain ways or why you keep certain things from me.." i whispered as i cleared my throat. "i just care about you, and i understand if you don't want me to meet your brothers because of a home situation, or insecurities, or-"

"i'm not fucking insecure, y/n." matt stated firmly, slightly raising his voice.

i looked at him with wide eyes before i slowly turned back to look at my lap.

a soft honk from the car behind us was what finally removed matt's gaze from my face.

-

i looked out the window as matt stopped the car outside of my house, and i looked at him. matt's eyes were glued to the steering wheel.

"you don't wanna talk about this at all?" i questioned softly, leaning slightly in front of him.

but matt didn't react at all. instead he turned his head a bit in the other direction.

i scoffed and quickly undid my seatbelt. i got up out of the car and grabbed my backpack, opening the door and slamming it shut.

matt's gaze followed my figure as i walked in front of the car to get to the sidewalk in front of my house, and i crossed my arms as i stared at him through his window. "y/n," he breathed, but i held up my hand.

"save it. when you want to speak up, let me know." i stated firmly before gripping my backpack straps and quickly making my way up the steps and into my front door.

matt simply watched me, his eyes never leaving me or the baby blue hoodie that i had on.

-

"where are you going?" i whispered at the edge of the steps, my eyes burning into my dad as i watched him try to quietly walk out of the front door.

i had been in my room, just staring at my ceiling and thinking. i had a lot of things to think about.

"business trip. i'll be home hopefully by tomorrow or wednesday." he stated softly. "i'm sorry, i meant to tell you sooner-"

"you were just going to leave a note on the counter and leave me to find it. like you usually do." i smiled weakly and shook my head. "have a safe trip." i stated before i made my way back up the stairs.

my dad simply let out a soft sigh before he left through the front door.

-

feelings are hard. i never really understood how they work. i could be feeling so happy in one moment and then within just two seconds, something different could be running through my mind.

my mind wandered as i wondered what matt's home was like, and what his brothers were like. i wondered if they were like matt at all, if they all had a good relationship and if matt were super close to them. he had only really brought up chris and their fortnite endeavors.

i wondered if my dad would really ever truly be there for me in this life, as he always seems to be gone. even since before mom left. while i wish he were here more often, i know he just wants to do what he can to take care of me. and besides, he's really the only family i have left.

i don't know anything about matt's family or his personal life, other than the fact that him and his brother, chris, have probably spent a fortune on fortnite.

i sighed as i rubbed my hands across my face. thoughts continued to soar through my mind as i bit my lip and took a deep breath.

i was still wearing matt's hoodie. his scent really calmed me, even if he pissed me off sometimes.

with a soft groan, i sat up out of bed and rubbed my face. i checked my phone, reading 10:43pm and noticing no notifications or anything new.

damn, i must have upset him.

the pads of my feet carefully made their way to my bathroom as i began to carefully brush my teeth and examine myself in the mirror.

thoughts, thoughts, thoughts.

i spit out my toothpaste and looked at myself again.

thoughts, thoughts.

i closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

thoughts...

i put away my toothbrush and gritted my teeth, quickly making my way to my dad's office.

i knew i was alone in this house, i knew my dad was on a trip, but i still slowly and carefully pushed the double doors opened and took a few steps inside.

i had been in this office a couple of times, but not enough to know where anything was.

i carefully stepped towards the office desk and gently ran my fingers against the dark wood as my eyes continued to scan the place.

books, wood, papers, cork boards, thumbtacks, dim lighting, hints of green...

i turned to the desk at some papers that my fingers came in contact with and blinked a few times, gently lifting them and allowing my eyes to scan over the page.

my eyebrows furrowed as i read a few names that were unfamiliar to me. i quickly moved to sit behind the desk in my dad's chair and glanced over the loose sheets of paper before eagerly opening some of the drawers and searching them.

my eyes quickly focused as i read my mom's name on a sheet of paper, my movements all coming to a halt as i read the words beneath.

"DECEASED - TOO WELL-INFORMED - DEEP INTO INSIDE INFO."

my heart sank. my hands shook. my eyes scanned each paper within the same filing folder, begging for more answers. but all i could find was the same logo inked on my body.

with a few more minutes of searching, i grasped a few more papers and shut each drawer before quickly going to my room and shutting the office door behind me, tears streaming down my face.

-

no pov

matt's eyes were glossy. his face remained blank.

"dude, are you sure everything's alright?" chris asked, sitting down beside matt on the couch as he looked at him worriedly.

matt simply shrugged before he turned to chris. "small argument." he breathed before he turned to the ceiling. "she thinks i'm hiding something from her." he mumbled as he sighed. "i don't want to mess things up with her, i want her to be happy, no matter how this all started." matt whispered as his voice cracked towards the end, and chris's expression softened. he gently moved to rest a hand on matt's back, gently rubbing up and down soothingly.

"i know that you two will talk it out and things will be okay." chris smile reassuringly. "just give her some space. women will be women," he breathed, earning a smack on the arm from nick, who had frightened both of them.

"don't even say that, chris." he stated softly, taking slight offense. chris rolled his eyes as he turned to matt.

matt just stared between the two as he wrapped his arms around both of his brothers and took a deep breath.

"i love you guys." he whispered.

matt knew he didn't tell them enough, but he truly had no idea where he would be without the two.

bzzt. bzzt.

matt quickly pulled away and picked up his phone that had her name written on the screen.

he jumped to his feet and answered, a bright smile on his face.

"y/n! hey, i'm sorry about earlier, i was just moody, and i would love for you to-"

"matt, it's fine i don't care-" she quickly stated, soft breaths leaving her mouth as she sounded like she was rushing around. "i need you to pick me up, i need to get out of here."

matt's eyebrows furrowed as he got up and made his way towards the kitchen, grabbing his car keys and going to the door. "right, yeah. everything okay?"

"i'll explain when you get here, please just-" her voice broke. "please just get here soon," she practically begged, making matt's heart break.

"i'll be there shortly. wait for me."

taglist;; @star-saturn-xx @sturniolo-girl @p1xieswrld @rac00ns-are-c00l4 @sweetbabydoe @iloveneilperry @matty-bear @sillysillygyal @trickywritters @h3arts4harry @mimi-luvzyu @sturn-bugz @junnniiieee07 (comment to be added!!)

[graffitiplanet]

When I first listened to Vice Grip, I was shell-shocked. Jaw to the floor in complete awe. Not because it was good. It was the worst music I had ever heard in my life, and I listen to 100 gecs. "Surely this can't be the precursor to the hit indie/alternative rock band Joywave?" I thought to myself. This godawful collection of "music" sounded like it came straight from a GarageBand mixtape on a burned CD, played through your family PC's shitty built-in speakers. Which was probably how it was meant to be played anyway.

Once I got over the initial knee-jerk reaction to catapult my headphones straight through the nearest window, I found myself listening to the small handful of tracks for a second time. Why would I subject myself to such cruel punishment? There must have been something in the water that fateful day, because each time I re-listened, it sounded better and better…

Something about it… captivated me. Was it the screeching, autotuned vocals that caught my attention? The vapid and childishly crude lyrics? Or the over-mixed drums and mp3 fuzz that proved its authenticity (and lack thereof)? Izzy Sparks was speaking to me from the faraway, ancient year of 2007. He had taken my heart from the lockbox, so to say. I began to understand.

Taken at face value, Vice Grip's discography contains objectively, the worst songs ever written (save for one*). But we need to go deeper. To truly comprehend the beauty of Vice Grip, one must understand the concept of:

Somewhere in 21-year-old Daniel Michael Armbruster's mind, there was a great plan stewing. If his eccentric mannerisms, cynical lyricism, and off-putting tweets of today suggest anything, it is that Daniel is no stranger to satire. His devilish plan to create the perfect caricature of 00s synthpop was never meant to be anything more than a one-time joke. How (un)fortunate that Vice Grip was conceived at the height of the second boyband craze, leading to international success and an active fanbase. Their faces were on TV around the world, and even in magazines. Vice Grip even eclipsed the popularity of the Hoodies, their completely 100% sincere pop-punk effort.

Perhaps this non-band came too early. Were they ahead of their time? It seemed Vice Grip had become the very thing it swore to destroy. Fittingly, the band self-destructed after releasing their final album: The Vice Grip Anthology (2320 H.D. - 2009 A.D.). Causes for the breakup include drug addiction, sex addiction, pornography (both producing and consuming), cannibalism, food addiction, feudalism, and college classes.

Eventually fading into obscurity and surpassed by newer satirical bands like Joywave and KOPPS, Vice Grip's genius went unappreciated for the next 15 years. The full Vice Grip Anthology was lost to link rot and Web 1.0's decay. The search for this holy grail was further crushed when former band members revealed that not even they possessed a copy. I mean, can you blame them? It seemed that Vice Grip was nothing more than an unpleasant memory, preserved only in the minds of the ex-emo millennials who had nothing better to do at Warped Tour 2008.

Until one fateful day in the year 2023. The Anthology had at last been uncovered, dug up and dusted off by one of the few fans who had the indecency to pay $9.99 on iTunes for it, all those years ago. It was subsequently transmitted all the way from Pluto to every deviant computer in the world, and is now freely available to all mortals that can withstand the sonic assault on their eardrums.

Everything on the internet does indeed last forever, much to the chagrin of Armbruster FKA Sparks. In his own words, "[The Anthology] is 31 tracks of complete and utter bullshit, presented in chronological order." But for the five or so Vice Grip fans that still exist on this planet, it was worth its weight in gold and then some (so I'm told). It truly is the most amazing album we will ever hear.

I am now at the point in my Vice Grip journey where Holly & Emily is a welcome guest on my shuffle play, rather than a dastardly scourge to make me cringe into the 4th dimension. This presents some difficulties when playing my music in a car filled with more sensible people than I. But they simply have not yet been mind-blown by the frequencies that Vice Grip has to offer.

The true artistry of Vice Grip hides behind the superficial. These are not songs meant to be loathed and detested by their audience. These are songs crafted with love. These are love songs. Because we love it.

Vice Grip truly is the greatest band the world has ever freaking seen.

*Thriller 2 is the best song Daniel has ever made.

[rocketturtle4]

The Eclipse Ep 12 - Lets Finish up this thing

@wen-kexing-apologist @plantsarepeopletoo @thegalwhorants @grapejuicegay Once more into the breach

Oh started with the Principal and Chadok, and Lying??

Also I just realised Thua never talked about riling up the protestors so they may have done that on their own, he was a late game mastermind not from the beginning.

Akk & Ayan, Is this the past or the present?

OH THEY WERE FILMING

Akk and Thua are getting investigated, quencies incoming

FECK YOU BITCH

Oh god I have a bad feeling about my upcoming emotions:

this is going to hurt

also the line after this isn't translated I will need to figure out what it is especially since they both shake their heads after

Eclipse: Roll credits

CMON, HE CAN'T SAY IT

and CRYING

SEE I TOLD YOU THIS WAS GOING TO HURT

and he couldn't do it ahhhh poor boy, it's not on you

Back to the teachers

OOOOOH Loop Hole

"Suppalo Must Adjust" DAMN RIGHT

Yes RESIGN DO IT BE FREE

what on earth does that hug mean, how close were they?

To the cliff

aww he gave him the diary

Back to the school

apologising to the protestors, good,

Aww Akk and Thua are still friends, good,

Oh Parents

They gonna come out? or is this just about Akk

oh by himself? aw he gonna cry again isn't he

YEP THERE'S THE CRYING

how many significant people do you have in your life? aww they all called, He's still worried about disappointing them RELATABLE AS EVER

noW HES COMING OUT

I feel like every person needs someone to say this to them

ooop there it is and MORE CRYING

And now I have parent envy, also this was beautiful.

OH AYAN WANTS TO BE SEEN

It's so scary everytime isn't it

CMON AKK YOU CAN DO IT! YEEEESSSS!

Seriously where do I get an Ayan???

aww sweet boy you didn't ruin the film

Teasing each other is cute but you should just say what you want

awww cuddles

and THERE WE GO

tasteful fade to black is making me lol because only friends is coming

Competitive till the end I see (this would totally be me lol)

All the friends appeared! (including the teacher??)

CHEEKY CHEEKY

And we're watcing the film as part of the final resolution lol thought so

and he get's to see himself be sad

"You were so sincere" "How could I delete it" Wat is Legit

More coming out for the win!

Ouch

arbitrary guitar playing and singing

More Akk & Aye sweetness its so GOOD

"Without you, I have no idea how I'd get through all that" Me either sweet boy I'm glad Ayan was there for you, I was so afraid you'd leave him in a fit of self-destruction

Aww Khan and Thua sweetness too

Your honour I love them

back to school, YOU GOT THIS

Ayan is still not wearing his blazer lol

AWW they were greeted by the protestors

Damn, Mes is suffering too they really want to hammer home that this wasn't good for anyone

"School is worthwhile when it's students recognise their own worth" I'm going to have to put that up on the wall of my classroom if I ever have one (I'm teacher trained)

this is so important for the reshaping of his identity and sense of self, I'm glad they did this

Namo was made a prefect...good for him I guess

Wat is president...yay? Not sure how I feel about that, did he want it?

Oh the teacher's learnt something lol, Teachers should always learn from their students

MATCHING HOODIES

Oh they let the uncle go

THEY'RE PINNING EACH OTHERS BADGES STAAAP I'M DYING

My love Language is here

MORE VERBAL CONSENT AND KISSING

My sweet boy said he loved Ayan

DONE

Okay thank you all so much, now you get to scream at me, please come scream I think this is AMAZING

[anonymousfoz]

Crimson Eclipse- Rebellion #1

Taglist: @vite-poh, @theoracleofgiana, @writeblr-of-my-own, @mfpipecat, @the-mindless , @holdmyteaplease , @digital-chance , @eldritchx

I am not linking everything, just go read it on ao3

"All it takes is a small ripple to cause a violent storm...."

It had been 2 years since Luna- Moony's life had changed. She took back her former name and had prepared for what was her destiny. She overlooked the corrupted city, not much had changed since she died before her rebirth as she would have to take the same shit down, but much more was at risk this time. The lives of numerous children lied in her hands and the generations of the future of this town.

"Moony, you ready to go?" The 16-year-old looked over at her older sister. Sunny grabbed her jacket as Moony came down from her spot. Moony went inside the cave to grab her hoodie and to tell Crimson and Viktor goodbye before heading off.

"Be safe out there, please. Don't do anything Viktor would do." Moony rolled her eyes before playfully punching Crimson. The wolf raised his paws as if he was surrendering before laughing while Viktor came into the room.

"Bring me back a skull please." Crimson looked over at the ram before pushing him away from Moony and the two began to argue. Moony ran outside to meet Sunny and then they were off with Taco eventually joining the two on their travel. Today was different as Moony was finally meeting the cult Lilith had. She knew a few former members would be there, and knew there would be a lack of faith in her; either due to previous failure or current age. Either way, Moony was prepared to prove them wrong.

"You know, you don't have to do this."

"I want to do this Sunny. I don't care what they do." Taco let out a meow before rubbing against Moony. "I got it Taco, just don't kill anyone." Sunny began to pet the large feline before footsteps began to approach. A loud rambunctious crowd went silence at the sight of the two sisters, minus one member who ran up to hug Taco.

"I thought we weren't going through with this." One member shouted. They out of the crowd and to Sunny, seemly ignoring Moony all together. "Why should we put our lives at risk for this little teenager?"

"So you don't want to save thousands of children being used as weapons?" Moony interrupted catching the member off guard. "That's what I thought. You can either do that go back to Hell and complain to Lilith, but she put me in charge." The member stared daggers at Moony. "It's very nice to see you again Diablo. Same stubborn asshole as back then." The member grabbed the strings to Moony's hoodie before Taco stood up looking down at Diablo.

"Just move on Diablo, we will do this without you if needed. Moony is leading."

"I don't care, this little pipsqueak can-" the room went dark before the ground began to shake and sparks flew across the room. Diablo stepped back, letting go of Moony but the chaos continued to happen until a large roar was heard.

"Taco, that is enough." Moony pet the feline as the lights flickered back on and the sparks stopped. The feline licked his fangs before sitting behind Moony. The feline wasn't going to let anyone talk like that to his human. Sunny went with the others to another room to clear up anymore conflict, but this wouldn't be the end of it. After all, it was only day one. There was more days ahead, and this wouldn't be the last interaction.

"...and only one small act to change a person."

The next interaction would be their last. It was the next day after, early in the morning. Moony was as the gym as it was a habitat picked up from the brief time in Lucifer's army, Moony quickly rose in the ranks there but grew enemies with her higher ranking officers. To avoid them she just started working out earlier. Diablo had the same idea and the two met while Moony was doing pull-ups.

"What are you doing here kid?" Diablo yelled walking closer. Moony paid him no attention as she kept doing her exercise. "Gym is closed during these hours."

"Then why are you here if it's closed?" Moony did one more pull-up before falling to the ground and looking at the frustrated demon. She began walking towards the exit with the older demon following. "The only issue here is that your authority is being challenged by someone you see who doesn't deserve it."

"What are you my therapist?"

"I have the ability to read and know your deepest and darkest thoughts, such as the fact you only joined this cult because Lucifer banished you from hell." Diablo went quiet. "You want me to tell the others or are you still going to be on my ass?"

"You aren't telling the others anything. Or els-"

"I'm trying to get prepared for a revolution and to go out there to be saving lives. I have no time for you or this. Sorry if you're feelings are hurt that I'm in charge but unless you want to go to Lucifer. I suggest you deal with it."

"You're not going to do anything. Why trust you when you failed the first time?" Diablo looked down at the 16-year-old. "Saving lives when you couldn't even save your own. What's the difference this time? Part time in the army and some more magic training? You should go back to you're fucking grave."

"Real rich coming from the person who didn't do shit the first time. You didn't even go on a singular mission you asshole."

"Time's were different."

"Time's were different." Moony mocked. "They only threat to you was that fucking wizard and I did all the work. You had every chance to help even after my death but you hid like the coward you were and still are."

"I am not a coward."

"Only a coward let's others suffer because you're scared of dying. You had every chance to end things and you never took the initiative and until you do, I don't want to hear a word about my leadership from you."

"Because you can-"

"There are children sitting in crates getting sold for weapons in gang warfare. You had nearly 4 thousand years to step in and all you did was sit in this hideout and training people to do what you were meant to do. You were my right hand, when I went down it was your job to pick up where I left off. And you failed me and every person who suffered because you couldn't kill one old bastard." Diablo was quiet again. "Not going to say anything? You know I'm right. Either do something or sit in the background and keep your mouth shut." Moony walked out leaving Diablo alone in the gym. She was too frustrated to keep working out and she didn't need to be around Diablo at the moment. She opened the door and slammed it closed with her telekinetic powers before stopping as she shattered the glass. She used a repair spell on the glass and door and then she was gone till morning when everyone went to the dining halls for breakfast.

Diablo was talking about Moony when she walked in. Moony walked past to get her breakfast, avoiding eye contact with everyone. It wasn't until Diablo mentioned Sunny that Moony finally snapped and the demon was thrown across the room and slammed against walls appearing out from the ground. Moony only stopped once Sunny came into the room minutes later. It didn't matter to Moony what anyone thought of her, she cared about Sunny and wasn't going to let anyone talk about Sunny behind her back.

"You can't just do that Moony."

"I don't care, I'm fed up with him." Sunny let out a sigh which caused Moony to stop and rethink. "Look, I will hurt him if he talks about you like that. Or anyone for that matter. That cowards don't deserve a place to talk like that."

"I was just saying you can't traumatize people, like that. Do that to him in private." Moony could see a smile creep onto Sunny's face before she responded. "Besides, we all are getting sick of him. But I can get used to this side of you more."

"What? Was the old side boring?"

"No. Just this side is a lot bolder."

[helinedmightbehere]

the two people who reblogged saying they wanted to hear me out have convinced me, so here you go. this is just one of my many aus-

this is gonna be quite long, so if you don't want to read, my post won't be across your page while you're scrolling

this is sorta based off of snowe's concept where eclipse does indeed kill lunar for the bluff deal, but i just put my own little spin to it

so basically, when eclipse goes to confirm the deal with monty, he freezes lunar like he does in canon with the code, proceeding to dismantle them. monty can't even call it off because, by the time they realize that eclipse is actually killing lunar (and by proxy moon), lunar had shut his own code off, leaving him in a coma-like state.

eclipse calls monty by digging through the contacts on sun's list and monty tells him that they'll bring the star in about an hour and to meet them in the atrium. eclipse agrees.

when eclipse leaves to go to the atrium, monty sneaks into the daycare, finds moons parts and brings them back to their space station. meanwhile, eclipse calls monty again, only to find that the number is now blocked.

monty manages to fix moon over the course of a week or two. when he wakes up, moon is disoriented and the pain is still there. monty shuts him off again, steals a couple of magic books from goldie and performs the pain go away spell. the next time moon wakes up, he can't hear lunar in the back of his head. monty says that it'd be fine, but during the next few days there's still no sign of them.

eventually, moon convinces monty that something's wrong and they both enter his mindscape together. when they get there, basically imagine kc's palace but far more ice and nature-y.

the mindscape had shifted itself to accommodate for the child, who would've never been saved. moon and monty eventually reach lunar, who's blocked off from the rest of the world in a bubble.

after about 10 minutes of trying to wake them up, they finally get up, still tired. i'd imagine that moon would try and convince lunar (who's basically gaslighting themself into believing eclipse still cares about them) to join moon and monty instead of eclipse.

at first - lunar is kinda scared of monty. that, or he hates them. either way, they do not like monty's presence, and refuse to go near them.

i haven't thought much further than that, but yeah- that's all i got

----------------------------------

anyways, some extras!!

lunar often uses sleep as a coping mechanism to get away from his problems. you'll often see him carrying around a pillow or something, throwing it on the ground, then just going to sleep. it doesn't matter how loud it is, he will sleep.

his hoodie doubles as a nightcap and a hoodie!!

they own a lot, and i mean a lot of plushies. though, there is one that they carry around everywhere, which is the one that sun taught him how to make post-october arc. (hc that sun can sew and now lunar can too >:])

lunar is also nicknamed "sleepyhead" when it comes to interdimensional folk :D

sleepyhead and chaos (tad!lunar) are quite good friends actually. chaos being the mischievous one (i mean,,,it's in their name) and sleepyhead being the one to just roll with it

ar!eclipse (who i have not yet given a nickname to-) treats sleepyhead like a son. he's probably the closest eclipse alternate to sleepyhead.

[littlelunarrunaway]

Sun and moon find the daycare

(Alright my hiatus is finally done. and we are getting to a whole new part of the story fair warning this isn't going to be pretty.)

Sun and Moon enter back into Neon City. The pair stand in the alley idly.

“Moon do you really think this is a good idea.”

“look even you think lunar is probably off homeless somewhere.”

“Well yeah but-”

Moon looked at his tracker it was working just fine this time.

“Now shut up and let me work.”

Sun stopped trying to argue and followed Moon silently. The pair traveled through the streets and alley ways. Sun froze as he heard an all too familiar voice. He grabbed moon and dragged him back into the alley were the pair watched and listened.

“Come on lunar hurry up, we’re going to be late.” Eclipse called out unaware of Sun and Moon being nearby. He was wearing his usual burnt orange Hoodie over his daycare costume.

“We’re already almost there. Plus, we own the place. I should know I check our profits.” Lunar replied.

Eclipse’s expression softens for a moment.

“You know if your having trouble-“

“NO! I’M FINE.” Lunar interrupted as he rushes to Eclipse’s side.

“You know I’m not going to ditch you just because your struggling a little. Right?”

  “I can Keep up just fine.”

Sun and Moon freeze as they listen in. As they listen and watch. They realize that Lunar got a new body. They pair swiftly withdraw while being careful to avoid the notice of Eclipse and Lunar. Once back at the daycare Sun can’t help but panic.

“SEE I TOLD YOU!” Moon practically shouted.

“But that eclipse he wasn’t acting like our Eclipse.” Sun tried to argue.

“But he still went straight for an ECLIPSE.” Moon argued back.

“How can you be so sure it wasn’t luck.”

“It doesn’t matter we still need to Lunar away from ECLIPSE AGAIN.”

“But how did he get a new body?” Sun asked warily.

“I don’t know, and I don’t care. With how small he is it might just be easier to take him than before.” Moon snapped.

[amber-lucca44]

Most Played Songs 2022 💖💖💖

A Candlelit Dinner With Inamorta (Asking Alexandria)

Ungrateful (Escape The Fate)

In Between (Beartooth)

Reach (Eyes Set To Kill)

Tragic Magic (Falling In Reverse)

Young Blood Spills Tonight (Eyes Set To Kill)

World Of Sacrifice (Black Veil Brides)

Drinking From The Fountain (Saosin)

I'm Content With Losing (Underoath)

New Jersey Makes, The World Takes (Senses Fail)

Red Is The New Black (Funeral For A Friend)

Tally It Up, Settle The Score (Sleeping With Sirens)

Beaten In Lips (Beartooth)

Hell Or High Water (Before Their Eyes)

You Eclipsed By Me (Atreyu)

Captain Blood (Chunk! No, Captain Chunk!)

Juneau (Funeral For A Friend)

Throw The First Stone (Black Veil Brides)

Bend Your Arms To Look Like Wings (Funeral For A Friend)

Welcome To The Black Parade (My Chemical Romance)

It Must Really Suck To Be Four Year Strong Right Now (Four Year Strong)

The Death Of Me (Asking Alexandria)

If You Run (You Me At Six)

A Lesson Never Learned (Asking Alexandria)

New Demons (I See Stars)

My Sharona (The Number Twelve Looks Like You)

Wormholes (Volumes)

Ambrosia (Alesana)

Bulimic (The Used)

State Of Love And Trust (Pearl Jam)

Mr. Highway's Thinking About The End (A Day To Remember)

Promise Promise (You Me At Six)

Rookie Of The Year (Funeral For A Friend)

Kingslayer (Bring Me The Horizon ft. BABYMETAL)

Wasteland (Against The Current)

The Bomb Dot Com V2.0 (Sleeping With Sirens)

Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana)

Puppets (The First Snow) (Motionless In White)

YKTV (Nas ft. A Boogie Wit A Hoodie & YG)

When I Get Home, You're So Dead (Mayday Parade)

Tell Slater Not To Wash His Dick (Bring Me The Horizon)

Daddy's Falling Angel (In This Moment)

Not A Single Word About This (Alesana)

I Slept With Someone In Fall Out Boy And All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me (Fall Out Boy)

Perfect Weapon (Black Veil Brides)

The Royal Crown Vs. Blue Duchess (From Autumn To Ashes)

Bottomfeeder (Blessthefall)

Embryonic Anomaly (Rings Of Saturn)

Big Machine (The Goo Goo Dolls)

Down, Set, Go (Underoath)

Never Lose Sight Of The Goals (For Today)

In Friends We Trust (Chunk! No, Captain Chunk!)

Happy (Pink Fly)

Damage (Fit For Rivals)

If These Bullets Could Talk (The Number Twelve Looks Like You)

Darling (Eyes Set To Kill)

Seven Years (Saosin)

Timberwolves At New Jersey (Taking Back Sunday)

Angela Baker And My Obsession With Fire (Senses Fail)

Still Fly (The Devil Wears Prada)

Affirmation Of Ascension (Volumes)

The Carpal Tunnel Of Love (Fall Out Boy)

Cubicles (My Chemical Romance)

Better Than Revenge (Taylor Swift)

Featuring Some Of Your Favorite Words (From First To Last

Not The American Average (Asking Alexandria)

Stick Stickly (Attack Attack!)

Drowning Lessons (My Chemical Romance)

Jet Black New Year (Thursday ft. Gerard Way)

HUMBLE. (Kendrick Lamar)

This Calling (All That Remains)

Knives And Pens (Black Veil Brides)

Rosemary Had An Accident (The Devil Wears Prada)

Shatter Me (Lindsey Stirling ft. Lzzy Hale)

Born To Lead (Falling In Reverse)

Where Do You Draw The Line? (From Autumn To Ashes)

Calm Before The Storm (Fall Out Boy)

Honey, This Mirror Isn't Big Enough For The Two Of Us (My Chemical Romance)

Heroes Get Remembered, Legends Never Die (Four Year Strong)

Congratulations, I Hate You (Alesana)

Beautiful Remains (Black Veil Brides)

Beautiful In Blue (Alesana)

And The Sentence Trails On... (The Devil Wears Prada)

Emergency (Paramore)

Tell That Mick He Just Made My List Of Things To Do Today (Fall Out Boy)

American Love (Haste The Day)

Champion (Falling In Reverse)

The Story Of Us (Taylor Swift)

Hatebreeders (Hatebreed)

Girl In A Coma (Fit For Rivals)

Liar In The Glass (Eyes Set To Kill)

Alright (Kendrick Lamar)

Can't Be Saved (Senses Fail)

Those In Glass Houses (Of Mice & Men)

And I Told Them I Invented Times New Roman (Dance Gavin Dance)

Faithless (Black Veil Brides)

Monument (A Day To Remember)

Guillotine IV (The Final Chapter) (Falling In Reverse)

I Have A Problem (Beartooth)

Sweetness (Jimmy Eat World)

[alaanz]

The eclipse finally finished and I’m so upset at the fact that I won’t have this to look forward to every Friday. This show gave me so much enjoyed for 3 months straight and I’m really going to miss it.

Everything about this show made it so so enjoyable to watch and there was so much love and joy out into it. The acting, directing and screenwriting were all so good. Everyone tried their hardest to create such a captivating story and they managed it so well.

The last ep on Friday gave people mixed feelings on it as an ending. For me I thought it gave me enough closure that I could happily say goodbye to these characters and feel like everything ended well. There were certainly parts that I felt were slightly rushed or not really explained well. For instance, Chadok quit Suppalo to go and do who knows what and I wasn’t satisfied at all with this ending. He caused so many children so much harm and he’s still the same emotionally abusive character that I’d seen for 11 episodes straight. A sad backstory wasn’t going to change that for me. He didn’t have anything that made him dramatically change character like I was hoping they wouldn’t do. I just don’t feel like he got the punishments that he deserved

AND MES. Wtf. They dropped that bombshell that Mes also suffers with depression and then just left it. I really would have liked to see Akk possibly meeting Mes and talking to him about how they’ve both been affected by Suppalo and offering each other support with them both knowing how the other felt with being the head boy. But I understand that episode limit and timing. Means that not everything that needs to be can be fit into the show.

I’m really happy with the way Akk and Ayan ended. They’re so adorable and support each other 100%. Theyll always be there for each other and they just naturally got along so well. If only Ayan would stop OUTING people for the love of god. Man must have luck in his side that that hasn’t backfired yet. I’m sure it’ll get him in the future.

AKK AND AYAN IN MATCHING HOODIES! YES!

Either way, I loved the last ep and every other ep for that matter. This show was amazing and will always hold a place in my heart as something that I found great happiness in in the hard times over the past couple months. And I look forward to see what all of the actors and crew go onto do in the future.

[prurientpuddlejumper]

Don’t Look! [Part 3]

<- Part 2 | Part 4 ->

Frederick Chilton x Reader

Once again, transformation AU by @we-are-all-just-a-bit-crazy, I’m just making a fic with it! (Going to try to wrap this series tomorrow; we’ll see if I can keep up the pace). Mutual pining + Chilton having trust issues. 

2,160 words

The door opened a crack, and Dr. Chilton’s eyes appeared, searching up and down the hallway. Your pulse quickened. Finally, you were going to get answers—some logical explanation for what you’d seen last night. At least you could show him support this time instead of leaving him trembling in the dark.

He seemed to be human again. You found yourself checking and rechecking the texture of his skin for lingering signs of spikes and swirling darkness. A chill ran down your spine at his proximity, like it did when you saw a spider. You wished it wouldn’t. You didn’t want to be afraid of spiders. You didn’t want to be afraid of him.

Finding the coast clear, Chilton opened the door another few inches and stepped out wearing your grey hoodie and sweatpants. His hair was a mess, the hood pulled down to hide it.

“I cannot be seen this way. If you need me, I shall be at home. You have my personal number. Please call Nightengale Restorations and have them fix the office. Tell them I will pay a fifteen percent bonus for having it done this week,” he prattled in his professional tone as if this were just another workplace matter. He walked away, a slight hitch to his swift gait, but turned after three steps and met your eyes. “Thank you,” he said.

***

There was no confrontation after that. Dr. Chilton resumed work the next day, and things simply went back to normal. That is to say: awkward silences, reading novels into every word, and the simmering tension of pretending everything was normal when, in fact, nothing had been resolved.

Questions burned in your eyes, but fear restrained your tongue. The answers would only make you more afraid, and so Chilton did not volunteer them.

You didn’t run away, but you didn’t ask, either. Chilton was satisfied that you were just as in denial as he was.

The daily routine went on exactly as it used to: you would arrive at 7:30 am, knock at his office door, hand him a coffee, and take the file of paperwork he wanted done that day. Only there was hesitation in your knock, and you waited for him to say, “Enter,” instead of sauntering in like you owned the place. He had you put the coffee down on his desk so you would not risk brushing his fingertips as you sometimes did. When you took the file, you stared at him like he might bite.

“That will be all,” he said, dismissing you before your stoic mask faltered and you showed your true disgust.

***

Chilton’s skin crawled beneath his suit from his arms to his feet, and his scar throbbed for the first time in weeks. Having Abel Gideon back under his care was disconcerting, but a necessary part of Will Graham’s therapy—or rather, another clue in the case Graham was building against Hannibal Lecter.

He was skeptical at first. Graham was a lunatic—a sociopathic manipulator. Delusional. Yet, even a sociopath could not fabricate such elaborate lies with that much sodium amytal running through his veins.

The nightmares would be worth it when he was the man famous for bringing down the Chesapeake Ripper.

“Hey.”

Chilton looked up, eyes rimmed with red from hours of staring at a computer screen, working late yet again. You held up a bag of takeout, a weak smile on your lips.

“Need a break?” you offered, moving to sit across from him at his desk. Everything in the office was tidied up—you had cleaned most of it yourself the day Chilton went home in your sweatpants. The damage wasn’t as bad as it looked. Most of the furniture was simply overturned, not broken. Only the antique in-wall shelving waited for professional repair.

“No. Thank you,” he said, waving away the food. His lips thinned wanly. “You may help yourself if you like.”

He was equally surprised and suspicious when you stayed, unpacking the container of vegetarian pesto tortellini. He watched hungrily as you lanced one with a plastic fork and brought it to your lips. His stomach growled.

“Are you alright?”

“What do you mean?” he asked, straightening defensively in his seat.

“With Gideon here. That must be difficult.”

“I manage.”

You chewed another pasta in silence. Finally, he couldn’t help it and grabbed the second fork, stealing a tortellini off your platter. It was rich and flavorful—a bit heavy on the salt, but obviously from a fine restaurant. He held the bite in his mouth. No strange aftertastes. He did not feel woozy after swallowing. There was always a chance you were willing to drug yourself to get to him if you had an accomplice waiting to spirit him away to some secret facility.

“All right,” he snapped, chair shooting back toward the wall as he stood. “What are you after?”

You gave a startled “Mmph?” around a mouthful of pesto.

“What is the catch? A price for your silence? Why are you here, bribing me with dinner?”

“I… I’m not—what? I was worried about you.”

“Unlikely, considering the circumstances. Tell me what you want.” His eyes locked onto you, cold and piercing.

“Fine!” you broke. “I want you to forgive me!”

“For what?” he sneered, half believing your words were a veiled threat.

“I’m sorry, OK? Please—what can I do to make up for it? I tried giving you space, but now you look at me like I’m going to kick you, or”—your eyes widened at the plate of food he only touched after you ate some—“poison you! I swear I never meant to hurt you. I’m so sorry.”

“For what?” he asked in an entirely softer tone. He sat back down, hunching forward across the desk to search your face.

Your head hung low, and you murmured quietly, “I know I didn’t handle it well. I should have left when you asked. Now I understand… you didn’t want anybody to see that. I invaded your privacy. And then I freaked out!” Your voice broke. “And I’ve been trying to… to make up for it. I know you don’t want to talk about it, but—dammit, I’m pushing you again! Sorry.”

The urge to hug you overwhelmed him. If there wasn’t a deliberately massive table in between you—meant to keep others at a distance—he would have hugged you.

“Are you not afraid?” For once, the broadness of his desk seemed obtrusive.

“I could never be afraid of you.”

Your arm crossed the divide, reaching for his hand. It touched, warm and easy, and gave a sympathetic squeeze that set his blood racing. Then it retracted, and his skin ached for the lost contact.

“I just got scared because I didn’t understand what was happening. I still don’t. Maybe I am still afraid, a little. But not because—! Please, just… tell me what that was. What happened to you?”

His Adam’s apple bobbed. Eyes narrowing, he answered cagily, “First, what do you think you saw? Light can play tricks on the eye, especially after long hours in a morbid environment, possible exposure to hypnotic drugs… Let us be sure we are on the same page.”

“Are you seriously going to gaslight me now that we’re finally talking? I’m not an idiot. You still owe me those pants back!”

While he floundered for words, your eyes squeezed shut, and a hissing laugh burst from your nose. A red flush crept up his neck, under his shirt collar. It was inappropriate to laugh in this situation, but perhaps that was why it was so contagious—it had been too long since he’d seen you laugh, and even longer since he’d done so himself.

“Those cheap, scratchy, torture devices? Consider it a favor that I tossed them,” he quipped. (Forget the fact that he had been sleeping with his face buried in them for the past week and simply did not wish to return them before wringing them for every drop of your scent.)

“And yet you wore them, which means I saved your ass. Checkmate, doctor.”

“Please. It is barely a Vienna Gambit.”

Laughter felt foreign in his throat. It was soft, and only lasted a brief second, but it was cleansing. You smiled at him, rolling your eyes, and his soul lifted.

“Very well,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “Ask your questions.”

Your eyes darted to the windows. Another late night. Stars appeared (the handful not blotted out by Baltimore’s light pollution). You chewed your bottom lip.

“Are you going to transform again?”

“Only on the night of the new moon, when twilight gives way to the black of night. No need to worry.”

“Just once a month, then? Werewolf rules?”

He shot an offended glare, though you weren’t wrong. “Sometimes two, near the aphelion. And during an eclipse. It… hates sunlight. Even the reflection of the sun. It wants to be in darkness.” The thought disturbed him—the way the beast called him to the shadows. He always fought it to stay indoors, locking himself away from any nocturnal roving. It frightened him what might happen if he gave in. The coppery taste of blood haunted his dreams.

“Then… would you transform if you went spelunking? You know, in a cave? Or a submarine?”

“I have not tried. A darkened room is not enough. I would not tempt it.”

You swallowed and thought. Your lips twitched, building to the important question: “Is it still you in there?”

“Yes. More impulsive—I would never have smashed the decor—but I am still there.” It brings my true self to the surface, he thought, but withheld this. A slimy, dangerous, unlovable wretch. He looked at you, sitting across from him in front of a container of food you brought to share, and wondered what you were doing there after seeing it. How could you bear to be near him?

“But you’re not going to… eat me or something?” You were embarrassed to ask, and he gave you a fittingly scathing glare.

“No. I would not eat you.” He stabbed a tortellini and popped it in his mouth.

“Then I want to see it.”

He choked.

“I want to get a better look. To wrap my head around it. Besides, it seemed painful—next time I could bring you a hot towel, or… a cold pack, or… I don’t know, some tea? An ibuprofen?”

“There is no next time. You were never supposed to see that in the first place.”

“Please? If it’s going to happen again in two weeks, I want to be there. Prepared this time.”

“This is not a zoo. I am not some freak show to be gawked at! What happened to you being sorry?”

“I just want to get to know you,” you answered, and your voice sounded so small his heart reeled. You snapped your head up, “I mean—I want to be there for you. You shouldn’t be alone.”

He scoffed, defensive again. “Why? Because I might do something dangerous? I am more than capable of controlling myself.”

“Because you deserve to be comforted when you’re in pain.”

Your words struck him like a nuclear bomb of basic human decency. Deserved? Comfort?

“Does anyone else know? Does anyone… take care of you when you change?”

Only his family knew, and they certainly did not take care of him. Bringing him that bag of clothing in the morning was the first time anyone had done something thoughtful for him—helped him with his condition. Even if you had run away at first, you wanted to be supportive. To know his dark side.

Why?

Was it possible? Did you feel the same way about him as he did about you? His hand still felt warm from where you had briefly touched it.

He had to admit, it was nice having someone be there for him. Even a small gesture like old, loose-fitting sweatpants in a bag made a world of difference. Or dinner at his desk. He imagined you pressing a steamed towel to his forehead, and he did not hate the idea—doting on him like a spa therapist, taking the edge off the pain as his hair fell out and skin split open. Or watching him become hideous. Vomiting at the sight of him. Losing all interest you might have had. Realizing it was a mistake to be there.

“Thank you for dinner,” he announced in curt, clipped syllables. “That will be all.”

“Frederick…” Your voice was low, personal. Pleading. He did not like how personal it was. How you were giving him everything he wanted, like you were baiting a trap.

“Fascinating as this must be for you, I still have work to do. Your shift ended an hour ago. Go home.”

“OK. Right. I’ll see you in the morning.”

You didn’t see him trembling as you left, clutching his hand over his fluttering heart.

• ● • ━━━━━─ ••●•• ─━━━━━ • ● •

Taglist: @beccabarba​ / @itsjustmyfantasyroom​ / @thatesqcrush​ / @dianilaws​ / @permanentlydizzy​ / @mrsrafaelbarba​ / @madamsnape921​ / @astrangegirlsmind​ / @neely1177​ / @onerestein​ / @dreamlover31​ / @isvvc-pvscvl​​  / @shroomiehomie / @storiesofsvu​ / @welcometothemxdhouse​​ / @feedthemadness-sweetie​ / @law-nerd105​ / @amelia-song-pond​ / @michael-rooker​ / @xecq / @madpanda75​ / @alwaysachorusgirl​ / @bananas-pajamas​ / @leanor-min​ / @mad-girl-without-a-box​ / @katierpblogg​ / @worldofvixen​

[doctorsgirl262]

Ranking Edward Cullen's personality and appearance from the movies. I haven't read the books in a while and I've been binging the movies so here's this. In October, I will have read the first book 10 years ago!

Personality

5. New Moon - I know that he wanted to protect Bella, but BOY did he go about that wrong. Fucking abandons her in the middle of the woods and takes all of the people she loves away from her. I think we can all agree that he was the worst in NM.

4. Breaking Dawn pt. 1 - Again, I know that he wants to protect Bella, but being a dick to her the whole movie while she's dying is a terrible way to show it. He does make that up though by being very loving in the beginning before the pregnancy and after he hears Renesmee.

3. Twilight - Him being standoffish and all over the place puts him in the middle. He could have been better and the stalking was a bit too much, but you can tell he loves Bella easily.

2. Eclipse - I won't lie, I straight up don't remember much about Eclipse's plot. It wasn't my favorite and I typically skip over it. But I can say that I'm not the biggest fan of him constantly telling Bella he wants to marry him, but then again, she's doing the same about sex and vampirism. He's also a dick to Jake, but I love protective Edward soooooo.

1. Breaking Dawn pt. 2 - Edward as a dad and husband is just so sweet. Like I don't think he smiled in any other movie like he did in this one. He loves his daughter and his wife so damn much it makes my heart hurt. He wants to protect his family, and he's not a massive dick to anyone. Also, the "isn't she amazing" and all those little comments about Bella had me smiling so hard.

Appearance

5. Eclipse - Idk what they did to him but everything just looks off. His eyebrows are thick and he's got hella sideburns. Of course, he's not ugly or anything, but he just looks out of sorts this whole movie. He does look nice in the blue hoodie he wears when he's about to punch Jake's face in though.

4. New Moon - He was gone for 5/6 of the movie so there's not much to go on. We have his break up outfit and his volturi robes... I guess his look does kinda look similar to the eclispe look.

3. Twilight - he's an icon, what more do I need to say?

He's pretty, his hair is huge, and he has his signature overcoat.

2. Breaking Dawn pt. 1 - I love the hair. I also like the outfits, casual in the beginning and then he's back to his brooding self from Twilight when Bella's dying.

Slightly related, whenever someone says "come on", in my head I hear Edward begging weirdly for Bella to not die. Like I can picture his crazed look with blood all over his face and everything.

1. Breaking Dawn pt. 2 - I don't think I'll ever get out how casual and relaxed Edward is in the movie. Him in the hoodie? Holy shit, when he came onscreen in it I quickly decided it was one of my favorite outfits. I also like that as the movies went on, he looks more and more like a young adult from the 2000s. I also really enjoyed the hair.

Final Edward Rankings

5. New Moon

4. Eclipse

3. Breaking Dawn. pt. 1

2. Twilight

1. Breaking Dawn pt. 2

[intynidad]

Hello! I don't know if the potion shop is open currently, but I am in need of a health potion with some Cupid sighs please! I don't know exactly how your potion-magic works, but if I may I have some bits of the Scarabian duo or Kalim Al-Aslim in there? May it can help me through some hard times. [In essence, I looked at the Available Potions post and tried to make a request based on that, sorry if it's bad, but basically I want a fluffy scenario with Kalim Al-Aslim and Jamil Viper. but if I can only request for one character, then just Kalim Al-Asim please.]

oh dear of course my shop is open and it would be my pleasure to satisfy the request of a dear customer as yourself~

since you did not specify a topic I put some of my creativity on it

a health potion with some Cupid sighs just  for you !

Kalim al-asim

-how would you describe me in one word y/n?- kalim said out off the blue

both of you were sitting in his room just hanging out,you finally got a break from all of the troubles grimm gives you and also manage to finish all of the tasks crowley forces you  ask you to do.

-emm i don't know,why do you ask?-you said calmly 

- You are one of my best friends, I care about what you think about me!!!-kalim said with a big smile-so come on tell me!!, tell me!!!!-

you went silence for a second,that hurted you knew that he didn't wanted to hurt your feelings but the world “friend” made your heart ache

-sunshine...you remind me of sunshine-you said looking at his expecting ruby eyes waiting for you to continue

-you are always full of life and happiness you bring joy to everyone that is near you...you bring joy to me-a little pink color going to your checks

-if I am your sun...THEN YOU ARE MY MOON!!- he screamed giving you a little scare 

-YOU ARE PRETTY AND AMAZING!! and you bring me so much joy too,you make me wanna smile more everyday ,everytime we are together my heart beats so fast that I think it might escape from my chest-he said getting closer to you-and.. and...you are the only person that makes me feel this way like if a million butterfly were having their own party in my belly is a weird felling but is nice...- now both of you were so close you were worried that he might hear how fast your heart beat was going- i never had this feelings for anyone else but the thing is that I want more of it

you could say that that night a beautiful eclipse occurred in which the moon and the sun declared their love

Jamil Viper

scarabia, the dorm created under the deliberation of the sorcerer of the sand, the students in this dorm live by the motto of "plan with deep anticipation" 

then how in the world is this happening to him?

-Jamil~!- what did you do to the vice dorm leader of scarabia.

for the first time, Jamil didn't know what to do, you somehow penetrate all of his defenses and broke all of his barriers

-You are amazing Jamil!!- how a magicless student as yourself made him feel this way?

why he feels so warm when you say his name?

why he can forget about his problems when you hug him?

why your eyes shine more than every gem in the treasure chamber?

why is he craving your touch like a glass of water in the desert?

only one glance at your smiling face and he wanted to hide his blush inside his hoodie.

for the first time, Jamil was on the edge of the abysm one step away from the great unknown and that is scary as shit.

but he was sure about one thing

-Jamil, I love you!-

he wanted to walk it with you

[ngame989]

“Enough” - TGG SVTFOE Fanfic Collection Ch. 11

Writing: @ngame989​

Art: @toxicpsychox​

Musical Arrangement: @ubercelloczar​

Editing: @ubercelloczar​, @seddm​

Alternate fic links - FFnet, AO3

Summary: Star, Marco, Tom, and Janna reflect on their pasts, arrive at a crossroads in the present, and make decisions about their futures when Echo Creek Academy hosts a dance with an uncannily familiar theme.

Comic Page

Masterpost

Merry Christmas, happy holidays, happy New Year! This is a very special chapter, slightly breaking the tradition of having its poster be a Polaroid photo (though one of those will be coming soon lol). Also, this was inspired by an actual real life event, Google the date for yourself. MASSIVE thanks to my friend @ubercelloczar​​ for the musical arrangement - I can’t embed it partway through so I’ll just link it when the time comes. Hope you enjoy!

Red. All these years, and she was just now realizing how little red there was in her expansive collection of outfits. Star could probably count on one hand the number of times she’d worn anything in that color besides Marco’s oversized hoodies. Though for all intents and purposes she’d moved into Marco’s room over a year ago, most of her clothes were still kept in her old room at Angie’s insistence. You leave pajamas in the mailbox ONE TIME and suddenly everyone’s all “please use a closet, Star.” Her fingers fondly brushed over the fabrics of dozens of dresses and skirts she owned. The turquoise with the narwhal? Timeless classic, though a bit worse for wear after so many life or death incidents on Mewni. Purple with suspenders? Eh, not so much… for whatever reason she just hadn’t felt like wearing that in a while. Her sleeveless sky blue dress, on the other hand, had made its way back into her rotation after the dimensions cleaved. Why, she couldn’t say, though she tended to skip the leg warmers these days. The pink overalls with the cute skirt were one of her favorite buys on Earthni - the perfect blend of dimensional fashions.

Minutes passed as she reminisced, her wardrobe a library unveiling its stories as her eyes roved its contents. One random winter night came to mind at the sight of her rarely used fuzzy yellow jammies. The heater had been on the fritz, so she and Marco had cuddled up even closer than normal. Her brain had been too frozen to think straight at the time, but in hindsight it was one of her favorite memories - spending all night watching movies with family, hot cocoa by the gallon, and holding Marco tight did more to warm her soul than any heater ever could. Some more notable memories were captured in the attire too, like the lavender dress she’d planned to wear to her first school dance before ditching it to resurrect a clown; the Love Sentence concert tee she’d made; her green dinosaur dress, captured forever on that fateful photo strip.

Experiences shared with Marco stood out among the rest - they usually did anyway, but tonight perhaps more than most, and for good reason. She’d once obsessed over a tattered, stinky hoodie of his as a source of calm and stability for some of the harshest weeks in her life, but tonight she felt like she was at her highest point. When her eyes finally spotted her target, the reason she had even been rummaging around an old closet and choking on enough dust to fell an adult warnicorn, her small, nostalgic smile stretched into a wide grin laden with too many emotions to count. If there’s any night to wear red, this is it, Star thought as she slipped into the silky dress awaiting her.

After all, she and Marco were once again going to a Blood Moon Ball.

Six Weeks Earlier

“Not sure if we’ll be able to pull this off, Diaz. They’ve got us surrounded.” Steam rolled out of Star’s mouth with the words, threatening to give away their location. She shivered despite the warm pink fleece she wore; the wind today was so chilly that even Marco had donned a winter jacket over his hoodie. They were in the midst of a battle, nay, an all-out war. We’ve got one, maybe two dozen? We’re doomed.

Where Star faltered, Marco’s resolve was firm. “Our only option is a last stand. I can lead a strong forward assault and draw fire long enough for you to flank their offense.” They’d found a secure location with solid cover, but it severely limited their scouting ability. Marco lowered his hood and stole a glance above the metal behind them, ducking back down instantly. Snow had already accumulated on his lashes and glittered softly in the sunlight, but Star couldn’t afford to linger on that image. It was do or die.

He took her hands and pulled her close, almost touching their noses. “If I don’t make it, Star, I want you to take care of Nachos for me, OK?” He scooped up his armful of snowballs and moved into position.

She theatrically reached out a hand towards him right as he got to the threshold of safety. “I’ll never forget you Marcoooo…” she whispered loudly. The pair giggled as Star grabbed her ammunition. “Alright, enough of that. Ready?”

“Ready.”

Marco dashed around the playground slide and into the fray. Right as Star followed, she heard him yelp and fall into the soft snow coating the playground, three enemy combatants hovering over him and pelting him mercilessly. “Marco!” Star yelled and trudged over with the gleeful cheers of their enemy ringing in her ears. “Speak to me, Marco! Don’t leave me!”

“Star… Remember me...” He grunted and let his head drop into the snow.

“Noooooooooo!” With one final breath, she flopped on top of him and accepted death by a thousand snowballs.

One extra large hunk of snow, far too large to have been thrown by any of the kids, exploded on Star’s back and coated her entirely in soft white fluff. Star heard the warm rumble of Antonio’s hearty chuckles at his successful finishing blow. “Alright, kiddos, your families are here. Have a happy break!” His beefy hand grabbed Star’s own and easily hefted her to her feet before doing the same for Marco. How the heck he was OK in the cold with just an ear-flappy-hat and his usual flannel shirt, she’d never know.

Star dusted herself off and watched the children skip through the snow - a much smaller group than usual, since it was the last evening shift before Christumpmasday break. Most were eager to return to their families, though Star had to help two little girls finish building their snowlizard and take a few pictures before they were willing to leave without bursting into tears; in their defense, it was a ridiculously cute and fun snowlizard. And with that, it was finally holiday break time!

As they walked back to the Center with Antonio, Star took in the sight of the campus covered in fresh snow. The sparkling white planes draped across the pristine Earth architecture contrasted with the raw, natural aesthetic of snow and ice intermingled with remnants of a once-thriving Mewman village, but it all blended together into something unique and beautiful. She caught Marco transfixed with a goofy smile on his face, in awe of her as much as she was with the world, and her cheeks flushed a tiny bit more than they’d already done in the cold. The crunch of snow underfoot and the gentle whooshing of the wind as they swung their joined hands back and forth were the only sounds disturbing this peaceful, perfect moment.

“Merry Christumpmasday, Antonio!” Star shouted as she gave her boss-slash-friend a big hug, and he laughed and returned the gesture with enough strength to lift both Star and Marco off the ground a little.

“Same to you two. Thanks again for staying late, I feel bad about keeping anyone here like this. My husband’s still out of town until tomorrow so home, work, it’s all the same to me, personally. Wish your whole family the best for me.” After saying their goodbyes, Star and Marco walked back out into the cold where their ride was waiting.

“Hey, girl” Marco’s voice was tender as he adjusted Nachos’ cute winter cap and stroked her back. As he was testing his foothold to make sure he wouldn’t slip and faceplant while trying to hop on, Antonio peeked his head out the door.

“Wait, before you go… an elderly lady gave me this flier for some kinda dance.” He scratched his chin through his beard. “Dunno why she brought it here of all places, but since I had it, I thought I might as well pass it along.”

“Oh, is it for that big dance the high school is throwing for all the teens in town?” Marco asked.

“Seems so. Maybe she just got confused about what kinds of kids it was for,” Antonio said, lightly chuckling. “January 30, it says, and it’s an all-nighter; that’s quite the shindig. If Earthni parties are anything like my high school days, it’s probably best I give you the whole next day off,” he said with a wink and a smirk.

All night dance? Even the Bounce Lounge was rarely that crazy - what was so special about this? Antonio handed the flier to Star and Marco who took hold of the other side of it, moving it between them as they gaped in shock at its contents.

“No way, there’s no way, what the-” she and Marco muttered in perfect unison. “Are you- seeing this? It can’t- how did-” They started and stopped as their attempts to stop copying each other canceled each other out.

Marco blinked a few more times to finally pry his eyes away from the page. “Well, eclipses do happen pretty often on Earth, I guess...” They both glanced incredulously back and forth between each other and the flier before the tension in their shoulders finally dropped. An unspoken agreement had been made: they might as well give this dance a shot. Star took one last look at the flier before hopping on Nachos, stuffing it into her jacket and wrapping her arms around Marco’s midriff for the ride home, its words emblazoned in her mind.

January 30-31, 2018. Super Blue Blood Moon Eclipse Extravaganza at Echo Creek Academy! Come dance under the red light of the lunar eclipse!

***

Present Day

“OK, Diaz, let’s see what you’ve got. Sweat prevention, check,” he noted with a quick whiff of his armpits. “Outfit, check.” Bright red dress shirt, sharp black jacket, sleek black tie. Marco posed in the bathroom mirror a few times, getting everything in order for a night he’d been looking forward to for months. “Hair, check.” It was just his usual style, but it never hurt to make sure it was ready to go. Looking good, Diaz.

His stare lingered in their bedroom mirror for a moment too long as thoughts began racing through his mind. Was he nervous? Marco Diaz, nervous for a big night with the girl he loved? More often than not Star was his reason not to be nervous about anything, but this was their first big formal dance as a couple and he did have a pretty dicey history with those. And what were the odds that it was on the night of the Blood Moon again? He wasn’t exactly worried about the curse, per se - there was some caveat or another in demon lore that the Blood Moon could only impart its curse when shining through a special Underworld crystal, the very same one embedded in the roof of the Lucitor ballroom years ago, Relicor had assured them. And it’s not like it even did anything bad to them in the first place, right? Marco still stood by his own words - it was all baloney. Still though, it did leave him with a decision to make. He experimentally put on his Día de Los Muertos mask and turned his head a bit. Should he?

“I don’t think I ever told you how cute you look in that mask.” He’d gotten pretty good about anticipating Star’s sudden appearances but had been caught up in his own mind enough that he still jumped a bit, much to her amusement. “Buuuuuuuut…” she drawled as she swiftly stepped forward and snatched it off his head. “I like your face more.” She grinned and pinched his cheek before they both stopped to truly look at each other. They hadn’t seen each other’s outfits ahead of time but as always they’d been on the same page. “I like the rest of you, too,” she muttered, biting her lip. Marco felt his cheeks turn the same color as his shirt at the comment, but also at her own appearance. Two wavy strands of hair in front of her ears framed her adorable face, though her hair had otherwise been left down as normal. Her red dress had a lone heart clasp on one shoulder, a pattern of moons and stars on a dark band circling the waist, a knee-length wavy skirt that gently swished as she rocked back and forth, and black high heels.

“Wow,” he uttered.

“You like it?” Star asked hopefully. “I thought, well, I didn’t want to go too over-the-top and wear the old Blood Moon Ball outfit but I still wanted to fit the theme so-”

“You’re beautiful,” Marco stated. Not that she’d needed to be wearing an incredible evening dress for him to think that, and he knew she knew that too, but she was still making him a bit dizzy right now. “Wait-” he stopped her when she tried to move in for a kiss, leaning back to their nightstand. He grabbed her horns and gently placed them on her head, brushing a wayward strand of hair back into place. “Perfect.” He leaned forward to kiss her, seeing her doing the same as his eyelids closed, and-

“Mijos!” Star and Marco’s eyes opened, freezing in place so close together that her breath tickled his lips, staring at each other for a second before turning towards the door. Daaaaad. “Oh, sorry, did we interrupt a moment?” We? Rafael stepped aside to reveal all their parents, plus Eclipsa and Globgor, crammed into the hallway. Star took Marco’s hand as they separated.

“Eeeee!” Eclipsa squealed in delight. “You two are absolutely precious. Come downstairs, loves, we must take your picture.”

“I’ve got two backup rolls of film!” Angie chimed in as Moon herded them all down the stairs and out of the way.

Marco looked at Star, who was goofily smiling at him as she squeezed his hand. It wasn’t that he minded being affectionate with Star around friends and family - heck, his own parents were still the most overtly lovey-dovey couple in the house - but he couldn’t help a bit of embarrassment when they were the center of attention like that. After double checking to make sure they had everything they needed, the pair headed out and walked down the stairs together to the oohs and aahs of their families. Star’s parents merely watched while Marco’s both wielded cameras, snapping pictures fervently. Nachos wasn’t due for another few minutes, so they decided to just endure the gauntlet.

“Didn’t think a sort-of-school dance was such a big deal,” Star murmured. Eclipsa sat down on the arm of the couch next to Globgor while Moon daintily folded her hands in her lap on the opposite side with River squished between her and the size-shifter.

“Well, when Marco left for Mewni, we were worried he’d never get to have a prom,” Angie cheerily responded, having evidently heard Star’s comment. “This is basically the same thing, though. Raf, honey, remember our prom?”

“Oh, yes, it was delightful,” he said, finally lowering the camera and turning to address the others on the couch. “We had actually just broken up that morning and went separately, but your mother just happened to walk directly into me as the slow music started and we ended up waltzing the night away. That was the last time we had to get back together.” How many details about my parents have I missed? Marco wondered to himself, before realizing he likely didn’t want to know quite a few of them and shuddering a bit. Still, it was better than being endlessly fawned over, so Marco stood perfectly still and shut his mouth.

Eclipsa set a hand on Globgor’s shoulder, smiling fondly. “Globgor and I met at a dance too! Well, not quite a ‘dance’, I suppose... he twirled me out of the way of an assassin’s arrow, and I swept him off his feet, but the principle seems about the same to me.”

“I was about to eat a guard until she blasted me to the ground. She cast a spell on me in more ways than one.” Globgor laughed. “Though the literal one was very painful,” he added seriously.

“Well, River and I had been to our share of Silver Bell Balls and other royal festivities,” Moon chimed in. “Though when I was Star’s age we weren’t together yet, and I was very focused on the kingdom by the time things were calm enough to enjoy them properly…”

“And now our little girl is going to big fancy galas with a handsome young man. Next thing you know she’ll be setting out on her own, never needing her parents again!” River wailed, clutching Moon’s arm. Well, the diversion was good while it lasted.

“River, please,” Moon gently chided. “You two are quite the adorable couple, though. Though I never wished to interfere in your personal affairs on Mewni, I am certainly glad things eventually worked out as well as they did.”

Eclipsa strolled over and enveloped both of them in a hug. “You two look positively astonishing together,” she cooed before releasing them to take them in one at a time. “Star, darling, you’re as stunning as I’ve ever seen you. And Marco...” She paused, placing her hands on his shoulders. Her purple eyes were laden with unbridled affection as they looked him up and down, her lips turning upward in as sincere a smile as he’d seen her display. “Marco, you sweet young man… You’re quite lucky to have each other, you know. Perhaps it’s not my place to say, but I’m so proud of how you’ve grown these past few years. Now have fun tonight, this is great practice for a certain other first dance I see in your future,” she finished with a wink, causing his blush to return with a vengeance.

“Picture time!” Rafael singsonged, getting up close and flashing a camera near Marco’s face. “Do some fun poses! Give the people what they want! We are not going to miss any more of our son’s major life moments!” His voice was filled with determination to the point of sounding angry, and Marco’s eyes widened in part sympathy, part stark terror. Minutes flew by as Star and Marco supplied their families’ demands, exhausting both the traditional prom shots and their signature poses: back-to-back, too cool for school, Star pinching his cheeks, drowning in a monster’s stomach acid… the list seemed endless, and though goofing around with Star was always fun, he’d been anticipating the dance so long that every second of delay felt like torture. Finally, Marco breathed a sigh of relief when his dad moaned in dismay at the camera clicking without anything happening; he was out of film.

“Oh dear, only one left,” Angie echoed. “Let’s get a nice one of a kiss. Don’t be shy.”

“Well, Marco? Shall we?” Star threw him a flirtatious grin, wrapping her arms around his neck.

He opened his mouth to respond with a quip of his own when he heard wheels screeching to a stop outside. Sweet freedom. “Well, that’s our ride!” Marco stated a bit too forcefully, breaking away from Star and heading towards the door to greet Nachos. Flying in on a dragoncycle would be a major departure from whatever prom fantasies about picking up Jackie in a limo he’d had as a kid, but he still wanted to do something special with a traditional flair. She snorted and cackled when the door opened and revealed his grand prom surprise: Nachos with a top hat and bow tie.

“Marco, what did you do to her?”

“Well, it’s prom, so our ride needs to be the fanciest it can be,” he giggled as she rolled her eyes. “Only the best for you, m’la-”

When Star’s lips cut him off sweetly as she tugged him closer, suddenly Marco didn’t mind staying a little bit longer, and the snap of his mother’s camera seemed to agree.

***

Chaos. Compared to any dance Star had been to before, this was the best kind of chaos. The energetic beat of the electronic music thrummed in her ears as her hips swayed and arms waved in the air. She wasn’t sure exactly how many people had shown up, but the gymnasium of Echo Creek Academy was more packed than she’d ever seen it. Still, it wasn’t so cramped that she had no room to get her groove on; when her butt bumped into Marco beside her, it was by choice as she slyly grinned at her boyfriend in his red shirt, now sans jacket. He smirked back at her and set his feet in place, slicing his hands wildly through the air. “I thought you didn’t like the sword-hand dance,” Star loudly spoke into his ear, though it was a whisper relative to the volume of the music and crowd.

“Yeah, but if everyone else is gonna do it anyway, I might as well own it.” They locked eyes as she began to mirror him, mimicking his karate poses in time with the music. He abruptly grabbed both her hands and swung them up and down, laughing as they just shook everything they had without a care in the world. She yanked him towards her and spun them both around, their backs flush against each other as they kept bouncing to the rhythm.

“Woop, woop! Starco in da HOUSE!” Ponyhead stuck her horn between them, forcing them apart as she floated up and down.

Tom also made his way beside them, drink in hand. “Anyone else want punch?” He lowered the plastic cups he’d been levitating over the crowd into Star and Marco’s hands, and Pony’s tongue. “Gotta say, this is pretty good punch. What kind of blood is it? Centaur? Unicorn? Oooooh, I’ve heard that giraffigator blood is hot these days.”

Marco eyed his cup warily. “What the heck is a giraffigat-”

“WHAT’S THIS ‘BOUT UNICORN BLOOD?” Pony screamed, getting up in Tom’s face.

Star quickly separated them, holding her hands up to try and ease her friends. “Guys, guys, there’s no actual blood in it, I think it’s just citrus.” Well, she was fairly sure. She took one trial sip, tasting the sweet flavor of- “Wait, yep, this is blood,” she said disgustedly after she spit it back into the cup.

“More for me, then,” Tom said nonchalantly, as he snatched Marco’s cup and took another swig while Pony floated in circles grumbling. It seemed like the DJ was taking a break from the upbeat dancing music for now, so the group made their way to the outskirts of the gymnasium where they’d left their belongings. Star laid down on the bleachers, resting her head on Marco’s lap after he’d put his jacket back on and sat down. He stroked her hair with his thumb as they relaxed after an intense hour of dancing. It struck her that this was actually the first time she’d ever truly had carefree fun at a formal dance. The original Blood Moon Ball left her with very mixed feelings to say the least, and her one experience with an Earth dance had been a bit of a disaster even though she didn’t actually go. Time had largely expunged the lingering venom she’d directed at herself for her relationship mistakes after returning to Mewni, leaving some life lessons and fond memories; but even some enjoyable fiery dances with Tom didn’t change the fact that the Silver Bell Balls were stuffy political dramafests. She reached up and intertwined her fingers with Marco’s, squeezing his hand and beaming at him - this was more like it.

“You know, I will say, this DJ is killing it tonight,” Pony said as she returned. “I was kinda expectin’ something lame but this is the best party I’ve been to since the Bounce Lounge closed.” Star nodded in agreement.

Tom leaned back and crossed his legs a few rows below them, taking a sip from his second cup so far. “Oh, yeah, I know him, he’s actually the cousin of my old anger management coach. His name’s Kim H. Brian.”

“I thought your coach’s name was Brian,” Marco responded.

“Yeah, Brian Brian.”

“Get outta t- wait, the Kim H. Brian?” Star bolted up at Marco’s words and they stared at each other incredulously.

“The producer of Love Sentence’s most controversial album, Prison Breakup?” Star and Marco said simultaneously.

“That’s the one,” Tom said, chuckling a bit. “Only you two could still say entire sentences at the same time without a demonic curse.” He stared into his drink for a few seconds, his visage suddenly becoming completely somber. All three eyes closed as he took a deep breath before floating up and sitting next to the couple. “Look, about the whole Blood Moon thing-”

Hold on, was he still in a twist about this? “Tom, it’s fine!” Star said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “We broke the Curse, you apologized, it’s all good.”

“I know, but it’s not that- after we went to the Severing Stone, deep down I knew that the Curse wasn’t why you two had those feelings, but I just kept pretending because I still liked you, Star. If I hadn’t been so caught up in that, maybe it wouldn’t have taken so damn long to sort our mess out. I know it doesn’t matter anymore, but… I guess the dance just got me thinking again about friendship and love and stuff. So if you’re OK with it, I actually asked Kim to do a little something special for you two later, to help give you the Blood Moon Ball you deserve,” he finished with a toothy smile.

Star’s eyes started to mist up; Tom had always been supportive of Star and Marco since they’d all sorted themselves out, but it never failed to move her. Star lunged forward, wrapping herself around him in a bear hug, and Marco followed suit. “Toooooom, that’s so sweet!”

“Yeah, man, that’s really-” Marco was stopped by the sudden intrusion of Ponyhead into their little moment.

“Hey, Lucitor, do you know where Janna went? I’ve been TRYING to ask her for the hot deets on totally eligible bachelors here. You know, name, height, bank account balance: the usual business. So anyway she hasn’t been, like, responding at all and I’m starting to worry I might not be able to score a good enough rebound to make Seahorse see that he made the biggest mistake of his life letting me dump him!”

Marco nodded toward the still-in-progress group hug. “Little busy?”

“Yeah, whatever, save your huggy feeltime for later, this is im-por-tant.”

“OK, fine,” Tom said, extricating himself from the embrace. “I haven’t seen her for a while but I can help look. It’s Janna, so she’s probably just splicing some gargoyle DNA to a class hamster or something.”

“Last I saw, she was by the old photobooth.”

Wait, that had survived? Star and Marco exchanged shocked glances at the thought of the site of their first kiss having survived the whole way to Earthni.

“You thinking what I’m thinking?” Marco asked. Star grinned and nodded, grabbing his hand to run off and make even more memories.

***

Janna Ordonia had never been more scared in her entire life. Okay, maybe that time a monster guy exploded into dust a few feet in front of her was more viscerally terrifying, but Janna was used to freakiness and death even before she’d spent so much time in the literal Underworld. Tonight, though? The pit in her stomach that left her unable to speak, unable to think, was something almost alien to her. She had so much unique expertise in dealing with all things mystical and macabre that it took something completely and utterly human to faze her, and now she found herself staring in a mirror struggling to cope.

Janna Ordonia had caught feelings.

She’d always known she had a thing for the spooky and supernatural, so an attraction to a half-demon with two horns, three eyes, and purple skin was basically inevitable. It hadn’t bothered her like this when she’d had a casual fling with a talking skeleton years ago, either. The only logical conclusion she could draw was that whatever she was feeling now was a different beast altogether. The night had started out so pleasantly: the Lucitors had invited her over for a casual dinner beforehand - whatever meat the Underworld used for burgers was damn good - and they’d taken the carriage together to the dance afterwards.

It just made practical sense, it didn’t mean anything, I don’t WANT it to mean anything. Some variant of this refrain had been repeating in her mind a lot lately, but staring at her own reflection, it felt thinner with every passing second. If it was true, she probably wouldn’t even be here now; she could be doing way cooler things with the night of an ultra-rare eclipse than drinking cheap punch and shuffling awkwardly on the dance floor to chart-topping pop trash. But Tom had seemed excited at the prospect, and the next thing she knew she had picked out a simple black dress with pink highlights - hell, it was even Tom’s nonjudgmental support that had given her the confidence to wear her secret favorite color more in the first place. One way or another, everything seemed to circle back to one simple fact. Each day spent learning about the Underworld and adventuring in its depths was obviously worthwhile on its own merits, but it was always better with him. If she couldn’t stop this storm brewing inside, then the only thing left was to take control of it on her own terms. Well, this is it, Janna. You have a serious crush on Tom Lucitor.

By the time her mind had finished processing its own confession, she’d already made her way back to the gym and meandered to a vacant corner to watch idly by herself, not unlike how she’d spent most of the dance so far. They’d arrived from the Underworld fashionably late and it had only taken a few minutes for Janna to ditch her friends and hide while she moped about her feelings, but of course as soon as she wanted company again there was none to be found. She huffed and pulled out her phone, switching between a few games to occupy the time.

“Hey.” She looked up to find Tom holding two glasses. “Anything fun going on in this empty corner?”

“Yeah, it’s pretty intense over here. Some dust bunnies got in a street fight.” She smirked and stole one of his glasses, raising it to her lips for a sip.

“Wait, don’t, that’s-” It tasted funny, fruity and sweet but with a metallic tang. “Blood.” Ah. She considered it for a moment before deciding to take another sip. She’d had worse. “Anyway, where have you been? We basically haven’t seen you since we got here.”

“Oh, you know, nowhere and everywhere. It’s what I do,” she deflected. “Where’re the others?” Star and Ponyhead were forces of nature when it came to stealing the spotlight, so Janna figured they were her best shot at getting through the night with minimal awkwardness.

“We were taking a break and then they ran off to a photobooth. I still don’t really get the hype, but you know how it is with them.”

“Yeah, it’s gross.”

“Yep…” They both fell silent, continuing to drink what was supposedly some kind of real blood punch as the dance droned on in the background. “Hey, so, uh, can we talk for a sec? About… us?”

She tried her damnedest to suppress the unexpected surge of conflicting emotions, burying her face in her cup until she thought she could reliably answer. One time, when they were in elementary school, she’d poured milk down Marco’s shirt at lunch and a few other girls had teased her, insisting that meant Janna had a crush on him. She never really understood that connection - she just kinda liked pranking Marco - but the taunts had gotten to her. There was a sort of pride she felt in being inscrutable, an enigma that could only be unraveled on her own terms. Had he figured her out so easily when she herself had been in denial? A mumbled “uh, sure” was the best she could as she ran through the last few months in her head trying to figure out if she’d betrayed her feelings.

“It’s pretty loud in here, can we head outside?” Janna only nodded in response, her own racing thoughts drowning out her surroundings. The DJ was announcing some kind of special song request as the gym doors closed behind them and they stepped out into the chilly winter air. “Oh, right, um-” Tom quickly took his jacket off, handing it to her. “Since it’s cold, and I can make my own fire, and-”

“Thanks,” she gruffly said, putting her arms through it. Damn him. She was cold, and he was being thoughtful and helpful, but it only made the upcoming conversation even more difficult for her to have. One hand idly pawed through the enchanted storage compartment she’d fitted in her dress (even in formalwear, she considered function most important). Damnit, she’d left her entire arsenal at home, save for a prototype glass bottle that would harmlessly evaporate on impact, which was filled with some leftover antigravity potion - no easy way out of this, then.

“No problemo,” he drawled, pointing finger guns at her before jamming both hands into his pockets and staring at the ground. “Since Star and I broke up, I’ve been trying really hard to just be my own person. Heck, you’re the one that showed me that’s what I needed to focus on. I had no clue what I was doing.... Honestly, I still don’t.” He paused again, turning back towards the school. “Being here, it just makes it hard to ignore how things have been kinda, you know, weird lately, between…” A little fireball coming off his finger zigzagged back and forth between them.

Why was he so insistent on bringing this up? “Look, Tom, we don’t have to-”

He turned back towards her “Yes, Janna, I think we do! If we don’t deal with it now it’s only going to get worse, and I don’t- I can’t-”

“Dude, drop it, OK? Let’s just go back inside so we can-”

“NO!” A puff of flame shot out of his head but quickly dissipated, leaving only a lingering sizzle and water in his eyes. “I can’t do this anymore! I like you, Janna. I really like you, and it’s screwing everything up.” ...wha? There were a few hundred possible ways Janna thought to respond, but none even made it beyond a guttural yelp in her throat, so Tom continued unabated. “I know you’re you, and you can stay really chill about stuff even when you care a lot, but I can’t, OK? You’re clever and fearless and everything’s more fun with you. You’re one of my best friends and that’s why I couldn’t keep doing this without telling you even if I’m probably making a complete idiot of myself right now.” Every second that Janna remained utterly paralyzed on the spot left Tom’s eyeliner even more streaked as his tears rained down, each tiny splash hissing on the cold pavement and melting the nearby snow and ice. “Yeah, OK, I get it. Look, forget I said anything, I just want to still be friends, OK? I- I totally get if you want some space for a while, so I’ll just- alright, bye.” He wiped off his face with his sleeve and turned around, floating off the ground and flying back into the building, leaving Janna alone on the sidewalk.

The oncoming shivers in Janna’s spine provided the final push to lift the dense fog clouding her mind. He’d just confessed to her, he had a crush on her, and she’d basically just snapped his heart in two. Pangs of guilt and sorrow and joy all ganged up on her; was this how bad things had been for Star and Marco? She almost felt sorry for ribbing them about their romantic struggles now. At this point the only thing left to do was to find Tom, so she sprinted into the building after him, braving the fray of the dance floor once more.

Can’t be that hard to spot a tall set of horns with three eyes. Even though there were all sorts of monsters in attendance, there were very few demons, but that didn’t seem to help her locate him. He wasn’t responding to her texts either, ugh! As Janna kept looking around, she realized she didn’t recognize anyone here. She’d left Echo Creek Academy at the same time as Marco but didn’t go to college, nor had she spent a ton of time with Mewni’s teenage population before the Cleaving. The Underworld was what she knew best; it was where she’d felt most at home, even with two whole dimensions merged together, and that realization spurred her to keep searching. Janna barged through another door into the hallway and rounded a corner, instantly colliding with someone.

“Ex-CUSE me! Watch your freaking face before I pulv-” Ponyhead shouted, shaking her hair back into place after being bumped into the locker. “Oh, it’s you, girl! Where you been? And is that Tom’s jac-”

“Tom. Have you seen him?”

“Oh, I see how it is, first Starco gets their own flipping song and runs outside to go boink under the moonlight or whatever, then my boyfriend runs off to sell a toaster or whatever, then Tom comes in here all moody and doesn’t want to talk to me, and now you’re abandoning me too? I feel like I’ve barely been around you guys lately, why does no one want to spend time with Ponyhead?”

“Wait, didn’t you dump- never mind, Pony, this is important, OK? I seriously blew it, I need to talk to him-”

“Hey, woah, is there some drama going on here? Shoot, why didn’t you say so? OK, so, he was floating around in circles out here for a bit. I came out here to do my bi-hourly makeup check just a minute ago and I do believe he was going back into the gym, mmhm, yes, that is where he was. Go do whatchu gotta do and give me the juicy deets after, mmkay?” Ponyhead winked and whacked Janna on the back with her horn.

Janna ran back into the gym and finally spotted Tom standing in the center of the floor, uninterestedly swaying back and forth to the beat of some crooning couple’s ballad. When his eyes met hers, his gaze became visibly pained as he turned to walk away. “Tom!” Her pleading shout was emphatic enough to keep him from running, but it also attracted an audience and left her standing there, too uncomfortable to speak.

Janna put one foot forward, then another, then another, willing herself forward against her better judgment. She’d frankly had enough: enough talking about her feelings, enough uncertainty about her own relationships, enough giving a single damn about “what-if”s. There’d be plenty of time later to tell him he was her best friend too, to assuage his doubts, and to put more meaningful words to her own feelings, but for now, she had settled on a course of action that began with reaching into her pocket to pull out the lone potion bottle within.

“Uh, Janna, what-” Tom stammered, a different kind of concern than the one he’d been stewing in all night bubbling up in his expression as the crowd backed up slightly. Some tiny voice in the back of her mind registered that they seemed nervous to the point of being frightened, and that comforting feeling pushed her to do the one last thing she needed to do. Before he could react, she slammed the bottle to the ground at her feet and felt the weak antigravity effect take hold. Janna closed the last few steps of distance to Tom, firmly grabbed both his shoulders, and kicked off the ground, crashing her lips into his as she hovered a few inches off the dance floor. Tom unconsciously did the same, letting her momentum carry both of them into the air until the confused, but cheering, audience was beneath them.

As he started to return the kiss, he hesitantly placed one arm on her waist and another behind her back to keep them from drifting apart, and Janna wasn’t sure she’d ever felt so secure.

***

Alright, that’s the last of them. Marco finished carefully stacking the photo strips in Star’s bag while he waited for her to return from the restroom. The photobooth had thankfully been a much more fun and much less emotionally exhausting experience this time around, though a very smug Ben Photino had still greeted them when they were done, $650 richer than before.

Now’s my chance, Star thought as she snuck up and affectionately pounced on Marco from behind. Nearly everything about tonight had been perfect so far - just her, Marco, and their friends getting a night of dancing and partying she wasn’t sure she’d ever forget. For so much of her life, it had seemed like nothing important could ever happen without a sizable dose of drama and conflict; by comparison, this all seemed like a dream, and she didn’t want to wake up anytime soon. Speaking of her friends, though… “Hey, where are the others?” She felt a bit guilty over ditching everyone else to go back to the booth for corn knows how much time, but she was certain they wouldn’t have gone too far.

“Not sure,” Marco responded, craning his neck and spotting a tuft of pink spiky hair and two brown horns across the gym. Why was he heading for the exit?

Marco started to lead the way across the gym floor when the sound system screeched with audio feedback and boomed with the sound of tapping a microphone. “Echo Creek, are we having fun tonight?” the DJ, Kim H. Brian, asked the cheering crowd. “We’re gonna keep this party flowing, but right now we have a very special song for all the soulmates out there, so get ready to twist and twirl your special guy or girl.” Star and Marco tentatively stopped in their tracks.

“Is that-” Marco started.

“What Tom was talking about?” Star finished. “We have to get him before he misses it!” What did you do this time, Tom?

(LINK TO AUDIO)

They had made it to the center of the dance floor when the lights dimmed and tinted red. It was obviously from a stage light, but the effect still flooded them with the same hopes and wants and fears from their run-ins with the Blood Moon. Marco gently smiled and took the lead, keeping one hand in hers and tugging her closer with the other on her waist. Piano chords opened the piece - a slow waltz - and Star and Marco were taking their first steps when the cello started to play a hauntingly familiar melody. It struck them both at the same time - this was the same tune that had played when they danced under the light of the Blood Moon only a few months into her friendship. Their moves grew more daring and flashy as the song went on, spinning and swaying to the rhythm.

“I always forget how good a dancer you are, Marco” Star dreamily sighed when he spun her around and dipped her down.

“My grandma taught me. She says that the only right way to dance is the fun way,” Marco laughed, lingering for half a second too long as the music swelled around them. Somewhere in those blue eyes sparkling with only love for him, he’d lost track of the world around them. Only after he noticed how the blonde curls in front of her ears shimmered in the red light did he snap back to reality and continue the dance, much to Star’s amusement.

“That’s good, because it’s always fun with you.” They stepped in harmony, slowly rotating as they box stepped to the same waltz that had once been a source of apprehension. Star took her hand off his shoulder and lifted it to his face, rubbing her thumb over his cheek. She knew the contours of his face inside and out, could describe every last detail of all the facial hairs that he’d given silly names, could picture every last one of the warm and loving ways his soothing chocolate gaze could pierce her soul, yet it didn’t stop her from being completely enraptured by it now. That intimate knowledge informed her when even the most trivial thing was out of place, which is why she decided to flick a spot just under his mole. “You had a fleck of corn.”

“In my defense, your dad’s cooking is really messy.”

“Yeah… it was cute, though. Like you had a second mole.” Something had changed in the waltz from what they remembered, a different theme slowly building until it led into a refrain that was entirely new yet somehow familiar in a way neither could place. It was a vibrant, comforting melody that felt right for them. Star shifted her hands to the back of his neck as the distance closed between them. Though Marco had grown noticeably taller than her, in her heels she found herself at nearly eye level with him as she rested her forehead on his.

Marco’s arms slithered around her waist, holding her tight as their lively waltz morphed into intimate, formless swaying. “This- this is really nice.”

“Yeah… I love it. I love you, Marco.” She paused a moment, leaning back to get a clear view of as much of him as she could; even after a year and a half of being together and years of friendship before that, she was still giddy over how much she truly loved every bit of him. “Nothing’s ever going to change that.”

“I love you too, Star. I’m not going anywhere.” Their hands joined once more as they resumed their spirited dance, their devotion to one another vaulting their joy to new heights. Neither cared about elegance or form anymore; their steps and spins and lifts came from the deepest places within, as if their very souls were mingling in the air above. Plucked strings accentuated the song as it grew calmer and entered what Marco was fairly sure was its final verse. A bittersweet sensation bubbled up from within his chest; he’d had plenty of moments with Star that he’d never wanted to end, but this one seemed to have an extra significance attached. The final chord of the waltz rung out, the pair both freezing in place in their final waltz pose, stunned at the beauty of what had just transpired.

The crowd’s clapping broke finally them out of their trance. “Woah,” they breathed out in unison. In her breathless state, Star idly wondered if the applause was for them, but she realized how silly that was as the full breadth of the outside world slowly trickled back into her senses. Shortly after, the dance went back to normal; had it been a dream? No, of course not, it had literally just happened mere seconds ago, but the impact it had on them felt otherworldly.

Returning from the daze, Marco finally recalled their goal of finding Tom, and the extent to which Marco wanted to crush Tom in a thankful hug and blubber into his shoulder gave it an additional sense of urgency. He turned to her with a determined look, and had it returned. “We should find Tom.” They went to the gym exit, but it was blocked by... Miss Skullnick.

“Oh, it’s you. Nice to see you, Star,” she saccharinely sneered. “Don’t be trying anything funny, you hear me? We’ve already had four couples’ ‘incidents’.”

A shiver ran through Star at the involuntary thought of Miss Skullnick catching her and Marco in a more... private moment, but she quickly brushed it aside for her own sanity. “Skullzy, we’re just trying to find our friend,” she whined.

“Well, too bad, you can’t use this door. The sidewalk somehow melted and completely iced over, and I don’t wanna be sued for liability!”

“C’mon, Star,” Marco said. “We can just go out the front door.” She was still indignant, but acquiesced and followed Marco into the main building and through a hallway. They rounded the corner to the main entrance and stopped dead in their tracks at the sight of Ponyhead passionately making out with Seahorse.

“Pony?!?” Star shouted.

“Oh, um, why hello Star and Earth Turd!”

“Greetings!” Seahorse added in his usual monotone chipper voice.

Star slapped her hand to her forehead. “I thought you broke up ‘for really-realz’ this time, Pony?”

“Well, yes, mmhmm, I do believe that is how I described the sequence of events that occurred. But then, well, you know how it is with him… we made up while y’all went off to take a bazillion pictures or whatever. That weird old human lady that kinda looks like a troll caught us while we were-”

“Pony!” Star yelled, cutting her off in shock. Really, though, the most surprising part was that Ponyhead had been responsible for only one of the so-called “couple’s incidents.”

“Lilacia gave a very high satisfaction rating to the Reflectacorp™ line of vibrating-”

Marco stepped in and clamping Seahorse’s mouth shut before they could be traumatized any further. Star rolled her eyes and took Marco’s hand once more, heading past the other couple towards the front door.

“Fine, I see how it is. C’mon, Seahorse, let’s go get freak-ay on the dance floor!”

“Reflectacorp™ disco technology allows you to boogie and/or woogie risk-free, guarantee-!”

The double doors shut behind Star and Marco as they stepped out into the cold. They walked around the building towards the gym and saw that Miss Skullnick had been telling the truth; but there was no one else in sight, only the snowflakes gently drifting through the air and a full moon above in the night sky. Star still wanted to get back to her friends, but the tranquil scene gave her pause as she stood beside him. Something had been subtly gnawing at her all night - though it’d been on her mind longer than that, if she was honest with herself. “Hey Marco?”

“Yeah?”

“When Eclipsa said earlier about ‘another dance’...” She swallowed, letting the implication hang between them. “Do you think that’s something that will happen?”

He glanced at her quizzically until the meaning sank in and his heart skipped a beat. Was she- did she- is she asking… His eyes blinked rapidly once, twice, three times while he processed the gravity of the question. But his surprise quickly dissolved; after all, he’d been thinking about it too. Maybe he hadn’t drawn that specific connection, but how many times tonight alone had he beheld the wonderful girl beside him and remarked to himself that he’d be happy with her for the rest of his life? He swiveled around to stand in front of her, taking both of her hands into his own. “If you want it to, then I know it will, someday.”

She sighed happily, lacing her fingers through his. It wasn’t even the first time they’d declared their love with permanence, but no matter how far they went, they couldn’t help but be concerned about how the other felt about the next step. “Didn’t a lot of people usually wait until they’re, like, 30 to get married on Earth?”

“A lot of them, yeah,” he admitted, “but, I dunno, I don’t really care about that.”

“Me neither,” she asserted, happily beaming at him.

“So we just… let it happen when we’re ready, I guess.”

“Mmhmm,” Star hummed, feeling a warmth deep inside that combated the chill prickling her skin. One of her hands left his and tangled itself in his hair, as her gaze fondly roved the face she hoped to see as long as she lived before finally settling on his lips. He had the same idea, leaning forward and sweetly kissing her. Their lips were a bit chapped from the cold, but it didn’t bother either of them; this signified something far more than physical gratification. She pressed them closer together until there was no distance left between them, the dual friction of his soft, inviting lips moving against hers and her silky dress rubbing on the coarse fabric of his jacket thrummed through her entire body.

When they separated, his eyes scanned the sky for a moment before sheepishly turning back downwards. “Huh,” he murmured.

“What?”

“Nothing, it’s stupid.” Star raised an eyebrow insistently, the pair still in each other’s arms. “It’s just, I thought that maybe- maybe the Blood Moon would be shining, or our cheekmarks would glow or something. It’s dumb, I know-”

“Well, that does happen to us a lot,” she conceded. “But I’m pretty sure the eclipse isn’t supposed to start until, like, 3 AM.” “Have you ever thought about when we broke the Curse?”

“What do you mean?”

Star stepped away from their embrace, folding her arms and stuffing her frigid hands under her armpits as she frustratedly tried to piece together her complicated thoughts. “Like, when we were in the Severing Stone, I remember it took us back to the Blood Moon Ball and we started dancing… what happened after that? If it never changed how we feel, what was even the point?”

Marco shrugged; when he’d finally accepted his feelings once and for all, he’d dismissed the entire concept of the Curse as bogus, but since then he had considered it in some new lights. “If it was actually a curse, I’m glad we got rid of it, but… looking back, I’m kinda glad that the Blood Moon Ball went like it did. That was one of the first times I saw how special you are to me.”

“Same. Plus, that’s where I learned you dance good,” she growled with a smirk. “But still… sometimes I wonder if I told you I loved you while we were in there. Because I did love you then, you know. Even if I was trying to push it away.”

“Maybe we’ll never know.”

“I guess I’ll just have to tell you every chance I get from now on, then, because you’re stuck with me, Diaz.”

“So long as we both shall live. Do you accept?” He asked with a cheeky grin.

Her laughter, bubbly and playful and sincere all at once, was answer enough for Marco. Not one to be outdone, though, Star carefully lowered herself onto one knee, lowering her head and closing her eyes solemnly before looking back up at him. “I dooOOOH-” She shrieked as the icy sidewalk took its toll and sent her toppling sideways. Marco reacted quickly, stopping her from hitting the ground and helping her to her feet. “Maaaaybe we should go inside now.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” he responded, draping his jacket over both their shoulders like a cape. “Still have to thank Tom.” She clung to him as they hurried back around the school and into its shelter from the cold - even shared body heat and emotional warmth could only do so much. Although they’d removed whatever eternal supernatural soul-binding curse the Blood Moon may have bestowed, Marco mused, they’d still shared a tender first dance and grown as partners under its light, once upon a time. Perhaps, in a roundabout way, it had always been a blessing, too. In a sense, they’d just cleaved their own souls together again with only a simple promise. No magic, no curses, just Star Butterfly and Marco Diaz... and that was more than enough.

They stepped back into the gym, ready for the hours of partying ahead of them, and were greeted by the sight of Janna and Tom floating in the air locked in a passionate kiss. Star and Marco’s eyeballs both nearly bugged out of their heads as their eyes whipped back and forth between each other and the spectacle in front of them, leaving them with only one possible response.

“WHAT THE-”

[vannahfanfics]

The Crawler’s Day Off

Category: Friendship Fluff

Fandom: Vigilantes- My Hero Academia Illegals

Characters: Koichi Haimawari, Kazuho Haneyama

A sedated smile decorated Koichi’s lips as he leisurely strolled across the sidewalk leading up to the spacious mall looming before him. To celebrate the conclusion of his college midterms, Kazuho had invited him to peruse the mall for a few hours. The mall’s hero merchandise shop had launched a new line of All Might hoodies, so naturally, Koichi was mega-game. 

Heat simmered across the pavement as it soaked up the sizzling summer sun blazing in the azure sky. The bare skin of his limbs very much enjoyed soaking up the pleasant heat provided by the rays spearing down from the atmosphere. Though it was the height of the season, Koichi’s trusty All Might hoodie looped around his waist, the sleeves flopping against his thighs with every step. A vigilante never knew when or where they had to spring into action, after all. Since his gain in popularity, Koichi had taken to carting around his hoodie and mask wherever he went, just in case. 

“Koichiiiii~!” The young college boy stopped in his tracks, craning his head as his name floated out of the crowd eclipsing the mall’s entrance. After a quick scan, he spotted a shock of poofy magenta hair bouncing around a grinning bespectacled face. Koichi found his smile brightening as he spotted Kazuho. He quickened his pace, eagerly trotting up to her.

“Hey. Have you been waiting very long?” Koichi asked sheepishly, his smile crinkling with mild guilt. Kazuho smiled pleasantly as she shook her head. “Oh, great. Ready to go inside, then?” he asked with a gesture towards the automatic sliding glass doors. Kazuho responded with a bright “Yep!” and they strolled into the massive building together. 

As they stepped over the threshold, two things struck Koichi: the refreshing blast of the air conditioner and the cacophony of the throng. People milled about the mall’s central rotunda or meandered towards their favorite stores, all while chattering incessantly. As it was a Saturday, the nearby settlements’ young residents had flocked to the mall to escape the intense summer heat and indulge in some shopping. Shouting slightly to surpass the dissonance of a thousand conversations, he asked Kazuho, “What would you like to do first?” 

“Eh? Didn’t you want to go to that merch store or whatever, Koichi?” she asked loudly while playing with the voluminous end of one of her pigtails. Koichi’s cheeks pinkened at her consideration, and he rubbed the back of his neck as his eyes trailed to the colorful signs and cosplayed mannequins adorning the shop’s front. His blue eyes flickered back to the girl, who just regarded him curiously. 

“We can go there later,” he decided, though every cell in his body vibrated with the need to have his hands on the new limited-edition hoodie as soon as possible. Kazuho had been nice enough to invite him on the outing, so the least he could do was allow her to enjoy herself. “Is there anywhere you want to go?” 

Kazuho’s cheeks turned the color of her hair as her magenta eyes drifted eastward.

“Well,” she offered shyly, wringing her hands and jingling the bracelets around her wrist, “I’d really like to check out the bath products store… They have nice bath bombs…” Kazuho’s gaze flickered to him anxiously, as if she expected him to scoff in disdain. The boy just smiled and began walking purposefully towards that end of the mall. 

“All right, then! Bath bombs, here we come!” As he strode off, he heard Kazuho squeak, and her flats slap-slapped after him. 

“Wait! Koichi!” 

~~~~~~~~~~

The bath bomb store nestled between a jewelry store and a bookstore. Koichi mulled about as Kazuho inspected the various wares piled in the plastic bin, picking up the compressed balls of soap and sniffing them to decide on her favorite aromas. Koichi realized that he was the only male in the store, but he didn’t mind; Kazuho’s eyes sparkled with delight as she sampled the bath bombs, so he was content as long as she was. As he waited patiently for her to choose her purchases, he meandered around, flipping open random bottles of shea butter lotions and shower gels to sniff them. He had to admit, quite a few of them smelled very lovely indeed. 

As he sniffed at a bottle of red apple-scented shower gel, a sudden scream made him gasp and drop the bottle. Droplets of viscous ruby liquid splashed across the white tile as he dashed to the storefront, looking left and right. People shrieked and tripped over one another as they raced away like scattered marbles. Koichi’s keen eyes tracked their frantic movements to their origin- the jewelry store next door. 

“Put it all in the bag! Hurry up!” A villain cornering a terrified jeweler barked savagely as he brandished a wicked-looked firearm in her face. Upon closer inspection, Koichi realized that the weapon actually morphed out of his hand. He can turn his body into guns? Freaky! Koichi thought as he gawked shamelessly. He only stumbled backward when Kazuho forcibly yanked him, dragging him around the displays of shampoos and conditioners and lotions to the back of the store. The cashiers and other customers huddled behind the register counter, one of them frantically speaking to an emergency operator. 

“Koichi! Are we gonna do something?” Kazuho hissed as she squatted down behind a round display, jerking him down into a crouch beside her. Koichi frowned; though he’d brought his disguise, a mall was a terribly busy place. Several pro heroes were bound to be patrolling the complex, and they wouldn’t take well to a pair of vigilantes up-staging them. However, he could hear the frightened jewelry store girl pitifully sobbing as she frantically gathered the gold and silver wares at gunpoint. 

“Someone has to do something,” he resolved, untying his hoodie so he could slink his arms through the sleeve and tug the hood up over his head. He fished his mask out of the pocket and strapped it over his face. “Stay here, Pop. Make sure the people in here are safe,” he ordered in a whisper before crawling out from behind the display. 

“Okay. Be careful!” Kazuho whispered, her magenta eyes wide as she watched him slowly crawl on all fours back to the front of the store. 

The mall was a ghost town; all the patrons had fled en masse, leaving the area silent except for the whimpers of the jewelry shop attendant and the angry curses of the robber. Koichi’s eyebrows narrowed in stark peaks over his oceanic eyes as he peered around the edge of the slim wall adjoining the two shops. One gun jutted out of the gunman’s leg to pin down the quivering security guard hunched in the corner between two bullet-ridden, shattered glass display cases. It looks like he can control the guns independently and produce them from any point on his body… That could be a problem, he frowned thoughtfully. 

Still, time was of the essence. Koichi had to try. 

Activating his Quirk, he zoomed across the tile, zig-zagging towards the gunman. Though Koichi’d hoped to catch him by surprise, the young girl gasping “oh!” when she caught sight of him rapidly slithering in made the villain whip around. Three pistols sprung up from his shoulders to automatically pepper Koichi with shots. The vigilante hurriedly hurled himself sideways to roll behind an undamaged display, though a bullet grazed his shin and splashed blood across the floor. He hissed at the sharp sting that bloomed across the nerve endings of his leg. 

“Who’s there? A hero?” the villain demanded. Koichi heard the girl screech and dissolve into blubbering sobs. Eyes narrowed, Koichi peered into the reflection of a small viewing mirror. Through the cracked glass, he observed the assailant grab the jeweler roughly by the arm and yank her halfway over the counter while pressing the barrel of the gun against her temple. “Don’t you get any funny ideas!” he snarled over the desperate wails of the terrorized woman, who probably didn’t get paid enough for this. “I’ll do it! I swear!” He punctuated the promise with a cock of the gun, making the girl moan mournfully. 

“Hey, hey, now,” Koichi called nonchalantly, easing his raised hands over the top of the counter with his arms tensed to yank them down in case the startled gunman tried to blow his fingers off. The unstable villain just watched with bloodshot eyes as Koichi inched his head up over the bullet-nicked counter. “Let’s just take it down a notch, both of us, yeah? I ain’t lookin’ for a fight.” 

The villain’s eyebrow twitched as he regarded the teenager skeptically. With his hands still extended over his head, Koichi directed both his index fingers to the crying woman. “I just want the girl, yeah? You can rob the store all you want, but let’s just let her go, okay? This is way above her paygrade.” 

“Yeah, but then I’d be deprived of a hostage.” 

Finally, Koichi got a good glimpse of the offender. A muscle-bound brute well over six-feet, two-hundred pounds, the young vigilante only hoped to defeat him with a surprise attack with the frightened girl well out of harm’s way. Koichi’s eyes widened as he heard a few of the guns protruding from the villain’s body click, and he waved his hands in a placating gesture. “Look, man! It’s all good! I don’t have any fancy tricks up my sleeve.” He grinned cheesily as he all but lied through his teeth. 

“Please,” the young girl pleading miserably through hiccuping sobs. “Just let me go. Take all the jewelry and money, I don’t care, just please- ahhhhhh!” Her pleas morphed into another round of screaming as the gunman shoved her down into the broken glass. His eyes trained on Koichi, who gradually edged himself to the left each time the opportunity presented itself. 

“Shut up, bitch. Finish loading up the goods!” he snarled and shoved her harshly away. The girl tripped over her heels and landed on her rump, but hurriedly crawled to the case to begin shoveling rings and necklaces and earrings into the sack through blurry tears. When the man was momentarily distracted by ordering her around, Koichi dropped back onto all fours. He activated his Quirk to zoom up the wall and across the ceiling. 

“What the hell-? Hey!” the man yelled, whipping around the shoot several of his guns at Koichi, who zig-zagged across the ceiling a skittering spider. The bullets narrowly avoided him, punching holes in the thin cardboard of the ceiling tiles. The girl took the opportunity to escape; panting, she clambered on all fours away from her assailant. Unfortunately, the man took notice. He materialized a new set of guns fixed directly on her crawling form. “Get back here!” 

As the guns exploded with loud pops, Koichi dove down the wall to scoop up the attendant, wrapping his arms around her middle and throwing all his weight to his left. He carried her with him as he rolled over behind another counter. He deposited her near the rattled security guard, who yelled at their sudden appearance. 

“Hold on. I’ll get you out of here,” Koichi ordered with a stern point of his finger. The white-faced girl just nodded frantically, irises swimming in a white sea. The villain now stamped around the back of the counter, cursing loudly and shooting in random directions as he gathered up his haul. Koichi carefully timed the firing of the guns with his sharp eyes to rapidly discern a pattern. He pinpointed a minute gap in their interval, one that would allow him to scoop up the two hostages and escape. Koichi had no care to combat the crazed, infuriated man; he’d leave that to the pro heroes. He was fast, not bulletproof. 

“Now!” he cried, grabbing hold of the man and woman in the split-second gap between the gunfire. He kicked off the counter using his Quirk to boost his force, sending them hurtling out of the jewelry store into the common area. Koichi slammed into a sofa, flinging the two hostages around either side while he slid down the back of the couch with an agonized groan. He quickly recollected himself, rubbing his bruised nose and rising to peek around the spine of the couch. Though thoroughly rattled, neither hostages were significantly injured. He breathed a sigh of relief.

“Get back here, you little shit!” 

“Oop! Time to dash,” Koichi gulped, dropping back down to all fours and firing up his Quirk. He zoomed away, zig-zagging to dodge the bullets raining down around him. He slipped right through the legs of a police officer rushing towards the scene with his gun drawn. It seemed the cavalry had finally arrived, and Koichi had no care to stick around for the conclusion. He’d saved the civilians; that’s all that mattered. 

Koichi hurriedly slipped into an abandoned side exit hall and stripped himself of his All Might hoodie and mask, stashing it in a decorative plant and playing the part of the frightened onlooker as a few police officers and a sidekick dashed by. After they migrated off, satisfied the stammering boy cowering behind the fern was not their masked illegal hero, Koichi bought himself a bottle of water from the nearby vending machine. He drained it to the dregs in three large gulps. He tossed it into the nearby trashcan and then sunk onto the metal bench beside it, sagging as the adrenaline caught up to him. 

“Ahhh… So much for a relaxing trip to the mall,” Koichi pouted. Still, as he fingered the fabric of his All Might hoodie still stuffed down between the broad leaves of the fresh-smelling fern, he smiled brightly. He saw the woman and security guard being led to safety, shock blankets hugging their forms. The woman paused when she glanced at him, her eyes narrowed suspiciously. As tears filled her eyes, she mouthed a simple thanks before allowing the EMT to lead her away. 

~~~~~~~~~~

“Koichi! Are you okay?” Kazuho cried as he limped through the glass double doors of the mall entrance. She rushed up at him, grabbing him by the biceps to look him up and down frantically. “The heroes just led the villain out in cuffs. What a brute! Are you sure you aren’t hurt?” 

“I’m fine, Pop,” he reassured her with an amused smile, regaled by her concern for him. “A bullet just grazed my leg; it’s nothin’ major. It isn’t even bleeding anymore.” Kazuho’s head dipped down to critically inspect the wound on his shin. After frowning at it for several seconds, she stepped away from him, cheeks pinkened. 

“You didn’t come back immediately… I was worried.” 

“Yeah,” he sighed apologetically, rubbing the back of his neck and wincing at the sweat coating his fingertips, “I lied low for a while to keep from attracting attention… I made a pretty good show of myself, after all.” 

“You sure did,” Kazuho laughed, pulling out her phone. She beckoned him to look over her shoulder as she pulled up a webpage; the video she showed him featured him zooming out of the jewelry store with the hostages in tow. The headline read, The Crawler’s Day Off? Heroic Mall Rescue by Naruhata Vigilante! 

“Wow,” he appreciated with a low whistle. “That was fast.” 

“Yup,” she agreed as she pocketed her smartphone. “I would say that was a productive day, wouldn’t you?” At her girlish giggle, Koichi’s body sagged, and he released a miserable whine. 

“No! I didn’t get that new hoodie! They’re probably all sold out now…” 

“Actually…” As Kazuho shyly spoke up, pressing the pad of her index finger to her lips as she bashfully swayed her hips from side to side, Koichi sprang up like a soldier snapping to attention. She snickered and pulled a shopping bag from behind her back. Koichi’s breath left him in an awed gasp. 

“Pop… You didn’t…” 

“While you were laying low, I ran by the store and snagged the last one.” 

“Thank you!” he trilled, snatching the bag as tears brimmed in his eyes. He cooed delightedly as he pulled the hoodie from the paper bag. He abandoned the container as he raised the article of clothing to adoringly admire it. “It’s spectacular… Pop, thank you!” he grinned, dropping the hoodie to reveal his absolutely beaming grin. Kazuho blushed and played with a chunk of her poofy pink hair. 

“Of course. I know how excited you were about it, so…” 

“But this must have cost so much! I have to pay you back.” As he went fishing his wallet out of his back pocket, Kazuho grabbed his wrist. 

“No, it’s okay,” she refused with a soft smile. She pulled her hand back, and Koichi’s arm flopped limply to his side as he stared at her in bewilderment. Going shy again, she once more swung her hips slowly from left to right and back again. “I was happy to buy it for you. You can just make it up to me by using it well.” 

Koichi blinked, humbled by her statement. Then, his grin widened, stretching his cheeks to an almost painful degree. He dropped his hoodie from his hips, depositing it in the shopping bag, before slipping his arms into the new one. “Y-you’re gonna wear that in this heat?!” Kazuho spluttered. 

“Yep,” Koichi smiled as he flapped the front of the jacket to settle it over his torso. He then leaned down to pick up the shopping bag. “Sure am. So, wanna head home? I’m starving.” 

Kazuho stared at him incredulously for a moment, then laughed mirthfully. 

“Sure. How about curry?” 

“Yum! My favorite!” 

Use it well, Kazuho’s voice echoed in his mind as he strolled alongside her. The image of the woman thanking him then came to mind. 

Yeah, Pop. I sure will. 

Enjoy this oneshot? Feel free to peruse my Table of Contents!

[delimeful]

soothe me daily

Day 25: Hiding

warnings: panic, fear, captivity, crying, mild injury

prequel of sorts to day 18: fang! 

-

Patton didn’t realize that anything was different until it was too late. 

He’d ventured out for a borrowing trip on his usual schedule, passing a snoring Roman and climbing down to the second floor where one of his favorite tenants lived. 

Virgil was, predictably, sound asleep when Patton got there, despite it being past noon. Patton didn’t blame him; Poor kiddo had to sleep sometime with how late he stayed up!   

The student’s erratic sleeping habits used to frustrate him, since he normally only borrowed at night, which was prime time for Virgil to be awake. Over time, though, Patton had figured out that he just couldn’t sleep the same as most students, and having a room that he could reliably visit during the day was nice! Especially since he liked to hang out with Roman at night. 

Now, it was late morning, meaning that Roman was safely tucked away in the walls and Virgil had finally passed out. Lucky that it was break and the guy didn’t have any early classes! Patton rappelled down the entrance by the wardrobe and quietly jogged across the carpet to the nightstand, which often had open bags of chips or jerky sitting out. 

He sighed, looking at the pile of half-empty wrappers. He sure wished the kiddo would go eat in the communal dining hall more often! It would be healthier and help him find more friends. 

Still, for now it was convenient for Patton’s empty pantry. He pulled a few cookies from a crinkly foil bag as quietly as he could, secure in the knowledge that Virgil was a fairly heavy sleeper. 

Above him, something shifted, and a shadow fell over him. He stilled, and then slowly turned his head up, a cookie in hand. 

Two feline eyes stared back at him, the black of their pupils nearly eclipsing the green orbs. Patton forced himself not to make any sudden movements, despite his instinct telling him to flee as fast as possible. He had never felt so threatened by something so adorable in his life.

“Mrew?” The kitten asked, and Patton ducked into a crouch and quickly crawled into the gap under the nightstand. There was a light thump of a paw batting against blanket, but to his surprise, the cat didn’t jump down to investigate further. He wriggled deeper into the space under the nightstand, holding the cookie to himself like a security blanket. 

Why was there a cat in the dorms? Patton knew for a fact that it was against the school policy to have animals, something he’d heard students bemoan many a time. Besides that, this kitten certainly hadn’t been here last time Patton had come to borrow, which hadn’t been that long ago. Had Virgil smuggled the cute little menace in here? That was against the rules! 

He took a glum bite out of the cookie. The cat may not have chased him yet, but there was no way he could expect his luck to hold up long enough to trek all the way back to his entrance! He’d have to stay here in hiding until Virgil took the little guy outside or put him in a carrier or something. Roman always had more luck scaring off small animals, but he wouldn’t be able to stage a rescue until night arrived.

Patton sighed, and settled in for a long wait.

A few hours later, Virgil finally rose to face the day, stumbling out of bed and getting dressed. He called the kitten ‘little monster’ in a fond tone, and set her down on the floor as he got ready, shrugging on his favorite hoodie and applying his unique brand of eyeshadow. 

Patton gulped as the kitten laid down on her side on the floor, looking directly at him with her tail flicking. After a moment of tense eye contact, the kitten pounced forward, landing right in front of the nightstand and eliciting a muffled yelp from Patton.

Thankfully, Virgil was too far away to hear, but the kitten seemed intent on reaching him, swiping under the nightstand with a lightning-fast paw. He shoved himself back more, whispering frantically at the cat. 

“No! No no, bad kitty, I can’t play with you!” 

Little Monster remained undeterred by his words, because she was a cat and didn’t understand him. Patton sighed, and then stiffened with apprehension when Virgil’s footsteps returned. 

“What are you doing, you tyrant? Hunting dust bunnies?” He asked, leaning down to scoop up the little black form. Patton sighed in relief, but he must have inhaled some of the kitten’s fur, because an unbearable itch started up in his throat, and he was unable to keep himself from sneezing, once, twice, three times. Loudly.

He froze, eyes already growing puffy from allergies. There was no way the human hadn’t heard that, no matter how small he was. For a moment, Virgil seemed stunned into silence as well, but sure enough, two knees hit the floorboards in front of him and the human leaned his face down to look under the nightstand.

The moment those mismatched eyes made contact with him, Patton felt a shudder run down his spine, and he scrambled to where the nightstand met the wall. 

“What the- Hey!” Virgil said, sounding surprised and possibly even angry. Patton didn’t stop to check his expression, instead shuffling along the back as quick as he could to reach under the bed. There were no exits under there, and maybe the kitten could fit, but Virgil couldn’t. 

And right now? The human was the one he was worried about. 

Before he could reach the spot where the nightstand met the bed frame, however, there was a loud screeching around him as the whole structure was pulled back by human hands. Patton’s leg was caught against the side of it, and he cried out in pain as he was dragged back a few feet and scraped against the wood flooring.

“Shit!” A shadow fell over him, and he tried to pull himself forwards, now crawling. It was pointless, though, and the fact was only confirmed by the way huge, warm fingers wrapped around him and lifted him off the floor easily, ignoring his grasping hands. Patton sobbed, half in pain and half in fear of what would happen to him now. 

“Crap, are you hurt?” A familiar voice asked, vibrating through him. Patton sniffled, wiggling his limbs against the solid grip around him, and was abruptly brought close to the human’s face. 

Virgil’s customary eye makeup made him look more menacing than ever as he inspected Patton, brow furrowed with upset. “Where does it hurt? Can you speak? Oh man, what even are you?”   

Patton bit down on his tongue, forcing himself not to show any sign that he understood, and then flinched when something vibrated loudly nearby. Virgil looked over to his bed and winced.

“That’ll be my alarm…” He looked from Patton to the floor, where Little Monster was kneading at his legs and looking up at Patton with big eyes. “Okay, okay. Stay calm. We can handle this.” He seemed to be talking more to himself than Patton.

Stepping through the room so quickly that  the borrower got a little lightheaded, Virgil pulled open his closet door and rifled through the mess inside of it for a long moment. “Aha!” 

He emerged with a clear, plastic ball in hand, and Patton went pale as he unscrewed it. “I knew this would come in handy.” 

Virgil held it up, and then looked between it and Patton, who was digging his fingers into Virgil’s hand as his struggles increased tenfold. “Look, I don’t know if you can understand me, but… I have to go meet up with my friend to give him back his cat. I promise I’ll be back soon, and this thing is ventilated and totally safe, okay?”

With an awkward grimace, he maneuvered his hand into the hamster ball and let Patton slide into the curved bottom. Before the borrower could even stand, Virgil was sliding the door back on with a clicking sound, and then layering some packing tape over it for good measure. Patton slipped back onto the sloped floor every time the human moved too quickly with it in his hand, and his heart sank as he stared at the now-impassable door. 

“Uh, be back soon.” Virgil told him as he set the hamster ball down on the bedroom floor and picked up the kitten just before she could launch herself at Patton’s prison. 

The door clicked shut behind him, and Patton began to cry in earnest.

[santoteez]

The Dormant Beast - Jongho (6)

Crescent continued trying to run, but it wasn’t until the man and Desire were fully out of view that she could move. All her auras activated at once, sending her flying into the walls, denting the drywall.

“Crescent!” Jongho shouted from down the hall, a crowd of people following closely behind.

“Down here.” She said, groaning as she got up.

Jongho ran over. “Hold on, let me help you. What happened?”

“Desire and I were walking over to the nurse’s office when we heard a crash. We ran in and the nurse was taped up and a hooded man was standing over her. Then he came towards us.”

“So, where’s Desire now?” Wonho asked, but the look on Crescent’s face told them all they needed to know.

“This hooded man just took Desire?” Jongho asked.

“Not exactly…more like she gave herself up.”

“Desire?” Han asked. “She just gave herself up? That’s out of character for her.”

“She said that if she went with him, she’d end up saving the rest of us. Said that it was time for her to finally do something worthy of being the Duchess. And that it’s what I would’ve done.” Crescent said, her voice trailing off.

“Hey, this isn’t your fault. Desire made that decision herself. Right now, we need to find out who is this hooded man.”

“Wait, the nurse! She’s still tied up!” Someone shouted.

When Jongho and Crescent reached the office, the nurse had been completed unbound, with Wonho cutting the tape off.

“Ms. Mae, are you alright?” Jongho asked, placing his hand on the elderly lady’s shoulder.

She nodded, squeezing his hand. “It’s gonna take a lot more than some hooded fool to take me down all the way.” She got up, stretching. Ms. Mae was a small, elderly woman. She was one of the last “humans” left, her generation birthing the first batch of aura holders. Crescent being auraless for so long, became acquainted heavily with the woman, initially due to the constant bullying.

“Ms. Mae, what happened?” Crescent asked, crouching down to her level.

“I was just filling up the supply cabinet like I do every morning when I felt a breeze. I knew it wasn’t just some regular bad weather; it felt too different. I turned around and there he was, just standing in the middle of the room. I asked him how could I help him, but he didn’t answer me. Suddenly, he was in front of me and the room started to spin. When I woke up, I was bound and the man was no longer in here.”

“Ms. Mae, were you bitten anywhere? That would explain the dizziness.” Crescent reached out for the lady’s arms, however, didn’t find any marks or wounds to fit the theory. “I don’t see anything, though.”

“But it makes sense. If this man has a snake or spider aura, it would be enough to knock Ms. Mae out.” Jongho said. “I’m calling an ambulance. They’ll be able to figure out more about what happened to her.”

Jongho stood beside Crescent as she explained everything she saw to the police when they arrived 15 minutes later. They decided to seal off the school indefinitely as a crime scene.

“Not only was the school nurse attacked and possibly poisoned, a top-tier student has been abducted and another injured. We’re considering this campus a hotspot, and the kids will be off from school for the rest of the week while we coordinate with the teachers a way for school to resume without significant damage to the lesson plan. For the parents, close friends and family of Desire Lane, counseling services will be offered free of charge at the local hospital and is strongly encouraged. When we have a clearer idea of what went on this morning, there will be another briefing. Thank You.”

-

-

-

-

Crescent grimaced as the bitter taste of malt descended her throat, coughing slightly, overlooking the town from the roof of her house.

“I figured I’d find you up here.”

She turned around to see Jongho pop his head out from the door. “I’m guessing you don’t need Eclipse to drink anymore, huh?” He asked, nodding towards the beer in her hand.

“I felt like I needed a drink, but I chickened out trying to steal the vodka.” She mumbled.

Jongho chuckled, sitting beside her and pulling out his phone. “Ms. Mae’s test results came back.”

“They just gave them to you? You’re not family.”

“Perks of being the king of the jungle.” He said, handing her the phone. “Here. You’re the closest she has to family now anyway, with her kids gone.”

Crescent sighed. “Who would think the same man that killed her kids would come to attack her.” She focused her attention to the screen in front of her.

Her eyes bulged out. “Jongho! This says she has a rabies bite!” She shouted, jumping up from her position.

Jongho followed suit. “Hey, calm down.”

“Calm down? She’s human, Jongho! Rabies can kill her! How is she not in a coma right now?”

“They were able to treat it early since we called the ambulance. We have cutting-edge technology now, Cres. It’s a lot harder to die from rabies nowadays. She’s recovering and doctors say she’ll be just fine.” Jongho explained, wrapping his arms around Crescent and pulling her close. “She should be allowed visitors soon. How bout I figure out a time and we go see her?” He asked, kissing her temple.

“Okay.” Crescent said, curling into his embrace.

“Okay.” Jongho smiled.

“What would I do without you?” Crescent asked.

“Be the same independent person you’ve always been. When will you realize you’d live perfectly fine without me here?” Jongho squeezed her shoulder.

“Hey love birds, I hate to ruin the moment but it’s getting late and I’m locking the roof door for the night. Can’t be too safe.” Lunar called out from the door.

-

-

-

-

“How are you feeling?” Crescent asked, holding the much older lady’s hand.

“Better now that my favorite girl’s come to see me.” Ms. Mae smiled, her eyes creasing. “Don’t tell the other kids.”

Crescent and Jongho laughed. It was now Friday. The school cooperated with the authorities and they agreed on an online learning system for the campus. On Monday, the students were to log into the school website to receive their assignments for the day. Video chat would be available for tutoring or questions, but not mandatory. All assignments would be due at midnight, instead of during the regular timeslots, to make it easier for the children to have time in between to adjust and to see counselors to help with coping.

“At least you don’t have to worry about work for a while, Ms. Mae. With the school closed and all, you can focus on getting better.” Jongho said, pouring her a cup of water.

“Wrong.” She glared at Jongho playfully, grabbing the water from him. “School or not, you know I always worry about you kids. Hell, I spend the weekends watching the news and reading the papers, praying I don’t see one of your faces pop up. And now little Desire was taken because I couldn’t do anything.” She sighed, taking a sip.

“Ms. Mae, that is not your fault and you know it. In situations like this, it’s safer for the auraless to stand down. Regardless, even if you could’ve done something, something tells me Desire would’ve chosen to go with him all the same.”

“He’s right.”

The trio turned to the door, where Desire stood. Her usually done-up face was bare, and she sported a hoodie and jeans, which she’d never wear on her own accord. She removed her sunglasses, showing dark circles. It was clear she hadn’t slept a wink since Crescent last saw her.

“Desire! He let you go?” Crescent asked, almost in disbelief she was even in front of her.

Desire laughed nervously. “Not exactly.”

“So, he’s here?” Jongho asked, already defensive.

“No! No, I’m alone, but he’s making me go back. I only came to show Ms. Mae I was okay so she wouldn’t worry. I didn’t plan on seeing you two here.”

“Desire, you can’t possibly be thinking of going back to him, right?” Crescent asked, becoming hysterical when the red-haired girl stayed silent. “Desire, he already let you out! You don’t have to go back! Let’s go talk to the police-”

“I have to go back, Crescent. He…made me leave something with him as collateral. As a promise that I’d come back without putting up a fight.”

Jongho shook his head. “Desire, if this is about material stuff, we can get it back. I’ll have my dad pay for whatever it is, just please come with us to the police.”

“I wish it were material.” She whispered.

“What?”

“What he took from me wasn’t my clothes or shoes or a purse. It was my aura.”

“Desire, what are you saying?” Crescent furrowed her eyebrows. “Someone can’t just take your aura. It’s something you’re born with.”

“I thought like that too. Until he placed his hand on my forehead. It was something I never felt before, but I knew it wasn’t right. It was like I felt it leaving my body. And once he was done, I tried to activate, but I couldn’t. I felt nothing, Crescent. I felt empty. I called out for my wolf over and over, but she was gone. I’ve already been bumped out of the throne; I can’t lose my aura itself too. So, I’m sorry, but I’m going back. Don’t follow me.” Desire said, heading towards the door.

“Desire, you can’t seriously go back to him.”

“You want me to come back? Beat him. Stop him and it’ll be safe for me to return. Not a moment sooner. Not when he’s already threatened both of you. Whatever you have to do, just get rid of him. Kill him for all I care.”

Desire can you just stop for a second? We can figure something out!” Crescent pleaded.

“Ms. Mae, get well soon and feel better.”

“DESIRE! At least tell us where he is hiding you!”

“I’m sorry, Crescent!”

Crescent and Jongho ran after her, but she seemed to have vanished into thin air by the time they reached the door.

Jongho pinched the bridge of his nose. “This situation is bigger than we thought.

 Crescent and Jongho left about an hour later. They looked around the hospital and even checked the security footage, but there was no sign of how Desire got out. In fact, there was no concrete evidence to how she got in. They could see her walking the halls, but it was almost like her body materialized near the entrance, rather than walking through it. They returned to Ms. Mae’s room, defeated, only to find her sound asleep. Deciding to let her rest, they agreed to return another day.

“I still can’t wrap my head around this whole situation.” Jongho sighed, looking up to the sky as they walked.

“Do you think it’s even possible? Being stripped of your aura?” Crescent wrapped her arm around Jongho’s, pulling herself closer to him.

“I don’t know, but Desire seems to think so. Of course, not sensing your aura can be caused by other things. Perhaps it’s not awake, or the host is under duress or severe trauma. But, I don’t think Desire is worried enough to suddenly not feel her aura due to her own mental health. And even if her aura were dormant, she’d still be able to see it. So, that rules out that possibility.”

“Unless it’s his aura causing that reaction?”

“An aura that fogs up or distorts your vision? What animal would that even be? A bat maybe…” Jongho sighed. “Nothing’s gonna get solved with us bouncing ideas around in the middle of the street. Let’s just get you home first.”

They walked onto Crescent’s porch a while later. Crescent’s parents were not home, and it looked like Eclipse wasn’t home either.

Crescent turned to Jongho. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay the night? It’s late and dark, not to mention the target on your back. I’m sure my parents would agree if you did.”

“No, it’s all good. My house isn’t that far away. Besides, it’s Friday. We can spend all day together tomorrow if you want. Maybe get some food, my treat?” Jongho smiled, kissing her cheek when she nodded. “I’ll call you when I’m home, okay? Go ahead upstairs.” He turned on his heels, walking down the driveway.

Jongho was down the block when he heard rustling in some bushes nearby. He turned to follow the noise, but the rustling stopped when he did. Turning back around, he found himself face to face with none other than the hooded entity himself.

It was the Void.

“Don’t put up a fight, little boy. Just come with me.”

“Like hell I will.” The boy challenged, beating his chest, his scleras darkening.

“Ah, so you’re the gorilla. That’s quite the aura you have there. A shame if something were to happen to it.” The Void taunted.

Jongho roared, his voice booming down the block.

Hearing it caused Crescent’s blood to run cold. Jongho only ever powered up in dire situations, so she knew he must be in trouble.

She ran out just in time to see Jongho charging towards the man.

“Jongho!” She shouted in surprise. He never attacked first, so she couldn’t understand why today was any different.

Jongho was stopped dead in his tracks, his neck in The Void’s hands, similar to Desire. He seemed to power down almost immediately, his arms and feet going limp.

“What a domesticated monkey. Let’s get you back to my lab.” As if summoned, a portal opened.

“Jongie!” Crescent yelled down the street, running at full speed. She was aware if was futile, but she couldn’t get her body to stop.

Just as she approached the pair, the Void slipped into the portal, but not before whispering “You’re next” and the egress closed until it was nothing.

Crescent yelled in sorrow, cold and alone in the middle of the street.

“You wanna play that way? Let’s play.”