#it's not a magic charm it's not a spell it's not the secret pass to everything.

[neverendingford]

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[gatorbites-imagines]

John Constantine x tattoo artist?? Smut or no (you choose!) I think it would be cute if john gets his tats from the reader (also kind of a possessive/marking quality there lol)

John Constantine x Tattoo artist male reader

Headcanons

Sorry there’s been no posts this week, classes have started up again, so as you can imagine I’m exhausted and have a lot less free time. I’ve been using most of my free time to read JJK, ngl.

Imagine being a magical tattoo artist, something like a seal maker. You do large complex and beautiful pieces, but you hide different seals and protection markers inside the patterns. It keeps the real purpose of the tattoo a secret, but is also pretty to look at.

John already has tattoos in the hellblazer comics, but imagine you giving him different ink. Something a lot less obvious and more attractive.

It makes him pass as a hot blonde British guy covered in a lot of fancy ink, instead of some brit with lotsa weird cult looking tattoos.

John becomes one of your most common customers, mainly because a lot of the tattoos you put on him disappear after the seals been used, since its all defense and storage. He might also use it as an excuse to see you more, so he can flirt.

John being John, would get a tattoo right above his crotch, think like a reverse tramp stamp, or a succubus tattoo, just so he can have you sitting between his thighs as he gives his flirting his all.

You definitely end up railing him within an inch of his life in the tattoo chair, tsking and “punishing” him for straining the tattooed area too much, and “messing up your work” when he writhes too much.

In the beginning its just a friends with benefits situation, something like a “happy ending” you might say. John wouldn’t be someone to do relationships for the most part, since most of the ones he’s been in haven’t ended great.

He subconsciously also wouldn’t want to paint a target on your back, since hes always involved with all kinds of stuff. But he cant help but always find himself back with you, getting some new seal inked onto his skin.

And if every visit ends up with him bent over the tattoo chair, or down on his knees to “thank you”, then who will judge him.

John would end up finally acknowledging his feelings when you save him from his big bad of the week, using your complex and intricate tattoos to pull out weapons and spells, and later seal the being that’s after him.

Its hard to deny how he feels after that, and though he wouldn’t put it into words, he would act differently. Like just showing up at your parlor to spend time with you without getting anything done, or sending you little protection charms or trinkets.

At some point you guys just start kissing and acting like a couple, without actually putting a name to it. It’s a dangerous life you both live, and words mean everything, so you never tell anybody you guys are lovers, since that would make the target on you both even bigger.

It doesn’t keep you guys from pretty much living together and acting all domestic, or being completely exclusive to just each other. John turning down all advances made on him confuses people in the beginning, until they just come to accept it.

John ends up with even more tattoos, these a lot more complex than average useable seals. These are the kinds that you have spent your entire life developing, and had only used on yourself because they’re that powerful.

The league are knocked back by how powerful his spells have become, and how much damage he can withstand. Only other magic users with the knowledge know just how amazing his tattoos are. He never tells them where he got them, just because he’s an ass.

You end up helping out more with his business, and he ends up being free advertisement for your parlor. Of course, no one gets tattoos like you or John, you would never give a possible enemy that kind of power, but it helps pad your pockets quite a lot.

John’s enemies end up targeting you as well, but they’re easily dealt with for the most part.

He ends up getting teased be friends and allies that he’s getting soft and domestic, cuz he doesn’t go out to bars like before, and wants to be home in time to watch a movie with you, or just go to sleep together.

He ends up a lot less stressed too, since you rock his world whenever he needs it, and become someone he can let down his defenses and just be vulnerable with.

In the end he probably gets pavloved to get in the mood when you tattoo him, or he hears the noise of the tattoo gun. John always blames you for making him this way, because you always go down on him after giving him new ink, not that he’s complaining.

[vilsoo]

𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐂𝐇 ⌇GETO SUGURU

witch!reader x married!geto suguru || WC: 10,779

𖤐 SYNOPSIS. love and sex spells are your expertise; saving your client’s relationships and marriage with your witchcraft. you’d never go out your way to ruin them, until, you meet the handsome married man geto suguru…

𖤐 WARNINGS. witch disguised as sex therapist, implied homewrecking, slight yandere, witchcraft, seduction, impersonation, bodysnatching, body/soul possession, toxicity, eventual smut, horror/thriller themes.

HORRORLAND/KINKTOBER MASTERLIST

[ANNOUNCER] Your attention please! Horrorland is now opened for all guests. We hope you enjoy our new exciting attractions and parklands this year, such as as Maneaterville, Monster F***** Woodlands, and the return of Horrorland’s famous parkland, Sex and Horror City! Please remember to be mindful of other guests making their way through and abide by our safety rules. Thank you for coming to Horrorland this Halloween!

[RIDE ANNOUNCER] As you are getting seated, be mindful that this 4D simulation ride contains flashing scenes, special effects, and jarring motions. Please remember to stay seated and keep all arms and legs inside when the vehicle is in motion. Keep your 4D glasses on for a better experience. Any kind of photography is not allowed during the ride. And absolutely no eating, smoking, or drinking while riding. Thanks for your attention and cooperation. We hope you enjoy.

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Ancient love magic, love spells, sex rituals, charms, potions, invocations, incantations, enchantments, runes, hexes, witchcraft.

300 years ago around the early 15th century, you’ve grown as a love witch; mastering the most powerful love and sex spells that many others failed to do. Some covens never knew of this magic nor practiced them, which is why you’ve been protecting it. You were mostly an independent witch your whole life, keeping yourself hidden and far away from the town and its people.

Most of these love spells weren’t learned from the ancient books you came across. You were taught from the love deities themselves; Venus, Krishna, Eos, Aphrodite, and so on. Goddesses that were associated with romance, lust, and sexuality were your teachers for several years. And in exchange, all you had to do was honor them through ritual, prayer, offerings, and most importantly keeping your sexual energy and prowess protected.

It wasn’t until one evening during the witch-hunt period, you fell in love with a man you’ve been seeing. A man that was bewitched and under all your spells, using them to keep him around longer. You loved him so much that you were willing to give up practicing witchcraft and gain your years of humanity back; everything that you missed out on and being a normal, regular citizen living your youth…

Sadly, the good memories and moments you shared just had to end so abruptly. It was hard to keep your witch life hidden, even though you believed nobody would suspect you. When he found your secret basement where all your witchcraft books, candles, pentagrams, cauldrons, and many other powerful objects were hidden, you were outed immediately.

At least you were protected by your divine spirits and guardian angels during the chase. Nobody found you nor did you get burned at the stake, thankfully. You were also able to find a remote location away from civilization, but it was difficult living like this; not being able to retain a normal life with your humanity. But the goddesses noticed, giving you the gift of staying youthful, young, and beautiful forever until the end of time. When the witch-hunt period passed, you managed to live for centuries finally enjoying a normal life through different eras and generations without time catching up.

You’ve then decided to never use your love spells on the people you have an eye on; instead, you wanted to help others.

Fast forward to present time, you were a licensed couples counselor, relationship advisor, and sex therapist. You’ve been helping broken relationships and marriages with your “wise advice” when really you were just doing your love spells behind the scenes. Of course, all their problems went away and customers would give their best reviews and really good pay. The same with sex therapy too; when in need of advice on how to spice things up in bed, you offer it while manifesting the most powerful and passionate sexual energy for them. And ‘till this day, you still honor your love deities even though they retired as your teachers centuries ago.

“Doctor Y/N is ready to see you now,” said your secretary, opening your office doors as your next male client sauntered in.

When your gaze flickered to the man’s face, in that mere, fleeting moment, something alluring about him blossomed within you. Settling on those deep and dark eyes as if linked to the primordial abyss— his charm, beauty, presence, and his energy alone had you hopelessly afflicted…! You haven’t felt such powerful infatuation and attraction in centuries that it was like discovering parts of you that were hidden beneath… What was it about this stranger and his sexual energy that you were oddly drawn to?

You forced yourself from your perverse thoughts and professionally greeted him just like any other client. “Afternoon, you must be Suguru. How are you today?”

“I’m good, how are you?” he coaxed as he sat across from your sofa, the sultry in his voice as smooth as molasses and so ravagingly rich in flavor. So hypnotizing and much more powerful than any enchantment. And his aura was so passionate and bright as the sun, radiant and all illuminating, like a lotus flower bathing on a still pond.

You sighed deeply and recomposed yourself as you sat down. “I’m doing good,” you beamed, not realizing you were all doe-eyed towards him. “You, uh, want anything to drink before we start?”

The way he smiled and chuckled softly out of nervousness was so precious to descry. “No, no. I’m okay. Thanks for asking.”

“So, what brings you to this session?”

Your eyes never left Geto’s face as if he was etched deep within your skin, watching him exhale deeply from his agitation. “A close friend of mine recommended you to me. You’re a very skilled therapist and I’ve seen lots of good reviews about you. You must be really good at your job.”

“Thank you,” you beamed, feeling your heart skip a beat from his compliment. “I love what I do and it’s very heartwarming to hear from my clients that they’re satisfied after our sessions.”

“That’s very good to hear, doctor.”

“Are you nervous?”

“Me? Ah… just a little,” he faltered. “I’ve never been to a sex therapist before and I never really talk about my wife and I’s sex life.”

Wife?

Just hearing that come out of those saccharine lips of his had the synapses of your brain frozen. The image of him married, spending the rest of his life with another woman ripped your mind up like a vice and paralyzed you. Immediately the silver titanium wedding ring caught your eye. It felt as if you only had one second to go through all five stages of grief and then force yourself to remain composed and professional.

You. Would. Never.

You were strictly against ruining people’s relationships and marriage. You’d never have just a fleeting thought of homewrecking someone’s marriage or promoting infidelity. It would be a major taboo as a witch! But then again, there was this feeling inside that was screaming at you to keep this man and his sexual energy wrapped around your finger… at a safe and professional distance.

You swallowed thickly. “Oh, that’s okay. That’s normal, Suguru! But in order for you to open up to me, I’m going to ask a few questions about you and your wife’s sex life, will that be fine?”

“Yes, please,” he gestured.

“Can you provide your sexual history? Like when was the last time you had sex with her?”

The moment he had to think about it, you knew where this was going. You almost felt pity. “Uh… I believe three weeks ago? I know, that sounds a little unusual, but, we’ve been very busy lately.”

“I see. Are you guys at least intimate and loving with each other outside of sex, though?”

“Oh, yeah. We’re very passionate with each other. My wife is very charismatic, endearing, beautiful... there’s so much I love about her. But when we we’re in bed, she still wants to take things slow; even though we’re very comfortable with each other. We mostly make love. You know, soft vanilla sex; not that there’s anything wrong with that. I would never pressure her to do something that she’s uncomfortable with. But, I came to you today because… I want to be more experimental with her. I want to spice things up in the bed and make sure she’s enjoying it. And even though I communicate about it to her, she’s still closed off about it. How can I make her open up to me?”

You hummed, trying not to go crazy over the fantasies of him making love like those passionate sex scenes you’ve seen in movies or homemade porn. “I’ve dealt with several clients experiencing that same reluctance your wife has. There’s a variety of reasons; she’s either very shy and awkward about it, or she’s just disgusted about sex in general. Low libido also contributes. It’s extremely common nowadays in women.”

Geto had a dejected sigh, worried about his wife. “Do you mind elaborating, doctor..?”

“When it comes to sex, not all women can voice out what they want. It doesn’t mean that there is something wrong; it just means she’s naturally shy about sex, and that’s completely normal,” you explained. “If your wife seems to want to make you happy in bed but is also reluctant, you should try reassuring to her that you love her, and your desire for a more exciting sex life doesn’t mean that you don’t love and desire her already. Tell her what you’ve done before and what you haven’t. She may feel more secure about trying something new with you. And express why you want a more exciting sex life with her.”

“I really hope I didn’t make her feel that way. God, I would be sick to my stomach if I ever made her feel insecure about herself. What is it about me that makes her… shy?”

You lean back on your sofa, smoothing out your long skirt while trying not to rub your thighs together. You’ve never felt such forbidden lust for a client before, especially a married man. It felt as if you were under a spell instead.

“Um, well— your presence and your aura just radiate… dominance to me,” you piqued while tilting your head. “It’s like… you know what you want and how to get it so easily. A shy woman wouldn’t even dare to take control. In order for that not to happen, allow her to empathize with your awkwardness or shyness about some things in bed. She’ll be a lot more willing to open up to you in return.”

His strong devotion to pleasure his wife was so intense to you. It made your chest thunder and your stomach twist; you had no idea what was going on with you and this stranger’s energy invading into yours. Just how powerful is his lust that it’s making you not think straight? You were feeling needy and filthy, and your energy was drawn into him and him only.

“I see... well, you’re right. I’m feeling a lot more confident that after taking in your advice and support, we’ll definitely cooperate together. She doesn’t have to be all shy with me. We can just work through it together, right?”

You agreed. For the past 30 minutes of spending more time knowing about Geto and his wife in order for the sex rituals to work, you asked more questions and went through the regular procedures of sex therapy. But the more you lingered with him, the more the tension thickened. Suguru had you infatuated and distracted. And even though he had a wife, you couldn’t help but feel such strong attraction. You tried your best not to seduce him. You tried your best to not let your mind wander off into filthy fantasies of him. But the furtive heat and wetness pooling between your legs felt as if it was transmitting onto your sofa. You had this erratic throbbing in the walls of your pussy the more you interacted with him. And you had no fucking clue why.

When Suguru left, you immediately had to take care of yourself. Keeping a spare vibrator in your drawer, you locked the doors and sat down on the sofa Geto was sitting on, spreading your legs while getting off to the vibrator stimulating your aching clit. You’ve abandoned your shame long ago about masturbating in your office on your break; you needed this badly. But such lust and fervor has never felt so urgent in your life that it heavily concerned you.

You moaned as softly as you could, having to muffle yourself to not let anyone nearby hear. And after cumming this fast for the first time in ages, you cleaned yourself up and got ready to leave for home and perform the sex ritual for Geto and his wife. You had to keep pushing away your jealousy in order to satisfy him. The spell would backfire if there were any feelings evolved, anyways. Never has this ever happened to you, though; for centuries you never knew your body could react this way over a man.

What’s spine-chilling was not even knowing why this was happening all of a sudden and why it’s happening in this time and age. It’s like your sexual energy and prowess that you’ve been protecting took over your poise, immobilizing your chaste and unleashing your inner promiscuity, like a deadly parasite attached to you and wanting to feed off it. And for Geto Suguru, a married man and loving husband, his mystifying sexual energy was enough to corrupt you entirely.

I have to stay away from him.

But, if the spell backfires, his marriage would be ruined forever…

That would be my first ever failure as a sexual therapist and healer.

You finally got home and headed to your magicarium, which is your basement with all your witchcraft and magic objects organized neatly. It was time for you to let go of Geto Suguru and only focus on improving his marriage and sex life. Stay professional and proceed with the ritual; then you’ll never have to see or even think of him. You rushed around like this was a life-endangering emergency, gathering everything that you needed. But as you were preparing your ingredients, you suddenly thought about a short-term memory loss spell.

Could that work..?

Since it’s a spell that hasn’t been used in several years, you had to go through all your bookshelves filled with thousands of spells and enchantments. Everything witchcraft related. You tried searching through your potions and journal entries, desperately looking everywhere just to get that man out of your mind. But as you were skimming one last time through your bookshelf, a thick book of various rituals fell down from the shelf.

When you head over to pick it up, the title and the cover caught your eye; something entirely different, something you’ve never performed successfully thousands of years ago; body and soul possession.

Your heart was rapidly racing in your chest for absolutely no reason. Then, you felt it again; your energy being drawn into a force you knew was corrupted… But instead of your sexual energy, it was your impulsiveness. You can feel it pounding inside your head, all the thoughts digging pathways into your brain more agonizing than any migraine. What was going on? What’s happening to you? Why are you feeling like this…?

You dropped the book to hold your face from the rush of anxiety, emitting a loud thud on the floor and opening to a random page right below. When you glanced down and read the subheading, only then had you realized what you fallen into…

This wasn’t witchcraft. It was all demon magic. Black magic. Corrosive to the soul, a diabolic price to pay. You get on your knees and proceed to read the spell out of curiosity:

Body and soul possession: Every intricate detail of this spell is uniquely crafted to mirror your aspirations, summoning the cosmic forces to reshape your physical existence. To perform body and soul possession, one must chant the incantation 3 times during the witching hour on full moon. Allow your soul to possess the other individual’s body and mind, letting go of your old self and feeling reborn into a new life. Your motivation, rapacity, greed, and selfish desires must be intense and strong enough for the body and soul possession to succeed. There will be no going back to your original form if you follow this method, however…

And in that moment, something shifted within you. You could feel the tides of time coming to a halt as sinister impulses took over you, an expulsion of foreign energy spreading like cursed blood in your veins. Imprisoning your lust for what felt like several years had now been released, your energy now lascivious and greedy to satisfy your primal needs. You’ve betrayed your true nature of being a passionate, endearing couples counselor. You failed to protect what your deities have been protecting for you. You’re now a victim to your own rapacious desire, enslaved to this rhythm of such unquenchable fire.

Your entire life, you’ve been stuck in a body that never ages. You’ve lost your friends and families from centuries ago while you get to live as this immortal witch, staying young forever and scorching the earth. But not anymore; no matter how many times you’ve tried dying, tried breaking your curse, tried being reincarnated to a mortal woman, and tried black magic that backfired, you finally found a new life to look forward to. A way you can finally free yourself.

Geto Suguru’s wife was the perfect body to possess. And with your soul inside of her body, you can finally have a taste of his energy you’ve been craving for the longest.

He will be yours to keep forever.

To execute this plan, you had to wait a couple of weeks for the full moon that falls on October 28th this year. It was an agonizing wait, so you decided to pretend things were all going normal and resumed your regular schedule for work. When you performed the sex ritual for Geto and his temporary wife, you just had to know for yourself how it all goes down. And how do you do this? By stalking them both at their house.

A day later after the ritual, you cast another spell that lets you mind control a crow and see through their eyes. The crow was perched on their windowsill, watching as Geto came home from work with his blazer draped over his arm and his body fatigued. His wife then comes in a few seconds later, arms opened for a tight embrace.

“…Hey, hey. I missed you a lot, too,” Geto chuckled as he kissed her cheek. “What’s all this, hm?”

The smile on his face was out of subtle bewilderment, as if he was stunned from his wife all over him like there was no tomorrow, greeting him with kisses all over his face. Evidence that the spell was beginning to work.

“What? I just missed you,” she coaxed, diving into a deep, passionate kiss with him that it made your stomach churn as you watched. “Dinner’s also ready.”

Geto’s lips brush the crook of her neck, taking in the scent of her enhanced pheremones. You can immediately tell by his longing expression that he was already turned on, gliding his hands down her body. But knowing his limits, he purposefully held himself back from taking her on right there.

“You smell… really good,” he whispers. “I’d rather have you for dinner instead.”

The two of them laughed it off, his wife taking his hand to bring him into the kitchen. The rest of their banter was blurred out of your mind when all you thought about was how intimate Geto was. Replaying the way he held her, how he kissed her. Such a loyal, loving husband with powerful underlying sexual energy you were dying to have a taste of.

It was nice to see your magic working perfectly, but that wasn’t your main concern. Not once in your life you ever doubted your love and sex spells. But in this very moment, your main focus was her. Knowing everything about her life, from her identity, schedule, routine, background, personality, etc. in order to take her place and possess her body.

Their dinner conversation was going on for too long. You needed to know more about their life at home and in public together. Just absorbing his wife’s memories wouldn’t even be enough. It’s gonna take a lot for you to fit in this new life, but you were heavily dedicated. And it wouldn’t be that difficult with so many spells you’ve practiced for eternity.

When nightfall finally approaches, the energy in the bedroom was enough to intoxicate your bloodstream. Even from several miles way it invaded you like fire in your ribs and coals upon your tongue, fueling you with such fervor. It seems that the couple had communicated with each other effectively, expressing all of their desires and fantasies in bed. A passionate, special night for them indeed; but it was such a shame that this won’t be going on for long.

Still stalking from the eyes of a crow, the feathers blended with the pitch black sky as you stayed perched by their windows. Geto Suguru has never looked so yummy to you; his body, his face, the size of his big cock… you wanted to get off so bad by the heavenly sight of him. It was already too late to pull away since you were drawn into the energy flowing in the room.

At first, he was so gentle with her. Checking up with her every few minutes as he was going down on her and caressing her body. You were too aroused by this; way too aroused from how he was eating her pussy out. If you closed your eyes and tried enough, you could picture him eating you out instead. Wondering how you would react as Geto kept teasing, making you pull onto his bedsheets that begins to stick onto your skin, crying out his name as you grind your hips on his face...

Then you watched as she got on his knees, gazing up at him with the most tantalizing look in her eyes. You sensed that she was an amateur; her first time ever going down on a male. Geto was still being gentle, willing to guide her and teach her. It was a slow process; but fuck, if only that were you instead. The tight circle of your lips rolling upwards and downwards, peering through your eyelashes and pinning your gaze on him the whole time until he had the urge to fuck your throat... Oh, he’ll have no fucking idea.

You can also hear him talking her through it. Praising her taking his dick so good, but also calling her “my little slut.” God, if only that were you. Showing his gentle dominance that gradually switches to a rough, degrading dom that loves putting a woman in her place. Fucking her until she cries, until she screams, until she orgasms multiple times. That was the kind of energy from Geto that you sensed; all that repressed rough fantasies and desires that he’s been holding back on for so long were bound to come out.

Such a shame, Suguru. She was the first to experience how much of a filthy person you really are deep down...

It’s unbelievable that this man hasn’t laid one finger on you or stood within your presence up close; yet he’s the only man that’s making you muffle your moans and whines out of shame in your own home. Playing with yourself, getting off to this filthy sight… no man has ever had you become this pathetic ever. But deep down, you secretly loved it; as if he’s given you all the power to ruin yourself. That once he lays a finger on you, you want him to make it hurt real good…

The stalking mission became worse as the days gone by, but at least you were making tons of progress retaining information. Whenever the couple wasn’t home, you’d find yourself roaming about inside, sneaking in through their mirrors. You analyzed every room in their home, the way every decoration was arranged, the way their drawers were organized, the food that makes up their pantry, the books that they read, mostly everything until his wife comes home from work. You had to know about where she works, what kind of car she drives, and what exactly she does.

While handling other clients back at work, Geto’s session would occur once a week over Zoom meetings. You got to “officially” meet his wife, putting on a polite and professional facade as you continued “advising” them and following sex therapy procedures. But this mission was all you were invested in for weeks, now taking off so many days from your job just to focus on the couple. It was also fascinating to witness how far they came from their timid sex experience to the point they’ve fucked all over the house every day and night, taking their sexual frustrations out on each other and then having the sweetest, intimate aftercare.

But it wasn’t until your blazing envy and prolonged jealousy of his wife provoked you; You wanted to drain her energy that she was sharing with Geto by psychologically torturing her every few nights. She needed to know that there was someone out there, lurking in the vulnerable edges of her mind, always watching her nearby. Standing beside her bed at night, watching her deep in her slumber. You were a snake slithered into position and ready to strike. Your unsettling presence then waking her up in the middle of the night, shooting up from her bed with a startled gasp and looking around to find nobody.

The hunt for her was never going to stop. All the times she would be alone, whether at work or at home doing chores, you’d torment her with dark magic that paralyzes her with this sinking sensation of diabolical fear and painful turmoil. You gained such satisfaction and amusement out of this, threatening her in the most sinister ways that was all in her head. That was the beauty of black magic and witchcraft; getting exactly what you want out of something standing in your way.

The 28th was finally here. Your mind is screaming at you that it’s time. This was the last night of your mundane life as a witch and being reborn as a normal human being, finally getting a taste of death. There was nothing to miss from a life of immortality. There was no point in honoring your love deities since they don’t come around anymore. And as much as you loved your career in couples counseling, it was time to “retire.”

With your soul leaving your body forever, you decided to leave yourself in a remote location where no one could find your body. You emptied out your whole house as if you moved out and sold it. All of your witchcraft books and powerful objects were stored in another spare underground magicarium you used for centuries, safely hidden and guarded where no one else could find or trespass.

The shroud of night draws nigh, darkness swallowing every last bit of light on earth. At a darkened alleyway, you find his wife walking to the parking lot after her shift. The air around falls colder, sending a shiver coursing down her spine. You can see her but she can’t see you. But she can feel you. You want her to feel you reaping on her. You kept your eyes on her like a prowling wolf seeing their prey on the periphery of their new territory. The eerie, icy silence was enough to make all the hair rise on her skin.

Te video.

You tread so fondly and almost too carefully, ever so gracefully near her body, but as light as a rare breeze in a scorching desert. She still can’t see you, but she heard you; your wintry, delicate whispers of wicked incantations that reverberated in her ears and soaked into the air. She halted on her pathway and averted her head around in alarm, her breathing growing rapid and her eyes darting at every corner.

Such a fickle soul she was, perfect to be tormented alone in a dismal night like this. As much as you wanted her gone, you couldn’t help but take predatory thrill in agonizing a soul like hers that was soon to face the worse demise.

Tu es mortua mulier…

Tu autem ad me pertinent…

She let out a yelp when her head began throbbing, seeing the world around her spin as if she was nauseous. Your incantations now scream in her ears like a shrieking banshee, seizing every fiber of her being in bone-chilling horror. She holds onto the rough concrete wall and kept her head low like she was going to vomit, panting heavily until her heartbeat expelled all of the air from her lungs.

The lamps on the alleyway begin to flicker erratically. A flock of crows caw loudly as they fly fast up above. There were no sounds of cars. No sign of people around. She was a victim trapped in your menacing mind, twisting her reality into a night terror, almost resembling a bad drug trip.

Drip. Drop. Drip. Drop.

The woman turned her head ever so slowly to a puddle beside her, leaky water from a ledge dripping on its rippling surface. She leans forward to stare at her reflection, her facial expression mixed with tumult and distorted curiosity. With the alleyway being dark, seeing herself this way was like staring at a helpless version of herself lost in an abyss. Sunken away, forgotten from the world, never to be heard from again…

“No, I— I need to get back,” she uttered to herself. “I need to go home.”

Excipio.

Lured by your incantations messing with her head once again, her eyes follow the direction the sudden gush of wind drifted, all the way to the end of the alleyway. But what she didn’t know, the moment she took her curious eyes off the puddle that suddenly rippled, her reflection was not mirroring her at all.

Her reflection curves a wicked smirk at the corner of her lips, eyes widening as if a feral predator finally cornered their puny prey. In a blink of an eye, you can hear the wife screaming when your hand reached out of the puddle and grabbed her. How unfortunate that her screaming and crying for help was futile, trying her hardest to fight back such a deadly force. She should’ve known it was the last night of her life.

Munera porto mea consortes, corpora muta per auras...

She screams, she shrieks, she struggles with the black water coming out from the puddle transfiguring into a solid rope to bind her wrists behind her head, pinning her down to the ground.

Munera porto mea consortes, corpora muta per auras…

Her head suddenly shoots back with her mouth agape, a sign that she’s no longer in control of her own body. Her eyes start to glow and her limbs completely freeze like a deer in headlights. You can feel your soul resonating into her body as you kept repeating the incantation. She tried fighting it; she really tried her best fighting to keep her own body, like pulling a tooth with a string. But nothing could beat dark magic, finally eating away her soul and energy until she feels herself withering away. Finally cascading on her heart, her mind, body, and soul is now a lost one, somewhere drowning in a deep and dark abyss.

It was time to go home to your husband.

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Something shifted in the air when Geto was at home that night.

That feeling of needles piercing on the sides of his body for just a fleeting second. A random shiver running down his spine. A wave of nausea cascading in his stomach. His gut suddenly twisting out of nowhere. He had no idea why he felt this way; why this agitation suddenly washed over him. The last time he endured a gut-wrenching feeling like this was months ago for his first sex therapy session, which he found out Doctor Y/N no longer works there.

Thank goodness for her. If it weren’t for her advice, my wife wouldn’t be as confident in bed with me as she is now, he marveled in his head.

Geto was in the kitchen chopping up vegetables. Saturdays are when his wife comes home late for working overtime, which means he has to prepare dinner tonight. But what utterly surprised him was her coming home earlier than the usual time she arrives.

“Honey, I’m home!”

Of course, greeting each other after coming home from work was a normal thing they do everyday. But your enthusiasm coming home after working 10 hours was just a little anomalous to Geto. But it shouldn’t even be that big of a deal, right..? Maybe she has exciting news. Maybe she’s just happy to come home early. He would admit, her enthusiasm was just adorable. Any expression of happiness and joy from his wife was a beautiful sight to witness.

You make your way to the kitchen, immediately coming together to embrace. Geto felt his lungs closing in on him from how tight you were hugging him, squeezing all the oxygen out of him that he didn’t have enough time to register it.

“Oh my goodness— baby,” he chuckled breathlessly, sliding his hand down to hold your waist. His caresses drizzled under your skin, lulling you and feeling his body heat radiating onto you. Oh, his scent was just enough to send your desires and wanton lust ablaze. Starved of love for far too long, it felt painful deep down, like having an appetite for something unreachable.

“How was work? Everything okay?” Geto’s eyebrows slightly drew together, mentally contemplating this sudden rush of energy you had compared to this morning where you were all groggily and not in the mood for work.

You kept touching him, fiddling with his collar and running your hands down his chest. You couldn’t believe you were finally this close to him; it made you so nervous deep down. His physique was a masterpiece of curvaceous precision, artwork sculpted and delicately lined that you’ve adorned ever since you first laid your eyes on him. It was like doing a reality check to see if this was all real and not just a forbidden fantasy, that Geto Suguru truly belonged to you. Admiring him like an award, rather, a prized possession that you worked so hard to achieve.

“Work was… tiring,” you reply with a feigned sigh, wrapping your arms around his neck. “I was also distracted today, too…”

“Oh? And why is that?” He smirked and inched his lips closer, giving you exactly what you wanted that you just couldn’t bare holding back longer. How can you crave something so rich and true that existence felt like it paled in comparison?

“I couldn’t stop thinking about you at work,” you muttered coyly. “Especially about this morning when you took care of me…”

“Oh, baby…” Geto held onto your hips as he guided you gently to the counter behind you. “You have no idea how much I’ve missed you.”

The way your eyes glimmered with passion and fire was so ravishing to him. He knows just how bad you want it, until he suddenly thought about the vegetables that were unfinished.

“…But, I gotta feed you first. You’ve been working so hard. You must be exhausted.”

With a soft kiss on the forehead, Geto walks back over to where the cutting board of vegetables laid, grabbing the knife and continuing to chop. You’ve never got to experience a domestic life with a man this way. He was the ideal, perfect husband. Financially supportive, stable, loyal, loving, housekeeping, all of the qualities and categories you’ve observed while stalking him several weeks prior. But god, you couldn’t wait to physically and spiritually experience the way he is in bed…

The rest of the evening you were getting ready upstairs, then headed down to the kitchen a few minutes later to aid him in preparing. Nothing unusual, unordinary, or out of place happening as the rest of the evening went on. You adjusted pretty quickly with the aid of his wife’s memories that you absorbed. You knew what food he liked, how to operate the stoves and other kitchen supplies, how they set the table, what time they usually eat dinner, and so on. And of course, a sprinkle of flirting here and there.

“Hm. Did you add something?” Geto asks after he ate a spoonful of the food you helped making at the dinner table. “I never tasted Zaru Soba like this before. I thought you’d always follow the same recipe.”

You panicked, not knowing that you might have accidentally changed something and tension would suddenly form over small stuff like this. “Um— I just felt a little… experimental today. I’m sorry if you don’t like it.”

“No, no, honey,” he chuckles, reaching over to hold your hand in reassurance. “It doesn’t taste bad. I just thought… this was your family recipe and you stuck with it for years. But no harm in adding something new, right?”

You chuckled it off, trying to recompose yourself from the rapid beating of your heart. Perhaps there were major differences between you and his wife that would take time to adjust. However, you refused. Geto, on the other hand, scrutinized your little mannerisms like always. He’s attracted to every small thing his wife does; whether it’d be the way she sits, the way she speaks, the cute facial expressions she makes that makes him want to figure out what she’s thinking about. But for some reason, he couldn’t quite put his finger on what you’re thinking or how you’re feeling tonight.

Saturday evening dinners, he knows that you’re tired. Drained, enervated, and groggy all because of work. His wife would eat more slowly and frequently grab the pitcher on the table to keep refilling her glass from dehydration. The water in the pitcher would be iced as well, but tonight you left it at room temperature. You were almost finished with your plate, which is unusual because Geto always finishes his food before you, just so he can sit, talk, and listen as you ate. And the way you sat as well; usually you’d be slouching and massaging your thighs because of soreness and cramps and stress. Right now, your leg was folded on the other and your back seemed perfectly fine, shoulders pushed back like how you would sit in the fancy restaurants he would take you. But he knows just how comfortable you are with him at home that you don’t even have to act all modest and fancy.

How weird. I never overthink about my wife and her wellbeing, Geto vacillated in his mind. She’s just in a good mood..! There’s nothing wrong with her. Nothing about her changed at all…

“What are you thinking about, hm?” you coaxed, rubbing your foot against his leg under the table it caught him off guard. Your gaze flickers onto his, the heated look in your eyes seeping into his skin like water in a wound. The way you take him in was something he’s never seen nor felt before. His wife’s “fuck-me” eyes would be more submissive, more doe-eyed, more slothful, more yearning. That glimmer in your eyes that makes him lose his mind… But the look you gave him just now was enough to penetrate his psyche; rapacious, calculated, greedy— like a predator feening on its prey that it captured, having him all to yourself.

“Ah, I was just…”

Geto’s been contemplating the past ten minutes that he wasn’t even able to register you leaning in closer to kiss him. But it wasn’t just any soft, passionate kiss like you were trying to soothe him or give a loving, tender gesture. The way you kissed him was out of urgency, as if a rush of adrenaline took over you. The greed and desire he could see in your eyes earlier resonated in the kiss. He was confused, but at the same time… he couldn’t resist the way you clung onto him like he’s the only solid thing in your hazy world.

Your bodies bled into one as he kissed you, picking you up just to set you down on the dining table. As much as he wanted to be gentle with you, you were the one that kept devouring farther and rougher in his mouth, turning the kiss sloppy and barricading your hearing with heavy breathing. You’ve been wanting this ever since he stepped foot into your office that day. To feel his ravenous, depraved sexual energy coursing in your veins and setting your ribs on fire. Your wild ecstasy was fulfilling you so incredibly, an insatiable hunger and frenzy growing right at its peak that it greeds for more…!

“Fuck— wait, baby,” Geto breathed out in between kisses, still astounded from how energetic and horny you were despite working a 10 hour shift. “You still haven’t told me about work… What happened? Why are you so worked up tonight, hm?”

“I’ll tell you later,” you purred in his ear, realizing just how good you were at improvising and playing along. “Right now I just want you, Suguru… I want you right here on this table.”

“You didn’t have to tell me twice. I’ll fuck you until the legs of this table breaks.”

Arousal has never felt this intense; maybe you were much more wild and ravenous than Geto deep down. Like an animal driven by nothing more than the primal need to claim him as your own. He could feel how wet and hot you were for him just by lightly brushing his fingertips on your panties, seeing you squirm and grind your hips against him just for friction. Your body’s reaction and your desperation were so adorable to him it made his cock stir in his pants. Perhaps this was the only way to make him stop overthinking about the small stuff and get over it.

Suguru lowered himself down as he pushed your panties to the side. “I’ll eat this pretty pussy out from the back and then fuck you like I always do…”

You could feel him licking the glistening juices off your skin, savoring the taste and the delicate scent that drove him fucking insane. He proceeded to push a finger inside you, so slick and wet for him, emitting whimpers and moans out of your mouth. He adored hearing you make such filthy noises that reverberate off the walls. And he loved whenever you bucked against his face as his fingers curled inside you, hitting the spot and sucking on your clit that he knows drives his wife insane. He would never go on without eating her pussy; not just for her pleasure, but his pleasure as well.

He was also a man that kept his promises; several moments later your head was pinned down on the table as he fucked you so viciously on the table that you were on your tip toes. Shameless moans soaking into the air, his thrusts so rough that the table moved inch by inch on the floor it started creaking. You could finally feel it; you could taste it, you could down it like a drug, you enthralled in his sexual energy… An ecstatic feeling blooming like knots in your stomach and acquainting many unfamiliar parts of you that you never knew were there. Nearly knocked out of air, your vision becomes hazy as he fucks you through your orgasm, past the point where you're crying two octaves higher than you're used to.

Geto has never seen his wife come so hard like that. As if he finally awakened her inner whore, overtaking the pleasure instead of surrendering to it just to soothe her. Oh, she wanted more. She wanted to make it hurt. Make her lose her mind. It made his cock throb when he could see how greedy you really were, how you were so writhed with lust and addicted to the drunken-like feeling when you orgasm all over his cock. As much as he wanted to be the gentle dom he always was to his wife, something about tonight and the exchange of energy in the kitchen made him wild. He was hungry. He was ravenous…

I’ve never felt this way before, he thought to himself. As if my wife bewitched me or something…

If only the poor man knew. Because for the next few days and nights at the Suguru residence, things started feeling different.

Specifically with his wife.

Sure, your sex life together has improved ever since the sex therapy sessions with Doctor Y/N. He was able to indulge in some of his fantasies, including his wife’s. But sometimes it would get out of control; less intimate, less emotional, and more of a way to “get each other off” kinda thing. It wasn’t sex or making love… It was just fucking. He wanted this to be a balance between the passion and roughness. But it was leaning too far into roughness...

Aside what’s been going on in the bedroom, he started taking note of all the small mannerisms and things you do again. Recounting the time of how you started falling asleep way later than him now. The time you reorganized your beauty products and stopped using majority of them, which is unusual because you were obsessed with those specific makeup brands. Even your style and fashion taste is a tad bit different now, especially when you’re off to work— A little more provocative, he would describe. And the fact that you were suddenly all spiritual and astrological, which is extremely odd since that’s one of Geto’s expertise and his wife was unfamiliar with it.

You were never this… bold or outgoing. Out and about in public, you’d be so engaging, eloquent, and confident; the traits of an independent, feminine woman. It may be astonishing to see you’re out of your comfort zone, but seeing this behavior come out of nowhere rather than gradually made him overthink. It was like a light switch where the personality he fell in love with completely reformed itself in just a mere second. You don’t even drink that much either, until, Geto came home one night to you drinking tequila. He knew that too much would make his wife throw up, but taking it away from you suddenly stirred up an argument.

“The Hell’s wrong with you? Why are you acting so weird, lately?” he chided.

“What do you mean I’m being weird? I’m your wife, for fuck’s sake. This is how I normally am!”

“You know that your alcohol tolerance is low with tequila. Give it to me. You’re drunk!”

Your body temperature is even different when you’re cuddling together that it concerned him. And the fragrance you wear that he was so addicted to began to change as well. It was unsettling to even think of or witness, but then again, he kept constantly gaslighting himself that you’re really his wife. Physically the same, like her eyes, hair, face, body, and all... Nothing really changed about your appearance except for the new hairstyles you do and the attires you wear now. You stuck with your regular routine and schedule, knew how everything in the house works, remembered important dates, car payments and all that… There wasn’t anything out of order pertaining to physical matters.

But this gut feeling he endured four weeks ago when you came home on the 28th just couldn’t stop churning in him… There’s a fear that hides in a corner of his brain. Deeper than what he overthinks, like his intrusive thoughts.

No. Couldn’t be.

Why would I think such a thing about her?

He studied his wife again, who was napping right on his lap. Your face remained nonchalant and emotionless as you slept, which was also odd. Usually she would have her lips slightly perched apart as she’s deep in slumber, softly breathing. Sound asleep just like a baby that makes him want to plant kisses all over her precious face. But now you look like you don’t want to be bothered or woken up.

Then he found himself staring at the photos hung on the wall. Their wedding pictures, their anniversaries, vacations, and family gatherings all made him oddly nostalgic, like he’s never going to experience these precious moments of time ever again. He kept staring at his wife on the photos; timid, shy, but undeniably adorable. He really brought the best out of her as she did for him as well. But why does it feel like the woman on the photos is not the same woman laying on his lap right now?

I can’t be having thoughts like this, he panicked. I don’t want to have thoughts like this.

That’s my wife. I married her.

Why would she be any different?

More time had passed, and Geto’s gut feeling kept scorching in him like an endless flame. Because it wasn’t just this bottomless pit of anxiety swirling in his stomach. An irrational fear, fairly similar to paranoia and anxiety, like something or someone is watching him. Keeping him close by. Prompting him to keep looking back over his shoulder, or feel his skin crawl during the nights he struggles to fall asleep over this bullshit.

There were some unsettling nights with his wife. As if her presence, her aura, everything about her energy resonated to him as… caution. Eerie, abnormal, grim. When he first met his wife, she was a sweetheart, a delicate woman; the moment she steps into the room, his body would blossom with unending ecstasy and rapture. He was smitten, madly in love. It made him want to protect her, to hold her all day, to devote himself to her forever… But now he feels the need to shield himself, to keep some distance away from her, and try not to “provoke” her like she’s a deadly predator that’s keeping her prey hostage, ready to strike at any minute. And even though he tried communicating to her about what he feels, it was straight to rough make-up sex. But her strange, erratic behavior still never changes…

Give me a sign, universe, if my gut feeling about my wife is correct…

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There really was no other way.

It’s a sad reality that people can just change in a snap of a finger. Watching the people that you sincerely care for and love the most just become a whole different person is gut-wrenching and agonizing to bare. Geto couldn’t handle this. He couldn’t understand how this all happened, completely changing the course of the beautiful future him and his wife planned together.

It was impossible to put his finger on. Was his wife really putting on a facade this whole time around him? No. He never questioned anything about her until now and it freaked him out. Seeing her change and act like a whole other person in over a span of a few weeks was just impractical. But at the same time, he couldn’t keep lying to himself anymore.

He had his bags ready with everything he needed just to get away for a couple of days. There was obviously that lingering regret that he might be making the wrong choice. But he was a man that always trusted his gut; never has he ever endured this feeling of every nerve of his body being on high alert. Frozen, tangled in a heap of himself. But because his body had failed him, his mind bears the weight. Like speeding through every option, every possible source of control.

Once you left to go buy food, he was ready to go. Driving far away to the finished lakehouse which is one of the properties he owns, but never took his wife yet since it was under construction for a few months. Never looking back, trying so hard not to dwell on his emotions. His wife’s attitude, behavior, actions… everything was all elusive to him. The way it invaded his mind was the sign all along— a warning, rather. And then there’s this paralyzing belief that led him to his intrusive thoughts, like an insane theory that she is someone else, someone new living in her skin, taking over her body…

My wife is gone. Someone killed her.

That was the mindset he forced himself to conjecture. The drive was two and a half hours, and even though he believed that he left everything behind with no trace, there was that same symphony of paranoia causing a cacophony in his mind. That dreadful feeling of being followed or watched when he leasts expects it. The sinking feeling of making the wrong choice and it was all in his head. His anxiety would even skyrocket if a black Audi, the car his “wife” drives, started following him for more than five minutes.

She’s gone. She’s not coming back.

When he finally made it to the lake house, he was absolutely lost. He’s never felt this alone without the love of his life. He knew that his life, his body, his soul would be devoid without her, and it felt as if he had been grieving, still in denial about what happened. He just couldn’t let her go, but then again… that’s not the same woman he met four years ago.

She’s not going to find you here, he promised himself. Stop being paranoid now. It’s over. She’s gone.

The sunset radiated a soft glow right through the wide windows, feeling his body soothe from all that nausea-induced anxiety and paranoia. Reconnecting with nature; that was exactly what he needed the most. Reveling in the crisp breeze and the lingering scent of pine trees, Autumn was the season that he associated his wife with. Consuming everything pumpkin flavored, raking the orange and yellow leaves littering their yard, being able to wear her favorite sweaters again…

Stop reminding yourself of her. She’s dead.

As he was meditating and alleviating himself with tea the past few minutes, it was already nightfall. The stars were sloshing behind moldy gray clouds. The moon was a waning gibbous, shyly peaking from the shadows with one of its symmetrical sides. He needed to relish in this beautiful moment of tranquility and let himself go from reality.

But it wasn’t until the loud caw of a crow from nearby startled him, perched right on the balcony’s railing just to stare into his eyes. Too enervated from the situation, he ignored it and just went back inside, locking all the doors and windows and closing the blinds. So much pain weighing down on his heart to bear, clinging to his skin like static and stalking him like his own shadow. He was tired. He wanted to sleep. He needed all the time in the world to be alone.

But those damn crows outside the house wouldn’t shut up. He can hear them swarming in groups through trees, followed by the cool winds rustling the leaves. The sounds of nature began to exasperate him along with the ticking of the clock in his room, preventing him from drifting off to sleep. It made his stomach twist and ache again, thinking that the outdoor noises were something else in a remote location like this. Animals? Intruders…?

His heart dropped down into his stomach again. Distressed and unsettled, like anticipating trauma, it was back to the point he had to keep looking over his shoulders, wary as ever. He didn’t know if this was real or a nightmare. With every tick of the clock his stomach falls sick, causing his heart vessel to stretch, pump, and rush to survive.

He’s never known the true feeling of terror in all his life. Psychological torment, anguish, a fight-or-flight moment… He holds his breath as he slipped off the bed and saunters warily downstairs to the kitchen and slipped out the largest knife from the wooden knife holder. He can sense that someone’s here already, feel the presence of some being closing in on his ears and neck. After all the shit he endured the past couple weeks, he let his underlying aggravation seep instead of his paranoia, cluthing the handle of the knife tighter. He was ready to strike at any minute, at any second he sees or feels something unusual in the house.

He checked the front door. Still locked. Everything downstairs remained the same as it was when he arrived, nothing out of place or unusual. It was dark outside, but the moonshine was luminous enough to gleam through the blinds. The sounds of nature became prolonged-silence, the tension so thick it was impossible to slice through. He decided to head back upstairs, still wielding the knife in his hand. If everything was really fine, and there were no signs of breakage or intruders rummaging in any areas of the house… how the Hell was his “wife” sitting so gracefully on his bed, the moment he turned on the lights?

His heart raced like wildfire after seeing you, pounding loudly in his ears. He could feel his own blood being forced through his veins with every loud thump from such unimaginable, staggering fear. You slant your head at him with a small smirk, dressed in a pink silk robe with nothing underneath. Your hands propped beside you, arching your back and folding your legs to show your skin underneath. He remembers his wife wearing that silk robe when they were on honeymoon, which adorned her figure so beautifully… But nothing about this was beautiful or even an attempt to seduce him— he had tempered rage. Fear. Bewilderment. Anger. Frustration. You see it all like a flint behind his eyes, a surging storm taking over.

“Is that how you greet your wife? Holding a knife in your hand like that?” you coaxed, slanting your head at him with a cocky smile it pissed him off.

“You are not my wife,” Geto spat out, pointing the knife at your expressionless self. He cautiously ambles closer towards the bed, feeling his heart beat erratically. “Who are you!?”

The question made her stifle her laugh. She stood up from the bed and Geto backed up, clutching tightly on the knife’s handle he could feel his palms become clammy.

“I’m your wife, Suguru. I’ve always been your wife. We’ve known each other ever since Satoru introduced you to me—“

“You’re not!” he chastised. “You’re not… my—“

“Oh, but I am. You married me in November last year in Thailand. And we had our honeymoon in Malaysia. Remember when I wore this for you?”

Geto’s nose flared as he held back tears, feeling his throat ache as if he was being choked by barbed wire. “Stop. Just— just fucking tell me who you are. I know that you’re not her. Stop fucking lying to me. You’re not the same!”

“And if I wasn’t?” she piqued. “Imagine how terrifying that would be if I really wasn’t your wife all along. Now put the knife down.”

His jaw clenched harder, glaring down at you.“That won’t be happening. I know witchcraft when I see it— what the fuck did you do to her!?”

“You’re fucking insane.” You deadpanned at him as if he offended you, your gesture switching from tender and endearing to menacing, like you were ready to strike him on sight. It made his heart leap.

“Don’t you want a wife who’s not so fragile? Not so delicate and shy and… timid? Knows how to defend herself, knows how to act like an independent woman?” You ambled much closer and Geto was rendered frozen, flinching slightly when you whispered in his ear, “A wife who can fulfill all those dirty fantasies of yours and keep our sex life healthy?”

“She’s not— I don’t need—“

“Yes. You do. I can’t imagine myself living in your shadow all the time. That was our tiny, little flaw in our marriage. Acting as if I don’t have a mind of my own and can’t make smart decisions for myself. Now, you…” your tone falls sharper, channeling up your frustration to roughly push him against the wall so abruptly that the knife slipped from his hands. “What you did tonight, Suguru… Running away from me before our wedding anniversary, leaving our wedding ring on the table, abandoning me as if I was nothing to you… makes me think you’re ungrateful for everything I’ve done. For you, for us, for our marriage.”

Geto felt an uncontrollable ache scorching in his body from this foreign feeling of despair and hopelessness— once again, terror had struck him. The way his body and mind reacts is something he never experienced in his life until now, until the last few weeks, until his “wife” ruined his life…

“No, that was— Please—“ he stammered, gasping when your hand clutches around his throat and roughly pinning him against the wall.

“Don’t make me hurt you, Suguru,” you chided breathlessly. “Our marriage was supposed to be perfect! I did everything I could to fix myself as a wife. And because you didn’t like it, you ruined everything.”

He struggled fighting your suffocating grasp, trying to speak but some words got caught in his throat. When he first heard the phrase, “a woman is no man’s peace,” he hardly believed that would be the case with his wife until tonight.

“I’m— I’m so— sorry—“

When you let go of his throat so abruptly, he fell to his knees, gasping and coughing heavily as he was trying to catch his breath. Never has he ever thought of putting his hands on his wife. Never has he seen it coming from her that she would be the first to hurt him, to put her hands on him. It made him frazzled, penting up all the pain and ache that will never go away. He stared at the floor, swimming in regret and fear until he found the knife sitting under the bed.

“I— I made a mistake,” he breathed out, gazing up at you on his knees as he slowly inched near his bed. “I’m sorry. I was scared. It’s a pathetic, coward excuse of a husband like me. But we can go home, we’ll— we’ll pretend this night never happened. I won’t tell anyone— Please, love. Let’s just go home…”

You slanted your head again and scoffed. “Won’t tell anyone?”

Who is there even to tell?

“If you just want me… for my money or for sex,” he grunted, “It’s fine, I— I just really wanna go home and… be there for you. Fix our marriage together. Live our life together until we die. I’ll even give you my kids.”

“Kids?”

High on adrenaline, Geto grabbed the knife and sliced it through her leg with a grunt, emitting an agonizing shriek from you. As you wailed in pain and screamed at him furiously, he scrambled on his feet and ran as fast as he could downstairs and out the door. Cursing at himself for not grabbing the car keys, his body was still high on alert and adrenaline, urging him to run towards the dark woods where he could hide temporarily until she’s out the house. It was a dangerous, stupid situation he put himself into— but at least he knew some of the neighbors nearby where he could get help. All he had to do was run and never look back, just how he did before.

As he was making his way through the woods, panting heavily and constantly looking back at his shoulders, he tripped over something hard on the dirt and fell into a pit that was hidden behind bushes. Groaning in pain and trying to regain his stability, he tried analyzing where he had fallen, until, something macabre caught his eye.

Doctor Y/N. His sex therapist. Her dead, soulless body laying right in the pit he fell into.

He finally fathomed his true demise. His eyes widened in horror from this inescapable, indescribable terror burning his brain like acid. As if his heart wasn’t erratically thundering and pounding in his chest already, his pulse kept rapidly accelerating and accelerating until he felt like passing out. It took him awhile for this all to register, all to make sense in the nightmare he’s currently living. And for the first time in his life, he screamed bloody murder.

The crows cawing loudly within the trees blended with his scream. You were already caught up with him despite your injury, looking down at your old body and then at Geto who was in distress, which you found hilarious. Now you finally have him wrapped around your finger after understanding the situation— if only the desperate man had listened to you before.

“Oh, Suguru. Did you kill your therapist and bury her near your lakehouse?” you chuckled in amusement. “Try running from me again. If you do… I might as well tell the police that you killed Doctor Y/N…”

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[RIDE ANNOUNCER] Please remain seated until the ride comes to a complete stop. Then collect your belongings, watch your head, and step carefully out the vehicle. Don’t forget to dispose your 4D glasses at the bins before you exit. On behalf of all of our crew, thanks for riding with us, and we hope you have a happy and memorable visit here at Horrorland!

ALL WORKS BELONG TO VILSOO © 2023. do not steal, plagiarize, translate, or repost/share any of my works on any social media where minors have access. art by shono on deviantart ♥︎

𖤐 TAGS. @kyumimii @crysugu @red-velvet-moth-hearts @atinystaypixie @rinshoe @justmaragudytha @apwing @mqfuyuu @1tslilithh @arikomot0si @strawberrymilk4k @tojigasam @strvwberrymilk @shycoffeetaco @honeybeegoburrr8 @killzenin @ackachii @xxhamtara @ecstaacy @migueloharacumslut @hayati17 @palefuckinghost @nanananamiiii @shoyosdoll @blackhoodlea @rodeo-star @dollicries @hehehehesthings @oneofthesevensins @jaennii

inspired by the horror fic “dead ringer” by emphemeron, t0bemadeofglass, the lemonade poems by warsan shire, and slightly inspired by Multiverse of Madness.

[vixeneptune]

AFFIRMATIONS THAT WORK LIKE A LOVE SPELL

My aura is so enchanting

My energy has that love spell effect on people

People fall in love with me the moment they hear me

People fall in love with me the moment they see me

People fall in love with me the moment they meet me

I'm so charming, no one can resist my charms

People fall in love with me at first sight

Everyone is mesmerized by my presence and beauty

I fell in love with myself bc I'm so fucking amazing

I naturally attract love bc I radiate love

I can attract anyone I want instantly with just one glance

I can attract anyone I want so effortlessly, like I don't even have to try

I am a magnet for love

People can't help but fall in love with me

I always have the best options in love, literally have a whole simp army after me bc everyone who encounters me ends up falling in love w me

I'm so mesmerizing I charm everyone I encounter

My love radiates for miles and attracts everyone

My eyes make anyone fall deeply in love with me

I have this irresistible charm that everyone falls for

I'm so magnetic, everyone feels so attracted to me

I get too many love confessions daily

I can pull anyone I want with my natural charm and magnetism

Anyone I desire ends up falling deeply in love with me eventually

People easily develop a major crush on me

People fall in love with me in an instant

My eyes naturally have that powerful love spell effect

I make them fall in love with just one look

Everything I do is so charming

My natural energy is enchanting and mesmerizing

people find it so easy to fall for me

My presence inspires people to shower me with love and affection

Idk why my desired people fall in love with me so fast and deep , they become crazy in love and it lasts forever

I'm the girl everyone falls in love with

People love showering me with love and giving me love freely bc I'm so lovable

The moment people meet me they fall under my charms, they become so enchanted by me

I'm the girl who gets anyone she wants instantly

They wonder if I put a spell on them bc of how strongly their love is for me, but no it's just my natural energy

Both men and women develop major crushes on me

I'm so easy to love

I'm everyone's dream girl

I'm literally everyone's crush bc I'm so charismatic and charming

I'm the girl of everyone's dreams

Everywhere I go I get more than 10 people who are in love with me

I already manifested the relationship of my dreams!

Manifesting love is the easiest most natural thing for me

I'm the girl everyone has a crush on

I always attract quality options in love who are willing to give me the world

People feel lucky and blessed to know me

They give me so much love without expecting anything in return

I am the goddess of love and beauty

People wonder what my secret is, why does everyone fall in love with me instantly?

I'm so enchanting and bewitching, my presence captivates everyone around me

It's impossible not to love me, people literally have no choice but to fall in love with me they can't help it

I have too many secret admirers to count

They send me flowers and gifts and spoil me, they do anything to please me just because they love me that much

Why is everyone confessing their undying love for me all of a sudden?

How do i keep getting so many people trying to pursue me and offer me love?

People feel compelled to let me know how crazy in love they are with me

Why is it so easy for me to manifest whatever I want in love? It's like I have magical love powers

Every second that passes with me people can feel themselves falling deeper and deeper in love

Why do I always get anyone I want? Like it's so natural and easy

Whoever I want, wants me 1000x times more

Everyone is captivated and hooked on me like I'm their favorite most special person in the world

These affirmations are included in my love spell subliminal, give it a listen for maximum effects ⚡

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Reference: 5 Symbols

for your next poem/story (pt. 2)

BA

For the Ancient Egyptians, the Ba was the symbolic representation of the soul.

It takes the form of a small bird with the head of a human being.

Could fly between its owner and the Gods for as long as the body was intact.

The Ba is twinned with the Ka.

If the Ba represented the soul, then the Ka was the “life-force,” the spark of life that animated the body and whose departure resulted in death.

The Ka was sustained with offerings of food and drink, although it was the “ka” or spirit of the food and drink that was consumed.

In the Afterlife, the Ba and the Ka would be reunited to form one single entity.

BECKONING CAT

A friendly little statuette with a warm welcome found all over Japan and China.

What the cat is doing with his paws carries a secret message.

The cute little Maneki Neko or beckoning cat is ubiquitous in Japan and China where he appears in both homes and offices.

Can be seen in Oriental restaurants all over the world and is for many people the ultimate symbol of prosperity and good luck.

Comes in different colors, each of which signifies a different meaning:

For example, a red cat will protect from illness, and

a black one will ward off evil.

The position of the paws also carries a message:

With the right paw raised the cat will bring money and happiness to home and workplace.

A cat raising its left paw will attract new customers for a business.

And a cat with both paws raised hits the jackpot; both home and business will be happy and profitable, attracting good luck, friends, prosperity, and new clients.

This cat is also the symbol of the small Buddhist temple in Tokyo, where the original incident that shot the cat to fame is said to have happened:

Originally the temple was a lowly place, whose impoverished priest would regularly share what little food he had with his pet cat.

One day some Samurai were passing and noticed this cat, who had one paw raised as though to say hello. The warriors stopped, intrigued by the beckoning cat, and went into the temple just as a horrendous rain storm started.

They believed that paying attention to the cat’s invitation had prevented them being struck by lightning. Thereafter, the fortunes of the priest, the temple, and of course the cat, started to change for the better.

BULLA

This is a special charm or amulet that was given to Roman children when they were born.

A sealed locket, the bulla (“bubble” or “knob”) contained magical spells specific to the child in question, such as symbols of protection, or wishes for wealth.

Was constructed of different materials depending on the wealth of the family:

leather for the poorest families and gold or

other precious metals for the wealthiest.

Roman boys put aside their bullae when they reached puberty, and the object was offered to the Gods. Girls wore theirs until the eve of their wedding.

In either case it was considered that the bulla belonged to the child, as part and parcel of their personality.

It is the origin of the name of the Papal Bull, the special edict that hails from the Vatican, which is fastened with an oval seal of the same shape as the bulla.

CALUMET

For the Plains Indians, the pipe, also called the calumet, is one of the most important and recognizable symbols.

Although it is sometimes referred to as the Peace Pipe, shared ceremonially as part of a unifying ritual, the pipe was just as valid a symbol during times of war.

The tobacco used in the pipe is also a powerful magical substance originally intended for ritual use only.

The smoke rising from the pipe signifies a prayer traveling toward the Gods and symbolizes the sacred breath, source of all life.

The fire that lights the pipe symbolizes the Sun and the male element.

The pipe itself is equivalent to the prayer that is offered up from it.

Considered so important that in Native American tradition it is described as though it were a person, and each of its components has the name of a body part.

In addition, the bowl is described as an altar, and the stem, the passage of the breath extending from the human body.

CANDLE

Symbolizes light in the darkness in a way that a light bulb simply cannot do.

It represents the element of fire as a benevolent force.

Made even more powerful if the candle is made of wax, a substance made by a magical creature, the bee.

The colors of candles are significant in magical practices:

For example, pink is said to attract love.

Black candles are used in dark magic.

Source More: On Symbols

[shady-swan-jones]

Captain Swan Fic Recs are back, baby! - April Edition

Hello, cs friends! It's been like, what, seven years since I last did this? Who's counting. Enjoy the fruits of y'all's labour and some amazing stories. Keep writing, we need you

-Sophie

when Emma falls in love [from the vault] by @spartanguard

Inspired by "When Emma Falls In Love" by Taylor Swift, part of series based on songs from the vault

everyone's wondering why Emma doesn't screw the hot bartender already, it's not like he hasn't given signs. but with emma's romantic past it's not like she's throwing chances to anyone, scruffily attractive as they may be. yet, it's not her past that's worrisome. will they break the curse?

rated T | 6.2k words | AO3

Untie Me | captain swan fic | office romance | mature | 3/5 | 5.9k | in progress, by me

“Didn’t you pay attention to trigonometry, Jones?” she balances her weight on the stick, languidly, in a way that ticks something into his already drowsy brain.  “Is this the part where you offer to teach me, Swan?” he says, advancing to her. 

Read on Ao3 or ff.net

I, lost, was passing by - by @dykelilypage

Five years ago, Emma's father had given her a necklace for her birthday. It was a beautiful ruby encased in a golden chain, that sat heavy on her chest. It was safe to say then, that Emma was more than a little bit pissed off to discover that it had been stolen from right around her neck. The one stroke of luck to the whole ordeal was that she knew exactly who had taken it. Killian Jones. rated E | 6267 words

love scare by @exhaustedpirate

it's a little canon-compliant one-shot that i place during the six weeks of peace, more specifically, like a day or so before 4B rated G | 922 words | ao3

Expecting a Secret [3/3] by @walviemort

Summary: After the events of 3x19, Killian is at his lowest after being rejected by Emma. When Snow’s labor turns out to be a false alarm, Zelena offers Killian a deal: she’ll leave the Charmings alone…if he gives her the baby she needs for her spell instead. There’s just one hitch: he has to keep it a secret. At least it will only take 10 days, right?

The Heart of a Villan (5/5) by @beckettj

There are only two people that can make me care about football: Ted Lasso and this. Words: 6181 ~ AO3

Perilous Harbor by @veryverynotgoodwrites

Emma Swan is heir apparent to her parents' kingdom in the Enchanted Forest, and a powerful wielder of light magic. This makes her the most wanted woman in the realm, not only for marriage, but for leverage against the king and queen. While her parents have been able to keep her safe so far, an attack is launched on Princess Emma that leaves her no choice but to seek the protection of her worst enemy - Killian Jones, infamous captain of the Jolly Roger and his pirate crew. ao3 in progress 19/23

a work of art by @sotangledupinit

“I always have to clean up your messes,” she mutters to herself angrily, eyes glaring down at the red liquid on the floor.

Between Waking Life and Our Dreams (12/?) by @nachocheese-itsmycheese

Season 3b canon divergence: Storybrooke is still missing when Emma, Killian, and Henry reach the town line. AO3 T

The Fluffy Problem by @ineffablecolors

"Oh, I'm going to have fun paying you back, Captain."

ff.net

The Cure for Loneliness (4/?) by @laianely

Killian went to the world without magic to finally kill Crocodile, but instead he met Emma in Gold's shop. And his whole life turned upside down overnight.

E 16k words in progress AO3

Pan Says... (8/?) by @hollyethecurious

After waking up in a strange room with a naked stranger, Emma and Killian must endure the twisted game their kidnapper insists they play in order to gain provisions and avoid punishments.

To Cleave Destiny by @iamstartraveller776

She was going to pass the night the same way she did every year in adulthood: by getting drunk enough to forget that the world was incredibly unfair. Ao3, in progress, T, 4k

Note:

Don't forget to comment and show some love. To me too. Come on. Anyone else who wants to be tagged can request it.

If you have more fic recs or more links, drop them in the comments and I'll include them. You creative mermaids, love ya.

@kmomof4 @caught-in-the-filter @allons-y-to-hogwarts-713 @the-darkdragonfly @teamhook @justanother-unluckysoul @karlyfr13s  @snowbellewells @xarandomdreamx @klynn-stormz @omninerdgirl  @facesiousbutton82 @finmnsoh56​ @followbatb @killianxswan @booksteaandtoomuchtv @exhaustedpirate @anmylica @hollyethecurious @winterbaby89 @undercaffinatednightmare @resident-of-storybrooke @tiganasummertree @stahlords @lfh1226-linda @darkshadow7 @fleurdepetite @captainswan-kellie @motherkatereloyshipper @soniccat @jrob64 @beckettj @whimsicallyenchantedrose @jonesfandomfanatic @zaharadessert @bluewildcatfanatic @once-upon-a-happy-end @ultraluckycatnd​

[saphronethaleph]

Stare Decisis

“All right, that’s all the spells I can think of,” Hermione said, lowering her wand and inspecting their new camp in the Forest of Dean.

“Which probably means there aren’t any spells left to cast,” Ron noted, wincing. “Ow. I hate splinching… so, uh. What do we do now?”

He frowned. “You know, we’d better win at this point, right? Because I bet Hermione could pass exams anywhere in the world, but you and me, Harry, we’re comparatively buggered.”

“If we don’t win we’re absolutely buggered, not just relatively,” Harry replied, groaning. “So, we’ve got a horcrux… now we need to destroy it, right? And find the rest.”

He looked up at Hermione. “How do we destroy them?”

“We need to use something powerfully destructive, powerful enough to break the magical protections on the horcrux,” Hermione replied, considering the locket they’d retrieved at such peril. “Unfortunately, there aren’t many such powerfully destructive kinds of magic – the only one we know is basilisk venom.”

“Oh, we’re fine, then,” Harry said, relieved. “Sidney can help.”

Both his friends looked at him in some confusion.

“...Sidney?” Hermione asked, eventually.

“Yeah,” Harry agreed.

“Who’s Sidney?” Ron said. “Is he one of your cousin Dudley’s mates?”

“What?” Harry asked. “No. Why would my cousin be friends with a basilisk? You’ve met him.”

“Have I?” Hermione asked. “I don’t think I have. If I did, it was so brief I don’t remember it.”

“I think we need to go back and start this conversation back at a bit where I understood what was going on,” Ron suggested. “I hate splinching. What do we do now?”

“Sidney,” Harry said, firmly. “Sidney is the solution to all our problems.”

He rethought.

“Sidney is the solution to some specific problems, one of which we have right now.”

“Who is Sidney?” Hermione asked. “Please, let’s not get distracted.”

Harry rummaged in his pockets, paused, rummaged in a different pocket, and pulled out a small red and gold bag.

“Alohomora,” he said, touching his wand to the knot, and it unravelled in a trice. “I still love that I can just do that instead of spending a minute undoing it.”

Smiling slightly, he pulled open the bag, and poured out approximately six inches of greenish snake.

The snake hissed slightly, mumbling something about nap time, and rolled over.

“...Harry?” Hermione said, slowly. “Is that a basilisk?”

“Yeah,” Harry agreed.

“Why?” Ron said, not unreasonably.

“Well, I had this idea,” Harry explained, making sure not to look at the serpent in question while actually talking. “See, after I had to kill the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets I got to thinking about how it actually really sucks that there was someone a thousand years old in the school and I had to kill her, and also how actually there can’t be someone who’s just evil because of how they’re born, because there can’t be someone who’s just good because of how they’re born either, and I know people in the magical world think snakes are evil but they’re clearly wrong because the first snake I ever met just wanted to visit his homeland.”

Hermione and Ron looked at him, then each other, then back at him.

“You realize that’s enormously illegal, right?” Ron said, in an interested voice.

“Yeah, I didn’t tell anyone at first because of that, but at this point what’s one more crime?” Harry asked. “I’m already guilty of Being Harry Potter in the first degree.”

He stroked Sidney’s spine with a fingertip, then glanced up. “And, honestly, he’s been kind of helpful in my not going completely insane once or twice.”

“Not going completely insane?” Ron asked. “So, um, how come this Sidney is still alive, anyway? Hagrid’s got his cockerels back.”

“Silenced bag,” Harry explained. “It’s got a warming charm too, he likes it in there. I’ll probably have to get a bigger one or expand the inside in a decade or three.”

“...um,” Hermione said. “I was actually hoping for this topic to come up, but how old is Sidney?”

“About… four?” Harry said, frowning. “Yeah, he turned four not long ago. He’s a lot smarter than a human four year old, I assume, I haven’t actually met many of them but he’s better conversation than I was at eleven.”

“Oh, I see,” Hermione realized. “Didn’t you say the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets was fifty feet long?”

“Easily that!” Ron said. “I don’t see.”

“Fifty feet long, but nearly a thousand years old,” Hermione pointed out. “So that’s about twenty years a foot.”

“Say what you like about Salazar Slytherin, but he was a long term planner,” Harry noted. “Though he did hatch out at about four inches… all right, sleepyhead, wake up!”

Sidney mumbled something, burrowing into his own coils.

“Can’t basilisks kill you with their gaze?” Ron asked. “I assume you’ve got some kind of answer for that, just saying.”

“Yeah, at this point a prolonged staring match causes a headache,” Harry replied, as Sidney finally accepted that he wasn’t going to get back to sleep any time soon and yawned. “Hey there, mate. Got something for you to bite, it’d be a real help.”

“You’re sure it’s okay?” Sidney asked, tilting his head and yawning again. “Because I remember you were quite firm about the rules.”

Harry nodded.

“I know,” he agreed. “This is an exception because it’s a bit of the soul of that person who tried to kill me about… it’s got to be at least a dozen times by now.”

“Oh, that’s probably all right, then,” Sidney decided.

“Hagrid is going to love this,” Ron said, as Harry held out the locket and Sidney gave it a determined nibble. “Once you tell him, anyway.”

There was a sharp crack, and a kind of black mist flew out of the locket before dispersing.

“Ew,” Sidney said, doing the snake version of making a face. “How many more pieces are there? Because that didn’t taste very nice at all.”

“There might be a few more, but not many,” Harry said. “Want to go back and have a nap, or meet my friends?”

“If you’re being open about my existence, why not?” Sidney said, flicking his tail in something like a shrug, then coiled up into a little spiral.

“I’m almost sure I recognized one of those words,” Ron muttered.

Hermione was already on her second page of notes.

(so I saw a post about something similar to this, and decided to one-scene snippet it)

[roonyxx]

Healing Love: Part 4

Summary: You have a normal life as a nurse, and you are content with it. But then a storm called Dean Winchester rolls into it and you get swept away by his charms. But secrets linger and threaten to drown you both.

Pairing: Dean x Witch!nurse!reader

Word count: 1160

Chapter warnings: angst, wounds and medical stuff (i am no professional and have no idea what the real treatments are), fluff.

support me :)

Healing Love Masterlist

My Masterlist

Deviders made by @firefly-graphics, give her some love!

“What are you.” he says again.

You struggle to get to your feet and look at his face, his eyes moving and alive, his chest rising with each breath.

Alive.

“I-“ how are you supposed to answer that? He will never want to see you again…

“I’m a witch, a natural witch.” You carefully say, glancing at both boys.

Will they kill you?

“I never hurt anyone. I promise.” You quickly add.

“Dean… y-you weren’t breathing, she saved you, without her magic, you would have been…” Sam doesn’t finish his sentence. You’re glad he doesn’t because you don’t want to think of that, what would have happened if you were just a normal nurse.

Dean tries to get up but hisses and grabs his stomach.

“Careful!” you say “I had enough to pull you back and fix the worse of the damage but you still have a long way to go.”

Dean looks up at you, his green eyes that are usually filled with joy are now cold and angry.

“Why did you lie to me. Do you have something to hide?” he snaps at you.

“Wh-what? No, of course not. I just- I figured out you were a hunter and- and well… hunters don’t care about what I do. They see my powers and go straight to the killing option.”

“Did you curse me? Made some spell so I would like you? what do you want?”

“Of course not! I didn’t do anything! I didn’t curse you! I just want to help you.” you explain.

“Sam can help me. Leave.”

“Dean…” Sam tries to reason.

“Your bandages still need changing so unless you want to die of infection, I need to see you at least every two days. Sam doesn’t know how to do it and I doubt another nurse will come all the way here, for free.” You cross your arms over your chest.

He might hate you now but that’s no reason for you to stop helping Dean.

“Once you’re all healed, I’ll disappear from your life.” You say.

The only respons you get is a grunt.

You turn and leave before he can see your tears fall.

The next two week pass slowly. You see Dean every two days and he doesn’t say a word. He’s very cold towards you, but at least he is healing.

Sam came to thank you and apologized for Dean’s behavior. He mentions his brother has trust issues.

It’s hard for you because you never hurt anyone, all you want to do is help. And to have Dean acting so cold hurts even more.

When you come in the bunker today, there is a woman there, talking to Sam.

You never saw her before.

You make your way down the stairs.

“Oh, hi Y/n.” Sam kindly smiles at you.

The older woman turns around and takes you in, “Ah so this is the famous witch who saved Dean.” Her accent gives a funny twist to her words.

Your magic rises in you at sensing her magic. She’s a witch, and a powerful one.

She sticks her hand out towards you, “Rowena, nice to meet you. So rare to find a natural witch these days, you aren’t looking for a coven, are you?”

You hesitantly shake her hand, “Y/n, and no. I have no interest in joining a coven.”

“A pity.” Rowena sighs and turns back to Sam.

“As I told your brother, aside from the healing magic there is no proof of other spells used. Dean seemed surprised when I told him that.” She tells Sam.

is that why this witch is here? Why isn’t Dean pissed at her? Perhaps it’s just you he hates.

“He’s in his room?” you interrupt the conversation and leave to do your work when Sam nods.

You knock.

“Yes.” You hear Dean say from the other side.

You come in and go straight to work, not even looking him in the eyes, but you can feel his stare burning into the side of your face.

You lift his shirt and start cleaning the bandages and his wound.

“It’s healing well.” You say out loud.

“It’s hurting less.” He tells you and you look up at him.

He sounds almost normal, that hateful glint in his eyes is gone.

You look back down and continue working.

“So you are talking to me, and letting in other witches that you apparently don’t hate.”

“I don’t hate you and I- I need her to check something.” He answers.

“Check if I cursed you? I didn’t.” you say.

“I know. She told me. I just…” he sighs and you look at him “I’ve been used so many times before, I was afraid it was happening again. And- and I didn’t want that because i- I really like you, Y/n.”

You’re staring at him, a little baffled. You weren’t expecting this.

“You treated me horribly when all I did was help you.” you tell him.

“I know…” he bats his eyes down, “I don’t deserve your help.” He mutters.

You sigh and touch his hand, “I can understand how you feel. But you hurt me. I can’t just jump back to what we had.”

He nods, “I understand” then a dark chuckle, “even when something good happens to me, I manage to ruin it.”

“You still have a chance, Dean. But I will need time, okay? You can start with being flirty again, I missed that.” You give him a small smile.

The smile he gives you makes all the tension in your body leave. You almost forgot how his smile can light up a whole room.

“I missed you too, Y/n. Thank you for giving me another chance.” He reaches out and touches your cheek.

You lean into his palm, “I guess you have questions?”

“I do, what is a natural witch? Rowena said they are rare.”

“I was born a witch, like my mother, and I draw my power from nature. I don’t need to do rituals or have contact with demons to have powers.” You explain while finishing up his bandage.

“And you can heal?” he asks, “or do other things to?”

“Healing is my main signet yes. I can also levitate some objects and feel the presence of other magic. Like the sigils in the bunker.”

“That’s so cool.” He moves a little to the side to make room for you in his bed.

“Would you lay with me while I ask more? I want to know everything.” He says.

“You just want me in your bed.” You chuckle and get comfy next to him.

“Why not both?” he grins at you.

You gently slap his shoulder and snuggle into his side, his scent a balm to your aching heart.

You spend the whole evening talking about your powers and explaining everything to him.

You don’t even remember when you fell asleep in his arms.

But you do know that it was the best sleep you had in weeks.

Forever Tags 2024: @jay-and-dean @flamencodiva @snowlovespie @awkward-and-indecisive @hobby27 @kazsrm67 @foxyjwls007

Dean tags 2024: @akshi8278 @pink-sparkly-witch @verytoadpapersoul @eevvvaa @muhahaha303 @alwaystiredandconfused @deansimpalababy @globetrotter28 @aylacavebear

Healing Love tags: @deans-spinster-witch @kr804573 @suckitands33 @bitchykittenconnoisseur @brightlilith @snowayumi @ailalovegood @shanimallina87 @stoneyggirl2 @chriszgirl92 @neptua

send me an ask if you want to be on any of my tag lists! (or if you want to be removed)

[nyxhaven]

A Shared Dance, A Drunken Kiss (18+ smut minors dni!)

Description: in act 3 in baldurs gate, In the dimly lit tavern, Tav and Gale found themselves drawn to each other like moths to a flame. Their evening of laughter and shared drinks took an unexpected turn when a fiery, drunken kiss filled with unspoken tension ignited a passionate desire between them.

warnings ( 18+ minors dni, gale services tav, amab, quickly wrote, queer)

my master list of other writings

photo creds @flymm

The bustling tavern was alive with merriment, its wooden beams adorned with strings of flickering lanterns that cast a warm, golden glow upon the lively crowd. The air was thick with laughter, the clinking of tankards, and the sound of a raucous minstrel's tune filling every corner of the room.

Gale, leaned against the polished oak bar, their fingers tracing idly along the worn surface. They observed the revelry with a hint of wistfulness in their eyes but remained a little apart from the festivities. The old tome with its cryptic spells lay forgotten beside them as they watched the dancers and laughter that filled the tavern.

Meanwhile, in the midst of the crowd, Tav was a whirlwind of movement, dancing to the lively tune with the other patrons, their every step filled with grace and wild abandon. They wove through the joyous crowd, their eyes catching the glint of candlelight and the sparkle of tankards raised in celebration.

The tension between Gale and Tav was palpable, like an invisible thread pulling them closer and yet holding them apart. Gale's gaze often drifted to Tav's swirling form on the makeshift dance floor, admiring their exuberance and vitality, while Tav found their eyes drawn back to Gale, the enigmatic wizard who seemed content to stay on the periphery of the revelry.

With each passing moment, the tension in the tavern grew, building like the crescendo of a spell waiting to be cast. It was a night filled with possibilities and unspoken desires, where the worlds of adventure and magic threatened to collide in a way that could change the course of their journey forever.

As the lively song finally began to die down, Tav, their heart pounding with anticipation, broke away from the dance floor. A wide, inviting grin spread across their face as they waved Gale towards them. The minstrel's tune had given way to a slower, more intimate melody, setting the perfect stage for the change that was about to occur.

Gale glanced at the almost empty tankard in their hand, considering the invitation, then downed the last of their drink, a newfound confidence rising within them. They pushed off the bar, leaving the forgotten tome behind, and made their way to Tav, who stood there with a mischievous glint in their eye.

As Gale approached, Tav extended a hand, a charming smile curving their lips. "Took you long enough," Tav teased, their tone playfully accusatory.

Gale chuckled, accepting Tav's hand and moving into their embrace, their bodies swaying to the rhythm of the new song. "I had to finish my drink, didn't I? I'm not as fearless as you."

Tav leaned in, their lips almost brushing against Gale's ear. "Maybe I can teach you a few things about being fearless," they whispered, their warm breath sending shivers down Gale's spine.

The playful banter between them was charged with an undeniable attraction. They continued to dance, their bodies moving in perfect harmony as the song wrapped around them like a secret promise. Tav's fingers traced light patterns along Gale's back, igniting a fiery longing that neither of them could deny any longer.

With the night growing late and desire burning brightly, Tav finally leaned in, capturing Gale's lips in a passionate kiss. The world seemed to disappear around them as they locked into the sweet embrace, their hearts and desires laid bare.

As they parted, Tav gazed into Gale's eyes with a raw intensity. "Gale," they began, their voice husky with emotion, "would you like to come to my tent tonight? Just you and me."

Gale met Tav's gaze with a mix of desire and anticipation, their answer a whispered, "Yes, Tav. I'd love that."

The tavern, with its lively celebrations, had transformed into a place of secret desires and untamed passion for the two adventurers, setting the stage for a night they would never forget.

Hand in hand, Tav and Gale walked through the cool night air, leaving the lively tavern behind. The lantern-lit path back to their camp was dappled with shadows, mirroring the magic of the night they had shared.

Their footsteps were soft and synchronized, and without the need for words, their connection was understood. Arriving at the camp, they entered a secluded tent, softly lit by a flickering candle.

Drunken sloopy kisses rain down Tav’s neck as gale pulled off their shirt. Tav sits on Gale’s desk, they cupped the back of gales head graspng a palm full of his dusted hair. Pulling him in to a deep kiss, your toungue licks Gales lip asking for entance. he opens his mouth enough for you to explore his mouth. His tounge slips into yours taking focus as his body grinds into yours.

His kisses begin to trail down your neck leaving a small patch of hickeys on your collar bone. he continues down your chest, your stomach, and your happy trail, a line of small kickeys from the wizard on hes knees now.

“is this okay?” gales says on his knees, his tone is almost begging, filled with lust looking up at you.

“yes gale, amongst all the choas of evrything its nice to have something like this…like us.”

Gale pulls down the trousers around your hips, and begins to kiss the skin between your member and your thigh, cupping your balls with his hand. Taking in a deep smell of your musk. You let out a deep groan of relaxation. Gale takes the the head of you into your mouth feeling your full erection in his mouth. Bobbing up and down setting a pace, gale massages tavs balls gently. Gale continues making sloppy movements, while Tavs mouth is a mess, full of moans and Gale’s name. Gale brings his head up for a deep breath, looking up at Tav with beatiful brown leather eyes.

Gale’s kisses under his balls are soft and delicate, as his rough scruff rubs the inside of your thighs. He takes the head of his cock into his mouth again, his tounge swils on the tip, the precum from Tav begins to wets his tip.

“your precum taste so sweet. i’ve wanted to please you for so long Tav.” Gale says in a low rugged voice, panting for breath. He rubs his thumb on the underside of Tavs dick, causing it to flex under the pleasure.

“you’re going so good Gale, this is amazing!”

Tav pulls him into a soft kiss, still tasting the wine mixed with the saltiness of his own precum on gales lips. Gale takes the head of your cock back into his mouth burying his nose into the dark bush of hair at Tavs base. Tav holds a chuck of gales greying hair loosely, as his head stays down sucking. Tavs hips buck chasing its own release feeling the back of Gales throat.

“im getting close Gale” Tav says inbetween scattered breaths.

Gales removes his head grasping the shaft of Tavs dick, he begins to pump as Tavs dick releases onto Gales face. shooting ropes of cum onto him, semen covers his face in a line from jaw to hairline. a moment of silence falls as Tavs moans settle, Gales stands chuckling. He removes his shirt doing a quick clean of his face.

“that was amazing Tav, Thank you.” Gale says smirking.

pulling Gale closer to them Tav replies “I feel like i should be thanking you.” Tav leans closer into his ear. “you did such a good job taking me tonight darling perhaps soon we can have more nights like this.”

“i really reaaly hope so” gale says soflt kissing Tav again before walking out the tent to go wash off tonights mess in the lake.

A/N : hope you enjoyed this is my first official smut writing! let me know if you want certain genders/pronouns. please leave constructive criticism or just nice comments and lmk who and what to write next!

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

You mentioned in another post about Dumbledore's "protection" being seriously lacking (for people like James & Lily). Can you expand on this?

I suppose it's time.

What the Fidelius Charm Does

The Fidelius Charm involves three parties: a location to be protected, a secret keeper, and the caster of the charm. Upon completion, a location is perfectly hidden. It can't be accessed physically even if someone knows it must be there (e.g. Grimmauld Place disappearing between numbers 12 and 14 with no explanation of the missing building in between), cannot be plotted by wizards, and can't be accessed magically either.

To enter the location and even be able to access it properly, a person needs access to 'the secret' which is granted by only the secret keeper. Through this person, they then have access to the location on a full-time basis (it is not a one-time ticket and seemingly cannot be revoked).

Those who are not granted 'the secret' cannot enter the location no matter what they might try. This makes it, on the surface, a highly dependable security measure.

Alright, What's the Problem

There's a few problems right away with the spell.

The first is the known one from canon, it relies on a 'secret keeper'. A party has to be trusted to grant access to the location. If this is a third party, they have to be able to reliably white list those seeking entrance and cannot afford to make a mistake. If this party is compromised or is nefarious then the charm is rendered completely void with no warning to those being protected or the caster.

The second is that, upon the secret keeper's death, there's no next in line but the secret instead defaults to being kept by everyone on the whitelist. In canon we see this with the death of Dumbledore (secret keeper for Grimmauld Place). Upon his death, everyone now has the ability to give access to Grimmauld Place. This includes Severus Snape who is a presumed Death Eater, meaning that Grimmauld Place is now completely compromised. This is very very bad.

The third is part of the above, once you're on the whitelist it seems you can't be removed. They discover Severus Snape is a Death Eater, Dumbledore dies and everyone's now secret keeper, they can't seem to revoke both secret keeper status as well as his presence on the whitelist from him. The best they can do is set up a hilariously terrible jinx to protect the building if he tries to enter (it is uh very ineffective).

The fourth is that your status on the whitelist never expires. Once you're in, you're in forever. You don't get just a one-time pass or a session with an expiration date where you have to reapply for access. Now, perhaps this is convenient as it means you don't have to seek out the secret keeper again (and in that sense secures the secret keeper's identity) however it means those who might have flipped sides later have access forever or else people now always have access to the location even in unwanted hours/if they were there for just a meeting.

These are just the weaknesses baked into the spell by nature, it gets worse when we consider how it's implemented for Godric's Hollow.

Alright, What's Wrong with the Godric's Hollow Implementation

This is where things start to look nefarious.

The above, I wouldn't expect wizards to necessarily be thinking about. While at this point asymmetric key encryption is taking off in the Muggle world and has been for decades, it's a recent Muggle invention and not one that even ordinary Muggles pay attention to let alone wizards (who would then have to consider how to implement this in a magical form and what use cases it'd have for them). What the wizards employ, while bad, is not out of line with how ciphers and things worked for much of Muggle history. You have a key you have to protect, if you lose it you're fucked, no way around that. Which means that passing the key to those who need it, making sure you can trust them, is the largest weakness of the system. The Fidelius is very strong in that it seems you have to have the key to break it, which is the case with all encryption, and the issue then is trying to keep the key as safe as possible (which is always a hard task).

Basically, looking at that, I don't think they could have done much better than the fidelius in terms of security in and of itself (there's other options they could have taken but we'll get into that below).

But then we look at Godric's Hollow.

The issue is who do they make secret keeper. They suspect Lupin of being a spy, someone has been leaking information to Voldemort including the Potter's location (which is why they had to go under Fidelius in the first place). At this point, they're already fucked.

They try to get around this by announcing the secret keeper is Sirius but in secret making it Peter, so that everyone will go after Sirius instead. The trouble is that James only has three friends. One he thinks is a spy, that leaves two.

Even had Peter not been a Death Eater, Peter knew who the secret keeper was. If you know who the secret keeper is, that's effectively knowing the secret itself. All Voldemort has to do is find the first person among the Order who will either talk, or slowly pick his way through Potter's associates and friends until he gets the secret or else kills the one who turned out to be the secret keeper.

Not to mention that all Voldemort has to do is imperio those who have access to the secret and send them to murder the Potters in his stead.

Sirius, Peter, and Remus would be the first on Voldemort's list, and everyone knew that.

It would have been a matter of weeks, had Voldemort actively pursued this, before Voldemort gained access to the house.

And here's the thing. We see that Dumbledore can be both the caster and the secret keeper from Grimmauld Place. Dumbledore, reportedly, is the only person Voldemort is scared of and is the strongest wizard by far in the Order. Why didn't Dumbledore offer to be secret keeper? Why didn't he insist on it? Why didn't James and Lily ask him to do it, especially when they suspect Remus of being a spy?

While James might have picked Peter out of a show of loyalty, Dumbledore could have insisted for their protection. Instead, it seems like Dumbledore purposefully let them take this option and never gave an explanation as to why.

Maybe, Godric's Hollow Was a House of Cards

We also have James. James, canonically, snuck out of Godric's Hollow while it was under protection to hang out with Sirius and the gang. Dumbledore confiscated his invisibility cloak for this reason, something Lily notes in her letter to Sirius.

The thing is, while Dumbledore takes the cloak, that's the only thing he does to stop James from sneaking out. Perhaps it's not his place to do more, but on the other hand, this does nothing to stop James from sneaking out and James (having access to the secret) could easily be imperioed and sent back to murder his family.

Instead, he makes it look as if he's doing something, but is taking an item he greatly wanted as it is.

With that prophecy, where Harry or Neville are the only ones capable of defeating Voldemort, it's starting to look like Dumbledore wants James and Lily to be found. He wants to set up just enough protection that, at a glance, it looks very secure and as if they're putting their all into hiding them: except that he doesn't want it to hold.

Godric's Hollow is a trap intended for Tom, to lure him into a confrontation with the child, when he's the only one who knows the full prophecy and the last few lines that Tom doesn't (as it is, I'm not sure even we the readers know exactly what the prophecy says or that Snape learning the prophecy wasn't a set up).

My theory is this: Dumbledore purposefully chose this method of protection (versus sending Lily and James out of the country with Harry), purposefully chose not to be secret keeper, and set up Godric's Hollow as a means to lure Voldemort into a trap and vanquish him with James, Lily, and Harry as unfortunate collateral damage.

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

The Arcana HCs: M6 with an introverted MC

Julian

To this guy, being alone is cruel and unusual punishment, so the first few times you give yourself some alone time he freaks out

Did he make you mad? Did he say something to hurt you? Are you bored with him?

His solution is to glue himself to your side and pull out every charming trick he can think of

Look, he can swordfight! Look, he can sing! Look, he reads big books full of obscure medical terms! Please don't shut him out!

Needless to say this gets irritating after a bit

Once you sit him down and get to the bottom of why he's acting so weird you're able to explain

He's much more understanding now

You'll still need to be very blunt though: "Julian. I love you very much. For the sake of my sanity I am going to spent the next few hours in this room. By myself."

After a few instances of this it's able to settle in his mind that you needing alone time isn't a rejection, so now he takes these opportunities to go get himself in trouble so he has a dashing story to tell you about later

Asra

They've known this already, they've known you further back than your memories go and they spent at least a year being your caretaker

He's also an introvert so this works out great

Loves sitting quietly on opposite ends of the room, dozing and daydreaming and mentally fine tuning a spell or two while you do your thing

If they feel like being around people when you don't they'll leave Faust with you and go exploring

Never stays away for too long, now that he knows what he gets to come back to

Alone time is a lot harder to get when you're traveling though, so they will happily take a day with you to hole up in some B&B or camp out in whatever nature you're passing through

After the events of that disastrous masquerade, you have a lot more friends than you did before and more reasons to be social

So if you're in the mood for human interaction and he isn't, he doesn't feel nearly as guilty taking some time to himself if he knows you'll take that as a chance to pay some visits

Nadia

What else did you think her thinking tower was for? She gets it

As dedicated to you as she is, she's able to pick up your inclinations pretty quickly

She makes sure you have your own chambers next to hers at the palace to use as you see fit

Not that you aren't welcome in hers! But she likes having her tower so much she figured you should have something like that too

Has secret passages installed with a little magical help from your chambers to several important places

Those places are the library, the kitchen, the gardens, and her private bath

Sometimes if it feels like a while since she's seen you, she'll send Chandra with a little love note to check in

If she needs alone space while you're feeling chatty, no worries there. The palace is packed with people

Now that her family visits regularly, you're able to get to know them while she's occupied and learn more about her

Every now and then she'll come downstairs after a quiet afternoon and find you in the drawing room with one of her sisters, sharing the things about her you love most

She'll be blushing for the rest of the evening

Muriel

King of the introverts

If you need a day to yourself, the hut is yours while he goes about his daily routine

The chances of him wanting to be social when you don't are highly, highly unlikely

In fact, unless you are also as extremely introverted as he is, you are more likely to need more company than what he can comfortably provide

Going into town isn't always the best solution either, because after half of Vesuvia camped around his hut for a month everyone recognizes you

Thankfully Nadia built a back entrance into the palace gardens from the forest in case either of you wants to visit

And you have a very convenient glamor spell for when you need to stop by the shop

You always pick up pumpkin bread and something new to sample on your way back

Inanna especially loves it if you bring her a treat or two

It's also not uncommon for somebody to stop by the hut for old time's sake, to invite you to a wedding or birthday or just to check in with a gift

Portia

Oh boy, she does not get it at all

Like in her mind she knows some people are just like that, Nadia's quite the introvert too, but she cannot relate

Mostly she'll just be worried that you're losing your happiness. Everything about being around people brings her joy, why don't you want to have fun??

She loves you though, so she'll leave you in the cottage or garden for a morning with some pastries and a book recommendation while she catches up on palace gossip

If you're traveling it'll look similar, she'll make sure you're set up for a comfortable few hours while she does her ambassador stuff

She draws people to her without thinking about it, she'll never be without company

You're still her favorite company though, so she'll pop her head in pretty regularly to see if you're recharged enough to hang out

She'll also let you know every single place she's going to be in so you can come find her as soon as you're ready

Her smile when you do will light up the room

Lucio

In case it wasn't obvious from the amount of parties he likes to throw, he is an extrovert

Half the time, if he's caught up in something, he doesn't notice if you take a few hours to yourself

The other half the time, he's very concerned and slightly hurt

Why wouldn't you want to spend time with him? What do you mean you want to be alone? Being alone is the worst! You prefer being alone to being around him?!?

You do try to explain it to him, and he does do his best to understand, but the concept is so foreign it just doesn't make sense

Your best bet is to suggest an activity that he enjoys and tell him that you're tired and you're going to rest while he does that (which is basically true)

This actually works really well for the most part

Sometimes something will remind him of you or he'll get bored quickly and come bursting into your quiet space when you least expect it

You can try suggesting a quiet activity, but most likely that's going to be all you get until he finds something else to enjoy that doesn't require your participation

[hollowed-theory-hall]

Dumbledore is a Manipulative Piece of Shit: Part 1/?

Since I read the books for the first time at the age of 12, I knew I didn't trust Dumbledore. Back then, I couldn't put my finger on why. But now, a bit over a decade later, I can.

Not only can I explain why I thought something's fishy, but I can prove it is.

This is going to be a long series... but let's start at the beginning:

Halloween 1981

I'm going to go about this in chronological order of events according to book quotes I could track down.

Before the Prophecy

Circa October 24, 1979 - Lily gets pregnant with Harry. According to reverse calculating due date.

Sometime between March 1980 and October 1980 Peter Pettigrew starts spying for the Order.

"(Dumbledore) was sure that somebody close to the Potters had been keeping You-Know-Who informed of their movements...Indeed, he had suspected for some time that someone on our side had turned traitor and was passing a lot of information to You-Know-Who."

(Prisoner of Azkaban, page 205)

We know that there was a spy in the Order that fed Voldemort information before James and Lily went into hiding. Sirius mentions Peter being a spy for a long time again later in Prisoner of Azkaban:

“Sirius, Sirius, what could I have done? The Dark Lord . . . you have no idea . . . he has weapons you can’t imagine. . . . I was scared, Sirius, I was never brave like you and Remus and James. I never meant it to happen. . . . He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named forced me —” “DON’T LIE!” bellowed Black. “YOU’D BEEN PASSING INFORMATION TO HIM FOR A YEAR BEFORE LILY AND JAMES DIED! YOU WERE HIS SPY!”

(Prisoner of Azkaban, page 374)

So we know Pettigrew spied for Voldemort for about a year, if not more, before October 1981. The reason I'm saying he might have spied for longer is that the Order noticed there was a spy during that year, there might've been months he spied but the Order was none the wiser.

The months leading up to the attack on the Potter

So, we know when Peter started feeding Voldemort information, but we need to know when exactly the prophecy was given and when James and Lily went into hiding under the Fideliulous Charm. Most fans I see, seem to think they were hiding for only a week, then Peter betrayed them and then they died that same night. I think it went a little different. I think they were hiding for much longer.

So, let's determine this from the Evidence we are given.

The picture of the Order of the Phoenix Moody shows Harry in book 5 is the final picture of the Order togather before the Potters went into hiding. Most fans date this photo to the summer of 1980. I think it has to be earlier than that for two simple reasons:

Lily isn't pregnant and Harry wasn't born

Alice isn't pregnant and Neville wasn't born

“...That’s Frank and Alice Longbottom —” Harry’s stomach, already uncomfortable, clenched as he looked at Alice Longbottom; he knew her round, friendly face very well, even though he had never met her, because she was the image of her son, Neville....

...His mother and father were beaming up at him, sitting on either side of a small, watery-eyed man Harry recognized at once as Wormtail: He was the one who had betrayed their whereabouts to Voldemort and so helped bring about their deaths.

(Order of the Pheonix, page 174)

Remember, Harry and Neville were born at the end of July 1980, and pictures taken during that summer would show the pregnancy or taken after their births. So I think that picture was taken in 1979, although I'm uncertain exactly when. because, as I'll prove later in this post, the Potters went into hiding before Harry was born.

Next up to help us put a date to when they went into hiding is the Fidelious Charm itself, or more correctly, how it works.

The Fidelious Charm hides a piece of information within a person. It hides the phrasing of a secret, not a location.

an immensely complex spell ... involving the magical concealment of a secret inside a living soul. The information is hidden inside the chosen person, or Secret-Keeper, and is henceforth impossible to find -- unless, of course, the Secret-Keeper chooses to divulge it.

(Prisoner of Azkaban, 205)

It can be used to hide a location like we see the Order of the Phoenix do:

Dumbledore's Secret-Keeper for the Order, you know -- nobody can find Headquarters unless he tells them personally where it is

(Order if the Pheonix, 115)

With the phrase that Dumbledore hides being:

The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London.

(Order of the Phoenix, page 58)

They use a specific phrasing to hide the Order's headquarters. The moment the Order stops existing, the house will stop being a secret. I'd argue the moment Grimmauld Place stopped being the Headquarters it stopped being a secret because this phrase applied no longer.

This is what we see with the Potter residence. Once James and Lily die, the Charm breaks and muggles make their way to the house:

“No, sir — house was almost destroyed, but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarmin’ around. He fell asleep as we was flyin’ over Bristol."

(Philosopher's Stone, page 13)

The fact muggles and Hagrid could arrive at the house and see it means the Charm broke.

We also see it in Deathly Hollows when Harry and Hemione visit the Potter's cottage:

He could see it; the Fidelius Charm must have died with James and Lily. 

(Deathly Hallows, page 286)

"So what?" You may ask, "we know this already,"

True, but the reason it's important is because it hints at the phrasing used when the charm was cast. It means the phrasing of the secret Peter kept being along the lines of:

"James and Lily Potter are hiding in the Potter Cottage in Godric's Hollow"

Now, this makes sense to be the secret, right, but notice, Harry isn't mentioned. If Harry was part of the secret, the charm would not have broken with James and Lily's deaths, since the secret would still protect Harry. Now, why not protect Harry as well? The whole point of the Fidelious Charm was to protect Harry, was it not?

This means the Potters went into hiding and the charm was cast before Harry was born.

More that suggests they were hiding for quite a while is Lily's letter to Sirius:

Dear Padfoot, Thank you, thank you, for Harry’s birthday present! It was his favorite by far. One year old and already zooming along on a toy broomstick

(Deathly Hollows, page 158)

Meaning Harry's first birthday (July, 1981) happened when they were already under the protection of the charm. As this letter was sent a short time after it (early August 1981).

James is getting a bit frustrated shut up here, he tries not to show it but I can tell

(Deathly Hollows, page 158)

Also from Lily's letter to Sirius. James' restlessness definitely suggests they were hiding under the charm for a good few months before Harry's first birthday.

This dates the Prophecy and Trawlany's job interview around the first half of 1980 (January to May). This means the Potters were in hiding between a year and 4 months to a year and 9 months before their deaths.

All of this leaves us with two main oddities. Questions that just got me scratching my head:

If Peter was a spy since March 1980 at the earliest and October 1980 at the latest (but probably earlier), and the Potters went into hiding with him as the secret keeper in Earley in July 1980 at the latest, why not tell Voldemort immediately? And if he did, why did Voldemort wait a full year+ to go and kill the Potters?

It means that when Severus Snape came begging for Dumbledore to save Lily about a week before their deaths, Dumbledore already had the Potters in hiding. It means Dumbledore made Snape take an oath for him to do something he already did. So we see Dumbledore's first manipulations coming into play by fucking Severus over and taking him as a spy without actually giving anything in turn.

The first question is one I have somewhat of an answer for in my Voldemort character analysis, but this isn't this post. This is about Dumbledore's crimes.

The Night Everything Happened

Now we arrive at the night that changed the Wizarding World and the life of one Harry Potter. October 31st, 1981.

I time Voldemort’s arrival at Godric's Hollow at the late evening (around 8 PM). This is due to children being allowed outside still:

The night wet and windy, two children dressed as pumpkins waddling across the square, and the shop window covered in paper spiders, all the tawdry Muggle trapping of a world in which they did not believe

(Deathly Hollows, page 295)

And Harry (a year and four months old infent) still being awake, but clearly preparing for bed:

the tall black haired man in his glasses, making puffs of colored smoke erupt from his wand for the amusement of the small black-haired boy in his blue pajamas

(Deathly Hollows, page 295)

So, Voldemort arrives at Godric's Hollow around 8:00 PM, let's say, 15 to 20 minutes later, James and Lily are dead, Voldemort’s body is destroyed and he runs off to Albania. Baby Harry is crying and the Fidelious is broken.

Now, things get interesting. Well, more interesting.

We know the first on the scene is Peter Pettigrew, arriving around 8:30 PM, and retrieving Voldemort’s wand. We don't actually know when or if this happened beyond a quote from JKR, but as muggles and aurors searched the house, it's unlikely Voldemort’s wand was there and undiscovered.

Then Pettigrew ran away to the muggle street where he would meet Sirius.

The second on the scene is Reberus Hagrid.

Hagrid arrives sometime later when muggled started looking into what happened now that the Fidelious Charm is broken:

“No, sir — house was almost destroyed, but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarmin’ around. He fell asleep as we was flyin’ over Bristol."

(Philosopher's Stone, page 13)

Around the same time Pettigrew arrived at Godric's Hollow, Sirius probably saw Peter wasn't home and realized the Fidelious was broken. So he heads to Godric's Hollow.

The night they died, I’d arranged to check on Peter, make sure he was still safe, but when I arrived at his hiding place, he’d gone. Yet there was no sign of a struggle. It didn’t feel right. I was scared. I set out for your parents’ house straight away. And when I saw their house, destroyed, and their bodies . . . I realized what Peter must’ve done . . . what I’d done. . . .

(Prisoner of Azkaban, page 365)

Sirius reaches the Potters and meets Hagrid there, outside the house, Harry already in Hagrid's arms:

“I met him!” growled Hagrid. “I musta bin the last ter see him before he killed all them people! It was me what rescued Harry from Lily an’ James’s house after they was killed! Jus’ got him outta the ruins, poor little thing, with a great slash across his forehead, an’ his parents dead . . . an’ Sirius Black turns up, on that flyin’ motorbike he used ter ride. Never occurred ter me what he was doin’ there. I didn’ know he’d bin Lily an’ James’s Secret-Keeper. Thought he’d jus’ heard the news o’ You-Know-Who’s attack an’ come ter see what he could do. White an’ shakin’, he was. An’ yeh know what I did? I COMFORTED THE MURDERIN’ TRAITOR!” Hagrid roared.

(Prisoner of Azkaban, page 206)

Sirius then goes after Pettigrew, after failing to take Harry from Hagrid and figuring he'd rather chase the rat down before he disappears. We all know how that ends, as Hagrid takes Harry according to Dumbledore's orders.

‘Give Harry ter me, Hagrid, I’m his godfather, I’ll look after him —’ Ha! But I’d had me orders from Dumbledore, an’ I told Black no, Dumbledore said Harry was ter go ter his aunt an’ uncle’s. Black argued, but in the end he gave in. Told me ter take his motorbike ter get Harry there. ‘I won’t need it anymore,’ he says. “I shoulda known there was somethin’ fishy goin’ on then. He loved that motorbike, what was he givin’ it ter me for? Why wouldn’ he need it anymore? Fact was, it was too easy ter trace.

(Prisoner of Azkaban, page 206)

This quote has quite a few interesting things about Dumbledore, Hagrid and Sirius.

First, Hagrid says Dumbledore gave him orders to take Harry to the Dursleys. This order was given before Sirius went after Peter, before he was arrested and sent to Azkaban.

This is illegal. At this point in time Sirius was Harry's legal godfather and guardian, and yet Dumbledore gave Hagrid this order. And yes, you could argue it was because he knew Sirius was the Secret Keeper and was wary of him, but:

“Hagrid,” said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. “At last. And where did you get that motorcycle?” “Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir,” said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorcycle as he spoke. “Young Sirius Black lent it to me. I’ve got him, sir.” “No problems, were there?”

(Philosopher's Stone, page 13)

Dumbledore hears Hagrid met Sirius when retrieving Harry and shows no concern. Like he doesn't consider Sirius a threat to Hagrid and Harry. But then, why take Harry away? Why support Sirius' arrest? (More on that in a later post)

Not only is all this highly illegal but how did Dumbledore know when the Potters died?

JK explained he had some magical alarms in place, but that means at the earliest he would've known the moment Voldemort entered the premises. But he knew before. He knew James and Lily would die that day before they died.

How do I know that?

Simple, Hagrid can't apparate and didn't arrive via broom or floo.

Hogwarts, where Hagrid is during October as Grounds keeper, is in the Scottish Highlands (Higher up as they travel for about 9-10 hours by train from Kings Cross to reach Hogwarts as they leave at eleven and arrive for dinner). Godric's Hollow is in West Country, England. This distance is a 9-10 hour drive (672.03 km, 417.58 miles).

It means that for Hagrid to arrive by 9 PM at Godric's Hollow, Dumbledore told him to go fetch Harry, the order was given to Hagrid between 11-12 noon on October 31st.

This already paints Dumbledore in a bad light, it means he planned this. I'd argue he even planned for Voldemort to hear of the Prophecy (but that's a different post). But it means Dumbledore planned for the Potters to be killed that night.

Second, Hagrid is right about Sirius giving his bike being odd (But that's a different post about the Fidelious Charm). But, in short, something was up and Sirius knew, at least somewhat, that he was doomed.

The Boy Who Lived

Finally, we arrive at the first chapter of Philosopher's Stone. We follow Vernon Dursely throughout his day on November 1st. We know that because we see the Wizarding World celebrating the death of Voldemort:

He’d (Mr. Dursley) forgotten all about the people in cloaks until he passed a group of them next to the baker’s. He eyed them angrily as he passed. He didn’t know why, but they made him uneasy. This bunch were whispering excitedly, too, and he couldn’t see a single collecting tin. It was on his way back past them, clutching a large doughnut in a bag, that he caught a few words of what they were saying. “The Potters, that’s right, that’s what I heard —” “ — yes, their son, Harry —” Mr. Dursley stopped dead. Fear flooded him. He looked back at the whisperers as if he wanted to say something to them, but thought better of it.

(Philosopher's Stone, page 6)

So, McGonagall is watching over the Dursleys throughout November 1st. It means Harry arrived at the Dursleys around midnight between November 1st and November 2nd.

Hagrid and Harry left Godric's Hollow on Sirius' flying motorbike around 10 PM at the latest on October 31st. So what was Hagrid doing with Harry in these 26 hours?

The only information we have is that Harry: "fell asleep over Bristol,"

Thing is, if we go back to the map of the UK.

Bristol is not really on the way from Godric's Hollow to Surry.

But it is closer to the flight path between Godric's Hollow and Hogwarts.

(The locations are estimated for fictional locations but are based on what I know. Regardless, West Country to Surry won't pass over Bristol, while West Country to the Scottish Highlands is likely to, so the point stands)

In conclusion, Dumbledore manipulated Harry's life, his parents' deaths, Snape, Sirius, and Hagrid, and fucked them all over for the sake of his grand plan of defeating Voldemort.

What else went into his plan and who else he fucked over, will be covered in the next installments.

[voidtouched-blue]

starter for @forgotten-contract

Bustling cities had a kind of charm about them that just drew people in. Merchants bringing wares to sell, adventurers seeking their next job, the impoverished looking for a new start, and of course knowledge seekers pulled in by the wealth of information and skills the guilds provided. Ul'Dah was the jewel of the desert. It's streets gilded by the sun, and its people the heart of its illuminating glimmer. Yet, in all the excitements and pleasures the glittering gem provided, what interested Cyra more were the secrets that laid in the dark.

It had been six months with no answer to her summons, and she grew tired of waiting. The wound still fresh in her heart had been her driving force for the last year, and now her curiosity and thirst had brough her to the Thaumaturges' guild once more. The brothers that commanded their charge of the tomb their order operated out of were no strangers to her. The healer had made generous donations of both monetary and service-related origin in the past. Even her interest in the arts of Thaumaturgy had captured their interest enough to allow her nearly free roam of the sanctuary. What interested her more than their method of manipulating aether was the carefully kept tomes secreted in their collection.

The art of Thaumaturgy was deeply rooted in an understanding of the Voidsent, and the natural charge of a Black Mage was the power of destructive magics at their fingertips. The techniques had been passed down from mages who had learned to wield and control the secrets given to them by the denizens of the Void, and Cyra's desire for those secrets carried an unnatural thirst for the forbidden knowledge stored within the sanctum. While she had the support of the guardians of the tomb, none of them were willing to grant her permission to access those materials.

Perhaps there is aught I can glean from their available texts. In the very least I can try to keep track of constant themes between tomes. Her thoughts danced around the idea of sneaking in after hours, even casting a simple sleeping spell on the brothers on watch just to get a glance. Initially, she only wanted to ask permission to simply see the secrets they kept locked away, but even her display of mastery over the destructive magicks wasn't enough to convince them that she could keep her wits about her.

They had the right of it.

Cyra's want for their information was borne entirely out of her craving for power. Were she a little more lost to her madness, she would have considered taking it by force, but her principles kept her from acting on impulse. She would not take a life so needlessly. Not unless her well-being had been threatened first.

The hours she had spent in one day alone was more than most of their students would spend practicing their craft. So driven was she by her desires that she neglected any attempts at getting her attention throughout the days she had spent perusing their collection. She would find the answers she was looking for, and if she had to, Cyra was prepared to even commit crimes to fulfill her wish. "Gods-damnit!" She cursed in a sharp whisper. "This would be so much easier if they would just let me have a peek." It took a significant amount of restraint to keep her from slamming her fists onto the table in frustration. Several stacks of tomes covered the surface within her reach, with a rather large and delicately decorated one opened in front of her. She tapped her dry quill on the page, rereading her notes as she compared copied passages from multiple books with one another. The mentions were too vague to have any immediate connections to the titles she had heard Cocobuki mention in passing to one of his brothers.

She leaned back in her seat, setting the quill down in the ink well and letting out a frustrated sigh. The Miqo'te rubbed her face with her free hand, her gaze shifted distantly to the candle that sat just out of reach on the other end of the table. The playful dance of the flame held her focus for a moment. It was curious how something so small had the power to cause catastrophic destruction. She knew what she asked of the brothers. She knew what the consequences would be should she lose control over the magick she sought to control. Cyra was sure that her determination and desire were strong enough to overcome any perceived failure they may have had nestled among their doubts.

"Aghk!" Something in the light felt like it burned a hole into her mind. She winced, hunching over slightly in the chair as she cradled her face delicately with her clawed hands. She had felt headaches before, but this was different. The sharp pain behind her eye moved to her forehead. Her vast knowledge of the body, and its innumerable ails didn't provide her with any immediate answers.

"Perhaps..." She grunted, rubbing her temples. "Perhaps it's time for a small respite from throwing my head at the wall." The healer pinched the bridge of her nose and pushed her seat away from the table. As she moved, the headache seemed to pulse. The way it ached had her nearly incapacitated. But as suddenly as the pain appeared, it had subsided to a dull throb. I should return home. I doubt they will grant me access, and I have much to go over. I would also prefer to suffer through this fatigue in the comfort of privacy.

As she stood up from her seat, spots obscured her vision. She wobbled, only catching herself at the last moment on the surface of the table before she had completely toppled over herself. In her brief episode, she had knocked over the chair. The sound of the wood clattering onto the stone floor had silenced any conversation happening throughout the sanctuary, and yet she couldn't be bothered to even pay attention to it. All she wanted was to regain control of herself. But something felt like it was wriggling around in her head, sending her vision into a spin and losing focus on the task at hand.

The flame on the candle flickered towards her curiously.

[hollowwrites]

How Charming

Ominis x MC

Summary - I want more interaction between Ominis and MC damn it!! This has made me want to rewrite the Hogsmeade quest to which I’m already doing for Garreth so…throw Ominis in there too. Let Ominis get slapped around by a troll.

This is just pure Ominis in denial. I like to think the reason he’s distant is because he doesn’t know how to feel towards MC.

And I have plans to rewrite the Undercroft argument too so that’ll be fun.

Warnings: None just a rewrite, feel free to change Evelyn to MC or Y/N

Word Count - 1604

~

“Time for a proper Hogwarts Welcome”

Oh for heavens sake

Ominis heard the low chuckle from Sebastian as he took up his duelling position against the new girl.

He’d heard him sound like that before. He spoke to Imelda like it sometimes when he was feeling brave and every single time, Ominis cringed.

Usually, he didn’t care. The thought that perhaps he’d have been better off born deaf instead of blind passed through his mind but other than that, it’s just Sebastian being his usual irritatingly charming self.

But something about this duel made Ominis’ teeth itch.

The sounds of exertion from the two of them helped Ominis keep track of what was happening. His wand alerted him to their basics movements across the raised plinth. She was graceful. And deliberate. Impressive considering she’s never been around magic.

He listened to her cast Levioso confidently and accurate, not ten minutes after she had learned the spell even existed.

Remarkable.

“Good Form” Sebastian purred, and Ominis rolled his eyes.

Even in the middle of a duel.

“I know” she retorted, cockily and he heard Sebastian gasp at her brash behaviour.

Not nice is it, Sebastian

Ominis found himself rooting for her. He heard her effortlessly lift Sebastian off the ground for the fifth time, followed by a thud and the sound of air being forced from Sebastian’s lungs. Ominis chuckled.

Sebastian walked back over to Ominis with his tail between his legs.

“Did you see that?” Sebastian asked in a hushed voice as they stood at the back of the class

“Surprisingly Sebastian, I did not” Ominis waved a hand in front of his face. Merlin, how does your best friend forget you’re blind?

“You know what I mean! That was definitely not her first duel…” Sebastian spat as he stared daggers towards Evelyn “…and I thought she was so sweet in the Common Room”

“She is” Ominis answered far too quickly. He could feel Sebastian smirking beside him, but decided to ignore it “She survived a dragon attack on her way here, she must know something even if it’s just the basics”

Sebastian mumbled next to Ominis about how it would take more than basics to best him and how he almost certainly held back so as not to crush her spirit.

Ominis didn’t listen.

~

“If you want to get the most out of your time at Hogwarts you’re going to need to break the rules now and then” Sebastian had pulled Evelyn aside at the end of class to discuss something with her. She listen intently as he playfully jabbed at her abilities. “Whether it joining a secret duelling club or sneaking into The Restricted Section of the Library-“ he looked at her with a smug smile and a glint of mischief in his eye. “You just have to be clever enough not to get caught”

“And you’re clever enough?” She looked him up and down with an eyebrow raised “Thank you Sebastian I’ll keep that in mind”

“Good, I-“ Sebastian started before she spied Ominis leaving the classroom

“Sorry Sebastian, have to go. See you later” She bounced happily away towards the door.

“Look for Lucan Brattleby near the Clock Tower Entrance” Sebastian called to her as she waved back at him.

What was that about?

~

“Ominis!” Evelyn called out past the little sea of students filing out of the classroom. He stopped and turned towards her voice.

“Evelyn? Am I remembering correctly?” he asked as she skipped up to him.

“Yes, I was wondering if I could take you up on that offer of showing me around the castle. This charm doesn’t work as well as Fig thinks” she stared down at the field guide in her hands and watched as the tiny golden spark bounced from her pages and behind her, leading her back into The DADA Classroom.

“Of course. The lesson being cut short leaves me with some time before Charms”

“Oh you have Charms too? Ah, how charming……oh I understand Sebastian’s joke now!” She felt stupid as she recalled her earlier conversation in the Common Room. Ominis chuckled. He had a pompous laugh but it was sweet and endearing in its own way. She found herself smiling up at him as he laughed at her.

“I do” he smiled and took a step to the side gesturing for her to walk along side him. “Follow me”

“So…As you know, I am unfamiliar with a lot of the things in this world” Ominis could hear her fumbling with the cuffs of her robes as they walked together “Charms, Spells, Dragons…I don’t know what is normal and what isn’t…”

Where is she going with this?

“…And in the muggle world…” she said the word as though she was trying it on for the first time “…there are people whose eyes glaze over when they’re blind for a while so I guess I was-“

“Are you trying to ask me if I’m blind?” He says, his voice heavy with amusement

“Yes…in as tactful way as I possibly can” he could feel the awkward way she was walking and it made him chuckle.

“Yes I am blind” He tries to hold his tongue from making a smarmy remark. After all, she was trying so hard not to be rude about it, even though he knows it is obvious he is blind….But she’s right. Maybe these eyes were commonplace in the Wizarding World…they aren’t but she isn’t to know that “My wand helps me navigate around the castle”

“Fascinating” She says peeking at his wand. She had wandered why he took it out when they started walking. After all he was perfectly content in the Common Room. No wand in sight…She leaned in towards the blinking tip of the wand and he flinched “Oh I’m sorry…”

“Don’t worry.” Ominis could feel his face getting warm. The heat rising from his collar caused him to rub the back of his neck, willing the encroaching blush away. “Consider my wand an extension of myself. You just leant…very close to me.” He laughed again “It just startled me is all”

“I’m so sorry”

“Honestly, it’s okay. I’m just not used to people being so near to me”

Why is it so hot in here?

“Oh you’re going to just hate me then. I quite like being close to the people I like…” she gasped “Not like, but you’ve been kind to me so…”

He tried to listen to her babble on. It was endearing. But his mind kept wandering to the increasingly loud voices behind them.

“Look at them sauntering around like the King and Queen of Slytherin!”

“As if she didn’t have enough attention she’s leeching off of Gaunt now”

“Did you see her in Defence Against the Dark Arts? Thinks she’s all that cause Sallow went easy on her”

“Ominis?” Evelyns voice bought him back

“Hmm? I’m sorry I…couldn’t help but overhear some of the students they’re…perhaps it best I not say”

“Talking about me? I’m sort of used to it now. It’s all I could hear in the Common Room” her voice sounded so defeated. Her sadness hit him like a tidal wave.

“You shouldn’t be used to it” he put his hand on her shoulder, bringing them to a stop just outside the Charms classroom. His eyes were sympathetic as he stared down at her.

“Ah there you two are? You look like a right pair”Sebastian said, his voice appearing out of nowhere as he was lost in Evelyns turmoil. Ominis knows him well enough to hear the slight tint of jealousy in his voice.

“How so?” Ominis said his cheeks burning yet again.

This is abnormally warm weather for this time of year

“You’re both have an air of... austerity. No offence, Evelyn, but you did scare me in the Common Room earlier. Your face looked like thunder”

She giggled and Ominis twitched. His face twisted up into a stern frown as he gazed in Sebastians direction.

“You know, if you needed guidance to your next lesson you could have asked me. I know we’ve just had…a rather exhilarating fight but…I won’t hold it against you”

She was giggling again.

“Well Ominis had already offered to show me around earlier” she said and he felt her gravitate slightly towards him. His steely expression calmed to a coy smile.

“Did he now?” Sebastian said. “Well I shall extend you the same offer then. Speaking of, Professor Weasley has asked me to accompany you to Hogsmeade later.”

“Oh…that’s kind of you. She did mention about going with someone, I was going to ask-“

“Excellent. We’ll head out after class. Maybe some time in the afternoon?”

~

The students all filed into the classroom when Professor Ronen showed. As they took their seats, Evelyn was called away, leaving Ominis a short period of time to chastise Sebastian before class started.

“What are you doing?!” Ominis spat

“I can assure you I have no idea what you’re talking about” Sebastian said honestly.

“You…ugh…” Ominis realised at this point he was overreacting, but he’d already started his tirade. He couldn’t exactly explain why he was angry. Just that the moment Sebastian turned up, his mood had changed. “Smart little remarks in the duel, offering to show her around the Castle AND to Hogsmeade”

“I’m just being friendly” He said, sounding distinctly pleased with himself

“You know exactly what you’re doing”

“Why does it matter? I- Merlin’s Beard! Are you jealous?”

“Don’t be ridiculous” Ominis snapped, that blush rising from his collar again

“Godrics heart…I have never seen you jealous before”

“I am not jealous”

Oh gods, What if I am?

Masterlist

[clovermarigold]

Mk Oneshots: Syzoth(Reptile) x Shang Tsung's child Gender Neutral Reader

Requested by haley alexandria chambers on AO3

In this fic Syzoth’s family who was held hostage by Shang Tsung is his immediate family as in mother, sister, brother. Feel free to use any headcanons you please.

You winced when you heard the sound of breaking glass and your father yelled from his laboratory. It didn’t take much to piece together what happened, after all you had witnessed your father, Shang Tsung’s cruelty to Syzoth fist hand for nearly a year now. Syzoth didn’t deserve this treatment, to be threatened with the life of his family and kept a slave. You had offered to leave his gate open ‘by accident’ a few weeks after he first arrived, but he refused, both from not yet trusting you and his care for his family. 

He never did take you up on your offer, though he did eventually learn to trust you. Your father always did say you were too soft for your own good. It had started with you sneaking him better lunches and snacks throughout the days. Knowing your father, he would give him scraps of his own unfinished food, regardless of his Zateran diet. It had been rather uncomfortable collecting and handling insects at first, but you had grown used to it. Eventually, he grew comfortable enough to let you treat his wounds, when your father was not present of course. 

The day he first let you do this would forever haunt your memories. You had been passing your fathers fake laboratory, the only place your father would allow you remotely close to his work, when you heard his screams of pain. Peaking in you were met with your father, casting Syzoth in his Zateran form in the air with his magic. The sounds of Syzoth’s screams only loudened until he relented and shifted into his more human form.

“You are to remain in this form. It’s the only one I can tolerate to look at” your father had cruelly remarked dropping him to the floor leaving Syzoth to clean up the mess. As soon as your father left the room you ran in to help him.

 “Where does it hurt?” you ask when he hissed through his teeth when he moved too quickly, clutching his ribs. It hurt to see him like this, more so to watch him try to scoot away from you. “Please, let me help you” He was quiet for some time before giving in. You were a novice at best at soul magic, something that irritated your father to no end. But healing magic was another story. 

“How much did you see?” Syzoth asked, not daring to make eye contact while you sat him up and laid your hands on his abdomen, hovering what you assumed was a broken rib. “When he lifted you into the air” his nostrils flared “And what? You think my form is repulsive too then?”.

“No” it was said plainly, you were too focused on healing his wounds to even catch his shocked expression. Finishing your spell, and seeing the skin begin to bruise over, you looked back to Syzoth who was staring at you, “It’s just you”.

Syzoth had learned to trust you from then on. You would often spend most days together, taking advantage of whenever you were free of your father’s watchful eye. Had it not been for the terrible circumstances, you would equate it to a teen romance and an overprotective father. When your father would leave for extended amounts of time, you would cast a spell of incognab          ility, allowing Syzoth to return to his Zateran form without your father knowing. While his true form didn’t bother you, and you honestly charmed you, watching him shed for the first time was a tad daunting. “Um” you held the dry old shed in your hands after he asked for your help pulling off a piece stuck on his back. “What? Can’t handle me showing some skin?” he asked in a sly tone with his Zateran equivalent of a smile. You threw the dead skin at him with an annoyed look, only making him let out a chuff like laugh. 

The two of you were currently in the hall that led to your father’s secret laboratory, you had asked Syzoth to let you see it once, but one accidental breakdown including him screaming at you and nearly crying told you enough about what was down there. “I brought you something” he smiled at you, “And what delicacies have you brought me today, Serpent”. You laughed at his nickname from you, holding up a wrapped handful of squirming meathflies with a wing plucked off of each to keep them from flying away. 

“What would I do without you?” he joked, reaching for the pouch, only for you to pull it out of his reach. “Ah ah ah. What do I get out of it?” he thought for a moment before smiling, looming closely. “What are you doing?” you asked, caught off guard by his proximity. “Absolutely nothing” you were tempted to give in, his form creeping closer, that is until you felt something graze your hand. Turning your head quickly you caught a glimpse of his tail, reaching for the pouch. “Syzoth!” he let out a hissing laugh, eyes closed and almost falling backwards. “You are cruel” you said, offended, thrusting his meal into him. “I’m hardly that” he grabs your hand before you could pull away and sulk.

The mood was quickly dropped, however, from the sound of both your father and General Shao. Syzoth was quick to hide you, lest you both incur his rage and spark punishment for him. “Put them in a cell” he said, shoving three men and a tarkatan into Syzoth. You were quick to run down the stairs at the entrance to the feign arriving. 

“Father, are you–” up, up, there stood the towering form of General Shao. “Ah, perfect” it was your father, “Please escort the princesses out, if you would?” You bowed your head and helped the head Umgadi hold Princess Mileena down the stairs, Princess Kitana in tow. Eager to leave they swiftly left you alone, the perfect opening to check on Syzoth. 

Slowly creeping downstairs into Shang Tsung’s secret laboratory, you were disgusted at the horrific monstrosities that lied there. “By Argus” you clasped a hand over your mouth, holding back your vomit. A thud from the door to your right made you jump. From the other side you could hear painful and scratchy coughs in-between chokes and gags. 

Regardless of how dangerous, no one deserved to be one of your fathers twisted experiments. Steeling yourself, you opened the door, just as you did, a raging Tarkatan fell to the ground attempting to break it down, only for it to be opened before he could stop himself. 

Looking to see a number of men run out of the room, hacking their lungs as coughs racked their bodies, you recognized them as the earthrealmers present at the tournament. “Agh, god, thank you” one of them said with short brown hair. Looking up to see who he was talking to, the Tarkatan quickly stood up, unsheathing the blades from his arms to stand between you, “Don’t! Their father is Shang Tsung”.

“Please, I’m not going to hurt you. I only want to hel-” you cut yourself off when your eye caught Syzoth on his knees in a fit of coughs and sobs. “Syzoth!” running around the Tarkatan you kneeled by your friend to rest a hand on his back. “They’re gone” he rambled to himself. “Syzoth, who's gone?” turning to you with red eyes and a look of betrayal and hurt, “Did you know?”. “Know what?” Syzoth, gripped your hand on his back and pulled it off, gripping it hard to the point it began to hurt. “Shang Tsung killed my family! Did you know?” cold washed over you, your father in truth never told you anything about Syzoth’s family, if he hadn’t been the one to tell you you would have never even known they existed. 

“No! We need to get you all out of here now! If he comes back and finds you here he’ll kill you” Syzoth released his grip on your hand, trusting that you weren’t lying. Helping him to his feet you led them out of the tower as quickly as possible.

“Go through the living forest, the roads are swarmed with guards” you instructed the Tarkatan. “Come with us” Syzoth said, a hand going to your arm. “Who would have me with my father who he is-”. “I would” Syzoth’s hand slid down to yours. Staring at each other for a moment you wordlessly nodded. He was quick to pull you along with him, going with the others into the living forest. 

You would be leaving everything you knew behind to choose Syzoth over your father. But, in all honesty, you didn’t really care. 

[sl-newsie]

Spelled (Carlos de Vil x Sanderson Daughter) Ch. 1: Control

“Ouch! No no no- definitely too much moon powder!” I hastily wipe my hands on my dusty skirt as I attempt to put out the purple flames coming out of my cauldron. I’m attempting a healing potion for my cat Twilight, but accidentally misread the spellbook. Mom’s spellbook.

But I’m too late to cover my tracks- I can already hear footsteps approaching outside!

“Magica! What have I told you about practicing magic?” My father yells from the doorway.

Twilight hisses and scrambles out of the kitchen, leaving me to fend for myself.

I cringe and turn around slowly. “Not to?”

My father, a tall buff man wearing a hunter’s cap, stomps into the room. “Yes! What if the Royal Guard was passing by? I don’t want you getting locked away!”

“But I don’t live on the Isle of the Lost, so magic is allowed here!”

“They don’t know-!” He sighs and rubs his head. “Since they don’t know about your mother, it’s best to just keep your magic hidden.”

“But dad, I’m finally getting the hang of this! I think I might write to Fairy Godmother and tell her about my magic-!”

“No!” My father stomps forward and puts a hand on my shoulder. “Magica, you’re my only daughter. If they found out you’re the descendant of a villain they could lock you up. I- I only want what’s best for you, understand? I know you’re proud of this gift and are a very talented witch, but sometimes it’s best to be normal.”

“But- but-!” I can feel my aunt’s temper boiling inside me. “Why should I be different?”

I wrap my cloak around me and storm out into the woods. There’s a secret spot I have near the stream that runs into the Enchanted Lake. It’s a small clearing big enough to practice my magic safely. After I sit down on a boulder I start tearing up, torn between being mad at my father for silencing my magic and being ashamed of being the descendant of an evil witch.

Yup, that’s me. Magica Sanderson, secret daughter of the infamous Sarah Sanderson. From what I’ve gathered, my mother seduced the Evil Queen’s Huntsman so Winifred Sanderson could steal one of her potions. The Huntsman became my father, and when he found out about me he immediately brought me to Snow White’s kingdom to keep me from becoming a VK. But the one thing he couldn’t avoid was the fact that I inherited my Aunt Winnie’s magical talent and my mother’s bewitching looks. I have my mother’s pale fair skin, white-blonde hair, and slim figure. I also inherited my Aunt Winnie’s bright green eyes and Aunt Mary’s love for Cheetos. I can’t help it- I’m a halfblood witch!

Father has tried to suppress my family ties by homeschooling me in our woodland cottage and dressing me in flowy pink dresses just like the goody-two-shoes kids wear at Auradon Prep. When I was old enough to control my powers, father brought me to the Auradon kingdom to meet Prince Ben, son of Beauty and the Beast. Immediately we became inseparable best friends, always causing mischief despite our parents’ disapproval. One time we slipped a hiccup potion into Chad Charming’s drink during a gala social, and spent the next half hour trying not to burst out laughing when he tried hiccuping at Audrey to ask her out! I told Ben about my powers, and he promised to keep it secret. He knows I’m nothing like my mother or aunts, and that I’d never try to hurt anyone.

But even so Ben’s acceptance can’t help fill the gap that separates me from the other kids in the village. I’m still different no matter how hard I try because I don’t have the arrogant, uppity attitude that the other kids have.

Mother, why do I have to be so different? Could I have at least one true friend who won’t disappear?

“Meow?” A voice calls.

I look over and see that Twilight has returned with another black cat- one with recognizable yellow eyes.

I sniff. “Hey, Binx. How’s it been?”

The two felines slink between my legs and rub their noses on my boots.

“Been fine, but from what Twilight’s told me you’re in a bit of a pickle. I know your dad means well, but even I agree that suppressed magic is never a good idea.”

I stop twirling pink sparks on my fingers and give Binx an odd look. “Why?”

Binx glances around nervously. “Well… I’ve heard stories of past maidens that try to bottle up their magic until any sudden breakdown can cause an outburst. Do you remember Elsa of Arendelle?”

The memory of seeing former Queen Elsa’s meltdown on tv runs through my head, and I have to agree that holding back my magic could lead to something worse.

“You’re right, Binx. But I can’t just do some tricks and expect the whole kingdom to be ok with it. I could be sent to Auradon Prep, or worse- the Isle of the Lost! And magic’s forbidden there so I’d be powerless! That and I’d have to live with-” I shutter. “My mom.”

Binx hisses and Twilight swipes a paw against my cheek. “No you won’t. We wouldn’t let that happen, and your father would protect you. I suggest you cool down a bit and then go back to the house.”

I sigh. “I guess so. But how long will I have to hide like this? All my life I’ve followed the rules and been nice, so I’m not wicked… am I?”

“No, no,” Binx assures with a soft voice. “It’s not that, it’s just that normal folks are unsettled by the strange and unusual. It’s like you said, you’ll be sent to Auradon Prep. You don’t want that, do you?”

I gag. “Ugh, no! Ben says all the people there are stuck up and half-witted fools! I would rather eat a toadstool dipped in boysenberry sauce than associate with those idiots!” I stand up and start walking back to the cottage. “Sorry Binx, but right now I better head back to father before supper. I’ll save you some fish!”