#resident evil 7 tickle

[master-of-47-dudes]

It turns out the yellow paint splatters that indicate an object is interactable wasn’t something Capcom invented for RE7, that's just how things are in Louisiana.

[porcelainseashore]

Ghosts from the Past (7)

Series Masterlist

Pairing: Agent! Leon Kennedy x Dancer! Informant! Fem! Reader

Summary: 7 years after leaving behind everything you’ve known, you’re suddenly thrust into facing a ghost from your past, Leon. Navigating where you stand with him brings up old memories, painful truths and countless questions. At the same time, you have to deal with a bunch of strange occurrences at your dance company. Set after Resident Evil 4 Remake.

Warnings: 18+ Swearing, Recreational Drug Use, Alcohol, Eventual Smut, No (Y/N), Canon-Typical Horror and Violence, Blood, Injury, Torture, Infection, Medical Experiments, Psychological Trauma, Nightmares

Content: Post-Resident Evil 4, Exes to Lovers, Partners to Lovers, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Lack of Communication, Romance, Fluff

Author's Note: Just a quiet, little chapter to bring this series to a close. I’ve returned to my fluff roots, so expect that, some hurt/comfort and domestic coziness. Thank you’s will be at the end!

AO3 Link

Chapter 7: Begin Again

It felt like you had been in the strangest dream, one which you couldn’t recall the contents of, the next time you opened your eyes. You awoke in the sterile brightness of a hospital room, tubes trailing from your arms and the steady beep of the monitor synching with your heartbeat. Everything was still in a haze and your mind was foggy, like you had been anesthetized.

Something was clutching your hand. Another hand? You wriggled your fingers, trying to get rid of the sensation of pins and needles that hung heavily to your entire body. The smell of earth, rusty metal, and sweat permeated the air, triggering a brief memory that encapsulated what had come to pass. Your gaze landed on a light blonde mane at the side of the bed, matted but radiant like a golden halo from the sunlight that filtered into the room.

Then, it shifted groggily, and a face which had initially been buried under the blanket and sheets, slowly peered up at you. Blinking a couple of times as if he couldn’t trust what he was seeing, his grip around your hand tightened.

“Leon?” You called out, your voice crackling and raspy, like a dry sheet of paper.

His face was bloodied and bruised, but a slanted smile lit up across it. You noticed that he was still in the same combat gear from the time at Silje’s underground lair, apart from his firearms and knife, which were unholstered and secured by the bedside table. He looked like he hadn’t showered for days. How long had you been here?

As you tried to sit yourself up, a dull, aching pain coursed through your left shoulder, causing you to emit a low groan in discomfort. Leon planted a hand gently on your chest, motioning for you to lay down. “No, baby. You need to rest.”

Brushing the back of his fingers against your cheek, he echoed the promise he had made to you, “I told you I wouldn’t let them get you.”

“I never doubted that.” 

Closing your eyes, you cupped your good hand over his. He dipped his head and his silken lips met yours, soft and cautious, as if you were a precious treasure. Your noses nudged each other and his warm breath tickled your skin, as he kissed you tenderly, tasting and breathing every essence of you in.

The sound of someone clearing their throat sharply interrupted your private exchange. Leon pulled away at lightning speed, as if he had been caught red-handed stealing candy from a baby, and you observed a dust of pink spread over his cheeks, as he looked down towards the ward floor. It reminded you of the times when you were younger and he was still figuring out his feelings for you, so much so that you giggled involuntarily in response. He delivered a piercing side eye that came with a hint that you were going to be in trouble later. You bit your tongue, trying to rein in your laughter.

“Oh, great, I see you are awake,” the nurse who had chanced upon your clandestine moment sighed warily. 

“Mr. Kennedy,” she nodded in his direction, both in acknowledgement and as a subtle indication that he had overstayed his welcome. “I still need to run the last screening tests on the patient.”

“Was just about to-”

“Hmph.” She wrinkled her nose, shaking her head in disgust. “You should do something about that god awful stench!”

“Yeah, yeah,” he grumbled, rolling his eyes as he got up to leave. 

Turning towards you, he gave your hand another lingering squeeze. “I’ll be back within the hour.”

“Make that two,” the nurse asserted sternly. “Personal hygiene, Mr. Kennedy,” she pointed out again, as he waved her off dismissively, silently striding out of the room.

Eventually, you were informed that you had been cleared of the infection, largely thanks to the serum Leon had administered to you on-site. They had to extract the remaining lumps of mold from you when your body had stabilized after the blood transfusions. So, you were free, but still being monitored, just like the other dancers who had been infected. Except, they were kept in the dark about their treatments and were never told the truth about their symptoms.

Your snapped shin had healed up pretty well due to the mold, but unfortunately your shoulder would take a longer time, meaning that you wouldn’t be able to dance professionally for a while. It was too early to tell if this spelled the definite end of your career, but you tried to stay positive despite the obvious setbacks.

The theater base where The Connections had operated out of had been successfully closed down by Leon. Under the guise of discovering some unexploded World War II bombs, the area had been cordoned off, so that whatever remained of the place could be cleared out. It wasn’t as stealthy as the government had hoped for, but it did the job.

Things didn’t look so bright for Silje’s dance company however, as she was declared missing without any real leads, while your colleagues mourned her loss. The secret of what had actually transpired stuck with you, eating into you little by little each day, until you decided to steer the course of events in your own way. Before you were finally done with your life in Berlin for good, you had contacted the group of principal dancers, who were left lost without a leader. You attempted to convince them to take over the company as a collective, so as to honor Silje’s work as best as possible. In the end, she had become a monster, but you still loved her somehow. Maybe this would help to ease the guilt you felt, despite being thrown unwittingly into a situation you had no control over. You weren’t sure what results came out of your talk with your co-dancers, but you were hopeful that they would at least try.

The first few months of settling back into your home country was daunting initially. You’d not visited since you’d left. You hadn’t seen a reason to, only giving your parents a handful of calls each year, so that they knew you were alive. 

Leon had been by your side throughout your adjustment, and you appreciated him all the more for it. He was there during the bumpy road of recovery, where every move or touch hurt. Coughing, sneezing, and even breathing aggravated it. You’d roll over in your sleep and wake up in pain. He was there to comfort you when your physical state started to affect you mentally. You weren’t the same person anymore, you felt weak and crippled. Then, the nightmares came to haunt you, causing you to shun what you had loved doing since you were young, which was to dance. 

But Leon never gave up on you. He knew about the effects of muscle damage and the trauma you were suffering from, because he had been through it all himself. The main difference was that back then, he had no one with him to turn to, and he didn’t want the same to happen to you. As you began to heal, your mood lightened. It slowly felt like you could breathe again. You started taking turns caring for each other when the night terrors came. You’d learnt from him how to handle them and what the other person needed in the moment. You supported him as much as he supported you. And for that, he was grateful.

Even though blood no longer seeped through your dressing and most of your movement had come back, your body still remembered the pain. You’ve come to accept that it’ll always be a part of you and never go away. Now, you and Leon have matching pink scars on the same shoulder - a testimonial of the sacrifices you’ve made in the past. But you lived on to tell the story together.

━━━━━━━━━━━

It was one of those rare days where neither of you had woken up in the night with a start, sometimes screaming and breaking out in a cold sweat. However, you'd realized that such nights were gradually becoming less frequent.

The first rays of morning light slipped through the sheer curtains of the window of the bedroom you now shared with Leon, in the northeast of DC. It was a quieter, more residential part of town, that reminded you of where you grew up, though the irony of it was not lost on you. No matter how far you’d tried to run away from home, it still managed to catch up to you.

Casting a warm glow across the room, the light illuminated the dust motes dancing in the air and a couple of moving boxes stacked along the wall, which you had yet to unpack out of procrastination. A pair of arms were wrapped around your abdomen, cradling you like a bird’s nest; your very own sanctuary against the outside world. 

You sighed in bliss, enveloped in their tranquil embrace. It looked like it was going to be another lazy Sunday, but you couldn’t complain. Recently, you had finally plucked up the courage to connect with your dance roots again, by teaching it at the college nearby. So, weekends were reserved for quality time with Leon, which you cherished, seeing as he could be whisked away for missions without much warning.

As the light crept over the edge of the bed, the body next to you stirred. Chasing away sleep from his eyes, Leon rubbed them and yawned, kissing your neck as he murmured into your hair, “Is this real?” He pinched your arm, causing you to yelp and smack his hand playfully in return. You felt his smile against the back of your head.

“Cut it out.” You couldn’t keep a serious tone and he knew it. Turning to face him, you raised an eyebrow in challenge. “Come to think of it, I should be the one asking you that question.”

“Oh?” He humored you, waiting for your comeback in mild amusement.

“Talk about seeing a ghost from the past,” you teased.

He scoffed, before claiming your lips lovingly with his own. Taking in the sight of the room once more, he discovered a new addition to the wall. It was a photo booth strip of the two of you pulling silly faces back when you were teenagers and best friends. You had unearthed it by accident from one of the boxes not long ago.

“When did you put that up?” He probed out of curiosity, seemingly surprised at your ability to collect and preserve memories.

“Just yesterday.”

“Mm.” He carded his fingers through your hair, reliving the happiness encased in those set of photos. “We’ll make new ones.” 

New memories to decorate the rooms and hallways with. His apartment used to be cold and bare, merely functioning as a place to sleep, when he drowned himself in work as a distraction from the circumstances he had been forced into. He didn’t have someone to come home to. But now he had you. You started to fill the space with pieces of him and you - CDs of your favorite bands that you’d gifted each other like personalized mixtapes, old love letters containing your heartfelt confessions, a potted cactus plant from Hunnigan, a handmade greeting card from Sherry, a pile of vintage books from Claire, yellowed and worn at the edges… You’d arranged them diligently while he was out, busy at the office or in the field. As time went by, it grew more vibrant and bit by bit, it became a place both of you called home.

“You’re not going anywhere today, are you?” 

You drifted back from your reverie at Leon’s question. “No?”

“Good.” He drew you in closer, pulling you flush against his bare chest. “I’ll have you all to myself.”

He couldn’t get enough of you these days. Maybe it was the near-death experience or the thought of losing you again. He knew he had to ease up on his overprotectiveness at some point, even though he was afraid that the idyllic bubble you had built together might burst. The government had retired you from your duties for now, as you were no longer infected and had been relocated for your safety. However, you weren’t far out of their reach. They still monitored you from behind the scenes and Leon knew it was only a matter of time before they came knocking on the door again. A government lackey never truly retired. But he would be there beside you, making sure you wouldn’t get the short end of the stick again, even if it meant giving up something else in return. Somehow, both of you would find a way.

This time, it was your peck on his nose and prompting that brought him back to reality. “Don’t forget about the call.”

Right. That call. He sighed hesitantly. “What should I say? They probably won’t-”

You caressed his jawline stubble with your knuckles soothingly. “They will,” you affirmed. “You’re their son, and they love you.”

He looked at you almost teary-eyed as you pressed your lips against his, coaxing a faint moan from his mouth. “I’ll be there with you,” you reassured him.

“Thanks,” he mumbled, before a spark of recognition kindled in his eyes. “You hear that?”

The distant sound of a familiar guitar melody played on the radio alarm clock. As the male singer crooned in a husky tone, you grinned. It was cheesy, but it was the song you had danced to with Leon on your graduation night.

“May I?” He asked, offering his open palm to you, beckoning you to join him. Rolling your eyes in mock exasperation, you smiled and gave in. You grabbed his hand, rose to your feet and positioned yourself with him on the bedroom floor. Every now and then, he would try to help you form new associations with dancing, to replace the negative ones you had developed from the incident.

Your hands rested around his neck and his arms encircled your waist. He led and you followed, allowing him to guide you with each step and turn to the music, just as he had done so many years ago.

“What do you think our lives would’ve been like, if things were normal?” He reminisced out of the blue. “If Raccoon City didn’t happen?”

Gazing up at him reflectively, you paused for a moment in silence to contemplate the points he was raising.

“I guess I would’ve still been a cop,” he answered first, his voice tinged with bittersweet longing.

He pushed it down by cracking a joke at your expense. “But then I’d have had to see about that habit of yours.” Placing his mouth to your ear, he whispered, “My little pothead cheerleader.”

You groaned, punching his arm in a futile effort to wipe off the smirk that was plastered across his face.

He laughed in response, before his expression turned somber again. “I would’ve liked you to live with me though.”

“I know,” you admitted wistfully. “And if we could turn back time, I’d have said yes, over and over, undeniably.” 

Nestling your head into his neck, you continued, “When you were gone, I would’ve done anything to bring you back.”

“Baby…” his voice trailed off as he tucked his fingers under your chin, tilting your face towards him.

“I know what we have now isn’t perfect, but I wouldn’t change it for the world,” you professed, ultimately realizing it was better to live with Leon in the present than the past.

“Neither would I,” he concurred softly. “This is more than enough for me.” Closing the gap between the two of you, he deepened the embrace, and his lips found yours, sealing them together like a bond that couldn’t be broken.

━━━━━━━━━━━

Endnotes

So, that was the very final chapter! In case you’re interested, I imagined Leon and Reader living in Brookland and the song they danced to was Iris by Goo Goo Dolls.

It’s been an amazing journey with each and every one of you. Thank you for all your kindest words and support, my heart is full! I’ve never ever completed any of my previous fics, so I’m ecstatic that this is the first of its kind 🥰

Special thanks goes out to:

AliBelleRosetta, whom I’ve shared many fun brainstorming and venting sessions with.

Cameron, who looked through my work whilst dealing with my Leon fangirling.

Another shoutout I’d like to do is for a fic I was inspired by, and got me thinking about creating my own series. If you like, check out Chance Encounter by Iabyrinth.

Finally, I’m still deciding what to write next. I have a couple of ideas for one-shots that I might want to try my hand at. But feel free to let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to see in the comments. Thank you once again!

[lucysarah-c]

Leon S. Kennedy was my first crush as a kid

I was only 7 when I played Resident Evil 4 and I instantly fell in love with him (my obsession with his sassy personality, haircut, and being overprotective, devoted to his work, and being fucking badass kept being repetitive patrons in all my other 2D crushes). I was obsessed with him and actually when I finally got more of a hand on the internet, later on, he was the first one I searched for Fanfics. The new trailer of the Resident Evil 4 remake, made me feel THINGS. And it was a daily reminder that sexuality isn't chosen because I saw that man and I felt my female organs tickle... I saw Ashley and Ada and I was like ... meh even when they look stunning XD lmao.

[yourfatherlucifer]

I posted 169 times in 2022

That's 140 more posts than 2021!

117 posts created (69%)

52 posts reblogged (31%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@mirandawesker

@bisexual-horror-fan

@alovingelf

@antedilfuvian

@rakimaiirisa

I tagged 77 of my posts in 2022

#all of us are dead - 51 posts

#gwi nam - 26 posts

#yoon gwi nam - 25 posts

#resident evil - 14 posts

#x reader - 9 posts

#gwi-nam - 9 posts

#marvel - 9 posts

#albert wesker - 9 posts

#meme - 8 posts

#spn - 7 posts

Longest Tag: 42 characters

#my japanese is way more neat than this lol

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Name Tags | Han Gyeong-Su

"Gyeong-Su, you honestly suck at this game!"

"I do not! You're the one that sucks, the parkour is hard!"

Two best friends by the name Han Gyeong-Su and L/N Y/N were playing a zombie video game called, "Dying Light," but little did they know, their future would be filled with the same kind of monsters.

"If zombies were real, would you protect me, Y/N?" Gyeong-Su pauses the game and looks at his best friend.

Y/N looks back at him, "Nope." She tries to stifle a laugh.

"Yah!" Gyeong-Su slides over to her and raises his arms as if ready to tickle her, "Why not!"

"Gyeong-Su, don't. I was kidding!" She gets ready to stand up and run, only to have his hands run all over her sides; causing her to burst into a fit of loud laughter.

He watched her face contort into pure happiness, she was adorable in his eyes. She was perfection to him. How could she be everything he ever wanted? All he wants is her, there's was no way he thought of her the same. She was always talking to Wu-Jin, that must mean that she likes him. All he could do was dream about being with her.

"Okay! Okay! Stop, dude!" Y/N curled up into a ball.

Gyeong-Su smiles and releases her, "Come on, we should go to bed, it's late and we've got school tomorrow."

Y/N was staying at his house for the night as her parents were on a business trip in America for the week.

"Ugh fine."

-

"Oh my god, I can't believe we slept in! We're gonna be so late! I don't wanna get in trouble." Y/N runs beside her best friend.

"Hey at least we'll be stuck at school together," he smiles.

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103 notes - Posted February 9, 2022

#4

Afterlife | Wesker x F!Reader Ch.1

Y/N groaned with a scratch of her head, "Chris, I'm tired, let's please rest. Claire, you agree with me, right?" She pleadfully looked at the female Redfield.

Claire shook her head, "I thought you had tons of energy two minutes ago."

Chris chuckled at his sisters remark. Y/N glared at Chris, slapping the back of his neck.

"OW?! What the hell was that for???" Chris glared back.

"Don't worry about it, Mr Redfield." She clicked her tongue.

Claire was getting annoyed, "Oh my god, why won't you to just have babies already, you both fight like a married couple."

Y/N and Chris looked at Claire, "That's disgusting!" They said in sync with another, before looking at each other in disgust.

Claire rolled her eyes and walked ahead.

"I just want to get out this damn forest already," the tired girl said.

-

The three partners stepped with caution, their guns aimed to the ground, prepared to fire. They were told this building was secretly holding experiments for Umbrella, testing on humans, to further create the zombie virus. To strengthen Ouroboros. One of the people in charge? Albert Wesker. Born in 1960. He's immortal, hasn't aged since, still remains youthful. Difficult to kill, didn't die when fired with rpgs, nor when in lava. Survived everything.

Ouroboros is protecting him, and since his run in with Tyrant, many years ago. Chris Redfield has always fought with Albert Wesker since he can remember.

Y/N and Chris had liked each other in the beginning when they first met, but they bicker too often so they agreed it would never work. Though, they still have hook ups every now and then, its been a few months since the last one. With the virus increasing, they sorta lost interest in it. Plus, they found Claire, so it was hard for them to have alone time.

Claire figured out about their hookups immediately when she reunited with Chris, and met Y/N.

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127 notes - Posted June 20, 2022

#3

Y’all, this is fucking hilarious. Yoo In Soo having an interview with Gwi Nam

Link

182 notes - Posted February 17, 2022

#2

Hambie (Part 2) | Gwi-Nam x Reader

"Wait, what happened to your left eye." Y/N reaches for Gwi-Nam's face but he slaps her hand away.

"That fucking Lee Cheongsan, bitch. He stabbed my eye with a phone." He leans against a desk.

Gwi-Nam and her were childhood friends, though once they got to high school they went there separate ways. Gwi-Nam became the school bully. Y/N became absolutely no one. She only met Gyeong-Su because they shared a home room. She made a joke one time and it caused Gyeong-Su to laugh. From there a beautiful but very teasing relationship bloomed between the two jokesters.

Snapping fingers brought Y/N out of her trance, "Hey, dumbass, what are you thinking about?"

"Just a friend that died."

"Oh that small idiot? I honestly don't even know how you became friends with that annoying idiot." Y/N smacks the back of his head.

"Because he was funny unlike your ugly bitchass." She scoffs.

Gwi-Nam had to be jealous, why else would he insult her only friend? Now that she thinks about it, she hasn't hung out with Gwi-Nam since the beginning of high school. They've only really made eye contact and hung out with other people. He hung out with the wrong crowd, she hung out with no crowd. Which was quite lonely in her opinion. She wished she still hung out with him, but she honestly stopped caring after he became the infamous school bully.

"So, Gwi, how are you gonna manage now that there isn't anyone to bully?" She snickered.

Gwi-Nam rolls his eyes and smacks her back, "I still have you to bully."

Y/N definitely couldn't deny it, she had feelings for the boy but there was no way in hell she'd tell him. She was afraid he'd use her, then dump her, then bully her forever.

Yeah they're still friends, but what if she ruins it? He's all she has left in this world, she didn't have parents, she lived with her aunt that honestly never really cared about her. Gwi-Nam's family basically took care of her.

"Hey, bruh, I'm starving, I know you probably are too, but you're not eating me, so maybe, just maybe-"

"Y/N, no, get food for yourself. Keep annoying me and I will definitely eat you." Gwi-Nam smirks and hovers over her.

Y/N rolls her eyes and pushes him back, "Yah, did corona not teach you to social distance?"

She waves her hand in front of her nose, "plus you smell like a fucking corpse."

See the full post

275 notes - Posted February 7, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Hambie | Gwi-Nam x Reader

-

"Dae-Su, what the hell is a Hambie???"

"Oh, you know, a half-zombie."

"What the fuck.. How did you even come up with that, dude?" Y/N laughed at Dae-Su, in which he responded back with a chuckle.

“Shit. I’m so bored.” Y/N said and everyone agreed with her.

She looked at Hyo-Ryong and Ji-Min chatting, she became sad because she technically wasn’t friends with anyone in the room, except Gyeong-Su, and well, he’s gone. She never really talked to Dae-Su or Cheong-San.

She stood up from her chair and looked out the window. Zombies were just tripping over each other which made her laugh. The other kids just looked at her like she was insane. How could anyone laugh in this situation? She has a dark sense of humor. She was about to tell Gyeong-su to come look but then she remembered, again. He’s gone. She looked away from the window and sunk down the wall.

She swore if Na-Yeon happens to survive this, she’d kill her herself.

With her knees to pulled to her chest, she began to cry.

She wiped the falling tears and stood up, “Who has a backpack?”

Everyone looked at her, “I do.” Hyo-Ryung says, “Why?”

“Because, I’m hungry, I’m sure everyone else is hungry. Since we can’t even get in that closet. I’m gonna go look for food for us.”

“Why are you insane?? You’ll die out there!” On-Jo shook her head in disbelief.

“And? I’ve got nothing else to live for.” Y/N shrugged and walked over to Hyo-Ryung.

Hyo-Ryung hands her the empty bag then hugs her, “I know we aren’t friends but good luck, please return safely.”

Y/N nods and heads out the window.

-

“Shit! Shit! Shit!” Zombies chased after Y/N, even falling atop one another, trying to get through the cramped hallway.

Meanwhile, Gwi-Nam was asleep in a room that was empty.

Y/N becomes tired quickly, readjusting the straps on her shoulders.

She decides to look back, seeing maybe 20-30 zombies chasing after her, "fuck this," she runs into the closest room and slams the door closed.

“Yah! Who are you?” Y/N froze when she heard an unknown voice. Seeing a broom next to her, she grabs it, and starts hitting whatever just talked.

Gwi-Nam was already getting aggravated, he grabs the broom from her, snaps it in half on his leg then throws it across the room.

Y/N is then pushed the against the wall. “Who. The. Fuck. Are. You?” He demanded.

Y/N gave him her infamous resting bitchface, “Get the fuck off me, you fucking stink.” She pushes him off of her.

Realization suddenly hit her, “Wait a minute, Gwi???”

She grabbed the bloody hambie and pulled him to her, “Oh my god, you’re okay.”

Gwi-Nam realized it was Y/N, “I wouldn’t say I’m okay, I’m fantastic. I’m a god.”

“What are you talking about?”

See the full post

489 notes - Posted February 5, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[rebelbyrdie]

2024 Ficlet Day

Ficlet 7 - Part 1

This is a half-baked story. It was my answer to the Underworld arc, The Dark Swan arc, some Greek Mythology and Cora. It was also going to be the sort of spiritual successor to my story of Cauldrons and Queens. Another spooky Swan Queen story...it never quite got there. I also want it known that the roles of Hades and Persephone are played by Joanne Kelly and Jaime Murray respectively.

Better to Reign Part 1

Part I

Purgatorio

Storybrooke watched Summer wain away into Autumn.  The leaves changed and a chill came into the air.  The residents were used to the changes after so many years.  While some had been gone for six weeks, most of the town had been living their lives just as they had for the last thirty years.  The bakery started to stock pumpkin and apple themed bread and confections. Marco started putting out more wooden brooms, swords and other costume accessories.  Even the hosts of Good Morning Storybrooke were getting into the spirit by having segments for costume making.  

Everything was nice and normal, minus the occasional magical tornado or person being turned into a tree.  It was almost perfect, which was why no one noticed anything was off at first.  All things considered, there were slightly bigger problems and if a few fairies wandered off, well a Savior-turned-Dark One still took precedence.  No one would have known at all, had Leroy not found that Astrid not been one of the fairies that disappeared.  Of course, since Leroy often doubled as the town crier, it had become progressively harder to get people to listen.

“She’s gone.”  He spoke with his entire stocky body.  He leaned forward on the balls of his work boot-clad feet and moved his hands excitedly, his fingers all but shook. “The other tutus aren’t saying anything but she’s not the only one, Snow!”

Snow White, Baby Neal in her arms, looked up at the ceiling, as if the deity of Granny’s Diner had an answer for her.  It didn’t.

“Grumpy.”  She tried to not let her annoyance show in her voice. “The Blue Fairy would have come to us if her fairies were going missing.  I’m sure Astrid is just busy.  We’re all busy.”

She had known Grumpy a very long time and was not at all surprised to see his face twist into a sour snarl.

“Yeah well her royal blueness is gone too and since we’re down a Savior, you’re my last stop before I get really drunk and ask the Evil Queen for help.”

Snow’s brow furrowed and she sighed.  “We’re doing the best that we can right now.”

Grumpy muttered some word she wished he hadn’t have in front of the baby and stomped away, muttering more obscenities  as he went.  Snow wanted to cry, but was out of tears.  She was tired and run down, ground down and she just wanted everything to be normal again.  It was disturbing to her that the only time she could remember being “normal” was the time she’d spent under Regina’s curse.  

Ruby wandered over a short time later and tickled the bottom of Neal’s chin.  He reached for her, babbling happily.  Ruby and Belle were his favorite babysitters.  

Ruby settled him on her hip easily.

Snow sighed, “We have to curb Grumpy’s day-time drinking, Red.”

“He didn’t smell drunk, Snow.”  Her best friend hedged diplomatically, “Not even a bit and I have noticed some weird smells lately.”

She jostled Neal on her hip.  “This little guy’s diaper not included, I mean.”

Snow sighed and gave up on her eggs and bacon.  She wasn’t that hungry anyway.  “I’ll have David go look into it.”

Ruby nodded, “Maybe call Madam Mayor too.  She knows more about magic then us.  If the fairies are going missing then there might be a magical explanation.”

Only Regina was working herself into the ground trying to save Emma and Snow didn’t want to add more to her already overflowing plate.  

“What about Belle?”

“She’s a little busy right now, Snow.”

More problems and complications.  Snow wondered what else could go wrong.  

“Well, it’s not like things can get worse than they already are.  We’ll just-wait and see.”

David came in the door and smiled at her and she tried to smile back, but nothing was okay.  Nothing at all.

She paid, left Ruby a nice tip, then left.  She had to get to school.  Class started in just a few minutes and teaching was, currently, the only thing that kept her grounded.  It gave her a familiar and comforting routine, something she could focus on.  Even if there was only half-a-day’s worth of teaching to do.  The rest of the half-day would be spent in a very long, and Snow assumed very boring meeting.

The October wind, chilly that bordered on cold, gusted around her and she shivered.  Missing fairies, dark ones, and a feeling, a dread that hadn’t lifted since they’d returned from Camelot.  Something was wrong and Snow White knew very well that there was nothing she could do to stop it.

She had been a queen once, and years later she realized exactly how powerless she’d been, then and now.  A queen of nothing then and a queen of nothing now.  She pointedly ignored the laughter in her head.  She knew very well where the malignant sound came from, it came from the dark spot on her heart and it reminded her that she was not an innocent princess, not anymore.

Had Snow been paying attention, had she not been wrapped up in her thoughts, she would have seen how the shadows around her shifted and how the leaves swirled in small tornadoes.  She would have noticed that the streets were strangely empty.  Even the animals had gone into hiding.  She would have noticed that something was very wrong in Storybrooke.

[thatluckybear]

What kinda gamer is ThatLuckyBear?

This is a long post. So I'm into video games maybe a bit too much. Here's what I like:

Tetris + Dr. Mario (puzzle games): Core to my gaming spirit. I like to do speedruns of 0-21 on Dr. Mario 64 and I've been known to play 0-20 on Dr. Mario for the NES as well. I loved Tetris since NES but fell back in love with Tetris DS and now I mostly just do sprints on tetr.io. I'm also a 8 chain Puyo-Puyo scrub and I like the game but lack the energy to get better at it. Since this is kind of in the vein of puzzle solving the Ace Attorney games as well as oldschool Point and Click adventure games are wonderful for me as well.

Soulslike: These are all fun. I haven't played most of them though. Dark Souls 1 and Bloodborne are my favs and I've put a lot of time into Elden Ring but Miquella shut down my run and I haven't had time to grind it out. I'll finish it eventually though.

Metroidvania: Huge fan of the genre. Hollowknight is my favorite at time of writing but Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow is an ultra banger and I would have a hard time not mentioning it. I've played all the DS Castlevanias and I love them all.

Schlooters: Looting and shooting is fun. I play coop with my wife and we really enjoy Borderlands. We also had a good time with Outriders. Destiny 2 has been kinda tough to get into but we're trying to get a feel for it before investing any money.

MMORPGS: I've been doing these since 2003 if you can believe it. I was playing Ragnarok Online pre-beta by sneaking onto jRO. I really hit the road running with the iRO beta. Since then I've put a lot of love into Tera Online (Elin berserker just tickles my "hehe" bone, I had a popo too but Elin was the best imo) - I enjoyed FFXIV (Lala paladin) but it's too expensive for me to keep up with the monthly. I really wanna finish FFXIV's story someday. Phantasy Star Online, and Dungeon Fighter Online get a honorable mention but I really haven't had a chance to be in love with them since my MMO muscles are weak and my gaming time short in my age.

RPGS: Classic and modern I'm a big fan of RPGS. I've fallen in love with Dragon Quest recently although it was one of the first RPGS I played (Dragon Warrior NES.) I remember looking through Nintendo Power Magazine and looking at the illustrations and descriptions of the weapons and just getting SO JAZZED. Anyway Super Mario RPG is the best RPG of all time followed by Pokemon Blue/Red would be my call. I love modern Pokemon games but I haven't spent much time with others.

Action RPG: Monster Hunter, Yakuza (love but never played much,) Cyberpunk 2077, Resident Evil (2/4/7) and so many more. I'm a hunting horn main and I am head over heels for Monster Hunter and will always love it.

Competitive: I like to compete but I don't do it much because I have /emotional issues/ and I can't keep my lid on proper. That said I really have a great time playing Smash Ultimate (not a Melee guy sorry it's too hard for me) Street Fighter, Tekken, Granblue VS, and Smash are kind of the only ones I like playing these days. While I used to do a lot of FPS competitives I'm boycotting Actiblizzard so no COD or Overwatch til they remove Bobby Kotick. Valorant is too hard and time consuming but I love it (I'm bad at it sadly.) I might play Fortnite someday but idk if I'll get into it.

the COMF: I love some comfy games. Some of the above fit that category for me (Pokemon Red/Blue to be specific) but Stardew, Animal Crossing, anything Wholesome games, Minecraft, Stray etc. Anything that can make me sleepy usually fits me well.

Platformers: I get into some 3d mario games. I especially enjoyed Odyssey. I kind of get most of my platforming jazz out of the metroidvania stuff but I couldn't get through this without mentioning how much the 3d (and 2d for that matter) mario games matter to me.

There's obviously millions more games that I forgot and couldn't touch on. Day of Defeat was a formative competitive shooter experience as well as all the other HL1 mods I played. I could go on forever but I hope this helps you understand what kind of gamer I am. While I'm pretty eclectic in taste I'm also pretty formulated. These days I spend most of my time trying to find coop experiences to have with my wife so lmk if you've got some cool ones I should look into. 🧡

[ultimatedemonsimp]

I've had all of this on my mind for too long and I refuse to apologize for what I'm about to do, but I understand that I'm prolly trash.

Bakers Family Tickle Headcanons

Jack Baker

Pre-infection:

This semi-sweet old man is a switch

Mainly goes after Zoe and Lucas, but does get into tickle fights with Marguerite pretty regularly (most of which he loses, btw)

Absolutely does the whole tickle monster spiel, don't even argue with me, I'm also pretty confident that he teases with compliments

Somewhat rough, but not too much

Raspberries are his favorite fruits. Just look at that man's gd beard-

Doesn't push anyone past their limits

Mostly likes to suprise his lee (leaning over the back of the couch, jumping at them or from behind corners, ect.)

Basically, even before Eveline and her "gift", you still couldn't walk around that house without feeling like you were about to be attacked by him

Old man is also very ticklish

Mostly tickled by Marguerite, but, every once in a while, Lucas has the nuts to get his father back

Ribs, stomach, sides and hips are his worst spots, mostly belly laughs

Likes to receive raspberry as much as he likes to give them

6/10 for ticklishness

Post-infection:

JESUS FUCKING CHRIST-

LER

With ever cell in his mold body, ler

Still tickles his family, but it's become more directed at Eveline and Lucas

That being said, he's very gentle with Eveline, the hivemind making sure he knows exactly what she wants and when

He still has tickle fights with Marguerite, but they've have become more savage and only slightly less loving

Zoe no longer interacts with the family enough to really do any of that anymore

But Lucas... poor Lucas gets his shit wrecked regularly.

A few long gone "family members" have been subjected to this sadistic old man's wrath, as well, but that's not to be dwelled on

As said above, Jack has become a sadistic fuck

Very rough, but not enough to leave bruises

Still uses the tickle monster act, but is much less affectionate than before, taking to scolding and/or insults instead of compliments when tickling someone other than Eveline

Still has his love of raspberries, giving and receiving

Limits? Don't know 'em

Is still as ticklish as before, same places, same reactions, if not a little more dramatic or erratic

Loves to chase his lees, taunting them the whole time (think of the shit he says while looking for Ethan in-game, but alter some of them a little)

Still 6/10, but he's a drama queen.

Marguerite Baker

Pre-infection

Mama of the year is a switch

Other than the tickle fights with Jack, she mainly goes after Lucas and sometimes Zoe

Very loving with her children, mostly does the "coochi-coo" kind of teases

A little bit mean to her husband tho-

She does the "now what are you doin' down there?" that I'm pretty sure all moms do

Really likes to back her lee up against a wall so they can slide down it and she gets to use that line

Stops far before her lee's limit

Southern mama is ticklish, but much less than her husband

Worst spots are the soles of her feet and underneath her toes, shrieks for days

Everywhere else is mostly giggles, whines, and the occasional squeal

Ticklishness is a 4/10

Post-infection

Another one that went from a pretty sweet switch to a mean ler

On rare occasions, she send her little bugs to crawl around on her lee

Not biting, not eating them alive, just walking and fluttering around

Still goes after Lucas, but not as much as Jack does

Is only a little rough with her little baby boy

Zoe doesn't stay around them long enough for tickles

Eveline, of course, is her main lee, who she is very gentle with

Tickle fights with Jack are more rough, though she sometimes tries to start and keep them light, which only really happens a few times every year, when the two of them are cuddled up together in the same bed like a proper husband and wife, tired enough to not want to full-on wrestle, but not enough to get them to sleep

Like her husband, she likes to chase her lee and search for them while they hide

Unlike her husband, she prefers to stay rather quiet, occasionally making comments on finding her lee

Only knows Lucas' and Eveline's limits, anyone else is fucked

Still ticklish, it was actually enhanced a little

Places other than her toes and soles produce more than giggles

Bumped up to a 5/10

Lucas Baker

Pre-infection

Boi is a lee-leaning switch that can't catch a break

Everyone in this house is trying to tickle him at every opportunity

Has tickled people back, but not often, other than Zoe

Him and Zoe have always had very rough and mean tickle fights

Whenever he tickled his father back, he tried to be mean, but it didn't work all that well

Actually just ended up just getting wrecked again afterwards-

Doesn't try to get his mama back though, doesn't mind it all that much from her

Gets Zoe at every chance, though

There's a 50/50 chance he'll respect limits

Ticklish everywhere, but especially his knees and waist

9/10, very ticklish boi

Post-infection

This mans lost all his fight-

Lee, mostly because his old man tuckers him out so much that he can't move for at least ten minutes

Not fully though, he still pops into the trailer to annoy his sister almost weekly

To make sure suspicion doesn't arise, tickles Eveline from time to time, still hates her

Jesus christ, he though he was ticklish enough-

Damn near screeches everywhere

Went from frantically trying to push your hand off his knee while laughing like a maniac to kicking you in the face while screaming like a banshee

He gives off major brat vibes, so that's what I'm going with

Chase him. You won't be disappointed.

It can be running through the giant house or hiding in the bayou, he loves it

Pull a Jack Baker and taunt him, he'll run faster, but also make more mistakes, like getting cornered

Those things are what makes him hate his dad so much because that's always what he does

11/10, went from very ticklish boi to *incoherent screeching*

Zoe Baker

Before Eveline

Was already a ler

Went after the whole family, too

Sneak up behind Lucas while he's doing an engineer and attack with claws to the waist

Daddy's working on the car? Well, he'd better pull down the hem of his shirt or his tickle monster of a daughter is gonna attack

Mama can't cook without checking if her daughter's around every few seconds or she'll be interrupted by a familiar set of fingers kneading her sides

Doesn't tease her parents, but Lucas, of course, gets all of it

Playfully makes fun of him for not fighting it all too much

Got her ler from her father and her lee from her mother

Not very ticklish, but more than her ma'

Hips and stomach are the worst

5/10

After Eveline, the only tickle related things that happened or changed was that she didn't interact with anyone but Lucas.

THEY'RE HERE! FINALLY!

I may or may not make one specifically for Eveline and/or Mia.

[weskerfied]

Resident evil according to my little sister

Resident evil 0

Billy Russo and Rebecca are on a train into the wilderness but it unfortunately crashes and their night of romance is ruined by leeches.

Will and Wesker is my otp. They have great banter lol.

Wesker mode is superior hashtag Wesker and Rebecca.

Resident evil 1

You go around collecting keys in a mansion to open doors and eventually to unlock Wesker’s heart

Rebecca playing the piano is my Will to live but she never stops playing it’s so annoying.

I love yawn, I’m adopting yawn.

Resident evil 2

mr X is a dilf

You go around the police station to knock his hat off and piss him off.

William turns into an octopus.

Mr X has pet zombie dogs that you have to shoot in the head and they’re super speedy.

There’s also gross four legged things that fall from the ceiling and you can’t kill them (lickers)

Leon is in love with ada. Ada is not in love with Leon. We don’t like unreciprocated love. Poor Leon.

I love the guy at the beginning of 4th survoiur I might not know what he looks like but his voice is sexy.

Resident evil 3

Nemesis is mr X’s dad (he’s a gilf)

Carlos sits on a train and let’s Jill do all the work bc Jill is a badass and he’s a pussy but he’s sexy so it’s okay.

Nicholai is french. He has a Russian accent though.

I like his accent.

He’s a funny asshole.

Jill is very pretty.

Resistance

Alex is a hot lesbian tries to kill everyone else by putting clown zombies on people.

And there’s the guy who look like that one guy from stranger things. (Daniel looks like Billy)

Then there’s Nicholai, and Spencer. Not Spencer reid, I love Spencer Reid. He needs therapy.

Code Veronica

It’s got scary graphics.

Wesker looks scary and evil

Hashtag incest.

Steve is not Steve Rogers. I miss Steve Rogers.

Resident evil 4

Leon goes to Spain.

YOU CANT KILL ASHLEY it’s a shame because she’s a dumb hoe.

I get punched by my brother every time he breaks a box with a snake in it. I’m in danger. Call 911 (we live in the uk it’s actually 999)

Resident evil 5

Wesker became a squid.

There’s chickens and you piss them off.

I don’t like sheva she sucks she’s just annoying and we don’t vibe.

Wesker actually survived the volcano. I watched it happen.

Resident evil 6

Wesker’s child falls in love with the girl that is saved in a previous game

*sudden realisation that it is Williams daughter*

WOAHHHH THEY WERE DESTINED FOR EACHOTHER.

So there’s that one scene at the end where piers got infected and Chris goes into a pod and blasts into space. They were soulmates from the wrong timelines.

Resident evil 7

the best game ever

So there’s daddy Jack and margarita (yes that’s her name now) 🍸

Margarita tickles you with her bugs and Jack is just the best.

Screw his children they suck we only like Jack and margarita.

He runs you over out of love. He cares about you.

DUN DUN DUNNNNN jack turned him mouldy but your not supposed to know that yet.

There is a basement that reminds me of venom and Ethan is actually Eddie Brock.

Village

tall vampire lady and flashbacks to jacks house where you realise he’s been dead all along *heartbreak*

He was a zombie on the outside but his heart was still beating for his child who he had to save.

There was a dishevelled okay looking guy. The guy from breaking bad right?

CHRIS WAS HIS BEST BUDDY because he took his child and made sure she was saved.

[prodbyblush]

♤ Arisu Ryohei | 有栖 良平

Reactions:

s/o is a kpop fan

s/o being really good at games but an introvert

s/o attempting to tickle them

kissing s/o after they thought they died in the game

s/o is selectively mute but loves their presence

s/o wearing their clothes

s/o having a panic attack

a child calling their s/o "mommy"

s/o showing their love through physical affection

s/o saving them in a game

having a s/o who sleeps alot

s/o being cute

first kiss with s/o

short s/o trying to kiss them

s/o sacrificing themselves but comes back unharmed

how they cuddle you

endearment they give s/o

s/o taking care of their children

s/o being strong

s/o being fidgety / anxious

s/o being ignorant to others but affectionate towards them

forgetting to ask s/o's name after their first game together

s/o is very sensitive and cries over everything

s/o knows how to sing and play instruments

seeing s/o with and without bangs

s/o growing weak in front of them

aib boys and their love language

s/o is a gymnast

s/o on their period

s/o sitting on their lap

s/o is artistic

s/o is nerdy and wears glasses

s/o loses their positivity

s/o has unaligned teeth

s/o has anger issues

as texts they'd send you

how they fall asleep with you

s/o cutting their own hair and fails

s/o saying something hurtful in the argument

helping a child cross the street

s/o likes to make theories about

s/o sacrificing themselves for them

reader no longer remembers them after returning

how arisu, chishiya & niragi teach reader their language

dating chubby!s/o

argument with s/o...evicted to the couch

their crush feels safe with them

lovestagram

brazilian!s/o has a cussing problem

s/o having a wet dream

crying in front of their s/o

getting jealous

valentines day with him

Oneshots:

coffee and resident evil village [ f ♥ ]

fall into it [ f ♦ ]

witch [ f ♥ ♦ ]

not shy [ f ♥ ]

crush [ f ♥ ]

fairy tale : part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5 | part 6 | part 7 [ f ] [ DISCONTINUED ]

star [ f ♦ ]

gotta be you [ f ♥ ♦ ]

once more to see you [ f ♦ ]

fm [ f ♥ ]

liar liar [ f ♥ ]

the first snow [ f ♥ ]

hard to love, hoow to love [ f ♦ ]

Headcanons:

walking in on s/o changing clothes [ gn ]

s/o dies at the 5 of spades game [ gn ]

s/o constantly overworking themselves [ gn ]

dating arisu ryohei [ gn ]

dating rizuna an's younger brother [ m ]

s/o squirting [ f ]

how they'd hold your hand [ f ]

random headcanons [ gn ]

helping young teen!reader in the borderlands [ f ]

SMAU Texts:

spill the tea [ gn ]

will you still love me if i became a worm [ gn ]

ex partner is asking for a second chance [ gn ]

s/o simping for anime characters [ gn ]

[bewitching-elizabeth-olsen]

Press: A Thorough Breakdown of All the Marvel Easter Eggs on WandaVision

POPSUGAR: WandaVision has finally arrived, and it’s chock-full of hidden goodies for Marvel fans to devour! While the series is built upon a mystery that we’ll be spending a reported nine episodes trying to figure out, the smallest details in each episode provide clues on where the show is heading. From supermarket banners to foreboding commercials, viewers have an abundance of references and callbacks to classic comic lore and pivotal MCU moments. Are they setting the stage for a big reveal at the end, or are they just fun details included for fans to enjoy? While we try to figure it all out, scroll through to see what we’ve gathered! And check back every week for an episode-by-episode breakdown as WandaVision progresses.

WandaVision Episode 7 Easter Eggs

The episode opens the morning after Wanda has expanded the border of the Hex, finding the Avenger hiding from the world under her comforter. The comforter in question has a hexagon pattern, which is both a nod to the overall theme of the show as well as a metaphor for how Wanda is literally hiding away under a hex.

Billy and Tommy run into the room to reveal that their video game console has been messing up. Everything in the house is glitching, trying to transform back to earlier versions of themselves.

Billy also tells his mother that his head hurts and things are “noisy.” Since the twin inherited his mother’s ability to read minds, it seems he’s able to hear the thoughts of everyone in the bubble (and near it on the outside, since he was able to hear his father when he was dying). It’s a sign that Billy’s powers are growing, which means we could see the little boy reach his Wiccan potential before the end of the season.

Wanda wanders into the kitchen as the news drones on in the background. The news station is called W.N.D.A. or Wanda. The newscaster makes pointed comments, noting that there’s “not a thing weighing heavily on your conscience,” and that they “hope your little ghosts arrived home safe last night. It’s always such a treat to see those creepy kiddos out and about once a year.” The comments refer to Wanda’s building guilt at her actions in the previous episode and the rare appearance of children during the Halloween episode.

As Wanda makes her breakfast of “Sugar Snaps,” a nod to the big Snap of the universe, her milk carton reverts from its modern design to the old school glass bottle and back. The carton has a missing person’s ad on the back with a picture of a little boy on the back. This could be a reference to the oft-mentioned absence of children of Westview, and what could have happened to them.

Wanda and the twins “break the fourth wall” frequently to talk to the camera in the same vein as Modern Family.

This week’s theme song sounds similar to The Office’s, which also usings talking head segments like Modern Family. The opening credits are similar to the show Happy Endings and allude to the show’s focus on Wanda, even attributing the creation of WandaVision to her with the title image. Vision is notably completely absent from the opening credits, but there’s a clue that someone else is watching in a message that reads, “I know what u are doing Wanda.”

Agnes stops by to take the boys off of Wanda’s hands, which the exhausted mother is exceedingly grateful for. The twins are visibly uncomfortable with the idea, with Tommy asking Wanda if they have to and Billy telling his mother that someone has to stay to take care of her. It seems like they can sense that something is off with their “kindly” neighbor.

Wanda sends them off with Agnes, but once they’re gone, her magic goes incredibly haywire. All the furniture begins glitching again, with the stork from the painting in episode three making a reappearance. “I don’t understand what’s happening,” Wanda laments during a talking head segment. “Why it’s all falling apart and why I can’t fix it.” The off-screen interviewer responds, “Do you think maybe it’s what you deserve?” which visibly unnerves Wanda, who notes that they aren’t supposed to speak. It’s another sign that Wanda does not have as much control as she’s been led to believe.

Cue the sixth commercial, and it’s even more pointed than any of the others have been. It’s an ad for the antidepressant Nexus, for “when the world doesn’t revolve around you. Or does it?” The drug allows people to anchor themselves to the reality of their choice with side effects that include “feeling your feelings, confronting your truth, seizing your destiny, and possibly more depression.” Whew, the pointed commentary is even making me sweat. Nexus is a nod to two things: Wanda’s crippling inability to deal with the trauma she’s been through and her depression that’s pushed her into the creation of Westview, and two Marvel comics concepts. The first is the Nexus of All Realities is a kind of gateway point between dimensions from which all universes in the multiverse can be accessed. (Remember, Wanda’s next reported appearance is in Multiverse of Madness.) The second concept is the existence of Nexus beings, people who have powers that can alter reality, probability, and the Universal Time Stream. Guess which two Westview residents are considered Nexus beings? That’s right, Wanda and Vision! The commercial can either be just a cheeky nod to the couple’s seemingly infinite power or an allusion to the bigger picture that WandaVision is leading to.

While Darcy and Vision are attempting to make their way to the house, the doctor gives the synthezoid a brief rundown of his origin story, explaining how he died twice in an attempt to save the world. Vision points out that it seems like someone is trying to keep him from getting home, which spurs him to fly off, leaving Darcy behind in the blocked truck.

Billy and Tommy are watching Yo Gabba Gabba in Agnes’s lowkey creepy home. (It tickles me that Yo Gabba Gabba is more canon in the MCU than the X-Men or Fantastic Four right now.) While Billy pets Agnes’s bunny Señor Scratchy, he notes that he likes being around the older woman because he’s unable to hear any of her thoughts. “You’re quiet inside,” he says, an allusion to the idea that Agnes can hide her thoughts from him because she has magic.

Back outside the Hex, after the super-rover isn’t able to penetrate the field, Monica decides to run through it again. As she struggles through the barrier and we watch her, a montage of dialogue from Captain Marvel plays. The voices of Maria, Nick Fury, and Carol play over Monica getting through, and as Captain Marvel says “when they were handing out little kids, your mom got the toughest one,” Monica she pushes through to the other side. She lands in the stereotypical three-point-stance of all Marvel heroes, and her eyes glow, showing that she can see energy. We just witnessed the rise of Photon, folks! (Or Spectrum or Pulsar.)

Monica confronts Wanda in her home, and as their fight spills onto the lawn, the residents of Westview watch from their own homes. The delivery man is wearing a “Presto Delivery” uniform, a reference to the magic words said by magicians before they pull a magic trick.

In the first blatant show of Agnes’s ulterior motives, the older woman stops the fight when she realizes Monica is getting through to Wanda and pulls the young mother into her home. But when Wanda gets there, she notices the green bug and rabbit in the living room and the lack of her sons’ presence. When she asks Agnes where the boys are, she’s told to head to the basement, where the big showdown occurs. The scene hints at the eventual disappearance of Billy and Tommy.

Wanda notices a book on an altar, which could be the Darkhold, also known as The Book of Sins, The Shiatra Book Of The Damned. Originally a collection of papers known as the Chthon Scrolls, the book contains all the spells and ideas of the evil Elder God known as Chthon. The book is a conduit for Chthon’s power and can open a doorway from Earth to Chthon’s dimension. If that book is in Agnes’s basement, it stands to logic that she may be working with the evil god. The Darkhold emits an orange glow, which is a distinctly different color than the purple of Agatha’s magic.

Speaking of magic, Agnes finally reveals herself as the witch we’ve known her to be. Although the show tells us that “it’s been Agatha all along,” it still doesn’t ring completely true. There’s definitely more at work than just Agatha’s magic.

In the mid-credits sequence, Monica is caught snooping in Agnes’s backyard by Pietro. Her eyes seem to glow purple, the same color that signals Agatha’s magic. Does this mean she’s now under the witch’s spell?

  WandaVision Episode 6 Easter Eggs

The opening credits for episode six seem to be a tribute to Malcolm in the Middle, which ran for seven seasons between 2000 and 2006.

The entire Wanda and Vision family wear their comic book character costumes for Halloween.

There’s another reference to Thanos’s snap as Director Tyler Hayward talks about dealing with the repercussions of all the people “who left.”

The terrifying Yo-Magic commercial seems to foreshadow Vision’s future. Even though Wanda was seemingly able to bring Vision back to life, it looks like he won’t stay alive for long as it’s implied that he can’t exist outside of the Hex later in the episode.

Blink and you’ll miss the fun Disney movie Easter egg on Westview’s movie theater. The sign outside the theater shows a double feature of The Incredibles and The Parent Trap. Connecting right to Wanda’s family, The Incredibles is about a family of superheroes, while The Parent Trap is about a pair of long-lost twins reuniting.

Wanda’s changing accent has been brought up countless times by fans, and in episode six, Pietro makes a slight reference to it when Wanda asks, “What happened to your accent?” to which he quips, “What happened to yours?”

There is another reference that Agnes is actually Agatha Harkness as she is spotted wearing a witch costume on Halloween.

It appears that Vision has no memories pre-Westview, as a conscious Agnes tells him he’s one of the Avengers, and he has no clue what she’s talking about.

The episode further hints at Monica’s powers as Darcy confirms that the Hex rewrote her cells on a molecular level.

A few interactions between Pietro and Wanda have fans wondering if he might actually be Mephisto in disguise. Not only is he fully aware about Wanda creating Westview, but he makes several references to the devil and hell throughout the episode.

  WandaVision Episode 5 Easter Eggs

Wanda and Vision’s brand new house, suitable for a family of four, is reminiscent of homes in ’80s sitcoms such as Full House and Growing Pains.

When Agnes comes in to offer her babysitting help, she refers to herself as “Auntie Agnes,” which is eerily close to her comic counterpart’s nickname, Auntie Agatha.

An uncomfortable break in conversation leads Agnes to ask Wanda if she wants her to “take it from the top.” Though Wanda appears confused for a moment, she readily smoothes the conversation and carries on. Vision is visibly perturbed, though Wanda attempts to redirect his attention. It seems like the facade is fading all around.

To the surprise of their parents, Tommy and Billy age up five years while the two argue over Agnes’s break in character.

This episode’s opening sequence shows Wanda and Vision growing up, which we know didn’t happen in real life for the synthezoid. The theme song sounds very similar to those from Family Ties and Growing Pains, and consists of lyrics noting that “we’re just making it up as we go along.” Sounds pretty close to how things are going with Wanda and Vision!

When Wanda’s scans come back, they’re inconclusive and show up blank. Considering Monica gains her powers due to bombardment by extradimensional energies in the comics, it’s entirely possible that the blast from Wanda back in episode three, coupled with passing through the forcefield around Westview twice, have given her those abilities. We could be seeing the rise of Photon!

While Jimmy Woo is explaining Wanda’s backstory to the agents of S.W.O.R.D., Director Hayward asks if she’s ever used a “funny nickname” like the other Avengers. She hasn’t, in fact, she’s never been referred to as Scarlet Witch in the MCU ever. Since her powers are different from her comic book counterpart, there’s never been a reason for anyone to call her a witch.

That never-before-seen post credits scene from Infinity War has officially made its debut. Director Hayward reveals footage of Wanda entering S.W.O.R.D. headquarters to steal Vision’s disassembled body. The video harks back to a moment in the comics where Vision was kidnapped and taken apart — but still very much alive. Much like that Vision, the one in Westview has his memory wiped and doesn’t remember anything before he woke up in his new world. So, the question is whether Vision is actually alive or not. Wanda’s hallucination from episode four might suggest he’s a walking corpse, but there’s more to the story.

Jimmy mentions that Wanda’s stealing of Vision’s body violates the Sokovia Accords, which haven’t been mentioned since Captain America: Civil War. Unfunnily enough, the Accords were a direct response to the mission gone wrong in Lagos where Wanda lost control of her powers and caused the death of many civilians.

Darcy mentions that Vision is playing “Father Knows Best in Surburbia,” referencing the ’50s sitcom.

Tommy and Billy find a dog that, with the help of Auntie Agnes, they name Sparky. The Vision family has a dog with that exact name in the King and Walta comics, but he’s green. Sadly, he meets a similar fate as his live-action counterpart.

Wanda blatantly uses her powers in front of Agnes, who has seemingly handled the magic around her with ease. It’s almost as if she’s used to magic.

Darcy calls the Westview anomaly the “hex” because of its hexagonal shape. Although the magic has been taken out of the phrase, Wanda’s powers are known as hexes in the comics.

Jimmy, Monica, and Darcy try to understand how Wanda can revive Vision and control the Hex, which takes much more power than she’s ever displayed before. Monica notes that Wanda has always been powerful, being the only Avenger who was close to taking down Thanos singlehandedly, which Jimmy interjects to note that Captain Marvel could as well. Both are empowered by Infinity Stones, with Carol’s Kree biology giving her a power boost.

When Jimmy brings up Captain Marvel, Monica is visibly uncomfortable and changes the subject back to Wanda. What happened there?

Vision’s office mates learn about the sweet glory that is dial-up internet! But when he and Norm open their first bit of electronic mail, it’s a transmission picked up from S.W.O.R.D. talking about the Maximoff anomaly.

Vision breaks through Norm’s conditioning, revealing that he’s under the control of a woman (alluding to it being Wanda). He directly references his family, a conversation that Jimmy mentioned in his notes in the last episode.

The twins have aged themselves up to 10 by this point and are seemingly completely aware that Wanda has control over certain aspects of life, like time. They point out that it was Saturday when they woke up, but Wanda says it’s now Monday. She apparently changed the day to send Vision to work. Is their awareness because they also have magic or because she doesn’t control them?

Monica sends an ’80s drone into Westview after working out that Wanda’s Hex is rewriting reality to suit each era occurring in the bubble, and the drone would need no era-appropriate change. Though she attempts to speak with Wanda through the drone, Director Hayward commands agents to fire a missile at Wanda instead — directly ignoring that Monica said she doesn’t see Wanda as a danger. The action results in Wanda leaving the Hex and confronting the S.W.O.R.D. agents outside. She’s wearing the suit we last saw her wearing in Infinity War and Endgame and has her accent back, although it’s much thicker than it’s been since Ultron.

Episode five’s commercial is more pointed than any of them have been. Lagos brand paper towels directly reference the city in which Wanda accidentally killed several people in Civil War by blowing up a building. Thus, the Sokovia Accords were born.

While Wanda and the twins are searching for a missing Sparky — with no one calling out the fact that Wanda disappeared for some time — the mailman tells the boys that their mom “won’t let him get far.” It seems almost like a dig at how no one can leave Westview, like the doctor mentioned during episode three.

When Agnes reveals that Sparky died after eating too many azalea bush leaves, the boys ask their mother to reverse his death. Agnes seems particularly surprised by the idea of Wanda having that ability despite having seen other displays of her power and watching the twins age up rapidly twice. Wanda tells the twins that they can’t reverse death as there are still rules to things, which almost seems hypocritical considering her circumstances. Is she trying to say that she hasn’t revived Vision? Or is she simply trying to keep her boys from expecting too much from her?

Later that night, Vision reveals that he unearthed Norm’s repressed memories and demands to know what’s going on. He tells Wanda that she can’t control him, which she cooly responds asking him, “Can’t I?” Although the credits start rolling, their argument continues as Vision unleashes his frustration with not knowing his past and his confusion over their circumstances. Wanda tells him that she doesn’t control everything, saying, “I don’t even know how all of this started.” Vision believes it began subconsciously, but chastises Wanda for letting it get that far. Wanda reiterates that she isn’t controlling everything, which gives weight to the theory that there’s someone else behind the scenes. But who could it be if Wanda isn’t the “she” that Norm was referring to?

Mid-argument, the Vision family doorbell rings, which Wanda states she didn’t do. I’m inclined to believe her because when she opens the door, she is genuinely shocked speechless. At the door is her “brother” Pietro, now sporting the face of Evan Peters. Darcy asks the question we were all thinking as the episode closes, “She recast Pietro!?”

  WandaVision Episode 4 Easter Eggs

This episode opens with the heartbreaking reveal that Monica Rambeau was one of the people lost to the Snapture from Infinity War. She returns from Endgame’s Reverse-Snap in a hospital where she had been awaiting news after her mother Maria’s surgery.

As Monica is waking up, we hear familiar voices echoing in her head. It’s Captain Marvel calling her by her childhood nickname, Lieutenant Trouble.

As Monica weaves through the chaos of people reappearing in the hospital post-Reverse-Snap, she finally locates someone who recognizes her. Although Maria survived the surgery five years ago, she died from cancer three years ago in real time, having not been blipped with her daughter.

We finally have some information on S.W.O.R.D.! The acronym stands for Sentient Weapon Observation Response Division, rather than the meaning in Marvel comics, which is Sentient World. It sounds a little more ominous, right?

Maria’s badass legacy continues well past her friendship with Captain Marvel; according to S.WO.R.D.’s acting director, Tyler Hayward, Maria helped build the agency during its inception. She was the acting director until her death.

Tim gives Monica a mission to help out the FBI in the town of WestView, NJ, where something super freaky is going on with a missing person’s case. This confirms that WestView is, indeed, a very real place.

Welcome back, Jimmy Woo! Monica’s FBI contact is none other than Scott Lang’s parole officer and semifriend, Agent Jimmy Woo.

Jimmy reveals that a person in witness protection has somehow dropped off the map in a town that no longer seems to exist where no one recalls anyone who lived there. In an attempt to figure out what’s going on, Monica sends in a S.W.O.R.D. drone that vanishes inside the forcefield. It’s revealed to have transformed into the retro-style helicopter that Wanda picks up in episode two! We can only assume that since it’s an item from the outside world, it gained color when it entered Wanda’s reality to show that it doesn’t belong.

Darcy Lewis is back! Now a doctor in astrophysics, Darcy is called to help figure out what’s gone wrong with WestView. She’s the one who figured out a signal for the broadcast and is the owner of the hand we saw watching Wanda and Vision in episode one.

The mysterious beekeeper from episode two is revealed to be S.W.O.R.D.’s Agent Franklin, who journeyed through Westview’s sewers to investigate. His hazmat suit became a beekeeper’s uniform, and the cable around his waist becomes a jump rope as he travels through the tunnels.

Darcy explains that the sitcom that’s become Wanda and Vision’s life is literally being broadcast through the signals that S.W.O.R.D.’s viewing, with an audience and everything. There’s no explanation for how this is happening, but Darcy and company watched those first three episodes just like we did, credits and all.

Darcy also points out that Vision is supposed to be dead-dead, which leaves his presence in WestView still unexplained.

While Darcy and Jimmy can identity a majority of the neighbors we’ve met in WestView to their real-life counterparts, Dottie and Agnes are the only ones who are missing real information.

It’s revealed that Agent Woo was the voice behind the radio disruption, just as we suspected! But while we can see Wanda and Dottie’s reaction to the call, Darcy’s broadcast didn’t show the same thing. She explains that someone is “censoring” the visuals they’re receiving, which means someone knows they’re watching.

Back in the sitcom WestView, we see that Monica’s slip-up resulted in Wanda blasting her through the house and the energy field. It’s the first time we physically see Wanda using her powers again, so she still has them. But the lapse in her facade has consequences — when Vision returns from his talk with Agnes and Herb outside, Wanda hallucinates him as she last saw him in Infinity War, a corpse with his head crushed in.

It’s important to note that Vision seems to become more aware of the strangeness of their world with each episode. It makes sense because no matter how human he may seem, he’s still a synthezoid who has always been able to see beyond the superficial. It harks back to his “birth” in Age of Ultron. He’s omnipotent and always learning.

When Monica lands back in the real world, all she says is, “It’s all Wanda.” That seemingly serves as an answer to what’s going on in WestView, but it’s not a whole answer. Wanda seems just as confused and unaware as everyone else, but she is willing to stay in her “perfect” world. The question is, who put Wanda in the position to have her perfect world?

  WandaVision Episode 3 Easter Eggs

Much like the comics, Wanda magically becomes pregnant! But this time around, things are progressing much more quickly, and her doctor isn’t Dr. Strange.

The first of the episode’s weird glitches happens with Wanda and Vision’s neighbor Herb, who is attempting to saw through the brick fence separating the two houses instead of trimming his hedges. When Vision points out that his aim has gone a bit askew, Herb’s detached reaction is a bit creepy. He thanks Vision but keeps sawing through the wall! And unlike the previous weird behavior, there’s nothing that triggers the moment, especially not from Vision or Wanda.

Wanda and Vision contemplate what to name their baby boy, with Vision suggesting Billy and Wanda throwing out Tommy. (The argument becomes moot when they have twins!) These are the names of the pair’s sons in the comic, who later become members of the Young Avengers. In the show, Wanda chooses her name because it’s “all-American,” which is also a fair indicator of why her perfect reality is framed around sitcoms. Vision cites William Shakespeare as his inspiration and uses a quote from As You Like It that seems pretty on the nose. “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players” seems like a pointed reference to the fact that WandaVision is, in fact, all a show.

Wanda decorates the nursery using Simser brand paint, which is most likely a nod to Jeremy Simser, a storyboard artist for Marvel Studios and WandaVision.

The second glitch appears when Wanda says the residents of WestView always seem “on the verge of discovering our secret.” Vision has a moment of sobering clarity where he notes that something is wrong in WestView, citing the incidents with Mr. and Mrs. Hart and their neighbor Herb. A second after his says this, reality glitches and the scene starts over with Vision seemingly worry-free. The last time this happened with the beekeeper, it was clear Wanda was the culprit in turning back time, but in this case, she doesn’t seem to do anything to force the change. This suggests someone else is pulling the strings.

Wanda mentions that their child could be human or “synthezoid,” a term that originates in the comics. Although fans like to joke that Vision is an android, he’s technically a synthetic human. He’s not made of metal or machinery — in the comics, his body is composed of the bioengineering tech of Dr. Helen Cho, while in the MCU, he’s made of organic tissue mixed with vibranium and “powered” by the Mind Stone.

Vision jokes that Billy will be just like his mom, which is funny because, in the comics, Billy has magical abilities similar to Wanda’s powers. Tommy ends up having superspeed abilities like his uncle, Pietro.

It’s time for the third commercial! Much like the previous episode’s watch promotion, this break references Hydra — though a tad more directly. It’s all about Hydra Soak, and the message is decidedly more pointed than we’ve had before. “Escape to a world all your own, where your problems float away,” the announcer says. “When you want to get away, but you don’t want to go anywhere: Hydra Soak.” Marvel: Agents of Shield fans will recall that Hydra Soak HAS been mentioned on the show. During the series’s Framework arc, Phil Coulson claims that Hydra is brainwashing people using soap, so he makes his own. Is the commercial another sign that Hydra is behind the mystery of WestView? Is it a warning that no one in the town will be able to get away? And what’s that about finding the goddess within?

The actors in this ad are the same ones as the previous ones, Victoria Blade and Ithamar Enriquez. Their recurring presence might mean they have some significance in Wanda’s life. Maybe they’re her parents?

In what feels like an ominous follow-up to the Hydra Soak commercial, the doctor reveals that he and his wife won’t be taking their trip away after all. “Small towns, you know, so hard to escape,” he mutters, pointedly. I think we’re starting to get the hint, folks! Wanda mentions she is a twin and that her brother was named Pietro. It’s been a hot minute since anyone has talked about MCU’s Quicksilver — he made his debut back in Age of Ultron, the same film in which he was shot and killed.

When Geraldine lets it slip that she knows about Pietro’s death at the hands of Ultron, Wanda interrogates her and discovers her necklace bears a familiar symbol — it’s that damn S.W.O.R.D. logo, and Wanda is apparently not a fan.

In another sign that something is UP, Agnes and Herb seem to warn Vision about Geraldine. They note that she’s “brand new” to town with no family and start to say that “she came here because we’re all —” before they’re cut off. It’s worth noting that the two figures that may be MCU versions of formidable Marvel characters are the ones who seem to understand that strange things are going on in WestView. If Agnes and Herb are the MCU’s Agatha Harkness and High Evolutionary, they would definitely be the ones in the know. But why would they try to warn Vision about Geraldine if WestView is a trap?

Agnes is wearing her infamous brooch as a necklace that could be referencing an MCU supervillain mentioned before. The necklace has three figures close together, with the center figure holding what looks like a giant scythe. Is it another clue that the Grim Reaper is on his way?

Wanda literally throws Geraldine out of town — though she tells Vision that she had to run home — and Geraldine passes through what seems like a magical forcefield. While fans have been assuming WestView is a fake town, this shows us that physically, it’s a very real place. But it’s currently bubbled off with a barrier that Wanda can apparently allow people in and out of. And the song that plays as Geraldine finds herself outside the barrier? “Daydream Believer” by The Monkees. It seems pretty appropriate for a situation that feels like a surreal dream.

When Geraldine lands on the outskirts of real WestView, she’s instantly swarmed by cars and agents all bearing the S.W.O.R.D. logo. Since we know Teyonah Parris is playing the adult Monica Rambeau, it’s safe to assume Geraldine was an alias she used to go undercover in WestView. Combined with the mystery agent watching the show within the show from episode one, we can conclude that Wanda and Vision are being closely observed by S.W.O.R.D. for some reason. But they clearly aren’t the ones in control, since Monica is so easily forced out. What will they do next?

While the opening credits of this episode are a reference to The Brady Bunch, it’s the end credits that give us another clue about the big bad coming our way. Just like the previous episodes, Wanda and Vision are framed in a hexagon as the end credits roll. The symbol is so important because it’s the preferred shape of the creators at Advanced Idea Mechanics, or AIM, who are last seen in Iron Man 3. Remember the beekeeper suits that resemble AIM agents’ clothing? It seems like the evil organization might be making a comeback.

  WandaVision Episode 2 Easter Eggs

The opening credits for this episode aren’t just an adorable homage to Bewitched but a whole bevy of Marvel Easter eggs! The illustration of the moon happens to be surrounded by six stars, and we can’t help but be reminded of the Infinity Gauntlet.

When Vision phases through the floor, there’s a dark shape that looks exactly like the helmet worn by Marvel supervillain Grim Reaper hidden in the space. In the comics, he’s the brother of Wonder Man, whose brainwaves were used in Vision’s creation.

When Wanda goes to the supermarket in the opening, three references hang above the aisle! Bova Milk refers to Bova, the humanoid cow who raised Wanda and Pietro on Mount Wundagore. Auntie A’s kitty litter is a witchy reference to Auntie Agatha or Agatha Harkness, whom we’ve discussed before, and her cat-like familiar named Ebony. And Wonder Mints is most definitely a cheeky reference to Wonder Man, aka Simon Williams, the superhero who Vision’s brainwaves are based on in the comics!

When animated Wanda and Vision settle on their couch, the small figure on their side table is a statue of the Whizzer. Featured in 1982’s Vision and the Scarlet Witch, the Whizzer thought he was Wanda’s father but later discovers he was wrong. Whizzer and his wife were offered the chance to adopt Wanda and Pietro when they were kids on the mythical Mount Wundagore, but they declined.

When Wanda hears a crash outside the house, she heads out to the front, where she finds a colorful toy helicopter in an otherwise black-and-white world. Not only does the red-and-yellow helicopter have the number 57 stamped on it, but it also bears the S.W.O.R.D symbol! The number is likely in reference to Vision’s first appearance in Avengers #57, while the symbol hints to the presence of S.W.O.R.D outside Wanda’s perfect world.

The creepy, cult-like refrain spoken by the fundraiser organizers of it all being “for the children” seems to be a reference to Wanda’s involvement in the comic event The Children’s Crusade. The story follows her son, Billy, who’s trying to gain control over his reality-warping abilities by looking for a missing Wanda.

Well, here’s another blast from the angsty past! The Strücker timepiece is a very obvious callback to Hydra and Baron von Strücker. The watch bears the unmistakable octopus skull symbol of Hydra, and Strücker is the Hydra leader who recruited Pietro and Wanda for the experimentation that gave them powers. He was later killed by Ultron in his prison cell. Does anyone else hear that ticking noise? Remember good ol’ Herb? In the comics, a character named Herbert is also the High Evolutionary who runs Mount Wundagore, the very same safe haven where Bova delivered the Maximoff twins. Time will tell if the super-scientist is the same character, but it can’t be a coincidence.

Wanda and Vision’s magic show has two gems that we’ve noticed! First thing, the literal Mind Stone happens to be the design on the doors of the Cabinet of Mystery that plays a huge part in their act. Second, Wanda and Vision use the names Illusion and Glamour for their actor, which are also the names of the magicians that Vision goes to see in an issue of The Vision and the Scarlet Witch.

Though we all enjoy a good jam, The Beach Boys’ “Help Me, Rhonda” gets interrupted by someone asking, “Who’s doing this to you, Wanda?” And doesn’t that voice sound an awful lot like Randall Park’s Jimmy Woo?

While it may seem weird that Wanda shows her pregnancy in an instant, it’s in line with what goes on in the comics. Wanda uses magic to help her have children, which checks out since her husband is a synthezoid.

Oooh, that mysterious beekeeper! Not only does their presence lead to the reveal that Wanda has some control over the reality they���re in, but it also sets off some alarm bells. Even though the beekeeper’s suit bears the S.W.O.R.D logo on the back, the costume is reminiscent of the yellow costumes worn by A.I.M., a military science organization founded by Baron von Strücker. Could this be a sign that Wanda is being watched by more than one organization? And is this a hint that Hydra is back!? (Obviously, it is.)

  WandaVision Episode 1 Easter Eggs

When Wanda accidentally smashes a plate into Vision’s head, he jokes about his wife and her “flying saucers,” and she comments back about his “indestructible head.” Considering that Vision died after having the Mind Stone ripped from his head, it’s a dark joke to kick off the series.

Vision’s work tie has a visual reference to his comic-book alter ego! In Tom King and Gabriel Hernandez Walta’s Vision, whenever the character dresses as a human, he wears a tie clip that emulates the diamond pattern on his chest.

Vision’s boss, Mr. Hart, is likely named after comic creator Steve Englehart, who created 1985’s The Vision and the Scarlet Witch with Richard Howell, a miniseries that heavily influenced WandaVision. It’s been heavily implied that Kathryn Hahn’s Agnes is the MCU’s Agatha Harkness, a witch who helped train Wanda’s magic back in the ’70s and ’80s.

When Wanda magically saves dinner, the bottle of wine she pours from is Maison du Mépris, which translates to house of contempt or scorn. As fans have pointed out since the trailer drop, this seems like a reference to the House of M comics storyline in which Wanda bends reality into a new world ruled by her family.

The Stark commercial break refers to two things: Avengers icon Tony Stark and his part in Wanda’s dark past. As Wanda and her twin brother, Pietro, explain in Avengers: Age of Ultron, their parents were killed by an explosive Stark Industries device, leaving the twins trapped under rubble. The Maximoffs were trapped by a Stark Industries shell for two days, expecting it to detonate before they get rescued. Even though Wanda eventually fights beside Tony in the future, there’s still some trauma from that experience and her brother’s death. If it weren’t for the Starks, Wanda could have been a completely different person.

The episode closes with a mysterious observer watching the “show” and taking notes on a pad with the logo of S.W.O.R.D. on the cover. For those who don’t know, S.W.O.R.D stands for Sentient World Observation and Response Department and is a subdivision of S.H.I.E.L.D. It’s a counterterrorism and intelligence agency that deals with extraterrestrial threats to world security. Expect to see them around more.

  Press: A Thorough Breakdown of All the Marvel Easter Eggs on WandaVision was originally published on Elizabeth Olsen Source • Your source for everything Elizabeth Olsen

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That Time is Here

By Dennis Huebshman   Published on: August 21, 2021

From 2 Timothy 4:3-4; “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears, they will accumulate teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” (all emphasis mine)

“Religion” is thriving, and some mega-churches are filled to capacity during regular “services.” The biggest issue is that true Bible teaching is getting hard to find. For some of these churches, the Sunday after the Rapture will not see any change in attendance. They’ll still be putting on light shows, have heart-thumping music, and be giving “ear-tickling” messages for those itching ears. However, Jesus will be conveniently left out. The newer generation doesn’t want to be told they are sinners in need of a Savior but that their earthly lifestyle is just fine.

The one to three hours a week “Christians” are content to be present and support their organized evangelical churches; just don’t expect anything else the rest of the week. Besides, all religions worship the same god, and Jesus was a good person, but not really necessary for us to go to heaven – right? The need here is to read John 14:6.

While true believers’ numbers are declining in America, the places that are seeing increases are in countries that persecute and martyr Christians. Iran, China, North Korea, parts of Africa and other Middle East nations are a few that seek out anyone who calls on Jesus to be their Savior. There have been reports of people being given a chance to renounce Jesus and turn back to the religion of that area, yet many choose death rather than change.

Several countries around the world today are making it a crime for anyone to speak out against lifestyles that God calls abominations. Canada is one of these countries where there are pastors and educators facing prison for calling the “alphabet” lifestyles sinful. Cases of arrests are also being reported in Europe and Scandinavia, and America is just a breath away from this same action.

Luke 21:16:17; “You will be delivered up, even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for My name’s sake.”

Matthew 24:10-13; “And then many will fall away and betray one another, and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”

Next, Paul’s prophecy about the end of this age in 2 Timothy 3:1-5: “But understand this, that in the last days will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.”

The last line is good advice, but how is one to avoid such people when they are all around and growing daily in number?

In 2 Peter 2:1-3, “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them, the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed, they will exploit you with their false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.”

Going to 1 John 2:15-17, “Do not love the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world – the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and the pride of life – is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires; but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

Continuing to 1 John 2:18-19, “Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore, we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out that it might become plain they all are not of us.”

The antichrists and false prophets that have been around since the time of John’s writings are not the ultimate evil ones of Daniel and Revelation. All that have come, and all that are here now, are a prelude to the era of the 7-year Wrath/Tribulation.

The ultimate antichrist and false prophet most likely are alive today. They may or may not know the role that they are about to play, but they are in Satan’s grip. However, 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 explains why the beast hasn’t come forth yet. “And you know what is restraining him now, so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only He who now restrains it will do so until He is out of the way.”

All true believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. For the antichrist to appear, that influence will be removed; and in doing so, the Rapture has to occur first to keep God’s promise to keep us from that coming wrath (1 Thessalonians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10; Revelation 3:10).

Anyone who truly focuses on the world today should be able to see that all the signs are here right now. There have always been evil people and unspeakable, horrible deeds that have been done, but the sheer magnitude today of satanic activity is overwhelming.

Our government, along with the liberal faux news media, are “programming” people to follow whatever they say without question, and sadly, they are gaining a majority of followers. The new world order is rapidly coming together, and eventually, there will be a one-world government just as God said there would be. Prior to this, there will be a coalition that will attack Israel (Ezekiel 38), believing that they will be able to plunder the wealth which that small nation has.

Jesus said there would be wars and rumors of wars near the end of the age. We are seeing a lot of “saber-rattling” from the coalition of Russia, Iran and Turkey that formed just within the last decade. Ezekiel 38:4 states that God will “put hooks into your jaws” and convince them to attack Israel. The “hook” would be the massive gas and oil deposits that Israel has, as all three members of the coalition are financially strapped.

Nothing that is taking place today surprises our Heavenly Father. All prophecy leading up to these times has been fulfilled with 100% accuracy. Why would anyone think this would be any different?

Knowing what the Bible says about end-time events, one might think this would be warning enough to possibly change the outcome. However, 1 Corinthians 1:18 says, “For the word of the Cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.”

Also, 2 Thessalonians 2:11, “Therefore, God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false.” I believe that delusion has already started.

The best scenario of all this is Luke 21:28, where Jesus tells us to look up when all this starts to take place because our redemption is near. All who have truly received and accepted Jesus as their Savior will not be here for the worst 7-year period of time this world has ever seen.

The mechanics (ABCs) of redemption are found in Romans 10:9-13, which ends by saying that “All who call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” God will force no one to accept His Son, but He will not turn anyone away who truly calls on Jesus. The event known as the Rapture could take place at any moment of any day now.

No one has sinned so greatly that they cannot be forgiven. The absolute unforgivable sin is to take your last breath on this earth without having Jesus as your Savior. All He asks is that you acknowledge you have sinned and ask His forgiveness; He has already paid in full the price God requires – a pure, sinless blood sacrifice. Then, have the faith that God raised Him from the dead to conquer sin and death for us. When you call on Him, the Holy Spirit will come and reside in you until you are with Jesus, either by death or by Rapture.

Call on Him today, right now, and you will be assured of an eternal home with Him in paradise. It will be the best decision you will have ever made.

Maranatha – Come, Lord Jesus!

[707sbuttercake]

kisses of the rain (707 x fem!reader)

warnings: TW eating dis*rder, an*rexia, b*dy image, s*lf-harm, angst ||

rating: 17+ audience for swearing and ED

- this is a oneshot based on my own personal struggles with an*rexia. i am currently recovering. writing this story gave me comfort and a way to cope. please do not read if such topic makes you uncomfortable!

3:17 a.m.

your boyfriend’s arms lazily snake around your waist, his chin nestling into the crook of your neck, his warm breath tickling your bare shoulder. you stir ever so slightly as to not wake him, but the awkward noise that you determine to be his giggle causes your eyes to widen. he’s half-awake but stammering nonsense.

“mmm, babe,” a deep voice rumbles into your skin, arms pulling you against his body. “where’re you goin’? i’m gonna slay the demon king...with Smug the powerful...dragon...i’ll protect you...”

you roll your eyes, gently prying his arms from your abdomen. you run a hand through the soft, disarrayed tufts of his strawberry hair, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

“i’ll be back, saeyoung.”

it is a rare night, a night in which saeyoung isn’t working, so you do not wish to interrupt his precious sleep. he looks so peaceful in the soft wash of moonlight, and you smile sadly as you watch him. he deserves a break.

you, however, have another matter on your mind.

your hands grope the walls in the darkness to find the light switch to the bathroom. with a flick of your finger tip, light fills the room, and you seal the door in silence.

the girl in the mirror stares back blankly. her hair is a mess, and her face is long and tired. your hands slowly graze down your sides to grasp your hips. you lift the edge of your tank top to clench the chunks of fat skin at your waist. your eyes narrow at the girl in the mirror, and an imprisoned sob escapes your lips. you squeeze the skin at your belly. you drag your nails along your thighs.

you hate the way you look. you always have. this pain has resided in your heart for years. you pushed it back for the RFA; you bear your burdens in silence. you smile, solving others’ problems, while your own silently devour you. you are the savior of the RFA! the girl who stepped up and rekindled the flame of goodness within the broken hearts of the members of the association!

you collapse to your knees, fatigued from your fasting. saeyoung hasn’t noticed because he has been occupied with his work for the past 3 weeks, but you have barely eaten. 20 pounds, you pressure yourself. I can do it. I can lose it. I can do it.

you step onto the scale, your body shaking as your feet press against the cold metal. holographic numbers flash onto the screen, and you choke back a sob. only six pounds? you gasp, your rib cage crumbling, your heart caving in. I lost only six? I have to try harder. I have to try harder. harder. more. you clench your fist.

you shove the scale back beneath the sink and settle onto the toilet for a moment. today, you decide, you’ll drink more water. you’ll run longer. you know saeyoung dislikes you running because the woodlands around his house are dangerous, but you insist you enjoy the scenery. 7 miles for today, you decide. you did the math and calculated that running 7 miles every day would lose the weight. you had been running 5 miles daily. perhaps you would garner better results by increasing the intensity of your runs. you sniffle, standing to turn on the faucet and splash your face with cool water.

after reevaluating your workouts on the running log app on your phone, you feel a bit more encouraged. surely now, you assure yourself, if you just push yourself a little harder, you will lose the cursed weight. you turn off the bathroom light and peer back into saeyoung’s room. you tiptoe, attempting to make as little noise as possible. as you turn your head, you’re met with something firm instead.

your eyes widen, breath hitching as your hands press against...saeyoung’s chest. you look up into the honey-golden eyes you know so well, swallowing the knot in your throat.

did he hear me? shit. shit. please, God, say he didn’t.

you force a soft smile, eyes falling to his lips, which are pursed in concern.

“y/n...?” he whispers, his hand gingerly cupping your face. “you were in there for a while. is everything okay?” his thumb traces your jaw, lingering beneath your chin. his gestures send shivers down your spine. saeyoung isn’t stupid. you know more than anyone that he knows every little part about you—your laugh, your smile, the embarrassing way you snore in your sleep...

but this is something he cannot know. you will not let him.

instead, you stand on your tiptoes and press a gentle kiss to his lips. your gesture takes him by surprise, but he slowly returns the kiss.

“y/n...” he murmurs into your lips. “hey...”

you break away, wrapping your arms around his torso. “I...I had a nightmare,” you say, pressing your ear to his chest, hearing the rapid thumping of his heart. “but don’t worry about it, okay? you need to get some rest, saeyoung. your work starts again tomorrow.”

with a relieved sigh, your boyfriend casts you a helpless glance. “oh, dear princess, how can I sleep knowing that your dreams are haunted? forget the work—Madam Vanderwood can handle that. I, defender of justice 707, must rescue my dear love from her nefarious dreams!” he suddenly scoops you into his arms to your protest, sending both of you into giggles.

“come out of my lady’s dreams, you foul demon! HI-YA!”

he runs around the room with you clinging to him, laughter filling your hearts. your shadows dance against the floor, and for a brief moment, you forget the pain plaguing your heart. saeyoung has this effect on you. after frolicking around the room, he eventually nestles you into his bed. he is always this way; cheerful and bright, yet deep and caring. you love this about him.

“th-thank you, saeyoung,” you chuckle, rubbing your face from the traces of salty tears. maybe he didn’t notice. “my dreams will certainly be sweet because of you.” the room falls still.

once again, you silently pray he didn’t notice the streaks of tears on your face or the faint puffiness of your eyes. you recall your awful attempt to feign innocence, hiding behind a mask of a nightmare. saeyoung seems curl into the bed beside you, his back pressed to your side. you sigh in relief. perhaps he accepted this lie. you imagine he is exhausted from working consecutive day after day. he deserves to rest.

he doesn’t reply after a few minutes, so you assume he is asleep. you close your eyes, exhaling slowly. your mind becomes dull.

7 miles...you think. 7 miles for today...

suddenly, the bed’s weight shifts, and a shadow falls over you. you part your eyes in bewilderment. saeyoung is above you, the silver of his cross necklace hanging just above your chest, his knees bracketing your frame. his hands hold your wrists, his eyes firm and serious, a gaze of auburn blaze piercing into you like daggers.

“y/n...you...you do tell me everything, right? are you sure it was just a nightmare? please, tell me if there is anything more bothering you.” his breath is hot and minty against your skin, and his tone, harsh and almost afraid, threatens you to tell the truth. “tell me. why were you really crying?”

your heart beats wildly in your ears, your chest carefully heaving up and down. he has you trapped now, forcing you to look at him. he is keener than you thought. you swallow.

“I-I don’t understand why you’re taking this so seriously!” you laugh. “come on. you know I get those dreams sometimes. I’m fine. off me, silly. I’m not Elizabeth the 3rd,” you poke his nose. “I promise. I’d tell you if something was bothering me. you know that.”

he watches you carefully, his stern gaze not faltering. you watch his chest above you, his neck and toned arms around you, the creamy glow of his face just faintly covered in sweat. after gazing into your eyes for a moment, he melts into your arms. you sigh in relief, combing your hands through his hair.

“get some sleep, now, saeyoung,” you whisper. he hums into your shoulder in response.

your heart shrinks in pain at the thought of lying to him. however, the truth would be a knife to his heart, and you would rather lie than cause the latter. you recall the dangers of his occupation. you know he bears the weight of harsh deadlines, lethal information, and family secrets that shatter his heart. saeyoung doesn’t deserve this. saeyoung doesn’t deserve a mess like you.

so you smile and continue to bear this pain, like you always have.

***

standing before the mirror, you tighten your ponytail. “7 miles...” your murmur. your vision is a bit hazy because of your fasting, but you try to drink water to ease your fatigue. come on. come on. you have to run. you imagine your fat pouch-like belly; you envision the width of your hips. you think of the way your thighs faintly brush against each other when you walk. you’re wretched. you’re disgusting. you have to run.

you force yourself to walk. come on, go. go. when you see saeyoung hunched before his computers, you trot to the kitchen to fetch him a can of ph.d pepper and a bag of honey buddha chips. you can’t eat, but he needs to. you gently tap his work desk as you place the snack by his side.

“make sure you don’t skip your meals, saeyoung!” you press a kiss to his forehead. he turns to look at you, a lopsided grin on his lips. he drops his headphones from his ears.

“of course, little lady.”

“i’m going to make stew for you for dinner tonight. is that okay?” you say, heading towards the door.

“the defender of justice 707 will prevail against evil through the power of honey buddha or anything his dear love conjures!”

you roll your eyes, laughing lightly. “you’re ridiculous.”

“you love me.”

you wave him off as you step outside.

“wait!” he calls, realizing you plan to run again. “are you wearing the watchband? you know how I feel about you running. it’s dangerous, y/n...with bears and snakes and all kinds of—“

“wouldn’t leave without it, babe,” you sigh, twisting your wrist, the silver band tracker gleaming in the sunlight. he made the gadget weeks ago when you resisted his protests of you running on the trails in the woodlands surrounding his bunker. again, he’s caring for you at every single turn. you hate to burden him, giving him another reason to worry, but he insists he does these things because he wants to do so.

“good. be safe!” he shouts from inside.

as soon as you seal the door, you almost collapse against the frame. your vision darkens, and your blood feels thin. you sharply inhale, pressing your knuckle to the wall.

stand up. stand up. you’re pathetic. you can’t even start running? if you don’t run, you’re going to be this way forever.

“right,” you whisper. you inhale and exhale slowly, “right. I have to do this.”

you force your legs forward, pumping your arms as your headphones blare music into your ears. your entire body feels like a shell, and lactic acid pulses through your legs. your lungs burn and your heart lashes wildly in your chest.

go. go. go.

you circle through the trees, pacing along the familiarly worn path. trees softly sway in the breeze, and dark clumps of clouds signal an omen. you breathe heavily, placing one leg before the other.

the rain falls. you squint your eyes, faintly discerning the blurs of tree trunks and greenery, fading in the wind. step, step, step. you have no energy. your entire body feels cold, and your legs are stiff and numb. your feet slap against the dirt, mud clinging to your skin, and your brain feels like smoke suffocates your thoughts, suffusing your drifting mind...go...go...

suddenly, almost slowly, your ankle bends against something firm, a root? you wonder. pain shoots up your leg. your world spins. the world becomes dim. a sharp noise rings in your ears. the scent of earth fills your nose, something hot with the scent of iron spills down your face, and cold rain slaps your entire body. you close your eyes.

rain...rain...

it plummets to the ground and slides off your cheeks along with the tears and that warm scent of iron...

get up. stand up and run. you’re pathetic.

you cough, your arms shaking as you rise to your knees.

“get...up!” you cry hoarsely, yet your eyesight is filled with sparsely colored dots of black and purple, swirling with wind and rain...

“run. run...run!” you’re standing, yet your legs won’t move. thunder rumbles in the distance, and the rain is fierce, howling and moaning. your lungs feel as if they will cave in. your limbs are shaking. you place another step forward, beginning your jog, but your muscles do not listen. you collapse, the ocean of colors filling your vision again, your head light and dizzy.

you cannot stand. your body will not obey.

you’re weak. pathetic. pathetic! so fucking pathetic!

“y/n! what the hell are you doing?! hey! hey!”

someone runs towards you, racing with the wind, but you cannot decipher who. his voice is stern and his arms are firm as they grasp your trembling frame.

“shit. shit! are you okay? can you stand?” his red hair sticks to his face, and his glasses are filled with fog. oh. you recognize this face...

the one you love so much...

“hey. hey! y/n, speak to me! hey!! damn it!”

you cannot speak. your mind is filled with fog. you open your lips, but no sound escapes.

“.....ven...seven,” you croak.

no. you think. no, don’t be like this. you’re being a burden. you’re bothering him. because of you, he’s left his desk. he abandoned his work. this is your fault! your fault!!

“you’re soaked. what the hell happened? y/n, you’re soaked and...wait. wait! fuck! you’re bleeding! damn it. damn it! I didn’t get here fast enough! I knew something was wrong. here, take my jacket. come on. can you stand?”

leave me alone. I don’t want to burden you.

your eyes narrowing, you press your hands to his chest and attempt to push him away. “i’m fine! i’m fine. seven, leave me be. you need to work. I just...I j-just...I tripped in the middle of my run. go back! go. don’t worry about me,” you hiss. your attempts to push him are futile. he does not budge.

“no, y/n, damn it! you clearly can’t even move! you’re numb! don’t tell me..don’t tell me—“

“seven, I am fine! you can go back. i’m fine, see?” you smile, standing—

your knees cave in, and as if on cue, he catches you in his arms.

“y/n,” he growls, hooking his arms under your knees. there resides pain in his voice, a certain pain you haven’t heard before.

you know the truth. realization has dawned upon him. he knows.

those ember eyes, so full of melancholy, watch you with a certain sadness.

something clicks within his mind.

he knows.

he lifts you off the ground. “damn it. damn it! all this time, and I didn’t notice. you’ve been starving yourself, haven’t you? haven’t you?!”

you cannot respond. your head falls limp against his chest.

wrapping his jacket around you, he begins to sprint back to his bunker, the rain slapping against both of you.

“all this time,” he pants. “all this fucking time and I couldn’t even tell because I was working.”

“s-seven...i’m fine. I haven’t. I...I just tripped—“

“I hacked your phone. I saw the running logs. I didn’t think you were starving, but seeing you now, you’re so thin. you’ve...you’ve lost weight, haven’t you? you’ve been training harder. thank god i installed that tracker on that watch and found you before it was too late...damn it! damn it, this is...this is all my fault!”

“no,” you cough. “no. you’re wrong. I haven’t been starving—“

“quit lying to me, y/n! stop it! I already know. that’s why you were crying last night. that’s why you’ve gone to the bathroom every night...to weigh yourself, right? damn it! damn it!”

he reaches the bunker, immediately placing you on his couch. he curses silently, his voice dark, and he fetches first aid.

tears fill your eyes.

damn it. damn it. i’m burdening him. i’m bothering him. i’ve taken time from his day. i’ve worried him! damn it. I ruined it all...I ruined...

you clench your wrist, the wrist you hate so much, the one you constantly measure to see if you’ve lost any weight. “damn you,” you cry, cursing yourself. “damn you!”

saeyoung returns, panic washing his face. he sprints to your side, prying your fingers off their tight grasp around your wrist. blood trickles from your fingernails, uncontrollable sobs escaping your lips.

“y-y/n! please! please, God, stop it!”

you fall into his arms, and of course, he catches you.

“hey...hey. y/n...” he whispers, pressing the cloth to your bleeding forehead. you close your eyes, the hot tears gushing down your cheeks.

like a deluge bursting from a dam, the pain once imprisoned in your aching heart spills its contents onto the floor.

saeyoung says nothing but cleans your wound, applying a bandage to your forehead. you’re dripping wet all over his floor, but his messy home is the last of his concern. his eyes monitor you, only you, and he watches your hands to prevent your self-harm. he watches your eyes avert to your wrist, so he instinctively wraps a bandage over the wound.

“let’s get you cleaned up,” he murmurs. you say nothing but allow him to carry you to the bathroom.

he twists the faucet handle, filling the tub with warm water and a fragrant bubble bath. he turns to you, a hand resting upon your muddy shirt.

“may I?” he asks quietly.

like a robot, you nod. he gingerly tugs your muddy clothing of of your body, leaving only your under garments. you subconsciously cover your frame with your arms. you hate him seeing you like this. you hate him even looking at your body, the thing you hate so much. you hate burdening him. there are so many things that you hate, that fill your heart with pain, like a knife stabbing over and over again.

he cautiously lifts you and places you into the tub, being mindful of not causing you any discomfort by touching you anywhere without permission. his fingers, long and nimble, lather your hair with soap. still, you say nothing. your arms remain wrapped around your torso.

don’t look at me, you want to whisper. go away, please. i’m sorry.

guilt eats away your insides.

the time...he’s wasting on me...

it’s all my fault.

it’s all my fault.

“will you move your arms for me, y/n?” he asks softly. “please...I need to wash the mud off.”

“don’t look at me,” you plead, refusing to meet his gaze. “seven, you’ve done more than enough for me. you can go back to work now. i’m sorry for all of this.”

saeyoung narrows his eyes. “you think I give a damn about work when my girlfriend is crumbling before my own eyes? y/n, you’re more important than any work I have to do. please, let me take care of you. we need to talk about this. you need help.”

you back away from him, pressing your back to the opposite side of the tub.

“it was a one-time thing, i swear. i’m fine. I promise! I promise, seven. please...i’ll take better care of myself from now on.”

his eyes meet yours again with that painful sadness. he knows you’re lying. he reaches a hand towards yours.

“...I know you better than anyone else.”

you know his words are true. he has seen you in the most intimate forms, and you know his darkest secrets. the two of you are one, and you have promised to love each other for eternity. still, you know the boy has suffered so greatly in his life. he doesn’t need the burden of caring for me, you think. he deserves so much more.

“and ‘seven.’ you never call me that name anymore. y/n, look at me...please.”

you force your gaze to meet his, and his hands rest on your arms.

“you’re perfect and healthy just the way you are.”

you bury yourself in the bubbles, sinking deeply into the water with a sigh.

that’s what people say when they find out you have it. they tell you that you’re beautiful and there is nothing wrong with you. but they will never understand. they don’t see yourself through your eyes.

with your body hidden from his view, you scrub the mud off yourself. saeyoung recoils in silence. “i’ll go fetch you a fresh pair of clothes, alright?” you say nothing in response.

when he leaves, you close your eyes, allowing yourself to descend into the water. your mind is a tsunami of thoughts, but your heart feels like an abyss. you never intended saeyoung to discover any of these secrets. yet somehow, like always, he learns your patterns, your habits, as if he has hacked your mind.

he steps back into the room with his folded traditional red long-sleeve t-shirt and a pair of his sweatpants.

“I know this isn’t much, but the rest of the clothes are in the wash. these are fresh out of the dryer. i’ll leave them here for you.” he steps out of the room.

you drain the tub, forcing yourself to stand, your hands shakily grasping the sides. you slowly peel off your tattered undergarments, enveloping yourself in the towel adjacent to the tub.

your eyes subconsciously drift towards the mirror. the damned mirror. you drop the towel to stare at the pathetic figure who glares back, her eyes gaunt circles, her ribs protruding, all with that pouch resting between her hips.

“damn you,” you whisper to the reflection. “you are the one...who ruins everything...”

“y/n?” saeyoung calls. “are you okay?”

you snap your gaze from the mirror. shit. he’s outside?

you clumsily stammer towards the pile of clothes he left for you, and you pull the red shirt over your head, quickly slipping your arms through the sleeves. then you tug on the sweatpants, which are way too large for you—to your surprise.

“I-I’m fine,” you reply. “everything’s fine now. I...I can take care of myself from here. thank you for everything, sev—saeyoung.”

he opens the door, immediately rushing to your side to steady you. he leads you to his bed, lifting you again into his arms to gently tuck you beneath the covers. you hate this feeling of helplessness, but you lack the strength to resist his movements.

“I started a bowl of ramen for you, y/n. i’m not leaving your side until you eat it all.”

your breath hitches. if you eat the ramen, those 6 pounds you have already lost with be replaced in an instant with the fattening noodles. the warm scent of chicken broth fills your nose, and an alarm signals in your mind.

no. no. I can’t eat. no. no!

“s-saeyoung,” you begin, attempting to conceal the panic in your voice, “just let me rest. you can get back to your work. I promise i’ll eat.”

his eyes narrow, face falling, his lips twisting in anger. ever so briefly, you see his eyes twinkle. he reaches a hand towards yours, causing you to flinch.

he’s crying.

no. no, please. please don’t cry.

throughout the four years you’ve spent with saeyoung, you can seldom recall the times he has cried. perhaps his heart is almost immune to the unfairness of the world. but as he sits before you, tears slowly dripping down his cheeks, your eyes widen.

please. please don’t cry.

“y/n...all this time...i’m sorry. i’m so, so sorry. you’ve been hiding this for so long, haven’t you?”

you do not respond.

“four years,” he breathes. “you’ve been in the RFA for four years now, and you’ve been so focused on solving our problems that we never took a moment to glimpse at yours. god, i’m sorry. i’m so, so sorry.”

I don’t deserve your sympathy, you think. you’ve suffered enough. i’m sorry. i’m sorry. don’t waste your tears on me. this is my fault.

“look at me,” saeyoung whispers. “please.”

your body trembles, arms clutched to your chest, eyes slowly parting to meet his. the atmosphere is thick and heavy, and the sound of rain echoes throughout the halls.

“I’ll be with you every step of the way. y/n, you know I love you more than anything in this world. I want you to be happy,” he raises a hand to cup your cheek. “I want you to be healthy. we can do this together—the right way.”

the...right way...

he pulls you into his lap, wrapping his arms around your torso. his body feels so warm against your own. you slowly return his embrace as you nuzzle your head beneath his chin.

“you know you’re never alone, right? i’m always here. always,” he murmurs into your hair, fingers gently strumming down your back. “I know this pain you carry cannot dissipate overnight. I’m sorry you’ve bore this burden alone. I...I can’t stand knowing you’ve been suffering right before my own eyes,” he curses himself.

“but i want you to get better. for your sake, my love. you deserve the entire world—the universe. if I could take away this pain, I would. but I know...I know these things take time. I want you to eat. we...we can work out together! but your body will only collapse if you push it to its limit without any nutrition. you...I-I don’t want to think of what could happen if...” his voice fades. he pulls you closer.

“I’m so glad you’re here. I’m so glad. I love you. I love you so much, y/n,” he leans his forehead against yours, your breaths mingling. “I promise you...I’ll always be by your side. I know...I know the scars you bear have stained your heart, and pain cannot be undone so easily. but if...if you let me...I’ll walk alongside you...as you try to heal.”

you cannot think, but you know his words are true.

you hate yourself. you always have hated this cursed body. day after day, as time fades and rain falls, as the sun turns across the horizon, your habits repeat, as never ending as the sky. sometimes you relapse, and you forget these feelings. but as waves return to the shore, mercilessly stealing the shore’s contents, you crumble into the pits of your old habits. you recall the countless nights lying awake as your body tingles in agony, your stomach rumbling and begging. you recall the cold feelings of your toes against the scale. you envision your reflection. you hate the girl in the mirror. the feeling of starving, that hollow ache, the ringing in your ears as the world blurs...

it’s almost addicting.

but...

“I...I cannot change my ways so easily,” you whisper. “I’m sorry. I-I’m sorry...but.”

you look into his eyes. the soft colors of amber, of gold and honey melting and dancing beneath the sunlight.

“for you,” you say, “and...for me, too. I want to stay. I want...to forget this pain. I don’t want to burden you. saeyoung, I love you too.”

I want more memories of dancing with you in this room. I want more nights beneath the stars, our hands interlocked with a soft warmth. I want more of your kisses. I want laughter with Zen, Jaehee, Jumin, and Yoosung. I want to help others through the parties. I want to marry you...in the space station. I want to hear your stupid jokes. I want to read your messages. I want to be here. I want to be alive.

this hatred follows me like a shadow. it chokes me. it’s watching, always watching, and its hands grasp my precarious figure. I hate my waist. I hate my hips. I hate this skin that hangs from my torso. I hate my protruding ribs. I cannot so easily combat this ugly feeling that festers within me day after day.

but if I fall apart...

will I lose these things I cherish, too?

I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t...I don’t like this pain. but it’s a part of me.

can I let it go?

can I?

for you...and me too...maybe I can try.

with hands upon your waist, he pulls you against him, your lips meeting his own. your hands card through his hair, thighs enveloping his hips.

with time and healing, you think. I...I hate this body. but with time and healing...

I think...

one day, I’ll be happy.

[floweryfreelance]

𝕴𝖓𝖌𝖗𝖆𝖙𝖆 𝕽𝖊𝖉𝖎𝖙𝖚𝖘

CHAPTER FIVE

Table of Contents

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |

This work of fiction is an original collaborative work between tumblr users @theearltrancy and @floweryfreelance. Its original format was in that of a roleplay, and has been edited to be a more cohesive story. This work was created on 11.10.20 and completed on 11.30.20.

Please consider following each author for more fictional works.

-

Morning light poured into the room, illuminating the entirety of the mess they made the night before. Clothing strewn all over the floor, closet door still open, the dent Alois made the night before in the wall now revealing also ripped wallpaper frantically trying to cover the damage. This room was undoubtedly the taller man’s, bleeding disorganization after just one night of his return to it. It was a wonder that he kept anything in his life together, let alone an estate and an alliance with the Queen herself. 

Icy blue eyes fluttered open to witness it, first confirming that his lover was still by his side. Ciel consistently woke up later than he did by mere minutes, but he still enjoyed the time he had with the peace. These were the moments he felt the most peaceful, these secret moments in the early morning that he didn’t need to spend alone. He shifted in bed, stretching his arms over his head, realizing he was still unclothed from the night before. The sight made him smile, reveling in the taste of the memory.

Feeling the movement beside him, Ciel groaned softly, his nose scrunching up as he turned his head towards Alois. It appeared he might be waking up then, but that wasn’t the case. His side felt a breeze as a result of Alois shifting in the bed, and so in a deep sleep he turned over, wrapping his arms around Alois’ arm and buried his face between his shoulder and the pillow. Warm again, he sighed contently, continuing to sleep.

At this point in the morning, it was mostly a waiting game. The Earl, whichever one it was in their respective homes, would wait in his bed until his butler came to wake him. He would carry a warm and damp cloth to wipe his face down, as well as prepared suggestions for both his attire for the day, a memorized breakfast menu, and a list of any duties they had for the day.

The only question now, considering they both resided in the same bed this morning, was which butler would appear first.

Alois smiled at his lover beside him, taking in the structure of the man’s face as he slept peacefully. This scene was perfection to him. While the evenings were consistently foggy, the mornings were normally quite bright and welcoming. The sky opened up, illuminating the softer side of this sin they shared. 

In that moment, there was a soft knock at the door, causing the blonde to look up quickly and pull the sheets up to his collarbones. He prayed silently that it wouldn’t wake Ciel too quickly, and hopefully it wasn’t-

“Good morning, your highness.” The demon greeted cooly, walking into the room with a cloth draped over his hand and a smug look on his cold face. Making amends, perhaps? No, he wouldn’t hope for that - just grin and bear it like every other morning. Claude never said sorry. Alois rolled his eyes, sitting up fully in bed but discreetly placing his other hand on his lover’s shoulder so as to hopefully wake him gently.

    He was dreaming about a party, a grand one at that, a scene in which Ciel Phantomhive would rarely be found taking part. But in this dream, Ciel and his love attended together; they sat together while eating and talking with other guests, hung on one another’s arm, and danced around the room, most of which was Ciel fumbling and trying to keep up with Alois who was a natural at navigating such parties.

But the dream faded away as the sun hit his eyelids, Ciel groaning softly as he was gently shaken awake. He rolled onto his back, letting out a cutely impolite yawn, his fingers wrapping around Alois’ wrist. “Mm, it’s bright..” he whined. But something was off, he could tell Alois was focusing on something else. Had Sebastian already come in?

Ciel turned over to look towards the door, his heart dropping into his stomach as he recognized a butler standing a bit too close to the bed for his own comfort, though it wasn’t his butler. He sat up quickly, using one hand to pull the sheets up to his chest as his other hand quickly covered his contract-stained eye, averting his eyes so as not to make direct eye contact with the demon in the room.

Alois again used his hand to gently comfort the other man, keeping one hand on the other’s shoulder. The butler was a problem, but it was his problem and it would deal with it, especially after years of fighting with the man. He sighed, irritated, reaching out for the towel reluctantly. 

Wiping his face with it, he then wadded it up and tossed it right into Claude’s face. The act of defiance barely phased him, eliciting only a long blink. The blonde huffed as if he were still a young teenager. 

“Would you like to know the options for this morning’s breakfast?” The demon offered, emotionless. 

The blonde pursed his lips, returning the damp hand to the pillow and tossing himself back in bed in reluctance. It was heard to believe this man was an adult when he did things like this. “Not really. I’ll have whatever he does.” He said blankly, pulling the sheets over his head now. “Get out.”

With Alois hiding beneath the covers, it created the illusion of Ciel and Claude being alone in the room together. That was the last thing Ciel wanted; he was often faced with the dilemma of being close in proximity to someone who wanted him dead, but something about Claude made his hair stand on end.

Despite his order from Alois, Claude didn’t immediately act. He stood there a moment longer, his eyes moving from his own master to the vulnerable bluenette sitting up in bed. Still concealing his contract eye, Ciel glared him down, masking the uneasiness he felt in the moment.

“You heard your master.” He spoke harshly, clutching the sheets tightly against his chest. “Get out. Sebastian will come, he’ll be responsible for the both of us.” The command didn’t leave Claude with much to do, but Ciel didn’t really care. He was afraid of this demon, knowing what he knew now.

The faintest sneer crossed Claude’s face, though it quickly returned to the same old emotionless slate. He bowed, folding the cloth over his arm before backing towards the door, eyeing the Phantomhive Earl over his shoulder as he exited. As the door closed shut, Ciel released a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding, falling back into the pillows.

“Motherfucking scum.” The man grumbled to himself with his lover’s return. He remained hidden in the sheets, pulling them down only slightly to reveal his golden head. His hair was now disheveled, staticy despite the silk sheet, the cotton of the pillowcase betraying him. “I hate him, I hate him..” 

The morning still held the same playful, light atmosphere even though the blonde was in a mood now. Somehow, he felt better knowing that his lover knew not even he approved of the attitude coming from the evil that unfortunately followed him. Without another word spoken, the man childishly reached out to the other smaller man, holding him tightly to his own chest. At least he had someone to ground him.

Ciel returned the embrace, wrapping his arms around him and nuzzling into the crook of the other’s neck, blonde hair tickling his nose. He could hear his heart beating, elevated and frustrated.

“He knows..” Ciel commented, halfheartedly attempting a joke. He sighed softly, his hot breath hitting Alois’ neck. He decided to change the subject. “What will you do today?” The still half-asleep bluenette inquired, lifting his head so as to be understood more clearly. “Will you go home? Or will you stay? The weekend hasn’t ended yet..” He snuck in that little side comment, hoping Alois would stay at least for part of the day, if not another night. There were so many things he wanted them to do together; play chess, walk outside in the garden, even read in silence and just enjoy each other’s presence. He dreaded the thought of him leaving again.

Alois let out a half-hearted snort. Despite the interruption, his love was fairly good at grounding him. If he hadn’t been still feeling such an annoyance, one would think that the butler had never entered the room. It was a skill, a deadly one if used in the right context. Alois relaxed into the embrace, half-smiling at the thought of being wanted. It wasn’t new, but it took him by surprise constantly. 

“I’m not leaving.” He stated, realizing only afterwards how matter-of-fact he sounded. “I mean, I want to stay. Hell, it’s been almost ten years since I saw your home.” He commented, the picture of the garden in his memory crossing by. He wondered if any flowers had been planted in his honor; perhaps there were bluebells now, his favorite flower, planted absentmindedly in an effort to forget. “I plan to stay as long as you’ll let me.” He mused, hand finding its way into the man’s dark blue hair and running it through his fingers. Alois hoped the notion was appreciated, knowing he’d stay forever if fate only allowed.

Ciel eased into Alois’ hand, closing his eyes as his fingers combed gently through his hair. “Then you’ll stay another night,” He remarked, tracing light circles on the blonde’s shoulder with his finger. “Elizabeth likely won’t return for another week, but I have a case I need to take care of after tomorrow.” He sighed, recalling the piles of paperwork on his desk in his study. “So, you’ll stay until then.”

The moment was interrupted yet again with another soft knocking on the door, although it was Sebastian who opened it this time. He smiled at the two young men, presenting himself with a half bow as he stepped into the room. “Good morning,” he cooed, approaching the bed with a hot towel for Ciel, and an additional one for Alois in the off chance he would want another upon seeing the one for the other man. “For breakfast this morning is a full English breakfast, with porridge, bacon and eggs.”

Sitting up now, Ciel wiped his face down with the hot towel, sighing into it as he attempted to fully wake up. “And how is the weather?” He inquired.

“A bit chilly, master, but the sun is shining brightly.” Sebastian replied, taking the towels back.

“I see,” Ciel noted, glancing at the window before turning back towards his butler. “We’ll have breakfast outside in the garden this morning. Ready my coat in case it’s colder than expected, and Mr. Trancy’s traveling coat as well.” By now he was already sitting up, rolling his shoulders as he stretched and pulled on his undergarments that had been discarded on the floor the night before.

Sebastian nodded charmingly, then turning his attention towards the Earl Trancy. “I’ll return my master to his bedroom to prepare him for the morning. Your butler will return here shortly to do the same for you, if it pleases you.” He said, picking his master’s eye patch up from the floor and beginning to fasten it onto his head once again.

Alois sat up as well, taking the towel and actually wiping his face with it, still groggy and irritated. Recognizing he was being addressed, he set the towel down beside him. Letting out a long sigh, he pushed a hand through his hair, moving it from his face. 

“I’ll allow it.” He stated, cold. The rivalry between the two was completely gone by now, Alois unaffected by Sebastian’s presence. He grumbled once again under his breath, crossing the room to put his own undergarments back on and half-heartedly picked up some of his other clothing. Though rudely interrupted, this was still a better morning than any he spent at his own home.

As he was escorted from the room by his butler, Ciel smiled softly over his shoulder at Alois. Something in his smile was reassuring, reminding him that even with that awful demon’s presence, they had a nice day ahead of them; hours and hours to spend with one another, uninterrupted. For the most part.

-

An hour passed, as each of the young men bathed and picked out their attire for the day. Ciel, with the help of his butler who always seemed to have an eye for that sort of thing, chose a dark green ensemble, all velvet with black lace on the ends of his sleeves and coat tails, golden buttons, and a black dress shirt underneath. It wasn’t as formal as he would usually wear out, but seeing as he was staying in today, he felt the outfit was appropriate enough.

He arrived at the table first, just outside the back of the manor in the center large patio of his garden. It was a simple black table with a glass top, and elegant chairs to match. Breakfast was already being set out; steaming bowls of porridge and plates of bacon and eggs, all covered to trap in the heat, accompanied by a lovely tray of sliced fruits and Earl Grey tea. His favorite.

Ciel sat down in the chair Sebastian pulled out for him, scooching in close to the table. He took a deep breath, feeling clean and awake and refreshed, and admittedly quite hungry. But he would wait here, just like this, for lover to arrive, hopefully just as clean and awake and refreshed.

The hour was long, but Alois made it his prerogative not to start an argument this time. Some days were better than others between him and his butler, most of them passing uneventfully. While slightly more difficult in a home away from home, and particularly the home of his ex-rival, most actions went off without a hitch.

     His morning bath went fine, no conversation or lingering needed, and he preferred to do much of it on his own anyway. The Earl chose a maroon ensemble for the day afterwards, gemstones embedded in the buttons and black velvet on both pocket flaps. He spent quite a while in the mirror afterwards, adjusting it to make sure it sat at the exact point in his waist that he wanted it to. The velvet coat was one of his more expensive Parisian items, though being how he was, he didn’t particularly care if he was to go out in it or not. Besides, it would keep him warm enough in the brisk London morning. 

Just as the clock hit 8am, he finally left the room as his butler picked up and sorted the clothing all around the floor. This was one of the better sides of his stolen wealth; he never had to account for his tantrums. As he walked out into the garden with Hannah by his side now, the man even allowed a tinge of excitement to spend the morning with his lover. 

“Quite the classic spread,” he commented, as if he hadn’t been in a dark mood just an hour earlier. Hannah took more joy in her work than the other despite her lower position as a maid, pulling his chair out for him and calmly standing several feet behind him once he was settled.

Seeing as the two Earl’s were now both seated at the table, Sebastian took it upon himself to lean over, removing the covers from their breakfast platters. He hummed a small “Please, enjoy” before returning to stand behind his own master.

Ciel nodded, beginning to stir his porridge. “Indeed,” he agreed, blowing on it before taking a bite. A hot meal like this was perfect for the blustery morning. “The tea is Earl Grey, I hope it’s to your liking.” The commented, looking up at Alois as he took a sip from his own cup. “It’s still my favorite. I like to have a cup every morning with my breakfast.”

The blonde beamed at the meal, closing his eyes to take a big whiff of it all, for this was a special morning. Excited, he lifted his own teacup with an undue amount of care, careful not to spill any of the drink. Although it was a simple pleasure, it was rare that he got to share it with anybody. He blew on the cup before taking a small sip of it, still just barely too hot but he didn’t mind. 

“It’s always been mine as well,” he commented, looking up to meet the other’s eyes. They shared a soft smile, pleased to simply be across from the table from one another. The blonde wanted to soak in every moment they had, for it was never enough.

The two young men continued their breakfast peacefully, unable to remember the last time they both felt this tranquil, especially together. They talked about all sorts of things: Alois’ adventures moving back into his estate, Ciel’s overload of work and desperation for a good long holiday, and even some talk about the places they would go together if they ever had the chance.

Upon finishing their hot breakfast and tea, Alois and Ciel left the cleaning up to their servants, rising from the table and subconsciously making their way deeper into the garden, not wanting their time alone in the cool morning air to end just yet. The strode side by side along a fine gravel path paved between rows of rose bushes and fully grown trees, the leaves of everything beginning to turn yellow and orange with the changing of the seasons. Feeling their hands brush against each other, they linked pinkies, keeping contact with the other without the “dramatics”.

“If it wouldn’t be so bloody suspicious,” Ciel began, a faint pout on his face as he inspected his rose bushes. “I’d keep you here forever in that room. Even with Lizzie here.” Of course such a thing would never be possible, but daydreaming about it would be harmless.

The blond laughed joyfully, having dreamt of that exact thing for years now. He’d attempted to do just that in his second home, failing miserably but not for a lack of trying. Alois swung their hands back and forth as they walked together in the crisp fall morning. The action felt so casual, so everyday, that he could forget their circumstances if only for a moment or two. 

“And forever I’d stay,” he added, smiling to himself as he eyed the red roses and the tall trees. They’d been much smaller last time he was here, having grown enough to likely shade them in the summer, months ahead now. It was freeing to daydream, planning to stick around for as long as the other would allow. He wondered idly what would happen if anyone else knew of them; of course they couldn’t marry, but he’d thought of many ways to run away together. Though, none of them were logical. 

A long academic retreat. A business trip, ending in false tragedy, presumed dead only to secure land in Austria, perhaps America even. A secluded “business partnership…” Alois’ smile grew wide picturing it all. Maybe in some universe, Lizzie would understand, marry for love but not the romantic kind they shared. Oh, one could dream.. 

“Sometimes I just wish it was all so much simpler.” He admitted, reaching out to hold the stem of a rose between his index and middle fingers.

Ciel hummed in response, gazing in admiration at Alois observing the rose. “I wish things were simpler all of the time.” He rolled his eyes, his comment sparking a new train of thoughts. “It all seems so fictional. Demons, curses, forbidden romance and secrecy..” He trailed off, sighing to himself. “Sometimes I wonder if this is all real, or if I’m just stuck in a twenty-one year long dream.”

They wandered further, continuing to take in the natural beauty around them, and occasionally sneaking longing looks at one another. Ciel thought Alois looked like a painting in a museum with the roses and stone statues behind him.

He looked around them nonchalantly, checking to see if there was anyone near them who could be watching. Seeing no one, Ciel tugged on Alois’ sleeve and pulled him just behind a nearby rose bush to the side of the paved pathway, cupping his cheeks and pulling him in for a soft kiss. His pale cheeks quickly turned pink, hoping the sudden action didn’t come off as too needy.

Startled and stumbling slightly, Alois caught his balance just in time to return the kiss. The gesture made him laugh against the other man’s lips, placing his hands around his shoulders to steady himself. Gentler now, he pulled back only to place another kiss on the man’s soft pink lips. He stood back, running a thumb against them, taking in the texture of his skin to memorize it. His eyes were soft, searching for confirmation that the other felt the same in this moment - joyful, light, playful, and completely in love. 

“I’ve heard there are groups,” he mentioned softly, his tone hopeful, “There are other men like us… maybe someday this part of our lives will at least be less fictional.” He paused, brushing a strand of hair behind the other’s ear, distant. “Maybe we’ll even finish these contracts someday, be normal people as best as we can…”

One of Ciel’s more negative traits was his pessimism. As much as he wanted that ‘normal’ life with Alois, he didn’t believe they would ever have it. It was like Alois told him the night before; the two of them were doomed to live in sin, tied to demons who one day would take their souls. There wasn’t a way out of it.

But he refused to let those thoughts spoil this moment. Alois’ breath smelled of Earl Grey tea, and Ciel’s mouth watered a bit. He would pocket this beautiful memory as well, tucking it away to remember when he felt alone; two young men taking a morning walk in a rose garden, sharing kisses just out of sight.

“Perhaps..” Ciel hummed, resting his forehead against the other’s. “Perhaps we will..”

Alois reached down, grabbing both of his lover’s hands in his tightly. Keeping their faces close, the man closed his eyes, a wistful smile resting on his lips. Despite his lover’s pessimism, he wanted to believe in something. 

“We’re not the only ones,” He said quietly, reassuring the other. “Not everything about it is completely unnatural. We may be doomed, but we’re at least not the only ones..” He repeated, thinking about the headlines he’d read in the papers recently. “There’s one thing we can stop worrying about. Maybe someday they’ll change something.”

There was a group of men just like him, right in London. The article that followed was filled with hateful words, as expected, but it was the idea that he clung to. Before then, he had accepted that he would never love a woman, but he always assumed that it was tied to a life of sin. While he never internalized it and lived as if it were normal, it struck him to have confirmation that other people did in fact feel just as he did- purely in love with other men, wholly human and wholly raw, perhaps unnatural but real.

He relaxed slightly as his hands were squeezed in the other’s, and he nodded, trying to muster up even a bit of optimism. “I hope they will.”

Ciel had seen it too, the articles in the papers. There were in fact other men like them, although their existence was met with disgust and hatred from the public and from the churches, calling them abominations and demanding horrible things be done to them. It was difficult for Ciel to focus on anything other than the public’s disgust for men like him, but he admired Alois’ ability to hold onto the fact that they weren’t alone- that they weren’t some strange mistake in the universe that wasn’t supposed to occur in the first place. They weren’t alone, that much was true.

The two young men spent the rest of the day together, just as they planned. They spent much of it sneaking away from their servants for just a bit of private time, looking for any opportunity to sneak a kiss, sit closer together than normal, or intertwine their fingers together. They held a lively conversation over several games of chess, only one of which Alois was able to win. The pair enjoyed an hour or so of light reading, most of which was Ciel actually trying to read while Alois did his best to distract him, and even shared another walk around the property. Lunch was held inside as the weather grew colder, the air smelling of rain once again. Across the table from each other, they talked while sharing glances out the window at the tiny droplets of rain beginning to lightly tap against the large window beside them.

[noire-pandora]

Day 7-Spirit

The sun shone brightly above the forests of the Free Marches as clan Lavellan lived in peace, away from the dangerous humans. The children ran around  and enjoyed the lovely weather. Their game would be interrupted shortly, as Keeper Deshanna had another lesson for them.

The children gathered around, pushing and tickling each other. Deshanna waited for them to calm down. She was proud to pass on the knowledge, even though there were only five of them.

They went silent, curious to hear another tale, and Deshanna smiled at them.

“The time has come for you to learn about the Beyond and the ones residing there. But before I commence, does anyone know what the Beyond is?”

The smallest of them, a little girl with red hair waved a hand in the air, beaming. She missed two front teeth and her face was stained with mud.

“Yes, Elluin?”

“The Beyond is the place where the spirits ride their aravels,” she said in a determined tone, very confident in her knowledge.

The children began to giggle, amused by her description. Elluin glared at them, unable to understand what was so funny.

“You are not mistaken, my child,” the Hahren said, her words stopping their amusement. “The Beyond is a holy place, once the home of our gods. It is the land where spirits roam, alongside with the ones who mastered its mysterious roads. Not all of you will get to walk those ways but if you have the gift of magic, you must learn how to defend yourself, for Fen’harel gleefully patrols in there, feasting upon the souls of the dead.”

“Hahren, Hahren, can you tell me more about spirits?” little Elluin asked , not interested to hear about the scary god.

“Patience Da’len! Spirits shift the Beyound’s appearance and aspects. They use one’s thoughts and memories to trick them into thinking their dreams are reality. Thus, any mage walking in there has to be vigilant and shelter their hopes and desires. If not, they get absorbed in the mirage for an eternity.”

“But why do they try to trick us?” a child asked, fear painted on his face.

“Because they are curious, Da’len. As you are curious about our world and wish to understand everything about it, they crave that too.They embody different purposes and mirror our emotions. While one spirit can feed on fear and turn into a demon, the other can sustain on faith or valor and aid us. Not every spirit is the same, but you have to be prudent, no matter what.”

“Can I turn into a spirit, Hahren?” Elluin suddenly asked.

“Why would you wish to become into a spirit, child?” Deshanna asked, thrown aback by this question.

“Well, when I die, I don’t want to disappear. I want to turn into a spirit and guide the mages to avoid evil spirits. I could instruct them the way you do with us now!And teach them how to trick the hungry god! Don’t you think this will help? ”she explained, elated by the idea.

The Hahren’s answer was cut short by the arrival of the hunters. At their sight, the children hopped on their feet, their lesson forgotten, too eager to look at what they brought.

As Deshanna watched the children leave, a premonitory shiver ran down her spine. The small one turned out to be stranger and stranger. She had to be careful with this one before the inquisitorial spirit got her in trouble. 

[hullohullo1111]

cast me aside

Demon!Jumin x Fem!Reader

Rating: 18+

Warnings: Emotional manipulation, mentions of abuse (not from Jumin), biblical references, blasphemy

“And the Spirit expressly speaketh, that in later times shall thee fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and teachings of demons.”

- 1 Timothy 4:1

-

It was the Sabbath when you fell.

“Heed my warnings, you insolent child!”

The priest’s roar could rouse even the most deaf of people. Your sister of 7 was trembling in your embrace, pitiful whimpers wracking her small body. He paid no mind to it, seemed to enjoy it even.

“If thou insist on playing such games, thou shall be taken away, not by our Father, yet by the Devil whom tempts thou!”

“W-We understand, father! Please, no more! The poor girl is scared!”

He scoffed, looking at his kneeling daughters with distaste.

“So be it,” he hissed. “But remember what I hast said. Or I shall strike some sense into thy skulls.” He raised a hand and watched with pleasure as you flinch.

When the priest had left your room, your sister wept with sorrow, her fragile heart so close to breaking.

“Sister,” she sobbed. Tiny, grubby hands grabbed at the rags you wore, wringing it in her fists. “Sister, I did not mean to. I did not know, I did not know!”

“Young one,” you said in a soft breath, grabbing her face to peer into her beady little eyes. You shushed her, gentle. “What did that old woman give you? Tell me, now. What has made father so angry?”

Fat tears rolled down her cheeks. “The witch granted me a book. A book that’d grant me wishes, she said.” She wailed, then, pointing at the open book before them. “‘T-Twere a book of evil! Filled with Lucifer’s teachings!”

You sucked in a breath that quivered. Lucifer? What heartless witch would bestow such evil upon a child? You kept your head high. You mustn't show her how fearful her words had made you.

You clicked your tongue, wiping her tears with your dirty thumbs. “Foolish child,” you berated her, looking upon her with strict but fond eyes. “Father was right. You should not be playing with such things.”

“I will not! Never again, I promise!” You pressed a kiss upon her forehead and stroked her hair, ignoring the oil that clung to your fingers.

“Good girl,” you cooed. She seemed comforted, a smile on her small face, and your worries were soothed. With her tears gone and heart intact, you moved to stand. “Now then…” You swatted at your dress, ridding it of dust. “Run along, dear girl. Get ready for supper.”

“... Will father be joining us?” You heard the hope in her voice and smiled, bitter. You held a hand out to her.

“No, it is the Sabbath. He will not be joining us.”

She squealed in delight, taking your hand to pull herself up. “I will go set the table!”

You wished she could always be this happy.

She had paused then, standing by the door. Something about her tensed body made your stomach twist. “Wh-What will you do with the book?”

You looked to the book. A faint whisper of warning tickled your ears.

“I will burn it and we will speak no more of this.”

-

It was near midnight.

All was asleep in your home except you.

You who stood at the stove with the book in your hands. The fire crackled within its confines, warm light dancing amongst your face. You had a job to do.

But why do your hands remain still?

Why do they clutch this book, this blasphemous book, as if it were sacred?

“You must,” you hissed, quiet and urgent.

You willed yourself to throw it, to even lift it, and yet, you could not. Your chest heaved with unsteady breaths. “Why do you hesitate so?“

Nothing felt right in that moment. Your body felt much too heavy, much too tense.

“Why am I-“

‘Open it.’

A whisper.

Behind you, from within the darkness that shadowed the room.

And yet, you could not turn around. Was it the terror? Had the terror struck you so hard that you could not move? Had the darkness overwhelmed you?

‘Open it,’ it whispered again, closer this time. You felt tears fill your eyes.

‘Open.’

“No,” you croaked.

‘Open. Open. Open. Open. OPENOPENOPENOPENOPEN.“

Your mouth opened to scream but no voice came out. You could hear them all around you, these incessant whispers, their desperate screams. You wished to cry, you wished to call for help.

They were laughing now. You felt the cold surround you.

‘Then I will open it.’

Your hands, your cursed hands, threw the book to the floor and you watched, horrified as the book fell open. The yellowed page stared back at you. Etched into the paper was a head, scribbled in dark ink.

Horns. A beast. A horrendous, wicked thing.

You shrieked but no sound escaped.

Then the pages moved, turning and turning, nothing but yellow blurs, flipping, flipping-

Stop.

The only sound left was the crackling fire.

You fell to your knees, shaking hands entwined.

And you prayed.

“Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil,” you whispered, a frantic, desperate prayer. Can God hear your anguish?

“May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; And do thou-“

Will God save you now?

“O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls.”

Will God love you now?

“Amen.”

“Amen.”

Another voice, different, but no less terrifying.

Something moved behind you, a faint breath tickling your neck.

You whimpered.

“Little lamb,” it called, so gentle you could almost cry. “Tell me, what has frightened you so?” Low and rich, a voice filled with promises and saccharine love. A voice fit for a devil.

Your breath hitched when you heard its footsteps, the sound of hooves click-clacking on the ground. You felt it stand beside you and, from the corner of your eye, you see them. Their darkness shines, reflecting the flame’s light off their curved bodies.

Horns...

A beast.

A horrendous, wicked thing.

You shut your eyes and bowed your head, a tear trickling down your cheek.

“Even if I shall walk in the valleys of the shadows of death, I will not be afraid of evil, because you are with me,” you muttered, hoping and hoping. “Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

“And yet, you are afraid.” A hand grabbed your chin and you gasped at the feeling of the beast’s claws. “Where is your God to comfort you now? Hm?”

“G-Glory be to the Father-“ Its hand caressed your cheek and your breath stuttered from how human it felt. “And to the Son-“ Another hand, stroking your hair, and you choked from the tenderness. “T-To the Holy Ghos-“

“Look upon me, my lamb,” it murmured, and you ceased your prayer. “Open your eyes.”

Warm lips skim your wet cheek. You felt as though your body was held captive again, but it was different.

There was no chill to surround you. Only a comforting warmth, holding you in its embrace.

Your eyes fluttered open and you found, not a beast, but half of one. Dark hair framing a pale, chiseled face. Eyes void of light, as if a silent abyss resided inside them. His lips were a pale pink, a soft petal. He smiled and you wondered how such an angel could ever be cast out.

‘Ah,’ you thought. ‘So this is temptation.’

“Are you still afraid?” He stroked your cheek and you flinched as his claws lightly scratched your skin.

“Wh-Why have you come here, demon?”, you spat, venom seeping into your words.

“Demon?” he chuckled. “Is there no end to these names? Demon, Lucifer, Deceiver, Serpent…” He drew closer to you. Closer and closer, until you could do nothing but look into those dark eyes. “I’d rather be called Jumin.”

“I did not ask for your name.” You were quivering, but you refused to show the demon any more of your weakness. “I asked for your purpose here.”

Jumin’s smile lacked warmth. “My purpose?”

He leaned in, his hot breath fanning your lips and you dared not breathe. “I’ve come to take you, my sacrificial lamb.” He kissed you, the vile thing. Godless. Heinous.

You wished to drown in him.

His hands staked their claim on your body, brushing across your breasts, your hips, your ass. You shivered from his light touch. You’ve indulged in sin before, but never had it felt as rewarding as this. You remembered awkward, sweaty hands squeezing at your clothed body, inexperienced and uncomfortable.

But Jumin wasn’t anything like that choir boy. His touch sought to ruin you, to drive you mad from depravity. Not even God could save you now.

He tasted of ambrosia and felt like heaven, an angel made to sin. You kissed him desperately, savoring each press and pull of his lips. He clutched you tight to his body, claws ripping holes into your tattered dress. You could spend an eternity kissing him.

Jumin pulled himself from you and you felt as though you could die. “My darling,” he cooed. “It’s time to go.” You had no chance to question him before his lips were on yours again.

Darkness had befallen around you but all you felt was Jumin. His heady kisses. A tongue at the seam of your lips. His hot breaths.

Until you could feel nothing at all.

-

You dreamt of a happy life, filled with love and warmth. Where your sister laughed and played under the sun. Where your father was left to a rot in a grave.

Of having romance, someone to sweep you off your feet, someone to pray with, to love with all your might.

You dreamt of black hair and darker eyes. Pink lips, a soft petal. A voice that promised an eternity. An angel.

Have you finally found salvation?

-

You’ve only ever felt silk when you were a child. You remembered running your hands along the fabric, soft and cool to the touch.

Your little face had beamed with awe. You’ve never touched something so luxurious.

But now, as your eyes opened and your haze-filled head cleared, all you felt was silk. The blankets, the sheets, all was made from the lustrous fabric, and you relished its gentle chill. When you moved to sit, you noticed then that you were bare for all the world to see. Your naked body, once covered with dirt and grime, was now clean and you marvelled at your smooth skin.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

You shrieked as Jumin appeared from the shadows and you hurried to cover yourself with the blanket. “Wh-Where have you taken me?”, you whimpered, moving away from him. “Why am I n-naked?” He said nothing, only watched as you trembled and hid yourself from him.

His leering stare excited you as much as it terrified you, creating a dizzying concoction that made your head spin.

“Home,” he said, and your heart stopped. “I’ve brought you home.”

“This is not my ho-”

“Ah, but it is.” His hands clutched your shoulders, gripping tight. “We made a deal, did we not?” That smile, that damned deceitful smile. “In exchange for your sister’s happiness and your father’s death, you gave yourself to me.”

Your eyes burned with unshed tears. You felt as though you were choking, grasping for words to say. “I-I never agreed to that!”, you protested, clutching at his shoulders. “I never said-!”

“You did not need to say anything, my dear.” He sounded as though he were comforting a deranged animal. “Your heart said it all. Did we not kiss? Did you not cling to me like a bitch in heat?” You flinched, but still you refused to acknowledge his words.

You shook your head, over and over, gasping for air. “No, no, no!”, you cried. “Lies! You speak only lies!”

“Tell me little lamb, have I ever lied to you? Do you deny your heart’s wishes? Our kiss?” You were quiet, but it was enough of an answer.

Jumin wiped the tears that trickled from your eyes and pressed a kiss to your forehead as if to reward you. Your frayed heart ached. “Will she truly be happy?”, you rasped.

“Yes.”

The emptiness inside you grew. You did not wish to leave your sister behind, you wanted to stay with her, not watch on as she lived her life without you. Even the thought of it felt much too lonely. “Will I… Be happy?” The words tasted bitter on your tongue.

“Do you wish to be happy?” Upon your sluggish nod, Jumin kissed your lips. You could not bring yourself to return his affection. “Then,” he placed his hand over your eyes. “I will make you happy.”

When the shadows enveloped you, you did not pray to God.

Perhaps, there was no God to begin with.

-

You’ve lost track of your days spent in Jumin’s bed, nor could you remember the life you had before him. All you knew was his touches, his eternal love.

It was all you needed.

You never asked for anything more. He adored your docile demeanor, sought to sear his love into your body whenever he could.

“You can be more greedy. Much more greedy.”, he murmured, pushing your legs apart. You did not resist, always so obedient and pliant for him.

Sharp teeth scraped the soft skin of your inner thighs, a shuddering gasp leaving your spit-slicked lips. “J-Ju-“

“Shh...” His wicked tongue licked up your wet slit, slow and painful. You whined and grasped at the horns buried in his satin hair, tugging gently in hopes he will give you what you desire. He laughed at this, a deep rumble that shook you to the very core.

“You can act like a baby to me,” he whispered, the sweetest voice to ever grace your ears. His eyes, black as night, watched your every move, your every expression.

[searchingwardrobes]

Self Promo Sunday: The Pool Monster

For self-promo Sunday today, I thought everyone could use some tooth-rotting fluff. This is a very early story of mine, and I was blown away then (and still am) by the response to this little fic. It’s just the Jones family playing in the pool on a summer day with Killian being his usual flirty self with his words dripping with innuendo for his wife. Enjoy!

Also on Ao3

Rated G for massive amounts of fluff

Trigger warning: written pre-Hope, so the CS kids here are Liam, Charlie, and Leia

Words: just around 1k

Tagging the usuals: @snowbellewells​ @whimsicallyenchantedrose​ @welllpthisishappening​ @kmomof4​ @xhookswenchx​ @teamhook​ @bethacaciakay​ @optomisticgirl​ @vvbooklady1256​ @ekr032-blog-blog​ @winterbaby89​ @resident-of-storybrooke​ @nikkiemms​ @ultraluckycatnd​ @jennjenn615​ @lfh1226-linda​ @shireness-says​ @ilovemesomekillianjones​ @kday426​ @wellhellotragic​ @spartanguard​ @scientificapricot​ @stahlop​ @sherlockianwhovian​ @superchocovian​ @resident-of-storybrooke​ @let-it-raines​ @profdanglaisstuff​ @carpedzem​ @ohmakemeahercules​ @tiganasummertree​ @delightfully-difficult-pirate​ @branlovestowrite​ @hollyethecurious​ @snidgetsafan​ @thislassishooked​

Emma should have known Killian would want a pool in their backyard. He was, after all, a pirate. And contrary to what Emma had heard, Killian informed her that sailors did, in fact, learn how to swim. “Bad luck to learn how to swim?” Killian had scoffed. “What kind of ridiculous logic is that?” Captain Hook, it turned out, was an excellent swimmer. And so were his children. The only thing they loved more than sailing was swimming. So, naturally, the Jones family got a pool.

All summer long, the Jones children were in the water. If they weren’t in their backyard pool, they were swimming at the beach or off the deck of the Jolly Roger. They all naturally had Killian’s complexion, which was a good thing. If they had inherited the Charming “white as snow” skin tone, they would have spent the entire summer red as lobsters. Emma couldn’t keep them out of the water. The upside was that swimming, as any parent will tell you, absolutely wore the children out. Summer was the only time they went straight down for naps and to bed without protest. Which, of course, gave Emma and Killian far more uninterrupted time for “more enjoyable activities.”

On this particular day, the entire family was in the pool. Emma was sitting on the ledge in front of the faux waterfall which the children had dubbed “Mermaid Lagoon.” Of course, their mermaid lagoon was patterned more after Jake and the Neverland Pirates than the real Neverland. Their love for the children’s show irritated their father to no end. “The only thing they got right is Mr. Smee,” Killian would grumble. But try as he might, he couldn’t get his kids to stop watching it. This was further evidenced by the three dogs that ran barking around the edge of the pool. A chocolate lab named Jake, a yellow lab named Izzy, and a miniature dachshund named Cubby who waddled more than he ran. Emma had been informed by her 4 year old daughter Leia that today Mermaid Lagoon was their castle. Emma was the queen and Leia was the princess, of course. 7 year old Liam was the knight in shining armor. Their castle was under attack from the big sea monster and his sidekick, little sea monster (aka Killian and Leia’s twin brother Charlie). Both sides were armed to the teeth with water guns and water bombs.

In the heat of the battle, Charlie seemed to lose interest. He scrambled up the ladder, and before Emma knew it, he was launching himself from the ledge above the waterfall, jumping over it into the pool.

It was the perfect distraction. Emma hated when the kids jumped from that ledge, while Killian thought it was “bloody amazing.” Just as Emma yelled, “Charlie, no!” Killian popped up out of the water and snatched Emma right off the ledge.

“The queen is mine!” Killian crowed in his absolute worst villainous snarl.

“I’m coming, your majesty!” Liam cried out, launching himself off the ledge and onto Killian’s shoulders.

“Queen!” Leia cried, tossing Emma a water bomb.

Smart girl. Emma took the water bomb and smacked Killian in the side of the head with it.

“Ow!” he cried out. “That actually hurt!”

Emma laughed and swam away as Liam shoved his father underwater. Emma was worried for a split second that Liam was actually holding Killian under, when her husband came up out of the water with incredible force, launching Liam into the air. Then she was worried about her son until he bobbed up sputtering and laughing.

The battle raged on, with several more attempted captures of the queen. Every time Emma had to pretend to fight off the “sea monster,” and pretend she didn’t enjoy being in Killian’s muscled arms. At one point, she noticed that Leia continued to pretend to “fall” off the ledge of Mermaid Lagoon, crying out that the sea monster would get her. Over Leia’s head, Emma caught Killian’s eye, then pointed at Leia. He winked in response and stealthily glided under the water.

“Oh no,” Emma cried out with horrible play-acting, “I can’t reach you, Leia!”

Suddenly, Killian popped up out of the water, snatching Leia into his arms. The little girl screamed and squealed with obvious delight.

“I have you now, princess!” He yelled, tickling her.

“I’ll save you Leia!” Liam cried, diving to her rescue.

Suddenly, all three of her children and her husband were in the midst of chaos. Water splashing, arms and legs flailing, and high-pitched squeals. Emma sat on the waterfall’s ledge laughing at the spectacle.

It didn’t seem her children would ever tire of this game. Leia was “kidnapped” several more times, and she and Emma also ran a successful rescue mission to retrieve Leia’s Ariel doll from the pool steps. So when Killian snatched Emma once again from the ledge, she sagged in his arms and rested her head against his shoulder for a moment.

“You know,” Emma said, looking into Killian’s eyes, which looked even bluer with the reflection of the pool water shining in them, “the monster’s kind of growing on me.”

“Really,” Killian said with a big grin on his face. He lowered his voice a bit for only her to hear, “So you won’t mind if I take you back to my lair and have my way with you?” Emma couldn’t believe he could still make her blush. She smiled back at him. “You know, I don’t think the monster is really evil. I think he’s just misunderstood.”

Her wet lips met his in a kiss she had intended to be chaste, but soon their tongues were entwined.

“Hey!” scolded Liam. “You’re not supposed to kiss the sea monster!”

“Actually,” Emma announced to her children, a twinkle in her eyes, “he’s not a monster at all. It’s your father – the king of the realm! He was put under a curse by an evil witch, but I just broke it with a kiss.”

“What about the little sea monster?” Leia asked.

“That’s your brother, the prince. He was under the curse too.”

“Okay!” Leia turned to her twin and gave him a quick smack on the lips.

“Yay!” cheered Charlie. “I’m a prince again!”

“Hey!” pouted Liam, lowering the two water guns he had in each hand. “I like battles way better than kisses!”

“Not me,” Killian said, gazing deeply into Emma’s eyes. “I like kisses better.” He kissed Emma again, dragging her lower lip through his teeth. “I like kisses much better.” He whispered into Emma’s ear, “And other things.”

A delicious shiver went down Emma’s spine at his words and his breath in her ear. She turned her face and kissed him passionately, ignoring the chorus of “ewwwws” from their children.