#she shows up in the same fucking city his coven lives in

[black-rose-writings]

I posted 612 times in 2022

That's 265 more posts than 2021!

165 posts created (27%)

447 posts reblogged (73%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@stromuprisahat

@rist-ix

@kasamira

@tired-demonspawn

I tagged 553 of my posts in 2022

Only 10% of my posts had no tags

#grishaverse - 235 posts

#grishaverse meta - 209 posts

#irl stuff - 71 posts

#anti leigh bardugo - 58 posts

#book review - 52 posts

#twilight saga - 52 posts

#anti alina starkov - 47 posts

#grishaverse worldbuilding - 46 posts

#winx - 40 posts

#čumblr - 36 posts

Longest Tag: 137 characters

#surely someone would have told her that her personal routine was not something she was allowed to share with people outside of the palace

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Fate rant part 1 - Winx was already dark enough

Theme-wise. There’s no excuse for whitewashing Flora and Musa.

No, really, it’s not that hard to make the story of Winx more mature, you just have to look at it differently:

Season 1 - Though it is generally pretty tame, the plot involves a girl from Earth discovering she carries in her the power of this universe’s version of God, having that power ripped out of her violently and against her will and having to go on a soul-searching journey to recover it, while the villain is wreaking havoc using it.

She also finds out that she’s adopted and that her birthfamily was killed by a coven of Witches in search of that power, and that she’s the only known survivor of a planet-wide genocide. And she’s a princess of said dead world, whci has been made uninhabitable by the attack. Oh, yeah, and the descendants of those witches are also trying to hunt her down for that same power - and succeed.

FFS, in like the 5th episode, Stella is almost murdered on screen by the Trix, because they wanted her ring.

Darcy mind-controls Riven to date her and spy on the Winx. If they had sex (which 17-18 couple probably would), that’s straight-up rape, right there.

Sky had to switch identities with his bodyguard/squire in for his own safety as a crown prince. He’s in an arranged political engagement with another girl while he pursues Bloom. You could easily dive into political consequences of breaking this engagement that has lasted since they were both children for a “peasant” girl if you wanted to show a more mature side of that. (But like, maybe demonizing Diaspro for being upset about it isn’t a good idea).

The scenes in Magix city after the attack of the Trix are fucking haunting me to this day.

Oh, yeah, and Bloom’s spiritual guide in the season is literally the ghost of her sister, who died at a very young age so that Bloom could live. (I’m sure there’s more dark stuff in season 1, but that’s just what I remembered, so feel free to add).

Season 2 - Oh, boy, season 2.

Our primary antagonist is quite literally the devil, and he was quite directly responsible for the destruction of Domino

We start out the season with the Pixie being captured by him and then tortured and killed one by one as he’s searching for an item they are guarding. Layla/Aisha is almost murdered when she’s trying to save them, managing to barely escape with her life and her bonded pixie.

During the rescue mission, Stella almost dies from lack of sunlight and her boyfriend is held hostage and almost forced to marry someone else, under the threat that if he refuses, she will be locked up underground until it kills her. He is later saved from this at the last minute through the use of a love pspell that makes his would-be wife fall in love with another man(I’m not gonna get into love potions/spells being basically date rape drugs).

A man is replaced by a doppleganger, gets the underage-or-just-fresh-adult Bloom to trust him and then kidnaps her, so his master can subject her to what is a not-even-really-veiled rape allegory and subsequent mind control.

And, once again, Bloom is still the only known survivor of a genocide and her personal story during the show focuses on her finding out more about her home and family.

There’s other things, too, like Sky being murdered and resurected by Bloom, that one episode that deals with Musa’s dead mother and how her dad became abusive out of grief.

Season 3 - it’s not any better.

The Trix are sentenced to a icy hellhole prison, that they manage to break out of with the help of another person tied to Bloom’s past - this time, a man who is effectively her dark reflection. He’s driven by revenge against his captors and quest for power that he believes is rightfully his (I’ve seen some fics suggesting that he in fact had/had learned those powers before, but they were stripped from him once he was captured and playing with this idea would be a sure-fire way to get into some dark moral corners).

This time, we have two people who were mind controlled into a relationship - Stella’s dad and Sky. Rapey much?

Like, season 3 in general is really good and really dark without even really hiding it. Everyone gets a near-death experience and Bloom and Valtor’s relationship as reflections of one another/two sides of the same coin could be something incredible to explore (and a lot of fics do).

Also Faragonda and the rest of the Company of Light are really fucking shady in all of this.

And there is Layla/Aisha’s arranged marriage to Nabu.

Movies 1 and 2 - again, not even really hiding their darkness. Mind control is ever-present, as is mass-murders and destruction, dead family members and court intrigue.

Season 4 - surprise, more genocide.

This time of the Earth fairies. - I mean, they don’t end up being dead, but... they seemed to be and a lot of them probably were.

And also the subsequent revenge against the Wizards of the Black Curcle and humanity as a whole. Give us the full story of the war between the Wizards and Fairies and you’re already really fucking dark and complicated.

Also, Nabu literally dies on-screen - some dubs say he falls into a coma, but IIRC, he dies in the original. Flat out perma-dead. Right after he and Layla/Aisha got engaged. Causing her to seek revenge.

Season 5 - good news, no genocide... except when Tritanus tries to murder everyone on the surface of Andros at the end. So... attempted genocide only. Improvement!

And there’s torture, turning people into monsters against their will, repeated attempted fratricide, a curse that tore a young woman’s spirit out of her body, forcing her to exist as a disembodied spirit for what is most likely at least 20 years.

See the full post

91 notes - Posted April 21, 2022

#4

Best way to describe my feelings after finishing Twilight:

97 notes - Posted June 5, 2022

#3

I’m starting to think that what’s actually the problem of the Grishaverse, especially the TGT, is that there is a disconnect between the universe, the story and the marketing.

The Grishaverse is a grimdark fantasy world, filled with discrimination, inequality, slavery, war and violence, with political power held by absolutist monarchs and unscrupulous capitalists, where law serves to those with power and fucks over everyone else and where often, the only way to achieve justice is by taking it into your hands.

The story is marketed as a Young Adult fantasy adventure.

And the author wants to tell a fairytale romance story.

And it just doesn’t work.

There are three common ways to incorporate grimdark elements into media - glorification (aka “we’re totally not pandering to incels and psychopaths, pinky promise”), shock value and commentary, with most stories blending all three to some extent.

And the Grishaverse firmly falls into the “shock value” category, whether we’re talking about Zoya’s backstory or the horrors of the Ice Court.

But despite being a grimdark universe, the author still tries to force fairytale morality onto it, causing her protagonists to look like short-sighted, naive idiots and forcing her to bend the rules of the universe to the breaking point to make them win.

104 notes - Posted January 16, 2022

#2

Let me introduce you to two characters:

The first is an immortal man. He’s ancient from human perspective, but he’s considered to be young and idealistic by other immortals. His life’s mission is to protect a wolrdwide opressed minority, that he belongs to. This ahs been his mission since he was 13 and he’s at least 500 now. He’s their guardian, their patron saint in many ways. He was almost killed for his power by his first friend and vowed to build a world where nobody ever needs to be desperate enough to do that. He’s a character driven by empathy, a strong sense of justice and a wish for world peace, the end of wars and discrimination, and he’ll stop at nothing to achieve that.

The second is an immortal woman. She’s still young, even by human standarts, but she has the potential to live forever. She’s an orphan, who fell in love with her foster brother. She’s a member of an opressed minority, but she’s revered for her powers instead of despised, through no action of her own. She doesn’t care for the opression of the rest of her kind, as it doesn’t affect her. She’s willing to do anything, even kill innocent people, to protect her brother/love interest. She’s immature, self-centered and short-sighted. She has a love-hate relationship with her powers, her desires, her social status and even her life itself. She likes having power and doesn’t think twice about using it for personal gain and satisfaction, but she despises having responsibility and the expectations her position gives her. She’s driven by her paranoia, her codependant and toxic relationship with her brother/love interest and by her internalized prejudice.

Tell me, which of these two characters sounds like the hero of the story and which like the villain?

156 notes - Posted June 7, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Character motivations - Why so many people side with the Darkling

Character motivations are a big part of them - why they are liked, how their actions come across, so on and so forth. How motivation is written can make or break a character - and TGT fails at this spectacularly.

The motivations of the “good guys” are unclear at best and plot-dependant at worst, while the “bad guys” - the three that we’re introduced to - have extremely understandable and valid ones.

Motivations of the Darkling and his supporters:

Darkling: Wants to stop wars and persecution of the Grisha everywhere in the world.

Ivan: Wants to stop the endless wars that killed his entire family.

Genya: Wants to take revenge against her rapist and probably the people and system that enabled and furthered that abuse, for herself and all the man’s other victims.

Everyone else: Presumably either want end of the wars or Grisha persecution as well.

Motivations of Alina and her side:

Alina: Wants to live a quiet and peaceful life with Mal, sometimes, maybe. Or rule over Ravka as a Living Saint. Maybe. Possibly. Or die. It varies.

Mal: Want to bang Alina and have her undivided attention - preferably while she gets none herself, I guess. And maybe kill the Darkling because... he liked Alina? Is Grisha? Kills people? Unclear.

Zoya: The Darkling killed her only decent family members, so now she wants revenge (established retroactively).

Nikolai: Wants to rule Ravka, because the current monarch and the actual heir are incompetent assholes and he decided that the "Living Saint” is better ally than the “scary and evil Darkling”.

David: Doesn’t like killing people and feels bad for being part of a mass slaughter that included civilians.

Genya: ? Probably because the Darkling is the Black Heretic and therefore deserves a worse fate than her rapist, I guess.

Everyone else: “Darkling evil”? “Monarchy good”? Are Sun cultists? Who knows, certainly not the reader.

Motivations of miscelaneous other characters:

The royal family: Wants to keep their position of power.

The Apparat: Wants more power, which he plans to gain by controlling the Sun cult in Alina’s name.

Baghra: Wants to “redeem” her son, whatever that means. “Making sure he only cares about her, himself and nobody else” being a strong possibility for the meaning of it.

To be fair, I might be a bit hyperbolic with the lack of motivation on Alina’s side, but their motivations are really the muddiest.

And that’s an issue when they’re the ones who we’re supposed to root for.

Especially when the villain not only have much clearer motives, but they’re actually really fucking good ones.

The system is broken, the world is fucked up and full of prejudice and violence. The “villains” want to fix the system and have a concrete plan how, the “heroes” either want to keep it the same, don’t care about the issues or want to fix them, but their idea of how to do it is “ask the people commiting literal genocide to pretty please stop”.

I don’t know what else to call this but Boomer logic. In a book whose target audience is teenagers.

It’s no wonder so many people like the Darkling and his side better than Alina and hers.

288 notes - Posted February 25, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[maryhadalittlehobby]

IWTV Liveblog S2E8 " And that's the end of it. There's nothing left"

What is the other city in the opening? Nola?[checks YES]

The irony of Louis being buried alive in Paris like what Grace did in New Orleans but literally now

Get his ass Daniel. Don't left him forget we know he is a liar who lies

Daniel asking Louis if the rocks are still there in his ankles-We leave the damage so we don't forget the damage.

Oh how the mighty have fallen-Armand is now the lowest in the coven. He says it was a consequence of him staving Louis

God the music is beautiful and I could listen to it and Louis talk for hours

Louis says does anyone ever ask Lazerus if he wanted to be woken? I am not sure what the refers to-the bible? but i get the gist and it goes back to what I was so annoyed with in episode 5. Louis went into the sun and did not want to be saved. Here he is saying the same thing. Claudia is dead, he feels like he has nothing to live for and here Armand is again doing this shit for self serving purposes.

I was dead but my rage had risen! yesssss. KILL THEM ALL

Rage and Madness-a terrible combo

MEOW. He's lost it fr

Lowkey I loved the dead guy talking to Louis. It gave horror zombie vibes especially cause they are in a cemetery. I'm gonna need to borrow your truck lol so considerate

"I ain't fuckin worried about you!"- and that's the sad part of this Loumand story. It was never really about him. Also fuck Armand (lovingly)

He roasts Hans costume in his mad ravings lol

"If I am not with him I am nothing. "Girl stand up, you have known him for what 2 years?!

Light em up! (fall out boy gif)

Yeesss walk away from the fire without looking at it!You are too cool babes.

People are calling Louis Gay Blade and I can't. I just might have to cosplay it! I have the trench and a machete at the ready!

Estelle is hilarious. The London coven killed them because they started speaking English?! Girl. I could watch more of these two

Hello Francis! Get his ass Louis!

Why would Armand leave the evidence in the sewers?! Come on he was begging to get caught

"Hard to hold hands after he killed my sister and my fledgling" Not that had apparently after 49 yrs but again that goes back to him punishing himself

"Don't let him take credit for the workman role he played" This quick line shows Santiago was the real mastermind

Come to me Francis

I'm not sure I believe Santigo. I think he is saying all of that to rile Louis up. Armand might not have cared about Claudia but I can't imagine he would let them desecrate her ashes like that. At least i hope god.

My man said I got big balls

Louis deadly with those words. Francis never stood a chance.

Say that shit about Claudia to my face. Louis has never been hotter but he should have lit him on fire too

"All my rage and madness exited my body and nothing replaced it."Even now

My first thought when Armand said he made a choice was that he chose himself then I revised it that he chose him and Louis bc that felt like the only thinking that would make sense as to why they are still together but I WAS RIGHT. The gremlin chose himself!

I was hoping this Lestat scene was him chained up somewhere by the coven but its Magnus's tower. I thought it would be bigger(thats what she said gif)

I don't know why it went over my head watching it. I guess Louis and Armand's presence together threw me off(ahem) or else I would have expected the canon book even ts. I was looking forward to it even.

I still hope we revisit the trial or even get exposition as to why he came, why he participated and why he stayed after bc its not clear to me

Ok he answered why he stayed- To contemplate his behavior and origins in the place he was made.

I've come to kill you" Was Louis being deadass? Would he have tried

"I have to be willing and I'm not in the mood" Lestat is sooo annoying lol This is serious business

LOUIS! whatever pale proxy of me!! is wild. That'll do it(wasted gif)

Lestat's face! He can barely keep it together

"He loved you I can say that now." Cause you know the end is near that Daniel about to drop a bomb

I really can't believe the Vampire Sm has become so important lol. We were laughing. He's a whole Talamasca agent and we're laughing

uh oh that fucking piano note. Its on par with the MCR 'g' note now

Woooow Armand fdidn't save Louis just went along with the lie that he did

For all intents and purpuses Louis held his anger pretty well. I thought it would have brought down all of Dubai penthouse

I like the change that they made that Louis isn't a weak vampite. It would make sense that he can toss around Arman(especially if he isn't gonna fight back) because if Lestat has Akashas blood then so does Louis. They even say in the episode to remind us. My blood us your blood

Why set the laptop on fire?He doesn't want the book to come out now?

Louis coming home.My heart . And damn if home dont look good on him. he don't good in that ballcap

Is this the same night? Why is Louis in different clothes? And you couldn't have told me this wasn't an 80's 90's flashback with the cut of his clothes

Lestats and emotional support plank of wood

Can't lie I was hoping for the have you come back to me

this is a lot of exposition

Loustat hugging like they are finally home. fuck me up

Loustat a storm in a storm

Daniel id a vamp!!

Louis said come at me bro!I own the night!

[wingsofkpop]

Hiraeth - I.X: Was it Worth it in the End? Part Two

pairing(s): Hybrid!Im Jaebeom x Reader, Witch!Mark Tuan x Reader, Werewolf!Jackson Wang x Reader, Vampire!Park Jinyoung x Reader, Supernatural!Got7 x Reader

genre: Supernatual!AU, Dark Magic!AU, very heavy Angst, eventual Smut

warnings: Mature language, violence, explicit descriptions of fighting and injury, weapons, blood and gore, brief mention of a mutilated animal corpse, minor character death, description of trauma and mental illness, brief mention of suicide, mentions of murder, satanic themes and ritual, etc. 

Trigger Warning: This chapter does contain graphic and explicit themes regarding violence, trauma, and death. Please do not read if this will harm you. This is your final warning.

word count: 10,6k

synopsis: How far are you willing to go to find out the truth about Moon Dye Bay?…

chapter directory

The nighttime is hushed, almost anxious as Minho maneuvers his way past gravestones and overgrown shrubbery. It’s almost like nature itself is too afraid of accidentally provoking the witch, sensing the torpedo of dark magic and violent sorrow stirring through his veins. He peers up at the crimson moon, grateful for the illumination it provides, and continues down his path—ignorant of the cold air bleeding into his flesh. 

Minho knows this is probably not the best time for a visit, aware that his ex-covenmates are likely plotting some sort of mission to overthrow him, but he doesn’t care—he can’t care anymore. A part of him, the shameful, guilty part of his mind. actually hopes they will succeed, at least then, he would no longer have to endure the pain that comes with bearing this black magic. He can feel its poison rushing through his veins, seering his body from the inside out, killing his soul over and over and over again… 

But isn’t this what he wanted? Revenge? Retribution? Minho performed that spell to hurt the very friends that hurt him—to hurt Mark, and he got his wish… so why does it feel like the world is caving in around him, swallowing him whole? 

Once he reaches his destination, Minho collapses to his knees, unable to bear the weight of his burdens. His eyes burn with tears, but he doesn’t allow himself to cry. A silent gust of wind strokes his cheeks, painting his skin red with bitterness and anger. He welcomes the cold air, accepting the punishment, before lifting his hand to splay his fingers against the even colder surface of the headstone. 

“I’m sorry…” Minho whimpers, “It didn’t have to be like this…” 

The silence heightens his anguish—deepens the wounds in his heart. 

If he could take it all back, he would… but he can’t. 

“I wish you were here, noona…” 

His murmur is lost to the wind, but it doesn’t matter. He climbs back to his feet before sparing one final glance at the burial place of his lost friend. After a deep inhale and a wordless goodbye, Minho turns and hastily begins back toward the mausoleum. 

He was allowed this one moment of weakness—now he must get back to the horrible reality he manifested for himself. 

☽ ☽ ☽ ☽ ☽ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾

“Can you be any more obvious…?” 

Mark quickly awakens from his mindless trance, discovering, to his dismay, Dahyun looking down at him with a single raised, all-knowing eyebrow. He fakes a cough into his elbow before shrugging his shoulders, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

“You’re kidding me, right?... You literally haven’t taken your eyes off of her since we met up in the forest.” 

Heat immediately rises to Mark’s cheeks. As if on instinct, his eyes trail back to his subject of interest, watching as you wipe the sweat from Jaebeom’s girlfriend’s forehead and neck before shifting to do the same to Felix. It’s such a simple action, but you somehow look so ethereal—almost like an angel sent from heaven. 

He curses himself for his own cheesiness, then releases a defeated sigh. 

“We got into a pretty big fight earlier.” 

“Then don’t you think you should—I don’t know—talk to her instead of staring her down like a creep?” 

“I think the last thing she wants to do is talk to me.” Mark drags a hand through his hair. “I… said some really stupid shit in the heat of the moment. She probably hates me.” 

Dahyun scoffs, “God, you are such a fucking idiot.” 

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” 

“It means you need to get your ass over there and apologize to that girl.” 

Her harsh tone doesn’t falter beneath his glare, nor does her tenacious expression as the two proceed with their silent staring contest. After a minute or two, Dahyun breaks off the competition with a long, heavy sigh. Her eyes are soft when she looks back at him, and suddenly Mark finds the dried mud on his shoes a lot more interesting. 

“Mark, anyone can see how much you care about her—how much she cares about you.” Even when a gentle hand caresses his shoulder, the witch keeps his attention to the floor. “(Y/N) could never hate you—no matter how much stupid shit you pull.” She snickers, “And you pull a lot of stupid shit, so that has to account for something.”

He can’t help the amused chuckle that falls from his own lips. 

“Thanks, Dubu.” Mark says, tilting his head to finally meet the warmth of her gaze. 

“She’s a good one—a really good one, Mark.” The wolf hums, “Don’t let it be your fear that pushes her away.” She doesn’t give him a chance to reply further, pacing to a nearby corner to join a conversing Bang Chan and Yugyeom. 

Sparing the wolf trio one final glance, Mark musters up the remaining courage he has left and pushes from his perch against the kitchen countertop. He forces himself to walk in your direction—each step releasing more butterflies into the confines of his stomach. Once he reaches you, close enough to touch your turned back, he almost chickens out, content with spending the rest of the night watching you like hawk, but the sound of Felix’s breathy voice locks him in place: 

“—Channie-hyung and I have always wanted to go to Chicago… Is-Is it as windy as they say?” 

“Even windier.” You say with a laugh. “I can’t tell you how many scarves I lost, and don’t get me started on how freaking cold the winters are.”

Felix laughs too, although it resonates as more of a wheeze than anything. 

You shrug, “It’s a gorgeous city though—probably my most favorite place I’ve ever lived.” 

“Then why did you leave? If you loved it so much?” 

Mark’s interest piques when he notices how your figure grows tense at the young boy’s croak. He’s heard his fair share of stories of your heartfelt time in the Windy City, but he never quite figured out why you ultimately decided to move to Moon Dye Bay. You’ve always been reluctant to reveal certain details from your past, especially regarding your time in the foster system, but even then Mark has been able to pry the worst memories from your brain. 

This subject, however, has been a brick wall. 

“Because I couldn’t stay.” You finally answer, “It’s complicated, but something happened and basically I—” 

“(Y/N)?” 

He silently cusses as Felix interrupts your explanation, but his annoyance dissipates at the panicked expression etched along the teenager’s sweaty face. 

“What is it, Felix?” You shift your position on his bedside to better face the boy, leaning forward to place a gentle hand on his forehead. Mark can only imagine how hot the skin is to the touch. 

Felix’s words crack as they leave his lips, slicing at the witch’s heart like a dagger: 

“Am… Am I gonna die?”

“Of course not.” You immediately say, but Mark can sense the uneasiness in your tone. “Everyone is doing everything they can to help you, okay?... You’re gonna get through this, and one day you and your brother are gonna go see Chicago yourselves and try not to get blown away into the next century.” 

Felix sleepily chuckles, “Thanks, (Y/N).” 

“You should get some sleep.” The moment the command leaves your lips, Felix is already closing his eyes and diving headfirst into dreamland. Not wanting to startle you, Mark waits a couple seconds—partly to give you time to regain your composure, and partly to give himself time to think of what to say. However, he doesn’t have much of a choice when you suddenly turn, growing aware of his presence. A frown overtakes your face, and he instantly regrets ever leaving his countertop. 

“Did you need something?” 

“No—yes, I mean—shit.” Mark buries a hand in his tresses to tug at his roots, attempting to juggle between putting together the right spoken words and reminding his body to breathe. “(Y/N), I—” 

“If you came to apologize, I don’t want to hear it.” He helplessly watches as you rise from the bed before tossing your used rag on a nearby table. “I think you made yourself pretty clear back at my apartment.” 

“I shouldn’t have said what I said—” Before you can storm away, Mark latches his fingers around your wrist. “—please. Just give me a chance to explain.” 

Your shoulders rise and fall in a heavy sigh, but you make no move to tear away from his grip and he takes it as a chance to continue: 

“After my mom died, I was so fucking angry…” Mark notices your surprised gaze when you lift your head, but he doesn’t meet your eyes. “I was angry at the world, at her, at myself… and when my magic began to show up, things got a whole lot worse.” He shakes his head, “I thought about just ending it—jump into the bay or maybe drink myself to death—but then I met…” 

“Then you met Jackson.” 

“He taught me how to deal with the anger—to use it as a tool, not a weapon.” His eyes begin to burn at the countless memories that reel through his mind. “It was because of him I learned how to control my powers, and I was able to bring the coven together—hell, he was the one who told them to nominate me as Regent, which right now, seemed like the worst fucking decision on the planet.” 

Mark takes a moment to blink away his tears before taking a seat on an empty cot. He still can’t find it in himself to glance at your face, keeping his eyes trained to the wooden flooring. 

“But when Jackson had an idea, there was no stopping him.” He chuckles sarcastically, “The bastard was as stubborn as a goddamn mule.” 

“What happened to Jackson, Mark?” Your voice is both a sweet lullaby and a screeching siren against his ears. “How did he die? Really?” 

“The initial plan was to infuse enough magic into Jackson’s werewolf form so his venom would be lethal to the Primes, or at the very least, to Jinyoung. It all went smoothly in the beginning, I was able to channel enough power to complete the transformation… but something went wrong—

“—Jackson was different when he shifted. He was ruthless… He didn’t want to just kill the Primes—he wanted to slaughter every vampire along with those who protect the secrets of their existence… no matter if they were witch, werewolf, human—they all deserved to die…

“The combination of his determination and the bloodlust drove him fucking mad… If Jaebeom hadn’t ripped out his heart, there’s telling what he would have done—who he would have killed…” 

Mark leans forward to rest his elbows on his knees, attempting to hide his shame beneath the curl of his bangs. “—Jaebeom may have dealt the final blow, but Jackson died because the dark magic I used turned him into a monster—he’s dead because of me…” 

Silence encompasses the room like a vice grip to the throat. For a moment, Mark believes you left him, too disgusted and ashamed to even breathe the same air as him, but the entrance of your worn boots into his vision proves otherwise. The image is replaced by your face when you kneel in front of his broken figure, laying your hands over each bicep. He notices your touch is gentle, but not hesitant, and warm—always so warm. 

“You can’t blame yourself for his death, Mark.” Mark doesn’t realize he’s crying until you wipe a tear from his cheek. “How could you have known what that spell would do? You couldn’t have—”

“Magic always comes with price—especially dark magic.” He whispers, unable to hold back more liquid sadness as it trails down his skin. “(Y/N), if I ever lost you the same way I lost Jackson, my mom, I—” 

Mark’s voice cuts out into a sob, and once your arms wind around his form, he completely breaks, releasing every ounce of repressed sadness and despair and pain into the crook of your neck. He knows he’s selfish for melting into your embrace—for consuming your comfort like a demon expelled from the heavens—but he doesn’t care. 

When you guide his eyes to meet your own, Mark can spot the glassiness of your own orbs in the artificial light—along with enough compassion and ardor to send another flood of tears down his face. 

“I’m not going anywhere, okay?” You affirm, your tone unwavering and stern. “I’m here—and no matter how many times you fall, I’m gonna be here to pick you up…

“I’m here, Mark… Do you understand me?” 

He nods with a sniffle, tightly squeezing your hands between his own. 

“I’m sorry.” 

You smile at his apology. 

“I’m sorry too… for everything.” 

“Just… No more secrets. For real, this time.” 

“For real, this time.” Mark’s heart rate picks up when he suddenly notices how close his face is to yours. From this angle, he can count the constellations glistening within your eyes and map the delicate curves of your facial features. If he were to lean just an inch closer, just one tiny inch, his lips would be on your own—

“Sorry to interrupt, but we have an issue.” At Yugyeom’s statement, you and Mark immediately wrench away from one another, almost as if having been caught engaging in forbidden territory. Mark pretends he doesn’t miss the weight of your hands inside his own as he rises from the cot, making sure to put an appropriate amount of distance between his and your shoulders. 

He clears his throat before humming, “What’s going on?” 

“Chan wants to go and find Chaeyoung’s body.” Although Yugyeom’s face remains neutral, Mark can see the sadness lingering within his eyes at the mention of his fallen packmate. “He doesn’t remember exactly where she was, so him, Dahyun, and I are going to search the forest.” 

You immediately shake your head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Sunrise isn’t for at least another hour, and we have no way of knowing Youngjae broke the curse yet.” 

“I’m with (Y/N) on this one, Gyeom.” Mark agrees, “We’re safest here in the bunker.” 

“We can’t just leave her out there. I mean, she—” Yugyeom cuts himself off with a heavy sigh, before continuing in a softer tone, “You know how it feels to lose someone, hyung… Chaeyoung is—was… our family.” 

Mark takes a moment of silence to ponder, conflicted between his common sense and Yugyeom’s pleading gaze. As you said, sunrise is an hour away—but Youngjae, the coven and the Primes should have overthrown Minho by now, right? Plus, he literally blew Changbin’s head off with that shotgun. There’s no way his body could regenerate that quickly… 

“We’re all staying together.” He finally says, moving toward the kitchenette to grab his weapon from its perch on the counter. “And if anything seems shady, it’s an immediate retreat.” 

Yugyeom delivers a nod before heading off to gather the other wolves. Mark moves toward the bunker exit, but is stopped by your form. A heavy sigh cascades from his lips—just from your expression, he knows this conversation isn’t going to go his way. 

“(Y/N)—” 

“If you’re gonna tell me I can’t go with you, don’t even bother.” 

He shakes his head, “It’s too dangerous…” 

“If someone tells me that one more goddamn time—” He can’t help the tiny smile that spreads across his face at the sassy way you roll your eyes. And he doesn’t protest when you move to follow Dahyun up the ladder. 

☽ ☽ ☽ ☽ ☽ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾

Youngjae inhales a deep breath, taking the moment to feel his lungs expand, before releasing the air in an even deeper exhale. Even with the relaxation attempt, his body remains tense and his thoughts disorderly. He can’t help but feel as if Minho is waiting somewhere in the darkness of the crypt, ready to pounce on him like a predator to its prey. 

Would he toy with his catch first? Or would he skip the pleasantries and go right in for the kill? 

A hand appears on his shoulder, wrenching Youngjae from his morbid daydream. He angles his head to meet Lia’s concerned gaze and immediately tries to mask his fear beneath an expression of indifference. Unsurprisingly, the female witch sees right through his facade:

“I’ve known you practically my whole life, Youngjae. Whatever it is, you can’t hide it from me.” 

His shoulders sag in defeat as a sigh blows past his lips. 

“I’m just… worried about Mark-hyung. He’s powerless out there.”

“Mark is smart—he’ll know what to do if he finds himself in trouble.” 

“And if he doesn’t?... I-I mean, what if Minho or Changbin found him before he could warn the pack? He could be dead for all we know—” 

Lia silences his desperate quip with a shake of her head, “You shouldn’t think like that right now—” 

“What else am I supposed to do?” Youngjae runs a frustrated hand through his hair before gesturing toward the main exit of their underground penitentiary. “Even with yours and Jisung’s energy, I don’t have enough power to take down the barrier spell.” 

“Help is on the way—” 

“How do you know that for sure?” 

Lia remains silent, simply continuing to stare at Youngjae. He feels almost uncomfortable beneath her gaze, resisting the urge to shrink back and become one with the shadows. 

“I don’t know… but I have faith.” She murmurs after a brief moment. “We’ve lost a lot, but I still believe that we’ll all somehow manage to come out of this alive. You should try doing the same.” 

With that, Lia leaves to speak with a dangerously quiet Jisung. Youngjae spares the pair a single glance before heading toward the crypt entryway. A single beam of moonlight illuminates the exit stairway, almost as if mocking him about his inability to escape the dingy prison. 

Youngjae knows Lia is right—of course she’s right. Worrying about the possible pitfalls of this plan won’t help him, or Mark, or anyone. He can only pray that his mentor safely found his way out of the cemetery and is sending backup right this very moment. 

He needs to have hope, if nothing else. 

“What if we somehow lure Minho down here?” Youngjae’s thoughts quiet at Lia’s suggestion, angling his head to meet her gaze. “Technically Youngjae just needs to touch him to siphon his magic… so why don’t we bring him to us?” 

“Minho-hyung won’t step past the barrier.” Jisung dissents, dragging his fingers through his already tousled hair. “He probably knows we’re planning something against him, so there’s no way he’ll believe whatever ruse we try to pull.” 

“Then we have no choice. Youngjae, are you sure you can’t take down the spell?” 

Youngjae sullenly shakes his head. 

“Is there something else you can siphon? Maybe the crypt itself?” 

“The crypt was built by humans.” He answers, “I can only draw power from the supernatural—”

“Then it’s a good thing my dear brother and I weren’t turned into superwolf bait.” 

Youngjae, along with the other witches, nearly leaps a foot in the air at the sudden voice. He whirls around to face the stairwell, which to his surprise, is now occupied by the last person he ever expected to see: 

Im Jaebeom. 

Jisung chokes, scurrying backward into the shadows as the hybrid approaches the trio. After taking purchase against the doorway, he offers his signature sly smirk. 

“Evening, Harry Potter and friends… Funny meeting you down here.” 

“Now is not the time for games, hyung.” Youngjae breathes a sigh of relief as Jinyoung’s voice echoes throughout the stone walls. Seconds later, he comes hustling down the staircase before shoving Jaebeom out of the way. The vampire then peers into the crypt, his gaze burning with the determination of a man at war. “Is anyone hurt?” 

“No. We’re okay.” Lia steps forward. “If you’re here, I’m guessing Mark reached the wolf pack?” 

“Your guess is correct.” Jinyoung nods, placing a hand against the invisible doorway. “My brother and I will do everything we can to help disarm the rogue, but I think it’d be best to free you all first.” 

Youngjae joins the conversation. “I can take down the barrier spell, but I’ll need to draw energy from one of you to do so.” 

“Let’s do this quickly then.” Jinyoung goes to roll up the sleeve of his white shirt, but is halted by his immortal companion. Surprise filters through Youngjae’s veins as Jaebeom shrugs the leather jacket from his shoulders with a huff: 

“With my luck, he’ll drain you dry and I’ll have to deal with this voodoo fucker myself. I think it’s best we use my energy—sorry not sorry.” 

“Alright, then.” Youngjae hums, “I’ll need you to push through the barrier just enough that I can touch you… It’s gonna hurt. A lot.” 

“Good thing I’m a sadomasochist.” Jaebeom snickers at his brother’s unamused expression, “Too much?” 

“Move your hand through that goddamn barrier before I throw you to the superwolf myself.” 

The hybrid rolls his eyes, but follows Jinyoung’s instructions and proceeds to force his limb past the invisible blockade. He remains silent, but Youngjae can spy the uncomfortable twitch of his eyebrow and the tension along his stone-cold features. Blood begins to bud along his knuckles like a patch of blooming roses before flowing down his pale skin the more he presses against the barrier.

The siphoner raises his hand in preparation. “Just a bit more.” 

A mere couple seconds later, Youngjae feels Jaebeom’s bloody flesh brush against his own. The skin-to-skin contact is slight, but enough, allowing the hybrid’s energy to spread through his veins like wildfire. Youngjae almost cries in relief as the magic conquers his entire body—a new kind of hope sparking somewhere within his chest. 

“Phasmatos Siprum… Emnis Abortum…” Youngjae murmurs, positioning both hands against the invisible wall. He feels it crumbling beneath his fingertips, unable to withstand the power flowing through his figure. “Fasila Quisa Exilum San… Fasila Quisa Exilum San…”

A proud grin stretches along his features as the barrier buckles, then completely shatters. With Lia and Jisung in tow, Youngjae beelines out of the crypt and into the stairwell where Jaebeom, who’s cleaning the crimson from his knuckles, and Jinyoung reside. The latter nods, which Youngjae is quick to return. 

“‘Kay, they’re free… Now what?” 

“Now we find Minho and end this once and for all.” Lia answers, not sparing the hybrid a glance as she dashes up the stairs. Youngjae and the rest of the group try to keep up with the female witch as best as they can, not faltering until they reach the surface. The cemetery is quiet when they emerge from the crypt, Youngjae notices—almost too quiet. 

He takes a short moment to breathe in the fresh night air before turning to a tense Jinyoung, “I need to get close enough to siphon Minho’s magic to perform the counterspell. You think you and your brother can find me a way in?” 

Jinyoung nods. “You can count on us.” 

“Stay close…” Lia warns with a sigh, “I wouldn’t be surprised if the bastard already knows we’re free—” 

Lightning suddenly strikes a mere few feet from where Lia is standing, earning a chorus of screams and surprised gasps from the witch trio. Youngjae watches as Jinyoung speeds forward, grabbing Lia just in time to avoid being burnt to a crisp by a second bolt. With Jisung at his side, Youngjae quickly takes shelter underneath the overhang of a nearby tomb as even more lightning bombards the earth. He surveys the area, searching for the perpetrator responsible for the weather abnormalities. 

“Minho!...” Lia screeches from behind a large tree, her tone far less than friendly. “Quit being a fucking coward! Come out here and face us goddamnit!...” 

Youngjae huddles closer to Jisung as the wind suddenly picks up, ripping at his hair and clothing like a vengeful spirit. He moves to speak to his younger companion, but his words die on his tongue as the subject of the hour waltzes into view. The heavy gusts don’t seem to affect him, though that’s no surprise since the wretched weather is his doing. 

Minho smirks, “They say lightning never strikes one place twice… You must be really special then, Lia.” 

“Oh fuck off! We’re tired of playing your stupid games!” 

“This only ends one way, Minho—” Jinyoung says, cautiously moving from Lia’s side to approach the powerful witch. His steps, however, are halted by another vicious bolt of electricity. Youngjae attempts to make out Jaebeom’s form through the blurriness of his wind-induced tears, but the hybrid is nowhere to be found. “—so we can do it the easy way, or the hard way! The choice is yours!” 

“Last I checked, this isn’t your fight, Prime.”

“It became my fight the moment you threatened my family and my friends!” 

Minho snickers, “Trust me, I had every intention of ridding this town of you and your brother’s filth.” 

“Was it also your intention to kill an innocent werewolf girl!?” Youngjae’s heart drops at the vampire’s following statement. “Son Chaeyoung is dead because of Changbin—because of you!” 

“Every war has its casualties.” 

“And what of Felix!? Will his death just be another trivial loss in your obsession for revenge!?” 

This time, Youngjae notices the cockiness melt from Minho’s features into something akin to trepidation. The wailing of the wind picks up to a screech, nearly drowning out the dark-haired witch’s weak inquiry, “What are you talking about?”

“Felix was bitten… and is dying as we speak!” Jinyoung shakes his head frantically. “Do you believe he deserves this, Minho!? Do you believe Chaeyoung deserved to die!?... You can fix this—make this right!” 

Minho remains silent, and for a moment, Youngjae wonders if the witch will actually come to his senses and call off this whole ordeal. But just as soon as it appeared, the pained look along his features transitions into something more sinister.   

“We’re all gonna die someday, so what does it even fucking matter!?” 

“Are you hearing yourself!?” Lia screams from behind a nearby tree, “Look what you’ve become, Minho! How would Nayeon see you right now!” 

“Don’t bring her into this!” Minho’s hiss blends with the moans of the wind. Massive raindrops begin to pelt down against the earth, immediately soaking Youngjae to the bone. For the first time, he notices the dark witch’s position in relation to his own. Realistically, Youngjae can be at Minho’s side in mere milliseconds, before he has a chance to blink. If only he can get him to move a bit closer… 

As if reading his thoughts, Jinyoung attempts to coax the witch another step forward. 

“Please, Minho… I don’t wish to hurt you.”

The latter shakes his head with a chuckle. “It’s too fucking bad that you think you can.” 

Minho raises his hand, harshly forcing the vampire down against the muddy earth. Youngjae watches in horror as Jinyoung’s limbs begin to contort and rearrange against his own will—the sound of cracking bones and the vampire’s pained groans filling his ears like a haunting melody. He forces his gaze away from the gruesome sight and prepares to advance on the dark witch, but Jisung stops him with a hand to his shoulder: 

“Not yet, hyung.” 

“But Jinyoung—” 

“Trust me.” His eyes are wide with determination—Youngjae can’t remember a time he’s ever seen Jisung so fierce. “I have a plan. Wait here until my signal.” 

Though filled with confusion, Youngjae does as the young witch requests and stays in place while Jisung himself carefully maneuvers his way through gravestones and buildings, attempting to remain out of sight. A sudden burst of lightning cracks through the atmosphere, and at first, Youngjae fears Jisung has been caught, but quickly realizes Minho has his sights set on another party: 

“I was wondering when you’d join the fun—I looked forward to tearing your bitch-ass apart.” 

“I would say I’m flattered, but I rather like my ass.” Jaebeom saunters across a nearby rooftop. In the midst of the storm, he almost reminds Youngjae of a superhero—or more likely in his case, the psychotic supervillain. “Look, you’ve had your fun, kid. Now I suggest you release my brother and cut out all this petty-teenage bullshit before I break your body in places you never thought possible.” 

“That’s it?... And here I thought you’d want the antidote?” 

Jaebeom’s face darkens. 

“...So there is a cure?” 

“Of course. Every spell has its loophole.” Minho finally lowers his hand, ceasing the painful reconstruction of Jinyoung’s skeleton. Youngjae watches in confusion as the former retracts something from his pocket—some sort of vial, it seems—and offers it toward the hybrid. “The blood which Changbin drank to turn—it’ll heal anyone fallen victim to his bite.” 

“You better hand that over before I rip your teeth from your skull.” Jaebeom growls darkly, hopping down from his overhead perch.

The witch shakes his head, “Not so fast, Mr. Wolf… See, there was only so much left—enough to heal one lucky soul.” 

“You’re a sick fucking bastard,” Jaebeom spits. “You wanted this to happen—”

“Your little bloodsucking girlfriend is dying, isn’t she?” Minho tosses the vial toward the hybrid, who effortlessly catches it between two trembling fingers. “If you want to save her life, then I suggest you go before the venom does its job.” 

“Jaebeom-hyung, don’t—!” Jinyoung gasps, slithering across the muddy earth like an earthworm lost to the world. 

“You know she doesn’t have much time—” 

“We can’t do this without you—we need you!... I need you, hyung!”  

Jaebeom, staring at the tiny container in his grasp, doesn’t reply to his incapacitated companion. Youngjae curses the smirk that spreads across Minho’s face—a sign of victory—and attempts to spot Jisung and Lia somewhere between the ferocious raindrops. He has no such luck, and instead decides to pray for a miracle instead. 

“If you hadn’t fucked around with the few people I care about, I might have actually liked you.” Jaebeom murmurs with a sigh before tucking the vial into his pocket and sending the dark witch a malicious sneer. “Well isn’t that too fucking bad.” 

Youngjae leaps almost ten feet in the air as lightning strikes for what seems like the millionth time, although this time, it’s inches from where Minho is standing. After searching the area, Youngjae discovers Lia and Jisung across the way, hands clasped, eyes bright with passion, uttering some sort of offensive charm. Minho attempts to sprint in the opposite direction, but Jaebeom easily tackles the witch before he can get far. 

“Now Youngjae-hyung! Do it now!” 

At Jisung’s cue, Youngjae takes off into the rain. The bitter feel of Mother Nature’s tears against his skin quickens his movements, wanting nothing more then to end this hurricane, both literally and figuratively, once and for all. He reaches Minho in what seems like hours and hurries to grab his wrist—but just like the tides during a storm, the tables quickly turn. 

At the wave of Minho’s hand, Jaebeom goes flying across the cemetery, crashing into a stone statue and collapsing into the resulting rumble. White-hot pain spreads through Youngjae’s veins like a poison, freezing his muscles and immobilizing his limbs from any further movement. He collapses to the ground, where mud immediately clings to his clothing.

Minho rises to his feet before stepping on Youngjae’s hand with a cackle, “Don’t you fuckers get it!? I’m untouchable! You can’t fucking win!” 

“That’s where you’re wrong, Minho…” Youngjae chuckles, curling his fingers around the tread of the dark witch’s boot. Minho realizes his mistake as soon as the former’s hand begins to glow, foolishly attempting to squirm from his touch. 

Thunder roars in the distance as Youngjae grins in triumph: 

“Because unlike you… we’re not alone.” 

The last thing Youngjae sees before he loses consciousness is a flash of white and the bewildered face of the dark witch as he collapses beside him.   

☽ ☽ ☽ ☽ ☽ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾

“I take it Mark apologized?...” You nearly leap out of your own skin at the sudden inquiry. With a less than agitated frown, you turn to acknowledge the culprit for your almost heart attack. If you didn’t know any better, you’d swear some of these supernaturals have powers of teleportation or something… 

“Goddamnit, Dahyun. Not all of us have superwolf hearing.” 

“Sorry, dearie. Force of habit.” The she-wolf offers an apologetic smile, moving forward to hook her arm with your own. She allows Yugyeom, Chan and Mark to gain a bit of distance ahead before repeating again, “So Mark…?” 

“We both talked it out and apologized… so everything’s okay now.” You hum—the tiny fib leaving a bitter taste in your mouth. 

Truthfully, your encounter with Mark left you conflicted. Of course, you’re more than glad he finally opened up about his past, and even more glad that he trusts you enough to reveal his lingering feelings of trauma, but there’s still a pretty big fucking elephant in the room—one involving his dead best friend and the fact you can talk to him beyond the grave. 

You should have told him then and there—right after you promised to abolish all secrets—but something inside you couldn’t do it… and you don’t know why. 

“Why are you so interested in Mark and I’s relationship anyway?” You utilize your curiosity as a distraction from the guilt breathing down your neck, angling your neck to peer at Dahyun’s side profile. “Is there… history between you two?” 

“No, no—nothing like that. Mark and I have just known each other since we were kids. Our moms were close friends, so Mark, Yugyeom and I pretty much grew up together.” 

“He never told me that.” 

“Don’t take it personal, sweetheart. Mark doesn’t like to talk about his past—” Dahyun sighs, “—too many bad memories between his dad and the bullshit that happened with his mom. He’ll come around eventually… he just needs more time.” 

“I know his mom passed when he was a teenager, but Mark never actually mentioned how she died…” You bite your lip, sending a curious glance to your wolf companion. “It’s really not fair to ask you, but—” 

“Mark found her in their own kitchen with her entire throat ripped open.” Dahyun’s blunt answer leaves your throat dry, unable to speak another word if you wanted to. “The sheriff ruled it as an animal attack, but I’m sure you’re smart enough to figure out what really happened.” 

Your heart sinks, and you choose not to say anything further. 

“Dahyun! (Y/N)! Don’t get too far behind!” Chan’s voice echoes from somewhere up ahead. With the black of night beginning to fade, you can just make out his, Yugyeom, and Mark’s silhouettes a couple dozen feet away. Dahyun gives your forearm a gentle squeeze before releasing your conjoined limbs to catch up with her packmates. You do the same, meeting an armed Mark about halfway. 

His eyes glitter with concern underneath the fading starlight. 

“Everything okay…?” 

“Yeah, Dahyun and I were just catching up.” You inhale a deep breath before releasing it in an even heavier exhale. “But there is something I need to talk to you about—about Jackson and the whole resurrection thing.” 

Mark shakes his head, “You have every right to make your own decisions, (Y/N), but I wish you and Youngjae would have come to me.” 

“I know that, but it was more complicated than that—” You try to gather your thoughts while also attempting to make sense of your words. “I couldn’t tell you because, well—because Jackson told—” 

“Mark-hyung! We’ve got an issue!” Yugyeom’s warning immediately cuts off your explanation. Mark shoots you an apologetic glance before hurrying the two of you forward to join the wolf trio. It only takes seconds for you to distinguish the cause of the beta’s distress. 

A deer carcass lays precariously on the forest floor, and albeit it’s practically torn to shreds, you can just make out a single word carved into its bloody flesh: 

Die. 

“Shit—we need to go. Now.” 

“We’ve already come this far. Chae should be around here somewhere.” Chan ignores Mark’s directive, stepping over the animal corpse to traverse further through the forest. He barely takes a step before the witch is grabbing his wrist. “Let me go, hyung.” 

“Don’t be an idiot.” 

“Don’t tell me what to—”

“Shut the fuck up. Both of you.” Dahyun quietly hisses, “Listen.” 

You try to do as the she-wolf says, but all that meets your ears is the combination of your own labored breathing and uneven pulse. Judging by the confused expression along Mark’s face, he’s probably dealing with the same situation. 

“What is it?” 

“We’re being watched.” Yugyeom answers Mark’s inquiry in a whisper. “Mark, you and (Y/N) need to find somewhere to hide right now—Chan, Dubu, get ready to fight—”

As soon as the command leaves Yugyeom’s lips, Mark takes you by the arm and drags you behind a broad tree trunk. You fish Jinyoung’s pocket knife from your pocket while Mark cocks his shotgun in preparation. Who knew the day would come that you’d actually be grateful for the presence of two dangerous weapons…  

“If anything goes wrong—you run like hell, got it?” 

You shake your head at Mark’s demand. “I’m not just going to leave you—”  

“Yugyeom! Above you!” At Chan’s warning, you’re suddenly shoved to the ground by the witch, watching in horror as a deranged Changbin descends from the treetops onto the beta himself. His skin is a sickly ashen shade, and his black veins so prominent it would make a nurse weep. There’s no human emotion left inside his dark eyes as he strikes Yugyeom over and over again with his lengthy sharp talons, tearing open his skin like a birthday present—he’s a complete animal. 

“Bin, stop!” Chan throws his arms around Changbin’s shoulders in an attempt to pull him from Yugyeom, winding a tight arm around his throat before thrusting a knee against his spine. “Think about what you’re doing!” 

With Dahyun’s assistance, the two wolves manage to separate the dark wolf from that of Yugyeom’s wounded self. Even so, Changbin clearly does not appreciate being stolen away from his prey. He easily escapes from Chan’s hold, landing a couple heavy hits against the latter’s nose before shoving him to the ground. Dahyun takes the moment to strike, bringing the dark wolf to kneel with a harsh kick to his knee, but the action does minimal damage. Changbin punts the she-wolf a dozen feet away as if she weighs nothing. You wince as Dahyun connects with a nearby tree trunk with a vocal thud before dropping to the ground with no movements of rejoining the fight. 

“Shit…” You curse to yourself, “They won’t be able to take him down by themselves—he’s too fucking strong.” 

“Watch your ears.”  You notice Mark aiming his gun toward the dark wolf, waiting for an opportunity with his finger on the trigger. At his discretion, you cover your ears just in time for him to fire a first and second shot. A ferocious growl echoes through the trees, spreading goosebumps across your flesh like wildfire. 

You watch both Chan and Yugyeom take advantage of Changbin’s distraction. The alpha delivers a swift, yet heavy hit against his wounded shoulder while the beta goes for his legs. Similar to Dahyun, they manage to pin Changbin to the forest floor. For a moment, you almost believe the fight has concluded in your team’s favor—but the tides shift. In the blink of an eye, Chan is impaled with a large jagged branch and sent tumbling into some foliage whereas Yugyeom is dealt punch after strike after kick, unable to escape the barrage of Changbin’s wrath. He eventually, like the former two, collapses to the earth and makes no move to rise. 

Changbin cracks his neck before stalking toward where you and your companion stand. 

“Mark—” 

“I got it!” Mark quickly feeds another couple shells into the shotgun barrel, cocks the weapon, then aims down sight. He manages to sink a bullet into your target’s abdomen, followed by another in his bicep, but Changbin merely releases an annoyed snarl and continues charging forward. 

“Fuck, fuck, fuck—(Y/N), move!” You leap out of the way just in time to avoid a powerful strike. Changbin’s hand splinters the trunk of the tree, sending pieces of bark in every direction. A particular shard catches the bridge of your nose, causing blood to warmly cascade down your skin. You quickly wipe the liquid from your right eye, ignoring the nausea fluttering inside your gut, before focusing back on the situation at hand. 

You look up in time to watch Mark swing his shotgun harshly against Changbin’s skull. Taking advantage of his disorientation, you rush forward to stab your pocket knife into the wolf’s back. Changbin practically roars in fury, angling backward to land a hit to your face before you have time to react. The force of his strike throws you to the ground, a sharp pain lingering in your left cheek. 

“Don’t fucking touch her!” Mark throws himself against Changbin, delivering hit after hit to anything and anywhere. Still, Mark’s human strength does little to outbeat the dark wolf, and you watch in horror as Changbin effortlessly pins the witch against his chest with a bloody hand around his throat.  You desperately search for something, anything, in hopes of saving Mark from whatever deadly fate awaits Changbin’s bloodlust, but fate doesn’t seem to be on your side.

“Changbin—please don’t do this!” You cry, praying to some type of deity that the wolf is sane enough to understand your words. Even so, your confidence is low, seeing as talking clearly had no effect during your last encounter, but you’re fresh out of options at this point. “You know this isn’t who you are!” 

To your surprise, Changbin actually answers, “You don’t know anything about me.” 

“Maybe not, but I know you don’t actually want to hurt anyone…” You cautiously rise to your feet with a shake of your head, wary of the tight hold Changbin currently has on Mark’s jugular. “Your thoughts are all sorts of fucked up right now because of the dark magic, so why don’t you just let Mark go and we can—” 

“Don’t you fucking get it! This fucker—” He yanks at Mark with more force than necessary, “—took everything from me! He took my pack, my alpha—the only people I ever felt safe with!” 

“I understand you—” 

“No, you don’t!” Changbin wails, “You can’t even imagine how I feel! How fucking hard it is to wake up in a world you know you’ll never belong! How much it fucking hurts just to go on and pretend like everything’s normal when it’s fucking not!” 

“Tell him it’s okay to feel angry—” You whirl your head around to find a seemingly exhausted, yet wild-eyed Jackson Wang at your side. “—but none of this was Mark’s fault.” 

You’re mortified at first, having never encountered the ghost anywhere outside your bedroom—but whether it’s the desperation etched along his features, or the flush of purple that overtakes Mark’s complexion—you quickly transfer back to reality: 

“Changbin, it’s perfectly normal to feel angry and cheated, but this wasn’t Mark’s fault—deep down, I think you know that.”

“What does it fucking matter anymore? I’m all alone anyways.” The pure agony etched along his face has your heart splitting in two. 

You’ve never seen a creature so strong and so powerful look so… vulnerable. 

“You said the exact same thing to me when we first met…” Jackson murmurs softly.

“You told Jackson you were alone at one point too…” 

An obvious wave of tense silence washes through the forest, making the beat of your heart that much more prominent in your ears. 

Changbin’s whisper is dark—dangerous. “How the fuck do you know that?” 

“Because… Because he’s here, Changbin.” You say, your eyes meeting Mark’s as the words leave your tongue. “You’re not alone because Jackson is still here.” 

You don’t know what kind of reaction you expected from your revelation, but it certainly is not the heinous laughter that spills from the dark wolf’s lips. 

“You must have lost your goddamn mind… Jackson-hyung is dead!” 

“Maybe physically, but his spirit still remains.” 

“You mean—” You turn to discover a bewildered Yugyeom unsteadily leaning against a tree, “—his… ghost? You—You can see his ghost?” 

You nod.   

Changbin sneers with a low growl. “I don’t fucking believe you.” 

“There’s a cliffside back along the bay about twenty miles from the lodge,” Jackson begins, his tone a blend of nostalgic and sorrowful. “Changbin and I used to go there to watch the full moon rise before we turned into our wolf forms… I-I’ve missed that so much…” 

“You and Jackson would always watch the full moon rise on a cliff overlooking the bay before you transitioned,” You repeat. “He says he misses those moments with you…”

“Stop it!” Changbin frantically shakes his head, “You’re lying!” 

“He’s here, Changbin… He’s really here.” You move forward again, more confidently this time, and raise your hands in a sympathetic gesture. “And the last thing he wants is for you to make the same mistakes he did, so please—let Mark go and let us help you…” 

It’s as if time freezes for a moment. Changbin seems to fight a battle with himself—countless emotions rushing through his teary eyes. You watch the dark wolf glance toward an unconscious Dahyun and Chan, then to a silent Yugyeom, before finally setting his focus back to you. You can only pray your face reflects the hope swirling throughout your veins—pray that Changbin will do the right thing. 

To your delight, the blackness of his veins gradually begin to fade and the sharp claws protruding from his fingertips recede. You don’t realize you’ve been holding your breath until Changbin finally retracts his hold from Mark’s neck. You’re quick to take the unsteady witch in your own arms before sending the now normal wolf a thankful smile. 

“Thank you, Changbin…” 

He nods shyly before wiping a couple tears from his cheeks. You watch as Yugyeom cautiously makes his way toward the younger boy, murmurs something, then tugs the latter into a tight embrace that pulls even more liquid sadness from his eyes. The sight has your heart melting into a puddle of warmth—the emotion doesn’t last though, not when Mark’s dark croak enters your ears:

“You… can see Jackson…” 

You shrug sheepishly, “I wanted to tell you, but he said not to… He didn’t want to hurt you anymore than he already had.” 

Mark remains silent. You try to search for his features for some kind of anger or disappointment, but are only awarded with his surface level blank stare. Worry flooding through your veins, you look to Jackson for any possible guidance, but the ghost merely shakes his head. 

After a couple tense seconds or so, Mark finally murmurs, “Jack… I—I’m so sorry. For everything.” 

“You have nothing to be sorry for.” Jackson says immediately, “If only I had listened to you, then maybe things would have played out different.” 

“He says it wasn’t your fault—he should have listened to you.”

“We both made some pretty shitty mistakes.” Mark hums, “I miss you, man. So fucking much.” 

You don’t wait for Jackson to reply, already knowing his answer. 

“He misses you too, Mark. Just as much.”

“How is this even possible…?” You and Mark turn to find the shocked gaze of Yugyeom, who is closely followed by the despair of that belonging to Changbin. “Supernaturals can’t even see spirits, much less mortals…” 

“We never exactly figured that out. Jackson said he felt drawn to me from the Other Side—he kind of just showed up in my bedroom the night after Mina and Momo died.” 

“Any contact with the dead usually requires some sort of spell or medium.” Mark bites his lip in confusion. “I’ve never seen anything like this before, not even in any of my mother’s grimoires—”

“Jackson!” Your body grows rigid as Jackson suddenly collapses to the ground with a pained groan. You hurry forward, kneeling next to the man, and reach for his shoulder. The realization of his phantom existence hits you like a bag of bricks when your fingers phase through his form. You settle for calling his name again instead, “Jackson—what’s wrong?” 

“What the hell is going on?” You hear Changbin stress from somewhere behind you, but your focus is completely on the ghost in question. 

Jackson lifts his head with a gasp, revealing a line of blood dripping from his nose. “I-It’s the witches!... They know about our plans—they’re trying to force me back to the Other Side—”

“(Y/N)?” 

You shake your head feverishly, “It’s, uh, it’s the witches on the Other Side—they don’t like Jackson crossing over, so they’re trying to bring him back…” 

Mark nods. “Witches, dead or alive, will do anything to maintain the balance of nature.” 

“(Y/N)—shit—I don’t have a lot of time—” Your chest tightens at the urgency behind Jackson’s words. “I know so much just went down, but—” 

“Don’t worry, Jack. I won’t let you disappear again.” You affirm before climbing to your feet to face your new subject of interest. “Mark—I need you to perform the resurrection spell.” 

“Woah, wait—” Mark shakes his head, “(Y/N), I can’ t—” 

“If we don’t resurrect him now, then Jackson is gone forever!” Your warning spreads a new tension across the atmosphere, manifesting in the form of sullen and panicked expressions. “Please, Mark—we have a chance to bring him back!” 

“I can’t do the spell because I don’t have any magic…” Your heart sinks at Mark’s revelation. “Minho absorbed all my magical energy back at the graveyard… I’m so sorry, Jackson…” 

“Hold on, you told me that there’s different types of magic…” You push, “Can’t you draw energy from something? Like the forest, or the moon, or, or—”

“Or me.” You turn, discovering the speaker of the response to be none other than a determined Changbin. “Minho-hyung’s spell may be gone, but I can still feel the magical energy lingering through my body.” 

Mark hesitates, “I-I don’t know if it will work… and if something goes wrong—” 

“Do you want Jackson-hyung back or not?...” 

A moment of silence passes after Changbin’s question. You keep an eye on a repeatedly wincing Jackson, and the other on the witch’s face, attempting to decipher his thoughts inside the glow of his gaze. For a moment, you wonder if Mark will even provide an answer, until the words finally leave his lips: 

“Fuck the balance of nature. I’ll bring you back, Jackson—I promise.” 

☽ ☽ ☽ ☽ ☽ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾

Jinyoung stares at the sun as it gradually rises past the horizon, bathing his skin in a warm, celebratory light. His gaze wavers across the cemetery to the notorious mausoleum, where he watches Lia and Jisung carefully assist a barely conscious Youngjae past the doorway. After this crazy night, the siphoner definitely deserves a good, long rest. Then again, so does everyone else. 

He releases a heavy sigh before shifting away from the witch trio. After sparing one final glance to the sunrise, Jinyoung allows his feet to carry him through the early morning glow, past countless tombstones and other structures, and settles beside a second figure in front of a particular burial site. He silently reads the engravings along the headstone before addressing his companion without so much as a glimpse: 

“I assumed you would be halfway back to the bunker by now.” 

Jaebeom doesn’t respond, not that Jinyoung really expects him to. He peers at the hybrid through the corner of his eye, attempting to seek meaning beyond his blank features. Centuries later, Jinyoung still can’t predict the workings of Jaebeom’s inner thoughts. Especially when it comes to the situation at hand. 

“Mark called. Changbin is no longer affected by Minho’s spell.” He explains, “They’re also preparing a ritual to resurrect Jackson Wang—” 

“Tzuyu…?” 

Jinyoung’s chest tightens as the name falls from Jaebeom’s lips. 

“Their youngest, Ryujin, is looking after both her and Felix.”

“So she’s still alive…?” 

“It seems so.” 

A brief moment of silence passes between the pair. The earth grows brighter and brighter as the seconds roll by, reminding Jinyoung that time is a friend to no one. 

“Hyung, did you… truly switch off your humanity?” 

“I did, at first.” Jaebeom’s answer is quiet, and Jinyoung can detect the subtle hint of vulnerability hidden beneath his gruff tone. “But I guess I can never completely turn it off.” 

“It’s alright to feel, hyung—be it anger… or passion… or fear…” 

Jinyoung notices Jaebeom shift uncomfortably before glancing down at the glass vial in the palm of his hand. For once, he can actually distinguish the emotions present within the hybrid’s dark eyes. The knowledge only jabs at his heart. 

“Everything is taken care of, right?” 

“The night has ended, and Minho is safely sealed away in the crypt.” Jinyoung nods, “We live to see another day.”

He watches his companion tuck the precious vial into the pocket of his jeans before turning away from the headstone. Jinyoung is not sure where the urge comes from, but he abandons his perch, grabbing Jaebeom’s shoulder before he can leave the cemetery. He ignores the hybrid’s confused expression and pulls him into a tight embrace. 

“Thank you for staying, hyung…” Jinyoung’s murmur is slightly muffled against the fabric of his jacket, but he knows his companion heard them loud and clear. 

Jaebeom hesitates for a moment, clearly taken aback by the sudden act, but eventually winds his arms loosely around Jinyoung’s back with a gentle murmur of his own:

“You will always be my family, Jinyoung… Always and forever…”  

☽ ☽ ☽ ☽ ☽ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾

“I’ve never used magic like this before, so I can’t promise this will work.” Mark glances to where he assumes Jackson’s spirit is located inside the white circle makeshifted out of a bag of flour Dahyun managed to find in a bunker cabinet, before glancing to the companion at his side. “You sure you’re up for this? It’ll feel like I’m literally sucking the life force out of your body…” 

Changbin nods, “If it means bringing Jackson-hyung back.” 

“Okay, then.” Mark turns to the surrounding crowd next, “In order to do this, I’ll need to lower the veil to the Other Side. This will create a temporary door that Jackson can pass through to physically enter our realm. Once he crosses over, he should become mortal again.” 

“Seems easy enough.” Dahyun snickers, although the sound is dry and forced. “Anything else we need to know?” 

“Whatever happens, do not enter the circle.” His eyes drift from the she-wolf to your silent form. As if sensing the scrutiny, your gaze connects with his own, and knowing he has your attention, Mark continues in a darker tone, “Just as spirits can pass into our realm, we can cross to the Other Side… so for the love of god, don’t do anything stupid.”

Your and Mark’s staring contest ceases when your head snapes toward the circle. Seconds later, you break the tense silence with a soft murmur, “Jackson says it’s getting worse. He can feel the witches trying to drag him back.” 

“Then I guess that’s our cue.” He sighs before nodding toward the circle one last time, “I’m gonna do my best, Jack. Just hold on.” 

With one final glance to the grimoire you gave him earlier, Mark inhales a deep breath and takes Changbin’s outstretched hand into his own. He closes his eyes, focusing every part of his brain on the electrifying sensation of the magical energy coursing through the wolf’s body. Bit by bit, he feels Changbin’s power bleeding into his own veins, awakening the slumbering supernatural nature of his soul. Once he’s sure enough he’s acquired enough magic, Mark opens his eyes and begins the incantation: 

“Vita mortem, mortem vita est… Partis inferioris velum, partis inferioris ante illum vetum…” Almost instantly, the wind picks up while the air grows uncomfortably cold. He ignores the violent shivers wracking through his limbs and proceeds to repeat the words as the temperature continues to drop. With each spoken syllable, Mark’s head becomes dizzy and his flesh feels as if it’s being scorched off, but he continues. 

No amount of pain could ever dull the hope of seeing his best friend alive once more.

“Holy shit—it’s actually working!” 

Mark doesn’t realize he had shut his eyes until he opens them, nearly yelping in delight when he discovers the image of said friend standing in the center of the white circle. Jackson looks no different than the day he last saw him, and he can’t decide if he wants to laugh out of irony or burst into tears. 

“The veil is down! I’m gonna start the spell to cross you over!” Mark yells over the howling of the wind, clutching Changbin’s hand tighter as he transitions to the next phase of the spell. “Ohto eestanay as vazat esvet ohnaz eespalit… Ohto eestanay as vazat esvet—fuck!” 

A brutal force comes down against his head, almost resembling that of a punch, before spreading hot fire down his neck and to the rest of his body. Mark doubles over with a wheeze, attempting to fight against the painful sensations by grounding himself in Changbin’s touch. However, as soon as the first wave concludes, a second, even more excruciating one follows. He feels as if someone is trying to crush his brain—to kill him from the inside out. 

“Mark-hyung! What’s wrong!?” 

“It’s the witches!...” Mark is thankful that Jackson answers Yugyeom’s panicked inquiry, “They’re trying to break the spell!” 

“Like… hell they will…” Mark hisses, righting himself with a pained groan before grabbing Changbin’s other hand. “I’m not going down without a fight—hold on!...” 

He jumps back into the spell, weakening the manipulated pain through the absorption of more of the wolf’s energy. Borderline high off the power, he pushes everything he has into the ritual, determined to see it through to the end. After a minute that passes like a decade, Mark detects a shift in the atmosphere, indicating the near completion of the spell, and shouts: 

“Jackson—get out of the circle! Get out now!” 

As if in slow motion, Mark watches Jackson quickly move to escape the white border. But just as soon as his toe brushes the edge, he is wrenched away and lifted from the ground. 

Dahyun cries, “What the hell is happening!?”

“They won’t let me cross over!” Jackson squirms and writhes, attempting to escape whatever invisible grip is holding him hostage. His efforts are futile, and he continues to rise higher and higher off of the ground. 

“Hang on, Jack!” Mark releases Changbin’s hands and raises his own palms in Jackson’s direction. However, the same torturous pain from before returns once more, hitting his nerves like a sledgehammer to a brick wall, and throws him to the earth. “Shit—no! H-He has to pass through the circle!” 

“(Y/N)! Don’t!” 

Mark raises his gaze at Dahyun’s shriek, only to watch in horror as you rush past the flour boundary and grab hold of Jackson’s hand. A blinding light immediately erupts from your clasped palms, expanding through the area until all Mark can see is white. 

After a long moment, his vision eventually returns, and he finds the forest completely silent. The temperature is no longer frigid, he notices, and the strain within his brain is gone. For a moment, Mark is filled with prowess, victorious at the fact he successfully carried out an ancient resurrection ritual, however, his triumph is temporary, especially when he notices your form laid motionless in Dahyun’s arms. 

“(Y/N)—fuck!” Mark hurries to where you lay, stealing your figure from the she-wolf to cradle you in his own hold. “Shit, shit, shit—she’s not breathing! Fucking goddamnit!” 

His panic only grows tenfold when he hears the murmur cascade from Dahyun’s lips: 

“Mark… where’s Jackson?”

☽ ☽ ☽ ☽ ☽ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾ ☾

Jaebeom scales the final rung of the ladder before making his way toward the corner where the snoozing trio resides. He moves cautiously, mindful not to awaken the young werewolf caretaker, yet eventually finds himself perched on the edge of a familiar cot. His heart thunders inside his chest, and he cannot tell if it’s out of anxiety or hope. Though at this moment, Jaebeom can really care less to find out. 

“It’s about time you showed up…” He winces at the broken husk of his companion’s voice, attempting to keep his expression as neutral as possible. “I thought you were actually going to leave me to die in the hands of a neurotic teenage wolf…” 

Jaebeom doesn’t respond to her quip—he can’t find it in himself to do so. 

Tzuyu raises an eyebrow, “What’s with the face? Did you take down the witch or not?” 

“We did.” He hums, “The spell is broken.”

“Good thing—” The vampire pauses to cough, and the sound is like broken glass against his ears. “—you and your brother are safe for the eternity to come.” 

“Tzuyu… I found the cure.” 

“What are you waiting for then? My consent?” She snickers playfully, “We fuck for over a century and this is the most gentlemanly behavior I’ve ever seen from you, Beomie.”

Again, Jaebeom remains silent. 

Recognizing the obvious tension in the room, Tzuyu’s face falls. “But… I guess it’s more complicated than that, hm?” 

“There’s only enough for…” He’s unable to finish his sentence, not when his companion’s eyes are gazing at him with such sullenness and sympathy. Jaebeom has to look away for a moment, though the action does little to relieve the tightness of his chest. 

“Ah, I see.” Tzuyu hums, glancing across the way to a slumbering Felix. Her pale lips twitch, as if attempting to upturn to a smile, but it instead appears as a weak grimace. “You know, I really never meant to hurt (Y/N)… or you.” 

“Tzuyu—”

“I’ve known you for decades… but I’ve never seen you look at someone the way you look at her.” Another violent cough wracks through her body, expelling a mass of dark blood past her lips. Jaebeom is quick to wipe the splotch from her skin with the blanket, trying not to dwell on the fact that her skin is ice cold. “I’ll admit, I was jealous at first… I’ve always wanted someone to look at me like that… 

“I know you’re afraid to care—to love, Jaebeom.” Tzuyu murmurs sadly, lifting a hand to rest against the hybrid’s cheek. “Especially someone like (Y/N)… and you’re right to. She’s too good… too human. 

“One misstep and you could lose her forever.” 

“I want to be selfish…” Jaebeom whispers, “I want to be selfish so fucking bad—”

“But you can’t be, Beom. Not with her.” 

“Then let me be selfish with you.” 

Tzuyu smiles. 

“I’ve lived over three lifetimes, and he is barely a ways into his one—so you’re going to give the cure to that damn kid, Im Jaebeom.” He leans further into her touch as she caresses the apple of his cheek. “Promise me that you’ll stay away from her—to keep her safe?”

He nods.

“Good… Can you hold me for a moment? I’m cold.” 

“I’ll hold you as long as you want me to.” 

And so Jaebeom takes Tzuyu into his arms. However, it’s not until the vampire grows still does he allow a single tear to cascade from his eye, staining the bloodied bed sheets with the agony of a heart that has been broken too many times to count.

[lilyclawthorne]

Hunting Palismen Thoughts

y'all I absolutely loved this episode

oh we're JUMPING right in with day of unity stuff huh. we didn't go from 0 to 10 we started at 10.

anyways, starting off, this whole thing is fascinating to me. I mean this literally looks like a small human city. who are the worthy that get to live here according to belos. if its a unification of the realms, what happens to the humans? do they live here too? how does this affect society?? so many questions

kiki is pissed and im starting to predict that the reason Lilith, GG, and Kiki were all apart of the same slide in the title isn't because Lilith will slide backwards like some were worried about, but that all three of them are people who will have betrayed the emperor at some point

what the fuck is belos. the thumping/punching he made was in time with the beat of a heart. makes me think of the heart behind his throne and how are they connected.

UNCLE?? OUR FAMILY IS GONE BECAUSE OF WILD MAGIC??

TITLE CARD CHANGES AHHH

oh im so worried amity's not there because her mom's mad about her hair. that being said, some of the students here I assumed were a bit older (like jerbo and viney) and ed & em also aren't here. could potentially be that their parents didn't want any of them involved with this palismen adoption? or maybe im trying hard to be hopeful she's not in huge trouble over the hair

FREWIN!! this is the outcome for the little guy in Bump's head is better than anything I could've thought of. Aside from his legitimate use of helping Bump see, I am curious though if this is a bit of a "hidden in plain sight" kind of thing as well to protect the little guy.

PALISMAN ADOPTION DAY!! I WAS RIGHT!! I guessed the forest palismen would get adopted and I'm so glad about it.

I love Eda's blazer. She's trying to look professional. I love that this is what she planned on her favor from BQ being. Just to help out some young witches and some lost palismen. She cares so much 🥺

ok but if the unification of the realms does end up happening, I totally see Gus being an ambassador to the human realm.

There's a lot of attention of Luz here, and I'm just imagining how a similar situation might've gone down on the human realm. I don't blame her for getting anxious here, because I feel like in the past attention like this would've gone far worse at her school. I appreciate that most people here are just calm asking questions that are intended to help (except you Boscha) or Eda just checking in on her.

"I've read stories like this, the main character always has to return home" very interesting. seeing how this show has emphasized how life isn't like fiction.

Eda's just listening in like a mom concerned about her child

Tired Luz is adorable.

LMAO WHY IS GG WHISTLING THE THEME SONG

These two have such an insane amount of sibling energy I love it. This situation? Me and my brothers have done this way too many times.

uh so can a coven mark actually be removed?? since the EC one is also on the wrist but Lilith definitely hasn't been seen with anything there? that's kind of a relief since I was worried that since coven marks can help control magic that her still having one could be bad for her

It's not unsurprising that GG, as a powerless witch, would be interested in wild magic and Luz's glyphs. the kind of stuff you don't need a bile sac for. that kinda sucks he knows there's something out there he probably could use, but isn't allowed to do so

Hunter!! I don't need to do a name meaning here this one's obvious. Also, this boy's gonna crack and swap sides I can tell.

This is the most shit-eating grin I think I've ever seen on Eda. She's so proud of herself and she should be!

I also love this because we literally started this show with Luz helping Eda and King rob the conformatorium, and now we're at King and Eda robbing somewhere to do something special for Luz 🥺

Kiki and GG are so petty with each other, it's not just Kiki and Lilith. This is the whole workplace dynamic isn't it.

GG's room design definitely came from the Lilith bedroom design didn't it. Also I love the little Sprig plush!! I think that's a Big City Greens reference in there too but I've never watched that show.

I am very concerned about him and this palisman too. Not about him but just about Belos finding the palisman.

My one other thing I wanted to mention is I definitely feel like I'm seeing more and more disability metaphor in the show. If we see Eda's curse and her subsequent loss of a power as a disability, then GG/Hunter being born without magic could be considered a disability too. He's only been given access to one way of doing magic and it seems to limit him, he's being cut off from a different way of doing magic, the glyphs that Eda is learning, which clearly seem to be able to allow the user to do magic almost anywhere and could be more effective than Belos' artificial magic.

I'm also curious about Bump, he has the kind of palisman Belos wants to do away with, but it's not just a way to do magic for him. It's an aide for his vision. Belos' ideals would also be taking away something from him or other witches who may also be using their palismen as an aide.

[hellreads]

what are some of the most filthiest fics you've ever read?

this is the HARDEST ASK I have received so far, I spaced out after seeing this ask trying to recall every single filthy fic I ever read because there’s a lot but I will only be adding three fics per member for this ask, now, what I consider filthy may not be your cup of tea or may seem vanilla to y’all but to each their own, btw filthy to me includes threesomes to gangbangs because we’re weak for double penetration in this house, a lot of cum play and sloppy seconds, dirty talk, degradation, and more ~ by more I mean feelings, I need to feel something before drowning me in good explicit smut but I like pwps too lol, anyway, enough of my ramblings let’s get to the list! | 🍒

NOTE: please check all tags and warnings before reading a fic, read any of these at your own risk!

TOP PICKS

❥ The Hills by @minflix➴ Ski-Trip/Vacation!AU | Yoongi x Reader x Hoseok | Series➴ A ski trip with old friends sounds like a fun time, right?when your ex-boyfriend (who you hate but somehow always end up in bed with) and your stepbrother (who you are harboring not-so-secret feelings for) tag along at the last minute, you have a feeling it won’t be an uneventful weekend.but fun? debatable. that remains to be seen.

❥ Pour Up by jungxkook (deactivated/story no longer here on tumblr)➴ Fuckboy/Fratboy!AU | Taehyung x Reader x Jungkook | One-Shot➴ You like to pretend you hate Jungkook and Taehyung but sleeping with both of them doesn’t sound so terrible especially when you’re drunk and faded.

❥ Extreme Obsession by saylilirose➴ Psychological/Yandere!AU | OT7 x Reader | Series➴ In life, you meet one person that you live and grow old with. 

You? You meet seven. 

But your love? Non-existent. 

But theirs? Real…and obsessive.

Which turns deadly and dangerous. 

Without hesitation.➴ NOTE: this story contains heavy/dark/taboo themes and this isn’t for everyone, make sure you read all tags and warnings before starting this fic, you’ve been warned.

Kim Namjoon

❥ Miss Communication by @dovechim➴ Poly!AU | Namjoon x Reader x Jungkook | One-Shot➴ Poly relationships can be complicated. especially one where there’s an established hierarchy, and someone decides to break the rules. in a series of miscommunications between your boyfriends, you find yourself being the conveyor of peace and something else that isn’t quite what you expected. 

❥ Tigerboy by @joonbird➴ Hybrid!AU | Namjoon x Reader | One-Shot➴ “You, a docile rabbit hybrid, have been waiting a long time to meet the mysterious tiger hybrid, Kim Namjoon.”

❥ Criminal by @teawithkpop➴ Criminal/Police!AU | Namjoon x Reader x Yoongi x Jungkook | One-Shot➴ Namjoon is a wanted criminal, and he decides he wants you to be his ‘last meal’ before he’s booked.

Kim Seokjin

❥ The Devil Wears Armani by @floralseokjin➴ Devil!AU | Seokjin x Reader | Series➴ You never imagined accidentally attempting to sell your soul to the devil would lead to this…

❥ Off-Limits by @floralseokjin➴ Brother’s Bestfriend!AU | Seokjin x Reader | Series➴ You’ve been lusting after your brother’s best friend for a while now, ever since you met him at a house party, flirting it up a storm as you failed to realise who the other was. That was months ago now and things are still awkward, but you can’t ignore the sexual tension that’s simmers between the two of you…and it keeps getting worse…

❥ In The Bleak Midwinter by @pcyheartgirlx➴ Idol/Escort!AU | Seokjin x Reader x Chanyeol | Series➴ We’re all whores, we just sell different parts of ourselves.

You own a multi-billion dollar company, servicing the biggest names in kpop, in more ways than one. Under the name “Starlight Catering”, you, your best friends, Damon and Maya, and your hundreds of workers provide stress relief for idols.

You have partially retired, not because you didn’t want to, but because Chanyeol was your muse. He was all that you had time for and all you needed. Until Jin came along.

So what happens when you mix fire and ice?

You get smoke and all the lines are blurred.

Min Yoongi (hardest list to make, I have a lot of good Yoongi filth T_T)

❥ Zelus by bumblexfox➴ Sugar Daddy/Lovers!AU | Yoongi x Reader | One-Shot➴ Yoongi becomes jealous when your close friend Jungkook puts his hands all over you right infront of his face. So, Yoongi decides to make sure you know who you really belong to.

❥ Dead Leaves by wrienne➴ Detective!AU | Yoongi x Reader x Jimin | Series➴ In which you (reader) are a homicide detective about to face the biggest hurdle both of your career and life.

Married to probably the kindest but most boring man you’ve ever met and living in a town where nothing ever seems to happen means life for you is dull. Dull enough to drive you crazy with boredom and dissatisfaction. However, life changes abruptly when your old boss retires and a new man takes his place - a man you used to love (and sleep very regularly with) more than a decade ago. Especially when your husband comes home smelling of perfume, you’re unable to resist your more carnal urges and dead women start showing up across the city with unnerving frequency.

❥ Hyung, Open the Door by @gotmetalkinginmysleep➴ Idol!AU | Yoongi x Reader x Taehyung x Jungkook | One-Shot➴ You’ve been keeping the boys awake with your moaning for months thanks to Yoongi. Tae and Jungkook want to find out why.

Jung Hoseok 

❥ Flight 18 by @noona-la-la-la➴ Idol!AU | Hoseok x Reader | One-Shot➴ Korean Air Flight 18 leaves daily from Los Angeles traveling to Seoul. You’ve taken this flight before, but this time you’ve got an irritating passenger in the neighboring seat. Little did you know that he would end up giving you the ride of your life.

❥ See Both Sides Like Chanel by @minflix➴ Rich Kids/FWB!AU | Namjoon x Reader x Hoseok | One-Shot➴ You, Namjoon, and Hoseok are inseparable. Three best friends that grew up together since you were all in diapers.

But lately, Namjoon has been drifting away…

So on his birthday, you and Hoseok remind him just how inseparable the three of you really are.

⤷ or alternatively: a little less twenty-one candles, a little more “touch me”

❥ Langour by @littlemisskookie➴ Step-Siblings!AU | Hoseok x Reader | One-Shot➴ Hoseok’s got a lust-driven thirst for his step sister.

Park Jimin

❥ Sharing is Caring by @littlemisskookie➴ Prostitution!AU | Seokjin x Reader x Jimin | One-Shot➴ Jin graciously decides to loan you to handsome Park Jimin for the night.

❥ Power Play by @dovechim➴ Pornstar!AU | Jimin x Reader | One-Shot➴ You know him as the A-lister of all porn stars; a man who sits pretty in his place at the top of the food chain. But you also know him as the Park Jimin who single-handedly humiliated you and ruined your own career as a rookie just starting out, the epitome of the biggest dick in the entire industry… and you’re not talking about his assets. But when Park Jimin comes to you, saying he’s in a slump that only you can get him out of and begs you to sign an exclusive contract with him; things get messy… in more ways than one.

❥ Neighbors by @jkeuphoriadreamland➴ Neighbors!AU | Jimin x Reader | Series➴ Finally achieving your successes in life you never expected the distraction that came with your new hot neighbor. He, however, had been trying to get your attention for a much different reason.

Kim Taehyung & Jeon Jungkook (because majority of my fave filth includes these two ~ I am breaking the 3 fics list for them because I can dsjkhfkjasdhf)

❥ Clandestine by @ditzymax➴ Assassin!AU | Taehyung x Named OC x Jungkook | Series➴  As a professional assassin, Kim Kinsoo has many shrouded secrets in her life. Some of them she shares openly with her loving boyfriend, but there are other things he must never know.

❥ Shameless by @imaginethisbts➴ Voyeurism/Exhibitionism!AU | Taehyung x Reader x Jungkook | One-Shot➴ Taehyung’s the new guy in town, just trying to make some friends. And when Jungkook invites him to a party, he thinks he’s finally gotten a good opportunity to meet some new people. But what he doesn’t expect is witnessing his new friend Jungkook and his girlfriend, you, getting it on in front of him, and all of the other guys, at this so-called party. 

❥ When You Least Expect It by @johobi➴ F2L/Lovers!AU | Taehyung x Reader x Jungkook | Series➴ You’re in love with your childhood friend, Taehyung. The problem is, you treasure your friendship with him far too much to ever risk losing it. Oh, and he’s quite the Casanova. At your wits’ end with feelings you can no longer hide as diligently as you once did, you ask him to set you up with someone, anyone, in a last-ditch attempt to avoid a heartbreaking conversation.

❥ Stealing the Bite by @wildernessuntothemselves➴ Supernatural!AU | Taehyung x Reader x Jungkook | Series➴ In a world populated by the supernatural, witches were the most despised and mistrusted of creatures. Everyone desired to make use of their powers but no one was willing to be seen openly conferring with them. And so there came to pass a heinous practice: Small covens of witches were isolated and kept under wraps in every kingdom, to be utilized when needed, and kept under close watch to prevent them from rebelling. 

Growing up in a kingdom ruled by werewolves, abuse and scorn were a fact of life, but you were determined to put an end to it. You devised a devious plan to gain power, and it involved a certain prince.

❥ The Doms Next Door by @tatertotthethot➴ Poly/Tattoo!AU | Taehyung x Reader x Jungkook | Series➴ In which you unknowingly accept the offer to become a tattoo model for the two, sexually-crazed men next door.

❥ Maid for You by @forgottenpasta➴ Idol!AU | Taehyung x Reader x Jungkook | One-Shot➴ As Bangtan’s dorm maid you’re expected to be professional, your identity anonymous. Until Jeongguk finds you on your knees beside his bed, with his rolex in your hand.

❥ Into Temptation by coconutty➴ Demon!AU | Taehyung x Reader x Jungkook | Series➴ It was just a dare…

❥ Lust and Errors by @imaginethisbts➴ Step-Siblings!AU | Jungkook x Reader | Series➴ Stepbrother, fuck buddy… They were one and the same now. But what started out as some mindless fucking game, quickly turns into something much more difficult and complex.

❥ What’s Mine is Mine by @avveh➴ Idol!AU | Jungkook x Reader | One-Shot ➴ You caught his eye from day one. As far as Jungkook was concerned, you were always meant to be his.

❥ This Isn’t Love Darling by @junqkook➴ Mafia/Escort!AU | Jungkook x Reader | One-Shot➴ He tasted of an empty night and an eclipsing moon, with blood on his hands and fire in his eyes when he put his mouth on yours.

❥ Illicit Photography by @jkeuphoriadreamland➴ University/Photography!AU | Jungkook x Reader | Series➴ You’re a well respected university professor who assigns a portfolio project to your photography students, but your best student, Jungkook, doesn’t follow the rules very well.

❥ My Way by @ellieljade➴ Fuckbuddy!AU | Jungkook x Reader | Series➴ Jungkook doesn’t appreciate your boyfriend’s insistence that he stop sleeping with you and he knows just how to prove that you like it his way.

OT7

❥ Moth to Flame by @bang-to-the-tan➴ Vampire!AU | OT7 x Reader | Series➴ Robbed of your memories and intended as a birthday present for a deadly creature of the night, you unwittingly become the center of a territorial dispute between two covens of vampires. Tensions are rising and the brothers are getting hungry.

❥ Void by @btssavedmylifeblr➴ Space!AU | OT7 x Reader | Series➴ You are the only female crew member on a 12-year space mission with seven handsome men. The sexual tension is real, y’all.

❥ Temptation Series by @yminie➴ Idol!AU | OT7 x Reader | Series➴ Sleeping Temptation : Yoongi and Jimin come home to find you asleep on the couch. To say they were happy they beat the other members back would be an understatement.

➴ Waking Temptation : Hoseok, Taehyung and Namjoon are home, and you’re not asleep anymore.

➴ Sweeter Temptation : After an eventful evening, it’s the morning after and Jin’s there to take care of you.

➴ Breaking Temptation : Jungkook ditches movie night for other activities, and you’re not impressed.

❥ Seven Deadly Sins by @mintedmango➴ Demon!AU | OT7 x Reader | Series➴ You stood suddenly, chair being pushed away by the backs of your legs, the rest of the sins standing with you as you looked around in panic. All except Sloth who was out cold in the corner.“Oh, little pet, indeed, I am still hungry.”

❥ Physcom by @teawithkpop➴ Idol!AU | OT7 x Reader | Series➴ AU where live-in Physical Companions are provided to k-pop groups so the members can relieve their sexual related stress and tension - around their busy schedules, of course. You are one such “PhysCom”. However, complications arise when the BTS members start harboring romantic feelings for you. Feelings you’re not sure you can reject with any believable amount of conviction. Such a scandal could result in getting both you and them fired and exposed, ruining any future career options for all parties involved… it turns out the “com” in PhysCom might as well stand for complications.

❥ Cum by @honeymoonjin➴ Idol!AU | OT7 x Reader | Two-Shot➴ An episode of Run! BTS in which the seven members compete to see who can make you cum first.

❥ The Gentlemen’s Club by @brookelegend➴ Club!AU | OT7 x Reader (Hobi-Centric) | Series➴ You’ve been in a dating drought, more specifically, a sex drought. Your best friend has the perfect remedy for your problem: The Gentlemen’s Club.

[hamanuelton]

my favorite parts of hamilton:

- “I imagine death so much it feels more like a memory.”

- every time Leslie Odom Jr. as aaron burr begins another part with “how did a bastard, orphan-“ or like in that same way ‘cause he doesn’t always start it that way but you know what I mean

- the way Leslie Odom Jr. as My Boi Burr™️ says “well, the world got around, they said, ‘this kid is insane, man!’”

- also when Leslie Odom Jr. as A. Burr says

“WHAT’S YOUR NAME, MAN?!”

- “our man saw his future drip-dripping down the drain, a pencil to his temple, connected it to his brain”

- “Alexander Hamilton. My name is Alexander Hamilton. And there’s a million things I haven’t done, but just you wait, just you wait...”

- background “just you wait, just you wait”’s as hammy’s putting on a new jacket and ensemble is praising nyc

- “and me? i’m the damn fool that shot him.”

- “Burr, sir” + the continuation of this all throughout

- “If you talk you’re gonna get shot” / FORESHADOWING WOOOEEEEWOOOOO

- “i’m John Laurens in the place to be”

- Lafayette’s fuckinf accent

- “BRRRAH! BRRAAAH! HERCULES MULLIGAN UP IN IT LOVIN IT”

- “if you stand for nothing, Burr, what’ll you fall for”

- “‘Onarchy?”

- hey, yo, i’m just like my country, i’m young, scrappy, and hungry—

- the way Odom Leslie Jr. as The Hamburrglar™️ says ‘shot’ and they all take a shot

- this ⤵️

- Hammy getting //flustered// about friendship

- WHEN ARE THESE COLONIES GONNA RISE UP

- Angelica’s face when Burr is tryna tell her bout herself and she shows him up and ships him out

- Act 1: 6. Farmer Refuted

- honorable mention: “my dog speaks more eloquently than thee!" "but strangely, your mange is the same." "is he in jersey?”

- King George pouting

- Jonathan Groff’s overarticulation of each syllable as King George is a work of art

- “♪ Da-da-da-dat-da-dat-da-da-da-dai-ah-da! ♪ Da-da-da-da-dai-ah-da! ♪

- “Everybody! —“

- “We keep meeting.”

- “i imagine death so much it feels more like a memory. when’s it gonna get me? in my sleep? seven feet ahead of me?”

- “See, I never thought I’d live past twenty.”

- “this is not a moment, it’s the movement”

- “I’m laughin’ in the face of casualties and sorrow, for the first time, I’m thinkin’ past tomorrow!”

- “dying is easy, young man, living is harder!”

- “i’m being honest. i’m working with a third of what our Congress promised.”

- “you need all the help you can get. i have some friends. Laurens, Mulligan, Marquis de Lafayette, okay, what else?” — “we’ll need some spies on the inside, some king’s men who might let some things slide.”

- “watch this obnoxious, arrogant, loudmouth bother be seated at the right hand of the father.”

- “Martha Washington named her feral tomcat after him” — “That’s true.”

- “Yo, if your marry a sister, you’re rich, son!” — “Is it a question of ‘if’, Burr, or which one?” and then the little ‘hey’ ‘hey’ thing they do gets me every time

- literally the use of yo throughout the production fucking gets me every single fucking time

- “i’m writin’ a letter nightly. now my life gets better, every letter that you write me. — THE PURE UNBRIDLED SENSE OF FORESHADOWING IN “laughin’ at my sister, cuz she wants to form a harem” — ft. “i’m just sayin’, if you really loved me, you would share him!”

- the irony in “Eliza, i don’t have a dollar to my name”, you’ll be on the $10 bill, my man

- top-notch brain

- Angelica TRIED TO TAKE A BITE OF ME

- the way Anthony Ramos as John Laurens says “alright, alright. that’s what i’m talkin’ about!” and also the face that he makes

- hunger-pang frame

- “You strike me as a woman who has never been satisfied.” — “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean. You forget yourself.” — “You’re like me. I’m never satisfied.” — “Is that right?” — “I have never been satisfied.” — “My name is Angelica Schuyler.” — “Alexander Hamilton.” — “Where’s your fam’ly from?” — “Unimportant. There’s a million things I haven’t done but just you wait, just you wait...”

- tbh the way ‘Schuyler’ is spelled is oddly satisfying to me

- honestly just the way LMM says Alexander Hamilton+/ my name is Alexander Hamilton, and there’s a million things i haven’t done, ‘just you wait, just you wait...’ throughout the production

- “i’m the oldest and the wittiest and the gossip in new york city is insidious”

- “You are the worst, Burr.”

- Act 1: 12. The Story of Tonight (Reprise)

- “love doesn’t discriminate, between the sinners and the saints, it takes and it takes and it takes”

- “love doesn’t discriminate, between the sinners and the saints, it takes and it takes and it takes and we keep living anyway. we rise and we fall and we break and we make our mistakes. and if there’s a reason i’m still alive when everyone who loves me has died—“

- “Chick-a-plao!”

- the way they say ‘raise a glass’ is both elegant and (appropriately) reverent

- “i go back to new york and my apprenticeship” — i shouted MY BOI HERCULES MULLIGAN UP IN IT LOVIN IT DID NOT JUST SAY THAT, IF HE ACTUALLY LEFT AND ISN’T JUST UNDERCOVER OR SOME SHIT IMMA WRITE LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA A STRONGLY WORDED LETTER

- the minute General Charles Les came into the picture i hated him so hard, even though his literal first word was ‘Whee!!!!’, though i can appreciate the sentiment and what LMM was tryna do there

- “Washington cannot be left to his devices indescisive, from crisis to crisis” — sweet baby jesus that alliteration, and jon rua totally pulled it off (i hate General Charles Lee not the person who played him, i can also appreciate the fact that as an actor it takes a lot of talent to be able to make you hate a character so easily, also shoutout to Jonathan Groff as King Georgey-Boy™️, Sydney James Harcourt as james reynolds, and the general way LMM somehow made me fed up/turn on Alexander with the whole scene with him and Maria Reynolds — and not only that but somehow redeemed himself to me which is easier said than done for characters and people alike.. i’ve been hurt too much to play like that.

- Act 1: 15. Ten Duel Commandments

- honorable mention: “if you don’t reach peace, that’s alright. time to get some pistols and a doctor on site. you pay him in advance, you treat him with civility. you have him turn around so he can have deniability.”

- Act 1: 17. That Would Be Enough

- honorable mention: the melody that LMM went with for that turn of phraseis a truly beautiful thing

- “Immigrants:” — “We get the job done.”

- THE FACT THAT MY MAIN MAN HERCULE MULLIGAN WAS ON THE INSIDE NOT ONLY DID I CALL IT BUT DAMN HE REALLY GOT THAT GOOD HOT TRIBUTE HE DESERVED

- “To my brother’s a revolutionary covenant! I’m runnin’ with the sons of liberty and I am lovin’ it! See, that’s what happens when you up against the ruffians. We’re in the shit now, somebody gotta shovel it! Hercules Mulligan, I need no introduction, when you knock me down I get the fuck back up again!”

- Act 1: 21. What Comes Next

- honorable mention: “i’m so blue” — the little squat that Groffsauce does as the light turns blue really got to me

- Act 1: 22. Dear Theodosia

- Leslie Odom Jr.’s voice is so ding dang delightfully airy

- honorable mention: “You have my eyes. You have your mother’s name. When you came into the world, you cried and it broke my heart.”

- Act 1: 23. Non-Stop

- as someone with siblings i can appreciate that they’re bickering like that’s just what they are

- “I was chosen for the constitutional convention! *squeal*”

- “Burr, we studied and we fought and we killed for the notion of a nation we now get to build. For once in your life, take a stand with pride. I don’t understand how you stand to the side.”

- Act 2: 1. What’d I Miss?

- honorable mention: “But the sun comes up and the world still spins.”

- Act 2: 2. Cabinet Battle #1

- honorable mention: “DOIN’ WHATEVER THE HELL IT IS YOU DO IN MONTICELLO!”

- tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow

- “Daddy, daddy, look.... My name is Philip. I am a poet. I wrote this poem just to show it. And I just turned nine. You can write rhymes but you can’t write mine.” - “What!” - “I practice French and play piano with my mother.” — “Uh-huh!” — “I have a sister but I want a little brother.” — “Okay!” — “My daddy’s trying to start America’s bank. Un deux trois quatre cinq!” — “Bravo!” — “Hey, our kid is pretty great.”

- as much as i hate Act 2: 4. Say No To This (because for some reason i though Alexander Hamilton was better than that) Jasmine Cephas Jones sings in it is like a hot knife through butter — namely; “My husband’s doin’ me wrong beatin’ me, cheatin’ me, mistreatin’ me...”... I guess maybe I understand it ‘cause damn Jasmine Cephas Jones is so ding dang pretty and ding dang talented and wow what a remarkable person

- the way that Lin says “And her body’s saying, ‘hell, yes’ is um.. 😓

- “You see, that was my wife you decided to” — “Fuuuu—“

- Act 2: 5. The Room Where It Happens

- honorable mention: “Bros.”

- “Talk less. Smile more.” LMM being a dramatic bastard

- Act 2: 6. Schuyler Defeated

- Act 2: 7. Cabinet Battle #2

- “revolution is messy but now is the time to stand."

- honorable mention: “Ooh!!”

- “We signed a treaty with a King whose head is now in a basket. Would you like to take it out and ask it? ‘Should we honor our treaty, King Louis’ head?’ ‘Uh... do whatever you want, I’m super dead.’”

- Thomas Jefferson all like “but sir do we not fight for freedom” MY BAD SIR YOU ARE A SLAVE-OWNER HOW ABOUT YOU NOT

- mentioning Lafayette because apparently LMM has no problem with breaking the fourth wall

- “Daddy’s calling.”

- “I’m in the cabinet. I am complicit in watching him grabbin’ at power and kiss it. If Washington isn’t gon’ listen to disciplined dissidents, this is the difference. This kid is out!”

- “Southern motherfuckin’ Democratic-Republicans!”

- “The emperor has no clothes.”

- “Sir, I don’t know what you heard but whatever it is Jefferson started it.” — “Thomas Jefferson resigned this morning.” — “You’re kidding.” — “I need a favor.” — “Whatever you say, sir, Jefferson will pay for his behavior.” — “I’ll use the press. I’ll write under a pseudonym, you’ll see what I can do to him—“ — “Yes! He resigned you can finally speak your mind!” — “Ha. Good luck defeating you, sir.” - “I’m sorry, what?”

- Act 2: 10. I Know Him

- “—Vice President.” — “— No more Mr. Nice President.”

- “Sit down, John, you fat motherf—“

- Act 2: 12. We Know

- honorable mention: “You see that was my wife you decided to—“ — “WHAT—“

- Act 2: 13. Hurricane

- Act 2: 14. The Reynolds Pamphlet

- honorable mention: *DEEP VOICE* “DAMN”

- Act 2: 15. Burn

- i’ll be the first to say i wasn’t a huge fan of Eliza at first aside from Phillipa Soo’s killer voice

- this gave me a lot of respect for her

- honorable mention: “You have married an Icarus. He has flown too close to the sun.”

- Act 2: 16. Blow Us All Away

- i would like to point out that tweet where someone @‘s LMM about not mentioning Philip’s hot and he responds “I’M FAIRLY F**CKING SURE I DID”, y’know ⤵️

- “The ladies say my brain’s not where the resemblance stops.”

- “God, you’re a fox.”

- Act 2: 17. Stay Alive (Reprise)

- The ‘I know, I know. Shh.’ and the full circle back to his mom teaching him french on the piano really got to me for the beautiful artistry in it but also damn them feels

- Act 2: 18. It’s Quiet Uptown

- “I spend hours in the garden. I walk alone to the store and it’s quiet uptown. I never liked the quiet before. I take the children to church on Sunday, a sign of the cross at the door, and I pray. That never used to happen before.”

- “Philip, you would like it uptown. It’s quiet uptown.”

- “You knock me out, I fall apart.”

- “Eliza, do you like it uptown? It’s quiet uptown.”

- “There are moments that the words don’t reach. There is suffering too terrible to name. You hold your child as tight as you can and push away the unimaginable. The moments when you’re in so deep it feels easier to just swim down.”

- “There are moments that the words don’t reach. There is a grace too powerful to name. We push away what we can never understand. We push away the unimaginable.”

- “Can you imagine?”

- Act 2: 19. The Election of 1800

- honorable mention: “And they say I’m a Francophile: at least they know I know where France is!”

- “You used to work on the same staff” — “Whaaaat.”

- “Honestly, it’s kind of draining.” — “Burr...” — “Sir!” — “Is there anything you wouldn’t do?” — “No. I’m chasing what I want. And you know what?” — “What?” — “I learned that from you.” / this moment made the blow that he voted for Jefferson like a damn hole in my chest and i actually really felt for Burr. i get Hammy’s reluctance, i think if anything he was hoping voting for Jefferson would give Burr the chance to have experience as VP and then the next election he might vote for him then depending

- Act 2: 20. Your Obedient Servant

- A. Burr

- A. Ham

- “I just need to write something down.” / really resonated as one of the last things they showed him doing before going off to the duel, his life really was writing and that was the perfect way to say that in a very subtle sort of way. i really appreciate it artistically, whether it was intentionally so or not.

- Act 2: 22. The World Was Wide Enough

- okay but first of all i would like to comment on the fact that Ariana DeBose PLAYS THE GODDAMN BULLET, I JUST

- THE FACT THAT THE BULLET HAS A PART

- “This man will not make an orphan of my daughter.” / this made me really sympathize with Burr, as well as when he tries to go towards Hamilton (at least in the play but I sincerely hope that was historically accurate) / but also that fact that Theodosia Burr was lost at sea at 29 makes me sad because Hamilton’s life was taken to give her one and then she just up and disappears in a freak accident

- Act 2: 23. Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story

- the orphanage got to me

- i loved that he (LMM) didn’t end it with himself or anything

- he let Phillipa Soo tear my heart out

- it killed me but i died quite happily

- and really what more could you ask for.

[wongiemei]

2. Fear

a/n: aNgST wHO?

The Underworld was, ironically, above water. 

Situated on the vast Pacific, a large island, about twice the size of the United States of America, is known as the Capital. With spells and magic, all of the Coven kingdoms were hidden in plain sight with one being in the Atlantic, some scattered near Antarctica and one at the Indian Ocean. 

One of the famous ones that humans might recognize is the Bermuda triangle.

There are 3 kingdoms at the Atlantic Ocean: House Inure, House Languo, House Vermille.

House Languo is situated right at the middle of the Triangle, luring many pilots and shipmen to become their next meal. 

This is why House Languo is one of the richest houses as they are the known sellers of authentic blood and would even send you a drugged human, bounded and ready to be eaten. The profits kept coming in and they were it so fast that humans started to suspect and created the legend of the Bermuda, calling it a cursed and a haunted part of the world.

In truth, it’s just a part of the Underworld but with frequent unwanted visitors.

But the 2 biggest kingdoms, Kalon and Orenda, rest on the Pacific Ocean with the Capital on top of the Ring of Fire, known in the Underworld as the Entrance to Hell.

Some say it’s unlucky to have a vampire kingdom so near the thing that could kill them but some say the reason they’re so respected is that they are so near it and could withstand it.

But who really knows the answer.

Waking up from the bright sunlight, you squirmed and accidentally rolled out of bed, dragging the sheets and covers. At this point, you were so tired that you were willing to fall asleep again but as you settled on your back, your eyes snapped open and you blinked, surprised, when you saw a head of blonde hair peer over the edge of the bed.

“And you call yourself a queen.” 

His smirk after the insult made a growl escape your lips and you sprang back up to the bed, sitting on his bare torso and pinning his arms beside his head. Jaemin smirked up at you and unknowingly licked his lips at your bare chest with the sight of purple and red colors left from last night.

You scoffed slightly at the look on his face until you noticed his line of sight and shook your head, disappointed at your perverted husband. Releasing his arms and leaning back to place your butt on his lower abdomen, you quickly shifted away, feeling it poke your back.

With an irritated look, your eyebrows knitted together, “As if you didn’t use me enough last night, you still want more. How much more do you still want me from, Orendian?” 

Jaemin smugly placed his left arm beneath his head and his right hand drifted to softly grab your chin, “We were married for an alliance and children symbolize that it is official, don’t you think?”

“I will not become your birth factory. As much as you don’t want to, I intend to rule beside you and I will voice out my opinion if it’s needed. I will not hesitate to put you in your place, king or not.”

Thinking that your statement would make him angry, instead it made his grin wider. His right hand wandered down to your waist and his left arm left its spot from his head to place it to the other side of your waist. You looked at him curiously, guarded and not knowing of what his true intentions were. Through half-lidded eyes, Jaemin looked up at you and his grin turned lazy.

“You are quite bold, woman. Aren’t you afraid that one day, you say the wrong word and I rip out your tongue from your mouth?”

With a defiant glare, you responded, “What I said last night still remains true today and for eternity. You will never scare me, Na Jaemin. For you are only a puny prince whose future will bring the Underworld farther than Hell itself.”

Although his smile remained, Jaemin’s eyes visibly hardened and with all of his strength, he forcibly pinned you to the bed, red eyes glazing over your face. Lingering on odd places like your cheeks or your neck, Jaemin blinked slowly at you, anger radiating from his form.

“A puny prince, huh? My wife, my queen, seems to think that I am not capable of leading our country for the better. Should I teach her a lesson? Should I fuck her until her legs are shaking and mark her dry until all the blood is gone from her body? Or should I just hand her over to my men and let her experience a second without her title,” he sneered. 

Fear bubbled inside you but you forced it down and you cursed the weakness of your mind.

Even though vampires were mostly indestructible on the outside with cement-like skin, they were very prone and vulnerable to normal emotions. The absence of the heart meant nothing as the blood of humans carried something that fueled their existence and it traveled inside. But normal emotions was normal and could easily be felt, vampire or not.

A small but cold laugh escaped your lips, “My bloodline runs all over the kingdoms. If you should even do that, they are obligated to ruin Orenda due to their association with me. So try it, my king. For it will be the last time you’ll ever see your country and your family, alive.”

The threat clearly affected the boy but you were taken aback by his response. A pair of cold lips smashed to your own and you responded just as harsh, biting his lips and drawing his blood.

But when his lips left yours to bite on your flesh, a soft whimper filled the room as the razor sharp teeth roughly attached themselves on you and the abuse was something familiar yet unfamiliar to you. The fear of being trapped and so helpless that you couldn’t even push him away because you were weak.

He was taking his anger out, on you.

And there was nothing you could do to defend yourself.

You cried on the tub that day.

Paris was unusually cold during the summer month of June.

You bundled up in a beige trench coat with a black baker boy hat and a pair of vintage oval sunglasses from the 60s. The sunlight did little to nothing as it was still near 40 degrees and it didn’t warm the air. However, the sun’s fiery rays were still felt by sensitive beings like you and vampires were very prone to being cautious and try to stay away from hot things like those.

“Dear cousin, I take your honeymoon with the prince did not satisfy you as you are here shopping with me in Paris when you could be busy making love to your new husband.”

“Jaehyun, do watch your mouth. As much as I could care less for him, insulting his manhood is enough to cause that wretched temper of his into launching a seige to Metanoia and I do love you and Uncle and Aunt but your kingdom is far smaller and weaker than his army. You are one of my favorites and I’d rather love to watch Hoseok for his coronation to his kingdom that is still there.”

Jaehyun watched you with an amused look as your answer was said as you flicked through the coat racks full of Louis Vuitton coats, joining you with the inspection of the clothing. You were so nonchalant over the whole thing and he can really see the amount of training your parents have put you through to prepare you for your marriage to Jaemin.

“You know, sometimes I forget that you were the same girl who cried because I wouldn’t let her put a flower crown on my head,” he chuckled causing you look at him with a nostalgic look on your face.

“Oh, yes. I was quite naive back then.”

Jaehyun sighed as his eyes continued to look up and down on this particular honey mustard coat, “I remember you being scared of the most childish things. Johnny surprised you by the garden and you cried your little eyes out until your mother threatened to beat you. I guess that’s why you’re not really scared of anything now, huh?” He turned to look at you with a boyish smile, implying your easy agreement to the marriage.

“But the difference was, everything was perfect back then. We were young and we didn’t have anything to fear except for bath time. Now, we worry over who we’re expected to be and who we ought to marry for alliances.” Jaehyun’s fingers froze and he looked off into the wall. “Our lives have slowly become purely our parents and it fucking scares me that one day, we will be like them too. That’s my fear, Jaehyun. My one fear.”

Turning away from the horridly bright colors of the clothing, Jaehyun looked back at you and he felt sadness swelling up inside at the sight before him.

You’ve managed to fool everyone with your bravery and courage for your parents’ favor. However, there was a time where it wasn’t all an act and that you really were ready to risk it all just because they asked you to. 

A naive little girl.

But now that you’ve been exposed to everything and anything, Jaehyun saw the little girl crying behind those scarlet orbs, not because of his strong refusal of the orchid covered crown, but with fear of the world and no one to defend her for what’s to come.

a/n: oof sorry for making jaemin look like an asshole but hey, we need a plot line!

might start updating once or twice a week, usually monday. i have about 2 chapters written out just not fully written out, yknow? hard to explain but here’s your update!! so sorry for making yall wait without a schedule 🥺 ayo, send a few of yall names so i can use your name for an oc in this series. i feel kinda bad bc y/n’s friends needs some names

last also. if yall didn’t get it, jaehyun’s birthday is valentines day and she’s in paris and paris is known to be the city of love so paris is a part of metanoia, which is jaehyun’s kingdom, and Hoseok, J-Hope, is with the last name of Jung so I made him jaehyun’s older brother. a lot more characters will show up in the next chapter so don’t worry!!!

here’s a taglist, (just tell me if you want to be added!):

@bobohu-s-ane-yeobo​ 

[aion-rsa]

The Best Comics of 2020

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

It has been a year, hasn’t it?

The year started with such tenuous promise, and is ending the same way: slivers of hope among rivers of misery. But even with all the chaos, all the changes forced by the pandemic and that were coming anyway, we still got some incredible comics in 2020. 

Let us be abundantly clear: every work of art made in the last year is a small miracle. Every comic creator who put irons in the fire in a year that certainly didn’t lack fires deserves gratitude and commendation. Picking 20 comics doesn’t do justice to the herculean work and dedication that everyone who works in comics demonstrated – from the creators, to the back office folks who kept the trains running on time and let us know they were coming, to the people who actually put the books in our hands, we should be immensely grateful to all of them. 

To those creators we say: Thank you for giving us a few minutes on Wednesdays (or Tuesdays) to escape…all this. 

With that said, there really were some excellent books, and we’re very excited to talk about the best comics of 2020.

20. Loneliness of the Long Distance Cartoonist

Adrian Tomine (Writer/Artist)

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Adrian Tomine is here to share his sadness with readers and inspire it in anyone who has ever tried to make art and present it to the world. In what might be his greatest work so far, the cartoonist collects his own diary comics about being an artist and trying to release a book.

The Loneliness of the Long Distance Cartoonist is painfully raw, uncomfortably authentic, and impressively hilarious. It takes guts to make yourself the butt of the joke and to do it so well, but there is such heart and humor here that it’ll speak to any reader whether or not you’ve ever had the (mis)fortune to make your own comics or not. 

19. Witch Hat Atelier 

Kamome Shirahama (Writer/Artist)

Speaking of wonderful manga, this series is one of the best books on shelves in any genre, format, or language. It’s hard to overstate how inventive and imaginative Witch Hat Atelier is but for the sake of this list we’ll try.

Kamome Shirahama paints a wonderful world where magic is real but only a select few can use it. Coco is our heroine and when she accidentally learns the secret behind using magic she’s inducted into a witch’s coven and is thrown into a vibrant world of sorcery, spells, and uneasy friendship with her fellow students. 

18. Daredevil

Chip Zdarsky (Writer); Marco Checchetto, Mike Hawthorne, Francesco Mobili, Jorge Fornes (Artists); Marcio Menyz, Mattia Iacono, Nolan Woodard (Colorists); Clayton Cowles (Letterer)

Chip Zdarsky’s Matt Murdock is terrific. His Wilson Fisk is Hall of Fame.

Fisk is attempting to go legit after discovering as Mayor of New York City that there is a much larger pond he could be swimming in. But the big fish in that pond (the Stromwyns – think Marvel’s Koch Brothers) don’t much get along with someone as insignificant as Fisk. What they do to him, and what Fisk does back, is incredible. 

The art on this run has been the real deal. Jorge Fornes and Marco Checchetto have handled the bulk of the pencils this year, and their dramatically divergent styles do a great job of showing the two sides of Murdock’s world – Fornes excels at the quiet investigatory work that Daredevil does, while Checchetto blows the doors off of some monster action set pieces. No lie, Stilt Man has never looked this good. This run is shaping up to be one of the best Daredevil stories of all time, a very high bar to clear.

17. The Department of Truth

James Tynion IV (Writer), Martin Simmonds (Artist)

What happens in a world where all conspiracy theories are actually true? Or that reality actually warps to accommodate new “truths” as they come into being? Such is the premise of The Department of Truth, which delivers on all the unsettling promise of its premise. The fact that it tells its story in a way that aesthetically calls to mind Alan Moore and Bill Sienkiewicz’s 1988 collaboration Shadowplay: The Secret Team, which told some unsavory details about how the CIA conducted some real world foreign policy only adds to the eerie feel.

With more and more people getting internet brain poisoning thanks to wilder and wilder conspiracy theories somehow becoming mainstream every day, The Department of Truth feels like one of the more timely comics of 2020. We only wish it could be a little less timely in some ways, though.

16. The Green Lantern Season Two

Grant Morrison (Writer), Liam Sharp (Artist), Steve Oliff (Colorist), Steve Wands (Letterer)

Grant Morrison and Liam Sharp have been quietly making one of the best superhero comics in decades over at DC, and although we can’t quite believe we’re saying this, it’s about Hal Jordan. The most boring Green Lantern of all has come to life in this trippy, experimental, and beautiful series which transcends space and time, showcasing the best of what Morrrison and Sharp do.

If you think that superhero comics are all the same, The Green Lantern will change your mind (and likely expand it) as Hal adventures through Sharp’s sprawling and stunning cosmos.

15. Immortal Hulk

Al Ewing (Writer); Joe Bennett, Mike Hawthorne, Butch Guice, Nick Pitarra, Javier Rodriguez (Pencilers); Ruy Jose, Belardino Brabo, Mark Morales, Tom Palmer, Marc Deering (Inkers); Paul Mounts, Matt Milla (Colorists); Cory Petit (Letterer)

Over at Marvel, Al Ewing and Joe Bennett have been equally delighting and horrifying readers with this reinvention of Bruce Banner and the hulking hero he becomes. This is about as close to a horror comic as a mainline superhero title can get as the team delve into the multiple manifestations of Hulk and the man behind them.

Just like The Green Lantern, The Immortal Hulk both reconsiders and revisits the lore that has made the character so iconic, and also features an impressive collection of Hulk-centric characters from throughout history. 

14. Shadow of the Batgirl

Sarah Kuhn (Writer), Nicole Goux (Artist)

DC Comics has been doing a great job bringing new visions of some of their best loved characters to the spotlight and Cass Cain got that treatment this year in this gorgeous graphic novel. Taking the one-time Batgirl and teaming her up with Barbara Gordon’s Oracle was a genius move, but the real magic here comes from the sweet natured take on the hero that Sarah Kuhn and Nicole Goux offer up.

Shadow of the Batgirl is a superhero comic with real heart and a look that feels far more like an indie comic than anything coming out of the big two. Just lovely!

13. Hedra

Jesse Lonergan (Writer/Artist)

Hedra is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before, and probably the same goes for you. It’s a completely silent comic, but it’s a massively dense, intricate storytelling experience. It’s light and cartoony, but it’s got panels that would look at home in an old Wally Wood comic. It’s got so many panels, and yet it’s full of moments that will take your breath away.

Lonergan manages the pace and flow of the storytelling so well that you have to experience it yourself to fully appreciate it. Hedra is a beautiful, smart, fascinating comic.

12. John Constantine: Hellblazer

Si Spurrier (Writer); Aaron Campbell, Matias Bergara (Artists); Jordie Bellaire (Colorist); Adita Bidakyar (Letterer)

Si Spurrier doesn’t seem like the type who gets mad often, but his John Constantine was fucking pissed, and goddamn if it wasn’t the best Hellblazer comic in decades. This too-brief run of comics starring everyone’s favorite dirtbag street mage was as much about England being a dumpster fire as it was about Constantine being a dumpster fire, and that low-key seethe gave this book an edge that many of Constantine’s more recent exploits have been missing.

Campbell and Bergara are gifted at depicting grimy fantasy, and Bellaire continues to be one of the greatest colorists who ever lived. In a sane, just world, a second volume of John Constantine: Hellblazer is being planned as we speak. Let’s hope.

11. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin

Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird (Writers); Esau & Isaac Escorza (Artists); Luis Antonio Delgado (Colorist), Shaun Lee (Letterer)

When we saw a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic called The Last Ronin, we had no idea they meant Frank Miller Ronin. The art on this comic is astounding. 

The story is almost irrelevant, in part because it’s only just getting going (only one oversized issue has been released at the time of this writing). But it’s excellent set up – the last living Ninja Turtle assaults a city controlled by the Foot Clan to try and end their long battle once and for all. It’s set in the future, and heavily influenced by the cyberpunk ninja aesthetic so common to the genre, but filtered through a strong Miller lens that makes it a joy to discover.

10. Captain America: The End

Erik Larsen (Writer/Artist), Dono Sánchez-Almara (Colorist), Joe Caramagna (Letterer)

The superhero comic one shot is an underrated – even lost – art form these days. Annuals are often fill-in stories, and unless Marvel or DC are putting out an oversized issue to herald a line wide relaunch or a similar event, it’s rare that you get a nice thick single issue telling a self contained story of any real “importance.” Fortunately, there’s Captain America: The End.

Marvel’s The End line is exactly what it sounds like: an excuse for creators to tell not-really-in-continuity “final” stories for the biggest Marvel heroes. And while Captain America: The End ostensibly presents itself as the “final” Captain America story, it’s way more fun than that. Erik Larsen uses this opportunity to pay tribute to Cap’s greatest creative periods: specifically Jack Kirby’s two-fisted, acrobatic stint on the character in the 1960s, and his socially conscious and psychedelic late ’70s return to the book.

Wall to wall action, with Kirby-esque idea factory energy and dynamism at the forefront, Captain America: The End is one of the most purely fun superhero issues in years. But don’t mistake this for an exercise in nostalgia, as Larsen blends timely (and timeless) messages that help sum up what made Captain America great in the first place, and why we’ll never truly see the “last” Cap story.

9. Maison Ikkoku

Rumiko Takahashi (Writer/Artist)

We can’t make enough noise about how great Viz has been doing recently at making some of the harder to find manga classics available to bigger audiences. This lovely reprint of Rumiko Takahashi’s joyful slice of life comic technically came out decades ago, but most Western comics fans likely only came to it via this new printing.

Maison Ikkoku follows the misadventures of a young apartment building manager and the tenants that she has to keep in check. In turns sweet, silly, and saucy, this is truly a masterwork of manga that you must read. 

8. Billionaire Island

Mark Russell (Writer), Steve Pugh (Artist), Chris Chuckry (Colorist), Rob Steen (Letterer)

This is not Mark Russell, Steve Pugh, and Chris Chuckry’s first time on our lists, but it’s definitely the angriest they’ve been since showing up on here. If we’re really being fair, it’s entirely deserved. 

Billionaire Island is a wild fantasy story definitely based on nothing in reality about the world’s uber wealthy, who control the world, building their own island to ride out climate change while the poors all die off and suffer on the mainland. It follows a reporter with the Miami Herald, and an ex-mercenary who lost his family to Aggrocorp’s sterility experiments in Angola, as they try and bring down the aforementioned billionaires, are trapped on the island, and work to escape. 

It is every bit as hilarious as you would expect from the team who brought us The Flintstones, but there’s an edge to it that wasn’t there in Russell, Pugh and Chuckry’s earlier work. That’s probably because of the villains – The Flintstones skewered society, while Billionaire Island takes aim at the shittiest people in the world. Several of them by name.

Despite the undercurrent of anger, Billionaire Island is still packed with genuinely hilarious moments. Pugh’s sight gags remain incredible, and the comedic timing on display is outstanding. I had high expectations for Billionaire Island coming into it, and it exceeded all of them.

7. The Magic Fish

Trung Le Nguyen (Writer/Artist)

Feel like crying a lot? Because The Magic Fish got almost everyone we’ve seen read it. It’s an incredibly powerful yet quiet comic about a 13 year old coming to terms with who he is and how to talk with his parents about it. 

Tien, the aforementioned 13 year old, is a first generation Vietnamese-American with a crush on a friend and a mother who is still processing her move to the States and the family she left behind. Much of the story is about Tien trying to figure out how to broach the subject with his mother.

What stands out about The Magic Fish is how Nguyen tells the story. Much of it is is told by retellings of fairy tales – two modifications of the Cinderella story, and one of The Little Mermaid. The colors are especially effective in setting up the mood and tone of the sections of story, elegantly communicating so much about Tien’s emotional and intellectual state. And the fashion and hair are magnificent. Nguyen draws Alan Davis-good hairstyles. 

Nguyen’s The Magic Fish is accessible, deeply moving, and beautiful, a book that should be shared with friends.

6. Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen

Matt Fracion (Writer), Steve Lieber (Artist), Nathan Fairbairn (Colorist), Clayton Cowles (Letterer)

It’s probably good that the prank war issue, where Timmy Olsen stole the wheel off the Batmobile for Youtube clout, was published last December, because otherwise this entire entry would be the Den of Geek reciting bits to each other like this was comics Anchorman. And all that time we’d spend telling each other we sure have created some…content…would distract from the fact that Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen is one of the nicest, most thoughtful, best put-together comics in years. 

Beneath all of the gags – and there are a ton – Fraction, Lieber, Fairbairn, and Cowles put together a deceptively complex character study of Jimmy, Superman and Metropolis. This is a book that is as much about what Jimmy Olsen means to the people of Metropolis as it is about Dex-Starr puking blood on the remnants of Jimmy’s Gorilla City wedding, or the army of Kevins attacking him.

Lieber and Fairbairn were the perfect choices for art on this story: Lieber’s facial expressions and Fairbairn’s bright color palette sell every joke and set every mood that the story requires, and the way the creators play with time and information release is masterful. Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen is essential reading, both because of its importance to the Superman universe as a whole, and because it’s just that damn funny.

5. Once and Future (READER’S CHOICE!)

Kieron Gillen (Writer), Dan Mora (Artist), Tamra Bonvillain (Colorist), Ed Dukeshire (Letterer)

Turns out letting Dan Mora draw his way through an English lit degree is a really good idea.

Joking aside, our readers have excellent taste, naming Once and Future their top pick for comic of the year.

Kieron Gillen takes the “story about a story” formula, smashes several more stories into the first one, and then lets Dan Mora and Tamra Bonvillain go ham on the whole thing, and the resulting comic is breathlessly exciting, and gorgeous to look at. It remixes Arthurian legend and this year added a sprinkle of Beowulf and developed the magic a little more, while juxtaposing that rich fantasy world with the mundanity of things like a senior living facility.

Mora draws monsters exceptionally well, and Bonvillain gives several scenes an ominous glow that sets a hell of a tone. Once and Future is a great pick by our readers, and is comfortably one of the best books of the year.

4. Dracula, Motherf**ker!

Alex de Campi (Writer/Letterer), Erica Henderson (Artist)

You may not realize that you need a grindhouse ‘70s story about Dracula’s brides being extremely done with his shit, but trust us, you need Dracula, Motherf**ker! in your life.

This book isn’t especially long, nor is it terribly complex. We get a lot of echoes of the original Dracula story updated to a dingy 1970s Los Angeles, and a lot of what you’d expect from a grindhouse horror comic, but it’s done exceptionally well by two incredibly talented storytellers. 

In retrospect, it’s hard to believe this is the first time de Campi and Henderson have ever worked together. Dracula, Motherf**ker! felt a lot like someone discovering peanut butter cups for the first time – there’s that dawning realization as you’re reading that it really works well, and then a secondary shock that nobody had ever done it before.

De Campi is a pro’s pro and a veritable cluster bomb of ideas. Henderson is a gifted sequential artist who gets to show off her mastery of color art as a storytelling device in these pages. The final package is outstanding. 

3. Far Sector

N.K. Jemisin (Writer), Jamal Campbell (Artist), Deron Bennett (Letterer)

The quality level of Far Sector is almost impossible to believe. Jamal Campbell doesn’t have an enormous comics resume, and this is N.K. Jemisin’s debut comic story. And yet the skill evident in every panel screams that this was made by a team of master craftsmen. 

Far Sector is the story of Jo Mullein, a new Green Lantern with an experimental, self-charging ring, dispatched to a floating megacity run jointly by three alien races; the Nah, a group of spacefaring fishtailed/winged bipeds; the keh-Topli, a group of carnivorous plants; and the @at, a race of sentient ethereal memelords. Jo is there at the request of the ruling council to investigate the City Enduring’s first murder in centuries. 

Her investigation is our way into Jemisin and Campbell’s vibrant imaginations.

This is a stunning book to look at – at least once an issue, Campbell draws something completely mind-bending. And Jemisin writes with the easy confidence and command of the form that people who have been writing comics for 50 years can’t match: there isn’t a wasted word on a single page of this entire series. It’s elegantly topical, stunning to look at, and a ton of fun to read. Far Sector is handily one of the greatest Green Lantern stories of all time.

X of Swords

Jonathan Hickman, Tini Howard, Leah Williams, Benjamin Percy, Vita Ayala, Zeb Wells, Ed Brisson, Gerry Duggan (Writers); Pepe Larraz, Carlos Gomez, Viktor Bogdanovic, Matteo Lolli, Carmen Carnero, Rod Reis, Phil Noto, R.B. Silva, Mahmud Asrar, Leinil Francis Yu, Stefano Casselli, Joshua Cassara (Artists); Marte Gracia, Israel Silva, Matt Wilson, Edgar Delgado, David Curiel, Nolan Woodard, Sunny Gho, Guru-eFX, Rachelle Rosenberg (Colorists); Clayton Cowles, Joe Caramagna, Cory Petit, Ariana Maher, Travis Lanham, Joe Sabino (Letterers)

X-Men fans are not commonly known for our penchant for consensus. We can and will argue over everything, from who’s a better partner for Cyclops to which story arc in the ‘90s was actually rock bottom. So when you get near unanimity that X of Swords is the best X-Men crossover since Inferno, you can pretty much take that to the bank. 

The culmination of the first phase of the X-universe’s post House of X/Powers of X plan, X of Swords tied all the mutant comics back together to take on a couple of the biggest ideas dropped in and immediately after HoXPoX. It did something that was nearly impossible: it paid off a year’s worth of stories from ten different series, with satisfying climaxes for more than a handful of storylines. 

It did this in part because several creators are making the jump to superstardom. Larraz somehow managed to do even better work than on House of X, delivering massive beat after massive beat in the final issue of the crossover. Tini Howard spent a year making Excalibur the best book in the line, and wove her plot threads through the crossover she co-shepherded (with Boss X or whatever they’re calling Hickman) to give us a foundational Otherworld and Captain Britain story. All the while, Howard also made sure that this Excalibur-centric crossover paid homage to the first Excalibur series – packing it full of magical silliness and genuine heart. Vita Ayala only got one issue in the crossover, but that issue will go down as one of Storm’s best stories of all time. And Joshua Cassara drew two issues of fights and competitions, and dropped multiple staggering spreads.

The X-Men line as a whole is the best it’s been in decades, and there’s no better proof of that than in X of Swords.

Blue in Green

Ram V (writer), Anand RK (Artist), Aditya Bidikar (Letterer)

Fiction is especially tough when the storyteller isn’t up to the subjects. If someone is writing a book about the smartest person in the world, the writer has to be smart enough to believably put brilliance in that character’s mouth. If someone is making a comic about a drug that makes everyone indescribably beautiful, then the art has to be angelic, or the book falls apart. 

But when a creative team IS up to the task, the end result can be sublime. That’s what Ram V, Anand RK and Aditya Bidikar gave us with Blue in Green. A comic about jazz that so perfectly evokes the form of its subject matter that I’m willing to bet this comic is taught in years to come. Blue in Green is incredible comics. 

Blue in Green’s story is broadly familiar: it’s the crossroads tale, where the Devil meets a gifted musician and trades the musician’s life for magnificent talent. Erik is a talented saxophonist with a rough family history who’s pissing away his talents half-heartedly teaching kids how to play. He goes home for his mother’s funeral, makes his deal, and wakes up days later, after a fugue state that included him blowing the doors off of a jazz club with his sax. Eventually, the bill comes due. 

The presentation has a uniquely loose flow to it, moving from rigid grids to collage with prose attached, with surreal, disorienting colors that match the mood of the section of story marvelously. The way the storytelling shifts from section to section, the way the form changes so that it can tell the story as much as the words or art can, is one of the most skillful feats of comics creation I’ve read in years. It’s like its own kind of visual jazz. Blue in Green is an astounding piece of comics storytelling, and I can’t wait to read what’s next from everyone involved.

The post The Best Comics of 2020 appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[unholyhelbig]

The Vampires Familiar

Read Both Posted Chapters on AO3 

Title: The Vampires Familiar

Ship: Lizzie Saltzman/Hope Mikaelson 

Hope Mikaelson took three even gulps of the shop's air and tasted magic. Old magic that burned the back of her throat and nipped at her lungs until she felt like they were on fire. The odd odor of rosemary and chamomile clung to her clothes. The herbs were stacked in even and dusty jars against the far-right shelves like candles in a store. They had no lids, and separately everything was harmless. But she feared what could be created when combined.

She listened as the bell chimed with her entrance to the small business at the edge of the French Quarter. It was narrow and long instead of large and wide, posters for an upcoming circus littered the walls and a few sheets of paper advertising summer babysitting had the bottoms crudely ripped off, number smeared in black ink.

When she was younger, Hope used to enjoy taking trips to magic shops with her Aunt Freya, the jazz scene in New Orleans had just sparked a flame and different melodies, melancholy and otherwise, flowed through the city like air. They would find herbs and boil them up and fix things that had been broken for a long time.

That strength was felt the moment she walked through the door of Conrad Drew’s, Jade at her heels dutifully. There was soft gold light and the building shielded them from the sounds of the city, the bustle of parties, and iron wheels of cars.

Drew was an old man now, still holding himself correct behind the glass-paned counter with his fingers leaving little smudges. His hair was graying and his body fell rigid with fear when he glanced up, smile fading. “Your kind isn’t welcome here.” Was all he said.

“Don’t worry, we won’t stay long,” Hope responded, walking across the wood floor until she reached the desk. “I just have a few questions.”

“Take them somewhere else, plenty of magic shops in town.”  

Conrad Drew was a resolute man, once young and vibrant and strong in his words. He had held the shop under his thumb for the better part of a decade, before that, it was his fathers, and his before that. Hope met him when he was twenty, simple, and able to down liquor as if it were pure water. He had aged, and so had she.

“Oh come on, I thought we were friends.” Hope cooed, letting the glass cool her fingertips. The heat left small crescents close to the service. They dissolved as quickly as they appeared. “Besides, it isn’t up for much discussion.”

He clenched his teeth and thinned his expression into a tight one. His leathery skin was glossy under the low light of the magic shop and his lungs growled like a lion pacing it’s iron cage, shoes kicking around sour hay.

Jade picked up the nearest book, dust pulling from the pages. “Don’t touch that. What do you want?”

Though the words were directed towards the curious vampire, he never moved his ghostly stare from Hope. Her fingers twitched and he noticed entirely all too quickly. Hope Mikaelson had a temper like stained glass, just like her father. Intricate and beautiful but shatter prone.

“There’s been an unusual spike in magic lately. It’s buzzing around us even as we speak, Mr. Drew, I can feel it.” She was soft with her words but still moved her fingertips against her bare arms until they left little white lines from the pressure. “You can too.”

“It’s a magical city, girl. Of course, you can feel it.”

“This is different. This is darker- an uprising of sorts. And I want to trust that I’m not foolish enough for believing in the loyalty of your witches.” Hope leaned forward and the scent of old magic was replaced with cheap cologne and sweat, primal fear that Conrad Drew didn’t show well. “Am I foolish?”

The French Quarter witches had been rooted in New Orleans for centuries before they branched out into different covens. Hope had an unmovable fist around the throat of each of them- and that stemmed from the control of the company Conrad liked to keep. The ninth ward kept to themselves, kept their magic in check.

“If there’s strange magic it’s not from us. We’re not naive enough to practice right where your castle stands.”

Hope couldn’t’ tell if that eased her worry at all, or the strange electric feeling that danced across her skin in a dangerous tango. But she believed him, even in his annoyance and bubbling anger at her for crossing the boundaries they had drawn a long time ago.

He let out a sigh and pulled a yellowed jar from the shelf behind him, Hope couldn’t read the label, mottled with age. “You should try the Garden District.”

“The Garden District?” Jade had long ago abandoned her book, “Those hippie freaks don’t have it in them. Don’t they worship their regent like a God?”

“They’re unconventional, yes, but that doesn’t mean you can discount them.” He said.

Jade shrugged her shoulders dejectedly and wandered over to the far wall. She squinted at the contents in the mason jars, careful to shove her fingers in her pockets like she was in an art museum, gazing at pictures expertly painted, gold plaques carved with the words DON’T TOUCH.

Hope had no such worry about the witches that dressed in white to get closer to the pure source of magic. They had been holed up in a large house on the west side of town since she herself was a child; her father let them be, let them simmer, and practice what they wanted with the respect and patience of a noble man. So she had done the same.

“Was that all, Miss Mikaelson?”

It had been. The early evening was bleeding into a desolate night filled with the sound of crickets and the wet summer air that made her want to peel her own skin off. An expertly crafted wooden sign indicated that the magic shop was closing its own doors and Hope was never one to linger after hours when a place lacked good liquor.

The door with the little bell and the burgundy paint flung open with enough force to crack the double-plated glass that protected it. Jade drew in a sharp breath and Hope felt the defensive bit of energy strike against her fingertips akin to a match.

A girl crashed to her knees and winced as they stung tearing against the aged wood. She was drenched in the pungent smell of sweat mixed with swamp water and mud, it left an even ring against the midsection of a pure white dress, something that had once been spotless but was now torn with the scent of blood and moss.

Hope exhaled because she decided that it was better than the opposite, perfectly content with the heir of magic instead of muck. This girl was captivating and a near stranger. Her blonde hair was stained similarly with mud and tears streaked down her cheeks. Eyes so pale they were almost gray. Mud darkened behind her nails and blood soaked close to her collar, not from a bite, but a tear, a simple slice in her skin that looked all too intentional.

Conrad moved across the shop wordlessly and flipped the large iron lock against the door “What in God’s name-“  

“I need help,” She girl gulped out, her voice was broken, pained from screaming. “There are people after me and I didn’t know where else to go.”

“A hospital?” Jade suggested, blinking at the scene.

“No, no I couldn’t. That can’t help me not against them.”

Hope hesitated “Who did this to you?”

The girl’s breath slowed, no longer a jagged pant but something loose and unstable. She hugged herself close, still sitting against the floor and dripping mud that would be nearly impossible to scrub away. “I took something important from a group of witches. It was for the greater good, I swear it, but they don’t’ see it like that. They have a tracking spell on me and I figured— fuck if anyone was strong enough to counter it with a cloaking spell it would be”

“Me,” Conrad finished the sentence. “Whatever it is, I’ll need more power than I have. It was half-witted to show up here. One man can’t take down an entire coven.”

“What about yours?” She searched desperately.

“They’re indisposed. You can’t hide here, girl. I’m sorry, it’s not my fight.”

Hope rolled her eyes, staring the sad excuse for a regent down. He liked to protect his people, and the tribrid could admit to her own motives as well. But watching the girl, so small and unsure of herself, it pulled at her. Pulled at her the same way that it did with Jade in the 1800s and countless others that shared her disposition. She blamed her mother for her soft side.

“Have some pity, Drew. Where would the world be if we didn’t take mercy on anyone?”

“A hell of a lot safer, your daddy knew that.”

She ignored the comment and the mention of her father. Flames licked at her skin, and an acid taste pressed against the back of her throat but she swallowed it down, kneeling in front of the scared witch, so pulled into herself that she barely noticed another presence until now. Her beaten stare flashed in recognition, and fear, and something else entirely that Hope couldn’t read.

She whispered, soft “Now, I think you and I can make a deal.”

“I’ve heard stories about you.” The stranger swallowed the dirty taste on her tongue “I think I’d rather risk my luck in the quarter. I don’t need your protection.”

Hope gave a wolfish grin, fighting back a bitter laugh. Even now, even crouched low coated in every kind of grime that the Louisiana swamps had to offer, she refused her. It made an odd bout of pride swell in Hope’s chest because the stories had lived on and so had her presence in this town seeping with the history of her family.

“You took something from a bloodletting frenzy of homicidal witches. Like hell, you need my protection.”

The girl gulped in the same air that Hope had when she first entered the small shop. She stared at her supposed savior, at Conrad Drew, and a stranger leaning close enough to the shelves to clear them entirely. She felt the hot floor against her knees and tasted the waters of the swamp she had waded through, and though it was slight, she could pick up on the magic of a woman entirely too patient to compete with the fairytales.

She conceded “What kind of deal?”

[invaderdoom78]

The Short Second Life of Amy Peterson

Oh boy, Peter was worried about Charley, not even a day ago he’d gotten a frantic call from the young hunter about a rumor of bodies being found around the seedier parts of Vegas with all of their blood drained, along with some rumors that his girlfriend Amy, who, because her body had never been found, had been classified as a missing person after Jerry had attacked her, had been spotted lurking around the aforementioned parts of the city at night. However, despite having the police about the potential missing person sightings no one was able to find any trace of her or who might have been responsible for the alleged serial killings. So he was freaking out, both slightly terrified and worried about the potential that Amy could still be alive and that’s how he and Peter found themselves walking around an area of the city that was well known for being full of druggies and dealers, searching for any sign of Charlie's girlfriend.

“This’s stupid” Peter grumbled, keeping his hands in his jacket pocket, one of them grasping the small revolver he was hiding in it

“I know” Charley said, looking around the street, holding a can of wasp spray “maybe we should split up”

“What?” Peter asked, grabbing Charley by the back of the shirt to keep him from leaving “why the fuck would we do that?”

“So we can get out of here quicker” Charley said, getting out of Peters grip so he could cross to the other side of the street

Taking a tighter grip on his spray, Charley descended down the closest alleyway he could find, ever vigilant for any sign of movement, human or otherwise. He was really hoping that the woman people have been seeing wasn’t actually Amy and people were just seeing someone who happened to look like her from a distance because if it really was Amy, that could only mean that she’d been turned. Groaning a bit in the back of his throat he was frantically scanning his surroundings, searching desperately for any sign of his girlfriend or really just any woman that had blond hair that was lurking around the area. Unfortunately, the blonde he did find wasn’t who he was looking for though. It was Jane and he was positive that she would absolutely murder him if she knew she could get away with it and now they were alone, in an alley- together. The moment his brain recognized her and the potential danger he was in Charley stumbled backward and into a row of garbage cans, knocking them over as they fell on top of him. With flailing arms, he managed to knock away the bags that were covering his face and only saw Jane smiling sweetly at him before she left, obviously enjoying the reaction she’d gotten from him. Letting out the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding Charley leaned back into the trash, resting his head back on the can his upper half was laying on, eyes shut.

“Hey, Char Char” A familiar feminine voice called to Charley “whatcha doin’ down there?”

Casting a death stare at Charley as he walked away Peter thought about either ditching him or just staying right where he was, waiting for him to come back, and not help him look, but then he remembered what happened with his mom a few weeks back when she showed up out of the blue making him realize that Jerry was probably just incapable of finishing off his prey. So he began walking in the same direction as Charley on his side of the road, not really making it that far before he heard something moving around in the alley next to him. Grumbling to himself about how he was going to kill Charley for talking him into agreeing to any of this Peter took a firm grip on the handle of his gun as he turned down it. He’d barely even taken a step into the alley when he bumped into Felix, the two just staring at each other in a bit of shock as neither one was expecting to see anyone else that quickly.

It’s that fucking guy. Felix thought to himself as he looked down at the hunter.

He had no idea who Peter was, he just knew that for whatever reason Jane and Alec went to his house every time they had a mission in America and never once did they tell him or Demetri about where they were going. Really the only reason he recognized Peter was because after one mission Demetri had tracked the twins down to his house and, from a bit of a distance, they both saw them in the humans living room, Jane clinging to Peter as he and Alec were talking. Neither one of them had spoken to Aro about what they had seen and he has never brought up the subject to them so they’d both figured that he wasn’t a threat. Peter didn’t know who Felix was either, he’d never really asked Aro much about the members of his coven, so he was absolutely ready to shoot him with his holy water-soaked bullets he’d loaded into his gun, but just as he was about to pull the gun out of his pocket he spotted the Volturi necklace around the vampires neck. So neither one was willing to strike the other and neither was willing to take a step closer to the other, so they circled each other, not breaking eye contact as they backed away from the other; Felix backing out of the alley entirely and Peter further into it. With Felix finally out of his sights, Peter turned around just as he walked past a dumpster, glancing at it and spotting Alec, alone, sitting on the ground next to it.

“What the hell’re you doing?” Peter asked looking down at the young vampire

“Jane, Demetri, Felix, and I were tracking down a vampire and somehow we got separated and now I don’t know what to do” Alec said, looking up at Peter

“Well don’t sit there!” Peter said, pulling Alec to his feet “these alleyways are disgusting, you could literally be sitting on a spot someone’s taken a shit on”

“Did you see anyone?” Alec asked

“Yeah, I just saw a really tall bastard right before I found you”

“Felix?” Alec asked talking Peters's hand

“He went this way” Peter said pointing to where Felix had just gone

“Amy?” Charley asked, looking up

She looked exactly how he remembered her and was even wearing the same white dress she’d had on during the attack, but she’d added jeggings and knee-high boots to her legs, full length gloved to her arms, and had wrapped a large shawl around herself so that it was shielding her upper body and head from any sunlight she may come in contact with. She also looked like she hadn’t bathed in a few days, and oddly enough like she’d lost a noticeable amount of weight, even though that really shouldn’t have been possible in her current state, her blue eyes were wide, bloodshot, and her pupils were extremely dilated. She was also frantically looking around her surroundings like she was expecting someone to jump out of the shadows any minute now and snatch her up, her body was also shaking like she was suffering through tremors, and she was scratching her arm furiously like her skin was crawling with ants.

“You’re still alive. Mmmm” Charley said regretting his choice of words

“I guess” Amy shrugged, hovering over Charley as a small drop of thick black substance, that was probably blood, began creeping out of her nose

“Uh” was all Charley could articulate as he watched his girlfriend's odd behavior, pointing at his own nose in hopes that she’d get the hint

She did and quickly grabbed the end of her shawl and used it to wipe away the blood, her head whipping towards the entrance of the alley.

“You need to get out of here Charlie!” Amy whispered leaning in closer to Charley “they’re coming for me”

“Who?” Charley asked, sitting up a bit “who’s coming for you?”

“I don’t know who they are. I just know they’re vampires and I think they want to kill me”

“I can help you” Charley said

“You can’t” Amy whispered, her face only a few inches away from his “I’ve been trying to get away from them for the last few days but they keep finding me. I can’t put you or your mom in danger”

Stepping out of the alley Peter and Alec ran across the street to the side that Charley was on and down the alley, he’d disappeared in.

“Charlie!” Peter yelled when he saw Amy standing almost on top of the young hunter

With a look of pure panic on her face, Amy straightened up quickly, taking a step back over one of the fallen trash cans, wanting to get away from Alec and Peter but still not wanting to abandon Charlie. Peter was pretty sure he recognized this vampire; even after all the time that had passed Charley still had Amy’s picture as the lock screen on his phone and when they first met it seemed like he looked at it every five minutes, so he’d seen it quite a few times so he had a decent idea of what the blond looked like and he was pretty sure this vampire was her, but he knew there was still a possibility he was wrong.

“Hey, Peter” Charley said trying to sound casual

“Hey, Charlie” Peter said, moving Alec a bit behind him “whatcha. Whatcha doin’ down there?”

“Oh, you know. Just chillin’ here with Amy”

“...That’s Amy?” Peter asked pointing at the blond “Amy as in your girlfriend who was killed by Jerry, Amy?” he tried to suppress the smile that was spreading across his face

“Yeah” Charley said

As much as he tried to stop himself Peter couldn’t help it as he fell into a fit of laughter that was so hard his sides had almost instantly started hurting and he slowly collapsed to the ground. In the midst of the older hunters laughing fit Jane, Demetri, and Felix appeared at the mouth of the alley; all of them honestly looking confused about what was happening in front of them with Charley still in the garbage, Peter dying of laughter, and Demetri and Felix just standing there wondering if they should be worried about what could potentially happen with Peter there. Feeling the sense of pure terror flooding into every nerve of her body Amy wanted to run away but she still couldn’t bring herself to leave Charley behind. Just as the other vampires took a step towards Amy and Charley everyone, including Peter, felt something similar to a tingling sensation filling the air and suddenly they were no longer visible to the vampires, the trash cans even looked like they’d never been disturbed; like she and Charley had never been there.

“...She’s still there” Demetri said after a few seconds of confused silence

“Shit” Amy growled as the scene around her turned back to normal

Breathing heavily, with air that she didn’t need Amy turned her panicked eyes towards Felix and made intense direct eye contact with him as he walked up to her. Feeling a small chill going down his spine Felix reached the blond in a few steps and attempted to restrain her so she couldn’t escape again, but this time she was able to match him in his impressive strength. Before it seemed like she was no stronger than an average human and was only able to escape because of her ability to create illusions. Realizing that he wasn’t going to be able to overpower her like last time Felix used his imposing height to his advantage, taking a firm grip on the back of her shirt, lifting her into the air when she tried to run away, at a speed that made it seem like she didn’t have the enhanced speed of a vampire. As he watched the vampire approach Charley felt conflicted because he still loved Amy and wanted to protect her but it was obvious that she’d been eating people and if he just sat back and let this guy do what he needed to do, then he wouldn’t need to be the one that pulled the proverbial trigger. Because of how much of a fit of laughter Peter had fallen into he wasn’t aware enough of his surroundings to realize what was going on, until Aro joined them in the alley, obviously also a bit confused about what was going on. Somehow his brain was able to focus in on his lover and despite how hard he was trying to explain to Aro what was happening he couldn’t, so he grabbed the vampire's hand instead.

“Oh, dear” Aro murmured, keeping hold of Peters's hand “set her down Felix”

Doing as he was told Felix released his hold on the back of Amy’s clothes and let her drop to the ground, but moved so that he was standing behind her to prevent her from escaping again.

“We aren’t here to harm you, my dear” Aro said softly, taking a step closer to Amy “may I?” he held out his hand for her to take

Taking a few deep breaths, Peter managed to calm himself down enough for him to be able to get back to his feet and tousle Jane's hair when she approached him. Right as Charley and Peter were about to start their search for her Amy had stumbled upon them and, knowing that the Volturi were still in the area, she'd kept close to her boyfriend and saw how the two were interacting with each other. So, even though Charley seemed to be afraid of Jane, watching Peter be so at ease with three out of the five vampires made her feel a bit more comfortable with taking Aro's hand.

“My” Aro said, letting Amy take her hand back “you’ve had quite the year

“Yeah” Amy said scratching her arms again

“Let’s get that tainted blood out of you” Aro said gently, leading Amy away from the trash cans

“Why’re you still sitting in the garbage?” Jane asked looking at Charley

“Good question” Charley said

“Maybe we should get you to the hospital” Peter said, noticing that one of the bags that had been torn open was full of broken glass

“Yeah probably” Charley said, fighting his way out of the trash “I actually think something might’ve cut me so I’m pretty sure I’ve got, like, all of the diseases now”

Helping Charley to his feet the two started walking back to the car when Peter started chuckling.

“Stop laughing you ass!” Charley exclaimed

“After all the shit you’ve given me I’m gonna laugh at this until the day I die”

“...Do you think she’ll be safe with them?” Charley asked once they got to the car

“Oh yeah” Peter said getting into the car “she’ll be fine”

“Will— will I ever get to see her again?”

“Maybe” Peter shrugged “I imagine Aro’s taking her to my house to get that drugie blood out of her so he’ll probably let her say goodbye to you at the very least and depending on where she’s put in the guard then maybe she’ll be visiting America sometimes”

“I don’t know what to do Peter” Charley sighed as Peter pulled away from the curb “I still love her but I don’t know if I can deal with this”

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out. You still love her and that’s a good start”

“I hope you’re right” Charley sighed, slumping into the car seat

[mediocre-eternity]

It is 28 November 2022

Back at Trinity Gate. I’m beginning to really hate coming back to it but I was blessed with an empty house. I shouldn’t say empty because the people I care about the most are here with me. Daniel and Benji. And Jesse. She’s been using the house as her own as of late and stopped renting her apartment in Boston. I hadn’t seen her in about five years before that but she actually somehow maintained a mortal’s job in that city. She lost it after the pandemic and shortly after that accused one of our own of stalking her. We all believe her which is why she’s welcome to stay here as long as she desires. I might go into that later because I’m actually really annoyed by the whole situation.

I’ll go into it now. The more I sit here and contemplate, the worse the feeling gets. There are Certain Immortals who have been allowed to live in our coven’s presence whose lives don’t have much worth and therefore gain their worth by stalking, terrifying, harming and otherwise wasting space around others. There are vampires who have survived way too long in the company of those who claim to care deeply for the one’s they’ve tortured but are allowed to survive around them. Oh, please, give me a reason because I can pull the thoughts from thousands of immortals, sometimes at once, and I’ve never come up with a rhyme or reason for their seemingly endless stream of forgiveness and patience. I’m demonized by the atrocities created by me so I find new avenues and try to live by updated moral qualms within my own existence. But every night I sit with a young immortal who’s literally been petrified to move from New York in over two years? Some vampires quite literally call me The Devil, which I wear with pride because I deal with the demons at hand, but the one who gave me to the Devil survived for hundreds of years? Insanity. And these “ancient” immortals are content to never “give a fuck” because it might alter their bureaucracy over others in the clan. I pray every night over and over in rapture for these reasons that my maker cannot see into my mind.

I think these poisoned thoughts are the reason fate told me to bring Daniel to the Blood because not being in his mind kills me a little more every night I wake. Maybe I should learn to be more empathetic.

Besides the point, the vampire in question is a vampire named Mael. If people really are reading this and people really have read every single book I believe he makes an appearance in Queen of the Damned but I’m not quite sure after that. Oh, he was in my maker’s novel because those two are literally the same vampire repackaged in different colored robes. The last time I saw Mael was here in New York City and unfortunately I got to him before my maker could. Of course he was looking for poor Jesse. This was around July 2020 and I remember that because he remarked on how few humans were around. I lied and I told him I hadn’t seen Jesse in probably as long as he had and how dare he come anywhere close to me after the harm he caused Daniel. He boils over whenever he remembers I’m much more practiced in the Mind Gift than he is despite being thousands of years my elder. I’m not sure if he could tell I was lying but he definitely knew he couldn’t penetrate the mental walls I put up around us. Everything was evident in his face. I’ve never met a vampire of his age with skills that equal less than that of a common diary cow but he somehow exists. I bet I could have ripped his head clean off with my speed and thrown it out the window so it could smash on the pavement like the shrunken Jack O Lantern it is and if I were lucky it would be hit by a passing truck. He called me something in Gaelic so I called him a “fear gorta” which even the vaguest amount of knowledge around Irish mythology impressed him. I told him it took me nine minutes to learn how to use the internet, surely it’s not below him to google something. My maker showed up out shortly after that. I haven’t seen Mael since but Jesse’s still quite a bit paranoid. I try to reassure her that she’s a powerful immortal, though young, and always I tell her that her grasp on the Mind Gift rivals mine thanks in part to her genetics but also the Blood that was given to her. She’s a very lucky vampire with such unique capabilities. I truly adore her so much and I’m glad to call her a friend. She also deserves to be at peace and not feel the need to watch her own back all the time which wouldn’t be an issue of Mael was simply destroyed. The fact that my maker so claims to despise him too confounds me.

I drilled my master on this and dismissively he cooed “I know, my child, your hatred of him does not end with you,” or some such shit. “He is an enemy of mine as well.” Sure. Yet if I were to ask Jesse to meet me on Night Island she’d refuse. I’m glad Daniel doesn’t share the same fears as her. I so admire him for his ability to flow through his darkest moments and take experience from them. It will serve him for the rest of his eternity.

My anger will leave me soon enough. Don’t read this and believe I’m truly someone who spits venom about others all the time. But I have been frustrated by the lack of consideration toward one of our youngest. Sybelle and Benji are even younger than Jesse and Daniel. What should happen to them if there is never repercussions because our clan can’t seem to self regulate and dispose of those who shouldn’t be around us? I feel as though I’m arguing my point through writing because I know it should be a universal truth and nobody ever divulges their motivations to me. Well, not consensually anyway. This is part of the reason I tend to keep myself and my loved ones in solitude because not only is it easier— it’s much more safe. Though nobody seems to understand the practicality in having to euthanize some few outliers. But here I am rambling and angry with knowledge that in time I will be kissing my maker all over his face like the horrid little creature of terrible habits I am.

Daniel and Jesse are off on their own right now, which is relieving for multiple reasons but mostly because I can trust to leave Daniel on his own. Benji decided to pitter around in The Rockefeller as he often does. This leaves me alone in this giant Victorian home. The place is completely dark except for the little light emanating from my laptop and the towering windows that surround me and keep me contained like a doll in a dollhouse. New York City is like an great big monstrous organism that breathes around me and consumes me. It’s never changed— only become more efficient in it’s isolation. That makes me feel very safe tonight, actually.

[black-rose-writings]

Fate rant part 1 - Winx was already dark enough

Theme-wise. There’s no excuse for whitewashing Flora and Musa.

No, really, it’s not that hard to make the story of Winx more mature, you just have to look at it differently:

Season 1 - Though it is generally pretty tame, the plot involves a girl from Earth discovering she carries in her the power of this universe’s version of God, having that power ripped out of her violently and against her will and having to go on a soul-searching journey to recover it, while the villain is wreaking havoc using it.

She also finds out that she’s adopted and that her birthfamily was killed by a coven of Witches in search of that power, and that she’s the only known survivor of a planet-wide genocide. And she’s a princess of said dead world, whci has been made uninhabitable by the attack. Oh, yeah, and the descendants of those witches are also trying to hunt her down for that same power - and succeed.

FFS, in like the 5th episode, Stella is almost murdered on screen by the Trix, because they wanted her ring.

Darcy mind-controls Riven to date her and spy on the Winx. If they had sex (which 17-18 couple probably would), that’s straight-up rape, right there.

Sky had to switch identities with his bodyguard/squire in for his own safety as a crown prince. He’s in an arranged political engagement with another girl while he pursues Bloom. You could easily dive into political consequences of breaking this engagement that has lasted since they were both children for a “peasant” girl if you wanted to show a more mature side of that. (But like, maybe demonizing Diaspro for being upset about it isn’t a good idea).

The scenes in Magix city after the attack of the Trix are fucking haunting me to this day.

Oh, yeah, and Bloom’s spiritual guide in the season is literally the ghost of her sister, who died at a very young age so that Bloom could live. (I’m sure there’s more dark stuff in season 1, but that’s just what I remembered, so feel free to add).

Season 2 - Oh, boy, season 2.

Our primary antagonist is quite literally the devil, and he was quite directly responsible for the destruction of Domino

We start out the season with the Pixie being captured by him and then tortured and killed one by one as he’s searching for an item they are guarding. Layla/Aisha is almost murdered when she’s trying to save them, managing to barely escape with her life and her bonded pixie.

During the rescue mission, Stella almost dies from lack of sunlight and her boyfriend is held hostage and almost forced to marry someone else, under the threat that if he refuses, she will be locked up underground until it kills her. He is later saved from this at the last minute through the use of a love pspell that makes his would-be wife fall in love with another man(I’m not gonna get into love potions/spells being basically date rape drugs).

A man is replaced by a doppleganger, gets the underage-or-just-fresh-adult Bloom to trust him and then kidnaps her, so his master can subject her to what is a not-even-really-veiled rape allegory and subsequent mind control.

And, once again, Bloom is still the only known survivor of a genocide and her personal story during the show focuses on her finding out more about her home and family.

There’s other things, too, like Sky being murdered and resurected by Bloom, that one episode that deals with Musa’s dead mother and how her dad became abusive out of grief.

Season 3 - it’s not any better.

The Trix are sentenced to a icy hellhole prison, that they manage to break out of with the help of another person tied to Bloom’s past - this time, a man who is effectively her dark reflection. He’s driven by revenge against his captors and quest for power that he believes is rightfully his (I’ve seen some fics suggesting that he in fact had/had learned those powers before, but they were stripped from him once he was captured and playing with this idea would be a sure-fire way to get into some dark moral corners).

This time, we have two people who were mind controlled into a relationship - Stella’s dad and Sky. Rapey much?

Like, season 3 in general is really good and really dark without even really hiding it. Everyone gets a near-death experience and Bloom and Valtor’s relationship as reflections of one another/two sides of the same coin could be something incredible to explore (and a lot of fics do).

Also Faragonda and the rest of the Company of Light are really fucking shady in all of this.

And there is Layla/Aisha’s arranged marriage to Nabu.

Movies 1 and 2 - again, not even really hiding their darkness. Mind control is ever-present, as is mass-murders and destruction, dead family members and court intrigue.

Season 4 - surprise, more genocide.

This time of the Earth fairies. - I mean, they don’t end up being dead, but... they seemed to be and a lot of them probably were.

And also the subsequent revenge against the Wizards of the Black Curcle and humanity as a whole. Give us the full story of the war between the Wizards and Fairies and you’re already really fucking dark and complicated.

Also, Nabu literally dies on-screen - some dubs say he falls into a coma, but IIRC, he dies in the original. Flat out perma-dead. Right after he and Layla/Aisha got engaged. Causing her to seek revenge.

Season 5 - good news, no genocide... except when Tritanus tries to murder everyone on the surface of Andros at the end. So... attempted genocide only. Improvement!

And there’s torture, turning people into monsters against their will, repeated attempted fratricide, a curse that tore a young woman’s spirit out of her body, forcing her to exist as a disembodied spirit for what is most likely at least 20 years.

There’s also some pretty heavy environmental messages, but that’s not really the point here.

Season 6 - Daphne has been resurected and the consequences of that.

A lot of weird and dark stuff happens.

There’s mind-control, per usual, as well as a whole lot NDEs.

Season 7 - There’s some weird dark stuff, but I don’t quite remember much.

There’s the extinction of the digmoles that the Winx prevent and a whole lot of animal abuse, but that’s about it?

Season 8 - oh, boy, season 8.

For one, there’s more mind control.

Valtor can take the power of stars out of them, dooming all the inhabited worlds around the to fucking die within days or weeks.

Need anything darker? If Valtor acknowledged that Bloom killed him the last time they met, that could go into some really fucking dark places.

Oh, yeah, and did I forget? There’s more genocide (other than the implied death of all the planets that lost their stars and froze solid), this time as a part of Icy’s new backstory.

So, to sum up:

Named characters almost dying - basically at least once per episode, if not more than that, so we’re defiitelly in the hundreds by now, and that’s just for the named characters.

Perma-deaths- at least 3: Mandragora (the witch helping the ancestress’s in the first movie), Nabu, Duman (the shapeshifting wizard from season 4)

Torture - at least 2: The pixies in season 2 and Daphne in season 5, though there is probably more.

Genocides - at least 3 confirmed ones (though non-permanent because magic): Domino, Earth Fairies and Dyamond (Icy’s home planet), plus countless attempted or possible ones.

Mass-deaths - almost every season ending has a “lot of people probably died before the villain was stopped” event. Actually, there’s usually several in each season. There’s also the city that the Ancestresses destoyed on Eraklyon to force Sky’s dad to cooperate with them and many threats of this throughout the seasons.

Mind-control - countless victims of Valtor, Bloom in season 2 (twice), countless victims of Tritanus, Riven (several times), and I’m probably forgetting some.

Child soldiers - all of seasons 1-3 and every time there’s a fight at one of the schools.

The rapey shit - rape allegory, relationship-under-mind control, use of love potions and/or spells - Riven in season 1, that underground princess from season 2, Bloom at the end of season 2, Sky and King Radius in season 3. I can’t remember anything in the later seasons, but it might be there, too.

Winx was already dark enough, and all that would be necessary to show that would be taking away the sugarcoating and making some of the “implied” stuff be on-screen.

And that’s just the plot-related dark shit - there’s a tone of element to the worldbuilding that could easily be used for dark and mature topics. Just a few examples:

The default government type is an absolutist monarchy, where the ruling families appear to be marked by their magical power and quite possibly “the blessing of the Dragon” or something like that, paraleling the so-called “divine right of kings” IRL

On that note, the Great Dragon and Dragon’s flame are definitelly religious concepts in-universe. So, where are the Dragon worshippers proclaiming Bloom to be their god incarnate?

And the Nymphs also seem to have major religious/culty vibes. Just saying.

Where did Domino get all that wealth? Were they always protectors of the Magical universe or was there some monarch who believed that since the Dragon created everything and they have the power of the Dragon, they have the right to rule everything? (To be fair to Fate, I would be totally on board if that was part of the origin story of the Burned ones, but that’s neither here nor there)

What about the other kingdoms? What skelletons do they have in their closets? (again, to be fair to Fate, they kinda did this with the whole Aster Dell thing, but they were also witches who sacrificed babies for their magical powers soo... does it really count?)

What I’m trying to say is, OG Winx already had a lot of dark and mature themes and plots that Fate could have adapted, but instead, they slapped the names of th Winx characters on generic teen drama mixed with generic urban fantasy and called it a day.

[clansayeed]

Bound by Circumstance ― Chapter 16: What Fools These Mortals Be!

PAIRING: Nik Ryder x trans*M!MC (Taylor Hunter) RATING: Mature

⥼ MASTERLIST ⥽

⥼ Bound by Circumstance ⥽

Taylor Hunter (MC) has made it good for himself in New Orleans; turns out moving to a new city fresh out of college to reinvent yourself isn’t as hard as people make it out to be. Things only start to get confusing when he finds himself the target of a malevolent wraith. Good thing someone’s looking out for him though — because without Nighthunter Nik Ryder as his bodyguard he definitely won’t survive long in the twisting darkness of the supernatural underworld he’s tripped into.

Bound by Circumstance and the rest of the Oblivion Bound series is an ongoing dramatic retelling project of the book Nightbound and the rest of the Bloodbound series. Find out more [HERE].

Note: Circumstance only loosely follows the events and plotline of Nightbound, and features a separate antagonist, different character motivations, and further worldbuilding.

*Let me know if you would like to be added to the Circumstance/series tag list!

⥼ Chapter Summary ⥽

In which everything changes incrementally; giving the illusion that nothing has changed at all.

[READ IT ON AO3]

Whatever arguments may have started to divide them earlier — the Coven Elders have been accused together and they wear that accusation like a badge of honor.

Taylor sees it now; understands. The blood at their feet serves not to drown them but to unite them in their act. In the pride it gives them.

“It all makes sense,” Katherine says low, almost breathlessly, “you ignored the Council because you’re the ones trying to destroy it. Of course there’s no threat to the Coven… the Coven is the threat.”

The presence of the beast ripples underneath Cal’s human skin. He bares his teeth as fangs, flexes nails that threaten to grow in size and strength.

“You’re worse than cowards — you’re murderers.”

The Elders don’t just take the accusations; its like they thrive on them. On the answer finally revealed; spoken to the air and given power because once heard it can’t be taken back.

But there’s a difference between pride and guilt. The proud own up to their actions. The guilty simply know when to stop feigning innocence.

And Katherine isn’t entirely right. It doesn’t all make sense; rather there are so many things that don’t make sense that they, too, start to pile down on the weight Taylor already feels on the verge of collapsing underneath.

They can pick at the details later. As far as he’s concerned nothing has changed except that leaving was just made so much harder.

“Nothing to say in your defense?!” Cal’s words threaten to slur together in a long growl. He’s just over the edge of the turning point; holding the wolf within back with the lightest grasp.

Unfortunately… its enough.

Enough to draw a sneer from Elder Daniels; to make them—quite literally—force their hand.

“Silence the mutt.”

Vion spreads his crooked fingers wide. The pressure of his magic makes Taylor’s ears ring; keeps him standing by helplessly and in pain as all around them the pots and their lilies begin to shake with new purpose.

CRACK.

The roots are larger than they should be; black and rotting yet strong enough to burst through the solid pots at their master’s command. They race outward and ensnare Cal like living rope. Smear soil over his flesh as they coil tight and bind him — bind the wolf within.

There’s no hesitation as Katherine draws her nearest blade — skidding to her knees as she grasps the nearest root and tries in vain to sever the connection.

As if it would be that simple.

And all this is happening with Nik still at his side — refusing to let him fall.

Go help Cal, help Kathy, do something more than hold me up; Taylor wants to say. Would, too, if he didn’t see the burning fury barely restrained on Nik’s expression.

“WHY?!” he demands; shouts because he knows what happened the last time he pissed them off and he’s a man with a death wish; happy to do it again.

Elder Millet seems almost offended that he need ask. “As if the powerless could even hope to understand. Tiny, fragile minds corrupted with the Here and Now — unable to see what is to come; what it will cost us.”

“You’re not making any sense!”

“Because you do not have the capacity to understand!”

Taylor breathes in through his nose, hard and burning. Fights down the continued waves of aberration that chip away at him like a chisel to stone to look Millet dead in the eye.

“What… do you think you saw…?”

She looks back unashamed. “An Evil the likes of which the world has never seen. Spreading a hand across the horizon and laying waste to all that falls within its shadow.”

“The bloodwraith.”

“No—insolent, ignorant halfling…” she snarls back, “the wraith was the cure to the disease. The lesser of the two Evils, but the only one allowed to come to pass.”

It is an answer, but that’s the only thing. It isn’t a reason, or a justification. Not to anyone but them.

“And this—this Evil—you’re trying to tell us the Council had something to do with starting it?” Nik takes the full weight of him, now.

Before Millet can speak Daniels raises a hand to stop her. Doesn’t deem them worth the explanation. “You are incapable of understanding.”

“Try me, witch.”

In Taylor’s eyes she’s wading through a lake of blood as she approaches. Leaves not one but hundreds of red-stained and smearing footprints in the wake of each step.

Instinct drives Nik to try and pull himself, Taylor back to some semblance of safety but instinct is no match for magic. It keeps them frozen in place; caught mid-turn. The tension of an agonizing step trapped within his muscles and threatening to tear his physical form in pieces when it snaps.

Daniels reaches for them — “Don’t touch me—back off!” growls the Nighthunter; but it’s futile — and shows a gentleness so uncharacteristic to what they’ve seen so far from her that it renews his nausea in the way she strokes Ryder’s chin.

“There is no such thing as unity under many. The divisions were clear… and the future all but made destiny. There was but one chance. One choice to be made in the hopes that this community — our city beloved — would not be swept up in the chaos.

“Only under the Coven, and the Coven alone, does New Orleans stand a chance of surviving the flood to come.”

Behind her the other Elders share the same resolution, the same acceptance of a still unspoken fate. Vion’s aged hand trembles with the strain of his magic but his voice is clear and strong.

“Come Hell and high waters.”

“Come Hell and high waters,” Millet parrots; and she need only hold out her open palm for the Wheel of Fortune to glide back to the safety of a completed deck.

With her jaw set Daniels completes the mantra; “Come Hell and high waters.”

No, not a mantra. A prophecy — a promise.

Whatever they have seen as a collective — they demand the rest of New Orleans accept that the evils they have wrought are the better alternative. What the actual fuck.

“But why him?”

He isn’t the only one caught by surprise. The way Nik’s fingertips dig into his shoulders; hold him tight in the face of whatever is to come now that they’re privy to the Big Bad Plan — he feels undeserving of it.

“An unfortunate circumstance to be sure,” though the way Daniels’ upper lip curls while looking him over Taylor feels less unfortunate and more meddlesome, like a smudge of dirt on her expensive shoes, “one that could have hindered us under the right conditions… especially when you were brought onto the board.

“But fear is a powerful thing, Nighthunter. The fear of the unknown — and the fear of being known.”

Millet shuffles her deck idly. “Inconsequential in the end.”

There was a time Taylor would have been relieved to hear of how inconsequential he was to all of this. Especially in the early days — when it seemed like his name had somehow ended up on the bloodwraith’s hit list by mistake.

Now it only leaves him feeling helpless. Mortal.

But when did that become not a good thing?

Each breath Taylor manages is shallower than the last. There’s not enough oxygen getting to his brain — not enough in the room to share. He’d give it all to Cal to keep him alive if he could. Can he?

He wants to ask Elder Daniels… but his tongue appears to be swollen too large for his throat.

The now-familiar figure of The Fate hovers over her shoulder. So close that if it was really there no doubt the witch would feel their breath wet on the nape of her neck.

The Fate closes their eyes. Bows their head of short—long—curly—straight—no hair down in mourning.

Nik tries to get Taylor to just take his coat for a fourth time — even has the right arm out of the sleeve which is farther than he’d gotten on previous attempts — but he continues to refuse it.

Maybe before attempt number five he’ll understand it isn’t the coat that he’s trying to crawl inside of. But the safety of something—someone—as solid as his bodyguard.

The base of Cal’s tumbler meets the bartop so hard he’s surprised nothing breaks.

“Another.”

Garrus already has the whiskey in hand but hesitates. He’s a good person like that. There are still a few good people left in the world.

“Maybe you should let what you’ve got settle first, my friend.”

The werewolf’s grip tightens on his glass. His skin is flushed red, knuckles pale. But he could be covered in Mardi Gras-themed body paint and the bruises from Elder Vion’s spell would still shine through.

“Another.” And Garrus pours — because good people just want to help.

At her back booth Ivy slams another dusty tome closed — another dead end and another very un-Ivy like hiss of rage pushing out of her like a monster’s cry.

She’s checked them over for bogies, hexes, and curses over and over again. Nothing to be found, yet every time she thinks of a new spell there she is attempting it at their backs.

As she’s whispered under her breath over a dozen times now she just can’t understand why the Elders had let them go. They let her continue because they can’t understand it either, and if anyone has a good chance of figuring it out its her.

But yeah — it’s starting to get a little annoying.

They walked out of 937 Prytania Street four hours ago. The last three hours have been the most trying of Taylor’s life.

Every time he thinks he wants a drink, wants to numb the pain the way he’s most familiar with and is very very good at, he moves just a little bit closer to Nik. They’re practically on the same stool.

What happens now?

His body answers because his head is still recovering. Pulls him up from where he sits — grip lingering on a leather cuff — before he pulls away entirely.

“I’m gonna…” Only he doesn’t know how to finish that sentence — where his feet will carry him is just as much a surprise to him as the rest of them.

He’s on the apartment landing by the time Nik catches up.

“Taylor — hold up a sec, will ya?”

He does the bare minimum in not opening the door. Now that he’s gotten some distance, though, its like his body is switching to autopilot. Finds he can’t look Nik in the face, or say anything beyond a grunt of affirmation.

Nik leans against the wall, ducks and weaves his head in an obvious attempt to catch Taylor’s eye that he doesn’t humor because he can’t. “I know you’re prob’ly still mad at me about — about the hospital. And you’ve got the right idea ‘bout restin’ up before we start plannin’ our next move, but maybe you shouldn’t be alone right now.”

Maybe I should stay with you is his unspoken offer. And he knows just how much courage he had to muster up to offer — to try and open up rather than hide away in his flask like he so desperately wants to.

Only Taylor doesn’t understand why he knows that. Why he’s suddenly in Nik’s head in the same way he was in Elder Daniels’ head, the same way he was in all the Elders’ heads.

The only reason he wishes he knew is so he could turn it off.

Taylor squeezes the doorknob and uses up the last of his mental and physical strength to keep from sobbing — because he swears the metal starts to yield under his touch.

“I’m not resting, but your choice.”

Leaving the door open behind him isn’t an invitation for Nik to join him but its not a rejection either. He doesn’t have to check if the man has followed behind.

“Maybe you should, though.”

“Where was that attitude when all this started?”

“Damn, Rook. The same place that lip was hidin’ I bet.”

“This isn’t something I can just sleep off. It —” he falters, doesn’t know how to go on, “— it doesn’t matter.” It doesn’t.

Inconsequential, remember?

And he almost makes it. Almost manages to have enough of a chip on his shoulder that Nik actually turns back towards the stairs.

Taylor’s starting to feel bad about hurting him. But if Kristin, Vera, Cal were any indication — Nik was just on a long but inevitable list.

He only almost makes it because Nik is, under all his armor, a decent man. Because he turns back ready to offer one final parting statement of comfort and sees Taylor take out his frustration on his phone charger. The way he rips it out of the wall so hard it lashes in a way his tongue can’t at the moment; shoves it in his front pocket like he hopes it breaks.

“You goin’ somewhere?”

He stands in the doorway; as immovable and solid as the door but somehow more. Arms crossed over his chest and its like a throwback to the Nik Ryder he met the other night. Like nothing of importance has happened in the spaces in between. Nothing important has happened, he supposes, nothing that really makes a difference — that can change the inevitable.

No fucking wonder the Coven Elders let them go. They aren’t a threat; not to the bloodwraith — proven twice over by now, and not to the Elders themselves. All that’s left now is to wait for it to come and take him the same way it took Carlo and Denna.

“Is that what’s botherin’ you,” Nik asks, though Taylor had no idea he’d been speaking aloud, “you think I’d let that thing anywhere near you?”

Then that’s it — they’re gonna do this and there’s no avoiding it. Fine. Makes Taylor pivot on his heel and it must have been a subconscious act on his part to avoid looking at Nik full-force because even facing him it feels like he’s collided face-first into a cement wall of Ryder-related emotions. None of them his but… that doesn’t matter.

The emotions don’t need to be his to be felt by him.

“What’s the point in pretending anymore, Nik?”

“Who’s pretending anythin’?”

“You! Standing there pretending that there’s still a chance. That—that this isn’t over; that they haven’t already won.” Wow does it feel good to say that out loud.

Across from him Nik looks stunned. He’d make a snapped comment about dropping whatever act of innocence he thinks he can manage but no — no Taylor can feel it. It’s not an act.

Some part of cynical asshole Nik Ryder thinks they still have a snowball’s chance in hell of weathering this storm.

“Rook… what’s gotten into you?”

“Stop.”

“Seriously — this doesn’t sound like you at all.”

“Oh yeah, and how the fuck would you know?” The door is open and the Shift is empty save their friends and he’s shouting and he really couldn’t give less of a fuck because its like wave after wave of soothing relief washing over him. Leaves his voice hoarse, cracking in his throat but compared to all the other types of pain he’s been in recently its a cakewalk.

“Seriously, Ryder, how the fuck would you know what I’m like? Because to my knowledge you’ve only known me for—what—five days? Hell probably four when you take into account the fact I’ve blacked out cold twice. At least back when I was drinking I was having fun up until the unconsciousness thing.

“Oh and, you know, since I apparently need to make it very clear to you; none of this has been fucking fun.”

Taylor hates him. Hates his cool messy hair and his little scars that show how worldly he is; how much he knows about the real real world. And right now more than anything he hates how the man’s remaining so fucking calm.

“Is that right?” is Nik’s snarky reply — and he hates that too, “well you must be the only one not enjoyin’ it, since I know for a fact Lowell down there’s real-damn-eager to have a repeat performance.”

Taylor recoils because it stings. Words sting; that’s why they have power. But the memory of Cal bound… that brief instant when Daniels raised her hand and he thought strangled gasps would be the last thing he’d ever hear from the man…

It makes him shake in rage, in fear, in grief.

“Stop.”

“Stop what?”

“I said stop it.”

“I don’t know what you’re referring to, Rook,” any other time it would be interesting, even fascinating to witness the way he sees the energy and intent build up in the man’s legs—sees in his mind’s eye like a reality folded over the one they’re standing in a different Nik take those steps forward and embrace a different Taylor who breaks down in his arms — any other time, “I’m only followin’ your lead.”

He shakes his head until it hurts. “You’re mocking me — riling me up. Stop it!”

“And how would I know how to do that, huh? How would I know which of your fuckin’ hundred-thousand complicated buttons to push to get you all riled up? ‘Cause you’re right — I am. Seems to me the only way I can get you to feel anything at all is by forcing you!”

“Oh my god—” but try as he might there really isn’t anything left in him to hold back the hurricane; the first tears starting to fall down his cheeks, “— you—fuck you, Nik. You’re the one who did this to me! Got me involved in all this shit and made me realize my whole life’s a fucking lie and—and changed me somehow so now all I do is feel!

“I can’t stop feeling, Nik, I can’t… I can’t stop… I can’t feel I — can’t stop…”

There’s that same building tension — only this time it’s solid; it’s real. It’s Taylor’s knees aching on the apartment floor and his body shaking so hard he’s actually medically worried about himself but Nik is there. Holding him — keeping him as still as he can in an embrace warmer than it should be and tighter than it should be and needed more than it should be.

“EE—Ever since Lamrian,” he struggles for air; is drowning in his tears, “ever since Elric—h-he did something to me. I felt it. Felt—felt him. What he was feeling. Knew what he knew and s-saw things from… from before I was even born like? That’s impossible.”

“No, actually it’s not.”

“I —”

“There’s this thing among fae folk; Living Memory. You heard ‘em mention it a few times,” he’s silent — takes Taylor longer than he’d admit to realize he’s waiting for acknowledgment and only continues when he gets it, “and it kinda is what it sounds like. They’re heavy spiritual beings, the fae. I guess they can literally put a piece of their soul in important memories so they’re never forgotten. I guess you could call it bookmarking them for later.”

“But —”

“Lemme finish.”

“I — yeah.”

Nik’s nod is approving. “You’ve always been able to see through glamours—we know that. But I’m guessin’ you weren’t runnin’ around the backyard throwin’ grimfire at your friends for tag.”

“That’s dumb.”

“Sure is — but it means you got that nifty little trick from when Elric helped you at the Beau-Keyes. If just bein’ near your own kind gave you that kinda power then it makes sense if you think about it. Lamrian’s a piece of the fae realm in ours. Living Memory is a shared fae soul. Honestly I was wonderin’ what kinda wacky mojo you’d end up chucking out.

“I’ll admit, though — I was really hopin’ it would be something to help us out when shit went down with the Coven.”

That’s all it takes — one little thing to fucking ruin it. To make him try to wrangle his way out of Nik’s arms, to try and hit him because who the fuck says something like that? If he could have done something doesn’t Nik think he would have?

“Fuck—fuck you, fuck y—”

But Nik’s a vice. Or a particularly stubborn stain. He’s got his claws in and won’t be letting go any time soon. “Hey — stop. You know what I meant.”

“There was just… there was so much blood, Nik.” When he closes his eyes the world is red with eyes of gold. “So much blood.”

Its enough for the man to pry them apart just enough — Taylor never thought he’d miss that stern businesslike twitch in his scarred brow but there’s a first time for everything.

Especially this week.

“Tell me what you saw.”

He spares most of the details — who he’s sparing though is a debate for another day. But it’s harder than he thought it would be — not describing the blood, that… that’s worryingly simple.

There are things he remembers that he doesn’t know he remembers until he speaks them aloud. In giving them a name, a description — it feels like he’s willing them into existence. The shadows that were once formless cloaks around the Elders’ bodies now taking on the shape of the bloodwraith, of many; scattered between them lurking like movement in a mirror out of the corner of the eye.

And fuck all if he knows just how he comes to this particular conclusion, but Taylor finds himself developing sympathy for the blighted beast.

“None of the Elders summoned it,” he says, and makes it true by doing so, “none of them hold its leash. They control where it goes and who it attacks, but there’s, like, a middle man or something.

“If it was set free the Elders would be the first ones to die. I’m… I’m certain of it.”

“I don’t doubt you Rook, not for a second.”

“But…” He looks up — doesn’t remember at what point they found themselves leaning under the kitchenette counter like it’s a lean-to on a deserted island but its low on the list of immediate concerns — and forgets words for a moment as he watches the cool calculation of the Nighthunter soften in… in Nik’s very being.

He would like to note that his previous outburst, while fueled by irrational rage at the unknown, is still completely valid. He knows next to nothing about Nik Ryder and apparent secret fae-slash-elven heritage aside Nik Ryder knows next to nothing about him.

And you totally need to know more than jack shit about someone to fall head-over-heels for them, right?

Right?

“Don’t leave me hangin’ now.” He teases down at Taylor.

Taylor who kinda-sorta falls in love with the genuine crinkles at the corners of his eyes.

Too bad, though. Because if this were a movie or story like he’s been pretending then that love might be enough to save the day.

Too bad because it isn’t, and it won’t be.

“But nothing’s changed. We can’t stop the wraith or the Elders. One way or another it’ll come for me and it’ll kill me.”

Nik grabs his chin between two fingers. Rasps a very serious, very final “Over my dead body,” and ensures he has the last word with a kiss Taylor can now quite literally feel in his soul.

[lebelletemps]

Chapter 1: The Dupreé

[Chapter 2] [Cast]

“We need to talk.” Rayan huffed as he approached Allix on the outside balcony. Allix looked up at the night sky, her amber brown eyes darting back and forth. She was lost in her thoughts as she always was, then she looked upon her friend with a furrowed expression. “What is it Rayan?” “The coven is growing more restless by the day, we need to come up with a plan for our people. They can’t keep living like this Allix, we can’t keep living like this.” his hand firmly placed on her shoulder. “And if the humans knew of our existence here, we wouldn’t be living at all.” she replied. “We are kept hidden for a reason, the world’s ignorance of our existence is the reason why we are alive; why we are thriving. You can’t expect for me to be okay with putting all of us at risk.” Allix turned away to head back inside, Rayan followed her walking down the dark empty corridor.

“Allix, wait!” Rayan exclaimed causing an echo to emit throughout the whole floor. “I know there is a risk of exposure given the current circumstances of our city, but there is a greater risk if we do not feed. You know that the wolves lie in wait for us to be vulnerable to destroy us. Luckily Charles was able to keep the property from being infiltrated last week, but that doesn’t mean they won’t try again and it things continue this way we probably will not be as successful fending them off.” “You think I’m not aware of that Rayan?! As much as I would like for us to partake in feeding right now, it’s too great of a risk for us to be discovered. I am asking you to please trust my judgment.” Allix and Rayan locked eyes, then he nodded.

“For our sake, I hope my trust in you is not for naught.” Rayan walked in the opposite direction as Allix entered her bedroom. Her walls were adorned with white marble with gold trim, her bedsheets matched made purely of satin, her floors made with the finest Mahogany wood that showed her reflection every time she walked on it. She sat down on the white crushed velvet ottoman at the foot of her bed and turned on the TV on her wall. The local news report was coming in talking about the recent rise in the city’s death toll this month alone, another innocent black person was killed at the hands of law enforcement in which the same officers were found dead a week later and still under investigation, some irrelevant news about a puppy adoption event and the weather report as if New Orleans has any other weather than humidity and rain. Allix heard a hefty knock on the door, she turned off the television and arose from her seat.

She opened the door to see her brother Cyrille enter her room without saying a word. “You have some nerve showing your face to me.” Allix furrowed her brow with her hands on her hips. “Because of you, we have to remain in solitude and not feed as we normally do.” she hissed. “Because of me?! Humans have been speculating our existence for eons, wanting to exterminate us. I only gave us the upper hand.” “Upper hand?! You call nearly exposing who we truly are an advantage?!” “Yes the fuck I am, we are more powerful than the humans, more powerful than those bastard wolves! We can rule them all, no more hiding, no more feeding in the shadows, we can be free Allix… truly free.”

“Are you even listening to yourself Cyrus?! The only reason why we have been so successful living as vampires is because of the fact that or existence is merely speculation! And even if we rule the city, how long before we become eradicated by others?! We cannot take on the whole state ourselves! It would be foolish!” Allix fired back. “What is foolish is us to continue living like slaves after you promised to liberate us all!” Cy retorted. “You have nearly made a grave mistake that could’ve jeopardize everyone’s life here!” “They deserved to die! They are no less than murderers! If not us then who?” “We have laws Cyrille, so does man. Our bylaws are clear on this, we do not spill the blood of our people, our descendants or LAW ENFORCEMENT!” Allix’s jaw was clenched shut, fists were balled up as her palms reddened. If looks could kill, her own brother would be a flaming corpse.

“Well none of that matters now, cause now this sends a message.” Cyrille brushed past his vexed sister. “And what message is that Cyrille?” “That our people are not to be fucked with.” His broad shoulders huffed up and down. “Our lore alone does that for us, we don’t need a grand introduction of who we are and what we do.” Allix’s door opened causing the siblings to swiftly look at the entryway. It was their youngest sister Camille, she sheepishly entered the room staring at her brother and sister. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but mother— I mean the Chief Elder requests our presence downstairs in the courtyard… immediately.” her eyes darted back and forth trying to read her older siblings expressions. “We’ll be there in a few moments Camille, thank you for letting us know. You may leave.” Allix reassured her. Camille nodded and left large double doors slightly open. “We are not done here brother, we will talk about this later.” Allix marched out of her room and Cyrille followed.

Allix and Cyrille entered the courtyard where all of the other vampires were in attendance. Allix saw Rayan, Delphine and his girlfriend Kara next to each other. Cyrille gritted his teeth as he looked at them and walked in another direction as Allix met up with her second in command. “Do you know what’s the meaning of this?” “No Rayan, I don’t.” “If even you don’t know, it might be something serious.” Delphine added almost sarcastically. “You know Chief Elder is the only one that can override any judgement Allix makes. I have an ominous feeling about this.” Kara spoke as Rayan rubbed her shoulder in an effort to comfort her. “I’m sure everything will be fine, my mother has never made any decisions without involving Rayan and I’s counsel.” Allix swallowed her words, trying to shadow her concern.

Even though the Chief Elder was not the leader of The Dupreé Plantation, she was still allowed to make executive orders and overturn any decision Allix has or ever had made at anytime. Allix’s undead heart was beating rapidly, secretly praying that she doesn’t appeal the Shadows at night act, which makes it mandatory for all vampires to feed at night only and only if they pose a threat to them or anyone in the clan. The entire clan fell dead silent as the Chief Elder entered the room with Charles the head of defense, all that can be heard is the clicking of her heels on the freshly polished marble floor. Her head was wrapped in a blood red silk scarf, the finest ruby and diamond jewels adorned her ears and neck. Her dress was far from modern as the matching colored attire covered her entire body as she walked into the middle of the room. Her face was firm was soft undertones, she was revered and loved by all who dwelled in The Dupreé.

She stood there silently and looked around the room, Allix noticed that Cyrille was standing next to Camille whispering in her ear and her just mindlessly nodding. He looked directly at Allix and they locked eyes still brimming in anger from their previous conversation. “Cyrille.” The Chief Elder began to speak. “Step down here please.” The crowd began to murmur, Allix followed her younger brother’s movements as he walked down to meet her. He kneeled before his own mother. “I am at your service Chief Elder.” Cy rose from the floor, Chief Elder began to walk around him. “Cyrille, you have stirred up quite a conundrum for us in recent weeks. Two police officers are dead, one of whom was found to be drained completely of their blood. This has called for an unnecessary attention to fall upon us and a panic to befall the great city of New Orleans.” “B-But mother I—”

The Chief Elder backhanded Cyrille with such force it

knocked down the large framed man. The whole audience was in shock and Allix’s eyes grew wide enough to cover half of her face. Cyrille’s eyes turned bright yellow staring upward at his assailant and his fangs protruded from his mouth. “In this room I am your Chief Elder and you will address me as such. Now, retract your fangs.” She stood over him, her facial expression still as cold as when she entered the room. “Well damn.” Delphine spoke under her breath with an eyebrow raised. Rayan furrowed his brow at his twin sister and she shrugged at him.

Cyrille eyes returned to their normal dark brown hue and his fangs were retracted as he got up from the floor with a bruised ego and cheek. “My apologies Chief Elder.” “Good.” she smiled. “Now Cyrille, you have violated and long time bylaw of ours by murdering those officers.” “They were the murders first Chief, they spilled the blood of the innocent… one of our people.” “The people in this room are our people, yes we have converted others in the past, but as of now. We are not accepting applications.” “So are we just going to turn a blind eye to all of these injustices around us?! Chief Elder be reasonable!” “I have been nothing but reasonable and so has our leader. We can’t protect our human brothers and sisters if we are revealed! Now for this act against our bylaws you have to face punishment.”

“Punishment?! Punishment! You’re going to punish me for ridding the world of two murderous Europeans!” “No! I am punishing you for risking our safety in the reckless manner that you did, you know I could care less about the lives of any European. But those men were enforcers of man’s law and any interference from us makes savage beasts like them. And so cannot have that amongst us.” Cyrille growled. “Your punishment as follows is that you will be locked up in the basement with silver chains for 6 months. Visitations to you will be strictly forbidden until the night of your release.” “Chief Elder PLEASE! I cannot miss the lunar cycle!” Cy bellowed.”You should’ve thought of that before you did what you did. Charles, take him away.” Chief Elder’s was emotionless and still and Charles and another guard took her only son away. Allix looked over and see her sister Camille crying blood as Cyrille was carried off and wiped them off and looked away the second she noticed Allix was staring at her.

“Now that that’s over, more impertinent matters to discuss, as you all are aware Mardi Gras is coming very soon. This is normally prime feeding and conversion time for us, so I want to make myself perfectly clear… No. conversion. of. any. kind. shall take place on Mardi Gras. You are only allowed to feed, mating with the humans is acceptable for now, but you must feed off of them.” The crowd murmured amongst themselves and Allix still didn’t take her eyes off Camille. “As you know, maintaining a romantic or sexual relationship with human is strictly verboten! Any violation of this will meet with quick and brutal punishment by either our leader Allix or by me. Humans are food, not companionship. And we shall only feed only on non-African descendants. Violation of this law is punishable by death depending on the severity of the violation.”

“What if we mated with the descendants?” a random vampire pointed out. “Normally you would convert them, but we are not going to convert anyone to our ranks are we?” “No Chief Elder.” “Good, then you answered your own question.” “I-I have a question Chief Elder.” Camille raised her hand, Chief Elder smiled at her. “Yes child?” “Are we able to feed the morning of Mardi Gras?” “That depends on your willingness to sun exposure. As you all know children due to our superior genetics, the sun merely irritates us on contact. We do not burn as quickly as our paler counterparts, but that does not mean we cannot die at the hands of the sun… it only takes longer and sometimes goes undetected. So yes, you may feed during the day but be mindful of all the risks involved with doing so.” Camille nodded. Allix narrowed her eyes, she feels there was something going on unbeknownst to her.

“So this concludes our meeting for this evening, dawn is coming soon and I highly suggest getting some rest. Allix?” Allix’s trance was broken as she looked at her mother. “May you come with me to my chambers please?” Allix nodded and moved through the crowd. Rayan, Kara, and Delphine all walked off together and Rayan gave Allix a reassuring nod. Allix walked side by side with her mother, Charles silently followed them down the far point of the house to the room which used to belong to their slave master all those years ago, now is hers. The room was moderately modernized with automatic lights, standing shower and several other amenities, but that does not change the significance of this room. “Come, sit my child.” she directed Allix to an antique round table. Both women sat down and Allix looked into the eyes of her mother as they softened a complete contrast from her hardened scowl she had just a few moments ago.

“I wanted to apologize to you daughter, I shouldn’t have overstepped on your role of being our leader. But the people needed an example to be made, I know he is your brother… my son, but we cannot and must not allow disobedience regardless of family. Our duty is to our preservation, nothing more.” she cupped her hand over her daughter’s. “I could’ve handled punishing Cyrille just fine, I wish you would’ve spoken with me first before you held a meeting. A forewarning would’ve been more appropriate.” Allix withdrew her hands back from her mother, rising from her seat. “You know I’ve always supported your decisions, even when they object to mine. But I need for the clan to respect me and my word will be less respected if you keep intervening in my judgements. This goes without saying, but I will no longer require your counsel in future judgments for the infractions of the clan.”

The Chief Elder’s face switched from a softened expression to a dark scowl within mere seconds after the words exited Allix’s lips. “I beg your pardon child.” “I am not a child. I have surpassed that title many centuries ago, I the leader of The Dupreé plantation and I refute any title less than such.” Allix stood up straight adjusting her black velvet blazer. “You will remains as Chief Elder, handling smaller tasks of the property and the clan. As far as major provocations amongst the coven shall be handled exclusively be me and me alone. You may speak your thoughts and concerns with me only when permitted.” Allix retained her emotionless expression. The Chief Elder’s brow raised as she began to chuckle, then she looked back at her child with a skeptical smirk on her face and her hand rested under her chin. “You are making a grave mistake my dear, you didn’t even know how you were going to organize these people for the Coup d’éat. Hell, you didn’t know what to do with us after. Do you really think you can govern these people without counsel? Without me?” Allix’s gaze fixated on her mother.

“I am more than capable to decide what is best for us and the rest of the clan. I am fully aware of my duties Chief Elder, I have spoken all that is to be said about this matter. I will retire for the evening, have a goodnight.” “You are foolish to believe that you can run the clan by yourself, but tell me something… will you appeal any of the acts I’ve enforced?” “Nope, the rules for Mardi Gras was well executed. But I will lessen Cyrille’s sentence, instead of six months it will be 3 weeks.” “You are going to let your brother loose right before Mardi Gras?! Knowing he has no regards for human life?” Chief Elder jolted up from her seat. “He will have strict rules to abide by as a condition of his lightened sentence or he’ll be given a harsher sentence.” “Such as?” Chief Elder raised her eyebrow. “That’s for me and him to discuss, once again I bid you a good evening mother.” Allix walked out of the bedroom door and signaled Charles to follow her.

“I need you to give me every report about the infrastructure of this home and the overall lot of the property within the past six months. And I need them brought to me by next nightfall in my hands or on my desk. I prefer the former.” “Yes, Empress Allix.” Charles deep, brazen baritone replied. “Are you going to inform your brother of his early release?” “No.” she looked up at his tall and solid frame. “I will come for him when it is time, no need to be concerned with him.” Charles nodded. “And Charles?” “Yes madam?” They both stopped walking and turned to face each other. “There will be a new era that will befall us, I know you have a strong sense of loyalty to my mother. I need to know without a shadow of a doubt that you are loyal to me too.” Charles drew in a deep breath. “My loyalty only and always been to the prosperity of the clan, The Dupreé and all who dwell within it. That’s includes you so yes, you have my loyalty.” “I appreciate that.” Charles gently grabbed Allix’s arm as she was trying to walk away causing her to quickly turn back around.

“So with that, I must tell you that many people in the clan, especially the older ones highly respect your mother and are loyalists to her influence. There is a good enough chance of them to not show you in a favorable light because of your executive decision. They will try to find a reason not to trust your judgement, be mindful of that.” “I understand, thank you Charles.” “Of course, I will get you those documents ready for you.” Allix walked into her bedroom and laid across her bed staring at her reflection in the ceiling. A knock on Allix’s door broke her trance. “Come in.” The door opened as Camille walked in, her eyes and cheeks reddened from her bloody tears that have since dried. She kept fidgeting her hands and looking over her shoulder, she was visibly troubled and had something to say. Allix looked at her younger sister with a concerned expression. “What’s going on Camille?” “You have to get Cyrille out of confinement please.” she sniffles. “Camille, our brother has broken the law… a very big one. He has to punished or people will think it is not only favoritism, but a free pass to do whatever I can’t have th—” “Cyrille didn’t kill those officers! I-I did.” Allix’s eyes widened at what she heard. “I killed them Allix, it was me.”

[gloss-glass-ash]

Killer Queen

Summary: Basically a soap opera about immortal witches in a family coven.

Warnings: some angst 

Scotland was always lovely in the fall. The countryside and highlands were a glow with colorful leaves while a consistent drizzle fell. Foggy mornings bled into rainy afternoons tucked inside your estate. You were in love with the land, not more than a lover, but in love nonetheless. Autumn in Scotland made you wonder why you hadn't been in so long, then you saw the mantle of the estate fireplace with the pictures of him.

You stayed two weeks before heading to your loft in Paris. Paris was as beautiful as you remembered and the lovers were just as lovely. A young waiter quickly caught your eye, with luscious curls and deep brown eyes. His name was Shawn and drove you home.

Shawn was all limb, clumsy and innocent despite his age as he entered your loft. His brown eyes widened in awe of the pure wealth and antiquity that filled the space. The walls were lined with stunning gold trim and cherry floors. Fingertips hovered over the cabinet in the living room.

"It's just like-"

"Marie Antoinette." You smirked, red lips and red nails dancing over his skin. "Yes, that's why I bought it."

"I don't know if I'd admire her morals like that." He stuff his hands in his pockets, turning to admire the various paintings on the walls.

"Morality and style are two completely different things." Touching his shoulder softly, you urged him toward the kitchen. "But you're right, she was terrible." And she was. France was terrible under her reign, you would know.

The night progressed as you had hoped. Shawn was not as inexperienced as he had appeared and filled you, if only for a brief moment, with a sense of love and security. It wasn't love, you knew that, but the man beside you had a way of making you feel like it was. He fell asleep after cleaning you both up, curling up beside you.

The morning after, well, that's when things started to go to shit. Shawn knew he shouldn't snoop and he knew this was too good to be true. No woman with this particular taste was single and seeing the name "Husband" flash on your phone as it charged was enough. He waited until you woke before addressing it, dressing, and leaving with a lesson learned.

You weren't surprised by Shawn's reaction, though you had hoped he'd stick around. Souls like his were one in a century. You were surprised, however, by the phone call. Your husband hadn't called in a good twenty years. He'd check in occasionally, you'd get dinner if you were in the same city, but as far as you knew this wasn't one of those times.

A cup of coffee and glass of wine later, you called him back. The phone rang five times, each one long and resonating straight in your chest. He picked up on ring six. Or at least who you thought was your husband.

"Ashton, my love, what a pleasant surprise." You almost purred, lounging in your silk robe on the balancing, cigarette between two fingers.

"Mom?" The voice was not Ashton's, no, but the echo of your three sons.

"Boys?!"

"Mom, you need to come home." Luke's once lovely accent was all but gone.

"Luke, you know damn well what happens when your dad and I in the same house. Our family is better off this way."  

"That's just it. Our family is at stake here!" It was Mikey's turn to plead. He was your soft spot, the one you always looked out for. The first person you saved.

"What could the crisis be this time, peanut?" You all had survived wars, diseases, elections, and fashion trends. Nothing could shake the five of you.

"Dad's getting married." Nothing except that.

Los Angeles was never your favorite place. The sun was too hot, the people too much, and the atmosphere too oppressive. Ashton thrived on the sunny coast, the jungle was his playground. You wanted him happy. He and the boys were happy there, they didn't get the same thrill from the damp cold places or old European cities as you did.

The traffic was just as bad as you remembered. It took ages to get from the airport to your hotel, so bad you regretted not traveling with a snap of your fingers. The boys were in the hotel room when you got up to it, each pacing the floor.

A chorus of "mom!" greeted you with a series of hugs. Luke was as soft, maybe even slightly softer, as always but just as eager to cuddle close to you. "Missed you." He hummed in your neck.

"I've  missed my baby boy too. Have you been practicing your spells?"

His blonde curls bounced eagerly. "I even got my first familiar! She's the sweetest, her name's Petunia and she-"

"You're stalling." Calum stood stoic, arms crossed over his chest. He was always closer to Ashton, not that you minded, but it was evident he did not want to be here. "You don't want to be here."

"Well you know how I feel about L.A."

"The importance thing is that you came." Michael had taken you under his arm. "And that you're going to fix this."

A pregnant silence followed. You collapsed into the wingback chair in the hotel, looking anywhere but at your boys. "We've been together so long, I don't know if Ashton and I are meant to last forever."

Admitting your fear, admitting what kept you moving from place to place, caused thick tears to fall. Life with Ashton had been full of love and magic. Life before him was dark, violent, and scary. Life after him, well you guessed you'd find out.

"I don't even know what his name is this decade. Our marriage is so old that he doesn't need to worry about divorcing me to marry whoever."

"Don't say that." Luke squeaked, crouching in front of you. "Mom, please don't say that." He pulled the pendant from under his shirt. The immortality stone shined with the family crest in in his fingers. "Doesn't this mean anything to you?"

"Of course it does Luke!" You snapped, pushing yourself out of the chair. "Everything I've done since fucking Babylon was so that I could have a family of my own forever."

Calum scoffed, eyes rolling at you. "Yeah, that explains why you're half way across the world collecting art and dating barons."

A snake like hiss left your lips as you clenched your fists, resisting a spell. "Don't you ever suggest I left you. I begged for you all to come with me. I begged for Ashton to join me in Scotland so that we could be a proper family, a proper coven. I wrote, I called, I did everything and what?"

"Mom, don't listen to Cal. We love you so much, you know-" Michael shifted uncontrollably.

A vase shattered at your control. "Then why did you leave me alone?" Your shoulders trembled into Luke's chest as he scrambled to hold you, "I hate being alone."

Calum let out a puff of air. His skin felt too tight all of a sudden, the atmosphere making his heart hurt. "Mom, I didn't, I don't think you...I should go."

Your pity party didn't last very long. You were stronger than this and certainly stronger than Ashton. Wiping your eyes, you gathered yourself. "Alright boys, take me home."

Luke teleported you to the foyer of Ashton's home where he sat by the fireplace. "Y/N, my love I wasn't expecting you." He turned to face you, dimpled smile on his face.

"You can't honestly believe I wouldn't show up after the boys called me."

"The boys called you?" Ashton's adorable curls flopped in confusion. It hurt you seeing your king before you looking just as happy at the thought of someone else. "I know I've neglected you and I'll spend our next lifetime making up for it but I don't see where it's any of the boys concern."

Luke let out a hurtful grunt. "We deserve to know that you planned on marrying someone else and hurting Mom."

Ashton dropped his potion vial onto the floor. "Where the hell did you get that idea? I'm not marrying anyone else, I love Y/N more than anything." He had crossed the room in two quick strides, grabbing Luke by the collar. "Explain yourself."

Michael squeaked in surprise. "Calum said you slept with someone else and heard you mention getting a ring. We put two and two together."

"More like one and none." Ashton rubbed his head in frustration. "We need a family meeting. Summon Calum and meet me in the dining room."

The boys left the room, leaving you with Ashton. His presence was enough to fill every void of love and loneliness. Everything was easier with him around. If this was by some miracle true, you'd learn to live with L.A. if that meant having him.

"I vowed forever with you." He reached for your hand, flinching in preparation for you to draw away. You didn't. "And I intend to keep that. You are my killer queen and I'll prove it to you and spend the next century making up for it."

You quirked a smile, allowing him to lead you into the dining room. Calum's eyes caught yours quickly, holding steady. He was sorry. You could forgive him, eventually. "Anyone care to explain why my heart was ripped out of my chest today?" You lounged at the head of the table, long nails drumming the tabletop.

"I saw you in Paris." Calum squeaked. "With the brunette. He made you smile, you took him home. I knew Dad had been with others too and I thought, well the distance was making him miserable and it'd be better."

"You had someone else? Tell me about her later, darling, I hope she was fun." You purred, the jealousy long gone. "But you should know, boys, that when you've been with someone as long as Ashton and I have, you make arrangements."

"Our marriage is somewhat open. We have other sexual encounters but no one, no one, could mean more to me than Y/N." Ashton wrapped his arms around you, standing behind your chair. "She is the love of my life, one of the only things being immortal is worth."

"So, what about the ring?" Luke asked, blue eyes soft at his parents loving touches.

Ashton's tongue peeked out in a cheeky smile. "I was going to ask you to renew our vows." His nose nuzzled into your hair, earning a soft giggle. "Clearly we need to."

You kissed his fingers, brushing the curls from his eyes, "Yes, I think we should and I think some time here would be good for me."