#thanks finest mentor

[turanga4]

2 & 15 for fic writer asks:)

Thanks so much for the ask, @indihpblog, and so sorry for the delayed response! List is here.

2) Fic that took me to a dark/hard place: answered.

15) How my writing has improved over time: wow, so much. I genuinely had no idea what the hell I was doing when I started, and it shows: here <shudder shudder shudder> is my first fic, published February 22nd on FF.Net (aka The Bad Site): I like the idea of it, as a missing moment/other point of view thing, but holy lord, I had no understanding whatsoever of point of view, so it's an absolute head hopping jamboree. I've learned a tremendous amount about point of view since, and I think I'm also getting better at dialing down the drama, using fewer metaphors to greater effect, making dialogue more plausible, and being more careful with my word choice (I tend to use big words when smaller ones may hit harder.). I take pride in my own teach-ability, but the credit for the teaching goes primarily to others, especially and forever to one @evesaintyves, who saw a bit of potential in me and went so very far above and beyond to patiently help me hone my craft.

[runningfrom2am]

cold nights // epilogue

summary: a few years later...

pairing: coriolanus snow x fem!reader

wc: 3.7k

masterlists / nav / requests

tags/warnings: tribute!reader and mentor!coriolanus, r is very sweet (too kind for this world. literally.), sunshine x grumpy trope kinda, he falls first, violence typical for the source material, depictions of mental illness, also she's is very smart (as she should), district twelve!reader.

a/n:

here it is :) the epilogue :)

(i'm crying, could you tell??) i figured it was time to post this now that we've officially entered the overlapping requiem/michigan cherry era. tbh i was just afraid to let these two go bc i love them so much.

thank you all again SO so much for all the love on this fic. it has truly meant everything to me that so many people came on this actual JOURNEY with me, i never intended this to be so long but here we are.

anyway, stick around for requiem!! and i hope you loved this if you made it this far!!

my asks are also open to talk about this series! (i do have emoji anons open now too!)

send me any and all of your thoughts! here!

series masterlist // playlist // pinterest board

You were all dressed up in one of your finest gowns, attending the gala that preceded the presidential election.

Coriolanus was running, of course, and you were so incredibly proud. He's worked toward this for years, and you had been there every step of the way since the tenth annual Hunger Games, all those years ago. It felt like a distant memory- albeit one that still haunted you regularly.

You were a whole new person. A Capitol citizen most of the year, and you were happy most of the time. You and Coryo had always gone home in the summers, though, to spend your days surrounded by friends and family under the District Twelve sun. You always looked forward to it, but three months never felt like quite enough time. You missed your old life, but that's all it could be now.

While some Capitol elite was talking your ear off about the upcoming games, that's all you can think about. Well, how after the election that your boyfriend would most certainly win, those summers of peace would be a thing of the past. It was hard to think about, which is why you focussed on how you could work around it. Perhaps you would make smaller visits throughout the year- although Coryo was prepping you for the endless tasks that would even be put onto you as the First Lady of Panem. Once he wins the election, he would propose- and it would be followed by the wedding of the century. You didn't know if you dreaded it or if the pressure of it all just scared you beyond what excitement could repair.

"Miss Y/L/N?" Your train of thought is abruptly interrupted and you hum in response, bringing the champagne glass to your lips, acting like you were paying attention the whole time.

"Yes?" You respond as you lower your glass. "My apologies, I just spaced out for a moment there. It's a big day, after all..." You chuckle to recover, tilting your head slightly at them.

"I was just asking if you had any input in the arena for the next Games, if you could give us any hints." The man asks, seemingly impatient with you getting distracted.

"Oh," You reply, smile fading softly. "No, I- I really try to stay out of all of that." You laugh nervously, gripping tighter onto the glass as you take another sip, relieved when you feel someone's hand on your arm.

"Y/N, come sit. Coriolanus's speech is about to start, he got me to save you a seat at my table." Sejanus says, linking his arm with yours.

You politely excuse yourself from the conversation and allow him to pull you away. "Many thanks." You whisper to him, chuckling slightly as you glance back over your shoulder at the older man you were speaking to. "Some people are so tone-deaf, aren't they?"

"Most definitely." He sighs, shaking his head as he guides you toward his table at the front of the banquet hall, close to the stage. "Apparently that will never change."

Sejanus Plinth was your saving grace all these years, that, however, had never changed. You didn't see him as much anymore, with you being locked up in your office in the Snow penthouse focused on writing book after book until you were burnt out. His role as a doctor in and out of the Districts certainly didn't help either, but you knew he was partial to working back home in Twelve so he could spend more time with Lucy Gray. You were glad he was much more fulfilled in his adult life than you were; you always knew he would do well and you were proud. You had to take moments every so often to remind yourself that when you first met him and Coryo, you had been sad that you wouldn't get to see the men they would become but you had wondered. Now, you had your answers.

"Is that not the truth." You scoff under your breath, smiling and giving a quick wave to a few familiar faces as you pass. You had become somewhat of a people-pleasing expert, the same way Coriolanus had.

You sit down at the table at the front of the room just as the lights slightly dim, and the spotlight hits the stage. You gently cross one leg over the other, careful not to wrinkle your dress and clap in just the perfect polite way you had learned how to over the years, smiling as you see Coryo walk up onto the stage.

He waves, and people whistle and clap, and the smile on his face seems a little more genuine than it normally is during these speeches. Of course, though, this is his final address before he no doubt gets voted in as president, and you know that he is excited.

"Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for coming out tonight..." He says, in a subtle cue to get people to quiet down so he could speak, a drink still in his hand that he delicately hovers above the podium next to him. "This has been such an incredible opportunity for both of us running, and I must say, it's been fun." He tips the glass toward the other table at the front, and your eyes follow the movement to the other candidate, your friend and former classmate, Hilarius Heavensbee. They've never gotten along, and you know Hilarius wants nothing to do with this job. Not really. It makes you sad, a little bit, that his family would push him this far when he had confided in you in his freshman year that it wasn't what he wanted.

The man just gives Coryo a polite but nervous smile, taking another sip out of his own champagne glass. From where you were, you could see his hand trembling. You knew he would have to go next, and Coriolanus Snow was always a tough act to follow.

"Now, I am very happy about this turnout, because I have two important announcements to make." He continues, and whispers fill the room. You look over at Sejanus, a slight look of shock on your face. You didn't know he had anything special to announce, and he always kept you in the loop on everything. Sejanus just shrugs, looking back up at Coryo again. It must not actually be a big deal- it was probably just thanking some more people who have donated to his campaign.

"Firstly," He clears his throat, taking a step to the side as the screen behind him lights up. "For just a moment, see me as your head game maker and forget all about me running for president. Or don't, actually, maybe keep that in mind, but at the back of your mind." He chuckles, the little joke making the audience laugh. He was much more personable now than he once was, you smile a little as you remember helping him write his earlier speeches in a way that would make him more likable. "With the help of my fellow candidate and personal good friend, we are trying something new when it comes to The Hunger Games."

When he speaks, your heart drops and you sit up a little straighter- feeling all eyes on you as you just focus on him. For the first time, he looks down at you and gives you a small smile, the slightest nod in an effort to reassure you that it wasn't as scary as it sounded. You swallow and just keep your smile on as best as you can, ignoring all the stares.

"So, we all love The Games. They're exciting, the stakes are high, and I know every year we all pick our favourite tributes to root for and it's hard to watch them fall but, god, do I know better than anyone how good it feels when they win." Your cheeks burn intensely as Coryo sends a smile and a wink your way, and the screen behind him flashes to a picture of the two of you, taken after your shared university graduation just a couple of years ago. You were both smiling, but he was looking at you as he held you tight around your waist, and you looked into the camera and held up a three-finger salute. People are laughing and awe-ing at the photo of the two of you, and you laugh nervously, looking over at Sejanus with slightly panicked eyes.

You would be absolutely fine with this if he had just run it by you before, and you knew that whether you liked it or not, the Games were an integral part of who you were now, and always would be- but you certainly didn't want your name on anything to do with these new changes they're making. But, he wouldn't be talking about you at all if he knew you would hate it. You had to remind yourself of that.

"So, you all know my beautiful Y/N, of course, we're all big fans of hers here," Coryo says, gesturing to where you were sitting and you let out a nervous laugh, shaking your head at him in a way that would appear teasing to everyone else while he waits for everyone to finish clapping for you. "Don't get embarrassed already, darling, I've got a bit more to say about you so just sit tight, okay? Nothing bad, I promise." He says to you, looking into your eyes even as he stands up on the stage, everyone's laughter echoing in the background.

"So, I have known Y/N and her outstanding mind for years now. The Games are what brought us together when we were both just kids, but you all already know that story so I'll spare you the details. The bottom line is, I am so proud of the woman she has become. She's written two books that will soon become three, she graduated in the top three percent of our class with only a District education to build on, and she is the single most well-spoken, well-mannered, beautiful, and caring woman I have ever met. Truly, she has changed my entire outlook on life." He says, talking more so to the audience than to you, knowing that you're so embarrassed by this. And he would be correct. "It has truly been a privilege to know her, and to love her."

"But that was a long journey for us both, and a seemingly endless uphill battle for her recovery, despite her strength. The Games can be scary, let's be totally honest. It's life or death, and winning will change you, but Y/N came out the other side and wanted to make a difference for her family and that inspired me. And she continues to inspire me every day." Coryo says, pausing to take a sip of his champagne again. "So, all of this is to say, I'd like to thank her for all her support through my education, this campaign, and through the life we're building together. She inspired this idea in me and with the help of my fellow game makers as well as the Plinth family..." You look over at Sejanus as he continues, suddenly realizing he must have known about what was happening. He keeps a small smile on his lips as he watches, refusing to make eye contact with you.

"This," Coryo says, turning to look up at the screen while a picture comes up of a small cul-de-sac of beautiful homes. "Is just the beginning of the Victor's Rehabilitation Initiative."

You tilt your head, a shocked and confused smile on your face as you take in the photo and try to decipher what he's talking about.

"So, recently, Y/N has been more open with everyone about the struggles that came with being crowned a victor in our Games. Yes, they get to walk away with their lives, but what if winning meant something more? What if it meant security for them and their families, so they're not returning to their Districts with no sense of what to do next? That, everyone, is what this program is for. To help the strongest of them find a purpose again, and to encourage the bravest of Panem's children to get back on their feet after such an impressive feat as winning the Games."

You have to very consciously force your jaw to stay shut when you realize what he is saying, clapping along with everyone else while your smile relaxes into something more genuine. You knew that he wanted to abolish the Games altogether, and you knew that no matter who won the election, they wouldn't proceed for much longer. This was the first step in that direction, and you were flooded with emotions. Pride, excitement, relief.

"For ten years, until the beginning of the mentorship program, our victors were cast aside. Never to be heard from again after their win, I, for one, became curious as to what happened to them after the Games as soon as I met Y/N, and I have heard that question from many of you as well since we were all given the pleasure of getting to know her." Coryo's smile is one of pride and excitement, sparing a glance at you as he allows the audience to have their responses. So far, all seemingly positive despite the present undertones of him caring about the people in the Districts. He was a smooth talker, he knew exactly how to command a space and get people to believe what he wanted. And he was using it for good. "I mean, how many other victors have something extraordinary, just like her, that won't be utilized or nurtured? We never knew."

"From now on," He continues, the crowd quieting down. "Our victors will be given homes in what we've decided to call Victor's Villages in each of the Twelve Districts. They'll have ensured security for themselves and their families, and a generous sum of prize money to help them with whatever they need. Whether that's medical attention, both physical and emotional, or, if they so choose, when they reach the appropriate age, they could apply at our university to further their education. Though, between you and I, admittance is not guaranteed." He winks at the end and it's accompanied by laughter, which you try and go along with, but you're too close to tears to even process fully what was going on. This was a huge step in the right direction, even if like he said, acceptance was not guaranteed. "What I mean, is that it will be up to them. They can live their lives to the fullest, just like our gem, Y/N."

He looks at you again, and you can really only see his blurry form through your tears until someone is handing you a handkerchief to dry your eyes while people clap and cheer over the idea.

This was something you couldn't have imagined years ago. This was everything you've wanted since the Games- to make a difference, for people to care. And it was happening right before your eyes. Thanks to him. Thanks to you.

"And with that," Coryo says after a few moments, waiting for the crowd to quiet down after taking in your reaction. "We can move on to my second announcement, which is my formal withdrawal from the presidential campaign."

Gasps fill the room and your smile disappears, a hand coming up to your mouth as you look up at him, shocked and confused with the announcement that blindsided even you.

"Are you happy here?" You ask quietly, not wanting to disturb the peace of the evening as you walk from your parent's house back to your own in the Victor's Village.

"I couldn't be happier." Coryo replies through a soft sigh, swinging your hand gently as it's clasped between you.

"Are you sure?" You say again, feeling a little uncertain despite weeks of his endless reassurance that this was, in fact, what he wanted.

To him, this scenario was perfect. He could keep his job as head gamemaker, planning to only return to the Capitol for a few months or so every year for the Games. He knew that wouldn't last much longer, though, not with Hilarius Heavensbee in office. Coryo gives it a few years and a few major "accidental" mistakes on his part for the viewership of the annual event to die out and open the door for the president to call them off, just like he had always wanted to.

And every day Coryo would wake up to see you in your happy place, the only place you'd ever felt truly at home. He was more than happy to give it all up for the greatest sake of seeing you smile.

"Of course." He smiles, never growing tired of telling you the same thing over and over again if it meant he could ease your mind.

The moonlight bounces off his in a way that makes you think it could be glowing if you didn't know any better.

"I told you that I would be. Years ago. You remember?"

"Of course I remember."

He lets out a breathy laugh at your reply, shaking his head. "That was a foolish question. I don't think you've ever forgotten a single word anyone has ever spoken to you."

"Sure I have." You say, tilting your head as you look up at him, trying to catch the same moonlight reflect in the blue of his eyes as you walk down the path. "I just don't forget... the important bits."

"I will try my best to take care of you while you're here."

"My honest, best advice? Figure out a way to escape."

"I can't have killed them all for nothing."

"You are not a beast."

"Please, don't walk away again."

"I survived because I had to learn to love you."

"Like in your books?" His voice interrupts the swirling of speech from years past, and you shrug.

"Not exactly... it feels different. Because I can hear it, still." You explain, voice dropping into something more quiet as the remnants of your fear eats away at the back of your mind, the cold night breeze imprinting your skin.

"God, the way your mind works, love." He says, and as you look up at him to be met with an expression of pride that always changes everything. "You amaze me every day."

You stay quiet, cheeks getting hot as you look back down at the path.

"Are you happy?" Coryo asks after a moment, eyes never daring to leave your profile as you walk next to him, hardly more than a silhouette in the dark. But certainly more than a ghost, now.

"I am." You reply, the smile creeping back onto your lips. "Such hours are beautiful to live, but hard to describe..."

He hums softly in response. That was a yes, but also a no in the most you fashion possible. His heart remains heavy in his chest knowing that there is nothing more he can do for you to help you heal besides be present. "Is there anything more I can do?" He asks anyway, hoping that maybe you would come up with something.

You shake your head, giving him a tight-lipped smile laced with reassurance.

"Well, then..." He sighs, rather dramatically. "I did have an idea, you know, something that might make you happy. Even just for this one beautiful hour."

You let out a laugh, squeezing his hand a bit. "If that was you asking me if we could-"

"I would like to marry you." He says, for the first time ever, not feeling guilty about interrupting you.

You stop in your tracks, and he stops with you instantly as if he were waiting for it, his hold on your hand not faltering for a second.

"I... you-"

"Darling," He starts, stepping in front of you now, blocking out the moon but hardly putting a dent in the presence of the stars over his shoulders, their soft light reflecting off his blonde curls. "I do love nothing in the world so well as you."

Your shock and confusion begins to wear off as he speaks the familiar words, and you laugh softly. "In your own words, Coryo."

He tilts his head at you, clearly not having expected that kind of response. He expected a lot of things. He planned for everything that could go wrong, he prepared for rejection, for tears, panic, even, but he did not expect that. "I, uh..." He chuckles nervously, giving his head a quick shake to get himself back on track.

He had read that play just for you. Just for this- because he knew how much you loved it, and he remembered the joy it brought you. The smile on your face when you told him about it that day at the lake had never left his mind.

"If you ask me in your own words, I shall say yes." You assure him, hands gripping tighter onto his despite your surprisingly calm demeanor.

"I thought you would like that... You know, knowing you..."

He's quick to defend himself, and your eyes almost sparkle as you look up into his own. "We should have learned by now that our story is our own, yes?" You ask. "We are not Beatrice and Benedick, or Laurie and Amy, or even Romeo and Juliet, just like I used to think we were supposed to be when my days were numbered. I thought I wanted one of those stories to be mine at least once before I died, but I was wrong." You say, taking in the embarrassed flush of his cheeks even in the dim lighting. "You are you, and I am me. No matter what you say I will be happy to marry you, so long as you ask me yourself, and not as someone else."

"Alright then." He gives you a curt nod, a smile on his face as he lowers himself in front of you, careless of the dirt that would no doubt cake into the knee of his pants. "You're everything to me, Y/N/N. My world... my heart, my soul. I didn't know what love was until I met you. I've spent the entirety of my adult life learning to love you, and I never intend to stop. Not even for a moment, so please, let me marry you, love."

"A Coryo indeed." You say softly, recalling the first day you had met him- when you only knew him as Coriolanus, and how far you both had come since then. The growing smile on your lips twitches and you nod, holding his hand a little tighter and attempting to pull Coryo back to his feet. "Of course I will. Nothing would make me happier."

He stands again and very quickly his arms are around you, holding you just as tight as they always had.

taglist: @soulessjourney , @that-veela-girl ,  @dreamyysouls , @rockstarbfs , @maysileeewrites , @baybieruth , @kitscutie ,  @fratboyharrysgf0201 , @totallynotkaibiased , @stelleduarte , @secretsicanthideanymore , @bejeweledreverie , @drewsandsebastianswife , @niicole-87 , @queenofshinigamis , @innercreationflower , @nallasstuff , @iovemoonyy , @thatmarvelchick19 , @wearemadeofstardust0 , @regulusblackcore , @puredreamagination , @fantasticchaosthing , @becauseseaotters , @secretsicanthideanymore , @cascadingbliss

if you want to join the taglist for future fics (requiem, michigan cherry, etc.) as well as the bonus content for this fic, follow me over on @runningfrom2am-library and turn on post notifs! all i do over there is reblog my own writing, so it's effectively a taglist :)

thanks again for being here.

xx, raye

[stinkrascal]

TRANSCRIPT

Yakov: Hurry, thrall, before my cup runs dry. Thrall: Yes, master.

Yakov: And didn't I tell you to bring some bottles for the table? Thrall: Of course, sir.

Nadia: A thrall who doesn't listen? [ chuckles ] Reminds me of someone.

Helena: Y'all are too harsh on 'em. Nadia: You are too lenient, darling.

Helena: You keep on breaking their bodies, pretty soon you won't have anyone left. Yakov: No matter. If its body breaks, I'll find a new body.

Yakov: Stop skulking. Come here. Breanna: ... Yakov: I'm speaking to you, girl. Breanna: Huh? Who? Me?

Yakov: I've never seen you before. Breanna: I'm... new. Yakov: Who are you? Breanna: Uh, Breanna. And you are? Yakov: I'm the one asking questions. Breanna: Well that's rude.

Helena: Don't be nasty. At least she got the memo to wear white. [ giggling ] His name is Yakov, and I'm Helena. We belong to headmaster Nadia's coven. Breanna, is it?

Yakov: Do not speak to the fledgling like we are equals. Nadia: Calm yourself. I know this one.

Nadia: You're Vladislaus's new spawn. I can tell. Breanna: You know Vlad? Nadia: [ giggles ] I must admit, you're exactly as I imagined you'd be. Breanna: What's that supposed to mean? Nadia: Oh, nothing.

Yakov: Ah, I see. So you are the pet's pet. Truthfully, I don't care who you are.

Yakov: You aren't welcome here. Leave, now—

Yakov: Ah... but you are such a cute little thing, aren't you?

Breanna: Huh? Yakov: Hurry, thrall. Bring the girl a bottle.

Yakov: Pretty girls deserve to drink only the finest wine. Isn't that right? Breanna: Shit, I won't argue with that. So what are we celebrating anyways?

Yakov: Go on, tell her your good news. Helena: ...I'm leading a hunt soon— Yakov: Soon, she will be the one who leads the hunt! Is it not delightful?

Breanna: Hell yeah man, that's delightful as fuck. Yakov: Please, you must join us. Nadia: An astute idea, Yakov. I agree. I'm eager to see how you fare.

Nadia: Perhaps you can teach Helena a thing or two.

Vladislaus: You are drunk if you believe I would allow such a thing.

Vladislaus: She has no business leaving the Hollow. Breanna: But I wanna go with them.

Vladislaus: It seems my mentor has corrupted your poor mind already. How unfortunate.

Nadia: You are so surly, my darling. Won't you join us for a drink? Vladislaus: No, we should leave. There is still much training to do. Nadia: You will attend the gala, won't you?

Vladislaus: If I must. Nadia: Good. You have no choice. Why don't you bring your little spawnling with you? Vladislaus: ...That is a great idea, headmaster.

Breanna: You know, you could ask first. Vladislaus: Come, Breanna. Let us be on our way. Breanna: [ sighs ] You really don't listen, huh?

Breanna: Bye y'all, I had a lot of fun!

Breanna: Thanks for the free wine! 💖

Yakov: [ groaning ] Ugh—that little bitch was in my head! Helena: Should we go after her?

Nadia: No. Leave her. I question if she even realizes what she's done.

[aifanfictions]

do a story about (y/n), a human who is offered a job as a maid at the Phantomhive estate and Sebastian Michaelis (from Black Butler) becomes her mentor, teaching her how to be a good maid. He slowly starts falling in love with her and when the Phantomhive have a costume Ball at their estate, Sebastian requests a dance from (y/n). So Sebastian and (y/n) dance the night away.

Dance the night away

(Y/N) had never imagined that her life would take such a turn. As a simple human, she had often marveled at tales of the supernatural, but she never thought she'd become a part of one. That changed when she received an unexpected job offer to become a maid at the Phantomhive estate.

With a mix of excitement and trepidation, (Y/N) arrived at the sprawling and ominous mansion. It was a place shrouded in mystery, where dark secrets and enigmatic figures dwelled. Among them was Sebastian Michaelis, the enigmatic butler known for his exceptional skills and the air of mystery that surrounded him.

Sebastian greeted (Y/N) with a polite but detached demeanor, his crimson eyes betraying little emotion. As her mentor, he was tasked with teaching her the art of being a proper maid. (Y/N) found herself both intimidated and intrigued by him.

Under Sebastian's guidance, (Y/N) embarked on a rigorous training regimen. She learned the intricacies of cleaning, cooking, and serving with grace and precision. Sebastian was a demanding teacher, but he also possessed an uncanny ability to bring out the best in her.

As the days turned into weeks, (Y/N) and Sebastian spent countless hours together. They polished silverware side by side, prepared elaborate meals, and attended to the needs of their demanding master, Ciel Phantomhive. In those moments, (Y/N) began to notice a subtle change in Sebastian's demeanor.

He would steal glances at her when he thought she wasn't looking, and his stoic facade occasionally cracked with a faint smile. (Y/N) couldn't help but be curious about the enigmatic butler. What lay beneath that composed exterior?

One evening, as they were in the garden tending to the roses, Sebastian spoke to (Y/N) in a hushed tone. "You're making excellent progress, (Y/N)," he said, his voice velvety smooth. "You have a natural talent for this."

(Y/N) blushed at the compliment, feeling a warmth spread through her chest. "Thank you, Sebastian. Your guidance has been invaluable."

Sebastian's eyes met hers, and for a moment, they seemed to shimmer with an emotion she couldn't quite place. "You are most welcome," he replied softly.

As time passed, (Y/N) couldn't deny the growing attraction she felt toward Sebastian. His grace, his charm, and the air of mystery that surrounded him were alluring. But she also knew the boundaries that separated them – he was a demon, and she was a mere human.

One fateful night, the Phantomhive estate was abuzz with preparations for a grand costume ball. The mansion was adorned with elaborate decorations, and guests from all corners of London arrived in their finest attire. (Y/N) watched the festivities from the shadows, her heart heavy with the knowledge that she would never truly belong.

Then, amidst the sea of masks and gowns, Sebastian appeared before her. He was dressed in a tailored suit with a mask that concealed his identity. His eyes, however, were unmistakable, their crimson hue cutting through the masquerade.

"May I have this dance, (Y/N)?" he asked, his gloved hand extended.

Her heart skipped a beat as she placed her hand in his. "Of course, Sebastian."

They glided onto the dance floor, their movements fluid and graceful. The music enveloped them as they waltzed through the night, their bodies moving in perfect harmony. (Y/N) felt as if she were in a dream, swept away by the enchantment of the moment.

As they danced, Sebastian's gaze never left her. He held her close, his touch gentle but possessive. (Y/N) could feel the intensity of his emotions, the longing that lay hidden beneath his composed exterior.

"Sebastian," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the music.

He leaned in closer, his lips brushing against her ear. "Yes, (Y/N)?"

"I…" she began, her heart pounding in her chest. "I feel something for you, something I can't ignore."

Sebastian's eyes bore into hers, and in that moment, the facade of the unfeeling butler crumbled. "And I, (Y/N), have felt it too," he admitted, his voice filled with raw emotion.

Their dance continued, but it was no longer a mere waltz. It was a declaration of feelings that had been kept hidden for too long. As the night wore on, (Y/N) and Sebastian allowed themselves to be carried away by the music and the intensity of their newfound love.

In the heart of the Phantomhive estate, amidst the masks and the mysteries, (Y/N) and Sebastian shared a dance that transcended the boundaries of their existence. It was a dance of love and longing, of two souls drawn together by fate and bound by an unbreakable connection.

And as the night gave way to dawn, they knew that their love would endure, a forbidden romance that defied the very nature of their world.

NOTE! This story was generated by OpenAI

[fantastic-nonsense]

THANK YOU that co-parenting post was driving me crazy

Listen I let sooooooo many obviously fanon-based takes go at this point because not only is it way too much effort trying to respond to all of them, but I'm not that much of an asshole. But then there's just some things that transcend any possible scope of fanon/cultural osmosis-acquired "knowledge" and veer into "you have absolutely no clue what you're talking about and even just reading fandom takes couldn't get you here." And that post was definitely one of them.

Like, if it had just been a crack about the Bruce-Dick-Clark relationship I absolutely would have let it go, because despite it not being canon and Clark textually acting as Dick's pseudo-uncle there's a lot of basis for you to make jokes about Bruce and Clark co-parenting Dick in a lot of older Golden and Silver Age issues, particularly in World's Finest!

And I'm literally writing a fic that, in part, explores how Jason and Talia's canon relationship walks the boundary between "grudging allies and confidants" and "teacher/student" and "my dad's ex/my ex's kid' and "parent/child," so while it's not correct to say that Bruce is "co-parenting" Jason with Talia (he's most definitely not doing so) it's not exactly an objectively wrong conclusion to come to either.

But the rest of them? Just. The most baffling takes on the face of the planet. I don't understand where they got them and I don't understand why they felt so confident stating them the way they did. Leaving out Babs acting as Cass's surrogate mother, saying Bruce was co-parenting Tim with Shiva of all people over Jack Drake and Dana Winters, saying that Bruce was a parent or even a parental figure to Babs and Steph in any way, shape or form, adding in a random Bat-affiliated person as Duke's parent who not only is less than 5 years older than him and hasn't interacted with the core Batfam in nearly 5 years (because John Ridley is holding him hostage over in Jace's books) but has quite literally never canonically shared panel-time with Duke...just wild. Please just acknowledge that Bruce can be someone's coworker and/or mentor without being their parent and that the vast majority of the Batfam do in fact have other parents and parental figures that are not Bruce!

Kind of wonder what it's like in their brain, because I can't imagine the levels of active rejection of the source material required to get to the takes they got to.

[inspirationalucky]

👁️ EPIC: The Musical: Act One, The Cyclops Saga sentence starters. Because the lines are just That Good. Going by the exact lyrics, definitely change things to fit your muse's situation<3

Polyphemus

"I've gotta hand it to you both, this is quite the treat."

''It's almost too perfect, too good to be true."

"Why would the lotus eaters pass up on all this food?"

"We're just travelers, we come in peace."

"What gives you the right to deal a pain so deep?"

"Don't you know that pain you sow is pain you reap?"

"Your life now is in my hand."

"Before I'm done, you will learn that it's not so fun to take."

"You came to my home to steal."

"A trade, you see? Take from you like you took from me."

"There's been a misunderstanding!"

"Now that I see we've done some damage, maybe you and I can make a deal?"

"I'll give you our finest treasure so long as we leave alive."

"A trade, you see? A gift from you, and a gift from me."

"I'd like to thank you. Stranger, what's your name?"

"My name is Nobody."

"I'm so glad we see eye to eye."

"You shall be the final man to die.

Survive

"If we're defeated, they're good as dead."

"No backup, no chance for support."

"Show me, how great is your will to survive?"

"Six hundred lives at stake."

"It's just one life to take."

"No dying on me now, defeat is not allowed!"

"We must live through this day!"

"Show him that we're deadly!"

"Don't let him get close!"

"He can't land a blow if we're out of reach."

"Stand up and fight for your lives!"

"He's got a club!"

"You've hurt me enough."

"You're dying here and now, escape is not allowed."

"You won't live through this day, now die."

Remember Them

"We must move quickly, we don't have much time."

"He didn't notice I mixed lotus in his wine."

"Mark my words now, this is not the end."

"What'll we do with our fallen friends?"

"We are not to let them die in vain."

"We're the ones who carry on the flames of those who've gone."

"This is how we're getting out of here."

"Let's kill him!"

"Who hurts you?"

"There are more of them?"

"Captain, we should run!"

"If nobody hurts you, be silent."

"He's still a threat until he's dead! Finish it."

"What good would killing do when mercy is a skill more of this world could learn to use?"

"The blood we shed, it never dries."

"Is this what it means to be a warrior of the mind?"

"When we met I led with peace."

"Remember them the next time that you dare choose not to spare!"

"Remember them, remember us... remember me!"

"I am neither man nor mythical."

"I am your darkest moment!"

My Goodbye

You were reckless, sentimental at best."

"That's not a teaching of mine."

"You've grown soft, your dead friends can attest."

"Put your emotions aside."

"You're a warrior meant to lead the rest."

"I don't know where I went wrong!"

"I warned you, and you failed the test"

"This way you'll know what your place is."

"This way when all is over you'll keep yours and I'll keep mine."

"This way you won't disappoint me."

"Unlike you, every time someone dies I'm left to deal with the strain."

"What a title that a goddess could lend if I'll never sleep at night?"

"I'll remind you I saw you as a friend, but now we're done."

"This way you won't plague my life."

"You're out of sight and out of mind!"

"This way, you close the door and have your damn goodbye!"

"You're not looking for a mentor, I'm not looking for a friend."

"I mistook you for a General. What a waste of effort spent."

"At least I know what I'm fighting for while you're fighting to be known."

"Since you claim you're so much wiser, why's your life spent all alone? You're alone!"

"One day you'll hear what I'm saying. One day you might understand. One day, but not day."

"After all, you're just a man."

"This day you sever your own head."

"This day you lost it all."

"Consider this as my goodbye!"

[f0rlorn]

Hey! I just suddenly had an idea for a fic so can I req something for coral x district 7 -> capitol reader? Where R is like Sejanus and moved from the districts to the capitol, before she moved though she was dating coral (ignore all the weird timeline stuff sdfjvjd). Years later she's given coral for her to mentor and basically their kinda reunion at the zoo where they sort out their misunderstandings and etc... (why do I actually love this concept) Thank you and feel free to change things around! Take care <33 - N

long lost lovers → coral

coral!tbosas x reader

notes → in which you and coral are reunited under troublesome circumstances. i made the reader from district four just to try and make it make a little more sense in my head :) this is such a good idea, i hope you like it!! feminine intended reader

warnings → the whole reunion part is a little rushed imo.. not edited & uploaded via iphone.

     none of your classmates were rather fond of you. they thought it quite entitled that you had bought your way into the capitol, as if you wanted to be there in the first place. to them, you might as well have been "animal," along with all of the other district kids. you tried to keep quiet, in an attempt to avoid the torment they inflicted on you, and it worked for the most part. your counterpart, sejanus, was subject to similar circumstances as you, having moved to the capitol after the war had ended. he, on the other hand, had a much different plan of action than you. sejanus was very outspoken, a trait you admired, though it was not very appreciated by your classmates and teachers. having seen how they treated him when you first moved there, you decided it would be best if you just kept your mouth shut.

     among some of the top students of the academy, focused mostly on your studies instead of your nonexistent social life, you were picked to be a mentor for the tenth annual hunger games. but it was also plausible that your parents had bought you a spot as a mentor to “push you out of your comfort zone.” it was more like punishment than privilege to you, being forced to mentor someone you may have known. faces flashed across the screen during the reapings, those of children of various ages, some more malnourished than others. dean highbottom called out names as the tributes were being announced. your breath hitched when he reached your assigned tribute. the district four girl, a rather familiar face. you hadn’t seen the girl in years, two, to be exact. all the memories you had with her, the feelings you forgot you could feel, which you thought you had left back in district four, came flooding back. you were itching to see her again, and you couldn’t help but wonder when that day would come, but you knew it couldn’t come fast enough.

     it was agonizing, waiting for the time to come where you could visit coral. you had been thinking of what you would say since the day she was assigned to you. first and foremost, she was definitely due an apology. you had moved to the capitol without warning, awoken one day with directions to pack your most precious belongings. you left with no chance to say goodbye to coral. of course, you tried writing her tear stained letter after letter, but with no response for months on end, it was either she officially despised you, or your mother was intercepting your mail. you prayed it was the latter, but the day had finally come where you would find out. you hurriedly made your way to the zoo after collecting some of the finest capitol foods to offer her, in hopes that food would make the meeting a little more bearable for the both of you.

     immediately, you caught sight of the girl. and oh, was she a sight for sore eyes. coral, your girl, the only person you could ever open up to, was so close to you after having been separated for so long. you lacked self-restraint, scrambling up to the bars like a lunatic. “coral!” you cried, causing heads to turn your way. her eyes met yours, a striking blue, just as beautiful as the last time you had seen them, but with a new tinge of anger that hadn’t been there before. she didn’t run up to you like you thought she would’ve. no, she stayed sat on her rock, staring at you, dumbfounded. had it been a mistake to come? maybe after all this time with no contact, she had really started to hate you. or worse, she had forgotten about you. it took her district partner, mizzen, nudging her to wake her from her daze. coral slowly got up, stick still in her hand, and hesitantly walked towards you. “coral, i’m so, so sorry,” you started, reaching for her hand before she aggressively pulled it back.

     “save it. it’s not your fault i’m here,” she claimed, tone bitter, but underneath that, you could sense it was coming from a place of pain. 

     “about leaving, coral. i swear to you, i didn’t have a choice. my parents never told me anything, they made me pack the day we left. i tried writing, but they wouldn’t send my letters out,” you were about to cry, at this point. a part of coral wanted nothing more than to wipe your rising tears away and hold you close, forgetting about all the pain you caused by abandoning her. she could see where you were coming from, but her world had shattered when you left. the hole you left in her heart had been left to rot, filling with resentment. but as she witnessed you now, as heartbroken as she had been, the blame seemed to lift off of your shoulders.

     “so you didn’t leave me.. just like that?” coral asked. it was like a stab to the chest that she ever thought you would do that to her. coral had once expressed her fear of abandonment to you, and to her it appeared that you had gone and done just that. the girl, who just a moment ago stood defensive and closed off, now looked especially vulnerable.

     “i could never, coral. i loved you more than anything, still do. i never wanted to leave!” you expressed. coral dropped her stick, taking a small step closer to you. 

     “if… you mean that.. i missed you. it’s not the same back home without you,” she claimed, nodding her head slightly. you smiled sorrowfully. you had missed a lot in coral’s life, it felt like there was no possible way you could make up for lost time.

     “i’ve missed you too. here, eat, i brought you some food,” you invited, sitting down to get comfortable. you wanted to spend as much time with her as you could. coral was close behind, accepting the arrangement of food you slid her through the bars. she examined it, deciding which to try first “remember when we used to have picnics? on the weekends. we’d sit on the dock and just talk,” you reminisced as coral smiled at the memory, already stuffing her face with food. you were glad she was finally getting some sustenance for the first time since she had arrived.

     “the good ol’ days,” she joked, then proceeded to go silent for a few moments. “…what’s gonna happen when i have to go in there?” you didn’t think that through very well, too preoccupied with your reunion to remember who you had to thank for it- the capitol. maybe the source of all of your problems. you started to resent everything about the place you were forced called home. running away may have been the only option to get away from it all.

     “i’ll get you out of here. then we’ll leave, together. i promise.” you finally had her back, and there was no way you would be letting her go now.

[macabr3-barbi3]

God, That's Good!

Chapter 3: My Friends

Alastor has something that belonged to the barber in a past life- and Lucifer makes a deal.

Chapter 1 🥧 Chapter 2 🥧 Chapter 3 🥧 Chapter 4 🥧 Chapter 5 🥧 Chapter 6  🥧Chapter 7

Tags: uhhh revenge? brooding? Everything is going so slowly right now, I promise it will pick up after we do our shows this weekend! (Thank you to @fraugwinska for her Show Week knowledge and making me wait and not post everything written as soon it's done- I'm probably not going to be getting much writing done this week because of rehearsals and shows so she is keeping me on track! I LOVE YOU FRAU)

The decor in the apartment in the back is more subdued than the front- still a lot of red, but the things that hang on the walls are more tasteful- paintings and newspaper clippings line the walls of the hallway, more soft jazz emanating from somewhere deeper into the apartment. “I found them upstairs when I purchased the building and shop from my mentor,” Alastor says as he leads Lucifer back. “He did a better job than I have of keeping people out of the place, so they were undisturbed when I went up to rummage around. I could have sold them, you know,” he adds, casting an eye back to Lucifer. “But they were such high quality, I wasn’t sure I would even be able to get what they were worth. Any profit is a profit, I suppose, but I wanted to make sure they were done justice- and I’m glad I had an inkling to hang onto them!”

He leans down into a chest at the foot of his bed, and Lucifer realizes that he’s been led into the man’s bedroom- he hardly has time to blush at the sudden intimacy before Alastor is standing again, looming over Lucifer when he turns with a decorative box in his hands, held gently between their bodies. His voice catches in his throat when he recognizes the walnut, the delicate wood burning that adorns the lid, the lovingly engraved ‘DD’ in the bottom corner.

He was a fresh twenty-one years old when he decided that he wanted to be a barber, to Judge Cain and Adam’s disappointment; they wanted him to join them. But they had supported him in his decision regardless, presenting him with these razors at his and Lilith’s wedding as a gift, a way to start his business on the right foot with the finest tools that money could buy. Lucifer had cried receiving them, the Judge had cried at his emotion, and Adam had been quiet and pensive- which, he now recognized, was likely due to the legalized relationship between himself and Lilith than any familial emotions at the gift. 

He was near obsessive in his care of them as his business started and took off- he would allow no one to touch them or clean them, taking a soft rag to them after close each night and storing them adoringly back in their box. They stayed in the barbershop, away from where a curious Charlie could accidentally grab them and hurt herself or anyone else. Lilith teased him about it constantly, claiming that he loved them more than he loved her, and he would smile and pull her into his arms and mutter about how the razors were less likely to talk back to him. And she would smile and laugh and pull him into the sweetest kiss right there on the couch, and in that little bubble everything was perfect.

They’re heavy in his hands now as he opens the lid and extracts one from the box, Alastor silent and observant when Lucifer inspects it, noticing a spot of blood on one of the handles. Not from himself- he made sure they were clean before he put them away every night, which meant that sometime in the last fifteen years they had been in use. He makes an inquisitive noise in his throat, something not quite anger- it feels suspiciously like jealousy- bubbling in his chest, and Alastor makes his soft humming noise. “My apologies-  it seemed a shame to let them sit in disuse! I admit I’ll occasionally pull them out when my own blades will not suffice.”

Lucifer doesn’t answer- he doesn’t mind, truthfully. The thought of them having just sat in their box for fifteen years- unused, uncared for, alone- made him far sadder than the vague dismay at someone else having used them. That they hadn’t been stolen, reclaimed by the Cain family when he was sent off and Lilith passed, was a miracle. They were still here waiting for him after all this time- the only thing that was still here upon his return, even if his family wasn’t. 

He opens the blade, the sharp edge catching the light and glinting in a familiar way. They were beautiful instruments, and had been such a thoughtful gift from Adam and his father. To think they would give him something like this and then still do what they had done to him… an unforgivable betrayal. “This is… all I have left,” Lucifer says, his voice thick in the space between himself and Alastor. “Of my life before.”

“Well, you have it back now,” Alastor says, and when Lucifer makes eye contact with the baker his expression is almost tender, a soft smile on his face while he’s watched Lucifer sift through his wild thoughts. “What will you do with it?”

“I will have my revenge.” The last word is nearly hissed, and when he looks up he half expects to see Alastor watching him with horror. But his expression hasn’t changed, the air between them charged with adrenaline and Lucifer’s wrath. He’s shaking, he realizes, the hand holding his open razor trembling mere inches away from Alastor’s abdomen. The baker’s face holds no fear though, calm and relaxed despite the sharp object in Lucifer’s hands. “I apologize,” he mutters, taking a step back and closing the razor, placing it carefully back in the box. “You have nothing to fear; I would never-”

“What, hurt me?” Alastor’s smile grows, a mischievous smirk as he looks Lucifer up and down. “No, I wouldn’t think so. Who else would allow you to stay rent free in the lodging above their shop?”

Lucifer’s hope rekindles. “You mean it? I’ll pay rent eventually, I can start shaving again perhaps- but knowing my plans as they are, I wouldn’t want to bring any trouble to your doorstep. Is there anything I can do to repay the favor?”

Alastor waves him down cheerfully. “Nothing at the moment, good fellow! We’ll call it a gesture in good faith for now- perhaps down the line I may have a favor to ask of you and you can square up then. How does that sound?”

“Deal!” He steals one of Alastor’s hands from under the box to shake it, his grip firm in his enthusiasm. His mind races- there was one less problem to worry about with Alastor’s generosity. Now he had to figure how he was actually going to access Adam and this Beadle character; perhaps if he could get his business running again the pair of them might come in for a shave. He could prove himself an accomplished barber somehow, gain a bit of a reputation and lure them to the shop above the bakery with tales of a free shave…

And then he would have them. 

From there he would find Charlie. It didn't sound like they kept her locked in the house all of the time- perhaps when she was out on the town he could approach her, explain who he was and what had happened to him, try to build the father and daughter relationship he had wanted for them when she was a girl. He had been so excited to watch her grow into her own person, the perfect accumulation of the best parts of Lucifer and Lilith. He would never get that now, the progression of her growth, but she was still his Charlie- he would love her to the day he died, even if she turned him away when she found out who he was.

A throat clears, and Lucifer realizes that he’s still clutching Alastor’s hand. He lets go, a blush flaming his cheeks as he coughs awkwardly and steps away. “Do you have the key?” He asks, just to say something, and Alastor chuckles before he reaches into his pocket for a keyring that he holds out. “Lead the way!” Lucifer steps aside and allows Alastor to lead him back down the hallway, through the connecting door to the pie shop.

Husker has returned, polishing glasses behind the counter. He nods to Alastor and casts a suspicious eye at Lucifer as they approach the door. “As you know, there’s two entry points- the door off the back that leads directly to the apartment, and the one off the front here that leads to your shop.” He disconnects two keys from the keyring and slips them into Lucifer’s hand. “I had the keys replaced when I took over- who knows what kinds of people my prior mentor allowed to have access?”

He looks down at the keys in his hand- not the familiar gunmetal gray that he and Lili had obtained from the owner, but a rich black that was smooth to the touch. “Right. I’ll… I’ll be right back, if you don’t mind waiting down here?”

“By all means!” He steps aside to let Lucifer pass, and he feels eyes on him all the way up the stairs, until he’s turned the key in the lock and entered what used to be his barbershop.

Carnage. From the years of vandals breaking in, as well as the shattered mirror on the floor from where Lucifer had fought off the police when Adam had them sent after him so long ago. Broken glass littered the floor, his combs and towels scattered around the room, the door between the shop and their home cracked down the middle and hanging off its hinges. Tears blur his vision as he steps through the doorway, most of their furniture and decorations left undisturbed. Charlie’s drawings have fallen from the wall and the refrigerator, family ‘portraits’ of the three of them holding hands, various animals and bugs and buildings that she came up with in her imaginative mind. He and Lilith had always made such a show of praising her for them, their sweet girl with her art and the little songs she made up and-

He turns away from the living room, heading back to the bedroom they had all shared, Charlie’s bed separated from theirs by a simple room divider- her walls are also covered in her drawings and scribbled song lyrics that she had come up with. His and Lilith’s bed is against the far wall, as far as they could get from Charlie so their more amorous activities didn’t disturb or wake her. Lilith had always wanted more than this place for them- that was part of why she wanted to move North, where property was cheaper and the spaces larger. She wanted Charlie to grow up in a proper house, not a one bedroom apartment off the side of his barbershop; she wanted to be a proper homemaker, a housewife, something she claimed couldn’t be done in such cramped quarters.

But they had all been together, the two of them in such deep, desperate love, unaware of the tragedy that was coming for them when Adam decided that he had had enough of his unreciprocated longing.

It’s too much. Lucifer stumbles back out of the apartment, through the barbershop, nearly falling down them in his haste. “Ah! What do you think of the place?” Alastor asks from his position at the bottom of the stairs, and Lucifer collapses onto the last step with his face in his hands.

“I can’t do it,” he says. “I can’t be there, in the apartment- there’s too many memories, too much sadness and nostalgia and… I just can’t.” He meets Alastor’s gaze, his expression unreadable. “I appreciate the generous offer but I’ll have to find something else.” 

A smile. “Nonsense, my dear! If you’re amenable to the arrangement, I do have a spare bedroom in my living quarters that you’re welcome to move into. I do occasionally have other matters to attend to so I won’t be home all the time, but you’re welcome to use the space as your own.” He doesn’t take the keys back from Lucifer, holding his hand out and pulling the shorter man to his feet.

“That’s… too kind,” Lucifer says, and again something scratches at the back of his mind telling him that the situation was too good to be true. But he has few other options if he wants to be close to the barbershop, and no chance of any place else allowing him to stay without money. “Your mother clearly raised you well, to be such a giving soul.”

Alastor laughs. “Perhaps I just really want to cash in on that favor you now owe me,” he says slyly, eyes narrowed like they’re co-conspirators in on a secret plot. “Come now- I’ll give you a proper tour!”

They go back inside, and Alastor mentions to Husker behind the bar that Lucifer would be his personal guest in his apartment out back- “what the fuck do I care about that?” The man had grumbled, and as they passed him Lucifer saw him take a full swig out of one of the bottles behind him. Alastor shows him to the spare room and the bathroom, leaving him with his razor box and a spare shaving soap.

He takes one of the blades out again, setting it behind the faucet while he lathers the soap with scalding water and spreads it across his cheeks and chin with his fingers. Opening the razor, he’s careful as he brings it to his skin- he already feels more normal than he has all day, and the first swipe across his stubble leaving smooth flesh behind is a blessing, a token of grace in a day of hardships and strife. He shaves his own face the way he did others; quickly, smoothly, efficiently. A few strokes and he’s finished, completely bare faced once again and looking nothing like the man he had been before.

Which felt… fitting. Because he wasn’t Damien Diggory anymore; father to a daughter that wouldn’t recognize him from a stranger on the street; husband to a woman rotting in the ground; friend to a man that had betrayed him and ruined the life he had once known.

There was only Lucifer Morningstar now- and there was work to be done.

Chapter 1 🥧 Chapter 2 🥧 Chapter 3 🥧 Chapter 4 🥧 Chapter 5 🥧 Chapter 6  🥧Chapter 7

[widowsistersandfriends]

Fighting the Tickle Monster

Request: Hi! First of all, your fics are amazing and cute and I'm so sorry for the haters you're getting! If that's okay, I wanted to give you a little prompt for Wanda and reader. Like, since joining the compound, reader has always seen Wanda being the tickle monster (she gave herself that title!) so they get Wanda, only to find out she is a huge and adorable walking tickle spot! You're free to add whatever you want, even other characters, I don't mind :)

Notes: Thank you so much for this cute request! I appreciate your patience waiting for this fic! I hope you enjoy :)

Word Count: 2030

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

You were new to the Avengers, as this was only your second week living in the compound with all of them. You were still in awe of the structure and layout of your new living space. The highest technology, finest finishes, and updated appliances. For now, you had your own room, but you were never alone for long. Especially since the rest of the Avengers loved hanging out as a group downstairs in the common area.

You had many mentors who helped lead the way for you. As you learned more about how to be a great superhero, you also learned a lot more about the roles around the compound. Yelena was the prankster, roping in Kate and Peter so she could split the punishment. Peter and Kate were young and maybe just a tad bit scared of Yelena. They figured it was better to split the punishment three ways rather than two. Natasha was definitely the mom of the group, caring and strong, while always looking out for your safety and well-being first. Steve was the goofy one, always cracking corny jokes and happened to be an amazing chef as well. Tony was the uptight, serious, all work no play guy around there. Thor, Bruce, and Clint were chill dudes, who bonded over their lack of understanding of what young people do these days. Lastly, Wanda was the one who would do anything to protect anyone, but she also had a mischievous side and couldn’t help messing with people given her powers.

From what you’ve seen so far, whenever Yelena would try to pull pranks with Kate and Peter, Wanda would be the first to punish them with tickles. Her powers allowed her to pin all three of them at once while still having both her hands free. Natasha would sometimes join in to help her or give away Yelena’s weaknesses. Even though you were new here, Yelena still tried to rope you in as much as possible. Today, you were involved in your first quadruplet prank, which you learned the hard way to not do.

The four of you had put on swim flippers, dragging mud prints into the compound, trying to scare the others that an animal had walked through and left footprints. You guys were able to execute it quickly, running into the garage to take off the flippers and hide them. You knew this was a harmless prank since Wanda could use her magic to clean it up in seconds. However, your flippers were stuck and you couldn’t get them off in time, when the garage door opened and Wanda caught you guys in the act. 

“Well well well, what do we have here?” Wanda asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Nothing…” You said, avoiding eye contact and trying to move out of sight.

“Seems like Y/N has gotten roped into one of Yelena’s famous pranks huh?” The witch said, knowing that Yelena and the rest of the crew were hiding nearby. 

“I wasn’t doing anything!” You blurted out.

The witch knew you were lying, as she could hear your thoughts. 

“Really?” Wanda said, smirking a little before sending some magic towards you. In seconds you felt ticklish sensations on your ribcage, making you double over with laughter and wrap your arms around yourself, to no avail.

“Wahahanda stahahahap gehehet ihihit ohohoff,” you giggled, struggling to stay standing.

“Not until you spill the truth,” Wanda said, upping the sensation, making you fall to the ground laughing. It also didn’t help that she had added sensations to your armpits. Wanda slowly made her way over to you, as you were a giggly mess on the floor. Your superpower was the ability to shut your nerves off. However, you were too ticklish and couldn’t concentrate enough to focus.

“C’mon Y/N, what’s the matter? Can’t turn your ticklishness off?” Wanda asked, now picking you up and flying back into the living room with you, and pinning you with her powers. With that, she continued the sensations and began to tickle your sides with her sharp nails.

“GAHAHAHA WAHAHANDA STAHAHAHAP PLEHEHEASE IHIHIT TIHIHICKLES,” you screamed with laughter. 

“Better fess up who else is in cahoots with you,” the witch teased, speeding her fingers up.

“AHAHAHA NEHEHEVER,” you cried, unable to squirm and knowing that if you didn’t fess up, she would tickle you to tears.

“Tell the tickle monster, before she makes you pee your pants,” Wanda teased, moving down to your feet.

“NOHOHO NOHOHOT THEHEHERE OKAHAHAY IHIHI GHIHIVE,” you shouted, knowing that once someone got a hold of your feet, you were done for.

“Tell me,” Wanda demanded, as you giggled from the lingering sensation.

“Ihihi ahaha was wihith Yelena, Kate, and Peter,” you huffed out, lying there in defeat.

“Ohh interesting,” Wanda said teasingly, as you knew she already knew all the details, wanted to tickle you to get you to confess.

“You’re evil, you know that,” you said playfully.

“Glad you picked up on that in the short time you’ve been here,” Wanda said with a wink.

“Now what do you say? Want to help me dish out a punishment to your other little minions?” Wanda asked with a smile.

You thought for a second, knowing that either way you would be in trouble. Whether it was with Wanda or Yelena. However, Wanda had way more power, so you took your chances with Yelena and led the witch back to the garage where the others were hiding. In your defense, they didn’t try to save you when you were being tickled to pieces.

You turned on the lights in the garage, telling Wanda where they hid. 

“Thanks, Y/N. I’ll give you a headstart so they don’t try to chase you,” the witch whispered. You quickly ran off, hearing Yelena shout your name to get back there. You let out a giggle and returned to the living room where you found Natasha doing a sudoku puzzle.

“Heard you got wrecked, Y/N,” Natasha said, smirking without looking up.

“Shut up, I did not!” 

“Everyone could hear your laughter throughout the compound,” Natasha said. Before you could respond, Wanda came back in, all three kiddos in tow.

“Why do we keep agreeing to this?” Peter asked Kate, who looked like a deer in the headlights, knowing she was doomed. Yelena was the only one trying to wiggle her way out of Wanda’s grasp, being unsuccessful. 

“The more you squirm, the more she’s gonna tickle you,” Natasha told Yelena.

“But if I escape I won’t get tickled at all,” Yelena said back matter-of-factly.

“Too bad you’re not escaping,” you chimed in shyly.

“You little turd. You’re the reason why I got caught!” Yelena said, pointing at you.

“Don’t worry, I already tickled her to pieces,” Wanda said, catching you blushing.

“Oh man, I wish I saw that,” Yelena said with a chuckle.

“You missed a lot. She’s super ticklish and has the sweetest giggle,” Wanda said, floating her magic towards you, this time on your stomach.

“Nohohohoo Wahahahanda plehehehease ihih’ve hahahad enohough,” you squealed, curling up into a ball. They all laughed at your reaction, much to your embarrassment. 

“I didn’t forget about you guys,” Wanda said, promptly pinning the three of them with her powers.

“Now, who should I start with first?” Wanda said, wiggling her fingers.

“Kate!” Yelena blurted out, before bursting into laughter, as Wanda raked her nails over Yelena’s armpits.

“AHAHAHAHA STAHAHAHAHAP.”

“Since you volunteered someone else, I decided to tickle you first,” Wanda said cheekily.

“IHIHITS SOHOHO BAHAHAD PLEHEHEASE,” the blonde laughed, as Wanda began to squeeze her knees and knead into her hips.

Wanda gave her a break and moved on to Kate, who was the most scared out of all of them.

“Please don’t tickle me! I’m sorry!” Kate pleaded.

“Hmm, no I think the tickle monster is still hungry,” Wanda said, blowing three raspberries on Kate’s stomach. It tickled so much that Kate went into silent laughter.

“Wow Kate, she’s not even doing much,” Peter teased, whose eyes then widened when Wanda reached over and tickled his armpits, making the boy squeal with laughter. She now used her other hand to dip a finger into Kate’s belly button. 

“WANDA NOT THEHEHEHERE IHIHI CAHAHANT STAHAHAND IHIHIT,” Kate screamed. She was getting their two worst spots at the same time. Once she felt they had enough, she sent some magic to all of them, tickling them on their feet and sides. They were all laughing too much to even speak. Meanwhile Natasha had moved closer to you on the couch.

“You know, we should try to get Wanda back. She’s always the most powerful one here, but why not give her a taste of her own medicine?” Natasha suggested quietly to you.

“No way! I’m not suffering through punishment again!” You hissed back quietly.

“You’d rather be in trouble with me?” Natasha said, pinching your side, making you yelp and jump away.

“That’s what I thought,” the redhead said, now explaining the plan to you.

Natasha snuck up behind Wanda while she was distracted, grabbing her from behind and pinning her arms above her head. Meanwhile you came around and quickly sat on Wanda’s waist.

“Y/N! What are you doing??” Wanda questioned, trying to break free from Natasha. 

“I’m here to get revenge,” you said simply.

“Too bad I’m not ticklish, so you’ll have to find another way,” the witch responded confidently.

“We’ll see about that,” you said, slowly tracing your fingers over her sides and stomach. You saw her jolt, as she sucked her stomach in to avoid your fingers.

“Oh what do we have here? Seems like I’m not the only liar here,” you said, now kneading into her sides and tickling her stomach with no mercy.

“Y/N STAHAHAHAP OHOO MY GOHOHOSH,” the witch cried out with laughter. The tickling was enough for her to break concentration, which released the other three from her spell holding them down. Meanwhile, Natasha was using her free hand to tickle the witch’s armpits. 

“Alright everyone, pick a spot,” Natasha said, keeping a firm grip on her wrists.

Yelena went to her feet, Kate was at her knees, and you and Peter would get her upper body, while Natasha got her armpits. 

“Everyone ready?” Yelena asked.

“NO GUYS PLEASE! DONT DO THIS!” Wanda panicked, unable to escape. 

“Who’s the tickle monster now?” You asked, as you all began to tickle her to pieces.

“NOHOHOHO AHAHAHAHAHA GUYS STAHAHAP,” Wanda shouted, overwhelmed with ticklish sensations. 

You raked your nails over her ribs, before digging in between her rib bones knowing that you had hit a sweet spot. The witch tried to kick and wiggle as much as she could, but she was outnumbered.

“Do you admit defeat?” Yelena asked, running her nails over a particularly good spot near her heel. 

“GAHAHA NEHEHEVER SCREHEHEW YOHOHOU GUHUYS,” the witch laughed, turning pink.

“Man she is stubborn,” Peter commented with a small laugh.

“Fine, then take this as revenge for all the times you tickled us. Turns out you’re even more ticklish than us!” Kate said, now tickling the back of her knees.

Natasha had let her guard down a bit, loosening her grip on Wanda’s wrists. The witch saw this opportunity and extended her arms to reach Natasha’s stomach. She wiggled her fingers, causing Natasha to yelp and let go of her wrists. With her hands free now, she immediately turned towards you and reached up to tickle you off of her. You squealed and immediately got off of her. Wanda was able to overpower the others and quickly turned the tables on Natasha, the only one who hadn’t been tickled yet. 

Within seconds, Natasha was laughing and squealing, failing to swat Wanda’s quick hands away. You joined the other three, fleeing to safety.

“You brats!” Natasha yelled out over her laughter. The four of you knew they would get revenge on you guys afterwards, so you guys took advantage of the head start. Even if tickling embarrassed you, you loved the bonding it created between you and your superhero teammates. And the one thing you always remembered was that Wanda was the ultimate tickle monster.

[memekais]

epic the musical sentence starters. the cyclops saga. feel free to change pronouns as needed!

polyphemus

i can't believe this cave has all this for us to keep.

i've gotta hand it to you both, this is quite the treat.

it's almost too perfect, too good to be true.

hey there... we're just travelers. we come in peace.

what gives you the right to deal a pain so deep? don't you know that pain you sow is pain you rеap?

time to drink your blood over where you stand.

your life now is in my hand. before i'm done you will learn that it's not so fun to take.

you came to my home to steal but now you'll become my meal.

a trade, you see? take from you like you took from me.

there's been a misunderstanding, we never came here to steal!

now that i see we've done some damage, maybe you and I could make a deal?

i'll give you our finest treasure so long as we leave alive.

one sip and you'll understand the power that's in your hands.

we shall be on our way, no bloodshed in here today.

a trade, you see? a gift from you and a gift from me.

ah, i'd like to thank you. stranger, what's your name?

i'm so glad we see eye to eye.

you shall be the final man to die.

survive

if we're defeated, they're good as dead.

straight ahead, that is who we're fighting.

no backup, no chance for support so draw out your swords. our foe must be thwarted right here and now.

show me how great is your will to survive.

it's just one life to take and when we kill him then our journey's over.

no dying on me now!

we must live through this day so fight, fight, fight!

surround him! attack from behind, keep distance in mind and stay in his blindspot and strike his heels!

don't let him get close, he's strong but he's slow! he can't land a blow if we're out of reach!

stand up and fight for your lives!

you've hurt me enough.

six hundred lives I'll take... six hundred lives I'll break.

when I kill you then my pain is over.

you're dying here and now! escape is not allowed!

you won't live through this day now die... die...!

remember them

we must move quickly; we don't have much time...

mark my words now, this is not the end.

but captain, what'll we do with our fallen friends?

remember them when the fire begins to fade, for the fallen and afraid.

we are not to let them die in vain.

we're the ones who carry on the flames of those who've gone.

let's kill him!

his body is blocking the path. if we kill him, we'll be stuck inside.

if nobody hurts you, be silent.

have you forgotten the lessons i taught you?

he's still a threat until he's dead. finish it.

what good would killing do when mercy is a skill more of this world could learn to use?

the blood we shed; it never dries.

is this what it means to be a warrior of the mind?

when we met, i led with peace while you fed your inner beast.

remember them the next time that you dare choose not to spare.

remember them. remember us. remember me.

i am neither man nor mythical! i am your darkest moment!

i am the infamous [name]!

my goodbye

you are reckless, sentimental at best.

you've grown soft, your dead friends can attest.

put your emotions aside.

you're a warrior meant to lead the rest.

i don't know where i went wrong but i warned you, and you failed the test so now i'm gone.

this way, you'll know what your place is. this way, you can't cross the line.

this way, you won't disappoint me. this way, you won't waste my time.

consider this as my goodbye.

that's just like you, why should i be surprised? selfish and prideful and vain.

unlike you, every time someone dies i'm left to deal with the strain.

what's a title that a goddess could lend if i'll never sleep at night?

i'll remind you i saw you as a friend but now we're done.

this way, you're out of my head now.

this way, you won't plague my life.

when all is done, you're out of sight and out of mind.

close the door and have your damn goodbye.

you're not looking for a mentor i'm not looking for a friend.

i mistook you for a general, what a waste of effort spent!

at least i know what i'm fighting for while you're fighting to be known!

since you claim you're so much wiser, why's your life spent all alone?

one day, you'll hear what I'm saying.

one day, you might understand. one day, but not today, for after all you're just a man.

this day, you lost it all.

[brittle-doughie]

For Their Majesty (Amber Sugar Cookie

Requested by: anon! Amber’s pronouns were all over the place when he dropped. Thanks a bunch for 200 followers, folks!

You were the king/queen of your hive, a honey nectar cookie that Amber Sugar Cookie considered to be absolutely perfect in every way and he’s incredibly honored to be a worker cookie under you.

He makes sure that every piece of work he does is nothing but perfect to his standards, you deserve nothing but the best and he makes sure of that by presenting the finest honey combs he can make.

You did catch him keeping up during nights if he’s having trouble with a honey comb he’s been working on for hours now. He was THIS close to making a perfect one, but it just wasn’t good enough to him. He knew he could make it better! So he tosses the honey comb away in the corner among a stack of them to try again.

The other amber cookies try to convince him to take a rest, but would refuse them. You would have to be called to his area to comfort him into sleeping. You’re the only one who can make him halt what he’s doing and listen to 100%.

When it comes to other tasks, he gives it his full strength as well. The hive members would call him a show off, but he doesn’t care for their words. He’s doing the best he can and bring the largest honey output back to the hive! Your hive was nothing but impeccable and will do anything to make sure it prospers for a long time.

He can’t help but be incredibly judgemental of his fellow cookies when they present their honey combs to you. What was this?! This was decent at best! You deserve way better then that! Amber will mentor the cookie, but he can get a little much and ends up just doing the honey comb himself.

Amber dedicated himself to be your protector as well. You can defend yourself just fine, but that doesn’t stop Amber and your workers to ferociously defend you against any dangers that mean you and your hive harm. Amber is particularly violent as he gives the perpetrators a good whack with his Honeydipper Staff, ensuring the lesson is really knocked into them. Stay away from Y/N Cookie’s hive if you know what’s good for you…

Amber hates any cookie that tries to take his spot as your best worker cookie in the hive and he’ll be sure to give them a really good reason as to why they shouldn’t try to upstage him. He’s worked so hard to gain your approval and attention, he’ll be damned if he lost it to an unworthy pest…

Amber Sugar Cookie is your best worker Cookie in the hive, he’s proud of that title, and he’ll do anything to keep it…

[sasusakucore]

Lucy Gray Baird - an innocent victim or a manipulator?

What's your first impression of Lucy Gray?

Do you think she loved Coriolanus in tbosas?

What do you think might have happened to Lucy Gray in the end?

What's your opinion about theories :

1. Greasy Sae as Lucy Gray.

2. Coin as a daughter or relative of Lucy Gray.

Thank you :)

@curiousnonny

I am happy to answer this ask. This is my second one(the first one was given by an homophobic asshole so I blocked the ask request for some time). I love the ballad of songbirds and snakes especially Lucy gray, her entire character and history, her relationship and dynamic with snow and the way she parallels katniss. I am sorry if the answer is a bit long.

1)She is a victim. Sure she was manipulative in the beginning but I don't think she intended for her or snow to fall in love, she just wanted to make sure her mentor cared for enough to invest in her as much as he can in power(snow went beyond his power for her to win and also showed care for her which made her feel grateful and happy and one of the reasons for her to fall for him)so that she could survive but during her time in the capitol, both came to love each other especially before the games began. Plus we need to remember that there is a power imbalance, snow is from the capitol and she is from the district, so he has a lot power over her despite his economic status and later as a peacekeeper, he still held power over her. And during his time in the district, both were deeply in love with each other until coryo lied to her about his 3rd kill which made lucy gray to stop trusting him. Lucy gray is person who values trust a lot even over love(like in real life you can love someone but don't trust them because they might harm you and this is especially true with survivors of abuse, some of them having some affections for their abuser but they don't trust them) and coryo was basically a danger to her the minute he broke her trust plus I think she figured it was sejanus, so she was extra fearful for her life that if she stayed with and did something he didn't like or he might think of her as a 'loose end' in the future, he would kill her so she definitely planned her escape and she was right about it since coryo went on a rampage the minute he became paranoid around her. Plus coryo did love her but it was in a twisted way. He wanted to control her(he literally thought about putting her in a cage and got mad when she has a life outside of him(he was very jealous when it comes to her past relationship with Billy taupe despite the fact she would want to be atleast 10 feet away from him)). In real life there are several cases of abusers killing their victim just because they did something the abuser didn't like or the victim is a 'loose end' for them or that they are losing control over their victim. Lucy gray, in the eyes of the society's standard of a victim is definitely not a perfect victim since she doesn't act like the society's version of what typical victim is(no survivor/victim of abuse is a perfect victim and even if they are, society still blames them. Survivors are still survivors of abuse regardless of them killing or hitting back or insulting their abusers or using other shady means to escape their abuse because in the end abuse is a situation where one person has more power over the other. Survivors come in many forms, they could be unpleasant personality wise but it doesn't change the fact that they are a survivor of abuse(we see how survivors having mental issues are treated horribly by the society)) and some people blame her for coryo to go on a rampage because she 'provoked'him, which is victim blaming at the finest Plus even before Lucy gray did anything 'provoking ' towards snow, he was still unhinged(especially the cage thing).

2) My first impression was that she is a terrific character, a total badass, very intelligent and charismatic, amazing singer who vocalize her thoughts and feelings in her songs, is very loyal and passionate towards those she loves, doesn't tolerate bullshit and got nice survival skills. I just fell in love with her and I am obsessed with her and she is one of my favourite characters. Her parallels with katniss are amazing the both the girlie's have many similarities as well differences.

3) She did love Coriolanus but as the cast of tbosas said both her and coryo(although his love is twisted) loved each other but valued their survival more. The biggest examples of her love for Coriolanus is when she was happy to see him at the hob, her song for him, her introducing him to covey and the lake and her desire to run away with him.

4)I am open to both the possibilities that she us either alive or dead though I lean a bit to the she is alive and living her best life away from panem partially because this would make snow mad and because after all the shit she went through, she deserves better.

5) (i) The first one is interesting and I would have believed that it could be possible if it wasn't for the fact that lucy gray would be in her 80s in the trilogy and greasy sae according to wiki is in her 70s. Plus, it might have been difficult because someone might have recognized her plus snow was keeping an eye on 12 for some years until he decided to show some leniency or just focused on other things though it can be possible she could have came back to 12 if we were to ignore her and greasy she's ages.

ii) Sorry, but I don't think she because I don't think a child of lucy gray would be as cruel as coin. Lucy gray would 200% want to avoid raising her child to be like snow.

I edited the last one because I misread the question.

[frogchiro]

hello lovelies! i'm really sorry for my absence but between the return to uni closing in and some last minute errands i haven't been able to write as much as i want and it's so frustrating for me :(( i promise i'll be back to regular posting soon but for now please have these little thirsts as an apology and a free pass for me to have brain rot <3

tagging @stygianoir for the dain crumbs </3

f!reader, only slightly suggestive so no real smut, possessive/obsessive behavior, age gap and implied big age difference but reader is always explicitly stated to be an adult, pierro being a petty old man ft his two dumbass sons </3

one of my all time favorite, possessive pierro x khaen'rhian princess! reader <3 pierro who became a sort of guide/mentor for you after he saved you from the fall of your homeland and has been taking care of you ever since. he was the one to watch you mature and form into the beautiful and regal young woman you are now, all thanks to him. to pierro you are the perfect symbol of youth, innocence and a chance for your fallen kingdom to raise once again. and yet there was that one tiny voice inside of him that kept telling him that by all laws you are rightfully his; his princess, his woman, his wife.

and so here you are, sitting all pretty and flushed as pierro caresses your cheeks and throat with his talons as he slips a thin silver chain around your neck, smiling lightly at the tiny gasp you let out due to the cold of the beautiful glowing blue stone attached to the necklace as it fell upon your bosom.

you were his, he was certain of that and he had to fight the urge to sink his fangs into your warm neck and mate you to him. but everything would soon fall into place, just you wait darling~

for now pierro would gloat in silence, parading you around zapolyarny palace and showing off your beauty, the quiet mark of his ownership hanging and glinting around your neck for everyone to see <3

or or chieftan!pierro claiming you, the young beauty from his tribe and wedding you to him much to the jealousy of his two sons, kaeya and dainsleif <3 you are the daughter of one of the commanders of the tribe who just so happens to be his close friend and brother-in-arms, and pierro has been observing you for quite some time now. he watched you as the whole clan celebrated your 20th spring ceremony, beautiful flowers woven into your hair as you laughed and danced around the celebratory fire in a simple but tasteful dress reserved for special occasions like this.

the silver haired man couldn't really help but let his imagination run wild and in his mind's eyes he could already see your wedding; you all bashful and flushed under all the attention you were receiving. hair woven into intricate braids decorated with a flower crown made from the rarest mountain flowers, dressed in the finest white sable furs, a white wedding gown specially imported for this occasion, after all pierro wants all whats best for his new bride. your painted red lips would shyly open when he'd feed you the best cuts of meat and various fruits as he growled words of praise for your beauty and purring promises of what will come when it will be time to whisk you away to your now shared tent <3 all the while the man was fully aware of the two pairs of eyes watching you two and burning with barely contained jealousy and rage, pierro could almost taste the anger his two sons felt after he quite literally snatched you right from under their greedy little hands and made you his wife. pierro wasn't a petty man but he couldn't help but shoot kaeya and dain a knowing look over his shoulder as he led you with an arm possessively wrapped around your shoulder towards your shared tent to consummate your marriage, the noises from the cheering rowdy clanspeople overpowering the furious growls coming from his sons </3

he jerked slightly when he had to leave his imagination and return to the present. suddenly he was very aware of the way his two idiot boys tried to flirt with you and woo you as you shyly averted your gaze from the smirking men as they flexed in front of you and showed off like two peacocks. pierro could only raise a silver eyebrow as he watched the scene unfold, already feeling for his sons when he'll make the grand announcement to the clan that he's taking a wife-you <3

[shadow-gear]

Chapter 3 - Reflections

“I’ve lost sight of him.” Shui Jaing’s soft voice pierced the team’s magic comlink.

Shui, a human below average height with black hair past her shoulder blades, perched above the shipyard on a suspended cargo container. Chains creaked under the strain as they swung with the slightest movement from her. Shui vigilantly kept track of her team through her scope’s thermal setting. She toggled between thermal and scotopic vision trying to find her target. Her marksmanship skills earned her top of the class and her small stature made her a hard target to spot. A perfect candidate that Adalissie couldn’t pass up.

“Skathor, time for Plan B.” Adalissie panted through the coms.

Adalissie, a taller than average human with brown shoulder length hair, sprinted and leaped over abandoned lift trucks and other obstacles in a maze of cargo containers. She slid to a stop and slammed her back against a tall container waiting for Shui’s directions.

“I hate Plan B.”

Her partner, Rorgal Daymantal, a suave grizzled dwarf with a long braided beard down to his hips, hot on her tail. He tapped her shoulder as he came up behind her—his way of letting her know he’s in position. He took a back seat on this mission and let Adalissie take over as team leader. He mentored her long enough. Their paths diverted and they both looked in opposite directions covering their respective flanks.

With a puff of air, Adalissie blew her bangs out of her bloodshot eyes. “He’s built like an airship. How is he so fucking fast?”

Sweat rolled down her olive-toned forehead into her eyes, making them sting. The coms remained silent, and she looked behind her at Rorgal.

Rorgal chuckled, hitting her lower arm in a friendly manner as he struggled to catch his breath as well. “You’re just out of shape, girl,”

His aging body won’t be able to keep up with this chase for much longer, and Adalissie knew that. Even in her late twenties, she also felt the strain of the chase. A Dragonkin provoked the team into entering a shipyard off the coast of Staera. Dragonkin is a race rarely seen outside of Uzon, the East continent. His kind were all sorcerers thanks to the dragon blood that flowed into their veins. The kingdoms of Athewen, Procaria, and Staera had laws that banned magic and the execution of any known affiliates and practitioners of sorcerers. Those same three kingdoms formed a joint team comprising their finest to apprehend criminals such as this.

Adalissie snorted, “Look who’s talking, old man. Don’t die of a heart attack this close to retirement.”

Skathor, the other member of their team, broke the silence of com chatter. “Authorization approved from HQ. Quit the chatter. I need to concentrate.” 

Skathor Muse, a young Cambion eager to prove himself, gripped his components bag. His red forehead wrinkled as he prepared for his location spell. In a circle, Skathor painted several arcane symbols in white paint on the blue container in front of him. He reached into his brown leather bag and splashed the wet paint with bits of bloodhound fur. Demonic chants flowed out of his lips as his eyes turned a neon yellow and his vision narrowed, focusing on the Dragonkin. 

“East corner of the yard. Stationary for now. Alone. Heart rate increased. He’s panicking.”

A moment of silence before Shui spoke over the com. “All clear. Both sides. I have eyes on him. Container unit 5793 sitting in a clearing straight ahead. Recommended formation Alpha Delta.” 

“Moving.” Acknowledged Adalissie.

Rorgal gave a head nod of approval to her as she held a finger to her lips. She opened up her palm in one hand and with the other, did a circular motion above it. Both held up their firearms in their respective directions. Adalissi tapped Rorgal’s back without looking back. They crept around the fork and entered narrow corridors. A fog horn from a passing ship echoed off the tall stacks of metal boxes. 

Shui leaped down from her spot and disassembled her rifle. She tried carefully not to make a sound when she jumped from one container to the next. She crouched and followed closely from up top, keeping tabs on Adalissi from the corner of her eye. Skathor did the same as Shui, but followed Rorgal from the top. He had a heavier foot step than his partner and the empty containers reminded him.

Deep into the shipyard sat unit 5793 and their target. Multiple pathways would take her to her target, it was a wide open spot. Too many blindspots and she didn’t like that. She knew a trap when she saw one, but no dice, the only way through is forward. Careful not to let her presence known, she crouched close to the edge of the boxes. 

Shui and Skathor broke off and circled around to the other side to get a better vantage spot. Adalissie and Rorgal waited patiently for the others to get into position masking their presence in the shadows.

Comms were suddenly lit up with a mix of deafening static and broken up voices of the team talking over each other. “Shit, we… play… target… eyes up…”

“Adie, move your ass!”

Adalissie heard Rorgal shout towards her before blurs of green and blue crossed her vision. Cold steel pressed against her body as she heard shouting and gunfire muffled by faint scuffling. A dim golden tether floated by her, leaving a faint sparkle in its wake. Her vision blurred and a high pitch deafened her hearing. 

“Blood of my blood. This is not your time.”

Her consciousness faded to black. 

****

Birds chirped on a warm afternoon. Children frolicked about the playground, their voices carried far across the landscape. A girl, about four, used the cover of a nearby tree and observed them playing. Her long bleach-white hair flowed in the evening breeze. Golden irises that contrasted against her bronze skin tone longed to join the children. 

“Why are you not playing with the others, Miss Mashal?”

A voice behind the girl startled her. The adolescent whipped her head around so quickly that the momentum and length of her hair smacked her in the face. A gasp escaped from her mouth as her chest tightened. Upon recognizing who snuck up behind her, she shrugged it off and acted like it didn’t phase her.

“They don’t want a freak like me playing with them.”

“You are not a freak. You have something special they do not possess.” They processed their next set of words. “Which makes them scared of you. If they do not want to take the time to get to know you, then they are not worth your time.”

“Cia, it is the same wherever I go. They call me names and it hurts.”

Cia kneeled and patted her on the head.

“You are Adalissie Mashal. Nothing more, nothing less.” Cia reached her hand out toward Adalissie. “Now come, it is time to see your mother.” 

Adalissie held on tight to Cia’s hand with a heavy heart. She had not seen her mom in months since the collapse in her study. Doctors tried to explain, but the words they used were far beyond her understanding. Adalissie glanced up at Cia and noticed the dry mascara that ran down her cheeks.

“Is mommy okay?” Adalissie asked.

Cia’s voice cracked. “Yeah. Everything is fine.” 

Liar.

The drive to the hospital was relatively short, but to Adalissie, it felt longer. Thoughts entered her mind, and none of them were good. She noticed Cia crying from time to time when she thought she wasn’t looking.

Doctors and nurses stood outside the hospital with government officials. Adalissie rubbed her eyes as the lights from the lobby blinded her. Officers escorted her to her mother, and the hallways fell silent when she walked down. Nurses who were going about their day all bowed their heads in sorrow as she passed.

It made her heart sink. Drops of water landed on the top of her hand and she instantly reached up to her cheek, wiping away the wetness.

Sporadic beeping machines lined the bed with several hoses hooked to a shriveled woman. People who Adalissie didn’t recognize left without speaking, leaving an empty room for her and her mother. 

Raspy and weak, the bedridden woman spoke.

“Is my daughter here yet?”

Adalissie ran over to her mom, letting go of Cia’s hand. Cia took a step forward, but hesitated. She didn’t want to interrupt their reunion.

“Mom!” Adalissie grabbed her mother’s hand. “What’s wrong?”

It had been months since she heard her mother’s voice. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she couldn’t stop smiling. She wanted to tell her mother everything that had happened in the time she had been in a coma.

“Today at school…”

“My precious daughter.”

Blonde dark-skinned woman stared blankly at the ceiling, paying no attention to the child’s death grip on her arm. Adalissie’s smile faded.

“Mom?”

“You are destined for great things, my love.” Her mother weakly laughed. “I wish to see the new era you bring. I am so sorry that-”

A long, drawn-out tone from one machine filled the room. Adalissie’s eyes darted between her mother and the machine. She looked back at Cia, who had already broken down crying. A flash of light, brighter than the sun, lit the room. Adalissie kneeled beside her mother with white feathery wings spread from her back, reaching to both ends of the bed. Cia rushed into the room and gave a warm embrace to calm the child. The bright light dimmed and her wings drooped. The hallways were no longer silent.

****

Hemp rope rubbed tight against Adalissie’s skin as she lay on a cold, hard surface. Her head pounded as if someone was beating her head with a stick. She blinked, trying to get her vision to focus. A high-pitched wailing drowned familiar voices out. Another voice she didn’t recognize broke the chatter.

“Ah, the girl awakens.”

Adalissie shook her head to clear her senses. “W-what?”

The high-pitched wail subsisted, and her vision focused. Darkness surrounded her and she couldn't see past the bright light shining in her direction. Her team sat detained next to her, hands and feet bound.

Rorgal leaned closer to Adalissie. “You took a bad tumble back there, girl. Thought you wouldn’t make it.”

The bright light from the lamp shined directly into their face and caused everyone to sweat under the intense heat it gave off. A Dragonkin, horns narrowly touching the ceiling, revealed himself from the shadows. Scraping a chair across the concrete floor behind him. He let out a small puff of air while flexing his nostrils giving off an intimidating presence which made Adalissie uneasy. 

Long, black claws gripped the back of the chair and spun it around. His beefy scaled legs straddle the wooden seat as he sat facing them. Colorful bronze scales reflected the light back on the wall making different shapes. His dark brown serpentine eyes darted between his captives studying their reactions. 

“Let’s begin.”

The Dragonkin spoke in a guttural voice, followed by a low growl. Adalissie noted his presence, which carried a bit of weight. As Adalissie’s eyes adjusted to the room, she took notice of the other people in the room with them. She didn't take into account that the Dragonkin had help evading them. It made sense now why he was hard to capture.

“My name is Tiphuc Dravull. Tell me, do you know the reason your kingdoms hunts down sorcerers?”

He snapped his bulky fingers together. A lengthy human, no older than twenty, brought up a strange contraption. An oblong container that faintly glowed and pulsed with purple energy. Twisted supports resembling the roots of a tree, connected to two leaf-shaped ends.

“Sorcery is outlawed for a good reason. It’s blood magic and nothing good comes from using it.” Shui said.

The group of humans in the foreground erupted in a unison laugh and stopped when Tiphuc lifted his hand.

“Is that what they teach you?” A sensible chuckle escaped his throat. “That’s cute. Magic is not free for those who are not born from it. The Gods are dead and your Kingdoms are hiding the truth.” 

Tiphuc rose and pushed the chair aside, then adjusted his glare at Skathor. “Tell me, Red, where does your source come from?”

“It took me years to study magic and learn the spells I know,” Skathor said.

“But where do you draw power from to cast those spells?” asked Tiphuc.

“Valgrea, The Tree of Death.”

Tiphuc strolled toward Skathor, his snout inches from his face. He leaned back to escape the dragon’s foul breath and its massive claws that dwarfed the peculiar gadget that he presented toward him. Two of Tiphuc’s followers moved behind Skathor and stood him up, untying his bonds. 

“That is a Cambion religious faith. Made up to keep you devils in line. I will show you raw arcane power. Power that you can touch, smell, and see,” Tiphuc handed the object to Skathor.

Skathor reached out and grasped the apparatus, bringing it closer to him. Low hums increased in pitch and the purple bloom brightened the longer he held it. Pulses increased and the arcane machine became deafening. 

A smirk gradually drew across his face. A surge of mystic strength coursed through his veins. Translucent blue crystals sprouted from his palm and morphed into a small dagger. He flipped the crystalline dirk in the air for a while.

“This is incredible. I can cast magic without components or incantations.”

Skathor summoned multiple ice daggers and threw them at the closest wall. He coughed up blood the second he cast. The ice daggers melted, unable to maintain composition.

“What-” pain shot through Skathor’s arm. “What’s happening?”

His arm vibrated as the humming grew louder. A moan withdrew from his lips as he dropped to one knee. Veins bulged from his arms and pulsed in sync with the machine. Skathor fell prone, screaming in agony. 

In minutes, his body cracked with purple energy and his red skin turned to a brown, white ash. The screaming abruptly stopped, as there was nothing left but a husk. Tiphuc lightly blew, causing a swirl of dust in the space where Skathor once lay.

“Repentance.” Tiphuc swiped the contraption off the floor and handed it to Adalissie. “Are you ready to be judged?”

“Fuck you.” She spat at his feet while maintaining eye contact. “Do you think of yourself as some kind of replacement for the Gods?”

Tiphuc grabbed her neck and slammed her face into the ground. The weight and pure strength were no match for her thin body structure. The device hummed louder when placed in her hands. Shui and Rorgal struggled against their restraints to help their teammate. Adalissie’s irises flickered from brown to an illuminated gold. 

“Let go of me!” she yelled through clenched teeth.

The roots of her brown hair turned to a bleach white. Tiphuc’s eyes widened as more of her hair changed to the same color.

“Interesting. Does your team know what you are?”

“No.” With a sigh, Tiphuc flew away from her by an invisible force. “And they never will.”

A flash of light filled the room, impairing the vision of everyone. Over the sounds of fighting, the device increased its hum as ambient magic built. The room fell silent except for the creaking hinge of the cargo door opening. A large horned figure dragging a corpse behind it exited.

****

Thick smoke swirled around a room of a run-down apartment. Sirens from the streets passed through the paper-thin walls. Burnt skin mixed with burning paper flowed out of the unsealed front door. Normally, this would be a cause for concern, but this was an everyday occurrence in this neighborhood.

After the sizzle of a paper stick being put out, the teenage girl whimpered quietly. A mid-thirties woman lifted the cigarette from the teenager’s forearm. Burnt skin healed on her with remarkable speed, with no trace of the injury. The smoking woman reached for another smoke and let out an audible frustration.

She looked at the girl sitting next to her on the couch.

“Be a good girl and get Mama more Hellhounds from her room.”

With watery eyes, the girl looked at her caretaker and whimpered, “Cia...”

“Now, Adalissie!”

Cia threw the empty Hellhound box across the room. Feeling defeated, Adalissie carried out the task and proceeded to Cia’s bedroom. She hated nights where her foster dad came home early. He would give Cia some pills that made her zone out, and she would become a different person.

Dread hit her when she walked into Cia’s bedroom. This used to be a happy home before Velcun, her foster father, came into the picture. Cia would bring take out after work and they would watch movies until she fell asleep. Now it’s full of drugs and moldy beer cans. This isn’t what her mother would have wanted for her, but she can’t leave Cia alone with that asshole.

She searched the room from top to bottom before finding the smokes in the dresser’s top drawer hidden under some socks. Pain struck her like someone stabbed a knife through her skull after grabbing the carton. Just like the other times, she pushed past the pain and winced, enduring the irritation.

When leaving the room, her headache grew, dropping her to her knees instantly. Not daring to yell, she shut her eyes and clasped her head while caging her suffering. Before she could halt the sensation, but this felt different. Her dark brown irises flickered an illuminating gold, lighting the dimly lit hallway like a spotlight. 

Spots on her back itched as the skin tore sprouting wing joints. Strands of blonde and white blended into her brown hair. Tiny bone stubs broke through her skull, releasing some of the pain. She squatted and pulled her legs close to her chest while she tightly closed her eyes.

“No, not now.” She mumbled as she rocked back and forth. “Please stop.”

Down the hallway, a door slammed opened followed by heavy footsteps coming toward her. A human male towered over the scared girl.

“What did I tell you about using your powers in my house, freak?”

The man unbuckled his belt and wiped it off his pants with a crack. She knew what came next, and her body froze. She wanted to scream, but the lump in her throat prevented her from letting out a peep. One, two, three strikes from his waistband, leaving red marks on her skin that healed as quickly as they formed. Her heart pumped faster, and she experienced an unfamiliar might swell deep inside. A voice rang in her mind in a language she somehow understood.

Uio avai rad dalok ad koark dhoal kruxo?

Are you not tired of being their slave?

Kdak harkark kudk. Ork dho kuar.

Stop holding back. End the pain.

Iorouko avail dirr kaxoi.

Release your full power.

Twisted horns shot out the tiny bone stubs on her forehead, curving upwards. Pitch-black ooze draped her long white hair, soiling the carpet. The whites of her eyes became obsidian and her gold pupils deepened to a glowing ruby. Long, sharp front teeth poked her bottom lip while her snow-white appendages darkened to the same black as her hair.

“Velcun, ka rad daidh no uravnaio!” Adalissie’s ebony wings fanned out as she walked closer.

Velcun tumbled backward and scrambled to scurry away from the Adalissie. 

A flame lit at the tip of her finger. “Her heart is no longer endured by agony. She is not your plaything. She is no longer Cia’s responsibility.”

Adalissie’s lips moved, but it was not her sweet, soft voice that came out. It was deeper, more confident, and it terrified Velcun to his core. With his backside to the hallway wall, he pushed himself up upright. Lengthy black-tipped nails gently coiled around Velcun’s throat, pushing him up the wall further. The ruby glow of her eyes pierced deep into his core as his trachea caved in from the pressure of her hold.

“I’m not sorry for what I did. You ungrateful child.” 

His raspy last words escaped through his crushed windpipe as his eyes dulled gray and his body went limp. 

Bottles crashed on the hardwood floor in the next room, drawing Adalissie’s attention. She dropped Velcun’s body on the floor and moved on. Cia huddled in the corner, blocking herself with furniture to distance her and the thing Adalissie had become.

“S-stay back, you m-monster.” Cia cried, holding out a broken glass bottle.

Adalissie threw the carton of Hellhounds towards Cia. She dropped the bottle and caught the smoke box.

“Ino’s death deeply scarred you in ways others would never understand. Being left to raise a child by yourself put unnecessary strain on you but, marrying that abusive fuck. It changed you and not for the better.” Adalissie inched closer to Cia’s face and ran her long fingernail across her delicate features. “You’ve fallen from grace, Cia.”

“Every time I look at you…” Tears streamed down Cia’s face. “I’m reminded of what I lost. She… she overworked because of you. You were her world, and I loved her.”

Adalissie backed slowly while lowering her brow. Her inky tips curled onto the sofa, poking holes in the upholstery.

“So you turned to drugs? You let a child fend for herself while you tried to forget? How dare you blame a child for the death of their mother?”

Adalissie roared, shaking the apartment and shattering the windows. Adalissie chanted an incantation and waved her hand in rhythmic motion. An arcane symbol appeared, spawning three small specs that floated into Cia’s mouth. Cia itched compulsively, tearing at her skin. Insects crawled out of her wounds and tore into her flesh more, a repeated cycle generating more bugs with each rebirth. 

“She loved you, Cia, and you let her down.”

****

Tiphuc still breathed, but couldn’t move much more than his torso. His burnt corpse was still smoldering as Adalissie crouched above him, watching him die.

He looked at her and struggled to talk, spewing blue blood. “Nine Hells take you, Sem’Varian.” 

“Take me?” Adalissie leaned closer and whispered in his ear. “The Nine Hells didn’t want me.”

She reached for the knife that was strapped to her leg. Inch by inch, she inserted it in the nape and with the last exhale of breath from Tiphuc; she had verification that he expired. She swiftly stowed the dagger, satisfied that he would no longer be talking. Bones cracked as she grew shorter and her horns retracted back into her forehead.

She dragged her teammates out of the room one by one and untied them. While they were still unconscious, she set fire to the building and destroyed any evidence of what she did. Rorgal woke up first, followed by Shui, who frantically looked around. She helped calm Shui down enough to have a coherent conversation with her.

“What the hell was that?” Shui asked.

“A radical cultist? All sorcerers spew the same nonsense.” replied Adalissie.

“She means what spell did you cast?” Rorgal butted in.

“That wasn’t me. Must have been a malfunction with the device.”

“No.” Rorgal stood up, standing between Shui and Adalissie. “I don’t think it was. What are you hiding?”

Adalissie sighed heavily. “I always liked you, Rorgal, and that’s why I’m giving you an option to leave with your lives. I’ll say you died in the attack like Skathor or—”

“Or what?” Rorgal asked.

Adalissie’s brown eyes flickered gold and her horns grew.

“I’ll kill you.”

****

Adalissie returned from her mission alone and sat in her superior’s office, dodging cups and other objects. Papers swirled around after a frustrated swipe of the Minotaur’s gnarly toned arm across his desk. A ceramic coffee mug with world’s best dad fell to the ground and shattered.

It didn’t phase Adalissie in the slightest. Calm and collected, she endured her aggressive discipline that lasted for several minutes before the Captain calmed down. 

“Tell me again why I have three stiffs in the morgue?” He took a deep breath, then exhaled. “This was a joint operation between three Kingdoms. Do you understand how bad this makes us look?”

“Well, Rorgal was killed as well.”

“Is that what you get out of this?” His large hands pulled his chair closer. “Until this fuck up gets resolved, I’m giving you a new assignment. Far away from me and this Kingdom.”

“Captain-”

Adalissie was cut off as he talked over her.

“It’s another joint operation, but you are taking a backseat on this. Maybe you’ll learn something from…” The captain adjusted his glasses. “Amzer Bright. Not our jurisdiction, but they are seeking help.”

Her death grip indented the foam padding on the armrest. She dug deeper before letting go when she felt her fingers poke through the fake leather. Her jaw tensed and she bit down harder, keeping her feelings in check. She wanted to scream. It wouldn’t do any good, but it might make her feel better. 

“When am I leaving?” she asked, calmly.

“Tonight. All the arrangements have been made.” 

He shifted his metal framed glasses that rested loosely on the bridge of his nose. He grabbed a few papers off his desk and staked them in different piles.

“Where am I going?” Adalissie asked.

A few seconds passed before he noticed she had not left. He looked over the frames as they slipped down the bridge of his nose.

“Black Hollow. A town, if that’s what you want to call it. I’d say it’s more of a fishing village.”

“So, not worth my time.”

“You don’t have a choice. Now get out of my office.”

And with that, she left the building. With her bags packed, she left for Black Hollow. She decided she would play this by the book and keep things close to her chest. She didn’t want another incident on her hands. This case had to go well.

[puddinginthemix]

Chapter eleven: Ruinous (Nighteye)

Nighteye turns thirty. The world turns upside down.

All Might undertook to make this a nice night, presiding very amiably over the birthday dinner, joking with their friends and with the waitstaff, retelling his best old stories. He toasted Nighteye as the finest sidekick in Japan, a companion in the struggle, a comfort in adversity, a comrade in victory. Gran Torino gave Mirai a sidelong glance: “Get a load of those hard c’s, kid.” But if the old hero was impervious to All Might’s charms, Nighteye found that he himself was still taken by them. There was something about All Might—this All Might, bluff and jovial, as though all the evils of the world were paper tigers—that made him want to sit closer and warm himself, the way one would nestle under a heated kotatsu table. Even knowing that his easy cheer was a pose, a pretense, he felt it, and he tried to let the comfort of it seep into his blood along with the expensive wine. At their dinner table, the spirit of the holiday season still reigned. Torino and Tsukauchi both got a little drunk and started a cutthroat game of jyan-ken-pon; All Might cheered Tsukauchi on with outsized enthusiasm. Nezu ought to have been inebriated as well, given the amount of wine he was consuming with his imported cheese, though you never could tell with him. He and Centipeder had not met before, but they took to each other immediately, as Nighteye had expected they would. “Don’t human faces look outrageous when they sneeze?” Nezu asked, and Centipeder thrummed with laughter: “It is so humiliating for them, poor things! Thank heaven my physiology makes it impossible.” Before long, Nezu had Juzo talking about his ambition to divest from the cooperative of young heroes where he worked now and start his own agency. “I know it’s a pretty big feat,” his friend joked, “but I hope all my small ones will add up.” Nezu chortled, then squeaked as though he had thought of something tremendously clever, “Perhaps you should join him, Sir Nighteye, now that you’re getting on in years! You can’t be a sidekick forever, you know!” It was a natural enough thing to say, in theory. Sidekick status befitted young heroes, virtually all of whom had ambitions of rising independently through the rankings. Few were over thirty, and fewer of those had any reputation to speak of. Moving beyond the title didn’t necessarily entail a separation from one’s mentor, personally or even professionally. Often enough, people who got along, who had grown to depend on each other—and sometimes more, as everyone knew—would formally announce a shift to an equal partnership. It had happened with Team Kazan, and the Water Hose heroes, and plenty of others besides. But for himself and All Might, such a thing was obviously nonsense. For Japan’s top hero, the Symbol of Peace, unrivaled in combat and adored in the public eye, suddenly to become half of a set, the other of whom had no physical prowess to speak of and no taste for exposure? It didn’t even bear discussion.

[vievecorcityrp]

ASTRID LUNDQUIST

GENDER: Female

SPECIES: Demon (Underworld Demon)

AGE: ~1200

SEXUALITY: Bisexual

OCCUPATION: Owner of Absynthia

DISTRICT: Hedon

BACKGROUND:

When she was a young lass, her homeland was wracked with turmoil. She spent every day helping her mother take care of her younger siblings as her father and elder brother fought for their home and their values. As the fight dragged on, Astrid soon found herself called to the battlefield. She brought her focus and motivation as her finest assets, dedicated to protecting her family. One morning as she prepared for the battle ahead, a man approached and the two of them spoke for a long while. He seemed to have a warmer energy to him than the atmosphere around them. He left her with a blessing and she carried that with her into battle. She managed to survive and return, meeting with him again. This pattern continued with them meeting and conversing in the brief time between battles with him blessing her each time. She survived many battles, thanks to his blessings in her mind, but she eventually was slain, an honorable death on the battlefield.

When she opened her eyes, she wasn't in the hall of the fallen. Instead, she was gazing up into the face of the man she spoke to all those times. Her mind was still recovering, but she managed to understand what he was saying, offering her a second chance to watch over her people. Opening her eyes again, she could feel the changes in her body but it was brief before it was stripped from her and she was sent somewhere, her soul unrestful. After some time, the man appeared again, convincing her to come with him. She agreed, but her soul was different now. No longer was she the pure heart that she was as a young woman. Now she had felt pain and suffering in all forms and it had changed her.

As she moved through the world as a demon, she saw and interacted with the world differently. She wasn't shy or scared, she was strong, or perhaps stubborn, and determined to make the most of this second chance that she received. She stayed by the man's side, being his ever-present companion. Their relationship evolved and changed over the years, from the adoration and admiration she had as a human to a variety of positive and negative emotions. They spent long enough together, after all. Still, she remains by his side, seeing him as a mentor and a friend, as well as owing her life as a demon to him.

PERSONALITY: Playful, determined, driven, stubborn, chaotic, selfish

CHARACTER TYPE: Original

BLOG: @astrid-lundquist