#thanks strega)

[transmasc-rose]

RULES: make a poll with 5 of your all-time favorite characters and then tag 5 people to do the same. See which character is everyone's favorite! (tagged by @seaweedstarshine)

Tagging (don't worry if you don't want to/have done it already!): @transgenderdoctorwhomst @27-27-gruff-triplets @quietwingsinthesky @lost-tardis-room @a-shard-of-quartz-lol

[gio-cosmo]

I’m sick rn so forgive me but ur cool. Only discovered Strega recently (never really got into persona three like I did the other games in the series) any suggestions for Strega-based content I could eat? awesome sauce and other such phrases

Hi!! Sorry for answering this late, my inbox refuses to notify me of new asks sometimes lol. I hope you feel better soon!! Feeling sick sucks.

Strega based content is unfortunately rather hard to come across. Besides in-game content, here’s what I can think of off the top of my head:

- Strega Days by Narihara Tonmi. You can find scans & translations online!

- Tartarus Theater Wild - Again, scans & translations are available online.

- You can find them featured in the Weird Masquerade stage play, but I can’t find a translation for it (if anyone has one lmk)

- Someone posted on here with scans for Shadow Cry (untranslated) a bit ago which is fully dedicated to Strega, but my dumbass lost it and can’t find it so umm I’m actually kind of hoping someone will respond to this post and give it to me 💔 LMFAOO

- They are also featured in the P3 movie!

This is all I can think of off the top of my head but I feel like I’m seriously forgetting a LOT of stuff…forgive me, I’m so incredibly forgetful that I’m sort of bad at stuff like this LMFAO.

But besides official content, there’s of course fan-content as well! I’m always searching tumblr for fanart, and if you’re interested in fanfiction, there’s some fics written abt Strega on ao3. Some of which have changed my brain chemistry for real…fellow strega fans, you guys are so awesome. I love seeing everyone’s different perspectives on the characters!!

OKAYYY RAMBLING SESSION OVER. I hope this is helpful!! I’m always happy to see more people getting into Strega — they are such an interesting trio of characters and I adore analyzing them ❤️

In general if you guys ever have any Strega-related questions or queries or just want to share your thoughts on them in general I’d love to hear it!! My inbox is always open, and if I ever take a while to respond, it’s likely just bc tumblr doesn’t notify me sometimes ^_^

[revclver-jesus]

{{ WAIT HOLD ON SOMEONE PICKED THE QUESTION

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA He's so funny your honor i'm going to combust

HE'S LAUGHING AND LIKE? ALMOST FLATTERED YOU'D ASK? TAKAYA

He's really here at night with this guy he tried to kill earlier like oh?? 👀 does my skin distract thee makoto?👀👀 DSGHKDKS

i'm losing my mind this doesn't feel real-- }}

[petorahs]

they mean a lot to me...

[takaya-sakaki-truther]

[loubanna]

LULA??????

[toxtricityamped]

JUST LEARNED HOW TO DO THOSE PERFECT BUNS. MY LIFE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME

[ochazos]

@epitomees said: [Show] (from Kotone) - scars - accepting ----- [ SHOW ] for sender to purposefully reveal their scars for receiver to see

".... is that a scar...?" Considering he had his own share of scars.... He could assume it. Most of his were self-inflicted. And even then, none were such a distinct shape. He knew that Kotone had been gravely injured in the accident. She had shielded him. He had walked away with only a head injury that left a tiny scar by his hairline and some cuts and bruises. Even then, the head injury had been mild due to her shielding him. He still remembered her there covered in blood. The last strong feeling he had ever had was the fear and sorrow seeing her like that. And then something painful and cold washed over him and he couldn't feel anything for a long time.

His fingers slowly move closer to her shoulder, pausing before he touches her. This isn't a scar. It seems more like a brand to him. And beyond that...

"I think I've seen this symbol before." He couldn't place where though. Still... It made him ache to see something like this. It must have hurt. She must have been afraid. She had always tried to protect him until she couldn't anymore. And no one was ever there for her, huh?

"Who gave this to you?" He wanted to kill them.

[hyperrealisticblood]

Can you tell us about your Miipasta ocs? Whats their deal?

CRACKS KNUCKLES AGAIN BUT SINCE I ALREADY DID IT ONCE I BREAK ALL OF MY FINGERS

strega ango and nia are all miis that i downloaded from the check mii out channel when i was a kid, they were supposed to be sailor moon miis but i didnt know what they were so i just gave them my own names

last year i decided to bring them back and write some Lore for them >:) theyre similar to characters like dj hallyboo in the sense that theyre built in anti-hacking measures for the mii channel and any other mii related games. if somebody hacks the mii channel in order to modify miis in ways they shouldnt be able to then it was strega and angos job to report it to nintendo. unfortunately they didnt realize that after they reported hacked miis they would get terminated which resulted in them being sent to Mii Superhell thats just an ever growing pile of semi alive mii corpses. yes thats goofy as hell but im trying to shitty gaming creepypastamaxx here

nia was originally given the same job but was scrapped before strega and ango were made, but whats left of her coding still lingers around like a spirit. she gave herself the task of showing nintendo the consequences of their actions (they didnt know about mii superhell) and to do so she threw strega and ango into the ocean of bodies and broadcasted them being torn apart to a room full of higher ups. they got revived afterwards but you can imagine they werent too keen on continuing to damn people to eternity in hell afterwards so they abandoned their given tasks and started working to try and undo all of the damage they did

also strega and ango are

[strega-herbana]

Today's dump, in order:

I was gifted this beautiful green dress from the 80s that belonged to my grandmother (it has pockets)

I found a magical stick with vines intertwined with it and it looks magnificent

A crow was sitting on that tree for quite some time, directly in front of my window

The plant that I repotted and took care of just yesterday bloomed for the first time in weeks

[gio-cosmo]

Yk I wasn’t originally planning to talk abt my ao3 account on here but I don’t really gaf anymore. Embarrassment is a concept. Embrace joy and whimsy.

..anyways! If you want to read some of my works my ao3 account is bittersweet_serendipity ^_^ I love to write and am always aiming to improve. I state this a lot in authors notes, but if you ever spot any major weak points or mistakes in my writing, feel free to point them out to me! Constructive criticism helps a ton.

Do be aware that my older works (aka the first 2 I published) are literally filled to the brim w grammar mistakes like it’s actually baffling 😭 we should all collectively ignore those for the sake of my mental sanity actually! <3 I need to go back and edit them but I keep pushing it off ughh…someday.

[call-me-strega]

How to Become a Step-Dad in 5 Easy Steps: ch.3/5 of p.2

First, prev, next, lore, ao3

OK SO- I’ve been working on this for months and I was actually supposed to have it done like a month ago but my parents took me on the last minute vacation to another country to visit family and I didn’t have access to my laptop most of the time. But it’s okay bc the timing worked out! I wrote most of this on my phone actually and I’m posting it from there too so I hope the formatting isn’t weird. Our flight back is tonight and we’re in a different time zone so I really hope this is going up at the correct time. Anyways I tried to make this chapter longer so I hope it’s worth it. Thanks for sticking around to read this and I’ll let you start now.

-Strega p.s Happy 4th of July!

~~~

Chapter description:

Danny and Jason comfort each other after a rough night, Jason teams up with Duke to stop a villain, and Jason spends the 4th of July with the Nightingales.

~~~

Everything was hot. Someone was laughing. Someone was crying. It's all too loud but he can't hear a thing. It was so hot. He could taste the bitterness in the air. His face ached. It's too much. All the textures overwhelm him but he can’t feel a thing. It was too hot. All he can see is rows of black upon gray, but he can't really see anything at all. He couldn’t- he couldn’t breathe. His forehead was wet and sticky. Why was it wet and sticky? Why was it so goddamn hot?!

With a desperate gasp for air, Jason launched up into a sitting position on his bed. He supported his body with one hand and the other pushing back his white, sweat-soaked fringes out of his eyes. He sat there for a few moments, just panting, trying to regain some semblance of control over his breathing. He felt a warm sweat drip down his face and back. It made his skin crawl.

He looked around his dark room and then down at his messy sheets for a moment, before pulling off the blanket and flinging himself off the bed. He couldn't stand the idea of staying there a minute longer. Not right now.

He stalked out of his bedroom and into his living area. He didn't want to stay inside. The thought of being in an enclosed space right now gave him the hives, no matter how spacious the apartment might be. Even if it's bigger than a coffin. Even if it's smaller than a warehouse. He can't see the sky. He's closed in.

Instead, he pushes open his window and pulls himself out onto the fire escape. It's not particularly open, facing into an alley, but it offers privacy and is heaps better than being inside. He slumps down against the brick wall of the building, feet planted and knees bent. He looks up and takes a breath trying to calm himself. Even with all the smog and Gotham's perpetual cloud cover, Jason is grateful to see the sky. He half-wished it was a clear night so he could see the stars. The other half didn't. It didn't think he could handle seeing the stars peeking out through the smog. It would look too much like a night sky tainted with smoke and bad memories.

His mouth felt dry as he clenched and stretched his hands. He almost wished for a cigarette or a joint, (no he didn't, he didn't want to see the smoke, to feel the heat of the slow burn) but the thought made his lungs constrict and he felt bile rise in his throat. Instead, he alternated between closing his eyes and taking several deep breaths, and gazing at the lights and laundry lines. Even in the sticky city heat of a Gotham summer Jason shuddered from the cool night air.

Suddenly, he heard metal creaking and his eyes snapped open. His head jerked to the side where the sound had come from. A few feet away, on the adjacent fire escape, stood a figure slumped over the rail. They must have also sensed his presence because they turned to meet Jason's gaze.

Before him stood a haggard Danny Nightingale with dark circles under his eyes and a head of bed hair. He wore an old worn-out shirt for a band called Dumpty Humpty, and a pair of basketball shorts that came down to his knees. Faintly, Jason could make out a faded scar on his calf. (Not that Jason had been staring at his legs or anything!) Jason soon became aware of Danny's own eyes assessing him as well. He felt his face heat up and was grateful that he slept in sweats and a white tank tonight.

And the two of them stayed there for a while, on their fire escapes. Two souls in the haunted hours before morning, looking worse for wear, just staring at each other as the world continued on around them.

Then, Danny weakly gave Jason a wry grin and in a rough voice he said,

" Hey, neighbor."

" Hey," Jason replied hoarsely, with a small grin forming on his face. "Funny running into you here, huh?"

There was a brief pause where the two continued to stare at each other, suppressing the quickly growing urge to laugh.

Danny broke first.

" Pffffffft, you dork!"

The two of them burst out laughing and the atmosphere grew lighter. The ever-present smog and darkness seemed to lift and the shadows haunting them seemed to fade.

Danny bubbled up with giggles that rang in Jason’s ear like a familiar song coming on on the radio. Jason looked at him softly in quiet wonderment. Well, I guess that’s where Ellie got her laugh from.

Jason heaved himself off the ground and walked over to the railing closest to Danny, who was just coming down from his high. He leaned over, one arm on the railing and the other coming up to support his jaw. He gave Danny a tired smile.

“Hey,” he said once more.

“Hey yourself,” came Danny’s soft reply.

Then the two, now standing closer, took a moment to examine each other once more. Danny took note of Jason’s sweat and unsteadiness. Jason could now see that Danny’s hands shook lightly and were covered in faded, barely-there scars. They met each other’s eyes and both just felt like the other understood.

Tonight hadn’t been a good night for either of them. But they didn’t need to talk about it right now. No, for now the two could just bask in each others presence The air filling with a certain solidarity and what felt like a near-tangible sense of mutual comfort.

Jason turned away first, observing the way light and shadow danced across alley walls and how the clothes on clotheslines fluttered in the night breeze. Danny followed his gaze in suit, trying to identify what Jason saw out in the city.

“ Ya know for being such a hell-hole Gotham really does have a subtle beauty to it.”

Jason turned to look a Danny with mock offense.

“Hey! Gotham may be a hell-hole but it’s our hell-hole! Just ask any true Gothamite, the city has a way sinking itself into ya.”

Danny looked almost amused by this statement, but nodded in understanding.

“Yeah, I think I kinda get it. It really sucked back home, but it was still home, ya know? And I agree, Gotham does have her ways of making you feel like she’s a part of you. We’ve only been here bout a month or so but I already feel like Ell and I are well on our way to become city slickers through and through.”

Jason chuckled, shaking his head and bringing his arm down to stand up straight. He decide to pursue the opening Danny had left.

“Speaking of Ell, she the reason your up so late?”

“Naw,” Danny’s smile grew a bit strained. “My little spitfire may have a lotta energy but the girl sleeps like the dead.” He grew a more subdued, looking down at his hands.

“Nah, this was something else.”

“Nightmare?” He probed gently.

Danny nodded.

Taking a breath, Jason said “Me too,” in a show of vulnerability that he found came surprisingly easy. Danny glanced at him sympathetically.

“You wanna talk about it?”

“Kinda, but at the same time not really?”

Danny nodded as if he understood perfectly. Once more a comfortable silence overtook they began to shift closer. Even with the space between their fire escapes they felt impossibly close.

Danny interrupted the quiet with a light chuckle and Jason returned him a questioning glance. Danny shook his head,

“ Nothing I just think it’s kinda ironic we both came out to our fire escapes to escape our bad dreams.” He paused as his face clouded with confusion. “ Or at least I think it’s irony? Would you call it irony?”

“I think it might actually be symbolism but fuck if I know. I don’t have the mental capacity to figure which literary devices apply to our situation right now but remind me to come back to it later.”

Danny hummed in amusement before taking a deep breath.

“ I think I wanna talk about it.”

“Hmm?” Jason raised an eyebrow

“ I think I wanna talk about my dream.”

In a split second Jason makes a impulsive decision.

“Hold on,” he says, before climbing over the railing and extending his foot over to reach Danny’s fire escape.

“ What are you doing, ya maniac?!” Danny asked incredulously at Jason’s actions.

Jason stepped over onto the fire escape and shrugged as he walked over to Danny, “This felt like something I should be close for.”

The startled man seemed to loosen up and sunk to sit on the platform with his back to the railing. Jason joined him on the floor. They sat shoulder to shoulder, Danny staring at his trembling hand, and Jason, staring at him. Jason hand crept towards Danny’s, gentle taking it and interlacing the fingers.

Danny’s head swiveled to look at him and Jason returned him a gentle look and a squeezed his hand reassuringly. Faintly, the young man smiled and squeezed back. He took a deep breath and began.

" So you remember how you found my groceries in an alley the other day?”

Jason nodded.

“ Yeah well, the reason I left them there was because some mugger tried to kidnap Ellie. I ditched the groceries to grab her and get home.”

“ You did a smart thing,” Jason continued to nod as if he didn’t already know exactly what happened that day.

“ Mm I don’t doubt that, Ellie’s safety will always be my first priority. But the whole thing kinda brought up old fear. Some old … memories.”

A distant look grew on his face and Jason’s heart burned with sadness and anger for his friend.

“ The dream started out back in that alley. I had just pulled Ellie back into my arms but when I turned around it wasn’t the mugger standing there. It was Vlad.” Danny’s breath staggered before he continued.

“He started saying stuff about taking Ellie back since he’s the one who made her. The one who had wanted her originally, never mind that he’d lost interest after realizing she was a girl and not his perfect son. But he kept saying things about how he had more life experience and was better equipped to raise her. How he’d be able to do better than me and provide more for her. And for me, if I let him. I hated it. I hated him for leveraging his age and wealth to try to get into our lives again. I didn’t have many reservations about punching him in the face about it either.”

Danny tightened his grip around Jason’s hand. He squeezed back in what he hoped was a reassuring manner.

“I turned to leave but at the mouth the alley was a van. And not one of those stereotypical white vans they warn you kidnappers use. No. No, it was my parents’ van. They slid open the door and and I felt like I couldn’t move. I looked down and Ellie was gone. They-” the words started getting choked up in his throat. His eyes becoming glassy as he fought with his next words.

“ They wanted to take her too. They said they still loved me even though I was different and that they could fix me.” His voice grew frantic and shaky. “They thought they could ‘fix me’ but that Ellie’s existence was unnatural. That it’d be better if they took her and tried to raise in a ‘normal’ environment, especially if she showed signs of being unnatural too!”

Danny turned his face into Jason’s shoulder, trying to fight back tears.

“ And I know they don’t actually think like that- that I need to be fixed, at least not anymore. But, the idea that they’d try to take her from me? Raise her better than I could? It tore me up inside. How could they want to raise her when the barely raised me and my sister? When my sister raised me more than they did? How could I trust them not to get her involved in experiments when they still store chemical samples the same fridge as our food? How could I trust them when I told them I didn’t want to be around Vlad and they still let him into our house? Because ‘We’ve know good ol’ Vladdie since college! Nothing to worry about with him!’ even though I told them I-!”

He paused trying to catch his breath. Jason lifted his other arm to wrap around the crying young man, tucking him under his chin. Danny shifted, now shuddering into his chest. Jason could feel the Pits ignite a fire in soul. His blood boiled and a voice cried out for blood in recompense for his friend’s pain.

‘What type of shitty parents-! No. Later’ he tried to reign in the voice. ‘Being here for him now is more important.’ He held the other even closer.

Finally, Danny calmed himself enough to continue, “ I know they don’t think that now. I know that they love me and, and Ellie too- and I still love them too and I know that they want to be better. But they just don’t get it. That there’s a lot of reasons I don’t want to be around them anymore. Reasons I don’t bring Ellie around if I can help it. Even though it was just a dream I couldn’t handle the idea that they- that anyone might try to take Ellie from me.”

Jason tilted his head slightly to press a soft, comforting, kiss on the top of Danny’s head. He rubbed small circles on his back and murmured gently in his ear,

“It’s okay Danny. It’s okay to be mad and upset and scared. From the sounds of it you have ever right to be. It’s okay for you to worry. I have a friend ya know. He’s a recovered addict, started getting extra serious about staying sober when his ex dropped a daughter off on his doorstep because he was worried at every turn that if he slipped up or relapsed someone would take her away. I know that it’s not the same but I think every parent is entitled to worrying over losing their kid. And it sounds like your own parents haven’t done you too many favors in minimizing the worry. But you don’t have to hold yourself back from being afraid. You’re allowed to be afraid, or upset or whatever else you might be feeling.”

He finally let go of Danny’s hand in order to hold him properly, once again shifting their positions. Now, they sat perpendicularly, with Danny partway into his lap, pressed against his chest. After a while Danny wiped his tears, whispering out a thanks to Jason and allowed himself to be comforted.

They sat in delicate silence until Jason finally worked up the nerve to speak.

“So you probably know who I am right?”

Danny lifted his head from Jason’s chest to give him a confused eyebrow raise. “Yeah I think I’d know whose lap I’m on right now?”

“Not like that,” Jason blushed. “ I mean since you asked about volunteering you must know who I am in a larger context right?”

“ You mean do I know you’re beloved Gotham celebrity and non-profit worker: Jason Todd-Wayne? Because I do. I did research this city before moving here, believe it or not. Actually I remember seeing a bunch of articles about how one of Gotham’s beloved sons had returned home with your picture around that time?”

Jason touched the back of his neck, glancing away in embarrassment.

“Uh yeah that, so you’ve probably hear about my- uuh, ‘resurrection’, huh?”

Danny’s expression sobered up. His eyes darkened and his voice got all quiet, likely due to the serious nature of the discussion.

“Yeah, I did. The media claimed you had been in a kidnapping turned terrorist attack slash hostage situation? And that you had managed to survive and were taken in by family who help you recover and reconnect with your dad once you were ready?” Danny recounted the cover story they’d given to the public. There was something in his tone that made Jason think there was more he wasn’t mentioning but it was likely all speculation or more sensitive details.

“Was-… was that what your dream was about?”

Jason bowed his head into Danny’s shoulder, not having it in him to say it to his face.

“Yeah,” he mumbled. “It was.”

“Oh.”

Now it was Danny’s turn to hold Jason tight, one arm one his back and the other coming up to pet his hair, gently pressing the larger man further into his shoulder. It felt like something cracked open inside him. Suddenly, words came tumbling out before he could even think about them.

“ I was back in that warehouse. Laying on the ground, injured. I could hear someone crying. And- *gulp* -and his laughter before the explosion. It was … so hot. And when I woke up I couldn’t stand the thought of being trapped inside. The same way I was trapped … during some of the worst moments of my life. And I know I’m not there anymore but I’m still terrified by the memory! Sometimes I still get scared the man who took me the first time will find me again and I just-!”

He choked on a sob as Danny held him even tighter, as if trying to melt him into his skin.

“I just hated feeling that way so much!” He whimpered.

“It’s okay Jay, I’m here big guy. You can let it out.”

And for the first time in a long while Jason allowed himself to cry freely, sobbing into his neighbor’s shoulder. Danny continued to stroke his hair, rocking gentle as one would when comforting a child. But maybe that sort of gentleness was what Jason needed.

Once he heard Jason’s sobs subside Danny took a deep breath and spoke.

“You know what?”

“What?” Jason asked lifting his head to gaze into Danny’s icy blue eyes.

“I’m kinda glad I ended up out here tonight. I mean the nightmare sucked but at least I got to be here for you.” He smiled softly, “I’m in your corner if you ever need me.”

Jason couldn’t help the soft smile that worked it’s way onto his face.

“Yeah, me too. I’ll be there if you ever need help, with anything: Ellie, Vlad, your parents, your groceries.”

Danny giggled at that last part, knowing Jason was sincere. With a sigh he rested his cheek on Jason’s chest. Jason reach down to hold his hand again and the two enjoyed the feeling of holding someone who held them back.

With a sigh, Danny lifted his gaze from their hands to Jason’s face. Jason gave him a closed-mouth smile, his eyes asking if something was wrong.

“It’s the 4th of July in a few days.” He stated.

“Yes, it is.” Jason said back.

“If it’s not too short notice, Ellie and I would love to have you over again. We were gonna have barbecue and ice cream and then come out here and see if we could catch the fireworks. She’d love it if you could join us, and … and, well I would too.”

Jason swore Danny was looking at him with the biggest, roundest, most earnest eyes he’d ever seen, save for his daughter’s.

“ I’ll be there.”

Danny flushed at his quick response.

“Don’t wanna check your schedule first?”

“Doesn’t matter. I didn’t have anything else planned so I’ll do my best to be there.” He made sure the shorter man’s eyes met his as he said his next words. “Besides, I like spending time with the two of you too.”

‘His ears are pink, he’s just adorable.’ He thought to himself as Danny seemed brighten in a shy glow. He shifted in Jason’s lap, probably getting ready to get up when he did something that cause Jason to blue screen.

Danny tilted his head up planting a quick peck on his cheek before squeaking out a “see you then” and fleeing back into his apartment, leaving a wide-eyed Jason on the floor of his fire escape.

Jason sat there stunned, before a furious blush over took his face and decided to hurry back into his own apartment. The voice in his head came back to give its routine comments: ‘His lips are so soft, the stuff of dreams’

He somehow managed to blush even more violently. ‘Damn it’ he thought, shoving his head under his pillow, unable to tell whether he actually wanted to dream about Danny’s lips or not. ‘It’s actually embarrassing how worked I’m getting over a fleeting kiss on the cheek from a friend.’

~

~Bzzt~ “Calling for back up! Firefly decided to start his annual firework show early this year!” ~Bzzt~ Signal called through the emergency comms.

Jason cursed his luck, of course Firefly would attack just as he got off work! Now he might be late to dinner! He sighed and tried to look on the bright-side: If they dealt with this now that meant it was less likely for any of the other rouges to try anything later. Then, the comm crackled back to life.

~Bzzt~ “I could have got him by now but he keeps lightin’ more shit on fire! By the time I get the first fires under control and punch him in the face, he’s started 20 more! Normally I’d be able to handle it, but there’s a lot of civilians around right now and fires take priority. I just need someone to help me keep the guy down long enough to make the arrest.” ~Bzzt~

Jason started ducking through alleys trying to get to his near safe house in order to grab his gear. Hey called back to Duke over the comms.

“Signal, heard! I just got off work. See if you can herd him towards the Alley. It’ll give the Red Hood an excuse to show up and beat the shit outa him while you make sure nothing actually gets damaged. I’m heading to the safe house near the Catherine Johnson Rec Center. Try to get him at least two blocks away!”

~Bzzt~ “Heard!” ~Bzzt~

Jason tossed the comm to the side and started strapping into his body armor. He started fastening his helmet when felt something in the air change. Then the comms buzzed to life once more.

~Bzzt~ “Hood, I’ve got Firefly coming your way! He’s heading up Delancy Ave.!” ~Bzzt~

Hood readied his grapple on shot.

“Good, keep him there! I’ll see you in 5, Narrows!”

~Bzzt~ “On it! I’ll be waiting Alley!” ~Bzzt~

Jason swung through the rooftops, heading in the direction of the fires that kept spontaneously appearing and subsequently being extinguished.

When he arrived Hood found Signal split between stopping fires and engaging Firefly in combat. The madman was so absorbed in antagonizing Signal that he hadn’t noticed Hood’s approach. Signal was handling him pretty well but being unable to focus solely on the villain lowered his efficiency. Jason’s mind wandered back to his friend, who had wanted to see him tonight, and decided he’d end this quickly.

You see for all his bulk and bullheadedness Jason was still a highly trained and intelligent individual. Maintaining the element of surprise he approached in the shadows silently looking down from his perch on an adjacent building. He made subtle gestures for Signal to move the guy into place, which he returned with the slightest of nods. Signal moved Firefly over to the side of the building closest to Jason’s position. Jason got ready took make use of his high ground, tapping into what he learned from Dick.

With a deep breath Jason runs up and launches himself into a triple forward somersault, building up power and momentum. In midair he took account of his bearings, aiming his feet at Firefly’s back.

Firefly goes down like he’s been hit by a semi.

“AND THATS WHY YOU STAY OUTA THE ALLEY FUCKER!” Jason shouts, crouching over the rouge who was quickly losing consciousness. Even though it’d been his plan to lure him here Jason was still protective of what was his. And Crime Alley? Crime Alley was his territory.

He stands up and gives Signal a celebratory high five.

“Nice going, ya tank! I thought he’d never go down!”

“No problem, Dayshift! Nice work handling him, you’d have gotten him eventually. I just sped up the process.”

“Thanks Hood, I ‘preciate it.”

“Soooo, you good here oorrr…?”

“Yeah, I’ve got it. Get outa here before the cops show up and arrest you,” Signal dismissed him.

Jason gave him a quick, two-finger salute before running off to change before he was late to dinner.

~

Jason arrives at the Nightingales’ red faced and out of breath. His hair is a windswept mess and his clothes slightly messy from his quick change. He knocks on the door desperately trying to tame his hair and adjust his t-shirt and jeans.

Jason feels a burst of cool air as the door opens and he’s greeted by a smiling Danny and a surprised Ellie. He smiles at the two but Danny speaks before he’s got the chance.

“ Surprise! It’s Jason!” He says with some mild jazz hands.

To which seem to Ellie explode in glee. Jason swears she’s vibrating with how fast she’s bouncing.

“The secret surprise guest was Mr. Jason! Awesome!”

And just like that there is small child attached to his leg. He looks down at her, then up at Danny, who’s holding in laughter, then back at Ellie. Then he bursts out laughing. He bends down down to scoop the young girl up into his arms and she lets out a small “whoa!” Jason follows Danny into the apartment, Ellie resting on his hip.

“It’s nice to see you to princess!”

“Mr. Jason! You’re not wearing any red!”

“Huh?”

He looks down to see the young girl scrutinizing his plain white shirt and blue jeans and looks questioningly at Danny. The young man takes pity on him and explains.

“Ellie really wanted to wear red, white and blue for the 4th of July,” gesturing to his own outfit: a pair of blue jeans, a white shirt with a logo for a band called Fifth World Raga, and a lightweight red flannel wit the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

“That’s right! I have a white skirt and socks, and a blue top and tiara, and my cardigan, my sneakers and beanie are all red!” She showed off. Then she pointed at Jason.

“You’ve gotta white shirt and blue jeans but no red!” Then she gasped, “Oooooh! I have an idea! Wait here!” She said, scrambling off to her room.

Jason looked at Danny who smiled and shrugged helplessly in a “eh, whadda ya gonna do” sort a fashion. To which Jason just huffed in amusement.

That’s when Ellie rushed back in, holding something behind her back. She patted Jason’s thigh indicating for him to bend down, to which he obliged by crouching down to her level.

“Close your eyes!”

Jason shut his eyes. He felt something being placed around his neck and on his head.

“Open them!”

Jason found himself looking into a small purple hand held mirror. Ellie had placed a cheap red-beaded party necklace around his neck and a silver tiara with red gems on his head, one to match her own silver and blue one.

“I have lotsa tiaras so you can borrow this one so that you can have red! And you can even keep the necklace!”

Jason’s internal monologue nearly burst into tears. ‘She’s an angel! She’s bestowed such a wonderful gift Must. Protect. At All Costs!’

He heard Danny burst into laughter but focused his attention on the grinning girl in front of him.

“Thank you so much Princess! I love it! Just what I needed! I’m honored to receive such a thoughtful gift!

“Yeah Ellie, it looks great on him!” Danny chimed in between chuckles.

“That’s great daddy b’cause I found a white one for you! Now we can all match!”

Danny stopped laughing and Jason returned him a wicked grin.

“Yeah, your highness! We can all match! Besides, what’s a king without his crown!”

Danny sighed, placing the tiara on his head.

“Thanks Ell, I love it.”

“Your welcome daddy!”

“Alright, now go wash your hands for dinner!”

“Okay!”

And the girl scurried off to wash her hands. Jason grinned at the interaction. He waited till the girl was gone before turning to Danny.

“Looking good your highness,” he teased.

“Oh, hush you!” Danny flushed. “Come help me set the table. It’s not a traditional barbecue but I made some chili, hotdogs, veggie skewers, and some coleslaw. We’ve also got fruit salad and some soda pop in the fridge. Ellie wanted to do a homemade version of chili dogs and I had to insist on some fruits and veggies in there. Ancients knows she needs her nutrients! If you could be a dear and grab some plates off the drying rack that’d be great!”

“Of course, your highness! You had me at chili,” Jason said following Danny into the kitchen.

~

Later that evening after finishing up with dinner. Danny herded them all onto the fire escape with some frozen treats. Ellie had drumstick ice cream cone, Jason an ice cream bar, and Danny an orange popsicle.

“I don’t know if we’ll be able to see the fireworks from here but fingers crossed we do. Just don’t be too disappointed if you can’t see them alright Ell?” Danny told his daughter.

“It’s okay daddy! Even if I don’t see the fireworks I still have you and Mr. Jason and my ice cream!”

Jason and Danny looked at each other sharing the same thoughts: ‘She’s so precious!!!!’

Then the tell tale boom of fireworks started and the trio turned their attention to the sky. A streak of red danced across the sky before it burst into a shower of ruby colored sparks. Then came gold, and green and blue and white. One after another in a barrage of sound and color. And they were just able to see it above the end of the alley.

Ellie let out an awed “Whooooaaaa” as she watched the colors dance across the sky. She turned back to her dad tugging on his sleeve and point up at the sky. He chuckled, picking her up to give her a better view pointing at the sky with her saying, “Look at that one!”

It was near enough to make Jason’s own heart burst.

“Beautiful.”

“I know right!” Danny said, glancing back at him, talking about the fireworks. Silently, Jason thought about the way both of the Nightingales’ glossy black hair reflected the fireworks colors in their sheen.

Then Danny turned to hand his phone to Jason.

“Would you mind taking a picture of us?” He asked. “I never had many growing up and I want this to be something she’ll remember.” Looking back down at the child on his hip.

“Of course I can,” he said, taking the phone in his hand. “Smile!”

Jason looked down at the photo he snapped when he saw something that made his heart stall. It was a good photo, both Danny and Ellie smiling at the camera while the remains of a fireworks fell behind them in a shower of fading light. What stopped him in his tracks was the soft look on his own reflection in the window of the apartment staring at Danny and Ellie.

And he realized, ‘Oh. I like Danny’

And he doesn’t know when he zoned out and missed Danny taking his phone back, but he zones right back in when two arms are thrown over his shoulders and suddenly he’s in a selfie sandwich. Both Nightingales press close, Ellie throwing up a peace sign while Danny snaps the photo.

The two laugh at his startled face and he can’t help the laugh that bursts out of him.

“Hey! I wanna redo!”

~

That night Jason tosses and turns in bed while his brain replays images of Danny: his smile, his lips, his laugh, the way he licks an ice pop. If he hadn’t realized earlier then he definitely knows now.

Jason Todd has an undeniable, unequivocal crush on Daniel Nightingale.

~~~ I tried with that fight scene but I don’t have a lotta experience there. I know this is a fluff fic so sorry to angst you but it’s necessary for hurt/comfort. Have some “Jason accepts his feelings” to make up for it. Sorry if it’s too clunky or dialogue heavy. I’m open to constructive criticism so let me know what you think.

Fifth World Raga is a real band in the DCU their a rock band and their music is described as quote “spiritual in nature” so I feel like it fit Danny’s vibe.

[hyperfixatedoncrimminalminds]

Hi! Hope your doing well!

I wanted to know if I could do a request with David Rossi? He has a daughter who has a higher IQ than Reid (it’s like 190 or 200?) has following in her father‘s footsteps and is high up in the FBI like higher than Strauss and he calls her down for a favor because Strauss is bothering Aaron and the team so she’s cracks down on Strauss and stuff?

David Rossi X Daughter Reader

Request: I wanted to know if I could do a request with David Rossi? He has a daughter who has a higher IQ than Reid (it’s like 190 or 200?) has following in her father‘s footsteps and is high up in the FBI like higher than Strauss and he calls her down for a favor because Strauss is bothering Aaron and the team so she’s cracks down on Strauss and stuff?

Third person pov...

Y/N Rossi was in her office in Quantico, she was in thr FBI, she had worked hard and was in a high position within it, Only being 18 she was making a good life of herself with an IQ of 200, it was a normal day she was in her office going over some files when she gets a call.

Wondering who was calling her she picks up. "Agent Rossi speaking" she answers, for work she uses 'Agent' as its easier. "Well hello Agent, this is your padre talking" come her Dad voice, this makes the adult laugh.

"papà non si era accorto che eri tu (1) "she laughs, the man chuckles lightly, she puts down her pen and spins around in her chair.

She looks out the window, her office being on one of the highest floors, a couple below the leader of the FBI. "allora perché chiami, c'è qualcosa che non va? (2) " she asks getting straight into business.

The man sighs wearly before answering

"It's Erin figlia (3) she going after Aaron and the tea. Again, can you do anything?" He askes, the man has just lost his wife a couple months ago.

Struass is pushing the man to leave the BAU, Y/N sighs once again Struass, the woman never knows when to shut up. "I'll see what I can do Papà (4) see you soom" she says, Rossi sighs he sounds less stressed out.

"Thank you piccolo" he says, Y/N sighs ans rubs her forehead looks like she's going to take a trip down to the BAUs floor tomorrow.

The next morning...

Strauss was taking over the case once again, the team gathered around the table, all with sullen looks as Struass looked around.

They were missing one person. "Has Agent Rossi not arrive yet?" She asks the silent room, even the evert rambling Spencer Reid didn't feel like talking to her.

Growing annoyed she goes to talk when a commotion starts in the bullpen, hearing it the team and Strauss stand up and walk out of the room, they are shocked to see Rossi standing with Agent Y/N F/N, one of the only Agents with ties to the chief of the Bureau.

"What is the meaning of this!" Exclaims Strauss, this made Y/N look at the woman, a glare on her young face. He the  looks at her Dad. "I guess that's Struass" he says, the man nods his head.

Y/N cracks her knuckles. "You know Struass if you paid more attention to ypur family than this family then maybe you wouldn't be hated as much" she says, this earns her gasps of shock from around the bullpen.

Struass opens her mouth to retort but the H/C girl is quick with more. "You better leave this team alone unless you want a certain fact of yours to come into conversation" Y/Ns ruthless.

Eventually Struass has enough andeaves the bullpen fuming with anger, Y/N smirks at the woman, She gets a smile of thanks from her Dad.

After everyone calms down Y/N gets to meet her Dad team. She looks at Hotch and waves. "Hello Uncle Aaron" she smiles.

The others stare at their boss in shock. "You know her!" Exclaims Derek and Emily, Hotch just gives them a look. "Of course he knows me !" Smiles Y/N.

Rossi soon saves the team from confusion, as he wraps an arm around his daughter pulling her in for a hug and kisses her forehead. "lavoro assolutamente meraviglioso, piccola, hai bruciato quella strega (5) "He says in Italian.

"What how do you know her!" Yells Penelope, the team stare at the two, wondering how close they were, looking at her Dad Y/N laughs.

"You haven't told them about me" she accuses making the old man blushes embarrassed.

Pulling away her him  Y/N straightens her suit of before talking, she looks around at the team smiling. "Nice to meet you all I'm Y/N Rossi, F/N is my Mothers last name, I use it so Papà and I are safe from people who wish to kill me or hurt him to get to me." She explains.

Everyone takes the nes well and welcomes Y/N into the family, they all thank her for what she did, Derek and Emily loving how she black mailed Struass into finally leaving them alone.

"It was no problem, Papà called about the old witch, of course I had to help him out"she says, Reid was surprised to meet someone who had a higher IQ than him but was happy when she actually listened to his ramblings about anything and could actually keep up with him.

As the day was coming to an end the team had gone home, apart from two,

Y/N and her Dad, the woman was waiting for him to finish up, once he was done the two walk to bus car.

"Thank you again piccolo, we couldn't of done it without you" he confessed. Y/n hugged the man, "it was nothing Papà, you can pay me back by cooking your famous pasta for dinner" she bargained.

This man the man laugh, of course as always she speaks with her stomache. "Pasta it is piccolo!" He announces making the girl laugh.

The end!

Italian translation

(1)

papà non si era accorto che eri tu - Dad didn't realize it was you

(2)

allora perché chiami, c'è qualcosa che non va? - so why are you calling, is there something wrong?

(3)

figlia - Daughter

(4)

Papà -Dad

(5)

lavoro assolutamente meraviglioso, piccola, hai bruciato quella strega -

Absolutely wonderful job, baby, you burned that witch

Hope you liked this oneshot! Sorry for the spelling and grammar mistakes.

Request are open!

Word count : 1040

[bitterkarella]

Midnight Pals: Ssussspicionsss

[mysterious circle of robed figures] Elon Musk: eyyyy i just thinka you should post somethinga besida da transphobia, si? Musk: lika da strega bambino! Musk: da people lova da straga bambino! [chef's kiss]

Rowling: wow elon maybe you're right Rowling: maybe i should take a break from transsphobia to talk about the sssix other booksss that i'm planning to write Rowling: becaussse there are sssix other minoritiesss that have really been pissssing me off lately

Rowling: [counting off on her fingers] sssso my next books are gonna take down the transss, the queersss, the dissabled, young people with blue hair, hoodie ssscum, and fattiessss Rowling: they've all had it too good for too long

Rowling: thank you for having this conversssation elon Helen Joyce: oh no! the dark lord is in trouble! Rowling: i'm fine Allison Bailey: elon musk is attacking the dark lord! Rowling: thatss not whatss happening Jesse Singal: mommy needs our help!

Helen Joyce: how dare you speak to the dark lord like that! Joyce: you will regret this day, elon musk! Joyce: we are, even now, just asking questions about your larynx size on mumsnet Musk: mama mia!

Musk: ey whatsa matta for you? Joyce: wow elon that italian accent seems to be suspiciously averaging in the 75 htz range and i'm hearing a lot going below 50 Bailey: very suspicious Julie Bindel: [tape over mouth] mmf! Bailey: that's right julie Bailey: you sure said a mouthful!

Joyce: i can't believe that elon musk is actually trans! Joyce: why else would someone get bored listening to a constant, never-ending 24/7 stream of transphobia? Rowling: wow i never thought of it that way Rowling: but you're right Rowling: it is the only logical explanation

Musk: issa notta true! i hata da trans people justa as much as you! Musk: my son, he tella you the same! Musk: [falsetto voice, hiding behind couch] eyyy its me, elon musk jr! my cool dad issa real transphobic! ga ga goo goo! i amma NOT a sock puppet! don't a look back here!!

Rowling: you lied, elon! you and your naturally occurring sssmall gametesss, the mark of a lying AMAB! Rowling: but Rowling: if elon was sssecretly transss this whole time Rowling: ANYONE could be ssecretly transss Rowling: any one of you could be a traitor!

Rowling: everyone iss ssusspect! [camera slowly pans around circle] Jesse Singal: Allison Bailey: Helen Joyce: Julie Bindel: Jed the sled dog from John Carpenter's The Thing (1982): Maya Forstater:

[docsfallfromgrace]

HUGEEEEE win for the strega fanbase this week !!!! thanks to a discord user in a strega discord [ @meeper511 on tumblr ] , we have scans of the shadow cry manga !!! there are no translations so your best bet is to use image translation , either way , HUGE WIN !!!!

[dracopias-bloodbag]

Bewitched By Bloodlust | Dracopia x F! Reader | II

Chapter II: Poveretta Strega

After your encounter in the forest, you wake to find yourself in unfamiliar surroundings, locked away from the outside world by the vampire you failed to kill. Your only hope for escape lies between your fingers, and in the venomous words you spit at him.

chapter content: 2.6k words. 18+ only, enemies to lovers, slow(ish) burn, dark romance, eventual smut, slight dubcon, blood, blood drinking (duh), kidnapping, imprisonment, choking, copia is a sadistic asshole in these first few chapters, you're just gonna have to excuse him for that folks, its okay the reader gives it right back to him, canon divergent (see masterlist for details),

Recommended Listening:

Castle — Halsey

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Masterlist ☽𖤐☾ Read on Ao3

The sound of someone groaning is the first thing you hear as you come to your senses. It takes a second before you realize it’s your own voice. The cold stone of the floor underneath you is the only thing that helps ground you as your eyes struggle to adjust to your dark surroundings.

Your head is pounding, everything hurts, and it seems like your whole body is screaming at you to give in to the exhaustion and go back to sleep, but you fight against that feeling as you squint your eyes, trying to peer through the darkness to look around the room.

You’re in a cage.

A fucking cage.

Well, it's less a cage – and more like a dungeon. 

As the memories start flooding back, your heart starts pounding, your breathing quickening and your fingers trail up to your neck. Sure enough, your necklace is gone. 

Your fingers trail up higher, to the curve of your neck. The skin is raised in a crescent shape, and you can feel two puncture marks there. You shudder and slowly back up against the corner of the cell.

Calm the fuck down, you’re fine. It’s just a little bite, no big deal. Just stay calm and find a way out.

The truth is, you aren’t sure how much that little bite could do. Had he cursed you to an eternity full of bloodlust? Or was he just getting a quick meal? But as you come to your senses you realize there’s no burning in your throat, no raging hunger or need to sink your teeth into something.

Thank the Goddess.

Looking around you realize only one of the cell walls had bars, and the other three were solid stone. There is a tiny window near the top of one of the walls, and the thought of trying to squeeze through it briefly crosses your mind, but you push it aside as you realize what an impossible feat it would be. Plus, it would only piss him off if he walked in on you stuck halfway through the window, not to mention how embarrassing it would be.

You pat yourself down, realizing your satchel and your belt holding your belongings are missing. Cursing, you reach your hand up to run it through your hair, and that’s when your fingers land on something.

You pull the hairpin out of your hair and look at it, biting your lip as you bend it out of its original shape.

Your eyes scan the darkness outside your cell door, practically holding your breath as you search for any sign of life, but it's pin-drop silent.

Reaching through the bars and around the locking mechanism, you jam the now misshapen hairpin in and try wiggling it inside, praying to every Goddess you worship that you’ll be able to get the lock open before anyone hears you.

Of course just as the thought crosses your mind, the sound of footsteps approaching makes you freeze immediately. They’re slow… deliberate, the sound echoes off the stone walls and sends a chill running down your spine. Your breath hitches in your throat as your body seems to instinctively know that it’s him. Backing away from the door,  you shove the hairpin in between your fingers and put your hand behind your back, trying desperately to keep your only means of escape hidden.

He appears out of the shadows like some kind of wraith and your breath hitches in your throat. The way he practically smirks as you glare up at him makes you bristle as your hand tightens around your hairpin.

“Sleep well, strega?” His voice is even and calm, and you can’t help but remember how he had grabbed you in the forest so effortlessly – how he had forced you to give into his touch, his thirst.

“Go. To. Hell, you fucking freak.” Your voice is low, your eyes cold as you glare daggers into him.

He chuckles at that, watching the way your chest rises and falls rapidly while your heartbeat jackhammers in your chest; it’s uneven, skipping beats as if it’s not sure whether to run or hide. His mouth waters, remembering how the sound of your pulse had been so loud in his ears as your blood had spilled over his lips.

He chuckles, his white eye glinting in the low light as he eyes you.

“Don’t be like that, strega.” The way he says that word… he practically spits it at you, and you briefly wonder what it means. His gaze is hard as stone as he looks down at you like you’re nothing to him.

“You know, for someone with so much to say, you really were weak for the huntress your coven tried to make you. I really thought you would put up more of a fight.”

The two of you are silent for a minute, staring each other down. His words had caught you off guard, you don’t even know what to say as you try to process them in your mind. The tension in the air is palpable, and you can feel the anger bubbling up inside of you.

“Fuck you. Why didn’t you just kill me?” You finally snap, your voice cutting through the silence like a knife.

But he doesn’t seem to be listening as his eyes flicker down to your hands, noting how you're hiding one of them behind your back. Before you can utter another word he’s rushing to unlock the door of your cell. 

You shuffle backward in a blind panic, trying to evade him as he stalks towards you, like a predator poised to kill.

His hand wraps around your throat, lifting you up effortlessly, and shoving you against the wall. You gasp as the action knocks the air out of you, your legs dangling helplessly as you try to wriggle free. His other hand grips your wrist, leather-clad fingers digging into the skin there as he practically forces you to open your hand.

His eyes flit to your fingers, and he smirks as he sees the hairpin fall from your grasp.

“Planning your escape, piccolina?” His voice is hushed, a low growl in your ear.

You grit your teeth, your eyes boring into his. “If you’re just going to keep me locked up, you might as well kill me.” You retort.

His grip on your neck tightens, and your other hand flies up to grip his wrist, your nails digging in as you try desperately to get him to release you.

“Mmm…” He hums, his eyes watching you as you struggle. “It is tempting, but that would be too easy, no?”

He presses his body closer to yours, breathing in your scent as he brings his face to the crook of your neck, his fangs elongating as the scent of your blood flowing below the surface of your skin invades his senses.

You can’t help the whimper that leaves your lips as fear lances through you, but you grit your teeth, before managing to gasp out: “You want to. You want to drink from me until you can’t anymore; until you’ve taken every last drop of blood and you’re drunk off of the taste, and there’s no more left for me to give.” His grip on your neck tightens, making you cough. Your voice is barely above a whisper when you speak again:

“You know you want to watch the light leave my eyes as you suck me dry.” 

The noise he makes is feral, damn near animalistic as he releases you and shoves himself backward, practically throwing himself back against the far wall.

You clutch your throat as you gasp for air, but you force yourself to move. The door is still open as he hurries for it, and you take off as fast as your legs will carry you, running and diving for the exit.

He grabs you in one smooth motion, his arm hooking around your waist before he shoves you back against the wall. His red eye almost seems to glow as he practically snarls at you.

“Mi fai davvero incazzare, strega.” 

His hands let go of you altogether, and you let out an involuntary yelp as your body hits the cobblestone floor.

He slams the cell door, his movements hurried as he locks you in. He’s not entirely sure if he’s locking you in for the sake of preventing your escape, or to keep himself from doing exactly what you had said and taking your life. All he knows is he needs to get as far away from you as possible before he loses control.

You scramble to your feet, launching yourself at the cell door, your hands gripping the bars as you look at him, the look in your eyes is different this time. They’re filled with tears as you plead with everything you have.

“Kill me, please. If you’re not going to let me out, just fucking kill me already.” 

For a second, you think you see his gaze soften at the sight of your desperation, at the way your voice breaks. But just as soon as it appears, his eyes turn cold again, and he disappears out of the dungeon without another word.

A week passes before you see him again.

You only knew because you counted the sunsets, and it was seven days of one of his ghouls bringing you dinner and occasionally coming to provide a few amenities. Ice cold showers in the bathing chamber down the hall aren't your favorite, but at least it’s something. 

At least this place isn’t totally barbaric.

When your captor returns, he looks… weak, somehow.

You had spent your time thinking of what to say to him, whether to be a smart ass or try to find some way to hit him where it hurts. But the sight of him surprises you, his face somehow looks thinner, his eyes bloodshot. You can only stare as he unlocks the door to your cell.

In a few quick strides, he’s in front of you. 

“You look like hell.”

He doesn’t say anything, just watches you through narrowed eyes.

“I half expected one of your ghouls to come in and kill me, since you don’t seem to have the guts to do it.”

He remains silent, eyeing your face carefully. He notes the way your pupils are blown as you look up at him. His gloved fingers grab your chin then, and his grip firm as he pulls you to your feet and slowly walks towards you, forcing your body to move until he has you caged against the wall.

“You know, you should really learn how to keep that pretty mouth shut. After all, you’re the one trapped alone in this cell with me, no?”  He clicks his tongue, gazing at you with a look that’s a mockery of affection. “Poveretta strega, it must be killing you.”

You open your mouth to retort even as your face flushes at his words, but he quickly turns your head to the side, forcing you to crane your neck just so; until it’s perfectly exposed to him. He has you pinned in place, one of your hands trapped under your back, while the other is restrained by his firm grip.

Your stomach does a backflip, he’s so fucking close to you, close enough that the smell of cologne invades your senses as you stare up at him. Part of you expected him to smell like death, like a corpse who got some sick second chance at life. But of course not, instead his scent is all bergamot and cypress, and pure musk; it makes your knees weak. Your mind wanders once again like it did in the forest, and suddenly your gaze is transfixed on his face. The way the paints are painted so perfectly, highlighting his sculpted features, the way his mismatched eyes are so off-putting yet their otherworldly colors draw you in. He’s fucking gorgeous, and you despise yourself for even allowing your mind to wander there.

He notices the dumbstruck look on your face, and smirks. It’s quick, and if you blinked you would have missed it, but it’s there.

Motherfucker.

His eyes hone in on your neck, and his mouth waters at the sight of your soft skin. He dips his head lower, coming towards you so that his mouth is inches from your pulse point; and his fangs elongate as he can practically feel your blood thrumming under your skin.

“Don’t worry, I’ll try to be more gentle this time for your sake, streghetta.”

He sinks his fangs into you, and you can’t help the whine that escapes you as he withdraws them before attaching his lips to the puncture wounds. He drinks deeply, groaning at the taste of your sweet blood flowing over his lips. His grip on you tightens, and you swear you can feel his body getting stronger as yours weakens.

You feel lightheaded, and shut your eyes as you try to ground yourself, trying to focus on anything but the feeling of him draining you. But it’s nearly impossible. The scent of his cologne floods your senses, and the feeling of his leather gloves on your bare skin makes you want to recoil from his touch. But you can’t, he has you pinned and completely at his mercy, his breath hot on your skin as his body cages you against the wall. Your senses are overloaded by everything about him.

He pulls away after only about a minute, his eyes scanning your face as he eyes you carefully. You’re breathing heavily, your chest rising and falling rapidly as you try to steady yourself. The dizziness makes you shut your eyes to keep your knees from buckling underneath you.

Logically, he knows he should hate you. You came to kill him after all, to ruin all that his family– that he has built. Sure, others had tried to kill him before, usually mortals who were afraid of Satanists, and wanted to cleanse the world of the devil’s followers, but you were here for an entirely different reason. You share similar beliefs, you’re a witch, just as feared and taboo to the rest of the world as he is. And yet you want to kill him simply because you believe that he is going to destroy your coven.

It made him want to laugh seeing how scared you were. He meant what he said to you in the forest; he had absolutely no interest in meddling in the affairs of a reclusive coven. Yet you were so convinced of your silly little prophecy. It drives him up the wall. His head is telling him that you need to die, that he needs to just be done with you and forget any of this ever happened. You’ll be just another sacrifice that he’ll eventually forget about – but something in him wants to know absolutely everything about you; he needs to know.

You glare up at him but don’t have the energy or the words to say anything. Your body sways, unsteady from the blood loss and to your surprise he effortlessly lifts you up. You want to scream at him, hit him, shove him away, just anything so he’ll get away from you, but you're too weak to protest.

The vampire sets you down on the small cot that’s in the corner of the cell. He hesitates for a moment, as if unsure what to do next. His eyes remain fixed on your exhausted expression, and he simply reaches out to brush a lock of hair out of your face. You furrow your brow, about to open your mouth to ask what the hell he’s doing, but in the blink of an eye he’s rising once more and walking towards the door.

He pauses just before exiting the room, turning to look back at you over his shoulder, and once more you swear you see a softness in his eyes that wasn’t there before.

“I’ll have dinner brought up for you. I’ll eh… make sure the ghouls bring you something rich in iron.” 

And with that, he’s gone.

There it is! So sorry for the delay, this one took a little longer than expected to edit. It has been a few months since I actually wrote this chapter so revisiting it was a doozy.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed!

Comments, kudos, and reblogs are always appreciated! ‪‪❤︎‬

Translations:strega/streghetta – witch piccolina – little one Mi fai davvero incazzare, strega – You really piss me off, witch Poveretta strega – Poor witch