#the fireplace wasn't closed up correctly

[xythlia]

honestly the biggest pain in the ass of owning a house is the repairs/maintenance

[threepandas]

Bad End: Out In The Cold

"What's this? A cold little mouse in my castle?"

Thick hair that wasn't mine spilled over my shoulder. As a familiar hand, warm and calloused, wrapped itself around my throat. I hadn't realized how cold the room had gotten, until her hand was there, skin warm against my skin. It had taken a while to get used to this.

I was grateful, in a way. For the the day she had done more then just scoff at my scarf. Telling me I would freeze. The way she had gotten worried. Pulled off her gloves, grumbling all the while, too fuss over me like some great mother bear. Hands warm but gentle, as the tucked themselves around my throat. Too better warm my blood, she had said.

It had been like a dam breaking.

And honestly? She WAS right. It was warm.

Now, whenever she so much as SUSPECTED I was cold? Her hand would sneak out to press against my pulse. Though, half the time, I suspected it was an excuse. She'd not had many chances for closeness in her life, I suspect. Calysta was the... ah, it was hard to translate, but... the CLOSEST translation? Was something like "Child of The Mountain Gods".

Or was it "Child of the Mountains AND the Gods"?

I was supposed to be writing a treatise on the subject. Gods knows no one ELSE would. Cowards. Bigots too. "Nothing but savages" my silk clad ASS. And they dare call themselves academics!? Ha! HA, I say! Both my professors and I would SPIT! (If it weren't WILDLY rude. I never COULD master that skill. I did try.)

Unfortunately, my professors, were too old to make the journey this far North. It hadn't stopped them from TRYING, when we had finally gotten permission. But... well. They barely made it too Wuntersgreen before the strain and cold became too much. They cried.

As the youngest? I was loaded down with their notes, questions, hopes and dreams, and sent on ahead. No one was impressed by me. The scrawny academic with her soft, soft hands. Never a day's fight in her. Didn't know how to do "anything". But? That had given their word to host me. So they did.

It's been AMAZING.

And I like to think I'm getting better!

Adapting. Learning how to do things and help around the castle. I even helped start a fire for the fireplace the other day! Before THAT? I learned how to set hunting traps... rather badly. I have yet to catch anything. But still! Progress, is it not?

Where was I? Ah, yes.

Calysta. Her rank is something between a Warlord and a King, as far as I can tell? It holds the respected sovereignty of a ruling monarch yet? Can be seized. Should she grow "weak". Is not NECESSARILY passed too one's children. They, presumably, have an ADVANTAGE... but? It goes too "the Chosen child of..." that word I'm still having some difficulty getting a good translation off.

And if I remember correctly, Calysta's brother's did NOT appreciate that. As they had been favored by her father. Showered with praise most of their lives. One of them ASSUMED to be the next leader.

They challenged her.

Did not back down.

Now? Now she has neither Father nor brothers. Not that it seems she had much of either to begin with. Frankly? I am GLAD she won. She is good for the North. Strong, steady, highly tactical. A wry wit. And a FEIRCE love for her people and culture. NO ONE will take it from her. Destroy these beautiful peoples.

I'm tugged back lightly, away from my desk to sit up properly against the back of my chair. The hand on my neck shifting softly, ever so slightly up, to cup the underside of my jaw. Tilting my head up so I can not see my work but must instead meet the eyes of my dear friend.

"Enough, little mouse." There is a fondness to the edge of her mouth, she is not one for great grins and wild expressions. It has taken me months to learn how to read her so well. "Your papers will still be there AFTER you warm up. Should be easier to right, don't you think, when you can actually feel your fingers again?"

I huff a laugh.

Honestly... where would I be with out her? Frozen to death, probably. I get entirely to fixated on my work. Food, drink, keeping the fire running. I notice none of it. Probably shrivel up and die. The fact she even takes the time to check on me? Dispite being as important as she is? Let NO ONE say Calysta does not CARE. She is a good person.

My legs feel numb and prickly, stiff, in that distinctly asleep and too cold sort of way, as I try to stand. Calysta has to wrap her arm around my waste and let me lean against her. She feels almost too hot against me. Another sure sign I have, indeed, allowed myself to get too cold. Oh dear.

With an exasperated snort, once it becomes clear my legs will probably not be recovering fast enough for her liking, Calysta decides she will speed things along. My legs are swept out from under me effortlessly. I don't even squeek anymore, this has happened so often. But I USED too.

It is how I became "mouse".

Now I just allow Calysta her way. She'll put me down when she wants to put me down. And honestly? It's kinda fun to be carried like a child. I feel tall. Weightless and somewhat decadent, it makes my heart beat a faster. And on somedays? All I want to do is go boneless. Allow myself to be HELD. Not that I'll ever tell. So Shhhhh, a secret to our graves, okay? It would make things awkward for her.

She strolls down the hall with me, too her office. No one so much as blinking an eye. We've become so common in our shenanigans, I imagine, it's become mundane. And... ah~ Calysta was RIGHT. I WAS cold. The fireplace in her office is full with logs burning away merrily. The windows we passed in the hall showed snow. It seems the storm's finally hit..

Instead of putting me down, Calysta heads for the couch. Turning and with a huff, flopping down, making both of us bounce a bit. Leaning back with me less in her arms now, so much as in her lap. The room is quiet. Hushed almost. The crackle of fire, the distant howl of wind, far away chatter of life, elsewhere in the castle.

Calysta has leaned back against the back of her office's couch. Head rested against the fur blanket draped against the back of it. The fur mixes with her riotous man of hair to create almost a halo, lit in golds by the fire's light. Her eyes are closed as she takes her moment. The fire light makes her face softer.

But never soft.

No force in all the world could make Calysta anything but the Queen she is. Dangerous and powerful. First into battle and last to leave. She is breath taking in the way all deadly things are, I think. Like blades and poison held up to the light. Predators and fires that burn.

"You're staring, little mouse." She says, voice nearly a whisper in the softness of the room. It is a rumble like mountains and the sweet call of dangerous things. She's always had such a commanding voice. I envy it. "Is my face so entrancing?"

She's smirking. Teasing me. I laugh and rest my head against her shoulder. Let myself drift as the chill in my bones fades away. The arm loosely around my waist to keep me from falling off, has taken to lightly stroking my back. Almost absent-mindedly. Occasionally, fingers playing with the ends of my hair.

A servant has come-by. Removed our shoes for us. Brought Calysta missives and responses. General updates. She shifts us. Tucking me against her as she lays down, tucking me between her body and the couch. Fuzzy blanket over me, arm wrapped around me. I... I feel boneless.

Safe.

Everything warm and quiet and far away.

Trusting, I doze off. Cuddling close and utterly content.

Calysta presses a kiss to the crown of my sleeping head. Let's her hand roam, just a bit, simply to feel the perfect way her little mouse fits right up against her. She was MADE for her. Born to be here. Still... she has to be... be GENTLE. Soft.

It's hard. She hasn't had much practice in that.

But good things are worth the struggle for them. True love is WORTH the time, the effort, to learn how the South romance. Figuring out how to woo her lil mouse as she deserves. Making sure she never leaves.

Speaking off...

She diges out the ridiculous fancy paper envelope at the bottom of the stack. Hidden, as per her instructions, so her little Mouse wouldn't see it. Another one, it seems, from that damn "House" of hers. Southern Clans were pretty damn presumptuous, weren't they? Had some fucking gall.

What did THIS one say?

Let's she... "come back at once" blah blah blah "how dare you ignore all our letters" blah blah "you WILL honor the engagement we've found for you, or ELSE" oh? Threats now, huh? Ah~? "Keep ignoring our letters and you'll be cast from House-" well, well~!

That's convenient.

One flick of the wrist, and the letter is in the fireplace. Burning away. Just like all before it. Oops. How difficult it is, to get news from the South. Her little mouse really SHOULD just forget about them. THIS is her home now. THEY are her people.

Her girl doesn't need anyone else.

"Don't worry, little love. I won't leave you out in the cold. You're gonna stay with me. Forever. I Promise."

[shanastoryteller]

Happy Valentine’s Day! Do you have more gryffindor draco or more slytherin harry? Thanks so much

a continuation of 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Remus doesn't get many visitors. He has few friends and those that he does have are disinclined to meet him at the edge of a middle of nowhere muggle village, especially when he's decided against connecting his fireplace to the floo network.

So the last thing he's expecting is a teenage witch banging down his door in the middle of winter, shivering and glaring at him like it's somehow his fault. She smooths her face into a pleasant smile which instantly puts him on edge. "Hello, Mr. Lupin, my name is Agnesa and I'm a fifth year Hogwarts student. Can I come in?"

"Do your parents know where you are?" he asks.

She doesn't so much as blink. "I'm here to talk to you about Harry Potter."

Harry. He ignores the familiar clench in his chest and doesn't look back to the box where he keeps all the articles he'd clipped out. He looks so much like James, although his friend would probably be rolling to hear that his son was sorted into Slytherin. Lily would have slapped some sense into him, he knows, but cheering for the Slytherin team would have sent him into the five stages of grief every game.

"You should invite me in now," Agnes says. "It's cold and I can't perform any warming charms in the middle of a muggle town without setting off an alert at the ministry." She frowns. "Although they must be used to your magic popping up here so maybe they wouldn't notice."

They'd notice. The ministry monitors him closer than most, searching for a spike of magic that they can use to raid his home and arrest him.

"You should go," he says. "There's nothing I can help you with."

He starts to close the door and she jams her foot in it, her veneer of niceness dropped as she glares at him with all the scorn an inconvenienced teenage girl can muster. "Mr. Lupin, let me inside and hear me out or your lycanthropy status will be in every tawdry gossip rag I can bribe."

How did she - "Who are you?" he snaps.

"Don't you listen? I'm Agnesa, I'm a Prefect, and Harry Potter is in my house and he's my responsibility and he's yours too and you're going to help me or else."

Of course she's a Slytherin. "As you're seemingly well aware, given my status there's nothing I can do for Harry."

He'd tried. Dumbledore had insisted it wasn't safe.

"As you're seemingly unaware, better a werewolf than the worst sort of muggles," she retorts. It's odd to here McGonagall's decade old words coming out of her mouth. "We can arrange for Harry to be out of the house when you transform, but I can't exactly go and intimidate a bunch of muggles into acting correctly without landing myself in Azkaban. Also Wolfsbane exists."

"Petunia isn't that bad," he says, taken aback at her vehemence. She and Lily hadn't always gotten along, especially towards the end, but she'd loved her sister.

"She is, and if you'll let me inside, I'll tell you why," Agnesa stresses.

Remus sighs and steps back.

"Thank you," she says pointedly, whipping off her cloak and then giving him a betrayed look when he has no coat hook handy.

He'd really been hoping for a quiet afternoon.

[misc-obeyme]

Hi, I hope I’m submitting this correctly…!

Can I please request Simeon for flufftober, with the word hygge? Feminine or gender neutral pronouns are fine :)

Hello there!

I looooved this prompt. I really enjoyed creating the atmosphere of hygge, which is a really great concept that I totally love. Add beautiful Simeon into that and this was really fun to write. Hopefully it turned out okay!

Thanks for submitting a prompt!

FLUFFTOBER 2023

GN!MC x Simeon

Warnings: none it's all fluff

It was a cold and windy autumn day in the Devildom. It had been chilly for some time now as fall began to give way to winter, bringing with it lower temperatures and even more darkness. It was the perfect kind of day to stay inside somewhere warm and pleasant with someone special.

And that was exactly where you were. You were in the kitchen of Purgatory Hall, where you had been baking bread with Simeon. The angel himself added to the atmosphere of coziness, his smile emitting a light all its own. The two of you had the place to yourselves - Luke was with Barbatos at the Demon Lord's Castle, Solomon was at the library at RAD, and nobody knew where Raphael was, but he wasn't at home.

You had been planning this evening with Simeon for a little while, as both of you felt the winter creeping in. You had discussed it at RAD, talking about how nice it would be to spend some time together inside, doing things to bring yourselves some peace in the encroaching darkness.

You had brought the recipes for human world dessert breads and now the kitchen was filled with the scent of a baking pumpkin loaf. You already had a couple of loaves of banana bread cooling on the counter. There was plenty of it for you to bring some back to the House of Lamentation later, too.

When everything was finished baking, you and Simeon made up a tray. It was full of bread slices, two mugs of apple cider, and some cookies Luke had made earlier shaped like autumn leaves. You carried the tray into the living room, where Simeon had started a fire in the fireplace. There were already soft blankets and pillows piled in front of the fire.

Through the windows you could see the sky was grey; a light rain had begun to fall. The living room was filled with warmth and the soft orange glow of the fire. There were a few candles, too, adding a little additional light to the area.

As the two of you settled down in front of the fire, Simeon placed the tray in front of you. There was a stack of books nearby, in case you decided to relax and read in each other's company.

For now, you sampled some of the freshly baked bread.

You took a bite of the pumpkin, finding it exquisitely soft. The flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg filled your mouth and you hummed in appreciation.

"Did it turn out okay?" Simeon asked. "This was the first time I made pumpkin bread."

"It's delicious," you said. You broke some off the piece in your hand and held it out to him. "Try some."

Simeon met your eyes for a moment, then ate the bread from your fingers, his lips brushing momentarily against your skin.

You smiled. "It's good, right?"

Simeon smiled back at you and nodded.

You picked up a mug of cider, sipping it carefully. It was just the right temperature now, not too hot and not yet cold. You held the mug in your hands, letting the warmth of it seep into you.

"I'm glad it turned out so soft," Simeon said.

You let out a content sigh. "This is so nice," you said, your eyes closed as you absorbed that feeling of coziness. "I'm so happy to be here with you like this."

Simeon shifted a little closer to you, his leg now pressed up against yours. "I've never done anything like this before. In the Celestial Realm, the sun is always shining. It doesn't usually get this cold."

You opened your eyes to meet his blue ones. "When it gets cold and dark in the human world, we have to find ways to keep our spirits up. Some of us like to embrace the way winter comes and slows everything down." You put your mug back down on the tray and leaned your body into his, letting your head rest on his shoulder.

Simeon grabbed a blanket and draped it over the both of you. You grasped it with one hand and he held the other side, cocooning you in a softness of fabric. Simeon also wrapped an arm around your waist, holding you close and letting his own head rest on top of yours.

For a moment, all you did was watch the fire crackle, the bright orange dancing and flickering.

"Simeon," you said quietly.

"Hmm?"

"Being with you like this makes me so happy," you said. "Is this what heaven feels like?"

Simeon chuckled. He pulled away, using the hand holding the blanket to tilt your face so he could look at you. "This is far better than heaven, my love."

You felt your heartbeat increase, your eyes fluttering closed as he kissed you, the soft press of his lips against yours filling your soul with the same comfort that surrounded you.

flufftober | kinktober | masterlist | Thank you for reading!

taglist: @anxious-chick @t0tallycoolname @libidinous-weeb

[myveryownfanfiction]

Sharpuary day 12: Bad Day

18+ MINORS AND THOSE WITHOUT AGE IN BIO DNI

tags: @illiana-mystery, @iobsessoverfictionalmen

warnings: swearing

I walked into the room and slammed the door, stomping around the small space and throwing my jacket onto the back of a chair. I tossed my wand onto the small end table so I wasn't tempted to blast something to smithereens. Not noticing the other person in the room, I went to the bedroom and proceeded to take off my shoes.

"Bad day?" I looked up at the voice and frowned when I saw Aesop get up from his chair in front of the fireplace, closing the book in his hands and putting it down next to my wand. When I didn't respond, he leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms. "Based off your reactions, I'd say it was." We stared at each other for a minute before he made his way into the room, taking a seat next to me as I tossed my shoes into a corner of the room. "Black?"

"Black." I muttered. Aesop sighed and wrapped his arm around me. I shrugged it off and got up to pace. “I swear I’m going to hex him one of these days. Dinah couldn’t stop me. Hell you couldn’t even stop me.” I ran my hands down my face and paused, digging the heel of my hands into my eyes. Aesop chuckled as he squeezed my shoulder.

“I’m sure that’s not true.” I gave him a look out of the corner of my eye. “I for one happen to know that your hexes are not up to snuff. They never were for forte.” Groaning, I dropped my head onto his shoulder.

“Aesop now is not the time for jokes.” I breathed out as he rubbed my back.

“Isn’t it?” He asked. “I for one think it’s exactly what you need.” I rolled my eyes and pulled back. “Besides, the last one I saw you cast was a bat bogey hex and if I remember correctly you conjured an actual bat instead.”

“Yeah.” I muttered as I chuckled, running a hand through my hair in embarrassment. “The intent just wasn’t quite there.”

“Exactly.” Aesop said, pulling me back into him. “But for the right price, I could slip him some veritaserum or giggle water.” I laughed and leaned against him.

“And what would this price be?” I asked, looking at him with shining eyes. Aesop gave me a mischievous grin.

“a kiss.” He said simply. Laughing, I leaned in and kissed his cheek.

“there’s your payment.” I said. Aesop gave me a scandalous look. “You never specified where it had to be.” I pointed out. Aesop rolled his eyes.

“alright. Giggle water it is then.” He said. I rolled my eyes and kissed him on the lips, letting Aesop deepen it as he cupped my cheek. “Better. I’ll put both into his cup tomorrow morning at breakfast. Everyone can have a little fun.” I smiled at him and leaned into him more.

“thank you.” I whispered. Aesop nodded as he kissed my head.

“anything to turn your bad day good.” He promised.

[fineprintedsunsets]

ʙᴇʟᴏᴡ ᴢᴇʀᴏ

Sypnosis: The Rotunda Gateways have filled the Sanctum with snow, when you come to Master Strange with your issue, he insists you fall asleep with his cock inside of you, to warm you up, of course.

Word Count: 1.4k

!Trigger Warnings!

-cock stuffing

-stephen strange X afab!reader

-pet names obvi

Everything was freezing. The walls were covered in a thick layer of frost, as was every piece of furniture in the rotunda gateways reach, making the whole Sanctum cold. Wong had people shoveling the snow up during the day, but at night when they were no longer working to get the fluffy substance off the ground, it was you who suffered.

Your hands wrapped around your bare shoulders, and your usual sleep attire- shorts and a sports bra- were covering your body, truthfully you’d think they would have had the snow shoveled by now, and when you exited your room -proved wrong- your bare toes were met with icy cold snow.

They had not, in fact, shoveled the snow up completely.

The Rotunda Gateways were known for malfunctioning, it was one of the things Master Strange warned you about when you moved into the Sanctum. You were training with Wong and Strange to work on your abilities, and it was Strange who offered you the idea to move in with them.

Live in training, he had called it. Your heart fluttered at the idea, you had been attracted to the man for so long, although he was a bit older than you, and probably had a lot more to worry about than a 20-year-old who can’t correctly conjure her magic.

Either way, you slipped on a pair of fuzzy socks before you closed the door behind you, they however did not stop the snow from seeping into the fabric, making your bones chatter.

Two sharp knocks were placed at Dr.Strange’s door, and a fireplace could be heard crackling inside, right then and there you sighed with relief. Hopefully, he would let you in. A few moments went by, enough to talk you out of this whole endeavor, but before you moved Stephen opens the door. The warm air that meets your skin is refreshing and much-needed.

“Is everything alright?” Stephen’s voice is low, indicating to you that you must have woken him up. He attempts to blink the sleep out of his eyes as he waits for your answer.

You, however, are staring at his chest. His bare, defined, chest. You drag your eyes up, immediately embarrassed, surely he had seen you looking?

“It’s just cold in my room, I was wondering if there’s another room I could stay in” You rub your hands together, noticing the way your breaths come out in visible clouds of air. “Preferably with a fireplace.” You quickly add.

Stephen blinks at you before opening his door wider. “You can stay in my room if you wish.” Your cheeks sink, but your mind is racing. You’d be lying if there wasn't just a little part of your body that hoped he’d asked you to stay in his room.

Smiling graciously, you squeeze past him and immediately feel the heat of his sparking fireplace warm your bare skin. A chair sits next to the flames, and it is where you decide to inhabit.

Master Strange closes his door, causing a little jump from your end. You try to play it off as your hands come in front of you, feeling the heat of the fire on your palms.

“I apologize, I should have offered sooner. I’d thought Wong would have done his job by now.” A little smile plays at his lips as he joins you by the fireplace, and you admit your chuckle.

You feel his body behind you, his presence looming but not threatening. If anything, his small breaths are comforting, and so incredibly hot for some reason. You realize with a small gasp, he’s turning you on with just his goddamn mouth. Your mind gets lost in these forbidden thoughts, if only for just 2 seconds do you entertain the idea.

“Is there something else you want?” Stephen’s eyebrows quirk in question as he eyes your face, noticing the blush that has risen to your cheeks. You pull out of your brain, embarrassment again flooding you.

“No-” You feel scared fingers meet your skin before you can finish. His skin is soft, and so warm.

Stephen places a thumb under your chin as he forces your eyes to meet your own. “Are you getting warm?” You advert your gaze when he drops your chin, barely breathing. You’d thought he would have asked something completely different.

Something inappropriate.

“No- Yes.” You stutter, silently cursing yourself as you see amusement play on his face. Stephen extends a hand toward you and on instinct you clasp your palm with his own, feeling the silver scars marking his fingers.

“Allow me to help.” Master Strange says it like a prayer as he lifts you out of your current seat and brings you to his massive bed. Your head races,

“What?” But Stephen is on his knees before you, reaching his hands to your shorts, the ones that ride up your ass, exposing just about everything.

“Master Strange..” He stops at your plead, his eyes locking onto you, his fingers unmoving.

His voice is husky, sharper. The sleep vanquished from his eyes. “Do you wish to stop?” but you find your toes curling, and your breath being shortened as you shake your head. Stephen removes your sleep shorts, taking your panties along with them, his digits grazing along your bare thighs. He motions for you to scoot up on the bed, and you do. You can feel your cunt dripping already, excited for this interaction. Even if it seems so sporadic.

You hear the sound of clothes being taken off as you slide into Stephen’s bed, smelling him all over his sheets. Your bare from your waist down. Stephen slides into the mattress with you, coming right behind your frame, crowding you with heat.

Strange swipes down, his breath coating your neck, whispering into the flesh. You try hard to focus on his words as his cock nudges at your ass.

Your mind is unable to process this is real, this must be some fantasy you’ve conjured up, because maybe you're really in your room, dying from hypothermia and this is the way your brain salutes you. What is happening?

“It’s a technique many ancients used to practice, a way to give and receive body heat during colder months.” - Stephen answers for you, and before you can answer the pain of something sliding deep inside you overrides your brain.

This is a very vivid fantasy.

The feel of his cock bottoming out to the hilt fills you with pleasure, even though the stretch is painful. Stephen groans, his back against your own, his cock filling you completely. He wraps a hand around your stomach, keeping you from moving.

A desperate whine escapes your lips.

“Ahh-Ahh.” Strange asks, his lips meeting your neck, his beard scratching your flesh. Your pussy floods with your arousal, and you seem to pant, wanting to move, craving it. Needing it.

“I’m only transferring heat, just focus on the feel of me.” You groan as you try to move but his grip only tightens. It was what you were doing, and it was so incredibly painful he wasn’t allowing you to move.

You whine again, but this time Stephen is at your ear, coating the shell of your flesh.

“I know you want it, baby. But we have to get you warmed up first, don’t focus on my cock, focus on your eyes-” He places a soothing kiss on your neck, feeling your body loosen under his grip.

“Can you rest for me?” You nod as you relax into his arms, hearing his words repeat in your head over and over again.

Stephen’s hand slips in between your legs, rubbing at your swollen clit. You try to keep your eyes shut as pleasure from his thumb courses through you. “That’s it, good girl.”

“Are you warming up?” He questions, the pad of his pointer finger reaches to where your bodies meet, where his cock is shoved into you.

“Yes.” It comes out as a whine as he plays with you more, driving you closer and closer to the edge. Strange’s voice fills your head, wrapping you in a dizzy spell. This is how you want to be forever, against him, with him, for him.

He pulls his hand away, trying to silence his groan as you clench around his cock. Stephen wasn’t wrong, you feel the heat rush through you, your body warming itself from his heat and your own combined.

Well done, doctor. You smile to yourself before you drift into darkness, hearing the fireplace crackle and the steady sounds of Stephen’s breathing mix. All while you fall asleep with his cock stuffed inside of you.

[independentzaun]

Cats, unpredictable things.

Continued from here with @elisethetraveller

Elise would have pulled the hood tighter across her head if her hands had not been busy ensuring her cloak stayed closed. Especially since the ears started moving, shifting to what would have been a forward position to focus on Renata had they not been stuck beneath the heavy fabric. It was like they had a life of their own, and she could only be thankful that the tail was at least behind her as it drifted back and forth.

Still, despite everything, she was happy to see the other, and the teasing question made her smile in return. Elise had to admit she wasn't used to the other woman's new voice, the cybernetic sound so different from the voice she associated with her. That wasn't to say it didn't fit her new persona, and she'd seen its effect on people when the former brawler barked out orders. Elise felt bad as the other's voice trailed off, fearing that she had been too harsh in her rebuke. Had it been any other day, she would have welcomed the company, but today she was, indeed, busy.

Stepping back to avoid Renata's closer scrutiny, Elise relented. "Alright, come in then." Pushing the door open, she waited for the woman to enter before closing it behind her. "Though if I recall correctly, our last 'break' was anything but quick." The mage teased.

The inside of Elise's home was modest, and every table surface seemed to have at least a small bundle of papers, herbs or medical equipment. A couch sat almost in the middle of the room in front of a fireplace, though an outline against the wall revealed where it had initially stood. The corner of the room was occupied by a kitchen area, while two hallways led elsewhere into the little house.

"May I offer a drink? I don't have any Noxian wine, but I have both water and ale." She had more potent stuff too, but that was not for drinking. Moving towards the kitchen, the mage only made it halfway before she was stopped by the cloak catching on the corner of a table. The yank travelled, and before Elise could do anything, a fluffy ear was peeking out from beneath the fabric.

As always Renata was quite observant, and the little twitches under Elise’s hood made her rather curious. She still had no real idea what was going on, but she couldn’t resist the urge to find out if at all possible. Of course if Elise had actually said to leave she would have nodded, and accepted it. Elise wasn’t one of her people to control, and give orders to after all. However with Elise relenting there was a faint unseen smile under her mask as she stepped into Elise’s home.

A soft chuckle came from her as she nodded. “Perhaps, but it was still a very enjoyable break I must say.” Glancing around she shook her head. “I still think you should let me get you a larger place.” It wasn’t something Renata was going to argue about, but with how Elise used every surface possible it seemed like she couldn’t help the thought that other woman needed something more suitable. “That’s perfectly alright. I still enjoy a decent ale. You know it’s surprisingly difficult to get used to the water here again after being gone for a bit. Don’t misunderstand my body can handle it, but the tas...te…”

Turning around to see that fluffy ear peeking out Renata’s eyes widened a bit, and reaching up she hit a button making her mask retract so it was simply one piece next to her ear displaying her entire face. “Elise. Lovely. I don’t remember you having fluffy ears the last time I saw you… Is there something you’ve neglected to mention?” Sounding far more amused, and intrigued than anything else she took a step closer to Elise as she chuckled. “It suits you though. Cute.”

[original-siphon]

"Bored" - Elijah Mikaelson

Pairing: Elijah Mikaelson x Reader

Warning: Smut, oral (female recieving), mentions of captivity. Long? And not proofread.

A/n: It's 3 in the morning and I can't sleep. Also I've got nothing better to do than writing so here you go witnessing me expressing my love for the certain original.

*yes I'm aware that I have 2 fics pending right now, but whatever. I'll post this one first.*

__

You remember correctly, you were out with a few friends, having drinks. You just went to grab another round of shots, but when you came back, all of your friends were gone. Puzzled, you looked around and got startled when you saw a man almost right behind you. "Y/n Y/l/n," the man exclaimed in his British accent. "Yes, I'm her," your voice was just a bit above whisper, "Who are you?"

"I'm Klaus Mikaelson," his smile was sly, which somewhat got you creeped out, "and I'm here to abduct you."

With that, he turned you around by your arms, pulling you into his chest. One of his arms snaked around your waist to keep you in place while the other went up to hold your mouth and nose tightly. You tapped on his arm multiple times so that he lets go, but instead, you smelled something in his palm and that got you dizzy. Next think you knew was your vision getting darker by moments and then... black.

You remembered everything as you woke up on a strange bed, in a strange room. It was dark, you could still make out the details, as your eyes set on the doorway. You took a leap out of the bed as you ran to the doors only to find them locked. It didn't surprise you though, you were abducted, obviously you were going to be locked in a room. But that didn't keep you from banging on the doors. "Hello? Anyone? Let me out of here! Please let me out!" You kept banging on the doors till your hands hurt. Few sobs left your mouth as you stopped banging, helplessness setting over, "Please, tell me what you want. Don't keep me here, please. Someone get me out." You fell on your knees, tears now freely ran down your cheeks. This guy, Klaus Mikaelson, you've never heard of him. You couldn't understand whatever would he want from you. Thoughts kept running in your head as you leaned against the wall beside the doorways, pulling your knees close. You heard footsteps suddenly, that caught your attention and you whipped your head towards the doors in hopes that someone might let you out. And that happened. You heard the lock getting opened from outside, and the doors creaked open, letting rays of lights into the room.

You got up, and looked at the man who just unlocked you. He wasn't the man from before, the one that kidnapped you. He looked gentlemanly, wore a neat suit, and approached you with a kind voice, "Y/n?"

Even this man knew your name, you felt disturbed by the fact that you didn't know what was going on. "Why am I here," you spoke your thoughts, voice crocky, "why was I kidnapped?" You took a breath to calm your rapid beating heart, "Who are you people? What do you want?"

"I'm Elijah Mikaelson and I get you have a lot of questions, Y/n," his voice was calm and smooth, "and we plan to answer them. Would you like to come downstairs, we can discuss further in there?" His words were more like a statement, and too stern to be a request. You nodded, you knew there's no point in refusing. Anything to get some answers, some explanation for this.

You followed Elijah down the stairs to see two guys and a girl gathered in the huge living room. You took in the scene before you, a house with vintage decor, large staircase and a fireplace in the massive sized living room. Even though you were just kidnapped and kept here, you couldn't help but admire the house, it was beautiful. Your trance broke as you stepped down the last stair, you saw the man who had kidnapped you earlier. "You..." you trailed off, meeting the man's eyes, "you kidnapped me. You're Klaus."

"Yes love, I did," Klaus turned fully to face you, sly smile returned to his face, "because you are currently of huge use to us."

"Use?" Your question blurted out of your mouth, with the same amount of disbelief and confusion that you were feeling right now.

"Brother here means that we need a favour from you," the lady in the room spoke, so you turned your gaze to her, "I'm Rebekah, and I'm sorry for my brother's ill manners. It could have been done without kidnapping you, I'm sure."

"What sort of favour?" You questioned again, nothing made sense.

"Nothing harmful, darling," the other man in the room said with a cocky and charming smile, "we just need a bit of your blood. Oh and by the way, I'm Kol."

"Blood?" You exclaimed, heart beating fast again, "what do you mean?" You felt dizzy from this creepy information you got. This lot kidnapped you to get your blood. As you tried to process whatever you just heard, your knees gave up and you felt yourself faint. But right before you could seize to the floor, large arms wrapped around you, steadying you back on your feet. It was Elijah. "I suppose we could have this conversation without scaring the girl, brother. " He didn't let go of you, instead helped you sit on an armchair.

"Agreed, brother," you heard Rebekah say, as your eyes were glued to the floor before you, mind running a thousand miles.

"We should enlighten this poor girl about our needs now, and I suggest we do so without making her uncomfortable."

You looked up at her, then Klaus, then Kol, and then back at Elijah. All of them were looking at you, and you could tell you were now going to get some actual answers, not the vague ones.

And that's exactly what happened. After an hour of a very mind crumbling conversation, you came to know about the supernatural world, how the people in front of you weren't only vampires but the first ones, making each of them a thousand years old. You tried your best to wrap your head around everything, in which you succeeded.

"So let me get this straight," your voice was a little more confident than before, "you are original vampires which makes you pretty much indestructible except for some ancient dagger you just found out about, that was made by my witch ancestors, and to destroy it you'll need my blood?"

"Precisely," Klaus hissed, "and make no mistake, we'll take your blood to get the job done. With or without your kindest consent."

That made you gulp. Klaus just threatened to hurt to if you didn't go along with the plan, to say you were scared to your core was the least. And your face conveyed your emotions pretty clearly when you met his eyes.

"Come on, Nik," Kol chimed up, "I thought we weren't trying to scare the girl?"

"We don't," you heard Elijah spoke from where he sat now, "we're not trying to scare you, Y/n, neither would we need to harm you in the process. As we explained, it is important for us to use your blood to destroy the weapon that is a threat to our family. I hope you understand our obligation to bring you here and ask for the favour."

"Yes I understand," you were still scared, but at the moment you needed to make it clear that they don't need to harm you, "if a few drops of my blood can help you guys and get me out of here then you don't have to ask too many times, you can surely have it."

"It's settled then," Klaus smiled again, sending a chill down your bones, "glad we're on the same page, love."

You huffed, you were so ready to just give your blood and get out of there, so you asked, "When do you need it?"

"I'm afraid we still have to retrieve the dagger yet," Rebekah replied with a sigh, "and the ritual happens on a full moon night, which means 12 days later from today."

"12 days!?" Annoyance was audible in your exclamation, "And what am I supposed to do till then? Just stay here locked up?"

"I'm sorry, love," Rebekah's voice was regardless, "but that is what is going to happen, we'll have to hold you captive here."

You opened your mouth and raised your hands up, but no words came out.

"What she meant was," Elijah's words were sincere, that made you look up to him to hear him complete the sentence, "you can enjoy your stay here at the mansion as our honorable guest."

"Are you serious," your voice was low and calm, "is there no other way?"

Disappointment settled in your guts when you heard his reply, "I'm afraid, no."

---------

It's been a week since you started staying in the compound, as an honourable guest. You didn't have to do anything all day, just wake up, sit around, eat, sleep and repeat. You were tired of the routine, so no one could blame you when you started roaming around the mansion at 3 in the morning. A brownie in hand, you walked down the hall just staring at anything and everything.

When you walked towards the living room, a voice startled you, "What are you doing up so late?"

With an audible yelp, you whipped your entire body with a jump in the direction of the voice, finding a nonchalant, casual Elijah. He wore only a shirt and a pair of dress pants, jacket discarded and sleeves rolled up. Your eyes fixated on the bourbon filled glass in his hand that he twirled occasionally. You were silent for too long as you realised, so to break it you whispered, "I couldn't sleep."

His eyes showed a glimpse of amusement and he raised his brows, signalling you to continue, "I was hungry and bored."

His lips quirked up in a small smirk. "Explains the brownie."

You suddenly became concious about the chocolate stains that smeared across your lips, and started rubbing your mouth. And at that you definitely saw his smirk grow bigger. "And what are you doing up at this time?"

He simply looked into your eyes, "I couldn't sleep either, but for different reasons."

"May I ask what is it?" You knew you were just stringing the conversation now.

"I won't bother you with those." His reply was curt, but polite enough so you dropped it.

"So I've eaten, not hungry anymore. But I'm still bored, suggest what should I do?" You genuinely didn't know what to do next, you wouldn't sleep that's for sure.

"Join me," he said with a glint of question, "I'll finish this drink on the terrace, you can keep me company."

You sat side by side on the patio couch placed on the spacious terrace. Elijah was content drinking his bourbon quietly, while you couldn't help but talk out of boredom.

"I have to ask," you slowly turned to face him, "what's kol's speciality?"

"What do you mean?" He turned to you in return, swirling his drink.

"I mean Klaus paints, Rebekah has an impeccable fashion taste, you play music, what does kol do?" Elijah heard the plain curiosity in your voice, that eased him up a bit and thus he let himself slip into a pointless conversation with you.

"He.. well if we don't consider killing then I'd say he has a talent for writing."

The way he put it earned a chuckle from you, "Oh? That's nice."

"Yes," he smiled at you in return, "he writes good poetry."

"Well then we should wake him up and make him recite a few of them!" The idea suddenly popped in your head and seemed too good to be ignored.

"It's three in the morning, dear," hiding a laugh Elijah tried to reason with you, "did you not hear the part where I said he has a speciality in killing?"

"He won't kill me for wanting to hear his writings, come on." You plopped a little back into the couch, wondering.

"He will." His reply was short, but accompanied a fit of laughter he couldn't control anymore.

"Well he can't," you laughed in return, "I mean not yet. I'm special, remember?"

"That you certainly are." Elijah looked at you with a glint in his eyes, conveying something you couldn't put your finger on. "So tell me, what do you do?"

"I... well a bit of both painting and music. I do both of them." His question made you realise you long has it been since you pursued any hobby of yours.

"Really? So you just sing or do you play any instruments?" Curiosity even got better of him, now he was genuinely interested in getting to know you as it seemed.

"I play the guitar," you say quietly.

"Guitar? Nice." Something about that look he gave made you believe he plays the guitar too.

"You know how to play a guitar, don't you? I mean you are a thousand years old, you've had a lot of time to practice," you said, surprised and not surprised at the same time, and continued, "Especially you're a vampire, you have enough strength to play the Barre chords effortlessly. I'm human and I can't play them. Look at me, so pathetic, complaining about Barre chords of all things."

You let out a long and hearty laugh, even clutching your stomach in the end. You were so focused on how funny you felt that you missed the way Elijah looked at you, with complete and utter adoration.

"I think it's cute." His voice pulled you out of your trance slowly, making you look at him. You noticed how he looked at you, and felt a pull when Elijah tugged your hair behind your ear out of nowhere.

"Cute?" Your voice got a lot quieter now, shy even.

"Yes, why," he asked a frown creasing his forehead as he looked deep into your eyes.

"I don't know," you fought hard to get your words out straight and to not focus on Elijah's fingers caressing your hair, "cute sounds so different on your lips."

"And why so," he asked, inching dangerously close now.

"Because you're so suave," for a moment you allowed yourself to forget everything that was going on in this world and just look into his chocolate hued irises, "Cute sounds just so quirky when you say it."

"Suave?" His voice was barely a whisper, as he inched even closer, squinting his eyes at your comment.

Your breath hitched when you realised just how close you were right now, and that didn't go unnoticed by the man in front of you, so he tugged your hair behind your ear again.

"You keep doing that." Your tone was a question and an acknowledgement that you liked it.

"I can't help but," he tilted his head slightly, as if taking you in "you look beautiful."

That sent heat right down your core, a moan escaped your lips "Oh come on."

"I'm serious," his breath fanned on your lips, "You know your lips are so soft." He slided his thumb across your lips, and you distractedly licked your lips, your tongue brushing his thumb slightly.

You weren't taken aback, you were just fused. So the question came out bluntly enough when you said, "Oh my god, are you going to kiss me?"

Elijah froze visibly, eyes going slightly wide, "I was going to," he backed away a bit, "till you ruined the moment."

You immediately regretted what you did, "Oh, I mean you can you know," you stuttered, "I won't mind."

"You wouldn't, sure?" His eyes glinted with hope again and you loved it. You loved the effect your words had on him.

Slowly smiling, you looked down and uttered, "Yes, because I'm bored." You looked back up at him and immediately regretted your words once again. Elijah was visibly taken aback now as he said "You'd let me kiss you because you're bored?"

You knew you had to do something, say something to repair the situation. God you just wanted to kiss him. You shouldn't have interrupted him in the first place. What were you thinking?

"When you put it like that..." you slowly mumbled, thinking of saying something clever somehow before you blurted your thoughts out, "I mean yes, it gives me something to do."

"What?" Elijah was openly confused now, waiting for an explanation, so you gave him that.

"I get like this when I'm bored," you tried to shift closer, "I get open to do anything interesting." Your eyes looked into his perfectly chocolatey hues, which turned a shade darker at your words.

"Anything?" He asked, his voice low and husky. You knew what he meant and that got your heart racing again.

"Well that was more suggestive than just a kiss," you said breathily, your eyes moved in between his eyes and his lips.

"I mean it does give you something interesting to do," his hands found its way to your lower jawline, both of your eyes locked, "Plus it'll be a good opportunity to see my room, to see if my bed is comfortable." He tried his best to convince you, you thought. But you didn't even need to be convinced, you were ready. But admitting that out loud is something you never did. So when you tried, your voice weakened noticably, "I.. think so.."

"Don't think too much," he reasoned, his voice an octave lower, "You're bored and you're just doing something about that, okay?"

"Okay," it didn't take you too much time to agree, you thought, "I just can't believe I'm going to have a one night stand with a thousand years old vampire!"

Blurting your thoughts out loud again, yes that's what you did. It earned you a stern, reprimanding look from Elijah, "You keep ruining the moment, dear. Now come on before you ruin it too much." With that he grabbed your wrist, got you up and dragged you downstairs to his bedroom.

He closed the door without letting go of the grip on your wrist. Then in a split second he shoved you on his bed, and started to unbutton his shirt. You followed in suit, getting rid of your satin slip and lacey red bra. He started climbing on top of you slowly and captured your lips with his once he reached you. His hands travelled around your body hungrily. He moved to kiss your jawline, then your neck and found your sweet spot. He sucked and bit you there, and from the feeling of it, you knew there was gonna be a huge hickey.

Your core throbbed with need as your hands tangled in his hair. His lips moved lower, his large hand coming up to cup your breast. He growled, the sound reverberating in his chest and sending shivers down your spine. You kicked off your shoes, him doing the same to be rid of them.

A moan slipped from between your lips at his praise, and you smiled. His hair was messy now, his face flushed with lust. His hand reached up again to fondle your breasts, his lips wrapping around your nipple as his tongue flicked over it, his teeth grazing the sensitive bud and sending the arousal straight to your core. You were already so wet, your panties soaked and sticking uncomfortably to your body.

Your arched your back in a moan, Elijah's name falling off of your lips. He switched sides, his hand squeezing you as he adored your body. "Fuck, yes," you gasped.

His tongue dragged down your chest and belly, his teeth leaving marks along your skin. His hands pulled your panties off of you, throwing your legs over his shoulders. He looked up at you, a silence question in those hungry eyes.

A smirk graced his lips, "You're so beautiful, babygirl." That nickname pushed you over your edge, you knew you needed him right now. He took the hint as his lips wrapped around your wet pussy, hot tongue meeting hot flesh as he began to devour you. You almost screamed as the pleasure filled you, spasms shooting through your body.

He sucked on your clit, his fingers suddenly burying inside of you as they started pumping in and out. Elijah had to pin you down by your waist to keep you from lifting off of the bed. "I'm gonna cum," you gasped, your fingers tightening on his scalp. "Already?" His cheeky smirk was evident on his lips, now glistening with your juices. He continued his ministrations making you come hard on his fingers, his lips curling back around you. His tongue captured all of your cum like it was his last meal. His name ripped from your throat, your body quivering as your thighs clasped around him.

He lifted his body up, taking a good look at you. "Oh baby," he moaned, "you're so exquisite, all for me to ruin."

You looked into his eyes, still coming down from your high. Suddenly your eyes travelled down his chiselled chest, stopping at his bulge inside of his lowly hung dress pants. "Elijah," you softly moaned, "I need you now."

The hunger in his eyes grew deeper, darker. He smashed his lips on yours, dominating you with one hand snaking around your waist and another one gripping your neck. As soon as he broke the kiss, he lost his trousers and boxers. His cock sprung out in front of you and you couldn't help but stare at it, thinking how the fuck could you take it. He was bigger than all the men from your past.

"Like what you see, babygirl?" You whimpered at his words, that nickname did something unexplainable to you. You pulled him into you by a fistful of his hair, locking lips, giving yourself to him completely.

He positioned his cock to your core, slowly inching inside. You cried out from the mixture of pain and pleasure, nails digging into his back. He stayed still for a moment inside you, until you signalled him to move. He started thrusting in a slow pace, then little by little it grew an inhuman pace. You bit into his shoulder to stifle your lewd sounds but Elijah's fingers tangled in the hair behind your head and pulled you back by it, "No, babygirl," he looked deeply into your eyes, thrusts not faltering for even once, "I wanna hear all of it." You let out a loud moan at that, him grunting with each hit. You gasped, gripping his shoulders, "Elijah, I'm close."

"Are you, now?" he moaned into your neck, "then let it out for me." He kissed you again, full of lust, "Let it all out, babygirl, and make a mess of my cock."

That was your undoing, your grip on his shoulder got stronger as you came, every wave bringing ripples of pleasure throughout your nerves. You rode your high as his pace picked up, and you felt him twitch inside you. He came almost right after you, his thrusts becoming sloppy.

Your movements stopped, you just stayed like that for a few moments, him on top, caging your small form beneath him as you both panted through the aftershocks. After a while, he slid out of you and settled beside, pulling you close to his side.

"Still bored?" Elijah asked, sliding an arm around you.

"No I think I'm ready to sleep now," you looked up at him, cheeks flushed and eyes droopy, "I should go back to my room." You shifted, trying to get up, only to be stopped by him.

"Stay here, in mine," he said, "that way you get to wake me up whenever you feel bored." Both of you smirked at each other.

"That... sounds like a good plan." Your face inched closer as you planted a wet, hot kiss on his lips. Elijah kept licking all the insides of your mouth until he lazily broke the kiss, "I thought you were ready to sleep?"

Your smirk grew bigger as you climbed on top of him, straddling his hips now, "Nope. Bored again."

[bumblesimagines]

Green Thumb

Part 17

Request: Yes or No

For anyone curious and if I did my math correctly y/ns dad had him when he was 35. This one feels short and I hate ittt but I tried making it feel longer. The chunks are just thicc

~

"So, why are we going to Belgium?" Natasha asked, setting the course. You looked at her, taking a seat beside her.

"Cause.. I have family there.. She might be family, I don't now." You answered, feeling the jet move forward before it took off into the sky.

"Family? Like, blood related? Who?" Natasha asked, glancing at you. You licked your lips, staring forward.

"My aunt." Natasha's brows raised, looking over at you. You sighed, nodding.

"What if she turns me away?" You asked softly.

"Well.. You're probably her only remaining family. I wouldn't want to turn away a family member." Natasha licked her lips, looking forward at the passing clouds.

"What do I even say? Hey, I'm (Y/N) and I have superpowers?"

"Well, you can introduce yourself and ask about her brother." Natasha gave a small smile. You nodded.

"How's Clint?" Natasha asked, rested her head on her fist. Her hair was long and her natural red locks were returning. It made her hair look a little weird but she was going through a lot of things.

"Who fucking knows." You frowned, arms crossing. Clint had fucked off to god knows where, leaving you to deal with your grief alone. Natashas' brows furrowed.

"Clint has decided not to return home in what feels like weeks. Maybe even months, I haven't been paying attention." You shrugged lightly. Natasha frowned, leaning back in the seat. Definitely didn't sound like Clint but grief could make people do crazy things.

"I've been trying to keep up with the house but I'm just one guy handling everything Clint decided to build and add on." You licked your lips, shaking your head and letting out a heavy sigh.

"I'm sorry." Natasha said softly, giving your arm a squeeze. "I'll talk to him if you want."

"Let him do whatever the hell he wants to do. He's a grown man." You replied, feeling bitter and resentful. Natasha silently nodded. The rest of the ride was silent until the jet reached Belgium.

"We're here." You stepped out of the jet, feeling a small breeze go by. You felt your stomach doing flips, heartbeat quickening. You took in a deep breath, glancing at Natasha. She placed a gentle hand on your back, offering a small smile.

"Are you sure you don't want me to get in touch with Clint?" She asked, head tilting. You shook your head.

"It could make things more complicated." You said, looking around. The house across the street matched with the address Tony had given you. It was more on the outskirts of town, surrounded by trees. You could hear some horses behind the house. You took in a deep breath, trying to ease your nerves as you walked towards the house, crossing the road. Natasha followed, studying the area.

"Seems like gardening might run in the family." Natasha said, motioning to the flower garden.

"Yeah.." You chuckled softly. You stepped onto the porch, noticing some plotted flowers on the windowsill. You raised your hand, pressing the doorbell. You waited a few minutes about to press it again before the door opened. A scowl appeared on Florines' face. She was shorter than you had imagined. Her hair was a bit messy and tied back into a low ponytail.

"Wat wil je?" She asked, gaze flickering over to Natasha. You swallowed, fiddling with your fingers.

"Are you Florine De Meyers?" You asked, watching her narrow her eyes.

"Who's asking?"

"(Y/N).. I think I might be the son of your brother." You said quietly. Florine stared at you, lips parting. Her features softened for a second before the frown returned. She opened the door wider, letting you and Natasha inside. The inside of the house smelled like black tea, earthy and floral. It felt straight out of a country movie.

"I've got some tea and speculoos." Florine called as she entered the kitchen. You looked at the pictures she had up. Most were pictures of horses or her at events with friends. You didn't see any pictures that seemed family related. You took a seat on the floral patterned couch, gazing dropping onto the unbothered elderly sheepdog. It made no attempt to move and simply rolled onto its side to face away from you.

"That's Gerdie. Old girl used to be a good guard dog but now she's more of a house cat." Florine said, sitting down and placing a tray on the coffee table. Natasha reached forward, taking one of the biscuits. Florine reached under the table, looking through the books she had before pulling out what looked like a photo book.

"The reason I didn't slam the door in your face is because Michael had told me he was gonna have a kid named (Y/N)." Florine said, hand wiping away the dust in the book. She scooted forward, placing the book on the table.

"Michael?" You repeated, looking at her. She nodded, opening the book. She flipped to the second page, pointing to a picture of a young boy by a fireplace opening presents.

"Michael, my half brother and your father." Your brows raised, leaning in to take a better look. The photo was old but you could see his face clearly. Natasha leaned in as well, smiling gently.

"You have his smile." She pointed out.

"Michael and his father moved here from America when he was about five. He met my mother and they got married. They had me when Michael was nine. He was a good brother. He held no resentment towards me or my mom. Michael was as stubborn as a mule and he could never keep his mouth shut. He'd let you know if he didn't agree with you." Florine chuckled, shaking her head. You watched the nostalgic look pass over her eyes.

"What happened to him?" You asked softly. Florine let out a heavy sigh, leaning back in her chair. She reached down, giving Gerdie some pats on the head.

"He disappeared for some time." She answered, gaze becoming distant.

"He wrote letters occasionally. Said he was working for a government in another country.. He might've been some sort of spy, my memory's a little fuzzy on the subject. He spent a long time working but.. He came back eventually. He never talked about it but he was good ole Michael." Florine leaned forward again, flipping to another page of a more grown up Michael. You did notice some similar features between him and you.

"By then, our father had passed from cancer and my mother needed all the help she could get. Michael built this house with some friends of his and gave it to my mother. Oh, my mother was so happy. She got the farm she had always wanted and got to garden whenever she could." Florine pointed to a a couple in the photobook.

"This is your grandmother, Sylvie. You would've loved her. She made the best cakes in town. This is your grandfather, Jonathan. He was always up to no good. He loved pulled helping the kids in town with pranks." Florine spoke of them fondly. Her childhood seemed to have been good with Jonathon and Sylvie.

"You have powers, right?" Florine asked, looking at you. You nodded, reaching out to the plant on the coffee table and watching it grow taller.

"She passed on her powers to you." Florine leaned back, clearing her throat. You glanced at Natasha, noticing her eating another biscuit.

"She? Who's she?" You asked, looking back at Florine.

"Your witch of a mother." She answered bitterly. You raised your brows at the hate and disgust in her tone.

"I shouldn't speak ill of her. Even if she deserves it." Florine muttered, standing up with a heavy sigh.

"C'mon." She motioned for you to follow. You turned towards Natasha. Natasha picked up another biscuit, making eye contact with you. You raised your brows.

"What? These are delicious!" Natasha huffed. You chuckled, standing up and following her out the backdoor. You noticed the stables with the horses walking around their fenced area. Florine had a vegetable garden and a greenhouse out back as well.

"Those pretty babies are Ernie, Kuma, and Goldie." Florine said, motioning to the horses. They approached the fence when she walked over to them. You smiled softly as she petted them, cooing in Dutch.

"They won't bite. Well, Ernie might but he's just a playful old man." Florine chuckled, turning back in the original direction. You followed her down a dirt path and into a wooded area. You blinked, seeing what looked like a moss covered statue of a woman. Her eyes were closed though her head was pointed downwards, looking at anyone who walked down the path.

"She was a charming little witch, I'll give her that." Florine crossed her arms, staring up at the statue. You tilted your head, licking your lips.

"Did he make this for her?" You asked, turning to look at her. Florine shook her head, looking down at the ground.

"Gaia, or better known as Mother Nature, is your mother. She took a human form in an attempt to convince humans to cherish what she had given them. When that proved useless, she spread plagues as punishment. What Gaia truly wanted.. Was a child. Animals, humans, and all those things were creations.. Projects she could ignore if she got bored. She met your father and he fell for her." Florine told you, another breeze blowing by. You reached your hand forward, gently touching a flower that rested by the statue. It felt full of life.

"Your mother fell pregnant with you and Michael was thrilled. Gaia had started realizing that human life wasn't for her. She was slowly becoming human herself. She disappeared with Michael and returned without him or you. She explained she couldn't stay and left her human body here."

"She abandonded me for no reason?" You stared up at the statue, features hardening.

"In some sense, she didn't. She's all around us so.. Your mother never truly left you." Florine said, turning to look at you. You scoffed.

"I have a mother. Her name is Laura Barton and she's not here anymore because of Thanos." You looked at Florine, blinking away tears.

"I don't blame you for being angry. I never found out where she took you or if you were even alive. If you want to keep in touch, I don't mind. Lord knows I could use the company." Florine looked forward again. You let out a soft sigh, shoulders slumping.

"And.. And dad? What happened to him?" You asked hesitantly, almost afraid of finding out he had done the same as Gaia. Florine stayed silent for a moment.

"He.. They never told me how it happened but.. He was murdered." Florine revealed, staring at the ground with a small frown. You stared at him, brows furrowing.

"What? By- By who?"

"You might've heard of him. People around town were talking about him a two or three years back. The infamous Winter Soldier."

~

Tags: @geek-and-proud @wolfelocksley @babyvisionisamenace

[boop-le-snoot]

PARTY FAVOURS | A MYSTERIOUS INTERLUDE

first time reader click here

This is a scrapped chapter. Originally, I was planning to 1) give Reader a longer, more intense destructive streak before her ending up with Tony. I planned three or so chapters that involved an abusive Quentin Beck, but, ultimately decided that to be too cliché. 2) I had planned to write at least 30% of the fanfic in Tony's/third person POV. This chapter would have been number 11/12 - Tony would have rejected her advances in the lab & she would have got hooked on Beck's charming facade.

Why am I publishing this? It seems like a waste if effort to shelf it, plus, it's Tony's POV. You can skip it since it has no relation/bearing on the current story. Just a tiny "what might have been" tidbit.

It was a moment's notice. One second, they're standing in a group, laughing, soaking in the warmth from the fireplace, chattering amongst themselves, telling tall tales and sipping their liquor. It all goes black briefly, and then they are surrounded by darkness - it's nearly impenetrable, so thick that their voices echo in it.

Tony's body was encompassed by the nanotech suit immediately after his eyes and his brain adjusted to the rapid change of surroundings. His teammates, too, had their skills honed on an instinctive level - the faint thump of Mjölnir in Thor's hands, the golden-green glow of his brother's magic, whirring of Barnes' prosthetic arm. Steve's shield stayed tucked behind the living room couch but his enhanced physique and readiness to fight 24/7 has him covering the unenhanced Clint and Natasha in mere seconds.

Tony was mostly angry rather than afraid. The team was having a good time at his party and the chance encounters of weird shit like this had been reduced to nearly zero percent possibility thanks to Friday's screening process: supervillains, Hydra agents and the likes strictly prohibited on Stark-owned premises.

It was a strange coincidence Banner had to take a break to check up on one of his experiments not even five minutes before the rest of the team was experiencing the strange change in scenery. Speaking of Strange, the sorcerer also was nowhere to be seen - Tony distinctively remembered seeing Stephen ten feet away from the bar, engaged in a hearty debate with the lead of SI's Medical Engineering department.

"This is not magic," Wanda piped up from behind him, confused. "I don't feel anything on the usual frequency. It sounds more like Friday humming in the walls, like electricity."

Good to know, Tony thought. It was nice having someone who was familiar with the undiscovered side of science - after all, Tony had always considered anything 'magical' to be science he had not personally understood yet. Wanda's most redeeming quality in Tony's eyes was the fact that more often than not she seemed to be as clueless as everyone else when it came to her powers and didn't act so high and mighty as some other people. Cloaked people, and horned people, for example.

"The fuck, man? I was hoping, just one evening, one normal evening with my beer and wings," Clint whined. Tony could hear Natasha huffing in annoyed agreement.

"Mr. Stark, what are we going to do?" His very own spider-child, on the other hand, sounded distraught. Peter's voice has this funny thing it does when the boy is upset but tries to hide it: it quivers on the vowels, wobbles slightly.

Tony had to blindly grope the air for a moment before his arm found Peter's shoulder. The boy was shivering and took the offered comfort eagerly, folding into the older man.

"Okay, whoever is pulling this stunt, my advice is: don't," Tony sighed, 12 000% Done With This Shit™, exclaiming loudly. "If that's a prank, stop it or speak up. If you got beef, then you got some nerve doing this in my tower. Show yourself."

He could feel the fine hairs on his neck stand up as the team tensed next to him, readily gearing up to pounce. Peter was vibrating in Tony's arms and the billionaire suddenly remembered the curious side-effects of Peter's powers, the spidey-sense. It must have been going absolutely haywire - the kid nearly hyperventilated himself into a heart attack.

"Stark, I must apologise for the uncomfortable circumstances. Believe me, it was a necessity - you always demand attention, whereas I need people to pay attention to me for a moment. Don't worry, you'll get yours when the time is due."

The voice was vaguely familiar. Male, slightly nasal but quiet and creeping. Insinuating. It lacked the usual boisterous bravado of a mid-grade bad guy, Tony had to take an educated guess that the owner of the mysterious voice was well-off, white. Privileged. No hint of desperation in it, as if the man was pitying everybody.

"The fuck? Q, is that you?"

Oh shit, Tony realized in muted horror. She must've been hanging around somewhere in their vicinity - which wasn't unusual, the girl usually orbited around Barnes, Wanda, Peter or Bruce. All of whom were present at the party. Tony had forgotten about her, to his shame, somehow having had automatically assumed she trotted out of the room on Bruce's heels. His science bro and her acted like conjoined twins when it came to their scientific ventures.

"Stop talking," The man growled, the voice suddenly coming from a very different direction. Tony heard a distinctively feminine yelp, albeit muffled. Peter violently jerked in Tony's arms. The engineer put the superstrength of his suit to use, holding the teenager down.

"Aw, hell no!" She yelled, the indignant shrieking followed by the sound of a moist palm slapping something glass...y? "What the fuck? I am asking you again. Are you... Oh my God, are you wearing a fishbowl on your head? Ow, motherfu-" The rest of the sentence is muffled, garbled. Whoever this "Q" was, she obviously knew him and he had silenced her. And, apparently, Q had an uncanny choice of headwear.

Tony was sure the rest of the team had followed his lead on doing a spit-take. They've fought enough supervillains with more than questionable fashion sense but a fishbowl? That was new.

"Be quiet, baby. It's for your own good. I don't want to hurt you if I can help it," The Fishbowl chastised her.

Tony's confusion once again returned to irritation at the frivolous way the villain addressed his science buddy. Peter's friend would have been more accurate but Tony had put her into the 'science bro' category not too long ago. They were close, as much as they could be, with the age gap and totally different interests and... The immense amount of guilt Tony felt for his attraction towards the girl. He was a dirty old man and she was barely an adult.

Every damn day Tony did his best to avoid making a shiny, big, new problem. Yet her brains and her wit and the uncanny ability to pull anybody into a conversation had a firm hold on his attention.

"Leave her alone," Stark angrily declared, powering up a repulsor. "What do you want? Party crashing isn't allowed in my tower anymore."

"What I want, Stark, is for you to give credit where it's due," The man answered simply, giving Tony just enough time to shove Peter behind him towards Natasha and take a tentative step forward.

The soft glow emanating from the repulsor illuminated barely two inches around his hand. The darkness surrounding it seemed to swallow the light. Tony moved on quiet feet towards the voice, easily avoiding furniture. His memory was good and he knew his tower, his home, better than anyone else.

"Did I hear that correctly, you're accusing me of plagiarism?" Tony tried for indignant, hoping to provoke the man into an inevitable, drawn-out speech where he lists all the wrongs Tony ever did him, giving the team precious time to regroup and form some semblance of a plan.

"Yes," Q simply answered, pausing for a second. "I hope you enjoy your next adventure. It certainly will show you the potential of my creation."

Tony shared a muted sound of confusion with the rest of the team.

"Q, I am very disappointed," To Tony's horror, th girl stared talking again. She sounded somewhat breathless, and closer to him than before. "Stop it with the dick measuring contest, you're a grown ass man. Go work for OsCorp, or Hammer, drink your sorrows away." She sounded so tired. And even closer to him.

"This is not a dick measuring contest!" Q roared suddenly and wow, that man was unstable. "This was my life's work, my creation, he insulted, berated and threw away!"

"I get it, I really get the whole 'being discarded and thrown away' thing," She replied, somewhat sarcastically. "But you know what? I'll be damned and I'll be fucked if I give some piece of shit any more of my undivided attention. They don't want me? Fine, they can fuck off and take their complaints with them." Her speech was periodically interrupted by shuffling noises.

Tony didn't dare to interrupt, seeing now the possibility of Q being actually calmed down by a teenager (probably) quoting some teen drama TV show.

"But going full Joker? You're a brilliant man, Quen, I wouldn't even look at you twice if not for your brains and your baby blues, however I don't fuck with the bad guys. That shit kills," The hand that rested on the wrist cuff of Tony's suit unmistakably belonged to her. She had the remnants of some sort of wire around it, sleek and quicksilver-shiny, irritating the tender skin under it. "And I want to live. You've gone and pissed off an entire crew of supers and I don't know what to do. I don't know what to think, Quen," There was genuine sadness in her voice.

Tony stood silent in confusion.

Whoever this Quen was, they obviously shared a close relationship. Tony's brain ran through the list of her friends, her relatives - there was nobody named Q, Quen or even remotely similar. Natasha had mentioned a possible boyfriend at some point but the man sounded too old for that, he was at least thirty. Or maybe? Tony wouldn't put it completely past the girl, if judging by the blatant way she flirted with Bruce. With himself.

"Baby, this is not about you. I don't want to hurt you," Quen replied, a hysterical edge to his voice. Something began flickering in the distance, attracting Tony's attention to the shape of a man with a round sort of helmet and a red, billowing cape (hello, 2012-Thor!).

"Too late, Quen. You've tied me up and you went on to attack my friends. I've already told you that if you yell at me one more time, I will leave you. So I guess this is it," Her voice broke at the end, pitiful sniffles following the statement.

Tony watched the exchange, mildly uncomfortable and very concerned. The man yelled at her? That was absolutely unacceptable, however, what else could one expect from a maniac with a flair for the dramatic?

The girl bodily placed herself in front of Tony, standing, doing nothing but rubbing her wrists. It was then that the engineer noticed Q nearing them, the shape becoming distinctively closer. And - yep, there it was - the fishbowl on his head. It completely obscured him, making his face invisible, unrecognisable.

The man seemed rather fixated on the girl standing in front of Tony. He floated in front of her, ignoring Tony, taking her bound hands in his own. A brief click and a hiss later, her wrists were released and the contraption fell freely to the floor where it landed with an oddly heavy thud. Tony hoped there was no lead in that thing - supervillains were dangerous but lead poisoning was cancerous and fatal.

"Baby..." Quen timidly touched her face with a leather-bound glove. "I didn't mean to yell at you. I'm sorry." Tony took the chance to examine the man's costume. If anything, it looked somewhat steampunk-y? There was a lot of bronze, and the chest brace had some sort of glowing lines on it. Power storage units?

She stared up, towards the man's hidden face. "M'sorry, Quen," She mumbled, going in for a hug. Or that's what Tony thought. The majestic cape that billowed behind Quen was unceremoniously yanked from his body as the girl ducked, covering herself with it, yelling: "TONY, NOW, SHOOT, SHOOT!"

Tony did just that, shot Quen flat in the chest and the man stumbled backwards, tripping on the cape - such a stupid, unexpected thing. But Tony knew, his girl was clever and resourceful. Pride swelled in his chest as he shot the man again, Rogers running out from behind him blindly, body-slamming Quen into the ground for good measure. Two hundred pounds of supersoldier later, the battle was over before it even started.

"No!" The villain shouted as Steve pressed and popped the hilarious glass contraption on his head. The accessory was no match for the Captain's super strength. Tony immediately recognised the man as his former employee, Quentin Beck, and it clicked for him. It was totally a personal vendetta.

"This stuff is tough, plexiglass, maybe," The Captain remarked, pointing at the scattered shards around Beck's head. "It appears to be augmented too, some kind of tech, I don't know. You're good at this, Tony," Steve chuckled humorlessly, roughly turning Beck around and securing his hands with a pair of vibranium-reinforced handcuffs. God only knew where he'd gotten those from.

"Good at what? Making enemies?" Stark couldn't resist the self-depricating joke.

"Stop it, Tony," Natasha's gently admonishing voice interrupted Steve's incoming lecture. Tony, for once, was thankful that the Widow interrupted. He was in no mood to listen to another one of Steve's speeches.

"Who do you work for?" That deadly gleam in Natasha's eyes was terrifying and Beck was only a man.

"I don't work for anyone but myself, thanks to Stark," He spat venomously.

Natasha cocked an eyebrow in Tony's direction.

"Fired him years ago, this guy was going nuts. Brilliant but crazier than a bag of cats," Tony replied, feigning nonchalance. He could feel a mild headache begin to gnaw at his skull. "We worked on a project together, he got upset that I refused to weaponize it. We had a falling out. End of story." With that, Tony stood up, retracing his suit to only leave the gauntlets on his hands, gathered the various pieces of tech the good captain had removed from Beck's persona and made way towards the nearest table.

Or where he thought it was. All of them were still surrounded by the uncanny darkness. The anxiety that Tony forcefully shut down reared it's ugly head as soon as he lost physical touch with his teammates. He stumbled, his foot catching onto something on the ground.

"Ow, motherfucker!"

"Buttercup, I haven't fucked your mother nor I plan to," He snarked back automatically, flooded with relief at the sound of the familiar voice.

"Hope so. She'd probably bite your dick off if you try," A hand was groping his calf and then she stood up in front of him, still clutching the ridiculous cape. It appeared to be a source of light, which was very strange. The girl looked positively demonic, illuminated by red light, face scrunched up, eyes puffy, and clothing in disarray.

"You good?" Tony managed to choke out, confusion and worry and anxiety making his chest tight.

"Balmy. My boyfriend is a homicidal maniac with an inferiority complex," She sassed, an edge of panic to her voice. "Oh, and he tried to kill one of my best friends. I am fine and dandy."

"Your boyfriend?" That was the only thing Tony heard. Bat-shit crazy Beck, his babygirl's boyfriend? There was no way in Hell he'd allow such a thing...

"My ex-boyfriend, I guess," She sighed, removing the cape from her persona. Refusing to meet his eyes, fiddling with the hem of her top. "Here," The girl abruptly thrust the cape at him. "This is a funny thing, it's like a hologram but you can actually touch it. You should, uh, probably disinfect it, or something. I've been on-uh, around it many times," It was so unlike her, the fumbling, the embarrassment, Tony wanted to wheel her straight to medical to check if she's gotten concussed again.

Then his brain caught up and all he saw was red. Figuratively and literally - the cape was still in his face, loosely hanging from her outstretched hand. She must've seen the look on his face.

The step she took back was quick and worrying. "Forget I said that, I don't know why I said that. Oh, god."

"What were you thinking?" Tony inhaled a solid lungful, prepared to make his opinion very clear. "Getting involved with a lunatic! For a second I actually thought you were smart, there isn't a chance you missed that the guy is short of a few marbles," His voice was quiet, the one of a calm fury. His words cut deeply and he could see the hurt, the shame in her eyes, on her face. Tony knew he'd regret it later however his brain insisted it was a necessary evil. He continued ranting until he ran out of breath. "Not to mention he's, what, twice your age? And he yells at you and tells you to shut up? It didn't ring any alarm bells in that pretty little head of yours?"

"Tony, stop," Steve's hand landed on the engineer's shoulder and he simply shrugged it off, staring at the quivering girl in front of him.

She was crying, silently, few tears pooling in her eyes and streaming down her cheeks, leaving ugly streaks in her make-up. Tony expected her to sass him, to argue back, to yell obscenities like she usually did when something or someone upset her but he was met with hurt, stunned silence. His worst fear came true when she looked away, shrugging.

He'd seen this sort of dejected shrug the time her father drugged her and... She just took it. She expected it, even, his outrage, his disappointment. Being hurt and mistreated was the norm for her, Tony realized belatedly. There were too many parallels between them both that made him uncomfortable deep inside. His chest felt tight, regret washing over him like a tsunami wave.

"I'm turning on the lights, close your eyes for maximum comfort," Strange's voice announced suddenly, causing everybody to jump and shudder. Tony complied begrudgingly. The sudden influx of light was painful even from behind closed eyelids. His headache became a full-on dull throb.

"What happened?" "Are you okay?" "Is everybody alive?" Resonated across the room. Tony spied several small drones smoking and crackling next to the exit door, Stephen Strange closing a portal he must've used to evacuate the civilians.

The puddle of red holographic cape on the floor. And her hastily retreating back. Damn.

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[lightsorigins]

Fears & Premonitions

The sun was about to set when Malden left the Elzoh home. Sylvania sat on the couch for a few seconds and thought back to the afternoon she had just spent in great detail. What a surprise for her to have succeeded so well in playing her composition for Malden. She never imagined that he would like it so much. Her friend admired her enormously for many reasons, and Sylvania knew it perfectly. Nevertheless, something kept preventing her from having confidence in herself, no matter what the field. She was just the classic girl, who was appreciated because she did her job well, obeyed her mother and made sure she never acted or thought with the slightest bit of originality. To stay in the norm was to stay safe. It was staying "right," and probably the best thing to do in this world.

      The clock was ticking as fast as her thoughts were multiplying. Soon, she would have to get ready to join Teano. It was impossible to leave the apartment without putting her room in order. On her computer, she launched "Lamp" from "Etolica. ». Sylvania's room was a bit like her sanctuary: a vast room of about twenty square meters, decorated with white wooden furniture, syorized borders and handles. She really cherished them for the history they carried. Her grandfather and father had themselves spent time in the Arctia forest harvesting Siebyl wood. A good friend of her grandfather's, a cabinetmaker, had been responsible for creating the range of furniture that would be installed in Sylvania's room.

      There were jewelry racks, cabinets, two pictures, a bedside lamp on the desk, and a large bed and a simple blue rug covering well over half the floor. When she was younger, having participated in piano competitions, Sylvania had won prizes of varying degrees of praise, which sat atop her furniture, facing the faded light blue walls. She had left some study books on mathematical theorems, the history of the Mysticiën and texts to work on for the coming week. She sat down on her bed, looked at the dust on the floor, the books, some disturbed shoes and a pile of clothes before sighing loudly.

 -      How could I let all this build up in such a short time? Mom wouldn't let me leave the house without taking care of it... and that's okay after all.

      Without another word, she turned on. As the room returned to its original brightness, Sylvania was delighted. Suddenly she heard the key in the lock of the front door. Her mother, Prudence, had returned. Quickly, she went to the living room to find her.

      - Hi mom! How did it go today? Did you have many visits to the museum?

      - More than I would have liked, but it was fine. How was your day? Did Malden come to see you? What did you do then?

      - As expected, the piano, all that, what...

      Prudence gave her a doubtful look, before moving on. She was a very tall and slim woman, with a short haircut colored with an even brighter red than her daughter's. Her emerald eyes seemed to glow with a thousand lights when she was hiding anger. Prudence's face was always serious, as if marked by unspeakable traumas that were reflected in her full voice. Sitting down, she removed the long black coat that reached her boots.

      - And so you prepare to go to Teano, if I remember correctly.

      - Yes. Am I still allowed? Sylvania asked, worried.

      - Have you done your homework, my daughter?

      - Yes, and I'm even a little ahead of schedule.

      - Have you practiced your piano? Is your room clean? What time will you be home when you leave so late? What are you planning to do with Teano?

      - Yes, yes, and I think I'll be there in the middle of the evening. I need to have a little chat with him.

      - What are you going to talk about? Do you know if her father will be there?

      Prudence asked this question with a certain amount of anxiety that did not escape Sylvania's notice. This was not the first time that Teano's father seemed to be a subject of fear for her mother. But every time she tried to find out more, Sylvania received evasive answers, such as "No, there's nothing," or "You're imagining things," or "Enough nonsense, girl.

 -      I don't know if his father will be there, but I'm not coming to see him so it's okay! I need to talk to Teano about the band he's forming with Kieran and Malden, and also... I've been feeling a bit under the weather lately, you know.

      - Why don't you just talk to me, or your grandparents, like you did when you were little?

      - Mom... how can I put this...? I... I trust you and I can talk to you about it, I know that. But this is different. You know, Teano is a bit like me in some ways. He can understand me not just because he listens to me, but because he's going through similar difficulties.

      She was embarrassed at the idea of hurting her mother by showing her that, as a teenager, she would gradually need to detach herself from the family cocoon. In all soul and conscience of this reality, Prudence did not follow up the conversation. This evolution was necessary, she knew it, even if it was hard to accept. As always, she hid her pain, wearing a cold and placid face.

      - All right. Then I hope you have a good evening, and don't come back in the middle of the night. I won't sleep until you come back. Is that understood?

      - Yes mom, I promise. If you're worried, send me a message. Anyway, it's really close!

      Prudence nodded, and Sylvania prepared to join Teano. She put on a white jacket and frilly boots before setting off. She realized that she would have liked to talk to her mother about the phelidus story, but it had slipped her mind. It all came back to her on the way, though. She struggled to understand the meaning of this news and imagined the worst. The few times Sylvania had heard about these creatures, it was in children's stories, through Renyu's research or when her mother told her about dangerous adventures that ended very badly.

      - Phelidus on Lausya, she repeated to herself tirelessly as she walked through the city, where the snow had started to fall again. What if this pelidus wasn't dying? What if it was wild and started attacking everyone? Who could control it? How could we warn mercenaries fast enough? And yet, many people know that pelidus can only be controlled by a handful of atmologists and fighters, it's crazy... 

      The desire to send a new message to Annabelle to know more crossed her mind, but she was already about to arrive at Teano's house. In the big residence, it was enough for her to go along a few meters to the north of a big flowered and maintained park. This was where the richest families of Lausya lived. At the end of the park, separated from everything, was a large three-story house, surrounded by flowers and a few trees. This was where Teano lived, but not only that. Teano was the son of the mayor. Oscar. This individual hated by a good part of the people of Lausanne. The one responsible for the mechanical debris that littered the city and for many discords. The one that Sara dreamed to be able to bring down. Every time she went to see Teano, Sylvania had a thought for Sara, in connection with all these stories. She let out a sigh before sending a message to Teano.

      "I'm in front of your house. I don't know if..."

      Before she could finish writing, the door opened in front of her. Teano was there, a huge smile on his face. Without waiting another second, he hugged her with all his strength and pulled her inside.

      - It's so cool to see you! I felt you were there, right at the door, it was like a no-brainer. Right on time, it's all you. That's so cool. How are you today? I was in such a hurry!

      The girl shook her shoulders a little to get back on her feet after that powerful embrace. She still hadn't gotten used to Teano's emotional expressions, but it amused her nonetheless.

      - You know, I saw Malden earlier. It was cool, I got to play him a song, and we talked about the band.

 - You have to tell me this, but you look a little tired! 

 They entered the large living room. The fireplace was lit, and the smell of burning wood wafted in. Huge windows illuminated the room with the magical, dark blue of systrielle that seemed to shine outside. Sylvania observed in detail these places that she knew well. Not a single corner was spared from the presence of a gadget developed by Oscar, or by tiny automatons with doubtful appearances. Opposite the fireplace was a large coffee table and an even larger red sofa, where Oscar was sitting, cross-legged and looking concentrated. The mayor of Lausya was calmly reading a book entitled "Anger of the World".

    His short salt-and-pepper hair was slightly wavy, lined up in a slicked-back hairdo. A thick beard gracefully surrounded his thin face with lightly tanned skin. He wore gray pants, a white shirt, and a red bow tie. Sensing the presence of the two teenagers, his emerald eyes rolled slowly towards them, without him moving a millimeter himself.

      - Hello sir, let escape Sylvania in a net of voice.

      - Hello young lady. You don't look happy to see me.

      Teano glared at him as his father stood up. He wasn't especially tall, but his demeanor and voice gave him an overwhelming charisma, so that he seemed to be standing on a pedestal that gave him height. He looked at the young people in turn, before he began to walk around the room, hands behind his back, after putting his book on the table. Rather than allow an awkward silence to hang over him, Teano spoke up again.

      - Finally, what would you like to drink? With the help of our butler, I've prepared a few things you might like.

      - It is necessary that I speak to you about something! She launched abruptly.

      - Is it serious?

 -      Annabelle told me that there were pelidus in her house.

      They didn't see him, but Oscar was facing one of the windows in the room. His blood rushed to his throat at the words, and his eyes widened. He rushed toward Sylvania. His figure was like that of a threatening ghost, bending over her to suck her in. Terrified, she did not dare to move and wondered why he reacted like that. His piercing eyes were planted in hers, as if he was trying to read her thoughts.

      - What did you say, young lady? he articulated, almost in a staccato whisper.

      - D-Phelidus. Annabelle told me about it...

      Annoyed, Teano shoved his father with all his might.

      - Give her a break! Annabelle told him that there are pelidus here, that's all! Will you please leave us alone now?

      Oscar grabbed him by the arm, squeezing hard, and then he approached his face, as he had just done with Sylvania, while staring at him. His look was like two sharpened blades that were inserted right in his heart.

 -      Beware Teano Fanghël. Your attitude and your words could well have regrettable consequences.

      For the next five seconds, they continued to stare at each other without blinking. These scenes of strange anger and cold hatred were unfortunately not so rare among the Fanghël. Teano couldn't help but wonder again why his father was so contemptible. He was not only angry, but deeply saddened, and he felt bitter tears welling up inside him, which he did not let out. Oscar pushed him away and let go of his grip, as if he had laid his hand on a disgusting insect.

      - Very well, I have to do! Altimer! Get the car ready, I need you to drive me to Laurence's work. I need to talk to her in person as soon as possible.

      - Yes, Mr. Fanghel," replied Altimer, who was busy in the kitchen.

 He was an eltaq with yellow eyes, very tall and imposing. Teano liked him very much, and he often wondered why such a good and warm man was working for someone as evil as his father. In a few minutes, Oscar left the house with Altimer, leaving Sylvania and Teano alone. They had been standing in the same place. Their eyes met. They breathed loudly and looked up in unison.

 -      I know your dad has some unique behaviors, and that's why he makes me uncomfortable... yet I feel like this was different.

      - It was," confirmed Teano in a faded voice. I'll be right back, I'll get what we've prepared. We need to have a little chat and move on. He's not going to ruin our moment, now that he's gone.

      Alone in the living room, Sylvania began to think in detail. That was already two unusual and consecutive things, but related on top of that. These events could corroborate with one of the reasons why she had come to see Teano that evening. Sitting on the large couch, she crossed her legs, then her hands, which she placed under her chin as a sign of intense reflection. The light was very dimly lit, and the blue glow of systrielle now filled the entire room, giving an almost unreal atmosphere. Silently, Teano went back and forth twice. The first one, with a plate full of cakes filled with glamene syor honey. The second one, with glasses of milk of syor. After that, he put his cell phone on the table, then he launched "Clock" of "Etolica. ».

      - I'm glad you came tonight, I'll feel less lonely," he said, taking a cake.

      - I think there's better company, but I'm still glad you're not alone tonight.

      - Stop talking nonsense. Your company suits me perfectly. Especially after seeing how my father behaves. But then again... you didn't come here to confide in me, did you?

      At these words, Sylvania felt her heart clench, and her heartbeat quickened in her chest. It wasn't much, but she was about to open her mouth and use her voice to express things that, until now, existed only in her mind. It was strange to put words to such feelings, but she went for it.

      - Something is wrong Teano.

      - What do you mean by that?

 - It doesn't make sense, but I feel like something's wrong. I have this feeling of being in danger. All the time.

      - You've always had high anxiety Sylvania, right? It's not a good thing, but I guess...

 -      Teano, I... It's not the same as usual," she added, cutting him off. I'm really worried. The remnants of your father's experiences are becoming fewer and fewer in the city. I hear about important people who disappear in the news. The people of Lausanne have been moving in dribs and drabs since last year. I hear Annabelle telling me that she is hosting some Phelidus at her place and then your father reacts like this when he hears the news! Before leaving the apartment, my mother asked me again if your father would be there, always worried about something she doesn't seem to want to talk about. The more the days go by, the more I feel crushed by the weight of something I can't see.

      She had spoken, raising her voice with each sentence, gesturing and staring at her glass of milk from the beginning to the end of her tirade. A few seconds later, she remained silent and then dipped her cake in the milk before taking a small bite.

      - I know there's a problem, but I don't have anything more tangible to explain it. And I'm afraid. I can't confide in anyone. Except to you. Beyond that, my self-confidence has only gone downhill for weeks. I'm still the same, doing the same things, being praised and perfect. I don't step out of line, I do what is asked of me. I remain neat, clean and wise, without anything, without identity. I feel empty.

      - You are not without identity to me.

      - Teano, for you the whole world is fantastic!

      She did not pay attention, but this remark hurt him slightly. He pretended not to hear and continued to listen to her.

      - That's what everyone likes about you. You radiate and bring joy. But let's face it: who am I interesting to?

      - Malden came over to your house to have you play your compositions for him this afternoon.

      - He admires my hard work, my skills, my well-learned attitude. Who knows who I really am, beyond all that? And even I don't know when I think about it... I feel like a nobody. I'd like to change the world, but I run away from every problem. I spend my life being afraid.

      - I don't agree with you. You change our lives by helping us when you can, Sylvania. I'm not trying to tell you that you're wrong to feel this way. These are slightly complicated times for everyone. We all have our reasons. I wouldn't blame you for that. Take the time you need to talk and find yourself. But neither I nor anyone else sees you as anyone else. That's wrong, very wrong.

      She had talked enough for now. Time continued to pass for a few minutes, when she and Teano took a few more cakes and ate them in silence.

 -      You're the only one who comes to me about this kind of thing.

      - You speak about an originality, she persifla by laughing. It won't always be enough to not end up alone and useless. And even less to change things... I am really afraid that one day, you will be really tired of me.

      Without warning, Teano grabbed one of her cakes and threw it in her face. She was startled and found herself full of crumbs, with a little honey in a few places. Sylvania looked up at Teano, gawking, before throwing a cake back at her.

 - But what are you doing? she asked, laughing harder.

      - I'm punishing you for the bullshit you say in front of me! "Getting tired of me" no but do you hear yourself? If you need to be reassured every day, then I'll do it, but it bothers me to hear you say that. I don't want to change the subject, but what you told me earlier worries me a little.

      - The Pelidus ?

      - Yes, but also these anxieties. This fear that something will happen. I've noticed that my father's attitude has changed recently, as has my mother. You know, my parents don't talk to me much, and that's good when I see what we share. But even with this distance, I can see that something is wrong.

      Sylvania's attention was redoubled when she heard her friend's words. She plunged her eyes into his, listening attentively to what was going to follow.

 -      He spends a lot of time in his office. He and my mom talk for hours and do more and more weird experiments. I think they even got hurt not too long ago. I don't know what they're doing, but I think it's kind of weird too. I didn't want to talk about it, but with what you're telling me...

      - Do you think you could go into his office?

      Teano hiccupped in surprise at these words. He raised his eyebrows and recoiled violently. He then shook his head very quickly in denial.

 -      Are you crazy or what? You want me to get killed? I tried that when I was smaller, by accident. He hit me and punished me with everything for weeks!

      - If it's that risky, maybe it's better to avoid... I don't know if it's related to everything I'm imagining. Also, to get back on topic, Annabelle definitely wants to meet at her house as soon as possible about the Pelidus.

      - But why?

      - I don't know, that's what she told me.

      - When would be the best time in your opinion?

      Sylvania thought of proposing that they meet at her house tomorrow, but she didn't know if the others would be available. It was the same for Teano. However, since Annabelle seemed to want to see them as soon as possible, it must be really important. Sylvania stood up suddenly and started pacing, hands clasped behind her back. She began to murmur incomprehensible sentences, relating to her intense reflection for this problem to be solved. Suddenly she turned to Teano with a determined look.

      - Send a message to Renyu, Sara, Kieran and Malden.

      - What do you want me to tell them?

      - Ask them if they are available for tonight.

      - What? But it's impossible. Even for me it's tense! What about your mother? She'll be worried!

      - I think we're going to have to get over our fears this time. I'm exhausted from following my organization to the millimeter. Right after you, I have the strictest education and I'm ready to brave it. If I can do it, anyone can!

      He did not answer immediately, but continued to stare at her. Teano had never heard Sylvania speak like this. The only things the girl was able to oppose were animal abuse and the deterioration of natural environments by actively participating in debates on social networks. She would never have dared to confront her mother before. She would never have allowed herself such escapades. Even worse: Sylvania would never have listened to inner premonitions. That was not what she had been taught to do. It was always out of the question to do things differently, and to deviate from the routine. Yet tonight she was taking a vow of rebellion.

      - What if they really can't? Teano asked.

      - With two of us, we will be able to convince them.

      - But we need a plan, and Renyu is in charge of that in general time.

      - And that's why you send him the first message. He's the one who convinces Sara most easily when it comes to doing something. Then Kieran will be obliged to follow his sister if she asks him to, and...

      - And Malden will want to spend time with Kieran. Knowing that we'll all be together will make him want to come.

 - Exactly!

      They wasted no time in getting down to work. Teano wasn't worried about the time they had, because Laurence's work was far from home. His father wouldn't be back for a while. So, rather than sending a message, he called Renyu directly on his phone. He picked up after three calls.

      - Yeah? He replied in a dull voice.

      - I'm with Sylvania, I need to ask you something.

      - Is it? Oh, I hope it's a "How do I not bother my friends when they've already made it clear to me with two no answers, that they're busy" question. Because I have a really good answer for that. Something quick, clean and concise.

      - Renyu, we have to go to Annabelle's tonight, everyone. It's urgent.

      - Is this a joke? You're bothering me while I'm doing research on Kannidus and on top of that you're telling me we're going to Annabelle's? You smoked Nanthilia with Kieran, didn't you ?

      - Annabelle has Pelidus at home.

 -      Okay, you really smoked some Nanthilia. Don't come to my house tonight. Bye.

      - Renyu! Teano insisted. I'm very serious. We have to meet there as soon as possible. Sylvania will tell Annabelle that we're coming tonight.

 -      Wait... Are you telling me that Sylvania is going on a night out?

      Since Teano had put the phone on speaker, Sylvania heard him burst out laughing.

 -      Hey, are you sure she's not going to get like, cut off her head or grounded from piano for seven months because she came home at 9:10 instead of 9:09?

      - Sylvania is with me and she hears you.

      - Oh great then! Sylvania, you're not going to be broken up doing such stupid things ? What's your idea for tonight? Have you decided to become a normal person and to go a little bit beyond the limits?

      Sylvania slumped on the sofa and took her face in her hands, dejected. She knew he was going to tease her for that.

      - If you want to know everything, it's even my idea. So yes, I...

      - Don't bother. I hope this isn't a joke, because this is a really classy thing to do. I don't care if everybody's here or not. If there's some Pelidus involved, something amazing, something to discover for our village, then I'll be there. However, if I ever find out that it was a bad joke, I never want to hear from you again. Do I make myself clear?

      They nodded and let him continue. Teano asked him more about how to convince Sarasvati, his brother and Malden. All right, they discussed some strategies, after which Renyu left for a few minutes to make the most viable synthesis he could think of. When he returned, he spoke again.

      - Perfect. Sylvania, you should go home right now. Even though you're pumped up, I think you should go reassure your mom and let her sleep it off before you leave. If you don't, there's a good chance she'll show up at Annabelle's, and an even better chance she'll cut your head off in front of us. And I don't want to get your blood on my face. You'll sneak back home when the time is right. As for you Teano, join me as soon as possible. We'll go back together. In the meantime, I'll make a call to Sara. I will be able to convince her, I have all my arguments in mind. For Kieran, well, I'll find something, even if it's my weak point. Same with Malden. Let me worry about that, but do what I tell you. Now.

      He hung up immediately. Sylvania and Teano waited a few seconds before getting back into action. She grabbed her coat in a hurry before putting it on and removing the remaining crumbs she still had on her.

      - We have to hurry. And call Annabelle to tell her we're coming! Be careful when you have to leave, that your mother doesn't hear you.

      - Yes, I will do my best. I'll see you later!

      Slight clumsiness on her part. Sylvania spilled the rest of the two glasses of milk on the table before leaving. When she realized it, she put her hands to her mouth and looked at Teano with confusion.