#what if he fully transforms when his emotions take over or when the rose is dying

[foxglovepng]

TWST Overblot theory

CW: Spoilers book 6-7, this post is really long btw, Spoilers spoilers SPOILERS Spoilers for Malleus's age, grim boss theory.

So while I was going through book 6 (This was like when it came out) Idia made an observation and he theorized someone could be inciting these overblots. I looked over it as to what he said after made sense but I watched a theory from Rose Ember in which she discussed a time loop theory. I wanted to throw in my own two cents about an overblot theory I had been thinking about.

(As of making this post it is May of 2024 I am not up to date on any JP chapters, Crowley's card, or Heartslabyul manga book 4-Octavinelle. All of my sources I will be putting as I am taking direct game quotes)

I also would love it if at least some of you guys read this post and reblog I would love to hear y'all's opinions on this. I never seen people really look into it and I want to maybe bounce ideas off of some people on what's really going on.

Just remember all of this is just a theory...A GAME THEORY (RIP Matpat we love you king)

(Book 6 ch51) Idia was talking about how absurd it is that 5 (5 overblots up to this point) Coincidentally happened in 6 months "Overblots can happen when the caster overuses magic and builds up too much blot while experiencing intense negative motions" "It's a cascading effect that stretches back years." "And the thing that triggers emotional outbursts is the hardest to quantify our innermost feelings, or 'heart', so to speak a persons heart is the one thing we can't control no matter how hard we try." Idia's exact words. Now going with that statement and saying all of the overblots are just merely a "Coincidence" let's examine and analyze the overblots and why they happened.

Riddle

(HIS SAILOR MOON OF AN OVERBLOT TRANSFORMATION IS SO COOL IN THE MANGA.) Riddle's overblot obviously happened because his authority was being challenged as the housewarden from Ace going in a duel against him to everyone else getting fed up with his rules to defying him. Not to mention with the deep severe ties with his mother and her rules he well overblots.

Leona

His overblot happened because of his failed plan to basically kill off Malleus (He really pulled a long live the king here) from my understanding he gave up and the Savanaclaw students were like 'tf why?' he turned into an angry kitty and the feelings of being the second born prince and all that trauma raised up especially when Lilia went off on him (I fully blame Lilia for this). And he overblots.

Azul

His overblot happened from when Leona used his UM on Azul's contracts and blipped them away basically. When this happened he went back to that time when he was being bullied and was no longer powerful like he is now.

Jamil

Jamil's happened because well Azul thought it was cute to live stream his whole plan to the world exposing the fact that Jamil was essentially going to betray Kalim and well his deep-rooted years of being merely a 'servant' came up and he overblotted.

Vil

He overblotted because he basically lost to neige and was attempting to kill him (Almost killed Rook and the others). He accepted he had lost to him and will always lose to him and just snapped.

Malleus

He overblotted because of the announcement Lilia was leaving and retiring to Red Lagoon (Okay just leave your kids...ig?). I also want to say Yuu's announcement added to it because well Malleus is a lonely dragon who just wants friends and someone who is basically his father announced he's leaving and his friend outside of Diasmonia is leaving too.

Idia isn't in this list for a reason will get on with that later.

When it comes to all of these overblots in a certain sense none of them make sense as to HOW they happened. Coincidentally how is it that 7 students overblot in a school year especially with how rare they apparently are supposed to be. With them being 16-18 (Leona being 20 and Malleus being 178) You'd figure the eldest third years know the most to be careful. Plus if the staff is doing their job correctly all the students know to be careful right?

If it happened like once in a year that's understandable but 7 coincidentally? Leona had 4 years to overblot why all of a sudden??

I also want to point out something whenever blot would get built as far as I'm concerned they wouldn't even be using magic (Just having a negative emotion) and blot would built. Going by all the patterns from the overblots they get pissy it builds up they use their UM BOOM overblot. I think someone is personally targeting people to build up negative emotions purposefully and then they use a lot of magic which causes it. Having a UM like this could be entirely possible because look at the facts.

Book 2. It makes sense Ruggie would overblot rather than Leona. He just drank a potion that enhances his UM he was mad struggling he just GOT betrayed by Leona makes sense for him to overblot right? Not to mention during the Camp vargas events Overblotting was such a huge concern with just via their magic so why would the staff risk putting MANY students at risk of an overblot if they knew it wouldn't happen.

I also want to add Idia has a curse which has him burn blot and he was the first in hsi family to break that and overblot. However in order for him to thrive he needs to build it it's most likely being in Tartarus he built too much than he could burn off. (In Ch 6-51 it is also stated curses, and sealed phantoms getting lose can cause overblots as well meaning negative emotions and building power aren't the only causes to an overblot) There is a possibility from being around too many phantoms he built too much, but even then his family curse could have been burning blot during his overblot so Idia was probably never meant to overblot by any normal means (However if his curse wasn't burning off blot foul play could be involved)

Going by these facts the theory in question is a possible UM that affects negative emotions to be built up more and possibly a mood change. OR there is a pause on how blot is released causing it to build up.

(Has it ever been stated on how normal humans release blot if it's been built up...?)

ANOTHER THING. JP SPOILERS BTWWWW.

I cannot confirm my sources with this one so please take this with a grain of salt. I came across a post (I CANT FUCKING FIND IT) in which it translated if Malleus's ob doesn't end he will basically become the no. 1 enemy to society (Basically pulling an Eren jaeger). He's very powerful so you'd assume he's very mindful about overblotting especially if he's going to become the no.1 enemy of humanity.

I have some theories on who could be doing this.

1. Crowley

CROWLEY? Him and my other suspect are battling for first place but let me state my reasoning.

For the exception of Book 3, 4, 5? and 6? he was not present during the overblots and was basically useless. However he was present for book 1, 2, and 7. I put a question mark near 5 and 6 even though he was not present he was still in the general area. Via he was brought to Styx and he was DEFINITELY there at the VDC since it was a school event. book 3 and 4 he was for sure not present for.

We quite literally know nothing about him not to mention he's kind of a jerk face and will do anything to save his ass. For Jamil's and Azul's overblot this goes into hand that he could have activated his UM beforehand on them and the overblot started.

Not to mention during book 5 the headmaster of RSA was like "Bro I sense heavy magic presence" and Crowley was like "Naw you mad tweakin homie."

Two thing

He's Fae.

He has to be as old as Lilia or younger. But he definitely has at least 300 years of existence in his age.

HES A LITERAL HEADMASTER FOR A MAGIC SCHOOL

Meaning he DEFINITELY can sense magic so for him to blatantly ignore the blot sense with Vil either he was protecting his ass from losing his job or he is hiding something. Especially since it was an overblot If Malleus's magic was that good Crowley would have either sensed Vil's overblot or Malleus's Magic.

(If I'm correct an anonymous tip was sent in to Styx to check out NRC the anon in question was possibly RSA headmaster as it makes sense)

2. Ortho

Stay with me here

Ortho is from Styx and obviously Styx investigates overblots what if styx itself is causing overblots so they can study them and they are using Ortho.

Since Idia was theorizing about the Obs there is a possibility that he is not in the plan and it's Ortho plus his family and styx staff that's all in the plan.

(They could have gone too far with Malleus's)

It's merely a theory and I have no evidence to back this up

3. Grim

Quoting Idia's exact words ahem..

"He is seriously mediocre in every single way." "The preliminary report of him being a dire beast with high cost of blot density checks out, though." "He's a magical fusion of a direbeast, and some kind of animal." "He's as lackluster with magic as he looks...and his blot density COULD be phenomenally high."

Ahem okay.

So as we know Grim is a fusion with what could be a Direbeast and possibly a cat. Going back to exhibit A in which Idia said loose phantoms could cause an overblot he could be affecting the blot levels around him Yuu being the only one not affected since Yuu isn't from said world.

Some Cons tho

Using this logic Ace would overblot as well same as Deuce hence why I think he is the least likeliest but it does make sense as eventually Grim does interact with the overblot squad.

4. Yuu

STAY WITH ME STAY WITH ME OKAY

Yuu comes from different world and are trying to actively escape using their new plan MICKEY. However it doesn't exactly explain how Yuu got there since well 1 they are from a different world how would a horse basically cross the multiverse (Unless the Magic mirror is scheming against Crowley and needs Yuu's help that's a different conversation) we know jack shit about Yuu. HOWEVER Yuu could be subconsciously activating overblots since they are prom a foreign world (I'm basically thinking of that one mickey game with the ink brushes EPIC MICKEY) except Yuu causes them.

Cons tho.

As per the manga every Yuu is different every chapter and this would highly contradict (Also how tf are there multiple Yuu's?) not to mention Ace and Deuce would also OB.

[casspurrjoybell-23]

Berserkr - Epilogue - Part 1

*Warning Adult Content*

[ 8 - M O N T H S - L A T E R ]

"Thank you so much, sir. I don't know how we shall ever repay you," one of the young, female Omegas within the group whispered as she reached out, splaying blackened fingertips in grateful acceptance of the small packet of bread, cheese and water.

In reply, Valie smiled sweetly at the Omega, waves of black and white hair tumbling over his shoulder as he moved to set the basket of provisions aside, choosing instead to grasp the young woman's hands tightly between his own.

Valie's mismatched eyes, one as white as a cloud in a clear summer sky and the other as dark as midnight, conveyed a profound sense of compassion as he focused intently on the newcomer.

"Please, there is no need for repayment. You have already sacrificed more than anyone should ever have to," he assured, voice always as gentle as a hummingbird's wings.

Valie had welcomed countless newcomers into their steadily growing community over the past few months and still, he never grew tired of a new face.

"I am called Valie. May I know what you are called?"

"My master called me Egil," the Omega's words held no obvious ill undertone.

However, despite her flawlessly rehearsed complaisance, Valie had gained more than enough experience throughout his life to know that in order to fully understand, he needed to look beyond the surface.

"Here, your past master's influence holds no sway. In this place, you are whoever your heart desires you to be," Valie affirmed, placing the package of provisions into her hands with care, all the while his smile widened as if to emphasize the liberating truth of his words.

"But for now, it is truly a pleasure to meet you, Miss Egil."

The heartwarming sensation that came along with witnessing someone's trust in him blossom was an experience Valie cherished without end.

Thus, when Miss Egil's once-averted gaze rose to meet his, a lone tear carving a path through the caked layers of grime on her face, Vali couldn't help but feel a similar sensation of moisture gathering within the creases of his own eyes.

However, amidst his sudden bout of emotion, the distressed cries of a nearby infant suddenly caught Vali's attention.

Within a single moment, his caregiving instincts kicked in, drawing him toward one of the newest Alpha mothers in the group who was clearly struggling with her newborn.

"Please, eat. I will return to check on you later, alright?" Valie reassured Miss Egil, whose cracked lips curved into a faint smile as she offered a silent nod in response.

Gathering his basket, Vali moved with haste towards the Alpha woman he'd noticed.

Her jaw was stained with tears as she tried to soothe her child, however, every gentle sway of her arms sent a wince through her face, hinting that certainly, her child was not the only one suffering.

Valie crouched before the woman, using both hands to carefully... slowly... lower himself to a sitting position on the dirt floor so that he could more effectively survey the situation.

Lately, it was becoming increasingly difficult for Vali to complete tasks that required him to move up and down constantly like this, what with his heavily distended stomach getting in the way.

It had taken Vali a long time to acknowledge the truth in Guiscard's claim about his pregnancy.

Denial persisted even when the unmistakable signs of morning sickness began... he'd first attempted to attribute his symptoms to 'bad water' from the nearby creek,and then motion sickness from riding Frode around the village.

However, as his abdomen began to expand, the gradual transformation of his body undeniable evidence of his Alpha's claim to his womb, Valie eventually found that he could no longer evade reality.

He was pregnant.

He was going to be a father.

He had created life.

It was a terrifyingly beautiful revelation but one that he would absolutely never take for granted.

But this moment was not about him.

So, even when Valie winced at a particularly sharp twinge in his lower abdomen... a recurring ache that had intensified over the past few days... he simply gritted his teeth, pushed through the pain and spoke to the clearly distressed woman.

"Excuse me, ma'am," Vali began, his voice just as gentle and caring as ever.

"I am called Vali. I couldn't help but notice that both you and your child seem a bit uncomfortable. Is there anything that I can do to assist you?"

Valie lowered his head slightly, offering a concerned smile as he attempted to obtain a better view of the Alpha female and her restless infant.

The Alpha female's head snapped up, her eyes meeting Valie's in an instant.

And as if the sight of him alone triggered an avalanche, the woman's already moist eyes overflowed with a renewed hurricane of tears, an agonizing sob tearing its way out of her bosom, where her baby still struggled against her.

"My Omega... she..." her voice quivered, gaze shifting back and forth between her child and Valie as she struggled to articulate the weight of the torment she'd undoubtedly endured.

"Gods above, I tried so hard. But our master was so relentless, so cruel and..." she wavered, irises wobbling beneath the heavy sheen of tears that fell from her eyes.

"And I couldn't save her. And now, I can't even soothe Elof's cries because it hurts to hold him..." she extended one, shaky forearm, revealing the deep, weeping sores that encircled her wrists... the result of the chronic chafing of chains that once bound her.

"Oh, my," Valie gasped, stunned into silence as tears welled up in his eyes for the umpteenth time that day.

Every one of Valie's emotions swirled in a particularly tempestuous dance lately, as ephemerally labile as a passing rainstorm.

The healer had told him it would be this way... that as his pregnancy progressed, his pheromones would become increasingly restless, a wild wind that refused to be tamed.

But simply being told that it would happen was not the same as experiencing it and as Valie quickly found himself overcome by the suffering and desperation unfolding all around him, he decided that after this, he'd take a brief, yet much-needed retreat back to his abode.

Furthermore, the bread and cheese he'd packed were quickly dwindling due to the large group of newcomers they'd welcomed today, so a visit home to replenish the bread he had set out to rise in the crackling hearth that morning was inevitable at some point today.

Valie cleared his throat, shifting his focus back to the situation at hand.

"I am so, deeply sorry for your loss," he began, his tone filled with empathy.

"How about you share with me the story of how you and your fated met while I tend to your injuries?"

The Alpha woman maintained a wide-eyed gaze, disbelief evident in her hesitant expression.

However, after a few more moments, once she was sure that Vali wasn't some phantom apparition sent to offer hope and then snatch it away before her very eyes, the distraught woman nodded solemnly.

"You are all so kind. I don't know how to thank you," she admitted, eyes downcast.

Valie just smiled that genuine smile that always seemed to stick to his lips like glue, eyes crinkling with kindness.

"We do this out of the love in our hearts, not to seek any reward," he reassured her, extending a hand.

"Now, perhaps Miss Egil wouldn't mind holding Elof while we take care of your wounds?"

The next half hour passed quickly, what with the female Alpha... who Valie had come to learn was called Alfhid... sharing wondrous stories of her and her fated's time together.

Their conversation was hushed at first... hesitant.

But as minutes crept by, whispers turned to soft laughter when Alfhid told Valie of the time her fated accidentally fell into the nearby well 'without any injuries to show for it, thank Odin' or the time Alfhid had fainted when she'd found out about her fated's pregnancy.

As Valie finished cleaning Alfhid's wounds, dressing them with wool wax and wrapping them with clean strips of linen, they even shared a few smiles of understanding.

By the time Valie emptied his basket of the rest of the bread, cheese and leather water skeins it held and stepped out of the longhouse that sheltered all of the village's newcomers, the sun already hung high in afternoon sky.

A warm breeze rustled through the surrounding trees and he exchanged friendly waves with his fellow villagers, reciprocating their kind gestures with nods of gratitude.

They'd truly evolved into one massive, tight-knit community over the past few months, a family of sorts, which was an experience Valie never imagined that he'd ever have the privilege of being a part of.

But it was a privilege that he treasured and now, he couldn't fathom a world without the rest of them it in, too.

Being constantly surrounded by people who genuinely cared for him, just as he cared for them, never failed to raised his spirits.

[w0yxe]

Because Empires has ended I’ve decided I may as well just post all my headcanons that I’ve gathered so far (they’re all over the place and some aren’t unique so sorry abt that)

1. Pearl and Sausage are siblings with Pearl being older by a couple years

2. Sausage and Pixl have a rivalry from when they were younger, it’s turned friendly but they keep up the charade for jokes

3. The wither rose alliance are childhood friends and met at a grand ball being held in Grimlands, Pearl was making sure Sausage didn’t cause problems and the roseblings stuck together since they didn’t know anyone there. They met when Sausage decided to sneak out causing Pearl to follow and the roseblings chose to go outside away from the noise.

4. Scott didn’t have much friends in Rivendell growing up, even less in other empires but did have Katherine as their families were close allies and Shrub later on because he was one of the first people to meet her when she got to the universe.

5. Scott was the obvious favorite from a young age as he resembled Aoer and Xornoth, resembling and acting like Xoer, was so hated especially by the king that he got sent away and made all the high wizards wipe the memory of him ever existing.

6. Although he was the favourite, that did not make his life any easier as he had extremely high expectations set on him and would be told not to feel his emotions as they didn’t want to stir his ice magic.

7. Lizzie finds small creatures very adorable which is why she compliments Shrub and the Undergrove a lot everytime she passes by and why her husband is the height he is.

8. After a few days of roaming on land, Lizzie had lived in the Lost Empire. At one point, Joey and Lizzie were in an arranged marriage to which they made a plan for Lizzie to run away from (I have an extremely long explanation and story on this that I could make a fanfic)

9. Joey and Lizzie have a strong friendship but like messing with each other a lot as though they’re fake rivals.

10. The citizens of the Ocean and Lost Empire don’t like each other as they think their rulers are enemies, Lizzie sometimes trys to explain but it never really works. Joey just sits quiet cause he thinks it’s funny.

11. “The Sea Witch” came from when Lizzie and Joey were once swimming together in the Lost Empire as children because according to Joey under water she looked like a witch. They also watched The Little Mermaid together and Lizzie loved Ariel but Joey would tease her by saying she’s more like Ursula (the sea witch)

12. Lizzie wasn’t 10 foot tall until after her transformation.

13. Jimmy thinks that talking to fish, specifically cod, is normal and that everyone can do it (since the only example he had was his seabling)

14. Jimmy isn’t too good at spelling and can’t tell his directions that well.

15. Almost no one has seen the codfather without his head until he became codboy. Even when Fwhip hid it, he had a backup.

16. He wears the head a lot as the cod head helps him breathe on land though the one he would wear when Fwhip took the original wasn’t as good.

17. Lizzie doesn’t need help breathing on land as axolotls can stay above water for much longer than cod and her empires surrounded by water so it isn’t much of a problem. If she does more bubbles then she can just take a dive into it.

18. Lizzie with a snap of her fingers can automatically dry her skin of all the water on it. Which is quite useful for when Jimmy tries pranking her.

19. Gem is older than Fwhip by 4 minutes and holds it above him at all times.

20. Gem being older, she was meant to take over the Grimlands, but at the time, the Grimlands didn’t allow female rulers so she got skipped making Fwhip the ruler.

21. Gem didn’t mind not being an emporer but didn’t like it that the reason was purely because she was a woman. This caused an huge argument that resulted in her flying off for crystal cliffs. It was the first and only time that Gem had fully yelled at someone.

22. Fwhip wasn’t too happy about what happened either and made sime major changed after he had gotten crowned. The changes consisted of going by Count more than Emperor as he didn’t want to be like his parents in any way.

23. Another change was a different name for the land he ruled as years ago Sausage and Fwhip made a silly agreement that if they ever became emperors they would change their empires name to have “land” in it, not expecting it to happen as they both had older sisters.

24. Pearl intentionally walked out of being an Emperor before her coronation because she wanted to start her own empire that didn’t have a history with…blood sheep.

25. Pearl is buff, the muscle and one of the strongest emperors, she’s like a tank. This is canon.

[x-rainflame-x]

Also on FFN: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14075463/6/Save-Me-Save-You-503-Week-2022

Summary: Ed gets to start over and do it the way he should have from the start. 503 week prompts all connected loosely in a short fic.

Rating: PG

Tags: Edwin, Emotional hurt/comfort, fluff and angst, set in post '03 Germany, 503 Week 2022, AU

XxXxX

Chapter 6: Secrets

XxXxX

Winry is patient and she waits, though she is still afraid of what she’s waiting for.

Edward lowers his gaze, brings his arm in front and rolls the sleeve up.

She’s never seen his hand like this.

He has never touched her with his right hand, never let it play with her hair or take her own hand, always hidden away in those white gloves, tucked in pockets, holding bags and umbrellas and the sides of tables. She’s seen his wrist wasn’t quite the same skin tone as his left, and had always assumed perhaps he had some injury or deformity he was embarrassed by, but she could have never imagined this.

The arm is not flesh and blood, but steel and wire. It looks like something out of the science-fiction novels her father likes to read, something both alien and fascinating. It gleams dully in the light from the window, and she fights the impulse to reach out and touch it to be sure she’s not dreaming.

Then he tells her a story. A fantastic story that takes place in another world entirely, where something called “alchemy” has nothing to do with gold. He tells her a story about two brothers whose mother died when they were too young, and how they tried to bring her back to life and failed. One brother lost two limbs, one lost his whole body.

He tells her about joining the military as a child to find a way to restore their bodies. He talks about a little girl named Nina and the monster that was her father. He tells her of homunculi, Envy, Dante, and Rose. He tells her of Colonel Mustang, his commanding officer that could produce fire with a snap of his fingers and wield it like a sabre, a man he both despises and respects. He tells her of a man named Scar, and a sacrifice that he thought maybe he could understand now but could never support. He tells her about a woman named Lieutenant Hawkeye and how she could pick off a target at 2200 meters with ease, yet wrap up a wound with tender care and a kind word.

Then he tells her of a girl.

A girl named Winry.

A girl that designed his limbs of metal, that cared for he and his brother when they had nowhere else to go. A girl that worried and sacrificed and created for him.  

And Winry thinks she stops breathing for a time.

He doesn’t look at her as he continues, telling her about dying. He tells her about opening the gate, how he arrived in London, then went back for his brother, how he doesn’t even know if his brother is alive anymore, but he has hope that his toll was enough. About how his flat mate has his little brother’s face.

About meeting a girl in this world that looks like his Winry, but is not his Winry.

 How she slowly became his Winry.

It’s late when he finishes, the sun slanting low through the window, giving him an otherworldly glow.

And isn’t that somehow fitting?

Edward hasn’t looked at her in almost an hour. When he finally raises his eyes to meet hers, she doesn’t know what to say, what to do.

It’s much too much to take in.

Another world . . . another her?

She gets to her feet before she fully registers what she is doing. She’s not in control of her body anymore, and she finds herself heading to the entry, pulling her hat over her head and grabbing her bag.

“Winry,” he says, and in his voice are a hundred pleas and a thousand tears.  

She hesitates, her hand on the doorknob, her back to the man she loves with all her heart.

“Thank you for telling me. I need to think,” is all she can manage before she flees the apartment.

XxXxX

This and the next chapter have both been done since, like, the week after my last update :') If you're still here, thanks for sticking around, and I'll get the last chapter posted in the next couple of days! 

I'm opening that show I auditioned for this weekend xD I'll definitely be MIA for a bit longer until I close this one, but again, hoping to get that last finished chapter up shortly!

God Bless, -RainFlame

[jjmjjktth]

Chapter 3: Firsts Lead to Seconds

Lady Papilion sent a butterfly to the Eiffel Tower at the arranged time. She could sense the apprihensiveness and destruction of the Black Cat hero. Guiding her butterly to land on Chat’s baton, she felt the weak mindlink for between the two of them. “Hello, Chat Noir, I am Lady Papillion, your partner.” Chat started at the sudden voice in his head.

“Lady Papilion? What miraculous do you hold, how did you get it, and why are you able to be in my head?” Chat questioned.

“I am the weilder of the Butterfly Miraculous of Metamorphosis and Encouragement; the miraculous was put in my bag; and, the miraculous makes a mindlink for me to speak to you directly and give you power if we both agree.” She responded,”What miraculous do you hold and how did you receive it? I assume it has something to do with cats.” She decided to keep the fact that she knew so much about the miraculous a secret for now, she didnt trust him…. Yet.

“I am the wielder of the Black Cat Miraculous of Bad Luck and Destruction; the miraculous appeared on my coffeetable; and I can destroy anything with a touch.” Chat stated with the same amount of formality.

“We must discuss a plan for dealing with Paeon; maybe patrols of something like that. We will also need to speek with athoraties abou setting up an alert or something.”

“I agree, they need a way to contact us as well. For all we know it won’t always be obvious when there’s a…. what did you call it…. an amok?” at her nod, he continued. “Maybe we could talk to our kwamiis about communication devices and give the local government our numbers?”

“I could talk to Nooroo about that. What’s your kwamii’s name?”

“Plagg”

“Give me a few minutes I’ll detransform since I’m not in a public place.” Lady Papillion transformed without recalling her butterfly. She immediately gave Nooroo a flower petal.

“Thank You Miss Marinette.” Nooroo tiredly said.

“Nooroo is it possible for you to notify me of messages while detransformed?”

“Yes, I’ll know if a message is left while you’re not LP!” Nooroo chirped.

“Thank you Nooroo, let’s rest a bit. I told Chat we’ll be a few minutes.”

After a minute or two Marinette transformed to reconnect with her butterfly in Chat’s weapon.

“It is possible for us to communicate with the miraculous, our kwamii are able to notify us of any messages and relay responses even when we aren’t transformed.”

“Well, its settled then. Will you usually be contacting me from off-site?” The cat questioned.

“Yes, my miraculous is made to be used from outside the battles; therefore, I am not as wellprotected as you while transformed. I do have a place I can use as a base, though.”

“Ok. Can you recall your power so we can test our communicators effectively?” As soon as she heard his request, She called out her butterfly and released it from her service.

A few seconds later, her staff buzzed and beeped. Opening the top, she requested the message be read to her.

“One message from Chat Noir…. ‘How can I be of surrrvice, Lady Papillon.’”

“Respond to Chat Noir with, ‘Since this seems to be working, could you bring the contact information to the law enforcement?’”

“Responce sent…. New message from Chat Noir.”

“Read it please”

“‘On my way’” Smiling, she detransformed and retrieved a flower petal for Nooroo.

“Thank you!”

“No problem, lets make our way back to school though.

The rest of the day was fairly uneventful compared to the morning; and people were flocking to Ivan to hear about how he beceme a superhero.

“I don’t have any power, guys, there was this lady in my head who gave me power and guided me through the battle!” He explained for the hundredth time. He sounded exasperated.

“This so-called ‘lady’ must be rediculous if she chose you. I would have ended it the moment it began. Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous.” Chloé, it’s always Chloé. I could hear Ivan shaking in his seat.

“HOW DARE YOU!” Ivan roared, “MY LADY IS A WISE AND RESPONSABLE WOMAN AND YOU CALL HER ‘RIDICULOUS!’”

“Ivan.” I state, drawing on my calming aura. “Can you calm down? Paeon is still out there and, from what I observed, he gives strong emotions physical form.” I was too late.

Rose shreeked, “The feather! It’s back!�� The blood drains from my face and I get up to leave the room. As I enter the hallway, I hear a faint “Yes, Paeon” followed by a stampede.

I ended up using a fire escape to get out of the building since no one semed to think of that. From there it was a simple affair to arrive at my greenhouse as it was somewhat out of the danger zone.

“Nooroo, did the amok take the same form?”

“Yes, it has also taken Chloé Borgeois and Mylené Harple captive.”

“Ok, Nooroo, wings rise!” The familiar warmth washed over her, leaving Lady Papillion in its wake. Feeling the rush of emotions, LP sought out Ivan once again. Bonding with a photo he had on him, she spoke, “Ivan, we meet again.”

“I am so sorry! I was just so angry at Chloé, she insulted you!”

“While I am honored you decided to defend me, Paris has changed. As much as I hate to admit it, it is no longer safe to feel negative emotions. That’s what makes Paeon so cruel.”

“I understand, My Lady.”

“Ivan, are you willing to become Ironheart once again to defeat the amok?”

“Yes, My Lady.” She smiled at his agreement and allowed her power to enter Ivan fully. Transforming him into Ironheart in a wake of lavender bubbles, she began to guide him towards the battle.

Chat Noir was already on the scene, arguing with the police.

“This isn’t a failure on our part! This is an entirely separate situation!”

“Then why is the same monster as earlier climbing the Eiffel Tower with the mayor’s daughter!”

“I don’t have all the information yet!”

“Ironheart, can you please open your palm?” I asked. When Ivan opened his palm, an image was projected into the air. Lady Papillion was siting on her throne of metal vines, her sceptre resting on her lap. One of her hands remained on the handle of the sceptre while the other was draped casually over the vines of the armrest. Around her thousands of butterflies, many different kinds, flew around her.  Giving her the image of a Lady in her keep.

“What seems to be the issue, officer….”

“Raincomprix, Leutenant Raincomprix.” the leutenant seemed to be a bit intimidated by the aura of power she gave off. At a nod of her head, he continued, “As a police department, we were concerned about the resurfacing of this morning’s villain despite you two supposedly defeating him.”

“I assure you, the resurfacing of the amok has nothing to do with Chat Noir and I. The man behind the attack, Paeon, posesses an ability to physically manifest any strong emotions into beings for him to control. The victim of this morning mearly got upset enough for Paeon to exploit them again. This will most likely become a common occurrence untill we track down Paeon and strip him of his power.” The leutenant’s face fell at her words.

“We have already left our contact information with the police department,” Chat chimed in.

“We must hurry, the amok has already caused enough damage as is.”

There is a sudden rustling of feathers as the amok put it’s chest towards the sky releasing millions of feathers from inside. The feathers, moving against the wind, rose into the air taking ther form of a man in a mask.

“I am Paeon, the man who controls this sentinel.” Paeon gestures toward the amok. “I have come to rescue you from the villains Chat Noir and the Butterfly. I must retrieve their miraculous to strip them of their power. Look around you, look at all the destruction they caused.”

“Ironheart, put your palms into the air please.” When Ironheart follower her instruction, a much larger projection than earlier filled the space above him.

“Paeon, how lovely to meet you.” Lady Papillion greeted with a sickly sweet tone. “I was wondering when I would have the pleasure of your acquaintance.” She relaxed onto her throne as Paeon scowled. “I am Lady Papillion, weilder of the Butterly Miraculous of Metamorphisis and Encouragement. Chat Noir and I have not caused the damage to uor beloved city, but Paeon tore through the city using a creature formed with the hurt and rage of an innocent teen. Doesn’t that sound more like the actions of a villain?” With that Ironheart lowers his hands and lept up the tower catching the feathers in his shield. A blinding light shone from the shield and the feathers were gone.

Sensing it was time to act, Chat Noir bounded after Ironheart. The battle was short after that. A well times cataclysm and two graceful catches ended the majority of the afternoons excitement.

As soon as the heroes reached the ground, they were surrounded by the press with their questions and flashing lights. It was definitely a new experience for the three.

“Lady Papillion! Ironheart, do you plan on working together for the time being?”

“Chat Noir! What do you think of Paeon painting a picture of you as a villain?”

“Chat Noir! How long do you plan on being a superhero, and how will it effect your daily life?”

“Lady Papillion! Why dont you show your face in person?” There were so many questions and so little space that Ironheart had to send out a little shockwave to get them to back off so the small image of Lady Papillion could speak.

“Ironheart and I will each take one question.” She stated with no room for argument. “I will not appear in person as, like Paeon, my miraculous is meant for distance and leaves me more vulnerable than the average miraculous weilder.”

“I dont know if I will be selected by my Lady again, but if I am, I will gladly accept it.” Ironheart stated and then left.

“Well done, Ironheart. Remember, your protectiveness is both your strength and your weakness. Be careful.” And with that she withdrew her butterfly and released it from her service. Before she could detransform, her septre buzzed.

“One new message from Chat Noir.”

“Read it.”

“‘Purrhaps you could send one of your butterflies to Arc de Triomphe, I would like to speak with mew, winky face.’” She sighed and sent out another butterfly with a kiss.

The butterfly made its journey to the Arc de Triomphe rather quickly and promptly joined with Chat’s golden bell. “You wanted to speak with me?”

“Yes, I would like to see this base of yours so we can work together purrroperly.” Chat demanded.

“No, It would give away my identity or at least narrow it down for you. That is against what my kwamii told me.”

“Would knowing our identities not improve our teamwork, My Lady?”

“It also may hinder it Chat; so, I must say no.” she could feel his disappointment and anger rising.

“How can I trust you if I don’t know who you are?!”

“You will have to. I am goind to send a champion to heal the city. Good bye, Chat.” and she recalled the butterfly; but not before she felt his anger spike.

Feeling around, Lady Papillion searched for someone with the desire to fix everything. She sent her butterfly into a foreman’s clipboard.

“Hello, sir. I am Lady Papillion, what is your name?”

“Lady Papillion! Um…. I’m Rich Bordétte. It’s an honor to meet you My Lady.”

“Thank you Rich. I would like to offer you the ability to fix all the damage from today’s battles, even death.”

“Ok, call me….  The Worker!”

“Rich Bordétte, do you accept my offer to become The Worker”

“Yes, Lady Papillion.”  The lavender bubbles covered Rich; in the same way as Ivan, the bubbles gave him a sunflower-colored hardhat, a safety vest, and a toolbelt with only a drill on it.

The Worker rose into the air and raised his dril and without ceremony pressed the button. From the tip of the drill, various butterflies and moths streamed out to the city covering everything that was damaged and anyone who was hurt or worse. As soon as the last moth landed, The Worker cried out and all the bugs rose at once flying to the sky. Below, the city looked just as it did the day before. The rubble was gone, the people were healed and all evidence of Paeon was gone.

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Taglist: @novemberandmay @mysteriouslyswimmingfan-blo-blog @slytherinhquinn @blackroserelina  @buginetye @basenikon @moon5608 

Hello, Jjmjjktth here. welcome to my extremely irregular upload schedule filed by a mix of procrastination and The FeelsTM.

 WARNING!!! It may be one day to two or three months when i upload next!

please be patient :) 

Love y'all!

[algernoninwonderland]

Can I ask you to make a guide about writing Akumatized Marinette fics in such a way that still keep all characters in-character?

I’ll do you one better!

Here’s My Five-Step Program on How To Write Akumatised Characters!

Feel free to use it however you like!

1.  Have a clear idea of who your character is, what their drives and dislikes are, before you get around to akumatising them

For instance, Nino wants to have fun and to make his friends happy but hates being told what to do by authority figures. Mlle Mendeleiev wants to be regarded as a big deal in the scientific world and hates being ridiculed.

Though some of these drives and dislikes can be really ridiculous when it comes to some of these akumatised characters and can have little to no emotional weight because some episodes are comedy-oriented (M. Ramier likes feeding his pigeons, he doesn’t like being told that he can’t feed his pigeons, this is stupid but also funny) or just poorly written. Still, they all seem to follow that same basic formula.

2. Understand how we get to the akumatisation proper, or, what happens before the transformation

The characters about to be akumatised are being pushed to their limits. Why? It depends on the episode, but it’s usually a case of “the character can’t have it their way because of [reason] and that makes them angry”. What are they angry at? There’s no fixed rule here. Depends on the circumstances of the episode. They’re caught in a situation with an outcome that leaves them emotionally unstable and angry, is the point.

Watch Utena. Just watch it. It’s (maybe) the best anime ever. And Miraculous uses the basic mechanics of the Black Rose Saga without understanding what made it good in the first place. Without spoiling too much about that part of the anime, secondary characters with issues hinted at in the first arc come to the forefront of the show for one episode each, during which they are being pushed to their limits. They have a moment of Regressive Therapy with the arc’s antagonist who makes them expose their buried negative feelings and weaponises them to turn each of these characters into the “villain” of the week, if you will. In Utena, these characters, their desires, their fears, gives us a different perspective on the storyworld, the plot and the characters we’ve spent the most time with until then. It’s so good. Just watch Utena.

Anyway, Hawk Moth is a kind of devil figure there (all of this is very Faustian) using the moments of emotional vulnerability in these characters to trick them into striking a deal with him.  He offers them the power to act on these negative feelings, and they must do his bidding in return (he can exert some control over them if this deal is agreed upon but that’s really murky).

Note that these soon-to-be-akumatised characters are not in the right mindset to fully realise what it is they’re getting into, unless they are Truly Evil. Hawk Moth is the one in control there, he is calm and manipulative, he is the one to define the terms of the contract, if you will. This makes me reluctant to call the great majority of the akumatised characters villains (but that doesn’t stop the show from treating them as such). They are blinded by their anger, and not in a position to bargain.

3. Understand what being akumatised is and what it does

“Hello, [villain name], I’m Hawk Moth. Are you sick of piles of owls constantly blocking your driveway?! Well then you gotta get Owl Trowel!  Things are pretty unfair, aren’t they? I understand. I will give you the power to do [whatever], in exchange, you must give me the Miraculouses” Hawk Moth, in every episode.

Being akumatised is a twisted, dramatic expression of these negative emotions and frustrated desires, with an awful colour palette and character designs that range from “pretty good!” to “no.”

Now watch the original Sailor Moon anime. Some of the people working on it later moved on to make Utena. It’s mostly a very good show, and one Miraculous draws from a lot. It blends what was the norm in the magical girl genre until then (shows centred around femininity and growing up) with tokusatsu-type monster-of-the-week stuff. Notably, some of the villains of the week in the early seasons were humans whose desires and frustrations were used by the Dark Kingdom (the Big Bad) to turn them into monsters. The Sailor Guardians (our heroines) had to fight and heal them from that evil corruption.

Being akumatised is a physical transformation and a mental transformation as well, characters who wouldn’t hurt a fly as their regular civilian selves become unhinged and violent and drunk with power. This isn’t them anymore, not entirely. Does that mean an akumatised character’s actions are entirely divorced from what their regular selves think and feel? Not entirely. Alya really wants to know who Ladybug is, Ivan really wishes people would stop picking on him, Aurore really thinks she deserved that victory. Being akumatised means taking these feelings to the extreme and manifesting them physically while attaching them to an item the character has been shown to carry earlier on. Maybe that item is the cause of what upset the akumatised character in the first place, and turning that into a weapon… Sometimes. Maybe it’s something else. The show isn’t very consistent in that regard. You figure it out yourself.

Hawk Moth brings out the worse in these characters and then some, using his magic. He exerts some degree of control over his akumatised pawns though how much is unclear, and I think that’s a deliberate choice from the creative team. In this case, I think the ambiguity makes things more interesting than “bad man entirely controls people who are only puppets with no will of their own whatsoever”.

4. And Now How Would Other Characters React?

When akumatised characters have vengeance in their mind, they go after the person they think is responsible for whatever went wrong. Unlike our heroes and HM, they aren’t concerned with being secretive about who they are, since they are overconfident in their new powers.

The most common reaction to akumatised villains attacking Paris is: “running away and screaming and trying to get somewhere safer”.

How would individual characters react to an akuma attack? How involved were they with the person that got akumatised? Did they play a role in making that person upset? Did they suspect the person had these kinds of feelings before, or is it a complete surprise? What does it tell us about the relationship between the akumatised character and the non-akumatised character reacting to them? Find answers to these questions and you’ve got it all figured out. Refer to the show itself regarding characterisation, it may not be always consistent so pick what you like best, what would be the most interesting.

5. Now That You’ve Got It All Figured Out, Plan and Write the Damn Thing.

Only you can tell the story you want to tell the way you can tell it, so do it, rework it, show it to your friends and rewrite it again until you’re somewhat satisfied.

And voilà! Hope this was somewhat helpful!

[five-rivers]

Loved chapter 4

Written for Dannymay 2021 Day 3: Portal, even though the connection is sort of tenuous.

.

Bad things happened when Vlad came to Amity Park. For that matter, bad things happened wherever Vlad was. It was part of what made Vlad Vlad. Some part of his otherness, some twist of the shadow-fabric he was made of that left rot and ruin wherever his hem brushed. Of course, Vlad was never affected by this misfortune. In fact, he seemed to suck the luck out of everyone around him. Like a vampire.

Along with sanity. But that was a given for the others, even partial others, like Vlad. Or Danny.

But Vlad didn’t even try to hide or ameliorate the effects he had on people, didn’t try to keep them safe, to make their lives shine like the precious lights they were.

(Danny drummed his fingers on his chest and wondered, if, perhaps, it would feel less empty if Clockwork let him become a jewel box.)

But that was the way Vlad was, and Danny felt him enter Amity Park like nails on a chalkboard. His skin started to itch. His teeth hurt. Pressure pulsed in his head like waves of heat coming off asphalt. Being human, being real, was too tight, too heavy. It would be so easy to slip into the cool waters of the Dream and cut through them to wherever Vlad was.

No. He couldn’t. As shown time and time again, that would just exacerbate things. No matter what Vlad did, it would be worse if they fought, especially if there was anyone there to see it. Like what had happened with Jazz…

Danny was beyond lucky he’d been able to snap her out of whatever Vlad had done to her, but she still was quite right. The Vultures had actually apologized on Vlad’s behalf, after that.

(And wasn’t that strange, standing in the Dream on ground covered by bones and feathers, the Vultures on a dead tree, speaking as one. A thing of terror, apologizing for their ward. For pain suffered through Love. For lines crossed.)

Still. He had better… supervise Vlad, for a lack of a better word. Make sure he wasn’t getting up to anything. He’d go as a human – as himself.

He sighed and splayed his hands out on the table.

“Something wrong?” asked Sam, who had been making a complex sigil out of her fries and ketchup.

“Vlad’s in town,” said Danny. “I—”

The doors to the Nasty Burger were thrown open with a bang as Jazz came running in. She ran halfway through the store, to weak protests from the employee behind the counter, and skidded to a stop in front of their table.

“Vlad’s here,” he said.

“You saw him?” asked Danny, concerned. “Did he try—”

“No,” said Jazz. “I can just—It’s like he’s under my skin, and I—” She made a sound of frustration and gripped both sides of her head with clawed hands.

“Hey,” said Danny, gently, grasping her wrists. “It’s going to be okay. I’ll take care of it.”

“Okay,” said Jazz, breathing deeply. “Alright. I shouldn’t have freaked out like that.”

“It’s okay,” said Danny. He looked back to his friends. “Anyway, I’m going to go see what he wants, okay?”

“I’m coming with you,” said Sam, standing.

“Me too,” said Tucker. “Sort of. Halfway.”

“You really shouldn’t,” said Danny. “You know what happens when we get together.”

“Which is why we want to back you up,” said Sam. “As long as he stays physical, there’s stuff we can do.”

Unless Danny was prepared to do something incredibly inadvisable, there wasn’t much he could do to stop her. “Okay,” he said. “Just… be careful. If it looks like it’s going to turn into a fight, you need to leave.” He didn’t want them to get anymore spiritually messed up than they already were.

“We know, we know, you give us the spiel every time,” said Sam.

Yes, and Sam ignored it every other time. Danny shook his head. “Alright, let’s—”

Danny was promptly interrupted yet again, this time by his parents rushing in wearing… He could loosely call them clothes.

“It’s retro night, baby!” shouted Jack.

It was not retro night. There was no such thing as retro night at the Nasty Burger.

“I’ll take care of them,” said Jazz.

“Thanks,” muttered Danny, sliding out of the booth. “Come on, let’s go out the back.”

The alley behind the Nasty Burger was fetid in a way that made Danny’s shadow lift from the pavement and float on the air. Something that inhabited rats skittered in the corners at Danny’s presence and ran for a storm drain. He breathed shallowly.

“Which way?” prompted Tucker.

“He’s actually coming this way,” said Danny, frowning, debating facing him in this alley, just to see the disgust that would surely paint itself on Vlad’s face, paper-thin mask that it was.

Reality rippled, the surface tension that kept the Dream from bleeding in snapping. A miasma rose from the ground. Vlad stumbled into the alley, clutching at his face, which was melting. No, transforming. No, stretching. No, layering over itself a in dozen sickening ways, all the masks Vlad wore flickering over whatever truth he had all at once.

“Help me,” he grated. His words felt sick, diseased.

“Guys,” said Danny, fighting back the urge to vomit, “run.”

“No!” shrieked Vlad. “Help me!”

And sanity fractured like glass.

.

Whatever Danny’s parents had done to stabilize Vlad had worked, to a degree. It hadn’t fixed the underlying problem, which Danny could still feel slinking through the Dream. It also didn’t fix whatever he’d done to Sam and Tucker, although it had kept it from progressing further.

Danny took a slow, angry breath and ran a mental count of the lives stored inside his chest. They were there, all of them. Whatever happened to Sam and Tucker, they wouldn’t die.

But Danny knew there were fates worse than death.

His fingernails left half moon impressions on his palms as he clenched his fists. The Dream roiled with his fury, the force of it enough to keep Vlad’s diseased thoughts away.

“Daniel,” croaked Vlad. “Cure me.”

“That’s what Mom and Dad are trying to do.”

“Find a cure for me,” said Vlad, as if he hadn’t heard Danny at all, “and you’ll find a cure for your precious little friends.”

Danny stilled. “You did this on purpose.”

Vlad laughed. “Of course, I did, my dear boy. What value is a simple human mind compared to those such as we?”

Any rage Danny had felt up to this moment paled in comparison. The mirror over the sink cracked down the middle, never to show a true physical reflection again. He hated—

A concerned tug at Danny’s throat jolted him from his thoughts. Clockwork. Clockwork would know what to do. He turned, and without a second glance at Vlad, strode bodily into the Dream.

.

It took Danny even less time than usual to find Clockwork, and, when he did, he immediately found himself at Clockwork’s center, deep within the castle that was his metaphor. Dozens of Chains were fixed to Danny’s collar, each of them completely taut, holding him perfectly immobile, the embrace of a relieved but panicking parent. Clockwork’s emotions, too vast for Danny to fully comprehend, were transmitted directly through those chains, microscopic vibrations raising gooseflesh on Danny’s skin. A wordless noise both distressed and pleased wound its way from Danny’s throat, continuing to echo long after he’d run out of the breath to maintain it.

Clockwork’s avatar cupped Danny’s face in its hands, long fingers almost completely encircling his head. There was more of Clockwork in it that there usually was.

“Clockwork…?” asked Danny, weakly, confused and overwhelmed by the sudden flood of affection.

Poor little one, whispered the avatar, this is what happens when matters are not properly attended to. The Vultures should know better, should take care of him properly… It pressed its forehead to Danny’s, startling a squeak from him.

Danny, reflexively, brought his hands up to clutch at the avatar’s robes.

My poor child. What are they thinking, letting him run around so ill, so that he might infect other children?

Clockwork saw Vlad as a child, too. Not surprising, considering how ancient Clockwork must be, but good to know.

That emotion! It was only a shadow, and even so-!

“Emotion?”

Hatred, hissed Clockwork’s avatar.

The collar around Danny’s neck constricted, a tighter, more Loving, more comforting, hug. Danny gasped, although breathing here was psychological rather than physiological. The cloth of the avatar’s robes began to wind up Danny’s arms.

Even the pale, human shadow of it is not something you should experience, my child.

Danny didn’t like being that angry, but—

Even the concept of it is too much, too heavy. You should not have to bear it. I should not have overlooked it. The avatar’s hands moved to the back of Danny’s head, pressing his face against its shoulder. It must hurt you so,murmured the avatar, carding fingers through Danny’s hair. Fear not. I will excise it. All of it, even the idea of it shall not touch you, shall not sully your thoughts.

The avatar stepped away.

“Wait!” shouted Danny, panicking.

Not being able to hate? Danny had mixed feelings about that, but he doubted he’d be able to talk Clockwork out of it, not with how damaging Hate could be. In the end, it wouldn’t be that much of a loss. Not being able to understand that it existed? Not being aware of hate at all? Being unable to understand that, sometimes, people would go out of their way to hurt one another?

That was dangerous. That would render him unable to even begin to comprehend vast swathes of human history and humanity.

“If I don’t know what it is,” said Danny, “if I don’t know that it exists, how can I protect myself against it?”

A gust of wind blew through Clockwork’s sepulchral hall like the sigh of a giant. It is my duty to protect you, my child.

The sheer possessiveness of the words lingered on Danny’s skin. He wanted to lean into them but held his imaginary breath.

But very well.

Danny let himself relax, slightly, even as the avatar walked to somewhere he couldn’t see, its silent footsteps giving him no clue as to where it was. With only the constant, regular hum and tick of Clockwork’s gears to stimulate him, it was hard for Danny to stay vigilant. He found himself drifting, his thoughts wandering.

Did his hatred of Vlad cause him pain, as Clockwork said? What was it going to be like, to not be able to hate at all, rather than just not being able to Hate? Would he still be angry at Vlad? He hoped so. The man deserved it.

Two points of frigid cold touched the back of his head, contracted into a single point, and pulled. Danny felt something within him come free, and he sagged as much as the chains would allow him.

The avatar walked back into view, and Danny recoiled from the thing he was carrying, clasped in a long, silver pair of tweezers. “Is that,” started Danny, before he swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry. “Was that in me?”

Yes, said Clockwork’s avatar, lowering it into a small, jeweled box. Danny felt relieved as soon as the lid closed on it and he was no longer forced to look at it. At the same time… Fear not, said the avatar. I could never destroy something of you. It will be remade into something more useful.

Danny nodded as much as he could and shuddered. He felt… dirty. Unclean. Just remembering what he’d felt, what he’d thought… It left a deep sense of wrongness.

Come, said Clockwork. I have just the thing for that. You are due for a bath. A cleansing, inside and out.

The metaphor of the chains fell away, leaving just the one, usual, slack one. Danny knew Clockwork could call them back at any time, that, in truth, they had not gone anywhere at all.

“What about Vlad?” he asked, twisting his hands around the hem of his shirt. “And my friends? Can you help them? Please.”

He felt Clockwork examine him appraisingly.

Perhaps the bath can wait for another day.

.

The mirror was a portal, tall and wide as a door, glassy surface gleaming with otherworldly light. The edges were crimped, filigreed, flared. Beyond the reflection, Danny could just make out the suggestion of movement.

It is not real, said the avatar, putting a hand on Danny’s shoulder, but a might-have-been.

“But I can find a way to fix things in there?”

The avatar did not answer. A prickling feeling rose up inside Danny, settling in his stomach. Somehow, this felt similar to when he’d eaten the mirror with the bad future.

It is,confirmed the avatar, briefly nuzzling Danny.

“Why?” asked Danny, just a little horrified.

Is it not satisfying to complete two tasks at once? I told you, back then, that our next task would be to remove those presents that seek to exclude you.

Danny didn’t understand.

You will. Clockwork’s avatar paused, as if thinking. This is what the Vultures should have done for young Vladimir, although they would have accomplished it differently.

“Oh,” said Danny, trying to wrap his head around that.

Clockwork’s avatar nudged him forward. Follow the chain when you are ready to come home.

.

Danny wasn’t connected to anyone in this might-have-been world. It was odd, watching every eye slide off him as if he wasn’t even there. If he wanted to interact with someone directly, he’d have to put a lot of force of will into it.

It was strange. Other than that, everything here seemed perfectly real. Not imaginary at all. The sun shone. People spoke to one another. The grass crunched under his feet.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison lay before him in all its questionable glory.

He’d have to find Vlad and his parents. They had rented a small lab space for their experiments with the Dream and research into the others.

Normally, he’d follow his connection to them to find them, or the disturbance Vlad made in the dream, but neither of those things existed, now. Not yet. Danny didn’t exist yet.

He could just wander, try to seek out questionable lab space, but the university’s campus was large. Normally, he’d ask for directions, but…

Yeah, the no one being able to see or hear him thing really didn’t allow for that.

But there was one other thing he could try to do, one other thing he could try to sense. Their experiments. They should send waves across and through the Dream.

He let his eyes drift closed and walked blind across campus. When he opened them, he was in a lab, watching his parents and Vlad working on a kind of magic circle, inscribed with runes.

A portal, intended to let humans directly access the Dream. A portal that had created Vlad, all because he leaned too close, watched too closely, seen too much, became something else, changed.

Something like anger stirred under his skin. After this, his parents had continued to experiment, continued to try to reach the Dream, to create a weapon against the others, and in doing so both doomed Danny himself and Amity Park by making what amounted to a highway for the others to come to the real world.

But they hadn’t intended to do that, he knew. They’d been trying as best as they could to fix things. Had been trying to defend the world the best they knew, portal or no portal. And speaking of the portal… If others could damage human sanity, if Danny, small and weak and almost-human as he was, could damage human sanity, then how much more could a direct link to the Dream do? Discounting, of course, that normal dreams could lead to the Dream… That connection was more tenuous. Filtered.

His anger was a distraction from what was really bothering him.

These people, they looked like his parents. They were his parents. But… they weren’t. There was no attachment there. Nothing. It was like looking at empty shells. No Love.

It was distressing.

He watched, waiting, making note of the symbols and the placement of the ritual objects and the technological enhancements. There had to be something here that would help explain why Vlad was having such a hard time, while Danny had transitioned to his present existence without much problem.

He leaned over his not-mother’s calculations, then his not-father’s, made note of the differences. Looked at the fire, the knife, and the carved cylinders. Some of them didn’t feel quite right. One of them had been nudged out of alignment by a soda can put down by not-Jack, shifting the circle, making it bigger. Could that be something?

Vlad leaned over to examine the circle, and, at the same time, not-Jack pushed a button on the tape player, which started chanting. Danny could feel the hole boring into reality before the first syllable was finished. They’d made the portal both too well and too poorly.

Danny reached for Vlad and pulled him back, out of the way of the opening portal.

.

Danny may have made a mistake.

He’d saved Vlad from becoming other. In doing so, he’d changed things, altered this entire make-believe world. The way the story was progressing was no longer the same as his own. Which meant that it might be useless for collecting clues for fixing Vlad, Sam, and Tucker. Mostly Sam and Tucker.

(He’d help Vlad if it wouldn’t hurt his friends, he didn’t hate the man, not anymore, didn’t desire his suffering. But his friends were, of course, his main concern.)

But he couldn’t just leave. He’d made note of all the flaws in the portal, but that wasn’t in any way conclusive, wasn’t a guarantee.

And, in the meantime, his not-parents and not-Vlad had continued working on the portal, which they hadn’t shut down, unlike in the proper timeline. Or had it been disrupted by Vlad? He didn’t remember the exact sequence of events. His parents had never been clear.

But the portal was on, it was working, and it was wrong. Everything was wrong. The portal was in a class of things that should-not-be.

Just like Danny, in this world. He… With the portal, and the way things were going, he shouldn’t exist here, the butterfly effect would keep him from being born, and he was becoming painfully aware of that fact. Literally painfully. It was starting to hurt, being here, a throb in the back of his head.

Or was that the portal?

Either way…

(He couldn’t shake the suspicion that he was breaking things just by being here. Everything was going wrong. So many little accidents.)

(Or was that the portal?)

He kept watching.

It had been… a while, now. It was easy to lose track of time like this, with no one to talk to. Days? Maybe? He’d been drifting, which should have been troubling.

Maybe he should go back. Cut losses.

(Besides, it was disturbing watching his parents flirting with each other. And Vlad. Even if they weren’t really themselves.)

Then his parents wheeled in a… What was that? He walked closer. This was about the same size around as the pillars that had done this to him.

Danny would never forget those, after all.

Something hummed inside him, picking up a kind of resonance between the active portal and the pillar.

The ground fragmented beneath his feet.

Reality followed soon after.

.

He found himself nowhere with nothing. Only nowhere and nothing.

Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh, no.

What had he done? He’d, he’d destroyed a world, he’d—

There was a gentle, but insistent tug on his chain. He followed it home.

.

He clung to Clockwork’s avatar, gasping, as if he was the only real thing in the world. His emotions were too much, too great, uncontained and roiling. They battered him like a stormy sea.

It’s alright, it’s alright, comforted the avatar. It wasn’t real, and now it never will be. All those worlds where you would not be. All gone.

No. No. No. Horror buzzed in his brain. He couldn’t have destroyed so much.

Never were,continued the avatar, Clockwork apparently oblivious. All disproven. Paradox. You could not be and yet you were. You were in the places you were not. So, now you exist, in all these places, in everywhere that could be, and always will. It stroked Danny, brushing away tears. Only one more to go, until you never were not, my beloved child, until you always were mine, as you were meant to be.

Danny keened into the robes of Clockwork’s avatar, distraught. Wind ruffled his hair.

Considering the point in time in which you were placed, said the avatar, Vladimir will be well again.

Danny looked up, hopeful for the first time in hours.

Mostly. The underlying cause has been removed. You should bring the rest to your… progenitors. They are at least competent in this area.

Danny nodded vigorously and attempted to extract himself from the avatar’s grasp. He was unsuccessful, although the avatar did adjust its grip on him.

You have had a difficult day, it observed. It then presented Danny with a cookie.

Confused, Danny took it.

A gift, said the avatar, Clockwork having evidently returned to his normal laconic mode.

“What’s it made of?” asked Danny, suspicious.

Love. What else?

.

“How do you feel?” asked Danny.

“Weird,” said Sam. “But okay.”

“What was it like?”

Sam shrugged. “It was like…” She waved her hand. “Watching a thousand different movies of my life, but they were all wrong. Like if they were crappy biopics done fifty years after I died or something.”

“Speak for yourself,” grunted Tucker. “I just got a lot of sand. So, so much sand. And sun. Do I have a sunburn?”

“No?” said Danny. “You look fine.”

“Ugh, I forgot you were white. You don’t know what sunburns look like.”

“I’d argue,” said Sam, “but you’re not wrong.” She fell back against her pillows. “I just want to sleep.”

“Same,” said Tucker. “I never want to see the sun again.”

“We’ll make a goth of you yet,” joked Sam, tossing a pillow at him.

“Okay,” said Danny, backing away. “Should I get the lights?”

“You don’t mind?”

“Sleep well,” he said. He hoped they would.

(Because he would not.)

[prurientpuddlejumper]

Don’t Look! [Part 4]

<- Part 3 | Part 5 ->

Frederick Chilton x Reader

@we-are-all-just-a-bit-crazy’s lovecraftian horror AU, with a bit of my own twist on the origin story. Emotional hurt/comfort. Body horror. Hugging your body-horror monster boyfriend. 

3,386 words

Once upon a time, there lived a man who had everything: great wealth (built on the backs of exploited workers), a grand estate, a beautiful wife, and many mistresses waiting in the wings. Yet after years of trying, he failed to produce an heir. Determined that his money could buy anything, the man scoured the world, searching for a solution. One day, his extensive resources brought him to an ancient castle in Lithuania, where the last descendants of a noble bloodline offered him a devil’s bargain—a book, a summoning ritual. He did not ask questions. His wife was finally with child.

The Chilton legacy was secure.

The moment Frederick was born, the life was sucked from his mother—a human sacrifice for his soul crossing into this world. That was what his father told him, at least. Frederick had no memory of clawing his way through the veil between worlds, of being anything other than an ordinary child with a distant father, a young, blonde stepmother, and nannies instead of friends. Until the changes began. Allison (or was it Kayla at the time?) fainted in the living room when he staggered in, screaming as smoke boiled from his skin, begging for help. His father only wrinkled his nose with disgust and calmly explained what he was.

“You must learn to hide this, Frederick. Never let anyone see you this way, or it will destroy the family name.”

And so, he learned the transformation’s schedule. Prepared for it. Knew how to hide it away and never let anyone get close enough to see the real him. But it wasn’t good enough. Try as he might, nothing Frederick ever did met his father’s expectations for the perfect son he had gone through so much trouble to produce.

Frederick grew into a bitter and lonely man with no one to care about, or who cared about him. He kept the world at a distance, hiding his shame behind expensive suits and lavish decoration.

Never once did he consider that he was not alone in this world at all.

 ***

I see him as one of those pitiful things sometimes born in hospitals. They feed it, keep it warm, but they don’t put it on the machines. They let it die. But he doesn’t die. He looks normal. Nobody can tell what he is.

This is how Will Graham describes the Chesapeake Ripper.

Every therapy session with Graham, every conversation overhead, the puzzle became clearer. At first, Chilton merely believed that Dr. Lecter was guilty of unethical practices—manipulating Mr. Graham in the same way he had manipulated Gideon. He felt such kinship with Hannibal. Learning a bit of dirt on him brought the ever-so-superior doctor down to his level, gave him something to lord over him—a little implied blackmail to strengthen their friendship.

They both had secrets to hide.

Dr. Chilton never would have guessed the final puzzle piece to convince him fully that Hannibal was the Chesapeake Ripper would be the one everyone else laughed at.

“I brought you here to bear witness,” Graham said to Gideon through their adjoining cells.

“To tell Jack Crawford that I sat in Hannibal Lecter’s cobalt blue dining room? An ostentatious herb garden, Leda and the Swan over the fireplace. And you, having a fit in the corner.”

Chilton perked up and quickly shared the audio feed to one of the junior therapists assisting him. You were reliable at editing his audio files, clipping and exporting segments he wanted to keep, but he was avoiding you at the moment. This was proof—irrefutable proof that Gideon had met Hannibal Lecter the night he went searching for the Ripper.

After his conversation with Graham concluded, an assistant was sent down to coax more information from him while Chilton’s research team listened in, keenly taking notes.

Gideon was not finished dropping bombshells.

With a casual lilt to his voice as if talking to a friend over dinner, he began to describe the Chesapeake Ripper. Skin like volcanic ash, reflecting no light. A red glow to his eyes. Black claws as long as steak knives. Antlers breaking through the inside of his skull, punching through the skin. All black as night—a form that shifted in the shadows, ever tricking the eye, unwilling to be known.

He’s the Devil, Mr. Graham. He’s smoke.

“Great. Gideon is delusional,” one therapist snorted. “On the bright side, this completely undercuts his malpractice case against you.” She patted Chilton’s shoulder. Chilton flinched.

“We should start him on antipsychotics. What do you think? Doctor?”

Chilton’s face turned ashen white. “Y-yes, certainly,” he muttered, staggering to his feet.

He moved for the door, but crumbled halfway there, pain ripping through his leg as sharp thorns grew beneath the skin. It was daylight. No. No! The transformation should not be starting for hours—he had plenty of time! He gasped out as another shock tore through him, barely containing a cry. His body convulsed.

“Doctor!” A therapist and a guard rushed in to help him to his feet. “Where does it hurt? If this is a complication from your surgery, we need to get you into intensive care right away.”

“No,” he brushed them off. “Only… psychosomatic. I need to— ah!” He gritted his teeth, mind racing to the one person he did not want to turn to, but the only one he could, and barked, “Get my secretary!”

 ***

Smoke was rising off of his burning skin by the time you rushed into Chilton’s vacated office. His eyes were wide with panic, but greeted you when you entered with—not relief, perhaps, because he was every bit as terrified as before, but with the anticipation of being rescued. His eyes pleaded.

“H-help. I cannot make it stop.”

You managed to get him into your car. The sun’s orange rays seemed to chase the beast away, clearing his skin and stopping his wracking convulsions long enough to cross the employee parking lot without drawing stares. He insisted on taking the back seat so he could hide—and to put more distance between you in case he lost control.

His chest rose and fell like a rabbit in a cat’s mouth.

“The way he described Dr. Lecter—anyone would think it was a metaphor! That he was crazy!” Chilton’s breath was raspy as you drove, glancing back at him through the rearview mirror. He kept trembling, small patches of scaly skin appearing at random then swirling back inside. One pupil was a pinprick. His tongue occasionally became serpentine and got in the way as he frantically spoke. “But it was too specific, the details. Familiar. I always knew there was a connection between Dr. Lecter and me—a reason we were friends. It all makes sense now!”

“Hey, it’s OK,” you said, trying to sound soothing, though you had no idea what he was talking about.

“Don’t you understand? Lecter is like me!”

“That’s good, isn’t it? That means you’re not alone.”

“Hannibal Lecter is the Chesapeake Ripper!” he shouted, and a spine tore through a seat cushion. “A cannibal, if Will Graham is to be believed, and loathe as I am to admit it, Graham is an excellent profiler. If the Ripper and I are the same… then that means I—”

“You are nothing like that!” Forgetting the damage his demonic tantrum was doing to your faux-leather interior, you had faith in him. He was a little withdrawn and more than a little vain, and it had garnered him an icy reputation around the hospital, but now you understood why. He wasn’t evil or malicious. He was frightened.

“God help me,” he murmured.

 ***

As soon as the garage door closed behind you, he scrambled from the car (scratching the handle), and retreated inside. He didn’t invite you to follow him home. But he didn’t forbid it, either, and you wanted to be there. All you had were panic-scrambled memories from the first time that made his transformation worse in hindsight than it was. Or maybe better. You didn’t know, and you wouldn’t know until you saw it again with clear eyes.

The electric kettle rumbled on its stand, hissing steam as you searched through Frederick Chilton’s surprisingly extensive tea collection for something herbal and soothing. Chamomile, you thought. With honey. Surely that must be good for demon-monster-werewolf things?

The sun was about to set and he was still reeling over Hannibal, and just as much from the premature transformation the revelation had triggered. And every time he cried, “This is not possible. How can this be possible?” the next convulsion was more intense.

He would probably just burn himself on tea.

A painful whimper came from somewhere in the house, and you followed it to a tiny panic room that opened behind a bookshelf. It was only about seven by nine feet with concrete walls and floors, bare except for deep scratches of varying age, like an animal trying to escape. The few chairs inside were metal. Difficult to break. Frederick faced away from you, staring at a hand that was too large for the rest of his body, capped with long black claws.

“Oh no, this will not do at all,” you tutted, shaking your head at the barren space. “How about I bring in some blankets? Let’s get you comfortable.”

His whole body shook. “You should go.”

“No. No way, not after seeing this prison cell. I am not leaving you like this.”

“I do not want to hurt you.” His shoulder jerked. A spike tore through his shirt.

“You won’t.”

“Seeing it again… will not be therapeutic for you,” he hissed, another spike breaking through. “Go before it is too late.”

“No!”

“Damn it! I am a monster—there is proof of that now! The FBI has no idea what it is dealing with!” Chilton began to pace the small cell, thoughts racing, features morphing into something grotesque and alien. “Does Hannibal know about me? Can he sense it? Is that why he confided in me? I always thought it was professional respect—hah! God, what if he…” A painful convulsion halted his pacing and brought him to one knee, gripping his side. His attention snapped back to you. “This is… dangerous,” he warned, then hacked violently. Fleshy, snake-like projections spewed from his mouth, and he quickly turned away again, hiding his face. “You should… you should be nowhere near all of this! You should not be here! Why did I let you inside?!”

A roar of anguish ripped through the air with enough force to push you back through the panic room door, just in time to avoid being impaled on half a dozen spines as they shot from Chilton’s body like lances. Chips of concrete clattered to the ground as they penetrated the walls. He screamed again, writhing to get free, but found himself trapped by his own violent transformation. Like an animal, he struggled and clawed at himself as if his rational mind had been overtaken by raw, volatile emotion.

“Take it easy. You’re going to hurt yourself,” you tried to calm him, but you couldn’t stop your voice from shaking.

This was worse than last time. You were sure his spines weren’t half as long when you saw him in his office—even Chilton seemed surprised to be pinned.

You lifted your hands, palms toward him in a steadying gesture, and took a step back into the concrete room.

“Stay back!” he howled, thrashing. “Get away!”

It was tempting. Every muscle in your body wanted to follow his advice and run far away from the indescribable horror before you. But his eyes were still green. Were still terrified. And you had an inkling of why it was worse this time. Maybe he would hate you later for imposing, but it seemed more important right now not to leave him feeling… like a monster.

“It’s OK.” You took another step closer.

“No!”

“You’re not going to hurt me. I trust you. Shh, shh… I’m not afraid, see?”

Rigid spines sprayed from his back and shoulders in a 180-degree arc, leaving only his front accessible. You ducked under one and followed its trajectory to where it met the wall. It wasn’t just pinned by pressure—it had struck the wall with enough force to dig into it like an iron rod. Sawing through might be the only option for getting him unstuck. You wondered if that would hurt. Were there nerves in his spines? You stepped over the next one as you drew nearer.

“You should be afraid! I am just like him!” Chilton tried to turn his head away as you traversed his network of thorns and stood in front of him.

His face was almost entirely inhuman. Tentacles cascaded down from where a nose should have been, and when he opened his mouth in a snarl, they parted like wriggling eels—each with a life of its own—to reveal a jaw that split his face open vertically, crowded with rows of sharp white teeth. The more agitated Chilton became, the more dramatic the effect. Each time he spoke, you caught a flash of teeth that sent shivers racing down your spine. But you continued to move closer anyway, within snapping range.

“Hannibal and I… we are the same. Please—I do not want to become him. Do not let me hurt you!”

“You are not the same. You’re not a killer.”

Chilton let out a choking cry that was all too human. “I killed that nurse,” he said. Concrete groaned as his spines grew longer. A crooked horn sprouted from his head. “I killed Elizabeth Shell.”

“You… you didn’t kill her.”

His breath quickened again. Tentacles sprouted and died and resprouted from his face in a constant fevered motion. “I knew Gideon would kill! I lowered security! I knew what would happen—what I needed to happen to prove that he was the Ripper! I may as well have plucked her eyes out with my own hands and… and feasted on her organs. God… I am the Ripper,” he wailed.

“No…” It never occurred to you that Dr. Chilton would have done such a thing knowingly. Maybe there was something dark inside him that this creature was reflecting. It hurt to acknowledge, and yet maybe you both needed to. “You made a mistake. You did a bad thing, but… Gideon was already a killer. It wasn’t your fault.”

“I drove him to it, manipulated him… I am just as responsible as he is. I am a monster.”

“A monster wouldn’t feel this guilty! You made a mistake, but you won’t make it again, will you?”

Tentacles and spines stopped sprouting. His form stabilized as his wet eyes looked off thoughtfully. He seemed so pathetic… so innocent, almost. Despite the intimating spines and claws that added danger and height to his appearance, his body had the same mass—leaving his frame gaunt and frail, with ribs sticking out prominently. Hollow.

You wanted to protect him.

You knew that was your job at BSHCI. You knew that was why Dr. Chilton suddenly needed a personal secretary when he never had before. Someone to sit outside his door, take his calls, and warn him when visitors wanted to see him. You’d never met the doctor before he was attacked by one of his patients, but you recognized the signs of trauma—the way he flinched easily, avoided contact at first, then the way he clung to you when you earned his trust. The awkward little smiles. The way his cheeks turned bright red when his fingers brushed yours as you delivered his coffee. You couldn’t help feeling protective. Falling in love, even.

Though it was closed for the moment, his mouth was a dangerous black hole with alien arms ready to pull prey inside. It seemed impossible to get close without being dragged into its teeth by instinct. You couldn’t imagine putting your face anywhere near it.

Another step, and your forehead touched his.

“I... I do not want to hurt you,” he pleaded.

“You won’t.”

You leaned into his arms, a hand reaching up to stroke the side of his face. It was covered in fine scales that glistened as if they should be slimy, but were smooth to the touch, like a snake. Sharper thorns sprouting from his skin seemed to retreat before your caress.

He trembled with inner turmoil, hot breath puffing against your chin. Your eyes darted toward the motion of one of his claws rising behind you, and all you could focus on were the way each sharp talon caught the light. You couldn’t be sure what he was thinking—if he was going to return your embrace, or prove to you that he was a monster. Would he slash you just to drive you away?

“I smell your fear,” his voice hissed accusingly.

For some reason, of all the reactions you could have had, you started to laugh. It was nervous and tight at first, but then building in confidence at the ridiculousness of the situation.

“You’ve got giant claws! Of course I’m afraid! But I’m not running, am I?”

You slid your hand from his cheek and trailed it over his bony neck and the ridges and spines of his shoulders, finding a path for your arms to twine around him. Cuddling closer, you nuzzled into the crook of his neck, hardly bothered by the writhing tentacles that draped down over you.

“I know you would never hurt me. You’re just going to have to keep showing me there’s nothing to be afraid of.”

Shuddering, he breathed in your scent. All his senses were heightened by this form, and he was surrounded by you—your pheromones, your electric field, the radiant heat of your skin. It was like sinking into a warm bath with a glass of fine wine in his hand. He opened his palm and let his predator’s hand sweep harmlessly down your back, holding you close. He could sense the fluttering of your heart in his embrace. It was slower than a creature in terror—slowing the longer he held you. You were not afraid. And he could not imagine hurting you. Whatever he had been worried might happen, whatever awful things he might be capable of, he could never imagine hurting you. You were right. You didn’t have anything to fear.

He exhaled a long, steady breath of surrender. The long spines retracted, pulling out of the walls as they returned to their usual size. He could move again, but didn’t. Not for a long time.

“It’s OK. It’s OK,” you sighed. The scent of your hair was intoxicating.

Eventually, you had to part. Chilton’s eyes darted away as you did—the inky scales on his face emitted a soft bluish starlight, which you were certain was blushing. You could not coax him to leave his concrete prison cell, but he told you where to find some blankets he could live with damaging—linen closet, second floor, third door on the right—and let you make a cozy nest on the bare floors. You made tea, and only cringed a little at his attempts to drink it. It was late, then. You were sleepy, and he was exhausted. Emotionally drained. His mind still raced over everything, still not certain of your presence and inexplicable kindness. You sat in the pile of blankets and had him rest his head in your lap.

“Give me your hand,” you asked, extending yours.

A clawed, scaly hand slid tentatively along the floor. You took it. Held it gently, first observing the long talons protruding like daggers from each finger before slotting yours between them—nothing sharp there. You let out a long sigh and leaned back against the concrete wall. His breath hitched.

He’d never had his hand held in this form, you assumed.

He’d never had his hand held at all, in fact. Not in many years.

It had to be a trap, he thought. No one had ever loved him before. No one could—not like this. Yet, as he fell asleep to your fingers massaging his temple and the soft murmuring of your voice, he let himself believe it. You were always there, protecting him. Smiling at him in the morning.

When you woke up, Frederick was human again, still fast asleep in your arms.

[azure-wolf-227]

ML Snow White AU: Adrien Agreste and the Seven Faes

@princess-of-the-corner and I have yet again come up with a Disney Princess/Fairytale-inspired AU, this time on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs with Adrien in the role Snow White since he’s pretty much s Disney Princess.

(The characters are 18 or nearly 18 because there’s an arranged marriage plot).

In this AU, Prince Adrien Agreste lost both of his parents and is now in the care of his Aunt Amelie, the kingdom’s regent. Amelie wants her son Felix to be the next king so she isolates Adrien and practically demotes him to a servant.

Nathalie and the Gorilla exist here but the reason why they don’t help Adrien is because Amelie fired them when she became regent.

One day, Adrien overhears Amelie and Felix plotting to kill him, so he runs away into the enchanted forest. Lost and scared, he comes across an empty cottage deep within the woods. After cleaning it up and preparing some food, Adrien falls asleep in one of the seven beds upstairs.

The cottage is the home of seven powerful Faes known as Tikki, Plagg, Trixx, Wayzz, Pollen, Nooroo, and Duusu; they return to find that someone is in their house.

The Faes look like humans but with animals features like antennae, wings, ears, tails, etc. They can also transform into the animal they have traits off: Tikki into a ladybug, Plagg into a cat, Trixx into a fox, Wayzz into a turtle, Pollen into a bee, Nooroo into a butterfly, and Duusu into a peacock.

While they’re all skilled at magic, they each have their own unique abilities: Tikki has control over plants, healing powers, and can give good luck to others; Plagg can destroy things, cause sicknesses, and give bad luck; Trixx can create powerful illusions, see through lies and disguises; Wayzz can cast powerful protective spells and sense auras; Pollen can create a hivemind between herself and any allies, as well as control weak-willed minds; Nooroo can sense emotions and temporarily boost others’ powers; Duusu can also sense emotions as well as summon all manner of creatures. The Faes also have the ability to speak to and command the animal that they are associated with.

After finding Adrien and waking him up, he begs them to not return him to his aunt since she’d have him killed. The Faes agree to let him stay in exchange for him keeping the cottage clean and helping them with whatever they need.

The Faes do various tasks around the enchanted forest like collecting food and materials or making things; while they keep some of the stuff they collect/make they also make deals with the humans from nearby towns, trading their magic skills and what they collect/make in exchange with whatever they need.

Just like with ‘Dragon Curse’ and “MermAdrien’, this AU has Lukadrigaminette as the endgame. Kagami, Luka, and Marinette are all various people Adrien meets.

Mari is a girl from the nearest town, and is the only one who goes this deep into the forest to hunt for food or trade with the Faes that live there. She meets Adrien while visiting the Faes to do their usual trading (ingredients for her parents’ bakery and silk for her tailor shop made by Nooroo’s silkworms) and, after taking one look at the rags that Adrien is wearing, offers to make him some new clothes.

Kagami was an arranged fiancé from a neighboring Kingdom. She hears of her Prince going missing and isn’t interested in his replacement (Felix) so she searches for the first in the time remaining before she’s forced to marry the new Prince. However she is drawn to the boy living in the woods with a bunch of Magic Creatures. She doesn’t recognize the boy as her fiancé because, the last time they meet was at a Gala/royalty meeting where he was wearing royal clothes and on his best behavior. This boy is goofy and kind of wild, and while the clothes Marinette made him are nice, they’re not really what a prince would wear. Also, Adrien wouldn’t be admitting who he is to anyone, not even his fiancé since he doesn’t know if she’s in on Amelie’s a Felix’s plan.

Kagami must find Adrien before her 18th birthday or she’ll have to marry Felix.

Luka is a traveling Bard, who’s part of a travelling band of musicians consisting of himself, Juleka, Rose, Ivan (canon Kitty Section), and four Faes known as Sass, Roarr, Daizzi, and Stompp. He originally met Adrien when his band traveled through the palace, though it had been after Amelie had demoted Adrien to servant so Luka didn’t recognize him as the prince. They run into each other again when the the musicians travel through the forest.

Due to their connection to Adrien; Marinette, Kagami, and Luka also run into and develop feelings for each other.

They later learn that Adrien is the missing prince as well as Amelie and Felix’s plot to murder him.

Some time later, Amelie and Felix acquire a magic mirror that they use to find where Adrien is hiding (cause they would have used it from the start if they had it already).

To kill Adrien they hire Lila Rossi, a cunning assassin with an affinity for deception and illusion/disguise magic. While she’s a colossal narcissist and as well as a bitch, Lila still has somewhat of a moral code and will only kill people who deserve it. So, Amelie and Felix lie to her about Adrien’s identity, telling her that he’s a treat to the kingdom.

Lila disguises herself as Marinette, both because it wouldn’t be odd for her to suddenly drop for a visit and because Lila wants some petty revenge on Marinette after the latter exposed a scam the former pulled in the past.

Lila-as-Marinette comes to the cottage at a time when she knows Adrien would be alone. She offers him some sweets laced with a poison that Amelie provided for her, and Adrien obliviously accepts one.

Once he bites into the treat, the poison takes effect and, as Adrien is about to lose consciousness, Lila drops her disguise and with a smirk says “Amelie sends her regards.” This is the last thing he sees before everything goes dark and he collapses, seemingly dead.

The others discover what’s happening when Kagami, who had seen Lila-as-Marinette heading towards the cottage, is confused when she sees that Marinette is with Luka. When Marinette confirms that she has been with Luka the whole time, Kagami tells them about the other Marinette she saw. Realizing that Adrien could be in danger, Kagami, Luka, Marinette, the Faes, and their allies rush back towards the cottage.

They arrive just as Lila is exiting the cottage and Kagami chases after her along with some of the Faes, while the others rush inside to check on Adrien. They find Adrien collapsed on the floor, not breathing and seemingly dead. Tikki, who had remained behind while the other Faes went with Kagami, checks him over and informs them that he’s still alive but under a powerful sleeping curse that even her healing powers can break.

Meanwhile, Kagami and the rest of the Faes catch up with Lila, who tries to evade them using her illusion magic. Fortunately, Trixx is immune to those tricks so Lila is quickly captured. They take her back to the cottage and interrogate her about her actions.

At first, Lila refuses to say anything but when she learns just who Adrien is, she reveals that Amelie and Felix were the ones who hired her, lying to her about who Adrien actually was and also providing the poison.

Tikki, who had remained behind while the other Faes went with Kagami, checks him over and informs them that he’s still alive but under a powerful sleeping curse that even her healing powers can’t break. It can only be broken by True Love’s kiss.

Since she’s Adrien’s intended betrothed, Kagami is deemed the best candidate to try breaking the spell. She kisses him and he immediately begins breathing but doesn’t wake up.

Turns out that Adrien has more than one True Love (Kagami, Luka, and Marinette); Kagami’s kiss only broke 1/3 of the curse and he needs a kiss from all of them to completely break it. Luka is the next one to try, his kiss causes Adrien to regain partial consciousness though he’s still out of it and unable to move. Finally, Marinette’s kisses Adrien, breaking the remaining bit of the curse and fully awakening Adrien.

Once Adrien is awake, he’s told what happened and they all begin planning on how to deal wit Amelie and Felix. They decided to ask Kagami’s mother, Tomoe for support and protection.

[shenanigans-and-imagines]

Hey! I love your work, mainly the star wars stuff and I was wondering if you could do a mermaid S/O headcanon for Thrawn, i loved the ones with the clones and thought he'd be facinated by a mermaid partner. If not then maybe him with a short S/O since he's so tall, whatever one works best for you!

Let's go with the mermaid one!

Since we're using the idea of the reader being from the same planet of mermaids I talked about in this headcanon with Rex, Wolffe and Cody, let's get everyone up to speed on the state of the planet during the time of the Empire

Your planet had always been extremely independent, only really joining the Republic for mutual protection rather than an exception of outsiders

When the Empire rose, there was much resistance, but an understanding from the leaders that they were not capable of fighting it on their own

While there were many who fled the planet and some who even started to kick start a rebel cell on their own, those in charge of the planet knew they needed to make it clear their sympathies were in line with the Empire in the hope that compliance would mean they would be left alone

As a symbol of their cooperation, many of the noble houses volunteered their children to join the Imperial Navy

The stigma of not only leaving the planet, but walking on land to do so was still pervasive, but they considered it a necessary evil for the safety of the planet as a whole

You are one of those children, sent off the the academy and all but officially banished from your home

You're promised an officer's position by the time you graduate, but it does little the compensate the homesickness and the harassment

You quickly get the nickname "walking fish" and are mocked by the humans of the core worlds

By all accounts you should be their equal, you come from a rich and respected family, you're educated and enjoy many of the same pleasure they do; but they can never see past the lines on your neck and your unsure legs

The harassment only lessens when a new target arrives; one Ensign from the Outer Rim and an alien you had never seen before

He introduces himself to you as Thrawn

The three of you quickly find an odd solidarity

Eli and you are wiser to the actions of your classmates, and help each other keep control of your emotional reactions

Thrawn, meanwhile, is about the only person you can talk to about your home world

You tell him why you've come to the academy, the personal sacrifice it took and how there is little to no chance of going home again

He tells you he understands, and for the first time in your life, you feel like someone actually does fully understand

The first time he sees you in your true form, it's done as a cruel trick

You have to undergo swim training, as required by all navel officers in the result of a ship crash landing in a body of water

You prepared yourself for this; while you instinct is to use your tail, so long as you remain calm, you can remain bi-pedal in water

You can see the other cadets waiting in anticipation, ready to mock the freak the moment the enter the water; your happy to disappoint them

The instructor is visibly annoyed, but cannot force you to transform, particularly since you pass the test with flying colors

But then, somebody gets an idea; what if somebody is drowning?

One of the cadets volunteers to be the victim and jumps in the water with you

The instant you put your arms around them, they start thrashing, deliberately trying to pull you under

They dunk your head below the surface, purposefully keeping you down

You kick back, trying to hold it back but panic takes over and before you can think, you breath in the water as easily as they breath air

You push back using the full power of your fins to throw them off you as you break the surface

You look up and the entire class is gawking

After the momentary shock of your appearance, that's when they start laughing

You try to ignore them; you go over to the "drowning" cadet and pull them to the edge of the pool

They don't stop, nobody tries to stop them even as you pull the cadet over the edge of the pool and onto land; it's your turn to get out now

A sudden thought strikes you; your uniform is at the bottom of the pool, most likely torn to shreds thanks to you transformation, if your legs grow now, you'll be essentially naked

The instructor orders you to get out; he knows what will happen if you do and either doesn't care or wants to see you humiliated

It's then Thrawn appears beside you, silently holding a robe

The instructor asks what exactly Thrawn is doing, but Thrawn ignores him

You pull yourself up

Thrawn wraps the robe around your shoulders

You tie it tight and once it's secure, your fin pulls apart into legs

There is a murmur from the cadets; the instructor is red faced, but nobody can do anything

The class is dismissed

You stay by the poolside, not wanting to face the others in the locker room; Thrawn stays with you

"When was the last time you were in your true form?" he asks.

You do not expect the question, but you answer honestly. "Two years."

He silent for a moment. You watch him and are surprised by what you see in his eyes; cool, unflinching rage.

"You should not let them shame you from being what you are." He says in a calm tone, but there is no mistaking the fire buried just beneath the surface.

"And what am I?" you ask.

He meets your eye, his expression speaking of only the clearest conviction. "Nothing short of marvelous."

You stare at him in wonder, but he does not flinch away. He simply allows his words to speak for themselves.

You look away, unsure of how to feel.

You sit together for a long time before eventually, you get up to change

Thrawn walks with you; it's only later do you recognize something has changed between the two of you. You're not sure what it is, but you do know your lives will now and forever be connected

[seawater-aurelia-writing]

A Beautiful Heartbreak, iii

Pairing(s): Malleus x Fem!MC , One-sided Vil x Fem!MC

Summary: Malleus has a little chat with Vil about the Ramshackle Prefect.

TW: Unrequited Love, Bullying, Body-Shaming(nothing descript), Angsty

A/N: Part 3 has arrived!! There will be one or two more parts for this before the mini-series is over! I’m debating on 2 endings but i’ll see how it works out! The prefect isn’t in this one as much but she’ll be present in the next one! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

MC is the same age as Vil(18), thus making them both of age.

“Such a look of displeasure on your face, Schoenheit.” Malleus teased, his hands on his hips as he gazed at his fellow 3rd year. The smirk on his face widened as Vil’s glared only deepened.

“Nfu~ Well, he is a bit bitter about thy relationship with the dear Prefect.” Lilia chimed in happily, from his place behind Malleus. Red eyes sparkled in unbridled glee and curiosity at this confrontation. In truth, he did not expect Malleus to wish to seek Vil out once he told him about the situation, nor did he expect him to do it in this manner – so like his grandmother.

“Are you both here merely to annoy me?” Vil asked, his voice clipped and tense while still level. Though his eyes were trained on Malleus, he felt the greatest urge to glare at Lilia, but he knew that would only make the sadistic 3rd year bring up the Prefect more – how did he know of his ‘supposed’ feelings for her?

“If that is your reaction to my words, then yes.” Malleus remarked simply, moving a hand to his chin in thought. He paused for barely a second before he continued, “However, I considered it advice more so than an annoyance.”

“And what, pray tell, would I need your advice on? Considering your social position here at Night Raven College, I should be giving you advice.” Vil sneered, allowing a chuckled to escape his lips but Malleus did not react to his jab.

“Well, you are lacking in more than one way, but I will be brief – your decorum is lacking. It leaves much to be desired, especially when addressing one with a more delicate emotional state.” Again, Malleus remarked simply, as if he didn’t just insult Vil to his face.

“…What?” Vil felt his eyes widened and his anger rise, “How dare you- “

“Is that not way she prefers my presence over your own?” Malleus cut in, and eyebrow raised. He couldn’t help but chuckle at the hurt look that flashed over Vil’s face. “From that expression you try to hide, you know this to be true or you are beginning to see the truth in these words.”

“There is no truth in any of this. That potato is merely clueless.” Vil protested, but his voice had lost some of its edge the more he thought; Having Epel and Rook mention it to him was one thing but now Malleus? ‘Why am I always the villain?’

“I will not deny that she can be rather clueless on things.” Malleus chuckled, his thoughts immediately wandering to how the Prefect ignored the danger that came with behaving so flippantly around him, even if he favored her. “But denying your faults is not confidence, Schoenheit; It is a weakness, that is easily exploited. You fancy her, you desire her attention, that is now evident but the attention you give is more hurtful than helpful in your position.”

“If my words are so hurtful,” Vil began, feeling Rook place a hand on the center of his back – Vil had not felt himself shaking, his hands trembling so that even clenching them did nothing. “Why did she not speak up for herself?”

“Does a gardener listen to the cries of a wildflower in their garden of roses?” Was the simple response, Vil received from Malleus before he went silent.

Vil tried to maintain his glare, in an attempt at maintaining his façade but it fell more and more as he began to think.

A gardener? He could see the similarities between himself and one of that position.

Both took great care to ensure that those under their care, flowers or underclassmen, were stunning and at their best.

Both tended to their charges firmly yet taking care not to break or seriously harm any of them.

Weeds and bad students were given extra attention to ensure they became nonexistent or, in Vil’s case, they transformed into the rose he knew they could be.

The Prefect could indeed be a wildflower; She grew and flourished at her own pace; she took root in the most peculiar of places but was always the most beautiful – a natural beauty.

‘She shines so brightly to me…’Vil thought to himself as his face fell back into a neutral expression but his eyes spoke another story. They shimmered, glossed over with a light sheen that he blinked back steadily. ‘Was I…’

“No matter how much the gardener cares for a wildflower as they do rose – a wildflower will forever be a wildflower. As long as you cannot understand that the Prefect will not wish to be near you.” Malleus concluded as he was with sadistic curiosity as Vil continued to keep his face impassive but told a novel in his eyes. To see such a put-together, self-assured student so close to falling apart – it was such a sight to see.

“But it is not too late, Roi du Poisson!” Rook chimed, his hand now patting Vil on the back gently. That beautiful sadness was beginning to make him ache for his dear friend to be happy once again. “Wildflowers are beautifully resilient.”

“That they are!” Lilia agreed with an amused giggle. “Truly there is no blossom that can withstand the harshest of weathers than a wildflower.”

Vil took a deep breath, ‘You were wrong about something, Malleus.’

“As enlightening as this conversation has been, Malleus, I have an important matter to attend to.” Vil smiled, his eyes narrowed in satisfaction as his resolve only increase. “You understand.”

“But of course, do not let us keep you.” Malleus tipped his head ever-so slightly with a smirk and moved to walk past the Pomefiore students. Before he fully passed however, he whispered, “This will be very entertaining to witness, Schoenheit. Let us see if you shall be victorious.”

“I have no doubt that I will.” Vil responded curtly, smoothly walking away without a single glance back. ‘M/C isn’t a mere wildflower; she’s an orchid that I’ve been treating as a would-be rose.’

“Ah I know that look on your face, Roi du Poisson! Such determination!” Rook praised as he fell into step beside Vil. That familiar light filled his eyes once more, easy for all to see; It was as if a transformation had happened inside of Vil in just those few moments.

“Rook, I have something I need you to do.” Vil smiled ever-so slightly, so little that other would believe him to be bearing a smirk upon his face – but Rook saw the gentle happiness within that smile.

‘I see what I’ve done and it is time to correct it.’

[constellaj]

just ran into your art today and. would you like to elaborate on your gay lucky in love rewrite 👀

boy would i

as always shoutouts to @crystalfloe for pitching + workshopping w me on this, ESPECIALLY on this one since it was mostly her idea!

we open up with a shot of shadow circling through amity park, looking in the windows of various citizens. danny is face-down, fast asleep; valerie is repairing some gear; tucker is being a gamer; sam is watching a horror movie; paulina is also watching a horror movie. shadow passes by all these houses and gets more and more annoyed, until he peeks the window of a large, elaborate house:

dash has drawn the curtains, turned the lights off, turned a fan up. this is his deep dark secret. he’s sitting on his bed, face lit by the dim rose glow of his laptop. the volume is turned down so low but the viewer still sees and hears him whisper along to the movie: “but we could never be together, jessica...” “but... I love you...” he’s watching a HORRIBLY cheesy hallmark romcom.

but of course nobody can KNOW he’s into chickflicks and romcoms! he’s a tough football man and it would trash his rep if anyone knew he secretly craved those deep but silly romantic stories... the tenderness, the love...

shadow has specifically been looking for a romantic.

shadow slips in and ‘possesses’ dash. possesses in quotes, because, well, even though dash is dumb and therefore easy to possess, shadow is ultimately a glorified dog, and not a fully sentient ghost; he doesn’t have any total agency in dash, and the most he can do is mess around with his emotional and hormonal balance. shadow is DISMAYED, upon entering, that dash’s deep romanticism is so repressed, and so immediately gets to work digging it out of the recesses of his brain, putting it in the forefront.

(see, what danny and the audience will learn later is, shadow is a ghost that subsists off of love. romantic love especially. he first found a ‘host’ in johnny (before he died!) because johnny and kitty were madly, ridiculously in love, and johnny especially admired kitty beyond words. they still do love each other, of course! but like all healthy relationships, they’ve learned to take breaks, and they have a ‘break week’ once every few months.)

(this, naturally, drives shadow up a WALL; after a certain level, displays of romance become like dog treats, and shadow has been downright spoiled by the overabundance of love between the two. when they take a BREAK WEEK and aren’t constantly showering each other (and therefore him!) with affection, he needs to go find another host, because clearly they do not love him and have forsaken him. they kick miette.)

since shadow’s prime host for so long has been johnny, his understanding of a few... norms... are bleeding over. dash shows up to school with a leather jacket and a motorcycle (his family’s rich, of course he’s had one). his hair is slicked back and the cologne is overpowering. while danny and others think it’s just another asshole stage of dash, kwan (as well as the popular kids, but kwan especially) notices something’s wrong. it’s not quite... dash. 

yeah, he’s happy-- well, he’s also strangely flirty with everyone (shadow is testing the waters, trying to find out who is the best match). and kwan LOVES that he’s happy. but he’s a little too daydreamy, he laughs a little too long. he is having horrible luck all day, but he just keeps taking it in stride. dash is concerned with appearances, but this is the first time he’s put in effort like it was for other people to see. he’s a little too suave. his eyes reflect just a little too much light.

and then-- luck of luck-- shadow finds the big name repressed crush.

fenton! of course!

danny did NOT want to deal with dash towering over him and slamming him into the wall, but he didn’t KNOW how to deal with dash leaning over him and telling him he looked cute. danny’s flustered! of course he is! well, yeah, dash is an asshole, he knows that, yeah he’s a stuck up rich kid, YES SAM, he knows this (sam is not fooled by a little hair gel and some high heeled leather boots), but you can’t deny he’s, well, built. and he’s weirdly suave? and nice. he’s actually being really nice. what no of course DANNY hasn’t had a crush on DASH this whole time or anything. shut up.

the fact that dash asks him to meet him in the woods at lunch (because sam, jazz, and even tucker are increasingly concerned with dash just making moves on danny, afraid it’s some new form of abuse; and lancer keeps perceiving it as bullying since that’s their dynamic and breaking it up) and he GOES is just. well. that’s unrelated isn’t it.

they kiss and danny is starting to maybe think dash just had a homophobic middle school experience like everyone else when- his GHOST SENSE GOES OFF. RIGHT HERE? RIGHT NOW??? (gee what could be causing it?) dash cracks a joke about him using too many breath mints and danny panics, bullshits an excuse, and runs off to transform and find the ghost.

dash thinks he’s been rejected and almost shakes out shadow’s possession from the sheer dismay, but shadow doubles down. no, no, we can find another crush. somewhere.

...oh hey! the ghost boy!

time to double down on the ghost aesthetics.

danny’s just finished fighting kitty (”where’s your boyfriend” “that’s none of your BUSINESS!”) when there’s a motorcycle rev underneath him. there’s... dash, again, but.... something feels very, very wrong.

danny lands, cautious. “hey phantom... you into biker dudes?” “don’t you have... a boyfriend...” “heee sorta dumped me in the woods”. and then danny gets close enough for his ghost sense to go off. and it clicks.

“dash, you’re possessed”

this is the ONE THING that shadow can’t have. this could be the perfect romance, and THIS GHOSTCHILD thinks he knows more about ROMANCE than SHADOW??? PSH. cue fight scene! dash of course is grappling with both not wanting to hurt phantom, but wanting this ghost out of his system, because of COURSE he’s possessed geez why else would he want to kiss FENTON of all people-- but shadow REFUSES to leave, slowly building more and more monstrous elements onto dash, darker eyes and claws, erasing his legs until it’s not dash as much as it is a large shadow monstrosity with dash at the center.

danny eventually realizes he needs a new strategy and runs for it. after a decent amount of bickering with sam/tuck, they realize that the only ones who would know how to tame shadow are.... kitty and johnny.

turns out, when shadow went missing, kitty NOTICED. (johnny didn’t! he was having a fun alone time working on his bike with loud music.) this is bad. why? well, johnny is NOT a very powerful ghost. in fact, he’s sort of the opposite. he and shadow have a symbiotic relationship of sorts; it’s shadow’s residence in him that gives him any powers at all, like the basic healing factor a ghost has, or phasing, or flying. without shadow he’s essentially a zombie, who can still be hurt in the ghost zone. NATURALLY, kitty decided to run off and retrieve shadow (because this isn’t the first time he’s run away on break week, always throwing a tantrum) before anything horrible could happen to Johnny; this is what she was doing in Amity in the first place

this is the part of the story where i reveal that the ending isnt fully fleshed out yet. in the rough conversation right it ended up with kitty and johnny trying to FORCE shadow back into johnny, and they’re getting annoyed by it, and kitty goes “well this wouldn’t be a problem if YOU weren’t so LOVING AND SENSITIVE” and johnny goes “well i wouldn’t LOVE YOU so much if you weren’t BRILLIANT and BEAUTIFUL” and they have a whole argument like that. its very funny. and shadow ends up still running away and possessing dash again.

ah, in typing this out, i have figured out an ending!

the above fight and run away happens, and there’s two endings: one where shadow possesses dash, and one where shadow possesses danny. in both, of course, the other party realizes the only way to get shadow out is through making shadow feel safe enough to leave, aka... flooding the room with romance. if dash is possessed, danny and co. realize that danny’s the prime candidate to... be the suave lil boy. if DANNY is possessed, sam and tucker begrudgingly explain that, uh, yeah, phantom might have a crush on you, he’s just really controlling of his emotions. (also kwan! kwan definitely plays a part if dash is possessed, maybe even in saying “uh... he has a bigger crush on Fenton. can you guys get him instead?” and danny. explodes)

blahlbahblah luring shadow out by being gay happens and shadow gets scooped back up by the 13s. as much as the previous argument is funny it might also be very funny if johnny literally noticed none of this, and kitty shows up like ‘you lost this’ and johnny is like. ‘...shadow? when did you leave’. anywho.

that’s the concept! the MAIN difference is that johnny and kitty actually have a very healthy and sweet relationship, and the conflict, ironically, comes from the fact that they love each other TOO much. i do love ‘dash finds out’ reveals but as far as an episodic romp goes, this might not be the best ep for him to discover the secret in. however in a oneshot or something of course you could slot that in there excellently i believe.

[dollyshaw]

The Thing About Rain: An Adrienette Story (Part 2)

In which realizations are made.

The wind and rain blew harshly around Marinette as she made her way to House of Gabriel. She’d never regretted not getting her license at 18; she liked to make her way around Paris by foot. It was easier to meet people that way, and she didn’t have to worry about leaving her car somewhere if she ever had to transform on the fly. Today, however, she wished she could drive.

She gripped tightly onto the umbrella that Adrien had given her on that fateful day seven years ago. This was, as far as she was concerned, the greatest token of friendship and affection.

Though this umbrella may have made her feel warm inside at the memories it held, it would not prevent the rain from splashing into her pink rubber boots and sogging the ends of her black cropped trousers. Her tan “Gabriel” trench coat was not even enough to prevent the water from dampening the white blazer and striped blouse of her carefully cultivated ensemble meant to impress her new Mentor, Gabriel Agreste.

Over the years her clumsiness may have soothed itself, but her luck while out of her alter-ego’s protective suit never improved. Her black cat hadn’t even crossed her path today. What irony.

She was relieved when she finally turned the corner to the front of the House of Agreste Studio building. She pushed her way through the gold-plated revolving door as she undid her umbrella and shook off the excess water. She hooked it via a carabiner to her black Chanel side-strap and shed her trench coat as she made her way to the elevator.

She was in the middle of the downstairs lobby before it even hit her where she was. She stopped dead in her tracks in the center of the room, mesmerized by the building around her. She knew Mr. Agreste personally, which made this all the more surreal to her. She noted all of the gold in the room. Gold caulking connecting the ceiling to the white marble walls. Gold crested plates on the ceiling. Gold mixed into the black marble flooring beneath her feet. All of this accented the gold chandelier reaching down from the center of the ceiling, crystals coating its long arms reflecting the lights behind them to give the room a warm glow. She knew Mr. Agreste built this from nothing, which gave her the utmost respect for him as a designer and a business man.

“Good Morning, Maribug.” A voice shook her from her thoughts.

Standing beside her, clad in carefully tailored black slacks, an ironed white chemise buttoned right below his collarbone and the sleeves rolled to right below his elbows, and tan loafers, was Adrien Agreste. Her breathe hitched as she noted the glint in his eyes and the smirk on his lips as he called her the nickname he coined after calling her his “everyday Ladybug” all those years ago. She knew it was just because of the compliment, but every time he called her “Maribug,” she questioned whether or not he’d somehow figured out her secret identity.

“Adrien Agreste! You scared the life out of me.” She sighed pinching her nose, trying to catch her breath.

“I’m sorry Marinette,” He said helping her pick up the papers she dropped “but look, I brought you breakfast.”

“Awe, you didn’t have to!” She blushed taking the small bag and cup from his hands.

“It’s your first day, Mari. Consider it a welcome to the company.” He smiled putting his hands into his pockets.

“Well thank you fine sir.” She grinned.

“You’re more than welcome, M’lady. May I escort thee to thy office?” He faked a bow and offered his arm. She nodded and took his arm, though she was slightly taken aback by the wave of familiarity that accompanied his statement.

M’Lady? It could have been purely coincidental that he referred to her as M’lady and Maribug on the same day, but it was not lost on her that the only person she’d ever heard use the term was her partner. She’d concluded a long time ago, however, that there was no way Adrien Agreste and Chat Noir could be the same person. Sure, they had a lot of physical similarities and she had never seen them in the same place, but their personalities were drastically different. That and the fact that Tikki did not seem to respond to Adrien in the slightest completely convinced her that Adrien was not Chat Noir.

Marinette, however, was not very observant when it came to Adrien Agreste. When she was around Adrien, nothing in the world around her seemed to matter. Her blissful oblivion was only maximized when they were in close proximity.

Maybe if her arm hadn’t been carefully looped around his, or if they weren’t less than a foot away from each other in an enclosed space, she might have noticed the way that the security cameras turned to follow her and Adrien as they moved through the lobby. She may have noticed the way it took several unusual moments for the elevator to start its ascent, as if it were weighing the odds of bringing them up to the thirteenth floor. If she hadn’t been in an elevator with Adrien Agreste, as she had been many times before, she might have noticed that the odd feeling the rain gave her this morning clung to her through the lobby of House of Gabriel, lingered in the elevator, and radiated around her long-time crush like the fumes of a well-aged cheese.

________________________________________________________

Adrien Agreste was oblivious about a lot of things, but not even he could miss the way his heart sped up a few beats when Marinette Dupain-Cheng took his arm. With her this close, he could feel the warmth of her person, almost like she physically radiated the way she made others feel. He could breathe in the fragrances of fresh bread, rose, and something very familiar that he could neither put his finger on nor could he identify where he’d smelled it before. Her dainty hand curled around his forearm gave rise to a certain warmness in his cheeks and in the pit of his stomach. Any warmness from Marinette, however similar, would always pale in comparison to the feeling his Lady gave him when she so much as smiled.

Adrien Agreste was oblivious to a lot of things, but not even he could miss the odd, almost calculating look on his father’s face as the elevator doors opened on the 13th floor to reveal him. He paid little attention to his father’s face, as he was more surprised that his father was, indeed, standing before him. He’d fully expected to meet his father via a tablet screen in his office rather than face-to-face.

Beside him, he heard Marinette emit a small gasp at the man standing in front of her. True, Adrien had not seen his father in person much in the past seven years, but the public (including his very own new apprentice), had seen him even less. He could only imagine that she had not been expecting to encounter him in person at all during her time at House of Gabriel.

“Adrien,” he began, resting his hands one-above-another on the ball of his ebony cane “Thank you for escorting our young designer on her first day of work. How chivalrous of you. One might even say… heroic.”

Adrien was still too taken aback by his father’s presence to notice the glint in his eye as he finished his statement. Marinette was far too engulfed in anxiety to notice the way Mr. Agrestes eyes slanted and lips curved into a sinister smirk as he spoke the final word.

“Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng,” he continued, taking her hand from his son’s arm and lightly kissing her knuckles, “Welcome to House of Gabriel. We are very pleased to have you with us.”

Adrien couldn’t help but feel a bit angry when his father took Marinette’s hand from his arm and tucked it neatly into his own. He felt his cheeks heat up when his father started walking with her to his office and motioned for him to follow, making polite conversation with his best friend as they walked.

“Kid,” Plagg whispered from the hidden pocket inside his chemise, “You gotta calm down. I can feel the negative emotions welling up so I know ShadowMoth can. I know she’s your girl, but you have to cool it.”

“She’s not my girl!” Adrien almost shouted. He quickly noticed that he was not in a private place and the designers around would most definitely think he was going mental for talking to himself, so he quickly corrected himself by saying “She’s My Woman! Yea! It’s on Jagged Stone’s next album you guys won’t want to miss it.” And then he ducked his head and kept walking.

“Nice going kid,” Plagg tried to emit as much of him rolling his eyes as he could into his tone, “but seriously you’re going to have to calm down.”

Adrien tried to steady his breaths as he followed his father and Marinette into his office at the end of the room. He wasn’t sure if it was the fact that his Father had missed breakfast with him this morning, as well as every morning for seven years, and made a point to show up for Marinette’s first day of work or Plagg calling Marinette his girl, but he was sure that the heat in his chest was not because he was jealous of his father showing Marinette off to the office like a trophy. She was just a friend, after all, a really good friend.

A friend with dark navy hair and blue bell eyes. A friend who could light up a room just by stepping into it. A friend that made her friends macarons when they were having a bad day, and stayed up with them until 2 a.m. if they needed someone to talk to. A friend that, if he weren’t obsessed with his partner of seven years, could see a future with.

He was snapped out of his trance by the sudden sound of the heavy metal plated door of his father’s office closing.

“Mademoiselle, as I claimed earlier Adrien and I, as well as the entire staff of House of Gabriel are honored to have you as my personal apprentice.” His father praised as he lounged in the green upholstered armchair by the fireplace of his office.

“Merci, Monsieur Agreste. It is an honor to be learning from an icon, such is yourself.” Marinette squeaked as she took a place on the sofa across from him. Adrien made a point to situate himself on the couch next to Marinette, an odd feeling of protectiveness radiating through him.

“Oh, please darling, call me Gabriel. We will be working very closely together after all.” He responded, glancing at his son the entire time. Adrien instinctively slanted his eyes at his father and twisted the ring on his finger. In the moment, all he could hear was his heart beating out of his chest and the warmth that followed on the tips of his ears and the tips of his fingers. He resisted the urge to call upon his Kwami. He couldn’t figure out the source of this anger, which frustrated him more. He suddenly felt a small hand wrap around his own and squeeze.

“Adrien,” Marinette whispered “Are you alright? You look a little tense.” He noticed that his father had gotten up from his spot across from them to brew some tea at the cart across the room.

“I’m fine Mari, something just feels off.” He grinned tightly at her.

“You feel it too? I’ve felt on edge since this morning and couldn’t place it.”

“What do you mean?” He questioned, not knowing completely what she was talking about.

“I don’t know, just something in the air, I guess. I just have a bad feeli-“

“Mademoiselle,” Gabriel interrupted, sitting back down and handing her and Adrien both teacups, “Have I ever asked you where you got your earrings? I’ve noticed you wear them every time we come into contact. They’re just so… unique.”

“Oh, um, t-they’re a family heirloom, sir.” Marinette grinned, taken aback by his sudden interest in her jewelry. Adrien had never noticed her earrings before. He looked at them now, noting how familiar they looked. Not because he had seen them on Marinette, but because he could swear he’s seen them somewhere else.

“Interesting, they resemble a pair I’ve seen in a book I own greatly.” He continued as he leaned forward. “Would you mind taking them off so that I may examine them a bit closer?”

“I-I’d rather not sir. See, my grand-pere gave them to me as a birthday present and I’d rather not risk losing them.” She tensed. It was at that moment Adrien saw something he was sure he was dreaming. Marinette’s crossbody sat on the floor, slightly open. Had he not been familiar with tiny Gods, Ladybug’s Kwami in particular, he might have thought the tiny red head poking out of the top of Marinette’s bag was a stress toy.

“Mademoiselle, I can guarantee no harm to come to your heirlooms. I simply wish to inspect them.” Gabriel insisted.

“Sir, I will allow you to inspect my earrings when you allow me to inspect your pin. What an interesting pin that is, too. Is it a butterfly?” Marinette responded, more confident than Adrien had ever seen her before. That was when the ground came crashing in on him.

The hair, the eyes, the smell, the earrings, the confidence. How had he not seen it before? He was with her every day. He sat behind her at school. He followed her every move across the rooftops of Paris for the past seven years. He’d fought beside her at every akuma and laughed beside her during group hangout. Marinette was Ladybug. More importantly, Ladybug was Marinette.

“Very astute observation of you, Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng, or shall I refer to you as: Ladybug. I shouldn’t be surprised that my son, despite being a miraculous holder himself, has yet to notice.” Gabriel taunted.

“I’m sure Chat Noir was too busy fending off your akuma’s to notice that they were spawning from his house.” Marinette replied beginning to stand up. She looked at him as Ladybug did when she was signaling for Chat Noir to prepare for battle, but Adrien had not yet reached the conclusion that she had.

“Marinette is Ladybug.” Adrien reasoned in his head. “Ladybug is Marinette. Marinette knows that I am Chat Noir. My father knows that Marinette is Ladybug. My father knows that I am Chat Noir. My father is a miraculous holder. My father holds the butterfly miraculous. Akumas spawn from my house.”

Adrien suddenly gasped outloud, realization crashing over him.

“Gabriel Agreste is ShadowMoth.” He rationalized outloud from his place on the couch.

“Right you are, mon fils. You should be a little more careful when you leave the mansion. You know what they say, curiosity killed the cat. No one ever specified who's curiosity.” Gabriel cooed at him, standing menacingly by the fireplace. “Nooroo, Dark Wings Rise!”

https://dollyshaw.tumblr.com/post/658612297611264000/the-thing-about-rain-an-adrienette-story-part-1

[inkweaver22-blr]

Here we are with chapter 6! This one chronologically takes place in between chapters 2 and 3, so keep that in mind. There hasn’t been a lot of Sandy in this fic yet so I felt like this was as good a spot as any to focus on him.

AO3 Link

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Scattered Cicadas - Chapter Six: Being There

Tang visits Sandy for some advice.

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Tang knocked on the door to the cabin on Sandy’s boat. He took a step back as he heard a loud thud followed by what sounded like a frantic conversation and more banging.

Soon, the river demon poked his head out from behind the door and glanced down at the scholar.

“Tang! It’s good to see you. What, uh, brings you here,” Sandy greeted with a strained smile.

Tang simply raised an eyebrow at the strange behavior.

“Is this a bad time?”

“Not at all,” Sandy said cheerfully, still not opening the door fully. “What can I do for you?”

“Well…” Tang hesitated, somewhat self conscious at what he was about to admit. “I was wondering if I could get your help with some things I’ve been having trouble with.”

“What kind of things?”

“The... emotional kind,” Tang said softly while rubbing his arm and staring downwards.

“Oh! Oh.” Sandy’s gaze immediately softened for a moment before glancing behind him back into the cabin. Seemingly satisfied with what he saw he opened the door all the way and gestured for Tang to enter. “Why don’t we talk about it over some tea?”

Tang looked around the cabin as he followed Sandy in. It didn’t look like anything was out of place.

Decorations and plants to promote relaxation dotted the space. A yoga mat and exercise equipment were neatly stacked next to the couch. The room was mostly tidy save for the few cat toys strewn about and the two half-drunk cups of tea on the coffee table.

Wait, two cups?

Tang took a closer look around and eventually spotted something.

Huntsman’s braid was poking out from above a high-up cabinet.

Ah. So that’s what the noise earlier was.

The unlikely friendship between the spider demon and Sandy had happened already once before so Tang decided to ignore it for now. He may not like having what he was about to say overheard, but the cycle would be ending soon and he really needed to have this conversation.

The scholar took the offered seat on the couch and thought about why he was here while his host prepared some fresh tea.

It had been a few days since the cursed meatball incident. If the timeline of events stayed the same in this cycle, that meant there was only about three days left before MK unlocked the use of the 72 Transformations, they went to the desert to train, and then would get attacked by Lady Bone Demon.

Tang shuddered involuntarily as he thought about the dangerous demon, and subsequently, her primary servant. He subconsciously rubbed his throat as the Mayor’s visage flashed in his mind.

Quickly shaking his head and taking a deep breath, Tang banished those images. He knew better than to meddle with major events now, and his friends had helped him through his trauma multiple times already.

He needed to focus on the actual reason for this visit.

“So what did you want to discuss,” Sandy asked while setting down a tea tray. The blue giant took one of the cups for himself and sat cross-legged on the floor across from Tang, his height allowing them to remain eye level to each other.

Tang took a fortifying sip of his own tea as he thought about how to begin.

“I know I can be a bit… full of myself sometimes,” Tang started. Sandy made no comment and simply waited for the scholar to continue. “But I really am not bragging when I say that I’m very good at noticing things.”

There was a small creaking noise from the cabinet hiding the spider demon. Both Tang and Sandy chose to ignore it.

“I’m just a naturally perceptive person I guess. I tend to notice patterns pretty quickly and I almost immediately pick up a change to a place I visit frequently.” Tang took another sip of his tea before staring seriously at Sandy.

“So I must apologize to you, Sandy, for taking so long to notice that you are quite possibly more perceptive than even I am.”

The river demon’s eyebrows rose in surprise at that.

“Uh, thanks? What do you mean by that?”

“Sure, I can pick out even the small details of the world around me,” Tang explained, waving his hand dismissively. “However, you notice something much more important than that. You can see how the people around you are feeling.

“Yes, I can tell when someone is acting strange or hiding something,” the scholar continued, not acknowledging the shocked look on Sandy’s face, “but you seem to be able to see so much deeper than that! You can tell why that person is upset. Or at least you’re able to make a very good guess.

“Even more impressive than that is how you always seem to know exactly how to react to that person’s distress.

“You know the right words to say that offer the most amount of reassurance. You know exactly when to push for details and when to back off. You never judge, only offering unconditional support.

“You're endlessly patient and kind and understanding and I’m-” Tang took a ragged breath as his emotions welled up inside of him. “-and I’m not.”

“Tang, you’re-”

“Please let me finish.” Tang took a few deep breaths as Sandy looked on in concern, not the slightest bit offended at being interrupted.

“I know I can be kind and supportive, I’m not saying that isn’t true. But I also know I’m somewhat egotistical and smug at times. And that causes me to miss things in others.” Tang began to shake as he was finally overwhelmed and tears began to fall.

“I-I don’t want to miss how the people I care about are hurting ever again. I just want to be there for him, like you’re there for all of us.” Tang looked pleadingly at Sandy. “But I’m not sure I know how.”

“Oh, Tang.” Sandy swiftly moved around the table and gently pulled the scholar into a hug. Tang eagerly leaned into the embrace as he continued to let his insecurities out.

“He- he’s been hurting for a while and I don’t know for how long because I didn’t notice and-” He gasped for breath as he cried into the river demon’s shoulder. “He tries to be strong and not let it show but that’s hurting him even more and I don’t know how to fix it and-!”

“Shhh, just breathe for me right now Tang,” Sandy soothed as he rubbed the scholar’s back. “It’ll be okay. You don’t have to do this alone. We can all help MK out together.”

Tang sobbed a bit harder because of course Sandy would know who he was talking about through his incoherent ramblings. Of course he’d know exactly what to say to get to the heart of the issue and address it. He’d be jealous and impressed if he wasn't currently bawling his eyes out.

After Tang eventually calmed down and had a few more cups of tea, he still expressed his desire to learn how to be more like the river demon. Sandy had simply agreed to his request and lent him some self-help psychology and therapy books he owned. They discussed going over the contents in more detail at later dates and ways to help MK as a group before Tang decided to take his leave.

“Remember that you aren’t alone in this,” Sandy gently reminded the scholar as he led him to the door. “You aren’t solely responsible for the mental well being of others and it’s okay to ask for help.”

“Thanks Sandy,” Tang said with a sincere smile. “I really appreciate the help.”

“That’s what I’m here for. I’ll see you later.”

“See you later.”

Tang, feeling much lighter than before, decided to play a bit of a prank. He smirked as he leaned around the river giant before calling back into the cabin.

“Bye Huntsman!”

There was a sudden bang followed by profuse amounts of swearing. Sandy broke out into loud guffaws as he waved goodbye to the retreating scholar.

In the end, Tang hadn’t been able to get through the books Sandy had lent him before the cycle reset. He made sure to visit Sandy earlier on in the next one and learned a lot from the gentle giant.

Sandy wasn’t the only one he took cues from.

He incorporated Pigsy's silent acts of compassion and Mei’s no-nonsense attitude into the way he helped the others. Even MK’s fierce openness made it into his techniques.

Tang also never forgot he wasn’t alone. He always asked for help when he felt overwhelmed. He made sure the others knew how to help out whenever one of them was hurting.

Tang was powerless to stop anything that would cause any of the hurt feelings in his friends, but he’d be damned if he simply stood by and did nothing to address them now that he knew what to look for.

He promised to always be there for them.

----------

Sandy, I feel, is the secret MVP of the Monkie Kid group. He may not be a licensed therapist, but he’s probably had enough experience with his own and read enough about it to pass a certification test with no problem.

Huh. With this I’ve now ended exactly half of the current chapters with Tang having some sort of emotional breakdown. I’m sure that ratio will only get bigger as we progress. :3c

The Sandy and Huntsman friendship/ship is one I enjoy a lot and it’s a shame there isn’t more content for it.

I'm playing a bit fast and loose with the timeline of events in canon, but meh. It's not that big a deal I think.

That’s it for now! Until next time!

[yandere-society]

hi, can u do jeongguk yandere which he’s a werewolf and the oc childhood sweetheart???

Moon Bound

Jungkook, YN’s childhood best friend, abandoned her their senior year of high school without a word. Determined to forget him, YN attends college across the country. But what will she do when he shows up on her doorstep rain soaked and sharp toothed, confessions and craziness slipping from his lips?

Warnings: Yandere themes

Admin @chimchimsauce

YN always hated storms. Ever since she was but a small tot, the bright flashes of light and loud boom that shook the air after terrified her to her core. Without fail, she would run towards whoever was nearest for comfort.

That’s how she met Jungkook. Her parents and his had decided to get together for dinner after Jungkook and his family moved in next door. It started off fine. Jungkook was shy kid with big eyes and a small smile who agreed to play with the stuffed animals she insisted on bringing over.

After eating, the adults talk about whatever adults talk about while YN and Jungkook play in his bedroom.

“You know,” six-year-old YN said as she raised a purple giraffe into the air, “You don’t talk very much.”

Jungkook’s cheeks went red in an instant and the eye contact he struggled to maintain fell away.

“I’m sorry,” he said, voice quiet and small smile gone.

YN could tell right away that she hurt his feelings.

“It’s not a bad thing,” YN found herself saying, “You can be quiet if you want. I can talk for the both of us.”

And just like that the smile was back and a best friendship was formed.

Jungkook and YN were best friends for over a decade. They saw each other every day at school and then saw each other some more during the evening when they hung out. They were inseparable, closer than two people could possibly be.

And it was heaven. Jungkook understood YN better than she understood herself. He supported her when even her parents were against her decisions. He was there for the bad days just as wholeheartedly as he showed up for the good ones. And of course, because he was Jungkook, the sweetest and kindest best friend, the years were incredibly kind to him. He bloomed like a rose, beautiful and eye catching and tempting to all who swarmed around him.

But he never abandoned YN. Because if Jungkook was a rose, YN was the moonlight watching over him. Sure, sunshine brings out the best in people, helps them shine the brightest, but the moon knows your deepest secrets. The moon watches over you with gentle reassurance and a knowing smile, a peaceful friend.

Jungkook’s life was perfect. Perfect, until his senior year of high school when he came home to find a giant beast lurking in his living room. Before he could scream, his mother came out form behind the beast, a gentle smile on her face.

“Get away from that thing, Mother!” Jungkook shouted, rushing towards her and hiding her small body behind his larger one.

“There’s no need to be afraid, darling,” his mother says, “He will do you no harm.”

“He? Mom, it’s a wolf! He could kill us!” Jungkook says, terrified.

“He’s also your father,” his mother says.

One simple sentence changed his life forever. That night, over a steaming hot cup of cocoa he didn’t touch once, his parents explained that Jungkook wasn’t human. They told him of the Moon’s curse and the way it passed from generation to generation, from father to son. They told him of the changes he would soon be experiencing and the role he was to play in this world he didn’t know existed.

“What do I tell YN?” he asked, mind reeling.

He wanted nothing more than to run to her and let her comfort him, tell him that his parents were crazy.

But he’d seen the beast transform into his father right before his eyes. As much as he wanted to, Jungkook knew that there was no way this was fiction.

“You can’t tell her,” his father says sadly, “I know the two of you are close, but that will have to stop. It’s too dangerous. We have to keep our secret to keep us all safe.”

“She wouldn’t tell anyone! I know she wouldn’t! You know she wouldn’t!”

His mother places a pitying hand over Jungkook’s tightening fist.

“YN is a very sweet girl. A very good girl. But she’s also human.”

“SO ARE YOU!” Jungkook roared out, standing up with a force strong enough to send his chair tumbling.”

“But I am your Father’s moon bound,” his mother continues, “The one the mood goddess chose to love him and help continue his legacy.”

“But I love her!” Jungkook insists, desperation beginning to take over.

He’s known YN nearly his whole life. She’s his best friend, the person he trusts more than anyone on the planet.

“You may feel that way now, son, but -” his father starts to say.

“I don’t want to hear it!” Jungkook screams.

“But the moon goddess knows what’s best for you. She will send you the one who is truly meant for you.”

“It’s YN, I know!” Jungkook says, “It has to be!”

“You will find out on your twentieth birthday. That is the day that your transformation will be complete. Until then you have to stay away from her.”

“No!” Jungkook says.

His emotions are all over the place. He’s scared and angry and confused and it swirls together into a violent storm in his brain.

“You could hurt her, Jungkook. These next two years are going to be difficult and dangerous. You never know when your body will change or when your mind will yield to the wolf’s call. You could end up killing her.”

That knocks the air out of his body. He’s never lay a hand on her, never.

“I-”

“That’s why you will be going to the University meant for Werewolves as soon as you graduate. It’s best if you just cut YN off now before anyone gets hurt.”

And that’s exactly what he did. Without a single word to her, Jungkook forcibly removed himself from YN’s life. He ignored her in school, blocked her number, and never answered her when she rang his doorbell. No matter how much she tried to talk to him, Jungkook rbushed YN off like she was an annoying fly, never so much as giving her an explanation. 

It hurt. It hurt more than YN wanted to admit. She spent most nights her senior year crying herself to sleep, unaware that Jungkook’s newfound senses caused him to hear her pain. Her grades slipped, she lost weight, and that glimmering personality that she carried with her faded into nothingness.

It was like she was an entirely different person, the old her dead and gone right along with Jungkook’s friendship.

So when she graduated, YN wanted out. She refused to spend another moment thinking about Jungkook, glancing out her window into his with the feeble hope that his blinds would be open. She moved across the country, leaving her old persona behind her, lit with fire to become someone she would be proud to look into the mirror and see.

And she did. For once, YN was the flower, digging strong roots and blooming under the sunlight. The only thing she carried with her from her past was her fear of storms.

Right now, thunder booms loudly in her ears and she huddles under her sheets, trying her hardest to keep calm and breathe evenly. When a loud ring sounds through the air, YN startles, wondering what it is. When it comes again, she recognizes it as her doorbell.

Odd. She doesn’t usually get visitors this time of night. Still, YN goes to answer the door, bringing her blanket with her. It’s too dark for her to see out of the peephole, so YN unbolts the door and opens it fully. 

For a moment, everything is black. Then lightning zooms across the sky and illuminates a face she never thought she’d see again.

“Jungkook?” YN asks, breathless.

Thunder booms again and she shrieks, only to be swept up into once familiar arms and ushered back into her home, the door slamming shut behind them.

“I missed you so much,” Jungkook says, his voice muffled by YN’s hair as he hugs her tightly, “So so much.”

“What are you doing here?” YN asks, uncomfortable, “How do you know where I live?”

Jungkook ignores her questions and pulls away to look at her face, caressing it.

“I love you so much. I’m so glad that it’s finally time for us to be together.”

YN rips herself away from him, growing scared.

“What are you talking about? Why are you even here? I don’t want to see you,” she hisses out.

The venom is minimized by the way she jumps when thunder sounds again.

“You don’t mean that. I know i have a lot of explaining to do but -”

“No,” YN says, “I tried to talk to you every day for an entire year. You don’t get to pop back into my life like this. Get out, Jungkook. I don’t want to see you.”

For a moment, all is silent. Jungkook’s face falls in the dim light. He looks so different now, bigger and more filled out. Gone is any trace of the little boy she used to play with. 

“You’re going to see me,” he says, his voice completely devoid of any and all emotion, “I didn’t kill my moon bound for you to reject me, YN.”

A chill shoots down YN’s spine. She has no idea what he’s talking about, but she does know that he’s insane. YN grips her wet blanket close to her body, trying to figure out what to do. Maybe she can make a run for it?

Thunder booms again and YN shinks back, terrified. 

“Please don’t hurt me,” she says, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks.

“I’d never hurt you, YN,” Jungkook says adoringly, “Never ever. I don’t care what the mood goddess says. I’ve always known you were mine. Why worship her when I have you?” he says, pulling her close once more and nuzzling into her neck.

YN feels something wet and warm glide along her skin and she freezes, stiff as a statue.

“Now why don’t I run you a bath and we get caught up, okay? It’ll be like I never left,” he says, pulling away.

Lightning illuminates the room and YN can see the blood caked onto his fingers and his teeth, much too sharp and much too bright. Jungkook catches her staring and nods innocently, having the gall to look ashamed. 

“I should have cleaned up before I came, but I was so excited to see you! I’d kill anyone who tries to keep us apart. Now how about that bath?”

YN can do nothing but nod, looking at the boy she once loved and seeing nothing but a monster.