#wrecking havoc undertones

[drakulateeth]

My femme fatale essentials

I have seen way too many posts and articles about how to become a femme fatale and most of them are useless. And since I have had the femme fatale mindset ever since I was quite young, let me share with you what being a femme fatale actually entails:

1. Being in touch with your dark side.

By this I mean, understanding and not suppressing the negative traits that we have. Being selfish, arrogant, wanting to lie, wanting to steal, craving violence. Once you look at those feelings in the face and truly understand them, you will no longer be a slave to them and to what society says is unacceptable. Regardless this does not mean wrecking havoc in others lives and self-destructing, but you should accept yourself fully and work on whatever you see fit, however you see fit (I'm a popstar, not a doctor).

2. Having a generally dark and muted color paletter.

For your clothes and your environment, I think this is quite self explanatory. Dark reds and browns, shiny pinks and even deep blues. Candles, antique furniture, old books, heavy curtains, classic cuts for clothes, for this part I would suggest you mix the stereotypical aesthetic with your own authentic style. Do not buy into the mainstream products you see online though, please, I would suggest see what type of Halloween decorations you enjoy and move from there. (My inspiration ever since I was young have been vampires)

3. Being the demise of men.

My personal favorite. I have yet to destroy anyone's life but I have used the feelings that many guys had for me, for my benefit. From school projects, to concert tickets, to snacks, free rides around town, to now getting a guy that likes me, that I of course do not like, to do most of my work in the conference I am working on. And in the end breaking their little hearts.

The way I go around it is that I act cold (I already look intimidating) and never give them actual hope, so when the situation blows in the guy's face, he knows that it was his fault and that him being blinded by lust cannot be my problem. This is where the be in touch with all your feeling and urges comes to play. Be ruthless. (I should do a whole separate piece on being ruthless, 10/10 would recommend)

4. Emulating classic and/or glam looks.

For this part, fuck trends and do what works for you. You must know yourself first and then craft a look, I cannot tell you to just do a red lip and you will look stunning. You should know your undertones and what shades of lipstick compliment your face. I only wear dark reds and browns, otherwise I do simple nudes, because pink or purple or anything vibrant looks terrible on me. Pick and choose whatever suits you and I repeat stay away from trends. Hair, make up, scents, dresses, shoes, nails, everything should be coherent, should suit you because YOU are wearing them they do not wear you, basically look well put together in a glam way in a darker color palette. (The look is a very simple part)

5. Having a very particular hobby that must be intellectually stimulating.

For me it would be learning languages, I already speak four (French is one of them, you want someone to be hypnotized by you, speak French with the accent, even if it is visible you are not French, it still sounds hot) and I intend to learn three more because I have picked them up but have not taken them to intermediate or advanced levels yet. Your hobby can be anything as long as it is very intellectually and artistically stimulating. Think playing the cello, the harp, the violin, the piano, think classical ballet, ballroom dancing or even belly dancing, sculpting, writing poetry, pottery, I can go on for ages. You have read this in other guides too, be curious, be authentic and indulge in the things that you enjoy.

6. Oozing sex appeal.

That starts with being confident in your body and being in complete touch with yourself. You already know what I will say on this, eat well, do something physical that makes you feel good, take care of your health, wear well made lingerie, have a deep and sweet perfume (I am a Dior girl, I buy a dupe for daily wear, and the actual perfume for more important matters). The rest, I don't know you, you must figure it out yourself, a guide I made cannot dictate your life, do whatever makes you feel sexy. Start with sexy lingerie, shiny jewelry, also gun and dagger shaped things, put on a sultry playlist, imitate supermodel walks, the world is your oyster.

7. You must stand tall

The main appeal of the femme fatale, is the self confidence, the directness, living their life in their own terms. They have boundaries, standards, refined taste... basically they are the dream girl that would do everything to get what she wants, there is this sort of perfect imperfection about their poise, their anger, their movement. They seem so cool yet so ready to strike, at any moment they might unleash hell. I always loved them because they seemed so multidimensional. I never particularly enjoyed the nice and sweet heroin in media, I related more the the amoral, darker "villains" hence me being a well known bitch from age 12 until now.

On an ending note, I would suggest pick a few fictional characters that have traits you would like to emulate, and live as they would. We live in the age of information, chances are you already know what you like or not about the aesthetic, so make it your own and live authentically. The only thing I want to say is, bring back misery to men's lives, because 1. the trope is based on that and 2. because they love it.

Happy hunting my maneaters,

💋

snowblack

[deathfavor]

CHROLLO’S  MUSIC & CHARACTER STUDY

Chrollo’s various themes between the 2 versions of HxH are drastically different. But they are BOTH very fitting for Chrollo. They simply focus on two different aspects. The 2011 version focuses more on Chrollo’s capabilities and the spider as a whole , as well as his drive. The 1999 version focuses more on Chrollo’s typical state of mind and visible appearance to most. The calm , mysteriousness that is the head of the spider. And for his official character song , it’s almost solely focused on his lack of self

1999 OSTyes its a slower version bc i can’t find it by itself, move it to 1.5 for the original

Atmospherically it feels a lot like being in an abandoned cathedral. This song focuses a lot more on the mysterious side of Chrollo , his almost ever present internal and external calm. But the sound of the wind-like notes in the background also is nod towards Chrollo’s lack of individual identity and his intrigue in human nature to an extent. Even the slightly melancholic tone at times can be attributed to that. And of course we have those deeper , darker notes around 1:05 that are a nod to the heavy religious aspects around Chrollo’s character. It directly replicates some hymns or somber pieces of music of churches , especially Roman Catholic churches. But as a whole , this piece keeps the mysteriousness and his calm and calculating side with a nice dose of his religious symbolism thrown in with a shot of lacking individual identity ( which will be brought up more seriously later in this post ). It tries to focus on him and who he is ( a wanderer ) when even Chrollo doesn’t focus on himself.

2011  INITIAL APPEARANCE

This one could arguably be more Chrollo’s theme compared to the ‘ official ‘ given it plays almost exclusively for Chrollo ( whereas the other is shown with other troupe members too ) . This one is rather similar to the 1999 compared to the 2011 , but it has traces of both. The slower speed is his calculating , calm side once again showing. The humming another nod to religious imagery. But this song also has the more dangerous and ominous undertones that the 1999 doesn’t. This is a nice blend between the two. It allows a glimpse of Chrollo’s mind , of the man who walks with death without fear. But it also hints at his darkness , of his roots from Meteor City. It’s also a fun play simply on how most people probably view Chrollo. Other than those who can sense his presence / Nen , most people just think he’s a young man who wanders ( even the Mafia comment on how young he seems ) and yet beneath that exterior appearance is a very dangerous person that the secondary notes ( esp around 0:35 ) hint at. It leads well into the next part of what he and his actions CAN be.

2011 OST

As I mentioned above , this theme looks more towards Chrollo as the head of the spider and the destructive capabilities he possesses and actions of the spider. It’s louder , more chaotic , and yet it still has its own rhythm to is in the chaos of it all. Like Chrollo is orchestrating it much in the way he orchestrates the chaos and mayhem that the Phantom Troupe can and do unleash like the requiem for Uvogin. It’s more ominous and aggressively dangerous , showing the truth of how dangerous Chrollo is despite his youth. Like the other songs with Chrollo , there is the choir in the background to serve as a nod towards his religious symbolism. Interestingly though this takes a more blatantly demonstrative showcase in which Chrollo does have a lot of corrupted religious imagery / symbolism. It can also show the chaos of Chrollo himself. Externally he often looks and is calm , even amidst atrocious acts , of his need to steal and wreck havoc and regard ONLY for the troupe and no others. It’s also a lot more of an ‘ epic ‘ piece ( not as in cool , as in literary epic ) to show the grandiose of what the spider is capable of , of what Chrollo can orchestrate. The music isn’t letting you look into Chrollo as a character like the 1999 , in this one the music IS a weapon. In the 1999 , it is soft and quiet much like Chrollo is. But the 2011 music speaks of his actions which are loud and brutal.

ONE THIRTEENTH - official character song

This one doesn’t even hide anything. All the other character songs are typically very personal. Even Machi talks more about herself in her song. But the fact Chrollo’s DOESN’T shows his lack of singular identity. He briefly mentions “ Searching for yourself ? Well let’s see how it is “ He focuses his song on the spider “ The Unstoppable Spider will live on “ ( a nod to the fact that even if he dies the spider will live ) , on the rules of the spider ( If your interests differ , just consult the coin ) , and only uses ‘ WE ‘ throughout the song other than the line ‘ I can take advantage of it , right ? ‘ which specifically references HIS choice at the HEAD OF THE SPIDER on what they will do when they have the prophecies handed out. It’s not him as chrollo , it’s him as the head of the spider. He otherwise doesn’t use singular pronouns. But his song also only references actions in the show / manga. It doesn’t mention his feelings or personal thoughts ( unlike Machi’s who does ). It’s Chrollo's mindset that his spider IS him. All his troupe members are part of him , he depends on them for identity. It , for a very brief moment , does start to dip into a bit more like the 1999 symbolism near 3:19 in how it starts to slow down and grow a bit quieter , before speading back up when he says “ The Spider’s soul must live on ‘. Not him , but the spider & what it stands for. The song has the speed and heavier nature of 2011 because it’s directly emphasizing that. That Chrollo ISN’T an individual in his eyes , he is the spider. But lyrically is pulls on the 1999 lack of identity aspect because he never speaks of himself ; only the group as a whole.

BONUS

1999 LAST TROUPE OST

This particular piece I just wanted to share. It’s a subtle , sad nod towards most of them coming from Meteor City , where the world does not care about them but they all have each other. Those lighter notes around 1:12 being what showcases the troupe’s bond in finding each other , in Chrollo’s happiness because he does care for his troupe members so much. They’re a part of him. In some ways its a blend of Chrollo’s themes and the spider’s history.

I love all the Troupe OSTs and they’re very fitting in the chaos & danger they bring , but this one is especially noteworthy because it isn’t the sinister , chaotic , dangerous sound the other osts in both 1999 & 2011 are for them. This is them with each other , with the bonds they all share versus how the rest of the world looks at them.

[chronal-anomaly]

@byanyan asked:

they don't say anything right away, just take a step closer. there's a second of hesitation, and a look of reconsideration flits briefly across their features before they shove it aside and step forward once more, determined. arms wrap around lena, and byan pulls her into a loose hug, their chin tucking against her shoulder.

"i don't do mushy shit," they mumble in a voice uncharacteristically quiet, an unspoken 'but' hanging in the air between them. another uncertain pause follows, during which the teen draws forth all their mental fortitude, eyes closing tight and face scrunching as they will the words off their stubborn tongue. it takes a minute, but they get there, tightening their hold on lena as they continue; "you changed my life, okay? i dunno why, 'cause i sure didn't make it easy for you but, for whatever reason, y'did it anyway." pausing again, byan finds they have to swallow down the countless emotions rising in their throat for fear of everything spilling out all at once. clearing their throat, their voice grows quieter yet, but there's more weight to it, an earnestness that even they aren't sure they've ever heard themself use before. "...thank you." (Make my muse feel loved || selectively accepting )

Worry graced her brow, as Byan appeared with something heavy on the mind and the soul. It was obvious in the pull of their shoulders, the determined set of their jaw. Something within her expected them to lash out, to embrace the anger and thrill-seeking attitude that always appeared to get them out of trouble in the past - or, on occasion, make more of it for themselves. So the noise that left her was something between confusion and concern when they pulled her into a hug.

"You okay-" Her words cut off by their brief announcement. Lena quieted, allowing them to say their piece without interruption - it was clear that they had spent enough time thinking this over, making the decision to put their feelings out in the air, and Lena talking over them would defeat the purpose.

Emotion rose, thick and choking, in her throat as Byan presented their emotions on a silver platter for her. There was something dangerous there, in what they did; Lena could, like so many others, crush the fragile thing that barely spread its wings on the tarnished plate. Instead, she cupped her hands around it, giving life to the feelings that they dared to utter.

"You want to know why I did it?" Lena murmured as she pulled them tighter against her chest, if only for that moment. "I did it because you're a good kid. And the world's been unfair to you. And maybe you've wrecked enough havoc on it at the same time. But I did it because I care about you." Lena's nails dragged gently through their hair as she clutched them close. "You're welcome."

And in the undertones of her words came the unuttered "I love you."

[tartheanmaid]

The Story Of Us

Pairings: Charlie Weasley x Hufflepuff!MC, Bill Weasley x Hufflepuff!MC, Charlie Weasley x Chiara Lobosca

Word Count: 1.9k

Warnings: Cheating, Strong Language, Slight Angst

A/N: This is halfway a songfic halfway not, also this was written with my mc in mind so y/n isn’t going to be a blank slate. My mc oregon is also in a band called Wreaking Havoc so that is in here although not mentioned by name so it’s easier to pretend I guess.

The Story Of Us

     My wet socks felt weird against the stage floor. Tulip’s reckless strumming on an electric guitar and Phillip, my replacement drummer, were the only things I could hear. It felt like I was under water, but then again, it was raining. Everything was muffled and all I could focus on was the music around me. The screaming crowd below me sounded miles away. “I used to think one day we’d tell the story of us” The memories flooded back, the happy and the sad all jumbled into one. “How we met, and the sparks flew instantly”

     “Do you want me to talk to her on your behalf [Y/N]?” I still remember that day, we had just gotten back for our fourth year and Charlie had spoken to me for the first time during our Care of Magical Creatures class. I had opted out of the class the previous year but decided to take in this year as a release. And a release it was. I was instantly in love with Charles Weasley.

     “People would say they’re the lucky ones” When the whispers and the stares got unbearable Charlie was always there for me. When he was around I didn’t care what the people said, all that mattered was him.

     The rain poured down as I danced around the stage, “I used to know my place was a spot next to you” I could vaguely make out a silver head in the crowd so I closed my eyes. My black skirt was soaked in the rain but it still moved as I danced. “Now I search the room for an empty seat”

     Memories of that night flow back. It seemed like half the school was crowded into the Gryffindor common room to celebrate their win. My eyes searched the room for Charlie the whole night, it was half past 12 and I still hadn’t found him. “[Y/N] [L/N], there’s something you should know.” Tulip had said to me. My gut immediately told me what it was. But the thing I could have never expected was that it would be my own roommate.  “Cause lately I don’t even know what page you’re on” The woman who had told me her secrets, the one I had told mine in return. She told me the reason I couldn’t find Charlie was that he hadn’t even been in Gryffindor Tower that night. Before we left to go try and catch them I felt a pull to look back. I caught the eyes of the man I had been fighting with for the past few months. “Oh, a simple complication, Miscommunications lead to fallouts”

     I opened my eyes and looked back at the band. We were performing in the training grounds, but the crowd we drew was the biggest it had ever gotten. “So many things that I wish you knew. So many walls up, I can't break through”

     The next party was hell. I had broken up with my boyfriend and lost one of my best friends in the same night. I could see from across the room how her silver hair and his ginger hair fit so well next to each other. My anger was unimaginable. My face was flushed and my grip on my firewhiskey tightened. “You need a break” Penny told me as she put a hand on my shoulder. “Yeah, I do. But really? I don’t even miss Charlie that much.” Penny gave me a knowing look. “Okay yeah I do, but like I miss Chiara so much more. Like she was one of my best friends and I- I’ve known her longer than I’ve known you even! I just can’t believe she would throw it all away like that.” And then she looked at me.

     “Now I'm standing alone in a crowded room And we're not speaking And I'm dying to know Is it killing you like it's killing me? Yeah I don't know what to say Since a twist of fate, when it all broke down. And the story of us looks a lot like a tragedy now”

     “Next Chapter.” The voice of the band’s backup singer pulled me back to reality. I look out to the drenched training grounds and find familiar eyes. We’ve been fighting for so long. It’s so hard I can’t take it anymore. “How’d we end up this way?” I’m pulled back into my thoughts as thunder cracks once more.

     I see his eyes from across the Gryffindor Common Room. He’s already looking when I turn my head in his direction. “See me nervously pulling at my clothes and trying to look busy” I look away. “Talk to him.” Says Liz next to me. “What? No, he hates me.” I look back and he’s laughing with his friends once more. “You’re stupid if you think he hates you.” Tonks says, laughing at me. “And you're doing your best to avoid me” Turning to go face him I see that he’s vanished.

     I run a hand through my drenched hair and suddenly I’m singing to the silver haired girl and the ginger boy once more. “I'm starting to think, one day, I'll tell the story of us, How I was losing my mind when I saw you here. But you held your pride like you should've held me”

~ ~ ~

     I see her face lit up by the fireflies, the moon having abandoned us. She looks beautiful even as she’s singing about heartbreak. I stare up at her from the screaming crowd, wondering if I’ll ever get the chance to make up for what I did. It was never her fault, even though I acted like it was. I doubt she even knows why I was avoiding her. And then, somehow, she looks into my eyes and sings to me exactly what I’m thinking.

~ ~ ~

     “Oh, I'm scared to see the ending. Why are we pretending this is nothing? I'd tell you I miss you, but I don't know how. I never heard silence quite this loud” As I sing the next line I meet his eyes again in the crowd. My wet socks had gotten slippery as the slightly uneven stage pooled with water. I turn and dance around my fellow bandmates instead of facing him. But I can feel his eyes on me still. 

~ ~ ~

     She dances and everything melts away. All I can hear is her voice. Her voice was the thing that hypnotized me that day on the training grounds 3 years ago;

     “Did you get my owl?” She asked me. Not very memorable I know, but she made it so. She was, and still is if not more, ethereal. I found myself wanting to impress her all the time. I fancied [Y/N] [L/N]. I fancy [Y/N] [L/N]. I find myself staring at her swaying body, her lips, her wet hair, everything about her is beautiful. But she hates me.

~ ~ ~

     The fireflies buzz around him. He looks like a god. The sad part is I’m in love with him. But we haven’t spoken in months. “Now I'm standing alone in a crowded room And we're not speaking” But maybe, just maybe— No. He couldn’t. “And I’m dying to know, Is it killing you like it's killing me? Yeah” If only I could talk to him. Maybe things would get better.

~ ~ ~

     If only I could talk to her. Maybe things would get better. “I don't know what to say” Tulip’s guitar rift ties in perfectly with the rest of the song. I wonder who the song is about. Considering she kept sneaking glances at my idiot brother and that slut it’s probably about them. I wish I could have been there for her when it happened. But I was busy sulking. Her words become crystal clear once more. “Since a twist of fate, when it all broke down And the story of us looks a lot like a tragedy now” Could it have been about me? A small part of me wanted to hope that she could ever fancy me in return. But that was foolish, she wouldn’t— would she?

~ ~ ~

     “This is looking like a contest. Of who can act like they care less” The fireflies danced around his soft ginger hair. I couldn’t pretend anymore. My body sways but my mind is racing. His red “Head Boy” badge glimmered upon his uniform, without the robes of course. He never wore the robes. “But I liked it better when you were on my side” And at this point I realized that I didn’t care whether or not he loved me in return. I was in love with him and I was happy about that. I danced around to Phillip behind me, then Penny to my right. “Talk to him after the show.” she says quietly, as to make sure her statement goes undetected by the microphone on the stand in front of her. “Okay.” I whisper in return. Penny sang the next line with me. “The battle's in your hands now. But I would lay my armor down” Now it’s not just his eyes that I can feel on me. It’s hers and his brother’s too. But I don’t care. Not anymore. “If you say you'd rather love than fight” His eyes in the crowd are the only pair that matter. “So many things that you wish I knew But the story of us might be ending soon” The song has a newfound tone that it didn’t start out with. The song felt happy.

     Returning to the final chorus, I sang like my life depended on it. “Now I'm standing alone in a crowded room. And we're not speaking. And I'm dying to know, Is it killing you like it's killing me? Yeah” I closed my eyes again, but not out of fear or pain this time. “But I don't know what to say. Since a twist of fate, when it all broke down. And the story of us looks a lot like a tragedy now, now, now”

~ ~ ~

     I see her close her eyes in bliss and I laugh. I laugh. It’s a genuine and special laugh, one usually only reserved for her. I feel like even though it’s only been 4 minutes and we haven’t spoken… we’ve somehow reconciled. “And we're not speaking And I'm dying to know Is it killing you like it's killing me? Yeah” As she sang the final few words of the song I attempted to make my way toward the stage exit. “I don't know what to say. Since a twist of fate, 'cause we're going down. And the story of us looks a lot like a tragedy now”

     “The End.” says Penny, marking the official ending of the song.

     “Hi Bill.” She says, out of breath. Even though we’re both sticky from the leftover humidity caused by the roaring crowd and the now stopped rainstorm, she’s still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met. “Hi.” I say back. This was a lot more awkward now that I was actually doing it than what I had thought up in my head. Her eyes flicker from my eyes down to my lips for a split second, so much so that it’s barely noticeable. And then it happens. I kiss her, and she kisses me back. It’s perfect.

     “Oi! Lovebirds!” We’re interrupted by a voice, I turn around and it belongs to the one and only pink haired, Hufflepuff prankster. “Mind taking that up to Weasley’s dorm will you?” [Y/N] just rolls her eyes at her friend in response.

     “Go to Hogsmeade with me?” I ask. Bringing her hands intertwined in mine up to my chest.

     “Of course.”

[queensconquest]

CHROLLO’S  MUSIC & CHARACTER STUDY

Chrollo’s  various  themes  between  the  2  versions  of  HxH  are  drastically different.  But  they  are  both  very  fitting  for  Chrollo.  They  simply  focus  on  two  different  aspects.  The 2011  version  focuses  more  on  Chrollo’s  capabilities  and  the  spider  as  a  whole  ,  as  well  as  his  drive.  The 1999  version  focuses  more  on  Chrollo’s  typical  state  of  mind  and  visible  appearance  to  most.  The  calm  ,  mysteriousness  that  is  the  head  of  the  spider.  And  for  his  official  character  song  ,  it’s  almost  solely  focused  on  his  lack  of  self

1999 OST  yes its a slower version bc i can’t find it by itself, move it to 1.5 for the original

Atmospherically  it  feels  a  lot  like  being  in  an  abandoned  cathedral.  This  song  focuses  a  lot  more  on  the  mysterious  side  of  Chrollo  ,  his  almost  ever  present  internal  and  external  calm.  But  the  sound  of  the  wind-like  notes  in  the  background  also  is  nod  towards  Chrollo’s  lack  of  individual  identity  and  his  intrigue  in  human  nature  to  an  extent.  Even  the  slightly  melancholic  tone  at  times  can  be  attributed  to  that.  And  of  course  we  have  those  deeper  ,  darker  notes  around  1:05  that  are  a  nod  to  the  heavy  religious  aspects  around  Chrollo’s  character.  It  directly  replicates  some  hymns  or  somber  pieces  of  music  of  churches  ,  especially  Roman  Catholic  churches.  But  as  a  whole  ,  this  piece  keeps  the  mysteriousness  and  his  calm  and  calculating  side  with  a  nice  dose  of  his  religious  symbolism  thrown  in  with  a  shot  of  lacking  individual  identity  (  which  will  be  brought  up  more  seriously  later  in  this  post  ).  It  tries  to  focus  on  him  and  who  he  is  (  a  wanderer  )  when  even  Chrollo  doesn’t  focus  on  himself.

2011  INITIAL APPEARANCE

This  one  could  arguably  be  more  Chrollo’s  theme  compared  to  the  ‘  official  ‘  given  it  plays  almost  exclusively  for  Chrollo  (  whereas  the  other  is  shown  with  other  troupe  members  too  )  .  This  one  is  rather  similar  to  the  1999  compared  to  the  2011  ,  but  it  has  traces  of  both.  The  slower  speed  it  his  calculating  ,  calm  side  once  again  showing.  The  humming  another  nod  to  religious  imagery.  But  this  song  also  has  the  more  dangerous  and  ominous  undertones  that  the  1999  doesn’t.  This  is  a  nice  blend  between  the  two.  It  allows  a  glimpse  of  Chrollo’s  mind  , of  the  man  who  walks  with  death  without  fear.  But  it  also  hints  at  his  darkness  ,  of  his  roots  from  Meteor  City.  It’s  also  a  fun  play  simply  on  how  most  people  probably  view  Chrollo.  Other  than  those  who  can  sense  his  presence  /  Nen  ,  most  people  just  think  he’s  a  young  man  who  wanders  (  even  the  Mafia  comment  on  how  young  he  seems  )  and  yet  beneath  that  exterior  appearance  is  a  very  dangerous  person  that  the  secondary  notes  (  esp  around  0:35  )  hint  at.  It  leads  well  into  the  next  part  of  what  he  and  his  actions  CAN  be.

2011 OST

As  I  mentioned  above  ,  this  theme  looks  more  towards  Chrollo  as  the  head  of  the  spider  and  the  destructive  capabilities  he  possesses  and  actions  of  the  spider.  It’s  louder ,  more  chaotic  ,  and  yet  it  still  has  its  own  rhythm  to  is  in  the  chaos  of  it  all.  Like  Chrollo  is  orchestrating  it  much  in  the  way  he  orchestrates  the  chaos  and  mayhem  that  the  Phantom  Troupe  can  and  do  unleash  like  the  requiem  for  Uvogin.  It’s  more  ominous  and aggressively  dangerous  ,  showing  the  truth  of  how  dangerous  Chrollo  is  despite  his  youth.  Like  the  other  songs  with  Chrollo  ,  there  is  the  choir  in  the  background  to  serve  as  a  nod  towards  his  religious  symbolism.  Interestingly  though  this  takes  a  more  blatantly  demonstrative  showcase  in  which  Chrollo  does  have  a  lot  of  corrupted  religious  imagery  /  symbolism.  It  can  also  show  the  chaos  of  Chrollo  himself.  Externally  he  often  looks  and  is  calm  ,  even  amidst  atrocious  acts  ,  of  his  need  to  steal  and  wreck  havoc  and  regard  ONLY  for  the  troupe  and  no  others.  It’s  also  a  lot  more  of  an  ‘  epic  ‘  piece  (  not  as  in  cool  ,  as  in  literary  epic  )  to  show  the  grandiose  of  what  the  spider  is  capable  of  ,  of  what  Chrollo  can  orchestrate.  The  music  isn’t  letting  you  look  into  Chrollo  as  a  character  like  the  1999  ,  in  this  one  the  music  IS  a  weapon.  In  the  1999  ,  it  is  soft  and  quiet  much  like  Chrollo  is.  But  the  2011  music  speaks  of  his  actions  which  are  loud  and  brutal.

ONE THIRTEENTH - official character song

This  one  doesn’t  even  hide  anything.  All  the  other  character  songs  are  typically  very  personal.  Even  Machi talks  more  about  herself  in  her  song.  But  the  fact  Chrollo’s  DOESN’T  shows  his  lack  of  singular  identity.  He  briefly  mentions  “  Searching  for  yourself  ?  Well  let’s  see  how  it  is  “  He  focuses  his  song  on  the  spider  “  The  Unstoppable  Spider  will  live  on  “  (  a  nod  to  the  fact  that  even  if  he  dies  the  spider  will  live  )  ,  on  the  rules  of  the  spider  (  If  your  interests  differ ,   just  consult  the  coin  )  ,  and  only  uses  ‘  WE  ‘  throughout  the  song  other  than  the  line  ‘  I  can  take  advantage  of  it  ,  right ?  ‘  which  specifically  references  HIS  choice  at  the  HEAD  OF  THE  SPIDER  on  what  they  will  do  when  they  have  the  prophecies  handed  out.  It’s  not  him  as  chrollo  ,  it’s  him  as  the  head  of  the  spider.  He  otherwise  doesn’t  use  singular  pronouns.  But  his  song  also  only  references  actions  in  the  show  /  manga.  It  doesn’t  mention  his  feelings  or  personal  thoughts  (  unlike  Machi’s  who  does  ).  It’s  Chrollo's  mindset  that  his  spider  IS  him.  All  his  troupe  members  are  part  of  him  ,  he  depends  on  them  for  identity.  It  ,  for  a  very  brief  moment  ,  does  start  to  dip  into  a  bit  more  like  the  1999  symbolism  near  3:19  in  how  it  starts  to  slow  down  and  grow  a  bit  quieter  ,  before  speading  back  up  when  he  says  “  The  Spider’s  soul  must  live  on  ‘.  Not  him  ,  but  the  spider  &  what  it  stands  for.  The  song  has  the  speed  and  heavier  nature  of  2011  because  it’s  directly  emphasizing  that.  That  Chrollo  ISN’T  an  individual  in  his  eyes  ,  he  is  the  spider.  But  lyrically  is  pulls  on  the  1999  lack  of  identity  aspect  because  he  never  speaks  of  himself  ;  only  the  group  as a  whole.

BONUS

1999 LAST TROUPE OST

This  particular  piece  I  just  wanted  to  share.  It’s  a  subtle  ,  sad  nod  towards  most  of  them  coming  from  Meteor  City  ,  where  the  world  does  not  care  about  them  but  they  all  have  each  other.  Those  lighter  notes  around  1:12  being  what  showcases  the  troupe’s  bond  in  finding  each  other  ,  in  Chrollo’s  happiness  because  he  does  care  for  his  troupe  members  so  much.  They’re  a  part  of  him.   In  some  ways  its  a  blend  of  Chrollo’s  themes  and  the  spider’s  history.

I  love  all  the  Troupe  OSTs  and  they’re  very  fitting  in  the  chaos  &  danger  they  bring  ,  but  this  one  is  especially  noteworthy  because  it  isn’t  the  sinister  ,  chaotic  ,  dangerous  sound  the  other  osts  in  both  1999  &  2011  are  for  them.  This  is  them  with  each  other  ,  with  the  bonds  they  all  share  versus  how  the  rest  of  the  world  looks  at  them.

[sector-i-closed]

Context

Requested by anon "nerd!hongjoong smut please and he's a switch 💖💖💖 thanks" I hope you like this anonnie

Also thank you all for 2k followers milestone I thank you all for following me! 💖

Tagging @mirror-juliet @atiny-piratequeen @atinybrew @yunderland @kissmecaptain @toppklassik @beankeeper37 many thanks to all of you for inspiring me

Warning: Smut, choking, overstimulation and outdoors sex and still no cut

The library was nearly empty as you watched quietly with a broad smile spreading across your face as your secret crush dozed at the table where his book sat open midway through its multiple pages.

Kim Hongjoong looked adorable to you and secretly you wished that he knew how you felt about him, though your reputation as the heartbreaker at school kept you from reaching out to him.

He was considered a nerd at school and most of the nerds would steer clear of you, even though there were times when you would see Hongjoong unwittingly looking in your direction in the school hallway as if there was something that he desired to say but then his eyes would shift to something unreadable and you took it to be as amusement of you thinking that you could even have a chance of being someone to him.

This afternoon you made up your mind that you would watch your crush as he slept which was a rare thing to witness you felt, though you had a sad feeling that you would never get to watch him sleep in your arms but you could still dream.

Abruptly your heart dropped to your stomach when your crush began to rouse from his unintentional nap and it was too late to move away and pretend that you were only meandering about the library. Your breathing became irregular as his spectacled deep brown orbs settled on your lingering form, a quizzical look reflecting in his eyes.

"Y/N? Why are you standing here at my table?" Hongjoong eyed you with a suspicious aura surrounding him, an air of disbelief coloring his voice.

The sound of your name falling from his lips prompted a bright, effervescent sensation to bubble through your veins and settle in your stomach, gripping you with a wild surge of adrenaline at the simple use of your name.

"I was watching you sleep." You smiled, watching the male frown at your words.

"I- I wasn't asleep!" Hongjoong's cheeks flushed a bright shade of vibrant crimson which in turn caused you to smile at his unintentional adorableness.

"I'm not blind, Joongie." You chuckled, stepping up to him and tousling with his hair in an annoying manner.

"You must be when you can't even see what's in front of you." He groaned quietly, attempting to resume reading his still open book.

"What do you mean?" You quirked an eyebrow, wondering if you were looking into things too much.

"What context were you thinking in?" Hongjoong gave a vague smirk as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his, appearing far more smug than you remembered him ever looking.

"What context was I intended to think in?" You asked, glancing down and smirking slightly as you noticed the male discreetly stroking himself or he had thought he was being discreet.

"Whichever context you choose. You are free to have your own interpretation of any given subject." He glanced up at the clock on the wall before smiling at you warmly, "So you decided that keeping me company is more enjoyable then studying for the project, hm?"

"Well you wouldn't be wrong." You smile, maintaining confidence even though butterflies were wrecking havoc on your stomach.

"Would you like to hang out with me at the park after you're finished researching?" The question slipped past your lips before you even processed the question mentally.

"I would love to. If you're sure that you want to." His voice sent tingles resonating throughout your bloodstream.

"Of course I want to." You gave him a reassuring smile and watched him stand stiffly as he collected his book to return to it's designated shelf.

A brief glimpse at the crotch of his pants caused you to grin but you averted your eyes, though you were unaware of the redness tinting the male's cheeks because he knew of your roaming eyes.

~~~~

"So what made you want to come out here with me?" Hongjoong eyed you with glimmers of suspicion residing in his dark brown eyes, his handsome face was a sight that consistently caused you to lose your breath and you could scarcely believe your luck in sitting next to your crush on the park bench, sitting in the shade while listening to the birds chatter softly while a warm gentle breeze blew, kissing your skin and mussing Hongjoong's hair.

"I never had the chance to be around you much so I thought it would be a good opportunity for that now." You shrug and smile softly.

"I've seen you look at me a lot but never could tell for certain what you thought about me." You boldly place your hand over the top of his hand, testing his reaction and judging weather or not you were being too forward with your actions.

Hongjoong didn't seem to mind the physical contact and even seemed to welcome it despite his fingers trembling slightly beneath your touch.

"I liked the way you kneed that guy that time." Hongjoong chuckled at your bewildered expression, shock replacing the serene feeling that you were experiencing seconds earlier as you had a flashback of the time when you thought that you were alone on the school grounds and one of the meanest, disrespectful bullies at school had jumped you.

You had dodged the bloke's punches effectively since the fellow was uber confident and landed a knee right in his balls that caused a scream of excruciation to erupt from his lips. In spite of the ruckus no one ever came to check on the noise and you thought no one knew of the incident, though little did you know that Hongjoong was silently watching you as he sat alone.

"I thought no one knew of that..." You felt a flush of embarrassment cover your cheeks and you couldn't stop the surge of excitement that bubbled in your chest.

"So it really did happen?" Hongjoong smiled with a vague undertone of slyness coloring his expression as he tilted his head in faux curiosity.

"You're so annoying." You huffed, frustration replacing the excitement that you felt prior.

"It must have happened-" Hongjoong was cut off by your lips crashing into his, finding a way to shush him as you caressed his lips with your own pout.

A sweet, unexpected feeling of hot lust circulated through your blood and to your surprise your crush seemed to be unconsciously encouraging you to continue the kiss.

"I've always wanted to know what your lips would feel like." Hongjoong mumbled against your lips before cupping the back of your head and drawing you in closer to deepen the heated kisses.

You purposely bit his lip, coaxing an unbelievably sweet whine from his mouth that sent chills down your spine.

"D-do you want to...?" You stammered breathlessly, pressing kisses down his neck and suckling a red marking at his collarbone. Hongjoong surprised you yet again by pulling away from you, sending you into a panic that led you to believe that he was rejecting you.

Your mouth opened to speak but no words came out as the male took your hand and led you away from the park bench where occasionally a person would probably gawk at the two of you.

Your crush promptly led you to a secluded part of the park that you were unaware of and you were pretty certain that other people were unaware of this area as well. Slowly you assessed the brush and the vegetation that surrounded you and in turn you felt a sense of safety with Hongjoong.

"Tell me to stop if you don't want me to do something, okay?" Hongjoong breathlessly pressed you against the trunk of a nearby tree and promptly attacked you with kisses to your neck that made your entire body tingle in anticipation.

"Y-yes..." You were taken by surprise by the male's boldness and was effectively disarmed by the caresses and the bites to the neck that made your knees weak.

A loud, choked sob of pleasure broke the silence of the park, the vulnerable sound being followed by several loud whimpers that begged him to do something to you, anything to relieve the intense ache that throbbed deep inside.

"Please..." You breathed, feeling yourself collapsing and was gradually lowered to the ground while Hongjoong hovered over your body, peering past his glasses and looking into your eyes in wonderment of being able to take you apart so easily.

"Please I need you, Joongie..." Your pitiful whines becoming muffled by Hongjoong's mouth capturing yours in a passionate kiss.

"How cute, the little badass is begging me now." He purred in a seductive tone that made your hair stand on end all across your body. Heat was prominent in your stomach and you felt like you were swimming in desire as you lied still in the grass beneath Hongjoong.

"I am begging you, I want your cock inside of me." You whined softly, grinding your sex against his crotch to make your point clear.

"Are you sure of this? I don't have a-"

"I'm sure. I'm on contraception anyway and I want this, I want you." You eagerly speak up while frantically unbuttoning his shirt, exposing his skin so that you could freely run your hands across his warm flesh.

A low groan rumbled in his throat as you touched his skin with light, ethereal touches, his pupils dilated upon hearing you saying that you wanted him and his demeanor seemed to shift before your eyes.

"Strip Y/N, so I can see your beautiful body along with your face." Quickly you did as you were told, stripping down and exposing your skin to the light wind that kissed your skin.

"So exquisite." Hongjoong's gaze raked across your body, drinking in every curve of your body and adoring your shape. In turn the male made fast work of ridding himself of his garments and promptly inserted himself between your legs.

A choked moan escaped your lips at the thought of his cock being merely inches from your heat, which was yearning for him to fill you with anything that he had.

"Mm please..." You shuddered, feeling him press kisses across your collarbone while the tip of his cock slipped between your folds, massaging your clit in circular motions that teased you to the point of being unable to hold back any longer.

"I'm f-fuck!! Ah ah~" You whined as the unexpected orgasm came over you. Your entire body shook beneath Hongjoong as the waves or your orgasm subsided, sheepishly you looked up at him and shrank back in response to the cocky smirk that accented the amused look in his eyes.

"That felt good didn't it baby? You couldn't wait to feel my cock inside of you before cumming could you?" Hongjoong smirked devilishly as the head of his cock dipped down to your entrance, slowly dragging against your slick hole in a teasing movement that made your eyes roll back in your head and a whine of lust to be vocalized.

"Imagine how hard you'll come when I fuck you with my cock." He chuckled as he pushed himself inside of your heat, his girth stretching your hole to accommodate him completely.

Already you were writhing beneath him as you already sensed your second orgasm approaching and he hadn't even began to stimulate you yet.

"About to come again so soon?" Hongjoong smirked, feeling your walls flutter around his length and clench as he began to thrust into you deeply.

"Oh god y-yes..." You moaned and shivered beneath him, scarcely able to believe that your crush was actually fucking your sopping wet heat.

"You sound so pretty. I never thought a badass girl could sound so vulnerable." He growled, thrusting into your sex harder and you could only cling to him.

His hand traced your neck, touching your Adam's apple tenderly as a sudden sharp intake of breath shook your being.

"F-fuck J-joongie please, please ch-choke me..." You sobbed out, feeling your second orgasm almost washing over you.

Hongjoong peered at you curiously and smiled at you slyly, his fingers wrapping firmly around your throat and cutting off your airflow as your second orgasm overwhelmed you, leaving you choking for air as weightless bliss came over your senses.

Hongjoong released inside of you with a broken moan, the sight of his fingers around your neck adding to your pleasure being more than he could endure and his sloppy thrusts finally came to a stop.

"You did well, precious." He kissed your lips gently and lied down beside you in the grass.

You hummed in contentment as you moved, pulling his length from your body while you changed your position, desiring for something more.

You rested your weight on your knees as you brought your face down to his softening length. A soft whine left his lips as your tongue licked across his tip, collecting the salty taste of his cum mingled with your juices on your tongue.

"Mmm s-sensitive..." He moaned out, his voice urging goosebumps to arise on your skin.

"Y/N..." Hongjoong whimpered, his cock twitching in response to the sensation of your tongue caressing the smooth, velvety skin of his cock seductively.

Slowly you eased your mouth down, taking his length into the warmth your mouth and sucking hard. You glanced at Hongjoong and almost choked on his member, the way he watched you intently with his fucked out face made your body yearn for him all over again but this time you wanted to taste him and feel his cum filling your mouth.

He mewled and reached for your head, entangling his fingers in your hair and digging his nails into your scalp.

"F-feels so good but I can't- I can't s-stop..." Hongjoong tugged at your hair, throwing his head back and moaning out loud in a pitiful cry that encouraged you to bob your head at a pleasurable rhythm that produced even more pleasant sounds from him.

You added suction to the mix, feeling his length twitch in your mouth, followed by his breathing becoming even more irregular in pants that were a struggle for him to inhale.

"Y/N... I'm gonna c-cum..." Hongjoong's voice came in a strained whisper that morphed into a moan of intense pleasure as he came inside of your mouth, filling your cavern with ribbons of release that slid down your throat.

You moaned in pleasure as you helped him ride out his second climax, the sound of his cries raised the hair on the back of your neck as you pulled off of him and went to him to cuddle.

"Are you okay baby?" You asked softly, pulling him against your bare chest to cradle tenderly. "Yeah I feel fine with you." Hongjoong smiled, kissing your messy cheek in adoration.

"I still want to know what context you were speaking of earlier." You giggled, snuggling into his warm and bonding with him.

"I think you already know what context I was speaking of, baby."

[one-boring-person]

Only Traitors Consort With The Damned. (Part Ten)

The Lost Boys x reader

Warnings: blood, mentioned death, injury, gun violence

Context: The SRS have finally arrived, in time for Halloween.

A/N: This is a little bit late, but it's slightly Halloween themed, so I hope that it's still alright! Spot the reference I "accidentally" left in there😉😅

Masterlist

Eerie music plays from hidden speakers as the costumed crowd ambles by, children screaming and laughing as scare actors jump out at them, the variety of zombies, witches and mummies, not to mention vampires, too, astounding, movie characters and even some book characters making appearances around every turn, familiar and unfamiliar lines being spoken to cheerful bypassers. Painted masks and faces litter the mixed throng of people, the twinkling, orange-cast lights throwing the crevices of each visage into sharper definition, ghoulish grins becoming longer, twisted grimaces becoming even more painful, the many slashers roaming the Boardwalk now covered in a blacker blood than before, each fake knife, axe and machete lathered in the stuff. A sickly sweet odour lingers in the air as sweets and chocolate are passed around, often accompanied by a smoking joint, or sachet of some other high-class substance, the strong reek of sweat providing an unpleasant undertone as the stifling costumes heat their wearers despite the late October chill.

As a child, I used to love Halloween. There was always something enchanting about it: you could become anything, or anyone you wanted for the night, and no one would question you on your choice, or look at you oddly because everyone was doing the same. A cheery atmosphere always seemed to hang over the annual event, the leading pumpkins that glittered along the streets and the creative decorations building up the necessary excitement over the weeks before the 31st; a fun game of mine had been to run down the streets of my hometown and count every pumpkin we could see, separately, and see who had the highest tally at the end of the day. Once the winner had been decided, they'd get first dibs on the treats handed to us at each door when we later went Trick-Or-Treating, a rule which drew many arguments to the table when we eventually compiled our loot.

Now, as I watch the roaming children, all I can think of is how easy it is for the supernatural to wreck havoc on this night, given that the spiritual veil is much thinner than usual, and no one suspects anyone of the authenticity of their outfit until it's too late. On his night, the SRS always have their hands full, meaning everyone is deployed, not just the normal Hunters: the retired Soldiers still capable of fighting, Clean-Up teams and A.R.O (Aftermath Recon Operatives) Soldiers all made to help out with the bloody massacres that occur all over the country. The holiday has a morbid side that no one sees, and there's always a high body count the next morning.

Beside me, Marko pushes and shoves at people that come too close, the vampire loudly criticizing any costume made to look like his species, his "improvements" just a little too specific to be joking ones, not quite realising that I'm not listening to him. Instead, I'm scanning the crowds, looking out for the tell tale uniform and tactics used by the SRS Clean-Up teams, eyeing any suspicious person keenly until they prove to me they aren't a threat, often earning me harsh stares from their companions. The two of us look out of place in our "normal" clothing, neither of us dressing up, as we forgot that it was, in fact, the 31st, meaning a costume would've provided a good disguise in case we do come across any dangers. Even as we walk, I bite at my lip, feeling very exposed in my current state, my fists clenching at my sides as I try to stop myself from fidgeting too much, knowing that a nervous disposition is a great disadvantage in a fight, should one break out.

"Hey can we get something to eat? I kinda want some food." Marko suddenly asks me, not waiting for my reply as he pulls me over to a nearby sweet stand, the vampire excited by the prospect of buying the sugary treats.

Uneasy, I stand and turn back to the crowd, watching each face closely, my gut starting to feel odd as I notice something odd about a certain few members of the crowd. Eyes widening in realisation, I grab the back of Marko's coat and drag him away from the stand and into the alley behind it, ignoring his protests as I clap a hand over his mouth.

"Be quiet." I command him in a low voice, giving him a warning look as I slowly take my hand away from his mouth.

"What are you doing?" He hisses at me, eyes narrowed.

"They're here." I respond, looking out at the crowd as I try to figure out what to do, thinking over my options until I notice that someone has spotted us over here; someone who I've already identified.

As I watch, they start to make their way over to the stand, casually wading through the people around them as they try to look inconspicuous, though the mere sight of them makes my pulse hitch.

Thinking quickly, I grab the front of Marko's jacket and pull him closer, pressing my back to the wall as I lean closer to his face, ignoring his shocked expression.

"Kiss me, quick!" I order him, wrapping my hands around his neck as he splutters slightly.

"What?"

"Do it!" I growl, pulling him closer.

Still shocked, the vampire leans in and presses his lips to mine, carefully kissing me until I yank on his hair, silently asking him to be a little more rough, to which he responds by shoving me harder into the wall, his hands gripping my hips much tighter. Groaning slightly, I momentarily forget why we're in this situation, letting myself enjoy the rough kisses as he ravishes my mouth with his tongue, only opening my eyes again to look briefly over his shoulder at the Boardwalk, noticing that the person is no longer there. Knowing this, I let the kiss come to its natural end, before pulling away.

"Thanks..." I say, awkwardly, blushing as he reluctantly lets me go, the vampire clearly wanting more as he allows his hand to linger at my hip a little longer than necessary.

"No problem." He wipes his mouth, grinning at me as he regains his composure, "What did you need it for?"

"One of them was coming over here, and it was the first thing I could think of." I admit sheepishly, rubbing the back of my neck.

"Right." Marko lifts an eyebrow, smirking, "How did you know it was one of them?"

I laugh, dryly, gesturing with my head for him to follow me back out into the crowd.

"Well, back in New Orleans, the head of the SRS realised one Halloween that our Soldiers need a disguise for this particular night, without being too conspicuous, so that they fit in but can also be recognised by each other. She decided that the mask of a plague doctor would be fitting. She said it works for us, because we're ridding the world of a "plague", just as they were." I roll my eyes, "Obviosuly, this makes them very easy for me to spot them, seeing as I used to dress up the same way."

"Oh, right." Marko nods, understandingly, evidently sending some mental explanation to the rest of the vampires, who are stationed around the Boardwalk.

"You can tell them apart, because they have a golden cross engraved just below the right eye on the mask, so we don't get mixed up with others." I clarify for him.

"Good to know." He frowns, "Did you say she decided? As in the head of the SRS is a girl?"

I nod, a little annoyed by the question, but knowing where he's coming from.

"Yep. Her name is Valentine Fletcher. She's the best fighter we've ever had and has the largest body count of all. Not even the Generals around the world come close to her efficiency, she's just too good. I've met her once, and she was also one of the most stuck-up princesses I've ever come across."

"I guess that's why she's the leader, then." Marko chuckles, throwing an arm around my shoulders.

"Excuse me." An unfamiliar voice interrupts us, a hand placing itself firmly on my shoulder as I turn around to face the person. My heart drops as I take in the eerie black beak-shaped mask, the golden cross glittering under the right eye as they catch the lights, the cloaked figure keeping a strong grip on my arm.

"Can I help you?" I ask, getting ready to run as Marko notices the cross, too.

"Yes, I was wondering if you could come with me." The Soldier says, though the tone in her voice is much more demanding, informing me that there is, in fact, no choice.

"I'd rather not." Without a second thought, I slam my arm into her elbow, snapping it inwards as she lets out a surprised cry, allwoig me time to duck under her and and push past her, sprinting away into the crowd with Marko hot on my heels.

Five loud gunshots sound behind us, the Soldier having shot at us with a hidden gun through the crowd, screams and shouts of fear and panic suddenly tearing through the air as the atmosphere suddenly becomes too real, the bullets smashing into the ground behind the two of us terrifying the costumed Boardwalk-goers. Instantly, the crowd around us starts pushing and shoving each other, the heaving current of people now pushing us along as they scramble to get to safety, arms flailing and legs kicking as they go, slowing our progress significantly. Growling in frustration, I pull Marko to the side, intending to reach the alley again, wincing when there are two more shots behind us, though I make it to safety without a scratch. It's only when I hear Marko's laboured breathing that I realise he wasn't so lucky.

"Shit, Marko, are you going to be alright? Can you keep moving?" I ask him, being to figure out where he was shot as he starts to sway on his feet, eyes drooping closed as the pain starts to eat away at him. Grimacing, I swiftly scan the area, spotting a large bin a little way away, which I drag him over to.

"Get in there and close the lid, you'll be safe." I tell him, opening it and giving him a leg up into the reeking interior, helping him settle as quickly as I can, before I go to move again, "I'll be back."

With one last look at him, I firmly shut the lid and start running down the alley, taking as many winding corners as I can, hoping to throw them off as I start to hear pounding footsteps behind me, shouts and calls seemingly coming from everywhere as I start to breathe harder, my pulse pounding in my ears. Adrenaline pumps through my veins, giving me the speed I need to get away from my pursuer, the air rushing harshly into my throat as I turn down another backroad.

A sudden gunshot, followed by a spike of agony in the back of my knee brings me to the floor, my body crashing into a discarded car as it rolls awkwardly to a halt, groans of pain swiftly starting to leave me. Gripping at the new wound on my leg, I try to force myself upright again, only to be kicked back to the ground again by a cloaked figure, who keeps kicking until I'm cowering on the ground, blood pouring down my face. When they are finished, they reach down and force me into a standing position, half-dragging me out of the alley and to the car park conveniently placed by the mouth of the road, where a circle of similarly clad people are waiting, the forms of three kneeling people visible in the dim light of the streetlights. Pulling me over to them, my attacker throws me to the ground in the centre of the circle, manhandling me onto my knees, drawing a small cry of pain from me.

Looking around at the three kneeling people, I feel my heart stop as I instantly recognise them: David, Dwayne and Paul, the three of them bloodied and beaten, burn marks littering their faces from the holy water that was most likely used on them. Horror and guilt flood me as I see them, David's head coming up so he can make eye contact with me, his blue eyes filled with hate and anger.

"Are we all here now?" Someone asks, their voice unfamiliar to me.

"No, there is one more." A voice calls from a little way away, Marko soon being forced onto his knees beside Paul as he is dragged into the light. The vampire is pale now, dark circles appearing under his eyes as his vampiric features break through, his body trying to keep itself from shutting down as he slowly bleeds out, the bullet wounds still oozing the crimson stuff out onto his shirt.

"Ok, that's everyone, we can get started." The person speaks again, this time sounding more decisive.

"(Y/n) (Y/l/n), you have been arrested for conspiring with the enemy, and for shooting a senior officer, willingly, instead of a vampire that was held hostage. Do you accept these charges?" Someone else says, the voice somewhat familiar, though I don't remember where from.

Knowing it is pointless to resist, I lower my head to my chest and reply.

"I do."

"And you are aware of the punishments that these crimes bring upon you?"

"I am."

"And they are?"

I take a deep breath, my muscles tense as I try to ignore the pain in my body.

"Execution on the sight of capture." I recite robotically, knowing them well.

"Good, you remember some form of honour." They sneer, before addressing the rest of the gathered Soldiers, "Are there any volunteers among us who would like to carry out the deed?"

"I do." My blood runs cold at the sound of the voice, my head lifting to look up at the Hunter that has stepped forwards.

"Elijah Forsyth, you wish to perform the necessary execution of (Y/n) (Y/l/n)?" The first speaker questions, confirming the name to me even as they take off their mask.

Instantly, the cold blue eyes lock with mine, the dark-haired Hunter giving me a poisonous look as he limps over to me.

"I do."

"Then it shall be so. Do what you must."

With those words, Elijah steps over to me, drawing a gun from his belt and cocking it deliberately, maintaining eye contact as he lowers it to my forehead.

As the weapon is brought to my skin, I keep my chin up, refusing to feel bad about the actions that brought me here in the first place. Without a word, I accept the fate that will befall me.

Part Eleven

[be-ready-when-i-say-go]

Jinxed-Part 1

Calum’s so used to fucking up that when a second chance comes his way he’s not sure what to do with it. Demon!Calum. Black!OC. 

CW: 18+ Content (Smut), Blood, Gore, Violence, and Death mentions. 

Enjoy my masterlist. 

Support me on kofi. 

No one has my permission to repost this fic, including translations. All rights reserved. Copyright © be-ready-when-i-say-go.

_____________________________________

He wasn’t sent here to find companionship. He was here to wreck havoc, collect the souls that needed to be returned, find the ones that managed to escape the other Hunters. One such soul was proving difficult for Calum. He sat at the bar, just about every night, drinking whiskey straight. The bartenders were starting to recognize him. Always donned in his leather jacket and his dark curls always pushed back just a little from his forehead.  All his intel was leading him here, at this bar. So he sat, and waited, and waited and sat. 

Tonight is no different. The attire, all black from the beanie to the boots. The jacket was the only thing that distinguished him from staff. Tucked in his corner, Calum sipped at the glass. It didn’t taste like much to him anymore. His human form still taking perks from the previous demonic state. Alcohol truly had no effect on him and it all started to taste somewhat the same. Except for vodka and whiskey. And he couldn’t sip on just vodka at the bar. So he nurses his whiskey just like any other night. 

Women approach his table, twirling hair, batting eyelashes. Calum wasn’t going to ignore them either. He smiled, flirted with some of them, went back to their place with some of them. He never made it a habit to do that. But he indulged himself. He let himself enjoy the visceral pull of his gut to be satisfied, even if it would never actually satisfied. Calum watches as the doors open, a group of girls walking in. Nothing about them reads highly distinctive. Yes, they’re attractive. But in the short skirts, and dresses, and high heels, they look like every other girl here. 

There’s another girl that trails behind the main group, shirt hiding practically nothing of her bust. The black pants with a high thigh slit, revealing an assortment of tattoos on her upper thighs. That’s all Calum catches of her, besides the red undertone of her dark brown skin and high ponytail. As she disappears into the crowd, catching up the group Calum watches. Her smile is dazzling. But he thinks he shouldn’t get caught up tonight. Something in the air tells him he’ll find the guy tonight. 

The night progresses, slowly, like watching the second hand of a clock go around. Maybe this asshat won’t show. Calum looks over the crowd, hoping he can spot that girl again. When his gaze does land on her, she’s at the bar. The guy he’s here to snatch up is leaning in mighty close. When she withdraws her arm from his touch once, Calum’s already pushing out of seat. When she steps back a second time from this guy, Calum barrels his way through the crowd. Everyone knows his human form. Everyone that should be scared of him does at least. 

Approaching the bar, Calum smiles at the girl, sliding right up next to the asshole. “Tell me, miss,” he shouts, “is this asshole bothering you?”

She eyes him, unsure of what the hell is happening but she still nods. “He is,” she answers, watching the fear overtaking the creep’s face. 

Calum smiles, taking the collar of their jacket into his fist. “Well, good thing he’s leaving. If you’d like, take a crack at him.” 

The guy is stumbling over his words, pleading with her that he needs help. But she doesn’t feel for him. She doesn’t have it in her to punch this guy though. Even though he’s definitely a creep, she doesn’t have the heart. She shakes her head, looking down to the worn wood of the bar beneath the spill mat. “I-I can’t.”

Calum looks at his side profile. “You should thank her. Much too sweet to push your teeth in. Now, let’s apologize. And you and I, we’re going to have a little chat.”

At first, the only words the guy gets out are how she has to help him. But with a quick strike to the back of his knee from Calum, the man buckles and apologizes, holding himself by leaning into the sturdy bar. “I’m so sorry,” he rushes out. 

Calum waste no time hauling the man up and dragging him out. She watches the dark man, in the black beanie haul out the creep, his feet literally dangling above the floor. That can’t be real, she thinks to herself, blinking as if to see straight. But she has to be seeing straight. She’s only one drink in for the night. She’s not that drunk. Not even drunk at all. But how the hell did he get over to her so fast? And how the hell was he able to carry that guy out like that? 

She watches the door, like he’s going to walk back through them any moment. She saw him early, perched in the corner, sipping from a glass. She didn’t know what it was. But he just sipped occasionally. Was he security? She knew from her dad’s stories that sometimes bouncers had “drinks” but never actually drink so they could blend in when walking the dancefloor. But he never walked the dancefloor, at least not from what she could tell. 

“Rubs, you okay?” Kourtney’s, Ruby’s friend, voice is clear over the bars of Cardi B’s mantra about money bags. Rubs, short for Ruby, though it was never really short. It was a name she used for herself. She never liked giving out her real name. She disliked it too much. Heard it too many times with anger and malicious intent behind it. So she makes sure she never hears it again. 

“Yeah-yeah, I’m okay,” she breathes. But her gaze never leaves that door. “I’m just--feet hurt from all the dancing,” she says finally turning her gaze back to Kourtney. “I’m just going to chill here. If you want, I can hold you guys’ stuff.”

“You sure? It’s your birthday. C’mon, just dance. Cut loose.”

Her laughter falls out of her, watching her friend’s attempt to seduce her back to the dance floor by twerking in her face. Rubs taps Kourt’s ass a couple times before giving in. It is her birthday. And even though that creep had tried to sour her night, someone else had been right there to make it better. She watches that front door. Never lets her gaze fall too far from it. She’s dancing into a girl, she’s not sure who really. Ruby catches their perfume though and lets herself be pulled back into them. 

She’s grinder deeper into the girl. Her knees aren’t hurting her, but she straightens back up, ass still clapping behind her when she catches the beanie covered head moving through the crowd. There’s no need to even try and apologize, to try and excuse herself. She just straightens up and shuffles through the bodies. No amount of excuse me’s are ever heard and people will still give her dirty looks for bumping into them. 

As she clears the dance floor, she sees him settle back into his corner. At a high table just big enough for two. This is her chance. At the bar, she smiles. All the bartenders know it’s her birthday and she manages to squeeze a free drink for herself and the mysterious man. “Vodka cranberry and whatever he’s drinking up there,” she says nodding her head in his direction. The drinks come out a few moments later. 

Before walking over to his table, she adjusts the shirt, pulling more of it up over her chest, situating the girls back into position. The chair scrapes against the floor and his dark eyes dance in shitty strobe lights of the club. He pretended not to notice her, but she saw her immediate bee line off the dance floor. She sets the drink down first before climbing into the seat across from next to him. He’s moved them so they both face the entire establishment. “What’s your name? Hawk or Eagle Eye?” she teases. 

Calum twists his mouth up, pondering for a moment. “Close. It’s Calum.”

“Ruby,” she returns. Then it’s silent for a beat. “Look, I-I wanted to say thanks for earlier. That guy was a total creep. And you didn’t have to step in like that. But I really appreciate it. So I got you a drink. To say, thanks.”

He doesn’t call attention to the one already in his hand. His smile is genuine. “You’re welcome. And thanks.”

She watches the way he twirls his first drink in his hands, the rings sometimes softly clinking against the glass. The tattoos on his hands, they’re initials. She wants to ask, but she swallows that curiosity down. “If you want a dance, I’ll be somewhere down in there,” she offers and then slips from the seat. Doesn’t wait for Calum to confirm, or to say no. She disappears back into the thick of the crowd. Calum decides not to take her up on that offer but does offer to return the drink favor. Whenever she’s up for another one of course. 

She dances for a while. Her smile big as she dances with the group she came in with. It’s a bit before she takes her herself back to the bar. He slips from his spot, second drink in hand this time. While at the bar, he learns it’s her birthday. “I feel terrible,” he teases. “Don’t have a present for you.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll count the drink, Calum. Thanks.”

He nods, looks over the drink, nothing’s been tampered with it and then settles back at his perch. He watches her and her friends, even as they pile into the back of the Uber. He follows from a distance, watching as the all pile into one house. It’s probably not the smartest thing to follow her. But he has to make sure they get home safely. Especially since it’s her birthday. 

When Calum returns to his apartment, he flicks on the TV, knowing nothing will be on. But it’s habit. It’s background noise. He feels bad if he please music this late, his neighbors need their sleep and he doesn’t want to be that asshole. So he settles for late night reruns of shows he knows almost too well and feels ashamed for knowing them as well as he does. Already sitting on the kitchen table is his list. More people that have bargained with the Devil and have forgotten that there is still a price to pay. It’s all ironic. His job is never done, their hope never seems to faltar until they see his face. Until they are forced to realize, time has run out. 

___

It’s crazy to go back to that bar a few nights later. She knows it. She knows that she really shouldn’t be expecting Calum perched in that back corner, eyes catching everything. But when she walks in and actually sees him, she thinks there must be a payoff for being crazy sometimes. Because why else on earth would she have dragged herself nearly an hour across town just to get a glimpse of this guy?

 There’s no beanie this time. But his hooded eyes and brown skin are more than enough to ease her worries. Calum spots her too, the second she cracks open the door, he notes her scent. That’s insane he thinks to be able to pick someone out of a crowd just by the way they smell. But he does it. Her hair is the same, braided on the sides, the top slicked back and it all leads to the ponytail. The ends are wavy this time instead of the sleek, straight look when they first met. 

He shouldn’t be so delighted to see her. He should be telling himself to get up, slip onto the dancefloor before she has the chance to catch him and slip out the backdoor near the restrooms. Someone that comes back once will come back again--he’s learned that over his years. Though years feels much to short, much to finite for the time he’s been alive and serving. He was human once. He remembers the way it feels to feel so invincible. 

She pauses at the bar, eyes still flicking up to meet his. Calum wonders if she knows. It would be impossible for her to know. He’s not in his other form. He’s never even hinted to it. All he did was save her from a creep. But she watches him, like he’s going to suddenly evaporate from existence. Not that Calum couldn’t zip away without being detected. But instead he sits perfectly still. She’s in jeans this time, her top black and sheer with a bralette beneath it. She’s in sneakers though, a style the resembles Keds. 

Her climb into the chair is smoother this time. No chunky heels in the way. “It’s a shame you don’t have a drink yet,” Ruby smiles, sliding the glass towards him. 

“Another thank you drink?” “No.” She’s not sure how to explain what the drinks means. Unsure on whether to call it a I think you’re cute drink or a I have no idea what I’m doing, but I’m definitely flirting drink. Maybe it’s better undefined anyway. Maybe she doesn’t have to label everything to death. “It’s just a drink. Because I saw you empty handed.”

“Well, I think I should return the favor. What’s your poison?”

She gives a head shake no. “Nothing tonight. I drove over her.”

He scoffs. “They have a whole line of sodas. What’ll you have?”

“Sprite.”

He nods, slips of his chair and walks to the bar. It’s not a long wait until the fizzy clear drink is in his hands. He hands it to her before climbing back into the chair. “What brings you out tonight?”

The word ‘you’ dangles from lips. But she swallows it down with a sip of her drink. “Just out. What about you?”

“Just out too, I guess.” They sip on their drinks in a lull. It’s not awkward, shockingly. She takes in the cut of his jaw, the way his eyes are always moving over the crowd. 

Words are falling over her lips before she can stop herself. “You’re not a bouncer, are you?” Calum shakes his head no. “So, are you like ex-military or something? Ex-law enforcement?”

He wonders what gives her that impression. But she must know someone that was for those to be her first guesses. He gives another shake no. “Where is the prefer not to say box?” he jokes, looking over to her. 

“Fair, that’s fair. Only asked because my dad. He used to do something similar. Sit with his back to the wall, see all the exits. Ex-SWAT, but you never take the officer of the person. Just the badge and the gun.”

He wonders if she grew up with a lot of discipline. The thought really only crosses his mind when he notices the way she sits perfectly straight in her hair. Not a slouch or a curve in her back. “Sounds intense,” Calum offers. 

She shrugs, going in for another sip. “At some point I think my brain just shut off. I always knew there was a chance he wasn’t coming home. I just didn’t compute it. Whenever he was in bed in the morning, it was great. But when he wasn’t, I never panicked. I just--kind of went on autopilot. Went to school, did work, played, did homework. Annoyed the shit of my younger sister. Just went about life.”

Calum reaches for the glass and swirls it around, taking a dramatic inhale. “Just making sure nothing is in that sprite. I watched them pour it too.”

Ruby laughs, eyes closing, reclining into the chair a bit more. “I know. Heavy for the club. Sorry.”

“Don’t.” The word falls just by itself at first. Nothing else. And then Calum sees the shift. How she sits back up straight. Was his tone harsh? He then adds on, “You don’t have to apologize.”

She nods, hiding in the glass. She can’t just ask to hook up with a guy, can she? She’s kind of used to it but not this sober. Calum can feel the tension build up. That there’s something she wants to say but can’t bring herself to say it. So instead he throws out a compliment, about her shoes. She laughs. “In all honesty, I had to drive nearly an hour out here. I wasn’t going to attempt to do that in heels. And I was too lazy to change out of them.”

“I thought you were just out?”

The heat of her cheeks makes her fan herself a little. Is she going to be this forward? She might as well, since she’s already put one foot in her mouth. What’s another one? “I might have driven all the way out here, in hopes to see you.”

Calum nearly chokes on his drink. An hour to potentially run into him? Calum’s always the chaser, always running after someone else. He’s never once stop to think about how nice it is to actually be persused just a little. She hands him a napkin, laughing at the wide eyes. “A shock I take it?”

“Sorry. But I hate to think you could’ve wasted that time and gas.”

Her eyes twinkle, the skin crinkling around her eyes just a little as the smug grin crosses her face. “But I didn’t.”

Turning to her, Calum thinks he’s done enough for tonight. Those people won’t disappear off the face of the earth. He can always find them tomorrow. He reaches out, brushing her cheek with the back of his fingers. “No, trust, you didn’t. I live three blocks from here.”

The walk to Calum’s place isn’t long. They keep mostly to themselves, talking about random things, Calum tells a story about the dinner they passed on the way when he got a face full of burger by accident. Ruby tells a story in rebuttal how she used to be a waitress and spilled coffee on someone once. As they reach the steps to his apartment, Ruby reaches out, nails scratching right at his scalp. Calum pauses his work at twisting the key, eyes closing. A small shiver runs down his spine. 

Her tone is dripping with desire as she speaks, “Cat got your tongue.”

“No, but my tongue will have something else,” he quips.

There’s no wasted time when both of them cross the threshold. Calum pins Ruby to the wall, kissing across her jaw, fingers make quick work of her belt and pants. His fingers trail the band of her panties. His lips find her collarbone, sucking purple marks into the dark brown flesh. Her fingers dig into his shoulder beneath the leather jacket, before trailing back into his hair. The air is filled with her soft moans. 

She works at getting his belt undone as his fingers trail down into the thin material of her underwear. Lace by the feel of it. She’s not quite soaked-- there’s some slickness there. Calum knows all too well what buttons to push though. He brings his hand back up, trailing over the hem of her shirt. She’s pulling his belt free from his jeans, shoving down the denim. Her fingers trace over the tops of his thighs. 

“Eager, aren’t we?” Calum teases, pulling back from her. He slips the jacket over his arms, pulling the shirt up and over too. 

Her eyes dart over the two tattoos right along his collarbones. She watches him pull his shoes off and toes hers off herself. His pants are the next to go as well. Her jeans are tight. She hates the way they catch sometimes around her hips and thighs. Before she can get them down to her knees, Calum takes both her wrist and pins them to the wall above her head. 

Ruby huffs, hating the fact she can’t touch his skin, can’t pull him in close. She bucks and he presses down harder. He can’t press down too hard, or he’ll actually hurt her. “Relax,” he commands. “You’ll get a taste.”

A low growl escapes her throat, chest heaving as she tries to pull against his hold. God, he’s strong and that turns her on more. She clenches, squeezing to relieve the ache building. Both of them gaze at each other. He waits--she must say something. But her lips don’t so much as quirk. “Cat got your tongue?” Calum quips. 

“Your mouth is doing a lot right now but it could be doing better things.”

Calum’s laugh is dry, more of a bark too. “My dear, I’m not the one who drove all this way.”

“You’ll be glad I did.”

“You’re almost too sure about that.”

She shakes her head, hair shaking with the movement as well. Calum runs his fingers through it of his free hand. The strands are soft and silky, the black a contrast to his skin. “I’m not being cocky about this.” His hand slides across her chest, over the scratchy material of her shirt before closing around her throat. 

“I wonder if you’re a beggar.” 

“Beg? For you? You’d love that, wouldn’t you? Wouldn’t that just make your cock twitch?” 

So, she’s a brat. He likes a brat. A bit of a challenge. Most women he goes home with like one thing. To get straight to the point. But there’s something to Ruby, this sweet girl with a pointedness. Not quite socially awkward, but still reserved in a sense. But now here she is, pinned to his wall, throat tucked neatly under his palm. She doesn’t shy away from it, she doesn’t look away. She stares directly at him; she waits. There’s no fear. 

“If you so much as think about lifting your arms from the wall, you’ll be sorry. Understood?” He adds a little more pressure to her throat, watches as her eyelids flutter. 

She speaks, albeit in a whisper because of his hand. “Understood.”

Calum releases her wrist, and slowly peels his hand from her throat before sinking to his knees and tugging the jeans down and off her. Her thighs are soft in his hands, a prominent jiggle when he gives them a stern slap. A laugh falls from her throat. Calum looks up to see her eyes closed, arms still pressed into the wall. 

He half-way expected her to grab his hair, disobeying his order. But then he thinks back to the bar. The way she snapped up straight when he told her not to apologize. She gets off on obeying. But enjoys the rile, seeing someone worked up. Her skin reddened from his palm. Ruby lets her knees buckles just a little when Calum kisses her thighs. He can see now a small wet spot forming at the crotch of her pink panties. He finds the mix match endearing. But doesn’t dwell too long before pulling them down her legs. 

She glistens and all Calum wants is a taste. When his mouth connects, Ruby’s whole body relaxes. The apprehension finally cut. Though his tongue flicks at her clit and the pleasure courses through her. Her muscles tense. His large palm cups her ass, pushing her off the wall. The noises are sinful as Calum holds her closer to his tongue. Her pants bounce off the ceiling. A string of curses falling from her lips. 

Her hands eventually fall from the wall. Her nails trailing over his shoulders but never daring to delve into his hair. He pulls from her core, tugging lightly on her clit before releasing it. “Scared to touch me now, sweetheart?”

Her only response is to grip his hair, pulling his mouth to meet her center. His laughter vibrates against her. A yelp falls from her lips at the sensation. Calum hums when her grip tightens. He’s always liked a little bit of pain. It’s always sparked a fire deep in his gut. So he doesn’t shy away from her harsh grip. A moan falls from her at a moment or two later Calum replies with his own. Her thighs are shaking in his hands. Ruby’s arched into the wall, to keep some balance. Calum can sense she’s wobbling. Wrapping his arms around her legs, he pushes her into the wall, legs thrown over his shoulder. Most of her weight now pressed up into the wall, but he helps keep her supported. 

When she comes, it’s with a whine and a chorus of swears. Calum pulls away from her. She could keep herself up if she wanted, but instead Ruby lets herself slide down the wall. “Got anything else smart to say?” he questions. 

His remarks earns him a shove to the shoulder with her foot. “I always have something smart to say.”

He captures her ankle, kissing the joint and the trails butterfly kisses up the inside of her calf. “I’d like to hear them.”

Ruby pulls her leg back and Calum watches as she pushes to her hands and knees, crawling, though the distance is short, to him. “I bet.”

Calum scoots back, butt sliding over the hardwood floor with ease. She follows. He scoots again, pushing to his knees. Would she actually crawl all the way to his bedroom? From his knees he stands, walking backwards. She follows, grinning. “What? This get you off to? Someone on their hands and knees for you?” Her voice is still breathy. 

“If I said no, I would be a liar.”

They walk, and in Ruby’s case, crawl to the bedroom. Right outside the threshold, Calum extends his hand. She takes it, only a few pops can be hard as she straightens. “You didn’t hear anything.”

“Not a single sound.”

Up close, she can still see her mess on his face. It’s not easy, but she gets up on her tippy toes and swipes her tongue over his chin and lips. Calum holds her face with his hands, keeping her there as they kiss. Somewhere in the heated touches, her shirt and bra are discarded. The air feels different now. Electric but somehow a vortex spiraling her further and further down. Calum is the only thing that keeps her grounded, kissing his warm skin, biting at his muscles.Her arousal is leaking from her again, he can feel it. 

He kisses up her shoulder, over the side of her neck. His breathe right in her ear. “Since you like being on your knees so much, why don’t you kneel for me, face down, ass up?”

Arching up, Ruby situates herself in the middle of the bed, ass up, face pressed down into the mattress. It’s a gorgeous sight, Calum thinks, tearing open the foil packet. He gives each of her cheeks a swat, watching as they turn red and bounce. “You hit hard,” she pants. Nerves strike his chest. Did he really hit too hard? “I like it.”

He exhales, slipping the latex over his cock and gives her another two swats. “Since you like it so much.”

Her laughter is muffled, but still audible. “Thank you.”

Calum lines himself up, slowly pushing into her. He’s used to always taking the intial thrust slow but Ruby settles back onto him. Clearly he is wasting too much time with being gentle. He gives her another swat to her right cheek and then another to the left. She doesn’t try to outpace Calum, though, occasionally she bounces back. He has none of that. He takes his hips into his hands, stilling her. Her arch never falters, face pressed harder and harder into the mattress by Calum’s sharp thrusts. Her hair, all too inviting. Calum reaches for the ends, just to play with it before finding the hold of the ponytail. He pulls her upward, her hissing is music to his ears. 

“Fuck,” she sighs, arching more to keep the angle. 

Her curses are matched by Calum’s own. “Look at that ass bounce for me,” he growls. He slows on purpose, just to give her another swat. But she can feel the fire in her gut. She is not in the business of playing too many games. Pressing herself back, she tries to encourage him to go faster again. All it does it make him slow until she’s fucking herself on his sock. “Such a good girl,” he mutters. 

His hold is still wound around her hair. Her moans reach a higher pitch, beginning to sound like a bit of a whine. But her hips never slow. “God, fuck,” she sighs. Her orgasm falls over it, thighs shaking. She wants to collapse, to just give in. But she hears the way Calum groans, the quiet, ‘Oh shit’ he breathes and she pushes herself up. She knows one thing she wants more than sleep, his release. 

Pressing back hard, she arches a little more. “Cum for me, Calum. You know you want to. You know you need it.”

Need it--what he needs is for her to never stop riding him like this. God, what he needs is her whines imprinted into his brain. “You gonna make me cum?” he returns. She says nothing, and needs not say anything as she snaps back and forth of his cock. “Oh my god,” he groans, letting go of her hair. His release is close. He can feel it in his toes, the way it’s knotting in his stomach. “Just like that, baby,” he breathes. 

“That’s right,” she encourages. “Cum for me.” She can’t quite feel the start of his releases, but he hears it as he comes, the way his hips rut up. He holds her by her hips, buried deep inside her. His cry is a grunt that’s choked out towards the end. 

Ruby finally lets herself fall into the bed, Calum’s weight mostly on top of her. He kisses down her spine before pulling out gently. She pushes herself up, laughing as she asks which way to the bathroom. Her clothes are everywhere after her trip to the bathroom. But she finds her underwear and jeans up front and walks back into the bedroom to find her bralette. 

“Dressed already?” Calum’s spread on the bed, his boxers pulled back up over himself. But that’s all. Ruby doesn’t speak. It should be obvious that she can’t say. “You’re an hour from your house. It’s almost two in the morning.”

“I’ll be fine,” she assures, pulling the straps up. 

“You have to walk three blocks just to get to your car. I’m not letting you do that. Not this late at night and definitely not by yourself.”

“What are you going to do? Walk back with me to my chair?”

“Yeah. In the morning.”

“That’s going to be awkward.” She doesn’t miss the eye roll. Somehow it stings. She knows it’s probably a better idea to just wait until morning. 

“It won’t be awkward. Take those jeans off, put your shirt down and lay down.” Ruby tosses the shirt onto the chair in the corner of his room. Everyone has that chair where clothes, jackets, and junk are deposited. Shimmying down the jeans a second time tonight, she steps out of them, throwing them onto the chair too. As she settles onto the mattress, Calum brings the sheets up. He doesn’t miss that she wears her bra and panties still. 

“I’m a side sleeper, so I’m not ignoring you I promise,” she laughs. 

“Noted.” Sleep never finds Calum anymore. He’s never needs it anymore. But he lets himself fall into the springs, eyes closed. He lays, arms folded behind his head and keeps himself still. For the moment. It’s not too much longer that he can tell she’s asleep, the sheets move slower now. Her breathing deeper now. 

This isn’t how these nights usually go. He’s never really brought someone over to his place. But he finds a certain spark of joy in having someone in bed next to him. Yes, they’re practically a stranger. But for the small moments before he slips out of the bed, it’s nice. 

___ That would be the end of his story with Ruby if not for a week later, he runs into her. On her side of town. The girl he’s after is crafty. She’s changed her hair since they last time she was spotted. But he knows she hangs around the beauty salon as a nail technician. So he decided to make an consultation. He’s no stranger to a hair salon and isn’t afraid to use whatever means necessary. From the front entry, he can almost see clear to the back. There’s something behind part of the wall, he can’t see, but as the door chimes and he steps in, he figures once he gets into the ladies chair he can scope it out. 

There’s a chorus of a welcome from the women working. Some ladies sit off to the side, waiting as well. He walks up to the front desk, smiling at the young girl there. “Hello, how are you?” she greets.

“Good. You?” 

“Well. How can I help you today?” 

“I have an appointment with Dione,” he answers. “Under Hood. Calum.”

She looks over the book and nods. “She’ll be with you in just a moment. Feel free to have a seat.” 

Calum nods before walking over to the seating area, and plops down. From this angle he can see the nail area. Though it’s empty for the time being. But from the back, he spots Ruby, walking up front, someone behind her. He must’ve called her name because she looks up, brows pulled together in confusion. Her features soften after they settle on him. Of all the places the girl could be, he’s shocked. No, scratched that he’s floored. 

He can’t help but think she’s gorgeous even in the black apron and crocs. He snorts, mostly to himself when he sees them. She turns back to client. They talk lowly and after she’s paid she turns back to Calum. “Well this is a surprise,” Ruby laughs. “How’d you find me?”

“I didn’t. I just needed a good stylist.” He could ask her. She’s sure to know everyone that comes through this salon. But before he can ask his name is called. 

So he stands. But stops pulling Ruby in close. “Can you squeeze me in after this?”

“You know I do brows right?”

He grins. “Have you seen these caterpillar? I need it.”  

“Yeah I can squeeze you in.” The hair consultation doesn’t take long. But he’s hoping that if he lingers just a little longer that she’ll show up. When it’s done, Ruby waves for him to follow. They walk down the corridor. She’ll have no questions no doubt. But he’s less concerned about that. He needs answers and fast. 

Calum settles into the chair but Ruby doesn’t recline it. She studies him for a moment, brows knitting back together.“Do you really need your brows done or is this some sort of excuse?”

“In all honesty, I need your help.”

“With what?”

“Niq. I need to know when she comes in again, or if you know about were she hangs out.”

“Niq keeps to herself mostly. She works everyday the shop is open. She’s a good kid.”

They’re all good kids he thinks. They always are on the second or third leg. He can feel the sincerity off her. The concern. He wonders for a moment if she’s older than he figured. He aged her at about early twenties, the physical age his human form stopped aging. “Look, she’s in some trouble. I’m just trying to help her.”

Ruby’s features soften. She’s worried. Niq isn’t the type to be in major trouble. Granted, she doesn’t talk about her past. She just needed a place to lay low she said, make money to make ends meet. And that’s all she ever did. They didn’t hang out on the weekends but she never fussed with anyone. She never went out of her way to be spiteful. “She’s out getting lunch for us.”

“When will she be back? I really need to speak with her. Keep her out of trouble.” The words fall so easily. Calum doesn’t even have to think about what he’s saying. From the front, the door chimes. Ruby holds up a hand for him to stay seated and she peeks out the door. Niq stands at the door, bags and cup holders in her hand. Whatever trouble she’s in, Calum will surely help her out. 

Ruby turns around. “That’s her. She just walked in. Should I get her to come back here?” 

While Calum knows Niq to be evasive, she’s never been hostile. He shakes his head. “We’ll go up front, I’ll pay, like nothing happened. She knows who I am.”

“Okay. Is she gonna be alright? Like what’s going on?”

He keeps quiet, just stands from the seat and waves for her to walk first. He won’t answer her. She takes it as she’s better off not knowing. Her heart hammers in her chest when she starts to the front of the salon. What trouble had Niq gotten into to? Ruby knew gang violence was huge in the surrounding area. Had Niq gotten involved with the wrong guy? Was Calum connected? All her thoughts  raced along with her heart but she tried to keep up appearances. 

Niq smiles at Ruby and even at Calum. He nods in return, sliding Ruby a twenty. A silent conversation in nods occurs between Calum and Niq. He heads out the front door. He considers the possibility that Niq could try and bolt out the back door. So he pats his pockets, snaps his fingers and spins back around. Calum knows he hasn’t forgotten anything. But if he can keep his cover for just a wee bit longer, he can walk back into the salon without a single batting lash. 

“Forget something?” Ruby asks. 

“Keys,” is Calum’s simple reply, noting Niq shuffling towards the back of the salon. She’s making good distance before Calum figures he’ll have to be had. 

Ruby feels the hairs on her arms stand up with Calum behind her. The air buzzes, she can feel it in her chest. Calum’s never going to catch her if Ruby is in the way. Niq won’t make it far. Ruby veers into the room to double check the seat for any sign of keys when something cracks, a deafening sound with a flash. 

She turns around and Calum’s holding one hand up, something black wrapped around it. “So that’s where my whip went?”

Whip? What the hell is he doing with a whip?

“I’m not going back,” Niq hisses. 

“On the contrary, I’ve got direct orders to take you back. DOA. So this is really your choice.” A swift yanks brings the whip and Niq closer to him. It burns as the handle leaves Niq’s hand. It burns her everytime she touches it, it knows who it belongs to. But she figured if Calum were so powerful to hold it, it would make her powerful too. And it did, minus the burns. Calum brings the hilt to his hand. Her flesh still melting into it. 

Is this his idea of helping, Ruby wonders This can’t be it. If so, he’s got a fucked up idea of reality. 

Niq figures this is her last shot of escape. The next time it won’t just be Calum. It will be him and the hounds. She knows if she faces them, there is no chance of being brought back alive. But she’d rather be brought back dead. “You’ll have to kill me,” she says and attempts to turn. 

Another crack sounds around the salon, a stripe across her body. It burns, not even because of the poison leather, just the sting of her pride. Niq knows she fucked up, that she broke her word. But she really deserved a second shot at life. It wasn’t her time to go. She figured this would give her that second shot. She didn’t think Lucifer would take so strongly to a verbal agreement. 

Calum would rather not kill her. She is, as Ruby called it, just a kid. She’s a got caught up. She was given a deal and when Calum discovered his whip missing, knew she had to be the one that had taken it. Always had sticky fingers. He was willing to let it go, but he wasn’t the one to call the shots. Lucifer demanded she be found and brought back. Scarred. To be made a lesson of. 

Niq touches the blood, making sure it’s real and hers while collapsed onto the floor. Calum winds the whip back up, pulling out the bag from his jacket pocket. “You said you were going to help her?” Ruby snaps. 

Calum walks past her, not even blinking at the punch she throws. It connects, even has some power behind it. “I am helping her,” he returns. 

His tone is too even keeled. “This is not helping her!” She shrieks. She’s helpless as he lifts Niq over his shoulder. “I don’t know who you are. But this is kidnapping. I will call the police.”

“Call ‘em babe. “ He spins around. Eyes blacked over, a grin on his face. Ruby wishes she could wipe it off his plump lips. “And when they ask for a description of the man, tell them. not a man, not a who. But a what.” He tongue flicks out, forked like a snake. When he turns again, she notes a black tail, slender with a spear at the end. It waves as he pushes open the back doors. 

Ruby doesn’t run into Calum after that. At first, she wants to confront him. Demand all the answers, even attempt to kick his ass for lying to her. She hangs around that bar. She drops by the apartment building only to find that he broke the lease and left. Every search on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter yields her nothing in the wake of a Calum Hood. It’s as if he isn’t even real. As if he didn’t exist for those two weeks to her. She knows he did though. He can’t escape without a trace. He has to exist  somewhere, to somebody. Even if he paid everything in cash, there has to be something left. Something that will bite him in the ass. 

Calum watches her. Sometimes from Lucifer’s viewing room. Other times from right outside her windows. He watches the way she combs through the internet, telephone books, leases to see if there is anything left. The number he used was from a burner phone, one anyone can get from a local gas shop or WalMart. He broke his lease, but it’s easy enough to forge legal documents after doing it for so many years. The thing is, he’s no stranger to a lie. There’s something in his gut that feels for her though. 

Sure Niq might’ve been a good kid to them. But she broke a contract with Lucifer and it’s in Calum’s best interest not to question him too much. It’s not that he feels awful for having to use Ruby. But he feels something. Ruby cared. One of the few people in the last few decades that seems to give a shit about anyone. For fuck sake, she couldn't even hit the creep that was harassing her in the club. 

Calum grins, thinking about the punch she landed on his ribs. No, it didn’t hurt but there was a fierceness behind it. In that moment, she probably didn’t care because all she was worried about was the girl. Calum can give Ruby that much, give her props on that she actually cares about people. He wishes he didn’t have to manipulate that. He wishes he could’ve let her still have that much--that giving a shit wouldn’t backfire on her. 

He knows he’s an asshole. Just wishes he wasn’t an asshole to those that give a shit. He preferred being an asshole to those that deserved it. That’s his thing. Ruby didn’t deserve it. But he had a job. “Watching her again?” a voice hisses behind him. 

Calum’s all too familiar with the high octave. “Just making sure she’s not potentially blowing any still usable covers.” It’s an easy enough lie. 

“Oh, she’s nothing special. Even if she opens her mouth, she won’t a second time.”

His fingers curl into a fist. He won’t let that happen. Ruby is not someone that deserves damnation over him. “She won’t be a problem, my liege. I can assure it.”

“Be careful of her, Hood. I need your head on straight. Or it’ll be your head staring back at you. Now wouldn’t that be a sight? If only you’d be able to see it,” Luckifer laughs. 

Calum watches him leave. It felt like a threat, but there is something in the laughter that makes Calum wonder just how serious Lucifer is about that. 

___

Ruby groans when there’s a knock at her door. Having just settled for the next three episodes of her latest Netflix binge, she’s not pleased at the unplanned guest. As she gazes through the peephole her heart skips. That is most definitely not who her eyes are telling her is standing right behind her door. “Shit, no,” she whispers, pressing her forehead into the door. Maybe she can just avoid it. 

“Your car’s parked outside. I can see your feet under the door.”

Hearing his voice reignites the anger in her. She thinks about the lies. The way Niq was limp over his shoulder. She unlatches the hook, swinging the door open. “You asshole. What the fuck are you doing here?”

“Attempting to apologize.”

“You can’t apologize. Not for lying, not for using me.”

Calum holds his hands up. “I technically, can apologize. You just may or may not accept it.”

“Fucking asshole. Does it look like I care what you can technically do?”

He looks over her attire, the sweatpants, camisole, the silk scarf around the edges of her braids. It’s a new style after the ponytail. The chunky box braids still look good on her. She’s had them for two weeks now, he’d figured. He’s lost all track of time really in Hell. It’s not important there anyway. “Looks like you’re about to settle in for the evening.” He steps closer, the leather jacket rustles just a little. “Mind if I join?” It’s not truly a question as he slips inside. He knows he really shouldn’t be pressing his luck. But he really does need to apologize to her. 

She stares at his once occupied space and nearly shouts. Instead she closes the door and continues to stare at all the chips in the paint. “You really need to get the fuck out of my house,” she sighs, whipping around. The braids fly up with her action. 

Calum’s already settled into the cushions, boots slipped off, the jacket halfway down his arm. “What are you watching?”

“Get the hell out of my house.” Her voice is calm, though she pushes it out between her teeth. 

“Can I just explain?”

“No, you can get the fuck out of my house!”

“Ruby, look, I-I know I was an asshole. I’m a Hunter. It’s my job. I don’t always like it. But I do what I must.”

“You could be blue, red, or purple, Calum. I don’t give a single fuck what your job is. I don’t care what you are, the truth is you lied to me. You used me and I don’t want to see your face eva’ ‘gain.”

“I apologize. You really didn’t deserve it.” 

Her voice is nothing but a shout, a curdling cry in the air of her apartment, “Get the fuck out of my house!”

He doesn’t bother sliding his shoes on, just grabs them and turns the door on the knob. He pauses, goes to give it one last try, but she shoves his back. The only word leaving her lips is, “Out.” So Calum dares not push it and slips between the small crack of the not fully opened door. He leans against the wall, listening to her shout. He has half a mind to tell her be mindful of her neighbors. When the door across the hall creaks open, he apologizes. 

“Sorry. I fucked up. She’ll be okay in a second.”

The elderly gentleman looks to Ruby’s apartment door. “Must’ve messed up real bad there. She been living across from me for four years and I ain’t ever heard so much as a peep from her, besides the occasional song.”

Calum nods, tossing his head back into the wall. “Yeah, yeah I did.”

“You apologize?”

“I did.”

“Well, sometimes that’s all you can do.” He can see the boots in his hands. “You can bother me for a seat, maybe even a cup of joe if you want to give her some time.”

Calum shakes his head. “Thank you though.”

The old man nods before giving a wobbly smile. “Try again ‘morrow, yeah?”

Calum likes the idea of hope. The idea that he might have a second chance at this. “Yeah. Tomorrow,” he whispers. The shouting has stopped, nothing left but a faint sniffle behind the sounds of talking. She’s probably started whatever show. There’s no fixing this. He tried, that’s all he could do. Not that he really deserves a second shot. But he had hope maybe, just maybe he could get it. 

Calum did always feel hexed. Everything good that happened, he somehow always managed to fuck it up. He at first just blamed it on the universe, that time and fate had conspired against him. But he realized it was just him. He was always the asshole that managed to fuck up nice things. And his powers seemed to have struck again.

___

He’s not even supposed to be over on this side. He’s not even supposed to be in this state. But he takes the risk, just to make sure she’s okay. Calum tries to tell himself he’s only checking in so his cover isn’t blown. But there’s something else. He won’t admit. He refuses to admit the pain in his chest when he notices her leaving a date. It has to be a date. There’s no other reason for a sweater dress and heels. She’s tying the coat close as the door shuts behind her. 

She looks good, finally wearing her natural hair out. It’s cut extremely short on the sides and back. The top straightened, but the ends curled just a little. He realizes then, it’s just a grown out and better styled version of his hair cut. The short looks really suits her face though, he thinks. It helps with her strong jaw line. 

But something is wrong. From the porch of this classy bar, he can see the way she shuffles down the sidewalk. The guy is trying to catch up, shouts out her name. Calum appreciates the darkness and the drunkenness of most of the people here. He sets his drink down, arms resting onto the railing and lifts up. His descent is fast and if it weren’t for his demonic status the sharp landing in a crouch would surely break his ankles. The street is clear of cars, so Calum jogs across, catching up easily. “I thought we were having a good time together.” The closer he gets the more he realizes that is not a man. 

He’s shocked for a second but that doesn’t stop the fact that this person is clearly pushing the boundaries. Ruby doesn’t slow, heels still clicking against the pavement. “Dinner was great, Tre. But I just--”

The last part of her sentence is cut off by the other woman’s retort. “You owe me!”

This stops Ruby in her tracks and Calum leans against the brick building, pulling out his phone. The blue light fades in his vision as he listens in. Just in case things do go south. “I don’t owe you anything. Not a goddamn thing. A date isn’t a ticket for sex. If you wanted a fuck, you should’ve just asked for one. I’m sure someone would’ve been okay with it you piece of shit.”

“I hate bitches like you. Y’all so stuck up. Just give me my money. All I’m looking for is a good fuck.”

There’s rustling; Ruby’s blood is boiling. And she hasn’t missed Calum’s figure still leaned up against the building. She throws the two twenties, enough to cover her half of the bill in Tre’s face. It falls to the ground. “Next time, open with that. Don’t pressure anyone into anything you cunt.”

“All y’all bitches are crazy. You not even worth it no how.” She picks the cash up and walks back towards the restaurant. 

“I don’t need saving, Calum,” Ruby states. 

He looks up. His smile is tight lipped, almost as if he’s too scared to actually look her in the eye. Thankfully Ruby doesn’t sound pissed. Just tired. He clears his throat. He should say something. Anything. Well, maybe not anything. He can’t risk sounding like an asshole again. “The haircut looks nice,” he finally speaks. 

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” He gives just a curt nod before turning around. Ruby watches him, the jacket is longer this time. Goes down to his nearly the tops of his thighs. The boots are a little different, but he’s dressed in all black like usual. 

“Traded in the leather jacket, huh?” She calls out to his retreading figure. 

He stops, a small grin lifting his cheeks. “Too cold.” 

She pulls her coat tighter around herself. “Used to warmer weather, I assume.”

He laughs. A genuine from the gut laugh. “Yeah you could call it that.”

She nods over her shoulder. There’s nothing but darkness cut by streetlights and storefronts. “What about a cup of coffee? Or tea? Whatever your heart desires.” 

Maybe he hadn’t jinxed it. Maybe this is a second chance. He never gets them often. “You sure?” 

“I’m sure.” They walk in silence to an ice cream shop nearby. He gets nothing but does pay for hers. “Thanks. For being there.” 

“Looks like you didn’t need me.” 

She sets the spoon down. Takes note of the avoiding gaze and soft voice. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you feel remorse.” 

This finally gets his gaze directed on her. “I’m an asshole. Not a psychopath.” 

“Well,” she teases, voice tittering higher up. 

“Okay, okay,” he huffs. “Maybe I deserve that. I also realize it’s creepy as fuck to be keeping tabs like this.” 

“Creepy indeed.” 

“Sorry. There’s no sane excuse.” 

“There isn’t. But I guess if you’re lingering around this long, it might be for a reason.”

He twirls his rings around his fingers. It sounds insane when he goes to utter it over his lips. “Was really hoping you’d accept my apology.”

“You know me. Lover, not a fighter.”

“Could’ve fooled me. Got a mean left swing.”

“I deserve that, I guess.” 

Calum wonders, looking at her downturn gaze if this is over, if he’s pushed his luck. He might have. But he’s glad that they are able to clear the air. They talk until closing and the air has dropped again in temperature. He walks her to her car, occasionally bumping her elbow. She huffs, before bumping his in return. At her car, she leans into the driver side door. “Where you headed?”

“Back.” Just one word. But there’s something in her gut that knows where back is. Back is below. Back is Hell. But she can’t bring herself to utter the words. “You know normal people run away. Most people find out someone’s not what they thought they were and they leave well alone.” There he goes again, sticking his foot in his mouth. 

“Not most people, I guess. In this reality, monsters are all around us. They don’t need whips or horned tails. They speak with forked tongues and are just as human as me.”

It’s an honest and sometimes hard take to have, to know the veil between human and supernatural isn’t as thick as one thinks. “Is this like, over? Did I cross the creep line?” Calum’s never been this honest, this vulnerable. 

“Cross the creep line, yes. But over, no. I know you mean well. Just next time you’re around, just send a quick message, snail mail or something. Don’t jump from the second story.” 

Calum grins, it’s small. Nothing big. Just a quick upturn of his lips. “Thanks.”

Ruby looks out into the still night. She hasn’t reached for her car door so Calum doesn’t move from his spot. “Tiff doesn’t remember what happened at the shop. No one does. Why’s that?”

“Clean up,” Calum explains. “Crew told me that one person fled the scene before they could get there.”

“Guess you caught me.  So why haven’t they track me down? Do the whole Men In Black erase thing?”

“I lied.” He says it so easily. Not even hardly a blink or the gaping second before the words gather. Just a simple fact. 

“So you lied about me?”

“I fudged the numbers. Made an eight look more like a nine. It happens. My handwriting is shit.”

“Was I that special?” Her throat thumps. She can feel the pulsing in her neck. Her mouth dries a little. Would Calum lie to her right now?

“You are.”

“Aren’t you worried? Shouldn’t you be concerned about getting into trouble?”

Calum shrugs. “Boss man only knows that you saw me at the club. When clean up said that they were missing one, I went back to the shop, staked it out. Only one missing was you. Went back, said that I had found the missing one and covered our asses. Never mentioned you were in the shop.”

“Do you normally keep tabs on the women you take home?”

Calum quirks an eyebrow. “This a conversation best had over whiskey, don’t you think? I’d offer more ice cream but I think every shop in town is closed.” 

Ruby runs her fingers over her key fob. She finds the button, eyes never faltering from Calum’s. The headlights blinked, the doors unlocking. She throws her head back, a gesture for him to hop in. “Luckily we’re on my side of town. Fifteen minutes out from my place, if you care to bum a ride.”

Calum half jogs, noticing the shiver that runs over Ruby. The night has gotten colder since they got ice cream. He’d rather her not freeze. The heat is blasting before she pulls out of the parking spot.

 “I should probably explain what I do,” Calum starts, knee and leg bouncing a little in the passenger seat. How does he explain with words what he does? He prays it doesn’t scare her off. 

“I don’t care,” Ruby says. “Honestly, I don’t.” That feels like too much knowing, too much weight if he dulvges it all to her. Some things are better left unknown she figures. 

Calum nods. Not what he expected but he likes that she just accepts things for what they are. “Well, I don’t keep tabs. To answer your question. I just noticed you looking me up. So I had to tell Boss that it was nothing. And eventually, you stopped. But I really did want to apologize. You give a shit about people. You don’t run across that a lot. I did use you. And I wish I hadn’t. I wish I didn’t take advantage of that. I could I wish I didn’t have to take advantage of it and blame my job. But the truth is, I’m so used to people doing whatever to get over that I just thought you were like that. And you’re not.”

Ruby is silent. At least he recognized the wrong doing. At least he’s not a complete soulless asshole like many others out there. “What do you say if we start again?” Her question comes after a minute or two of silence. 

“I’d like that.”

Inside Ruby’s apartment, she drops her coat and purse onto the couch. Calum watches her immediately head over to her dining room table. It’s a high table, pushed up against the wall next to a window. She grabs one of the barstools and moves it a foot or so away from the table. Calum grabs two and pulls them away. She grabs the corner of the table and looks over to Calum. 

He grabs the other corner and lifts. Ruby realizes she’s not even helping as he pulls it out from the wall withouth having to drag it an inch. Pulled away from the wall, she moves two stools behind it into the gap. Her next stop is to the kitchen, grabbing whiskey glasses. “I like the mason jars better,” Calum says from behind her. 

“Mason jars it is then” 

“Don’t have whiskey. Will Hennessey do?”

“I’ll have to rectify that error later.”

Ruby pours two glasses and gives one to Calum. It clinks against the metal of his rings when he grasps it. He’s glad he didn’t take the jacket off or the beanie.  She grabs a third glass and pours straight cranberry juice. She can forgo alcohol for the night.  “All actors ready?” he teases, lips sealing around the screw top rim. The dark liquor is warm as it goes down. 

“Ruby and Calum meeting at the bar, scene 1, take 2,” Ruby laughs. 

Calum settles into one of the barstools behind her table, watching her in the kitchen. “We’re missing music,” he muses.

“My neighbors would kill me if I played club music this late. They’re all old. Let them rest.” 

Calum decides he likes Ruby’s smile. Even the shy quiet ones. “Since you asked so nicely.” He looks away, taking another sip and hears her giggling. “This is serious,” he reprimands, still staring out into her living room. 

The dark gray couch looks nice with bright yellow throw pillows. Her coffee able is black metal, a simple chic design. The entertainment stand is metal too. Her rug is black with dark gray trim. The art on her walls are of plants, a soft dark green but not distracting. He doesn’t miss the record player sitting on her bookshelf. 

He’s tempted to spin a record. But when the glass lands on the table in front of him, he forgets about it. “Come here often?” Ruby asks, a tuft of laughter escaping her. 

He grins behind the first glass before putting down onto the wooden table. It’s a pretty dark gray stain over the wood. She’s careful to slip a coaster under the glasses too, Calum notices. “First time around here actually.”

As Ruby climbs into the chair next to him, she laughs even more. “Well, let me show you a good time then. Name’s Ruby.”

“Calum,” he gets out over his fit of giggles. Ruby falls into his shoulder, the wool a little stratchy against her face. Her laughter spills from her lips too. “Tell me would you have really used that line with someone?”

“Hell no. It’s cheesy as hell.”

“Then why did you use it just now?”

She shrugs. “I figured why not. We were starting over. What harm would it cause to try it out?”

“A lot. Especially if this weren’t our first meeting.”

“Good thing it’s not.” 

Soon Calum’s slipping out of coat, nursing one glass. He could have both. They’re not strong to him and he does feel bad since she poured both. “You don’t have to have both. I just--it fit the scene.”

He nods, slouching a little into the seat, arm thrown around the back of her chair. Ruby reclines back, head falling onto his shoulder again. He gently brushes over her shoulders. “Do you sleep?” The question falls before the yawn from Ruby’s lips. 

“Technically, no I don’t need it. I do rest, I guess. But I don’t sleep like you’d think.”

“So I guess I don’t need to offer my couch to you then, huh?”

“I should probably get back.”

“You know where to find me though,” Ruby counters. 

“I do. And I’ll send snail mail the next time I’m around.”

Calum keeps to his word and slips a letter under her door when she’s at work. So by night time, if she has the energy, she can call. The number is different at the bottom of each letter. But Calum’s always on the other end. 

They meet sometimes for ice cream if it has to be a quick stop. Other times they might meet at her place, sipping a combination of alcohol and watching the latest episode of her shows. Those nights Calum stays, never terribly late. Just long enough into the morning that she knows he’s leaving. He makes sure to give warning of his departure. 

“You really have completed the whole aesthetic,” Calum comments, refilling his glass. He won’t admit that he’s partial to the mason jars as cups. Instead he pokes fun at it. 

“You leave my interior decoration alone. Lest we not forget the state your place was in,” Ruby shouts from the couch. 

“It doesn’t count,” Calum counters. “It was temp. This is your home.”

“Fuck off. And hurry, I let ads play for you to you mess around. You’ve got thirty seconds left and I won’t pause.”

“Please leave my chocolate pretzels alone,” he huffs as he watches her grab a handful from his bowl. 

“Whatcha gon’ do about it sweetheart?” 

When weeks roll into months, and months roll into a year, it feels unreal. That somewhere in all this of the time he’s been blessed with a friend. He stays a little longer behind. His captures are no less perfect. But Lucifer is not necessarily pleased that he does take longer. But Calum’s doing his best to keep him at bay. He suspects it won’t be much longer before some sort of punishment will be dished out. There always is. 

At her apartment door, he knocks. He thinks he should’ve brought a carnation to replace the last one he bought. Though he figures, she’ll be asleep in a couple hours and he can sneak out and find one. Before the door opens, he notes the change in the air--it feels warmer.

Ruby opens the door with shaky hands. Before Calum can ask what’s happening, someone else walks up behind him. Lucifer. Immediately, he can feel the shift happening, his blackened eyes taking over. “My liege,” he answers with a curt nod. 

“Oh, if it’s not my favorite Hunter. Come in, come in,” he urges. Calum steps inside. If his heart still pumped the same, it would be racing in his chest. He steps in front of Ruby, watching as Lucifer strolls about, tail whipping about. That is not a good sign. “I love the decor. Very chic. The pops are color are divine, don’t you think?” 

“It’s a wonderfully decorated home,” Calum returns. 

With a dazzling smile behind pink lips, Lucifer points to Ruby. “She’s got a great eye. I’d hate for something to happen.”

Calum takes a step back, pushing her further into the door. A silent plea for her to run if she can take it. Ruby clings to his jacket. She doesn’t have to be told something is going to happen. She can feel it in her bones when his gaze lands on her again. “Is there an issue, sir?”

“An issue? Hm, yes. My issue is that my best Hunter is out here falling for a human.”

“It’s not like that. We are just--” Does he say it? Does it dare let the word cross his lips. “Friends, sir. Just friends.”

She exhales. They’ve never really labeled whatever this was. But she likes hearing him say it. Friends is nice. Lucifer hums again. “What a nice thing to say? But I don’t like is that your friend is messing with your work.”

“Sir, I am perfectly capable--” The sentence is not finished when Lucifer’s tail wraps around his throat. 

“I don’t give a shit. I know you’re capable. Why the hell else would you have such an esteemed title? But we don’t get cozy with humans. There are rules for a reason. Understood?”

A choked, “Yes,” falls from Calum’s lips before the hold is released. He wants to reliate, lash out. But that’s frowned upon. Calum bites his tongue. 

“Move for me.” 

Calum doesn’t like that tone. That gleam in his eyes. Ruby’s the first person to listen to him, to give a shit about someone other than herself and even if Calum’s an asshole, she gave him a second shot. What she does not need is whatever Lucifer has planned up his sleeve. “My liege. With all due respect, she’s just human. She’s not worth it.” He winces a little as the words leave his lips. He doesn’t mean it like that. Doesn’t mean that she doesn’t hold value to him. But she is not worth Lucifer getting bent out of shape over. 

“Oh, but she’s your friend. She is worth it. Now you will move, or I will move you.”

“Sir, please. I’ll leave with you right now, just please. Leave her out of this.”

“Don’t be silly, Calum. There’s no way to leave her out of it. She knows too much.”

He gets it now. This isn’t about Ruby. It never was. It was solely about him. She never had to open her mouth. She never had to slip up, say the wrong thing. All she had to do was get close. She had to witness once or twice his true form and it was over for him. There was a warning that had not been heeded.

 There’s no way to trace a ghost. The fortunate thing for Lucifer here. It’ll be like Calum never existed. Though he hasn’t for a while now. This was just a shell. Still powerful but effectively empty. Calum’s flesh is temporary and what’s beneath cannot survive on the surface. 

Calum takes a small step forward. Ruby holds onto his wrist. “I won’t tell a soul. I haven’t told anyone,” she pleads. 

Calum’s chest caves. He hates the way it cracks. This isn’t about her. He pleads with Lucifer, but there’s no sympathy. He steps forward again, squeezing her hand one last time before their connection falls. “Calum, what-- No, please, I haven’t done anything.”

He speaks to her without looking away from Lucifer. “No, you haven’t. I have.”

It finally clicks. “Calum, no. He can’t. That’s not fair!”

When she finally steps forward, a black tail stops her. Calum. He can’t risk her getting in the way, getting hurt. The tip hurts, even though there’s no pressure behind it. It’s sharp just resting against her skin. Lucifer makes a circling motion with his finger and Calum closes his eyes as he spins. His tail drops and Ruby is frozen as he strips his leather jacket, pulling the beanie from his dark curls. He just shaved the sides down, she notices, the top still long. He peels his shirt over his head, dropped into a heap next to him. 

Everything in her body is telling her to look away. But she can’t. His normal brown colored eyes are blacked out. Wings appear from his back, smoke billowing all around them. She wonders for a fleeting moment if the smoke alarm will sound. They are beautiful, black, with tufts of smoke blowing from the feather tip. He furls them, reaching into the pile of his clothes and brings out his whip. He drops to his knees and lifts the sacred leather whip up. It will soon no longer be his. 

Ruby sinks against the wall, her eyes are swimming. “This can’t be happening,” she whispers. “You can’t do this!”

“Sweetheart, I can. And I will,” Lucifer grins, cracking the whip. A red welt appears across Calum’s chest. The only sign of pain is the muscle the jumps in his jaw. She pushes herself up to her knees. If she could plead to any god willing to listen, she would. But there’s no god here. The whip sounds again, an X appears in angry red across his chest. 

Ruby crawls to him. Part of her brain remembers the last time she did this and she cracks a watery smile. Calum sees it, knows what she’s thinking. “Don’t you dare,” he threatens, clearing his throat. 

“What? Telling me now is an inappropriate time to ask if someone on their hands and knees gets you off?”

Calum shakes his head with a quirk of his thick brow. “Very inappropriate time.”

Lucifer watches the exchange with a smile. “Well at least you two had some sort of history.”

No one pays him any mind. Calum focuses on her, the way her hair is still cut short on the sides and back. The curls on top are tighter now. She raises to a kneel on her knees in front of him, hands trembling as the cup his jaw. “You’re a good friend, you know? An asshole, but still a good guy.”

Another crack of the whip sounds in the room. The blow across the bone where wing meets Calum’s vertebrae. He tries not to groan, tries to swallow down the pain. But another blow comes and he buries his face into her shoulder. “I tried,” he whispers. “I’m hexed though. Jinxed, something.” Lucifer brings the whip down again, the bone is snapping, blood trickling down his back. 

“No, you’re not hexed,” she whispers. “You’re a good guy.”

The final crack of the whip brings the last of the wing away from his spine. He lets out a grunt into her skin, arms winding around her dark flesh. The room is spinning for Calum. This is way worse he thinks. Having her here to witness. He wants to push her away, tell her to get out of here before it happens. But a larger part wants her in his arms. He wants someone to lean into. 

“You-you shouldn’t be here for this,” he breathes. It’s hard to focus on anything other than the way she smells like pressed hair and a hint of apple. Maybe from her body wash. 

“No, no, I’ve never left a man behind. I wasn’t raised that way. Dad’s Ex-SWAT remember.”

Lucifer brings another blow against the open wound. Calum lets himself cry out that time. She holds his head, forearms blocking it from the blows. She knows she could get hurt. It doesn’t matter. All she’s focused on is how Calum’s grip is loosening around her waist. “Tell me,” he pants. “Why Ruby?”

“Why the name?”

“Not your real one.”

Snot drops onto her lips. “No, it’s not. To make a long story short, my mom was abusive and manipulative. I hated the way she screamed my name. She always said it so nasty, like it was poison. So I had people call me Ruby. After my dad’s birthstone.”

It may not be solace. It may not bring her peace. “We sent her below,” Calum wheezes after another blow. 

“Below? Like Below Hell?”

He gives a small nod. It’s hard against the tight squeeze of her forearms. Ruby kisses the top of his head. The whip falls to the floor before Lucifer hovers over Calum’s tail. He lets his tip hover, a warning for Calum of what’s to come. “We have our own sense of morals,” Lucifer interjects. “We’re not all bad.”

“Fuck off,” Calum spits. He turns his head, his lips brushing against the skin of her neck. “We are. We are bad.”

“No,” Ruby protests. “You’re not. You are not all bad, Calum.”

Lucifer drops his tail, point severing Calum’s. “Speak out of turn. This will be your final chance.”

Calum pushes himself up, it’s a slow process. But he does. “I had a sister. When you see her, on the other side, tell her I loved her. That I remembered everything she taught me.”

Ruby holds his face, cheeks squishing in the strong hold. “I will.”

“It’s gonna take you a few decades to meet her. But you’ll know her when you see her. Now, don’t watch this part.”

“Calum I can’t leave you.”

“You won’t be. Just close your eyes, face the wall. You’ll be right there. Just don’t watch.” He knows the gore, the shock that overtakes someone when the final blow is delivered. He can spare her that. He can do one last good thing. “Ruby, I’m not asking.” His breath is labored. “Don’t. Watch.”

Her eyes dark around his face, trying to remember the moles on his cheek, the way his nose sat, how plump his lips are. She kisses him, a short peck. Resting her forehead to his, she lets her tears fall. “I love you. I never said that. Didn’t know how you’d react.”

He takes his hand, curling it around hers, and motions for her to turn. “I love you.” 

It’s a platonic love. A love that made Calum feel human again for just a little over a year and a half. He will go, remembering the way she laughed, and how to never drank coffee with no less than three sugars. He will go remembering that someone saw something more in him. Calum’s wasn’t looking for companionship. But he found something better. 

She doesn’t turn fulling away, more like three quarters, eyes closed. But she reaches out her hand. He takes it. They give each other a squeeze. He won’t make a sound for her. It’s hard. His breathing already ragged. But he inhales once. 

Ruby’s holding Calum’s hand one moment, squeezing with all her might. She can feel him squeezing back and then it feels like hours. She’s waiting for it go limp, praying to every god that something changes this outcome. The pressure disappears and then so does his warmth. Nothing just dust settling into her palm. A sob pierces her chest, scratches over her lips and when she turns, there’s nothing but his shirt and jacket left. Not even dust is left but the little that she clutches in her hands. 

Ruby cries, clutching his t-shirt in the middle of her living room. If she could go back, and tell herself not to go into that bar again, looking for Calum, she would. She would in a heartbeat.

[kihaku-gato]

Random Webcomic Reccomendations

This post is dedicated to bringing to the spotlight several webcomics

(some would be considered webmanga but I’m counting them too since they are primarily presented on webcomic websites) which I’ve been enjoying that I hope can get more traction/fandom with this post. Due to my personal tastes I can say many/most have a sci fi or fantasy theming as well as some (definitely not all) have wlw as well.

Since this post will be quite extensive, I’ll first start with a “table of contents” for those who don’t want synopsises or ramblings, but instead just want titles and want to just check them out themselves.

Bybloemen

My Dragon Girlfriend

Sanguine

Straylight Tiger

Cariciphona

Amongst Us

Kiss It Goodbye

Mokepon

Seven Miles Down

UnDivine

Bybloemen

Hosted on its own website under hiveworkscomics

This is a historical semi-fantasy set during the infamous Tulip Mania period of Dutch/European history when people would pay an arm and a leg for even a single potentially valuable tulip bulb.

In this setting we follow two devils Basil and Ludwig and their avian familiars strut into the action, pretending to be foreign investors getting in on the tulip hype, probably to ensnare some desperate souls, all the while keeping man and beast alike from catching sus that they are not as human as they claim to be.

As of writing this the story is just starting up but is already making quite the unique statement. The distinct black and white artstyle is clearly holding homage to the historical “Woodcut” printmaking style in how it’s drawn, lined, and textured, which is a refreshing way to artistically state that the comic is “set in the past” w/o doing just grayscale or sepia tone that one is used to seeing for media set in historical times.

The interactions between the devils as well as the animals they can communicate with so far have been quite amusing.

If you don’t directly use hiveworkscomics for your usual webcomic browsing (so don’t get notified by it) they do have both a tumblr and twitter which frequently announce/link its updates. Bonus following their twitter/tumblr being you get to see occasionally “sketches” (I say that term very loosely) of the characters outside of the webcomic series if you’re into that.

 My Dragon Girlfriend

Available on Webtoons and Twitter

Fantasy alongside modern era setting. It is primarily a wlw webcomic series about a human girl named Christy who is swept off her feet by a dragon girl named Dani, semi-magical/mythical wlw hijinks ensue. It’s hard for me to pin its identity entirely, cause while I wanna say it’s a “Slice of Life” the webcomic is at the point where Dani is fighting a werewolf tooth and nail so it’s hard to pin. It’s clearly romance genre, as even if Dani and Chirsty end up together lickity split (a blink of the eye compared to the slow-burn of most romance stories) there are other wlw subplots going on with secondary primary characters which you’ll be routing for.

It has its steamy moments and implies sex but not so far as to show full-on nudity of the main characters characters. Though there is some nudity of some of the monstergirls such as the fawn girls on the other hand it does not beat around the bush with, but luckily takes the nudity in a natural non-sexual way Correction as of writing this; only the Twitter version shows nudity, they had to censor with bras on Webtoons cause it got flagged.

If you want it hotter/steamier, sign up to the artist’s patreon. It’s definitely a nice softish wlw webomic if you’re craving a lil monstergirl flavour.

 Sanguine

Available on Tapas and Webtoons

Full-on adventure fantasy setting set in a world where magic and mages have been persecuted to the point of going into secrecy.

It stars a cute red-riding-hood-like implied secret-royal (that was too much a mouthful) lady named Red, and a tall gorgeous beefy secretly mage lady named Morgan which Red has dragged into her shenanigans with.

It’s early to call this a wlw gem as of the current updates, but it is tagged as lgbt+ so take that with potential further wisdom.

This webcomic uses colour a fair bit to set its tone/mood, but otherwise has a very comfy/warm feeling about it somehow, like some of those old comics/webcomics/novels you would welcome to read while snuggled under blankets. Also the outfits are REALLY nicely designed, and I could definitely see some peeps having fun cosplaying many of these characters.

As the story slowly progresses I am holding with baited breath to how Red and Morgan’s interactions/relationship may or may not evolve, as I am totally an absolute sucker for “friendly/bubbly naïveish character dragging along the cool/grumpy don’t-get-involved character that has a hidden soft heart” trope.

  Straylight Tiger

Available on Webtoons and Tapas

WARNING- while infrequent this one has some blood/gore that will shake you up, though it puts it where it would be most sensible to. Lucky for you most blood in this series is not the usual human-red blood which tones the edge down.

It may have lots of fantasy elements but this one definitely holds its identity as Sci Fi. Set in a futuristic cyberesque city full of both good and bad superhumans (one group being animal shapeshifters and the other being elemental casters), there is an extremist cult out to wreck havoc in the city, so a company responds by recruiting a handful of individuals from all 3 races to make a secret task force to eliminate the threat.

The main character in this story is a secretly-a-tiger shapeshifter named Angeline.

This is probably the most visually colourful of the webcomics in my list and is really using it to charge up its stylistic sci fi setting. Best way I could compare it to; you know those glow-in-the-dark cyber avatars you occasionally see in VRchat? Straylight Tiger matches that visual energy. Of listed so far this is also the most action-packed webcomic on the list. I could almost call it a Trigger-like comic but luckily unlike Studio Trigger it’s not into going nuts on fanservice.

If you’re craving your superhuman sci fi action, this one should at least be checked out. I want to say there’ll be wlw at some point, but it’s too early to call, and if it does I would not expect it to be a major arc when it has larger fish for plot points to deal with.

If you’re craving wlw of at least mc and her weapons-savvy human friend, I highly recommend you checking out the artist Flying Frappe’s twitter to get some sating for you wlw cravings for the two.

 Caricophona

Available on webtoons as well as its own webcomic site

Tragic fantasy setting starring a supermagical woman named Veloice as she is hunted by an Assassin. I tag it as there is an undertone of death in some of the arcs, which give this colourfully magical world a more sombre tone. Among the webcomics on the list this one may be steepest when it comes to catching to speed of the world’s setting/rules/hierarchies but once you do you’ll hunger for this more.

I can’t entirely make a perfect comparison for it (Full Metal Alchemist is as close as I could compare and they are still as different to each other as apples and oranges) but it really has that rich nostalgic old manga style/world/tone to it, and its most welcome to as well.

The world building is rich, and Veloice is a mental/magical powerhouse even if at times she has a fragility about her. The fact she’s a Caricophona; magical beings which tend to either get persecuted or expire early at age from their own condition, definitely helps with giving her a almost “glass canon” energy about her.

While those points have definitely helped hook me in, the thing that tends to excite me the most in this webcomic is Veloice’s interactions with the assassin who’s been send to kill her, named Blackbird. The tension between them, the fact Blackbird both wants to toy with her, Blackbird’s somewhat flirtatious nature towards Veloice OMFG I EAT IT UP!!!! They have such a enemies to lovers feeling to them (though no, they are not lovers- we can dream though) which just gets you so excited.

I should also mention there are two other “primary characters” in the group. Two rich naïve kids ready to help Veloice however they can. You grow to like them (even if they hit tropes that may strike a nerve if you’re tired to their character type), but the mvp of this webcomic for character and interaction has to be Veloice and Blackbird.

 Amongst Us

Available on webtoons and its own website

Say you like Veloice and Blackbird from the previous webcomic, but find the hefty fantasy setting a bit too much, and you’re more for the romance? What if I told you the artist was galaxy brained enough to make a chiller AU? That is what Amongst Us is; a music college-set slice of life with a slow burn romance between Veloice and Blackbird. They’re dorky, their cute, and seeing some of the characters you’re familiar with in Caricophona in a different setting is nice to see.

In some ways Veloice is less proactive in Amongst Us but still feels very in-character of her. The webcomic would end pretty quick if Veloice were to get-to-the-point with Blackbird after all (granted with how we see them in the future together at the start of the webcomic it’s not like they have to be in a hurry anyways).

Seeing a wlw / slice of life set in a college setting rather than a high school setting is extremely welcome. Please, more of this.

 Kiss it Goodbye

Available on Webtoons

Slice of Life high-school beginnings of wlw romance. The artstyle is good, the characters are lovely. We know canonically that they end up together (as the webcomic starts with them in the future where they are a couple, as they begin to weave the story to their curious friends wanting to know how their romance came to be).

It’s not an unwelcome Slice of Life.

 BONUS / HONORABLE MENTIONS

 Mokepon

Available on h0lyhandgrenade’s website

I have honestly not read this one in a while and dropped it like, several years ago, but it was interesting and is still ongoing, so I had to mention it. Set in the Pokemon universe, it stars the main character who has been thrown into the pokemon trainer career while absolutely wanting nothing to do with it. Ends up becoming a rocket grunt which is an interesting change of perspective from many pokemon fancomics. It has old-nuzelocke energy though it is not a Nuzelocke. Be prepared for the brutality as you cry for the pokemon (especially his pikachu). The undying loyalty of his Charmander as he himself struggles with his position as a trainer/grunt is interesting. He is definitely not the usual pokemon trainer protag you’re used to.

 Seven Miles Down

Available on Webtoons

A completed oneshot psychological horror where a girl takes her submarine to the deepest unventured oceanic trench in the world. Tragic end, but horrors can be like that. The psychological nature of the horror is an interesting angle. The rounded cute style may throw you off but it works.

 UnDivine

Availabe on its own website via hiveworkscomics

This comic has since been cancelled from continuation, but is the webcomic to set me off in making this list, so it will still be mentioned in memory/tribute, and is the grand example of why you should interact with the webcomics you read as well as share them; there is a good chance they will not hold on their own without fan interaction and traction. Excuse me as I just use two full-on pages cause I’m wearing out on this list and browsing through tons and tons of pages for highlights wears a peep out.

Modern-set religious fantasy on an island where local their religion may be more than it seems. Stars a boy named Daniel, and Esther the Demon girl. From what can be gleaned the Demongirl knew the “god” of the island’s religion and was double crossed, so has a bone to pick with them and their “angelic” entourage now that she’s free when she got accidentally summoned by Daniel.

This webcomic loves its use of blood, but your grow used to it after a point. The setting is interesting, and its also cool to see how the “angels” are far from the usual “pretty human-like” in their true form and are instead more monstrous than you could say even the Demon Esther is.

A lot of what makes this comic interesting, outside of the “revenge against a god” main plot going on, is how messy the characters can be.

Daniel, Esther, and the one angel named Manual are all pretty interesting in how they interact with their roles that they’ve been put in and how they react to others, and are all very morally grey complex characters.

Daniel is an angst machine who tends to really wear himself out (though how he’s positioned/pressured by the world doesn’t help) and shoot himself in the foot a lot, and that’s even before Esther “turns” him into her lil monstrous pawn, not something you commonly see in main characters from the get-go.

Esther (the tall blondie) while being a Demon ready to get her vengeance on is in many ways naïve/childlike despite her powerful nature, and despite using Daniel as her pawn is shown to grow to have feelings/care for Daniel which is very interesting for “The Contracted Devil” position.

Manual…. We haven’t gotten to see a lot but it’s clear he’s meant to be the angelic hero position but its clear he does not like the position, and he also has a thing for a human woman named Rosamaria but we have not gotten to see why that’s the case.

This webcomic didn’t get the traction it needed to keep going, so was recently cancelled by the artist.

[blaster-aichi]

IF24 speculation screaming

               Preview

With all of the preview caps available, there’s been a lot to take in; from Ibuki with Majesty Lord to Emi’s fairy wings to all the boys’ younger selves playing together in the park. So this might be a tad all over the place but hoping to condense thoughts coherently.

— Emi and Aichi are both shown to be wearing their powered forms; this might be as part of a flashback which covered Emi’s first interaction with Aichi after his disappearance, allowing Shuka to remain in the season past her sacrifice. For Aichi, there seems little reason (or even if it’s possible) for him to done the Alfred costume at this stage, and with his eyes normal, I’ve my doubts that the new screencap of him takes place in the present, more so after the glimpse in the preview after IF23. Something assuming full control isn’t likely to care what state he’s in or continue any pretense that he has any control over himself. It might be in part why Aichi hasn’t paid that much attention to Ibuki, picking to brutalize Ren instead, when their history might be crucial in the foundation of IF’s story. It may come from Emi and Kai’s taking flight, comparing the Aichi of then to the one of now radiating all kinds of ominous energy or Nome’s recounting earlier events. The point for Emi when Aichi was no longer missing but the enemy; she was well aware by her and Shuka’s infiltration in the first episode and we’ve been shown notable moments through their fight, but not the moment when they discovered the identity of the Jammers’ commander-in-chief.

— Twitter Fanguards are excited at the prospect that the young boys playing in the park is a sign that the timeline’s resolution will grant the ideal timeline where no-one is left alone. To be cautiously optimistic, the thought that had come to my mind initially was the scene being a depiction of a timeline that Kai and/or Ibuki are fighting for or one they imagine might have come about if they had done something differently, sparing Aichi the anguish of his IF childhood and connecting everyone far earlier. If it’s the former, there’s hope that IF25 might serve as an epilogue to emphasize on giving us an glimpse at this perfect timeline while the Outside World characters establish all is well on their end and returning to their normal lives.

              Destiny Conductor 2.0 Nome

The glow of Nome’s screencap insinuates his usage of the Akashic Records, but the smile he has is rather ominous, suggesting that his taking off after recruiting Ibuki and Suiko always had a much more sinister undertone to it. The possibility that’s been sprouting personally since Kourin was debunked as being the one pulling Aichi’s strings is that Nome has been the one in that position all along.

During the PsyZombie arc, it’s possible that, whether through Takuto or by another means, Nome became infected by Brandt’s power, positioning him as his brother’s successor. With Brandt defeated once, by taking hold of the Akashic Records, he/it was able to take an entirely different approach: if it couldn’t twist the original timeline to its will, it would use another. The starting point: the boy who crushed Brandt’s ambition.

As established by Takuto as the strongest, Aichi became the primary target of this second effort. Whether the Aichi of IF is his Outside World self pulled within the world and overwritten to live a second childhood like Kai-kun, or the one native to IF World, it works either way.       — Outside World Aichi, who might have still held a fragment of Brandt’s power within him from Destiny Conductor’s direct involvement in his sealing, through his Psyqualia which has remained tainted since, thus never freeing him entirely from the power, even though he was unaware ever since, had that exploited as a seed from which his imagination would fester from the below.      — IF World Aichi, whose life was monitored by Nome, to prevent any future possible encounters with Vanguard. Using the Akashic Records, Nome mapped out both Kai-kun and Aichi’s so the former’s would be as happy and peaceful as possible while the latters’ plunged him into the depths of solitude, haunting him with images of Kai-kun to ready Aichi for breaking, by his own hand or seeing Kai-kun by happenstance. As a result, Aichi’s power had no outlet and festered, spilling over ultimately when Takuto appeared and turned the key. In the scenario of Outside World Aichi, his line “it’s been a while, Kourin” would reference their time together directly, but in the case he was native to IF’s timeline, it might be Brandt speaking through him. In a manner of speaking, IF serves the same purpose as the Sanctuary from Legion Mate; a means of containing Aichi so that he can’t wreck havoc, whether in good way or bad.

The colour scheme of Aichi’s power has resembled Brandt’s and his binding Kai-kun resembled Link Joker’s (a clan with which Brandt has a connection) power to Lock — Ibuki even saying “Unlock” while Superior Realizing Harmonics Messiah — so until it’s 1000% debunked, I’m still clinging to this theory that’s been building over the past few months.

Aichi isn’t Nome/Brandt’s sole target, however. Charged with their duty to oversee the multiverse, the Tatsunagis are in the enemy’s sights. Takuto and Kourin placed half of the family within IF straight away, Rekka and Ren following and we were witness to Nome roping in Ibuki and Suiko. Aichi was used as bait in order to draw the family in its entirety within a world that is distorted to the point of requiring intervention, where the strongest fighter has been twisted into the enemy. There’s simply no coincidence about collecting them in one place, Takuto was used as the objective for Rekka and Ren.     — Takuto specifically has the additional motivation of being the failed first Destiny Conductor. If Brandt has been within Aichi, that might have been reflected in his demeanour leading up to and during the meeting with Takuto; there’s not enough to discern if IF Aichi truly has the hostile side we’ve been seeing or that be a result of the current crisis.     — Like Aichi, if  IF Kai-kun is the Outside World version sealed, that would likewise remove him from being an immediate threat, as one of the strongest Vanguard fighters. Meaning that Ren and Ibuki, as the other greatest threats to a Brandt resurgence, were perfect candidates for the remaining Tatsunagis’ teams, bringing all the vital players for Brandt’s previous failure onto the board.

And in a world without Vanguard, a world where Aichi is overflowing with power that even he couldn’t control, it’s the perfect time for Nome to step onto the stage and reveal himself.

              Emi, Kai and Aichi

The screencap of a winged Emi and Kai gives the impression that they, alone, are heading to the final battle with Aichi, and it’s tremendously fitting. Emi began this journey with one partner by her side, and this way, she would end it with one. Though the nature of that partner will have changed drastically: from someone important to her, who belongs to another world, to someone invaluable to Aichi, presumably native to the timeline with them.

The dynamic between IF Emi, Kai and Aichi is quite unique; with the state of the multiverse in mind, Emi represents the life of isolation Aichi has lived until this point, the only person who was with him throughout years of torment and loneliness. Whereas Kai embodies the possibility wrought from other timelines; what Aichi could and should have grown into, the friends around him that Aichi was meant to have connected with. They represent Aichi’s family and friends respectively, the two people most important to him in IF’s timeline where one was his reality, his daytime, and the other his long-off dream, his nighttime. Both, equally, want him back, even if it might cost the existence of the three of them — like Aichi, they’re prepared to sacrifice themselves if it means grasping what they believe is right.

For those who know Fate/Grand Order, IF very much resembles a Lostbelt, so at the resolution of the fight, with its correction, the world is likely to vanish — with anyone who belongs there. If Aichi, Emi and Kai are all native to IF — and they’re the only characters at the heart of this story who we don’t know for certain come from the Outside World — Emi and Kai separating from the others spares their friends the anguish of losing someone else right before them. The Outside World characters know the cost, but they don’t have to witness it, and can remember Emi and Kai by their happier times. Ibuki and the others instead are charged with stopping Nome’s ambition with the family and their partners gathered as well as seeing the small Kai-kun and Aichi meet, so their assignment to correct history is complete.

Emi and Kai’s battle with Aichi is a much more personal one, so they go ahead to save him by their own hands. Emi to get back the brother she’s been chasing all along, Kai to see the happiness he was gifted shared with the person who gave up so much to protect it, whom he wants to see smile by his side, who he wants to return Blaster Blade to. When Aichi is rescued, the three of them remain together, accepting the end of their world and their anguish. Kai-kun doesn’t return to his parents, having already made the choice of Aichi and the original timeline over them long ago, it serves as a demonstration for Aichi’s eyes that he won’t be left behind in the shadows anymore. After losing so much, none of the trio are alone as they watch their world fading away, reconciling and huddling or even Kai-kun and Aichi having a cardfight so that Kai can share with Aichi the fun they were supposed to have, Emi watching as her brother shows the side she’s always known him to have before someone else. It’s bittersweet, but all three of them could be united and experience true happiness at the end.

[fortunatelyhauntedblackcherry]

Moonshine - A Beetlejuice Fanfiction 11

Warning: swearing, breaking in, panic attack, abusive ex, mention of killing.

Beetlejuice was sitting on the edge of the roof, legs dangling in the air. Only a couple of hours passed by since the boarding-session, but the demon sank back into deep depression already. He pushed his dark purple hair back and sighed. Why does everyone keep leaving me? We could've been such a great team. That little minx and me, wrecking havoc together. He sniffled, wiped his nose into the sleeve of his greyish-blueish coat patterned with pieces of moss, and hummed a song he first used when he lost all hope because of a ghostcouple, right before he tried to talk an edgy teen into summoning him.

- 🎶You're invisible when you’re me, there's no one to see my truth... If they could look up they’d see: "Hey, somebody's on the...🎶 ...pavement? - he stopped as he spotted a man on the sidewalk, drunkenly lurching towards the house. In his left hand there was a bottle of booze, half empty, the stench nettling Beetlejuice's acute demon nose. Cheap whiskey. His mother drank this when he was a child.

He stood up and watched the man for a minute. Yepp, he was definitely heading towards the house, it wasn't just a coincidence that a drunk person somehow winded up on the farthest outskirt of the Connecticut town. Even though he was still very angry at Ari and her party pooper sisters, he floated through his favorite breather's bedroom window, and headed straight to the sleeping girl. Ari's laptop was down on the floor, the fourth Nightmare on Elm Street movie was playing. Beetlejuice smiled lightly at the sweet gesture. Ari was laying on her belly in her bed, quietly breathing with a bit of saliva dripping from her lower lip, snuggling up to Sirius.

- Ari... - BJ called softly but no answer came. So he tried one more time, now a bit louder. - Ari... - he sighed as Sirius opened up his eyes and blinked sleepily at the demon. - I can't believe that you're in such a deep sleep, babes. - Sirius turned his scruffy head sideways. - ARIADNÉ! - the girl suddenly lifted her head up, startled because of the abrupt noise.

- YES WHAT I'M AWAKE. - she stated in a sleepy voice, hastily opening her gummed eyes. She wiped her peepers, yawned and reached for her phone. - Shit, Beetlejuice, it's 2 in the morning, do you really wanna talk about tonight AT THIS UNGODLY HOUR? I told you, I'll talk to my sisters about...

- There's someone in the garden. - he caught Ari up in her speech. The girl's eyes widened.

- What? - she said in a sleepy tone as she sat up in bed.

- I don't know why I'm warning you, every single one of you would deserve to die since you've been so mean to me, but babes I think somebody wants to break into the house. Demon sixth sense. - Ari hurled the covers away from herself, blinking away every last drop of sleepiness, got off the bed and reached under it. She came back with a baseball bat, embedded with nails. Sirius jumped off the bed too and ran to Rei's room.

- Good boy, he knows what to do. - stated Ari as she got out into the hallway. - Thanks for telling me we're in danger. - she said quietly to Beetlejuice as she headed down the stairs. - I thought you're still mad at me, it's good to know that you're not furious anymore. - she got into the downstairs hallway, and made double sure that she locked the door of the winter garden. - Back in Europe there were a lot of times that someone wanted to break into our house, you know, we lived in a kinda messy neighborhood, so we know how to deal with these situations. - while she talked, she checked every door and window if they were closed properly. - I check shit and get ready to beat the living shit out of someone and thus getting freed from my built up anger, Sirius wakes up Rei, Rei calls the police, Sof sleeps through the whole thing. She's like a dormouse. - she explained. Beetlejuice floated next to her, examining her plaything and her buttocks which were only covered by an oversized ACDC t-shirt and a pair of boxers.

- Well I couldn't be angry at someone who has such a nice ass for a long time... - he said but was interrupted by a couple of uncoordinated knocks. They came from the front door. Ari ran over, holding her baseball bat tightly. As soon as she got to the door, she swang it above her head.

- Be warned, I am armed and we already called the police. - she stated in a serious matter which legitimately surprised Beetlejuice. She looked mean. - Go away buddy and let's continue our night peacefully.

- Honey it's me, let me in and let's talk! - stuttered a drunken male voice from the other side of the door. Ari's eyes widened and her lips opened in surprise. The mean look she had just a moment ago, disappeared.

- No way... - she whispered to herself. She suddenly shook her head, closed her eyes for a moment and clutched the bat even harder. Her fingers turned white. Something's wrong, realized BJ. He never saw that look, that frightened, anxious look before. Something's fucky.

- I don't know how can you be here and not in jail, but go away! - she almost screamed the last words. She tried to put back her mean face but her eyes and her lips hardly pressed together reflected fear. Legitimate, pure fear.

- Please don't tell me that it's... - asked Beetlejuice but Ari cut in with nodding. Matthias. Evil ex. Gotta kill.

- Good behavior, baby. - the man on the other side of the door said with a small laugh. - Please Ari let's just talk...

- NO! - the girl screamed. Beetlejuice noticed that her breathing got shaky and heavy. - LEAVE ME ALONE!!! - the man pounded his fist on the door.

- YOU OPEN THIS DOOR NOW ARIADNÉ! - he shouted. Ari flinched and lowered her arms abruptly. She breathed even shakier now. The man on the other side of the door cleared his throat. - Please sweetcheeks, I changed!

- You will never change! You're always going to be a mentally abusive pinche puto! - said Ari, whose eyes started to get teary. - Go hug a landmine!

Beetlejuice couldn't handle himself for any longer. His dark purple hair was already in a kind of red shade, and his eyes glitched with anger.

- If you keep your promise, I'll keep mine. Summon me and I'll rip him into pieces. - his disembodied voice sounded even more croaky then before. It sounded like it came from every direction possible. It made Ari's hair stand on end. She gulped and answered in an undertone.

- Murder is never the answer... I'm sure the police will do their job... - Beetlejuice rolled his eyes, and let out a guttural, gravelly annoyed sigh.

- No, you're right, murder is a question. - he stopped for a moment, stepped closer to the shaking girl whose eyes were fixated on the door. - And the answer is yes. You know he deserves it. Some people can't be stopped any other way. And I feel this jerk is one of them. Demon sixth sense.

As he said the last sentence, the banging on the door and that drunk idiot screaming the girl's name constantly started again. Ari jumped and dropped her baseball bat. She pushed her back against the wall. With a shaky hand, she grabbed her chest while breathing heavily. She closed her eyes, breathed in deeply a couple of times then couldn't take it anymore.

- VETE A LA MIERDA!!! - she screamed just before Rei ran into the hall, phone pressed to her ear.

- Yes, he's still here, right before the door. - she quicky looked at Ari and as soon as she realized how she trembled, she launched herself at her sister, lowering her phone. - Holy shit, Ari, what happened? You're shaking, baby...

- Rei?! - asked the voice from the other side of the door. His voice got honeyed in a second. - Dear Rei, please, sweetheart, let me in, let me talk to your lovely sister about coming back to me! - Rei's jaw dropped.

- What the everliving fuck. - she said. She hugged Ari tightly and put on a mean face. - Go home Matt, leave us alone! Ari doesn't want to see you ever again! I already called the police! - the man growled and pounded his fist on the door.

- Hit that fuckin door one more time... - grumbled Beetlejuice while staying close to his breather friendo. They got so close so quickly, and to be perfectly honest he really wanted to end this guy to keep her safe.

- See, Ari, she's talking against me! - his voice was so honeyed it made Ari nauseous. - These assholes, your sisters, are keeping you away from me! I know you love, you've always been a good girl, if they wouldn't have messed up your mind with their stupid nonsenses, you'd have never left me! They made you blind, you know that I truly love you and that we belong together!

- I feel like I can't breathe... - said the trembling girl with bated breath, clutching her chest while holding Rei's hand close. - My heart hurts so much...

- Ari, baby, we were meant to be one! - no answer came so he lowered his voice a bit and stuttered. - You know, am I right?! - again, no answer, so the man slapped the door with his palm. - ARIADNÉ ANSWER ME! YOU KNOW THAT YOU WERE MEANT TO BE MINE! - Ari lifted her head up. Her eyes were full of tears and she spoke in a very low voice.

- Please Matthias... Leave me alone... We were kids, it's been a long time ago... I don't love you anymore, please understand... Just leave me be...

- Yes we were, but see?! You talk so nicely! I made you kind! You are the way you are because of me!

- Entitled shithead... - commented Beetlejuice. Ari smirked and got herself together for a moment. Anger found its way into her eyes.

-...no. I am kind because I choose to be, because I cannot allow anyone to see what I've been through. You made me scared, angry, and vulnerable. I made myself like this. Now go... AWAY!!!

Ari was shaking, both from the panic attack and the anger. The guy lowered his voice and BJ definitely heard a familiar tone in his speech. An evil tone.

- You know what? I wanted to talk through this but okay. Fine. Have it your way. - he pounded his fist on the door one last time and then lurched away, as they heard.

It took Ari at least half an hour to get through the panic attack. She was sitting on the living room floor now, staring before herself, sipping water with a straw from her favorite glass with Minerva snuggling in her lap. When the man left, Ari told Rei to keep talking with the police, she'll be alright. She took deep breaths like her middle sister taught her, but what mostly helped was that Beetlejuice just talked to her. He was trying, very awkwardly, but was trying to talk to his friend about calming down and everything being okay. He heard how to do it a week ago. A couple of minutes after Ari finally got kind of better, a very grumpy and sleepy Sof joined them, who got woken up since "Sirius jumped on me several times and now I think I'm bleeding internally." Ari told her what happened and just finished the story when Rei showed up.

- Well the police is not sending any help.

- WHAT?! - asked both Ari and Sofía.

- The dispatcher said that they sent out a car, they looked around the area, but didn't see anything suspicious so they left... - she took her glasses off and rubbed the bridge of her nose. - He told me that if the intruder comes back, and breaks in, then they can intervene in the situation. - she collapsed onto the ground, next to her sisters. - I'm still saying that drug lords are better at keeping people safe than the police, guys...

Since none of them was talking, Beetlejuice floated above Ari and left a sly remark, his croaky voice echoing in the girl's ear.

- You know he's gonna come back, don't you?

- Oh he surely will. - answered Ari right before she let out an annoyed chuckle. - He's a persistent motherfucker... - she looked at her sisters who were waiting for her to explain. - Our houseguest just remarked that in his opinion Matthias is gonna come back. And to be honest, same.

All of a sudden, Beetlejuice started to perk his ears up like a watchdog. He sniffed around, angry red locks lighting up as he identified the familiar stench.

- And speaking of the devil... - he spit the words out between his teeth right before the sound of glass breaking came from the winter garden. All three of the sisters stared at the winter garden's door, frozen in fear. A couple of seconds later the familiar banging started on the back door, with Matthias talking in a honeyed voice and drunken giggling from another men from the back. Sirius showed his teeth, growled and barked at the door. Sofía was the first to act, she grabbed Ari's hand and pulled her to the front door. She grabbed her keys from the hallway table.

- We're getting out of here, we get into the car and onto the police station. - she stated and put her keys in the lock. Out of curiosity, she looked out the peeping hole. She jumped back and removed her keys. - Someone's out there. A man with a gun is standing before the door. - she started to breath heavily. - We're trapped.

Ari started to went astern as she grabbed Rei's hand.

- ARIADNÉ! - the girls all looked the door and gulped. So this is why people just stand around in horror movies. Fear. - Open the...open the door, please... Ari, just open the door... We don't need to fight anymore! Just... Open up... - Matthias slapped the backdoor again. - I SAID OPEN UP!

- Okay I'll call the police again. He's practically in the house. - said Rei and she grabbed her phone.

Ariadné collapsed on the living room floor and pushed her back to the back of the sofa, eyes wide with fear and anger, thoughts running around in her head. She had to act quick. She realized it was a fight or die situation.

- And what will they do, ha? - she said in a brittle voice. - Put him in jail for another 3 years because he's on "good behavior"? It would all start again guys, he'd find me again... - she looked deep into Rei's eyes who lowered her phone. - I want to live freely! And deep down both of you know that there's only one who can stop him...

- ARI, NO! - screamed Sofía.

- ARI, YES! - shouted Beetlejuice as he stood next to Ari. A toothy grin appeared on his face, his eyes glowing. His hair was a weird mixture of yellow, green and burgundy. - You scratch my back, I scratch yours! You remember, three times in a row it must be spoken, unbroken! - the husky voice filled Ari's ears. She made a decision.

- You don't know what will happen! - said Sofía, intermittently looking at the door, which was now hammered by at least 3 man who tried to break the hinges. - You can't do this! We'll find another way out, just...

- I CAN'T KEEP LIVING LIKE THIS! - chimed in Ari with a raucous tone. - IN CONSTANT FEAR, FRIGHTENED FOR MY FAMILY, MY FRIENDS, MY LIFE! I wanna be free! I'm so sorry guys but I have to do this... for myself... - she closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them up, they were sparkling with dedication. - Beetlejuice!

Green smoke started to fill the air, seeping from the ground next to Ari. Beetlejuice felt his body filling up with power. Sofía and Rei stepped back.

- Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! I'm so glad you realized you have a solid plan B option! You are never going to regret this! - Ari looked around in surprise, a shy smile found its way to her face

- Beetlejuice! - she said confidentially, and the ground moved. They heard that all of a sudden it started to rain, the sky rumbled and lightnings appeared. The flashing lights filled the living room.

- This is gonna be so good! - his voice was almost horny. He felt his powers returning, and his smile got wider and wider. Not humanly wide. - Give me just... one... more...

- YOU DON'T KNOW HOW HE'LL REACT! - screamed Sofi who tried to launch herself at Ari but Rei pulled her back. Rei nodded at Ari who took a deep breath.

- BEETLEJUICE! - she shouted and the world rumbled. Beetlejuice crouched next to Ari, leaned close to her and whispered into her ear. The girls' hair stood on end as the gravely voice filled her head.

- It's showtime!

[iiceddorklatte]

the difference between characters in beetlejuice (movie.cartoon.musical) pt.1

okay people so I have noticed that there are major differences between all the characters in B.J. and how different or similar they are

and YES I did stay up till one making an excel spreadsheet to explain this

SO that being said I had to split it up into three different parts and this first part is just Betelgeuse and Lydia, ill post the next one sometime later

first up our main trash demon

Betelgeuse:

similarities

 between all:

iconic pin stripe suit

wild greenish hair

pale af

crude humor

personal space issues

lonely boi™

semi evil boys

 movie and cartoon:

semi balding

southern voices

randomly summons shit out of thin air for the fun of it

weird yellow eyes

big ass eye bags and purple undertones

 cartoon and musical:

tries really hard 

love’s their bestie(Lydia)

can be evil, but will do the right thing for their friend

trickster boi’s

questionable life choices

will only protect one (1) person

 musical and movie:

no filter

horny dead boi’s

will actually kill you for no reason

actual dangerous boi’s

not afraid to randomly kiss someone

marries Lydia....

differences

 movie:

straight as the gays ain’t

will harass women 

actually want’s to marry Lydia

doesn’t respect anyone

deserves anything thrown back at his face

trash

looks like he could kill you, could actually kill you

 cartoon:

legally not allowed to say f*ck

legally not allowed to s p i c e

bestie is Lydia

didn’t try to marry her though

respects some people

pun master

mom is super sweet

can’t kill anyone

but will throw hands

praises the ground where Lydia walks

(the man has a whole shrine dedicated to her in his mind)

looks like he could kill you, is actually a cinnamon roll

 musical:

hot racoon boi

evil at first, but then changes

marries Lydia, for that green card tho

wants one (1) friend

honestly cares about Lydia and is her Bestie

chaotic but nice boy

pansexual 

can make copies of himself

respects all women 

men....that’s questionable

tries his best

mom is a hoe

bad childhood

sinnamon roll

Now for the gothic scarecrow herself

Lydia:

similarities

between all:

gothic teen

photography is a must

dead mom

strange and unusual™

pale girls

all 14 or 17(early to mid teens)

not a great relationship with dad or Delia

interested in the supernatural

movie and cartoon:

spikey bangs and pony tail

younger teen

(honestly these two don’t have that much in common)

private all girls school

cartoon and musical:

independent woman

can control Betelgeuse 

puts up with his shenanigans

not afraid to speak her mind

slytherins

bomb bangs

musical and movie:

eccentric goth style

wide brim hat

adoptive parents are the Maitlands

has to marry betelgeuse

tricked by BJ many times

no friends

iconic red wedding dress

differences

movie:

helpless

really bad relationship with BJ

tricked into getting married

flowy goth skirt and shirt

actually hates Delia and Charles 

looks like they could kill you, is actually a cinnamon roll

cartoon:

red spider web tunic

can travel to the netherworld

meets BJ’s other friends

annoyed by Delia and Charles

looks like a cinnamon roll, is a cinnamon roll

musical:

is short, but is spiritually 7 feet tall

tricks BJ in the end

kills him

but still besties

helps bj in wrecking havoc around the neighborhood

complicated relationship with Delia and Charles

love-hate mostly

looks like they could kill you, could actually kill you

Okay that was it for this part- idk how long it will take for me to post the other ones, but honestly this took awhile

[easivr-a]

-------- @nvrlndhqs​

peter thought everything was good. aunt may was cured, the city was cured, and he had managed to help get everyone that had escaped prison back into prison. he’s also helped his aunt rebuild the homeless shelter, gained trust within the police department once more and has spent time training miles’ development in between classes and his work studies. it’s now been weeks since everything went down. radio silence on all corners of new york city - which he’s entirely too thankful for. the superhero is hand-in-hand with savannah, his thumb trailing over his skin as a laugh escapes. “you might just be onto something.” his head shakes, nudging her shoulder gently. “let’s go back to my place. i have an early morning with miles, and your apartment is just too far.” he grins teasingly, spinning her in a circle before he wraps an arm around her waist and lifts her up. they’re walking by a television store when the screen suddenly changes. his attention is caught, brows quirking together as he stops and slowly sets savannah back down.

An interesting development is coming out of Raft Prison tonight. The newscaster says, a serious undertone coming over her voice. Guards were doing their rounds when they found Adrian Toomes missing in his cell with a note from Doctor Octavius, promising return for the others. His brows crease together, his head shaking a bit. “That’s impossible.” He mutters quietly, licking over his lesser lip as his arms wrap around his middle. “There’s no way either of them had contact. I made su--” He’s cut off with the sound of gun shots echo through the room, and his eyes widen a bit a hand coming up to cover his mouth when the two villains appear before the camera. “Oh no,” Peter breathes, his head shaking a bit as he gets his web shooters on. 

Good evening, New York City! We have decided to make our announcement quite public. In with the youths, I might add, because we have a very important announcement. There’s no need to make an attempt at changing the stations - we’ve made sure that every television channel is on us. It’s imperative that you listen; because there’s a truth that we’ve been dying to tell. A few months ago, our dear friend and beloved Spider-Man made a choice. One that drastically left me altered. He left me to die in a building after I was infected by the same poison that you all were. Admittedly, it gave me powers; and I was in the wrong, but Spider-Man left me to die in a tower that was crumbling. Don’t believe me? See for yourself. 

It’s then that a video is played, and it’s not entirely clear that it’s been altered: showing the scene entirely differently from what Peter remembers it to be. 

Spider-Man is a danger to society. Look at the destruction that’s wrecked New York since he’s made an appearance almost ten years ago. Look at the utter havoc, the alien technology, and the absolute anarchy. The family members you’ve all lost and least we forget the shortage in jobs from the damage. And it’s funny because beneath the mask lies a science nerd that went to midtown high. One that I worked hard with, one that used me for his own gain and played me like a fiddle. He’s been playing all of us since the murder of his uncle, and the murder of his parents. He has a dangerous vendetta. We need action. We need justice. We need Peter Parker arrested and trailed for the murders of our good people. 

[nova-moshi]

Void Termina Headcannons

Alrighty! I'm finally getting around to posting these headcannons for Void Termina! This is of course @painter-marx 's Void puffball so this is all based around him! I literally made these a day before they made all the newer posts-

None of this is meant to be 'true' and you can disregard these if you so like but this pure boy was too cute and precious to pass up making headcannons for!!

Headcannons on top of headcannons, crazy.

☆☆☆

Void Termina can extend his mouth to a great length to sometimes reveal a dark eye, or to simply inhale anything he pleases. The mask is an optional feature, but the Dark Lord sometimes puts it on if he's embarrassed.

Void Termina's face is constantly in a neutral stance, changing either slightly via frowning or dramatically when he laughs.

Personality

Being created from the goodness of Kirby’s hearts the Dark Lord is now but a simple creature who cannot remember what he once was. Instead of bringing destruction and wrecking havoc upon the universe like Lord Hyness expected, Void Termina wants to be as pure as the person who brought him into existence.

He goes by Void and sticks by Kirby’s side at all times. Void is uncharacteristically quiet, who only speaks in long sentences if he must. His voice is airy and childish like Kirby’s, but is soft and has some dark undertones to it. He is also a very slow talker, taking great care to emphasize every word he utters, whilst also having a slight lisp that amuses Kirby to no end.

While certainly being a god of destruction can yield great maturity: Void can be incredibly childish if none pay attention to him and what he is saying. His unbroken features will slightly go into a frown and he will stomp his foot impatiently. If that doesn't work he will forcibly get up into a person’s face to get the attention he desires.  

Main headcanons

☆ His lisp

[Whilst also having a slight lisp that amuses Kirby to no end.]

☆ His morbid curiosity

[He doesn't really understand the concept of death, and has no fear of getting hurt if whatever he is doing quenches his thirst for knowledge.]

☆ His childishness

[Void can also be incredibly childish if none pay attention to him and what he is saying.]

Extra Headcanons

Void also takes influence from Kirby and loves to play simple games. He is easily amused by most things, even if his face shows no clear reaction. The games he likes most are hide and seek and tag, where he wins and losses equally as much.

Of course, Void is has his mischievous side as well, which he has yet to grow out of. He will pull ‘pranks’ on Kirby that scare the tiny puffball. Most of these antics involve him changing to his soul form. He doesn't know any better that it's mean, but Kirby let's him have his fun most times, as not to upset him too badly. Void can also mimic other’s voices with surprising accuracy.

Natural curiosity is also something embedded within Void, and he will get himself (And to a greater extent Kirby) in mountains of trouble because of it. He doesn't really understand the concept of death, and has no fear of getting hurt if whatever he is doing quenches his thirst for knowledge. (Seriously he wouldn't even bat an eye at seeing Zero2 for the first time)

Void keeps his original mask with himself almost all the time, using it mostly when he comes upon strangers. If he becomes embarrassed, which is almost frequently since his rebirth, he hides behind his mask and doesn't come back out until he and Kirby leave the area. Another childish factor being he hiding behind Kirby to avoid eye contact with some people.

Relationships

Kirby

Kirby is Void’s closest friend, literally. He will never leave the hero’s side if he can help it. He relies on Kirby for teaching him how to properly act in society, and keeps him company if some might shy away from him. Kirby is someone Void Termina trusts a whole lot, and it goes pretty far considering he (was) a chaos god.

Bandana Waddle Dee

Void has only seen the tentative Waddle Dee a few times, and most of their encounters were mildly awkward. Void can tell he's afraid of him, but Kirby won't tell him much of his supposed dark past to give him a reason why.

King Dedede

The King of Dreamland, Void could tell he was very boastful. Although he admired him for being so confident to rule a whole country. He listened to the great penguin king chatter on about the adventures he and Kirby had at times.

Meta Knight

Void is curious about Meta Knight, but dares not approach him. He clearly doesn't trust him, and that's enough to raise Void’s cause for caution. He thinks it's a shame, he feels he could learn a lot from the stoic knight.

Lord Hyness

Void doesn't know much about the cultist who tried to summon him back, but from what he has heard of him wasn't friendly. He is grateful that someone wanted him back alive, but sad it was for the wrong reasons. He doesn't know where Hyness is now, but doesn't particularly want to find him either.

The Generals

Three girls whom Hyness abused outright. Void set them free from his clutches and sometimes worries how they are fairing. He feels a kind spirit in them, despite working for the wrong cause. He respects the girls for putting up with so much.

☆☆☆

There we go! I'm sorry Painter if these go against what you were thinking I just wanted to give more life to your wonderful what if <3

[maddblackgemini]

[Book Review] My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite *spoiler alert*

This was my end of the year palate cleanser book. It was a light, short, darkly humored mystery thriller that entertained me to no end. I consumed this book in 24 hours and I don't regret a thing. I waffled between 4 and 5 stars because... I don't know... I couldn't find anything wrong with this book. I was laughing, I was serious, I was annoyed, I was sympathetic, I was apathetic... I mean I swung through the gauntlet of moods/emotions throughout this short mystery novel. 

When I read: "We take him to where we took the last one - over the bridge and into the water. At least he won't be lonely" on page 4, I knew I was going to be in for a wild ride! I was not disappointed at all. I also loved the somewhat poetic, staccato prose that I felt while reading this book. The language made for an easy short read, and I just flew through the chapters like I was eating Lays Potato chips (just can't have one!). 

There are a few dark undertones here that I feel the author wanted to bring out to light. Ayoola, the younger sister is (in my opinion) acting out in ways she could not do so when her father was alive. Her father, violently abusive, was allowed to wreck havoc in their lives with no regards. He even set her up to be possibly betrothed at the age of 14! He was brutal and unrelenting. I feel as though Ayoola was coming to grips with her father's abuse in these murders that she committed of the guys she dated. There was also the undertone of how men, often times fraught with toxic masculinity, can behave in any way and get away with it. "The knife was for her protection. You never knew with men, they wanted what they wanted when they wanted it." (p. 8) Ayoola was the one who tried to get them before they got her. However, there were a few things working for and against her... she was the favorite daughter, the beautiful one, the spoiled one, the one who got her way always, even if she had to kill for it, and the one everyone believed could do no wrong. 

The oldest sister, Korede, is an unfortunate enabler. She loves her sister and has to protect her at all costs no matter the consequences. She feels responsible for her, especially as the oldest sister, she can't let any harm happen to her sister. Korede may have learned the behavior of enabling through protecting her sister during her father's raging abuse, and because her mother has told her before, that she's the oldest sister and needs to protect her sister from danger. However, Korede is OCD, and needs to clean, everything, in order to gain back control/order. Ayoola knows this, and knows that her sister will protect her from anything at any cost, and clean up her messes. The two of them are a messy package to say the least. 

The humor is dry in this novel, but it packs quite a punch. You are able to see everything for what it is, there is no hiding. No secrets. It is, what it is. You also kind of sympathize with them as they discuss their father and his horrific behavior. "We didn't call him Daddy. We never had. He was not a daddy, at least not in the way the word "daddy" denotes. One could hardly consider him a father. He was the law in our home." (p. 184) 

Both sisters have flaws. Both need each other. Both are using the other as a crutch. However, Korede knows this, and wants to rectify this situation, but not sure if she can or should she, given the circumstances as to choosing family over a man's welfare. 

I was very interested in learning how Korede told everything to Muhtar, the comatose patient in room 313. It was funny that he would wake up and remember things that Korede confessed to while he was in a coma. However, the more she talked to him (when he was awake) the more she leaned towards doing the right thing and stopping her enabling. However, when she set fire to his number, it seemed like all of the right way of thinking went out the window, and they were back where they (the two sisters) started. 

Enabling is a fierce disease. Something that becomes so engrained that a person feels guilty

for not being there for that person who's being enabled. As the enabler, you basically are a co-conspirator to whatever they are doing because you are not stopping them even when you know they are wrong. Ayoola knew that Korede would do anything for her. "It's him or me, Korede." "Ayoola..." "You can't sit on the fence forever." (p. 207)

I'm so glad that I read this book. I kind of wished I had read this before, but seeing that it's the end of the year, and I needed a light read before the new year, this came at a perfect time. I would rate this book a 4.5. You can easily read this book in one sitting or a day with no problem, and it will have you entertained with no problems through the whole of it. I can't wait to read more from this author! 

[flickdirect]

Whether you love him or you hate him…he doesn't really care. He's the Merc with a mouth, the Frozen to your Yentl, the X - Force to your X-Men, the.. well you get the picture. Or do you need me to draw you one? After the incredible worldwide success of Deadpool in 2016, you knew it was inevitable that there would be a sequel and we got it in May of 2018. Of course, three months later it's time for the 4k Blu-ray combo pack to make its debut and like everything Deadpool, it's supercharged and extra large. Deadpool 2 - The Super Duper Cut offers not only extras but 15 extra minutes that weren't in the original theatrical release.

Wade Wilson/Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds; Green Lantern…just kidding - Buried) has really grown into his own as a mercenary in this second installment of what will hopefully be at least a trilogy. As the film opens he is traveling the world killing bad guys for money. However, back home in the United States, he makes a fatal error and the bad guy gets away. This leads to (spoiler alert) Vanessa's (Morena Baccarin; Gotham) death. Thrown into depression and despair, Wade tries everyday imaginable to kill himself. Sadly, when nothing works he reluctantly joins the X-Men…trainee program.

That is where he meets the unfortunately named Russell/FireFist (Julian Dennison; Hunt for the Wilderpeople). Russell is a 14-year-old boy who tries to kill the headmaster of the mutant home he lives in because he is being abused by the staff and headmaster. Wade tries to save Russell but they both end up in jail. While there Cable (Josh Brolin; No Country for Old Men) comes to kill Russell before he can become angry and destructive. and wreck havoc in the future. When a turn of events has Deadpool and Cable teaming up, Deadpool convinces Cable to give him 30 seconds to try and stop Russell and save his life.

One would think that Ryan Reynolds would be skeptical to take on another superhero after the less than stellar performance of The Green Lantern but Deadpool is a part he was meant to play. Sarcastic and snarky, Reynolds nails each line giving both films their hilarious undertones. Brolin is well suited to the role of Cable. He is serious and brooding and is a stark contrast to the rest of the humorous laden cast. Dennison is good as the teenager on a rampage and the supporting cast just make the film flow seamlessly with hilarious one-liners throughout.

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment went all out on this combo pack giving fans four different discs and a plethora of extras. Besides the digital code, there is the Blu-ray disc, the extended version lu-ray disc, the 4k version and the 4k extended version with 15 more minutes of footage to enjoy. The 4k discs are 2160p video quality and the upgrade really pays off as you can see every minute detail in sharp clarity. From the fuzz on Wade's sweater to the scars on Cable's face every item can be seen clearly. The Dolby Atmos audio is an excellent complement to the superior video quality. From the eclectic soundtrack and the sound effects to the numerous and fast-paced dialogue, the audio is clean and crisp and envelopes the viewer for a fuller experience. There are also numerous extras to sit through with over an hour of hilarious bits and pieces including made-up trailers and teasers and behind the scenes footage.

If the first Deadpool movie was funny and shocking the second is even more so with raunchier jokes and gags throughout. The script may not be as good as the original but it is still an enjoyable way to spend a few hours. For fans, this combo pack is a must have as the extended scenes are woven seamlessly throughout the movie and the extras are worth watching more than once.

Grade: A-

About Allison Hazlett-Rose Allison Hazlett-Rose has always had a passion for the arts and uses her organization skills to help keep FlickDirect prosperous. Mrs. Hazlett-Rose oversees and supervises the correspondents and critics that are part of the FlickDirect team. Mrs. Hazlett-Rose attended Hofstra University where she earned her bachelors degree in communications and is Vice Chair of the Florida Film Critics Circle.

Read more reviews and content by Allison Hazlett-Rose.

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