#you DO have those sedatives you used in white rabbit after all!

[ghostlyarchaeologist]

I mean, he's not wrong!

Leverage S01E06 The Miracle Job.

[yandere-society]

The Rabbit Hole

Summary: The Windy City in the mid-1920s is a spectacle of lights and sounds, roaring with the excitement of jazz music and swinging dance moves. Amid the brilliant stars of Chicago nightlife, there is a dark underground of secrets, mainly that being the mysterious Wonderland Ball you've been invited to participate in and be crowned the next "Alice". What you don't know is you may or may not be allowed to leave, per the Mad Hatter and a White Rabbit's desires. So, daring and brave as you are, you decide to take a journey down The Rabbit Hole and come face to face with high society - people - as you've never seen them before.

Genre: Yandere; Historical Fiction/ Fantasy Based In The 1920′s; Smut; Thriller; Alice in Wonderland Inspired 

Warnings: Yandere themes, Mentions of drug/ alcohol use with/without consent, mentions of “gangsters”, light talks of selling your soul/ the devil/ religious “themes”?, sedative drugs used non-consensually, vivid dreams/nightmares, maybe light profanity? Smut: Non-protected sex (twice), creampies, oral sex (f and m receiving/giving), slight nipple play?, spanking, marking, bruising, slightly rough sex, use of a sex swing/ sex swing intercourse, f and m orgasms. I think that’s it. 

Pairings: Jeon Jungkook (White Rabbit) x Reader (Alice) x Kim Seokjin (Mad Hatter), Side Pairing of Johnny (Jonathan) Suh from NCT x Reader, Johnny x Jung Jaehyun from NCT.

Author’s Notes: This is not going to be a historically accurate piece. As much as I am an advocate for research and learning about the times of old, I am only human and I am short on time researching in between my full time job. I have grown up and currently live in Chicago and I have never written a story about the Windy City before so here I am, writing to you about the wonderful city I call home. I am doing my best to stay true to my writing as well as make it as accurate as one can, but please forgive me if there are faults in this story! 

We are not doing a collective Valentine’s Day event this year but the contents of this piece have been weighing heavily on my mind, so I asked if I could write this story for a little something-something. I hope you all enjoy it!

Written By: Admin 💖 @therealmintedmango​ 

Also, who do you think the other boys from BTS are from Alice in Wonderland in this story? I’d love to know! 

Stepping out of my very own vehicle my future husband’s family sent for me, I take in the sights and the sounds that Chicago provides this snowy afternoon. 

People waltz around one another and mingle about, snow crunching under their feet. The faint sounds of jingle bells float down the streets in the chilly air, it smells of popcorn and roasted nuts as well as the sludge of gasoline tainting the snow. A cold breeze gliding across the buildings nearly knocks me off my feet as I look up to my new place of residence, a new high-rise Michigan Ave. The stars above my head seem to sparkle in the dark sky, or are those just the electric lights from the grand buildings surrounding me? 

Curious, I think as I continue to have my sights set above the horizon. I’ve certainly strayed very far from the corn fields of back home. Inhaling the sharp, bitterly cold air around me, I feel a sense of dread almost wash over my senses. I knew what I was signing up for when I came here. Jonathan and I discussed it in great detail over the wire. 

The reality of the situation is finally sinking into my layers of clothing. 

Jonathan Suh, the grandson of Suh Realtor Industries Incorporated - which owns about one third of Chicago - has asked me to marry him. It was seemingly out of the blue too. I was going to spend the next years of my life trying to marry into the best livestock or vegetable farmer in town, not the filthy rich grandson in a large city. It felt like a dream when he called me and begged me to come as soon as possible. I suppose it pays off to be kind to everyone, especially when it felt like it was yesterday we were both in grammar school together. 

I drink it all in, the busy sounds, the cold night air that leaves me feeling bitter and raw standing in the street while snow begins to descend from the blackened sky. It feels foreign to me even though it’s only about two hours away from the farm. The breeze blistering in from the west sends a chill up my spine. 

This is a new beginning, I ponder to myself as I stretch upwards in the middle of the sidewalk. This is my chance at a better life, this is way better than being some poor, sad farm girl. That’s right! I’m going to be the wife of my childhood friend who just happened to be some rich playboy who has more money than he knows what to do with.

I’m going to be a Suh!

...Even if the whole arrangement is a sham...

“Miss, you are going to freeze to death outside!” Jonathan’s maids rush to usher me out of the cold quickly, but not before I accidentally bump into someone on the busy sidewalk. 

“I beg you to pardon me,” I mumble as I set my sights over my shoulder on a man dressed in a long coat with hair as white as the snow currently blanketing the ground. “You’ll have to forgive me, I am just enraptured with how bright Chicago seems to shine at night.” 

The man’s seemingly red eyes expand with my excitement, then soften. “No pardon to beg, Miss…?” He queries, a bloom of warmth spreading across his face.  

“Suh.” I smile as the men shout from my car they have finished unpacking. “Well, I am the future Mrs. Jonathan Suh. For now I suppose I am still Y/N Y/L/N.”

“Strange, I didn’t think he… Well, never mind that now.” His eyes linger on mine. “Johnny’s got good taste.” I hear him mumble under his breath in a deep tone, slurring his words together in a string. “Well, I can’t wait to see more of you, future Mrs. Jonathan Suh.” He says as he swings his coat behind himself and takes off down the street, the crowd and the night dissolving him like a pill in warm water. 

Curious and curiouser this night becomes, I think as the maids finally have enough of me standing about in the cold. 

“Do you know who that was?” I ask the hoard of them, hoping someone has the answer to my bump in the night with a rather odd fellow. My heart is beating but I’m not sure what for. I know my place. I know why he called me… My fate was sealed as soon as I got the wire from my future husband.

The collective flock shake their heads and mutter polite “noes” as they lead me up grand staircases of marble and through dim corridors at this time of night, leaving my brain a drifting piece of snow in the blizzard that will surely accumulate outside overnight. 

“Right this way.” A young redhead coos as she parades me up what must be my twentieth flight of stairs I’ve climbed this evening. “Master Suh will be so happy you are here at last!” They lead me into a beautiful room with the most lavish furniture I’ve ever seen in my life! Magazines and pictures certainly don’t bestow such fine items with quite the same honor as seeing such beauty in person. 

“Madam Suh has a full schedule for you this weekend.” One of the elderly looking women dares to swoon as she says, “Wedding planning, I’m sure, no doubt.” My coat is taken from me and I am given house slippers to wear. 

The flock - or really I should call them a herd of lemmings - all agree once more as a butler leads us through a hallway with objects of fine art, pottery, and paintings. Each item is so uniquely wonderful that it would make my brothers’ and sisters’ heads spin if they saw how perfect and polished everything is. How ornate and lavish! Am I to spend my life with fine, intricate pieces of art from all mediums? I wonder if Jonathan has created any of these himself? Would he allow me to paint? I wonder...

“Master Suh,” I inhale, realizing I am right at the threshold of a beautiful oak door. “Miss Y/N Y/L/N has arrived.” The butler announces. 

My body feels all fuzzy and nervous for some reason. It’s been many years since I’ve seen my dear friend from when we were still learning how to hop on a bicycle in the country where his family had a small house and property that butted up against my family’s by the little lake in the middle of a corn field. 

“Y/N!” A deep, refreshing voice purrs before he embraces me in a tight hug. “How was your ride? Did the car fair well, unlike the weather?” He chuckles as his tall frame dwarfs mine in comparison. The scent of him is most definitely cinnamon, scotch, and leather, which I’m not surprised. All fine things to smell of for certain. 

The maids all giggle and mumble their approval and the butlers look away, anxious to gaze upon a woman in another man’s arms. I suppose his gesture of a greeting is very rude, but I don’t mind. Being smack-dab in the middle of my siblings, I feel like nothing phases me anymore, even the hug Jonathan wraps around me. 

“Jonathan Suh,” I simper, pulling out of his embrace, “The ride was not too terrible, and my, how tall you’ve grown! And so dapper too.” I sigh earnestly. “It’s a pleasure to see you again.”

“I hope you say that every day you wake up and I am there beside you.” Jonathan’s brown eyes seem to daze in the glow from the lamp lights in the sitting parlor. 

There’s nothing more I hate than an arrogant flirt, not to mention an arrogant flirt with money is all the more trouble. Is this really going to be the rest of my life? Living with Jonathan like this? So contrived and fake… it makes my insides twist. 

“I am rather weary though from a day full of travels.” I pretend to yawn, shifting out of his arms bit by bit and heading toward the door. “May I have the delight in seeing you tomorrow?” 

“Oh yes, you must be quite tired. I always get sleepy on car rides.’ Jonathan muses as he extends his hand to the door and the staff scramble into place. “Mr. and Mrs. Alan would you please escort Y/N to her room? I will be here but on the other end of the house until we are...you know-” 

“Goodnight, Jonathan.” I say almost too quickly after that, leaving almost as swiftly as I’ve come. 

Once my hair is down and I am dressed comfortably in my nightgown, I feel like I can take a deep breath again. It feels odd with my hair unpinned, sitting in a brand-new nightgown, overlooking the rocking waves of the lake and the snow that drifts down from the sky. Basking in the sill of my window from the beautiful lights and moonlight shining through my velvet curtains, I hope and pray that every night I spend in Chicago is not as forced and fake as this one has been.

-

I’m chasing something odd in my dream. 

I move between pictures hanging on the walls, through the bellies of grandfather clocks, I emerge through the darkness every time, chasing a little white rabbit with a cottontail through or around objects of grand design. I have never had a dream that felt so vivid and real, like I am actually flying through my thoughts, time of the utmost essence for some unknown reason. I can’t seem to escape a dark feeling looming around me and I feel slightly frightened that I will not catch the little thing. 

When I reach for the little dumpling covered in pretty white fur, it lurches forward, propelling my desire to catch up to the little beast. 

I descend deeper and deeper, the spotlight in the darkness focused solely on the bunny ahead of me. I can’t reach him, I’m not fast enough, my feet do not carry me quick enough. I call to the animal but it doesn’t hear me, instead it flies between two large velvet curtains. 

“Please!” I beg the animal as I pop through the hole in the curtains, shuffling through on my knees. “Where are you taking…me…” My question dies in my throat as I look up to find red eyes, his curly blonde hair waving at me from under a gold top hat, a gold mask from that of a masquerade celebration covering most of his face. 

But, I know that soft smirk well now. I’ve replayed it several times already in my mind like the fool I am. 

This is the man I met on the sidewalk. I gasp. But, why is he inhabiting my dream?

“Welcome to Wonderland, Alice.” A soft voice wafts from high above the two of us, making me shiver. “We’ve been waiting for you.”

Why am I frightened? Surely this is not a nightmare. I was only following a rabbit and now I am here with these two men. 

Slowly, my eyes trail up the large mahogany platform, showcasing a very large, ornately plush gold and maroon seat which houses a man in an all green suit of the finest quality. He is also wearing a mask trimmed with greens and golds, his lush lips pinkened like he had just indulged in delicious raspberry jam pulled into a dark smirk. He sits with the side of his pale face in one of his hands, resting comfortably on the arm of the pretty chair. The man from the street sits on a swing that hangs high from the rafters, silently taking me in. An aura of power and class drips tastefully from every fiber of his being, weighing heavily upon me like he is a hammer and I am but a humble nail. 

“Good job chasing rabbits.” The man’s smile further stretches, his amber eyes boring down upon me, making my skin want to jump from my skeleton. “The next step is to find The Rabbit Hole.”

My eyes fling open, a train's loud horn blaring in the distance, the golden morning haze filtering from the curtains across the room. I jolt upward in bed, cold sweat beading my body, tainting the beautiful nightgown the Suhs have given me. I throw the sheets off my bed and clutch my forehead, musing the words of the man in all green over and over to myself in a frenzy. 

...What a dreadfully vivid dream...

-

I’ve been here for almost a week and I’ve lost count of the tea parties and luncheons I’ve attended with Mrs. Suh. The people and the houses and families they all belong to are getting lost to me in the wake of planning for a wedding. Though, I’m not sure how much I am actually planning. Merely pointing between two colors of table placemats and napkins or choosing between a flower or two. 

Tonight though, it is another snowy evening on the lakeshore, we are attending a jazz concert at the Sunset Cafe to see a wonderful show performed by the talented Cab Calloway and Louis Armstrong who make the most wonderful music. I was practically buzzing when I heard the news that the Suhs would be taking me this evening. As always, Jonathan and his mother have only two options for me to wear this evening and I must make a choice between them. A silver, more A-lined gown that shows off more skin than one should in the winter with a mink-fur cowl or more fluttering, off the shoulder velvet cobalt-blue style of a ball gown with embroidered golden stars falling from the bust in waves of tulle. 

Call me old fashioned, but I choose the one that makes me feel like a princess, not the one that makes me fit in. My thoughts wander between which Suh picked out which dress for me to wear and the dream of me chasing a white rabbit. 

I can never seem to catch that rabbit nor have I seen the two men since my first dream. It relieved me, but it also scared me. 

A shimmering laugh that is made of moonbeams and stars pulls me from my spell of thought that engrossed me.

The Suhs are dotting and cheerful people, always looking out for their only son in this cruel world. They are wonderful and powerful in their own ways, working the men and ladies in the sitting room of the theater with just a glance or smile of their lips. Mr. Suh smokes a cigar and smacks Jonathan on the back as they stand in the corner away from the ladies. Mrs. Suh includes me in all her conversations, never wanting me to feel lost or dissuaded from a million questions by another matriarch of a well-to-do family. 

I can see why Jonathan doesn’t want to disappoint them or the good people of his clan’s name before or after himself.  

The room is hazy from the smoky cigars that the men all drag on in between their elaborate conversations about President Coolidge and his beliefs while the women discuss lighter subjects such as traveling to Paris and Morocco as well as tennis. I find my thoughts up in the cloud of smoke that hangs in the room. 

“Pardon me, ladies,” Jonathan places a hand gently upon my shoulder, “may I steal Y/N away for a few moments?” 

“The concert will begin shortly, Johnny.” Mrs. Suh smiles, casting her charms to her son who smiles with reassurance to his dear mother. 

“Don’t fret, mother,” Jonathan grins as she calls him his nickname, “I want to show her off to my college chums.”

Her eyes twinkle in delightful mischief as she swirls her glass of sweet liquor in her hand. “Just be sure to return her in one piece. Y/N has a long day ahead of her tomorrow.” 

More wedding planning I’m not privy to I suppose? Such is my life now. High society is fun and all but the pressure is unlike anything I’ve ever felt before… No, my brain is captivated once more by the dark aura of the man from my dream, looming and lingering above me, teeth glimmering in the lim electric light of the room from my lucid dream. That was true, pure evil pressure I wish to never partake in the feeling of ever again. 

Jonathan says nothing as he turns from her, ushering me away with his hand placed gently on my shoulder. We move silently and quickly through groups who mingle and giggle, alcohol strong in their glasses and upon their breath as we pass through the crowd of rich socialites. 

We stop at one group of gentlemen, but I am only introduced to one handsome man named Jung Jaehyun who fondly shakes Jonathan’s hand and winks at me. What an odd fellow, I tell myself as we dive deeper and deeper into the crowd of people loitering in the fancy sitting room. 

“I’m glad you wore the one I picked out.” Jonathan says so low that I may only be able to hear his words. Well, that answers that question then. “These men might eat you alive, so stay as sharp as a blade but soft as a lamb, understand me? They will not leave me be until I introduce you to them.” 

“Are they your friends?” I query with a whisper as he pulls me to the edge of the room where young men have beautiful young ladies draped on their elbows. 

I have never seen a lady look like they do, but I suppose it is fashionable and “kept up with the times”. I am not so appealing as these ladies are with their skin on display and their heels high, they attract my attention before the men who hold them up do. Their makeup is dark, yet shimmering in the soft glow from the electric lights from above. The fair ladies’ hair is cut so short, their sideways hats and feather headbands merely slip off their sleek and shiny hairstyles. I am in awe of the way they look and envy them for behaving and chatting so freely. 

“Do not be scared, but they are budding gangsters who run speakeasies.” My eyes widen with his words, but I do what I am told. “Please do me another favor, Y/N, and become the most desirable woman here.” Jonathan whispers to me before we approach the hoard of people in front of me. “I will set you free from this cage as soon as I can.”

I can only nod as my demeanor switches like that of a light switch. 

Walking up to these men and women I’ve never met, I invoke the acting spirit of Jane West for Jonathan. I demand my attention. I am the most beautiful creature in this sitting room, if not all of the world. I did not go to college but I am going to show you how well read and cultured I am. I am going to be a Suh and I command you all to bow down to me in this instant. 

“Suh!” A tall man with coiffed, sandy blonde locks beams as he steps away from his fair darling on his arm tonight. “You dog! I didn’t think you’d grace us with your presence this evening!” They shake hands and laugh at nothing vigorously as I look between the two before the blonde catches my eye. They are pretty amber eyes that remain half-lidded and surely dazzle in the glow from chandeliers above. He’s not as tall as Jonathan, but he is handsome. “This must be-” 

“Y/N Y/L/N.” 

A voice from behind the blonde says clearly, setting to be free from the shadow of Jonathan’s friend. 

It’s the white rabbit! I think as I try to hold myself together. He looks rather dapper in a white and gold waistcoat with tails, a top hat making him appear to be as formal as one can be. This is the gentleman I bumped into the streets, but I cannot press out of my head. I want to tell him to stay out of my dreams, but I fear he will think me mad if I declare such a bold thing without expressing my thoughts further.  

“You know of my future bride, Jeon?” I feel the grip upon my shoulder tighten and breath being held from above me. Don’t fret, Jonathan, I would never tell anyone. I promise. Your secret is safe with me. 

The friend with his hair as white as the fallen snow looks at me passively, eyes rimmed red like he can’t sleep a wink either. “I met her on the sidewalk, John, but we’ve never been properly introduced.” He bows and takes my blue-colored gloved hand in his white ones. He kisses the top of my hand and in this ball gown-like dress I am indeed fulfilling my fantasy of pretending to be a beautiful princess. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, future Mrs. Jonathan Suh.” 

“Y/N,” Jonathan says, exhaling the concerned breath he’s been holding in, his grip returning to normal as well. “These are my friends from college: Mr. Kim Namjoon, whose family owns one third of the city like mine does, and Mr. Jeon Jungkook, who makes up the triangle of the most powerful families of Chicago.” 

“At your service.” Jungkook says with a cheeky grin stretching across his face, kissing the top of my hand once more. 

The way he looks up at me makes butterflies trapped in my body flutter and flounce about. But I cannot swoon or succumb to a young man so openly. Jonathan is counting on me. 

“I’m delighted to meet Jonathan’s friends from his schooling.” I say in the same charming manner Mrs. Suh has produced all week. 

“Forgive me for this is a bold question, future Mrs. Suh, but, will you be getting a gown made?” Namjoon asks me as he sips his scotch on the rocks.

“I think tomorrow I am going for a fitting, yes.” I nod my head, smiling just the right amount. 

“Then it should be crafted by the finest in the Windy City, Kim’s Couture on the corner of Washington and LaSalle Street. Have you heard of the establishment before?” Namjoon queries.

“Indeed! I have!” I exclaim happily, my eyes wide as his stay half-lidded as though he is sleepy, though he smiles earnestly. 

“Then I must insist you have a treasured wedding gown made by my seamstresses.” He hands me a white business card with only his name upon it. I stare at it until he taps it twice. “They will take excellent care of you, I promise.” 

“Oh-ho!” A soft, almost melliferous voice rings out behind me. No... “This must be the infamous bride-to-be!” I know this voice! Fear rattles through me, making me tremble as I look over the shoulder Jonathan is not draped over to look at the mysterious voice. Time is slow as molasses as I face the man from my dream, clad all in a green waistcoat, vest, and top hat, wolfishly grinning at me. 

“Ah, this is my eldest brother,” Namjoon muses as the electric lights flash, indicating the performance will begin soon, “Seokjin Kim.” 

Kim Seokjin...

I feel like I know everything about this man yet nothing at all. He is the type of man who is a brilliant summer on the outside and stormy winter on the inside. The smile on his lips - that is the color of the inside of a cherry tart - is warm, yet cold all in the same breath. He appears to be a powerful man of high class, wrapped in an enigma of grace and power. But there is a scent of something malicious in the air as he closes the gap between us and gets down on his knee to kiss upon my hand. 

I’m not sure what made me do it, but something comes over me, the flight or fight instinct animals possess lurches out of me in this moment.  

“Why is a raven like a writing desk?” I ask, pulling my arm away from him.

Seokjin’s bright amber eyes slowly travel up my ball gown, disbelief and confusion colors his good looking features. 

Mouths open in shock and my heart drops, but I feign a lie, turning out of Jonathan grasp, and quickly say, “Forgive me, for I feel faint.” I run to the bathroom in the hall as everyone piles into the main room of the Sunset Cafe, heart pounding in my chest and cheeks on fire. 

I’m so sorry Jonathan, I did not mean to make a fool out of you. There is just something about the way Seokjin’s gaze is so feral that chills me to the bone. 

A hand rests upon Jungkook’s shoulder while he continues to longingly gaze at the door as if he was willing me to come back with his mind. “Don’t worry, Jeon.” Seokjin purrs in his ear, amber gleam set upon the door. “She is the one who chases you every night, not the other way around.” 

“I know, hyung.” Jungkook whispers as the brass begins to trumpet through the building. “When do we make our move?” 

“Soon.” Seokjin chuckles darkly, guiding the younger of the boys to follow behind him. “Very soon we will have our glorious tea party.” 

-

The subject of marriage has always been an odd one to me, I think to myself as maids and fashion consultants from the Kim’s dress boutique flutter and coo around me.  

My parents married but it was never for love. I knew that, my siblings and myself knew that, yet they both loved us all the same. My mother and father married as more of a “good match on paper” sort of situation, than they were truly, madly in love. Still, they never fought, my father never hit my mother, never drank himself silly, never talked to another woman. My mother upheld the same standard and raised us all with love in her hardworking heart. I knew she was aware that I haven’t spoken to Jonathan since we were young children and that I would soon be in the same boat if I accepted his offer. 

“A lifetime of money doesn’t equal happiness.” She told me. “You should marry for love, not for any green or gold.” 

I agree. I know this full well. I’m not one to be stingy or greedy by any means. I don’t want to be an actress in a picture show or model for a beautiful Channel garment. And though I do want love in my life, I want a secure future. I am the middle child of middle-class farmers. The best match I could have made besides this one was with a cattle farmer or a man who works in the stockyards on the south side of Chicago. 

It’s selfish for me to do this not only for myself but to my mother as well. 

But, I am here and like my family, I will be fiercely loyal to the man I will call my husband. If not, call me a bold-faced liar and take me and my words to the grave. 

Jonathan Suh is not a bad man for who he prefers in the sheets. I know that and have never felt such a way to treat someone less of me if they do prefer the company of one sex over another. I will not break the promise I’ve made to him, but I cannot help but feel like a songbird trapped in a tight, metal cage for the decision I’ve made to help him. 

-

Due to the poor weather Chicago has currently come down with, the wedding has been postponed until further notice. 

When I wired my family to tell them the news, my mother answered. I was a bit more than surprised that she almost sounded relieved when I told her the news. I promised I would wire soon and my younger sisters begged me to take them to the city to go shopping at Marshall Fields. My father sounded passive at first when the telephone wire was transferred to him by my youngest brother after he told me the family cat, Cheshire, had gone missing. 

Truth be told, I am also more than happy to exhale a breath and not worry about someone questioning me about my upbringing. Or having Mrs. Suh and the don of high-class ladies and waist-coated men galloping around every breath I take. 

I can finally relax, I think as I pull out a book in the study as Jonathan reads the Chicago Tribune on the couch across the way from me. We get along well, I realize. Silence suits us both. No tricks, not faking our way through hordes of important people. We have to conserve and save our energy for when we face the people mercilessly wanting to know everything and anything about us, good ole’ Jonathan and I... 

No, not Jonathan anymore… I am to be his wife, and he...my…

I peer at him from over my book on flowers, losing interest in the pages. 

Can I really pretend we are to be an item forever? Will one of us crack or slip up? It seems like we are stuck in a circle now, both of us floating in a pool of choices we will surely drown in.

Tap. Tap. Tap. 

Someone knocks at the door, plucking me from my fever of thoughts. I fully peer over the pages in my hands, pretending like I was in fact engrossed in the origin story of an author I enjoyed as a girl. 

“Enter.” Jonathan says without skipping a beat, not looking up from his black and white ink. His eyes scan the pages, following the drumming beat of the grandfather clock next to the roaring fireplace. But, now that I study him closer, I’m unsure if he was actually reading or just musing to himself like I was moments ago.  

“The post, sir.” Butler James reports as he opens the door, my handmaiden Emily gliding up to us with a silver plate in her hands. 

“Thank you, Emily.” Jonathan gives her a half-smile as he takes the single envelope off the tray, slicing it open with trepidation.  

I look at the blood-red colored wax seal as he flips the paper, revealing a knight chess piece glaring upside down at me. 

Jonathan scans the letter passively at first, his orbs lazily scanning the pages, then suddenly his eyes ignite with rage behind them. “No.” He says softly, red flushing to his handsome face. He rips the paper up into shreds then, aggression and hatred oozing from every pore for some unknown reason. He gets up as he throws the scraps in the fire with vigor as butler James, Emily, and I all stare at him like he’s grown a second head. “Don’t you dare go.” He warns me, irises blaring with unmeasurable loathing. “Those people are dangerous.” Jonathan practically snarls as he exits the room in a fit of rage, stomping down the hall as we look on stunned and slack-jawed at what had just happened. 

From what I can tell, Jonathan isn’t one to get upset easily or lash out so that letter must have set him off. But what could it have been?

It really has sparked my curiosity, that’s for certain. 

Where wasn’t I supposed to go and who was so dangerous?

-

I got the answer the next day as I read a book about traveling the jungles of South America. 

“Miss!” My handmaiden whispers like a hiss as she enters the study. “Miss!” 

“Yes, Emily?” I smile, putting my book down as she flutters to my side in a nervous frenzy. “What is the matter?” 

“I snagged this from the post, miss.” She hands you the letter you saw the previous day with Jonathan, the one that he got enraged over.  “Please open it quickly, miss, before the butler spots it! They want us to destroy anything with this seal on it!”

I do as I am told, opening up the letter addressed to both Jonathan and myself with the odd wax seal to find an invitation inside.

You Are Cordially Invited To Participate In:

THE WONDERLAND BALL 

A Masquerade Party To Determine The Next “Alice”

For Directions Follow Us Down The Rabbit Hole 

Knock Thrice For The Door Mouse To Let You Inside

Cheers, 

                                      The ‘Mad Hatter’ & Company

“How curious...” I muse as my eyes trail over the letter over and over, wondering what has Jonathan all in a panicked rage. “Well, I don’t even know where “The Rabbit Hole” is so I shan’t be going.” 

“Tis’ a speakeasy, Miss.” Emily says her eyes wide as she reads the paper with you. “They say it’s the most fun one in all of downtown!” She giggles. “Shall I fetch you a gown for the ball?” 

“No.” I shake my head with a small smile, hanging her back the letter. “If Jonathan said he doesn’t want me to go, I won’t.” I pick up my book as she slightly deflates, wanting to paint me up for the festivities I was invited to. “Please burn this now, Emily, so you don’t get in trouble.”

“Right away, Miss.” Emily bows a little before she heads out of the room, leaving me to daydream in the middle of the study in peace. 

-

“How long must we wait?” Jungkook pesters Seokjin tirelessly who looks down from his wooden pedestal in the back room of the very peculiar club. “I am afraid a letter and her dreams are not going to cut it.” Jungkook snorts, frustration flashing in his red eyes. 

“Mm, yes…” Seokjin rubs his chin with his white gloved hand, “Johnny boy has been hiding our little Alice away from our prying eyes, hasn’t he?”

“Yes!” Jungkook stomps his foot like that of a child, fists balled into tight fists at his sides. “And I was promised a maiden for all the hard work I’ve done for you!” 

Seokjin laughs darkly then, the sound echoing off the walls of his private chambers. “Jungkook, I’m not sure if you understand that poisoning people and taking out a few smaller families in our beloved city is considered hard work.” He stops then, Seokjin’s usually light voice dripping with malice when he says, “But, I suppose this is one way to end the Suhs and get the last jewel on the crown you are desiring in your attempts to rule the city.” 

“Is everything in place for the ball?” Jungkook grits his teeth as he stares up into the man who could end him in one go, but is choosing to help the young gangster. “Your magic won’t fail us now?”

Seokjin winks at him, spending him a flying kiss as he says, “It's going to be dreadfully delightful.” Ending the Suhs, managing to take out some more people in big crime families in Chicago, and adding one more perfect woman to his growing collection of pawns. 

Sure, he was mad and about to destroy several lives in the process, but hell if he wasn’t half brilliant and good looking while doing so. 

-

“Mr. Jeon!” I gasp as I peer at the man at my penthouse doorstep, covered in white flakes of heavy, wet snow sticking to his black trench coat and bowler hat. Everyone, even most of the maids were out this afternoon which is why I find myself in front of the door to the penthouse. 

“Good evening, Y/L/N.” Jeon Jungkook smiles as he looks down at me earnestly. “Is your future husband not at home?” He whispers as he looks around the empty foyer, red-rimmed eyes glancing over the dim electric lights in the hallway. 

I flush. My mind was hazy remembering my kiss with him and the other man that is never far away, Kim Seokjin, from the depths of my dreams. My dreams need to leave me be or I may turn into a codfish with the way they keep my head spinning. They haunt me so, the way my brain demands my nightmares to be replayed over and over like this. 

“I’m afraid not, he said he’d be out for the night, taking care of something important at the office.” I say with a fake sigh, shaking my head. Truthfully, he’s been acting very strange lately and I can't quite put my finger on the reason for his odd behavior. Ever since he got that letter… Come to think of it, I haven’t seen any post since that strange night. I’ll ask Emily about it in the morning. 

“I see.” Jungkook says softly. The grandfather clock chimes from the sitting room and I am suddenly aware of what time it is. I’m severely underdressed in my baby blue lounge attire, completely ill-prepared for meeting company. Books about faraway lands with princes and kings were the only thing occupying my time this evening and I’m embarrassed to even think that. “In that case, your outfit will just have to do, I suppose…”

Jungkook suddenly steps closer to me in one long stride, closing the gap between me and him. My heart skips a beat, his pupils dilate, my words run dry as he snakes one arm around my back, the other holding my chin with his thumb and forefinger. 

“Mr. Jeon-” I stammer, unable to call for help, now that this man has me in his grasp. 

“I have been willing you to come and follow me, to give into your darkest desires, but still you resist me.” The young man hisses down at me, brows knit with confusion. “You are the only thing anyone talks about and I cannot stand it any longer.” My mouth hangs open. His nostrils flare as he makes his move. “You will be mine. Not locked away in this tower while Johnny is out and about with another man. You will be our new Alice.”

Before I can say anything, he pours a vile from his pocket into my mouth, holding it above my arms so I can’t smack it away. It tastes like roast turkey and strong alcohol and I try to claw and get away but I cannot as Jungkook holds my mouth open; my tongue feels numb and my arms feel like jelly, going limp in Jungkook’s arms. The only thing I can remember before completely blacking out is the little tag on the side of the bottle that says “DRINK ME”, tied with a pink ribbon hanging from the tiny glass and the smell of his cologne which reminds me of musk with a dash of black pepper. 

-

Faint sounds of brass and strings pull me from my unconscious state in a flurry. 

My brain is working hard, producing series and strings of thoughts. Why did Mr. Jeon Jungkook do that to me? Does Jonathan know where I am? In the same breath, where am I? What was that drink? Have I been poisoned? I look at myself on the red heart-patterned bedsheets. I look fine. There is no sign or feelings that I’ve been harmed, no bruises, and most importantly of all, there is no blood. There is no indicator at all that I’ve been harmed at all, which makes me sigh in relief. 

But still, where have I been taken? This surely is not a room in the Suh residence. 

A room with no windows, a giant bed in the middle of the room, large wooden pedestals with various wax candles lit drip down the sides surround me, red velvet curtains drape the walls making the warm room seem even more dim, and a wooden swing all decorate the space I find myself trapped in. 

I can feel the color drain from my face when I realize that I’ve been here before. In fact, I’ve been here many, many times - almost every night. Not in the flesh but in my dreams. The only thing that is missing are the two men I see every night…

All the little hairs on my body stand at alert, worry coloring my thoughts, and I feign a small gasp in the large room. 

With a lump in my throat and my heart thumping so hard I fear it might try to escape my chest, I run from the room. 

My blue nightgown flutters behind me, time seems to slow as my bare feet carry me through the rooms from my dreams - though it’s backwards this time. I dash like a mad person, twirling and twisting my way through the room with mirrors on every side, seeing myself panting like a dog running so hard in the reflective glass. Though, I am happy to see I have no scratches upon my face either. I run through the room with clocks hanging all over the walls chiming and ticking at different times, springing through the belly of a giant, tall grandfather clock. I trip over the hems of my dress in the room with a long table in the middle which appears to stretch on for miles in this long room. There are various tea sets, cups, and pots along with tea cakes and sweet treats placed in a perfectly chaotic mess on the table as the eyes of various animal heads stare at me from their places hanging on the walls. 

As I shimmy through the small door leading to the room with the walls full of water and sea creatures from the ocean, I pause my panting and sputtering as I spot Mr. Jung Jaehyun with his back pressed up against the glass. He is moaning, panting himself, a masquerade mask dangling in his hand, legs wrapped around the waist of a tall man in a vest who is rolling his hips sensually into his. My eyes widen as I figure out what the two of them are doing quickly and avert my attention. My thighs rub together, a strange fire grows in my lower abdomen, and I know I shouldn’t be looking but there is nothing but pure bliss on Mr. Jung’s face.

I can’t stop, I remind myself as my feet continue to carry me through the rooms I know so well. 

Slinking away across a far wall full of lobsters without being caught, I hear Mr. Jung Jaehyun mewl one singular name, “Johnny!” I want to turn around, catch my “future” husband's side profile as he makes love to another man, confirm it’s him, but my mind flashes back to meeting Jaehyun for the first (and only) time and how they touched each other so fondly. Jungkook’s words ring in my words as I hear laughing coming from beyond the rooms filled with tanks and gilled beasts. 

Keep going. I can make it out of this place from my nightmares. 

The next room is filled with more people, though it’s hazy at best in here. There are giant hookah pipes in the middle of floor cushions, people with and without masks on touching each other so unabashedly, some naked, half-nude, or still in their ball gowns all laying over each other in a pleasure-filled party I was slightly jealous I haven’t been invited to. 

“Ms. Y/L/N?” A deep yet clear baritone purrs over the sounds of jazz music and groans of love-making. I  turn my head to his voice, feet skidding to a halt as I look at Mr. Kim Namjoon in his half-naked glory, navy blue silk robe hanging off his shoulders exposing a lovely chest, half-lidded eyes tracing my form like I am a piece of delicate meat he wishes to indulge in. “What are you doing without your mask?” He snaps his fingers, chuckling lightly as he takes another drag of his long silver pipe. “Twins, get her a mask!”

“Where am I?” I query as I feel the presence of two figures slowly approaching me out of the dim haze. “Who are you people?” It feels wrong to be here, to witness this. It doesn’t feel right. I feel out of place and my body is begging me to run and my legs tremble like a fawn. 

His brows furrow as he takes the tube out of his mouth, blowing smoke rings in my face. “Who are you to question me, Y/N?” He snickers as the “twins” catch my arms, placing a mask over my face as I struggle. “You are but another “Alice” to me. Take her to the ball, you two. The rabbit and the hatter are dying to see her, I’m sure.” They tie the mask around me successfully, leading me out of this room into the next one which I know is the one where the floor is a giant chess board. 

“Please,” I plead with the good looking twins who march on like the loyal soldiers to this strange cause, “what is all this?” The music and the chatter and maniacal laughing is growing louder as we prance down the hallway with portraits of people who are dressed in all white and all red. “I just want to know…”

“Suppose we ought to tell her?” The taller of the two says after a moment of silence between the three of us. 

“Suppose we ought not to.” The shorter one shakes his head as he carries on in the quest to take me somewhere. “Boss will be mad.”

“You are to be the belle of the ball.” The taller one says with a viscous boxy grin.

“The new “Alice”.” The short one with fluffy lips nods this time.

“Everyone keeps saying that, but I don’t know what it means?” I say as I hold my breath, about to waltz into the strange chess-board-like room. 

“The most beautiful, wonderful, talented, special, magical-” The taller twin rambles on.

“The most perfect woman at The Wonderland Ball is called “Alice” until the next one.” The shorter one states softly as he inhales a giant breath. They both let me go, pushing me forward as the drapery of the simple heart-patterned curtain gives way and I am standing at the top of a grand staircase while hundreds of people from below all gasp and stare up at me. 

As soon as I regain my footing a spotlight hits me and causes me to shield me eyes away from the bright light bearing down upon me. The upbeat music falls silent and I am acutely aware that I am standing here in my loungewear and not properly dressed to be at the forefront of attention this evening.

“And now the moment you’ve all been waiting for!” The voice that makes my hair stand up on end purrs as his lush lips soothe the microphone on the little stage they’ve set up for the jazz band to play on. Kim Seokjin, my eyes lock with his which dance with mischief, his smile greedy,  dressed to the nines in a rich green suit. “The crowning of the belle of the ball, the apple of all our eyes, the one that shines brighter than anyone in the picture shows, Ms. Y/N Y/L/N!” 

A roar of cheering, clapping, and brass music erupts as a white haired-man with a stretched, gummy smile that doesn’t fade takes my hand and leads me down the black and white staircase. The noises seemingly die in my ears as the man on my arm says nothing, grins like a cat about to catch a mouse in its claws. Time slows, people moving and waving at me become a blur as I see who is waiting at the bottom of the staircase. 

Mr. Jeon Jungkook. 

The man on my arm notices how tense I am and he ever so slightly turns his head and says to me in a deep voice, “They are not going to harm you. Jungkook is infatuated with you.” My cheeks heat up. “Seokjin is helping him accomplish his dreams because he signed his life away to the servitude of others for as long as he shall live.”

“Signed his life away?” I breathe, eyes never leaving Jungkook in a white waistcoat.

“You can’t get something for free in this world.” The cat-like man growls as we are almost there. “You’ve heard of an eye for an eye, correct?” I node slightly. “A soul of servitude so he can produce strange magic, according to him and the Red Witch of Underland.” 

My heart nearly stops realizing what has happened. “The devil?”

“Bingo, babe.” The cat-man chuckles a deep rasp, sliding his arm away from mine. “Have fun.”

“Now you kids have fun chasing rabbits!” Seokjin’s voice crackles through the microphone. “Everyone, enjoy the last few hours of the wonderland ball!” More hooting and hollering echoes in the building as I am exchanged into Jungkook’s strong arms.

“I thought you’d never make it.” He smiles from under his white mask at me. He takes my hand and leads me to be embraced on the dance floor. Seokjin smirks at us as he begins to sing a popular pop song everyone swoons at. 

“Would you like to tell me what this is all about?” I query with a sneer on my lips. “Why am I here? Why have you poisoned me?”

“I have not nor would I ever harm you.” Jungkook grips my waist tighter. “I merely gave you a strong sedative so that I could bring you to our wonderful palace.” 

“Why?” I question as he twirls me around his outstretched arm.

“Because from the moment I bumped into you, you have been the only thing consuming my mind.” He earnestly tells me, sorrow coating his eyes. “I’m not sure what trap Johnny has ensnared or tricked you in but I very much hate seeing him lock you away from the world.”

“You’re wrong.” I state angrily, glaring at him.

“He doesn’t care about you. He likes to frolic about with diplomats’ sons, not farmers’ daughters.” Jungkook smiles at me. 

“That’s not true…” I mumble, my eyes looking away from his red-rimmed ones boring down upon me. “I-I am marrying Jonathan for my own personal reasons.”

“Oh, ho?” Jungkook softly chuckles, leaning over, turning my gaze back to him as he gently caresses my cheek. “Do you really believe that, darling?”

“I do...I do! I-I came here willingly.” I tremble, my facade I’ve been trying to convince myself of  this whole time crackling under the pressure of his words. “I l-love…” My words linger as I look beyond Jungkook, looking up to see, “...Jonathan…” walking toward myself in the middle of the dance floor. 

“Jeon!” Jonathan says, Mr. Jung Jaehyun trailing behind him, eyes wide and scared when they find mine. The male in the waistcoat holding me turns his head to the noise, the brass music climaxing, the gasps of people Jonathan is stepping between couples dancing in the soft electric light from above - I feel like my heart is going to burst. My future husband pulls his arm back, fists clenched, ready to hurt Jungkook, and with an exhale I close my eyes fearing the worst was about to ensue. 

The electric lights in the strange ballroom give out in the same second. 

People scream all around me, a loud thud is heard and I feel like something unexpected is about to occur, the atmosphere heavy and full of invisible pressure. 

“Release the jabberwocky!” A voice echoes as chaos ensues. 

“Come with me.” A voice purrs, ripping me away from Jungkook’s arms. I feel almost empty as shouting and yelling break out in the middle of the dance floor. “I will protect you, Y/N, my crown jewel.”  My stomach pits hearing him say my name, tickling my ear like the serpent that led Eve to eat the apple of her demise. 

Kim Seokjin.

With a snap of his fingers, we are back in the room I started out this evening in and where my dreams always have me end at. I land on the bed in a huff and he ends up sitting upon the swing, looking at me with a triumphant smirk on his luscious lips. There is a certain air about him now that doesn’t seem so threatening, so serious now for some reason. Perhaps it’s him sitting upon the swing like that of a child? I haven’t the slightest clue. 

“Where am I?” I demand, glowering at Seokjin from across the way.

“Curiosity often leads to trouble, my dearest Y/N.”  Seokjin chuckles darkly, eyes roaming my body, a knowing look on his features. “I think before your marriage you are looking for a little trouble, if you catch my drift.” 

Trouble…

My mind completely spirals remembering the scenes of people entangled with one another, their mouths working in tandem with each other, their slippery pink tongues entwined in a passionate battle for dominance. Mr. Jung Jaehyun’s face twisted in pleasure, moaning and mewling as his lover - my future husband - was thrusting vigorously. 

A lightbulb finally goes off in my head. 

“You want me to give into you both then my dreams will end?” My voice shakes as I query to Seokjin who continues to lightly push back and forth on the swing. “Then you will let me leave?” 

His eyes flicker with a hungry vigor to them, gleaming in the dim candlelight. “Precisely.” His soft voice cuts the atmosphere like a sharp blade, leaving me with a chill radiating down my spine. “Let’s have some fun, “Alice”.” 

“As long as you promise I am to be set free from all of...this.” I gesture around the room as he makes a come hither motion with his fingers at me.  

“You have my word.” 

Somehow, I don’t believe him, but I am desperate for any way out of this wretched place I can find. 

So, I will use the body I was blessed with to the fullest extent.  

I am a loyal woman. I step toward the man on the swing, my hands coming up to the ties around my chest and my waist. His eyes spark with a ravenous hunger in the depths of his orbs. I know that I am not doing a decent thing. Seokjin snaps his fingers again, all his clothes disappearing but his green top hat, vanishing before my very eyes. I know I am more than what I am succumbing to right now. But my stomach does feel hot and my thighs rubbing together is making me feel faint for some reason. My garments fall to the floor in a soft patting sound and I lose my breath in the same moment.

Don’t tell me I actually want this…?

I stand in front of him on the swing and I can’t help but bite my lip as my eyes roam his pale figure, tracing down his collarbones to his sculpted abdominal muscles he has been hiding. Did he sell his soul to the devil to become handsome too I wonder?   

“So beautiful.” He revels looking at me unabashed, a wolfish grin spreading across his pretty face. Part of me wants him to touch me, to caress the underside of my breast, to trace the outline of my hips with his fingertips, but he doesn not. 

I have to remind myself this isn’t for me. This is for the man that has been tormenting me. 

“Get me ready for you.” Seokjin commands, smirk still spread across his face. I comply, dropping to my knees to be faced with a large member swinging forth from the middle of his legs on the swing. “And you will address me as “Sir”, understand?”

“Yes, sir.” I respond, biting my lip as I look from his eyes to his member once more.

“Suck.” He chuckles lightly, pointing to his middle and I can’t help but follow this simple instruction. 

I don’t tease him, though I’m not really sure I know what I am doing in the first place. I swirl the flat of my tongue over his mushroom-tipped head several times. He moans in response, his hands coming off the swing’s ropes to hold my hair from my face as I swallow him further down my wet cavity. My middle aches and pulses, empty, missing something as I steady myself against Seokjin’s thighs.

“Good little girl.” Seokjin hums, his sound voice making me feel appreciated. The sound vibrating through to my own middle, making me groan around him.

I bob my head up and down his long length, enjoying the way he hums and gasps in response to my efforts. It’s a little hard to breathe I think as I continue my pace, nose hitting Seokjin’s pubic bone, smelling the most intimate part of him.

My dominant hand grabs his member at the base, working him in tandem with my mouth. Up and down his thick member I go, reveling in every twitch and rumble that flies out of his throat. The swing starts to sway with my rhythmic movements, bobbing him back and forth with vigor, tears climb to my eyes.  The tip of him hits the back of my mouth, making me gag and choke on his wonderful cock. The heat was pooling in the middle of my stomach and I fear I am going to lose my mind. I pick up the motions of my mouth and hand, tears skating down my pinkened cheeks, his grip tightening around the base of my skull, digging into my scalp.

It burns… But, I also enjoy it. This feeling...so wet and tight and I feel so evil and sinful but the pleasure is driving me mad.       

“Baby girl.” There’s warning in his tone as I pop off his cock in an instant, looking up to him with big worried eyes. His head was leaned back, not focused on looking directly at myself, but the feeling of my lips and fingertips. “Up.” He commands once more, head twisting back to a comfortable position to stare at me.

I scramble to my feet, missing the feeling of him in my mouth already, not to mention aching for him in the middle of my legs. I rub my thighs together for some easy friction, knowing that it won’t help me much at this point.

Seokjin moves his hand to stroke against his giant member in his palm and I lock my orbs in place on the slit of his cock where a clear liquid was oozing out. My mind is truly hazy at best, as I just stand there and watch him stroke himself up and down in a lazy fashion. I bite my lip once more. 

I do want this. I am almost ashamed to admit that I want this man. 

“Are you going to be good and let me use you?” Seokjin’s dirty words make my middle pool and contort with more of a raging fire. 

“Y-Yes, sir.” I say again, cheeks hot and damp from sucking his cock moments ago. 

His nostrils flare, his cock twitches in his grasp as he motions to sit upon his middle. “I bet you’re so wet for me.” He chuckles, smile darkening with his words.                          

Seokjin eases me down on his thick member, my hole so wet, so slick, allowing him to stretch my clenching walls in an easy motion. I gasp, eyes popping out of my head. My nails dig into his shoulder blades, back arching with his giant, twitching dick tight inside of me. I wrap my legs around his lean waist, his pale skin flexing in the candlelight with his movements as he stills, letting my hips sink down into the base of his cock.

“Baby girl.” Seokjin purrs, breath tickling my ear as he throbs inside of me. “I need you.” He growls, littering the crook of my neck with sloppy kisses. He positions us just so on the swing, readying us to begin when he deems necessary.

“P-Please use me, s-sir-r!” I mumble in the base of his neck, feeling high on this pleasure-filled pain. 

“I live to serve.” 

I gasp as he starts moving his hips inside of my center, bucking up into my body with a fevered pace instantly. The swing moves back and forth and I feel like the motion is going to make me feel his body sliding in and out of me too well. I cling to him for dear life, my grip surely bruising him or harming him in some way as he slides in and out of my slicked out center at a brutal rhythm.

Tears find my eyes again as he nips at my neck, marking me up with tender love bites. I’m a howling, moaning mess, losing my sanity. I am finally full of Seokjin’s girth, filling me up beyond desire.

Seokjin kisses my lips then in his, melting our mouths together in a hurry. He holds my face in his palms, grunting and groaning for me, and only me. His tongue enters my mouth in search of something unknown, moaning into my lips laced together with his hot mouth connected with my pink tongue. He rolls his saliva coated tongue into mine in haste, need seeping into my senses, consuming my thoughts as he thrusts up in me, using the swing as a propellant to ease us forward and backward.

“Feels...so-o..good~!” I moan in between our passionate kisses. 

Seokjin just growls like a feral animal in response. The tip of his cock kisses my cervix continuously, brushing past a spot inside of me that instantly makes me quake. He rockets himself against me, rutting his body against my core in sync with his hips slamming into mine. Seokjin expels filth from his mouth about filling me to the brim with his seed, seeing my stomach swollen and full of his children, his warm breath hitting my ear making me shudder in response.

I can’t focus, my climax getting ready to pop at any moment. Wet noises fill the dark room, as Seokjin’s rough speed of his length in and out of my molten, wet center continues. My erect nipples swirl on his pale chest, circling quickly as he bounces me up and down his giant cock, swinging through the air like some sexual trapeze artist.

“Are you going to be good to me?” He asks me, smirk present in his tone, pace almost blinding now as he pushes in and out of me with a need so heavy and strong I can practically smell it rising from his skin. “Are you going to let me fill you up, my little doll?” Seokjin snarls into my skin.

“Pleaseeeee!” I practically scream, eyes flying open as he hits my center at just the right spot that makes me see white. 

“Ah-ah!” He tsks. “What do we say?”

“Please, sir!” I mewl and gasp, thighs quaking in his hold, my juices squelching out of me as he continues to thrust into my sensitive molten core. “Seokjin!” I cry while he growls into the scorching skin of my neck inhaling sharply as he slams his hips into my shivering body. “Sir!”

Seokjin grunts, cock spurting his seed into me with a need so raw, so feral he finds his footing hard to maintain on the swing, stilling us from moving about, holding my hips tightly down upon him. He sucks harshly on my skin as he too shudders and grunts, biting down on the crook of my neck, stretching my clenching walls around his member as he fills me with his hot white seed.

My cries of pleasure fill the small room, my pleasure-filled haze coming to a close as Seokjin shifts us - still joined together - to the bed in the middle of the room. I hold onto Seokjin as he keeps his seed inside of me, feeling like I just had the ride of my life on top of him. My climax dies down, my first high fading away, fog around my brain being lifted temporarily as my nails rake over shoulders I’ve definitely marked up. 

A cool, damp towel appears with a wave of his arms, stroking my middle with it delicately cleaning up the mess I’ve made. “How does it feel to be connected with the devil?” Seokjin sneers as he pulls out of me, making my center ache and twitch for him. 

My eyes grow wide and my lips part but before I can say anything Jungkook bursts in the room.

“Am I late?” Jungkook pants as he looks awestruck by me on the bed. 

“For a very important date.” I gaze back to Seokjin who is now fully dressed, smirking that soft, playful smile like he usually does at Mr. Jeon. “Don’t worry, I was just getting her ready for you, Jungkookie.” 

Jungkook eyes him with narrowed orbs, but buys the lie Seokjin is selling and proceeds to strip himself of his white waistcoat. “What is on the menu tonight?” His red-rimmed irises bore into mine and I feel self-conscious suddenly. He circles the bed in the manner like that of a wolf would as he finishes stripping himself of any dressy garments, though his slacks remain on. 

 “The one you most desire out of everything in this world.” Seokjin purrs, stepping up to take his seat on his pedestal high above us. 

Is he going to watch us?

“Fuck,” Jungkook growls, dropping to his knees in front of the bed suddenly. He pulls me closer to him by my ankles, throwing my thighs apart so my center is exposed to him in the rawest form. He stares at my glistening middle as I try to close my legs with a little, pathetic whimper.

“Don’t.” The rabbit-like man moans wantonly, holding onto my ankles loosely. “Fuck, you’re so beautiful, you know that, right?” His hands glide up my thighs achingly slow, holding me in pace for his eyes to ravage as they please.

The fire in my lower stomach has returned, hungry and ready to go for more.

His warm fingertips make it to my inner thighs, kneading the flesh there tenderly, so close to my throbbing core that I almost beg him with a cry to dip down into me, but I refrain, hanging on to every trace or brush of his hands against my scorching flesh.

“What do you want, my darling?” He groans into my inner thigh, lips ghosting my sensitive flesh there, inching closer to my heated skin with his upper body.

“Please.” I finally ask, begging, almost choking out the word, forgetting Seokjin watching us from above.

His dominant hand finally finds my nether lips, tracing them up and down with his two longest fingers but not exactly touching me where I am aching quite yet. “Please what?” He teases, stroking me up and down slowly, holding his feral gaze in mine, amber eyes seemingly on fire.

“Please, Jungko-“

He slaps my middle with little force or malice behind it, but I jolt, mewling aloud, wanting him to secretly do it again.

Jungkook goes back to tracing my lips in the middle of my body, smug smirk seated on his devilishly handsome face. “You are so wet, darling.” He slaps me again, though this time I want it more than I’d actually care to admit.

“Jung-” I choke on my words.

He slaps me again, this time with slightly more force behind his fingertips. I hiss out a breath, staring at him with my mouth slightly ajar, brows turned up, looking down at him with half-lidded eyes already.

“I have to have a taste.” He kisses my inner thigh as he slowly traces his thumb over my slicked out folds.

I let out a wanton cry as he hums into my thighs, growling low and deep. I swear there’s a smile in his voice as he works with his mouth and fingertip in tandem. “Mine.” He breathes, sucking on the sensitive flesh of my innermost thigh, marking me with a throaty growl.

“J-Jungkook..!”

I am a mess. I let loose a series of pants, breathless moans as he works my coil in the pit of my stomach tighter with every brush or groan he grants my hot body. I am melting under Jungkook’s touch, my body feeling sticky, arousal dripping from my middle while he circles my delicate clit.

His thumb was increasing his pace of gliding over my bundle of nerves, still slow, still making my breathing become erratic, but the desire for Jungkook to do more was driving me insane. I’ve had a taste of sex and look at me wanting more. I didn’t know if I could be in the position to ask for more. But I wanted him to place those perfect, beautiful sinful lips on my molten core. Jungkook’s breath fans over my middle as he continues to stroke me down there.

I miss the twitch confined to the middle of his pants from the man watching us from above with eager need. 

As if sensing my need, his tongue swipes a slow stripe through my folds, the cool of his muscle against my exposed center making me black out for a moment, the sensation far too much for me to bear with right now. His snort of laughter brings me back to reality as he swirls his pink tongue at my empty entrance.

Jungkook laps at my folds as if he is a starved man, hungry, desperate for his next meal. I keen, gripping onto the base of his golden torso as laps at me. I’d think grounding myself on top of Jungkook’s head would make me saner, gripping his strands of hair as he goes to town in my middle. But really, it makes me feel completely mad, like I’ve gone insane.

The feral, untamed animal-like noises that escape his throat drive me absolutely wild, my skin on fire with need and want. My nails cling to his scalp, dragging him closer to my middle as he ravages my core. He maneuvers his two longest fingers through the glossy slick, lubing his digits to breach my entrance.

“Jungkook!” I gasp, choking on my words as he makes a come hither motion with his fingers, splitting my velvet walls to open for him.

Jungkook swirls his tongue over my little pearl of sensitive nerves, lapping and sucking my flesh like he's never eaten a thing in his life. He continues his very audible growling and moaning, husk in his voice incredibly thick.

“Let go, baby.” He coos into my middle as I jolt and shake, his digits brushing past the most delicious spot deep inside of my clenching walls. “Give me your release.”

His words finally tip me over the edge.

I tighten my hold on him, gritting my teeth in the process. My head falls backward on the sheets, eyes screwed closed as Jungkook slurps every inch of my middle clean, not leaving anything to go to waste.

“Kookie,” I sputter out, the feeling of his tongue and fingers becoming too much for me. “I-I’m c-c-cumming-!”

As I say the last of my words, the world comes undone around me for the second time today, my tight coil finally popping. Blinding white stars coat my vision for a second, my body shivering and shaking as I drip out onto the flat of Jungkook’s tongue.

He laps up my sensitive hole up with more snarls, more feral noises escaping his body. Tears flow down my face as I unhinge my nails from his silky blonde strands, trying to push him away from my overly sensitive flesh with pathetic mewls of protest escaping my throat.

More. My brian prompts me to continue to sate my undying lust burning inside of me. I need more.

“Jungkook,” I beg while his tongue still explores my throbbing hole, giving my sensitive skin rapt attention. “Jungkookie. Please. I c-can’t.” I tug at his blinde hair gently, trying to get him to stop teasing me with his tongue.

He doesn't stop and I can only think of one thing to ask before I lose my damn mind with him between my thighs.

“Jungkook.” I shudder, high building up once more. “Please fuck me.”

Everything in the room stills, the only sound heard was our heavy breathing. 

He looks up from my sensitive core, brows knit together as he looks into my eyes with such a passionate gaze of uncertainty. My juices were coating the bottom half of his face, his blonde hair is in a state of disarray, as he proceeds to slowly rise to his feet, looking over me on the bed.

“What?” He questions incredulously down at my fucked out form. Jungkook looks at me as if I am the most fragile thing in the world, as if I would burst into flames at any moment. “My darling, my love, there’s no going back if we-“

“I know.” I smirk up to the gorgeous gangster in all of the Windy City. “I want this too.”

His nostrils flare, his eyes widen, and his gaze softens. Jungkook looks down at me with something akin to lust, which makes my heart rate increase...

“Up.” He commands, raw husk pouring out of his tone as he starts to undo his pants, the zipper noise almost jarring in the quiet of the night.

I do as I’m told. I’ve fallen far down the rabbit hole now, I think as I shift on the bed. Standing was a little difficult as he’s just given me one of the best feelings I’ve ever had. I keep my eyes glued to Jungkook. His hands travel sensually down his tiny waist to his slacks he unbuttons. I am gasping, unable to take my eyes off the very beautiful sight of his thick cock bouncing, finally free from the confines of his dress pants. The tip was red and angry, a bead of precum adorning the slit of his mushroom-like head. He was long, girthy, and I want nothing more than it inside of myself at this very moment.

Jungkook grips the base of his cock with his hand while he steps out of his pants, giving his shaft a few pumps up and down while I watch with an open mouth.

“I’ve dreamt of this moment for so long.” He confesses softly, reaching for me with his free hand. I inch closer to him, gliding my hands over his defined body, admiring his lithe, yet sturdy frame. My fingers hungrily trace every ridge, every contour of his golden torso. Jungkook was so warm, so wonderful, and I am slightly kicking myself for not giving into him sooner. “To have you,” he continues, kissing up the side of my neck. 

“Please.” I beg him again, eyes flickering back and forth between his. 

“Turn around.” He leans in to kiss me with passionate need. His lips molding into mine as I cling to him for more. I taste my essence on his tongue which makes me whimper into his strong hold. “I’m going to fuck you now, my love.”

Again, I don’t need to be told twice as he guides me to where he wants me, bending me at the waist so my fingers dig into the unkept sheets below, my backside open and exposed to him.

“So pretty for me.” I hear the grin in his deep rumble. Jungkook slaps my bottom, granting him a hiss to escape my throat. I whine when he does it softly several more times, making my head soar.

I hear him spit before I feel the extra saliva lubricant coat my backside, the cool of his juices combined with mine was driving me up a wall.

“Jungkook!” I gasp.

He groans when I call for him, pushing his fat head of a cock at my aching, empty hole, wanting him to finally join the two of us.

“Darling,” he sounds like he’s straining to hold back. “Baby, please, fuck!” He grunts, splitting my walls inch by agonizingly slowly. I moan as he stretches me wide, entering me like he owns me. 

He thrusts inside of me all the way with one snap of his hips suddenly. A cry leaves my lips along with a strangled one from the man inside of me. My eyes widen as I realize that he’s not going to go easy on me tonight, he’s going to fuck me on his terms. I was in for a wild ride this evening.

Jungkook leans the front of himself over my sticky back, pressing our heated flesh together more, growling to the outside shell of my ear, nipping the flesh under my lobe while sliding in and out of me with a brutal pace he’s set.

“Baby…” he moans in my ear, the deep purr vibrating throughout his body making my breathing hitch and sob. His hips snapping into mine with a rhythm, I swear, no human man could ever achieve. Liquid was flowing down my eyes as the push and pull of Jungkook slamming his giant cock into my velvet folds repeatedly already had me tearing the sheets in two with my nails.

“Jung! Ah! Kook!”

Seokjin glides his hand over his cock from above the bed, matching the rhythm Jungkook’s hips produce, enjoying the wonderful show. 

I gasp this over and over like a prayer falling from my lips. My eyes are squeezed shut, my body hot with the raw purpose to feel Jugnkook inside of my heated center. His cock pushes in and out of me at a fevered pace, making my vision blur, seeing far too many white stars.

My brain is fuzzy as he hits the spot inside of me that blinds me, pleasure swimming in my veins. My third climax was surely on the way. 

“Baby,” Jungkook grunts, one of his arms snaking up my torso, his long fingers finding one of my bouncing breasts. He starts pinching my erect nipple, holding on to me tighter as we slide back and forth off of one another.

My coil was wound so tight, I don’t know if I’d be able to last much longer. Especially not with Jungkook’s fingers attaching to my hardened nipple, his lips to the crook of my neck, and his cock slamming in and out of my clenching middle with a fevered need.

He bucks into me faster, my walls clamping down on him, my coil about to pop, about to burst forth again. I can’t hold myself up any longer, my legs shaking violently. My knuckles are turning white with how hard I am clawing at the heart patterned sheets.

“Jungkook! I-“ I mewl, but I don’t get to finish my thought. 

In a split second, Jungkook pulls out of my middle, flipping me over and letting me fall onto my back so I could be face to face with him. Jungkook climbs on top of me quickly, wanting to resume his feverish pace immediately, hunger and need in his amber gaze. He settles between my legs, pushing himself back into my slicked out center easily, restarting from where he last left off.

I gasp when he enters me, clinging to his shoulders, holding him while the lewd squelching noises in the room continue to grow, faster, louder. He grips onto my hips, guiding me at a blinding speed I didn’t know he could achieve. Is he a victim of the devil as well?

Sweat was pouring off our bodies, my brain unable to produce a sane thought as he grunts and moans my name, his red orbs never leaving my face as he rockets his cock into my folds like it was his job.

It happens again, the very right feeling deep inside of my body, the one that makes me grit my teeth, that makes me see hundreds of tiny white stars.

“Jung! Kook~!” I scream into the quiet room, tears flowing from my hues as I card my fingers through his blonde strands, trying to make a purchase on his roots.

My hands travel down his backside as he snarls, “I’m going to make you my wife! Not some wannabe from the Northside!” Jungkook huffs, his movements slowing down, one of his thumbs finding my folds again, circling my aching clit in hurry - a stark contrast to earlier. “I’m going to claim you as my own.”

Seokjin smiles like he’s just won the lottery, masturbating to the sight of both his clients intertwined, fucking onto each other with unbridled lust. He comes then watching his new toy’s back arch, breasts in the air, Jungkook’s frame pounding into her with hungry trepidation. 

I grab onto the ample flesh of his bottom, feeling the world come tumbling around myself once more. Letting my body shake and quake on top of the sheets, my third orgasm taking me by force. I feel complete - feel whole for some reason. I am so completely taken aback with the storm rippling through my body in pleasureful tremors, one right after the other, I cannot even begin to breathe properly.

He lets a feral snarl rip through his body as he pumps into my leaking middle a few more times, my whole being consumed by Jungkook. He leans over me, sucking my neck colors of purples and dark reds and I scream as his cock swells inside of my velvet walls, releasing his own essence into my womb, holding him there like a vice grip as he spurts his seed deep inside of me.

Once our highs come to a close, I run my fingers through his hair, his throbbing cock still joined inside of my middle. We both pant, holding the other for dear life, finally together, and fulfilled with one other. Jungkook kisses along my jaw, moaning my name, telling me what an amazing baby doll I am as his cock finally softens inside of my aching cunt.

“Bravo.” Seokjin claps as he walks down the wooden stairs. “You both did very well!” He chuckles darkly. I squeak in surprise. I forgot he was there and I scramble to cover myself with the soiled sheets. 

“Okay, Kim,” Jungkook says as he kisses my nose, pulling out and picking up my clothes and handing them to me. He dresses in his undergarments and dress pants quickly, buttoning them up as he turns to the man all in green. “You had your show.” I listen as I dress myself with haste, back turned to the two men. “I’ve done everything you’ve asked: invested the money overseas, gotten rid of the competition and family in this lovely city, got you a new “Alice”, and even let you watch us play ball. I think it’s time to set us free.”

“Yes,” the mad man snickers, darkness clouding his tone, “you both have served me well. But nobody is leaving my perfectly curated speakeasy.” 

I turn around and my heart is dropping to the floor. Shock is written all over Jungkook’s face as I clench my jaw in guilt. 

“But, I’m afraid you both made a deal with me, and I don’t give up my new toys so easily.” Seokjin caresses Jungkook’s face in his pale hand, while holding my gaze with a sense of gentle anger. “You can’t always get what you want. But hey, look on the bright side: at least you have each other.” 

---

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this trip down the rabbit hole! Likes and reblogs are very much appreciated! 

[greeny-witchling]

Moon / Luna Masterpost

! DISCLAIMER: The following informationc are may wrong. If you see any misinformations, let me know, but not in the harsh way please! The links where the infromations (mainly) are from, are at the bottom. There are everything assosiated with the sun, use, what is helpful !

Note: i’m starting to post things like this. Mainly about astronomy, green witchery, kitchen witchcraft, zodiacs and more. If you are intrested or it was helpful please let me know!

The moon has been captivating people since the beginning of time. It’s guided our way on the darkest of nights and pulls at the tides as well as our emotions. There are myths and stories about the moon from every ancient culture, and it is still a central part of many pagan religions and spiritual paths. Here we break down the basics of lunar magick into easy-to-digest chunks including the moon’s phases, magical properties, correspondences, and more. Lunar energy is great for divination and dream work and to counteract Mars and Sun influences. Stones that correspond to the energy of the moon tend to be white and/or luminescent. Luna reflects the light of the Sun and is the closest sphere to Earth: the abode of physical form. It does not generate its own light as the Sun does, but serves as a filter for it, refracting and reflecting it in a coarser, more obfuscated manner.

The Female Body & The Moon

Just as the moon is reborn, grows, reaches its fullest potential, then wanes again, so do our bodies. For thousands of years, women have noticed their moon cycles (menstruation – the syllable men meaning moon/month) syncing up with the moon’s phases. This is lunar magick at its core. Just as the moon waxes and wanes, so too does the womb. This is why the moon is often associated with the Goddess in forms of neopaganism and Wicca.

The Triple Goddess & Our Lives

Wiccans associate the Triple Goddess with the moon’s phases: the maiden (waxing moon), the mother (full moon), and the crone (waning moon). We all go through these phases in our lives (both men and women) corresponding to our youth, adult child-rearing years, and our elder years. So we are all attuned to the moon phases and lunar magick, it’s just that most people don’t realize it.

The Moon in Mythology: Most Lunar deities in Western Tradition are female, though male lunar deities are found throughout the world as well. Lunar deities are often associated with Motherhood or the Sea.

The Moon in Astrology: As the moon moves across the sky, it passes through the various zodiac signs, primarily affecting our moods and reactions. Those who have a sun sign align to the water element will feel this effect most strongly. The moon travels through each sign every month, staying in each sign for up to three days before moving on. At the New Moon, she will be in the same sign as the Sun and at the Full Moon, she will be in the opposite sign.

zodiac: cancer metal: silver day: Monday other names: Luna, The Moon, The treause house of images tarot: The High Priestess (II) associations: 3, G, Gimel(Camel) mantric sound: „A” colour/s: white, blue, silver, rayed sky blue, cold pale blue, indigo numbers: 9, 81, 369, 3321 stone/s: moonstone, selenite, obsidian, silver, mother-of-pearl, aquamarine, gold beryl, topaz, emerald, clear quartz, coral, pearls planetary qualities: Cyclicity of manifestation. Waxing and waning. Liminal states. Potentiality of manifestation. Healing. Psychicism. Dreaming and sleep. Lunar Herbs: Lunar herbs tend to be juicy and lightly sweet and with a sweet (sometimes cloying) fragrance. Either they produce watery fruits, or they have succulent leaves or both. Many moon herbs relieve mild pain and/or gently induce sleep. Many moon plants open at night and close during the day or release their scent at night to attract nocturnal pollinators. Moon plants often grow near water. White or silvery plants tend to correspond to lunar energy and sometimes these plants bear the mark of the moon even more strongly. Sedative, hormone-balancing, tonic to the brain or stomach, narcotic or painkilling plants. Cooling and moisturizing plants. Plants with moon-shaped parts. Plants with high water content. Medicinal plants affecting the emotions, sleep, or the female reproductive system. Often have a rotten or sickly sweet smell . Herbal/Plant Moon Correspondences: vervain, moonflower, jasmine, lemon balm, cabbage, camellia, camphor, chickweed, moonwort, grape, lemon, turnip, potato, pea, cucumber, pear, peach, mountain ash, mango, wallflower, rowan, cactus, eucalyptus, coconut, lotus, myrrh, gardenia, sandalwood, orris, ginseng, Evening Primrose, Night Jasmine, melon, bitter, almond, agave, milkweed, passionflower(sedative), mallow, Willow(pain), poppy (sedative, pain relief), Gooseberry, Goat’s beard, Mugwort, Wild Yam(hormones), Iris, acanthus, adder’s tounge, alum root, arrowleaf, astible, banana, bear’s breeches,  blue hibiscus, blue nepal poppy, blue water lily, califronia poppy,  chamomile, clary sage, coral bells, cuckoo flower, devil’s trumpet, dog rose, flowering currant, flowering rush, fluellen, fungi, fuschia, gooseberry, green calla, hazel, heart leaf, heuchera, high malow, himalaayan blue hybrid blue, hydrangea, iris, italian aurm, japanese poppy, juniper, leafy vegetables, lettuce, loosestrife, madonna lily, moly, mouse-eared, hawkweed, mushroom, nigth blooming plants, norfolk-island hibiscus, oyster plant, peacenlily, wild pear, pickerel weed, pumpkin, purslane, ranunculus, round cardaom, St. John’s flower, saxifrage, sea holly, seaweed, soma, star anise, stonecrop, strawberry, geranium, sweet pea, tibetan blue, tomato fruit, tree anemone, watercress, water lily, water gladiolus, waterhyacint, white anthurium, white rose, wintergeen, yucca Lunar Fragrances- Incense, Oils and Fumigation Herbs: Almond, clary sage,  Banana, Calamus (herb, essential oil), Camphor, Chamomile, Clary Sage, Dark of the Moon Oil, Dreamworld, Incense, Full Moon Oil, Leaves of Moon Incense, Melon, Menstrual Blood, Orris, Poppy seeds, Rose, Sandarac Storax, Sweet Virginal odors, Waning Moon Oil, Wintergreen, Yesod Oil Incense: Star Anise, Mugwort, Wormwood, Lavender, Mullein, Dittany of Crete, Jasmine, Camphor symbols: the high priestess (tarot card), the chariot (tarot card), bow and arrow, crab, cat, turtle, sphinx, owl body parts and disaeses: Lymphatic system; SAD, PMS, structural brain problems, like tumors drugs: Sedative, hormone-blanacing, tonic to the brain or stomach, narcotic or painkilling, juniper, pennyroyal, emmenogogues, valerian Animal Moon Correspondences: owls, rabbits, wolves, deer, cats, moths, bats, spiders, raccoons, opossum, cows, frogs, dogs, crabs Deities Moon Correspondences (of clairvoyance, divination, maidenhood, cycles, fertility): Sophia, Thoth, Blodeuwedd, Man in the Moon, Rabbit in the Moon, Khonsu, Sina, Gabriel, Aine of Knockaine, Al-Lat, Al-Uzza, Alcyone, Alphito, Anahita, Anat, Andraste, Anu, Aradia, Arianrhod, Artemis, Asherah, Atargatis, Callisto, Cerridwen, Ch'ang O, Chons, Circe, Coatlicue, Coyolxuahqi, Diana, Don, El, Hathor, Hekate, Hera, Inanna, Ixchup, Jana, Juno, Kali, Khensu, Kuu, Luna, Rhiannon, Selene, Siva Somantha, Tlazolteotl moon beings: lemures, ghosts influences: gratitude, friendliness, safe travel, physical health, wealth, protection from enemies, deception, illusion, women, emotions, healing, dreams, prophecy Moon Signs:  The moon sign in your natal chart reveals your feminine side. It governs your deepest fears, your emotional needs and your intuition. Magick: Cycles, emotions, secrets, divination, divine feminine, your feminine side, the subconscious, dreams, and dream work, finding a path, hidden intentions, White tincture, Clairvoyance, Divination by dreams, Bow & Arrow, Controlling or working with cyclical events, Watery, cold, or static states, Good against Sun or Mars influences, Works targeting the emotions, astral travel, subconscious 

Moon altar:

Moon altars are sacred, magical spaces that you create to honor and harness the different energies of the lunar cycle. Like all altars, a moon altar is a place where you can focus and direct energy through your witchcraft. You can perform spells or meditations at your moon altar or simply send your gratitude up to the moon for shining down on you night after night. I want to start by saying there’s no wrong way to make a moon altar. You can set it up inside or outside, elaborate or simple, and everything in between. Though there are certain magical tools that you can include on your altar to add power and focus, there’s no specific set of directions to set up a moon altar. That means you can get as creative as you like when setting up your moon altar. As long as your altar feels sacred, special, and powerful, you’re good to go!

Traveling Moon Altars: You can take your witchcraft with you wherever you go! A popular way to do this is to use a small drawstring bag, an altar cloth tied up to make a pouch, or an empty mint tin to store the magical tools for your moon altar. Put travel-friendly magical tools in your altar containers such as small crystals, tarot cards, birthday candles, colored ribbon (for knot spells or color magic), or any other objects that you feel belong in your moon altar. These altars are great if you love to go hiking and want to set up an altar outside under the moon.  Stationary Moon Altars: This is what people typically think of when it comes to altars. These are the altars that are set up on a dedicated space in your home or outdoor area. Some witches will keep these altars up all the time; other witches will keep their tools in a box or drawer when not in use. These altars are great because you can deck them out with all kinds of trinkets and tools and not have to worry about losing or damaging these items during travel. Mental Altars: This is a more unconventional altar option that might appeal to you if you love visualizing. You can actually make a moon altar using only your mind. In your mind’s eye, visualize a sacred space in any location in the world and include any magical tools you’d like to use on your moon altar. Visualizing an altar is a great meditation on its own or combined with other moon rituals like taking a moon bath (in lunar light) or performing divination magic under the moon. If you don’t have the time or energy to set up an altar, you can sit outside under the moon or by a window and simply visualize your moon altar.

representing the moon on the altar: chrystals (Some witches believe that moonstone is best used during the waxing moon phase because all the other phases of the moon deplete or dilute its energy.), with plants, herbs, flower Candles to Represent the Moon: Any kind of candle can represent the moon because candles are tools that provide light. White tea lights are ideal for moon altars because they’re inexpensive, and they’re round like the moon. They also make black tea lights which are nice to use during the new moon. Use your moon candle for spells or divination methods like scrying and candle gazing. You can burn intentions with your moon candle if you like. You can also try lighting your candle for the waxing moon and full moon phases and keeping your candle unlit for the waning moon and new moon phases. Unusual Tools to Represent the Moon: egg, marshmallow, sugar or salt, ribbon, a mirror

Water of moon

associations: the chariot VII, Het, Homakhu, Apollo hte Charioteer zodiac: cancer stones: emerald, cat’s eye, pearl, moonstone, amber plants: lotus, moonwort, papaver somniferum, passionflower, water lily, white poppy, white rose colors: pale blue, viler, pearl, white, amber, dark greenish, brown, rich bright russet, maroon animals: crab, turtle, sphinx body parts: stomach beings: vampire scents: onycha, rose, lotus drugs: watercress magick: Power of casting enchantments; weapon is the furnace; figures are Populus and Via 

Where my informations are from(for credit):

!Please look up the links, because some thins I already writed down before, that things have been left out. https://otherworldlyoracle.com/lunar-magick-beginners/ https://witchipedia.com/astrology/moon/ https://www.alchemy-works.com/planets_moon.html https://luxsaturni.com/planetary-magic/luna/ https://thetravelingwitch.com/blog/how-to-create-an-effective-moon-altar-for-your-magic

More articles and informations:

Luna I - Lunar Consciousness and Identity – Contemplation in the Sphere of the Moon Luna II - Correspondences in Luna – Altar and Physical Foundations Luna III - Symbolism in Luna – Meditational and Initiatory Foundations Luna IV - Lunar Magic – The Cyclicity of Manifestation Luna V - Continuance of Lunar Work - Eclipsing the Ego Luna VI - Lunar Astrophysics – Advancing the Art

[selenecrawford]

Selene Crawford :The Tiger, The God of War and The Bro’s

Decided to play a bit with how the story evolves. I hope you liked this chapter. I had a lot of fun making it.

Warning: Cursing

Without hesitating Shingen approached the group with great confidence. Never stop smiling he took the bottle and served himself a drink. Masamune was going to confront him when Nobunaga's voice stopped him.

“Calm down Dragon, The tiger is not alone aren't you?”

“I'm flattered that you may think you know me Oda, but I have to give it to you, yes,  I'm not alone. Kenshin is with Princess and Yuki and Sasuke are checking for bugs...” drinking in one shot Shingen went for another shot but Mitsuhide took the bottle away.

“So what brings your group to our turf?” Mitsuhide served him a glass and pass it to Hideyoshi.

“Your turf uh?” the sarcastic smirk of Shingen went big and wide.

“My, My, aren't we too cocky aren't ya snake?”

“Shingen is late, we are tired and frankly we are having something going on. Unless, you are done rattling the nest, state your business or leave.” said Nobunaga with tiredness on his voice.

Shingen stopped smiling, and took the remaining chair on the table. Masamune was still silent a bad signal noticed by all including Shingen.

“Go check on her Masamune but do not engage, clear?” No response. “Don't make me repeat myself again Date, ARE WE CLEAR?” the second time Nobunaga's voice was raised in a deeper and more authoritative tone.

Masamune couldn't trust his own voice so he gave a nod and went back to his office. He was trying really hard not to kill them all. His blood was boiling with hatred. His mind was foggy and full of many scenarios. He just gave a head shake to clear his mind. She is ok, she is just sleeping and she is safe. The walk to his office seemed longer than usual. When he arrived, Kenshin was facing the door while reclined against the wall. Like Shingen, his jacket and trousers were black with his shirt with horizontal lines between sky soft blue, gold and white. Considering himself an eccentric, he was donning a fedora and a white rabbit pin on one of the sides. With arms crossed and closed eyes he seemed almost asleep. Masamune stood next to the door of his office.

“It's been a while Dragon, I never thought you will look so weak.” the soft tone of voice might not had been loud but it was enough for Masamune to stop mid action and stiffen his back straight.

“I don't have time for your bullshit, God of War, just pray she is ok...”

“And what if she is not?” a mocking smile appeared on Kenshin's mouth.

Before Masamune could react Sasuke appeared at the other side of the hallway.

“Everything is clear, boss. Shall we join Shingen?”

Masamune stopped on his tracks waiting for the next move of Kenshin. With a mocking smirk, Kenshin finally stood and walk toward Sasuke and Yuki before the trio disappeared into the break room. Masamune felt his auto control almost at his limit, turning toward his office he entered trying to be as silent as possible. He found her still asleep, gripping his jacket as if it were a safety blanket. Her face was relaxed and her breathing was even and soft. Looking at her made him, forget the rest of them. He took a seat at the floor near her, he just reclined his head near the edge of the sofa and took in all he could of the image before his eyes. He became addicted to her face and her smile. A bittersweet smile played on his lips while remembering when sometimes he managed to make her blush with his invitations to date. Masamune knew she was going to say no. But couldn't get enough of that flustered face, her scar was more visible and somehow made her look even more beautiful. He closed his eyes for a moment and gave a deep sigh. Letting his mind wondering he couldn't stopped the feeling that he failed her just like he failed his father on that fateful day.

Meanwhile, The trio joined Shingen and reported all his findings. The place was clear and Selene was resting although she might need more than a couple of hours to sleep. The ordeal was more than enough to top the end of the week.

Shingen took the opportunity to finally state his business to the Oda. He hated him but he noticed a changed on the atmosphere of the place. Could it be that she was the cause? The day he saw her looking like a 16 year old attending the phone he thought she was a minor maybe a friend or family of one of them. She was courteous and nice to him but also she display such a wall...Shingen was a courier of information, while he was wealthy enough to last him a lifetime he always felt inclined to help those who were less fortunate. He studied law like Oda and managed and started his law firm to make pro Bono jobs in order to help. While Oda had a different approach both had a common goal. Unfortunately, the difference on ways to achieve their goal also created a rift between their friendship.

Normally he wouldn't saunter into the lair of the Devil but this time it was different. The princess, resting at the office of the Dragon was too precious to be left alone. The web, rattle like a war zone, when news of the shooting spread like wild fire. Oda, might have an idea of how valuable her assistant might be but not the full scope like him. With a knowing smile, Shingen decided to play a bit and poke the Devil on the blindside and see how much he could bleed?

“Say Oda, how much you do you know about your princess?”

“What does that supposed to mean?” Nobunaga raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

“Well, the word is that the shooting was for her not for you. And that it was a warning, perhaps?” Shingen gave a big grin like a kid who knows all the answers to the riddle and enjoyed bragging about it.

“ We run a background check and spoke with Kincaid as she told us. So far Selene, had been clear with us and she knows well that lies are not allowed.” Hideyoshi spoke as a matter of fact crossing his arms.

“Shingen if you are done playing, let's go this is boring as hell.” said Kenshin with an impatient tone.

Shingen smiled and decided to stop the games for now going straight to the point. “Selene is well known on the community Oda. Take care of her. No one, still knows who order this but whoever it is is playing with fire. I know you don't want to believe me. But again Princess is more than meets the eye. Keep that eye on her.” finishing his drink the group left the place leaving everyone as confused as ever.

Masamune saw from the office window when the group left. Checking once more on Selene he went back to the break room.

“Good timing Masamune, take Selene to your house and keep and eye on her during the weekend.” was the reception he got upon entering the break room.

“What we can do in the meantime?” was Mitsurani's turn to speak.

“Get all you can on the internet regarding Selene I will go see Kincaid once again to see if there is something missing.

“What's going on?” asked Masamune confused.

“As soon as we found we will let you know” answered Nobunaga with a frown.

The tasks were assigned and Masamune brought the car to the front of the backdoor. Nobunaga put Selene still sleeping on the back seat. He refrained from telling Nobunaga that Kenshin injected her with a sedative to let her rest a full night. He knew it wouldn't sit well with him.

“If something happens call him. I know he might know by now if pick up the messages.” Nobunaga put Selene gently on the seat and made sure she was comfortable.

Hideyoshi handed a bag with several things for Selene including her purse. “See you on Monday.”

Masamune left without a word on his way to the mountains. He had a house on the city but when he needed to be alone the mountains were his refuge. Or lair as sometimes, jokingly Selene likes to call it. The trip was a bit complicated and Masamune took extra measures to not be followed. Once home he took Selene to the guest room and tuck her in on the bed. The next following hours he set a perimeter and managed to activate the security system. Not having slept since yesterday, Masamune took a shower and took some Bermuda shorts and an old t shirt and lay down next to Selene. He laid a gentle kiss on her forehead and then stayed looking at her until he fell asleep.

It was noon when Selene started to awaken, for some reason she felt secure and warmth. Slowly opening her eyes, she found face to face with Masamune. Her heart started beating wildly at the sight of his face so near. Instead of panic a tender sensation made her feel flustered and in awe. She just looked at his face and could see his features up close and personal. After a couple of minutes she decided to get up and a sensation of Vertigo suddenly hit her.

“Shit, what is wrong with me?” while holding her head and waiting for the sensation to pass.

“Lass everything okay? What's wrong?” Masamune sit next to her holding her on his arms.

“ I don't know I woke up and suddenly the place started to spin. I need a shower. Where are we?” Selene's voice sounded a bit groggy.

“This is my house on the mountains. You are staying with me until Monday. Come on, I'll help get you to the bathroom.” Masamune sounded gentle and worried.

Making an effort Selene used the bathroom and then took a quick shower with Masamune at the door. Every 5 minutes Masamune asked Selene if she was ok just to make sure she didn't faint or fell. She was self conscious of being naked and every time she heard his voice her body jolted like she was being caressed by him. She dried herself and took a bath robe. Taking the shower curtain to the side Masamune went to get her on his arms.

“I can walk you know?” she protested in vain.

“Right now you are still pretty shaken. We need to change the bandages. I'm taking you to the kitchen ok?” he was holding her without any effort at all.

Selene didn't respond she felt somehow spoiled it and deep inside she was loving it. The kitchen was spacious with a center island table in granite. Masamune let her on one of the chairs and went to get a shirt and the first aid kit. Closing his eyes he waited for Selene to put the shirt on. Once she was ready he changed the bandage and prepared a small breakfast for both.  Selene still felt exhausted and wanted to sleep some more. Deciding to be stubborn this time she tried to walk with the help of Masamune. Once on the bed, he was going to leave when Selene took his hand.

“Could you stay with me I don't want to be alone right now, please.” her voice was pleading with sadness and desperation.

“Sure.” he didn't tough of anything else when he went back to bed and took her in his arms. He started caressing her hair until she fell asleep again. Kissing her head Masamune closed his eyes until he also fell asleep.

@datemasamunemaiwaifu @la-piperina @unstoppablelinda @elievalentine @colivara @ikesenhell @xathia-89 @masa-little-kitten @epicdragonlady @mikamiw @jennacat84 @kimi00twin @yeshasays @notsafefortum-blr

[nyctolovian]

Summary:  Meet the parasite Vree

A/N: I was supposed to post this yesterday (i posted on ao3 yesterday) but um... welp, its like  that sometimes.

Also, I just did a refining of the plot annd uhhhhh it just grew by like.... 6 chapters???? im??? so??? screwed??? I've never written anything this long seriously before and uhh ((im srs when i say this is a huge ass feat for me please support my sed writing ass))

Special thanks to @lunasloveliess and @oorubixoo for beta reading this :D This chapter was pretty difficult to write.

The walls of the quarantine room were pristinely white, and the room smelled clean. It wasn’t hospital-clean, or Galran-jail-clean. It was just neat, like a new untouched bedroom. There was a large glass pane that let Lance see into the room next to his. Below it was a speaker and microphone, so Lance assumed this was going to be the mode of communication he was going to use if the team wanted to speak to him while he was still in quarantine.

He wondered if he could ask Allura to turn on the air-conditioning. But there was no communication button anywhere so he probably couldn’t activate the communicator on the wall from the inside. He rolled over onto his other side, and onto the side of the bed that had yet to accumulate his body heat. He had dumped the blanket onto the floor because it was making him heat up way too quickly. But not before inspecting it and counting the number of flowers, petals and Altean bee-sparrow-rabbit hybrids (Sparabbees!) printed on it.

What? Was Lance bored? Oh, no, not particularly. Why would you say so? (Yes, he was dying of boredom.)

He’d been in here for god-knew-how-long with nothing to do. Immediately after his body checks in the cryopod, he was sent here to wait for the results. That was fair. Lance wouldn’t want a possibly rogue paladin running about the castle either. He also knew that the others would talk about this issue separately before coming to find him, although they did not mention a word of this. But it was probably a given.

He sighed. This was the second time he was locked up in a windowless room with absolutely no stimuli. This time, he had a bed though. And possibly someone else with him. But it made no difference if that someone refused to talk.

“Hey, you,” Lance said aloud. “I know you’re there.”

No response.

“Helloooo?” He groaned. “Seriously, there’s no use hiding. You already revealed yourself! And I know you can hear me, alright?”

No response still.

Lance groaned and flopped onto his back. “Stop pretending you aren’t there! You either start talking or get out of my body right this instant.”

I’m sorry… But I can’t. Get out, I mean.

Lance startled. The voice was finally talking to him! He tried to regain his composure. “W-Why not?”

I-I’m not really sure. Sorry. I’ve tried to but I seem to be… stuck. I-I don’t know why. Leaving my host’s body was never an issue but I seem to be locked in by your tissues. I’m sorry, the voice replied.

“Wait,” Lance said. “So you’re a thing? With, like, a physical body and stuff?”

Yes, I have a body.

He let out a sigh. “That’s… less frightening than some spirit thingy existing in my head or something.” It sounded… less druid.

I’m not the work of a druid. I assure you.

Lance bounced upright. “Okay. Wait. So you can read minds?”

Well… yes, I can read my host’s mind.

Lance sighed and scratched his head. “Okay, how can I know that you’re telling the truth that you aren’t druid? For all I know, you could be lying to me. ‘Cause it seems like this mind reading thing is pretty one-sided.”

There was a moment of silence before the voice said, T-true. I don’t have concrete proof, but do you recall the dream you had? While you were in the so-called healing pod?

That strange dream. “You were the alien in the jar? Everything was from your perspective, right?”

Yes. And everything you saw and felt is genuine.

“Oh, then are you…”

Yep. A very specific feeling was transmitted to Lance. If the voice could clear their throat, they would at this point. The name is Vrizerain. But most call me Vree.

“Oh. Uh… I-I’m Lance.”

They chuckled. I’m aware. But nice to meet you. Properly.

Lance rubbed the back of his head. Vree seemed kind of polite and nice. Lance didn’t get any bad vibes from them and, for some reason, he felt inclined to believe in them.

Maybe it was the fact that even though he couldn’t read Vree’s mind like they got to read his, he could still feel a slight bit of his emotion seep into his words.

It really felt like Vree was just as confused and worried as Lance was about the situation. And their apologies felt sincere. Every word was spoken with care, like they were tiptoeing in a nursery during naptime.

Or maybe it was the fact that he had seen the dream through Vree’s eyes.

The momentary comfort of seeing their friend, Frivirion; the visceral fear of watching the druids enter, which could only spell danger; the genuine agony of… it all, expecting the same fate to eventually befall them. Lance realised that they weren’t meant to be shared. The memory was so personal — the emotions so raw, it made Lance feel like an intruder.

With those emotions echoing in his chest, Lance decided, “I’ll trust you. For now.”

Lance wasn’t as bored as he was before, having someone to talk to for most of the remaining duration of his quarantine, but the door of the room next door opening was still a huge relief for him. He leapt off his bed and rushed to the glass pane in excitement.

In came everyone, all looking tense. They closed the door behind them. Their mouths moved, but Lance couldn’t hear a word. They talked to each other for a while longer before Allura gave Coran a nod. Then, Coran fiddled with the control panel in front of the window pane on their side. The speaker crackled for a while before falling somewhat silent, save for the added ambient sounds from the other room, but otherwise, everyone remained quiet. Lance stared at the team, waiting for someone to speak.

It took a while before the silence was broken.

“Hey, Lance,” Keith said. “Can you hear me?” He was the most calm in this situation. Somehow.

“H-Hey. Yeah. You’re clear.”

“We’ve got some results,” Pidge said as she flipped through the pages of her folder. Her voice was rather soft, like she didn’t know how to speak to him now. Honestly, Lance couldn’t blame her. “We ran some checks and there’s this worm-like parasite in stuck in your spine.”

Parasite?! Vree whined loudly in Lance’s head.

“Your tissues seemed to have healed over it in an unusual way… Probably because of the healing pod.”

Oh… That… would explain why I’m stuck like this.

Lance asked, “Is there a way to take the… well, parasite out?”

Lance! Not you too!

“Surgery, maybe,” Hunk said. “But it’s going to be, like, really difficult considering how it’s practically attached to your spinal cord. Removing it might cause spinal damage. I mean, none of us here are medical experts, so unless we’ve got a doctor, we don’t really know what to do.”

Lance winced.

“We will try to find a surgeon who can remove the parasite,” Allura said. “But… we shouldn’t get our hopes too high.”

Parasite again. Stop calling me that.

Bending down to Pidge’s height, Coran flipped through the folder in her hand. Pidge visibly cringed at the page that Coran, who swiftly took out the piece of paper, had stopped at. “Here is the thing, Number 3,” Coran explained as he pressed the paper against the glass pane for Lance to look at, “the creature living in your spine now looks like this.”

Lance leaned into the glass and squinted at the picture.

It was a grotesque black-and-white photo of a creature lodged between what looked like the bones and nerves of his spine. It looked like some kind of half-worm, half-spider thing.

Coran lifted the page off the glass slightly to point at the image of the parasite. “The creature is lodged between the disk of your vertebrae and entangled with some of your spinal nerves. It’s rather tricky, you see?”

That’s a whole lot of mess I’ve gotten into.

“You can say that again,” Lance said in response to both Coran and Vree.

“We will be running one more test for you. But for that, we will require Princess Allura to enter your room,” Shiro said.

Everyone on the other side was tensed up again.

“We’ll be on guard,” Keith said, lifting his bayard up for Lance to see. “Just, um, don’t transform or attack Allura or something, and we’ll be fine, I think. She’s just coming in to check on your quintessence stuff. It shouldn’t hurt…” He glanced to Allura for affirmation, and when she nodded, he looked back at Lance. “Can you do that?”

I suppose that’s fine…? If that’s really it, Vree said. Can we trust them?

Lance smiled. They wouldn’t lie to him. “Okay, yeah. Allura can do her thing. No problem.”

Allura was let into the quarantine room. Everyone else was deathly still. “Hey, princess,” Lance said with a tiny wave. He chuckled nervously. “W-will this hurt by the way?”

“It should not,” Allura assured him. She raised her palms towards him and wrapped them around the crown of his head. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. Then, Lance and Allura began to glow a soft light.

Allura slowly opened her eyes and revealed her glowing purple irises. The light faded. “Your quintessence is still the same,” she said.

“So Lance is still Lance?” Hunk asked, his hands clenched in front of his chest.

“Yes. His soul has not been changed fundamentally.”

Everyone visibly relaxed with a sigh in unison.

“I could sense the quintessence of another creature in your back, as expected. And its quintessence is intricately entangled with yours. Like a bond of some sort,” she continued.

Like a telepathic one?

Allura yelped and leapt back.

“Princess!” Coran yelled.

Keith charged in, pushing Allura behind him, as Hunk and Pidge followed behind. Eyes determined, they brandished their bayards at Lance, who raised his arms in surrender.

Maybe I shouldn’t have done that. Sorry.

“I’m half-convinced you’re doing these things on purpose,” Lance muttered bitterly.

“W-Wait,” Allura said, gently nudging Keith away. “Lance, have you established a telepathic bond with the parasite?”

For the last time, I’m not a parasite… Lance could almost sense a pout in Vree’s voice.

“Well, yeah. And Vree doesn’t really like you guys calling them a parasite,” Lance said.

I can talk through you, so anyone with direct skin contact with you can hear what I say.

“Skin contact lets him talk to others apparently,” Lance explained.

Tentatively, Allura placed a hand on Lance’s arm. “Like this?”

Yep! That’s right!

A frown creased Allura’s brow as she tried to process this new information. “H-How unusual,” she mumbled.

“Wait, Princess Allura, you can actually talk to the para— to the thing?” Shiro asked.

Allura nodded.

“That sounds kinda gross. Talking to some worm thing, I mean,” Pidge commented.

Before Vree could respond to that, Allura asked them, “Is speaking to multiple people possible?”

Um… Yeah, I think so.

Allura seized the closest person, Keith, and made him hold Lance by the hand. “Say something.”

Um, hello again.

Keith blinked several times, surprised. “H-hello? I guess?”

And, Lance, I’ve been meaning to ask this but what is this strange feeling in your chest whenever this—

“Vree! Alright! Okay! Um! Uhhh...” a red-faced Lance shouted to interrupt Vree. “Anyone else want to try out this whole new concept of speaking to aliens through direct contact?”

Eventually, after much talking and convincing, everyone was in direct contact with Lance, who was weirded out by the number of hands on his arms.

“You want to do a self-intro, Vree?” Lance asked.

I am Vrizerain from Regeunde. Most call me Vree.

“Wait. Did you say you are from Regeunde?” Coran exclaimed. “But we visited the planet right after we rescued Hunk and Lance, and there was… no one left there.”

The Regeunders… are extinct now. Or at least, they’re not on Regeunde anymore.

Coran sighed loudly.

My kind are the Immarin, and I assume you don’t know of us. The Regeunders never found out about us either. We attach ourselves to other species so we can blend in with the Regeunders.

“So what I, um, transformed into,” Lance said.

“But I thought Regeunders were small cats,” Keith said, turning to look at Coran.

Are they? Well, they’ve been gone for ten thousand years. We don’t really know what they look like anymore. I’m sorry.

“Evolution?” Hunk suggested. “A lot can change in ten thousand years. Especially if the Galra threaten the planet.”

Pidge nodded at the possibility. “Transformation is pretty useful if you are threatened. Essentially, Lance and this, um, Vree have a symbiotic relationship at the moment where the host, I assume, offers nutrients while the symbiont provides an alternative defense mechanism.”

That’s right. The amount of nutrients we can usually obtain outside of our host’s body is only enough for survival. We need a lot more if we aim to live longer and reproduce.

Lance paled. “Hold up—”

We clone outside of the host’s body, Lance.

“Okay, that’s a relief. You know, too many movies I’ve seen have these weird creatures being inside humans and bursting—”

“Lance,” Keith interrupted, “I beg you to stop. It’s kind of bad enough as it is right now.”

“Okie dokie. Yep. That’s probably a good idea.”

“How did you attach yourself to Lance?” Coran asked. “Surely not on Regeunde. They didn’t even get to reach that planet.”

“Long story short,” Lance replied, “Remember those cuts on my back? I landed on a pile of those, um, specimens, plus all the glass, and while I was like that, they kinda crawled in through the wound in my back.”

Pidge cringed. “Ugh, gross, gross, gross.”

“Well, it was only because of Vree that I could make it out of the ship. They helped me navigate through everything and stuff, apparently.”

“So what else can you do, uh, Vree?” Allura pressed.

I can read Lance’s mind. And I know that he’s currently thinking of this movie called Alien. Specifically the part where this man’s chest—

“I’m going to stop you right there,” Shiro said.

Sorry. That’s fair.

“You can read his mind,” Hunk said. “As in, everything he’s thinking?”

Um… Yeah. It’s to facilitate efficient communication between me and my host.

“That is…” Allura pursed her lips. “That is rather dangerous… isn’t it? For us. It would be terrible if our information were to be leaked out.”

“We need that surgery asap,” Hunk said. “I don’t trust that parasite.”

Lance felt Vree’s discomfort like a itch in his chest. Umm… Sorry but I- Well, I’m not a para—

“Look here,” Hunk yelled, glaring at Lance’s back. “As far as I’m concerned you’re invading my best friend’s body. You’re a parasite. And, now, you’re even invading his own private life! I don’t care what the purpose of your mind reading is, it’s personal. We all have things we want to keep personal.

“Hey, Hunk,” Lance said, shrugging as best as he could with all the hands on his arms. “It’s not that—”

Hunk’s eyes darted upwards. “Lance, we don’t know this Vree friend of yours. You shouldn’t be accepting this so quickly. For all we know, this Vree creature can be dangerous. Letting anyone into your brain and thoughts is never a good idea.” He huffed. “And I assume that puma thing I saw was you?”

Well, um, yes—

“And it wasn’t the lizard thing that killed the Galra either, was it? It was you, right?” Hunk continued. “That thing was dead after all. I bet you killed it too.”

You’re right agai—

“I knew it! I knew it, knew it, knew it! That thing has been bothering me from the beginning! Do you guys not understand the danger of this?!”

Pidge was the first to pick up on what Hunk meant. “Lance’s body was controlled without him knowing.”

A shudder ran through the rest of the team as Lance laughed nervously. “Hey, um…”

Vree tried to explain, I only have partial control over his body’s actions while in the transformed state. I can’t control a thing while he is, um, normal. And Lance was unconscious previously so I could control his body without a hitch.

“Yeah,” Lance agreed quickly. “And Keith probably saw today that I had control over my own actions as well! You know, it’s like one person is using the trackpad and one person is using the mouse on the same laptop at the same time.”

“Lance, you knew about this?!” Hunk breathed, outraged. “That thing used your body to… to kill all those Galra like that! Without you knowing a thing!”

“I-It can’t really be helped, right?” Lance smiled back in reassurance. “Besides, I was in mortal danger and stuff, so Vree actually saved me. Although I wished everything wasn’t done so brutall—”

Hunk cut him off. “Lance, this means there could be a next time when you are unconscious or sleeping or — I don’t know — and- and that thing can just use you to do whatever shady business it wants or even murder us! Do you understand that?”

I promise I won’t do that. I really don’t mean any harm, Vree pleaded. We, Immarins, as a species are generally—

Hunk groaned loudly and let go of Lance, refusing to hear another word from Vree. “As if we can just take your word for it. We’re not little kids. A pinky swear that you’ll do no harm isn’t going to convince us.”

Everyone was holding their breath. Their eyes were on Lance, as though pleading him to say something in response, because no one else knew what to say — even if they could muster the courage to speak up.

“Look, Hunk,” Lance’s voice was gentle. “Vree’s just trying their best.”

“I’m just trying to protect you, Lance,” Hunk replied, looking at Lance earnestly. “And this team. We can’t risk it.”

“I get it,” Lance replied, voice firm now. “We’re all worried, but Vree’s scared too. And it’ll be difficult from here on out if we’re all super defensive and stuff.”

“Lance, why do you trust it? What makes you think you can trust it?” Hunk shouted, punctuating his sentences with gestures. “Why aren’t you more wary?”

“H-hey,” Keith said, “Hunk.” He looked between the Red and Yellow Paladin, somewhat regretting speaking up. “I’m sure Lance has his reasons. Right?”

“Yeah.” Lance stood his ground. “I may not be able to read Vree’s mind, but I can feel their emotions. I know that they are genuinely concerned and sincere. And, right now, you are hurting them.”

“Those so-called emotions,” Hunk said, air-quoting, “can be some way to dupe you, Lance. Did you even learn anything after Nyma tricked you?”

Lance gasped softly.

“Do you want a repeat of that again? This time, it won’t just be your lion, Lance! You can’t trust this parasite!”

“But what else can I do but trust Vree?” Lance screamed. “Vree’s there and we can’t just get rid of them. Not unless I want to severely damage my spinal cord! You guys said it yourself! So all I can do is trust them and pray for the best. I’m scared too, okay? But what other choice do I have?”

Hunk’s eyes widened.

“Oh! Or you could just lock me in a cryopod for the rest of my life until we can take them out,” Lance said, sarcasm dripping from his words. “You know, that way I won’t have any thoughts for Vree to access, and there’s no way for them to do anything with my body. Would you like that instead?” His breath hitched as he realised what he had just said. “Oh. Oh no,” he breathed. “Oh god, Hunk. I-I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled.”

“No,” Hunk said, holding his hands up. “You’re not wrong.” He rubbed his eyes roughly with his palm and let out an exasperated groan. “I’m out. I’m out.”

“God. I’m sorry, Hunk,” Lance stuttered out in alarm. He pushed everyone aside and seized his best friend, who froze.

With bated breath, the world waited. Then, with gentle, warm hands, Hunk pried Lance’s fingers away from his arm. “Please just give me some space.” With that, he left, closing the door behind him lightly.

Everyone in the room stood still, not uttering a word. It was so unusual to see Hunk flare up like that, but it was even more unusual to see the two best friends yell at each other. It felt almost surreal to witness this. A bitter taste was left on everyone’s tongue.

But Lance had it worst. His chest was aching with guilt, and his head was hot with anger, both at everything, and at himself. His lungs were searing with the urge to yell, yet he felt that he had no right to raise his voice any further.

God. Why the hell did he have to yell and say things like that? Why did he have to be stuck with this wreck of a situation?

The first thing to break the heavy silence wasn’t even a noise.

I’m really sorry.

[razieltwelve]

Clean Up (Final Rose x Worm)

When Diana had landed in another dimension, she’d actually been moderately pleased. After all, she had just died in a blaze of glory after outliving everyone else in her generation, so being alive again was kind of a bonus. There would be plenty of time to meet her relatives in the afterlife. She still had things to do.

Alas, the dimension she’d landed in was pretty crappy. Not only was she on an unfamiliar planet but the unfamiliar planet was also on the verge of societal collapse. For obvious reasons, she could not allow that to occur, so she’d decided to lay low and do some research before making any real moves.

There were people with powers on the planet - apparently, it was called Earth - but she doubted any of them were more powerful than her. That wasn’t arrogance. It was simple fact. Bag of Tricks had the potential to be absolutely terrifying if it was allowed time to develop, and Diana had landed on Earth in her physical prime… but with Bag of Tricks as large as it had been at the end of her life and with everything she’d ever put in it still in it.

That was right. She had a subspace larger than a solar system at her command with every single object she’d ever put into it still there. Some of the heroes in this world were quite durable, but she doubted any of them could stand up to several million pieces of artillery firing simultaneously, to say nothing of everything else she had hidden away. It might even be nice to pull out some of the truly exotic stuff. It had been way too long since she’d had a chance to fire her false vacuum collapse ray at something.

With Bag of Tricks primed and ready, it was simply a matter of choosing a place to put down roots and begin recruitment. If she wanted to save the world - or possibly take over it - then she needed minions, territory, and resources with which to project her influence. An affluent city that was at peace would never have allowed her to go unnoticed. However, a downtrodden city beset by crime and on the verge of collapse? That would be perfect for her purposes.

Cue Brockton Bay.

In simple terms, Brockton Bay sucked. It really did. And Diana moved right in. Her first real step was to assassinate the villain Coil. He was a massive jerk who thought his power made him invincible, but she was nothing if not ingenious. There were ways to blind his power, and without it he was a baseline human. Some good, old fashioned poison gas in the middle of the night did the rest.

From there, seizing control of his operation was a mere formality. She could offer better pay and benefits, and his hired goons were hardly loyal. Still, they would be useful, and perhaps she could convert them into genuine minions. With Coil out of the way, she took control of his best assets: the Undersiders.

Money and influence were the things they required, and Diana could offer both. Compared to the technology she could build or already had in Bag of Tricks, the people of Earth might as well have been cave people. More importantly, her technology was not like tinker tech. Normal people could operate and maintain it, even manufacture it, with the correct training and education. Using some of Coil’s funds and her own resources from Bag of Tricks made gradually introducing some of it a breeze.

As for influence, her quickly growing stockpile of money made that easy. It was a sad indictment on Earth that the right bribe to the right person seemed to make everything easier. Oh well. She wasn’t about to complain about victory being easy.

With the Undersiders firmly in hand - Lisa had the makings of a wonderful, if incredibly snarky, minion - Diana turned her attention to her competition in Brockton Bay’s underworld.

The Merchants were a joke. It took her one night and some of her drones to wipe them out. The real challenge was concealing exactly how she’d done it from the local authorities. It wouldn’t pay to have them ask too many questions. She’d been particularly interested in Squealer. The woman could be a useful minion if she kicked her drug addiction and switched sides. Knocking her unconscious and throwing her into a detox tank was Diana’s solution to the problem.

The ABB and the Empire 88 would also have to be dealt with. Her first target was the Empire. Brian had suggested them, and as a Faunus, Diana had seen firsthand the danger such groups posed. The White Fang, after all, had been a Faunus supremacy organisation. Given the Empire’s links to other organisations of similar inclination, Diana needed to make an impression.

X     X     X

“Don’t worry,” Diana assured the Undersiders. “All you need to do is stand next to me and look menacing. I’ll do the rest.” She paused. “And speaking of menacing, Grue, you should stand at the front, maybe add some darkness to give you a more brooding and determined look.”

“Uh… right.”

Diana - also known as the Magic Magician - waited calmly as Kaiser and the rest of his cronies surrounded them. At some point, he started talking. She wasn’t really paying attention. Instead, she was watching some old episodes of Gary on the inside of her visor. When he finally stopped talking, she made a show of yawning.

“Are you done yet?” she asked.

Kaiser responded as she knew he would: with an even longer and more boring talk that basically amounted to ‘prepare to die’. Honestly, it would have been funny putting a hole through his skull with an orbital laser halfway through his speech, but, apparently, killing villains here was frowned upon. Oh well. If someone on Remnant had pulled even half the crap he had, Diana would have dropped an old satellite on them and called it a day.

“Okay,” Diana said. “That’s great. Now, let me just ask you one thing.” She pulled the hat off her head and struck a pose. “Have you ever seen someone pull a rabbit out of a hat?”

Kaiser stared.

Diana smiled sunnily. “Because you’re not going to see one today.”

One of the things people didn’t understand about Bag of Tricks was that it allowed her to open ‘portals’ that allowed weapons in her subspace to fire without ever entering really normal space. Moreover, those portals didn’t have to open right next to her. In fact, toward the end of her first life, the range over which she could open portals had become truly terrifying.

It was therefore incredibly easy to open portals behind all of the assembled Empire members and shoot them with her version of a taser. Now, the funnest part about her personally designed tasers was that they could ramp up to compensate for the strength of the target. Even someone like Alexandria would feel the buzz if she landed a solid hit and the connection lasted long enough.

The Empire? Hah. They all dropped like sacks of potatoes.

Just to be sure, of course, Diana doused the lot of them in fast dissolving contact-based sedative. It never hurt to be careful when dealing with people who wanted her dead. She had Bitch send her dogs over to poke and prod people to make sure everyone was unconscious before calling in the local authorities. They could take them off her hands.

As for the rest of the Empire’s forces - Kaiser hadn’t been stupid enough to bring everyone under his command - Diana had a simple solution. Crap loads of drones. It was her honest opinion that a sufficient number of sufficiently well armed drones could beat almost anything. Indeed, she’d already established several factories in her secret lairs (it was also good to have more than one) dedicated to producing a variety of drones that specialised in everything from combat to takeaway delivery.

The Empire might have been able to fend off a few hundred drones if they’d been forewarned and properly armed and trained. However, they were caught off guard, and Diana didn’t send several hundred drones. She sent several thousand.

All over the Empire’s territory, her invisible, shielded drones began to knock people out, steal things, and just generally make life absolutely miserable for her enemies. She’d already contracted Faultline and several other mercenary groups to attack in the aftermath, ensuring that any and all stragglers were dealt with. Provided her mercenaries did well, she was even willing to offer them a permanent deal since good help could be so hard to find.

“Well, that was easy,” Regent murmured. “Glad we’re working for you, boss.”

Diana smiled again. “The nice thing about being underestimated, Regent, is that if you plan properly, you only need to win once. And winning is easy when people aren’t taking you seriously.” She chuckled. “But this is just the start. We’ve still got bigger fish to fry.”

“Right,” Grue said. “Like Lung.”

“Think bigger. Leviathan is due soon, and I have a feeling we’ll be seeing him.”

“You think he’s coming here,” Tattletale said. “To Brockton Bay.”

“I’m almost certain.” Diana smirked. “But trust me, I’ve got a plan.”

“I don’t think tasers are going to do it,” Regent pointed out. “Unless you’ve got one big enough for him.”

“I do,” Diana said. “But I also have something a little better.”

[kellykadesperate]

robron week

Day 6 | Irrealis/AU

Something so magic about you 

Aaron Dingle is not a grass.

And anyone who says so should expect a thump to the nose, or the eye, wherever Aaron sees fit basically.

He holds his own, Aaron does, knows exactly who he is, who his family are.

Think of the mafia, and then think bigger and you'd find the Dingles.

They're dotted around the world and he's here, in wet Yorkshire, trying to find yet another evil genius to hand over to his family to sort out.

He walks into the meeting, ten minutes late just to prove a point and when he does, Cain looks ready to wallop him one.

"You're late." He hears, only he doesn't really pay attention. He shrugs and Cain calms himself down just in time to give him his instructions.

Cain.

His uncle.

He's been in this business since he was about nineteen, works as the leader of the operation since his father's untimely death.

He's got a son himself, a wife, a loving little family set up but he still tries to prove that his hard as nails with his whole checkered shirt and jeans combo.

Aaron's shuffles down on the leather chair, watching Charity paint her nails black in the corner of the room and do what she usually does when she's involved in these 'meetings'

Absolutely nothing.

Cain leans over the table, "Another one. This bloke, he's slippery."

And Aaron's heard that before, he's heard about all the ones who think they're indestructible.

They're not.

"Right." Aaron nods his head. "So, quick sleep sedative and bring him back here then?"

And he expects Cain to just nod his head like he usually does, show him a picture of the bloke and leave him to it.

But he holds back and Charity laughs.

"Wait for this Aaron." Charity's saying, teasing just a little.

"It's not going to be like that this time." Cain says, crosses his arms over. "This one is hard to track down. He'll take time to wear down enough to strike. And he's - he's also -"

"He likes men. Sometimes." Charity chirps in and -

*Oh.

"You think I'll sleep with him for this?" Aaron's so indignant about it because this is all supposed to be about being moral and having to loan his body out for a quick strike is not what he had in mind all those years ago when he first joined.

Cain looks so annoyed that Charity starts laughing.

"It won't come to that. Just - wear down those walls and keep him sweet and then getting him will be easier." Cain points out, and he makes sense but Aaron's in over his head, he knows it.

"Right then." Aaron says anyway, clears his throat and wipes his hands against his jeans. "What's he look like then?" He says.

Cain turns the photo over and something inside him clicks.

His heart pounds and, the bloke looks like the smuggest shit in the world to be honest.

~*~

The Dingles weren't meant to be like this.

Once upon a time, they had the powers and were bat shit crazy with it.

They were the ones using it for all the wrong reasons.

They were the Powerfuls of some sort.

Then the government tracked them all down, turned them over and instead of being chucked into prison cells, they were turned into spies.

Their job: turn over the others, the ones who exploited their powers and did whatever they liked which could 'destroy the social solidarity within the country.'

And Aaron's using this all to make up for what he used to get up to.

The recklessness, the regrets.

But no, they are not snitches.

Not at all.

~*~

'The Powerfuls are dangerous, unique individuals who threaten society. They have absolutely no control over their abilities and are thought to be glitches amongst our world which we have the duty to straighten out.'

The video stops and Aaron's little eyes widen as he sticks his hand in the air and gets his teacher's attention.

"Are there any good ones?"

Apparently it's a ridiculous question because the class of nine year olds just start to laugh at him and he turns red.

"Aaron, if you find a good Powerful. You'll be the luckiest boy in the world."

And something about her words manifested into some sort of mission for Aaron.

Deep down, all subconsciously.

~*~

Aaron holds up the picture of the man in his hand and looks around the street.

Cain's been tracking his movements and apparently he spends his days drinking in a pub called The Blue Moon.

Aaron's squinting against the street again and then looks at the neon light from across the street.

He follows its colour and then suddenly dives a hand back into his jean pocket. He needs to remember this bloke's name.

It's Robert.

Robert Sugden, 28, regular sad sap mope it seems.

Aaron sees him as soon as he enters the place.

He's at the bar, drinking a bottle of beer and then using his left hand to wave out in front of him and take money from the till.

Aaron's mouth hangs open a little as it somehow ends up in Robert's pocket.

Something inside him almost finds it funny and then he clears his throat against it and approaches him.

He tries to master the classic 'sorry, didn't see you there' act as he brushes past the man.

Robert raises his head too quickly though and Aaron is forced to look at him and he trips against the chair next to the man.

He nearly staggers and Robert rolls his eyes against the weird bloke falling over himself.

"Reckon you've had too much to drink." He says, a passing comment at most but Aaron's quick to latch onto it.

He looks at Robert sitting there, leather jacket on with a blue crossed shirt. He's got his hair pressed against his forehead and the dark lightning of the place is enough for him to get lost in as Aaron looks at him.

"Uh, no - I'm sober." Aaron waves a hand out and doesn't know what to say suddenly because he never gets this far.

He hasn't ever needed to.

"Oh yeah, and I'm Prince Philip."

He's got bite about him, too much of it and Aaron sighs hard before leaning against the bar and looking at him better.

Robert stares back at him, looks at the way the clearly younger and fitter man is sporting a puffy leather jacket and a soft frown on his face.

And he doesn't know why exactly he's wasting his time on the likes of himself but -

"You going to get me a drink for tripping me up then?" And Aaron sort of hates having to pimp himself out like this but Robert's *bad, a danger they need to to tackle and he's only doing his job.

He watches Robert just sort of stare at him. "No." He says and Aaron's face falls a little because okay yes it's been a while since he's tried to chat up a bloke, but -

"That's charming." Aaron retaliates, a resilience about him instantly because he will not go back to Cain and tell him that he failed.

Robert frowns at the bloke. "I'm not exactly good company."

Aaron shrugs, sees a villainous way about the look in Robert's eyes. "Who said I'm after any good company. I just fancy a drink." He sits down next to Robert and smiles.

And Robert,

He buys him one drink.

~*~

Robert doesn't do this stuff anymore. He doesn't sit at bars with blokes and rabbit on about his own life.

He doesn't get asked about his life either.

But this man, Aaron he's learnt, seems to strangely give a shit.

"What brings you here then?" Aaron's asking, and my goodness he needs to work on his chat up lines a little more because the way Robert stares at him is strange.

"Bad day, week, year." Robert could go on, but Aaron is clearly younger and sprightlier than he is so there's no point trying to drag him down into what he feels.

Aaron nods and quickly learns that Robert is absolutely impossible.

Sometimes there's just nothing you can do in these situations apart from take a sip of your drink and try again.

And try he does.

"So you live alone?" Aaron plays with the coaster in his hand over and over again and then watches Robert look at him awkwardly. "That's not me inviting myself, chill out."

And Robert almost scowls. "Good. Because I'm not gay."

Aaron's eyes flicker and this is probably why Cain said it was hard to get him on his own.

If he's so far into the closet like this then how exactly is Aaron meant to strike?

He shrugs it off, suddenly won't let the denial ruin what was quite good progression.

"I wasn't suggesting that you were mate." Aaron's jaw tightens, and he hates this son of a bitch a little for being so rude. A change of topic might ease him down into something. "I wished I lived alone, got a little sister and mum to contend with."

And Robert turns even more cold at that.

"That's nice." He says, and then his head is hanging down and he's finishing his drink. "Look, I've got to go. Nice to meet you and everything but -"

Aaron stands quickly. "Wait, not yet." He says and Cain's probably ripping up his hoodies as he speaks for being the least bit subtle. "I - I've -"

Robert is utterly lost.

"Do you want money or something?" He says.

And Aaron turns red. "No." He snaps. "I was just -"

Something, just something about the way the bloke is standing in front of him looking almost interested in him is enough to make Robert say what he does.

"Fancy a drink back at mine?"

And Aaron's not even sure how he pulled that one off.

~*~

Robert's flat is typical of what he knows about the man.

One word: Clinical.

White tiles, wooden flooring, weird pictures of artwork.

Aaron turns his head in all directions as he soaks it up and then he looks at Robert standing by the sofa.

"You can sit." Robert says, sits down and waits for Aaron to do the same.

When he does something twists in his chest.

"Nice flat." Aaron nods his head a little and Robert scoffs.

"You hate it. I can tell." Robert rolls his eyes, nearly laughs and Aaron likes the sound of it.

He really does.

"No I don't." Aaron lies, turns towards Robert and frowns as he looks over his shoulder. He's got about a million books on his shelf and maybe talking to him about a passion of his will settle him. "You a reader?"

Robert nods. "Helps pass the time." He says and then he waves a hand and the television sparks on.

There's some boxing match on, and Aaron's eyes widen.

"I thought this was only being shown in America?"

And *oh.

For a second, just one or two, Aaron forget that Robert was a Powerful, used his power for shitty and illegal purposes.

"I found some ways." Robert says, and nobody knows about his powers. Not anyone he hasn't actually grown up with so telling Aaron is ridiculously spontaneous.

He half expects Aaron to run.

But he doesn't, instead he smirks. "So, you're one of those ones? Thought they'd put you into instinct." He says, crosses over and sits down on the sofa with ease.

Robert's heard that about a billion times. "One day they'll catch me, drain the energy from my body and I'll be normal." He doesn't even seem that fazed and Aaron's eyes nearly pop out of his head because he's never actually known what happens after the Powerful are passed over to the government.

He supposes they give them some medication or something, not drain -

"You said reading helps pass the time, you don't work?" Aaron's asking, he tilts his head against the way Robert smirks.

"Not anymore. It got boring." Robert says, watches Aaron frown like he wants to know more. "I used to go around dabbling with identities."

Aaron's eyes widen. "Fraud?" He almost shouts and Robert leans across and puts his hand over Aaron's mouth.

It makes Robert tingle and he pulls his hand away quickly.

"It was fun at first but then I was just getting away with it all the time. So I left."

Aaron is almost in awe of how easily he can speak about it.

He's quit his job after ripping people off and Aaron doesn't even know what to think.

"Got to use my powers for something."

Aaron's eyes widen again. "And so you what? Spend your days doing dodgy shit with it?" Aaron's almost scowling and he still absolutely cannot believe that Robert is such a smug dick about it all.

"What else is there to do? It's not like I have anyone I care about who might need my help is there." Robert is suddenly so set in his ways and Aaron leans his arm against the sofa and looks at him.

He's had a pint, and now a beer and he's making sure he keeps a clear head about these things.

"You're wasting it away though." Aaron says quickly, gulps hard against his passion.

"Why the fuck do you care so much?" Robert snaps back, because he's still not even sure about who the hell Aaron is but against his better flipping judgement he's back in his flat.

Aaron's mouth hangs open and he wavers for a second before shuddering. "I don't. I'm just talking, you know, that's what people do."

And it's rich coming from someone like him who was the world's most impossible teenager.

Robert watches him, soft hair now, and something startlingly honest about his eyes and he doesn't even know why exactly this is happening.

But he feels this ease around this absolute stranger begin to settle in. "Go on, there's clearly a reason why you are so bothered."

And he doesn't talk about himself, that's not what happens.

But this man is the challenge isn't he?

He's the one who he needs to try extra hard with so he does the unimaginable and is actually honest.

"I could have done with being someone like you a few times in my life. That's all." Aaron shrugs his shoulders against a slither of a confession and Robert's eyes flicker a little.

"I reckon everyone could. It's not as amazing as you think though." Robert plays with the bottle of beer in his hand. "All it does is - is leave you feeling all this guilt."

"Guilt?" Aaron's eyes almost turn soft and Robert's eyes turn glassy.

"Forget it."

And Aaron doesn't want to, but he does, for the sake of all the making progress stuff.

"Okay." He whispers, looks towards the hem of the jumper he's wearing and then feels Robert staring at him strangely again.

Robert just keeps looking at him and then suddenly he shakes his head. "You should go now." He says.

And Aaron feels something ripple through him because he's got to do this again then.

"Alright." He nods, stands and Robert is just still staring at him. "Nice - nice meeting ya then." He says, and he walks towards the door as Robert nods at him.

"Bye." He says, and Robert is not okay with the effect Aaron leaves on him.

~*~

"He's not gay!" That's the only thing Aaron can shout at his Uncle the next day.

Because he's positively fuming over the fact that he was attempting to chat someone up who was not interested whatsoever.

"We didn't say he was." Cain has a hand on his hip and turns towards Charity.

"He dabbles." Charity says, "Why do you think you ended up back at his flat you wally."

And Aaron knows why.

"Because he felt sorry for me." He moves round the desk and sits on the heavy leather chair with a loud thud.

Looking around the room is so intimidating that he chooses to look down instead because looking at the many men before him who have caught the Powerful is always daunting.

His Uncle Zak was the best in the business, after he was stripped off his power and everyone else who followed his blood line were as well.

Aaron always thinks about what it would be like to be one, have all of that potential.

But then he thinks about how awfully some people use it and he's happy that he has his job.

Being on this side is much better. That's what everyone tells him.

Most of the time anyway, because now he's got his mum coming through the doors with his sister and they look so utterly unimpressed.

"You're using him as bait?" Chas draws this massive conclusion and it's not so outlandish but at the same time, unreasonable.

Aaron's twenty three years old. Nearly twenty four.

He can make his own mind up about things.

You'd think so anyway.

Chas flaps her hand up. "You're literally -"

"The bloke is slippery, he's been in our sights for ages now and Aaron's just gently aiding him into some sort of ease so that we can strike." Cain looks so tired of having to repeat himself and Aaron sighs against it all until Charity is getting involved.

"Calm down babe, we're not pimping him out." Charity says, and that only makes Liv laugh her head off.

She's sort of in awe of Charity, wants to grow up and be just like her and Aaron will not let that happen.

He knows that they're the good guys but sometimes when he thinks about the way they strike and capture people and hand them over to the government, something churns in his stomach and he doesn't like it.

No, Liv is to stay as far away from this side of the family as possible.

Despite the fact that she actually has no blood ties to the family, the Dingles, and can do what she likes.

She's only eleven years old, has long blonde hair and this cheekiness about her. Chas treats her like her own kid since Sandra passed away, and their dad was where he should be.

Rotting in a prison cell.

He's lost in dark thoughts for a second and then he sees his mum wave a hand in his face.

"Love. He could be dangerous. He is dangerous."

Aaron rolls his eyes, kicks his feet up on the chair and sighs. "Yeah and I can be too." He waves a hand out. "I can look after myself. Honest."

And Robert doesn't seem dangerous.

He seems ridiculous and pathetic and just your average dick. Most of the Powerfuls are, just smug about the energy they have and the way they can use it whenever they want to.

Chas worries her forehead and then looks at Cain.

"How much longer then?"

And Aaron gulps hard, he wants to know how long this is going on for as well.

"A few more days. Relax, will ya? This smarmy Sugden is getting caught soon enough."

Cain almost grins with it and his wife Moira is so utterly unimpressed by how much pleasure he gets out of effectively stripping people of their powers, that she shakes her head.

She's a lot like Aaron is.

She finds the grey lines between their line of work and sits right outside it.

Aaron wishes he could sit outside it all like she does sometimes.

~*~

Aaron's meant to run into him, that's what he's meant to do.

Cain knows exactly where he is because he's tracked him down.

And Aaron ends up in a park.

He watches Robert for a second or two, sort of tries to work out how exactly he's supposed to explain why he's showed his face again.

He doesn't get the chance to think though, not really.

Because suddenly Robert is arguing with some bloke, proper going at it and the next thing he sees is Robert pushing his hands out and the bloke ends up in he lake in front of them both.

"Oi, watch where -"

Robert is suddenly startled to see Aaron again, in an awkward, embarrassed way sort of way.

He hardly looks great and Aaron looks -

Good.

"Oh." He pulls a hand through his hair and is suddenly all self-conscious. "What are you doing here?"

And Aaron flaps for a second. "Walking through a park. What are you doing?" He asks, "Chucking people in lakes?"

"Ponds." Robert retaliates, and then he gulps hard against it all.

And yeah,

Robert is just a dick who deserves what's coming to him.

"He deserved it." Robert says suddenly, hands shoved into his pockets and a spotted blue jumper fitted against his body.

He looks at Aaron, the scowl on his face and he doesn't know what else there is to say.

Especially when some passes by are looking at the idiot flapping about in the water and helping him out.

Aaron squints a little. "Why did you do it?" He asks, and this bloke is so ridiculously impossible to read that Aaron is almost drawn to him in a way he hasn't ever been draw to a Powerful before.

It's ridiculous.

Robert shrugs a little. "Like I said, he deserved it."

Only Aaron doesn't buy that, he doesn't *need to buy anything to be honest.

He just needs to get Robert on his own and slip something into his drink and make sure he's out of it when he bungs him into the back of his car and sends him off on his way.

The thought makes him catch a breath and then Robert is giving him this uncharacteristically kind expression.

"You really want to know why?" Robert asks, and something, just something about this man in front of him fools him into thinking he wants to know.

When he doesn't.

When Aaron is probably a hard worker, has a decent job, good standard of living or whatever.

It's sort of maddening that he's bumped into someone like Robert, again, and wants to talk about his craziness, again.

"Tell me over a coffee." Aaron says, starts walking towards a cafe close by and -

He smiles a little as he hears Robert following him.

~*~

Robert is a lot of things.

He really is.

Aaron literally watches him steal from the till as he walks in, charms some woman's bracelet off of her wrist the second later and then is somehow able to make him smile against it.

In this odd sort of, should be disapproval way.

Robert's got a cream slice he's tucking into when he decides to start talking and Aaron's listening.

"He was my brother." Robert says steadily. "Doing my head in, so I used these to do something about it." He says, waving his hands up a little to show Aaron.

It's Robert's casual tone that sets Aaron on edge.

"He could have been hurt." Aaron frowns against the story.

Only Robert rolls his eyes. "If I wanted him dead, I could make that happen. I do have some control."

Aaron disagrees entirely, because that's what he's been told all his life.

The Powerfuls are dangerous because they're *not in control of what they do.

They're emotional and manipulative and need to be suppressed before they do anything else they shouldn't.

Aaron makes a small sound and Robert frowns at him.

"If you think so little of me then why are you sat here?"

And that's a good point.

Aaron almost flaps a little and then smiles faintly. "There's - something about you I suppose."

And Robert feels something turn to jelly inside of him. "My insane dark use of my powers?" He's dramatic with it and Aaron laughs.

Almost genuinely laughs and Robert eases.

"What happened today isn't even that bad. Andy's used to me by now." Robert moves back towards his coffee and sips it before kicking his feet up against the chair the way Aaron does.

"Yeah?" Aaron entertains it.

Robert nods. "I got his wedding ring engraved with 'village idiot', just did it myself. Sort of *wished it into existence as he put it on at the alter."

Not his proudest moment.

Aaron's face nearly drops. He wills it not to only because he reckons Robert will recoil back into himself.

"Right then." Aaron clears his throat, and Robert is still a dick, but maybe not so much of a dick who looks back on his behaviour and is *proud of it?

No, Robert seems upset as he thinks about it.

"If you know what you're doing is bad then -"

"Why don't I stop?" Robert frowns and then he's gulping harshly. "Because it's easier Aaron. You wouldn't understand."

And no, Aaron *wouldn't understand.

That's about right.

"Yeah. You're right." Aaron sighs a little and there's something there that he can see in Robert.

Something sensitively *good about him, deep, deep down.

~*~

He ends up back at Robert's.

Because it rains, like really rains and Robert takes pity on him again and lets him stay until it eases off.

That was a few hours ago.

Now, Robert is quite nearly drunk and Aaron shouldn't be too but he *is.

Aaron's on his sofa, staring at Robert and -

He's a good looking freckled fucker.

There it is.

Finally, almost finally, he seems to admit it.

Robert has something about him and Aaron is terribly drawn to it that he sort of doesn't know what to do.

He's got a jawline, intense and sharp and there's this freckly pattern darted across his face and -

When he smiles, he *smiles.

He's drawn away from his thoughts when Robert passes him another beer and they seem to settle into some sort of conversation.

It gets *mdeep and Robert doesn't know why he wants to bare all, but he does.

He has his face down resting on his hands against the sofa and he sighs.

"I've not always been like this." Robert says, eyes flickering. "I used to want to do *good with my powers, and then -"

Aaron leans closer a little, eyes soft and warm and face red from the heat of the place.

"Then what?" Aaron whispers, sensitive slightly to this man in front of him who he is quickly discovering, is an absolute paradox of a person.

Smug, rude, bad, and yet sensitive and emotional too.

Robert leans his head further against his hands and gulps. "My mum, she - she died in a fire when I was fourteen."

Aaron's eyes widen to how horrific it sounds and then he watches Robert's eyes begin to glass over.

"My brother did it, he didn't mean to. He was just a kid but - he caused it and I couldn't stop it." Robert doesn't mean to get like this, but suddenly he's back there and the flames are everywhere and he has no control of what happens to his mum.

She's inside, she's screaming and -

"My dad wanted me to help. He - he thought that I could but I couldn't. I was too young, the flames were too much." Robert gulps, and something inside him just aches so suddenly.

And Aaron, his body is cold against it all. He can't help it, just can't help but lean forward and gently stroke Robert's hair.

He only does so for a second but it's enough and Robert sort of looks up at him in shock.

"I didn't want your sympathy." He says, because this is Robert Sugden all over, he pulls and pushes and even when someone like Aaron comes along, he still finds a way to ruin things.

Aaron scowls, something pulling in his chest. "What? No, I'm not giving you my - my sympathy. I just -"

"Just what?" Robert tries to get out, head buried a little further down. "Understand how it feels to have someone's death on your hands."

"Yeah. I do as it happens." Aaron shouts, over the the alcohol in his system and the fact that he's never done this before.

He's never offloaded like this.

He's never had reason to.

Robert frowns against the way Aaron speaks, "What do you mean?"

And they're so close to each other now, Robert's pressed his thigh against Aaron's and he doesn't know how to breathe right.

He really doesn't.

Aaron wants to tell him to forget what he's said, something so deep within him does.

But Robert pulls this face, a hand gentle against Aaron's for just a second.

"I - I had a boyfriend, Jackson. He was paralysed in an accident and I helped him die." Aaron bites at his lip, and something inside him seems to break.

Something so clearly alters as Robert just stares at him with nothing but this understanding in his eyes.

He isn't running, or looking scared or confused.

"He wanted to die? You helped him?" Robert whispers, and Aaron nods against it. "You did a good thing." Robert concludes with a gentle ease Aaron wishes he had about what he did.

"Sometimes - I just wish I could have saved him from it." Aaron says. "It happened so long ago but -"

"It still hurts." Robert understands so deeply that he suddenly pulls a hand in Aaron's.

He feels something slip away, maybe it's a facade, maybe it's all this need to push people away.

Aaron can't breathe suddenly against it and he doesn't know what to say as Robert keeps holding his hand.

"That's why I act out with my powers, 'cause the day she died - there was just no one else in the world I could help. I'd rather use it badly then convince myself that I can help and fail all over again."

And Aaron sees beyond the idiot, the mean bone headed twat.

He sees someone who cares deeply, someone who is guilty and sad and scared.

Aaron watches the water in Robert's eyes begin to roll down his face and he catches a tear.

"You don't need to be scared." Aaron says suddenly, "You're a good person Robert."

And Robert turns his head away.

"No I'm not." Robert manages to say. "You don't even know me Aaron."

And that's true.

"I know that you're an idiot, by underneath you're -"

"A scared little boy." Robert rolls his eyes, no heat behind his words at all.

Aaron frowns, so suddenly he holds Robert's face up by his chin. "You could be great you know."

Robert doesn't know what to say, just sees all this honesty in Aaron and he's bawled over by it so easily.

"Aaron -"

And maybe Aaron's losing his mind but he does the most least professional thing in the world.

He dives forward and kisses Robert hard on the lips.

He has his hands flying towards Robert's hair and everything tingles through him as he feels something spread through his chest.

It's like Robert is pulling him towards something so real and he can't do anything about it.

He doesn't even want to.

Oh and Robert kisses him back.

Until Aaron is pushing Robert away and everything ripples through him.

There's lines.

You don't cross certain lines and Aaron's just catapulted over one.

He wipes at his mouth and Robert sort of just hangs his hands in mid air.

"I'm sorry." Aaron says, gulps hard and fast and feels all this pressure raise in his head.

Robert shakes his head, "No. You don't have to be -"

"You're not even gay." Aaron's saying, because that's what matters.

He stands and Robert babbles about something and tries to explain himself but Aaron doesn't give him the chance to.

"It's alright." Aaron says, "Look. I'll - I should go."

And he does.

And he hates himself for the way Robert looks as he leaves him.

~*~

He's adamant that someone else takes over.

Literally adamant.

"Why can't we send Charity in? She can slip something in his drink and -"

"Carry him out discreetly?" Cain frowns harshly. "Stop being soft." He tells him.

And then Aaron closes the door.

"I kissed him last night." He admits, chews at his lip and then gulps.

He expects some sort of reaction but Cain just pulls a face.

It screams so what, and then he says it.

Aaron's eyes widen. "So I - I'm getting too involved." He tells him, "Can't you see that?"

Cain rolls his eyes, swivels on the office chair and then looks at Aaron properly. "All I see is some flappy mess who getting on my nerves." He says. "Do you know how many kisses Charity has charmed out of the Powerfuls before turning them over?"

Only that's different.

Only he can bet anything that Charity didn't go home and touch her lips all night and feel something wild because of it.

Maybe he's been single too long.

But Robert kissed him and everything tingled.

Aaron's eyes flicker as Cain tells him to get on with it and he backs towards the door.

Slams it a little as he goes.

~*~

He follows Robert and watches him talking to his brother, he watches him apologise for the day before.

He smiles against it,

Feels himself falling flat on his face.

~*~

One minute Robert is within sight and the next Aaron feels him behind him.

"Alright?" Robert dares to say, and Aaron spins around to face him. "We've got to stop meeting like this." He says, pulls his hand out and suddenly the man walking beside them speeds himself up and disappears down the street.

Aaron almost laughs at his power and then Robert smiles a little at him and he can't breathe.

"Yeah." Aaron finally says a few seconds later. "I was - I was going to get a coffee. I'm in a bit of a -"

And suddenly Robert sights a woman from across the road and somehow manages to take her coffee and pass it to Aaron.

He hates himself, he hates that Aaron's making him act like some love sick fool.

"Cheers. I think." Aaron holds the cup in his hand and feels the heat of it radiate through him.

He glances up at Robert and he's wearing this black leather jacket, it clings tightly and Aaron looks away again.

"Can I explain a few things?" Robert asks, "I feel like I should, considering what happened yesterday."

Aaron blushes under it.

"You don't have to explain." He tells him, because he doesn't trust himself not to do something daft if he's left alone with him.

Robert's eyes flicker. "It's not every day I tell someone about my dead mum Aaron."

And it's not every day Aaron's tells someone about his dead boyfriend either.

"Lead the way." Aaron gulps, and Robert shudders against it before he's walking towards his flat.

~*~

Robert has a hand on Aaron's when he starts to explain.

"I - I wanted to kiss you yesterday Aaron. I did." Aaron's heart is heavy against the way Robert speaks to him, their bodies pressed together a little on the sofa.

Aaron nods his head a little.

"But I'm not gay - I'm - I'm not gay." Robert says, so adamant against it and Aaron had no idea how human Robert was until right now.

Because he's confused against who he is maybe and Aaron knows only too well what that feels like.

He really does.

"You don't have to explain." Aaron says, plays with the bobbling of Robert's jumper.

"I do." Robert gulps. "Because if I don't then I - I don't think I'll ever tell anyone." He shuffles slightly on the sofa. "I don't admit to - to liking men 'cause when I do all I can think about is what my dad would think."

"Your dad?" Aaron whispers, tries his hardest to coax something out.

Robert nods, eyes glassy. "He caught me with a boy when I was fifteen. I didn't know it was wrong, it didn't feel wrong. But he made it that way." Robert looks towards Aaron and frowns. "That's why I - I - I don't say that I'm -"

"You're - you're bi-"

"Bisexual." He feels something lift from his shoulders because Aaron isn't looking at him like he's mad. "Yeah. I am."

And Aaron's so guilty for being here, being apart of this realisation or whatever it is.

Robert gives him a watery grin and Aaron nearly drops his coffee but Robert catches it and it hangs in mid air for a few seconds.

Everything is so warm suddenly and Aaron is so proud of Robert that it aches.

It doesn't even make sense either.

Because he's only known him for all of three days but -

"I want to kiss you now. If that's okay." Robert whispers, and Aaron lets him kiss him.

He lets Robert almost dive into this feeling and Aaron's getting caught up in it as he feels a hand run through his hair.

Aaron pulls away again and then he feels Robert look startled, sorry.

"Stay. I'll get us something to eat or something yeah?"

And Aaron,

He flipping nods his head.

~*~

Aaron thinks he's seen something good in Robert, he's becoming certain of it and then the delivery guy makes a shitty comment and -

Aaron literally watches Robert wave his hand out and suddenly the guy's motorbike has a busted front tyre.

"*Rob." Aaron's shouting, pizza getting cold as he looks towards the window and sees the bloke nearly starting the engine. "Fix it. He's going to hurt himself." Aaron is almost demanding it and Robert's eyes flicker.

"He was being homophobic." Robert pipes up. "He was being horrible about you, about us."

Aaron's eyes flicker and he realises that this is how Robert cares about people.

And in Robert's head, retribution justice is the best thing in world to carry out.

Only in Aaron's head, Robert's just proven yet again how dangerous he is.

"Fix it." Aaron says again, louder this time, and Robert gulps hard before Aaron can visibly see the tyre being pumped back up.

His shoulders relax and Robert bites at his lip nervously. "I was only trying to -"

"He could have been killed." Aaron snaps. "He was a dick yeah, but that doesn't mean you go and do that." He runs a hand through his hair and Robert is this idiot in front of his eyes again.

He's the stupid twat but he's also this fool who almost doesn't know any better.

That's how it comes across anyway.

And Robert says as much.

"After my mum died, I lost all sense of morals, me." And this isn't him feeling sorry for himself, this is him voicing something so scary and sad to admit.

He doesn't know when enough is enough anymore. He acts out and hurts and then he thinks differently afterwards.

It's all this power, it's the fact that he's this person who people fear.

"You probably hate me. Don't ya?" Robert whispers, "How sad is that. I actually care. I don't - I don't usually care." He's tripping on his words a little and Aaron is sort of in awe of this messy paradox of a human who is sitting in front of him.

He joins him on the sofa and shrugs. "Why are you so hard on yourself?" He asks, genuine concern seeping through as Robert shudders.

"I'm just being honest. I'm - I'm evil. I'm a Powerful Aaron, don't you know what that means?" His eyes are a little glassy and Aaron suddenly wants to kiss him so much that it aches everywhere.

"I know - I know what I've been told. But you disprove a lot of that Robert Sugden." Aaron almost dares to smile as Robert looks at him, thankful, sensitive.

"I don't want you to be scared of me." Robert whispers, something deep and sad in his voice that Aaron can't help but blink against.

Aaron sniffs, a gentleness about the way he smiles. "No, I'm not." He whispers back.

"I really like you Aaron." He admits, to himself, to this bloke sitting in front of him who seems to want to stick around.

Aaron gulps. "I really like you too." He says, and it's sweet, and he hasn't felt like this before.

And it's true.

Robert kisses him, he kisses him and Aaron let's go of absolutely everything he feels.

He allows Robert to hold him against the sofa and kiss him and kiss him until he can't breathe right anymore and everything is heightened.

And then everything halts.

Because Robert tugs at his jumper in his excitement and he sees what Aaron's forgotten all about.

His tattoo.

It's a dark long spike, printed into a thick black circle.

It's a symbol of the family, what they do, their job.

And it's also enough of a sign to warrant the way Robert pulls away from Aaron in absolute horror.

"You're - you're one of them." Robert has this terrible look his face, it's almost haunting and his eyes are suddenly red raw. He wills him not to cry, not to do anything like that but -

Aaron's eyes begin to tear up and he waves a hand up in the air. "I - I can explain."

His heart thuds out of his chest and he's out of control with it.

He can't stop feeling like this, all this guilt.

"You can?" Robert whispers, almost like he wants to believe that it's all some massive misunderstanding. "So you're not - you're not one of them?"

And one of them, dedicate their lives to capturing someone like him.

He runs from them and their judgement and he's heard stories about the torture they inflict on the Powerfuls before they hand them over to the government.

Aaron dares to lie. He really does but then Robert arches an eyebrow and he's too important to lie to.

"I am." Aaron worries his lip, and he wipes at his face and holds his breath for a few seconds. "Robert, I didn't mean to -"

"I sat there, and I told you things." Robert can't breathe suddenly, just feels everything rise to the surface and he can't get passed it. "I told you I was bisexual. I was honest."

And he never is. He lies and cheats and treats people like shit.

He supposes in some strange way that he deserves this.

"So was I." Aaron says suddenly, walks towards Robert. "I didn't lie about anything. Not really." A tear rolls down his face and Robert winces against it before he's flinching at the way Aaron comes closer.

Aaron feels something break inside him. "Rob, you don't have to be scared."

Robert shudders. "I don't?" He says, "How can I believe a word you say now?" He breathes out sharply. "You've probably got something on you, to trap me. Is that it?"

And he's heard too many things, he suddenly can't stand to see Aaron here in his home like this.

He feels sick against it and -

"I never meant to hurt you." Aaron whispers. "You were this - this evil bloke we had to stop and -"

You're not.

You're not at all.

Robert turns away, feels everything rush up inside him and Aaron honestly hates himself.

"Get out." Robert shouts, "Get out and -"

Aaron flinches against the way Robert waves his hand out.

And it makes Robert feel even worse.

Because Aaron thinks he'd hurt him and he wouldn't.

"I wouldn't hurt you." Robert's chin wobbles, so suddenly, so quickly that he doesn't know how to stop it.

Aaron doesn't say anything, except he feels so sorry that it vibrates through him.

"I know that. I know you wouldn't." Aaron says, and in this soft sort of way, he thinks he knows Robert so much more than the three days give credit to.

"I wouldn't." Robert blinks quicker now, rubs a hand over his face and something darkens. "I suppose I would though wouldn't I? In your eyes. I'm just this evil monster capable of -"

"I don't think that." Aaron says, and it's so bold, it's crossing that line again.

He shouldn't have an opinion, he should be as detached as possible but he isn't.

It's too late for that.

All he wants to do is hug him, tight and close and let Robert bury his head into his neck.

He wants to protect Robert.

"I don't care what you think. So just - just go." Robert's saying, crushed against everything as he watches Aaron turn and go.

He watches him go towards the door, watches the rain start to pour outside seconds later and everything is so heavy that his heart feels too big for his body.

He holds at his chest and this sense of betrayal is so remarkably strong that Robert can't quite believe how much of an impact this man has had on him so quickly.

It hurts.

It hurts everywhere and Aaron feels exactly the same.

He's in the middle of the street when he looks up and sees Robert through his window looking down on him.

And he's sorry.

"Robert, I'm -"

He breathes in suddenly and then -

The sound of the car fills his ears and everything rushes up towards his head as he's thrown towards the floor.

"Aaron!"

Robert screams suddenly, hand falling flat against the glass window and he's shaking, he's running down the stairs and out the building and Aaron's just laying there on the street.

Someone's ran him over.

He's been hit -

Because he was too busy trying to apologise to Robert.

"Aaron." Robert holds him up, places Aaron's head on his lap and suddenly he's fourteen again.

His dad is shouting at him to help his mum out of the fire and he can't.

His hands are too slow and the flames are too big and -

He watches the colour drain from Aaron's face, he watches the way he's hardly breathing now and everything soft and slow is suddenly raw.

Aaron's dying right in front of his eyes and he can't do a thing about it.

He's not strong enough, he's not good enough.

"You can't die. Come on, please."

And Robert pulls his hands up and looks at where exactly all the hurt is coming from.

Aaron's head is bleeding, just keeps bleeding and Robert hovers his hand over the spot for as long as he can.

"Aaron, come on." He wills, hands held high and all this energy flowing from him straight into Aaron.

And he's pleading, he's pleading with whoever he can because he's only known him for three days and he's betrayed him, nothing has been real but it feels that way.

It feels like everything all at once and nothing can change that.

He just needs Aaron's to open his eyes and look at him again the way he did before.

Like he cared, like Robert mattered, like they could be something.

Robert's got his hands still hovering, and everything around him stops as he sees Aaron start to slowly heal in front of him.

He watches the gash on Aaron's forehead slowly disappear and -

Aaron takes a breath again.

The rain is falling hard and fast and Robert feels like he's going to be sick, like he's empty.

Aaron can only see Robert in front of his face as he opens his eyes and everything he feels suddenly rushes to the surface.

"Rob." He whispers out, and his words carry a level of meaning he didn't think was actually possible.

Aaron raises a hand up and strokes Robert's face, feels the rain fall down on him but he doesn't care.

Because Robert is beautiful.

"You saved me?" Aaron blinks out, because the Powerfuls only destruct and cause havoc, they don't save.

They don't -

Robert nods, face paling as he looks at Aaron. "Worth - worth saving." He whispers and then everything turns black around him as he falls back and everything inside him is drained.

It's all completely gone and Aaron leaps towards him.

"Rob, Robert - Robert." He shakes at the man, tears falling down his face and Robert's entire world stops just like that.

~*~

Aaron shouldn't be here but he is.

Because what he feels has doubled under the weight of what happened a matter of hours ago.

When he got hit by a car and Robert saved him.

Robert, a mere stranger to him three days ago, saved him from dying.

Aaron's got his feet up on the hospital chair as he's holding at Robert's hand.

The machines beep around them as Aaron squeezes tighter and feels a tear rolling down his face. "Come on." He wills, sniffs against how terrified he seems. "You need to wake up and I need to apologise. I need to say sorry again." His chin wobbles against it and apparently the nurses say that it's touch and go like this.

Aaron can't bring himself to think about Robert dying because of *him.

The sound of feet shuffling towards the room make Aaron pull his hand away from Robert's and suddenly Cain is standing there with his mum.

"How did this happen then? I take it this wasn't planned." And Cain almost laughs against it, is sort of smug as he speaks and Aaron can only scowl up at him.

"This isn't funny." Aaron practically spits out. "Look at him!"

And just *looking at him is enough to make Aaron wince.

Cain clears his throat. "He had it coming Aaron. They all do. If you think of it -"

"I used to think that they were all the same. You told me as much. Everyone did." Aaron's eyes flicker, and he turns towards his mum. "He's good."

It's such a bold statement that his heart leaps as he speaks.

And there's water in his eyes.

He's literally crying and Cain looks away like he can't sees.

"Behave." Cain's saying. "What are you talking about?"

Aaron stands. "I'm talking about the man I've been lying to for three days." He strokes Robert's hair gently and shudders. "The one who saved my life."

"Love ..." Chas starts and Aaron won't let her finish.

"He drained himself because of me." Aaron shakes his head. "He saved my life and - and that meant draining his powers and - and it's going to take so long for them to come back."

He goes back towards Robert's hand and tentatively hold it.

"I won't let you take his powers from him."

And that,

Well it's something.

Cain almost scoffs against it. "He's dangerous."

Only Aaron shakes his head and he knows that Robert isn't dangerous, he's hurt and he's been so wronged during his life that he cannot help but lash out and be cruel and feel something from it

"I understand him. I get him. I -"

"Love you're only known him for a few days. I get that you're upset but, he's a Powerful. He needs to be stopped." Chas is just speaking directly from a textbook and he doesn't want to hear it.

And the mentality is so wrong suddenly.

He gulps hard against her words and looks towards his uncle. He's still holding at Robert's hand and he breathes out slowly.

"I can help him change. I can help him be better." Aaron blurts out, and he still has tears in his eyes.

Cain just sighs. "That's not our job." He explains.

"I want it to be mine."

And maybe he's mad.

He might be.

Because Robert hates him for what he's done, and he doesn't blame him for it at all. But he'll try, and he'll protect him because what he feels, what he has suddenly, so suddenly felt, is enough.

"Aaron, don't be silly. Think about what you're -"

Aaron just shakes his head again. "Not him. Cain, please, not him."

Cain doesn't say a word. He just stares at the man laying out on the hospital bed and Chas softens at the sight of her son crying.

"He saved his life Cain." Chas says after a few minutes.

"That has to count for something?" Aaron pleads, pleads and Cain just looks at him for a few seconds before he sighs.

"No one knows about this alright? We keep this in the family." It's a warning and Aaron suddenly nods against it before he's watching Cain walk out of the door with his mum.

He's not sure how he managed to do it but he thinks that's a yes and it's enough so he sits back down and squeezes Robert's hand tighter.

~*~

Aaron has his head in Robert's lap when he feels someone stroking through his hair.

It takes a few seconds for him to realise who's doing it.

And when he does, he raises his head and sees Robert staring down at him.

"Rob?" Aaron's eyes widen in surprise and something so powerful just races through his body. "God, I - you're awake."

Robert nods a little gently and can't explain what he felt when he moved his hand up and felt it slide through Aaron's hair. He was here for him. "What are you doing here?" He croaks out, skin drained and pale against the white sheets and his gown.

Aaron reddens. "You saved my life." He blurts out. "I lied to ya and you - you risked everything to help me." He frowns and keeps his breathing tight. "Robert, thank you so much."

It's somehow not enough and Robert just keeps staring at him.

"It's okay." Robert says and suddenly he wills himself to do what he has to do. "You can go now." He says, because everything *else is  coming back and Aaron's a liar.

"No." Aaron shakes his head, "No, Robert, please -"

"Please what?" Robert can't even look at Aaron. "You were dying and I saved you and that's it." He says. "Now I want you to go."

Aaron can't though. He can't leave things like this.

"They're not going to hurt you." Aaron panics. "I won't let that happen."

Robert just frowns at him. "Am I supposed to trust a word you say?" He spits, and he feels so betrayed and upset that nothing else can possibly be felt.

He shuts out whatever else he knows he feels for the younger man.

Aaron gulps, winces slightly. "I don't blame ya." He whispers, "But Robert, I - I -"

"Bye Aaron."

And he says it against everything else he feels.

Aaron can't believe how much it hurts, so quickly.

But he has to go.

"I'm sorry." Aaron whispers, water in his eyes again. "You - you were amazing Rob."

And he leaves before he cries anymore.

~*~

It's been a week.

A whole week and Aaron's been this absolute mope of a man.

Because he misses a man he's only known for three days.

It's that simple and it's also that heartbreaking at the same time.

"You can talk to me you know?" Liv is saying, and she's always attempting to understand what's going on in her brother's head.

He doesn't know what to say to her though. "I messed up." He explains, pulls his jumper over his sleeves and gulps. "I liked some guy I shouldn't have."

"A Powerful?" She asks, eyes wide and awake and he nods slightly.

"I found a good one Liv."

Liv's eyes sparkle in this adorable way and she looks like she doesn't quite believe it.

"But I ruined it." Aaron lets her know and she frowns a little before hugging at his side.

~*~

Cain sort of hates him even more now because apparently he's let Robert run wild.

"Look, I know you're all upset but he's on the loose." Cain dares to actually approach Aaron who's been sitting in the corner of the office with a coffee in his hand and a sad expression on his face which instantly turns into a scowl when Cain starts talking to him. "I've seen him. He's upset, being even more reckless."

Aaron gulps, imagines Robert upset and alone and it doesn't sit well with him. He suddenly hopes he hasn't got into another fight with his brother.

"Do you blame him?" Aaron gulps hard, and Cain does.

"He's not our problem. You need to forget him." Cain all but orders. "We've got another case on and -"

Aaron scraps his chair and stands suddenly. "I don't want to focus on another case. Robert wasn't just a case, Cain."

"He was a bloke you knew for three days -"

"Yeah well it didn't feel like that!" Aaron shouts back, and something so sad just ripples through him until he's out of the office and attempting to have some sort of peace.

He ends up in the park, stares at the pond in front of him and faintly smiles at the memory it brings.

He knows he doesn't deserve to even think fondly of Robert, considering what he was going to do to him but he can't help it.

Aaron looks towards the ground and wills himself to get a grip but then he hears someone clearing their throat and when he looks up, Robert is staring at him.

Aaron's mouth sort of hangs open and he stands suddenly. "Hiya." He says awkwardly.

"Are you stalking me?" Robert says, hands pressed into his pockets.

Aaron frowns, "No. I promise, I'm not -"

Robert nods a little.

"You wouldn't believe me anyway." Aaron kicks a stone against the floor and Robert keeps staring at him. "Robert, can we talk?"

And he says please.

And he can't stop the way he feels.

And -

Robert nods his head a little.

~*~

Aaron didn't expect to be back in Robert's flat but here he is, on his sofa.

And Robert is miles away from him, standing in the kitchen and looking like he doesn't know where to put his face.

"Thanks. For letting me in." Aaron's this nervous pile of goo and Robert doesn't even say anything. He just nods his head lightly and Aaron gulps hard. "I shouldn't be here." He says suddenly, because Robert can barely *look at him. "I should go. I'm sorry." He's flapping about a little and heading towards the door and -

"You hurt me." Robert whispers, eyes flickering as he looks at Aaron with his hand on the door.

The younger man turns around, puts his back against the wall.

"I haven't let anyone hurt me like that in years." Robert keeps his head down and Aaron nods his head.

"I'm so sorry." Aaron says, attempts to come towards Robert and then stops himself.

"You're one of *them." Robert sniffs, "How can you even look at me? I'm everything you're supposed to hate."

And the thing is, Aaron did hate Robert.

Or he tried his hardest to hate him at least.

The first time he saw him, something lodged inside his chest and he called it hate when it was the opposite.

"I care about you." Aaron's eyes keep flickering. "I shouldn't. I tried not to but - the way I feel, it's - a lot." He says, he keeps saying it in his head over and over again and Robert just keeps staring at him.

"None of that was real." Robert whispers, but Aaron nods slowly and holds at the older man's face.

"Yes it was." Aaron nods so quickly that he feels a little dizzy for it. Robert scoffs and Aaron's heart bursts. "Look, at first, you were this impossible, smarmy git who didn't deserve what he had. But then I - I saw something different. What I felt and said, it was - it was true. I promise."

Robert doesn't know what to say to it. He just doesn't and suddenly he grips hold of the counter and blows out a breath.

"You saw all of this, but you were still trying to get my powers, through it  all?" Robert snaps suddenly. "Tell me, tell me how that works?"

Aaron puts his head down. "I didn't want to." He tells him, "I didn't want to do that to you."

And Robert can believe that, he can see the way Aaron is talking to him and everything just rises in his chest so quickly that he has to look away from the man in front of him.

"It'll still happen though." Robert has realised that now, his power may be weak but they will make sure he has nothing left when they finally get ahold of him. "How am I supposed to know that they're not all waiting outside?"

Aaron's face falls. "They're not. I - I told you already, I won't let that happen to you."

Robert gulps hard. "I'm supposed to believe that?"

He said that before, in the hospital. And it hurt Aaron so deeply, so suddenly.

Because Aaron wants him to believe. He does.

And Robert wants to, he wants to, he really wants to and -

"I can't fake certain things anymore Rob."

And the fact that he's calling him Rob, for starters is enough to make Robert's eyes water.

Aaron shudders, and he's overwhelmed suddenly by the way his heart feels in his chest.

It's heavy and -

"I just - I'm sorry, and - I care about you Rob. I do." Aaron shudders, wipes at his face. "I'll go. Okay, I'll go."

Because, he could have been responsible for Robert being dying.

He walks towards the door again and then feels it slam against him. When he turns back around to look at Robert, his hands are in the air and he shudders.

"Don't go." Robert whispers. "I don't want you to go again."

And he's so startlingly honest that Aaron catches his breath.

"Come here." Robert says, gulps hard and despite the fact that he should be rebuilding that wall Aaron worked to knock down, he wants Aaron back in his arms.

And when he is, something melts in his chest.

Aaron clings tightly to him, arms around Robert's neck in a way that makes them so close.

Robert can hear Aaron's heart beating and he tentatively moves a hand over his back.

A comfort amongst everything around them.

~*~

Aaron's laying against Robert's sleepy body and he gently strokes at his freckled arm.

He's in absolute awe and that's weird because yeah the sex was mind blowing, spectacular even but -

There was something else as well.

It drives Aaron's head further towards Robert's chest as the older man strokes through his hair.

"Aaron?" Robert whispers, fills the moon soak through the window as Aaron nods against him. "How do you know they won't try and drain me?"

And Aaron eases himself up. "Because they're family and they know how I feel about you."

That makes Robert arch an eyebrow. "How you feel?" He teases just a little and Aaron blushes bright red and nods.

"How I feel." Aaron whispers, leans towards Robert a little closer and kisses him. "They're not going to touch you. Not ever, okay?"

Robert feels this sudden sense of certainty in Aaron's embrace and he nods his head a little.

"But others, you're still going to go after them?" Robert doesn't know what to think about that. It's not like he has ties with any others, not tight ones anyway but just the thought of someone else getting their powers drained is pretty grim.

Aaron gulps hard and all this conflict races through him before he sighs. "Only proper bad ones." He sort of promises. "Dangers."

Robert raises an eyebrow again. "You thought I was one."

And Aaron pulls Robert's body closer to his. "I thought you were a sad mope, there's a difference." He says, and Robert pokes. It makes him laugh and Robert is in awe of the sound he hasn't properly heard.

He holds Aaron's face a little and blinks gently. "I really like ya." He whispers. "Bit scary this?"

And he means what he feels, what it means.

Aaron nods, "I know." He whispers, holds at Robert's hand. "But if you can forgive me for -"

"Aaron, I already have." Robert tells him and Aaron warms a little.

"We'll be okay Sugden." Aaron settles his head further towards Robert and it's been so long since he's felt this at home.

~*~

Three weeks later:

Robert adjusts his tie and clears his throat nervously as he waits outside the black marbled door, too big and intimating for use really.

He's fighting against the urge to start pacing when Aaron opens the door for him and smiles a little as he sees him in a suit. A navy one with a black tie.

Aaron ducks his head out and smiles. "You can come in." He whispers, before he's dragging at Robert's hand and kissing at his cheek reassuringly. "They're not going to bite your head off, I promise ya."

And there's something contagious about the smile on Aaron's face.

So he nods.

Aaron waves a hand out in front of him and gets everyone's attention in the lighted room. Charity's there with Noah, and Cain has bought along Isaac and Moira.

Aaron can see his mum and Liv there too. Although Liv has her headphones in and looks bored out of her mind.

"This is Robert." Aaron's ridiculously proud and it's odd, but he holds Robert's hand as he watches Cain eye them up and down. "I know you already know about him, who he is but - I just thought I'd -"

"Show him off?" Charity does all this stuff with her eyes and Aaron groans.

Cain's already met him, given him quite the earful about the fact that he's lucky Aaron fell for him.

He's also told him that if he misuses his powers again then things will end badly.

It sort of struck the fear of God into Robert and -

Well there's a certain gratitude when it comes to second chances, so strong and moving that things just change and everything is viewed differently.

That's how it feels now.

Different.

Aaron's there too, making him realise how special and good he can be if he tries.  

"We're - he's my boyfriend. So - don't be horrible." He says, and Robert smiles a little as he sees Liv.

Liv likes him and he's thankful for that at least.

"As if we would be." Chas tuts out, comes over all excited and over the top. "Hello." She hasn't actually met him yet so she loses her mind.

Aaron blushes under her dramatics but Robert's amazing with it.

Everyone else nods a little too politely and Robert doesn't know what to say for a few seconds before Cain's rolling his eyes and slamming a file down on the table.

"Anyways, so we've got a next case on." He says. "A Powerful, already been responsible for some pretty hard core fraud. He's also set a house on fire for revenge so -"

"Sounds like a dick." Aaron says, and then looks up at Robert. "What do you think?" He asks and Robert sort of doesn't know what to say.

He's self conscious and awkward and he knows that this is Aaron's way of making him aware of what he actually does at work.

He's trying to make it all less scary and mean and it's working, a bit. He thinks he has something to say and then Charity comes along to shove at his arm.

"Not as good looking as you is he?"

And Robert sort of warms under the way Aaron and Charity bicker suddenly about her being weird.

"Anyway. The name is Joseph Tate."

Robert's heard the name, knows the face.

He supposes this is where he comes in. Aaron's bought him here to try and ease his mind but apparently he could come in use when it comes to smug business tycoons.

Everyone suddenly looks at him and he doesn't know what to say until he's clearing his throat and gulping.

"You can find him in the Land Parks Buildings. He's usually cheating people out of money there." Robert says quietly before rubbing a hand through his hair. "Oh and - there was a rumour going around that he kidnapped some bloke's kid with his mind. It was over a credit loan."

That earns a nod of the head from Cain and the others.

And then a breathless kiss from Aaron when everyone is gone.

Because apparently he's done good and that is sexy according to his boyfriend.

"Did I do good then?" Robert smirks a little, eyes flickering just for a few seconds and then Aaron pulls him tighter towards his body.

"You did great." Aaron whispers, kisses him again and then suddenly his heart is beating out of his chest. Tate needs stopping, you get that right?" Robert nods a little.

And Aaron's always going to run things by Robert like this he thinks. Because he wants him to know that there's a difference between Robert and some other Powerfuls.

He's found a good one.

"I think I love you." He admits, blurts out almost with his hand against Robert's steady heartbeat.

And it's probably terrifyingly too soon and wrong of him to say but -

Robert's chest explodes and for the first time it feels easy to say,

"I think that sounds about right. I think I love you too."

Maybe he's not all wrong.

There's a beat of something beautiful between them and Aaron smiles into a kiss before he pulls away.

"We going to catch this Joesph Tate together then?"

And together, doing this, for as long as Robert will put up with him and his wild family, is exactly what Aaron wants.

"Together." Robert says, and Aaron's heart swells as he looks at the older man. His boyfriend, and it's sort of mad how that's true now. But it is, and he's so lucky.

{ "Aaron, if you find a good Powerful. You'll be the luckiest boy in the world." }

No, he's the luckiest, and God he won't tell Robert's massive ego that, but he'll tell anyone else who wants to listen and he doesn't think he'll ever stop feeling like this.

He smiles against the thought as Robert kisses him again and he holds his hand an they follow the rest of the team.

[drferox]

During vet school, did you ever practice on animals and then euthanize them? Were there ever experiments, etc done on animals that would cause them to suffer in any way? Did you ever practice on dead animals that were killed in order for you to learn?

Ah, a hard hitting question.

So, some of you are not going to like this question, or its answer. Some of you are going to have very strong opinions and some of you will probably like me and my profession a lot less after this answer. Some of you will find this topic confronting.

The short answer is yes, animals are used in the education of veterinary students, and some of them die.

But significant effort is put into reducing the amount of animals used and how invasive the activities they are used for are.

For example, vet students need to learn how to do a physical exam. You need to be taught how to take a heart rate, how to take a temperature and blood pressure, etc. You can really only learn how to examine a living animal. Other learning situations substitute something else for the living animal.

I would also preface this topic by saying that non-recovery surgeries do and did happen, but nobody is particularly proud of it. However they were at the time deemed necessary for a veterinary education and of benefit for animal welfare as a whole by educating vet students.

This is a big topic so I’m going to try to divide it up into sections:

Experiments

Dissection

Non-Recovery Surgery

Practical handling.

Experiments

As some examples from my vet degree, early on in physiology courses we had ‘experiments’ to do, which involved either videos of mice administered different medications, on ourselves, on tissue samples from a single animal distributed among the class, some very energetic rats and pithed cane toads. As for whether they suffered or died:

The mice in the videos probably did not enjoy the sedatives they were administered, but the small number of mice used then went on to educate many years of students.

A single animal (a laboratory rabbit) was euthanized to provide tissue samples for the entire class. One additional rabbit was used to demonstrate the effects of medication in a living system for the entire class also.

A few dozen rats spent half an hour or so in a sealed tube designed to measure their oxygen output, then went on to live their lives.

The pithed cane toads were definitely killed for our education, but they are a feral pest species in Australia and would have been killed anyway, we just benefited from a useful body to learn from.

The ethics of these examples are all a little different. Yes we used a lot of rats in one experiment, but it was very low stress and caused them no permanent damage and no significant compromise. The pithed cane toads were all dead, but they didn’t die for the purposes of education, they were going to die anyway, we just used the bodies. The rabbit was directly killed for our education, but one rabbit educated 120 students and so it was deemed worthwhile and a justifiable cost.

Dissection

‘Dissection’ is a word that no doubt conjures up vivid and grotesque imagery of animal abuse, however dissection strictly occurs strictly on dead animals. Yes, we dissected animals in vet school. Lots of them.

In the first half of the course we learned anatomy in part by performing dissections. Most of these initially were on greyhounds: dogs that were euthanized as ‘waste’ from the racing industry. Some poor gentleman had the job of calling clinics which serviced the racing industry and requesting cadavers for our studies. Some weeks we had more dogs available than others.

The benefits of greyhounds is that each group had a body that was more or less the same, they were entire (not desexed), had really good muscle definition and were healthy.

(There were some vegans in my year that refused to participate in this for ethical reasons, and the university struggled to find people willing to donate their euthanized pets’ bodies to be dissected instead.)

It’s a kind of weird situation to be in. You’re in vet school because you really care about animals and their welfare, yet here are some that have sort of died for your education, for you. They haven’t really died for you, the racing industry was going to kill them anyway, yet here they are.

It does dwell on your mind. Everybody reconciles this differently. Myself, I promised the sacrifice (as I saw it) of those twelve dogs that I would be worth it. That I would use the education I gained to make a difference, that I would save at least twelve more.

We also dissected parts of animals and those that died of natural causes. ‘Waste’ organs from abattoirs were a common example, because they always have hearts, lungs and uteri to spare. Some wildlife, lambs, aborted fetuses and chickens were used in this way also.

So these animals weren’t killed directly for our education, but they were kind of harvested for it, if indirectly. They were killed, absolutely, but they weren’t killed for us. We just used the waste.

Non-Recovery Surgery

This is probably the topic you really anted to know about. Did we, or did I, use animals in our education that would then either suffer or be killed.

Killed, yes. Suffer, no.

There were three classes in my vet school days that required dogs to be used for non-recovery surgery. These were surgeries where the dog was placed under general anaesthetic, so they feel nothing, the procedure was done while they were alive, and then they were euthanized while under the general anaesthetic.

If that feels ethically kind of weird to you, it should. It is very much in a grey area. Let me give you some more information about these dogs.

Three dogs were used for each group of three students, averaging one dog per student.

They were all taken from ‘death row’ from animal shelters. Dogs that had not been adopted and run out of time.

Most of them had behavioral issues. Some had medical issues.

They were treated with the same care and respect as a recovery surgery.

Under general anaesthetic they are completely unaware and unconscious.

So the dogs were considered, unfortunately, a ‘waste product’ of society. Hundreds of thousands just like them are put to sleep for the same reasons every year.

Once they are under anaesthetic, they feel nothing. This is where the animal’s consciousness ends. Euthanasia involves an anaesthetic overdose, we just didn’t overdose them until the end.

The surgeries performed included a spey, a lung lobe removal and an intestinal anastamosis. If the students had performed these imperfectly, the animal would not wake up to suffer, nor would it need to endure the recovery period.

They provided an educational opportunity for both surgery and anaesthesia, which are important learning areas.

That this happened a decade ago. I personally have been graduated a long time, and technology advances in the meantime. There are better surgical models available now for training students, especially with routine procedures such as speys. The amount of animals used in this way is decreasing, and if you want more information you’d be best to talk to a current veterinary student, not a vet who’s a decade removed from the practice.

But I have to say, there is nothing quite like having your hand inside a living, breathing animal for the first time. You’ve trained and practiced on long-dead, frozen things prior to this. Now you have a ‘patient’ who’s warm. They have a pulse. They’re not gently rotting with a permeating shade of green. You can see the life in them, and it’s both wonderful and terrifying. It is most certainly humbling.

But I can’t pretend it’s a black and white ethical issue.

These animals did die in order for me to learn. They would have died anyway, but they died for us.

Practical Handling

As a vet you have to know how to hold a cat, restrain a dog, herd a cow and not get murdered by a horse. You have to know how to do a physical exam on a living patient.

The university kept ‘teaching animals’ of a variety of species. These animals were generally placid and used to being handled, and were used for teaching all sorts of basic skills from how to take a temperature to how to do a pregnancy test.

It was possible for them to get stressed, especially with lots of handling, so care had to be taken to rotate them out and give them a break. Some of these animals also doubled as blood donors.

There’s not really a substitute for a live, thinking animal when learning handling. At some point you need the real thing.

So these animals might have been stressed, and you could argue that they had the potential to suffer, but they were closely supervised and weren’t killed for our education.

I hope that has answered your question, Anon, though I’m sure there will have been other questions raised. I don’t mind discussing this at all, but like I said it was a decade since I did some of these things, and there are fresher vet students who should be listened to in this topic too. I hope everyone can remain civil towards each other in this discussion.

[freudensteins-monster]

Winter’s Bite

Chapter 2 of ?

Also on AO3

If it's not obvious, I'm not remotely knowledgeable in any medical or scientific fields so I hope you can suspend your disbelief and accept my vague explanation of Bucky's condition as "HYDRA mad science" and continue reading. <3 

“Bucky?”

“…Darcy…”

“Darcy’s fine, Buck. She’s worried about…”

“…wrong with him?”

“We can’t be sure, but… HYDRA…

“…genetic experimentation… “

“…mutated DNA…”

“…be reversed?”

“No…”

** *** **

Bucky recognised the unmistakable smell of a hospital room before his addled mind realised he was in one. The ceiling and walls were painted white and in pristine condition, rather than the more ominous water-stained industrial concrete he was more familiar with. It would have boded well for him if it weren’t for the numerous restraints pinning him to the bed.

“Bucky, calm down! You’re safe!” a familiar voice pleaded as Bucky struggled to free himself.

“Steve?”

“I’m here, Buck.”

“What happened?” he demanded groggily.

“What do you remember?” Steve gently prodded.

Bucky thought about the question for a second before slumping back against on the bed. “Everything,” he muttered, unable to meet Steve’s concerned eyes. “Darcy’s okay?”

“Yeah, she’s okay. A little freaked out, but I think she’s more worried about you than anything else.”

“She should forget about me. And you should have stuck me back in cryo.”

“That’s not going to happen, Bucky.”

They were spared from continuing their well-worn argument by the appearance of Dr Banner. He was closely followed by Tony Stark, who loitered in the doorway, looking at the restrained super soldier with his default amused expression.

“It’s good to see you awake, Sergeant Barnes,” Bruce greeted with a small smile.

“Why didn’t you keep me under? It’s only been 24hrs, Doc,” Bucky replied tersely without needing to glance at a clock.

“The gas should have knocked you on your ass for about a week but your body’s metabolism has been hyper accelerated and burned through it in record time. Even taking that into account, we couldn’t risk giving you more sedatives without knowing how they would react with what’s already in your system.”

“I could have handled it,” he muttered.

“Well, I’m your doctor and I decided against it.”

“Probably a mistake,” Tony mumbled under his breath. Everyone in the room heard it but elected to ignore him.

“So… what the hell’s wrong with me?”

“You’re a vampire,” Tony replied merrily.

“He’s not a vampire, Tony. Vampires are fictional,” Bruce sighed wearily, pinching the bridge of his nose as was habit when he was dealing with the genius, billionaire, etc etc.

“Oh, come on, Bruce! He literally said he wanted her blood. All he needs is the bad European accent. Oh wait, HYDRA gave him, like, ten of those!”

“He’s not a vampire!” Bruce shot back, the device on his wrist warning him he was getting a little too worked up. Tony held up his hands in surrender and took a small step back.

“If I’m not a vampire, then what the fuck’s wrong with me?” Bucky snapped irritably.

“Buck, HYDRA did something to you…” Steve started.

Bucky rolled his eyes. Of course they fucking did.

“We’re not sure what exactly, we’re still running tests,” Bruce added. “But it seems that along with giving you a bastardised version of the serum they also altered your DNA in an effort to make you, for lack of a better phrase, a better killing machine. My working theory is that it didn’t work the way they wanted…”

Bucky flinched as memories of mangled bodies in formerly white lab coats came to the forefront of his mind, visions of a handler with his throat ripped out, the sight of guards running from him, their erratic pulses drumming in his ears, attracting his attention like fleeing rabbits to a greyhound.

“… they couldn’t remove the faulty sequence, so they injected you with chemical compounds meant to inhibit the undesirable aspects of the mutation. So when we flushed out your system we also unknowingly removed the inhibitors.”

“Cue the bloodlust,” Tony concluded.

“So, on that terrifying note,” Bruce sighed. “I’d like to test something, if that’s alright with you?”

Bucky nodded numbly. He watched Dr Banner pull a vial of blood from his pocket. Steve threw an arm over his chest protectively – no – in preparation to hold him down if he reacted badly.

“JARVIS, you’re recording on all fronts?” Tony asked his AI.

“Ready when Dr Banner is, sir.”

Bruce pulled the stopper from the vial and held it out towards Bucky. His pulse quickened, his pupils dilated, and he clenched his hands, stomping down on the urge to reach for it. He wanted it, that much was obvious, but when he had no other reaction after a few minutes Bruce put the stopper back in and pocketed it.

“Okay, vial two…”

The moment the stopper was removed Bucky thrashed against his restraints.

“Darcy!” he growled, more animal than man. “I want it!” he roared, fighting against Steve’s hold on him as the restraints threatened to break. “Give it to me!”

Bruce pushed the stopper back in and shoved the vial into Tony’s hands, forcing him out of the room and slamming the door shut in his face.

“JARVIS! Scrub the air!” Bruce shouted over Bucky’s wailing.

With every second that passed Bucky calmed down considerably, and by the time the air was completely clean he was back to normal but looking more ashamed of his actions than ever before.

A rapping of knuckles against glass drew their attention to the door.

“I don’t like being handed things,” Tony reminded them, passing the vial he was already holding at arm’s length to a passing nurse. He made for the door handle but Bruce held it shut.

“You can’t come back in without being decontaminated, Tony.”

“What?” Tony bristled.

“You might trigger another reaction,” Bruce explained simply, pinching the bridge of his nose as Tony reacted as only Tony could, storming off muttering about doing something useful like increasing security. “So,” Bruce sighed to his patient. “I think the results kind of speak for themselves. You and Darcy share a rare blood type, and what I tested her against was another tower resident with the same blood type. Whilst you did have a reaction to the first vial it paled in comparison to the second. I’m not sure why you would be fixated on her blood specifically, might be some sort of… genetic compatibility,” Bruce offered uncertainly. “We’ll need to run -”

“- more tests. I know,” Bucky muttered bitterly.

“We’ll be keeping you under observation while we run the tests. We can keep the room on lockdown in between so I’d be okay with removing the restraints…”

“No,” Bucky replied firmly.

“Buck…”

“No, Steve. I’m dangerous.”

I’m a monster.

Bruce ran every test he could think of over the next week, including several more ‘which would you rather’ scent tests. It didn’t matter what he did, how he tampered with the sample, how he diluted it, Bucky always knew which one was Darcy’s and reacted the same as he did the first time, every time.

At the end of the fourth day Bruce entered Bucky’s room with a syringe filled with ominous-looking black liquid.

“I’ve been going back through all your original blood work trying to recreate the inhibitors that HYDRA was giving you,” he explained.

“You figured it out, Doc?”

“Want to try it and see?”

Bucky nodded, ignoring Steve’s concerned look.

Bruce injected the solution into Bucky’s IV and waited for it to be fully absorbed into his system before pulling a vial of blood from his lab coat pocket. He pulled the stopper and held it out to Bucky, who glared at the vial accusingly before crinkling his nose in confusion.

“Nothing?” Bruce asked hopefully. Bucky shook his head. “Alright…” he murmured anxiously, switching vials. The moment the stopper was pulled Bucky groaned and thrashed against his restraints in frustration.

“Shit,” he growled, trying to hide his face from the disappointed looks he imagined were pointing his way.

“Well, that’s a marked improvement,” Bruce noted happily.

“It’s not good enough. I still want it.”

“It’s a start, Sergeant Barnes. We’ll just -”

“Keep running tests. Yeah, yeah…”

By the end of the week Bruce had developed a solution that inhibited Bucky’s reaction to all blood bar Darcy’s, and even that had been brought down from ‘uncontrollable, ravenous hunger’ to a ‘mild longing’. New tower-wide protocols were put in place to lockdown any room Darcy was in should she ever injure herself, and JARVIS, at Bucky’s insistence, would run interference between the two and ensure they never ran into each other. Bruce was satisfied with Bucky’s treatment and confident with the new safety measures, enough that he suggested that Bucky could be discharged from the medical ward. Bucky (and Tony) argued against it, but Steve wouldn’t hear of it and practically dragged his friend towards the nearest elevator.

“A hot shower, a decent meal, and a good night’s sleep,” Steve listed off as he herded Bucky into the apartment. “You’ll be feeling like your old self in no time.” Bucky pushed past him, ignoring Steve’s suggestions in favour of hiding in his room.

“Lock it down, JARVIS.”

Steve sighed as the door was closed in his face, loitering for a few seconds as he deliberated invading Bucky’s space so they could talk, but that hadn’t worked out so well all the other times he’d tried it during the week. He sighed and headed to the kitchen to fix himself some dinner, setting aside a second plate, just in case.

** *** **

Bucky lay awake on his bed for three hours before conceding defeat and returning to the comforting claustrophobia of his wardrobe. He managed to sleep for almost an hour before the nightmares of his bloodstained past were drowned out by a familiar rhythm.

…thump-thump...thump-thump...thump-thump...thump-thump…

When he awoke, his hands reaching instinctively for solid walls, he was confused to find that the sound was still there, calling to him like his favourite song. It took him a moment to remember where he’d first heard it.

Darcy…

** *** **

Steve woke with a start, immediately noticing the absence of a second presence in the apartment.

“JARVIS, where the hell is Bucky?” Steve demanded, pulling on a pair of pants.

“Sergeant Barnes is on the 61st floor.”

“Dammit,” he cursed, racing for the door. “You were supposed to warn me if Bucky went after Darcy,” he growled.

“Apologies Captain Rogers, but your exact request was to inform you should Sergeant Barnes be determined to be in the same room as Miss Lewis, despite warnings to the contrary, and as far as I have been able to discern he is not. He is currently sitting outside her apartment. Miss Lewis’ upgraded security protocols remain in place and Sergeant Barnes has made no attempts to draw her out.”

Steve faltered for a split second, absorbing JARVIS’ intel, before reaching for the emergency stairwell door and taking the stairs down, one flight at a time. He ran down a hallway, threw a right, and found Bucky exactly where JARVIS said he would be; sitting in front of Darcy’s door. His head was pressed up against it as his metal fingers tapped rhythmically against his knee.

“Buck…” Steve called, approaching cautiously. “What are you doing here?”

“I had to be near her,” he whispered, reaching out to touch Darcy’s door with his metal hand. “I’ve tasted her, she’s in my veins now,” he added lowly, his eyes looking far beyond Steve. His fingers began tapping out the same rhythm as before; two quick beats, over and over. “Wherever I am I can still hear her heartbeat. It drowns out the words in my head.” His faraway smile shattered and his arms shot out, yanking Steve forward by his shirt. “I don’t wanna hurt her, Stevie. Don’t let me hurt her,” he begged, tears welling up in his pale eyes.

“You’re not gonna hurt her, Bucky. You wouldn’t.”

“I’m a monster,” he recoiled with a hiss.

“No, Buck. A monster wouldn’t have told her to run and then gone and locked himself away from her. A monster wouldn’t be worried about hurting her. A monster would have broken down her door already. You’re a good man, Bucky.”

Bucky snorted and shook his head. “I don’t wanna be a good man around her,” he confessed. “Her blood sings to me like a goddamn siren, and I can’t keep resisting it. I’m not strong enough. She makes me weak, Stevie.”

“We’ll figure something out, Buck.”

Bucky shook his head more aggressively. “You gotta get me away from her, that’s the only way she’ll be safe. I can’t be around her,” he said, even as he leant against her door sighing longingly.

“How about I take you back upstairs and we talk about this some more?” Steve suggested, backing away from Darcy’s door, holding out his hand to his friend, begging him to follow. He couldn’t help but sigh with relief when Bucky took it and followed him back to their apartment.

Steve tried to discuss other options with Bucky but he refused to hear them, restlessly pacing in his room muttering to himself in between arguments, so Steve ignored the late hour and had JARVIS contact Bruce and Tony to make the required arrangements. A few hours later he and Bucky arrived at the upstate facility just as the sun appeared on the horizon.

My tag list is hilariously outdated, and I’m sure a lot of you are more interested in Loki fics, so please let me know if you want on or off: @storylover92 @marveil @dreamdancer19 @thefangirl33 @anonanonfrances @contains-cinnamon @jackiattacki  @sarabeth72 @hiddlestoncentral @annamegatron @angelus80 @dearmisterhiddles @writernotwaiting @ishoutmarcoandyoushout @hallotom @mrshiddelston  @lolomonster @bellafagoaga1812 @stormieandateacup @beautifullydamned16 @hardtopickausername @lorrmorr @antyc67  @ladyninasayers-ish @ladymirtilla @marvelousmissfit @yoursophiebelle   @xunconquerableheartx @iamwhoidecidetobe @tinaferraldo @larouau12 @hiddles-is-a-fallen-angel @lokilockedcougar @pollution-brown-eyes @loveshiddles4everme @mrsmalcontent @just-call-me-your-darling @inkededucatednnerdy @vampire-marie @whenweareallalone @captain-biryani @larouau12 @sweetsigyn @scarlettsoldier @mypreciousmind1 @wonderinthewoods @ohbvcks @echantedbytwh @omninocte @lucetheding

[sincerelybluevase]

Fairy Tale Retellings, Little Red Riding Hood: Rouge, Part Three

Part One-   Part Two

A cluster of meadow saffron fringed the path. Poivre could not decide whether they were lilac or soft pink. They huddled closer as she approached, and whispered: “Hush and shush, child.”

Poivre stooped beside them. The veins were visible as the low sunrays fell through the petals. Once, she had gathered a fistful for grand-maman, only to be scolded till she was in tears for daring to rip those flowers from their soil. “They were perfect where they were. What would you do if someone ripped you from your home and put you on someone’s mantelpiece, just for looking pretty?”

“No one will ever think I’m pretty! We have Colette for that!” Poivre had screamed, stomping her foot with such force that the glasses rattled on their shelf.  

“And that’s a good thing. Beauty wilts and fades; better to have something sturdy, like a backbone, to build your future upon,” grand-maman had said, and pulled her into a hug.

“Hush and shush, child,” the meadow saffron breathed.

“I’ll be quiet,” Poivre said.

“They mustn’t hear you come. Hush and shush.”

“I know. Don’t worry. They can’t hurt me.”

***

Even though her heart felt as if it had broken inside her chest, Poivre kept going. She did her best to banish any thought of Wolfsbane.

Grand-maman tried to cheer her up by sewing a pretty red coat for her, and by showing her some glamours. “Fae magic and I don’t always agree, but I seem to have a special knack for changing the appearance of things,” she said, and sang a spell into being that made her bat-like hands look like that of a young, human child.

“Why don’t you always use those?” Poivre asked.

Grand-maman pulled the spell apart between her long fingers. “There is no shame in how I look, Poivre. There’s no shame in how you look, either.”

That’s what Wolfsbane said, Poivre thought. Her eyes burned. She wiped them with the corner of her new coat. It smelled like peppermint and basil. It smelled like grand-maman.

“Here. Do you want me to make this beet look like a rabbit, or like Père Gabriel’s face? Though not much is needed for the latter, I can assure you,” grand-maman said.

Poivre pushed Wolfsbane very far away. “Père Gabriel’s face, please. That way we get some satisfaction out of chopping it up.”

Grand-maman screamed with laughter. Poivre did her best to join it, but it sounded hollow.

But I’ll live, she thought. Then, desperately: I have to.

***

“Sweet Poivre, what’s wrong?” Amélie asked her. She looked drawn, tired.

“Nothing, maman.”

“You seem so sad. I think…” She had to stop to cough.

“Save your breath. I’m just sad that summer is over,” Poivre said, rubbing circles between her mother’s shoulder blades.

“You’d tell me if something was wrong, wouldn’t you?”

“Of course.” She dropped a kiss on her mother’s forehead. It felt warm.

Poivre frowned. Worry sharp like a knife pierced through the thick blanket of numbness Wolfsbane’s leaving had draped over her. “Maman, you’re unwell.”

Amélie shook her head. “Just a summer cough, Poivre. It’ll pass. It passes every year.”

But it didn’t; Amélie grew pale and weak as her cough grew in strength. The doctor listened to her wheezing and felt her pulse, then placed his stethoscope on her chest. He frowned. “I’ll give you something to sleep. You’ve been having trouble sleeping, haven’t you?”

Amélie nodded weakly. “It’s as if someone sits on my chest at night, and I can’t breathe.”

The doctor gave her a mild sedative and waited till she drifted off.

Poivre sat at Amélie’s bedside, holding her rough hand in hers, drawing little circles on the back of it.

“She’ll be all right, won’t she?” Poivre asked.

The doctor shrugged into his coat. There was an odd sort of pity in his eyes, distant and remote. He sees heartache every day, Poivre thought.

“Make sure she’s comfortable,” he said. He took a flask with a clear liquid out of his bag. “Give her three drops of this every night. It’ll help her sleep.”

Poivre took the vial in her hand. It was cold.

“What is it?” Jean asked the doctor, leading him out into the hallway, closing the bedroom door. The wood moaned, and the door sprang open at a crack.

“Consumption,” the doctor said.  

Jean’s face lost its colour. “That’s not possible.”

“I’m afraid it is. Your wife’s lungs crackle.”

“Well, can’t you give her pills, or some kind of mixture? We don’t have much money, but I’ll pay whatever it takes…”

The doctor placed his hand on the man’s shoulder.  “There’s no cure. I’m sorry.”

“There must be something we can do, some place to send her…”

“There’s no use in sending her to a sanatorium. The air here is clean, and she’ll have her family by her side for whatever time remains her.”

“And grand-maman? Is there nothing the fairies could do?” Jean’s voice was laced with desperation.

The doctor shook his head. “I’m sorry. These things are always a shock. Send for me if she’s in pain, all right? I can do something about that, at least.”

Poivre’s hands had grown numb. She stared at Amélie’s hand in hers. It suddenly seemed very small, almost like that of a child. She brought it to her mouth and kissed it.

Then, Colette was there, eyes red-rimmed, cheeks wet with tears. She threw herself on the bed and sobbed. “What will we do?” she wept, kissing her mother’s face.

Poivre drew her back. “You’ll wake her. She’s asleep.”

“What will we do, Poivre? What will we do?” Colette repeated.

Poivre hugged her. “I don’t know. We’ll think of something. We always do.”

***

Poivre nursed Amélie till the very end, nine months after the doctor had made his diagnosis. Her mother had become thin as a skeleton by then, her eyes huge and bright in her face. Her skin had drawn tight over her skull, but two spots of colours burned in her cheeks like two small fires.

The last two months before her death she’d started to become delusional, often waking in the middle of the night and climbing out of bed, trying to get out of the house. “There’s a baby crying. Can’t you hear it? A little baby. I think the fairies must’ve left it,” she murmured, breath foul.

Poivre could only take her back to bed in those cases, promising she’d go and see as soon as Amélie was tucked in. “You promise? You must go and see if that little fae baby needs help. It cries so pitifully…” Amélie murmured. She allowed Poivre to bring her back willingly enough.

The last two weeks, she was barely conscious. Poivre bathed her face with cold cloths and made her drink thin broth. The final few days, she didn’t open her eyes anymore. Her breathing had grown slow and laboured, coming in heavy gasps. They eased into little whispers, and then faded completely.

She was buried a week later.

Poivre stood at the freshly dug grave with burning eyes, trying to stand still. She’d ripped pieces of skin from her hands and arms and legs, getting a sick kind of relief from the bodily discomfort.

Jean stared at her. He grabbed her arm when they lowered the casket. “Stop fiddling, you sick little thing! Wearing a red coat to a funeral is one thing, but…” He had to swallow before he could continue. “For once in your life stop making a disgrace out of yourself!” he hissed.

Later, when he’d drunk so much cheap wine that Colette and Poivre had to help him to bed, he slapped her face, roaring at her not to touch him. “You are what’s wrong with this family!” he screamed.

Poivre stood and looked at him, cheek stinging. “You’re not in your right mind now,” she said.

He laughed at that. “Filthy fairy,” he sneered.

“Stop it, papa!” Colette hissed. “What would maman say?”

“She never cared for my wishes, or we’d never have kept that thing,” Jean slurred, nodding at Poivre. “Who keeps a changeling and raises it as if it’s human? But things are going to change now.”

I should’ve left, Poivre thought, a little chill running along her spine, Now I’m all alone, and lonely, so very lonely…

It had been a year since Wolfsbane had gone.

***

One year turned into two years, into three years, into four. Poivre’s skin slivered as her oil ran out. Her hands became raw and calloused as she did housework, but kept their former gentleness as she helped grand-maman. The old fairy had taken Amélie’s death badly. She grew frail and easily-distracted. She broke her leg after tripping over a footstool, and the fracture never truly healed.

They’ll never let me leave once she’s dead, Poivre thought as she put butter on a slice of fae bread for grand-maman. I should go before she dies, before they chain me to this cottage.

Grand-maman smiled at her slice of bread and smacked her lips, happy as a child. “I can make it look like filthy Père Gabriel’s face. Do you want to see?” she asked.

“No, that’s all right. Just eat your bread,” Poivre said, stroking the fur that grew on top of grand-maman’s head. It had started to thin.

“I’m happy you’re here, with me,” grand-maman said, folding the slice with her bat-like fingers.

I couldn’t leave her to her own devices, Poivre thought, a sting of despair and shame ripping through her.

Once she’s gone, I’ll truly be alone.

I will never get away from here.

***

She thought she saw two yellow eyes gleam as she gathered the washing. She stopped, frowned, and looked intently at the thick cluster of birches that stood only a few metres from the washing line.

She stooped to put another shirt in her basket. Her neck prickled, and she was certain that someone was watching her.

Poivre straightened, and scanned the fields and trees. Again, her eyes came to rest on the little group of birches. Their stems were white and entangled, like limbs.

A flicker of gold between their grey leaves.

It can’t be, she thought. Her heart was thudding in her chest.

“Please,” she whispered, “oh, please… come and take me away from here, oh please…”

“POIVRE!” Jean hollered.

She startled, and almost dropped the washing. “Coming!” she yelled over her shoulder. “You pig,” she muttered under her breath. When she turned her face to the trees again, the yellow eyes had disappeared.

“The river,” she said, bunching up the last few clothes and pushing them in her basket, “Meet me at the river.”

***

It took a long time before she could slip out. She forced herself to walk slowly; it wouldn’t help anyone to run, would only make her look suspicious.

The sun had dipped below the horizon when she reached the river. The water gurgled happily, caressing the pebbles worn smooth with time, lapping at the shore.

Poivre pulled the cloth she’d used to bind her hair from her head, and dragged a hand through her short locks. She kicked off her shoes, and stepped in the water. The waves tugged at a loose bit of skin.

She rubbed her neck. Her hand came away coated in small slivers. A bead of sweat trickled down her back, stinging the patches that were dry and raw.

A twig snapped behind her.

She turned around, and there he was.

He looked older, harder. His cheekbones were sharper than she remembered, but his eyes were just as piercing as then, just as mesmerizing. He gave her a small smile. A world of sadness was contained in the way the corners of his mouth curled up. “Your skin… you poor thing.”

Poivre stepped into his embrace. He tucked her under his chin and held her, stroking her hair. His hands were hot, but she didn’t mind.

“It’s been a hard four years,” she whispered.

Wolfsbane placed a finger under her chin and tilted her head up so she could look him in the eye. “You were a girl when I left, but now, the child you were has disappeared,” he noted.

“Four years…” she sobbed. She slapped splayed hands on his chest. “You left me,” she said, and slapped him again. “You left me, all alone. You left me, and I was lonely, so lonely, so so lonely…” She hammered her fists on his chest, then dissolved into sobs.

He hugged her tight to him. “I shouldn’t have left,” he told her, kissing her crown.

I shouldn’t have stayed, she thought, but she was not ready yet to speak that thought out loud to him.

“I was so lonely…”

“You won’t be alone ever again, Poivre, I promise. I won’t leave you again.”

When she could bear to let him go he guided her to a spot of tall grass, and sat her down. He fished a vial of oil from his trousers’ pocket. Without speaking a word she removed her dress till she sat only in her slip. He sat down behind her, cradling her between his legs. He poured a little oil on his hand, letting it pool in the hollow of his palm so it could warm, then touched her neck and shoulders.

She sighed. Her head lolled as his digits massaged the oil into her aching skin.

“Why did you come back?” she asked, gasping as he touched a particular tender spot.

“Because no matter where I went, no matter what sights I saw, I always dreamed of you,” Wolfsbane said.

When he was done rubbing the oil into her skin, she was slack like a doll. The vial was almost empty, Wolfsbane’s hands warm and slick and glistening.

“I prayed you’d come back to me,” Poivre admitted.

“I heard you calling for me,” he said, “and now that I’m here, I won’t leave you ever again. I’ll live with you, here, amongst humans.”

Poivre turned round to face him. She cupped his face between her hands. “They won’t let us,” she said. “And what kind of life would it be?”

“Then I’ll take you to Faerie with me. You can choose where we’ll live. We’ll pledge our allegiance to the court of your choosing. No matter what we’ll do, though, we’ll do it together.”

She rested her forehead against his, breathing in his scent.

Never alone anymore,

she thought, and kissed him.

[kdreamscenario]

Lunatic: Part XVI

Mythical!AU BTS

Yoongi X Reader

Word Count: 3721

Rated: PG Blood, Animal Violence, Medical Depictions

Part XV

The doctor comes early in the morning, just after sunrise.  Yoongi wakes to the scent of the unwanted man.  While he sets up the room, the doctor pays him no mind.  The wolf silently watches him work.  

There’s a rolling tray of utensils, a heart monitor, an IV stand, clear IV drip bags, and IV drip bags of an unsettling purple colored liquid.  Those are the strictly medical items.  Next come the more mystic properties.  A large wooden trunk gets rolled in and set just inside the door.  It opens to reveal a large array of precious stones and minerals all locked in securely.  

Being careful not to step too close to Yoongi, the doctor begins drawing an octagram in charcoal.  Each point of the figure is a different round knot shape.  The top point extends forward to an ninth knot.  

The charcoal gets put away and the various other stones are placed in particular order on the knots.  Moonstones set the first two spots on the left and right for inner vision.  Then consecutively are Opals for their fire to burn attachments, Howlite for releasing spirits, and Quartz in the final round to amplify the effects of the others.  A slender kyanite stone makes the bridge to the ninth point that holds a fairly large garnet. 

Everything is set up and ready to begin.  The doctor turns to face the beast.  “I’m giving you five minutes to say goodbye.”  He speaks and leaves Yoongi alone again.  No sooner is the door closed before the wolf stands on shaky sore muscles.  He turns to face the wall where the chain is tethered and pulls back.  In his last bit of desperation he tries to kick and slip his way out of the collar.  

Last night he was sure he had come to terms with his end but it must have been only a defeat in his exhaustion.  He’s had a full night’s rest for a final fight.  The doctor comes back in seeing him thrash around at the end of his tether like he’s gone rabbid  He feels sorry for the poor brute.  There’s nothing quite so terrifying as knowing you’re about to be killed.  Still the doctor understands that it’s in the best interest of the boy beneath that animal exterior.  

The first shot of tranquilizer dart is easy aimed with the wolf’s back facing him.  A loud yelp sounds when the dart hits its target.  The wolf’s thrashing turns instantly to its flank.  He’s clawing and biting at it to somehow remove it.  From the first two experiences he knows now what that painful sting means.   

The human part of his mind also thuds in panic.  They are still one heart, they both feel the rush of adrenaline and fear through their blood.  His heartbeat races to a peak then the sedative starts to kick in.  The beast fights against the restraint and the dart until his shaking limbs give out beneath him.  He falls to the cold wooden floor in a shuddering heap.  He tilts his nose skyward and howls out long and low.  He’s not too proud to cry for help.   

His visions fades to black around the edges and blurs all around.  The shape of the doctor and two other men approaching kicks up his pulse again.  He senses them too close and lashes out blindly.  It’s no use.  With their combined strength they have him muzzled and bound a rope at each ankle.  Another needle pokes into his neck and he growls.

The doctor is administering a high level suppressant that will kick the wolf back.  They need Yoongi to be in his human form to begin the procedure.  If the wolf is in control when they remove it there’s a good chance it will take the human with it.  No spirit in the body means Yoongi would be dead.              

The suppressant kicks in but the only part of the struggle seen from the outside is Yoongi huffing and shivering.  Like the beast is pleading to live.  It takes several minutes for Yoongi to start shifting.  He’s completely human again and knocked out cold.  It’s a drastic difference between the fighting animal and the perfectly peaceful man.  

They’re sure that he’s fully put under before removing the binds on his wrists and the heavy collar.  The muzzle had slipped off on it’s own from the switch.  The three men carry his unconscious body over to the decagram and carefully place him in the center.  Yoongi’s father and Yoonseok stand sentinel at each side to help as needed.  

Grandfather Min enters with a small case in his hands.  As the head elder he would need to lead the spiritual portion of the seance.  Traditionally packs would have a female spirit leader and healer to perform such tasks.  Grandfather Min’s mate was their healer. There has yet to be a new female strong enough to take over her role after she passed.  This is too difficult and delicate a task for the few inexperienced healers they have.  

The doctor rolls over the IV stand he has set up with Saline solution and the purple liquid.  The bag has bright red biohazard markers on each side and big letters that read: Aconitum(Wolfsbane) Essence.  With gloved hands he connects the line from one to the other.  The purple fluid filters into the clear and down the line to the stopper.  

He nods to the elder that he’s ready to begin.  Grandfather takes a deep breath and looks to Yoongi’s father.  His father steps over to hold the case for the elder to open it.  Inside is what looks like a hunting knife forged of shining silver, the handle carved into a menagerie of creatures.  

Grandfather holds the knife in the air over Yoongi and begins humming.  It’s not a melodic sound but more of a pulsing tone that makes the air of the room buzz.  Then he kneels down over Yoongi and with a precise stroke makes a cut over his chest right above his heart.  The boy doesn’t even flinch which is a good sign.  

With a light press blood pools over the blade.  A careful turn back and it drips down onto the garnet.  This will give the wolf spirit a direction once it exits Yoongi’s body.  Though most of it will be burned by the Wolfsbane it will eventually flee Yoongi’s body in search of a less toxic host.  The garnet covered in Yoongi’s clean blood should be the most attractive host in the room.       

Standing back at the head of the figure, the elders humming changes to chanting in an ancient tongue.  He’s calling for the great animal spirit.  For just as Yoongi needed the elders permission to go along with this he also needs the great spirits permission to essentially end the life of one of his creatures.  

It only takes a few moments for the spirit to inhabit the body of the elder.  A golden glow surrounds him and his mouth opens to speak but not in his own voice.  “My great wolves.  What have you summoned me for?”  The three others bow their heads and Father Min speaks.  “Great Animal Spirit, my son wishes to rid himself of his lupin spirit.  We plead for your permission at this time.  He has the elder’s permission to do so your greatness.”

The spirit is silent for a moment to make his decision.  It takes in the perfect ritual step up and feels the earnesty of this gathered family, even Yoongi’s Mother who is standing out in the hall clutching her hand over her heart.  With a great breath he speaks again.  

“Though I do not wish to grant the end of an innocent life I can sense the sincerity of your hearts.  Let me speak to the boy first through a dream to be sure he is prepared for this sacrifice.  You will get your sign when I take my leave.  If the moonstones glow white then I have granted my permission but if they fade to black then heed my warning to end the ritual.”  

“Yes, of course, your greatness.”  The room goes silent as the spirit kneels to place a hand on Yoongi’s head.  Through the contact the spirit passes from Grandfather Min to Yoongi.  Then they all wait patiently for the spirit to finish and give the final verdict.

Once the suppressant had been administered Yoongi was quick to use his last thread of consciousness to shift.  Only when he was fully in control did he let himself slip into the deep drug induced slumber.  It felt like mere moments before the darkness broke into a dream.  Not just any dream but the dream.       

He’s standing at the edge of the wood looking into the clearing.  The same scene he’s looked at to almost feel normal now and he hates it.  After the fourth or fifth time of having this dream Yoongi would feel the sick feeling of guilt as soon as he saw this very scene.  

He knows all too well what’s going to happen.  Each time his mind fights to change something or to at least wake up but he can’t.  The whole thing plays out the same as always.  He can only wake after the bloody mess has been made.  

This time it starts no different.  He thinks of how cruel for his brain to make this scene come to him now.  It’s simply unfair for his wolf to make him suffer right up to the end.  Though for what he’s doing he should feel like he deserves it.  

Hoping that perhaps this will be his final run through this dream he lets it play out.  He looks up to the left and soon sees the edge of the grass dipping left and right for the little animal making it’s way toward him.  Right from that moment Yoongi feels that something isn’t right.  

When he should start to see little brown flecks in the green he’s seeing shimmering gold.  The shock of something in this dreadful dream changing has him watching in awe and curiosity.  Long ears and hopping movements from the grass still say rabbit but it’s not the same one.  

That’s made perfectly obvious when the creature stops for a moment in front of him in clear view before it darts out deeper into the field.  Yoongi saw perfectly well the sleek rabbit with fur of glittering gold and eyes of opposing colors, the left white with a black pupil and the right black with a white pupil.  It never beckoned it to follow like usual so Yoongi stays stock still in his place.  

From the place deep out into the grass the glowing light around the rabbit grows.  The creature starts to get much larger and changes shape.  The gentle breeze stirs in the end to reveal an enormous gold dragon.  The bicolored eyes look down to Yoongi who bows his head.  Grandfather Min has a sizable painting of this dragon hanging above the entrance to his home.  He remembers all the folk stories he’s heard in his youth about the great animal spirit.  

A puff of steam comes from the spirits nostrils then opens his mouth to speak.  “Min Yoongi, the lupin prince of the Min clan.  Your family has summoned me to grant your wish of removing your wolf spirit.”  The great booming voice makes the trees around the tremble.  Yoongi drops to his knees and lowers his head to the earth.  

“Forgive me great spirit.  I am incapable of control the beast within me.  Please allow me to remove it.”  Yoongi can’t help the nervous tremor in his voice.  The beast is quiet for a long moment and he’s afraid that he was not heard.     

“My boy I feel that it is I should also ask a bit for forgiveness.  Seeing you as a strong soul of the Min clan I bestowed upon you at your birth one of my toughest wolves that wished desperately to have a second chance at life.  I realise now that some of us do not deserve a second chance.  I can see this place and see all your thoughts, concerns, and fears.  I understand that you are in love with a human female.  Even your beast has taken a very great liking to her and caused you quite a bit of trouble.  As you have seen love is often the greatest push to churn the water of life.”  

Again there is a long silence.  Yoongi reflects over everything the spirit has said.  Another blast of steam warms over the air and the spirit speaks.   

“I will allow you your wish Min Yoongi.  On the condition that your future children keep your family lineage.  After all you will still have the Min blood meant to bear a second lupin spirit.  I will be more careful with choosing their wolf in hopes of not repeating your plight.  Do we have a deal child?”  

A part of Yoongi would like to protest.  Unless he were to eventually have children with a werewolf there would be a hard life ahead for him and his lover.  He comes to think it’s only fair to the great spirit and his family to agree on those terms.  It’s his only way to repay them for this dishonor.  

“I agree to the deal your greatness.”  Yoongi words make it final.  “Very well, Min Yoongi I wish you luck.”  The breeze stirs up again and Yoongi looks up as the bright light carries the spirit up and out of his body.  The moonstones glow white once the spirit passes to return to it’s own realm.  Yoongi’s family and the doctor see the sign right away and begin the next steps of the procedure. 

After the great animal spirit has left Yoongi stays sitting on the edge of the woods waiting for the next sign.  Mostly he’s expecting to see the usual rabbit come for him.  A few minutes pass before he hears quiet paws padding towards him through the woods.  He turns to see his wolf standing about a yard away.

It’s quite a strange sensation to essentially be looking at yourself.  Even stranger when you feel like it’s you but also not you at the same time and soon it won’t be you at all.  They sit in tense silence looking at each other.  Yoongi notices that through the shade of trees they are connected by a shadow.  

“Min Yoongi.”  The wolf speaks first.  Well speaks in a figurative way.  It’s more a telepathic message how the two normally communicate their feelings.  They feel more than they say.  Both of them feel the tug of regret and sorrow, most of it coming from the wolf.  It doesn’t need to say in words how sorry it is for hurting Yoongi and those around him.  Yoongi doesn’t need to say sorry for ending it’s life.  

The wolf takes a half step forward and waits.  Yoongi sits up on his knees and lets the wolf approach him.  He wraps his arms around the warm grey neck and the wolf rests it’s muzzle over the boy’s shoulder.  The wolf gives a soft whine that breaks Yoongi’s heart.  He sniffles and allows fat tears to roll down his cheeks into the soft fur.

The wolf pulls back first and licks away the boy’s tears.  They look deeply into each other watery eyes and share a new feeling of thanks.  In his mind Yoongi can hear the wolf thanking him for giving him a good run at a second chance.  He’d like to ask about the animals first life but there’s no time.   

There’s not even time for much else before the forest starts to feel hot.  The breeze gets heavy and humid.  The sky darkens like a storm threatening on the horizon.  The air quickly gets unbearably hot and thick.  It feels more like a toxic gas cloud than good oxygen. 

On the outside, the doctor has set up the IV and put the needle into the vein of Yoongi’s arm.  The saline and wolfsbane mixture is pouring into his system.  The doctor needs to be careful in giving just the right amount as wolfsbane is also poisonous to humans.  The images in Yoongi’s head are his mind’s way of showing the drugs effects.    

Yoongi is trying hard to catch his breath with his head turned down and his eyes watering more from choking.  The heat spikes and the wolf yelps beside him.  He looks up in horror to see the beast with purple colored flames running up it’s legs.  Yoongi panics and isn’t sure what to do.  

His wolf knows what these flames are and understands it’s time for their goodbye.  Through the pain of the fire singeing off fur, the beast pushes Yoongi towards the clearing.  He understands what the wolf wants but hesitates a moment.  The long nose gives him another strong shove and a signal to go and he listens.  

Out in the clearing the air is cleaner and a little cooler.  The long grass feels like it’s protecting him from the toxins.  Yoongi wades out to about where the great animal spirit was standing and turns back to see the wolf.  He can hear it whimpering in pain standing just inside the woods.  It’s laying limply on it’s side and the flames cover it entirely.  

Even without the shade of the trees there is still a shadow connecting the two.  The flames having taken sufficient control over the wolf start to burn along the shadow to Yoongi.  He watches in fear and swears he can already feel the heat scalding his skin.  

Grandfather Min still channeling the energy from the boy senses the change.  He signals for the doctor to stop the drip of the Wolfbane.  The IV runs clear now to only supply the saline.  The chants from the elder change and he moves to shift and activate the opals.

In Yoongi’s vision the purple flames fade to a halt.  He’s relieved then frightened again as a different fire of multiple shimmering colors rises from the center of the shadow.  It burns perpendicularly to the dark line until Yoongi feels something in his chest snap, like a rope that was cut.  The colored flame puffs into smoke just as quickly as it had come.  

The long shadow is gone and looks like a normal one just around his body.  His chest feels tight but empty at the same time.  It feels like a hole had been ripped into it and was left trying to close by itself.  That’s when he notices that he can’t feel the connection with his wolf anymore.  He frantically looks over the grass into the woods to see the beast but only a smouldering bit of purple flames lay in it’s place.  

The elder then activates the howlite.  A beam of light streaks down through the dark stormy skies to cast light on the ashes of the wolf.  Yoongi has to look carefully to see small wisps of white rising into the light.  It looks at first to only be smoke then gradually takes on the faintest shape of a wolf as it rises.  With one last look the beast turns back to Yoongi before departing from his body for good.  

Grandfather Min continues his chanting now from the quartz end.  Just as it had risen from the ashes the wolf spirit starts to trickle out of the cut above Yoongi’s heart.  It looks simply as white wisps of smoke coming from the wound and making a sphere.  

The elder chants and gently glides his hands forward through the air toward the kyanite.  The spirit doesn’t take long to follow the right path over the kyanite and to the garnet.  For a long minute the spirit flows like a cloudy river from Yoongi and into the stone.  The end of the trail enters the stone that’s now changed in color from a bright shimmering crimson to a dark, near black burgundy.  

The stones are blessed to end the seance and is deemed a success for now.  The doctor sets to work stitching up Yoongi’s chest, giving him antidote for the wolfsbane, and settling him into a bed.  Yoonseok and his father help the doctor clean up the room while grandfather goes to rest.  Yoongi’s mother goes to sit by his side, holding his hand and dabbing sweat away from his forehead while his body fights the poison.  

Once the wolf was finally gone everything in Yoongi’s vision had gone completely back to normal.  The breeze gentle, no beams of light or strange fires, and the skies were clear and lovely.  He laid still in the long grass at the peak of the hill.  He still felt like there was a deep hole in his chest and was too scared to look down or try to touch the area in case that were the truth.  

Instead he laid back and thought deeply about what had all just happened.  So deeply in fact that he didn’t hear the rustle of grass.  The feel of whiskers and soft fur on his cheek made him jump.  The animal jumped back a bit and Yoongi could focus his sight.  He really should’ve been expecting for your rabbit to come now that all the trouble is over.  

He waits for the rabbit to run away from being scared but it never does.  On the contrary it hops back up to him and sniffs over him with that cute twitchy nose.  It even rubs its face into his cheek and bumps into him to reciprocate.   

Finally he does nuzzle back just like he normally does in this dream.  They rub cheeks and he buries his nose into the soft fur.  He inhales and the scent it’s still yours but it’s much fainter than usual.  It’s barely there.  It doesn’t make him feel the demanding need to claim and hurt.  He just feels comfort.  

When he pulls away he does notice that he did change.  He’s much smaller than usual much more bunny sized in fact.  He looks down and sure enough he’s looking at his feet but they’re little and furry.  His body is petite and round.  He’s a rabbit.  His wish finally came true.

-E.최 

[thecreativecoalition]

D&D Homebrew Poisons

So, im working on a mini series for badassdanddpics and was wondering if you guys had any ideas. im calling the mini series “Bewildering Botany and Perilous Poisons” that will basically showcase magical plant homebrew that will aid adventures and villains alike. for the poison section of it, i put together some basic information from D&D about the rules as well as how they are applied and used against others as well as common symptoms from plants in the real world.

different poisons are applied to victims by

contact

ingested

inhaled

injury

smoke from being burned

common rules (for 5th edition D&D regarding poison)

A weapon coated with poison will dry out in one minute.

When you are poisoned, you will usually suffer from the poisoned condition.

Poison can be bought or crafted using the downtime rules and a poisoner’s kit.

Cures for poison include low level spells or anti-toxin.

Truth Serum is listed under poisons, and is something I think could be useful in your campaign in many different ways.

Poisoned: A poisoned creature has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.

each round until you make a saving throw.

Common symptoms of poisoning include nausea, vomiting, convulsions, liver failure, disables nerves, lowers blood pressure, and can stop the heart, muscle twitches, and sometimes paralysis, irritation of skin throat and mouth, swelling, burning pain, breathing difficulties and stomach upset. dilated pupils, sensitivity to light, blurred vision, tachycardia, loss of balance, staggering, headache, rash, flushing, dry mouth and throat, slurred speech, urinary retention, constipation, confusion, hallucinations, delirium, convulsions and photo-toxicity

underneath the “keep reading” i have included some actual plants that could help with creating realistic homebrew.

Dieffenbachia (also called dumb cane) If a leaf is chewed, these crystals cause an extreme burning sensation in the mouth, throat and tongue. It is also known to cause temporary vocal cord paralysis. While ingestion is not always fatal, victims describe it as excruciatingly painful and debilitating.

Aconitum genus (several species, commonly called aconite, wolfsbane and monkshood). All parts are poisonous. The poison is an alkaloid called aconitine, which disables nerves, lowers blood pressure, and can stop the heart. Even casual skin contact should be avoided; symptoms include numbness, tingling, and cardiac irregularity. It has been used as poison for bullets (by German forces during World War II), as a bait and arrow poison (ancient Greece), and to poison water supplies (reports from ancient Asia).[citation needed] If ingested, it usually causes burning, tingling, and numbness in the mouth, followed by vomiting and nervous excitement. It is usually a quick-acting poison, and has been used in the past for killing wolves (hence one of the common names).

Actaea pachypoda (also known as doll’s eyes or white baneberry). All parts are poisonous, especially the berries, the consumption of which has a sedative effect on cardiac muscle tissue and can cause cardiac arrest.

Agave genus. The juice of a number of species causes acute contact dermatitis, with blistering lasting several weeks and recurring itching for several years thereafter.

Atropa belladonna (commonly known as deadly nightshade, belladonna, devil’s cherry and dwale, an Anglo-Saxon term meaning “stupifying drink”). One of the most toxic plants found in the Western hemisphere, all parts of the plant contain tropane alkaloids[33] - as do those of its equally deadly sister species A.baetica, A.pallidiflora and A.acuminata. The active agents are atropine, hyoscine (scopolamine), and hyoscyamine, which have anticholinergic properties.[34][35] The symptoms of poisoning include dilated pupils, sensitivity to light, blurred vision, tachycardia, loss of balance, staggering, headache, rash, flushing, dry mouth and throat, slurred speech, urinary retention, constipation, confusion, hallucinations, delirium, and convulsions.[34][36][37] The root of the plant is generally the most toxic part, though this can vary from one specimen to another. Ingestion of a single leaf of the plant can be fatal to an adult.[33] Casual contact with the leaves can cause skin pustules. The berries pose the greatest danger to children because they look attractive and have a somewhat sweet taste.[38] The consumption of two to five berries by children and ten to twenty berries by adults can be lethal. In 2009, a case of A. belladonna being mistaken for blueberries, with six berries ingested by an adult woman, was documented to result in severe anticholinergic syndrome.[39] The plant’s deadly symptoms are caused by atropine’s disruption of the parasympathetic nervous system’s ability to regulate involuntary activities such as sweating, breathing, and heart rate. The antidote for atropine poisoning is physostigmine or pilocarpine.[40] A. belladonna is also toxic to many domestic animals, causing narcosis and paralysis.[41] However, cattle and rabbits eat the plant seemingly without any harmful effects.[37] In humans its anticholinergic properties will cause the disruption of cognitive capacities like memory and learning.[35]

Cerbera odollam (commonly known as the suicide tree). The seeds contain cerberin, a potent toxin related to digoxin. The poison blocks the calcium ion channels in heart muscle, causing disruption of the heart beat. This is typically fatal and can result from ingesting a single seed. Cerberin is difficult to detect in autopsies and its taste can be masked with strong spices, such as a curry. It is often used in homicide and suicide in India; Kerala’s suicide rate is about three times the Indian average. In 2004, a team led by Yvan Gaillard of the Laboratory of Analytical Toxicology in La Voulte-sur-Rhône, France, documented more than 500 cases of fatal Cerbera poisoning between 1989 and 1999 in Kerala. They said “To the best of our knowledge, no plant in the world is responsible for as many deaths by suicide as the odollam tree.’[42] A related species is Cerbera tanghin the seeds of which are known as tanghin poison nut and have been used as an ‘ordeal poison’.

Colchicum autumnale (commonly known as autumn crocus and meadow saffron). The bulbs contain colchicine. Colchicine poisoning has been compared to arsenic poisoning; symptoms typically start 2 to 5 hours after a toxic dose has been ingested but may take up to 24 hours to appear, and include burning in the mouth and throat, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and kidney failure. Onset of multiple-system organ failure may occur within 24 to 72 hours. This includes hypovolemic shock due to extreme vascular damage and fluid loss through the GI tract, which may result in death. Additionally, sufferers may experience kidney damage resulting in low urine output and bloody urine, low white blood cell counts (persisting for several days), anemia, muscular weakness, and respiratory failure. Recovery may begin within 6 to 8 days. There is no specific antidote for colchicine, although various treatments do exist.[47] Despite dosing issues concerning its toxicity, colchicine is prescribed in the treatment of gout,[48] familial Mediterranean fever, pericarditis and Behçet’s disease. It is also being investigated for its use as an anti-cancer drug.

Datura genus (several species commonly known as jimson weed, thorn apple, stinkweed, Jamestown weed, angel’s trumpets, moonflower, and sacred datura). Containing the tropane alkaloids scopolamine, hyoscyamine, and atropine, all parts of these plants are poisonous, especially the seeds and flowers. Ingestion causes abnormal thirst, hyperthermia, severe delirium and incoherence, visual distortions, bizarre and possibly violent behavior, memory loss, coma, and often death; it is a significant poison to grazing livestock in North America. Datura has been used as an entheogenic drug by the indigenous peoples of the Americas and others for centuries, though the extreme variability in a given plant’s toxicity depending on its age and growing environment make such usage an exceptionally hazardous practice; the difference between a recreational dose and a lethal dose is minuscule,[51] and incorrect dosage often results in death. For this same reason, Datura has also been a popular poison for suicide and murder, particularly in parts of Europe and India. Reports of recreational usage are overwhelmingly negative; the majority of those who describe their use of Datura find their experiences extremely unpleasant and often physically dangerous.

Heracleum mantegazzianum (also known as giant hogweed). The sap is phototoxic, causing phytophotodermatitis (severe skin inflammations) when affected skin is exposed to sunlight or to UV rays. Initially the skin becomes red and starts itching. Then blisters form as the reaction continues over 48 hours. They form black or purplish scars, which can last several years. Hospitalization may become necessary. Presence of minute amounts of sap in the eyes can lead to temporary or even permanent blindness.

Nerium oleander (commonly known as oleander). All parts are toxic, the leaves and woody stems in particular. Contains nerioside, oleandroside, saponins and cardiac glycosides. Causes severe digestive upset, heart trouble and contact dermatitis. The smoke of burning oleander can cause reactions in the lungs, and can be fatal.

Peucedanum galbanum (commonly known as blister bush). All parts are poisonous, and contact causes painful blistering that is intensified with exposure to sunlight.

Hemlock is a very poisonous plant. In fact, all parts of the plant are toxic. Hemlock is most poisonous during the early stages of growth in the spring, but it is dangerous at all stages of growth. The poisons in hemlock are so deadly that people have died after eating game birds that had eaten hemlock seeds. Hemlock has also been used to reverse strychnine poisoning. Hemlock contains poisons that affect the transmission of nerve impulses to muscle. Death occurs by respiratory failure.

[notgonnarememberthis]

A Better Tomorrow - Chapter 10

Thank you all for all of the support especially off the last chapter (given it was a lot of “how could you”s but still counting it). It truly has given me another boost to power through this chapter and actually next to the first few chapters, this is my proudest chapter yet. I’m really happy with it. I’m not too sure how quickly I’ll be able to post for the next two weeks. I’ve got AP exams next week, senior exams the week after as well as tech week and my final performance... yay. Anyways as of now there’s only three chapters left! I hope you guys have been enjoying the story and stick around to the (bitter) end.

An arrow zips through the sky tearing through the bitter cold towards its target. Daisy almost smiles as the arrow perfectly pierces the rabbit. She ties her mare to the tree quickly going to fetch her prey. The snow crunched loudly under her boots but she needed to hurry. Just as she bent down to fetch the rabbit, she spies movement out of the corner of her eyes. A flash of brown fur dashes between the trees. For a moment Daisy swears she is hallucinating. It’d been months since she had last seen a deer. Her stomach growls impatiently. A deer could feed her for at least a week maybe two if properly preserved. She bites her lip notching an arrow.

She holds her breath as she begins the chase. She can’t help it. It’s a habit. She can feel the beat of her heart thrumming rhythmically against her chest. Drawing her bow back she slowly lets out the breath she was holding and lets it fly. She smirks slightly as the beast rears back with the shot. It’s pierced the stomach. Not a killing shot but it’ll bleed out soon enough. The thing runs as fast as it can with the injury. She’s sure she’s going to lose it if she doesn’t pick up the pace.

Daisy pants as she comes upon an abandoned farm. She smiles as she spies the thing collapsed in the snow. Just as she’s about to sheath her arrow she’s got set two figures emerge from the other side of the woods coming quickly upon her kill.

She fires her shot into the wood of the barn. “Hey!” She calls out viciously. The figures freeze as she makes her way up to them. She’s already got another poised and ready as she stands protectively over her kill. “Move one inch and I put one right between his eyes.” She warns gesturing at the shorter figure. As she focused on them she could identify both as men, one European looking and the other white. The European’s eyes flashed to the taller man, he simply nodded for him to put his hands up. Good. Maybe this will be easy.

“Sir you can’t be serious.” Again the taller one holds up a hand.

“What’s your name?” The man asks.

“What’s it to you?” She snarls.

“Fine.” He nods with a clipped smile. One that looked like it could cut. “My name is Grant Ward. This is my partner Sunil Bakshi.” Ward states gesturing to his begrudging partner. “We’re from a colony full of women and children. They’re all starving and need food. We just want half of the deer.”

“Yeah well I’m from a colony too.” Daisy lies easily. “Women and children. Lots of them.”

“Please. We can trade just about anything. Is there something you need?” The man, Ward, pleads. As she studies him he doesn’t look too much older than herself. Definitely younger than Bakshi so how was it that he was in charge between the two?

“We have weapons, water, medicine, ammuni-”

“Medicine!” She shouts cutting off Bakshi in the middle of his sentence. “Do you have antibiotics?”

“We do. Just follow us.”

“No!” Daisy snaps again. “I’m not going anywhere. Bakshi can go get the medicine. If you have what I need… it’s yours.”

“Deal.”

“But sir!”

“Go Bakshi.” Ward commands. With a hesitant look the man is trudging through the snow alone.

“I want your rifle too.” Daisy demands feeling a little too confident in her negotiations. Sure enough he tosses the weapon knocking a bit of the snow up onto her boots sending a cold chill through her body.

“Can we get inside at least? I can tell you’re cold. I’ve got dry firewood and matches in my bag.” Hesitantly Daisy nods to the deer gesturing for him to grab it. As he drags it to the barn she switches from her bow and arrow to the rifle keeping the gun trained on him. In silence they set up the fire. She sets the gun down carefully making sure to keep it near just in case but her fingers were going numb even under the three layers of gloves. “So…”

“Not bonding time.”

“What? You’re not going to tell me your name you could at least tell me who you’re doing this for. Someone had to teach you how to shoot like that.”

“My name is Skye. The medicine is for my mother. We ran into a group of scavengers and she got hurt… really bad.” It’s not entirely a lie. She’d gone by the name Skye for the first thirteen years of her life until Andrew told her about her parents. Melinda might as well be her mother with all she had done for her. Just the thought of possibly losing her tossed her stomach and had tears welling in her eyes. It’d been nearly three weeks since Melinda had fallen off the horse nearly bleeding out in the middle of the road.

“Sounds like a fighter to me.”

“You have no idea.” Daisy laughs sadly.

“No I get it.” He shrugs. “My brothers… may they rest in peace… they were both good fighters. Taught me nearly everything I know about fist fighting at least. Being the middle child wasn’t the easiest.” Daisy almost catches herself smiling at his reminiscing. “But my older brother… something snapped. He tried killing us both. Almost succeeded too.” He raises his shirt showing a nasty looking scar across his abdomen.

“Yikes.”

“Yeah… Had to stitch it up myself.”

“You’re good at that?”

“Better than most. My godfather taught me basic medicine.”

“Do you think…” Daisy drones off. She knows this is a bad idea. She hardly knows this man. Sure he’s barely older than her but she’s positive she can’t take him in hand to hand. Melinda has taught her a lot but from the sounds of it he’s skilled as well.

“What?” She’s out of options though. Melinda is miles away and likely catching an infection, a cold, or worse.

“Can you help me take care of my mother? In trade I’ll hunt for you. I’m much lighter on my feet than either of you.” Ward smiles for a second before nodding.

“Yeah.” A sudden groaning interrupts them before the door smashes open. “Get down.” Daisy drops her head on instinct just before three gunshots go off. She looks up in a mixture of pissed and startled. Ward is still on the ground with a pistol in his hand.

“Seriously?”

“You never asked if I had any other weapons.” He shrugs. “At least you know I didn’t shoot you.” He smiles again and damn it. She huffs leading him out of the barn to check for more. Just as they finish she spies Bakshi running up with a book bag in hand.

“Syringes and antibiotics.” His thick accent cuts with otherwise unexpressed anger. He doesn’t like the arrangement.

“Take the deer. I’m going with the girl.”

“What?”

“We’ve made a deal. I help her, she helps us. We’ll meet up here once a week to trade food and antibiotics.” With a pat on the arm Ward wishes the man a goodbye and they’re on their way.

Surprisingly Ward is silent on the walk. She expected pressuring questions, demands to know more, and generally being annoyingly charming. She grabs the mare tying the rabbit she’d secured to her own belt to its saddle. He keeps his expression neutral until they approach the abandoned home. Daisy climbs in through the window throwing her own bag onto the couch, dust flying up in it’s wake. She would’ve used it had it not been for her reluctance to leave Melinda’s side.

Daisy scampers down the stairs quickly spying the woman in the middle of the floor. She was laying on an old mattress with a blanket strewn across her legs. She must’ve thrashed it off in her sleep. Her skin is a sickly pale and she’s shivering. It breaks her heart to see the woman so weak.

Ward is by Melinda’s side quickly preparing what he needs. Daisy lifts her shirt cutting the bandage she’d secured around her waist this morning. She’d spied new ones in his bag. Those would be better. Ward peers at the messy stitches Daisy had done through tears from weeks ago.

“Good thing is, it’s not infected.” He states. “Though I’ll need to redo them if she’s to heal properly.” Daisy nods understanding and watches him as he works. He injects Melinda with the antibiotic first. Her body jerks at the invasion but she doesn’t wake. His hand is steady, eyes focused as he fixes the stitches. It’s almost fascinating to watch.

For the first time in weeks Daisy allows herself to truly sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They go on like this for four weeks. Melinda has drifted in and out of consciousness but besides that generally remains unresponsive. If that worries Ward he sure as hell doesn’t show it.

Daisy catches him sleeping in a nearby chair she’d set up for him in the basement to allow him to watch over Melinda during the night. Sometimes her terrors would become so violent that she’d almost tear her stitches. Since then Bakshi also packed sedatives in those cases. Daisy hated it but she knew it was necessary.

A small groan startles Daisy from her thoughts. Melinda’s eyes are open, peering at her through the darkness.

“Daisy?” She grumbles, words slightly slurred. So she’d received a dosage of sedative today…

“Hey.” Daisy rushes to her side dropping to her knees. “You’re awake.”

“What the hell happened?”

“You got into a scuff with a scavenger. You took a fall and got pierced by some rebar.” Just bringing the incident to memory had Daisy’s face running warm and tears welling in her eyes. “I thought I was going to lose you.”

“Never.” Weakly Melinda brings a cold hand to her cheek. Daisy lets out an overjoyed sob as she feels her wipe a tear away. The moment is cut off quickly as May goes stiff, eyes trained behind her. “Who the hell is that?”

“That’s Ward.” Daisy eases. “He’s been helping me take care of you in exchange for hunting.”

“We need to go.” Melinda tries to get up but her movements are slow, riddled with weeks of misuse.

“Whoa. You’re still not in condition to go anywhere. You’re almost healed. Just another week.”

“No Daisy listen to me.” Daisy’s mouth shuts at the firm command. “You need to run.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s one of the scavengers from the lab. I fought him before I fell.” Daisy’s blood runs cold. Did he recognize Melinda? Surely not if he’d helped her. “Go. I can stall.”

“No May. I’m not leaving without you.” Melinda’s eyes are closing already, though, drowsiness overwhelming her body.

“No no no!” She cries. “May wake up!” Her heart is pounding against her chest. She has to do something. Get her gun. Get armed.

“May should’ve kept her mouth shut.” A cold voice growls in her ear. Ice pours down her spine at the noise. She’d trusted him. Both of them. They’d known all along, Daisy realizes now. They had been playing her for a fool the entire time. Why was he helping her though? Why did he try so hard to save the both of them when he could’ve easily taken them both out in their sleep: unguarded and never the wiser. Venom fills her heart with anger. She tries to recall every bit of training she’s had. How easily she could flip him over her back and fight with all of her might. But if this man was still alive he must’ve put up a hell of a fight. Daisy silently wonders to herself if that scar was really from his brothers or if it was from May. At the moment a dark part of her wishes for the latter. “And here I thought you’d be so… cooperative.”

Melinda’s still form is the last thing Daisy sees before the butt of his pistol makes contact with her temple, sending her world spiraling into darkness.

[blooblooded]

Gay Marty and Lee interaction

Lee is annoying because he wears his pants too tight and vapes. No I don’t know how Marty’s visions work.

******

Marty opened his eyes and found himself in a hospital bed in a little white room with a closed door. His clothes were gone, replaced with a green hospital gown, and there was an IV stuck in his arm. Pain shot through the top of his skull and his guts churned. He looked around groggily, stupidly, his brain struggling to process his surroundings.

“Oh, good. You’re awake.” A nurse in blue scrubs had been sitting beside him, scrolling through her communicator. “Sir? Do you know where you are?”

Marty tried to sit up and was barely able to do so. His body ached. He knew that he must have had a seizure, one of the big ones, but knew nothing more than that. It was like somebody had filled his head up with cotton and then started to hit it with a shovel. It was more than he could handle to even string a sentence together.

It had been about 6 months since he had one of the big ones. The most he could manage was blinking at the nurse.

“You had a grand mal seizure,” she said, like she was talking to an idiot or a child. “On the street. Someone took you to the ER, and it’s a good thing too, you lost consciousness for a long time, about 10 minutes.We had to sedate you. Do you know your name? Do you know where you are?”

He began to pull at his IV, which was hurting him. Even in his postical state he could understand the danger of being drugged by strangers. When the nurse noticed what he was doing, she grabbed him by the wrist and held it back

“This is serious,” she said. “You don’t want us to have to restrain you, do you?”

“Fine,” said Marty, slurring because his body was no more his than a puppet’s. “When can I get out of here? I got shit to do.”

The sound of his accent, the way he elongated his vowels, must have jarred her, because she froze, looking at him. Then that care-professional fake smile came back to illuminate her face. “You can’t leave,” she said. “Do you know how serious this is? You need scans. I-- I couldn’t find you in our database because you don’t seem to have an ID chip. What’s your name, I could look it up manually.”

Fear rose up inside of him to mix with the nausea and confusion. He did not know what had happened and he did not know where he was or where any of his friends were. He couldn’t even remember what he had been doing outside. Those memories would return to him, but it would take time. He could barely think in full sentences and his muscles were in pain from whatever contortions his body had gone into when he was seizing. It was unlikely that Eden’s state government knew his name, they would only know that he existed. But the second the nurse realized that he was not a citizen and that he had never had an ID chip,secret police would descend on him and drag him away. Obviously they would torture him, then learn the locations of his friends by invading him mind.

He played into the amnesia and mimicked that blank look that Kip got when he realized that he had no recollection of something and that his mind was as empty as a tomb. It was hard for Marty to copy other people, he knew that he could not make himself look vulnerable 

“I can’t remember anything,” he said, trying his best to cover his accent. It was all about the vowels, he tended to string them along longer than was necessary. “Could you bring me a glass of water?”

“Of course,” the nurse’s face grew less suspicious.

“And I think I have a friend who works here, he could help me with the details. He’s the head nurse?”

“Cihad Tariq?”

“That’s him.” The lie was easy for him to say, he did not know if he could pull it off with his flat, awkward face.He focused on his nausea and hoped that he looked like he was scared and about to throw up instead of autistically staring at her.

The ER nurse hesitated. “You’re not going to go anywhere, are you? We really have to do some scans. I’ll be right back.”

The second that she shut the door, Marty contemplated pulling the IV out of his harm, but decided against it despite the knowledge that whatever was in it was a sedative. He briefly glanced around the room for his clothes and didn’t see them. The humiliation of running out of the hospital and into the street in a paper gown that showed his ass was too great a risk; not only would he want to kill himself out of embarrassment, but he would almost certainly get picked up by the police for public nudity or something.

His head hurt. He could not think. Usually big seizures put him out of commission for hours; he needed to sleep and rest but could not afford to do so in the hospital where there were so many unknown elements. But Marty could barely keep his eyes open. Presumably his visions would come to him when the temporary amnesia wore off. Was this worth it? Who would want a power like this?

His only real hope was that Tony’s ex boyfriend was at work. He had heard a lot about Cihad Tariq over the years but had never met the guy in person. He sounded like a real rule follower, a fun-sucker, which was exactly what he needed. Marty needed someone trustworthy and respectable to break whatever medical nurse oaths he had taken and then sneak him past whatever he needed to sneak past until he could get back to the safehouse.

When he tried to move his legs, the muscles in his thighs spasmed. How badly had he hurt himself while he was unconscious? Even his teeth hurt from clenching them and his mouth tasted like blood.

It was better to lie still. Lie still, even for 15 minutes. If Tariq came, the man would help him. If he didn’t, then Marty would just have to help himself. He closed his eyes and willed himself to relax and empty his mind of anything that might make him react. He was familiar with what it took to recover.

Faintly he could hear the hustle and bustle of the hospital outside of the room he was in and even that grated his nerves. Back home, Jules always used to make sure that he was OK after he had one of the bad ones. Jules always gave him a tea that helped ease the pain, and Dog would always silently run off anyone who might come by to make noise. The girls and Tony did the best that they could but that wasn’t much. It scared them more than anything else, the violence of what his body did to him when he had a grand mal seizure was not something that they could have prepared themselves for. He never even alerted them to the dozen or so small ones he had in a day.

The IV in his arm was making him drowsy and again Marty toyed with the idea of ripping it out of himself and making a break for it. That’s what Kip would do, and Kip was a survivor. But Marty was no Kip.

Time passed and his body grew heavier. Maybe he slept, maybe his mind wandered. Whatever medication was in the fluid being fed into his veins made him feel good, comfortable even. It enveloped him in the way he imagined an embrace would. The visions crept like shadows around the corners of his consciousness, but he was still too affected to know them for what they were.

 Outside he heard footsteps pound past and then squeak as if somebody had been running and slid to stop themselves. The person who was outside his door fumbled with the handle and shoved it open and stumbled inside. It was not the nurse. It was a fussily dressed white man in his early 30’s who stared at Marty in the way someone hungry stares at a meal they have never eaten before. He had a sly face hidden with care behind glasses and a short, neat beard.

Even in his drugged and exhausted state, Marty recognized this person. He knew that face better than he knew his own, he’d see it when he dreamed of being trapped in the Void. Even with the markings of a decade of age, the lines under the eyes and the thinning hairline, the face was the same. Lee Harlan. This was the person who had tried to remotely rip Marty’s life apart when he was just a kid for no reason at all. This was the person who had hurt the people he cared about, the person who had tried his best to hurt him from a distance of hundreds of miles away.

Lee glanced over his shoulder through the door’s window then continued to stare at Marty. Marty stared right back, struggling to keep his eyes open, unsure of whether this was a dream or a vision or a hallucination-- he was used to those. As the shock bloomed inside of him, his adrenal glands flooded his body with stress hormones that fought against his sedation. His heart pounded even though his body was frozen like a rabbit’s.

“Oh wow,” said Lee. He removed his glasses with hands that were shaking. “OK. It is you.”

Visions never talked directly to him. Marty bit down on his tongue so that the pain forced his mind out of its stupefied element. His pulse jackhammered but when he tried to make a fist, his hands were slow to obey. 

All these months in Eden. He was stupid. So stupid for assuming this man was no longer involved with the narrative of his life. Now he was going to die.

Lee slowly took several steps closer to Marty, with his hands still up. His eyes were wide and scared. “OK, little buddy, don’t freak out, I’m just gonna--”

“Eloignez-vous de moi!” Marty sputtered, his brain losing its hold on his second language like it always did when he was scared. It was like speaking around a mouthful of cotton. He started to struggle to sit up and arrange his body in any way that was less vulnerable. Lee crossed to stand directly over him and tried to put a hand on his shoulder, but Marty flinched and clumsily swatted at him. “Ne me touche pas! Ne me touche pas! Reculer!” He swatted at Lee again but he missed and Lee pushed him firmly back so that he couldn’t hurt anyone.

“Oh, thank you for helping me, Lee,” Lee said in a mocking high pitched voice. “Thank you for putting yourself in danger so that you could save my life! Thank you so much for caring enough to make sure I don’t get my brains blown out by secret police, Lee! Is that what you’re saying? Is that what you’re saying to me?? I can’t understand you! I can’t understand you!! Oh my god, will you calm down?” When Marty would not stop spitting at him in French and trying to fight back, Lee gave him a rough shake that made it feel like his brain bounced off the sides of his skull. “Stop it! Calm down! We have to get out of here!”

The familiar tendrils of psychic direction tugged at the corners of Marty’s consciousness, urging him to relax, to just settle down. Compared to the crushing blanket of Ayda’s empathy or the inexorable pinpricks of Tony’s Sight, however, the sensation was weak. Lee was weak. He was a weak shitty psychic, nowhere near the level of Marty’s friends or even of Marty himself. 

Up close, Lee appeared small. When Marty had been 13, he had seemed larger than life, but the reality was that he was of average height and build, maybe smaller than average. If it came down to it, Marty had a lot of weight over him after a lifetime of building up fat and muscle in his hostile homeland.

But incapacitated as he was, that did not matter. The seizure had ravaged his body and the sedatives given to him had done the rest. It was all he could do to summon coherent thoughts. The edges of his vision blurred into the Void, where he saw the shadowy figures his ability was trying to warn him of. People in black, people who had guns. 

This was not a vision of Lee.

“I’m going to pull this thing out,” said Lee, holding Marty down with one hand and reaching for the IV with another. 

“Arrête-- Stop!” But all he could do was clench his teeth as the needle was pulled out of his vein. He tried to elbow Lee in the face so that he could break his teeth and missed. Lee yanked one of the pillows from underneath of him and pushed it down over Marty’s nose and mouth until he couldn’t breathe. When Marty continued to struggle, he pushed it down harder.

“You wanna breathe?” Lee asked, very close. Too close, close enough to see beads of sweat on his skin. Close enough to see a thin white scar running across his scalp, most visible where his hairline was starting to recede. “Then quit it, we don’t have enough time. Blink twice if you want to breathe.”

Marty jerked his knee up as hard as he could to try and catch his enemy in the gut or in the balls but he was still too weak. The pillow pressed harder over his face.

And the true images of his vision flowed in and out of his mind like the tide as his fear and adrenaline cleared his body of sedation. He saw himself in the hospital bed, he saw somebody in a secret police mask and uniform standing over him. He saw them pull the trigger. He saw his own blood and globs of brain.

Hating himself for not having any other choice and burning with anger, Marty blinked twice. The pillow was removed from his mouth and nose and he gasped for air.

Lee pulled him up so that he was sitting upright in the hospital bed. He struggled slightly. “Can you walk? Hold on, these rooms always have wheelchairs.” A quick search produced the wheelchair, which was wedged between the wall and the bed. Lee unfolded it. “I can’t lift you myself, you have to help me--”

“I’m not going anywhere with you if you’re just going to try to murder and/or rape me you fucking freak.”

“That’s a really hurtful thing to say to the guy who is trying to save your life, Marty,” said Lee, who was smiling but obviously clenching his teeth. “Why are you like this? Hm? How many times do I have to tell you that I am not creepy?!”

Marty ended up in the wheelchair, assisted by his enemy of a decade. There had never been a period of time that he thought he would see Lee in person, much less be touched by him. Lee had weak, sweaty nerd hands, soft and uncalloused from an underground life devoid of physical labor. It made Marty’s skin crawl to think back to all the times he had helplessly watched from behind a screen as Lee got all touchy-feely with Kip to mess with his mind, all the times he had put his hands on Rome to scare him. At the best of times, Marty hated being touched, and this was the person he wanted to touch him the least.

As Lee pushed the wheelchair through the hospital, Marty was keenly aware of his own vulnerability. His body was weak from the seizure and half-drugged, he was practically naked apart from the thin hospital gown. He had no weapons, nothing to defend himself with even if he currently had the capability to do so. He did not know his way around Eden so even if he didn’t end up getting his brains blown out, he did miraculously survive whatever Lee Harlan intended to do with him, he would never be able to get back to his group.

He could not even pay attention as he was being wheeled through the halls, his dizziness made it hard for him to keep his eyes open. Marty kept biting his own tongue to keep himself focused and his mouth tasted like copper. They kept going through locked doorways that Lee opened with what Marty could only assume was his press badge-- it seemed like Eden afforded journalists far too much freedom. He noticed that Lee kept muttering to himself and he strained to hear.

“It’s OK,” Lee was telling himself. “It’s fine. It always turns out fine, doesn’t it?”

“You’re crazy,” said Marty.

“Shut up. You’re not supposed to be talking.”

“You’re crazier than I thought you were, because now I know you’ve been stalking me. How did you even know I was in the hospital?”

Lee wheeled him into an elevator and pressed a couple of buttons. As the doors slid shut, Marty became acutely aware of being in an enclosed space with a dangerous person. He practiced opening and closing his fist. Lee rested his forearms on the back of the wheelchair and leaned over.

“I know a guy,” said Lee. “Ever since I started to dream about you coming back to Eden, I knew I had to keep an eye on you. My guy has a connection in the secret police, they’ve wired the agency’s mission alert system to go to his communication device. I begged him to let me know when there's an assignment with certain keywords-- like foreigner, no ID chip, seizures...I’m guessing you got reported the second that you were scanned. You’re lucky I was watching out for you.” Unable to help himself, he rested one of his hands on Marty’s shoulder and Marty violently shrugged him off. 

Marty clenched and unclenched his fists. If Lee noticed, he did not say anything. The floor numbers on the elevator screen ticked inexorably down.

“You’re very helpful,” Marty said sarcastically. 

“I’ve always been helpful.” Lee took a vape pen out of his pocket and took a drag, exhaling a cloud of white vapor. Marty coughed pointedly.

“Right, bien sûr.  So helpful that you’ve kidnapped me and are taking me somewhere to do something horrible.”

Lee exhaled more vapor, trying to mask his nervousness. Behind his glasses, his eyes were wide and bright and his face was still shiny with sweat. Marty hated the way he looked, even seeing someone who dressed in that fussy, fashionable way made him want to be violent. He hated how tight he wore his pants and he hated the fact that he could see his ankles because his pants were cuffed. It went beyond vanity, it was an otherwise normal looking person trying to use his appearance to distract and distort. Everything about him was dishonest.

“I’m your friend,” Lee said. “I’ve changed. I care about you-- thinking about you helped me during a dark time in my life. No, I’m not taking you anywhere, I’m just trying to help you. You have to understand that I’ve really changed. Things are really different for me, I’m not the same person I was when I was 23. You can go back to your friends and I’ll just leave you alone.”

It was hard for Marty to parse out the truth when he could not read into a person’s tone. But something about the way Lee said ‘friend’ made the hair on the back of his neck stand up.

The floor numbers on the elevator ticked down. Marty watched them.

“How are your friends?” Lee asked him like they were having a normal conversation, like they weren’t trapped in an elevator together. He kept leaning over the wheelchair and vaping. “How’s Kip?”

Marty’s blood ran cold.

Kip could not be re-exposed to this freak. He was doing so well. Seeing him again might-- might damage him even more. As sick as it was, when Kip was 18 he had really loved Lee, and Marty knew it. He knew that Lee had gotten into his head, that he had messed around with him, that he had ultimately betrayed him. He could not allow Kip to feel that hurt again, he was too fragile. Despite his abilities, his protective bubbles, he could not protect himself.

For the first time, Marty realized how much he wanted to protect him.

“Kip’s dead,” he said, his voice betraying him by falling deeper into his accent.

“Is he really?”

The floor numbers ticked down.

“You saw his execution.” Marty’s hands curled into fists.

“I heard that was fake.” said Lee, leaning down closer. Too close, close enough to smell his cologne. When he exhaled vapor a great cloud of it blew into Marty’s face. “Like I said, I have connections. But if you say he’s dead, I believe you. Why would you lie to me? Believe it or not, I miss Kip. He was a good kid. I miss the way he used to--”

And that was too much, he could no longer take it. Marty punched Lee as hard as he could in the throat and sent him sprawling to the elevator floor. He got out of the wheelchair, dizzily reeled for a second, then crossed to start kicking him. Lee tried to curl up to protect himself but Marty kept stomping him. When Marty kicked him in the face, breaking his glasses and busting his nose, Lee began to laugh hysterically.

Which sort of made beating the shit out of him uncomfortable and weird. Marty grimaced.

Marty kicked him one more time in the gut for good measure. Lee would not stop laughing. Maybe kicking someone without shoes on just wasn’t effective. 

“I don’t have time to kill you,” he said. The elevator came to a stop and dinged.

Blood bubbled out of Lee’s nostrils and he scrambled to his knees. When it came down to it, he was physically smaller and weaker than Marty. He tried to hold his glasses together, grinning his crooked smile. “I’m just happy to finally see you in person,” he said. 

Marty thought about trying to pick up the wheelchair and smashing him with it, but really didn’t have time. He bent down, reached into one of Lee’s pant pockets (which did not have enough space) and stole his communication device. Hiding in some alleyway with his ass hanging out of his hospital gown would be a whole lot easier if he knew that Ayda was on her way to get him. “Right,” he said. “You haven’t changed.”

The elevator doors opened.

And he left.

Ayda really wasn’t going to hear the end of this one.

[jayloncormierca]

5 Best Strains For Anxiety By: Lavendersasquatch

5 Best Strains For Anxiety

We’ve all been there, you’re in a group passing around a joint or bong. Everyone is happy and getting lifted. Your turn comes, you take a deep hit and cough, pass it to the left. As the weed creeps into your soul, you feel the creeping panic consume you. You have to switch to manual breathing to keep from going into full freak out mode. The world gets smaller, you feel like you’re in a bad episode of That 70’s show. Your chest can tighten, you can have racing thoughts and shakes.

This is a product of smoking cannabis that causes anxiety. If you’re prone to anxiety, certain strains can cause paranoia and anxiety. This sensation is not pleasant and can be avoided by educating yourself. A lot of people use weed to treat their anxiety, so it’s very much a paradox when the weed causes you anxiety. It’s also a popular misconception that all sativa strains cause anxiety. This is untrue! Where as most indicas are known for their calming and sedative effects. There are also sativas that are okay for anxious earthlings.

Let’s talk about the best strains for anxiety from www.Weed-deals.ca to smoke to avoid falling down the rabbit-hole of panic.

5 BEST STRAINS FOR ANXIETY

Best Strains For Anxiety #1 Kosher Kush AKA Sofa Kush

Its Earthy and pungent smells instantly remind you of camping in the woods. Kosher Kush can clock in at over 28% THC. A pure indica with your stereotypical indica effects that are desired with such a strain.  Many users are extremely pleased with the results it produces as it’s a heavy hitter. As a result is great for chronic pain, intense anxiety, and panic disorders. As the high starts to wear down, you’ll be lulled into a peaceful sleep with no adverse effects. Minus a case of the munchies. So grab your bong, snacks, cozy up on the sofa and enjoy the ride. This strain is so good for a relaxing evening after a high stress day.

#2 Cali Sour Diesel

This is an excellent hybrid for getting things done and not causing extreme paranoia.  Cali SD is a pungent diesel and pepper scented flower. It dazzles with pretty orange hairs, and light green buds. This strain will give you feelings of euphoria while melting the stress away.  It’s not an overwhelming high so you’re capable of getting things done. It’s sativa genetics are known to increase your mood, and keep you focused while enjoying your day. With its indica side giving you the pain relief and keeping you feeling light and bouncy. As the effects wear off, you can be found sometimes stuck to the couch . This strain is 100% good for daytime use and you get some of that magic sativa energy in there .

#3 Bubba Kush

This infamous indica is notorious for its sedating effects. When consumed, you’re instantly wrapped in a feeling of comfort and joy. Kind of like drinking your favourite tea on a cold and stressful day!  Bubba kush has an excellent flavour profile with all the best cannabis scents combined. Bubba kush has a lemon, earthy, with a coffee in the woods smell. As a classic indica, the effects give you a happy, sleepy, cozy feelings with a blanket of dream-like euphoria consuming you. The appearance of the buds are light green with orange hairs and caked with THC. It typically has medium round sized buds with a nice but fluffy density.  Make sure to have munchies on hand as this strain is known to induce appetite.

#4 Blue Dream

This sativa dominant hybrid is a strain that’s loved amongst new and even the most experienced cannabis connoisseurs. It is bred from blueberry and Haze strains. As a result it’s genetics mash together to create an amazing flavour profile that will blow your mind. Blue Dream gives you the full body high with a gentle cerebral massage to invigorate uplifted and creative vibes. This strain won’t put your brain in a fog or cause paranoia. Blue Dream leaves its users happy, relaxed, and focused without causing its users to burnout. Its flavour profile has been described as blueberry scented with a touch of of library. Not an unpleasant odor but it’s like reading an old book in a blueberry field.

#5 Gorilla Glue #4 aka GG4

This indica dominant hybrid can clock in at THC percentages of almost 30%. It’s a popular favourite for those looking to “glue” themselves to the couch. GG4’s resinous trichome caked buds are almost glue like, giving them that sticky classic cannabis feel. Flavours of chocolate, diesel, and pine tickle your senses and give off that nice cannabis smell. This is not a strain to use during the daytime, unless your plans are chilling on the couch with snacks and binging Netflix.

One of the best strains for anxiety. It gives you a high dose of euphoria without the annoying anxiety nagging at you. This strain is great for relaxing and unwinding by yourself or with friends as it induces feelings of joy and giggles. Medical users like GG4 for its epic pain relief qualities. I can 100% say this is true, I recovered from an unpleasant surgery by using GG4 to alleviate my symptoms. Make sure to have water on hand because this strain will leave you thirsty as heck.

Bonus Strain White Widow

I reached out to instagram and asked my amazing friends and followers what works for them. White widow was one that mentioned a few times and I personally don’t know much about it.

White widow is 60/40 sativa hybrid with users reporting it giving you an epic heady high and can help users with attention disorders focus and get things done. It’s flavour profile is well rounded with hints of lemon, earthy, cheesy, tropical flavour with hints of sweetness. With its light green decent sized buds coated in crystal, it’s a gorgeous looking flower.  Its effects are energetic, happy, focused, and great for nausea and anxiety.

Best Strains For Anxiety Conclusion

When looking for strains. Research before you consume as this will help avoid the unpleasant side effects. that come with smoking weed that induces anxiety. If you happen to do this unknowingly you can help yourself. CBD will counteract your high and help stabilize you. A cool shower, a cup of cold water, and not letting your mind get the best of you helps also. Purchase your cannabis through a trusted source like Weed-deals.  They carry all the strains above at super affordable rates. I hope you learned something new and know what to look for when looking to relieve your anxiety and relax.

The post 5 Best Strains For Anxiety By: Lavendersasquatch appeared first on Weed Deals.

source https://www.weed-deals.ca/5-best-strains-for-anxiety/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=5-best-strains-for-anxiety source https://weeddeals.blogspot.com/2019/07/5-best-strains-for-anxiety-by.html

[karaclevelandca]

5 Best Strains For Anxiety By: Lavendersasquatch

5 Best Strains For Anxiety

We’ve all been there, you’re in a group passing around a joint or bong. Everyone is happy and getting lifted. Your turn comes, you take a deep hit and cough, pass it to the left. As the weed creeps into your soul, you feel the creeping panic consume you. You have to switch to manual breathing to keep from going into full freak out mode. The world gets smaller, you feel like you’re in a bad episode of That 70’s show. Your chest can tighten, you can have racing thoughts and shakes.

This is a product of smoking cannabis that causes anxiety. If you’re prone to anxiety, certain strains can cause paranoia and anxiety. This sensation is not pleasant and can be avoided by educating yourself. A lot of people use weed to treat their anxiety, so it’s very much a paradox when the weed causes you anxiety. It’s also a popular misconception that all sativa strains cause anxiety. This is untrue! Where as most indicas are known for their calming and sedative effects. There are also sativas that are okay for anxious earthlings.

Let’s talk about the best strains for anxiety from www.Weed-deals.ca to smoke to avoid falling down the rabbit-hole of panic.

5 BEST STRAINS FOR ANXIETY

Best Strains For Anxiety #1 Kosher Kush AKA Sofa Kush

Its Earthy and pungent smells instantly remind you of camping in the woods. Kosher Kush can clock in at over 28% THC. A pure indica with your stereotypical indica effects that are desired with such a strain.  Many users are extremely pleased with the results it produces as it’s a heavy hitter. As a result is great for chronic pain, intense anxiety, and panic disorders. As the high starts to wear down, you’ll be lulled into a peaceful sleep with no adverse effects. Minus a case of the munchies. So grab your bong, snacks, cozy up on the sofa and enjoy the ride. This strain is so good for a relaxing evening after a high stress day.

#2 Cali Sour Diesel

This is an excellent hybrid for getting things done and not causing extreme paranoia.  Cali SD is a pungent diesel and pepper scented flower. It dazzles with pretty orange hairs, and light green buds. This strain will give you feelings of euphoria while melting the stress away.  It’s not an overwhelming high so you’re capable of getting things done. It’s sativa genetics are known to increase your mood, and keep you focused while enjoying your day. With its indica side giving you the pain relief and keeping you feeling light and bouncy. As the effects wear off, you can be found sometimes stuck to the couch . This strain is 100% good for daytime use and you get some of that magic sativa energy in there .

#3 Bubba Kush

This infamous indica is notorious for its sedating effects. When consumed, you’re instantly wrapped in a feeling of comfort and joy. Kind of like drinking your favourite tea on a cold and stressful day!  Bubba kush has an excellent flavour profile with all the best cannabis scents combined. Bubba kush has a lemon, earthy, with a coffee in the woods smell. As a classic indica, the effects give you a happy, sleepy, cozy feelings with a blanket of dream-like euphoria consuming you. The appearance of the buds are light green with orange hairs and caked with THC. It typically has medium round sized buds with a nice but fluffy density.  Make sure to have munchies on hand as this strain is known to induce appetite.

#4 Blue Dream

This sativa dominant hybrid is a strain that’s loved amongst new and even the most experienced cannabis connoisseurs. It is bred from blueberry and Haze strains. As a result it’s genetics mash together to create an amazing flavour profile that will blow your mind. Blue Dream gives you the full body high with a gentle cerebral massage to invigorate uplifted and creative vibes. This strain won’t put your brain in a fog or cause paranoia. Blue Dream leaves its users happy, relaxed, and focused without causing its users to burnout. Its flavour profile has been described as blueberry scented with a touch of of library. Not an unpleasant odor but it’s like reading an old book in a blueberry field.

#5 Gorilla Glue #4 aka GG4

This indica dominant hybrid can clock in at THC percentages of almost 30%. It’s a popular favourite for those looking to “glue” themselves to the couch. GG4’s resinous trichome caked buds are almost glue like, giving them that sticky classic cannabis feel. Flavours of chocolate, diesel, and pine tickle your senses and give off that nice cannabis smell. This is not a strain to use during the daytime, unless your plans are chilling on the couch with snacks and binging Netflix.

One of the best strains for anxiety. It gives you a high dose of euphoria without the annoying anxiety nagging at you. This strain is great for relaxing and unwinding by yourself or with friends as it induces feelings of joy and giggles. Medical users like GG4 for its epic pain relief qualities. I can 100% say this is true, I recovered from an unpleasant surgery by using GG4 to alleviate my symptoms. Make sure to have water on hand because this strain will leave you thirsty as heck.

Bonus Strain White Widow

I reached out to instagram and asked my amazing friends and followers what works for them. White widow was one that mentioned a few times and I personally don’t know much about it.

White widow is 60/40 sativa hybrid with users reporting it giving you an epic heady high and can help users with attention disorders focus and get things done. It’s flavour profile is well rounded with hints of lemon, earthy, cheesy, tropical flavour with hints of sweetness. With its light green decent sized buds coated in crystal, it’s a gorgeous looking flower.  Its effects are energetic, happy, focused, and great for nausea and anxiety.

Best Strains For Anxiety Conclusion

When looking for strains. Research before you consume as this will help avoid the unpleasant side effects. that come with smoking weed that induces anxiety. If you happen to do this unknowingly you can help yourself. CBD will counteract your high and help stabilize you. A cool shower, a cup of cold water, and not letting your mind get the best of you helps also. Purchase your cannabis through a trusted source like Weed-deals.  They carry all the strains above at super affordable rates. I hope you learned something new and know what to look for when looking to relieve your anxiety and relax.

The post 5 Best Strains For Anxiety By: Lavendersasquatch appeared first on Weed Deals.

source https://www.weed-deals.ca/5-best-strains-for-anxiety/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=5-best-strains-for-anxiety source https://weeddealsca.tumblr.com/post/186595537782