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caffeinewitchcraft · 2 years

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Cinderella Doesn’t Believe in Fairytales (pt. 1)

Summary: Cinderella is too old for fairytales. But when one is her only chance at escape, she may have to start believing again. TW: child abuse, child neglect

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Once upon a time in a land far away, a girl lived with her stepmother and her two stepsisters. Though they were a family, the girl had to do all the chores so as not to overtire her new family. She rose at dawn everyday--

It starts like this:

Cinderella’s parents teach her to love with open hands. It’s in the way her mother sets aside the watering can the moment her father’s carriage rolls past the gate. It’s in the way her father peels the last bills of their family’s fortunes from his billfold and hands them to the doctor. When Cinderella starts stepping on ants in the garden, upset that they’d made a butterfly their meal, it’s in the way her mother tells her to let them take the wings, the antennae, the body.

It’s in the way Cinderella is given the duty of mopping her mother’s clammy brow, barely eight-years-old and smelling death in the air.

“Everything,” her mother wheezes, “everything will be okay.”

They are strange last words. Cinderella ponders them as her mother’s face pales and each breath comes more and more labored. Did that mean her mother was going to be okay? Did it mean her father would come back from his merchant trip soon? Or was it something bigger than Cinderella could yet understand?

“It doesn’t feel okay,” Cinderella whispers. She feels empty inside. The doctor left even when she begged him to stay. Nothing more to do, your father will understand. She squeezes her mother’s hand with both of hers. “Nothing feels okay.”

“Okay takes time,” her mother says. Her eyes are fever bright but she squints through the collapse of her own body to make eye contact with her daughter. Her colorless lips form a tremulous smile. “Be patient, darling. Be kind and everything will be okay.”

Cindrella has been lying awake for long nights, promising the world too many things. She promised she wouldn’t step on the ants in the garden anymore, not even by accident. She promised she would rake the leaves from around the oak tree without being asked. She promised to only think nice thoughts from now on, even when her father went on trips with no end dates and her mother stared out the window for hours on end. She promised so many things in the hopes that one of those promises contained the magic words that would save her mom.

Cinderella watches the breath rattle out of her mother for the last time. The hand she holds between her own cools. A wind with the bite of winter rolls through the window, making the bedcurtains shiver.

Okay takes time.

Cinderella waits for one of two things to rise. The sun or her mother.

The sun wins.

---------------.

Stepmother and her daughters move in too quickly after that. Cinderella doesn’t remember when her father brought them home. Was it the day he found her in the master bedroom? Or was it weeks later when Cinderella could finally tear herself away from staring out the window?

“This is your new mother,” her father says. He kneels in front of Cinderella and cups her cheek with one broad hand. He scans her with worried eyes. “Okay? We’ll be a family now.”

Cinderella wants to scream. Her fingers tangle in the front of her dress and her toes dig into the ground through her shoes. She keeps thinking of her mother’s hand in hers. And now she has a new one?

“Cinderella,” her father says. He squeezes her shoulder with his other hand. “Okay?”

“Okay,” she says. Her eyes dart to her stepmother standing behind her father. “I-it may take some t-time, but…”

“And we will have time,” Stepmother says. Her voice is the very opposite of her mother’s, high and lilting where her mother’s voice was low and round. She smiles at Cinderella. “Thank you, my dear.”

“We will be a family,” her father says. He stands so he can wrap one arm around Stepmother. He puts his hand on top of Cinderella’s head. “A very loving family.”

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A very loving family.

Things are taken from Cinderella slowly. A pretty ribbon goes to Drizella when Stepmother notices her daughter’s envious stare. Her room is given to her stepsisters’ governess when she’s eleven. A textbook goes to Anastasia when her governess runs out of material to teach.

“Father,” Cinderella says from the door of her father’s study. She’s embarrassed that her ankles are showing from under her dress, the sleeves falling short of her wrists, her golden hair knotted on one side of her head. She’d only learned of her father’s homecoming an hour ago when Anastasia called for him too loudly. “May I speak to you?”

Her father doesn’t look up from the reports in front of him. He mutters as he runs numbers over and over and over again, scratching each calculation out with the quill Cinderella gave him last year. The sight of the quill gives Cinderella comfort.

He loves me still, Cinderella thinks as she waits for his attention. She’s too old to tangle her fingers in her dress now, or so she’s learned from eavesdropping on her stepsisters’ etiquette lessons. So she folds her hands behind her back and holds her spine as straight as she can.

“What is it?” her father asks at last. He pushes away his papers but, rather than focus on Cinderella, pulls a ledger in front of him. “It is late.”

“I’m sorry,” Cinderella says. She is sorry. The sun has been done for hours and here is her poor father working away. She bites her cheek. “I—my room. Stepmother said the governess would need it and I would need to move for the duration of her stay.”

“Yes?”

Cinderella’s heart stings. He knew. She breathes in deeply. “It’s only—well, she’s been here for two months now.”

“And she will be here for many more,” her father says. He turns the page of the ledger and freezes. He frowns as his eyes skim the same line over and over again. “Is there a point, Cinderella? I’m busy.”

“I’ve been told to sleep in the kitchen,” Cinderella blurts out. She can see soot on the hem of her nightgown and she steps back to hide the stain in the shadows. “If I could have some space in the servant’s quarters, maybe…”

“It’s temporary,” her father says. He stands without taking his eyes off the page. Sweating, he dabs at his forehead with a handkerchief her mother embroidered for him and waves her off. “Go to bed, Cinderella. It’s late. We will talk in the morning.”

Be patient, Cinderella thinks. She wraps her arms around herself. The cold stone floors bite at her bare feet. Think kind thoughts. Rake the leaves around the oak tree.

Her father is gone in the morning on another trip.

He does not come home.

-----------------.

When Cinderella thinks positively, her life is like a fairytale. The kitchen hearth is warm and she never lacks for company between the birds that sing in the branches of the oak tree and the mice that snatch up crumbs before the ants can get to them. Her father is a dashingly handsome man on a mission to save their family from total ruin. The last letter he sent (over a year ago) detailed a harrowing trip over the seas to a new land in hopes of trade. He’s an adventurer. He’s a hero.

When her life is like a fairytale, Stepmother is only cruel to protect Cinderella from the Curse. She’s never decided what the “Curse” is, but it feeds on happiness. Stepmother piles chores and chores onto Cinderella so Cinderella is too tired to be happy and the Curse is held at bay.

Her stepsisters don’t make fun of Cinderella’s soot-filled hair or her tattered clothes. No, they tease as all sisters do. They happily eat what Cinderella cooks for them and, though they don’t say it out loud, they are always grateful to Cinderella.

Cinderella is patient. Cinderella is kind. The governess leaves without ever directly giving Cinderella a lesson. Cinderella’s room becomes a closet for her stepsisters and that’s okay. It’s okay because she loves them and she wants them to have room for their belongings.

Stepmother has her move to the attic instead. It’s nicer there than in the kitchen. She has a bed and a dresser and a little window that looks out over the driveway. She thinks it’s a turning point in their loving family and she’s finally been patient enough--

Stepmother starts insisting Cinderella answer to the call of a silver bell at all hours of the night. She thought Cinderella would hear the ringing better from the attic than from the kitchen. Cinderella, come here. Cinderella, move faster. Cinderella—

Cinderella rakes the leaves under the oak tree and stares down the driveway, wishing for her father to come home.

---------------.

Cinderella turns 17. It’s been six years since her father left on his quest and four years since his last letter. The money in the estate is drying up and Cinderella’s chores grow as their finances dwindle.

Cinderella feels the walls caving in a little more each day. Like she alone is sinking further and further underground and the collective weight of the earth around her attic bedroom is the reason the wood creaks a little more each passing storm.

Be kind, her mother told her.

But what is kindness when she is disintegrating in front of the the people who were supposed to love her? Her face is hollowed from understanding smiles. They love you, they just don’t know how to show it. Just be kind a little longer and then everything will be okay. Be patient—

So she ties her hair up in scraps of cloth leftover from mending the tablecloth and she goes out to face another day. The list of chores she must complete stretches until the sun goes down. She presses her hands into abrasive water and scrubs, scrubs, scrubs. She collects the silverware and polishes it (though it does not need to be polished). She sweeps and mops and prunes the roses.

She dusts the great, creaking carcass of a manor her father left behind and wonders for how much longer she is expected to be its beating heart?

Be patient, your reward will come, maintain your kindness and open your soul, carve out what you can spare —

Cinderella is growing too old for fairytales.

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She writes her father one last time on the last full moon of her nineteenth year. Cinderella feels so much older now and so young at the same time. The chill of fall permeates the attic and stiffens her fingers, but her heart is beating very hard.

I’m leaving, she writes. Her quill hovers over the next line. She could end the letter here, but she doesn’t want to. Her father has been absent, he may be dead, but she loves him still. She wants to share her elation with him even as it breaks her heart to leave behind what he built.

I’m leaving. Once my birthday comes, I plan to take a carriage into the city. I have a reference from our old gardener, and I will find work. I can’t stay here anymore, Father, waiting for letters that may never come. Thank you for everything you’ve done.

Cinderella stares at the letters. Thank you. The joy she’d felt earlier is dying under those words.

The truth is, Cinderella doesn’t feel thankful. She feels…raw. Tired. Like leaving is her last ray of hope and, without it, her world is darkness. She’s spent so many years making her life into stories to keep herself from breaking.

Once upon a time, there was a girl who lived under a terrible curse. Luckily her stepmother was clever and determined. Though she did not want to, she made herself be cruel to Cinderella in order to stave off—

Once upon a time, there were three sisters. Though the older two teased the younger, they loved each other very much—

Once upon a time, Cinderella worked hard enough and her new family realized they should have loved her all along—

She is tired of being kind. It hurts. Hurts like sleep in front of the hearth for years, hurts like the chill clawing through her attic room, hurts like remembering her mother’s last breath rattling out of her chest.

Telling her father thank you is kind. If he really is off trying to save their family from ruin, he is owed thanks. But Cinderella can’t give it. She is selfish in the end. Cruel and unkind. That’s why the family who was supposed to love her never could.

Cinderella presses quill back to parchment.

If I must suffer, I would rather it be from my own choices. There is no future for me here any longer. I will carry the memories of Mother in the garden for the rest of my life. I will remember the dinners we had at the dining table. I will think of the oak tree we used to sit under as a family. I hope you return to your new family safely and I hope you do not think of me when you do. I think we parted when Mother died. I must start my new life so this is goodbye.

Goodbye, Father.

She signs her name and seals the envelope before she can falter.

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A month after she sends her letter, a messenger arrives from the castle.

“A ball,” he says, handing the invitation to her stepmother. He frowns at the cobwebs along the ceiling and eyes the high polish of the ebony banister. “Open to all noble ladies of suitable peerage.”

There’s doubt in his voice when he says the word noble. Cinderella, eavesdropping from behind the closed door of the parlor, silently agrees. It’s been years since she thought of her father’s title of Baron. As part of the landless nobility, it rarely came up and, with her father’s absence, there’s no one to care.

But Stepmother cares. As soon as the messenger leaves, she’s celebrating with her daughters. “We’ll order dresses,” Stepmother says, clapping her hands together. “New dresses that will make my daughters shine brighter than any Duke’s daughter.”

“I want to wear green,” Anastasia says. She sighs dreamily. “They say the Prince’s eyes are green.”

“I want to wear black,” Drizella announces. She presses a hand to her chest. “The Prince and the King both have black hair. It will be to honor them.”

Stepmother does her best to hide her grimace. “Darling, black is…for other occasions. How about you try a nice lilac? Purple is for royalty.”

Drizella grins happily.

Cinderella slips back up to the attic. This speeds up her plans a little bit. The ball is three months away, but that is still a month before her birthday. A ball means the house will be empty. Cinderella will leave the night of the ball and, with any luck, it will be days before Stepmother even thinks to ring her silver bell.

Cinderella has work to do.

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The ball affords Cinderella more opportunities than she thought. Stepmother keeps a strict inventory of the pantry, so Cinderella must collect her rations little by little to avoid detection. When her family goes into town to visit the seamstress, Cinderella leaves behind her chores. She picks her way through the woods behind the manor, eyes scanning the sides of the path. She can dry mushrooms or can berries if she finds them. Foraging is a faster way to fill her rations.

Cinderella likes being alone in the woods. The sun is high overhead and the light that shines through the canopy turns the leaves bright green. Birdsong drifts through the air and there’s a small scuffling from the ferns to her right as some small animal searches for fresh shoots. It feels like the woods are the only place she can be herself without worrying about kindness or unkindness.

She remembers a time when she hated it. One winter, they did not have enough firewood. Stepmother sent 15-year-old Cinderella into the woods in search of twigs and branches. She remembers the fear that still winter night built in her, the surety that she would either freeze to death or be eaten alive.

She’d wandered further and further from the house, desperate to complete her task so she could return to her attic. Her fingers had nearly frozen even tucked into her sleeves. The trees were stripped bare by the weight of the snow and ice. The moon had been barely bright enough to light her way and, looking back, there was no way she would have been able to collect enough firewood to make a difference. She was going to die before she completed her task, or so she thought.

Then she found the clearing.

She steps out of the treeline and into that same clearing now.

The woods are dense behind the manor. They trees that grow here are too hard for most loggers, ancient and gnarled in appearance. When she first stumbled into the wide, circular meadow, she had thought she was imagining things.

Even on that snowy, terrible winter, the clearing was green and warm.

Wildflowers peak out through grass as high as Cinderella’s knee. She wades through it, never fearing sharp stones or unexpected holes. In all the years she’s been coming here, she has never twisted her ankle or torn a hem. The clearing is like stepping into a picture, everything as soft as a brushstroke.

In the center of the wildflowers is an oak tree. From her studies, Cinderella estimates it to be twice as old as the one in the manor’s garden. Perhaps three or four hundred years old. The base is easily as big around as a carriage and the tree stretches a good dozen feet higher than the forest’s canopy.

There won’t be any mushrooms here, or at least not the kind Cinderella can eat. But it’s been so long since she’s had the chance to come here. She heads for the oak tree and sits against its trunk with a sigh, titling her head back against the bark. The warmth coming from the tree eases the tension from her shoulders. She’ll have to be careful lest she fall asleep. She’ll need to be back before Stepmother returns from the seamstress…

“You were gone a long time.”

Cinderella hums and folds her hands over her stomach. The boy’s words are accusatory, but Cinderella knows him well enough now to hear the undercurrent of worry in his words. “I had a big decision to make.”

The boy in the tree never shows himself. He may be the tree for all Cinderella knows. She’s never looked for the source, sensing that her friend may never come back if she asks too many questions. So, like always, she keeps her eyes shut as the boy’s presence grows all around her.

“About what we talked about last time?” he asks.

“Yes,” Cinderella says. She thinks of the letter she sent to a father who probably won’t read it and sighs again. “You’re right. I’m old enough to leave.”

The boy’s presence – his aura – brightens in her mind’s eye. She doesn’t know what he is, but she thinks fairies in fairytales move like this. Moving in short bursts, flashes of light, and sensations of warmth. “You’re coming to the Capital?”

Coming? Cinderella shakes off the odd phrasing. “Not quite.”

The boy is confused. “Then you’re not leaving?”

“I am.” Cinderella stretches out her legs in front of her. “I don’t know anyone in the Capital. Someone who used to work for my father gave me a reference that will be good in the next town over. That’s where I’m going.”

“You can’t!” The boy is in the tree now and it surges with heat as his temper flashes. “You can’t go there!”

“Why not?”

“Because we won’t be able to see each other anymore,” the boy says. The leaves of the tree rattle together. “I can’t get to that town.”

Cinderella sits up straight. “Wait, I could still see you in the Capital? That’s why you want me to go there?”

“Why else would I suggest it?” the boy asks. His voice softens. “You do still want to visit me, right?”

“Of course,” Cinderella says. She opens her eyes. There’s a sheen over the world, like she and the tree are being held separate from everything else by the boy’s presence. She watches rainbows drift through the air. “We’re friends, aren’t we?”

“We are.” The boy nudges her. “Close your eyes, you know it’s not good to look at magic too long.”

Obediently, Cinderella closes her eyes again. The boy is always saying that, but Cinderella has never felt any ill effects from looking at the rainbows. “I’ll get to the Capital eventually. But I do need to go to that town first.”

“Why?”

“I need to work,” Cinderella says. “If I’m going to the Capital, I definitely need money.”

“I can give you money.”

Cinderella doubts that. She doesn’t see why a fairy would have human money. “I still can’t go right away. My stepmother and sisters will be there for a while.”

“They’re coming—going there?! Why?”

“The Prince is looking for a bride,” Cinderella says. She shrugs. “A messenger came a while ago to invite us. That’s why I could come out today. My family is at the seam—Whoa!”

The wind picks up all at once, a warm and gentle gale that sweeps Cinderella’s hair up into the air. When she peeks, the rainbows are dancing.

“You got invited to the ball?” the boy asks. “How? Why?”

Cinderella furrows her brow. “All nobility is invited, even the children of barons who haven’t been seen for nearly a decade, apparently. Why are you excited? Do you even know what a ball is?”

“Do I—of course I—” The boy falls silent. When he speaks again, he’s using a much calmer voice. “I’m just excited that you could be in the Capital so soon.”

“I’m not going,” Cinderella says. She crosses her arms. “This is my best chance to leave. I’m not giving it up just so I can play servant to my stepsisters when they attend the ball.”

“You were invited too, right?”

“I wouldn’t actually be able to go,” Cinderella says. She can see the way it would play out. They’d bring her along to satisfy the messenger’s invitation and that’s it. “I don’t have a dress and, even if I did, my stepmother would force me to stay at the inn. I’d just be brought along to curl Drizella’s hair and patch Anastasia’s dress when she inevitably tears a hole in it.”

“That’s not fair,” the boy says. She gets the impression he’d be scowling if he had a face. “That’s not what the Prince meant to happen when he invited all noble ladies. He meant all of them had to come to the ball, not just the Capital.”

Cinderella can’t help it. She laughs. “It’s not fair, true. But I’m tired of waiting for the world to be fair. I’m sorry, but I won’t be going to the Capital just yet. I’ll come and find wherever your tree is as soon as I get there. Maybe in a year?”

The boy is silent for a long moment. At last he says, “If I could get you to the ball without your family knowing, would you go?”

Cinderella blinks. “I just said that I need to get a job right away—”

“But if I could,” the boy presses, “would you?”

Sometimes Cinderella forgets how naïve the boy is. He’s always talking like that, as if anything is possible. “But I can’t,” Cinderella says gently. “Even if you could get me to the Capital, I’d need a place to stay.”

“I could—”

“And a dress,” Cinderella interrupts. “And I’m sure I’d need the invitation and Stepmother would never let me have that. Even if I did go, what then? How long would I have to wait until I could leave again? Not to mention if my stepmother ever found out…”

“What if I got you a way to the Capital, a place to stay, a way for your stepmother to never find out, a dress, and a guaranteed way to stay in the Capital?” the boy asks. His aura shivers with intensity. “What if I promised you that I could do all that? You could go to the ball and still escape and you’d be somewhere we could still see each other.”

“That’s a lovely dream,” Cinderella says. She’s irritated now. Of course, that sounds wonderful. Cinderella has never been to a ball and the idea of having everything taken care of for one night sounds divine. But Cinderella is too old for fairytales. “Of course, if it were possible, I would do it! The truth is that it’s not possible—”

“Come back the full moon before the ball,” the boy says. His presence jerks up towards the canopy of the oak tree. “At night. Bring your things as if you were leaving. Alright? Promise me!”

“I don’t—”

“If it doesn’t work, you’re not any worse off. You’ll still be able to leave for the next town and we’ll see each other again in a year. But if it does work—”

“If what works?” Cinderella cries.

“Magic,” the boy says before disappearing completely.

Cinderella blinks rainbows out of her eyes. It’s suddenly too bright in the clearing and her head is spinning. Magic? What magic?

“I’m not going,” Cinderella says out loud. The boy isn’t there to hear her. She glares at the meadow. “This isn’t a fairytale. Magic won’t fix anything.”

Cinderella stands, dusts off her dress, and goes looking for mushrooms.

——-

Thanks for reading!

Part two is already posted on my Patreon (X)! If you’d like to read it a week early, please consider supporting me on there :)

See y’all next week!

#long post #my writing #Cinderella #fairytale retelling #twisted fairytales #writeblr #short story #third person

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freckles-and-books · 7 months

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These are three of my favorites reads this year, and they all feel like they’re in conversation with each other. Each deals with fairytales in ways that go beyond mere retellings, and each one has stunning prose that really made me fall in love.

#books #fairytale retelling #juniper and thorn #ava reid #the last tale of the flower bride #roshani chokshi #the salt grows heavy #cassandra khaw

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poppletonink · 9 months

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Books That Are Fairytale Retellings

The Sleeper and The Spindle by Neil Gaiman

A Court Of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maal

Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

The Girl In Red by Christina Henry

Once Upon A Time: A Story Collection by Shannon Hale

Lost In The Never Woods by Aiden Thomas

The True Story Of Hansel and Gretel by Louise Murphy

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde

The Mermaid by Christina Henry

House Of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

Girls Made Of Snow And Glass by Melissa Bashardoust

The Storybook of Legends by Shannon Hale

The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer

Forest Of A Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao

Geekerella by Ashley Poston

The Fourth Bear by Jasper Fforde

Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi

To Kill A Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

Once Upon A Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber

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belle-keys · 1 year

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Gothic Fantasy/Folk Horror Books: 10 Recommendations

Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid

The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid

A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft

Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft

Not Good For Maidens by Tori Bovalino

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher

The Gathering Dark: An Anthology of Folk Horror by Tori Bovalino and others

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ibrithir-was-here · 21 days

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Cuz you can’t really see the whole thing on Webtoon, here’s the covers I’ve made for the series I have up + the cover for the redraw of “The Soldier and the Solicitor” I’m working on

(There's also The Bridal Procession up but I just used a page from the comic for that)

Links if you want to check them out!

Rosemary is for Remembrance

Sunlight and Snowdrops

The Bridal Procession

And I'll add the link to The Solider and the Solicitor once I've got the first chapter up

#my art #Rosemary is for Remembrance #Sunlight and Snowdrops #The Soldier and the Solicitor #Webtoon #the picture of dorian gray #snow white #Dracula #fairytale retelling #jonathan harker #Quincey Harker #webcomics #brides of dracula

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lucidmagic · 3 months

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Sapphic/Lesbian Fairytale Retelling Recommendations?

I've been on a fairytale/folklore retelling with a sapphic twist kick lately (mostly because I've been brainstorming a loose one for an OG project) and I was wondering if my dear and illustrious followers (and those who come across this post) may have recommendations they want to shout out.

So far, I've read:

Malice by Heather Walter (Sleeping Beauty),

Bitterthorn by Kat Dunn (Beauty and the Beast with some Sleeping Beauty),

The Dark Wife by Sarah Diemer (Persephone and Hades)

(those are the ones I can remember reading as of late)

I have The Misadventures of an Amateur Naturalist by Ceinwen Langley and Thorn by Anna Burke coming in the mail soon.

I definitely know there is more to read, but idk where to even start. Let me know if you guys have any suggestions!

Thanks! Stay safe and happy!

#lucidmagic reads books #book recs #book recommendations #lesbian books #sapphic books #fairytale retelling #sapphic book recs #lesbian book recs #queer books #lgbt books #sapphic romance #sapphic fairytale retellings

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marvelettesassemblenow · 10 months

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The Swan Princess

Pairing: Bucky x female reader

Summary: Fairytale AU based on the movie The Swan Princess – Bucky and you hate each other! Your kingdoms hope for a marriage between the two of you, but each summer you have to spend with in each others presence makes it worse – until his friends start to befriend you and he realizes you have more in common than he thought. But when he was ready to finally accept his feelings a curse hit you.

Warnings: Reader is called Sunshine, maybe some stuff that isn’t accurate because I couldn’t decide on a time this would take place and switching POV’s

Word Count: ~7k

A/N: This is for Nika! I started it so long ago as I rewatched the movie I liked so much as a kid and I still loved the part when they were kids! Sadly my favorite part didn’t fit in, as Bucky wouldn’t offend you in 5 syllables or less. @intrepidacious

Once upon a time there were two kingdoms divided by a sea. It wasn’t so long ago to be honest, but that’s just how fairytales start and this is the one of the swan princess. We’ll get to the part with the swan soon, but first we must start when she was just a little girl.

Her parents had both passed and the kingdom was without a ruler until the princess was of age. Until then a council was ruling the kingdom on the island. The council often argued but there was one part everybody agreed on: They needed to bond with the kingdom of Shield. An arranged marriage would solve all their problems as Shield had an heir only one year older than the princess. The only problem was that the late king and queen had made sure that their daughter should only marry if she wished so and should have never had the pressure of an arranged marriage. And so the council came up with a plan that they proposed to Queen Winnifred of Shield, who immediately agreed. Both kingdoms would benefit from a joining and the plan was made that the princess and prince would spend each of their summers together to hopefully fall in love.

They didn’t get discouraged when the princess and prince hated each other at age seven and eight. They were young kids and both thought the other gender was gross. Prince James even wiped his mouth after he was forced to kiss the young princess hand. „James, behave!“ the queen called him out.

„But mom, girls are just gross,“ James said in a whiny voice and looked up to his mom.

„You don’t think so about Natasha, right?“ His mom tried to point out, but his mind was made up. He wanted his summer spent with his two best friends Steven and Natascha – not being forced to entertain a stuck-up princess who had been apologizing repeatedly that there had been mud on her dress when she stepped outside the carriage. Natasha was covered in mud and didn’t complain!

His only logical response was to tell his mother that Natasha didn’t count. She sighed, but didn’t force him anymore. They still had time and they were still kids.

It didn’t get better the following summers. James, Steven and Natasha had been friends for years and spent all year together. You on the other hand didn’t have any friends. The council, maids and teachers raised you, so your childhood wasn’t really one for fun. You learned how to stitch and to sit properly at a table, so you were always lost when the three kids started games that you didn’t know and soon you rather sat with the maids and helped them stitching some flowers onto a tablecloth.

It all came to a turning point when Samuel came along. He was the son of a new teacher and only a year younger than you – and he was your first friend. He played hide and seek with you and taught you that it was okay when the seam of your dress was dusty and that you could clean it. And soon your laughter was heard in the castle and you were smiling as you were finally having fun. Which gave you the nickname Sunshine from the guards and maids in the castle as you were still always politely greeting them and asking how they were, while sneaking them little treats – but now you were mostly smiling and happy while doing so.

“Sunshine,“ James, who went by Bucky now, scoffed. “What kind of stupid nickname is this?“ He kicked a stone that was lying in front of him on the path and then even his supposed to be best friend had gone behind his back. “Hi Sunshine,“ he waved in the air with a stupid grin towards a tree and made gagging noises afterwards. No one was here to see him, but he had to get it off his chest. It was supposed to be Steve and him against you. Not you bringing a friend along who glared at him the whole time and Steve greeting you with a horrible nickname that wasn’t even fitting. And now he was stomping alone to his tree house while his traitor friend was making new friends and forgot all about the pact they both had made years ago to never befriend you. He hoped at least Natasha was still on his side.

It turned out that Natasha wasn’t on his side as both her and Steve reminded him, they weren’t ten anymore and that you could all spend your time together. But Bucky watched how you joked around with the guards and the smile you got back made him roll his eyes. Why were you charming everyone? He had heard about the whispers how they hoped that there would be a marriage. But he was only 14, he shouldn’t even be thinking about stuff like that. And with you? No way!

You on the other hand didn’t think your summers sucked anymore. Sam trained to be a guard and was accompanying you to your visits still and Steve and Natasha were nice and started to include you – even if it sometimes meant to exclude Bucky. Stupid nickname, you thought. And he was always especially mean when you played cards and he lost. But it wasn’t your fault when luck was on your side and that he had a tell when his cards weren’t as good as he pretended them to be.

“We could go to the market tomorrow on your last day here,” Steve suggested when he shuffled the cards. Bucky wasn’t amused but in the end he agreed to go to – at least he could get one of the best peach pastries, that would make up for the day. And at least you were gone soon and he would have his friends to himself again.

A carriage was taking the five of you to the market the next morning with four guards trailing along. They weren’t too keen to accompany the teens on an outing, but then you came and handed each of them a flower and thanking them for trailing along. One of them even put the stupid wildflower through his chain armor – which caused you to smile so brightly that Bucky finally understood why you got that nickname.

People swarmed the young prince when they saw him and you snuck away with a guard and Sam by your side. A lovely smell pulled you towards a bakery. “Good morning,” you greeted the baker when you stepped inside the small building.

There was only grunting as a response until the tall man turned around and spotted you. “Oh, excuse me. Good morning, princess. What can I get you?”

“What can you recommend?” you ask and looked around. In response the baker held a finger up in the air, turned around and came back with a steaming plate in his hands.

“These are the favorites of the prince. He loves them and gets them every time he comes by. I hope you’ll like them just as much. Maybe I can even provide them for your wedding, it would be such an honor.”

That made your eyes grew wide. “What wedding?” you asked stunned, but Sam had already placed some coins on the counter and grabbed the plate.

“Thank you for that, I’m sure we’ll enjoy them,” he said and pushed you towards the door while the guard just shook his head towards the baker.

“What wedding, Sam?” you asked him in a quiet voice when you stepped outside and he was already tasting a small pie.

“Oh yeah, well... they all hope that you and Bucky will marry,” he picked a crumb from the corner of his mouth with his tongue. “As if you couldn’t get someone better and not as brooding. What about Steve? I could see that, I think?” He was quiet after that and you pushed the half-eaten pie in his face. You could hear a chuckle behind you.

“Stop talking nonsense,” you said and grabbed the plate from him. You shared them equally with the others and Bucky was surprised that you even handed him one and that you got his favorite.

-x-

“What are you reading?” Bucky let himself fall into the seat next to Natasha. He just came from lessons and a meeting and he was tired.

“A letter from Sunshine,” his friend replied casually, but Bucky peaked up.

“You exchange letters?” he asked confused and was more awake.

“We have for three years now,” Natasha confirmed. “Mostly we write about what a dumbass you are.”

“Haha,” Bucky replied, but he wasn’t so sure she was really joking. He hadn’t been the friendliest towards you, even though you had tried.

“Other than that, she’s really nice. And lonely, Bucky. She’s living on an island without her parents. Her only friend there is Sam and her whole childhood was constantly pushing her into being a queen. She’s 17 now and the only times she was outside of her kingdom was here and let’s be honest, we weren’t friendly with her at the beginning. It’s only two months until she’ll come again, just try to not be as annoyed, will you?”

“I’m not really that annoyed with her anymore to be honest. It’s just that people expect that we’ll marry each other. They watch like a hawk how we’re acting and it’s,” his voice turned quieter at the end until he stopped himself.

“I get it,” she said and pushed her elbow into his side. “Maybe you should write to her about it. If there is one person who’ll understand how you feel it's her. Just clear the air and maybe you’ll be friends. You don’t have to marry her, you know? And before you say that it's expected from you and that both kingdoms could benefit from it... Be Bucky first and future king later. Just try to talk to her normally, you’ll see she’s nice.”

“I’ll think about it. After dinner,” he added when his stomach let out a loud growl.

In the end Bucky did send you a letter. And you replied, which motivated him to write a response and you both agreed to just try to be civil towards each other. You also both started to talk about the pressure both of you felt and with the hushes of whispers of a marriage that was following you when you were walking through the halls.

Bucky was looking forward to see you this time, because it seemed like you just got him. And so he was smiling when he stood in front of the castle, next to his mother and best friends and saw the carriage on the horizon.

“Are you smiling?” Steve teased his friend quietly, but the queen still heard and was beaming.

Sam was the one helping you out of the carriage and maybe that was a good thing because you knocked the breath out of the prince. It had been nine months since he last saw you and maybe it was because he had never really looked at you before or maybe it was because he now knew a little bit more of you, but you were beautiful. And when you smiled at Natasha who beat him to greet you, he decided that from that moment on he would call you Sunshine too. Steve came next and then his mother nudged him so he would finally come forwards and greet you.

He wanted to greet you with your title, he really did, but when he kissed your hand for the first time and wasn’t grossed out by it or the idea of standing near you, your nickname slipped his lips as a greeting.

“It’s good to see you, Bucky,” you replied and he held your hand when he guided you towards his mother where you could greet the queen.

“Do you want to lie down after your travel?” he asked you, but you denied and so it was decided that you would all gather for tea in the green house. He knew it was one of your favorite places as Steve had told him so. It was something you didn’t have at home. Bucky offered his arm and you accepted with your friends and guards following behind you.

“What is happening?” Sam asked Natasha and Steve, not believing his eyes. But that was only the beginning and when the second month of your visit was coming around no one was batting an eye seeing you and Bucky arm in arm anymore. Instead, the whispers weren’t whispers anymore and they were openly asking you when the wedding would be. But no one of you even bothered to reply to that.

“Since when do you like that brat?” Sam asked, referring to Bucky the name you had given him when you were younger.

“Since I noticed he isn’t really a brat,” you replied and tugged Sam along on your way through the garden. “We were kids, we aren’t anymore and I kind of like him now. He kind of gets me in a different way.” You then realized what you said to your best friend and started to apologize, but he stopped you.

“I get it, kind of. It’s something different for someone who is in the same position. And I mean he is friends with Steve, so how bad can he be?” he chuckled and you continued your way. As if on cue your name was yelled by the blonde, who ran up to the two of you and asked if you wanted to accompany him into town as Bucky was sitting in a meeting.

When you came back you had some peach pies in your hand and were on the search for Bucky, who was searching for you as well. When you found each other and you held out his favorite pies for him and him a flower (because he just had to give it to you as he knew it would make you smile), your friends all had a smile or smirk on their faces when you agreed to dine with Bucky while Steve decided he would eat with Sam and Nat in the kitchen tonight.

This was the first year that both parts weren’t glad that the summer was over.

“You can write to me, if you want to,” you said when Bucky was leading you through the castle towards the carriage that would bring you to your ship.

“I will,” Bucky promised and cleared his throat. “And you don’t have to wait for next summer to come visit. You can come visit in winter too. We have places here that are nice in the cold too. And the greenhouse is heated we could sit there even when it’s snowing outside. I mean, if you want to,” he added more shyly, but still hopeful.

“Do you mean that?” you asked and stopped to look at him.

“Absolu-,” he started but didn’t finish as the impact of your sudden hug cut him off.

“I would like that very much,” you admitted in his neck.

“You’re always welcome here,” he told you and although his mom had said the same sentence to you often, you never felt them like now. The farewell did take longer until a guard told you you needed to leave before it would be too late for the ship. You promised again to come back sooner and went on your way.

It was late in the evening with Steve and Natasha being in a competitive round of chess when a knock was heard above the storm outside. At the same time as a thunderbolt was hitting outside the door was opened.

“Prince James, sorry to interrupt but I thought you wanted to know. It’s about Sunshine, I mean Princess,” he started but Bucky was already jumping up at your name and stalking towards the guard that wasn’t even fully in the room. Steve and Natasha had also stopped their game and walked closer so they could hear the guard over the storm.

“There has been an accident. Samuel is here and he says they got attacked.” Bucky knew that Sam would never leave without you. His heart got heavy as he feared for the worst. The guard pointed him in the right direction where Sam was sitting on a chair while someone tried to get a look at his leg that was bleeding.

“We were attacked,” Sam said as soon as he saw Bucky running towards him. “I couldn’t really see what it was and I tried to get Sunshine out of there, but there was suddenly a bright light and she was just gone. I couldn’t find her, I searched for her, you must believe me! I would have never left without her! She wasn’t there and with the injury I thought it was better to get you.”

Not soon after Bucky left with a few men despite the storm. But they couldn’t find anything despite the carriage and the men that were left there. They couldn’t see that much and the rain would wash away every traces soon, but even Bucky had to admit to himself that they couldn’t do anything more now. The next few days and nights were restless, but your friends were searching for you.

What they didn’t know was that they had no chance of finding you. You were held at an enchanted place and even if they found it – there was no way that they would recognize you. Which would be the only way to help, but we must rewind a few days.

After the attack on the carriage, you were knocked out. When you woke up your feet were wet and your dress had soaked up a lot of water. You tried to push yourself up, but you were too dizzy to do so.

“Ahhh, my princess is awake. That is good, we can wrap this up in a few minutes.” You couldn’t recognize the voice, but something was off and nothing could have prepared you for the next sentence. “My dearest princess, would you please marry me?”

Your dizziness was all forgotten when you pushed yourself up. “What?” you wanted to scream, but it was more of a whisper. One part was because of the ridiculous offer, another because the man in front of you looked nothing like a man with the red skin across his face.

“Isn’t it simple? When I’ll marry you, I’ll be king!”

“Why do you even want to be king of Madripoor so bad? Wouldn’t it be easier to just kill me?” You didn’t know why you were even suggesting that, it was like an offer of your part and you didn’t know what he was capable of.

He walked closer. “See, the thing is your folk loves their princess. When you’ll finally agree to marry me, your kingdom will accept me. Because there has to be something good about me, when Sunshine decides to marry me. And you and I both know why I want your kingdom! Usually islands need more help, so I wonder why no one was suspicious that a lot of things just grow there. The things you could do with the Tesseract and you fools use it to let the ground be more nutritious,” he scoffed. And you were shocked that he knew about it - it was one of your best kept secrets! “Don’t look so shocked, I knew your father. But enough of that. Will you marry me?”

“No, never!” The words were spat out of your mouth and he nodded as if he had expected that.

“Then we’ll see each other tomorrow. Goodnight my little swan.”

You would scream if you could be sure he wouldn’t hear you and wouldn’t know he got under your skin. Why was your life so unfair? You felt helpless!

The secret had been kept for generations. Once your ancestor found a cube that had a blue shining. When he took it in his hand he felt the force from it. It had been a hard year, the rain hadn’t stopped and the harvest had been weak. His folk had been starving and so he had wished for a miracle to help him. The miracle had been the stone that was called Tessaract and the information had been only shared by a few selected people. But as it always had been when there was a force was that someone tried to steal it for their own selfish purpose. The guy that had kidnapped you and whose face you hadn’t seen yet was once called Johann Schmidt. He was a magician wo had the Tessaract for a short while. But he was too selfish, wanted too much at once and now he was called Red Skull as it described him the best now. HIs face was deformed and red and he wasn’t ashamed. Why should he care what he looked like when he almost had the solution for infinity? He had to get closer, but he couldn’t come back to the island, your father had made sure of that. So had trapped you at the lake. You could only turn into a human when the moonlight hit the water on the lake and you were touching the water. You could turn back into a swan anywhere as soon as the first rays of sunshine were seen.

Days passed and the routine stayed the same. Every night he came back, asked the same question and walked away when you refused. You were standing at the end of the lake waiting for the moon to rise. There was something in your feathers that you tried to pick out with your beak when something slammed your body into the water. You tried to lift your neck, but something pushed you under the water. Something sharp was pressed into your body and it hurt, but then you felt your body shifting. The struggle for air was still there but suddenly your human head was out of the water and you took a big breath. A pressure was on your chest and when you looked at it you saw a white cat staring at you. If a cat was able to look puzzled this one just did.

“Did you attack me?” you asked and the cat looked from its paw that was resting on your chest towards your face as if it couldn’t understand what was happening here. Which it probably couldn’t. The cat stayed close to you after that, followed you when you were walking around at night in your human form (and hid once Red Skull came to ask you the dreaded question) and when you turned back into a swan it stayed near you. It even laid beside you when you finally rested your eyes and thought back of home and your friends.

Meanwhile Bucky, Steven, Natasha and Samuel were gathered in the greenhouse as it was the only place where they wouldn’t be disturbed.

“Okay, I hate to say this, but we searched everywhere. I don’t know how, but if they’ve taken her, they must be really far away,” Steven sighed. He was exhausted, not that he would say that out loud but his friends looked like they would drop from the chairs any minute now.

“We can’t give up,” Bucky still sounded determined, but his eyes were closed. He just needed to rest them for a second. That’s why he didn’t notice the yellow and orange sparks that started to appear.

“What is that?” Natasha asked and it caused Bucky to raise his head. Everyone was staring now at the sparks that appeared in a circle until they suddenly spotted a blonde woman, stepping confidently through it and stopping in front of Sam.

Bucky didn’t have a weapon with him so the first thing he could think of was standing up and taking a few steps into the direction of the new arrival. “Samuel,” the blonde woman said coldly.

“Yelena,” Sam replied, not much warmer.

“You’re an idiot.”

“I know,” the man agreed, which caused the others to share a confused glance. Their attention was divided by another newcomer. A man with white streaks in his hair and a long red cape followed through the hole and then the sparks died.

“I’m magician Strange, this is Yelena and we’re here to search for the princess. As this was the last place where she was before she disappeared we needed to come here. We’re sorry for coming in here unannounced,” he said, but he didn’t sound as he was sorry at all.

“Where were you coming from?” Natasha asked and walked around the place where the sparks had been and only a small black trace on the floor revealed that there had been something magical.

“It’s called a portal and I don’t have much time. Yelena, if you’re done with staring at Samuel, would you help?”

It still took a few seconds for the staring contest between the man and woman until she stepped back and stood next to the magician. “We need something from Sunshine that she recently had on her,” she said and suddenly Bucky felt as if he couldn’t move under her stare. Maybe it was magic too.

“I’m not going to give someone I haven’t even heard of something of her. Maybe you’re after her and I would only help you.” Bucky managed to say. He couldn’t see it, but Natasha and Steve were nodding behind him.

“You haven’t heard of us because we’re in a secret organization. That’s the point: You don’t see or hear us.” He could have sworn he also heard an insult, but it was too quiet.

“They tell the truth. They live on the island and they’re there to protect the land. I know Yelena and I know of Strange, I was wondering when they would show up.”

“Then a warning would have been nice,” Steve commented.

Samuel recreated the story of how you were taken and the other added where they had been searching for Sunshine and what they found at the damaged carriage. They brought the magician and his shadow towards your stuff. Magician Strange wasn’t interested in your clothes and books, but then he found a stone. It was a regular stone, he didn’t have a special color or a special shape. They were confused why it had been there, but Strange claimed it was the object they needed. Sunshine carried around the stone with her on her travels as it was a gift from Steve. He had given it to her when they started to become friends and he had pressed it in her hands and told her if Bucky was annoying her again she should just throw the rock at him. He had laughed and ran away, but it was the first present she got from a friend and so she kept it close to her. Strange told Yelena he would open a portal for her where he would feel she was with the help of the stone, but he looked more than confused when the other people said they would follow through. He tried to tell the prince he couldn’t just send him out, but in the end he noticed he didn’t have a chance at a discussion with them and he wanted to get their princess back so he agreed.

Packed with weapons they stepped through the portal. When Bucky looked back he saw Strange staring back at him before the portal closed. They were in a forest, trees he had never seen surrounded him. He could hear the animals, a few birds and frogs. While the others discussed how they should approach they divided in teams. Yelena, Natasha and Sam while he would walk with Steve.

“Take this,” Yelena pressed a red stone in his hand. It was smooth and cold. “If there’s black magic around it will glow and alert you. Be careful.” She nodded at him a last time before she walked away with Natasha and Sam.

“That’s a lot. Suddenly there’s magic, we just stepped through a hole full of sparks to step out into a forest and we have a stone that will glow when we stumble across magic. But I guess that’s what you’ll have to do for the woman your best friend loves,” Steve concluded.

Bucky looked from the stone to his friend who was smirking at him. “I thought she was your friend?”

“Oh, she is! But she’s also the woman you fell in love with. I actually thought we would have this discussion when she would have been gone for a few days and you noticed that you miss her. Not here – mostly because I didn’t know this part existed.”

“I already noticed,” Bucky admitted and looked at the stone. No glow, still cold and dull in his hand. “That’s why I invited her for winter. And that’s why I’m afraid we won’t find her.”

“We will! Now come, so you can tell her,” Steve patted Bucky's shoulder and with more determination than ever they walked through the uneven path. Suddenly there was a glimmer in the stone and Bucky tugged on Steve’s sleeve to show him without having to talk. The closer they walked towards a lake the brighter the glow became. The fact that the sun was down and the moon was about to come up made it look even brighter.

By the end of the lake was a white swan staring at them. Next to it was a white cat - also staring. “It seems like it comes from them,” Bucky whispered. “What should we do? Should we catch them? The swan and the cat?”

“I mean we were only here to find Sunshine,” Steve was interrupted by the swan making angry noises at them. Before they could say anything else the swan was startling them as it ran in their direction. Its beak was pulling at Bucky's sleeve, and it ripped. Steves arrow was pointing at the swan, but the bird took another bite into the fabric and Bucky was too stunned and almost lost his balance as the swan was pulling him in the direction of the lake. When he gained back his balance and pulled into the other direction, he lost another piece of fabric. It almost seemed as the swan huffed and waddled towards the water alone – still followed by the arrow. As soon as it could the swan swam on the lake and the cat followed to the muddy path where it could still stand and interrupted the line of the arrow.

“What should I do?” Steve asked, but Bucky only had eyes for the swan. As soon as the reflection of the moon hit the water small splashes flew into the air until they swirled around the swan.

“What is happening?” Bucky asked but had already drawn his sword. The cat looked unimpressed even by the splats of water that were hitting it as it was still staring at Steve. The water went higher and higher until it suddenly stopped and fell. But where previously had been the swan was now Sunshine. “How?” Bucky breathed.

“Bucky,” you sobbed and ran towards him. As you had to travel through the muddy part he had enough time to lower his sword and wrap his arm around you as soon as you reached him. Your tears landed on his shirt, but he couldn’t care at all.

“Are you okay, love?” His arm pressed you against him and he savored the moment you were in his arms. The stone in his hand suddenly wasn’t only glowing but turned hot. The air around them was shifting.

“You have to go,” you exclaimed and pushed him away.

“We just found you,” he tried to say, but you kept on pushing. “Go now, before he sees you. Please,” she begged when he didn’t move at all. The cat behind you was hissing. “Just hide there,” you pointed somewhere where the trees were thick. Unwillingly Steve and Bucky walked where you pointed and they only did it because they noticed your panic. The white cat was also hiding in the high grass and Bucky had to watch as you tried to dry your eyes while the grass around you started to become greener and flowers started to grow.

“There you are,” he heard a voice and his eyes were about to fall out when he spotted someone walking towards his Sunshine. “There is no need for tears, we can turn them into happy tears if you’ll finally accept my offer of marriage. Your days as a swan will be over, you can go back to your island. So will you marry me?” Bucky had to watch as the man with the red face stepped towards you and tried to wipe away your tears. He was about to confront the man, when he saw you stepping back and he could hear your disgust when you declined.

“Oh this would have been your chance, princess. Did you think I wouldn’t notice your little visitors. This was your last chance,” with a swipe of his hand the enormous tree where Steve and Bucky were hiding was split in two. “You think you can save her? What fools you are! Have fun finding her now!” A loud boom was heard and before they could do anything the whole area around them changed. Loud cackling was heard and suddenly hundreds of swans were surrounding the two flabbergasted men. They couldn’t see Red Skull anymore but could hear his voice before it faded out. “No more human form for you, princess. Let’s see if your prince will recognize you now.”

“Where is he?” Steve asked confused.

“Where is she?” Bucky asked at the same time.

It was loud, very loud. They could almost not hear each other despite standing next to each other, but the swans were making so much noise. They were making their way towards the lake while a few of them came towards Steve and Bucky. One snapped at Bucky’s sleeve. “Sunshine?” he asked, but the swan only turned more aggressive. Another one was biting in Steve’s shoe.

“Sunshine?” Both yelled in the hopes that you would hear them and come towards them. But they only saw birds over birds.

“And why are they so aggressive? Sunshine?” Bucky complained and tried to take some steps forward, but there were too many birds. Suddenly a few swans were extra loud and two started to dive into the air. Feathers were flying around and they could see something else between the swans: a white cat. The one which had protected Sunshine.

“We must reach it, I bet it will be able to recognize her! Can you grab it?”

“One of them just stole my shoe!” Steve complained and tried to move forward but slipped on the ground and almost fell on one swan. In the end he managed to grab the cat who climbed his form more than willingly and sat down on his shoulder. “Got it, Buck!” As soon as both men stood next to each other the cat walked over to Bucky's shoulder. Together they moved and when the claws retrieved from Bucky's skin, he knew they came closer.

Until the claws came back full force suddenly and the noise in his ear indicated that Sunshine had to be close to them. That’s when he spotted one swan fighting against two others and the cat jumped in, ready to shove her claws into the bird. Steve was pushing one out the way and Bucky almost ran to the animal that was injured and tried to scoop it up in his arms, but the bird didn’t want to be caged.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” he tried to soother it. “Calm down, Sunshine. I’ve got you!”

It was these words that did the trick. Suddenly it was very quiet around them while the swan and the prince stared into each other's eyes. One by one the other swans disappeared until only one remained.

“I think she needs to be on the water to change,” Steve’s voice sounded much too loud in the now quiet area. Bucky was finally able to lift the swan he believed to be his princess and carried it towards the water. And as soon as the feet touched the surface the water started to spin splash against both – although the prince couldn’t care less as he stared into the face he came to love.

“You’re hurt,” he exclaimed once he let his eyes roam over your body and saw you clutching your arm against your torso.

“It’s not much, but we need to leave. I think the curse might be broken I feel more like myself I think. But we need to get out of here in case he comes back.”

The prince agreed. He might be a good swordsman but he was helpless against magic. The three of them made their way back to where Bucky and Steve came from, including a white feline following them. Bucky didn’t hesitate to pick it up and place it back on his shoulders. As soon as it had a comfortable place where it was secure it retreated its claws and slung its tail around the prince neck. With Sunshine to his right and Steve on her right side they continued their way.

“Okay, so we have Sunshine. And now how to we get back? The portal is closed?”

“Oh, I might be able to fix this,” you said and walked towards a burned place on the ground. Suddenly your voice had more authority than they had ever heard from you. “Magician Strange, I order you to open this portal right now so your crown princess can come back home.”

“How did you do that?” Steve asked when he watched the sparks to appear again. You pointed at a bracelet around your wrist with an orange stone like the one they had in their hand. When you told them it was a precaution so you could stay in touch with the magicians it dawned on them that they didn’t even have a plan to get back or if they even should have made it back. And later when you heard the whole story you fell even more in love with your prince and were glad that you had such good friends who risked everything for you.

“It’s so good to see you, princess,” Strange lowered his head instead of a bow.

“It’s good to see you too, magician Strange. At least one magician I know I can trust.” Your recap of the story was interrupted when another portal opened and Yelena, Natasha and Samuel stepped through. Samuel didn’t even care that he had to bow before you – never in your life had you seen him rum so quickly and his arms were thrown around you. A burnt smell filled your nose, but you didn’t care and wrapped your uninjured arm around him.

“I’m so sorry I failed you,” he almost sobbed in your shoulder.

“You didn’t fail me,” you assured him. It was chaos after that. When Strange heard the whole story, he took Yelena with him to face Red Skull and they disappeared through the portal. After a lot of hugging and checking in with each other (and calling a healer for your arm) you all agreed to get cleaned up to get rid of the burned smell and the smell of swamp.

Many hours later you were all still gathered in a sitting room. Your head laid on Bucky's shoulder and you had problems with staying awake. Sam was currently retelling the story of a dragon they had faced and you weren’t sure if you should believe him if it wasn’t for Natasha who backed up his story. The white feline was laying on the softest pillow next to Steve, but decided that your lap looked more comfortable.

“You can sleep, princess. We’ll all protect you,” Bucky mumbled in your ear.

“I need to go home tomorrow, but maybe – would you like to accompany me? I could show you my island and to be honest,” you paused as you weren’t sure if you could share your feelings now.

“I’m not ready to be apart from you again too,” he assured you and a featherlight kiss was pressed against your hair.

“Okay, good,” you yawned and your eyes finally closed.

In the end the two kingdoms were reunited. And while it was a huge political thing that no one really wanted to get into it was more about their princess. As the story started as the Sunshine and the Grump it didn’t end that way. Because when their King looked at his Queen you wouldn’t know who smiled more. It was a story of love that most people would only find in a fairytale book. And with their friends who travelled with them from the island to the mainland it wasn’t only a story about love, but friendship and family. And as we stated that the story wasn’t so long ago, they still live very happily.

Masterlist | Library Blog

Reblogs, comments, asks or just a ramble mean the world to me <3

#bucky x reader #fairytale au #fairytale retelling #the swan princess #bucky x you #bucky barnes x you #prince!bucky #sunshine x grumpy #bucky x female reader #prince!bucky x reader #bucky barnes x reader #found family

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theboarsbride · 1 year

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🕯🦋🥀

#beauty and the beast #gothic #gothic romance #beauty and the beast retelling #monster romance #monster boyfriend #gothic horror #gothic lit #batb #monster x human #human x monster #beauty and the beast trope #monster character #monster lover #bird monster #fairytale retelling

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lunarbuck · 1 year

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Dance With the Devil - Masterlist

Beauty and The Beast retelling | Mafia AU

Pairing: mafia!Loki x f!reader (any race)

Status: complete / also posted to my ao3

WC: 31.7k

Summary: Once upon a time, a young woman made a deal with a monstrous man to save her father. The man, a vicious and deadly leader of his family’s mafia, agrees to take her as his prisoner to pay off her father’s debt to him. What she doesn’t know is that Loki, head of the Laufeyson Mafia, has more to him than meets the eye. A secret agreement with his late father that he get married, have a family. Fall in love. But as the years pass, he's fallen into despair and lost all hope, for who could ever learn to love a beast?

Warnings: dark fic/dark themes, descriptions of violence, blood, injuries, swearing, mentions of chronic illness (Multiple Sclerosis), violence, organized crime, masturbation, smut (p in v), angst, fluff

DISCLAIMER: There are portions of dialogue in here that are straight from the Beauty and the Beast (1991) movie. I will put something in the chapter’s a/n so that there isn’t any confusion, but yeah!! This is the version of the script that I used.

my masterlist | ao3 | fic playlist | movie script

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Author's Note

Extras:

Loki takes care of you oneshot

Please let me know if you would like to be added to my taglist! You can either be tagged in just this series or all my future works; just let me know. you must have your age in your bio and be 18+ to be added

General tags - lmk if you do not want to be tagged in this serires

@peaches1958 @pono-pura-vida @emi11ie @paulasocean @prettylittlepluviophile @writerwrites @w0nderw0mansw0rld @hawsx3 @meetmeatyourworst @harrysthiccthighss @goldylions @late-to-the-party-81 @luxeavenger @cloudyfeel @searchf0rtheskyline

Series tags

message me to be added <3

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ekbelsher · 2 months

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For some reason yesterday it seemed really important to draw naked kissing instead of getting any actual work done. But look! I drew her hands totally without reference. Actually I drew most of this without photo reference (I did use ref for his head angle), which means it took me hours (this sketch is my third attempt) but I think it was time well spent because I learned a few things :)

#beauty and the beast #monster boyfriend #fairytale retelling #book characters #monster romance #retellings #fantasy illustration #fantasy art #ekbelsher

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bimboothefool · 6 months

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𝔒𝔲𝔯 ℑ𝔫𝔰𝔦𝔡𝔢𝔰 𝔄𝔯𝔢 ℜ𝔢𝔡

𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞!𝐖𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐥𝐟!𝐀𝐝𝐚 𝐖𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐱 𝐅!𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

“𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝓁𝑒𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝓂𝑒 𝒽𝒾𝑔𝒽 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒹𝓇𝓎! 𝒜 𝓇𝓊𝓈𝒽 𝒸𝑜𝓂𝑒𝓈 𝓉𝑜 𝓂𝓎 𝓂𝒾𝓃𝒹 𝒶𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒹𝓇𝑜𝓅𝓈 𝑜𝒻 𝒷𝓁𝑜𝑜𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓁𝑒𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝒷𝑒𝒽𝒾𝓃𝒹! ℛ𝓊𝓃 𝒶𝓈 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓂𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉, 𝓂𝓎 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝓃𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇, 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝓈𝓉𝑜𝓅.” The Red Means I Love You by Madds Buckley

𝔖𝔱𝔬𝔯𝔶 𝔖𝔶𝔫𝔬𝔭𝔰𝔦𝔰: A mysterious yet familiar looking woman enters your life in the midst of the various murders happening. Yet why and what makes this woman so familiar to you..?

𝔗𝔞𝔟𝔩𝔢 𝔬𝔣 ℭ𝔬𝔫𝔱𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔰: Reader is femme/femme coded and uses she/her, that’s where the specification ends. Mentions of death, details of death through police reports. Stalking, Ada getting jealous and possessive. Might add more later if it pops up.

𝔄𝔲𝔱𝔥𝔬𝔯’𝔰 𝔏𝔢𝔱𝔱𝔢𝔯: Separate ways has been out for awhile now, why not make more fics for Ada. She definitely needs more love. Also this story is heavily inspired by Little Red Riding Hood and The Path. I highly recommend it! Might make more fairytale retellings later down the line. We’ll see~ Feel free to read it on Ao3!

The combination of the stench of booze, noisy crowd and blasting music. Was practically sensory hell.

You decided to use an excuse to get some fresh air as a way to escape the bar’s suffocating atmosphere. As your footsteps echoed and the crowd’s chatter grows more quiet, you reminisce on the dreams you’ve been having as of lately.

“A forest graveyard, dead tree and a girl in red turning into a wolf… What does it mean…” You remembered talking to your mom about what you dreamt about and she recalls the times your childhood friend Claire searched for you. She found you sleeping against a tree that was in the deeper parts of the forest. She didn’t always come alone, Chris accompanied her just to be safe.

However a part of your brain couldn’t shake off the feeling that you were missing something crucial. Like your version of events isn’t right.

“Mom keeps saying these are signs, yet I’m not sure what they’re telling me…” You clutched your coat tighter around your form, trying to keep yourself safe from the cold night air. You unconsciously walked towards the forest, you remember this path. Your senses kick in as you sent your location to your friend group chat, just so that they won’t run around looking for you, like chickens without their heads.

As you walked along the path, you saw a playground sign, along with a yellow flower. Putting it in your coat pocket. “I remember this park, me and Claire would always explore here as kids.” You plucked the yellow flower from the ground and walked into the forest, sending your location again. So far they don’t seem to notice that you left the party to explore the woods.

All you could see was the bright full moon shining above you and what you can hear is your footsteps crunching the dead leaves underneath. You arrived at the playground noticing that it’s metal parts were not treated so kindly by time. Yet the memories it held still filled you with relief, you sat on the swing set.

The faint smell of flowers, the fall breeze and the cool sensation of the wind, felt like it made your stress get blown away.

You took the yellow flower out of your pocket, lightly twirling it in your hand. Currently pondering on what has been happening lately. The talk of monsters or monster murdering people left and right, changing the lock on your door. It was weighing on your mind so heavily especially when something broke into your house.

The party was supposed to lift your mood, yet it did nothing to deter the sinking feeling that you were being watched and everything you did was under a microscope.

You just wanted to— “Mind if I sit here?” A woman’s voice brought you out of your spiraling thoughts. “O-Oh! Umm… Uhhh…sure go ahead.” You looked away from her brown eyes. It’s almost like they’re looking into your soul or can see your skeleton.

She sat down and swung slightly, her red nails shone under the moonlight. You couldn’t help, but feel like you’ve seen her before. Especially those brown eyes. Your mind flashes the memory of the girl in red, as she looks towards you, her eyes become clear to see. They’re brown as well. “What’s a girl like you doing out here, alone?” Her voice snaps you out of your thoughts.

You fiddled with the yellow flower once more trying to put yourself at ease. “I…needed fresh air and some alone time…” You answered softly, almost as a whisper that was only meant for her ears.

“So you went to the park deep into the forest for that?” You realized now how dangerous your choice was, yeah you let your friends know where you are, but who knows what or who will seek you. “Dumb I know, but I just don’t want to burden anyone right now… I’d just kill the mood.”

The chains rattle as she places her hand over yours, her warmth reaching to your heart. The flower peeking from your joined hands. You shouldn’t be falling in love so easily with a stranger and yet she feels so familiar. The isolation and alienation makes you cling to any sense of familiarity no matter how innocent it may seem.

“Ada, my name is Ada. And yours?” She introduced herself, slightly swinging you both. “Ada…” You let it slip off your tongue, the name is also familiar too. You tell her your name and you see a smile grace her glossed up lips. “That’s a pretty name.” You felt your cheeks get warm as your heart beats faster. “Thanks Ada…” Ada giggles at your shy reply.

You spent the time just talking and now, Ada’s making you a flower crown with a couple of yellow flowers and daisies she found. She gently placed the crown on your head, smiling warmly at you.

As you two stared into eachother’s eyes, it was almost as if time started to slow down, but it suddenly starts again once your phone goes off. “Are you gonna answer it?” Ada teased as you pout, hurriedly grabbing your phone from your pocket. “Thank god you picked up! We were worried sick!” Claire’s voice rang clear, you decided to just tell to her why you wandered off. “Yeah sorry I worried you, I just didn’t wanna kill the mood with my paranoia…” You could almost hear her smile as she laughed. “You kill the mood? Hardly, besides your feelings are valid. Especially with everything that’s happened. At least we got you out of the house and tried.”

“I’m gonna head back to the bar right now. Hopefully it won’t be far.” Both you and Claire mutually hung up as you turned on the GPS on your phone on. “Wanna head back with me?” You asked Ada holding out your hand for her.

Ada’s eyes widened at your hand and offer. “Oh… Okay, lead the way.” She says and gently takes your hand, leading you two out of the forest. Right back on the path you came from as the crickets chirped, you at the crescent moon shining above you. Now that you hear her footsteps along with yours, it frankly made you feel reassured and safe.

Claire being shocked was an understatement and frankly, this mystery woman appearing with you walking back in the bar. Hand and hand has left her severely confused. “Ada Wong… Hmmm…” She looks on as Ada lights up the room. The way you two have interacted thus far made her think she’s a childhood friend of yours. Yet she’s known you since you were infants, Claire knows your deepest, most intimate secrets yet she can’t really recall who Ada could be.

But the feeling that Ada’s presence was odd didn’t shake off even when she smiled or laughed. It felt fake, it all felt like it was scripted and the unsuspecting were gobbling Ada’s act right up.

‘Whoever Ada is… I have a feeling we’ve seen her before.’ Claire silently vowed in her head, soon Ada caught a glimpse of Claire’s face. Her concerned look only fuels Ada further. Her hand drapes over your shoulder possessively. Silently telling Claire to back off.

“She’s gotta be kidding me…” Claire mumbles in disbelief.

Weeks turned to months and months turned into a year. After two months, it wasn’t long before you started to date Ada. She was always so loving and dotting, you are everything to her. You were spending a sickeningly long amount of time with Ada.

Though throughout that duration of time, Claire decided to look into her. Starting up a silent investigation on Ada’s background. Oddly enough when she tried looking into her general history, not much came up. No birth certificate, prior home addresses or even a family member. It was just blank dead end after blank dead end.

So when the computer data failed, she asked the locals more specifically Ada’s neighbors. They all said she’d just miraculously moved here one day and is generally a kind woman. However a select few of them, feel like there’s something off about her especially since they’ve never seen her come home in the early hours of dawn. However they did note that they’ve seen a large dog like creature around the area.

Claire with a clearer idea, decides to back home to take a look at the victims one more time, after clicking through online pages of police reports, she suddenly realizes some of them are your ex’s and a couple of them are people who’ve flirted with you. She vividly recognizes you dating one of them in senior year of highschool, another during your freshman year of college and the guy hitting on you during the party she took you to. The day you introduced Ada. The murders seemed to have suddenly stopped once you started dating her and nobody’s been harmed since then.

It was either the worst timing or Ada’s genuinely tied to the murders that had happened prior to Claire meeting her.

Claire looks through the files especially in regards to the pattern. Claire was beyond mortified. “The only thing tying the victims together was the method of murder. Claw marks and puncture wounds, yet animal researchers were unable to identify which animal it could belong to. Furthermore the zoos in the nearby area have yet to file a missing animal case…” Claire looks around feeling herself being watched, she quickly gets up to lock all of her doors, windows and whatever entrance there may be.

Claire heads back into her room, opening her laptop again and decides to look into potential sightings about a dog like creature near the town. Not much showed up, only local paranormal blogs have picked up the story and catalogued this creature’s appearances. Soon she finds one with photo evidence, her heart begins to stop. Those eyes, she remembers them.

Those cold, blood thirsty eyes, from all those years ago. Claire immediately shuts off the laptop, hurriedly getting dressed. She quickly dials your number, yet she’s getting no answer. “SHIT!”

“I’m really worried about Claire… She’s been off lately…” Your eyes trailed to the side of the forest path as you and Ada walked side by side. “Hey, don’t worry about her, I’m sure she’s fine.” Ada said nonchalantly, still you really couldn’t shake the feeling of concern for Claire’s wellbeing off. “Still she usually has a reason… I dunno, maybe you’re right, I’m probably overreacting..?” Your eyes looked at Ada’s, trying to find a small semblance of reassurance.

Ada leans closer, her warm hand cups your cheek. Her thumb gently strokes the apple of your cheek. “No it’s understandable that you’re worried for her.” You sigh and held her hand that was on your cheek, leaning into her palm.

“…Thanks Ada, really it means a lot…” Ada hums and smooches your forehead. “I have to keep my princess grounded, don’t I?” You laugh dryly and smiled. “Guess so.” You and Ada walked off the path once more, heading towards a very familiar place. It was the forest graveyard you’ve been seeing in your dreams.

Being here sent chills down your spine, a gut wrenching feeling has your stomach unsettled. You feel like you shouldn’t be here.

The same decaying tree stands tall on the small hill as tombstones surround it. Ada turns to you and tilts her head. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Something wrong?” You felt your body move on its own, making your way towards the dead tree. Ada calls out your name yet you cannot hear her.

Your memories started flowing back in all at once. Ada calls out your name and your whole world begin to spin. The dizziness makes you fall over, knocking you out effectively.

You heard the crickets chirping, the familiar smell of flowers invades your nose and you opened your eyes.

The full moon shines above you but is a bit filtered by the trees above. The fireflies providing as another source of light. A young girl’s voice calls out your name, it’s the girl in red.

“You always sleep in the strangest places.” She finally becomes clearer, the shadowy silhouette wearing just a red dress is finally melting away. Her eyes, they’re brown and beautiful. Her short black hair sways in the wind. “What’s the matter?” She giggles and you looked to see you’re a kid again. “Ada..?” She smiles at you and laughs. “That’s my name.” Your eyes widened slightly at this revelation. So that’s why she seemed so familiar.

You have met before, long before that night at the playground. Yet something tells you, that’s only a chunk of this story. “Where are we..?” The younger version of Ada replied. “The flower field silly! I promised to take you hear and teach you how to make flower crowns. Remember?” You immediately remember that promise.

“How could I forget that?” You mumbled out, with furrowed brows as Ada tilts her head. Her curious brown eyes looked at your baffled face. “Maybe you’ve been losing sleep?” You murmured a maybe to Ada, you got up. Dusting off the dirt and pollen off your clothes.

Ada grabs your head, urging you to follow her. You decided it was the best course of action for now. The two of you walked together hand in hand. You noticed she wore a messily strung together flower crown made of poppy flowers. You reached your head, taking your crown off to see it was more stable and lovingly crafted. The flowers used were white daisies.

“C’mon let’s go princess!” Ada happily said, pulling you along as the two of you reached the forest graveyard. The two of you reached the small hill where the decaying tree resides. You sat down with Ada as she warmly hugs you, cuddling with you. Your heart skipped a beat, at this familiar comfort you’ve been desperately seeking. Yet this felt wrong.

Extremely wrong, the familiar stomach knotting feeling returned once another familiar voice called out your name

“Claire..?” Ada’s eyes snapped towards a younger Claire. “Who’s this..?”

Claire worriedly asked, Ada gently pushes you behind her. She stalks towards Claire, staring knives into her form. “I’m her future wife and best friend.” Ada said in a matter of fact way, Claire looked confused.

“Don’t be stupid! I’m here to take my friend back home, her mom’s worried sick!” Claire stomps over to you, but Ada blocks her way. “No her mom doesn’t need to worry. She’s in under my protection.” Ada smiled stiffly at Claire. “Move! She has to go home, you two can always play tomorrow!” Claire said roughly shoving Ada to the ground, running towards you.

Claire takes your hand as she said. “You’re explaining this later. For now let’s go home.” The two of you turned to see Ada changing. Her bones snapping into a new shape, her hair growing longer and spreading throughout her new form. Her face turning into a wolf’s snout, sporting razor sharp teeth. Her once human ears became wolf like as well. Her brown eyes stare at Claire’s blue eyes with disgust and hatred.

All that stood was a monstrous wolf that barely resembles Ada. You stood there, your eyes widened with fear and realization. Those dreams, were a warning and you were a fool to not heed them. Something big outside of this dream was waiting for your present self and you wanted out so you could do something about it.

Ada roared and lunged at Claire, needing to act quickly you tug Claire’s sleeve and this leads the two of you to roll down the small hill as Ada slams into the tree.

You woke up with a big intake of breathe, clutching your heart. Unable to forget what happened in the dream. Ada was the girl in red, the one who transformed into that wolf like beast. How could you repress such a memory, you asked yourself internally. Yet you had an idea as to why, but couldn’t properly articulate that feeling.

Ada’s soft voice called out your name as her hand was on your shoulder. She wore a genuinely worried look on her face. “Are you okay..? You suddenly passed out and I didn’t know what to do…” You practically tuned her out as you looked to where you fell down the hill with Claire. It was now dark, but the moonlight provided enough light for you too see what you were looking for.

Just as you suspected it wasn’t a nightmare, that event did happen all those years ago. The gravestone you hit your back against was noticeably knocked back a bit, but still stood.

Ada gently shakes your shoulder, calling out your name as she follows your gaze. Her voice dies down in her throat. “…Oh.” Her almond nails dig themselves into your clothed shoulder possessively.

You perk up at the sound of Claire yelling out your name. “Claire..? CLAIRE NO STAY AWAY!” You yelled trying to discourage her to stay away and let you deal with Ada alone.

“NO I’M NOT LEAVING YOU!” Claire yelled back as you see her running towards you and you felt your body move on its own. Not deterred by Ada’s grip on your shoulder. You pushed her hand off and ran towards Claire trapping her in a tight hug. She returns it tenfold as Ada watches on with a blank stare.

Ada had worked so hard, and she doesn’t want to lose you again. Not to some silly human girl.

“I have so much to tell you, it’s about… Ada…” Claire’s eyes glared at Ada, whilst Ada sighs heavily. “Tell me something I don’t know…” You knew that from the dream alone, something much worse has reeled its head towards Claire.

“Those murders, the stalking it was all Ada… She’s not from here or even like us…” You felt a lump in your throat, the part of Ada being a monster you already knew. But the murders, the stalking it all made sense now.

“Why do this Ada..? Do you enjoy seeing me scared? Please talk to—“ You were cut off as Ada confessed. “I loved you.” You were utterly shocked by this. “Loved me..? But why kill those people, what did they do to you..?”

Ada sighs as she walks down the hill slowly and says. “They were obstacles and defective. Why not get rid of them, people like them just come and they go.” She continues to get closer as Claire drags you away. This doesn’t stop Ada, she raises her hand. Her nails effortlessly getting sharp. “And the only obstacle left, is Claire.”

You felt your blood run cold, you couldn’t help, but feel like their deaths were your shoulders. Even if Ada was your childhood friend and girlfriend, you still don’t want more people dying in your name or be hurt by Ada’s hand.

“Chris is on his way with backup. Get out of here!” Claire pulls out a gun, Ada huffs and knows it’s no use hiding anything anymore.

Your eyes looked at the moon, it was a full moon tonight. She quickly transforms into her true form, her bones snapping and contorting into a new shape. As she becomes that same black furred werewolf with razor sharp teeth, claws and her brown eyes had a red hue to them.

Claire pulls out her gun and starts trying shooting Ada’s leg to give you two an opening. Yet Ada was moving around swiftly, dodging the bullets with ease. You huffed and take Claire’s hand, running as fast as you two could. Zigzagging through the trees trying to shake Ada’s true form.

Once you lost her, but unfortunately you two weren’t out of the woods yet. You and Claire catch your breathe, the brunette beside you gasped as she walks over to something. You lifted your head and see her and a motorcycle that’s nature definitely got a hold of. “Hmmm… Maybe there’s a key around, odd that the tanks half full…” Claire murmured as something shined in the moonlight. You walked over to it and saw a key, you grabbed it and dusted off the dirt.

You showed her the key and her eyes light up. “That’s it! Let’s hope this is the key and we’ll hopefully be able to get out of this forest to meet up with Chris.” You hummed at her plan, helping her set the motorcycle up. Claire gets on and starts it up, the engine purrs to life. “C’mon hop on!” You nodded, suddenly your blood runs cold once you picked up on the sound of a growl. You hurriedly got on, grabbing onto Claire for dear life.

Claire soon drives it fast enough to dodge Ada’s pounce. You screamed as you smoosh your face on Claire’s back, Claire’s head was in this chase. If Ada wanted you, Ada’s gonna have to fight her first. As she swerved the motorcycle through the area, she sees the path through one of the tree. She makes a break for it hoping it’ll take Ada out of her element.

Claire repeatedly mumbled. “We’re gonna make it, we’re gonna make it…” She cranks up the speed as you two were out of the woods and back on the path. However as you two tried to make your exit, Ada swipes her claws at the motorcycle causing it to swerve violently to the opposite direction.

“Shit—!” You blurted whilst you lost your grip on Claire’s jacket. You felt yourself tumble and roll back onto the ground. You groaned, feeling a hot breathe on your face as you froze. Ada stares down at you, her now larger form covers your form.

“Ada… Please…” You pleaded, Claire screams out for you and a crazy idea strikes your brain. A crazy, potentially deadly idea. It may not make sense to Claire now, but if this can hold Ada back from going on a rampage. You’d rather take that brunt than let others get brutally killed.

“Claire, I want you to leave…” Claire’s eyes widened. “Are you fucking serious?! I’m not losing you, whatever you’re thinking please just—“

“I’m being dead fucking serious, Claire.” You turned your head to look at her, still on the ground as Ada watches you. “If Ada wants me and it stops the murders… I’ll let her have me…” You decided to do it not only for yourself, but for everyone.

“Besides, I made a promise. I promised to marry Ada, I just wanna honor that promise…” You knew how crazy it sounds, but it was the point. You needed to keep Ada away from Claire, Chris and everyone you cared about as far as possible.

Ada’s tail wags in delight at the prospect of you remembering her promise. “You promised to marry her..? Why if I can ask..?” You sighed and answered Claire honestly. “She’s my first love, I don’t wanna give up on what I started…”

Claire sorrowfully mumbled your name, knowing how hard it was to express that side of you. “Please Claire, just leave…” Claire stays for a bit, her lips quiver as her eyes became glossy. “Okay… I understand…” She starts the engine again and soon drives off. Leaving you with Ada and the sounds of nature.

Ada stares down at you with an unreadable expression or atleast given she’s in her wolf form so there’s probably not enough muscles in her face in this current form. She gets off of you, only to toss you over her shoulder. Walking back into the woods, back to where everything between you two had started.

This sick and twisted love story, you looked at the back of Ada’s head and the full moon one last time. As much as you wanted to protect your loved ones, Ada meant too much for you to let go. You just wanted to be with her, whether it was genuine or not. You feel like you can sort it out later.

Several years passed and so far, Claire hasn’t heard a peep about any wolf sightings or murders. It was gut wrenching to tell Chris, your family and friends that you were gone. It left them shaken to their core, others tried to brave through life without you. Others were stagnant and were unable to really move on. To the townspeople it was a relief that left them with paranoia and trauma. However Claire, was slowly giving up on finding you. Your words echoed in her mind.

Soon she heads out to check her mailbox. As she sifts through the junk mail, bills and others. Her eyes widen as she reached her home again. A letter with a poppy and daisy held together by a red wax seal. She turns it around, it had no return address and it was for her from, you. Her breathe hitched as she closes the door and sits down at her kitchen table. She opens the letter, it was general update and to let Claire know you’re still alive and are being treated well.

This fuels her further to push harder to find you, to give you the truth and to finally free you from your shackles.

You sat at the table as you looked outside the window as Ada cooks your food. You hoped the letter reaches Claire and to put her search for you to a halt. “Hey, are you okay..?” Ada’s voice lifts you out of your thoughts, your eyes looked towards hers. “Yeah I was thinking about something…”

“Go on, you can tell me anything…” Ada sighs and turns off the stove and places the food on two plates. “I just don’t want to be found is all.” You didn’t want her to see your real colors. You wanted to keep your promise both the ones you Ada’s and Claire’s.

“I see, but just next time don’t send another letter. Before you ask, I’ve always known. I could smell the faint smell of melted wax from a mile away. You’ve always were a terrible liar, but don’t worry. I’ll have you be my good girl in no time…” Ada grabs your face with one hand, pulling you towards her face. Her fangs glint in the sunlight as her claws sink slightly into your cheeks. “Now do you understand..?”

“Yes dear…”

#my writing #fairytale retelling #fairytale au #ada wong #re4 ada #ada wong x reader #ada wong x you #ada wong x y/n #resident evil 4 x reader #re4 x reader #ada x reader

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