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brownandblackpearls · 1 year

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🦇𝒯he 𝒱isitor (Alucard Tepes x BlackReader) Pt.7

PART 7 SUMMARY:

You and Alucard traipse from town to town together...until trouble strikes in the form of claws, fangs and delayed vengeance. With you left shaken and marked, your host isn’t keen on letting you back out of the castle anytime soon. Normally, this stifling limitation would annoy you...but Alucard has been spending more time with you, lately. Getting closer and closer...

...perhaps being stuck in the castle isn’t so bad, after all?

─── Alucard x black female reader

─── imagery + fiction

─── explicit smut

─── Fantasy, vampires, hurt/comfort, enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, magic user, cute bats, gardening, cooking, cottagecore MC, castlecore Alucard.

☾ previous. ☾ next.

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The next chilly morning, true to his word, you and Alucard make your way down to the garden to gather the harvest.

You’ve switched into a road dress, not wanting to let the nicer gowns that Alucard has conjured for you go to waste. Your hair is bundled up in a scarf neatly behind your head. You’re wearing gloves, ready to work. Alucard makes his way over to the garden and leans down, showing you how he intends to prepare the harvest to take into town.

“This is how we’ll wrap them. Watch closely...You see? Show me.”

He is watchful at first, instructing you on how to bind and rope the packaging just so. It is to keep any of the stock from falling to the wayside while you’re both on horseback, leaving a trail of produce behind you.

His eyes are as sharp as ever, framed by lowered, dusky blonde lashes as he takes in your handiwork. The low rumblings of his voice give constructive critique, and you manage to avoid any accidents under his gaze. You wonder what he thinks of your hands briefly, before refocusing on the task.

You’re curious now, finding his instructive personality to be a much calmer one than his default. He seems so sure of himself here in the garden, and less walled off. Prepping vegetables is clearly something he had learned prior to your visit (as unseemly as it seemed to be for someone like him), and it is something he seemed more than willing to teach. Alucard seemed like one who liked to learn, now you thought of it.

Soon after, you wait as Alucard spirits away. He reappears with Brutus at his side and together, you prep the saddlebags before mounting the steed and taking off into the woods.

You lean back into Alucard as you watch the tree leaves speed by overhead, the feel of hooves stamping and thrumming through you both. The sound is rhythmic, soothing, and the smell of the green fills you. Alucard’s cologne mixes in with it, his hair beating against his back, with stray locks falling past your shoulders. It is still cool, yet the heat of the horse and his heavy riding gear warms you both.

You sigh, realizing.

‘I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,’ you think.

Eventually, you arrive in town and it is lively. You sell everything, making a good profit. You know it isn’t needed, but it is nice to have something to do. You talk to vendors and merchants, your tongue wagging in conversation and your mood feeling light.

‘No,’ you readjust. ‘It’s not in the woods I want to be. Perhaps here? This town? But there’s nothing special about it…’

Currently passing by a stand of jewelers while in thought, one of them reaches out to you, giving you pause. You look into a wrinkled face.

“Yes?”

“A necklace for you, girl? A ring, an anklet?”

You stare at the wares, considering. You’re not here for jewelry you remember, though they are pretty.

“I couldn’t, but thank you.” You say.

“Oh, but you could. What a lovely dress you have on. Never seen one like it.”

You look down to your dress, another that arose from the depths of Alucard’s inventory. It is simpler in comparison to what you know him to have from the clothes you’ve seen this far.

“Thank you,” you say.

“Did your husband gift that to you?” the jeweler inquires, gesturing over your shoulder. You follow their gaze and realize they are looking at Alucard across the stalls, across the road itself. He is kneeling near a tavern wall, gifting coins to some street children, an old woman or two huddled beside the shadows of the building.

He does not realize you are looking. He doesn’t know you are watching him give what you’ve both earned away to those that need it.

You find yourself surprised. You thought that Alucard ignored most of the world outside his castle and his surroundings. He could certainly afford to. Someone like him would never need to understand or empathize with the destitute and the ill. The human.

And yet there he was.

“He’s…not my husband.” you find your lips saying to the merchant as you continue to watch Alucard.

“But you came into town with him.” The voice is suddenly sharp. You turn to look and see the merchant appears oddly hostile.

“What concern is it of yours?” you say, retreating a step back.

“Nice dress,” the merchant spits. “He is finely dressed, like you. He gives money away like water. Your skin is clear and dewy. You want for nothing. It’s in the way you move. Slow, measured. You can afford the jewelry. You can.”

You find yourself turning to go, yet the offending seller follows you down the line of stalls.

“Are you a mistress? A hanger-on? Does his wife know? How shameless of you, to parade around like this. The things young ladies do for money, these days.”

Your temper gets the best of you. By the time you feel it, it is too late.

You turn around and crowd in on the seller. Their eyes widen, understanding very quickly that the dynamic has changed. They take a step back. You follow.

“Go on, do slander me. Great sales tactic, I’m sure your wares fly off the shelves, the customers love it so much! And not that it’s any of your fucking business, but do tell me; how you would know anything about what I do and why?”

“...Why else would an unwed woman be out and about with a man so blatantly—”

“ —I could be anything, you bint. I could be a mercenary with a partner, a scholar with a professor, a diplomat with a guide…is your mind so small that the only thing you could conjure is an escort? Even if I was, I still wouldn’t buy your jewelry…you insult me, and you insult him. I won’t have it.”

“Is there a problem?”

You and the seller turn to find Alucard towering over your shoulder.

“No,” you and the seller say in unison, one out of fear and one out of dismissiveness.

Alucard gestured to the gems in the jeweler’s hands, plucking a shining necklace from the bunch easily. The jeweler tremored a bit, looking between you both.

“Ah, sir...your wife was simply looking at my wares. Pretty things for a pretty thing.”

Alucard holds the necklace up beside your face then, not answering the seller. He doesn’t refute or explain, only watches you. You watch his eyes take you in alongside the gem before he seems to make a decision.

He clutches the necklace back into his grip and hands some coins over to the seller wordlessly. The seller mumbles their thanks before shuffling away, seemingly disbelieving that they made a sale after such a torrid argument.

Alucard dangles the necklace before you. “Do you like it?”

You frown. “You heard what they said to me.”

“I heard you defend our honor.”

“Is this a thanks for that?”

“This is because I want to.”

You pause then, a bit taken aback.

“I suppose...it’s pretty,” you try.

Alucard situates behind you, fastening the necklace to your neck before clasping it together.

“Then,” his breath warms the back of your neck, “I suppose it’s yours.”

Together, you continue through town, the necklace on your neck. The gem weighs against your sternum and you wonder if other people are noticing it, noticing the two of you.

You are too nervous to inquire further on it.

Soon enough, the day’s dealings are done. On the way back home, you find yourself liking the woods once more, and then the castle itself upon the return home.

Home.

Ah.

‘I want to be where he is,’ you realize.

Yes. That’s it.

Alucard stalks up the steps before turning to you, curious.

“Coming?”

You find yourself smiling, not quite sure why. He also seems taken aback by the sudden expression.

“Yes. Let’s go home.”

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Every other week, the two of you venture into different towns for supplies. Sometimes you go with hooded shrouds, other times you walk freely out in the open. Sometimes Alucard takes you into the nearby towns, and sometimes he steers Brutus further out. You have a feeling he has a system on how he navigates the outside world, a system that keeps eyes off of him and keeps nosy townsfolk from tracking his identity.

You love the trips. You love seeing other people and conversing with them, you love shopping through the inventory, you love getting the little bit of sun left in the chilly weather and you love going there and back with Alucard. He is like a patient specter…whether right next to your side or not, you have a feeling that he keeps his eyes and ears on you at all times.

It is during a return from another town, that something amiss happens.

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You’re riding in a wagon this time as Alucard directs Brutus, hitched and pulling the wagon along. It brings with it some new items, and a few things for you to use. You both could have went without any of it, you understand, but the socialization in bartering and trading was well worth it. It keeps the castle from feeling stifling, at times. You find yourself looking forward to return to it.

Brutus stops suddenly, rearing back a bit. Alucard’s eyes sharpen as he looks out into the forest, clearly hearing something. You watch him turn his head this way and that.

He calls your name. “__________, stay in the—”

You feel something drop into the wagon behind you, knocking things aside and pulling up close to your back.

It is not a warm presence. It is ice cold.

A hand grabs you roughly by the hair from behind, forcing you to bear your neck. You shriek in pain, unable to hide it. The shriek breaks into a gasp as you feel something sharp at the front of your throat, barely catching a gleam of the attacker’s blade.

Your head is wrenched so far back by the fist threatening to yank out your hair, that you can’t even lock eyes with Alucard. You can only focus on the trees lining above and try not to wrestle too much so that you don’t cut your own throat.

‘This is very different from the last time I looked up like this,’ you note uselessly. ‘Let me understand who we’re fighting before I try anything…’

You quickly try tapping into other senses. You can hear two others drop nearby, on either side of the wagon. You can smell the scent of old blood and grime.

Alucard doesn’t make a sound, doesn’t say a word. Brutus settles.

The one holding you at knifepoint laughs, their belly bouncing against your back. You feel sick.

“Little prince,” the one behind you calls. His voice is thick, like the seafaring folk of the north. “We heard the king is gone. Thought you were too. Guess it got mixed up in the letters.”

‘Vampires,’ you understand, putting it all together.

The breath rolling off your attacker smells rancid and you wince. Your captor notices, yanking you again and earning another whine out of you.

“Don’t like that, do you? Here, have some more—ah, ah, ah, little prince!” you feel the knife burrow a little closer in your skin, barely cutting it. “You’re fast, yes you are! But my knife will be faster. And your pretty little livestock will not recover from a blow like this. Hold your place.”

It is silent then, and another heavily accented voice from the side chips in.

“They say our leader never returned from your father’s castle,” it spits. “Where is Godbrand?”

“It seems,” Alucard clips in a low, threatening manner you’ve yet to hear yourself before, “you already know. What did you come for?”

“Godbrand,” they state again. “You will take us to him.”

Alucard laughs then, low and mirthless. “An army came and went. A rebellion began and ended. Where have you three been this whole time?”

You hear hissing and shuffling about.

“Give her to me,” Alucard says, “and I let you live.”

The one behind you laughs again, curdling your stomach with the smell, the cruelty.

“This isn’t a bargain or a trade, boy. Have you gone insane? Look at all this shit,” he kicks something in the wagon aside, “Cabbages! For a bloodsucker? Ha! You’re a trader now, Prince? You play merchant and house with this human whore? You, who can fly across nations, teleport through realities, and shapeshift into anything...taking this piece of shit wagon in the woods?”

The man spits and you pray it was to the side and not in your hair. Fucker.

“You sicken me! Weak. Your father would rattle to life if he knew what you were up to with those talents, wasting them for pussy. Like father, like son I guess.”

You can see the woods darken from where you are. You can spy the treetops begin to shroud in dark clouds. The air feels heavy.

Something is coming.

“You do not know my father,” Alucard says. “And as you said yourself…just like your pissant leader, your king is dead too.”

You shiver at the boldness in his statement, afraid of the knife slicing across your neck in retribution. Is he even thinking of you? But you hear it then…the vampire behind you…his breath hitches. You are saved from the foul smell.

The vampires are afraid, you understand. Alucard knows this.

You decide to use this moment. You feel behind you for the vampire holding you hostage and try to focus the energy from your core. Sparks fly between your fingers and it is enough to jolt the assailant. You use his surprise to lean back into him, away from the knife and staggering him to the side.

It is the wrong move. The vampire simply uses inhuman strength to get you right back where he wants you, hands gripped in his fist behind your back and your neck under the blade. You’re both gasping from the struggle, but now with the vampire’s grip twisting your wrists instead of your hair, you can see Alucard and the others.

Alucard is closer, now. Just before the wagon, almost. His eyes burn into you before focusing on the attacker. You have never seen them more animalistic than that first day you met.

“See? Fast,” the assailant behind you sing-songs again. “But not faster than the knife!”

The other two vampires draw in behind Alucard, who pays them no mind. The one behind you tightens his grip on you. You feel your eyes begin to traitorously well up, all the emotions running high from this dangerous situation and frustration from being unable to reach Alucard…safety…who is just out of arm’s reach.

“What’s so special about this one?” the vampire asks, nudging his face against yours tauntingly. His beard leaves a burn behind that you despise. “Can’t be what’s under the dress. Those are all the same. Maybe it’s the blood?”

You feel a tongue lathe at your cheek then, and groan in disgust as you try to inch away without running towards the knife. It’s impossible, and you’re trapped in the game of cat and mouse.

Alucard’s eyes darken even further.

“I think,” Alucard begins, his voice steady and his footsteps backing slowly away from the wagon, “you abandoned your posts. I think you felt that you could slither back from where you came without Godbrand…only to find others like him, who would rip you apart for your cowardice. You thought by coming here you would spare yourselves from that...”

The darkness grows so heavy that you can hardly see. Alucard’s voice is the only thing that can cut it.

“...You should’ve let them rip you apart.”

“Oh-ho…now I know she must taste divine, for you to act this way,” your trapper calls, before he foolishly moves the knife from your throat and uses it to cut at your dress in a quick move. Your dress’s front opens and your sleeve is harshly moved aside, sharp teeth sinking into your shoulder. Before the teeth even puncture, you hear something sharp ring through the air.

It all happens so fast, you can hardly catch it.

A long sword erupts at your side, running through your assailant’s head and missing yours by inches. The vampire pulls off of you to shout, dropping his knife, and you lunge forward and away. You hear his screams warble and croak off behind you.

Another vampire leaps to grabs you up by the shoulders, yanking you off the wagon entirely. You feel his hands get ripped away from you as you hit the forest floor harshly. You’re quick to stand, swaying in confusion and adrenaline before trying to flee. Alucard and another assailant visualize before you, weapons swinging midair before they vanish once more. It’s almost as if you imagined it…but you can still hear the battle echoing around you.

'Fast,' you understand, turning back and ducking under the wagon.

Too fast for a human to run away from, likely. You don’t want to get in Alucard’s way while he disposes of these ambushers.

You hear clangs and hisses, shouts and bodies hitting the forest floor. Soon enough, it is quiet. You see Alucard’s boots materialize in front of the wagon.

‘He’s here,’ you think.

You crawl from under the wagon and before you can even move to stand, Alucard’s hands pull you up and draw you in. You clutch the front of his blouse tightly, squeezing into him and the cradle of his arms.

That was scary. You don’t want to go through that again. Now that Alucard’s here, it’s alright.

You peek past his hold and spy a leg on the ground. Just one, nameless leg.

‘Right then. He took care of things.’

He pulls you back, his grip firm. His eyes rove over you as his hair flies astray, made a mess from the fight.

“Are you hurt?”

You look up to him to speak, and find yourself voiceless.

The ride back to the castle is a blur for you. The bodies of the vampires are left long behind and Alucard is sure to let the wagon roll over them on the disembarkment.

You sit in front of him instead of in the wagon, his arms tight around you.

Once at the castle, he makes quick work of unholstering the horse and stabling it away. He unloads the wagon. Then he finds you, still standing amongst everything, waiting for him and lost in your thoughts.

You’re guided through the castle in silence, the arrival to your personal bathroom harkened by the loud steps on the floor.

Alucard runs the tub’s faucet, steaming water jetting out. You sit aside, looking straight ahead and pawing at your neck, feeling the puncture marks and frowning.

Alucard looks at you then, stepping over to lift your hair aside, gazing at your bruised neck.

“Will I turn…?” you rasp.

“No,” he murmurs. “Their intent was to feed. Not to change.”

You feel the tears then, and sniffle a bit before looking down at the floor. Alucard lowers his hand before brushing a few of the tears away. His thumb, his touch, is not cold like theirs you realize.

It is anything but.

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The trips come to an end, abruptly.

After the attack, you find that Alucard is unwilling to return to town anytime soon.

You’re annoyed, but you understand why. He’s borne of an immortal creature, somewhat like a demigod on Earth. Trouble like what you faced on the road before is not hindrance to him.

It’s you.

You’ve picked up your skills, but you still feel shaken after those vampires got so close to you…literally close enough to taste. It scared you then and it rattles you now.

He buffs up the insulation for the stable and prepares bedding and blankets for the animals. He takes cuttings from the garden to inventory in dry storage, there for future use while the Earth’s soil freezes over for the season.

Not long after, the snow begins to fall and frost begins to set.

It is terribly beautiful from the castle. You can see the forest spread out far and wide, the treetops painted white and the snow falling easily. The stone of the castle keeps you warm from the elements, able to enjoy the beauty from a perch you weren’t always able to use.

You can almost remember the feel of trudging through thick snow like that, nothing but boots and cloth. Like a true adventurer.

You feel a bit nostalgic.

‘What am I missing…?’ you wonder.

One day, he catches you staring out the castle windows at the snowy grounds below.

“Don’t fret,” he assures, interpreting your expression to be woe. “Spring will return soon enough. It may be safer to travel, then.”

When you don’t respond right away, he comes nearer and looks out the window with you.

“You’ve made your way through the library, I would assume. Nothing left to peer over?”

You think for a moment, your thoughts taking a while to gather as you take in the snow.

“Are you reading something at the moment, Alucard?”

“I am.”

‘I am lonely,’ you realize.

Yet, your host is right here. Perhaps he could help solve this dilemma?

“Can I read with you?” you ask, your voice softer than intended.

Alucard pauses a moment, clearly surprised. “With me...?”

“Yes,” you say. “With you.”

“I…” he looks at you for a long moment before nodding slightly. “Where would you prefer—”

“The parlor,” you decide. “In front of the fireplace.”

You head to the parlor together, quiet through the halls. Soon enough, you enter one of the many throughout the castle. You often wonder why this one is favored for Alucard, though you’ve never drawn it upon yourself to ask why.

You find you quite like it yourself. The colors are warm, the books rise high against their glassed cases, the fireplace is grand and warm, and the rugs and throws are divine. The settee is of a more soft material than the other leathered furniture in the castle.

It is softer, here.

You sit easily in front of the fireplace, on the fur rug before it. It is clean and cozy for a floor, a far cry from the floors you’ve both sat and slept on in the past during your travels when an inn was out of the question. The fire crackles loudly as you settle, thinking back on the days before you were housed, your vagabond adventures.

You sigh contentedly and watch the fire, your dress swaddling around you as you settle. You don’t even notice your host until he is beside you, holding out your current book.

‘So he still tracks me,’ you think amusedly. “Surely my reading habits cannot interest you this much?” you jest.

Alucard ignores your teasing before taking his own and seating himself in the chair next to the rug. It faces the fire, the glow warming you both.

You watch as he takes off his jacket and vest, hanging them aside and relaxing in one of the simpler white blouses he sometimes dons. He palms open his book and begins taking in the story before him.

You note how rigid he is.

‘Is he nervous?’ you wonder suddenly. As far-reaching as it is for someone like him, you feel as though he is. Maybe all this time, he wasn’t disgusted, but instead unsure of what to do with himself.

‘Hopeless man.’

“Relax,” you insist, tugging at his nearest leg beside you. He pauses in the chair at your touch, but you do not relent. You smooth a comforting hand down his calf casually before pulling away easily. “There’s no reason to trouble yourself with whatever is rattling around in that head of yours. Let the fire warm you. Relax.”

You relax on the rug, one hand on the floor and the other flipping through your book as you read.

“Are you quite comfortable?” he asks suddenly.

You look up, watching Alucard watch you. You nod, smiling before looking back to your book.

It is a warmer feeling now than it was by the window, and though the fire helped, it was not the cause.

You find yourself toeing your shoes off and curling into the carpet, watching him watch you.

'Enough of this.'

You go over to him and his chair before seating yourself on his lap and curling up on him in the chair, book in hand. You feel his body turn like stone underneath you, but you choose to relax further, opening the book as you lay your head on his chest, curls tumbling down his front.

It is quiet for a long time, and you sigh comfortably before sinking back into your story and relaxing on your host. He unfolds inch by inch before finally unclenching himself all the way through, loose and easy.

He does not ask that you stop. He does not say a word. You hardly think he's breathing at this point.

You smile. 'Now was that so hard...?'

Alucard's hand suddenly reaches over to pluck the book out of your grasp before putting it aside; he then touches the underside of your jaw.

"What are you doing?" he murmurs at you. It's not a question, not really.

"Whatever I want," you reply easily, meeting his gaze. "I know that's probably fascinating for someone as straight-edge as y—"

His lips are against yours before you can even finish the sentence. His hands tangle in your hair, fingers unable to run through and clenching at your scalp instead, directing you. He leans you back as he leans forward, eager to seemingly sink into the very being of you.

He's never been this forceful with you before. It has never felt so good.

Your eyes draw closed against it, a whimper escaping you before you kiss back eagerly. You don't know who started with tongue but you're both pursuing it now, chasing one another down as the kiss continues into something more heating.

'He doesn't taste like blood,' you think. 'He tastes like wine.'

You hear the fireplace crackling at your side, the fever of the flames against your skin, the rustling noise of your dress against his clothes, and more than anything...you feel the hot, iron handprint of his touch at your waist, at your neck, at your shoulders, on and on the touching continues.

He pulls back, rasping words escaping him.

"You don't know what you're asking for," he begins, stroking at your waist as he eyes your mouth, fighting himself not to kiss you again. The words are bitten out, barely restrained.

"I'm not asking anything," you say, repositioning yourself in the chair to straddle him. "But if you show me...? Then maybe I'll ask nicely. Just for you."

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AN: Do not under any circumstances copy, repost, or edit any of my work. If you see someone do so, please let me know.

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seoulsenshi · 2 years

Text

Sweet Lies

When you find out your boyfriend of three years is cheating on you, you don’t confront him. Instead, you get back at him by fucking the man he hated the most; Sasuke Uchiha.

cw: Infidelity, cheating (kinda.....) unprotected sex, smut, explicit language, black coded fem reader, please excuse any errors.

Normally when someone finds out their lover is cheating on them, they confront them. They hold up the pictures, videos, and text messages and scream at them. They demand answers and it usually ends with someone crying. You, on the other hand, did none of those things. Instead, you pretended as if you knew nothing. You pretended that you didn’t smell the sweet scent of another woman’s perfume. You ignored the stray pink hairs on his coat and the lipstick stain on the collar of his dress shirt.

You memorized the text messages and watched the videos again and again as he laid in bed next to you. You knew. You knew Naruto Uzamaki, the man you loved for three years had replaced you with a pink haired woman. The very woman he swore he did not love anymore. Sakura Haruno. Snorting, you sipped on your wine as you glanced down at yet another video he saved on his phone. The same video you had saved to your laptop. In the video, Naruto had her by the hips. Loud, lustful moans filling the air as he told her to moan and beg him to keep going. Blonde hair stuck to his cheeks as he buried himself in the petite woman under him.

“Mnn…Naruto! Ah! AH! Please…mmhp….don’t stop!” Sakura’s voice filled your headphones and you paused the video. Looking up at the clock on the wall, the time read 3:05 am. Naruto said he’d be home by ten.

A sad chuckle bubbled up from your throat and you closed down the video. You should be crying. You should be angry. You should be tossing all of his shit into a big pile on the front lawn and watch as it burns. Even if you did all that, it wouldn’t be enough. You wanted him to hurt. You wanted him to feel sick to his stomach. You had confinded in your closes friends Temari and Hinata about Naruto’s unfaithfulness and they both argeed that you should have said something to him. Confrontng him wouldn’t make you feel better. But you knew what would.

It was no secret that Naruto hated Sasuke Uchiha. There was just something about the dark haired male that lit a fire inside your boyfriend. The story was the two were “rivals” during their time in high school-if you could call Sasuke getting top marks while Naruto had to attend summer school a rivalry. Either way, the two boys did not like each other. Although it seemed Sasuke paid the loud blonde no mind. Sasuke harbored no ill will towards Naruto. Now you would simply give him another reason to hate him.

And that’s how you found yourself standing outside Sasuke’s lavish penthouse. You would thank Temari for giving you the chance to get in contact with the younger Uchiha sibling. The door opened and he looked you over silently. Deep inky eyes slowly roamed over you. From the top of your head where your braids sat in a high bun, to the deep purple choker around your neck, and the matching dress with a sweetheart neckline. The black heels on your feet complete with a cute anklet. Sasuke dressed in a white button up and black slacks, stepped aside so you could come in. Nervously, you sat across from him as you swirled the bourbon in your glass. You hastily explained to him why you wanted to see him and why you needed his help. Once done, you finished your drink as if it were a shot and set the glass down on the coffee table. Silence filled the air, and you fidget on the lush sofa.

“This was probably a dumb idea. You know what….just forget it. Forget I said it. This was stupid.” You begin to rise from your seat and Sasuke does the same.

He walks over to you and looks down at you.

“Are you sure about this?” Comes his reply.

Your eyes slightly go wide before you steel yourself and nod. “Yes. If I wasn’t sure. I wouldn’t have come here.” That seemed to be enough for him as he pulls you to him and gently places his lips over yours.

Two. Three. Maybe four rounds later you find yourself, face down in his bed. Sasuke’s hands gripping one hip as the other holds your phone in hand to record. Lewd noises come from your mouth as he hits that one spot that makes you see stars.

“Fuck!~ Sasuke!” You scream tears filling your eyes as he pounds you into the mattress. His grunts loud as he taunts Naruto.

“Damn..mn..Naruto. I knew you were dumb but I didn’t think you were this dumb. Shit! You let a woman like this go? Awww baby don’t go quiet now. Let him know how good I make you feel. Let him know since he wasn’t doing a good job! Use. Your. Words.” Each word punctured by a hard thrust inside you.

You grip the sheets eyes rolling into your head as you try to form words. How could you? “S….Sasuke…please. Please! It’s so good. So fucking good!” You shout thankful that his place was on the top floor which meant no one could hear you.

“Good girl. You hear that Naruto? You hear how cute she sounds? It’s a damn shame baby. This cute little body was being ignored because he’s too busy fucking someone else. Don’t worry. I’ll make you feel better.”

You cried out as he smacked your ass hard, gripping the flesh of your ass in his hands. His thrusts never slowing as he leaned down to kiss the space between your shoulder blades.

“You gonna cum again baby?” Sasuke asked you. You nod, whimpering. You hear him scoff and he pulls back only to slam in hard.

“Baby use your words. I want to hear you say it.” He coos and you hear the smile in his voice.

“Yes! Yes I’m gonna cum!” Your reward is another kiss and moves the phone in front of the two of you. Eyes blurry from tears and cum, you see your face and his in the screen. Sasuke smirks and drops a kiss on your shoulder. It’s so fucked up. But so hot. Sasuke’s firm frame against your plush one. Gods the man can fuck.

“Don’t worry Naruto. I’ll take good care of her since you’re preoccupied with someone else. “ Sasuke’s smirk forms into a full devilish grin and you wonder if you just made a deal with a devil. He looks to you as he feels your walls squeeze around him and he pulls you close with his hand. “That’s it. Cum for me baby. Cum all over this dick again. Make a mess.” He murmurs and that’s all you need to go over the edge. You scream his name as you cum from yet another earth shattering orgasm and you feel him fill you up. Sasuke ends the video with a laugh and he gently pulls out of you. Your body goes limp on the mattress as you hear the sound of running water. Sasuke returns with a rag and begins to clean you up. His movements are gentle and your finger hovers above the text message.

Again, he asks you, “Are you sure?” You look down at him and pull him up towards you. You press a kiss against his lips and his cheek.

“I’m sure. I can’t spare his feelings. He didn’t spare mine.” You send the video to Naruto and place the phone on the nightstand. Sasuke lays next to you and you curl up beside him. The loud chime of your ringtone goes off and so does Sasuke’s. He grabs his phone and you see Sakura’s name on the caller ID. You tense.

“Wait. Sasuke was Sakura your girlfriend?” You ask him and he nods silently. He too tosses his phone onto the nightstand before his lips claim yours again.

“She didn’t spare mine either.” He mutters and you wrap your arms around his neck. Your lips find his again as his touch drowns out the shrill ringing of your phones, and you let him bring you over the edge once more.

#reader x sasuke #sasuke x reader #sasuke smut #sasuke uchiha fanfic #sasuke oneshot #sasuke x y/n #sasuke x fem!reader #sasuke x fem!black reader #black mc #black fem!reader

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ikemen-bully · 3 months

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Literally you just had to say that I can be black in the game and I would have downloaded it way earlier. White skinned folks really don't know how good they have it when it come to self insert content.

#love & deepspace #black mc #black selfship #black self insert #black reader #ect ect

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alexxncl · 10 months

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obey me characters at the spades table

if you didn't know by now, my mc and i are both black

this will probably be centered around the brothers

this is also v much me projecting

masterlist

luci is decent at best. he gets in his head too much and doesn't pay attention to the table when he needs to

he also takes forever to pick what card to play after he wins a book like c'mon old man

mammon is really fucking good at it, and him and mc always pair up on game night

he counts cards, bids perfectly, and somehow almost always deals perfect hands to him and his partner

...unless there's money involved

the one time him and mc teamed up when they bet real money, he almost died /srs (lucifer had to hold them back from ripping his head off after he cut their book for the fifth time)

levi is bad....like really bad

he tries tho! he's just not good at it

he'll keep score, but he won't play

especially not with mc

please don't make him play with mc

it's too stressful and involves too much thinking and he gets distracted too easily to watch the table

satan is good, but not because he wanted to be better at lucifer than something

he also can count cards just as good as -- if not better than -- mams, and he knows exactly what's in someone's hand by the way they react once the hand is dealt

asmo can play go fish.

i'm so sorry

but i feel like he sits in on spades games to just see mc get mad

he'll cheer them on! that's about it

beel and belphie cannot be on the same team. ever.

like they actually have some sort of mental connection and will say their bid at the same exact time and it's fucking terrifying to watch

if they're not on the same team, belphie always pairs up with satan and insists that they play against lucifer and mc

he'll reneg on purpose just to piss them off

beel doesn't care who he's with, he just wants to have fun

diavolo was invited to game night eventually and had never heard of the game

but he loved the competitiveness of human world card games!

only wanted to pair up with luci, mc, and barbatos, but he was terrible when he first started

...like worse than levi bad

be cut every last one of mc's books in every hand and cost them the game

every time he said he wanted to pair up with mc they felt a part of themselves die

they made him get an app on his phone to practice and he got better...eventually

barbatos only played if dia asked him to, he'd politely declined otherwise (he was too scared to play with mc)

solomon has old man syndrome like lucifer and is banned from the spades table. permanently

he reneged every turn and mc almost jumped over the table

simeon liked playing! but he knew he wasn't that great at it

threw the little joker out on the first hand "just to see what was out there" and mc actually had to walk out of the room

he'd say what he had in his hand, winning book or not, and everyone collectively facepalmed

he got the hang of it eventually though!

he still doesn't play often

luke just liked to watch :) he'd let asmo paint his nails while they both cheered on mc

and he'd make food and drinks for everyone with barbatos for them to have in between rounds

mephisto hated the game simply he never got dealt good hands, even when he was the one dealing

he'd watch from afar...but he wouldn't join in unless dia or mc asked him to

thirteen rarely ever made it to game nights early on, but she'd skip out on her reaper duties to drop by once she and the rest of the group became closer

more opportunities to prank solomon AND see the vein in mc's neck pop out because of how pissed they are ??? it's a win-win for her

she played every once in a while and is as skilled as lucifer, but she's quicker on her feet and better at strategizing

she can't count cards for shit and can never remember which suit led

raphael always got dealt the best hands but never knew how to play, even after mc watched over his shoulder and guided him the entire time

he's hopeless

but he likes to watch!

game nights at the house of lamentation are always all fun and games until mc slams a deck of cards on the table

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radchoco · 5 months

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It's done....All my outfits for my obey me mc, Charxa! This took so long, as mentioned in the art itself, I went through a lot of looking at references to get stuff right and stuff

I love my girl, Charxa, I can't wait to do more arts with her ^o^

#radchocobeyme #obey me mc #obey me #obey me outfits #obey me charxa #charxa #black mc #obey me black mc

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mercedesdecorazon · 2 years

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[Excerpt - beware, I might rewrite this one]

He looked at her and she looked at him. She was sitting by the firepit by herself and he wanted to keep her company.

"May I... sit next to you?" Lucas was annoyed at the fact that he was nervous around her. He was used to being so confident around women; the women were usually nervous around him.

But Rosalia wasn't nervous at all. To the contrary, she seemed relaxed. She stared at him calmly, a mischievous glint in her brown eyes.

"Are you sure?" She asked blandly. "Because just two days ago you were avoiding me like the plague."

He sighed, exasperated. Of course she was going to make this harder than it needed to be. "Look, I'm sorry. Again. I was being stupid and dumb-"

"Come." She patted the empty space next to her.

He obeyed immediately, feeling his body move automatically to his surprise. He sat next to her closely, making sure to press his body very close to hers.

"Easy as that," she smiled.

Her body was very soft and Lucas could smell her strawberry-mango perfume mixed with a hint of Shea butter. Her purple bikini matched beautifully with her dark skin and her hair was down for once with a matching purple headband, she opting not to wear her signature ponytail today.

He had to admit, he was entranced by her.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, his fingers lightly touching her hair.

She grasped his hand, entwining her fingers with his. Lucas smirked in satisfaction as his fingers lightly brushed her breast. She didn't seem to mind, holding his hand, contented.

Their fellow Islanders walked past them, looking at them in confusion and in shock.

Lucas frowned, annoyed by everyone's reactions.

Rosalia smiled, amused.

~~~

Thank you so much @beesandfigsblog for illustrating this! I couldn't stop thinking about this and I couldn't staring at this 😍 You always somehow manage to capture Rosalia's essence so easily. Thank you so much 💓

This is the first illustration of Rosalia and Lucas together so I'm more excited on what's to come!

#litg #litg lucas #litg mc: rosalia #litg season 2 #litg s2 #litg fanart #litg and black women #black mc #upcoming litg fanfiction #litg lucas x rosalia #litg ff alien

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dragonmaiden39point5 · 3 months

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#dragonmaiden79 #dragonmaiden39point5 #black oc #black mc #ikemen games #ikemen #ikemen series #ikepri #ikesen #midcin #ikemen sengoku #midnight cinderella #ikevamp #ikemen vampire #ikerev #ikemen revolution #ikevil #ikemen villains #ikemen prince

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lexisackerman · 4 days

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Lexis and Levi Matching

#obey me mc #obey me #obey me fanart #om leviathan #levi obey me #obey me leviathan #black oc #black mc

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brownandblackpearls · 2 years

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🦇𝒯he 𝒱isitor (Alucard Tepes x BlackReader) Pt.6

PART 6 SUMMARY:

Alucard has found you in the depths of his castle. You spend the night outside the castle together, and you bear witness to a few more of your host’s supernatural abilities. You learn more about him, about his life, and he learns of you. You’re both opening up...but what secrets remain? And are you ready to learn those too, under the light of the moon? Or will the shadows swallow you back up...?

─── Alucard x black female reader

─── imagery + fiction

─── explicit smut

─── Fantasy, vampires, hurt/comfort, enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, magic user, cute bats, gardening, cooking, cottagecore MC, castlecore Alucard.

☾ previous. ☾ next.

┌───────────━┿──┿━──────────┐

└───────────━┿──┿━──────────┘

You imagined Alucard’s return to his form to be something macabre and anatomical, full of moving muscle and crunching bones.

His change back is more like a whisper in the night. Something that is a part of him and not a gruesome, forced curse. Something inherent. Natural.

‘Supernatural.’

He looks to you then, his eyes just the same as they had been when he wore the skull of a wolf instead of that of a man’s.

“You shouldn’t wander,” he says simply, as if nothing has happened. Perhaps to him, nothing had. Another uneventful night in his mind, surely, you guess.

You nod, unsure whether to thank him for finding you deep in the castle’s nooks, or whether you should keep your silence and your grudge over his treatment of you the past few days.

You decide that the night’s events have made you rather tired and that you don’t possess much more energy for anger. Perhaps tomorrow.

“Thank you. For finding me,” you attempt to salvage.

“Always,” Alucard murmurs, before moving away and turning his head to see if you’ll follow.

You do. You feel yourself wonder at his choice of words just now, but smother the feeling.

‘No more investigating every little word or thought. I’m tired...’

You try to keep a respectable distance, yet you note that Alucard slows his pace until he is at your side. His eyes look ahead yet his expression is concerned, and he seems to be struggling with something.

“Earlier, I...” he sighs. “It seems that I keep finding myself in situations where I owe you an apology.”

“Yes. Well.” You don’t try to put on airs. As nice as it is to have someone apologize to you these days, it’d sooner be more pleasant to see action behind such words.

The road held its stories. Anyone could say anything. Never did that make it true.

You learned that the hard way.

“I am sorry,” Alucard states. “I often forget that how I partake in solitude and how I behave with others must differ. Another excuse, yes. Yet it truly is...too easy to forget.”

You shrug. You suppose that if you were a half-vampire holed away for God knows how long...you’d lack certain manners too.

“Does it make you...resentful…? That you must treat a human like me so carefully?”

Alucard shakes his head, looking straight down the dark corridor.

“No. It makes me…remember.”

‘Remember?’

“Remember what?” you ask.

Alucard’s face really shadows over then, and you find yourself realizing that as forlorn and cold as he’s looked since your stay, you have never seen him quite this sad.

“My friends,” he breathes, before turning on his heel and continuing down the corridor.

‘Friends,’ you think to yourself. ‘I never stopped to wonder about his friends. Family, yes. Enemies, certainly. Acquaintances, trysts, lovers perhaps…but never friends.’

“Even creatures of the night have friends,” he jests coolly, but there is truth in it.

You smile, drawing nearer as his steps slow from their hurried pace. He has seemed to remember himself. “You are no creature of the night, just lousy at waking early. And of course you’d have friends. Of course.”

“Of course?” His brow lifts.

“Well yes. Everyone has friends.”

“What about you then? Your friends.”

You pause, finding yourself taken aback.

What about you? What about your friends?

You’ve met them over the years on the road. Acquaintances, interests…and yes, even friends. But they never stayed. And neither did you. No addresses to pen to. No pigeons to send off. No magic mirrors of legend.

Just you.

“I suppose…I had them. Before.”

Alucard looks at you then, really looks at you. Then he gives you the saddest smile.

“How lonely.”

You do not know whether to be insulted or to cry. It was lonely. It is lonely.

Perhaps that’s why you fight so hard for attention now that you have something more permanent, more stable...? But you’re not sure how kindly you take that comment coming from someone who lived in a castle vast enough to house entire cities and yet held no one but himself. If anyone should be lonely, it would be Alucard, right...?

...Right?

You look at your skirts and the floor, thinking.

It was so easy for you to see his loneliness. His solitude wrapped around him like a cloak.

Yours? That was much harder. You hid it. And you smiled, and you said all the right things, but there it was. There it remained.

And perhaps there it would stay, no matter how many towns you went to or sights you saw. No matter how many things you pried out of your host who was clearly not used to company.

You were afraid you would...always be alone. In the middle of the woods, in a crowded room, none of it mattered it seemed.

And it felt like Alucard was looking straight into the heart of it, feeling awfully sorry for you. Maybe more sorry than you’d ever taken the time to feel for yourself.

You feel yourself leaning towards being upset when Alucard moves toward you, drawing your attention.

“It's dark outside and creatures roam, but...the moon is bright and I am here. We could see the garden. Unless you’re ready to retire for the night...?”

You find your eyes widening in pleasure, your heart vibrating with anticipation. A garden hardly holds up to all the wondrous things you’ve seen on your travels, but after a measurable time in the castle exploring its brickways and hidden delights (and horrors), you are ready for some fresh air that is not from a precipitous balcony.

“I want to see...but perhaps you’re right. I hardly think I could make it all the way out there and back as tired as I am.”

You feel yourself wilt at the thought that you will miss out on the outing you’d been hoping for. You had to be realistic with yourself, though. Traipsing these grounds was no cakewalk.

“There is a way.”

You perk up at that. “A secret passageway?”

“No. Well, probably, but no. There is a faster way.”

Alucard comes closer then, peering down at you. You can feel his presence rolling off of him, you can see the tight knitting in his thread-wear. You can even scent his cologne, something deep and dark and old.

“Are you afraid of bats?”

───────────━┿──┿━──────────

Alucard possesses many supernatural gifts. This, you learn tonight.

The white wolf had been illuminating enough. But now, as you are shrouded in darkness, hearing nothing but the sound of flapping and the feeling of thin-skinned wings touching you lightly all over, you wonder what you’ve gotten yourself into.

When the bats clear and your vision goes from total blackness to the vast night sky, you realize that you stand on solid ground now instead of shapeless, shifting swathes of night flyers.

The cloud of bats is silent save for flapping, with not a shrill or scream to be heard. The mass unfolds from around you, disappearing to the edges of your vision and recollecting out of sight with only sound to signify.

It happens so quickly, that by the time you are turning to follow the mist of the bats, you hear something that sounds akin to a whirlpool closing in on itself rapidly; you watch with wide eyes as the bats gather together, glowing in a red unshapely blob, before snapping into the image of a man. The last things to fade from the red glow into visceral reality are his eyes.

His gaze appears tinted with humor at your clear astonishment from the whole endeavor.

“See? Faster.”

“I...yes.”

“Did it hurt?” he asked. He stepped away and waited, and soon enough you realized he was leading you once again.

“No. It was odd, if anything.” You think it is a funny question, as you are sure he took the consideration to ensure that the journey didn’t hurt or startle.

You stay close, eyes widening as you spy where he was leading you.

The garden.

The same garden you had spotted so long ago on your way into this place. It is not as blooming as before, the soil covered in pine needles, foliage, and some areas with tarp.

“Ah, you prepared it well,” you note. “You do this before every winter season?”

“Not as thoroughly,” Alucard says, observing the state of the garden. “Usually I let most of them die and sprout unaided in the spring. Only this season did I harvest and prepare.”

“Why?” you wonder.

Alucard looks at you then, and suddenly you realize.

‘Because of me.’

Because of you...you who is wholly flesh and bone, you, a human, you who needs sustenance and warmth and care during the winter months...You are not supernatural like him, and you cannot last like him. This much he understands. He seemed to have taken the prospect seriously by doing all of this work.

You find yourself speechless. A nervous hand of yours draws to the tight curls on the nape of your neck, detangling them anxiously.

“I...thank you for thinking of me. I had...no idea.”

Alucard nods almost imperceptibly before kneeling down towards the drying garden bed, sifting leather-clad fingers through the dirt.

You follow after, the night’s dew glistening back the moonlight and softly dampening the edges of your dress.

The air is cooling, you realize. You find yourself gasping outside of your control.

“Ah—”

A sudden shiver runs up your body. Winter is upon you and the air’s chill only hints at that fact further.

You feel movement by you and you wrap your hands tightly around your kneeled form, forcing a chuckle through the tremors.

“The chill out here is something else, isn’t it?”

You feel it then.

A large, heavy cowl is laid over your shoulders, covering your frame entirely. You freeze, feeling the warmth emanating off of it. It smells deeply of the smoky scent you associate with...Alucard.

You turn and catch his gaze, set aback. He eyes lower to the lapels, and he angles towards the front of you so that he may draw the clasps closed, covering you completely. He begins to slowly stand, and as if in a trance, you stand with him; perhaps an unsuspecting outsider would assume the two of you to be in a dark, pagan dance on this moonlit night in the woods. Finally fully upright, he fastens the final clasp closed, but his hands do not release you; instead, they trace back to the collar and draw it together firmly, making the coat feel that much closer to your skin.

He has never met your gaze this long. He has never stood this close.

His amber eyes momentarily lower to the buttons, then the ground, and finally they lift to take you in once more.

“I’ve been careless.” The admission is low, almost like a whisper, despite the night’s quiet and the chilled breeze overhead.

Careless? About what? The night air? The revealing of his numerous abilities? Something else entirely...?

You open your mouth to respond but cannot find the words. Alucard fills the silence for you both.

“You are human. And you need more than I cared to give.”

You feel your mouth part in surprise, unsure of what to say.

“I...I don’t understand.”

Alucard leans down then, equaling himself to your height.

“You will.”

You find your body drawing even closer to him, the gap between the two of you growing infinitesimally smaller. He is like stone, still but steady. Something low brims between the empty space, and you feel like something going to occur—

“!”

A long, shrill, almost-human scream cuts through the dark night.

You feel your heart drop to the sole of your shoes. It sounded bad. Very bad.

Alucard’s expression hardly shifts to the level of fear you currently feel, but you do spot a hardening in his look. Concern bleeds into his face as he turns over his shoulder, seemingly listening to something you can’t hear.

“We’d better be on our way then.”

You nod, eager to get out of there.

“Is that a…night creature?”

“Yes. You’ve met one already, I presume.”

You sigh, agreeing. “Ever since I stepped foot in Wallachia, unfortunately. This place seems to be crawling with them.”

Alucard nods, all-too knowing.

The scream comes again, and this time, it sounds far too close.

Alucard doesn’t look as bothered as you feel inside. You begin attempting to chat away the fear.

“They don’t go down easy. Well…” you eye him warily, his stature, his gaze. “...maybe not for me.”

Alucard smirks then, shrugging.

“It’s a bit late for a needless fight. Let’s go back.”

You nod, glad for the warmth from his coat. The scream arises again, and you jump this time. It sounds even closer. Maybe it sniffed you both out?

“Should we run?” You ask with a shake in your voice, hearing something hulking and hissing fighting through the trees on yonder.

You feel as though you’ll see some hellish beast any minute.

“Hold on.”

You feel a hand grab you round the waist, and before you know it, you’re in the air hovering like a bird in the sky. You don’t even have time to log the latest ability of your host that you’ve discovered because you’re too preoccupied with watching the ground fall away from you both.

You shriek, closing your eyes and tucking your face away from the dizzying heights into the nearest solid surface, Alucard’s lapels. You try to ignore that you’ve never been quite this close to Alucard, the tufts of his blouse rubbing against your eyelids and lips, the thick material of his jacket flapping near your ear in the wind. You can feel your own skirts tousle about in the air dangerously, but you don’t have the heart to reach down and keep them close to your thighs.

Luckily, Alucard is the sort of supernatural gentleman to consider such things; he wraps his other arm underneath your legs, tucking in your skirts tight in his grasp as you bend, now held like a bride or a child. It is not enough to make you pull away from the illusory safety of his bosom and see just how far the ground is now below you both.

You shake and wonder if he feels the tremors. Your question is answered once you feel his face lower to gaze at you assumedly, his chin grazing your scalp and settling there easily.

“Is this worse than the trip here?” He wondered aloud.

The noise you let out is far from proper and you feel yourself shaking harder from the thrill of being up so high. The bats had hidden the last trip from your sight. It hardly felt like you were moving! Now, however...? You could feel and see everything, with only Alucard as an anchor to hold. Clearly he was used to being a night bird, but you were not. Not yet.

“Don’t look, if it scares you,” Alucard advises before jetting you both off towards the castle.

───────────━┿──┿━──────────

That night at the table is quiet.

You requested a drink before retiring as the journey out into the night air has left you parched.

Alucard not only obliged, but sought to escort you to the kitchens. Even he seemed to understand the difference of mood in the castle at night compared to the day. His company is a welcomed circumstance.

You sit before one another at the place you last were not so long ago, where your argument took place only hours before.

The tension from that last talk seems to still have a hold on the setting, you and Alucard both choosing silence for the moment. Tea steams between you both, a pot full. Your cup is draining as you quench yourself, but Alucard’s is empty.

‘Is he not thirsty?’ you wonder.

“Alucard, aren’t you parched?” You gesture towards the tea but Alucard will look at nothing else in the room but you.

“You were right. Before.” he admits. “I do not take human blood. I can. But I won’t.”

You nod, letting him unveil himself to you.

“Why lie?”

He sighs heavily, wrangling with something.

“It is difficult to...learn others. Sometimes it feels as though it is for nothing. They all pass by so quickly.”

‘Pass by? What does that mean?’

“Well, traveler I may be, I am here to stay for as long as you’ll have me. I like it here. I hoped I wasn’t burdening you.”

Alucard seems to soothe at that, his shoulders lowering a fraction and his brow easing.

“No. Nothing of the sort.”

You nod then, feeling like you’re both back where you started in a sense. He wants you there, you want to be there, but his actions say a different story at times and it confuses you. At least one thing is settled...

“Why won’t you drink blood if it is beneficial for you?”

He looks shocked then; not that you asked seemingly, but at the way you asked. You wonder if he expected a more angered response from your end towards his vampirism. If he expected disgust. But you know who you look at and where you are. You may not know exactly who Alucard is, but you know what he is. Half a man, half a vampire, and more things beyond either category entirely.

Those other things are more interesting to you anyway.

Learning what Alucard is was an old task. Learning who he is will be the challenge. As will it be for him to learn of you.

He considers your question for a moment and you almost believe he will not answer it, not until he begins to speak.

“My father...”

You know not if your eyes play tricks on you, but the room almost seems to darken. The candles lower and the fireplace hushes its crackling.

Even dead, the castle remembers its owner.

Alucard presses on.

“...he drank before. I was not alive to see it. But I know. He ceased the drinking once he met my mother. He was strong enough to go without it, as moral as one such as himself could manage. Stories may say otherwise, but I know this to be true. They were content for many years. After her loss, he drank once again. Insurmountably. None of it quenched him. None of it was enough.”

You feel your face fall. His eyes, as gold as they are...they look so empty right now.

“I will not drink. Not that.”

You sit back, thinking to yourself. Alucard has shared quite a large piece of himself that he keeps hidden away. Even speaking it seemed to cause him pain. And you wonder to yourself as a human woman, what kind of existence it is to be permanently at odds with yourself...your nature singing for one thing, your morality reaching for another. Always at odds, always in a tension.

You see it in Alucard, who you know now to be good. Maybe not open, maybe not the most considerate, but good. And in someone like Dracula, you wonder what kind of person Alucard’s mother was to make such a notoriously cruel creature...a powerful creature... put himself at odds with his own nature like that for her sake. And find happiness in it?

“I understand better now. Your mother must have been a unique person, Alucard.”

Alucard nods, eyes to the table, searching through memories only seen to him.

“She was.”

It is quiet for a moment, the silence comfortable. Then something seems to spark in Alucard’s eyes before he lifts his gaze to you, curious.

“What of your mother?”

You feel yourself freeze.

‘What?’

“I...” you begin, searching. “We were not close. My story is not so interesting. I will tell you about it on a different night.”

Alucard’s warm look melts away at your expression, and you quickly clear it up to avoid further investigation.

‘You madame, are a hypocrite...but for right now, I can live with that.’

Sensing your discomfort, Alucard nods to the window.

“The morning sun will rise anytime now. We’ve spent the night out and about, and you will tire soon. Even if it is a late morning for us both...”

You watch him, curious as to where he intends to go with this.

“...Yes?”

“...Would you accompany me to the garden once more after resting? There are some final portions of harvest that will not fit in storage. I sought to head into a different town to give them away or to trade.”

Alucard would not need the help of his visitor to sell a few vegetables on the road. He probably wouldn’t go through the trouble of selling any and just compost or dispose of it all, if not for you.

‘So he meant his apology. He is not annoyed by my presence. He desires it. And he seeks to prove it.’

You smile then, plucking up the teapot from between you two and pouring into his cup.

“I’d be happy to come along. And since we have a long day ahead of us, I insist you sustain yourself.”

You fill his cup and it steams. Pulling away, you gesture at the tea.

“Just because you do not drink blood does not mean that you do not drink at all,” you tease. “And perhaps in town we’ll find cider or ale at this time of year. Do you drink spirits, or is that off-limits also?”

Alucard shakes his head and smirks, his sharp fangs in clear view but his pleasure even more so. It sends a hair-raising thrill through you, and you bring your legs together under the wooden table. You hope he does not see, but you are not so sure; he lifts the cup of tea to his lips, gazing at you.

“I think I’ll manage.”

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wondereads · 1 year

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Personal Review (03/26/23)

Blood Debts by Terry J. Benton-Walker

Summary

In a version of New Orleans where magic is as common as cellphones, Clement and Cristina, twins, try to unravel an old conspiracy to protect their family. Clement has always admired generational magic, but his own attempts to practice it always seem to fall short. Compared to his sister, Cristina, who excels, he seems completely inept, but Cristina has stopped practicing magic due to a spell gone wrong that she's told no one about. When the twins discover a hex doll in their sick mother's bed, they are pulled into a mystery that spans generations and could change New Orleans for good.

TW: racism, homophobia (light), child abuse, blood, institutionalization, lynching

(Sorry I’ve been gone so long! You’ve no idea how busy I’ve been!)

Plot 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

This was a great combination between magical realism and mystery, bringing in healthy elements of each. The magic played a real and necessary role in the story, but it never overshadowed how important unraveling the mystery was. It was also a little unique in that the question wasn't who but how and why. Clement and Cristina know from the get-go who committed the murder, they just need to prove it to the public.

I also really like the magic of this story. It felt just more down-to-earth than the sweeping, dramatic spells that typically come with fantasy. There's a lot of detail about how certain spells work and how components contribute to that, and it feels like the author is familiar with the practice, or at least did a lot of research. The take on gods and their interactions with humans is also quite refreshing. The gods are involved in human life in a way I don't often seen in fantasy, with them appearing in bars and on people's doorsteps. Still, they don't lose the power and otherworldliness that would typically be associated with a deity.

One thing that I found difficult about this book was a general lack of urgency. While there are many great scenes with good tension, the moments were Clem and Cris are just researching or talking or anything, the momentum stalls. This is mostly because while this is a very important thing to the twins, there is ultimately no time limit. They aren't trying to get ready for an event or beat the clock on a spell or anything like that. As such, the tension, which is quite good in individual scenes, is lost in the in-between moments.

Characters 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Cristina and Clement are twins and share most of the narration, but they're pretty distinct in terms of personality. They have different ideologies concerning a lot of things, such as magic and morality, which generates a lot of conflict. Cristina was my personal favorite, just because I found her guilt and flexible morality quite interesting, and her arc felt complete. Not that I didn't like Clem, I just prefer my protagonists willing to commit murder, though he seems on his way by the end of the book. The way this book deals with grief is quite good, and Clem bears the brunt of it.

My favorite side character was probably Valentina. Don't get me wrong, I despised her, but I found her to be a great character with a lot of insight into the other side of things. I'm really interested to see how she develops in the next book considering what she's going through at the moment. Jean-Louise, who gets one chapter from his perspective, is incredibly complex, but it doesn't seem like we'll be getting more of him, which sucks. The other perspective side character, Zachary, can rot in hell, I don't want to see anything about him.

While I appreciated how complicated things were in Cris and Clem's family, I feel like it isn't addressed enough. Their mother and aunts have been estranged for quite a while, and while this is only the first book, Mama and Aunt Ursula have a reconciliation that seems rushed. I also feel like the only aunt I really know is Ursula—the rest are barely there.

Writing Style 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

The writing itself didn't particularly stand out to me. There was nothing bad about it, but nothing took my breath away either. I think there's a good balance between the more archaic, flowery writing associated with magic and fantasy and the modern, casual speech of today. There are very few pop culture references, and they are kept vague enough that it won't date the material. I think the pacing was good; other than those stalls I mentioned earlier, the build is steady and feels like a natural progression.

My major gripe is probably the style of narration, in that it has little variation. While Cris and Clem are very distinct in terms of personality, their narration is very similar. I often found myself flipping back to the chapter title to check who was speaking or checking which twin was actually getting called by their name since it was in first person. My final issue is with the texting. There is no indication as to who is sending which text, and sometimes people were double- or triple-texting, and I basically had to make educated guesses as to who was speaking.

Meaning 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

This book isn't as focused on modern issues as other contemporary stories are, but it by no means ignores it. Cris and Clem are Black, which affects their day-to-day lives significantly, and the backdrop of the story is filled with 'Redeemers', those who advocate for regulating magic. Gen (generational) magic is specifically a Black practice, born from necessity during American slavery. White people have their own magic, light and shadow magic, but the desire of certain white characters to be involved in gen magic plays a huge role in the story, especially how gen magic is targeted more than light or shadow.

My one issue is that I can't really pinpoint how the author wants us to feel about the Redeemers. It is an obvious issue that their efforts are the result of a long-ago murder of a white woman (that ended in a lynching) and inordinately targets gen magic. However, direct comparisons are drawn between it and gun control, which makes me inclined to support at least some restrictions, especially considering how magic is utilized for truly horrible means in this book. The characters never outright say how they feel about the Redeemers, but it seems to be mostly negative, which I am hesitant to side with.

Overall 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

I think this is a good book. The plot is interesting with a unique take on magical realism, the main characters are complex, and it addresses some important issues with magic as a stand-in for all kinds of cultural practices. I have my issues, mostly with the lack of urgency, narration, and unclear message, but they are by no means dealbreakers. The cliffhanger is attention-grabbing, definitely enough to get a reader to want to read the next book, and I just love Cristina so much. This book comes out on April 4th, so be sure to give it a shot!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital advanced reader copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Author

Terry J. Benton-Walker: American, also wrote Alex Wise vs the End of the World and The White Guy Dies First

The Reviewer

My name is Wonderose; I try to post a review every week, and I do themed recommendations every once in a while. I take suggestions! Check out my about me post for more!

#books #reviews #blood debts #terry j benton-walker #fantasy #ya #magical realism #black mc #black author #lgbt mc #lgbt author #twins #voodoo #cultural practices #new orleans

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creator-of-calm-queer-chaos · 7 months

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Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé Book Review

HOLY CRAP!! It deals with such important topics SO WELL I LOVE IT!!!

Okay here you go:

Fast facts:

Title: Ace of Spades Author: Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé Pronunciation Guide: Fa-ree-dah Ah-bee-keh Ee-yee-mee-deh Genre: YA Thriller Rating: 10/10

Review:

When you mix the mystery/thriller quality of One of Us is Lying but better with the complexity of race from The Weight of Blood but better, you get Ace of Spades. I cannot put into words how much I loved this book. It genuinely held me on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading it. It deals with genuinely difficult subjects with a skill level I have NEVER seen before. This story is supposed to be dark, and to shove the horrors of systemic racism at you so you cannot ignore them, as so many people do. If you are able, and especially if you are white, I beg you to read this book and to actually think that shit like what happens in the book is real. We see it in slightly more toned down versions more frequently, but this shit happens. It is supposed to be dark. And it is supposed to teach you a lesson about what gets hidden away.

Okay, okay, what's the plot?

Devon and Chiamaka are the only two Black students at Niveus Private Academy, a fancy high school made of white legacy students. Devon is a musician with dreams of getting into Julliard to help his mom and younger brothers get out of their struggling home. Chiamaka is a popular girl who, while her family is well off and stable, doesn't have a legacy to lean back on.

As Devon and Chiamaka enter their senior year, they are made Prefect and Head Prefect, respectively. Chaimaka is not shocked. Devon is. At first, it seems like senior year will work out splendidly.

And then Aces comes into play. An anonymous texter (or texters?) starts sending texts to the entire school with information about Chiamaka, Devon, and a few other students - information that they all thought they had buried deep.

Chiamaka and Devon end up teaming up to uncover a nasty history of racism, secret societies, and discover just how far Aces is willing to go to bring them down.

Told in a dual perspective, this book explores the horrors of systemic racism and what it means to be Black in a world of weaponized white privilege.

DUN DUN DUUUUN!!!!

Seriously though, it is a fantastic book. I read it for a book club and I cannot wait to discuss it.

It deals with some pretty heavy topics, so I will put those, along with how prevelent/how much it is discussed below the cut. Spoilers in the sense of that these topics will be discussed, but no plot details. I would suggest skimming those, or feel free to message me if you just want a yes/no answer about a specific topic.

Again, I want to highlight that this book is dark. It is supposed to be dark. If you read it and think it is a fluffy thriller, you have missed a fundamental part of it. This book is about racism and the depths of white privilege - and weaponizing race.

Check out Àbíké-Íyímídé's website about Ace of Spades here, and where to buy it: https://www.faridahabikeiyimide.com/aos

Potentially triggering topics and how long they are dealt with (spoilers in the sense of these things will come up, no major plot points are revealed. Some small scenes will be spoiled.)

Racism: The entire book (more obviously in the second half) deals with racism. This includes institutions that are explicitly trying to ruin the lives of Black students specifically. This includes benefits of having white legacy parents. This includes what it feels like to have curly hair, and the power that wearing your 'natural' hair can have. This book deals with racism, and it does not hide how terrible it is.

Stalking: Aces stalks Devon and Chiamaka. Like, explicetly stalks them. There are major invasions of privacy that happen. A character is photographed changing - levels of stalking.

Homophobia: There is quite a bit of homophobia throughout the book. A character is non-consensually outed, multiple friendships/relationships are broken because of fear of how people would treat them if they knew they were queer, and a character is beaten up (it's show as a memory) because he is gay (in this scene/memory, he remembers being called slurs)

Bullying: Most of this story is about bullying. I don't know how else to put it. People are assholes in this story.

Toxic friendships: There are many many toxic and fake friendships, including when the main character is the toxic one.

Death/murder: A character killed another character pre-start of the book (we do see this scene in a vivid memory/nightmare, more in this in car accident/death), and that haunts them throughout most of the book. We learn about a group of people who killed at least one person, though we do not know how.

Hate crimes: There is a group of people who commit terrible crimes (including murder, as mentioned above) to people of color. This is a major premise of the book, more explicitly in the second half as the characters figure out what is going on.

Drug dealing: One character dates a drug dealer and works for them at one point. The person they are dating gets arrested later in the story.

Drug use: A character is revealed to have been using drugs, and it is rumored that another character also used drugs. These themes are present for about a page each.

Car accidents/death: A character gets into a car accident with another character that kills someone, and they do not report it. This haunts one of the main characters throughout the story. The accident is described in detail for a few pages, and the character has flashbacks to aspects to this scene multiple times.

Suicidal thoughts/attempts: It is mentioned that a character tried to commit suicide very briefly (the whole conversation lasts less than five lines).

Gun violence: A character is held at gunpoint towards the end of the story. This part lasts about two pages.

Police brutality: It is mentioned that a character is killed by a police officer (we do not know the character who was killed). This part lasts for only a few lines.

Incarceration: A drug dealer above gets incarcerated, and a main character visits them in prison. A main character's father was incarcerated, and we read a memory of the main character visiting their father in prison as well.

Sexual assault: There are two instances where characters were assaulted, one where a character does not remember pictures being taken of them, and another where pictures are found of an unknown character and a character describes the photos as feeling nonconsensual and as if she was being 'used.' Each of these instances are maybe a third of a page long.

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