#and this is only over the winter! i'm excited to see what kinds of birds show up in the spring | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

dragonrider9905 · 10 months

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The Price You Pay

Haaaaaaaaaaappppyyyyy Birthday @photogirl894 Morgan!!!!!!!! I hope you have a great day filled with many blessings and much happiness!!!!! I made this little drabble for you for your birthday, which I know I'm a little early in posting but I couldn't wait :) I hope you enjoy it <3 I've loved talking to you and getting to know you the last few months. Thanks for being a great friend, bestie!!!! ❤️🤗 Hope you enjoy the show.😎 You have that fun drabble we had about TBB being fantasy characters and actually @lizartgurl to thank for this. Lizartgurl has an AMAZING medieval au, go check it out. Mine pales in comparison.

The wind’s icy hands of early fall ripped down your throat and sent its chilling fingers across all the avenues of your lungs, causing a frozen burn in your chest. It slapped your face and nipped at your nose, hands and feet as you ran.

But that didn’t matter.

You had to keep running.

Breathing was getting increasingly difficult as your heaves were not getting enough air in fast enough, and what you did get, felt like a knife was being shoved in your chest. Your feet were tangling, catching on thorny bushes, blood blossoming from the open wounds left behind. You barely felt them over the pounding of your heart.

That also didn’t matter.

You had to get away.

They were getting close. They were gaining on you! The sound of the horses neigh and the gallops surrounded you, closing in and echoing in the distance.

Typically, you’d stay home on a moonless night like tonight, but tonight, the mist that shrouded the area was your friend. It cloaked you from danger, yet also made it difficult for you to see the forest floor. Luckily, you knew these woods like the back of your hand. The paths and trails (some of which you made yourself) could be trekked blindfolded if you had to, but not making any noise equal with swiftness increased in difficulty.

You stopped momentarily, panting heavily to catch your breath, leaning against a neighboring tree to look around for the best route.

How did they find out? Or were you just being paranoid? No, they were definitely after you.

Eyes darting in all directions, you sprinted into the unknown arms of the night again, only to run full force into something…or rather, someone. The bulk of the man’s chest sent you flying backward onto the ground.

Your body crumpled against the dirt, defeated. You couldn’t find it in yourself to get up. You’d been found out. Caught. A dull soreness settled into your bones and your muscles cramped and pinched. A sigh escaped your mouth as you looked up to see who your captor was.

The blacksmith.

Your mind reeled back to when you first met.

The chill of early spring blooming from the gentle winter nipped at your nose in a pleasant way. The snow was melting, soaking the soil to hopeful green fields and crops. You bounded home, a skip to your step and a happiness to your beat. The sun was shining brilliant reflections of yellow and gold which bounced off the tops of the village roofs in a colorful array of reflections.

The town was bustling and you couldn’t help but sing a happy song along with the birds that welcomed the morning, pleased to hear their pretty voices again. It was a busy day today. The baker was out with his tray, like always. The butcher preparing fresh meats for purchase. Children laughing and playing tag in the town square.

A very familiar and welcome sight, it was.

You knew everyone and everything that went on in town. It was the smart thing to do if you wanted to stay one step ahead. Everything was in its place and everyone was doing their thing. You could never say life was dull in Ord Mantell. Quite the opposite. It was rather an exciting, and well, dangerous place to live.

Definitely the place to go if you want to disappear.

Reputable enough to live, seedy enough to live with a fake reputation and no one asked questions. People were nice enough, but true kindness was a downlow. Favor for favor was the rule, except for you. You probably should play that game too, but you didn’t have it in your heart to. You were just too generous and kind.

But being generous and kind didn’t mean you didn’t have your secrets.

It just meant you could only be so fake. Your name might be false but you could still be taken at face value.

Some parts of town, a person doesn’t go in lest they never come out. Some parts were completely safe such as in the hoity toity part of town. Then the rest was a solid mix of thieves living honest lives and honest men doing thievery.

New faces came every day to trade or pass through. You knew the look of a newcomer who was soon a goner or a passer-through. So you could still say with all honesty…you still knew everyone’s face and their business in town, and there were in fact ‘no new faces’. The key was, none that stayed that was.

That is what made today so different.

There was a newcomer—who wanted to stay.

Little did you know how much this day would affect the rest of your life. Later you would wonder if you had cause to bless or curse that day, but as of now, you had yet to see.

Swinging your basket purposefully with rhythm humming your song, you jolted to a stop at the sight before you.

A man, rugged with long, dark hair, face half inked in a skull tattoo turned from the man in front of him toward you. Nose was hooked and eyes were sharp like a hawk. Jaw was set and calculating, cold. Hyperfocsed on the world around him…and the sweet child before him, making sure she was safe and out of trouble. You knew the look well.

She had to be his daughter, you thought. She had the same eyes as him, and perhaps smile if he ever would. Her hair was blond and bounced in sweet, short curls. The image of an angel.

You wondered about the mother, where she was, if she was coming soon or perhaps that’s why they were here to get away. Anything was possible in this place.

She seemed happy but not unaware of the world around her. She looked about excitedly but minded her ‘father’ well when he’d comment.

You locked eyes with the man, an unfamiliar chill going through your bones. His face was unreadable, searching yours. The two of you were locked in a silent, tense cord of something you couldn’t name. It wasn’t terror and it wasn’t attraction (though he was attractive). You weren’t afraid of the man—you’d known what true fear was. Let’s just call it caution. Caution was always advisable.

Was he dangerous? Perhaps that was something you should find out. You suspected he could be if he wanted to, yet there was something to his demeanor that you liked, you trusted, but you couldn’t put your finger on why. Why was this man so different? You’d never felt this curious sense about anyone else before. You had good intuition but was it your intuition speaking or something else?

Like fate…destiny…

The spell broke when the man he was talking to (who you knew to be the neighboring carpenter) called you over.

“Come here and meet the new neighbors!”

You approached with a plastered smile and noticed the man tense slightly.

“Hello! Welcome to Ord Mantell, truely. I know it isn’t much of a place, but it’s home, and I hope you find it to be as well.”

“The name is Hunter.” he grunted, shaking your hand then indicated the child, ‘and this is Omega.” He rested a hand on her shoulder and she smiled up at him then to you. He grinned down at her and you suspected she might be the only reason for him to smile.

“He’s going to be our new blacksmith! Isn’t that wonderful!”

“It is!” You exclaimed, “I know business will go well for you here. Well chosen trade. Will you take up the old smithery?”

“I was just showing it to him. What do you think, good sir?”

Hunter considered for a moment.

“I’ll take it but I also want the house outside of town. I think it would be a better place for Omega.”

The carpenter laughed.

“Quite agreed. The place will need a little work but it is suitable for the two of you. Word of the wise, fix the locks first before all else. Nothing you do will be any good if it’s stolen…or you’re dead.”

“Well noted.”

“Well, Hunter, Omega,” you smiled again, this time as genuinely as possible, “if you need anything at all, let me know. I’d be more than happy to lend a hand or help out if I can. Pleasure to meet you.”

“Another thing,” the carpenter broke in, “this is a literal angel. Trust no one in town but her. If she says she wants to help, she means it. So take her up on her offer. You’d be wise to get to know her. She’ll keep you out of trouble.”

You laughed softly and shook your head with an eye roll.

“A little dramatic, but thank you. I try.” You felt your face burn up and a shyness threatened to squeeze your throat. “I, uh, should go. Mrs. Pott’s kid is sick again. I promised to bring her some things. Bye now, and welcome.” You strode away with a subdued but still happy gait.

The encounter was short, ‘normal’ and the strangest thing ever. They seemed normal but everything in the short minutes screamed secrecy.

You would know.

But how could a man with a girl as sweet as that be so terrible?

Omega waved you off happily, but before you were out of earshot you heard a “she seems really nice, Hunter! We should talk to her more later.” and a “we’ll see” from the man.

You couldn’t blame him. He had to know what sort of place Ord Mantell was. You wondered why he trusted the carpenter in the first place.

More questions. Perhaps he knew him from before?

You made note of these things in your memory. The answers to these could be really important. Not just for your safety, but perhaps theirs. Who knew?

Besides, it couldn’t hurt to be friendly, make them dinner maybe. You wouldn’t have to stay, but extending an olive branch would be smart. An offering of peace. They didn’t seem like people who harmed but were running away from something. You weren’t always right but you weren’t always wrong either. Your intuition was pretty good, and they felt like people who would be good to get to know.

Stopping by the door to Mrs. Potts’s humble home, you had to stow your thoughts aside. There was another little child who needed your help just beyond the door and he needed your attention.

Later in the evening, you stopped by the smithery to see the pair hard at work fixing up the place, guessing they didn’t have anything to eat. You were right of course, so when they saw the hearty meal you brought, even Hunter couldn’t hide the staggered look of surprise and longing when the smell reminded him of how hungry he was. He looked suspiciously at you but accepted it with gratitude. They hardly had anything…

“Ember? What are you doing here?”

His nickname for you (because of your curly red hair—normally crowned with little purple flowers or your favorite, forget-me-nots) pulled you back to the present.

Hunter stretched his hand toward you but you flinched back, cowering against the tree, arm raised to protect yourself.

Hurt crossed his eyes for a moment but resolve replaced it in a matter of seconds. He crouched down to your level and raised his hands as a show of peace.

“I’m not going to hurt you. What happened? Are you alright? Em, talk to me.”

You opened your mouth but nothing came out. Instead, you struggled to swallow some invisible sand. In the distance, a terrible crackling sounded. It could be mistaken for thunder by the untrained ear but to those who lived in the village of Ord Mantell, it meant terror. They knew what it meant.

You tore your eyes away from him to where the sound came from, blood drained from your face. An invisible weight pressed itself onto your chest. Cold seeped in and the ghost of fear possessed your eyes. Hunter had never seen you like this before and it shook him. He’d only ever known your smile, your kindness.

This was so unnatural to him, a shiver went down his spine.

“They’re after you?”

Your only reply was a choked gasp. Words refused to form into a coherent sentence, so you nodded instead, ever so slightly.

“Follow me. I can protect you.”

Hunter stretched his hand out once more. Tentatively, you took it. Your grip shook in his firm grasp, fingers rigid and weak from fear.

“Wh-ere a-re we going?” You hated how your voice faltered. You weren’t afraid of him, were you? Hunter was your friend! He was helping you, right?

Ugh how you hated questioning him, but you couldn’t help it.

“Back to the cottage. Our cellar is a safe place. You can rest there for a bit but if you need to, we have an underground tunnel you can use. We’ll get you food and supplies. You must have dropped yours.”

You blushed. You actually hadn’t packed anything in your hurry, but you didn’t want to admit that out loud.

“Thank you, that would be nice.”

Hunter helped you to your feet and brushed you off. Neighing sounded in the distance again, which spurred a hurried “this way” and the care of cleaning you off was forgotten.

Hunter guided you through the night in a different direction, bubbles in your stomach bursting acid in your throat, your trust in Hunter swaying only a little.

You were headed toward the crackling sounds. Not away from it.

But you also knew this was how you got to his home.

Be calm, be calm, be calm.

The words matched the strumming of your heart. And it was like Hunter could hear it because he kept turning to side-eye you, a look on his face, half shrouded by shadow.

That look could either be concern and care or something else, something dangerous.

But he never said anything. Only ushered you on with a “hurry!”, voice deep and husky, red with warning. At a certain point, Hunter left the trail to follow alongside a precipice. You knew why. Others would avoid the sharp decline, it would be your refuge. The horses wouldn’t come near it.

“Hunter, how much farther…”

You were cut off by the sight to your left. It was a distance off, but the terror it evoked had you standing in horror. A hooded figure, draped in black rode atop a black steed which seemed like a ghost itself. Both creatures' eyes shone red and beady in the night, the sound of each breath breaking the quiet of the night.

“Look out! Get down!” Hunter was already crouched behind a log, aghast at your immobility, hand extended to pull you down with him.

In your attempt to hide, you slipped.

Down you fell into the precipice below and straight into the murky ravine. You tumbled and rolled gasping and grunting with each roll, only vaguely registering your name being shouted in urgency.

Your head struck a rock just as your body hit the water.

Everything went black, and the rest of the night would escape your memory.

— — —

Hunter watched you fall in horror. He could count on his hands the number of times he’s felt that distinct fear, and it wasn’t many. He cried out your name instinctively but quickly quieted himself. Cursing himself for the racket, he turned to see the horseman disappear in a different direction.

Thank the maker.

Hunter hurried down the cliff to your side. Though steep, it wasn’t impossible for someone like him, all the while cursing himself for not being more careful with you. He should have noticed you weren’t by him, he should have guided you more carefully…he should have…he should have…

Hunter jumped into the stream moments after your own entry. He dragged your limp body out of the water, which was deeper than he expected.

“Hey, hey Ember?” He pushed the hair from your face. Your eyes were closed but you were breathing. He sighed in relief. He couldn’t see anything without a light, so a wound check would have to wait for the time being.

“Let’s get you out of here, come on.” Lifting you up, he carried you the rest of the way to his cottage.

He rested your exhausted body on the excuse for a mattress in the cellar as promised. Instinctively, you curled in on yourself. Hunter couldn’t help but smile down at you a little sadly. Even in sleep, worry and care stretched across your brow, a restless type of rest. He started to examine your head to make sure you weren’t severely injured. He wrapped the spot which only started to bruise. Then he moved to the cuts on your face and hands, cleaning them and applying a healing cream that none knew existed (except his brother of course).

When he finished, Hunter tucked you in under the blanket and brushed the hair further from your face. Sighing and smiling in your sleep, something like relief finally settled into your features. Murmuring some gibberish, you leaned into his warm touch. He couldn’t help but smile to himself at the sight.

Hunter sat next to you on the bed and pondered. There were a lot of questions to be asked. The whole situation was so strange, and the fact it was past midnight at the time of your run wasn’t helping. Hunter wasn’t superstitious, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t unsettled by it. What were you doing out so late by yourself?

Of course there was the fact ‘they’ were chasing you but..

Why would you be their target? What had you done to evoke their rage? But more importantly, how did you know? Most people simply vanished unawares. You had a head start in escape.

Then there was the Black Rider.

Who was he? What did he have to do with you?

Hunter ran his fingers through some of the tangles of your hair, brushing them further from your face, smoothing the strands behind the curve of your ear…when he noticed something. Your ears weren’t perfectly round…they were partially…tipped?

Suddenly, Hunter knew.

This was your secret.

Well, one of many that was.

You were a half-elven.

Half-elves were worth a lot of money, and rare. Heck, just as rare as a full-blooded elves.

No wonder they wanted you…but somewhere deep down, Hunter guessed that wasn’t their only reason.

Something squeezed in his chest for you, making his blood boil at the thought of what could have happened to you. The heat radiated in waves that made his head feel sick at how much fear you must have lived in for so long.

The fear. The distrust. The urgency.

Not to mention that this opened a whole new door of strange possibilities in a world a meager human mind could barely comprehend.

Half elven.

And you never told him…

Hunter understood, after all. He had his own secrets.

In the morning, he’d figure something out. All he knew was that he had to keep you safe.

Hunter left you in privacy quietly, with the lamp dimly lit, to go double bar the door.

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2n2n · 9 months

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how is it to kin Tsukasa?

It's such a direct question! I forget people can even remember it's a kinnie thing. I mean, after all, I'm not the type of person who expresses any of it online (I only really like engaging with my beloved, IRL. I don't get anything out of performing online ... or maybe it's more like, nobody has any drive or urge to use the internet, an action which is too specific and annoying, VS just enjoying a swim or a walk!)

hmmm... embarrassing~~ cut ~~

It's up and down, honestly! He's not yorishiro Tsukasa. He doesn't often understand he's loved by Amane. Sometimes, he's the boy throwing himself into the well, convinced the ideal life for everyone is his non-existence (this is difficult, as AVVY! wholeheartedly knows she's loved!). Sometimes, he's not sure why Amane does anything, and what Amane wants. But you know, a lot of the time, he's just a boy growing up with his twin, enjoying the moments. It can be very simple....

My favorite moments ... are when my twin (my husband) and I, are say, throwing rocks onto a frozen lake at the tail-end of winter. We stand and crack the thin ice. I pick up extra stones for him. He takes them wordlessly, just proceeds to toss them as he pleases, entitled to my assistance; he's so used to me, being here, it's become mundane in that warm and wonderful way. It's nice to exist next to him. He 'expects' me to be here, beside him. Ahhh... !

Another moment I like, is swimming in the lake in the summer. I'm a lot more ah, capricious, all over the place, flipping and spinning about. He kind of placidly watches me, in that older-brother-y-way. When he finally earnestly aims to play with me, I'm so excited, and it's so fun to crawl all over him in the water, cling to him, be dragged around, drag him around, watch him do a handstand underwater. He's amused I like it so much, him being in the water with me... I'm delighted he can be amused by something like that. I'm annoying, and a little too spunky, so he shoves my head under the water and holds me down. That's fun too... that kind of thing is my favorite.

I can cajole Amane into joining me in playing on the ropes blocking off the deeper water for the younger kids swimming.... I like to climb all over the ropes more like a squirrel, but Amane, he enjoys tightrope-walking slowly and carefully over the submerged rope which bobs ... when I ask him if he's having fun ? (it's hard to tell) he responds dry and glib "let me think about it. oh, yeah." and it's so Amane.... it's funny. He is having fun, showing off... he's doing something more ah, 'impressive'.

If we go on a walk through the woods together... I tend to walk ahead of him. But I can feel him looking at me, not at the trees around us. Amane looks at me the most, when I can't see him doing it. If my back is facing him, his eyes are more on me than ever. That feeling is wonderful. Its nice to show him a bug, or a frog.

It's a lot of fun crushing on Nene-chan together... and, sometimes, Amane sees Nene-chan in me. Sometimes, he treats me like Nene-chan. That's wonderful, too... if I can be that, to him.

I would say ... ! There are days he's 3, 4, days he's 8, days he's 11 ... more than anything, that is 'Tsukasa'. 12 is rare, but, it happens ... 13, don't know if that's ever really happened.

He (Tsukasa) really ruined my life for a while sexually .... he's definitely made me, do, and, want things, I never did before ever. My nasty husband loved it all and drank it in, but SOMETIMES, HE GIVES ME A CRISIS, TSUKASA...! IT'S INCONVENIENT, SOMETIMES! And it's also embarrassing, sometimes!! It's my entire existence you know, it's so hard when something unheard of is happening ... and then my Amane-Bird-husband-twin is just fucking me about it, ... hough!!!! Everyone's so difficult!!! Everyone does as they please! Sometimes, the twins are a kind of menace!! I am a normal married girl, sheesh.... !! Sometimes things are a little quick or already decided for me ... and it's like, "wait, wait!!" the twins can kind of be a whirlwind in feedback loops... they just want the other to do anything they please. hoo-wee!

#avvy's JSHK

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malghra · 3 years

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I’m not a bad girl, but I do bad things with you

Darklina Week Day 4: Fairy Tales: Darklina Red Riding Hood / Company of Wolves AU

Title from Talyor Swift's So it goes, Rating: M

Winter had been hard on Old Baghra and Ana Kuya was worried about her, so she decided that Alina should make the trip to her cottage on the other side of the woods to bring her some food and kvas. On her way there, Alina meets a stranger...

Winter had been hard on Old Baghra and the staff at Duke Keramsov's household were worried about her, so it was decided that Alina should make the trip to her cottage on the other side of the woods to bring her some food and kvas. The fastest way to get there was through the forest, but Ana Kuya had warned Alina that the woods were dangerous and that she should never stray from the path.

She'd nodded eagerly, mostly to avoid one of Ana Kuya's lectures on acts of kindness and the importance of community, but behind her back Alina had sulked and pouted. It was one of the first sunny days of the year and she'd wanted to spend it in the meadow with Mal. But now she'd have to spend her day struggling through the forest with a heavy basket.

She took her red shawl from the hook on the door, wrapping it around her shoulders, and decided to go and find Mal anyway. He would go with her if she asked.

They were almost outside the front gate, when they heard Ana Kuya call out to them. "Malyen Oretsev, where do you think you're going?"

They exchanged a look and Alina bit her lip. Should they try to make a run for it? Unfortunately, Ana Kuya was closer than they'd thought.

Mal turned around and answered her question innocently. "I'm going with Alina to bring this basket to Old Baghra."

"And did I tell you to do this?" she asked in exasperation. "You need to stay here."

"But you said the woods aren't safe!" Alina objected. "Mal should come with me, to protect me!"

That earned her an ear boxing, and Mal was sent away to help the young men as they started repairs on the house after the long winter.

By the time Alina entered the forest, Ana Kuya's warnings had already slipped to the back of her mind.

Winter had passed and now that spring was reigning, the woods had never looked more beautiful. The trees were blooming, flower springing up along the path, and the moss and ferns covering the forest floor and scattered rocks were the green of emeralds, drops of dew that had not yet disappeared making them sparkle like the gems they resembled in the sunlight filtering through the leaves.

She took in the enchantment of it all with wide eyes and quickly forgot about the dangers that might be lurking. The trees and brushes were alive with animals awaking after the long lull of winter and the song of birds was filling both the forest and Alina's heart with joy. She hadn't gotten far when she could no longer resist joining them in their singing.

She sang as one would only sing when they are alone, so as was bound to happen, she soon discovered she was not alone at all. The man appeared from a gap between the trees some three feet ahead of her, stopping her in her tracks.

He stood there looking at her, arms loosely crossed over his chest and his head cocked to the left. He was tall and slender, with a shock of dark hair and dressed in black wool and leathers. Alina closed her mouth, realizing she was staring at him. "Good day to you, sir," she called out.

"And good day to you, milaya," he answered as he started strolling over to her. The hairs on the back of her neck rose and she tried to remember what Ana Kuya had said about strange men.

"Please, zolotse, do not stop your singing on my behalf, I was quite enjoying it," he told her, holding her gaze.

His words pleased her, but she could feel heat flushing her cheeks. He blinked slowly, licking his lips and Alina's heart sped up inside her chest.

"May I walk with you for a spell?" he asked, his slate grey eyes open and kind.

Despite herself, she nodded and clutched the basket she was carrying a little closer to her body.

They walked in silence for a while, until he asked, "What's your name, milashka?"

"Alina," she answered breathlessly.

"Alina," he repeated, as if trying to taste it on his tongue, and the way his lips curled around her name sent a shiver down her spine.

"I am Aleksander," he added with a smile which didn't really look like a smile all that much, even if she couldn't decide why.

She glanced over at his face as they walked. He had a sharp and smug look about him, a bit dour even perhaps, she mused, but when he met her eyes or offered her that odd smile, something fluttered deep inside her stomach.

"What do you have inside that basket of yours?" Aleksander asked.

"Food and kvas for Old Baghra. She lives near the bridge three miles south of the creek," she answered him.

For a brief moment, Alina could have sworn that a shadow passed over his face, but then he exclaimed,"But you're taking the long way!" his eyes wide and innocent.

"Of course not," she countered with a smile. "The fastest way is through the woods."

"Yes," he agreed, "It is. Through the woods, but you are following the path."

"Ana Kuya told me not to stray from the path," she mumbled, hating how silly she must sound to him.

He offered her a half-smile. "Ah, you're a good girl, aren't you? I bet you do every little thing your mother tells you to do, now don't you?"

She narrowed her eyes at him, her face flushing with anger this time, and he barked out a laugh.

"Ana Kuya is not my mother!" she spat at him. "I'm an orphan!"

"Ah, I see," he muttered matter-of-factly, and she was oddly grateful for the lack of pity in his voice and eyes.

They walked in silence, until Aleksander muttered her name again, and Alina automatically glanced up at him.

"Why exactly did Ana Kuya tell you not to stray from the path?" he asked her, head cocked to the side again.

"I..." she opened and closed her mouth. "She said it was dangerous," she told him, picking up her pace.

He easily kept up with her. "But why?" he wanted to know.

She bit her lip. She wasn't about to admit that she didn't know why. "It's better if we stay on the path."

He raised an eyebrow. "We? You can stay on the path if you like, lapushka, but I'll bet you I can get there faster than you can."

Her hands tightened on the handle of the basket. She nodded.

"Very well," he said. "Of course, I'll need a prize if I win the bet, wouldn't you agree?"

He held her gaze, but Alina didn't look away.

"What kind of prize?" she breathed, her voice betraying her.

"How about a kiss?" he asked.

Her heart started hammering again, closing up her throat and making it impossible to speak as her eyes dropped to his full lips. She glanced up to meet his eyes and nodded.

"Let me take your basket," he offered.

She handed it to him and then watched him disappear between the trees. She began walking faster, determined to win the bet. A kiss, she thought as her feet carried her down the path. She'd never been kissed before, but she tried to imagine it. She wondered if his lips would feel as soft as they looked.

Perhaps she wouldn't mind losing the bet. Perhaps she wouldn't mind being kissed by this odd but exciting stranger. She realized she'd slowed down again and looked around, taking in her surroundings. To her left, there was a small clearing between the trees which was filled with blue flowers.

Perhaps she wouldn't mind making sure that he won the bet. Perhaps it would be for the best if she didn't take any chances. She abandoned the path and walked into the clearing to pick some flowers and weave them into a crown. That would give him enough of a headstart to get there first.

Alina ended up lingering there for a longer time than she'd intended, singing under her breath and picking all of the prettiest flowers, but eventually she'd made her way to Old Baghra's cottage. It was already getting dark and the wind filled the evening with a menacing chill, but Alina didn't shiver, she had her shawl to keep her warm.

There was no sign of the stranger called Aleksander, so she knocked on the door and called out: "Baghra, it's Alina!"

No answer came.

"Baghra," she repeated a little louder than the first time. She tried knocking on the door again and slowly, it creaked open. As soon as she stepped inside, the warm and dusty, musky air inside filled her nostrils, making her sneeze and cough. A clattering noise came from the far side of the room.

Old Baghra was nowhere to be seen, but perched on the bed in the corner of the hut was her dark stranger.

Suddenly he was on his feet and the door clicked shut. She turned around to find him standing close to her, his eyes glowing in the dusk. It was quiet inside, except for the rattling still coming from the corner of the room.

"What big eyes you have," she whispered, clutching the ends of her shawl around her shoulders.

"All the better to see you with, Alina," he replied.

She was about to turn around to examine the annoying clunking noise she kept hearing, when a chorus of howls rose up all around the hut. She hissed, startled by the sound.

"Those are my brothers," the wolf told her.

She turned to look out the window, but it was too dark to see. "It's getting really cold outside," she whispered. He was standing right behind her, so close she could feel the heat rolling off his body.

She whirled around, clutching his forearms to steady herself. "What big arms you have," she muttered.

He leaned in until his nose was almost touching hers. "All the better to hold you with," he said.

She averted her eyes, her breath catching in her throat, and she licked her lips as her eyes fell on his mouth. She remembered she'd promised him a kiss. She angled her face up until she could press her lips to his.

Outside the wolves started howling again. It sounds like a song, she thought, a joyous song.

His lips parted under her attention and she pulled his soft bottom lip between her own. She felt something wet and warm nudge her lip.

"Your prize," she explained as she pulled away.

He smiled that odd smile, his teeth gleaming in the dark.

"What big teeth you have," she whispered.

His smile grew wider, showing even more of his teeth. "All the better to eat you with, lapushka."

In the corner where the bed stood, the clamouring resumed.

"Did you eat Old Baghra?" Alina asked.

He nodded slowly, raising his eyebrows.

She didn't know how to feel about that. "She was old and ugly and smelly. I bet she didn't taste very nice," she piped up.

"Not really, no," he admitted, burying his nose in her hair and inhaling deeply. "But you are young and pretty and you smell like flowers. I bet you'd taste sweet."

She giggled and objected, "I'm not a piece of meat."

He chuckled softly. "Show me, Alinushka."

She unwrapped her shawl and let it drop to the floor. She could feel his eyes on her as her fingers unlaced the bodice of her dress. He sucked in a sharp breath as it slid down her body and pooled at her feet. After that she removed her chemise and let it join the heap at her feet.

His eyes followed her as she walked to the bed and lay down on it, waiting for him to follow.

He started undressing and she bit her lip as her mesmerized eyes drank in his body. But when his last piece of clothing hit the floor, the man was gone and an enormous black wolf with glowing red eyes was standing there instead.

The wolf leapt up on the bed and even though Alina's heart was pounding inside her chest, she found that she was not afraid. The wolf lay down next to her, placing its huge head in her lap, and whined softly.

She patted its ears and neck and the wolf nuzzled at her belly and her maidenhair. Suddenly, instead of black fur, she was clasping thick strands of dark hair between her fingers. The wolf was a man again.

He pushed her thighs apart and pressed his lips to her most intimate place. His warm, wet tongue nudged her lower lips, slipping in between them.

"Yes, you taste sweet, lapushka," Aleksander told her in a rough voice. His eyes were dark and ravenous, but they didn't scare her.

"Kiss me," she begged him, so he did.

Alina had been warned to stay away from dark strangers, and she had been told that only wicked girls let dangerous men take their precious maidenheads, but she gave hers up willingly and called her dark wolf husband. The blood staining the sheets was as bright as her pretty red shawl, but it didn't disturb her as she slept peacefully under a starless sky, safely wrapped up in the embrace of his tender darkness.

#darklina #alina x the darkling #alina starkov x aleksander morozova #darklinadaily #darklinaweek2021 #fairy tale au #red riding hood au #company of wolves au #i am in love with fanon!aleksander's abundant use of russian pet names

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soukokuwu · 4 years

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hi there! hope ur doing well esp in times like these. i must say i absolutely adore ur writing. both the chuuya angst fics literally made me cry. i never cried to any other fics before. it was amazing. may i request an angst scenario where Dazai has an s/o & a person from his past (from his port mafia days) wanted revenge on him. now Dazai is incredibly smart & manipulative & they know that (impossible to kill) so they go after s/o & kills them. i hope i'm not bothering u. have a nice day/night.

something left unguarded.

genre. angst (dazai x reader) warnings. death, kidnapping/implied assault synopsis. there are times when dazai wishes he’s dead. this is one of those times. word count. 1.8k author notes. hi kitty! sorry this took me ungodly long, and i’m not sure if this is what you were looking for but i hope it’s okay!! <33

there’s some unspoken things that come together with love.

for dazai, that’s the slow crumbling of his walls; the surrendering of firearms. he finds himself unfurling easily at the seams, and regarding what seems impossible for the vast majority, it’s like white on rice for you. best thing is? it comes easy, effortless. you don’t try to be someone you’re not; dazai can tell. you are just unapologetically, undoubtedly you. that’s the beauty of it all, to him.

never has he felt like this, in the crack of dawn, lying next to you on the bed, the distant sounds of the birds and your breathing is all he can hear. it’s weird — he used to hear so many voices in his head, so many conflicting ones telling him to kill himself and yet others telling him to stay because there’s bound to be something that makes him want to live.

the latter is right. because now look at him. he’s not hearing whispers in his mind, the condescending, doubtful voices are gone. it’s peace.

all that fills his thoughts are you. who was he, even, before he met you? he knows, he always knows, he’s mostly self-aware. but then, he doesn’t want to. doesn’t want to remember the person he used to be, because he loves who he is now, with you. do the voices come back sometimes? absolutely. but a minor interaction with you and he feels tranquililty. and he has no doubt that you are the only one capable of such a feat.

he always thought fear was the accompaniment of walls breaking down. why did you make him feel like it was liberating instead? is it just the impossible amount of trust he’s put into you? he doesn’t have to ever ask himself anything, never does he ever feel like he needs to doubt you. ever.

you’re a peculiar little thing, always doing what you think is best for him. you rarely ever do think of yourself, do you? that’s why dazai takes it upon himself to give you what you deserve, a wholesome, warming kind of romance, even if he isn’t so sure about it himself. dazai doesn’t know romance apart from those that’s raved about in books and movies. his whole life is an endless pit of darkness — that’s up ’til the point he met you, of course.

so if the novel, theatric kind of love is the only form of romance he knows, then the least he can do is give you that.

dazai turns and watches as you rest peacefully, weaving his fingers through your hair, appreciating the patterns of your chest rising and falling. how long has it been since he’s first watched you like this before you wake? he doesn’t really recall the exact number of days, but it’s around three years? and he can definitely deal with a lot more than this.

talks about the future has always been taboo for him. not that he hates it, but it’s because he can never feel excited about it. and frankly, it’s much more of a chore than anything. so now, catching himself actually envisioning a future with you? it feels surreal.

the two of you have a routine: wake up, make breakfast, kiss goodbye before work, actually work, come home, have dinner, maybe take a bath together before you go to bed. it’s habitual by now — everything on the list. and while the morning is no different, the afternoon definitely is.

first there is the anonymous letter he finds in his top desk drawer. nothing but a blank paper with a single ominous line of “this is for back then”. nothing else. just a single line written in blood red ink. the weretiger next to him seems a little freaked out by it, so it’s easy to tell that whoever did this made the effort to come in earlier than anyone to place this in his desk. and maybe they expected to elicit some other behaviour from him. distress? fear?

whatever it is though, it doesn’t get to him. he crumples it up and tosses it in the bin. (he misses it, but it’s not like he cares.)

he goes the rest of the afternoon in ignorant bliss. he texts you halfway though, asking if your lunch today was any good.

would be better if you were here, osamu.

dazai forgets for just a moment that you usually only type out osa. because that’s what you do to him sometimes — you make him let his guard down. he wastes no time replying you.

oh yeah, why’s that, darling? ;)

the next message that chimes in has his heart take a deep dive into the ground below him. it’s a picture. of a vile, disgusting man licking the side of your head, with you tied up to a chair, unconscious.

because then maybe she won’t be so boring like this.

not even bothering to explain, all dazai does is grab atsushi by the collar and drag him out of the agency. he’s the only combative one present currently, and frankly, if it comes to a fistfight, having him there is enough. of course, dazai is not planning to spare anyone. they dared touch you?

they’re as good as dead.

dazai never thinks letting his guard down is a crime. but he thinks the ultimate sin he’s committed? that he let himself slack on his guarding of you. because the moment he gets to you at your apartment, he realises it’s never been a race against time. the moment the picture was sent, you were already gone.

and the culprits are long gone, disappeared without a trace. except for the disgusting wet track of where his tongue traced your skin earlier. usually, dazai would go after them immediately, track them down and plan their demise.

it would have been his plan. had you been just another body, another death count. but you’re not. you’re his lady, his angel, his life. yet you’re lifeless now, your chest doesn’t rise up and down like it should. your body is dense, somewhat dry. it’s completely… not you.

atsushi doesn’t know what to do, he stands in the corner with his eyes trained on his superior who’s letting out more emotion than atsushi thinks he has in his entire life. he feels like he should console him somehow, but he knows that’s selfish thinking. dazai won’t appreciate that.

he’s right. dazai won’t. because the only person capable of giving him any sliver of hope in this god-forsaken world is gone. her body but an empty vessel, reminding him of who he once was and how he had longed to be.

and oh, how he longs to join you now.

worst part is? dazai can find no one to blame. no one but himself. not even the man who offed you. dazai recognises him, from way back in his port mafia days. which means there’s no one to blame but the person he once was, the one you made him feel like he and reprieve from.

until now.

losing you is his punishment, isn’t it? for everything he’s done. this is his judgement day and you’re another one of his sad victims. it’s your body, limp in his arms, eyes wide open and the complete stillness of it all.

and he realises maybe this is what people mean when they talk about ‘deathly silence’. he never thought that losing just the sound of your breathing would feel like this and yet here he is, with another casualty in his arms.

yet another soul he can’t save.

and dazai… despite all his attempts, is still alive.

it’s cliche, but it’s true.

the worst day of loving someone is the day you lose them.

except when they’re still around, it’s easy to take every moment for granted. because who, when they think they have everything, will think of the moment they’d lose it? sure, it may come in glimpses, but you never hover over it long enough for it to actually matter.

until it happens.

cups of hot chocolate and cuddling up to each other in the winters. words of affirmation and warmth bubbling inside chests. security of routines and safety of arms.

dazai can’t stop thinking of things that remind him of you. thinking of the good times like you’re still alive is the only thing that keeps him from breaking as they lower you into the ground.

you’re almost in there and all he can think about is the first time he tells you he loves you, the first proper time he lets his guard down. how you were on the couch with your legs tucked against your chest, misty eyes giving away just how much the whole situation means to you. you see, he always knew you had a fear of falling, but he never knew just how much, until that moment.

“you click your tongue whenever something annoys you, you subconsciously like to walk between the lines on tiled floors, you blame yourself for things that are out of your control,” dazai had told you. and he remembered the look in your eyes — that surprise, that gratefulness — because you never thought that anyone would spare you that much attention, did you? especially not him, who you knew would never spend time on anything that’s unimportant.

but he paid attention to you more than anything else.

“i love you, belladonna,” he had assured you, inching close and holding you in his arms. you always needed reassurance, and while dazai would usually think it’s a burden, nothing was when it came to you. “you may think you’re a mess, but i think you’re perfect.”

he lets your giggle be the last thing that fills his mind as they finally lowered you into the ground. and he doesn’t wait for it to be filled before he spins around and walks away. the next memory he remembers being a promise made. of how you told him not to do anything rash should you ever go first, not even in old age. (he thought it was cute how far ahead you thought of for the future — something he finds he needs now; a future with you.)

and that’s the thing about letting your guard down; you let them have a slight control over your decisions. because now, despite every bone in his body aching to throw himself off a cliff, he finds he can’t quite do so. why? he remembers the life in your eyes when he agrees to that promise, the absolute faith you have in him that he loves you that much to abide by your one wish for him. yet in his head a constant question beckons him, chants itself in his mind like a mantra.

i just want to join you, is that so wrong?

tags. @yokelish @gogolparadise @fyowyn-writes @animatedarchives

#bungou stray dogs #bsd x reader #bsd dazai #bsd dazai x reader #dazai x reader #bsd #bungo stray dogs #bsd oneshot #bsd scenarios #rachwrote #bsd dazai osamu #bsd imagines #bsd dazai oneshot #bsd dazai imagines #bsd dazai scenarios #bungo stray dogs dazai #bungou stray dogs dazai

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beautifulwhispersfox · 3 years

Text

I live in the wilds of Pennsylvania, surrounded by trees, birds singing and fresh breezes, and a lake that extends for miles through the wilderness. I love to walk the paths and roadways that surround the lake and hike through the hills and valleys. I love to explore the grounds in search of little caverns or caves, I love rocks and unusual natural things. I collect the native herbs and cut fresh flowers. I live with my husband in a cottage that is near the lake. We don't see many people out this way and since the town is on the other side of the lake we a lot of times take our boat and head to town that way instead of driving the way around. If there are any other people up here they are, summer people, and only stay in the area till around Labor Day and then the land clears of any other people. We have wild animals that come around. Deer, rabbit, and even bear. We have learned to leave them be when they are near and just stay inside until they are gone. We keep all of our rubbish indoors so that we aren't feeding them and they don't come around too often.

But, it is not winter and I was wanting to pack a lunch and head out for a few hours exploring. I was walking down the roadway and enjoying the sunshine on my face and the sound of nature when about a mile from home I noticed an unknown vehicle parked. Everyone that camps up here for the summer has closed down their cabins and has gone for the summer. So I headed over to it and saw a shirtless young man sitting in the back of his van. I walked around to see if he needed any help and he was completely naked. Taking me by surprise, I said, "oh, excuse me". He was built like a brick shit house and handsome at the same time. I looked him over really good and noticed he was also quite hung.

He noticed me staring at him and a smile appeared on his face. I blushed and smiled back. "I'm sorry", I said. He said, "No worries". I went to leave and he asked if I had lived nearby and had a working phone. I said that I did and that he was welcome to use it. He was washing off and then getting dressed when I came across him and he said that he didn't realize that anyone was still up here and that he was happy that there was. His van broke down and he stayed the night in it, I could smell the smoke of a fire that had been wet down to be put out. He told me that he was going to hike around and see if he could either find someone or get to the town on the other side of the lake.

As he dressed, I noticed that he was just as hot clothed, as he was naked and was happy to escort such a good-looking man back to my place. I'll admit, the dirty thoughts were there.

My husband and I have an open relationship and always welcome a third party if that can be the case. We don't get out much because the city is so far away but we do have visitors come to stay with us. Another couple. We switch partners and just have a weekend of sex, drinking, and more sex. We have fires and have sex. We go swimming and have sex. I am a bottom, so I get to get under the other top all weekend long and it is nice to have someone else with my husband's permission. And I definitely want to get under this guy if I can.

We reached our cabin and I let my husband know who this man is and what the situation was and he led him to the phone. We told him who to call and the earliest that the tow man would be able to get out this way was 2 days from today and that he was the only mechanic in town and depending on what was needed for the van, it could take up to a week total for him to get it fixed. In the meantime, we had talked and had decided that I could have sex with him all that I wanted to if the young man was up for that kind of fucking. He was definitely straight but I have a way of getting men into bed that my husband just loves because it is always advantageous to us both.

We invited the young man to stay with us and he agreed since there were no hotels open now either. He didn't seem too concerned about our marriage and he was quite comfortable with himself. I love a confident man and he was really turning me on. He seemed to take a liking to both us and especially to me. I was in the kitchen cooking and he sat down at the table after I had told him to make himself at home. He asked if that meant to me as well. I turned and looked at him surprised and then told him, "yes". Again I blushed and he said it was cool and that he didn't have a girlfriend and could use a few good blowjobs if I were really interested. He knew that I was and I didn't have to say a word more.

We had dinner, all three of us, and then my husband retired to bed. I lit a fire in the fireplace and offered him a glass of wine or a beer. "I have liquor too if you prefer?" He said no because it gives him whiskey dick and he wanted to be hard for the occasion. I blushed again and giggled a little bit too. The excitement was rising up in me as it was rising in pants as he was thinking about having his dick sucked finally. He said it had been a while for him. I thought to myself how can such a great looking stud go without any sex? Then he proceeded to tell me as though he were reading my mind. He told me that he could see it on my face. I had to laugh this time.

"If you would like to get comfortable, please do", I told him. He told me that he is naked a lot when he is home and I assured him that would be no problem at all. He took his clothes off and folded them up neatly and put them on the sofa. I motioned for him to come to lay down on the floor and rest his body on the pillows. He did and as he walked, his manhood bounced freely back and forth as I watched and licked my lips. My mouth was watering like a flood. He noticed and commented that he appreciated the hungry looks from me. It made him feel good. He hadn't had anyone look at him like that for a long time.

We were instantly comfortable with each other. He rested himself upon the pillows and I looked at his thick cock and low hanging balls. I asked if I could taste him and instead, he motioned for me to come up to him and said, "I may be the man in this but I do have respect for you." He looked at me then moved in to kiss me. He kissed me for a long time and I rubbed his cock till it was hard as stone. It grew to a beautiful nine inches long and was thick. I looked down at and he asked if I liked it and I, of course, said "yes". He teased and said that if I played my cards right that he would also fuck me if I wanted. Like I'm going to tell him no.

We kissed a little more then I made my way down his freshly showered neck, to his stomach, his happy trail, then I took him in my mouth. He was softly moaning and exhaling as I did so. I laid my head down on his muscular, inner thigh and teased the head of his cock with my tongue. My lips went around and sucked on it and then down the shaft I went. I could hear him breathing hard and with excitement. I would go all the way down his shaft to his big, low-hanging balls, then make my way back up to the head. I wanted to take my time and enjoy this beautiful stranger. I also wanted to swallow a nice big load.

He motioned for me to move my body up close to his. All I had on was a bathrobe. He noticed that I was naked underneath and said that he thought that was hot. He reached under to grab my ass cheek in his hand and told me that he was going to fuck that for me. I loved his forthright and confidence. He was never with another guy before but he knew how to handle a hungry fuck hole.

As I stroked his cock and gave him head, he was getting more and more excited and moving his hips to meet my face as I went down on him. He stuck his fingertip in his mouth and was rubbing my asshole with it saying how he can't wait to sink himself in a nice warm pussy. It was cool of him to call it that. He let out a moan, shoved my head down on his throbbing cock, and fed me the biggest load of cum. OMG was it tasty too. I kept sucking his dick gently after he erupted. He was ready for another beer and then motioned for us to go up to his room. We climbed the stairs to his room and he shut the door behind us. Our room is on the first floor and he was on the second floor on the other side of the house. This is the room that the other top and I use when the couple comes to visit.

He dropped my robe around my ankles. I was a little shy because I am a little bigger around the waist. He told me that he loves thick chicks and that I was perfect. He teased and said that he likes a little more titty but....He instantly subdued my insecurities when he picked me up, kissed me, then laid me on the bed, spreading my knees and laying on top of me. He continued to make out with me until he was fully erect again and told me that I was in a lot of trouble because I already made him cum and that it takes him a lot longer to cum the second time around. Yeah, like I would have a problem with that, I told him and he giggled and slid himself deep inside my cock hungry hole.

He stayed that whole week and he fucked me every night.

He would visit often until he met a nice young lady and then the visits dwindled down. I'll always remember that first day we met.

by Marshall Bosley

(I do not own the rights to the pic)

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occasionallyish--archive · 4 years

Text

Escapade

H.Shinsou x S.Todoroki, H.Shinsou x I.Midoriya, S.Todoroki x I.Midoriya, I.Midoriya x O.Uraraka, and various hints to other ships

Warnings: Slow burn(?), unrequited love, brief breaking of the fourth wall lmao

Have been writing since 03/07/2019

Word count 2810

Reblogs > Likes, pleasepleaseplease–

Lengthiness under the cut!

xx/12/xxxx ; The afternoon ; Outside ; Hitoshi Shinsou

Hitoshi shuddered, hands instinctively reaching to cup over his mouth in some attempt to warm them through his thick gloves. He gave warm, drawn out breaths that helped to spare his lips from the almost burning cold, however otherwise, the gesture proved fruitless– Even more than the occasional, leafless trees that he passed. And so, he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans and gave a somewhat frustrated sigh that easily converted into Winter fog.

He hated almost everything about the season– Shivering in the snow, persistent carolers, and the pressure to buy gifts for people that he barely knew. At least he had the excuse to take a break from school and hide inside during the whole of said break.

Regardless, however, the purple-haired male was there: Walking through the snow, toward the mall– clad in two-and-a-half layers of clothing–, with the intent to buy a Christmas present for a bush.

Said bush's name was Izuku Midoriya, one of the famed former students of class 1-A who not only survived multiple villain attacks, but also managed to help get Hitoshi into the hero course. Maybe it wasn't the achievement that he was most recognized for, but it was the one that truly spoke of his sincerity and kindness, in Hitoshi's heart.

...So what if he had a crush? Izuku already obviously had his own on a certain brunette from 2-B, so he knew he didn't have any chance– Having fallen for a straight boy.

As he continued to walk, a bitter taste was left in Shinsou's mouth.

xx/12/xxxx ; The afternoon ; Commons room ; Shouto Todoroki

A gentle sigh flitted from between the heterochromatic boy's lips as he laid on the sofa in the commons room, scrolling through a website that he'd found on his phone. As if to loosen the tense feeling that only Shouto seemed to experience, he hummed to himself, searching through lists upon lists of gifts upon gifts.

And still, nothing.

He wanted to find the perfect gift– Something that conveyed his feelings to Izuku without needing to use words; Something unlike anything else that he had ever even seen; Something special and completely unique, made only for him. That was what Shouto wanted to give his classmate; That was what Shouto wanted to give to his favorite person;

That was what Shouto wanted to give to the boy that he loved. While he was aware that his feelings weren't returned, and while he was aware that they never would be, he was going to tell him, come Christmas. And, with their relationship becoming deafeningly awkward, he was going to ruin the holiday for everybody in class 2-A. And he'd run back to his mother, and cry, and hide from the rest of the world until somebody other than Enji would inherit the agency– And then he'd become a hero through that and never have to see the pro hero Deku, again. He could already see it happening.

The boy with bicolored hair blinked before shaking his head, turning to pick his dead phone back into his hands.

As he stood to charge the pocket-sized computer, a solemn, cold feeling spread throughout Todoroki's veins.

25/12/xxxx ; The morning ; Commons room ; Neito Monoma

Neito was somehow of the first up, slipping down the stairs to see a pajama-clad Tooru, Mina, and Denki. The electric blonde was sitting at the table, 'recharging' himself with some oatmeal topped with whipped cream and banana slices– A combination that the former 1-B student saw disgust in. Tooru and Mina, however, were sitting near their bad excuse of a Christmas tree– of course, bless Ibara for growing it for them, but she admitedly could've done much better–, snooping around to see who got the most presents and guessing what said presents were. And Monoma, of course, was going to be the one to put a stop to it.

"Ashido, Hagakure! Don't be so childish as to peek through the presents! While it is to be expected of you 1-A brats, those are saved for later when we're all up together!"

"Omigosh, Monoma, you're starting to sound like Iida–" Ashido's attention was immediately captured by the boy, albeit not for the reason that he'd been looking for. Monoma's frown grew.

"That isn't the point!–"

"Eh?... 'S too early for this..." An all-too-familiar voice complained tiredly, an open yawn sounding from the same direction. "...Why not be Christmasy 'n cheery 'n stuff, instead?" Hitoshi sounded half asleep, as he always was before his usual morning coffee– Bitter and black, as he often described his soul.

A steel-haired boy– having previously gone unnoticed– then gave his hum, sending a sunshine smile from the kitchen to his classmate, "Coffee's on the pot if you need some, Shin!" Tetsutetsu called, being one of the few 2-A students who could easily bear the early hours.

A thin, lazy smile found its way onto Hitoshi's face. "Perfect timing. Thanks."

25/12/xxxx ; The early afternoon ; Kitchen ; Momo Yaoyorozu

The bushy-haired boy hobbled downstairs with a yawn, fuzzy sock slipping at the bottom– But, of course, a tall ravenette was there to catch him.

"Good morning, Midoriya." The young woman called softly as she gripped his shoulders, easing him into more of an upright position. She chose not to comment on it, as based on the shorter's expression, the near incident was enough of a wake-up call. "Did you sleep well?"

"Um–" Izuku began as they headed toward the kitchen, still recovering from the split-second panic. "Y-yeah. I was really excited, last night, so I think I went to bed, too late, though..." His voice trailed off into more of a tired mumble, which was always adorable– Sometimes, Momo was convinced that she was surrounded by a litter of cute, rambunctious puppies and not the future's greatest heroes.

"Yes. I think that you're the last one up, actually." She commented matter-of-factly, reaching into a cupboard to retrieve a pouch of caffeinated tea. "Would you like some tea to help wake you up?" She asked before her friend had the chance to feel guilty.

Sometimes, Yaoyorozu very easily read her peers. More than just Izuku knew this, as he nodded with his "Mmhm, thank you."

25/12/xxxx ; The early afternoon ; Dorms ; Fumikage Tokoyami

Quite the diverse group was walking through the snow, making the short trek from class 2-B's dorm building to class 2-A's– Said group consisting of an explosive boy, a bubbly brunette, a horned blonde, and a bird-headed boy. Katsuki Bakugou and Ochako Uraraka were exchanging their comments, as the frenemies often did, while Fumikage Tokoyami and Pony Tsunotori kept to themselves.

That was fine, however, as the trip was short– It wasn't long before a sharp redhead was opening the door, laughing at something that his twin-like friend had said. "Come on in, guys!" Eijirou'd said between chuckles.

Of course, Fumikage gratefully accepted the invite to come in, happy to shed his thick scarf and jacket– Even if he enjoyed the cold, he could only take it to an extent. The crow-like boy made a point to leave his garments on the coat rack, for later, before perching onto one of the arms of a couch.

He only observed, for a time– How Ochako easily found her way toward Momo and Izuku, and how two other boys also seemed to be carefuly regarding the group. How Mina and Denki seemed to momentarily deflate when they'd been told their tape friend was celebrating off-campus. How festive Yuuga looked, with his Rudolph-inspired makeup and fake antlers. How Tooru and Nirengeki seemed to really enjoy decorating Ibara's head.

25/12/xxxx ; The afternoon ; Commons room ; Ochako Uraraka

Eventually, conversations around the sofas seemed to float toward Ochako's distaste with being separated from her previous classmates. "Yeah, I've gotten to know lots of great people in 2-B, but kinda miss sharing class with my friends from last year, y'know?" She'd pointed out, which had lit flares of passion in those such as Katsuki and Eijirou.

"I miss my friends, too." Izuku chimed in, at some point, which seemed to easily halt Ochako and Katsuki's oncoming argument. "But, I think it's just natural that we.. Mm, I don't know how to put it. Expand? But, also, well..." The green-haired boy paused, trying not to spiral into a moment of muttering. "And, we can all still see eachother, after classes." He pointed out with a smile, and that was that.

"Such is the way of life." Fumikage added as somewhat of a word of advice.

Ochako couldn't help but notice how Pony folded her hands in her lap, leaning back into the couch as her blank stare and almost wistful smile faced nobody in particular. "I have no idea what you just said." She commented, which did cause some giggles and snickers to sound around their sort of cirlce– Ochako's sweetly humored one, included.

25/12/xxxx ; The afternoon ; Commons room ; Eijirou Kirishima

Everybody who said they'd attend the gathering seemed to be there, and most importantly, everybody seemed to have relaxed. The faux-redhead gave a shark-toothed grin as he carefully slid a headband onto a blonde's head– Of course, as soon as said blonde felt it, his hand lifted for a deathgrip around Eijirou's wrist.

He was glad that his quirk easily resisted his friend.

"Can you guess which reindeer you are?" He gave suppressed giggles as Katsuki's grip lightened, hand soon dropping into his lap. It was nice that the explosive boy's temper seemed to have lengthened– Even if only somewhat, at least something had definitely changed between his first argument with Tenya, and now.

Katsuki shifted slightly, his expression more of a neutral sort of grumpy. "Rudolph?" He guessed the obvious one, an eyebrow raised.

"Nope! I'm pretty sure Aoyama's got that covered, haha."

"...None of the other names are important." The blonde mumbled lowly, head leaned back to ensure only the boy behind him heard that. It was his way of admitting that he had no clue what the other reindeer's names were.

"Blitzen–" Kirishima couldn't help bursting into laughter, and admittedly, a small smile did tug at Katsuki's lips. "Because– Y'know–" He tried to speak between laughs, as he imitated the sound of an explosion.

25/12/xxxx ; The late afternoon ; The kitchen ; Rikido Satou

"Hey– Where are Midoriya and Todoroki?" Rikido asked, just about finished with handing out his festive sugar cookies– Only a little candycane and bushel of holly were left. He set his tray onto the counter as he glanced around the kitchen, no Izuku nor Shouto in sight.

"I saw them head for the elevators," Ochako chimed in, finding her seat atop the corner of the table. "Maybe Deku's giving Todoroki another present? Or– Y'know, the other way around?"

It made sense– Not long after the bushy-haired shounen protagonist had woken up, the group took their turns around the tree to hand out gifts. While they both received their abundance of presents, it'd seemed Shouto was still somewhat anticipatory, an emotion unlike his usually stoic self. Though the brunette gave a shrug, deciding to dismiss that detail, for the time being.

"Oh, well– Todoroki can reheat them, when he gets back, if they're cold by then."

25/12/xxxx ; The late afternoon ; The hall ; Mina Ashido

She didn't mean to eavesdrop, she swore to herself– She'd only been headed to the bathroom, when she'd overheard Izuku mentioning something about how much he loved something. And Mina, being the occasionally less-than-polite person that she was, couldn't help but to stick around, pressing her back to the wall and listening to two boys, around the corner.

"I'm glad– I wanted to make sure that my gift for you was special." She could tell that that was the deeper voice of Shouto, albeit uncharacteristically warm. And maybe Mina was somewhat upset that she didn't have the chance to know whatever the supposed special gift was, but she wasn't going to risk compromising her position in what sounded like a private moment.

"Well, thank you, Todoroki. I... I really appreciate you, y'know."

"And I–" Shouto cut himself off, though, and the pink girl physically recoiled as she realized that now was the moment that he'd finally be attempting a confession. She may not have been the most academically exemplary girl, but she'd been damned if she hadn't noticed every fleeting touch, every shy glance, every missed opportunity that her peppermint peer had suffered through.

She decided to walk away, though, keeping quiet as not to alert the boys. Part of her felt guilty, feeling as if she'd tainted the secrecy of the special interaction.

But as she stepped away, she did catch a quieter, forlorn phrase. "...You're my best friend, Izuku."

30/12/xxxx ; The morning ; Dorm room ; Kyouka Jirou

"The original is a lot less shitty." A certain Katsuki Bakugou commented gruffly, as the plumette experimented with her playlist. At current, she was playing some song called 'Hey There Delilah,' albeit sung in the Japanese that she knew, as opposed to its originally English version.

Kyouka raised a brow, ony briefly letting her attention flit toward the other. "Sure, but none of us can really understand the lyrics." She spoke nonchalantly, pushing herself up to fiddle with one of the speakers that Momo had previously helped her set up.

Katsuki gave his little "Tch," as he turned away, mentioning something about how he had no problem understanding English. And knowing the overachiever, that was likely true, she figured as he left the conversation.

This year, part of class 2-A– and even some 2-B students– had decided that they would be staying at the dorms for the New Year, watching whatever festivities and celebrating behind the safety of their tv. As such, Kyouka, Momo, and an unexpected Katsuki had banded together in lieu of decking out the Heights Alliance, for the upcoming holiday.

They mostly spent time cleaning and setting up a dorm sound system, but if all went well, every second of effort was going to be worth it.

31/12/xxx ; Shortly before midnight ; The commons room ; Izuku Midoriya

His peers had really done well with decorating, Izuku acknowledged for the umpteenth time as he chose his spot beside Ochako. Admittedly, he's been set on confessing for a while now, but never quite found the courage to voice his feelings.

But that was okay, as he gently tapped the brunette on the shoulder– Her cheeks grew rosier than usual when she noticed his outstretched hand, taking it after only a second of overthinking.

Maybe he didn't need words, after all, because he already had a passion in his heart and what seemed to be reciprocated feelings. Their fingers intertwined as the television flashed, counting down to a moment that both anticipated dearly. And Izuku couldn't stifle his shy grin, watching tentatively as Ochako's attention flitted between his face and the brightly-colored screen.

Neither had to say anything. Not now. Not until the rest of the small group cheered "Zero!", and not until they shared a wonderfully perfect kiss.

01/01/xxxx ; Shortly after midnight ; The roof ; Hitoshi Shinsou & Shouto Todoroki

After that, Hitoshi found himself fleeing the scene. Of course, he knew that it was inevitable, but that didn't stop him from hurting as much as he did. He rode the elevator and then climbed the stairs, stopping only once he stood atop the roof.

Shouto couldn't help but trail the plumette up to the top of the building, masking his similar need to escape with curiosity and concern. Considering they were heroes-in-training, it had been unusually easy to do so, to slip out of the room and follow him. Almost concerningly so, as the bicolored boy paused to eye the other's silhouette– To anticipate his next move.

Now, he wasn't stupid. He knew that much as he leaned forward, resting his forearms on the roof's railing. Hitoshi glanced over his shoulder to acknowledge the other's presence, sending a silent invitation to join him. With the way that he strode beside him, it was apparent that the youngest Todoroki was reluctant.

But neither had to say anything, for a long time. They simply stood beside one another, gazes focused on the moon or the sky or the city below them. Or maybe even one another. Shouto found comfort in this moment, but he did eventually break away, wanting to allow the plumette to mourn in peace.

But as the other turned, Shinsou reached and gently gripped his forearm. "Hey," his voice was smooth and gentle enough to coax Shouto back, to make him want to return to that moment. And he did, standing closer to his peer, now.

#bnha #mha #my hero academia #boku no hero academia #fanfiction #fanfic #rarepair #kiribaku #izuocha #shintodo #christmas #new year #ish original #ish writes #ish bnha #ish top

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pennys-th0ughts · 5 years

Text

The Bond (Chapter One)

… And life slowly left her body as a subtle and relieving shiver that brought peace and every trace of sadness, finally, faded away…

Three bright and shinning dots were dancing slowly on the palm of my hand; they looked pretty much like three tiny stars playing some kind of children’s game, taking turns to shine brighter in front of my eyes. The sky was darker than usual that night seeming to reflect the deepest echoes coming from the bottom of my being. Something was cracking inside of me and I couldn’t know what it was but the feeling was like thousands of sharp needles piercing my entire body. I was feeling powerless and, ironically, empty. That moment felt like it lasted years and I was watching the scene sequence in slow motion over and over again and once it finished, it repeated again, tearing my insides apart one more time. I grabbed my head with both hands and began plunging my nails in the middle of my scalp until blood started to flow drawing thick lines all over my face. I kept forcing open the wound until I heard skin and flesh being tearing apart and, strongly pulling from both sides, I finally managed to rip up the human shell that was keeping my true me hiding. This ends here and now – I thought to myself and jumped into the pitch black void waiting to be fed…

A hand landed on my shoulder giving me a little start.

– ¿Are you alright? – Her tender voice made me snap out of it.

I looked down until I only saw her small feet in front of mine; she sat down next to me and searched for my wandering eyes. Her inviting gaze was so persistent that it finally made me look at her eyes; those beautiful mortal gateways full of life that somehow, in that very moment, became some kind of mystic meaning to my never-ending existence. I remained silent for some minutes until I could get a grip of myself and bring the strongest side of my multiple shapeshifting personality.

– Yes, everything is alright, my dear – I finally said in a sigh trying to fake a smile.

– You seemed upset – she accurately pointed out-. ¿Are you sure you are okay?

I fixed my deep blue eyes with her unique blue-and-green ones and deeply breathing in, I said:

– I am now…

Minutes became hours and hours became days. Days flew by like a magnificent hummingbird showing off its beautiful iridescent colors in a warm spring morning. The birds were chirping outside and the light rain was hitting against the window as if it was saying hello. Not so far there was a rainbow displaying a soft color palette, making a big effort to stand out from behind the clouds.

Amy was already up and I was still in bed trying my best to wake up from a long night of movies and popcorn. She knew those crunchy little things were my favorite so she made a bunch of it. We used to love spending rainy nights watching scary movies despite Amy would spend most of said time covering her eyes at any slight spooky scene, which I thought it was sweet and would take the chance to hug her tight.

I was about to get up when Amy’s cat jumped on my lap, he spun around a couple times over my chest and began to purr. The story about this kitty and me didn’t have a good start since he apparently hated me from the very first second he saw me but I can’t really blame the poor creature, he was used to Amy’s presence only and I arrived to their lives like an unexpected summer storm. He wouldn’t stop hissing at me and behaving in a defensive way until, according to Amy’s instructions of ignoring him; he would finally give up being so cranky and accept he will be no longer the only alpha male in the house.

The smell of coffee just made ended up waking me up for good. I got dressed and went down stairs to join Amy for breakfast. We had a long day ahead and there was nothing better than to start it with a delicious strong flavor in the palate.

Things didn’t start as many would think and to get to this very point Amy would have to deal with her biggest fear first.

It all began one cloudy, cold and dark night when snowflakes stopped falling from the sky and the bright stars of winter started to shine harder, clearing the path to a new and more cheerful season.

Amara, as her actual name was, had decided to spend some hours skating in the public ice skating rink that afternoon. Soon that rink would become was usually was, a not so large pond where ducks would come back and swim again. People started to leave when the first shades of the night broke into the slowly dying sunset, leaving Amara all by herself. I suppose she didn’t mind to be alone since I saw her enjoying that moment of solitude. I was watching her from behind the pale white trees, poking my head out from time to time trying not to raise suspicions about my presence since I was also enjoying her delicate and neat performance on the ice. In one moment I got distracted she lost control of one of her feet and crashed against the floor so heavily that for a second I thought it would break under her weight. My heart skipped a bit and my pulse managed to accelerate its pace in a fraction of a second making me feel it in my throat. She remained on the cold floor for some minutes until she finally sat down and began rubbing the knee she had hit. I unconsciously stood up and made a step forward not realizing that she would probably freak out because of my aspect so quickly hid behind the tree and changed my appearance to a friendlier one.

– ¡Hey! – I walked towards her speeding my pace up - ¿Are you okay?

The surprised looked on her face revealed that I caught her without notice but she apparently didn’t mind and answered me back making her best to sound confident.

– ¡Hi, yes, I'm alright!

Once closer to her I knelt to take a look to her knee. She had suffered a quite strong hit in her knee cap and a not so deep scratch had left some thin lines of blood on sight. I offered myself to help her and get her sit in one of the nearest benches so we could take care of her little accident. She hesitated at first but she finally agreed. I took her arm and made her surround my neck with it so she could have more stability to walk and limp less.

– Pretty nasty fall you had there – I pointed out frowning at the slightly purple coloring her skin was starting to develop.

The girl chuckled a little embarrassed of being clumsy but it actually that fall wasn’t completely her fault since the ice floor was somewhat cracked in that part and that was what made her lose balance. I was so absorbed by taking care of her bruise that I barely stopped to pay attention to her physiognomy. When her knee was at last covered by a little bandage, I finally sat down next to her on the bench and sighed.

– That was very nice of you – I heard her shy and yet very sweet voice-. Thank you…

– Gray, Robert Gray – I hurried to introduce myself politely-. ¿And you are…?

She moved away a lock of her black her, placing it behind her ear and locked her different colored eyes with mine.

– I'm Amara, Amara Whitemoon – she shook my hand- but you can call me Amy.

The beauty of her blue and green eyes was captivating and being my first time seeing such a unique genetic mischief kept me staring at her like a child watching a big bowl full of warm buttered popcorn.

– You are really pretty… - I unconsciously said at loud, and then I realized how bad that probably must have sounded-. Oh, I'm sorry, I didn’t-

Amara smiled with something more than sweetness in her lips that made me swallow with some difficulty but also got me distracted from the delicious smell of some drops of blood that managed to get through the bandage. Its sugary base with some metallic notes was threating me to make me drool and sometimes it wasn’t easy for me to notice it until it was too late but, fortunately, this wouldn’t be the case.

I helped Amara to stand up; she pulled up the hood of her coat and smiled at me once more. I was too focused on her lips that I barely heard what she was saying until the daydream bubble I was floating inside of burst.

– Thank you for being so kind and helping me, Robert – she said looking down-. ¿Would you like to join me for a coffee as a sign of gratitude?

I hesitated for a second if it would be a good idea but seeing so much excitement in her eyes was like a powerful kick to my will that made me accept her invitation. I put the rest of my belongings inside my bag pack and we started our way back to town.

It was ten o’clock and in on our way to the nearest cafe we got to talk about a few things regarding our civil status, studies, likes and dislikes and a very tricky one, our place of residence. I tried to avoid answering this last one at all cost since I was sure Amara wouldn’t like it one bit.

– ¡We are finally here! – She said with an enthusiastic tone and grabbing hold of my arm, she almost pushed me inside.

I let her pick the table and we sat down placing our things on an empty chair. We waited for the waitress to come and give us the menus. Amara told me to pick whatever I wanted but since it was the first time being out of the sewers for something that wasn’t my usual meal, I limited myself to have the simpler of the drinks possible, besides water of course. Amara, on the contrary, ordered a cappuccino, a couple of croissants and a half-size glass of orange juice.

– ¿Are you going to be okay with a simple coffee? – She asked curious but more confident than minutes before.

I shrugged my shoulders not knowing what to answer. Amara waved her hand to the waitress and asked her to bring me the same she would have, me, on the other hand, tried unsuccessfully to avoid her spending too much money in our not-at-all-planned-and-accidentally-improvised date.

Few minutes passed until we had what we ordered on our table. Amara was excited to a have sip of her hot drink and me, well, I didn’t know where to begin with so I followed her moves. First, she sweeten it, then she picked a croissant, took a bite and finally a sip to her cappuccino. I did the same and found out that the drink was beyond delicious. Like a child who finds a secret door to an undiscovered fantasy world, my hunger for this new delicacy went far from what I could ever imagined and made me want to eat it all in one go. Amara saw my intentions of devouring everything at the speed of light so she placed her hand over my forearm and invited me to enjoy it a little more.

– Take it easy big guy – she smiled amused-. We don’t you to choke with the croissants ¿don’t we?

I smiled back at her being me who felt somewhat embarrassed this time. I finished my food slowly, enjoying each sip and bite. I cleaned up my mouth of the crumbs with a paper napkin just to keep myself inside the circle of politeness and sat back to stretch my legs. Amara stood up and excused herself to use the women’s room; I nodded with a smile and hold her purse. I was fidgeting with a paper napkin when I saw her finally getting out and making her way back to the table when a couple of men blocked her path. I raised my blue eyes just to meet hers and her upset look quietly asking for help.

– ¿What is a beautiful weirdo doing so late in a café? – One of the men addressed her in the most petulant way he could-. ¿Looking for a date, sweetheart?

– Or maybe she is just looking for someone to put one of her eyes in the same color… - the other man answered his partner a question he never made.

I didn’t wait much longer to stand up and step in, placing myself at one of the scumbag’s back. The one who was facing me raised his eyes until he could reach my line of sight, doing a notorious effort to hold it. My right hand landed heavily on the other man’s shoulder, once he stopped talking, I began clenching my fist slowly but firmly.

– That’s not the way to talk to a lady – I bent forward until he could feel my breath tingling in his ear-. Apologize to her and we can leave this here and now and forget what just happened.

The man facing me froze on the spot and the other one turned around with violent intent until he saw I was more than three inches above his line of view. The man, now behind his partner, blinked several times as if he was trying to find a way out of the oppressing situation I had put them under until he finally lifted both hands as a sing of surrender, he quietly apologized and stepped away leaving his partner on his own.

– So, - I squeezed his shoulder a little harder this time-. ¿What do you say?

– ¡Alright, alright! – He cried-. I apologize to the lady…

– ¿For what…? – I squeezed even harder piercing his clothes with pointy nails.

– ¡For calling her weirdo!

I loosen my grip and let him go, clearing his way so he could rush and meet his coward friend outside the cafeteria. Amara was standing next to me, half puzzled half amused, but the look in her eyes was speaking for her in a language only I was able to understand.

– You really didn’t have to do that, Robert-

– I know I didn’t have to – I interrupted her-. I needed to.

Amara smiled shyly trying so hard not to show me that her cheeks went red but that made her look even cuter. I invited her to grab her things and leave. Outside was cold and it had stopped snowing, the last night of the coldest seasons of the year was coming to its end. We were standing outside the cafe entrance and I saw Amara wasn’t wearing any kind of scarf so I took mine off and wrapped it around her thin neck. She grabbed one of its ends and put it under her nose, smelling it for a couple of seconds.

– If you are looking for perfume, you won’t find one… - I hurried to speak so she wouldn’t feel disappointed.

– Actually, I'm not, but I like how it smells.

– ¿And how does it smells like? – I asked intrigued by her sharp sense of smell.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as if she was filling her lungs with a scent I couldn’t figure out what it was yet and, breathing out slowly, she said:

– It smells like wet dirt…

To be continued...

#Penny's thoughts #pennywise #short story

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evening-rose-309 · 6 years

Text

Coming Home

So, @thegaypumpingthroughyourveins, do you remember that ask with Percival getting adopted by fae? Yeah, well, this happened while I was in the car. The Grindelnewt one is on the way, but I COULD NOT get this story out of my head so....yeah.

Grindelwald is being a bitch, so this will be the appetizer while we wait for him to cooperate. Enjoy 😋😋

He'd known them all his life. He grew up with them, learned their ways and traditions, knew every single clan member by heart, and came to accept the Black Forest and its harsh weather conditions as his home. They were gracious people the fae, called him a child of their own even though he was human, weak, soft, even with the little magic he had, it was no match for their power. Maybe that was why his parents gave him away.

Ah, his 'loving' parents. The Graves', whom the clan had once owed a favor to. Such lovely people who gave away their only son when he was just ten years old to ancient clan of faes buried deep in a long forgotten forest in Ireland. Their excuse? "You'll learn better magic here, darling, so you'll grow nice and strong." At least the fae had been honest with him. "You were weak, boy. Weak of magic. So weak your mummy was glad to leave you here with our kind, ashamed to call someone as weak as you her son."

But now, some twenty years later, he was strong. He was a fighter, his magic was more powerful than most members of the clan. He was smart too, the few books his parents so graciously dropped off on their sparse visits enough fill his mind with all the knowledge of their world. He knew of witches and wizards, of no-majs who's fear towards magic rivaled a human's fear towards fae. He knew of the many, many laws set in place to keep the two away from each other, studied them, memorized them by heart if not only to spite his human father, who said he could never live up to his legacy.

It was safe to say Percival Graves became more than anything his family could have hoped for.

He often dreamt of the human world, of the men and women walking down the busy streets in fancy clothing, some hiding their wands in their cloaks, forced to live in hiding. He had a wand too, and he also had fancy clothes, given to him by his parents. The fae were clothed in only furs and and feathers braided in their hair. They never got cold, so it was nothing to them. Only the leaders hung bones around their necks, a symbol of their power.

Or should he say 'leader', for there was only one. Gaelach was a fair matriarch, a queen, fair and old, eternally beautiful and unnaturally strong. She had taken him and treated her like he was her child, teaching him things, raising him. Like he was her own flesh and blood. As the years passed, he came to know that that was because her own son had disappeared a long time ago.

"His father was human," she'd say. "He was taken from me when he was ten moons old and my mate took him across the sea. In the winter and the summer, he'd return. I'd clean his wounds, he had so many scars, and I'd teach him things they never could"

"What happened to him?"

She would pause then, and he'd think he crossed a line, but she continued. "It wasn't many moons before you came along. I still remember the haunted look in his eyes when I saw him, just...standing there, by the trees. He never told me what happened, but he cried on my shoulders, said he was sorry for all the things he'd done, for not seeing me enough. He said he needed to go, so I let him. I never saw him again."

"What was his name?"

He could tell she loved him then. Loved her son more than Percival's mother could love him. She never answered, feigning drowsiness and fatigue, but he knew it was more. And he knew he could never replace this mysterious boy's presence in her heart.

-----

Every time his parents would want to visit, they'd send a letter. By raven. And he'd know it was for him if it landed on his arm and cawed at him. This time, there were two of them.

The first, of course was for him, and it came mid day. His heart lifted when he read it. His parents wanted him to come home, that it was urgent, and that they would be coming for him straight away. He was both angered and overjoyed at their words, loathing that they only wanted him back now when there was danger, but excited to finally be able to see the human world.

The second was for Gaelach, and it came in the middle of the night. Most of them, including Percival, had been asleep when they hear the raven cawing over the tree line. As soon as they all awoke, it swooped down to drop a single torn piece of paper into Gaelach's hands. He couldn't read it, as it was so small, but whatever it said had Gaelach sprinting through the crowd and dashing into the trees.

All fae could shift forms, and Gaelach, like most of the clan, was a wolf. The others shifted too, some wolves, some birds, some foxes and other animals. Percival lagged behind on his human legs, trudging through the snow. They were nearing the edge of the forest when she shifted again and stopped. It took Percival sometime to catch his breath and look over the rest of the clan to see who it was.

There, slumped against the tree, was a man. A human. His bone white hair was long, reaching his ears, covering some of his face, but Percival couldn't miss his eyes that glinted in the dark. Glinted, like a fae's would. He wore clothes similar to Percival's father's, except they were torn and dirty. He was bleeding too, clutching a wound in his side, looking up at Gaelach as she kneeled before him.

Slowly, her hand came to his side, prying his fingers away from the wound and digging into it. Percival could hear the man's breath hitch as he let her do it, and his tired sigh as she pulled away and brought her bloody fingers to her mouth. There was a moment of pure silence, not single bird in trees or whisper of the wind. Percival watched at the fae queen's eyes widened and her mouth gaped opened, showing her perfect, pointed teeth. The man smiled.

"Hello Mutti," he rasped, the sound lime falling tree branches. "D-did you miss me?"

A choking sound came out of Gaelach as she fell on her knees and wrapped her arms around his neck. Most of the clan had shifted now as she sobbed on his head, petting his matted lockes. Percival saw his bloodied hands shakily came around her in turn.

And that's when he saw it. The wand, albeit different from his own, but still the familiar long and thin piece of wood clutched in the man's right hand.

Both of them were sobbing now. "I'm sorry Mutti. I'm so so sorry" and "I know, sweetheart, I know. I know."

It was a while before Gaelach let him go, pulling back to cup one side of his face instead. He held her there, still choking, gaze never moving from her face. The scene made something move in Percival's heart.

"Please forgive me Mutti," the man swallowed, with the saddest of smiles on his face. "I know I ha-haven't seen you in- years and I- I'm so sorry. Vatter, he- all those years ago I-"

"Shhh," she smiled. "It's all right. You're home now and that's all that matters. All is forgiven, Darling, you're still my son. You'll always be my son."

She rose and turned to the rest of them, the clan growing silent as the man slowly got up, leaning against the tree. Her hand came to his shoulder as he helped him turn to face them, his gaze darting between them all.

"Bow before your Prince!" And they did, bowing their heads in unison. As Percival's gaze fell to ground beneath them, he felt eyes boring into his chest, his face. When he looked up, he saw the prince's mismatched eyes staring at him. He shuddered as Gaelach beamed at her son.

"Welcome home, Gellert"

#gellert grindelwald #percival graves #fae!au #grindelgraves

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itsnebulous · 5 years

Text

BOND THROUGH BANDS

Well I know when you're around ‘cause I know the sound I know the sound, of your heart... bzzz bzz bzz

I woke up by the annoying vibration of my alarm, I checked the time and good lord my alarm has been buzzing for about half an hour now! I don't remember snoozing it off but damn my train for London leaves in 20 minutes. My earphones are tangled all over my neck. I could literally hear my mum inside my head saying “You should not sleep with your earphones on Bailee!” I'm sorry mum but your loving daughter just did. I must have fallen asleep again while on my phone last night. It has become my habit now to pass out while scrolling through my socials, I mean that's just pure talent. Music is my thing but not in the way that I'm great at instruments. It's just that I love listening to bands.

As I hurry to the bathroom to take a shower, I tripped over my sketchbooks. I don't remember my flat being this messy. Dirty clothes are piling on the chair beside my disastrous closet, books are everywhere on the dusty carpet. The only thing in order are my shelves of books and music albums which is also now getting dusty. Surprisingly the kitchen area is clean, maybe because I am always out at the city to eat out with my classmates after school. I got out of the shower with ten minutes to spare. I have no time for my indecisiveness on what clothes to wear so I pulled off my go-to outfit. I tucked my favourite yellow sweater on my jeans and put on my worn out Converse then grabbed my coat that is hung on the back of my door before sprinting to the elevator.

As I got out on the streets, tourists are everywhere, typical for Brighton though even if it's freezing cold. But today is warmer, the sun is actually out which is very unusual for December. I'm almost near at the station when Lily texted me:

“BAILEE WHERE ARE U?!”

But before I can even type my answer, she called

“Sis the train is about to leave in two minutes” I can imagine with her tone how pissed she is at me.

“I’m almost there. I’m like twenty steps away”

“That better be not a lie”

“I swear it's not- and oh she already hang up”.

We made it to London without having a fight. She is already used to my shenanigans on my morning routines which always make me late. Lily is just pressed that I missed breakfast with her at the cafe.

“Why on Earth are you late this time my beloved friend? Bet you had your concert again while in the shower”, she said sarcastically.

“Oh stop it, you know I can't miss my singing ritual whilst in the shower”, I teased her.

“Also, I'm not late duh I made it exactly at 8 am”. Lily has always been the early bird kind of friend during meet ups and I am most certainly the buzzer beater type.

Roaming around the city of London is always my favourite. I have lived here three years ago when I first came to England yet every time I walk along its streets and pass by its shops, I keep falling in love like it's the first time. The telephone booths are still class even though no one uses it. Everything about this city is so aesthetic. Lily and I spent half of the day going through some of the places London is known for as if we are tourists.

“It's ridiculous that I've lived in London most of my life but still haven't ridden this until now". We are now inside a carriage on top of the London eye.

“ I can't say the same. I mean I lived here only a few years back and I even barely go out then but it's never too late to be a tourist you know”.

The view on top is amazing, cityscape and sunset is picture perfect. I just wish that I am seeing this with Matty right now if he hadn't left me. I guess this is it again, I have fallen on my whirlpool of grief that keeps dragging me down. It's been years but why didn't I learn to handle the pain.

2 years ago...

London street is busy as ever yet the holiday spirit is very alive. Every one on the city is on their layered coats as it is freezing cold. It's two more weeks until Christmas and the shops are all packed with those who are gift shopping. I am probably the most loneliest person in London because I actually have no one to celebrate Christmas with as I just moved. I have Lily and our friends but they’re all going home for the holidays.

Today is the last day of school before our Christmas break so we planned a night out at Winter Wonderland.

“Here's the thing Bailee, a Christmas holiday of a typical London resident wouldn't be complete without a night here", Millie said as we walk toward the entrance of the giant Christmas carnival. Millie is my street smart friend who always got my back the first time I got in London.

“Really?”, and as I ask this I confirmed what Millie just said, the place is crowded and sparkly with its lights. The people are in their high spirits as they are in queue for the rides. I could never be that person who is excited for the rides. Before I even know it, my friends are already in line calling me to join them.

“BAILEE AREN'T YOU GOING TO JOIN US?”, Josh screamed.

“ I'D RATHER WATCH YOU FROM HERE. I'M SCARED OF HEIGHTS.”, I answered. The music is getting loud now from what I hear from the people passing by is from the beer tent.

“ARE YOU SURE???” asked Lily looking concerned.

“YEAHHHH, MEET YOU AT THE BEER TENT MAYBE?”

I barely heard their answer but I'm sure I heard Millie say “oh she'll do just fine, she can manage now". Thanks Millie for your confidence but I am actually anxious going alone inside the beer tent. But I am eager to see what's going on in there because I can hear a band playing.

There's a reason why I never returned your calls I wish I could forget it all But I never returned your calls ‘Cause I'd fall again.

“Holy cow they are singing a Blossoms' song" , I whispered to myself out of excitement.

I made my way in front of the crowd. The people inside the tent are all chattery and loud but I could only hear the song playing, my favourite song. I caught the vocalist' attention maybe because of my aggressiveness to get in front. I got lost on his gaze, his deep blue eyes melted me, the curls of his hair is so soft. It is their last song to play. After they played, he went to sit beside me which is weird because we don't even know each other.

“Hi” he said shyly.

A cute band vocalist who is a stranger just talked to me, how am I supposed to reply. “Hello?”

“You sound so confused" he said giggling.

“Uhmmm yes? I am confused because a stranger who just sung my favourite song is talking to me out of context”, I blurted out.

“Oh I actually approached you because of your reaction while we were playing ‘your favourite song’ "

“Why so?”

“Because it's so obvious that you really like the song and you were the only one here who seems to appreciate it. Does it remind you of someone?”

“Honestly no, I just really love it. The tune, its lyrics is just perfect for me.”

“Guess we are the same then".

After my weird moment with that guy, my friends finally came to have a beer. Mr. Stranger was about to leave when I asked his name.

“It's Matty”

That's how Matty and I started. After that night, he invited me to watch shows and gigs. The drive back home is always my favourite. We take detours just to spend more time talking about each other with good music on the background.

“Cityscapes are just beautiful, aren't they?” I said while looking out the window.

“Not as beautiful and bright as you”

“Stop being so cute please”, that's the only reaction I could do with his smooth cheesy lines.

As months of hanging out together goes by, we fall deeper and deeper with each other. Matty gave my room a make over. Ever since I moved in London my flat doesn't look like home so he gave it an artistic touch. He painted the walls, built me a desk and shelves. We also hung posters of our favourite bands. After redecorating my room, it now feels home and cosy. He stayed until midnight so that we could listen to the new album of the 1975 together.

“I guess this could be our new jam then" he said with enthusiasm in his eyes.

“I love the idea", I answered.

I knew he was already sleepy when he said goodnight before driving back home. I didn't want him to drive anymore because it's already late but he insisted because he's worried about his sister so I let him.

“Call me when you get home ok? Drive safely”

“Ok I love you” he said.

I don't recall the next months after. It is as blurry as when my tears won't stop falling for him. Matty have left me. Matty never returned my calls not because he's scared of falling again for me. He never returned my calls because he's gone. How I wish we could've said our goodbyes. I should've said I love you too while I still can. But it is all too late now.

Matty is the reason why I moved to Brighton. Everything about London reminds me of him especially at this time. He once asked me to ride the London eye with him but I refused because I was scared and anxious.. What I did not know is could never see this view with him anymore. I should have said yes back then but my anxiety ate me. Up until now his memory still haunts me even in Brighton. I never had the courage to clean up my room because I keep remembering when he decorated my room. Now I can finally say that ‘There's a Reason Why (I Never Returned Your Calls) by Blossoms reminds me of someone.

Before I even get drowned by my whirlpool of grief, Lily brought me back to reality.

“Bailee are you alright?”

“Yeah I think I am"

I still find parts of you. In the corners of my bedroom. Someday comes too soon. The radio plays our favourite tune again.

#creativewriting

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storiesformygrandson · 7 years

Text

THE PANTHER By Arican KURTAY It was the last minute of the championship match. The Virginia team had won a penalty kick.The crowd was cheering as their star player Deren was getting ready to make the shot.The goalkeeper was standing beside the goal post and watching every move of Deren. His nick name was ‘The Panther’ not because he had green eyes and black hair but because he could move like a panther and save almost impossible balls. In this tournament only, he had saved three penalty kicks up to now. Deren got behind the ball and ‘The Panther’ took his place between the goal posts. Deren raised his head and looked at the goal before he started running towards the ball. Suddenly ‘The Panther’ started to get bigger and bigger and covered the goal, becoming a real panther. He opened his jaws and Deren could see the sharp white teeth of the panther in front of his eyes. He tried to run away but his legs would not move, the crowd was also screaming with fear. Then suddenly he woke up. It was still dark outside. This was the second time that he was seeing this dream. He decided to go downstairs and have something to eat. Maybe he would make himself a nice omelette. He was already feeling very hungry. When he got to the kitchen his grandfather was already there, drinking his morning tea and reading some stuff from his I-pad. “Good morning Deren, why are you up so early this morning “ he asked. “I had a nightmare and couldn’t get back to sleep “ he replied. Then he started preparing omelettes, one for grandpa and one for himself. “It smells delicious” his grandpa said while pouring himself another cup of tea. “What was your nightmare about” he asked. “My favorite one is, being chased by a group of tribesmen with long spears in their hands, in the jungles of the Amazon river. I get frightened every time I see this dream and wake up soaked in sweat”. So Deren told his grandpa about the goalkeeper becoming a panther and jumping on him. “That's very interesting” his grandpa said as he was finishing his omelette. “Let me tell you what happened to me last winter in Istanbul. It was a very cold day and a cold wind was blowing from the sea. We had some leftover chicken from last evening and I decided to take it to the cats of the seaside park. There was no one else in the street as I walked the short distance to the park. While passing in front of a building, I heard someone say, “Hey you guy with the chicken”. I was startled because there was no one else around except a black cat sitting on the wall. I looked at the cat and she said, “Yeah, I'm the one who spoke to you. Is there anyone else around carrying a bag full of chicken”. “How did you know I was carrying chicken” I asked. “Can't you see I am a cat and we can smell things”, she replied. “Well sorry, I don't see a talking cat every day so I was a bit surprised. By the way what are you doing outside in this weather, shouldn't you take shelter somewhere”. “I have just come to your world so I don't feel cold yet”. “What do you mean by another world”. “I am actually a panther in my world but when I switch worlds to come here I become a cat so that no one will notice me”. I was so surprised that I could not find anything to say at first but there was this cat talking with me and saying very interesting things. “What is your name if you have one” I asked. “When I first came here I was a kitten and a woman took me to her house. She wanted me to be her pet and started calling me ‘Cotton’. What a stupid name, me being black and cotton white, she thought it was funny. Anyway it was nice at the beginning, she was giving me all sorts of nice food and all I had to do was sleep and play with anything that moved in the house. After a while I was bored and started to miss my life in the jungle. So one day I ran away and returned to my own world. I sometimes miss the days I spent here so from time to time I visit this world also”. I was still not clear about this other world thing so I decided to ask what she meant by it. How can a panther living in the jungle come over here as a cat and speak our language. “What is this other world and how can you switch from one world to the other” I asked her. “It is very difficult for me to explain but if you want I can take you there”, she replied. “Why not, let's give it a try” I said. She looked at me with her green eyes trying to understand if I really meant it. “If you go there you can't go as a human being, you will also have to be a panther like me” she said. Now that made me think, because I was quite old and how could an old panther survive in the jungle. Anyway I decided to go on with it. “How do we get there” I asked. “We have to pass through the jungle world gate” she said, “but I have to warn you because when you get there you will have to spend at least one day before you can return to your own world, although one day in that world is just like a minute in this one, so when you get back no one will ever notice that you had gone away”. “OK, let's go Cotton” She gave me a bad look and started walking towards the seaside. I put the chicken on the wall so other cats could eat it and started following her. She got between the trees in the park and started sniffing the air until she found whatever she was looking for and stopped. “Now stand here and close your eyes, you will go first then I will follow. When you get there hide yourself and wait for me to come. Do not make any noise or other stupid things because you are going to the jungle and there is danger everywhere”. I went to the place where she wanted me to stand and closed my eyes. Suddenly I felt like I was being carried up into the sky and then being dropped down. My feet hit something hard and I fell down. I opened my eyes and everything was green around me. At first I could not understand where I was but as my vision cleared I could see the high trees and bushes around me. It was very hot and I had to hide behind the tree so I had to get up and run, but what do I see, I have huge black paws in place of my hands and I could not even stand up because I am a panther now and I have to run on my four legs. With one jump I reach the trees. Wow, that is amazing, I could never have done it even when I was young. Then there is a sort of an explosion and Cotton comes out from the dust cloud. She is a wonderful animal, her black skin shining as she passes through the sunny part and comes to me. “Now remember this place” she says, “because you have to be here exactly at this time tomorrow, otherwise you will not be able to get back to your world. In the meantime I will try to protect you, but in any case if you see something big, run away, it's your enemy and if you see something small, try to catch it, it's your meal”. “So what do we do now” I ask. “It is daytime now, so we have to find a place to hide, sleep and clean ourselves. We shall go hunting when it gets dark” she said. Then without another word she started running between the trees. I was having a difficult time following her and in the meantime thinking about the foolish decision I had made by coming over here. If it was possible I would want to get back to my little world immediately. Finally we reached a tree and with great ease she jumped to branch. I tried to follow but could not even touch the branch with my front legs. I felt too old for such things. I tried to climb instead and found out that it was easier than I thought. I lay down on the branch and started wondering when I would fall down if I ever could sleep. I curled my tail upwards like Cotton had done and suddenly felt very comfortable. I would not fall after all. I was smelling all kinds of things, hearing even the slightest noises and still being able to sleep. It was wonderful being a panther. After a while I heard Cotton call me. She was already under the tree. It was dark, the birds had stopped singing and all I could hear was the noise of the leaves as the wind blew slightly. I jumped down, I think I was getting used to the idea of being a panther. I was also a bit hungry. If I were at home I might eat some pasta, but it was not possible here and as a panther I did not feel like eating anything other than meat. Cotton told me that it was not the best season for hunting so we may not be able to find any food but we had to try anyway. It was not a big problem for me because I planned to return home the next day and I could manage without food for a while. But I was thirsty and the only place with water was the river. So we started to go towards the river. There were no cups to drink water from so I had to put my tongue into the water and started licking. Suddenly I saw a big fish looking at me from the water. With one strike of my paw I was able to catch the fish. It tasted delicious, my first prey as a panther. I was very pleased with myself. Even Cotton appreciated my hunting skills. Having fed ourselves it was time to rest, sleep and cleanup again. It felt very nice being a panther I thought. We slept some more and it was almost time for me to return home to my world. Suddenly Cotton jumped up to the higher branches of the tree. I think she was not happy with something going on around us. I could also hear some voices but couldn't make up what they were. She came back down and she seemed rather troubled. “The natives are coming this way, they will hunt us if they see us, so we have to run away. I can escape but you are not as good as me and older so they can kill you. You better run to the jungle world gate and return to your own world. I had fantastic time with you and will visit you again in the near future”. I was very moved by what she said and almost felt like crying. But now I could also hear the noises made by the natives, so I started running towards my exit gate to my world. When I looked back I could see the natives with their long spears running towards me. They had spotted me and were very excited because a panther was a great catch for them. I came to the place where the jungle world gate was supposed to be and closed my eyes. I could almost feel the hands of the natives trying to catch me. Then suddenly I was gone. When I opened my eyes again I was at the park by the seaside. I was lucky because there was no one around, otherwise they would be surprised to see a man suddenly appear in front of them. When I returned home your grandma looked at me and said “Where have you been, you are smelling awful, did you sleep in the street? Come on, go clean up we have fish for dinner”. Do you think she would really believe me if I told her what happened. I still have this nightmare about the natives chasing me, so I am sure it is not a nightmare but the real thing. Deren looked at his grandpa, he was not sure if what he had told was true, but then he remembered his own nightmare, maybe he was also in the jungle himself, being chased by a real panther. “OK grandpa, let's go out and play some football” he said.

#panther childrenstory storytelling imagination deren #children stories #jungle aricankurtay kurtay imagination

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