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#and yes i AM extremely excited to be a witch
Note
What's your Hogwarts house?
I'm afraid I'm a terribly boring Gryffindor because Hermione was my hero and taught me that girls can be smart AND brave, which was great because while I'm smart, I was a terrible wuss as a kid LOL
what's your Hogwarts house?! EVERYONE TELL ME THEIR HOUSESSSSS
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sunmoonjune · 2 years
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storm clouds at midnight
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pairing: poly!ot8 stray kids x fem!reader [werewolf! au]
warnings: minors dni!! extremely suggestive themes!! there is no explicit smut, cursing, but it’s probably the closest to smut I’ve written, predator/prey, chasing, suggestive content is 100% consensual by all parties, vampires are assholes, fear, blood, biting, minor mentions of reader not liking their body (no reference to size/shape), the boys are dirty-minded, a lot of teasing, dirty talk, a little choking, sub!reader, seriously this is probably mostly definitely smut so minors dniI!! there are member x member relationships in this
word count: 26.3k (ok I know I’m insane)
a/n: ok,,, listen I was supposed to write like four other things and not this... but maxident came out and I've been in my skz feels sooo this is the result. also yes! this is in the same universe as dewdrops at dawn (two different places with two different views of the supernatural) also,,, I am physically incapable of writing non-soulmate au’s it seems 
again, this work is considered as suggestive, please do not interact if you are a minor. 
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You knew the wolves were there from the moment you moved in. 
Even despite the little power you possessed, you could recognize the enchanting magical aura that lingered in the depths of the dark forest. Without a doubt in your mind, you knew that werewolves resided in the trees beyond your home. In the small clearing at the edge of the woodside town, you could feel the surge of power that marked the boundary of their territory. Despite lacking the keen senses of their kind, you can still feel the border flicker with their strength when you toe the line. 
The night after you first moved into the little cabin on the borders of town, your entire being could sense the moment the wolves descended on your new home. 
Eight forms hid in the darkness of the trees – keeping their bodies shadowed under the cover of night. You could feel their aura and their magic as they investigated your presence. They were scanning for trouble - that you could tell. As a witch, moving into the borders of their territory was bound to draw suspicion. 
Though you lacked immense quantities of magic, you still had the thrum in your veins and the swell in your chest that indicated your link to the supernatural. A witch was a witch, through and through - no matter how much magic they possessed. Despite the disdain of your spellbinding kin, the comfort of the sentiment allowed you to continue practicing using little magic you possessed. 
It’s long after midnight when you feel the auras descend upon your clearing. Eight werewolves, their strength and power undeniable as they linger on their own border. You can almost feel their eyes flickering over your body as they scan your small home. Their sharp pupils leave no belonging untouched. Each of your possessions is investigated for magical inclination. Despite the foreboding indication of their pack’s fortitude, there was some lingering sense of excitement when you felt their eyes on your form. 
You could not blame their caution. When another supernatural being moves into the borders of their territory, it was more than justifiable to investigate their prowess. However, it was not their discretion that caught your attention. 
Something fizzled in the air between you and the wolves, simmering as if connecting your emotions to the pack. It sets your body alight - every inch of your skin flickering with heat and your nerves humming with a warmth you could not place. In some way you did not yet understand, you were connected to this wolfish pack. 
Setting aside some fauna and other potion ingredients to be stored, you felt goosebumps prick under your skin when their gaze turned to your form. It was not an unpleasant feeling; rather one of unbridled curiosity. The notion of their eyes on your skin made you tremble with waves of both excitement and nervousness. They collided with each other in a storm of untapped emotion, and you vaguely wondered why the wolves’ presence made you react so strongly. 
When you carefully made your way out your back door, your slow steps were indicated by the crackle of leaves beneath your feet and the magical thrum in the air. You could feel the wolves’ apprehension in the way their own aura fidgeted, but you continued into your garden nevertheless. Under their direct gazes, something in your body hummed with delight. It was a little strange, and a more sensible part of yourself questioned the feeling. However, the magical pull overpowered that observation, and you found yourself peering into the woods - hoping to catch a glimpse of the wolves that caught your attention. 
They kept themselves well hidden. Your human eyes could not see as well as them in the dark, and you were left without a grasp of their forms. A lingering sensation of disappointment settled in your stomach, your lower lip pulling into your teeth in a pout at the feeling. 
The notion did not bother you as you understood their apprehension towards you, even despite whatever lingered in the air between you. With your limited ability, you pulled gently on the magical connection with your power. It simmered pleasantly between you, like a string that could not be severed. Pulled tight by the grasp of your magic, you felt your body shiver when one of the wolves responded with a deep growl. 
It was not a threatening sound - not necessarily. The sound rippled through the atmosphere with an air of warning. The leader of the pack was not comfortable with you messing around with magic upon your first meeting. The sensation rippled through your body and you felt your chest shake with his power. 
Holding your hands up with your palms out, you hummed quietly with apology. You had no intention of angering the wolves, simply wanting to understand the sensation that seemed to pull you closer. The sound seems to soothe the tension, hackles slowly lowering and magic softening in the air around you. 
From beneath the depths of the dark, wooden thicket, the pack leader stood strongly in front of his seven pack members. Chan had led his partners to the borders of their territory upon feeling the magical thrum of a witch in the air. He could sense the change in the atmosphere when you had arrived in their little town. Even without the bond that simmered between you and the eight wolves, Chan was exceptionally adept at deciphering the magical aura of supernatural creatures - a skill that came with being the Alpha of his pack. 
The shining silver of his wolfish coat was difficult to keep hidden under the moonlight, but Chan was careful. From behind the trees, he and his partners could easily investigate the homely wooden cottage the new witch had sequestered. 
His chest hummed with a pleasant feeling, one he knew connected him to the same witch they had come to examine. Though difficult, he buried it deep in his chest. There would be time to explore the connection later. 
“Careful, Jinnie,” his voice echoed through the link connecting each of the wolves. He addressed the dark form of Hyunjin, who had broken the line of his partners behind him. Though he kept low to the ground, Hyunjin had crept forward, seemingly very interested in the witch whose magic thrummed in the air around them. 
The dark fur of Hyunjin rippled under the alabaster shine of the moon, illuminating the pure muscle of his form. Hyunjin was one of the largest of their pack; his ebony coat standing tall over the bodies of his partners. He huffed at his leader’s call, seeming to shiver as another pulse echoed down the new connection between the wolves and you. 
Sending Chan a remarkably longing look for a wolf, Hyunjin backed away from the edge of the forest. He settles beside Felix, the younger shifting to rest his weight against his lover. The lighter brown color of Felix stood out against Hyunjin, and the darker wolf dropped his head to brush his nose against Felix’s muzzle. Inhaling a wave of his partner’s scent, Hyunjin relaxed some of his tensed muscles. Feeling some of the enticing turmoil seep from his form, Hyunjin let some of his own weight settle against Felix, knowing the younger savors any affection his lovers adore to provide. 
“She smells s’good, Hyung,” Jeongin, the youngest of the pack, rumbles. He stands at the rear beside Seungmin, both wolves a dark walnut color. Though they’re close, the elder of the two werewolves is less inclined to treasure affection. Seungmin leans away from the typical touch that his mates seem to adore. However, Chan and the others have known the wolf far too long to know that Seungmin only pretends to hate physical affection. He may whine when Chan wraps his body around him, but the eldest can feel the way Seungmin sinks into his form and how the bond between them warms. 
Chan’s only response to Jeongin is another hum. 
The silver wolf is too busy scanning your body, from where you have stepped out of your house to approach the tree line. Chan can tell that you know he and his partners are there. The bond wavers between you and Chan has to resist the pleasant shiver that thrums through him. Some of the others are unable to fight back the feeling, and Chan can feel Felix and Han’s excitement spike from their connection. 
The eight wolves stand at the ready. With your form slowly approaching the woods, another thrum of excitement echoes down both ends of the bond and this time it’s Minho that has to resist stepping forward. Whatever connection lingers between you is strong. The combination of your sweet scent and the magical connection is beginning to drive Minho mad. He swears he can almost feel the touch of your skin on his own despite the distance that separates you. 
As second-in-command, Minho stands at Chan’s side. The two are tense, but not out of apprehension – it seems all eight of the wolves are feeling the same thrum from your bond. 
At the edge of your yard, you slow to a stop. In the chilly night air, you rub your hands together for a little warmth, but find that whatever magic simmers in the air has kept you quite hot. Shifting on your feet, you attempt to find the eyes of any of the wolves that you can sense in front of you. 
You keep at least twenty yards between you and the wolves. Despite whatever connection you may have, you do not know how they will react if you approach closer. They are cautious of your magic - you can tell. Most supernatural creatures are. Though the notion saddens you, you can understand the apprehension; witches are typically solitary beings who don’t mix well with other supernatural creatures. 
Unable to find the irises of one of the wolves, you sigh and shift your own pupils to the floor beneath your feet. You mull over a few options in your head, attempting to find a solution. You want to show the wolves that you don’t mean any harm - that you’re more than willing to explore this newfound bond that seems to simmer in the air like it’s own magic. 
When an idea strikes you, you’re almost embarrassed to consider it. Heat rises to your skin and you feel a pulse of something hum in the air. 
Shifting on your feet, you lower your body a fraction in an attempt to appear smaller. Inclining your head, you tilt your chin to expose the skin of your bare neck: a show of submission. It’s awkward, but if you want to appeal to the wolves, you may as well act like one, you suppose. 
You feel a little odd as you stand, but after a solitary moment, the pleasant growl in response makes your knees weak. The sound seems to combine with a wave of heat and excitement that rolls through your body. Without even seeing the wolves with your own eyes, they seem to have a grip on both your mind and  body that you cannot fathom. 
From behind the trees, Chan has taken a step forward. At your show of submission, the pack leader cannot help the shiver of pride that echoes through him. Heat fills his form at the act, and the growl escapes his chest before he can stop it. He longs to break from the tree line. Every fiber in his being wants to step out and feel the skin of your form beneath his fingers. With your neck inclined towards him, proudly showing him the skin of your jugular, Chan’s fangs seem to press tight against his gums. They ache to sink into your skin – to mark you as his own, just as he has marked his partners, who stand at his side. It’s a little strange, as this is your first meeting, but Chan supposes the mating bond has something to do with it. He did, after all, mark Minho after their first meeting. 
Despite the heat that simmers under his skin, Minho can’t resist the chuckle that bursts forth at his Alpha’s reaction. Your show has affected their leader the most, as he is the head of the pack. Though he still feels the same pride and longing that fills Chan’s chest, it’s of a lesser degree and Minho can control the arousal that heats in his chest. 
“Careful, Chan-hyung,” Hyunjin playfully teases, throwing his leader’s previous words back at him. The intense aura of Chan’s emotions thrum in the bond between the pack, enticing all eight of the wolves to their Alpha’s dominance.
Turning to his partner, Chan snaps his jaws teasingly at the younger. Though the action is violent, Chan is careful not to harm any of his lovers with his sharp teeth - even when his dominance is questioned. 
“Shut it, Hyunjin. Or s’you I’ll sink my teeth into.” 
At his side, Minho and Changbin huff in silent laughter, enjoying the commotion at Hyunjin and their leader’s expense. Hyunjin is not affected by Chan’s threat, seeming to purr at the response. He steps forward with his head held high and sets his sights on his eldest lover. 
“Promise?” Hyunjin’s coo answers. 
He sends a flirtatious bolt of arousal down the bond he shares with Chan, feeling his entire body shiver pleasantly when his pack leader responds with a salacious look and a short, tempered growl. Chan’s response insights a promise - one he’s sure to fulfill when they return home. 
The other pack members huff good-naturedly, feeling the sweet effects of their partner’s banter warm their own chests. Minho enjoys watching Chan struggle with the emotions that simmer under his skin. Of course, it’s not in an antagonizing manner. Minho simply finds delight in challenging his pack leader's dominance – not in terms of pack order, but in more indecent manners. It’s always a battle between the two eldest wolves, and it’s usually difficult to determine who’s on the winning side. They both enjoy the thrill that comes with the frisky bickering. 
Changbin is the one to shift their attention. His eyes have not left your body, his senses trained pointedly on you. He’s laser-focused, analyzing each curve of your form and delighting in the way his wolf shivers at your scent. Darkened irises track your movement, inhaling a deep wave of your warm scent and enjoying the way his muscles relax when it wraps around his senses. 
“What do we do, Hyung?” his voice fills their heads. Shifting on his paws, Changbin itches to lunge into the clearing and claim you for his own. He promises he’ll share you, eventually – his other mates can wait their turn. 
Jisung trots up to Hyunjin’s flank, occupying the space on the opposite side of Felix. There’s a little tension between them – some sort of never ending love-rivalry making the two boys constant competitors. The younger chestnut colored wolf nudges Hyunjin with his shoulder. Hyunjin responds with a playful snap, already understanding what his younger partner is thinking. Jisung enjoys a chase as much as he enjoys competition, and Hyunjin knows he’s ready for both. 
Chan turns his focus back to your body. You’ve raised your head from its position, unsure of the wolves’ reaction. There’s a furrow in your brow and your lower lip is pulled into your teeth. You look apprehensive, as if their reaction is unclear. 
Standing tall and holding his head high, Chan lets his muscles relax from their tensed position. The heat still burns beneath his skin and a longing ache settles into his chest, but Chan knows it’s too early to pursue you as he and the others wish. You’re not wolfish as they are. 
If he and the others step out of the thicket of the trees, Chan fears they’ll scare you off. The courting customs of wolves are much different from humans - even if they are supernatural creatures of their own. If Chan is right - as he usually is - you may have an inkling of the bond, and that thought is enough to comfort him for now. 
For the meantime, Chan can only savor the waves of your scent as they reach him and his partners. It will be difficult to pull the others away, but Chan knows he can turn them towards each other to cope with the new yearning feeling that has settled in their chests. 
As he watches your hands drop to your sides with a wary look, a throb pangs in his chest. Heart surging beneath his ribs, Chan aches to make you smile once again. The apprehension on your face makes you look sad, and the expression makes him ache. 
Stepping forward with determination, Chan’s silver coat shines under the moonlight as he takes a single step towards the tree line. Felix yips once, a sound of mild concern for his eldest partner. Chan comforts his younger with a bolt of warmth down their bond, rumbling a purr to sate the sandy colored wolf. 
From across the yard, the gnawing feeling of trepidation sinks into your stomach. Despite the single sound from the pack leader and the wave of heat, you receive no other response from the wolves. The silence settles into the air and you begin to wonder if you’ve made a mistake. Your stomach twists as the moments of unsettling quiet sink into your mind. 
Then, you feel waves of warmth sink into you. A comforting blanket of affection sinks into your chest and your muscles melt into mush under the weight of the feeling. Your chest fills with delight and you nearly hum with the warmth heating you from the inside. The magic thrums in the air again, and you can tell the feeling was sent from the wolves. The sentiment strikes you with reassurance. 
In the darkness of the trees, you raise your eyes to the thicket of branches and greenery that bar your sight of the pack. Their magical aura still hums strongly, and you know all eight of the wolves still sit just behind the fauna, watching you. With the comfort from the pack leader, you raise your eyes to the dense woodland. Feeling sweet affection buzz under your skin, your irises scan the trees and feel a bolt of surprise strike you.
Behind the towering, coniferous trees, you catch a flash of silver. 
Shifting your gaze, you raise your sight to follow the shining color. Excitement fills your chest, settling atop the warm affection the wolves have given you. Then, from the darkness you catch a single, fleeting flash of onyx. 
Chan steps forward just enough. The alabaster moonlight illuminates just enough of his eyes and silver fur for you to set your sights on the barest glimpse of his darkened irises – his own act of reassurance. 
Your breath seems to leave your chest at the sight. You can’t see more than a single iris and the tiniest peek of glimmering fur, but it’s more than enough to leave you speechless. The glimpse, though short, is a message of the pack leader’s own. As he steps back into the trees, letting the darkness submerge his form once more, you understand. 
The pack leader has accepted you. 
You may not understand the waves of heat that suddenly fill your being, but their presence is a comfort you did not know you craved. Something in the air between you and the eight wolves hums violently and you find yourself reveling in its warmth. The longing surges with excitement, and you know the pack leader has incited a new challenge. You know enough about wolves and their customs to understand what will follow. 
It lingers in the atmosphere between you and the wolves and you nearly shiver with the thrill of this new adventure. 
The chase is on. 
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Hyunjin and Jisung are the first. 
Three days after your first meeting, with the excited heat still warm in your chest, you venture into the wolves’ territory. Potions set aside for the evening, orders packed and cafe closed, you finally give into the yearning that has thrummed under your skin since that night. You could only take so much of the heat before you knew you would succumb to it.  
You don’t venture far into the woodlands, just a few hundred yards of dense trees lie between you and your little cottage. The air smells of coniferous pines and towering oaks. The chilly air settles into your lungs and you savor the clean scent. It feels freeing to explore the forest in the dark. All traces of apprehension and fear are wiped away with the presence of the wolves. This is their territory; you know you are safe as long as you remain inside their borders. 
Treading gracefully through the roots of trees and fallen pine cones, your thoughts are swept away by the rising excitement that begins to surge in your mind. You know the consequences that will follow your actions. 
You step into wolf territory, you are bound to be pursued. 
The thought is not frightening, but rather tantalizing. You are more than delighted to discover which of the eight wolves will come after you. With the enchanting bond that has settled between you and the pack, you know they would not hurt you for entering their territory. In fact, you know the consequences for your intrusion would be more enticing. 
The thought makes you shiver in delight. 
You understand that the wolves have marked you. There is no physical stain, but you know they have imprinted something to claim you for themselves. The bond is reciprocated, and you welcome the thought of the connection between you and the wolves. The thought of developing the relationship between you is exciting, and you want to see where it takes you. 
They wouldn't pursue you outside their own territory, you have learned. In the three days after your first meeting, they would never venture beyond their own borders. Every night, at least two wolves would settle at the tree line - waiting for something you did not understand. Sometimes they paced, impatient in their silence. On other nights, they stood solitary and quiet, keeping their eyes trained to your cottage as they waited for something – something you did not yet understand. 
On the third day, you finally deciphered their motive. 
The werewolves were not able to follow you outside their borders. Beyond the bounds of their territory, they were unable to shift into their wolfish forms, tied to the laws of the supernatural town in which you resided. Though it was occupied by more mythical beings than ordinary humans, there were still regulations in place to obscure the reality of supernatural creatures. They could not shift in front of humans. Outside their lands, they could not pursue you as they wanted, restricted by the laws of the land. In addition, despite the challenge incited by their pack leader, the wolves were courteous. They would wait for your acceptance before they started the chase.
So instead, they waited for you. 
When you ventured into the bounds of their land, you finally welcomed the unspoken challenge: they could have you if they could catch you. 
The chase incited a thrill, and you were excited to finally begin this new adventure. Aroused tension settled in your chest, and you buzzed with elation. Heat simmered between your thighs as you thought of what would occur should they catch you. Feeling your skin warm with embarrassed excitement, you shivered as you thought of the possibilities. 
You felt a little odd when you thought too hard about the situation, but something about the magical bond between you and the pack and the delight of a new adventure made you want to give into the primal urges. With the promise of something new, you felt an unexplained urge to pursue this new relationship as the wolves would. You wanted to explore their mating customs as much as your own, and the new discoveries made you buzz with heat. 
As you settled into a small clearing a few hundred yards from the one you resided, you slowed to a stop and scanned your surroundings. Magic thrummed in the air, and you knew the wolves were well aware of your presence. Regardless of the distance between you, you could feel traces of their emotions as if they were your own. 
It’s only a few moments later you feel the magical aura of two wolves. 
Hyunjin and Jisung were on border patrol that evening. 
They had been scouting the bounds of their territory as usual. Keeping an eye out for any changes and any new threats to enter their land, they walked with purpose and strength. Jisung, though still vigilant, was messing around as usual. The younger was inclined to teasing and playing around with his partners to reduce tension and fill the silence. 
When they’d first met, Hyunjin and Jisung had not been on good terms, and the younger’s playful nature had irritated Hyunjin. However, years of courting later, it was now one of the aspects Hyunjin treasured most. Though he fed into the playful rivalry, often butting heads with his younger partner, it was all in good fun. 
Jisung bumps purposefully into Hyunjin again, laughing with a yip when Hyunjin attempts to sink his teeth into the chestnut wolf’s neck in retaliation. It was difficult to not give into primal instincts when they messed around in wolf form. The urge to establish his dominance was strong, and Hyunjin almost nearly gave into temptation. He wanted to sink his teeth into his lover’s muzzle and stand over him with his strength and dominance surging beneath his skin. 
However, they were on duty. There were more important matters to attend to than sating their desires. 
“Hannie” Hyunjin playfully warned, the domineering sound echoing through the bond. 
The sound only made Jisung more excited. It always started the same. Jisung would tease Hyunjin until he snapped, and the two would give into the grasp of a carnal rivalry to sort their differences. 
Jisung hummed through their connection. He was still vigilant, keeping his senses turned to their borders as he should, but the excitement of his partner still pushed against the forefront of his mind. 
“What are you going to do, Hyung?” Jisung playfully taunted, stepping away from Hyunjin as his teeth attempted to close in on his scruff. “Aha! You missed!” 
It’s almost comical to watch Hyunjin’s wolf form roll his eyes. 
Continuing their patrol with Jisung’s taunts, a subtle whiff of scent stops Hyunjin in his tracks. The smell filters through his senses and the darker wolf is frozen still with his heart stuttering. 
“Hyunjin?” 
Jisung stops aside his lover, not understanding his sudden halt. He drops his nose to the dirt, smelling for whatever has startled his partner. Suddenly a little apprehensive, Jisung drops the teasing mood to shift into a ready stance. He inhales a wave of pine trees and traces of woodland creatures, filtering through the scents to find whatever has halted his lover. 
Then, Jisung finds it. 
Your scent filters into his senses and Jisung feels his body tense. Muscles tightening with preparation, the chestnut wolf understands Hyunjin’s halt. The excitement slowly filters into his mind, filling the bond between him and Hyunjin, 
You’ve accepted the challenge. 
They’re now free to pursue you as they wish. 
Hyunjin feels his stomach swell with a wave of salacious thrill. Your scent filters through his head and Hyunjin swears he’s never smelled anything more tantalizing. It’s as if you were teasing him with whiffs of your scent, enticing him and his partners to the chase. Hyunjin feels his body shake with the thought and his knees are weak with that weight of the bond. 
“Hannie,” Hyunjin murmurs, voice dripping with purring lust. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” 
He turns his head to face his lover, both their irises darkened with excitement. Bodies filled with the thrill that comes with a chase, Hyunjin feels a smirk pull at his lips. Jisung returns a similar look, sending a bolt of salacious heat down their own bond to make Hyunjin melt. Enjoying that look on his partner’s face, Jisung returns the sentiment. 
“First to catch her wins,” Jisung coos, feeling heat envelop him. “Last has to watch.” 
Hyunjin takes off first. 
Dirt kicks up from his feet, his muscles pumping as he follows your scent through the woods. Jisung is hot at his heels, an excited growl pushing from his chest as the thrill of the chase fills his mind. Giving into the desire that surges in the more primal part of his brain, Jisung feels the urge to howl to the darkened sky with excitement. 
Hyunjin feels his heart pump, hammering in his chest as his senses hone onto your scent. The delight seeps into the bond, and he wonders if you can feel their primal hunger from your position ahead. With his mind solely focused on pursuing you, Hyunjin’s consciousness filters through the thoughts of what he wants to do with you once he catches you. He feels the need push harder against his chest and his stomach turns with a heat. 
“Keep those thoughts to yourself, Jinnie,” Jisung warns with an informal tone, playfully mocking his elder. Hyunjin’s indecent thoughts subconsciously drift from his mind to his partner’s, his arousal warping his control of their connection. “After all, you’ll be the one watching when I fuck her.” 
Jisung’s words taunt Hyunjin, and the elder manages a gruff sound as he kicks up his pace. 
“As if!” 
Hyunjin’s head knocks back as he sprints through the thicket of trees, a primal howl leaving his lips as he pursues your scent. The sound is chilling, echoing through the forest and alerting the rest of his pack of the start of a pursuit. He feels the lingering excitement of the rest of his pack at the edges of his mind – their curiosity spiking as they sense the chase that has begun. However, Hyunjin doesn’t have the focus to think of their reactions, mind solely concentrated on being the first to reach you. 
Jisung is on his heels - literally. The younger attempts to cut his elder off at the ankles, playfully trying to take Hyunjin out of the race. The promise of being the first to sink his teeth into you is a notion that skews his mind and entices him to play dirty, Hyunjin dodges his attempt and a feral sound escapes Jisung’s lungs. 
Far ahead, your quiet night is startled at the sound of a wolfish howl breaking the silence. The alluring sound sends shivers down your spine as you feel several emotions strike you through the magical bond between you and the pack. Waves of heat filter through you and the thrill sinks into you with your stomach turning with a salacious thought. They’ve locked in on your scent.
The howl was a warning – the chase has started. 
You don’t know which wolves have been the first to feel your presence, but you can isolate their feelings in the connection from the others. The heat is easy to separate from the other six wolves, and you find yourself attempting to send a bolt of heat down the connection to entice them.
‘Come and get me.’
It must work, as another chilling howl breaks through the air. 
Shifting on your feet, you move quickly. They may be far away now, but the wolves move far faster than you. You know they’ll be on you in no time. 
Turning back the way you came, you take off on the balls of your feet. With your heart hammering with both the race and the excitement of the chase, you push yourself as fast as you can. Feeling the chilly night air fill your lungs with a startling cold, you break into a smile. Laughing freely, you leap over a broken tree branch as the heat in your chest swells. 
It’s only been a few moments, but you can nearly hear the thundering sound of their footsteps hitting the earth. They’re closer than before, catching up quickly as the prospect of your teasing nature entices them to run faster. There’s two of them, growling with a fierce but not scary sound as they follow your path with hearts racing and magical heat filling the air. 
Just a few yards behind now, you push yourself as fast as you can go. While the thought of being caught is exciting and you long for the indecent result of their capture, you know the chase will be much more fun in the long run. The thought keeps you running, feet slapping against the ground as you huff pants of air in an attempt to keep yourself running. 
You can hear them behind you. Wolfish pants leave their chests and the sound of one of their growls sends a bolt of heat between your thighs. The same wolf sends a lustful beat of heat through your bond, a deeper warmth making your knees weak at the lascivious feeling. It’s a dirty trick - one that almost works. 
But you’re so close. 
Just a few more meters and you’ll break through the tree line, into your clearing: your safe zone. You know the heat between your thighs will be a bother to deal with later, but the thought of what will happen in the long run is too promising an idea. 
You allow yourself a glance over your shoulder. Just a glimpse is all you want. 
At the sight of a dark onyx colored wolf on your heels, a chestnut one on his own, has your heart stuttering with a bolt of thrill. A smile stretching across your lips at the darkened look in their eyes and heat in your bond, you turn back to your front and keep pushing through the trees. 
Hyunjin feels his heart stutter as he realizes how close you are to their borders. Just a few more yards and he’ll lose his chance. The thought makes him growl fiercely. With a fleeting thought, Hyunjin realizes you’ve planned this. You have made sure to only venture so far into the woods, ensuring that you'll be able to escape their grasp just barely. In his frustration, Hyunjin feels his chest swell with desire. 
You’re smart. 
Sending his thoughts to his partner, Jisung hisses out a curse as you begin to slip from their grasp. Pushing himself faster, Jisung refuses to let you win. His lungs scream with each breath, but Jisung knows the prize will be oh so sweet. The thought of pressing his skin into yours and sinking his teeth into your throat in a mating bite has his mind going fuzzy. 
With his mind lost in thought, Jisung misses the moment you cross the borders of their territory. 
With a final pant, you dive across the line. Exhaling harshly and pushing a few feet into the clearing to give yourself space, you lean over and rest your hands on your knees as you breathe. Lungs screaming for air, you pant with a wide smile and heat between your thighs. 
Outside the borders of their land, you have won the first challenge.
You pant harshly and attempt to keep yourself from squirming under the carnal gazes of the two werewolves. The heat still sizzles fiercely under your skin and you have to resist rubbing your thighs together to cope with the ache. 
Hyunjin feels a shiver shake down his spine at your motion. His tongue swipes across his teeth and he swears he can taste your lustful scent in his mouth. Dark pupils nearly roll back into his skull and Jisung simpers at his side, pacing in his anger. 
“Ahh,” you sigh, voice weary from the run. “You two are quick.” 
Turning back to the trees, you spot the tense forms of the two wolves. They’re pacing, feet as close to their border as they can possibly get. Muscle ripples beneath fur and you know the darker wolf is holding himself back from transforming. The notion excites you, knowing he could turn back to his human form at any moment. Shivering with delight, you smirk at him. 
“But not quick enough.” 
Hyunjin snarls. His chest hammers and he can feel the disappointment seep into his head. The heat is still there, roaring under his skin and setting every nerve in his body alight. Jisung paces at his side, the same fire rippling under his own skin. The two wolves fight the urge to transform, longing and aching to continue their pursuit. Desire roars in their forms, keeping them pacing along the line of their territory in an effort to expel some of the heat. There's only so much they can do to keep them from ripping from their wolfish forms and crossing the border. 
“Hyung,” Jisung’s voice is dark and laden with a salacious weight, “Chan said-”
“To hell with what Chan said!” 
Jisung’s pacing seems to grow more fierce. Whipping his head back to his partner, Jisung feels his chest pull tight with both the weight of his arousal and the constraint of Alpha’s orders. 
“Hyunjin,” Jisung sternly murmurs. Despite the heat burning every nerve under his fur and your scent ensnaring his senses, the chestnut wolf manages to keep himself in control. He knows Hyunjin doesn’t mean the words that spill forth in his carnal rage. Too motivated by primal urges and the thrill of the hunt, Hyunjin lets his wolf speak for him. 
“Little fucking tease,” Hyunjin growls, feeling his wolf shake with the emotion.
Jisung growls another feral sound, and you smirk. The heat echoes through your bond and you feel excitement swell once more. Now that you’ve had a taste, you know you’ll never be able to give this up. This chase is the most thrill you’ve ever had - you’ll never be able to escape the heat from these werewolves. 
And you don’t think you want to. 
“Maybe next time, Boys,” you playfully murmur. “Let the others know I said ‘Hello.’”
Then you turn on your heel and disappear back into your little cottage, letting the heavy wooden door fall shut behind you with a final sound. 
With his heart hammering beneath his ribs, Hyunjin snarls with finality. Unable to accept his loss, the dark wolf whips around to face the chestnut fur of his mate. Jisung slows his pacing to face Hyunjin, head tilted to listen to what he has to say. 
In a wildly nimble move, Hyunjin turns quickly and sinks his teeth into Jisung’s chestnut scruff – a dominance bite. 
Jisung stills under his mate’s teeth, going limp in his grasp. He whimpers quietly, his lust warping as Hyunjin growls into his skin. The burning fire in his chest transforms from dominance to submission in one quick moment. Hyunjin has Jisung under his body, his body rippling as he stands over his partner with desire sizzling through their bond. Jisung is sure you can feel it - just as he knows his other six mates can. 
“Hannie,” Hyunjin purrs, voice echoing in the younger’s mind, “If I can’t have her tonight – then m’gonna have you.” 
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Your next encounter with the wolves is a few days later. 
After the first chase, you were unable to shake off the exciting feeling for hours. The adrenaline and surge of sweeping heat kept you in its grip the entire evening. In fact, you were quite certain the two wolves were using the magical bond to tease you long after you had separated. The bond continues to thrum and seize with waves of emotion that keep you awake, swimming in the depths of their pleasure.
Heat addled your body, leaving you sweating in your sheets and panting in the darkened hours of the evening. Though uncomfortable, you could not seem to hate the feeling. The goosebumps that scattered your skin beneath the heat were not unpleasant - merely sensitive, as was any touch against your warming skin. 
After a few hours, you deciphered that the werewolves were toying with you. They kept you awake with the same rush of emotion you had incited in their bodies earlier that evening. Sitting upright in bed, you huffed a sigh as you came to the conclusion.
Shortly after, you came to another decision. 
You were going to start playing dirty. 
So, a few days later, when you had another chance to venture into the woods, you were well prepared to ensnare the wolves as they had you. In a loose dress that fell below your knees, you could barely resist the surge of pride in your chest as you maneuvered through the forest with a hum. 
The idea had struck you not long after you finally fell into the clutches of sleep that night. You knew it was a crazy idea, one more filthy than anything you had ever concocted before. While you were nervous, the waves of apprehension still rolling in your stomach, you were also very excited to see their reactions. 
As you found your way into the same clearing you had discovered a few nights ago, you shivered once in the night air with the dregs of worry seeping away from you. This was a crazy idea – one you would only be able to invent in your wildest dreams. You never imagined you would ever do something such as this, but it seems meeting the werewolves was a discovery that would help you explore new facets of life as well as within yourself. Perhaps your meeting was not so accidental. 
Shivering once more, this time with bursts of excitement, you shimmied your legs and maneuvered out of the simple pair of cotton panties you had donned that evening. Heat rose into your face at the action, your ears burning as you finally pulled them off your legs. You felt a little obscene but you found that you were not averse to the new feeling. 
When the dark material of the black cloth reached your eyes, you felt a burst of bubbling feeling in your chest. Beneath your ribs, both an anxious and an excited feeling slammed together in a stormy collision. You could barely keep yourself still as the adrenaline began to sink into your being. 
Stepping towards a raised stump on the forest floor, you felt the edges of a smirk pull on your lips. The darkened bark covering the stump was barely visible in the moonlight, but you found you did not have much trouble maneuvering in the lack of light. Placing the cloth onto the stump, where you were sure it would not be obstructed, you stepped away with an assured sigh. 
Content with your plan, you laid in wait for whichever wolves would be your predators tonight. 
The werewolves in question were not far from your little seclusion. Minho, the pack’s second-in-command, leads the two youngest through the trees. Thickets of green coniferous branches surround the three werewolves, each section of the woodland looking not so different from the next. Minho and the others, however, were well aware of their position. They knew this forest like the back of their hands – likely able to maneuver through the thicket without the aid of their eyes. Minho swears he could follow the entirety of the borders of their territory by scent alone. 
Jeongin and Seungmin follow behind Minho, the two youngest speaking quietly to each other as they scout for their patrol. Minho is quiet, allowing his partners the hushed conversation - finding he greatly enjoyed listening to their voices fill the silence of the night. As he led the way, he kept his attention split between the pleasant sounds of his younger mates and the sounds of the forest around them. 
Jeongin’s lighter walnut-colored coat pressed into Seungmin’s darker fur as they walked, leaning into him for a moment before stepping away. Both of the younger’s were considered less physically affectionate than some of their older partners. However, that did not mean they were ever far apart for long. 
They spoke quietly about Hyunjin and Jisung. The two wolves had returned from patrol long after they should have; fur ruffled and smelling of sweat and indecent substances, Hyunjin had smirked at his other lovers. He recounted the events that had led to their return, speaking joyfully of the chase that had occurred and gruffly admitting that you had escaped outside their territory at the last moment. 
Minho had let out a gleeful chuckle at the younger’s admission, laughing heartily at their expense. Hyunjin and Jisung had rolled their eyes, knowing their partner had an inclination to tease. The second-in-command took great pleasure in poking fun at his partners: a love language of sorts. 
Had Minho known he would be the next to fall victim to your game, he would have teased the two less. 
It’s only a few moments later that Minho lifts his head, picking up the slightest hint of your sweet scent. It filters through his senses, seizing his mind and shifting his attention. Seungmin and Jeongin are at his side a moment later, coming to a halt as they lift their noses to the sky. 
Inhaling deeply once, Seungmin picks up the same inkling his elder has likely discovered. Feeling a wave of delight shiver through him, Seungmin turns to face his two partners with what looks like a wolfish grin. He shifts on his paws, testing his weight as his muscles prepare to launch. 
“Hmm,” Jeongin hums with his eyes closing in a blissful feeling, “She’s s’sweet, Hyung.” 
Minho responds with a chuff, shaking his coat in an attempt to clear his senses. Pawing at the ground, he feels the dregs of the thrill of the chase begin to form in his stomach. As second-in-command, Seungmin and Jeongin will wait for his word before either of them move. The notion makes Minho shiver – he greatly enjoys the dominance. 
“You smell her, Minnie?” the youngest questions. 
Seungmin responds with a purr of his own, sweeping his head to the ground to breathe another wave of your scent. He feels light-headed, the notion of your proximity making him feel weak. Leaning into Jeongin’s side, he looks to Minho as he speaks through their connection, “She’s close, Hyung.” 
Minho nods his head, chocolate colored fur shimmering in the light of the moon. You’re only a mile or two ahead, he surmises. Downwind from your position, they can breathe your scent clearly in the night air. Underneath your pleasant scent, Minho picks up the challenge. The traces are obvious in both your sweet smell and though the bond. As he tugs his end, Minho feels a feral grin overtake his features at your alluring pull in response. Though you’re likely unaware of the reality of the bond, you definitely understand how to manipulate the metaphorical string. 
“It seems Hyunjinnie wasn’t lying,” he murmurs with a smirk. “Are ya’ ready? She wants a chase.” 
Seungmin is quick to respond with a deep growl, his younger mate springing to his side with a similar sound. Setting his shoulders back and getting ready to pounce off his feet, Jeongin gives Minho a silent look of confirmation.
Then the three wolves are springing forward, launching towards your direction with a ferocity surging from deep within them. 
You can tell the moment their pace picks up speed from your position. Despite being so far, the enchanting change in the air and the burst of emotion in your chest is indicative of the shift. Feeling the adrenaline begin to pump through your veins, you let a sprawling grin take over your cheeks as you turn back towards your cottage. 
Shooting a last glance at your ‘gift,’ you turn on your feet and start running. They may be a mile behind, but you know their superior speed and strength will catch up to you quickly. When the night air rushes past you with a chill, you grin as howls fill the silence of the forest. 
The chase is on once more. 
Blood pumping and breaths coming out in pants, you feel the thrill overtake your body. It’s so alluring to feel the delight overtake you in these moments. With the new bond roaring beneath your skin and your mind racing, you leap through the little path you’ve memorized. Soaring over fallen branches and hooting with glee, you let your voice fill the sounds of wolfish howls. 
Minho’s heart stutters as your own elated sounds echo after their primal ones. Pushing himself faster, he can sense your proximity – not too much farther from him now. He won’t let you get away, not like the others did, 
Jeongin and Seungmin respond with their own ecstatic hoots, picking up their pace as the elder did. Their own emotions surge and swell in a mighty storm, feeling lighter than they’ve ever been as they race through the towering pines. 
These three are quick, you realize as you close in on your cottage. They’re coming closer than the previous two had. With your heart slamming in your chest and stomach twisting with glee, you attempt to push yourself a fraction faster. Your lungs scream for air, as if the mouthfuls you inhale aren’t enough. However, you know the reward is far too sweet to give in just yet. 
With a few yards left, you think you can feel the hot breaths of the lead werewolf across your back. Skirt twisting in the wind, you feel your heart skip a beat as you decipher how close they are from you. Heart in your throat, but not uncomfortably, you judge how far you are from the boundary line. It’s not far, but the wolves are even closer. 
Nerves alight and goosebumps breaking across your skin, you decide to take a chance. With the tree line coming into view, you feel the forms of the wolves closing in. Oh, they’re much quicker than the other two – or perhaps less competitive. It seems the playful rivalry between the two previous wolves had impeded their ability to catch up to you. 
With their forms coming too close, you suddenly dive to the side. Feet skidding across the dirt, you almost topple over in an attempt to catch yourself from the risky maneuver. As you try to keep yourself upright, you spot the dark chocolate color of fur fly by your side. The lead wolf shoots by, missing your form as you dove to the side. He lets out a shout of surprise, claws skidding across the dirt as he spins back to face you. 
You smirk as you pick the pace back up. He’d played right into your trap, giving you the precious few moments you needed to cross the boundary line. Panting harshly and grinning in accomplishment, you throw your head back with a gleeful victorious shout. 
“Fuck!” Minho snarls. He’d fallen for your ruse. Hyunjin had been right - you were cunning. As he paces the boundary line with a defeated growl, he can’t help but admire how wolfish you look in your pride. The heat under his skin still simmers vibrantly, but Minho is adept at keeping his feelings under control. 
You turn back to the brown wolf, grinning brightly at his darkened irises and tense shoulders. Despite the monstrous look, you find you’re not at all afraid of the wolves. You are well aware they would never lay a hand to harm you. The magical thrum connecting you and the eight speaks to that promise. 
Giving Minho a smug look, knowing he doesn’t yet know of your plan, you watch him pace the line once more. Delight surges in your chest and the feeling is alluring. 
“Alright, Sweetheart,” he hisses to himself, “You win this one.” 
Defeat is not a pleasant feeling, but Minho admits that the chase had been thrilling. Adrenaline still pumps through his system and he feels the enchanting allure that Hyunjin and Jisung had spoken of. It had been more than fun to pursue you through the trees, keeping your back in his view and tasting you on his tongue, Minho had never felt more alive. Though he’d failed to catch you, Minho too, knows the reward will be so much sweeter than the chase. 
One day, he promises – one day, he’ll tear you apart. He can’t wait for the moment you lie beneath his form – weak to his whims and head thrown back in pleasure. Minho swears he will never see a more beautiful thing. Your beauty is perhaps only rivaled by that of his other partners. 
You don’t say anything to Minho this time, knowing he has yet to discover your trick. The two other wolves are not behind him, and you are fairly certain of what has caught their attention. The chocolate wolf does not seem to realize their absence yet, but you turn back to your homely cottage with a grin, waiting for the discovery to sink in. 
When the door falls shut behind your form, obscuring your body from his sight, Minho finally realizes his younger partners are not behind him. Shaking off the lusty haze that blurred his mind, he turns back to the darkened pines at his rear. Stepping back into the depths of their territory, Minho reaches out through the bond for Jeongin and Seungmin. 
There’s a strike of worry in his chest, the pang hitting uncomfortably in his ribs as he scans the trees for his younger mates. 
However, before he has a chance to call for them, the two wolves are bursting through the trees in front of him, already transformed into their human forms. Standing on two legs and feeling the night air brush against his bare skin, Jeongin’s eyes are blown wide. Darkened pupils fill the space of his irises, overtaking the space with lust clear in the swirling depths. He clutches something tightly in his fist, as if protecting the item of his desire. 
The youngest stumbles as he comes to a stop, clearly affected by something that has overtaken his senses. Jeongin’s head feels as though it may burst. It’s overcrowded with thoughts of you and the article of clothing he grips firmly in his fingers. It still smells fresh, as though you had only taken it off moments ago, and the thought makes Jeongin weak in the knees. It overpowers his very being, setting each of his nerves on fire with blazes of indecent emotion. 
Seungmin looks no different, panting breath and eyes wide, he stalks towards his lover with a salacious look. 
“Hyung,” he nearly whimpers, breath catching on the word. His chest is tight and his voice breathy. Speaking feels all too much, and as he inhales, he catches another deep whiff of the cloth clutched in Jeongin’s fingers. Feeling his knees go weak, he shivers in delight and leans into Minho, who has quickly shifted back to his own human form. The elder catches Seungmin in his arms, feeling his skin buzz at the connection. 
Eyebrows furrowing, Minho turns to look back at Jeongin with confusion evident in his features. He’s still reeling from his defeat, but the look on Seungmin’s face has bewilderment swirling in his chest. Jeongin looks back at his mate with a haughty smirk on his face, shining teeth catching in the light as he grins with lust evident. 
“Pretty Girl left us a gift, Hyung.” 
With his chest surging with carnal desire, Jeongin holds out his hands and lets the scraps of inky black fabric fall into the open air. Minho feels the breath leave his lungs as the scent that clings to the cloth seeps into the air, filling his chest and making his knees tremble. Now truly understanding Seungmin's squirming form, Minho lets his eyes trail from the pair of black panties in Jeongin’s grasp to the path that leads back to your humble cottage. 
With an enraged snarl, Minho feels desire warp his being as he shakes. 
“That fucking slut!” 
His words aren’t malicious, but Jeongin still shivers with the weight of them. The two younger werewolves are well aware of the indecent names that fall from Minho’s lips in the heat of the moment – they’ve both been on the receiving end more than once before. 
“Smells s’fucking good, Minho,” Seungmin simpers, sinking into his parter as his head swirls. “M’gonna go crazy, I swear” 
Minho knows all too well the feeling that warps Seungmin’s conscious, for the same emotion swirls in his own mind; it makes him dizzy and he has to step backward to balance himself. Your fresh scent is everywhere, it tingles on his tongue and he shakes with the feeling. He barely maintains control of his wolf, begging to break free and howl with desire into the chilling night air. Swaying on his feet, Minho is surrounded by you. There’s hints of his lovers intertwined in your scent, and Minho feels as though his heart may burst with both arousal and affection. He can smell stains of your arousal in the fabric and Minho understands what it feels like to lose his mind. 
Shaking his head to clear his senses, he tries to keep himself upright. It does not work, but Minho swears he can keep himself together for a few more minutes. 
“C’mon - Chan’s gonna want to see this.” 
Jeongin audibly whines. Seungmin’s throat hurts when he echoes a similar sound. It cuts short when Minho’s big fingers pull at the back of his neck, scruffing him despite the lack of their wolfish forms. Seungmin’s whine cuts short, going limp into Minho’s arms. 
“Minho-” Jeongin whimpers, feeling the desire surge again. He’s not quite sure he’ll be able to make it all the way back to the pack house in this state. His legs are weak and he feels as though you’ve sent him into a premature rut. 
Minho huffs a snarl, sending Jeongin a look. As second-in-command, his word is final. However, Minho is not cruel. He may be teasing with his dominance, but Minho knows when enough is enough. Duty always comes first in his mind – desire must fall second for the moment. With a smirk, Minho pulls Seungmin up his chest a little. 
“Enough. We report to Chan, and then you two are mine.” 
And the second chase ends quite similarly to the first. 
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When Minho returns from patrol that evening, practically dragging his two younger mates by their scruffs, Chan looks up from his place by the kitchen counter with interest. He could tell something had changed in their bond, an electric fizzling that felt much like arousal had filtered through each of the wolves not long ago. However, Chan could feel a new and exciting rush of emotion that he rarely experienced. 
Unsure of the change that had occurred, he perked up when the door opened. It nearly slammed against the wall with the force at which Minho had flung it open. His second-in-command is visibly trembling, barely keeping himself at bay against the torrent of emotion that wrecks his form. Eyes blown wide and darkened pupils enlarged, Minho looks feral. 
“Minho?” Chan questions, standing from his position to step towards his partner. He’s confused and a little wary, unsure of the events that have led to such a reaction. 
From over Minho’s shoulder, Chan catches a glimpse of his two youngest mates. They’re leaned against each other, barely keeping themselves upright and pressing every possible inch of skin together. It seems as though they cannot bear to be apart. Their eyes are a mirror of Minho’s – pupils dilated and blown wide with lust swimming in their murky depths. 
Jeongin audibly whimpers under Chan’s gaze, his head tilted to bare his neck - where Chan’s mating mark glistens with a glimpse of sweat. The other wolves have their own; seven marks dwell on each of them, but only Chan’s mark sits in the crevice between shoulder and throat: the mark of an Alpha. 
Chan feels his own arousal spike at Jeongin’s show of submission, but the pack leader attempts to shake off this feeling until he understands the situation better. His stomach twists with the feeling, but Chan buries it deep. Seungmin is seemingly not paying attention. His eyes are foggy with lust gripping him tight, and Chan knows he will not get an answer from him. 
“S’going on?” Chan tries again, stepping forward towards Minho once more. It’s clear the three wolves are ensnared in desire’s hold, but there’s still something missing – something that has happened on their evening patrol. 
Minho’s hazy eyes glint in the light and a smirk lifts the corner of his mouth. Chan feels apprehension swirl in his chest at the expression, wondering if he even wants to know the answer to his own question. 
“Our little angel left a present for us tonight, Hyung.” 
The furrow in Chan’s brow seems to deepen at Minho’s comment. The pack leader is well aware of the challenge he has set forth - just as he knows of the first chase that occurred between you, Hyunjin and Han. He had been extremely pleased to understand that you were seemingly delighted to accept the mating bond. Wolves were strange creatures, and their courting customs were even odder. At first, he’d been unsure if you understood the challenge he issued upon your first meeting. 
However, when Hyunjin and Han returned to their home a few days later with their eyes blown wide and frenzied smiles on their lips - just as Minho and the others do now, Chan knew you were fully aware of the decision you had made. If the deepening breadth of the magical bond between you was any indication, you wanted this as much as they did. 
“A present?” Chan’s rumbling voice sounds. 
Minho’s vague response only leaves the pack leader with more questions, and Chan steps forward again to press his second-in-command further. The implication of a second chase had been obvious, and your teasing nature would be enough to leave his mates in a carnal frenzy. However, he was not prepared for how cunning you could be when it came to driving his mates mad. 
As he approaches his partner, Chan is halted when he picks up hints of your scent in the air. Just a glimpse of your serene smell is enough to stun him. It addles his senses, blurring his thoughts as they begin to transform into images of you. Chest beginning to ache with a burning longing, Chan shakes his head to clear his mind. 
Minho, barely clutching to the remnants of his ever-slipping sanity, smirks with a mirthful look and reaches his hand out towards his eldest lover. The pack leader can tell the waves of your scent originate from Minho’s closed fingers, and like a wolf tracking its prey, Chan’s eyes lock onto the outstretched appendage. 
Chan is so desperately unprepared for the barrage of emotions that crash into his mind when Minho’s fingers unfurl: revealing a dark onyx pair of panties, still overflowing with your fresh scent and clearly brimming with implications of your desire.
Minho has never seen his Alpha so weak. 
With his consciousness still blurry and body barely held back by the grip of his sanity, Minho watches his mighty leader tremble at the knees. It’s nearly instantaneous; Chan’s pupils dilate - the darkness in the inky masses overtaking the color that once shone lightly. His shoulders go lax and Minho can already smell the waves of lusty pheromones that Chan has unconsciously started releasing. 
From behind him, Jeongin and Seungmin keen, finally collapsing into a heap at their Alpha’s strong scent. Whining and pushing into each other, they rub bare skin against each other in the hopes of releasing some of the heat that burns so strongly under their flesh. Minho nearly gives in to temptation – he wants nothing more than to turn and descend upon his partners, letting the whim of desire command his next movements. 
Yet Minho is infatuated with the look that has fallen over Chan’s features. 
He cannot tear his eyes away from his pack leader, watching with a bated breath as Chan steps toward him. Under his primal gaze, Minho has never felt more weak to his pack leader than now. Somewhere deep in his gut, Minho feels a prick of excitement filter through him. Usually so dominant, the second-in-command is a little eager to see what happens next. 
A hungry, desperate sound escapes Chan’s lips when he halts in front of Minho. Skin almost touching, Minho extends his fist once more at his leader’s call. Offering the scraps of ebony cloth to Chan, Minho feels his spine shiver when Chan’s skin rubs against his own as he pulls the article into his grasp. 
“Fuck.” 
The sound is so unlike Chan. Minho had expected him to sound so much more daunting - as he himself had been filled with primal anger not so long ago. This sound, however, is so much weaker. The word escapes Chan’s lips barely louder than a whisper. It’s a weak sound, almost a whimper falling from his lips with a desperation Minho has seldom seen. 
Chan is overflowing with emotion, and he suddenly understands why his mates had been so unruly when they returned to the house a few days ago. 
His chest aches and surges with a torrent of desire and longing. Your scent surrounds him and Chan thinks his wolf may burst forth and take over the last threads of his dwindling sanity. Such a little thing, he manages to think – such a little thing can destroy them so easily. 
Only a moment later, Chan recedes back into himself. Transforming back into the dominant pack leader the others are used to, Chan growls out an angry, desperate sound. 
“Fuck!” 
He repeats the word, this time with the carnal rage Minho had been expecting. With shivers rolling down his back, the bond surges with emotion. Likely radiating to the rest of the pack, Chan sighs a deep whiff of your scent and lets himself sink into your aura. 
“Hm, this s’how she wants t’play?” he murmurs, feeling himself fade into the grip of desire. Chan lets his wolf press against the forefront of his mind, allowing it to control his carnality. Descending on Minho, his teeth ache against his gums as he presses his canines into his mate’s skin. Still human, they scrape against the smooth skin of Minho’s neck, and the younger grunts under the pressure, but does not move. Chan’s next words are moaned into Minho’s skin, gripping his partner tight to his body with your panties still clutched in his fist. 
“Oh, we can play dirty, Baby.” 
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Letting out a huff as you stretch to reach the heavy bag of sugar on one of the taller shelves, you pull down the item and set it on the counter before you.
The cafe always slows down around the afternoon. You’re open later into the day, but there’s often time to restock and compile things in the back room as the hours get later. Not as many customers filter through your sweet little shop in the afternoon, but that’s no bother to you. It gives you more time to start ‘special’ brews in the back – potions and elixirs of the sort. 
While you operate as an ordinary cafe during the day, the evenings are targeted towards the supernatural. It’s not well advertised, but other creatures know what to look for. Commissions for specific potions and special elixirs are just the start of the wonders you can brew in the afternoon hours. 
You had just completed a very complex potion - one that had taken you nearly a month to finish with the utmost care. It had been an expensive request, but one you were more than willing to perfect for a friend. A potion of immortality; not an easy potion to brew, and even more difficult to prepare correctly. The commission had nearly run you dry of ingredients, and frustrated you to no end. Yet, they had compensated for your troubles with far more payment than you would have asked. 
Of course, when eight demons - let alone the eight princes of Hell itself - knock on your door and make a request, you were more than willing to drop everything to assist them. 
Besides, they were friends. You’d even given their sweet soulmate some mirthful advice when she had approached you a few weeks back – something about a salt circle and how it would hold against the High King of Hell. 
When the bell to the door jingles loudly from the front room, you look up from the counter. The sugar emptied in its proper storage container, you throw the bag into the waste bin and tie your apron tighter around your waist. Preparing to meet the customers who have entered your shop, you suddenly feel a wave of familiarity overtake your body. 
Fingers stilling on the tie of your apron, you inhale a deep breath and feel the recognizable aura of your wolves filter through you. The bond tugs teasingly from their end, and you're suddenly aware you’ve never seen any of the werewolves outside their territory. 
The thought is both daunting and exciting. Unbound by the laws that prevent them from pursuing you in wolfish form, you shiver at the thought of what mischief they will get up to now. You find yourself surging with delight and anticipating, wanting to see their human forms as well as finally speak to them.
You only recognize one of the auras behind the door that separates you from the front room. There's two other werewolves with him, but you can feel the familiar teasing bond that connects you to one of the wolves from the first night. You cannot tell which it is, as their auras had blended together that night, but you know for certain one of them lies beyond the wooden frame. 
Inhaling deeply to soothe the worried excitement and build your confidence, you step forward and push open the folding door to the backroom. 
There’s no one else in the cafe - tables empty of patrons and cleared of dishes for the afternoon. The only forms in your little building are the bodies of the three werewolves that stand at your counter, smiles on their lips and something glistening deep in their irises. 
You have to prevent yourself from staring. 
The three men at your counter are breathtakingly attractive. Your breath is nearly stolen from your lungs at the sight of them. The one standing in front is the shortest of the three, but he is outstandingly the most muscular. His biceps bulge underneath the dark shirt squeezing them, and you have to avert your eyes to keep yourself from lingering on their shape. His lips raise at the corner when he notices how your eyes have to shift away. Dark hair shifting when his head tilts, he looks incredibly alluring in the light of the afternoon.
Behind him, a slightly taller man stands with a wide grin on his lips, and you suddenly feel as though the sun itself has graced you with its warmth. 
His longer blondish, silver hair rests against his neck, blending beautifully with the smooth skin and darker freckles that coat his cheeks. Teeth white and shining in his sweet grin, you feel warm from the inside out under his eyes. This man is the embodiment of sunshine - and he radiates kindness coupled with a teasing mirth that you can only detect through the bond that buzzes between you. He’s so alluring, you have to shift your gaze to the final man to break your concentration. 
The blonde is leaning against the tallest of the three - and with a stuttering breath, you realize this is the larger black wolf that pursued you during the first chase; the one who stalked the edges of their territory, attempting to lure you back into his grasp with bolts of arousal sent down your bond. You remember his dark eyes and his dominating aura, feeling waves of thrill filter through your stomach at the memory. 
He stands to the side, his arm wrapped around the blonde’s waist with a smirk pulling the side of his mouth upward. When a rolling burst of delight shivers down your spine, you feel his satisfaction swarm you. You recognized him, and the thought makes him keen. 
The tallest of the three is beautiful in a way that makes you hesitate. He’s princely – dazzlingly pretty with smooth skin and the top of his long blond hair pulled into a ponytail behind his head. Strands of his bangs frame his face, dangling in front of his eyes as a headband holds the rest back from falling from its place behind his head. He regards you with a confident, sultry look that makes your legs weak. There's a little dark, freckle beneath one of his eyes and you are overcome with the urge to press your lips against it. 
As if he can read your mind, his head tilts with another smirk. Eyes racking over your form, you shiver again and the sight seems to excite him more. 
With excitement prickling under your skin, you manage to step forward around the counter with a smile pulling at your lips. 
“Hello,” you murmur sweetly, feeling genuine happiness at their arrival. “Can I help you three?” 
Stepping forward to greet them, you feel another beat of delight pull you nearer to their forms - almost as if their very existence draws you closer. The tallest hums, the sound warm as he regards you. His voice is nearly a purr when he answers you. 
“Oh, you most certainly can.” 
“Hyunjin!” the blonde murmurs with a smile, digging his fingers into the taller’s side. “What happened to ‘going slow?’”
You giggle fondly at their display, covering your mouth with your hand. The two look up from each other with their eyes glimmering. Looking back at you with smiles stretching across their lips, they seem to adore the sound that falls from your lips. 
“S’alright,” you tease, “I suppose there’s nothing ‘slow’ about how we met before, so there’s no need to hesitate now.”  
Hyunjin, the wolf you met the first night, smiles even wider at your words. Satisfied with your response, he looks back at his younger partner with the same grin. ‘See?’ the teasing look seems to say. 
The darker haired man in front rolls his eyes playfully. The action does not seem annoyed, more so mirthfully done as he appears used to the two’s antics. Uncrossing his arms from across his chest - an action you find yourself missing as your eyes leave his chest - he reaches a hand out with a smile of his own. 
“Changbin,” he offers with a deep voice. “We figured we should probably formally introduce ourselves if our ‘meetings’ are going to continue.” He says the word with a honeyed, crooning sound - one that makes your stomach turn with heat. 
You reach out your own hand with an offer of your own name, gently grasping his fingers as you speak. As your hand closes around his, you feel a striking beat of heat in your chest. You look up at him in surprise, and are met with a smirking smile. He seems to completely understand the feeling, as a pleased sound escapes his lips. You eye his hand with a look, then turn back to him with a questioning, teasing look. 
He shrugs off the look, letting you know it would likely be explained later. When he lets go of your hand, you miss its warmth and the flood of pleasant emotion that came with it. 
Though, his partner steps forward next, offering his own to replace the loss. 
“M’Felix,” he adds happily. His voice is deep, and you feel like you’re drowning in the waves of his soothing voice. You feel the same warmth filter through you at his touch. He truly is sunshine incarnate. When the same bolt of heat sinks into you upon contact with his hand, you feel it settle low in your stomach as you crave more of it. 
With his smile brighter than any other, you feel a strange urge to squeeze his soft cheeks and scatter the freckles and sunspots with kisses. It’s a little strange to have such thoughts upon your first meeting, but you suppose this magical bond is much odder. 
The last of them, Hyunjin, steps forward finally. His hand leaves Felix’s waist with difficulty, almost as if separating from him is painful. Yet, he reaches his hand out all the same. Long fingers dangling in front of you, you regard him with a mirthful look - one he happily returns. 
“Hyunjin.” 
You wrap your fingers around his hand, finally shivering in delight as you finally put a face to the name of the wolf who had chased you not so long ago. His touch is remarkably sweet despite the roaring pleasure that seems to spawn from it. Hyunjin seems to send the heat down the bond as he touches you, more than ecstatic to finally touch you after being deprived that night. 
“S’nice to finally put a name to a face,” you playfully respond. “Or - snout, I suppose.” 
Hyunjin offers a little growl, teasingly pulling you a fraction closer. His voice drops back to a purr, honeyed sound echoing through you as he speaks. 
“So you do remember me?”
“I remember you losing,” you respond with mirth in your voice, having to turn away from his darkened irises as you speak. Being this close to him makes you weak in a way you could not have previously imagined. It’s a wonder you’re able to respond without your voice shaking. 
“Oh, do you?” 
Hyunjin hums deep in his chest, the sound nearly making you tremble with delight. His hand has not left yours, but you don't want it to. You adore the feeling of their skin against yours, and you find yourself not wanting it to leave. 
Felix huffs a laugh into Changbin’s shoulder, leaning into his older mate with a grin. It’s very funny to watch the two of you playfully bicker. Changbin feels a smirk of his own drift onto his cheeks. It’s nice to see someone put Hyunjin in his place; as if he doesn’t get enough of that from him, Minho or Chan. 
You respond with a hum of your own, resisting the urge to lean into Hyunjin as you do. This close, you can breathe in the intoxicating scent that surrounds the blonde. In a moment of clarity, you wonder if he dyes his hair – his wolf being a deep brown, nearly black. 
You shake off the thought when he leans a little closer. Changbin smirks when you shrink bashfully under Hyunjin’s proximity. For all your mirth, it seems you are weak under their hold. The notion makes his chest swell, already imagining all sorts of scenarios in which he wants to corrupt that sweet, sheepish look. 
“Next time -” Hyunjin coos as he pushes closer to press his lips to the shell of your ear to murmur the words. “Next time, I won't lose.”
You physically shiver slightly as his breath tickles your cheek. His proximity makes your brain still, suddenly surrounded by him. Everything in your mind is now focused on Hyunjin. The smooth expanse of his skin and the warmth of it beneath your fingers pushes desperately at the forefront of your mind. You want to push closer - to bury yourself in his chest as you had seen Felix do. You wonder how his fingers would feel on your cheeks, or even perhaps, less decent places too. 
Hyunjin feels his stomach leap with pride when he weakens visibly under his motions. The dominating feeling presses into his throat and grips him tightly, and he knows he’ll have to coax one of the others into his bed to burn off the heat later. 
Changbin pulls Felix closer to his side as Hyunjin speaks, feeling his own burst of dominance pulse when Hyunjin begins to release intoxicating pheromones. You won’t be able to smell them, but he and Felix surely do. 
“Yeah?” you murmur weakly back, feeling much less confidence as Hyunjin leers over you with desire clear in his eyes. 
“Hmm,” he agrees, chest rumbling with the sound. You swear you can feel his ribs shake with the sound. 
When he pulls away, you nearly follow after him. Missing his touch and his warmth, you are desperate to feel his hands again. You have to shake your head to clear your mind of the thoughts as Hyunjin leans back. With your mind back on track, you question what the three have entered your cafe for. 
Suddenly in a different mindset, Changbin reiterates what Chan had requested: several stamina potions and an elixir that allows the wearer resistance to wolfsbane. 
You nod with a clearer head, writing down the orders on a pad from the pocket of your apron. Already taking mental stock of the material you have on hand on what you’ll have to collect, you agree happily. 
“They can be finished tomorrow evening,” you supply, setting down the notepad on the counter behind you. “Can you send someone to pick them up then?”
“Absolutely,” Changbin nods. He already knows which of his partners will be the next to vie for an opportunity to see you. With how much of a fight Han and Jeongin had put up when they left, Changbin knows convincing any of the others to meet you tomorrow evening will not be a difficulty. 
You nod with a grin on your cheeks, moving to step behind the counter before you’re stopped once more. Changbin leans forward, his hand gripping yours gently. Moving away from Felix, the dark haired man suddenly steps impossibly closer. 
His chest nearly presses against yours and you have to physically tear your eyes away for his muscle to meet his eyes. However, perhaps it would have been easier to continue staring at his chest, as the moment you meet his dark eyes you find yourself striking under the lust that seems to swirl in their depths. Changbin is perhaps more dominating than Hyunjin, and heat swells in your stomach when he scans your form beneath his. A smirk pulls up his lips and he pushes closer again, savoring the sweet squeak that leaves your lips when your forms meet. 
Felix cannot resist temptation. 
Both Changbin and Hyunjin have had the chance to get closer - to feel your skin under their own and feel the beat of your heart so near. With a dizzy feeling, Felix steps away from Hyunjin. His eyes are cloudy with something you can't place, but from beneath Changbin, you recognize that his eyes are on you.
Tearing your gaze from the darker haired werewolf, you manage to meet Felix’s pretty irises. He’s giving you a look – a question swirling in the darkness of his pupils. With your mind slowly succumbing to Changbin’s aura, you vaguely realize that Felix is asking for permission. 
A woozy nod is all the answer he needs. 
Felix slides behind you with his chest nearly pressing against your back. He’s so warm, so kind when he pushes closer. You feel his chest vibrate with a hum, the beat of his heart quickening to match the pace of your own. You vaguely notice that your pulse is the same as his - as Changbin’s, and if you were close enough, likely Hyunjin’s too. 
Rumbling softly, you feel his skin move under yours and you feel light-headed. Changbin feels his stomach twist with desire when he smells the barest wave of arousal coat your thighs. If he were any weaker, he would have you with your permission now. However, he knows what Chan has planned. The reward at the end of their hunt will be so much sweeter. 
Felix slides an arm around you to touch Changbin, unable to hold back from feeling the skin of his partner. His eyes close, head tilting back in the slightest as the touch of your skin registers in his mind. 
“Pretty?” he addresses you, leaning down as Hyunjin had to speak the words directly into your ear. The name makes you keen, elated to be referred to with such a moniker. 
“Hmm?” is the only sound you manage to offer in response. 
“Thanks for the gift, Pretty Girl,” he coos, moving his strong hand behind you to tuck something into your back pocket. Your body trembles under his touch, feeling the way he leaves his hand at your backside for a moment too long. He pushes something into the pocket of your jeans, humming pleasantly as he does. He adores the way you seem so weak underneath him. Oh, how he longs to corrupt you further. 
“Bring us a new pair, next time?,” Changbin continues, “Something pink – it’s Chan’s favorite.” Though you don’t know Chan by name, Changbin suspects you are aware of the reference to their Alpha. 
With a keen and your head knocking back to expose your throat, Changbin has to use all his strength to not lean forward to set his lips to the skin. It’s been made very clear that Chan will be the first to mark you – Changbin will have to wait his turn. But the sight of your skin bare beneath him, with you so willingly offering it to him, Changbin has to pull back his wolf as it cries to sink his teeth into your skin with a carnal desire.
Felix adores the way you shiver against him, feeling the brush of Changbin’s hand against the front of his jeans due to his proximity. He feels his own resolve weaken, his stomach twists with delight and heat rising to his cheeks as his partner moves. 
It takes great difficulty to pull himself away, and Changbin has to lean into Felix to stop himself from pushing back into you. With an acknowledging nod, the three finally turn to leave your little cafe. It all happens so quickly, you barely feel time pass until their forms disappear down the street. 
When you can no longer see them, all strength leaves your legs and you sag against the counter at your back. The bond roars under your skin and every nerve is on fire. So little touch manages to drive you mad – you cannot imagine how it will feel when they finally capture you. 
Taking a deep breath to cool yourself down and rubbing your thighs together, you shakily reach for your back pocket. Skin still buzzing from Changbin’s touch, you pull out the cloth that he has stuffed into the crevice of your jeans. 
Under the light of the dimming afternoon sky, you exhale harshly at the sight of the tattered cloth in your grip. Torn nearly to shreds, it seems the werewolves have greatly appreciated your gift from a few nights ago. The notion makes you buzz in anticipation. The implication of their strength is not lost on you. If they have torn this apart, you cannot wait for what they will do to you upon your capture. 
With the knowledge of their pack leader’s favorite color, your buzzing mind makes quick plans. It seems you’re in desperate need of a pair of pink panties – it’s Chan’s favorite color, after all.  
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Minho mentions it when he returns from morning patrol. 
He’d gone out alone that morning, before the sun had broken through the trees and cast its golden light through the darkness of the coniferous pines. The air still clung to the chill of night, but Minho was not bothered - his fur was thick and his body temperature was higher than a human’s. The cold did not bother any of them. 
Just as the sun was breaking over the horizon beyond your cottage, Minho smelled it. 
He wasn't far from your home, just a couple of miles and he would be able to see the smoke from the crackling fire in your chimney. The knowledge of your proximity suddenly makes him very nervous. Hair standing on end, Minho's snout lowers to the floor. He tracks the scent until it reaches the border of their territory, far from your cottage. 
Vampire. 
Once he checked on your home once more, waiting to see your head emerge from the back door as you headed to work, Minho returned to the pack house. Your safety ensured, the second-in-command takes off. His paws slap against the earth as he bounds back to his pack leader with the news. 
“A vampire?” Chan questions, his words are tense but don’t reveal the anxiety that pushes at his throat. It settles there with a sickening feeling, but Chan ignores it. “Are you sure?”
Minho’s nod is immediate. He’s absolutely sure of what he smelled - there is no doubt in his mind. There was a vampire in their territory last night. After evening patrol had returned, it had likely slipped over their borders. Investigating or hunting, they were not sure. 
What Chan was sure of, however, was that you were no longer safe alone in their territory. 
“Shit, okay,” Chan curses. In the seclusion of just himself and his second-in-command, Chan allows himself a moment of worry. Minho is one of the only pack members he shows this side of himself to. Though his partners are extremely important to him, Chan doesn’t want them to worry. He keeps this anxious part of himself locked away, ensuring that the others shouldn’t have to experience the same.
However, this does not mean that the others don’t worry. God, if the others could take some of the stress from their leader’s shoulders, they would. They know Chan is unlikely to share the burden, feeling as though the pack leader should bear their burdens alone. So they find little things to ease the weight that holds him down. 
Minho and Changbin ensure that things run smoothly within the pack – ordinary everyday things that Chan shouldn’t have to worry about. Felix is an expert at eating tension need be, after all no one can resist his sweet smile and sunshine demeanor. Everyone takes part in cleaning and cooking, keeping the house nice so that these little things don’t pile on their leader’s shoulders. Jeongin brings food to Chan’s room when he secludes himself there to work. Seungmin drops by every few hours to refill his water bottle and make sure he’s drinking enough of it. Jisung is the mood maker, always managing to keep a smile on their faces despite the tension that may weigh them down. 
The pack runs smoothly when everyone has their part. No one is alone and no one is left behind. 
Minho’s hand reaches out to gently secure itself on Chan’s shoulder. He rubs his fingers gently, a comforting gesture that eases some of the tension in Chan’s muscles. 
Chan gives Minho a grateful look, nodding his head as he decides their next course of action. 
“Okay, we’ll meet her tonight,” he mutters. “Our challenge is put on hold for the next few days - at least until the vampire is gone.” 
Minho nods his head, agreeing with the command. He takes a deep breath that settles some of the worry in his stomach. 
“We can wait for her at dusk. Her cafe closes at 4 - she’ll be out not long after.” 
Chan’s lips press into a worried smile, nodding his own head. It makes sense, and Chan is comforted by the plan. If he can convince you to stay with them for a few days, he’d feel even better. Knowing there is a vampire at the edges of their territory, so close to your home, is an unnerving sentiment. Chan would give you his own room and have the others under lock and key if it meant he could ensure your safety. Though Chan doubts that any of them would bother you with your life in question. 
“Yeah, that sounds good,” Chan nods. He leans into Minho for a moment, enjoying the affection from his younger mate. Minho was honestly much more akin to a cat when it came to affection - careful and hard to understand sometimes. When he allowed it, or even reached out for it, the rest of the pack greatly enjoyed the affection from Minho. 
Minho ran his hand through the hair at the base of Chan’s neck, scratching gently and smiling at the hum of pleasure that escaped the pack leader’s throat. To reassure himself, Chan reaches out through your bond. He’s unsure if you'll understand the feeling, but he tugs his end of the string twice in question, praying you'll understand what he means. 
He waits a beat or two in silence, his head pushed into Minho’s neck. Then, his heart stutters as he feels the other end of the string tug back. Three pulses. Chan feels you pull lightly three times, sending back a beat of comfort to reassure him that you’re alright. 
With that comfort in mind, Chan allows himself to bury his face further into Minho. He breathes in the comforting, familiar scent of his mate and sighs deeply. Some of the tension has left his shoulders; the combined effort of both you and Minho easing some of his newfound worry. 
“S’fine, Hyung. We’ll see her soon.” 
Yet, hours later, when the sun has begun to set behind the trees and the air chills once more, you’re nowhere to be found. 
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After closing up the cafe earlier that day, you had decided to do something a little spontaneous. A few nights had passed since the last time you’d engaged in a chase with any of your newfound werewolf prospects. Of course, you had seen the three in your cafe not too long ago, and had been introduced to three more the following evening. It was nice to finally put faces to names, and you found that knowing what they looked like only drew you in deeper to the mystical connection between you. 
The second meeting in your cafe had gone quite similar to the first. This time, Han, Jeongin and Seungmin had been the ones to greet you. The three werewolves had picked up their order and conversed with you for a few moments, teasing being passed between you as all three wolves had been stumped by you during their own attempt to catch you. 
Each of them had taken a chance to get closer, sliding a teasing hand over your waist or leaning close to whisper something into your ear. There was friendly affection too, like when Jeongin fiddled with your fingers while you spoke about the pastries you baked that morning. Or when it was time for them to leave, Seungmin leaned in for a sweet hug, gently pressing you into his chest to squeeze you tight. It was nice – to experience the intimate moments in between the salacious scenes of your chases. You found yourself falling deeper and deeper into the connection that linked the nine of you together. 
Of course, before Seungmin let go, his hands drifted a fraction lower. The playful, short squeeze of your backside had made you let out a short squeak, heat rising to your cheeks and your ears burning. Seungmin laughed at the sound, chest rumbling with his giggles as he offered an explanation. 
“Changbin said you had a nice butt,” he murmurs playfully. You swatted him across the chest lightly, moving before he could catch your fleeting fingers. 
“Well, tell Changbin I’m going to kick his when he comes out tonight.” 
They had left shortly after, smirks on their cheeks and laughter smiling from their chests. By the time they disappeared from your vision, you were left feeling both giddy and buzzing with arousal. The sweet ring of anticipation simmered in your gut, and you couldn’t wait for later that evening. 
With a smile on your lips and the thought of the wolves on your mind, you decided you’d venture out a little earlier tonight. Hopefully you would be able to scout a new path – something different from the previous two runs. It would be exciting to change the pace for both you and the werewolves. 
As you lock up the cafe behind you, the giddiness shows in your step as you practically skip towards your car. The drive home feels shorter than it usually does; perhaps due to your enthusiasm to reach the little cottage to incite another chase.
It’s not long after you set foot in the homely cabin that you leave once more. 
The new pair of sweet pink panties already donned, you feel the excitement surge again. Five of the eight wolves have partaken in the challenge issued by Chan, the pack Alpha. Assuming they will follow a similar pattern as before, you hope that the final three will be the ones to enjoy a chase this evening. Felix, Changbin, and the pack leader himself - would likely be the last to join the exhilarating mating challenge. 
An arousing shiver rakes down your spine as you think of the request Changbin had made of you. The memory of his warm breath on the crevice of your neck and the press of Felix’s chest against your back makes the longing in your chest grow deeper. You wonder how Chan’s touch will feel against your bare skin. The connection that binds you to the pack leader is strong, and you can feel nearly every twitch and tug of emotion from his end. The notion makes you wonder how contact with his exposed skin against your own will feel – if the ache in your chest will finally soothe upon relishing in the depth of his touch. 
Lost in your spiral of thoughts, you meander through the woods without a particular destination in mind. You only want to venture about half a mile into the trees, as you know the werewolves may be able to catch you if you go much farther. You cannot outrun them for much farther. 
With dusk beginning to settle over the area, that last remnant of golden sunshine peeking through the trees, you listen to the peaceful sounds of the woodland surrounding you. The thrum of the magic that encompasses the borders of the wolves’ territory flickers for a moment, a feeling you are not used to. The magical aura that coats the edges of their land wanes under your touch, but does not weaken. It allows you entry without the expense of magic, a sentiment you understand to connect you further to the pack.
This feeling, however, is strange.
Even as you wander away from the border, you can still feel the aura shift and change, as if someone has crossed it – someone it did not entrust to the wolf kingdom. Someone it did not want inside the bounds of their land.
Your feet halt, breath catching in your throat as you suddenly feel the air go still. The sounds of the forest - the chirping of birds and the whistle of the wind through pines - all begin to fade into an eerie silence. It feels as though the very oxygen you breathe has gone stale, itching at your skin as it touches you.
Pulse stuttering in your throat, you hesitate. You had not before had fears of being alone in the woods. As long as you were in pack territory, you knew you were safer than anywhere else. That comfort had kept you from being frightened in the dark seclusion of the trees in previous nights. Now, with the startling reality of the solitude of the forest around you and the ominous fizzling of another magical presence weighing on your mind, you were more than aware of the nonsensical decision you had made.
Moving quickly, you shrink low in an attempt to cover yourself with the foliage that shrouded the area. Staying low to the ground to hopefully make yourself scarce, you take a deep breath to soothe your nerves. Your heartbeat stutters in your chest, thumping in an almost painful manner. It roars beneath your ribs and you think you can faintly hear the pulse in your eardrums. 
Skin prickled with goosebumps and chest beginning to tighten with the grip of fear, you attempt to draw from the little magic you possess. It’s not much - usually just enough to sense the magical changes and auras from other supernatural creatures. You’ve never been able to cast your own spells as the witch blood that flows through your veins has long been diluted over the ages. Your witch-like nature was mostly expressed through the brewing of potions as it did not require magical prowess – only the spell books left to your possession by various ancestors. 
The reminder stings painfully in your mind, only ceasing to spark another bout of fear. As you hesitate, the eerie aura slips closer. 
In the darkening hours of dusk, you cannot yet see them, but you know they’re not far. With panic pushing into your throat, you do not have the conscious thought to alert the wolves. Falling back into base instinct, you are too new to the bond - too unfamiliar with its magic. In your panic, you can hardly recall its presence. 
When a stick cracks in the distance, you hold your breath. There is no telling what lurks behind the seclusion of your hiding place, and you do not know if they can hear each breath you take. 
Enraged tears push at the back of your eyes, suddenly furious with yourself for being so careless. There was much you could have done to prevent this, but you suppose there is no use in deliberating your mistakes. You force back the sweltering pressure that pushes against your eyes. You will not cry when there is something to be done - something to save yourself.
As another sharp, echoing crack of a fallen branch rings through the area, this time much closer, you try to puzzle through the aura of whatever being has begun to stalk you. It is quite clear they have learned of your presence. There would be no use in silent, slow tracking if they had been simply strolling through the woods. 
Reaching out with the barest traces of magic, you are stricken cold to discover what lies not far from your crouched form. Their aura is sanguine red, dripping with darkness and radiating with ill-intent. It’s suffocating as it descends upon you, seeming to fill both your lungs and your brain with its vile ambience. 
Vampire. 
You have not had much dealings with vampires. They’re solitary creatures, perhaps more so than witches. While some reside in covens, just as your own kind may, most chose a life of solitude. It’s easier to keep prey to themselves that way. They may not all be the bloodthirsty monsters of myth, but this one certainly is. With an aura so stark red and overflowing with hunger, you know you have become its next target.
Resistantly the urge to suck in a gasp of terror, you try to keep your breaths low and steady against the palm of your hand to suppress the sound. Before you can even attempt your escape, the chilling sound of its voice filters through the biting cold air that has begun to descend. 
“I can smell you, Pet.” 
The tears finally begin to squeeze from your eyes. Powerless to the burn in your eyes, the salty droplets fall from your ducts and wet your fingers. Terror has finally gripped you tight. You’re frozen to its entrapment, unable to move without fear of the vampire knowing your location – though you’re quite sure it’s already well aware. 
Stomach rolling with waves of anxiety, nausea beginning to burn acridly in the base of your throat, you feel as though you may vomit. You’ve never felt this pure, stirring form of fear seize you before. 
With desperation beginning to settle into your mind, you wonder if you can perhaps bargain with the vampire. It’s likely a fruitless venture, but you stand no chance if it comes to a fight. A vampire overpowers you in both strength and speed; you will not be able to outmaneuver it if you choose to run. 
Breath catching in your throat, you attempt to speak around the grip of nausea. Voice warbled with fear, though you try desperately to suppress it, you speak. 
“You don't want to do this.”
An unsettling laugh seems to spark a chill so deep into your form that you think it may nestle into the fiber of your very bones. They’re closer now. The eerie sound of their laugh comes from the thicket of pines to your right - back the way you came, towards your home. 
“And why not?” The vampire responds, ire rising in their tone. “You smell remarkably sweet, Little Witch – and it would be oh so easy to have a taste.” 
An uncontrolled shiver rakes down your spine and your hair stands on end. The frigid air settles into your skin, raising the goosebumps on the exposed flesh. His words are unsettling, only adding another wave to the already storming sea of panic in your stomach. The vampire seems to be enjoying the way you nearly tremble in fear, the smugness showing in his voice when he answers. 
Your brain races as you attempt to find a reason. Panic pushes at your head and your mind is moving too quickly. Ideas race past and you cannot seem to grasp one with a conscious thought. It feels as though you are drowning in the depths of your own mind, unable to grasp hold of a single thing to say. 
It’s only when you feel a single tug on the buried string in your chest, do you remember. The pull is strong, reaching out with a worried apprehension, and you can barely feel it over the tightness that keeps you still. 
“The wolves!” you gasp out, voice airy as you barely manage to stutter out the word. “This is werewolf territory – you can’t touch me here!”
The vampire snarls. 
You still once more, the sound seeming to strike you frozen. You almost expect the vampire to descend on you then, with sharp fangs and bloodlust surging within the vile creature. He sounds furious at your exclamation, as if the mention of werewolves was a personal attack. Well, you suppose it kind of is. 
“Werewolves,” he sneers. You can practically hear the way his lip curls over the word. Disgust lingers in his tone, the sound nearly making you angry on behalf of the wolves you’ve come to treasure. “As if I care for what wolves think.”
You shudder. 
If the strength of a wolf pack is not enough to stale the vampire, what can you do? A witch with so little magic, unequipped and alone in the woods. If you reach out now, with the reminder of your bond only just coming to fruition, will the wolves be able to make it to you? With so little space between you and the beast, you fear your dear wolves will only arrive to find your limp corpse, drained of blood and blank to the world. 
The thought is a sickening lump you cannot swallow. 
As the vampire closes in, the acrid feeling in your throat pushes into your mouth. Stomach swelling and turning with fear, your pulse stutters again. With so little options left, you decide you will take your chances. 
Acting with haste, you lift from the depths of your hiding place and immediately push off the balls of your feet. Taking off into the trees, you race away from the path in the hopes that the mass of trees and winding steps will allow you a little breadth from the vampire. Heart racing and feeling your lungs wheeze with each inhale, you push yourself beyond your limits. With your life in the balance, the adrenaline allows you to keep running. 
With your legs pumping, you finally reach out. 
You hope you can maintain enough distance between you and the vampire for the wolves to arrive. There's not much of a chance, but you hope that you’ll at least give them a chance. Any sooner, and you fear they’ll be finding your lifeless body. As you reach out now, panic fueled terror racing down the connection, you pull at any of the strings you manage to grasp. It’s so difficult to focus on the bond as you race through the trees, but you force yourself to continue. It’s your only chance. 
You do not have the conscious thought to feel how they respond.  
The vampire, seeming to have expected this, snarls and takes off behind you. 
His much quicker form descends on you quickly, easily keeping pace with you. He seems to be enjoying the chase, hooting as tears leak from your eyes and blur your vision. With your path winding between trees and dodging fallen logs, you're able to maintain a fraction of distance between yourself and the beast. 
This is far different from the chases between you and the werewolves. 
Those runs left you feeling light and excited, body rushing with a pleasant buzz of adrenaline and the longing humming in the bond. In those moments, the thrill was shared consensually between both you and the wolves, keeping the both of you ecstatic for each moment. 
This chase, between you and a monstrous beast who intends to drain your body of its precious life-force, is much different. 
The adrenaline that fuels you now is not of excitement, but that of terror. It pumps into your limbs and keeps you from shaking. However, it does nothing for the panic that crashes into your head. Your mind races with fear and you cannot push away the tears that race down your cheeks. With your thoughts solely focused on dodging the trunks of trees and the lashing of outstretched branches, you do not have a conscious track of mind to stop the salty liquid from blurring your vision. 
Legs pumping and calves burning, you are powerless to the vampire’s strength. With a pained cry, he collides with you. It’s a short moment, just enough for the monster to shove you off your feet. 
Heart a swollen lump in your throat, you weep out a sobbing sound of fear as you tumble down a short cliff side. Sharp branches cutting into your skin, exposing the bloody flesh underneath, you hiss in pain. Your fall is stopped when you collide with a fallen tree trunk. Back slamming into the pine, you squeak another miserable sound. 
Terror squeezes you tight. You can barely feel the stinging pain of the open wounds under the grip of fear. Blood drips down the bare skin of your arms, but you can barely feel it. The throb in your ankle burns from where you’ve likely sprained it, and you pull the limbs closer to you. 
Now openly weeping, you choke on the cry that tries to break free from your lungs. 
“Please!” you cry, the sound warbled by the blur of tears. Clutching your arms to your chest, you try to put pressure on the bleeding scrapes. Any attempt to cover the blood from the nose of the vampire is fruitless. 
The vampire laughs coldly as he emerges from the darkness. Sun now long gone from the sky, the vampire has nothing to fear. 
“Don't cry, Pet,” he mocks with smugness. “It’s only a taste.” 
Frantically now, you pull harder on the bond. Yanking as strongly as you can, ignorant to the pulses of fear you send alongside it, you furiously pull with the hopes they can discern your plea. 
As he descends towards you, a cruel smirk smeared across his face, you finally begin to tremble. Holding a single hand out, you summon every fiber of magic in your form and force it outward. It weakens you greatly, taking every thread of energy along with the flare of magic. The resulting burst of flame is only a momentary distraction, singing the vampire’s clothes as he pushes closer. 
Snarling at your attempt to fight, he laughs cruelly as he finally closes in on your shaking form. Weeping and trembling, you weakly drop your hand and finally curl upon yourself in an attempt to cover your vital organs. 
When the vile beast is inches from your skin, a startling moment passes as he hisses and suddenly draws back as if your very being is laced with poison. A frown twisting his features, you are no longer aware of his actions as you pull yourself tighter into your body. 
“You cunning witch!” the vampire sneers, disgust leaking into his voice. “You’ve been marked by a wolf clan!” 
The monstrous beast’s words are punctuated with the chilling sound of a wolf howl slicing through the bleak hours of night. 
It’s a broken, mourning sound – brimming with pain and a longing so fierce you feel it in your own heart. The howl is soon accompanied by more. Seven more wolves join the call, an aching fear conveyed in their fragmented sound. They’re in pain; but it is not their own. 
They’ve heard your plea. 
They had not been far. They had been following your train since dusk had settled. Knowing the vampire was still on the loose, Minho and Chan had tracked it to the eastern border that afternoon and carefully swept through the rest of the territory for signs of the beast. Yet, they had still come up empty. 
Hyunjin and Han had immediately picked up the hints of your scent. With the rest of their mates not far behind, the wolves had not been far behind when the red string binding your fates had come alive. 
Intense panic is the first to strike them. Filtering with speed through their bodies, the anxiety is laced with the grip of terror. It surges through them with an aching pulse, stronger than anything they’ve felt from you. Not long after, the frantic tugging of the bond yanks furiously at their chests. 
Hyunjin nearly collapses on his feet. Knees weak, his chest aches at the weight of your fear. It’s terrifying, and the dark coated wolf is suddenly struck with a sickening grief. His fur shakes when Hyunjin waves his head to force away the feeling. It is too soon to mourn you, and Hyunjin will not let the ninth piece of their bond be taken so easily. 
It’s blinding. The immense grip of pure despair grips them tight, each of your panic-laced emotions being sent down the bond. Whining out of desperation, Felix crumples into Changbin. Weak to the strength of your fear, he barely pulls himself back onto his feet. He cannot let himself fall now. Changbin buries his nose into the younger’s muzzle, breathing in the scent of his partner and hoping the smell, despite the souring tinge, will help him maintain his balance. 
Chan is the one whose head knocks back into the first despairing howl, the ache of your pain fueling the mournful sound.
With the weight of the world on his shoulders, Chan feels weaker than he’s ever been. The aching sound leaves his chest with a cry of overflowing pain. In his many years, he swears he’s never felt such a surge of grief – not even when Seungmin had gotten caught in a bear trap years ago. Even then, he’d been assured that he could protect his partner - could care for him and nurse him to health. 
Now, with the overwhelming grip of panic in his chest, Chan fears he may lose you before he's even had the chance to love you.
It all happens in a single moment. The fear knocks into them - Chan howls, and then all eight of the wolves are moving. Taking off with a blinding speed, they race through the forest with the traces of your scent fresh in their minds. Only you and your desperate plea for help present in their minds, they push themselves quicker. 
Seven baying sounds echo into the night not long after their leaders. 
In a combined harmony, the werewolves convey their mournful rage. Despite the fear, the sound is brimming with overwhelming anger, for a member of the wolf pack has been threatened; a notion that grounds for a revenge even the High King of Hell himself, could not prevent. 
The pack leader swears he’s never been this scared. Your desperate plea for help has struck him so deeply, he fears it will be the last thing he ever feels from your end of the string that connects you. The eldest can barely manage a weak tug on your bond as he pants in exertion, praying it can provide you some reassurance; they’re coming, it says - just wait a moment longer, they’re coming.
While the howling echo was meant to be a notion of fear for its prey, you can only exhale a sigh of relief. They’ve heard you, it reassures, they’ve heard you and they’re on their way. 
The vampire steps away for a second, seeming to filter through his options. He takes a glance at the trees behind him and then back at your frightened form, eyebrows furrowed as he tries to decide what to do. You’ve been marked by this wolf pack – their scents are strong on your form, intertwining under the sweetness of your own. If he harms you now, he is certain to face the wrath of the pack. Even if he leaves the borders of their territory, they are sure to hunt him down for laying a hand on someone they've marked. No mating mark may lay on your skin, but you are quite clearly bound to this wolf pack – scar visible, or not. 
He doesn’t have time to make a decision.
With the sound of your weeping guiding the werewolves to your location, the vampire suddenly has no time to escape. He turns fruitlessly to locate the easiest method of exiting the bounds of their territory, hair whipping into his face. 
Your chest aches with the dregs of terror, body so desperately weak from the magic you had expelled. Sagging into the trunk behind you and adrenaline waning, the burn of your wounds begin to settle. Fear still lodged into your mind and body still curled upon itself, you do not see the vampire attempt to run. 
You only hear the furious snarl of a wolf’s growl and the pounding of feet on the earth. 
The roaring of panic in your ears is suddenly replaced by the gnashing of teeth and sharp howls of anger. Branches snap and claws scratch against the dirt. Rustling of various footsteps and the sound of sharpened incisions snapping against flesh fill your senses as the wolves descend upon you and the vampire. Clutching your ears tightly with bloodied fingers, you curl tighter on yourself. 
You don’t want to watch. 
You know the wolves are strong, but you fear having to see the vampire harm them. 
Whimpering with tears still slowly dripping down your skin, you do not see the towering, angry form of Chan’s silver wolf break into the clearing. Nor do you see Minho’s enraged snarl as he bursts forth from behind his pack leader. His teeth drip with saliva as he lunges for the vampire. Eyes locked on the beast, he barely manages a glimpse at your terrified form, bleeding and curled tightly on itself against a tree trunk. The sight fuels his protective anger, and his jaws clasp tightly upon the vampire with a furious sound. 
Jisung is the first of the wolves who’s anger wanes at the sight of your crumpled form. 
Strewn against the trunk of a fallen pine tree, you’ve curled upon yourself and clutched your ears tight. Blood drips from your fingers, as if you’ve tried to ebb the flow of blood from the scrapes and scratches that litter your exposed skin. The scent of terror clings to your form, and Jisung nearly gags on the acrid taste. 
Yet underneath the fear, Jisung still smells the sweet, gentle honeyed scent that usually clings to your body. He can still imagine the excited smile that stretched across your cheeks after your first chase, and oh, seven hells - does Jisung want to see that smile again. 
Breaking through the line of his furious partners, Jisung is the first to descend on your trembling form. 
Transforming to bare skin, Jisung collapses to his knees at your side. Watery eyes wide, his hands hover over your skin - afraid to frighten you with his touch. Reaching out, with his heart still pounding and anxiety a sickening lump in his throat, Jisung pulls gently at the red string binding you together. His side pulses with waves of comfort, praying the warmth will remind you of his presence. 
“Shh, Darling,” his teary voice murmurs so quietly. He’s dropped low, whispering the words into your ear, so different from when Hyunjin had muttered salacious teases. “S’alright, Angel - s’just me, s’Hannie.” 
When your fearful eyes finally pry open, wet from salty tears and pupils blown wide, Jisung feels his heart clench in his chest. Seemingly separated from the chaos just behind him, Jisung can only see your sweet form – only feel the stuttered beats of surprise and grateful pulses from your bond. 
“Sungie?” 
At the watery, broken cry of his name, Jisung cannot hold back. Chest aching, he pulls you into his body. Both of your bodies are trembling, and Jisung finally allows the salty tears to fall onto his round cheeks. Weeping softly as he feels your shaking arms wrap tightly around his back, he clutches you tight. You respond with the same fervor, as if you fear that in the next moment, he’ll be torn from you. 
“Yeah, Baby - s’me, you’re okay,” his weeping voice murmurs, words spoken directly into the skin of your neck. His reassurances seem to help as you sag into his arms, finally succumbing to the adrenaline rush. “We’re here, s’fine - you’re safe.” 
From behind Jisung, Changbin is not far behind Minho, and he snarls as he grasps hold of one of the beast's legs. The vampire cries out, but they are not swayed. The werewolves are fueled by the protective rage that swells through their bond. You are terrified and in danger, and they go to the ends of the Earth to ensure your safety. 
Hyunjin is the next to descend on the vampire, teeth sharp as they pierce skin. Blood fills his mouth, but Hyunjin is used to the feeling. His head is split between approaching you and swaddling you in his arms, aching to reassure you, and the brimming rage that seizes him tight. But with how you clutch to Jisung, eyes squeezed shut and attempting to push out the sounds of a fight, Hyunjin knows he must expel the traces of anger before approaching you.
He will not scare you like this.
Tugging sharply on the vampire, Minho and Changbin understand the message and begin to drag the beast away. He kicks and screams, trying desperately to get away from the grip of the wolves, but his attempts are fruitless. And when Seungmin lunges forward, rage finally overflowing upon sight of your terrified form, he cannot help the way his teeth sink into the vampire's neck, silencing the beast once and for all with a sickening crack. 
Felix is already at your side before the sounds can reach your ears. Gentle hands settling over your ears, the blonde keeps the gruesome cacophony of noise from reaching you. His hands are trembling, but he keeps them steady enough to maintain coverage. Felix’s eyes are teary, salty tracks covering his cheeks as he does so. Nonetheless, the touch of your warm skin under his hands seems to reassure him and reduce the shaking. 
He hums under his breath, pushing his chest into your back and hoping that the sound of his voice will drown out the rest.
When the four wolves drag away the body, not wanting you to see the horrors of death, Chan finally steps forward. 
He trusts his mates to take care of the vampire. Chan knows he does not have to worry about the rage that still simmers in his chest, and though he aches to give the beast a beating of his own, Chan knows there are more important matters at hand. 
When Chan finally shifts from his wolfish form, silver fur giving way to soft skin and worried eyes, he’s already on you. 
“Baby!” he cries, a sob of his own swelling in his chest. Despite all the strength he upheld as pack leader, Chan finally succumbs to the worry and the fear that gripped him so tight. He collapses at your side, bond crying out with reassurance and sweetly attempting to comfort you. “Baby - oh fuck, Angel.” 
Over the lump in his throat, Chan leans forward, hands hovering over your skin. He’s scared to touch you. Now in front of you for the first time as a human, with terror still seizing your mind, Chan doesn’t want to scare you. His wolf whines pitifully, longing to pull you into him, but Chan waits. 
When you feel the sweet hum of his connection call out, your eyes crack open and pitifully peer at him from the depths of Jisung’s chest. The dregs of fear still pulsing through you, you cannot stop the trembles that still rake through you. 
“Chan?” 
Felix has never heard such a mournful whimper pull from his Alpha’s chest. 
Finally giving into the longing ache, Chan pulls you into him with a gasping cry. Jisung loosens his grip, allowing his Alpha the chance to feel your skin against his. Chan lets the fear escape his chest with a weeping sob, his own tears burning at his eyes. With your skin pressed against his bare chest, Chan knows you’re safe. The heat of your body is a pleasant burn he never wants to extinguish. 
Your first glimpse of the pack’s Alpha is halted as he draws you into his chest with muscular arms. You cannot be upset about the motion, feeling the shake of your limbs already beginning to settle as his bare skin presses against yours. The pack leader openly sobs out a saddened sound, pulling you tightly into him with your bond flaring strongly. 
Chan is beautiful. 
Your weary eyes barely glimpse full lips and dark eyes as they tiredly fall closed, but you know Chan is utterly gorgeous. There's a faint red scar across the bridge of nose, crossing across his cheeks, but the strength that it implies only makes him more gorgeous. With how brightly your chest swells with affection, quickly replacing the fear, you knew you would find yourself entrapped by his beauty soon enough.
Exhaling a shaky sound, you try to push yourself closer with weak limbs. Chan feels you shift and tugs you closer with a whimper, nose pressing into your hair as a tremble of his own shakes through him. He inhales deeply, savoring the honeyed glimpse of your scent beneath the acrid taste of panic. 
“You caught me,” you tiredly whimper into his chest, collapsing with the last glimpses of adrenaline finally leaving you. 
From behind you, you feel more forms push closer. 
Felix sobs out a weepy sound, and you find yourself saddened that you don’t have the energy to send a wave of comfort to him. His warm skin presses against your side, pushing you closer to Chan as another form piles into your sweet embrace. You vaguely recognize Jeongin’s sweet aura as he clutches you from your other side. The youngest is crying, tears wetting the skin of your neck from where he pushes his head into the crevice beneath your jaw, but you don’t care.  
You can sense that Seungmin is not far behind. Unable to reach you from the depths of the clutches of his older partners, you manage to reach out a hand through the mess of tangled limbs. Seungmin grasps hold of the appendage with a tight grip, squeezing happily as he pushes his face into Jeongin’s neck. 
It’s not long before the rest of the pack descends on your pile. Clutching each other in a warm, muddled clutter of relieved bodies, the remaining wolves pull each other tight. The fear that previously radiated through the bond slowly seeps away to reveal sweet relief and comfort. 
Chan weeps a laugh at your words, chest shaking with the combination of it and a sob. His next words are spoken into your hair, lips pressing a short kiss to the threads with warmth radiating from his mouth. 
“Yeah, we caught ya, Pretty,” 
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When spring has finally settled in the forest, Lupin flowers blooming in bright hues of lavender and cornflower blue, you decide it’s finally time. Unbeknownst to you, the first few days of spring mark a shift between the werewolves. You can’t sense it, not with your human ability to smell. 
Mating season has begun. 
It keeps the werewolves high strung. The urge to incorporate you into the pack is stronger than ever. Every flash of your skin has them panting, and every hint of your arousal has their mouth watering. 
Hyunjin had been teasing you for weeks, playfully poking at you and trying to incite you into a final challenge. He managed to rope some of the others into his taunts, keeping the excitement of the chase fresh in your mind. 
Not long after you had settled into their lives, Felix had been the one to mention the mating mark. You had been eyeing the faded blush-colored scar with warmth in your gaze. Analyzing the teeth marks and attempting to identify which scars were the mark of incisors, you vaguely wonder whose teeth had left the mark. 
Felix’s lips had pulled into a wide grin when he noticed, pulling you closer to his bare chest with a laugh. His skin was warm against yours, and despite being subjected to their exposed skin in the weeks past, the notion of Felix's smooth, freckled skin still made you dizzy. With heat in your cheeks and ears burning, you buried your bashful look into the muscle of his chest in an attempt to hide from his prying eyes. 
“Baby!” he laughed, chest rumbling with the sound, “s’nothing to be embarrassed about. You can ask if you want.” 
From across the room, Hyunjin lifted his head from where it rested against the back of the couch. Jeongin, in between his legs - had too, raised his own head with interest in the conversation. 
“Yeah, Pretty – you can ask Chan-hyung to give you a mark of your own too,” the long-haired man mirthfully teased. Jeongin giggled in Hyunjin’s arms, his teeth shining when a grin stretched across his lips. The youngest’s own mark seemed to glimmer in the light when his loose shirt shifted across his clavicle. 
Your eyes followed the trail of teeth on Jeongin’s skin, spotting a second flash of teeth not far from the first. When Hyunjin titled his head, allowing his hair to fall away from his skin, you caught sight of the largest mark imprinted in the flesh to the side of his throat. Two more rosy rows of teeth rested in the smoothness of his skin aside the first.
You begin to wonder how many of these bite marks littered each of the wolves. 
Pulling your eyes from the ridges of Felix’s chest, you raised them to meet the teasing eyes of Hyunjin. “Do you all have them? The bite marks, I mean.” 
Hyunjin hums in response, a spark flickering across his gaze. His arms wind tighter across Jeongin’s chest at the reminder of how his partners have sunk their teeth into his skin. Face warming with the heat of the memory, his lids flutter with an indecent look.
“They’re mating marks,” Changbin cuts in, beside Hyunjin. His eyes were focused on the notebook in his hands, but he was clearly listening to your conversation. His dark eyes look up from the worn leather for a moment, catching yours with something similar to Hyunjin’s own arousal glimmering in the depths. 
“Mating marks?” Your tongue rolls carefully over the words. Spoken silently to yourself, your mind rolls with the implication. 
Felix’s chest rumbles with another answering hum. From where you lay on the floor beneath the couch, you feel something hot flash through the bond in a quick moment. It’s so fast you cannot tell from whom it originated. 
Minho is the next to fill in the blanks. Jisung is pressed tightly to his side, Seungmin not far, their eyes drawn to the television where they’re engaged in a fierce battle of Mario Kart. 
“When the bond is accepted and courting finishes, mating marks seal the connection between bonded packs. They lay claim over each other – everyone is bound to each other through ‘em.” 
A flush of heat fills your stomach. 
Something indecent rolls through your chest and you feel your skin becoming littered with pleasant goosebumps. You don’t know why the thought is so enticing. The thought of teeth pressing into your skin, claiming you once and for all, is something that makes your chest ache and your thighs rub together. 
Attempting to hide your interest, you look back into Felix’s chest, but your spiked acknowledgment is not missed by the others. If your bashful look doesn't give it away, the distant hum of arousal from the bond certainly does. New to the red string intertwining you with the wolves, you’re unable to stop the stronger waves of emotion from filtering through. 
Nonetheless, they wouldn’t need the bond to know you have become interested in the marks. The sweet, honeyed scent of arousal permeating the air and the twinge of your uncontrolled pheromones are evidence enough. 
Minho’s lips raise into a smirk. 
Catching the enticing scent, the wolf inside him howls with a challenge. 
“Oh,” his words drip with salacious undertones. “Are you interested, Pretty?” 
Your eyes dart up to meet him. Swallowing once, you attempt to speak around the lump that has risen in your throat. Suddenly feeling so small under his lowered, teasing eyes, you find yourself unable to respond. 
“Hm, I think she is, Hyung,” Jisung’s voice responds. He’s dropped his controller, looking away from the shining lights of the television at the sweet waves of your scent. His eyes have darkened, dilated pupils beginning to swell. 
Hyunjin soon joins the attack, leaning forward with Jeongin still clutched to his chest. 
“Yeah, I knew it. You want a mark of your own, Pretty Girl?” 
You withhold a whimper into Felix’s chest, but the silver blonde hears it anyway. His own shiver of arousal shaking through him, Felix clutches you tighter. He feels something stir in his gut, and the sharp sting of incisors press against his gums as he resists leaning forward to scrape the fangs across your flesh. 
When Chan steps through the doorway to the living room, the air is thick with the scent of arousal. 
Heart thumping and dominance surging, the pack leader hums to grab your attention. His eyes fall to your body, clutched tightly in Felix’s arms with your eyes wide and pulse racing. 
“S’going on in here?” 
Tension broken, eyes are immediately drawn to the Alpha. The air still simmers with pulses of lust, and Chan feels as though it will soon begin to drown him if he doesn’t do something soon. 
Minho is quick to respond, taking charge as second-in-command. “Angel was just telling us how much she wants a mating mark, Chan.” 
The pack leader’s aura flushes. 
Power radiates through the room, and the wolves feel Chan’s own surprised flood of dominance filter into the atmosphere. They’re under his command, tense and muscles ready to spring onto you at their Alpha’s command.
“S’that so, Pretty Baby?” 
You can’t look at him. Chan’s aura overflows with an assertive wave of power. He commands the room, and you fear if you meet his eyes, you’ll give in without the thrill of the chase. However, you do find yourself nodding into Felix's warm chest, making your consent well known. 
Not responding, Chan hums sweetly. With darkened irises and the pleasant hum of desire in his veins, Chan can feel his teeth push against his gums. His inner wolf howls to lay claim on you now, with your consent made apparent, all that’s left is to sink his teeth into your skin. 
But that would be too easy, wouldn’t it? 
Chan is quick to propose a final chase. 
One last race through the woods. With the mating mark made clear, the first to catch you can be the first to have you – of course, right after the Alpha lays claim. Chan will always get priority, even if he is not the one to capture you first. Though he severely doubts he won’t be. 
Everything happens so quickly. 
Felix pushes you gently off his chest, pulling you to your feet and guiding you towards your room. Well, you suppose it’s actually Chan’s room, but the leader has made it clear you have a place in it as much as he does. With a delicate command to prepare yourself, your heart begins to race with the familiar thrill of adrenaline - the good kind. 
You burrow through the mess of clothing in your drawers, a smirk pulls on the edges of your lips when you find what you’re looking for. After the incident with the vampire, Chan and the others had never seen your last gift. You had intended for that night to go so much differently, but you suppose now is as good of a time as any to present the pale pink lace of the lingerie. 
Tiny, rosy pink daisies litter the sheer fabric, intertwining with the blush and darkened hues of roses. Dark green stems connect the flowers, tastefully just covering the most indecent of places. The faint pink lace barely covers anything, and it’s by far the most lewd thing you’ve ever bought, let alone worn. 
When you slide it on, some sense of pride inflates your chest. It’s a fleeting feeling, one you find you don’t often experience in reference to your own body, but you thrive under its wave. It feels nice to admire your own skin and size for once, and you remind yourself to do it more often. Learning to love yourself is a hard road, but you hope you’ll learn to love your own skin soon. 
Choosing to forgo the complications of too much clothing, you slip on one of the boys’ oversize shirts. You can’t tell whose it is, as even their shirts run sizes too large so that they can be cut and loose, but the scents on it are familiar, as always. Hyunjin wore it last, that you can tell, and you hope the notion of nothing but lingerie beneath it will drive him mad. 
You honestly hope you’ll be caught quickly. Even despite the arousal and implication of mating marks, running with nothing but a large t-shirt is sure to cause your thighs some chafing. However, you cannot bring yourself to put anything else on, knowing the sentiment will make the chase more enticing. 
When you reenter the living room, all eight of the werewolves are standing. Murmuring amongst themselves, desire roaring in their stomachs, they turn to look at you when you enter the room. 
“Oh fuck,” Changbin murmurs, mouth going dry at the sight. He has to readjust his pants to hide the growing problem between his thighs. Cursing under his breath, running with a boner is sure to be a pain. 
“Hm, our little tease, isn’t she?” Minho coos, voice dripping with filthy undertones. 
Hyunjin nearly purrs at the expanse of your bare legs. Eyes scanning every inch of your exposed flesh, he feels his spine shake with a familiar arousal. 
“You wearing anything under that, Pretty?” 
Despite the weight of their dominating auras, you manage a hum in response to Hyunjin. “Mhm! It’s the present Binnie asked for.” 
Changbin snarls at your words, chest vibrating as he feels another bolt of heat twist his gut. Imaging the pretty pink lace underneath the darkness of your shirt, he and Hyunjin know exactly of the gift you speak of. Felix too, rumbles pleasantly at the reminder of your meeting so long ago. 
“Present?” Jisung murmurs in question. 
Changbin hums his gruff, deep response. “You remember her last ‘gift’? I asked her to wear something pink next time - Chan-hyung’s favorite and all.” 
The pack leader goes weak in the knees with a lusty groan. His eyes close and his head knocks back at his lover’s words. The reminder of the tiny pair of panties clutched in his fist, now imagining them pink and stained with your arousal, has his mind finally drowning a ferocious desire. 
“Oh Baby, you’ve done it now,” Chan’s deepened tone coos. When his eyes open, brown hair falling across his forehead and highlighting the red scar across his nose, there’s a fire burning brightly in the depths. “You sure you want this? Once we start, I won’t be able to stop myself, Sweetheart – not now that I know what’s under that pretty dress.” 
Your nod is immediate. You’ve never been more sure of anything. These eight wolves are yours now, just as much as you are theirs. Chest thumping, Chan purrs a hum in response. 
“Don’t make it too easy then, Pretty,” Chan murmurs, nose grazing your skin as he leans in close. “Gonna ruin you when I catch you - gotta’ savor our prize right?” 
And the final chase begins. 
They have given you a head start. Just two minutes, but it’s enough time to clear some distance between you. They aren’t wolves this time – just humans, but supernatural humans with enhanced senses and incredible speed and strength. They’ll still be able to catch up quickly. 
You know there’s not much you can do when it comes to hiding this time. With how strong your arousal thrums between your thighs, there’s no chance they won’t be able to seek you out by scent alone. 
Leaping over a fallen branch, you pant heavily with a wide grin on your face. Probably looking a little insane as you race through the woods with a manic smile, clad in nothing but a black shirt and lingerie beneath it, you laugh freely into the spring air. 
You don't know how much distance you’ve put between you and the pack house, unable to keep track of time since Chan had started the chase. Regardless, you continue pushing your calves to run through the trees with your chest sizzling with the familiar buzz of adrenaline. 
Only a few moments later, you hear excited hoots and shouts fill the air.
Your two minutes are up. 
Excitement bursting again, you force yourself faster. You know it won’t be long before they catch up, but you want to give them a chase worthy of being called the last. 
Distantly, you feel one of them tug on the bond, chest being pulled in their direction, but you ignore it. Dirty tricks didn't work before, and they wouldn’t now. Allowing a smirk to pull at your lips, you continued to race, kicking up dirt from the earthen ground. 
You feel him as soon as he breaks through the tree line at your back. Minho, second-in-command, was one of the fastest of the wolves in their human forms. Now, driven mad by you, he has a mission in mind as he pursues your racing form. 
You don’t have to turn to know he’s behind you. 
He’s closing on your fast, his strides longer than yours and heart pumping just as quick. You barely have the conscious mind to consider your options, but vaguely you wonder if the same trick will work twice. You can tell he’s a few steps in front of the others, so you’ll only have a moment’s chance if it’s to work. 
As Minho descends on you, breath in your throat as his hand reaches out, you lunge to the side again. Your heart leaps, skipping a pulse as Minho skids on his feet. He barely manages to catch himself before he falls, cursing loudly at your cheap trick. 
“Hah! I can’t believe you fell for it again!” 
A growl loosens from Minho’s chest, and he’s running after you again. 
Escaping Minho has allowed you a moment to maintain the distance between the boys, though it’s still not much. They’re still hot at your heels, fueled by carnal desire and thoughts of your skin beneath their hands. Heat still sizzles between your thighs, and you feel the lining of your panties dampen at the sound that escapes Minho’s chest. 
Distantly, you hear another let out a groaning sound, as if they smell the arousal slowly leaking from between your thighs. The thought makes you lightheaded. 
Another laugh leaving your lips, you duck under a low hanging branch, the boys hot at your heels. Confident in your lead, you allow yourself to miss the missing aura that is missing behind you. With your mind focused on keeping ahead of the werewolves, you’ve missed an alarmingly crucial clue: there are only seven auras behind you. 
You're smart. Hyunjin had Minho had both conveyed this when they returned from their individual chases. Able to outmaneuver them both, they were impressed by your ingenuity. 
Yet, even despite your intelligence, you could not outsmart Chan. 
Instead of joining his pack, pushing you from behind as the others had, Chan burned with the passion that would guarantee his success; and he chose another route. 
You don’t see him coming. 
Racing through the pines, his arms pumping and veins fueled with a primal lust, Chan had taken off in the other direction. Your scent clinging to his senses, he swears he can already taste the sweet arousal that leaks into your panties. A smirk tugging at his lips, Chan races for you head on. 
He pursues you from the front, rather than behind. Seeming to know exactly what routes you would take through the forest, he knew precisely where he could cut you off. 
When his panting, muscular form breaks through the trees in front of you, your slam to a stop on your feet. Skidding an inch, you pant with widened, surprised eyes. Chan stands in front of you, pupils blown and dark, sweat dripping across his forehead and down the bridge of his nose, smearing along the red scar. 
His muscular biceps bulge in his tight, black shirt, and your mouth waters at the sight. You only have half a moment to take him in before his smirk deepens and he pushes off the balls of his feet, lunging for you. A growl pulls from deep within his chest and you squeal as you try to dodge his strong hands. 
Your efforts are futile. Even as you attempt to evade his grip, twisting as you make for the forest, Chan’s already moving - quicker and stronger than you. Of course, if you had half a mind to focus on it, the thought of his superior size and strength would drive you wild, but you didn’t have the chance. 
“Chan!” you squeal, squirming as you attempt to wiggle out of his grip, wanting to continue the chase and feel the adrenaline pumping through you. The Alpha groans deeply when his name falls from your lips, already imagining the sound twisted into gasps of pleasure. Head knocking back, Chan’s muscles bulge as he wraps you in his grasp. 
Your skin hot against his, Chan moans out a sweet sound that has your stomach turning. His biceps flex under your squirming, and it’s so enticing to feel how he manhandles you into his chest. One strong hand manages to grasp both your wrists, pulling them behind your back as he tugs you close. Your back against his front, hands in his grip, Chan hums pleasantly with you now trapped in his hold. 
“Yeah, s’it, Pretty Baby – say my name.” 
Your knees weaken. 
Unable to move in Chan’s tight grip, you’re left defenseless to the seven wolves that soon descend. 
Unsurprisingly, Hyunjin is the next to capture you. The taller man’s figure leans over yours with a daunting smirk, his eyes shining with carnality. His chest pushing against your front, Hyunjin’s head leans over yours and you’re forced to look up at him when his hand reaches out. Thin fingers expanding over your throat, Hyunjin applies a little pressure to your neck, exhaling a groaning sound when you whimper.
“Dirty girl,” he purrs, fingers tightening across your throat in a pleasant pressure that makes your head spin. Hyunjin’s grin is wild as he does so, finding the sounds you let out make his chest swell with pride. “I told you I’d catch you next time, didn’t I?” 
You think you might leak through your pretty pink underwear. Legs trembling and head turning, eyes barely able to keep hold of Hyunjin’s lusty ones, you barely realize when the others join the fun. 
Minho, obviously holding a little grudge from missing you twice, is at your right. His hands are hot to the touch. Chan laughs a cocky chuckle when his second-in-command immediately drops to his knees. Minho rolls his eyes, lips already leaning forward to press into the skin of the inside of your knee. When you squirm, legs visibly shaking at the touch of Minho’s soft, full lips on your bare skin, his hand drifts higher. Gripping your thigh tight in his big hand, he murmurs his next words directly into the skin of your thigh.
“Stop squirming, Angel.” 
You whine again, head knocking back with a keen. Going limp in their hold, your head rests against Chan’s collarbone. The pack leader smirks in victory. He loves watching the bashful look on your face twist into something darker. 
“Hannie,” Minho commands, not looking away from his place on his knees, “Come help me, will you?” 
Jisung does not hesitate. Taking your other side, his hand slides around your waist to squeeze you once. Then, with a salacious grin at the dripping honey smell of your arousal, his hands drop. Sliding pleasantly down your stomach in between you and Hyunjin - of course, taking a moment to run gently over the skin of Hyunjin’s stomach - Jisung’s hands slide beneath the fabric of your shirt. 
This time, Jisung lets out an obscene sound when the tips of his fingers graze the soft lace wrapped around your hips. 
“Fuck, Baby,” he murmurs with a whining sound. Fingers drift, lifting the hem of your shirt higher, allowing Minho a glimpse of the fabric that lay beneath. He pushes closer, face lifting until his head is level with your hips, which are pushed against Hyunjin’s. The taller man groans when Minho’s hand comes up, cock twitching when his lover’s fingers toy with the bulge in his pants. When he leans away a little, leaving space for Minho to dive between, only your chest remains pressed against Hyunjin. 
Before Jisung has a moment to explore further, Seungmin reaches from behind, his fingers lightning quick as they rip your shirt upwards. Eight sounds of approval sound out when the material is lifted above your chest, allowing them a first look at the pretty pink lingerie you’ve chosen. 
Chan, however, does not have the best angle to see the sweet panties you’ve chosen for him with Seungmin lifting the shirt in front of his face. With a disgruntled sound, his eyes lift to Hyunjin’s, grinding his hips forward into your backside as he does so. You keen, and Hyunjin smiles. 
“Pretty Boy, keep her hands out of the way f’me.” 
Then, Chan releases his grip on your wrists and pushes them around to your front, where Hyunjin’s waiting grasp wraps securely around them once more. Now in Hyunjin’s hold, Chan has both hands free, and he doesn’t waste a second. Exchanging a look with Seungmin, Chan’s hands lift to grasp both sides of the color of your shirt. Biceps flexing, the pack leader grips the material tight and then tears it down the middle. 
His display of strength has you lightheaded.
Now exposed, the eight can admire the sweet little bra that adorns your chest. Tits practically spilling from the material, Chan hums pleasantly, his eyes going hazy. By now, he feels the growing need to release his dick from his pants, unable to take the throbbing against the tight material. Changbin shares the sentiment, the three remaining men finding the means to occupy themselves with each other. Felix is already under Changbin’s grip, his eyes having trouble drifting back and forth from you and his dark haired partner. 
Chan growls pleasantly at the sight of the pink lingerie, one of his hands sliding around to join Jisung in toying with the hem of the rosy panties. Minho’s lips are on your inner thigh, and he sucks in a heated breath when he catches a taste of your arousal on his tongue. Fingers inch closer, his forefingers rubbing gently across the thin material that separates him from your slit. Rubbing a teasing circle, your head knocks back again.
Yeah, you manage to think - they’re definitely stained now. 
“Oh, fuck me,” Chan murmurs, voice dripping with honey. “Look s’good in pink, Angel.” 
Minho hums in agreement, teeth skimming across your thigh. It trembles under the glimpse of his sharp incisors, and Minho mirthfully laughs. He knows exactly where he wants to put his mark. It’s a favorite of his, apparently, if the mating marks on Jisung, Hyunjin and Felix’s thighs have anything to say. 
“Better take a deep breath, Pretty,” Hyunjin murmurs directly into your ear, lips grazing the shell. “M’gonna fuck ya stupid when Chan’s done with you.” 
Chan laughs when you whine, and when Hyunjin’s hand slides away from your throat, they’re quickly replaced with the feeling of Chan’s teeth scraping across the skin. You squirm under him, feeling both so heavy and so light at the same time. You swear the combined touch from them will kill you. 
Felix seems to think similarly, a whine of his own skipping from his lips when Jeongin’s hand slides beneath the button of his jeans. The youngest smirks, obviously enjoying having Felix weak under his touch. However, he’s interrupted when Changbin slides his own hand down the younger’s back, making Jeongin shiver. You desperately want to open your eyes - to look at the blonde when he makes such pretty sounds, but you’re prevented when Chan playfully nibbles on the skin of your throat. They’ll have their turn with you soon. 
“Watch her, Lixie,” Changbin murmurs. Your skin seems to heat even hotter, and you feel as though you’ll pass out under their eyes. “She’ll be falling apart on Chan’s cock soon, don’t ya wanna’ watch?” 
The sentiment of the pack Alpha’s teeth against you strikes with a heated stir of your stomach: Chan’s going to claim you, just as the rest of them will. And though you don’t have the teeth to leave a permanent mark of your own, you are sure you’ll leave plenty of fading ones on their skin too. 
They’re yours now, just as much as you are theirs. 
You lean back into Chan with eyes closing out of ecstasy, despite only being teased so far. The leader smirks and you feel it on your throat. Jisung finally grows tired of toying with the fabric between his fingers and finally peels them away from your hips, giving way for Minho's lips to explore new territory. Chan feels his dick twitch when Minho lets out a pleased groan at your taste, finally able to suck you into his mouth as he wants. 
“Yeah, you like that, Baby?” Chan hums, teeth scraping over your skin, finding the place where he wants to sink them beneath the flesh. It won’t hurt, he knows. Rather, he thinks you’ll quite like the rush of pleasure that comes from a werewolf’s bite. “Get ready, Pretty - I caught ya,’ and m’not gonna be gentle.” 
Teeth sharpening and incisors sliding forward, Chan angles his head so that his mating mark will be candid for all to see. 
“You're ours now.” 
His teeth sink in. 
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bonus: 
reader, sitting with the dewdrops at dawn!reader: ... 
reader: so,,, demons?
dewdrops at dawn!reader, nodding: werewolves? 
reader, also nodding: ...
dewdrops at dawn!reader: ... 
reader: are we monster fuckers? 
a/n: listen,,, I like skz, okay? this is totally not like 20k words written in a daze of hard hours, I swear. 
ngl tho sometime when I was writing this fic I was like omfg this is so ‘2013 wattpad girl’ of me,,, like sometimes I’d write a sentence and try not to think about the cringy werewolf fics I used to read xD either way I really like the concept of the supernatural and wolf chan is always in the back of my brain so this is what followed that brain rot. 
p.s!! did anyone catch the references to dewdrops at dawn? I had to connect the universes somehow xD I hope you guys enjoyed them <3
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foxcantswim · 2 years
Text
Who Are You? Chapter 4 || F!Reader x Wanda Maximoff
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Y/N is in love with Wanda... But Wanda is in love with Spider Noir. The thing is, Y/N and Spider Noir are the same person - But Wanda doesn't know that. Y/N has a secret identity to uphold. (Everyone lives AU - Set after DS:MoM)
F!Spider!Avenger!Reader x Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3
Chapter 5
Words: 3.2k
Tags/Warnings: Fluff, Angst, Slight Injury, Jealous Wanda, KatexYelena if you squint, Identity Reveal(?)
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You and Wanda were waiting in the break room an hour before you were due to leave for patrol, you were resting up as much as you could... Well, as much as you could with a pair of chaotic assassins around.
"Are you ready for your patrol...?" Yelena trailed off.
You nodded, "Noir."
"Noir," she nodded with a hum, "Mysterious. I like it."
Wanda was shooting daggers at the blonde, her eyes burning into the back of her head.
"First you harass Y/N yesterday, and now Noir?" Natasha laughed as she entered the room.
"I am not harassing!" Yelena exclaimed, clearly offended.
"Why don't you go bother that Bishop girl instead?" her sister suggested.
You quickly interrupted, "If it means anything, I don't mind her being here."
Yelena smirked in victory, "See! I am a delight to be around. I am simply making conversation." You couldn't help but laugh.
Natasha raised her hands up in surrender, "Okay. You got me."
"Are you guys usually up at this time?" you questioned them both.
The pair nodded, "Yes. My sleep schedule is a bit errrr... non-existent," Yelena answered, Natasha quickly agreed.
"I'm kind of concerned," you replied.
"I've been trying to get Yelena to sleep," another voice caught your attention, "But she flat out refuses."
"Kate Bishoooop!" Yelena exclaimed, walking over to the girl, "So nice of you to join us."
"I knew you would be up to something so I came to put a stop to it," Kate replied, her eyebrow raised.
The blonde rolled her eyes, "Why does everybody assume I'm up to no good? I'm the innocent one here."
You introduced yourself to the young archer before Natasha moved in to greet her, too.
As Natasha and Kate hugged, you turned towards the table and grabbed a water bottle before swiftly lifting up your mask slightly - you took a couple long gulps of water before placing the bottle back down.
A certain blonde assassin raised an eyebrow towards you once you lowered your mask, "Huh..." she said.
"W-What?" you said, nervously.
"Nothing," Yelena laughed to herself.
You were about to question her but Yelena quickly turned back towards Kate. Natasha decided to back her sister up, "For once, she isn't actually causing any trouble."
"Well, that's good," Kate nodded, "I'm impressed."
"I am reformed," she grabbed Kate's hand and kissed the back of it before dragging the girl towards the door, "We're off to train. Time to show baby hawk how I fight when she doesn't have any trick arrows up her sleeve."
"Er- Lena I'm not sure-"
"Good luck with patrol!" Yelena exclaimed over her shoulder, Kate was crying for help as they disappeared down the hall.
Natasha cleared her throat, "I should probably go after them. Yelena doesn't exactly hold back."
"Have fun," you replied, silently wishing you could see the sparring session. Natasha made her leave.
You glanced over at Wanda who was sitting at a small table in the corner, you approached her with a smile - even though she couldn't physically see you smile.
"Hello, Noir," she greeted, taking a careful sip of her hot drink.
"Hey, little witch," you replied, taking a seat next to her, "Why do you look so blue?"
She sighed, "No reason. I guess I'm just a little tired."
You nudged her shoulder, "We're in this together, you and me."
Wanda smiled at your response. She was glad that you were with her tonight.
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You and Wanda had officially made it to 11pm. Both of you were nervous and excited to find out what would happen tonight despite already being extremely tired.
"Good luck out there," Tony slapped on your back, "Wanda. You're in charge," he looked towards the witch.
"I-I am?" she asked, shocked.
You glared at Tony before nudging him, "Am I not good enough for you, old man?"
"No," he simply said before walking away, he looked over his shoulder and smirked towards you.
"I hate you," you muttered before turning to Wanda.
Tony called before he left the room, "Jane and Sam are on call if you need backup tonight. Your shift ends at 5am." He soon exited the room, leaving both you and Wanda alone.
As much as you wanted to go out with Wanda for the night, the fact that you had to stay out till that time was starting to put you off.
Wanda smiled, "Ready to go?"
You nodded, "Yep. Here's hoping I can make it to five in the morning," a sigh managed to escape you, "At least if I do end up falling asleep you won't know because of the mask," you motioned towards your face.
"Oh, I'll know if you fall asleep," Wanda assured before heading towards the door, you were quick on her heels.
"And how is that?"
"I can read minds, remember?"
A nervous laugh escaped you, "Then why have you never read mine? You can find out who I am just like that."
She sighed as you two exited the building, "I can't lie to you. I have tried."
A wave of relief washed over you, "I'm assuming the blockers actually work, then?"
"Blockers?" she asked before ascending into the sky.
"Yes. Blockers. The day after I met Stephen, I asked if he could help me out with keeping my identity even more of secret," you had to run across the grass as there were no buildings to attach to, the trees in the distance would be your only choice to latch on, "I'm surprised you didn't try before that."
Wanda's voice turned sour, she called down to you, "So Stephen knows who you are and I don't?"
"No! Stephen doesn't know! He helped me with the blockers in my head and he didn't need to know my identity to do that. I promise, he doesn't know."
Wanda had a scowl on her face, but it quickly dropped as she sighed, "Y-Yeah, sorry," she realised that she was working herself up.
"It's okay," you understood. You knew that Wanda would be extremely upset if anyone found out your identity before she did, "You know you'll be the first to know who I really am."
Wanda couldn't stop the smile from appearing on her face, "Thank you, Noir."
The two of you finally made it to the treeline, meaning you could join Wanda up in the sky using your webs. You did your best to stay by her side as much as you could, but of course she had to make it a competition as she slowly flew a little higher.
"Wands!" you groaned, "That's not fair!"
"I guess you're just beneath me, Noir," she smirked.
"I'll beat you one day, little witch!" you exclaimed, trying to zip as fast as you could towards the city - Making it a race between you and the Scarlet Witch.
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Well. Wanda won. But you chose to ignore that fact.
The moonlight illuminated Wanda's face as you watched her instead of the city down below. The pair of you had taken a seat on a relatively high building in order to watch the streets down below, your legs dangling off the edge of the rooftop. There was plenty of chatter coming from drunk girls leaving a club, a few guys were following them - a wolf whistle was thrown, a punch arrived in the man's face in return. But it was definitely not an Avengers level threat to break apart some petty drunk teenagers. They all sprinted off round the corner, giggling and laughing amongst themselves.
"Did you ever go out to clubs?" you decided to ask.
Wanda shook her head, "No, not really. I've went to a bar here and there with the Avengers but... I had to grow up fast. I didn't have time for clubs."
"Well... Maybe we could go together one day?"
A laugh escaped Wanda, "With you dressed like that?"
You nudged her shoulder with a scoff, "Obviously not! I mean when I reveal my identity, little witch."
"So you're planning on it, then?" Wanda asked, hopefully.
"I'd be lying if I said the thought hadn't crossed my mind these past few weeks," you sighed, looking back down at the street below, "I can't tell you when I will be ready, though."
"Take your time," she sighed in response, she understood you despite not liking the idea of having to wait for so long.
"I mean it when I say you will be the first to know, I promise."
"I know," Wanda completely trusted you at this point. All you had to do was not let her down...
A loud scream caught both of your attentions, your heads flicking over towards the source. It was coming from a few blocks away.
"You did say that a Saturday night wouldn't be a walk in the park," you laughed before standing, you offered Wanda a hand which she thankfully took. Her hand didn't stay in yours for long as she pulled it away almost immediately.
Wanda cleared her throat before stepping closer towards the edge of the roof, "At least this will wake us up, hm?"
The pair of you quickly leapt off the building, wasting no time in making your way towards the commotion.
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Thugs. A lot of them.
They had taken a few people hostage within a bank, trying their best to break into the vaults. These civilians looked familiar to you... Ah yes, they were the people leaving the club only moments ago. They were being leverage. There were three thugs inside, and a couple more on the outside - guns in their hands.
"Child's play," you scoffed, looking around the corner towards the bank. You had dealt with plenty of robberies in the past. Nothing you couldn't handle.
"Don't get ahead of yourself," Wanda warned from beside you.
Of course, you didn't listen. You immediately dashed around the corner and flung yourself towards the door, "I got this," you called back.
"Noir, wait-!" And of course, you were gone. Wanda was already in the process of calling for backup... She knew that you weren't going to be reasonable about this situation.
"Come on, guys! We can talk this out!" you exclaimed, approaching the group slowly.
"Back off, Spidey!" a tall man shouted from just outside the front door, a gun pressed to the side of the woman's head ,"You come any closer, and I won't hesitate to shoot."
You raised your hands up, "Hey, hey... Woah... I just wanna talk-"
"You're in no position to be making demands," another man said, this one slightly shorter than the last.
"You know you won't be allowed to leave after this, right?" you questioned.
The woman in the man's grasp began to sob, her eyes clenched shut, "Stop squirming, or-!"
You cut the first man off, "If you do anything to hurt her, you'll regret it."
"I'd like to know what you even plan on doing," the man simply scoffed.
"Noir!" Wanda exclaimed from behind you.
Your spider senses tingled at the sound of Wanda's voice. You quickly turned around and were greeted with even more threats. This time, a woman came up to you, "If I were you, I would leave," she said.
You were effectively surrounded.
That was when a flash of red entered your vision.
The woman in front of you had been hurled onto the ground, the other people thrown to the sides away from you, "I told you to wait!" Wanda exclaimed with anger, quickly running towards you. She manged to grab you just in time, she held her hand out and blocked the stray bullets that were being fired at you from the bank.
"Stop!" someone shouted from inside, "You want the whole police department on us?!" he shouted, his voice angry. The firing ceased. The people who were behind you had scattered, some running towards the bank - others running away down the streets, probably fearing that they would get caught.
Your spider senses tingled once again. There was still someone... a beeping noise soon filled your ears.
"Move!" you exclaimed, suddenly realising what it was. You pushed Wanda as far away from you as you could, the red shield in front of you flickered away.
The woman from before had stuck around and thrown a grenade, a red light was pulsating on the top of it as it rolled towards you.
The last thing you saw was Wanda's scared expression as she sat up from the dusty ground.
A red bubble had formed in front of Wanda on instinct, managing to block any debris from the blast of the grenade from hitting her, "You idiot!" she cried, letting the shield drop once the dust had settled. She stood up, her eyes a flaming red.
"One down. One to go," the woman chuckled.
Wanda didn't even let her approach, she was quickly hit with a strong blast of red magic - sending her into a nearby brick wall.
Wanda placed a finger to her ear in an instant, "Send Sam. Noir needs evac. I still have business to handle." She turned towards the bank and held her hands out, she grabbed a hold of everyone's guns and threw them to the ground. She sent a wave of magic out, knocking everyone to the ground - she made sure not to hurt the hostage in the crossfire.
After a few moments, the comms came to life, "Don't do anything reckless, Wanda," Steve spoke, "Get Noir to a safe space and let the others handle things." Wanda scoffed. If anyone was reckless, it was you. Not her.
The loud engines of a truck echoed through the streets, the noise grew closer and closer by the second.
"Wanda," Steve warned, "Back up is on the way. Get Noir to a safe position so evac can do their job."
Wanda made sure to grab hold of the woman who was taken hostage, lifting her up and away from the men. She shrieked as she was quickly pulled towards Wanda, "Get out of here. Everyone else will be fine," Wanda assured, releasing the woman onto the ground.
"T-Thank you!" she exclaimed before running away.
"Wanda!" Steve exclaimed once again.
"Okay!" Wanda shouted, pure anger fuelling her.
That was when her eyes landed back on your shattered, clearly unconscious form.
She pushed her anger aside, her eyes watering as she lifted you into her arms, her breathing was erratic, "Come on, Noir. Don't you dare go dying on me." She was trying to convince herself that everything was going to be fine. That you were going to be fine.
Wanda managed to haul you up as she flew into the air, making her way towards the roof of a nearby building - away from the danger below. She eventually collapsed onto the rooftop with you still in her arms, your head was rested down against her lap.
"Noir? Come on, Noir," she shook your shoulder gently, but still no response. Panic quickly started to set in. A shaky hand came up towards you neck, her goal was check your pulse to make sure you at least had an acceptable heartrate.
Her fingers pushed up your mask, just enough to be able to find your pulse. After a few moments of searching, Wanda sighed with relief.
That was when she realised just how close she was to you, her fingers remained on your pulse for a lot longer than necessary. It was almost comforting to know that you were still breathing, but then the thought of you being unconscious was enough to make Wanda tense up.
She moved her hand away and grabbed the bottom of the mask in order to pull it down... But she froze.
She could find out who you were. Right here, right now. All she had to do was lift up that mask a little more. And then she would finally be happy.
However, she was beginning to have an argument with herself. Lift the mask, don't lift the mask, lift, don't lift, lift- Her head started to pound. She could already picture the disappointment and distrust you would feel if she did in fact lift that mask up. But surely you would end up forgiving her in the long run? Right?
Without thinking, her fingers gripped the bottom of the mask tight and lifted ever so slightly. Wanda's heart began to beat erratically.
Was she really about to find out who you were?
Wanda continued before a sudden flash of lightning caused her to flinch, the sky lit up blue for a brief moment. On instinct, she pulled the mask back down - fully covering your neck once again. A disappointed sigh escaped her.
"Someone call for the Goddess of Thunder?" heavy footsteps landed behind her.
A jealous wave hit Wanda immediately.
"I thought Sam was supposed to be coming instead?" she cleared her throat, looking over her shoulder towards the blonde.
Jane nodded, "He thought it would be best if I carried Noir back to the compound. What with me being a lot stronger and faster, we both thought it would be the right choice. He's down there handling the last couple of goons, Tony too," she looked over the edge of the building, "And by the looks of things... It seems like they could use your help."
Reluctantly, Wanda allowed Jane to pick Noir up - the blonde managed to hold you tight over her shoulder with one hand. The other hand gripped Mjolnir hard.
"Okay," Wanda sighed as she stood, "Just... get her to the medbay as soon as possible."
"Yes, ma'am," Jane smiled before flinging herself upwards and flying off into the distance.
Wanda couldn't help but glare as Jane flew away with you. There was just something about certain blondes that she didn’t like.
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You were awoken by bright lights. Your muscles ached, your breathing laboured.
Upon glancing around, as your vision came back, you realised that you were in the medbay. The lighting on the ceiling was unnecessarily bright, you immediately felt a banging headache coming on - you suddenly remember getting hit in the back of the head, the throbbing pain soon returned.
You were completely alone within the medbay. At least... you thought you were.
"Well, well, well..." a familiar voice filled your ears, "You are extremely reckless, Y/N."
You reached a hand up, your fingers felt the material of the mask still covering your face. That was when you started to panic, a shaky breath escaped you as you turned towards the intruder.
You did the one thing you didn't want to do. You let Wanda down. Because someone other than her had found out your secret identity before she did.
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I hope you all have a pleasant day!
Tag list:  @screechcat ; @princess-kennys-rats ; @lissaaaa145 ; @maris-astrum ; @marvelogic ; @moonliqhtszn ; @charl-lally ; @an-evergreen-rose ; @almosttoopizza​ ; @daenerys713​ ; @yenmaximoff​ ; @lezzbehonesturhaught​ ; @angryraisin​ ; @capswife​ ; @localarcherwriter​ ; @wandaslittlewhore​ ; @wandanatstan​ ; @wizardofstories​ ; @justyourwritter69​ ; @m-h-r-h​ ; @fxckmiup​ ; @paaandiculations​ ; @kacka84​ ; @darling-im-the-queen-of-hell​ ; @mymommawanda​ ; @amessbian​ ; @cmfouatslota77​ ; @lol1415lol (not tagging properly :c)
If I left anyone out, I’m sorry! Love you all!
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ladylokilaufeyson5 · 1 year
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Beyond Rumours
Remus Lupin x Fem!Reader
Chapter Nineteen
Summary: Y/n is a Malfoy. A Pureblood. A pretentious, blood-status-loving Slytherin. At least, those are the rumours, but since when has Remus Lupin ever really cared about rumours?
Warnings: none
Word Count: 1.5K
A/N: hi! sorry i haven't been posting much lately, i had my exams which was stressful, my mental health has gone a bit downhill AND (worst of all) i am suffering from extreme writer's block.
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Y/N MALFOY
Friday, 11th of December 1977
I sat in Transfiguration, watching the snow fall rather than paying attention to Professor McGonagall or the lesson at hand. We were supposed to be turning our fairy cakes into fairies, and after a few attempts my mind had wandered. I knew I'd probably get chastised for it, but there was so much going on in my mind.
The first was the Yule Ball. I'd been so surprised when Remus had asked me that I'd said yes automatically and embarrassed myself slightly. I hoped that he didn't think about how desperate I'd been.
The second thing I'd been thinking about was Remus (even though the two were sort of interconnected). Over the past couple of days he'd seemed agitated and fidgety. He'd zoned out a lot and appeared to struggle to hold a conversation. Maybe he was having trouble sleeping, or was stressing about his N.E.W.T.s? I was sure he didn't need to stress that hard – he was the smartest person in his year, and he studied like it, too.
The third (and most frightening) thought plaguing my mind was my parents. I hadn't heard from them – or my brother – in quite some time now. Luckily I was staying at Hogwarts for Christmas due to the Yule Ball, and I wouldn't have to see them. But their silence was putting me on edge.
"Miss Malfoy, your fairy cake still appears to be mostly edible."
I looked up to see McGonagall standing in front of my desk. She wasn't wrong – the only difference to my cake was that it had wings, and was attempting to fly away. Unfortunately it was too heavy for the wings, resulting in the cake just wobbling around.
"Yes, sorry Professor," I mumbled, flicking my wand at the cake.
Well, at least it had a head now. But it was utterly terrifying. Regulus snorted from the desk beside me, but shut up after a sharp glance from the professor. McGonagall observed my cake for a moment longer before walking away, leaving me to throw it at Regulus's head, a high-pitched shriek escaping him. McGonagall didn't even turn around.
It wasn't just me who wasn't paying that much attention. Everyone was ready for the Christmas holidays, and it showed. While barely anyone in my year was going home for the holidays, every student was still buzzing with excitement. McGonagall could see this, and the usually strict witch didn't comment on any of it, instead just giving pointers and clarification.
When the bell for the end of the lesson finally rang, there was a flurry of motion as everyone jumped up and left the classroom, talking excitedly. I grinned at Regulus, as we left, excited for the holidays.
I had no idea what the next day would bring.
It started out normal. I woke up late, glad for the sleep in. I walked down to the common room with Lily, where we met Regulus. Lily informed us that the other boys wanted a longer sleep in, so we went down to the Great Hall, which was decked in Christmas decorations. Most of the younger students had left to go home, but those who were staying for the Yule Ball mingled around. Instead of the four house tables, there were two, leaving us all to interact. Luckily it seemed that the Slytherins had claimed the table to the left, so Lily, Reg and I went to the one on the right.
We stayed at breakfast for a while, eating at a leisurely pace, not worrying about getting to class. The boys arrived late, and I noticed the absence of a certain someone.
"Where's Remus?" I asked.
The three gave each other a quick glance, before James addressed me.
"Hospital Wing," he answered, spreading jam on his toast.
He raised his head and looked me dead in the eye, and I remembered the conversation we'd had a month previous. About Remus, and his secret illness. Had it flared up again? Once more, I was curious as to what it could be. Perhaps a recurring case of the Dragon-pox? It sounded ludicrous, but I was so hypnotised by it. I wanted to know what was going on.
Curiosity killed the cat, a part of my mind whispered.
I didn't question James any further, instead simply nodding in understanding. Regulus looked between James and I carefully, reading our faces and body language. I realised that our friend group had gone quiet, and that James and Sirius seemed to be having some sort of telepathic conversation.
Luckily, Mary and Marlene came down and sat with us, filling our silence with their energetic laughs. Well, really just Mary's laugh, as Marlene rested her head against the table with a groan.
"You've had a late start," Lily said slyly. "Do anything fun last night?"
"Party in the Ravenclaw common room," Mary replied, heaping bacon onto her plate. "Marlene didn't want to leave."
Marlene let out a series of grunts and Mary stroked her hair affectionately.
"Thanks for inviting us," Sirius scoffed.
Mary smirked. "Just not cool enough, I'm afraid."
Sirius rolled his eyes and Marlene let out another string of incomprehensive words. Mary seemed to understand, though, because she just chuckled.
"Don't worry, Marls. I know you only wanted to stay because of hottie Steve," Mary grinned.
Marlene smacked her best friend in the arm, finally lifting her head. She glared at Mary, but only half-heartedly.
"You know I was only there for you."
"And a certain Slytherin."
Marlene threw her friend a withering glare, but Mary smiled warmly at her friend before heaping food onto her plate. "Eat up. It'll make the hangover better."
Breakfast passed quickly and we all hung out in the Gryffindor common room, playing various games. James and Sirius seemed to be nearly asleep. The same couldn't be said for Peter, though – he'd fallen asleep face-first into the couch.
It was suspicious that they were all so tired – what had they been doing last night? They hadn't been at the party – they'd all gone to bed early, and Sirius had been upset that Mary hadn't invited them. Was Remus being sick tied into this, somehow? Were they maybe just up late, worrying about their friend?
It was just after lunch when Remus arrived in the common room, and smiled slightly at everyone before sitting next to Peter on the couch. The other three marauders as well as Lily all gave him concerned looks, but he shook his head subtly. Questions bubbled up inside me, but I kept my mouth firmly shut. I didn't want to make him uncomfortable – especially not in front of so many people.
Night time rolled around quickly and I lay in my bed in the Gryffindor Tower, staring up at the ceiling. Everyone else was asleep – I could hear their even breaths. I couldn't sleep, couldn't stop thinking about Remus, and his illness. What could it be? The thought plagued my mind, and I wished I had an answer. I didn't want to invade his privacy, but I was just so curious. Did it have something to do with his many scars? I knew he wore jumpers a lot to cover them up. Most of them were massive – there was one that stretched all the way from his collarbone down his navel. I'd noticed it when we'd gone swimming at the lake.
Curiosity killed the cat, my inner voice told me again.
I rolled over and faced the window, looking out and into the starry night beyond. The moon was full last night, and now a sliver of the glowing sphere had faded.
My mind drifted to James's words. Remus's illness, and that he didn't like to talk about it. I could never ask him – but I wanted to know. Why had it flared up, exactly a month later? And why had it taken him out for only a night? Why didn't it last longer?
The light of the moon filled the dorm room, and I stared up at it, trying to figure it out. Remus's illness, flaring up after a month, only his close friends knew...
The moon looked down at me, as if it knew the answer, as if it were mocking me. Mocking me, mocking me...
I was nearly asleep when it clicked. The moon. A month. The scars.
I sat bolt upright in bed, my eyes still on the moon, feeling much more awake now.
Scars all over his body. Scars from claws. The claws of an animal. A month since his last "flare-up" – or a whole moon cycle. From full moon to full moon.
Remus Lupin was a werewolf.
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Chapter 4
Clandestine
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The Viscount and Augustine had sealed their fate that night by being intimate with each other. She was not only a maid to Anthony, but now a mistress. Anthony returned to the comforts of his own bed in the middle of the night. The thought of what had occurred was still looming in his mind as he tried to make sense of it all. He could only remember how passionate and how desperate his actions had started to get towards the end of their conversation.
Augustine had woken up that morning, already flushed. She was in complete disbelief that she had done such undignified acts. Though the events of yesterday were still quite dizzying, she held a sort of excited happiness. The brightened mood continued as she entered Eloise's room. Eloise had lifted her head as soon as she heard her maid opening the door.
"Good morning, Miss Eloise," Augustine's face was adorned with an eager smile.
"You look quite... joyful this morning," the young miss had noticed how her maid's demeanor had shifted, "What is the reason for such cheer?"
"Can I not be simply joyful to see you this morning, Miss Eloise? Perhaps it is the air, the weather is quite beautiful today," Augustine softly giggled as she opened the blinds, allowing the sunshine she spoke of to illuminate the room.
"It is simply... unusual for you is all," Eloise replied with a small grin on her lips, "Are you certain that is all the reason?" She shifted her position as she spoke, she was still fatigued from the night before, she was finding it extremely difficult to stay awake, but that did not stop her from making sure that her maid was truly feeling the way she claimed she was.
Augustine feigned having another idea "Perhaps I am just excited for another day here in the Bridgerton household. Inhabiting this beautiful home with you all is a great reason for my cheer,"
"I suppose that is reason enough," Eloise replied in that gentle tone of hers, Augustine relieved that she received it well. "but I cannot help but feel like there is something that you are intentionally hiding from me,"
“Ah yes. Well, of course, I am also a witch, but now that I have told you, I have to kill you,” Augustine jested in confidence, tickling Eloise at her sides. Eloise laughed with her so as to be kind, but she would still silently have her suspicions.
Augustine and Eloise’s morning had looked similar to yesterday’s. She had groomed her hair and dressed her, then sent her off to go about her day. Augustine had noticed her stomach rumbling halfway through dressing the young miss, so decidedly she was on her way to the kitchen to eat some breakfast. In the hall, Anthony had appeared, just as he did the day before.
"Viscount Bridgerton," She bowed to him. "Good morning," She said gently.
"Good morning Miss Augustine," He smirked slightly. "Could I ask you a question?"
"Of course, my lord. What do you require?" She smoothed the hair around her face to look more presentable to him.
"Is it safe to assume that you enjoyed my visit last night?" he asked, a slight tone of mischief present.
She looked around to see that there were no other souls around them. She said in a hushed tone. "Are we to be discussing such matters aloud like this, my lord?”
"You did not answer my question… Miss Augustine. Shall I ask it again?" he teased further, tutting as he did so.
Anthony invaded her personal space once again, stepping close so close to her the skin of their arms were mere centimeters apart. The aroma of his cologne again put her in a trance. The sight of him in pure daylight created a glow around him as if he were an angel. 
"No... I heard you perfectly fine. I just feel that we should not discuss this-" Augustine stopped herself, knowing that she was attempting to avoid the question once more. Anthony’s demands and questioning were conditioning her to obey with less and less friction. "I did... I did enjoy our encounter," 
"Good." He was not surprised at her response. "And so-" he continued, his tone of voice was soft and gentle, "Would you be interested in doing it again sometime?"
Augustine blinked her eyes in disbelief. She was in great conflict. If she had said yes, she would further the risk of getting caught and losing her position. If she had said no, the viscount held the power to throw her out simply for refusing his advances. And there had of course been the fact that she actually enjoyed her private moments with him. Those intoxicating moments she had been dreaming about, only made her hunger for more. She then made her decision.
"If you are able to pay a visit to me in my quarters tonight, like you had the night before, I will gladly have you," 
"It is set then. I shall see you tonight..."
"Tonight..." she smiled and sighed, before continuing on to the kitchen.
-
At the end of the day, Augustine retreated to her quarters, impatiently awaiting Viscount Bridgerton's return. She had stared into her vanity mirror longer than she ever had, making her appearance suitable for him. She felt slight shame that she had traveled to the home with no such flattering garments, however, on the other hand, she did not expect to be entertaining male company, especially not her new master. Her stomach was in knots due to the anticipation, her mouth poured out a string of expletives incoherently. With every minute passed, she had wondered if the viscount was sincere in his plans to see her. Perhaps it was better that way. Perhaps if it had all been a ruse, although quite a scandalous one, it would only be to her benefit of preserving her place there.
Then there it was, that familiar tapping at her chamber door.
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wwinterwitch · 1 year
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can i request something with jack russel? i saw you posted a few stuff about wwbn and i'm really excited to see what you have in mind for this character. it can be whatever you want, really. i truly enjoy your work🤍
the wolf and the witch — jack russell
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summary: you met jack through ted and despite all of you becoming friends at first, jack can't deny he's had a crush on you since the day he met you
pairing: jack russell x witch!reader (ted is also in the story ofc)
word count: 3.2K
contains: fluff, confession of feelings (mutual), friends to lovers, jack is really in love and ted loves to tease him about it, just two awkward dorks in love.
note: i have no idea where i was going with this but anyways, i hope you enjoy and thank you for the request!
a reblog and/or comment on my posts really help me out as a content creator so thank you in advance if you take the time to do either!
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It was really just a coincidence that you found Ted in the woods that night, but you were so glad you two happened to cross paths. As soon as the tall creature saw you, he let out a sound that sounded both surprised and terrified. You wondered what could've happened that made him have that type of reaction to your presence, but after hearing voices from a group of people nearby shouting to one another if they found "the monster" yet, you immediately understood what was going on.
And you couldn't blame Ted for being terrified of you, not wanting you to come near him at first, taking a step back when you tried to get closer to him. It was only when you quickly explained you're not a hunter that he looked just a tiny bit more relaxed. That's when you took your chance to offer your help, which he reluctantly accepted at first. It was either trusting you and following you back to your cabin or roaming the forest and risking the hunters finding him.
It was on the walk to your house that you realized he was injured, which made you hurry to get home so you could heal him. He walked behind you in silence, his head occasionally snapping to a certain direction whenever he heard even the slightest of sounds. Just by examining his behavior, you realized this isn't the first time he has been running from hunters.
And to you, this isn't the first time you've rescued someone from getting killed by evil hunters. You live in this cozy-looking little cabin in the woods, just a few minutes away from where you bumped into Ted. It makes sense for a witch to live there, especially giving your deep connection to nature. The sound of birds chirping, the water from the river echoing through the woods and the tall trees trying to reach the clear blue skies is all you've ever needed. There's a town nearby you visit often, but the idea of living there repels you. You much rather prefer to stay surrounded by nature. It keeps you focused, which is extremely helpful to practice your abilities.
As soon as you got home, Ted seemed to trust you a lot more than before. That tiny bit of comfort you were able to bring only grew when you kindly offered to help him with his injury. You took out everything you needed and began working, Ted standing next to you as he curiously examined what you're doing. A giggle almost escapes your lips after hearing the tiny growl he lets out in surprise when he sees a large cloud of turquoise smoke fill the kitchen and disappear almost as soon as it appears.
"That's right, my friend. I am a witch," you offered kindly, turning to look at him for a brief second before focusing back on the potion. "And yes, I can understand you," you quickly added when he growled again. Only one other human has been able to understand what he says.
At this point, he was fully trusting you when you told him to sit down. His big bright eyes continue to observe you as you take a few herbs and put them inside the bowl, melting when they make contact with the turquoise liquid, transforming the mixture into some kind of ointment. He allows you to rub the final product against his wounded skin, growling excitedly when he realizes whatever you put on top of him is absorbing into his skin and immediately healing the wound, which inevitably makes his pain go away.
"You're welcome," you smile when he turns to thank you. "I'm sorry you had to come across those hunters. It's not the first time I've found someone trying to escape from them in this forest. I'm very glad I found you..." you trail off, waiting for him to finish that last statement with his name. "Ted," you repeat before quickly introducing yourself as well.
You offered Ted something to eat or drink. He fell in love with the fruit you grow in your little garden right next to your house, shyly asking if you could give him a few more. Of course you gave him more fruit, wanting him to be as comfortable as possible after the traumatic experience he suffered out there.
"You have a place to stay, Ted? I'm sure I can make space for you here." He shakes his head, a series of growls leaving his mouth. "Oh, you have a friend out there looking for you? Well, in that case, you're more than welcome to wait for them here."
Ted thanked you yet again. You kept him company while waiting for his friend, teaching him a little bit more about your magic. It was safe to say he was absolutely amazed by everything you were able to do.
A series of hurried knocks on your front door interrupted you. A hand rests gently on top of Ted's arm, trying to silently tell him you won't let anyone or anything hurt him. His eyes softened, deciding to trust you one more time.
On the other side of the door stood a tall, slender man with brown hair and green eyes. He looked anxious, desperate even. He was a little taken aback at first when he saw you, fixing his tie at the same time he started speaking.
"Hello, miss. So sorry to bother you, but–"
He was interrupted by the voice of Ted coming from inside your house. He immediately stood up and you were quick enough to move out of the way when you saw him walking towards the door, greeting the stranger with a hug. The man standing at the door let out a huff in annoyance after being lift up from the ground, but patted his friend's arm nonetheless and waited to be put down. You guessed this was Ted's friend. 
The man was visibly surprised to see Ted greeting him so casually, but you could still notice the way his features softened, relieved to see his friend was safe. "There you are, you trouble maker!" he quickly says as Ted is finally putting him back on the ground. "You almost gave me a heart attack. What were you thinking going on your own without waiting for me? I told you this would happen!"
You take a few steps back from the door to give them a little space, hearing the way Ted starts apologizing to his friend before explaining everything that happened from the moment they separated.
"Healed you in seconds? How is that– a witch?" he asks, turning to look at you to catch you already staring at him, that nervous gaze from before making his eyes shine in a particular way it made them look just that much captivating. "Sorry...I wasn't really expecting that one."
"No worries. Perhaps you'd like to have a coffee or something before you have to leave?"
"That would be nice, thank you, but we have to get going right now before the hunters find him." Ted immediately let out a growl, complaining. The man gave him an unamused look. "She's done enough for you, don't you think?"
You chuckle at their last exchange, shaking your head. "It's okay. You're more than welcome to visit me anytime you'd like, my friend."
The man looked confused as to why you were able to understand his friend, but didn't comment on it. You are a witch after all. Ted turned your way and walked closer to you so he could embrace you. He was much bigger and taller than you, so you struggled a little before you were able to hug him back.
Ted was the first one to walk outside, his friend standing near your doorway with a shy smile on his face. "Thank you for helping him...it looks like he really likes you."
"I like him too, he's adorable. I'm glad nothing too bad happened to him."
He nodded, looking at the open door before turning back to you. "Me too...well, we should probably get going. Thank you again," he says, looking back at Ted before he quickly turns back to look at you as if he was forgetting something. "My name is Jack, by the way."
It was impossible not to smile back at how awkward he was. A good awkward, of course. You just met him but he already seems like the nicest guy on the planet. "Nice to meet you, Jack. I hope I'll be seeing you and Ted soon."
And to your luck, you did see them again. After a few days Ted appeared outside your kitchen window, excitedly waving at you. Jack followed closely behind, hands inside the pockets of his coat and the brightest of smiles when he saw you walking outside the cabin, greeting Ted with a hug.
Ever since then, they've become your best friends. You didn't have many chances to meet others and built long-lasting friendships. All your life you've been told you're too weird, so eventually you stopped trying to be liked by a world that simply couldn't give that to you.
But with Ted and Jack things were different. You've finally found two friends who genuinely care about you. They make you feel important and loved. It was an overwhelming feeling you didn't think you were deserving of in this lifetime.
You offered Jack some coffee and Ted some of the fruit he loved so much, chatting with them for a while before you excused yourself. You attend your garden, leaving both of them inside the house for a few minutes. Ted couldn't keep himself from letting out a sound very similar to a chuckle before saying something to Jack, who has been constantly looking outside the window that, casually, allows him to see you while you work.
"Oh, stop it! I wasn't– I'm not staring at her," was his poor attempt. Ted just laughs again. "What?" Jack looks horrified by what comes out of Ted's mouth. "Wha– no! I do not have a crush on her, what are you talking about?"
Ted was not amused, shaking his head after his friend's statement. Jack could never hide his true feelings from Ted no matter how hard he tries. He knows him a little too well, so it was obvious by the way Jack behaves around you that he has a crush on you.
"You're being ridiculous," Jack insisted, brushing him off. "I know better than that." Ted growls again right after, earning an annoyed look from Jack. "What do you mean 'what do you mean'? It's obvious she doesn't feel the same way, why would I even bother?"
Ted practically roared, not liking that last comment at all. There's nothing he hates more than hearing Jack put himself down. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say."
A pillow flew across the room and almost landed on Jack's face if it wasn't for the fact that he slapped it away before quickly grabbing it to throw it back at him with as much force as possible. Both of them were completely silent when the pillow stopped moving, floating in the middle of the room. Then, they turned to look at you standing in the doorway.
"Can't leave you two alone, apparently."
"Ted started it!"
"And you continued it," you argued with a swift move of your hand, the pillow landing back on the couch where it was before.
"Yeah, but...I was going to throw that pillow only because someone else did it first."
"I like how invested you are in this," you smiled, walking towards the kitchen to leave the basket with fresh vegetables and fruit that you got from the garden.
Jack followed you. "Well, I'm just trying to prove my innocence," he smiled back, both of you staring at each other in a way the had Ted growling as if he was trying to say 'are you kidding me?'
"What made you so upset?" you ask, focusing back on the basket, not realizing Jack gave him a warning look.
Ted gave his friend a look but eventually said something about Jack wanting to leave the cabin earlier than expected and he got upset because of it.
"Oh, you guys need to leave?" you asked with obvious disappointment.
Jack quickly shakes his head after your question. "I was just messing with him."
"Great! Then I'll cook a little something for you guys."
You didn't wait for an answer as you began working on the food. Jack didn't know exactly what to do so he just watched you in silence while Ted walked towards the door.
"Out?" Jack quickly asks when he hears Ted growl. "What if you get lost or something bad happens?"
"It's fine, he can take care of himself," you say in Ted's defense. "Don't wander too far away from the house, okay?"
Ted gave Jack a triumphant look, starting to make his way outside the house. Jack stood there like a complete fool, staring at the front door, completely mortified.
"You can join him if you worry about him getting in trouble," you suggested after noticing the expression on his face. Of course, you didn't know he's like this because Ted just left the two of you alone.
Jack shrugged. "He'll be fine."
You look at him a bit confused by the sudden change in his opinion regarding Ted being in the woods alone, but quickly decide to let the subject go. Instead, you focus on cutting and peeling a few vegetables.
While you were doing that, Jack just stood there, a terrible sting in the pit of his stomach, anguish and a sense of longing taking over him as he watched you. All of those feelings together almost made him feel sick.
It was so delusional to think he could ever have this. The joy of waking up next to you in the mornings, smelling your scent in all his clothes and all around him, watching you practice your spells, helping you cook...he's pretty sure he'll never get tired of it. Of any of it. It'd be lovely to have a chance with you, but he fears this domestic bliss will always be nothing but a dream.
"You're awfully quiet," you point out with a smile, hoping nothing bad was going on.
"I apologize," he quickly says, feeling more self aware than ever. He could practically feel his face burning, which was definitely not a good sign. "I got lost in my thoughts."
"Care to share?"
This time it was Jack the one smiling. "Not sure if I should."
"I'll find out sooner or later."
The comment made him laugh. "Oh, is that so? You're going to cast a spell or something?"
"Please," you scoffed. "I don't need magic to convince you to tell me," you quickly added, before changing the subject. "Speaking of magic though, how was that potion I made for you? Did it make you feel better after the full moon?"
"I slept like a baby," he replied with his characteristic smile. "I can't thank you enough."
"No need to thank me. Knowing I helped you is enough."
Jack was reaaaally struggling not to get this conversation to get to his head and make him believe things that are not there. You just want to help because you're his friend.
Oh, but it's hard to remember you're just a friend when you're looking at him with those beautiful eyes and being so incredibly caring and gentle with him. You're so perfect, it's actually painful.
Friends. Just friends. Platonic. Not a chance.
"You're doing it again, Jack," you warn playfully. Jack smiles shyly as he tries to avoid your gaze at all costs. He looked even more adorable than usual, something you didn't think was possible. "What could possibly be so important that you keep drifting away from our conversation?"
You're not really expecting an answer, as it was more of a statement than an actual question. Still, you notice the way Jack's gaze sets upon you, like trying to silently tell you something he can't or doesn't want to say out loud. You feel the tables turning as you find yourself avoiding his gaze now. He wasn't just looking, he was observing– analyzing you.
He lets out the cutest little chuckle when you look away from him. "Now, what's on your mind?"
"If you decide to tell me what you are thinking, perhaps I'll share."
Jack was still smiling when he lightly shook his head. "It doesn't sound fair."
"How is that not fair?" you protest.
"Believe me, it isn't," he insisted. "I have a lot to lose if I tell you."
"And how do you know I have nothing to lose if I tell you?"
Jack was suddenly quiet, scanning your face once more until the realization hit him. He felt so embarrassed, he was positive he's beginning to blush (if he wasn't already). "Are we– what are you thinking?" he says, almost frustrated.
It seems like you finally understand as well, having a similar reaction as him. "What are you thinking?" you repeat, feeling a knot in your stomach because you couldn't possibly be thinking the same thing...right? There's no way both of you were thinking the exact same thing all along?
You hear Jack's chuckle once more before he finally decides to confess. "I was thinking– and I have been thinking about this for a while, that I really like you. I've tried to tell myself we're just friends but I can't lie to myself when I know exactly how I feel," he says. You can't quite believe what you're hearing at that very moment. "Was...I'm sorry, was terrible. Is that– is that what you were thinking too or did I just make a complete fool of myself?
"You're not a fool, Jack," you quickly correct him. "I was thinking the same thing."
His eyes light up in an instant and you hoped that's not the last time you get to witness such a beautiful sight. "Really?"
"Yes, really!" you say as if it was obvious. "I was afraid to say anything because...well, I'm used to rejection. Not many people like witches, I guess."
"Not many people enjoy the company of werewolves, either," he replies."We do make quite the pair, don't you think?"
"Oh, definitely," you agree, giggling. There was a brief silence before you decided to speak. "So...now that we know we're on the same page about this, maybe we can grab a coffee or something? I know a good coffee shop in the town nearby that we can visit. Just...you know, the two of us."
"Those were a lot of words just to ask me on a date," Jack points out to tease you. "Coffee sounds great."
Neither you or Jack could stop smiling at this point, feeling so embarrassed by this confession but so relieved that the other feels the same.
You're not exactly sure when Ted was back inside the house, walking inside the kitchen with an excited growl. “What did I tell you about eavesdropping?” Jake asks with a grin.
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ofliterarynature · 7 months
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SEPTEMBER 2023 WRAP UP
[ loved liked ok no thanks (reread) book club* DNF ]
The Anomaly | Not the Witch You Wed | A Pale Light In the Black | (My Volcano)* | Klara and the Sun | Our Hideous Progeny | (A Gathering of Shadows) | A Dangerous Collaboration | Empire of Sand | (A Darker Shade of Magic) | Scattered Showers | A Treacherous Curse | Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz | The Hanged Man | Magic Below Stairs | The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy | The City & The City | The Splinter in the Sky
* * * * *
Magic Below Stairs was a charming middle-grade spin off to the Cecelia & Kate series, I had a good time and would be more than happy to read more books in this world!
The Hanged Man was the second in the Tarot Sequence, and still great! Not perfect, but the characters are so fun and the plots are extremely intense, I loved reading this. The haunted ship was scarier than the actual haunted ship horror book I just read.
Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz…bad. You took this amazing set up and look what you did with it! You made it generic and boring and feeling outdated. Justice for the centuries-old, animated, sentient, sorcerous, gender-fluid puppet who deserved better (to be the main character, to start)
(Veronica Speedwell is of course, fun as always. I have unfortunately now hit the books with longer hold times and am very D: about it)
Scattered Showers was a very heartwarming collection! Perfectly (and maybe, best) suited for fans of the author’s novels. Perhaps a little one-note, but a good read. I love the cover design a lot :D
This is the first time I’ve reread the Shades of Magic books since I finished the series in 2018. I loved them dearly. But my tastes shifted dramatically between then and now… ADSOM is ok. A decently solid fantasy novel, but not one that’s delivering what I want these days. A Gathering of Shadows, however, is a hot mess. I already did some yelling about it but there’s really not a plot, the storyline seems forced, and as asexualbookbird put it, it’s really just Book 3: The Prequel. I don’t know if reading it for the first time would be better? Mostly I was bored and irritated and would have loved to quit.
Somebody help me out, was there hype for Empire of Sand? Because I feel like there was, and I was so let down. The world building was beautiful, but it felt like absolutely nothing happened for the entire middle of the book? And the romantic elements weren’t enough to tempt me, I’d have loved this if it had gone full political intrigue instead.
I’m not a Frankenstein person, but I had a great time with Our Hideous Progeny! I’m a sucker for historical fiction with smart female characters, even if I wanted to strangle a lot of the men, lol. I might have zoned out a bit during the denser paleontological bits, but I look forward to future work by the author.
Klara and the Sun is another one I don’t quite understand the love for, it just wasn’t for me.
My Volcano. YES. IT IS BACK AGAIN. FOR BOOKCLUB AGAIN EVEN. This is such a complicated book that only two of us managed to finish it for book club when we first read it last year. Now that we have some new recruits we decided to try it again (no luck alas). BUT I am still not over it, check out my tag for more yelling. Right now I’m trying to convince the group to *not* do a third read next year and maybe try one of the author’s other books (and the author followed me back on Twitter! I got irrationally excited lol)
I was a bit nervous going into A Pale Light in the Black, having had some flops from the person who rec’d this previously, but it was so fun! ‘Space Coast Guard’ is not a thing that would immediately leap to mind as something I’d be interested in, but this goes *hard* on the found family vibes and spends just as much time on the characters’ emotions as it does on the plot, in addition to being super queer! The plot is a little clunky being split in two different directions with the investigation and the military games, but I still had such a good time (and speaking from the future, book 2 does improve on that!)
When will I learn my lesson about contemporary romance? Regardless of the fact that the plot for Not the Witch You Wed could have been ripped from one of the many many Teen Wolf fics I’ve read and enjoyed, we did *not* get along. Sigh.
I’m not sure what I was expecting from The Anomaly, but I think it was something more? Probably because it was a translation? Idk, I don’t find the “are we just a simulation” discussion particularly compelling (and My Volcano deals with related topics in more interesting ways), and the rest couldn’t hold me. Really wish I’d DNF’d this one, but I pushed though in hope.
The actual DNF’s -
The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy I wanted to like. I enjoy quirky world building, but it felt like a contemporary romance masquerading as a fantasy - accompanied by all those pesky cr tropes that annoy me. Most of the characters were irritating me as well, and I didn’t want to forgive Hart, even if I understand why he was being so awful, so I decided to quit before I worked myself up too far.
The City & The City had a cool concept, but after 25% I still wasn’t interested. I’d maybe try something else from Mieville, but this wasn’t for me.
The Splinter in the Sky is a book that probably looked fantastic as an outline. But when it came to filling it out and connecting the dots, well…it was lacking a lot. Readable, maybe not worth the effort, but I’d give the author another try on a future work.
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hexkids-au · 2 years
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Danny Finds Hexside (Part 3)
Luz: (yelling from the building) IS OPENING A PORTAL THAT EASY? IT TOOK US YEARS TO GET ONE SO I COULD SEE MY MOM AND THIS KID JUST SHOWS UP AND- ~Gus has already flown back to Luz by the time she stops yelling~ Gus: Luz, Luz. You're not seeing what we just accomplished here. Luz: Which is..? Gus: I may have just gotten us our very first HEX student!
Luz: Really? AAAAAAAAAAA! That's amaz- ~Bump clears his throat~ Bump: I never gave my opinion on this matter. Gus: Oh, right. Sorry Principal Bump, I was just so excited and I wasn't thinking and I- Bump: I think it's a wonderful idea. Luz: Principal Bump, you can't be serious! We've worked so hard and- Gus: Luz, he said yes. Luz: WHAT? THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU PRINCEY B! YOU'RE THE BEST! Bump: Yes, yes, I know. Just please stop calling me that. Luz: Sorry, sorry. Bump: I do approve of your proposal, though. I think it would be wonderful for more humans to visit Hexside. Maybe we'll get more of a variety here. I will leave it up to the two of you to select proper candidates and bring them to me for interviews. ~Danny pops his head through a portal~ Everyone else: !!! Danny: Hey guys! My mom said it's cool for me to come to your weird summer school thing, I probably need it anyways. She needs any permission slips or payment forms now, before she leaves for her trip with my sister, Jazz. They're going- Gus: Payment? Bump: Permission slip? Luz: Hi! I'm Luz, the Boiling Isles' resident human! Well, other than Belos, but he's not important. That's Gus, and this is our very own Principal Bump. Danny: That's all good and great, I'm Danny, nice to meet you all. Luz: Now that we've got that down, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Here in the Boiling Isles, education is free so you don't have to worry about payment! Danny: Score! My parents were probably just going to try to give you snails or something anyways. Bump: Wait what- Luz: Another thing, there really is no regard for human- or, I guess- witch safety here. No one has even thought of a permission slip yet. Bump: Are those conjured by making a deal with a dark being? Or by eating ten gallons of smile dip? If so, we will not have any because I am not doing that. Not again. Luz: No, it's basically just a piece of paper that says "if anything happens to your kid on this trip, it's legally not our fault" Bump: I should've thought of that years ago! Danny: Right, well, if that's all settled, when do you want me to start? Gus: You can show up whenever your human school gets out for the summer and we'll just fit you in at the next opening. We have those all the time so it should be no problem. Danny: Sounds like a plan, Stan. See you nerds later! ~Danny disappears through his portal~ Luz: FIRST! HUMAN! STUDENT! WOOOOOOOO! Gus: Other than you! Luz: Yes! Other than me! Bump: I am extremely concerned by his unrestricted use of portals. I fear he may follow down the path of our first human. Luz: Is that really so bad? Bump: Yes. Yes it is.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Doodles
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owl house s1e1 notes
(i was/am a massive gravity falls fan and this heavily influences my first impressions. i have no doubt the show will establish itself as something different and wonderful, while still making me nostalgic. also, i spent like 7 years wanting to go into animation writing, so some of my notes are also influenced by that.
that said, a lot of these notes are just stupid comments and not actually meaningful or insightful.
i watched this pilot when it first came out in 2019, and maybe four or five more episodes until i stopped to wait for the entire show to air, so i remember some things, but not much!)
alex hirsch's voice in the first two seconds
i know she says "eat this, sucka" in the finale. neat!
luz confirmed amv maker
i like how luz's mom isn't evil or anything, she just wants her kid to be well-adjusted and have friends
i also like how she's Working a Job and trying her best, and clearly knows the summer camp is an imperfect solution but it's at least a solution
luz has a zelda hearts pin on her bag!
boiling isles establishing sequence is VERY weirdmageddon. lots of random expectation-subverting shit happening in quick succession
this is moving very fast, but it's a 20 minute cartoon pilot, it really HAS to move fast to get everything in
seeing the owl house interior punched me in the gut with mystery shack nostalgia
king's mouth does not move
"my weak nerd arms" okay dipper pines
it is extremely believable that this random guy simps for eda
this is definitely brad breeck (gravity falls composer) (and yes i did check, it is)
if she is writing fiction about food, it's not fanfiction. food is not a piece of media. fanfiction is not fanfiction bc it involves kissing, it's fanfiction because it's based on a piece of media. what she's writing is erotica/romance featuring food.
the good witch azura book cover has characters resembling luz, eda, and king. nice touch!
i like how luz asks to stay in the boiling isles. usually young protagonists are put in Situations (the twins being forced to spend the summer in gravity falls, for example) and then rise to the occasion. luz is given the option to bail and is just like, no, actually i want to see where this goes. it's effective in establishing both positive and negative aspects of her character: confidence in her own weirdness and a refusal to conform, but also being perhaps a little too quick to take the extreme escapist option. i'm very excited to see how she evolves over time!
actually, more on previous note: if you compare it to tourist trapped (gf pilot), the ending moment that sets up the rest of the show is dipper accepting that gravity falls could potentially be an interesting place to spend the summer, while here, it's luz going out of her way to request a place in the boiling isles. i like that.
king does the little cat circle and kneading thing <3
written by two women... good. fuck yeah.
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tathrin · 11 months
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since you're a huge LOTR fan, I wonder if you've heard about the new LOTR MTG set and if so what you think of it. As an MTG fan who never got into the books or movies, I love it
Oh my gods HAVE I?!!! (The answer is extremely yes.) I work at a comic book store, and we carry Magic cards, so it's going to be quite a struggle for me to be surrounded by them and not purchase any, despite the fact that I've never played MTG and have absolutely no prospects of playing it either. (Although I did play the knock-off LotR Magic-ish card game that came out back when the movies did and loved it, tbf.)
My thoughts are: I freaking LOVE the parts of it that are awesome, such as of course the most awesome of all:
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AHHHHH that's so good I want it as a painting ahhhhhhhh!
Look at him, look at his sword, he's amazing it's immaculate:
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AMAZING I SAY!!!
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But the problem with the amazing parts? Is that they make the lackluster parts stand-out all the more.
And unfortunately a lot of it is lackluster. Not bad; just...mediocre. Admittedly perhaps my expectations got WAY too high when I saw the wedding card first, but...well, what can I say? That's the first thing I saw, and it was FUCKING AMAZING, so my expectations were raised way too high for most of the rest of the perfectly-serviceable-but-not-novel-or-exciting images to measure up to.
And then there are a few that are downright bad.
Like Legolas, who is inexplicably wearing Last Alliance-ish plate armor? Despite being explicitly described as not wearing armor, except for when he borrows mail from the Rohirrim?
Yeah. That's not a Wood-elf from Mirkwood, buddy, that's just a Generic High Fantasy Elf. At best he could be Elladan or Elrohir I guess, but Legolas? Legolas of Mirkwood? Yeah, no.
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(Also if we're going for diverse LotR designs, why is it that all the elves still seem to be white? *All the elves I've seen so far. Hopefully this will change as more cards get revealed. I'm perfectly happy with Arwen the way she is in the above image, for the record; she's described as being pale and dark-haired and she looks exquisite up there. 10/10 on the Wedding Card, no notes! But I'm hoping that this isn't going to end up being a case where the "immortal, wisest, and fairest of all beings" species remains wholly white because that's...not great.)
Anyway most of the other cards I've seen look fine, but no better than fine; very much Standard Generic Designs. Less disappointing than the bizarre design for Legolas up there, but nowhere near even half as awesome as Aragorn and Arwen.
And then...well. What is this supposed to be?
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Jaskier and Daenerys, maybe? wtf? I genuinely didn't even know who they were until I saw the caption with their names, that's how bad this design is. Why have they turned Faramir into some little bland doofus boy? How the fuck is their hair supposed to mingle in the wind when his is so short? He looks like a child, and there is not a single muscle in her arm, she looks like an airbrushed barbie. For that matter, where is the splint and bandage on her arm? Her left arm? That arm is broken what are you doing? Did you miss that bit with the Witch King??? Was this one even painted by someone who read the book, or is it maybe an image that was done for something totally different that they just went "ehh good enough" and slapped it into this deck instead of making something new and specific for these two? I am SO disgruntled.
That's the worst of them that I've seen so far, thankfully. But you have to admit that it is pretty bad, I think.
So, in summation: I'm still overall excited (admittedly this is bolstered in part just because racists are hella mad about it, and that always makes me happy) but I really wish that they had put the same level of care and attention into the design of all of it that they did in a few of the more stand-out pieces.
Because I probably won't end up buying any of it, unless as more cards get revealed the ratio between awesome-and-blah changes significantly. Because the ones that are good are very very good but the rest of them are just...meh.
And that's so disappointing when they could all be awesome.
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carica-ficus · 1 year
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Author: Samantha Shannon
Date: 25/04/2023
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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I had been eyeing The Priory of the Orange Tree for quite a while, but have been, like most people are, a bit overwhelmed by its sheer size. Moreover, I have not read anything in the high fantasy genre for quite a while, so I was worried whether or not I would be able to adjust to such extensive storytelling. I eventually decided to give the book a try when I heard that Shannon was going to attend our local convention. I was not going to miss a chance to collect an autograph for a book I potentially might find amazing. So I caved in, went to the local bookstore, and bought my copy.
I was pleasantly surprised by the comfortable flow of the narration. I have quickly found my footing in the worldbuilding and slowly started familiarizing myself with the characters. The introduction to the story is certainly intense, with the main characters instantly finding themselves in different problematic situations that may cost them their life. It immediately draws the reader in, pulling them into an exhilarating turn of events with extremely high stakes.
Characters and countries are divided against one another because of their opposing religious and historical belief. In reality, history binds them together, religion is the one that separates them. Because history is factual, it represents the truth, while religion is merely the interpretation of it, so it is subjective and, therefore, flawed. Characters are bound to both, but cling harder to religion, and Shannon challenges their beliefs throughout the story. This in turn makes them question everything they know about themselves and about their past.
In a world where countries are led by right of birth, it is enough to stir the entire order of the court and its people. Shannon illustrates this chaos through her characters, whose ambitions are deeply impacted by their faith. Throughout the story, their goals and aspirations need to change, as do their religious ideologies. They have to let go of stereotypes, prejudice, and internalized hate in order to accept the whole truth and in order to accept their history. In this way, Shannon highlights the importance of letting go of hurtful traditions and embracing the shared similarities, especially in the wake of the looming apocalypse.
Opposing one's heritage is a continuous and important theme of this book. The main characters are faced with the pressure of fulfilling their obligations and the expectations of their lineage while trying to shape their own destiny. Their decisions are split over a sense of morality and duty. Shannon always makes sure the reader understands the weight of each choice, but never fails to accentuate which is the correct one.
This is also one of the main reasons her characters are so memorable and relatable. Their inner dilemmas, doubts, and fears make them incredibly lifelike and unique. It is not their skills or strength that makes them powerful, but their determination to rise above their weaknesses. They are notably memorable, so it is very easy to earn a certain attachment to them, a feeling of devotion, even for the more irritating ones (yes, I am referring to Niclays Roots).
As for the plot, it consists of many layers which gradually get revealed as the story unfolds. It is an exciting, breathtaking tale that instantly pulls the reader in. It offers everything an epic fantasy should: political tension, romantic sideplots, extensive worldbuilding, magic, and, of course, dragons (and much more).
The only real critiques I have concern the role of Kalyba, a powerful witch who shapes the outcome of the story. She is introduced around the middle of the book, which, in my personal opinion, is a little too late for such a an important character. I found her quite intriguing in the beginning, but later on she just became annoying. I had a feeling like she was only an active participant in the story when Shannon needed to mend plot holes. On the other hand, I believe more of her story will be revealed throughout "A Day of Fallen Night", the prequel to "The Priory of the Orange Tree". Aside from that, I'd also mention that part 4 falls short in comparison to other parts of the book. The plot revelations presented in it were a bit too generic. I had a feeling I have encountered them before in dozens of other books.
Nevertheless, "The Priory of the Orange Tree" is certainly an extraordinary work of fiction. Its size might seem overwhelming, but it becomes barely noticeable during reading. It offers a truly special experience and is a great choice for anyone who is in the search for a great, thrilling and completely intoxicating fantasy book.
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empress-of-snark · 1 year
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Tag game!
What book are you currently reading?
I recently found a book called Harry Potter and Philosophy at a thrift store a week or so back and though I’m only a few pages in, I’m interested to read more. It’s from a series where different writers examine philosophical questions and theories through the lens of pop culture. I’m no philosopher, but I am and always have been an HP fan, so I think this’ll be an informative read! Also on the docket is the second book in the Shadow and Bone series and A Discovery of Witches (another thrift store find).
What’s your favorite movie you saw in theaters this year?
It’s a very close tie between Spiderman: No Way Home and See How They Run. Spiderman was fun for a lot of nostalgic reasons (having grown up with Tobey Maguire’s version, it was very emotional seeing him wear the suit again), and I loved See How They Run as a fan of zany murder mysteries and Agatha Christie.
What do you usually wear?
I am a big believer in rompers (are they still in style??), sweaters, leggings, flannel shirts, and denim jackets. Not all at once, of course.
How tall are you?
5’ 5”
What’s your star sign?
Sagittarius
Do you go by your name or your nickname?
Usually my name, but certain people have their own nicknames for me
Did you grow up to become what you wanted to be when you were a child?
Tough question.
Job-wise? No (but there’s always time)
Otherwise… I think I’m getting closer to the kind of person I wanted to be. I have a few good friends who love me, I dedicate a lot of time to different creative outlets that I enjoy, and I’m more comfortable with myself than I used to be.
Are you in a relationship? If not, who is your crush if you have one?
I am single and honestly, I don’t really have a crush right now. Excluding celebrity crushes, of course.
Dogs or cats?
I like both, but my family’s always had dogs, so I’m more familiar with them.
If you draw/write, or create in any way, what’s your favorite picture/line/etc. from something you created this year?
I think my favorite line I wrote this year is from have you seen her dressed in blue? (chapter six): “He can feel the want filling his lungs, and he unconsciously licks his lips. Her eyes shift down at the movement, and her purple eyeshadow matches her dress, her headband, her shoes, and the bruises on his heart.”
When I wrote it, I thought it was extremely cheesy but I also loved it too much to cut it.
What’s something you would like to create content for?
I’m obviously planning on writing more Stranger Things fanfiction (excited to get to the Friends AU), but I’d also like to try my hand at a different show, maybe Only Murders in the Building. It’s one of my favorites, and I’d love to explore the characters a bit.
What’s something you’re currently obsessed with?
One of my Christmas gifts this year was a book of Halloween-themed cross stitch projects (never done cross stitch before). I started on one the other day and I’m having so much fun working on it. I’ll try to remember to post pictures when I’m done!
What’s something you were excited about that turned out to be disappointing this year?
Season three of The Umbrella Academy was such a flop. I still can’t pinpoint exactly what it was (the lack of dynamic fight scenes/music definitely had something to do with it) but making myself finish it felt like a chore. Dunno if I’ll tune in for the final season or not.
What’s a hidden talent of yours?
I can list all the states in alphabetical order, say supercalifragalisticexpealidocius backwards, and there are several musical theater songs that I know by heart (including almost all of Into the Woods, thanks to my hyperfixation in middle school)
Are you religious?
Yes and no. I was raised Southern Baptist and, since I live with my parents, I still attend church on a fairly regular basis. But I also recognize the harm that’s been done (and is still being done) by Christianity. I think it’s more the fault of religious extremists rather than the religion itself, but I fully respect people who have been hurt and left the church as a result.
I do believe in God. But I try to let it show through my actions rather than my words.
What’s something you wish to have at this moment?
Honestly? Right now, I’m pretty content. I slept in this morning, I’m full from a big breakfast, and I’ve got two days off from work to relax. I’m good!
Thanks for the tag @virevoltantes ! I tag the usual suspects: @simplyshelbs16xoxo @televinita @finnskeeper @kateschechterxthorwasmyfirstotp and @loubuttons
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potatoleeksoup · 1 year
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3, 4, and 13!
ty!!!
(3) what were your top five books of the year?
in no particular order i loved:
mrs caliban by rachel ingalls. this is SO good. ingalls went straight on my list of forgotten 20th century women that i want to become. actually it's an extremely short list but she's on it right behind my forever queen gina berriault look her up
what you can see from here by mariana leky. honestly this has faded from my memory a little bit since i read it in the spring but i remember being totally obsessed with the prose and narrative movement of this. id love to relearn all my german and read this in the original and also all leky's other books (i believe she has other novels but idk if any have been translated?)
a home at the end of the world by michael cunningham. is it boring to recommend michael cunningham maybe. did this book make me insane and do i frequently think about specific lines and phrases from particularly the first third of it YES. michael call me i just want to talk
the tree and the vine by dola de jong. being in secret unrequited love with your roommate is so scary and horrible ! this book is like a very very sharp gemstone !
all fires the fire by julio cortázar. cortázar is one of my favorites ever and this collection is just like completely complex and perfect like a box of bitter chocolates. right after german i will be learning spanish in order to experience these stories for the first time in a new way again
honorable mentions to:
reprieve by james han mattson. it's possible that this isn't good but i had SO much fun reading it. one of the only books i have read over the past few years that i found really and truly exciting. escape room novel!!!!
the glassy, burning floor of hell by brian evenson. good book! but MOST importantly my favorite title of the year.
anddddddd interview with the vampire. sorry. i loved this.
(4) did you discover any new authors that you love this year?
definitely rachel ingalls! i had heard of her but never read her and i am so pleased to have finally dipped my toesies into her work. maybe rivka galchen too... everyone knows your mother is a witch was good and i am excited to see if i like her other work even better. and dola de jong! i had never even heard of her! if any of her other work is ever available in english translation i will be sprinting to the library
(13) what were your least favorite books of the year?
ahh yes my favorite. hating. let's see...
the charm offensive by alison cochrun. unfortunately had to revoke the bisexuality card of the dear friend who recommended this to me. stupid and really bad in ways that matter (fetishistic strange representation of gay men) as well as ways that are just annoying (horrible prose and overtherapized emotional narratives)
a visit from the goon squad by jennifer egan. sad that i broke my 11 year streak of never reading this but it was required for a class. the PULITZER PRIZE? for LITERATURE? are you SURE?
the snow queen by michael cunningham. goddamn the higher they climb the harder they fall!!!!!!! this was one of the worst structured and most sloppily and fluffily written novels i have ever read. and from the king of structure and perfect sharp prose himself. sad... well there's other fiction writers
how to find your way in the dark by derek b miller. a genuinely antisemitic book recommendation from the aforementioned formerly bisexual dear friend. horribly written and with a bad case of my protagonist is the specialest little boy in the world. special shoutout to this book for inspiring the novel i am currently working on by being so bad that i looked at it and thought even i could do a better job at this
the temps by andrew deyoung. no more clever little books by clever little guys. it is appropriate that the cover of this is green like toxic slutch because it gave me horrible indigestion. thinks it is so smart about the world and is so fundamentally mistaken about every single one of the issues it tries to tackle
and i COULD GO ON!!!!! there are bad books being published every day on this bitch of an earth!
this was so fun i love yelling
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hedgehogofspades · 2 years
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Do any of y'all remember that era of Tumblr where someone would make a post talking vaguely about how pervasive the male gaze is and how sexualized a lot of men's art is as a baseline even when they're not drawing something horny and then someone would reblog the post with something like "Have you considered that boobs are just good though???? 🤨" and then the post would get a million notes
And like, posts like that perhaps didn't bother me then, but thinking back they bother me now, because, like, yes, boobs are just good, but that can be true while also saying that sometimes it can be disturbing to really take in how many men in online art spaces take their ideal female form as an immutable constant in their work
I myself am someone who avidly draws all sorts of porn, my issue isn't with porn or sexuality being present in the online art space but with the idea that some artists can't create something without their ideal female form being present
I think of when men become fond of characters lile Ranni the Witch or Makima, women who in their source material don't have extraordinarily curvy bodies, but suddenly become incredibly curvy in fanart because there's a kind of A+B=C logic going where:
A = I like curvy women
B = I like [Fictional Woman]
C = [Fictional Woman] is curvy
And like, I don't know, this may tie into conversations that lots of people are having right now about how little many heterosexual men actually like women as people, makes me think about how guilty many young wlw (lesbians the most) become over being perceived as obviously sexually aroused by women, they try to seem more sexless in favor of seeming intellectual or innocent about women because they don't just want to replicate heterosexual men's consumption of women
But that's the dig, being horny isn't a crime. Enjoying someone sexually does not necessitate treating them as subhuman or only being kind and helpful to them because you're sexally excited by them, we just currently live in a society where for a long long time men were not really punished for either behavior
Like those people addressing the prevalence of the male gaze in men's art may not have had all the words and reasons to explain their unease but that didn't mean that they weren't trying to say something meaningful or worthwhile, sure, some people hate the sexual form being public but they may have something genuinely meaningful to say if you don't take them in bad faith
Makeup famously has this problem, compulsory makeup sucks as a function of the patriarchy, but when the person who brings up that point has no makeup knowledge or avidly hates makeup, that person's point means less than if they had been someone who admitted to liking a little occasional lipstick or liking extreme makeup
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Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Thanks....
Hi and of course! This is a really difficult question to answer tho. There's so many characters I love. I won't bother ranking them because I doubt I could and technically I mentioned more than 10, I hope you forgive me...
Kyan Reki (SK8 the Infinity): He's super relatable to me and I'd love to be his friend. I think he could teach me how to have more fun and to skateboard without judging too hard when I make mistakes and in return I could be his unpaid therapist because the Lord knows he needs one. I adore ENFPs and he seems awesome to hang out with. I don't think I'd encourage his interest in S beefs because I'd be too worried about him or the others getting badly hurt. I wouldn't allow him to be around Adam either. I'd slap this bitch so hard istg
Aaron Minyard (AFTG): I think he's a very underrated character of the aftg trilogy. I of course love all of them and he isn't the most relatable character to me either (that would be Betsy, fortunately I can't necessarily relate to the Foxes) but I believe he's greatly misunderstood within the books. I don't approve of all his actions but he feels very real to me. Someone who is capable of development and change, even if at moments he's not exactly acting that great. He has so much potential and room for improvement
Wylan Hendriks (Six of Crows): He's my child, my son, whom I love dearly. I want to make him hot chocolate and sing him a lullaby. I basically slammed down the adoption papers as soon as he was introduced in the book. I didn't even know him, he could've turned out to be different than expected but I'm rarely wrong about characters (*pats myself on the back*) and I just fell in love with him immediately. I am incredibly proud of his development. Next to Matthias I believe he had the best one of the Crows. But obviously all of the characters are fucking amazing, it's so hard to choose favourites. But I have to mention Specht and Rotty being the MVPs of the duology. Without them nothing would've worked lol. I am beyond excited to see all of them on screen :)))
Khun Aguero Agnes (Tower of God): Ah yes, another smart, traumatised, morally grey, queer coded guy with a funky hair colour. What do you expect of me? In the same breath I could mention Killua (Hunter X Hunter). They're kinda similar, aren't they? They're very underappreciated in their respective verses, despite being fan favourites, and deserve a genuine Thank You from their protagonist bestie. But my favourite in ToG is actually Hockney (the painter aesthetic. There's just something about him that is extremely compelling to me, I think we'd get along)
Darcy (Heartstopper): Such a relatable character. So real and everything you'd wish to have as TV representation. Though I'm not a lesbian (I'm pan/demic) I really love her, and also Elle, so much. Heartstopper is just great in general, I doubt I have to explain exactly why and what I find so good about it
Vanessa (Black Clover): She's a witch with a big pointy hat who can change fate with a cute little cat. She's confident and despite her drinking habits still very responsible. Charmy is amazing too, can you imagine how much of your favourite food she could make you and you bet your fucking ass it'd be the most delicious thing you've ever eaten in your entire life. Luck is a cutie as well, despite being completely unhinged but why would that be important?
Morgiana (Magi): I mean, have you seen her? She's an absolute queen. Do I want her, be her friend or do I want to be her? The answer is yes. I know I didn't include a lot of female characters here. I blame that on the fact that they are often under developed, annoying or I relate to the male characters more for some weird reason. A character that reminds me of her is Emma (The Promised Neverland). They're strong female role models and act as big sisters sometimes. They're smart, athletic and powerful. You just gotta love them
John Murphy (The 100): There is something about this cockroach I am obsessed with. I hate cockroaches but a character who straight up refuses to die and is so cool about it? I'm gagging for it. The show itself, like many others, went downhills but I still enjoyed most of it. And Murphy was only amazing throughout all of it
Sukuna (Jujutsu Kaisen): A villain can't be missing from this list. The only thing I can say about him is that he's hot (I am, however, not attracted to Yuuji, I feel like that's important to say) and once in a while a villain doesn't have to be incredibly complex. He can just want to watch the world burn and kill everyone and that's okay. We don't always need reasons. Sure, I'd be terrified of him if I met him and he wouldn't even have to really move a finger to kill me but what an honour it'd be to get murdered by this man
Nanachi (Made in Abyss): Might be a weird one but this story got me really attached, it's quite tragic and Nanachi is such a sweet, yet sad character. She is a great help to the other two protagonists and what drives her is so dramatic, her story actually made me cry. All these kids are way too young to experience such terrible hardships. I'm so looking forward to more of them!
Everyone from Attack on Titan deserves an honourary place on this list. All the girls are awesome. Ymir, Historia, Annie, Sasha, Mikasa, and yes, you might hate me for it but even Gabi. I'm on nobody's side in this war so why would I hate a child for having been raised on propaganda? She killed one person, others killed many more. And the boys, oof, Connie has always been my favourite boy. He seems like fun but also really nice and respectful. Boyfriend material. Besides almost being willing to sacrifice a kid... But only almost, right? Of course there's Levi and Erwin but I think those are too obvious to even mention here.
(Fantasy) Animal companions: Idk if they count but Happy (Fairy Tail), Kirara (Inuyasha), Chopper (One Piece), Kuro (Blue Exorcist), Pina (Sword Art Online), Akamaru and Kurama (Naruto), fuckinuhhh Ryuk (Death Note)??, Appa and Momo (Avatar), Hayate (fmab), Yoyo and Doc Crock (Simsala Grimm), all monsters from How to Keep a Mummy, even fucking Pikachu. You name them. Always top tier characters.
Asking for only 10 was a horrible thing to do to me, do you know what this cost me? I need to do more honourable mentions so if you'll excuse me: Alluka, Meruem and Komugi (Hunter X Hunter), Yatora Yaguchi (Blue Period), Chika (World Trigger), Maki (Jujutsu Kaisen), Manbagi Rumiko (Komi can't communicate), Dabi and Hatsume Mei (bnha), Saiki (Saiki K), Crowley and Mika (Owari no Seraph), Scar and Roy Mustang (fmab), Alana Bloom (Hannibal)
Why would you even ask me this question? I'm only stopping here because I can't think of any more content and characters lmao
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catrose13 · 2 years
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Chapter Five Phone Tag, The Chapter Art makes me hungry and I think my favourite of this chapters "Brought To You By" is Two people having two completely different conversations at the same time.
Hungry Hungry Hippo... This is a great way to start off the chapter
Oh my goodness Grandpa did you also traumatise this poor "professional graverobber"?
Oh no poor Mai, it's not special effects
Mai I am in Awe, you stared into the eyes of Anubis and threw a rock. Wow.
Lol "Romeo with the .22"
Yugi... instead of choosing a safer school, he chose to get body armour... I guess that's part of what makes a Main Character
Mai is so talented, not only is she a Competent Adult, she also knows first aid. Amazing
I love that his response to not "Being a Little Bitch" is that Grandpa would be proud
Mai's intuition is good, Yugi is involved with "actual cursed artifacts" and it does have to do with the thing she is pointedly not looking at
Ok I have admittedly been curious about "Don't-Lose-Yugi duty" but his history of kidnappings does explain that... Third graders with knives...Do you think they know Mokuba?
Aww Mai's having flutterings...Violent flutterings
Mai don't worry no matter how Dumpster Fire your life is I guarantee theirs are at least as bad
"Stone Cold Bitch Ass"
LORE!!!
Joeys sister sounds so Badass
...Tristan's Mom
"I'mma need you guys to be REAL COOL about something pretty fucked up" Yugi they've been cool with a ton of fucked up stuff basically since you became friends
Kemo continues to hate his job
Ah Ishizu sand is like that, the last place you want it to be will be where it'll end up
...Missing God Cards is not a good things
Seto....Did you just channel a Karen?
HUSBAND....Marik this they are not Twins
Solid burn on Pegasus not ranking high enough in his estimation to be considered an "Enemy"
Oh Hodgekiss, you dumbass, Odion despairs of you
Sergei loves his Boss and his Boss other Crazier Boss
Poor Odion, possibly the amount of caffeine he consumes doesn't help the migraine but having a brother like Marik is reason enough for one even without adding Hodgekiss
Well at least he's aware he makes bad first impressions
I feel like every time one of the Ishtar brothers starts thinking about competent people Hodgekiss is just there suddenly to remind them of his very incompetent self
It's like a Comedy of Errors
Everything is on Fire and Hodgekiss is still in the water
Manipulation is not how one makes friends Odion
Bakura truly has a great turn of phrase "world's most cursed frisbee"
"Perfectly Good Magical Artifact" I gotta agree with Bakura on this one (as with so many other things) that is an interesting way to pronounce "extremely cursed"
Ah the Importance of Names is once more touched upon
Bakura your ability to find the silver lining is very inspiring but also strangely worrying all things considered
Debugging Duck! I know that reference!
"YES! I understand nothing" Such excitement
...Wonka...labor dispute...there Oompa Loompas involved weren't there? I hate Oompa Loompas
I am understanding nothing of the business stuff he's talking about, but I am enjoying a block of chocolate now, so I feel like it evens out
Welp I understood very little of what Seto is planning but I get the end result and I think it sounds like a good time all around!
Lol yes the coma acted as a hard reset like with a computer
Bakura's gender has been assigned as witch by his schoolmates. Nice
Dude why do you just carry around alcohol and shot glasses?
So Ishizu drives like a maniac
She throws so much shade at her family's incestuous past
Aw she refers to Marik as "My Beautiful Idiot Baby Brother" with the caps and everything, she loves him but she despairs
Marik is a Chihuahua
Well at least she acknowledges that they all need therapy
Shadi don't just teleport onto the road!
THE CABBAGE GUY!!!
Diana Prince?!! Wonder Woman! Wooo
Ohmigosh!! The Eye Colours!!!! Right from the Start! You trickster!!
Oh nu now Shadi's talking in Capital Letters
Ah loopholes, passive aggressive actions!
Would Seto's "Data Hack" thing actually work in real life? Out of curiosity
So Jurassic Park is a movie but InGen is real, so did they take inspiration from the movies or get the movies made as a sort of test to see how people would react?
"Ned Flanders" Seto do you watch the Simpsons?
They had to fight Baboons with knives. Giving Baboons knives ranks right up there with giving Mokuba a gun
Ah Drama...He called in a WHAT?!
...Misha why are you invoking Primal Instincts in Seto?
Pegasus even the Russians think you're cuckoo
...Dude I would really not be screwing around with a guy who talks about Revoking your Eyeball Privileges
Ahh Anubis know Shadi, that explains some things about Pegasus' dislike of dogs
Now who the heck is his "retrieval specialist"? Is it who I think it is?
Wow Kemo have you just decided you don't care anymore? Did seeing Anubis get rid of all your Fucks? Is the field now barren?
Hah Vampire! Not a Chupacabra!
And Croquets still Stoned Outta his Mind
I'm getting the Poison for Kuzco vibes from this conversation
I love that Yami's the ghost but he's the one that's scared
Téa you have solidly terrified the poor ghost
"Don't fight her, we'll both die" Wow she scares them both then
Aww he's struck dumb in Awe of her
Hah! I was right Joey was measuring them last chapter!
"Al-Deez-Nuts" "You want me to LIE? To TÉA" wow, Yami I think your acclimatizing too well
"There Would be A Hippo. The Hippo Would be Bad." From what we've seen so far that's an understatement if there ever was one
Aw Yami's scared of Hippos. It's valid though, they're freaking terrifying
Their Rules are getting more and more interesting.
Poor Yami getting bullied about his spice tolerance
SUDDEN Bakura!
Oh no. That's not Bakura!!
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