#of a forest that's a couple steps away from eating you alive––human connection or not u know? i like casual danger i think + a danger that's

[stinkbeck]

i honestly cannot stay here ‘cause i need 2 be somewhere where if i walk a little, there is a chance i could see a coyote or some cows

#like i know there's an element of the random in the city + i love that so much but everybody wants 2 mitigate it anyway. you're not supposed #2 live in a city for the danger of it u know? i don't care so much about unexplored human connections as i care about the unmatchable beauty #of a forest that's a couple steps away from eating you alive––human connection or not u know? i like casual danger i think + a danger that's #unmoved by pity #i mean i think about that cat i befriended who was probably killed while it waited for me one night. u end up having 2 be so careful about #what u love + what the consequences of loving another creature are. i think it confirms the beliefs i had 2 hold in childhood so it feels #comforting. i'm made for a place like that.

[weeniewrites]

Lost Connections

Zombie Kenma x g/n reader part 2 

part 1

1.8k words

tw: animal death (kenma eats a rat), descriptions of a panic attack, gore, general unsanitary things

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There’s so many things to ask him. How’d you get here? How’d you get hurt? Where’s Kuroo? But 

1. How would you even make that a yes or no question? and

2. Isn’t that rude? 

For now you’ll swallow the temptation, the ever present temptation, and pretend that those thoughts don’t exist. Continuing your antisocial rat shut in of a life with the addition of a much rattier appearing friend. Speaking of,

“Kenma, do you wanna clean up? There’s a river near here and it might feel better?”

His head lifts his from his staring contest with the floor, looking blankly at you.

“Right, too much at once. It’s hard to limit what you say when you’re not used to talking you know?” A head tilt

“Yeah I suppose I’m preaching to the choir. You can’t really talk anymore can you Kenma?” Unresponsive

....

Geez. Sometimes he really does feel like a corpse, he is one but, there’s those moments he’s more expressive. It feels like he’s actually understanding you. Right now you might as well be talking to the wall.

“You still there Kenma? Didn’t decide to actually kick the bucket this time?”

A nod

“Okay that settles it. We’re going out.” There’s no point in keeping him here, tied up like some animal if he gets nothing out of it, not because you haven’t cleaned up this space in a while and his general stench isn’t helping, but because he’s just, not moving as much and the silence without him shifting around is unsettling. How you’ve gotten so used to having another  occupant in your space so quickly is beyond you.

But how to go about this. There haven’t been any mishaps besides that initial misunderstanding with the shushing, and his discomfort with wearing a gag (assuming that's what that was?), how could you travel with him and stay safe despite his slower pace... hmm...

“Actually, wait here. I’ll be out for a bit, gotta check something.”

You grab your pack of essentials, paranoidly checking that the handle of your bat hasn’t started cracking or something since the last time you used it and wave him goodbye, leaving him alone for the first time.

GOD you reek! It made sense why you couldn’t clean off last time. Somehow you haven’t turned into a human zit despite the crusted blood from the last zombies you downed. You certainly don’t smell like you’re ready to entertain company, not that Kenma cares.

You’d fallen out of the habit of patrolling, realizing how fruitless it was when as a single person you could just hide, not needing constant supply runs like your previous group. But if you were going to take Kenma out you needed to make sure no undead would get in the way. Could another zombie make him more aggressive, like those ones in the hoards? Maybe they instinctively group up for strength. How does a virus give a corpse instincts anyway? You shake your head to get those unanswerable questions out of your head for the second time today.

    The towns dead silent, absolutely nothing creeping out on your usual path. The new found knowledge that they can indeed smell has planted a new worry that you’ll somehow draw them out just by existing. Your footsteps are quiet from ages of practice and the chatter of birds easily drowns you out. Your only company is the usual animals and the corpses you’ve already dispatched, decaying at an increased rate now that they’re finally gone for good. You... really need new pants. Kenma needs new clothes too with how torn up and gore covered his own are. You shiver. It’s hard to avoid thinking of how painful whatever happened to him must’ve been, whether in life or death.

    So new clothes. The houses along the street are fairly intact, only general wear from the elements affecting them. None of them look boarded up but that doesn’t mean someone couldn’t be inside. You can handle a couple undead, a living person would be a whole ‘nother ordeal. But it’s not exactly hard to pants a zombie. A squishy squishy ooze of a previous person covered in a buzzing layer of insects. You’ve got this. Risking an encounter alive or dead by breaking into  a house isn’t worth it. So just, pants. the zombie.

Considering you crushed the head, its bottoms are fairly clean. Please don't be commando, pleaaaase don’t be commando please- you squeeze your eyes shut, grab the ends of the pants legs and pull, removing it in one surprisingly smooth go. YES, it's wearing underwear! Nothing to see besides, oh god it shit itself, god thats, ew ew ew ew ew WHY DID YOU THINK THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA! Into the plastic bag it goes. Hightailing it to the river is sounding more appealing by the second

Stepping carefully around the edge to find a shallow slow moving area is easy enough, though the rocks crunching underfoot make you cringe. Kneeling at the side, you rinse your hands off before you even dare touch your bag to grab the soap. Geez it's a relief to start to feel clean. Have you been neglecting that? First the space you sleep, now your body, avoiding going out out of fear of the few undead you ever see. File that away for later, focus on the now. Around the nail beds, under the nails, stripping off a shirt, get the pits, dunk your hair in, carefully scrubbing where the crusted blood’s basically sealed to your skin. Pants, underwear, socks, walk in fully and try to focus. Can’t get lost in your thoughts with an overwhelming full body chill forcing you to stay in the here and now, fully aware of your body and where you are. A slower moving part of a river, in a nice forested area, in the middle of the day. Surrounded by birds' songs and squirrels running around you. Bugs skip along the water's surface and twigs and leaves rush past you in the faster paced sections.

After a few minutes spent standing there, steadily getting colder, you move on to washing everything you wore there as well as what you took from the zombie. The pants look like they’ll fit Kenma? The waist is a drawstring one at least. It's calm repetitive work. There’s satisfaction in allowing yourself to be outside, clean and present.

________________________________

    Your clothes are still wet as you make your way back but they’ll probably dry before you get home... probably. It’s been too long since you’ve seen Kenma and you’re getting antsy, both from nerves and curiosity if he’ll even be willing to change into new pants. At least you’d have a spare now.

    Creaking the door open, you’re about to announce your presence but pause at the sound of rapid shuffling and creaking metal. It’s so dark compared to outside that even with squinting it's hard to fully make out what's going on inside but his limbs are scrabbling, flailing in their attempts to pull him across the floor. The rope around his neck and chest is more taught than you ever hoped to see it. The pipe he’s tied to creaks under a surprising amount of strain. Throwing caution to the wind you rush in, able to more clearly make out the growling and huffing he makes in his efforts to, scratch that, success in catching a rat that was scurrying past him. His hand latches into the poor thing, nails biting into the flesh. Before you can even react it’s between his teeth, tearing in as it squeals, flails, attempts to scratch back as its last twitches of life leave. He’s ravenous, the one pupil blown out as gore coats his face from his small feast. And then, once every ounce of gamey meat is gone, he stills, not reacting to the blood dripping off his face and fingers or to you.

    Slow breathing. Slow steady breathing. You need to stay calm. Need to either run out of here or close the door before the smell of blood attracts something else. Slow breathing, steady breathing so he won’t hear. Stay. Absolutely. Calm. One step back. Two steps back. Three-

Kenma’s returned to staring at the floor, fingers tracing patterns in the places he’d scratched before.

Four? Your heart is pounding but this behavior, it's predictable, a little different, much different with the scent of blood in the air but its, he attacked a rat. He didn’t attack you but he could but he didn’t but he hasn't, not even while you’re asleep he hasn’t. He hasn’t tried to hurt you once just BREATH.

You don’t notice him staring at you as you slide to the floor and shudder and cry.

______________________________________

The sun has started setting by the time your panic attack reaches its end, the floor wet under your ass from your clothing. Shivering from the aftershocks of adrenaline as well as the cold you stumble up to slide the door closed. The air is crisp and almost fresh inside now. Too tired to berate yourself, you cross the room to your blanket pile across from Kenma, grab two, and pull it without the motivation to pick it up, instead letting it drag behind you.

    “Kenma” you croak “I’m about to do something really stupid, so don’t, don’t break my trust okay. You don’t want to hurt me?” He nods, no hesitation. “Then hold still.”

    The blankets are dropped a few feet away from him and you kneel at his side for the first time since tending to his wrist. Palms open, approaching slowly, your arms enter his reach to undo the first knot. The rope slides away from him easily and you shimmy if off just enough to dump it on the floor beside him.

    “I don’t know if you get cold I don’t, I don’t care just, here.” You present a blanket to him and want to cry all over again when he doesn’t react. Why would he. What part of him even remembers what it's for. Idiot. He twitches as you start to wrap it around him but otherwise obeys your request. Still. He’s staying still.

    His head tilts as you wrap yourself in a blanket too, plopping ungracefully to the floor next to his good side. Energy finally running out with no dinner to speak of, you lean on his shoulder and enter a restless sleep.

______________________

    It’s always hard to get motivated to get up. Nothing to look forward to. No change, just the dull monotony of survival, fear, and paranoia. Why get up. Why wake up at all? There’s a crick in your neck and you grumble at the pain as you shimmy a little closer to whatever your head is resting on, readjusting to be more comfortable. In your barely conscious state you can’t catch the way Kenma’s eyes move from the door to you, before continuing his stare down with the one entrance inside.

You fall back asleep easily, morning can wait until later.

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Taglist: @beanst0ck (hi!!!)

#haikyuu #haikyuu x reader #kenma x reader #kenma #kenma kozume #tw zombies

[bumblesimagines]

My Sarcastic Leech

Part 2

(Y/N) calmly read his book as he tangled his hand in Paul's hair. Paul was on top on (Y/N), head resting on his stomach. (Y/N) didn't mind being used as a pillow by the shifter. In fact, (Y/N) was pretty sure nap time was when Paul was the calmest. His soft snoring filled the room, being music to (Y/N)'s ears. Paul shifted, dark eyes peering up at (Y/N) making the vampire smile.

"Hey, sleepyhead." (Y/N) mumbled, placing his book on the nightstand to give his boyfriend all his attention. Paul hummed, head leaning into (Y/N)'s touch. Paul acted more like a cat than a wolf. He was clingy, hungry 24/7, and didn't say no to nap time. Paul hummed, raising up and pressing a sleepy kiss to (Y/N)'s lips.

"What time is it?" Paul mumbled, pulling away and rubbing his eyes. (Y/N) ran a hand through Paul's messy hair, combing it.

"Two. Don't you have training with Sam and the others at three?" (Y/N) asked. Paul sighed loudly and nodded.

"Yeah... I should get going." Paul stared at him with a small smile. The male leaned forward, kissing him again. (Y/N) kissed him back but pulled away after a few seconds.

"Go." (Y/N)'s eyes flickered to the door. Paul huffed but stood and headed towards the door. (Y/N) stood up, looking out the window as Paul's wolf form came into view. Paul watched him before disappearing into the forest.

"Tell your boyfriend to quit stealing all the food." (Y/N) looked at Emmett and rolled his eyes.

"As if you even eat it." (Y/N) crossed his arms. Emmett opened his mouth to reply but the scent of blood filled the house. The two sped into the room and made a horrifying discovery along with everyone else. Ness was covered in blood, holding a blood bag. Jasper had to leave the room, Alice following in order to comfort him.

"I'm sorry." Ness whimpered, her tears mixing with the blood.

"Oh, sweetie..." Bella whispered, approaching her and gently taking her to her room so she could shower. Rosalie and Emmett went to check on Jasper while Esme fetched a mop and bucket.

"The Volturi won't be happy." (Y/N) spoke up, looking at the three remaining.

"They'll think she's a threat and will follow through with the punishment." (Y/N) said.

"Then don't go. Stay here and don't report to them." Jacob tore his gaze away from the blood as he spoke. (Y/N) shook his head.

"I have to, Jake."

"I'll go with him. I'll try to reason with Aro." Carlisle sighed, placing a reassuring hand on Jacob.

"She's my granddaughter. I won't let anyone harm her." Jacob nodded.

"I'll go see how she's doing." He said softly, leaving the room. (Y/N) shared a look with Edward and Carlisle.

Upon entering the room, Aro's eyes lit up.

"Carlisle! A wonderful surprise." He smiled widely, ushering them closer. (Y/N) took Aro's hand. The wide smile slowly dropped.

"Tsk tsk... Seems like our dear hybrid has had her first taste of blood." Aro glanced at Marcus and Caius.

"We have to eliminate her before she becomes a real threat. I told you leaving her alive was a mistake!" Caius sneered.

"She's still human. She can cry, bleed, and has other aspects of humans." Carlisle stepped forward.

"You saw the bloodlust in her eyes, my old friend. The more she grows the more hungry she'll get." Aro sighed, sitting back down. (Y/N) frowned.

"We need to destroy her before she destroys us." Caius hissed.

"(Y/N) and Ness are good friends." Marcus commented. (Y/N) averted his eyes elsewhere.

"Then I guess we'll have to take care of her ourselves." Caius grinned.

"Where do your loyalties lie, (Y/N)? With us or the Cullens?" Aro asked. (Y/N) glanced at Jane and Alec.

"I'm afraid they lie with the Cullens." (Y/N) replied. Betrayal and hurt filled the twins. Aro frowned.

"So be it. You're dismissed."

~

(Y/N) sighed as he sat on the couch. Paul hadn't shown up and (Y/N) was getting worried.

"(Y/N)." Edward stood. (Y/N) looked up, furrowing his brows. He stood and turned around, looking through the window. Emmett was giving an injured Paul a piggyback ride.

"Paul!" (Y/N) sped outside, meeting them halfway.

"The hell happened?" (Y/N) asked.

"Demetri and some other vampire had attacked him. An attempt at his life I guess." Emmett said, handing Paul off to Carlisle.

"The Volturi are gonna attack. Sooner or later." Rosalie said, crossing her arms.

"We have to be on guard. What if they come back?" Alice asked.

"I'll go tell Sam to be careful," Jake said, backing up and turning before phasing and running off. They heard a howl not long after followed by multiple other howls. (Y/N) headed inside to check on Paul. He sat on the seat beside the bed, watching him. It hurt to see Paul who was usually so confident and strong, weak and hurt.

"I'll be fine, babe," Paul mumbled, opening his eyes and looking at him. (Y/N) gently grabbed Paul's hand, watching the bruises on Paul's tan skin disappear. Paul furrowed his brows.

"How-" Paul looked at (Y/N). "You have powers, don't you?" He sat up. (Y/N) nodded, looking into his warm eyes.

"It's nothing special." (Y/N) mumbled. Paul gently took his hand.

"Of course it's special, babe. It might not be mind-reading or controlling emotions but it's still something." Paul said, pressing a sweet kiss to the back of (Y/N)'s hand. (Y/N) smiled gently. He thought back to the Volturi before a thought occurred to him. He stood up, turning around to leave the room.

"Babe?" Paul called out to him, confused. (Y/N) met the Cullens in the livingroom with Paul trailing behind.

"I know how we can stop the Volturi without any of us getting hurt." They all looked at him.

"Aro killed Didyme, Marcus wife. If Marcus finds out, he'll kill Aro without hesitation." (Y/N) told them.

"Marcus has never been a real threat to us. He voted to keep Ness alive." Carlisle nodded.

"I'll leave for Italy. I still have connections in the Volturi that can get me a secret meeting with Marcus." He stood up.

"It might take some time. Everybody stays inside, even Paul." Carlisle ordered. They nodded, watching him leave. (Y/N) looked at Paul who leaned against the wall.

"So, we're all technically on house arrest?" He asked playfully. (Y/N) rolled his eyes, smiling as he walked over to him.

"Here comes to PDA train." Emmett groaned, leaving the room with his wife. (Y/N) chuckled as he leaned in to kiss Paul. The shifters wrapped his arms around (Y/N), kissing him back as Esme cooed. (Y/N) could feel one of Paul's hands sneak up his shirt.

"Paul." (Y/N) warned, earning an innocent grin.

"What?" He asked.

"We could be attacked at any second and that's the only thing on your mind?" Edward questioned.

"Bet you hate being a leech now, huh?" Paul said, smirking. Edward rolled his eyes, looking away from the couple. (Y/N) shifted so his back was to Pauls' chest. They had to play the waiting game.

"After all this, we should have a date on the beach. You could officially meet Sam and the others." Paul said softly, taking a seat on the couch. He had (Y/N) sit on his lap, nuzzling his face into his shoulder.

"Are you sure?" (Y/N) asked.

"Of course! Emily's gonna love you." Paul smiled, nodding. (Y/N) hummed. He had already met the Clearwaters. Seth was a sweetheart while Leah kept her distance but she warmed up to (Y/N). He hoped Paul was right. He felt Paul relax and eventually his breathing slowed down, signaling to (Y/N) that his shifter had fallen asleep.

"Are you sure he isn't part cat?" Edward asked. (Y/N) chuckled, toying with Paul's fingers. He turned his head, seeing Ness peacefully sleeping beside her mother. (Y/N) wished he could be calm but anxiety clawed at his back. Would Marcus actually kill Aro? Or was it too late? Edward glanced at him.

"It'll work, (Y/N). Don't worry." He assured him. (Y/N) nodded, trying to calm his thoughts by focusing on Paul. His gaze flickered to the clock every few hours until Edward got a phone call. He went into another room to answer it. By then, Paul had been wide awake. Edward re-entered the room.

"Marcus is now the leader of the Volturi along with Sulpicia. When Marcus confronted Aro, she confessed to being a witness." Edward told them. Bella smiled, hugging her daughter tightly. Paul pressed a few quick kisses to the side of (Y/N)'s neck.

"No blood was shed thanks to you, babe. We should celebrate." Paul grinned.

"Celebrate far from here, please. I don't need to be traumatized again." Edward pleaded playfully. (Y/N) and Paul chuckled before sharing a kiss.

#twilight imagine #x male reader #imagine #leah clearwater #sam uley #seth clearwater #twilight wolves #twilight x male! reader #twilight x reader #x reader #x you #brady fuller #collin littlesea #embry call #jacob black #jared cameron #quil ateara #twilight #volturi #the cullens #rosalie lillian hale #rosalie cullen #alice cullen #jasper hale #emmett cullen #edward cullen #bella swan #renesmee cullen #paul lahote x male reader #paul lahote

[snappedsky]

Fanatics 73.4

The leader of the mysterious group reveals himself. Previous! Next!

--

Government of Doom Part 4

           Devi slowly blinks awake, her head pounding and vision swimming. She groans as she rubs her eyes, trying to remember what happened last night. As everything comes into focus, she quickly realizes she is not in her bedroom.

           She’s lying on a small mattress, in a small stone room with a metal door. A prison cell.      

           “Ah, fuck,” she barks and sits up. She rubs her lower back and feels a small bump where the dart hit her. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!”

           After jumping to her feet, she starts banging on the cell door. “Hey! Let me the fuck out!”

           As if on cue, the door opens, taking her aback. “Oh. Uh…”

           She flinches back when two guards step into the doorway, both armored and carrying assault rifles.

           “Come with us,” one orders, “the Director wants to see you.”            Devi glares at them both but it’s clear she doesn’t have a choice. So she exits the cell into a stone hallway lined with other metal doors. To her right she sees other similar guards standing in front of three other open doors. And exiting one is Tenna.

           “Tenna!” Devi exclaims.

           “Devi!” she squeals.

           Forgetting about the armed guards, the two immediately embrace each other.

           “God, I’m so glad you’re okay,” Devi says as they split it, still squeezing each other’s arms.            

           “Me too,” Tenna sighs, “where are we?”

           “No idea,” she replies.

           “Hey.” They both turn as Dib and Gaz approach from the other open cells.

           “I’m glad you guys are okay,” Dib says.

           “Looks like we’re the only ones here,” Gaz points out and glares at the guards. “Hey, where are our friends?”

           “Enough,” one replies, “the Director is waiting.”            Devi and the others look at each other but follow the multiple armed guards through the prison. They exit yet another metal door into a larger, brighter corridor with white walls. It is lined with bigger, metal doors, clearly more reinforced. It is eerily silent and empty.

           “No windows,” Dib observes as they’re led down the hall. “We’re probably underground.”

           They’re taken to a large elevator with a keypad next to the floor numbers. One of the guards punches in a code and the elevator goes down a couple floors before stopping.

           The door opens to a single, large room; dimly lit by lamps, it’s carpeted with full bookshelves against the side walls and a large desk with a computer and a comfy chair. Taking up the far wall is a large picture of a forest scenery, and standing in front of it with his back to the elevator is a well-dressed, black-haired man.

           “Leave us,” he orders as the guards lead Dib, Gaz, Devi, and Tenna into the room. They quickly obey and take the elevator back up.

           “Welcome,” the man says, “I trust you are all feeling better. That knock-out drug can linger for a while.”            “Who the fuck are you?” Devi snaps.

           “I’m sure you have many questions,” he replies calmly, “I have some questions of my own. That is why you are here; so we may acquaint ourselves.”

           “Can you at least look at us when you talk,” Gaz scoffs.

           “Yeah, that’s not even a window you’re looking at,” Dib points out.

           “My apologies,” the man says as he sits in his chair and turns to look at them. The right side of his face is robotic, his right eye round and cybernetic. Jagged scars run from where the metal connects to his face and veins are popping out painfully in his forehead. But otherwise he looks like a respectable business man.

           He waits a moment, as if expecting a reaction from Dib and the others. When he gets nothing, he simply smiles.

           “You may call me the Director.”

           “Dumb,” Gaz comments.

           “Yeah, that’s dumb,” Tenna agrees.

           “I’m not calling you that,” Devi says.

         The Director is undeterred. “No doubt you are wondering who we are. Allow me to explain.”

           “We are the Supernatural Destruction Agency, or SDA.”

           “Destruction?” Dib questions.

           “We are a government funded group,” the Director continues, “dedicated to the complete annihilation of all supernatural, paranormal, alien, and otherwise inhuman beings on Earth.”

           “Who are you to decide who gets to live on Earth?” Dib snaps, “it’s home to those creatures too!”

           “It’s about survival of the fittest,” he replies, “you see, when I was a young boy, I was attacked by a werewolf. Barely escaped with my life. Nobody believed me. They all said it was a rabid dog that was put down. But I knew the truth: that the paranormal is dangerous and will destroy us if we don’t destroy them.”

           “Since then, I have devoted my life to their destruction. I modified my own mind and body to better perceive them and fight them. I convinced government officials of their danger, even at the risk of traumatizing beyond repair, so I could get the funds to build an army and weapons and a research facility to better understand and destroy all supernatural beings.”

           “Jesus,” Devi comments, looking at Dib. “And I thought you were obsessed.”

           “So what’s your deal with us?” Gaz asks.

           “I have known about the so-called ‘Nameless City’ for years,” the Director explains, “for as long as we could measure supernatural energy levels, the readings there have always been high. But they’ve also always been localized to the city so I left it alone. Figured I could just blow it up with a nuke someday. But I kept spies there to keep a close eye on it.”

           “And one day a group rose up calling themselves ‘The Battalion’. At first I thought, ‘cute, they’re playing hero’. But you’re becoming way too powerful way too quickly. Even going into space. I had to neutralize you before you became a threat. So using the intel we had pieced together the last couple years, my agents did just that. It was easy; after all, our biggest problems were the two aliens and the Antichrist. At least, that’s what I thought.”

           “And that’s why I’ve called you four in here,” he states, leaning back in his chair. “You see, the only one in your group we were unable to capture is the one called Johnny C. And we lost two of my field agents; their throats were ripped out as if by a savage beast and their dart guns are completely empty. That’s ten darts each.”

           “Yeah, that sounds like Johnny alright,” Tenna grins.

           “Now he’s disappeared,” the Director continues, “so I must ask you: where is he hiding?”            Devi snorts. “You should be asking how will you survive.”

           “Hm?” he questions.

           “I’m assuming you have Squee locked up somewhere,” she explains, “he’s the most important person in the world to Johnny and he will be coming for him. And when he does, he will destroy your whole precious facility. So I suggest you let us all go and maybe Johnny won’t kill you.”            The Director scoffs. “He won’t find us. This is a secret, underground facility. And even if he could, he would never be able to penetrate our defenses and guards. Still, you seem pretty confident. So tell me: what kinds of secrets does Johnny have?”

           Devi leans forward, planting her hands on his desk so her face is only about a foot from his. “Get fucked.”

           The Director cracks a smile. “I see how a normal human like you can survive amidst supernatural beasts. You’re strong. Let’s see how long your strength lasts in solitary confinement.”

           He presses a button on his keyboard and says, “take them away.”

           Almost immediately, the elevator doors open and the armed guards return.

           “Hey, wait!” Dib barks, “where are our friends?”

           “Get the fuck off me,” Devi snaps as the guards grab them and pull them away.                  

           “Where are the others!” Gaz yells.

           They struggle and shout but the guards drag them into the elevator. The Director waits until it’s gone before pressing his keyboard again.

           “I want another platoon to the Nameless City,” he orders, “and keep a group of guards on that alien’s house. You may react however you see fit to any situation, but do try to bring in Johnny C alive.”

           He lifts his hand and turns his chair back to the poster.

           Meanwhile, back in the city, the Night Terrors are having problems of their own.

           “Fuck,” Serena snaps as Eff removes a cup of charred, scrambled eggs from their new microwave. “We can’t eat that.”

           “How do you burn eggs?” Sickness scoffs, “didn’t you use to be based off a chef or something?”

           “Yeah, well, now we’re clowns,” Eff shrugs as he tosses the cup aside. “This kind of thing happens when you’re rebooted by a teenager.”

           “And just because we were based off chefs doesn’t mean we were,” D-boy points out, “I mean we were also Styrofoam.”

           “Whatever,” Reverend Mean groans loudly, “let’s just find something to eat already. I’m starving.”

           “I’ll text Aron to bring us something on his way from school,” Serena says as she grabs her phone.

           The side door suddenly slides open, grabbing everyone’s attention.

           “Oh, he’s back alread- Nny!” Eff exclaims.

           Johnny steps into the van. He looks even paler than usual with his hair matted to his forehead.

           “Wow, you look like shit,” D-boy comments.

           “Fuck off,” Johnny grunts, “Squee’s in trouble. And so are Devi and everyone else too I guess.”

           “We have to find them.”

#invader zim #invader zim fanfiction #johnny the homicidal maniac #johnny the homicidal maniac fanfiction #iz jthm crossover #myart #myocs

[flutteringphalanges]

Summary:  Chloe and Lucifer are survivors in a post apocalyptic world trying to make it through life step by step. (The cause is not biblical, but still falls in the canonical universe of the show.)

Read on FFN and AO3

A/N: I hope you enjoy this chapter and the little goodies within it! Comments are greatly loved and appreciated! (Sorry it’s been a year lol)

                                                 Chapter Five

Fighting one's instinct versus knowledge on the situation at hand was becoming very clear to Chloe as she ventured deeper into the brush and away from Lucifer. Together, the Devil was vulnerable to any injury he received. Yet, as crudely humorous as it was, the same could be said when she was separated from him. Vulnerability. Such a fine skill to hold during the end of the world.

Twigs scraped against the detective's skin as walked as silently as she could. Every time a dead leaf crunch underneath her shoe, the more on edge she became. Despite their remote location, it was never a bad thing to be on the alert for looters. Or worse. These dark times had really turned some into true monsters. The things she'd witness, the stories she'd heard. It was something she tried to never think about, pushed far back to the outer limits of her mind.

Not much further, Chloe. She said to herself. Soon enough you can turn around and go back to Lucifer and-

There came a rustling noise behind her, a very distinct, undeniable sound. Chloe's blood ran cold as she froze in place, mouth completely dry. It came again, closer now. Heart pounding so hard she could hear it in her ears, she tried to decipher the sound. Human? Animal? Before the next foot fall, the detective began to sprint.

Noise seemed to come from every direction as Chloe ran blindly through the dying forest. Blood pumping, breathing ragged, she kept going and going as what she could only presume was her hunter closing in on its prey. Just as she thought her limbs couldn't move any faster, someone grabbed her from behind.

"Detective," Lucifer tried to steady Chloe as she struggled against him, still in a state of defense. "Detective, it's just me. It's Lucifer."

"Something," she swallowed thickly, gasping for air as she pointed behind her. "Something-"

"It's alright," he soothed, letting her lean into him. "It was just a deer."

There, standing a few hundred feet away from them, Chloe could just make out the body of a doe. The creature seemed to meet her gaze, dark eyes staring back curiously. How odd it was to see such a thing out in this wasteland. A forest once teeming with life now stripped of its beauty. How the animal had survived this long, she wasn't sure. Before she could even make a remark, the deer bounded off, leaving both Chloe and Lucifer alone once more.

Embarrassment flushed in her cheeks as the adrenaline faded away. Months ago, or however long it'd been, she'd gone for her gun first. Fight versus flight. But just then, her gut reaction was to run. Flee into the uncharted woods and into a trap for all she knew. She was exhausted, strained from their days trekking through the wilderness. Sometimes it even surprised her that her sanity had somewhat remained intact.

"Shit!" She cursed, breaking away from Lucifer. Her foot connected with a small stone, sending it flying into the base of a tree. "I could've just gotten us both killed. If it had been...if I had…"

"Technically, you could claim that I was at fault since I'm the reason we're down here in the first place." He gave a tired smile, hoping she'd take to his crude attempt at humor. She didn't. "Everything's fine now," he reassured, moving to her side. "We're okay and that's what's important." Lucifer dangled his leg in front of her. "Good as new!"

Chloe's mouth twitched into a small smile, her head shaking at the gesture. Optimism at its finest. Inhaling softly, she reached over and gave his hand a small squeeze. The Devil's eyes flickered down to her fingers before flashing up to meet her gaze.

"No more injuries," she murmured, her smile weary.

"None," he agreed.

                                                     XXX

Even though she was expecting it, the sound of shattering glass still startled her as Chloe watched Nate ram a rock straight into the vending machine. It took a couple good strikes, and while she knew Lucifer could easily do it in one with his fist, she didn't feel the need to explain her partner's true nature to their group. So she waited hungrily, the desire to eat overpowering the guilt of stealing.

"Hell yeah," the young man chuckled, lunging straight for a bag of cheese puffs. "I love these damn things!"

But before Nate could even open his beloved prize, Lucifer quickly snatched it from his grasp. The man reeled around, a look of pure resentment burning in his eyes as the Devil held it just out of his grasp. Unlike him, the others had not immediately gone into a frenzy for the food. While each one of them wanted nothing more than to dig into whatever the machine offered, it was a silent agreement some sort of rules needed to be set in place.

"Give. That. Back." Nate growled, trying in desperation to retrieve his meal. "That's mine. I earned it!"

"Ha," Lucifer snorted, clearly amused by the other man's desperation. "If anything, you've earned yourself a first class ticket to Hell-"

"We need to ration," Chloe interrupted, throwing her partner a look. "Despite our luck in finding this before someone else, we need to figure out how to divide this to last." Her eyes flickered to the vandalized machine and the junk food it held. "Not that candy and chips are the best form of nutrition."

Though the machine was far from empty, it clearly hadn't been refilled before the chaos hit. Off brand chips, some chocolate bars of various kinds, gummies that looked a little stale even from where Chloe was standing, and a few packs of gum. That was it. Empty calories that would cause them to crash and burn energy. But it was all they had and anything was better than nothing.

"Come on," Nate groaned. "We've had barely anything to eat in the past several days. I'm starving. We all are!" He wildly gestured to the others. "What's one bag of chips going to do?"

"I'm with Chloe," Ruth spoke up, moving to the detective's side. "We need to have a plan. If we're going to make it far." She swallowed, her shoulders rising as she inhaled. "Before we turn on each other."

"You have my vote," Charlie agreed, throwing Nate a cold look. "Sometimes you have to sacrifice to get things done."

"Mine too," Kate added, her eyes focused on the ground. "It's for the best, I think."

All eyes fell on Lucifer, who, still holding the chips, simply shrugged. "You know whose side I'm always on." Chloe's smile only deepened Nate's scowl. "Especially when it comes to crisp eating pricks-"

"It's settled then," the detective cut in before Lucifer could finish. "We split things up. Divide and conquer." With a small smile, she reached in and grabbed a bag of old gummies. "So how do we go about this?"

After much debate, mostly on Nate's part, the snacks were gathered and split up. They had a good few days worth of "meals" if one would call them that. Chloe's stomach was already twisting at the look of all the sweets. It wasn't that she didn't like sugary foods-she really did, but for however long it would last, that's what her diet would consist of.

"Eat."

The detective was pulled from her thoughts as Lucifer continually poked at her with a chocolate bar. She eyed him carefully before taking the candy and breaking it in half. Handing him his piece, she began to nibble on hers, trying not to cram the entire thing down in one bite. She didn't have to look at the Devil to know he wasn't consuming his.

"Eat your own," she mumbled. "I'm fine."

"I'm not hungry," he countered. "You have it. I don't even like chocolate." Like a child, he obnoxiously poked her with it again. "Quick, it's melting in my hands and I don't want my clothes to get bloody chocolate stains on top of everything else."

Chloe huffed and shook her head. "You're being ridiculous right now, you know that?"

"And you love me for it," he smirked before forcing the treat into her hand. "Now eat, I'll be fine. I'll just have a few extra licorice whips later."

They both knew that it'd be a long while before they'd eat again, but neither spoke up about it. Instead, Chloe just leaned against him feeling his arm wrap around her waist. The wind began to blow, but only silence followed in its wake.

                                                       XXX

"Damn mosquitoes!"

Lucifer slapped the back of his neck as they trudged on through the woods. The air was sticky and the heat made Chloe's head spin. Despite the fact they were heading up north, the weather had turned out of their favor. Days had passed since they last saw rain, maybe even weeks. She was too tired, too thirsty to concentrate.

"Hey, hey," she hadn't even realized she was slipping down to the ground before Lucifer grabbed her. "Stay with me, detective. I know it's hotter than Hell, but we have to keep walking. We have to find water, yes?"

Chloe nodded her head weakly, her dry lips smacking together as Lucifer threw her arm around his neck. Weather seemed to be going from one extreme to the next. Maybe it was normal. Maybe it was from the bombs. But she needed to fight through this. Fight to stay alive. Survive for Trixie. For Lucifer.

"You know what I want," her voice slurred as if she was drunk. "A nice, big swimming pool of water that I could drink out of."

"I could go for a few shots of whiskey myself," he added, but a glass of water would be nice too I suppose." He chuckled, but Chloe could hear the worry in his tone. "Tell you what, we survive this and I'll build you the biggest bloody pool in all of Los Angeles."

"And we'll skinny dip," Chloe mumbled deliriously. "It's too hot for clothes."

"Ooh, you are quite the temptress, detective," Lucifer smirked, shifting to carry more of her weight. "I'll hold you to that."

They continued to walk on, Chloe growing more and more out of it as they went. Lucifer fear for her outdid his own concern for his well being as they pressed on. He knew if they didn't find some source of water soon, their outcome wouldn't be so pleasant. If running Hell was still a concern of his, he'd consider making this a torture option.

"Lucifer," Chloe murmured, bringing Lucifer back to reality. "If something happens to me-"

"Stop," he interrupted firmly. "It won't."

"But if it does-"

"It. Won't."

For a brief moment, his eyes flickered a crimson red. Though his anger was not aimed at Chloe. No. Literally at everything but her. As they moved on, almost painfully slow, suddenly the detective's voice broke through the silence.

"Lucifer, look," she nearly rasped. "A house!"

At first, he thought she was hallucinating, her hand shaking as she pointed towards the distance. He was going to ignore her words when his eyes did too catch a glimpse of something past a thicket of trees. By Father, she was right. There was a house. Right in the middle of bloody nowhere. The Devil couldn't contain the grin that spread across his face.

"Why my dear detective, I believe we found something much better than a pool," he breathed, looking down at her. "Much better indeed."

At least, he hoped as much.

#Deckerstar #Lucifer #Lucifer Morningstar #Chloe Decker #Lucifer on Netflix #Through The Ashes

[multiplefandomfics]

Reunion

So here is another oneshot of mine out of the walking dead universe. Hope you’ll like it.

pairing: Daryl x reader

warnings: smut, angst, fluff, separation

Summary: Daryl had been your boyfriend before the apocalypse started but you got separated at the beginning. so imagine the happiness when you meet him again in Alexandria. (sorry I suck at summaries so just enjoy reading).          

The end of the world is a strange thing. Many people made movies about it but when you experience it firsthand it doesn't feel like an Edgar Wright film much. When the virus broke out I was at the supermarket with my mom. Let's just say she didn't make it far when the walkers came. It still hurts to talk about it even after so may months. I am still devastated and often I find myself alone, hungry and sleep deprived. Before the apocalypse I had a boyfriend. He was awesome I often wondered if he was still alive or if he was one of them now. On my journey I met people here and there but they all turned against each other eventually so I always left before I could get in the crossfire. The only reason I survived that long is that I am an excellent Archer and I know how to make my own arrows and such. My boyfriend used to be the best crossbow Archer I had ever seen and he taught me how to shoot. I am glad the walkers are so slow and dumb or I wouldn't stand a chance. I don't know how long exactly I stumbled around, scavenging goods in towns and killing walkers. I don't get much sleep because I have to be alert at all times or I will be walker food. I learned a lot on my trip through the wilderness. I had been camping with my dad a lot when I was a kid so I knew how to make a fire and skin animals to eat. But oh how much I miss driving through a drive through and just ordering a greasy burger and fries! Sometimes I am lucky enough to be able to secure a car to drive with until I run out of gas. That was another attribute my boyfriend taught me a long time ago. Hot wiring cars. That really comes in handy now.

I gotta say I came around. After years of running and hiding I am walking cautiously through a forest when I suddenly hear rummaging. It is strange because I hadn't seen a living human soul in ages. So I decide to slowly close in on the people. I am not sure who it is or how many. I am aiming my bow at the possible threat. As I arrive at a clearing I am immediately met with the sight of three people fighting a herd of walkers. There are about 15 of them. I don't know these people but I still decide to help. I have to. They would lose without me. The taller mans head shoots in my direction when one of my arrows whirres past it and hits in the eye of the walker behind him. After we killed the last one I slowly walk closer. I am still not sure what to think of them. "Thanks for your help." The taller man wheezes out. "I'm Rick, that's Michonne and my son Carl. And you are?" I eye them skeptically "(Y/N)" I answer hesitantly. "We have a secure base not far from here. Our car is parked at the street uphill. You wanna join us? We have food, running water and electricity." He asks me. After short consideration I speak up again: "I think a little relaxing time can't hurt. I have been on the run for far too long." " Good decision but I have to ask you a few questions before we take you in. Just to make sure you're not some serial killer." He laughs and proceeds "How many walkers have you killed?" "Far too many to count. Those bastards aren't human anymore." "How many people have you killed?" "Just one." "Why?" "It was my mom. Right after the apocalypse started we were in a supermarket and the walkers came bargin in. They bit her and tore her apart and I killed her to not let her suffer any longer." I am close to tears again. I hate it to appear weak. "I am sorry but we have to get back to the car before even more of them arrive." Michonne adds. So we make our way through the bushes to their minivan. I seat myself on the backseat of the car next to Rick's son Carl. "So how long have you been out there?" Rick tries to make casual conversation after the silence got too much. "Ehm pretty much since the start. I've been hopping through groups but they all sooner or later started to kill each other over leadership." I answer dryly. Then we fall into comfortable silence again until we reach our destination. A guarded town called Alexandria. I am really impressed by all of that. It is astonishing that they survived so long. The gate opens and we drive through. The car comes to a halt directly behind it and Rick parks it in line with some others. I hesitantly step out after the others. I have no idea what to expect. I still don't really know these people. Suddenly I hear a voice behind me whispering my name incredulously  "(Y/N)? Is that really you?" I haven't heard that voice in years. I turn around "Daryl? I thought you were dead!" I am crying by now. I can't believe he is here. I found him. Finally. He races toward me and hugs me close. His smell is still the same as it always was. "I missed you so bad. Is this real?" I ask tears streaming down my face. "I love you baby and I'll never let you go again. Where were you when it broke out? I was at your house to get you and your mom but there was blood everywhere and I thought they had already got ya." He rambles worriedly.

"I was at the store. Mom didn't make it far. I had my gun with me. Wanted to head to the shooting range after to practise like you taught me. I had to shoot her. I went home shortly to get some things. My bow included and saw that the walkers had gotten my cat. That was probably the blood you saw." I am crying profusely now. Suddenly I notice everyone standing around staring at us. Some in confusion some in awe. "So you know each other?" Aaron asks to lighten the embarrassing mood.  You can cut through the tension with a knife "yeah, we were a couple before shit went down." Daryl throws into the round. "We were a couple Daryl? In my imagination we still are. I never stopped loving and searching for you. And I like the new haircut." I add. "You still want to? Be a couple I mean?" He looks shy as always. Under his hard exterior is a big softy. I had always known that. "Sure. By the way where is your ass of a brother?" I smile at him. Merle is a first class douchebag but he somehow belongs to Daryl. The look on Daryl's face tells me everything I have to know. "Oh. He didn't make it. What happened?" I ask and put my hand comfortingly on his neck. " He got himself killed a few years back. 's all." Daryl rambles under his breath. "I'm sorry baby! I truly am. I know how much he meant to you." I take him in a bone crushing embrace. "So you wanna show me around your new home?" I asked cheerfully. "Yeah, sure can do sweetheart." There is the old Daryl I knew again. He may be a little more rugged around the edges and had been through a lot in the past few years but he is undoubtedly still the man I love. He shoves me through the relatively big town of Alexandria and tells me about the connections they have with other communities around here. It's quite astonishing what they have build here but it still pulls me out of the walls to hunt and kill some walkers. "And this is my house. I live here with Carol." He finishes his tour. "This is so picket fence. Could you have imagined us having something like this before all hell broke loose?" I giggle."no way. I sometimes I am still not sure if this is really it for me ya know? But you make it definitely so much better darling!" He exclaims. "I understand what you mean. I don't wanna be confined in these walls either. You go hunting?" I ask him and he nods in affirmation. "Care to take me along sometime?" "Sure what about tomorrow?" He suggests. "That'd be great." Then I start a giggle spree. "What's so funny darling." Daryl slurs. "It's just so amazing that around you I still feel like I'm home. I love you so much." I admit. Everything was lovey dovey as Daryl kisses me deeply. I can feel my insides tickle and realize how much I missed him. Suddenly the air around us shifts and it gets heated. Silently we communicate and he starts pulling off my dirty shirt. "Shower?" He asks breathless from kissing. "Yeah" we stumble our way upstairs still kissing the air out of each other. The last time we were able to do that was too long ago. I am so lost in pleasure my only words are I missed yous and I love yous. Over and over I whispered that to him. His tongue is dominating my mouth like it always did. It turns me on so much. My panties are probably soaked. I am gonna throw them away anyways. They have already given me new clothes. This is gonna feel fantastic. At the sight of the shower I moan loudly. Haven't seen a functional one in forever. He rips the rest of my clothes off while I do the same to him. The moment the warm water touches my skin I moan again even louder this time. Of course I had tried to bathe in small creeks or lakes but that is not easy with the threat of being killed omnipresent. Daryl leathers me up with soap and the water does the rest. "This is fantastic!" I swoon."baby I can't take it anymore. I need to be inside you. I missed you so much." And with those words he pushes his thick length into my tight,slick channel from behind. My eyes roll to the back of my head and I groan loudly. I haven't felt that in years and just now I realize how much I craved his touch. Being close to him is all I want. I am never gonna let him go again. "Daryl… so good… perfect." I moan out to him. My voice spurs him on to speed up and with that he hits my spot dead on. My release washes over me suddenly. Me clenching around him brings him to his own end. The pure euphoria we feel is indescribable. I feel like I'm floating on cloud nine. He slowly pulls out of me what makes me wince from overstimulation. "I'm so happy that you came back to me. I wasn't whole without you." He whispers as we step out of the tub to dry of. "You're not getting rid of me any time soon." I smile back at him.

So this is the story of how I found the love of my life again after years of unknowing.

#daryl x reader #The Walking Dead #ff #alexandria #smut #reader insert #oneshot

[datura-foxglove]

(Dazatsu Week Day 2) Fox Mask

Prompt : Trickster Rating : T (slight violence, but nothing bloody)

Summary : Atsushi had always been fighting alone, protecting the Book which was his only connection to his family that had disappeared along with his memories. He never expected to bind a contract with a kitsune that he unknowingly set free from his seal. (aka Natsume Yuujinchou!AU)

He could hear it.

Snickers.

Whispers.

Even through the thundering of his heart, Nakajima Atsushi could still hear the honeyed voice of fake concerns from the inhabitants of the forest. He panted, breathing labored from the long distance his legs had ran. But even after brazenly going off the dirt trail in the forest, braving the bushes that cut his cheek and arms, he could still feel that presence behind him.

“Hand it over—“ an ominous voice that sounded like stones grinding against each other whispered behind him, but Atsushi ignored it. “Hand the Book over and I will spare your life, human!”

With gritted teeth, Atsushi keep on running. After living through seventeen hellish years, he had learnt painfully from experience to not listen to the voices only he could hear. If only Atsushi could pretend that everything was just in his head and not some nightmarish reality that would never end—

“Ah!” Atsushi screamed as in his bitter thought he had not watched where he was going and he tripped over something. Atsushi fell to the ground, dirt staining his brand new school uniform. If Atsushi wasn’t still chased, he would panic and tried to salvage the uniform. But right now his life was in danger and he had to get up and ran again until he could find a shrine that his foster mother had said to be located nearby before he took off running—

Atsushi stilled, instinct blaring an alarm in his mind. There was something wrong. He didn’t know the reason, but something kept him on the edge. A sensation akin to bugs crawling under his skin made Atsushi jumped to his feet, his eyes frantically trying to find the reason of this unease. His ears couldn’t pick up any noise for the first time in years—

The boy’s eyes widened as he realized with a sudden clarity of how silent his surrounding was. He couldn’t hear any whispers or movement that usually haunted him everywhere he went. Dread piled up in his stomach at the silence, his eyes finding a broken rope near where he had fallen. Not just any old rope, but a sacred rope he knew from his visits to multiple shrines usually keep something sealed away. Something dangerous.

A chill on the air that was completely foreign in the warm weather of spring raised goosebumps along his back. He had to run. He had to leave this place as far away as possible and never look back. But something keep his feet rooted to the spot. The fact that the youkai that had chased after him had disappeared told him that whatever was sealed here was something way more dangerous than that monster. Fear gripped at his heart, whatever it was that he had unleashed to the world could bring doom to this small town he had just started to think as a new start for him. He could very well endanger the couple that had graciously accepted a cursed child like him to their home out of pity.

His hands gripped the sling bag on his chest. If he used the Book as bait and ran as far away from town as possible, could he spare everyone from danger?

With that thought, Atsushi found himself able to muster up enough strength to move his feet. A step. Another step. His pace quickened from a slow walk to a sprint, leaving behind the area sealed by the rope behind him as he ran blindly. He didn’t know where he could escape, but even if he couldn’t outrun the sealed monster, at least he wouldn’t bring another calamity to anyone. The couple that had agreed to become his foster parent may be worried and disappointed because they were kind souls, but they wouldn’t miss him. No one would miss a child that only bring trouble like him. So even if he died—

Atsushi felt a sob spilled from his lips, his eyesight getting blurry.

He didn’t want to die. But what is the worth of an orphan like him?

The boy hugged the bag, clinging to it like a lifeline. He thought if he could understand the Book, then maybe he would uncover the meaning of his life. That maybe Atsushi could do something right with his life for once and proof that he was worthy of his father’s inheritance—

Something slammed to his side, knocking the air out of his lungs and sending his whole body flying. He fell on his back, grunting in pain. He was certain there would be a huge bruise on his back, if he could come out of this predicament alive. To his relief, it was the same monster that had chased after him. It looked ugly, with a big flattened horse like head and scaly fish like body.

“Hurry! Give me the Book!” the monster barked at him, fear apparent in it’s huge eyes. “If you give me the Book now I will even take you away from here!”

Atsushi quickly protected his bag with his arms, his body curled up in fetal position to protect the last remnant of a family that he had forgotten. “No!”

If he lost the Book, then he would also lose himself. Nakajima Atsushi would be no more but an empty husk devoid of any memory that was hidden in the pages of the Book. His wish, his only wish, would be forever be unattainable.

“Then I will just eat you up and search your corpse!” the monster roared and flew towards him with it’s ugly jaw opened wide, threatened to swallow him whole.

Atsushi closed his eyes, his hands still protecting the Book. His last act of defiance. Maybe this would be the best. This way he would no longer bring trouble to the people around him. No one would be hurt anymore because of the things that haunted him. No one would call him a liar and glared at him with disgust anymore. But even so, even with how horrible the life he had had up until now—

‘I don’t want to die.’ Atsushi bit his lower lips as regret filled his heart, more damning than the despair that had weighted him down. ‘I want to live!’

Atsushi opened his eyes, bright with conviction as he willed his body that had been frozen with fright to move. It had been too late, but Atsushi wouldn’t go down like a dog. Even to the last second of his life, he would cling to it.

“Impressive.”

Blue fire burst into existence in front of him, swirling into a circle with him in the center of it. The monster with horse head shrieked when his mouth touched the fire, it shook it’s head in vain attempt to extinguish it. Atsushi’s widened eyes watched as the monster slowly consumed by the fire, his mind felt numb as the monster that had terrorized him all morning burned into ash in front of him. The boy was thankful that he was already on his knees because he didn’t think he could stay standing with how weak his limbs felt.

He was saved.

He was alive.

Atsushi heard the clopping of wooden sandals behind him and he fearfully tilted his head to the side, looking over his shoulder towards the source of the sound. Atsushi blinked when he saw a man in a full getup of black kimono and monochrome haori that he had ever only seen on history books or museum pictures. However, even the man lavish looking traditional garb couldn’t distract Atsushi from a pair of white fox ears in contrast with his black hair and four fluffy fox tails as white as the snow, with the tip darkened to bluish hue.

Weirdly, half of the man’s face and neck were covered in bandages. Atsushi could also spot bandages on the man’s arms when he lifted his hand to his chin and watched Atsushi with amusement twinkling in that eye. The man smiled, but that smile only made the boy tensed up more. Due to his quiet and cowardly nature, Atsushi had paid a good amount of attention to people’s expression and body languages. He wasn’t a master in reading people, but at least he could vaguely guess what it was in their mind. Whether they were disgusted at him or wanted to hurt him, whether their concern was genuine or just a fake politeness, or whether they wanted him out of their sight or close to snapping at him.

However, the man… no, the kitsune in front of him was completely unreadable to Atsushi. He had seen and read the tales of youkai known as kitsune. Counting the number of tails the kitsune in front of him had and the fact that he was probably the one who had completely obliterated the youkai that had chased after him in no time, Atsushi had escaped from the jaw of a tiger only to leap towards the jaw of a crocodile. Atsushi hugged the Book protectively in his arms, the kitsune lifted a brow at the sight but doing nothing.

It was impossible that the kitsune saved him without reason. The only thing Atsushi could think of at the moment was that he also aimed for the Book. The blue fire still burned around him, yet doing no damage to the grass beneath them. Atsushi was trapped, he couldn’t just lung past the fire if he didn’t want to end up with the same fate as the burnt youkai before him. He may be a bit proud with his athletic capabilities, but he couldn’t jump the fire ring.

“Relax, I’m not interested in that Book.” The kitsune grinned, looking completely friendly and harmless. “It’s true that my Ability is sealed inside that Book, but I am not in a hurry to retrieve it.”

Atsushi frowned. He had heard that the Book contained power so great that not just youkai, but even humans couldn’t keep their hands off it. But this was the first time he had ever heard something called Ability was sealed inside it. If what the fox said was true, then Atsushi had something that once belonged to the youkai.

Atsushi shook his head, angrily berating himself for falling to the ploy of the youkai most famous for their trickster status.

The kitsune pouted. It was adorable, but Atsushi fought to keep the corner of his lips to twitch upwards. “You don’t believe me? I’m hurt.”

“Please excuse me for not believing a kitsune.” Atsushi kicked himself in his mind for letting that barb out before he could filter it in his brain. “I-I’m sorry.”

The kitsune chuckled, it sounded pleasant in his ears, like the chime of bells. “You are an interesting one, delivering such sass and then apologizing afterwards.” He shrugged. “Believe it or not, I have no interest with that Book.” Atsushi saw a flash of disgust bled through the kitsune’s expression before it disappeared back into friendly smile.

With a snap of his fingers, the blue flame vanished into the thin air and before Atsushi could blink the kitsune was suddenly standing before him with barely a gust of wind. Atsushi’s sucked in a sharp breath when the beautiful kitsune cupped his hands on Atsushi’s cheeks, not touching him but Atsushi could almost feel the warmth. The kitsune’s fluffy tails wrapped around them like a cocoon, hiding them from the curious eyes.

This close, Atsushi could see the only visible chocolate eye clearly. A phrase from a book he had read echoed in his mind like a warning.

If you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.

“I’m more interested in you.” The kitsune whispered, voice low and full of wonder. “I like the brightness of your eyes.”

Atsushi froze. It was the first time he had ever heard someone liking something about him. He wonder if the disbelief was apparent in his expression, because the kitsune chuckled and leaned back. Like waking up from a dream, whatever haziness in his mind cleared when that eye no longer gazed at him so intently.

“If it’s so hard to belief, how about this?” The kitsune took out something from the sleeve of his kimono, showing Atsushi a piece of sacred rope. “You have set me free. It was unneeded as I can break that seal in around ten more years, but I appreciate the assistance.”

Atsushi gaped at the kitsune. So this kitsune was the one sealed back there?

“We youkai always return our debt.” The kitsune winked at him. “As thanks for releasing me from that seal, I will protect you from other youkai until the day you died.”

Atsushi was sure his jaw had fallen to the ground. “Protect… me?”

“Entrusting my name to you, we shall create a contract.” The air thrummed with power as the youkai weaved magic into his words. He offered his hand to Atsushi. “Exchanging our names will bind the contract between our souls.”

It was foolish to believe a kitsune. It was even more stupid to bind a contract with a youkai.

But this youkai offered his hand to him, the only one who protected him. It may be just because of debt, or his so interest in him. In the future, the kitsune may betrayed him and stole the Book in the end or even killed him. Still—

He had always been alone. His family was lost to him along with his memories. Handed from foster homes back to orphanages had destroyed his dream to have a family. No one wanted to befriend a child that brought misfortunes like him. The youkai had done nothing but haunted his life and threatened his only and most treasured possession for all of his life. But this kitsune is a youkai. A strong one too. He could see the same sight as Atsushi and no other youkai could harm him. If he was truly bound to Atsushi, then maybe for once in his life Atsushi could have something that wouldn’t change. He was exhausted, body and mind, to continue fighting on alone.

Atsushi knew he was grasping for reasons, but he couldn’t help himself but to feel giddy over the possibility of having a companion. Maybe even a friend. How ironic it was that his very first friend turned out to be a youkai.

With great effort, Atsushi finally able to release his hold on the bag containing the Book. The kitsune’s expression didn’t change, his eye completely fixed on Atsushi rather than the Book. Encouraged by this, Atsushi put his shaking hands on the hand offered to him. The kitsune gently hold his shaking hands and the boy desperately clung to it like a lifeline.

“My name is Dazai.”

“My name…” Atsushi let out a breath, hesitation making way for resolve in his eyes. “Nakajima Atsushi.”

Atsushi felt it more than saw it. A thread of light binding his soul to Dazai’s. It was a fragile looking thing, a thin thread that felt like it would snap at any moment, but Atsushi finally felt a connection to another being in his life.

It was exhilarating. He wanted to sob from the sheer joy of it, and Atsushi was never good at holding back his emotions. Atsushi saw Dazai’s single eye widened in surprise at seeing him crying his heart out. The kitsune didn’t say anything, but Atsushi could feel the gentle touch of fluffy tails wrapping around his trembling body.

#dazatsu week 2019 #dazatsu #dazai osamu #nakajima atsushi #fanfic #natsume yuujinchou!AU #change the yuujinchou with the Book #and then change names with abilities #voila you get the natsume yuujinchou!au #one of the aus I want to explore further soon

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Saviour

Summary: Saving your life was a risk Minhyun tried to avoid taking. He wasn’t prepared to have you enter his world, but for some reason he didn’t want to let you go either, and this confused you the longer you were in his company.

Characters: Hwang Minhyun x reader

Genre: vampire au

Warnings: angst / almost death experience

A/N: So I knew I needed a soft vampire this week, and who better than Hwang Minhyun? You guys sick of how much I write him? No? Me either! I will warn you … he doesn’t sparkle, but perhaps he’s a litttttle cringey like Edward Cullen? I hope not. But I couldn’t help a couple of references to Twilight and Beauty and the Beast in this piece. I had a lot of fun with this story, and I hope you do reading it.

This idea stems from a short vampire piece I wrote called Banish. It’s not relevant to read first, but I’ve linked it if you would like to afterwards.

Word count: 5609

He wasn’t going to interfere.

After all, it looked like the wolves that had you trapped wanted to be fed too, and they had done well at pursuing you into this clearing, surrounding you on all sides. Minhyun was far too ravenous and today was his own hunting day. He didn’t need the further complications of helping you and dealing with the five wolves. You weren’t really much of a meal for that many anyways. They would still be hungry after devouring you and he didn’t like wolves and their pack mentality at the best of times, let alone when still not full from eating. The last human he had saved from them only tried to get him killed for who he was, horrified even after all he had gone through to save him that a vampire had so much as touched them.

It was then when he swore he wouldn’t help another human again.

It wasn’t exactly easy for him either. Humans were delicious, but he preferred to avoid them. Minhyun remembered being human once, many decades ago. He would sometimes think back to his juvenile dreams for his life before it was stolen and traded for immortality. He didn’t like what happened to him, and he had no desire in following the same footsteps as his own murderer had. And most of the time, given it was the modern age; Minhyun could have a civilised glass of blood with his dinner from one of the many blood banks that supplied his clan.  

But there were times where the beast inside of him needed a stretch, to do what mother nature intended best. And so he would once every few months hunt down an animal or two, just to satiate his need to dominate his meal. Of course, he hadn’t planned to run into this scenario today.

Watching from within the trees that surrounded the clearing, Minhyun winced as the leader signalled for a couple of younger wolves to leap at you, his underlings doing the hard work for the others first. They enclosed on you as you screamed, begging for your life to be saved. It took all of his strength to turn away and not watch on, swallowing roughly as his morals started to rise up in his chest.

Should a vampire still be controlled by such humanlike characteristics? All the others in his clan weren’t as hesitant when it came to humans. They respected them, but they also wouldn’t allow precious blood to seep into the soil like Minhyun was now. Your cries were easing off; more so because you had little energy to do anything but focus on breathing through the immense pain you were in. He could tell they dogs were having their fun with you now, and he willed himself to walk off, to leave them to their meal and let you die.

And with a loud groan he was moving, but not in the way he had been convincing himself to go. Running across the field, the wolves were alerted to his approach, the leader having watched him for some time in the tree line. Blocking him from their meal, three of the wolves tried to encircle him and he sighed heavily, rolling up a sleeve of his jacket.

“Why do you always think you’re superior because you travel together?” he asked, eyeing them as he finished rolling up the second sleeve.

It was futile to do such a thing when he knew his whole outfit would be covered in blood at some point. All the same it was a symbol of dominance and the biggest of the three chuckled at the idea he could win over them. It was him who he sent flying first, his yelp filling the field as he fell to the ground with a bone crushing thud. In a similar manner, Minhyun deftly made his way around the pack, leaving the leader for last. Unlike the others who he killed with strength, he sunk his teeth into his neck, drinking his meal like the wild animal he was right now. The thrill of adrenalin and the taste of blood was euphoric, as he sank to his knees enjoying his fill. He panted for some time when he was done with the dog, wiping the blood running down his chin as he eyed you from nearby. Although he drank more than he usually did, it still was hard to hold back from rushing to you and ending your life. From where he knelt, he could see your injuries were extensive, they had attacked in a way that would have you dead very soon.

It took further strength than he had used in some time given how intoxicating you smelt to scoop you up in his arms. You were now unconscious and your head lolled to the side in your new position, exposing your neck to him. Minhyun stared for only a second at the beautiful carotid artery in your neck before he sped home and laid you down in the guest room. Standing over top of you, he reminded himself one more time that he was insane to have come this far with you.

“Don’t make me regret this,” he spoke softly, half pleading with you as he bit into his wrist and let a couple drops of his blood fall into the large wound over your stomach. Satisfied that your healing would begin, he stepped out of the room and closed the door, trying his hardest not to turn around and take your life as his own.

You were certain you were dreaming. You remembered the wolves, the way they had ripped at you in that field. Your screams still echoed in your mind, and the blackness that you fell into felt cold, yet strong. At one point you believed you were flying, whizzing through the forest in the delirious state between life and death. And then you felt the searing pain all too well as you slipped into nothingness. There you stayed for what felt like days, your heavy eyelids struggling to open and show you a room that you had never seen before.

And so this had to be a dream, because you had died in that forest clearing.

Yet why did you still feel very much so alive? The bed you laid upon was soft and plush, encasing you in comfort that eased all your aches and pains from the attack. As you sat up, you marvelled at how much it hurt to do so, wasn’t death meant to remove all the pain in your body? In every dream you had before you had never felt pain like this before either.

Your eyes scanned the room. It was without any personal touches, housing little furniture and very clean. As you continued your look around it, you noticed a bowl on the nightstand and a cloth resting on the side of it. You frowned; it looked so needlessly out of place. It appeared the type of thing you would put beside someone who you were nursing through a fever, and you lifted your hand to your forehead, feeling weak in the progress but no temperature seemed present. It was then that you noticed the cuff of the man’s shirt, your eyes widening at the disappearance of your clothes.

“Why am I like this?” you wondered aloud, easing yourself off the bed and padding over to the mirror upon the wall. You gasped at the bruises that were deep shades of purple and a discolouring green edged some of them, indicating they were no longer fresh. You looked like hell. Glancing down at your clothes, or lack thereof, and then at the door, you decided to search the place some more for answers.

Upon stepping over the threshold, you were in the middle of a hallway, two further doors to the right of you and an opening to the left. It felt more welcoming to head that way and so you slowly made your way down the hallway, ignoring the bruises on your legs that no doubt were the reason they felt so shaky. You were greeted with a living area, as tidy as the rest of the house appeared, blinking a couple of times as you watched a robot vacuum whiz over the wooden floors in the methodical way. You looked ahead and noticed the space shifted into the dining area with a table that only seated two, and you assumed the kitchen was around the corner. Your eyes turned to the large windows on the wall beside you, admiring a garden of roses and a manicured lawn that boasted a small water fountain in the middle.

You were definitely in the wrong place.

This was all too lush from your normal shabby and cramped up studio apartment, which you had never had time to clean enough from working four jobs to make ends meet. This was like a fairytale, the type of home you saw in Beauty and the Beast, smiling to yourself as you continued to eye the roses appreciatively.

But there was no sign of the living and it unnerved you to be so alone. Rubbing gently at your arms as you felt loneliness seep in, you moved up into the dining room, stopping as you noticed there was a further door hidden to the side.

You were definitely feeling like Belle now, entering a library that spanned up to the ceiling in books. Your eyes soaked them in excitedly, some titles standing out more than others, as you made your way around the room slowly.

And then your eyes connected with a deep set of umber orbs, staring back at you with an intensity that you couldn’t quite decipher. He was beautiful in a way that no man should be. His face alone was one that you had never seen before, so flawless and pretty, yet there was a definite masculine undertone to the shape of his jaw line. His eyes were feline shaped, which entranced you the longer you felt them upon you. And then you noticed his mouth was moving, but you couldn’t quite understand him due to being so overwhelmed. He stood up from behind the desk and you blinked, he was unnecessarily tall, his broad shoulders and long legs complimented with a slender torso. You were unhinged by such beauty, and completely unaware of the danger that exuded from the man.

He didn’t move, but his head tilted to the side, and you realised his mouth was no longer talking. You blinked rapidly and shook off your stupor. “I… I’m so sorry, I don’t know why I’m here.”

“I brought you here,” he confirmed and you gasped, his voice wasn’t what you were expecting. He seemed amused at how affected you were, but kept his distance. “Do you feel better now?”

“Hm?” You gazed dumbfounded at him for a moment and then looked down at yourself, flinching at how you looked in comparison. You were instantly embarrassed, your eyes wide and avoiding his. “Oh uh, yes, I think I’m fine. I think.”

“Are you sure?” There was a hint of amusement and your hands flew to the end of the shirt and pressed it further into your thighs, even though it made you wince. He coughed then, and you glanced up just in time for his eyes to immediately fall away from staring at what you had done. For some reason it eased you to see him react that way.

“Am I dead?” you asked, hoping for the first time since you woke up that this was very real. It would be just your luck someone as gorgeous as him would be something your mind conjured up.

“You almost were,” he said softly, looking as if he wanted to move around the desk, but kept himself where he was reluctantly. “But you look much better now.”

“But, I was certain-”

“I saved you,” he admitted, looking somewhat embarrassed despite the lack of a blush. He rubbed at the back of his neck and glanced towards one of the vast bookcases on the wall. “I happened to be out in the forest too, and once the wolves were gone, I picked you up and brought you here.”

It simply wasn’t plausible. Your mind hazily went back to the start of your nightmare, counting several wolves. You knew they wouldn’t leave you; they had started chasing you as soon as you had made the wrong turn in heading back to your campsite where you were staying with some friends. There had only been two in the beginning, but they herded you until you were trapped in the clearing. Looking back at the man before you, whilst he seemed to have strong arms, you doubted he could save you from so many wolves and still look that perfect. Either he discovered you after the wolves perhaps found something further to interest them, or there was more to the story. And with the look he was giving you, it wasn’t long until you believed he wasn’t telling you everything.

“Are you hungry?” he asked suddenly, rounding the desk so fast and getting to the door before you could even respond. Did he really walk that fast? He looked uneasy, and perhaps since you were still disorientated, he had walked normally but your mind was still stuck on the problem over his rescuing. You smiled a little, nodding and following him out the door.

The man looked at ease in the kitchen, preparing your meal with an efficient silence. He had directed you to sit down before starting and you did so, watching him for some time before questions grew inside of you. “What is your name?”

“Minhyun.”

“I’m Y/N.”

“How lovely,” he mentioned with a small smile playing on his lips, tilting his head again as if that allowed him to hear your name more clearly into his soul. His own seemed to fit him well, and you were pleased to have something to call him by.

Plausible or not, if he had saved you then you would be indebted to him for some time, and want to make sure you could do so pleasantly.

The meal was soon served up in front of you, and you barely looked at it before you inhaled it. You couldn’t tell what it was, but it was hot, you were certain there was some beef in there, and most importantly it was delicious.

“You seem to have a nice appetite,” he said with a smile as you placed your utensils down, and you blushed, the colour on your cheeks seeming to entrance him. You had noticed it earlier too when you were embarrassed, and you wonder why blood rushing to your face would entice someone to stare like that.

Your mere thought was enough to somehow trigger Minhyun to blink rapidly and look away, grabbing the dishes from you and taking them to the kitchen. You got up to help him but he held out a hand, shaking his head a little. “Please, go rest. I can easily clean this up.”

“Are you sure?”

He nodded and shot you a quick, but very warming smile. “You’re my guest.”

You had remained a guest at Minhyun’s home now for two months. You hadn’t meant to stay so long, at first he insisted you stay until the bruises healed. And then when your skin was clear, he mentioned due to the snow outside it was too dangerous to head back into the city. After that, you had come down with a cold from going out too many times to see the winter roses up close, and spent much time in your bedroom resting with Minhyun checking in on you every few hours. And now, well you didn’t know what was keeping you here, but you were reluctant to leave.

You didn’t want the dream to stop. Deep down you had fallen in love with the reserved intellectual, fascinated by the way his mind worked, by how much you had in common over book choices, and the quiet lifestyle here at the edge of the forest was one that you had always wanted to live. It was what brought you camping all that time ago, escaping the pollution and the bustle of the city, away from your less than ideal life. Here you were free to be how you pleased without caring about where your next meal would come from.

You weren’t a freeloader though, and shortly after insisting you pay for your keep, Minhyun gave you tasks around his home in exchange for his delicious cooking. You still felt like you had the advantage, but he would always chastise you if you ever brought it up. Secretly you believed he had been lonely until your arrival, and you hoped that the reason he kept you here was because he would miss you as much as you knew you’d miss him.

You wished you could live like this forever.

The longer you were in his company, some things started to confuse you though. How he would eat little, but drink red wine every night. He wouldn’t let you drink it either, your glass only ever filled with water, or sometimes a freshly squeezed juice he would often make you. How he would never need to leave for a job, yet could afford to have large cartons of groceries or new clothes for you delivered to the house. How he would insist you go to bed precisely at 10pm every night and if you would struggle you would suddenly be hit with so much exhaustion it felt unnatural with how quickly it settled in. Your relationship was now comfortable, and although he still maintained his distance; he was much closer than he had been in the beginning. Whenever you got too close however, he would distract you enough to move away, or step back and avoid your gaze.

Minhyun was such a puzzle for you, but you were determined to figure him out. You prayed you hadn’t built something up in your chest for your saviour that wouldn’t be reciprocated.

Your rescue frequently played on your mind too. It still didn’t seem right that Minhyun had easily taken you back to his home from what you remembered. Sometimes you would dream that he was more than a human. It fitted so many of his little quirks, and made you at ease with how he had managed to save you. In your slumber you were certain you had seen him cross the clearing, sent the wolves flying with unbelievable strength and sunk sharp fangs into the neck of another before coming to your side. Whenever you woke up from these fantastical events, you would shake off the foolishness. You already felt like this was like Beauty and the Beast, you didn’t need to add in Twilight as well. It made you giggle thinking of the protagonists in both stories sharing almost the same name though. Some days you would wish your name was Bella too; Minhyun seemed almost too good to be true.

But without any sign of his skin sparkling, and the fact that he would be up day and night, your vampire theory was untested and frankly made you feel juvenile. If you caught yourself unable to shake off the feeling though, and stared at him trying to find his canines pointed or other vamparish signals, Minhyun would get up and avoid you for the rest of the day. Not only did you feel stupid, but he was punishing you by keeping out of your company. You tried to rein in that behaviour quickly.

You were curious though. He knew all about you, but you hardly knew about his past, or what his goals in life were. Minhyun would simply say things like “to see the roses bloom often” or “living here in the forest” as his goals. But you knew there had to be more to a person and their life wishes. It was almost as if he didn’t wish to live but existed for the simple pleasures that surrounded him.

Which is why you were shocked at the arrival of someone new. He was just as handsome as Minhyun was, entering the home and confusing you how he managed to make it through the thickly nestled snow outside. Minhyun didn’t seem as confused, greeting the man with a smile and hug.

You didn’t know why you felt so jealous of two men hugging, but the idea that Minhyun’s arms hadn’t once wrapped around you soon answered the envy you were experiencing.

“What brings you here?” Minhyun asked with delight, your own eyes growing smaller as you pursed your lips together in annoyance.

“I was in the area,” the other man mentioned and you scoffed at the absurdity of his statement, both men turning to look at you. As your face flushed with colour at their attention, you noticed a similar expression in the newcomer’s face that you often saw Minhyun do when you blushed. He then turned to give silent judgement to his friend. Minhyun was all too quick at ushering him into the living room and away from you. Following slowly, you kept your distance, but the man smiled at you and gestured for you to sit in an armchair nearby. Minhyun was rigid with your presence and you half wondered if you should go to your room instead. “Please, sit won’t you?”

You finally did as requested by the new man and clasped your hands together in your lap.

“What is your name?”

“It’s Y/N,” Minhyun answered and you glared at him for speaking on your behalf. Minhyun sighed and finally took a seat next to his friend. “Jonghyun-hyung, you need to give more warning when you plan to visit.”

“Why, so you could hide the human?” The sentence was far too casual, and yet your eyes widened with it, Minhyun freezing beside him. Jonghyun laughed and if you hadn’t of been so shocked, it would have sounded like a beautiful melody to your ears. “You know I would have smelt her blood from miles away, why bother.”

“H-hyung, stop.”

“Did she not realise you weren’t human too?” Jonghyun enquired, both talking as if you weren’t in the room.

You cleared your throat and spoke quietly. “I did realise.”

Minhyun’s eyes snapped onto yours and stared for an immeasurable time, only blinking away when Jonghyun laughed. “Are you not going to offer me a drink?”

“Y/N, perhaps for tonight you could go to your room?” Minhyun said, though you knew it was a request. Nodding to him, despite Jonghyun’s opposite response, you got up and took yourself off to your bedroom, sitting in the dark and revelling in what you had heard.

Did she not realise you weren’t human too? The puzzle had been somewhat solved, yet you weren’t satisfied. You hoped that whatever spell Minhyun placed over you at night would hurry and reach you so you could rest through all the racing within your mind.

When you woke it was early morning. You were used to rising early from having your first job delivering papers and milk start before the sun was up, and normally you would wait in your room until the light brightened through your curtains. Instead you climbed out of your bed, changed quietly into your outfit for the day, and opened your door as softly as you could. The idea was soon pointless as you remembered the night before.

Did she not realise you weren’t human too?

If Minhyun was what you thought he was, he would be able to hear everything you did, even the beating of your own heart from the other end of the house. You swallowed, hoping the noise wasn’t too loud for this time of morning. Venturing into the living area of the house, you found signs of the friends drinking many glasses of their specific red wine by the uncharacteristically messy scene on the coffee table, and you edged up into the library, closing the door behind you and stopping in your tracks when you found Minhyun at his desk reading a book under the lamp light.

Did he never use his own bedroom, you wondered as you cautiously stepped forward into your favourite room in his house. He glanced up at you when you were close enough and sighed. “Stop there.”

“I guess you rise early too?”

Minhyun gave you another of his confusing stares and avoided answering; soon turning his head back to the text in front of him.

It irked you. “Were you ever going to tell me?”

“Did you have a need to know? You were perfectly happy here with me regardless.”

“Whilst that’s true, you knew I was curious too. I have so many questions, and you were truly going to leave me guessing over them forever, weren’t you.” It wasn’t a question, you knew deep down he had no desire in sharing himself with you. It hurt you to realise how little Minhyun thought of you, and you bit back your emotions for only a moment. He was watching you from the corner of his eyes and they widened when he saw your new resolve. “When the snow melts, I’ll leave.”

“Is, is that what you want?” he asked hesitantly, refusing to catch your gaze. He was making it impossible for you to breathe. You had hoped the sentence would make him react in some other way. Perhaps the romantic in you had given you the foolish notion that he’d beg you to stay. This was more of an angst storyline than you had given it credit in the past.

“I don’t want to be a burden for your lifestyle anymore,” you answered, hoping that throwing it back on him would make his stone like face shift away from the way he was holding it now.

It didn’t, although he graced you with a single nod of his head. “Very well then.”

You spent the rest of your day in your room, mostly numb from your encounter. You refused breakfast and lunch. By dinner there was a knock at your door and nothing else, your head peering out soon after to find a meal on a tray sitting outside your door. And for the next couple of days whilst Jonghyun visited that’s how you lived. Trapped in the small confines of your room, eating alone, ruminating far too much, and becoming entirely depressed. Your fairytale had found its way into reality, and you had forgotten how cruel life had always been to you in the past.

When you saw Jonghyun heading down the pathway where the snow had begun to melt, you were saddened. Not only had you spent all this time away from the pair, and had very little knowledge over Jonghyun, the ease of how he travelled meant you didn’t have long until your own departure. You began making lists of what you needed to pack.

It was during this time that you realised you wanted to take the book you had loved the most in the library back with you. You were certain Minhyun would allow you that much, given how often he teased you for loving it so much. He practically placed it within your hands whenever you entered the library; the feeling of the leather covering alone was comforting enough. After an hour of deliberating over how to request the book, you finally got up and opened the door, rocking back on your heels as Minhyun stood resting against the opposite wall, the book within his grasp.

You couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. “So you can read minds as well, how fitting.”

Extending the book to you, Minhyun eyed you carefully, his gaze not leaving yours even when you held what you wanted within your arms. It unnerved you the way he didn’t relinquish you as easily as the book and it took much effort for you to tear your own away. “Thank you.”

“I should be the one thanking you,” he started, and you willed yourself not to travel back to his face. Your eyes only listened somewhat and you stared at his chest instead. It didn’t appear to move like yours and you laughed inwardly, wondering why you had never picked that up in your many searches. Minhyun sighed. “I made an effort to look humanlike to you.”

His chest started rising and falling again and it made you smile a little.

“Will you listen to me?”

“Did you want to hear me?” you asked instead, finally allowing your eyes to find his again.

He nodded. “Every word, every thought, everything.”

“But you would let me be unknowing of this.”

“How was I meant to explain it to you?” He huffed in frustration, showing the emotion for the first time in front of you. It surprised you with how worked up he was becoming. “When you woke up, I was relieved that you had lived after all. You almost died more than once whilst I treated you. And then you were just so happy. You smiled at everything. It was like everything around you was so magical to you.”

He moved forward, and you blinked, this was as close as Minhyun had ever been to you. Glancing up at him, you waited for him to continue.

“You were settled, telling you I was… that I am-”

“That you are a vampire,” you mentioned softly and he stopped moving altogether, frozen by the admission of what he was. You smiled gently as you looked up at him. “You were worried I would run away?”

“Everyone else has,” he managed, breathing a little heavily despite not needing to. It comforted you all the same. “I helped someone in the past; he tried to get me killed even though I saved him. I promised myself I wouldn’t help another human, but you were just laying there dying and I couldn’t turn away from you. And then I liked having you here too much to lose you. I guess I still am though.”

“Do you want me to stay?” you whispered and Minhyun blinked a couple of times. You knew you had to continue before your emotions rose too much. “I was only leaving because I thought you didn’t care for me like I care about you.”

“Of course I care about you, do you know how tantalising your blood’s scent is to me? How difficult it was to not eat you myself when I was healing you? How whenever you blush all I want to do is feel the warmth of your cheeks in my cold hands? Y/N, the idea of me not caring about you is so far from the truth. I’m sorry if you thought I didn’t. It was my way of protecting you from all of this.”

“All of what?”

“Of me,” he replied, and you shifted closer to him, Minhyun’s eyes widening. You could feel the texture of his sweater on your hand now, and even you were nervous being this close. Not because of what he was, but in case he rejected what you wanted to do. Glancing up at Minhyun, you then grabbed one of his hands and guided it up to your cheek. He gasped a little once you let him go, but thankfully he didn’t pull away, instead his other hand reached for the side of your neck, his thumb lightly running circles on your jaw line.

“I trust you,” you told him and that was enough to convince Minhyun to lower his head to yours so fast that you had little time to blink. You had always imagined this kiss. Given his reserved nature, you had thought it would be slow, his lips barely brushing against yours. However he was pressing into your mouth, kissing you with such passion that your knees felt weak. You gripped at his sweater to hold yourself up as the kiss deepened and you couldn’t help but smile into it either. It was better than any fantasy you had over his lips.

When he pulled away you were thankful, since it was getting hard to breathe. He seemed to realise that he had sucked the air out of your lungs and sheepishly smiled at you before resting his head on yours. “Sorry, I just, I wanted that for so long.”

“Don’t apologise, I could have pulled back sooner too, I just didn’t want to.”

Minhyun chuckled. “Now I have to learn a new level of control when it comes to you.”

“Oh?”

He shifted back enough to gaze into your eyes. “All this time I’ve held back because I wanted this so much. Now, I’ll have to work on restraining myself because I’ve tasted you once and it’ll be all I want to do.”

It made you giddy to hear how honest he felt about you. Smiling, you reached up to peck his lips lightly before settling back on your feet. “Thank you for saving me. If you hadn’t I wouldn’t have experienced something so wonderful.”

“Kissing a vampire is wonderful to you?” he asked and you laughed lightly.

“Loving you regardless of what you are is what I am thankful for.”

The look in his eyes was so unbridled that you barely prepared before another whirlwind kiss was taking over you completely. It seemed that there was a lot you needed to learn about Minhyun. But that was okay, because you had all the time in the world now that you weren’t leaving his side.

________________

Welcome to Frightful October, a collab between myself and @this-song-thats-only-for-you … this week’s theme is Bloodlust! To follow more of the stories check out the links below:

Other stories in Bloodlust: Deal / Saviour / Culmination / His Salvation

Frightful October Masterlist | Main Masterlist | Request Guidelines

#hwang minhyun #minhyun #wanna one #nuest #wannaonenetwork #nuest imagines #nuest scenarios #nuest fiction #nuest au #nuest supernatural #wanna one imagines #wanna one scenarios #wanna one fiction #wanna one au #wanna one supernatural #vampire au #minhyun imagines #minhyun scenarios #minhyun fiction #minhyun au #vampire minhyun #minhyun supernatural #frightful october #frightful october bloodlust #prettywordsyouleft writes

[viciousheart]

VIVIANA  DELUCA  PETS  !

BEAST   ---

in  the  sixteenth  century,  viviana  came  across  an  injured  harpy  eagle  while  she  was  travelling  through  brazil.  it  was  small,  young,  and  other  harpy  eagles  were  picking  at  him,  waiting  for  it  to  die  to  scavenge  its  bones.  she  rescued  it,  and  nursed  it  back  to  health,  until  it  became  an  impossibly  big,  strong…  beast.  no  bird  should  be  that  huge!  he  even  out  grew  the  other  harpy  eagles  that  once  looked  to  eat  him.  and,  man,  if  beast  came  across  them  now,  he  would  tears  every  one  of  them  to  shreds.  

and  she  considered  releasing  it  back  into  the  wild,  but  it  had  become  too  attached  to  her,   (   and  she  became  too  attached  to  him,  as  well.   )    and  so  she  couldn’t.  besides,  don’t  all  villains  have  a  terrifying  pet?  beast  certainly  fit  the  terrifying  part.  and  she  may  already  have  a  giant  tiger,  but  this  bird  has  impressed  her  with  its  keen  eye,  fast  wings,  and  strangely  human  -  like  mind.  so,  who  says  villains  can’t  have  two  terrifying  pets   ---   or  as  many  as  they  want!

as  the  eagle  became  an  adult,  he  became  a  staple  of  viviana’s,  even  more  than  zoren.  wherever  she  is,  beast  is  not  far  away.  and  he  is  smart,  as  well.  much  smarter  than  any  regular  bird.  viviana  had  to  teach  him  some  commands,  but,  now,  beast  seems  to  know  what  she  wants  him  to  do  before  she  even  asks.  so,  over  time,  she  grew  to  adore  the  bird,  love  him,  even,  and  had  her  witch,  elizabeth,  spell  it  with  immortality  so  that  she’d  never  have  to  experience  loosing  him.

he  has  been  by  her  side  since.  

and,  in  the  supernatural  community,  beast  is  kind  of  a  dark  omen.  if  you  see  him  circling  up  over  head,  it  means  darkness,  in  the  form  of  a  beautiful  woman,  is  not  far  behind.  he  heralds  her  arrival,  showing  up  and  scouting  out  any  given  place  for  her  before  she  arrives.  beast  strikes  his  own  feeling  of  dread  in  the  hearts  of  all  who  know  viviana’s  legend.  in  myths,  they  call  him  the  blood  queen’s  most  mighty,  most  horrifying  beast.  and  he  is  now  a  legend  in  his  own  right.

* BEAST  EXISTS  IN  ALL  VERSES  WITH  SIMILAR  ORGIN  STORIES

GALLANT   ---   

as  a  gift  for  learning  how  to  ride  so  quickly  and  beautiful,  and  as  a  show  of  affection,  alexander  gifted  her  a  prized  horse  that  viviana  would  name  gallant.  because  with  his  sturdy,  strong,  enormous  figure,  sleek  black  coat,  and  shining  curly  black  mane,  he  looks  like  a  noble,  gallant  knight  that  she  would  read  about  in  fairytales.  he  was  the  most  perfect  gift  that  viviana’s  ever  received  in  all  her  thousand  years.  from  the  very  start,  gallant  seemed  to  know  that  he  was  viviana’s  horse,  and  he  attached  himself  to  her  quite  quickly,  giving  her  his  trust  and  loyalty  unflinchingly.  it  was  like  he  could  see  her  heart,  and  he  knew  that  it  was  good,  and  pure.

every  moment  she  could,  viviana  was  riding  gallant.  sometimes  with  alex,  sometimes  by  herself.  alex  said  that  he  was  the  fastest,  strongest  horse  alive,  and  viviana  could  believe  that.  he  ran  so  fast,  she  suspects  they  were  nothing  but  a  blur.  and  he  moved  so  expertly,  so  agilely  through  the  forest,  easily  jumping  over  fallen  logs  and  side  stepping  tree  roots.  sometimes,  when  they  got  running  really  fast,  viviana  swore  that  gallant  would  sprout  wings  and  start  to  fly. 

gallant  was  a  giant  of  a  horse.  at  5′7′′,  viviana  could  still  only  mount  him  if  she  got  a  leg  up,  or  if  she  stepped  up  on  a  stool.  and  gallant  seemed  to  notice  this,  and  eventually  he  started  kneeling  when  he  knew  viviana  was  about  to  mount  him.  he’d  go  down  on  his  front  to  legs  and  wait  for  her  to  give  the  signal   ---   two  taps  on  his  back   ---   and  he’d  rise  back  up  again.  she  has  no  idea  what  prompted  him  to  start  doing  this,  perhaps  it  was  his  desire  to  please  her.  but,  since  she  preferred  riding  bareback,  holding  fistfuls  of  his  mane  to  secure  her,  this  was  helpful.

she  spent  more  time  riding  gallant  than  anywhere  else.  she  had  her  favourite  stop,  at  the  cliff’s  edge.  viviana  would  close  her  eyes,  lean  into  gallant,  and  just  let  him  loose.  in  those  moments,  with  the  wind  whipping  at  her  face  and  the  sound  of  gallant’s  heavy  breath  and  pounding  hooves  the  only  thing  she  can  hear   ---   those  were  the  best  moments.  she  felt  like  she  was  flying.  and,  sometimes,  as  they  were  running,  she’d  just  open  her  mouth  and  scream.  she’d  scream  until  she  couldn’t  scream  anymore,  or  until  gallant  reached  the  top  of  the  hill.  these  were  the  only  times  she  felt  free,  the  only  times  she  felt  hopeful  for  a  better  future. 

* GALLANT  EXISTS  IN  MOST  VERSES  WITH  SIMILAR  ORGIN  STORIES

ARIA   ---  

in  azgeda,  they  used  ravens  to  send  messages  back  and  forth  like  they  would  in  the  books  viviana  read.  and  though  her  uncle  told  her  the  raven  wasn’t  a  pet,  viviana  came  to  love  her  and  treat  her  as  one,  anyway,  and  she  named  her  aria  because  aria  means  melody,  and  the  raven  sang  the  most  beautiful  tunes  that  viviana  had  ever  heard.  she’s  even  learned  to  mimic  words  that  she  hears,  such  as  viviana,  and  jupiter.  and,  even  though  everyone’s  told  her  that  she’s  just  a  bird,  viviana  feels  a  connection  with  aria  that  she  never  has  before.  she  believes  the  bird  does,  truly,  care  for  her.  to  viviana,  aria  is  so  much  more  than  just  a  bird.  she’s  her  friend.

aria’s  undoubtably  the  smallest  raven  among  azgeda’s  flock.  she’s  even  smaller  than  your  average  sized  crow.  but  aria  doesn’t  seem  to  know  this.  she  acts  like  she’s  the  biggest  one  in  the  ravenry,  and  she  puts  all  the  other  ravens  who  would  take  advantage  of  her  small  size,  in  their  place.  now,  every  one  of  them  keep  as  far  away  from  her  as  they  can,  always  letting  her  eat  first  and  get  the  best  perch  that  gets  just  the  right  amount  of  sunshine.  

but  aria  isn’t  really  interested  in  the  other  birds.  she  loves  viviana’s  horse,  jupiter,  even  though  he  doesn’t  return  the  affection,  barely  tolerating  her.  mostly,  she  loves  viviana.  she  always  seems  to  know  when  viviana’s  coming  outside,  immediately  flying  over  to  her  and  perching  on  her  shoulder,  staying  close  as  she  does  whatever  she  needs  to  outside.  and  when  viviana  goes  for  a  ride,  aria  flies  along  side  them,  whistling  the  sweetest  tune  as  they  go.  

and  viviana  keeps  her  bedroom  window  open  for  aria.  azgeda  is  uncomfortably  cold  most  of  the  year,  but  viviana  likes  the  cold.  it  never  really  bothers  her.  and,  whenever  she  enters  her  room,  aria’s  always  right  there,  perched  in  the  window.  or,  just  inside  the  room  on  a  perch  that  viviana  built  for  her,  if  it’s  terribly,  terribly  cold.  and  she  always  knows  to  leave  before  the  sun  comes  up,  because  that’s  when  viviana’s  uncle  comes  to  fetch  her  for  training,  and  he  wouldn’t  be  too  happy  about  how  close  viviana’s  become  to  the  little  bird.  he’d  probably  snap  her  neck  in  front  of  viviana  to  teach  her  a  lesson,  and  for  disobeying  him.    (   bad  man,  ugly  man  is  something  else  aria  can  say,  and  she  says  it  with  an  incredibly  impressive  amount  of  disdain.   ) 

* ARIA  EXISTS  IN  SOME  VERSES  WITH  SIMILAR  ORGIN  STORIES

JUPITER   ---   

jupiter  was  a  gift  in  viviana’s  the  100  verse,  given  to  her  on  her  tenth  birthday.  her  first  horse  that  was  all  her  own.  and  she  doted  on  him,  completely  spoiled  him.  with  his  shiny,  golden  coat  and  mane,  he  was  easily  the  best  looking  horse  in  the  stables   ---   possibly  ever!  and  viviana  was  so  enamoured  by  him  that,  the  first  few  nights  after  she  got  him,  she  slept  in  his  stall  with  him  to  make  sure  that  he  was  comfortable  and  settling  in  properly. 

whenever  viviana  wasn’t  training,  she  was  with  jupiter.  she  gave  him  that  name  because  jupiter  was  the  king  of  the  gods,  and  since  he  was  literally  golden,  she  thought  he  looked  like  a  king.  and  while  others  used  stable  boys  to  train  and  clean  and  care  for  their  horses,  viviana  did  it  all  herself.  and  he  turned  out  to  be  the  most  stubborn  animal  she’d  ever  known,  his  stubbornness  almost  matching  her  own.  so  it  took  awhile  to  train  him,  but  she  worked  every  day  to  earn  his  trust  by  brushing  him,  keeping  his  stall  clean,  and  always  bringing  him  an  apple.

eventually,  all  her  hard  work  paid  off,  and  jupiter  became  the  most  loyal  horse.  

he  even  went  so  far  as  to  save  her  life.  one  day,  when  they  were  out  on  a  ride  in  the  woods,  a  pack  of  almost  a  dozen  wolves  appeared,  and  they  spooked  jupiter,  who  threw  viviana  and  took  off.  and  viviana,  without  her  sword,  was  sure  she  was  going  to  die.�� but  then  jupiter  came  running  back,  putting  himself  in  between  viviana  and  the  wolves,  rearing  up  again  and  again  in  an  attempt  to  scare  them  away.  it  worked  on  a  few  of  them,  but  three  wolves  remained,  and  attacked.  but  jupiter  stood  his  ground  and  stomped  them  all  out,  sending  them  skittering  away  with  their  tails  between  their  legs.  jupiter  was  hurt,  though,  and  no  one  thought  he’d  make  it.  but  viviana  never  left  his  side,  and  healed  him  back  to  health. 

and  they  remained  a  strong  team  until  jupiter’s  age  caught  up  with  him.  when  viviana  realized  he  wasn’t  long  for  this  world,  she  began  sleeping  in  his  stall  like  she  did  when  she  first  got  him.  it  was  a  couple  of  days  after  that  that  jupiter  finally  lost  the  strength  to  stand  and  laid  down  beside  her.  and  he  died  with  his  head  in  her  lap,  as  she  told  him  how  much  she  loved  him.

* JUPITER  EXISTS  IN  SOME  VERSES  WITH  SIMILAR  ORGIN  STORIES

ZOREN   --- 

during  her  time  as  queen  of  france,  viviana  received  many  presents,  some  of  them. . .  unusual.  for  example,  when  someone  gifted  her  a  strangely  coloured  tiger  for  her  eighteenth  birthday.  back  then,  it  was  just  a  cub.  the  lord  that  gave  him  to  her  said  they  shot  his  mother  and  made  a  rug  out  of  her    (   which  horrified  viviana   )    and,  as  they  were  preparing  to  leave,  they  heard  a  mewing.  so,  they  searched  and  found  the  tiger  cub.  and  they  figured,  since  it  was  different  looking  than  most  all  other  tigers,  that  it  would  be  worth  something.  worth  a  queen’s  present.  they  said  they  weren’t  sure  if  the  baby  would  make  it,  but  his  fur  would  make  her  a  nice  blanket. 

viviana  vowed,  in  that  moment,  that  this  tiger  cub  would  not  die!  she  spent  every  hour  of  they  day  doting  on  it.  feeding  it  every  couple  of  hours   ---   sometimes  milk,  sometimes  meat.  and  she  would  bring  him  into  her  bed  at  night,  cuddling  with  him  to  make  sure  he  stayed  warm.  it  took  her  awhile  to  figure  out  his  name,  but  she  eventually  decided  on  zoren,  meaning  daybreak.  because  the  tiger’s  fur  was  golden  and  orange  and  bright,  like  a  sunrise.  

and,  like  viviana  promised,  did  not  lie.  he  grew  steadily.  he  grew  quickly.  and,  eventually,  he  grew  far  too  big  to  keep  sleeping  in  viviana’s  bed,  and  then  too  big  to  even  keep  in  the  castle.  so,  she  made  her  husband  build  him  his  own  little  sanctuary  out  of  the  miles  upon  miles  upon  miles  of  land  that  the  king  of  france  owned.  and  he  was  so  eager  to  always  please  his  wife,  he  did  as  she  asked,  and  soon  viviana  released  zoren  out  into  the  world    (   with  some  restrictions   ).  but  she  still  visited  him  with  food  every  day,  and  he  was  never  violent  with  her,  only  with  those  who  weren’t  her,  which  means  literally  everyone  else.  but  no  one  else  was  his  mom.  just  viviana. 

after  she  turned,  when  she  returned  to  the  french  court  and  murdered  everyone  there,  she  had  to  think  about  what  she  was  to  do  with  zoren.  she  decided  that  killing  him  would  be  best,  but  the  moment  she  stepped  into  his  sanctuary,  he  ran  to  her  and  jumped  and  hugged  her  with  so  much  joy,  so  much  love.  and  it  was  clear  to  viviana  that  no  one  had  been  feeding  zoren  while  she  escaped  because  she  could  feel  every  bone  in  his  body.  and  she  couldn’t  kill  him.

so,  though  it  was  hard,  she  brought  zoren  with  her.  she  trained  him  like  a  dog,  walked  him  on  a  chain.  and  he  listened  to  her.  she  thinks  he  sensed  that  something  was  different  about  the  woman  who  raised  him.  something  darker,  something  powerful,  and  so  he  fell  into  line  quickly. 

and  when  viviana  met  the  witch  elizabeth,  she  asked  if  there  was  a  way  to  make  zoren  immortal  because  he  was  getting  up  there  in  age  and,  at  this  point,  she  couldn’t  bear  losing  him.  so,  elizabeth  casted  an  immortality  spell  on  the  tiger. 

now,  he  lives  on  the  grounds  of  viviana’s  estate  in  rome.  she  leaves  him  to  be  free  to  roam  as  he  pleases,  so  long  as  he  sticks  to  the  woods  and  beyond   ---   nowhere  that  humans  are    ---   because  elizabeth’s  immortality  spell  doesn’t  make  him  unkillable,  it  just  stopped  his  aging.  so,  if  someone  were  to  shoot  him,  he  would  still  die.  but,  every  time  viviana  brings  a  meal  home  for  herself,  she  brings  someone  home  for  zoren  to  chew  on,  as  well.  and  he  is  still  as  affectionate  and  sweet  as  ever  with  viviana,  and  with  those  viviana  cares  about,  like  gabriel. 

*  ZOREN  EXISTS  IN  MOST  VERSES  WITH  SIMILAR  ORGIN  STORIES

ESMERAY   ---  

what  is  it  with  people  gifting  viviana  giant  cats?  this  one   ---   an  adult  black  panther   ---   was  given  to  her  in  the  early  2000s  as  a  sign  of  appreciation  for  not  slaughtering  a  village  she  planned  on  killing.  she  supposes  they  knew  she  already  had  a  tiger,  as  zoren  travels  with  her  often,  so  they  must  have  thought  she  liked  owning  big  cats.  this  panther,  they  had  named  esmeray    (   which  viviana  decided  she  liked,  as  it  means  dark  moon  and  that  matches  her  pitch  black  fur   )     had  been  an  orphaned  panther  cub  the  village  took  in  and  raised,  and  then  released  into  the  wild  as  soon  as  she  was  big  enough  and  strong  enough.  but  she  always  only  remained  half  -  wild,  often  returning  to  the  village  and  was  gentle  with  almost  everyone. 

viviana  could  tell  how  much  the  panther  meant  to  them,  but  since  she  couldn’t  kill  them,  she  could  at  least  break  their  hearts  and  accept  their gift.  so  she’d  be  causing  some  pain,  at  least.

so,  esmeray  was  brought  back  to  rome  with  viviana,  but  she  was  very  clearly  not  happy  about  it.  she  did  not  like  her  new  master,  and  she  mourned  her  home  greatly.  and,  even  though,  to  this  very  day,  esmeray  just  tolerates  viviana,  viviana’s  pretty  sure  that  the  panther  has  fallen  in  love  with  her  tiger,  and  that’s  what  has  made  her  better  able  to  handle.  with  viviana  bringing  her  gifts  as  she  did  for  zoren   (   though  esmeray  prefers  those  freshly  dead   ),    and  zoren’s  warm,  affectionate,  well  -  behaved  personality  towards  viviana  rubbing  off  on  her,  esmeray  has  come  to  be  quite  useful,  just  like  the  tiger.  she  uses  the  two  of  them  to  intimidate  and  scare,  and,  when  needed,  rip  someone  limb  from  limb.  esmeray  still  needs  to  be  kept  on  a  chain,  while  zoren  is  so  well  trained  he  listens  completely  to  viviana’s  command,  and  only  attacks  on  her  say.

viviana  thinks  that,  even  though  she  has  a  way  to  come,  she’ll  be  almost  as  good  and  useful  and,  perhaps  she’ll  even  come  to  adore  her  the  same,  as  zoren.  they’ve  only  recently  begun  training   ---   the  same  way  she  trained  zoren   ---   because  only  recently  did  esmeray  begin  to  accept  her  new  life,  but  she’s  progressing  quickly.  and  while  they  train,  zoren  is  always  close  by,  keeping  a  protective  eye  on  his  mother.  because,  despite  the   “romance”   between  the  two  cats,  esmeray  is  still  practically  a  stranger,  and  viviana’s  raised  him  for  nine  hundred  years. 

*  ESMERAY  EXISTS  IN  MOST  VERSES  WITH  SIMILAR  ORIGIN  STORIES

#𝒱 she has royalty in her blood. ❪ about. ❫ #𝒱 you should see me in a crown. ❪ about. ❫ #𝒱 jusreina. ❪ about. ❫

[elizabetheeyre]

NaNo 2017: Wolf Pack

So, I had no anticipated just how hectic November was going to be... I cannot seem to find the time to write anywhere. I still want to play around with these characters though, so I have found a compromise. The idea I have for this anyway is very conducive to a serial; I am going to write small episodes throughout November to release some stress! I may even extend it and write more if I’m enjoying it.

These first couple of episodes are inspired by @renkocchi ‘s submission! I will be off an on throughout November on account of a full plate, but here’s a little fun!

Wolf in the Night, Episode 1: How a Trip to K-Mart Can Lead to Child Adoption

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The bird made that noise every time it registered an item. It was an annoying noise, really. But it was more annoying when it chirped unknown item in the bagging area which happened whenever Isaac tried to bypass the stupid animal and swipe something. He was a good thief, but those birds were uncanny.

Know-it-alls, Knowledge Birds, Encyclobirdias, and--more recently--Regibirds were some of the many names these creatures went by. They looked much like an ordinary parrot; the difference was that their brains were capable of storing and reproducing an infinite amount of information. Not to mention their impressive perception skills. When King’s Market started becoming a big name across the kingdom, they began to implement the animals as a way to prevent petty theft. They were just mindless creatures, but they still got paid better than Isaac did.

This still did not explain the unnecessary noise they made when acknowledging a grocery item. In order to take his mind off of it, Isaac decided to make small talk with the Market employee.

“So... do you enjoy working here?” he asked, his voice coming off quieter than he intended. Ever since the... incident, he had never been good at socializing. Then again, maybe he had never been good at it in general; he had no memory to correct him.

The kid shrugged. He looked to be around seventeen in human years, but looks could be deceiving. From the paleness of his skin and the lateness of the hour, Isaac figured he was probably a vampire. Isaac also could not help but notice that particular smell that undead creatures of all kinds seemed to share... If this were the case though, gauging his age would be near impossible.

“It’s not bad. It pays the bills and allows me to work despite my... condition. Most tradesmen don’t want to hire me since they know I can only work at night,” the kid said. His fangs were only noticeable when he spoke, but it was confirmation enough. He was a curious case with thick, curly hair the color of a sunset over the Ruby Canyons on the other side of the Altiock mountain range. Isaac had only visited the place once, but the orange sunset reflected on the innumerable sparkling rubies was something he would never forget. This kid’s hair was the only thing he had ever found somewhat resembling the color. Isaac nodded absently in agreement.

“I can imagine. Not many people are very interested in hiring me either...” he trailed off. Thankfully, his condition, as the kid so carefully phrased it, was not as obvious or restricting as his. Still, not many people were fond of it.

“Yeah. I wasn’t always this way. I used to just be a human kid. But, I had this weird disease, and none of the doctors could find a cure for it... this was all anyone could do. I mean, I’m grateful to be alive--well, sorta alive, I guess,” he rambled. His eyebrows knit together in deep contemplation as  he processed what he himself was saying.

Isaac was unsure whether to pity the boy or be happy for him. It was a cruel world, and magic was no cure-all. Often, it only made things worse. But still, surely he should be grateful that this kid was not rotting away in some tomb, right? Is this any better though?

That’ll be 42 gold coins and 3 silver shards, the bird interrupted in its obnoxiously sing-song voice. After glaring at the creature, he handed over the amount to the young worker, who was slightly shocked Isaac had that much on hand. Gold coins were hard to come by for commoners, and the supplies Isaac bought were hard to come by for anybody. Isaac noticed the kid’s eyes widen in awe, probably thinking he was some sort of noble.

Until, at least, he looked more carefully at his ragged clothes, dark and suited for stealth. His eyes paused momentarily on his belt filled with all sorts of materials that were not for... everyday usage. It took a while for the light behind his eyes to flicker on, realizing what all the dots connected to make. Isaac grabbed his items and nonchalantly placed them in his pack. With a crooked smile in the kid’s direction, he exited the large, stone building and entered into the crisp night air.

Isaac left the small village quickly, before the young man got his wits together and called the royal officers on him. If the village was populous enough to have a K-Mart, then the king’s official guards were sure to be there as well. So, he made his camp in a nearby wooded area. After eating some of the expensive pastries he had bought, he settled in for a good night’s rest.

He did not receive a good night’s rest. What could only have been a few hours later, he was awoken by footsteps nearby. Thankfully, he heard the sound long before the creators of it approached. “One of the few good things about this dumb curse,” he muttered to himself as he climbed a tree in hopes of getting a good vantage point. He soon heard two voices, and they seemed to be arguing.

“We are close, I promise! Trust my nose!” the first voice said. It sounded similar to a teenage girl.

“You said that three hours ago!” the other voice snapped. “I don’t think you know what you’re doing!” This one sounded fair, definitely male. It also sounded extremely irate.

“Exactly! Now, we are three hours closer to the village! I think, anyway... I mean, I might have cast the spell wrong...” the girl considered. At this point, the footsteps stopped crunching, and Isaac could see the two of them below him, illuminated by the moon shining through the trees.

“The spell? You were using a spell?! Why didn’t you just read the map!” the other said, swearing more often than Isaac liked to remember.

“Oh, why that’s a great idea! Here, why don’t you give it a try?” she said enthusiastically, handing a large parchment to the other figure. He slammed his palm into his forehead before leaning against a tree and counting to twenty five. Although Isaac could only see vague silhouettes from his position, it was painfully obvious they had no goods on them aside from basic traveling necessities. Both of them sounded young enough, he even wondered if they had any cash at all. With this realization, he plopped out of the tree, landing five feet away from them. He made hardly a sound, but the two immediately swiveled in order to face him.

“You kids shouldn’t really be here,” Isaac murmured. He could see them more clearly now. They both looked like teenagers. The boy was humanoid, but the girl was some sort of magical creature Isaac had never seen before. The top half looked completely human, but her bottom half was that of a... golden retriever? She created a tiny centaur-shaped shadow, just with a fluffier, livelier tail. The boy immediately pulled out his long bow, while the girl stared curiously. Her tailed wagged back and forth slowly, apparently sensing no immediate threat.

“Then what are you doing here?!” the human accused. Isaac rolled his eyes.

“I’ve been through these woods before. This is the largest forest in the kingdom, and it’s easy enough to get lost in here. And that’s not even counting all the fairies and other magical creatures out here. Any deeper and you’re getting into fae territory, and that’s a dangerous place to be,” he warned. Despite his ‘occupation,’ Isaac was not a bad guy. He simply had to eat and survive like everybody else did.

“Oh yes, the fairy kingdom is in the very center of the forest. We just came from there!” the girl exclaimed cheerily. Isaac frowned, his brow furrowing in bewilderment.

“But that’s impossible. Anyone who enters the fairy kingdom never wants to leave. It’s enchanted,” he argued. The girl giggled.

“Of course, dummy! But I’m from the fairy kingdom! And Newton, here, is immune to it’s magic,” she assured him.

“Shut up! You can’t give away our names!” Newton scolded. She punched his arm playfully.

“Don’t be ridiculous! He means us no harm. You know I’m good at reading people,” she stated. Newton still hesitated before putting his bow away. His scowl never faded though. “I’m Lucy!” the centaur announced before padding up to Isaac and holding a hand out to shake. Isaac himself hesitated somewhat. This was a curious pair, that was for sure. The girl frowned at him. “Don’t be rude; just shake it!” He sighed and accepted her small hand in his own.

“Fantastic!”  she declared. “Now, if you know this area so well, would you mind escorting us to the nearby village?“ Newton huffed indignantly.

“We don’t need help getting to Fedge, Lucy, you were just reading the map wrong. Probably because you weren’t reading it at all, apparently...” the young man interrupted.

“He’s right, I’m sure you don’t need me.” Isaac agreed only because he was worried about stepping back into town so soon after his little spending spree. There had to be at least one flyer with his face plastered on it somewhere in town, and that kid employee now had proof of his presence in the area.

“Yes, but he might know a faster route. Don’t you want to get there as soon as possible? I, personally, would like some rest before the market opening tomorrow,” Lucy reminded Newton. Newton sighed heavily.

“Market... opening...” Isaac muttered to himself, trying to piece together what the girl could have been talking about. Lucy turned to him with a gleam in her eye.

“The Nomka Trading Market! It’s an event that the traveling Nomka people host every year! They go from town to town offering up goods from all over the world, even outside the kingdom! There’s always new stalls and items each year, and we’re going to trade!“ she said, her tail wagging harder and harder with each sentence. It sounded vaguely familiar, but Isaac himself had never visited the event. “Fedge is hosting it the first week of it’s opening this year,” Lucy clarified.

Foreign goods... lots of crowds... Isaac was beginning to think he might want to visit this market himself.

“Aren’t you and your human friend a little young to be traveling to such a busy place by yourselves?” Isaac wondered. He watched Newton quickly close the gap between them until they were mere inches from each other.

“Look, creep, I’m half-elven, not human, okay? Also, I’m 28, and don’t you forget it,” he said in the most threatening way possible from a half a foot beneath him. Up close, Isaac could now see the subtle point to his ears. He rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably.

“Sorry... my bad.” Still, he rolled his eyes. Newton growled irritably.

“Yeah, so stop judging people based on their appearance, okay?” he added.

“Calm down, Newton! How was he supposed to know? Being half tree-elf makes it hard for people to tell,” Lucy countered.

“Tree elf, as in the small elves? That live in hollow trees and are good at building stuff?” Isaac specified. Newton groaned as Lucy nodded. Isaac tried to stifle his smile. Before anyone had time to respond, however, a small sound was heard from the brush nearby. Isaac went on alert instantly, pulling out a long dagger from his belt. Lucy’s eyes seemed to widen. She started to speak, but Isaac interrupted her with a harsh whisper.

“I thought you said it was just you two? How many? What kind of ambush is this?” he snapped. Lucy stammered out nothing but jumbled syllables while Newton snapped back at him.

“No one! How do I know this isn’t your ambush???” the smaller man retorted. Isaac sneered at him angrily before turning his attention back to the source of the sound. They all grew deadly silent as they listened to the tiny, crunching footsteps. Strangely enough, Isaac picked up on another sound accompanying it: quiet sobs.

“Oh no!” Lucy whispered frantically. “Our attacker is sad! We should cheer him up.” Isaac glanced her direction but found no sarcasm on her face. She was genuinely that naive. Newton patted her head affectionately yet also patronizingly at the same time.

“This is why I was sent to accompany you,” he reminded her. She cocked her head slightly in confusion as Isaac tried to decipher the sound more. The soft crunch crunch had stopped, but the small cries had only gotten louder. He slowly set his knife back in its sheath and began to approach the noise.

“Thankfully for all of us, I don’t think it’s an attacker at all,” he surmised. The two made eye contact with each other before following him. Isaac stepped silently towards a particular bush from which he had honed in on the sound. Once there, he pulled the top branches aside, revealing none other than a small boy. He could have been anywhere from 8-10 years old. His clothes were not particularly worn, but he was fitted with a bow almost as tall as he was and a large quiver of arrows. The clothes and weaponry both seemed odd to Isaac--he had never seen anything quite like them before. Most notably though, he was crying.

Lucy rapidly jumped in front of the boy, tail wagging.

“Hey, little guy! What seems to be the problem?!” she inquired with a smile on her face and a sparkle in her eye. The boy’s tears dried up somewhat as he turned his grubby face upwards to view hers. His bronze skin tone and copper-brown hair were unusual, along with his nearly black eyes. Admittedly, they all stared in mild fascination, and he, too, stared at Lucy’s golden hair and pointed ears wondrously.

Isaac plucked one of the child’s arrows from his quiver. The boy then turned around to scowl at him. He uttered a strange cry that may have been a word or simply just a vocal reaction.

“What the-” Newton began before inspecting the arrow himself.

“This wood and these feathers... Not to mention the design... There’s nothing like this here in Kisland,” Isaac noted. Lucy’s face lit up.

“Maybe he’s one of the Nomka! What if he got lost from the tribe?” she pondered. The boy simply observed the exchange with his peculiar, dark eyes. He seemed suspicious of everything but curious too. Finally, he spoke.

“Okay, did anyone understand that?” Newton asked after the boy had made a paragraph-length rambling. The other two shook their heads.The child attempted communication yet again, only to be met with more baffled looks.

“We need to help him!” Lucy declared, turning her large, pleading eyes to Newton. The permanent lines in his forehead deepened. Lucy pouted. Isaac watched the interaction bemusedly. Newton switched his gaze from Lucy to the boy repeatedly, deciding whether he could get away with saying no.

“Fine! Whatever!” He threw his hands in the air exasperatedly. He had caved fairly easily. He quickly swiveled around and pointed to Isaac, however. “Only if you’ll help.”

Isaac’s eyes widened. He had previously considered helping them, but with the child…he had never been good with kids.

“Me? What do I have to do with this?”

“You got us into this mess! You’re helping us out of it! Lucy and I have a lot of training to do tomorrow, and we can’t keep an eye on this kid all day. Bargains move fast at the Market,” Newton explained. Isaac was unsure of how he had caused this, but he felt trapped now. Lucy’s grin and Newton’s scowl was enough to make him realize he was stuck. He sighed.

“Okay, okay, fine!” he moaned. Lucy cheered and began to hop up and down. The stranger still seemed distressed and bewildered by the situation. Isaac saw his eyes start to well up with tears again. He crouched down next to him, looking him in the eye. The boy tried to put on a brave face, but his lip was still quivering. Isaac knew the kid would not understand a thing he said, so he simply put his hand on the child’s shoulder. Immediately, the boy’s shaking stopped, and his eyes seemed to convey understanding.

Isaac knew they were the same. They were both lost and alone. They were both unsure of where exactly they had come from and where exactly they were going. Neither of them had chosen this, but it was where they both stood. Isaac and the boy both felt this connection. The kid dried his tears with his small arms and gave a small nod to Isaac. Despite himself, Isaac felt a small smile forming. He stood.

“We’ll make a camp here for the night and head to the market in the morning.” Everyone seemed to agree with this idea. It was late enough at this point, there was no reason to try to make it to town. As they all settled in, the child having laid down directly next to him for warmth and comfort, Isaac found himself not very tired.

What exactly had he gotten himself into?

#nanowrimo #Nano 2017 #national novel writing month #Wolf Pack #Not the best name but it works for now #I hope you find it fun #I did writing it ha #writing #My writing #ocs #my ocs

[shadowphoenixrider]

The Only Way to Go

(Sorry this took so long! A continuation of my Legion AU, where I rewrote the ‘Calling of the Council’ quest, because, well, I expected more from it. I hope you enjoy how I’ve written it. Tagging @elfgirl931, @fer8girl and @galleywinter.)

Draggka didn’t get much sleep. She managed what amounted to a nap before the entire Darkspear tribe returned to the Echo Isles to perform the funeral rites for Vol’jin, commending his soul to Bwonsamdi so he could continue to watch over them. They would surely need his guidance in the trials to come.

She still couldn’t believe he was gone. She felt torn open, like a piece of cloth with two ragged edges sagging around the gaping hole. The hunter had felt something similar before, but that void had been filled in again. This one never would.

Dranka squeezed her hand reassuringly, as they stood amongst the crowd of mourners and Spike stayed glued to her side, nuzzling against her, but Draggka felt...disengaged. Like she’d lost her tethers to the world, and she was drifting numbly through it, existing rather than living. The troll didn’t want to admit it, but she’d only felt grounded when she’d been in Khadgar’s arms, sobbing her heart dry.

The relief she’d felt seeing him standing before her, robes slightly singed and battleworn but otherwise unharmed, had felt like a tidal surge that had threatened to drown her. He was safe and sound, and she’d not lost her lover along with her Warchief on that pitiless black island. The hunter didn’t know if she could have taken that much of a blow.

But it was more than just that, knowing he was alive. He’d come back to her.

He didn’t have to. After all, she was Horde and he Alliance, and as he’d said, he’d had duties to perform. Duties that didn’t include seeing if a particular Darkspear troll was still alive. Yet he did. Khadgar had come to find her in his raven guise, had even apologised for failing his task, though she refused to let him feel guilt for something that was out of his control. And he’d remembered the promises they’d made to one another in the forests of Arak, the promises that he wouldn’t leave her, not like he’d done before.

Draggka had to manually take in a breath, thanking the Loa that only Spike seemed to notice, looking up at her with concern, the others more focused on the funeral rites.

He loved her. This human, this archmage, a hero of the Alliance, loved her. Cared enough to find her in what felt close to being her darkest hours, to let her vent her pain against him. Cared that Spike and her brother were alive as well. Khadgar cared about her.

Something shifted within her. The great, hulking weight of grief and despair that had filled her was still there, but now a small flicker of hope kindled.

After the rites were completed and the tribe dispersed to mourn in their own ways, Draggka found herself alone on one of the Echo Isles’ more secluded beaches, hidden by a thick clump of palm trees. The ocean was calm and tranquil, and the soft hiss of lapping waves against the shore lulled the hunter into a light sleep, Spike curled up beside her. It was difficult to reconcile this serenity to the pain and suffering she’d endured not hours before, so what little slumber she had was in fits and starts, snatching periods of restfulness between the flashes of memories.

Spike sensed it first, bolting his head up with an urgent snort that shattered her doze instantly. Then the familiar sensation of magic that made the fur on the back of her neck stand on end, Draggka looking over her shoulder to see a shimmering pink arcane elemental, its pitted ‘eyes’ staring impassively into her. It gave her the creeps, not least when it spoke inside her head instead of vocalising. This time, however, the servant spoke with Khadgar’s voice:

“It is time, my love. Please come as soon as you are able. Things are moving quickly.”

Draggka wasn’t exactly sure if it wasn’t more unsettling to hear her lover’s voice rumbling inside her own mind than the disembodied ghost voice of the elemental, but she pushed the thought aside, getting to her feet and retrieving the hearthstone from her pocket.

“Let him know I be right dere,” she said, Spike curling tightly around her legs as she traced the symbol in the stone, calling forth its magic and feeling it resonate within her. If the servant replied, she didn’t hear it amongst the rush of magic flaring bright around her and her raptor, closing her eyes tight as the world was yanked away for a couple of long seconds.

Just as quickly, it returned, stone grounding her feet and the magic releasing her, though it seemed to linger around her somewhat. Draggka was concerned, until she remembered that Dalaran was a city of magi, and so was saturated with the arcane. It was no surprise it would hang in the air like dust.

The hunter glanced around, getting her bearings. The hearthstone had brought her outside a large, grandiose building she recalled as being the Violet Citadel, although she was around one of its corners, tucked away from curious glances. The hunter’s ears twitched, listening for company, and hearing nothing. Spike swung his muzzle around, sniffing, but couldn’t sense anyone either.

“Khadgar?” She asked, cautiously. He'd said she would be expected, but the hunter really didn’t want to test the theory. Starting a fight was very low down on her list of priorities.

“Here, darling.” The archmage’s low voice startled her as he seemingly popped out of thin air, moving to her side. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you jump. I wanted to avoid any attention my presence may bring, and invisibility was the best option. Especially if you stay still.”

Draggka shook her head, Spike huffing crossly at him.

“I forget you mages can be disappearing like dat.” She petted the riled raptor. “Ya lucky Spike didn’t take ya knees off.”

“Yes. Sorry.” Khadgar smiled wryly. “Anyway, it’s good to see you. Both of you. Did you manage to get some rest?��

“A little. Not much.” Draggka returned the lopsided smile. “Yaself?”

“Similar. What little rest I had was fitful.” The archmage sighed. “Getting Jaina to agree to hold this meeting was...difficult, but she has deigned to hear us out.” He turned, gesturing for the hunter to walk with him. “She has endured much, and I ask a lot of her, but I hope your story at least convinces her to think twice. She was a diplomat before Garrosh shattered her, and I hope I can appeal to that side of her...somewhere under her scars. ”

“It be good to try, but...I not be sure.” Draggka replied. “Remember dat I be involved wit da Divine Bell, Khadgar.”

“I know. But you were also involved in the Siege of Orgrimmar, and many other things that prove yourself to be a hero to all of Azeroth.” Khadgar stopped in front of the pair of great doors leading into the Citadel. “Still, this will be uncomfortable for you, and...and you know I cannot aid you as much as I would like.”

“I know.” Draggka nodded. “I were expecting it.”

“Hmm.” The archmage paused a moment. “Aside from myself, and Jaina as our leader, the other members of the Council are Archmage Ansirem Runeweaver; he usually prefers to hide his face under a hood, Archmage Vargoth; whose image you already know?” Draggka nodded again. “Then there’s Archmage Modera; the longest serving on the Council, and Archmage Karlain; you’ll know him by his discipline in both words and actions.”

“I doubt knowing dere names gonna make much difference to me, but tank you.” Draggka said.

“You wouldn’t lead me into the middle of a jungle without telling me which beasts were liable to eat me, so consider this a trade.” Khadgar flashed her a brief, wry grin. “Usually we would conduct a meeting such as this within the Chamber of Air, but urgency has dictated that we use the main hall. Therefore, we will be under scrutiny as soon as I open these doors.” A short, sharp snort. “I resent this politicking, but without it, nothing gets done. Are you ready?”

The hunter took a deep breath, resting her hand on Spike’s back, the raptor rumbling softly and nudging her arm.

“I be ready.”

Khadgar gave a nod.

“Alright then. As your people say, lok’tar ogar.”

With that, he pushed the doors open, the hinges giving with surprisingly little protest. Draggka tried to ignore the weird wiggly feeling in her heart at hearing him speak Orcish, and followed him into the wide room, his simple gesture closing the doors behind them as soon as she and Spike were through. As soon as they shut, the hunter immediately felt uneasy, feeling her loyal companion move closer to her for comfort. She was a single Horde member amongst five extremely powerful Alliance-aligned magi; even if she was under Khadgar’s protection, Draggka felt very vulnerable.

Especially when Jaina’s baleful glare fell upon her, and Draggka shrank further behind Khadgar’s broad back. She’d come face to face with the powerful mage on Draenor after elder archmage had been poisoned, and if it hadn’t have been for Cordana’s insistence that Draggka was helping, the troll was under no illusions that she would have come to a quick end.

The other Council members flanked their leader on each side; she recognised Vargoth farthest right of Jaina, next to a stoic man that was probably Karlain, according to Khadgar’s description of him. On Draggka’s left, closest to Jaina, had to be Modera; looking as old as Khadgar but no less formidable as the woman she stood next to, and the hooded man who had to be Ansirem. Spike was tense next to her, but not overly concerned; he was as wary as his companion was, but he sensed no active danger. A minor reassurance, given the circumstances.

“Thank you all for coming at such short notice.” Khadgar spoke, coming to a stop in the middle of the room. Draggka stopped behind him, though she stepped reluctantly to the side so it didn’t look like she was using him as a shield from view. Nonetheless, her hand remained on her raptor’s back, hoping this physical connection could calm her pounding heart.

“Khadgar, I only allowed this meeting as a favour to you.” Jaina’s voice was as razor sharp as the finest blade, and the hunter was impressed that the young-old mage didn’t cringe at it. “The Legion is advancing, and we don’t have time to waste.”

“Of course. I’ll get right to the point.” Khadgar turned to Draggka then, gesturing for her to step forward and occupy the space he’d held. “My companion here is Draggka, of the Darkspear tribe. She was amongst the Horde vanguard at the Broken Shore, and she has kindly agreed to fill in the gaps in our understanding of events.”

“The same Draggka who helped steal the Divine Bell and attacked the Silver Covenant in this very city, if memory serves?” The hooded man - Ansirem - spoke, and the hunter tightened her grip on Spike, urging him to stay calm as she felt his hackles prickle.

“Da very same,” she said, turning to him, ”though my actions be giving me no joy. If I coulda avoided dem, I woulda done.”

Mutters rippled through the assembled magi, and Draggka assumed that they weren’t positive mutterings when Khadgar spoke again:

“Draggka is also the one who fought against Garrosh and brought him to justice,” he said. “And let us not forget the aid she gave us in the Nexus War, or when she fought and killed Deathwing. I have worked beside her on the alternate Draenor, and I have found her words and deeds to be honourable. She even saved my life, almost at the cost of her own, something Jaina can corroborate.”

The troll had to resist the urge to blush and hide her face; she’d rather hoped he wouldn’t have brought that up. As much as she’d tried to convince herself it had been a purely logical decision (a troll could resist a poison better than a human, so it made sense that Khadgar would take the antidote before she did), even then she knew her feelings had been tangled up within it. The way she’d held his face to encourage him to drink had skirted the boundaries of friendship, and right in front of the leader of the Kirin Tor too. Worry curdled in her gut; did Jaina suspect them? The hunter was sure her actions had been a little suspicious, but not enough to link the dots, right?

Khadgar didn’t seem too worried, however, as his face was composed with a slight smile. This was in sharp contrast to the cold disapproval on the younger woman’s face.

"You trust far too easily, Khadgar,” she said. “You’re lucky Cordana was there in case something happened.”

His smile vanished at those words, and Draggka thought she saw a flash of pain across his face, but it was too fast to see.

“Regardless,” the older woman, Modera, spoke now, “I doubt Khadgar would have brought a member of the Horde here if he did not trust them and their words.” She addressed the hunter. “And I am intrigued to hear if there is an explanation for your actions on the Broken Shore.”

Draggka bowed her head in thanks and respect, finding herself already liking the woman.

“I can only be telling ya what happened. No more, no less.” She glanced at each of the magi in turn. “I be assuming dat ya want da story from when da Horde took da ridge?”

“That will do.” Jaina said. “Proceed.”

Draggka nodded, taking a breath and massaging her hand against Spike’s back to ground herself.

“As agreed, we be taking da ridge to guard ya flanks. Though dere were a lot of demons up to dat point, we were strong. We thought we could be holding dem off.” She shook her head, sighing through her nose. "Dere were more demons comin’ up dat slope den I ever be tinking to exist. They forced us back an’ back, but since our back be against a cliff, dere be no place for us to go. We be makin’ dem pay for every step, but dey...” Draggka swallowed hard. “I not be knowing what de Alliance faced below us, but da Legion were crushing us ‘gainst dat ridge. We be getting close enough dat we gonna be pushed off da cliff if dey kept advancin’. And...and den...”

Draggka’s heart turned to stone and lodged in her chest, making it difficult to breathe. She could almost feel the anxiety coming off Khadgar as he yearned to comfort her, but was unable to do so. Thankfully Spike was there to fill the role, and he rumbled deeply, nuzzling into her leg. He gave her the strength to say the next, agonising words.

“Vol’jin fell.” A silent intake of breath sucked the air from the room, but Draggka didn’t register it, as she felt herself slipping right back into the battle. “Dey cut him down wit fel-poison spears so he couldn’t heal. I...I...I thought we were gonna warn de Alliance den, tell dem dat...Dat we couldn’t be holding no more, dat we gonna be slaughtered if we not be leaving. But...Sylvanas just called da retreat. No warning. No order to be passing da message on.” Tears began to burn at her eyes, muddying her speech. “I tried...Spirits, I had a flare, I coulda, coulda warned dem, but den da demons charged - dere was no time. I had to, had to...” She shook her head, throat threatening to close up on her. “I-If I just had a few more seconds...”

“Sister, what are you doing?!” Dranka yells over the sound of carnage and death, feline fur stained red and green.

“I've gotta warn the Alliance!” She cries back, fumbling to get the volatile materials tied onto an arrow.

“The next charge is going to break the line. If we don’t go now we are dead!” He demands, rising up on his back legs as he shifts back.

“Dranka-”

“There’s no time!” He’s furious, grabbing her arm in a paw-hand complete with claws. “They’ll overrun you before you can get away.” She glances back towards the Alliance below, and Dranka tightens his grip. “He wouldn’t want you to waste your life here. He’ll understand. Draggka, please.”

The hunter cries out, knowing he’s right, and lets him pull her away, the flare arrow dropping into the black ash.

She looks back a minute later and a felguard cleaves a pandaren in two where she was just standing.

“What of Vol’jin?” Jaina’s voice brought Draggka back into the present. She sniffed, swallowing hard to clear her throat.

“My Warchief is dead.”

Draggka couldn’t raise her gaze to the Council, but she saw Khadgar’s head bow in the corner of her eye, and she sensed a sadness come down over them, a glimmer of empathy for her. Again, she sensed the young-old mage’s desire to reach out to comfort her, and an anxiousness in that his hands were tied. Spike rumbled again, lifting his head up to rest it against her stomach, the vibrations soothing her. She stroked his scales, holding him close, the only bond she could show publicly.

“We’re sorry for your loss.” Modera spoke softly, the troll meeting her eyes. “Who rules the Horde now?”

Draggka wiped her eyes, trying to composure herself.

“Before da Fel took him, Vol’jin passed da title to Sylvanas.”

The mutterings that rose from the others were clearly indignant this time.

“Sylvanas?” Exclaimed the non-hooded man (Karlain, was it?). “Why?”

“Dat not be my place to say.” Draggka said. “I not know why he be choosing her.” She hesitated a moment, weighing her words. “I only be hoping we do not be living to regret it.”

Another round of murmurings, and this time she saw Khadgar look at her with his eyebrows slightly raised. The hunter didn’t know the game of politics, but she had a feeling her opinion had been unexpected, especially when it was freely given, and she wondered if it would work in her favour.

“Is that all you have to tell us?” Jaina asked then, the voices dying down.

“Dat be all.” Draggka nodded, meeting her icy blue gaze.

A silence descended as the leader of the Kirin Tor considered her next words.

“Your story is plausible,” she began, “but regardless of the reasons, you still abandoned the Alliance when we needed you most. You left us to die like the cowards you are.”

“Jaina-” Khadgar started, but Draggka pulled herself to her full height, interrupting him.

“I know ya see Theramore when ya look at me, and I not blame ya for dat,” she said, her voice strong. “If I be in ya feet, I tink I be da same. Dere be few suffering as badly by Garrosh’s hand den you. I not be arguing dat we shoulda warned ya, but do not be callin’ my people cowards! Dere be dose dat died to let da others live!”

“What else would you call it then?” Jaina shot back. Draggka sighed, closing her eyes.

“...A mistake. A dishonourable mistake dat I be wearing like da scars on my back for as long as I be living.”

“Honour.” Jaina almost spat the word. “You always talk of it, but you have no idea what the word means. If you knew honour, you would have fought to the very last. So much for ‘victory or death’.”

That struck a nerve, and Draggka snarled, baring her teeth and tusks, hackles raising.

“I know ya woulda preferred da Horde to be crushed by da demons, but when we be gone, what do ya tink woulda happened next, eh? Dey woulda poured from dat ridge like a flood, and dey woulda drowned ya! I be among da best warriors of da Horde, and I be seeing dem cut down like knife through pig flesh! And if dey be destroyin’ us so easily, dey woulda done da same to you, mon! Den who would be leading dose dat remain? De old, de young, da weak, da ones who can’t fight? Da best, da strongest, da most powerful, destroyed in a single battle! We woulda been ripe for da Legion to take what it be wantin’! We both had ta leave! Dere be nothing to be gained from death on dat Loa-forsaken land!”

Draggka took a breath, fingers digging into Spike’s back, though she didn’t know who she was trying to calm more. She willed her anger down, suppressing the desire to berserk and fight.

“I not know why Sylvanas not call a retreat. I don’t know. I be living wit da knowing dat I coulda saved lives if I had dat time I needed for da flare. Dere are people dead for dose few seconds. I know it be feeling like a betrayal. Be feeling dat way to me.”

She puffed out a sigh.

“De Archmage be askin’ me to tell ya what happened on da Broken Shore. An’ I be tellin’ ya. Da choices ya make here, be ya own.”

The tension in the air was thick, and the hunter dared not speak another word, least it backfire on her. She glanced briefly at Khadgar, but he was looking at the others, his face a grim mask.

It was Modera who spoke to break the silence, her voice calming and strong.

“I assume that you’d like to see the Horde readmitted into the Kirin Tor, Draggka?”

“I not be a mage. It not my place to say.” Draggka replied. “But I tink, in da big picture...we be defeating Illidan, da Lich King, Deathwing an’ Garrosh ‘cos we chose to be standing together. I tink...I tink now we be having no choice. We stand together. Or we die.”

The woman nodded, as if confirming something to herself, and some more mutterings occurred. It was swiftly silenced by Khadgar tapping Atiesh’s metal base against the ground, the elder mage once more moving into the fore.

“I have made my case,” he said. “With respect, I move for a vote. In the matter of allowing the Horde into Dalaran, and offering membership of the Kirin Tor, I vote aye.”

“Nay.” Came the inevitable vote from Jaina.

“Aye.” That was Vargoth.

“Nay.” Ansirem.

“Aye.” The man that had to be Karlain.

“Aye.” Was Mordera’s vote. Draggka frowned, trying to remember how many of each she’d heard.

“The ayes have it.” Khadgar said. “The vote carries.” His voice and face softened as Jaina looked down at the floor, her face stony. The hunter felt a pang of sympathy for her, despite their prior argument. “I’m sorry, Jaina. Truly.”

“Please stand with us, Jaina.” Modera urged. “Azeroth needs us. All of us.”

“You don’t have to like the Horde.” Khadgar said. “But we cannot fight two wars at the same time. We-”

“You are naive.” The white haired mage lifted her head then, looking Draggka dead in the eyes. The troll felt rather than saw Spike curl his lips warningly. “The Horde has betrayed us before, betrayed us now, and will do so again. They cannot be trusted.” Her gaze moved to Khadgar. “I learnt that the hard way, and you will too. I only hope that you will be able to live through it to regret it, as I will not be among your number to witness it.”

“Jaina, please-” Modera began, but Jaina disappeared in a flare of bright blue magic, leaving behind an empty space where she once stood. Draggka felt she could take in a breath again.

“Well,” Khadgar said, after a moment of silence, “that was unpleasant.” He sighed, visibly deflating. “And we are down a leader. Again.”

“Are we?” Modera said, raising a silver eyebrow. “You led us after Rhonin’s death, Khadgar.”

The young-old mage made a derisive snort.

“I would hardly call that leading.” He scoffed.

“Regardless, you were our spokesman then, and you are the one who has the most experience in dealing with the Legion.” Karlain said. “You would make an excellent choice in this trying time.”

“I agree.” Modera said. “You have been the one spearheading the efforts against the Legion, after all. Both here and on the alternate Draenor.”

“...It doesn’t feel right.” Khadgar shifted uncomfortably, looking everywhere but at his colleagues. “I never wanted this to happen. Jaina’s reaction wasn’t unexpected but...I never wanted this to happen. I...” He paused a moment, before he sighed. “Alright. I will take the leadership of the Kirin Tor, until such a time that Jaina returns to us. If she returns.“

Draggka looked around the other Councillors, who were nodding, none offering a disagreement about Khadgar’s appointment. She managed a small smile; whilst this was undoubtedly a good thing, the hunter saw their position become even more perilous. It was one thing to be courting a Council of Six member. Quite another to be courting the leader of the Kirin Tor.

This was hardly the time to worry about it, however.

“Of course,” Ansirem spoke this time, “we need to fill that hole in our ranks.”

“I think I know just the person, but right now we have other priorities.” Khadgar said. “We will need to send the invitation to the new Warchief at once. Hopefully the Sunreavers are still more or less intact and are in a forgiving mood.”

“Vereesa won’t be pleased.” Vargoth said.

“Tell me something I don’t know.” The young-old mage grumbled. “Better yet, someone who isn’t me go and gently break the news to her. I might have a better chance of not getting shot.” His sour expression sweetened when he turned to the troll, the other Council members beginning conversations with each other in the background. “Thank you for your help, Draggka. I’m sorry about-”

“Don’t be.” Draggka waved a hand. “Her anger not a surprise. I not be expecting a sunny welcome.”

“Even so...” Khadgar shook his head. “Anyway. I should let you return to Orgrimmar. There is much to do in preparing the Kirin Tor for war. As well as let everyone know about our new arrangements. I suppose the Horde is arming too?”

“Yeah, we are.” Draggka nodded, suddenly feeling very awkward. She didn’t know the best way to say goodbye to the man she secretly loved in front of other people; she ached with the need to reach out and touch him - an action completely out of bounds here - yet a simple ‘we’ll meet again’ felt flat and lifeless, even if it was to a friend.

The sound of the large doors being flung open saved her from her dilemma, everyone whirling to face the ginger-haired dwarf with the wide-brimmed hat that stormed into the room.

“There you are!” He bellowed, pointing at both hunter and the now-leader of the Kirin Tor. “I’ve been looking all over the damn city for you two!”

“Brann?!” Draggka and Khadgar exclaimed in unison as the explorer paused a moment to catch his breath, hands on his knees.

“What are you doing here?” The archmage asked, stepping closer.

“Ye won’t believe it!” Brann said. “Me brother Magni’s back!”

Draggka’s eyes widened, Spike warbling something in his throat. The dwarven king that had been turned to crystal was...alive?! She looked at Khadgar, who was equally disbelieving.

“Well,” he said mildly. “This is unexpected.”

#draggka #khadgar #oc/khadgar #jaina proudmoore #World of Warcraft #SPRs writing #otp: walk on the wild side #angst #more angst #legion au #i'm in your lore sewing up your plotholes #mention of major character death

[tales-of-the-party]

TofTP - Flight of Fancy

Rizu: Been a while sorry but we are finally getting to posting them slowly but surely! Here is story number 2!

Bry was awoken from his dream of women, beer and battle when Rizu’s heel cracked him across the face. He gave a surprised yelp and jumped up from his resting spot on Fluffles the chimera’s ribs. Once more, they were sleeping out in the woods. Their camp consisted of only the fire not ten feet from Bry and Fluffles. It had gone low, and he’d need to rekindle it soon. He snarled and looked up at the little horror sleeping on the beast’s back. She was resting on her stomach, her arms under the pillow she rested her head on and her left leg dangling off the side. “Oi,” he said, poking her cheek. She scratched the area where he poked her and then snored in reply. The left corner of Bry’s mouth twitched in annoyance and he placed his hand on her side. With a little snort he shoved the mage off the chimera’s back. He heard a thud on the other side of the monster and moments later Rizu started shouting. “We’re under attack! Wake up, guys!” She popped her head over Fluffles back, spending a moment searching for any hidden attackers. When she finally saw Bry with his arms crossed and the fingers of his right hand tapping his left arm she pieced together what had happened. “You’re an unbelievable ass,” she said. “You woke me up first,” Bry replied. “Kicked me across the face.” “Lies, lies and slander. Besides,” the mage drawled, “even if I had, you probably deserved it.” “I hadn’t done anything!” “You probably deserved it for something you’re going to do.” “Like?” The small red haired woman shrugged in response. “Oh, wait I think I know what it is,” Bry said. “And that would be?” “I’m going to hang you over the fire,” Bry growled. “You wouldn’t dare,” Rizu said, narrowing her eyes. Before Bry could reply, a low rumbling began. Both mage and warrior looked to the chimera, that was turning it’s head back and forth between them, baring it’s fangs and growling. The meaning was clear: Both of you shut up and let me sleep. Bry and Rizu both held up their hands in a sign of surrender. “You two bicker like a married couple,” came a voice above them. Bry looked up, and while he couldn’t see Coil he knew he was somewhere in the trees. The rogue had a habit of sleeping there, out of eyesight unless one squinted. He said it would provide a good advantage if they actually were attacked. “I’d sooner cut it off, cook it and feed it to the overgrown cat monster,” Bry said and received a huff from Fluffles. “I second that, especially the cutting off bit,” Rizu said with a sneer at Bry. Coil gave an exaggerated sigh. “If you two hate each other so much, why stick together?” Both went quiet and after a moment Bry scoffed. “I’m going back to bed,” he said and laid against the chimera’s ribs again. “Wake me up again and I’ll dangle you over the fire.” Besides a snort, Rizu gave no reply and climbed back onto Fluffles’ back. Unseen to both of them, Coil raised an eyebrow as they fell asleep. They’d both made no attempt to hide they weren’t going to answer the question. He supposed he couldn’t blame them for not wanting to talk about it; he was the latest addition to their group - well, besides Fluffles. So Coil was the latest human addition. He’d only been with them the last seven months; after a certain incident, he needed work and the two of them had given him the opportunity. The pay was good - they usually made more than just a bit of coin, especially when they took jobs from local lords and nobles. There was a connection between them, and they obviously trusted him, just not enough to give away such information yet. Coil yawned and stretched, crossing his left leg over his right and crossing his arms, his back firmly against the tree trunk. Problems for later, he thought as he began to drift off to sleep.

The group had awoken just before dawn, getting their gear packed and putting out the fire. “I want go check out that meadow nearby, there may be some plants I could use for potions and salves,” Rizu said. “And by ‘want to go check out’ you mean ‘have you two pick the plants while I sit on my ass’, right?” Bry huffed. “Coil I could at least trust to know which ones are poison,” Rizu snapped. “You’d probably just pick something that’d kill us all.” “I could skip straight to the killing part if you like,” Bry said with a glare. Coil and Fluffles shared a look as the two began to argue and call each other names. After fifteen minutes, which - due to Bry’s and Rizu’s non-stop fighting, felt more like fifteen hours - they reached the meadow. The warrior and mage ceased their arguing, thank the assassin gods, and stared out into the meadow. The field was full of flowers of every kind. Coil could see petals of red, blue, white, violet and yellow. Snaking between the flowers were several types of roots and weeds. “I can make out a few of the species here,” Rizu said placing her right hand horizontally on her forehead to keep the sun out of her eyes, “but there’s plenty down there that I can’t identify right now.” Rizu took a few seconds to make sure her pack was secured to her back, then turned to her companions. “Let’s go, ladies,” she said walking toward the meadow. 

Over the next hour, the trio wove their way through the meadow, picking out flowers and plants for Rizu to examine to determine if it was a safe species or not. While the three were busy, Fluffles decided to amuse himself by either playing with or eating the insects that were flying around. He was so distracted trying to eat a butterfly that he almost missed the smell of a predator closing in. He caught the scent a moment before a great shadow went over him and made it’s way across the field. He let out a roar as he tried to track the creature in the sky. By the time he saw it, however, it was too late. “What the hell is he roaring at?” Bry asked turning toward Fluffles. At the second his back turned the sun went out above him. No, that’s not right, there’s light all around me. He looked up as a massive avian creature went over him and swooped to grab Rizu in its claws. The creature was about twenty five feet tall, six or seven wide and had a wingspan that Bry couldn’t even guess. The only thing Bry could think it resembled was a vulture. It had long black feathers covering its body and wings but only leathery skin from the neck up. Each of its black talons were as long as his arm. A sound akin to an earthquake sounded behind Bry. He turned to see Fluffles running toward the giant bird. As the chimera passed, Bry grabbed hold of its mane and was lifted from the ground as the beast thundered past. He could see the creature’s left talons wrap around Rizu and Coil striking at its right with his sword. The creature forced Rizu to the ground and lowered its mouth to eat its prey alive.

Coil continued to slash the avian’s leg with his blade, making little progress. He’d only just broken the skin of the giant bird’s leg. After his tenth strike, he decided it was time to stop fighting like an assassin and take a note from Bry’s book. Coil took his katana in both hands and began to chop at the center point of its leg. The monster bird let out a shriek of pain as each blow dug the sword deeper and deeper. About half way through, the leg the monster lifted off the ground, Rizu still clutched in its other leg. With a flap of its massive wings it sent Coil flying several dozen feet away. He grunted in pain as his back smashed into a tree. While falling, he drew two throwing knives and threw them at the head of the monstrous bird. One clinked off of its beak, but the other dug into its left eye. The avian monster gave out another loud shriek of pain and began to lift off.  In the monster's claw, Rizu struggled; biting its foot, smacking the back of the large leg with her staff and anything else she could reach with her staff. Damn, Coil thought as he tried to rise. Just before the bird could lift off, Fluffles struck, latching onto the back of the bird. The bird shrieked as  it was brought to ground. It turned its head and struck at the chimera, but Fluffles had already dodged to its right. It was so focused on the chimera that it didn’t notice Bry tumble off of Fluffles mane, his halberd in hand. Bry roared, leapt and brought the halberd down on the back of the avian’s leg. The monster screamed. The bird turned to peck at him, hoping to impale or sever a limb. It shrieked in surprise as Fluffles struck its head from the side, knocking it’s beak off course and into the dirt several feet from Bry. With another strike Bry sank the blade of his weapon deeper. With the third strike his chop met Coil’s and the right leg was separated from the bird.  The monster let out a shriek of rage and pain, flailing every which way. Fluffles jumped back, barely avoiding being struck by the giant wings. The monster bird took advantage of the chimera falling back to use it’s wings to raise itself higher. Fluffles moved forward to strike the leg holding Rizu but was blown back by the gales the avian had created.  Bry, behind the bird, ran as fast as he could to the leg holding the small mage. He raised his halberd to bring it down on one of the three toes holding her, but while he was mid swing the bird jumped forward. After the third leap it managed to get airborne and began to make it’s escape. “Get me out of here!” Bry heard Rizu shout, her voice becoming fainter as the bird got further and further away. “You jerks!” The bird disappeared over the treetops, blood still falling from its severed leg.

Coil made his way to Bry and Fluffles, where the two were staring off where the bird had flown. Each step caused a spike of pain to go down his back, the first few steps making him flinch slightly. When he finally reached the warrior and chimera he looked in the same direction as they. On the ground around them was thick, dark blood, which became a trail leading into the forest. “Most of the blood could have landed on the trees,” Coil said, “but Fluffles could follow it by scent.” The chimera chuffed in acknowledgement. Bry fixed his bag over his shoulder. “Well, we did everything we could,” Bry drawled as he began to walk away from the direction the blood trail was leading “Nothing to do about it. Sure, it’s a shame but I’m sure the little monster deserves it.” “Bry,” Coil said flatly. “But I’m sure it’ll console her in the next world to know we gave it our all to save her. Now we should probably be heading back home.” “Bry.” Bry turned to Coil. “You know we’ve got to go save her.” Bry looked from Coil to the trial of blood leading into the forest, the forest itself and then back to Coil. “Do we have to?” he asked pleadingly.

“Put me down, you over sized chicken!” Rizu said, using her staff to smack the talons wrapped around her. The bird took no notice of her attempts to free herself, just continuing to sweep over the treetops. After about ten minutes, the bird began to slow down and descend. Rizu could tell instantly where the bird was going. On top of a group of three or four trees was a massive nest, about fifty feet all around. When the bird was above the nest it dropped her. Luckily for Rizu,  it was only ten feet above. She landed down on the branches, snapping several to pieces. “Well I guess I can’t really get angry,” she said getting to her knees, “I did tell it to drop me. Then again, I can be mad that it’s going to eat me.” She huffed and flopped down to sit, jumping back up as she both felt a large object crack under her butt. “Oh what the hell!?” she snarled, grabbing the object then stopping. She felt her blood drain from her face. In her hand was a pure white, sun bleached human skull. She stared at the skull for several seconds. Behind her she heard twigs snap. Turning, she was face to face with six four foot tall, pink, fleshy birds. They tilted their heads to the side, examining her. She looked at the skull. “I think I’m doomed,” she said just as the birds shrieked and attacked. Rizu scrambled back, tossing the skull at the head of the lead bird. It clonked the bird on the head, forcing it to stop and take a step back, which caused the others to bump into it and slow down. Rizu jumped to her feet and ran to one end of the nest while the birds recovered. When she reached the edge of the next and turned, the birds were only twenty feet away and closing fast. Gotta be quick, she thought and slammed her staff down. She tuned out the approaching birds as she focused her mana to her staff. When the first bird was five feet away, it’s mouth opened and full of small dagger like teeth, she released her spell. All at once dozens of orbs of light burst from her staff. The birds screeched as the lights hurt their eyes, but their cries were cut short as the orbs tore through them like a red hot knife through paper. When Rizu opened her eyes, all six were on the floor of the next. Several holes had been torn through their bodies, the wounds almost cauterized instantly so there was very little blood. Two of the birds twitched for a couple seconds before falling still. Rizu fell back and sat on the wall of the nest, breathing heavily. Offensive white magic always knocked the wind out of her. And the adrenaline, she thought, can’t forget to thank that. Lifting her head she looked at the bodies of her would be devourers and after several seconds froze. Mama bird would be back to check on her babies at some point and there was nowhere to hide. Gotta think really fast, she thought to herself as she ran around the edge of the nest. After circling the next three times she found an opening in the edge of the nest, where the wall and floor connected. She immediately began tearing out the branches of both the wall and floor, her hands becoming scratched and cut by the edges. “I’m going to have splinters,” the small mage said, fitting herself into the gap she had made and dragging the sticks in front of her. “I just know it.” She didn’t have to wait long. After ten minutes the giant bird returned, hovering above the nest. The great beast shrieked, calling to it’s young. When it received no reply it circled to the end of the nest where the dead birdlings were. It shrieked once again and again received no answer. Still outside the nest, it lowered its altitude until it could move it’s head inside and nudge the dead birds. After nudging each the avian threw it’s head back and screeched in pure rage, flapping its wings so fast and hard that Rizu feared the sticks covering her would be blown away. With no warning, the avian flew off. Rizu could hear its pain filled screech fade away but decided it would be safer to stay in hiding for now.

Bry hadn’t stopped grumbling since Coil had forced him onto Fluffles back and began their search for their companion. Sitting behind Bry, back to back with both his legs and arms crossed crossed, Coil could only catch every other word. Most consisted of name calling and morbid promises. “So,” Coil said. “Are you going to answer my question from last night?” “Eh?” Bry asked. “What’re you on about?” “On why, if you hate Rizu so much, you still travel with her?” He couldn’t see Bry’s face but he could guess from the  annoyed tone when he said “Really? You want to know about that, now?” “We don’t have anything else to talk about, and it seems we’ve got a way to go.” Bry was silent for a few moments, the only sound was that of Fluffles’ hooves thudding against the ground. “Years ago, I joined the Boltol army,” Bry said. “I was far more eager to shed blood and win glory back in those days.” Coil raised an eyebrow. “I heard that,” Bry growled. “Anyway, one day we get word that one of our neighbors, Valfa, was moving a force toward our borders. We marched out to meet them and fought at Narzir River.” Coil suppressed a flinch; he’d heard about that battle. Boltol had won that slaughter even though they were outnumbered three to one, killing every combatant on the field. Still, they’d lost over eighty percent of their forces. “During the battle I did great, slaying any foe that came to challenge me. With my size and the reach of my halberd I managed to rack quite the body count!” Bry said with a note of pride in his voice. “But as the battle went on, I started getting tired. I was losing grip of my weapon. Slipping on the blood. Growing more weary with every strike and block.” He went silent for a few moments. “I finally saw one of the enemy commanders, a big brute with an enchanted mace. One of those really nasty ones, like a log with spikes on it.” “You didn’t.” “I did.” Bry huffed a laugh. “I charged the bastard. The fight lasted three seconds. I swung and overstepped. He dodged and hit me full on in the left side with that mace. Two handed.” “Ouch.” “Ouch doesn’t cover it. My armor might have well have been paper. It shattered my ribs, punctured my lung and the enchantment set the point of impact ablaze. “Lucky for me the blow sent me into the river. However, I was still certain I was dead. On top of the wounds, now I was going to drown.” Bry laughed again. “So imagine my surprise when I woke up alive. “There was a village a few hours downstream from the battle. Rizu was there helping some villagers that had contracted demon rot and was getting some water from the river.” Bry went silent for several more seconds. “She called the villagers and had them carry me back to the village. Due to the wound being caused by an enchanted weapon she couldn’t heal it right away, she needed extra time to make sure everything healed correctly. Using magic when she could, using herbs and salves for the most of it. More than half of them stung like a bitch, and that little monster would chew me out whenever I complained or refused to take my medicine.” Coil snickered. “So it’s more of a life debt type thing?” “Basically,” Bry drawled. As Coil opened his mouth to ask another question he heard something in the distance. A loud, shrill shriek. “I think our friend is back,” he said, scanning the forest.  There, he thought.  Just beyond the tree line he could see the massive bird flying low to the ground. “Think he’s gonna try to get at us in here?” “I’m still surprised it’s still alive to be honest,” Coil said, “given that we cut off a leg. It’s lost a lot of blood, and I’m sure it’s got an infection by now. If it realizes it’s dying it might just-” Coil was cut off as several trees at the tree line toppled over. Five seconds - and several trees - later the monster avion was behind them. The beast let out a rage filled screech that forced Bry and Coil to cover their ears. While they were distracted the avian closed the distance to them to a few feet, it’s mouth open to pluck up Coil. Like a flash of lightning, Fluffles tail lashed out. The snake head punctured one of the giant eyes, forcing the bird back and to screech even louder in pain. “That’ll teach ya not to screw with us!” Bry laughed. The bird gained its bearings once more and came at them again, pure fury given form. “Bry?” Coil sighed, drawing a throwing knife in one hand and a bomb in the other. “Yeah?” “You’re not allowed to talk anymore.” The bird quickly gained ground, screeching a promise of death. “Last time you took us by surprise,” Coil said aiming the knife at the birds remaining eye and trying to remain balanced, “but this time I’ve got my gear.” He threw the knife and took out the remaining eye, as the bird fell to the earth, Coil lit and tossed a grenade into its mouth when it opened to screech. After counting to five, the grenade went off, taking the entire front of the monster avian’s head and leaving a bloody, puled mass. “Remind me not to piss you off,” Bry said. “Didn’t I tell you that you aren’t allowed to talk?”

“Well, I dunno how we’re going to get up there,” Bry said, eyeing the nest sitting on top of three large trees. The trees holding the nest and several around them were picked clean of branches, long and deep claw marks giving evidence the giant monster bird had tore them away. Whether to use to make the nest or to make sure predators couldn’t get it it, he couldn’t say. “I could try climbing by stabbing my knives into the trunk. But I wouldn’t have a way to bring her down, and if the knives break while I’m high enough I’d end up falling and killing myself,” Coil said, bringing his hand up to stroke his chin. “Oi!” Rizu shouted, “Can you two hurry up? I would like to get down before I’m an old woman.” “You mean you’re not?” Bry shouted up toward her. “I couldn’t tell!” “I will end you, you bastard!” the mage screeched. “I could try using rope,” Coil said. “I got a better idea,” Bry said, going to his pack and began digging. He returned shortly with a woodman's axe. “Bry-” “You wouldn’t dare!” Rizu shouted. “You want down right?” Bry asked “Well I think it’s time to show some appreciation. Why don’t you go ahead and start calling me ‘Lord Bry’ and telling me how handsome and heroic I am.” Bry pretended to check his fingernails with a stereotypical noble attitude. Rizu looked toward Coil. “You can’t seriously be letting him do this.” Coil turned to Bry and opened his mouth but fell short as he saw the murderous gleam in the warrior’s eye. He held up his hand in mock surrender and went over to sit against Fluffles. “I’m not hearing any praise!” Bry called. Rizu replied with a long list of swear words and comparing Bry to a mentally challenged farm pig. “That’ll have to do I suppose,” Bry said giving a weary sigh walking toward the thinnest of the large trees, roughly ten feet thick all around.. “Don’t you dare!” Rizu shouted. Bry performed some practice swings with the axe. On the third swing he struck the trunk of the tree! “Okay! You got me!” Rizu said forcing out a laugh. “Joke’s over, now find a better way to get me out of here!” Bry swung again, the axe bit deeper into the tree.  As Bry picked up the pace with his chopping Rizu shouted out a list of insults and threats of horrible things she’d do the warrior while he slept. After a few more swings, Bry was half way through. He stopped and wiped his brow. “Oi! Fluffles! Get your giant furry butt over here!” The chimera raised it’s head toward Bry. “Don’t you dare move, Fluffles! He’s going to use you for evil!” Rizu shouted in response. Fluffles tilted his head to the side. “Come on Fluffles, I’ll give you belly rubs!” Bry said. Fluffles ran to him and flopped on his back. “Yes, yes, belly rubs. But first,” Bry said tapping the tree trunk, “knock this over for me so we can get your pain in the ass master outta that tree.” Fluffles chuffed in response and put his front paws on the trunk of the tree. Rizu was beginning a shout when Fluffles shoved, knocking the tree over. “You fuckeeeeeeeeerrrr!” Rizu screamed, grabbing the nest wall as it fell forward. It did three flips in the air before crashing to the ground, sending countless branches flying. Coil, Bry and Fluffles all ducked behind nearby trees. Coil in particular was lucky; where he was sitting had been impaled by several branches as long as his arm.Fluffles bound forward, knocking aside branches and twigs as he searched for his master. After going down a foot he yelped in pain as Rizu’s arm burst out and her fist tightened around the center of his nostril. Fluffles jumped back slightly, dragging Rizu out of the mount of wood. “I’ll make you all suffer,” she said letting go of the chimera’s nose, breathing heavily, “none of you better sleep for the next ten years.” “Right,” Bry said walking past her and patting her on the head, “whatever you say, shortstack.” Rizu clocked him on the head with her staff in response, before turning to Fluffles. The chimera was on his back again, waiting for the belly rubs that were promised. “Awe, you want a reward for getting me out of the tree?” Rizu asked, her tone all venomous sweetness. Fluffles wiggled in response. “How’s this for a reward? You’re on dry food. For a year.” Fluffles deflated and whined. Coil let out a noise that was a mix of a sigh and laugh, “Never a dull moment with you all, is there?” 

#Tales of the Party #ToftP #Fantasy #original story #story #Bry #Rizu #Coil #Fluffles

[ecotone99]

[FN] Wolves and Sheep

“My name is Eaga. I don't have a normal body. Ever since I was born, everything I touched became a part of me. Unlike other humans, my skin didn't limit my existence. Mother, Father, even our sheep became my body parts. Of course, they didn't melt into me, if that's what you're thinking. Although we aren't connected physically, I can feel and see through them and control their actions. The sheep are my favorite. Always fluffy, warm and never alone. Luckily, they don't think too much, so I don't get a headache. Yes, can tell what they're thinking, even if it sounds weird. If you are wondering about, what they're thinking, you're not missing out on much, it's mainly basic stuff about eating, sleeping, drinking, shitting and mating. They're not particularly smart.” The little girl paused for a while. She looked at the fire that was slowly burning down in the night and she smiled. The traveler she invited to sit for a spell was focused on her face as she spoke. “I suppose you're traveling trough here to see the lost city of Agamora, right? That's the reason everyone comes here.” Her smile grew wider. “Not everyone gets to leave though.” The traveler did not respond at first, but as the silence grew longer he got the feeling that he had to say something: “I'm not afraid of you.” First she looked at him in surprise, and opposed to everything the traveler expected, he heard wholehearted laughter. “My intention isn't to kill you, if you thought that. Maybe I would make you a part of me, maybe you can stay and serve me without being my body part. Some people come here and wish to pay me tribute through their services. But you don't strike me as that type. Anyway, you wanted to know who I am. Now I'll answer. When I was but a mere child, I assimilated everything I came across. Plants, animals, and the like. It was quite fun to control an entire forest and it's inhabitants... for a while at least. You can probably imagine that the rules of nature had to step in at some point. A fox hunted for an injured rabbit, and I could feel how the jaws of the fox caught the rabbit and how it tore the rabbit into pieces. That's when I learned how it felt to die. Of course, I used all of my powers to track him down and when I found him, I experienced the other side of the coin. Ever since then, I distanced myself from nature, kill or be killed wasn't my world, or at least not a world I wanted to live in. Then I thought that the human world would be better.” At that point, she stopped again. Shortly a servant, or at least it seemed to be a servant to the traveler, brought bread and water to Eaga. Without saying a word, she accepted the nourishment and offered some to the traveler who was more than thankful for these gifts. The water tasted fresh and cool, the wooden cup was pleasant to drink out of, it was well crafted. “No splinters or rough texture”, the traveler thought, “I didn't expect to run into an carpenter around here.” As if she could read his mind, Eaga mentioned: “When I first got into the human world, I learned a wide assortment of skills. Since I could control them like hands, their knowledge also became mine. Thanks to that I can work wood into different shapes and also bake bread.” She took a bite out of the small loaf that lied on the wooden plate. “Flattering oneself is considered a sin, but I think this one turned out really good. Try it.” Without much hesitation the traveler ate a good chunk of it. He was not disappointed, the bread had a crunchy exterior and was fluffy on the inside. “You certainly can flatter yourself, it's fantastic.” “Huh, a compliment from another person. I've spent a long time without those. It'd be a lie to say that I didn't miss it.” She spaced out for a moment and said: “You did well in coming such a long way from home, you're a persistent pilgrim.” The traveler opened his eyes wide and nodded. “Feels nice, doesn't it? You know, many people complimented the wool that my family produced when we went to the market in Agamora. Every time we went there, I took control of some of the people there. That went on and on until the entire town was a part of me. Having the knowledge of every person there, I understood that everyone needed one another. Some of them raised wheat, others harvested it and others made bread of it. At first I was in awe of their cooperation, but I soon realized that most of them didn't really care about each other. All they had in mind was their own life. I changed that. Everyone became part of a whole, with me at the center. Slowly but steadily I built the town into a big sparkling city, a real kingdom. Everything worked so much better when they treated each other like parts of one body. Until I established connections to another person.” For a moment, Eaga closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she was focused entirely on the fire, as if it contained the answer as to why everything had to go the way they did. Curiosity overwhelmed the pilgrim's fear and he asked a dangerous question: “Who is Leonar?” Suddenly Eaga fixated her gaze upon the traveler and she answered firmly: “He was like me, the same powers were given to him as well. Leonar was friendly at first, we were partners and... we were a couple back then. It felt so good to have someone just like yourself. Do you know how that feels?” Naturally, the pilgrim led a lonely life of travel, though he had met a bright person in his dark life, to which he wanted to return one day, when his travels were finished. “Yes, I do know the feeling.” “Don't get used to it, the day will come when they'll either betray or abandon you.”, she advised the traveler, with a distinct hopeless voice. In that instance, he thought back to Lucienne, her smile, the time they spent beneath an umbrella during the rain and her promise to wait for him. “I don't think that she'll do that to me.” “You don't believe me? I've spent centuries living alongside humans. What makes you think differently?”, she said, almost sounding like she wanted a genuine answer. The traveler did not respond. Instead he asked: “Just what happened between the two of you?” “This region is pretty much cut off by the mountains, you should know how difficult it is to get here. Leonar wanted to see what it was like out there, so we put our efforts together and built a tunnel, so we could travel with more people and equipment at once. The first town we came across was a stinking hole, full of murderers, thieves, corruption and oppressing authorities. It was a big shock for me, but even more so for Leonar. Unlike me, he built his home from the ground up, he didn't know anything about humans in the wild. When we returned to our home, he proposed that we should either assimilate the city or destroy it. We argued for hours on that day. In the end, I could convince him to leave them alone and continue with our lives. Or at least, I though I did. Secretly, he began forging weapons and building an army. Meanwhile, the outside world noticed our tunnel and our presence. I tried to build up good relations between us and the rest of mankind, I sent out many ambassadors, some of which are still out there today, but Leonar wasn't fond of that idea, he kept his body to himself. One day, when Leonar deemed his army ready, he went to demolish that city. Regardless of my pleas he took the tunnel to the exterior. That was the moment I made a powerful mistake. After I saw him entering the tunnel, I sent my body of people to block the exit. Using pickaxes, other tools and the weight of my body, I made the tunnel exit collapse. Not only the exit, regrettably. The whole tunnel started to cave in, Leonar barely made it back.” The girl had to force the words out of herself. “It was exactly then, when the entire tunnel came crashing down. I raced there as fast as I could, but it was useless, his corpse was already buried underneath the rubble.” After that, the traveler nodded and acknowledged it as the end. What he didn't know was, that Eaga lied to him. Leonar lived for a while after the entrance came down and the girl remembered their last moments together. In her mind she was before him again, he smelled like blood and dust. Leonar reached out with the only arm that wasn't stuck in the rubble, opened his blood smeared mouth and said: “Why did you do this to me?” She kneeled down to him and whispered desperately: “You didn't leave me a choice!” “You just don't want to admit that you're wrong! How would you cleanse them it, if not by bloodshed?”, he asked while coughing out the dust that came down with the rocks. “We could've lived in peace here, this 'cleansing' wasn't necessary! The people of Babel are just living according to human nature.” “But we could have changed them, we could have saved them, we could have reigned over the world!”, he cried out, his tears made their way through he dust on his face. She softly wiped his tears away. “Since when did you desire to do that?” “Of all people, you know best that sheep and wolves can never exist side by side. The only way for sheep to live in peace is to get rid of the wolves. We may be able to elude the humans, but for how long? How do you plan on keeping your peace?” “You're right”, she said as she was standing up, “sheep and wolves can never experience peace together. Goodbye, Leonar...” Suddenly, Eaga was pulled out of her memory by a familiar sound. The traveler had stoked the fire and the wood that shifted had made the sound. Eaga began to confess: “I lied to you, pilgrim. Leonar was still alive, when he was crushed. Instead of helping him, I walked away.” The traveler looked up from the fire, directly into her eyes, with an expression of confusion and concern. Quickly, the girl added: “He would have been a threat. To you, to me and the rest of the world. Everything you saw on your pilgrimage could have been either reduced to ashes or become a part of him. You saw how peaceful we all live. It wasn't my intention, but it's better this way.” Again, the only sound between them was the crackling fire. After a while, Eaga asked: “Now you know everything about me. But I don't know anything regarding you. Who are you?” “To be honest, I don't know. That's why I started my journey; to find myself.” “And did it help?”, she inquired further, to which the pilgrim replied: “Nah.” Slightly irritated, she pulled her eyebrows together, while the traveler let out a soft chuckle and he added: “Actually, it did give me something: a different perspective. In my home town, London, I explored myself deeply, but there was nothing left to discover anymore. My place there, my role there, that wasn't me, or at least not fully. As of now, I still don't know where I'm going, when I'll stop walking and who I am, but I do know that I'm getting closer.” “I wish I could do the same.”, the girl mentioned. “Why don't you?” Eaga stared at the ground in silence until she asked: “Do you think that I made the right choice by leaving Leonar to die?” “That's not for me to judge.” He thought for a second and added: “I'll just say this: on my way here, I came across a peculiar man, he was an executioner. He said to me: 'For some people, the only solution is death.'” “That can't be true.”, the girl said. “I wouldn't be so sure about that. Some do deserve death. Like...me.” The man took a deep breath. “Sorry, but I lied to you too. My journey started because I should have been executed. I barely managed to escape and now I'm just hoping that they don't catch me.”, the traveler revealed suddenly. “What did you do to deserve the death sentence?”, she asked. “You don't wanna know. All you need to know is, that I left all of that behind to find out who I really am and where my place is.” The traveler spent the rest of the night staring into the fire. Eaga on the other hand thought about his words until she fell asleep. In the morning the traveler was pulled out of his dream by the voice of Eaga: “I don't care what you did in London, I will accompany you on your pilgrimage, you'll need every help you can get. There's nothing keeping me here anyway.” A bit surprised, the traveler sat up and looked the girl that was standing before him straight in the eyes. He saw hope and determination sparkling inside them. Nonetheless he asked: “Are you sure? It's not going to be exactly easy.” “Of course. I've already put together a smaller body that will help us conquer any terrain. Where are we headed next?” Her answer satisfied the pilgrim and he replied: “The next stop would have been Agamora, but that doesn't seem to be necessary anymore. Next up is Pa Ring Sha, a little mountain village in the west. It could take up to two weeks to get there, so we better get going.” Having said that, the traveler stood up and packed his belongings together. Eaga, who had prepared in advance waited patiently. “OK, let's move.”, the traveler said and turned towards the path that he believed led to Pa Ring Sha. “Hey, wait! Before we go, could you tell me your name?”, she wanted to know. “Why are you asking now of all times?”, the pilgrim asked and turned around to face Eaga again. “Oh, come on, tell me!”, she demanded, secretly planning to surprise him with a hand made gift with his name on it. The traveler chuckled and answered: “My name is Jack, though I guess that most people would call me Jack the Ripper.”

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