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sp00kworm · 3 years

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SIREN (AMMB): Zadok’s Ending

Chapter 1: Meeting the Band

Pairing: Deep Sea Merman (Zadok) x Gender Neutral Reader

Adult Content below the cut. Dom Reader and collar use.

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A lithe looking figure was draped in oversized clothing. Loose cuffed cargo trousers were covered in chains and topped with a large hoodie and a coat which made your own look positively thin. You frowned before you caught sight of the pale, micro-scaled skin underneath. The white scales shimmered with pearlescence as Zadok glanced around behind himself and touched the water pumps attached to his neck, which were then coupled to a small tank fastened like a backpack to him. There was a sense of worry in his posture as he reached for his wallet to order.

“A chai tea please. And an anchovy sandwich to go.” He ordered quietly as the barista noted it down and carefully took his money, trying to avoid staring to badly at the suction cups and tank attached to him. Zadok ignored her look and stood to the side, pulling his hood further over his fins to avoid any more unwanted attention from the customers and staff. It was weird seeing the confident lead singer to upset and shy about being seen in public. Your staring, however, got you caught firmly in the act. With a rush you turned back to your phone, and pretended not to be looking as his white eyes caught you. A huff sounded but he didn’t move to come and say anything. He turned back to the counter and opened his phone, clawed webbed fingers typing across the keyboard.

Sadly, and awkwardly, you turned back to your table and waited for your food, trying to put Zadok out of you mind. He didn’t owe you anything after all, you were just a fan of the band. The barista was quick to make his drink before she packaged and wrapped his sandwich for him in the red and white plaid paper.

“Thank you.” He rumbled as he took the food and paper cup, “Have a nice day.” Zadok’s webbed fingers adjusted the wrapped sandwich before he tucked it into his satchel and placed his wallet firmly back inside. The singer reached upwards, his pale skin flashing with purple light, to adjust the cups over his gills. They didn’t budge, and so he walked away from the line, his hood up and his head ducked as he headed towards the door, leaving with a soft ring of the bell. You ducked over your food as he turned to walk left, past the glass window you were sat next to. He stopped just outside of the door and pulled something out of his pocket as he sipped at the tea in his hand. You realised it was his phone and as he raised it closer to his eyes you ducked back down to avoid being seen, sipping your own drink before your phone vibrated on the table again.

Thinking it was just another text from Tom, you opened the screen with a disappointed sigh, upset that Zadok had ignored you. The screen lit up again and you clicked your tongue at the incessant buzzing. A message, but not from an account that you knew, nor did you follow them. It was a picture of a figure huddled by a cliff as the profile icon, decked in all black and shielding themselves from the wind. The water looked choppy and you saw the faintest hint of waves in the background. With a confused look, you opened the message.

‘Sorry for ignoring you.’

The second message was not twenty seconds after the first.

‘This is Zadok by the way. Don’t start gawking out of the window at me please.’

Slightly rude, you thought as you looked closer at the obscure profile icon, wondering just how the weird, huddled mass of black could be the singer. Your phone buzzed again before you could give it much thought.

‘Meet me by the Elf fountain.’

You looked up from your phone as the Merman tugged his hood a little higher and tucked his hands into his pockets again. You didn’t see him then as he disappeared into the mid-morning crowds beyond your sight. With a rush you finished up your food and took your coffee to go before you made your escape out of the café and into the street. The Elven fountains weren’t too far from the café and you were eager to know just why Zadok had even spoken to you at all. The fountains were fresh water and housed a few species of pond fish, usually Koi kept for decorative appeal in the gardens. A car slammed its horn at you as you dashed across the crossing at the last moment heading towards the park where the fountains were.

It didn’t take you long to weave your way through the streets and it took even less time for you to manage to find Zadok. He was perched on the edge of the fountain, his feet beneath the cool water. You were sure it wasn’t allowed but none of the busy workers seem to be bothered by the man as he trailed them back and forth. His heavy work boots were shoved by the side of the stone, his socks tucked into each boot. You stood by the gate to the little fountain area for a moment before white eyes turned and found you staring. Zadok pulled a hand free from his pocket to give you a small wave, claws flashing a silvery colour in the light.

“Good morning.” he offered as you approached, his voice soft and calm despite your obvious staring from the gateway.

“Good morning.” You replied, feeling awkward and caught out by his kind greeting, “So…”

Zadok chuckled at you as he pulled his feet up onto the stone, perching his head on top of his knees, “So…” he replied.

“Why did you invite me here?” You asked quietly as Zadok brushed water from his webbed feet, avoiding his other filed claws on each of his toes, “You seemed well, pretty gloomy when you walked in.”

Zadok just watched you for a moment, his ghostly eyes staring at you before his mouth stretched to reveal a wide smile full of thin, sharp teeth, “I tend to look like that when Duncan spends his night crushed against me instead of in his own bed.”

Suddenly, it was like the tension dissipated, like a lightning bolt and smashed right through it. Your tension seemed to evaporate, and you returned his smile, “I can see why that would make you upset.”

“Oh, like you wouldn’t believe.” he chuckled, “I’m sorry for seeming like an utter creep, but I don’t…well I don’t much like public places. I get recognised and its just never much fun after that.”

“No, I understand, I’m just confused about how you uh…found my socials.” You asked as Zadok’s eyes widened in realisation.

“Ah. I see now.” he lowered his head and awkwardly played with the tops of his shoes, “I found the pictures. It wasn’t too hard to find considering the show was last night.” he confessed, “That’s my private account for family and friends.” Zadok reached for his phone and showed you the screen of his page, “I wanted to talk, if that’s alright with you?”

You stepped closer and sat down on the side of the fountain with the singer, “What do you want to talk about?” You smiled as you sat down, folding your hands in your lap as you tried to get comfortable against the stone.

“It seems weird now that I think about it.” Zadok confessed as you sat next to him, your drink clutched between your two hands, “I just wanted to thank you for what you said yesterday. It really does mean a lot to have someone feel so strongly about our music.” You watched as he tucked his clawed, webbed hands away in his pockets before looking him in the eyes.

His white eyes were striking, and you struggled to reply immediately, “You don’t have to thank me for being honest. Your music is amazing, just like you’re an amazing singer.”

“It means more than you think.” He insisted as he reached for his own drink, and pushed aside a small plastic bag, “I’ve spoken to a lot of fans, and, trust me, not one of them has spoken like that. Not with such passion about it all.” he laughed softly as he leaned back to take a drink, revealing the water pumps over his gills. He caught you staring, “They’re more to stop me drying out and hacking on everyone. I find I really need them after shows. So much singing hurts my lungs, so I have to revert back a little.”

“I had no idea you had to breathe water too.” You marvelled at the gills again before turning your gaze back to his pale scale-skin face, “Wait…” You held up your hands, “You sing so much it actually hurts?”

“Now don’t worry yourself!” Zadok bumped your shoulder gently, “Its not bad. Just like human singers need rests from growling, I need my own rest and recuperation.” He chuckled again, “But it is much easier to sing with water, but its not something anyone but a Mer can understand well.”

“Is that why you looked like you enjoyed the beginning solo so much? Because its easier to sing in the water?” You asked, curious and eager to pick Zadok’s brain.

He laughed at you before nodding, his hood sliding to reveal the pointed tip of one of his fins, “I’m surprised you noticed.” he held his drink in his lap, wiggling his wet toes in the cool air, “Its not just that its easier to sing, really…I was born in the ocean, even though my parents have long lived with humans. We still spend our early years in the deep black waters before integrating into society. I’ve always just loved the water. Its always brought me peace. Its like a veil on the audience so I can just be myself.”

“That seems like an odd way to start life, but the more I think about it the more I think it must be nice, to be just you and the water.” You sat back, your palms pressed into the rough stone as you looked at the water, “And I bet it made you an amazing swimmer.”

Zadok paused before laughing again, the noise gentle and soothing, like the sound of water in a stream full of pebbles, “It did make me a good swimmer, yes, but it also taught me a lot about our culture. It made me who I am.” he looked at his feet and the water in the tank gurgled quietly.

Silence fell between you both again, and you sat looking at the little goldfish in the fountain as they swam around Zadok’s ankles and disappeared under the lily pads. It was serene. You looked up and soaked in the weak sun.

“I have one more question for you.” Zadok said.

You looked over to him, “What’s that?” You asked.

He looked around and leaned over, “Is there somewhere more, private than this?” he sighed, “I just…I’m sick of being recognised. I ran into a group of fans on my way here and had to sign a few things. I just…”

“Want a day away from it all?” You asked gently, “I think I have a place in mind.”

Zadok smiled at you, “You’re not planning to kidnap me, are you?” he joked as he took another drink of coffee.

“Me? Kidnap you?” You exaggerated, “I think I would have more luck catching one of these goldfish, and that’s a pretty slim chance!”

Zadok laughed gently, like the sound of water over stone, and you stood from the fountain, holding your coffee as you waited for him to shake his feet dry and put his shoes back on. He looked at his socks and huffed before pushing them into his pockets, opting to instead carry his boots and walk barefoot through the grass.

“So, where do you have in mind?” he asked as he followed you, “Will I need my shoes on?”

You nodded at him, “You’ll need your shoes for now. The city might be okay but I’m pretty sure you’ll get glass in your feet if you don’t wear something.”

“Yeah, I don’t think that’s too fun. I can’t be having a day in the minor injuries unit.” Zadok followed you to the gate before he took his napkin from his coffee and wiped off his feet. He hopped on each foot as he put his sock on and then his boots. Quickly, he tied the laces up before he checked his wrist. A silver watch flashed, and he hummed at the time.

“Have you got somewhere to be?” You asked.

Zadok shook his head as he clicked the sound off his phone, “Nope. Let’s get going.” he pulled his hood back up and hid his face as you exited the park and headed out towards the city’s edge.

“I suggest you keep your stuff close.” You suggested as you both entered into a small, abandoned area of the city. It was overgrown and the small homes here were derelict, with ivy and bushes sprouting out of the windows and collapsed roofs.

Zadok looked up through the trees, “What kind of place is this?” he asked quietly as you both stepped around a couple of mushroom circles.

“It’s a fae pool. A spirit pool of sorts.” You pointed past the houses towards a large clearing where a natural pond glittered with the light pouring through the centre hole of the canopy, “Its protected by the city for small fae and creatures to use and live in. Some species can’t integrate with humans, so these are the result.” You pointed to the rocks where a nymph combed her hair. She turned and saw you both, smiling before she blended into the air and disappeared into a small creek that trickled away from the large pond with a chime of laughter.

“This is amazing.” Zadok breathed as he ran his claws over a rotten wooden fence, touching the ivy which wrapped around them gently, “I’ve never seen something like this before, not unless it was in the actual countryside.”

You smiled brightly as you reached the edge of the water, “Well, its something a lot of people don’t know about. I only know because of the guy I work with. He comes out here sometimes during shifts.”

“Is that the one that was with you last night, the werewolf?” Zadok asked curiously as he laid his bag down by the edge and undid his coat.

“Oh yeah, that’s Tom. He comes with me to a lot of stuff. We’ve been friends for years now.” You answered him, “I saved him a spot at the front since he was just as excited as me to see you guys.”

“He’s a nice guy then.” Zadok smiled, his needle like teeth parted slightly as he turned to sniff the air, “Sounds like a keeper.” he teased.

You shook your head, “Nah. We’re just friends. Tom is like a brother to me. We’ve both been through this before.” You shrugged, “I’m sure I’ll find someone like that though.”

“Yes, I’m sure you will.” Zadok awkwardly added before he changed the subject, “Are we allowed in the water?”

The water was clear enough to see the heavy, dark stones that covered the bottom and you shrugged at Zadok.

“So long as you don’t kiss any Nymphs, I’m sure you’ll be fine.” You joked as you sat yourself next to the water and sipped the last remnants of your drink.

“Oh, I don’t plan on kissing any of them.” Zadok chuckled as he shrugged his coat off and reached for his tanks, “Would you mind…”

“Oh, gosh, sure, sorry.” You rambled before turning around, “Are those tanks hard to get off.

In reply you heard the hiss and click before water glugged and the tank thumped to the floor, “No. It’s not too hard, just a lot of suction cups and water glugging.” Zadok hummed and you made sure to keep turned around as fabric fluttered to the floor, “You can turn back now.” He announced quietly.

You turned back around, clutching your drink between your hands, and looked at the man as he laid on his back and floated out into the middle of the clear water. He was bare of clothes, but nothing was exposed, and you remembered your anatomy lessons enough to know that most Mer’s had slits which hid everything away. Zadok flipped himself backwards and plunged himself deep into the pool. The water swirling was the only sign he was moving, and you walked back to the edge and sat down. Much like he had earlier, you took your shoes and socks off, and plunged your feet carefully into the water. It was quite cool, and you shuddered at the sensation before you wiggled your toes back and forth and swung your feet in the water. A hand grabbed your ankle and you jumped with a squeak until Zadok’s white head appeared. His head emerged and you marvelled at the glittering silver and purple of his bioluminescence. His eyes blinked back their protective eyelids, the third lids sliding to the sides of his eyes as he peered up at you with a grin of needle like teeth.

“Boo.” He whispered before submerging his gills again, his eyes poking out above the water while the slits on his neck and ribcage flared and moved water.

“You’re an ass.” You commented before splashing water at his head.

Zadok flared the fins on his head, the sails on top of his head and one each side shaking in a ripple before they shone with purple light, “You stuck your feet into a pool with unknown creatures in it.” he shot back at you as he laid himself on the incline of the pool, his stomach resting against the stones, keeping his gills submerged.

“Is the water okay for you? Don’t you need salt water since you’re from the deep ocean?” You asked curiously, “You won’t get any infections from it will you?”

Zadok gave you a withering look, “I’ll be fine. If this is a fae pool it will be perfectly clean. They don’t like dirty water.” he wiggled back into the water, “I can breathe fresh water just fine, since this is pure, its even better.”

“That’s great then. I didn’t want to be responsible for making you ill or anything! Considering you have a few more months of touring it would be pretty disastrous.” You smiled with relief.

For a while, you watched Zadok swim and dive. He dipped beneath the surface seamlessly and you marvelled at the glow to his fins and scales as he dove to the bottom of the pond. You could make out the colour of his bioluminescence beneath the surface, glowing through the water as he swam in large circles. As you sat, quiet and still, the sprites seemed to return to the water, and you smiled as a few smaller sprites sat by you in the reeds and grass. A couple of small looking mushrooms rattled together before their small arms and legs appeared and they opened their eyes, trundling over to pick at Zadok’s clothes and shoes before they hopped into his shoe and made happy noises. You laughed at them before a small, hummingbird like fae zipped in front of your face and giggled before settling herself on top of your head to play with whatever she could reach. Zadok surfaced and opened his eyelids as a couple of kelp looking creatures clung to his fins. They flopped back into the water before he could complain but he only smiled beneath the surface, snapping at them with his sharp teeth to scare them away from his fins. He reached and tugged a few of them free of his dorsal sail, the sharp needles tearing a few of them a little, but they didn’t seem to complain as they floated back into the depths of the pond.

“They seem to like you.” Zadok commented as he swam close to the edge, his body bending before he laid his webbed hands in the grass, claws plucking at the strands and snapping them.

“If you come here long enough, they take a liking to you. They just like people who can sit quietly, and who don’t litter.” You replied as you placed your cup into his plastic bag. You hummed as you reached inside and plucked the bottle out, “Did you plan on doing a little more than swimming?” You teased as you shook the bottle of whiskey in front of him.

Zadok plucked it out of your hands and scoffed, “A little more than relaxing…” he muttered, “Something like that. It’s been a rough few weeks, being on tour and all.”

You didn’t know Zadok well, but you found yourself replying before you could stop yourself, “Is it something you want to talk about?”

“No.” he replied brusquely, “Its something at home. Nothing you can really help with.” Zadok hummed, “But some company might be nice?” he asked as he held the whiskey a little higher out of the water.

It was only just past midday, but you smiled at him, remembering that you had the day off work anyway. You checked your phone and nodded.

“Sure. I wouldn’t mind sharing some of that. Its expensive.” You commented as Zadok undid the lid and tossed it into the grass.

He held the drink up before taking a few sips and hissing, “Definitely decent stuff.”

“I’ll be the judge of that.” You joked, “As a bartender, I have a keen sense for what makes a good whiskey.” You laughed before taking a mouthful and humming at the burn as you swallowed, “Oh yeah, definitely decent.”

“I’m glad you approve.” Zadok chuckled as he leaned back and floated out into the middle of the pond, his eyes closed as the sun shone through the leaves and hit the skin of his belly. His stomach glittered with blue and purple light from the natural sunlight and you watched the light show in awe before you took another sip of whiskey to dampen the feeling swirling in your gut.

Zadok floated for a while before he dipped below the water and dove to the bottom, the water swirling in his wake. His fins popped back out of the water as he swam to the edge and surfaced, smiling at you before he held out his fist.

“Open your hand.” he insisted, “I have something for you.”

You did as you were told and placed the whiskey down to open your hands for what he had to give you. He opened his claws and dropped a large looking rock. You frowned but span it over to reveal the inside of a geode. It was split some time ago but Zadok’s swimming had cleaned most of the silt from inside of it, revealing a shiny gathering of blue and clear crystals. The sprite in your hair chirped happily before a magpie squawked and landed nearby, eyeing the shiny object up with one beady eye.

“Wow.” You whispered, “Was this at the bottom of the pond?” You asked as you turned the crystals away from the sunlight, so the magpie didn’t decide to dive at you for the object.

“There’s a small cave at the bottom. It probably leads to some fae lair, but the inside was full of rocks and geodes. Its obviously a lair which has been abandoned though, there’s silt all over it.” Zadok commented, “They probably moved along a while ago.”

“That’s amazing.” You replied, “Thank you. Its very pretty.”

Zadok failed to stop his fins from flaring as he puffed with pride, “Sorry.” he grunted, “It’s a natural thing. I can’t stop myself.”

You only laughed at him, “Its fine, don’t worry about it.” You took hold of the whiskey again and held it out for him, “Want some more.”

Embarrassed, Zadok nodded, “Yep.” And took the whiskey as he swam back out into the pond, treading water easily as he sipped whiskey, back and forth across the length of the body of water.

The whiskey was strong, and it quickly got to your head, making you smile as you laid near the edge of the water, talking as you watched the clouds roll overhead. You grinned as Zadok started to cloud watch with you. It was childish almost, but peaceful as you both laid back and watched the day roll past, sipping whiskey before you started on the bread and meat he had shoved into the bag as well, chewing slowly as you listened to the trees rustle and fae giggle. The sun started to dip below the horizon as you both finished off the bottle of whiskey, giggling and slapping water at each other before you flopped back against the bank with your feet swirling back and forth in the water. Zadok dipped below the surface and resurfaced happily, stretching his lithe figure out before he swam back towards you. One of his hands wrapped around your ankle, the black, tapered claws grazing over your skin before he pulled himself out of the water, and grazed them up over your calf, to the point where your bottoms were rolled up your legs. His white eyes continued up your legs, following their own path over your chest before your gazes locked.

His fingers pressed against your skin, softly mapping the expanse of your calf before he trailed his other hand up your other leg, touching the back of your leg in a slow stroke before he heaved his body up and out of the water, resting between your legs as he dripped water over your stomach. Intensity burned in his white eyes as his nose holes flared and his mouth opened, scenting the air. You looked up at him and felt your body go hot. After a moment looking at his perfect, pearl coloured skin, you dared to stroke your hands over his stomach, following the deep purple colours as they zipped up over his shoulders and down his back. A croaking purr escaped Zadok as he pushed his skin against your hands, enjoying the petting as his lips pursed. His gills flared with a sigh before he leaned over and pressed his lips to your own. His second eyelids closed over his eyes, like he was snatching a fish from the water, and he watched you melt against the grass, one of your hands cupping his cheek, stroking at the fin on the side of his head, while your other hand dared to trail down his stomach, stroking the soft, scaled skin before you reached the mound between his legs.

Another soft rumble ran up Zadok’s check before he croaked, the sound accompanied by the soft fluttering of his gills. His eyes were closed as your fingers grazed over the flushed flesh of his slit. You stroked along the centre where the rough scales parted to reveal a peak of his soft, blue coloured flesh.

“Fuck.” Zadok whispered as his arms shook, “Please.” he whimpered in your ear.

“Please, what?” You gasped as your finger dipped into the slit as it grew slippery with a natural lubricant before you kissed him again, stroking the flushed flesh gently as you felt his tongue prod at your lips. The two of you kissed a little deeper, tongues touching before Zadok tilted his head and pulled himself out of the water completely, pressing his wet skin and scales to your front.

The mer shifted against you as your fingers came away from his slit, covered in a thin slime, “Let me…” he croaked again with a purr, “Let me have you.”

You grinned as he pressed his slit to your hips, rubbing the scales against you, “Do you have a room somewhere?” you asked, no louder than a whisper.

Zadok nodded his head as you dragged your nails down his back, shivering before he managed to speak, “The Rouge Bard. We have our own rooms. Everyone is out today.” he added as he blinked and leaned to nip at your lips, his gills fluttering again before he leaned back.

“We best continue this there then.” You stated as Zadok kissed you once more and pulled away, shaking water from his body as he hissed and pulled his clothes back on. The cotton dragged at the swollen flesh of his slit and you drunkenly hummed, looking at his angular ribcage, structured with thin bones and heavy scales. You were admiring him. Zadok smiled as he zipped up his cargo pants, moving the chains out of the way as they linked together and jangled.

“Yes. Let’s.” Zadok shuddered as the wind blew, but quickly covered up before stealing another heated kiss from your lips, his fins flaring as you clicked the water tank breathers to the gills on his neck.

The two of you stumbled from the abandoned homes, stealing kisses and dragging your hands over each other’s skin as darkness settled over the city. You stumbled and laughed with one another as you reached the hotel and he dragged you into the elevator, purring his croaking noise again as he pressed you to his front and stole another kiss, his lips demanding more from you. His tongue slipped into your mouth and you gasped against his teeth as they nipped at you. The elevator pinged the floor and you both collapsed out of it, dragging each other down the hall until you reached his door. You pressed his back against it as he fumbled for the keycard to get in.

A whistle sounded behind you as Zadok opened the door, “Golden boys getting some ass tonight I see.” Senoz purred from across the hall.

“I think I might be the one getting the ass.” You purred as the demon’s tails swung upwards, curled curiously.

“Well, when he’s a disappointment, you know where to find me, sweet thing.” Senoz swiped at your neck and licked the skin before leaving you both to tumble into Zadok’s room.

“Fucking demon.” the merman growled, “I’ll…”

“You better not be all talk. I might get bored and head over to see how good Senoz is in bed.” You countered as his coat fell to the floor.

Zadok was quick to pull the suction cups of his water tank free, wheezing for a moment before he pealed his shirt off, revealing his angular chest and plated ribs again. You leaned back to admire the sight before he grabbed at your own clothes. You let him wrangle your coat and shirt off before you pushed him back towards the double bed. He went with a soft rumble, laying back against the cushions as he undid his trousers. You stood and slid them down over his hips to reveal his underwear. They were wet with lubricant. Pulling them down, you tried not to lick your lips as his slit sat before you, puffy and glistening, the head of his cock already peeking out from the blue flesh. Zadok threw his head back as you pushed your fingers against the soft scaled skin, revealing the v-shaped head of his cock.

“Fuck, please.” he whined again, “Please.” he reached for your neck and leaned up for a kiss, only to be denied as you spotted the jewellery collars on top of his dresser. They were probably from the show the night before. Before he could steal a kiss, you retrieved one of the studded black leather collars and grinned.

“If you’re a good boy, I’ll let you have what you want.” You promised as you slid back into his lap, holding the studs of the spiked collar open.

The merman looked from the collar to your face. His white eyes widened before he nodded, licking at his lips with a blue, pointed tongue. You reached around his neck to click the collar closed before leaning back in his lap to admire the black leather and silver spikes against his pearlescent skin. Bioluminescence trails ran up his arms as you trailed your hands over his scaled skin. It was rough over the tops of his arms and you dug your fingers into the meat of his tricep to enjoy the feeling of the rough skin against your palms. Sitting back on his thighs, you turned your gaze downwards as you looped a finger through the ring hanging from the leather. Zadok moaned quietly as you gave it a soft tug and teased the tip of his cock. It bobbed, stirring between the blue fleshy lips before it extended out of its hole, shining wet with lubricant. His dick was long and curved upwards, with a head that tapered into a v shape. Beneath the head was bulbous, in the shape of an oval, and the bottom was flared with ribs. It was entirely new, and you felt your mouth water slightly at the sight of the blue gradient of the organ. The bottom glittered with silver light at your staring and his cock bobbed upwards sharply as your fingers trailed over his shoulders and down his ribs. Zadok let out another purring croak as you finally reached his pelvis and ran your fingertips along the top of his dick.

“Please, master, please.” he croaked as he flopped back into the cushions, easily falling into a more submissive role as you dragged him up a little by the ring of his collar, “Please touch me.”

You shuddered at his tone of voice, enjoying the soft pleading from a voice which was usually so confident and demanding of attention on stage.

“Are you going to be a good boy and do as you’re told?” You asked as you sat on his thighs, running your fingers over his hips, towards the base of his cock, before you trailed back again, letting the head of his dick leak precum and his slit drip with more lubricant. The clear fluid leaked down over his buttocks and you watched as his face lit up with a blue blush.

Zadok swallowed thickly, “I’ll be g-good.” he promised quietly as you let go of the ring of his collar and stroked the length of his dick.

“Good boy.” You cooed as you stroked him, “We can stop anytime, just pat my thigh twice.” You told him before leaning down to steal a kiss from his lips as you pressed your finger to the sensitive head of his cock.

“Ah!” Zadok cried sharply as your fingers twisted underneath the bulbous part of his cock, “That’s…sensitive.” he whined as you grasped the oval shape again and stroked around it, watching his clawed feet curl into the sheets, cutting slits into the sheets.

“Its sensitive is it?” You asked as you trailed over the bump again.

“Yes.” he cried, “Please, master, I can’t…I’ll cum before…”

Abruptly, you let go, watching his cock bob and throb with a hum. Zadok whined and croaked again before leaning up to kiss you, demanding your attention.

“I think I need a little help before I can fit that in baby boy.” You uttered against his lips, “How about you open me up a little?”

Zadok nodded as you took hold of his hand and looked at his claws, assessing them for a moment before you decided they were clipped enough to not shred your insides.

Zadok croaked before purring again as you sat on your knees, resting above his lap as his hand encompassed your sex, the rough scales on the outside of his fingers grazing against your sensitive skin before they ran back and pushed at your hole. He met with resistance and the mer quickly gathered the natural lubricant from his slit, smearing it over his fingers before he pushed back against your hole. Carefully, he slid one finger inside to the second knuckle, letting you rest for a moment before he eased the rest in. Your inside were warm, and Zadok shuddered at the temperature difference before he crooked his finger and began gently thrusting it in and out. His other hand occupied itself at your chest before his mouth took to teasing your nipples, sucking on the buds until they were pert and sore, his sharp teeth nipping at the skin as he croaked again in happiness.

“You’re such a good boy.” You moaned between the attention of his mouth and hands, enjoying the pleasurable stretch as he pushed another finger into you and scissored the two apart, pressing against your plush insides.

“Anything for you, master.” Zadok purred drunkenly, his pale face flushed with blue blood. You watched his cock bob and weep a pearl of light blue precum, following the fluid as it dripped back down the length and mixed with the lubricant seeping from his slit.

“Zadok, you’re dripping all over yourself. Is this turning you on that much?” You asked breathily as his fingers pressed into a sensitive spot, keeping your composure as he sucked on your nipples again, leaving cool spit over the skin with his blue tongue.

“Mmm. It is.” Zadok hissed as you wrapped your hand around the head of his cock, “Please, can I be inside you?”

“Hmm? What was that? Where are your manners, baby?” You asked as you pulled his fingers from you looking at them before you leaned back in his lap and pinned his hands to the bed. His dick bobbed as you stretched his arms up over his head and you admired the shape of his lithe figure, all bone and sleek muscle. His luminescence burned bright in striped over his entire body, shooting like currents as you nudged your hips against his own, “What’s the magic word?”

“Please, master, I can’t stand it. I need to be inside you.” Zadok moaned as you tugged him up by the collar for a kiss, mashing your tongues and teeth together messily before you reached back and lined his dick up against your hole, “Thank you, thank you…” He uttered incoherently as you sank down on his cock.

A moan tore from you as the bulbous part under his head sank into you, stretching you wide before the ribs along the bottom scraped gently at your insides. A sharp bolt of pleasure ran up your spine as you took him to the base. He was unique, slippery, and textured in ways you had never taken, and you took a moment to admire his face as his second eyelids flicked and blinked back and forth. His hips shifted, jolting you on top of him, and you felt the cool seep of lubricant from where your hips were pressed together.

“You’re just gushing for me, aren’t you?” You teased as you slid up his cock and slid back down, enjoying the wet squelch that sounded as your hips collided. Zadok nodded and croaked again, reaching for his collar as his other hand wrapped around a bed post, anchoring himself as your rhythm took over, rocking his dick in and out of yourself. He struggled to say anything as the bulbous protrusion expanded, squirting something unfamiliar inside of you.

“Did you just….” You paused as he shook his head, and your insides turned into jelly, numb to the swell but tingling with extra pleasure. It was a thin stream of jelly and you sat up on your knees to see it drip out of you thickly, numbing wherever it touched.

“Its for…eggs…” he moaned, “I couldn’t stop myself…”

You moaned as your legs shook, “It’s fine…Fuck its.” You pushed your fingers to your sex and shuddered again.

“It’s an…aphrodisiac and its…” Zadok moaned sharply his hand flying to the bed post again as you dropped on his cock, picking up the pace in a frenzy as your insides throbbed with the need to cum.

“I need to cum, baby, can you do it with me?” You asked as you leaned for another kiss and to tug at his collar, tightening the hold of your hand around his neck slightly as you thrust onto him. The ribs of his cock brushed your insides and you quivered before you came, white hot pleasure burning behind your eyes before Zadok croaked and shot his load. You shuddered at the feeling as you slowly brought yourself off his dick. Light blue cum dripped from you and you flopped against his chest with a sigh, thumbing at the collar around his neck happily in the afterglow of it all.

Tiredly, you roused from your sleepy state as Zadok placed you back against the cushions and tugged the sheets over your body. You hummed against the cushions before the sheets slid back down over your skin.

“You’re not already up for more are you?” You cooed as you peeled open your eyes.

“If only. I’m not that young anymore.” Zadok chuckled as he eased you over onto your back and revealed a warm wash cloth. He hummed as he slid it over your skin, wiping away the cum and jelly like substance which had made your insides tingle.

“I might be able to go for another.” You hummed as he wiped between your legs and tapped at your thigh.

“Well, this one hasn’t got it in him, I’m afraid.” Zadok flopped next to you, clean and relaxed as he laid back against the cushions and reached around the back of his neck.

You reached for the collar for him, “Here. Let me do it.” You kissed the skin of his shoulder and squeezed his shoulder softly before you unclipped the press studs and pulled it away from his neck. You kissed his neck where the leather had bitten into his skin a little and placed the collar on the bedside table before snuggling back against his chest.

Zadok croaked a little before he ran his fingers over your back, running his claws up and down your spine as he laid back and enjoyed the warmth of your skin against his own. He was cool to the touch, and you slid your fingers down over his plated chest, swooping to the side to feel the odd angle of his ribcage before you stopped above his pelvis, remembering that his dick had probably long retracted into his slit.

“Wait you don’t have anything do you?” You asked sleepily.

Zadok thumbed at the bottom of your chin, “Unless you count drug laced jello as having something, then no.” he let out a raspy breath of air before sitting up, easing you off his body, “Sorry. I need to just go and soak a while. Come and join me?”

With a smile, you leaned up on the edge of the bed and kissed him, enjoying the scrape of his scales, “Sure. Give me a minute though, my legs are still a little like jelly.”

Zadok chuckled again before he purred softly and walked to the bathroom.

You watched his backside go before you sat back against the headboard and massaged at your thighs, hoping that the numb, tingling feeling would wear off. It felt like a residual tingling pleasure, and you felt your insides burn with the idea of another round in the posh hotel bathtub. A rumbling sounded from the floor. You perked up at the noise before looking at Zadok’s bottoms on the floor. His pocket lit up with the screen of his phone. Someone was ringing him. It wasn’t polite, and you knew that as you curiously leaned down and plucked the phone from his pocket.

‘Misty Conrad’ it read, and you felt your heart drop into your stomach. Miss Conch. The words rang in your head from the band meet and greet. Senoz had implied that they were together. Suddenly, the mild buzz from the alcohol wasn’t there, and you sobered up as the ringing stopped and the screen went black. You clicked the screen back on and looked at the notifications. Three messages. Ten missed calls. The phone buzzed again with a new message and you clicked it to reveal the short message.

‘I know you’re with that fan. Answer my calls Zadok or it’s over.’

Your eyes burned with tears of humiliation. He was with her. What they had was more than a song recorded together, and you were a fool for not seeing the signs earlier. You let out a small noise as you sniffed and grew angry, the tears siding down your cheeks as you grabbed for your clothes on wobbly legs.

“Was that my phone?” Zadok asked and you turned to face him as he poked his head around the bathroom door. He was dripping with water but his eyes widened as he saw you crying and grabbing for your clothes, “Are you…”

You threw his phone on the bedside table as you tugged your underwear and bottoms on, “You’re a cheating fuck!” You accused, “And you used me! I should have known that this was stupid but… Miss Conch. She’s been ringing you all say and now she knows.” Your brain couldn’t seem to quite catch up with you as you pulled your shirt on and grabbed your bag. Zadok wrapped his waist with a towel, his mouth open as he grabbed his phone from the table and looked. He cringed at the messages and turned.

“Look, its not what you think!” he insisted as he caught your arm, “We’ve not been together seriously for ages and…”

“And nothing!” You threw back at him, “You used me to console your feelings because you can’t bare to deal with her, and you’ve made me into some kind of…”

“I’m not…” Zadok took a breath, croaking as he pulled at his fins, “Look, I’m sorry, I’ll sort this…”

“I…I don’t care.” You tugged your arm free, feeling the tears beginning to burn into your anger again, “You’re a bastard, Zadok, I want you to know that. A selfish bastard.”

Zadok let your arm go as you opened the door and stood with his phone clenched in his claws as you slammed the door behind you. You wiped at your eyes furiously in the hall and took a shaky breath before you turned on your heels.

“Hmm, leaving so soon, sugar?” Senoz purred as he peered out into the hall, “Or did you want a piece of this instead of the fishy boy?” he sniffed and tilted his head, his horns scratching at the frame, “Wait, why are you crying? Are you alright?”

You held out your hand to him, motioning for him to stop as you wiped the tears away, “I’m fine. Leave it. I’ll be going.”

The demon turned his head to Zadok’s door as you left him stood in the hall. As you rounded the corner you heard him knock on the door.

“You know that’s real bad fucking PR to make fans cry after fucking them, Zadok!”

You didn’t hear from Zadok after that. The band continued their tour globally, and you watched the highlights happily, listening to the songs with your usual interest. You smiled at Duncan’s solos and watched the crowd go berserk. It was energy you lived for. Zadok’s performances were stunning. He draped himself over a piano and sang a ballad before he did more singing in his ancient mer language. It was lovely, but it stung a little. It wasn’t long after their tour finished that you turned on the alternative radio station. The ends of a metal song chugged along as you made a sandwich. It was your day off from the bar and you had been cleaning most of the day, enjoying cleansing yourself of clutter and dust. You hummed as you placed two slices of bread on the plate.

“Although we have drama in the metal scene, we’re all used to the usual knucklehead fights between rival bands, or better yet, accusations of plagiarism, but we’ve never quite had some news like this. The frontman of the band SIREN has been caught, if you mind the pun, in a fishing net of accusations. Miss Conch, the mans supposed former partner, has been blowing the lid off his life outside of his band. The accusations range from ritual sacrifice to cheating, and its not something we usually endorse. But, to answer these claims, we have the very man, or mer, with us in the studio right now.”

You dashed for the volume dial and turned it up a little before you moved your plate closer and began to cut up your filling for the lunch.

“So, Zadok, what do you have to say about these claims by Pop Star, Miss Conch?”

“Some are right, but most are wrong. The ritual sacrifice, for starters, is a ceremony done by my people to appease the currents of the ocean. We take a fish and its bones and lay them in art decorations as an offering. Its an old and sacred tradition. The cheating accusations are, in part true, but our relationship was never official, and I had already broken things off by the beginning of this tour. Her more serious allegations…well my manager and lawyer are already dealing with those. They are untrue and slanderous.”

“Are you calling Miss Conch a liar?”

“For the most part, yes, I am. She invaded my private life and failed to see when our relationship was over. I want to be transparent and come out to speak for my side of the story. I’m not calling her obsessed or anything derogatory, I am just justifying what is fact from fiction.”

“That’s understandable and I’m sure your fans appreciate your honesty.”

“Unfounded and untrue.” You scoffed as you slapped your sandwich together, “Next he’ll be telling everyone that he-”

“This drama has gone on long enough and it has hurt people close to me, not just mine and the band’s reputation. I hurt someone I now know I shouldn’t have with this mess and this is my start to fixing that mistake.”

“That he didn’t know where his dick was going…” You whispered as you looked at the radio like it was a person staring back at you. You wondered if he was talking about you as you moved around the island of your kitchen and headed towards your couch to sit and eat your sandwich. The host thanked him before announcing the next song as Burn by SIREN. You listened to the thunderous drums as you chewed, mulling over the words in your head before the guitars wailed and you thumped at the cushions.

“Why do I even think that? He’s the one who just failed to tell me he has a girlfriend!” You grumbled to yourself before pulling your phone out. You sighed as you opened MonstGram. In your inbox, there sat one message.

‘Can we talk? I need to speak to you. I know I’m a selfish bastard but I want the chance to apologise.’

The same image of the figure by the sea. You took a deep breath as you looked at the vague image of Zadok and placed your phone down, the screen black as you finished off the last bits of your sandwich. Contemplation lasted only a moment as the screen lit up and the notification registered. Another message. You looked at the icon and opened it again.

‘I know I’m the last person you want to see but I’m sorry things ended up how they did. I hope my stupid actions didn’t ruin your love of our music. I’ll leave you alone. That’s all I wanted to say.’

It stank of desperation. You looked from the message and back to your empty plate. It wasn’t manipulative. It was honest, and that made you hate how you were feeling even more. You opened the conversation again and stared at the picture of the sea and cliffs. Your fingers danced over the keyboard before you started to type.

‘One chance. Meet me at Full Moon Bar. Friday. I’ll be on shift but I’ll talk to you.’

‘I’ll see you then.’

With a great sigh, you closed your screen and looked up at the ceiling, your head resting on the back of the sofa cushions. It was a leap of faith, you knew that. You were trusting him with your good faith again.

“If he doesn’t show up, Miss Conch will be the least of his problems. I’ll slice him up like sushi and mail him back to his manager.” You spat, and the poisonous words made you feel a little better and hate him a little less. With a smile, you ran a hand over your face and got up to go and put your plate away in the sink for washing later. For now, you had a living area to deep clean, and you headed for the vacuum to try and clean Zadok from your mind for a while.

The bar was quiet on Friday. Thankfully, there was a small group who had a lot of orders to keep you entertained. It distracted you from the nerves brewing in your gut.

“Hey, what’s wrong with you today?” Tom asked as he leaned over the bar, his nose perked as he sniffed at the air, “You smell off as all hell.”

“Get your werewolf nose away from me, Tom. I mean it.” You threatened as you turned to place some clean glasses under the bar, “I’m not in the mood for your meddling.”

“Meddling? Me? Never.” Tom teased gently, “Its like you’re worried though. Talk to me.”

With a great sigh, you turned back to face him, “Someone I’ve not seen in a long time is coming…I just need you to be there in case. Not with me or anything, just around.”

“Of course.” Tom consoled, “I hope this isn’t some abusive asshole, because I swear on the moon I’ll…”

“Don’t worry. Its not. Its just something I need to sort out.” You assured him.

“Okay. What time do you need a minute?” he asked as he opened the bar door and stood next to you. You peered at the clock as the bell on the door rang, and Tom turned to greet them with a smile.

“Evening.” he said before he turned back to you, his eyes wide and his nose flared, “Tell me I’m not dreaming, and that Zadok from SIREN did actually just walk into the bar.”

You stiffened as you peered around him, “You’re not dreaming big guy.” You headed to the door, “So keep your cool. This is the one I need to talk to.”

Tom’s mouth opened like a large fish but he didn’t ask you any questions as you headed over to Zadok.

Zadok ducked into a booth near the entrance, his head low and covered by a large black hood. His water respirator was on and he was wearing a mouth piece over his face. You watched him before finally taking the last couple of steps and sliding into the seat. You slid him a shot of whiskey. Zadok caught the shot glass and looked up, his white eyes locking with your own before he reached for his face and clicked a few buttons. The water drained from the mask and he pulled it free, smiling with needle sharp teeth. He was dressed in his usual baggy combats and a large, long sleeve shirt. The shirt was torn and had a few chains linked across his chest. He tugged off his hood and looked at the shot glass for a moment.

“Look I know that…That I fucked up. What I did was selfish, and I took advantage of you.” he started as he clutched the glass between his hands, “I shouldn’t have I shouldn’t have let you do what you wanted but it happened and I’m sorry.”

You looked at his face and the wetness of his eyes, “You still did it, and that hasn’t changed. I was…I was hurt and upset. I had her message me, Zadok. Spiteful, horrible things. None of that hurt will go away but its fading.”

Zadok cringed over his drink, “We weren’t even properly together. We had sex and a few dates but with the tour, it wasn’t going any further. She messaged me constantly. Harrassed me with phone calls and I was just…I should have told her.” he looked you dead in the eyes, “I’m sorry I dragged you into this mess.”

“It’s a mess, but I appreciate you being so honest with me.” You confessed as he thumbed at his drink before downing the whiskey. His hands looked a little steadier after the strong liquor.

“It’s the least I could do. She’s in the past. She’s tried to file a lot of shit against me. It wasn’t worth it, and I’m…I’m tired. She can have the song rights and royalties. I just want her out of my life”

You didn’t comment but nodded as he ranted a little. You knew about the allegations. It was widely known news to the fans now. Still, his interview weighed on your mind.

“What you said in the interview you did on Metal Talks.” You started, “Is this what you were talking about? You wanted to make this right with me?”

“Yes. I knew…Look I was a fucking idiot, I know that, but I ruined something that I thought was going to be…”

“More?” You added with a small smile.

“Call it stupidity, but…You were just stunning, and I got carried away. The alcohol didn’t help matters but I still think you’re amazing. Your love for the music, for life, it just spoke to me and… Look I can’t change anything, but I can try and sort this out.” He pushed the glass over to you on the table, “We don’t know each other, not really, but would you be willing to know me, in a better way?”

You gut churned as you looked at his pearlescent skin and his beautiful white eyes, chewing the inside of your cheek, “Maybe I would. I thought you were moving, in everything, from the moment I started to follow you all, but that doesn’t change what you did. I need time and space, but I would like to know you, the real you.”

Zadok carefully reached for your hand and squeezed at your fingers carefully as he smiled and ducked his head. The door opened and Tom greeted the next customer. You sat, letting him hold your hand, before you blushed and got up.

“You still have to pay for the drink, but you can stay, if you like? I know Tom is dying for an autograph and a picture. He’s probably your second biggest fan.”

Zadok chuckled and looked up at you, “Who’s my first?”

“Well, you just might have to find that out.”

#merman x reader #merman x gender neutral reader #merman #monster x reader #monster boyfriend #monster bf #monster boy x reader #monster boys #monster reader insert #reader insert #zadok #SIREN #siren: a metal monster band #zadok x reader #monster boys x reader #exo #terato

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raindancer2004 · 3 years

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A Cullen / Volturi Christmas

Word Count: 2,357 Demetri x OC Cullen Part Two Warnings: Fluff

Esme and Lily decided to have a mom and daughter day and left the castle to spend it shopping for gifts, which worked out well as it was the last castle ‘tour’ day before Christmas. Esme drove them to the mall and once there they began their Christmas shopping although Lily couldn’t buy her mom’s gift with her there and Esme didn’t buy Lily’s that day either. Esme treated them both to a manicure in the mall’s beauty salon. Lily opted for blue nails and had snowflakes painted onto her ring fingers; Esme opted for red nails and had a snowman painted onto her ring fingers. “Thank you mom for the manicure” Lily said as she hugged her mom “You’re very welcome sweetie” Esme replied smiling.

Once Lily and Esme had finished shopping they made their way back to the car “Mom, will you help me with something but it involves going back into the mall?” Lily asked Esme as they were putting the bags in the car “Of course. What do you require help with?” Esme asked smiling “You’ll see” Lily replied smiling as they made their way back into the mall and down to the Christmas shop.

Demetri was surprised when he returned from guard duty that evening to find that Lily had bought and decorated a 4ft Christmas tree that now sat in the corner of his room between his desk and the bookcase. He also noticed that Lily had bought him a Christmas stocking with his name on and had hung it on his fireplace alongside one with her name on. “I hope you don’t mind but I wanted to make your room feel a little…festive seeing as we spend so much time in here” She said smiling at him “I don’t mind, it was just a surprise that’s all. The tree looks beautiful and thank you for the stocking.” He replied smiling, trying to ignore the warm feeling running through him, knowing that he was starting to feel fond of her “You’re welcome” She replied smiling “I have one back home and thought it’d be nice to hang a couple over your fireplace. There was a stall in the mall that personalised stockings and tree decorations” She added still smiling at him “I must admit I don’t usually decorate my room at Christmas but it does look really nice, although the tree is missing something” He said pointing at it only just noticing there was nothing on top of the tree “Oh yeah. Here I left this for you to put on the tree” She said as he handed him a white star and watched him place it atop the tree.

The following evening Demetri took Lily’s warm hand in his cold one and led her down to the family room for what was supposed to be movie night, but Caius had decided on something a little different. “Right now you are all here; I can tell you the plan for tonight. Athenodora and I have spoken and instead of family movie night we’re going to have a family games night” Caius said addressing the room. “Bella will you shield the other teams’ thoughts from Edward so it’s a fair game for all” He added “Of course Caius” She replied; everyone was surprised that he had asked her rather than making it an order.

The teams were; ‘The Cullens’ – consisting of Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Rosalie, Alice, Jasper, Edward and Bella, ‘The Royals and the guard’ – consisting of Marcus, Aro, Sulpicia, Caius, Athenodora, Corin, Afton and Renata, ‘Lily and the non-veggies’ – consisting of Felix, Jane, Alec, Demetri, Lily, Chelsea, Heidi and Santiago.

Once each team had a name they let the other teams know. “Who came up with their team name?” Bella asked Edward chuckling and pointing at Lily’s team “Felix did. He thought it would be funny and the others didn’t object” Edward replied smiling. “I can’t believe a Cullen is on the same team as the Volturi” Emmett said “Yeah, who would have thought?” Afton agreed “Lily is an honorary Volturi as she is staying with Demetri” Aro said smiling “Not to mention it makes the number of people on a team fair too” Jane added. Gianna was the one who created and read out the Quiz questions ensuring that there were topics for everyone “I have used Wikipedia and google for some of the answers so if any of the ‘History’ questions are not quite accurate you know why” Gianna smiled nervously “It’s ok my dear” Aro replied smiling. Lily’s team did really well when it came to answering questions to do with current music stars, modern films etc. “I’m glad you’re on our team cara or we probably wouldn’t have done so well” Demetri whispered in her ear, causing her to smile “See us humans have…other uses” She whispered back and giving him a wink; he nodded chuckling low “So it would seem.” Marcus smiled seeing Demetri and Lily getting along so well.

Once the quiz was over they played charades, again Gianna had written down some ideas. Edward tried acting out ‘First man on the moon’ and the Cullens didn’t guess correctly “That was a bad impression bro” Emmett called out once Gianna called time “I did my best” Edward replied. Lily got a bit creative when it was her turn; she walked over to Aro and began miming a conversation with him “Interview with a Vampire” Demetri called out pointing at them “Yep” Lily replied smiling and gave Demetri a high five before sitting back down beside him. Corin acted out the ‘can-can’ which had everyone laughing and as a result her team almost missed correctly guessing the mime. Jasper went next and mimed ‘running man.’ When it was Demetri’s turn he pretended to eat something then fell to the floor with his eyes closed “Snow White and the seven Dwarves” Lily called out smiling, Demetri got up and nodded at her “Well done cara” He smiled down at her. “How do they do that?” Afton asked “I don’t know but it works in our favour” Chelsea replied smiling at her mate.

At the end of the night before everyone left Felix gained the room’s attention “Right Christmas is two weeks away and the Cullens have agreed to do Secret Santa with us this year. I have put all of the names in this bowl so please come and pick a piece of paper out of the bowl to find out who you are buying for” Everyone chose their ‘person’ and Lily smiled when she got Jane as she knew exactly what to get her from the conversations that they had had, where they had gotten to know one another a little better. Felix had picked Lily’s name and made a mental note to ask Alice or Esme for ideas as he didn’t really know much about her.

The Cullens had been at the castle for two weeks when their month long stay was extended until after the New Year at Marcus’ request. Carlisle was sitting in Marcus’ private study and they were reminiscing about the years when Carlisle lived with them when Marcus changed the subject “Carlisle I would like you and your family to extend your stay here by two weeks so you leave mid-January instead of a few days after New Year’s” “Is there a particular reason for the offer to extend our stay here Marcus?” Marcus thought for a moment before answering “No, nothing in particular I would just like to have you and your family around for a little longer” “I will speak with Esme but I do not see it being a problem” Carlisle replied and Marcus nodded. Carlisle sensed Marcus was up to something he just wasn’t quite sure what.

Demetri had gotten used to hearing Lily play her favourite Christmas songs low in the background during her stay in his room. Once she found out his favourite Christmas songs she added them to her playlist and he was both surprised and pleased the first time he heard his favourites playing amongst hers. He also found that sharing his room with her was easy as she was just as tidy and organised as him, she enjoyed reading and he found himself enjoying her company and the conversations they had by the fire. ‘I could get used to this, to having her around’ Demetri thought to himself one night after they had spent the night talking and laughing about the antics that go on both at her house and in the castle; discovering that Emmett and Felix had more in common that people would think. He also found that the slight burning feeling in the back of his throat when he was around her was becoming easier to deal with; so much so he rarely noticed it was there now.

Demetri, Felix and Alec were sent out to track down a couple of rogues who were hunting a little too close to Volterra and would enter the city of an evening. They were gone for the day and warned them to move on; however one of the rogues didn’t like the warning and went for Alec and got himself dismembered and set alight by the three of them. The other two rogues took off running and vowed never to set foot in the Volterra again.

The following morning Demetri went Christmas shopping for his Secret Santa; he had gotten Renesmee and bought her ‘Beach Barbie and Barbie’s Beach House’ as he remembered Gianna had told him that all little girls loved that sort of thing, when she’d bought one for her niece’s birthday a few months prior. Demetri bought a gift for Felix and Heidi as he always did but this year he bought a few extra gifts that were to be given to Lily as he enjoyed her company and had started to think of her as more than just his friend’s daughter. He was pleased with his purchases and couldn’t wait to see everyone open their gifts, especially Lily. He wrapped the gifts that night whilst she slept and hid them at the back of one of the cupboards in the closet knowing Lily would never look in there and because it was out her reach.

Lily went shopping that afternoon with Chelsea as they had gotten the twins for their Secret Santa. Lily bought Jane make-up from Mac; two x eye shadow quads, a contouring kit and a selection of lip pink glosses. Chelsea bought Alec a book of poetry and a book containing 365 puzzles; one for each day of the year. Lily bought her mom’s gift too during this trip deciding on a rose gold bracelet with a heart charm and her mom’s favourite bath products. Lily also bought a few extra gifts that Christmas, which were for Demetri as a thank you for sharing his room with her and because she had come to think of him as a friend, although she secretly hoped it would become more. Chelsea smiled at Lily “It’s nice that you bought him something, he’ll appreciate it” “Thank you Chelsea, but please don’t tell anyone” Lily replied “Of course not hunny, this stays between us. I promise” Chelsea responded and drew a cross over her frozen heart; both of them giggling.

Later that evening Lily decided to run herself a bath and used one of her Cranberry Martini bath bombs. The bath was ready and she was in the closet looking for something comfortable to change into and decided to borrow one of Demetri’s jumpers, knowing he wouldn’t mind. Meanwhile, Demetri had returned to his room after being on guard duty that afternoon and could hear soft music playing and the smell of Cranberry coming from the bathroom and noticed the bath full of hot water and bubbles ‘Don’t mind if I do’ he thought to himself as he quickly undressed and climbed in the bath; the hot water relaxing his tired muscles. Lily entered the bathroom in just her robe and dropped it to the floor and turned around to climb in the bath when she saw Demetri laying in the tub with a big smile on his face “Hello darling, I must say...this is a beautiful sight to come home to” He winked at her “Well make some room then” She said and walked towards the tub; Demetri’s eyebrow rose in surprise “I ran the bath for myself using one of my favourite bath bombs…so now we’re sharing seeing as your tub is big enough for two” She added climbing in the bath and adding some more hot water. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her towards him; her back resting against his chest “Who knew sharing my room with you would lead to having a bath with you” He said low in her ear “This is our little secret…if you want this to be repeated whilst I’m staying here” She said as she shifted slightly in his arms so she could look at him “So this ‘accident’ can be repeated…huh…my lips are sealed” He replied smiling and placed a kiss to her shoulder; her eyes closing at the feel of his lips on her skin, he left a trail of soft kisses along her shoulder working his way up her neck before capturing her lips in a light kiss. They looked at each other for a moment before she leaned up slightly and pressed her lips to his; one of his hands made its way to her face, gently turning it towards him allowing him to deepen the kiss “Wow” She breathed out when he pulled away allowing her to breath; he nodded and they both leaned into one another sharing another kiss before she relaxed in his arms enjoying their shared bath ‘Mine’ he thought as they laid there; him holding her close to him.

That night as he sat on his bed reading one thought kept going round in his head ‘How do I show her she’s mine’ He smiled looking down at her asleep in his bed; then it hit him ‘Jewellery.’

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curestardust · 3 years

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if you want: “group of young girls with special powers have to save the world” trope / very pleasing art style and animation / story and set-up had potential (but were wasted by inconsistent writing and pacing)

"Assault Lily: Bouquet” was a disappointing watch to me due to just how much potential this anime held that got wasted by bad writing, pacing and inconsistent tone shifts.

I’ve started dubbing certain anime “PMMM-likes” (you know like Roguelikes in video games) because these anime have quite a few things in common: a main cast of girl characters, who fight with magic or some sort of enchancement, usually in order to save the world from some enemy. And the “depressed, lone wolf” dark haired and “ditzy, naive, self-sacrificing” pink haired protagonist duo seems to also be a must. An anime I *really* liked that I’d put in this sub-genre is “Granbelm” (x) (which I’d urge everyone to watch tbh).

“Assault Lily” is somehow based on some kind of toyline and by that I don’t mean figures but literal barbie like dolls that you can customize and such. Although, I didn’t look much into it cause I’m not interested in that stuff. This whole anime feels more like a showcase than an actual story, almost like a build-up for a mobile game. We meet a shitton of characters, get exposition dumped on every little thing and see the workings and aesthetics of the fights on a few occasions.

Again, I’m quite sad at the potential this anime could’ve had. I think the story, if well written, could’ve even lasted 3 seasons.

In short for the story, there are some sort of weird lifeform called the “Huge” that’s attacking humanity. These creatures use a power called “Magie” to function and certain humans (yes, young girls as usual) were found to also be able to use Magie. These girls are called “Lilies” and they use special weapons called “CHARMs” to channel their Magie into and fight the Huge. The protagonist of “Assault Lily” is Riri (the ditzy pink haired girl) who wanted to become a Lily due to being saved by one when her hometown was attacked by a Huge. She meets this girl, Yuyu, but she has changed. She’s cold, uncaring and a loner.

Instead of explaining the story in more detail as I usually do, I’d like to write things out as what each season could’ve focused on if this were a multi-season anime. The 1st season’s content takes place in like the first 3 episodes but spoiler warning from then on.

- Season 1

In this academy, 2nd years can become “Schutzengels” (Guardian Angels) who can take on a younger student to become their “Schild” (Shield) and help them improve. [Sidenote: the younger student herself is referred to as “Schild” even though that doesn’t make much sense to me. I feel like they wanted to go with “Kind” (Child) but that might’ve been confusing to English speakers?].

Yuyu has become a loner because she lost her Shutzengel in a fight and as her memories are fuzzy, she thinks she might’ve had something to do with it. Lilies have “Rare Skills” and Yuyu’s is called “Lunatic Trancer” where she becomes insanely powerful but also can’t differentiate between friend or foe and is thus seen as dangerous to be around on the battlefield.

This issue comes up twice in the anime for some reason, with the exact same conclusion as well. I think an entire season could’ve focused on Riri improving as a Lily, Yuyu getting herself in more and more risky situations as she uses her Lunatic Transfer during fights and then concluding with what the anime did; that Riri for some reason can “cancel out” Yuyu’s Lunatic Trancer state and then the 2 of them work together to take down a huge enemy. The season could’ve concluded with them making the Shutzengel/Schild pledge.

- Season 2

Lilies also create Legions which need to have at least 9 members. This anime also has an insane amount of supporting characters besides the Legion members so some of the characters we barely get to know. In season 1, while the main plot is going on we could’ve gotten close to certain side characters. As this is an in-between season, it could’ve been more low-stakes and relationship focused. Riri and Yuyu decide to create a Legion, we have the side characters from S01 join and meet more characters to create the 9 member Legion. These characters could’ve also been lacking in some areas so, training segments. Character improvement! Always better than being perfect from the start. Toward the end of the season could’ve been the introduction of what was supposed to be a huge character development arc for Riri: the meeting of a girl with amnesia who Riri takes care of and kind of becomes her “Shutzengel”, although unofficially.

<SPOILERS> - Season 3

The most depressing shit left for last. The afformentioned girl with amnesia comes to be called “Yuri” and turns out to be an experiment in creating artificial Lilies. The government thus wants her back and Riri runs off with Yuri. This whole debacle is simply solved through a 5 minute long scene where the character responsible for exposition dumps reveals that Yuri doesn’t have any Huge DNA and thus that makes her human aka under the protection of the academy. This is great but like 2 seconds later, Yuri runs up to a Huge that appeared out of nowhere and gets herself killed. This doesn’t have the effect the anime wanted. We’ve only known Yuri in the original anime for like 3 episodes. Her loss doesn’t feel as depressing as it should and thus sympathising with Riri’s sudden depression is harder as well.

So, the way I’d fix this, is to have the first half of the season more normal, with Yuri getting to be a part of the group. The second half of the seaosn would be the “depression/drama/conclusion” starting with Riri and Yuri running away. As Lilies fighting humans is a big ethical question in the anime, I’d want a stand-off that lasts longer with a Huge appearing in the middle of the whole thing. Lilies fighting humans on one side and the Huge on the other, leading to a struggle, where eventually Yuri decides that the only way to resolve this is for her to sacrifice herself. Cue Riri’s depressive phase and Yuyu’s hallucinations of her Shutzengel coming back. Their Legion’s atmosphere is also soured due to the loss of Yuri, the chance that they might need to find humans in the future because they disobeyed orders and their 2 leaders’s moods being in the dumps.

Cue big threat, Riri and Yuyu coming to an understanding and accepting what happened, ready to take on the “Final Boss” where they might even die in the process, their Legion and other classmates showing up in that dramatic “Hey, you guys weren’t planning on getting all the glory for yourselves right?” and pulling of an incredibly powerful move that wipes the Huge nest out. (If you watched the anime, you know this is kind of sort of what happens, I just cut out some stuff I felt was unnecessary.)

Well, anyway, now that I’ve finished daydreaming about what could’ve been, I’m still left with a badly written anime in the end. I mean, the art was there, the music was there, the set-up was there, the characters were there but the writing felt half-hearted, like whoever wrote it didn’t believe in the potential of “Assault Lily”. Oh well ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

EDIT: I just found out a mobile game called “Assault Lily: Last Bullet” was actually released so I was right about that.

[6/10] (x)

Recommend: HELL Yeah! | Yes | Eh??? | Nope | There was actual money spent on this

#dusty reviews #Assault Lily: Bouquet #Assault Lily #Assault Lily Bouquet #why this so long

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superbdragoncollection-stuff · 4 years

Text

A Visual Reference guide to my thoughts through Agony of a Witch

This is a visual guide of my reactions to Wing it Like Witches, written with notes I took during the episode that were typically stream of consciousness. Well, they said it would be an angsty week. I can take it. Let’s see now…

Oh my.

Well this is different.

This is very different

Oh hey, Lily! How are you, hon? I trust you’re well?

I’m wondering if he’s collecting witches just to absorb their power...

“Gah! What the frell--?! Oh, it’s just you.”

Hm, now she might actually be a legitimate threat. How are they gonna get out of this one? Lily, come on, you’re better than this…

Oof, that title.

...Does he have a head for that hat?

Hm, seems like she’s rolling out a proper military force…

AAAAAAAAA WHAT THE FRELL?!

ARE THEY EMPTY?! I HOPE THEY’RE EMPTY!

“Be vewy vewy quiet, I’m hunting owls…”

Owl season!

Witch season

Lily nearly killed herself again! It’s okay, just walk it off, friend...

“Lily, you magnificent witch, I read your book!”

Where’d she get those field glasses? Oh god, Eda and Patton, there’s so many thoughts in there...

Huh, nice scarf, Eda! As a fellow scarf aficionado, I approve.

“Dude’s getting beaten up in the background--”

This ain’t about him.

*Click

click*

“Mom, I don’t like it when you tempt fate like--”

“Oh dren.”

Huh...that look at her younger self...

I don’t have a quip, this was just funny

Whoa. Mom really burned through her prescription.

“Jeez you’re morbid!”

“I’m fine!”

Eda, friend, pal, you just drank an entire month’s prescription

DON’T MAKE LUZ SAD!

“Parallel arm thing”, I love it

Aww, I thought she was just gonna keep the fabric for herself!

Luz, where’s your girlfriend?

WHAT THE FRELL, HOOTY?! WHAT IS THIS, SILENCE OF THE LAMBS?!

Luz, go find Amity right now. I’m sure she knows the brain bleach spell.

Hah! That bird!

Luz, where’s your girlfriend?

Luz where’s your--?! Is that an owl baby?

...I’m having serious questions about free will right now.

Luz, where’s your girlfriend?

LUZ, THE HEIST IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS YOUR GIRLF--

“Emperor built it as a symbol of unity. Before he came to power, people were doing magic all wrong. He taught us that the only way to respect the power the Titan gave us was to join covens.”

AAAAAAAAAAAAA WHAT THE YOTZ?! FIRST OF ALL THIS IS LIKE THAT RENDEZVOUS WITH RAMA ISSUE OF PLANETARY, AND SECOND OF ALL, WHAT THE FRELL?! WHITEWASHING, COLONIALISM, NATIVE AMERICAN BOARDING SCHOOLS! RED ALERT, RED ALERT, THIS IS NOT A DRILL!

Oh, there’s Amity!

Whoo, continuity! And, boo, continuity!

“Shut up.” Well, I can’t see her siding with Lily anytime soon. I like the detail on her cast. That frees her up for the next episode.

“Some”. BOO, DOWN WITH ECONOMIC CLASS!

Hogwarts. Well, we’re in for some chop.

“Peace”? People die every day because they don't have mixed magic!

Oh no. Oh no. Oh dren dren dren! “Savage Ages”?! “Wild magic?!” DISHONORED THE TITAN?! AAAAA THIS IS THE TRIPODS!

"USE MAGIC PROPERLY"?! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! THIS IS THE TRIPODS! THEY'VE BEEN CAPPED, THEY'VE ALL BEEN CAPPED! LOOK ON MY WORKS YE MIGHTY AND DESPAIR! I AM OZYMANDIAS, I MET A STRANGER FROM AN ANTIQUE LAND

Oh hey Luz, what're you up to, sweetie?

POWER MUST BE SHARED, THE UNION MAKES US STRONG. HE SHOULDN’T HAVE THIS POWER

WHAT IF THESE WERE COMMON PLACE BEFORE?! IT'S LIKE THE WATCH! AUTOMATIQUE! AUTOMATIQUE! TICK, TICK, TICK

YES LUZ, TAKE BACK THE POWER FOR THE COMMON FOLK! THEY SHALL RUE THE DAY THEY DARED TO

WAIT NO DON’T

Oh hey, Lily, what’s going on?

...Lily did you eat that bird?

Good luck with puberty. Hehehehe-- [spit take] AAAA FORESHADOWING?!

Huh, more Tolkien vibes, the heroes are organic while the baddies have serious steampunk...

Luz, sweetie, please be careful!

What. The frell.

Oh...h-hey Sauron...

I WAS RIGHT HE’S ABSORBING MAGIC HE REALLY IS SAURON

I’M RIGHT WITH YOU, LUZ

[shudder], Frak, it’s like that GTA easter egg...

Who’s that voice…? Ah, a fellow Welshman…

Looks like the heart in Eda’s diagram…

THE FRELL THEY’RE SCREAMING IN AGONY!

Aw, mom’s making stuff

Oh hey, is that Narsil?

OH GOD NO PLEASE NOT AN IMPOSTER SUBPLOT

OOOHHH THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOUUU

Hey, she’s got her girlfriend’s grabby hands

Aww, he just pet it!

Nice, nice, blowtorch

Aww, that poor guard

...how does Gus know the worm? I forgot that was even a thing

“I can feel the magic! It just cured my...whatever it is I didn’t know I had!”

Aww, your best self!

Aww, Willow! It’s like Samwise and being tempted by the ring!

“You cannot hide...I see you...there is no life in the void...only death.”

Oh...hi Saruman.

Also, “pet”? RACIST!

Wait that round artifact...

BAD TOUCH BAD TOUCH

Mom’s happy!

I need a King plushie.

WAAAAAHHH SHE WAS GONNA GET LUZ A GIFT

...Then the badness happened!

“Did someone touch my frakking kid?

...Lily.”

“Oh hey Edalyn! I see you accepted my challenge of--”

“Um.”

“What the yotz, Edalyn?! You coulda killed me!”

“AAAAAA”

“So I kidnapped a kid, what’s the big deal?”

Mom is mad…

Lily, that kid is one of exactly two things keeping her from removing your tonsils out through your ears. Don’t mess with her.

“That’s my kid you’ve got, Lily.”

Also, she’s totally right.

“Huh. Maybe she’s actually attached to this kid.”

DANA EDA IS SCARING ME

Wow.

Lot of anime influence…

[CRITICAL SPEECH FAILURE: UNABLE TO FABRICATE NEW WORDS]

Wow.

[SPEECH CENTER RESTORED]

I’m speechless.

Oh yeah, BRING THE RAIN EDA!

LILY?! WHAT THE YOTZ ARE YOU--?!

OH...YOU...FRAKKING...COWARD! YOU FRAKKING WINNOWILL IMPERSONATOR! YOU’RE USING A KID AS A HUMAN SHIELD! YOU COWARD, YOU--YOU--

I agree with Eda on the pathetic! Lily, you can’t beat her without a human shield! A child human shield!

Good thinking, Luz!

They looked down on each other. Now that’s interesting familial baggage...

Hey, you were the one who was team captain and boasted about that--

...

YOU...YOU...YOU WHAT?!

LILY YOU DID WHAT?! YOU...OH, I DON’T EVEN KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH THIS!

DON’T KILL HER EDA, THAT’S WRONG, BUT I WON’T MIND IF YOU PUNCH HER TEETH--

TAP-DANCING CHRIST WHAT?! AAAAAAAAAAAA

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Oh no.

...

No...

“Once was blind, but now I see...”

YOU MONSTER! GET HER LUZ, GET HER!

OH YOTZ OWLBERT!

SHE’S YOUR SISTER YOU DRENNED MONSTER! I UNDERSTAND YOU WERE KIDS, BUT YOU’RE STILL HOLDING ONTO THAT?!

"Go back to your world, this one is ours." Well then, we gotta bring Earth here.

WAIT WAS SHE WRITING THE LETTERS--?!

…

Oh...Invader Zim reference…

OOOHH! YOU POOR KID!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

#THE OWL HOUSE #spoilers #agony of a witch #luz noceda #the owl house eda #eda clawthorne #screenshot #reactions

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hasspartacusdoneanythingwrong · 3 years

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The Flame-Soaked City, Part 3

We rejoin our heroes with their first servants as they search for the cause of the Fuyuki Singularity. Unbeknownst to them, they have acquired the ire of a certain serpentine servant! How will they handle the Wrath of the Medusa? Check it out below the break!

(As before, mental speech is between <> triangle brackets. When the person fronting switches, there’s a line break with three hypens.)

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 4

Obligatory tags: @haspaulbunyandoneanythingwrong @hasishtardoneanythingwrong @hasquetzdoneanythingwrong @hasabbydoneanythingwrong

Marie: We’re doomed.

Cris: I have absolutely no idea what you mean. I think I did great for a first time!

Jeanne: <I really do not think twisting the knife is a good idea right now…>

Marie: Well if you had bothered to read any of the preparatory materials you would! We knew Spartacus was a possibility, but…

Marie: He is the Hero of Rebellion. His purpose in life is to destroy any sort of control one human has over another. And you are his MASTER. Do I really need to spell out to you the kind of jeopardy he puts this entire mission in? Experienced mages would last seconds with him in a normal grail war, what chance does a novice like you have?

Cris: I’ve met experienced mages. I’m surprised he has so much self-control.

Jeanne:<Cris!>

I can just tell Jeanne’s about to harp at me again, but I really don’t care right now. Today’s been shit, my face hurts, and I don’t even have that stupid spell to help me get around.

…But as fun as poking at the director is, it’s not going to make this argument end faster.

Cris: Ma’am, I know he’s a risk, but so is everything else we’re doing here. Realistically, none of us should be alive right now, and even ignoring the danger we were in, we’re now in a part of a history that, by all rights, shouldn’t exist. At the very least if Spartacus turns on us, I can hear him coming from a mile away.

Spartacus: That is correct, young miss! When I rebel I do so proudly, so the world may know of my love!

Cris: Finally, someone on my side.

Cris: Wait, how long have you been listening in?

Spartacus: The entire time!

Cris: <I have no idea how to respond to that.> Mash, are the assassins back from scouting yet?

Mash: I think I see them now, Senpai!

Jeanne: <If we are heading out, I should be in front.>

Cris: <Fine by me. At least that way we’ll have some idea what’s going on.>

---

A small surge of mana later, and I can sense the members of our travelling group again. Olga Marie is heading over to Mash, who has “Saber Lily” following her around like a lost puppy. Spartacus wanders off near the edge of camp, and off in the distance is….

That is not an Assassin.

Jeanne: Mash, Saber, be on your guard! Marie, what are the odds of a friendly servant wandering around out here?

Saber Lily: Ready!

Marie: Impossible. We’re in the middle of the Fuyuki Grail War. Even if the servants weren’t involved with the singularity’s creation, they’d consider us an opponent.

Jeanne: <Is it just me, or is something off with their spirit origin?>

As they drew closer, I could feel their spirit origin more clearly. It was very different from the servants we summoned, almost as if their origin had been bent, twisted out of shape by some force. I think they are a cavalry class?

Jeanne: <Fascinating…>

Kat: <You can ogle later, they’re here!>

???: Hm. I thought Caster was the only one left. No matter. You there, the master! Give up your life now and I’ll make this quick.

Jeanne: Mash, are you ready for a fight?

Mash: I’ll do my best, Senpai!

???: Ah, fresh prey then? This will be a treat. Is this your first fight? Let a veteran give you some advice!

Faster than I could think, she lunged forward for an attack. A dull clang as Mash barely blocked the attack, and then she was back where she started.

???: Be careful what you say and do- for once you say “Fight”, the battle has already begun!

The enemy servant was incredibly fast, bouncing from one position to another to strike at every angle. Thankfully Mash was keeping up, circling around us almost as fast as the enemy, but even I could tell she couldn’t keep it up for long. With every strike we were getting encircled ever tighter.

Jeanne: Saber, stay close to Mash and see what you can do to strike back.

Saber Lily: On it!

Saber tried her best, but the enemy is simply too fast. Every time she got into position for a counterattack, the other servant changed their angle of attack so she could not land a blow. This is not going well, where on earth is-

Jeanne: Spartacus!

Spartacus: Yes!

The berserker was standing well outside the battlefield, watching the fight drag on.

Cris: What the hell are you doing!?

Spartacus: This is a fight between equals, I have no right to interfere!

Cris: ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS?

Spartacus: Yes!

Jeanne: <We are going to die here.>

Kat: Hey Lily, if you knew where Rider was going to be, do you think you could hit her?

Saber Lily: I think so, why?

Kat: I’ve got an idea!

Jeanne: <The floor is yours.>

---

I step up, and all the magic feeling’s gone. We can hear stuff though! Rider’s still runnin’ around, bouncing off of Mash’s shield. I hear a clang in front of me, so I step back, out of the safe zone.

Shadow Rider: FINALLY!

I hear a lot of movement on my left, and then Lily’s sword must’ve hit, because the whole left side of my body got super warm for a second. Also we weren’t dead, that was a big hint.

Jeanne: <Do you have any idea how dangerous that was??? Are you insane?>

Cris: <Ask yourself that question again, and just… really think about it this time.>

Marie: Do you have any idea how dangerous that little stunt was? Are you mad?

Kat: Yes! But it worked, didn’t it? Good job Lily! I knew you could do it!

Marie: I… *sigh* If the singularity doesn’t do me in, the heart attacks will.

Mash: Please never do that again, Senpai.

Suddenly everyone got real tense again.

Mash: Senpai, another servant incoming!

Jeanne: <Let me check!>

---

It was the Hassans this time, thank God.

Hundred Personas: Our humblest apologies, we should have stationed some of our numbers nearby in case of such an attack. This will not happen again.

Kate: I’m just glad she wasn’t using her noble phantasm! Things coulda been a lot worse.

Jeanne: What did you find out from scouting?

Hundred Personas: There is a large source of energy in the west, it’s likely what’s causing the singularity. We lost a few Hassans trying to investigate.

Hundred Personas: More importantly, we noticed two other servants on our way back. We could not engage them directly, and they are both heading in this direction. We have a few minutes, at most, before they arrive.

#fgo #Fate Grand Order #Mastersona #Spartacus #Saber Lily

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fromtheo-withlove · 3 years

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Pt. 5 - Not a fighter

Sorry for the delay! Life has been busy and honestly it took me a bit to get this chapter right. But here it is! The next chapter will be the banquet.....

TW: prisoner restrained in dungeon, death mention, light injuries, swear words

Masterlist | Previous | Next

Tag-list: @ihaveacrushonjester @tears-and-lilies @starnight-whump

--------------------

As she walked through the halls of the dungeons with the guard, Aurelia tried to mentally prepare herself to see Gabriel.

“Your highness, you should know… the guard on the shift before me, he roughed up this other prince a bit before I arrived.”

She stopped abruptly, whirling to face him with anger in her eyes, “Why? Was it done on my father’s orders?”

“Uhhh, no ma’am. And I will be telling Sir Robert. If I can be so bold as to speak freely, Hubert always picks on the weaker ones. But he shouldn’t be doin’ that to princes if the king doesn’t ask for it. The boy has been very cooperative.”

“He’s not a fighter,” Aurelia said softly.

The guard seemed eager-to-please and chatty. “I heard he was a medic. You knew him when you were kids, right?”

Aurelia just nodded.

“The enemy commander too?”

Her expression remained neutral, but she couldn’t help the edge creeping into her voice. “His name is Bennett. I do not wish to talk about this right now. Just bring me to Gabriel.”

“Sorry your highness, right away.”

Gabriel sat on the floor of his cell, back against the wall, ankle shackled to a long chain connected to the floor. His wrists were shackled in front of him and he had his arms wrapped around his knees. There was a new bruise on his cheekbone, the purple in stark contrast against his pale skin.

The light of the lantern illuminated his wide, frightened eyes. He stared at the door, blinking in the light and trying to see who was holding the lantern.

When his eyes adjusted, he finally saw Aurelia and sighed in relief. “Y-you’re here. You came.”

Aurelia turned to the guard, “You can go now, I can find my way back.” He hesitated for a moment before nodding and heading back down the hallway.

She focused her attention back on the young man sitting in front of her. “Of course I came,” she said sadly.

Gabriel’s eyes were already filling up with tears. He sniffled. “It’s so good to see your face again.”

“It’s good to see you too, but I’m so sorry it’s happening under these circumstances.”

Gabriel nodded. “Me too… Earlier, when I was dragged in and I thought I was about to-“ he paused. “I thought it a cruel twist of fate that I’d be dragged all this way and not even be able to see you before they—you know.”

He couldn’t even bring himself to say it aloud, to acknowledge that death was looming over him, that he had already nearly faced it.

She didn’t know how to respond. Aurelia couldn’t get the image out of her mind, of Gabriel blindfolded and panicking, desperate for air as the guard choked the life out of him. She felt nauseous even remembering it. She sat down and grabbed his shackled hand between hers. He was trembling. He grasped her hand, holding tightly as if they were a lifeline.

“It was terrifying facing it like that. And you’d think that it would bring acceptance, in a way. That I faced it once and I’ll face it again…. And everyone faces death someday, I know that….. But I can’t help it, I’m still so fucking afraid to die.”

She stared at the floor, staying silent. It seemed words were failing her now. She had handled the conversation with Bennett without losing her nerve – she had argued with him, taken care of him like she always had, bantered back and forth. But a minute with Gabriel and she was already crumbling inside. He didn’t deserve this. And he was sitting here, wearing his emotions on his sleeve – openly terrified, yet genuinely happy to see her. She felt a swell of guilt in the pit of her stomach.

“This isn’t fair. You shouldn’t be sitting here in a fucking cell, having to have this conversation.” Tears flowed down her cheeks.

He squeezed her hand, tried to put on a strong face. “I know…. But life hasn’t been fair for anyone these past few years. So many lives were lost. All of them were just as human as I am. I’ve been pushing for peace for years…. I didn’t want to have to die for it, b-but at least I’m not dying for nothing, right?”

Aurelia pulled her hands away angrily, “No, you do not need to die for peace. I cannot lose you and Bennett like this. The war is over already, this doesn’t need to happen.”

“Hey, Auri, please don’t be mad at me…” he whispered desperately, the strength in his tone fading. “I don’t have a choice in this remember? I- I’d like to think I’d choose the right thing if I had been given the choice…. but it doesn’t matter anyway.” His voice was breaking. “I may as well have something to- to hold onto, you know?”

Aurelia put her head in her hands. This was the second time she had let her anger at the situation impact her friends. She needed to calm down for Gabriel’s sake. “No, I’m so so sorry Gabriel. You know I’m not mad at you, how could I ever be? You’re facing all of this and you’re literally comforting me… I’m sorry.”

She reached for her bag. “I just want to be here with you, make things easier if I can. I brought you some food. I brought ointment for Bennett but I don’t think it’ll do much for your bruise. Next time I’ll try to sneak down a blanket, I’m sorry I didn’t think of it.”

“You saw Bennett?” Gabriel’s expression grew pained. “How- How is he? You know he didn’t kill those innocent people right? He wouldn’t have.”

“I know. I didn’t believe it either. I talked to him about it. It was his men. They took over his command and he didn’t stop them, but he didn’t know they’d go so far. They were plotting to kill him and they threatened your life as well. He blames himself of course, feels he should’ve done more and realized what they were doing sooner. But the only thing that would’ve changed is that he’d be dead on a field somewhere while they pillaged villages. And you might’ve been as well.”

Gabriel nodded. “The soldiers weren’t fond of either of us. They felt we were soft and not true Lianharians since we grew up here for so much of our lives. My father knew it too.”

Gabriel’s eyes narrowed and he shook his head. He didn’t get angry often but when he did it was that much more potent, and deserved. “My father didn’t even care that he was throwing Bennett into the lion’s den. He never liked me much, but he knew he had a back-up heir if Bennett couldn’t survive the war or his own army….. My only solace is that he’s probably more distraught than we are right now.”

His voice grew sarcastically dramatic, with bitterness seeping through every word. “His precious bloodline, gone! Everything he worked for, lost! Defeated in a war he started, the shame! Oh, and his only sons would be dead – eh, it was a pity, but they did always take after their mother.”

Aurelia knew the imitation sadly wasn’t far from the truth. “I still don’t know how he played any part in producing two of the best human beings I know.”

The conversation grew silent for a moment, then Aurelia continued. “Bennett’s doing alright, all things considered. He was mostly just worried about you and blaming himself for getting you into this.”

“It’s not his fault, you have to tell him that. This is on our father.”

“And mine,” Aurelia muttered.

“That’s true,” Gabriel said quietly. “I know he’s a king and we’re the enemy now, but I didn’t think he’d be so… cruel. Honestly, I don’t know how I’m going to get through this Auri.” Gabriel’s tears started up again, and he was more visibly shaking. “I’m not strong and brave like Bennett.”

“You are strong and brave, you fought for peace.”

“I wrote strongly-worded letters. Diplomacy and philosophy were all I had to bring to the table and I failed.”

“You treated soldier’s wounds, brought medical supplies, protected people.”

“Treating someone else’s injuries isn’t going to make me any stronger when wounds and injuries are inflicted on me. I’m weak. And scared. Bennett always shielded me from that side of things. Protected me. I can’t even take a punch, Auri. Now I’m going to be what, whipped? Beaten? C-cut?” His breath quickened and tears flowed freely down his cheeks.

“All I can hope is that I’ll p-pass out o-or die quickly.” He let out a sob, as if only now remembering that the best case scenario would be death before too much torture.

Aurelia took Gabriel’s face in her hands gently, wiping his tears away. “Gabriel, please listen to me. I can’t promise anything and I don’t want you to get your hopes up, because we’re facing impossible odds. But I am trying so hard to figure out a way to get you out of this mess. I know it’s a lot to ask, but please, please, try to stay alive. Don’t give up on me just yet.”

His eyes were red from crying and still filled with fear, but they widened at her words. “Do you really think there’s any chance we make it out?”

She hesitated. “I still don’t have a plan… And I understand if you can’t put faith in that right now. But I swear I’m not going to just sit by and do nothing while the two people I care about most in this world are going through all of this. So there has to be a chance.”

He nodded in understanding. He knew he’d probably die in this castle, but he wouldn’t give up if Aurelia was asking him not to. “Thank you, Auri, for even trying… I’ll try to survive as long as I can. For you and for Bennett.” Suddenly his eyes flashed with concern, “But please promise me you won’t put yourself in harms way trying to help, it’s not worth the risk.”

“I’ll be fine, don’t worry about me,” she said confidently.

He looked reassured, not noticing that she hadn’t made any promises.

After a moment of silence, she opened her bag, bringing out a bread roll, an apple, and a canteen of water.

“I made Jasmine tea for you. It’s cold and I’m not sure if it’s your favorite anymore, but I thought maybe you’d like it more than the water they have down here….?”

His cheeks flushed and he smiled. “It’s still my favorite. I can’t believe you thought to make me some. Thank you so much,” his voice caught on tears. “Ah, I’m getting emotional again, I’m sorry. Now that I’ve started crying it’s so hard to stop.”

“You don’t have to apologize Gabriel.”

He paused, then looked to her hesitantly. “You’ve done so much already, but can I ask for something else?”

“Anything.”

“I’m beyond grateful for the food and will eat all of it, but can I wait until after you leave? I was hoping…. I was hoping that while you’re still here… you could just hold me for a bit…? I know it’s a ridiculous thing to ask, I just n-need a kind touch right now and-“

“Shhh… I have some time.”

Aurelia set the food and tea aside, and moved closer to Gabriel. She wrapped him in a hug, one hand on his back, one hand running her fingers through his hair. He sank into her embrace, readjusting to rest his head in her lap. They stayed like that silently for a long time, with Aurelia gently rubbing Gabriel’s hair and shoulders. She eventually saw his breathing slow and realized he had fallen asleep. It was probably the closest he’d had to a peaceful sleep in days. She watched his chest rise and fall slowly. She knew she couldn’t stay too much longer, but she couldn’t bear to wake him back up to reality just yet.

She didn’t want the stillness of the moment to end either. It was surreal to have him close again after so many years apart. When Gabriel and Bennett had first returned to Lianhar, she and Gabriel had written letters for as long as they could, first sharing concerns about whispers of conflict and then desperately trying to slow the indomitable force of war from both sides. Eventually their letters stopped when delivering a goods or messages across kingdoms had become an act of treason and even smugglers had moved their businesses elsewhere.

Bennett was her best friend and the person who understood her better than anyone, but Gabriel inspired her and made her want to be a better person. It was the words in his letters that had gotten her through the worst of the war. She turned to them over and over when things grew difficult. They were her crutch when her mother died giving birth to her baby brother two years ago, when she felt completely alone in the world. She knew that Gabriel had probably long since forgotten those letters from the early days of the war, but they meant the world to her. And now, looking down at Gabriel sleeping, she mentally vowed to herself that she would do everything in her power to take care of him and protect him, like he had done for her without even realizing.

Although it pained her to do so, Aurelia gently shook Gabriel awake after a half hour or so. He stirred slowly at first, but she saw the moment when he opened his eyes and remembered where he was. He sat up, cheeks red. “I’m sorry that I fell asleep, I- I just haven’t been able to sleep much… Thank you for staying with me.”

“I’m glad I got to be with you for a little while. Thank you for letting me visit. I’ll come whenever I can, and if it’s during a day shift I can even bring a book or two.”

“That would be wonderful, thank you Auri.”

She gave his hand one last squeeze before she stood up to leave.

“Stay strong Gabriel, I’ll see you soon okay?”

She walked out of the cell door before she could hesitate, knowing that she needed to get back soon, though also knowing she wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight. She didn’t want to think about the next time she’d see Gabriel and Bennett, at tomorrow’s banquet.

---

Next chapter

#whump #royal whump #prince whump #comfort #hurt #fear of death #tension #physical comfort #fear #crying #dungeon #prisoner of war

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thepartyresponsible · 4 years

Text

two separate anons asked for a phil coulson/jason todd fic with the prompt: “what would you do if I didn’t come back?” and since that question is pretty much at the heart of this ship, i thought that was perfect.

so here’s an au where jason is a very strong psychic and phil is a human mute button.

---

When people ask, Jason tells them that there’s nothing special about his bloodlines, nothing remarkable about his family. He tells them it’s a function of where he’s from, not who he is. Anyone from Gotham can sense trouble. Jason’s just a bit better at it than most.

The truth is, he’s an orphan nobody cared enough to track, and so he’s got no fucking clue who his family is. Maybe he comes from a whole line of physics. Maybe he’s the only one. It doesn’t matter in the end, because, either way, he’s been alone since his foster mom overdosed when he was twelve.

He hadn’t known, at that time, what he was sensing. He’d smelled danger plenty, but death was something new.

Carnations and lilies and fresh dirt and rot. He smelled it everywhere when the Joker was killing him. He smells it now.

“No,” he hears, distant, faded-out. “No, he’s not dangerous to me. I need to get in there. He needs me in there.”

Grave dirt and old blood and fresh flowers. It’s everywhere, so thick he could choke on it. Might choke on it. Might die, breathing in death.

“I don’t care what he did to the guards. The guards aren’t me. Move.”

There’s the hiss and clatter of a heavy metal door opening, and Jason’s on his feet, bloody hands clenched into fists, jaw hinged like he’s going to bite out throats, and, when he breathes in, it’s antiseptic.

Soap and ink and paper.

There’s nothing. There isn’t---

“Jason.” And that’s a voice he almost recognizes. He’s too keyed-up to look anybody in the eyes, doesn’t want to read them more than he has to, can’t even look above this guy’s well-shined shoes.

But when he breathes in, the sterile clean of rubbing alcohol is smothering out the scent of death. He sucks at the air like he’s coming back from drowning, drags it in over his teeth.

“Jason,” the voice says, calmer now. Reassuring. Clinical, almost, but in a way that says everything’s under control.

“Phil?” Jason asks, because the name feels right in his mouth.

His brain is stretched, staked down in a pit of hell, and he’s pulling against it, trying to leash himself to the world he’s in. There’s grave dirt and printer toner, rotting blood and hospital soap.

“I know,” Phil says. “We didn’t expect Scarecrow.”

“Careful,” someone says. “He’s--”

Jason snarls toward the voice, teeth bared toward steel-toed boots, and he steps around Phil, puts himself between them.

“He’s fine,” Phil says. “Back off.”

The boots retreat, and the door closes, and the room fills up with the smell of office supplies and first aid kits.

“Are you steady?” Phil asks. “Do you want an anchor?”

The problem with high-levels like Jason is that, when they’re really brain-blown, even ones and twos can set them off. Sure, he can read a threat from three miles out and a mind from four floors away, but he also can’t stop reading once he’s touching skin-to-skin. Break the touch barrier, and, even with low-levels, his brain just drinks and drinks until he drowns.

It takes a null to anchor him, and true zeros are hard to find. Almost as rare as he is, at least in the adult population. Most nines don’t live past puberty, not in any shape you’d really call alive.

Jason has an idea in his head that this is something he’s allowed, that this is Phil’s job somehow. But he’s had too many minds in his head today, too many memories and lives and thoughts. Everything from the last ten years is smeared; he doesn’t know whose life belongs to him.

And nulls are rare. Important.

There’s blood on Jason’s hands, on his shirt. He’s covered in dried, cooled sweat.

Even from here, he feels steadier. He can’t smell death anymore. Ink, antiseptic. He breathes in, closes his eyes. It’s enough; it has to be.

“Jason,” Phil says. “I’m worried about you. I want the doctors to look at you, but I need you steady enough not to stab anyone else.”

Jason doesn’t like stabbing people when his brain’s torn open like this. He feels it, too, is the problem. Stabs and is stabbed, gives and takes the pain.

He feels it when he hurts people, and he feels it when he scares them. Feels it when he’s a danger to them.

He got scared too much too early, that’s what his SHIELD file says. His brain is hyperaware of danger, translates it into sensory input to ensure his focus. He literally smells danger. And grave dirt and lilies and rot, he knows what that means.

It’s him.

The threat he’s been caught on for hours is himself, reflected from the dozen or so minds in the building around him. They cleared the building to the skeleton crew, and he still can’t pull himself out of their brains, can’t stop sensing how dangerous he is to them.

He’s vibrating between minds. Tastes coffee from three floors up, someone who likes their mochas with extra whipped cream. Arthritic wrists in the basement, someone going through files. Resentment from a man reading a text from an ex-wife, a woman daydreaming about Belize. Boredom, and wariness, and round after round of fucking Candy Crush beating against the backs of his eyes.

Dirt and dead bodies and funeral flowers and other peoples’ thoughts like razorwire floss sawing through every plan he tries to make.

And then the emptiness of clean hallways personified, the reassuring blankness breathing in the room with him. A null, right there. A quiet, still pool that could stop the flickering, fluttering madness of being hooked into a dozen minds at once.

“Jason,” Phil says, again. “Do you want an anchor? You can come down alone if you want, but I’d like to help.”

“Yes,” Jason says. Because he does, because Phil asked. “Please,” he says, because it’s a ludicrous thing to ask for, an impossibility. A brain-trashed stray from Gotham’s back alleys, trying to put his bloody hands on a null, what the fuck. “Please, could you just fucking—for a second, would you--”

“Here,” Phil says, and he sounds – ridiculously – almost relieved as he brings his hands up, slides his fingers into Jason’s hair, presses his palms directly over Jason’s temples.

Everything goes silent. His mind snaps back under his skin like a rubber band breaking. He breathes out, and he’s alone in his mind, alone in his skin, at home where he belongs.

He’s Jason Todd. SHIELD found him wandering the streets of Gotham with splinters in his hands from digging out of his own coffin. He’d lit up the area with his misery, and they’d brought Clint in to counter him and Phil to neutralize him.

They hadn’t killed him. All the reason in the world to do it, and they hadn’t. It took a dozen of SHIELD’s high-levels to bring his brain back from where it wandered, but they did it. Made him useful again. Let him work.

“Fuck,” Jason says, tipping forward until he can rest his forehead against Phil’s. “Jesus fucking Christ, that was a bad trip.”

“I’m sorry,” Phil says. His hands are still in Jason’s hair. “We had no idea Scarecrow was in the area.”

Scarecrow’s a five with narrow range. Feels fear like a rollercoaster, all thrill and no threat. He makes his toxin to scare people; the fact that it boosts psychic sensitivity is just a bonus to him.

Nines rarely make it to adulthood, but the world counts its registered tens in single digits. Jason can see why they tend not to survive.

“Can I,” Jason says, shifting a little. “I need to, Phil. Can I just--”

“Yes,” Phil says. “Of course. What do you need?”

Jason drops his face to Phil’s neck, breathes in. Soap and toner, hand sanitizer and aloe vera. No threat, no risk. No thought-bleed at all.

Jason feels raw inside his own skull, mind over-stretched. Phil’s hands, the skin of his neck, it’s like rolling his thoughts into a heavy blanket of fog, letting all the details from a hundred lives he’s never lived fade away.

“How long was I gone?” Jason asks.

Phil hums, and Jason can feel the vibration of it against the skin of his cheek. “It’s been twelve hours since you dropped off comms,” he says. “An evac team found you five hours ago. There was a level two agent present. She kept you grounded long enough to get you to containment, but a medic got a bit inquisitive during transport.”

“Stabbed him,” Jason says. He remembers. He felt the knife cutting skin, a warning slash to the forearm.

“Only a little,” Phil says. He smiles when he says it, and Jason’s not looking at his face, can’t read his mind, but he knows it anyway.

Phil’s careful about things like this. About touching Jason like this. Nulls work best with skin-to-skin contact, and he’s had to anchor Jason before, but it’s always been a hand on Jason’s shoulder, or the back of his neck. Or, after particularly bad missions, he’ll sit at Jason’s bedside down in Medical and lace their fingers together.

It’s always been enough. Before this exact moment, it’s been the best thing Jason’s ever felt.

“Lost me for seven hours, Phil,” Jason says. He should pull back. He knows that. The problem with low levels is that, sometimes, you can hurt or scare or bully them without knowing. Phil could be uncomfortable, and Jason wouldn’t know it at all.

But Phil doesn’t push him away. His fingers slide deeper in Jason’s hair. He’s holding him closer.

“Not a record I wanted to push,” Phil says. “We would’ve found you sooner, but we were looking in Gotham. Apparently, after Scarecrow dosed you, you immediately stole a bike and went to D.C.”

Of course he did. He can’t remember it now, probably won’t ever remember it clearly. But he can understand why he did it. He knows damn well why, as he started to lose control, his only instinct was to run back to where Phil Coulson lives.

“Weird,” Jason says. “That’s so weird, Phil. You know I hate this place.”

“And yet,” Phil says, with a heavy, exasperated sigh, “you have never gone missing here. This makes—what? Three strikes in Gotham?”

Jason laughs. He doesn’t believe for a second that Phil doesn’t know exactly how many times he’s gone missing. He’s sure there’s a list Phil keeps somewhere, painstakingly updated, with all the relevant and seemingly irrelevant details charted and graphed and tracked.

Phil doesn’t like it when Jason goes missing. Even when it’s intentional. Even when Jason goes through the whole surreal process of requesting vacation time.

If he drops out of contact for too long, Phil finds him. Every time.

“What would you do, Phil?” And Jason moves back for this, because it feels important, feels like something he should watch. “If I went missing for good? What would you do if I didn’t come back?”

Phil looks at him, intent and focused, serious. “I would find you,” he says.

Jason went missing once. Bruce went looking too late. Didn’t find him until after it was over, until after Jason felt the crowbar hit and felt the way Joker enjoyed it, choked on his fear and the Joker’s glee while the timer counted down.

Phil’s hands in his hair are anchors keeping his mind in his skull, and the skin at the base of his neck is a mute button on the world, making everything quiet and calm. His mouth, when Jason leans in to kiss him, feels like something else entirely.

Feels clean and electric, feels like a promise meant to keep.

#writing #fic #fill

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fastidionysus · 2 years

Text

305 - frayed

previous - next

I sat on the bus behind Scott and Stiles, head leaning against the window, trying to forget. I just got him back.

I listened to the two boys in front of me trying to stay as silent and still as possible. Stiles was still upset at me for keeping my powers a secret. I could tell that Scott was in pain but Stiles wouldn’t let me speak with him. My own brother gate keeping Scott.

I walked into Derek’s loft eager to see Cora. Now that I remembered who she was, and that she wasn’t dead, I could see my best friend again.

“Clara” A voice spoke as soon as I entered.

“Cora” My head lifted from the floor and I was practically tackled by a familiar werewolf.

“I missed you” The girl whispered out and lifted me in circles.

“I missed you too” I closed my eyes and hugged her tightly.

“Oh my gosh you haven’t changed a bit” I pulled back to look at her. She smiled in reply.

“Okay, we can continue the family reunion later, we have business to attend to” Peter came out from the shadows.

“Peter” I paused.

“How could I forget you” I taunted and walked up to hug him.

“I don’t know” He spoke into my hair.

“After all, I do share the face of your father” He joked and I pulled back to give him a face.

“Now I’m serious about business” He let go of his smile and gestured towards Derek and Boyd, who were now surrounding a table filled with papers.

“What?” I questioned as Peter and Cora joined them.

“I didn’t call you here to meet with Cora” Derek admitted.

“I called you here because I need your help” I furrowed my eyebrows at this.

“What’d you find out?” I paused before walking up to the table.

I was explained that they found the headquarters of the alphas, in the same building as the Argents. We discussed more planning until Scott walked in, concerned. We told him the aim of the game and told him he would be helping. Well, Derek did. Scott looked at me betrayed, but agreed.

Scott wanted to change the plan, do no killing. Cora wondered why we even need him. But we decided that we were going after Deucalion specifically.

The bus reached a hard stop, which jolted me from my half asleep state. I noticed that Scott still wasn’t doing good and overheard that he wasn’t healing either. Once Stiles got off the phone, I fell into the seat next to the werewolf.

“Let me see” I glanced up at Stiles.

“What?” Scott looked shocked.

“Scott. Don’t turn this into something, let me help” I pleaded.

“No, I- You can’t help me” He tried to push me away.

“Scott you’re even weaker than a human right now just- please”

“Lily” Stiles was stood next to the seat gesturing me to go back to mine. With a roll of my eyes I did as implied and sunk back down staring daggers into the boys’ heads.

I zoned out, and before I knew it, we were stopping at a rest stop because Jared threw up. Lydia and I followed behind Scott who was being supported by Stiles and Allison, into the bathroom. Allison inspected the wound and the four of us decided to sew him up. The injury was probably more psychological than physical.

I could tell that Allison was getting struggling but still left with Stiles and Lydia to prevent the bus from leaving. A few minutes passed before Coach called everyone back to the bus. Thankfully, Lydia noticed that the pair was leaving the bathroom.

The four of us walked through the shadows, three of us transformed, the other cloaked. Conversation could be heard between an alpha and a beta, which forced our group to appear. Scott pleaded for Derek to change his mind, which sparked banter between the two alphas. Issac and I made eye contact before my gaze dropped. It was then that we realized that Deucalion brought his pack as well.

The group was brought back to Issac beating up Ethan, who only stopped when Scott screamed out his name.

Derek made the first move, by darting towards Kali. My eyes quickly darted to Scott, who was staring right back at me. His eyes showed fear for me, I showed a similar look. A figure appeared behind the boy and I shielded him enough that he could have the first attack. The protection didn’t last long, as I was attacked form behind as well. Kali had made the first move and the two of us fought, until she injured me enough that I yielded to her choke hold. I made little struggle as Derek was ordered to kill Boyd.

Kali doubted Derek’s power to which Deucalion replied that some had great promise. He looked at Scott, then at me. Thankfully, Derek didn’t have to make a decision, as Allison appeared shooting arrows at our group. I took this opportunity to escape and throw disarming spells wherever I could.

Once the dust settled, the fight continued. Ennis and Scott faced off, and I could’ve sworn that his eyes turned red for a moment. Scott became weak, and in turn, Derek and Ennis began wrestling, which caused me to take action. I ran towards the two as I watched Scott slash Ennis’ calf causing him to loose balance and trip towards the edge.

I gritted my teeth and ran a little faster. I would never make it. I portaled closer to the two but I was too late. I was about to meet the same fate but was pulled back into a body. I kept my eyes on the ledge until a thud sounded in the air. I flinched and closed my eyes as I felt comforting arms squeeze me a little tighter.

“You what?” Stiles questioned.

“Stiles I know what it sounds like but-”

“No. You mean to tell me that you were there? You fought?” Stiles was getting heated as Scott tried his best to calm him down.

“Stiles, if you would just-”

“Lily you could’ve died”

“Yes I know but if-” I tried.

“What would dad think? Lily you’re just a human you can’t-” I cut him off.

“I’m not” I said quietly.

“What?” He either said this because he didn’t hear me, or he didn’t believe me.

“I’m not human” I avoided eye contact.

“I’m a hale witch” I admitted. Stiles stuttered for a minute, then turned to Scott

“You knew?” He grilled.

“He found out. The night of the full moon” I paused.

“I went into the boiler room because, I felt like I had to” My gaze lifted then dropped again.

“Stiles my memories were wiped, if I found out any sooner I would’ve told you but by this point” I paused.

“I thought it would break you”

I sat behind Allison and Scott who were talking about the events that took place. I know I had no right to, but I felt a hint of jealousy as I looked out the window.

#teen wolf #teen wolf imagines #teen wolf rewrite #scott mccall #scott mccall x reader #scott mccall x you #scott mccall x oc #witch!reader #stilinski!reader #hale!reader

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halothenthehorns · 3 years

Text

TLTNL- THE CENTAUR AND THE SNEAK

Harry continued on with very mixed feelings. His lessons with Snape didn't seem to be getting better, in fact every aspect of his life in school kept getting worse like a very steep cliff he wasn't going to be able to stay balanced on much longer.

Parvati was asking of Hermione if she regretted giving up Divination now.

"To take lessons from a Centaur?" Lily puzzled for a moment. "Yeah, I would be, a bit."

"He's still going to be teaching the same nonsense as Trelawney," Remus insisted, "he'll just be part horse while doing it."

"There's some novelty just for saying that to other students though," Sirius chuckled.

It was breakfast, two days after Trelawney's sacking, and Parvati was curling her eyelashes around her wand while chatting with those around her.

James looked a bit concerned the girl was going to accidentally blow her face off, but he'd never tell that to her face, she had to learn consequences.

Hermione didn't even look up from her paper as she said it made no difference to her, she didn't like horses.

"I thought it was a rule, all girls like horses," Sirius grinned.

Lily rolled her eyes at his idiocy, while Harry had a pleasant little smile for some idea he couldn't quite place, but he had a feeling he had a fondness for horses he wasn't yet sure of.

Lavender looked affronted, correcting he wasn't a horse, but a centaur, Parvati agreeing a gorgeous centaur.

Hermione didn't see the difference, he still had four legs. Then she redirected weren't they all upset Trelawney was gone?

Lavender agreed at once, they'd even brought her some daffodils, not the honking ones from Sprout's garden, but nice ones.

"Can't argue with that one though," Sirius shrugged, he'd never liked the plants that made noises in particular.

Harry asked how his former teacher was doing.

Lily grinned for her child. As daft as he could be, he was never uncaring.

Lavender sighed with sympathy not well, she was still crying and wishing she'd just left, she didn't want to be here while Umbridge was, asking of the others wasn't Umbridge just horrible.

"We'd all say," Lily shook her head in disgust, still adamant she wouldn't have stood idly by during that. She didn't care what Umbridge could do to her, she'd never just stand by and watch such public humiliation take place even against someone she didn't like.

Hermione said she was only just getting started.

"I feel like that should be impossible," James groaned.

"And yet I believe her," Remus said grimly.

Umbridge was not going to be happy Dumbledore hired another part human.

"Am not arguing that point," Lily sighed.

When breakfast was over, Hermione left for Arithmancy, and Harry and Ron at first tried to make for their usual tower, but realized Parvati and Lavender were bypassing the staircase.

"Dumbledore said he'd want to be on the ground floor, and now I get why," Sirius said, looking confused at Ron's lapse.

"Maybe Ron wasn't there, he'd left already," Remus reminded, the whole school hadn't been crowded around after all, it was the tail end of dinner he recalled, and Hermione might have convinced him to get to some school work early, for once.

Parvati scornfully corrected he couldn't make it up those stairs with his hooves, they were in classroom eleven now. Harry had never investigated the rooms right off the Great Hall before.

"I've never more than poked my head into these," Lily said curiously, wondering if Firenze was going to do anything more than the usual set up.

Harry only knew these as unused classrooms, so when he entered behind Ron, he thought he was at the wrong place.

Seemingly wider than it should be, the floor was soft, spring grass, and the trees surrounding them had a thick canopy that seemingly opened to the sky above.

"I think that counts," she said aloud in surprise.

"Wow," Sirius exaggerated the word out of curiosity as he could only visualize that inside the castle. "Let's see what we can do to have Firenze get the job before Trelawney just for this."

Standing in the middle of the room was Firenze.

"Sounds like a sight," James said, feeling a buzz pulse through him for wanting to see this for himself.

Harry was greeted by his full name by him.

Harry felt like the first day of school again, he'd never liked being singled out, especially a teacher, and especially by such an...outstanding teacher. Even if they had already met.

Harry gave him an uneasy hello back.

Firenze said he was not surprised to see him again, it was foretold they would.

"Really? Maybe these things should come with cliff notes if that was implied somewhere I didn't see," Remus muttered, causing Sirius to snort loudly while the others ignored him.

Harry noticed there was the shadow of a hoof-shaped bruise on Firenze's chest.

"Oh dear," Lily sighed.

"Oh Centaur," James corrected. "I can imagine the rest of his heard isn't too happy with this."

Lily gave him the stank eye for the correction without disagreeing.

He turned and sat down with the rest of the class, finding most of whom were staring at him while resting against trees a wide berth from Firenze whom they seemed to find intimidating.

"While I don't blame them," Harry sighed, "don't they ever get tired of staring at me?"

"Stop doing things to cause them to stare at you, like get saved by a centaur," Sirius said in a vain attempt at helpfulness.

When the door was closed and the last student had sat down on a tree stump beside the wastepaper basket,

James smirked with pride and asked, "Everyone else was sitting on the floor, who was the one who decided they got the tree stump?"

"Some Ravenclaw student who always sat on the floor rather than the poofs in Trelawney's class," Harry shrugged. "I think her name was Felicity or something, Trelawney always seemed to like her anyways. I think it's because she used to be a Ravenclaw herself."*

The boys chuckled lightly at the display, though Lily suspected it was just because they would have done the same.

Firenze began addressing them that this classroom existed as a gift from Dumbledore, who had helped him to imitate his natural home, which would be impossible to enter again for their lessons.

"Oh," Lily's face folded in concern and confusion.

"Well I imagine the other centaurs weren't pleased with this," Remus agreed uneasily, "but I wouldn't have thought they'd flat kick him out for doing this for Dumbledore."

"I can picture it," Sirius said grimly. "This is strike number two that we know about in Firenze helping out humans, normally we're tolerated at best. You remember Bane's reaction," he spoke more to Harry now, seeing the pity on his face for someone who'd once saved his life. "This is an even worse offense than Firenze giving you a ride, if you can believe."

Harry just nodded he understood even as he continued to feel worse for Firenze constantly being on the outs of his kind for his help.

Parvati raised her hand, uneasily calling out for his attention by simply addressing him as sir,

"Guess they just realized they don't have a last name for him," James tried to change the subject.

"Do centaurs have last names?" Harry asked, wondering if this was just something they were missing, though as Dumbledore hadn't introduced him with one it seemed more likely not.

"Not that I've ever heard," Remus said with hints of fascination creeping in. "I'm not even sure how they name each other, very little is known about their culture as they're so private about it."

Sirius took the opportune subject that didn't come up much to ask a question that popped into his head, "Do baby centaur's breast feed, or do the females have-"

"And I'm going to stop you right there on the grounds of reminding, I don't know," Remus said the last three words particularly clear. "Nor will I ever ask one. Harry please keep going," he turned to all but beg before Sirius could come up with more.

and asking why this was, they'd been in with Hagrid and weren't afraid.

"Wouldn't have guessed that from their last class," James rolled his eyes as he remembered the thestrals.

Firenze corrected it was not a matter of their fear, but of himself, he was banished from his herd.

They didn't even know Firenze and they all felt genuine sorrow for the poor guy. There could have been more reasons going on than just him taking the job, but the point was what was with this year and everyone being so isolated?

Lavender repeated the word herd in confusion, perhaps thinking more of cows.

Sirius snorted just a bit in surprise. She'd laughed at Hermione for not liking horses much, but didn't know they were called herds?

Then she realized he meant there were more than just Firenze out there.

"Does she know nothing of the Forbidden Forest?" James spluttered at that question.

"I didn't know there were any in there until you told me," Lily frowned at him. "Most people actually listen to the rule of not going in there, so wouldn't know what was in there."

James still looked too stunned to have even heard her.

Dean asked if Hagrid had bred them like he had the Thestrals?

All five of them winced hard, Remus even shifting a bit like he'd put a Shield Charm up in a second for the poor kid. That would get you killed with any other Centaur except this one, and even then, they weren't sure what kind of temper Firenze could have.

Firenze turned very slowly to face Dean, who seemed to have realized he'd just insulted the centaur and apologized as he was corrected they were no playthings of humans.

There was a pause before Parvati raised her hand again.

"Brave of her," Lily murmured, "I don't think I'd have kept questioning him after that."

She asked why he'd been banished, and Firenze explained it was because he'd agreed to come work for Dumbledore, others saw this as a betrayal of his kind.

Harry remembered back to meeting Bane, who'd accused Firenze of being a common mule when he'd seen Harry on his back, and wondered if he'd been the one to kick Firenze.

"There are more centaurs than just those two," James told Harry.

"Though I'd believe it of any in there, even that calmer one," Sirius shrugged, not remembering the name of the last centaur that night, but his point still stood.

Firenze seemed to feel that was enough questions as he began the lessons, reaching up and pulling the canopy even lower so that the dappled lighting faded, and now it was twilight above with all stars visible. The class gasped in surprise.

That gave them all a smile again, Lily humming with appreciation for the visual.

He had them lie on their backs to observe the heavens, beginning to explain that centaurs had spent their generations unraveling the mysterious movements of everything through planets.

Parvati interrupted to tell what Trelawney had taught, like Mars caused burns and accidents-

but Firenze cut in to say this was human nonsense.

"I'll bet she loved that," Sirius snorted.

"Wonder who's going to win their favor, the pretty horse, or their first favorite teacher," Remus rolled his eyes.

"Considering he's not pandering to what they were first taught, my money would be on Trelawney," James shrugged.

Those were of no more significance than a scurrying ant, unaffected by planetary movements.

"I rather like him though," Lily's grin kept twitching with warmth. "If this is how his Divination classes had always gone, at least he's keeping things at a broader level like I always thought it to be, not scaring the kids."

Parvati began to say with hurt in her voice that Trelawney had said-

"Is she really going to argue for the old teacher to the new one?" Sirius ruffled his brow, though he couldn't help admire her determination just a bit even not liking Trelawney.

Harry hadn't much thought of it, thinking of how a few students had done the same for some of their favorite previous Defense teachers.

yet again Firenze cut into state she was a simple human, and therefore blinded by limitations of their kind.

"They seem to think rather highly of themselves though," James chuckled.

"We already knew that," Remus rolled his eyes.

"You probably realized it from experience," Lily muttered.

Harry turned his head very slightly to look at Parvati. She looked very offended, as did several of the people surrounding her.

Sirius couldn't help snickering. They at least knew Trelawney as a real Seer, but those kids didn't and were reacting anyways just out of respect for a teacher, he couldn't help indulging them even if he wouldn't have done the same.

Firenze continued Trelawney wasted her time on fortune-telling, but Firenze as going to show them the impartial nature of the planets, though it may take years to truly find any message. He gestured for them to see one of the brightest spots in the sky, declaring that as Mars, bringer of battles, and its position foretold of a coming war.

"Isn't Mars the Roman god of war?" James reminded. "So apparently it's okay to predict a war is coming for the whole world, but not as a warning for when to handle hot things?"

"You lot just love having a go at everyone, don't you?" Lily rolled her eyes even already knowing the answer. She never would have guessed they'd be poking fun at Firenze's class with anything to do with what Trelawney had told Parvati and Lavender, but she could also tell they were only doing it for their own amusement, this hadn't turned them into believers of this branch of magic any more than McGonagall even with their knowledge of a war to come.

Also to be used were plumes of smoke and their symbols you could ordain. He demonstrated this for them as well, but seemed unsurprised when no one claimed to spot anything, insisting several times that even competent Centaurus took lifetimes to piece together these clues, and even they could be wrong.

"I do love a teacher that tells you what you're doing is pointless," Sirius snickered louder than ever.

His priority did not seem to be to teach them what he knew, but rather to impress upon them that nothing, not even centaurs' knowledge, was foolproof.

"A valuable lesson in itself," Remus nodded solemnly.

"Wonder what his finals are going to be like," Sirius muttered for himself, he still wanted to be sick at the thought of Trelawney's first.

Ron muttered he wasn't definite on anything was he? Ron would like a few more clues on this war.

"I'm more worried you're going to find details of that in history rather than the stars," James sighed.

When class was dismissed, Harry was called back, and Ron was allowed to stay as Firenze asked if they were friends with Hagrid.

"Odd way to start, doesn't he see Hagrid himself enough now," Lily frowned.

When Harry agreed, he was asked to pass along a message, 'his attempt is not working, he should abandon it.'

Harry's face puckered with concern, he had a feeling about Firenze's message, and it wasn't strictly a good thing.

The others were clearly in his exact line of thinking, wondering what on Earth Hagrid could be up to that would have him being warned off by a Centaur.

He said he'd give this himself, but he did not think it wise to be too close to the Forest as of now.

"So he's not even planning on leaving the castle for a bit," James wasn't very distracted from whatever Hagrid was doing by this scrap of information no matter how depressing it was.

"That poor guy, I can't imagine how shut up he'd feel, oh wait, yes I can," Sirius grumbled.

Remus gave him a sideways glare, wishing he'd stop referring to himself like it was really happening to him, but then he supposed, Sirius was a bit shut up in here without his say so, so he let the comment slide.

Harry asked what Hagrid was attempting to do?

"Thank you," they all muttered, honestly hoping for an answer for once. Hagrid had been nothing but a mystery all year, and the longer it dragged out, the more uneasy they got.

Firenze debated answering before speaking that this was not his to tell, and he owed Hagrid his life.

"That's, fair," James conceded even if he did sigh with disappointment.

"Hagrid's doing something really off his rocker in the Forest though," Remus surmised from that.

"You think it's what's causing his injuries, he's trying to domesticate something new?" Sirius guessed.

"If he found something on the way back from the giants and been working on it since then," Lily grudgingly agreed.

"Please be anything other than a dragon," Sirius muttered.

Harry's headache was returning with a flurry now. They were very close, he could feel that, but despite that they still weren't close enough he could safely understand without hurting himself further, so in their lull without any further guesses he tried to keep going.

Then Harry was dismissed, more worried than ever.

His good mood from The Quibbler article had not lasted long, and by the time April came, he seemed to do nothing but worry.

"That's really getting depressing," James grumbled for Lily alone. He didn't want his son to hear how much this was bringing them all down, but really, his son's life needed far more fun in it than they were being offered.

It took Harry some time to deliver Firenze's warning, as Umbridge was still overseeing all classes, but finally he managed it by going back for a book he'd missed.

When told, Hagrid only said Firenze was a nice bloke and all, but he didn't know what he was talking about, the attempt was coming along fine.

"It worries me he didn't bother to deny for a second he's doing something," Lily groaned.

"Guess by this point he knew not to bother with Harry," James grudgingly pointed out.

Harry very seriously asked what Hagrid was up to.

"You know very well what I'm up to," Sirius told Harry with mock confusion. "Can't get up to very many things in those walls."

Harry offered him a smile for the joke as always, even if his eyes did tighten with concern for the reminder.

He had to be careful, Umbridge could be on a roll, and he could be next.

Harry felt a very uneasy tingling course through him for that, fear that Hagrid wouldn't actually be Umbridge's next victim of this school, but he also couldn't imagine any other teachers on probation so tried to let it go.

Hagrid simply said there were things more important than a job.

"What on Earth is Hagrid training?" Remus demanded with genuine concern now. He valued magical creatures lives as well, he could certainly imagine defending very many, but something of how Hagrid put that really made him believe this wasn't just any beast.

"I'll be sure to let you know if I find out," Sirius snarked, but all of them were watching with more concern than ever for what Hagrid could be doing. The worst bit was, if Hagrid really believed that, then they couldn't even fault him anymore for whatever he was doing and would feel the need to back him up on it now on principle.

He shooed Harry on, and he had no more room to argue. His other problems continued to pile up, like his homework. As the teachers, and Hermione, were now constantly reminding, OWLs were growing closer all the time, and many of the students were starting to feel the train, like Hannah Abbott who had a breakdown in Herbology she was too stupid to continue school.

Lily crooned for the poor thing, the ones who had taken these tests in full understanding of how stressful they were.

If it had not been for the DA lessons, Harry thought he would have been extremely unhappy.

"That's putting it mildly," Harry muttered.

He lived for the hours he spent in the Room of Requirements, helping those around him work, and smiled frequently at the thought of Umbridge's face when every member gained an Outstanding on their Defense Against the Dark Arts OWL.

"Probably put all that on herself," Remus scoffed in disgust.

"And yet I can't wait for Harry to inform her otherwise," James smirked.

Harry had finally begun teaching them patronuses, and though many managed it, he cautioned greatly this would be much different in front of the actual creature.

That put a spark of enthusiasm into all of them at once. Patronuses were a very special kind of protection to them, especially after what Harry went through, and they were enthralled to see even more.

Cho told Harry he was being a killjoy, they were pretty, as her swan-patronus soared through the room.

"Oh," Lily crooned, "I always expected mine to be a bird, maybe even that one."

"But you don't like to fly?" James pointed out with just a slight pout, he loved that his wife's was his own.

"But I love birds, I always wanted my own, and swans mate for life. I knew whoever I'd fall in love with I'd lover forever."

James looked nullified and stopped arguing the point, while Lily continued to eye Harry with curiosity. If Cho had decided Harry was the one for her, that could mean he truly had found the love of his life as well.

Harry corrected they weren't supposed to be pretty, they were supposed to protect you.

"I don't see why they can't be both," Sirius smirked.

"Don't worry Padfoot, we think you're plenty pretty," Remus snarked while Sirius frowned at him. At least he acknowledged what his Patronus was, Remus would hardly bare to say it aloud.

Harry was musing to himself what they really needed was a Boggart to practice on- but Lavender told him that would be too scary, her own patronus still a vapor.

"I think scary is what she needs right now," Remus said with sympathy. "Something to help her better grasp what she's going to do, just trying without motivation won't get you very far."

"Apparently the motivation to see the pretty animal isn't good enough for everyone," James smirked at Sirius, who stuck his tongue out.

Neville was having problems as well, though his face was screwed with concentration, only feeble wisps came out.

Lily sighed for the poor dear. This really was advanced magic even without the dementor around, it was no reflection on him if this was still a touch above his ability.

Harry reminded he needed to be focusing on a happy memory.

"How many times had you reminded him of that?" Sirius snorted, that was the first thing anyone said when telling how to do a Patronus. "Haven't you learned your own lesson? Being told the same advice helps nothing."

"I was trying to do it the same way Remus taught me," Harry defended. "I told them to try different happy memories, something really powerful to them."

Invited along to his very first meeting by Dean, Seamus called for Harry's attention, saying he was doing it!

"Hey," Remus said in protest, and some concern, "how come Dean wasn't hexed for telling Seamus?"

"Dean asked me if he could come along now that we were speaking to each other," Harry shrugged. "I didn't ask for details, but Hermione agreed and said it wouldn't affect her charm, I suppose she may have temporarily lifted it for Dean so he could tell Seamus."

By the time Harry had looked, it had gone, but Seamus promised Harry it was something hairy.

Harry looked bemused for a moment at Seamus' words, and was not at all expecting his godfather at his side to grin in a now familiar way as he declared, "it's good Seamus has come back when he did, now he can realize all the hairy situations Harry gets up to."

James got to his feet just so he could smack Sirius upside the head for that one, while Lily looked horrified. "How long have you been sitting on that one! Merlin, James you couldn't have warned me earlier that's why Sirius was so happy when we told him our baby's name!"

"It's not like that was the first thing I thought of," James defended as he kept looking in exasperation at his best friend.

"HIs name pun wasn't my first thought," Sirius emphasized, before smirking over at Harry who was still snickering away. "It was the second. The first was how much I'm going to love this kid."

James wanted to keep scowling at him, trying to pass along his infernal joke like that, but it was impossible to hold any anger after that. Lily muttered her husband was a traitor even while she was smiling in agreement.

Hermione's Patronus, a shining silver otter, was gamboling around her.

Remus happily decided to change the subject before Sirius could come up with the idea that all of these Patronuses were hairy thanks to Harry, and instead said loudly, "Was it a river otter, or a sea otter?"

"Err," Harry said in surprise, he hadn't realized there were two different kinds, never having looked up much about animals.

"Was it small and fuzzy, or bigger and rather menacing," Sirius elaborated.

"Small and fuzzy," Harry recalled.

"Sea otter then," Remus decided.

"Can you imagine her animagus," Lily grinned fondly, "she'd be absolutely adorable."

"You've never called us adorable," James accused.

"As if you need the validation," Lily rolled her eyes.

The door opened then, and Harry looked around in surprise as he'd thought all members were present. Then he felt a tugging near his knees, and looked down to see Dobby, still accompanied by half a dozen woolly hats.

"Oh no, Hermione's going to find out about that," Sirius drawled.

"I'm wondering why he's there," Remus said curiously. "He's never interrupted a DA meeting before."

Lily felt a shot of horror at the look on Harry's face that promised it may not be for a good reason, but they'd been enjoying their little chat for so long she asked, "How many others had managed one?"

"Quite a few," Harry shook himself, more than happily staying on track. "Ah, Luna's was a rabbit, the twins was a raven and a coyote, though I'm not sure who was who, err, Ginny's was a horse, Ron's was really coming along, it really had a shape there for a moment but it hadn't distinguished itself quite yet when Dobby came in."

"That's brilliant," Remus congratulated Harry, he truly was an excellent teacher to be helping them out with this, though he agreed with Harry it was all for show unless they could do it around the creature, this was still quite good of all of them.

Harry asked him what was wrong, as clearly something was, his eyes were wide with terror and he was shaking.

"Oh dear," Lily managed to get out, face going blank with shock for a moment before the fear slammed in. This was supposed to be Harry's comfort place, his one reason for continuing school, what bad news was worth Dobby interrupting this. Watching Harry now was not encouraging an answer, but thankfully she wasn't the one reading, Harry as always forcing himself to go on with a set look in place no matter how much his voice shook for it.

Now everyone around him was looking on in silence, what few Patronuses had been conjured vanishing and making the room feel darker.

Sirius shivered slightly. Normally allowing your Patronus to fade meant the fight was over, but this still managed to feel ominous for whatever Dobby was fixing to say.

Dobby seemed unable to speak though, trying to brokenly say the house-elves had been warned not to tell, but Dobby had to warn- then he tried to run head first into the nearest wall.

Harry, having experience with Dobby's habits, grabbed the elf's arm to stop him and ask who had done what, but all Dobby could say was she.

"Spit it out," James got out through gritted teeth, but his flashing eyes made it clear they all had a guess what had happened, and it wasn't McGonagall finding out.

Harry feared he understood though, clarifying Umbridge knew about this place, the DA?

"I'm going to kill someone," Sirius growled.

"How!" Remus demanded. "Did any of the house-elves even know about this besides Dobby, because we know it wasn't him."

"Maybe it was Winky," James said with a scowl. "The little ones probably still so out of it she'd blab anything, and I wouldn't put it past Umbridge to somehow put the pieces together to follow a link between her, Dobby, and Harry and realize something was up."

"How would she have known that?" Harry managed to get out instead of screaming in frustration. "We'd been really careful, Umbridge shouldn't have had a clue to go looking for this at all." He was getting a terrible feeling, his mind flipping through all members of the DA, he just knew he should have realized someone was missing but he couldn't place a name in his panic.

Finally, with a howl of misery, Dobby nodded and tried to continue to beat himself up.

Harry looked up in horror at everyone else before yelling loudly for them all to run!

Sirius could feel almost a laugh somewhere in there, for the chaos that could be erupted from this group suddenly stampeding through corridors in their effort to avoid that frog reject, but it was lost as his heart thudded into his ribs picturing what would happen if they got caught.

There was a sudden pile up at the door, Ron and Hermione got swept away as Harry hesitated an extra moment to scoop up Dobby, and was the last one out so he could shut the door behind him. He hoped they wouldn't all try to make it back to their dorms, as the Owlery and Library were much closer.

Dobby, who was still attempting to do himself a serious injury,

"Don't you even," Remus told him breathlessly, all eyes locked on Harry to watch him get out of this, but Sirius had no self-restraint as he blurted, "I'm sure you could have used my help right then, sorry I couldn't have offered it."

Harry broke off for a moment to chuckle weakly for his godfather, but it did nothing to relieve the tense set of his mouth, the anger he was having to run from the one thing he'd been using to fight back.

was still under his arm as he reached the hallway. He gave the order to him,

"Err, Harry," Lily couldn't help but remind softly, "I don't think you can be giving him orders."

"I don't know," James suddenly put in with an interested look on his face. "I've never known a free elf before, but maybe without being tied to anyone's family, anyone can give them an Order and they'd have to follow through with it. The ones at Hogwarts are compelled to follow any staff members orders, their 'family' is the school after all, maybe this is an even more loose interpretation of-"

He cut himself off as he realized Harry was practically vibrating in place from failed adrenaline, and James realized there was a time and place for this speculation, and now wasn't it.

to go back to the kitchens and deny he'd told anyone, and no hurting himself!

Lily shifted uneasily in her seat, beyond pleased Harry had taken the time to do that for Dobby, but all the more worried what his delay would cost him. She couldn't help the visions flashing across her eyes of what worse than detention Umbridge could get away with doing to Harry when she found out about this.

Dobby squeaked a thank you as he vanished, and Harry tore off for a nearby bathroom he could claim to have come from.

Sirius opened his mouth with a look in place promising it wasn't helpful advice, but Harry hadn't taken notice in time for him to begin as he kept reading feverishly.

Something caught his ankles, and before he knew it he was skidding along instead a good six feet before coming to a halt beside an ugly dragon-shaped vase Malfoy was hiding behind.

"That about described everything about him," James muttered hatefully, the lot of them growing more tense by the second.

"What's he even doing there?" Sirius howled in frustration. "That scum sucker has nothing to do with-"

Harry normally had not a problem with them ranting about Malfoy, but his throat was threatening to close shut with fear if he didn't keep using it, so he kept going loudly for an explanation instead.

He cackled about his own use of a Trip Jinx before calling out for Professor Umbridge, who came upon them with a delighted smile.

Remus was grinding his teeth in deep frustration more every second, wishing those DA kids could turn all those spells they'd learned onto some useful target practice right about now.

Neither were surprised to find Potter, but both jubilant as Umbridge hoisted him back to his feet and instructed Malfoy to find some more. Harry had never seen her looking so happy.

"I can take her face off so you never have to see any expression again," Sirius tried to offer in an attempt at a polite voice.

She instructed for Malfoy and his fellows to stop anyone who was out of breath.

"That doesn't mean a thing!" Lily hissed in outrage. "Harry could have just been running down the hall for any reason, she has no right to-" she cut herself off and ran her nails against her scalp, snagging a few strands of hair but forcing herself not to keep going.

Then Umbridge began marching him along to the Headmasters office. Harry went in her wake with dread for all those who could still be caught. Ron, and how Mrs. Weasley was going to kill him.

"Kill Umbridge more like," James honestly believed. No matter how bad the overbearing mother got, he had to believe she'd stand up for her kids before siding with that fake blood stain.

How Hermione would feel if she was expelled before she could take her OWLs.

"Poor girl will have heart failure," Remus said with absolute belief.

It had been Seamus's very first meeting, and Neville had been getting so good.

Lily watched her son read through all of that with such mixed feelings, but a surprisingly warm glow. Even in the face of his own expulsion, where he'd likely end up back at the Dursleys for perhaps an hour before Sirius showed up and murdered them all, he was still far more concerned about everyone else. Her son really was the most genuine person she'd ever met.

They reached the office to find it already crowded, with Dumbledore at his desk staring serenely on at everyone. McGonagall was at his right with a severe expression in place, Fudge was by the fireplace and looking pleased with this situation,

"Why's he there?" Sirius snarled in outrage.

"Umbridge may have sent something along when she found out this information, wanted him to be there so he could gloat," Remus pointed out with disgust.

Kingsley Shacklebolt and a tough-looking wizard with very short wiry hair whom Harry did not recognize, were positioned either side of the door like guards,

"Another Auror, I'm guessing," James ruffled up his brows. "Probably Kingsley's partner."

"I want Harry to pause for just a moment so I can laugh at this one," Sirius snickered, though was as pleased as anyone Fudge clearly suspected nothing of Kingsley at least for him to be there.

"Why are any Aurors there?" Lily cut into their amusement with still high disgust. "Did Fudge really think he needed protection from Dumbledore now?"

"I sure would if I was Fudge," Remus sneered.

as pleased as anyone Fudge clearly suspected nothing of Kingsley at least for him to be there.

Percy Weasley hovered excitedly beside the wall, a quill and a heavy scroll of parchment in his hands, apparently poised to take notes.

Harry muttered something quite foul under his breath that made Lily frown slightly at him no matter how much he deserved it. This was twice now Percy had been in on Fudge's side of the room and as obnoxious as ever. She wished she'd shared her idea now, that maybe Percy was still trying to help in his own way...but she had no more evidence than a mother's wish the boy hadn't really turned completely on his family.

The portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses were not shamming sleep tonight. All of them were alert and serious,

"Not all of them should be me at once," Sirius only contemplated for the barest second before continuing on the same breath, "at least two of them could be Prongs. Sorry Moony, I've never met anyone who wanted to act like you though."

Remus was torn between smacking him and telling him to shut up that time, but Harry was ignoring them both.

watching the events unfold below them, which started with Fudge gloatingly stating 'well, well, well.'

Harry gave him the dirtiest look back he could muster.

"A truly terrifying face," James agreed without an ounce of mocking, "I'm surprised Fudge isn't jumping out the window.

His heart drummed madly inside him, but his brain was oddly cool and clear.

"I've noticed that frequently about you," Lily praised. "Though I do wish you'd stop finding reasons for me to realize that."

For a moment Harry was worried his mother had changed her mind, and in the face of expulsion, she regretted all he'd been doing with the DA, but she was as calm as ever, promising retribution to anyone who dared do a single thing against her son for what he was doing.

Umbridge said for him he was heading for Gryffindor tower when he'd been caught, an excitement in her voice the likes of which Harry had heard when Trelawney was being sacked.

"I can only imagine what Harry would have done in that circle," Sirius said nastily, knowing his godson would not have devolved into tears, but probably started a full on war in the middle of the Entrance Hall.

Then she explained how he'd been caught, and Fudge turned to Harry and said he expected Potter knew why he was here.

"To show some competence in the farce of your employee?" Remus put politely.

"I'd go for deniability," Lily said grimly, "he was caught in the middle of a hallway doing nothing, what can they prove."

"Since Dobby showed up, I think they did have something of use," James disagreed, "so at this point, it's going out with a bang."

Harry had every intentions of beginning with a defiant 'yes,' but stopped short when he caught sight of Dumbledore, who gave just the barest hint of a shake of his head.

Harry felt like he was freezing over in confusion. He was angry, still high on adrenaline, and still Dumbledore wouldn't look him in the eye even while giving him a piece of advice? What had he done so wrong to push Dumbledore into such a confusing state?

Instead he changed direction mid-words, now saying, 'ye-no.'

"Not sure I'd buy that one, do you think he'd let you do a redo?" Sirius asked, his eyes narrowed critically for what Dumbledore was doing and so hardly paying attention to what he was saying any more than usual.

Fudge was astounded, Harry repeating more firmly he had no clue why he was here, Fudge repeating this anyways.

"I believe he just answered that, did he forget to turn his ears on as well as his brain?" Lily grumbled.

Fudge was growing furious as he insisted Potter had no knowledge of any school rules he'd broken, or Ministry Decrees Umbridge tacked on.

"Those aren't Decrees, their farces of Umbridge's intelligence," Remus stated.

"Don't talk to others, don't have magazines, I get to pick the teachers I work with," Sirius ticked off on his fingers, generalizing a few but putting together, "she's basically trying to force others to be as miserable as she is."

Harry insisted he had done nothing, all while his heart was still pounding away in his chest. If someone had tipped off Umbridge about the DA, as leader he may as well be packing his bags now.

"I can tell Umbridge that I think she's a revolutionary teacher, doesn't mean it's true," Lily insisted, still hoping Harry could lie his way out of this one.

Fudge was growing angry that Potter was denying there was an illegal student organization going on.

Harry put an unconvincing look in place as he said yes.

"Credit for trying?" James offered.

Umbridge changed pace into saying this would go better if she brought in her information.

"Oh yes, please do," Sirius managed to get out through a deep throated growl, "I've been wanting to practice cursing multiple people at once, the more the merrier."

Fudge agreed with this idea, turning to Dumbledore and stating there was nothing better than a good witness.

"You wouldn't know, you tried to dismiss Harry's," Remus sniffed.

Dumbledore agreed as calmly as ever, and they waited in uneasy silence until Umbridge came back with Marietta, her face buried inside her robes.

"She what?" Lily shrieked in outrage.

"Glory, would not have called that," Sirius said in disgust. "I just thought she'd stop showing up, not push her friend under a bus."

"This is-" James worked his face furiously to stop himself raging and screaming. He couldn't help comparing this to his own friend abandoning him in the worst way possible in this dismal future, now his son was going to be suffering the consequences yet again.

Harry sat there, stewing for a moment with an odd look in place. He was furious at what Marietta had done, but he could already feel some grim satisfaction as well, she got her dues for betraying their group, so he kept going loudly over their angry protests.

Umbridge gave her a sympathetic pat on the shoulder as she told them to tell what she had already, her mother would be very pleased. Still Marietta said nothing, so Umbridge explained to Fudge that her mother was Madam Edgecombe, she'd been helping them in the Department of Magical Transportation keeping an eye on the Floo Network.

"So her whole line has been pissing me off this year," James hissed, still wanting to spit in someone's face for causing him heart failure after Sirius' last pop up in the school.

Fudge gave a hearty agreement, encouraging the seemingly shy girl to look at them, then shouting in surprise when she did.

All of them were clearly itching towards vindictive amusement. Not one of them had forgotten Hermione's 'jinx,' and this well fell into talking about Dumbledore's Army. Now they were just curious the extent, clearly it was even more than they'd envisioned by Fudge's reaction.

He'd jumped into the fireplace in surprise as Marietta had looked up, and across her face in bright purple pustules was written the work sneak.

They would have laughed even harder than the first time if the threat of Harry being expelled wasn't the result of this misfortune. It didn't at all erase the tight smiles though, Hermione had done better than they'd ever imagined with her spell work.

Upon the reaction, she'd waited in despair and buried her face again, and Umbridge snapped she'd tell then, turning and explaining to them that she'd come to her office this evening and told of an illegal group and where it would be taking place. By that point she'd spotted the hex affecting her in one of Umbridge's mirrors and not spoken another word.

"How long do you think that curse lasts?" Sirius said wistfully.

"Not long enough," James snapped, his eyes narrowed hatefully for this.

"The better question is, where's Hermione so she can teach me how to do this," Remus smirked.

Fudge gave Marietta a very kind smile like he used to don on Harry as he said she'd done the right thing, very brave of her.

"Oh sure, bravery is now snitching on your friends," Lily muttered under her breath. She couldn't imagine why Marietta had gone and done this so much later after it had started, but the injustice of it was infuriating.

Still Marietta refused to look at any of them, and Fudge demanded if anyone had the counter spell so she could speak freely. When Umbridge said she'd tried that, Harry had a moment to be quite proud of Hermione's jinxing ability.

"Oh we never doubted that for a moment," Sirius said with relish, all of them agreeing she'd more than outdone herself this time. The girl had an unfounded talent in the trouble making part of her life she didn't indulge in nearly enough for their liking.

Umbridge still managed to keep going saying that she'd pieced it together from there, as Potter had met with students back in October in the Hog's Head-

she was cut off by McGonagall demanding to know how she knew this?

Umbridge supplied she knew from Willy Widdershins, whom had been heavily bandaged, but his hearing had been well enough to take in the whole thing.

"Why does that name ring a bell?" Lily muttered.

"Not sure, but he clearly wasn't bandaged enough, as he was still breathing," James snarled, always in disbelief how his sons luck had managed to put that meeting in the same time as an informant of Umbridge's also being there.

McGonagall raised a brow as she realized this was why the man hadn't been prosecuted for his regurgitation toilets.

"That was it," Sirius blinked in surprise, before narrowing with a sneer. "Wish I was more surprised he got away with his problems by ratting out the system." He'd never used that phrase in such a way since he'd learned of someone's animagus, but never before would he have had the need to put such a slant on someone he never would have thought would use it like that. He still regretted the jab when James flinched horribly at the reminder and Remus stiffened in his seat.

This was quite an insight into their justice system.

Umbridge cut in this was not the current point, Potter was having an illegal meeting persuading others to join his society-

"It wasn't illegal at the time," Lily couldn't help but correct with a raised brow, even while she felt like a fool for calling something so simple illegal in any regards. Merlin it was a farce on their future that was a thing.

James smiled grimly for his wife, wishing now more than ever she could have been there to counter all this.

yet Dumbledore cut in there to say she had misspoken.

Fudge gave a hearty laugh for what it was going to be this time to get Potter out of trouble. Was Willy Widdershins lying?

"Well he could have been," Remus huffed. "He was a criminal trying to get out of charges and so reported some toff to get him out of trouble."

"I don't think they're going to play whose word against who's in this instance," James shook his head, "when one works too well in their need."

Or was it Potter's identical twin in the Hog's Head that day?

"Hardy har," Sirius rolled his eyes in disgust.

Or is there the usual simple explanation involving a reversal of time,** a dead man coming back to life, and a couple of invisible Dementors?

Harry wouldn't have been surprised to see lightning shooting out of his dad as he howled, "would he stop bringing that up! It's not their fault they have to figure out everything for you because you're too much of a blithering idiot to see past your own reflection!"

Lily had to spend several moments soothing their fussing infant who was crying just as loudly as his father, trying to fight back tears of anger at Harry's life constantly being played off as a joke like this.

While just as angry and not at all aware of the nerve thumping in his jaw line, Remus had caught on a much more interesting part of that. "What on earth did he mean reversal of time, Dumbledore told him about that bit? Why?! The only part that was relevant to was Sirius' escape, and I highly doubt Dumbledore sat around explaining that."

This was odd enough it at least put them off trying to pull another vanishing stunt and going after Fudge next, so Harry took the opportunity to keep going the moment he realized no one had a good answer for why this information had been shared with Fudge, though instantly regretted it.

Percy Weasley let out a laugh as well.

Sirius snarled in frustration, his hands making a wringing motion even as a flare of pity wanted to take a pinch at him. He pictured Percy too much like Regulus, though ironically in reverse. At this point he wasn't even sure if Percy would realize in time his mistake and come groveling back, with a few well deserved hexes from a few of his brothers.

Harry could have kicked him.

"I don't understand why you didn't," Lily said flatly.

Dumbledore merely explained that Umbridge had declared the meeting in the Hog's Head illegal, when the Decree for organizations was not so until two days later.

"Ha!" Sirius let out a sharp bark of laughter that they all felt covered that quite nicely.

Percy looked as though he had been struck in the face by something very heavy.

"I wish," Remus said with a pleasant smile.

Fudge let his mouth hang open, but Umbridge kept going sweetly, stating that though the first was then aloud, all the following over the past six months were not.

"Wonder who she had to pay off to figure out that grain of intelligence," James snarked.

Dumbledore agreed that would be true, if there had been any others.

Lily ruffled her brow as she tried to understand where Dumbledore could be going with that one. Marietta was proof further things had happened, otherwise she wouldn't have been jinxed.

As the headmaster kept attention on this line of questioning, Harry thought he heard Kingsley whisper something, and felt a whoosh at his side, yet when he glanced there was nothing there, nor had Kingsley seemed to move.

Remus opened his mouth in confusion, wondering if perhaps Fawkes was in the back doing something random, but didn't press on the idea.

Umbridge stated that Marietta was proof that further dealings had taken place, but when confronted, Harry saw that the peak of her eyes showing now had a glazed look when asked if Potters meetings had been going on for six months? She could just nod, or shake her head, that wouldn't reactivate the jinx.

"Hasn't exactly been deactivated now, has it," Sirius rolled his eyes.

As everyone in the room watched, Marietta shook her head.

Harry stopped short, his mind spinning back to the sensation he'd just felt, but he couldn't imagine how the two pieces yet fit together as his mum demanded, "did she have a change of heart?"

"Bit late for that," James scoffed, "after the punishments written cross her face."

Harry decided he was overthinking things, and actually felt a bubble of hope inside him once more, hoping this was the last time he'd be threatened with expulsion at least for this year.

Umbridge stood frozen in shock, repeating the question for good measure, but again Marietta shook her head no, no such thing had happened. Umbridge demanded what she meant by this, but McGonagall said in clipped tones that unless Miss Edgecombe was speaking in some unknown language, a shake of the head meant no.

"Maybe she's speaking Bulgarian," Remus offered helpfully as if offering McGonagall and Umbridge another solution.

Sirius snorted and started snickering, but his eyes were still trained menacingly on the book.

Professor Umbridge seized Marietta, pulled her round to face her and began shaking her very hard.***

"She what?" Lily shrieked, nearly falling into hysterics. "Does this lime tart have no bounds, she just grabbed a child!" The transgression against Harry still weighed heavily on her, she was afraid even if all the students who weren't expelled would still be getting detentions just for Umbridge suspecting them.

Harry didn't even like Marietta and he'd felt the need to jump forward and help her, and not caring what consequences came from that he flitted forward in a rush.

She hadn't been at it but moments when Dumbledore intervened, his wand appearing as Umbridge released Marietta waving her hands as if they were suddenly burning.

Dumbledore said in a very angry voice his students were not to be manhandled.

James took a slow, deep breath in thanks for Dumbledore stepping in. Even acting as odd as the man was, he was about to accuse him of being Imperiused this was getting so odd of late, at least he still always stepped in when it counted.

"You see that Harry?" Sirius wagged his finger in his godsons face with a triumphant, yet still stern look. "Now imagine if you'd gone and told Dumbledore about her punishments. I'll bet he'd have her out of that castle before you could finish packing her bags."

For just a moment, Harry believed him, and honestly regretted not having said something. What if it would have given Dumbledore more a chance to get rid of her sooner?

Umbridge straightened her bow as she stated she'd forgot herself.

"It's good to know how others act when they're stressed," Remus said acidly, "though I suppose this means she was always out of her mind."

"We already knew that Moony," James reminded, his face still flushed from anger as he again glanced at the back of Harry's hand.

Marietta had not reacted at all to being released, nor had she while being shaken, her eyes remaining as glassy as before.

"What on earth?" Lily squeaked, nobody was that docile.

"Wait a minute," Harry frowned, flipping back a page and again staring at the odd sensation he'd overpassed, and he felt a suspicion rise in him at the same time he looked up and saw something try to click together for the others. It was such a wild idea though, no one dared say it...

Harry only had time to suspect what he'd heard Kingsley whisper as Umbridge kept on track that she'd caught their group red handed, she'd gone back inside the Room of Requirements and found her own evidence.

"But Harry closed the door when he left," James yelped in outrage, he specifically remembered that. "There's no way she could have known the exact same phrase to reopen the same room!"

"What if the room was asked for evidence of this though," Remus said uneasily. "It could have pulled up the same room they were then using."

It shouldn't have been possible, but somehow they were managing to grow more angry by the minute Umbridge had now found out this secret place and how to use it on top of everything else Harry was facing. Selfishly, Sirius almost thought it would be a relief for Harry to be expelled by this point, spend out the rest of his year with him until that toad was gone by whatever happened at the end of the year. He'd be behind when he came back next year, but anything would feel more peaceful than this mess of a place their old school was turning into.

To Harry's horror, she withdrew from her pocket the list of names that had been pinned upon the Room of Requirements wall and handed it to Fudge.

James face palmed and said something he wouldn't normally have. He'd understood the purpose of the list for Hermione's jinx, and suddenly wondered if that had been destroyed if it would have negated the effects then, otherwise he couldn't imagine why that had been kept around.

"I," Lily faltered for a moment as she tried to come up with an excuse for this things existence, before finally snapping, "okay, so they're not allowed in groups of three, but you never specified their names weren't, there's nothing illegal about this still, she still hasn't gotten proof, especially if Marietta is retracting."

Remus sighed, thinking only with this batch of dung bomb rejects masquerading as Ministry people could a sentence as spectacularly stupid as Lily's exist.

Fudge took it, a look of shock spreading across his face as he saw what they'd named themselves.

"And that's still funny," Sirius smirked.

Dumbledore's expression did not change, as he said simply that meant the game was up. Would Cornelius like a written confession, or would these witnesses suffice?

"Err," James began in confusion, ruffling his brow at what Dumbledore was cooking up.

Harry saw McGonagall and Kingsley look at each other. There was fear in both faces. He did not understand what was going on, and nor, apparently, did Fudge.

Remus bounced his knee uneasily, he didn't like what Dumbledore had tried to imply with that...

Asking what Dumbledore could mean, as the man repeated his surname on that paper, not Potter's.

"Oh bollocks," Sirius suddenly paled in shock.

Understanding blazed suddenly in Fudge's face. He took a horrified step backwards, yelped, and jumped out of the fire again.

Sirius laughed darkly. He'd imagined a few times now tossing people into fires, and now Fudge was doing the action for him. It would have been much more satisfactory if his mind wasn't spinning full tilt in worry of where this seemed to be heading.

He stamped the smoke out while demanding that Dumbledore had organized all this, put this army together?

Dumbledore agreed to all, saying tonight was supposed to be the first meeting, and Marietta nodded.

Remus said something in gibberish, shock was preventing true words.

"This is Dumbledore's plan?" Lily looked genuinely worried for her old headmaster's mental health. "How? Why? This doesn't fix the original problem of what Harry was doing, they were still 'caught' in the group, Dumbledore's only sentencing himself to an even larger problem and then Harry'll get kicked out of school!"

"Maybe not though," James corrected with a calculating look in place. "Ever wondered why Sirius told so many rabbit jokes when someone asked about the nicknames, or why we set up so many elaborate pranks sometimes but others we just cursed people. All depended on the time of the month, and a red herring."

Lily nodded in understanding, but it didn't do much to lessen her worry, she wasn't as sure Fudge would be so easily distracted from his vendetta against the both of them.

Fudge swelled as he shouted at Dumbledore he had been plotting against him!

Dumbledore cheerfully agreed that was true.

"I'm sure that's a first response," Remus said absently, feeling several steps behind from shock at what the Minister was actually fixing to do here...

Harry shouted no in surprise as he realized what was going on, but Dumbledore kindly told him to keep his opinions out of this or he'd have to be escorted out.

Fudge told him to shut up as he rounded on Dumbledore, saying he'd come to expel Potter but instead-

Instead he got to arrest himself, Dumbledore finished for him, saying it was like losing a Knut but finding a Galleon.

"Dumbledore sure thinks highly of himself," Sirius muttered, his eyes still a little too wide from surprise at this turn of events, he couldn't even quite wrap his head around this happening yet.

Fudge snapped at Weasley that he had all this written down, the man admitting to starting an army to destabilize the Ministry?

"I'm fairly confident he never said that," James stated, looking queasy at such a fast turn, funnily enough coming from a Quidditch player. He couldn't help it, he'd have much more easily dodged a Bludger than grasped the idea of where Dumbledore was headed, he hadn't even a second to breathe in relief Harry wasn't expelled but now...

Percy agreed he had everything, Fudge telling him to get moving then and have it all ready for the morning paper. Once he was out the door, Fudge turned to Dumbledore and said he hoped he enjoyed his Azkaban cell.

Dumbledore gently said he'd been expecting this snag.

"Snag?" Lily squeaked, her eyes distant and very happy it was Harry reading, she knew her mind wouldn't have been able to keep up with all of this.

Fudge saw no snag, but Dumbledore did, saying they seemed to be laboring under the delusion that he was, to offer the phrase, come quietly.

Sirius snorted so violently his nose nearly fell off. He couldn't help it, this situation was so ridiculous of course he had to laugh, because otherwise he'd be admitting that Dumbledore was having a chat with the Minister about being arrested!

This was not to be. Though he could break out of course, he had much better things to do with his time.

Remus felt a wild laugh crack his expression as well. The image Harry was describing was mind boggling, and yet he fully believed in what Dumbledore said was true...but the fact that he was saying it!

Umbridge's face was growing steadily more red, while Fudge continued to eye Dumbledore like he'd taken a blow to his head.

"I hate having the same expression as him," Harry managed to say, though it helped nothing as he could still feel it stuck in place. After Dumbledore had been ignoring him all year, now he was doing this...

Dawlish stepped forward then, his hand edging towards his pocket, but Dumbledore gave a friendly chuckle as he said he was well aware Dawlish was an excellent Auror, having been there when he'd gotten O's in all of his OWLs, but perhaps he should not, Dumbledore didn't want to hurt him.

Dawlish blinked and took his step back, now looking to Fudge for some sort of clue.

"I don't think Merlin would have an answer for you," Lily told. For the man who'd gone toe to toe with Voldemort, the idea of anyone else having a go at him did indeed seem...foolish.

Fudge recovered himself enough to demand Dumbledore really thought he could take on all four of them?

"I find it more like Dumbledore against having to fake it against Kingsley," Sirius finally recovered himself enough to mock again, though he still couldn't quite reach his usual haughty bravado yet.

"Be fair, I'm sure Dawlish is good at what he does against anyone else," Remus rebuked.

Dumbledore said of course not, unless they were foolish enough to force him to.

James burst out with such exuberant laughter it made Lily jump and the baby screech just as loud as the noise. He couldn't help it though, the confidence was well earned for the man...but even they had never speculated such an instance as this occurring! Dumbledore was, well not being arrested, but someone actually thought they could do so!

McGonagall cut in he would not be alone, pushing her hand into her own robes.

All five of them reclined in their seats. Suddenly this wasn't funny anymore, but much more a smack in the face saying they should be fearing for their lives.

Dumbledore corrected oh yes he would, this school still needed her.

"Oh dear," Lily managed to utter one more time with pure worry of what Dumbledore was going to do to them before Harry told breathlessly.

Fudge had had enough, as he shouted at them to stop him.

In a bright flash of silver light, the floor trembled, and Harry felt something pull the scruff of his neck to the ground. Then Fawkes cried out, there was dust everywhere; a dark figure fell to the ground, a shriek and another fall, then a final no, with breaking glass, scuffling steps, and one last groan before silence.

"That was much less dramatic than I thought Dumbledore would go for," James rubbed at his jaw.

"You weren't there," Harry shook his head as if still getting the flashes of light out of his eyes, while one hand creeped up to his neck in remembrance. "It was plenty fantastic from where I stood."

"What even happened?" Lily cocked her head to the side. "A dark figure fell to the ground, I'm guessing that was Kingsley, a shriek and a thud, someone else got knocked out, somebody cried no, but then..." she trailed off as she tried to picture it.

"I think he may have put a spell on someone to stumble around, they fell into whatever it was that broke and so they had to scuffle a bit, but then they groaned and fell as well," Harry tried to explain through the clouded dust of memories.

"That's only three though," James disagreed.

"Someone might have gone out with the first shot of light," Harry offered.

"I just, I still can't believe," Remus wasn't coming out of his shock any time soon it seemed. "Dumbledore, he-"

"It's okay Moony," Sirius gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder. The problem though was that he had no more to say on it, he couldn't have imagined how this had gone so far, let alone to reverse it enough Dumbledore would come back.

Harry struggled around to see who was half-strangling him and saw Professor McGonagall crouched beside him; she had forced both him and Marietta out of harm's way.

Lily hummed with approval for that, she could understand that even when McGonagall had been told to stay out of the fight, there was no way the woman would remain on the sidelines.

In the silence, Dumbledore approached them and said they must be fast, it was best not known they had a moment to speak. Tell Kingsley he was sorry, but it would have been suspicious had he not been cursed too.

"I'm sure he'll forgive you," James managed to say with a genuine smile, like this was all part of some normal conversation.

It was remarkable how quick on the uptake he'd been, modifying Miss Edgecombe's memory for them.

"Oh, my, goodness," Remus mouthed the words.

Sirius was still patting his shoulder as he watched Harry go on with some deep emotion he still couldn't name. It wasn't quite smugness at this happening to Dumbledore as well as him, but also some genuine worry for this future. As if it hadn't been hellish before, now it seemed a literal nightmare.

McGonagall asked where he would go, to Grimmauld Place?

"Well, I was wanting some company," Sirius muttered. If there was one person he would have called least likely to be a wanted criminal in this future aside from himself, it was Dumbledore.

Dumbledore corrected he would not be hiding out, and Fudge would very soon regret dislodging him from Hogwarts.

"I can imagine," James nodded vigorously.

Harry began to try and apologize for the DA, for starting all of this trouble,

"That is not something to apologize for," Lily said at once, snapping to anything she could have something intelligible to say. "If he could encourage you to go after that stupid Stone, I'm positive he's been helping you out with this as well in ways we can't even guess."

but Dumbledore cut him off, saying it was of the utmost important that Harry learn Occlumency.

"That's his final word of advice!" Remus did finally come back, now as ruffled at the man himself as the situation. "If he ever did address it I would have hoped he'd offer an alternative! Surely he can't be so stubborn not to realize this isn't working."

"Clearly not," Harry sighed, wishing more every day this would just quit being mentioned. He still had no feelings he would ever succeed at this, and it only ever led to darker parts of his mind for what that could mean.

He grabbed Harry's wrist for emphasis, but Harry heard no more as once again his scar seared, and he felt the snakelike urge to strike, bite, kill.

Harry released a shuddering breath, he could still feel the echo of it now, trying to build up inside of him and emerge from a long gone part of him that he had no want to revisit. If it wasn't for those around him, if he'd truly gone through with it and tried to run when he'd been thinking, he could never have kept going on his own for fear it may come back. Now though, after forcing his eyes to remain focused on those around him, as afraid as him, but not an ounce of fear of him, he found it in himself to keep going.

He wasn't even sure he heard Dumbledore whisper Harry would understand.

"It sure doesn't feel like it," Sirius commiserated with that look on Harry's face. He was frustrated just hearing about it all, he couldn't imagine how Harry could remain sane having to live through it.

Fawkes swooped low then, and Dumbledore raised his hand to grasp the phoenix's tail, then both vanished in a flash of fire.

"Wow," James blinked in surprise. "I didn't know he could take people with him when he does that."

Remus simply nodded, clearly not back to himself enough to elaborate on the ability, too much was going on now for Dumbledore and Harry.

At once, the other four awoke, Fudge demanding where he was?

"That is actually a very good question," Lily shook her head, she had a hard time imagining him anywhere besides his oak desk.

After Umbridge reminded he couldn't disparate from the school, Dawlish declared he must have made a run for it down the stairs, and he, Kingsley, and Umbridge went after him.

The four left only had a moment to take it all in before Fudge told McGonagall mockingly he feared this was the end of Dumbledore.

"You fear wrong," Remus said in no uncertain terms.

McGonagall scornfully said he really thought so? Harry saw some of the portraits making rude gestures at the Minister.

"I knew they couldn't be all bad," Sirius managed to get one last smirk in while he was thinking of it, "those were probably the ones pretending to be me."

"Thank you for that unhelpful input Padfoot," Remus rolled his eyes for his friend, if anything could keep his attention it was him.

Then he instructed she should get these students off to bed.

Harry inhaled again slowly, taking a moment just to savor those words. He wasn't expelled, Dumbledore's plan had worked, but at what cost?

She didn't wait around for a response as the three left, but as the door closed, Harry heard Phineas Nigellus's vice tell the Minister that he may not like it, but Dumbledore had style.

"Ha!" Sirius released a sharp bark of laughter that seemed to echo in the still stunned stupid room. "Would you look at that, I actually agree with him for once."

"Miracles happen all the time apparently," Remus shook his head as Harry passed him the book. 'Not all of them good,' he finished in his head, still gazing awestruck at Dumbledore's departure.

HPHPHPHP

I never get tired of that quote, one of the best things the movie kept in, even given to Kingsley instead.

* I know it's never referenced in book, but since Care of Creatures is held with another House, I picture all the other electives did as well, and I always picture Ravenclaw's in the background of all Trelawney's lessons.

**I actually wonder if JK put that in there by accident or something, the diary would have been a better mocking reference.

***So everyone always agrees Umbridge is the worst character ever conceived, but I'm curious what you guys consider her worst ever moment, or at least when you knew you irredeemably hated her? Harry, as the main character, I was disgusted at what she did to him, but on her evil level I at least understood it, as well as everyone else who crossed her. However, she attacked Marietta after the girl had helped her. This clearly is the kind of person Umbridge really is.

#The Life that Never Lived #Harry Potter #HP #Fanfiction #OotP #reading the books #Jilly #James Potter #Remus Lupin #sirus black #Lily Potter

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sxveme-2 · 3 years

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blueberry pancakes // bucky barnes

MASTERLIST

Description: A single mother. Juggling being a mom, a full time pediatrician, and a difficult ex who believed now would be the best time to finally be a father. A soldier ripped out of time. Ex-assassin turned superhero. Learning how to balance a new domestic life with handling demons of his past, while facing the trials of the future. a love story began over something as simple as chocolate chip pancakes with hidden blueberries.

Disclaimer: I do not own any original Marvel characters! All canon plots and canon characters belong to Marvel Comics and Marvel Studios. This is an original work. You may not publish it anywhere else

Status: Unedited

Note: Takes place after endgame. I have elected to ignore Tony's death and Steve's leaving. Did not happen. Quick Reminder! My works are only published here, AO3 and on Wattpad, thank you.

Chapter Twenty Seven: The One With the Angel

Warnings: N/A

Word Count: 2322

Her back seized and muscles stiffened as a second knock echoed on her window. Her hand snuck quietly to the knife that Bucky had taped to the side of the bed closest to the wall. Lily gripped it tightly as she listened to the lock on the window snap off, a rush of cool air pushing into her room like a dark cloak. Her nimble fingers glided over the hilt of the blade, tugging at it gently and wincing at the pull of the tape off of the wood bed frame. The moment that gentle and light as air footstep hopped onto the wooden floors, Lily twisted and pointed the knife at the intruder, tears brimming her waterline.

"Woah woah woah!" Cedar's voice whispered yelled as he raised his hands in innocence at his sister's threat.

Lily's eyes blew wide as she stared up at the blonde boy in front of her. He seemed run down, dark purple bags weighing down his usually bright and boisterous eyes. His cheeks were hollow and he seemed to be so skinny he could be carried away in the wind. His clothing was dirty and full of stains, and hung off of him like a loose skin. It made Lily sick to her stomach as she wondered what on earth caused her younger brother to look so...sick.

"How the hell did you get in here!?" Lily returned, her voice the same hushed tone as she stood from her bed and locked the bedroom door, "Do you know how easy it would be for anyone in this place to not only kill you, but lock you up!?"

"I know I know, but I have my ways," he grinned weakly. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared from Lily's sight. Only to reappear on her bed, his breathing heavy and laboured, "see."

Lily stared at the boy with a blank expression on her face. There were no words. She tried to figure out if Cedar could always do that, disappear and reappear on a whim. But she knew that wasn't the case. It had to do with her parents, she knew it. Bucky had mentioned that they were trying to genetically alter people to become mutants in a way. But she never would have thought that they would be sadistic enough to use their own son. And the way Cedar looked...Lily wanted to hold him, feed him, do anything to bring her younger brother back to the full hearted and healthy boy she knew and loved. Not the skeletal human that stood before her today.

"It drains me. Anytime I do it I..." he trailed off, taking a step down onto the floor, "I lose a part of me. I need help Lily please, you need to help me." He pleaded, taking a step towards his older sister.

Lily took a step back, her bare feet sticking slightly to the ground at the nervous sweat that coated her entire body. She gripped onto her dress with a strength she only felt once before. When she stood up to Scott the night of the incident with Cedar. Her short fingernails dug into the mahogany wood, staring down her younger brother with an intensity not short of scary. But he looked so scared, so...unlike him. Lily knew she shouldn't trust it, not after everything that had happened. But this was Cedar, her brother. He was a victim most likely. Lily couldn't help but let her shields down as she stared at the broken look in his eyes.

"You will not speak to Hunter until I tell you to," Lily spoke calmly, unlocking the door and opening it, "You will not speak to anyone unless spoken to. Do not touch anything."

"Always the boss, eh?"

"Don't push it."

-----

Their footprints were quiet along the hardwood as the two clambered down the halls towards where the voices of the Avengers floated from. The group had gathered in the many living-room, drinking and joking and enjoying each other's company. But their voices went quiet as the two Osbornes rounded the corner. Without hesitation, Captain America lunged forward and tugged Lily behind his back, shielding her from the shell of a boy her brother had become over the past while.

"How did he get in here?" Tony snapped, pulling up his tech to try and figure out where Cedar breached the compound.

"Get out." Wanda hissed, red tendrils sliding from the palm of her hand.

"No." Lily stated meekly, walking forward around the Captain and taking a stance in front of her brother, "He has abilities my parents must have given him. He may have information. He may be able to help us get Bucky and Sam back here." She explained, voice breaking as she spoke her boyfriend's name.

"How can we trust him?" Natasha stated, eyeing Lily skeptically.

"He's my brother," she whispered, eyes falling to the floor, "Look at him. He looks like skin and bone. It's killing him, whatever they did to him." Lily finished, lifting her chin and staring down the most powerful people she had ever had the courtesy of meeting.

The group glanced between one another, having what seemed to be a telepathic communication as the two Osborne siblings stood there with stone cold looks on both of their faces. Lily had picked it up from Bucky. He taught her how to stare deeply and the intimidating way to purse her lips. Sam made fun of the two of them for it, but it worked sometimes. She just prayed this time it would as well.

"Bruce and Tony will take him down to the lab," Natasha said, turning her attention back to Lily, "I'll walk you back to your room."

Lily knew not to argue. She knew they wouldn't harm Cedar, but it didn't ease the queasy feeling that had grown in her stomach since the moment the knock sounded at her window. The feeling of Natasha's soft yet calloused hand resting on Lily's upper arm did bring her slight comfort. It reminded her of a female version of Bucky's, yet less rough on some angles. Before the two disappeared, she turned and caught Cedar staring down the hall at Hunter's room. She turned her attention back forward, pushing aside those seeds of doubt that had begun to take root in her head.

-----

The moment Lily and Natasha stepped foot into her room, the blonde knew that the latter wasn't just simply walking her back to her room. The click of the door solidified that suspicion. A deep breath fell from her lips as her lungs finally relaxed. Lily dropped down onto the bed, face in her hands as she tugged at the roots gently. Her eyes stared down at the tear stained paper that fell from the bed in her frenzy when Cedar broke in, and it was not helpful for the upcoming breakdown that lingered in her mind like a plague.

"He helped your parents escape," Natasha stated simply, walking over and taking a seat next to Lily on the bed, "he tried to break into Scott's apartment."

"You don't know him like I do, Nat." Lily whispered softly, bending over and picking up the letter, stuffing it behind her.

"I've heard that line a few times," Nat sighed, crossing her legs, "Lily we'll try and see if we can help him. But he's directly related to your parents and having you in his direct line, and Hunter? It's not safe."

"I can help him," she whispered, eyes glassy as she faced Nat, "Rose and I can help him. We're his sisters."

A deep sigh escaped the red head's lips as she picked up one of the letters, a soft chuckle leaving her lips, "You know he had me read this when he wrote them. He wanted to sound poetic, in case you ever read them." Natasha nodded, eyes scanning the words, "They're cheesy, but he meant every word of them."

"What's the point of this, Nat?" Lily cooed, taking the letter from the other woman's hands.

"The point is," Nat grinned, bumping her shoulder against Lily's, "Bucky never lies. And he trusts his gut. Not only did he tell me you were stubborn as hell," that earned her a vulgar gesture from the blonde, "but he told me that he doesn't trust Cedar. And if I were you, I would take his word for it."

"He's just...he's a good kid," Lily sniffled, fiddling with her fingers, "he never got in trouble. Not the brightest but always tried his best. Never held grudges. A caring son and an Angel of a brother. I can't imagine him doing something like this Nat on his own free will, I just can't."

"The devil was a fallen angel, Lily."

Leaning over, Nat placed a careful peck on the top of Lily's head like a mother would her child. Smiling gratefully, Lily watched as the ginger strode out of the room, leaving something on the bed as she took her leave. Lily raised an eyebrow and looked down at the bright envelope that seemed freshly used, familiar writing adorning the front of it. Waiting for the sound of light footsteps to fade away, Lily held the letter quickly. The moment the hall went silent, she tore it open, pulling out the paper.

"September 9th

If you're reading this, I know things went as I expected. You continued to be the loving and doting sister and person I came to love. But I have to ask, at what point is it enough?

He's bad news Lily. He's one of them and I need you to trust me on this. And if you do, then I have a mission for you. I know you want to help, and this is the way to do it without putting yourself in harm's way. That is my main priority here. Nat knows, so does Steve and the others. I need you to do as I say, it's vital.

You're vital"

-----

The devil was a fallen angel.

The words kept playing in her head again and again, even as Lily woke up the next day. When her eyes adjusted to the lights, Lily sat up from the bed with a low groan. Turning her head to the side, the blonde watched Steve and Nat walk Hunter around the front of the compound, tossing a ball back and forth with Joey in between them and Rose watching with sunglasses on. Always a diva.

Judging by the happiness of her family, Lily figured that they were blissfully unaware of the presence of Hunter's uncle and Rose's brother in the lab beneath the Avengers Compound. She knew that honesty was something that needed to be a common theme between everyone in the household, but she didn't know how to tell Hunter. Not with Bucky's instructions, and what Lily would have to do in order for it to fully work.

Standing to her feet, Lily stepped into a pair of loose blue jeans, a white tank, and one of Bucky's plaid shirts. She hadn't worn pants in a while, but something about the entirety of the compound dynamic made her feel so much more comfortable and just...calm. She stared at the dresses that hung in her temporary closet, and smiled sideways as she shut the door. The further Bucky and Lily got in their relationship, she just felt less pressure to be seen as perfect.

Scott had made her feel so...useless. Like she was never good enough for him in any way shape or form. She would try to play the act of perfect wife and be at his constant beck and call, but he was never happy. He was never satisfied until she was broken and for him to piece back together. She was nothing but a thing to Scott, and he wasn't quiet about it either. He was the one who told her the dresses gave her worth, and that being too relaxed made him look like a bad husband. Everything came back to being her fault, because she was just never enough. And never would be.

Pulling her hair into a pony, Lily stared at herself in the mirror. She fiddled with the B necklace that sat perfectly on her chest, showing her commitment to the man keeping her safe. She didn't even know if he was breathing, or if he was injured beyond repair. All she knew was that he was doing what he deemed right, and it made Lily proud to be the person he was in love with. With all of her broken parts and cracks that were still healing. All of her imperfections that he deemed perfect. Every scar and mark that plagued her body and her mind. Because she wasn't the sob story of a divorced woman. She was Lily Osborne. She was the mother of a 12 year old boy. Top pediatrician in New York.

And he would never let her forget it.

Turning from her mirror, Lily made her way into the hallway where Natasha waited, as if anticipating the time she typically woke up on weekends. Something she didn't doubt Bucky let her in on. The two nodded at each other in understanding as they walked down the halls and further down the steps, passing other Avengers that littered the home, all seemingly in on the discreet plan that involved a certain Osborne.

When the door to the lab opened, an exhausted looking Cedar turned his head lazily to the women who entered. He gave a lopsided smile and a salute with two fingers, trying to portray a casual persona that masked that clearly guilty and anxiety ridden face. Natasha stayed at the door as Bruce and Tony shuffled out of the room, leaving the two Osborne's alone.

"Morning Cedar," Lily hummed, taking a seat across from her brother, "can we talk over some pancakes?"

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jonathanvik · 3 years

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Starlight Dream - Chapter 4

Takako shook her head, eyes wide. “What the heck was that?” She shuddered in revulsion. “Ugh, he had hairy legs and everything. He could have at least shaved. How did someone like him become a magical girl!” Nothing remained of the second floor after the magical girl’s assault. The entire area had been vaporized. The gang members of Lotus Butcher cowered in terror, fearful the girl might unleash her wrath on them next. “They’re gone, yet I still detect that strange presence.” The fairy said, turning his attention towards the frozen Seina. Sweat trickled down her brow, realizing how helpless she was at the moment. “I feel it too.” Takako twirled the guns in her hands in thought. She sent a frosty glare in Seina’s direction. “You must be the real magical girl.” I need to do something. If they’re evil, I can’t fight while frozen. An idea popped into the magical girl's head. “Hey, can you unfreeze me?” Seina whispered towards Masato, who trembled in terror. “We might be next. She really hated your boss. Who knows what she’ll do to his men!” Seina wasn’t being entirely truthful, playing on his fears, but she needed to free herself somehow. Much to her relief, the thug nodded. “I can! Please save me! I don’t want to die!” Masato whimpered pathetically before striking Seina in the neck. Much to her relief, movement returned to her body. She released the thug’s arm. Her grip had left a nasty purple bruise, leaving Seina a little guilty, promising to be more gentle with normal folk in future. Even if this one had sort of deserved it. “Why didn’t you do that sooner? You could have saved yourself from getting thrown into a cement pit. I would have saved you.” The thug blushed embarrassed, before coughing into his fist. “Didn’t occur to me. But hey, now you can defeat that evil magical girl! We had a deal!” Masato ran behind Seina, using her body as a shield. Takako watched this entire exchange in amusement. “So you’re the magical girl of this universe? So lame. You allowed a bunch of thugs to get the better of you!” “Very lame.” Her fairy said, nodding in agreement. Seina grunted in annoyance, not liking their tone. “Who are you, anyway? What do you want? What do you mean the vampires should be running the planet?” Takako rolled her eyes, exasperated. “You don’t get it? Did your partner not explain anything?” Seina bunched her hand into a fist and opened her mouth for a nasty retort, but two newcomers paused her words. “Seina, thank goodness you’re okay!” Colten said, landing on her shoulder. “Sorry we’re late. Those thugs gave us more trouble than we expected.” Mr. Kiyojiro said. “We saw the strange explosion.” “Seina, who are these people?” Colten gave the new magical girl a wary eye. “Call me, Lily Annihilator. Just the baddest, most evil magical girl around.” Takako spun her weapon around and ended in a stylish pose. “Nier, partner to her badness!” Her fairy added. “Why did you defeat the vampires? Explain.” Takako asked. “Because they’re bad guys, and it’s the right thing to do?” Seina replied. It still shocked her that this girl had proclaimed that magical girls existed to cause suffering. The world was terrible enough already. Why add to it? “The right thing?” Takako broke into mocking laughter, unable to believe her ears. “Don’t tell me you’re one of those lame hero types. How embarrassing!” “She even looks lame. Who wears pink?” Her fairy companion added. “Pink is my favorite color,” Seina replied, her tone terse. What was with this girl’s attitude? “Too bad. Now I’m here to fix things.” Takako said. “At least someone is taking our magical girl duties seriously.” Seina clenched her teeth. After spending a moment to regain her composure, she gave Colten a meaningful look, pleading for some answers. Were magical girls just villains all along? “Not, now.” Colten’s little voice broke. Guilt washed over his tiny features and he turned aside. “We need to deal with her first.” Takako snorted and slung one of her pistols over her shoulder. “If you can. I’ve been a magical girl for almost three hundred years. You’ve been one for what? A few weeks? You can’t compare to me.” “Well, uh, wait, what?” Seina asked in alarm. “Uh, did I forget to mention that magical girls are immortal and don’t age?” Colten gave a nervous laugh. “Colten!” Was she stuck in a ten-year-old’s body for the rest of her life? She didn’t want that! Humans just got the ability to drive cars again. They’d never allow her behind the wheel now! “Now’s not the time. Evil magical girl!” Colten said, pointing towards their common foe. “Okay, you’re right. But we’re having a serious decision after this.” Seina let out a breath, centering herself. She couldn’t afford any distractions. After extending her hand, she summoned her staff. Takako blinked before she snorted, fighting back laughter. “Is that a bubble blower, really?” “It’s a staff, and it’s a perfectly valid weapon.” Seina straightened her posture. “You’re a strange one.” Takako tilted her head. “Your aura is bizarre. I couldn’t even tell you were a magical girl at first. Ah, well. It’s about time I kick your butt.” “Yeah, you’re about to die, poser!” Takako’s fairy friend said. Here it comes. Seina tensed. This was her first fight against someone on her level. Could she win this? “I’m getting out of here!” Lotus Butcher’s thugs ran for the hills, fleeing before everything got out of control. The dark magical girl didn’t bother stopping them. Instead, Takako focused her attention on Seina, mouth extending into a confident smirk. In an impressive display of skill, Takako spun her guns around before pointing them at her opponent. “Goodbye!” The walls around Seina exploded, leaving nothing but rubble and an enormous crater. None of the bullets, however, even touched Seina. “... Ha, very impressive! You have some guts. I admire your gusto, newbie!” Takako said, puffing out her chest, though Seina detected some red on her cheeks. “You’re just saying that so we don’t notice that you completely missed her. Can you even aim with those things?” Colten replied. Come to think of it, when she shot up Dreven, she just shot in his general direction not really aiming at him. “Shows what you know! I never miss!” Takako shot back. “You’re just too lame to see it.” Now’s my best chance! Seina darted forward, catching her opponent completely off guard. Takako howled in pain as her staff struck against her chest and sent her flying across the city. Seina blinked. “That was easier than expected. I hope I didn’t hurt her too badly.” Several minutes passed, and Seina feared the worst. Thankfully, a bloody Takako dragged herself back to the scene of the battle. It took several minutes for her to reach Seina, her limp making it difficult to walk. “Lucky shot.” Takako’s voice was ragged and held a great deal of pain. “Nothing compared to me of course.” “Are you okay?” A concerned Seina asked. “Wow, we hurt her pretty bad. Maybe you should run off somewhere and treat your wounds?” Colten said. “You don’t know who you’re messing with. No one can defeat me!” Much to everyone’s shock, the dark magical girl turned her white pistol against herself. “Healing shot!” Green light surrounded Takako. Like magic, all her wounds disappeared. Her breathing returned to normal, appearing good as new. “How did you do that?” Seina asked, amazed. “It’s my power,” Takako replied. “I can make my bullets do whatever I want. Creating a bullet that completely restores my health is nothing. Your little lucky shot was worth nothing!” “Magical girls are amazing!” It made Seina feel stupid that she could only smack things with her staff. Takako was on another level entirely. “Seeing how you’re quaking in your boots, how about you run off and cry somewhere?” Takako said. “Uh.” Seina blinked, unsure how to respond to that. Did the magical girl think she was winning already? Takako snorted and twirled her twin pistols around. “Well? Ready to run, or what?” “We could not fight? We could be friends instead?” Seina asked. Despite everything, she was grateful that the magical girl had saved her from Dreven. The situation might have turned nasty if she hadn’t arrived. “You don’t want to fight, huh?” Takako puffed out her chest. “Already lost the will to fight, have you? You aren’t worth bothering with. Let’s go, Nier.” Without another word, the magical girl vanished, leaving a baffled Seina behind. “Eh?” Did I lose? What was with that bizarre tough girl act? “What a weirdo,” Colten said, flying up to her. “Seems like you scared her away.” Though Mr. Kiyojiro seemed troubled and Seina could guess why. Did this mean more magical girls would come to fight them? “Let’s round up the rest of Lotus Butcher’s gang and return home,” Seina said. Colten still owed her some serious explanations, but the bad guys came first. The vampire’s gang had vanished. Only Masato remained, huddling in a corner. “Who is this Lotus Butcher, anyway? We owe them a butt-kicking for impersonating you!” Colten said, his tiny mouth twisting into a snarl. “Uh, I’m sure you’d believe me if I told you.” Before Seina explained further, Takako appeared from nowhere above her and fired her pistols upon her. Much to Seina’s surprise, the bullets exploded into nets. They wrapped around her, fastening themself to the stone floor. “You again?” The evil magical girl smirked and flicked her hair. “Did you really think I would leave with defeating you? I knew if I made you lower your guard, you’d be easy pickings!” “That’s just dirty.” Seina struggled against her bonds. Despite her enormous strength, they proved too difficult to break. Trapped, again! I need to stop dropping my guard. “You got her, great!” Nier said, hovering around Seina’s head. “Emiyo will be most pleased,” Takako said. “Seina!” Colten’s tiny paws pulled at the nets engulfing his partner, but they proved too difficult to break. Mr. Kiyojiro stood to the side, helpless. Takako’s black pistol fired again, and a further net appeared, trapping the fairy alongside his partner. “Colten!” “I’m sorry.” The fairy looked down. “They’re going to take us home, a place I never wanted to return.” “Too bad, traitor!” Nier said. “I’m not sure how a lowly fairy like you created a magical girl, but you know the consequences of betrayal. The Devil Princesses’ retribution will be quick and merciless.” “Seina.” Colten sniffed. “Never!” Seina refused to allow these Devil Princesses to harm a hair on her new friend. Despite what Colten may think, he’d brought nothing but good to her life. Because of him, she’d tasted freedom for the first time in her short life. “Huh?” Takako screamed in pain as Seina suddenly threw herself forward, striking her opponent’s face with her forehead. Despite the force of the blow Seina remained trapped in the netting. “Hey, I can move a bit!” Seina hopped around the empty warehouse. She wasn’t completely helpless! “You little!” The evil magical girl wobbled on her feet, grimacing in pain. “I’m not finished yet!” Seina bent down and threw her body headfirst towards Takako’s torso. Her opponent gave a strangled cry and disappeared into the distance. “Takako!” Her fairy partner flew after her. “Oops, I might have overdone it.” Seina hadn’t intended to hit the other magical girl that hard. She still had a million questions that needed answering. Much to her relief, the bounds around her body disappeared moments later. “Uh, you think she’s okay?” Seina gave a pensive look to a distant point on the horizon. Despite her claims of being the most evil being around, Seina detected no malice from the boastful magical girl. It left her very confused. “Oh, she’s fine.” Colten waved a dismissive paw. “Magical girls aren’t so easy to kill.” “She’ll be back, and she’ll bring reinforcements.” Mr. Kiyojiro gave Colten an icy glare. “It seems you haven’t been entirely honest with us.” Colten tensed before sighing. “I know.” “We aren’t angry with you, Colten.” Seina grabbed her partner’s paw and squeezed. “Just tell us the truth.” “Okay.” Colten’s expression turned pained. He wouldn’t enjoy what he’d say next. “The truth is, fairies are creatures of great evil. Magical girls are their instrument of destruction. They enter dark pacts with evil-minded girls to spread their horror and terror. They live in a world between reality called The Starlight Dream.” “Hold on.” Nothing about this story made any sense. “You aren’t evil!” Her fairy friend gave a weak smile. “I’m just some weirdo without the stomach to do anything bad. Back home, fairies hated and bullied me about it. I ran away to be anywhere else. That’s how I came to your universe.” “Oh, Colten.” Seina gave her friend a well-deserved hug. “I think you’re fantastic.” Mr. Kiyojiro nodded. “You’re better than any of them.” Colten sniffed, tears welling in the corner of his eyes. “Guys.” Masato gave his own empathic nod, patting the fairy on the shoulder. “Sounds rough. I wasn’t too popular with my family either. My folks kicked me out when I couldn’t live up to their expectations.” Seina jerked. She’d totally forgotten the thug was still here and glared at him. “Get out of here! You aren’t part of this conversation!” “Yeah, leave! We don’t care about your backstory!” Colten said, flying around in an irritated, erratic pattern. “I’m leaving.” The enormous man shrunk under the magical girl and her bodyguard’s angry glares and slunk away, ashamed. “Still though, it still stuns me you even became a magical girl, Seina. I’ve always been told only evil girls can become one. When your brooch appeared, I feared the worst, wondering if you were as wicked as the others, but you proved me wrong.” “Why did you leave out the genocide in my transformation chant?” The sudden inclusion of the horrible word had shocked Seina when Takako had used it. “It was in the vain hope transforming into a magical girl wouldn’t turn you evil.” Colten gave a pained smile. “I’m not very knowledgeable about any of this magical girl stuff. I’m no one special back home.Still it amazes me how powerful you are!” Colten said, flying happy loops around his friend’s head. “I was certain we were a goner when that evil magical girl showed up. There’s something about you.” Mr. Kiyojiro gave a thoughtful look. “That girl mentioned someone named Emiyo. Who is that?” Right, I’d forgotten about that! “And what did Takako mean when she said vampires should be running everything? Did magical girls cause vampires here?” Before the darkness’s arrival, the monsters had only been a myth used to scare children. “I’m not sure. Maybe?” Colten replied. “I’m not privy to the higher echelons’ plans. But I know who Emiyo is. She’s a lieutenant of the Four Devil Princesses. They rule Starlight Dream with their fairy companions. They’re bad news. Their powers are beyond anything we can face. Takako and Nier were only minor minions. I’ve heard stories that they can shatter entire universes!” Seina looked down. “So, more magical girls will come to fight me.” “I’m afraid so. They’re probably going to kill us and destroy this planet to make an example of it.” Much to Seina’s surprise, Mr. Kiyojiro’s expression hardened. “I refused to allow that to happen.” “Huh?” “There’s an old gym a couple of miles from your apartment.” Mr. Kiyojiro replied. “It’s the perfect place to train.” “Eh?” “We’ll show these princesses we aren’t such easy prey.” Mr. Kiyojiro’s voice held a remarkable intensity. “Those monsters won’t touch you or our world.” Seina stared for several long moments before nodding in agreement. She couldn’t afford to get sloppy. If those monsters wanted to hurt her world, they’d have to pry it from her cold, dead hands first. Somehow, she’d win this! --- Lilha yawned. As usual, the hateful sun blazed over her, making every moment its own torment. But it didn��t make her days any less uninteresting. Few people had approached her for ice cream, leaving her with little to do. She listened to some passersby jabber on about nothing in particular, laughing to themselves, and Lilha hated them for it. How dare they enjoy themselves while their rightful queen suffered so? I could murder them on the street for fun! She imagined people screaming in delightful terror as her victims’ blood spattered the pavement below. Her wonderful, imaginative image shattered when reality struck hard. And Seina would come and kill me. Lilha sagged and allowed her potential prey to pass unmolested. A strange sound caught her attention. The ex-vampire queen glanced up to see a figure hurtling towards a nearby beach. What the heck is that? Had that been a person? Lilha ignored it, turning back towards her ice cream stand. It was probably a dumb vampire thinking they could pick a fight with Seina and now paying the price, their tradectory certainly didn’t seem under their own control. Presumably they’d been sent flying by one of her nemesis’s blows.There probably wasn’t much hope for them if that was the case. Still her stand was empty of customers, and the fool might not be dead. She might gain an ally. Anyone powerful enough to survive an encounter with the magical girl must be someone worthwhile, right? After some searching, Lilha found a deep skid mark on the ground, flowing towards an empty beach. What the vampire found at the end of the trail shocked her. The young girl wore a similar dress to Seina, except this girl’s dress was black, and wore skull-shaped earrings. For crying out loud! Not another one! Or was this some sort of copycat? Lilha hid behind a nearby trash can as the girl stirred. A moment later, a black fairy in a skull mask flew down to help the magical girl. “Takako, are you okay?” The fairy said in alarm. The magical girl sported a nasty bruise on the head, bloody oozing from her mouth. With a shaky hand, the girl raised a pistol to her chest and shot. “Healing Shot!” Much to Lilha's astonishment, the magical girl’s injuries healed like they’d never existed. The black magical girl whirled on the fair. “What happened, Nier?” The girl said. “How is she so powerful?! She crumpled me with a single hit!” Huh? She isn’t a friend of Seina’s? “I don’t know, Takako!” The fairy threw up his tiny arms. “Her fairy was just some peasant! Not elite cool people like ourselves!” The black magical girl crossed her arms and looked away, a pouting expression on her face. “This is so lame. Next time, she won’t be so lucky! She just caught me off guard! ” What was going on? Were magical girls not the pillar of goodness Lilha had believed? “Next time?” Nier replied. “You’re not thinking of facing her again? We need to get Emiyo. We can’t defeat her by ourselves!” Takako whirled on her fairy companion, pointing a finger into his chest. “No, we’re doing this alone. I refused to return to Starlight Dream, begging for help. I have a reputation!” The magical girl’s jaw firmly clamped shut, refusing to argue on this subject. “Fine.” The fairy sighed, landing on a nearby rock. If they’re also fighting against Seina, then they’d be useful allies. Lilha might be finally rid of that hateful girl forever! “Well, if you’re an enemy of Seina, perhaps we can help each other,” Lilha said, leaving her hiding spot behind the trash can. “Who are you?” Takako raised an eyebrow at the newcomer. “My name is Lilha. I am the Queen of Vampires.” She replied, standing up proudly. “Really?” The magical girl’s skeptical eyebrow rose even higher, eying Lilha’s ice cream vendor uniform. Lilha’s face burned hot, fighting back her embarrassment. “It’s a disguise. It helps me blend in so Seina doesn’t recognize me.” “She has an evil aura, so I don’t think she’s lying about being a vampire at least,” Nier said, flying up to examine the newcomer. “Why do I need some vampire’s help?” Takako asked. “You’re the one so incompetent you couldn’t stop a single girl from taking the world back from you.” Excuse me?! Didn’t you just lose to her too?! After taking several deep breaths, Lilha calmed herself, remembering the bigger picture. Too much was at stake. She couldn’t afford to lose a valuable ally. “Nevertheless, you’ve seen her power,” Lilha said, crossing her fingers, praying this would work. “Without a solid plan, you won’t be able to defeat her. Seina can’t be defeated through brute force.” “She might have a point.” The fairy replied, nodding. “Okay.” Takako rolled her eyes. “I refuse to lose to that goody two-shoes loser again. Besides, a sidekick wouldn’t be too bad.” Sidekick?! Again, Lilha fought back her annoyance, forcing a smile. I hate magical girls so much! “Good, I think I know someone that might help us. Together, Seina doesn’t stand a chance!” Besides, even if they failed, another magical girl would eventually arrive and put Seina’s head on a pike. Either way, vengeance would soon be hers!

#fiction #anime #anime stories #starlight dream #fist of the north star #humor #parody #magical girl #written story #vampires

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flutteringphalanges · 4 years

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Summary: “Am I in Hell?” Agatha’s voice was hoarse, a hint of fear in her tone. “That depends on your definition,” Dracula answered. “Perhaps.” His fingers felt cool against her burning skin, the fever raging through her body. “If you’re going to kill me, then do it,” she mumbled. The count chuckled, gazing into her eyes. “On the contrary,” he smirked. “I’m going to save you.”

((In which Dracula cares for a gravely ill Agatha))

Characters: Agatha Van Helsing/Dracula

Rating: M

Read on FFN and AO3

A/N: Thank you all so much for your support! It means the world! Quick shout out to @rheabalaur! She is incredibly knowledgeable about the history of Dracula and Vlad Tepes and though I ended up not exploring human!Drac in this chapter, I wanted to thank her! She’s got some neat posts on the history and I learned a lot! Anywho, feedback is greatly loved and appreciated! Here is the next chapter!

Chapter Ten (Part Two)

Psychosomatic heart palpitations. The only diagnoses one can give to someone whose heart has stopped so long ago. Settled deep behind his rib cage, Count Dracula could almost swear he felt the dead organ pound against his ancient bones. Its rapid beating battering against his ear drums. Agatha Van Helsing was gone. Vanished without a trace except for a final message scribbled hastily on a scrap of paper. And it was all his fault.

"Fuck, Agatha!" He cursed, feeling the draft from the air outside. She'd neglected to close the doors properly, though that was beside the point. The cold temperature didn't bother him. No, he was immune. But she wasn't. "Dammit!"

Transformation. On foot. But there was the issue of his missing boots. The vampire's mind reeled a million miles a second. Usually he was so good thinking on his feet. Decisions coming easily to his mind. Yet there he was, standing hopelessly like a fool, trying to devise a plan. A way to find her. Agatha. His Agatha. In all of his centuries of life, never had he made such a fatal mistake.

He stared down at the corpse of the young man whose lifeless brown eyes gazed back at him. His skin was so pale, almost lily white after being completely drained of blood. Dracula let out a grunt, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Sloppy. Careless. His new existence as a vampire had yet to come easy to him. Despite being a learned man, he was well on his way of opening Pandora's box if he wasn't careful.

"Oh don't look so stoic." The vampire exhaled, glancing up to the dark sky. "You were far from valuable to begin with. Now what to do with you…"

Thunder rumbled overhead and small raindrops began to fall from above. Dracula frowned and glanced towards the direction of his castle. Experimentation. Understanding what he was didn't just fall on his shoulders. No. There was something interesting he witnessed with each new kill. From cradle to grave and from grave to coffin. Dying from one life into the next. A small smirk crossed his features as lightning crackled from above.

"Perhaps you will prove more use to me after all." He stated, lifting the body with ease. "So we shall see…"

By some stroke of sheer luck, Dracula managed to come across a pair of old boots tucked away in an old closet. Dusty, they gave off an unpleasant smell that even he found rather foul. But his own comfort was far from his concern. Slipping them forcefully on, he hurried out through the front doors and into the winter elements. Going bravely forth into the bitter snowstorm that had begun to stir from its sleep again.

His pace was brisk, each long stride with purpose as he walked away from the castle. Much to his misfortune, the fresh snow had completely covered the ground, burying with it any sign of Agatha's tracks. Not even transforming into a wolf would help at this stage. No. He couldn't sense her and that alone terrified him. If she was...no, no he couldn't think like that. So he pressed on, faster now.

Lovech Province, Bulgaria. At least, that's what he had learned from her blood. A pretty little thing, traveling alone to meet relatives in a nearby village. She'd been an easy target and quite an interesting one at that. Someone he had deemed worthy enough to keep.

"Please!" Dracula heard her wail from her box. "Please let me go! I'm so thirsty!"

"No." The vampire replied simply, so casually as if he was merely telling her the time of day. "No, I think it's best you stay put for now. Don't worry, I'll take good care of you. I always do with my brides."

Brides. He scoffed at his own term. It had been something he had come up with after holding captive several of his victims. Dracula needed to, after all, have some sort of name for them. In a sense, it seemed fitting. They were his after all. Property. Like cattle. Valuable, unusual stock that any bidder would desire and yet not know the horrors they were getting into.

"Let me go!" The woman pleaded. "Please, I promise I won't tell anyone! Just free me!"

"I shall return later." Dracula sighed as he ignored her screams of protest. "Perhaps with something to eat if I feel willing." He paused before looking over his shoulder. "And do try to keep the wailing to a minimum. I hate how it echoes throughout the halls."

Brides. Cattle. He grinned to himself as he exited the cellar. Disposable indeed.

"Agatha!"

He mentally cursed the howling wind that drowned out his voice each time he called out for her. Of all the times for her to disappear, of course it had to be in the middle of a blizzard. On many occasions she had threatened to leave, but the vampire had never thought she'd go through with it. If he had, if he had half the mind to, maybe he could've prevented this. All of this. If he had just been honest. Maybe she'd still be safe. Warm. Tucked away with him in the castle. But she wasn't and he was to blame.

"AGATHA!"

He hadn't quite expected his time with Jonathan Harker to turn the way that it had. It wasn't often that Dracula was left to deal with a slip up-if one would even call it that-but he found himself in a quite peculiar situation. An instance that led him to the steps of St. Mary's Convent in Budapest, Hungary. To her.

Agatha Van Helsing was a creature he'd never seen before. Such wit. Such spirit. She did not fear him like the others. She tested him like a fishman precariously dangling bait off the side of a boat where a shark was spotted. And that very moment when those few drops of her blood met his tongue it was a euphoria he couldn't explain. Seeing glimpses of her past. Of her history. Of who she was and of him. Of the infamous Abraham Van Helsing who had proven for a while to be a thorn in his side. Her grandfather. The product of a vampire slayer. And Dracula wanted...no, needed more.

The next course of action ended grizzly, not that he was quite surprised. But it wasn't until he came upon Agatha and that innocent, weakling Mina that his desire for the nun became curious. In any given dangerous situation, one must choose fight or flight. To defend yourself against your enemy and possibly die, or to out run them in the hopes of living. Agatha did neither. Instead, she offered herself in place of Mina. Seemingly cared nothing for her own life but only that of the woman's.

And so against what he thought at the time was his better judgement, he freed them both. Unknowing that soon enough fate would have them meet again under even stranger circumstances. How delectable and useful just a small amount of blood could be.

He couldn't smell her. No matter how far he walked, he still had yet to pick up any of her scent. That gave him some hope that maybe she hadn't injured herself. That perhaps she had found someone by some chance who had given her a ride somewhere. Unlikely as it was, it gave him a false sense of peace.

But due to the hindrance of his tracking abilities, a part of the Count began to wonder if Agatha's former Convent's beloved God was punishing him. That perhaps his version of Hell was not having her. Losing her. And who was he to deny that truth? Hell had frozen over and with it the former nun's mysterious disappearance. Dammit, Agatha, where could she have gone?

Dracula found himself staring at her for hours when he had first brought her to his castle. Watched as her chest rose and fell with each unstable breath. How her creamy skin was blotched by the red of the fever. At any point he could've killed her. Any second. With how ill she was, she wouldn't even see it coming. But she didn't. Instead, he observed. Quiet as his unaware guest rested.

When she did wake, truly became aware of her surroundings, it was a fond memory. How furious she was. How spiteful. After everything he'd done, Agatha showed no sign of gratitude and quite frankly, the vampire took no offense to that. She was merely an experiment after all. Someone he desired to learn more about. Except, he never expected it to go as far as it did.

"Fuck!"

Dracula's arms shielded him out of pure reflex as a tree fell just a yard away, spraying him with the wet snow that had clung to its branches. He wiped the substance away, his skin cool enough that it didn't immediately melt on impact. The way it clung to his clothes like some form of unwanted camouflage. For the first time in a long, long while, he was starting to despise the stuff.

"Agatha!" He tried again, this time louder. "Agatha, answer me! Where are you?!"

But only the storm returned his calling.

Emotions. Perhaps that's why he found it confusing at first. These feelings that no cold blooded person should experience. But the first real flicker struck him the moment he saw her wearing the dress he'd gotten her to replace that dreadful habit of hers.

Dracula thought of them. The hundreds-thousands of women he'd seen throughout his lifetime. Many whose beauty was beyond compare. But Agatha was different. Something about her, the way she stood there before him. There was so much he wanted to say. And at the same time, he wasn't sure what.

"Well," she said testily. "If it looks bad on me, you might as well-"

"No," he interjected. "No. You look...lovely."

Lovely. Out of everything he could've said, those were the words to spill past his lips. She blushed, but it wasn't the same color as her fever. No, this was different. So it truly began. The start of something he had very much yet to comprehend.

It was growing darker outside and Dracula knew it wasn't just because of the storm. He began to pick up his pace, fear beginning to rise even further than before. How long had he been asleep? A few hours at most? Could she really have gotten this far?

That's when he smelled it. The very faint, but familiar scent of blood. An aroma he was so familiar with that his stomach dropped at the realization. Agatha. It was Agatha. And the sweetness he associated with it only made him want to gag. His worries had been confirmed. Something had happened to his nun.

Maybe it was when they lost control over dinner and ended up having sex so rough, the aftermath of their heated lovemaking shouted to the heavens the next day. Or when she got so furious with him once, she broke her hand against his face. But perhaps the moment it really dawned on him that his feelings for Agatha Van Helsing were far from just a whim of passion was that night he truly tasted her.

The way she trembled against his touch. How he had to hold her as he ran his tongue across the inner thigh and to her very center. Sweet, like her blood, and he savored her like a fine wine. It hadn't been rough. Fueled by aggression. No, the way she melted into him was something far different. And when he was finally inside of her, that same sense of euphoria that he'd experienced those several, several months ago struck him. And he lost it. Completely gave way and pierced his teeth into Agatha's sensitive flesh. Blessed with her indulgence once more. That was his first mistake.

The smell of fresh blood was stronger now and Dracula followed it like a bloodhound. Though he knew he had to be drawing closer, how potent it was becoming only left his stomach twisting into knots. This wasn't a mere scratch. Not with how intense the smell was. There was a significant amount and the vampire dreaded what that could mean. What the outcome he was about to face was. How he wished Agatha had just gone ahead and staked him.

Cruel. That was the proper description for his next actions. Never mind triggering Agatha with old memories of Abraham-a man he knew well enough while, not evil, lacked any sort of endearment towards his granddaughter. He only furthered his stupidity when he abandoned her afterwards, leaving what should've been a good moment with a negative, abrupt ending.

In an almost sadistic, poetic way, the stake to his heart had been the final straw that broke the camel's back. The moment where Agatha's walls completely crumbled to the ground. Where she had, in her actions, admitted her true feelings when he had not. Metaphorically piercing her own heart when she should've done his. And he smiled. Grinned and waved away her affections. If only he realized the cost. The consequences. Those few words scrawled upon a strip of parchment.

Something caused him to stop in his tracks. Not the giant branch that blocked his path, but the feeling that there was something else. And so he hesitantly gazed over the edge, over a set of ragged rocks that dropped down several yards to the bottom. That's when he saw her. A figure lying motionless below wet by something other than snow. Dark. Even from where he stood, his excellent vision could make it out. Blood. Agatha.

"Agatha!"

Dracula leaped with such grace it made the long drop seem like a mere step. He hurried over to her side. Blood. There was so much blood. It stained the rock around her, caked locks of her hair together. And for a brief moment, for a fraction of a second, the vampire thought he was too late. It was only when he heard her pulse, the weak thrumming of her heart, that he knew she was alive. Barely. But still with him. As he exhaled in relief, her eyes opened.

Quickly he knelt beside her, the smell of her blood burning his nostrils. Thirst. Hunger. But he fought it. Battle the feral urge to feast within him. Dracula's hands were warm, sticky and red as he cradled her head ever so gently. She stared back at him unfocused.

The Count wanted to berate her. Scream at her for being so boneheaded. But not because he was furious with her. No, she had terrified him. So many questions. So much to say. Yet he couldn't. There wasn't any time to do so. He was losing her. Right there in his arms, the only person he'd truly ever cared about was withering away. He couldn't let that happen.

"You're dying." And the words held far more emotion than he'd ever had anticipated. "Agatha..."

"I know," she croaked.

The way she said it. Her tone. She wasn't afraid. Far worse. It was as if she was more than willing to accept this horrid fate. This end where one no longer exists. And he had planted the seed that made her okay with that.

"I can save you." There was a tremor in his voice. "This doesn't have to be the end. Let me..." He swallowed, damn how he hated to sound vulnerable. "Let me..."

There was a moment of pause as Agatha struggled to catch a breath. It ached deep within him to hear the pain as she did so. She was so strong. Even in death, she fought with bravery. What a soldier she would've made. What a companion in his human lifetime she would've been.

"Tell me..." Blood bubbled up in the corner of her mouth as she struggled to remain conscious. "Tell me..."

"Agatha!" He spoke to her loudly, trying desperately to keep her awake. "Tell you what?" But the Count already knew what she meant. "Tell you what?!"

"Just..." She was fading now. Fading so fast. "Tell me..."

Tell her. He looked deep within her blue eyes as the light began to fade in them. Tried to hold her stare so she knew he really meant it. Weeks. Months. It was so long overdue and this was far from how he wanted to ever admit it. Open up to her like she had him. But now he needed to. So he swallowed, swallowed so thick as if his very life was caught in his throat.

"I love you." A statement so foreign, and yet, felt so right. Something wet brushed against his cheek. A tear. Was he crying? "I love you, Agatha Van Helsing."

A weight lifted off his shoulders. The entire universe relieving him of the pressure he'd felt for so long. He gazed down at her so longingly it was as if everything had stopped around them. Waited for her final words. Praying she'd give into his demands.

Agatha smiled weakly and closed her eyes at his confession. "Okay," his lover murmured. "Okay…"

And Dracula's fangs plunged into her throat.

#Dracula #Dracula 2020 #Dragatha #Agatha Van Helsing #Dracula x Agatha #Bad Moon Rising

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