it’s been like ten years since i read it and im still not over the book i read that was like “he had never been completely naked in the last thirty years, not even for sex” like my guy that didn’t even break the top twenty questions i had

@crimsonfacets​​ / @dustedlilac​ asked: "I know it could be a little.. tacky," Vaggie murmured sheepishly as she approached with a medium-sized present - white and wrapped with a blue ribbon, and themed with snowmen - to hold out to Itsuki. It jingled when shaken. "but I thought it was a pretty cute idea, and thought "hey, Itsuki will like it". Merry Christmas, kiddo." A smile, well-meaning and genuinely warm and matched with a hug.

What waited inside the gift was a beautiful set of blue ribbons knitted with dangling, glimmering snowflake accents, all attached to a pair of shiny silver bells. 'for your hammer. - V' was the little tag attached to them! That was not all however, as there was also a crystalline hammer inside tucked right next to it, with a button on its side that lit the thing up icy blue! It was very easy to lift up, and it made a squeaky sound when it actually hit anything. A toy! "for bonking people on the head. - V" was the note attached to this one. 

Itsuki didn't actually celebrate Christmas, but she always seemed pretty content to be part of it, so Vaggie, a demon from Hell, was all the more happy to be one more person happy to include her. Besides, if anyone ticked her off now that she didn't actually want to smack around with the big hammer, now she had a small one that would happily do the job.

✨🎄MERĪKURISUMASU!!! 🎄✨

   ITSUKI DIDN’T KNOW THE MEANING OF THE WORD TACKY. But as far as she knew, anything from the other was ANYTHING BUT! 

   And so, assurance to the other’s words would quickly come in the form of a tiny, bubbly giggle. As young features would almost immediately light up in DELIGHT just from the very sight of the sis alone. Getting up from the bench she’d been resting on earlier, all too readily would she return her HUG, almost as if she had been waiting to receive it from her for it that entire day. With her arms remaining wrapped around the other for a good extra seconds... she would actually find herself giggling once again. This time from the somewhat ticklish sensation of her own rabbit-y fur brushing itself against the other’s far more subtle lilac fur.

   It almost seemed like a MIRACLE, how she was actually starting to feel like her old human self again...

   For when she had arrived here, she knew it was pathetic for even her to admit-- of how very quickly had she been reduced to a violently trembling shell of a soul. ALONE, FRIGHTENED, GRIEVING... and DEVOID OF ANY HOPE LEFT within herself... as all she had been able to do was HIDE and RUN from all those around her. To survive another day the best that she possibly could, and to avoid the pain and torment so, SO MANY LOVED inflicting on others down here...

   ... Meeting someone like VAGGIE down here had been the last thing Itsuki had expected. Understandably thinking it all to be another cruel trick and facade, like so many others... she would eventually realize that it was a BLESSING IN DISGUISE, if anything. Especially with how easily she would find herself bonding with her. She was thankful to have been brought here, to meet and be welcomed by the eccentric yet nonetheless KIND SOULS such as the BLONDE SIS and NIFTY SIS (Though she can’t quite yet make up her mind on the DEER BRO and SPIDER BRO...). But the MOTH SIS had been the very first one she had met down here, whom had offered GENUINE KINDNESS to her. Reaching out, and hanging on tight-- until she had been brought here for her own safety.

   And well, the rest-- as them old bros would say-- was history.

   “You got me somethin’?” Her smile would sprout up into a grin then, with the gesture alone being already more than enough for EXUBERANCE to bubble right up within her. “O-Oh, sis... thank you... y-ya really shouldn’ ‘ave...” But right then and there, a long forgotten EXCITEMENT would also begin to make itself known inside of her. As she thought about what she could get her in return! It might be a little late, but now she was actually DETERMINED to have something specially made for the sis!

   As she would graciously accept the beautifully wrapped gift, she was already awed by how the colors itself made it stand out from everything. Almost as if it didn’t belong in a place like this... But instead of questioning where she had been able to get this, it was with a smile that Itsuki would excitedly open to see what was inside...

   “... s-so pretty...” She would murmur beneath her breath in awe, “These are so pretty, sis! Ah love em'!” And as she lifted them up into the air for the both of them to see, she swore that the jingles that resounded throughout the area were just as pretty. As musical to her ears as a soothing wind chime was. But, oh, it would seem that wasn’t all that was in there. For with a gasp, and a widening of her eyes, Itsuki would reach back down and pull a HAMMER out. Lifting it high up into the air, as if she were THOR himself!

    ... Having her GODDESS’ GIFT RIPPED AWAY from her very hands had been one of her many punishments. One that she had been more accepting of, when compared to others... After all, down here... She was no PROTECTOR. Having long ago failed her people, with that very thought alone... causing a few tears to blur her sight. As she couldn’t even imagine what fate had befallen them after her own death, and what might have happened to their souls, after that. She could only hope that they hadn’t been sent down here like she had... That their GODDESS had instead welcomed them all with open arms, and take them away from all that pain and suffering that they had to endure until the very end itself.

   “... so pretty...” She couldn’t help but repeat, as she wiped at her eyes with the back of her mitten. Gazing down almost thoughtfully then, with a small smile back on her face. As she continued to admire the PRECIOUS GIFT that the sis had far too kindly given to her on this day... in her eyes, it was like a gift from the heavens themselves.

   .. A-Anyways, sorry about that, sis! She hadn’t meant to worry you like that! She had only started to cry because of how TOUCHED she was by your gift, by everything that you have done for lil’ ol’ her! And besides-- the moment she learns that this hammer would SQUEAK when it hit anything-- Itsuki would immediately cheer right up as she breaks into an absolute fit of giggles!

   You can absolute count her to use it on anyone’s that’s being a BUTT to ya, sis!

Beastly

Based on this request:  Hmmm oh! How about a Simcoe fic? Reader is staying with at White Hall when Mary shoots off his ear. Reader helps him until the doctor gets there and she tells him that she doesn’t see him as the monster everyone else does. (Or maybe a Beauty and the Beast AU??)

Here you are, lovelies! *Familiar Characters are NEVER mine!*

Fandom: TURN: Washington’s Spies

Warnings: A little angst, mentions of injury and blood, Simcoe himself is a warning, A little fluff?? 

Pairings/Characters: John Graves Simcoe x fem!reader

Something drew you to Captain John Graves Simcoe. Maybe it was because he was so intense. Or perhaps it was because he was dangerous. Or maybe you were just attracted to him. You didn't know, but you knew that you didn't see him the way everyone else saw him, especially not your guardian or his son. Your guardian was somewhat afraid of him, especially when he took Major Hewlett's place in your home. And Abraham? Abraham hated him.

         You were different. The man was a monster, to be sure; an absolute beast. But you thought that maybe it was because no one had ever shown him what love was or because no one had really given him a chance to earn their love simply because he was a British soldier or because he had something of a temper. You didn't know why, but part of you was determined to change that.

         So, whenever you saw him, you gave him a smile or a warm greeting. You brought him his meals and left without a word. You made sure his needs such as food, clean clothing, and clean linens were met. Sure, you could have asked Aberdeen, but you preferred to do it yourself. You didn't like having her serve you or anyone else. However, your attempts to get close the Captain were for naught. At least until the night Robert Rogers snuck onto your guardian's property.

         You were restless that night, up late reading and listening to the sounds around the house. You heard a bath being prepared in the room next to yours. You  heard the sounds of soldiers  guarding the house outside. And occasionally, you heard Simcoe's steps echoing throughout the house. But then, you heard a two sounds you never wanted to hear. A gunshot and a deep scream.

         For a moment, you couldn't move. What was happening? But then, you were out of bed, pulling on your housecoat. Voices drifted to you, one angry and one frightened, prompting you to throw open the door. You wanted to scream at the sight before you. Simcoe was standing in Mary's doorway, a hand pressed to his now bloody ear, glaring at her.

         "Captain!" He turned to you and you swore his eyes softened a bit. Wasting no time, you took his hand and pulled him away from Mary's door and downstairs into the study. "Sit," you ordered, earning a raised brow from him. You sighed. "Please?" His blue eyes never left yours as he did as you asked. Once he was seated, you rushed toward the front door. You pulled it open and ordered one of the men to rush into town to wake the doctor.

         Then, you were back at Simcoe's side. You gently pushed his hand away from his wound. Grabbing your own handkerchief, you pressed your hands to his ear. "What happened?" you asked after a moment. Simcoe's expression screwed up into one of pure rage. That was the look that had everyone so afraid of him. But not you. You knew the rage wasn't directed at you. "Rogers," he growled. You rolled your eyes. "Perhaps you should give up on vendetta against the man. He is clearly more dangerous than any of us thought."

         Simcoe's hand shot out to grab your wrist. You met his gaze and a shudder ran down your spine. "As am I so perhaps you shouldn't stick your nose into matters that down concern you." You let out a huff, ripping your hand from his grip. "Well forgive me for caring enough to keep you safe!" You threw your handkerchief at him and turned to leave only for him to grab your hand again.

         You stopped so you wouldn't hurt either yourself or him. You glanced at him over your shoulder. "Why do you care?" he asked. Once again, you found yourself lost in his eyes for a moment. But your brows furrowed when it registered what he asked. "What do you mean? Is it not human decency to care for others?"

         Simcoe looked like he didn't know how to respond to that. You turned back around to face him fully again. Without looking away from him, you stepped closer. You moved like someone who didn't want to frighten away a baby deer. Your fingers brushed against his as you took the cloth from him to take over staunching his wound again.

         "You aren't afraid of me," he said matter-of-factly. You gave him a small smile. "Of course not. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you aren't frightening. At least not to me." His brows furrowed before he hissed a bit. "Sorry," you said when you realized you'd finally found the sensitive spot on his ear. "Everyone else is." You sighed.

*Simcoe's POV*

         You were so close. So very close and yet, not close enough. John was on edge as he waited for you to reply to his last comment. "Everyone else in this town is afraid of anything and anyone that is…different from them. I don't see you the way they do," you finally said after a few moments, "You aren't a beast, John."

         John fought back a shiver at your use of his given name. "You don't think so?" You shook your head slightly. "I do not. I think you've never had anyone to care for you. To love you for who you are. That can make anyone see the world the way you do. It does not excuse your actions, but I can more easily forgive them."

         When your gaze flickered to John's again, he swore you were all that was pure and good in the world. He gingerly reached out to let his fingers brush against the ones on your free hand. He was almost suffocating in the intimacy of the moment. He wasn't used to anyone being so gentle or soft with him. He didn't know how to react to you. That bothered him, but he realized that you were right. He'd never had anyone to show him how to love or care for others. Maybe what he was feeling right now was exactly right.

         Before John could respond, the front door flew open and the doctor came rushing into the room. You stepped away in order to avoid any gossip surrounding the two of you. John frowned. He didn't want you to step away from him. Quite the opposite. He turned his glare on the doctor, who shrank away a little bit.

         "Thank you, Miss Y/L/N. I will take it from here." You nodded and moved to leave. "She stays," John nearly barked at the doctor, making you freeze. John looked back to you and continued, "If you are willing, that is." You smiled at him and John was grateful he was sitting. Your smile made him weak in the knees. (Not that he'd admit that out loud.) "As long as you need me," you stated softly so that only he could hear. That was the beginning of something unexpected and beautiful.

(a/n: I really hope you like it!)

I'll raise you: Everything in the Djinn episode happens the way it did, but even though Jaskier still has his voice he never uses it to sing again...

“You don’t sing anymore.”

Jaskier looked at him from across the fire, the flames casting his face into a maelstrom of flickering colors, distracting from the surprise written plainly there. The bard had paused with his flask halfway up to his lips, stock still like a deer in the woods awaiting the pack that’s come to chase it down.

And Geralt certainly intended to do just that. He couldn’t handle the silence anymore - constant and insufferable. No. That wasn’t not quite right. It wasn’t silent. Jaskier still babbled like he wanted to use every word he could before the grave, but he didn’t sing anymore, and Geralt had never realized how much of Jaskier’s very being was song. Their travels turned into quiet, meandering conversations that the witcher didn’t know how to navigate. It required opinions, words - none of which he had.

Jaskier’s singing had served as a bridge in their companionship. Something to keep Jaskier’s mouth busy, an outlet for the bard’s energy - and while Geralt would never admit it, it had been a pleasant way to pass the time. Even now, he didn’t know why he had ever wished it away… Perhaps because he had been unused to it.

And change was a frightening thing.

“Thought you didn’t like my flavor of pie?” Jaskier asked pointedly before taking a swig. The liquor makes his voice rough. Geralt didn’t quite know why that incited a protective flare in him; a desire to spare the bard’s voice lest it break and weaken. Never the same.

He grunted because aye, he had said that. He knew that well enough. Dreamed of it. Just one more stone picked away from the mountainside, one more trigger to the rockslide of tragedy that was his constant companion in life. He rubbed at his face and searched for the words. Even after days of having decided that this conversation needed to happen, he found the message elusive. Jaskier plucked narratives and flowery diction from the air as easily as Geralt could find flies on Roach’s ass - it felt oddly unfair to feel so inadequate by comparison when it counted most.

Perhaps it was a muscle… Muscles required practice… He would have to think on that later.

“Why did you stop?” Geralt asked.

“Because you wished for me to,” Jaskier murmured, a touch sour beneath his usual bardly enthusiasm, the edge of his voice made sharp by the booze and by the hurt Geralt had been too slow to realize had burrowed into the man’s skin like puss in a wound. Infected and aching, unable to heal.

“I also wished to sleep,” Geralt mumbled defensively, “I’m not exactly a good problem solver.”

“But that’s exactly what you are though, Geralt!” Jaskier said, hands exploding out, “What do you mean? People literally hire you to solve their problems!”

“Their problems,” Geralt said, “Not mine.”

That quieted the bard, the merry crackle of the fire rising to soothe them both in the silence. Out of the corner of his eye, Geralt saw Jaskier work his jaw. He felt a little pang of pleasure to have rendered the man speechless - albeit not exactly under admirable circumstances.

“And what was your problem, Geralt?” Jaskier finally asked, hushed and somber - and more and more, Geralt came to recognize this man as Julian. The man behind Jaskier. The human, not the entertainer. “Is my company truly so burdensome? Why did you allow me to tag along then? You could’ve run Roach at any time, I wouldn’t exactly have been able to keep up on foot before I got Daisy.”

Geralt blew out a breath. This was uncomfortable. Incredibly so. The words he needed felt so far away - fine and hard to hold, like sand slipping through his fingers. The more he struggled to gather them, the more time passed. Finally, Julian snorted - his mask as an easy-going entertainer enclosing around him again - and Geralt knew his window was closing. A window that may not open again.

He knew firsthand the weight of a good mask, afterall. How hard it was to remove it. How dreadful, to reveal one’s face. Let alone to have that trust go to waste. He knew. It just took the witcher far too long to realize he himself had been wearing one as well.

“The Path is lonely. I can count on less than the fingers of one hand how many people would be willing to travel with a witcher. Less so, to happily agree to it. I allowed it, because you… truly appeared to want to travel with me.”

Julian’s gaze was piercing, expressionless and guarded, yet strangely patient across the flicker of the fire. 

“And my singing?”

The witcher’s gaze darted meekly to the fire even as it hurt his eyes to stare. It felt like penance.

“I… I didn’t wish for you to stop singing. I wished for peace. I used to think peace was what I had before. Before you… I just didn’t know that what I had then hadn’t gone by ‘peace’ at all. It was loneliness, and I was merely too used to it to know better.”

His eyes darted up to Julian’s. Caught hold of those cornflower blue eyes and held them in case this was the last time. There was something subtle behind the man’s gaze. Something surprised; as though Geralt was a road he had traveled many times, a path he thought by heart, and yet had found something new.

But the bard didn’t speak, didn’t move, so Geralt continued.

“And I think, well… Few ever agree to travel with a witcher. Even less stay. I thought perhaps… if it were on my terms… it wouldn’t hurt so badly… That if I could just go back to that sense of ‘peace’, I wouldn’t ever have to miss you,” he sucked in a breath, hitched and broken, and admitted softly, “And yet I’ve missed you ever since.”

Julian watched him for a long time. Geralt awaited his response. Expected his meager words to be blown away by the bard’s counter. Instead Jaskier simply stood, and Geralt looked away, his stomach cold as it sank inside him. The bard was leaving. It was finally done. There was nothing left to fix. He had shattered it all, doing what witchers did best: destroy.

He startled when he found two boots come to stand in front of him instead.

“You’re right,” the bard said, astonished, “You are a terrible problem solver. How you’ve maintained such a successful career in the art of it is quite frankly astonishing to me now.”

Geralt looked up, eyes wide, to find Julian still staring down at him. Smiling - the hurt not gone, but not so piercing anymore. Like light coming in through cracked stained glass, filtering not as planned, yet ever more beautiful because of it.

“You’re right. I can’t promise I won’t be gone one day. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned about love, it’s that you can’t have it without pain… I’m mortal. There’s a bit of a looming expiration date on our relationship. One of these days, I’m going to be too old to follow you. Or I’ll be called away for a gig. Or to teach. Or maybe I’ll die, like men do… But I’m not going to just disappear without reason if you don’t make me. We’ll make plans. We’ve got decades to figure it out. Gods above, I can’t even begin to form the words to tell you how utterly mad it is to drive someone away because you’re afraid that they’ll leave. That’s a self-foreseeing prophecy, my dear witcher, and here I thought you hated Fate and any word associated with it.”

Julian smiled. Brought a hand down to brush a white lock back from Geralt’s stunned eyes and tuck it behind his ear. 

“What would you like for me to sing?” He asked.

“Anything,” Geralt whispered.

“Alright,” The bard smiled, taking the spot beside him to curl himself into Geralt’s every crevice. As though he were a being made of water rather than man, made to fill any container, if only one offered him the opportunity to do so. Waiting for it, Geralt realized.

Waiting to come home.

“I’ll sing,” Julian said, leaning into him, “But only because you asked nicely.”

After that, their days were filled with songs; melodious and carrying.

So, this idiot had also officially lost her old AO3 account (Under the name Haesal) so uhh, I gotta queue again for an invite.

I'll be posting stories here for a while 'cause I have no self control

Title: Creep

Fandom: Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun

Pairing: Tsunene/Tsukanene

Genre: Romance/Darkfic (err, still unsure with this one)

Rating: T

Chapters: 1 (One-shot)

Summary: You're so fucking special. I wish I was special.

Yugi Tsukasa was perplexed.

The unsettling, pseudo innocence his golden eyes carried were fixed straight from the corner of the hallway he'd chosen to shield his presence from.

Away from knowing souls—both from spiritually gifted humans and supernaturals.

It's not as if it was necessary for him to hide. He was after all, malignantly powerful. If anything the thought of cutting up and gutting anyone unfortunate enough to stumble upon what he was doing sent an uncontrollable rush of frenzy in his head, making his fingers twitch involuntarily and a wide, unhinged grin to split on his face.

Tsukasa's expression then suddenly lulls to a look of empty surprise, before adamantly shaking his head and settling for a Cheshire cat smile to break on his features.

'Can't be having those thoughts right now, Tsukasa. Amane might discover you.’

The very object of his concern was floating leisurely a few good feet away, hovering above a girl with silvery billows and a boy of dirty blonde hair.

That's right, there was entirely no need to conceal himself.

But he had to be careful. Oh so very careful in the surroundings of his territory; the one his precious older twin, The Honorable No. 7 had complete dominion over. Amane wouldn’t have batted an eyelash at sensing him being too close for comfort and would have whipped out that knife of his in an automatic effort to protect and defend.

That delightfully sharp knife.

The glint in Tsukasa’s tawny eyes darkened with incomprehensible glee.

Really, how could he forget?

Amane after all, looked the most beautiful and picturesque he's ever had when he was pushing that very knife down his throat and into the crevices of the bone connecting his neck and body.

The look of abysmal despair and frantic guilt scrunching up and contorting his features was a memory Tsukasa would forever want to be carved out in his head and embedded in his memories.

Indeed, his brother is truly fascinating and something he would make sure he owned even in death.

His stare then wanders and lands on the girl closely beside Amane. The very reason for his uncharacteristic spying had veered in his head as he watched her keenly, noting every emotion that took hold of her features from frustrated, to sad then annoyed, then to that of agitated frustration from what seemed to be a conversation between his brother and the other boy he couldn't care less for.

Yashiro Nene, a girl with a relationship to Amane mirroring that of his affiliation with Sakura.

For the longest time since being reunited with his dearest twin, Tsukasa had been thoroughly confused.

As if he had been presented and stuck with a puzzle with no means of solving in the form of a girl whose luminous, ruby eyes conveyed her feelings better than she would ever have put them into words.

He sure knew what was considered attractive in the opposite sex, that’s for certain. He’d seen them all from the magazines Amane had been keeping and was so frightened and embarrassed he'd found from underneath his beddings all those years ago. Sure, they had different definitions of 'pretty', but Tsukasa was every bit confident in what he fancies. Sakura for one, is a good testimony of that. Tall and slim with a perfectly dainty face and a regal demeanor to boot—she’d reminded him of the princesses in story books he'd always found so interesting and captivating since he was a small child.

That isn’t to say that Nene was an eyesore, however. His wide-eyed peering had shifted to intense study, zeroed in on the girl in his thoughts who seemed to have calmed down since what looked to be a friendly argument from her little group of 'friends', as they'd amusingly call it.

Her lengthy hair in a metallic color was eye-catching and fun to trace as the hue deepened to a shade that reminds him of waves frothing and foaming at the sea—something which would probably have been romantic if she was cursed to turn into a mermaid and not a fish, of all things. The small, rounded shape of her face that ended in a tiny edge of a tip for a chin was pleasant-looking in his opinion. And those irises; filled-in in the color he favored the most were always illuminated and twinkling in the frames of an eye shape which vaguely reminds of a little deer.

Cute and charming, but that was all there is to it.

Right beside those traits was pure, gullible vulnerability and a one track mind sort of thinking that he admitted, was fun to toy with but couldn’t have kept him entertained in the long run.

Compared to Sakura, who was every bit unperturbed and nearly unreadable that uncovering what's going in that head of hers was a barely tiresome and fun day-to-day activity, it had absolutely made no sense to him.

Even for someone like Amane who seemed to like playing nice with humans and supernaturals, the unexplainable attachment to the girl was a bit of a stretch.

Especially with those oddly shaped ankles.

They simply looked too much like the radishes in the soup their mama used to cook for supper and he sure wouldn’t want his radishes anywhere else other than in a bowl of food.

That was until he’d ventured in the Painted World, however. He'd seen it all unfold in his very eyes through the point of view of the audience. How she'd looked at his twin with emotions so strong and indescribable that he was certain, he just wouldn’t be able to decode even if he'd tried hard enough. Her heart had been out in the open—overflowing and seeping into the colors of the fabricated realm with a feeling he could’ve sworn was familiar to him, albeit vaguely and even sickeningly bitter in his tongue.

As the prettily, yellowed sheen of the false moon bathed the both of them, her naïve yet resolute declarations of going to the moon with Amane had his features set in a blank expression. The only thing that ran in his head, was how he couldn't seem to focus on anything else other than the person whom he'd previously only thought, was nothing more than a dying girl starved of the clichés of school romance and caught in between the affairs of supernaturals.

That very same girl was now right in front of him, situated in between his twin and another who seemed to adore her with fervor, as if her very spot in between them had been fixed and prearranged for her even before the three of them had ever met.

And it simply didn’t seem to sit well with Tsukasa.

It was then when his mood plunged to an inky state, that she'd suddenly smiled with that face glowing and radiating with the immaculate innocence of happiness overtaking and capturing her features.

His eyes had caught a rush of surprise for a split second, before a slow, vast smile that seemed to tremble as his lips curved had formed on his face along with a darkened look of pleasure eerily bouncing off from his irises.

‘Ah, I get it now.’

His questions and befuddlement have been cleared, only having nothing but maddening elation driving and making itself known in his senses.

She was exactly like what Amane used to be.

Young and defenseless; a dreamer filled with thousands and probably even millions of dazzling stars in the field of her eyes that if she put her mind to it, he was sure she could easily reach one by one with that undying determination reflected in her soul.

Something which he didn’t quite like.

A valuable innocence that Tsukasa wanted nothing more but to take.

He had to have her all for himself—keep her nice and away from anyone else's eyes. He'd have her all lovely and dolled-up with the help of Sakura's meticulous hands, dressing Nene in the finest layers of ribbon and lace adorned dresses.

Just so he could preserve her.

A desperation to hold on to that elusive innocence,

To keep it as perfectly tangible in his grasp for as long as it would let him

—in case he accidentally shatters her much like what he had done to Amane back then.

His eyes had been obscured by his choppy bangs as he angled his head slightly low in an effort to stifle with his palm, an uncontrollably giddy laughter verging to maniacal that had escaped his throat.

In that split second he’d lost control, he'd watched Amane's back stiffen and straighten at the sense of fear and inexplicable danger. Tsukasa could only stare on with newly-found, wicked interest, having the delighted grin stretching his lips fixed in place and never fading.

‘Oh, things could wait.’ He watches for a while as his twin cautiously pivots his head from side to side, having all hilarity and good cheer dissolved from his face as he attempts to confirm if the presence he'd felt had been correct.

“Tsk tsk, classic Amane. Finding treasures and never willing to share them with me.” Tsukasa mutters playfully in the wind before disappearing in the dark and retreating for the time being.

He steals one last glance over to his brother's assistant, the stroke of unconcealed apprehension then clouding the glimmer of those beautifully bloody orbs for eyes.

“But remember, dear Amane, I always get what’s mine.

Lego House: (Same verse/Hananene version)

burning (1/2)

and by the time cookie had woken up, it was not in the soft place of light she had grown up in. it was in a wooden box, cold and dark, save for the small bits of light filtering in through the holes allotted for her to breathe. and the panic set in again, leaving her to howl and scream, and run in circles. the handler that opened the box was promptly bitten savagely by cookie. and in the back of her mind, a new voice was telling her to run. a new voice was commanding her to attack. the voice was not her own. she did not run. she did not attack. people in white coats assembled around her, dressing her in the tightest muzzle ever constructed by human hands. grabbing her, dragging her by her neck into a large, brick building. the insides were mostly white, and the air was freezing cold. this world was not built of kindness. this world was not made for her. the place was bright, yes, but only from the sterile glow of the fluorescent lightbulbs above, endlessly shining down like a million little suns. but they were truly nothing like the sun, who had felt warm and sweet like an old friend. these lights did not love. they did not care for cookie. days were passing, she could feel it in her gut. years had to be passing, but that was not certain. and every single new day was a new needle in her side; a new trip to a cold, metal table; a new prodding session, whilst surrounded by whitecoats. i could not tell you what a single one of them looked like, because at the core, all of them were the same. the same cold face. the same insincere sneer. the same cold, sharp, latex fingers. and the only time she ever got any rest was in the cage made of wire, one that hummed deeply with the sound of electricity, surrounded by hundreds of other tormented souls. not a one cried out. the ones that did never moved again. they just stared at her and at themselves with a million giant, watery eyes- species indistinguishable, intentions unclear. cookie was never sure if they wanted to hug or maul her. there was no way to tell. regardless, they could not reach her through the wire. sterile, white lights. cold, sharp air. latex and antiseptic and the awful smell of fur being burned. no cries. no sounds. not even a whimper. until. until the end of the shift came one day, and the guard dogs filled in. they did this every night, and it became nothing of consequence for cookie after a while. but one of them was new. one of them, with freshly cropped ears, and frightened, golden eyes. this one had not yet been broken. he walked without grace or dignity, small tail drooped as low as it could go. he was a handsome breed, black and tan markings so clearly and proudly on display. this is what he’d been bred for, she was sure, and yet... and yet he couldn’t stomach the sight of the torment laid out before him. perhaps he knew it could have just as easily been him, if he’d been a little smarter, a little less strong, a little less beautiful. there really was nothing beautiful in there, except for the guard dogs. glossy fur, shiny eyes, trimmed but sharp nails, polished teeth. and the oh-so-crisp blue and red leather of their collars, so proudly displaying the logo of the facility. cookie had been feeling quite different from the young pup she’d been originally. for one, she could now understand the humans almost perfectly. and she could read their dismal little words, written out so cleanly on their sterile white paper. what about this place wasn’t sterile, she often wondered. nothing about this was natural or beautiful, except for, once again, the guard dogs. and printed freshly on this one’s collar read “north forest medical and military research facility.” she could barely understand what the words meant. he stalked nearer to her cage, his two other packmates standing off to the side. something in her seemed to speak again, the voice that was not her own. and this time, she listened as it said something quite clearly, “talk to him.” so as he began to slink by, she reached out with a paw, gently brushing his fur through the wire. he froze, turning to her with massive, deer-like eyes. he looked as if he was about to be hunted. but instead, she laid a trap with her words. “do you want to be free?” and his ears turned upright again, and his eyes seem to shine. yet he still replied, “there is no such thing.” “freedom is...” she wracked her brain, trying so desperately to recall the pristine feeling of living outside of the walls of north forest. while it was growing fainter, she held onto it, internalizing it. she would never forget. she could never forget. “freedom is outside of these walls. its far away. its safe with the people who love you. do you want to be free?” she repeated herself, this time deliberate. “yes,” was all he said, the smallest word in the entire world, one that meant everything all at once. “then, open the cages. let us all free.” her eyes flickered to the wall of keys and the one singular button in the middle of them. faintly glowing red. the only thing that wasn’t white or silver. the only thing that mattered. “press the button. prove yourself to me, and then we’ll see if you are worthy of freedom.” and his eyes filled with the sight of the button on the wall. and it pushed down so easily under his paw. and all of hell suddenly smelled an out of the pits, and they craved it. all the depraved, lost, hated beings in the world wanted to kiss the fresh air, embrace the world with open arms. the alarm bells screaming were the sound of heaven’s gates, and every single unloved sinner wanted in. cookie didn’t participate in the brawl, though the smell of blood seemed to make her lightheaded in a way that was not unpleasant. no, the voice in her head told her yet another thing. “run. leave this place and never return.” her eyes caught on the young guard dog who’d given her the world yet again, watching him help a small group of shivering outcasts towards the door. and she barked. in hindsight, it may have been stupid. if she’d just ran, her life wouldn’t have been nearly as hard. she would be free of the burden this wretched pit had left on her soul. but she barked. and they listened. she lead them through the winding hallways, trying every door in her path. they followed obediently behind her, a trail of ducklings in her wake. only one opened, and she quickly ushered them inside, just as the smell of humans strongly hit her nose. and the sound of screaming and gunfire erupted from the lab. cookie looked over the survivors. a yellow cat with pigeon wings pasted onto her back. a mop-haired dog with six legs. a gray cat with mechanical bits all over his body. a golden dog with tusks like an elephant. a tabby cat with eyes all over his body. and, of course, the handsome guard dog. the voice spoke again, “ask for names,” so she did. none were given. they simply didn’t have them. except for the guard dog, who’s humble voice returned a small answer. “spike.” desperate, cookie called out to the voice, who returned with a swift answer. “i remember reading about packs of wolves. and how the humans thought they had a hierarchy assembled with letters of a foreign alphabet. we could name them after that, but keep in mind, the names determine rank.” “rank?” she called back, incredulous. “we aren’t an army.”   “but you could be,” was the voice’s only reply. “and you’ll need to be, if you want to survive out here. if you want freedom, you’ll need to listen to me. let me guide you.” “and who are you to guide me?” “i saved your lives back there. you owe me everything.” “what even are you?” “i died here long ago, under the name belladonna. i was just a meek little bunny, you see. but i was smart, oh-so-smart. i could have escaped, if someone had only helped me along. if someone strong, like you or your new friends, were on my side. and now, i am going to aid you. i am going to give you the life i always wanted.” cookie did not have a response. she simply stared at the guard dog, checking everyone for wounds. her eyes wandered around the room they were in, and it seemed like an abandoned place of sorts. an old tv sat on a table, lopsided and out of the way. junk cluttered every inch of the place; textboxes, chalk, markers... if cookie had known what a school was, she would have called the place a classroom. instead, she called it a haven. she willed the ranking names from the ghost fluttering in the back of her mind, and made a small, alerting bark. the refugees turned, wide eyed and trembling. but cookie did not hurt them. she gave them names. she made them people. the mop-haired dog became gamma. the yellow, winged cat became delta. the mechanical cat became epsilon. the tusked dog became theta. the tabby became omega. and they all smiled amongst themselves, chattering quietly about their new identities. truly, they had to be special, to be saved by someone as courageous as the spotted dog before them, someone as favored by the whitecoats as her. there were no physical deformities on cookie, but something had to be special about her. she wasn’t sure herself, but the whitecoats had spent a lot of time working on her. not that she remembered much of it. all of the time she spent on tables was pushed to the back of her mind, to keep her from turning to a shivering husk. and winged little delta was the first one to address her directly, making the others watch in apprehension. “and you?” she asked. “do you have a name?” she stared back at the small feline, green eyes unyielding. she could not be cookie anymore. cookie was a weak, fragile young puppy, and she was a commanding, strong dog. she was better than cookie could ever be- clever, sneaky, strong. all these things and more did belladonna whisper to her, while a faint memory ignited in the back of her mind. her name, to the whitecoats, had been “project flores ignis.” and so came the name from her muzzle. “my name is ignis. and i am your new alpha.”

Something Strange

Merman Jonathan Joestar x Robert E.O Speedwagon 

Merman AU 

Please enjoy. 

***

Speedwagon would never forget that night. That night where the moon's pale light lit up the sandy beach and sparkled in the inky black waters, a soft cool breeze dancing through the air to the sound of the gentle waves lightly hissing as they swayed. A relaxing silence in the air with the lights of the docks close by offering a bit of light for him as he wandered aimlessly up and down the beach, taking in the calming air. He had always found comfort and peace by the sea, listening to the waves and inhaling the sea air, as well as searching for different shells to keep and finding the occasional small crab trying to scurry its way back to the water.

All of it was something he enjoyed, a distant place from the troubles and chaos of the city of London, away from Ogre Street and the gang; here was peace, another world entirely where his worries and troubles were but a distance concern. He often found himself wandering for hours on end, lost in his thoughts as he paced up and down the shore, sometimes he did so alone and other times he was with his two closest friends, Tattoo and Kempo, all three of them chatting and talking about whatever came to mind but most of the time Speedwagon was there alone.

He had never been one to believe in fairytales or stories like that until he wandered up the beach and saw a man laying face down in the sand, his large, well-built body bare of clothes and his legs were tangled in netting, some parts digging into the flesh, rubbing roughly to leave red, raw marks in their place. It was a shocking sight to see indeed and he quickly rushed over to make sure the man was still alive; just as his fingers touched the man's neck, his stunning blue eyes shot up and he all but leaped backwards, panicked and frightened. The cold fear only shot up more as he tried to kick and move his legs, earning pained hisses and whines as the wiring of the net dug in deeper.

"Hey, hey, hey! Don't do that, you'll make it worse!" Speedwagon protested as he moved closer to the dark haired man, ignoring the fact he was naked, and tried to untangle the net without hurting him. The dark haired man hissed in a manner how a predator would, the thug brought his hands up and looked at him, "I want to help you, I'm not gonna hurt you." His words lost their volume and became soft, comforting almost. It wasn't the first time he has helped someone calm down from wounds or injuries, there were plenty of good people in Ogre Street who had been wrongly attacked and left in shock of such things. The man looked at him, his eyes a stunning blue unlike any shade Speedwagon has ever seen before, holding this glow to them that was unseen in humans. Something about it drew him in like a moth to a flame, those eyes imprinting themselves in his mind in perfect detail. Beautiful.

Snapping himself out of his little trance, the thug got back to work with untangling the netting around the man's legs.

"What's your name?" He asked him as he untangled it carefully, hoping to prevent any further harm or discomfort as the man just sat there now, the fear had calmed but still lingered, a thin smoke seeping from a dying fire.

"..." the dark haired man was silent for a moment, his mind processing the question and breaking it down to figure it out, it wasn't often he came in contact with humans but he knew their language somewhat. "Jona...than." Rough and scratchy but his words were understandable, he had heard humans say this name a few times and he found it appealing compared to others and so adopted the name for himself.

"Jonathan? That's a nice name. I'm Robert Speedwagon." A warm smile was offered as he spoke his name, fingers working to untangle the nets and pulling them down. After removing the netting fully and tossing it aside, he checked Jonathan's legs and saw the marks left behind. How on Earth did he have his legs tangled so oddly? And most importantly, why was he here with no clothes?

"What happened to you? How'd you get tangled like that and where're your clothes?" The questions left a partially confused look on Jonathan's face as if he didn't understand half of what Speedwagon just asked him.

"Hunters...tried taking fish and...I got tangled in that," he pointed at the netting, "It forced me onto land then...pain." His fingers touched his own legs, wincing at the marks. Speedwagon was left baffled by this odd man, the strange way he spoke and just everything about him. After thinking for a moment, Speedwagon decided to bring Jonathan to his house to help the dark haired man gather his bearings. Though when he stood up, Jonathan struggled to even walk as if he has never used his legs before, stumbling about like a newly born deer, and it only added to Speedwagon's confusion and curiosity of this odd man.

"It's alright, just take it slow." The thug said as he held onto Jonathan's arm and back to offer support as the larger man tried to walk. "One foot in front of the other, that's it." Doing as instructed, Jonathan put one foot in front of the other and continued this pattern as he kept his balance. How did they make this look so easy? He took another step and a sharpness pricked his foot, earning a pained hiss from him and a loss of balance. Speedwagon quickly kept him supported and held up, a broken shell laid where Jonathan stepped. "We'll sort that out when we get to my place." Jonathan hummed at that and followed the blonde man.

Once they got to his house -a small building tucked in a corner of a poorly lit street that offered much cover for the naked man- Speedwagon grabbed a towel and wrapped it around Jonathan's waist, covering his crotch and giving him some sense of privacy, not that he seemed to be even fazed by such a thing. He doubted he had clothes big enough to fit him but he did have a blanket which was good enough for now. A few minutes of making them some tea and he brought the tray in, setting it on the table.

"Here you go, hope you like it." Jonathan reached out and took the cup into his hands, sniffing it a little and examining it. Has he never even seen a cup of tea before? Everything about this man just threw more questions at Speedwagon and very few answers that made sense. Taking a sip, a pleased sound left Jonathan as he continued to drink the tea, almost chugging the full cup. At least he liked it, that was good.

After finishing his drink, Jonathan continued to look around the room, taking in his surroundings. The blonde man's scent was heavy in the air, confirming this to be his den, and yet Speedwagon welcomed him with no threats nor aggression, it was odd for Jonathan to be so easily welcomed in territory that was not his. Were all humans like this? Or was it just Speedwagon? Still, he made no attempts to harm him nor trick him, he felt safe here. Away from those hunters and any predators that would have easily taken advantage of his wounded state and yet Speedwagon helped him, tended to his wounds and even offered him shelter and food. That was good.

Speedwagon thought about the odd answers Jonathan gave him when asked questions. Why would he be so concerned about fishermen taking fish? Why would he be in the water in the first place to get tangled in the netting? How come- Wait a moment...

Slowly, like a photograph coming into focus, all the pieces fell into place. Jonathan wasn't human. How could he be with all these odd things and actions? And the condition he was found in makes sense, he struggled to walk not because of the netting -which wasn't even deep enough to do any severe damage- but because he never used legs before. He had something else. A...a tail fin. Jonathan was some kind of siren or merman....

It sounded preposterous but it all made sense with Jonathan's attitude and everything about the man. After having a moment to allow his mind to calm and take this in, Speedwagon tried to think of what to do. Despite the rational, focused side of his mind trying to think of a plan to return the merman or siren or whatever he was back to his home, there was an unyielding wonder and fascination of the situation. A creature of legend and myth was with him, in his very home. Many questions swirled in his head but he had to keep a focused mind. He returned to the living room to see the dark haired man examining many of the little knickknacks that decorated the room. Such curiosity for such silly things.

"Jonathan," At the sound of his name, he turned his attention away from the knickknacks and to Speedwagon instead. "Be honest with me, where're you from? Really?" He asked, getting straight to the point and not bothering to skip around the bushes. Jonathan turned towards the window and pointed out it, towards the direction of the beach, of the sea.

"Water...That is...home." Was his answer and only confirmed Speedwagon's bizarre idea. Speedwagon nodded as he watched Jonathan turn towards the window, gazing out the window and towards the sea again, like a person longing to be reconnected to something they lost. The sorrow that flowed in those stunning blue eyes all but tugged at his heart, pushing him to wishing to help this strange man.

"I know you want to go back, but if the fishin' men are still out, you'll just be caught again. And won't be so lucky next time." Listening to the blonde man's words, Jonathan knew they rung true. It was by chance he had escaped them the first time, he doubted it would happen again. But what would he do now? Be stuck in a place he didn't understand? And for how long? How long could he last without water? Noticing the growing distress from him, Speedwagon slowly approached and carefully patted his shoulder.

"Don't worry, big guy. I'll help you." Jonathan turned and looked at Speedwagon, something akin to hope and wonder flickered in his eyes as he gazed at him. "Promise. I'll let you know when it's safe for you to go back." In any other situation, Speedwagon might think he was going mad with such a suggestion and offer but the idea of this creature possibly being harmed or killed made his heart ache.

"Safe....with you." A warmth bloomed as those words were spoken. Jonathan leaned close to Speedwagon, who was confused and let the darker haired man do whatever it was he was doing. Resting his forehead against Speedwagon's, Jonathan closed his eyes and pressed the palm of his hand against Speedwagon's, the action strangely soothing and almost intimate by how gentle he was. The soft trills made by the merman were soothing, calming, melting away any fear or worry Speedwagon had. Softly, Speedwagon rested his head against Jonathan's as well, reciprocating the actions, much to the delight of Jonathan.

"Yes, JoJo. You're safe with me."

TSOYS DRAFTS

Here are the remaining drafts I wrote for the story. Excuse the grammar and spelling mistakes. Thank you for reading. 

Chapter 23 draft:

You’re in darkness. 

There’s sweat covering the back of your neck, rolling uncomfortably down your spine in slow droplets.

The dark is horrible, suffocating. There’s no escape from it. An ache buzzes through you, making you want to squirm in place. And everywhere you turn, to try and ease the feeling, an electric buzz follows. 

There’s a chatter. Like the gnashing and tapping of teeth. You shudder. Your body feels sick. Decaying, self-destructing, rejecting itself.

The oxygen flowing to your body slows. Then you can’t breathe. You panic, inhaling deeply, but it’s never enough. 

The buzz nears. And your heart spikes at the familiar sound of well polished dress shoes against the floor. Your eyes aren’t open, but you can feel him coming closer, his TV-face glowing in the sea of dark, inching forward slowly. 

Tap. Tap. Tap.

You squirm, unable to move, to open your eyes, to scream, as the harsh light burns into your eyelids, searing the nerves in them. Every part of you wants to run away - but you can’t. 

His hands grip you, nails digging into your skin and then there’s an awful stabbing sensation in your chest. 

 You jolt awake, eyes flying open. You damn nearly fall out of bed with your panic, catching yourself at the last second. You blink around at your bedroom, remembering where you are.

Knitted blankets. Wood floors. Moonlight streaming through the windows. The soft snore of a raven. You’re in Gluttony, not Pride. 

It was only a dream. 

You hang your head in your hands, letting the terror seap from your bones. Your heart thumps wildly in your chest. Sweat covers you like an uncomfortable blanket and your breathing is uneven. You gulp down deep breaths, fisting the locks of your hair. 

A dream…

You gulp down the glass of water by your bedside with shaky hands, light a candle by your bedside to illuminate your room. The dark seems too oppressive, scary. You pull down your sleeve, looking at the grey lines of the bonding mark. 

It’s not the dark you fear, it’s what in the dark that you-

“Oh shut up,” you growl to yourself. You roll your sleeve back up, laying down and pulling the blankets up to your nose. You watch the dripping wax until your eyes ache and the sun rises, eventually falling asleep once the threat of monsters in the dark is over.

 Knock knock knock.

Your eyes crack open at the sound of a sharp knocking at your door. You curl over, trying to sleep again, but the noise persists a second later. 

Knock knock knock.

Knock knock knock.

Finally, after you know the thing won’t give up, you throw the sheets off of you. Grumbling profanities, you pad your way to the door, undoing the deadbolt and swinging it open. 

Your eyes nearly bulge out of your sockets as Alastor stands there, bright smile on his face. 

“Good morning, neighbor!” he chirps.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” you snap, voice hoarse from sleep.

“To wish you a good morning.”

“Ok? And?”

“It’s the start of the day! And there’s so much we have yet to do.”

“I don’t wanna do anything with you.” 

“Someone’s gotten off on the wrong side of the bed today! Did we not get enough sleep?”

“Alright - Goodbye.” 

You slam the door but Alastor sticks his foot in the doorway at the last second.  

“AH ah ah, we can’t have that! It’s a beautiful day, with so much to do!”

“Ok, so go off and do it by yourself.”

“But I’m quite interested in this place, you see.”

You sigh and rub your eyes. Unfortunately, you know much about Alastor to know that he won’t give up on something he truly wants. 

“Alright, alright. Hand around or something, I don’t…” you’re interrupted by a large yawn. “I don’t care. I’m gonna take a bath.”

“Don’t break anything or I’ll roast your ass.”

“Frightening. I’ll keep that in mind.” 

Barely keeping a scowl off of your face, you close the door shut behind you. 

---

You mull over the days events in the cool pool of the river, thinking about the nightmare you had the night before.

The nightmare you had is fresh in your mind. The awful feelings and past you have return to you. 

You sit in the stream, allowing the cool water of the river to wash over your body. You close your eyes, breathing deeply through your nose to allow the stresses to fall away from your body. 

Your thoughts return to the nuisance waiting for you back at home. How he’s now taken an interest in your life. 

Ugh.  

You rinse the suds out of your eyes, get changed, and walk back to the house.

You open the door and Alastor is sitting in the recliner to your living room. 

“Welcome back.”

It would be polite, if not for the fact that this is your house. 

“What are you doing?”

“Enjoying the morning. At least I’m trying to; you really have nothing in the fridge to eat.”

“This isn’t a hotel," you say, moving over and collecting your bow from the corner. “You can’t just take what you want - Feet off the table.” you tap his shoe, and he kicks his feet onto the floor.

“Where are you going?” he asks. 

“Out. Hunting.” you don’t ask him to come.

“I’ll accompany you. It’s been a while since I last went - I reckon I could teach you a thing or two.” 

“Do whatever you want. Just don’t scare off the game.”

_

“God, will you just be quiet?!” 

Alastor grins. “I’m afraid not m’dear, that’s against my natural programming.”

Furious, frustrated, you chuck an arrow at his head. He catches it easily between his fingers, but his pupils dilate into slits, predatorily honing in on the threat.  

“Ohh…” he chuckles. You can feel the cloud of static wrapping around you. “If you’re going to attack me, you're going to have to try harder than that.”

Despite what he says, there’s a tone to his voice that pushes through the fear you feel. He seems taunting. 

You lick your lips, stringing another arrow into your bow. Alastor’s pupils widen dangerously. “Is this what you want? A little one on one?”

“Am I that obvious?”

‘You’re practically salivating.”

“You go first-” he barely gets the word out before you let your arrow fly. He manages to grip the arrow in his hand, an inch in front of his face. 

“Oh ho!” he dodges the second one your shoot, spinning his microphone into his hands on the third. “You’ve improved!”

Have you actually fought Alastor before? There was wonderland, sure, but never something so one on one.

“Hello there!” you yelp, jumping high in the tree to sneak up on him, bust Alastor is one step ahead. He side-steps you and you crash to the ground. Alastor’s foot presses into your back a second later.

“Seems I’ve bested you.”

“Don’t talk as if this is over.”

“Isn’t it?”

“You underestimate me.” The bow poofs into your hands. Alastor takes an alarming step back as it morphs into a spear, but instead of using it, you take the moment to sweep his legs out from underneath him, sending him falling flat on his back. 

You kick to your feet, holding the spear to his throat.

You both stay still.

“Well,” Alastor wheezes, grinning up at you. His monocle is skewed off place on his face. “You are a very talented fighter.”

“Not talent,” You take a step back, offering the handle to Alastor. “Experience.”

He, to your surprise, takes it, getting to his feet with an unearthly snap of his bones.

“Thank you very much, that was quite brilliant! 

He’s like a dog needing to be let out on a walk, you think amusingly.

---

Three hours later, after more productive hunting session, the two of your return back home. You carrying most of the game, and Alastor ogling at you doing so.

You return back to your home, but to your dismay, Alastor hasn’t left. Instead, he just hovers over the counter, watching you work around your kitchen. Like a fly you can’t get rid of. 

“What?” you ask after he’s been staring at you for the past 5 minutes. 

“You’re doing it wrong.”

You put down your carving knife. “Am I now?”

“Yes,” Alastor unpops the buttons on his suit. “Give me that knife there, I’ll show you.”

Hesitant, but willing, you flip the handle towards Alastor. He rolls up his sleeves - exposing the dark, black markings that run up from underneath his gloves and up his forearms - and takes the knife.

“I always worked with deer, but I suppose rabbits will do,” Alastor explains, expertly running the knife through the meat. “Now, first rule, you want to cut the legs free, it makes things easier...”

You sit back and watch him work, carefully taking note as he parries the blade of silver through the skin like he’s cutting through butter. His hands work masterfully to prepare the meat, slicing off this and that. 

“You’re very good at this,”

“Oh this is nothing, but the butcher down on main street? Oh boy! He was the swiftest cutter on the Mississippi river!” Alastor remises happily. “Of course, I had to learn how to butcher, both because as a cook, and because of my own hobbies…”

That reminds you of a question you’ve always wanted to ask. “Hey Alastor, can I ask you something?”

“Fire away, dear.”

“Are you a cannibal?”

The knife pauses, but only for a brief moment. “Yes.”

Oh. 

“Huh. I thought so.”

He laughs, “That’s a very laid back response, my dear, are you not afraid?”

“Kind of,” you rest your hand in your palm. “You’re an overlord.  Nah, so long as you don’t try to take a bite out of me we’re good.”

“Hm, I’ll think about it.”

You don’t have enough energy to pretend to be surprised. 

Instead, you settle on. “Don’t call me dear, by the way. I’m not your dear.” 

 “Right you are! You’re not even a deer, you’re a raccoon. You’re a raccoon!” his eyes britten suddenly, like he just thought of the most wonderful idea. “A kit!”

The term for a baby raccoon. You already see the delight gleam in his eyes. “No. Do not-“

“Alrightly, little Kit of mine, now that we’ve finished chopping-”

 “No!”

---

 The damned name stuck.

“Darling Kit,”

“Kit could you get me-“

“Kit! I’m hungry!”

In retaliation you began to call Alastor different renditions of his name.

The first time you used ‘Alistair’ he had raised his eyebrow slightly, but brushed it off. But he quickly caught onto what you were doing.

“It’s not stair, its store. Alastor.”

“I dunno. I think ‘stair’ sounds better.”

 “You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you.”

You reached over him, grabbing a carrot to shred. “I’m just balancing the scales of justice.” 

---

“Here, take a sip.” He holds a spoon out to you. You reach to take it, but he just pulls away. You narrow your eyes.

“You’re not spoon feeding me.”

“Come on,” he teases, waggling the spoon carefully. “Say ‘ahhh’!”

Reluctantly, you open your mouth and allow him to spoon the helping of soup into your mouth. He pulls the spoon away and you swallow.

“So?” he asks with a knowing smirk on his face.

“That’s the best soup I’ve ever tasted.” 

Return to pentagram City arc: 

“You lied to me,” your voice trembles, your whole body is shaking.

“Kit, my dear, darling-”

“Don’t call me that!” you scream, your voice rises. Your whole body feels like it’s freezing and on fire at the same time. “You lied to me!”

“I thought you knew the deal was still in place.”

“Well, I didn’t! I didn’t Al, you certainly did but you never told me!” your breath catches in your throat. “You knew! You knew but you never spoke about it out loud!”

Everything. Him showing up, the gifts, the dance, everything you thought up to this point has been a lie.

He’s never wanted you. He’s only wanted what you could do for him.

Why why why why did he do this?

“Why didn’t you just tell me. Why did you pretend to care about me as a person?”

“I- I did.” he tries to get closer, you bare your teeth at him, growling. “Darling - I - I admit, my motives at first were to the benefit of the war, but-”

“You’re no different than him.” you spit.

He frowns. “That’s not true.”

“How!?” “You- you go behind my back, making me feel good - oh my dear, let’s go to this store! - oh, have I ever taught you about my hunting days. Gods, damn you to Hell, Alastor!”

---

You level him with a hard stare. Your chest hurts, like someone has carved out your very soul from your body. 

“I’m going back home. Don’t follow me. Don’t try to talk to me. Don’t visit my place.” You turn letting the bite of the wind whip against your face. “I never want to see your face ever again.”

You turn and walk, slipping away into the night. You hope beyond all hope, if Alastor does have a heart of some kind, it’s just as broken and hallow as your is. 

With Our Eyes Shut Ch.1

This is my first TLK fic written in celebration of @geekandbooknerd;s 1,000 Followers Celebration. Congratulations you!!!. Prompt in bold. I have played with the series time line here. Expect historical and series inaccuracies and I had no idea who to tag so I can add or delete you easily. Just let me know. 

Pairing - Sigefrid and OC      Chapter - 1 of 4   

The board sliding back to unlock the thick door startled the captives sitting on the floor of the dingy barn. Shushes and frightened gasps greeted the fair-haired Thurgilson as he walked in and eyed the huddled bunch. They were to be slaves to the heathen Danes and would soon learn that being cut down, like so many of their loved ones, would have been a blessing.

The siege had been fast, and the death count high with only a small number of women spared by the wicked brothers. They now had control over Beamfleot and planned to stay, establish and plot.

“Can anyone here read and write?” the Northman asked in a stern, thickly accented voice.

When no one responded, irritation flashed across his face, his kohl-lined eyes and long goatee making him look like some ghoul from a children’s fable.

“I will ask only once more.”

Reaching down, he grabbed the closest woman yanking her to her feet. Squealing like a piglet, she held up her shaking hands as if to signify she was helpless. The truth was, they all were and he knew it. Pointing his dagger at her face, he glared back at the captives, his cool blue eyes scanning them... waiting.

“Who. Here. Can. Read?” 

It was clear, his patience was gone. Most averted their eyes but some glanced at one another as if also seeking the answer, desperate for the barbarian to set his sights on anyone but them.  

“Shame,” he uttered, looking back to the woman, tightening his grip on the neck of her dress, making her cry out again.

Movement in his peripheral pulled his attention to the far corner. Pushing up to stand, a girl, a woman really leaned against the wall. She did not say a word but her terrified brown eyes met his just long enough for him to know that he had his answer.

----

“Sigefrid,” Erik stressed his name as if to make his point. “We must keep our eye on the greater plan. To have this knowledge will give us the advantage of surprise.”

“So will my blade running through their skulls.” The dark-haired Thurgilson grinned, seated on the former Lord’s chair, “Surprise!” he laughed loudly, raising the incased knife affixed to his forearm up into the air.

If that was not a simple enough response to his brother’s suggestion that they learn the Christian language, he snorted and sucked snot down from the back of his nose, spitting a ball of phlegm onto the wood floor beside him.

Crossing his arms, Erik waited, knowing Sigefrid was not yet through.

“We do not need to read or write to raid and kill, Erik. We will settle here, enjoy what this bountiful land has to offer, and prepare to take out the weak king. We can speak their horse piss language, that is enough.”

“True, but would you not care to know what this says?” Erik held up the small scroll in his hand. It had been taken by two of their warriors who intercepted a messenger leaving Winchester. “Would it not be of value to know when and where their armies travel so we can better position? What if the black scratches on this parchment say that Alfred will soon be on the move, perhaps leaving his walled city to visit Mercia. On the road, he would be ripe for an ambush, brother. Just think...”

Always the less methodical out of the two, Sigefrid was passionate and impulsive, rash and at times his anger flared but now, he responded with silence knowing he would eventually agree with his younger brother. But not yet.

Roughly clearing his throat, he snorted again. “I will join the lessons,” he spoke slowly as to exaggerate his concession, “Once I have taken a shit. Unless I do it there,” his dark brows shot high and he flashed his straight white teeth, “welcome our tutor with the task of wiping that scroll across my dirty ass.”

“By the looks of her, you’d enjoy that,” Erik chuckled.

Emptying his cup in one go, Sigefrid’s dark eyes scanned the hall, “More ale!” he roared.

----

The main building was not large, ten modestly sized chambers; six on the ground level, surrounding the main room, and four upstairs, evidently used by the previous and now dead Lord and his wife. Sigefrid would never understand why these Christian nobles did not share chambers with their wives. The only thought he had was, perhaps, it was less awkward on nights when humping the help. But domestic life, in any culture, was lost on him. He had never experienced it and did not plan to live that long. Wanting to reach Valhalla in his prime, it would be a warrior’s death for him and Erik was there to marry and breed, carry on their family’s bloodline.

Dark and handsome though, he was a self-proclaimed ladies man, always having his pick of the women. Felt them powerless against his bravado and charm and rarely went to bed without wetting his dick. Like killing, variety for him was the spice of life and Erik would tease that for Sigefrid, excess was the best show of success.

As much as he grumbled at the notion of learning the Saxon’s written word, he knew Erik would not lead them astray. Preferring to approach battle in a straight line, he charged at any target, whereas his baby brother touted strategy, suggesting that the zig and zag of tactical ambush would spare them men. Despite the glory of dying with a weapon in the hand, Sigefrid did recognize the convenience in keeping their numbers stable. They had set up shop in Wessex’s back yard and Alfred’s land was theirs for the taking.

----

No crude or threatening comments came from Sigefrid when he first saw her. No jeering eyes or aggressive words. Nothing. He just looked at her standing frozen, alone, in front of them, her large brown eyes incapable of hiding her fear. He guessed in any circumstance she was likely a quiet little thing but there, before him and Erik, she had every reason to be afraid.

There was something in the way she watched them that he liked; an anticipation that reminded him of a baby doe, afraid, yet curious and seconds from fleeing to its mother. But there was no mother there to protect this girl... or woman. He could not tell how old she was, certainly younger than him, younger still than Erik.  

Jerking his head, he lifted his blade, motioning for them to get on with the ridiculous charade, emphasizing his resistance with a loud grunt as he lowered himself into a chair at the table.

For privacy, Erik had chosen one of the upper rooms which had obviously been used as a meeting or council room. It consisted of a table with eight chairs, a fireplace, and daybed. It was not a large room or particularly bright but was situated next to their private chambers which meant it was sectioned off from others.

It was Erik’s suggestion that they understand the language from the basics up, outlining his wish to start with their alphabet and from there learn to read. Taking paper torn from one of the room’s many books, the girl, with a shaky hand, dipped one of the feather quills Erik had gathered into an ink pot and began writing out two copies of the Saxon’s alphabet.

It was quite a sight, sitting across as her trembling hand replicated the markings, her eyes looking like they fought themselves to stay fixed on the paper. As anyone would, she sat pensively as if expecting to be bit and it made him think of her, for the second time, as that little deer and them as two hungry wolves.

Watching, he wondered if her rosy cheeks were caused by fear or if her work, at whatever she did before their arrival, had her out under the sun. She had the slightest dusting of freckles and he guessed that if she were to smile, her cheeks would even dimple. The thought made him grin as he could not imagine what reason she would have to smile in her current predicament; a slave to the Danes, young and pretty, everyone she knew either dead or being worked like a mule.

Inhaling he let his impatience be known, sighing loudly and only mildly aware of some internal debate he was having; his mind slow to connect with his body’s response to the woman in front of him, loving how her small hands rushed to finish knowing he was staring.

Placing the quill down, she turned the papers for them to inspect. Straightening in their chairs, their expressions became serious, both looking unprepared for the complexity of the rows and rows of ruin-like symbols.

The men picked up their delicate feather quills, fumbling to find a position in their large hands that were more accustomed to wielding weapons and spilling blood. Sigefrid dropped the quill immediately, scoffing in an outright refusal and shot his brother a look.

“Dear brother,” he groaned, watching Erik’s earnest face, his eyes fixed on the paper below. “I feel like a fool.”

Not replying, Erik dragged the quill across the thin paper, holding it with his other to keep it in place. The tip cut through the delicate parchment from the heavy pressure he was unintentionally applying.

Looking back to the girl, Sigefrid’s eyes met hers for just instant before she lowered them again to the table. He suspected she had been looking at the knife strapped to his arm where his hand had once been. Not saying a word, he continued to study her, a mild thrill moving through him knowing, again, that she could feel his stare.

“You know I have never bothered with slaves,” he spoke in Danish. “I have no interest in bedding Christian farm girls.”

“Hmm,” Erik replied, his tongue sliding back and forth across his lower lip in concentration.

“If I want a hump, there are twenty Dane women downstairs insane to ride my cock,” he spoke slowly as if enjoying the sound of his own voice. “By the looks of her, she would not be able to handle such a beast.” He smiled at her downcast face deciding she really was quite beautiful; almost irritatingly so. “But you know what I think, brother?”

“I think you will tell me,” Erik answered also in Danish.

“This one,” he jerked his chin in her direction. “I think she likes me.”

“It helps that I told her she had to teach us or she dies,” he glanced up to her quickly but kept on with the quill. “She will do what it takes to survive. They all do.”

“What do you think?” Sigefrid chuckled, his white teeth visible through his thick black beard. “Should I make an exception? Teach her about glory holes?”

Startling, the girl looked up, spooked, as if she had just heard her name called for execution.

“Did you understand that?” Erik looked up with round eyes, asking in English but she did not answer.

Frowning, Sigefrid leaned forward in his chair, “Did you?” 

Not waiting for her to respond, he shot up from his chair and stalked around to her side, placing his hands on the table and the back of her chair and leaned down. Instead of fleeing or crying, she squeezed her eyes closed, her body rigid as if waiting for a blow or to be dragged from her chair.

He brought his face closer to hers. “I asked you,” he spoke slowly, his accented voice oozing with threat. “Did you understand?”

“A little,” she opened her eyes, causing Sigefrid to look over at Erik.

Raising his hand, Erik signaled for him to give her a moment.

“Girl, how do you know our tongue,” Erik asked, his voice less aggressive.

“I know only a little.”

“Who taught you?” Erik probed and her eyes skitted around the room nervously.

“Maybe a blade to the throat will stir your memory, Saxon,” Sigefrid warned, dragging out the title.

Her eyes flashed back to his.

“I am from Frankia,” she uttered, sounding almost apologetic.

This made Sigefrid’s head cock to one side as he noticed that her voice did, in fact, have a different sound.

“That does not answer my question,” he leaned closer, by chance catching a glimpse down the bust of her dress.

“My father!” she rushed. “He was an interpreter.”

“For who?” Erik asked.

“A noble family in Paris.”

“Was he,” Erik said more to himself, his voice sounding as if his mind was already reeling with possibilities.

“Very interesting,” Sigefrid added leaning over her a little more, the crease between her heavy bosoms holding his eye. “Where is he now? We could ask for his help to understand their walled city. It has never been breached. Fools have tried but...”

“My parents are both dead,” she cut him off. “Nearly two years ago.”

“How?”

“My father was traveling to Northumbria on business and took my mother and I...as the trip would have had him gone for so long. We were robbed on the road; I somehow got away into the woods and hid.” She looked down into her lap, clearing her throat before continuing. “Their throats were cut.”

“Were they Danes?” Erik asked.

“I do not believe so.”

“They were no Danes,” Sigefrid scoffed. “Danes would not have let her escape.”

“Your father taught you other languages?” Erik asked, wanting to keep the girl talking.

Nodding she answered, her eyes staying fixed on her lap, “French, of course, English, the two languages of Ireland, some Arabic, I can understand some Danish but I cannot speak it well.”

The brothers exchanged glances, their eyes coming alive.

“This might be your lucky day,” Sigefrid smiled, straightening to stand.

“Or ours,” Erik looked up at his brother. “What a shit idea this was,” he smiled and picked up the paper in front of him, ripping it into pieces and making Sigefrid laugh.

“Do as you are told,” Sigefrid spoke abruptly, making her flinch, “and we will kill you last.”

----

Days went by and Sigefrid entered the same room where Waylen now waited, standing guard; the girl was on the far side of the table, evidently wanting to keep some obstacle between her and the enormous Dane. Sigefrid had sent him to fetch her from the kitchen and escort her up to the meeting room. Pausing, he watched her, wondering if his mind was playing tricks on him; he could have sworn she looked mildly relieved when he entered. Not surprising, he decided, as she was all but dragged into a private room by the hulking, young warrior.  

Nodding he motioned for Waylen to leave, kicking the door closed behind. Turning his attention back to the girl, she shifted awkwardly under his gaze, clutching her apron, her expression almost expectant.

“I have been thinking about you,” he tapped his sheathed knife against his forehead. “I am too suspicious of a man to allow one slave to hold so much wisdom. Too cunning for us to become reliant on your,” his eyes narrowed, “cooperation. So..” he sucked air through his teeth, “the lessons will continue.” Dropping his chin, he eyed her from under his dark brows; she did not react but he could see her thoughts moving behind her large brown eyes.

“You will teach me... alone. This will be a,” he paused, thinking of how best to phrase it, “surprise for my brother. I will have Waylen fetch you when I want, and you will tell no one. And…despite my better judgment,” he hesitated, for an instant questioning his own thinking, “for your discretion, I am going to protect you. Hey?”

Her reply came by way of a subtle nod but the message was still clear, yes.

Next Chapter 

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All odd numbers for Zarus. Feel free to skip any, especially if they're too spoilery

Thanks Spencer!! uwu Sorry this took so long! I love this funky druid and I'm curious myself if any of these answers will change as I develop them further and they grow in the campaign~

1. Why did they choose their class(es)? their subclass(es)? When Zarus was young (for a drow), they were taught about nature and other Druidic teachings, which inspired them to actually get out into nature more and be an actual druid themself. Part of the Circle of Dreams, they spent some time in the Feywild, which influenced their magic further.

3. What is their goal right now? They do aim to get back to the Feywild, but Zarus is lackadaisical and drow live a Long time, so despite being presented with a chance to return, they’re like “there’s time for that later~” They’re curious about their friends and have some “souvenirs” to drop off to their friend Cabal first, anyway.

5. Do they follow a higher power? what are their thoughts on divinity? Zarus isn’t really the religious types. The gods exist, certainly, but they’re more connected to the wild, chaotic power of nature than devoting themself to a specific god.

7. Which party member do they understand the least? Defs Caesin atm. They enjoy being in cahoots with him, but are still figuring out his personality and morals.

9. Do they care about their appearance? how much effort do they put into presentation? Zarus cares a fair bit about their appearance – but you couldn’t tell by looking at them. From the outside they seem like the sort of person that put makeup on a couple days ago and is like “eh it’s still good enough” (purely figurative, they haven’t worn makeup in ages). And yet they typically hold themself like they’re dressed in finery, despite the holes in their cheap clothes.

11. What skills are they proficient in? why? Arcana, deception, history, perception, persuasion, and survival. Each has their place in their backstory, but the specifics of why are a mystery :3c

13. What do they dislike about themself? why? He’s the type to be, like… overly positive and hard to ruffle. He also isn’t exactly the most self-reflective. I think he’d have trouble naming anything he dislikes about himself.

15. Do they trust their party? why or why not? Absolutely! :3 I mean they’ve known each other for like a whole day now! (Zarus trusts way too easily)

17. What do they dream about, when their dreams are their own? That’s a good question :3c

19. What haunts them? what doesn’t? Probably more than he knows, or would admit (even to himself).

21. Do they follow their head, their heart, or their body? Well it’s definitely not their head. I’d say a mix of their heart and gut – but they have terrible intuition and danger-sense.

23. How do they feel about nicknames, titles, or labels that have been given to them? how do they feel about their name? They’d be thrilled to be given any of the above! Nicknames mean fondness, titles mean status, and labels can mean community – all of which Zarus wants. They’re very fond of their name, which is one of the reasons they give it a little too readily.

25. What stories do they like to tell? what stories do they like to hear? Zarus is… probably not the best storyteller, struggling to remember parts, and completely making up others. They’ll talk all day about less linear events though, like various plants, storm clouds, etc. And they’re happy to hear almost any story, as long as the person telling it is enthusiastic and isn’t a stuck-up prick.

27. How do they mourn? If he ever knew how to mourn, I think he’s forgotten how. Death is a fleeting and intangible concept to Zarus, and so mourning would be much the same.

29. Who would they save? who would they be saved by? He’d happily save any of his friends, both new and old, and without regard to any potential cost. And so far he’d be saved by Grimshaw, the only person who’s actually stepped in tried to dissuade his recklessness lol

31. They’re given a blank piece of paper–what do they do with it? (answered this one in a previous post~)

33. What makes them cry? …what does make them cry? Again, Zarus is a very cheery individual. Probably something triggering an old, long-forgotten memory, or one of their friends dying and not coming back. They’d also defs be the type to start crying without even realizing it, still smiling, only noticing when they feel they tears streaming down their face, and reach up to touch their cheek in confusion.

35. Which party member do they worry for? Defs Maco. He’s young and seems naïve, so if there’s anyone Zarus would have the sense to actually worry over, it’s him.

37. What is their favorite thing to hold? Ooooh. Probably an old, worn leather-bound book, whether that’s a journal or a published tome. It would bring them a sense of familiarity and comfort.

39. Are their hands calloused, soft, or something else entirely? Their left hand and forearm are covered with burn scars, while their right is surprisingly soft for a druid, not nearly as calloused as you’d expect from someone who travels the wilderness.

41. What are they attracted to in other people? (also answered this one in the previous post~)

43. Why do they fight? I guess… why not? They aren’t exactly into fighting, but they’re definitely capable, so if the situation calls for it they will fight, especially if their companions are. But they don’t exactly fight to protect themself, and would just as readily try to talk their way out of a situation.

45. How do they hug people? Another interesting one! I think it’s been a long time since anyone actually hugged Zarus. Despite being more of an extrovert, they don’t always spend much time around people, and Zarus can be a little… off-putting. I think he’d melt into a hug, eager to share in the rare warmth and companionship – and having no sense of personal boundaries and how long a hug should last or how closely he should wind the other person in his arms or vice versa.

47. When they meet someone, what is the first thing they notice? How kind they are. Do they treat him with kindness, or disdain? Because the latter isn’t going to win that person any brownie points with Zarus, though they may not say it. Anything else – appearance, social standing, scars, etc – that’s all extra, and typically not of concern.

49. What makes them smile? Lots of things. Zarus is smiling, like, 90% of the time, even if it’s a small smile (and probably somewhat unnerving). One of the rare times they’re not smiling is when they’re pondering something. They’re definitely smiling when they’re mad or offended, there’s just more of an edge to it that an observer might not catch.

51. What is the most beautiful thing in the world, for them? Oh wow. I think… life, continuing on uninterrupted. TW for some gory descriptions for this one. ((A bird with a stick fused into it’s wing that still manages to fly, a deer whose antlers are tangled with the head of another, trapped in an endless battle until it sheds its antlers, flowers and fungi sprouting between the bones of a carcass, the decaying corpse of a whale that brings so much new life to the scavengers who feast on it. There’s beauty in death, and in the unstoppable circle of life – and it’s a privilege to them to hold such a special place in it.)) On a more… traditional note, they definitely do like pretty flowers, and thunderstorms.

53. Which is more frightening to them: day or night? Honestly… I think the bright light of day. There’s comfort and familiarity in the darkness, a sense of home. But in the harsh daylight that hurts their eyes, everything is so stark and clear, and deep down it triggers discomfort, of what they should recall but don’t.

55. Whose hand do they reach out for? Currently? Cabal. They’ve helped him to his feet more than once, and he trusts them. It won’t take long for this to apply to his party, as well, but right now Cabal is instinctually the first one he’d reach for. For the party it will probably be Grimshaw first, since he’s been the most protective of Zarus (even if he doesn’t exactly deem it necessary).

57. What makes them angry? Being talked down to certainly grinds his gears. Zarus is actually decently intelligent, but no matter what, being disrespected and treated like he’s beneath someone sparks his anger, especially considering his backstory.

59. What is a quiet passion of theirs? Making flower crowns, and to a lesser extent, origami. They also very much enjoy sketching various flora and recording information about it, but there’s a sense of work to that as well as passion. Also, fashion. They very much enjoy dressing up, they just rarely have reason to.

61. What kind of flower would they choose to pick from a meadow? Literally every flower they could find. They’d either pick none, leaving them to grow, or one of each variety (including colour variations). They are very passionate about flowers and flora, so if they started they wouldn’t be able to resist picking one of each.

63. What fight has scared them the most? They’ve only been in a few fights in-game so far, and it’s very hard to genuinely scare Zarus. There is one from their past that would, but that’s getting into spoiler territory ;)

65. What is holding them back? Their unwillingness to accept that anything is wrong.

67. What makes them laugh? Much the same as smiling, it isn’t difficult to make Zarus laugh. They’re quite cheery, so if someone tells a bad joke or makes a clever quip, they defs laugh at it (even when doing so would be impolite).

69. How would they describe their party members? (aaand I answered this one in the previous post as well, so that’s it!)

Down The Rabbithole Ch15

(Disclaimer: The songs the Queen sings is White Rabbit by Egypt Central and Hey Alice by Rachell Rose Mitchell and in no way mine. The songs Allison sings are Alice by Avril Lavigne and Human by Christina Perri and are in no way mine.)

It was a short hour. During that time she just sat on the bed and rubbed her head, trying to figure out what to do about this. Sometime during that hour she had been a sandwitch and she eargerly gobbled it down but not before checking it for anything...It was a regular one with just one piece of meat and a lettece leaf. Was pretty plain but she wasn't complaining about free food especially when she was really hungry so she gobbled that down. She was still a little hungry after that but it'll work for now. Allison was feeling a lot of things. Guilt, for this being her fault even if she didn't do anything wrong. Worry for her friend if he was ok and what might happen to her. Angry for all this work just wanting to go home! Annoyance she had to go this! And Sadness she Didn't know about Chesire's past. Did he really turn someone into dust? If they wiped out his family then she'd kinda understand, but why didn't he tell her? She sighed and continued to sit there until a guard opened the door and looked at her. Allison was told to stand up and follow them which she did, not like she had a choice anyways. She was marched like a prisoner down the checkered halls and she felt her hope and worry grow and grow as she was wedged between the two guards and marched down the halls. Servants and other guards stopped what they were doing to peer at her from where they were. People of all different characters. She saw a goose in a butler shirt give her the stink eye, and a walking man with the head of a clock seem to give her a sorry look. But that didn't matter. She was marched along past all the expensive furniture and further and further to-.....to.....Who knows where?! To A prison? To her doom? To the Queen? And she didn't ask the guards marching her along in her of the answer. It seemed she got her answers soon enough. Allison was lead around towards what she assumed was the other side of the castle to two giant double doors where a lot of loud muffled, far away cheers were coming from it and before she could ask, she was forced towards them. Two other guards by the door opened them and they forced her through without stopping or letting her get her bearings from it.

It was too bright. Way too bright for her eyes. She blinked and held up her hands away from the bright sun shining down on her as she was taken out of the hallways and into the light. The cheers of an on watching crowd rang her ears raw. Where was she taken? When she had blinked her shock of the light away she gaped in aw at what really was surrounding her. Oh. My. GOD!!!...It was a giant arena. She didn't know how else to call it. It was about as big as a football field and there must've been hundreds of people faintly around her cheering for entertainment as Allison was marched along by two guards as her now red eyes looked around nervously at the watching crowd and felt really, REALLY small. Especially since the guards were all easily taller than her. She was marched towards the middle of the field where about ten feet away from her was the Queen. Her hands tightened tighter around the umbrella she carried and she gulped, the food in her stomach threatening to upchuck from the stress and fear she was now feeling. The tall woman was staring at her like a hawk watches a mouse as horns did some fancy salute music which got the crowd going more.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!!," a man announced from somewhere and Allison looked around her. The guards were already retreating back to the doors which left her to look onwards around her at the cheering crowd. "BY ROYAL DECREE THE TRAITOROUS HUMAN SHALL FACE THE TRIAL OF HEARTS DESIRE AGAINST HER MAJESTY!! AS PER AGREEMENT, THE HUMAN SHALL BE EXILED FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD AS PUNISHMENT FOR THE CRIMES COMITTED BY THOSE IN THE PAST!! TRIAL!!......BEGIN!!"

As if one cue Allison looked at the Queen. Those red and white eyes stared at her with barely any emotion in them. The staff in her hands twirled around for a moment before she got into an almost fighting stance as she stared at Allison. The Human girl was shaking and clutched the umbrella tighter to her chest as she stared at the Queen with a Deer in headlight look.....It was silent. TOO SILENT. Not a single cheer from the crowd or word from the woman literally a few yards away from her. Only the thumping of her heart in her ears and the heavy nearvous breaths Allison was taking. The wind blew around them making the ladies' hair swish about, as the ground slightly shook-...Wait. Why was the ground shaking? Allison slowly looked down to her legs expecting her legs to just be shaking but no. The whole ground was. Loud gasps and a few frightened yells came from the watching audience as a shadow suddenly loomed over them. Allison looked up and her jaw dropped at the absolute MASSIVE piller suddenly appearing next to the queen. Followed by more rumbling and seven more thick dirt pillars appeared on either side of her. These things were GIGANTIC!! At least two stories tall and three feet thing thick...Oh boy. What were those for?

"Your magic white rabbit-" The queen sang and Allison snapped out of her stupor and gazed at her instantly. Queen Hearts was staring at her and singing just enough for her to hear but just barely. "-has left it's writing on the wall.~ We follow like Alice ....And just keep diving down the HOLE!!"

Her arm holding the staff suddenly pointed up towards Allison and no sooner than it did than the first pillar scraped quickly right towards her. Allison stood there completely frozen as eight giant solid pillar of dirt headed right for her that probably would hurt if the did hit her...Before yelping and on instinct turning around and runninh away from it. She ran a few steps as the shadow loomed bigger above her, her adrenaline was pumping now and her panicked brain made her dive to the right. Wind and dirt whipped past her making her hair move as the thing swooped past her- Only for poor Allison to yelp again and basically run on tip toes as she jumped out of the way of another moving pillar right behind the first and start running towards the fair side of the battlefield as two more past behind her barely dodging her legs- all the while through this the Queen Kept singing and kept her staff laser pointed right on Allison. And ...Rock music was playing from somewhere in stands? What was with these people and singing all the time!?

"YOU CAN'T FIX YOUR BROKEN PROMISE!!~ OUR TIES HAVE COME UNDONE!!~ I WILL NOT BE USED TO BE BATTERED AND BRUISED!!~ THE REASON WHY I CHOOSE TO CUT MY LOSES!!~ YOUR LIES FOOL NO ONE!!~," she sang with the beauty of a swan and the feircness of a lion as she watched Allison dodge the first four but just barely. For a human she was fast on her feet. Allison's heart was pumping in her throat and against her chest as she ran- She squealed as another pillar cut her off from running right, just barely stopping before hitting it. Flawing her arms about and turning to run back where she came- Only for another one to stop her again. "YOUR MAGIC WHITE RABBIT!!~ YOUR ROOM, STRAIGHT JACKET!!~ YOUR MAGIC WHITE RABBIT HAS LEFT IT'S WRITING ON THE WALL!!~" Allison again stopped and stared behind her as another pillar made it's way towards her. She screamed and picked up her dress, running back towards the queen to escape it with a fearful expression. "WE FOLLOW LIKE ALICE AND JUST KEEP DIVING DOWN THE HOLE!! WE'RE FALLING AND WE'RE LOOSING CONTROL!!~ YOU'RE PULLING US AND DRAGGING US DOWN THIS DEAD END ROAD!!~ WE FOLLOW LIKE ALICE AND JUST KEEP DIVING DOWN THE HOLE!!~"

A winning smile came over her as Allison still ran away from the pillar as it rumbled after her. Eventually forcing herself to the side again and standing still as it blew past her- Only for yet ANOTHER to start going after her and she screamed again, before looking at it...and the queen....Scowling, she made her way back to running past her. The Queen's smile vanished as she did, placing a hand on her hip as she lazily watched Allison direct her path closer and closer to her until she was almost directly in front of the queen to where she could've hit her entire front.

"You know you could always give up and yeild now. It would be easier for the both of us."

Allison huffed and gritted her teeth as she ran past, knocking into her arm she was that close running past her. "I DIDNT GET THIS FAR BY QUITTING!!", she yelled as she ran past her.

The Queen rose a brow but a rumbling sound got her attention as she snapped forward and gasped at her own pillar coming towards her. SHe was barely able to step aside as it rumbled past still after Allison and the audience gasped. In the meantime, Allison had to freeze and let three more pillars pass her(two in front and one behind) before she could continue running across the field to gain distance from the thing to make a turn for herself. Two of the eight pillars crashed into each other when the Queen wasn't looking to control them. Making only six left. The queen yelled 'UGH!!' before directing her angry scowl at the girl. Allison gave her own scowl back as she ran her own way face to face with the pillar. And the Queen smirked, before pointing her staff again at her.

"YOU CAN'T OFFER YOUR POISON TO ME!!~ IN YOUR KINGDOM OF FILTH!!~ WHITE RABBIT!!~ STRAIGHT JACKET-" She stopped singing momentarily to raise a brow at Allison's head on collision, at the very last second Allison leaned on her ankle to lean her body left and 'fall' to dodge the entire pillar, her hand came down to push her body back up as she continued running at the Queen stumbling a bit, but back on track. "...YOUR MAGIC WHITE RABBIT HAS LEFT IT'S WRITING ON THE WALL!!~ WE FOLLOW LIKE ALICE AND JUST KEEP DIVING DOWN THE HOLE!!~" The pillar from before changed directions and was still following fast after Allison, and by estention HER since Allison was running towards her as well. Her eyes widened at this and she pointed right towards her direction of path. "WE'RE FALLING IN AND WE'RE LOOSING CONTROL!!~" Her red hair whipped wildly around her as she sent another pillar right for Allison and smiled. There was no way Allison could get that Pillar to hit her if she countered it. "WE FOLLOW LIKE ALICE AND JUST KEEP DIVING DOWN THE HOLE!!~" All the while still singing that beautiful victory song of hers.

Allison seemed to notice that too as she stared wide eyed at being wedged between two pillars headed right for her and she kept running blankly....until she dove right and the two pillars collided with each other with a crash. Crumbling to nothing but piles of dirt on the ground. The queen stood there in shock for a moment, before gritting her teeth and harshly swinging her staff up and down pointing at her again. This time two of the remaining four pillars came after her and soon Allison found herself trapped between two faster pillars circling around her like they were sharks. Spinning and spinning faster and faster and Allison looked scared. Like they would crush her any moment...The Human stopped and looked forward as a THIRD pillar was headed right for her. She was trapped between two and a third one was headed right for her and she couldn't stop it!...Allison blinked and looked back down to the umbrella she was holding...She had an idea. Oh god please let this work. She opened the umbrella and put it above her head like to keep the rain off. The third one rumbled closer and she slammed her eyes shut! A crash was heard as the third pillar smashed into one of the two pillars circling her and the other one circling her slammed into the two in it's path. Effectively destroying three pillars and sending a wave of air and dust everywhere. The queen's fiery red hair whipped around her wildly as she closed her eyes and grabbed her hat until it past...She opened one eye and then the other staring at what just happened. There was a decent pile of dirt, but no Allison. Was she buried under the dirt?

"...*GASP* LOOK UP THERE!!,'' a woman from the stands yelled and pointed up.

The queen did and stared in shock. Up there floating down slowly to the ground. Was Allison. The umbrella she had bee carrying around opened and she clung to it for dear life looking around her nervously. ....Quick thinking. The Queen gritted her teeth again and pointed at her. The last pillar rumbled forward and Allison could only watch in horror as it rumbled towards her and with a smack she collided with the top of it, she scrambled her purchase at the top of it and hung on for dear life despite having the wind knocked out of her.

"I won't be pushed aside.~ I will be heard.~ I will get what I want.~ What I deserve.~" She swung her staff left and the thing lurched left making Allison yelp and her grip slightly loosen, the queen did it again but in the other direction making her grip with her one hand further loosen as she was barely hanging onto the thing now. "I WON'T BE PUSHED AISIDE!!~ I WILL BE HEARD!!~ I WILL GET WHAT I WANT!!~ WHAT I DESERVE!!~"

She swung her staff again and this time Allison's gripped let go. She screamed as she fell all the way down and landed hard onto the ground with a thud, kicking up dirt around her. She coughed and wheezed from having the air knocked out of her twice. Groaning and rolling onto her side. Forcing her jello body to stand up and shake her head as her vision cleared and she was staring at the frowning face of the queen again as she pointed her staff at her. A familiar rumble sound was heard and Allison turned and yelped when that last pillar came after her. She frowned and began to once again run away from it.

"WE'RE FALLING AND WE'RE LOOSING CONTOL!!~ YOU'RE PULLING US AND DRAGGING US DOWN THIS DEAD END ROAD!!~ YOUR MAGIC WHITE RABBIT HAS LEFT IT'S WRITING ON THE WALL!!~ WE FOLLOW LIKE ALICE AND JUST KEEP DIVING DOWN THE HOLE!!" Allison stupidly ran towards a wall and looked at it before turning around in wide eyed fear as the Queen cornered her and smiled. Pushing the pillar towards her. It was all over now. "WE'RE FALLING AND WE'RE LOOSING CONTROL!!~ YOU'RE PULLING US AND DRAGGING US DOWN THIS DEAD END ROAD!!~ ....YOUR MAGIC WHITE RABBIT HAS LEFT IT'S WRITING ON THE WALL!!~ WE FOLLOW LIKE ALICE AND JUST KEEP DIVING DOWN THE HOLE!! DIVING DOWN THE HOLE!!"

Everyone gaped in upcoming doom as the pillar would eventually crush her- Allison at the last second dove hard left and hit the ground with a thud as the thing crashed into the tall wall of the arena. The stands shook and some of the spectators gasped and screamed in fright, but everyone was ok. The pillar turned into a giant pile of dirt like the ones before it and Allison sat on her knees and elbows, breathing heavily and looking at the pile of dirt before looking at the shocked Queen...Still breathing heavily she scowled and shakily pushed herself up to her feet. Pointing her umbrella at her and challenging her future. Murmers and mumbles came from the audience and the queen hesitatntly looked around for a moment before her calm stare came back.

"Not bad," She spoke loud enough for Allison to hear her from their distance apart, "You know only a handful of people actually make it past one round with me. You're quicker than I thought."

"S-Spending...*gasp* y-years as a kid growing up running around in the w-w-woods and track helped."

"You know you can still yield now. No one would blame you if you did, and I do mean it when I say I'd hate to put you through more."

Allison's scowled further. "I-I said I d-d-didn't come this far by q-quitting! Im never going t-to give up!"

The Queen smiled. "If you insist.....TRIAL BY CLOSE COMBAT!!"

The horns sounded again and Allison looked up at the stands where the Queen shouted to. "TRIAL BY CLOSE COMBAT!!", the same man from before shouted and the crowd roared with excitement again.

Allison didn't have time to question it before something rose from the ground behind her, she gasped and spun around ready to run away from another pillar but no pillar came. Instead it was a giant piece of a stone wall and she looked confused before it began to move forward towards her and the queen. She backed away as others came forward too. She watched as they all came slowly together and boxed them in, each one giving a loud thud noise as they came together and soon they were essentially standing in a space that was as big as the bedroom she woke up in. A much smaller space than the entire field but still room enough for a close combat fight.

"Don't worry." She jumped and backed away from the queen who twirled her staff in her hands, ruby heart shining. "There's no magic in this test, just similar to a sword fight."

She pointed the staff at Allison again and the human gulped. Shakingly holding up her umbrella at her. It's ok. It's ok. Just....Remember all the times you played pirates as a kid and swordfighted with sticks with Chesire....Chesire? Some where deep down, a spark ignited in her and she gritted her teeth and her eyes narrowed. That woman hurt her only friend. She WOULDN'T GET AWAY with it!! Even if Allison was forever stuck here that Queen was gonna be taught a lesson. A silence once again was shared between the two ladies as they stared each other down, before something broke that silence. Allison couldn't see the stands from the walls, but she could hear them playing a softer music. Not rock at least. As the music played the queen still just stood there for the better half of a minute doing nothing but staring at Allison and pointing at her.

"...Hey Alli, where's your Wonderland now that you're back on earth?~" She sang at her while she began to step ever slowly to her. "How does it look now that you've left it behind across the stepping stones?~" The queen smirked and Allison had a feeling she was deliberately using the song's lyrics to taunt her. ..She had left everything behind being here didn't she? "Hey Alli, is it greener here?~ Does it feel the same?~ Can you say that you are happy to be home?~"...No.This...This wasn't her home! Allison shook her head and pointed her umbrella at the smiling queen. "The rabbit seems to call your name.~ You're late so it's time to move.~ OH Alli.~ You know your fate.~ Tick tock, no time to loose.~"

The queen stopped about half way between them still pointing her staff at Allison as the poor girl shook and darted her red eyes up and down this smiling queen as she just stood there- Before without warning she charged. Allison wasn't prepared for that and so didn't move away in time before the queen was on her. She yelled as a stinging sensation exploded from her forearm as she was whacked by the queen's staff and another when the Queen effortlessly pushed her forward and she stumbled a few feet clutching her stinging arm. Before yelping and starting to run as the Queen swung at her back still singing.

"Did the mushrooms make you grow?~ Did the flowers say hello?~ Would Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dee care to sing a song for me?~ Did you like your un-birthday?~" ....She smirked as she sang the next sentence. "Did the Chesire cat smile your way?~" Allison scowled back at her as the continued to run. "Can you tell a raven from a writing disk?~ Was the Hatter's tea the best?~" The Queen stopped chasing and watched amused as Allison stared back at her and ran. "Did you do as the queen asked?~ Did you see through the looking glass?~"

There was a thud sound as Allison painfully ran into the stone walls and the audience immediately roared with laughter at the fact Allison wasn't looking where she was going. Allison hissed from the pain and stumbled back, reaching a hand to clutch at her right cheek but stopped when it stung. She had scraped her cheek from the hit, her head throbbing and her forearm too. She scowled back to the queen showing her teeth but the Queen still just stood there amused. Allison growled under her breath and charged, swinging the umbrella above her head and around wildly towards the amuzed queen but the taller woman just easily deflected the oncoming attacks.

"Hey Alli, do you want to play?~ The Queen's great-"

"Or so it's been said!," Allison retorted back as a swing to the queen's hip was deflected.

The queen scowled. "Hey Alli, can you play croquet?~"

"If I'm good then I can keep my head!~," Allison retorted back and for a moment the queen froze at what Allison just implied.

...Her mother and father. Countless victims. Their heads- A pain shot out in the Queen's middle as she stumbled back one arm going to her stomach as her own wind was knocked outta her. Allison had used that moment to take advantage and aimed a good hit to her middle. The audience gasped again and Allison charged aiming for her shoulder- Which was deflected again when her staff swung up knocking Allison a few feet away skidding across the dirt, getting herself more dirty and the Queen slowly stood back up and looked at her.

"Did the mushrooms make you grow?~" She lightly stomped with every step and Allison scrambled back on the ground. As she got closer. Forgetting her umbrella in her scramble. "Did flowers say hello?~ Would Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dee care to sing a song for me?~ Did you like your un-birthday?~....Did the Chesire cat smile your way?~" Again Allison paused..before her red eyes glanced to the umbrella. "Can you tell a raven from a writing disk?~ Was the Hatter's tea the best?~" She stopped her shadow looming over her, and she raised her staff up. "Did you do as the queen asked?~ Did you see through the looking glass?~"

She slammed her arms down and the staff and Allison dove under her, between her legs, and frantically crawled towards her umbrella. The Queen looked behind her as Allison frantically grabbed the umbrella and pointed it at the queen shaking to her feet.

"...Hey Alli, are you here or there or somewhere in-between?~" The queen slowly turned around to face her. "Hey Alli, would you ever dare to go back through where you came?~"

"Yes! I would!"

Another silence as the stared at each other, before the queen walked towards the scowling girl again. "HEY ALLI!!~ TIME IS RUNNING SHORT!!~," She sang louder, "THIS CAN'T TAKE TOO LONG!!~ MAKE A CHOICE NOW!!~ ON WHICH SIDE OF THE DOOR DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU BELONG?!~" Was that the Queen giving her another chance to give up? Allison scowled and braced for impact. "THE RABBIT SEEMS TO CALL YOUR NAME!!~ YOU'RE LATE SO IT'S TIME TO MOVE!!~ OH, ALLI!!~ YOU KNOW IT'S YOUR FATE!!~ TICK TOCK, NO TIME TO LOSE!!~" She ran forward again and Allison came up to block it only for her leg to come up and kick her. Allison wheezed and fell to the ground from the very powerful kick...but there was no time to lose as she rolled and scrambled away on the ground as the queen stomped on the ground barely missing her each time. "DID THE MUSHROOMS MAKE YOU GROW?~ DID THE FLOWERS SAY HELLO?~ WOULD TWEEDLE-DUM AND TWEEDLE-DEE CARE TO SING A SONG FOR ME?~ DID YOU LIKE YOUR UN-BIRTHDAY?~ DID THE CHESIRE CAT SMILE YOUR WAY?~" Another scowl from the scrambling dirty girl. "CAN YOU TELL A RAVEN FROM A WRITING DISK?~ WAS THE HATTER'S TEA THE BEST?~ DID YOU DO AS THE QUEEN ASKED?~ DID YOU SEE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS?~" Allison kept backing up until her back hit the wall and she yelled out in slight pain when one of the Queen's feet was slammed against her shoulder, pinning her and trapping her against the wall. Allison struggled but she couldn't move her arm and the taller woman was too heavy for her to push off her. "The rabbit seems to call your name.~ You're late so it's time to move.~ Oh Alli, you know it's your fate.~ Tick tock, no time to lose.~"

The music faded away and Allison continued to struggle underneath her weight as the Queen calmly watched her struggle under her. Rolling her eyes just as Allison got an idea. She stopped struggling and scowled up at her capturer, breathing heavily as the Queen rose a brow. Unknowst to her highness Allison shifted her pinned arm painfully and currently slipping the umbrella into her free hand as she was doing so.

"Do you yield now?"

"...L-Let me ask you a question. H-Have you ever heard of a surprise attack!?"

The queen never got a chance to answer before something hit the side of her head. She had leaned down to talk to Allison which put her in the perfect position of Allison's umbrella. It hit her with a thud and with all her strength, Allison pushed against the side of the Queen's leg as she clutched her head which sent the monarch to the ground with a thud. But Allison wasn't done, she spotted the scepter the queen used by her and grabbed it. Her arm still hurt like crazy but she just gritted her teeth and yanked it away from the Queen. Scrambling to her feet and staring down at the taller woman. The queen of hearts looked back up to her and seemed to pause as Allison pointed her umbrella at her and hold her scepter in her other hand.

"S-See?! I got your magic wand! YOU LOSE!! Now l-let me go!"

The queen ever calm just looked at her before she chuckled and got to her feet. Straightening herself and looking down at Allison. "I won't lie. That was an impressive move, I didn't see it coming. But Im afraid you're mistaken. You see, the scepter isn't magic at all." The Queen snapped her fingers and effortlessly the scepter was yanked by Allison and went flying into the Queen's hand. "I AM MAGIC. The scepter is just for show silly girl. If my magic was just contained in my scepter, I would've been defeated long ago."

Allison could only stare wide eyed in shock and continue to breath heavily as she stared at this taller woman in shock, even when the walls fell away behind them exposing them back to the rest of the arena and Allison closed her eyes and threw her hands over her head to shield her face from the flying dust. But froze when she felt the queen press the edge of the staff to her head.

"Sworros nwo reh emoc revo nac ehs sselnu esaeler tnod dna tsaf dloh. Dloh rouy ni lrig siht parw worros fo sniahc.", the queen spoke in some kind of foreign gibberish language and Allison was so confused.

Until somethig clamped around her neck and she yelped. Hands reaching up to grab at her throat but soon her wrists were clamped around too and pulled down. She yelled as she was forced to her knees and dropped the umbrella. Looking down to her hands Allison froze....There was-....Magical handcuffs on her wrists. The chains were blue and see through, obviously made out of some kind of magic and a sudden feeling of panic and sorrow overwhelmed her, she struggled and tried to rip the chains clamped around her off.

"You got something useless! Of course you did!!" Allison stopped at the voice and looked up. And her jaw dropped in shock at the scene playing out before her. It was....Her. LITTLE HER. Standing there crying with red cheeks while her aunt looked down at her furious. "I asked you get something for grandmother while you were out with Robert and he got her a book. She can read a book! Over and over again if needed. What is she supposed to do with a doll? You wasted my money on a child's toy!"

....NO! She NEVER wasted that money. Cinderella was her granny's favorite fairytale. She would've loved having something like that, she just knew it.

"Auntie? Can I have a puppy too?"

Allsion looked back to litte her and her aunt giving her a bored look as her two cousins played with their two new pups that rolled around innocent as can be. And scoffed at her. "Well, maybe if you were more responsible and got your grades up like a good girl, you'd be getting one." Making little Allison cry again.

Shaking with tears now in her eyes, she looked back up to the queen who was giving her a sorry look and Allison hiccuped. "W-What did you do?"

"A spell. The Chains of Sorrow. But the spell only works if you say it backwards. 'Chains of sorrow wrap this girl in your hold. Hold fast and don't release unless she can over come her own sorrows.'" She shrugged. "It's my last and final test that no one has ever defeated, it shows the person chained in them their deepest sorrows over and over until I remove them or they overcome them, which never happened.....I actually only used this one other time ever but you can still yield and I'll remove them."

Allison could only blink at her as she watched more and more scenes came to her. There was a scene of the little girl with strawberry blonde hair falling into a lake and ruining her new dress, her aunt yelling at her for ruining it and her cousins making fun of her. A scene of her class snickering as her fourth grade science teacher scolded her for doodling in her notebook. Another one of her loosing her favorite ball because her cousin kicked it over the fence where the neighbor's dog chewed it up. Another one when she was slightler older. She just got dumped by her boyfriend. ANother one when she was older, she was forced to attend summer school to make up for lost grades. Another even older Allison getting rejected by the colleges she sent an appilication to. Her aunt telling her she had to move out of her house and handing her a bag of her things. A twenty year old her staying up all night looking through all the overdue bills and college textbooks she had to pay. The day she found the eviction notice on her door....The day her granny died. She couldn't stop. Too horrified to look away. The day of the funeral. It was raining, she was staring at the gravestone- Allison slammed her eyes shut and bowed her head down as the voices of her various memories continued to play around her.

"You know I can't see anything you are. Only you can choose to end this, just give up. After all, it seems you could take a lot, but Im not sure."

.....It seemed everyone said that. Expected big things of her and at the same time expected her to give up. So many expectations. So many failures. She couldn't do anything. Couldn't get graduate from college. Couldn't hold a job. Couldn't get a home on her own. Heck. Even Chesire saw how useless she was and cleaned and fed her like a poor person. And then she got herself thrown into this whole new world without even trying not too. Running around like a labrat in a maze trying to get home, and Chesire spent all that energy getting here. Then she got herself kidnapped and got Chesire hurt. Because they were after HER. ...Because of what?! Because she was only human and past humans stole history from them!?....Human....That's right...She was only human. She still didn't look up but her gritted teeth untensed.

".....I-I...can hold my breath," her voice cracked under pressure as she forced the words out. The Queen's smile disappearing and staring at her. "I c-can bite my tongue. I can stay awake for days I-if that's what you want." She was saying all this barely over a whisper. The Queen right in front of her could barely even hear her. "Be y-y-your number one. ....*hic* I c-can force a smile. I c-can force a laugh." Allison was...singing. All be it very quietly and broken but sorrowfully none the less. "I c-can dance and play the p-part *hic* if that's what you ask. Give you all I can....I can do it...*hic* I can do it. I-I c-c-can do it. B-but Im only human...A-And I bleed when I fall d-d-down." She was still barely audable with only the shocked Queen staring down at her as she softly sang. "I-I'm only human a-and I crash *hic* and I break down. Your words in my head. Knives in my heart. Y-You build me up then I fall apart cause I'm only humaaaaa-ha-haaaaan."

Those red eyes opened and shakingly her head looked up at the Queen. Red faced, frowning, shaking, crying, and half her hair covering that sorrowful face to match the voice that was singing.

"I-I c-c-can turn it on!~", she hiccuped and forced out, "Be a good machine!~ I-I can hold the weight of worlds, if that's w-w-what *hic* you need.~ B-Be your everything.~....." Her eyes narrowed seeing another memory behind the Queen of another younger her, and a bully taking her notebook showing off the doodles she did of her crush to the class. And her teeth gritted into an almost snarl. "...I can do it!~" She sang louder now being heard by more people. "I can do it!~ I'll get through it!~ BUT I'M ONLY HUMAN!!!~ AND I BLEED WHEN I FALL DOWN!!~ I'M ONLY HUMAN!!~ AND I CRASH AND I BREAK DOWN!!~" She opened those angry red eyes and stared directly at the Queen as she spoke the next verse. "YOUR WORDS IN MY HEAD!!~ KNIVES IN MY HEART!!~ YOU BUILD ME UP AND I FALL APART CAUSE I'M ONLY HUMAAAAAAAANN!!!~" She stopped for a moment letting her shaking body and heave and she stared her gaze up at the shocked monarch of Wonderland. "YOU ARE UNFAIR AND EVEN IF YOU DO WHAT YOU DO FOR GOOD REASONS IT STILL HURTS PEOPLE!! YOU STILL PEOPLE THROUGH UNNEEDED STRESS AND PAIN!! IF YOU REALLY SEE YOUSELF AS THE FAIR RULER YOU WANT TO PROVE TO BE, THEN STOP THIS NOW!!"

She shrieked up at the Queen as she just stood there, just staring and breathing heavily at the smaller human who called her out in front of everyone in the crowd. Everyone silent and even the members of the band playing turning to look at her. The small human daring to stand up to the terrorfying queen of hearts that nobody ever questioned.

"....I-....I can't-"

Allison narrowed her eyes and growled giving her an actual snarl this time with her eyes. Her eyes seeming to almost glow in frustration. "...I'M ONLY HUMAN!! I'M ONLY HUMAN!! JUST A LITTLE HUMMMMAAAAAAAAAANNNN!!!~" Her head leaned back as she yelled the last verses. Everyone still remaining silent as Allison stared angrily at her. "....I can take so much til I've had enough." She couldn't tell if Allison was singing that or telling her how she felt, or both. "CAUSE I'M ONLY HUMAAAAANN!!~ AND I BLEED WHEN I FALL DOWN!!~ I'M ONLY HUMAN!!~ AND I CRASH AND I BREAK DOWN!!~ YOUR WORDS IN MY HEAD!!~ KNIVES IN MY HEART!!~ YOU BUILD ME UP AND THEN I FALL APART!!~ CAUSE I'M ONLY HUMMMMAAAAAAAANNN!!!~"

Allison's voice echoed throughout the whole quiet place and she heaved, staring down this queen challengingly. Daring her to say anything against what she had just voiced. But no words came out of the Queen's mouth as she just stared down at Allison like she was death herself. And Allison continued to cry. She was feeling really bad seeing all her past mistakes coming to face her head on like this but to heck with it. She had enough of this and if it meant facing every single one of them then so be it!! She had enough of getting the short end of the stick. The chains, though just magic, still rattled as she moved and she hissed with the pain her body had.

"You THINK what you're doing is the best you can do! But the truth you refuse to face is that it's doing more harm than g-good. Even if it's for a good purpose, you're going about this the wrong way!" She locked eyes with her. "Y-You used these chains.....Why?"

".....Y-You would've possibly beaten me if I didn't-"

"WHY?!" Allison demanded, "Why is beating me so important?! To punish me for something I DIDN'T even know happened?! I only want to go home and if you really wanted me to go away sending me back would've been the easiest way out for both of us instead of this happening! Are you that insecure you have to prove to everyone that I'm already no match for you?!"

Allison stopped. Looking to the right where no one could see it but her....But her present self was sitting there. Looking tired and exhausted, and staring up at the memory of a happy bouncing blue cat making her smile. Before a bowling pin hit the cat at incredible speed and the small blue cat landed a few feet away from past her. ..Her red eyes widened seeing the four men knock her out and the biggest pick her up off the tent floor as her friend laid unconscious on the ground- Her anger deep down flared up again and this time worse than ever, enough to make her tremble and her red eyes to glow with anger...Literally! Her red eyes shown a brighter red all of a sudden and the Queen actually backed away a few steps from those angry tears. ....Music suddenly started to play. The band people yelped and stepped away from the intruments that began to play as Allison shakingly stood on wobbling legs, refusing to loos eye contact. She WAS NOT weak! It wasn't HER fault her aunt and cousins were terrible! It wasn't her fault she couldn't keep her job or apartment! It wasn't her fault she couldn't go to college!! And is certainly wasn't her fault she accidentally fell through a mirror and crashlanded here! And it wasn't her fault Chesire got hurt!! It was HER men that did that and kidnapped her!! The queen felt something bubble up from her gut she hadn't felt since she was a little girl....Fear. And it showed on her face when facing this Human's red eyes. How was music playing if no band members were playing it?!

"Trippin' out.~ Spinning around.~ I'm underground.~ I fell down.~ Yeah, I fell dooo-o-own.~", Allison sang. Despite still crying hard, she had anything but a sad face. Her face was red with anger and determination and her voice held a fiery passion as she stared down this Queen. "I'm freaking out!~ Where am I now?~ Upside down and I can't stop it now!~ CAN'T STOP ME NOOOO-Ooo-OOOOOWWW!!~ OOOOOHHHHH!!!" She stopped her trembling and flipped her hair out of her face to look around better. "IIIIIIII!!~ I'LL GET BYYYY!!~ IIIIII!!~ I'LL SURVIIIIIVE!!~ WHEN THE WORLD'S CRASHING DOWN!!~ WHEN I FALL AND HIT THE GROUND!!~ I WILL TURN MYSELF AROUND!!~ DON'T YOU TRY TO STOP ME!!~ IIIIIIIII!!~ I WON'T CRYYYYY!!~"

Allison eyed her up and down as the haunted intruments continued to play and began to stomp her way towards this Queen. The chain fading in and out for just a few moments, making the Queen gulp and start to take steps back. Allison ignored the crying of past hers in memories still showing beside her as she marched on. Eyes only focusing on the frightened Queen.

"I'll play the game but I can't stay!!~ I've got my head on straight and I'm not gonna change!!~ I'M NOT GONNA CHANGE!!~ I'LL WIN THE RACE!!~ KEEP UP WITH THE PACE!!~ TODAY IS THE DAY THAT I START TO PRAY!!~ YOU CAN'T GET IN MY WAAAAAYYY!!~ NNNNOOOOO!!~ IIIIIIII!!~ I'LL GET BYYY!!~ IIIII!!~ I'LL SURVIIIVE!!~ WHEN THE WORLD'S CRASHING DOWN!!~ WHEN I FALL AND HIT THE GROUND!!~ I WILL TURN MYSELF AROUND!!~ DON'T YOU TRY TO STOP ME!!~ IIIII!!~ I WON'T CRY!!~"

The Queen tripped and landed on her bottom and if the audience and her weren't so shocked at what was happening, she would've gotten mad at their assumed laughter. But instead found herself scooting back and away from Allison just like she had before her and Allison only continued marching hard and determined never taking those red eyes off her. Almost as if the Queen couldn't look away. Allison barely registered the chains loosening and fading in and out more now. Her hands balled into fists so hard her knuckles turned white at the sensation.

"I found myself in Wonderland.~ Get back on my feet again.~ Is this real?~ Is this pretend?~ I'll take a stand until the EEEENNNNDDDD!~ ....IIIIII!!~ I'LL GET BYYY!!~ IIIIII!!~ I'LL SURVIIIIIVE!!~ WHEN THE WORLD'S CRASHING DOWN!!~ WHEN I FALL AND HIT THE GROUND!!~ I WILL TURN MYSELF AROUND!!~ DON'T YOU TRY TO STOP ME!!~ IIIII!!~ I WON'T CRY!!".....Allison stopped and watched as Velveteen continued to scramble away from her as if she was death herself. ".IIIIII!!~ I'LL GET BYYY!!~ IIIIII!!~ I'LL SURVIIIIIVE!!~ WHEN THE WORLD'S CRASHING DOWN!!~ WHEN I FALL AND HIT THE GROUND!!~ I WILL TURN MYSELF AROUND!!~ DON'T YOU TRY TO STOP ME!!~ IIIII!!~......And I won't cryyy.~"

The music continued for a little longer as Allison seemed to deflate a little and the intruments crashed down the floor and chairs of the band stand and the band memebers looked at one another and back to their un-posessed intruments now. Allison heaved as she still stared dow at the Queen who was also heavy. Their hearts hammered heavily in their chest. The Queen's from fear. Allison's from hard work and running around a lot but as tired and sore as she was, she was still standing. A crackling noise suddenly sounded out as cracks formed across the magic clamps and chains on Allison but she didn't look at them. Just the Queen, she didn't even notice. Her eye contact with the Queen never giving up.

"No matter how hard you push! No matter what's true about me, I will never STOP fighting for what I love! I LOVE art! And will never give that up!" The Queen looked confused by what she meant by that but didn't try to question her. "And you made a mistake. You hurt my friend and I care about him!! AND NOTHING WAS MY FAULT!! I AM NOT WEAK!! I DID ALL THIS BY MYSELF AND I COULDN'T BE MORE PROUDER THAN I AM RIGHT NOW!!" More cracks and fading. "We all make mistakes. My mistake was taking myself forgranted all this time and thinking it was all my fault. Your mistake was not thinking about how your actions affect others...And Chesire...He m-made his own mistakes that Im definitely going to ask him about. But right now. As of today. YOU STOP!! You lost! And you can't make anyone else suffer....Which is why I'm going to do something no one has probably done before."

"...W-What are you going to do?"

"Forgive you."

There was a pause as the Queen's mind completely went blank as she stared at Allison. The dirty, sore n tired, scratched up human stared back at her with a sorry face. ".....What?"

....Allison smiled despite the pain from her scraped cheek. "I said I forgive you. For everything that happened."

".....But why? I hurt you. I-I wasn't going to let you go home."

Allison shrugged. "You were only doing what you thought was best for everyone. You grew up under pretty strict situations, I know how growing up with high expectations feels. And...You didn't really mean any harm. You never actually hurt anyone, and I-....I feel like you're telling the truth." She smiled wider anger completely gone from those shining beautiful red eyes. "No one should judge you for your parents mistakes. I forgive you....Will you accept my forgiveness?"

She still stared at Allison and looked down....All her mistakes. All her progress was....WRONG!! SO WRONG!! She was doing this all wrong but-....What should she do now? Everyone was watching her. Not sure if anyone could hear her other than Allison but...She looked back to the human. ".....I d-do."

There was silence as they still stared at each other and Allison finally looked down at the chains than were completely covered in cracks. They broke with a glass sound and faded into thin air, any memories disappearing behind her and she smiled. Flexing her hands out and smiling wider at her freedom fromher prison but gasped as a shadow fell over them and the sound of someone clapping entered their ears. The Queen looked up from her spot on the ground and also froze as the sweet scent filled their noses.

"Fortune?"

There, to everyone's disbeleif, was the Forune Teller. The giant mothman chuckled pink smoke swirling around him as his first pair of hands held his smoke device, while the other pair was clapping as he smiled down at his beloved. "Greetings, Veleteen. And you too Miss Allison. I must say the show you put on tonight was in my opinion the best you could've given.~ You learnt what you needed too finally."

Velveteen immediately scrambled to her feet and brushed herself off and straightening herself out. A red blush rushing to her cheeks as he chuckled. "How long were you-....W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"

"I arrived a few minutes before your two's battle began. And I came out of curiousity to see how it would end...And another reason." ...He suddenly reached over to suck on the small smoke machine's pipe before exhaling the sweet smelling pink smoke with a frown. "My crystal ball told me you would be in danger but it didn't say what. I thought it'd be best to come and investigate myself."

Both women looked confused. "Danger? Why would I be in danger? The fight is over now."

BAM!!

The ground shook from under them as the audience screamed and gasped from the earthquake that shook everything. Velveteen was grabbed by the Fortune Teller who steadied her and Allison wobbled and fell onto her bum. The doors from where Allison had first entered through was literally blown off their hendges and sprawled across the arena. Two guards laid there too. Groaning much to everyone's relief. Thank goodness they were ok. But they stared at the smoke pouring out the door and a small shadow was starting to walking it's way through.

"I do beleive we're about to find out."

The Bear Or The Deer

Fandom: Frankenstein Character: Adam/Frankenstein’s monster Relationship: Adam/reader Request: you do a lot of horror and I was just wondering on the off chance: would you do Frankenstein’s monster x reader? AN: Frankenstein is my favourite book! Since, in the book the creature calls himself Adam, I decided to stick with that as his name. also, this’ll probably be a multi-chapter thing as I cant wait to explore more plot with him

 Sitting in your home on a stormy night, in the pitch black, waiting by a window was never something you thought you would ever have to do. But after the last few months, you needed to know. You had to. Something was happening and you didn’t know or understand it. People had reported a monster in the woods that surrounded your home, yet you had had little cause to be frightened. In fact, the only thing that truly scared you about it was not knowing what it was. You had never felt exposed or unsafe in your home. It was about a mile out from the nearest town, and just off a trail that only had one or two horse and carts pass by ever week. You were mostly self sufficient, growing your own vegetables and fruit in your large garden and a few animals such as cow and a few chickens along with your trusted horse. You traded in town with your craft work, using your love for paints, crafting and even mending things. Often, the butcher, who has a young family, will ask you for new clothes and such in exchange for meat. You would sell your art to passing traders and do the occasional jobs for everyone else in the town in exchange for whatever you needed. But it was still hard work. Your home and its surroundings needed a lot of tending to. Only, you had noticed something strange over the last little while. Your log pile, which you kept outside next to the small bard, was kept topped up. Then apples started being left on your back porch every morning, along with oranges and any other fuits. As time grew on, you grew uneasy. You tried leaving out food and some blankets and such, in hope that whoever it is was just looking to trade. But they never took anything. And then the rumours started in town. A beast, like a bear, stalking the forest. A few had seen it moving about, but none dared approach it. It had to be human-like, judging but its knowledge of cutting wood and such, but where did it live? Was it close to you? Tonight, you planned on seeing it for yourself. You had left out a large basket of food for it. Cheeses, hams, a bottle of milk and some eggs, in hopes that it would take it. You sat to the side of one of your kitchen windows, which was close to the back door where the thing sometimes left fruit. You hoped it would see the basket when placing the logs on the pile and come to investigate. You had nearly drifted off when a crash of thunder woke you, making you jump as you sat straight up. Looking out the window, you noticed how the moon was nearly fully covered by clouds, the only light now came from the soft glow of your living room, where you always kept the fire going to heat the house and the small light of the full moon that peaked through the clouds. Another few lightening strikes and crashes of thunder kept you alert. Until you saw the creature. It emerged from the forest like a it might have been a tree itself, judging but the stature. In the rain, it was bend over, walking on two legs with a long cloak drawn over its body. It was human, and judging by the stature, probably male. It, he, carried logs against his chest, only pulling back his cloak to place them onto the pile carefully. He was soaked to the bone, you could see that, and yet he was more concerned with make sure the balance of the pile was right. His face was hidden by the hood, but you saw he had noticed the basket, which was still dry thanks to the porches roof and the wind that blew the rain in the opposite direction. He walked to the porch, placing his foot on the bottom of the three steps, his whole body seeming to tilt to the side in curiosity. He looked up towards the top floor of the house, where he probably thought you were fast asleep. You saw him place his hand up to his chest and he gave a small bow to your house, before retreating without the basket. You were stunned, shocked and so confused. What was he? Why did he do these things for you? Why would he be out in such weather? Where was his family? It was curiosity that lead you to spring up from your seat and run to the back door as a crash of thunder masked you opening the door. “Wait!” You called out, scooping the basket up by the handle. The figure froze, his entire body seeming to turn to rock at the sound of your voice. You took a few more steps out, not daring to descend the steps into the rain just yet. You wanted to keep the food dry. “Please, will you take this?” You asked, hoping your question would draw some kind of response out of him. Which it did. He turned, but in a strange kind of way. His lower half turned a quarter of the way towards you while the top half twisted fully, keeping his head low and covered by the hood. It was very unnerving to watch, and reminded you that something just wasn’t quite right about him. “For helping me. I want you to have it.” You manage to speak, keeping the fear from affecting your voice.   A crash of lightening followed by a roll of thunder as if showing some kind of inner battle the man was obviously having with himself. You were just a woman, alone in your home. He had no reason to fear you. You had no weapons, nor was there anyone close by who would be able to help you. If anything, you should be scared of him. But something was different about him. “Please.” You repeated, keeping your voice soft. This seemed to be enough to persuade him back to you, approaching you in such a manner that reminded you of a stray dog approaching a human who had offered it food. It wanted the food, yes, but it was scared of the hand that gave it. As he reached the bottom of the small set of stairs, you couldn’t help but feel dwarfed by him. Even with you at the top stair, he was taller. The light from the house didn’t give you enough light to see his face. Holding out the basket, you smiled. He hesitated, but raised his right hand to take the basket. As he did so, the sleeve fell back, revealing a wrist with a deep scar running around the wrist and down beneath his sleeve. The flesh itself was a little… off in colour. But the scar looked painful. You couldn’t help the gasp that fell from your lips as you looked up at him. At the wrong time. A bolt of lightening lit up the sky and, for the first time, you saw his face. A gaunt face looked back at you. Thin lips with barely any colour behind them were opened slightly in surprise. His cheeks bones were prominent, and his skin the same as his hand, looking slightly off and discoloured. His nose was missing, and chunk and several scars ran across this face, almost like a doll that had been ripped apart and sow back together again. But his eyes. They were a yellowish colour, with the left one having another scar running from the bottom of his eye right down his cheek to his jaw. They were wide, surprised, like a deep that had been scared by the sudden attack of a bear. How quickly your metaphor for him had changed, from a bear to a deer. He seemed terrified of you. Yet he could easily turn on you and you were very aware of that fact.   But as quickly as the lightening had struck, it was gone, replaced with a thundering bang. The man ducked his head, retreating into himself as he turned on his heels and fled. Caring little for the rain or your own safety, you ran after him, calling out for him to wait. It would seem that his great height left him at a disadvantage to you, as you were able to catch up wit him before he reached the edge of the woods. “Wait, please!” You cry out, reaching out and grabbing his cloak and digging your heels into the ground. The man let out a grunt, twisting towards you as if expecting you to attack him, causing his hood to fall back and reveal black hair. He winced and it hit you. He didn’t want you to see him not because he didn’t want you to know who he was, but because of the way he looked. “Im sorry. The thunder and lightening just frightened me, that’s all.” You lied through your teeth. You were already soaked to the bone from the rain, which pelted down with little chance of stopping soon. The wind whipped your hair out of place, almost blowing you off of balance. Yet he stood strong a tree. As if to prove that you weren’t scared of him, you reached out and took his right hand, raising it with is palm upwards. He jumped at the touch, his skin freezing and his hand now tense. Raising it, you hooked the basket in his hand. Once he had the weight, you used both your hands to close his fingers over the handle. “As a thank you for everything you’ve done.” You smile up at him, his eyes so bright without the hood. He was handsome, at least to you. So unique and unknown. You would be lying if you said he didn’t intrigued ou unlike any man you had ever met. “do you have a name?” You asked, suddenly doubting if he even understood you. Perhaps he was mute, or didn’t understand your language. He nodded, his tongue darting out as if to wet his bottom lip despite the fact his face was soaked. “Adam.” A deep voice replied. “Im [y/n].” You told him, as if the two of you were meeting for the first time at some ball or in a local shop. He repeated it back to you, like it was the most beautiful word he had ever heard and just had to make sure he could say it right. A gust of wind ripped through the garden and hit you like a ton of bricks. You fell forward, loosing your footing as you let out a yelp. But a strong arm caught you and, before you could even realise what had happened, you were swept up like a bride. He had dropped the basket to catch you and now proceeded to carry you back through your garden. You felt your heart hammering in your chest as you stared up at him while his gaze remained solely on the path. You could see how tense his jaw was, like he was grinding his teeth together. As he climbed the bottom two steps and was about to put you back on your porch, you leaned up and pressed a kiss to his cheek. He froze. His mouth slightly open and his eyes wide, as if he were unable to believe it. You took the opportunity to swing out of his grasp, now standing on your own feet. “You’d better get home and dry off. The storm looks like it will only worsen tonight. You’ll catch your death.” You look up at the sky. You were pulled from your thought by a soft chuckle, one which made your cheeks burn and your heart stop. It was low, almost too low to hear. You looked to him and saw amusement in his eyes. He doesn’t hold your eyes for more than a second before dropping them, bowing to you. “Thank you for your concern, but I shall be fine.” He speaks with such an elegance that doesn’t quite fit his features. “well, Adam, perhaps you should come back tomorrow, just to let me know you are safe?” You ask, biting your lower lip. his head snaps up, his eyes wide with disbelieve and… hope. a single nod confirms his return as he retreats away from you for the final time that night. He pulls his hood back up and turns away, walking back to the basket, which had landed on the path, but nothing had spilled out. You hoped the blanket that covered it would be enough to protect the content from the rain. he scooped it out, glancing back at you. You smiled and waved, backing into your doorway and closing it. It was all suddenly so quiet without the wind and rain in your ear. You locked the door, unable to stop from smiling as you went to the window, seeing him take one last look at where you had been before disappearing into the woods. You couldn’t help but bursting feeling in your chest that wanted to dance until he returned, nor how his face was burned into your mind in a good way. There was still so many question in your mind. Who was he? Where did he come from? Why did he have those scars? And you couldn’t quite work out if he was the bear or the deer.

The Witcher: No Turning Back Chapter 5

Geralt watched her as she took a deep breath and pulled back the bow string. About forty yards away stood a whitetail buck. With its broadside facing them, the shot was perfect. Calmly, he looked at the young woman at his side and observed her intense expression as she lined the shot. Raising its head, the deer's tail flicked as he looked around cautiosly. Taking a hesitant step forward it quartered-away, angling its rear toward them and its chest in line.

 Ciri released the arrow.

 Imbedding the arrow deep into the lungs, the deer fell instantly.

 Sliding his gaze to hers, Geralt already knew she would be wearing that cocky smile of hers.

 "You thought I was going to miss the shot, didn't you?" she accused good-humoredly.

 Already kneeling on one knee, Geralt crossed both of his forearms on his bent knee comfortably and turned to her with a wry smile. "Well, at first I was wondering why you wasted a perfectly good angle, but then I just assumed you were trying to starve me tonight since it’s your night to cook."

 Her beautiful faced scrunched up into a sulky scowl. "Oh, come on," she whined as she stood up. "You are such a better cook. Why do you want to take the chance and have me ruin all this meat?" she flung an arm into the direction of the downed deer. "Everything I make is either burnt, bland, or too salty. Your food taste amazing."

 Standing up, he started walking towards the deer as she followed alongside of him, tucking the bow over her shoulder like he taught her. "Yes, but you will never get better if you do not practice."

 Grumbling something under her breath she forged ahead through the high brush and went to field-dress the deer. Wearing buckskin pants, a dark blue shirt tucked in into the waist, and a smile on her lips she was practically a different girl from the one he had taken in his charge weeks ago.

 Not long since they arrived at their new home, he had taken them to the nearest town. Buying a few supplies for their new home he had given her a few crowns and a strict order to get some practical clothes she could train and move around in. He had gotten more than tired of seeing her in the worn dirty clothes he had found her in. Now however, he was filled with a bit of regret at the decision. She had come out of the shop with two large parcels that she showed him proudly, describing with enthusiasm that she found clothes similar to his, but Geralt did not miss the small delicate package she kept hidden under her arm. It wasn't until that night when she had gotten done bathing from the stock pot in the far corner of the room behind that worthless curtain she hung that he spied her carefully slipping on new undergarments and smiling with such a pure feminine smile it made him wish he had given her more money. His regret unfortunately did not stop there, it was the pants. He was convinced they had to be too small but she assured him with a tug of the waist band as proof that they were plenty roomy. By God's teeth, the fuck they were! They fit her like a second skin.

 Leaning against a nearby tree, he refocused his thoughts to the present and off the wretched pants and watched as she carefully sliced the animal open.

 "Ok, how about you supervise as I cook to ensure I don't leave us both hungry and angry tonight?" she spoke over her shoulder as she removed the pieces of meat.

 "The last time I instructed you on how to cook the meat you ended up making a pie, I was essentially teaching your backside," he countered.

 "But it was good pie was it not?!" she laughed. "What luck to find a place with a baker's oven."

 Shaking his head, he grabbed the buck's antler preparing to drag the carcass further away from their property.

 Placing her hand on top of his, she gave him an offended look stopping him. "I'm supposed to be doing this remember?"

 Smirking, he lifted both hands in silent surrender and stepped back. Waiting for the inevitable.

 Folding the fabric containing the meat tightly she strung it up on a tree limb off the ground as he taught her. Walking pridefully around him, she eased herself in front of him to take the position near the antlers. Geralt nearly laughed, the girl was so stubborn and prideful all the while only reaching the center of his chest.

 Grabbing the antlers, Ciri tugged at the carcass. It did not budge. Frowning she tried again, this time bending her knees and putting more power into the move. The carcass moved one whole inch. Giving off an exasperated sigh, Ciri reluctantly brought her gaze to his and immediately regretted it. Smiling fully now, Geralt did not stop his silent laughter this time.

 "You're as stubborn as a mule," he said shaking his head.

 "Well," she began with a petulant little whine. "The whole point is to teach me so that I can do this on my own if needed."

 "Yes, but if you were on your own you would get smaller game, just enough to feed yourself."

 "Yes, well I won't ever have to worry about that right?" she said haughtily, tossing back a few strands of her ashen hair that had come down from her bun at the top of her head. "I belong to you by law and I don't see any reason that I will ever need to hunt for one."

 Though technically it was said as a statement they both heard the lilt in her tone towards the end and they both knew it was a truly indeed a real question. It was something she did often with him. Constant little hinting questions, constant inquiries about their future. Her need to be reminded that he would not abandon her was vital. And just as he usually did, he obliged the young woman, unable to ignore the desperate need for confirmation shining in her large gray eyes.

 "Yes of course," he agreed as he stepped around her towards the buck, laying a hand on her back.

 The resulting shiver that ran down her spine and through his fingertips burned his senses like magma. Removing his hand, he steeled his expression to show nothing, a skill he had yet to teach her. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see her lips part with a silent gasp and her eyes widen slightly at the contact.

 Fuck.

 It had been two weeks since they took over the cottage. Two weeks of sleeping on the floor side by side. Two weeks of nightly bathing in the living area while the other turned their back. Two weeks of his iron will being tested in a way he would have never dreamed.

 Not for the first time Geralt cursed himself for finding the girl so late. No longer berating himself for simply enacting the idiotic fucking Law of Surprise, no, just for claiming her so late. Though granted, he thought with a heavy sigh, the line was a fine one. If he were to have walked into Cintra and claimed her too early he would have had a child on his hand but waiting until now as he had done…well he had something he wasn't quite sure to handle on his hands. A young woman who looked at him as if he was the savior of the world. Hell, to her maybe he was. He certainly did seem to get to her just as her life had turned to shit, plucking her from the ravages of the world and keeping her safe it made sense why she viewed him with wide eyed heroism. It was her smart-mouth and surprisingly wry personality that he fucking liked. When her initial fear and wariness of him wore off leaving him to discover the actual princess beneath, Geralt knew then that he was fucked. Used to getting her own way and far more knowledgeable than standard nobility Geralt often found himself trading barbs and witticisms with the ashen haired young woman. And to make matters somehow worse, it was exact moments like these that was killing him. Moments of instinctual feminine reaction and appreciation to him that was undoing their innocent relationship and slowly and infernally building something else.

 He refused to let it happen goddammit. Grabbing the buck's antler, he channeled his anger into his strength and easily slid the heavy carcass behind him as he stormed off into the woods. Damn his witcher libido, he thought, placing the blame there. Normally his heightened sex drive was always something he could control unlike some of his other witcher brethren but he must have miscalculated. He needed a good fuck, he surmised, that would solve this issue and let him resume looking after the girl without fucking everything up.

 ~*~

 Letting off a small groan in her sleep, Ciri frowned at the soreness of her muscles. Not really wanting to, she forced herself to open her eyes. The rafters above were no longer dusty and decorated with cobwebs and various nests. The holes in the thatching were fixed allowing the cottage to stay even warmer with the use of their wood stove. With only a week of repairs the cottage felt like a real home. Of course, there was more that needed to be done, namely the bedrooms. It was a task neither one of them were looking forward to and both for completley different reasons. Geralt had told her he needed to stack the stones just right if he didn't intend on having to repeat the whole process at a later date and between her daily training and other chores that needed to get done, he simply hadn't had the time to focus on it. For now, their camp in the middle of the living area would have to suffice. Stuffing a few rags underneath the bedroom doors to block the wind from seeping through and their heat out, Geralt looked to be in no rush to get the job done. Something she was immensely happy for.

 Turning onto her side towards the radiating heat to her left, Ciri sucked in a breath at the sight of the witcher sleeping. It wasn't often she was up before him and even less that he was still asleep. Each night as they laid down for bed, he would teach her all about the different monsters to be hunted, describing their features with such crystal-clear clarity she could envision them almost perfectly. He would explain their weaknesses, their likely or theorized origins and sometimes he would tell her stories of growing up in Kaer Mohren, a place that seemed magical and frightening to her. At some point during his tales without fail sleep would catch a hold of her taking her under, no matter how hard she struggled against its pull and each day she would wake up next to him wishing she could have had just a few more minutes.

 Tracing his features with her gaze she smiled at the stern expression he had even in his sleep. Firm lips, a strong jaw line, and straight nose this sleeping warrior was beginning to infect every one of her waking thoughts. At first, she just needed to know he would be by her side, that he would not leave her like everyone else did, but at some point, during their daily training, their nightly bathing, and sleepy conversations her heart started to constrict with each amber glance cast her way. Ciri found herself blushing like a fool as he wrapped his arms around her to show her how to properly hold a sword.

 Dropping her gaze to his exposed collarbone she bit back the urge to grin at the sprinkling of chest hair peeking over the material. Geralt in armor was imposing indeed but it held not even a single candle to Geralt wearing just a simple shirt and pants. Built like no man she had ever seen his body seemed to bulge with muscles, it was almost obscene. When he lifted the heavy stock pot to the floor each night so they could wash off the day's grime, a privilege they afforded themselves along with twice a week soaks in the large tub, Ciri watched with open fascination at the flex of his biceps at the action.

 When did her admiration for the stoic man evolve into this? When did her beating heart turn from nervous thrashing into blood racing heat spreading throughout her body? Dropping her gaze further she examined the broad width of his chest as he lay on his side, following each rise and fall of his breath until she could feel her own match his rhythm. Once, he had mentioned off-hand in conversation when she questioned him about his mutations that everything from his hair to his eating habits were changed, she wondered…was he changed elsewhere, perhaps? Settling downward she settled on his crotch with a blush. Her grandmother, Calanthe, was a very progressive woman she did not endorse the same beliefs that most nobility believed in when it came to their daughters. She believed from an early age that Ciri should know the facts about sex and not be led to fear it like some girls were taught, in fact, Calanthe believed quite the opposite and was not afraid to expound on the joys of rigorous sex no matter how much Ciri cringed.

 Closing her eyes with a sigh, Ciri let her thoughts shift to her grandmother with a painful smile.

 "And what has you smiling so early in the morning?" Geralt's deep voice caused her to flinch.

 Startled she looked at him realizing how close they were before sitting up. Running a hand through her loose hair she shook her head and gave a nervous laugh. "Oh, um nothing really. For some reason I was just thinking of a rather inappropriate story my grandmother told me, of course before she married Eist," she added.

 "Mmm," Geralt replied deeply, in a way that made Ciri suspect that he did not believe her. "I'm sure that woman had quite a few encounters that would make even a sailor blush."

 Standing up, Geralt moved to the bowl of water they kept on the nearby table. With his hair down from his normal tie he kept it in, it fanned around him like a white curtain as he leaned forward to splash his face with the frigid water.

 Standing up from her pile of quilts, which had been mostly layered on her, she stepped over the mattresses and reached for one of the shuttered windows. Sunlight spilled vertically through the seam of the wooden shutters, enticing her to let it in. Kneeling and leaning forward on the chair in front of her, she reached out and obliged letting the warm light spill into the dim cozy room. Smiling, Ciri stared out at the beautiful day though she knew how cold it was judging by the radiating cold from the glass.

 "Where did you get that gown?" Though the question was asked in the witcher's softest tone yet, there was still a dangerous quality to it that made her heart skip a beat.

 Still kneeling on the chair, Ciri turned and looked over her shoulder at him, light spilled in from behind her bathing her and the surrounding area with bright morning sunlight.

 "I…I got it from Goldencheeks, I had nothing to sleep in so she let me have it," she explained, watching his eyes take in her form and suddenly feeling very self-conscious.

 His scowl deepened as she shifted to face him directly. "It doesn't look warm," he groused.

 Looking down her chest, she tried to see the simple white cotton gown how he did. It had no lace, no frills, no ribbons, or embroidery, it was just a sheaf of white fabric with long sleeves. It might not be much, she thought with a frown, but it was darn warm and it was all she had.

 Putting her hands on her hips she stood straighter and gave him a menacing look. "I will have you know it’s very warm, so unless you plan on buying me a new one you can keep your opinion to yourself, witcher."

 Her statement was so bold, so audacious that Ciri was momentarily proud of herself. In that moment she truly channeled the lioness spirit of her grandmother Calanthe, in such a way she was sure the woman would be proud. Sadly, pride was not the emotion she inspired from the pale witcher standing across the room who was currently giving her a look so menacing it could turn water into stone.

 Resisting the urge to take a hesitant step back, partly for her pride's sake and due to the fact, there was a wall directly behind her, Ciri swallowed nervously.

 Taking a step forward, Geralt stepped from the hazy shadows of the room into a spear of light that fell across his face illuminating one of his amber eyes. "Say that an again," his voice was so low in the quiet room, Ciri almost had a hard time hearing it over the steady percussion of her heart.

 Ciri made no sound, no movement at the command. Taking a few more steps forward, Geralt easily closed the space between them until he was standing only inches from her, staring down the bridge of his nose at her with hard gleaming eyes.

 Fear swirled like a cold winter gale within her gut as she looked up at him. Unable to meet his gaze any longer Ciri let it drop to the column of his neck and down further to the breadth of his chest. Muscled and strong, she imagined a man trying to fight this huge witcher, imagining their punched landing on his chest and bouncing back. The thought of his strength combined with the feel of his emanating heat reacted within her in a way she could not fathom. Tingling awareness traced up and down her skin leaving her breasts feeling tight and sensitive while a deep flush colored her skin as she looked back up at him. A flicker of awareness ignited in the depths of his eyes and Ciri knew in that exact moment that he realized what she was feeling. Pride thankfully bubbled back to the surface within her, overshadowing that odd foreign moment of consciousness she felt towards this man. Stepping sideways, she nearly tripped over a small chest sitting against the wall near the door. Edging towards one of the small bedrooms she had been using to change in, she raised her chin, trying her best to give off a confidence she did not feel.

 "I am going to get dressed," she announced as if she was the one that ended the battle of wills on her on terms.

 His gaze narrowed, dropping to her neck and further down before abruptly coming back up to meet hers with an unholy flame lighting them. "Good, because today we train--hard."

 ~*~

 She was snoring face down in her pillow. A deep heavy snore that told him that pretty much nothing at this point would wake up the princess. Good, Geralt thought with a snort. Turning to the large stock pot of boiling water, he lifted it from the hot wood stove and lowered it to the ground in the corner of the room. Stripping his clothes, he paused for a moment, the deep snores continued on in the background. Smirking he continued with the removal of his clothes. Grabbing a clean rag, he began washing off the dirt of the day. Training had been brutal. He drilled in the basics of defense for what felt like hours, using a long straight branch he found as a rod to assist in "training." Mostly, he used it to whack at her whenever she stepped out of place during the footwork drills. By later afternoon, a hatred so deep and consuming filled those beautiful gray eyes of hers it completely washed away that awakening look of desire that ignited within them that morning.

 Letting out a deep groan, Geralt let his forehead rest in both hands as he propped his elbows on his knees. What in the fuck was he thinking? That morning she had caught him completely by surprise. Kneeling in front of that window like that, the sun had enveloped her like a long overdue hug, completely penetrating through the white gown until it outlined every detail of her body. Rounded pert breasts that sat high on her chest like a pair of ripe apples; nipples that stood proudly against her gown scratching maddeningly at the fabric until Geralt could swear he could hear the delicate rustle of each movement. Lust so powerful and depraved spread through him like wildfire, gripping all of his senses willing his body to act until he could feel his feet begin to move on their own accord. Calling upon his iron will he called his baser instincts to a halt as he savagely reminded himself that she was his ward--nothing more.

 Clean now and wearing just a pair of pants he grabbed one of his clean shirts, grimacing at it. He hated sleeping with clothes on especially surrounded by sturdy walls. But sleeping in the nude wasn't practical for the life of a witcher nor would it be appropriate at a time like this. Glancing back at the girl's still body he watched the slight rise and fall of her back as she slept, he could risk leaving the shirt off at least. Laying down, he folded one arm behind his head and closed his eyes.

 His eyes opened seconds before the shattering clap of thunder struck the sky. The walls of the cottage shook and Geralt could here bits of stone fall away from the mountain wall at the disturbance. A sharp intake of breath and the jolt to his right was expected. Holding out his right arm he barred the girl from getting up from the spot. Soft and warm Geralt inwardly cursed at the feeling of her breasts pushing against the side of forearm as he kept her still.

 "You are fine, it's just a storm," he reassured her, hoping his voice sounded calm to her rather than as rough as it sounded to his own ears.

 Breathing deeply Ciri looked around the dark room in a confused panic. He could see her mind slowly putting together reality as she finally let her gaze settle to him. The light from the stove's grate had died down only casting a small circumference of orange glow. It was the occasional flashes of bright lightening piercing through the shutters' cracks that illuminated the room in sporadic spurts. Watching her gray eyes slowly take him in with recognition and clarity Geralt tensed at the reminder he wasn't wearing a shirt.

 But her eyes did not widen in shock nor did that tiny spark of feminine arousal ignite this time. Looking down she gave him a shaky nod before laying back down, turning her back to him. Pulling back his arm, Geralt laid there completely still listening to the sounds of the storm rage around them. He let the deafening sounds of rain hitting the cottage file themselves into individual sounds: rain hitting the thatched roof, the stone siding, the metal chimney of the wood stove, even the sound of rain hitting the side of the mountain. All of the sounds he categorized and filed away. Scents were inhaled and labeled immediately--all except one. One scent, one salty tang that pierced the air around them took him a few seconds longer to confirm. The scent of tears.

 Turning onto his side until he mirrored her position, he looked down at the slender back of the girl next to him. Bunched up around her waist the quilt left the outline of her shoulder and upper arm exposed. Observing her carefully, he watched the small almost indiscernible tremors shake her shoulders and he listened to the soft sounds of her irregular breathing.

 Geralt debated his next move longer than usual. Quick thinking was key to survival as a witcher but when it came to just a handful of weeks with this girl, he realized there was still things to learn.

 Laying a hand on her shoulder, he felt her tense but he said nothing he simply waited. Seconds trickled by like sand through an hourglass and Geralt couldn't help but focus on the heat of her skin through the fabric of her gown. It felt as if her skin was a river of heat pulling his hand like a strong current to sink deeper to urge it to glide to the natural dip in her hips. Fuck! Why had every one of his past encounters with a woman been sexual? His instincts were worthless if not sexual. Resisting the urge to move his hand he waited.

 Without turning she spoke. "I dreamt nothing had changed. For a moment, it was all just a terrible nightmare," she began, her voice thick with tears. "I miss grandmother, I miss Mousesack, I miss Cintra…I miss my old life," she whispered weakly, barely audible over the din of rain surrounding their cottage. Turning over under his hand she looked up at him her eyes watery and desperate. "Please don't be mad, I don't mean to sound ungrateful I…I just…I…"

 Letting his hand rest onto her other shoulder, he pulled her against him without a word. There was nothing he could say that would ease her pain, no great words of wisdom that would help her through her grief any faster, he had nothing he could give her but his presence. Pressed tightly against his bare chest Geralt ignored the warnings in his head about their positions, closing his eyes he waited until her shock slowly dissipated and her body relaxed. He felt her tears renew even as her arms wound around his neck bringing her closer and closer until she was tucked into him perfectly.

 Raindrops and tears continued to fall while lightening veined through the night sky, briefly illuminating their entwined embrace.

Dark Temptation (Vampire! Vil x F!Reader)

Okay, I’ve been a bit obsessed with Dracula the Musical lately. However, there is no FULL soundtrack with a broadway cast. Only a few of the musical’s numbers.

But with some researching, I found several FULL productions done in Germany, Austria, South Korea, etc. with ALL the numbers. This is one scene in the musical that I happened to like from Seoul’s version out of the others. Where Dracula seduces Mina into joining him in the afterlife. And of course, I had to include one out TW boys into the mix. And who better than to include than our beauty queen himself? Enjoy~

(NOTE) I had to change some of the lyrics to better fit the scene

and the key: 

Vil

You 

Together

————————————————————

You breathe out a shaky breath of air. Chills shiver your back, despite the clothes, that tried to pass for sleepwear, you donned: a silky night slip and simple white slippers. Around your shoulders was a long silky robe. Your hair let down in its glossy curtain, fluttered behind your as you walked.

You couldn’t sleep. Something keep itching at the back of your mind, but you couldn’t put your finger on it. You felt like you were....being watched...No matter what you tried, nothing did the trick: warm milk, therapeutic candles, heck, even counting sheep wasn’t helpful in the slightest! That same feeling of eyes stalking you didn’t go away as well.

You felt like the walls were closing in. You felt you were going to get crushed. You felt like screaming, but your voice was caught in your throat. Paranoia had set in. Panic, desperation, fear. You stumbled for the door, your door. You could barely see in the blanket of night that cloaked your room. Blind in the dark, you felt for the doorknob, a chance at freedom. As soon as you felt it, you didn’t hesitate to twist, then wrench it open and ran like the devil for the common room of (Dorm).

Which leads you to where you are now. Creeping towards the windows, you gently lean against them, catching our breath, calming your heartbeat. It seems that the feeling of being watched had diminished.

Or so you believe.....

Unknown to you that a dark presence was lurking outside, eyeing you by the windows with a predatory gaze. His eyes glinted deviously underneath the rays of the full moon’s glow. He smiled, showing a hint of sharp, elongated canines.

“Oh my dear, sweet little (Y/N). So alone, so helpless, so...frightened. It’s so difficult not to take you here and now when you look so.....divine....but soon....soon, you’ll be mine....and I’ll make sure of that....very soon.” He whispered, eyeing the clock. Ten minutes until he made his debut. He smirked and without a trace, vanished into the shadows.

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Nine minutes have passed. You fidgeted with your fingers as you sat on the couch. Just watching the time tick by did little to tame your frazzled nerves. If you continued at this pace, you’re sure to be sleep deprived by tomorrow morning.

“Ugh, screw it, I might as well try and close my eyes for the time being.” You mutter. But as soon as you felt your eyelids drift-

Dong! Dong! Dong!

You jolted from your place.

The great clock within the walls of Night Raven echo their ominous toll of midnight.

Dong! Dong! Dong!

Suddenly, the feeling was back.

‘No not again...!’ You quivered. You throw yourself away from the couch, but you didn’t look in time to see where you were heading and tripped and fell harshly to the ground. Your body screamed with bursts of pain from the impact.

Dong! Dong! Dong!

The full moon was glowing against the midnight sky. Although it seemed calming for most people, it sent a feeling of dread shooting through your heart. You upped yourself with your elbows, sitting on the side of your leg and looked around the room, the pain still lingering but subsided for the moment when you went to your knees.

Dong! Dong! Dong!

A lock clicked. The windows squeaked as they opened, the curtains fluttering like wings on the gentle breeze. You froze, not daring to look back to the windows.

The clicking of boots sounded behind you, more shots of fear pricked your mind.

“Ah...hello, my dear...” a soothing voice resounded.

You knew immediately who that silky voice belonged to.

“...Vil...” you gasped.

Although the opaque curtains did what they could to flush him out, you looked over your shoulder, out of the corner of your eye, to see his outline framed by the bright moonlight. You could barely make out what he was wearing: a gaudy white dress shirt, black slacks, his black and gold boots, and royal purple robes draped off his shoulders. But instead of his hair being up like normal, it was down, exposing the dyed ends.

You turn back forward, fright turning your body frozen. You tried not to quiver.

Vil smiles. You looked too adorable now, hiding your fear from him. Well, he might as well humor you before striking.

“What are you doing up, my sweet?” He cooed delicately.

You tried not to shiver; his words were like the sweetest of honey, but you could sense a twinge of hunger in them.

Out of everyone in Night Raven, you were the only one who knew of Vil’s true origins. Hell, not even Headmaster Crowley knew about the Pomefiore Leader! Nope, it was you and you alone.

But...why? Did he see something in you that made you a cut above the rest?

“I...I couldn’t...s-sleep.” You stuttered. “B-but...I-I should be...asking you that as well...!” You did what you could to keep your voice even, despite the feeling of dread creeping up on you. Vil was giving off a certain vibe, and you didn’t know if it was bad or good.

You could feel Vil smile behind you. But this one...felt...oddly reassuring, unlike his usual smiles....

Vil slowly drew closer to you, calmly like a hunter towards it prey; one sudden move and you could bolt like a frightened deer. His jeweled eyes never left your beautiful figure.

(Here’s the video as inspiration for the scenario)

“Ever since I saw you...shivers down my spine. You're the one, you're the chosen one! I'm here to make you mine...” he sang softly, gently. He made his way towards you, getting down on one knee, his hands gliding down your arms. You shivered lightly, the strange contact from him...felt...it felt...

Godly

It may have been small, but god, was it entrancing! You couldn’t help but let him touch you more as your eyes fluttered shut.

“All the centuries ago, you are flesh of my flesh for all time.” He whispered as his arms wrapped around you gently, like you were fragile glass. His head neared yours, turning in so he could breath in your scent. Rose and Vanilla clouded his senses. It was euphoric! Absolutely euphoric!

He wanted, no...he NEEDED more.

“Please, don't make me love you. Please, don't make me need you. I cannot turn away from you arms again.” You sang, letting your true feeling for the blonde emerge. You turned your head to face him, not meeting his eyes, as a feeling of dread eased into your body. As much as you wished, you knew people would see you differently. You were from different worlds, for Pete’s sake! He was a prince, you were...

You were what? And even if you were that, would it still be enough for the two of you to be one?

“I can feel the nightfall, that eternal darkness. Will I ever see light within the shadows?” You slowly rise to your feet, staring down at your enclosed hands, easing away from the vampire prince, turning to another window where a sky of dark blue etched out small stars in the sky.

Vil seemed to sense your distress. He knew you were hesitant of your choices. But it didn’t matter. He made his choice, and you’ll make yours. Even if he had to tempt you!

“Pure pleasure for infinity! Why should we all be born to die?” He demanded, standing effortlessly. “I offer you my love, eternal love - The love unchanging as the stars above!” He drew near you, eyes glowing with a light of pure hunger. It scared you yet...

Thrilled you to the core of your confused heart.

“My blood will be your blood, My flesh will be your flesh, Together we will face the centuries ahead, And when the worlds grow old, Our gold will still be gold -” Your hands entwined like vines, as he brought them to his lips, kissing them ever so feathery. You felt completely enraptured by his eyes, begging you to be with him. It was as clear as the sky. He wanted this. He wanted you. A light hazyness drowned your mind, like you were floating on air, the more you looked into his eyes.

“Surrender to me, (Y/N)!” He whispered.

Yes...let you and him be together...it’s what you’ve wanted, right? Together...forever...

No!

You snapped from your trance. Wrenching your grasp from his, turned away, hands clasped above your heart. The fog clouding your mind has thinned.

“I feel the fog is closing in, And I am losing all control!” Your voice shook with fright. You couldn’t! That feeling of doubt was still implanted in your heart, rebelling against your impure thoughts. The fear wouldn’t go away... submitting yourself to him would be like giving your soul to the devil!

You turned to flee, but Vil shot forward, clasping your elbow. You knew he wouldn’t let you go that easily. If he was the predator, you were prey. Simple as that.

He forced you to look at him, “You have that far-away look in your eyes-A look that nothing spoken can disguise!” Were your true feelings for him that noticeable? As much as you wanted this, wanted him, the more you tried to follow your better judgement. Ignoring your feelings for him would spare you the rumors amongst your peers, but at what cost? Blind love? A dark ?A blossoming romance with the one you tried to ground your heart for?

You trembled as you yanked your hand away from his and ran to the safety of your place. But it seemed that no matter where you ran, he was there, his voice echoing the halls, filling your head with such intimidating thoughts.

“It tells me that you feel the things you want to feel, Your body wants me now - Some things you can't conceal! We'll live our lives and then, We'll live them once again; There's always a tomorrow.” As soon as you reached your safe haven, you knew you were trapped. He had you backed into a corner, and no matter where you ran, it would be your end. Shutting your eyes, you couldn’t help but breathe out softly,

“There's always a tomorrow! There's always one more night...”

Walking to your window, you peer out into the sky, the feeling of Vil’s arms slipping around your waist sent another spark down your spine. You looked down, the blood flaming your cheeks a noticeable red, but he took your chin between his fingers to make you look at him. As amethyst lined with (e/c), you suddenly felt safe in his arms. The two of you leaned closer and closer, eyes drifting shut, until the cold of his lips met yours in a delicate kiss. Your lips and his fit like pieces in a puzzle, granting you beautiful splendor more than anything you could imagine! It grew more as he drew your body closer to him in such a romantic embrace. 

Soon, the need for air became vital as you drew back. Out of breathe, you lay your head on his chest, he reciprocated with holding you closer, one hand stroking your (H/c) locks. Vil inhaled deeply as his senses caught whiff of your scent, the one that drove him insane. 

“How can we turn back when we have come so far? Any sacrifice is worth it to be where you are!” you both sang in harmony. The richness of your voices blended together, as you stared into each others eyes once more. 

But something was different in his eyes. You felt so enthralled, you couldn’t look away. You felt yourself nodding your head as he moved you in front of him.

“You had me in your grasp, I/you had to fall Away from the rays of light.” You could feel the strap of your night slip fall gently down your shoulder, and of Vil’s hand grasping your own in comfort, as he prepared to do what he has wanted since you cast your spell of love on him. 

“Together forever, Until time is undone,” With your blood and his together, your souls will be bound for infinity! A lifetime of love, beauty and romance that will ne’er be shared with another vixen but you, and you alone! 

"To fall into the hands of...Night!” His elongated fangs pieced your flesh like pricking your finger on a needle. A sharp gasp escaped your lips, and you jostled in pain, but soon, the pain ebbed away and pleasure filled your veins. You felt your breathe run short, your vision grew fuzzy and your brain was shutting off. But you never resisted. You smiled gently as the world faded around you.

As soon as you fainted, Vil caught you in his arms, holding you like a bride. His lips were partially bloody, but he didn’t mind. Staring at the puncture wounds on your neck, he felt trumphant. Even more than knowing he was the most fairest than all. 

He now had you in his world. His beautifully perfect and dark world. By surrendering yourself to him, your mind, body, soul and heart were now his. He will grant you euphoria by the blood bond you both had shared. His spell of dark temptation lured you in, and you will be his queen, now and forever.

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

WOW. this turned out a lot longer than i expected....but I hope it was good enough! Thanks for reading!

3508 years ago, titans ruled Romera. No one knows for certain what wiped them out and allowed the era of small beings to begin, but in the years after their demise, Romera thrived in chaos. No law existed yet, no order, and no control or restrictions on magic. Spellcasters rose to power and used dangerous magic to maintain that power. Magical warlords rose and fell, power-hungry wizards experimented in the forests and fields with terrible results, and sorcerers with little ability to control their wild magic left scars across Romera. The very soil and rock beneath their feet became imbued and steeped with powerful, unstable magic.

The scars, while not easily visible to the naked eye, have lingered for thousands of years. The plants and animals that grow in the scar territory are sometimes… changed. A squirrel may have sapphires growing from its fur, a bird might be singing in Sylvan, flowers that ought to be blue may grow red, or a river might flow backwards for a period of time. People have attempted to map the scars, to avoid building civilization atop the risky fault lines of magic, but they shift and morph. The strange effects are rare and difficult to spot. For the most part, these scars are dormant. Until they aren’t.

IN CHARACTER DETAILS

This event will take place between May 24th to June 7th and your event threads may take place at any point during those in-game days. 

TIMELINE

BEFORE DAWN (May 24th) In the wee hours of the morning, before the sun had risen to chase away the morning dew, Romera quaked. Just south of Myrefall, a magical scar erupted. The whole of the city and the surrounding area was struck by an unexpected earthquake. The poorly maintained streets of Myrefall cracked open as the subterranean sewer tunnels and Bashaba tombs collapsed. Undead began to flood the affected streets.

MIDDAY (May 24th) It at first appeared as though the earthquake was the only symptom of the eruption. Researchers were already flocking to the area to study what had happened, desperate to learn about the scars. As the sun rose, however, it became clear that the scar had changed the surrounding earth. The eruption left behind a literal scar in the earth: a hundred foot deep chasm. Sprouting from this chasm were unbreakable roots that clawed into the surrounding ground. Strange flowers that oozed viscous liquid, shot out barbed spikes, or smelled like entrails sprouted from the roots. The grass around it turned all shades of the rainbow and the surrounding trees wilted and re-grew a dozen times in a day. Animals near the chasm exhibited strange behaviour. Deer walked on two legs, squirrels threw insults at the observing researchers, and birds dove into the chasm without warning. These changes weren’t isolated and they began to spread out from the chasm. Very rapidly the strange magic was spreading and infecting.

THE MORNING AFTER (May 25th) Everyone who remained in the affected area overnight wake up changed. Every individual’s race has changed without warning, without reason, and with no patterns. A family of elves will wake up as an orc, a goblin, and a gnome while a dwarf might awaken as a dragonborn. The shift is painless and abrupt. Clothes and other worn items don’t change shape or size with the transformation. (More information for this portion of the event are below in the OOC section.)

By the next morning it’s clear that the strange and infectious magic has spread into the city. The undead that still flood the street are covered in beautiful blooms or toxic mushrooms. Some have begun to sing. Strange occurrences and changes are evident throughout the city and continue to happen with spontaneous magic surges. There’s no rhyme or reason to the surges and they range from minor irritants, such as someone suddenly going color blind or all glass windows turning opaque, to mildly catastrophic, like a building collapsing under the sudden weight of millions of thorny roots or all metal becoming red-hot in an instant. Someone began to float quite suddenly and did, unfortunately, float away before anyone could catch him. Someone else keeps coughing up diamonds.

THE AFTERSHOCKS (May 26th to June 5th) Myrefall appears to be cursed. The magic surges continue constantly, day and night. Havoc reigns and chaos conquers as strange happenings continue to… happen.

The Temple of Doom and Despair has been entirely enveloped in sweet-smelling flowers and vines. The once imposing building is now quite inviting and nice and the clergy aren’t sure what to do about it. Stray cats and dogs, many of which are also strangely affected by the magic, have begun to flock to the once glum and frightening place.

The Catacombs are still unstable and are now infested with more than just the undead. Terrible, horrifically morphed animals have made their way into the dark, potentially from the original chasm that now marks the eruption site. Birds with the call of weeping children swoop overhead, rats crossed with bears in the worst way lumber in the shadows, and squirrels now have venomous fangs and some raccoons now possess minor fire magic. Many big game hunters and researchers have set out bounties for the acquisition of these strange animals, dead or alive.

Unfortunately, the Whitewood Psychiatric Institution has suffered greatly. Specifically, part of it exploded for an unknown reason and many of the patients have escaped. The guards have put out warnings regarding these escaped patients. The doctors of the institution are now advertising room availabilities in the institution.

The children residing in Mercy’s Home, Myrefall’s orphanage, have taken advantage of their new races and easily disguised identities and have fled the clutches of Matron Keyzana. The matron in question has been frozen in place within the orphanage’s primary building, fully conscious, but paralyzed. She’s currently only capable of moving her steely eyes.

Despite the sudden and severe upset, The Velvet Curtain remains open and offering despite some employees having found themselves in new and unfamiliar bodies.

Dongorzal, owner and operator of Myrefall’s favorite burlesque bar, The Inferno, has decided that the chaos needs one thing: a never ending celebration. From dawn till dusk, and then also from dusk till dawn, the bar remains open and booming. Magic surges are met with resounding cheers from the party goers and the revelry doesn’t stop even for catastrophe. Drinks are half-off for anyone who has changed races and are free for anyone with further afflictions like sparkling skin or sneezing bubbles because it amuses Dong.

Grimfell Alley, where the desperate and the terrible go to shop, has become flooded with phony chaos cures. Merchants offer anti-eruption potions, wild magic resistant armor, and special glasses that claim to be able to show the wearer the locations of spots that are vulnerable to further magic surges. Unfortunately the alley was one of the streets that was most damaged in the initial earthquake and is persistently flooded with the undead. This makes shopping rather difficult. Anyone who enters the alley and then leaves no longer has a shadow.

Among the more affected buildings is The Silent Conclave. The nice, normally neat building has been entirely infested with bubbles of all colors and sizes. They flood out of the doors and windows and into the street. When popped, the bubbles scream, sing, yodel, or otherwise make very human-like noises at incredible volume.

Gang wars have gotten out of control in the Lictomp Yard. With new-found abilities in many of the members, the violence has only escalated. Several of the mansion and mills that line the river have been completely decimated in the conflicts. The river, normally well-contained, has spontaneously flooded several times, wrecking foundations and sweeping gang members and homeless away. A herd of magically rabid strays have also taken to lurking in the unused buildings and attacking anyone that remains outside after dark.

RETURN TO NORMAL (June 6th to June 7th) The magic surges have decreased in frequency and the strange effects have slowly receded back to the chasm. Spontaneously grown plants have withered and disintegrated, animals have reverted back to their usual shapes and abilities for the most part, and any acquired abilities or afflictions have ceased. At dawn on June 7th everyone whose races were changed by the eruption have reverted back to their original race with no lingering side-effects. The city is working semi-diligently to repair the damage done to public buildings and the tombs. The city is calling for volunteers to help remove the remaining undead and offering monetary reward for their eradication.

OOC DETAILS 

In real-time this event will be taking place from May 24th to June 21st, at which point event threads should be wrapping up.

The worldbuilding post for Myrefall can be found here. 

In your threads, you may use and experience any of the magic surges and effects listed above, but we also encourage you to use your own magical surge and wild magic ideas. Lists of wild magic surges are available on the internet for inspiration. If you’re unsure if your idea is appropriate or too overpowered, ask an admin and they’ll help you decide. The goal of this event is to have fun, so be destructive and be creative.

OOC DETAILS FOR RACE SHIFT

We have two different race tables available for the race-shift portion of this event. One includes the more common and more playable races and the other includes all allowed races. We’ve done this so that no one, unless they want to tempt fate with the second table, ends up as a Kenku with limited speech ability or a race which has water dependency that might be less enjoyable to play. The safer chart may be found here, while the riskier one is here.

You may roll again for the race shift, but if you roll a second time you have to use your second roll. Any roll that gives you your character’s starting race doesn’t count, unless you would like to choose a different subrace, and you may roll again. You don’t have to roll twice on the same table. If you want you can tempt fate on the full table and then roll again on the “safe” table.

For races with multiple subraces, such as a Dragonborn where you might be a green or a bronze, you choose which subrace your character becomes.

If you want to, you may create a second character sheet with your character’s temporary race, but this isn’t required and you may continue using your normal sheet and normal stats for this event.

If your character has a secondary race, i.e. is a revenant or a lycanthrope, that secondary race remains. By extension, there is no option to roll for these “races” that are conditional. Revenant, vampire, and lycanthrope are not options. Likewise races that were created, like the warforged and simic hybrid, aren’t options.

Remember, you aren’t required to participate in this portion of the event if you don’t want to.

Stone Flowers

I saw this draw of Medusa and I blind girl as girlfriends so I decided to write a short fic about it. Enjoy!

Note: I have a very low knowlegde of Greek Mythology, I’m sorry for any mistakes.

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She was born blind. The story of what happened with her eyes was not precise, however her mother was almost certain it had something to do with her being ill during a certain time of her pregnancy. During that time, the healers thought both the mother and the baby were not going to survive, yet they did (even though her father wished they had not when he learned of the girl’s condition). Since she could not miss what she never had, she learned to pay attention to her surroundings by hearing. In this way, she learned from her mother that she was the prettiest of the 5 children (and from her siblings that they all looked the same), learned to take care of the house, to cook and to take care of herself. She especially loved to talk with people in the town, when she went out with her mother. That way she could learn about things that happened not only in Eresos, the town where they lived in, but also about all over Greece. So she heard of the Nemean lion that Heracle slayed and the Minotaur that Theseus encountered in Crete, those creatures that were cursed by the gods and defeated by heroes that were half gods themselves. But those stories made none of the easier to hear about the creature that appeared in the east side of Lesbos, just a horse ride away from her home. The creature that no man was able to defeat, that no hero came back from going to face. Which naturally created a forbidden zone in the forest that only the bravest (or stupidest) would dare get close to. So when in a clear morning, after her mother passed away, and her father told her that he wanted some berries, the ones that only grew in the edge of the forbidden forest, in his dinner, she understood that what he really wanted was for her to be gone. It was not a secret that he never wanted her and always said that the girl would never get married and would stay forever his burden. (She proved again and again that she did not need any help to take care of herself). Even as aware as she was about his intentions for her to get lost, she went out to find the berries. Her sister and the youngest of her brothers objected, but none of them had quite the courage to go against their father’s wishes, so she heard their sobs as she left. Walking through the forest was a little difficult, since the ground was not leveled and she had to go up and down a hill with only a walking stick to stumble in the stones. However the direction was easy to follow, she only had to keep the sun burning her front while she went towards the left side of the island. The shift from the lively forest to the forbidden one was very noticeable too. All the way through she heard sounds of birds, small animals and even some deer, but suddenly everything was quite. Even the wind made less noise as it passed by. As if the place was still, like a statue. Being blind never frightened her, but the quiet did. She wanted to run. Instead, she crunched down and started to feel around for the berries. That was when she heard a voice. "You’re not a hero" the woman said. The voice was a beautiful one, the kind that made you wish to hear in a lullaby: sweet and comforting. The girl heard the woman’s footsteps getting closer, so she stood up to reply. "Were you expecting one? I’m just trying to find some berries" "I’ve only ever received heroes in my house since I was sent to this place" the woman replied before stopping maybe one or two footsteps away, then she pointed out the obvious. "You’re a blind girl" "The very opposite of a hero, I’m afraid" "Well, I’m glad" the woman sighed in relief. "That must be the first time I meet someone that prefers a blind girl than a hero". "Heroes don’t like me so much" "And why is that?" The woman fell silent, and the only thing the girl could hear was the shuffling of some plants. Then the woman took her right hand and placed something that felt like the berries on her palm. "Here, take it. I bet those were the ones you were trying to find, they are very delicious" "Thank you" "But why would you come so deep inside of the forest for some berries?" The girl then told the woman about her father.

"I think it’s better if you go home then, show him how amazing you are for coming back from a quest no one managed before" the woman’s voice was excited, sounding happy for her. "You’re right. Thanks for the help." The girl reached her right hand forward and waited for the woman to take it. "I’m Kassie by the way" "I’m Medusa, it was nice to meet you." The girl then went back through the way she came. Much for the surprise of her family, she was back with not one single scratch and prepared the supper as if she never left. In the next day, she was sent for the berries again and found Medusa once more. "You father is not a man to give up easily I see" "I won’t give up easily either" From then on they started a conversation about their families that continued every time the girl came back. Kassie talked about her mother, her four siblings, her birth, and Medusa told her about her 2 sisters and being a maiden in the temple of Athena. "What made you leave the temple?" "I’ll tell you that another day... if you come back" So she kept coming back, not only because her father wanted her gone, but also because she missed Medusa when she was away from her. Her presence was addicting, everything about her was so sweet: her voice, her smell, her personality. It made Kassie dizzy and her stomach turn every time Medusa took her hand to give her something, even though it seemed that the woman was very careful for them to not be close during their interactions. After weeks of the girl coming to collect berries everyday, Medusa finally commented on the girl’s father intentions. "I’m sorry, but you father is mean and not even the brightest. How could he not realize that the monster won’t keep you from coming back?" "You’re not a monster. You might be cursed but you’re not a monster" They were set side by side eating a cooked rabbit that Medusa hunted before she arrived. The woman then stood up. "When did you figured it out?" "From the moment I met you" the girl said it nonchalantly. "Then why didn’t you run away?" She sounded sad, scared even. Kassie offered her hand for the woman to take, and when she did so, the girl pulled her close until Medusa was set by her side again. "You’re not a monster, you didn’t hurt me and I’m sure you had no intention to hurt the heroes that never came back. What happened to them?" "They turned into stone. You can’t see it, but I’m cursed to have snakes in the place of my hair so I’ll be so ugly that I’ll turn people that look at me into stone" The girl then reached her free hand in the direction of the voice. Medusa immediately understood what the girl wanted and placed the girl’s hand on her face. Kassie traced Medusa’s features with the point of her fingers. The line of her jaw, the arc of her eyebrows, her cheekbones and her nose. The woman had a delicate face. "For me, you’re beautiful" The girl’s heart raced when Medusa’s hands took hers and leaned her face forward, touching their foreheads together. "Can I kiss you?" The woman asked with a voice so quite that was mostly a whisper. "Yes" And so she did. Medusa met her lips in a delicate way, the same way she held her hand and caressed her palm. It was almost impossible for Kassie to think that a woman so sweet and caring, that treated her like a flower, could turn people into stone.