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misc-obeyme · 3 days

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How many relationships (or hook-ups) do you think the Demon brothers (+ side characters) had before meeting MC?

All of them are very old and seeing how they live long lives surely they had some experiences, some more than the others.

I'm thinking out of everyone Asmo definitely had the most experience with others. But with Asmo most of his experience are from hookups since he's the most beautiful in all Devildom, so everyone would want to have their way with him. He probably tried going into serious relationships but that didn't go anywhere.

Lucifer's pride might have gotten in the way for him to form a serious relationship in the past (and he was still traumatised being cast out of heaven), but he definitely had hookups here and there. I can see Mammon trying in the past to enter a serious relationship, he was madly in love, but he got taken advantage of :(( Maybe he had hookups for money??

I'm sorry, but Leviathan is an Ancient Virgin. The only experience he had was his right hand. Again it's difficult to say with Satan. He tried relationships and hookups but he wasn't into it and sticks with romance/smut books instead??

I doubt Beelzebub had anything serious going on with someone but maybe he had a few hookups? Belphegor's the same with beelzebub, my guy is too lazy haha.

It's difficult to place Diavolo seeing how he's the next Demon king. This may sound dumb but maybe he had a lot of Physical experience (The best Succubus/incubus for the king! The best Orgies for the King!) but no romantic relationships seeing how easily everyone would want the crown for themselves and how much of a scandal that could be. This could also be said for Mephistopheles since he's a noble too.

Then there's my precious sexy ass Barbatos. It's hard to say but i low-key think he had a few flings here and there when he was still young and not a butler yet. He won't be seeking out any relationships/hookups anymore since he probably tried everything already and that could possibly distract him from his butler duties.

Raphael/Simeon are Angels so i doubt they had any experience in the past when it comes to Relationship/hookups. Solomon DEFINITELY had quite a lot of Relationships/hookups! This guy had a ton of Succubi and wives! As for Thirteen i assume she's not into Relationships/hookups until she meets Mc.

What are your thoughts on this?!

Now this is an interesting topic, anon. I've thought about it a lot, but I don't think I've managed to settle on a solid idea that I like best.

The rest is below a read more because I wrote A LOT, so this way people won't have to scroll as much.

Also NSFW below the read more due to the discussion of sex, but nothing explicit.

I think how experienced the characters are is going to depend on how sex is viewed in their respective realms.

We know how it is in the human world. I personally have a huge issue with the way sex is taboo in our world. It bothers me that there's so much suppression of it and that people are so concerned about stuff that really isn't that big of a deal. It feels manipulative and I've always felt the conservative view of it is the predominant one in our society, which only exists to control people. At least, this is my view of how I've seen it handled around me. So I feel it's important to note that I am a USAmerican. I also happened to grow up in a place that was ultra conservative while not being conservative myself so my opinion may be skewed.

Anyway, the only reason I'm talking about this is that it means I tend to prefer thinking of both the Devildom and the Celestial Realm as more free with this kind of stuff.

Especially the Devildom, but the idea that just because angels are angels means they've never experienced sex or relationships bothers me. I think it's because the CR touts itself as being the pinnacle of all things good and pure and in my opinion, sex is good and pure. I don't like thinking of it as a "sin." (PLEASE NOTE I'm discussing consensual sex between adults, obviously this is not the case for abusive situations.)

That being said, I'm also aware that this is my personal take on it, so it might not really make any sense. Like I just want the CR to be chill about it because that's what I would prefer, not because it necessarily makes sense for them to be chill about it lol.

In the context of the game, it makes more sense for the CR to not be chill about it.

But their stance necessarily alters how much experience I believe characters like the brothers and angels to have.

Because the brothers were obviously angels for a big chunk of their lives.

I also have a personal preference for characters who do have some experience. I think a first love/first sexual encounter is always extremely intense and can be toxic or problematic in ways that the inexperienced person is blind to. (Not necessarily of course, but you kind of move past that all encompassing devotion that you tend to have for your first.)

So for me, it's more appealing for the characters to have moved past that first experience and to have some knowledge of how love and relationships work. It isn't necessarily about the sex part, but sex is often entangled in love and it certainly complicates things.

Which means that in my own personal thoughts about it, Levi is the only one who could even manage to stay a virgin that long.

The reason for that is because he makes it pretty clear that he rarely leaves his room, especially after they fall.

Now if the CR is chill about sex, I think it's possible that Levi had some desperate sort of encounters while he was fighting as the Grand Admiral you know what I'm saying? But if we're going with the idea that they aren't chill, then yeah, he's probably still a virgin.

I do think it's possible that Levi isn't a virgin, though. I honestly think you could easily come up with a situation in which he actually did have the opportunity come up. Maybe he even fell in love with someone over an online message board before meeting them in person. I just think there are options, you know? And in the end, it depends on what you prefer.

In fact, I would say I kinda feel this way about all the characters. I think you could say all of them are virgins if you wanted to. Lucifer, for instance. CR isn't chill, so he never did anything as angel. After he fell, too dedicated to his work and Diavolo to even bother pursuing anybody and always immediately shutting down anyone who came onto him so as not to get distracted.

That's just an example, I'm saying you can change these details to fit with your preference for any of them, though I think Asmo would be the hardest lol.

So here are my ideas on all of the characters, based on the concept that the CR is not stupid and instead chill about sex:

Lucifer is experienced, but not by a ton. In the CR, he's too busy being a seraph and keeping all his lil siblings in line. Maybe there are a couple of people who catch his eye and while he might indulge, I don't think he'd have had a relationship. After they fall, he retreats into himself. At this point, if you're into DiaLuci, that could start to become a thing. But I also think you could say that maybe he had a little bit of time where he kind of went crazy, going out and doing all the things he maybe didn't have time to before, more as a bad way of coping with the reality of the fall and the loss of his sister. After time, when they all get settled, I think it's an every once in a while kinda thing. He just doesn't strike me as the guy who'd have time for relationships unless it was with someone like Diavolo or MC (or Solomon... yes I'm still on the solulu train just you wait). He doesn't have any reason to let someone that close to him, you know?

Mammon, I agree with you on. I think he probably wanted to be in a relationship and likely fell hard for someone, only to have his heart broken. Thus his tsundere attitude now. It's a defense mechanism. I think that could have happened in the CR and then once he fell, he would just do the hookup thing, especially when he's out partying or gambling or something. It doesn't mean anything. He's still protecting his heart until MC comes along.

Levi we've discussed, but I do think he's either a virgin or maybe had some fumbling moments in war time, you know. Pluuuus I kinda think he was probably admired by a lot of angels during that time. So you know.

Satan has a whole stretch of time where he's just trying to figure himself out. I think he'd be cautious about a relationship due to his wrath. I always think of Satan as being super romantic, but he's also concerned about his own anger. He's afraid to hurt people because of it. So I kinda think he'd hold off. He likely had some hookups and such, but I don't think he'd have a full blown relationship until he felt it was someone who truly understood him.

Asmo I agree with you on, but I also think he could have had a serious relationship at some point. I kinda see it both ways. He might not because he doesn't want to tie himself down to any one person, but I think he can also fall in love passionately. So I think he could've had one really intense relationship that inevitably fell apart.

Beel is such a sweetheart, I can imagine someone else falling in love with him easily or other people kinda throwing themselves at him. I don't think Beel would've refused them, either. But I don't think he had a serious relationship, maybe just short ones here and there, probably some hookups, but nothing more.

Belphie I think could go a lot of ways, but I kinda see him being mostly uninterested. He might have had a couple hookups over the years, just because there are so many years and there's no way the opportunity didn't arise at some point. But I don't think he ever cared about anyone enough to pursue a legit relationship.

Okay, now bear with me here, but I kinda like the idea that Diavolo and Mephistopheles hooked up lol. I mean, they were childhood friends, right? Maybe when they got older and started having those thoughts and such, they were like hey... why not? I think it's really cute when bffs decide to be each other's first, even if they never intend to have a serious relationship, you know? Just another reason for Mephisto to hate Lucifer lol. Otherwise I would say Mephisto is probably pretty picky. I think he's more likely to only have been in a serious relationship, considering hookups kinda beneath him.

But aside from that, it's going to depend on what's expected of royalty in the Devildom. I can't imagine they'd have a rule about it, though. It's the Devildom, you know? So I think Diavolo has likely had hookups, but I do think it's a rare occurrence now that he's focused on running the Devildom and united the worlds and all that.

Barbatos, my true love. I like the idea that he was a bit promiscuous in his younger days, traveling through space and time and doing whatever pleased him. He might have been more passionate, more likely to fall in love, a little more free with himself physically. But ever since becoming a butler, I think he clamps down on that quite a bit, just like he does with everything else. He's certainly experienced and I don't think he's like not ever doing anything since becoming a butler, just that he doesn't do it as often as he once did. He's had a few relationships in the past, I think, but not since he started working for Diavolo. He's too dedicated and spends all his time in the castle.

Simeon and Raphael are going to depend on the CR again, but if we're still in my preference of the CR being cool about it, then I think Simeon at least is no virgin. He's too pretty and there is no way a million angels have not come on to him. And like I don't think he'd just fall into the bed of any angel that batted their eyelashes at him, I do think that he's secretly very passionate. Under that cool exterior, he loves hotly and I think he'd have fallen for someone at some point, giving them all of himself. Now he's older and more calm and collected and carrying the grief of losing Lucifer and his brothers.

Raphael I'm not so sure about. Because on the one hand, he's clearly quite passionate too in a "here are the spears" sort of way. But he was also super dedicated to his goal of becoming a seraph, so I don't know if he even had the room for any kind of relationship. Might still be a virgin. But I think you could go either way with him.

Solomon is a human and he's been around for ages there's no way he's still a virgin. I know I said you could make it work, but wow, that'd be tough to do with him, I think. He's like nah, the 700 wives and 300 concubines (or whatever the numbers were lol) are just for show, I didn't actually do anything with them! Wait, no but he had kids. Well you could say that Biblical lore doesn't apply to your story adsklfjdf

However. Solomon is known for being incredibly lonely. Even if he had relationships, he likely had them with other humans who inevitably died and left him alone again. So I think after his normal human lifespan ended and he had to start moving around more and kind of dedicated himself to magic, he likely stopped having relationships of any kind (love or friendship or anything) because it hurt too much. I think he could have hookups or one night stands with people he never saw again. But not so much a relationship.

Thirteen I dunno. That woman is hot af. I could see her having to turn down a lot of advances. I think she might have had some hookups, maybe even a relationship, but nothing too serious. She strikes me as a little more lighthearted about this kind of stuff. Like you know life is fleeting and in the end I'll just have to reap you anyway lol. I don't think she would get serious until MC.

ANYWAY. Sorry for this absolute NOVEL of a response. I didn't realize just how much I had to say until I started... and then I couldn't stop. I hope that somewhat answered the question, anyway??? In the end, I think it's possible to have all the characters as experienced or inexperienced as you like!

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golvio · 3 days

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I think The Empty Cup was around when I started to realize that not doing exactly what each Princess wanted wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. While your mutually fatal duel with Razor in The Arms Race was a satisfying conclusion, The Empty Cup left a much stronger impression on me. First, for that visual of you gently holding the Razor’s still-beating heart in the palm of your hand, the only vulnerable and nonviolent part of her. You make no move to crush it in reprisal for all the violence she visited upon your body. You merely let it rest there, still beating, until The Shifting Mound comes to reclaim it, cradling it in an equally tender but even more visually arresting gesture when you speak to her afterwards.

But, also, there is something strangely beautiful in you sticking to your guns in your (possibly unwitting) commitment to pacifism so hard that reality itself bends around you. The Razor’s violence loses its power and smashes ineffectively against your refusal to participate, and her refusal to give up eventually strips her into a form that can no longer hurt you, that you can coexist peacefully in.

The rest of my routes of that run took a certain tone in examining agency: Damsel where you see what giving up yourself to make the other person happy can do to you from the other side, Den where setting an ultimatum does not necessarily doom the relationship to an endless cycle of conflict or a forsaking of humanity, and finally ending upon The Apotheosis where, goddamn it, enough was enough, and rather than being furious at my resistance like she was as The Tower, the goddess was delighted.

I think there’s a parallel to be made between The Empty Cup and if you choose to resist Shifty at the end, in order to reach her heart and truly speak to her, and to open her up to the possibility of a future where you aren’t constantly in conflict despite having been born to be each other’s diametric opposite.

It’s not always a good thing to lose yourself in a relationship and become totally enmeshed, bound to the roles you’ve come to play for each other as a matter of routine and convenience. I felt uncomfortable with The Damsel because I understood what sort of guilt and shame could cause someone to make themselves want to be so small and unobtrusive, but did it really feel any better to the Princess when I did the same thing at other points? Relationships involve compromise and sacrifice, yes, but they’re not one-person affairs by definition. You have to be an active participant instead of a passive extension of your partner. What you want matters, too, particularly if what you want does not involve being stabbed, or eaten, or compelled to allow a terrifying goddess who just exploded out of the earth to end your existence. Sometimes you have to put your foot down and say “no” if you want to reach a resolution that can make both of you happy.

#slay the princess #slay the princess spoilers #stp spoilers #on love

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invisiblestringmm · 5 hours

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chapter four

i’ll tell you the truth but never goodbye

a/n: i hope this chapter makes you cry 😂

tw: there’s a bit of angst, and definitely lots of fluff. y/n struggling with being a single mum. mason being a gorgeous mf. lily being the cutest human, lots of lily appreciation too.

3.100k words

It didn’t come as a surprise to see Jaz keeping her promise to support you as best as she could - you got daily FaceTime calls, texts, and Instagram DMs. You got post-ballet dinners and ice cream, the four of you becoming closer each day - Lily and Summer were inseparable now, and you had Jaz not getting tired of telling you she felt like you’d become the sister she never had.

Not being able to control where your thoughts went, your mind made you question a few times how it would’ve been having this extra support when you were pregnant, and you asked yourself if you’d ever stop being hunted by the countless what-ifs of yours and Lily’s life. You had to stop and take a deep breath and just force yourself to focus on all the wonderful things that were happening now, and how much you wanted them to still be this way when it was time to tell Mason, and everyone else.

Despite having Jaz reassure you that things would end up well, Mason was pretty much unknown territory to you, emotionally speaking - yes, you gave birth to his “mini-me”, but that was no guarantee that you were able to predict him. Not knowing what to expect should’ve made you stay as far away as possible from him, but after you had a text message from Jaz sharing the big news that Mason would be at the ballet recital, while you watched your daughter roll her eyes in the delight as she devoured the pancakes and strawberries on her plate, you decided to reply to that message he had sent you weeks ago.

What you didn’t expect was for him to reply within less than a minute.

“Mummy, are you okay?” Lily had her eyebrows frowned at you, she curiously scanned your probably pale face as your heart pounded against your chest. A simple nod was enough for her to focus back on the pancakes, but also give you occasional and quick glares as your shaky hands tightly held the phone.

You barely had any appetite left as you felt your stomach dropping when Mason texted that - so, he wanted to see you. It wasn’t time yet, at least, it didn’t feel like it. But should the ballet recital be the best place to meet him? Would you be able to act surprised and sustain casualty at that meeting that’d be sort of arranged by his sister?

So many questions and insecurity surrounded you whenever Mason was on your mind, and having to look into Lily’s hazel eyes, her smile, and everything else on her that was his copy only made it worse for you - it was nearly suffocating, and you just needed a mother and daughter moment to focus on anyone but Lilian.

“Peanut,” you poked her tummy, making her giggle. “Why don’t we have a girl's afternoon today, huh? Museum, whatever you want for lunch and we can wrap it with skincare and Moana!”

Lily stood on the chair - your instinct making you hold her arm - and made her little celebration dance, still chewing the pancake, her dark brown soft curls bouncing. That vision completely took your breath away, you often couldn’t believe such a precious girl was your daughter.

Not that all of your days weren’t already hers, but dedicating a whole day off to Lily was your favourite thing to do. When she was just a baby, you often imagined how these days would be, with your little best friend and soulmate, on coffee dates and nights where you’d light up a scented candle and read her a book. The way your voice soothed her was Lily’s favourite thing, combined with your smell. It made her feel safe like nothing could ever harm her. In her dreams, her daddy joined the two of you - she couldn’t see his face but could feel the warmth of his hand holding hers and his laugh was the best sound in the world. Lily wondered if she’d ever meet him, the only thing she knew and was happy about was the fact that she looked like him, as you’ve told her countless times.

Careful not to lose Lily from your sight as she walked three steps in front of you, her eyes not sure what she wanted to focus her attention on at the museum, your mind went back to Mason’s last words to you that morning. So, he wanted to apologise for the way he treated you. Part of you felt good about it, that he had finally recognised what a complete twat he had been, but the other part of you just thought how that made no difference now - it was in the past. Not buried, since your past with him had taken the most angelic human form, but it wouldn’t change things. It was all about the future now.

For lunch, Lily insisted on spaghetti, her all-time favourite food. You had to persuade her a bit to eat a bit of protein too because pasta would make her feel hungry again by the afternoon, and you knew how much she hated being hungry right before taking a nap - your persuasion included the word dessert, so not much time was wasted trying to convince her to accept some chicken with her pasta.

Your phone buzzed with a real-time picture of Jaz and Summer by the time you had just bought a gorgeous bouquet of yellow roses, Lily’s favourite. She insisted that a good girls’ night would only be complete if you had fresh roses, that she wanted to carry herself. You quickly snapped a picture of her and sent it to Jaz, asking why they’d have to grow up so fast and that her niece was insufferable.

“Can you please behave like a child and not like an adult, Lilian Maisie?” like a little kid, you pouted, suddenly emotional to see so much wit and wisdom in your tiny human.

Lily giggled, “Mummy!” she held your hand, placing a soft kiss against it and walking according to your pace. “Can we go home now?” You nodded, quickly fetching an Uber to drive you home.

By the time you got there, she was already heavily sleeping in your arms as you clumsily also carried your purse and the flowers, and tried to open the door without troubling her sleep - if it was up to you, you’d find a way for mums to have an extra pair of arms, they’d definitely be useful in times like these.

You knew Lily wouldn’t sleep that much, so the sofa was where you put her before putting the roses in the water and getting rid of your coat. It was almost dark outside, so you also started to prepare the apartment for movie night. Your little girl woke up with a loud yawn that was followed by a wide smile when she noticed the blankets and pillows on the floor, some candies in a bowl, and fruits too, which were her favourite snacks.

“Matching pyjamas?” you winked at her and giggled as Lily nodded repeatedly, stretching her arms at you so you’d carry her to the bedroom.

A few minutes later you were cuddling under the blankets and watching Moana for the millionth time. You fell asleep shortly before the film ended and were quickly followed by Lily as she hummed an “I love you, mummy” and kissed the tip of your nose.

Despite not being the most comfortable place for your back to spend the night, there was no other place you’d rather be right now, holding your daughter's warm and small body - the smell of her strawberry shampoo and the pace of her calm breathing taking you to a place where no nightmares, no worries, would catch you in your sleep. You woke up in the middle of the night when she moved a bit and, after watching her sleep for a few minutes, finally turned off the TV and quickly texted Mason before going back to sleep.

When you woke up, there was a message from Jaz saying that they’d all go out for dinner after the ballet recital, and as hard as it was, you had to politely decline for you’d have a little celebration with your own family in a pre-Christmas party since a few members wouldn’t be joining at Foxwoods this year. And that you wouldn’t be able to be around Mason before telling him all the truth, which led to you telling her that he had reached you and you agreed to talk. She went from upset to hopeful in the blink of an eye.

As you prepared for the recital, you had to deal with an impatient and bossy Lily - combined with stress from work, that you had to forcefully turn into home office for the Holidays, the exhaustion that took over your body grew by the minute. It resulted in calling your mum for help, who showed up with your dad on her side by your door.

“You know she’d ask for me anyway, kid!” Your always cheerful father rubbed his hands together as he went straight for his granddaughter, who waited for him with her arms up, waiting to be spun around like a doll. You loved how your dad, a serious and famous lawyer, turned so soft whenever Lily was around - and now, how he’d cope with having to eventually “share” her with her other grandfather.

“Where do you need me to begin, amor?” Your mother’s heavy Colombian accent woke you up, and a sigh of relief parted your lips as you pulled her into a hug. “What is wrong, bebe? Tell your mamá,” Her hands softly stroked your back as you just closed your eyes and enjoyed being the daughter instead of being the mum.

“It’s nothing, I’m just exhausted. I thought that being one of the bosses would give me more free time but it’s just more work, and Lily is insufferable with this recital thing,” you sniffed. “I’m so glad it’s finally tomorrow.”

But you also weren’t, because it meant you’d see Mason after five years.

If anyone told you that your daughter’s ballet recital would be the place you’d almost certainly meet her father again, especially without him being the father of another kid there, you’d just roll your eyes and leave - as you stood in front of your closet, not sure about what to wear, your mind played tricks on you creating different scenarios on how that meeting would go. There was so much expectation from you, so much anxiety to see how Mason would react. He thought you’d meet for coffee sometime soon, not at a ballet recital where you were the mother of one of the kids.

Much to your relief, Willow arrived at your place right on time to save you from a breakdown over “what to wear to meet the father of my daughter after five years without looking like an exhausted mother, but also drop-dead gorgeous, and respectful”.

“Lord, that’s specific!” Willow screeched, not really helping you, in the end. “Why do you want to impress him anyway?”

“Willie, I know you’re smarter than this,” you replied as she just shrugged, still waiting for an answer. You got a positive reaction when you picked a knit burgundy dress, so you tried it on and what you saw in the mirror made you satisfied. “The next time I see him it’ll be to tell him the truth, so he needs a good first second impression.”

“His first impression of you was good enough,” she teased, watching your cheeks blush as she helped to remove the dress tag. “But you’re wearing a brand new dress for him tonight, so I’m sure the second impression will be just as good.”

“Stop it, silly. You know it’s not like this, and he doesn’t know it’s a new dress.”

Willow kept teasing you with her glares and smirks as the five of you drove to the small theatre rented for the night by the ballet studio, it was already a bit crowded when you got there and you rushed to take Lily to the backstage, where all her ballet friends greeted her in excitement. It truly was the cutest thing in the world, those little humans in their tutus, giggling and chatting like they were grown-ups.

With a quick and wet kiss on your daughter’s cheek - that made her adorably embarrassed - and a hug on Summer, you told the girls how wonderful they were and left to find your family. You quickly spotted Willow and Jaz laughing about something that made you curious, and although you were happy to see Jasmine, you also hoped it’d take a little longer to meet her and, potentially, the rest of her family. And Mason, to be more specific.

“He’s not here yet,” like she could read your mind, Jaz’s words caused you to sigh in relief. “You look gorgeous, by the way!”

Smiling at her, you softly stroked her bump. “You too, pretty mumma.”

As the lights dimmed down, announcing that the recital would begin soon, you and Willow parted ways from Jaz to meet your family. Your dad held your hand and gently squeezed it, his eyes already sparkling with tears - the truth was you couldn’t have done it without your parents, but your dad was something else. It was expected that being showered with affection would be something you’d get from your mum, who was a Latina, but you got it all from your dad because, according to him, you were the result of how much he adored your mum and Lily was an extension of that. His legacy, as he’d say. He never questioned your choices, the way you raised your daughter, nor why you never talked about who Lily’s father was. The respect your parents had for you was overwhelming, and that’s why you’d tell the whole truth tonight as soon as Lily was peacefully asleep.

When the five-year-olds act began, you were the one ready to let some tears roll down your cheeks. There she was, your Lilian Maisie, as beautiful as ever on her first ballet performance - something you never truly expected, since she had always been the adventurous type of kid. But you watched her balance it so perfectly that you often questioned if she was just five years old, and also how she’d be as a grown woman. As she danced, you had a clear vision of Lily in her early twenties. She was tall, her hair was a bit darker now but the soft curls were still there and so was the natural flush on her cheeks. She was beautiful and finally looked a bit more like you, but Mason’s smile was still there. She was kind, full of hope, funny, gracious and so smart. She was loved by everyone around her and made their lives better by simply existing.

When her act ended, you proudly stood up and clapped your hands as if your life relied on it. Her eyes scanned the audience, looking for you, and when she finally found you her face lit up and that smile you loved so much was there, making your heart melt. “I love you,” you mumbled, and she just winked at you.

Gosh, there was no way Mason wouldn’t love this girl to the point his heart would nearly explode. You wanted him to have it too.

Excusing yourself as the older girls got on stage, you went to the bathroom to fix your makeup. As you looked at yourself in the mirror, you searched for your phone and, with a courage you hadn’t felt in the longest time, you typed a quick message to Mason asking if he’d be willing to meet the next day, in the afternoon.

What you didn’t expect was to find him right outside, holding his phone with a wide smile on his lips.

Mason Mount looked as gorgeous as he’d ever been - you could smell his cologne even if you were at least ten steps away from him. Wearing black jeans, and a Dior sweater that made him look breathtakingly gorgeous, Mason ended the distance between you as you felt your heart beating faster each second. He was still holding his phone when he stopped in front of you.

“I literally just texted you back saying yes,” he ran his fingers through his hair and that was as sexy as you remembered. Mason had a beard now, and although he was still young, the wrinkles on the corners of his eyes were more evident now. “You’re the last person I thought I’d meet here.”

You nodded, forcing your brain to put some words together. “You too.” Lie. But you had to make it look like it was just a coincidence.

“You look incredible, Y/n,” Mason said under his breath, his eyes shamelessly scanning your outfit. That same pair of eyes was your favourite thing to look at every morning. Now you knew what Willow meant when she said that Lily and Mason were identical - how could he not notice when they met? “There’s so much I wanna say to you,” he continued.

“Save it for tomorrow.” You interrupted, not wanting to sound rude, and Mason nodded in agreement.

“Can I pick you up around 3?”

“I think we should meet there.” You said, thinking of how suffocating and awkward it’d be being inside a car with him after all these years. “There’s a nice place I usually go with my dau-,” you coughed, watching his brows frown. “With my best friend. I’ll text you the address and we’ll meet there.”

Then, all of a sudden, Mason pulled you into a hug. His warmth against your body melted your heart, and you could feel how his breath deepened as his arms tightened around your figure. “I’ll meet you there, so I can decently apologise for being a complete idiot to someone incredible like you.”

His words were all you needed to know for sure that this wouldn’t be easy.

Was he being genuine, or was he just trying to get into your pants like he did back then? Either way, things were immensely different now, for this wasn’t just about you and Mason anymore.

This was about her - Lily. It was about her future, her happiness, how his presence in her life would have a tremendous impact on how she’d develop and what kind of adult she’d be. Nothing would ever be the same, and there was nowhere to run.

This was going to be tough.

————

BONUS - SOCIAL MEDIA

#mason mount fanfic #mason mount imagine #mason mount x reader #mason mount x y/n #mason mount series #invisible string mm | chapter four

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cosmicghoul99 · 1 day

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An interesting Hannibal theory I think you should know about

I'm not sure how many people know this, but if you're unaware, some really interesting things relate to the show and Hannibal's character specifically. (Wanna add that I am not religious, so apologies if I get something wrong. I mean no offense to anyone, this is just a little analysis on my part)

There are a lot of biblical references in the show. It makes sense; religion has always been a deep, moral, and philosophical concept, and Hannibal loves to incorporate the ideas of religion and God into his actions and that of those around him. One of these references is a recurring one. Hannibal is often referred to as the devil. Like this quote from Gideon:

"You really are the devil," Abel Gideon - Antipasto

Or this one from Bedelia:

"Who holds the Devil, let him hold him well. He will hardly be caught a second time." Bedelia Du Maurier - The Wrath of the Lamb

Add this to all the religious imagery, the references to stags and the wendigo, plus the season three discussions about Dante. Bedelia says that she was "swallowed whole" by the beast at the mouth of Hell. You get the picture. There is a lot of talk and allusions to Hannibal being "the Devil."

Obviously, this is a metaphor first and largely used because he is the main "evil" or antagonistic character, but there's actually some truth to this.

Both Bryan Fuller, the creator, and Mads Mikkelsen, the actor of Hannibal, have stated that Hannibal is meant to be the literal devil. He is meant to be both a personification of the devil and the literal devil.

According to Bryan Fuller, Mads Mikkelsen plays Hannibal like he is Lucifer. In an interview, he stated that "he is as close as you can come to the Devil, in the sense that the Devil has no reasons," following it up by saying that Hannibal's reactions aren’t something of a person, but of the Devil. He intentionally plays the character through the lens of the fallen angel, Lucifer. Hannibal is meant to, in the eyes of the actor, be a manifestation of the Devil

Bryan Fuller has also said in interviews and online that he believes Hannibal is the devil. Of course, he states that this is his opinion and that others are up to their own interpretation, but the show's main creator and writer believes this also means that we can reasonably see this in the show.

Throughout the show, Hannibal is simply on another level. Many times, he does not seem human but rather otherworldly. I think that is where Mad's acting presents itself, alongside whenever Hannibal is talking about humanity and God.

Hannibal loves to play at being God and also criticizes God as well. I believe it is in episode three after Will kills Hobbs, that they discuss how Will killing Hobbs felt good. Hannibal responds with this.

"Killing must feel good to God, too... He does it all the time, and are we not created in His image?" Hannibal Lecter - Amuse-Bouche

Oh boy. This is such an interesting line. He talks about being created in His image. Let's be honest; he speaks as if he were God or knows God at least. His comment actually makes more sense if you view this as him being the Devil. Lucifer, the fallen angel, was cast from Heaven for rebelling against God. He feels that it was unjust. Most people talking about God and His actions view him with benevolence. Hannibal does not. In the bible, Lucifer had a problem with humans. And humans are, of course, said to be created in God's image. You could also argue that angels, especially Lucifer, were created in that same image, too. Hannibal has an issue with the rude. Why the rude particular? It is because those who are rude often showcase the worst of humanity's attributes and free will. Hannibal despises the rude because I believe that it, in some ways, represents the hatred that the Devil, or Lucifer, holds for humanity. The Devil had an issue with humans gaining free will and felt they did not deserve life via God's hands. This is similar to how Hannibal feels that those who are rude do not deserve to live. Hannibal, then, of course, being Satan himself, would be resentful of God for casting him from Heaven. Again, Hannibal often discusses God's motives, or what God feels doing certain things. Literally, a few seconds later in that episode, he says this:

"Hannibal: God's terrific. He dropped a church roof on thirty-four of his worshippers last Wednesday night in Texas while they sang a hymn.

Will: Did God feel good about that?

Hannibal: He felt powerful." Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter - Amuse-Bouche

That last line about him feeling powerful gets me thinking. Hannibal is speaking not just about this but also about his own fall. But more importantly, he's also showing us what he thinks of himself. Killing makes God feel powerful. That means that killing makes Hannibal feel powerful as well. He is both giving motives and somewhat criticizing God at the same time. Hannibal seems to find the situation amusing. I think he believes it quite funny that humans were killed while worshipping God. He might even see a comparison between what happened to him and what happened here. He is simultaneously praising God and calling Him a hypocrite.

Hannibal's motives for killing are also interesting, and I said earlier that I think the reason why he kills is because he believes that rude and ill-tempered people are the problem with humanity. And he wants to get rid of them.

Now, let's explore how this connects with other metaphors, his decisions in canon, and his relationship with Will.

Let's talk about the stag. I did some research, and in many religions, including Christianity, stags represent God and his might, at least from what I could find. I find this interesting because stags are also meant to represent opposition to the snake, another symbol of the Devil. Why is the representation of Hannibal, at least in Will's mind, a stag? I think it actually represents the darkening of Will. If stags are meant to represent good, then that means that Will starts off that way and then slowly follows the stag and is affected by it, which, to me, means that Will is slowly being corrupted. Just like the stag was corrupted due to Hannibal's influence, Will is starting to change and fall deeper and deeper into darkness. It's also interesting that the dynamic between Hannibal and Will is clearly that of one between the Devil and the person they are trying to tempt. Hannibal is trying to tempt Will into changing himself and embracing the darkness inside of him.

Will is Hannibal's realization that humans are actually not that bad. They are complex, and their free will actually makes them relate to him more than he thinks. Will is his weakness, and Hannibal is intrigued by him. If the Devil, which is Hannibal, is the snake, then, in Hannibal's own words, Will is the mongoose that preys on the snake. Hannibal originally fell because of humans, and at the end of the series, he falls because of humanity again. He fell for Will. Will is meant to represent the lamb of God. The symbolism is that Hannibal fell for Will, who sacrificed himself to keep the Devil away, getting corrupted in the process.

Dolarhyde is also a factor. The original painting, "The Great Red Dragon," represents Satan. How does that tie into this idea? I think it's not Dolarhyde who is meant to be Satan; rather, it is Hannibal. We know that Dolyrhde idolizes Hannibal in a sense. Like Will and many of his other patients, which I'll get into later, Francis is influenced by what Hannibal says. Yet another temptation by the Devil. This is also connected to Will coming into his own life because Francis is also manipulated by Will. There is a connection between Hannibal and Will, which is shared via the tempting and manipulation of Francis.

I mean, we have this statement by Jack talking about The dragon, the lamb, etc. Jack says that,

"He's not the Dragon, you are. The Devil himself bound in the pit." Jack Crawford

Hannibal compares Jack to God. But I think they both are, in some way.

Many of Hannibal's patients and the people in his life, in general, are manipulated by him. I mean, some of his patients are tempted and influenced by him to do bad things commit crimes, and murder people. That's very indicative of the Devil's work, in my opinion. Even Jack and Alana end up being manipulated and deceived by him.

There is a lot of other religious imagery and symbolism, so I'll only discuss some of it. To start with, the reference to Bedelia's presentation and Hannibal's name in Italy and what they could represent. I mentioned earlier that in season 3, Bedelia talks about her time in Florence with Hannibal. She talks about how Dante gave a physical space to Hell, a solid concept, but before that, people would say, the "mouth of Hell." Then she says that she was "swallowed by the beast." This refers to Hannibal, but here's the interesting thing. In the Bible, the Devil is also referred to as the Beast. Bedelia is yet again referring to herself being used and brought into the mouth of Hell by the Beast, Hannibal. The name that Hannibal was monikered by in Italy is also the same. "Il Mostro" translates to the monster, which can be interpreted as yet another way to refer to the devil. Then, there is the obvious references to lambs in the show, with it being a sacrificial symbol. I'm sure that's been talked about a lot, and I mentioned it earlier.

There are many mentions of justice, redemption, retribution, and more in the show. This connects with the religious themes, of course, but it also plays into Hannibal's view of himself as a God, as well as how the show depicts him as the Devil. He is the one who casts judgment onto people, like his patients, and onto the rude, like a God. He is the one who issues punishment for sins and misdeeds, like the Devil. I think it's so interesting to see them both working in tandem.

I once saw a post saying that Hannibal acts like he's lived the same life a hundred or so times. And I agree. He does. He acts like he has been around for a time so long that many have forgotten it. It makes sense why he's so confident, and nothing seems to phase him. Nothing that happens has any consequence for him. The only thing, really, that he cares about is Will. That's why he tries to get Will to have his Becoming and Fall with him. He wants Will to be there with him. Which is sweet, I think :) And not to bring up related trauma for anyone that has ever been a fan of Devilman or Devilman Crybaby, but IMO, it really really reminds me of Akira and Ryo and how Ryo is stuck in the same cycle over and over again as a lesson. Idk, my opinion. Let me know what you think.

I also wanted to touch on some other interpretations of the raven stag shown alongside the wendigo and how other religions and beliefs might relate to this.

The Wendigo is a demonic entity or evil spirit from the Algonquian people of Canada. It is a winter spirit that is meant to represent greed and gluttony. When humans succumb to greed, like being greedy for money, being cruel to people, or generally evil things, the Wendigo spirit can possess you. During harsh winters, when food is scarce, people commit taboo acts and consume another human, participating in cannibalism. This also causes a possession and turns this person into a wendigo, never to be satisfied and constantly craving forever. I am not Algonquian, or even Indigenous/Native American, so I can't speak too much on this, and I don't know too much, but I hope I explained it well enough. I apologize if I did not. The show has its own visualization of this, and Wendigos traditionally doesn't look like the one in the show, but the overall message is the same. Even if Hannibal is not the Devil, he could be some manifestation of a Wendigo. It makes sense. Remember his back story? He was forced into captivity while hiding by soldiers during an extremely harsh winter during the war. Harsh enough that food became scarce, and the soldiers had to resort to cannibalism. They fed Mischa to Hannibal, which might have triggered something. Ofc this is a reach, but I did want to bring another interpretation into this.

Obviously, this is all just speculation. I love this show, with its dark complexities and incredible depth, and I wanted to talk about something I've been thinking about for a while now. Again, not everything might be correct. I apologize if that's not the case. Please feel free to correct me. I also apologize if this made no sense or was not cohesive, it's pretty late for me, but I couldn't get this out of my head.

I hope it was interesting ;)

#hannibal #nbc hannibal #hannibal lecter #will graham #hannigram #just a little analysis #i'm sleep deprived so apologies if this makes no sense #i just really wanted to share

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weebsinstash · 1 day

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I'm sorry but I'm going insane for your idea of Lilith and Luci getting a sinner pregnant together can we please have more of your thoughts on this idea 🙏

Absolutely because I'm a dirty little heathen and Season 2 isn't just about to magically pop up out of the ground and I've had SOME THOUGHTS and also this post is way longer than it should be 💀

I was sitting and I was thinking of the concept of the Hotel having communal breakfasts or having at least one day of the week where there's food served and everyone (typically) eats together, not only as a bonding/unity sort of thing but also simular to how real hotels can have complimentary breakfast as part of your stay, and like, yeesh this is actually an entirely separate fic idea in of itself but you're talking with Alastor and you're saying something along the lines of "oh yeah, well, I was actually starting to think a lot about motherhood before I died, but, raising children is so complicated, not to mention society right now is so genuinely hostile and dangerous to children, and i wouldn't have been able to afford it anyways, and, well, you know, NOW i literally can't have them down here"

AND FROM THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE END OF THE TABLE

COMPLETELY UNPROMPTED

HERE'S LILITH, "Oh! It wouldn't be impossible at all! You and Lucifer could still have a baby :)"

RECORD SCRATCH SOUND EFFECT AS EVERYONE LOOKS TO THE QUEEN OF HELL. She seems completely unbothered while her husband is A TOMATO, he can barely even look in your direction, he's just tugging on her sleeve, "L-Lili, cmon, don't say things like that 😳🥴" and awkwardly laughing, maybe even asking to speak to his wife in private (I feel like its a regular occurrence for these two to dip out of a room and reappear and Lilith is reapplying her lipstick as she re-enters followed by a kiss covered Lucifer lmao)

Can you even imagine going to Charlie, "hey um, this is awkward, your mom keeps like. Jesus please don't kill me I'm not a homewrecker but your mom keeps making comments about me having a baby with your dad and she sounds completely serious about it and shes been bringing it up for like two weeks" and you could not be saying this in a more obvious "hey girl this is weird and I don't like it, can you chat with your parents for me to stop this" kind of way BUT, the actual way Charlie is responding ALSO THROWS YOU OFF. I can see it already, Charlie all but LIGHTS UP WITH EXCITEMENT and she, takes a breath, "oh!! I mean!! You don't have to do anything you don't want to obviously, bbBUT UH THAT BEING SAID oh gosh that sounds like it would make you really happy, aaaaand and I know you wanted a family of your own and, hey isn't this place about new beginnings and" GIRL WE AREN'T HAVING A BABY WITH YOUR DAD TF?

You know how I made that post "hey Lucifer kind of appears to have these vague Master Of All type powers down in Hell, what if he could manipulate your dreams and made you dream about being a kid because he's wanting to heal your inner child/adopt you". I also started thinking recently about Lucifer AND OR Lilith using these powers to make you dream about 1) being with them in general and more specifically 2) motherhood and i started mentally deep diving for that shit. Like. It could genuinely actually get so fucked up actually. Could you imagine you're just, VULNERABLE with the Queen of Hell and you're drunk and you're crying and you're just, SPILLING EVERYTHING, she's getting your entire life's story, and she's petting your hair as youre way too drunk to realize youre telling her way too much, amd she's just thinking "oh you poor thing, human society sounds absolutely dreadful now" and like. Think of it from a hypothetical fantasy psychology perspective. It's not like Lilith has never been part of modern society, she's been a member of Hell forever and has only been out of contact for 7 years, BUT she also exists from a time predating all of that AND she built Hell with Lucifer, so like, imagine she actually starts forming some um Strong Opinions on how, it sounds like all these complicated modern things are really dragging you down, both as a person and as a free spirit, and comes to a consensus that your life needs to be a little... simpler

I'm serious, I'm talking "Lilith makes you dream about being In The Actual Goddamn Garden Of Eden Itself with her and Lucifer and you're ALL naked". Just completely controlling your dream. You're naked as the day you were born and so are they and you can't control your dream at ALL. Lilith is wanting to like, watch you peacefully frolic around, I'm talking she wants to see you having your Hot Nymph Summer where you're napping in beds of flowers and you're having birds land on your finger and you're gasping at all the pretty flowers and wanting to explore and, experiencing the beauty of being alive without all these messy modern nuances and it's like NO MAAM I DONT WANT TO PICK BERRIES FROM THAT BUSH, YOU CAN SEE M Y BUSH AND I CAN SEE YOURS AND YOUR HUSBANDS---

Alastor is over here thinking he's hot shit, "oh I do so wish we could return to simpler times without all these modern trivial problems!!" MEANWHILE LILITH IS LIKE. ACTUALLY GOING THAT EXTRA MILE. Alastor is like "boo cellphones are bad and women dont dress modestly enough, people these days spend too mych time with technology and not with family" meanwhile in "the garden" a completely naked Lilith is braiding your hair and weaving flowers into it while an also completely naked Lucifer is feeding you berries by hand as they discuss the idea of having a nice fun swim in the lake passed the glade, like you guys really are frolicking and fucking around like a bunch of fairies and it's. It's peaceful and fun but also you miss your cellphone and having underwear 😩 like miss queen of hell can I PLEASE get some boob support--

Moving on, I was thinking of the Fake Garden in of itself, as its own idea, but like in this poly baby raising context, it would be essentially Phase 1 of the plan to normalize their presences to you and make you more comfortable around them and then skipping into Phase 10 of "oh hey by the way you're gonna have a dream about um sleeping with the King and Queen of Hell and it's Totally Not Real and you're Totally Definitely Not Actually Like For Real For Real Legitimately Pregnant Now ;)" like. First off before I get any farther in this post can we just like acknowledge the like HEINOUSNESS of you not knowing everything is "real dreams" and LiliLuci using this to their full advantage to ask and find out anything about you because basically to them, they think you're just being boggled down and negatively influences by modern human society and you're like an onion they have to peel some layers off of first to expose those juicy inner tender bits

Just. Ok. Like. High level fantasy horror concept ok, here we go I'm gonna cook here:

It eventually does move on to you having dreams about living in an actual home with Lucifer and Lilith, sleeping with them in you know, All Those Ways, basically in what you think is some weird imaginary throuple that while you do find yourself enjoying it like actually, you can't wake up from it, and these dreams can feel WAY too long sometimes. You're dreaming of some, "am I a man dreaming I am a butterfly or am I a butterfly dreaming i am a man" shit where you hit the pillow in Hell and Dream You is waking up, seeing your husband and wife get ready for work and you're basically a pampered stay at home spouse. I honestly can't decide what dynamic would be cuter: both of them having jobs, you and Lilith having jobs while Lucifer is the house husband, only Lilith having a job while you and Lucifer do dumb shit at home, or Lucifer being big daddy and bringing home all the money while you and Lilith lounge by the pool and she takes you to the spa and pampers you all day and is sending texts and photos of how cute you are to her husband while he's working

You're probably thinking "wait but weeb this is actually kind of cute, where is the horror" and for starters it just kind of, mentally wears your energy down over time to 'never shut your brain off' and have true rest, like Lilith and Lucifer intentionally 'trade' you being alert in reality to you being more conscious in the dream world, so, you're not as present when you're around ACTUAL people as you are when you're in their little, fucked up pocket dimension.

Then you've got. The baby. You're pregnant ONLY in the dream. You have THE ACTUAL PAINFUL EXPERIENCE of giving birth, BUT THEN you're waking up and you can't hold your child, show them to your friends, have the, SANITY AND COMFORT OF KNOWING YOU ACTUALLY HAVE ONE. You're waking up DEVASTATED. Where's your baby? 🥺 oh right.... They're not... actually real... like it fucks you up psychologically

I just picture, if I were to put it in an order of events. You go from 1. Lilith and Lucifer are just your casual acquaintances, Charlie's parents that you know through her 2. They start getting closer to you as you stay longer at the Hotel 3. Ok we get along and have fun moments and even sing songs and we have fun times with your daughter ^^ 4. Ok you're getting maybe a little comfortable, am I tripping or are you a little too comfortable 5. You're Bush Out in Fake Eden 6. You accidentally slip up and get more cozy with them in reality because Ok Maybe The Stupid Garden Bullshit IS Fun And Maybe A Little Soul Healing 🙄 7. You're getting banged in the Garden 8. Being in reality is awkward now, suddenly you're avoiding them less, so you're dreaming about them more, having them push themselves closer to you in response to you trying to pull away, like even if you're spending entire days outside of the Hotel you can't escape needing to sleep eventually 9. Suddenly you're like, not in Eden, you're in a hospital getting an ultrasound w Lili Luci holding your hands as a doctor tells the three of you you're pregnant and oh no you're actually really happy and excited about it 🥺 10. crushing crushing reality. You're single and not pregnant and you're beating yourself up for these fucked up dreams you're blaming yourself for having, as if they're some self conscious desire and you're kinkshaming yourself for having them 11. Dream You is having your baby, everyone is so happy like it's actually so perfect, even when you're stressed as a first time parent you have so much love and support to keep you strong 12. You wake up and it's nothing but DEPRESSION DEPRESSION DEPRESSION where is my baby and my wife and my husband who love me and I love them DEPRESSION DEPRESSION DEPRESSION 13. Lilith and Lucifer HAVE TO to spill that Hey Our Baby Is Real because you're like going near insane with "grief" like youre like actually wanting to try and end your life or constantly self harming because Where Is MY CHILD 14. You're so fucked up at this point you don't care to ask questions when they hand your Very Much Real Baby to you looking exactly how you remember them from your dreams. You're just happy your baby is real and now you can be with them all of the time and you don't even care that um This Was Such A Fucking Ethically Dubious Conception.

Do you think the other Hotel residents would have a sliding scale of being ok with this. Like you just SHOW UP WITH THIS LITTLE BLONDE BABY IN YOUR ARMS and Lilith and Lucifer are all but glued to you and they're all fucking confused because WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN??? you barely even spend time with these two, or so they thought??? When were you PREGNANT??? HOW??? I feel like realistically if they aren't all, you know, as Equally Crazy For You, that they would find this extremely manipulative and fucked up MEANWHILE CHARLIE DOESNT CARE and may have been in on it.

Also "something something what if Reader being able to get pregnant also turned out to be like God Himself being like 'hey lucifer lilith here's the deal I'm throwing you a bone right now, ok, this is for you, to keep things chill between us mk' and there are added layers of Oh Shit You Were Created To Be With Them" as if your ass wouldn't have an impossible enough time escaping as is 😭💀

But like... the concept of Reader falling so deep into "grief" that it gets so bad that you're basically not eating or sleeping, Lucirer and Lilith were always gonna tell you but they're forced to do it abruptly because you just breakdown and can't stop crying. Or it's even Charlie disobeying her parents and running up to you with your baby who stops crying the moment they're in your arms

I also just... as a final note..... just as a cute palette cleanser there's one specific idea I keep thinking of... you have your new baby and you're showing it to all your Hotel buddies and you give it to Alastor to hold because your baby was giggling and gurgling at him and you're just, death grip on his shoulder, "alastor please hold my child :) they're excited go meet you, say hi" and while you're like, vaguely threatening him to interact with this baby which he has Extremely Valid Reasons To Find Abhorrent, his deer ears move or twitch, and your baby is just looking up at him with their big eyes, watching those ears twitch, and, poof! Your baby has their first Lucifer/Lilith related shape-shifting incident and suddenly your baby has twitching little red ears and they're looking up at Alastor with these big cute eyes and here you are, "alastor :) aren't you going to praise my baby :) they just had their very first shift and it's for you :) tell them what a good job they did :) you're not trying to make my baby uncomfortable are you :)" and. Ok Maybe this does win Alastor over a bit being the narcissist that he is BUT THE TRUE REWARD is Lucifer scrambling into the room after you call out in excitement, dropping to his knees and all but wailing, "NO, WHY IS MY BABY HAVING THEIR FIRST SHIFT FOR Y O U AND I MISSED IT" and you just have Alastor being an ABSOLUTE SHIT, suddenly oh so cozy with your baby, "well talent recognizes talent! This little one clearly has potential! Why, look at how clearly they ALREADY ADORE THEIR DEAR UNCLE ALASTOR >:)" and from then on you can't leave these two men alone with your baby or they'll be having nonstop contests to "win them over" and prove who the best role model/caretaker is

Ok. Lastly. Lastly lastly lastly. THIS BABY SPECIFICALLY IS RUINING MY LIFE. Look at those STUPID CHUBBY cheeks and those big eyes and how attentive and focused she is like oh my godddddddd if LiliLuci handed one of those to me "this is yours" i would just die like 🥺🥺🥺 man, I'll have to tell you guys later about my idea for "Reader wants to see if Rosie will let them adopt a Hellborn baby and Alastor helps vouch for you and lowkey becomes your husband/the child's second parent" or "Reader finds an abandoned imp baby and all the shenanigans/protective possessive feelings from your yandere/s that follow once you begin your motherhood journey "

#yandere hazbin hotel #lucifer morningstar x reader #lucifer x reader #yandere x reader #yandere hellaverse #hh #sinprompts #hhhhrrrrrrrrr I KEEP HAVING ALASTOR THOUGHTS THOUGH

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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 3 days

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Hey Raven, i wanted to ask: Do you think if Silver was born as a girl that Lilia would have raised him differently? Basically, i wonder how Lilia would raise a girl.

What do you think..?

I really don't think Lilia would have raised a daughter any differently than a son. Starting out as a parent, Lilia had a hard time grasping the needs of a human child and how they differ from that of a fae child. For example, he wouldn't worry when infant Silver slipped out of his cradle (expecting Silver to come back on his own) and presently still tends to babies by feeding them milk not in a nippled bottle but from a regular cup. His primary concern, then, would mainly be on learning these nuances between human and fae rather than being concerned with male or female (the former being a far greater distinction than the latter).

Lilia and Silver's lifestyle would be the same, regardless of what Silver's sex is. He (or she) would still be in a position where they have to deal with a father that is messy and cannot cook well, which puts Silver in a situation where they have to grow up quickly to take care of Lilia and himself (when Lilia is away on his travels). This would probably result in a very similar personality forming for fem!Silver--someone who is diligent, reserved, and devoted to Lilia. I'm certain that Lilia would also still train Silver as a knight. I don't see him as the type of person who would perceive women as weak or helpless, nor do I see him discouraging a woman from being able to fight. After all, he knows and is close with two extremely powerful women (Meleanor and Maleficia) who could easily strike HIM down if they wanted to. Lilia laughs at the suggestion that his princess is a damsel in distress and is quick to correct others by informing them that maybe their princesses are like that, but his is not. Sure, that comes down to the Draconia blood making Meleanor powerful beyond the average mage--but what reason would Lilia have to deny Silver the same opportunity to gain the strength to protect others, just as Meleanor and Maleficia have for their own family and people? The fear of potentially losing Silver? But isn't it more dangerous to not let Silver have a fighting chance at all? That’s what I think, at least.

Finally, when it comes to things like "looking feminine" or "looking masculine", Lilia himself has always toed that line. In fact, he usually has the most feminine or flamboyant looks of Diasomnia. The most immediate example I can think of is his dorm uniform in which he proudly wears an oversized coat to give the appearance of being small and cute, and having tons of ruffles and a skirt-like flare to his pants. Lilia also often confidently brags about how "cute" he is and takes great pride in that cuteness. I'd imagine that he encourages Silver to dress how he likes, sex or gender be damned, so long as Silver feels his best. And Silver, being Silver, would probably just dress as usual Silver does, in something serious and practical rather than something "stylish".

I feel like the only thing that would really change is Silver not being able to attend NRC. (Well... unless it's a situation where fem!Silver attends anyway but is passing as a guy because of how androgenous she is.)

#twst #twisted wonderland #Lilia Vanrouge #Silver #Meleanor Draconia #Maleficia Draconia #disney twisted wonderland #disney twst #book 7 spoilers #notes from the writing raven #question #twst au #twisted wonderland au #au #twst genderbend #twisted wonderland genderbend

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0104-vikita · 3 days

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The Amazing Digital Circus 🔎Episode Speculations🔎

With friends we tried to make up different scenarios and speculations based on Episode 2's trailer. Most of them are about the episode, but some can apply to the show in general. I felt like sharing them.

NPC Awarenesses/Sentience

NPCS and Locations don't get erased. Instead they can be reused over and over. The Candy Cannon has been used for humans that to this day are already abstracted. The NPCS might remember.

All NPCs are aware of their role as simple additions for Caine's adventures. They are almost like actors that may not get out of their role.

Only SOME NPCS are aware of their role AND as sentient as a human, while others just get reset. Those who are aware feel depressed and trapped as a result. Has major impact in the Lore

The NPCS are not aware, but become so and find out the truth towards the end of the adventure, leading to an existential crisis. Has major impact in the lore

NPC Awarenesses and "we were just acting" is instead played as a Joke where they all hang out before the main cast returns to the circus.

Storylines, Plot and Escenes

The gators are bandits and present a major issue for the kingdom. Is the main cast's quest to stop them or interfere with them (@notnights)

The gators aren't necessarily bad guys, and the quest has nothing to do with them, but the main cast does something that bothers them (maybe the truck they ride is theirs and stole it) getting into conflict

There is a BIGGER threat lurking in the Candy Cannon, the gators and the main cast are forced to work together (@gen-toon)

I like to think the reason Gangle is shown driving is because of the fact she's the most likely to get carsick (said by Goose previously). Being the driver diminishes the chances of getting carsick (for some)

There will be a chase and shooting scene in the episode

The close up eye picture belongs to either one of the gators (what I thought at the beginning) OR some creature we have not met before (the eyes look different from the gators) The lightning suggests a different location and lore relevancy.

Overall there will be lore related scenes suggested by the different non-candy cannon scenes on which Pomni appears worried, scared and overall nervous.

There is a mannequin running behind Gangle in what appears to be their entrance to the Kingdom. This is most likely the reason her mask breaks.

One of my friends (@gen-toon) realized that there's a mosaic that looks oddly similar to Kinger. But it could also be Caine (@notnights). It makes more sense to be Caine's since he's like a God almost. Maybe they worship him

Jax (there's stuff I wanna say about this bitch specifically)

There's a scene in which Jax appears to be in danger of falling from the truck while being eaten by the monster. This scene made me think about the possibility of Jax getting in danger and the cast REFUSING to help him or at least hesitating to do so cuz bro is a bastard.

He notices this hesitation/refusal, this occurrence makes him think (leading to the "sad Jax" scene) but it does NOT lead him to be better, instead, it leads him to be worse because "they hate me anyways"

This scene could also be the result of other possible plot scenes suggested by my friends:

The gators have been defeated and tied up. They attempt to manipulate Jax into joining them by hitting on his weak spots. (@notnights )

The gators and the cast are bonding together. The gators' boisterous personality drifts him away. The only way he socializes with people is by being boisterous and annoying, so the fact that these gators might be boisterous AND nice will take him out of focus. It will show that he in fact does not know how to form a genuine connection with others. (@gen-toon)

Maybe he's considering shooting the captured gators to get over with the adventure. (@notnights )

Maybe bro's hungry and is just eating the chocolate on the floor idk (got that idea from @corpseacoast fanart)

I will just keep adding stuff as I remember, speculating is kinda fun.

#the amazing digital circus #tadc #jax #ragatha #kinger #pomni #Gangle

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bluishfrog · 2 days

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HAPPY 1-YEAR OF DRAWING ANNIVERSARY TO ME!

(Warning: slightly longer post incoming cause sometimes I gotta be a sentimental bitch ok? So let's go on a little trip down memory lane.)

This day, a year ago, I made my very first fanart. It was dnf (if that surprises you, then welcome to being on my blog for the very first time). I drew a little frog face too so I could use it as a watermark (fun fact: I still use that very same first one).

I immediately put my drawing up on twt because I told myself that I wasn't gonna be afraid of having people see that I was at the very beginning of this journey and had no clue what I was doing. That instead of being bad at art, I was gonna be awesome at being a beginner who doesn't know shit.

I started with little doodles and silly comics and then I laughed way too long when the first drawing of mine that gained some attention was a dnf butt joke. At the time I was trying to balance shipping and non-shipping art so I didn't even draw dnf that much but in hindsight it's probably the only possible way this could have gone.

At the very end of August I woke up to @honelle56 caps-locking at me in my messages - I was very confused and tired (I am no morning person and I will never be, fuck off with your mornings) because Dranart liked my drawing of singing Dream. Dranart was my 17th follower on twt which is a useless yet extremely funny fact about my time on that hellsite.

I also drew human!patches because a) patches was and will always be my favorite dteam member and b) it was a really cute trend and while I do love drawing dream, george and sapnap, I was also quite happy to try drawing anything but a white man for once. And I really liked how the drawing turned out.

Much, much later, I tried to draw my first slightly more realistic looking drawing. I was extremely confused on how to draw anything like this. Especially their hair gave me tons of trouble but given my experience, I think it's not a bad attempt.

When hijacked smp started I obviously wanted to participate, and I drew c!blu who doesn't associate with any side in particular but instead serves soup to everyone who visits her tavern 'The Soup House'. She also wants to be paid in stories from all around the map.

One of the events I was most excited about was dnf week. I even collaborated with two talented writers and I drew the corresponding art for two fics.

(Fun or not so fun fact: when twt had like three hundred collaborative aneurysms about the situation at that moment, that was when I created this tumblr account. I didn't use it super actively (I guess I needed another situation to fully make the switch) but I at least started the account that now developed quite a bit since then.)

I didn't really draw at all through January and February and I actually kinda thought I would move on from that hobby and fandom (not because of negative feelings, just because I didn't really have the urge to create anything within this fandom) and then situations happened and now I am here; and for some reason that is beyond any logic and my understanding I am now even more insane about dteam.

Wild to me but we are rolling with it now, I guess.

Since I got here, I drew more than ever (I actually think I might have made more drawings in the month since I got here than I made the whole rest of the year). There's just such an active and funny community here that cares about fan works for the sake of creating and not just because a CC might see it.

Unfortunately, Tumblr won't let me add more than 10 images in one post (maybe fortunately for everyone who has this monstrosity of a post on their dash). So if you want to see all the progress I made since I got here, you can look at everything in my art tag. For now, I will close this post with one of the art works from the past month that I like the most:

Can't wait to see what the next year might bring :)

Love, blu

#blu rambles #like a LOT #but if you made it to the end of this post you get a hug <3 #bluishfrog art

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theinternetarchivist · 2 days

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JASPER MENTIONED RAHHHHHH

BUT AT WHAT COST 😭😭😭😭

OKAY but in all honesty I find the theme of happiness and simplicity to be SO interesting in this story because it’s a topic almost everyone deals with

For Frankenstein well- we’re seeing it play out. She never got to be happy, her experiment ended with everyone she held close dead. So when she sees people like her thrive, she can’t help but feel jealous which is a COMPLETELY human experience and is something I’m sure everyone can relate to, to a degree

Jekyll also grapples with something similar, but not as a scientist, but in relation to his queerness for the most part. The theme of simplicity is STRONG with him, like how he said “why can’t I want anything simple. I want to want what they want” or even when he tells Jasper that Rachel will leave him for something simpler, he wants to be happy, he wants life to be simple, but it’s impossible for him so he expresses jealousy similar to Frankenstein- albeit in more passive ways

Hyde also kind of fits into this, but on the topic of his identity. He doesn’t know what his identity is, he’s a part of Jekyll yes but in a way he’s also his own being. His life crashed around him when Lucy basically called him out (AS SHE SHOULD TBH) as a fraud essentially- he doesn’t know what it *means* to be happy, or like what it would mean to him

I would go more in depth with other characters but I’m tired rn and am about to leave on a field trip so for now my thoughts will remain unfinished, but I will say this: what happiness is and what simplicity means is definitely the theme of The Glass Scientists in my opinion, and in my opinion it’s portrayed in such a good way especially because of its’ queer themes.

#the glass scientists #tgs #TGS analysis #analysis #listen I mightttt be reaching #but idk these are just my thoughts

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frostwing213 · 2 days

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I keep getting a lot of Elain stuff popping up on my dash. Mostly about shipping, and I'm like:

How'd this girl end up in a love triangle????

People are very opiniated too, fighting over and making essays about it. There's Elain/Az and Elain/Lucien (There's also Az and Gwen, but I understand how Az got in a love triangle.)

I'm just, struggling to care. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate Elain, I just find her kinda boring. She doesn't do much. She feels like that classic fairytale princess that looks pretty and sad in a tower.

Off the top of my head, these are things that define her (Without being linked to men, becase I'm not there yet. Plus, a female character should be able to stand on her own without the men in her life)

She gardens and is primiarily associaed with flowers

Pretty

Nice

Weak

She kinda killed the king of Hyburn

Didn't want to be a fae

kinda wishy washy

Achreon sister

Quiet

Her sisters want to protect her

Future seeing powers

And I'm out of ideas. From my point of view, she doesn't have any discernable personality. Her three major defining things when people think of her are: Pretty, flowers, soft.

She doesn't act for herself, she doesn't speak up. She goes with what happens and gets sad when she doesn't like it. (Becoming a fae was traumatic, and I understand her reaction, but I don't really like it. AND I HAVEN'T EVeN TOUCHED ON THE GREYSON[was that the human dude's name???]THING YET!)

So, when the books start, early ACOTAR. Archeron sisters are in the woods. Feyre is the only one doing something to support the family. Who is Elain in this book? Pretty gardener. Delicate. She isn't doing anything. Some can argue Nesta isn't either, and as a Nesta Supremist, I have to say she was willing to get married to someone cruel to make it easier on her family, and although that isn't much, it's still something. What does Elain do in this book? Be pretty. Please, someone give me an example of Elain doing something constructive and I will edit it in. Please.

Moving on. Next book. She... hosts the house along with Nesta. Oh! She's engaged to a fae hating guy (Who i think is named Greyson. I can't remember and I'm currently loaning out my 2nd and 3rd book, so I can't check rn). Uh.... I don't remember if she does anything else until the end, where she is captured and dumped in the caldron. We find out Lucien is her mate. EDIT!: As @devi1sange1 pointed out to me, Elain did stand up to Nesta about using their house as a meeting spot for the queens. She also takes responisblty for how they treated Feyre. 2 points for Elain. I give her those

She shows up more after that, so I'm not doing book by book, but she gets dumped fast by her fiancé and hangs out in the house of wind, being very sad. I almost wanna describe her as floaty, because she's acting like a ghost, just existing and mourning what is gone. This is a vaild response, and I understand why she responds this way, it just annoys me because she has not shown any autonomy so far. Anything. I think I remember her asking her ex-fiance to take in humans, but that was after being pushed by the inner circle. Uh... she gives a few prophecies, yay that. When the fighting starts, she stays on the sidelines, which I don't blame her for. She kinda kills the king of Hyburn. I think that's all she does in that.

After that. What does she do? Other than hang around??? I DON'T KNOW!

Elain shows no real drive! She exists and sometimes does stuff to push the plot!

Now onto the (possible) romantic interests she has.

Greyson: Uhhhhh, they like each other. She likes her because she's sweet and pretty. I didn't catch anything else between these two. Uh, he dumps her as soon as she's fae and she gets depressed over it

Lucien: Mating bond. She doesn't like him, I get it. He tries to back off. I think Lucien acts responsibly in this situation. Elain is at no fault in this situation either. Mating bonds don't always pair up the most romantic pair, and it doesn't always work out well. Honestly, I never saw much chemistry between these two, and if not for the bond, they likely would have forever ignored each other.

Azriel: (Random, but I searched him up on tumblr because I couldn't remember how to spell his name, and WOW, there's a lot of Azriel x reader. Yall really 'like' him) How, just how did this become such a popular ship? I never even caught this on my read through. Yeah, Az is nice to her, but he's nice to anyone considered friendly. He's just as nice to Feyre and I don't see anyone shipping those two. I just... don't get it. Is it because we want the sisters paired up with the bat boys? Is that it?? I don't understand. I see no chemistry. It's just two people being nice to one another guys.

I think those are the major ones. I don't understand any of them. Lucien and Az are such powerful charters, while Elain is... 'pretty flower girl'.

I don't hate her, but she kinda annoys me with how much crazines she's getting with people shipping her. Wanna know what i think would be great? She ends up with no one romantically. She has friends, just no romantic partner and that is perfectly fine. Lucien will live. If there's nothing between Az and Gwen, then Az will live.

To wrap up, I find Elain to be a pretty boring charter, I just feel indifferent towards her. I love the other two siblings, but I feel like Elaine could have been improved.

Feel free to talk to me about this! Throw out your own opinions! Give me edvince that supports or opposes any of my points! Correct me on stuff and ignore my spelling!

I love a good debate! Give me one! Please.

Interact with me.

Edit!: Thanks for interacting! I swear I'm reading everything! I just didn't expect this to blow up so fast!

Another edit: Thanks yall for interacting! I'm really enjoying reading the responses and what people hope to see coming from Elaine in the future!

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blueraineshadows · 2 days

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Blood Bound Part 8

Sebastian Sallow 🔺️ F!MC 🔺️Leander Prewett

Sebastian has a favour to ask his twin amid concerns about Rookwood’s intentions. Meanwhile, MC takes the first step into her new future, only it isn't what she planned...

Words 10.9k Tags: NSFW / sexual activity / angst / sibling tension / mentions of abuse / dark magic / anxiety

Chapter Master List and Ao3

Tagging List at the end.

Eight: The First Move

The years spent within the darkness of her cell had cut MC off from human interaction. The days stretched into a blur of cold shadows and screaming terror, the air of madness was so thick it had seeped into the very stone of the walls, encapsulating the horror with no escape. Starved of touch and affection, MC had hidden the soft parts of herself behind mental barriers to protect her mind, and around her heart she had erected stone walls of a different kind. These walls protected her from the madness, but it had also left her feeling numb and empty. She had become one with the darkness, a shadow of her former self. Lonely.

Outside, the real world was loud and bright, with people who spoke to her, their eyes meeting hers and probing against these protections that she had been forced to surround herself with. Fearful of making the mistake of placing her trust in the wrong person, unwilling to find herself trapped and utterly alone again, MC couldn’t imagine being able to lower these barriers.

Until now.

The cavern of emptiness behind her ribs ached to be filled. To feel wanted, to be seen as a person and not the number that had been branded into the skin of her neck. It was a deeply profound thing. Still frightened of what it could mean, she had come to Leander in the dark of the night to explore the sensations of warmth that had begun to slip through the cracks of her rigid control. Here, in his bedroom, she had dared to cross a line that made her tremble with anticipation.

Teetering on the edge of abandon, MC tipped her head back, Leander’s large hands cradling the back of it, his fingers threaded into her unbound hair as his lips tasted her exposed throat. Her own lips were parted in a soft sigh, a fierce ache beginning to grow in her lower abdomen as she worked her hips in a slow grind against his lap. Her hands smoothed up his chest to grip his shoulders, her teeth catching on her lower lip as she felt the growing hardness through the soft cotton of his pyjama bottoms. He had somehow broken through her shields leaving her a wanton, breathless vessel of need. It was scandalous how she rutted against him, and yet it felt so good.

Whispering her name against her throat, Leander held her hips, looking down to watch as she writhed against him. He moaned, his hips flexing towards her heat.

“Gods…you are so…tempting,” he groaned, leaning his forehead against her shoulder. His hands slid upwards towards her waist, dragging her nightgown in his grip to expose her thighs. The feel of his hands sent searing flame through the thin cotton of her nightdress, the sensitivity of her skin causing sparks to fly through her blood. The heat gathered deep within, her breathing heavy as she allowed herself to push back those mental barriers.

“Tell me you want more,” she whispered, her fingers caressing his neck and teasing at his hair. Capturing his lower lip with her mouth, she sucked slowly at the plump flesh, savouring the little whimper that came from his throat.

Despite the darkness of his room, she could still see the intensity of his gaze, looking into the honey brown of his eyes and feeling the fire that blazed behind them. It was a power all of its own to know she could capture him this way. It emboldened her, made her push past the insecurities of knowing she was still too thin, her skin pale from years in the dark. Slowly, she pulled at the ribbon on the front of her nightgown, loosening the fastening until the fabric began to slide off one shoulder.

Leander watched, his cheeks darkening as more of her skin became exposed to him, his tongue darting out to wet his lips. “We don’t have to…I mean, I wouldn’t want to take advantage of you,” he faltered, his eyes unable to look away as her nightgown slipped even further, the lace trimmed edge dangerously close to exposing her breast.

“What if I am taking advantage of you, Prewett?” She murmured, the curve of her mouth teasing as she took hold of one of his hands and placed it against her chest, her skin craving the contact to the point of exquisite torture.

His throat worked as he swallowed, the tips of his fingers trembling slightly as they ghosted against her skin, tracing delicate lines until the base of his hand nudged the edge of her nightgown. It slipped, dropping to expose the soft curve of her breast, her breath catching in her throat as his palm grazed against the tightening peak. He stared, transfixed as his fingers traced along the swooping curve, outlining the shape as his thumb grazed in a teasing stroke over her nipple. She gasped softly at the tingling fire spreading out from the stiff arousal, goosebumps erupting across her skin at his feather light exploration.

“Lee…please,” she whispered, her fingers gripping into the soft hair at the back of his head.

“Have you ever done anything like this before?” He asked softly, his eyes lifting to look at her more closely.

She could see the concern in his eyes, his effortless nature of being a gentleman strong enough to bypass the obvious need she could feel pressing urgently through his pyjama bottoms against her heat. It wasn’t an unreasonable question considering she had spent the last four years incarcerated in a prison cell, thrown there when she was barely sixteen. She realised it would be best not to go into too much detail about the how and when of her sexual past, not wanting Sebastian hovering between them at this moment.

She nodded to confirm that she had done this before, capturing his lips in a teasing kiss, grinding against his lap with slow rolls of her hips. It had been a long time, but her need bypassed her nerves, her body seeking relief now that she had opened herself to the flame. “I’m not a virgin,” she whispered, keeping her mouth achingly close against his. “Take me, Lee. Please, make me feel alive.”

The look he gave her stole her breath, his eyes darkening with a desire that pulled fiercely on the growing fire in her belly. The handsome lines of his face changed from his usual soft disposition into something edgier, almost dangerous, as his hands fisted into the soft cotton of her nightdress and dragged it upwards with clear intent. A ragged gasp left her mouth, her arms lifting willingly as he tore the garment from her body and discarded it into the room.

He swore under his breath, his fingers biting into the delicate flesh of her hips as he devoured her nakedness with hungry eyes. The change in him was palpable, and she had barely begun to work on the buttons of his sleep shirt before he rolled her onto her back, claiming her mouth with a passion bursting with confidence and unabated hunger.

Her breath was stolen at his urgency, the confident slide of his hands over her flesh waking up every nerve ending that had slumbered under tight control. The heat of his kiss seared her skin as he mouthed along her collar bone, working his way down towards her aching, heavy breasts. Her back arched in ecstasy as he sucked a peak into his mouth, his hand cupping the back of her thigh and adjusting her leg to his liking, his fingers dragging across quivering muscle to drift teasingly close to where she throbbed for him.

The anticipation was almost overwhelming, her lungs burning as she dragged in rasping breaths, her blood singing with desperation as she clung to him. “Please,” she whined, her brow creasing and her teeth dragging across her lower lip as his fingers brushed against her core.

“Don’t worry,” he promised, kissing his way along her jaw before finding her mouth. “Let me take care of you.”

A few deft strokes from his fingertips and he was in, twisting the length of his finger into her slick, tight heat. She echoed his breathless groan, closing her eyes as she lost herself in his torturous exploration. He definitely seemed to know what he was doing, the relief so sweet she could almost taste it as he worked her open, adding a second finger that had her nails digging into the flesh of his arm.

Just when she thought she could ride out the rhythmic thrust of his fingers, balanced on the wave of pleasure he was building, the pad of his thumb began to circle slowly, each delicate swipe thrumming over her unbelievably sensitive bundle of nerves.

“There…Lee,” she cried, arching against him, eyes wide. Her body tensed, overwhelmed and on the brink of shattering already. His hand slowed, his mouth pressing soft kisses along her neck until his lips were grazing her ear.

“Easy, easy. Relax,” he whispered, eliciting shivers along her spine. She closed her eyes, trying to steady her erratic heartbeat, the sensations he was awaking inside of her like huge, crashing waves. “I’ve got you, you can let go.”

He began to pleasure her again, slowly this time, each swipe of thumb and plunge of fingers throwing more fuel onto the building inferno deep in her core. Her hips rocked of their own will, low moans leaving her lips with abandon as she gradually loosened her grip on her control, giving in to the sensations he was giving her. Heat flamed across her cheeks, her fingers curling into the fabric of his sleep shirt as she felt herself tightening again, her gaze drifting down to watch as his hand moved with erotic ease. Lost for words, she allowed herself to give in, her hips bearing downwards as she slipped off the edge into pulsing, molten release.

His kisses danced across her flushed cheeks. “I hope you know how beautiful you are,” he said, the tip of his nose nudging against hers.

It felt so strange to hear those words on his lips, her head barely able to accept them as truth despite the way he was looking at her. Awestruck might have been the word to use as his hands soothed across her heated skin. Her heart was pounding, nerve endings still twitching with pleasure as her body floated on the ebbing tide of release. Wanting to repay him for making her feel this way, she opened his sleep shirt, her hands seeking out the warm flesh of his chest.

His pale skin was peppered with freckles that spread up and over his shoulders. Slipping the shirt from him, she caressed his soft skin in gentle exploration, watching his face to witness the effect she was having on him. Brushing against a pink nipple made him twitch, her lips curving into a soft smile as she teased down over his stomach to toy with the soft, copper hair that grew there, the fiery trail leading downward below the waistband of his pyjamas.

“Can I touch you?”

He smiled, huffing with amusement through his nose. “I’ve been wanting you to do just that since I was 16,” he said, his eyes lingering on her mouth before he kissed her, slowly. “I can’t believe I can kiss you like this, touch you like this…”

His hand slid upwards over her ribs, cupping a breast and rolling her nipple under his thumb. MC touched her hand to his cheek, the warmth she could feel pooling behind her ribs making her feel like she might be in trouble with Mr Prewett. She had wanted to feel something other than cold and empty, and he was stirring things she wasn’t sure she was prepared for. How had she missed his sweetness all those years ago? It made her wonder how different the trajectory of her time at Hogwarts would have turned out had she befriended this loyal Gryffindor sooner?

She did not deserve the light he bestowed upon her, and yet she was greedily taking it, basking under the burn of his gaze as he touched her. Maybe she was selfish for letting this happen, maybe she was going to destroy whatever this was between them, because that was the pattern her life seemed to follow. Anything good she ever found managed to slip through her fingers. But, right now, she didn’t have the strength to pull away from how he was making her feel. Her skin burned under his hands, each fiery tingle reminding her that she was, in fact, alive.

Dipping her hand lower, she pushed at the waistband of his trousers, sliding them down over his hips to expose the length of his arousal. Looking down, she bit her lip at the swollen size of him, the pink tip already leaking in anticipation. Making his teenage fantasy come true, she touched him, sliding her hand along the silken length and smoothing her thumb along the pulsing vein. His breathless groan filled her ear as he dipped his head, burying his face against her neck as his pelvis flexed towards her touch. Shifting beneath him, she widened her legs to accommodate him, a slight flutter of nerves awakening as she felt the thick press of him at her entrance. She had only ever been with one boy, and that was a long time ago.

Leander was gentle but determined as he took her, considerate as always. The stretch made her eyes water, her back arching as he carefully pushed testing thrusts into her, his cheeks flushed scarlet and his eyes closing in bliss. “Fuck, MC…” He panted, his voice strained as he bottomed out. Glancing downwards he made another low sound in his throat, shaking his head in disbelief. “That’s so…Gods, that looks amazing.”

MC felt her cheeks flush at his admiration, too aware of how her bones still poked up against her skin, how tired and weak she was already beginning to feel despite being on her back. Unlike him, towering above her, the muscles of his arms and shoulders were taut and strong where he was bracing himself to avoid crushing her. His hips pushed even deeper, grinding carefully and she pushed back against him, gasping as she felt him hit her limit deep inside.

“It’s a tight fit,” she murmured, meeting his gaze as he hummed in agreement.

“It’s a damned perfect fit,” he said, biting his lip. “You have no idea how desperately I’m clinging on to my restraint. I just want to…mmph…”

She moved her hips, rolling them gently and smirking at the twist of pleasure that crossed his expression. “Don’t hold back on my account,” she said, her voice low. It was so satisfying, and breathtakingly sexy to see him so close to losing it.

Bracing his forearm near her head, he began to move, his other hand settling on the curve of her waist. Building a rhythm that had them both breathing hard, MC found herself unable to stop staring up at him, the darkened glow of desire in his blown out eyes had her entranced. His moans made her shiver, her palms smoothing over toned muscle and reaching around to grasp the soft peach of his backside. Caught up in the intimacy of the act, MC felt the bloom of affection in her chest spread.

Had it only been days since she had been curled up tight in a cold cell, the darkness staring back at her, grief ripping through her at the thought that she might never see him again. Now look at her, spread beneath him, their bodies joined in an act destined for lovers. If somebody had told her that this is where she would end up that day he had first entered her cell, she would never have believed it, and yet this felt so spine tingling good.

As she traced her hand down his face, she caught a glimpse of the scar on her palm, the memory of cutting through her skin to pledge herself to Sebastian flashing through her mind. The fire in her blood was not pain, opening herself to Leander was not calling the pact to hurt her. The only flames searing her flesh were the ones Leander ignited with his mouth and his hands, every thrust of his hips elevating her higher onto a plane where there was no darkness, only light.

Burying his flushed face into her neck, Leander found his release. MC wrapped her thin arms around him, holding him tightly against her, savouring the deep, penetrating throb of him filling her up. She could feel the thunder of his heartbeat, her hands soothing the rapid rise and fall of his back as he breathed. He was hot, solid, his lips pressing against the sensitive skin of her neck. Laying here entangled in his arms, she felt safe.

Letting her head lean against his, she closed her eyes, savouring the moment because she wasn’t sure if it would ever come again. The thought turned over in her mind, the warmth behind her ribs drawing back as the uncertainty of the future lay in wait. She had to leave him soon, and this sudden closeness they had formed would no doubt slip away. She would be alone again. Her eyes burned beneath the lids, an ache that felt suspiciously like loss already forming, making a solitary tear leak from the corner of her eye.

Leander

He awoke to the sound of birdsong outside the bedroom window, blinking at the pale sunlight filtering through the curtain and stretching languidly with a yawn. He lay a hand against his bare chest, remembering he was naked, pushing himself up onto his elbows as he stared at the empty part of the bed beside him. The rumpled, turned back blankets showed the only signs that MC had ever been here with him, her disappearance throwing a cloud over the happy glow he’d fallen asleep with. Turning his gaze towards the closed bedroom door, he sighed. He hadn’t even heard her slip away.

Falling back against the pillows, Leander closed his eyes and replayed every moment spent with his night time visitor, savouring the memories she had given him. Her soft skin, the sounds she made when he touched her, the feel of her…he could list so many things that made his heart pound, his heated blood rushing downwards to make him twitch with arousal. Brushing back the tousled mess of his hair, he blew a slow breath through his lips to calm his thoughts, and climbed from his bed to start the day.

Washed and dressed, he entered the kitchen to make some tea, noticing the empty healing and restoring potion bottles that had been left on the table. MC must have already risen, and he could see the washed items from her breakfast on the side. As he picked up the empty potion bottles to return them to the box provided by the Healer, he frowned, realising it was missing. Checking the cupboard he noticed some food items missing too, and a ball of panic settled into the pit of his stomach.

Taking the stairs two at a time, he hurried to MC’s bedroom door and knocked. When there was no answer, he opened it, risking her temper, but the room was empty. Bed neatly made, her clothes gone, he felt his throat tighten as the signs pointed to the sickening realisation that she had fled.

Returning back downstairs, he fought back the burn of tears, his face and neck hot as he tried to squeeze out the emotions spiralling in his chest. He had told her she was free to go whenever she wanted to, but after last night and what they had shared, the idea of her running without saying a word felt like a fist to the stomach. Emotional turmoil aside, he was faced with a dilemma as her Auror. He said he wouldn’t have to chase after her, but they had not planned their meetings, and there was always the chance that she had run to avoid all of this, not just him.

Feeling nauseous, Leander pushed a hand through his neatly combed hair and left the cottage. Striding down the path, not entirely sure where he was headed in his panic, he came to an immediate stop at the gate and sucked in a huge breath of relief. Ahead, right at the cliff edge, sat MC. The sea breeze tugged at her hair and clothes, her arms were wrapped around herself as she stared out to sea, her bag of things at her feet. Leander rubbed a shaking hand against his mouth, relief so strong washing over him that his legs shook with it.

Slowly, cautiously, he walked towards MC, coming to a stop beside her and carefully sitting down without looking at her. Keeping his gaze towards the ocean, he balanced his arms on his knees and took a steadying breath. “There is something powerful about the ocean, isn’t there? It’s constantly moving and changing, appearing calm and welcoming from a distance, but you should never underestimate it.”

It was a few moments before she spoke, her voice low and soft. “I underestimated you.”

He turned his head to look at her, a slight crease on his brow. Her pale face was reddened from tears, her eyes darkened with sadness that made his chest cave. “What do you mean? Did I hurt you?” He asked, his panic seizing him again.

“Oh, goodness, no,” she said, shaking her head. She put her hand on his arm, turning to face him properly. “No, you didn’t hurt me, Leander.”

He looked from her hand on his arm to her face, searching her eyes. “You packed to leave,” he said, hating the tremor in his voice. He was supposed to be a professional Auror, in charge of this situation, and yet he had broken rules and seduced her. He shouldn’t blame her for trying to run, he was a damned fool.

MC nodded, her eyes shifting towards the bag beside her before hanging her head. “I thought about running,” she admitted, her fingers gripping a little tighter onto his arm. She huffed a humourless laugh and shook her head. “I couldn’t go through with it, though. I got this far and realised that I have nowhere to go, and no clue what to do. Not only that, but…”

“But what?”

A blush stained her cheeks as she met his gaze. His heart thudded wildly behind his ribs as they stared at each other, last night hanging heavy in the air between them. A small smile curved her lips despite the tears still shining in her eyes, and she let his arm go, settling down beside him again to look out at the ocean. “I didn’t want to let my Auror down,” she said.

He fought back his smile, fiddling with the cuff of his jumper as he thought about her words. She didn’t want to let him down. He rather liked how she called him hers, too, but he shouldn’t be getting carried away with things like that.

“Do you really have nowhere to go? Is there anybody I could contact for you? Family, or an old friend perhaps?”

“No. I don’t have any family. Sebastian was probably the closest thing to family I’ve ever had, and now I’m not even sure if he cares anymore,” she said, a brittle edge to her voice that sliced through him.

Thinking back to his confrontation with Sebastian down in the tunnels, he remembered the Slytherin saying that he would never give up on MC. Leander didn’t want to tell her, a selfish streak wanting to hold on to what he had with her, knowing that she would go to Sebastian eventually anyway. Why hurry that along? It wasn’t very honourable of him, and he bit his lip. He was so entangled with all that she was that he feared where it was headed, the soft warmth behind his ribs had grown again overnight, refusing to disappear despite his efforts to ignore it.

“Well, you are welcome to stay with me as long as you wish,” he offered, inwardly berating himself for being selfish, but unable to stop himself. “And I’m not just saying that because we shared a bed last night. It would, of course, be a no strings attached offer.”

“About last night,” she said, brushing her hair back behind her ear. “The last thing I want to do is hurt you, Leander.”

There it was. She was going to say it was a mistake, it shouldn’t have happened. The fact that she had tried to sneak off without saying goodbye spoke volumes, but hearing her dismissal of what they had shared was still going to hurt. With a sinking feeling in his chest, he nodded. “It’s alright. You don’t need to say anything. I know I shouldn’t read too much into it.”

“Please, don’t take it the wrong way, Lee. I’m not the kind of girl a man can take home to his mother,” she said, bringing her knees up and wrapping her arms around her legs. “I can see marriage to a respectable, young lady in your future. Someone who you can come home to everyday, and have lovely, red-haired babies with. That’s a future you deserve, Lee.”

He could see the way she was closing herself off, holding herself tightly, that carefully blank look coming over her tear-stained face. Whenever she was like this, her fingers would caress that blood scar on her palm, and he knew that Sallow was lurking in her head. Her eyes were dark and avoiding him, and he longed to reach out for her, hold her close and feel that connection he was sure snapped into place last night. But, he kept his hands to himself, pushing back his own desires. She was a vulnerable, young lady, and he wouldn’t be the man he aimed to be if he took even more advantage of her.

The future she had described did sound lovely. It would be nice to come home to someone everyday, especially on those days when a case had drained him. The idea of children seemed so far out of reach, a dream more than anything, and not something he wanted until his job could provide a bit more safety. Aurors lived on the edge when out on the field, danger lurking around every corner. That was far easier to deal with when you only had yourself to worry about.

“What do you see in your future?” He asked curiously.

Her sigh was so deep it pulled her shoulders down, her body hunched over her knees as she stared out over the ocean. “I don’t know,” she said wearily. “I’m not even sure I know who, or what I am, other than a convicted criminal with no roots, destined to float around in search of something. The only trouble is I don’t know what I’m looking for.”

“You can be anything you want, MC. Think about it. Your future is yours, it’s out there waiting for you,” he said, giving in and reaching out for her. He took hold of her cold hand, and she didn’t pull away, her gaze dropping to look at their linked fingers. “You’ve got a blank parchment , and you get to decide what is written upon it.”

Her lips twitched in wry amusement. “You mean, I can make myself the hero of my own story.”

“Why not?” He smiled. “It’s your story, after all.”

A shadow passed over her features, but she squeezed his hand, a soft sigh leaving her lips. “I need to start infiltrating the Ashwinders, Lee. That’s the first step. I don’t want to put it off any longer.”

He nodded, appreciating the bravery he could see in her eyes. Lifting his free hand, he wiped a stray tear from her cheek. He did hate to see her cry. “You’re right. Come on, let’s go back inside. I’ll make some tea, and we can make a plan,” he said, tugging her up onto her feet. He didn’t let go of her hand, turning to lead her back to the cottage. “I have something to give you that will help us communicate in private. A special parchment that we can charm so that only our wands can read it, and then we can arrange to meet through that. It’s too risky to keep a regular time and place, or send owls that could be intercepted.”

“That is all very secretive and cunning of you, Leander,” she said, raising an eyebrow. “I’m impressed.”

“I’m just trying to consider all options, a bit like Sherlock Holmes. He never ruled out the impossible,” he said, smiling at the thought of one of his favourite books.

“Who’s that?” MC asked, frowning.

“You haven’t read The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes?” He looked down at her in surprise, and then he flushed bright red, biting his lip. He winced and squeezed her hand, realising his error. “I’m sorry. Of course you haven’t. It was only published in recent years. I can lend you my copy if you wish to read it. It’s about a brilliant Muggle detective solving crimes in London.”

“Part of the reading list at Auror boot camp, was it?” She smirked.

“Not quite,” he said, chuckling. “Although, Detective Holmes would make a brilliant wizard.”

They entered the kitchen and he set about putting the water on for tea. MC took a seat at the table and slid the file closer that contained the information on the Ashwinder gang members, opening the cover and staring down at the image of Rookwood, her face tight. She was going to be walking right into the lion’s den, and he had to pat her on the back and encourage it. He couldn’t even go with her because it would blow her cover.

“I meant what I said about having a place to stay if you need it,” he said, putting cups down onto the table. He blushed slightly at his next offer. “If not here, then my own place in London. If I show you where, then you can Apparate in whenever you need to.”

She stared up at him, her face carefully blank. “That is very trusting of you, Leander.”

“I do trust you,” he said firmly, swallowing down the nerves that fluttered in his stomach. His mother definitely wouldn’t approve of him allowing a convicted murderer into his home, and a Slytherin one at that. MC had been right about that point, at least. He still wanted to give her the option to come to him, though, even if it was for his own selfish reasons. “But, only you. All I ask is that you don’t tell anybody else.”

Her eyebrows lifted slightly as she leant back in her chair. “There is only one problem with that,” she said. Leander felt his stomach twist up even sharper, wondering if she would finally bring up the subject of Sebastian, his presence lingering between them despite him being miles away. “I don’t know how to Apparate. I was too busy being locked up to catch that lesson.”

He stared, lips parted at the dry sarcasm of her quip. At least she hadn’t rebuffed his offer to stay at his place, and not one comment about Sallow. He straightened, his hand lifting to fiddle with his tie as he fixed her with a determined look. “Then we shall have to remedy that,” he said with a nod. “After our tea, we can go outside and I’ll teach you. I’m sure you will pick it up swiftly being the brilliant witch that you are. You will be popping up out of nowhere in no time.”

Feeling better with a fixed purpose for the day, Leander made the tea, taking the chair opposite MC at the table as they began to discuss the gang members again, and the best place to begin approaching them. They settled on the Black Rose pub as a starting point, and Leander couldn’t deny the tight ball of worry that was beginning to form in the pit of his stomach. She may have reminded him that she wasn’t the girl for him in the long run, but that didn’t stop the soft part of him that was falling even deeper into trouble over her.

He had the creeping feeling that the hard part was only just beginning.

Sebastian

The little tea shop where Anne worked had been busy, people coming and going, the tables full inside as Sebastian watched from his spot in the alley across the street. The small glimpses of Anne he had seen through the windows had shown her looking well today, her face seemingly less drawn than usual. He wondered if Ominis had told her much about MC’s case, and what sort of mood she was in today. He hoped it was a good one because for once, he planned to actually approach her. He had a favour to ask, and he would need every advantage he could get.

As he waited for the flurry of customers to die down, he leant against the brick wall of the alley, his hand in his pocket where he could stroke over the blood amulet. He threw the occasional glance towards the tea shop, but his thoughts were fixated on the incident in the back room of the Black Rose pub. The sight of the broken man as his magic had been forced from his body had haunted Sebastian ever since, chasing his sleep out of reach, and making his temper shorter than usual. Rosier had been keeping out of his way, and Luella was still sulking about him not taking her into his bed again.

Rookwood was also absent, Carrow running the helm in London while their sly leader was off elsewhere. It worried Sebastian what Rookwood was up to. The comment about extracting and absorbing magic leaving a cold, nagging feeling at the back of his neck. The man was obsessed with MC and her ancient magic, desperate to have her within their ranks because of the power she could wield. What if Rookwood had his eyes purely on that power? The thought of MC lying broken on the ground whilst that bastard syphoned her strength had him gritting his teeth painfully, his hand fisting around the symbol of their pact.

The loss of Slytherin’s grimoire was deeply regrettable. No doubt it would contain important details he may have forgotten since reading it. He had recognised the extraction spell, but he wanted more information. His gaze swung back to the tea shop, and his twin. Anne had blasted that book to smithereens down in the catacombs in her rage, robbing him of a valuable tool. She was good at that. She loved having control over him. So much so, that she had hidden all of their parents' research from him.

They were young at the time of their parents death, and there was no doubt many things that had been held back from them in order to protect their innocence, but Sebastian knew that whatever they were researching was dangerous. Solomon had let slip a few things in his drunken rants, swinging his fists at Sebastian and predicting that he would come to the same sticky end as his meddling father. Whenever he had tried to fish more information out of his belligerent uncle, he had been rewarded with a split lip, or being locked in the shed with no dinner.

Whatever his parents had been researching, it was regarding dangerous magic, and his curiosity burned with a fervent flame whenever he thought of it. Anne knew where that research was, and remained closed lipped about its location, siding with their bastard uncle on thinking it best Sebastian didn’t know any better.

Sebastian wanted that research. Something in his gut told him there were answers in those files, answers not just for their deaths, but for dangerous magic and its history that might just help with current problems. He had just as much right as Anne to those files, if anything, he would appreciate them more. Locked away in some dusty storage was no use to anyone. If only he could read them, pore over words written by his father and mother. He wanted it, no, he needed those files, like a desire that consumed him.

When the tea shop looked quieter, he crossed the street, avoiding witches and wizards still milling up and down Diagon Alley, and strode towards the door. A little bell rang above his head as he entered, the scent of fresh tea and baked goods wafting under his nose as he glanced around the quaint little space.

“Table for one?” Anne asked, folding her arms as she looked at him, one eyebrow raised in a manner that reminded him of their mother.

“I’d like a table for two, actually,” he said, bestowing his most charming smile upon his pale faced sister. “Surely, you are due a break by now. I thought you could join me.”

Anne led him to a table near the window, the autumn sunlight warm through the glass. He took a chair, sitting down and gesturing for Anne to take the one opposite. She did so, her eyebrow still raised as she clasped her hands together on the tabletop before her.

“Come on, then, out with it,” she said, tilting her head. “What is it you want?”

“I wish merely to spend some time with my sister,” he said, plucking the menu card from the stand on the table and scanning it quickly. “What is the carrot cake like here? I was always partial to a slice of that.”

Anne’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You don’t fool me, Sebastian. You want something. The last time we spoke, you were pretty clear on how you felt about me. Now, out with it.”

Sebastian sighed and lay the menu card down before him, eyeing his sister across the table. She was too smart for her own good, and it was something he had always respected. It was a shame her smartness was matched by her stubbornness, and unfailing ability to piss him off.

“Fine,” he sighed, slouching back in his chair as though he had not a care in the world. “I would like to read Mum and Dad’s research. We are no longer children, nor do we need to be sheltered from whatever it was they discovered.”

“No,” Anne said calmly.

He blinked, staring at the unmoving expression on her face. She didn’t even flinch, frown or sigh. She just said no, as though that would be the end of it. She was mistaken.

“As far as anything goes, our inheritance has always been a shared thing. I have just as much right to access those files as you, sister dearest. I would very much like to read them, please,” he said, keeping his voice as calm and level as possible.

Her clasped hands clenched a little tighter, the only tell he could see that she was becoming agitated by his request. Her face remained annoyingly serene. “I said, no.”

“Why would you deny me access to them?” He frowned, leaning forward. “They were my parents, too, Anne. I miss them. Reading their work would let me feel closer to them again.”

Anne huffed a laugh and shook her head, her gaze drifting out of the mullioned window to the street beyond. “Wow, you really do pull every angle to get what you want, don’t you? Sauntering in here as though we aren’t fighting with that Sallow charm plastered all over your face, but pulling the grieving son act is a low blow, even for you.”

Sebastian’s face tightened, and he placed his hand carefully down onto the table top, the darkness hovering at the edge of his vision as he glared at Anne. “You think I don’t grieve for them, Anne? They were our parents, taken from us when we were so young. Our lives have been nothing but utter shit since they died. Don’t you dare say I pretend to grieve them. If we are talking of low blows, then that was sinking below a dangerous level, and that’s saying something for you after what you did.”

“What I did?” She gaped, fury flaring in her eyes. She leaned across the table, her gaze livid. “You murdered someone.”

“Yes, I did,” he hissed back, his fingers curling into the wood of the table top. It was that, or reach for his wand. “And you lied in a courtroom before the Wizengamot to condemn an innocent witch to prison. All I did was silence a rotten drunk who used his fists to communicate, what you did was far worse in my book.”

“Well, that’s just it, isn’t it? In your book it’s alright to murder and commit crimes, to keep company with the lowest scum of the wizarding world, and you want me to hand over precious files that contain information highly dangerous in the wrong hands. Do you think I'm a fool, Sebastian? You are not getting those files just so you can share them with the likes of Victor Rookwood and his rotten band of followers.”

“As if I would share those files with anyone else!” He ground out, eyes flashing. His chest was tightening with anxiety, flutters of panic spinning in his stomach as the darkness teased at his mind. “They are family heirlooms, Anne. To keep them from me is a betrayal, and I think we have had our fair share of those already. What is so terrible about them that you feel the need to keep them from me?”

Her face twisted as she studied him, a look of anguish that tore him up and made him sit back a moment. She looked down at the table top, her fingers trembling now. “Look at you, Seb,” she said, her words hushed and pained. “You look like a ghost. I’m the one who is cursed, and yet you look ill, brother. I can tell you are not sleeping, you are shaking and your eyes are wild and dark. You have been dabbling with dangerous magic, I know you have. These people you insist on being around are no good for you. Handing over our parents' work is only going to send you spiralling off even further away from me. What kind of sister would I be if I let that happen? Please, Sebastian. You have to stop.”

Dismay flooded through him, his hand coming up to touch tentatively at his brow. Did he really look that bad? He had taken the time to shave the growth on his jaw this morning, hoping to make himself look a bit smarter before seeing her. He never liked the beard to grow too long anyway. Where his body had become more thick-set over the years, he did not wish to resemble his late uncle.

Anxiously tugging at his sleeve on the arm where his tally of deaths were branded on his flesh, he took a steadying breath. “What kind of brother would I be if I did not search to the ends of the Earth to find a way to help my sister?”

“Oh, Sebastian,” she sighed, slowly shaking her head. “What makes you think that there will be anything in mum and dad’s files that will help with what ails me?”

“No knowledge is bad, Anne. There is always something to learn from information discovered, no matter how dark or dangerous it may be,” he said firmly. “Mum was a pursuer of knowledge, and she always taught me to read everything and anything, to question what I learned and consider all angles. Even if that means searching through the darkness, I will always follow her teaching. I don’t mean to do bad things, honestly, I don’t. But, I would do anything for you, Anne. Anything to keep you safe. You are all I have left.”

“What about her? Have you seen her?” Anne’s eyes had the shine of tears, but her face hardened as she asked that question.

“If you mean MC, then no. I’ve not seen her,” he said, clenching his jaw against the stab of disappointment that seared through him.

Anne considered that for a moment, her fingers toying together as she looked out of the window. “Perhaps that is for the best,” she said softly, her eyes shifting back towards him. “I know that’s not what you want to hear, but she is another reason I’d rather not share those files with you. MC is a dangerous witch with too much power. I don’t want her seeing those files either.”

His curiosity over that research spiked even higher. There must be something valuable in those files, powerful information that would mean something to the likes of people like Rookwood and MC, who already had power of their own. He hungered after that knowledge, his hands curling into fists through frustration at being blocked off from it. “Please, Anne. I only want to read their research, not share it with anyone. If not for me, do it for them. I’m sure they wouldn’t have stopped me from looking at it, especially Mum.”

“Yes, well, you always were Mummy’s golden boy,” she muttered, letting her hands fall into her lap. She looked drained, tired, her shoulders slumped as she considered him. “I will think about it.”

Thinking about it was one step closer than a flat out no. A smile lifted his lips, a smile of hope that seemed to push back some of the shadows that lingered over his face. “Thank you, Anne,” he said, inclining his head in acknowledgment of her offer.

“Let me get you that slice of carrot cake,” she said, getting to her feet. She paused, holding her hand to her stomach, a grimace of pain crossing her face. Sebastian moved to stand, his worry for her creasing his brow.

“Anne…”

She waved him off, breathing heavier but managing a grim smile. “I’m alright, don’t fuss. Sit back down, or I won’t fetch you that cake. If you behave yourself, I’ll even bring some tea along with it.”

Sebastian slowly sat back down in his chair, giving her one of his best smiles, but the worry lingered in his eyes as he watched her walk across the tea shop, her frame so small and frail. He would always worry about her, no matter how much they squabbled. She was his blood, his kin. And he really would do anything for her.

Dressed in dark clothing, a dark green silk scarf at her throat, and a black robe about her shoulders, MC descended the stairs of Shell Cottage with a stomach full of butterflies. After an afternoon of practising Apparation she was tired, her limbs aching from the exertion she had expelled trying to shift her body through space and time, but the day wasn’t over yet. Rather than face another sleepless night waiting to take the next step, she had decided to brave stepping out into the world. This evening, she was going to take a sneaky look at the Black Rose.

Leander was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs, that familiar glow of fire in his gaze as she stepped off the bottom step towards him. It was hard not to stare at his mouth, remembering the feel of his kiss against her skin. Nervously adjusting the clasp of her robe, she kept her chin held high, pretending she couldn’t see the worry on his face. “So, will I do? I think I will blend into the shadows enough not to be noticed.”

“You look…perfect,” he said, attempting a smile as he reached out to pull the generous hood of her cloak up over her head. “Keep this up if you wish to remain unrecognised for now.”

She nodded and took a deep breath, looking towards the fireplace where she would travel by Floo Powder to Diagon Alley’s network point. It was too far for her to Apparate there yet. She needed some more practice first before taking on longer distances.

“Don’t worry,” Leander said, rubbing her arm. “If it doesn’t feel safe, Apparate back to the Floo point and come straight back here. Are you sure you don’t want me to get an undercover Auror to accompany you?”

She could hear the tremor in his voice. He was worried for her, and it pulled on that feeling that was burrowing deeper behind her ribs. Her attachment to him had only been strengthened after sharing his bed, proven that morning when she’d had every intention of running, but being unable to leave when it came down to it. Even now, she wanted to step into the circle of his warmth and bury her face against him, feel his hands on her. Let him make her feel alive again.

“I’ll be fine,” she insisted, managing a smile. “You’re the only Auror I trust, anyway.”

He held out the pot of Floo powder as she stepped onto the hearth, her pulse throbbing like a wild thing. Taking a handful, she met his eyes and nodded. “Diagon Alley!”

The rush of the air filling the space she had occupied seemed to roar in her ears as she was transported through the network, landing unsteadily on the stone platform of the Floo point near Gringotts bank. Taking a breath and getting her bearings, she moved quickly through the darkened street, avoiding the street lamps as she followed Leander’s directions into Knockturn Alley. The outside world felt huge and open, and even though she was small and cloaked in comparison, she was sure that everyone had eyes on her. It was like a strange prickling sensation on her skin. She felt too exposed, the freedom overwhelming as she walked unchecked along the path.

Keeping her head low and her hood firmly in place, MC slipped through the shadows, feeling the oppressive atmosphere of the notorious backstreet pressing down upon her. The enclosed feeling combined with the darkness made her chest squeeze with panic, the chill night air against her skin making her shiver. She tried to keep her breathing steady, her palms sweating as she reminded herself that there were no Dementors here. Feeling for the comforting shape of her wand at her hip, she continued on until the old building of the infamous pub came into view.

Keeping to the shadowed recesses, she eyed the Tudor style building. It was impossible not to notice the crooked charm of the place despite its dark reputation. As she let her gaze wander over the mullioned windows, wondering who was inside, she heard the delicate sound of female laughter. Pressing back into the darkened doorway she was in, she watched as a couple walked along the cobbled street towards the pub, her throat almost closing in a choked gasp as she recognised the blonde curls and beautiful profile of Luella Rookwood from the picture in Leander’s file. As jarring as it was to see the witch in the flesh, it was enough to make her knees almost buckle beneath her as she realised who walked beside her.

Sebastian was taller than she remembered, and definitely broader, his shoulders and arms thick and strong looking under his black coat. He strolled with the confidence she recognised from their youth, her eyes devouring the way he tilted his head when Luella spoke, the street lamp glow catching the highlights through his brunette tumble of hair. She couldn’t make out the words he spoke from where she stood, but goosebumps spread like wildfire up her arms as she caught the deep tone of his voice, memories rushing in of him speaking close to her ear in private moments shared.

Longing pierced her, robbing her breath from her lungs as she stared at him, her feet desperate to inch off the step she was hiding on and reveal herself. Her left hand curled so that her fingertips could brush up against her scar, savouring the connection that she had with the man across the street. Just one glimpse of him and it was ripping up all the emotions that she had tried to bury, feelings she had suppressed through the fear of not being able to trust him anymore. Feelings she had closed down and hidden in order to give herself to another man.

Heat bloomed across her cheeks, her body still aching and showing signs of the passion that had flared between herself and Leander, the gaping hollow in her chest swirling with a confusing blend of feelings as she watched Sebastian touch his hand to Luella’s lower back, guiding her towards the door of the pub. They looked familiar with each other, Luella’s gaze one of heated intimacy as she stepped past Sebastian and through the door.

MC pressed a hand to her mouth, her eyes burning as a swift and crippling blow of pain echoed through the cavern behind her ribs. There was no denying that look Luella had given Sebastian. MC knew that look, she felt it. It was a look she had given him herself many years ago. He had moved on, found another.

Sebastian paused as he stepped up to the threshold of the pub, glancing back over his shoulder with a slight frown on his face as he scanned the shadowed pathway near where she stood. Clamping her hand tighter against her mouth, MC pressed herself even closer into the shadows, her heart pounding as she feared being seen.

It was not what she had been expecting when she laid eyes on Sebastian again, hiding from him in the dark, tears burning the backs of her eyes as she watched him escort another witch for the evening. But, what right did she have to be envious? Had she not taken a lover herself? She had gone to Leander willingly, lost herself in the throes of desire, her body eagerly responding to his.

Confused and lost, MC waited until Sebastian finally followed Luella into the pub, a slow breath leaving her body in relief that he hadn’t seen her. Her mission to stake out and get an understanding of the pub was forgotten, her head a jumbled mess as she stepped out from the doorway and hurried away. All she could think about was escaping this dark street, running from Sebastian, and running from her own messed up feelings over him. So lost in her own head, she didn’t see the man until she collided into him, stumbling backwards with a sharp gasp as strong hands reached out to hold her steady, her hood slipping back from her head.

“Woah, sorry miss,” he said, his hands firm but gentle on her upper arms. “Someone is in quite the hurry. Are you alright?”

MC blinked, her gaze lifting to meet a face she recognised from Leander’s file, but she couldn’t think of the name. He was handsome, his features rather pretty, his hair dark in this light. His smile was devastatingly charming and her own mouth curved in response without hesitation, such was the effect he had. “I’m fine,” she murmured, although she really wasn’t. She needed to get out of here.

The handsome man’s brow furrowed slightly. “Your face is familiar somehow, although I don’t believe we have met,” he said.

Panic fluttered behind her ribs, but she immediately settled her face into one of blank indifference, gently pulling herself out of his grasp. He was an Ashwinder, and she had to be cautious. “No, I don’t believe we have met before,” she said. “What’s your name?”

His eyebrows twitched with curiosity, his smile still charming but with a new, predatory gleam in his eyes. “Leo,” he said, holding out his hand towards her. “Leo Rosier.”

Recognition dawned on MC and she studied him even more closely, her interest piqued. Leander’s case notes had this rascal connected to Sebastian, his family full of criminals and dark deeds. She had even shared her prison with a couple of Rosier convicts. She glanced down at his hand, slipping hers into his grip whilst her other hand lingered near her wand.

“Pleasure to meet you, Leo,” she said slowly, switching her tone of voice to something a little softer. It didn’t go unnoticed, his smile widening.

“What’s your name?” He asked, tilting his head.

She smiled, keeping her face carefully neutral while she silently panicked inside. “You already know it,” she said cryptically, letting her fingers linger against his longer than necessary as she let her hand slip away from his grip. “After I am gone, you will probably realise who I am.”

His eyes narrowed as he studied her, his gaze drifting over her face. “Do I get a clue?”

She smirked and lifted her hand, cupping it slightly so that her fingers were pointed upwards. Concentrating on the crackle and fire of her ancient magic, she channelled it towards her hand just as she had been in her daily practice. Watching for his reaction, she allowed a flicker of blue and white flame to dance at her fingertips, the glow of it lighting their faces in the darkness of the street. Allowing a few blistering seconds of magic, she then closed her hand into a fist, shutting off the flames immediately.

Rosier’s eyes widened, unable to hide the stunned disbelief from his face. “It’s you!” He gasped, stepping forward. “I knew I had seen your face before. You’re the girl with the ancient magic.”

MC immediately stepped back, wagging her finger at him. “Now, now, Mr Rosier, calm yourself. You’d be wise not to touch me,” she warned, allowing some of her magic to flare to life in her eyes. He immediately backed off, swearing under his breath.

Rather than looking scared, he looked intrigued, his gaze sweeping over her from head to foot. He chuckled and shook his head. “Bloody hell, I can see why Sallow is obsessed. Beautiful, dangerous, and wickedly powerful,” he said, a grin plastered across his pretty face.

“What do you mean?” She asked, her heart jumping into the back of her throat.

“He is going to be very pleased to see you, sweetheart,” he said, reaching out for her. MC gasped as he made a grab for her arm, twisting out of his reach at the last second. His hand caught her scarf, their momentum yanking against the silk and making her choke as it slid from her neck. She shoved against him, staggering away from him, his look of surprise and her scarf hanging from his grip the last things she saw before she squeezed her eyes shut and pictured the Floo point.

Her body flooded with adrenaline as the sharp crack of her Apparation sounded through the night, her feet stumbling for balance as she reappeared next to the Floo. Panicked gasps left her lips as she scooped up the powder with a shaky hand, her mind set on one thing, and one thing only as she stepped onto the stone plinth. She wanted Leander. She needed to see him, feel the comforting, enduring strength that he exuded. She wasn’t sure what scared her more, what just happened outside the pub, or the knee jerk reaction to flee towards her Auror.

“Shell Cottage!”

In a flash of green flames she left Diagon Alley behind, landing in the hearth of the cottage, the familiar distant roar of the sea welcoming her as she staggered into the living room. Leander was on the settee, a book in his hands, his face startled as she appeared. He was on his feet instantly, book tossed aside.

“You’re back so soon,” he said, hurrying to catch her as she lurched forwards. She crashed against him, hating how vulnerable she felt, but craving the solid feel of him. Her fingers curled into the softness of his jumper as his hand stroked her hair. “What happened?”

Nothing had happened, not really. She had barely got close to the pub, and one sighting of Sebastian had sent her head and heart spinning in all directions. Rosier had seen her, though. He knew she had been there, and no doubt he would tell Sebastian. He would know she had been there.

“Rosier saw me,” she murmured against his chest. “I panicked and ran. Maybe I wasn’t ready after all.”

The feeling of losing all control slid down her spine and made her fingers clutch even tighter into Leander’s jumper. The first piece had been moved on the board, and she wasn’t sure if she was ready for the next. She had to be, though.

Lifting her head from Leander’s chest, she looked up at him, blocking out everything else and focusing on the warm concern in his honey, brown eyes.

“What if I can’t do this?” She whispered. “They will send me back to Azkaban. I can’t…I can’t go back there.”

“You are not going back there,” he said, cupping her face, his thumbs caressing her cheeks. “You can do this, and I’m going to help you. I won’t let you go back to that place.”

His forehead was leaning against hers, the heat of their mingled breaths fanning across her cheeks. After last night, she had sworn to herself that she wouldn’t let it happen again. It wasn’t fair on him. Yet, here she was, drowning in dark, honey-brown eyes, her blood firing up as it pulsed wildly through her veins. That blurred line between them was so messed up now that it didn’t take much for her to lean closer, her eyes fluttering closed as she pressed her mouth against his. Warmth, comfort, oblivion.

His lips returned the kiss, his fingers sliding into her hair, and she moaned, savouring the feel of him. Desperate for more, her hands tugged at his clothes, her robe falling to the floor forgotten. Running from the dark, running from the confused mess in her head and chest, she once again lost herself in the flame of Leander’s fire.

Sebastian

He stared at the green silk in his hands, running it over his palms and through his fingers, lifting it closer to his face to catch again the scent of lavender soap and soft perfume. “You’re sure it was her?” He asked again, his voice strained.

Rosier nodded. “Like I said, she lit a blue and white flame in her fucking hand, Sallow. Not only that, but you should have seen the look on her face when I said your name. She went as white as a sheet.”

Sebastian had made Rosier tell him over and over about his encounter out in the street, his heart hammering so fast he could hardly breathe. He had run outside, his eyes scanning the dark despite knowing that she had Disapparated right in front of Rosier. Someone had taught her how to do that, she hadn’t known before. He had promised to teach it to her, another piece of magic that he had wanted to show her how to do, the delight at seeing her learn from him now robbed along with everything else over the last four years.

Prewett probably taught her how to Apparate, the idea of it making his hands clench and his stomach twist with envy.

MC had been there, right there on the bloody street, and he hadn’t seen her. He could hex himself. He had felt an odd tingle on the back of his neck earlier, that feeling of eyes upon him as he had gone to enter the pub. He had even taken a last look around, but there had been nothing but shadows. Had she been there watching for him?

He clutched the scarf tighter in his hand, frustration making him want to scream. Everything he wanted always seemed to be just out of his reach.

“Do you think she was looking for me?” He asked.

Rosier twisted his lips, uncertain. “When I bumped into her, she was walking away from the pub, and she definitely got all skittish like a wild pony when I tried to take her arm.”

“I wonder what she was doing,” Sebastian muttered, thoughtfully. “Whatever it was, she is getting closer, Leo. We need to keep our eyes open, just in case. I need to get to her before Rookwood does, no matter what.”

“I don’t mind keeping an eye out for her, Sallow,” Rosier smirked. “I’ve got to hand it to you, mate. You’ve got impeccable taste in the ladies.”

“Eyes only, Rosier,” he warned, narrowing his gaze at his room buddy. “Keep those wandering hands to yourself.”

Sitting down on the edge of his bed, Rosier chuckled as he lit a cigarette. “I know, I know. She’s all yours, mate.”

Sebastian smoothed the silk through his fingers again. He imagined it close against the skin of her neck, the warmth of her there, and sharp longing pierced through him.

All his.

As the silk slid against the scar on his hand, he thought about his conversation with Ominis, the plan for MC to spy on Rookwood and bring him down. It looked like she was already beginning to make her moves, and he needed to be ready. It was only a matter of time before she was at his side again. Where she belonged.

To be continued…

Tag list: For always being superstars @eternalremorse and @slytherin-paramour thank you! To @marketfreshfics for being such a supportive cheerleader, and for bouncing ideas around xx

@evaslytherpuff @ravenbronze @sevprince-91 @writing-intheundercroft @loving-him-was-red13

#hogwarts legacy fanfic #sebastian sallow #mc x sebastian sallow #leander prewett x mc #leander prewett #blueraineshadows #blood bound

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