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shelbyshoe · 3 years

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Fairies After Dark

Chapter 5

Natsu, a Horde vampire, desires nothing more than to find his father and leave his brother behind. Lucy, an immortal Valkyrie, just needs to get this Horde bounty off her head. Doesn’t help the assassin after her is a gorgeous vampire with cherry pink hair.

Rated: Explicit (sexual content, violence, and harsh language)

Words: 7230

FFN

AO3

NALU set in the Immortals After Dark universe by Kresley Cole. I highly recommend the book series. Check out the wiki for more information. Not required to understand the story, but recommended as the universe is fantastic. Hope you enjoy!

Bite me...

-Lucy Heartfilia (AKA Lucy the Celestial Valkyrie)

You wouldn’t be my bride if you didn’t like a little adventure.

-Natsu Dragneel (AKA Natsu the Salamander)

If you had asked past Lucy where she saw herself in the future, it would not be here. Present Lucy stood in a small pond of murky water covered in engorged leeches that attached themselves to her skin. Natsu stood beside her, in much the same state, arguing with the owner of the said pond—the water up to their thighs. Shock flooded through her as she took in their surroundings. They had fallen through a dark tunnel from above and landed in what looked like an underground market. The stands appeared to stretch on forever. The ceiling of earth and vegetation vaulted above them. Their fall had drenched nearby stands in water and leeches. Customers scattered to pick up the little creatures from the ground as if they were pieces of currency. Some patrons even fought over their wiggling leech bodies. Gross.

“You’ve destroyed my stand, my supply tunnel, you are currently standing in my merchandise, and you want me to not call the authorities!” The man stood sodden by the splash of water from his pond. His stand fell to rubble around his feet, and a large crowd had formed from all the commotion. The man’s face was a concerning beet purple, his hands firmly on his hips, and Natsu had the nerve to smile and incite him further.

“I’ll have you know, buddy, that what you’re selling is illegal,” Natsu said. These revolting leeches were illegal? On closer inspection, along with their large rolling eyes and pulsing bodies, they shimmered an otherworldly opalescent shade. Not normal leeches. “Plus, you left that hole up there. If you ask me, that was an accident waiting to happen. Weshould call authorities on you.” The two of them had gone around in circles about the stand. A new batch of leeches slid down the tunnel from above and landed in the shallow pool of water at their feet with a sobering splash. Lucy lost her patience and stepped out of the pond. One thing at a time.She’d worry about the leeches after she dealt with the owner.

“Hey, how much do you need for damages?” she asked. Natsu and the stand owner ignored her and continued to bicker. Lucy didn’t have time to listen to their male squabbles. She unlatched her whip from her hip and slid the familiar leather between her fingers. When was the last time she had a chance to use it? When she unfurled the weapon, power buzzed around her, her muscles relaxed, and her focus sharpened. Natsu’s sentence ceased abruptly, his argument long forgotten.

“Don’t ignore me!” the owner said. His short finger pointed to Natsu in a warning.

“Listen here.” Lucy allowed the length of the whip to fall beside her feet with an audible thud. “I’m willing to pay for the damages to your stand. I will not pay for your shitty hole that nearly broke my neck.” She gripped the whip and power flowed through the mystical conduit. Sparks slid down the leather and crackled in the air. Natsu ignored the man, stepped out of the pool of water, and began burning the leeches from his skin.

“What are you doing? You’re destroying my goods!” The owner hesitated; his eyes slid to Lucy, but his glare sharpened on Natsu. “Tell your bitch to leave this to us.” Lucy snapped her whip up and brought it down against the man’s arm with a thundering crack. The man’s face struck the dirt floor in a blink. When he groaned, soil puffed out of his mouth.

“Well, I was going to pay, but now I’m just angry.”

“Fuck you.” The man spat at her feet. Natsu crouched in front of his face with a fist lit in flames.

“Try spitting at her again,” Natsu said. The shop owner’s eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to speak. A rasping dry sound came from his lips, which cracked and peeled in the heat. The man’s face reddened with the increased intensity of the flame. “Are you going to call her a bitch again?” The man shook his head while the brows on his face disintegrated. Natsu lifted the corner of his mouth.

“Natsu, that’s enough. You can—”

“They’re coming!” A voice cut through the crowd. Natsu extinguished his flame and stood. Lucy rolled her whip in a practiced movement and attached it to her waist. The pond owner groaned and twisted on the floor. Patrons scattered like insects at the warning. Whoever made their way toward them scared the people here.

“Time to run?” Lucy asked.

“Yup.” Natsu took her hand and tugged her through the crowd. From his palm, he emitted a heat that traveled across her skin. The leeches dropped from her body and left small red marks everywhere. If he could hear her through all the commotion, Lucy would have thanked him. A few bodies brushed against her bruised skin. She turned her head and tightened her grasp on Natsu’s hand. Three darkly cloaked figures appeared to float down the path they had come, their faces shrouded by dark hoods, and their garments fell to the ground to cover their limbs if they had any. Lucy picked up speed beside Natsu.

“Behind us.” The words came out in short bursts, all she could manage as they ran. While her eyes desperately searched for something familiar in the underground cavern, Natsu’s eyes remained transfixed ahead. He tugged at her arm and rounded the corner toward a large burgundy tent. The whole thing laced with lights and an open sign sat out front. A small elderly woman sat in a chair just outside, her frail hands held an absurdly long pipe, and a grin spread over her face as they neared.

“Madam, if you please.” Natsu bowed to the woman who blew a massive cloud of smoke in their direction. The smoke tendrils stuck to their skin like thick humidity and forced Lucy to cough. Natsu pulled her close, so their bodies pressed together.

“Not the time!” Lucy protested, but Natsu’s lips were against her ear.

“Shh. Don’t move.” The ghostly cloaked figures hovered closer and halted in front of the woman’s tent. One of them came mere inches away from them. The elderly woman exhaled a long puff of smoke in its direction, who appeared unbothered by their presence.

“Would you mind moving along?” the woman said, “You’re scaring the customers.” Her brows furrowed and deepened the lines on her face. The figure hesitated but moved along. The other two figures followed behind it in silence. Lucy shivered in Natsu’s grasp. When the Lorean customers emerged from their hiding, Natsu released her.

“You should have let them take you,” the old woman said.

“You know better than that, Madam Tear,” Natsu said.

“Unfortunately, I do.” She smiled up at the two of them and tapped the mouthpiece of her pipe to her lips. “You’re searching for Dacia.”

“How did you know?” Lucy asked.

“She’s a soothsayer,” Natsu said. “You know, Madam, why I can’t allow them to capture us.”

“You know nothing little dragon.” She gave him a knowing smile that reached her eyes. “Though I’m glad to see you’re on the right track with this one.” She gestured toward Lucy. “She’s pretty.”

“Who are you?” Lucy asked.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” Madam Tear puffed on her long pipe. The mystical smoke wafted into the air.

“Why did you say I should let them take us?” Natsu squatted in front of the woman with arms resting on his knees. The picture of them together reminded Lucy of a grandson and his grandmother.

“They have a Dacian,” she said with another inhale of smoke.

“If these Dacians are legendary, why is one captured by—what are those things?” Lucy asked.

“Wraiths, nasty things.” Madam Tear’s earrings jingled when she shivered and tapped out some ash from her pipe. She peered up at Lucy with narrowed eyes. “Lorean traffickers.”

“Like human trafficking? That feels hard to believe. Loreans aren’t exactly easy to kidnap,” Lucy said.

“Don’t underestimate wraiths.”

“And you wanted them to catch us? Thanks,” Natsu said.

“You need that Dacian to get into their city.” Madam Tear shrugged.

“I thought Dacians weren’t able to leave the city.” Natsu’s brows raised.

“Only the assassins leave,” Madam Tear said. The woman eyed Lucy and tapped at her pipe. “You didn’t think they would allow anyone to leave and remain alive to tell others the location of their precious city, did you?” Her chest shook with laughter. “Besides, that Dacian needs help.”

“Why?” Natsu asked.

“Things are in unrest in Dacia.”

“Do you think you can get in without a Dacian, Natsu?” Lucy asked.

“I said I could get us into Pandemonia. I’m not even sure it’s there.” Natsu lifted his gaze, eyes unfocused on the woman’s tent.

“More reason to have a Dacian show you.” The woman’s cough sounded as though something rattled around in her chest.

“Are you okay?” Lucy asked.

“I was once. Mistakes are easy to make, not so easy to make right.” She stood from her chair. Lucy leaned in to help her up, but she shooed her away with her free hand. The other clasped to her long pipe. Before she disappeared into the tent, she had turned to Natsu. “Be careful, little dragon. I hope we meet again.”

“Well, that was helpful,” he said.

“Should we ask her where they’re keeping the Dacian? Capture is not the only option.” The idea of those cloaked figures descending upon them, to capture and sell them to other Loreans, disturbed her.

“We don’t have to.” Natsu moved around the tent and followed a type of alley between booths and tents.

“What is this place, Natsu? Have you been here before?” The question had sat on her tongue since their argument with the merchant.

“It’s a kind of black market for Loreans. The Horde use this place a lot.”

“Like the dark web?” Lucy asked.

“Like what?” Natsu took her hand when the crowd massed around them.

“You can’t tell me that an evil group like the Horde doesn’t use the dark web.”

“I don’t even know what that is.”

“None of you use computers?” Even in the noisy crowd, she heard him laugh. The sound stirred something in her stomach. The genuine laughter took her by surprise.

“Lucy, we live in castles. We don’t actually do tech.”

“Good point, but you’re all missing out.”

“Been on this dark web a lot?” Natsu tilted his head so that he could glance behind him. His grin lit up his face, and her heart did another embarrassing twist. My gods, I’m like a lovesick teen.

Bodies sped by them as they moved through the dark market. Eyes flashed different shades of colors as they bumped past other beings. She swore some of them were human. Though that would blatantly disobey the rules of the gods. If the Lore remained hidden, they may mingle with humans. Wrath would rain down if they became exposed. Yet, here were humans partaking in Lorean wares. At the speed they moved, she barely made out what each booth sold. She caught a glimpse of normal magic items. Crystals, bones, herbs, but there were other things. Heads on sticks, live creatures squirming in bottles, and nasty-looking weapons. The booths crushed in on each other, some of them stacked giving the whole place a city-like appearance.

“Wait.” She tugged at his hand to try, in vain, to stop their forward trajectory. Meeting with the strange, cloaked figures left her uneasy. “We’re going deeper in!” Where was Natsu taking her? The crowd thickened the farther they went. Voices rose higher as she made out some of their conversations.

“How much is this one?”

“I hope it isn’t another nymph.”

“What? I hope it is another nymph.” The voices of Loreans buzzed around them. What was going on? A small stage set up in the middle of the market came into view. They stopped and hovered in the shadows of a tent. She leaned toward Natsu, who lowered his ear to her.

“Are you insane? What is this?” she asked. Adrenaline pumped through her veins as she took in their cramped surroundings.

♥♥♥

Her warm breath against his ear sent a shiver down his back. A few places came to mind that he wouldn’t mind sneaking her to for a while. If it weren’t for the damn Dacian, he’d kick out whoever owned the tent beside them and take her there. The image of her from the night before, her naked in his bed, flashed through his mind.

“If they have a Dacian, this is where they will be selling him.” Natsu crossed his arms over his chest to keep his hands to himself. Someone pushed through the crowd behind her and knocked her off balance. To keep from falling over, she gripped his wrist, and her breasts pressed against his arm. He never wanted someone so bad in his life. He hadn’t fed in quite some time either. The thirst beat at him as they stood in the crowd of onlookers. She raised a brow at the man that shoved through the crowd to get closer to the stage.

“I would tell him off if we weren’t in the middle of the living embodiment of the dark web,” she said. Another voice rang out across the crowd.

“Our next piece up for auction!” A short bald man stood on the stage in an obnoxious green suit. His arms waved at the dark figures moving toward the stage. The crowd parted for them. A man fought an invisible force that pulled him toward the stage. Because of the approaching merchandise, the crowd’s voices hushed. The wraiths never touched their victims, and there were whispers of telekinesis. This wasn’t the first time he’d witnessed a selling, but he avoided it if he could. The Horde didn’t deal in trafficking, as evil as it was. Under Zeref’s rule, a lot of darker Horde dealings had ended. Now that he knew about Mavis, the thought crossed his mind that Zeref’s calmed behavior was her doing.

“This is disgusting.” Lucy wrapped her arms around herself. The wraiths tossed the man on stage. His body fell to the floor with his arms tied together by another invisible force. When he fell forward, he smashed his face into the wooden stage and rolled onto his side. His long black hair covered his face like a shield. The bald man sneered at the vampire but smiled at the crowd.

“Here we have a Dacian assassin! Do with him what you will!” The man’s arms waved at the vampire in a heap on the floor. His body lay motionless. Something about the victim felt familiar to Natsu. If only he could scent him, he’d be able to tell if they’d met.

“Are you alright?” Lucy asked.

“I think I know that guy.”

“How could you know that? I can’t even see his face.”

“Let the bidding begin!” The auctioneer’s voice boomed without a microphone at his lips. A few hands flew up. Some shouted substantial sums of money, and the auctioneer repeated them out for everyone to hear.

“How are we going to get him out of this?” Lucy asked.

“By taking him, from whoever wins him, of course.” The crowd tightly packed in around the stage. Too many eyes to take him now. The cloaked wraiths remained around the Dacian like guards. The figures were no longer responsible for the merchandise once headed to the buyer. The biddings trickled in after the initial wave. The auctioneer’s phony grin carved in place, but his voice strained with impatience.

“This is a pure-bred Dacian, a leech of old Lore! I see only some of you can see its value.” This perked up some ears. A few Loreans wore grimaces and hands followed in the bidding. “Oh? Was I wrong in assuming that some of you are ignorant of the rare value of such a find?” A few more hands followed that statement.

“How do people fall for shit like that?” Lucy laughed through her nose and shook her head. The Dacian’s body stirred on stage. He whipped his veil of hair from his face and winced when the auctioneer placed a shoe on his back. Now, Natsu knew why the man felt so familiar. The Dacian on stage was Rogue, Zeref’s right hand, and Sting’s confidant. Rogue’s body stilled under the man’s boot. His wince told Natsu that he had an injury somewhere they couldn’t see.

“What is he doing here?” The real question was why the auctioneer continued to call him a Dacian. Rogue was a known Horde vampire. Dacians, up until now, were only a legend.

“So, you do know him?” Lucy asked.

“He’s a Horde vampire.”

“They keep saying he’s Dacian. Can he be both?”

“We’ll have to ask him when we get him out of there.” The bidding went fast, and the amounts continued to grow. A tall reptilian demon grinned with triumph at their win and marched toward the stage with two other demons—much bulkier than himself—trailing behind him.

“Terrific. Okay, what now boy genius? You want to fight all three of them?” Lucy rolled her eyes and gripped the whip at her side. Earlier with the merchant, he’d felt a surge of power he’d never felt before coming from her. He’d ask her about that whip another time.

♥♥♥

“Absolutely.” Natsu’s wide grin returned. The crowd dispersed and the auctioneer signaled for the next piece of merchandise. One of the reptilian demons slung Rogue’s battered body over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. While most headed toward other booths, some stuck around and eyed the reptilians. All of them the losers of the auction. Lucy didn’t blame the demon for bringing a bit of muscle with him. Natsu caught her hand and slid her through the chaotic crowd as another victim trudged on stage for the auction. The two of them followed the demons until they slipped past a booth and slunk down a tunnel covered in roots and vegetation. She pulled at Natsu’s hand to stop him.

“What? Scared to take them?” he asked.

“As cute as that sounds, I’m pretty sure they’re being followed.” Lucy nodded toward two shifty-looking Loreans, with long feathered wings pinned to their backs, who entered the cave after them. “I think they had the same plan we did.”

“Then we better hurry or they’re going to take our fight!” His body gave off enough heat that Lucy felt it at their proximity. “I’m fired up now.”

“Wait—” He gripped her hand and followed the rest of them into the darkness. Natsu’s free hand lit in flames to illuminate the earth walls. Disembodied voices drifted in from the other end of the tunnel. They trudged carefully over exposed roots and rocky earth. “Have you even fought reptilians before?” she asked in the dark. The orange glow from his lit palm bounced off his skin and illuminated the grin that appeared there. If she didn’t know Natsu, she’d say he appeared menacing.

“Not yet,” he said.

“Wow, real nice date you took me on.”

“What better date is there than a quest?” he replied. Unbelievable. Of all vampires in the world, this was the one that fate decided to put her with.

“What makes you think I like that kind of thing?”

“You wouldn’t be my bride if you didn’t like a little adventure.” She opened her mouth to respond when a loud impact shook the walls of the cave. Both picked up speed toward the end of the tunnel. Her fingers detached her whip from her hip as they ran. The way ahead stretched on in ink-black shadows.

“Wasn’t there moonlight outside when we fell down here?” she asked.

“Yeah, why?”

“So, shouldn’t there be light at the end of the tunnel?” The pitch-black stretched toward them as though they’d walk into the void. They stopped in front of the dark wall that led out of the cave. “What is that?” Another crash came from the other side. Was this darkness a solid wall? Natsu stepped forward and reached out through the void. His hand slid behind the veil and disappeared. “Maybe we shouldn’t—” Natsu stepped in completely and vanished. The darkness behind Lucy enveloped her in the tunnel. Only one way out.

She reached her hand out the way Natsu had. Nothing felt different on the other side, and with great trepidation, she stepped through the darkness. Her heart dropped to the floor when she felt a warm hand wrap around her wrist as she exited the tunnel. A hand clamped over her mouth before she could scream. Natsu pulled her behind an enormous bush as another massive impact shook the earth. She pulled his hand from her mouth, taking in the bizarre fight before them.

“Looks like you were right, Lucy,” Natsu said. The great winged demons hovered over the reptilians. The beat of their feathery wings loud enough for them to hear. One of the reptilians lay in a heap on the ground, its neck at a grotesque angle. The others ignored the body, and stood in front of Rogue’s motionless form, their attention on the skies. One winged demon shot down and slammed their feet into the face of the reptile with enough force to create a blast zone. The dust settled, and the beast hovered in the air with a wide grin. They spit something that sounded vile in an unfamiliar language at their enemy. Only two reptilians remained and wisely chose to retreat through the void that Natsu and Lucy had traveled through.

“You want to fight those?” Lucy asked. Instead of a reply, Natsu ran out toward the battlefield.

“Okay, chickens! It’s my turn.” He stood beside Rogue’s body crumbled on the ground. Was he even conscious? The flying demons rattled off to each other until one shot toward Rogue, another barreled down toward Natsu. Lucy’s whip cracked in the air; the wave of power toppled the one who dived toward the Dacian. The demon’s neck hit a large rock with a loud snap. The air around Natsu rippled like a distant road on a sweltering day. The demon’s eyes widened, but its momentum already set its fate. When the demon reached the vampire, the earth around Natsu exploded. Lucy picked up Rogue’s limp body and moved away from the blast zone. The air around them grew eerily silent as the dust cleared.

“You alright in there?” Lucy called. A tan and bloodied hand shot out of the dust in a thumbs up. Only then did she wrap her whip at her waist. “I expected more power from those demons.” Natsu sauntered from the crater he’d created. The demon now lay crumbled at the center, barely recognizable.

“I did too.” Unlike Lucy, his tone fell in disappointment. “How’s Rogue?” he asked. The vampire lay motionless on the ground.

“I mean, I can’t tell if he’s really dead. Leeches don’t breathe and all.” She nudged his shoulder with her boot and sucked in a breath when his body moved. A deep groan emanated from the mysterious new vampire. As soon as his eyes locked onto Lucy, he sprang up to grab for her. Shit. She had already tied up her whip, and her blade was out of reach tucked away in her boot. Her body froze as he lunged.

♥♥♥

Natsu’s fist came down on Rogue’s arm before he got a hold of Lucy. With his other, he pushed her out of harm’s way. His fresh heartbeat in his ears as he placed himself between the two of them. Rogue’s eyes burned a bright red, and fangs sharpened.

“Watch yourself, Rogue. Or it’ll be your neck next,” Natsu said. The beaten vampire cradled his arm against his chest.

“Natsu?” Surprised recognition playing in his voice. Rogue’s gaze distant and burned the bright red of bloodlust.

“Who were you expecting? Santa Claus?” The laugh that burst from Rogue took Natsu by surprise but didn’t drop his guard. “You look like ass, Rogue. What happened to you?”

“I missed that shitty sense of humor of yours.” Rogue moved to stand, then winced and remained where he sat in the dirt. He leaned back on his palms with legs stretched out in front of him.

“Are you a Dacian?” Lucy stepped forward with her arms crossed over her voluptuous chest, and her whip at the ready in her grasp.

“You’re a lovely thing. Who are you?” Rogue licked his chapped and cut lips. Lucy’s whip cracked in the air and snapped against the earth, terribly close to Rogue’s crotch.

“Make that look again, or try to touch me, and I’ll whip your balls clean off your body.” Her eyes swirled a turbulent silver. Gods, she’s perfect. “Why are you smiling?” Her eyes narrowed at Natsu. He held up his hands in submission.

“You lucky son of a bitch.” Rogue chuckled as he slowly got to his feet and held his side. He nearly toppled over if it weren’t for a tree he leaned on. “When did you find a bride? And a hot one at that.”

“Watch it.” Lucy held a finger up to Rogue as a warning.

“I think the better question here is when were you going to tell me that you were a Dacian?” Natsu asked.

“Would you have believed me if I told you?”

“If Dacians can’t leave, how are you also a Horde vampire?” Lucy said.

“I think these questions are going to have to wait.” Rogue cleared his throat roughly and spit out blood. “Let’s find shelter, and I can explain.” He gestured further in the thick forest.

“What? Here?” Lucy scrunched up her nose.

“Would you like to go back there where they can sell you off to the highest bidder?” Rogue asked and pointed toward the dark void they’d come through.

“We’re still on Gaia anyway. Above ground from the market,” Natsu said. The familiar smell of incoming rain permeated the air around them. When Rogue pushed from the tree, he grimaced and stumbled.

“How about a little hand?” Rogue held out his hand to Lucy to help him walk.

“In your dreams,” she said. Natsu moved to Rogue’s side and pulled his weak arm over his own stronger shoulder.

They found a cave as the first drops of rain struck the parched earth. Natsu sat Rogue on the ground with his back against the cave’s rock wall. Lucy leaned across from them with her arms crossed, observant eyes surveyed the vampire Natsu once fought alongside.

“Spill it, Rogue.” Natsu’s curiosity ate away at him.

“I am a Dacian,” he said finally, “I left centuries ago and found Zeref, later Sting.” The long shadows drifted from his face as the moon peeked through the dense cloud cover of the night.

“You expect me to believe you not only escaped Dacia but also eluded Dacian assassins?” Natsu stood between Rogue and Lucy. The vampire, beaten and starved, sat on the cave floor like a cornered animal ready to strike at anything in the name of feeding himself. The power that emanated from him reflected in the bright eerie red glow of his eyes in the darkness.

“It doesn’t matter if you believe me or not. Though, you know I cannot lie.” The great yawn of the cave entrance filled with the sound of heavy rain. Rogue glanced between the two of them in a way that sent chills over Natsu’s skin. Not far off from the predatory way Zeref would examine him. “As much as I appreciate the help, why did you rescue me?” His voice held the steady stillness of a calm lake before a thrown stone.

“We need to get into Dacia,” Natsu said.

“Natsu,” Lucy hissed.

“What? There is no use hiding what we know.” He gestured to the injured vampire on the dirt floor. “And I’d rather not feel my mouth burn over this guy.”

“Zeref finally opened up to you about the Fairy Tactician? Wow, good for him.”

“You know about Mavis?” Lucy raised a brow. “Does that have something to do with why those things captured you?” She gestured to the mouth of the cave where the rain came in with a gust of wind, misting their heated faces.

“Smart girl. He asked me to look for Dacia after he discovered Mavis was there. I found a lead here.”

“If he knew she was in Dacia, why send for Ultear the Queen of Time?” Lucy resigned herself to a protruding rock jutting from the cave wall. Rogue tilted his head and adjusted himself on the floor, clutching his wounded side.

“I wasn’t there when he gave that order. I must have taken too long for his liking.”

“What could she do?” Natsu asked.

“Turn back time. Possibly, to a time when he had Mavis.”

“Isn’t that dangerous?” Lucy asked. Rogue chuckled, meeting Natsu’s eyes.

“What would you do to get your bride back, Natsu?” His grin appeared lopsided from the cut on his swollen lip. The answer came to him without a second thought. Anything. The thought of someone taking Lucy, or killing her, made his heart squeeze in his chest. If he had any doubt about the power of matehood before, he couldn’t now. “Well, I hate to cut off the conversation, but I need to eat.”

“Don’t look at me,” Lucy said.

“No worries. I’ll be dining out this evening.” Rogue wobbled but stood on his own.

“Get that wound from the wraiths?” Natsu asked.

“A Dacian assassin. Barely got away. The bastards.” Rogue grimaced as he leaned against the rocky entry. The scent of damp earth wafted into the cavern and overpowered any other scent the rain may have washed away. “They’ll always be after me, and don’t worry about this.” He gestured to his side. “After I feed, I can help you get to Dacia. We’re all Horde family here after all.” Rogue trudged out into the rain. His presence disappeared as soon as his body moved out of sight. Horde family, huh?

“Can we trust him?” Lucy’s shoulders sagged.

“No, but we have more chance of finding Dacia with his help.” Natsu gestured for her to scoot over on the rock for him to sit beside her. To his surprise, she didn’t object. In fact, she leaned her head against his shoulder. “He used to be quiet, you know.”

“Quiet?”

“Yeah, he kept to himself. Sting, another Horde vampire, usually spoke for them both. When Rogue finally conversed with me, his eyes had already changed with bloodlust.” Lucy sat up and stretched her arms over her head. Her scent pervaded the space with the toss of her hair, and her heartbeat drummed in his ears like a song.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Lucy rubbed her neck.

“Like what?” Natsu stood and moved to lean on the other side of the cave. He couldn’t smell past the damp earth and fresh rainstorm outside. I should have gone with him. His instincts alerted him to Lucy’s welcoming form inside.

“When was the last time you fed?” The dreaded question. Natsu internally kicked himself for not feeding before they left. After taking her soft skin against his aching fangs, even if it were only an accident, he needed only Lucy. No one else would do. “Natsu?” Could he ask her? Lucy sat at the edge of the rock, her palms pressed to the surface, and eyes attentive and wide. If she said yes, would he be able to control himself?

♥♥♥

Natsu’s eyes swam in familiar darkness. Lucy’s skin heated from his gaze.

“Since I touched you in the witch’s dungeon.” His voice was rougher than she’d heard before. Whatever she thought he’d say, that wasn’t it. Her body responded in kind; thighs pressed together, attempting to relieve the building ache.

“And before that?”

“The night I tasted you.” Natsu relinquished his spot at the cave entry to stand in front of her. The image of him between her legs, his eyes fixed on her face as he devoured her, replayed in her head like a dream.

“You need to feed.” What was she saying? Her body craved his bite and begged her to give in. Clearly, all this vampire stuff was getting to her. When he grinned, his fangs lengthened in his mouth. Fangs should not be that sexy.

“Your eyes are silver again.”

“Yours are black.”

“If I said I did need to feed, what would you say?”

“Do you want to drink from me?” She meant her words to sound sarcastic, but instead, they felt breathless. When he nipped her last time, her legs nearly gave out. Say yes. Natsu leaned in enough to press his palms to the rock on either side of her. His face stilled inches from her own.

“Only if you ask me to,” he said. Had Cana been right? Was Natsu different from those other vampires? Lucy had spent most of her life destroying the undead. She’d met so many that she’d become biased to their ways. But Natsu, at every turn, had proven her biases wrong. One of the many being his loyalty. She couldn’t deny the way she felt. Couldn’t hold back from her desire to have him sink his fangs into her, to feed from her alone.

“Sit down, Natsu.” Lucy pointed to the rock. He hesitated but sat with obedience. She hadn’t expected the thrill his actions elicited from her. His jaw went slack when she moved to straddle his lap and moved her long mane of hair over her shoulder to expose her neck. His obsidian gaze snapped to her bare skin.

“Lucy.” His voice strained as his hands clenched to fists at his side.

“If we do this standing, I’ll fall over,” she said. As if acknowledging her invitation, he slid his hands over the small of her back to grab her rear and pull her flush against his obvious arousal.

“Can’t have that, can we?” His face lit like a child given a gift for his birthday.

“Bite me, Natsu.”

“With pleasure.” Natsu slid a hand to the back of her neck, holding her in place. She grasped his upper arm and felt her pulse race as he leaned into her. The pinch of his fangs soon replaced with ecstasy. With his first draw of blood, a moan slipped from her lips, and his fingers dug into her hip. He groaned into her neck and sent her into a frenzy. Her hips rocked against his rigid shaft desperate for relief. Her clothes felt heavy against her skin. With each pull, a wave of pleasure washed over her. Natsu jerked his hips up to meet her demanding thrusts, and his name rolled from her lips like magic. With one final pull, she fell apart in his arms, his grip tight around her body.

Natsu stilled, pulled away, and licked delicately at the wound on her neck before it closed. He leaned his forehead against her shoulder. Hot breath ragged against her heated skin as he spoke. “You can let go.” His voice a husky version of the playful tone he’d had before. She allowed her thighs to relax and released her grip on his arm.

“Is it like this every time?” Lucy’s own voice a low whisper. Natsu chuckled and lifted his eyes to hers. His cheeks flushed from her blood running through his veins.

“Every time.”

“I could get used to that.” She slid from his lap and adjusted her clothes.

“Are you feeling alright?” Natsu inspected her while pinching the skin between his thumb and forefinger in his lap.

“I feel fine, why?” His shoulders visibly relaxed and he allowed his hands to drop as he stood.

“Making sure I didn’t take too much,” he said. In all her life, she’d never heard of a vampire that cared about taking too much blood from anyone. She cupped her hands over his cheeks and pulled his head down so that their lips met. He wrapped his arms around her, moved her close, and deepened their kiss. “What was that for?”

“Proving me wrong every time.” Lucy strode toward the cave exit. The rain had dissipated, leaving behind glistening foliage and mud.

“Are you ready?” Rogue leaned against a tree that shaded the moonlight.

“How long have you been standing there?” She felt heat spread over her cheeks.

“Not long.” He leaned away from the tree and stretched. His wounds had all disappeared, the dirt on his face gone with them, and he’d tied his hair up in a high ponytail. The only thing left on his face was a light scar across his nose. Now that he’d eaten and cleaned up, Rogue appeared quite attractive. His usual red haze over his eyes had dimmed. “You look well,” he remarked as Natsu exited the cave behind her. He wagged his eyebrows at Lucy and turned to head down a muddy walking path covered in greenery.

“The minute we no longer need him, I want to rip out his fangs,” Lucy said.

“Same,” Natsu said.

♥♥♥

The witches’ living room fell quiet except for Erza’s feet padding across the floor. The stillness disturbed when Gray appeared.

“What took you so long?” Erza demanded. Her pace slowed to a stop in front of the Forebearer. Gray shook some snow out of his hair, leaving little droplets on the hardwood floor.

“I had to wait for him to return.” His voice was devoid of the edge he’d had when the other vampires occupied the room. “He wants to speak with you as well.” Gray held out his hand. Erza hesitated. Her deep-rooted belief that a vampire only meant trouble clawed away at her. “Don’t worry Valkyrie. I have no reason to harm any of you now.”

“Not like you could,” Erza said, taking his hand. The world around her blinked from existence. She found herself in front of tall castle doors in the dead of deep winter. Gray pressed a button on a high-tech panel, the entrance creaked open, and he motioned for her to enter first.

The vampire led her to an ornately carved door. When opened, the strong scent of old tomes overtook her. The room was beautiful with furniture placed in such a way that her eyes drew to the large desk and the man who stood behind it. His dark blue hair windswept, his hands tucked behind his back like a warlord, and he wore a coat resembling Gray’s. When he turned, his lapis blue eyes widened at her presence.

“Titania,” he said so low she almost missed it.

“I haven’t heard that name in a long time.”

“I’m Jellal Fernandes,” he said after he cleared his throat. He gave her an unnecessary chivalrous bow.

“We can skip the pleasantries, Fernandes.” As much as she wanted to know where he’d heard that name from, she had more important things to ask. “You know Natsu is helping us.” Jellal nodded and asked her to sit. “I need to know everything you know about Mavis.” She stepped closer to the seating area. The massive clouds and winter landscape stretched out on the other side of the large windows behind him. The light was dim enough for him to stand there, but bright enough for her to make out the intricate red tattoo across his angular and handsome face. Instead of sitting, she crossed her arms over her chest.

“I told Natsu everything that I know.”

“If you are working with Natsu, then you are working with us.” There was no air of aggression around this man, the way she’d felt in other rulers, yet he stood with poise and cloaked himself in power. Her curiosity crept over her skin like vines. There’s no time for that.

“So, did you come here to get information or to make an alliance?” He leaned forward and pressed his palms against the dark wood of his desk. Could she make an alliance with leeches? The idea of it made her stomach roll, but they were in desperate need of allies. Natsu had proven his loyalty to Lucy, but how far could she really trust him? How could she speak to Mavis again after working with vampires? She wished Mavis were there to ask her what to do. “Trick question?” Jellal stood and moved to the other side of the desk. He sat on the edge with his gaze trained on her. At least his eyes didn’t burn red the way other leeches did.

“Depends,” she said.

“On?”

“On how much information you’re willing to give me.” She half expected the small smile that lifted the corner of his lips.

“I made a vow to Natsu to protect him and his bride. In my eyes, this means I’m willing to make an alliance. But are you?” He tilted his head and waited for her reply.

“Since you have no further information for me, the only thing I’d need you for is your army. I’m not looking for a long engagement. You help us and that’s it.”

“And what do I get out of it?”

“What did you have in mind?”

“Your company.” If his face hadn’t remained impassive, she would have expected his words were a joke.

“Excuse me?”

“I’d like to get to know you, Erza.”

“And why is that?” she asked. He moved around the desk toward her; his deep blue eyes swirled with an inkling of darkness as he neared.

“You interest me. Any allyship with you would be worth it, no matter how short.” Erza’s heart leapt in her chest.

“Then I guess it’s a deal.” Erza expected the man to back away and send her home. Instead, he eyed her mouth and wet his own lips. The gesture spurred on a fluttering in her stomach. “First, we need to find Dacia.” Jellal’s eyes snapped up and brows furrowed on his beautiful face.

“What’s in Dacia?”

“Our queen.” Jellal ran a hand through his hair and eyed Gray, who stood quietly by the door.

“Do you have any leads?” Jellal asked.

“Natsu spoke to Zeref. Apparently, the realm could either be in Gaia or in Pandemonia.”

“Where is he now?”

“Zeref? How should I know?” She would never understand the Forebearer’s fixation on the Horde king.

“No, Natsu.”

“He went to Pandemonia.”

“With his bride?” His face back to the impassive and unreadable expression she’d seen before. His hands clenched into fists.

“How did you—”

“Have they found Dacia?” His voice shook at the name of the mystical vampiric realm. Something scared this powerful man.

“What is bothering you, Master Fernandes?” Gray asked.

“Igneel is in Dacia.” Jellal pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Who?” Erza asked.

“The vow has already been made. He can’t back out just because he found his father,” Gray said.

“That is not my concern.” Jellal slouched into the seat behind his desk. “I’m afraid Natsu’s father is not the man he once knew.”

#nalu #fairy tail #nalu fan fiction #fairy tail fan fiction #ft fan fiction #fairies after dark #nalu au

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musicallisto · 3 years

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Hello love,

Congratulations for the 800 followers! You absolutely deserve this and so much more! I'm happy to see how your blog grows and that you're still providing all of us with wonderful content. You're one of the first blogs that I've started to follow here on Tumblr and I'm so lucky to have found your blog ♡

As for your celebration event, could I please request a 🍨 vanilla milkshake with a male Peaky Blinders Character?

I'm more on the curvy side (and insecure about it) and I'm ALWAYS wearing black (which I love, no matter what others say or even more if they object). As for my personality, I'm a highly complex, paradox and complicated individium. I'm unbelievable patient, timid, awkward, kind, forgiving, open-minded, compassionate, thruthful, gentle and calm and I've been told that I have a calming effect on others, that I can easily ground anyone and anything, no matter how troubled their mind is. I prefer vintage over modern things. I think rather deep which often leads me to overthinking everything, which in turn leads me to doubting (very much) myself. You would be surprised how timid and reserved I am, I'm sure you wouln't notice me in a room full of people if it wouldn't be for my different appearance (but I like it this way). I'm always well-meaning, yet often misunderstood (maybe because it's hard for me to articulate myself). I can be incredible lazy, clumsy and forgetful. I've always felt like I don't really belong anywhere, so I've started to distance myself from others a while ago. I'm a outsider, weird, a dork, not normal, a loner and I fucking love it, because I like to be different, I would hate to fit into just one box and to be like everyone else. And I like people who are not ashamed to be their 100% true self, no matter how different that is from the mainstream. I'm the most loyal person you'll ever find, once you earn my trust, I'll always be on/by your side, no matter what. That says a lot, because I'm hard to scare away. Sometimes I feel alienated from the people and things surrounding me and I'm sure that I annoy and bore them. I'm very nervous and insecure around others, which is why I try to avoid people and why I'm not talking all that much around them (though, I'm a really good listener). I'm easily overwhelmed by large crowds and much light/noise, that's why I don't like to go outside, I prefer to cozy up at home. I would never intentionally hurt a animal and I'm not eating any meat, which is very important to me. I believe that there isn't a ounce of cruelty inside me. I'm unassuming and understanding, I only believe what I've witnessed on my own and I have endless acceptance for almost everything. Due to my Insomnia, I'm a night owl. I have strong personal values, am very opinionated and I'm really in-touch with myself and even though I'm extremly insecure, I would never reduce or change myself and views/opinions for someone and I neither have a problem to challenge authority and advocating for my beliefs. I'm a perfectionist and sometimes I really hate it. And, as you can see, I'm unable to be brief. My favourite colours are dark green, black, gold and dark purple. My greatest passion is music, even if I can't sing or play an instrument.(I prefer rock/punk/pop/80s/90s) It's the most calming and therapeutic thing when it comes to my anxiety and depression and I could never live a day without it. You will never see me in the street without headphones in my ears and even when I'm at home there's music playing almost all the time. I could talk for hours about music and what it means to me. And otherwise I love to watch films and series (I like fantasy, horror, psychological thriller, science fiction and psychological drama and almost anything from the 70s, 80s and 90s). I love rainy days and to go outside while it's pouring big, fat drops. What I love the most is to drive around without a destination, while talking and listening to music. And I love to spend time with my cat, if I could, I would have endless animals who live peacefully and loved with me. I enjoy to have deep talks and to be challenged to think. I love to take late-night-strolls, while gazing into the sky and watching the stars/moon. I have a fascination for dark and macabre things.

I really hope that's not too much? But thank you anyway ♡

Have a good day!

thank you so much for your kind words, you have no idea how much it means to me to know that I was one of the first blogs you followed ;; here’s your vanilla milkshake - and it’s also my first time writing for peaky blinders, but I hope it’s alright; and I hope finn shelby will find the portrait I paint of him accurate enough...

Birmingham was a drab and disheartening place enough without the war adding to its joylessness; but somehow the streets are even worse to bear deserted than when they’re bustling and fetid. Especially for a ten year old boy who wants nothing but to play with someone, to talk to someone, to see someone.

With his brothers off fighting somewhere in France and his aunt too busy with her businesses (adult stuff that Finn has absolutey no interest in attempting to understand), the youngest Shelby has been fighting off an affliction worse than consumption and measles, because much more insidious for a boy his age; boredom

and he’s so sad, so irrevocably sad, with no one to bruise his knees with and throw mud at, that he just aimlessly wanders the empty streets whenever aunt Polly isn’t looking, to find a semblance of stimulation

(he used to enjoy the solitude, it gave him time to imagine delirious stories in fantastical worlds and read the most enthralling of novels, but not anymore. four years of reclusion is an awfully long time for a little boy.)

and it’s during one of his escapades that he first meets you

you’re a little girl his age, dressed in a pretty dress, wearing pretty booties and holding a pretty little woven basket, but your face is stuck on the most grouchy frown he’s ever seen on a little girl, and you don’t walk, you stomp down the wet pavement like a wrathful titan

And it’s probably the first time in four years that he’s been this close to making a new friend, so he walks up to you, despite how rusty his communication skills have become

“Girls don’t frown. It’s unbecoming.”

(Yes, pretty rusty indeed; but in his defense, he’s ten, he’s bored, he’s lonely, and he’s only ever heard Ada say it, and Ada is the most level-headed of his siblings, so anything she says must be true, right?)

“Shut up.”

(Well, if it was unbecoming of you to frown, it’s even more to rebuff someone so rudely. You don’t even spare a glance and continue walking; he has to hurry to catch up to you.)

“You can’t say that. It’s a bad word.”

“How do you know that?”

“My family says it all the time, but they told me I can’t say it.”

“Well, my family is not your family. And I hate my family!”

You’ve yelled the last words at the sky, so loud that the crows on the neighboring roofs have taken off in a startled flight.

“They want to wear this stupid dress to go to the stupid market to buy stupid meat. I don’t even want to eat meat, that’s cruel! And I don’t even want to wear a frilly dress! I want to wear black!”

And in saying so you tugged at the pink and white ribbons that encircled your waist.

And Finn couldn’t help being extremely intrigued at this little girl who said bad words and refused to eat meet and wanted to wear black. It was the most exciting thing to ever happen in all the duration of the war.

“You want to wear a black dress?”

“Yes, but my mama won’t let me. She says it’s too sad because of the war. But black isn’t sad! Black is beautiful!”

“Maybe I could find you a black dress. I’m sure my sister must have one. Where do you live?”

And, loyal to his promise, the following morning he had run to your doorstep and snuck into your house - a proper Shelby talent, to be able to go unnoticed or make a ruckus depending on the occasion - with an old, crinkled mourning dress of Ada’s, that had probably belonged to his mother and had been mended several times

And it was obviously five sizes too big for you and you looked more like a ghost from one of Finn’s horror novels, your arms floating in the sleeves and the hem of the skirt pooling at your feet, but your smile was the brightest light he’d ever seen in this whole damn town.

“Do you like it?”

(He didn’t really know why he sounds so nervous. Maybe it was having a friend, a real friend, and doing something personal for them... or maybe it had to do with how fast his heart beat, watching you in that gigantic, shapeless dress)

“I love it! Thank you so much, Finn!”

From then on started one of the most wonderful friendships Finn would ever have, and what would bring a ray of light to the grim existence of a little boy in the midst of a global war

Despite the ration cards, despite the loneliness, despite the worry that tugged at his stoic aunt’s eyes for her son and nephews across the Channel... he found an unspeakable solace in your friendship

And one day, without a trace, you were gone

He knocked on your door; gone. He asked all the neighbors what had happened to the family that lived there; gone. He wrote you letters and sent them to the confines of England; gone. He got scolded by Polly for marking numbers at random on Tommy’s state-of-the-art telephone; gone.

Suddenly he was back to the bleak existence he had battled with before meeting you, and the hollow inside his chest only grew wider as the days went on, because he had no explanation as to what had happened to you, and worried every single day

Thankfully, the war ended not long after, and his brothers came back home, all alive and unscathed - well, for the most part

Fast forward more or less ten years, and much has changed in Finn Shelby’s life and in old Birmingham, but the memory of you still stugs at his heartstrings

One evening, he’s tasked by Arthur to run some errands, send a few messages, scout a few places; the most dangerous thing his older brothers will ever let him do

His task leads him to a bar in the center of town, one that pours its joyous light and music into the street outside; he’s there to meet with a client, arrange a meeting; nothing he’s hasn’t done already

But the evening takes a turn for the unexpected when he recognizes the girl sat alone at a table, enjoying the musicians’ jazz with an air of pure bliss on her face

It’s been ten years, of course, but... it’s unmistakable. That face, that silhouette, and the black ensemble from head to toe... and he’s always had a knack for remembering faces, especially those that mark him deeply

Suddenly he’s frozen on the spot, and he has forgotten why he came to the bar in the first place, what his target looks like - all he knows is you, and how beautiful you look in the dim light of the bar, and the undisclosed and unknown feelings he had for you at the time come flooding back.

Except this time, he understands, and he fears them, because he doesn’t have time for any of this, and it’s way too dangerous for you and him

But he can’t just pass you by and not say a word?

He swallows, hard.

And walks up to you.

“Y/N?”

You open your eyes, and your face flashes with recognition, and a little bit of pain as well. Even if you fled without a word, and left him hanging all these years, he’s incapable of rancor

“Finn... wow, you’ve changed so much.”

“You haven’t.”

He gestures at your face, your clothes, how you savor the music like the finest drink in the world, and you laugh and blush, sending his heart into overdrive

“Where were you all this time?”

“I’m so sorry, Finn... my brother died in the war, and... my mom sent me to live with my grandparents in Scotland. We were all destroyed by grief... I needed to get away.”

“Without explanation? Not even a word?”

“I wanted to write to you, so bad, but... I couldn’t remember your address. I couldn’t remember anything about Birmingham at all...”

He nods, slowly, in understanding.

The war opens wounds that never heal, even after all the most beautiful friendships and love stories in the world.

“But I’m really glad I found you.”

His heart is pounding in his throat. Maybe it’s a sign of destiny that he found you here, tonight, alone, and ready to welcome him back. Maybe it’s a word from fate, that you can never truly be apart.

So he takes the seat in front of you, and you smile, that shy but bright smile of yours, and he forgets all about his mission, his client, and his brothers.

They’ll have to understand.

800 follower sleepover

#lunamooney2406 #sleepover800 #ship request #peaky blinders #peaky blinders ship #finn shelby #finn shelby x reader #peaky blinders headcanons #finn shelby headcanons #for some reason the first thing I write for a new fandom is always SUPER LONG but that's because i get rlly in my feelings

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peepspersonalperspective · 4 years

Text

MY PICKS: Top 10 K-Dramas

Disclaimer: These are totally subjective choices and I've justified them as per my preferences. Consider them friendly recommendations and let me know if you disagree. Also, I've discovered the wonderful world of K-Dramas over the last couple of years and they've really evolved not just in storytelling but also production value so I personally prefer the more recent ones. So for example I haven't put a very popular pick like My Love from the Star simply because I've seen better stuff since (don't shoot me). Anyway, 가자!

MEMORIES OF ALAHAMBRA

This is my first recommendation for anyone who's just starting out watching Korean television content simply because it's so different from what new viewers expect it to be. It's so gripping and thrilling. I would expect nothing less from Song Jae Jung's writing.

So it's a sci-fi show, set in Spain, about an augmented reality game, that seems to have physical implications in the real world, sending the lead, Hyun Bin on a rollercoaster ride to find answers. Exo's Chanyeol has a recurring role as the game developer, so that's exciting too. I learnt that he was cast because of his love for PubG. Lol.

Every episode will leave you wanting more, and you'll find yourself as desperate to search for answers as Yoo Jin Woo (Hyun Bin).

Granted, mid season, it gets a little complicated, especially with newer nuances of the game unfolding, but fret not because the characters are discovering the secrets of the game with you. So they're as confused as you would be, and that's why this show is so good! More so because the graphics are excellent! You can tell they really spent money on ensuring high quality work. You will really feel like you're part of the game with Yoo Jin Woo.

Anyway, if you are an EXO-L, or you like gaming, sci-fi, thriller and Hyun Bin, this show is great!

2. W - Two Worlds

Another piece of awesome from Song Jae Jung. I would still rank this show a little below Alahambra, because I think the makers made improvements from this sci-fi drama in Alahambra, in the sense of storytelling. Still, W is just as intriguing.

Oh Yeon Joo (Han Hyo Joo) gets sucked into a comic book where she falls in love with the lead character of the comic book, Kang Chul (Lee Jeong Suk). Sounds like a typical romance drama right? Don't be fooled because there are many many twists and turns along the way.

I feel like there is metaphor in there somewhere about existentialism, the creation and destiny. But maybe that's just me reading into things.

Lee Jeong Suk is extremely desirable as Kang Chul, unsuspectingly charming and endearing, and Oh Yeon Joo is an absolutely relatable character, and how she deals as an ordinary girl thrown into extraordinary circumstances is genuine.

I would say this drama is wholesome, with sci-fi, suspense, thriller, action, romance, filial relationships, and more. And while it's usually difficult to jam pack all this into one show without screwing it up, W emerges exceptional.

3. Extraordinary You

This show is so cute! If you want just a light hearted, quirky show, this is the one for you.

It's about characters in a cartoon becoming aware of their existence in a cartoon. But don't worry this is NOTHING like W.

The best part about the show is that it's not about the main characters of the said cartoon. It's the story about the extras finding their way in that world, hence the pun intended in the title. The main characters (of the cartoon) are actually the most dull, because they are bound by the laws of stereotypical high school romance. But the real stuff is happening on the sidelines, with Kim Hye Yoon as Dan Oh and Rowoon as Haru.

Dan Oh is a hilarious character and Kim Hye Yoon does a fantastic job of switching emotions when she's in and out of a scene in the cartoon. One minute she goes into character mode, next minute she's bitching at the sorry fate of her character when she wakes up, to the astonishment of the characters surrounding her (who aren't aware of their reality yet).

Rowoon has a quiet charm about him that perfectly complements Hye Yoon. Check it out for a chuckle and a taste of something different.

4. Crash Landing on You

This show is hard not to like. Apart from the poorly picturized tornado carrying our leading lady over the border to North Korea, this show is a wonderful Netflix and Chill kind of show, I think.

The cultural disparity between the South and North is interesting to watch and also entertaining. Like when they mention buying mobile games at an App store (a literal application store in a Pyongyang market).

Ri Jung Hyuk (Hyun Bin again) and Yoon Seri (Son Yejin) are such a delight in comedic, romantic, and dramatic scenes. But the scene stealer for me was Yang Kyun Won as Pyo Chi Soo, and his unshakeable nationalism that he is ready to set aside for some shampoo and conditioner.

The interesting thing is going into the show, you have an idea of the longevity, so ofcourse, Seri's journey back to the South ain't going to be easy, also her relationship with Ri Jung Hyuk is doomed, and yet you find yourself rooting for them at each step, crying with them during their failures and crying with them even in their triumph. But the most tears were shed for the least expected character, who simply left us all heart broken.

5. Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo

In a world where women are expected to behave and look a certain way to be considered attractive by someone they're vying for, here's a food hogging, tomboy, weightlifting champ, with her first crush.

The premise may rope you into the show, but midway you realise that the heart of the show is in its characters, and without realising you become so invested in them that you feel their fears, insecurities, and cherish their victories with them.

This coming of age show really relishes on the quirks of each character, friendship, love and aspirations. It's not a very dramatic story which is probably why it didn't rate very high during its broadcast, but that's part of its charm, and that's why it's been able to gather a significant cult following since.

Lee Sung Kyung and Nam Joo Hyuk portray the most sincere friends and eventual couple. Their relationship blossoms in the most organic manner and it's so heartwarming. They're not cheesy or unrealistic; they even beat each other up! I don't think I've seen that level of comfort portrayed on screen so well before.

Watch out for guest appearances by Ji Soo and Lee Jeong Suk.

6. Strong Girl Do Bong Soon

I'll be honest, this recommendation is mainly for Park Hyung Sik. He's amazing in the show. And there could be no better supernaturally strong petite girl than Park Bo Young, either.

So there are actually a lot of things happening in the show, story wise, but I promise it all comes together in the end. There is quite a build up and I'm happy that it pays off adequately.

This is like a superhero show with all the spices and flavours of a Marvel movie, but K-Drama style. There's an invincible villain, some idiot gangsters for comedic value, romance (a love triangle infact), functional training, a point of lost hope for Bong Soon, and then her resurrection as a superhero.

It's all there, and more.

But Park Hyung Sik.....

7. Itaewon Class

This recommendation is simply for the refreshing change of representation on TV. I know a lot has already been spoken about it already, but I have to admit that that's what sets this revenge drama apart. That, and the music. Dayum, Start by Gaho is so catchy! And let's not forget V's Sweet Night.

This show starts off slow but give it 3 episodes before it gets to the real shit.

Park Saeroyi is almost too good to be true, and in that lies his shortcoming. His character is so strong that while watching him I forgot that Park Seo Joon was acting. And despite some unnerving moments I found myself rooting for him. He has some strong motivational lines too, like about his choice for a better life. His determination is almost unreal, as he goes on to take down his mortal enemy.

Some of the best scenes, though, are of Jo Yi Seo (Kim Dami), a sociopathic enterprising genius. She was the one who actually kept me hooked to the series. She added some much needed flair to the show, and as it appears to Park Saeroyi's establishment.

Actually, every character was strong, every character had a strong backstory and motivation for the action, and most importantly they never broke character.

Watch out for Park Bo Gum's special appearance.

8. Love In The Moonlight

Speaking of Park Bo Gum...

This show is all kinds of weird in the best way! A girl pretends to be a palace eunuch and falls in love with the crown Prince. That is so messed up!

But that's the fun part! And Park Bo Gum and Kim You Jung make it a wonderful ride. Full of quirky romance, political conflicts and hidden identity issues, this show is addictive af!

And even though this wasn't in the show and was just a promo, be sure to watch Park Bo Gum's Bombastic dance. It's adorable!

9. The Third Charm

I'm sure this is my least popular recommendation. But something about watching this show was so cathartic. I highly recommend it for those who may have gone through heartbreak ever in their lives.

This is probably one of those rare times when I was lost in the story instead of Seo Kang Jun's eyes. Hehe. This story is about an on again off again couple and their journey through life together and apart.

This was meant to be a healing drama, and it really does take you through the emotional evolution that comes with growing up. I think it's the perfect medicine for a healing heart.

10. It's Okay Not To Be Okay

This show! This is my current obsession. Kim Soo Hyun's comeback couldn't have been more perfect. Seo Yeji couldn't have been a more perfect casting. And the two leads couldn't have had a better chemistry.

This show is all kinds of whimsical and I love it. Also a healing drama, this show deals with.... Baggage....to put it simply. Some baggage may be bigger than other baggage, some even irrevocable. But seeing all the characters overcome this baggage is so fulfilling.

But the charm of this show is in Ko Moon Young's (Seo Yeji) craziness and the Tim Burton-esque setup, that really makes one perceive fairytales in a whole new way. I mean I always knew that fairytales were sanitized German folklore, but I never thought to find a very different messaging from the material. The parables are ingenious, and it really is a pleasure to watch each and every person on this show.

Special mentions: Goblin, Reply 1988, 30 but 17/ Still 17, My ID is Gangnam Beauty, Hotel Del Luna

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reversemoon255 · 3 years

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(From September 2020 to February 2021, I worked on a Pokémon themed Dungeons and Dragons campaign for a few friends. We didn’t get very far, but I put a significant amount of work into the world, story, and several Pokémon that would appear throughout, including an original set of starters. I want to to leave some record of my work, so I thought I’d write a few summary posts. And while I designed these Pokémon, their fantastic art was done by @extyrannomon on Twitter. I highly recommend you check them out.)

Dungeons 'n' Dragonites - Phase 1: Hello Stelopy City

Our story starts in Stelopy City, located in the Wellou Region. We get a brief introduction from DJ Tomomitsu, a radio host, before each player got their own brief story segments. Our first player was Ethan, as aspiring chef, who lived on campus at his high school. Ethan was approached by one of his dorm mates with a favor (to get him out of the building), as well as having an attractive girl meandering around the kitchen (if he wished to try flaunting his culinary skills). He would then get to choose to either finish up his side-quest or go to the local fisher's market, with him transitioning between those locations taking him to the area where he would meet his starter Pokémon:

"As you enter the alleyway, the walls are covered floor-to-ceiling in moss that seem to appear as soon as the shadows overtake the sunlight. The farther you walk, the more weeds you see popping through the cracks. Once you reach the half-way point, you come to a small open space. With the sunlight now flickering down through the plants brave enough to venture off the verdant walls, the entire area shines a bright, emerald green. In the center of this area is a decently sized fountain. It's no longer flowing, but there's a decent amount of rain water filling it up close to the brim. As you approach it, even through the murky iridescent waters, you can see a thick, fuzzy amount of lichen growing all throughout the inside of the basin. As you pass by the fountain, you hear an audible sploosh. Do you turn around? (Y/N)"

There he would meet the first of our new Starter, the Grass-Type Flymph. I kept it secret that I was doing original Starters. Part of my personal excitement in planning everything was the eventual reveal of these designs I had created. Kept me going when things started feeling like a grind.

Our second player, Johnny, started off at home, woken by his father asking him to run an errand. After being able to talk to his family a bit, he proceeded to a somewhat beaten-up house on the edge of the Pokémon-overrun abandoned district where he would receive some boat parts before leaving and the sidewalk underneath him collapses. Stumbling around the abandoned subway tunnels for a bit, he would run into our second Starter, the Fire-Type Calfyre.

Johnny's player wanted to become an entertainer, which didn't give me a lot to work session one, so a lot of his opener was focused on expanding the world and giving everyone an idea of areas they would be exploring later.

Third was Orion who had a quiet morning at home before being provoked via text messages from his siblings to chase down a mysterious "Wailord in a Top Hat." This pursuit would also lead him to the fisher's market and the nearby docks, where, after just catching sight of his quarry, he would encounter the Water-Starter Squisque.

Orion's player wanted a lot of his story to be based on his relationship with his father, so most of his opening was based on reinforcing his family dynamic. Not home, everyone’s busy, focus on work. This particular Saturday was strange in that Orion didn’t have anything going on.

Our last player was Arthur, who also lived on campus. While our other three players started their segments in bed, Arthur was playing lacrosse. After having an opportunity to show off (or fail), he would be told by a friend that he had upset his girlfriend that morning (kitchen girl from Ethan's story), and needed Arthur to pick up her favorite dessert while he attempted to woo her for the rest of the day. After doing so (while being given a chance to explore some of the local stores) he encountered a hungry Houndoom who proceeds to chase him up a fire escape. Once up there he encountered our final Starter, the Fairy-Type Utaw.

After each player met their Starters, they would have a brief tutorial battle against three Pokémon they were advantageous against before running into each other, and were subsequently arrested for "stealing" Pokémon, which would cap session one.

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Let's talk design. Stelopy City is loosely based on Chicago, is a portmanteau of "Steel Canopy," and Wellou is a joke on Illinois. The vast majority of the campaign was to take place in this location. Most of my players had very busy schedules (so busy it took us three sessions to get through the above opener), so DJ Tomomitsu was a way for me to easily start each session with a list of things to do (side-quests), and they as a group could decide which they were the most interested in based on time. Tomomitsu himself was based on DJ Sagara from Kamen Rider Gaim, with Tomomitsu being the name of the actor who played him.

As for the starters, I tried to stick to the reoccurring themes we’ve seen over the past 8 Generations. Flymph's name is a portmanteau of Dragonfly, Errol Flynn, and Nymph (the larval form of a Dragonfly). He's meant to be a special attacker, but, like an early DND Wizard, doesn't have access to a lot of them so he brandishes his sword-like arms to intimidate his foes instead. His diet consists entirely of lichens, algae, and similar flora, storing them in his transparent stomach pouches, and can be seen sunbathing in the water, belly up, feeding the plant matter the sunlight they need to grow. He also does not like Bug-Types, and isn’t Bug himself because of Grass/Bug’s myriad of weaknesses (for balancing), plus he changes Types after his first evolution. The theme of Grass Starters is extinction, which won’t become clear until his final evolution, but you may be able to guess how he relates.

Fire Starters are themed after the Chinese Zodiac, and of the remaining four yet to be used (including Snake, Ram, and Horse), I went with Ox. Calfyre's name is a play on Calf and Fire, and is meant to play like a Barbarian. When it comes to personality he's very timid and unsure of himself like a first-time DND player might be acting in a group. Unlike most Fire-Types, Calfyre lacks a Flame Sac. Instead, his spiral horns are filled with a freon-like liquid that, when swirled, rapidly absorbs energy from the air, which he uses for attacks. This chills the air around him, and makes him one of the few Fire-Types that are cold to the touch. Which sucks, because he’s a snugly sleeper.

Water Starters are usually themed after a weapon or character class. This usually shows in the later evolutions, but it's pretty obvious Squisque (a portmanteau of Squirt, Squire, and Bisque) is themed off a lance and shield. He's a paladin in both role and personality, charging in at the slightest sign of trouble, even if there isn't any real danger. It's the typical non-nuanced idea of what people think when they hear "Paladin." He was to a degree supposed to play a catalyst role, charging into situations the players may not want to in order to force them into helping people or combat if need be. He was also the first design I settled on, being based on an old Kaijin idea I had of a lobster-knight using its asymmetrical claws as different medieval weapons.

Utaw is unique, not just in that he was a fourth or Fairy Starter, but in conception. I was only supposed to have three players, but ended up with four. As such, his design is responsive to the others. Why a dinosaur? Because I had a mammal, crustacean, and bug, was unsure if I wanted a bird or reptile, and decided to meet half-way. Why is he Fairy? Because it has very little interaction with Fire, Water, and Grass, while still having defined weaknesses and resistances to certain types. (Also, this player wanted a Dragon-Type.) He’s based on a Utahraptor, hence the name, and is misspelled to include “Claw” or “Caw.” He’s meant to play team Bard, and uses sound moves. As for personality, he's a bit of a birdbrain who enjoys fighting. Not maliciously; it’s just fun, again acting like a new DND player who’s more interested in combat than role playing.

The idea with the personalities was that each Pokémon was supposed to start out like a rookie DND player on their first campaign. Not knowing how to play their class, being uncomfortable acting in front of a group, leaning too hard into your role without bending, or just fighting everything you see without diplomacy. It felt like a fun extra layer to each of these Pokémon that tied them just as much into the DND side of things as the Pokémon.

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Back to our story, after being briefly detained (mostly as an excuse to give the players time to introduce themselves to each other, something my DMs have struggled with), they meet Professor(-in-training) Bianca. The four Pokémon had been found by Silph Co., and had decided to donate them to the Unovan Pokémon Research Lab. However, after seeing the Pokémon interacting with these people, Bianca decides to give them up instead. "Pokémon should be with people," after all.

I had three side quests set up following this (after they all go to the DMV to get their Trainer's licenses). The first was a general "there's wild Pokémon here" quest where they could train and catch things. There was a sale at the mall where they could get some cheap held items and have their first trainer battle, and an event at the fisher's market where they could win some free items and would lead into their first dungeon.

The dungeon was what I was hoping they would pick, and would have them chase a group of Poipole through a warehouse, with them having different battles if they chose to enter from the front or the back. After defeating them, the Poipole would be sucked through a spontaneously generating Ultra Wormhole, with a high enough perception check revealing a strange laugh, or on a 20 have them catch a glimpse of a grey Charizard O_O

From there it was a matter of coming up with (or possibly recycling unused) side-quests until we reached the point where the Starters were about to evolve. I had a few things planned; introductions to a few reoccurring NPCs, a field trip to the local museum where they would be able to catch a Yamask (and possibly learn something about the origins of their Starters), and a raid battle against a group of Onix who would recur through the campaign.

The end of Phase 1 would come about with another dungeon. In the middle of the night, Ethan and Arthur would be awoken by their Pokémon to a group of Durant having busted through the floor of the dorm and raiding their kitchen. Easily driving them off, their Pokémon would encourage them to pursue. Later, full party in toe, the four of them would explore the Duranthill. There would be a number of possible encounters, but only one mandatory fight before reaching the depths. In said encounter, while being surrounded by a group of Durant, they would receive unexpected help from this Pokémon:

With some interpretation, they would discover that this Princess Durant was afraid for the sake of her colony. A new queen had taken up residence there, and was commanding the Durant to attack the surface and steal food for her. With additional party member in toe, they would descend further with better direction, eventually discovering the lair of the Queen Durant...

#Pokemon #Dungeons and Dragons #DND #DND Homebrew #durant

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