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wishesunderthestars · 6 months

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Of Storms And Vampires // Ch. 1

Pairings: Vampire!Yoongi x Witch!Reader x Vampire!Jungkook

Summary: During the worst storm you have witnessed in your life, a bat crashes on your window. When you bring it inside your cottage to take care of it, you realize it isn't simply a bat but a baby vampire. Your past has come back to haunt you because Jungkook's sire is no one else but Min Yoongi, who you had left behind when you disappeared five years ago.

Genre: fluff, angst

Word Count: 9.1k+

The wind howled outside with the voice of a thousand lost souls. You had read somewhere that the breeze and the sounds of the night were the dead singing. If that were true, tonight they were screaming.

The storm had hit in the afternoon in full force, getting only worse since then. In seconds, the first few droplets turned into arrows of water falling from the heavens. Dark clouds overtook the sky, wiping out the sun and bringing the night early. Lightning struck every few minutes followed by loud thunder that sounded too close for comfort. You had sensed the storm brewing a few days ago but only yesterday you had realized how strong it was going to be. It was like all the rage of the Gods had been released at once.

The rain splattered on the windowpane relentlessly, a constant murmuring in the background interrupted only by the thunder. You could cast a silencing spell but you needed to be aware of what was happening outside and the sounds were comforting in a way. It was the music of lonely nights and disasters.

You were curled up in the overstuffed armchair next to the fireplace, a book on kitchen magic leaning on your thighs. The fire flickered and danced, flaming tendrils reaching for above. It was a calm night for you, almost peaceful. You had been casting protections against the storm on your house, your garden, and the small farmhouse of your animals for days. There was nothing to worry about, you were more than safe. But your mind kept going to the town. It was the worst storm this part of the world had seen in decades.

You flipped the page to the recipe for an antipyretic potion and breathed in the smoky scent of burning firewood. Your eyes scanned over the ingredients of the potion and you considered how it could be improved to better fit your magic, without losing its essence. It was hard changing existing recipes and spells but when done right, it could be very rewarding.

You sensed the presence before you heard the thud. It was small and weak, pulsing in flashes. Something had hit your window but you had only seen a black blur before it disappeared. You closed the book and lowered your feet from the couch, listening for any more noises. None followed. The rain continued like before.

The aura of something—someone—, that hadn't been there before persisted. You had to see what it was, maybe it was an injured animal that needed your help. The forest would lead them to you sometimes, both animals and humans in need.

You wrapped your black cloak around yourself and raised the hood. It was woven with enchanted thread for protection and stitched with intentions of blending in with your surroundings. The protection applied to the weather as well, it wouldn't completely spare you from the heavy rain but it would be more like going out during a mild rainfall instead of getting drenched within seconds.

Outside, the world was dark and ominous. Trees lurched and bent under the force of the wind, its strength was enough to uproot some smaller and more frail ones. The rain bounced off your cloak and thunder boomed overhead. You shielded your lantern underneath your cloak and, with your boots sinking into the wet earth, moved carefully toward where you had heard the sound. At first, you didn't see it in the darkness but when your eyes adjusted, you noticed the outline of the crumbled figure underneath the window.

The creature was small and it was shivering, probably both by the cold and the fear of the storm. You approached slowly, trying to seem non-threatening. It was a small bat, one of its wings bent at a weird angle and the other hiding its face.

"Hello, little guy," you said, sending some of your energy to the bat to soothe it. The wind swept your voice away but you still tried. "I'm going to have to pick you up and take you inside. You can't stay out here in the storm."

With a short incantation, you enchanted the lantern to float in place and slid one hand underneath the bat's small form, covering it gently with your other hand. It struggled a little but settled soon. By touch, you understood two things. It wasn't a normal bat but, in your hands, you were holding a vampire. And it was a very young one.

"I'm going to take care of you," you promised, cradling the vampire close to your chest. "You don't have to be afraid."

You rushed back inside, careful not to jostle him. You unclasped your coat, took off your boots at the entrance, and carried the baby vampire into the living room, sitting down on the armchair near the fire. His small body was trembling and the fire would calm the cold leeching on his bones. You laid him on your thighs to take a quick look at his injuries. There were a couple you could see at first glance, one of his wings was broken and there was a shallow gash on his belly.

You touched his forehead with two fingers and transferred some more of your energy to him. The vampire flinched but when he felt life seeping into his veins, his eyes—which were larger than any other bat you had seen—widened, looking at you in wonder.

“Stay here,” you advised, laying him on the armchair as you got up. “I’ll be back with a few things to treat your injuries. Don’t move too much.”

You kept most of your potions and salves in the kitchen, they were in jars and tins of various sizes stored in your cabinets. Various herbs tied together with thick strings were hanging from the ceiling and potted plants lined the windowsills. The counters were cluttered with multiple ingredients for potions and spells, from the most common ones like dried daisies, mint, and sea glass to some rare—or mostly avoided—ones like bleeding nightshade, dragon hair, and heart crystals.

You opened the cabinet that contained most of your medicinal potions and a few salves. You skimmed over the labels, reciting their properties in your head and contemplating which ones would be better suited for a vampire. In the end, you grabbed a vial of dark green liquid and a small bottle, the inside of which was reflective like a mirror. The first one was to fight off the effects of the cold, it wasn’t easy for vampires to get sick but the vampire was young and he had probably spent too much time in the storm. The second one was to ease the pain and speed up healing and its effects could last for as long as twelve hours. Before returning to the living room, you grabbed a platinum tin containing a salve that would accelerate the process of the skin stitching together.

The baby vampire had obediently stayed where you had left him, his eyes were half-closed and he was still shaking. There was a small pang in your heart for him. Baby vampires weren’t supposed to be alone for more than a few hours, they needed the presence of their sire like humans needed air. But here he was, alone in the forest with a witch and his sire nowhere in sight.

“I’m back,” you said softly. The vampire opened his eyes a little and turned his head in your direction. His eyes were so bright, much brighter than any vampire you had ever met. “I need to take care of your injuries now. You need to drink these, they are going to help you heal.”

The vampire eyed the potions but, surprisingly, he didn’t put up a fight, opening his mouth.

“Good boy,” you said and if the vampire was in his human form, you were sure he would be blushing. As much as vampires could blush. You poured the green potion in his mouth first and when he swallowed, he made a face of disgust. “I know it doesn’t taste great but it’s one of the best potions for this.” He tilted his head and to distract him, you started explaining to him what the properties of each potion were.

You applied the salve on his wound with careful fingers, he whimpered but didn’t snap at you like you had expected. He was pretty docile for a young vampire, who could get violent away from their sire’s protection. Then, you made a small cast out of some cloth for his wing.

“By tomorrow night, you will be able to shift back. We can see how much your arm has been affected then. But I believe you will make a quick recovery,” you said and the bat let out a chirp. “Please, in the future, avoid going out before or during storms. Your bat form isn’t strong enough to withstand this kind of weather. You’re very lucky you hit my window.” He made a squeaking sound and lowered his head at your admonishment. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

Some of the most sensitive ingredients were kept in the refrigerator that was powered by magic. One of those ingredients, stored in a large jar, was human blood. It was one of the ingredients that was frowned upon but was necessary for your type of magic and a very powerful asset. You poured a good amount into a bowl and put the rest back in the fridge.

The scent of blood made the vampire’s head shoot up as soon as you walked into the living room. “Stay there, I’m bringing it to you.” The vampire made a few more chirping noises as you carried the bowl and set it in front of him. He looked at you and when you nodded, he dived head-first into the blood. “It isn’t fresh but it will have to do. I know that baby vampires need blood.”

He gulped down the blood hungrily and when the bowl was licked clean, he looked at you with his large eyes.

“That’s enough for now. I’ll give you more later,” you said, picking up the bowl. “Now, rest.”

Vampires stayed in nests with their sires while they were still young, so you tried to make a mock nest for the small bat. On the floor by the fireplace, you bunched up a fluffy blanket, placed two pillows on top, and laid the vampire inside. You thought you heard him sigh as he settled, making himself comfortable. After the events of the day and the two potions, it didn’t take long for him to fall asleep.

Near this side of the forest, there was only one small town from where he could have got lost. You tried to remember if there were any vampires that lived in the town but came up blank. You didn’t visit the town often and your interactions with its inhabitants were rare. Whatever you learned about them, you learned from Seokjin, who took it up to himself to fill you in on all the gossip he could remember. And he had a very strong memory.

You stayed in the living room for a while longer, picking up the magic book where you left off and throwing glances at the bat every few pages. He was sleeping soundlessly, shifting only when thunder struck somewhere nearby. Soon, you closed the book again and after adjusting the blanket around the vampire’s small form, you retired to your room for the night.

The next morning, you woke up to the sounds of the storm raging outside. The wind whipped the roof and the walls and the rain falling was enough to fill up a river. Outside the window of your bedroom, the world was being suffocated in gray. The sun had disappeared, hidden behind the endless expanse of dark clouds. The storm would last through the day and hopefully calm during the night. However, the signs showed that it wouldn’t be gone soon.

You dressed for the day and braided your hair to keep it out of your face. There were things you had to do, despite the storm outside. Most importantly, there was a baby vampire that needed your attention in the living room.

Said vampire was awake and lazying around in his makeshift nest. He blinked slowly at you before letting out a couple of chirps, shaking his not-injured wing in what you guessed was the bat equivalent to waving at you. You had to admit that he was adorable as he greeted you enthusiastically.

“Good morning. How are you feeling? Did you sleep well?” you asked and the bat nodded his head. He gestured to his belly with his wing and you were glad to see that the skin was already stitching itself together. “This looks good, you are healing quickly. By nightfall, it will only be a small scar and that will go away soon too. But you will still need to be careful, don’t go flying into a storm again.” He squeaked lowly and lowered his head, making you giggle. “Now, let me take a look at your wing.”

His wing was also healing nicely and, as you had predicted, he would be able to turn back into his human form, if he wanted to, by the end of the day. It would make communication much easier although you weren’t sure if you would prefer that over the cute bat. You had found over the years living alone in your cottage in the forest that you were better at interacting with animals than with people.

You let go of his wing and the vampire squeaked and pointed to his belly and then his mouth.

“Are you hungry? Do you want some blood?” you asked and he responded by pleased chirping. “Okay, I’ll bring some to you since you have been a good patient.”

You poured some blood for him in the same bowl as yesterday. The jar of human blood was enough to get you through more than a year of potions and spells but it could barely last for two days as the main food source of a vampire, especially a young one that needed feeding regularly. You hoped the storm would ease by tomorrow and you would be able to look for his sire. You would have to be on guard because sires were overprotective of their fledglings and if they believed you had been keeping them apart for no reason, it could get ugly.

You placed the bowl in front of the vampire, who chirped in thanks and started drinking messily. Blood stained the fur around his mouth and he looked almost angry at how good the blood tasted. For now, your priority was to take care of him, you would have to worry about his sire later.

While the vampire was drinking his blood, you bustled around the kitchen. You made a quick and simple breakfast for yourself, a cup of tea with ginseng for energy and bread with homemade strawberry jam. Like every morning, you lit up a fire in the hearth and filled your cauldron with water and a crystalline blue powder you had made for cleansing. Something was always brewing in a witch’s cauldron.

You were going to make a specialized potion for the little vampire to enhance his healing abilities. The effects of the one you had given him last night would have worn off and personalized potions were more effective. Opening and closing cupboards and drawers, you gathered a few of the ingredients you would use, consulting a recipe from a magic book focused on magical creatures.

After a few minutes, the cauldron was clean and ready for work. You measured the first few ingredients and put them in. They needed to boil a couple of hours on their own before you added a pinch of dried rosemary and red oyster mushrooms. Brewing potions was like performing a ritual, it wasn’t only about the ingredients and the quantities, it was about the timing, the intentions, and each action itself. You had to sense what the potion needed and how it needed it done. Some potions could take days to make and the more difficult ones could be ruined by a single wrong move or even a bad thought. It was a delicate process but you enjoyed it.

The rain persisted but you had to go outside to feed the animals and make sure that their protections were holding up. The storm must have scared them and your presence would calm them.

The vampire had closed his eyes again, the bowl in front of him empty. He opened one eye to look at you and as you picked up the bowl to return it to the kitchen, he bumped his head against your hand.

“Do you like petting?” you asked, stroking between his ears. He closed his eyes and wiggled happily at the attention. “You do, don’t you? You are really cute, such a cute bat.” He preened at the praise and you cooed. “I’ll go outside for a bit but I’ll be back soon, okay?”

The vampire chirped in answer although he didn’t seem happy to be deprived of petting. You threw on your cloak to protect yourself from the wild weather outside and made your way to the small farmhouse.

It was only a few meters away from the house, through a cobblestone path that at least saved your boots from sinking in the mud. The farmhouse had been there when Seokjin had first led you to this place but it had been in a much worse condition than the house. The roof had crumpled in and the walls would have followed soon, leaving nothing but a heap of decayed wood. The renovations lasted a couple of months, accomplished mostly by you, Seokjin, Jimin, and a few people from the town that Seokjin had called when he realized there were a few things that, magic or not, you simply couldn’t do.

The ground of the farmhouse was dry, evidence that your protection spells were still holding strong. The familiar sounds of the animals greeted you, the bleating and the clucking, the hooves against the ground, and the flapping of wings. There were ten chickens, six goats, and Daisy, your horse, who had got her name from her fondness of eating daisies. They all had their own fenced areas with enough space to roam and stretch their limbs—the fence of the chicken coop almost reached the ceiling because your chickens could somehow fly much higher than normal chickens could.

You visited all of the animals, petting them and replenishing their food. None of them liked the thunder and the wind howling but, luckily, they understood they were safe inside. They surrounded you and you spoke softly to them. You weren’t an animal witch but you were good with them. You had learned quickly and you had been surprised to find that animals enjoyed your company.

Last, you went to Daisy. You stroked her neck, fed her apples, and promised to take her on a long walk to the fields at the end of the forest and let her gallop for as long as she liked. Forests weren’t the most suitable places for horses but Daisy seemed to like it well enough as long as you took her to the fields from time to time.

Returning to the house, you found the vampire squirming and agitated. Apparently, he didn’t like staying still for such a long time, so you carried him with you to the kitchen. His eyes followed you while you worked on the potion so you started explaining to him what you were doing. You weren’t sure how much he understood or how much he knew about witchcraft but he was an attentive audience. He made sounds whenever you said something interesting and he stopped hopping around the counter whenever you told him to.

For lunch, you heated up some leftover tomato soup from the previous day and you fed the bat a plum. Once upon a time, there was a vampire you had been close with, or you had been getting there, and he had told you that plums were his favorite food to eat when he was in bat form. The little one on your table must be the same because he devoured it.

He kept you company for the rest of the day and at some point he somehow ended up clinging on your shoulder and refused to budge. He didn’t weigh much so you didn’t mind and you guessed he was missing his sire and needed some contact to stay grounded.

In the afternoon, the potion was ready. First, you poured the potion into the bat’s mouth like you had done the previous night and then filled his bowl with blood. Your work in the kitchen was done and you returned to the living room, settling in the armchair. The vampire curled up in your lap and you petted his head while you flipped through a random book from your stack on the floor. You had run out of space so your books were everywhere now. You should hire someone to make more shelves for you.

The vampire was getting drowsy so you left him in the armchair and you went to the kitchen to make a cup of tea for yourself. It was part of your routine to have a cup of tea along with some baked goods in the afternoon. Living away from civilization, you had discovered the comfort of mundane moments and the importance of a nice routine.

You boiled water and looked through your jars of tea. They were your own varieties, you had mixed their ingredients with light enchantments to boost their benefits. Black tea was one of your favorites to drink in the afternoon so you chose one with maple and vanilla pieces, hazelnuts, nutmeg and honeybush. It was fitting for the weather. The sweet honey fragrance mingled with vanilla tickled your nose when you opened the jar. You filled the teapot with the hot water and added two tablespoons of tea to the infuser.

In the 4 minutes the tea required to brew, you cut a piece of the apple pie you had made yesterday and plated it. The aroma of the soft, spiced apples and the brown sugar drifted in the kitchen. A tiny bit of magic kept anything you baked as fresh as the day they were pulled out of the oven. Another thing you discovered while living in the forest was your love for baking. When you lived in the city, you had dabbled in baking, occasionally baking chocolate chip cookies and cinnamon rolls, but it wasn’t until you moved here that you truly fell in love with it.

You arranged everything in a tray, along with a smaller cup in case the vampire wanted to try, but you stopped short at the door to the living room. The tray almost slipped from your hands at the sight of a young man sitting where the little bat used to be. He looked young, with large eyes and messy dark hair that reached past his ears. A silver ring glinted on his bottom lip and more silver earrings adorned both of his ears. He was wearing all black and you could see the beginnings of a tattoo underneath the sleeve of his sweatshirt.

“Hi,” he said, sheepishly waving at you. “I’m sorry. Did I scare you? I didn’t mean to.”

You had to get yourself together, you had known since the beginning that it wasn’t a regular bat you were treating but a vampire that would need to turn back into his other form at some point. You had expected it, it was obvious that it would happen at some point. You shouldn’t be surprised. But you hadn’t expected him to look… like that.

“You didn’t scare me, I was just surprised,” you said, keeping your voice steady. “Sorry, I didn’t expect to see you in this form.”

He fidgeted with his sleeves, making himself smaller. “Did you like my other form better? I can change back. It just makes me feel a little weird when I’m a bat for too long. But I can change back, I can.”

“No, no,” you rushed to say. “I don’t mind really. This form is nice as well.”

Mentally, you slapped yourself, you couldn’t be more awkward if you tried. At least, the vampire looked pleased at that, a small smile making its way to his face. It was unfair that he was cute even in his human form.

You approached and put the tray down on the coffee table. “It’s good that you are back in this form. Now, we can finally meet. What is your name?”

“Jungkook,” the vampire replied shyly and you offered your own name. “I wanted to say thank you for taking care of me. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t taken me in. I’m not sure if I would have made it.” His smile tightened and you shuddered just thinking about it. “I’m really thankful for everything. If there is any way for me to repay you, I will do anything.”

“There is no need for that. I wanted to help you and it was the right thing to do. Just promise me you will be careful in the future. Your bat form is small and you saw how dangerous storms can be for you.”

Jungkook nodded, abashed. “I won’t, I promise. I thought I had some time before it hit and I wanted to explore the forest. I’m really sorry.”

“You don’t need to be sorry to me, it’s you who was flung from tree to tree last night.” He chuckled a little at that. “Do you want some tea? It’s black with maple and vanilla.”

“Yes, please,” he said politely.

You picked up the black ceramic teapot and paused. “I brought a cup for you because I thought you would be in your bat form. Would you like a mug?”

“No, no, the cup is fine,” Jungkook insisted.

You poured some into the cup first and then into your mug. The cup was from the same set as the teapot, black and with the same engravings of flowers and vines. Your mug was a gift from Seokjin during his pottery phase, like many of his obsessions you weren’t sure how or why it started. It was weird cups at first that looked like melting pieces of clay but he got pretty good by the end. Before he moved on to his next obsession, he was able to make things like your mug, which was shaped like a cauldron and he and Jimin had painted it to look like the night sky.

Jungkook hugged his cup in his hands, bringing it close to his face. He breathed in the sweet aroma of tea and closed his eyes in delight.

“Do you want some honey or sugar?” you asked, taking a seat on the couch. “I usually drink my own without and I didn’t think to bring any.”

“No, it’s okay.” He took the first sip and you could tell that it wasn’t okay. He frowned, but not in the way you had seen when he was drinking blood, and pursed his lips. He didn’t say anything but it was clear he was trying to pretend that it wasn’t too bitter for him.

You chuckled and set your mug down. “I’ll bring some honey for you.”

“Thank you,” Jungkook said, wincing subtly.

You got the jar of honey from the kitchen and added two teaspoons to his tea. That way, he liked it enough that he asked for a refill. While you drank your tea together, he explained to you that he was in town for a few days visiting some friends with his sire. He had spent all of his life in the city and the small town and the forest fascinated him. He knew that there was a storm coming but he hadn’t realized the extent of it. He had been planning to go for a quick flight to stretch his wings before it hit, he hadn’t got to explore the forest yet and he was curious. Unfortunately, the storm hit early and the wind had dragged him deeper into the darkness.

“I thought I wouldn’t make it out,” he admitted quietly, holding his cup close to his chest. “It was so strong and so loud and I couldn’t fight it. I’m not very strong in my bat form, I’m still young and I don’t have much practice. I couldn’t hold on to anything and I couldn’t find shelter. I was thinking about my sire and how sad he would be. He must be very worried.”

The bond between sires and their fledglings was very strong and for the first months after the turning, some sires wouldn’t even let their fledgling out of their sight. For years, the sires would take care of the younger vampires, help them adjust, and teach them everything about their new life. It wasn’t commonly understood but sires needed their fledglings as much as their fledglings needed them. You had read that there was a part of them, an echo of their own blood from the turning in their fledgling’s bloodstream, that called for them to be by their side.

“The storm is messing up with any means of magical communication but as soon as it calms a little, I can send a message to town,” you offered. “We can let him know you’re safe here until the worst passes and you can safely return to town. The townspeople know me, it will be alright.”

“Thank you.” You had lost count of how many times he had thanked you since he had changed forms.

You finished your tea and roped him into a game of cards to distract him from the thoughts of his sire. He got engrossed into the game quickly and he won two out of the three rounds you played. He had a competitive streak and he learned quickly the rules of every game you taught him.

It had been a few months since you had played cards with someone. Jimin had been the one to teach you and you had only ever played with him and Seokjin. It was fun to share this with someone else, even when he pouted when he lost. You didn’t care about winning very much so you didn’t mind and his excitement when he won was heart-warming to watch.

He jumped when loud thunder cracked through the night and you told him that he didn’t have to worry. You had applied strong protections on the house and the garden. And the forest protected you too. The storm was interfering with its magic but nothing could change its core and nothing could turn it on you. Turning on you would be like turning on itself and the forest was too wise for that.

You played games until well into the night. Jungkook’s eyes were growing heavy and his mouth stretched in small yawns. It was time to go to sleep. Jungkook curled up on the couch and you carried two knitted blankets to the living room and wrapped them around him. His cheeks grew rosy and he giggled at being tucked into bed like a child.

You left the fire burning in the hearth to keep him warm in the night.

“Goodnight, Jungkook. Have sweet dreams.”

“Goodnight,” he said, muffled by the blankets. “Sweet dreams.”

There was a change in the air like the turning of the tides. Your limbs were lighter and something different was lingering on your skin. You padded to the window and drew the curtains to the side. The sky was cloudy but it was no longer the suffocating darkness of the day before. The trees swayed and the rain persisted but it wasn’t attempting to drown the earth anymore. The storm was breaking.

You threw on one of your long black skirts and a brown sweatshirt and climbed down the stairs to the living room. Jungkook was sitting up on the couch and already looking in your direction when you walked inside. Supernatural hearing, you forgot about it sometimes.

"Good morning,” you greeted him. “The storm is slowly calming down. I will probably be able to send a message to the town and by tomorrow, it will be safe for you to return.”

“Thank you so much,” Jungkook said. He was fidgeting with his sleeves again but his smile was unmistakable. “I hope my sire will forgive me for being so careless.”

“I’m sure he will. For now, breakfast blood?”

Jungkook’s smile widened as he eagerly agreed. You couldn’t offer him the amount of blood he was used to, you had to ration it to make sure that it would last. It would be very difficult to get human blood once your supply was gone.

You hadn’t reached the kitchen yet when you sensed someone pass through your wards. The presence was familiar, the knowledge sitting in a hidden pocket in your brain and you couldn’t touch it. Jungkook hurried to the window, the path leading up to the door could be seen from there. He let out a small yelp before bolting to the door and throwing it open.

“Yoongi!” he shouted the name that had circled your mind for years. The presence was in your house and the name fit like a glove. Against your better judgment, you walked towards them to see for yourself. It could be someone else, couldn’t it? You just had to take a look.

He was clinging to Jungkook, hugging him so tightly it looked painful. Half of his face was hidden against the fledgling’s shoulder but it was unmistakably him. The memories were as clear as when you made them, they resurfaced stronger than any of your nightly musings bordering on regrets. His hair was longer than you remembered, reaching past his nape, his cat eyes were clenched shut and his skin was white porcelain. He was also drenched to the bone.

“I looked for you,” he said and his voice awoke more memories. “I looked for you everywhere I could– But the storm was too strong. We were locked inside for so long. They wouldn’t let me out. Don’t ever do that to me again, do you hear me? Don’t ever disappear on me like that. I was going out of my mind.”

“Never, I promise.” Jungkook was hugging him just as tight and although he was bigger in stature, he made himself smaller in the older vampire’s arms. “I’m alright. I was safe here. The wind carried me here and I was well taken care of. I should introduce you,” he said with excitement, pulling back a little.

Yoongi opened his eyes, their dark color made your heart beat faster. He looked at you behind Jungkook and when your eyes connected you could see the myriad of emotions passing through them. First, there was surprise, then disbelief and confusion and all the minor ones in-between. You had disappeared from one day to another, leaving no trace behind and no trail to follow. He must have believed he would never see you again.

Oblivious to the change in the atmosphere, Jungkook introduced you to each other, telling his sire how well you took care of him and that you kept him warm and well-fed and healed his injuries. You couldn’t read Yoongi, there must have been a point in your history that you had been able to but that was lost now.

There was silence after the introductions were over. Jungkook’s eyes jumped between the two of you. “Did I say something?”

“No, no, we just– We knew each other. In another life,” you said. Before you had enough of the wary glances and offending questions and fled the city. Before the manifestation of everything you had been afraid of.

Yoongi’s lips parted and he looked away. “We did. In another life,” he repeated bitterly.

“Oh.” Jungkook stood awkwardly between the two of you, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

Thunder boomed outside and you rushed to close the door that they had forgotten half-open during their reunion. That served to remind you about the very important fact that Yoongi was wet enough to have taken a long dive in the lake.

“I’ll bring some towels, you’re dripping,” you said and climbed upstairs.

It was an escape but a necessary one. It gave you some time to think. Jungkook’s sire was Yoongi. Yoongi, who you had known for years when you lived in the city, who you had tried to forget for years while you lived in this cottage but gave in once you realized it was impossible. He starred in most of your favorite memories from the city. And that’s exactly what he was supposed to be. A memory.

What was he doing in your forest? You had run so far away from the city that no one from your past would be able to find you. Except one. You had one link left to your old life, Seokjin. Seokjin was the one who had shown you this cottage hidden in the forest that spilled into his hometown. When the incident had happened and you were desperate for an escape, he had been your savior and he had swore not to tell anyone about your whereabouts. Seokjin was also Yoongi’s friend.

The dots were connecting. Seokjin and Jimin were the friends Yoongi and Jungkook were visiting.

You grabbed two forest green towels and paused in the hallway. Seokjin hadn’t told you. The few times you had seen him in the past weeks, he hadn't mentioned anything about Yoongi. A twinge of hurt scraped at your heart. He should have told you. If he knew Yoongi would be visiting, why wouldn’t he tell you? He knew who Yoongi used to be to you. Had he thought you wouldn’t be able to handle it? No one was supposed to know you were here but that was all over now.

You took a deep breath and returned downstairs. Yoongi was where you had left him, a small puddle of rainwater pooled at his feet. Jungkook’s clothes were also a little wet from their embrace but it was nothing compared to his sire.

“Here,” you said, handing him the towels.

“Thank you. I’m sorry for your floor.”

“The floor can be cleaned. You will catch your death like this.”

He rubbed his hair with the towel. “I’m already dead.”

You scoffed. “That doesn’t work on me. I know vampires are not as indestructible as you would like to think. I have a spell to get all the water out of your clothes but I haven’t tried it on clothes that are currently being worn.”

Yoongi looked down at his drenched clothes. “It’s not that bad.”

“You are making a small lake on the floor,” you pointed out. “You didn’t even take an umbrella with you?”

“It was no use against the wind.”

The wind wasn’t so bad now but you guessed it must have been worse when he set out to find Jungkook. He could have been looking for hours before he stumbled upon your house. Usually, the forest helped along the ones who looked for you but the storm was messing with its energy.

Yoongi gave you permission to use the drying spell on his clothes, his face scrunching up when the water was removed. You didn’t use it often because it left the clothes stiff and weird to the touch for some time. They turned too dry but in the present situation, you didn’t have many options.

Jungkook was still looking between the two of you in confusion as he held on to Yoongi’s arm, although witnessing the spell had put a smile on his face.

“Now that you’re dry, let’s move to the living room,” you said. “I’ll get the fire going and make some tea. None of you are going out in the rain.”

Yoongi studied you and you felt naked under his eyes. He was the only person from your past, other than Seokjin, that you had seen since you fled. He knew a version of you that no longer existed and you hadn’t been prepared for that. In the end, you should have known. The past always comes knocking regardless of how long and how far you run from it.

Yoongi didn’t pretend to turn you down to be polite but silently followed you to the living room. Jungkook pointed to the armchair by the fire that he had claimed for himself and gushed about how comfortable and soft it was. However, he didn’t sit there in favor of staying close to Yoongi on the couch. It was clear he had missed his sire and he needed to be as close to him as possible.

You picked up a few logs of wood from the metal box near the fireplace and stacked them inside. You added two layers of kindling and reached for the matches.

“How do you know each other?” Jungkook asked, breaking the fragile silence.

Yoongi looked at you, staying quiet. He was going to let you share as much as you wanted. You were surprised that he wasn’t asking more questions himself. Maybe he hadn’t cared as much as Seokjin had told you. Maybe it was the shock.

“I used to live in the city,” you started. “I went to the Academy of Magical Arts and Sorcery and we met on campus. Yoongi was visiting a friend of his.”

“Namjoon?” Jungkook asked and Yoongi nodded.

Namjoon was another person who you hadn’t seen in years. He was a powerful witch but he had chosen the academic route and didn’t practice magic much. You hadn’t been very close but you could have got there. You enjoyed his company and you could talk for hours. You would see him in the library and around campus and you had coffee together a few times and talked about magic theory and how energy flowed through living things. Seokjin was your only link to him as well and you had learned from him that he was still teaching at the University and he had been promoted from assistant professor to professor. When the news reached them, Seokjin and Jimin had traveled to the city to celebrate with him.

“We haven’t spoken since she left the city,” Yoongi said it simply like you had decided to leave one day instead of fleeing in the night, taking the last train to a town in the middle of nowhere. That had been five years ago.

You lit up a match, the action familiar and comforting, and threw it between the logs. The fire spread slowly, enveloping the wood. You stroked the flames with the poker, pushing and pulling the logs until the fire was burning strong.

You got up and wiped your hands on the soot-stained towel that hung from the same hook as the poker. “I’ll make some tea to fend off the cold.”

In the kitchen, you put on your apron with the embroidered mushrooms and marigolds, taking a moment to pull yourself together. It felt like everything was spinning out of control. The ghosts of your past never disappeared but they hadn’t been more than ghosts until now.

You focused on the task at hand, setting the water to boil and opening the cabinet that housed your tea jars. Echinacea and elderberry tea with dried angel lotus leaves was the most effective for preventing colds and boosting the immune system. Its taste was also nice and soothing.

You were putting spoonfuls of the tea blend into the strainer when Yoongi walked inside. His footsteps were soundless and you felt his presence before you saw him. Vampires’ energies were different than most creatures. They weren’t alive, not exactly, and energies were tied to a creature’s life force. Therefore, for vampires, their energies were unique and as a witch who could feel life and death very acutely, you could detect them easily.

“Have you been here all this time?” he asked after a few moments of silence.

The sounds of boiling water caught your attention, steam was coming out of the kettle’s spout. You removed the kettle from over the fire and poured the water into the teapot.

“I have,” you replied. There was nothing else to say, any explanations you could offer were useless.

“That’s it? That’s all after all these years?” Yoongi asked.

You couldn’t look at him, fiddling with herbs there was nothing to do with and glancing at the large clock on the wall for the brewing time. “I don’t know what else to say. You know why I had to leave. I couldn’t stay after what happened.”

“And you chose to disappear without a word?” When you didn’t answer, he continued. “I was sure that Seokjin knew where you were but he swore he didn’t. He said you disappeared without telling him anything and that he hadn’t heard from you since. Regardless of how many times I asked, it was always the same answer.”

“I asked him to say that to anyone who asked,” you admitted. “I didn’t want anyone to know where I was.”

From the corner of your eye, you saw Yoongi shake his head slowly in disbelief. “Why? Why didn’t you want me to know?”

It hurt to keep quiet but there was no way to make this better. You couldn’t tell him that you had been afraid although a part of you knew Yoongi wouldn’t judge you, like Seokjin wouldn’t judge you. But your fear had been too big and all-consuming, fear of what he would think and also fear of what you could do. Your magic had proved to be much stronger than you had believed and you needed to regain control of it to ensure you wouldn’t make the same mistakes.

And Yoongi was too strong of a link to the city. Your feelings were too much and too complicated. If he had known where you had run to, there was a chance he would have followed and it wouldn’t be only Seokjin you had doomed to a life in a small town he hadn’t wanted to return to.

Yoongi sighed. “That's all then. I came here to thank you for taking care of Jungkook,” he said, breaking the silence. “I will forever be in your debt. Jungkook told me of how you found him and how you cared for him. I was out of my mind when I couldn’t find him and I realised he was out in the storm alone. I wouldn’t be able to bear it if anything had happened to him, I would never forgive myself. Thank you for being there for him when I couldn’t.”

“I will tell you what I told him, there is no need for thanks or debts. I wanted to help him and I did. The fact that he is a very cute bat also helped, I couldn’t resist.”

Your attempt at a joke was rewarded with a weak chuckle. “It’s those big eyes. It’s impossible to tell him no.”

“I can imagine that.” You glanced at the clock again. The tea was ready. “I guess you are visiting Jin. Now that the weather won’t interfere as much with my magic, I should send him a fire message to let him know that you are both here and safe. Knowing him, he will be fretting over where you are and driving Jimin crazy.”

“That’s a good idea. I didn’t tell him I would be leaving in the morning,” Yoongi confessed. It made sense, Seokjin wouldn’t have let him leave while the rain was still this heavy and definitely not without an umbrella. “Should I take this to the living room?” He gestured to the tray you had set up with the teapot and the three mugs.

“Yes, go ahead. The tea is ready.”

Yoongi picked up the tray and left the kitchen without saying anything more. There was a painful tightness in your throat as your shoulders slumped. You had to send that message to Seokjin but your feet were rooted to the ground and your knees were weak. You had thought you would never see Yoongi again and although it hurt, after years you had made peace with it. All that was [changed] by the storm and you didn’t know how to feel about it.

You opened one of the drawers and pulled out a crinkled loose leaf of paper from the stack you kept there. On the counter, there was a pen next to the old witchcraft recipe book you had been studying the day before. You gripped the pen and debated how you should start the letter. He had known Yoongi was coming to town and yet he had told you nothing when he knew why you had run away and why no one should know where you were. He was supposed to be your best friend and best friends looked out for each other. For the first time during your friendship, that wasn’t true.

Suppressing your stupid anger, you wrote a quick message letting him know that Jungkook and Yoongi were safe in your house and that you would send them back to town once the rain and the forest’s magic calmed down. Towards the end, you added that you would like to know about any future guests of his from the city. You considered crossing over the bitterness that bled into the page but you let it be. Using black chalk, you drew the sigil for the fire message at the top right corner.

You lit up a blood-red candle and burned some thyme over the flame first. You recited the incantation while you held the message over the fire and watched it consume the paper. The magic was a lazy tingle at your fingertips and a warmth curled in your chest.

Yoongi and Jungkook were talking in hushed voices that were swiftly silenced when you walked back to the living room. The tea had been poured into the mugs but they were untouched. You picked up one of them on your way to the armchair. Conversation was stilted. Jungkook tried to alleviate the awkwardness but was soon shrinking into his sire’s side, clutching onto his mug of tea with both hands.

“The rain is growing weaker,” you observed. “The forest’s magic is settling, it can be unpredictable during storms and it’s dangerous to tread through it when it is like that. It will be best for you to return to the town before it picks up again.”

There would be another spike in a couple of hours before it broke in the night. That’s how storms like this one worked and what your senses were telling you.

You accompanied them to the door and they thanked you again. It felt like you didn’t deserve it with your past mistakes clinging to you like vices. Jungkook was quieter than last night when you were practically a stranger.

“Here,” you said, handing Yoongi the only umbrella you owned. It was a black one with little mushrooms Jimin had painted on it and enchanted them not to be washed away by rain. “I don’t use it much and I won’t be going into town for a few days. Seokjin can bring it back when he finds time.”

“Thank you,” Yoongi said.

You picked up your cloak from the coat stand and offered it to Jungkook. “And this is for you. It’s charmed to protect you from rain.”

Jungkook’s eyes widened, making him look like a baby deer. “I can’t take your cloak,” he said, shaking his head. “You might need it.”

“Don’t worry about that. I don’t have anywhere to go.” You would have to go to the farmhouse later in the day but it was only a short distance away and a little rain wouldn’t phase you. You took it up to yourself to wrap the cloak around him and pull the hood over his head. “I didn’t nurse you back to health for you to get sick now.”

Suddenly, there was a blur of movement and strong arms were wrapped around you. Jungkook was hugging you and, when the shock wore off, you hugged him back.

“Thank you for finding me,” he said, his voice sounding a little wet.

“If anything, you found me,” you joked. You pulled back, although you didn’t want to let go of him. “Go now. The forest will lead you to the town.”

“I will bring the cloak back to you,” Jungkook promised before he and Yoongi left. On the path, Yoongi glanced back at you over his shoulder but you averted your eyes and closed the door.

Five years and your heart still fluttered. But it was different. There was guilt tainting everything surrounding him. You had imagined meeting him again countless times, of course, you had, mostly during restless nights and too quiet mornings, but it hadn’t played out like this in any of your scenarios. It was too… simple, too mundane, even though your heart was still racing, but it also felt a little like the end of the world.

Their mugs were sitting empty on the coffee table. You placed them on the tray to take everything back in the kitchen and you realized that you had forgotten to at least put some cookies in a plate for them. Vampires didn’t eat much human food but it was simple courtesy to offer.

There was a spark in the air, followed by another, before flames erupted and formed a letter. You caught it before it floated to the ground. The loopy handwriting belonged to Seokjin. The first line was an apology, the second line was an apology as well. He promised to visit as soon as he could to explain and that you had every right to be angry at him. He thanked you for letting him know that Yoongi and Jungkook were safe since Yoongi had taken off in the morning before Seokjin had woken up, otherwise, he wouldn’t have let him go off in the rain. Reading his letter, the jagged edges of your anger smoothed but Seokjin would have to explain himself in person.

You picked up the tray and set yourself to tidying up. It was strange, you had lived alone for five years but the house felt emptier than ever before.

Taglist: @nochuwastaken @blancflms @rinkud @seokteoksworld

Please comment and reblog, it motivates me to keep writing!

#yoongi x reader #jungkook x reader #bts #bts x reader #bts fanfic #bts scenarios #bts fluff #bts angst #vampire yoongi #vampire jungkook #witch reader #witch seokjin #witch namjoon #witch jimin

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eat-do-kind-somebody · 3 days

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https://melissa-683.tengp.icu/he/brIwinU

#nudity #blizzard #fnaf moon #entertainment #texto #edtech #pastel grunge #jdm #liebeskummer #people #jimin icons #rosa diaz #granny square #green witch

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chimcess · 3 months

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→ Chapter Nine: Landscapes Pairing: Jimin x Reader Other tags: Werewolf!Jimin, Witch!Reader, Shifter!Reader, Shifter!Jimin, A/B/O Dynamics, Alpha!Jimin Genre: Supernatural!AU, Werewolf!AU, Angst, Mutual Pining, Fluff, Smut, Word Count: 10.2k+ Synopsis: Within the four realms of Lustra lay the Bangtan forest home to the Foxglove pack of the south and known as the “land of magic.” It is also home to the Bridd, a powerful witch from a cursed bloodline who is one of the sacred guardians of the forest. Y/N is the newest Bridd, a young girl who was given her position too early. Now a woman, Y/N is revered amongst the wolves as the most powerful witch they have ever known, but hiding under the surface is a woman who has to battle between her duty and her heart. Warnings: ANGST, strong language, PTSD, flashbacks, self-hate, self-depreciation, talks of death, nosey birds, Moland is a lot of fun to write about, (sorta) theft, home sickness, magic, very tame A/N: Don't know how I feel about this chapter. It was a bit difficult to write. I think you'll understand why in a moment. Thanks for reading!

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Namjoon pov

I stood inside of a small boat house, Bridd’s scent faint, but I knew it was fresh. At least I could give Jimin that. Hoseok said to take a look around outside and try to follow it. I sighed. I had already done that. I had done it yesterday as well, but Jimin demanded I go back to double check. Today’s assessment was much better than yesterday's so I was able to pick up the subtle nuances within it. She had been standing where my feet were planted no more than 48 hours earlier.

“She’s long gone,” Hoseok’s voice was clear in my head despite him being five miles away. “Wonder where she went.”

“Taehyung said something about Viridi Gramine,” Hyuna chimed in. She had been relatively quiet, her thoughts only focused on catching any sign of Bridd. “Do you think she’s headed that way?”

“Doubtful,” I followed the trail from the small cot on the floor to the fridge. “I don’t believe she was ever going to see our cousins.”

Hyuna contemplated this. Hoseok felt guilty. Both of us scolded him for this. He had been hard on himself over the entire ordeal. He thought if he had been able to speak to Bridd and Jimin that this situation would have never happened. Apologizing, the younger wolf went back to wondering where she could have gone.

“Not far,” Hyuna mused.

“She could be out of Moland by now,” I added. “I don’t know which way she would have gone. She might be lost out there.”

That worried all of us. Hoseok knew her better than I did and kept thinking about how little she knew of the outside world. She would have no idea where she was without a map. Hyuna had more faith in her ability to survive out there, and I leaned more towards her thought process. If she needed to fight, she could, and her shifting would lend itself useful regardless. She had probably flown over the swamps and into Clarcton. That would be the easiest and most efficient use of her time.

“That makes the most sense,” Hoseok thought.

Following her scent outside, it stopped on the small deck just outside of the home. She had to have shifted from here. We would not be able to find her. Hoseok huffed in annoyance, Hyuna tried to soothe him, and I could finally pick up my sister’s thoughts. She was worried about everyone, not that it surprised me, Yeong-Mi was always giving herself migraines and panic attacks.

“Shut up,” She snapped at me, her tone biting. I could still hear the stress underneath it. “He’s right, oppa,” Yeong-Mi was talking to Hoseok now. “You can’t blame yourself. We all know who’s to blame for this.”

Sol’s face came to her mind. It was distorted, the Luna’s features not quite right. My sister saw Sol as often as the rest of the village did, and her memories did not do the older girl justice. Mini told me she did not care how wrong she remembered Sol’s face; she had no thoughts of facing the stupid woman anytime soon. Hyuna agreed with a delighted giggle. Hoseok mumbled something about her only trying to help but none of us paid it any attention.

“Sol can’t bear all the responsibility,” I gently chastised my little sister. “Bridd still made the choice to run off.”

“If she had minded her own business,” Mini barked, her stress and frustration boiling over, “-Bridd wouldn’t have run away! God, the nerve. Who would say something like that to Jimin Oppa when we all know just how stressed he’s been?”

“An idiot,” Hyuna bit, her anger surfacing once more. She had always had an issue with Sol. “Between Bo, his brother, and the copiae the man hasn’t had a break.”

I had tried to stay neutral, but I could not help agreeing with Hyuna. Sol had been out of line and overstepped. I found solace in Taehyung’s own reaction to her wrongdoing. The boy had yet to touch his mate since Jimin went into a frantic panic in the middle of the night once he found his girl’s bed empty, and rumors of their constant arguing since the morning Bridd went missing were spreading throughout Bangtan.

“Eun-Jin told me Jimin said she was going to the Ozryn mountains alone,” My sister supplied. “I haven’t been around him since she left, so I don’t know what really happened, but he’s devastated about this.”

Hoseok growled when Jimin’s name came up. Mini took up for her favorite alpha while I reminded him of the situation at large. What Sol told Jimin was a very harsh, unrealistic, misrepresentation of Bridd’s plans. He was reacting on what he knew, or lack thereof, and lashed out. Hoseok vehemently disagreed until Hyuna asked him how he would have reacted if he was convinced she was going off to kill herself after she just recovered from a previous injury.

“She’s alone out there,” Hoseok grunted, his fire burnt out in the face of his wife. “He should have never let that happen.”

“It’s not his fault,” I was pleasantly surprised to hear Jungkook’s older brother, Jong-Hyun. He had been searching the east for a scent but came back around once he realized my sister had left him behind. “They’re both stubborn and I don’t think little miss witch would have allowed him to go. Ji-Hyun said the two of them got into an argument the afternoon she left, and he feels partially responsible for whatever happened between them.”

I growled, “That boy’s attitude is going to get him hurt. Is that why Callisto’s been even more irate than normal?”

Mini laughed, “I think that’s just how she is around you.”

All of us shared a laugh, the tense moment going by. Hyuna and Hoseok had finally found one another, and my sister was their next stop. She was almost to Syrena, and the couple wanted to go for a swim. The rest of us turned down their offer. I did not want to be a magindara’s next meal. Yeong-Mi decided to wait for them so she could keep an eye out for any elves.

Drowning out their voices, I continued sniffing. I knew finding a trail would be next to impossible unless I went deeper into the swamps, but elves could be anywhere. My fear for Bridd came back. I hoped to God that she was safe and watching her back out there. I knew she could handle her own, but she was not infallible.

I sat there, staring out at the brown water, willing it to tell me where to go next, until Hyuna let me know Taehyung was looking for me. My father was concerned about a party of elves spotted in the northwestern corner of Moland and wanted me out of the forest. Jimin was refusing to come home so Taehyung needed me to help him plan strategies. Hyuna had rounded back to meet up with me near Bridd’s cottage.

“We’re leaving him out here alone?” I asked her.

“Of course not,” The small, red wolf replied. “Jong-Hyun and Hoseok are scouting him out. He’s somewhere deep in the forest.”

She was disappointed that their beach trip was postponed but chose not to comment on it. I tried to comfort her in my own way, picturing the two of them swimming and laughing together another day, but she waved me off. She was grateful but did not want to talk about it knowing it would bother Hoseok.

“And he hasn’t found anything?”

“Nothing.”

Stepping into Bridd’s clearing, I admired the wildflowers. She had to have the most beautiful oasis in all of Lustra. Her cottage was surrounded by a beautiful garden filled with vegetables, fruits, and herbs. A large, porcelain bird bath at the very front of the house that, for some reason, never ran out of water. It was odd how perfectly made and curated the meadow was. The Gods must have made it this way so the Bridd would not grow depressed inside. Hyuna was laying in the grass close to the destroyed house. Taehyung said an elf was the one who did all of the damage. Bridd’s scent stuck to the wood, but it was starting to fade.

“I wanted to go inside,” Hyuna looked at the large hole in the front of the house, her mind revealing just how sad she felt. As much as she scolded Hoseok for harboring guilt, she had her own. “I don’t think Jimin would appreciate it. This is the only place that still smells like her.”

“He’s been here,” My friend’s scent was heavy in the air. Fresh. “Is he sleeping in there?”

She nodded, “I think he’s trying to fix the place up. Jungkook was talking about it with Cadoc. Jimin’s obsessed with having everything fixed before she comes home.”

We shared a look. Neither one of us were very hopeful that our little bird would be back anytime soon. I had more faith in her survival abilities than Hyuna did, but neither one of us had any way of knowing when she could realistically get back.

Hyuna remembered her trips to Bangtan back when she still lived in Viridi Gramine. The mountains were harsh, unforgiving, and absolutely lethal. She was a princess, royal and proud in her bloodline, and traveled with the most experienced and strong guides in the land, and still there was always a chance she could never return. After she became of age and found Hoseok, the thought of going through those mountains had never passed her mind before her mother grew ill.

I had never crossed Ozryn myself, but I knew it was a harsh place to be. Hyuna’s memories alone left a chill in my bones. Bridd could very well die out there and no one would be able to stop it from happening. I entertained the thought of Jimin and I leaving Foxglove behind to find her, but one look from Hyuna wiped it clean from my mind. We could not leave the village until we knew more.

Bridd’s death would destroy Jimin, and I was certain Taehyung and Sol’s marriage would fall apart for a time. More than it already had. The Park family would never be the same. For that I desperately hoped she would come to her senses and come home but knew she would not. The little flicker of fire I had seen in those eyes when I showed up to her cottage after Sol’s birthday had told me more about her than the years, we had orbited one another’s atmosphere. She had more in her than Hyuna realized.

“She’s never seen so much of the world before,” Hyuna whispered like we were breaking some unspoken law. “How can she know where to go if she doesn’t know what to look for?”

“She has maps-”

“Maps that predate the industrial revolution,” Hyuna was quick to cut me off. “That girl is blind, and you and I both know it.”

I did not have to speak- we both knew we were on the same page. Still, I told her how fierce Bridd could be when she felt threatened. Showing her our fight outside of the cottage, Hyuna chuckled.

“She’s a fighter, that’s for sure. Still, I worry. When she was in the infirmary all of the witches said that they were used to her fainting spells. How can we know she won’t do that out there?”

I shook my head. “We don’t. We just have to have faith. For Jimin’s sake. For her friends’ sake.”

“And Bridd’s,” Hyuna added.

“And Bridd’s,” I agreed.

A howl echoed through the forest, and I knew I had to get going. Taehyung rarely shifts these days so it must be urgent. Hyuna decided to tag along and wait for her husband at the Temple. She daydreamed of taking a few swings at Sol if given the chance while we ran. I chose to ignore it.

As we got closer to the village, I began to hear the voices of the other copiae that joined the search party. The loudest was Ji-Hyun who complained of his sister-in-law’s melodramatics. Hyuna fought back a snarl, her thoughts murderous. The younger wolf had the decency to drop the subject, but my distaste for him did not change. Taehyung shared my sentiments and told the Park boy to go home for the day. He was able to keep his thoughts to himself long enough to change and our connection severed.

“Irrumator,” Hyuna grunted, her thoughts of Sol swirling into Ji-Hyun.

I chuckled, “He’s young. Cut him some slack.”

“He’s older than Taehyung!” Hyuna barked. “That boy knows better, and what he said to Bridd was so out of line. How dare you defend him?”

I whined, bowed my head, and looked down. Submitting was not something I did often, but I respected Hyuna enough to do so. A fight was the last thing I wanted. Besides, if I had an issue with Hyuna that would mean I had an issue with Hoseok, and that was not something we could not afford right now. Not with this war starting.

“It’s not defending him,” I tried to keep any annoyance for her out of my tone. “I just think this is a time for unity. Arguing and fighting about something we cannot change is pointless.”

She huffed but dropped it. I knew I had won our little exchange and held my head up high. Now, more than ever, we needed to let things go. Taehyung’s thoughts showed his conflicting feelings. While he agreed we needed to come together to fight, to deal with this threat together, he was hurt and angered by his friend’s disappearance. I could see underneath it all, however, he felt betrayal from the one person he held dearest.

Sol brought up mixed emotions of my own. I had wanted her for so long, my longing to be the leader of my people blinding me. When Taehyung was chosen, I was disappointed, but any romantic feelings I may have harbored for the young Luna vanished. Even if my actions after did not reflect it, I was happy for my little cousin.

His wife was never someone I had been particularly close with. She was obsessed with Jimin for years. I could not recall the number of times I could hear her daydreaming about him when we went on walks together. Ahn had asked for me to be her escort when she shifted, and the ramblings of a teenage girl were the last thing I needed to hear. Especially when I found myself wanting to be at her side, to rule and lead, and her thoughts of me only commenting on how ugly I was.

To say she was distraught over Jimin’s lack of interest was an understatement. The poor girl was begging the other alpha to have his way with her- mates be damned. Sol was lucky he was nothing short of a good man. Anyone else might have been tempted, but not Park Jimin. He was kind, cordial, and played with her often, but any sexual advances were immediately shut down. I know why now, and through that lens it was easier to wrap my head around. He was already deeply enamored with another.

Sol’s entire life was flipped upside down once she found herself in Taehyung’s arms. Confusion and disbelief were very prominent at first, but that quickly melted away into adoration. It was as if she had always loved him. For Taehyung the feeling was mutual. Before Sol, he had his eyes set on a local girl called Minji.

Still, I could only guess Sol could not stop herself. It was almost a reflex for her to dote on Jimin at this point. They were closer in age than the rest of us (save Taehyung), though Jimin was a good 7 years older than her, and he was always kind and thoughtful. When she heard that he might be harmed she ran to his side. What she told him, things I only knew because Jimin would not stop thinking about that night, were only meant to help him. She pushed her friendship with Bridd aside to go to him, put her trust with Taehyung under the guillotine, and even risked ruining her bond with Jimin himself in order to protect his heart. It would be admirable if she had thought it over for a few minutes instead of rushing to his house like a bat out of hell, spewing out the most over dramatic and, frankly, not truthful, versions of events.

The argument he had with Bridd was based on what Sol had said. He was already agitated enough as it was. His pack of fifteen had been reduced to seven and the newer recruits were too young. Stress and frustration bubbled over the moment the Luna’s mouth opened. She said Bridd was planning on dying, that the witch was lying to everyone about where she was going, that she was hellbent on making up for her past mistakes. Ridiculous, and while partially true, it was spoken by a teenage girl who did not listen to a word the messenger had said. At that moment all Jimin could hear was his mate marching to her death so she could make up for keeping her mouth shut.

It was still strange to think about what Bridd did. I was annoyed she had kept her visions to herself but that faded once I realized that she was terrified and could do nothing. We were not on good terms. Foxglove had removed themselves completely and Ahn had not been quiet about his plans to go to her cottage. I could not blame her for feeling hesitant to say something when she was not sure what the threat could be. Ahn could have had the witch killed.

“He would have been a fool,” Hyuna mumbled.

“When wasn’t he?” I asked rhetorically.

The others all shared my sentiment. Bridd was the last person to blame for what happened, and her actions the minute she realized what was happening showed how much she cared. Cadoc helped those who were on the fence come back on our side. The way he described waking up and seeing the little witch girl who fumbled and fought by his side, broken and bleeding, was enough to make the toughest cry. When he said the second her eyes opened all she could think about was getting to Foxglove as quickly as possible any whispers of her being ill-intentioned were dashed away. Only a select few still felt weary of her, Ji-Hyun being one of them, but they were at least attempting to be decent for the pack’s sake.

We were at the village’s edge now and I parted ways with Hyuna. She gave me a brief goodbye before leaving me to shift. I was more private than the others, especially Hoseok and Hyuna, and they were used to giving me the space I desperately craved during the shift. It was my most vulnerable moment and I hated feeling seen.

We had various items of clothing hidden within Bangtan. None of it was meant to fit well or be personable, but it was practical. My mother was in charge of keeping the copiae clothed and taken care of a job that she took very seriously, and it was one of the only things my father felt proud of. He would often put her down and tell her she needed to do better, be better, and all of the other strange demeaning slogans the older men in town harped on about. I had never been able to see the fault of any of the women, my mother even more so, but she never commented on it and neither did I.

I found a pair of large, baggy pants and shifted. Putting on the cotton garments, I decided to forgo a shirt and made my way to the Temple. Taehyung was waiting for me, and I would not cause him undo stress. He was dealing with so much already and I did not want to add to my cousin’s weight. I think I have done enough of that already.

Walking through the town, I caught sight of Jimin’s mother. She was helping Jungkook’s father cut wood for his roof. The Parks were a strange family. Mi-Jeong was outspoken, loud, and fierce. She did not bow down to men the way the others did, and her stubborn streak was only rivaled by her youngest child. My own family often spoke of her ‘atrocious’ behavior, but I was only ever endeared by Mi-Jeong.

Ji-Hyun had been a quiet kid, favoring his mother more with his sharp features and moss-brown eyes. He followed his brother around for years and Jimin never complained. That lonely quietness followed him into his teenage years, but when he fell in love with a human girl that forced a fierce, possessiveness to form. He fought for her, both verbally and physically, and that changed him. His attitude was horrible, always defensive and quick to judge, but he had a love and devotion for his family unlike anything I have ever seen. Somehow, even more than his older brother.

Jimin, for all his faults, was someone who had always fascinated me. From the time he was born he had the village at his feet. His father had been a strong, powerful man who was every bit the wolf our people expected. His choice of bride was bizarre, but everyone was sure if anyone could handle Mi-Jeong it was Ji-Won. Jimin, like his father, bore all the hallmarks of a Park. Charming, witty, and courageous. What set him apart, however, was the sweetness he kept hidden away from the others. I saw it. I had always seen it.

The first time was when I watched him chase after butterflies in his backyard. He was no older than four, but at that age boys were expected to show signs of maturity. In public, Jimin was the picture-perfect child. However, as I watched him blow bubbles, giggling a sound so sweet it made my teeth hurt, before taking off after a monarch, I knew whatever he was doing was an act.

I frowned. His sweetness was showing once more, now very publicly, and I was not sure how he was handling it. He was not allowing anyone to speak with him, shunned his closest friends, and was hiding away waiting for the other piece of his heart to return. Such a strange sight, Park Jimin weak and in pain.

Mi-Jeong caught my eyes just then and I could see it in her as well. She was so sad, so worried. I hoped her family would come together but doubted that would happen. At least, not until Bridd came back. If she came back. I shuddered to think about the fate of the Park family if she did not return home.

I did not stop to speak to anyone like I normally did. My mind was too scattered and, frankly, I was done with conversation. Having a constant cycle of thoughts and voices in your head would do that. Luckily, no one seemed bothered by my silence. We were all living in uncertainty since losing one of our strongest fighters.

“Anything new, dog?”

I grit my teeth. I knew that voice. It was grating in its smoothness. Taking a deep breath, I turned to look across the way.

Of course, he would be here.

Seokjin had become my own personal hell over the last few days. The man could hold a grudge and had still not forgiven me for lunging at his friend. Now he was standing there, a stern look on his face, his eyes filled with disdain. Beside him was a face I did not see as frequently. Yoongi looked worse than ever. He was thin and frail, much frailer than he had been before he was blinded, and his hair messy. His eyes were even bluer today than they were when I had last seen him. His pupil was nearly gone.

“Unfortunately, not,” I deadpanned, trying to get out of this as quickly as possible. “There’s still a few out searching, but I was called away.”

“Hmft,” Seokjin crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes darkening even further. “Figures.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I demanded, not liking the tone in his voice.

I did not like much about him.

“You don’t care if you find her or not,” He replied, his voice dripping with anger. “None of you do.”

I was exasperated, “You know that is not true-”

“It’s that bitch’s fault she’s gone,” Seokjin shouted over me.

“Stop yelling,” I was attempting to keep myself calm. We were causing a scene. My father was going to be furious. “I’m aware of what Sol has done. Neither one of us are happy about it, but I’m not God. I can’t turn back time just like I can’t bring her back. What’s done is done.”

“Yet you still follow her orders like some lap dog.”

“I follow Taehyung,” I corrected. “By extension, that means I follow his wife. We are at war, Seokjin. I’m sorry about Bridd, truly I am, and I hope she is alive and well, but my life does not revolve around her. I have a village to protect, a village she is not in, and I will not leave it to burn to go on some wild goose chase.”

Seokjin’s face was red now, his eyes moist from unshed tears. I could not help but pity the fool. Bridd was a close friend of his and she abandoned them. It was a harsh word to use, but that was the only one that truly captured the anguish the witches felt. I could not say how the others were doing. They made their disgust for our governing bodies known the night she went missing. Sol banned them from returning to the Temple after the woman who was always hanging off of Seokjin’s arm shouted at her. None of us had seen their little group leave the Park house since.

“You’re going to let her die,” He finally spoke, the accusation a punch in the gut.

Yes, I would let the witch girl die if it meant saving my own. She was nothing to me. We were hardly friends, and while I respected her, that did not mean I would choose her over my sister. Being here was far more important to me than that woman’s life. If the stakes were not so high then I would gladly hunt her down, but that was not the life we were living. I had to trust that she knew what she was doing and be okay with it.

“Jin,” Yoongi stepped in. I had forgotten he was there. “Let it be. Namjoon has done what he can. Let’s go back to Mi-Jeong’s.”

I was glad he seemed to be more reasonable than Seokjin. Stealing another look at him, I was pleased to see his hair was growing. That meant he was eating well enough. It was a shame no one knew how to help his condition. I could not imagine losing my vision within a blink of an eye. Then I remembered that he did not just lose it. Yoongi had been in agony, his head felt like it had been slammed through the thick cement of the castle walls, and his fear sent him into panic attacks. Samanya told me she had only ever seen it happen once. The spell should have killed him, and he was lucky to have survived with only his eyesight lost. I doubted he felt that way.

“But-”

“Drop it,” The raven-haired man stopped Seokjin before he could get another word in. Without looking, he addressed me. “I apologize for his callousness. We are all worried. I hope you understand.”

This was the most I had ever heard him speak, even counting the time all of us had been at Bridd’s cottage in the Spring. “It’s not an issue. I hope you are better.”

It was unnerving to talk to someone who did not look at my face. Yoongi stared out towards the south end of the village, his eyes untrained and unresponsive, and he showed no signs that he was having a discussion with anyone. Even his voice remained monotone and unwavering. Gruff and smokey while the intention was flat.

“I am fine,” He replied, “We are here because my mother was interested in how far you believe she could be. I will let her know that she must have shifted, and her scent was lost.”

“Thank you,” I replied, impressed he was able to keep Seokjin quiet for this long. “She was inside of a houseboat for a few hours before leaving. Any ideas?”

“Thelma,” Seokjin grunted. “Must have slept and then taken off. Was anything missing?”

I shrugged, “I couldn’t say. I’m sorry.”

Seokjin shook his head angrily.

“No need to apologize,” Yoongi raised a hand and dropped it immediately. I had no idea what he was trying to do but decided it did not matter. “We’ll leave you alone now.”

Seokjin seemed to open his mouth to argue but decided against it. I smirked triumphantly. I should keep the blind witch around more often. He had the perfect effect on the annoying one. Scowling, Seokjin wrapped an arm around Yoongi and turned back toward the direction of the residential district.

Taehyung was pacing when I finally found him in the Temple library. Books were scattered about the tables, a few pages torn out stacked messily on the edge of the large oak table he had been sitting at. His blonde hair was shaggy now, the back of it just past the nape of his neck while the rest hung just below his ears. My little cousin kept thick wavy bangs that fell over his eyebrows which were now so long they had to be held from his eyes back with a headband.

I was worried for him. He was frightened and slowly losing his composure. He was able to hold it together long enough to make it through meetings with the elders. He refused to show them any weakness. He did not want to prove Ahn right. However, anyone could see how much the pressure was starting to affect the young boy. Jimin was trying to keep him sane through this, but he was dealing with his own problems.

I had taken it upon myself to pick up where he slacked. I owed it to the both of them after my part in their exile. Taehyung was better at forgiveness than Jimin, but the both of them had given me grace I did not deserve. I was lucky. Other men might have taken my head after the show of disrespect. Jimin very well might have if he was not so concerned with upsetting his mate.

I needed to stop thinking of them. Taehyung had called me for a reason, and I had to be there for my cousin. His pacing did not slow or stop when I came in, so I was sure he was not about to talk war with me. He seemed to calm down when we talked about strategy.

“Sorry for taking so long, Tae,” I kept my voice low and calm.

He paused his pacing to look over at me. His eyes were red-rimmed and wet, his cheeks swollen and flushed, and his lower lip could not hide its tremble no matter how much effort he put into it. Taehyung’s emotional vulnerability had always confounded me. He was so sweet and kind, gentle and warm, and had never made any real efforts to change himself. He laughed at his clumsiness, skipped when he was happy, and played with his younger siblings like the giant child he was.

Likewise, he was never afraid to cry. When Jimin’s father died neither he nor Ji-Hyun shed a single tear when around others. I knew better than to foolishly think the boys did not sob into their mother’s shoulders during the night, especially Jimin, but the town was thrilled by their show of “bravery.” Taehyung did not know how to put on that mask as perfectly as Jimin had.

Taehyung’s father did not die as honorably as Jimin’s had, no final acts of courage protecting his wife from a stray pack of wolves. Just sickness. Ahn called him a weak man for allowing something as insignificant as an infected wound kill him. No one really thought the same way he had but made no effort to disagree with him. Not to his face, anyway. My own mother had said Ahn was cruel for putting down an already grieving family, and she was one of his loyalists.

“I hadn’t noticed it had been that long,” He mumbled before going back to pacing.

He had never looked more like his father. Dong-Min was respectable, wise and honest, but never a man others flocked to. He had been an artist from Viridi Gramine, and while his paintings and scrolls were the most beautiful in Nantgarth, he was not seen as someone important. When he met Hana, he had found his muse, and she adored his soft-spoken demeanor. She came from an abusive home, and her father had beaten her black and blue the night she ran to Dong-Min. The two ran away from Withertusk hand in hand, his sister’s house the only place he knew he could go, and their troubles ended soon after arriving in Foxglove.

“You’re upset,” I broached the subject bluntly. Taehyung preferred it that way. “What’s the matter?”

“Have I done something wrong?” He asked me, his voice cracking. He must have started crying again. “I want your honesty, Namjoon. Please. Tell me if I have done anything horrible to her.”

“To who?”

I went to comfort the boy. His shoulders moved with his cries, but he was surprisingly quiet. It had never crossed my mind that he was desperately trying to cover up his pain from the others, his discomfort so noticeable I had assumed he had forgotten the act. I was always getting things wrong with Taehyung. The only thing he could do was shake his head, close his eyes, and let a fresh wave of tears overtake him.

I embraced him then, his crying making me uncomfortable. The last time he shed tears on my shoulder had been his father’s funeral. It was after Ahn had told him tears would not bring his father back. He tripped running out of the building, unable to breathe in the presence of the chief, and scraped his knee. Blood flowing down his leg, pants ripped, and black clothes covered in dust, Taehyung begged me to hold him when I found him. My father came to check on us sometime later, and in a rare act of kindness, took the younger boy to our house to clean up.

“You could never wrong her,” I was not a good comforter, but I hoped words of encouragement would help. “Whatever happened between you two to have you like this is only a wrinkle in time. Sol is angry with herself. She loves you and knows how dearly you love her.”

Tae sniffled; his cries muffled against my shoulder.

“Not Sol,” He cried. “Y/N.”

That seemed worse to me. I could easily give him meaningless fluff about his mate. Their love was a given. He had been very angry with her about speaking to Jimin behind his back, but I knew they would work through it in time. Trust had been broken but their bond would conquer that. His friendship with the witch was a different story. I had never seen it with my own eyes, but I knew it was strong. He looked at her like the older sister he never had, his thoughts said as much, but I did not feel equipped enough to help him through his grief.

“You did nothing to her, Tae,” I reasoned. I could do logic. “She made a choice to leave and held no ill will toward you. She even left you a note with your necklace. Doesn’t that say enough?”

The red gem was pressed against my skin. Bridd had been so sweet to Taehyung and smiled after everything he said. The gift was a kind gesture he had not truly earned after such a botched introduction. Still, she had given it to him just as she gave me that journal. Ironic that she had given it to me to write about adventures and it had instead become my poetry book. He had refused to take the necklace off since reading the letter.

“I told Sol,” He whimpered. “I told her after she asked me to keep quiet. It’s all my fault-”

“I’m tired of the blame game,” I sighed, gently pushing Taehyung. Now an arm’s length away, I took a hold of my cousin's shoulders. “Everyone has been doing nothing but feeling sorry for themselves. Y/N chose to leave this place to find help. No one is forcing her to do that.

“You and I both know how capable she is, right? Stop acting like she’s dead, Tae. The girl knows what she’s doing, and if she doesn’t, I’m sure she’s smart enough to figure something out. Stop allowing guilt and fear to distract you from what’s important. She left to find some ancient being to help us survive this fight with the elves.”

“What if she…” His voice trailed off, unable to put death in the universe.

“Then we make sure it’s not in vain,” I let go of him. “We plan, strategize, and prepare to fight tooth and nail against those things. For Bridd.”

I did not really want to swear on her name this way, but I knew it would be something Taehyung latched onto. She was not really my friend, but I could live with fighting in her honor. I respected her enough. It worked and Taehyung’s eyes held more heat than they ever had.

“For Bridd,” He said it like a prayer.

Internally, I prayed she would come back soon. I was not sure if this fire would last, and I was afraid of what might happen if it was left to grow out of control. As long as I knew Taehyung, he was obsessive. When he was a boy, he painted like his father. When he got a little older, he sculpted like our grandmother. Early teen years Taehyung was dead set on learning how to garden. That soon shifted into learning about all of the plants in Bangtan. Now, I worry it will become this war. Taehyung was not ready for what was coming, but I had to believe in him.

“You should go and see your mom,” I told him earnestly. “I’m sure Jong and Jin miss you.”

I did not add my worries over him being locked away in the Temple since he got back.

He nodded, “I will. Let one of the maids know I’ve left. I don’t want Sol to worry if I’m gone.”

“You’re not telling her you’re leaving?”

He frowned, “We aren’t on speaking terms at the moment.”

Oh, Bridd why did you have to leave? Why did Sol have to run her mouth? I could not bear to see Taehyung look so defeated. The flames that I sparked in him did not ease my worries. He was still lost at sea, and I fear I had done more harm than good. I should have let him cry and whine. That was easier than trying to navigate if I had said or done the right thing or not.

The rest of the day flew by. After my conversation with Taehyung, he left to see his siblings and I stayed behind to get some work done. Despite our war plans we still had obligations to our cousins on the east coast. After writing for a few hours, warnings and heeds against traveling included, I went back to our maps. The library was filled with them, and I hoped a fresh start would help us get a breakthrough.

All talks of war had gotten loud and angry quickly with my father and Jimin at odds more often than not. I loved my dad, but I couldn't help but doubt his methods. He wanted to march to Northorn and meet our enemy there. Jimin saw this as idiotic. The elves would have an easier time fighting our kind on an unknown field. No one knew the forest like our pack did and we could use that to our advantage. If we were lucky, the elves might find a way to disturb the other creatures that lived here. Even luckier if it happened to be the fae.

Unfortunately, I was not as well versed as either one of them. I knew how to fight and was very good at it, but my skills in a tactical situation were severely lacking. Whenever Jungkook joined the conversation the two of us were on the same side of the debate. We did not want to die but would do so if asked. He, like myself, favored Jimin’s plans. Staying in Bangtan was the most logical step for now.

The rest of the witches from Syrena arrived late in the afternoon. They were loud and angry women, their rage burning bright enough to scare the most well-trained fighter. I felt sorry for them. They lost their leader during the attack and were now relying on the swamp woman to guide them. Thinking of them made me think of Yoongi again.

He had seemed to be adjusting well enough, but fighting would be pointless. He could not see a target. He was dead weight. I frowned. Such a pity. He was a great fighter and I had been impressed with him during the attack. The only way they were able to stop him was that spell and it only took him out temporarily. I had a feeling he would be back on the battlefield even if he was told to stay away. His death would be a respectable one.

Seokjin was another one that surprised me. As much as I disliked the witch, I could not deny the man knew how to fight. He took down elf after elf, defended his girlfriend, and saved his father’s life. I trusted him enough to know he would defend my pack with the same veracity and hoped we could place our differences aside to train together. It would be helpful to all of us if we could find a way to fight as a cohesive unit. I would speak with Jimin about it later.

I smelled her before I heard her. Her feet were normally bare and freezing cold, but I doubted she cared. Rose stuck to her honey-sweetness, and I had to hold back a gag. Sol always tried so hard to cover up her natural scent, but I knew it was not her fault for being so self conscious about it. Ahn had destroyed most of her individuality, made her second guess herself constantly, and called her ugly on numerous occasions. Jimin and I heard it all through the years, Hoseok as well but to a lesser extent, and we tried our best to keep her company.

Jungkook was the most vital member of her circle, but he was hardly around anymore. He was trying to give the couple space, and Sol had been happy with that until a Bridd left. Now Jungkook stayed away to avoid getting caught in the middle of their tug of war. I could not blame the boy. He was too young to be of any real emotional support, and he wanted to stay in Jimin’s good graces hoping the older man would allow him to join the copiae now that Ahn was not around to stop him.

She knew I was in here. She was coming to find me. Her little feet pitter pattered against the marble floors. The west wing was the most luxurious part of the Temple and the place Sol and Taehyung slept. The library here was huge, painted in white and gold, with thousands of books. Spiral staircases led to the second floor where more bookcases were lined up. That was considered the “ancient section” where one could find scrolls and books from our time in Korika. That was Sol’s favorite place in the entire Temple.

She stood in front of me, her hands clasped in front of her little body, and her toes wiggling. Her hair was not covered, something that made me feel deeply uncomfortable, and cascaded down her back. It was beautiful, thick and black with natural waves. Averting my gaze, I stared at her toes. They were small and cute.

“Luna,” I greeted. “Your hair.”

She sighed as if expecting me to say something. She was almost annoyed. I could not figure out why. Modesty had always meant something to Ahn and Sol, and her hair was called “impoper.” Ahn made it seem like it was inherently sexual simply for being beautiful. Not many of the other women in Foxglove would wear a head covering, but I always respected Sol’s choice. She was upset right now and not thinking straight, and I worried she would regret walking around me so exposed.

“Does it matter?” She murmured. “We all know I am no longer virtuous.”

I frowned, “Your virtue is not tied with your virginity, Sol.”

I was more aware of my bare chest than normal. It was improper for the two of us to be alone like this. Family or not, it was wrong. Taehyung would be hurt if he caught us in such a compromising position. I stood and put some distance between us, taking extra care not to look at Sol.

“What’s bothering you?” I asked. “Aside from the obvious.”

Walking over the library entrance, I leaned against the doorframe and stared out into the hall. At least I could say I was far away from the luna. I could hear her sit down in the chair I had left, and I waited.

“You must think I’m pathetic,” Sol spoke softly.

“Why would I think that?” I countered.

She laughed humorlessly, “We know you’re more in tune with my thoughts than most, Joon. You were there before Taehyung. You were always there. You and I were practically betrothed for a while. At least, that’s what my father said.”

I hated when she called Ahn father. He was nothing to her. Everyone knew Cho Haneul and Bong Ha-Yun were her parents. They suddenly disappeared from the village when Sol was less than six months old, leaving her behind and in Ahn’s care. Whispers spread about what had happened to them, but I always believed what my mother said. Ahn banished the couple from the village and took their child. No one had seen or heard from them in 18 years, so it was hard to say, but I did not trust Ahn. Not at all.

“I was never fair to you,” She continued. “I was mean and rude. Cold. I wanted Jimin so badly, probably because he did not want me, and I treated you like a problem. Maybe it was my own way of rebelling. Either way, I’m sorry.

“I think you understand me more than anyone else. You were always there with me. You never complained. It’s one of the things I always appreciated about you, your ability to stay calm. Taehyung is similar, though not as stoic. I love that about him.”

I did not have to see her to know her eyebrows were pulled down, her teeth nibbling her lower lip, and her leg shaking. Sol was very obvious in her discomfort. Her voice gave her away.

“Why are you telling me this?” I asked, not unkindly.

“You knew me before Taehyung did. I know you did not really like me very much, but I trust your opinion more than the others. I know I don’t deserve your kindness, but I’m asking for it anyway.”

Her voice was tired and worn, and I was not sure what to do about it. Not for the first time I found myself bored of the Luna. I reminded myself of her age, her youth, and her innocence, but it did not change how I felt. She made a mistake, overstepped boundaries and lied while doing so, and caused a mess of things. The fact that I knew her only made it worse, because I knew she did not consider a single person outside of herself. I doubt she thought anyone would be angry with her. In fact, she was probably hoping for praise and attention.

“Am I a bad person?” She asked, her voice weak and frail.

“No,” She was not a bad person for what happened, “But I won’t lie to make you feel better. You should not be trusted by anybody after the stunt you pulled.”

I heard her sniffle, “It’s not my fault he said the things he said. He chose to be cruel and mean to Y/N. She decided to leave! How is anything my fault?”

I rolled my eyes. Typical. Not even her gentle cries stopped my genuine annoyance with her from shining through. I had not been there for the argument between Jimin and Bridd, nor his conversation with Sol, but his thoughts had been enough to get me up to speed. She had done nothing but stir the pot between them, well intentioned or not, and made all of this far more dramatic than it needed to be.

“It’s your fault your relationship is suffering. It’s your fault that the pack is angry with you. You did that. No one else. Actions have consequences, Sol. You and I both know that,” Sparing her a brief look over my shoulder, I refused to let her tears soften my resolve. “If you were hoping I was going to lie to save your feelings, you were mistaken. Go to one of your maids and cry to them. They’re trained to dry your eyes, but I’m not.”

She did not speak and so I decided to leave. I had been here most of the day now and needed to find somewhere to sleep for the night. The Temple was the last place I wanted to spend time in right now, but my options were limited. Maybe if I could find Sam, she would not mind making space for me in her bed.

I fought back a smile. She was an amazing woman, her beauty striking and confidence refreshing. We had found ourselves alone a handful of times since her people came to our aid and our flirtatious relationship was amusing. I had come to know that quietus was not monogamous and rarely took on a full-time lover. She only knew of her king and queen, but they had another woman who joined them after the Century War. Sam and I shared a laugh about how scandalous that would be in the village, not just a threesome but same-sex relations, but I had not truly entertained her advances. She was not someone I imagined myself with.

I did not want to go to my family home either. Being around my parents for too long would drive me insane. I was always putting on a front with my father and my mother refused to stand up to him. Most of my childhood was spent getting beaten while my mother watched, relieved that her own punishment was over. By the time Mini came along those days were in the past. When my dad stopped drinking our relationship got better, a little less violent, but I never got rid of the resentment I held. Sometimes I truly believed I hated both of them.

I had been sleeping at Hoseok’s the last few nights, but he had asked for some privacy, and I got too caught up with work to ask someone else if they had any space for me. It was a far cry from the lavish room I had within the Temple, but I could not stand being there most of the time. I would have joined Jimin and the rest of the copiae, but my job was important enough to give me pause. If I stepped down as head council that would mean that my father or Bo would be placed in charge of public relations. I would eat my own shoes before letting that happen. Taehyung would go insane if those two were the only ones left in charge.

I thought about other friends I could visit. The Parks would open their door for me, but they were housing such a large group I felt awful going there. Yoongi and swamp witch’s families were still there. Jin’s little group was with Taehyung’s family, and the Syrena witches were spread out between a few wolf families and the humans. They were originally planning on staying at the Temple, but Sol made a mess of that. I sighed. Everything went south so quickly.

“You look lost.”

I stopped walking. I did not realize I had walked into the copiae grounds. Jimin was sitting on his porch, a large glass in his hand and a dark look in his eye. I could smell the alcohol on him from across the street. Going to him, I tried not to think about my dad.

“You’re drunk,” I took the glass from him and sniffed. Mead. If I had to guess, from Jungkook’s house. “This isn’t going to make you feel better.”

He shrugged, “I know. Just wanted a distraction.”

For the third time today, I was being asked to support someone. Even if Jimin had not asked for help directly, I knew I was going to drag his ass inside and make him go to sleep. At least I knew I could stay here afterwards. In the morning, I would make sure he ate and then try to convince him to come to the Temple and look over documents. He was the battle guy.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” I stated bluntly. “I’ve already had to deal with two crybabies today and my emotional battery is drained. So, you’re just going to do me a favor and then we can talk in the morning.”

He scoffed, leaning back against his house. A faint sheen of sweat covered his body, and his hair was tangled. Jimin never looked so unkempt before. Showing no signs of moving, I rubbed my face roughly.

“Fine,” I sighed. “Look, how about I cut you a deal?”

He did not reply, but I decided to keep going anyway.

“I need somewhere to sleep. I can’t stand being around Taehyung and Sol right now. And you-” I gestured at his body, face tight, “-look like shit. Obviously, you’re upset but the pack needs you to pull it together so we can get through this.”

He was like a statue. “I’m going to stay the night, and tomorrow we’ll talk about feelings or whatever. Then, you and I are going to come up with a plan to get you back in the game. How does that sound?”

Jimin rolled his eyes, laughing humorlessly, “What’s the point?” His face crumbled and again I felt lost at sea. I could not deal with him crying. Thankfully, he gathered his composure. “What’s the point of anything? Without her… it just doesn’t matter.”

I sighed and sat down beside him. The wood was cold and rough, but it was easy to put that out of my mind. I had to think about this as two friends talking. Jimin had never asked me for anything, and when Taehyung was chosen, he had been the first person to tell me I needed to stand my ground against Ahn. I had been foolish at the time and ignored his advice. Now he needed me to stand my ground against himself, and I had no other option.

We could not go on like this. Jimin was not in the right state of mind right now, and I knew the only way to get him out of it was Bridd. My brain was already devising a plan, one that I had thought foolish and improbable this morning, and I wanted to laugh. There was no way we would be able to do it, but maybe bringing it up would make him feel better? Maybe knowing that someone would help him find her if we got the chance would motivate him to get work done. Feeling guilty, I decided to go for the jugular and deal with the consequences later.

“I know you're hurting right now,” I tried to soften my tone, but could not hear if it had worked or not. "I can't imagine how you feel. I know when you and Taehyung were gone how the guilt ate me alive. It must be worse for you."

"You don't have to say anything," He tried to interject, but I brushed off the comment like he had not said anything.

"I think I do. No one else is, apparently. We're in deep shit right now Park," I put my hand on his shoulder. "We need you, man."

He shook his head, "I wouldn't be much help right now, Joon."

"I don't believe that," I replied. "In fact, anything you do would be more helpful than whatever the hell you got going on. Your girl is on my side, by the way. She'd be on your ass if she found out how much you've been slacking."

That made him laugh quietly.

"That's fair," He was smiling, dazed and flushed from the alcohol. "She's such a little firecracker, isn't she?"

I nodded, "She tried to set me on fire once."

We shared a laugh at the memory. Truth is she terrified me. If she wanted to kill me that day she could have. If she did not have to worry about the sun, there was a real chance I left her house with more than a few scratches and bruises. Jimin beat my ass when she got hurt, but I had the added benefit of a lifetime worth of memories stopping him from taking my head off. I did not have that with Bridd.

"What if I wagered you something?" I asked.

That got his attention, “What?”

"If we get through this next wave of violence on top, I'll help you find her out there."

He looked at me, eyes more alert than they had been in days.

"Truly?"

The guilt made my stomach twist painfully. I did not truly believe we would ever get to that point. Elves were everywhere, the fight in Northorn growing in their favor as the days went by, and we were nowhere near ready. We had lost so many in this fight not to mention talks of traitors.

The alliance with the quietus was shaky at best without the proper bonds being formed. I was the only person in a position of power even attempting to reach out. Then there was the witch problem, and the only person I could see mending that fence was Jimin. It could be weeks, maybe even months, before we could go after Bridd. Still, I had to use her as leverage. We needed strong leadership right now and the witch was the best source of motivation one could come by.

“I’ll go with you,” I doubled down. “We can have a small party. I’ve made friends with a quietus who knows her way around so finding her could be fairly simple.”

“You’d do that for me?” I could tell he was genuinely surprised.

I nodded, “If we're in the position to do it, why not?"

I could see him thinking about it. The faraway look in his eyes was gone giving way to a refreshed, almost serene look. He was going to go for it. Hope blossomed in my chest. If I had Jimin on my side, Taehyung would be a piece of cake. He desperately wanted to make amends with the older alpha. Seeing the two of them back in action would bring Hoseok back into the fold as well.

Already our odds were turning. Soon the elementals and witches would be joining in on our meetings, the elder council getting pushed out for a new crowd of leaders, and the war would finally seem less daunting. I might even be able to convince a new wave of warriors to join the copiae once the village saw Jimin's new resolve.

"Stay here as long as you need" Jimin finally said, and I was cheering internally. "You can take the couch."

I stood up, ready to go to bed, and pushed his head playfully. He chuckled, swatting my hand away. We used to mess around like this all the time as kids. Jimin always ended up winning our wrestling matches. He was too slippery.

"Let's go, kid," I stretched my arms above my head. "We have to get up early. Council meeting."

He nodded, asking me to help him stand. He must have drunk more than I thought. It takes a lot for alcohol to affect us this much.

"Hopefully Taehyung will get rid of the two dinosaurs in the Temple," He slurred, walking inside grumbling about his bed feeling too big.

A/N: So Joon pov??? How do we like? He's not the only pov switch we're going to have, but we will be seeing a lot of our favorite (to hate) alpha joining our main squad. I thought he would be a good outside mind to get inside of since he's not as emotionally connected to Bridd as the others. Any guesses as to who our other switches might be?

p.s. These pov chapters will be a bit shorter than our normal, reader pov ones, but not by much.

Taglist: @greezenini@adventures-in-bookland@kthstrawberryshortcake-main@zae007live@jimin-neverout@nikkiordonez12@canarystwin@yamekomz @chimthicc@michiiedreamer@amorieus@mima795@yunki-yunki-yunki

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lokisasylum · 7 months

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"Hello JIMTOBER"

[music: "Like Crazy" by JIMIN]

I haven't worked on anything Digital since January...

And I usually don't make anything special before JIMTOBER begins, but for this one time I'll make an exception. *nod nod*

Besides I've been putting off for TOO LONG doing something "Practical magic" inspired. Namely that scene where they blow on the candles until they light up.

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/!\ DO NOT use, repost, edit without my permission anywhere.

#My Art #JIMTOBER #witch!jimin #jimtober2023 #jimin #park jimin #bts #bts jimin #pjm #jiminart #jiminfanart #digital art

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writersrealmbts · 1 year

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We Could Be: (Worried)13

Description: In a world of magic, mortals, and immortals; six souls are brought together to navigate the world. Namjoon had become immortal by accident. Hoseok was born into immortality. Jimin was pursuing immortality. Yoongi had immortality thrust upon him. Taehyung isn’t sure how or when he became immortal. Jungkook showed no interest whatsoever in immortality. It’s Seokjin’s job to help them all learn to live, immortal or not. His job to keep them safe and teach them how to live life while losing people they loved to mortality. It was their desire to teach him how much they loved him. It was their desire to show him just what “We Could Be”. Now if only the government would stop trying to mess with them.

Posting Date: 03/09/2023

Wordcount: 1,242

Tags: Magic Au, Ot7 bts, werewolves, werecats, vampires, nymphs, magic users, etc.

Previous. Next.

Having Jungkook unexpectedly turned into a vampire was bad enough, bad enough that Jungkook was also asleep for some two weeks, but for him to be asking so frantically about someone that Jimin has never heard of?

That wasn’t acceptable.

He couldn’t handle Jungkook losing his mind.

Hoseok finished his assessment by gently brushing the hair from Jungkook’s forehead. “All good. Nothing physically wrong with you, aside from being a bit dehydrated.”

Jimin wanted to argue, but how could he? This was Hoseok, and Hoseok didn’t miss injuries.

Continue reading on Ao3…

Previous. Next.

Ot7 Stories Masterpost

Tagging: @park-jimin-isnt-real

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taevbears · 9 months

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Magic Shop - 09

One day, when I wake up at 3:00AM, unable to sleep, I will look next to me and you will be there, Sleeping peacefully beside me. And suddenly, the world won't seem so lonely.

⤑ pairing: OT7 x witch!reader, Jimin/Yoongi focused ⤑ genre: magic au, romance, angst, hurt/comfort, slow burn ⤑ rating: 18+ ⤑ word count: 6.5k ⤑ warnings: implied smut, interrupted foreplay, heavy angst, oppression against mages, jimin as a warning himself tbh ⤑ note: surprise!! i took a few months off from writing this story to pursue other story ideas, but i ended up wanting to come back to this one lol. i have another story in the works, but i do plan to start posting semi-regularly for this series again soon ^^ i hope you guys enjoy! this takes place right after the final of pt 1.

Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist

From the distance, the haunting, sonorous tolls of church bells ring in the hour for the sleeping town of New Haven.

Once. Twice. Three times.

3:00AM. The witching hour.

Monsters and magic are most active at this time of night. Their connection to the Veil – a realm of dreams and demons – is at its strongest peak, opening a window of chaos and mayhem and spilling them into the living world.

For mortals like Park Jimin, the witching hour is dangerous. Humans become prey to these abominations. Kidnapped and sacrificed, they become targets of dark magic, tortured for a mage’s sadistic greed and pleasure.

By law, those cursed with magic are condemned to their high towers and impenetrable castles. But there are some who’ve managed to escape their confinements. Who’ve garnered sympathy from fools they’ve bewitched, and who’ve hidden their unnatural powers to inconspicuously blend in with human villagers.

That’s when the hunters come in.

While the wardens are busy keeping the monsters locked away, allowing them to practice tricks and spells deemed safe by the Devoted, and silently killing them through deadly trials like the Harrowing, it’s the hunters that protect the towns and villages from mages outside their gilded prisons. People who, without law or regulation, take matters into their own hands when facing the Wicked.

History speaks of the war between humans and mages. The human sacrifices, the stolen blood of innocents, the dark summonings, the ominous hauntings, the deals with devils. Magic, after all, is the root of all evil.

And the latest of these horrendous acts is what happened at Blackstone Castle.

Several apprentices rebelled against the teachings of the Devoted and performed a forbidden summoning. The mutiny caused mages to attack the wardens, unleash creatures beyond nightmares into the mortal realm, and escape the castle’s defenses. The leader of the apostate group is rumored to have transformed into a hideous beast that the Warden-Commander had successfully defeated, but by the time the monster was slain, it was too late. Many mages have fled from Blackstone and found refuge in nearby villages, causing fear and suspicion to strike within the communities.

Any mage, surrounded by the temptations of the mortal realm, is a dangerous threat.

Two months ago, when news of Blackstone Castle hit the capital, there was no doubt in his mind what he must do: he had to return to his hometown in New Haven, make sure there aren’t any mages infiltrating his town, and eliminate the ones he finds.

With the key to his grandmother’s floral shop and the blessings of his family from the capital, Jimin returned to town, surprised to see not much had changed since he was last there.

Except for one thing.

The unnamed shop across the street.

The one odd place in town, full of mystery and wonder. What once was ruins and a disarray of abandonment is now warm and cozy with whimsy and comfort. Colorful and mix-mashed, yet in a way that works together. Like it was made of magic.

And, to his dismay, the cutest shop owner he’s ever seen works there. One that he’s hopelessly fallen head-over-heels with.

Even though he highly suspects that you are, ironically, the very thing he hunts down.

Jimin reminds himself of that as he sits back on a chair and faces the bed. Under the gleam of moonlight, the dagger in his hand shines. Embedded in the blade are ancient symbols of the Devoted. Once penetrated, it will render even the strongest mage useless, temporarily paralyzing them from using their powers as the effects of the enchanted markings sink in.

An heirloom and a prized possession of the Park family. One that his father used when he became a hero of the town. One that his grandfather used to kill the mage that murdered his parents. And now, one that belongs to him.

He flips the nullifying weapon in his hand over and over. Keeping it close to him, just in case.

In case you suddenly wake – snapping your eyes wide open, the colors of your pupils turning into an eerie, bright gold – and lunge toward him in inhuman speed. In case you levitate off the bed and hurl things flying in his direction. In case the devil’s mark sears red on your skin during the witching hour and turns you into one of them.

Wicked.

Like those corrupted mages – easily trading their souls for wealth, beauty, power, and fame – that the Devoted has warned them about. Like the ones he’s seen attack humans with their unnatural strength and twisted powers. Like the ones who had surely killed his parents.

After all, magic is the root of all things evil.

And you, a mage, are a monster. A human vessel that will inevitably succumb to the darkness and unleash chaos into the world with your cursed power.

His eyebrows furrow together and a deep frown is set on his plush lips

You – the most evil, dangerous, wicked thing to ever exist – continue to sleep soundly on his bed, blissfully unaware of his inner turmoil. The black dahlia – doused with potent lavender extract – is disposed of, but it’s already done its job. Keeping you unconscious. Keeping you vulnerable. Right where he wants you.

Time ticks on and Jimin tightens his grip on the dagger. He has to act, and he has to do it fast. He’s certain once the sleeping effect wears off, you’ll attack him.

One minute passes. Then, two. Then, three more.

Abruptly, Jimin stands with the dagger at hand. The chair legs scoot back against the wooden floorboards as he steps closer to you, blinking away the drowsiness from the potent side-effects of the flower.

Was he wrong?

No, he’s certain you’re one of them. He’s certain that one or more of them in that shop are like you as well. Mages and monsters.

Yet, there’s no trace of a golden glow in your eyes. No objects suddenly falling out of shelves, no picture frames or doorknobs rattling, no unexplained knocks or whispers. No faded bite mark that a demon left as a claim on your skin.

His fingers barely touch your neck when you make a sound.

A moan.

Of someone’s name.

Jimin freezes, eyes wide as he looks at your sleeping face. He can’t be certain if you said his name or—

A chuckle of disbelief comes from his lips and he runs his fingers through his hair. This should be easy. Insultingly so.

Yet, Jimin finds himself sitting back on the chair and facing his bed for the fourth time that night. He’s had that dagger in his hand since you fell asleep hours ago. He has every intent to kill you and the others in that shop.

But not tonight.

Tonight, he silently takes you in. The distinct features of your face that he likes, the way your lips part slightly as you sleep, the slow sound of your breath and the way your eyelashes touch the top of your cheeks. The way the moonlight is cast upon your bare skin, almost making you look ethereal in the night.

He thinks about earlier that afternoon, when you came to his shop, picking flowers to lay out a message of apology and confession. He thinks about the genuine surprise in your face when he admits that he loves you too, that you already have his heart. He thinks about how he meant what he said too.

And as the shop closes and the afternoon rolls into evening, he thinks about his hand in yours as he leads you upstairs to his room. He thinks about your shy giggles when he kisses your neck, your collarbone, and the top of your breasts until you start to remove your clothes for him. And as Jimin takes in your body, he whispers that you’re beautiful without realizing the words came out of his mouth.

This should’ve been easy. If he had known you were a mage sooner, before he caught any feelings for you, perhaps this would have been different.

But tonight, Jimin sheaths the enchanted dagger and lets you live for one more night.

Your dreams. They always start like this.

High walls of a strong, impenetrable fortress made of dark brick and stone. Willow trees in the courtyard, and a prism of sunlight peeking through the weeping, green leaves. Rows of old books stacked together on long shelves with worn bindings and stain-aged pages. Faceless apprentices in uniformed robes, passing through the candle-lit hallways from one lecture to another, their disembodied voices echoing down the long passageways. Plated armor and concealed weapons of guards that look down at you with disdain.

Blackstone Castle.

Once upon a time, that place was all you’ve ever known. An institution where you’ve excelled too well in the classroom lessons and teachings. Where your exposure to the outside world is limited through words on paper and stories from fellow apprentices of what they could remember before coming to the castle. A so-called home where you had the promising future of becoming one of the best enchanters among your peers.

You lean back against your chair in the lecture room. Notes in your handwriting are on the desk, detailed with whatever you thought is important to note. You tilt your head, frowning a bit in confusion as your hand continues to write.

You’re … actually not sure what you’re taking notes on. The longer you look at the scribbled words, the more ineligible they appear.

The sound of giggling catches your attention. When you glance at the source of the noise, you drop the quill in shock.

Mina?

At the back of the lecture room, Hoseok and your old roommate are snuggled together. Neither of them are paying attention to the lesson, shamelessly making out and touching each other through their clothes. You see her running her hand through his hair and tugging him closer as their tongues slip in each other’s mouths. Although they’re sitting a bit far, you could hear Hoseok as if he’s right next to you. You hear him tell her, “It should’ve been you that made it out of the Harrowing instead.”

“Hoseok?” you utter, your voice pathetically soft. Why would he say that?

When you finally force yourself to look away, Namjoon stands before you. No longer are you in a lecture room, but at the library. His face is completely neutral. Guarded. He asks you, “What is it that you want?”

“I just…” you begin, but before you could answer, he pushes you down on the table.

“I’m not your boyfriend. I couldn’t care less about what we are,” Namjoon tells you as he pins you down. His hand flips up the end of your dress. “There’s only one thing I want from you.”

When you exhale, it’s shaky. Like you’re trying not to sob.

Before anything happens, Namjoon is shoved away. When you turn around, you’re in the ritual room. Seokjin has his hands full, fighting beastly creatures from the Veil with a sword and shield. He shouts for your help, and it takes you a moment to process that you’re in the middle of a battle.

You need a weapon.

The tower rumbles and debris falls from the ceiling. Your heart races as you look through the rubble for a wand, a tome, anything to help Seokjin.

But you’re too late.

An anguish scream cuts you deeper than any blade. Panic and fear seizes your entire body as you watch him slump to the ground. The battlefield is deathly quiet, and you’re sitting there, alone, cradling his head on your lap and crying apologies for what feels like hours.

“Scary.”

Through your tears, you see one other person standing in the distance. You sniffle when you recognize who it is. “Jungkook?”

“You did that to him,” Jimin says from the other side of the room, opposite of where Jungkook is. “You couldn’t save him. This is your fault.”

“I know, but—”

“Scary,” Jungkook repeats, both of them looking at you like you’re something evil. Black smoke swallows them whole, thick as clouds. It takes over the room, Seokjin, and eventually, it takes over you as well.

But once it clears, you find yourself in a séance room. Taehyung sits across from you in a black and gold cloak and a crown on his head. He shuffles tarot cards and asks you the same thing Namjoon does. “What is it that you want?”

“Love,” you answer. Exhausted. Heartbroken.

You don’t want to be seen as a monster. You don’t want to have these doubts. These insecurities. This nightmare.

He sets down one card in front of you. The Reversed Hermit.

Betrayal. Isolation. Paranoia.

As it sinks in, you realize that Taehyung has disappeared. Vanished into thin air. Truly, you are alone again.

You’re not sure how long you sit there in the deafening silence. Wax melts from the candlesticks as the fire burns down the wick. The shadows in the room stretch longer, surrounding you in darkness. But the thoughts in your head are loud, calling you loveless, weak, incompetent, never enough.

Suddenly, you hear music playing. A soft, faint melody from a piano.

You don’t want to be here anymore, so you run toward the sound. A sense of déjà vu hits you as you exit the séance room and find yourself in a long, dimly-lit hallway full of identical doors. Just like your Harrowing, each door you enter leads you to the same hallway over and over and over and over. Despite how gentle the music sounds, you feel desperate to reach it. To see him.

Relief washes over you when you finally do.

In the domain where you first saw him, Yoongi stands behind a piano, dressed head to toe in all black with silver jewelry. One hand presses the black and white keys of the grand instrument, absently playing a tune you vaguely recognized. One he’s certain would bring you right to him.

He glances at you expectantly. A faint smile tugs on the corner of his lips.

Without hesitation, you run toward him, lost and then found. Grief, fear, doubt, and anxiety melt away the moment you’re in his arms. “Yoongi!”

Your familiar pulls you close, brushing his lips against your hair, just as a sharp sting claws into your inner thigh. You whimper and gasp from the pain, squirming in his arms, but Yoongi grabs your jaw and continues to kiss you like nothing is happening.

When the pain subsides, Yoongi finally lets you go. You back away from him, breathing hard, and finally, you notice the golden color in his eyes. He doesn’t move as he peers down on you, lips tugging a bit with an arrogant smirk.

Hesitantly, you lift the bottom of your dress to look at your thigh. A strange, red mark is visible on the skin.

Yoongi merely tilts his head and reminds you, “You’re mine.”

A loud wail is what wakes Jimin from his sleep. His body jerks in reaction, and before he realizes it, he’s tumbling off the chair and onto the wooden floor.

As clumsy as he is, this isn’t unusual for him. He is, however, surprised to see your black cat glowering down at him. Its tail swishes back and forth slowly as an annoyed grumble comes from its chest.

“Sorry,” you apologize, holding a blanket over your body with one hand and shutting the window with the other. “He was crying outside.”

Jimin blinks slowly at you, and then turns his attention back to the cat, who continues to glare down at him. He squints back and whispers, “Isn’t it too early in the morning to be a menace?”

Yoongi gives a grunt of a meow. As if Jimin should’ve known better than to question it.

“I should get going anyway,” you tell him, your voice soft and sad. If Jimin wasn’t wide awake before, he certainly is now. He pushes himself up and sees the redness in your eyes and face. You’ve been crying. “I didn’t mean to stay overnight.”

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Jimin gently asks, jumping to his feet. He starts to approach you, but stops himself. His eyes linger at the blanket you have loosely around you, and how, somehow, you’re even more beautiful to him in the daylight.

You peek at him with wet eyes. Even now, there’s not a trace of wickedness in them at all. “I’m okay. Bad dream.”

Yoongi meows and rubs himself against your legs, trying to comfort you. A wry smile touches your lips as you bend down to pet him, quietly assuring him again that you’re okay. It feels like this is something that happens every now and then.

When the connection between you and the Veil are the strongest.

It’s subtle, but it’s still proof that Jimin isn’t wrong about what you are after all. He’s never been to a Harrowing, and he knows very little about the Veil itself, but mages leave their physical forms behind to enter that dream-like realm. In order to seek truths, gain knowledge, enhance their skills, and meet both good and evil spirits that reside in that world. It shouldn’t surprise him that mages that fall into a deep sleep during the witching hour could be affected by the Veil.

Jimin crouches down to meet your eye-level. There’s a pleasant smile on his lips as he reaches over to rub your back. “Why don’t you stay a little longer?”

You feel good after a long sleep, a good cry, and dipping into the warm water of a bath. The others at the shop are worried about you, even though you’re just across the street. Yoongi tells you as much as he helps you wash up.

“I know. I meant to go home last night.”

Your memory is a bit fuzzy, but that much, you know, is true. Sometimes, when it feels like you’re dreaming in the Veil, it’s hard to distinguish reality and dreams. You look at your thigh, where you envisioned the devil’s mark to be, and see nothing out of the ordinary on your skin.

He doesn’t say anything as he continues to rub soap on your back and shoulders. It feels nice. You start to lean in on his touch and sigh with content. Then, he asks, “Did anything happen?”

“Other than the obvious? No. I just fell asleep,” you answer, almost certain that there isn’t more to the story. Wake pulled you out of sleep as gently as the nightmare ended, and as you laid on Jimin’s bed, you were overwhelmed with emotion. Every detail, every word from your dream, you remember it. But through the tears in your eyes, you saw Jimin sleeping on a single, uncomfortable chair, facing you and dressed in his clothes from the night before. He had let you sleep on his bed throughout the night, watched over you, and kept you safe. And somehow, just seeing Jimin there with you after a terrible nightmare only reassured you that you were okay. That a dream was just a dream. “I really like him, Yoongi.”

“I know you do,” is all he says. You don’t need to face him to know that he isn’t entirely happy with it. “I just want you to be careful around him.”

“I will, Yoongi. You don’t need to worry about me.”

It isn’t long until you’re out of the bath and dressed up. The two of you are relatively silent as you face a mirror and use magic to fix your hair. Then, Yoongi asks, “Do you want to talk about your dream?”

You glance at him from the reflection. He’s dressed in black clothing and silver jewelry, just as you imagined him. His eyes, however, are normal. Dark, inquisitive, and gentle. Unlike the haunting yellow from your nightmare.

“No. Not yet,” you reply, your hand twitching as you try not to touch your thigh. There’s no pain and no strange mark, but it’s the first time you’ve dreamed of it. The mark that Yoongi mentioned once in passing to further strengthen a bond between a mage and their familiar. “Soon, though.”

You’d think those kinds of dreams would’ve stopped by now, especially after hearing from the boys themselves that they loved you. It feels silly to even question it when it’s obvious that they do. Yet, the same dreams keep occurring over and over, filling your mind with doubt and insecurity.

“Okay.” Yoongi stands next to you as you finish getting ready. “You look nice today.”

You grin at him, a little shy from the compliment, but tease, “Are you saying that I look bad other days?”

“You look nice every day,” he corrects with a shy kiss on your cheek. Then, before you could retort, he’s back into his cat form. You smile at him lovingly and hold him in your arms, feeling the rumble of his purrs vibrate from his body.

Downstairs, Jimin finds himself in a bit of a dilemma.

He has nothing to eat for breakfast.

Work has him traveling out of the shop often, delivering bouquets to customers, picking up new supplies and flowers, and even stopping by local guilds to pick up any magic-related reports to take up. It doesn’t occur to him that he’s rarely home to stock up on his personal pantry.

He’s still rummaging around for something when you finally come down with Yoongi in your arms. “Jimin?”

“I’m back here!” he shouts, grabbing pieces of stale bread and a half-empty jar of strawberry jam. This will have to do for now, he supposes, though it clearly isn’t enough for both of you. When you enter the back room, he tries to bite into the hard, jam-coated piece of bread and asks, “Breakfast?”

“I think I’m good,” you tell him, looking around. It’s notably empty, you realize, as you turn your attention back to his plate. “Is that all you’re having?”

“Maybe it’s a better idea that we eat out,” Jimin agrees, pushing the half-bitten bread aside. He isn’t hungry for that anyway. If it were up to him, he’d take you right back upstairs and have you stay with him a little longer.

He takes a quick glance at the cat in your arms, who seems to hold a steady glare at him. As if daring Jimin to make a move on you while he’s around.

You smile at him. “I know a place we can go.”

Across the street, the aroma of baked bread and brewed coffee welcomes you into the little shop. Seokjin is up bright and early, humming quietly to himself as he carefully puts pastries on a display case. Hoseok pours coffee into several mugs and adds cream and sugar to everyone’s preferred taste. Namjoon is doing an inventory check with Taehyung and Jungkook, writing down what he needs to shop for when he goes to the market later that morning. But as soon as the bell chimes from the front door and you step through the threshold, a sweeter welcome awaits you.

“You’re home!” Taehyung exclaims with a big, boxy smile and pulls you and Yoongi into a tight hug. The cat meows in protest in your arms, but it’s muffled when Jungkook giggles and joins in the group hug as well.

“We were worried about you, pretty girl,” Hoseok comments, holding two mugs for you and Yoongi in his hands, though he seems relieved to see you.

“Yeah, you didn’t come home last night,” Namjoon agrees as he and Seokjin come into the entrance together.

“Sorry, that’s my fault,” Jimin says from behind you. He steps into the shop with a sheepish smile on his face, seeing that he’s faced with the very over-protective men you live with.

Seokjin scoffs under his breath. “That explains a lot.”

“Is it okay if he stays for breakfast?” you ask them, hopeful. There’s a bit of hesitance, as if they’re not really sure what to make of you and Jimin still.

“Yeah, why not? The more the merrier,” Namjoon quotes with a shrug.

Your heart feels warm at their acceptance. Seeing the boys all together in one room, all seven of them, it feels right. It feels complete.

Both Hoseok and Namjoon look at you with so much care in their eyes, scolding you lightly for making them worry. Seokjin smiles at you, alive and well, before he takes Yoongi from your arms to help him in the kitchen. Taehyung and Jungkook refuse to leave your side, still keeping you in their hold until Seokjin bats them away.

If this is all a dream, it’s the cruelest one yet.

Hoseok hands you your coffee and smiles brightly at their guest. “I’ll get another mug. Do you like cream and sugar in your coffee, Jimin?”

Breakfast goes surprisingly well. Laid out on the table are sunny-side eggs, crispy pork belly, toasted bread with butter and jam, a bowl of fresh fruits, vegetable pancakes, and leftover stew from the night before. It’s a feast compared to what Jimin tried to eat at his own shop earlier that morning.

Everyone sits together on the long table, happily chatting and eating. Hoseok feeds Taehyung and Jungkook food from his plate before he eats himself. Seokjin tries to fish for compliments from you and Namjoon for working so hard in the kitchen. Even Yoongi – who strangely appears when the cat disappears – takes a seat beside you and immediately reaches into the fruit bowl for tangerines.

It’s a little strange, but Jimin seems to fit in really well. Both Hoseok and Taehyung include him in their conversations, asking him what his opinions are about if tigers or bears are the superior animal or the types of cool dances that they’ve seen at the town square. Namjoon and Seokjin make him laugh at their witty banter, and how they bring out the goofiest sides of each other. Even Jungkook is excitedly clapping his hands and giggling at their antics before cutely asking Jimin if there’s any pork belly left on his side of the table. And while he’s certain that Yoongi hates him, he’s surprised when he is offered a piece of his peeled tangerine.

There’s a sense of belonging that Jimin can’t really describe when he’s around you guys. Something that he hasn’t really felt anywhere else.

It’s a stark difference to when he returns to his lonely flower shop afterwards.

Floral fragrances greet him as he walks in the door instead of the aroma of baked good and brewed coffee. There’s a notable silence that fills the room when there aren’t any customers around, unlike at the lively shop across the street, where there’s always music playing and people talking. It feels cold and empty, far from the warm and homey feelings of yours.

Running a shop by himself keeps him busy. It’s hard work and long days, but he likes the smile on people’s faces when they find exactly what they’re looking for, or when he delivers things he’s made to his customers.

Today isn’t any different. Except, it is.

Because just across the street, you’re there. He can see you welcoming curious people inside, checking on the plants outside the shop that Jimin helped you garden with a raven perched on your shoulder, going to the market as Namjoon holds your waist and Jungkook holds your hand, and coming back to the shop less than an hour later and being showered with affectionate greetings from the others upon your return.

Because Jimin can’t stop thinking about how you and the others across the street are supposed to be wicked, evil, vile creatures that feast on the blood of innocents and animal sacrifices instead of tangerines, coffee, and bread. That you must’ve bewitched humans to do your bidding, even though it clearly seems that Seokjin has a mind of his own and wants to be with you all. That you’d use your power to bring chaos and destruction to the world instead of love and comfort in your shop.

Because Jimin realizes that he can’t kill you because he loves you. Even though he shouldn’t. Even though it’s his job to eradicate people like you from his town.

Yet, here he is, thinking about how concerned he was when you woke up crying. How troubled he felt when he wasn’t able to make breakfast for you. The way he felt a bit nervous entering your shop and facing your other lovers. How they all tried to make him feel welcomed anyway, even if there’s some uncertainty with how they feel toward him. How the morning after with you was nice until he had to return to his shop alone.

The enchanted dagger upstairs is locked away in his room, waiting to be used. Eager for that next opportunity when you’re alone with him. But Jimin, who watches you from his shop’s window with a forlorn sadness, wants to keep you with him a little longer.

And that, truly, is a problem.

“We need to talk.”

Your heart stutters nervously at the words. Silently, you exchange looks with Seokjin, who is washing dirty dishes next to you. But you know why Namjoon is suddenly summoning you all for a family meeting.

At the market, you noticed it. You’re certain Namjoon and Jungkook did too with the way they tightened their hold around you.

In the town square, they were there.

Hunters.

Many of them are talking about Blackstone Castle and the mages that have escaped. They’re asking townsfolk if they’ve noticed anything suspicious, advising people to stay indoors at night, taking notes of any clues they find through their investigations. The three of you manage to avoid them on the way to the market, but it’s clear that their very presence is a threat: the hunters are here, and they’re looking for you.

“It’s too dangerous now,” Seokjin whispers, worried. His thumb caresses the back of your hand as you sit beside him. “We’ll be safer if we get out of town.”

“Where would we go?” Namjoon questions, a bit frustrated. You can tell he’s trying not to raise his voice. “This is our home. We’ve just started to settle down.”

“All the rooms aren’t filled yet,” Taehyung points out as his eyes lock with yours. He’s been certain that Jimin is the last one. That the final room in the shop belongs to him.

Jungkook sighs heavily. “What do we do?”

Running away isn’t an option. You guys already did that, and you don’t want to leave this place behind. Fighting them would only bring more unwanted attention toward you and the shop. Even you’re a bit stumped with what to do next.

“More and more of those hunters are coming into the town,” Hoseok says with a frown. “We have to be careful. We have to look out for each other.”

Namjoon nods his head. “Just as we always do.”

Yoongi catches your eye this time. “Are you sure we can trust him?”

The others look at you as well. Yoongi doesn’t have to say his name for you to know who he’s talking about. You’re the one who knows Jimin the most. They trust your judgment, despite any divination readings Taehyung has on him.

“Yes,” you answer without hesitation. “I trust him.”

By the late afternoon, as things begin to wind down, you return to the flower shop with containers of food from your shop. “I don’t know if you ate your dinner already, but we made these for you.”

He smiles fondly at you, touched by the sweet gesture as he takes the containers from you. “Thank you, baby. I’ll eat it well.”

As he leaves to put the food away in the back for later, you take a walk around. His shop is empty of customers. Various flowers in full bloom sit prettily on display in arrangements and in pots. Everything is beautiful and pleasing to look at.

Though, you notice that there aren't really any personal touches in Jimin’s shop at all. No family pictures, despite his father being a hometown hero or that his grandmother had owned this shop prior. No food that he keeps in stock with favorite dishes and snacks. Even his bedroom feels minimalistic compared to what you’re used to at one of the boys’ rooms.

If he ever decides to live with you, in that empty room on the second floor, what would his room look like? Would it be like this shop? Would it be something different?

As you lose yourself to your train of thoughts, you nearly trip over something.

A bucket of lavenders.

It sits innocently near a painted cart among other buckets of bouquets. Its calming fragrance is masked by the other floral scents in the shop. But it makes you back away from it as if you just saw something truly horrifying.

Arms suddenly wrap around your midsection and pull you into their chest. You nearly scream, wiggling to get free, until you hear Jimin’s infectious laughter behind you. “What’s wrong? Did I scare you?”

“Yes! How dare you!” you playfully shout, relieved it’s just him. He chuckles and starts to kiss your cheek and neck in apology. His lips feel soft against your skin, and your hand reaches back to touch his neck, turning a bit to kiss him back.

It’s easy to be swept up in him. To get lost in the heat of the moment and not think about anything or anyone else. To push your worries about bad dreams, hunters, and the other boys aside and just melt in his arms. You trust him. You know you can.

But something is bothering you. His mouth moves away from your lips to kiss your jaw and the spot just below your ear, and as you turn your head and sigh in content, you notice the bucket of lavenders again.

“Stay tonight?” he asks against your skin, eyes hazy with lust.

You’re tempted. But you answer, “I can’t, Jimin. Not tonight.”

With the hunters in town, you have to make sure that the shop is safe. Hoseok and Namjoon have prepared to sage the entire shop to ward off any harmful intentions to you and your family. And you need to cast added protection spells on the doors and windows so that your shop won’t be easy for them to find.

He hums but places another kiss on your face. “We got a bit carried away last night, didn’t we?”

You glance away from the lavenders and meet his gaze. Again, you remind yourself that you love this man. You can trust him.

“Jimin, about last night…” you begin. His smile fades a little as he arches an eyebrow, waiting for you to continue. “Did something happen?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m having a hard time remembering how the night ended.”

No matter how hard you try, you can’t remember how you ended up falling asleep in Jimin’s room. The last thing you remember is telling him you had to go back home. That Yoongi would be upset, and Jimin said—

“You just fell asleep, babe. Nothing happened.”

“I see.”

“You don’t believe me?”

“It's not that,” you tell him, not sure how to state this without sounding accusatory. You glance over at the lavenders again and quietly admit, “I just feel like I’m missing something. I don’t know. Did… Did something more happen?”

His hands cup your face, warm and a bit calloused. They contract a bit with the cold, silver rings around his fingers.

“What makes you think I’d do something to hurt you?” he questions, trying to sound a bit offended. But for a split second, you could’ve sworn he almost looked amused.

“I don’t know.” Your eyes flutter close as he tilts your face up, greeting you with soft kisses again. His thumb gently caresses your cheeks, hands slowly gliding down your neck, fingers tracing your collarbone. Despite the light touches, your heart pounds hard in your chest, and you feel yourself chasing after his lips.

“Should I remind you then? About last night?” he asks, nose bumping against yours and a hand against the back of your neck.

“I can’t stay,” you remind him, eyes fluttering close. But his lips feel so full and soft when he kisses you. Each kiss entices you for more, and he chuckles when he feels you tug on his bottom lip.

“Then should we stop?”

He pulls away from you a bit, teasing you, but you don’t allow him. Your arms wrap around his neck as you needily answer, “No. Don’t stop.”

“Good girl,” Jimin praises and rewards you with another heated kiss. You could only moan in agreement, far too distracted to pay attention to anything but the way his tongue slips into your mouth or the way his touch warms your skin, igniting memories of last night with the way his hands roam your body.

With Jimin, it feels easy to love. It feels easy to simply be. Whether as friends, lovers, or something else you can’t quite place, it feels easy to get caught up in the moment with him. Without overthinking of what this all means, without the worry of what you are to him, without caring when the dream ends.

Your back hits the counter, but it doesn’t break the kiss. He feels you over your clothes, and your hands tug him closer.

“Jimin…” you gasp, panting hard when he finally pulls away. He spins you around so your back is against his chest again. Vaguely, through the lust-filled haze, you’re reminded of the night before.

Visiting the flower shop, an apology and a confession, a night spent together. You were trying to get home. Yoongi was upset. The tattoo on Jimin’s chest. A black dahlia.

“Don’t think about it,” Jimin whispers against your skin. He starts to push you down over the counter. Had you been able to see his face, a chill would’ve run down your spine from the way he looks at you in that very moment – like a predator to prey. “Just trust me.”

The chime of a bell snaps both of you out of it.

“What the hell?” a last-minute customer exclaims, unable to open the door all the way to get through. As if, somehow, the door got stuck. “Jimin? Are you there?”

Immediately, Jimin backs off and clears his throat.

“Yes, I’ll be right with you!” he answers, running his fingers through his hair. He stands over you for a moment, protectively shielding you from anyone coming in. When he glances over at you, however, you’re already smoothing over the front of your clothes. Your face is a bit flustered, but not a single hair is out of place. “Are you okay, love?”

“I’m fine, Jimin. I should get going anyway,” you tell him bashfully. He kisses you one last time before he finally lets you go.

With ease, you pull open the front door as the customer nearly stumbles inside.

When you look back at Jimin, he seems to be staring at you and the door curiously. Then, his eyes lock with yours, and he gives you that same, knowing smile from last night.

The kind of smile where he knows something you don’t. A secret he isn’t meant to find out.

And it dawns to you, just then, that his smile was the last thing you saw yesterday before your world turned black.

Thank you for reading ♡ Comments & reviews are greatly appreciated!

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#magic shop series #jimin x reader #yoongi x reader #seokjin x reader #taehyung x reader #namjoon x reader #jungkook x reader #hoseok x reader #bts au #bts fantasy au #bts magic au #bts witch au #bts fanfic #jimin smut

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drawballa · 2 years

Photo

It’s that time of year again folks ✨wolfy witchy season✨

#jikook #jikook fanart #witch jimin #wolf jungkook #werewolf!jungkook

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aloneatpeace · 2 years

Text

Library of aloneatpeace

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬. 𝐬𝐨 𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐭. 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫. 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬. 𝐈'𝐦 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐛𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟.

Hello there , this my masterlist for all my work .I'm mostly writing about tv shows , movie and series that i like .my first language is not English so there might be some mistakes so don't mind it . update will be slow so be patient and thank you for reading ❤️✌️.this is my Wattpad

The incorrect quotes will be in the blog you can search it by using the tag i decided to shorten my masterlist

All updates will be slow.

✔️ complete |. 🖋️on going. |. 📌 on hold

1. TV Shows

Teen wolf

vampire diaries

supernatural

1.In another universe ✔️

Summary : this is wandavison /spn/tvd au. The mc is reader and there is couples of oc's as well.

This contains typical violence , death ,angst, sumt implied , fluff

Wanda vision show credits belong to the right ful owner . It's just fan fiction created for entertainment.

There will be changes and characters that have rightful owners.

Find chapters here

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2.Cosmic Chaos 🖋️

This is tvd crossover with teen wolf and the reader is Bonnie Bennett sister .

This fic contain typical violence , death , angst, fluff , implied smut , some emotional trauma

OC is only mine and others credit belong to the rightful creators .

There will major changes in plot of the tv shows.

Info. She THE SCARLET PHOENIX

THE SCARLET PHOENIX OUTFITS

Find chapters here

5.Shadow of the past 🖋️

A Dean Winchester and Sam Winchester stroy

Horror/paranormal au

Reader insert

Find chapters here

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3. BTS

1.Fall Of Empire 🖋️

This is an ot7 x reader fic with royal au

These is around the mediaeval era type of thing.

These are just fiction from my imagination it has nothing to do with the real members of bts . Im not a die hard fan so i apologize forehand any mistake or offensive outcome from my fic to the fan or members.

It just fic enjoy it . There will tw for chapter, I'm learning about that too. So if anything makes you uncomfortable then don't read it.

Find here

2. 𝙰𝙿𝙾𝙲𝙰𝙻𝚈𝙿𝚃𝙸𝙲 𝚆𝙾𝚁𝙻𝙳 🖋️

This is maze runner au

There wil be change in plot.

All the pictures I found in Pinterest it's not mine.

Find chapters here

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4.BULLET TRAIN 📌

This is bullet train fic. Tangerine x reader x ladybug maybe. There will swearing it's tangerine so and blood and violence .

Reader is journalist who trying find everything about white death and her journey in the train.

Find chapters here

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fanyyy444 · 3 months

Note

I hope you are doing fine now and please seek some professional help if you have suicidal thoughts. I wish you the best in your personal life.

I'm doing fine now🫶🏻

I have some medicines that I have to take, but I haven't been taking them since a long time tho, and I also have a doctor but I haven't seen him in a long time, no news abt him, I guess he forgot about me..

It's surprising how such a small thing can cause such a huge disaster :(

I wish you the best too, I know some things happened between us in the past and I'm really sorry you received a lot of hate, I swear it wasn't my intention to cause that drama💔 I'm really sorry.

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yourbittertarottruth · 5 months

Note

Who in bts likes a cute girl and who likes a sexy girl and I'm talking about visuals not personality

Thank you 💋

Namjoon: Sexy girl (Queen of Wands confirmed) J-Hope: Sexy girl (Queen of Cups) Seokjin: Likes a perfect mix in-between cute and sexy Yoongi: Likes a cute girl (The Star to confirm) Jimin: Sexy girl (Wheel of Fortune confirmed) Taehyung: Likes a perfect mix in-between cute and sexy Jungkook: Likes a perfect mix in-between cute and sexy

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chaoticwitchgrimoire · 2 days

Text

🦋Butterfly Oil🦋 for transformation

available for purchase on etsy

This spell oil is inspired by Butterfly by BTS. Use it for transformation, rebirth, and rejuvenation. I've collected freshly fallen cherry blossom petals from my neighborhood. I've also charged it with blue calcite and cherry blossom candles on my spell plate to infuse it with loving, positive, and calming energies.

Each bottle is individually crafted and handmade. I put intent and energy into each one to give you the best and most powerful results.

This product also comes with a free altar card.

When used in magick, cherry blossoms are great for loving energy. Only blooming for a few weeks in April, cherry blossoms are a welcoming sign of spring and rebirth, while also serving as a reminder that time is fleeting. They symbolize transformation throughout life.

Ingredients: Castor oil, lemon essential oil, sweet orange essential oil, ylang ylang essential oil, orris essential oil, and cherry blossom petals.

15ml bottle (1/2 oz) 30ml bottle (1oz)

Use: 🦋 Anoint yourself, spell candles, or your crystals with it 🦋 Charm jewelry and talismans 🦋 Use as body oil or perfume 🦋 Use in rituals or spells to amplify your intention and aid workings 🦋 Bless your body or magickal tools

#spell oil #butterfly oil #witchblr #witches of tumblr #witch community #witchcraft #bts army #kpop inspired spell oils #jeon jungkook #kim taehyung #kim namjoon #park jimin #kim seokjin #suga #min yoongi #rm #jung hoseok #hobi #j hope

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honey-boyyoongi · 1 year

Text

Pairing ➪ Yoonji x Y/n | Jimin x Y/n | Yoonji x Jimin x Seokjin

Word count ➪ 6k Words

Warnings ➪ cursing through out; authors horrible attempt at humor; mentions of blood; mentions of anxiety attack; description of an anxiety attack;

Summary ➪ Y/n needs a place to stay as of yesterday. Her roommate bailed on her, she’s too far from her grandmother, and her boyfriend lives in a box with his best friend. The place she seems to find has everything; space, low rent, a short commute to her job, and seemingly nice roommates. But there are some things that are kinda weird. Like how her female roommate is up at all hours, and her male roommate mumbling about his plants yelling at him in the middle of the night. She can get through this, right?

A/n: Heyyyyyyyyyyy. Damn it took me months to update this one huh. Sorry for being so quiet lately, I’ll update my Yoongi au soon. I hope yall enjoy this update. As always feedback is appreciated and if you would like to be added to the tag list please let me know 💕

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Yoonji runs towards the front door; Seokjin’s eyes are wild and dilated, his usually pristine white blouse is stained deep red. His mouth is covered in blood, his cheeks stained with tears and dirt. His usually styled hair is messy and unkempt. “Oh, my god, Jinnie what happened,” she pleads, “Who did this? Was it Choi? I swear to the gods I will drag him out in the sun myself if he-,’ Yoonji stops when she looks over Seokjin’s shoulder, “Jin, what the fuck did you do?”

Seokjin shudders, “I didn’t mean to, I was- fuck. I haven’t fed since I gave you blood. The council refused to let me into the donor wing, even though it's my side of the Kim clan that created it in the first place. To punish my gluttony they said. I asked Jaeyoung for bags, but he never got back to me. I was walking home, taking my way through the park. I smelled blood, coming from the bushes. I thought it was an animal, but the smell got stronger and sweeter, it was fresh human blood. I couldn’t help it, Yoonie. I’m sorry.” Seokjin struggled to hold in his sob. Yoonji needed to figure out a plan and fast, but it seemed the universe had other plans.

Yoonji turned at the gasps that echoed in between Seokjin’s harsh breaths. Y/n stood wide eyed, frightened. She knew.

“Oh, shit,” Yoonji mumbled. “Y/n.. I need you to breathe slowly. Please.” The older woman walked slowly towards her younger roommate, hoping that she didn't do anything irrational.

Y/n evades her, running towards Seokjin, “Holy shit, Jin, what happened?”

Seokjin sobbed harder into the tile, struggling to find his voice, “I-fuck! I..I was walking..and.” Yoonji could feel her friend’s desperation, she rubbed Jin’s back in an attempt to soothe him. “I didn’t know.. I swear I didn’t, kitty.”

Y/n stopped in front of Jin, taking in the chaos that he had brought with him. “Fuck, “she grumbled. She joined Jin on the floor, scanning him for any potentially fatal wounds, “Jin, were you stabbed? Shot? You’re covered in blood, fuck.” Seokjin stared at her, shocked that she would get so close. Their roommate scooted closer to a still Jin, Yoonji watched, frozen. She didn’t want to scare Y/n by trying to pull her away, but she also doesn’t know in what state of mind her best friend would be. There was a large chance Seokin could attack her, if he saw her as a threat.

“Jimin,” Yoonji hissed, “Jimin, hurry, Y/n is getting too close to Jinnie.”

Jimin cursed, he hurried from his pantry with their first aid kit, “I’m trying, I have delicate jars in this thing.”

Yoonji could see Seokjin’s figure tense, his pupils were dilating with every centimeter Y/n crawled closer. “Jimin, please,” she begged. With the wave of a finger and a grunted curse, Y/n fell to her side, they were able to narrowly avoid another incident in their home. The elder was able to catch her roommate, preventing any injuries.

Jimin anxiously made his way towards Seokjin, “Yoon, take her to her room. The spell I used should keep her asleep for a while, let's hope she doesn't have to work a shift tomorrow. We can’t have more people involved.” He carefully lays the aid kit on the ground, hastily trying to find what he needs.

Yoonji takes Y/n into her arms, working fast to get her out of the upside down living room. Once Yoonji settled their sleeping roommate on her bed, she skimmed for any bumps or bruises. The female vampire released a breath she didn’t realize she was holding, nothing seemed bruised or in need of attention, thankfully one less thing to worry about tonight.

Yoonji finds her roommates, and a stranger, still stationed in their living room. Seokjin was lying on the couch, his blood-soiled shirt on the floor next to him, dried blood in sporadic places, sweat glistening on his brow. Jimin had finished checking over Seokjin, deeming him free of any detrimental injuries. He was happy to confirm his friend was healthy, but there was still the matter of the man on the carpet. He was tall, and had dark hair. Yoonji was sure he was tan, but the lack of blood is causing him to look sickly. The man was wearing a dark blue matching t-shirt and pants set, with detailing on the hems.

She makes her way to the middle of the room to help Min out. The elder looks around trying to find something to clean up the dirt and blood stuck on her best friend. Yoonji spots and picks the wet wipes Jimin stashes in their first aid kit. While she hastily wipes down every visible stain of blood, Seokjin doesn't move. He’s silent, attempting to control his breathing.

“Jinnie what happened, “she whispered. Jin grumbled, slightly shaking his head, “Mmph.. kitty… I’m tired.”

“I gave him a sedative,” Jimin said, “It’s catered to vampires, so he’ll sleep for a couple of hours.”

“Was that necessary, “Yoonji asks worriedly.

“He was bordering on a feral state; he hadn't been feeding. The overwhelming emotions of fear, guilt, confusion and panic were pushing him to a frenzy,” he answered. “The last thing he needed was to go into a frenzy, hurt anyone else, and turn feral from the grief. Along with a sedative, I gave him something to keep him settled emotionally after he wakes up. Hopefully his body doesn’t purge it.” Jimin organized the items back into his kit tensely, “Please take the man on the carpet to my work room. I still need to treat him, plus, the smell of blood could set off Jin.” Jimin urgently rose from the floor, speed walking deeper into the house.

Yoonji finished the last of her clean up of Seokjin. Her stomach was less twisted seeing her longest friend safe. She fixed his hair back into place, and makes sure he’s comfortable for his rest.

Jimin was fixing a variety of creams and tonics when Yoonji came in with the living room stranger. She lays him on the futon Jimin keeps in his work room, for the days he has too many commissions. She closes the door, wanting to keep any noise from reaching Y/n down the hall. Jimin stripped the stranger down to his underwear, wiping him down with a warm cloth to rid him of any grime and blood. Yoonji takes the remaining cloth, assisting Jimin with cleaning the stranger. They work in silence, neither too sure what to say.

“Namjoon.”

“Excuse me?”

“Namjoon, “Jimin mumbles, “That’s his name.”

The elder stared at her younger friend with surprise. “Did you find a wallet with his ID in it, “Yoonji asked.

“I know him,” Jimin whispered. Yoonji stood shell shocked, “Jimin.. Oh gods, I’m sorry.” They continue to clean Namjoon in uncomfortable silence, until he is free of any grime. “He’s the friend I go on the trails with. He’s always at a park, or working at the plant nursery he co-owns with his roommate. I know Jin didn’t mean to, but I’m so angry.”

Yoonji didn’t know how to comfort her younger friend. She understands why he would be upset, Namjoon was a victim of ‘wrong place, wrong time’. “I know Min, I’m sorry. I understand why you would be upset. Jin didn’t mean it. He must’ve been more blood deprived than we realized, but he would never attack a human on purpose.”

“I know Yoonie. It’s just frustrating to see an innocent person getting caught in the crossfire, especially one that you’re close to, “Jimin sighs. “He’s not hurt, at least from what I can tell. No stabs, claw marks, cuts, or bullet wounds, but that’s not our biggest worry.”

“What is it then? He’s not a werewolf, is he, or a demon?”

“No, since Seokjin was starving, and went into some form of bloodlust. He injected Namjoon with venom,“ Jimin explained. Yoonji cursed, “Fuck! Are you sure?”

Jimin ushered Yoonji to the left side of Namjoon, he carefully tilted his head to the side, exposing his neck. He pointed to the very prominent bite marks, “When I was cleaning around his neck, the blood had a cloudy look to it. I knew he wasn’t sick; if Joon was a werewolf, Seokjin would’ve died within minutes. Namjoon’s body would kill itself trying to purge the vampire venom, if he was a wolf. If he was a demon, Jin would be sick, at worst he would have a stomach ache that would last for a few days, and Namjoon wouldn’t have been affected.”

“So he’s human, “Yoonji says.

“Was, “Jimin answers, “Jin released enough venom when he bit him to start the transformation. If I’m correct, the transition should be finished within 48 hours, maybe less.”

“Less,” Yoonji croaked, “How?”

“Born vampires are the only ones that can turn humans into vampires, correct,” she nodded, “Well, Seokjin is part of an aristocratic family, he’s also ancient. If I'm not mistaken all of that would make his venom more potent. Namjoon is a healthy human, add a potent venom, and boom you have a newborn.”

Yoonji’s mind was going into overdrive, what were they going to do? They had never sired a vampire. From a very young age they’re taught about how serious sire and fledgling relationships are. Sires can be parental figures to their fledgling, if they weren’t romantically involved before being reborn. Fledglings can easily go feral if they’re not guided correctly, or worse their sire’s reject the bond. Things can go to shit so easily. They’ve heard about newborns going feral hours after their finished transition. Seokjin has had to unfortunately, get rid of a fair amount of feral fledglings in his time in the council. It never gets easier.

“Yoonie,” Jimin whispered.

“Yeah,” she whispers back.

“Jin, won’t abandon him will he, “he asked. “Yoon, I know to you two he’s the human that got caught in the crossfire, but he’s my friend. Joonie has been a constant presence in my life for the last year. I don’t want to lose him to this. It might sound selfish, but it feels nice to be treated as normal, or at least be perceived as human. I don’t get envious looks for being the grandson of Park Hyejin. I can talk about plants, and not be told ‘I didn’t ask’. I’m not asked about spells, potions, or favors. I’m not asked about how granny and momma are so powerful, and why I’m not like them even though I’m the first born. I don’t have to take inventory of my greenhouse, or my workroom when he comes over. I’ve never had to use charms around him to keep myself safe. I’ve never had to scour myself, or gifts from him for peeping spells. It’s nice not having to watch my back.”

“Jimin.. I’m sorry. I didn’t know things were getting that bad. I’m sorry you’ve been dealing with this by yourself. I know nothing I say will make it okay. Seokjin will be responsible for Namjoon. Our families have taught us to guide, protect, and love those that we sire. If, for some reason, Seokjin decides to not take responsibility, I’ll become his sire. Namjoon shouldn’t be allowed to go feral, for his mistakes.”

“Will you really, “Jimin asked.

“Yes, I will,” Yoonji said matter of factly. “I might not know him like you do, but I can see you care about him. Like I said he’s innocent in all of this.”

They quietly finished cleaning Namjoon up. Yoonji is beginning to see subtle changes; he’s losing color, his claws are starting to grow out, he’s starting to become free of any blemishes. Namjoon is also starting to breathe more raggedly, she knows soon he’ll stop. The transformation always started physically, while the venom slowly killed the body. Young vamplings were always told the transformation was painful. She’s heard stories of sires sedating their fledglings with all types of concoctions. Most burned through the drugs or alcohol during their transition, or any concussion given to knock them out, was healed. Yoonji doesn’t know how Jimin’s friend will react once he’s woken up after the last breath, but she hopes he’s at least grateful that Jimin sedated him with a spell.

Being a newborn is hell, she’s seen it. Her favorite auntie was turned by one of her father’s younger brothers when she had just turned 14. She remembers the hunger, the sensitivity, the mood swings her auntie experienced. They were lucky to have had resources back then to ensure her auntie hadn’t gone on a rampage. There weren’t blood banks back then, and donors were a new concept that few clans had taken up. Yoonji still remembers her auntie complaining about her new fangs aching months after the transformation, and the sunlight sensitivity. It’s not all bad, at least from what she remembers. Her auntie was happy she didn’t have to ask for help with carrying heavy loads, she would spend hours gardening with no complaints of being tired, and surprisingly took on lumbering. Of course being immune to every human disease imaginable was also a plus.

They finish off the last of the grime on Namjoon’s legs, double checking on his bite wound, to make sure it's healing properly during the transition. Everything is looking good, well as good as the transition from human to vampire can be. Jimin struggles to put some clothes on Namjoon that look a bit small, but it will have to work. Jimin likes tight clothes, and Seokjin would be horrified if anyone caught him in anything less than his finest. Yoonji is significantly smaller than everyone in the house, even her largest garments would fit like doll clothes on her roommate's friend. They wouldn’t even dare going through Y/n’s closet to find anything worthy of his size or any stray pieces from Jungwoo.

Yoonji helps Jimin clean up the towels they used, putting away the different jars that belong in the first aid kit, and collecting the remnants of Namjoon’s clothes. They continue to work around each other, Yoonji ensuring she stays out of Jimin’s way as he reorganizes to stay calm.

“Min, “Yoonji whispers, “You said Namjoon had a roommate, what are we going to do about that?”

“Fuck, you’re right,” Jimin grumbled. “Hoseok will be worried if Namjoon isn’t home. He’s probably worried sick right now, they make a habit of trying to eat dinner every night. I don’t even know what to do, or what I’ll say to him. As long as I’ve known Namjoon he’s never been gone for more than a few days on his own. Him, and Hoseok always travel together.”

“What should we do, “Yoonji asked.

“I’ll text him from Joon’s phone. I don’t want to, but I’ll just say that I invited him on a last minute camping trip, “he responded. “We’ve been talking about going to the Black Bear Lake campsite for some mushrooms that I’m hoping are in season.”

“Will that work? Do you think he’ll believe it?”

“I’m hoping it will, we’ve been talking about it for a couple of weeks since I gave Joon some samples of my mushroom seasoning, and dried mushroom medley. Hoseok isn’t much of a camper, so we had planned it with only the both of us in mind. Hobi knew we’d leave at any moment, “her roommate explained.

Yoonji nodded, pleading to the gods that his friend wouldn’t come looking for the fledgling.

Namjoon

19:49

Hobi, Jiminie and I went ahead to the campsite.

We’ll be back by the weekend.

Hoseok

19:53

Okay! Be careful and don’t bring back anything that can make us burn or itch.

Or is poisonous.

Namjoon

19:57

No promises

Three hours later Seokjin woke up less filthy from what he remembered. He’s free of any grime, and caked blood. The elder assumes Yoonji was the one to freshen him up. Jin didn’t remember much past trying to find his way home with the park stranger.

The stranger…

Fuck..

Seokjin knows he bit the stranger, being withheld from feeding caused him more stress than he anticipated. Checking his surroundings, there’s a lack of blood. He cannot smell, nor see a trace of it. The vampire takes a deep breath to ensure everyone in his home is safe; he can smell Y/n, as well as Yoonji and Jimin, but the slight stench of death is sticking to them. Seokjin frantically makes his way to Jimin’s work room, forgoing any form of cover up.

Seokjin bursts into the room, frightening the duo. The elder vampire sighs in relief. Yoonji runs up to him, embracing tightly, “Jinnie, oh my gods.” Jimin joins next to them, whispering that he’s grateful Seokjin is okay.

Seokjin can hear Yoonji struggling to keep it together. He knows he worried her into an early grave. “Kitty it’s okay, I’m fine I promise,“ Jin coos. Yoonji lets out the small sob that had been stuck in her throat. “Don’t ever do that again, “she demanded. “Fuck the council, and fuck their donors. I can ask my dad to send us blood packs or have donors come to the house. Don’t ever go that long without blood.” Jin soothed Yoonji, he feels terrible for frightening her, and Jimin. The last time he was in this much of a distressed state was a century ago, but Yoonji wasn’t around to witness it.

Jimin guided them to a small loveseat at the corner of the room. It’s a tight fit, but Seokjin will make it work. They pile onto the couch; Jimin on his right, and Yoonji on his left. One has their head on his shoulder while the other is on his chest. Seokjin enjoys the warmth Jimin exudes, and Yoonji draws soft patterns on his stomach with her fingers. He further relaxes by humming a small tune, a lullaby his mother used to sing to him in his youth.

Jimin is the first to speak up, “What happened tonight Jin?””

Seokjin sighed deeply, “I didn’t realize how much time had passed. One day I’m helping Yoonji out of the brink of starvation, the next I’m being sent to Mongolia to aid with a territory dispute.” He paused momentarily. “They had humans.. But they weren’t donors.” Yoonji whipped her head up towards him, “The Mongolians are still taking humans?”

Jin shrugged, “This particular clan did. The Ganbolds are the oldest clan in Mongolia, as well as the most secluded. They’re.. Traditional, at least they claim to be. Anyway, they were fighting with a small vampire village on the border of their shared territory. It took a few days to get there, and even longer to mediate a compromise. I couldn’t even get a decent amount of animal blood.”

Yoonji furrowed her eyebrows, “Were the Ganbolds not sharing blood? Did none of the other elders have any blood to spare? I know for a fact that Na and Suh have a stash they bring everywhere with them.”

“Please, Na and Suh have made it well known how much they dislike my side of the Kim clan,” he answers. “The Gandbolds were not having the best season, to say the least. They had to ration whatever supply they had. I could survive with a little bit of blood. Also I’d set myself on fire before I asked any of those old bats for any form of help. When we came back I booked a couple donors, but when I had showed up they refused to let me in. Apparently Choi, Suh, and Lee have banned me from the donor wing because of the little binge I had.”

“How much is a little binge,” Jimin asked.

“It was three,” Seokjin answered. “It wasn’t even a lot. I’ve heard of Lee drinking from at least five donors at times when he feeds, just because he can. They said ‘Kim, your gluttony is unbecoming of a council member. You are now banned for a fortnight.’” The elder vampire could feel his tension returning, he took a couple of calming breaths, just like Jimin taught him. “I texted Jaeyoung to have a case ready for me. I knew I needed blood for the both of us. He didn’t answer me within the hour like he usually does. So, I decided to walk for a bit while I waited for him to respond. I was taking the long way, cutting through the trail by the park. All of the sudden I got the smell of blood. I ignored it at first, but it got sweeter the farther I walked up the trail. I thought it was a deer, or a fox… but it was him. The man had fallen… scraped his knee. He looked up at me, and he smiled.”

Seokjin swallowed the lump that was growing in his throat. Jimin scooted closer to him, molding himself to fit onto Jin’s side, Yoonji followed his lead. Jin readjusted himself, he pulled Jimin’s legs onto his right leg, and Yoonji onto his left leg. They were practically sitting on him, and the pressure felt relieving. “I was just trying to help him up. But the smell of blood… was too much. I blacked out for a second, when I came to we were full of blood. I freaked out. I couldn’t leave him there, so I brought him home and now we’re here. I didn’t mean to feed on him. I didn’t mean to attack him. I..” The vampire let out the sob that he was holding, “I never wanted to hurt him. I felt disgusted by how much his blood affected me.”

Yoonji reached up and dried his tears with the cuff of her soft cardigan, “I know Jinnie, you’d never hurt anyone.” She gently caressed the side of his face to comfort him, taking in how much regret he was feeling. Jimin stood up hastily, Jin furrowed his brow in worry. “Min, what’s wrong?” The young witch began to pace, murmuring to himself, “Breathe, two, three. Out, two, three.” He repeated this four times.

Seokjin gently removed Yoonji’s lower body from their current position, and he approached his younger roommate. “Hey, Min, I know you’re worried and I-” Jimin paused, visibly collecting himself, “I- fuck. Jin, I knew him.”

The vampire visibly tensed, “You knew him. Fuck, Min, I’m sorry. I.. I didn’t mean it. I swear. It was an accident, I swear Min.” Seokjin could feel a tingling sensation on his nose, he started to feel his face heat up as well as his ears. His breaths became shorter and he was struggling to take deep breaths. Jin could feel his chest tightening, and his head got lighter. He could barely hear Yoonji and Jimin trying to calm him down. Seokjin could hear the witch searching through his jars for anything that could help him calm down.

“Jinnie,” Yoonji whispered, “Tell me five things you see.”

“What,” he mumbled.

“Tell me five things you see,” she repeated.

“Uh, Jimin’s vine plant.”

“Good, what else?”

“Your fuzzy red polka dot socks.”

“Good job Jinnie, what else, “his friend asked.

“Jimin’s sunset lamp, my black hoodie that I’ve been looking for, and Min’s overflowing bookcase,” he answered.

“Okay, tell me four things you smell,” Yoonji said.

“I..uh..smell,” he paused and took deep breaths. “I smell your Eucalyptus body wash, Min’s peach deep conditioner, Y/n’s chocoflan, and burnt candles.”

“Three things you can hear,” Yoonji continued.

“I can hear Y/n’s heartbeat on the other side of the hall, I hear the ‘Alexa’ speaker still playing in the kitchen, and I hear Jimin’s boots,” he responds.

“Two things you can feel.”

“I can feel… my black trousers, and Min’s wooden floor.”

“One thing you can taste.”

“I can taste lavender, from the calming candy Jimin gives me,” Seokjin mumbles.

Jimin comes back to Jin, lavender gummy in hand. “Hey,” the witch said, “Jinnie I’m not mad at you. Eat the gummy, once you’re calm we’ll talk.” The elder vampire nodded, chewing the gummy quickly.

Yoonji guides them back onto the loveseat, arranging him and their roommate back to their prior positions. She fixes Jimin’s legs to go across Jin’s lap, and adjusts herself across both of them. The younger vampire tucks herself under his chin, quietly humming Mrs. Kim’s lullaby.

When Seokjin wakes up again, his roommates are clinged to him. Jimin is humming a tune of his own, and Yoonji is tracing the tattoo on the witch’s arm. He closes his eyes, enjoying feeling cared for by his friends. The older vampire tries to stall talking about their predicament, but he knows Jimin is aware that he’s conscious.

“Jin,” Jimin says, “I’m not mad.” He sits up, looking straight at him. Seokjin actively avoids meeting his friend’s eyes, he refuses to see how much he’s hurt him. The witch sighs, “I’m not mad Jinnie, I was scared. Terrified.” Yoonji gestures for him to listen to what their younger roommate was saying. He nods for Jimin to continue, “Do you know how horrifying it was to see two of my friends covered in blood? I thought someone attacked you both.”

Jimin paused, taking a moment to find the right words to say. “When I saw the bite marks.. I knew that it was yours. I know that you didn’t mean to. I know that you’d never attack a human on purpose, but..,” he sighed. “But I was still angry. I know that to you, and Yoonji, he’s a stranger, but to me he’s Joonie. I meet him every Wednesday without fail. I’ve met his roommate. I’ve eaten dinner with them multiple times. His roommate, Hoseok, has commissioned work from me for personal use. I’ve been a part of his life for the last year. I’ve never told him about the magic, and spells, and all that supernatural part of my life. It was nice not having to worry about keeping myself protected from any form of hexes, peeping bugs, or befriending him without second thoughts that he was trying to learn about my family magic. I was just Jimin. When I saw him all bloodied and pale, it felt like my bubble burst.”

Their younger roommate hesitated, “I’m sorry for thinking that you would purposefully hurt anyone unprompted. I was so worried when you were growing closer to being feral.” Jimin sniffled, struggling to keep his tears in. Jin reached out to his friend. He takes a hold of Min’s smaller hand, intertwining his longer digits with his shorter ones. The gesture brings comfort to the witch, and he continues. “It’s one thing to have strangers come up to me with different afflictions, but it's another to see your loved ones in trouble. All I kept thinking about was, ‘What if Joon isn’t human?’ ‘What if Jinnie’s body doesn’t react well to the blood? What if a hunter saw you?’ I thought about a lot of ‘what if’s’. But seeing you hysterical with regret, and grief, I couldn’t stay upset at you. I’m sorry Jinnie.”

Seokjin pulls Jimin with a gentle hug, swaying just a bit as he rubs his back in comforting motions. Jin knows his younger friend is trying his hardest to keep it together. This evening hasn’t been the kindest to them, and he’ll hold no grudges towards the high emotions that ran. The elder vampire gives Jimin one final squeeze. As they’re pulling apart, without thinking, he leans in and plants a kiss on the crown of his friend's head. “It's okay Min, I understand.”

Jimin pulls the elder back into a hug, hiding his face on Jin’s chest. He can hear Min’s soft sobs, and feel the fresh tears falling on his skin. Jin pulls him in for a tighter hug, laying his head on top of his to further comfort his friend. They stayed wrapped in each other until Jimin had cried himself exhausted. The elder guided Jimin back onto the loveseat, tucking him into the corner with one of the many blankets the witch has stashed.

The elder vampires decide to take turns monitoring their roommates. Jimin and Y/n were still asleep, while Min’s friend was in the midst of the transition. Yoonji had to be the one to tell Seokjin about Joon’s condition. Jin was nothing short of horrified, not even when he was a young vampling had he accidentally released venom into a human. Animals, maybe, but it paralyzes them. He felt ashamed, completely unworthy of his family’s trust to represent them in the council. Jin knew how important it was to not only be a dutiful sire, but full consent of the transformation was something that was repeatedly brought up. Forever is a long time, no one knew that more than them.

Seokjin felt horrible taking away Namjoon’s choice. He knew he’d have to tell the man about their world; how they live, the council, who to avoid regarding blood, the sensitivity to everything around them. It would be overwhelming to the new fledgling, but he was determined to be the best sire he could be.

It’s around the early AM’s when the vampires decide they want to rest. Namjoon’s breathing had evened out, and he was no longer struggling, they felt they could step away to drink some O positive coffee. Yoonji had convinced Jin to change into his most comfortable clothes, dark joggers and the black hoodie in Min’s workroom. They worked together to get a small breakfast going. Jin made their coffees, while Yoonji made them toast; Jin’s with nutella and strawberries, Yoonji’s with butter and mixed berry jam. They make extra coffee in case Jimin wakes up soon, or gods forbid, Y/n wakes up.

The older roommates stood by their kitchen island, enjoying the quiet in their home. Seokjin took a long sip of his cup, “Did Jimin say how long it would be until his friend finished the transition?” Yoonji nodded as she chewed a large bite of toast, “He said it would take 48 hours, give or take.”

“That soon,” Seokjin murmured, “It usually takes a few days.”

“True, but Jimin said that since not only are you old as shit-”

“Hey!”

Yoonji chuckled, “You’re also an aristocratic born vampire, according to him that all factors into the potency of the venom.” Seokjin grimaced, “Who knew my amazing pedigree would be my downfall.” His best friend giggled a bit at that one, “Right, here I thought your lack of filter would be the one to take you out.” Jin guffawed at his younger friend, but joined in with her laughter.

In the midst of their carefree moment, they hear the clanking of bottles in Jimin’s workroom. Seokjin gestures for Yoonji to stay in the kitchen. If the new fledgling has finished his transformation he has to ensure his home, and the people in it are safe. The elder vampire carefully made his way into the hallway; he can hear three heart beats, and that instantly lowers his defenses. Jin knocks lightly on the door, opening it slightly, “Min, are you up?”

Seokjin was able to hear the rustling of a blanket being folded, and pillows being arranged. He hears Jimin’s steps being muffled by his piggy slippers, slightly sliding once he’s walking on the hardwood floor. The smell of Dragons Blood incense, and something muskier bleed out from the cracks. Jimin hurriedly squeezed himself out, carefully closing the door to his room. “Sorry, sorry, I had to clean up.” Min gestures for Jin to follow him towards the kitchen, waving at Yoonji as he walks in with Seokjin. She visibly released a sigh she was holding in, relieved it was their younger roommate making a ruckus so early in the morning.

The roommates finished the rest of their breakfast in silence. No one wanted to pop their little bubble of normalcy. They share their small spread, Jin refilling their drinks. For a moment he can pretend that he doesn’t have a fledgling in the other room. He can pretend that Y/n is sleeping in from how often she turns off her work alarms. They can pretend it’s a slow morning, but reality is never that forgiving. Yoonji is the first one to slightly perk up, she tells them she heard Y/n’s alarm go off and be turned off. Seokjin heard the muffled ‘fuck’ from their roommate’s room, he could also hear the slamming of drawers and the creaks of the closet door hinges. The three of them sat still as Y/n walked out of her room, carefully closing her door and entering the hallway bathroom.

Yoonji waited until they heard the shower start to say anything. “Min, I thought you said she would be passed out for the next day,” she hissed. Jimin looked at his roommates with just as much confusion, “She should’ve been knocked out until tomorrow, at the least. I already texted her boss that she had been sick all night. What are we going to do?”

The elder vampire vampire was scared shitless, to say the least. “What spell did you use,” Yoonji asked. Jimin furrowed his eyebrows, “It was the spell I use on Jungkook when he’s having one of his energy bursts. He’s a werewolf so it only lasts so long on him. Y/n is human, she should’ve stayed asleep for days.” Yoonji visibly grew tense, “She must be one of us. Maybe she has a charm or some form of glamor. I mean you used a spell for a fucking werewolf, she should’ve been sleeping like the dead.”

“That’s impossible,” Jimin answered. “I have powerful spells that remove any form of glamor; spells, potions, or charms. Y/n wouldn’t have been able to take a step across our doorstep if she had done any of that.”

As his roommates were trying to solve their current conundrum, Seokjin tried to go through the list of their kind that could have possibly bypassed the witch’s protection barriers. Every humanoid he thought of could easily be detected by Jimin’s spells, even the weakest of witches. “Have there been any humans that are probably immune to that form of magic,” the vampire asked.

“I’ve personally never seen it, maybe my granny or mom have, but they’ve never told me about it,” Jimin answered.

Seokjin thought back to his mother telling him stories about different creatures and humanoids. The only other of their kind that it could possibly be was a magic sensitive, but as far as his mother told him no one in their world considered them supernatural. “What about a magic sensitive?”

“Huh,” his roommates exclaimed.

“A magic sensitive, “Jin repeated, “It makes sense. Think about it, she’s easily bonded to Kookie, Y/n hasn’t had any form of reaction to Tae, and we all know how hard that is for humans.” Both his roommates nodded in agreement. “She’s mentioned seeing sprites around Jimin’s greenhouse, but he was able to make her think they looked like flies.”

“I remember that,” Jimin says, “I had to say they were fruit flies from my compost.”

Yoonji crosses her arms in thought, “Y/n is always able to find anything I lose, comes in handy when I essentially lose my house keys on the regular.”

“I think she has premonitions,” the witch adds. “She’s talked to me about some heavy deja-vu she’s had since moving here.”

Seokjin took in all the information, “Then she’s a magic sensitive. That’s the only logical explanation. She doesn’t have any form of power like Jimin does, and if she was some form of creature she wouldn’t be able to walk into our home unscathed.”

“What should we do,” the female vampire wondered aloud. Their normalcy was falling apart, and there was no way to stop it.

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chimcess · 9 months

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→ Chapter Three: Harboring a Fugitive Pairing: Jimin x Reader Other tags: Werewolf!Jimin, Witch!Reader, Shifter!Reader, Shifter!Jimin, A/B/O Dynamics, Alpha!Jimin Genre: Supernatural!AU, Werewolf!AU, Angst, Mutual Pining, Fluff, Smut, Word Count: 14.2k+ Synopsis: Within the four realms of Lustra lay the Bangtan forest home to the Foxglove pack of the south and known as the “land of magic.” It is also home to the Bridd, a powerful witch from a cursed bloodline who is one of the sacred guardians of the forest. Y/N is the newest Bridd, a young girl who was given her position too early. Now a woman, Y/N is revered amongst the wolves as the most powerful witch they have ever known, but hiding under the surface is a woman who has to battle between her duty and her heart. Warnings: Long haired Jimin, Strong language, blood, main character injured, main character beaten (not explicit), fighting, argument, near death experience, angst, fluff, backstory time, flashbacks, I’m putting PTSD on all of these because poor reader is suffering, I love Taehyung so much, I forgot how much I missed his playful attitude, brooding Jimin as always, crying, hurt/comfort, I hate Ahn, let me know if I missed anything A/N: This rewriting has been more fun than I thought it would be. I think the next chapter will have the most changes thus far, but I am still trying to keep everything as close as possible. Thanks for reading!

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I was awoken by rapid knocking at the front door. Cracking my eyes open, they burned in protest as I surveyed my surroundings. I had been changed and the blood was washed off of me, but I could not hear Yoongi anywhere in the house. Jimin must have left as well, but I could not remember when Yoongi arrived here. I was already too far gone to sleep. The knocking continued and I forced myself out of bed.

My body screamed in protest, and I limped to the living room. I heard Shiloh’s soft breathing inside of her nest and I frowned. She must have been exhausted from last night if the knocking did not wake her. Finally making it to the door, I opened it to one of the most pitiful sights I had seen in a long time.

My heart ached at the sight of Taehyung Kim. He looked worse for wear, his unruly hair tangled into matts that would take hours to brush out, and not a single piece of exposed skin was left tanned and untouched. He was purple and blue everywhere and I forced myself to stand up tall. I was so tired, but it would seem we both were. Ushering the boy inside, my heart broke when he started to sob.

I knew Ahn would do something to the sweet boy that wedged his way into my heart the second he stepped foot into my cottage. My rage simmered just below the surface, but I kept my mouth shut. Taehyung was in pain, both physical and emotional, and I would have to focus on his needs right now. In between his anguish he told me about what had happened.

After we left, Ahn pulled Taehyung into an isolated room at the palace where the beating began. Apparently, the old man believed he could beat the man into the boy, and I had to stop myself from screaming. Soon, three others from the council joined in on the fight. Taehyung said that there had been others who objected to what was happening, but none of them were brave enough to stand up against it either. Sol was taken away from him and he could hear her screaming the entire time.

“I’ve got your face,” I mumbled, reaching back into another jar of salve. I had used two on his face and neck alone. “Take off your clothes. I need to make sure nothing is infected.”

Taehyung nodded, still crying. I did not mind. I felt pity for the alpha. I was not surprised to find his body in just as bad of shape as the rest of him. I took great care not to stare for too long. I was not uncomfortable with his nakedness, but I was still aware that he was a man. Grip harsh, I started with his stomach. I let out a large, frustrated breath through my nose.

“I can’t believe this,” I grunted. “Why would you allow them to do this to you?”

Taehyung hissed in pain as I pressed too hard on a tender spot. I mumbled an apology.

“I did not want to fight,” He replied. “I do not want to rule with violence. I don’t like fighting or shouting. It’s… uncivilized.”

I laughed humorlessly. “So, they get to do as they please with you then? You’d let them kill you?”

He did not know what to say.

“If you ever want to be taken seriously-” I opened up another jar of salve and began rubbing it into his chest, “-this will never happen again. You know your definition of civility does not line up with the older generation in the village.”

Taehyung bit his lip and furrowed his eyebrows. He seemed upset by what I had said. He was such a naive boy, and I felt my eyes watering with anger. If Ahn were here right now, I would kill him myself. How dare he allow anybody to do this to a child let alone orchestrating an entire attack? I would be sure he knows just how unhappy I am with him if I had my way.

While I agreed with him, I knew that the others would have a difficult time swallowing that pill. Taehyung needs to fight if he wants to be seen as an equal. It is the only way to garner respect unless he wants to be compared to the others for the rest of his life. Chief Ahn would never allow that. Again, my anger spiked. Kim Taehyung was twice the man that miserable waste of oxygen could ever be. I knew Sol would cherish his mind and all at once I had an epiphany. No one else was more suited to rule Foxglove than the diplomatic, sensitive, and kind Kim boy.

“I understand you, truly,” I winced when he flinched away from my hands. “I’m sorry. What I mean is that you cannot allow them to push you around like trash.

“Their ideas of what makes a man are archaic at best and I think your village knows this, but fear is a powerful thing. Sometimes we will take the evil we know over the potential of change being worse. Ahn knows this and exploits it in order to parade around with his chest puffed like the loser he is.”

He looked at me strangely then, but I could not decipher what the expression meant. While his face was filled with life and never sat still, the alpha had a set of impenetrable eyes. Eyes that followed my every movement but gave nothing away. Taehyung seemed to consider his words carefully.

“I wanted to fight,” He whispered as though he was ashamed of himself. “I wanted to kill them all, but then they would win, right? I would be the man they wanted me to be, but the rest of the village would fear and resent me for it. The way they fear Ahn.”

His introspection was a surprise but not abnormally so. I had never heard him talk intellectually before, but it suited him nicely. His voice was deep but smooth like molasses that hummed a gentle tune with every word. He always sounded like he was singing, and it was such a juxtaposition from his boyish charm it was easy to forget he had turned 18 less than a month ago.

“Isn’t running away also letting them win?” I asked.

Taehyung sighed, “I had no choice. Ahn was attempting to rile up enough people in order to get someone, anyone, to challenge me for Sol. As far as I know no one was taking the bait, and it gave me enough time to sneak out. Jong-gyu helped get me out of the village while Eun-jin told our mother I was leaving.”

Somehow Taehyung always found a way to sneak his little family into every conversation, and his little siblings were the stars of his life. Jong-gyu was only eleven while Eun-jin had turned six in February. They were mischievous children and always got into trouble, but Taehyung loved them more than anything. Picturing the three of them making an escape plan so the oldest could get help shattered me to pieces.

I wiped my hands on my nightgown and stood. Taehyung was covered from head to toe in the salve, and already the marks were going away. It would take more than that to heal his bruised ribs. So, I went to the kitchen and looked around for a healing potion. I did not feel like making one at this hour and we both needed to get some rest.

“Why did you come here?” I asked, gently.

Taehyung sighed. “Because I knew you would help me.”

Again, my pity returned. While my blood boiled, my heart hurt for the alpha as well. I could imagine him hurt and abandoned, nowhere to turn to, and not being able to trust the local doctor. I found an old potion in the back of a cupboard. After quickly smelling it, I was sure it was still good to take.

“You can stay here as long as you need to,” I offered, handing him the potion. “Sol is my friend and I’m making it my job to keep you safe.”

Taehyung seemed at ease with this. Downing the potion, he curled up on the couch and closed his eyes. “Thank you, Bridd,”

I did not reply. Instead, I used my magic to bring him a few blankets and struck up the fireplace. He was weak and may not be able to regulate his body temperature as easily. It got cold in the living room at night. Seemingly satisfied with his place on my small, uncomfortable couch, Taehyung fell asleep within seconds.

I had never seen anything like it in all my life. Stifling my laughs, I began blowing out the candles around my house, and put away all the used tubs of salve. I would need to make more soon. Exhausted and still recovering from the ceremony, I drug myself back to bed. Shiloh was waiting for me when I arrived.

“How many times do I have to tell you to take your bedrest seriously?” The barn owl nagged.

I groaned and rolled into my bed. It was warm and soft. Shiloh flapped to her nest, a few feathers falling on my sheets that I ignored. I had gotten used to the constant cleaning many years ago.

“It was Taehyung,” I argued.

“I don’t care if it was Fenrir at the door, you better stay your-”

“Shiloh,” I warned, “Swîgian âstillian.”

The bird grumbled to herself, but I was too far gone to pay attention.

Someone was knocking on my front door. Groggy and still stiff, I groaned and rolled on my side. I could hear voices outside, none of them sounding happy, but I heard someone calling for Taehyung and my temper flared. Angry and sore, I used magic to lift myself out of bed and threw on my robe. I saw Taehyung curled up in a ball in front of the sofa. He did not notice me until I was standing in front of the door.

Shiloh was shouting at me to get back in bed, to let the wolves handle their own business, but I ignored her. When they decide to take their politics to my doorstep, I have every right to give them a piece of my mind. Squaring my shoulders, I took a deep breath before forcing my arms forward.

My front door flew off its hinges and into whoever was standing behind it. Namjoon was unfazed by this and slapped the thick wood out of his way. I could see the shock in his eyes, but I was not finished with my assault. I began to sing, a whirlwind of objects floating around the room. Namjoon backed away but this only pissed me off more. Shiloh shouted as a large, hot, blue flame sprouted from the palm of my hand and flew at the wolf.

“Hwæt−hwugu ðrîstian êow?” I shouted, everything dropped once my singing stopped. “Who the hell do you think you are?”

Hoseok and Jimin stood on either side of their brother. I knew I would regret attacking them eventually, possibly the moment they left, but I would not let myself falter. No one was going to come here and intimidate me. The rational side of my brain told me to stop, breathe, and listen to what they had to say, but the other (louder) voice wanted to break them into pieces. Taehyung was broken and bleeding last night and yet none of these people helped them.

“Bridd-” Hoseok pled.

Ignoring him, I kept my gaze perfectly trained on Namjoon. He stared at the large, ashen spot at his feet as I stared at him. My face burned with anger, and I felt another surge of magic rush through my body. A dull ache began to form in my back, and I knew I was bleeding again. I had used too much magic, and my body was having a hard time healing.

“Sê ðafian êower m¯ægð teohhian êower weorðfulnes?” I roared, eyes burning. “Sol chose him. The Gods chose him! Do you all somehow believe you to be superior to them now? Are you all that blinded by your precious Chief's biases that you would allow for this to happen?”

Namjoon swallowed thickly before finally looking at me, “Of course not. I-”

“You listen to me,” I sneered. “If you ever get the gull to come bang on my door again, I swear to you, I will not show you the same mercy.”

Namjoon stuttered over his words, unable to form a proper sentence. I could feel myself growing tired again and the red in my vision was dissipating. Shiloh was still shouting at me to come inside, to let Taehyung handle this himself, but I could not let him stand here alone. No one else was here to help them if the three men decided to attack and I would never forgive myself for leaving the boy defenseless. I stood tall but visibly more relaxed.

“We’re here to speak with Taehyung,” Hoseok pleaded. “I swear we have no intentions to fight with you or him. Namjoon needs to relay a message.”

I opened my mouth to speak, but a voice from behind me beat me to it.

“I’m fine, Bridd,” Taehyung said. The alpha looked at the others but stayed safely behind me. “What’s the word?”

“Don’t be angry with me, cousin,” Namjoon started, stepping towards us.

Instinctively, I got into a defensive position. Namjoon stopped walking and held his hands up in surrender while Hoseok flanked him. Jimin was still standing perfectly still, his eyes on me, and I wondered if he was thinking of a way to get at me if need be. If I was thinking rationally then I would understand why, but in my elevated state it only served to hurt my feelings.

“I have challenged you,” Namjoon continued and all thoughts of Jimin left my mind.

“Quare?” Taehyung’s tone was incredulous, and I could hear the betrayal that coated his tongue. “What have I ever done to you?”

Namjoon seemed to soften but I felt my muscles clench as I readied myself to defend the boy in response. No one was going to hurt him. Sol was my good friend and I refused to let harm come to her mate. I would sooner drop dead before I allowed someone like Ahn to destroy the lives of a group of people because of his complexes. I knew Namjoon well enough to know that he would try to play both sides if it meant keeping the peace within the village. I did not respect that- not at all.

“So no one else would,” Namjoon willed Taehyung to believe him. “We are trying to buy time to come up with a plan, Taehyung. I swear, I have no intention of fighting with you.”

“Putasne me stultum esse?” Taehyung hissed and I could feel his body heating up. “Sol a me auferre conaris!”

Namjoon blanched. I was proud of the young wolf, and I had to admit that I agreed with him. Namjoon was so proud of the fact that Sol would be his mate that I had a difficult time believing the challenge was only for Taehyung’s benefit. Looking at the other two wolves it was clear to me that they also did not believe the eldest man.

“I do not want to hurt you, Taehyung,” Namjoon plead but I could see his growing agitation. He did not like the way he was being spoken to. “I mean what I say even if you are too dense to understand that.”

Taehyung growled, and I had to steady my racing heart. I would have to protect him inside. Namjoon would have the advantage of leaving, and I was vulnerable to the sun’s rays if he decided to extort that. Still, I positioned my hands defensively. Taehyung was done talking and both Hoseok and Namjoon waited for his next move.

Suddenly, Shiloh flew out of the house and screeched loudly. Everything happened quickly. First, Shiloh was barreling towards Namjoon and then a wolf was standing in his place. I knew it was an accident, and Taehyung was only trying to protect me, however, his massive frame surged me forward. I was in the sun before I could save myself, and soon my face slammed into my front steps and the sun beamed on my back. My ankle burned as the metal cut through.

My skin burned immediately, and I could not help the tortured screams that flew out of my mouth. Unfocused eyes trained on Shiloh and saw her turn towards me before a large, russet wolf shoved her out of the way with his nose. I felt many hands on me, and I was dragged back inside. My body trembled as I screamed. Every inch of my skin was on fire, and I closed my eyes only to see white. It felt like someone was tearing me apart. All around me I heard screaming and shouting.

“Quid irrumabo facimus?” Hoseok shouted.

“Nescio,” It sounded like Taehyung was crying.

My eyes rolled to the back of my head, and I could not think straight. The pain was numbing. Opening my eyes again, I saw my ceiling and raised one of my shaking hands. Black feathers had pierced through the skin, and I cried out once more.

“Recedite ab ea!” Someone screamed but I could not make out who.

“Licuitne futura est?”

I knew something was happening a few feet away but all I could focus on was the fire in my body. I knew this would subside eventually on its own, I had not been in the sun long enough for the full transformation to take place, but I had something that could help. I just needed to gather the strength to get it. I opened my mouth to speak but could only scream.

“It burns,” I managed to grunt, convulsing.

I could feel hands on me, but I could not get my eyes to focus. Sleep would be impossible now and I knew my body was in the worst shape it had ever been. Between the ceremony, the small amount of magic I used, and the sun I would be out of service for an entire week at this rate. Possibly even more.

“Move,” I heard Shiloh’s voice through the rest of the nonsense going on around me.

Looking through my lashes, instead of an owl there was a beautiful woman before me. Her fiery hair glistened in the sun and looked like it was underwater. Her skin had a dim glow to it and shimmered brightly. She looked like diamonds, and I reached out to touch her. The spirit had tears in her eyes, the water shining brilliantly, before she caressed my hand.

“Slêpte,” She whispered, fingers grazing my arm.

Instantly, I felt the relief I had been begging for wash over me. Sighing in relief, I closed my eyes and curled closely to Shiloh’s side. I felt her fingers running through my hair and the exhaustion hit me all at once. I could hear growls and snarls, but the frantic talking was much louder. Someone was crying but I was too tired to figure out who it was.

“I’m going to put you to bed,” She whispered. “Where you belong.”

When I woke, I could smell food cooking. I was in my bed, my memory faded and hard to recall, but I knew Shiloh had been in her spirit form. It was what she wished to look like in her next life, and I secretly thought she would be extremely beautiful. Rubbing my eyes, I could not remember the alphas leaving and knew I needed to get up. My body screamed in protest as I sat up, but I pushed forward. No one was going to harm the boy- not while I still had air in my lungs, and I could only hope that he was alive and well in my living room.

Upon entering the kitchen, I had to grasp my door frame for support. The stove was lit, I could smell the applewood, and one of my large pots was on top of it. The rest of the room was clean. Far cleaner than I ever left it. Someone had mopped and swept by hand. I could smell the lemons they used on the wood mingling with the strong scent of onions.

“You should be in bed.”

I jumped up. Whipping my head around, Jimin was sitting in my recliner across the room. Taehyung was staring at me from in front of the fireplace. Neither Hoseok nor Namjoon were there. I could not feel or smell my familiar’s presence either, and I had a pang of fear shoot through me.

“Where’s Shiloh?” I demanded, stumbling forward and grabbing on my island.

Taehyung stood up and came toward me quickly.

“Please, don’t push yourself, Bridd,” He said softly.

The alpha led me to the small loveseat that was tucked away and helped me to sit down. Jimin stood and covered me with one of my spare blankets before taking the seat next to me. He must have gone digging around while I was asleep. Sparing a glance at my hands, all of the feathers were replaced by nasty scars that were already lighter than the surrounding skin, like they had been there for years, and I felt sad looking at them. I could only imagine the state the rest of my body was in. It seemed like Jimin sensed my mood and placed his hand over mine.

“She stepped out for a while,” His voice hoarse like he had been screaming.

I had been angry with him; I remember vividly I thought of him and Namjoon as one entity here to hurt Taehyung but being in front of him now it had all but vanished. There was no way Park Jimin would ever be fine with what had happened. Nor would Hoseok or Namjoon. Even thinking of him I found myself hurting for him. I could only imagine how he had felt after everything had happened. I did not think anyone could have prepared for that amount of shock. However, gazing at Taehyung, most of my sympathy stopped there. Namjoon was still acting like some know-it-all, high who was high and mighty for what he had done. If Taehyung did not believe his intentions were good, then neither would I.

“Is everyone alright?” I asked.

Jimin hummed, “Everyone but you. Namjoon and I got into a fight before he left but he’ll be fine.”

I scowled at Jimin. “I don’t like the idea of you fighting.”

He grinned, “Don’t worry, amica. I won.”

“Doesn’t change my feelings.” I grumbled and looked at Taehyung.

He seemed confused. While most of his face was perfectly schooled, his eyes told a different story. As they bounced back and forth between Jimin and I, I could see confusion turn into something… other. Almost, acceptance. Strange, I thought. I did not think about it too much. My affection for Jimin was likely apparent, and stronger, than that of the other alphas. The boy was probably trying to get used to it. Then he winked at me, and I looked away,

Was it possible that he had caught onto my feelings? Had I sized him up too quickly? I knew he was mischievous and carefree, but I also knew he was very aware of others. When he had spoken so passionately about being what a good ruler was, I had gotten that impression as well as his own naivety. However, my troubles were quickly dismissed as I looked into Jimin’s eyes. It was impossible to stress when he was around.

“If it is alright with you then I would like to stay here until Taehyung decides what to do,” My eyebrows shot up.

“What for?” I replied.

“I’m sorry for pushing you,” Taehyung butted in. “I didn’t realize you were standing so close, and I was overwhelmed.”

I shook my head and assured him an apology was unnecessary, “I’m serious, Taehyung, it wasn’t your fault.”

“Yeah,” He scoffed, “You’re covered in scars because of my actions, and now my cousin is angry with all of us because of the fight. Hoseok said it was best if we stayed away from the village for a while. We can’t go back home.”

This was not surprising, at least, not to me. I did not plan on Taehyung leaving my cottage for a while, but Jimin’s own exile was either completely self-inflicted, or a way for Hoseok to calm Namjoon down before he made any other rash decisions. Like challenging Taehyung. Even if he claimed it was only to stop others from doing so, I could understand why his little cousin would be offended by his complete lack of faith in him. A challenge did not sound like a great way to get others on Taehyung’s side and would only make the boy’s stress raise.

“I found the letter that your friend sent you in your coat pocket,” Jimin suddenly said.

Confused, I frowned. I knew he was trying to change the subject, but I had no clue what he was talking about. Racking my brain, I found myself at a loss before the lightbulb went off.

“Wendy!” I exclaimed.

Going to stand, Jimin gently grabbed my arm. He looked bashful and unsure of himself. I was just like the last time he had been here, only it felt different. He almost looked… afraid to tell me what he had read. My breath quickening, I pulled my arm out of his grasp.

“What did it say?” I asked, wearily.

When I got no response, I lifted myself up and ignored the two men. I hobbled to my coat rack. However, strong arms wrapped around me before I made it a foot away from the sofa.

“Taehyung,” I threatened. “Put me down. Now.”

“Sit. You’re hurt.” He pleaded and walked me back over to the living space.

Frustrated and anxious, I turned my head and bit the side of his arm. The wolf yelped before letting go of my waist. I stumbled, wobbled over, before landing on my ass.

“This is ridiculous,” I complained, slowly lifting myself up. I ignored Taehyung’s outstretched hands. “You come to my home, go through my things, and then not allow me to read my own letter? She’s my friend! If it’s important I ought to know.”

Jimin sighed, frustrated. I refused to back down and continued to stand despite the slight sway I was fighting. Taehyung had given me some space, which I appreciated, but was close enough to catch me if I fell down again. The older alpha and I had a stare off.

Finally, after a few minutes of silence, Jimin spoke, “If you had more patience, I could have given it to you. It’s in my pocket.”

“If you had just said that instead of looking at me like an idiot-” I countered, limping back to the sofa, “-then I couldn’t have gotten up.”

The alpha glared at me but said nothing more. Snatching the paper from his hands, I made myself comfortable in my spot. Taehyung came closer, a weary look on his face. An apology was in order, but I fought with my own pride to give it. He picked me up without consent and so I bit him. End of discussion. Still, the need to tell him I was sorry was strong.

I’m happy to hear you are feeling better. However, I’m sure by the time this reaches you the Luna’s ceremony would have taken place and you’ll be back in bed again. I’ve always marveled at how powerful you are and yet so fragile. My mother thinks it was the way the Gods meant for it to be. You’d be far too much if you had all of your abilities and the same willpower as any other witch. In other words, good luck and I hope you have a fast recovery.

My sister has decided to marry a man by the name of Bastian. I am very happy for her, and I know Nixie will make a good wife- even if their children will be raised as humans rather than witches. Apparently, Bastian’s family is against magic and Nixie is unbothered by it. She was always rather bad at it, so I can guess why she has no issue giving it up. The entire time I have been here I’ve been barred from playing around. Nixie is very strict when she wants to be. They are very in love, and I am happy for her.

This trip, however, had made me think of my own life more than I thought it would. Y/N, would you hate me if I told you I was considering staying here? My time in Northorn has opened my world to many possibilities. Then I think of you, Yoongi, and Seokjin and the thought repulses me. Oh, I love him. I love Seokjin. I want him to be with me and yet… my eyes still wander. Is that wrong? I know you understand me more than anyone else. Have you ever thought about telling him how you feel or is it too scary? Because I’m scared, Bridd. I’ve hurt him too much.

I should stay here, right? Spare both him and Yoongi the heart ache. God knows I’ve put too much of a strain on their relationship already. From what I hear, they’re already back to being friends since I’ve kept away. Yes, I think I will stay here.

Please help me. Do something for me. I’m confused and unsure of myself. Nixie says I’m overthinking everything, but I know you will be more honest. Sending you all of my heart- at least what is left of it.

Your dearest friend,

Wendy

Rereading the letter over again, I felt my heart sink. Shiloh must have decided to go and see her after finding out. I mentally thanked her and immediately went to fetch a pen and paper. Neither wolf tried to stop me.

It made sense now why Jimin would hesitate to talk with me about the letter. He had never, as far as I know, met Wendy. It must have been confusing to read through. I remembered her line about me understanding her and my stomach sank. That must have been a strange thing to read about, too. I cursed under my breath before I began to write.

Wendy, darling,

I am fine. There is a lot happening in Bangtan at the moment, most of which I hardly understand, and it has taken its toll on me. Between the ceremony and now I haven’t one moment of peace. I do hope you can help me relax once you return. I know you will.

Forget about those two fools and remember why you have stayed here all this time: your mother, the sisterhood, your coven, and the forest. Who else can tame a magindara like you? No one. Who can purify the sea and sing with the shore like you? No one. Do not let petty, childish things stop you from enjoying your life. You will always have me, and I will forever be there. I’m happy for Nixie! Her engagement is splendid news and I wish I could be there with her.

However, life has chosen a different path for me just as it has chosen one for you. I am frightened, Wendy. Every day I am scared of what it will bring, but I do not let that stop me from enjoying the sunshine. I love the flowers, the trees, and the winds that ripple through them. Aldara used to tell me, “Fear reminds us that we’re alive, and without it many would surely be dead.” So, don’t kill yourself off just yet, darling. Keep swimming and come home. Talk to Seokjin and he will understand. Yoongi has no ill will toward either one of you. Let go of your fantasies and stay rooted in the reality of your heart.

You have made many mistakes in this life, but who hasn’t? I do think that we can salvage our friendships if nothing else, and if you truly want to be with Jin, then I would say try to win him over. He has spent many years running behind you while your sights were set on someone who did not see you very clearly. I want our circle back together again, but I want all of you happy within that circle. So go for it. Even if I am afraid, you do not have to be. See you soon.

Missing you greatly,

My body was beginning to loosen, and the pain was becoming bearable. Satisfied with my response, I waved it in the air to make it dry faster as I rummaged through my drawers for an envelope. I could only hope I could muster the strength to send it off. If Shiloh were here, she would have gone off herself or asked one of the boys, but I was on my own now. Alone and in desperate need to get this damn letter to Wendy. Shuffling to my ceremonial bag laying by the front door, I sifted through it until I found my meteor powder.

I knew I was taking a risk with this sort of thing, but I had to be willing to risk it if it meant I could change Wendy’s mind. I was already hours behind. Without a second more to lose, I gathered up a piece of parchment and a pen to begin drawing. Remembering Wendy’s face was simple enough, years of drawing and perfecting using the powder making it almost easy to do, but I still felt uneasy. My heart would not rest until I received word back or the sea witch showed up at my door.

Praying that I got every soft feature right, I contemplated adding color but quickly dismissed the idea. It would not really make any difference and I was not sure if her hair was dark or light anymore. Wendy often went through fazes with that sort of thing. Laying the paper on the floor, I said her name for good measure, and threw the powder on top of it. Less than a second later, the paper was gone, and I sighed.

“Hope she got it,” I mumbled to myself.

It was Taehyung who broke my trance.

“That was so cool!” He exclaimed.

I chuckled, “Not as cool as my own magic, but it’ll have to do. I can hardly feel anything in my body.”

Walking back to the couch, I curled up beside Jimin. He looked worried again and I realized I had messed up. Admitting that I was weak and tired would only make him drag me back to bed. Readily myself for another spat, I squared my shoulders and looked at him.

“She seemed upset,” He said instead. “I had not realized your friends were involved in that way.”

I hid my surprise well. It did make sense for Jimin to worry about others, I had just never imagined he would take my friend’s hardships so seriously. Looking away, I nodded.

“It’s been a thing since we were children. Don’t worry too much, she will come back, and they will be together. It’s their never-ending cycle.”

“Why aren’t they now?” It was Taehyung who asked.

“Because,” I sighed, “they don’t truly know what they want.”

Jimin fixed me a bowl of the cabbage stew he had made for us. It was rather plain but filling and lulled me into an unsettled sleep on the small couch. I could vaguely remember waking up shouting, but for the life of me I could not recall the dream that had frightened me so. It was Jimin who brought me to my bed after that and I did not wake up again. Not even when I shifted after sunset.

Taehyung was a nice company to have around. He took good care of his things, cleaned up after himself, and was useful. I had stopped sending supplies to Foxglove, something that neither Taehyung or Jimin agreed with, but it did not change my mind. They did not deserve my help if this is what they were going to do with it. No one had come to collect anything either, so I assumed they were boycotting my services indefinitely, or no one felt comfortable enough to come here with the wolves present.

Wendy had written to me the following morning confirming she was coming back. She had even written to Jin. While I did not know what she had said I could take a few guesses. It was only a matter of time before Seokjin told me all about it. He was the worst at keeping secrets.

Taking a deep breath, I opened my eyes and stared at my altar. My magic had come back a few days ago and I had been allowing it to rest. Today was the first time I had performed a ritual spell in days. Looking over my shoulder, I smiled gently at Jimin napping on my sofa.

While we had not spoken much since that night, he was doing his best to help Taehyung make a plan to win over the town. While I thought it was foolish to think he could do such a thing without a fight, I believed in them enough to support it. Jimin was a beloved figure of the community and having him on Taehyung’s side greatly increased his odds. I knew the pack was feeling both of their absences and I hoped Namjoon would show his face here again. We had much to discuss and I wanted to apologize for my loud outburst. No matter what anyone else had to say I placed much of that terrible encounter on my own shoulders.

“What’s a cah-dee-jo?” Taehyung asked, obnoxiously loud.

“A cadejo-” I corrected, rolling my eyes, “-are spirits that help worthy travelers find their way.”

Taehyung raised an eyebrow. “And if they’re not worthy?”

“They’ll eat them,” I replied easily.

The alpha had been interested in my books after finding something I had written about the magindara when I was a kid. He was going through them so quickly, I was having to go to the cellar to get new material for him. As naive as he was, Taehyung Kim was a bright young man with a vivid imagination. He always asked questions, never settled for one answer, and listened carefully.

“Why?” He asked.

“Why not?”

He said nothing after that and went back to reading. I had started growing fonder of the man and hoped he was able to go back home. When he spoke of his siblings his eyes lit up and it broke my heart. His parents must be worried sick.

Having spent most of my morning sitting, I decided to make lunch. I was expecting Shiloh to be back later today. Wendy said my familiar had gotten to her inn just before she sent off her letter, so I knew the owl was safe. Thinking about her I grew emotional. Exposing her spirit form was extremely dangerous, a risk I would never have asked her to take, and she had done it regardless.

Going to my kitchen window, I whistled loudly and began pulling out a pot and pan. Tomato soup sounded lovely and I could always make a quick loaf of bread. A few minutes later, Delinah was at my window. Looking up from the onion I was dicing, I grinning at the deer.

“Morning, Dee,” I greeted.

She bowed her head. “Glad to see you moving around. You gave us all a fright.”

I hummed, scooping the onions and throwing them into the pot along with three whole heads of garlic, some fresh herbs, and oil. In the corner of my eye I saw Jimin beginning to stir on my sewing chair.

“I’m good as new,” I joked, using a spell to light my stove. “Would you mind fetching some tomatoes from Seokjin’s garden? I’d ask Shiloh but she’s out of the forest for the day.”

“Where’d she head off to?” Delinah asked, pulling the cloth tote I kept on the windowsill into her mouth.

“Northorn,” I replied.

“Northorn? What’s so important in that miserable place?”

I laughed, placing my knife down to help my friend get the tote around her neck. Delinah nuzzled my hands. Giving her a quick pat on the head, I promised her carrots when she got back.

“And to answer your question,” I walked back to the counter. “Wendy is attempting to run away so she’s bringing her back.”

She laughed, “Oh, that Wendy Byrd. You never know what you’re going to get with that one.”

“But we love her.”

Jimin was up and walking around right after Delinah left. Taehyung was still head-first in my magical beasts book. I took over my try of onions and garlic and let them begin roasting over the open flame of the stove. The tomatoes would not take long to char. I could hear the two men talking quietly but decided to play them no mind. It was hard to have privacy in this house as it was.

Delinah was back quickly and I sent her off with a bundle of carrots. After roasting the tomatoes, I used my pestle and mortar to blend everything together. Working in small batches, I took my time to be sure everything was smooth before throwing it into the pot I had taken out.

“Bridd,” Taehyung called out. “Can I get your opinion on something?”

I nodded, “Ask away.”

“I want to write a letter to Namjoon but I’m not sure how he’d take that.”

I paused for a moment to think. While it might be a wise idea to test the waters with a note of some kind, I was also not foolish enough to think he would be able to deliver something to the village at this time. People were looking for him and to show his face might lead to more speculation. However, he had to do something before the elders made a decision as to what to do with him.

Namjoon had officially challenged him and only revoking that, which would terminate the fight, would be his best option. I had full faith in Taehyung’s ability to defend himself if he truly wanted, but his personality would make it hard for him to commit to a brawl. Namjoon would win just from his determination alone, if it came down to that, but I had a difficult time believing it would. The only way for Namjoon to win would be killing Taehyung in exchange for Sol and he would never bring himself to do that.

“I don’t think that would help much,” I admitted. “You are aware of Ahn and his tricks. I don’t believe a letter would arrive to him if you wrote one or not.”

I heard his sigh of defeat and felt saddened. I empathize with the alpha’s situation. I knew he was preparing himself to fight his older cousin, possibly kill the man, and no one was pleased by this. In my younger years, Aldara enjoyed teaching me defensive magic but I could never strike her back. It was not until that night I truly saw what I could be capable of if left to my own devices. I shuddered at the thought. I would not wish that on anybody- especially Taehyung Kim. Mixing the soup, I spoke.

“I’m sorry it has to be this way.”

“Me too,” He replied.

The three of us ate our lunch in silence. Jimin had been more quiet than usual and I knew his brain was on overdrive. He had also been away from his family, his pack, and his home for three days without an end in sight. I knew how hard the silence could be and even then I had been quieter. Still, it must be hard on him. It was a wolf’s nature to be with his family.

Taehyung did not ask anything after that. The rest of the day, he sat on the floor near the fireplace and read book after book while Jimin looked out of the windows and wrote down in a journal I had given to him when he asked. They never went outside. I managed to do a few chores, practiced some new spells, and wrote in my grimoire, but nothing else had struck an interest in me. The tension in the house was suffocating. It was not until Shiloh returned at sunset that the house stirred.

In a whirlwind, the barn owl flew through my bedroom window, her loud voice bouncing off the walls. Carelessly I threw my pen down onto my grimoire. Black ink smeared into the pages ruining all of my hard work, but I did not care. She was back and I could breathe a bit easier then. I knew Shiloh would have an answer. She always knew what to do.

“Between those wolves and you witches,” She complained, “I’ll never, ever catch a break.”

“Oh, Shiloh,” I cooed, opening my arms to her.

My familiar raced into my waiting embrace and let herself be babied. I pet her head and smoothed her feathers down gently. The owl leaned into my touches with joy. I could not remember the last time I had smiled so widely since she had gone.

“You’re so strong and mighty, little one. I missed you dearly.”

She laughed, “I’m so happy to see you up and walking around.”

“Where’s Wendy?” I asked, letting her go.

Shiloh flew into the kitchen and I followed behind her. She must be exhausted after the long journey. She pecked at the bread from lunch and made note of the wolves in the living room. Pleased that they were still here, Shiloh told me how much she liked Taehyung before giving up any other information. I chuckled at her antics.

“She’ll be back after her sister’s wedding.”

“Oh, wonderful!” I clapped my hands together in delight.

“Another pain in my ass,” She mumbled.

And I laughed, and laughed, and laughed.

It was always an adjustment when you first transform, I found. Even after all this time I was slightly disoriented after the whole ordeal. The first night Taehyung had been here, he had almost broken my bedroom door down trying to see if I was alright. If Jimin had not reassured him, I was sure he would have been traumatized by the scene. It was the fourth night now, and Taehyung slept peacefully through my screams. Shiloh had gone to bed extra early. Jimin was the only person still awake when I flew through the kitchen window.

He was still dressed in the same clothes he had been wearing for days. I hand washed everything twice but he insisted on keeping them. I had made clothes for Taehyung and was a bit upset at Jimin’s rejection. However, I never brought it up again. I simply washed them and used magic to get them dry.

Tonight, however, he had taken off the long cape he usually wore. His socks and shoes were also somewhere else and I noticed his belt was also missing. He wore his hair down, the silver strands sitting at his waist, and I saw a simple headband keeping his bangs out of his eyes. He was sitting at the kitchen island staring at whatever he had been writing. I decided to go to him.

“Hello,” He offered, a smile that did not meet his eyes thrown my way.

He looked tired, more so than usual, and worn. Taehyung snored loudly on the floor and rolled over. Jimin did not bat an eyelash and continued looking at the papers. I hopped closer and twisted my head to look at them. The alpha did not try to stop me. It was difficult to make out everything as the ink was smudged and worn, but I recognized the handwriting from anywhere.

I realized it was the paper I had used when I had visited him a few weeks ago. I felt myself growing emotional. He had kept it… something so inconsequential and yet he had kept it. Apparently, he even walked around with it. My heart grew fonder with every encounter we shared, and I found I could not breathe properly.

I’m feeling better.

Not if it’s something you like.

I love blueberries.

You did nothing wrong, Alpha. I promise.

“It brings me comfort,” Jimin whispered. “Knowing that you’re out there.”

Turning to look at him, I found him crying. The moonlight illuminated his delicate face and the tears that ran down his cheeks. For the first time since I have known Jimin, I felt sure of myself. Drawing near, I gently flapped my wings and landed in his lap. Clicking, I rubbed my face on his stomach and allowed the warmth within me to shine. He kept it.

Jimin grabbed me and held me tightly as he wept. What his sorrows were for, I was not sure, but I had to guess it was something to do with this situation. Whatever the case may be, I melted into his touch. He was always so open with me like this. I wished he would hold me tightly as a woman, too. I knew I was beginning to grow greedy but did not care anymore. He had kept that stupid piece of parchment and I was completely done attempting to care about customs or the opinions of others.

“I don’t know what to do,” He whimpered. “I understand them both, know that neither one of them are happy with the way they left things, but I can’t do anything about it.

“I don’t want to leave Taehyung, but I don’t want to watch my friends kill each other over a miscommunication.”

And as mad as I was at Namjoon, as badly as I wanted to throw him against a wall and scream in his face for playing into the game the others were creating, I could not say I wanted him dead. We were friends after all. Even after our spat the other morning I could call him that freely. I knew something had to give sooner or later.

The alpha only allowed himself two minutes to cry. After that, he apologized to me profusely before gently setting me back down on the island. Wiping his face aggressively, he excused himself before leaving the cottage entirely. I wanted to go after him but thought he might need the space and time to think. Looking down at the paper at my feet, I felt something shift inside of me.

So what if a letter is offensive? They beat Taehyung to a bloody pulp, exiled him, and made his family think he needed to be challenged in order to keep the pack in order. If a simple letter would be the thing to set them off then I would happily be the bad guy. Knowing that I was more than likely making an awful choice, that the chances of someone else getting their hands on Namjoon’s letter were high, I still had to try. I would never see Jimin cry like that again. My mind made up, I gathered up some paper and an ink jar and began to write.

“Y/N,” Auntie whispered, her fingers running through my hair.

The sun had just begun to rise, the sky was still purple, and I struggled to open my eyes. Stirring, I moaned and rubbed my face. My eyes continued drooping closed and I yawned loudly.

Aldara chuckled, “Wake up, sleepy head. I want to make breakfast together.”

Shaking my head, I flipped over the pancake. In the dining room, Taehyung, Jimin, and the witches were talking about the best fishing spots in Bangtan. Seokjin and Yoongi had decided to drop in this morning, and while I did not get a reason for the sudden visit, I assumed it had something to do with Wendy. Jin seemed surprised about the wolves and asked if we could speak privately after everyone had eaten. I heard Taehyung asking if vegan pancakes tasted good and I laughed.

I had started a vegetarian diet after Aldara died. It was nearly impossible to get meat when I was unable to leave my home. I cut out animal products completely four years ago after I got closer with the critters in the area. It felt wrong to eat someone I could have known.

“They’re not that different from ‘normal’ ones,” I answered. “I just use oat flour, bananas, and flaxseeds mixed with water. Everything else is the same.”

I could not see the face the alpha made, but I knew it was similar to disgust. Taehyung emoted the same for several emotions. Confusion, disgust, and anger were all similar enough to take a guess. Yoongi laughed and it made me smile. The two of us were the most similar in terms of lifestyle choices, but he ate fish with Seokjin from time-to-time.

“Why would you mix flax seeds and water together?” Taehyung asked, his bewilderment coating his tongue.

Grabbing a plate, I flipped the fresh pancake onto my small stack before heading over to the table. Various jars of preserves and marmalades were out along with Yoongi’s homemade syrup he had sent to me. While I had always enjoyed honey on my pancakes and toast, after cutting out animal products, I started mixing and matching to find something I liked more. Peanut butter and banana slices have not been topped by anything else. However, I had used all of my bananas making breakfast and had to settle for syrup.

“It replaces the egg,” I explained. “You mix it with the banana and let it sit for a few minutes to thicken up. It’s something a boy called Enver taught me. He lives in Moland and doesn’t get access to the market very often.”

“How do you get things from the market?” Jimin asked.

“I go very often,” Seokjin replied. “I always get things for Yoongi and Y/N when I go. Yoongi does the same as well.”

I hummed and nodded. “I have great friends.”

After breakfast, Yoongi invited the boys to go on a walk with him in the forest. Taehyung had brought up his newfound interest in the beings that lived in Bangtan, and the witch had offered to show him a jackalope borough a few minutes away. Jimin offered to go so he could keep an eye on Taehyung. I knew they could handle themselves, but I caught Jimin’s eye before he left and knew he was giving Seokjin and I space to speak. After they left, I began picking up the dishes with Jin’s help.

We worked quietly for a time. I washed while he dried. I knew whatever he wanted to say was on the tip of his tongue, his constant opening and closing of his mouth making that known, but I stayed patient. Seokjin was hesitating, which was strange for him, but I knew he was trying to collect his thoughts. Wendy threw him off kilter often and all of us were friends, so it made talking openly challenging. Yoongi had the same problem but would only come alone if he needed to vent. Enver was always his first pick since he was far removed from the forest, but he was too young to understand what Jin was feeling.

After the dishes were done, I began to wipe down the table and put away the toppings. Seokjin lingered but did not help with this. Instead, he put away the dishes. It took a few more minutes before he spoke.

“Wendy wrote to me,” He said.

I hummed. I did not want to talk about her letter to me yet. I tried to respect privacy as much as possible and kept a lot to myself. We were all too close for comfort at times and overzealous. Wendy was the worst with this, and Seokjin was unable to keep his mouth shut for forever, and so I tried to be someone reliable. Yoongi was better than I was but that was because he never gave much thought to other people. Their problems were not his and therefore did not truly matter.

“She said she wants to be with me.”

“Well,” I sighed. “How do you feel about that?”

He ran a hand through his hair. “It’s… complicated.”

Lifting myself onto the kitchen island, I nodded.

“I’m sure I can keep up.”

“For as long as I’ve known her, I’ve liked her to some capacity. She’s never really liked me in the same way, at least, not as much as I liked her.” He reasoned. And that was true.

Wendy had always looked the other way, said one thing and did another, and never truly opened her heart to him properly. Sure, she admitted that she liked him but would run after Yoongi when given the chance. At first, I thought Seokjin was reading too much into things, but when I stopped to think about it, he was right to be upset. Wendy placed Yoongi on a pedestal and often ignored how much she hurt everyone else in the process. Even the kitchen witch himself, a man who found himself an unwilling participant in their love triangle.

“I knew she meant it when she said she liked me,” He continued. “I knew that she had feelings and affections, but the second she saw him it was like we were twelve again. How can I know she’s serious this time? She’s been away, hasn’t seen anyone in months, and decides she is in love with me. What about when she sees Yoongi again? Will it still be true?”

I felt sorry for Seokjin. He’s never looked away from Wendy, much like Wendy was never able to fully look away from Yoongi. I knew his heart was genuine, but I was also aware of how sheltered he was. Bangtan was secluded and meeting others was difficult. I was not sure if his want for Wendy would be the same if he realized that the world was much broader than this forest. Still, I was not foolish enough to think that telling someone that there were more fish in the sea would be helpful.

“I don’t want to get hurt again,” He whispered.

“I know,” I replied. “I wouldn’t want that either.”

“How can I trust her words?”

I shook my head. “I… I’m not sure. I’ve always thought you two were just stubborn. I can see how much you both care, but I’m not okay with the toxicity. As much as I want the both of you to be happy, preferably together, I can’t stand the tension.

I think you should try it out- if you want to. See what happens. Maybe seeing her sister getting married changed something for her, or the time away- I don’t know. I do know that if you’re coming to me then that means she said something that sat with you. I would think about that and your own feelings.”

“She said that she loves me,” He muttered after a long moment of silence. “She said that after you two spoke- thank you by the way, that she felt more confident to talk to me. It was the first time I felt her apology was genuine.”

We had a long stretch of silence, the two of us just looking at one another, before Seokjin looked down. With a deep sigh, he ruffled his hair before asking to borrow a paper and pen from me. He knew where everything was, so it was an easy yes. I was no surer of what was to come than before, but hoped whatever it may be that my friends would be happy.

He sent off his letter soon after. I had started sweeping and making a schedule for the day in my head. There was a lot that I needed to get done. My absence had caused a large supply chain blockage to the sea coven, and I needed to get on it right away. Shiloh was asleep, her schedule still recovering from her trip, but I would wake her up to make the delivery later. No one else lived close enough to justify the trip and with Wendy still gone I had no one to send it to magically. After some more thinking, I asked Seokjin if he could write Cordelia and ask if anyone would be willing to pick up the supplies. He agreed easily and got to work.

It was a rare moment of silence with the solar witch. I knew his mind was all over the place, and his anxieties were not helping the matter one bit. I feared the worst but knew he would speak to me about it when he was ready. I would give him his quiet.

“I rejected her,” He finally said, voice cracking.

“Oh, Jinnie,” I cooed, putting my broom down and gathering him in my arms. That was a hard thing for him to do. I was proud of him for doing what was best for him, even if I was hoping my friends could make it work for both of their sake. “Yfel am sorig.”

He sobbed, “I can’t do it again, B. I just can’t.”

And I understood. I would deal with Wendy later, her own emotions probably bubbling over. I was sure Seokjin had alluded to being friends, keeping in contact- something that would give her hope like she had done so many times before. I knew he meant it and wanted the four of us to be like we were. I was no fool to think it would actually happen. Too much had been done and said for anything to be the same as it was.

Still, I hope with time we could grow together. I loved my friends dearly and hoped we could spend Yule together like we had when we were young. I was also not foolish enough to get my hopes up either. The never-ending cycle.

“I know. I know,” I whispered, rubbing his back.

Seokjin held me tightly and cried.

Over the next three days, Jimin and Taehyung started to venture out of the house more often. I had not heard from Wendy or Seokjin, but Yoongi wrote daily to make sure that I was alright. He was worried I would get another unexpected visit from the wolves. I was not sure if that was the case, but I was prepared to speak to someone eventually. I had a feeling Hoseok was staying away in order to keep the peace. When Jimin and I spoke about him it seemed like he was trying to make Namjoon change his mind. So far that had not been very successful, and the oldest alpha was still bitter about the fight with Jimin. Taehyung was becoming more resolute to the possibility of a fight and had been sparring with Jimin in case it came down to a brawl.

Shiloh had woken up earlier and earlier over the course of the last few days. Not as early as I was used to, but I would take noon over eleven at night. Taehyung and Jimin were still getting used to my late mornings. After staying up well into the night I was not out of bed unless absolutely necessary. My magic was stronger than it had been, but I could feel my body was still adjusting. Ever since I was child my magic drained the life out of me and defensive magic more than anything else. The Namjoon incident had thrown me for a loop, and I was having a difficult time coming back fully.

Aldara used to worry about my fainting spells after our lessons. She said that it was unnatural for a witch to become so overwhelmed by their own magic, but after many years of self-reflection, I realized that my body was always using magic. Unlike other witches who could control their output, my gifts left me vulnerable and weakened. The constant possessions and lack of self-control were two of the biggest downfalls of my own power. However, a small outburst would no longer make me as depleted as it once had. The last time I fainted after using magic had been the night, I found the cottage on fire.

Flipping through my grimoire, I tried to find the potion I made that reduced anxiety. Wendy was returning tomorrow, and Cordelia asked if I could send some to Syrena. I had only made this particular recipe twice and was still too unfamiliar with it to make it from memory. It would be Wendy’s luck that I sent over a shifting potion rather than a mood stabilizer, but I had faith in Griselda’s recipe.

I was worried about her. While it was normal to go weeks without talking, I was afraid she may be upset with me over the situation with Jin. She had to be suspicious we had spoken and probably thought I told him what to do. That, or she had convinced herself that Yoongi had something to do with it. Wendy had a difficult time seeing things for what they were, and while I felt empathy for her, I would never choose between my friends. I loved and respected them both and wished I could get out of the middle of everything. It was her who told him about our conversation in the first place.

Unable to find it I grew frustrated. I hated being so unorganized. Everything was sprawled about and jotted down in sloppy, rushed writing. Half of it hardly made sense to me and I pitied my successor. Poor girl will have to learn how to read hieroglyphics before she could understand half of what was written. Giving up, I slammed the book shut and decided to write Enver. He was the only witch I knew that would have something like this on standby. Carefully rolling the paper, I began to chant a new spell I had learned after reading Pippa’s grimoire and blew. The paper turned to ash and was gone.

Pippa was by all accounts a whack job. She had the most unorthodox methods of any witch I had ever read or heard of. Even looking through her countless spell books made that abundantly clear. She drew many of her spells in a step-by-step fashion that was somehow more difficult to follow than normal. Every spell and potion had strange ingredients that you would never put together and yet worked. She was brilliant. Aldara always made fun of my adoration for the woman, called me the next “nutcase,” and teased me about my own muddled grimoire. Still, no one could deny how talented Pippa was. This spell in particular was one of my favorites I learned so far. It was simple, used hardly any energy at all, and was extremely effective. I was happy my days of meteor powder were gone- even if I invented that one.

The front door slammed open. Screaming, I felt my heart speed up and my vision flash black and white for a moment. Composing myself, I shot daggers at Taehyung as he strolled into the cottage. Jimin bowed, his apology clear, before following the younger alpha inside.

“It’s such a beautiful day!” Taehyung exclaimed, rolling onto the couch.

My eyes twitched.

“Try that again,” I demanded.

The man shot up. His confusion was clear. Jimin stood in the doorway, an amused look on his face. Walking inside, he stood near the door and crossed his arms over his chest. I forced my eyes away from his toned back and continued to scowl at Taehyung.

“Try what again?” Taehyung asked.

“Walking into my house like a civilized person,” I deadpanned. “I swear, you act like you’ve never learned manners a day in your life. First putting your dirty, disgusting, muddy boots on my counter and now this? Thin ice, Tae. Thin ice.”

Taehyung scratched the back of his head and did as I asked. This time he gently opened the door and shut it. Satisfied, I hummed before going back to looking at my spell book. I really needed to buy a new one just to fix how ugly it all looked. I wanted to slap the little girl who thought this system was going to work. Groaning, I stood up and decided to take my work to the cellar.

“What are you looking for?” Taehyung asked, face glowing when he realized where I was going.

The wolf enjoyed taking trips with me and looking over my shoulder. I knew he hardly understood anything since most of it was written in Latin, but I knew it meant a lot to him. His curiosity never seemed to lessen or change. Jimin had not asked to come but I had a feeling it was his way of not being “rude.” I wished he would.

“I need to find a spell for a friend,” I answered. “I have one, but I wrote it when I was twelve and did not care if I could read it again. Such a childish thing to do.”

Taehyung laughed and was by my side without another second passing. Both of the wolves enjoyed hearing about my childhood. Tae had said it made me more human, but Jimin always told him that everyone knew I was. I wondered about their own childhood days. Jimin had been brave and reserved when we first met, just as he is now, but there was a sweetness there that was no longer present. This innocence that he could never get back. I knew that he could say the same about me. Seeing him again after all of those years had been a shock to my system. It was almost like our time in the forest had been completely erased from his memory. I was happy to see the gentleness within him again.

“May I join you?”

Pausing, I looked up at the alpha. Taehyung had already gone down the stairs and I could hear him shuffling through things. Jimin smiled at me, and I nodded. I was still riding high after the other night. We had not talked about it, but I knew something had changed since then. Jimin was more willing to be near me, his eyes ever so slightly softer, and his voice was like clouds. It felt like the wall of ice he had around himself had melted and I was able to feel his warmth once more. Jimin followed behind me closely.

After lighting the sconces on the walls, I found Taehyung curled in a corner of the room with a book in his hand. It was probably another one of Aldara’s monster books. She had seen so much in her long life. Before she took her place as the Bridd, Aldara had been a monster slayer. The first person in the world to defeat a Quietus, and was so good at it, she chased them out of Bangtan. All the ones that remain are in the northern part of Moland and tend to stay out of the forest. The book Taehyung held were the short stories Aldara had written about her adventures. She was far cooler than me at that age.

“It’s bigger than I thought,” Jimin whispered.

“It grows whenever we need a new bookcase,” I replied.

Jimin did not ask for clarification. He did not ask as many questions as Taehyung did, which I also chalked up to the etiquette training he received when he became an alpha. Taehyung had barely started those before being exiled. I thought about Namjoon and my letter and sighed. I still had not heard back from him. Jimin said my name, breaking me out of my thoughts.

“Who was the first Bridd?”

Shaking my head, I smiled. “Her name was Rosette.”

“How did this family thing even start?” Taehyung wondered out loud.

Taking a breath, I sat down at my small desk and gestured for the two men to sit. I recalled the first time I had heard this story. Back then, Aldara was less rigid and tense. Her hands were so much bigger than mine, and I remember her cooing at the dimples where my knuckles should be. I had been entranced by the blonde woman she had spoken so highly of.

“Rosette was from the Foxglove Village. This was many years ago when the town was home to all the shifters in Lustra. She was the daughter of a merchant and grew up surrounded by people who adored her. Life in Bangtan was hard but calm. That’s when the tales of the Quietus started to spread down south.”

Quietus were air elementals that had been the first settlers of Lustra along with the dragons. Aldara had called them “lost souls” who were scorned after the Sarkans attacked their land over a thousand years ago. The attack on Bangtan was a result of the people who lived here not coming to their aid when the humans came to take their cities, but they ended up getting it back soon after.

“After the Century War with Etelin, however, their people had been reduced to living in the swamps once the elves had allowed the Sarkans to inhabit what was once elemental territories. The few that came into the forest were stragglers hell bent on avenging their people or those who were so starved they had slowly lost their minds.”

Jimin’s face told me he knew of them. Taehyung was still lost in the fairytale. I sighed before continuing.

“These creatures were unheard of to the shifters; their people had only come to Lustra after their island had been destroyed by a natural disaster. Their treaties were still so new, so fresh, and their numbers so depleted, they had never gotten word of the siege. Rosette said that the first time her people heard of it was when their village was up in flames.

“They were convinced that the Reikans had something to do with the attack, and even if they were not directly involved, they were complacent. The Quietus queen, Nerezza, lost her youngest child during the Sarkan invasion. It was her grief of losing her child that drove her vengeful attack. Of course, they were wrong. The Reikans were skittish and afraid of fighting.”

“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?” Taehyung interrupted. “Shifters are strong.”

“Yes,” I agreed. “Your ancestors were strong people who lived through losing their homeland and were able to find a home here. However,” I pursed my lips. “Your kind are from Korika and were born fighters, but the people from Reika were very different from those your people remember. Whoever landed on your land integrated into your cultures. The others were left to build this land in their image.

“Those that lived here were no match for the Quietus. Even their warriors lacked the stomach for a true fight. It was said that no one but one made it out alive. Of course, that was not true. Many escaped but only one became significant.”

“Rosette,” Jimin muttered.

“Yes, Rosette,” I nodded. “She was a beautiful girl. Her long, blonde hair and bright green eyes made her stand out in a crowd. She was a bird shifter who was in love with a fox in town. She was only 16 when the attack on the village began. She, her sister, and a lucky few were able to escape.

“Rosette was the oldest and was familiar with military strategies from her time with the fox boy. She told them all to split up and find their way to safety. Rose found herself in this very clearing when she called out to the sky to help her. She asked the Gods for help. Suddenly, she was surrounded by warmth despite the blizzard going on around her. She knew it was them, she never knew how she did, but it was a feeling, and the wind around her asked what she wanted.

“Rosette asked for her sister’s life to be spared and in exchange she would do whatever the Goddess wanted. They accepted this offer. In exchange for her sister, Rosette and her bloodline would be tasked with being a guardian of the forest. That was the day we lost our freedom.

“She woke up the following morning in this cottage, her leg chained just as mine is now, and magic she had never had before. After being alone for over 100 years, she was sent Jordana. We never know when we’ll be sent our pupil but when it happens, we have 16 years left. It’s our duty to train them, raise them, and prepare them before our ascension to the spirit world.”

“Why can’t you shift as you please then?” Taehyung asked. Jimin smacked his arm, but I waved him off.

No harm in asking.

“Our transformations are directly tied with the moon and sun. The Gods love to see us dancing, whirling, and twirling through the sky. We’re lucky we were able to keep that part of ourselves in the deal. Magic and shifting is simply unheard of outside of these woods.”

“Is it the same for genuine werewolves?” Taehyung asked. “The sun and moon thing?”

I laughed, “No, silly. Werewolves are cursed to be compelled by the full moon. They’re practically animals after their first transformation. No one comes back from that, and they usually die within the first three months. Nothing like what you and I are.”

Taehyung seemed placated by this. He often called himself a werewolf much to Jimin’s chagrin. I could understand why the older alpha would be offended. They were born what they are, and their bloodline is strong. A werewolf has to be made and their species is dying out in the Ozryn Mountains from starvation. The last werewolf outbreak was decades ago and was swiftly dealt with by the dwarves in Idris.

After the story was over, Taehyung went back to reading Aldara’s book and I got to look around for that stupid potion again. I had yet to hear back from Enver and assumed he was busy. He was awful at writing back.

Jimin walked around the cellar and traced all of the books. It was astounding just how many were in here. Aldara alone had written over forty grimoires in her lifetime, and she was known to only figure out defensive magic spells. Rosette had 120, Jordana had 205, and Griselda had the record for the most with 223. I could not imagine having so many ideas. I have only finished three so far and was working on my fourth. I came up with more spells in my youth than I did now. I had a lot more fun with my magic then, too. Feeling bad about myself, I decided to take a break.

“Your aunt was so cool,” Taehyung said.

“Yeah, she was the coolest,” I grinned, my voice growing quiet at the word “was.”

It was getting late. The three of us had spent the day in the cellar. Jimin quietly skimmed through the books and was happy when I pointed him towards the diaries on the small shelf in the back. Taehyung had enough stories to last him a few more years. I flipped through Pippa’s spell books and made small talk with Taehyung. He always had something to say, and it was nice to have someone fill the silence around here.

Taehyung had gone up to take a nap over an hour ago leaving Jimin and I alone in the cellar. He was hunched over a book, eyebrows knitted in concentration, and tongue sticking out ever so slightly. I was sure he knew I kept stealing looks but chose not to comment on my ogling. It was rare to see him so closely and relaxed. Shiloh had let me know she was visiting Morla to give updates on Wendy. Mumbling under my breath, I watched as the pen and ink I had brought down earlier wrote in my spell book. I caved and let them do the work for me.

While reading over the other grimoires and books within the cellar, I had made myself a few notes of things I could experiment with. It was not as fun as Pippa’s nor as straightforward as Griselda’s, but I was happy to have thought of anything in the first place. Most of my experimenting went to the wolf pack and it was nice to have fun for myself. Aldara would be happy to see my creative muscles flexing again.

“Bridd?” Jimin called, voice soft and smooth.

I hummed and looked over. His hair looked dark gray in the candlelight and I eyed the messy flyaways floating around him. I wished I could brush them down. Jimin regarded me with the same stoic face I had come to love. I knew it was only a small facade put in place for the sake of his people. They needed a strong, dominant leader around them and no one else wanted to fill that role. I saw the ghost of a smile graze his lips and relaxed further into my chair. Those were only reserved for a chosen few.

“Why don’t you have anything here?” He asked.

“Everything that I own is upstairs,” I replied. “It would be far too much effort to come here anytime I needed to write or look over my work.”

He chuckled, “So, you do have a diary?”

Blushing, I nodded. “All of us do. It’s the best way to keep records for our successors.”

I would not allow him to read mine. It had far too many thoughts that I never wanted to reenter my mind. There was a particular time where I wrote daily and thus created five separate books detailing my misery. I would be mortified if Jimin or anyone for that matter got their hands on those. They held my deepest fears, darkest desires, and above all- what happened to me. I was always the most open in my writing and never felt the need to keep anything hidden. No one had ever noticed them on display or bothered to care much for them at all.

“Yours must be very interesting.”

I shook my head, “Not really. Mostly the angsty ramblings of a teenager. Nothing more.”

I sounded convincing enough. I heard Jimin shuffling around but refused to look his way. Deciding that I was done for the night, I began closing and stacking the grimoires I had taken out. I will sort through them later. Glancing at the walls, I could not tell what time it was but knew it had to be close to sunset. I needed to get to my room soon.

Going to turn, strong arms found themselves resting on either side of my waist. Shocked, I turned my head to find Jimin standing directly behind me. He chest pressed against my shoulder as I turned to face him. He had never been so close to me before.

I could count the small, individual freckles that dotted along his nose. His eyelashes were longer than I thought they were and flared out accentuating his eye shape. Everything about him was overwhelming and his scent hit me like a freight train. Hands gripping onto my desk, I struggled to speak.

“Jimin?” I managed to get out.

“Can I tell you something?” He whispered, getting closer.

Our chests touched and his hands moved behind my back. I felt his arms wrapping around me, but his hands stayed on the table. Nervously breaking our eye contact, I glanced behind me to see his hands sitting one on top of the other. I was shaking and had a hard time breathing. Jimin called my name, and I snapped back to his gaze.

“Can I?” His eyes were as black as coal.

A deep shiver went up my spine. Unable to form a coherent thought, I nodded. I swallowed thickly and reminded myself to breathe. Jimin smiled at me.

“I enjoy your company.”

Again, I could only manage a nod, my heart racing and mouth dry. Jimin’s face drew closer to mine. I took a sharp breath and held his eyes. I was searching for the meaning of this but found I could not read him anymore. This was a different man from the person that had been reading moments ago.

“I like being close to you. Is that alright?”

“Yes,” I replied breathlessly.

“Do you want me to stop?” He whispered, his breath brushing my lips.

I knew I should have pushed him away and told him that this could never work. Our lives were too different. It was far too complicated. He had a mate out there waiting for him. He would forget about me soon enough. Even knowing all of that, I shook my head.

“No.”

It was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. Jimin’s lips were soft and warm and lit my body on fire. The kiss was searing, and I felt the flames so deeply they licked at my bones. Hot shots of electricity licked my spine, and I grabbed a hold of his chest without another thought. Jimin’s arms encased me. Everything that I feared, wondered, and regretted did not matter anymore. None of it matters. He was here and he was mine.

Pulling away, I opened my eyes and saw him already gazing down at me. His eyes were so soft, gentle, and kind. Everything about him made me feel safe. He bent down and nuzzled his nose into my hairline.

“Thank you,” He whispered.

Dazed, I only nodded before seeking his lips out again. Jimin cupped my face and drew me impossibly closer. Any tenderness was gone the moment my tongue accidentally grazed his bottom lips. With a small growl, Jimin licked his way into my mouth and roughly grabbed a hold of my hips. Using his leg, he gently pried my legs apart and lifted me onto the desk. My hands had a vice grip on his shirt.

Suddenly, I felt a cold shiver run through my body and yanked away. Jimin took a few steps back. I could see that he understood what was happening. After choking out a “go,” I stood up from the desk and screamed. Jimin was out of the cellar before the first feather broke through my scarred skin.

Translations:

Swîgian âstillian. - Be quiet.

Hwæt−hwugu ðrîstian êow? - How dare you?

Sê ðafian êower m¯ægð teohhian êower weorðfulnes? - Who do you people think you are?

Yfel am sorig. - I am so sorry.

Thither is êower hygd? - Where is your mind?

Belāda mē - Sorry.

Quare? - Why?

Putasne me stultum esse? - Do you think I'm stupid?

Sol a me auferre conaris! - You are trying to take Sol from me!

Quid irrumabo facimus? - What the fuck do we do?

Nescio. - I don’t know.

Recedite ab ea! - Get away from her!

Licuitne futura est? - Is she going to be alright?

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