*REQUESTS ARE OPEN* Author but also a HUGE lover of fan fiction. Hope you like what I write! You can check out my website here: https://amharrisauthor.com/
Ghost Worldbuilding—The Mysteries of the Malumary (Part 1)
More Ghost worldbuilding
A few months ago I made a post where I came up with a name for a Satanic version of the Rosary: the Malumary. I grew up Catholic (albeit not in a particularly devout environment), and while I no longer follow that faith, I still find myself intrigued by the aesthetics and rituals of the Rosary, which was why I was inspired to come up with a Satanic version for the Ghost fandom. After I came up with the name I found myself thinking more about what praying the Malumary might look like, and I began thinking about what the Mysteries of the Malumary might look like...
Before I go into more detail, a disclaimer: I am not a Satanist, a Christian, or a theologist, and I don't have nearly enough knowledge about any faith for this to be taken seriously. This is merely me having fun with what we in the Ghost fandom affectionately call "Scooby-Doo Satanism", and is meant purely for the purpose of worldbuilding within the context of Ghost fanworks. With that understood, allow me to begin...
I'm assuming most people don't know what the Mysteries of the Rosary are, so allow me to summarize: The Mysteries of the Rosary are meditations that focus on significant events in the life of Jesus (and to a lesser extent, the Virgin Mary). There are twenty Mysteries total, divided into four sets of five, with each set unified by a particular era/motif. Each time you pray the Rosary you are meant to pick one of the four sets and contemplate on the five Mysteries within that set as you pray, focusing on one Mystery for each "decade" (set of ten beads). Each Mystery also has an associated "fruit", or spiritual goal (e.g. humility, purity, etc.), but I'm saving that for future posts.
I'm not going to go into a ton of detail about the Rosary's Mysteries, but I think taking a quick look at them can help with understanding the concept a little better. In chronological order, the Mysteries of the Rosary (and the associated eras/motifs for each set) are:
The Joyful Mysteries (Jesus's birth and early life)
The Annunciation
The Visitation
The Birth of Jesus
The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple
The Finding of Jesus in the Temple
The Luminous Mysteries (Moments that revealed Jesus's divinity)
The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan
The Wedding at Cana
Jesus' Proclamation of the Kingdom of God
The Transfiguration
The Institution of the Eucharist
The Sorrowful Mysteries (The Passion and death of Jesus)
The Agony in the Garden
The Scourging at the Pillar
The Crowning with Thorn
The Carrying of the Cross
The Crucifixion and Death of our Lord
The Glorious Mysteries (Jesus's resurrection and the glory of God)
The Resurrection
The Ascension
The Descent of the Holy Spirit
The Assumption of Mary
The Coronation of the Virgin
If you're unfamiliar with any of these events, don't worry about it. All you need to understand is how the Mysteries are structured and that their purpose is to encourage followers to meditate on the life of Jesus.
For the Malumary, I knew I wanted the Mysteries to follow the same structure as those of the Rosary, but focused on the life of Lucifer instead of Jesus. I also wanted to include a feminine presence, since some of the Rosary's Mysteries focus on Mary, and the Rosary in general is very much associated with her. The most prominent "evil" feminine figure that gets associated with Lucifer tends to be Lilith, so I decided to incorporate her into some of the Mysteries.
Just like with the Rosary, I've grouped the Mysteries for the Malumary into four themed sets of five. They're not quite as chronological as the Rosary's, but this is to be expected since I'm cobbling them together from many different sources of inspiration (the Bible and other Abrahamic texts, medieval and modern literature, folklore, pop culture, my own imagination, etc.), and some of them are events that haven't happened yet but are prophesized. I'll be delving into each set of Mysteries more deeply in future posts, but here is a brief description of the Mysteries as an introduction:
The Furious Mysteries (Lucifer's transformation into Satan)
The Pride of Lucifer—Lucifer's refusal to bow to God and acknowledge humans as God's favorite creation.
The Rebellion—Lucifer amasses an army of angels and together they rebel against God.
The War in Heaven—Lucifer and God's armies duke it out in Heaven.
The Fall—Lucifer and his followers lose the War and are cast out of Heaven.
The Birth of Satan—Lucifer becomes Satan and creates his own kingdom in Hell.
The Nefarious Mysteries (Moments when Satan tempted someone)
The Serpent in the Garden—Satan tempts Eve with the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and as a result she and Adam are banished from the Garden of Eden.
The Wrath of Cain—Satan ignites envy and rage in the heart of Cain, leading him to commit the first murder against his brother Abel.
The Trial of Job—Satan and god make a bet to test the faith of God's favorite human Job.
The Temptation of Christ—Satan tempts Jesus in the desert.
The Bargain with Faust—Satan makes a deal with Faust for his soul.
The Lascivious Mysteries (Moments when Satan harvested those crops and fields that others have plowed 😏)
The Departure of Lilith—Lilith refuses to submit to Adam and departs from the Garden of Eden.
The Consummation—Lilith turns to Satan and becomes his first human disciple; the two of them consummate this relationship with the first sexual act.
The Witches' Sabbath—This Mystery is meant to represent all witches/followers of Satan who gained power by devoting themselves to him.
The Unholy Annunciation—Beelzebub appears to the Prime Mover and announces to her that she will bear the Antichrist.
The Conception of the Antichrist—Satan and the Prime Mover conceive the Antichrist.
The Calamitous Mysteries (The end of the world and Satan's victory over God)
The Birth of the Antichrist—The Antichrist is born, which heralds the beginning of the end.
The Seven Seals—The Seven Seals open, releasing the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and other abominations.
The Whore of Babylon—Lilith rises as the Whore of Babylon and assembles the abominations.
Armageddon—The final battle for Heaven and Earth.
The Triumph Over Heaven—Satan and his followers finally triumph over God and Satan becomes the ruler of the Earth.
I'm so happy to FINALLY have this written out; it's been so much fun to put together and I can't wait to delve even further. I'll be writing more posts in the near future that go deeper into detail for each set of Mysteries, so keep an eye out for those if you're interested (the green link at the top of this post will take you to my worldbuilding tag). Also! Please feel free to use any or all of this in your own fanworks if you'd like. Keep it as is, tweak it to your heart's content, or use it as inspiration for your own headcanons. At the very least I hope this was an interesting read. 😊
I fully believe that the LA Ghoulettes are Sister Imperator's Ghoulettes, and she summoned them.
She doesn't have time for goofy male Ghouls. She has four well trained (and dangerous) Ghoulettes to pad by her side. They've been with her since the 60s.
Also, the Ghoulettes NEVER forgive Nihil. They don't listen to him, and when he does try to talk to them, they hiss at him.
Notes: I really want to get back to writing for Mando so I thought why not start a series? I'm not sure how long this will be but here's the first part. Hope y'all enjoy.
Parinings: Din Dijarin x Fem Reader.
Summary: The reader is having mixed feelings about Din. They've known eachother for many years and theres alot of unsaid feelings between them. The reader is us to being on her own, living her own life and not having any sort of connection or bonding with anyone. So the reader feels like it's time to go their separate ways, but when they begin to argue she tells him how she feels about him. She thought if she was honest he wouldn't push her away, but sadly he does.
Warnings: Angsty.
Miley's new album is inspiring many of my fic ideas.
I met The Mandalorian many moons ago. He's saved my ass more than I can count, so when he told me about a mission he needed my help with, I couldn't turn him down. I thought what would be short and quick mission, ended up turning into something more than I could chew.
I've been with Din and the child for what seems like a year now, trying to find the Jedi to help the child find someone who could help him with his powers. So here we are, going from planet to planet trying to catch any leads we could to help this child, but here we are once again with another lead. I sure hope this lead is legit.
I've grown attached to this child, he's precious and the cutest little thing I've ever laid eyes on. I care for him often, and help Mando in anyway I can, besides I owe him. I'll admit I'm growing tired of being in the Razor Crest, the quarters are small and not meant for this many beings at once.
I've done some thinking, that I should head out, that my time here is done. That I should go off and do my own thing, though I don't want to leave Din, or the Child but I'm not cut out for this. I'm no mother, hell I'm not even girlfriend material and Din and I have been growing awfully close which is not my style. I'm not one to settle down, I've never thought about marriage, or having kids of my own, the only closeness I've ever had with anyone is when I'm intimate with them. I have no time for someone else, and besides I'm use to being on my own and doing what I want.
I don't have my freedom now, and besides Din and I, we're... we're getting a little to comfortable, and I know the longer I wait the harder it will be to cut the cord.
I chew on my bottom lip as I think about how I'm going to tell Din, how I'm going to cut the cord. I'll be honest I feel something for him, I mean who wouldn't? He's what I've always wanted in a man. He's strong, mysterious, funny when he wants to be, brave, and kind, he can be so sweet at times when he's not trying to be a hardass. Seeing him care for this child has really opened my eyes to the man he is. I don't want to say goodbye, but I know if I don't then we'll both get hurt in the end because let's face it I'm no angel.
I tuck the child into his cozy bed Din had made for him, I smile as he starts to snore. He has the cutest little snores, I swear. I quietly shut the door and tiptoe to the ramp of the ship. Din has been busy working on the ship all morning so I know he could use some help.
"Hey, you." I smile as I approach him.
"Hey. Can you hand me that wrench?" He asks, his head still barried into the back of the ship while he lazily points to the tool box sitting only a few inches away.
"Sure." I hum as I hand him the tool. "Look, Din, uhm we need to talk."
"Can it wait until after dinner? I really have to get this fixed."
I furrow my brows. "Uhm, yeah sure."
"Great. If that's all can you help me?"
"Sure." I smile slightly, as listen to the instructions he spits off, and waist no time in helping him.
What I thought would be a constant arguement of who was right and what needed fixing like usually actually ended up being pleasant. Din and I laughed for once, I can't remember when I've heard him laugh last. He has such a gorgeous laugh. We even shared old stories when we would go on missions together, and even shared some intimate stories with one another. I have forgotten how much fun Din and I have had, how many precious memories we share. Makes me realize how tough leaving him and the child will be.
"Well the sun is going down. That's enough for today." Din hums as he packs away the tools back into the toolbox.
"That was actually fun." I laugh as I whip the grease off my hands with a old rag.
"Are you saying I'm not fun?"
I shrug my shoulders and toss him the rag. "We haven't had fun in a long time, Dijarin."
He sighs, his helmet tilted down as he locks the toolbox. "I know. Things haven't been the same with us."
"No. No. They haven't. But we've changed."
He shrugs his shoulders and picks up the toolbox. "Guess your right." He sighs as he walks up the ramp of the Crest. I can tell theres something he's hiding.
"What's bothering you, Din?"
"Nothing. Let's go to town and get dinner, I'm sure the child is hungry."
I nod as I walk into the ship. Din and I have never been the most commutative people, we feel best it's better to hide emotions than speak them.
"Hey, kiddo, ya hungry?" I ask as I scoop him into my arms and craddle him. He coos and looks up at me with those big brown eyes of his. I swear this kid melts my heart.
"Ready, you two?" Din asks.
"Ready." I smile as I follow his lead into town. So many thoughts running through my mind as I fight my decision on leaving. Today has been great, and there has been no arguments or nonsense fighting, but one good day doesn't mean the rest will be. I've grown exhausted, and I know Din and I's relationship is on thin ice. We've never spent so much time together, and I know we always go our separate ways in the end. So why is this time so difficult? Why can't I just tell him? I know I'm not as good as him, I know I can't have a future with him even if I wanted too.
I follow Din to a table and sit the child in a chair, before I take a seat across from Din, the light reflecting off his helmet as I look at him. His helmet facing me, but I'm not sure if his eyes are on me. I've never seen Din's face, and I've known him for years and theres still so much I don't know about him. I've often wondered what was beneath that helmet, I've imagined what he must look like, and I imagine him as a handsome man. A man that could sweep anyone off their feet.
I feel like I've built myself up, that I've hoped Din and I will have something between us and when I think we're getting there one of us cuts the other off, and don't speak to one another for months. We're both afraid of afraid of commitment, in our line of work we can't settle down, and if we fall in love then we could put the other in danger. I wish I could be the one for Din, settledown, be loyal, and love him, but I know I can't. I know I can't be the person he needs, no matter how hard I try.
The waitress takes our orders, and we sit in silence. I know something is lingering between Din and I, there's so much history and unspoken feelings between us, and I'm afraid nothing will be revealed.
"You said you wanted to talk to me about something?" Din asks, catching my attention.
I clear my throat and push a piece of stray hair behind my ear. I look up at the man before me, trying to catch a glimpse of what's behind that helmet but it's hopeless, like alot of other things.
"Yeah... yeah. But it can wait." I smile slightly as I look at the child sipping on his soup. I can feel the heartache building in my chest, but I don't know how to quite word things, I don't want to ruin our friendship completely.
"You sure. Something seems to be bothering you."
"It can wait, promise." I smile as I focus my attention back to him. In the corner of my eye I notice a couple, just sitting and talking, they seem so in love, so connected. Something I wish I could have, but I know it's useless.
We finish up our meals and head back to the ship. The child sleeping in my arms as I carry him into the ship, and tuck him back into his bed. I press a small kiss to his forehead before shutting the door. Din is leaning against the trim of the ramp, his back towards me as he looks out into the darkness surrounding us.
"He likes you, ya know."
"I know." I smile, as I walk over towards Din, standing next to him. "I like him too."
"I know things didn't go as planned but thank you for sticking with me. I don't think I would of made it this far without you, (Y/N)."
"That's not true."
"No, it is. I have no clue what I'm doing."
I rest my hand on his shoulder and give him a soft smile. "You're doing great, Din Dijarin. Don't put yourself down."
"You've always made things a little easier."
I laugh slightly and shake my head. "I don't believe that for a second. We're always fighting and I'm a hot mess."
He shrugs his shoulders. "But it makes you, you, (Y/N)."
"Maybe, but I just wish for a second I wasn't reckless and would allow myself something more."
Din turns his head in my direction, my reflection stairing back at me on his Beskar. "What do you mean?"
I shake my head as I walk down the ramp. "Nothing, it's nothing."
"No, wait. Don't give me that. You've wanted to talk to me about something now what is it?" He asks, his heavy footsteps following behind mine, his gloved hand grabs mine stopping me in my footsteps. My breath hitches, and I feel frozen, I'm missed placed and feel unaware of what to do. "Talk to me." His deep voice calm, and venerable.
I turn slowly on my heels to face the man in Beskar. I'm nervous, and don't know what to say. His gloved hand is warm inside of mine, and for once everything feels right in the galaxy. I take a deep breath and try to piece my thoughts together. "I-Ive been thinking that maybe I shouldn't stay here anymore."
"I've had a feeling you were going to say that."
I can hear the pain in his voice even though he's trying to hide it. "Listen Din... I."
He pulls his hand away from mine and what I thought could be a sensible moment is already turning into a fight. "I should of guessed. You can never just stay in one place, can you?"
I furrow my brows. "What? I did my job Din! I helped you and now I need to go my own way."
He shakes his head and turns on his heels. "When I think things could be different."
"Different? How could they be different? Huh? You never open up about anything!"
"Neither do you, (Y/N)! I've known you for years and you're no different from when we were young."
"What's that supposed to mean?" I growl crossing my arms across my chest.
"You're still a shut in. The only thing you do is hook up and run. That's all you've ever done."
"Yeah, well I don't see your significant other around here, do I?"
"That's not the point!"
"Really? You want to talk about my love life but not yours?"
"That's not the point!"
"Then what is?"
"When you get to close to someone, or to comfortable you up and run. You've done it to me so many times."
"That's not true!"
"Yes it is, (Y/N). Face it you'll never settle down, you'll never allow yourself to love someone."
"That's not true."
"Tell me right now, (Y/N), that you don't feel anything for me."
Tears pool my eyes as I look at him, no matter how hard I try to ignore it I'm in love with him. This one man that I've loved for years, I know he's the one for me, because nobody compares to him, nobody can replace the feelings I have for him.
"That's what I thought." He sighs as he turns to walk back into the Crest.
"Tell me right now, Din what has been bothering you. I know there's something you're not telling me, and whatever it is could change what is about to happen."
"Nothing I say will ever change your mind, (Y/N). Just get your things and go, I know its what you want."
"What I want? How do you know what I want? Because you don't. I push you away because I love you, you idiot. You. It's always been you, always. And I can't change that, I can't. That's why I run. I don't want to get caught up in this dream I have of the two of us. This stupid dream that is everything to me, but I don't want to get hurt, and I don't want to hurt you, because that's all I ever do is hurt people."
He stops in his footsteps, he doesn't say anything at first. He's quiet and still, very still. I'm not sure what's running through his mind but all I can do is hope he feels the same.
After what feels like a life time he finally speaks, he glances over his shoulder. "I think it's best if you pack your things and leave."
I furrow my brows. "Din I just-."
"You heard me." He barks, his tone cold and heartless and I can't believe I just put myself out there and got my heartbroken. Tears poop my vision, I do my best to keep them at bay, but they can't help but fall.
"Fine. If that's what you want." I say trying to hide the crack in my voice.
"It is what I want. (Y/N), all you do is break my heart and I don't expect this time to be any different."
"Because I'm not who you want."
"That's not what I mean."
"No, you're perfectly clear Mando, I'm done. We're done. This friendship. Everything. Tell the little guy I'll miss him." I bark as I push past Din and march into the Crest to pack my things.
He doesn't follow me, he stays outside while I gather my belongings. This wasn't how it was supposed to go, and I never thought if I told him my feelings that he would push me away. But that's what he does, he pushes people away and I do the same.
Tears stream down my cheek as I take one last look at the child, he's still fast asleep, snoring away. "Goodbye little dude. It was nice knowing you." I whisper as I press one last kiss on his forehead before taking my exit off the Crest.
"I'm leaving now."
Din doesn't look my direction, his helmet facing the horizon if his eyes are on me I don't know. He doesn't say anything, and I take my que as this is done forever. That I'll never see him again, that this is our forever goodbye.
"Goodbye." I mumble softly as I turn on my heels and walk into the darkness. Away from the Crest. Away from the child. Away from the man I love.
If you no longer want to be tagged in these fics please let me know. Thank you.
Here’s what I mean: I want to write something you can understand on the first go, no problem. But then, the more you think about it, the more little things you realize. Are those little things essential to grasping the plot? No, but they enhance it. Most importantly, you feel smart for pointing them out, and I feel smart for writing them.
Chapter 3
John Constantine X Reader
A Highcastle Abbey AU
Summary: She has a troubled history and both her parents are dead. Adopted by Mrs. Logue of Highcastle Abbey she hasn’t left its grounds since she was small. A new butler by the name of Mr. John Constantine is hired and everything starts to change. Quickly betrothed to a man she does’t know. But something dark is coming for her soul… What is it about her past that makes hell want to rise up and greet her? Will she be able to save herself? Will John Constantine, the Hellblazer himself, be able to save the woman he would go to hell and back for? Or will everything they have ever known crumble around them?
Warnings: In this chapter.... Nudity, violence, threatening of rape, language, magic?, tooth rotting fluff, soft!John, almost freezing to death
Words: 2.7K
Links: Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Masterlist
After John had left you alone in your room you locked the door and finished undressing. Finally, you sit down in the armchair facing the window in just your shift, the cool satin fabric clinging to your skin.
For a while you just watch the sky, picking out constellations you had learned from one of the hundreds of books in the library. The stars are comforting, so far away and peaceful. Eventually, your mind wanders back to John and your predicament with the Duke.
You shift in the chair, pulling your knees up to your chest. Whether this Duke was actually a man or a demon sent from hell, you are not going to marry him, no matter what you had to do. You had promised yourself long ago that you would marry for love, that is what your mother had wanted for you. She promised you when you were young that she would never force you to marry a man you don’t love.
You want a man you can rely on, a man who makes your heart flutter, a man who cares, a man who is willing to do anything for the woman he loves.
Your thoughts slip back to John and how wonderful it felt to have your face pressed to his chest and his arms wrapped around you, or how his hand felt in yours.
Moving to your bed, you strip off your shift and slide underneath the blankets, soft against your now bare body. You keep these thoughts in your head, doing everything you can to not think about Mr. Animae.
***
“You have such a beautiful face,” drawls Mr. Animae. His icy fingers brush against your cheek.
You try to move away from him, squirming in your seat, but you are unable to stand, nor move your arms to push him away from you. You are frozen unable to move as he strokes your cheek.
His dark eyes burn into you but they are so cold.
“You will make such a fine bride, my dear. And then,” his voice lowers, “You will be all mine, your body, heart, and soul.”
His hands begin to trail lower, down your neck, then tracing the swell of your breasts through your dress.
You try to tell him to stop but no sound seems to come out of your mouth.
You gasp for breath as that seems to be the only thing you can do other than blink.
Mr. Animae pulls a chair up in front of you that just seemed to appear out of thin air as everything around you is dark.
“That pesky butler of yours sure does like to meddle in things he should stay out of, but then again, when has John Constantine ever minded his own business.”
You stare at Mr. Animae quite confused by this.
“Oh,” he concludes, “You don’t actually know all that much about him do you?” He leans in closer, “Wake up.”
***
You wake up with a jolt drenched in sweat, your sheets clinging to your legs.
Suddenly, there is a knock at your door. Wondering if it is John, you slip your silk robe over your shoulders, tying the sash as you walk to the door.
You open it and jolt back surprised when you find the dark eyes of Mr. Animae staring back at you.
“Hello to you too, my dear,” he says as he pushes the door open more and steps into your room.
“Leave,” you say plainly, “This is inappropriate of you to be here.”
He only glances at you briefly before walking around examining your room. “Don’t bother ringing for your butler,” he orders as if you were his to command.
As he stops at your vanity to pick up one of your shining trinkets, you bolt for the sash to call John. There was no way you were going to let the Duke waltz into your room to be alone with you.
You manage to give it one good tug before Mr. Animae wraps an arm around your waist and drags you away from it.
“You will need to learn to be more obedient, little wife,” snarls Mr. Animae.
You struggle against him as he presses his chest against your back, “I will never be your wife!”
He gropes at you, your soft skin molding to his cold rough hands.
“Get your hands off me!” you exclaim trying to push his hands away, tears welling in your eyes.
His hand slides up to your neck, putting pressure harshly on your throat.
You gasp for air as he whispers in your ear, “You will obey me, after all, your body, your soul, they belong to me.”
You claw at his hand wrapped around your neck, your lungs screaming for air.
Your struggle against him is futile as you grow weaker from lack of air.
“Should I take you right here?” he asks as something hard grinds against your rear, “Break you for good?”
Whimpering in horror at his statement, tears finally slip down your cheeks.
He murmurs something and suddenly you are frozen, unable to move or speak. Finally releasing you, he starts to tug on your robe.
Pulling at the end of the sash, it comes untied easily. You close your eyes, silently praying that John would appear and save you. Mr. Animae pushes your robe over your shoulders and it falls to the ground.
You stand there, unable to move, completely bare in front of him. He walks around you as if circling his prey, mesmerized by your curves.
He is going to ruin me, you think. Actually, you tell yourself, you are already ruined just standing in front of him completely naked. No man of any stature would risk his reputation for a soiled woman.
Just as he moves in to catch his prize, John bursts through the door.
Mr. Animae turns to greet him, a sly smile on his lips. It’s like the temperature in the room suddenly plummets, a small cloud from your breath hangs in the air. The cold nips and bites at your bare body, unable to move, unable to shiver, you stand there as the cold sinks into your bones.
“I don’t believe you are needed here, Constantine. You may return to your duties as butler,” snarls Mr. Animae.
“Oh I think not,” John’s eyes sweep across you quickly, checking for any injuries before turning back to the Duke.
For a moment it’s like they just stare each other down, trying to figure out what the first move of the other will be.
John sees your lips turning blue from the cold out of the corner of his eye, “Just leave, Edex. This is not the place.”
The Duke chuckles, “Do you not want to reveal to her what you really are?”
John frowns as he peels off his white gloves and drops them to the floor. Following his gloves, he slips his evening coat off. He is disheveled, likely from trying to dress quickly and get up to your rooms. Without his coat you see his white button-down untucked from his trousers as he wears no vest, the cuff around his wrists unbuttoned, and the buttons along the front of the shirt are hastily fastened, having missed one here and there. You can see the skin of his upper chest in the moonlight.
Pushing his loose sleeves up his arms he glares at Mr. Animae, “You know what will happen if you continue this.”
“Try me,” the Duke laughs.
It feels as though frost has settled on your lips and your tears have frozen on your cheeks in the relentless cold that had descended on your room.
John suddenly stomps his foot, thrusting his bare hands out in front of him, “Ignsa.” Flames appear in his hands, dancing on his fingertips.
You long for the heat of the flames, the warmth of John’s hands against your skin.
Mr. Animae chuckles, “That’s all I needed you to do. Show her who you really are. I have such big plans.” He turns back to you stroking your cheek, “See you tomorrow little wife…”
“Leave her be,” John warns stepping closer.
The Duke’s hand suddenly grips your jaw harshly, “Mention a word of this to anyone, either of you, and I will kill you and everyone in his house.” With that, he pats your cheek once more and vanishes.
The second he is gone John rushes to you muttering, “Te libero.”
With those words, you collapse to the floor shivering and shaking violently from the cold and the sobs that rack your body.
“I-I-I-” you are barely able to speak through your shivering.
“Shhh, you are safe now,” John whispers. He picks up your robe from the floor and wraps it around your shoulders.
Your trembling hands can’t even manage to grasp the edge of the fabric so John pulls it tightly around you. He sets his hands on your shoulders and closes his eyes, “Frigus ex te mitteo.”
You shudder as the cold leaves you. John brings you into a hug as tears start to slide down your face again.
“Shh, shh, you are alright now,” he gently rocks you.
“I’m ruined,” you sob.
“Hmm?”
“He has seen me…” you can’t even finish the sentence, “He-he touched me.”
John shakes his head, “No one will ever know.”
“But I will!” You still shiver occasionally, your body confused by switching from the extreme cold to the warmth of John’s body. “How could he do that, make me freeze? H-how could you do those things?”
You can barely think clearly enough to know that what the Duke did, what John did, should be impossible.
John sighs, pulling away from you. He gently brushes your hair from your face.
“The nightmares?” He asks, changing the subject, “They have been about him haven’t they?”
“How did you-“
He gives you a sad smile, “Love, I know more than I let on.”
You shakily hold your head in your hand, trying to take deep breaths.
“Yes, they have been about him…”
“And what happens in them?”
“In the first one… it was as though he was sucking out my soul… and the last one, he-he was terribly inappropriate,” you stutter out, avoiding John’s eyes.
He sighs, obviously, this news does not please him.
“What do I do, John? He has ruined my reputation and threatened to kill us all!” Tears begin to slide down your cheeks again.
He tips your chin up so you can see his face, his fingers are warm against your skin, the rough pad of his thumb brushes the tears from your cheeks.
“Do not worry, love. I’ll take care of him.”
“But what will you do?” You ask.
He chuckles, “Might as well tell you this now.”
You stare at him, confused.
“Are you religious?”
You hesitate, “what does this have to do-“
“Well, they all have something a little right,” John says, “Demons and Angels do exist, so does Heaven and Hell. God is more like… well Gods, truthfully, just immortals. Reincarnation is not unheard of, I once knew a bloke who was a tiger in a previous life.”
You just stare at John in shock.
“And I’m… well… A warlock, among other things. That’s why I can do things like this,” he brings his hands up to his face, whispers, “pulveres splendidos voco.” He blows a puff of air into his hands and you are showered in golden sparkles.
He gives you a sad smile, admiring how beautiful you looked with the gold shining in your hair, “I am both blessed and cursed with these abilities, love. And sometimes they only do more harm than good.”
You just sit for a moment in awe at John, “Are you truly a butler?”
He chuckles, nodding, “I am, I just have a knack for choosing employment where my enemies have decided to take up residence.”
“Do you believe me? That he must be a demon?” You whisper.
He brushes some of the sparkling dust from your cheek, “I believe you, love. I have seen things far more fantastical.”
You lean into his warm hand, your eyes meeting his brown ones.
Shivering again, you draw your robe closer to you. John shifts so he leans against the side of your bed, his arms open, he beckons you over.
“Let’s get you warmed up, love. I’m afraid you might catch your death otherwise.”
You hesitate, the things he is doing go far beyond the duties of a butler, but then again, he is your friend now. Isn’t this what friends do for each other?
You crawl up in between his legs and lean back against his chest. He wraps his arms around you, bringing you even closer.
It’s like his warmth envelopes you, and you sink into the rich smell of smoke and him. Your eyes slide closed in bless, reveling in the steady rise and fall of his chest.
Finally, your body stops its occasional shudder since John’s warmth had fought it off.
“How do you feel love?” His whisper is like the quiet rumbling purr of a cat.
“Mm,” you sigh, “Much better.”
The two of you sit there in silence for a few moments.
“What do we do now, John?” You ask.
“We will do what we can to either run the demon off or banish him back to hell where he belongs,” he says.
You nod, as you rest your head back in the dip between his neck and his shoulder.
“And what about me? Why has he set his eyes on me?”
John doesn’t reply for a moment as he slowly tilts his head to rest his cheek against your forehead.
He takes in a small breath to speak but stops suddenly like he had decided against saying whatever it was.
“It is hard for me to say for sure, love....” He trails off, thinking hard on the words he is about to say. “It could be because you are the most beautiful women I have ever seen.” He was so quiet when the words slip off his tongue.
The words go straight to your heart, and a new kind of warmth spreads through your body. You can feel the tenseness that had suddenly appeared in his neck, shoulders, and arms. He slowly slides his hands into yours, as if he is unsure whether or not you would be welcome to his touch.
His hands almost radiate warmth as his rough fingers lace through yours. You give his hands a small reassuring squeeze, but the closeness of him makes your own heart race. You can feel his hot breath linger in the air in front of you.
“Honestly, love, I do not know what has drawn him to you, but I will tell you this,” he takes a deep breath, “I promise that I will do everything I can to make sure you do not wed that monster, and I do not take the promises I make lightly.”
Your breath hitches as his voice drops, “I may have an idea that will, at the very least, delay him. However, I will have to do a bit of reading to make sure. In the meantime, you need to get some rest love, you have had quite the night.”
He starts to pull away from you to stand. “Wait,” you say, “would you- would you please stay with me? For a little while longer at least?”
Settling back down again with you in his arms, he lets out a quiet, contented sigh.
“It has been… a long time since I was last this close to someone,” he whispers.
You smile, “And I have never been able to curl into anyone’s arms and feel safe… save for my mother and now you.”
John releases your hand and gently brushes your hair from your face, running his fingers through it in a calming manner.
“Get some rest, love. Tomorrow will be a long one,” he breathes.
Taking a deep breath, you settle yourself comfortably in his arms, feeling safe from whatever creatures may roam the night as you fall asleep.
To be continued...
A/N: Thank you all so much for reading! Sorry about the wait for this chapter, but it plenty long to make up for it. Yes, all of the Latin in this chapter is real as can be, I translated it myself, so I apologize if there are a few Latin grammatical issues! Also, I can include a translation list in future chapters if anyone is curious!
Reblog if it’s okay for your followers to leave you an ask telling you what the one thing is they remember you for as a writer. Is it a scene or a detail or a specific line? Is it something like style or characterization? Is it that one weird kink they never thought they’d be into, but oh my god wow self-discovery time?
Summary: She has a troubled history and both her parents are dead. Adopted by Mrs. Logue of Highcastle Abbey she hasn’t left its grounds since she was small. A new butler by the name of Mr. John Constantine is hired and everything starts to change. Quickly betrothed to a man she does’t know. But something dark is coming for her soul… What is it about her past that makes hell want to rise up and greet her? Will she be able to save herself? Will John Constantine, the Hellblazer himself, be able to save the woman he would go to hell and back for? Or will everything they have ever known crumble around them?
Favorite thing about being a fic writer is the comments. No seriously unless you’re a fic writer you don’t understand the level of kindness and almost heroin-esque level high writers get from getting thoughtful feedback from loyal readers. It’s fantastic.
Summary: She has a troubled history and both her parents are dead. Adopted by Mrs. Logue of Highcastle Abbey she hasn’t left its grounds since she was small. A new butler by the name of Mr. John Constantine is hired and everything starts to change. Quickly betrothed to a man she does’t know. But something dark is coming for her soul… What is it about her past that makes hell want to rise up and greet her? Will she be able to save herself? Will John Constantine, the Hellblazer himself, be able to save the woman he would go to hell and back for? Or will everything they have ever known crumble around them?
Your eyes flutter open to find the face of your ladies maid, Genevive, leaning over you.
“Are you feeling alright, ma’am?” she asks.
You nod, waving her off as you remove the cool cloth that had been placed on your forehead.
“Mr. Constantine should be in momentarily with some tea,” Genevive says as she gathers up the bowl of water and cloth before stepping out of your room.
You just lay there trying to process what had happened, trying to process the dream you had… not to mention the fact that you have been betrothed to a man that you are certain is a demon.
You jump as the door of your room opens and closes.
“How are you feeling, love? You nearly had quite a fall. You are lucky I was behind you to keep you from busting your head.”
Mr. Constantine sets down the tea tray on the bedside table.
“Mr…” you stop yourself, “John, thank you, truly. I will feel much better after some tea to help get my strength back up.”
“You gave us all quite a scare, love,” he says, “May I?” He motions to the edge of the bed.
You give him a nod and he perches himself near your legs.
“You seemed a bit shaken up before you even went down to the parlor…”
“I just had a nightmare that’s all. And… well, I was not expecting Mrs. Logue to be so sudden about marrying me off. She has never spoken to me about it. I know nothing about this… man she wants me to marry,” you sigh.
John nods solemnly in understanding.
“Do you… were you able to learn anything about him? What is he like?”
He frowns, “Not much, I’m sorry love.”
You flop back onto the bed, “Oh what am I going to do? This is nothing like what I had planned for myself.”
John silently reaches out, taking your hand in his. He holds it delicately as he places his other gloved hand on top of yours. You can feel the warmth of his strong hands soaking through the pristine white of his gloves. As the heat soaks into your hand it reminds you of warming your hands by a fire. The heat feels good and calming as it travels up your arm and into your chest. It feels like it swirls around your heart for a moment before it travels on to the rest of your body. It warms you up from your toes all the way to your cheeks and the tips of your ears as they turn pink with blush.
This firey warmth reminds you of your dream, how he had flames leaping from his fingertips, but this doesn’t scare you, in fact, the warmth finally settles in your stomach, like a good glass of whiskey.
“I gather that you want to marry for love, not for status?” John asks.
You nod as you get up the courage to lace your fingers in his.
“I’m afraid, John.” You look away from him in shame, “I’m afraid of what my life will look like… I’m afraid of being married but so lonely. I am afraid that I will lose myself.”
He shakes his head, tightening his grip on your hand as he grins, “Do not be afraid, love. Good ole Johnny will be with ya every step of the way.”
Your heart flutters at this as you return his smile. A sudden knock at the door startles the two of you from the intimate moment.
John clears his throat, releases your hand and jumps to his feet, returning to his role of the stoic butler.
“Come in,” you sigh.
In walks Mrs. Logue with a stern frown set on her face.
“Are you alright dear? You gave us all quite a fright.”
You nod, “I am quite alright, I had not been expecting to be introduced to a suitor with no warning.”
“His arrival was a bit unexpected. I planned on telling you tonight at supper and he was to come to visit day after tomorrow.”
You frown pursing your lips together. “I do not like the idea of this. Am I supposed to marry him no matter how I feel about him?”
Mrs. Logue sighs, “You will learn to love him… or at least tolerate him. He is a duke, this would be wonderful for your status as well as for Highcastle.”
“My status? Is my status all that matters? What about what I want?”
She just shakes her head, “You must marry at some point, Y/N, just like Astra must.” She turns to leave, speaking over her shoulder, “Mr. Animae is waiting for you downstairs. He would like to go on a stroll through the gardens. Make sure you have a chaperone, would you dear?”
The door closes and you groan.
“It’ll be alright, love,” John says.
You turn to look at him pleadingly, “Would you please be my chaperone? You can at least make my excuses when I’ve had enough.”
He nods, “Now drink some tea and get your strength back.”
***
“Ms. Y/N may I present to you Duke Edex Animae of Avarita,” John says as he motions to the man.
You pause for a moment on your way down the stairs, taking in the man’s appearance. Although he is finely dressed in a black suit with gold cufflinks and a gold chain from his pocket watch hanging from his jacket, his skin is oh so pale in comparison to his dark eyes, hair, and clothing.
He bows deeply, almost too deeply. As you move to stand in front of him he leans in slightly, “May I?”
You give a short nod and he presses a kiss on one cheek and then the other. You shiver as he takes your hand setting it on his elbow to lead you out into the gardens.
His lips were cold and chapped, and his hands were just as freezing and clammy, making you long for John’s warmth.
As you walk in silence with John following a short distance behind you your mind suddenly jumps from his hands to his lips. You wonder if his lips are just as warm as his hands. Closing your eyes briefly you imagine him trailing burning kisses along your throat.
You try to shake these thoughts from your head. It is terribly inappropriate for you to be thinking of Mr. Constantine, the butler, like this.
“Ms. Y/N? Ms. Y/N?”
“Hmm?” You glance at Mr. Animae.
“Your gardens are beautiful,” he says.
You try not to wrinkle your nose as his breath wafts over you, it smells putrid, like something rotting in his stomach.
“Oh yes, thank you.”
“I was so excited to receive Mrs. Logue’s invitation. She described your beauty but her words pale in comparison to the sight before me.”
You give him a small smile as everything in you tells you to run, run away as far as you can.
“Honestly, I don’t know much about you yet, my dear, but I think you would make a beautiful bride,” the Duke says. He suddenly releases your arm and plucks a rose from the bush.
He turns around and you shiver under his cold gaze. Poking the stem through your bun he smiles, only succeeding in making you feel even more uncomfortable.
You see drops of blood on his fingertips, he sucks them and grins. You turn away grimicing, looking to John.
“Help,” you mouth.
“Although we should learn a bit more about each other, I think we should be married soon, as soon as possible.”
You turn back to the Duke.
“I see… well there is much to be planned for a wedding,” you respond.
Suddenly John steps closer, glancing to the setting sun, “It is getting late, I think it’s time for Ms. Y/N to get some rest. She has had quite the day.”
You nod, “I am feeling a bit faint, Mr. Constantine, would you kindly escort me back to my room?”
He nods, playing along, “You do look rather pale.”
The Duke looks between the two of you, a glint of suspicion in his eyes.
Suddenly, the Duke’s footmen comes running into the gardens.
Just like the Duke his skin is pale, with dark eyes and hair. Mr. Animae turns away for a moment to address the footman.
John takes his chance and leans over whispering lowly in your ear, “When he turns back pretend to faint again. I’ll catch you and carry you back to your room.”
You give him a slight nod in return.
Mr. Animae turns back to you, “Are you sure you are ready for the day to be over? The night can be so long.”
“Well…” you drawl, taking a step forward you let your knees crumple underneath you.
You close your eyes as you let yourself fall limply. You feel John’s warm hands wrap around your waist. “Oh!” you gasp.
Mr. Anime inhales sharply, “Yes, I do think she should return to her rooms. Hand her this way, I can take her if you will lead the way.”
John huffs as he lifts you into his arms. It takes everything in you to not react in disgust to this statement, instead you weakly wrap your arms around his neck and bury your face in his chest.
“That would be quite inappropriate. Please attend to your footman and your duties as duke. I will make sure Ms. Y/N returns to her room safely,” John says.
You feel John turn, but you don’t pay much attention, mesmerized by how his hands and arms feel wrapped around you. As the sun set the air had cooled dramatically, but the warmth radiating from his chest kept the chill at bay.
You continue to cling to him as he steps into the house.
“We are well enough away from him now, however, I will just take you upstairs, in case we run across any of the other staff, just to keep up appearances,” he whispers.
Nodding against his long-tailed evening coat, you take in his scent, your eyes fluttering shut at the smell of smoke, food, and a tint of sherry that must have been served when Mr. Animae arrived.
“How do you fair?” John suddenly whispers.
“This has been… a day full of twists and turns. I certainly was not expecting Mr. Animae,” you reply.
John arrives at the door of your room, twisting the handle of the door with ease, he pushes it open and carries you inside.
After setting you down on the bed, he turns to make his leave.
“John, close the door please?”
He shuts the door and turns back around with one eyebrow raised, silently questioning you.
You sigh as you stand from the bed, moving to the window. Now the moon has risen and the stars shine brightly in the dark sky.
“Do you… do you get a strange feeling from Mr. Animae?”
John moves to join you at the window.
“He is certainly the strangest Duke I’ve yet to meet, love,” he says.
You frown, turning to look at him, “I cannot marry that man. There is something so very… offputting about him.”
Turning away from the window you slide your shawl off your shoulders. Attempting to pull your stormy gray frock off, you huff in annoyance at your inability to unhook the eyelets along your back.
“Here, love, let me.”
Suddenly John’s warm hands are on you again, his pristine white gloves still cover the fingertips that trail along your shoulder before unfastening your frock.
“I’d rather not call for Genevive, she would ask far too many questions about the goings on of today.”
“Easy to understand, love.”
Your frock slips off your shoulders as John moved on to unlace the back of your corset. As it loosens you suck in a relieved breath, happy to be able to take deep breaths again.
“Will you require anything else, Ms.?”
You shake your head as John steps away from you starting to head back to the door.
“I…” you suddenly set your hand on his shoulder, “I cannot marry him… Johnny please, you have to help me.”
He turns, smirking at you with a look in his eyes you had never seen before, confidence possibly to the point of cockiness. You had expected him to be surprised by your instigation of contact, but instead, it was just cockiness and amusement.
“Oh trust me love, there is no need to worry.”
And with that, he slips out of your room.
To be continued...
Did you know? --- Facts I learned while researching for this chapter:
Butlers did not always wear gloves, some frowned upon it because it made them look like footmen instead of an esteemed butler. (But for the purposes of this story our wonderful, and slightly mysterious Mr. Constantine does wear gloves).
During this time (about 1913) high-class rich folk would often drink quite a lot of wine, sherry, champagne, whiskey, and scotch.
Yes, women were still wearing corsets in 1913, the bra or ‘brassiere’ was not invented (technically patented) until November 3, 1914 by Mary Phelps Jacobs.
Tags (Just comment and let me know if you wanted to be added to the tag list for this story of to my permanent tag list!)
A/N: Sorry it took me a little longer than expected to get this chapter done, there was a bit more research I had to do than I had been anticipating, but that’s okay! I learned lots in the process. ..... did anyone catch that Latin? Maybe some foreshadowing.....? Thank you all for reading!
