seen from United States
seen from Hong Kong SAR China
seen from China
seen from Türkiye
seen from Poland
seen from Japan
seen from United States
seen from Iraq
seen from Switzerland
seen from United States
seen from Venezuela
seen from Angola
seen from Malaysia
seen from Malaysia
seen from Canada
seen from Argentina
seen from Netherlands
seen from United States
seen from Malaysia
seen from Poland
I started out just looking at photos of Danish bishops doing their thing but then…
I started looking at bishops more broadly and listen, if you’re not using bishops as inspiration for state sponsored wizards in your fantasy setting what are you even doing?
The forest parts and the sword glows. Do you take it or leave it be?
My Kobold Oc Olive Olive is a paladin who wears a cursed piece of armor that binds to her, and she can never t ake it off. however, its sentient, and can speak. but only olive can hear it. It comes with its peerks of being super durable, but shes stuck with it forever. Oh well. her weapon of choice is a large combination of a battle hammer, a sword, and a Great axe. And one lucky rail spike. Paladin oath breaker Olive
If you wish to draw her and doo an art trade with me, ill send a image with the axe that does not obscure the body.
Girls in my little fantasy au I was working on
No one requested an orc fic so I just made one myself tehe
Pls leave comment i love proof of life
The salty autumn air no longer brings the same joy as it once did. Bad luck seems to have plagued your town's crops, seeds from prior seasons were lost by irresponsible hands, four months without a drop of rain and the night prior another pack of wolves snuck into the farm and ate the last of your corn. Your town was still lucky to have enough grain and venison to trade but in such a bad condition that no human would want it
You picked the last few grains and enter inside your home with your parents, your father scowls at the little grain left "i suppose we should we grateful that orcs eat anything, scavages" he mutters distastefully
The only creature your town's mayor could find willing to trade was a far away orc tribe. Whom were set to arrive at mid-morning in a few hours.
Your mother nods as she knits a warm blouse for the upcoming winter "hopefully they won't be here for too long, " her voice screeches with pretentiousness "I heard they like to take their sweet time
Your father grumbles as he grabs his axe marches outside, probably to take his anger out by cutting wood
"Y/n dear? Open up the stand, before the last of our flowers wilt"
You nod and turn to grab the cart of your family's flowers, softened and dull but not yet dried out. “Mother, when will Christian arrive?” you ask, Christian, luckily someone wanted to marry you, it was hard for your family to try to find you a husband for you really have nothing to offer, no riches no estates or land in your name but luckily Christian didn’t care.
“The spring dear, once the weather is better he will visit and you will wed”
You couldn’t wait, you were bored of this town, and once you’re wed you will finally leave this place with him, who knows what you’ll get to see.
You pack the rest of the flowers into carts as you daydream what he will look like, Christian always sounded like a light blonde name, mother said he was 24 so maybe he’ll have stubble, thick eyebrows, a soft gentle face…
"and y/n?"
You perk up from your thoughts and turn to her, "Yes mother?"
She doesn’t look up from her knitting "Refuse service to any orcs you see".
You falter, you haven’t had a good meal in two weeks, your mother was trying to elongate a stew for days but by now it's basically just flavored water. "Money is money, mother " you try to say gently
"You know how your father is, he won't let us touch coins that have felt those green fingers " she shivers in disgust, “i suppose it wont matter anyway, what orc would have a need for something as gentle as flowers?” she scoffs and laughs hearty
"I..." you want to say something, how much flowers you weren't able to sell this season because people have been saving their money for food, no one had money for flowers, but you bit back your tongue and nod "y-yes mother "
In the central of your small town was the market place, stands set up through the edges of the entrance to the town, frantic and desperate to sell, you go up to your families old market stands, wooden supports that hold up a tarp on the ceiling and act as a back wall while the front was a table with crates of extra flowers that of course, would not be selling. You didn’t even try to sell the products to passerbys, you just felt too guilty asking people to spend their money on flowers instead of food. So you slide the chair to you, sit down, fold your arms on the table to make a good enough pillow and go to sleep…
You perk up at the sound of many horse neighs, wiping the now dried drool on your cheeks, you look up and watch in awe as the huge muscular horses trot past, everyone around you seemingly pulling down the ceiling tarp to close their stands as they walk past. Meanwhile you were too busy being flabbergasted at the sheer mass the horses had to be in order to withstand the weight of their riders. Five orcs, all humongous with huge biceps, wide shoulders, skintones of variations of green. But their hair was surprisingly well kept, shiny and black, slicked back into long thick braids,no frizz for ages. Oh gosh a barbarian has better hair than I do-than I ever will!
They trot past you to the end of the road where the mayor's house was, jumping off their horses and giving their reins to the mayor's assistant presumably to bring to a farm, and enter the mayor’s home...and then you go to sleep. You lean forward while everyone opens their stands back up again.
"Excuse me" says a deep voice from above, god is that you? Is this heaven? Are you here to take me away-How come it smells like spruce…
I flutter your eyes open, the first thing you see are outrageously big shoes-omg, THE OUTRAGEOUSLY BIG SHOES OF A CUSTOMER, YOUR FIRST ONE IN WEEKS
"Are you open?" You jolt up straight and wipe the still wet drool off your cheeks, your eyes still adjusting, "of course sir-" your eyes widen wide once the blob of green focus’s, it was one of the orcs,
He was taller than the stand but bent over to a foot above your height, he had long thick framing pieces of hair that hit at his chest. His face is sharp with wide jaw muscles, and he had dark and nicely saturated green skintone, almost healthy...in fact, handsome. His has thick brown leather tunic pieces squeal and clank with metal chest plate embedded into the leather as he leans down to your height. Out of all the unearthly features, you couldn't stop staring at his tusks.
Your expression must have been more shocking than normal, because his brow raises "something wrong?" He has an accent, deep with firm jaw movement his tongue gliding with sharp rs and k's that almost roll, grumbly g's that seem to also end with r's and you perk up with the missing ‘the’
"N-nothing" you think past to what your mother told you, but how would father know whose money was who's? You couldn't last another bowl of thin broth for dinner. "How...how can I help you"
He gestures with a calloused hand to the roses "people buy these?" He asks gruff with such aggressive curiosity you can't help but giggle
"Yes"
He scoffs "why not sell weeds? why would anyone buy one"
"Well...they're pretty, men get them to give to their wives. Also because they are pretty, people enjoy looking at them."
He tilts his head in understanding at the roses "they are rather lovely"
You sigh in relief "they are" you lied, looking at the sad excuses of roses you had
"You do seem to have an abundance of them" you say suspicious
"No one has money for anything except food and water."
He huffs and straightens up to dig into his front pouch "is…this your only source of income?"
you're taken aback by that, "i um, well my father does cut wood,"
he scoffs "everyone can cut wood, all ya need is an axe"
i sigh exacerbated "okay yeah we're also not doing much better than everyone else"
you finally glance puzzled at the sudden quietness. Everyone was too busy staring daggers into you and this orcs back. A butcher slowly cutting through his meat menacingly, a mother hiding her child behind her skirt as if the sight of the orc wasn’t appropriate for children.
Meanwhile he digs into his pocket and drops a bag so heavy that it dents the your front table. One thick gold coin fully rolling out "tha' enough for all of them?"
you gawk at the gold a minute too long "o-oh! m-more than enough!" enough for three days of meals, and by then the mayor would've distributed the produce he got from the sale.
even though you're not looking up at him, you can hear a smirk in his voice "good"
you look up at him with an amazed smile "wow, you orcs must be well off"
he kind of shrugs "orcs just eat meat and grain, we have no use for other fruits or vegetables, but our grove is bountiful of them"
"huh" you hum, realizing that a lot of information you know of orcs must be wrong, what else is wrong about them you wonder.
"so, you got a wife?" you ask as you carefully wrap the huge bouquet of all your flowers
he turns his head sharply to you, eyes widen in surprise, his cheeks turning brown, wait is that blush "hahh?
“You know, someone to give these flowers too? ”
“Oh! er um no" he clears his throat and turns his head away to compose himself
"oh, well do you enjoy the look of the roses?"
"no..." he says but then quickly adds on "no…rmally! Normally! but today feels different"
"oh...how long are you in town for?"
"normally we would be done by now, orcs like to do business quick but mayor wants to negotiate more in morning" he scoffs and rolls his eyes "if I were tribe leader I would negotiate through night"
"heh, yeah im sorry about that, our local inn's beds would probably snap immediately at your weight"
he chuckles at that, "yeah, that is why we will be sleeping outside"
"oh! That's good, I hope you sleep well!"
he chuckles "thank you...you have been kind,my name is Grom" he adds as you put the final touches on the huge bouquet of flowers, wrapping a red ribbon around the stems.
"im...im y/n" you say, the adrenaline of rebellion flowing through your veins, you could already feel your parents disappointed. It makes you shiver and quickly hand him the bundle "here's your bouquet, Grom,"
As he leans forward to take it, you get another whiff of spruce. It's from him. You realize "thank you, you will be here tomorrow?"
"well...i did sell all my flowers"
His face falls a bit in disappointment before he turns to his bouquet and picks one flower out to gently place on the front "not that one" he says in a smug tone, the edges of his straight lips twitching to a smile.
you stare at it, and you have to admit it, this was your first time seeing a magical creature and well...it was so interesting, the culture shock, how different he lived and well...it was your first rush of rebellion. You wanted to know more about his species.
"You're right. One more left, I'll be here tomorrow until I sell it"
he huffs, "good" and turns to leave.
You smile proudly at the last rose as you pack up shop for the day, but as you are reorganizing your carts you hear steps behind you and turn. “Mrs Mallard!” you say excited at the arrival at your stall neighbor who sold dyes for wool. Oh no, did she want my last rose? What am I gonna tell Grom when comes and sees I don’t have it left, I can't refuse her!
“I saw you talking to that Orc!” she screeches in a tone of disgust, let untense her shoulders and silently sigh in relief, “yes he just bought almost all of my stock! Im so happy, now my mother can make a good meal for our family, im sure Mr Graves has some potatoes-”
“They are vile creatures!” she cuts you off “why would even risk talking to them? One wrong word and you could set them off, they have a horrible temper you know”
“Really?” you falter, it didn't seem like it, “i’m sorry Mrs Mallard I was just desperate for money, i’ve been so hungry"
Her expression softens, she sighs and reaches over to pat my hand “the lord made man in his image, not those green creatures, therefore they are not to be trusted, dear” your chest hurts at her words
“Yes Mrs Millard, i’ll refuse him when he comes back”
“Good” she states and her eyes dart with burning jealousy at your large pouch before she marches away.
As you walk home you stop far enough away from your house and gently reach into the pouch Grom gave you reached in to feel it, the coins had the normal engravings that were standardized around the whole kingdom, nothing felt off, around it, and yes you felt weird checking it but nothing even smelt bad about it…
"hello mother" you said walking inside "i sold all the flowers today" you say casually making your mother drop her knitting needles
"ALL OF THEM?"
you turn to her to drop the coins on the table gently, a smile on your face at the thought of what Grom said "well technically all except one"
"How?!"
"some husband that forgot his wife's anniversary." you lie, your back was turned to her so you could hide your of pain at your chest your lie causes you
"oh thank heavens he did so."
"Yeah, shall I go out to buy dinner?" you ask maybe a bit too eagerly that your father would catch your lies
"yes! perfect idea dear! By the time you come back and i finish cooking yout father should be back! Hes running a bit late" late? He's never late. Whatever I need to get this money spent
you smile in relief, eagerly grabbing the pouch to head outside to grab ingredients for dinner, thereby ridding the evidence of your encounter with Grom, oh how you couldn't stop thinking about him. Though you hated lying, you could not wait to see him tomorrow, that would be the last time you would ever see him anyway so it's not like it matters that you lied, right?
˚₊ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚✧ ˚₊ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚
The next day, early in fact you set up your stall, already thinking of excuses to tell your neighbors once he came, it was a good thing today was wednesday, Mrs Mallards restock day.
you smile at the smell of spruce and look up to see Grom "good morning Grom, how was your sleep?" you ask taking your time wrapping up the one flower,
"stiff" he says rubbing his shoulder right shoulder
"yeah the ground must not be that nice to sleep on...what do you guys usually sleep on?"
"we have beds made of stone"
"Really? how is that much better!?"
he chuckles "they are layered with hay straw...may I ask you question since you did?"
"Of course!
"why...why do all your women wear these..." his eyes gesture at your skirt, his tone filled with disgust but genuine curiosity
"a dress, and well it’s just what we wear"
"well your men wear pants, like us"
"its whats modest"
"pants cover same amount as your dress does" his r’s roll sharper than normal when he says the word. Like it was the first time it entered his mouth.
"Well..." he stares hard and you finally find an answer "tradition!"
He scoffs annoyed “if we always followed tradition we would always stay where we are, is enough for single flower?" he slide another gold coin across the table
"yes but, I really cant accept this though its too much, especially after yesterday"
he raises a brow, a challenging smile grows on his lips "I make too much, besides, you are quite literally only one I can buy from"
he gestures around and wow, everyone has their stands front covered by tarps, therefore not letting even anyone buy from them.
"ill accept a copper piece"
he scoffs playfully "did not bring any"
"Liar"
"well you have no proof"
"i can see it in your smile" the edges of it twitch
"what smile?" he jokingly says
You roll your eyes "lets meet in the middle, silver piece"
"deal" he says with a fond smile and slides a silver piece to you, you look down sadly at it "so you're leaving today?"
he pauses "no need to stay in town that hates me"
"I don't hate you Grom" you say too gooey but it comes out before you can stop it.
but he smiles, looking touched "i do not hate you too y/n...maybe we can do business with your trib-villiage again, and you can tell me again about all weird human things you guys can do, and in return ill tell you mine"
"id love that"
The tallest of the orcs comes out of the mayor's room and yells a command to Grom in a language you assume is orcish, he responds back and as he does his tribe leader's eyes dart to you, cold and assessing. He had tusks with engravings that reached his cheekbones. His eyes are piercing and yellow like a predator, his face sharp like rock with scars and old scratches will all of his hair slicked back into three long braids. He hops on his horse, flicks the reins and trails out of the village with the rest of the orcs, leaving just pile of dust
Next
oc commission
-please do not use thanks-
Here are a couple more drawings for The March Hotel (an ongoing art challenge).
The first is a water dragon design based on an old ink sketch.
The second picture is a drawing of a demon character I designed for myself back in January (bottom picture). Her name is Sinestra and she is a nasty piece of work, though nice and colourful thanks to the pheasant-like feathers that cover her.
A dark Halloween night 🎃 (Part 9)
Pairing: Demon!Jungkook x female!reader
💜The characters in my stories are fictional and do not reflect real people!💜
Read part 1 here, read part 2&3 here, read part 4 here, read part 5 here, read part 6 here, read part 7 here, read part 8 here.
Summary: Making a deal with a demon to work for him in order to protect your soul was not in your Halloween plans, but neither was actually summoning something.
Grene: Fanfic, Halloween vibes, Ouija board gon wrong, 18+, explicit smut!, supernatural creatures, demons, mystery, hurt/comfort?, angst, protective jk, some possessiveness, fluff, ft. friend Taehyung.
Part 9 Word count: ~6k
Warnings: Chapter 9- Horror warnings: demons, demonic activity, some religious language and concepts, blood. Smut warnings: sexual tension.
Song recommendation: Wrong by Chris Gray💜(please comment if you have any better suggestions, this is just what I wrote to💜)
A/N: Working on part 10, the final chapter💜 Comment "tag" if you want me to tag you in the final part 💜
Chapter 9 - Lifebirnger
You’re standing at the top of the stairs, looking at Taehyung’s back. He’s sitting at the edge of the cement balcony on the top floor of the lighthouse. A new breezy wind is breaking up the familiar lukewarm atmosphere, flowing past you.
The beam of light that guided you here is seemingly moving on its own; searching over a vast ocean- wasn’t it only forrest here? Are you sure this is the same place?
You approach carefully. Looking up, you’re surprised to see a big moon hanging in the sky, lighting up and casting cool shadows over this place once locked in eternal dusk.
“This is your home- It’s just changed to be mine as well.” Taehyug mumbles, a vacant glare in his eyes as he looks over the sea. He seems a lot more serious today… The white suit he’s wearing is probably not helping.
You stand and look at him for a while, trying to figure out how to start a conversation, not wanting to interrupt whatever it is that he’s doing.
“... Glad to see you’ve recovered. How are you feeling?” He asks, not moving a muscle.
You take that as an invitation, carefully sitting down next to him, letting your feet dangle off the edge, swinging them back and forth, pulling the sleeves of your sweatshirt over your hands.
It feels so peaceful here; the dark undertone you’ve been feeling ever since you left Earth is calmly floating in the background, no longer threatening.
“I feel great,” you ponder, “I actually don’t think I’ve ever felt this good.”
It’s true. Your body’s energised, none of your joints hurt- nothing’s even remotely off. Your surroundings seem so present and clear, like your consciousness has been set free.
Taehyung nods, still looking off into the distance, “I found your dad,” he says abruptly.
“What-?” Your legs stop still.
“Yeah… When we were in the castle- I saw what the emptiness showed you when our eyes met in the corridor. I made sure he had passed safely. I hope you know it was not your fault- what you saw at the bottom of the stairs was a false image, created to torture you.” Taehyung says, turning to look at you, the light stopping still in its search.
Not your fault- You know it’s true, but hearing someone say it feels validating.
“Whait-” You feel like the solid platform under you wabbles, “It’s been five years?! Jungkook said it would be about five years before my dad-” You stop, knowing you don’t have to finish that sentence, and you really don’t want to.
A weak smile filled with understanding spreads on Taehyung's face. You feel like he’s in ‘job mode’... It’s ok with you… You are a bit lost, after all-
“Five years passed long before you made it to the castle. Time is not the same here- The lack of day and night makes it hard to keep track… it’s not linear either… But don’t worry, Earth’s the only place where the passage of time is relevant, so no worries if you don’t get the feel of it for a while. It does not concern you anyway; it’s not like your biology is keeping track anymore.”
He leans back on his elbows, squinting up at the bright moon, “I located the rest of your family too- your mishap didn’t affect their destiny either… beyond missing you, of course… but, they are where they're supposed to be now.”
You sit and listen to his words, anticipating waves of grief. But, it’s ok… It feels ok- You have a new weird calm over you… Earth truly does feel less relevant, and hearing that your family is ok… It’s cathartic instead- and… Disconnected.
Wherever they are now, you don’t belong there with them; you feel it.
“I- this might sound weird, but I feel- reborn?” You ask, looking over at the demon you’ve decided is your friend.
He nods.
“You’re becoming more and more separated from your humanity- your… closeness… to Jungkook when arriving here sped up that process. It’s not a rebirth, but rather a shedding of your old self.” Taehyung explains.
“Jungkook has been saying I’m not human anymore.” You look at your hands, and Taehyung shudders, surprising you.
“No, that vessel got eaten. But- you were alive. You’ll bear that as a mark forever- you… have a soul.” He says, smiling.
“What’s so funny about that?” You frown at him, confused.
“It’s not- it’s just ironic… Now that I’m free, I could have guided you on- but since you made a deal with Jungkook, that is no longer possible. If you had not done that, none of this would have happened, and I would be stuck fetching souls for Lucifer.” There’s bitterness in his voice.
“...Is that why you’re wearing all white? To distance yourself from all that? To seem more agalic?” You question.
Taehyung looks at you in disgust, “Absolutely not,” He objects, “It’s simply because humans don’t react well if someone shows up in all black, explains that they’re dead now, and asks them to follow.”
You smile to yourself.
Noted… don’t indicate there’s anything angelic about your new companions. Even if they don’t belong to hell, some rules about demons in those contexts clearly still apply.
Taehyung still looks bothered when he bluntly asks, “I can tell you came up here to talk for a reason, honestly, you have to work on shielding yourself- what is it?”
You glance out over the sea, contemplating how to answer that- “You’re in a good mood?” you comment.
“Yeah..” he snickers, “I had an unruly soul to deal with.”
That sparks a memory- you snap for air, “Taehyung… I think I saw something while I was sleeping-”
You’re grateful for the comfy breeze the sea creates, keeping you in the present moment while remembering what you thought had been a bad dream.
“That would have been it-” He sighs.
“Right…”
You go quiet for a while, gathering your thoughts and feelings. It’s easier than it used to be. The feelings inside you seem more solid- in your control to manipulate how you please.
Taehyung appears like he’s had a lot to deal with, so you decide to apologise to him.
“I-I’m sorry that I put Jungkook in danger… I… understand your concerns now, and why you said I can be dangerous… I will try my best not to be… a problem.” You pick at your nails, anxiously waiting for an answer.
You feel Taehyung's eyes on you, and your heart beats a bit faster- he does not strike you as the type to get very angry, but you did put his friend in a bad situation; you don’t want to be yelled at…
“No… I get it, it’s ok. I can tell you- care… for each other,” Taehyung pauses, “Besides, he put himself in that situation- it wasn’t you.”
You turn to look at him, feeling a lot lighter. He has a ruminative look on his face, like there’s something he can’t quite figure out.
You nod slowly, “I, um- yes… I mean, I do think I care about him a lot…” You fumble. It scars you, and you know Taehyug can tell. You feel like you need someone to confide in… and he seems to be the only option.
“It… concerns me- I have concerns…” You furrow your brows, wondering where all your words have gone.
“I think I’m in way over my head,” You sigh
“How so?” Taehyung questions, his patients seemingly returning.
“About… being with him… he- Jungkook, he actually told me to talk to you,”
Taehyung starts laughing, swiftly covering his mouth to stop it. You lean away from him, quickly remembering how he’d made fun of your drawing… are you making a mistake talking to him about this?
Your eyes meet. “No,” Taehyung cuts your thoughts off, giving you a chill.
You feel ok with Jungkook reading your mind now… mostly… but you don’t want everybody crawling around in there.
“Can you not do that? Until I can control if you do or not properly.” You push out against his presence, and a much calmer smile forms on his face.
“There you go,” He approves. “Like it or not, I’ll keep doing it- look at it as practice. If you’re used to it with me, you won’t accidentally let something else in.” His eyes darken, and you swallow hard.
Guess it’s worth the embarrassment- him finding out something embarrassing isn’t dangerous after all…
“And I was not laughing at you, I was laughing at him- honestly…” Taehyung shakes his head
“...Good to know,” You mumble.
“If you care for him, what is it that worries you?” Taehyung looks at you seriously.
Your cheeks start burning as you turn your face down, taking a deep breath.
“I don’t know the ramifications. And how it’s- different. There’s clearly more to this than a human relationship…” You state, figuring that that pretty much sums it up, feeling extra nervous from how carefully Taehyung is listening to you.
One of the things you’ve learned is that there are always rules when it comes to demons…
“If you are intimate with him- it’s mostly the same…” Taehyung says slowly, looking at you like you’re under a microscope. The darkness deep in him that usually hides under his light demeanor is undeniably prevalent when he focuses on you like this.
“Your soul is already bonded to Jungkook from your deal, but… a deal like that rarely turns into a stronger bond… it’ll take it to a whole new level. Your destinies will become tied together- he’ll protect you at all costs- he’s already doing that, for some reason…”
Taehyung studies you deeply- like there’s again, something he can’t figure out, before he continues;
“his powers become yours, but so do his sins- his responsibilities… and you… You were alive once, that’s a part of you, forever- I’m sure he wants a chance to have that running through his veins.”
“Demons… crave life?” You think out loud, wondering where you have that from? Warnings about possessions, maybe?
“That’s true,” Taehyung says quietly. It’s clearly a sensitive topic.
“That’s something you have that he doesn’t- whatever energy you feel from him- it’s nothing compared to the feeling of life he’ll get from you.”
You feel your cheeks flush deeper. Jungkook feels intoxicating, even if he’s just sitting beside you- how the hell are you making him feel?
Clearly picking up on your thoughts, Taehyung quickly adds, “Think about what you’re willing to share. Where you come from, every creature has life- at least the ones you were aware of. You know what a loss the end of life is. Deep inside you, you know how incomprehensible life is- how special and valuable it is… But you don’t know how rare it is. And what Jungkook will do to you- it’s not all pretty.”
He hesitates, gauging you; making you aware of your posture, how you’re closing yourself off. You force yourself to straighten your back and turn your chin up, ready for what comes next.
“He’ll- mark you…” Taehyung's voice is cold.
“Mark me?” You question, suspicious-
“He will bite you- leave a mark on your shoulder… it’ll be… It won’t ever heal- you’ll be left with a pretty bad scar.”
Your eyes widen. Mark you? Was that what he almost did to you when he bit you? But also…
“Jungkook has a scar on his shoulder…” You mumble.
You saw it for the first time after he killed that thing that’d used your appearance- he was covered in blood- took his shirt off, and there it was…
You had wondered what could possibly have hurt him in that way, especially after how fast you’ve now seen him heal with no scars left behind.
“It’s how we- you’ll belong to him, fully, in all ways. There’s no escape, no going back, not for you.” Taehyung’s gravely serious, making you twist uncomfortably.
“But- the mark Jungkook has?” You ask, concern written across your face.
“Jungkook eliminated that creature long ago. We were young and vulnerable once too… but you can’t do that to him- because of the nature of what he is, he has a- certain primordial advantage… You’ll never rise above him like that, even if you one day become our equal. The decision will be final, whatever you decide.”
You fall into a silence, looking over the sea, letting Taehyung's words sink in. There’s a pit in your stomach. The human world is not kind, you know that, but here- what's beyond- it makes Earth look like sunshine and rainbows.
… Their equal… Taehyung might look at you like you’re beneath them, even though he’s nice to you… But Jungkook? You feel like he values and respects you.
There’s still so much you don’t know. Yet, you feel like you belong here with them, so? You’ve seen what Jungkook is willing to do for you, but, there’s one thing holding you back- one thing that’s maybe naively human.
“Tell me- do- does your kind- does Jungkook… love?” You say quietly, your body calm, awaiting the answer, knowing whatever he says, the choice is in your hands, and your hands only.
“Does he love you, do you mean?” Taehyung tilts his head, “You’d have to ask him, but I think you know the answer.”
You turn to look at Taehyung, he looks sincere. But still, something is clearly bothering him. Ever since Jungkook brought you back with that kiss in the castle, Taehyung has been looking like he’s trying to figure something out…
“And for him to get out of it… would he have to kill me? He’d survive that still, right?” you question calmly.
“At that point? Yes, but barely.” Taehyung's eyes dig into you, “But he would never do that. You see… I have a feeling- Have you heard of soulmates?” He explains.
“He said he doesn’t have a soul?” You whisper, lips staying parted.
Taehyung laughs in a way that lacks warmth, “Yeah… it would be a sacrilegious bond- that’s for sure.”
“I think- what he feels for you… Love, the way you understand it, is not the right word. This- you and him… something like that is not supposed to happen. But one thing that is stronger than the threads of faith themselves- is love. Not human love- but the pure source.”
You swallow hard, your throat feeling dry all of a sudden. You want to be alone…
You stand up on balanced legs, walking over to the railing on the side of the balcony, carefully looking over the edge. There’s a sandy shoreline right under you, but to the side of and behind the lighthouse is the familiar forest you’ve come to think of as home.
You turn to see Taehyung looking at you.
“Can I go outside?” You ask, wondering if it’d be safe for you now.
“Shure, I don’t see why not. Just keep close, we don’t want you wandering the forest alone just yet.” He shrugs.
You smile at him as you wave, leaving the top floor. You need some time to think alone- process all this information.
You stop to glance at Jungkook while you find your way down, seeing how he’s still sleeping in the exact same position he was in when you sneaked out of his arms.
Your heart skips a beat.
You wonder how long he’ll be unconscious. He looks so peaceful, almost like he’s dead, but, you’ve heard his heartbeat with your ear against his chest- felt his gentle breath brush past your skin.
When you step outside, it dawns on you that Taehyung didn’t give you shoes or socks… So put your bare feet onto the pale sand, wandering down to the water.
It’s so blue: by the shore where it’s shallow, it almost looks turquoise. As it gets deeper, it takes on that deep azure blue you’ve seen on commercials for fancy all-inclusive holidays where the hotel is right by the tropical ocean. You can’t help but touch it, a wide pure grin spreading on your face when you feel how warm it is.
Water splashes through your fingers as you sway your hand through the gentle waves, breathing in the breeze. Under the bright moonlight, everything looks so magical.
You find a patch of green near the beach, deciding it’s best not to get sand all over Taehyung's white clothes, brushing off your feet before tucking your legs under you, looking around.
The forest behind you is quiet, and the light beam has picked up its silent search. You lower your shoulders, feeling your body relaxing even more. There’s no stress, nothing you have to hurry to get done.
There’s no time here… You run your fingers through what you thought was grass, dark green in the moonlight- realizing it’s actually soft clovers. You lie down, looking up at the unfamiliar sky.
The moon is clearly not the same you’re used to- it shines slightly more blue, and it’s way bigger. The patterns are also unfamiliar. But weardest of all, there are no stars. The rest of the night sky is a dark void.
You wonder what you are looking up at? Maybe nothing?
You stay like this for who knows how long, letting your body be heavy against the ground, coming to terms with your surroundings… but your conversation with Taehyung… that’s trickier.
Would bonding yourself to Jungkook forever be all that bad?
You can’t quit settle your gut feeling on this one… The future suddenly feels so open, and closing off options has always made you nervous.
You tug one of the clovers out of the ground, mindlessly playing with it in your hands as you think.
The truth is, there’s a big part of you who wants to give yourself to him fully, but still… There’s the feeling of something being so, so wrong with it.
No soul… never been alive… Does it even matter?
Yes.
You know in your gut, it matters a whole lot.
It will change you, Taehyung warned you about that. There will be good, and there will also be bad things… big things, and it’s all unclear.
Would it be better for you to just stay in the deal you have now? That has already changed you, made it so you’re no longer able to go on with your family. Both Jungkook and Taehyung seem to be here for you regardless…
What if you mess up a good thing?
Will you ever feel his lips against yours again if you say no?
Your eyebrows furrow, feeling the clover's soft leaflets… There are too many of them. You hold it up in front of your face, spinning it around, counting to five- what are the chances?
You smile at your anomaly of a plant when you sense something coming closer, your awakened senses picking up on it immediately. You turn your head to see the door to the lighthouse gently swing open, and a fully rested Jungkook dressed in all white comes into view.
Your heart immediately picks up speed, feeling him coming closer, putting your clover in your pocket. The way his eyes are glittering black in the moonlight is breathtaking. You sit up, smiling up at him as he gives you his hand.
You take it, letting him pull you up.
You can't help but snake your hands around his waist and press yourself against him in a warm embrace, enjoying the way your skin instantly tingles on contact- hearing his beating heart in his chest.
He tenses immediately, but returns your hug, holding you tight, letting you melt into him.
“How are you feeling?” he murmurs against the top of your head before pulling back by your shoulders to look you in the eyes. You hum, letting him in, feeling him flood close to your consciousness.
“Amazing.” You breathe, “I spoke to Taehyung-”
Jungkook nods, studying you in that intense way you once found unnerving. He gently brings his hand to your jaw, letting his slightly shaky thumb run across your cheek.
You try to read him, figure out why he’s tensing and shaking, but he blocks you out.
“I’ve been so used to a certain type of solitude- having you here with me… Someone with a heart like yours, raised in the world you come from…” Jungkook trails off, a mix of tenderness and hurt shining through in his voice.
“Jungkook-” You whisper, placing your hand over his, pressing it firmly against your skin. The moonlight highlights all his features softly.
“... I don’t want to destroy you- spoil you- what little taste I’ve had of you… You weren’t meant for someone like me.”
He tilts your head, letting his index finger slide down your neck, trailing his eyes after the movement. You feel your shoulder physically slump the moment you lose contact with him.
His arm falls to his side, and he stands there motionless, hair gently blowing in the breeze. You want to hug your arms around him again- no talking, just being with him. But you pull yourself together.
“Have you made up your mind?” He asks.
It should be a simple question…
Your heart feels like it’s shaking in your chest when you clear your throat, mustering the courage to ask your own simple yet loaded question.
“Do you love me?”
The words fall out flat. You don’t dare to look at him, so you stare down at your feet instead, heart beating and vibrating uncomfortably. You can feel you’re drawing in something that’s not supposed to be, and you can’t help but like every bit of it.
Maybe Jungkook’s already changed you more than you think?
He does not answer.
Your heart sinks, forcing you to look up at his face, the silence scarier than whatever will meet you.
The shock on Jungkook’s face surprises you. Maybe you’re delusional? Maybe love is truly just a concept to him? But, wouldn’t Taehyug have told you so if that was the case?
“Do you see how drastically Taehyung's presence has changed this place?” Jungkook says casually, shock morphing into amusement backed with softness, need, loneliness, and warmth. You didn’t expect him to suddenly let you in for a moment-
“Y-yes?” you stammer, stomach twisting at the lack of a clear answer.
“Remember I said your own room might appear in the bar? Like Bam’s kitchen?” A slight smile starts tugging at Jungkook's lips. The corner of his teeth shines white in the moonlight, creating a contrast on his beautiful face to the darkness from his eyes, and you know any human should be scared of him.
You nod silently, hearing him out.
“Well… It already did- I just didn’t know how to tell you. My room has changed.” His hands find yours, squeezing them both tightly.
“It got bigger- the bed fits two people now, and the wardrobe has a big new section that’s not mine…” He smiles at you, rubbing his thumbs against your palms with care.
“That only confirmed it- Since the moment I found you on the floor in that cabin, unconscious, misplaced, no longer living in your human body- Left to my mercy… ever since I touched you- laid you on your sofa and waited for you to come back… I knew.”
You hold your breath, parting your lips to speak, but you know he’s not done yet.
“I’ve never felt love like this-” Jungkook’s voice shakes, and he looks like he’s trying to say more- he doesn’t. He doesn’t grant you access to his emotions again either.
“I-”
“Don’t awner- you don’t have to make up your mind yet.” Jungkook interrupts you firmly, sliding his hands out of yours.
“Let’s go home?” There’s a playful glimmer in his eyes, but you can tell Jungkook’s hiding more behind it- you’re grateful he’s not pressing you to make a decision.
Jungkook guides you through the forest on a thin path- everything’s not as confusing now that you aren’t scared. You even sense the small creatures scurrying around, out of sight, pulling themselves further away as you approach.
Some of them climb up the tall tree trunks, hiding between leaves, others bury themselves deep in the soil, six feet below in their own world.
The moonlight shines through the gaps between leaves on the giant trees, lighting up the ancient forest floor. You’re delighted to see the amount of clovers everywhere- reminding you…
“Jungkook- look at this!” You pause, digging into your pocket, pulling out the five-leaf clover you found. He turns to look at you, head tilting to the side.
“Isn’t it cool?” you ask, seeing that he’s not reacting.
“Right…” He mumbles, “Clovers on Earth have three leaves because the ground itself is protected by the wholly trinity-” Jungkook explains.
You’re confused, looking at the ground- and what do you know? In the sheen of the moonlight you notice all the clovers have five leaflets.
Jungkook gently picks the clover out of your hand, spinning it between his thumb and index finger, eyes tracing the lines of the small plant as he speaks;
“Five corners supposedly corrupting the wholly balance- Demonic power inserting itself above the divine order,” He snickers, “This is the true form- how it’s supposed to be outside the blessed grounds.”
He hands it back to you, and you take it cautiously.
“See how it makes a pentagram? … It encompasses five big parts of us, and that’s why it’s also used as a symbol to summon us; A being not in rebellion with, but above the bounds of Christ and his authority. Perfection, desire, an undying body, powers of the cosmos- The place you used to belong would call that corruption.”
You shake your head slowly- hearing these things from Jungkook’s perspective. Hearing someone say this before would’ve freaked you out, but you find yourself neutral to his statement.
It looks beautiful- special… every single one of them.
“We can’t stand here forever.” Jungkook takes your hand as he starts to walk, guiding you down the moonlit path, a distant warm yellow glow starting to appear between the trees- Lights from the bar.
“I told you I keep order, and I intend on doing that now. We’re expecting a regular customer- I have to deal with him, and I want you to see what I’ll do to him.” Jungkook says ominously, making you feel a bit nervous.
You secure your grip on his hand, tightening your fingers around his palm.
“This is part of who I am, and part of what you’ll become if we- I can’t imagine you’ll like this.”
It’s like Jungkook is talking more to himself than you.
All your worries and concerns quickly dissipate when you reach the bar. Jungkook opens the door for you, and you can’t help but smile, hearing clicking from paws coming from the kitchen the moment you enter.
Bam greets you, walking straight up to Jungkook, tail wagging from side to side with his head held up high. Jungkook puts a hand on his upper back, running his fingers through the tan fur.
“I told you we’d be coming back, didn’t I?” Jungkook smiles, and Bam looks back with knowing eyes- turning them to you.
You testingly reach out your hand. Your heart flutters when Bam leans his head into it- he’s no ordinary dog, but you can’t help but find him super cute, giving him pets.
“Oh, Bam, don’t bother with the next costumes order- he won’t need it,” Jungkook says flatly, making Bam flop his head to the side.
“Go sit by the bar, Y/n- Bam, make her something, will you?”
Bam lets out a short bark, clicking back into the kitchen to fulfill his mission. So do you- making your feet carry you to the bar, sitting down on one of the tall chairs.
You’re starting to get a bad gut feeling, your stomach is not happy… You’re sensing danger, but not for you- it’s distinctly towards someone else, and you’ll have to vitnise it if you stay in this room. You don’t know how, you just know.
A bell rings behind you, and you turn your head slowly, seeing a glass on the tray in front of the kitchen. You reach out, picking it up. It’s nice and cold, water condensing on the outside of the glass, making your fingertips wet.
It’s your favorite soda. You smile; it’s been a while since you’ve tasted something. You take a small sip, feeling how the bubbles fizz in your mouth.
You let your eyes glide over the room, stopping on Jungkook. He’s leaning back in one of the black leather chairs, completely relaxed like he’s not just told you he’s planning on… keeping order.
He runs his hand through his hair, turning his focus to you, eyes a warm, chocolaty brown in the indoor light.
“I’m a demon, I’m not evil, and I don’t kill mortals for the fuck of it.” He suddenly states, making you put your glass down, a wrinkle forming between your brows.
“But-” He shrugs, “When someone oversteps- Brakes unspoken contracts, or the rules-”
Jungkook leans forward, staring at you more intensely, “They become my prey- I don’t need to get messy when they qualify as my task, I just use my powers to swallow them. What you saw me do in the caste was cleanup- this is different.” His face stays the same, calm, focused.
“I feel it in my bones, and there’s no point in resisting- not that they can, I’ll show you.”
Jungkook stands up, and as if on cue, the door swings open, a familiar figure appearing-
He’s old, very old- He moves too well, with too much strength for his age, and his eyes are sharp, immediately scanning between you and Jungkook. His alert eyes flicker, the muscles in his body tensing as if he’s about to pounce- run away?
Jungkook tilts his head in a jerky motion, and the body of the old man freezes; he’s stiff as a board, his widening eyes the only part of him that’s still able to move.
“Good you came back, old-Eric,” Jungkook says mockingly, “You tried to take what’s mine- so, now you’ll be my example to show Y/n what can be hers-”
Jungkook radiates an intense energy, almost mimicking how the air feels right before lightning strikes- then it starts to pressurise.
You grab onto the top of the bar, digging your nails in. Your breath feels shallow- alarm bells in your head dooing their best to warn you about a threat it doesn’t understand, not comprehending the sheer amount of supernatural force filling the room.
Blood starts pouring from the old man's eyes, then his nose- his ears… pulling from the corners of his mouth.
Jungkook stares at him with a hard expression, lacking care, chest rising and falling fast, his presence in the room intensifying, threatening to swallow everything.
“You thought you’d get away with stealing Y/n while I was absent? I want you to think about how stupid that is now that I’m taking you.”
Just as it started, it ends- the energy sizzling in the air snaps and disappears. The man falls to the ground, lifeless.
You gasp, hand finding your chest. The corpse on the floor is just an empty shell. You’ve become so used to feeling a certain amount of energy from every creature you’ve come across that the nothingness is disturbing.
Jungkook walks over to the corpse, grabbing his arm, “Now you’ll become food for the creatures cleaning my forest- Bam!” he shouts, and his loyal friend quickly comes running, avating further orders.
“Take this out to the forest, will you?” Jungkook smiles, and Bam barks short, taking the arm from Jungkook.
He holds the door open for Bam, who's dragging the lifeless demon out.
The moment the door shuts, you and Jungkook are left silently looking at each other. You can’t help but notice how light he seems.
“Did you- enjoy that?” You ask, not sure what type of answer you’re expecting.
“Yes. So will you, if you gain that power... In your own way,” Jungkook says, walking closer, studying you, amusement growing on his face.
Did he expect you to run away or something? You know he can sense that you aren’t scared- After millennia of practice he can sort through the chaos of emotion faster than you can.
He leans over the bar, putting all his weight on his elbows, stopping with his face only centimeters from you, pupils dilating. You don’t flinch- he feels so intense, his energy is different after what he just did- before you might have described the unknown power as evil, but now, you feel different.
You know the human brain creates fear out of what it does not understand- you’re becoming convinced that’s the case with how they perceive demons, too. They aren’t all bad, clearly. You’d be horrified if you saw Jungkook doing this if you didn’t know him.
And you?
If being with Jungkook fully means becoming this? Doing this?
You don’t think that would make you bad.
“Your sense of right and wrong could be useful for us, imagine the team we’d make-” Jungkook says in a low, intimate voice- not letting go of the eye contact.
You know he’s following your thoughts, but he’s clearly waiting for you to speak.
You nod slowly, the heat in his cheeks giving away the feeling that being this close to you gives him. This new energy excites you; the force of it makes you feel him more. It would be so easy to lean in and kiss him right now- you can see he wants it.
“You can’t hide how your body reacts like you do with your emotions, can you?” You tease.
“You’ve noticed?” he answer calmly, not moving an inch.
You want to see him lose all his inhibitions- to know what that’s like…
You pull away, leaning back before you act on your urges. Jungkook smiles in that knowing way, making you hold your breath, old shy tendencies kicking in-
“Taehyung friking terraformed this place by coming here, and I just rearranged your room?” you burst out defensively, surprising yourself.
Jungkook’s smile widens, and he leans further over the bar, closing the extra space you created.
“No Y/n, would you like me to show you?” He looks at your lips and shakes his head as if he’s telling himself no.
“... Oh… really?” Your voice is small. The moment of… weakness- is over, but he’s practically choking you with his closeness.
“Yes~” Jungkook rolls his eyes jokingly, standing up and turning on his heels-
“Come on.”
You find yourself outside again as Jungkook leads you behind the bar. The trees are shorter there, less dense- not as old. In between them, you see small flying creatures. They look a bit like a small butterfly, translucent and glowing in a pale green color.
“See them?” Jungkook asks with a smile.
“What are they?” You beem- all the twinkling lights floating around have you in awe.
“They’re some sort of fairy- they started off in the corner over there,” Jungkook points to the left back corner of the bar, “Now they occupy almost the whole back part of the forest- I’m not sure what they’re doing yet… but they feel nice.” he shrugs.
“Yeah-” You agree. You like them.
“They appeared at the same time you did-” Jungkook looks at you, his eyes filling with warmth- “I think we’re yet to see the power your presence will bring to this place.”
“They make the forest feel… more alive.” You conclude, taking Jungkook’s hand, and he pulls in a sharp breath.
“Mhm,” he murmurs, “So do you.”
.
.
.
Working on the final part, chapter 10 - Compass
~You’ve come to realise that even if you haven’t known Jungkook for long, you’ve gotten to know him well, and his true character has shown through his actions- there’s no faking that.
You might not know his deepest secrets, or all the things he’s done and been through- but you have gotten a good feeling of who he is.
You sit on the edge of the bed, laughing gently to yourself.
You’ve been so set on getting to know this demon that you didn’t realise you already do.
A bell rings upstairs.
A customer?
You turn your head to the door to the bathroom- Jungkook hasn't come out yet… You stand up, making your way towards the stairs.
You have seen and been through a lot- you feel stronger, especially here at home; surely you can greet this customer on your own?~
