#gender neutral!reader

What if you were married to the (now former) head of the Abomination Coven?

Well...

Love Language: Acts of Service, Quality Time, Physical Touch

When he was a coven head he probably left you sweet notes before leaving for work

Is not a public PDA kind of witch outside of hand holding

At home, however, he is big into cheek and forehead kisses

Oh, this man is also a cuddle bug but is like a big tsundere about it

Lets you wear his cape sometimes

Uses his magic to carry you around, though only outside and not inside

Inside is where he'd carry you himself

If you two have any kids then he is a stern but not overly so father

Like, the way he is with Hunter is how I see him as a dad, just a tad stricter

I can see this man loving to do his partner's hair

When he joins up with the BATS he worries a lot about you

In fact, he probably thinks of his partner to motivate himself

When he was a coven head he most definitely vented to his partner about work

But, I know in my heart this man is a damn good listener

During his time as a coven head he was telling you all the time about the Golden Guard/Hunter

When he learns the draining spell he is restless with worry about you

And he was always worried about you, knowing someone might go after you do you being his spouse

Once everything with the Collector and Belos is over, he is hugging and kissing you to all over

Oh, and I headcanon Darius adopted Hunter after the even of the show, so by extension you also adopted Hunter

The moment Alador's sigil removal device works properly he has it used on you

If the magic you were taught wasn't abomination magic, he's willing to teach you

Now that the coven system is over, he spends more time with you, making up for time that being a coven head took from you

Carries you in abomination form all the time

Probably vented to you about Alador being a "hack"

Probably planned a lot of stuff for your wedding

Coven head or not, if people try to do the "you're out of their league"/"why did you settle for them?" then you have to stop him from committing actual murder

While he is a proud dick, he also makes sure you know he loves you and your magic

If you ever get sick he is taking care of you every step of the way

If he's sick, he is a dramatic man

Wears his wedding ring on a chain just so doesn't lose it

Loves that ring, like if anyone touches it that isn't you or him then he will be so mad

His engagement ring is on the same chain and works by the same rules as his weeding ring

Brags about your work position and generally about you because he is so proud and loves you

Heartslabyul

Riddle: He would not be aware during the overblot, but afterwards he feels awful. Like he's crying and apologizing until he feels like he can't breath, and it was a bad injury he feels even worse. He tries to make it up to you and apologizes constantly for what he did, even if you've told him you forgive him.

Ace: Freaking out. Like, he is panicking not just from the overblot situation, but from you getting hurt. He tries to help patch you up after everything is said and done. If the injuries are partially because you did something dumb he will roast you for it when you're not actively in danger.

Deuce: Also freaking out but tries to keep calm. Though, he fails at keeping calm because you're his friend and overblot situations are terrifying. He checks you over when he can. He worries about your injuries no matter how big or small.

Trey: Tries to keep calm. He is used to being the adult in the situation so even during overblot he tries to help by being in charge. So when he sees you injuried he tries to keep you calm and distracted from the pain while also helping patch you up. Once alone with only the two of you, he lets the mask slip to show the fact that he was so worried for you.

Cater: Trying to cover his panic with his smile but on the inside he is freaking the fuck out. He tries to distract you from the pain while you're getting patched up. He acts like he's chill but on the inside he's internally screaming because while he'd never admit in public he does care about you a lot. He is also the one with Twisted Wonderland's equivalent of 911 in his phone just in case.

Savanaclaw

Leona: When he comes back to reality after his overblot, he doesn't see you immediately, or right after. But not because he doesn't care, he does, he just feels so gutted that he hurt one of the only people who actually cared about him as himself and wanted to help him. If you have to go to infirmary he'll visit at night and just watch. After a while he will talk to you again and apologize, but in his own way. He'll trace over the scars sometimes and just think about what he did.

Ruggie: During an overblot he is helping patch you up. This would be the one time he doesn't bother to think of repayment, especially if you two are friends by this point. He does his best to help you while also trying to keep you both from getting killed. Is a bit of an ass about minor injuries as a way to cope.

Jack: He is an older sibling and your friend, so he is grabbing your ass and hiding you somewhere out of danger. The scars make him upset every time he sees them and even if you brush them off he'll still hate seeing them.

Octavinelle

Azul: When he's calm again, he feels awful. Like, he can't even bring himself to see you in the infirmary because he feels like a monster for hurting you so badly. He tries to drown himself in paperwork out of guilt. But, once he's dragged out of his office he apologizes with tears and would ask over and over if you forgive him.

Jade: Helps you, but is just barely containing a seething rage under that sharp toothed smile of his. While he makes you feel like he wants to eat you he does actually care, so seeing you injuried upsets him. Once you're patched up he will probably be joining Floyd in the murder spree.

Floyd: Run... not because Floyd will hurt you, no no, because if you don't you will be witness to a murder. He is a deranged bastard eel who cares about you (in his own fucked up way).

Scarabia

Kalim: Crying like a waterfall while hugging you. If your wounds are still tender he'll let go and try to help you the best he can. Uses his water magic to cool the burns on you and also clean your snake bite wounds, trying and failing to keep calm because he is rightfully worried you got envenomated. Checks on you long after, making sure you're not in pain.

Jamil: When he comes to, he feels awful. He already has a burning self hatred so seeing you hurt because of him makes it worse. He wants to try and hell take care of you burning recovery but he can't bring himself to do it because he thinks you rightfully hate him. It takes him a bit to realize you're not mad at him but once he does he's apologizing with tears, especially after seeing the snake bites and burns.

Pomefiore

Vil: He is a wreck. He already thinks he's not enough, so seeing the one person who actually liked him for himself in pain because of him makes him feel like a monster. Even when he tries to put back on his normal mask of cold beauty on the inside he's sobbing. He tries to distance himself from you until you have to basically shout in his face that you are not mad at him! Once he hears that he apologizes for what he did and offers you makeup to cover the scars if you want. If not, he tries to make the scars look more beautiful in anyway you want.

Rook: Probably has medical supplies on his person that he's using to help with your injuries. While he doesn't let it show on his face, he is worried about you. As a hunter he knows that all it takes one injury, one cut, to render an animal or person immobile or dead. So he makes sure that won't happen to you as best he can. During recovery he is stalking you to make sure you heal properly.

Epel: Another one who is freaking out. He is very emotional as it is, so seeing his best friend/partner in crime injured makes him more emotional. He stays by your side during recovery and worries a lot. Though he tries to make you feel better about the scars by saying they make you look tough and badass.

Ignihyde

Idia: When he comes back to his senses and sees what he's done... he's hiding and plans on never looking you in the eyes again. He hides away in his room more than usual and can't stop thinking about how he hurt you so much that not even Ortho can calm him done. You have to practically barge in and tell him you're not upset for him to even vaguely believe you.

Ortho: Immediately helping with the pain and injuries. While he is mostly machine he still has the heart of a little kid. So, seeing someone close to him in pain is hard for him to deal with. When everything is said and done then he's crying with you.

Diasomnia

Malleus: Considering he overblotted because he was scared of losing Lilia, you, and everyone else close in his life, he would hate seeing the injuries he caused you during his overblot. He would try and use magic to make the scars and wounds go away once he sees you again. No matter how much you forgive him he'll always feel like a monster.

Lilia: When he wakes up his fatherly instincts kick in when he sees your injuries. He uses his magic to numb the pain as best he can while interrogating you about what happened and not matter how much you try to down play he can't help but worry about you. A few tears slip out as he does because damn it you're one of his kids too and seeing you hurt scares him.

Sebek: Wakes up ready to fight the moment he sees your injuries. He will interrogate you along with Lilia as the two of them try to figure out which injuries are new and old, while he scolds you for being so reckless as a way to mask the fact that he was actually worried about you.

Silver: When he wakes up he's at first trying to figure out what happened but once he does he asks if you're ok. He helps deal with the injuries while scolding himself for not keeping you safe. Though, seeing all the scars you have makes him a bit nervous as your friend. Even if he falls asleep on you during the patching up process he'll be haunted by the scars in his dreams.

Ramshackle

Grim: Freaking the fuck out. While early on he would never admit to you having a speical place in his heart as a friend he would still be worried if you got hurt. He would hide it under sass and sarcasm but he is genuinely worried because while he acts like you're nothing more then his ticket into Night Raven/henceman he really cares about you. If you needed to be in the infirmary because of these injuries then he's stuck to you like glue. He will not leave until you're better, and even then he'll nag you.

Staff

Crowley: He is a negligent disaster of a man. But, he slowly starts seeing you as his child and then swings to an almost smothering extreme (which Trein and Crewel pull him back from) so the scars freak him out. They remind him of the danger he has been making you deal with and he feels bad. So he tries to help you care for them.

Crewel: He is so furious. Not at you, never at you, but at the circumstances that lead to your injuries in the first place. If you don't have enough for the medical supplies needed to help then he's buying it all for you or giving you the money to get it. That is after he takes you to a real doctor

Trein: Grumpy old man who worries for his unofficial grandbaby. The scars make his old heart ache because he thinks you're too young to have to deal with things dangerous enough to leave such scars. He doesn't say anything about them but he thinks about them a lot.

Vargas: Tries to find the silver lining to the scars. Like he tries to frame them as proof that you fought and survived monsters, like the badass you are! While he figures getting them has probably been traumatizing for you but he tries to look on the bright side.

Sam: While he isn't very close to you outside of you being a customer he does notice the scars. He's heard where they've come from, everyone at Nightt Raven and beyond has. So, he gives you a discount on medical supplies to make things easier for you. He tries to make jokes to distract from them because he figures focusing on them isn't great for your mental health.

List of injuries MC has gotten from overblots (in my opinion)

From Riddle:

Various small cuts on the hands (from rose bushes/vine)

A deep cut in both wrists (rose vines)

Cut on forehead (from vines tripping us, causing us to land on a rock)

From Leona:

Various cuts on the arms and torso (from his claws)

Claw strikes on cheek (from his claws)

Gash on ankle (from Leona's claws when pulling away too fast)

From Azul:

Bruises from being squeezed (from his tentacles)

Scrapes and cuts (from him throwing us into rocks)

Gash on the arms (from his coral shoulder things)

Cuts ankle (from the shells and coral on his back)

From Jamil:

Burn scars (from his magic)

Bite marks (from his cobra hair)

From Vil:

Cuts on arms and cheeks (metal nails/claws)

Burns (from the poison gas)

From Idia:

Burn scars (from his fire)

Electric Burns (from his devices)

From Malleus:

Various cuts (from throns and his nails)

The cold hits my face the moment I step outside, as the sun starts to set. Grabbing the shovel I clear the porch and stairs of the small snow flurry from earlier. As I work you notice dog-like footprints in the snow, which is nothing unusual, because I own a furry escape artist named Thor the size of most adult men who is currently patrolling the yard, so I just shrug and finish clearing the snow before moving onto the driveway.

Once the driveway is clear I call for Thor, my droopy faced Saint Bernard, but he doesn't move from his spot by the fence. I moved closer, figuring he couldn't hear me. I call again, closer this time, and he still doesn't move. I take a step closer and I hear Thor growl as his hackles raise up.

"What is it? What's wrong, buddy?" I ask him.

He growls louder before he starts barking loudly between growls. I look around but I don't see anything except a mountain hare. I roll my eyes and pull out a dog whistle and blow into it. That seems to get his attention as his head snaps towards me after getting down from the fence.

"House!" I command while pointing towards the house.

Thor runs back to the porch and waits patiently by the door. I followed him and put my shovel against the porch railing before opening the door and kicking the snow off my boots by kicking under the sill before going inside. Once inside, I close the door and start shedding my outdoor winter layers in a heap. Once done I grab a towel and rub Thor down to clean him off, though he still shakes himself off aggressively once I'm done, before going to plop his furry butt on my couch.

I toss the towel aside and start my woodstove, making sure the fire actually catches the newspaper, cardboard, and wood. Once the fire is roaring I close the woodstove and sit on the couch, curling up in a blanket, and enjoying the warmth embracing me from all sides. I turn on my TV and start playing that pirate anime my friend got me into. Though, my stomach reminds me I still need dinner so I get up, feed Thor, and make myself a microwave TV dinner.

***

I snap awake as Thor barks loudly, standing on his back legs while his front paws rest on the window sill. I rub my eyes and get up, looking out the window and seeing nothing in the dark. I look at him and tell him to knock it off and he seems to stop, getting back on all fours. I pet his head and check the clock, and see that it's almost 9:30 at night.

"Well, bedtime," I mumble to myself.

Thor seems to understand and follows me as I lock doors and turn off lights before walking to my room to get into the comfy pajamas I got for Christmas. I go through the rest of my nightly routine when I hear creaking sounds. I ignore it, after all this house is old and creaky. I finish up and curly into my nest of blankets with Thor at my feet and the moment my head hits the pillow I'm out like a light.

***

The chill of winter washes over me as winds wildly run through my hair. I stand up and see everything around me is an endless forest as the full moon shines down on me. I look up but the moon is so bright I'm almost blinded. I turn my head away and hear growling. I feel my heart race as the growls get louder, along with what sounds like someone whistling a song. But there's no one here.

"Hello? Who's there?" I ask.

I don't get an answer other than a high pitched laugh and more growls along with footsteps. I can hear whoever or whatever's there circling me but I can't see anything through the tree as the moon focuses on me like a spot light. Then, the footsteps stop. I look around and see nothing, but when I forward again I freeze. From the trees I see two glowing blue eyes. I try to back away but my feet won't move. Next thing I know something heavy knocks me to the ground and presses all of its weight on my body as if it's trying to crush me. I struggle, trying to free it but it won't move. I try to breathe but something is covering my mouth while something else squeezes the air out of me-

***

My eyes snap awake as a sea of fur blocks my vision the same way it blocks my mouth and nose. I manage to sit myself up and take a breath while my heart is still racing. I look at Thor and he's snoring away like he didn't try to suffocate me. I turn off my alarm and get ready for work at the museum's gift shop. I put on my work uniform, my name tag, and make sure my hair is brushed. Once that's done I feed Thor and make myself coffee. As I wait for the coffee I grab my messenger bag and start making sure all my important stuff, like my lunch and water bottle, are inside.

The coffee machine finishes its job and I grab my thermos, twisting the lid shut tightly. I call for Thor to get into his crate and he listens. Once inside I lock the door.

"I'll be back, Thor," I tell him.

I grab my keys, jacket, hat, and gloves before I leave the house, locking the front door behind me. I walk to my car and and are about to get in when you notice something odd. It had snowed lightly the night before, not a lot but there was a thin layer of it on the ground, and circling my car are shoe prints. Now this is already creepy given the fact that my nearest neighbor is about half a mile away and an old lady with her grandson, but it snowed all last night, which means whoever these prints belong to was circling my car in the middle of the night. A shiver crawls up my spine but I can't tell if it's from fear or the cold. I try to calm myself down as I get into the car but I can't shake this creeping dread. I turn on my music and drive into town and to work, eventually pushing the footprints to the back of my mind. I park and go into work, putting my stuff in the break room. As I walk past my co-workers I see one, a sweet guy named Oskar, looking upset. I walk over to him and ask him if he's ok and he shakes his head.

"Something got into my chicken coop and attacked them. I just found them this morning," he says, wiping his red, puffy eyes.

I don't really know what to do other than give sort of an empty "I'm so sorry" before I go to the snack bar and buy him one of the T-Rex skull shaped cookies they sell and hand it to him. He takes the cookie and nibbles at it. I ask if he wants me to put in a day off request for him with our boss and he shakes his head, saying that he'll make it through the day. I nod and go to my spot behind a register, watching the clock until the museum opens. The day goes by slowly in the morning as people filter in slowly, looking at everything we have to sell before leaving or coming to buy whatever it is they want. We all keep an eye on the clock, knowing that the moment that clock hits noon then we'll be swamped. I go to close down my register for my break, but before I can even start a massive line appears out of nowhere.

Where the fuck did this line come from?

I make my way through the line, dreaming of the pasta waiting in my lunch bag when I hear someone clear their throat. I look up and see another customer. I take his stuff, scan it and tell him the total. He smiles and hands me some cash. As I sort through the change I notice some of the coins look a bit off and as I look closer, I notice that it's not at all krone, but instead pound sterling.

"Sorry sir, but we only accept krone here," you tell him.

"Oh dear. Sorry about that. I just came back from a trip to the UK, my pounds and krones must've gotten mixed up," the man says with a slight Irish accent.

As he digs around in his pockets for the rest of the money I see people getting impatient and I nervously direct them towards my co-worker while I try to politely let the man know that people are waiting behind him. He seems to sense the annoyance of the people behind him because he pulls out some krone and, after I double check the amount, I hand him the receipt and a bag with his items. 

“Have a pleasant day, sir,” I say with that polite, retail worker tone.

“You too, Gnéasach,” the man says with a wink. 

I keep my retail smile plastered on my face as he walks away and the person behind him steps up with a grumble about tourists. I clear the line easily, or about as easily as any hungry retail worker can. Once the line is gone I turn off my register and go on break. I hide in the employee break room and pull out my lunch, trying to relax and enjoy my break when my boss walks in. I try to maintain my calm but it’s hard when she walks over to me and sits way too close. I keep eating and she starts talking and complaining about how slow I was and I really want to tell her it was the tourist with the wrong money but I know if I do then she’ll say I’m “talking back” to her. She eventually leaves and I start to relax again. Then my alarm goes off, meaning my break is over. I put my lunch bag back in its proper place, shove my phone in my pocket, and go back to work, hoping the rest of the day is easy.

***

Thank fucking god this day is over! Me and my co-workers practically run out the doors and to our cars, wanting to forget all this bullshit. Thankfully it’s not snowing. Once I get in my car I turn up the heat and take a breath as I buckle myself up. I get out of the lot and start driving home, listening to Krimpodden as I turn down the all too familiar streets. Everything is quiet outside as I get closer to home and the town changes to trees.The drive is slightly slow due to the fact the roads are still sort of slippery. Once home I pull into the driveway, get out of the car and unlock my front door. I free Thor and take him outside. I watch him run around the yard when he freezes, looks around, and runs towards the fence while barking. I call him but he won’t listen. I start running towards him but I slip and land on my back in the snow. That takes his attention from what’s over the fence for only a moment before he’s right back to barking and growling. I pull myself up and finally make it to Thor. 

“Thor, enough! There’s nothing there,” I yell. 

He doesn’t seem to listen and I don’t have time for this. I pull out my flashlight to see what he’s seeing and I don’t see anything. I bring Thor down from the fence and he acts like nothing happened. I sigh and take him inside. I take off my jacket, gloves, and hat before I put Thor’s food in his bowl. He digs in and I start making myself dinner of pasta with sauce. I put the pot of water on to boil, cover it with a lid and close the kitchen gate, just in case Thor got any ideas, and go to watch TV as Thor finishes his food. I curl under the blanket and watch my show, sometimes getting up to check if the water is boiling but it seems to be taking a long ass time. 

I should’ve just had cereal, but I’m too committed now. 

Once the water is boiling I close myself off in the kitchen as I switch between stirring and watching the pasta all while Thor begs for food as if I don’t feed him good food. I ignore him and continue cooking, almost burning myself in the process. The pasta is eventually cooked fully and I stain the water out before heating some sauce in a tiny pan. Once the sauce is warm enough I scoop some pasta in a bowl and cover it with sauce. I place it on the TV tray and sit on the couch, my stomach growling. I eat my dinner while watching TV, though I have to stop every now and then because Thor starts barking at something out the window, meaning I have to stop and check. Every time I check I see nothing but he just won’t stop. I get so annoyed I put him in his crate just so I can hopefully stop this nonsense.

I settle back onto the couch when Thor starts barking again. Annoyed, I put on a jacket, gloves, and my boots before grabbing a flashlight and storming outside. I turn on the flashlight and scan the area, seeing nothing until I shine the light near my car. In the light is something white rushing away. I try to follow the figure but all I catch is a white busy tail as it leaps over the fence and runs into the woods. 

Was that a fox? Maybe that’s what got Oskar’s chickens.

I turn around and go back inside, shed my layers, and grab my cell phone. I find Oskar’s number and press the call button. The phone rings once, twice, and then he picks up.

“Hi, Reader. Is something wrong?” He asks. 

“Um… I think I just saw a fox jump over my fence,” I tell him. 

“I see, thank you,” he says before hanging up. 

I put my phone down and look at Thor, who is giving me the dog equivalent of “I told you so”. I roll my eyes and open the door to his crate. He stays inside, like he’s trying to spite me for putting him in there. I go back to the couch and keep watching TV before I go to bed, trying to ignore seeing the fox.

***

The dog-like footprints are back, this time on my lawn, though I can confidently say it was a fox who left them. I ignore them and go to work at the gift shop. When I get in everything is normal and it stays that way up until I return from break. Once my register is open again a customer, a woman that towers over me, walks over to it. Before I can even do the customer service greeting she leans forward until she’s practically in my face. I lean back, feeling a bit uncomfortable, and I swear I can hear her sniffing the air around me. I don’t say anything because I have no idea what to say to the woman who looks like she could crush my skull like a melon. 

“Alright, dear you’re scaring the poor thing,” a familiar Irish accent says. 

She turns her head and the guy from last week is there, holding more stuff in his hands. The woman backs off and silently watches as he puts the items on the counter. I scan it all, bag it, and he actually pays with all krone before he and the woman leave. I try to shake off the uncomfortable feeling the woman gave me but it just won’t go away. No matter where I am in the gift shop or what I’m doing I feel like someone is watching me. The feeling doesn't go away when the day ends or when I’m in the parking lot to leave work. As I get to my car I freeze when I see something tucked under the windshield wipers. Looking closer I see that it’s a piece of paper, but not the bright yellow of a parking ticket but instead it’s plain notebook paper. I grab it, figuring it’s a note someone left after hitting my car but it’s not that. 

"Hi, Reader! You looked tired today, I noticed your cheeks don’t have their normal rosy colour. Are you sleeping well? Are you eating right? Is the cold getting to you? We’re so worried about you but we know that you need your space right now. So for now we’ll just be keeping an eye on you and that mutt of yours. When you’re ready, you can let us know when you want to meet us. 

Sláinte, your future husband." The note reads.

I stare at the note before shoving it in my pocket, trying not to panic. I think about calling the cops but this is just one note, what would the cops even do other than file it away and tell me to be careful? I search every inch of my car for an air tag or some kind of tracker and I find nothing. I pull out my phone and debate on calling my neighbor to come get me but she’s an old lady and I don’t want to risk her driving into town in the dark. Then I see Oskar’s number, and I debate calling him for help. What if he left this note? My heart starts to race. I mean, he knows my car. My chest starts to hurt as my heart beats faster and faster. He knows me. He knows where I live! I feel like crying in the parking lot but as it gets later and later I feel more and more afraid that someone is going to get me but there also isn’t a bus that reaches my neighborhood so unless I walk, which is dangerous, I’m either stuck or driving. I grip onto the hood of my car, trying to keep myself from falling to the pavement. Tears burn the corners of my eyes and without any option left I search my backseat and car before getting in, buckling up, and driving home. The whole time I feel eyes on me but I can't see anyone or anything. 

Eventually I make it home, park in my driveway and run to my front door when I freeze. In front of my door, torn open in a pool of frozen blood, is a doe. I throw up on the snow covered grass while shaking. I wipe my mouth and run to my backdoor, but I stop when I see the state of the door. It's still on the hinges but the wood has deep scratches in it. Though this door doesn’t have a dead animal in front of it. I rush to the door, pull out the key and let myself in before locking the door behind me. I ditch my layers in a pile and run to Thor’s crate and while he’s ok the moment I open his crate he charges the back door and starts growling and barking. I’m too scared to let him out because if there is an animal out there he could get hurt. I pull my phone out to call the cops when I start to feel light headed. Grabbing onto the couch I try to keep myself standing as my head starts to swim. I look at Thor and he’s swaying as he tries walking towards me. I try to stand on my own but I can’t, feeling tired. Out of the corner of my eye I see something sparkly snaking under my door and windows. 

What… the…

***

How did I get into bed? What happened last night?

I go out the back door and see the wood is untouched and the only footprints I see are mine and Thor’s. I run to the front and my porch is clean, as if there wasn't a torn open, bloody deer corpse on it last night. I try to figure out what happened and the only explanation is that I called someone to get rid of the deer and they cleaned it up while the stress of the note and seeing a dead deer caused me to pass out and I tried forgetting. Yeah, that makes sense. I go back inside, grab the rest of my stuff, deal with Thor, get in my car, and drive to work. Once at work I get out and everything feels normal. But I can't stop thinking about the note and who the hell put it on my car. The only one who knows my car is Oskar, but he’s too nice to be a creepy stalker. Then again, Ted Bundy was also charming. 

Ok, no more true crime podcasts. I’m paranoid as is.

I go into the back room to drop my lunch bag off when I feel someone touch me on the shoulder. I turn around and there is Oskar, smiling. I tell him he scared me half to death and he apologizes before asking if I’m ok. I lie and tell him I’m fine. His smile fails for only a moment before it comes back, something about it makes me feel a bit nervous. He goes back to chatting about nonsense and I politely tell him I need to set up my register. He stops talking and moves out of my way. I scurry to my register and get set up, trying to ignore this gnawing feeling in my chest that something is off with him but I can’t figure out what it is.

As the day goes on Oskar seems to come up with an infinite number of reasons to bother me and it’s creeping me out because I know he has his own work to do but instead he’s bothering me. I try to avoid him but he just keeps finding me and invading my personal space to the point that my boss actually has to step in and tell him to knock it off. It’s not just him invading my space that’s odd, his voice sometimes switches between his normal voice, which is loud and like he hasn’t hit puberty yet, and a low, smooth voice. I start to wonder if I’m going insane and feel so uncomfortable that I can’t focus on my work. 

“Reader, pull yourself together,” my boss tells me.

“But Oskar-” I start, “Is just being friendly and has a cold. You’re overreacting. Now, get it together and get back to work!” She orders. 

I want to yell at her, fight her over the fact that this is not fucking normal! But I know she wouldn’t listen and if I tell her about the note she’ll say that because it was in the parking lot and I don’t know who wrote it then it isn’t her problem. So, I try my best to hold it together until the end of the day, and once it’s over I run to my car and get in, only to see another paper on my windshield. I freeze and debate on looking. I look around the parking lot and there are still people there, so at least I’m not completely alone. I roll down the window next to me, reach my arm out, and quickly pull the paper inside before rolling up the window. Once I have the paper I throw it in my cupholder, buckle up and drive home. Once I’m home and safely inside with Thor by my side I read what the paper says. 

“Dear, Reader, 

I am sorry for last night. I just wanted to give you a gift I thought you would enjoy and find useful and I did not mean to damage your door. But do not worry, we repaired the door and I took back my gift despite the fact that it was perfect. Again, I am sorry for scaring you. 

Ulva." The note reads.

I stare at the note before I pull out the other one. Nothing about them matches, not the spelling of things, not the hand writing, nothing! I stare to panic, worrying that now instead of one I have two deranged psychos after me, and one of them has already left a fucking deer corpse on my porch! Thor comes over to me and presses his wet nose into my hand, bringing me back to reality. I pet his head and drag myself to my bedroom and flop on my bed, trying to calm down and figure out what the fuck I do now. As I try to think Thor starts barking and growling. Annoyed, I tell him to shut up but he doesn’t stop. I look out the windows, turn on my porch light, and see nothing but Thor won’t stop. I sigh, toss on a jacket and gloves and grab a flashlight to look around. I go outside but before I can close the door Thor runs out and into the night. I slam the door shut and run after him, trying not to slip on the ice and snow. Thor runs towards the fence and leaps over it. I stop and climb over the fence after him. I keep running, and almost tripping, after him until he finally stops. Once I’ve caught up to him I shine the flashlight where he’s looking and my blood runs cold. Standing in front of us is what looks like a large white wolf. I grab Thor’s collar and start slowly backing away from the wolf, making sure Thor doesn’t run and I don’t take my eyes off of it. The wolf just stares at me as I back away before it starts walking towards me. I start yelling and trying to make myself bigger in the hopes of scaring it off. It seems to work as the wolf stops moving before it turns around and wanders back into the woods. The moment it’s gone I back myself up to the fence, quickly turn around and scramble over and back into my yard, taking Thor with me, before running into the house and locking the door. I shed my layers with shaking hands and just look at Thor. 

“Is that what you’ve been barking at Thor? Have you been barking at a wolf?” I ask him. 

He lets out a huff and lays on the floor like nothing happened. I roll my eyes and sit on the couch, trying to calm down but I can’t as I think back to the prints around my car after that snowfall, maybe it wasn’t a fox? Maybe the white tail wasn’t a fox, but instead the wolf? 

But if it’s a wolf, then none of Oskar’s chickens should be left alive. Maybe the fox and wolf are both real? Yeah, that’s what’s happening. 

As much as Oskar’s been creeping me out, I feel like I should warn him and others about the wolf. So, I pull up the neighborhood page someone made and share what happened to me and Thor. I turn off my phone before it rings. I look at the number and see Oskar. Something in me is saying to block him but the part of me that’s known him for a while takes over, so I answer him. At first there’s silence on the phone. Before I can do anything I hear Oskar talking, though his voice sounds a bit, wrong? Like, it sounds like someone is playing a recording of his voice through the phone. I listen as Oskar tells me that he saw my post and is worried about me. He keeps asking if I was attacked and where the wolf was, and other things. I tell him I’m fine and then he asks me if I need him to come over. I quickly tell him no, trying to hide my nerves.  

“Are you sure? It would really be no trouble,” he says. 

“I’m serious. You don’t need to come over. I ,” I tell him.

“Catch yourself- I mean, don’t be silly. If someone… eh, something is stalking around then it’s not good to be alone. I know someone who can help, I’m just worried about you,” he says. 

I yell at him that I don’t need his help and before he can say anything I hang up and block his number. Something is wrong, he’s talking funny, his voice sounds weird, and he seems to know things just as they happen. But, I did post the thing about the wolf so I can't get too mad at him for asking. But the way he wanted to come over, it’s strange, also when does he have a roommate because he told me that he lives alone. Wait, why do I care about if he has a roommate or not when he's being weird. I try to ignore him and go to make dinner. I walk into the kitchen and stop. On the counter is a full meal with steam rising off of it. I walk closer to the food and it clearly looks like a stew of some kind. I sniff it and nothing smells odd. I poke it with a spoon, checking to see if something is wrong and just like the smell, nothing is wrong. As I stare at the stew I definitely didn’t make, I see a note. I read it and it says that my “future husband” made this for me. A shiver runs down my spine. 

How did I not notice someone in my house?! Are they still here?

I don’t touch the stew and I don’t let Thor try and eat it. I grab my phone and go to call the police but it won’t turn on. It was at 84% when I set it down. I try to turn it on the way you're supposed to after a full shut down and it doesn’t work. I plug it in and yet, nothing happens. I go to use my home phone and it thankfully works… for two seconds before dying in my hands. Thor can sense something is wrong and he tries his best to calm me down. Scared, I toss on a jacket, grab my phone, and lead Thor to my car, planning to drive to the police with the notes in hand so I can finally tell someone what’s happening. But when I get to the car I not only see that my tires have been shredded, I see a figure lurking in the dark by my car. Thor starts barking and growling, putting himself between me and the figure. The figure moves closer and closer when I hear something else, howling. I can’t see anything in the dark but I can hear the sound of crunching snow coming from somewhere. I turn to open the door but it won’t budge. I see the figure getting closer and right then is when Thor lunges and snaps at the figure. I don't stop him. The figure backs away from Thor and whatever or however was walking through the snow seems to have stopped, giving me an opening. I take off down the road. The cold burns my legs but I don’t care. I hear barking and see Thor chasing me, eventually catching up. As we run I can hear someone or something running alongside and behind us. 

Police! Just make it to the police then things will be ok!

As we run down the road. I ignore the pain in my legs and burning of my lungs, reminding myself to make it to the cops and then everything will be ok. Only for me to slip on black ice. I try to stand up but it’s hard when also slipping on ice. Thor keeps running and I start to hope that maybe, just maybe someone will see him. But my hopes are crushed as something charges out from the trees and into him, pushing him into the woods on the other side. I keep trying to stand but every time I try I keep falling, smashing my knee over and over into the road. I hear Thor whimpering in fear and I can’t help but start to cry. Once I can finally stand I run towards where Thor was dragged. The trees seem to grab at me as I run, this time slower as everything starts to hurt. I finally reach Thor and I see him, cowering against a log as something corners him. I grab a rock to hit whatever this is but before I can grab the rock my body drops like someone cut the strings of a puppet. I try to get up, to move, to do anything but I can’t even talk. 

WHAT THE HELL?! I CAN’T MOVE!

All I can do is watch as Thor eventually falls to the ground like he’s asleep. The thing standing over Thor walks over to me and I see white fur. My blood freezes in my veins as I hear the beast sniffing me. It howls and I hear footsteps behind me but I can’t move to see who or what it is. My vision starts to go black as the snow freezes every inch of skin it touches. 

***

My eyes slowly open, feeling a weight on me, as an odd scent fills my nose. The moment I remember last night my eyes snap open and I look around. Thor is on me as normal but the room I’m in isn’t mine, the blankets aren’t mine, nothing in here is mine, not even the clothes I'm wearing. As I look around I see what looks like a stuffed raven perched on the foot of my bed. I lean forward to look at it, then it moves. I freak out, and accidentally kick Thor at the same time. The raven yells something in a human sounding voice. It keeps yelling and in panic I grab a pillow to throw at it but I miss. I grab another pillow and keep missing until the last pillow, which knocks the bird over and shuts it up. I watch, seeing if it will pop back up and when it doesn’t I relax slightly, only for the bird to pop back up and keep yelling. Thor starts barking at the raven and I yell at both of them to shut up. This goes on until the door opens and someone walks in. The raven shuts up and flies towards whoever just walked into the room. The person is lanky with fair skin and ginger hair. I stare at him for a bit only for it to hit me, the Irish tourist! He sees me and smiles with the raven on his shoulder and a tray in his hands. 

“Nice to see you’re awake. I was worried you’d be asleep for a donkey’s years more. Sorry if Puck scared you, he’s not good at first impressions,” he says, his accent clear as day. 

“What am I doing here? Who are you? Why did you change my clothes when I was knocked out?!” I ask, scared. 

He chuckles, sets the tray down, and holds my hands with his. He tells me his name, Fiachna, and explains that I am in his and Ulva's house and that Ulva changed my clothes cause my old ones were "such a mess". I freeze, remembering the note sighed with the name Ulva, and also at the fact that a random probably stalker. He notices and starts talking softly, saying that Ulva is sorry for scaring me with the deer, and the note. I don’t say anything and silence fills the room only for a moment before there’s a knock on the doorframe. Fiachna turns his head towards the door and tells whoever’s knocking they can come in. The person who walks in is someone I recognize instantly, the woman who sniffed me at work! 

“Reader, this is our wife, Ulva. Now, say hi,” he says. 

I stare at Ulva as she walks towards us. Once at the bed she couches down and looks at me. I don’t say anything and neither do they. The silence stretches awkwardly for a long time before Ulva grabs the tray Fiachna set down earlier. She balances it on her lap and starts trying to feed me. I don’t eat, not trusting whatever they might have put in the food. That seems to annoy them both as they both try their damndest to get me to eat but I refuse to open my mouth. Fiachna mumbles something under his breath before my mouth acts against my will, they both don’t seem to care and act like nothing is wrong. Once all the foot is gone from my plate I feel like I have control over my mouth again. I go to ask them what just happened but they ignore me as Ulva leaves and Fiachna says he’ll bring me some tea. 

What the hell is this place? Am I gonna die?!

My mind starts to spiral with all sorts of thoughts about what they might do to me. I look at Thor and he seems nervous as well. I stare at random things in the room, sometimes itching my back, as I try to plan a way out because something tells me the longer I stay the more dangerous things will get. As I look I see a window and start wondering if I can ge tThor through the window. I slowly get out of bed and go to open the window, only for it to not move. I hear one of them walking towards the door so I rush back into bed and act like I was there the whole time. Fiachna walks in with a cup in hand. He sits on the bed and hands it to me. I go to place the tea on the bedside table but I remember what happened when I wouldn’t eat, so I sniff the tea and check for anything odd about it and find nothing. So, I start sipping the tea and it actually tastes nice. Fiachna smiles and watches me finish the whole cup. Once it’s empty he takes the cup and asks if I want another. I shark my head. His smile falters briefly before it returns. He leaves, telling me to get some sleep. Time passes and it seems like Fiachna and Ulva are  checking on me constantly, with Ulva being more hands on compared to Fiachna. Once the moon is out I sneak out of bed and search for anything that seems like a front door. Once I find what I think is the front door I twist the knob and the cold seeps in. 

“ESCAPE! ESCAPE! ESCAPE!” A voice yells. 

I panic and run out the door, not bothering to close it. As I run I hear Fiachna yelling my name, telling me to come back inside but I ignore him. I use the moonlight to see the path ahead of me. The forest gets thicker and thicker until I can't even see the sky, but I don't stop until I get tackled to the ground. I try to stand but there is a heavy weight on my back. I feel the weight shift slightly just as I see Fiachna, looking disappointed. The weight on my back is lifted before I’m picked up and put in a bridal carry. I look up and see Ulva is the one holding me. She and Fiachna walk back to the house and put me in the bedroom with Thor, closing the door behind them. Once in bed Fiachna waves his hands and the blankets start moving on their own, tucking around me tight. I ask them why they’re doing this and Fiachna sighs, telling Ulva to explain. 

“We saw you a long time ago, when you helped Puck. We couldn’t get you out of our minds so we watched you. You’re so sweet and the world isn’t so we needed to keep you safe, especially after we saw that… man bothering you. But don’t worry, we’ll take care of you,” she explains. 

At the mention of the raven, Puck, I remember that almost a month ago I untangled a raven from a bird net. I feel a bit sick and Fiachna notices, asking me if I need more tea and I shake my head. As I look at them the image of the wolf and its bright blue eyes flashes in my mind as I focus on Ulva’s eyes, the same blue. Before I can control myself I ask about the wolf and Ulva rubs the back of her neck sheepishly, apologizing for scaring me. Fiachna sighs, saying that since I’ll be theirs now I should know something important about them. 

“I am a master of magic, and our gnéasach Ulva here is a beast of the moon,” he says dramatically. 

“Love, you make it sound like I’m a spirit and not a wolf,” she says. 

“So, you’re a wizard and she’s a werewolf!” I yell in fear.

Fiachna says that he prefers to be called a warlock but I frankly don’t care. I ask what they’ll do with me and they explain that once I’m “settled” and Thor has been “properly trained” the three of us will get married and while he and Ulva work outside the home I’ll stay here, taking care of things where I’m “safe”. I clutch my fist around the blanket and they seem to notice. So, Fiachna starts rubbing my back and I feel heat spread from where his hand is, not an uncomfortable heat, soothing almost. I try to stay away, try to push his hand off me but my body isn't working, isn’t listening to me. He chuckles as he rubs my back. At the same time Ulva hugs and nuzzles her face in my hair, squishing me. All the while, my eyes slowly close, my body feels heavy, and for the first time in a long time I feel calm. I feel the hand leave my back as I’m lowered and the moment my head hits the pillow, my eyes close and I feel them kiss each side of my face and whisper things into my ears. 

Creator's POV

As people celebrate the victory, the freedom the defeat of the Abyss has brought I can't stop thinking about the battle. I can't stop thinking about all that I saw.

***FLASHBACK***

"Ometecuhtli? Who's that?" Lumine asks.

"That is what ancient Natlan called the Creator," Ororon says.

We keep moving through the Night Kingdom I feel something stirring inside me, something trying to crawl out of my chest. I have to lean on Chasca as we move through what seems like an endless hallway of art showing a giant figure in the sky with others. I stop in front of one piece. It shows figure with hair like fire, golden skin decorated with versions of the elemental symbols, and seven eyes, one colored for each element. I can't help but stare at it and feel the urge to touch it.

If this is what you looked like, why look like me?

Chasca calls my name and I regroup with the others. As we walk I start to feel like something is off, more so then things already are. I felt something running through my veins and through my blood which has been gold since I got here. My head starts to ache as images flash through my mind of people I've never met and things I've never seen. I almost trip but the others help keep me upright. I take a breath, focusing on the goal at hand, but I can't stop wondering... why me? Why am I a god?

***FLASHBACK JUMP***

The screams of the people echo in the air as the Abyss invades through portal after portal and no matter what we do they just won't stop! Tears burn my eyes to the point I can't see.

Why is this happening?! I want to go home!

The monsters growls and roars mix in with the screams of the dying and roars of the fighters and I just want to go home! I don't want to be here! A monster charges me and I run away before someone steps in and holds it off so I can keep running like a coward. I duck behind a rock, trying to focus but I can't!

"I don't understand! You were made by the Shane's but you Made Teyvat! I don't understand!" I yell into empty air as tears roll down my cheeks.

At that moment everything stops, everything and everyone freezes in place, all except me. I look around at the frozen war but I don't want to but something compels me to look. Then, I see a light of blue, of almost white, green, teal, yellow, purple, and every color of the elements along with a silver, sparkling light that leads them all. I follow the lights across the battlefield, touching them when I can. They run through the land and all the way to the Collective of Plenty and then further, beyond Fallingstar Fields, and into the volcano. I yell for the light to slow down but it doesn't, instead it keeps going until it reaches a figure with hair like fire and skin of gold.

"Ahh... there you are," a voice says.

It sounds both young and old, but also male and female all at once. I freeze, scared that whoever this is is gonna hurt me. The figure laughs as it plays with the lights before turning towards me, and I see seven eyes, six of which are glowing. The figure moves closer staring at me and smiling.

"This form is so cute! It's so wonderful to finally meet you," they say.

"W-who are you?" I ask, scared.

The figure sighs before asking if I know anything. For whatever reason I tell this giant person everything about me getting itno the game, my blood being gold, and everyone here thinking I'm a god. When I'm finished they just stare at me, then hum in thought before mumbling something in a language I don't understand. I aks what's happening and they, with what looks like pity, lowers their hands for me to sit on before holding me close to their face.

"You are me, the new version of me," they say.

"And who are are you?" I ask.

"Ometecuhtli," they say.

The gears in my brain stop working and I mention the version of me that said they were made by the Phanes and Ometecuhtli explains that the version of me I saw in my dreams is another version of them, Llipya. I ask what they mean by the dream me and me being a different version of them. The place me back on the ground before using the lights to make six figures, one of me, one of this Llipya person, who does look kind of like me except for the fact they're clearly a woman, one of a tall figure with small horns, a gaint with shaggy hair and horns, and then themselves. Using these figures Ometecuhtli explains that they are the first and true form but they died at the hands of a long dead demon, but instead of disappearing Ometecuhtli became a gaint who added humanity, a giant known as Aurgelmir. Then Aurgelmir went back to being a god after earning the power back. Then they died again and became Khnum and the cycle happened again he became a god after gaining power back. They kept explaining each form until they go to me, their current form apparently.

"So... I am a god. But why did I end up in my world and not stay here?" I ask.

"Simple, when the balance of the universe was overthrown, you were sent away. But, now you're back and you can fix things!" They say while smiling.

I tell Ometecuhtli that I want to go home. They pause, and tell me that what I knew as home wasn't my life, wasn't me, but a cheap copy of someone else. I yell back that I remember my parents, my friends, and so many other memories that proved I lived a life but Ometecuhtli tells me that those memories aren't mine, that I was just an attachment to some other soul in another world that was never meant to be my life. I fall to my knees and start crying, I mean what else was I supposed to do after finding out I was basically a parasite! I feel the lights touch me, wiping my tears, but I don't hear Ometecuhtli apologize.

"Is... is that why everyone is obsessed with me?" I ask.

Ometecuhtli doesn't answer, but the silence tells me everything. I start at the ground and ask why now? Why tell me now that I'm a version of a god who made this world? Why?

"They need you. This world needs me in whatever form I'm in. Your old world is fine, who you think you are will be fine but without you here this world will fall to ruin. Please... stay," Ometecuhtli says, practically begging.

I stare at the group, thinking of everything that happened, everything happening right now as everyone is frozen. I want to go home... but as I think I see a portal open, but not one of the Abyss portals, instead this one is gold. I poke my head in and see myself, going about my day, acting like I used to.

I... I'm ok. Everything is fine

I pull my head back out of the portal and look at Ometecuhtli, but none of us say anything. We just stare at each other but they seem to know what I want to ask, so they tell me that I can be among the mortals for as long I want to be. I smile, take their hand, and absorb the lights.

***Present***

I snap back to the present just as the music gets louder somehow. People are celebrating, and I can't help but smile as they do. Though. I feel a bit disconnected, now that I know I'm a god and parasite. I look at Lumine and Paimon, happy they're finally free to make their own choices. I go to talk to Mauvika, ready to tell her I'm excited to see the temple they have for me when I overhear her tell Lumine and Paimon about Dottore and I freeze.

I remember hating his guts when I was in the other world and I thought all this was fictional, so knowing he's alive and well makes me angry after everything he's done. So, I offer to go with them. Mauvika tells me I don't have to and that I should stay in Nataln.

"I want to, but with the sky and moon... It would be selfish to not help those I made in Nod-Krai," I tell her.

She sighs and smiles, agreeing with me. Paimon is so excited she hugs me. I smile and go with the two to get ready to leave for Nod-Krai, imagining what this place is like, nervous and excited at the same time. As we gather items I start to realize, there were eight lights Ometecuhtli was working with, seven for the element and that random silver light.

What element is silver? Cry[? No, cryo is light blue. What was that light?