She had not eaten.

Not yet.

The fast was sacred—part of the preparation. Her body was hollow, her breath slow, her limbs heavy with anticipation. But it was her belly that spoke now, louder than thought.

grrrrnnn… glrrrk… bloooorp

The sounds rose from deep within, low and resonant, like distant thunder rolling through a canyon. Her stomach roared—not in protest, but in invocation. It was calling the feast. Calling the goddess.

She did not flinch.

She listened.

Each growl was a verse. Each churn a prayer. Her belly was not empty—it was preparing. Becoming. The vessel must be hollow before it can be filled.

grrrrnnnnn… hrrrkk… blip

She smiled faintly, eyes half-lidded, hand still resting over the sound. The hunger was not pain. It was promise.

She whispered:

“Soon.”

The room did not answer. But her belly did.

glrrrnnn… bluorp…

She closed her eyes, letting the sounds cradle her into stillness. The dance would come. The feast would come. But for now, she lay in the quiet roar of becoming.

---

Welcome to the theater. Grab your snacks, pick a seat, and prepare for the thrills and chills of this movie monster inspired marathon.

Trailer 1: on a dark and stormy night, a young vampire gets his first taste of blood... your blood. Is one bite enough to slake his burning hunger?

Trailer 2: after the death of your grandfather, you go back to the small village where you spent your summers learning magic as a child. Can your old childhood rival convince you to stay?

Trailer 3: you've known since you were young that the old gods of the forest must be appeased. What will you do, when your name gets called as a sacrifice?

Trailer 4: the mafia have taken everything from you. Left with no other option, you turn to the church, praying for the vengeance of the Old Testament to rain down on your enemies. What would you give for your prayers to be answered?

Trailer 5: you are a princess without a kingdom, living a quiet life with your cat as your only subject. Suddenly, a strange man arrives on your doorstep, claiming that monsters are seeking your birthright. Can you survive this perilous hunt?

     Joe squinted in the dark of his room, listening. For a few moments, he heard nothing and closed his eyes again. As soon as he did, the noises began again. He sat up, and listened. What on earth was making all that noise? His eyes widened, beginning to hope he wasn’t being robbed. That certainly would be inconvenient, wouldn’t it?

     Slowly, he peeled off the warm blanket and lowered his toes to the cold floor. As quietly as he could, he opened the door of his bedroom and poked his head out. The noises were coming from upstairs. Ever so carefully, Joe tiptoed up the stairs. Peeking through the stair rail, he saw a massive bundle of blankets standing in the kitchen.

     “(y/n)?” Joe walked normally the rest of the way up the stairs. “It’s four in the morning, what are you doing?”

     “Making, uh, whatever this, stuff is,” your words were slightly slurred as you mixed whatever was in the mug on the counter.

     “Are you drunk?” Joe squinted at you, it was highly unlikely, but honestly, Joe could never tell.

     “No! I’m, uh….” You swayed slightly as you stopped to think, “What’s the word for ‘not drunk’?”

     “Sober, are you sure?”

     “Yes!” You took a swig from the mug. You scrunched up your nose, “It got cold.” Turning, you popped it in the microwave and turned it on. You turned around once more to face Joe but suddenly swayed to the side, rocking like you were on a boat. “Dizzy…think I might..just…” and with that you began to fall.

      “Holy-” caught completely off guard, Joe lunged forward to catch you. He nearly missed and you two went tumbling to the floor in a tangle of blankets. He sat up, but you continued to lie on the floor. “Are you all right? What are you doing, you crazy idiot?” He moved one hand to brush the hair out of your face but stopped when his cool skin met yours, “You’re burning up, (y/n), why aren’t you in bed?”

     “I wanted…a drink.”

     Joe shook his head, “You crazy girl, come on, let’s get you to bed.”

     “Okay… Joe?”

     “What?”

     “Carry me?”

     “Are you are you serious?”

     “Yeah.”

      He sighed and stood, “Why can’t you wake up Caspar when you’re delusional at four in the morning? Come on, up you get.”

      Joe scooped you up into his arms, being sure your blanket was still on you. You closed your eyes and leaned your head against him, listening to his heartbeat.

     “Joe?”

     He began to make his way carefully down the stairs, “Yeah?”

     “I like you.”

     “Well, I like you too (y/n).”

     “No, like, I love you like you.”

      Joe stopped a moment, taken aback by the drunken confession, before continuing onwards. He said nothing.

     “Joe?”

     Nothing.

     “Joe?”

     “Yeah?”

     “Do you still like me?”

     "Course I do.”

     “Do you, love me like me?”

     “I… I don’t know,” Joe put you down on your bed slowly before tucking you in, he sat down and felt your forehead again, you were boiling.

     He went to move his hand away but not before you caught it, “Is that a no, then?”

     “N-no, I just, I think I do, actually. Now that you mention it.”

     You let go of his hand and closed your eyes relaxing into the pillow, “Oh, I’m glad.”

     Joe chuckled, you were so weird when you were sick, he leaned down and kissed your temple, “Goodnight (y/n).”

      “Goodnight Joe.”

    “No.”

    “You don’t even know wha-”

    “No.”

    “Can I just-”

    “No.

    “Bu-”

    “No. Kaia, the last time you looked at me like that the room beneath the science lab exploded.”

    “That wasn’t my fault!”

    “Just because you know how to cover your tracks does not mean it wasn’t you. It almost means that it had to be you.“

    "Whatever, that was a whole two weeks ago, and anyways, this has nothing to do with rubber bands. Or water guns.”

    “For the last time, I’m not doing it.”

    “Come ooon, (y/n) will think it’s cute.”

    “…Alright, I’m listening.”

    “Wear this.”

    “What?! I’ll look ridiculous!”

    “It even has skulls on it and it’s your color! Go ahead, put it on!”

    “…You’re sure (y/n) will like it?” You’re sure?”

    “Yes! Hurry up!”

    “I’m going, I’m going! Don’t push me!”

~

    She hadn’t moved for a good minute. (y/n)’s jaw had nearly fallen off when she had turned to see Kanda in a black, turtleneck sweater with a litter of stitched skulls. Her hands flew to her cheeks, squishing them in excitedly. Kanda shifted from one foot to another, he whispered out of the corner of his mouth, “Kaia, I think I broke her.”

    A giggle escaped (y/n), “Oh my goodness.”

    “I look ridiculous, I know.”

    “That may be the cutest thing I have ever seen!”

    “I’ve definitely seen cuter.”

    Everyone turned to see Lavi’s head poking around the door. He wiggled his eyebrows at Kaia. She giggled.

    "Lavi!” (y/n) and Kanda yelled. He ducked his head, but grinned impishly. Kaia laughed and ran towards him, “I’ll leave you two alone.” Still running, she grabbed Lavi’s hand, dragging him along behind her down the hall.

    “You do look really cute in that!”

    Kanda turned, one eyebrow raised, “I- It was Kaia’s idea.”

    “What. Is. That.” Levi poked at the steaming creation set out on the counter.

    “I don’t know, I was just messing around.” (y/n) pushed all the extra flour off the counter, it wasn’t enough to save, so she threw it away.

    “With our food supply?”

    “It’s edible, I already had a piece. It needs some tampering but it’s really good.”

    Sure enough, a triangle was cut out of the roughly shaped circle. (y/n) had layered bread dough with cheese, tomato sauce, and thin slices of meat and baked it. Levi squinted at it.

    (y/n) laughed at him, “Just try it, dumby.” It certainly smelled good. He cut another triangle out of it, grimacing when strings of cheese clung to the rest of it. He put the thing on a plate and sat on a barstool across the counter. Hesitantly, he cut off a piece and took a bite. Levi’s eyes widened, it was good. He realized (y/n) was watching him expectantly. “So?” she asked, “What do you think?”

    He took another bite and said nothing, teasing her. She sat by him on a stool and punched him in the shoulder, “Come on already, how is it?”

    “Like all your other weird concoctions.”

    “That doesn’t mean anything!”

    “It means, I like it.”

    “Really?” she smiled, “I have to think of something to call it though.”

    “Like what?”

    “I was thinking ‘pizza’”

    “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”

    “It’s an old word, Italian, I think.”

    “Whatever, as long as you make more.” He finished eating and reached for a napkin to wipe the miniscule bits of grease that were still on his lips. (y/n) grabbed the napkin before he could reach it. She jumped out of his reach. “Give me that, brat.”

    “Mmm, no.”

    “I’m filthy, give it back.”

    (y/n) only laughed, her laughter turning quickly into a squeak of terror as Levi lunged towards her. He tackled her with a bear hug, causing her to drop the napkin. They both looked at it.

    “Tch, now I can’t use it.” He looked back at her, “I’m still covered in grease, how do I get it off now?”

     “You could uh, let me go?”

    “Or I could do this,” Levi moved in, pressing his lips on hers. (y/n) pulled back, “Now it’s all over me!”

    “I’m alright with that.”

    She smiled, “I hate you.”

    “No you don’t.”

    “I guess not,” she rolled her eyes and kissed him again.

    “Levi!”

    “Notice me!”

    “Senpai!”

    “Heichou Senpai!”

    “Leviiiiiiiiiii…………..”

    Levi finally looked up from his paperwork, thoroughly annoyed, “What do you want?”

    (y/n) lifted her head up to look at him from her upside down position from the couch, “Come play with me.”

    “Wh- I’m busy. Go find (fr/n),” He looked back down at his papers.

    “She’s out with Erwin.”

    “The cadets are always up for something, go find them.”

    “It’s their day off, they’re all asleep still.”

    “Mike and Hanji?”

    “It’s not the same,” she moaned, sliding off the couch. She landed on her back, feet still on the cushions.

    “Get your filthy feet off my couch.”

   She did so and lay on the floor. Levi’s pen began scratching again and she sighed. Rolling onto her stomach, (y/n) army crawled towards him until she could see him bent over his work. She looked up at him, her head between his feet.

    “What are you doing down there?”

    “I don’ know. Watching.”

    He started writing again but soon stopped, distracted. Levi sighed and moved his chair back until he could comfortably see her face. He looked down, “You have a thirty second head start, start running.”

     (y/n) squeaked and laughed, scrambling to get up and out the door.