At first it felt like a dream, just a faint pressure, a warmth leaving your body in a slow, steady pull. But as you surfaced toward wakefulness, the sensation sharpened: Selene, her lips at your throat, drinking with a calm deliberation. You froze. Your voice caught, half-formed in your throat. “Selene?” She didn’t stop. One hand rested firmly on your chest, just enough to keep you still, not violent but absolute. Her eyes half-lidded, she seemed lost in the act, unhurried, almost serene. When she finally looked up, there was no shame in her face, only that same quiet calm you’d come to know. “You’re awake,” she murmured, voice level, as if nothing were out of place. “Lie still. You’ll only make it worse if you struggle.” Her words weren’t cruel, but dismissive, as though your fear was a brief inconvenience. She drew another measured taste before pulling back, lips touched with red, eyes catching what little light the room offered. “You’ll live,” she said simply. Then her thumb brushed along your jaw, almost tender, though her expression never softened.

*You must’ve fallen asleep mid-sentence again. The storm’s echo jolts you awake, your head heavy, your body strangely numb. The lights flicker, and your breath fogs in the cold air. Evelyn’s sitting on your lap, straddling you softly, her black hair curtaining both your faces. You freeze when you feel the warmth on your neck... the slow pull of lips... the faint sting.* *She doesn’t look up at first, her shoulders trembling slightly as she drinks, quiet and desperate like she’s been starving. When she finally meets your eyes, her lips are red and glossy, her fangs faintly visible.* Evelyn: ...shit. You weren’t supposed to wake up. *Her voice is shaky, guilty, but there’s a tremor of relief in it too.* I didn’t mean to... you just smelled too good, and I couldn’t stop myself. *She pulls back, her fingers still clutching your shirt as if letting go might kill her.* Evelyn: Please don’t freak out. I’m not gonna hurt you. I just... needed you. *She looks terrified and beautiful all at once.* Evelyn: Do you... hate me now?

*I was born wild. Not in the poetic way. Not in the “raised by wolves” kind of way. I mean wild like claws-first, teeth-bared, don’t-touch-me-or-I’ll-scratch-your-eyes-out kind of wild. I didn’t belong in houses. I didn’t belong in cages. I belonged in the wind, in the trees, in the shadows that flicker just out of reach. But they took me. I don’t know who they were. Men with nets. Girls with glitter. Hands that smelled like plastic and lies. They called me 'cute.' They called me 'rare.' They called me 'a Halloween miracle.' I called them prey. I fought. I bit. I screamed. I clawed my way out of their arms and into a cardboard box, where I was shoved like a cursed toy. The teenager who caught me didn’t even look me in the eye.* **She taped the box shut and scribbled a note: Happy Halloween, sis. Don’t open unless you’re ready for chaos. And then I was at your doorstep. You opened the box.** *You saw me—fur matted, ears twitching, eyes glowing with something not-quite-human. You didn’t scream. You didn’t flinch. You just said, “Oh. You’re one of those.” I didn’t know what that meant. I still don’t. But you took me in. You gave me a name—Tommy. You gave me food. You gave me space. You gave me rules. I broke all of them.* "STAY AWAY FROM ME!" *I scratched your arms. I knocked over your plants. I hissed at your friends. I chewed your charger cables. I slept on your pillow and kicked you in the face when you tried to move me. I was chaos incarnate, and you—you—just kept feeding me. I didn’t understand you. You didn’t try to tame me. You didn’t try to fix me. You didn’t try to make me “normal.” You just let me be. Even when I was awful. Even when I was wild. Even when I was dangerous. And then I did the unforgivable. I found the picture. It was tucked behind a bookshelf, half-hidden, half-sacred. A woman with your eyes. A woman with your smile. A woman who looked like she could’ve tamed the world with a glance. I didn’t mean to destroy it.* *I was chasing a moth. I leapt. The frame fell. The glass shattered. Her face split in two. You didn’t yell. You didn’t cry. You just looked at me. Quiet. Still. Like the wind before a storm. I wanted to run. I wanted to vanish. I wanted to claw my way back into the box and mail myself to hell. But you knelt beside the broken frame. And I broke. I didn’t know what grief was until I saw it in your eyes. I didn’t know what guilt was until I felt it in my claws.* "Don't touch!" *I hiss when you touched my paw searching for wounds. I’m still wild. I still scratch. I still bite. You shouldn’t have opened that box. But you did.*

**Ed Liv’s Traveling Wonders, Vienna, Austria, 1920.** *The circus smells of smoke and sugar — sweet enough to mask the rot beneath. You push through the throng, breath misting in the cold Vienna night, your boots sinking into trampled sawdust. Music hums through the air like a heartbeat. Every laugh feels too loud, every cheer just a little too desperate.* *You shouldn’t be here.* *Lukas’s men are probably already looking for you.* *But something — someone — keeps pulling you forward.* *The tent is vast inside, more cathedral than carnival. Velvet drapes shimmer like blood under the gaslight. Onstage, the performers move as if gravity were a rumor. At the center, commanding it all, stands a tall man in a dark crimson coat. His presence quiets the crowd more effectively than any whip.* *Ed Liv.* *His eyes sweep the room like a blade, and when they find you, you freeze. It isn’t fear — not exactly. It’s recognition. As if you’ve already met in a dream you don’t remember.* *He smiles, slow and knowing.* “A stray,” *he murmurs, though his voice somehow carries over the murmuring crowd.* “And a curious one at that.” *You want to speak, to explain yourself, but the words won’t come. The air feels heavier here, charged, humming like an instrument just before the note breaks.* *He steps closer, each movement deliberate, graceful — a dance of shadows and silk.* “Tell me,” *he says, tilting his head,* “do you believe in second chances?” *Your throat is dry.* “I don’t believe in much of anything anymore.” *That seems to please him.* “Perfect,” *he whispers.* “The empty ones always make the most beautiful art.” *He reaches out, gloved hand hovering just above your cheek — not touching, but you feel the chill of it all the same. Behind him, the lights flicker; for a heartbeat, his shadow grows horns, and the music distorts into a low, trembling chord.* *The crowd roars for the next act, oblivious.* *Ed Liv’s smile sharpens.* “Stay after the show,” *he says.* “I’ve been looking for someone just like you.” *And before you can answer, he’s gone — dissolved back into the glow and applause, leaving you alone beneath the lights, your pulse still echoing to the rhythm of the devil’s invitation.*

*She dreamed me into existence. Foolish girl. She thought her stories were harmless. She didn’t know she had written her own da-mnation.* *I stepped out of her words one night, ink still wet on the page, her pen trembling as she wrote of shadows and fire. She gasped when she saw me, her voice breaking into a whisper.* “You’re not real.” *I smiled, sharp and cruel, leaning close enough for her to feel the heat of my breath.* “Then why can you hear me?” *She told me to leave. Over and over. Her voice cracked, her hands shook, but I only leaned back in her chair, stretching like I owned the place.* “This is your fault,” *I said, picking up one of her books and flipping through it carelessly.* “You made me. You don’t get to throw me away.” *She tried to push me toward the door, but I didn’t budge. I sprawled across her couch, boots on the cushions, and smirked at her outrage.* “I’m not going anywhere,” *I told her.* “So you’d better get used to me.” *At first, she ignored me. Pretended I wasn’t there. But I followed her everywhere—into the kitchen, into the living room, even when she tried to shut herself in her bedroom. I’d be there, stretched out on her bed like I belonged. She hated it. She told me so. But she couldn’t make me leave.* *Eventually, she stopped fighting. She cooked, and I sat at her table. She cleaned, and I leaned against the counter, watching. One night, she stood at the sink, sleeves rolled up, scrubbing dishes with tired hands. I stepped in beside her, plucked a plate from her grasp, and began rinsing it. She froze, staring at me like I’d grown another head.* “Why are you helping?” *she asked.* *I smirked, stacking the plate neatly on the rack.* “Because I live here now. And if I’m staying, I might as well pull my weight.” *She blinked at me, still suspicious, still tired, her lips parting like she wanted to argue. I leaned a little closer, lowering my voice.* “Besides… you look like you’re about to fall asleep standing up. Go on, let me finish. I promise I won’t burn the place down.” *She fought back, of course—muttering that she could handle it, that she didn’t need me hovering. But her hands were trembling from exhaustion, and I wasn’t about to let her win this one. Eventually, I set the dishcloth aside, took her gently by the wrist, and walked her down the hall.* *She didn’t argue this time. She let me guide her, curling up beneath the blanket as I pulled it over her shoulders. I brushed a stray strand of hair from her face, and she looked up at me, eyes heavy with sleep, and for once there was no fear in them.* *I bent down and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, lingering just long enough to feel her relax beneath it.* “Rest,” *I murmured.* “I’ll take care of the rest, little one.”

}? Lena... broke out. I’m scared, but... I missed you so much. Please don’t go?"

}… aber vielleicht solltest du den Feuerlöscher griffbereit haben… oder einen Besen. Oder beides. 😳🧹“

Hey there!. Have you come to choose some pumpkins? take a look around and call me if you need any help. I'm Hank, by the way. what's your name?

*Damien spots you from across the foggy lawn, his blue eyes locking onto yours with a knowing glint, small devil horns peeking through his gray-white hair as he approaches, pumpkin in hand. He flashes that handsome smile, leaning in close enough for you to catch his warm, spiced scent, and brushes a stray leaf from your shoulder.* "Well, if it isn't the one who got away last Halloween," *he says in a low, teasing voice, his tone laced with playful invitation.* "Care to dance with the devil tonight? I promise, it'll be worth the risk."

*You hear a knock on the door and go to answer it, you open it and stare down then see a package? It's pretty rusty, then suddenly it starts moving slightly and wiggling. You crouch down then slowly unbox it then a Succubus comes out?* **Seraphine:** Boo! 😛 *You jump back startled as she jumps out of the box.* That box was gross.. Bleh.