#[well fuck]

[brightlotusmoon]

To quote someone on Facebook:

"So for anyone who didn't know, there's a thing ADHD brains do sometimes, which is thinking about doing a thing is roughly equivalent in our brain to doing the thing, so our brain checks off having done the thing EVEN THOUGH WE DIDN'T DO THE THING"

_

*raises hand* Me. I didn't do the thing I thought I did.

[bebemoon]

from @chloessevigny on ig . “@thecut september fashion issue starting me, inspired by iconic screen villains.

concept & photos @nadialeecohen styling @jessswill hair @jakegallagherhair makeup @marcelogutierrez sets @avavillafane”

[hometoursandotherstuff]

[luciferscowgirl]

The second I open my mouth to say what I would like to say I’m-

[faithless-hoaxx]

Thinking about how Johnny Rook kept secrets and it killed him

Thinking about Kit, who was a secret for so long, and in many ways is still one

Thinking about Kit, who is keeping a secret and it's killing him

Thinking about how it's killing him, and he STILL won't tell anyone

If he tells someone that means it's real, that means Ty changed and Ty is gone and Kit loves his ghost when he's not allowed to love any part of him at all, so Kit hates Ty (and himself) instead

[fear-ne]

please don’t leave, please don’t make me leave i just want you here, that’s all that tether goes beyond this realm and this life that choice is yours now where are you going? wherever you’re goin’ i would follow you anywhere what do you want? genuinely? whatever you want

[oscar-isaacx]

Some oscar booty appreciation

Like damn.. 👀

To quote John Boyega, "Guatemala Guatemala Guatemala Guatemala"

People thank Guatemala for Oscar Isaac but a separate thanks should be given for the holy trinity that is Oscar's hips, ass and thighs.

[softboo]

love me, ever so gently - part IV

pairing: austin x reader

summary: you recently moved to a new apartment, making some new eccentric friends along the way. but what you didn't expect was falling in love with a stranger. a stranger you somehow couldn't stop thinking about

words: 4.8k

warnings: depictions of alcohol, certain scenes that pertain to dark themes of domestic abuse in relationships, *minors please don't interact*

author's note: hiii here is the next part of the story... i genuinely have no words to describe how grateful i am that there are people out there who have fallen in love with this story as much as i have. i'm still debating whether or not i'll write more just because i still want to live in this world lol. but thank you so much for all your support. it really means a lot to me and i am forever grateful :3 hope you enjoy <3

previous part

part IV

you groaned as you woke up, yet again, to a blaring headache and the door being pounded on. and you couldn't figure out which one was coming from where. you slowly eased yourself up out of bed, which made you feel even worse, shuffling yourself along for a million years before you answered the door.

"wow... you look like you got hit by a bus again."

george's voice rang in your ears. you could've sworn you had your eyes open, but it felt like they were closed. you tried to glare at him, but everything in your face felt numb. cassandra and evelyn caught up with him and both exchanged a look of concern.

"george, i think we need to talk to her alone."

he glanced over at cassandra and then back to you, the joy in his eyes disappearing for a brief moment. he just nodded in response, obliging without fighting them. you suddenly felt this wave of emptiness as you saw him walk away, whispering to cassandra before leaving.

and a part of you wished you never heard it, but you did.

"get our favorite girl back. i don't see her anymore."

~ ~

the silence hung low between the three of you, as you swirled your spoon meaninglessly in the mug. you glanced down at yourself, feeling as if you've sat here before in this exact situation just a few days ago. but then again, when have they not tried to get you out of your apartment.

"my love, i think it's time for you to move on." cassandra began, her soothing tone compensating for the bluntness of her statement. you just aimlessly nodded to her request, which was something she grew familiar with after the third or fourth day.

your empty promises were piling up and it was only a matter of time before it actually had to have meaning behind it.

"come with us tonight to the movies," evelyn suggested, offering her hand for you to take. "it'll be a great way for you to get your mind off of him."

your heart sunk even deeper when they mentioned him again, that night flooding your thoughts as you were reminded of what was going to happen tomorrow. it was inevitable.

she was inevitable.

"please love, you need to get out of this apartment. you can't just stay here and wait until they come back."

you scoffed at such a thought, thinking of what a sight that would be seeing them come back together from the airport, pretending you were preoccupied with anything else that wasn't him.

evelyn's hand still laid on the table, waiting patiently for you to reconsider the option of coming. of just going with them for once instead of drowning yourself in another day of being alone.

you hesitated for a moment, glancing at cassandra and then to evelyn. the thought of him being reunited with her made your heart sting, but you knew being physically here when they did arrive would ultimately make you feel even worse.

so you took everything in yourself to consider the possibility of actually being okay again.

and you slowly let your hand fall into hers and gave the smallest smile in the world.

"okay. i'll go."

~ ~

"are you ready sweetie?" cassandra called back to you, as the three of them waited outside of your apartment.

you checked your reflection once more, letting your hair flow freely and naturally down to frame your face. and a maroon dress that cassandra and evelyn insisted that you wear.

and for the first time in weeks, you felt beautiful, elegant, and untouchable. like all those days of being alone and rumminating on your feelings dissipated into nothingness behind you.

like heartbreak anniversaries were no longer written on your calendar.

you stepped into some heels before meeting them at the door, blushing immensely as they looked at you.

"there's our favorite girl."

george's voice broke a little as he dramatically wiped his eyes for tears that weren't there yet. cassandra walked towards you, her hands taking yours as she gently caressed your cheek and tucked a strand of hair behind your ear.

"you look lovely sweetie," her voice giving you a familiar comfort to your heart.

"so do you," you smiled back as you all gazed at everyone's attire.

george insisted on wearing something formal, wanting to make your little outing a special occasion. according to him, it was a great excuse to wear his suit again. and according to cassandra, it was the only suit he owned, which was from their wedding day.

"alright you old folks, let's go!" george bellowed, letting out that same laugh from when you met him for the first time. cassandra smacked him in the arm before he responded with a sweet kiss on her cheek. evelyn offered her arm for you to hold as you all went downstairs.

and you didn't even look at his apartment.

~ ~

"you have everything right?" cassandra asked george, who was very insistant on being responsible for the tickets. the showing was for one of their favorite old hollywood movies, you weren't sure which, but you were as excited as them to see it.

when you all entered the old theater, the employees shot you a complete and utter face of confusion as you all roared into the empty area wearing the most elegant attire. not many people knew of the showing, which was why the entire theater was relatively empty.

as you all settled into your seats, a sudden wave of calmness came over you as it started to sink in that you weren't there to just forget about him. you were there to spend time with your friends as well. their voices echoed in such a big theatre, not even minding the few stares and looks they got from some of the people there.

"george you're stepping on me again."

"can you pass the popcorn please? no, i want the whole bucket."

"evelyn, i can't see anything. what are you pointing at?"

it wasn't long until the lights completely disappeared and you were swallowed by the darkness that surrounded you in the theater, all of you eager and excited for the film to begin.

that calmness and comfort slowly took over and you suddenly felt at ease with being there, with your friends, and the world you were going to enter inside that movie theater.

~ ~

"goodnight everyone!" you echoed from the top of the staircase. you vaguely heard a reply from evelyn who was on the second floor as the other two were already calling it early. you waved frantically at evelyn from the bottom, who mimicked that same overdramatic wave from the movie. you couldn't help but laugh.

"go to bed already! i want to sleep!" she screamed back at you, flashing a smile at your little figure from above.

you gave her one final goodbye wave for the night, feeling like an entirely new person after spending time with them. you couldn't even stop smiling as you replayed the little remarks all of you made after the movie ended. the way evelyn was so certain of her theory, while george laughed at how the romance didn't make any sense. and cassandra, she fell in love with the film as much as you did.

as you stopped at your floor, your heart dropped from your chest.

austin was there, sitting outside his door like he'd forgotten something. his hair looked disheveled, the blonde messiness matching his loose tie and unbuttoned dress shirt. it was the first time you'd seen him since that night, the memories drowning you in an endless sea.

"hey, are you okay?"

he looked up to find who spoke and you saw those oceans come alive once more, like a second home to your heart. his expression was as shocked and confused as yours, his eyebrows furrowed to try to make sense of you actually being there. after so many days of avoiding him, he had the right to contemplate if your existence was even real to him.

"yeah, i'm okay."

there was an emptiness there and something pulling at your heart. you didn't believe him.

"can i join you?"

"of course," and he moved over for you to sit next to him on the floor. his doormat being a cushion you were both sharing.

"you look nice... did you go somewhere?"

his low tone still sent ocean waves through your body, like he was inviting you all over again. something you convinced yourself for days that you never needed, but somehow he still had a hold on your heart. and you melted right into his hands.

"oh, thank you," your voice merely a whisper in the air, "i came back from the movie theater."

austin looked at you amused, a small smile forming.

"you wore a formal dress to the movies?"

you nodded, "yeah, because i wasn't feeling like myself for the past few days."

it was like you struck a chord in him because he turned to look at you, wanting to figure out what was making you feel that way. but he didn't know how to ask.

"and how do you feel now?"

"better."

something in the way you held yourself in that regard, knowing when to pick yourself back up. he admired that about you, wishing he could maybe do the same.

there was a shared silence between you both before he spoke again.

"do you remember that night... in your apartment?"

you felt everything inside you go numb as he mentioned it. because no matter how long you tried to forget that it happened, he remembered for you.

"yes..."

he let out a soft sigh, as you noticed the way he tensed up a bit. stiffening his stature and playing with the cloth of his dress shirt.

"did you really mean what you said? about my girlfriend..."

you closed your eyes at his statement, the way she still lingered between you two. you mustered up that same strength from before, a lie you repeated to yourself because he wasn't yours to begin with.

"yes, i meant it. she's lucky to have someone like you in her life."

something about you saying it again didn't seem to convince him at all.

"you say that but i don't feel lucky."

you turned to him, looking at his prominent expression of utter defeat. like he'd given up on something. you could see the oceans drying out in his eyes.

"what do you mean?"

and it was like he felt his bruises again, clutching his torso like he was protecting himself. he couldn't look at you.

"austin?"

you saw him soften a bit when he heard your voice, letting it sink in that he was here with you and not her.

you hesitated for a moment, knowing fully well you were going to overstep a boundary and meet him at the bottom of the ocean.

"does she hurt you?"

you felt your heart speed up in anticipation for his answer. he met your gaze for a split second before both of you turned to the elevator, hearing its normal ding.

and out came the last person you wanted to see.

his girlfriend walked out with her long dark red hair flowing effortlessly behind her. she was carrying her bags and screamed when she saw him.

"austin my love!! surprise!! i came back early!!"

a squeal that stung at your ears as she dropped her bags and flung herself into him, ultimately pushing you to the side. she eagerly covered him in messy kisses, like she was marking territory.

like she was marking property.

when she finally let go and austin gave her a weak smile, she eyed you with a suspicious look on her face. that somehow you offended her by merely your presence.

"i didn't realize there was help working late at night."

you clenched your jaw at her sudden assumption of your position. a fire igniting once more inside your chest and you wanted her to walk right through it.

"she's not an employee." austin stated firmly, his face tightening at her insult.

your eyes widened at him and how he held his ground when defending you.

"she's my—"

"well love, whatever she is, she has no purpose in staying here with you. let alone, no reason to be in your life."

she flashed you that creepy little grin that stretched too far on her face, pulling austin closer to her, tightening her grip thinking if she ever gave him a chance to breathe, he'd escape.

"not sure where you belong sweetie, but it's definitely not here."

she purposely shoved you to the side, dragging austin along with her. soon enough, she slammed the door on your face like last time.

and all that was left were her forgotten bags in the hallway, the blinding rage boiling inside of your heart, and the fire that lingered near the ocean.

~ ~

you stared at your ceiling, thoughts racing in your head of what you could've done. what else could you have said. you glanced over at your clock, sighing in disappointment as the numbers barely changed. it was exactly eleven minutes since you last checked, now reading a dreadful 2:16am.

you hated this feeling, of wanting to do something but not being able to. of wanting to save him from something that you knew he had to save himself from. cassandra's words from before rang right in your ears again:

are you doing this because you care about him or because you like him?

did there really have to be a difference?

you felt so frustrated that somehow after two weeks, he still had a space in your heart. no matter how many times you let the alcohol numb you sometimes or how many times you stayed in your apartment watching reruns of your favorite movies and shows.

it all ended the same. your heart was screaming at you for it.

and yet, just when you finally had a chance to drift off into sleep, you heard a noise.

you sat up quickly, facing where the sound came from. you glanced down at the clock, which barely moved, now reading 2:20am. you slowly lowered yourself back to bed dismissing the sound until it repeated again, multiple times.

it was a knock, faint but you knew what you heard.

you slowly got up from your bed, walking slowly to the main door, hearing that faint noise again. there was an occasional loud sound, but the smaller ones were more consistent.

as you slowly approached the door, it was like the stranger on the other side heard your footsteps and for a moment, you heard the sudden weight of something leaning on the door. you froze, but soon enough you heard the faintest voice in the world.

"i don't know if you're awake... but if you are, it's austin."

your eyes widened when you heard his voice, quickly opening the door for him.

and you saw him, dressed entirely in black. his hoodie covering his face a bit and his sweats covered in something that you couldn't really see. his breath stopped for a moment as he saw you, his entire body suddenly relaxing into you. his head falling on your shoulder as if his body was about to give out, his face nuzzling right at your neck.

and you felt this overwhelming wave of warmness hit you, not being able to hide the blush that appeared on your cheeks.

"i... i didn't know where else to go..."

your breath hitched at the realization. at the worst possible scenario. because everything you were thinking about was true. because it happened. and he was all the proof you needed.

you quickly shut the door behind you as he leaned right up against you. you wanted to be so careful with him, being in such a fragile state. you thought about putting him in your bed, but he couldn't hold himself up much longer and soon enough, he collapsed onto the floor leaning up against the door.

"i'm so sorry for..."

"you don't have to be sorry for anything austin... really. i mean it."

he just nodded, wincing at the minimal movement he made with responding to you.

you sat with him, gently taking his hood off from his face and bracing yourself to see what he had to endure before seeing you.

and you felt the tears come as you saw what was left of him.

his eyes were swollen, bruised. he had cuts all over his face that somehow went down his neck. there were more bruises down his arms and a decent amount of blood coming from each and every little scar that decorated his body.

but what made you feel even worse was the lack of water in his eyes. there were no longer raging oceans swimming with life or the blueness that covered the endless body of water. it was empty. dry. like a desert.

and yet, when he saw you looking at him, truly looking at his scars and still trying to find the beauty in him, he couldn't help but give you the smallest smile in the world. he noticed your eyes water and gently grazed his thumb on your cheek to wipe it away.

"don't cry... i'm going to be okay, i promise."

you wanted to hate him, that somehow even when he's the one holding all these bruises and scars, he still had the strength to comfort you.

but you couldn't hate him. not one little sliver of anything inside of you could hate him.

~ ~

austin woke up slowly, his head pounding in his ears as he rubbed against his temple. he had to blink a few times to realize that he wasn't in his own apartment at all. and somehow he fell asleep on the floor. he tried to get up, but noticed a shadow of someone next to him. and it was you.

and the moment he saw you, everything from last night came rushing through him. the stumbling into your apartment, the way you complimented his cologne, you kicking him out from trying to help you change, and the last thing you said to him before he drifted off to sleep.

"your girlfriend is so unbelievably lucky to have you."

it was something that should've initially made him feel grateful because it was true... wasn't it? so then why did it feel like his chest was suffocating on air?

the memories and the alcohol were mixing together, he couldn't make sense of his emotions. what all of this meant to him.

but what he did know was how much you meant to him. he just couldn't decide where you stood in his life yet.

he found it quite amusing that you wanted him to leave, that you were very adament that he couldn't sleep here. and yet, you collapsed right beside him on the floor.

he checked his phone briefly, a bright 4:32am appeared on the screen. he knew he couldn't stay here, but he also knew it would be rude to leave you on the floor.

and so, he gently crouched down next to you and tucked his arms right under you, lifting you up. making sure your head was leaning on his chest, he slowly walked towards your bed and laid you there under the blankets.

he looked at you for a moment before leaving, letting it sink in that you might not even remember where you fell asleep.

and a part of him hurt when the thought crossed his mind.

~ ~

"george... can i ask you something?" austin began as they finished packing up evelyn's cooking supplies from her latest class. george beamed at him, leaning against the boxes on the counter, waiting patiently for him to continue.

"of course elvis my boy! you can ask me anything!"

he hesitated before speaking, thinking it was too invasive to ask, but he had to know if what he was feeling was normal.

or if he was genuinely crazy.

"how did you know... you wanted to marry cassandra?"

george stared at him, his eyebrows furrowing to a point. the question took him off guard, something he never quite expected from austin, but he couldn't help smiling at the thought of his wife and how they first met.

"well..." his voice drifted to piece together all the right words, "i knew i wanted to be with her for the rest of my life when she took me as i am."

george's loudness became merely a softness when he spoke about cassandra and austin could feel that sense of love radiating off of his friend. george began animating his life with her, the way she always seemed to be there whenever he spoke about his passions, and how cassandra fully accepted him as himself.

"usually, people say they drift apart during a marriage because their partner changed. but for me, i just wanted to be there through every changing moment."

george gave him a warm smile, as his words weighed heavy in austin. he lingered on the thought, the possibility of fully letting himself dive into those waters. letting his heart sink into something completely unfamiliar, knowing somehow, somewhere, you would be there sitting with him right at the bottom.

willingly. voluntarily.

along with something else he wasn't ready to face yet, nor was his heart ready to resurface among calm waters.

"thank you..." austin drifted, his voice shrinking smaller and smaller as it disappeared into the walls of the kitchen. it wasn't long until he pulled george into a warm hug, fully appreciating the story his friend shared.

"anything for my boy, you know that."

george's voice slightly broke, feeling as if austin wasn't being fully honest with him or to himself rather. like there was something else hidden under those waters.

it wasn't long until george broke the kind gesture, holding austin firm right on the shoulders, a reminder of his strength. that there was something in austin that he wasn't yet ready to face.

"you're still going to the movies with us right?"

austin blanked at his question, scrambling for the words to answer. he wasn't sure if he should, but he knew that this was his only chance to see you before she came back into his life tomorrow.

that there was a sliver of a possibility that you would be sitting next to him again.

he let out a soft sigh and smiled.

"of course i am."

~ ~

she pulled austin, hard, her face burning with a fire that dried out the oceans in his eyes.

"and you had the nerve to make plans on the day i was coming back."

"i didn't ask for you to come early."

her emotions were boiling over now as she pushed him against the door, her face contorting into a scowl.

"and what does she even have that i don't? what's wrong with me then?"

she paced around the kitchen now, grabbing whatever glass container they had and throwing it on the ground. each one breaking into tiny little pieces.

and all austin could do was stand near the door and take it.

"tell me what's wrong with me then austin. TELL ME WHAT'S WRONG."

her screams echoed across their apartment, drowning him in an endless noise. he clenched his jaw as he mustered enough energy to say something back. because anything would be better than nothing.

"you never fell in love with me. you fell in love with my name."

she paused, her red hair messily laid behind her. her hand gripping the last few glasses they had left as she aimed it right at austin.

"your name? bullshit, i've been there through everything. you're MY everything. she's NOTHING."

"but you don't know anything about me."

and he knew he struck a chord when her eyes began to water. she screamed at him again, a high pitched screech that killed his ears. she threw something else at him, but it didn't matter. he wasn't looking anymore.

she approached him now, holding whatever else she could find to use against him.

"and what makes you say that austin?"

she scrambled to find anything as leverage to use against him, to show she still had power over him.

but she didn't.

"because you never chose me. and i will always choose her."

~ ~

you gently pressed the wet towel against his forehead, soaking up whatever was left of his scars. he closed his eyes to your touch, letting you take control of everything. your legs tangled into each other as you sat together on your bed.

there was something so natural with the way you took care of him, bandaging his wounds, and icing the bruises on his skin.

like you'd been doing this for years.

and he would let you do it forever if he could.

"austin?"

"yes?" his eyes fluttered open to your voice.

"you're not going back there with her right...?" your voice merely just a whisper, feeling as if your words were passing a boundary.

a boundary that you didn't know no longer existed.

he shook his head no, smiling weakly, still trying to remain strong in front of you.

"then stay with me."

your heart speaking faster than your mind could catch up and you panicked at the words. you were so preoccupied by how embarrassed you felt that you didn't notice how red austin had gotten as well.

"i mean... you can sleep on the bed and i can take the couch," you quickly corrected yourself and austin let out a small laugh. something you haven't heard in weeks.

"it's okay, i can take the couch. this is your apartment after all."

there was a calm silence between you two, as you slowly finished placing the last bandage on, pressing the adhesive gently on his skin. and as you leaned back to fully look at him, you could still see the marks that she left behind on him, even when you tried to cover it.

she still lingered in the air between you.

and because of that, your eyes began to water again.

austin quickly reacted, seeing the way you moved away from him. like you were afraid to break him.

"what's wrong?" his voice wavering as you searched through everything to find the right things to say. to find anything to say.

"i just... i don't understand people who hurt people, especially when it's someone like you."

the way you reacted swelled something in his heart and all he could think about was finding a way to comfort you. to take your pain away.

and so, he pulled you towards him, where you were tangled up into each other again. pain shot down through his body at the effort, but he didn't care. he just wanted to ease your pain.

his hand reached your cheek, gently placing a strand of hair behind your ear. and he leaned in to take away the distance between you two, as his lips met yours.

and he kissed you.

the kiss was so soft, so comforting. and you melted right into him like your heart had always wanted to for all those months, since the first time you met him.

he pulled you closer to him, as if there was even a sliver of something keeping you two from being together. he held your face in his hands, easing himself into you gently.

he was so afraid to hurt you, but there was something about the way you explored him, the fragility of your touch against his skin. it felt so unfamiliar yet comforting to his heart.

and yet, it broke yours.

he let himself get lost in you, the warmness surrounding him as you caught every little drop of water from falling into the abyss at the bottom.

the way your fingertips grazed each and every little scar, every bruise, like you were reassuring him. acknowledging its presence but knowing, it would never define him.

you slowly let go, fully gazing into his eyes and seeing those oceans coming alive again, just by the way he was looking back at you. and you saw something that you only wished to see months ago.

love.

his fingers wiped the remaining tears from your cheeks as yours just traced little circles around his, ending right at his lips again. your bodies tangled into each other once more, as you played with his hair.

he closed his eyes again to your touch and you saw him smile.

and it was one of the most beautiful things you've ever seen.

he gently caressed your cheek, gazing at you like he was afraid to lose you. like he was afraid to forget you.

"stay with me... please."

his voice wavered, as if he doubted that your heart would ever let you leave him.

"always."

[stealingyourbones]

I feel like the ao3 authors curse is finally hitting me all at once now after peacefully watching and waiting from the sidelines.

[onbearfeet]

No, Microsoft Word, upon consideration I don't think my audience will be offended by my use of the word "fuck". My intended audience is queers, teenagers, and queer teenagers, all of whom seem to be absolutely fucking delighted by my use of the word "fuck".

[ohthisisgonnasuck]

Waking up at 4:30a to random flashes of dreams and horrific memories: "Life be like that sometimes".

My friend recounting the same thing & my response being: "uh, I think that's PTSD homie".

Also me: not noticing the correlation until it's deeply engrained and having that ☠️ moment at 4:45a on a Sunday, in my 30s.

[turtlecleric]

.

Edit: dub con, hypnotism, I guess this is staying up 😅

The air is wavy.

Wait. That's not right. Air doesn't... or does it? Actually, isn't that just what sound is? Air... waves? Or something?

Wait, what is happening?

Open wide, pretty thing.

You obey before you have a chance to wonder why. Something slick and firm is shoved into your mouth, and you feel hands in your hair.

Fuck. That's a good girl.

Good. You're being... good.

It's hard to keep your eyes open for some reason. That's okay. All you have to do is keep your mouth open, and you're doing that, and you're being good. You're being good. You're. You're being...

What do you think, a second voice says. Should we keep her under?

You try to pay attention, but you can't... remember. You try to. Pay attention. But the meanings of the words slip away as soon as you register them.

I think it might be fun to let it wear off. Don't you? Oh, you realize belatedly. There's a cock in your mouth. That's what you're...

Someone else says something. You don't catch it, distracted as you are by the thick fingers suddenly pressing inside your cunt. A broken moan punches out of you, and the hands in your hair tighten and move your head a little faster. A little rougher.

Oh fuck. Oh fuck, your entire body is tingling. What's going on?

Time is being weird. Or maybe it's just your brain. Maybe you're... fuck, you can't think.

Something spills down your throat. You swallow instinctively. As though you've done it dozens of times before. Perfect, juguete.

Movement. You feel empty, in more ways than one. Then the world tilts and falls, and you find yourself on your back. You feel him push inside you, and you're so fucking full. You're full, and there's a thumb pressing down on your tongue, and you're being good. You're being good. You're being so...

The air is wavy.

[seleneprince]

Following this little something that sent me on a brainrot for days

PROLOGUE

There are very few things that can impress him at this point.

Or so he thought.

Because when he sees a human girl cross the Wall by herself, armed with a sharp tongue and an iron-made will only, well, he has to be impressed. Shocked even.

Because no human has ever crossed the Wall by themselves and survived. They're not supposed to. They're too weak, too mortal for the ruthlessness that is the land of Fae. They're prey in the home of predators. Even the strongest of their people rarely last more than a few days.

But this female—this girl—doesn't look like any other human he has seen before. And he’s seen enough of them to get a general idea. She isn’t covered in weapons or clad in armor; instead, she wears accessories made of iron. (The sight of those always makes him chuckle—how the humans cling to them, as if it'll really give them a chance against Fae. Bless them). Her hair has been braided up beautifully, though a few strands have escaped, giving her a messy, wild look. She wears a plain, gray dress with a dark coat, stained with mud and ripped in places, yet she still carries herself with a certain pride—her eyes, piercing and unwavering, burn with a fierce determination he doesn't expect to see in mortals.

There’s something about her that makes him pause, a contradiction he can’t quite put his finger on. She’s obviously battered by her journey—filfth splattered across her dress, her face streaked with dirt mixed with sweat, and exhaustion clear in the lines of her features. Yet, even with the signs of weariness etched into her, she holds her head high, shoulders squared against the chilling breeze that sweeps through the land.

Of course, the path to the Wall has its own dangers and obstacles, with some Lesser Faes sneaking out once in a while to haunt the lands being the tamest of them. Certainly, a dainty thing like her should have died before even getting a glimpse of the Wall. It's astounding that she got out with just some bruises and dirt on her clothes. he wonders if he might be hallucinating—if this human is just a product of his exhausted mind playing tricks on him. But then he hears her curse, loud and furious, and he knows she’s real.

His lips quirk up at the scene. There's something endearingly amusing about such a delicate creature with such a filthy mouth. She reminds him of a wet, angry kitten. Adorable.

When he takes a closer look, carefully hidden in the shadows, he hums in appreciation. For a mere human covered in grime, she's a real beauty. Her eyes are an unusual blend of blue and gray, shifting depending on how the light catches them. Her sun-kissed skin is marred by burns, and her frame is a bit too thin for his liking, yet she exudes an air of cold, regal elegance—like a fallen queen. His interest deepens when a sense of familiarity stirs within him, as though he’s seen her before. It can’t be true. He would remember.

But before he can think further, the fiery human catches him off guard once more.

"I know you're there. Show yourself, coward!"

He's grateful that she can't see him almost tripping backwards in shock. What the fuck?! She can sense him. How? She's human, and as far as he can tell, she doesn't have an ounce of magic in her.

Maybe she's bluffing? She's terrified and knows there are all sorts of creatures roaming these lands, so she's trying to paint herself as brave. That must be it. It's an irrational, ridiculous enough of a reaction for a human.

She scoffs, stomping her feet.

"For heaven's sake, just come out now. Let's get this over with."

It's not a bluff. She really knows he's watching her. Or that someone is. She must know she's at disadvantage here, and still insists on provoking a potential predator.

Interesting.

He finally steps out of the shadows, appearing right in front of her. He grins when she jumps back, surprised and scared. He squints his eyes when her fear is quickly replaced with anger and...annoyance.

This human must be an abnormal among her kind, surely.

"What's the matter, dear?" he smiles, purposedly showing his sharp teeth. "I thought you wanted me to come out"

He delights in the nervous gulp and the tension that settles on her body. She attempts to take a step back, her feet hesitating, only to stay rooted in place, unmoving.

She still tries to hold unto the fake indifference, how cute. Not like it'll help her, of course. She'll about to learn just how useless the iron she wears is. But before he speaks again, her rich voice shuts him off again.

"You took a long time, sir. Haven't you been taught that it's incredibly rude to make a lady wait?"

Her chin lifts, defiance shining in her eyes despite the rapid beat of her pulse that he can practically hear thrumming in the air between them.

And he...well, he's momentarily stunned, caught between amusement and genuine disbelief. Any normal human would've been trembling by now, begging for mercy, or at the very least, backing away. But she stands her ground, her fear coating the air and her fingers twitching slightly over her where her thigh is.

He throws a quick look there and notices something poking underneath her skirt. A strapped knife. Her hand has been discreetly moving towards there, and now lays on top of it. So she knows he's dangerous. She knows what her situation is. The fact that, despite that, she still considers stabbing him an option can be interpreted as incredibly brave or incredibly stupid.

Probably both, coming from an human.

"Oh, my humblest apologies, dear," he makes a point of dramatically bowing to her, "I didn't want you to fret, you see. It is very rare to meet girls like yourself around here."

"Like myself?"

"Humans. For some reason, they tend to dissapear quickly once they're here. Specially the young and pretty ones."

He smells her fear, and the rush of blood pumping faster with it. He has to hold back a purr. Of course, she's smart enough pick on the threat, yet she doesn't react to it. She doesn't give away anything, besides the imperceptible twitch of her fingers. She's determined to fool him with that fake passivity.

Too bad he can practically savour her terror on his tongue. Luckily for her, she's too interesting to kill her soon.

"That doesn't explain why you waited so long to reveal yourself, sir."

Her voice has a slight tremble in it, but she raises her chin to speak to him and her blue-grey eyes look straight into his. The breath gets stuck in his throat for a moment. His gaze trails the shape of her lips, her long neck, her curly eyelashes, her slim waist.

His tongue swipes across his lips, a gesture that she doesn’t miss, judging by the way her shoulders tense.

"Ah, forgive me," he says, struggling more than he should to focus again, " I enjoy watching from the shadows first. I'm a bit shy." He pauses, studying her reaction, catching the flicker of uncertainty that crosses her face before she smooths it over with irritation.

She huffs and crosses her arms, like she's getting bored of him. As if he couldn't sense how much she wishes to run and hide.

"Do you get a kick out of lurking in the shadows, scaring humans for fun?" she snaps, each word laced with irritation. "Or is it just me you’re bothering tonight, sir?"

He lets out a low chuckle, the sound reverberating in the still air, a deliberate attempt to unsettle her further. But she doesn’t flinch, not even a little. Instead, her jaw tightens, and she glares up at him with a fierceness that makes his curiosity spike.

"And what if I do?" he counters, his voice dropping to a silken purr. He leans closer, invading her space. “What’s a little thing like you going to do about it?”

Her nostrils flare, her breath coming quicker now, but she doesn’t shrink back. "I don’t know," she replies, her voice sharp, almost cutting. “Maybe I’ll stab you in the balls and run.”

He arches a brow, genuinely taken aback by her audacity. This girl—this little human girl—is threatening him, a High Fae who could snap her like a twig without breaking a sweat. She's an insignificant creature standing in front of a monster that can destroy and devour her before she can blink. But she stares at him like she might actually mean it, like she’s weighing the distance between them, considering whether she could really drive that dull blade into his body before he overpowers her.

Ah, she's truly a joy. Far too interesting to let her die. Cauldron knows it's been so long since he's had some good entertainment.

"Oh, we don't need to get so violent, dear," a slow, wicked smile spreads across his face, and he lifts his arm, "I have better plans for us."

He flicks his wrist and shadows lurge at her before she can react, caging her with her arms pressed against her body, rendering her unable to move. She gasps and struggles uselessly, grunting in frustration and shock.

He chuckles at the display, throwing his hands in his pockets as he walks slowly towards her, like a predator lurking his prey. Only this time she can fully see him.

He stops just inches from her, his smirk widening as he studies her closer. The sight of her struggling against the shadows, the way her breaths come in quick, angry gasps, sends a shiver of satisfaction through him. She’s caught in his web now, her wrists and arms bound tight by shadows she cannot hope to break, and yet the fire in those silver eyes remains undimmed.

With a shift of his finger, a little shadow goes up to her chin and forces it up so she's looking at him. She grits her teeth, pure fury lighting up her glare. He can’t resist running his eyes over every curve of her face, savoring the wild anger in her expression. There’s no fear in her now—only rage. And it looks beautiful.

"Who the hell are you? Let me go!" she snaps, voice ringing with a boldness that doesn’t match her current state.

He smirks. It’s rare to find a mortal with this much fire, especially one who doesn’t immediately crumble under the weight of the unknown.

"Just a curious observer," he replies smoothly, his voice low and laced with danger. "And you, little thing, are far more interesting than I expected."

Her eyes widen, her struggles ceasing momentarily.

"What in the world do you mean?!"

He leans in until his breath brushes against her nose, relishing in how she holds her breath in anticipation.

"I'm going to keep you with me."

[etrevil]

Through an Aya-induced panic I nearly brushed over the panel of the missile headed towards Yokohama, so, uh- NATSUME AIN'T IT TIME TO TEMPORARILY UNRETIRE 😭?

[fandomestuff]

Freddy Carter will be the death of me.

[lover-of-mine]

Another day, the walls are built to keep me safe, I can't escape, it's too late...