#((wow i'm sorry I didn't answer this I didn't see it i'm trash))

[houseofoddballs]

OK, wow, a lot of you really wanted to go for the "good" ending, right? Well, I'm sorry, but there was no good ending. Enjoy my little oddballs! Final word count is about 2,400 words!

Tw: aggression, angst, emotional hurt, vulgarity, physical abuse? Tell me If there are more to add!

This wasn't working. You stood inside your bathroom, propped against the sink as you stared into your own eyes. They just looked so sad now, so hollow. You could remember Simon cupping your cheek as he stared into your eyes under starlight and murmured against your lips how much he loved seeing them light up around him.

What you wouldn't give to have that again. Staring up at the stars with Simon, his fingers brushing through your hair. You missed the soft mumbled apologies whenever he would catch a snag, and the way he focused on you more than any silly constellation.

"Why stars?" You had asked him, on probably the third date where he took you stargazing with either a picnic or just some takeout. I mean, this was Simon after all. Deep, brooding, knew all of the vital organs and arteries on the human body, etc. He didn’t exactly seem like the soft stargazing type, especially with as clumsy as he was at romance.

You were met with a gruff grunt and a shrug at the time. But later, once you two had eaten and were just laying back together, hand in hand, he answered your question. "'S because no matter where I'm deployed, I know I'm always lookin' up at the same sky as you."

You were snapped back to reality by a sharp rap at your door and the voice of a Scottsman who you had began to secretly loathe. "Aye, lass, ya' mind bringin' up the wheely bin? Ghost said he would take the trash out if ya do." A soft sigh was leaving your lips before you could even process his words, turning away from the reflection of your despondent hollow eyes.

Snow crunched under your feet as you trekked out of the garrage to fetch the trash bin from its place next to the mailbox. Cold seeped through the thin layers of your clothing, a frigid therapy to clear your mind and remind you that you were alive. It was uncomfortable, but in the most comfortable and enveloping sort of way. Like a hug that lasts a bit too long from someone who you know just wants to help.

Hugs. You missed those.

Your eyes flicked up to the night sky, moving between the stars like a pachinko ball bouncing off of celestial pegs. Maybe this was it. Maybe it was time to put yourself first for a change. The very thought made your stomach twist and churn with guilt, but you were far beyond guilt at this point. It wasn't healthy for you to spend afternoons sitting on your floor with you back pressed against the door so you could just listen to Soap and Simon talk without intruding on their time. It wasn't healthy for you to make yourself dissappear just to please an overgrown child. It wasn't healthy for you to beat yourself up over standing up for yourself and what you needed.

So, this was it. You had to be done. Simon had been given more than enough chances to put you first, and he hadn't taken any of them. Simon had simply stayed off to the side complacently as Johnny pushed you further and further away. So beit then.

Soap won.

You didn't bother packing most of your stuff knowing that it would only make it harder to leave, and if you let yourself think about it too much then you were going to stay trapped, haunting their broken relationship. No.

Your favorite clothes, toiletries, and other things went into your suitcase as you finally decided to free yourself. With every item you packed, it felt like another link was cut from the chain that was wrapped around your neck, trapping you here. And yet, there is terror that comes with freedom. You canceled your phone plan that night and waited until Ghost and Johnny went to bed to make your move.

Guttural grunts and lewd moans were your signal to move, rolling your eyes as you left a single sheet of paper folded neatly on your bed. Neither of them hardly ever came to check on you, so you reckoned that you had at least a week before even Simon noticed your absence. Unless, of course, Johnny noticed your car missing. But, even if he did, it didn't matter. This was it.

"Goodby, Simon. I loved you."

And then you were gone. Tossing your suitcase in the back and driving off into the night. The stars were, and always would be, a painful reminder of Simon. But they say that time heals all wounds. You would just have to test that.

no. No. NO. NO!

Simon's hands trembled as they clutched the small piece of paper from you pillows, eyes tracing over and reading each line until he couldn’t make out the words through the tears welling in his eyes.

Gone. You were gone.

His angel, his sweet, his world, his everything. As much as he tried to fool himself into asking why, he knew the answer.

Simon loved you desperately. After everything that had happened to him, his father, losing his family, being buried alive, being hung by his ribs, all of it; after all of it was when he had met you, and Ghost felt truly alive in a manner he had never felt before.

There were quite a few differences between feeling alive in the heat of battle and feeling alive with someone you love, and yet, both of them made Ghost acutely aware of his pounding heart, both of them made Ghost's stomach twist up in knots, both of them brought blood to Ghost's face.

And Ghost wouldn't have had it any other way. Ghost had spent so long being Ghost, that he was starting to forget who Simon was. But you changed that. A simple holiday with Price, that was all it took for him to meet and fall so ridiculously in love with you that he walked around base with a dopy grin under his Skull balaclava at the thought of you texting him.

As Simon numbly sat on the edge of your bed, clutching so tight to the paper that he was afraid it might shred, your entire relationship flashed before his eyes.

Your first date, your first hug, your first kiss, your first time, When he told you his real name, the first time he took off his mask in front of you, the first time he broke down to you. How could he have been such an idiot?

Simon tired to think back on His and Johnny's relationship in a similar way, but it just wasn't the same. They had been great friends in the task force already, so when they were both captured together, of course that was when things had to change.

Sure, he had fallen for Johnny's kind words and beautiful eyes when they were tied together and bleeding on the cold concrete. Ghost should have known better!! But when the stubborn Scottsman confessed so sweetly so that he wouldn't die with any regrets, well, it was hard not to feel touched.

But they just weren't compatible.

Johnny was loud, immature, selfish, didn't think very far ahead, and he was just so clingy. And, yet the thought of leaving him made Simon's heart ache whenever he thought about it. Johnny didn't treat him like he was in love, but Ghost was sure that Soap loved him in his own way.

But it wasn't worth this. He tried calling you, searching for you, emailing you for the queen's sake! But he found nothing. You had been so isolated that you didn't really have any friends that Simon knew of. He was just lost.

He should have taken the ache of being honest with John over this overwhelmingly hollow torment in his chest. When you left, you took hardly anything, but you took everything from Simon.

The world became colorless, music lost it's rhythm, food lost it's taste, life lost its luster. And Johnny? Well, he became a lot harder to tolerate.

"Did ya hear their makin' a new-" "Not now Johnny." It was like he didn't care. Didn't care that you were gone, didn't care how badly Simon was hurting. "Is this about the lass again? Look, I'm sorry Si, but it's not your fault she didn't care enought-"

"Shut up." Soap looked at Ghost in shock for a moment, a brow quirking up. "What?" "You heard me." Now Johnny's brows were furrowing, his lips setting into that stairght line that meant he was about to win.

Something about Soap? He was impossible to argue with. He would argue in circles to the point where it didn't matter which side he was on as long as he won, which was incredibly frustrating to say the least and made any arguments completely pointless because he would win in the end out of sheer exasperation. It was just easier that way. But not this time.

"Shut. Up." "Look, ya' ken nae go blamin' me for the way she left! She-" Simon was up in an instant, a hand around Soaps throat, effectively shutting him up and pinning him to the wall. Johnny reached up and clawed at his wrist as Simon squeezed just a bit too tight, he could feel Johnny's windpipe being crushed into itself. But he didn't care. Not right now.

"You absolute fuckin' nubty. You just don't get it, do you? Well, seargant, let me spell it out for you, you dense fuck." Simon's eyes were burning, but this wasn't Simon anymore. He could almost feel his balaclava over his face as he glowered down at Soap, eyes filled with disdain and mallace. This was Ghost, someone who hadn't been out to play in years, despite the name sticking around.

Soap winced as Ghost tightened his grip even further, a snarl meeting his lips as he spoke. "She was MINE. And I was hers. We'll use a pie for the sake of your small. Fucking. Brain." Each venomous word was punctuated with a twitch of Ghost's hand, a lingering desire to just squeeze all of the life out of Soap right here and now.

He could see Soaps eyes rolling back as dark spots were inevitably clouding them. That was no good. He had to be awake for what Simon had to say. Ghost loosened his grip just enough to allow Soap the bare minimum of blood and oxygen before delivering a harsh slap across his face with his free hand.

"Ah ah ah sausage, stay with me. So, the pie. She goes and gets a third of the pie because I'm in the military and she doesn't get to see my beautiful mug very often. Then, she hears that I'm coming home for good. She gets all of that delicious pie. Ya' followin' me Johnny?" A strangled nodd. Good. Ghost didn't care about the strangled noises leaving soap or the way that tears pricked his eyes.

"Good boy Johnny. So, she thinks she's getting all of this pie that I am. And then, I come back toting your arse along like some fucking new pet. Well, now she thinks she only gets half of the pie. But she still agrees because she was a fucking angel." Ghost's voice was cold again, filled with the same gruffness that the military had imparted into him.

Ghost hadn't been out in ages. It felt good. Ghost could feel Soaps pulse under his fingers, feel his lifeblood. It was intoxicating. He loved that look of pure terror, missed people looking at him like the monster he was.

"Except, instead of half of the pie, she's still only getting a third, because SOMEONE is a greedy fucking pig. Wonder who that is, Johnny?" Ghost cocked his head to the side as he dug his nails into the flesh of Johnny's neck, reveling in the way that he winced.

"And then what happens? This little piggy goes and takes even more of the fuckin pie. You just keep taking and taking and TAKING until all that was left was fucking crumbs. Do you get it now? You fucking muppet."

Soap nodded furiously as he gripped Ghost's wrist, trying desperately to pull him off. But it wasn't Ghost's fault Johnny hadn't been working out as much. Five years ago he would have at least been able to put up a fight. This was just pathetic to Ghost.

"And so, she lapped at your fucking crumbs like the good girl she was, because she fucking loved me. Do you love me Johnny?" Ghost cut off Soaps nodding with a glare. "I know your cock does, but that's not what I'm asking. Do YOU love me? Because I don't think you do. I think you love having someone complacent to you. You love thinking you have complete control and having everything bend to your fucking whim."

Ghost pulled away finally, letting Soap crumple to the ground coughing and clutching his neck. Ghost just shook his head and made his way to the door, grabbing the keys to his jeep off the rack and his familiar skull balaclava as he did so.

"Pick yourself up. Shits about to change, and I'm done letting you walk all over me. You better hope I find my girl again, or you better be gone when I come back. Your choice Johnny."

It wasn't good, wasn't healthy by any means, but everyone had a breaking point.

And you? What did you do? You lived. Love was definitely off of the table, but you managed to find a place to stay with a nice landlord who helped you find a job in your new small town. A nice older gentleman with sandy chops and a fatherly disposition. He became your best friend. Romance was dead to you at this point, but he was just so gentlemanly and sweet.

Little did you know that Price had forbid Simon and Johnny from your life after what you told him. He was protecting you in more ways than you knew from both the devil you knew and the devil you thought you knew. Simon was ravenous, like a rabbid dog desperately trying to get to you. But Price wasn't going to let him hurt you anymore.

And he didn't.

[punsmaster69]

27/NOV/20XX

returning home, the first thing i noticed is that the place is.. impossibly clean.

even the couch stopped jingling with loose change.

oddly, my bedsheets are also on the couch, folded neatly with my pillows on top.

"OH! SORRY. I DIDN'T GET THE CHANCE TO MOVE THEM BACK BEFORE LEAVING."

"why were they down here to begin with?"

"BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE YOU WERE."

"thought i... remembered being in my room, but maybe i shouldn't rely on my memory there."

"THAT'S ALSO TRUE."

"I DIDN'T WANT TO JUST KEEP YOU IN ONE PLACE THE WHOLE TIME."

"...."

"you lugged me around like a corpse?"

"DON'T PUT IT LIKE 𝘛𝘏𝘈𝘛..."

"...I APPRECIATE IT, BUT WHY THE SUDDEN HUG?"

"don't look at my face for a minute, ok?"

"...?"

he didn't listen, and quietly moved to see my face.

"..?!"

"WHAT DID I DO??"

"make me feel like a big crybaby, 's what."

"I'M SORRY. I DIDN'T MEAN TO-"

"i know."

"I'M SORRY."

"stop apologizing, paps."

"SORRY."

"I MEAN- NOT-"

"........."

silently, he just tightened his embrace.

"IT'S BEEN... HOW MANY YEARS SINCE THIS LAST HAPPENED?"

papyrus answered himself.

"MANY."

"THIS ONLY BEING THE SECOND TIME IN SO LONG.. AND YOU WEREN'T EVEN AWAKE FOR THE FIRST."

i touched my face. a few pathetic droplets were the extent of it.

"..hardly counts, does it?"

"I'M COUNTING IT."

"ok."

"AND I'M GOING TO TELL EVERYONE HOW MUCH YOU CRIED AND CRIED, FOR HOURS..."

"you picked up sarcasm while i was out, huh?"

"..REALLY? DID I?"

"a little."

"OH, NO!"

"NEXT THING YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO BE MAKING TERRIBLE PUNS WITH WORSE TIMING!!"

"nah, probably wouldn't go that far. i don't 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬 you as the type to do all that."

"HOUR-NESTLY, WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITH YOU?"

"...EGH."

"NOT GOOD."

"it was alright."

"puns take a 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 to get used to making."

"careful, though. once you start, it's hard to stop."

"I THINK I'VE HAD ENOUGH 𝘈𝘓𝘙𝘌𝘈𝘋𝘠.."

——

"........"

"uh."

ok.

papyrus had off-handedly mentioned that i sleep on a floor mattress to tori once, right?

which is good enough for me, but tori promptly gifted me a bedframe that gyftmas.

christmas? gyftmas?

hell if i know what to call it anymore.

anyway, this was at least last year or so.

and last i knew, i still hadn't put the frame together.

putting it under my mattress like a platform worked all the same.

another un-built box i've had since snowdin is this nightstand/dresser thing i got one time.

it also works the same in-box, y'know. why bother?

...they're assembled now.

my room is clean.

there's no trash tornado.

even the clothes i normally toss about with disregard are neatly tucked away and folded into appropriate drawers.

"..wow."

"....."

"why?"

"NO RECENTLY-HOSPITALIZED BROTHER OF MINE IS SLEEPING ON THE FLOOR! ESPECIALLY NOT THE FLOOR THAT WAS COVERED IN TRASH."

"it was-"

"DON'T SAY IT."

"NO MORE SAYING THINGS ARE 'FINE'."

"ok."

"looks nice though, paps."

"thanks for doing all this."

"although..."

i re-checked the living room.

...

ok, nevermind. there's one non-clean thing.

the sock is still there.

——

we got my stuff from the couch, and set everything back on my (recently-assembled) bed.

"ISN'T IT MORE COMFORTABLE?"

"don't think i can get back up."

"SEE HOW MUCH NICER ACTUALLY-"

"i'm like a bicycle."

"I-"

"WHAT??"

"...i'm two-tired."

papyrus just sighed and clicked the lights off.

"GOODNIGHT THEN, SANS."

"night, bro."

the lights being off made papyrus appear as nothing more than a silhouette.

a silhouette that remains in the doorframe for a bit longer than usual.

"..PLEASE WAKE UP TOMORROW."

with that, he shut the door, darkening my room to the only light being what little spilled in underneath the door.

my soul has felt like a big bruise since waking up today, and that...

felt like someone punching said bruise.

——

..i think he's realized my lights are back on.

welp. wanted to stop writing, anyway.

—

heya papyrus.

- sans.

—

—

SLEEP, SANS.

P.S.

WHY DID YOU BOTHER WITH A NOTE? I'M NOT HANDING THIS BACK TONIGHT. YOU WON'T EVEN SEE IT UNTIL TOMORROW.

- PAPYRUS

—

[twisted-wonderland-shenanigans]

I sent an ask earlier and I am so sorry for spamming but I've been having brain worms for the Kaiju!au.

Like we sad Vargas and Kalim being all friendly but imagine little baby Cheka playing with Yuu.

Also, just imagine Cater, Vil, or Rook doing dancing from some music player that Yuu found. Which also makes me ask if they get their own little hideaway for their human buisness. (God Crowley when his hatchling leave the nest...)

And finally, when Yuu finally gets to cook, meat or fish, are the Boys gonna try to demand they have some. I just imagine Yuu giving a piece to grim and his pupils blow out from how good it is....and then words goes around and it's all over for any peaceful cooking with Yuu.

I'm actually in the process of answering that one! I just gotta figure out a few scenarios for it to make it fun~! >v< And please don't worry about spamming me with asks if you have ideas or thoughts you wanna share about my AUs! I love receiving these kind of asks! :D

Putting under a read more because I got a little carried away 😂

----

Oooh my goodness, someone teach lil’ kaiju Cheka to be gentle with the tiny human! X’D To be honest, I almost didn't put him or Falena in the AU...buuuuut now that I think about it, that would be a crime against adorableness, and I will not stand for this! Ò.Ó I shall rectify this~!

In the AU, Cheka would be a little bigger than Grim would be in terms of height. Not quite twice his height, but still pretty big! Now imagine the lil’ ragamuffin sweetheart just trotting along with Yuu perched on his back, playfully marching across a log bridge with Grim trotting behind singing “Hakuna Matata” while Ruggie and Jack have to keep an eye on them (because we know Leona would be taking a nap and hiding from his nephew even in this AU). The only difference between this version of the two is that whenever Cheka pounces on his uncle in a play fight, Leona actually will react as though he got hurt to encourage the hunting instinct.

Hey, he may not be happy having his nephew bugging him, but he knows it’s important to know how to survive (and he’d never hear the end of it from his brother or his brother’s mate)!

When it comes to doing “human business”, it’s agreed that there is a need for privacy even amongst kaiju, so if the human disappears for a short time behind a rock or in a bush, it’s not going to be questioned by curious kaiju. Luckily Yuu won’t have to worry about poison oak or poison ivy! Most of the poisonous plants that can cause an itchy reaction are too high up for them to reach, so it’s mainly the kaiju who would experience the terrible itchy curse. Good thing they’ve got Crewel to mix up some natural medicine for them—good luck making most of them take it though! XD

Anyway, moving on: music! One of the best ways to soothe the soul and calm the savage beast. When Yuu manages to get near one of the other abandoned facilities and gets to explore it with Grim (who is literally the only one small enough to fit inside with them), it was actually Grim who stumbled across a music player. He thought it was some weirdly shaped snack or chew toy.

This resulted in a bit of a tug-of-war between Yuu and Grim, and now Yuu has a new (slightly chewed) music player! Let’s see how it transpired and what resulted afterwards, shall we?

//

“Let’s see…junk, junk, trash…wow, did they really even leave anything worth using in this place?”

Digging around in the pile, Yuu sighed as they sat back and stared at the room. Of course, this place had been ransacked already…though by who exactly was unclear, but it seemed like things had been torn apart and whatever components or guts the tech had before was now gone. But there had to be something they could use in this place, right?

Crunch!

“Pleh!”

“Grimfang, no! Stop trying to eat the plastic you lil’ gargoyle!” Yuu scolded, sighing as Grimfang spat out a few shards that got stuck in his teeth. “Ugh…one of these days you’re going to eat something you shouldn’t, you know that? Don’t come crying to me when you get a tummy ache.”

He shook his head with a snort, giving Yuu a look that suggested he was offended by the very notion that he might get a tummy ache…or at least, that’s how Yuu interpreted it. It was odd how expressive the kaiju seemed to be, seeming almost…human-like in a way, though sometimes Yuu wondered if it was just their mind humanizing them to have company.

“Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Turning back, Yuu scanned the wreckage to try and find something they could at least bring back. Even a writing utensil would do! “Okay…maybe we should try the next room and see what we can find.”

As they turned to go, they heard the familiar sound of tooth scraping against metal and sighed. What has he found this time?

“Grim, if I have to pull another pipe out of your gullet again, I’m gonna-” Yuu began before freezing, eyes growing wide at the familiar shape between Grim’s paws as he tried to gnaw on the corner: a music player. “H-hey, hey! No! Grim! Drop it!”

“Rrraowl!” he rumbled in response, his paws pulling the player into his chest fur protectively.

“Grimfang, no! That’s not a chew toy—hey! Get back here, you malevolent little gargoyle!!”

“Nyaarr!!”

“GRIIIIIM!!!!”

//Later//

The sound of static filled the den as Yuu sat in the nest, using Grimfang’s side as a pillow while they fiddled with the large and heavy music player. It had been one helluva chase around the facility, but eventually they triumphed and claimed their prize! Aside from a slight chewing on the frame, the kaiju’s fangs hadn’t really penetrated the shell and everything seemed to be in working order. To their disappointment though, they couldn’t get a radio signal no matter how many buttons they pushed or how much they turned the dial.

“Hey, MIRA? Does this island have any sort of radio signal or something?” they asked the computer around their wrist. “I can’t get anything on this player.”

“Greetings, Uhm Yuu. Answer: negative. This particular system cannot receive the signals from radio transmissions. Due to the nature of the island and its inhabitants, it is difficult to build and maintain any semblance of a tower to transmit signals across the terrain, requiring different methods to communicate with other facilities.”

“Darn it! So that means I can’t do anything with this hunk of junk?”

“Negative. As it is in proximity, I am able to access the system wirelessly and play music from the database.”

Eyes growing wide, Yuu asked, “There’s a music database…?”

“Affirmative. I have access to a wide selection of music from all manner of media pre-downloaded from the Dark Mirror Server. Dr. Willows was an avid enjoyer of music and always kept an up-to-date selection for her playlists to aid in her work. Would you like to create your own playlists?”

“Yes!”

“Mrr…?”

//End Scene//

And thus began Yuu’s task to set up their musical playlists…much to the kaiju’s confusion even when Grim tried to explain what he could translate. For the most part, they just figured it was a weird human thing…until Yuu played the first song. Was it some beautiful, soothing song, or an excitable bop that made them excited? Nope. It was neither: what was meant to be a fun introduction to a song turned into what essentially boils down to a warped death metal demonic screech and garbled static. The sound was so terrifying that Grimfang looked like a puffy ball of daggers, and Nevermore flared up his wings like some puffy shield in a panic.

That’s why it’s important to check the volume of the music before you play it first!

It was after that when Yuu noticed a difference in the kaiju when they played certain songs—namely instrumentals. For some like Pridefang, they noticed how much more relaxed he was when harp music was playing, while when it came to wind based music like flutes or chimes, Crystalflayer/Vil would croon and sing along and the more canine-like kaiju would practically fall asleep.

Then there were the silly moments with the music.

When Goldmaker/Kalim was visiting, Yuu was playing the song “Cus I’m Happy” at random…when they noticed the shiny beetle/dragon kaiju doing the tippy-tap dance like a dog on all six legs, bouncing here and there in time to the music like a kid jumping on the bed.

And then there was the time that Bruiser/Deuce and Feralfang/Epel were tugging on something that looked somewhat like a giant leather ball that had been popped (or at least, they thought it was a ball, though it could be a bit of carcass too). It didn’t seem like they were fighting over food and more like they were just…playing. It wasn’t until they had stood frozen in place for a moment that Yuu played the song “Cotton Eyed Joe”—

And they both tugged in time to the beat. (A/N: click link for doggos in reference to the song/scene!)

Aaaah, the joys of music!

Now as for the food, as good as fruit and the vegetables were, it was a little harder to find sources of protein that were safe for human consumption on the island…or at least, sources that didn’t want to eat or swallow them whole or were out of reach. Plus, they had a continuous source of fresh meat brought to them and Grimfang throughout the day with no hassle. They just needed a way to…prepare it.

When Yuu manages to light a fire in a makeshift firepit (guided by MIRA’s survival database), Nevermore was certainly surprised to find that his hatchling had finally accepted the meat offering and confused at what they were doing with it near the fire. It’s incredibly rare for any kaiju to actually “cook” their meat, and whatever constitutes as cooked meat would be little more than chewy charcoal, so if it turns out that’s what the little human likes then so long as they eat their fruits and veggies, he’ll allow it.

//

“Aaaaand…done!” Yuu uttered, tugging one of the sticks bearing individual chunks out of the ground. They could feel the juices from the meat that had dripped down the makeshift skewer, forcing them to take care as they adjusted it in their grip to avoid the hot parts before they took a tentative bite.

Just like the fruit, the meat was tender and full of flavor as the juices dripped down their chin with each bite. It wasn’t perfect, but it was so good to have a cooked meal again that Yuu didn’t care. They’d even been lucky to find a wall of salt when they’d gone exploring with Grimfang, so at least the meat had a little extra flavor to it! MIRA had mentioned before that the island had many herbs and spices that could be used for cooking. If they could get a hold of some of these, then their meals would be so much more fulfilling!

Curious sniffing caught their attention as they turned to see Grimfang, cerulean eyes staring at the chunks still cooking on the sticks around the fire. He’d long since finished his portion, so there was no way that he should still be hungry…right?

“Mrrlh?” he grumbled, carefully pawing at the dirt near one of the sticks but not actually touching it before giving Yuu a look.

“No, this is mine. You had yours already,” Yuu told him, turning their attention back to their food.

“Prrrrrr…”

‘…oh no…’ Slowly they turned their attention back to Grimfang…and immediately they found themselves struck by the biggest, brightest pair of kitten eyes they’d ever seen, the kaiju’s forelegs curling up to his chest as he rolled over onto his side to reveal his soft, fluffy tummy. ‘…darn it, why did I have to watch those kitten videos around him!?’

His paws began to open and close, mimicking the kneading motion that the kittens in the video had done earlier.

“…augh! Fine! But just this once, got it?” Yuu said, heaving a sigh as they took another stick out of the ground and—after playing hot-potato with the cooked flesh—tossed it into Grimfang’s waiting jaws with a snap. He was purring in triumph, giving Yuu a smug looking grin…

Before he froze, pupils growing so wide that they nearly engulfed the blue of his eyes. His whole body began to shiver, jaw slack as drool began to drip from his maw. Then—rearing back on his hind legs—his paws pressed against his cheeks as he swayed almost in pure bliss, a series of trills and chirps coming from him.

“Huh. Well, uh…glad you like my cooking, Gri—hey! Hey, hey, hey, hey! NO! Grim! You had yours, the rest are mine! Stoooop! Nevermore!!”

//The next day//

“Okay, here’s what’s going to happen: I’m going to cook some of this meat using the ingredients we just picked from the forest, and while the big hunk cooks on the spit, we’ll snack on the smaller pieces. This side is yours, and this side is mine. Got it so far?”

“Mrp!”

“Good. Don’t even think about stealing my share, or I’m never cooking anything again. Got it?”

“Myah!”

Shniff-shniff…

“Huh…? Wha-!? Scrapper, no! This is mine! I-wait, I-! What are you all even doing here!? Guys!”

//The next day//

“……did you guys know that Scrapper, Shellshock, Ashsong, and Heartbinder could even cook, or is this new?” Yuu asked, watching as Ashsong’s tentacles moved the herbs and spices across the cooking meat, Heartbinder’s claws and teeth ripping chunks off and handing them to the clover-marked Shellshock as he put them on skewers. Ashsong’s wings would occasionally flap, causing the flames to flare up with new life. Scrapper used his jaws to turn the makeshift spit that one of the kaiju had carved to turn the meat in a slow circle.

“Nyawr.”

“Thaaaat’s what I thought…more please!”

//

As it turns out, once the kaiju learn the secret to amazing food, it becomes one of the few things that keeps them from bickering and fighting and even have them cooperate together just to get a taste. It was a strange sight to see, and even MIRA commented that this was highly unusual behavior that hadn’t been recorded by scientists before. This raised far more questions than answers. Sure, the kaiju were dangerous, but they were intelligent.

Too intelligent…

[heartfucksmouth]

spent the night in the ER. As we all may or may not know, I got an IUD placed in Oct when I was 4 months postpartum.

I've been bleeding ever since. Not "spotting," but bleeding. Heavily. I've had ultrasounds to check on the position - it's in place. at 6 months of bleeding, I was put on Junel Fe to see if it would calm down. Nope. I started getting cramping so bad, I thought I had another cyst burst. I was getting really big clots/tissue.

Back to the doctors, I'm taken off Junel and put on doxycycline bc I guess it can slow the bleeding? and an ultrasound is scheduled for the first week in June, where, after imaging, I'd most likely have it taken out.

well, 3 days later and I'm bleeding so heavily and passing tissue like I've given birth. I bled through a heavy overnight pad in 3 hours, and left a blood pool on my cough 6 inches wide. the tissue I passed was like the size of my palm. I called the on-call midwife and she told me to go to the ER.

So, new pants, fresh pad (heavy flow overnight ~guaranteed 10 hours!~, I go to the ER and I'm ofc crying bc I didn't know wtf is going on and I hate leaving Aidan. I think I sat in the waiting room for less than 2 hours, getting up twice to get vitals and bloodwork done. When i got up to be wheeled to ultrasound, I realized I had bled through my pad and my pants again. Badly. I told the attendant while holding up my blood covered hand and he just went "oh. I'm sorry" LOL K

The tech tells me to get undressed and get on the table etc and I'm like "um, I'm bleeding like really really bad.." she was just like "it's fine" and left. I'm crying a little, and I pull down my underwear and I shit you not, felt clots and blood just gush out and splatter on the floor.

Now I'm sobbing bc there's nothing for me to clean it up, I can't find a trash can, and I just keep bleeding anyways, so I put some paper towels over the murder scene on the floor and lay on the bed, covering my face with my arm unable to stop crying. the tech is a cold bitch as usual and then I'm told to get dressed (in my bloody clothes thanks!) and sit in the wheelchair to be picked up.

the attendant. brings me back. to the waiting room. WHICH HAS BEEN PACKED WITH PEOPLE BY THE WAY! I'm crying still, and I get out if the chair and go to the desk to be like "hi I'm bleeding through my clothes??" but the male nurse grabbed and was like "THERE YOU ARE! I've got a room ready for you! I tried to call ultrasound but they didn't answer. what were you looking for?" and I just mumbled that I didn't want to get blood on the furniture as I followed him.

he had the nurse get me mesh underwear and pads and it was the first time I felt like someone empathize with me. he said "it's gonna be ok" with a reassuring look, and left.

I waited a while in there. listening to the ridiculous chaos that they were dealing with, all definitely more acute than me - esp bc my bloodwork showed I wasn't bleeding out or anything. a man with dementia was being aggressive with the staff even though he had broken ribs and a pneumothorax and had been dosed with fentanyl. he kept trying to dismantle his bed, almost broke his foot, and I was just waiting for one of the nurses to get hurt.

I got a pelvic exam, and the doctor used about 12 gigantic swabs trying to get all the clots he saw. he said "yeah i see what you mean, it's a slow constant ooze" wow, I feel sexy.

ultrasound was apparently clear, and he asked if I preferred to go home for the night or stay -bc he wanted me to be seen by obgyn within 2 days. I chose to go home. it was after midnight. I asked for scrubs to go home in and thankfully got some.

my ultrasound showed my right ovary was fine, no torsion,cyst etc. then "suboptimal view of left ovary due to secondary location"

sorry What. also my uterus is LARGE and my endometrium is thickened to 11mm AND THATS AFTER 7 MONTHS OF BLEEDING THAT i KEPT GETTING TOLD WAS My UTERINE LINING THINNING OUT BC THATS THE IUD'S JOB

all I can think is endo/adenomyosis/cancer.

so I'm getting this thing (the iud) taken out. I want my hormones checked. and the dr im seeing already said i can get a hysterectomy or my tubes tied or whatever. and I can't stop thinking of my aunt who died of ovarian cancer bc they failed to catch it in time despite her going to doctors constantly with symptoms.

I'm really scared,actually. my history of medical trauma is on hyperdrive. I feel like I'm failing my kid. I'm not capable of being the mom I want to be. I feel betrayed and sabotaged by my body again. I also can't think straight whatsoever so I could be misunderstanding the meanings of things.

just don't kill me you piece of shit meatsack. not now that I've been trying to actually stay alive.

[wolfverse-stories]

Dreams aren't always pleasant

(Falling in Reverse Au/Reverse Batfam)

Chapter 6 (Final Chapter)

     "Back so soon?" Jason asked standing across the rooftop.

     "Afraid so," Damian said stepping forward "I'm-"

     "Not from this Earth" the redhead smirked "Oracle brought me up to speed"

     "I need you to do me a favor," Damian said meeting his gaze.

Timeskip

     "Who is this?" Tim looked over at Jason suspiciously.

     "A friend," Damian said walking over to him.

     "I didn't know you had frie-Sorry force of habit.." Tim trailed off sheepishly.

     "Don't worry I have three brothers I'm used to it" He reassured Tim "So you're sure this will get me home?" Tim gave a nod "Thank you" he turned over to Jason "Remember our deal?"

     "Yeah yeah," Jason said rolling his eyes "You are so much chatter than our wing"

     "Not as cold thought" Tim observed.

     "Yeah that's thanks to a couple of people I know" Damian answered 'including you'

Timeskip

     "Hello?" As soon as he walked into the living room two sets of footsteps came racing down the stairs.

     "Dami!" Dick practically tackled him.

     "Where have you been?!" Jason crossed his arms.

     "Nice to see you too Jay" Damian rolled his eyes getting up "Where are the others?"

     "Cass and Tim are out looking for you" Dick answered still hugging Damian.

     "Bruce had a JL emergency so Wally is 'babysitting us' " Jason explained.

     "And where is West?" Damian looked at his younger brother suspiciously.

     "Jay put a tranquilizer in his food then locked him up in the bat cave" Dick grinned.

     "He wouldn't stop ruffling my hair!"

One week later

     Damian stood in the kitchen where he was supposed to be getting popcorn for his siblings, instead, he was deep in thought. He had gotten back a week ago and one question had been eating away at him.

     'Had I acted out of love or guilt?'

     "Did you get lost?" Tim smirked leaning in the doorway.

     "Lost in thought" Damian replied finally pulling out the popcorn.

     "Something wrong?" Tim asked letting his arm drop.

     "Tim, do you think this is all just guilt?" Damian frowned.

     "What?" Tim stared at his older brother with confusion.

     "Do...do you think that maybe I don't really care about anyone I just feel guilty about what happened to you?"

     "Of course not" Tim scuffed.

     "But I treated you like trash before you died and not that other eart-" Tim cut Damian off.

     "Is that what this is all about?" He moved closer to Damian "Yes when I first got here you hated you beat the heck out of me but before I died you did start to treat me like a brother"

     "What about the others am I just trying to make up for how I treated you?" Damian asked

     "I've seen how you are with Cass and the baby birds and it's not guilt" Tim smiled softly  "You genuinely love for them"

     "Are you sure?" 

     "The fact that you're even worried about this proves you love them" Before Damian could realize what he was doing he had his arms wrapped around Tim in a tight hug

     "Thanks" Tim's body stiffened  from the surprise attack hug "You know I love you too baby bird?"

     "I know," Tim said relaxing "I love you Big Bird"

Meanwhile

     "Wow" Jason mused staring at the large computer set up "You're a seriously little nerd aren't you"

     "It's designed after the bat computer Only with a few more tricks" Tim grinned turning it on.

One year later

     It had started out as a 'favor'. He works with Tim and Damian wouldn't expose his identity. Pretty soon it stopped being a favor. Jason didn't work with Tim because he had to but because he wanted to. Tim was like his little brother and there was no way Jason would let anyone mess with his little brother.

     So when the court sent a Talon after Tim of course Jason was going to track him down and make him sorry.

    "Skywatcher any signs of your attacker," Jason asked into the comm.

     "No so far, be careful Hood these are professionally trained assassins"

     "Don't worry little brother" Jason replied in a mocking tone.

    "I'm technically older than you" Tim snapped back.

     "I'd still be bigger than you without magic" Jason chuckled "Seriously you need to eat"

     "I've put on five pounds" Tim shot back.

     "Yeah sure you-"  a noise started Jason

    "Hood? What's going on?" Tim asked over the comm

     "I uh..." Jason stared at the small figure in front of him "I found a baby talon"

Prev. / More stories

[citrus-cactus]

For the character ask meme! 1 and 7 for Kaito, 24 and 26 for Minoru, and 10 and 11 for Aoi. Sorry if this is a lot! You don't have to do all of them if you don't want to! :)

OOOOH A BUMPER CROP OF SURVIVE KIDS HECK YEAH LET'S GOOOOO! For reference, the ask game is here.

Kaito:

1. My first impression of them

"Wow, these lone wolf/rival archetypes are getting edgier and edgier!" (sorry! Kind of a facetious answer, but I think the first time I saw him was the promo art/intro credits image of him and Dracmon, so there was literally no other information to go on other than his partner and appearance. Pretty sure I thought the same thing about Rei from Appmon as well. Sorry, recent Lone Wolf characters of Digimon media I’ve latched on to, I have two nickels!)

7. A quote of them that you remember

Not so much a direct quote, but I know I was definitely struggling to understand Kaito through my first playthrough-and-a-half of Survive (vis-a-vis the correct affinity dialogue choices for him). But his behavior in Wrathful really unlocked something for me. He understood the pain Aoi was going through, and his relative level-headedness about it really helped the rest of the group pick a direction at times. So it’s less about exactly what he said, and more about what he did and how he reacted to Aoi going down that dark spiral as the things that really stuck with me, and helped inform my Truthful playthrough. Plus, I got his affinity Mega at that point (even though I was fully committed to scum-saving anyway!).

Minoru:

24. What do you think is a secret they have that they never told anyone?

This is a really interesting question for Minoru, because given the right circumstances, I'm not sure he has any secrets that he would be 100% determined to keep forever. But this is related to my answer for #26, so see the next question below.

"Sexuality headcanon" is definitely going to assert itself on the rest of this answer (so apologies if you weren't looking for that), but I think something he would not admit during the game timeframe is that any time he's mentions/teases Takuma about girls or some get-your-mind-out-of-the-gutter thing, it's all 100%, grade-A, this-is-whats-expected-of-me 14-year-old posturing, and my headcanon is that he currently has no interest in girls or any of the “naughty” things he's teasing Takuma about. Either he won't admit that to anyone but himself for a few more years, or it's possible he doesn't even realize it himself yet!

26. When do you think they were being “themselves” the most?

I think the confrontation between him and his shadow self in the Moral ending, where he said he knew he was "trash" and a "total failure" and "worthless," was THE instance where Minoru’s happy-go-lucky attitude was revealed to be largely a facade, and there were a ton of secret insecurities he had about himself... which I don’t think is something he would have admitted at that time to his "heroes" Takuma and Aoi under many other circumstances. I don't... thiiiiink... this self-doubting low-self-esteem reveal comes up as directly in any other route? So this felt like a once-in-a-game opportunity to learn who Minoru really is, and fill in some of the thoughts/motivations behind his previous (and perhaps alternate route) actions.

Even though Minoru didn't get to choose the time or place of revealing that information to Aoi and Takuma in Moral, I think it's possible he would choose to admit it at some point after the ending of another route, either just conversing with one of them in private, or to bolster one of them if they were down on themselves and he thought sharing this info might help them (again, I interpret him as perfectly willing to share what he’s thinking, but only under the right circumstances).

Aoi:

10. Describe the character in one sentence

"This anxious, well-behaved, 15-year-old honors student is also an amazing, terrifying, absolutely tragic and sympathetic villain."

11. What’s the first thing you think about when thinking about the character?

"Girl, same."

(And then I proceed to think at least 15 other things, because there's just SO MUCH to think about when it comes to Aoi all the time always. So much great meta has been written about her already, and I'm eating it all up while nodding along, and thinking more thoughts that I can't even articulate, but it's fine. Aoi contains multitudes, she's an absolutely brilliant deconstruction of the "supportive mom friend" character trope, and I love her and pity her and root for her self-actualization all at the same time).

[one-thousand-and-one-fandoms]

Voltrom Ghost Whisperer AU - Part 9

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Allura wanted when she got home was to pop open a bottle of wine, order take out and binge trash tv on Netflix. What she actually got was a sad looking Keith sitting morosely on her couch. She sent a small prayer to whoever was up there making her life difficult to please, please cut her some slack.

"You're back," Keith said, and his face lit up.

"I am," Allura replied, "you remember me this time?"

Keith nodded.

"Good, so what can I do for you?" She asked.

"I... I don't know?" Keith answered, "I remember the fire, now. And my pa. And... and Lance. Are they...? Did they...?"

Allura couldn't help but feel her heart break a little. It wasn't fair, she thought, for he'd been so young and full of promise. And even though he'd just realized he was dead, he was still mostly worried about his father and his best friend. She sat down next to him and made sure to hold his gaze.

"Lance is okay," she said, and it was heartbreaking how Keith's shoulders relaxed and a small smile appeared on his face, "I saw him today. His family moved a few months after the fire."

"Did they move because of me?" Keith asked, his smile turning into a frown.

"I don't know," she admitted, "to be honest, I didn't get to speak with him a lot. He ran out before I could."

Keith snorted, "Sounds like him."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. He was always a scaredy cat."

Allura snorted, "I'm sure you know all about it."

Then Keith sobered up again, and turned his big, violet, doe-like eyes on her and asked, "And my pa?"

Allura sobered up, too, "According to the firefighters, he also died in the fire."

Keith's eyes lit up and he asked, excited, and began looking around as is Allura had him hidden somewhere, "Where is he?"

"Keith, your dad... have you ever seen a light calling you to it?" Allura said, at loss of how to explain it, "you see, when people die, they don't usually stay here. They go to a different place, a better place, full of light and people who love them."

"So he's gone? He left me?" Keith asked, and his voice wobbled, and Allura panicked for a bit.

"I'm sure he thought you were already there, waiting for him," Allura quickly replied, "I would like to help you cross over, so you can be together again."

Keith didn't answer for a long, long time. He was frowning, but the lights weren't flickering nor were the doors slamming. Allura knew better than to rush him, so she waited quietly.

"I think I'd like to go," Keith finally said, "but I've never seen anything like what you said."

"That may be because you feel you still have something to take care of in here."

Again, Keith went quiet. Allura was very willing to wait it out, but then there was a knock on the door. Keith startled, but didn't leave. Allura sighed, but went to open the door.

Much to her surprise, there stood Lance McClain. And his two friends. He also seemed surprised to see her.

"Wow, so you weren't lying," he said.

"Why would I lie?" Allura replied, mildly offended. Lance shrugged and refused to answer, "What do you want?"

"I came to see if what you said was true," Lance answered. His small friend elbowed him hard enough that Lance flinched, so he glared at his friend, "sorry, we came to see if what you said was true."

"Well, if you want to come into my home, you might as well tell me your names."

The three friends shared a look that screamed that they thought Allura might kidnap and sell their organs in the black market. The larger one was the first to answer.

"Hunk."

"Pidge."

Allura raised an eyebrow, "Allura."

She didn't know if she believed those were their actual names but she wasn't going to fight them on it. She stepped aside and led them to her living room, where Keith had stood up and now stared apprehensively at the arch that separated the foyer from the living room.

"Lance?" He asked in a whisper, and the lights then flickered.

The three teens looked up. Allura tried to warn Keith with a look, but he wasn't looking at her.

"Could be faulty wiring," Pidge whispered to Lance. Subtle, Allura thought and rolled her eyes.

"Is that K-him?" Lance asked. Allura observed him. He seemed genuined enough. She looked at Keith, who was frowning now.

"Why isn't he saying my name? Has he forgotten me?" Keith asked.

"Yes, that's Keith," Allura answered, "he wants to know why you didn't say his name."

Lance opened his mouth to answer, but Pidge beat him to it.

"How do we know you're not lying?"

Allura looked at Keith, who didn't seem to know how to react.

"I don't know how to convince you that he's really here," Allura said, "I do think, however, that it would be best for Lance to do it on his own."

"Dream on, lady," Pidge replied.

"Yeah, he's our best friend and we won't leave him alone!" Hunk reiterated.

Just then the light above them exploded and the windows shattered around them. Cabinets began to open and close seemingly without rhyme or reason and Allura knew that now they were all potentially in danger. The three teens yelped and screamed and huddled together, trying to protect each other.

"Keith! You've got to calm down!" Allura yelled above the noise.

"He replaced me," Keith said and his features were now contorted in anger, "I died, and he left and got shiny new friends. He left me, just like my pa."

"No, Keith, I'm sure that's not true," Allura replied, "tell him, Lance, that you didn't forget him nor replaced him."

Lance was shocked to hear Allura address him after seemingly talking to the air. He looked at the place where she looked at, hoping that K-Keith was looking at him, too.

"K-Keith," Lance said, "I... I'm sorry."

He was apologizing for so many things he couldn't name, but clearly that was the wrong thing to say because the cabinets all slammed at once before the house was plunged into complete silence. Slowly, Lance picked himself off the ground and helped Hunk and Pidge up, who seemed very shaken.

"K-Keith?"

"He's gone," Allura pipped up, shaking herself off.

"Gone?" Lance asked, feeling dread pull in his stomach.

"For now," Allura replied, "ghosts are emotional beings. Seeing Lance, so different, was already difficult for him without you two making it worse."

"Hey! We didn't do anything!" Pidge exclaimed.

"You set him off!" Allura retorted, took a deep breath to collect herself and turned to Lance, "can I talk to you in private?"

"Like hell..."

"Pidge!" Lance exclaimed, looking angry for the first time, "this is not about you, alright? K-Keith was there before I met you and I believe Allura when she says he was here and I want to hear what she has to say. I don't need you to act as if I can't make my own decisions, so cut it out!"

Pidge took a step back, shock and hurt taking over her features, before she stormed out of the house. Hunk hesitated between the two, but ultimately followed Pidge. Immediately, Lance felt guilty and he rubbed his hands over his face.

"What just happened?" He asked.

"There's a lot of anger for now, and it was mostly focused on you, so you probably reacted to that," Allura explained.

"No, not about... with K-Keith. What happened with Keith?"

"At first he was shocked to see you, and then he got upset you couldn't say his name," Allura answered, "but really, what angered him was hearing you have new best friends."

Lance snorted, "He was always the jealous sort."

Allura bit back her own.

"What now?" Lance asked.

"Well, we could try to go to the school to see if he's there, or wait until he finds us again," Allura replied, "usually, spirits this upset don't want to be found."

Lance looked around the room quietly for a few moments, and then said, "Do you think he hates me?"

"I know for a fact he doesn't."

"Well, maybe he should."

Allura frowned, "What makes you think so?"

"He'd still be alive if it wasn't for me."

"I don't think Keith sees it that way at all," Allura countered.

"But I do," Lance said, "maybe this is for the best."

"Do you know what you'll be condemning Keith to if we don't help him move on?" Allura asked, losing her patience, "he'd be stuck forever between two worlds, never belonging to either, always roaming and lost. Is that what you want?"

"...no."

"Then I suggest you find a way to deal with your survivor's guilt in a different way and get your head out of your ass," Allura replied, "as you said, this is not about you. This is about Keith."

Lance contemplated her words for a moment. Then, he nodded to himself and squared his shoulders. Helping Keith came first; he could feel sorry for himself after.

Next

I need your help: This was meant to be a short fic of only 10 to 11 parts. It was also supposed to be self-contained.

But then my brain remembered that there are ghosts who refuse to move on and gather strength, and I thought "hmm, those could be the Galra/druids," and little things like that and so I would like to hear from you.

Option 1: short, self-contained fic of 10-11 parts. I already have an idea for the ending of this one. (Think of it as one episode of Ghost Whisperer)

Option 2: an elaborate fic, who knows how many parts long, with world building, more VLD characters, plot twists and turns, angsty and dark in themes and probably adapting the source material to match. (Think of it as the overarching plot of Ghost Whisperer seasons 1 and/or 2)

[blueberry-bastard1]

Detroit: Midnight

Chapter 2: New Day

__November 5th, 2038 // 3:24PM__

"I deeply apologize for the death of your daughter's nanny. what did you say happened to her?"

"A car hit her, stupid accident."

"Wow, I'm really sorry to hear that. Is your daughter oka-"

"Yeah, she's fine."

"Okay, then. Well, a new nanny will be watching Alice."

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

"As a matter of fact, here she comes now."

A woman entered the room and smiled upon seeing Alice.

"Please tell them your name."

"My name is Kara."

__November 5th, 2038 // 4:53PM__

As Todd drove through the city, Kara took a minute to look around. The statues of art and historical figures. Even a statue of a Midnight trying to block a human man's wooden stake. The sight of the statue made Kara's skin crawl.

She knew about the drug. She knew that it gave the recently dead a second chance. What she didn't know is what Midnight can do if a human, alive and well, gets a hold of the red liquid. She knew that the people called them "Modern Vampires" from what she's heard in overheard conversations while training to be Alice's nanny.

Todd drove through the neighborhood. The sight of the environment made Kara's stomach sink. This was Detroit. Well—what it used to be.

Run down houses, playgrounds, a dog park, everything that made Detroit at the time, was a run down. Some houses looked as if a small bomb had gone off inside it. Some even looked as if it was being eaten away by mold or radiation, not really. Todd house though, it was old. Never had a touch up of the white paint peeling on the outside of home. It's fence was clipped as if people were trying to break in.

Todd pulled into the drive way and get out the car. Kara would soon follow by getting out of the car as well. Once she looked up at the front door, Todd had already been there waiting for her. "You comin'?" Todd asked impatiently. "Yes, Todd." Kara said as she hurried to the front door and hurried inside.

As kara entered the house, her stomach sank once more as to seeing the interior of the home. Paint peeling on the walls, furniture old and falling apart, dishes piled high, trash haven't been taken out at all. "I don't care if your a nanny, maid or not." Todd started, making Kara lose her train of thought. "You do the dishes, do the laundry, you cook the dinners. Everything. Got it?" Todd finished looking to Kara fro an answer from her. "Yes, Todd." She replied.

"You also take care of- oh God. Where's the brat gone now!" Todd said looking around. "Alice? Alice! Oh there you are." Todd said seeing Alice, who was now sitting the stairs looking up at her father.

"Alice: Homework, getting dressed. Everything. Got that?" Todd said before storming off to the couch. "Yes Todd." "Start down here then work upstairs." Kara nodded and started on the trash taking it outside.

After finishing the trash, she'd start on the dishes. "Kara! Grab me a beer!" Kara grabbed Todd a beer and placed it on the coffee table in front of him. "I've finished, down here, I'll go start upstairs." Said Kara. Todd replied with an annoyed response. Kara headed upstairs and tidyed up Todd's room. She'd find a magazine. She'd pick up and find that it was layed open. She'd see a story inside.

"Man's daughter is the first child to be revived with Midnight."

Kara's heart sank. A parent spending a fortune on bringing their child back, only for them to stay the same age and height till their parents pass. Kara put the magazine down and started on the other rooms before lastly coming to Alice's room.

Upon entering Alice's room, Alice ran to her sheet fort and hid from Kara. "I'm just going to tidy up your room, Alice. I only need 5 minutes. Are you okay with that?" Kara began cleaning Alice's room.

Tidying up Alice's bed, Kara noticed a book on the floor. "Alice In Wonderland. Of course." Kara said with a smile. Kara knelt in front of Alice. "I hope we can have a nice bond like you and the other Nanny had." Kara said with a soft smile. Alice only looked up at her and played with her toy. "You look bored, what do you like to do for fun?" Alice got up and went to run out the room, I kynto turn around and hand Kara a key before running out the room.

Kara stood up before realizing where the key went to. Kara walked up to the box on Alice's dresser before unlocking it. Music started to play from it. Kara looked inside the the music box and pulled out drawings. As she looked through the drawings, she saw a process of Alice playing with her past nanny, to Alice then being covered in the Nanny's blood. The next and last drawing showed the bloodied nanny and Alice's father holiday gun.

Kara quickly and hurriedly our everything back into the music box before closing it. Kara quickly made her way done the stairs to tell Todd she had finished the upstairs, only to see Todd slowly approach Alice.

"Whatcha doin'?" Asked Todd. "Playing." Said Alice. "Playing..." Todd repeated. "This is all your fault. All of this is your fault." Kara stayed there, standing still on the stairs making sure not to be seen. Kara's heart sank. "You hate me, don't you?" Asked Todd. "Say you hate me." Todd ordered Alice. Todd picked Alice up and screamed at Alice. "SAY YOU HATE ME!!!"

Todd saw the stream of tears running down Alice's face. Todd started tearing up seeing his daughter cry, regretting what he'd done. "Oh God, what am I doing?" He asked himself. "I'm so sorry, I love you so much." Todd started. "You know I love you, right?" Todd said as he sobbed as he held his daughter in a tight embrace.

All Kara could do was watch as it all unfolded. Her heart ached for Alice. She wanted to help her, but she knew with the state Todd is in and how he treats his win daughter, Kara can't even imagine what would happen if she were to do something about Todd's abuse to Alice.

[roseianxiety]

Always You

Summary: As a young boy, Virgil often swooped in to save his geeky and timid childhood best friend, Roman, from his bullies. After years have passed without seeing each other, his friend has come home from abroad and now a completely different person than before, and ready to sweep Virgil off his feet. Virgil, of course, falls head over heels for the other.

AO3 - Part 3, Part 4

Content Warning: Food mention, Swearing

Author's Note: Sorry if this was low key shit, I didn't have the energy to proofread and I wrote this while sick so, sorry in advance.

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Chapter Four

Emo music blasted from his headphones while he emptied his trash can. It was cloudy that day, and Virgil thinks that it was about to rain. He sighs tiredly, stretching his back. It was his free day which meant that he could finally get some peace and quiet but as usual, it would be the opposite of it.

He had so many things to do; doing laundry, cleaning the house, tending the plants, etc. Virgil sighed again, running a hand through his hair. He needs a break somehow.

Virgil was about to head back when someone suddenly appeared in front of him, scaring the absolute shit out of Virgil. And on instinct, he jabbed the guy in the chest, making the other stumble backward in surprise.

"Owww!"Roman exclaimed, clutching his chest, wincing in pain. "What was th..that for?"Roman asks in sheer confusion.

"You almost scared me to death! Why would you just pop up in front of me outta nowhere!?"Virgil responded defensively, glaring softly at the guy. But before Roman could answer, Virgil spoke once more. "I'm sorry, it was on instinct. Didn't mean to hurt you.".

Roman gave him a warm smile, "That's alright, Virge. It's kind of my fault anyway." He laughed sheepishly.

"Why are you here, by the way?"Virgil asks curiously. "Actually, I was going to give you something," Roman says before pulling out something from a bag (that Virgil just noticed). It was a plastic container.

"I made quite a lot of pastries last night, so I'm giving you and Mrs. Barret half of it. It ain't much, but I hope you'll enjoy them."Roman said, holding out the container. Virgil looked confused for a second but grabbed the container. Virgil glances at Roman before taking off the lid of the plastic container, revealing an assortment of pastries such as cream puffs, brownies, chocolate chip cookies, and some tiny-looking muffins. He is quite amazed too that, it all fits inside the container.

"Wow... this is a lot. You baked all of these??"Virgil asked incredulously. Roman nodded, a grin creeping its way up on his lips, and nodded to Virgil's question.

"Yeah, pretty much. I was bored, so I decided to bake some."He said, rubbing the back of his neck. "You should try it.".

Roman said, gesturing to the pastries in the other's hands. Virgil hesitated for a moment before slowly reaching out and picking one of the pastries and taking a bite. The taste exploded in his mouth, leaving him shocked. Virgil quickly chewed the pastry before swallowing it whole with a huge sigh of contentment.

"So, how's it?"Roman queries, eyeing Virgil's reaction. Virgil gives him a thumbs-up sign with one hand while holding the container in the other.

A large smile crept up on his face. "I love it," Virgil answered happily, feeling giddy from the taste.

"I'm glad that you liked it. Maybe, we'll bake together sometime?"Roman suggested smiling.

Virgil chuckles and shook his head in response, "As much as I'd love to, I don't know how to bake."He admitted sheepishly.

"Well, I'll teach you, no problem!"Roman declared with a determined look on his face.

"You don't have to really-"

"I insist, let me teach you, "Roman interjected. Virgil sighed. He was about to decline, but when Roman stared at him intensely with a pleading look, he sighed in defeat. "Fine. I'll let you.".

A smile broke out on Roman's face. "Great!"He exclaimed, clapping his hands excitedly. Virgil couldn't help but laugh, enjoying Roman's enthusiasm.

"Anyway, I should go back inside now, I have a shit ton of things to do. Again, thanks for the pastries."Virgil says, smiling softly at Roman before turning away to head back to his house.

Roman watches him with a small smile, but then he remembered something. He quickly calls out to Virgil before the other could even step on his porch. "Virgil, wait!–".

Virgil stops in his tracks before turning around, raising a questioning eyebrow at him.

"Can I have your number?"Roman requested shyly. Virgil smiles softly at him before nodding. "Sure.".

•=•

Virgil was finally done with his chores at long last! Hurray! Now he can rest, maybe take a nap or just scroll through Tumblr or anything else really.

He was nibbling on a chocolate chip cookie as he plops down on his bed, reaching for his phone on the nightstand. There weren't any new notifications... well, except for one. It was a message from Roman.

Virgil snorts in amusement at that.

He opens the notification and checks the message, reading the words written there.

'Hey, Virge!! This js Roman btw'

'I can finally contact you now :D!'

'Wait, lemme change ur contact name'

*Unknown changed your nickname to Emo Dark Lord 🌩️💜*

*Unknown changed their nickname to Princey 👑✨*

A smile slowly crept up on Virgil's lips, unknowingly while he reads through the messages. Roman spammed him with various messages and even sent him some pictures of the pastries he baked. Not long enough, he decided to reply to him.

‹sup›

‹sorry for late reply, was bc›

‹hey that looks delicious›

It didn't even take a minute, Roman already replied to his messages. Virgil wonders if the other had waited long for him to reply.

'Virgil!!! (⁠人⁠*⁠´⁠∀⁠｀⁠)⁠｡⁠*ﾟ⁠+'

'U finslly replied!'

'*finally'

'how r uuu (⁠.⁠ ⁠❛⁠ ⁠ᴗ⁠ ⁠❛⁠.⁠) ???'

Virgil snickers slightly at Roman's use of emojis, they were... quite cute and of fucking course the other would use it.

‹am good just finished doin'choress›

‹wbu›

It takes a minute or two for Roman to reply.

'just finished doing chores too (￣∇￣)'

'Im bored typing, Can I face time you????'

Virgil didn't even get to reply to his message when his phone suddenly began to ring and vibrate in his grasp, surprising him. He sat up properly and tried to make himself look presentable before answering the call.

"Heyyy, Princey..."Virgil says rather awkwardly, waving at Roman through the phone. Roman grinned excitedly and waved back eagerly.

"Hello, Virge!!"The other greeted cheerfully in response. Virgil could imagine a tail wagging behind Roman in excitement like that of a dog (specifically a golden retriever).

"You're awfully cheerful, Roman. What's really up?"Virgil teases Roman. He did notice how Roman was cheerful, now he's quite curious to know the reason behind it.

Roman shrugged. "Nothing really. Just... feeling giddy, you know?". Roman explained, smiling at Virgil. The latter nods knowingly in understanding.

"Anyway, are you in your room? Can you show me around??"Roman gasps dramatically. Virgil freezes up and looks around his room before looking back at Roman and grimaces slightly. "Uhhhh.... my room's a mess right now.".

"Oh come on! Pretty please?? I won't judge."Roman pleaded, giving Virgil puppy eyes. Virgil rolled his eyes and sighed. Goddammit with Roman and his puppy eyes, that shouldn't have worked on him.

"Ughh, fine. If you ever judge me, I will go to your house and choke you to death."Virgil groans, giving in to Roman's pleading.

Roman gasps loudly with wide eyes, a look of horror on his face. "Oh prisparmiami, Virgil (Oh, please spare me, Virgil)!"Roman cries out dramatically in Italian. Virgil has no clue what it means but just goes with the other. He laughs slightly at Roman's theatrics.

Virgil giggles before getting up from his bed, "Alright, I'll show you my room now.". He turns the camera of his phone and walks around his room, letting Roman see it. Roman gasps and awes at the sight of his bedroom.

"Your room is really cool! And wow, you have a lot of posters. Now I'm quite jealous– Oh. My. Gosh–"

Virgil's eyebrows furrow a bit when he heard Roman gasp like he had seen something worth shocking for.

"What?"Virgil queries confused and curious.

"Is-Is that A ‘THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS’ POSTER!??!!"Roman shrieks excitedly.

Virgil blinks confused. "Uhhh… yeah?…"

"No fucking wayyy! I've tried to find that poster but I didn't find one online for some reason. I even went through eBay and Wish! " Roman rambles off.

"It's probably sold out or something. Got mine recently on a garage sale." Virgil teases, a smirk on his lips. "What? You jealous?".

Roman lets out an offended gasp, clutching a chest and shaking his head rapidly. "Noooooooooo!!!! Pssh, why would I be jealous over some poster?? I have plenty of posters in my room too." He said defensively.

"Uh huh," Virgil replied, still smirking. "You're jealous over my awesome poster." He continued teasingly. Roman glares softly at him through the phone before sighing in defeat. "Alright, fine. I surrender. Your poster's really cool and I want it." Roman admitted.

Virgil raises an amused eyebrow at Roman's admission, and soon enough, he was bursting into laughter. Roman doing the same as well.

"Oh my gosh, what are we even doing? This is ridiculous. We're a bunch of idiots." Virgil says between fits of laughter. When Virgil stopped laughing, he looked at Roman who smiled at him happily.

"What're you looking at, Princey?" He queries with a soft giggle, trying hard not to laugh again. Roman just grins widely and replies. "You. You look adorable when you laugh, you should do it more often.".

At those words, Virgil felt butterflies erupt in his stomach. Why? Why does he feel so damn warm all of a sudden? Before Virgil could say something stupid like, 'You think I'm adorable?', he hears knocking at his door followed by Mrs. Barret's voice.

"Sweetie, are you there? Dinner's ready." She said softly through the door. Virgil responded quickly, "Yeah, Mom. I'll be there in a minute.". He then turned back to his phone. " I- uh, gotta go eat dinner now. I'll talk to you later, okay?".

Roman nodded. "Okay. See ya Virgil." He says softly, Virgil notices that he looked a bit disappointed but he didn't point it out. Virgil gave a brief nod in return before hanging up the call. He stands there in the middle of his room, trying to figure out why he feels odd. Maybe it's because Roman said that he looks adorable especially when he smiled. But that doesn't make sense, he only said it to tease him and he doesn't even actually look adorable.

Virgil sighs to himself as he decides that he will just try and ignore it. For now. He shook his head before heading out of his room to the kitchen. Maybe the food will distract him from all of this mushy feeling.

--------------------------------------------------

Writing Taglist: @cutebisexualmess (please tell me if you want to be added or removed in the tag list)

[cosmo-lexies]

Midnight Rituals - 7. Moving boxes

Fenix:

I was tired. We had been moving boxes from the library's basement to the foundation's hallway for an hour. My first job in the library was so boring, besides, it wasn't helping with my physical self-esteem. I mean, Atticus and Lucas moved the boxes as if they had air and I could barely with one. I leaned on a shelf and Lucas and Atticus approached me.

"Hey, dude if you need a break, don't worry we can with this," Lucas said sweetly, and Atticus passed by giving me a look of hate.

I guessed he was annoyed by the interrogation. I didn't try to make a fool of him, but I can understand why he was mad. I followed him with my eyes and saw Rosemary sitting at the table with a book, she had been there since his mother left.

"Yes, I need a break, maybe I wouldn't need it if she had helped," I said while I pointed to Rosemary with my arm.

"I know, but who is going to say anything to her," he said rolling his eyes.

"I," I said with confidence and headed to her.

Maybe, my physical self-esteem was trash at this moment, but my confidence in myself was in the air. I mean, I got my goal, I had my contract and I only needed to be drugged, kidnapped and interrogated. A true success if someone asks.

"You can help with this," she continued turning pages of his book in silence. "I mean, this is your fault and your mother asked you to do this."

"I have better things to do than carry boxes." She said without looking up.

"What do you read?" My inside nerd forced me to ask.

"Nothing useful," she closed the book and pushed it towards me.

"Criturae ultra velum, creatures beyond the veil. Does it have information about elementals?"

"A sheet with general information about their skills, use in alchemy, and types but nothing about how destroyed one," she looked at the ceiling frustrated.

"I have an idea, we can..."

"Shut up! You are driving me crazy." She sighed frustrated. "Your pretty fancy eyes don't turn you into a witch. I can make this on my own. I'm the next leader of my coven, I win by myself."

"Wow, do you really see everything like a competition?"

"Of course Fenix, life is a competition in which the most powerful obtain their position. My mother is one of the most powerful demonic witches and is the mayor; Atticus' father is the son of a primordial and is a powerful lord vampire, and for this, he is in the council; you are a human, the unique difference with other humans is that you are aware of how weak and insignificant you are." She said furiously.

"You're so snobbish," I started to yell. "Yes, I know I am weak but today, I saved you from your own error, and thanks to me we have an opportunity not to lose our home, families, and friends," I got up and turned around to go. But I changed my mind; I turned again and rested both hands on the table "By the way, if you wanna see your life like a competition, good for you,  but you should learn to differentiate who is the rival, in this case, the apocalyptic monster. And now I'm leaving, I have things more useful to do than to be your punching bag," I started to leave.

"Argg, wait. What is your idea?" I turned and crossed my arms. I was expecting more than this shit. She sighed heavily "Okay, I'm sorry Fenix. Maybe I use you to liberate my stress. Can you tell me your idea, please?"

I doubted for a moment if this was enough, for her seemed like a big effort. "Apologies accepted. In the old part of the library, there is a section about alchemy," I smiled.

Atticus:

I couldn't stop thinking about Rosemary accepting her error in that way. She may be maturing or maybe she liked Fenix. This idea was awful, I don't have any problem with him but, why he? He is nothing her type, a wimpy human couldn't be her type. I thought.

I was walking to the basement to take more boxes. Then I saw Lucas hidden behind a shelf looking through the books. I approached him.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Look for yourself," he answered without moving.

I did it and saw Rose and Fenix working together at a table. I felt my mouth dry suddenly.

"Well, Rose has a new unexpected minion," I laughed nervously.

Lucas looked at me "Not bro, he was to ask her to help us with the boxes, they arguing and then she apologized and asked him for help."

I felt like someone would kick me in the pit of the stomach. I wanted to take Fenix's head and smash it. She's smart, pretty, and brave; she could have anyone, why he? I thought.

I went towards them, I was highly angry. Lucas followed me.

"Okay, an infernal choir can expel it. But again to make it work the elemental has to be moveless and the barriers must be small to support its power. How do we catch him in the barrier, they're chaotic beings?" Rose was saying.

He put his hands behind his neck staring up at the ceiling. "I dunno," he saw me and got up energetically. "Atticus you can dominate non-human beings, can't you?" he said with a smile on his lips.

His question caught me by surprise. "Yes, I think. But, this creature hasn't blood," I answered still disconcerted.

Both of them looked at each other "Domination is a skill that is transmitted through the air even if it does not affect everyone who hears it," they said in unison.

Rose got up with a face of satisfaction. "Okay, we have a plan. Lucas, we go in your car," she ordered.

Fenix followed her and looked at us, "Let's go, guys, we go to catch an elemental," he raised his arm in a sign of emotion.

[muzzable]

My thoughts on the Miraculous Movie (in List Format, Written as I Thought Them)

With added comments as I'm making this post in purple, and a short review at the end.

Spoilers for the movie and show under the cut; though most of my comments may not be the most relevant, many are.

"Do you believe in magic" you mean miracles? Cause it's Miraculous?

"stronger than death" they're reviving Emilie aren't they (thankfully not; I guess they mean love is stronger than the grief of death)

Tom looks creepy

I actually think "believe in me" could have been tied to "Believe in Miracles" well

I like her having more general social anxiety compared to just around her crushes like in canon (and then it kinda disappeared)

This girl really does have a pretty singing voice so I'm conflicted but like. Who is this singing. Not the same as talking.

I like getting to see more of Gabriel running a fashion empire (has probably just not watched those episodes of the show) (I think this helped set the tone of Gabriel being controlling down to the last detail, and he didn't even act like he cared about fashion so it helps sell him as the villain or something)

Why is Luka here

I kinda like this chloe more so far tbh

Did they take Marinette's freckles? (pretty sure they did; they're really subtle in the show though)

Why does Emilie sound so impatient if she doesn't mind waiting forever lol

I like that tying into him as hawkmoth though, that she'd wait forever for him so he'd try forever for her

This is a completely different school lol

Saw a brown eyed student that looked more like Adrien than Adrien I think lol

Why'd she start calling her Marinella (seriously, why? she demonstrated she knew her name and they did bring back "baker girl" eventually)

Is she crying? I don't think they animated it (i still don't) Cristina voice acted it though

Adrien sells being socially inept by asking if Marinette's ok then walking away

Marinette holding a black cat book is sweet

I think she and Adrien look better in motion (seeing lots of screenshots I didn't really feel they looked like them, but it was mostly fine when animated)

Ok but he did not say "she's so weird" like he liked it and that's not an Adrien thing to do (and then he seems to love Marinette later for no real reason? Since they can't be together due to his love for ladybug and not "sorry I don't feel the same to you.")

Dang Nathalie get a better guy already he's rude

I thought that was Amelie in the picture cause Gabe had long hair lol

Also why is Adrien at school already? Chloe made a big deal about showing him around so I know he's new but. (in fact they didn't show Gabriel as controlling Adrien at all, just emotionally distant. kinda hurts the point of Ladybug making him feel free or whatever; i guess she makes him feel free from...being depressed that his mom is dead? even thuogh he tells Gabriel to move on at the end, it feels like Adrien's character in this movie is defined by his mom being dead almost as much as Gabriel's is, while in the show he genuinely does move past it.)

Emilie looks the most different (And then the painting is exactly the same lol)

Nooroo temple is kinda cool. Why does he sound like a 36 year old lady

Flying miraculous is .. interesting

"friends don't run from frienfs who hate them" "nice screaming exchange" ok yeah I think this Chloe is funny lol (in hindsight she was funny in the show too i just forgot)

"you are the one" you mean one of the two

Ok so Marinette is chosen for saving Fu's life and Adrien for…having a trash can for Plagg to hide behind? An open window? (Answer: we don't know. We don't really see much of how Adrien gets his miraculous.)

Why is that lady who rejected that guy's proposal the only one in Paris with a French accent (later on there were two other Parisians with accents! wow!)

Also the first akuma is just…some guy? (i just really like how in the show the first akuma was a classmate, and someone they know. we get to see ivan grow, and he rejects perfect alliance in the season 5 finale if i remember right. come to think of it they don't put a lot of emphasis on the fact that akumas stem from emotions here, which pretty much exists to explore characters and stuff.)

I like Plagg seeming to turn into a black cat and Tikki as a ladybug (unless Marinette and Adrien are just attracting those animals which is also cool) (this was also not really expanded upon, but I think the ladybug turned into Tikki)

Also the animation is just so pretty. I love the ladybug miraculous and Tikki here

I like keeping Marinette thinking she can't be ladybug

Ok Tikki is acting like there's no such thing as Chat Noir

Also I like them using the theme melody

Also she already had black earrings

Tikki's lines are definitely funny though

I mean gargoyle is practically flying stoneheart lol (this is related to me talking about Ivan earlier)

I feel ROBBED of seeing Adrien and Plagg meet for the first time Plagg is so important for Adrien as a character (especially with Chat saying in one of the songs that he feels free, and Plagg as his confidant is a really big part of Chat Noir being so liberating to Adrien)

Chat why are you being so mean

Chat expects Ladybug to be his sidekick so at least Plagh told him about the existence of Ladybug which is more than Tikki did lol

I'm finding Chat kinda annoying. I do not think that is good. (Ladybug go to the supermarket and pick up some taste in men)

I'm not sure what's supposed to be going on with the yoyo. It seems alive or at least responsive to Marinette's desires but the staff doesn't do that? (Later he calls it back to him kinda like how Hawkmoth called his cane back in Chat Blanc)

Ladybug sure did go to "no I'm here to save the world" fast after arriving on site and seeing another hero and no villain

Ok don't just say stronger together but like. Tell them why their powers rely on each other (I don't think they did. They were only really stronger together in the sense that two people are more than one)

See I don't like Ladybug actually disliking Chat at first but I would too and I don't think that's good

This guy sounds a bit more like Bryce Pappenbrook than that girl sounds like Cris

Yeah I'm not completely sure why he's in love with Ladybug? I guess cause he smiled when he made jokes at her? I mean I like the idea of her making him smile and that's why he likes her since his life otherwise is so frickin depressing but I don't recall her making him smile.

So he likes Ladybug because he's delusional?

Ok what the frick did they do to Plagg (maybe it's a good thing he wasn't in the movie that much actually) "you'll destroy everything" "duh I'm the kwami of destruction" was the only part of it I liked

Marinette what the heck lol. Just throw Tikki out a window. Unhinged Marinette (good)

Afraid Marinette (sad but also good)

Did Gabriel forget what happened when he akumatized that guy? Interesting if so (I think Nooroo's power just knocked him unconscious. It feels like a way to say using the butterfly miraculous isn't good for him but it's not brought up again.)

Why did Tikki and Plagg disappear if Hawkmoth can have Nooroo while transformed

I don't feel like this animation/choreography fits Gabriel but the song itself works

So is he just akumatizing people who are already supervillains or is this song completely metaphorical

No way. Ladybug the world's first female superhero. (I forget this is a show aimed at preteen girls sometimes lol. That being said it feels odd for a modern day setting to have Alya emphasize that she's a girl superhero because just having a female superhero isn't a new concept.)

I feel like they've got Alya down character wise

Is the mime still Mylene's dad. Why was he in prisonMatPat

Today's back to school fair? But they were just at school yesterday?

Are they trying to set Adrienette together? Because I don't recall Marinette telling Alya she liked Adrien

She seems to have gotten over her social anxiety fast

"leave the fair. I won't drive you myself. I'm sending a car." Gabriel moment

Alya and Nino are going to die

When did Marinette put the earrings back on

This song reminds me a bit of Wall Between Us (rip)

Marinette you don't have time for this musical number PEOPLE ARE GOING TO DIE

Yeah I think they recycled some of Wall for Courage in Me's melody (unless it was originally a reprise of Courage)

Wait didn't they say they needed to free the akumatized victims or whatever earlier. Is there no consequence for them failing to do so with Gargoyle (no, because all they do is just fight the villain until they're knocked out or in Gabriel's case reject the akuma. So I Guess they technically succeeded with Gargoyle.)

Ok Ladybug smiled even though she acted upset about Chat so I think she likes him lol

Dang Chat catching an invisible bullet

Poor Nino. Flying blind through the sky.

I'm confused about when his ferris wheel has windows and when it doesn't

I liked that Alya/Nino scene

Maybe Magician is Mylene's mom lol

Ok no they were just dressed like a mime and magician already (do people in Paris just wear their same outfits in prison? Were they already supervillains with theming or did they just arrest an actual mime and magician?)

What do you mean you think you know what to do Marinette. Nobody told you.

Ladybug and Chat Noir cars lol

Is her Lucky Charm move not gonna be in this movie (no.) Sorry Paris no miraculous cure for you (until the end, which i did like that it reminded me of the "holder sets the limits" thing from Mr Pigeon 72. If you're going to ignore your main character's main superpower until the very end of the movie, that's the way to do it)

How much time passed in that montage I wonder. They should make a show about it (this was mostly a joke, but I do think the movie suffered from a confusing sense of time.)

I like that we've seen a bit of Adrienette and Ladynoir already. Surprisingly I was worried they'd forget that a big part of the show is the interactions of different love square sides

You can't just have a shot of Chat alone in front of the moon like this you're giving me Chat Blanc trauma

Tikki why are you not encouraging her to be happy lol

Ok that was smooth Chat lol (when he pretended to be dead)

Chat just traumadumping Adrien stuff to Ladybug

We're not seeing Plagg again are we

Ok so Chat's verse makes clear that what he likes about her is that he can share anything with her, which I like. It's always been about the freedom from his civilian life and his dad (I liked Stronger Together as a song that explored what they both got out of their relationship, with Marinette sorta getting the ability to do anything. However, I went in knowing that it replaced Wall Between Us, which was about the emotions that make them love both sides of the other, confuse them, and keep them apart. This fact was a bigger part of the movie I feel like, since they both said they had someone else they loved, so I think it kinda suffered by losing a song that actually explains and explores those emotions.)

Ok good job singing with Chat, Mrs Marinette "hes not my boyfriend" Ladybug

What do you mean you can't date cause your heart is someone else's? You and Adrien are not dating.

Oh did you Plagg? Did you tell him not to love Ladybug? I don't recall that (he probably did and I forgot. I don't know.)

Oh dang Adrien. Good for you. (yelling at Dad I mean)

Ok so every love square side is already in love but they can't be with each other despite not having made any commitments to any other side. I shouldn't bash that I guess they're teens dealing with hard feelings

Gonna say I love the animation again

I wish the show had this budget

Alright then. Paris apocalypse. Honestly I'm here for it. I wanna see where Gabe akumatizing himself to die goes (ok I guess he didnt akumatize himself to die. He said he'd be joining Emilie by doing so but I guess not.)

I feel like the characters have a lot of emotions driving their actions and we're not getting time to explore them in this movie (actually my main issue with the movie)

Ok are they gonna address Chat Noir being mad at Ladybug for rejecting him the same way he did Marinette or. (They really didn't.)

Cataclysm the Eiffel Tower. This is in fact a Miraculous Ladybug movie

I'm guessing there's no senti lore

So the suits can just be cut up, huh?

They still haven't actually said that the two Miraculous grant a wish. There was no explanation for how getting them would get him his wife

Ok I'm glad the ultimate takeaway was still "Let Emilie be dead"

Ok so this is kinda like her Origins speech. Except that Chat is already in love with her. (And Gabe's been defeated or whatever)

Oh my word finally. Miraculous cure.

They kinda skipped out on Marinette's emotions and reaction to seeing Adrien was Chat huh. And also that Gabriel was Hawkmoth

Finally Adrien gets to go to the dance. (He could have gone in Representation if his dad was already in jail or whatever. Food for thought.)

Marinette did you seriously just wait months to be like "oh also I know your identity and I'm Ladybug"

Why did they stop being superheroes? No patrol?

How is her hair in that bun is it longer now

That's sweet. Except they cut off before the kiss.

Oh Emilie has the peacock on already. Maybe there is senti lore in this universe after all

Ok no credits song for me I guess it cut to puss in boots

Alright so to recap: I really did like the movie. The characters were fun, it got some laughs out of me, and I liked how emotional the ending actually was. I just think the story is too big for a movie. When watching it I was sure there were complex emotions in mind when writing the characters and their motivations, and that's great; it just didn't feel like they had enough time to explore those emotions. Frankly, I feel like Miraculous needs to be a show. It needs that time for the characters to grow close to each other, to grow as people, to process the revelations they have to deal with. Even with the movie focusing almost solely on Marinette, Adrien, and Gabriel, none of them felt like their character arcs were completely shown. We're told "Marinette's afraid to be Ladybug," "Adrien's never felt free since his mom's death except for when he's Chat Noir," "Gabriel finds his life empty without Emilie," but I don't feel we see those in-depth. Even Marinette and Adrien/Ladybug and Chat Noir getting closer together felt rushed because it was mostly a montage. It's stuff that fans of the show already know, so they don't exactly need to see in the movie, but I think it hurts the movie as its own independent story. I could see this version of the story working better as a one season show, or even a miniseries. Of course, there is a show, so it's not like I can't go back to that.

So overall, I'd say I like the show more than the movie, and I feel like the show is better as well, due to really having the chance to get to know the characters it's about.

[i-used-to-wear-the-fedora]

Flayed Neil AU, Run and Hide

It wasn't until they were on the other side of Hawkins before Billy pulled the Camaro over to the side of the road. Panic still coursing through his veins as put the vehicle in park. Glancing at his rear view mirror just to make sure they hadn't been followed.

"What the hell is going on?" Max asked for a second time as she noticed how panicked he still was. "I thought you were at your friends house. Neil said-"

"Yeah well Neil was fucking lying." The teen snapped. "And that *thing* that attacked me wasn't Neil."

"Wasn't Neil?" Max's friend asked and Billy threw his hands in the air.

"Is there a God damn echo in here? Yes! It wasn't Neil!"

"You sound crazy." Max spoke, but Billy shook his head.

"You didn't see his face. His eyes-they just went completely black. And his veins were pulsating, I don't know what the fuck I saw. But whatever the fuck that thing was, we can't go back." Billy Hargrove didn't cry but God he felt like he might start any second now. The two girls in his backseat shared a weird look. "What?" The girls turned to face Billy. "You know something, don't you?"

"I-"

"Shhhh." The strange short haired girl shushed Max, but that made the blonde angry.

"Don't you shush her, you know what's going on, don't you?" The girl stared at him with wide eyes and he slammed a fist against the dashboard of his car. "Fucking answer me!"

"Hey!" Max yelled back at her step-brother. "You don't get to yell at her like that asshole."

Billy frowned, taking a few deep breaths before letting out a sigh.

"Okay, fine, whatever. I...I'm sorry." He gritted out. "But could you tell me what the fuck is happening?"

"Wow...ugh..." Max gaped. Billy knew why. He rarely ever said sorry to anyone except the old man. She turned to the other girl and asked. "Should we tell him?"

"Need to go somewhere safe first." She said before pointing. "Go all the way down to Sinai and take a left. We can hide at the cabin."

Billy thought for a moment, unsure if he was actually going to take directions from a kid, but then again....what other options did he have?

~~

Having seen The Evil Dead multiple times, when Billy came to a stop next to a cabin in the middle of the woods with apparently no one around, he was a little uneasy.

"This...is safe?'' He asked as he followed the preteens out of the car. "This looks like Ed Gein's vacation home."

"Her dad's the chief of police." The younger girl rolled her eyes.

"That doesn't exclude him from having human skin paraphernalia." Entering the small cabin, it was a slight relief to see no human skin lamps or anything. The mounted deer head was probably just another weird Midwest thing he didn't get, like walking tacos or tornado warning tests every month.

Wandering around the small cabin space, he saw it was a mess. It reminded the teen of the house just after his mom left. Neil refused to clean the house, and he called Billy a pussy for picking up after himself. A mess. But this one had significantly fewer beer bottles and looked a lot more....lived in. In a good way. The teen's foot stepped on something soft. Looking down, he saw one of those ugly Trolls dolls with neon pink hair. Making sure the girls weren't in the living room anymore when he leaned down to pick it up. He had a couple of them when he was younger, but like most things from his childhood, they ended up in the trash after Neil deemed him a man at ten years old.

"Hop's not here." Max called out as she re-entered the living room. Billy jumped, hiding the Trolls doll behind his back. "What was that?" The redhead asked when she noticed the movement.

"Nothing." Billy shoved the troll doll in his back pocket, underneath his red handkerchief. "So....what do we do now?"

[waiting-on-a-dream]

"See, Eiji-san? He never wanted to hurt her!"

It's hard to say what emotion Miki is feeling right now. She probably wanted to sound relieved or happy for Rin, but it honestly sounds more like she's happy that she "won". She can easily save him now.

"So, can we just.. forgive Shigeru-san already? I don't think he deserves any more pain.."

Eiji can hear everything she's saying, but he doesn't reply. It looks like he's actually.. trying to think about Rin's crime more? It's weird for him to do something like that, sure, he always has a reason to vote someone guilty, but most of his decisions still often end up being very impulsive.

Instead of replying, he just stands up and looks at Rin once more.

"You should've been more careful, you know that?"

----------------------------

"Wow, aren't you this prison's so-called "big sister"? Ah, right, it's the eighth prisoner's job now."

Eiji sits down and looks at the tenth prisoner, trying hard not to laugh. Wait, why should he even try to act polite with her? Who cares if she's older, she's still a prisoner. So he laughs.

"Looks like you really didn't like your previous guard voting you guilty."

Miki sits down next to him and just quietly says "Sorry" to Mayumi, apologizing for Eiji's behavior.

"No, but I'm really curious to hear why that past guard of yours voted you guilty. He really went for one of the most reliable and useful prisoners here! Okay, okay, he may be weird and I wish he had more guilty prisoners here, but I like this one decision of his."

"Um, Okura-san, if that's okay with you, can you tell us more about your crime, so that we can help you and vote you innocent this time?" Miki tries to smile, even though Eiji is kinda starting to get on her nerves. "I-if you're okay with that, of course."

(Wait I'm not done with Rin, the first part of your ask is kinda fun 👀)

What's with this woman being so set on forgiving him? Its as if she's more interested in making sure he gets voted innocent instead of understanding his crime. Two weeks ago he would have been happy about it. He frowns again, but doesn't protest.

The male guard looks at him and says something that makes his eyes widen for a split second. "I know..." He replies sullenly, bile rising in his throat. At this rate, he's going to be sick.

xx

Mayumi frowns upon being reminded right away of her former trusted position in Milgram and her current verdict. After the stunt she pulled during the new guards' introduction, she was expecting them to be wary of her. But not mocking.

"Vote me innocent?" She asks after Miki's questions. "You're coming into an interrogation thinking of voting me innocent?" What a strange guard. Both of them actually. They already lean towards one of the two verdicts with their own biased opinions. Perhaps the Milgram they came from arranged for them to be partners to balance each other out. An entire set of prisoners being voted innocent wouldn't be too bad. But all ten prisoners being voted guilty...

"My victim was a prisoner on death row that went into a coma after goading a prison guard into beating him up. I decided that he was a waste of space and resources, so I put him down," she answers without a change in tone or expression, as if commenting on the weather. "Whether I was right or wrong to do that is your own opinion. As far as I'm concerned, I was just taking out the trash."

A tense moment passes.

"If you decide I'm just as bad as that prisoner, that I deserve to die for my crime as well, so be it. I'm more than willing to die for my ideals."

[prettyboybillyhargrove]

Harringrove headcanon: 10-ish years after high school, Steve and Billy run into each other at a bar or something. And Steve is kinda freaking out because he's put on some weight and feels scruffy with his beard, while Billy still looks like he has a six pack under his shirt. Meanwhile, all Billy sees is a guy he already knows is good with kids now complete with a bit of a dad-bod and a definite man beard and Billy is DROOLING.

AHHHH IM A SLUT FOR DAD BOD STEVE *im gonna make him chubby just because I can*

It was Steve's 35 birthday and he was sitting in that quiet dirty bar. After Hopper retired and left the chief status to Steve he had no time to be here actually. He was always on the office. And mostly alone. No wife no kids. No life at all. He made one day exception only for his birthday. Because Robin insisted that's an important day.

Years ago when Billy run away and ask Steve to come with him, he said no. Because he thought Billy was not really meaning it. At first he thought the boy was joking. Then he understand Billy really meant when he said he wants Steve to come with him. But he thought he'd be left alone there when they arrive to Chicago. Thought Billy just wants a road buddy to not be alone. And he'd fine someone better than Steve in a second. So he didn't accept his offer. But he was alone in here. Without Billy. And he regretted every second of his life. He rub his chubby belly without even noticing. It was a reflex he did when he's anxious. "Dingus why are you stressed right now? That's your fucking birthday. We're celebrating it." He looked at Robin and smile a little bit. "Sorry I get lost in my thoughts. Yes I'm celebrating it. Look that's my third drink."

"This doesn't count as celebrating Stevie Bear you're literally mourning. Is this about being alone again? I told you I can find you someone from work. You're just too picky. Wait I need to pee. We're gonna fix this when I come back." Steve laughed behind his friend and shake his head disapprovingly. And then he saw him. Like BAM. THERE HE WAS. Billy fucking Hargrove. Sitting on the other side of the bar. Looking like a million bucks. Hot as fuck. And not a day older than 25. Shirt still halfway open to his belly. Still has his six packs and everything. Drinking his beer and smoking like he didn't graduate 16 years ago.

Yes he heard Neil's dead news of course. All the people were talking about this. But it was actually not big news for the town. Everyone knew Neil went crazy after Billy run away. Not because he loves his son that much but he lost the money with him too. So he did what he did best, drowned himself to drinks. And being a trash bag. Yes he knew Neil die but he never thought Billy would came back for his funeral. The boy hated his father more than Steve hated the Demodogs. Maybe he was just here to piss on Neil's grave.

"Harrington I didn't notice you'd be that hot in ten years, wow. The beard is a good touch to dad bod. It's complimenting your face." Billy was looking at him like he saw something nice. And waits him to speak. His hand immediately went to his beard. He should have fucking cut that shit this morning fucking hell. "Billy. Hargrove. Hi. It's nice to see you too! You still look the same. You know muscles and everything. Jacked and shit. Dude you look good really. But what are you doing in here? I thought you left us years ago man. You did good running away from this shithole tho."

"I didn't left you DUDE. I said let's run away together. But you were too straight to be with me. Too coward. Anyway I always knew you'd be the married with kids type. Your wife is beautiful by the way. You find a good catch. Do you have kids?"

Steve was to shocked to talk. He didn't know what he'd say to Billy after all this years. Billy was right. He was a coward, a pussy.

When Billy did't get an answer he continue talking. His face was smug like he knows all his life. Like he was there. That beautiful piece of shit. "Let me guess. You have two. Because you didn't want one of them to be alone like you. Am I right? You're always so thoughtful about little shits. I bet your wifey didn't even know you did the second child because of that. It was nice to talk to you Harrington. I hope I'd see you around again. I'd love to see you around actually. Without your wife tho. Maybe in a more quiet place. We can talk about the good old days. You know when we were young and gay. You remember that times man? You'd eat my ass and I'd blow you. You know all the dude activities. Ahhh good times." Robin walk from the bathroom and looked between two men. Billy noticed the woman and immediately stand up from hs chair like she was poisoned. Like he can't stand her. "Anyway, bye Harrington. Oh hi and bye to you to Mrs Harrington." He reverence exaggeratedly before Robin and left the bar like that.

Steve and Robin looked after the blonde for a minute with shock. Robin turned from the door and looked Steve with disbelief. "Omg Steve was that fucking Billy? Billy fucking Hargrove? And did he just call me Mrs Harrington? Ewww."

*okay I have so much thoughts about this headcanon already and I'm definitely gonna write a long fiction about that. That's why I'm cutting this here for now. Thanks for the hc.*

[soyouthinkucanwrite]

July 2nd - Daniel Ricciardo

Based on New Year's Day by Taylor Swift and this request by @spikejonzed

Fluffly, mentions of sex, banter, nothing graphic.

BTW, I don't know how I've never paid attention to this song, it's so so beautiful and honest. I've thought about this concept before though: the "Sunday afternoon effect", when all the excitement of the weekend wears off and you're just hanging out with your friends, laughing about silly stuff, or cleaning up the house after the party. The thing is, the friends that stay till then are the ones you wanna hold on to, and the same goes for lovers. I feel kind of bad... well not BAD but you know, must be hard... when you're famous and rich, to recognize the good ones from the beginning before you give yourself too much away and it's too late.

To be honest with you guys, I think Daniel must feel a bit lonely sometimes. We all do, but to think that people are only interested in you for your fame and money must be tough... something you worked so hard, that you keep dedicating your life to, to think that that thing is the reason for your heartbreak, to your loneliness... It's a two-edged sword, isn't it? Anyway, I wrote this little something with Daniel in mind, hope you guys like it. Hope he finds someone to be like this someday. Hell, hope I find someone to be like this someday. I think everyone deserves that.

Daniel woke up in his bed, no shoes, but jeans and party shirt still on. The light coming through the windows, shining directly on his face, threatening to make his headache even worse. He let out a groan and turned to the side. There's someone on his bed with him. Shit. He just remembered. Last night was the first time he was introducing (y/n) to his friends. His birthday "small get together" (or at least that's what it was supposed to be) was the perfect opportunity for testing the waters and giving the "next step" without making too much fuss about it, after all, they've only been going out for a couple months and with his tight schedule it meant a lot of facetime calls and weekends, but almost no weekdays and routine stuff.

Yet, he was absolutely smitten with her, she was fun and easygoing, passionate about her own work and friends, but still caring and interested in him. They had amazing chemistry, mind-blowing even. But Daniel had lived enough to know that hanging out with someone on the weekends and knowing their best side was one thing, living through daily and mundane stuff was a completely different thing. Where this could go was still a mystery to him and he didn't want to raise too many expectations before he was sure. Still, she looked so beautiful sleeping, a true vision. He tried to remember if something had happened last night, but judging by his clothes still on, and hers as well, he guessed not. As if on cue, she smiled, with her eyes still closed.

"Stop being creepy" she said smiling. "I can feel you watching me sleep"

"You're not even asleep anymore" he smiled and she opened her eyes. He was taken back by her eyes staring directly into his.

"Still creepy though" she laughed, getting closer to him. He held her and they stayed like that for a while.

"Are you ok?" he asked her.

"What do you mean?

"Aren't you hungover, or sick?" he asked again and she laughed.

"Not at all. I have this really weird superpower, you know, I don't get hungover. Ever, actually" she laughed.

"I don't believe you. I have the headache"

"No, it's true. We did drink a lot yesterday, though" she commented.

"Yeah, well, welcome to having Australian friends. No such thing as light drinking with those guys" he laughed but grimaced at the pain in his brain.

"I'll get you something"

"Huh?"

"For the pain" she explained getting up from the bed.

After a while she returned with a pill and a glass of water, passing them to him.

"Thank you, baby" he took the glass, finishing it. "Come back to bed now"

"Your house... like, I'm not even sure if I should tell you to take a look or just pack your essentials and abandon it" she smiled.

"Uhh" he groaned. "I'll call someone later"

"Like a constructor with a wrecking ball?" she laughed.

"It can't be that bad"

"It's bad" she started. "But we can manage it" He looked at her intrigued. "After a shower" she pulled his hand. "Join me?"

"If I ever say no to that question, just put me in an asylum" he said. "I need a kiss though, as motivation" he smirked.

"Noo... I have morning breath"

"What? Me too" he said pulling her down and kissing her anyway. "Uh, no. You're right. Yours is worst" he said laughing while getting up and walking into the bathroom.

"Asshole!" she laughed following him.

They stripped and got into the shower, taking turns in letting the water run through their bodies.

"Come here" Daniel said, putting some body wash in his hands and spreading them over (y/n) body.

"Hum... this feels nice" she said.

"You're so beautiful" he said kissing her shoulder.

"You're so wasted" she laughed lightly.

"Hey! I'm sober. I'm just too tired. Give me a couple hours to recover, and I'll claim my birthday privileges"

"Birthday privileges? It's not even your birthday anymore" she laughed.

"Okay, but first, it's the weekend of, and second, I didn't get any time alone with you yesterday"

"Fair. And what will be your requests, may I ask?" she asked teasingly.

"Humm... you're so creative" he said kissing her. "I'm sure we'll think of something"

They finished the shower after a while, enjoying each other's company and the comfortable silence.

"Did anyone crashed here?" (y/n) asked when they were stepping out of the shower.

"I have no idea" Daniel answered. "I just remembered going to take a nap and waking up this morning. Shit, we didn't... did we?" (y/n) laughed out loud at that.

"Wow! Really, Dan?"

"We did not. I would've remembered"

"Good save. Such a gentleman" she laughed.

"I drank way too much. Sorry. Don't be mad"

"It's fine. I'm messing with you, I don't remember anything either. To be honest, I don't even remember joining you on your 'nap'" she said making air quotes.

"We're the worst hosts" he said getting out of the bathroom and going into the closet to get some clothes.

(y/n)'s heart swelled at the thought of hosting a party with Daniel. There was something so intimate about that statement, so homey.

"You want a shirt?" Daniel asked from the other room, waking her up from her daydream.

"Yeah, sure" she took the shirt, some underwear, and some sweats. Then brushed her wet hair and looked in the mirror. Not a trace of makeup left. She sighed thinking about how falling into a routine with Daniel meant letting the barriers down.

"Alright, snap out of it" she said to herself, getting out of the bathroom and walking outside, to the living room where Daniel was standing rubbing his neck and looking around.

"This is bad" he said when he saw her joining him. There were empty beer bottles and cups all around the living room and balcony, pizza boxes (with half-eaten slices left behind) in the coffee table, party decorations hanging from the ceiling, and the kitchen was even worse, with liquid spilled on the ground and bottles everywhere. There was glitter all over the floor and the couch - someone had brought some of those party poppers, which looked so much fun yesterday, but no so much now. But the best part was the polaroids, left all over the house with the craziest poses.

"Pack your stuff, we're deserting this goddam hellhole" he said and she knew he was joking, he said that about everywhere, but she still shook her head and rolled her eyes, picking a polaroid photo from the ground.

"Everyone had so much fun" she showed it to him. "I loved meeting your friends"

He took the photo from her hand, it was one where (y/n) was sitting on the couch with two of his buddies from Australia, making funny faces while holding cups. He remembered the moment because he was the one who took the photo.

"How's the headache?" she asked him.

"Almost gone"

"Good. So you don't have an excuse. Move your ass, where are the trash bags?" she laughed going into the kitchen.

"Hey! That was very sneak of you" he laughed but followed her anyway.

They spent the next hour collecting bottles, vacuuming glitter, and just cleaning the whole house. Daniel complained the whole time, but in truth, he was very glad to have her there. Sure, he could just ignore the whole mess and hire someone on Monday to clean everything (he probably would still do that anyway, for the heavy cleaning like bathrooms), but it was really nice of her to just stick around, seeming unbothered by the housework. When she finished tying the last trash bag and putting it on the entry hallway she flopped on the couch besides Daniel, who had called it a day some good 10 minutes ago.

"Done?" he asked her.

"I feel like punching you for asking me that" she answered playing annoyed. He lifted his hand in defense.

"What? I did my part!"

"Men" she shook her head. "I'm surprised you haven't complained about being hungry yet"

"Well, I'm starving! Was just waiting to suggest going out, or ordering in"

"Ordering in, please. I don't want to get off this couch any time soon"

Daniel got his phone out to order some food. It was almost noon, so he thought about something like pasta, some carbs would be nice right now. Then he felt (y/n)'s head drop on his shoulder, her hand caressing his arm. It was such a sweet gesture, so understated, he just stopped what he was doing and looked at her.

"What?" she looked at him.

"I'm really glad you're here. Thank you"

"It's nothing" she smiled.

"I don't mean the cleaning. Well, that too. But just, thank you for being you and wanting to hang out with me, you know, after the party"

"I'll always wanna hang out with you, partying or cleaning bottles" she said and leaned in to kiss him. "Happy birthday old man" this made him smile through the kiss.

"Thank you, young lady" he said still smiling. "Let's feed you now, yeah?"

"Please! Let's get some carbs on this house!" she smile.

"Hey, guys!" (y/n) and Daniel looked up to see Luke, one of Daniel's buddies walking out of the guest bedroom.

"Dude! I didn't know you were here" Daniel laughed.

"Yeah, just woke up. Definitely wasn't hiding in the bedroom waiting for the cleaning end to get out" he grinned making (y/n) and Daniel laugh.

"You know what? Just for that, you're going downstairs to pick up the food when it gets here, and taking out the trash!" (y/n) teased him, tossing a pillow from the couch at him.

Daniel just observed while his friend and his girlfriend joked and laughed. He thought about how right now he was enjoying a feeling of contempt that wasn't really natural or much appreciated by professional athletes, but this time felt right to indulge in it. He felt safe like someone's got him, finally. He took (y/n) hand on his and squeezed it three times, he knew this was already a good thing, something to last. She looked at him, she knew exactly what he meant.

[multistan-kpopwritings]

I'm Never Leaving

➟ pairing(s): Exboyfriend; Jae Beom and Reader

➟ genre(s): Angst... maybe? Cute Fluff

➟ word count: 2.2K

➟ warnings: Jerk ex boyfriend

You sat down at your kitchen table and set your laptop up to finish some work. As you looked over a sales report, your laptop began to signal someone was calling you on Skype. You would typically decline the call this late; however, the name caught your attention. It had been at least 2 years since you've heard from your ex. You battled with the decision to accept the call. Sadly, curiosity got the best of you and you did accept.

"Wow, hi Y/N," Luke, your ex said, "I have to admit I wasn't expecting you to accept." He smiled that old smile at you and ran his hands through his hair. You smiled and studied his face. In the last two years, he hasn't changed much. His hair was longer, but he still wore band t-shirts and a leather jacket. You'd be willing to bet he had those ripped jeans and biker boots too.

"That makes both of us," you admitted, "What's up?" You wanted to get straight to the point. He laughed and rested his arms on the surface in front of him.

"That's my Y/N," he grinned, "Always so serious."

His words made you mad. Was mad even the right word? Maybe angry, furious, infuriated, irate, or raging would have been more appropriate. How could he say you were 'his' after the way he threw you away like trash, with such little disregard.

You always had a rocky relationship with Luke. There were always kind words, then side glances with jealousy, fighting, and then make-up sex. You never knew where you stood in the relationship. Calling it a relationship was even a stretch. If you spent the night at his place, he was always careful to make sure he got you out before his roommates were up. He held all the power and loved to remind you. The last few months of the relationship seemed like a dream. Luke was kinder and more considerate. You craved something more from him, and it seemed like you were finally getting it.

The final straw was the morning after a party his friend threw. You spent the night so you didn't have to drive home so late. When you woke to leave in the early morning hours, Luke reached for you and asked you to stay. Your heart finally let go and you thought it was something special. Ha, right.

It was about 8:30 that morning when you woke again. Silently, you went to the kitchen for breakfast. His roommate, Josh, was already in there. He smiled at you after taking in your appearance.

"I wondered if one of you would be in here soon," he commented. He waved a spoon at you. "I'm glad this is becoming more of a regular thing. I like having you around." He returned to his cereal. "I didn't think he would settle down. You're good for him." You smiled to yourself and grabbed a bowl. The sound of Luke's bedroom door announced he was awake.

Luke dragged himself to the table and sat down. He was not a morning person. You instinctively grabbed a coffee mug and poured a cup. You knew he liked black coffee, so setting the mug in front of Luke, you kissed his cheek. There was no thank you, just a groan of annoyance.

You sat between the two men and took a few bites of your cereal. "Hey Luke," you began, "Do you think you could stop by my apartment today and help me move some furniture?" He glared at you over the mug and snorted.

"You don't think I could have just one day for me," he growled. The tone of his voice made you shrink back. He didn't remove his eyes from you.

"Sorry," you whispered, "I didn't think it would take so long." You got up and placed your bowl in the sink and walked back to the bedroom. You couldn't understand what you said to trigger that response.

"Dude," Josh scolded, "Harsh. You don't need to talk to her like that."

"I'll say what I want, how I want," Luke scoffed, "Not like she's my girlfriend." Those words sliced right through your chest. You leaned against the closed door and squeezed your eyes shut.

"You're such a dumbass," Josh hissed, "What if she hears you? Can't you give her a little respect?"

"Respect? Why? She doesn't respect herself," Luke reasoned, "Why should I? It's not like she'll leave me for someone else." That was all you needed to hear. He was right.

You quickly dressed and grabbed your keys. You tried and failed to fix your makeup that streaked your face from last night. Taking a steadying breath, you opened the door and made your way through the apartment with your head held high to the elevator; however, the sounds of Luke calling your name were hard to resist. It took all your energy to not turn and give in. He wanted to see respect, this was it. Until the elevator doors closed, then it was a mess. You barely made it home before you slid down the door, sobbing.

It took some time for you to realize you made the right decision, but you took new skill classes to keep you busy and dove headfirst into work. It was about a month before you were rewarded by fate. You were offered a new position in another country. Your supervisor had noticed how your work improved and felt you would be a valuable resource when opening this new branch.

For a few weeks, once a week Luke would stop by. He'd bang on the door and demand you answer, or call you repeatedly and leave messages with I miss you or I'm sorry. You don't know how long he tried to contact you. Once you moved, you changed your phone number and deleted your social media.

Now here you were again, looking at the reason for your pain and misery, but also success and happiness. You shook your head at the man on the screen and sighed. "Like I said Luke, what do you need?" You repeated your question, slightly annoyed. You studied his face while he searched for words. It looks like he hasn't slept in a while and a few deep lines frame his eyes.

"I ran into one of your friends last week," he started, "I asked about you and had to see if what they said was true." His eyes met yours and he took a deep breath. "How's work," he questioned?

"Work is great," you smiled, "They put me in charge of the sales analysis team." If he spoke to your friend, you knew what was coming. He wasn't calling for small talk about work. As if on cue, you heard a set of keys in your door. Luke must have heard them too, he sat straighter in his chair and tried to tame his unruly hair.

"Hey dove," a deep mellow voice called, "Where are you?" You turned your head to the sound and smiled. Jae Beom appeared in the kitchen with two bags in his hands. "I knew you would have your nose in some report. I picked up your favorite take-out." He placed the bags on the counter and started looking for plates and utensils.

"So it is true," Luke spoke up, "This is him?"

Jae Beom spun quickly, he was surprised by another man's voice. He made his way to your side and tilted his head to the computer. He leaned close to your ear and whispered in Korean. "Who is this? Is he a colleague?" You cupped his face with your hand and kissed his lips softly.

"This is Luke," you replied in Korean. Jae Beom raised his eyebrows and glared at the screen. He knew the stories and hated this man without even knowing him. You squeezed his arm and assured him that this would be quick. He excused himself from the room but didn't go more than two steps from the threshold. He leaned against the wall just outside, intent to make sure this didn't get out of hand.

"You could have at least stuck to English," Luke scoffed, "That was rude." You rolled your eyes and laughed. "So that's your boyfriend, huh?"

"Not boyfriend," you corrected, "He's my fiancé." You flashed your ring to the camera. "He proposed last month." Luke chewed the inside of his mouth. He narrowed his eyes on you.

"I know you hate me," he started, "But you can't marry him. I made a mistake. I need you." Jae Beom heard these words and he almost charged in to break your laptop. Your voice stopped him before he made a mistake.

"You're kidding me right," you asked Luke, "Have you lost your mind?" You took a deep breath "I don't hate you," you paused, unbeknownst to you, both men stiffened, "I did, but not anymore." You tucked some stray hair behind your ear. "You hurt me so much, and with such ease. You took from me my self-worth and importance. I felt like I was nothing. After I left you, I was so broken and afraid of everything." You paused trying to find the right words.

Jae Beom closed his eyes and leaned his head on the wall again. He remembered when you were like that. He met you just a few months after you moved to Korea. You were so unsure of everything. It broke his heart to remember you like that.

"I had to pick myself back up and rebuild what you broke," you continued, "What I let you break. So, no, I don't hate you. I hate that I let you do it. That I wasn't strong enough to see that I was so much more." You looked in the direction Jae Beom left earlier. "You know," you smiled, "I should thank you. I thrived after you." You laughed again. "I can't even take all the credit for what I've become. Jae met me when I was broken and trying to piece it all back together." You smiled fondly, and little did you know so did Jae Beom. "He was patient, kind, thoughtful, and loving," you narrowed your eyes to the man on the screen, "Everything you weren't. He helped me without hesitation or expecting something in return. Because of you, I knew what love wasn't. Because of him, I know what it is."

Jae Beom's chest tightened. He wanted to run in and kiss you. You had become such a strong woman, and he loved you more each day.

"I was stupid," Luke admitted, "I should have been better with you. For you." He fiddled with his hands. "I just wanted to see if there was a chance for us again. I haven't found someone like you, ever. I miss you."

"I'm sorry, Luke," you said, "There is no us. There never was. It was only you and me. Never us. I'm going to marry Jae Beom, and there is nothing in this world that you can say to change my mind. I'm happier than I could ever imagine." Luke opened his mouth to object, but you cut him off. "Goodbye Luke," you said quickly, "I hope you find what you're looking for. With someone else, that is." You ended the call and closed the laptop. You crossed the room and finished grabbing the plates Jae Beom left behind.

"You can come back in," you called over your shoulder, "I know you're still there." You heard the soft footsteps approach you from behind, then the smell of sandalwood. You inhaled deeply and smiled. Jae Beom wrapped his arms around your waist and rested his head on your shoulder, placing feather-soft kisses on your neck.

"Are you ok," he asked, "That must have been a surprise." You hummed as you set the plate on the counter. Spinning in his arms, you let him push you against the counter. You wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled him in closer for a kiss on the lips. Then another on his nose.

"That was nothing," you said, "Just a bump in the road." Jae Beom pulled you closed and rested his forehead against yours. "I love you," you whispered, "So, so much." You rubbed your nose against him, giving a small giggle. "Are you hungry?" Jae Beom chuckled.

"I love you too, Dove," he murmured against your lips. He had your body pressed flush against his. His hands firmly gripped your hips. "Jump," he said firmly. Effortlessly, he guided you to sit on the counter in front of him. You wrapped your legs around his waist and pulled him closer. He slipped his hands under your shirt and rubbed small circles on your back.

"The food is getting cold," you giggled. He hummed as he pulled you in for a kiss again. He bit your lip between his teeth and growled. Your fingers tugged his hair and pulled his lips from yours. He had a mischievous glint in his eyes as he pulled you off the counter. You squealed and held on to him tighter.

"It'll be ok," he laughed, "We can warm it up later." He peppered you with kisses. "I have a craving for something much sweeter." You groaned at his innuendo and faked a look of annoyance. He tsked at you as he kicked the bedroom door closed. He laid back on the bed, leaving you straggling his waist. "If you're not interested, I can let you go." He crossed his arms behind his head with a smug smile.

"Shut up," you slapped his chest, "I'm not going anywhere. Ever."

"Good," he smiled, "I wasn't letting go any way."