#--but the one they trust the most is the guy on the left !

[multiplicationdivision]

A Marathon in His Shoes

Charles had come to him in a panic this morning, donned in a different body and personality. He’d gotten some pair of boots from a second-hand store and been transformed into a middle-aged man, complete with a dadly outfit and mindset. Amir had barely believed the crazy DILF until Charles had pulled on another pair of shoes from the store, transitioning into a tired looking college bro the second the dirty nikes hit his feet, the transformation complete with a bout of gen-z slang Amir could barely understand.

They’d spent the rest of the morning ferrying a number of pairs of shoes back to Amir’s place from the Goodwill. Whatever seemed like it would create an interesting outcome. Amir had gotten his flickering light fixed when a pair of work boots made Charles a well experienced electrician. Charles had been able to explain literal rocket science when a pair of very worn sneakers transformed him into some NASA scientist. Charles had even abided by the guy’s NDAs, seemingly unable to shrug off that ingrained level of discipline.

Charles had come to him because no matter what he tried, the guy couldn’t become himself again. Every pair of Charles’ collection of sneakers left him the man he’d been transformed into, nothing of his nerdy self-returning. It was a problem that had fortunately been readily forgotten with the slew of fun that the guy was having, trying on a slew of personalities like they were costumes. Egged on by Amir who was similarly having a blast, running around his house as Charles became a host of random men.

The problem arose again in the evening though. The fun dissipating from Charles’ mood as time went on, especially with the onset of the weirdly toxic gym bro mindset. That and how disgusting sweaty clothes felt when the sweat never seemed to evaporate. Each body was stuck in the state it had been when the shoes had last been worn and most of his bodies weren’t in the greatest state. Charles seemed uncomfortable in most of them, despite the excitement.

“Theres still one pair of shoes you haven’t tried, you know” Amir said, walking to his shoe rack in another room. Atop it sat his other pair of trainers, identical to the ones he’d wore currently. Neon yellow where his were orange.

“Wait really?” Came Charles’s currently testosterone deep reply, edging with the frustration that his current muscular body always seemed filled with. “Hell yeah man” Amir said, quickly slipping both on before taking them off again and returning to his orange pair. Refreshing their state. 

He headed back to the sweaty man in his living room, handing Charles the trainers. “Put these on” he demanded.

Charles and Amir had known each other for years. They’d done everything together, seen every part of each other. High school to a college frat to working gigs, they were more comfortable with each other than they were with themselves.

Charles studied them against the natural instinct of his current body, forcing his steroid dulled gym bro personality to focus on the clean sneakers in his dirty muscular hands. The Charles in the guy cutting through the tense anger of his body, shooting a slightly surprised expression shot back at Amir. Amir was never one to share, especially something so deep as this.

Charles was stuck as someone else. That seemed to be the deal. Completely unable to return to a state that was just him, loving little shit as he was. Charles couldn’t go back to the man that was honest with every fraction of his life, laying himself bare to Amir. Amir wasn’t vulnerable like that, always anxious to expose the parts of himself that he was so terrified of.

He found himself giving his pair of prized trainers anyways. It made too much sense. Every other body that Charles wore fit awkwardly on him, the personalities fighting the stranger that slipped them on. Charles himself seemed wary of the ways they changed him, no matter how fun spouting facts and skills was. He couldn’t trust them, but he could trust Amir.

“Really?” Charles asked nervously, looking at his fidgeting best friend. Amir nodded despite his nerves, terrified yet oddly excited. This was an extreme way of bonding, baring his life and soul to a friend. It felt right though.

Charles shrugged off the dirty sneakers still saturated with sweat and slipped on Amir’s sneakers over the gym bro’s damp socks. The man shivering as his body shifted, his musculature decreasing as the sweaty clothes warped into a reflection of Amir’s outfit. The odor of BO becoming pleasant as Amir’s aftershave and cologne now wafted off of two bodies.

Charles’ nervousness at Amir’s gesture twisted into relaxation as Amir’s personality fit comfortably against his. The slump of his shoulders as the tension evaporated made Amir feel warm, his own anxious energy dissipating itself as Charles appeared to fully relax into his new body.

“Damn you feel good” Charles said and Amir couldn’t even muster a thanks, distracted as Charles felt out his new limbs with a smile. Amir had a slew of insecurities about his own body, anxious that he wasn’t smart enough, jack enough, attractive enough. Those worries seemed insane now, watching his friend truly enjoy it all, as if it was a comfy blanket.

“You all good Amir?” his own voice said to him, peering through Amir’s faltering insecurities. “You just wear my body well” he replied, voice low as his heart beat faster and faster. Charles got closer and Amir could see a uniquely Charles smile form on Amir’s lips.

“I think it fits me better than my original one” Charles admitted, his eyes traveling over every bit of Amir’s body that were now his. He had every bit of Amir’s life in his mind so he knew what Amir intended.

If Charles needed a new body that he could feel good in, Amir’s was his. Amir was willing for the man to have everything from him, because Amir wanted Charles to have everything. Amir had wanted that for so long, and it was overwhelming to hear the flirtation now focused on him.

“Always loved your arms you know” Charles said, tracing the lines of his hands. “Felt them around me in college and I never really wanted that to end”. Amir wanted nothing more than to tackle the man at that, fall together on his shitty couch.

“Was pretty wary about your new hair, honestly” Charles continued with a laugh as he felt the buzzed sides. “Thought your shaggy mess was cute, but I’ll admit that this has grown on me”, he said, breaking some boundary between the two of them as he compared the prickly sensation of his hair with Amir’s identical sides, his hand caressing Amir’s undercut. It should’ve felt the same as when Amir touched it, but there was too much of his best friend in this. It lit his nerve endings up like fire. “Liked it so much that I wanted a cut to match, but I think I like this more”

“What are you doing Charles?” Amir said, feeling something fundamentally shifting in how they would go forward. That was bound to happen when you gave your body and soul though.

“I used to be mad about being shorter than you, you know” Charles said as he pulled close to him, the scent of Amir’s toothpaste on his breath. “I was mad about how you were better at basketball and getting things from high shelves, sure.” He paused, like he was himself being honest for the first time.

“I think I was mostly mad that I couldn’t kiss you” he said with a final gentle move, pressing his lips into their twin. It felt like electricity, all the shock and want shooting from Amir into Charles. He didn’t kiss like Amir, all full of devouring need for more. Not held back at all by the hesitation of his current body, infecting Amir himself with an aspect of Charles.

Amir felt himself truly open up to this man. Let Charles take over as they fell to the couch. The man used his knowledge of Amir’s life against him, drawing from his fantasies with finesse, pressing down on his shoulders with a fervor that belied fucking years of mutual tension. Charles held both his and Amir’s collection of memories fantasizing about each other and Amir found himself stuffling a laugh as they tumbled across each other.

“You could have kiss me” he choked out, gasping as Charles wormed his way down past his boxers, hand already clasped around his cock like Amir liked it, just the right amount of pleasure. “Just cause I was taller than you didn’t mean it would’ve been that difficult” he joked, using his own weaknesses against Charles as he groped the guy’s own cock beneath his jeans, knowing how the sensation of his boxers against his cock would drive the man wild. As predicted, the man was caught between his own choked laugh, eyes widening as he tried to compose himself.

They played a game together. “You cannot judge me you mountain” Charles gasped as Amir pulled own his pair of Amir’s favorite jeans. “I have my own hangups too you know-“ he just about said, before Amir teased his hard dick with his lips.

“Get used to being a mountain ‘Amir’ ”, Amir said playfully, leaving Charles to look almost offended at his new strange pet name before the guy whimpered at the feeling of Amir’s full devotion to his cock, calling upon years of TMI from his best friend about what he liked in sex. Amir remembered right, Charles going limp as Amir blasted his neurons. It made him want to further blast the guy’s brain, feeling Charles’ moans rendered in his Amir’s husky voice.

Charles came in his mouth and on his shirt. It was exactly how his cum was from his curious years as a teenager, ropey salty fluid across his tongue. Charles seemed all the more desperate to get a taste himself, quick to return the favor. Pulled himself down to Amir’s precum wet jeans and tore down the boxers Charles likely remembered buying like he’d done so himself. They still both wore their trainers, the rubber soles knocking across each other as the two repositioned so Charles could get his fill.

“Hope you feel exactly what I felt fucker” Charles demanded, using Amir’s own technique against him. The rhythm and motion that he knew Charles loved was now turned on him, the feeling better than every fuck he’d had before. Charles seemed to use his own very recent experience in feeling it in Amir’s own body to perfect it on the man’s own cock, modifying it to strike at the right nerves at just the right time.

Hot tears flowed down Amir’s face when he came, feeling the cum spurt nearly identically across Charles’ shirt, making them a mirror again. Two men with their bodies a mess of sweat, identical pairs of jeans and boxers pushed to their ankles as they lay slumped on top each other on a truly shit couch.

“Holy fuck was that better than everything we’d both hoped for” Charles breathlessly exclaimed; his breath warm against Amir’s face. He likely knew, having Amir’s whole life at his fingertips. That large breach of privacy was becoming so much less terrifying at the sheer potential of it, letting this man know exactly how to play him.

“Can you stay?” Amir said without thinking, desperation in his voice. He didn’t even know what he meant by that. Stay as a copy of himself? Stay with him here? Forever?

“Well, my name is technically on the deed” Charles said, satisfaction in his voice despite the joke. It was something of an answer to both.

Realistically Charles wouldn’t always be Amir. It just was far too useful to abuse the collection of sneakers and boots they’d picked up. Amir would likely never need to hire a whole host of handymen in the future again, a suitable body for every job at their fingertips. Aside from that and whatever other fun could be had, Charles fit here. Fit as him, with him.

Their bodies together as Amir flipped on the TV. He knew himself well and they were both out in a minute, synchronized snores as the news murmured on.

[katuschka]

Olalla Chapter Nine

Josh Kiszka x f!OC x Jake Kiszka 5.569 words

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction, intended for adult readers. Any resemblance to real persons is purely coincidental. Also, if you're under 18, go find some other entertainment elsewhere.

Warnings (are spoilers): phone sex, masturbation, LGBT themes, mentions of infidelity, anxiety, betrayal&trust issues, secrets, overall a healthy dose of emotional shit as always

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Previous chapter Olalla masterpost

Over the mountains, woods and valleys two guys fought with shepherd's axes. Hey guys! Stop fighting! The girl has two braids; you can share!

November 2025; Josh 

He stood silent, but the contents of his mind were full of roaring memories of moments similar to this one. He could hear his younger and more carefree self shouting, almost as if someone played it in his in-ear. Can you feel iiiiiiit?

Exhilaration, stage fright, happiness, fear, anticipation…

All the emotions crammed into that fleeting, magical moment that lasts just a few seconds before everything bursts. The moment which ALL the souls and hearts in the large arena shared as one. He couldn’t see them yet, but their cries reverberated through the walls on their way from the green room to the stage and the volume reached the deafening level as soon as the band’s silhouettes appeared behind the semi opaque curtain.

There was no speech this time, no pre-recorded intro; just the sound of Sam’s Hammond organ that first started as a feeble hum, barely audible in the roaring mix of cries, clapping hands and stomping feet. Back to basics, while sticking to the most essential refinements. 

The tones grew louder then, and Josh could feel them set the stage beneath his feet vibrating, which only added to his agitation. So glad to be back, and yet so anxious. 

So much had changed in just one year, so many things that altered their course. The ‘Spring/Summer festival tour’ literally changed his life. He had loved, he had lost, he was now taking a path to the unknown, and it all left people wondering. His sudden disappearance and a subsequent injury started brand new rumors, and all the attempts to stop them from spreading felt like fighting Hydra. Eventually, they just stopped trying and focused on work, but now it made his guts clench again. Did they still love him? Would they still accept him, standing in front of them so vulnerable and naked? He knew some of them condemned him for what he had done, a few believed the lies about him, but thousands of them still came back. 

He looked at Jake for reassurance, but found him crouched under his own heavy thoughts, while his hands followed Sam’s direction, adding more ringing notes to the whole cacophony of the tamed melody and tumultuous feelings. 

Josh was on his own in this. He too looked down and smoothed a wrinkle on his new ebony satin wrap jacket. It hugged him around the waist and fell in smooth cascades around his hips. It was a perfect piece of garment, elegant when tied up, and frivolous-looking when he let it open. Unsure about it at first, he had gained some meat back during the last month, so he could now finally acknowledge that it really looked good on him. He put his chin up, both metaphorically and literally, and ran his fingers across the edges of the new dark brass laurel wreath that now decorated his head. It was a last minute addition, designed to hide the scar that was still visible under his patchy haircut. A deep breath in, and…

The curtain dropped. 

... and the room exploded. He looked down and realized they had been just as nervous, and finally they could just let it all out. Raising his arms up in a simple gesture, he urged them to do it, and then welcomed him in return. 

It was a wonderful song to open the show with. Just like with Heat Above, the initial tension grew until it was almost unbearable, only to be replaced by smooth harmonies and a soaring melody. However, they also experimented a bit more with this one, changing the tempo as well as the mood right where the chorus was supposed to be, hitting the listener right in the chest with its aggressive force. It was a perfect hymn for disturbing times, and the lyrics were Josh’s new prayer. 

When it was over, Josh closed his eyes, panting, and tried to get ready for the next song. The initial high subsided and he was now painfully aware of his surroundings. The new setlist had been one of the main topics of the recent late night quarrels. Sam and Daniel wanted to continue with Safari, while Jake opposed the idea without being able to explain why. He got outvoted eventually and now it was his turn to play the initial chords. 

Everything went smoothly until the first chorus. Josh turned slightly to the left, just like he had been used to doing, only to see Jake still standing at his side of the stage. He took one step forward, but Jake kept ignoring him. The audience noticed too, and he could see their frowned and confused faces as he continued to sing “why don’t you give some lovin’” and by that time it was painfully obvious that Jake wasn’t coming. One of the most notorious examples of their twin bond, one that started years ago as a telepathic need, was gone. Jake no longer wanted to sing that song together with him. 

Thousands of miles away, still tucked in her warm bed, Agnieszka was watching the livestream. 

Agnieszka 

After she had followed all the accounts that promised to do the streaming, Agnieszka had set her alarm clock to 3:30 to make sure she wouldn’t miss a single minute of it. With her headphones on, a cup of strong coffee at hand and a wildly beating heart inside her chest, she joined thousands of the people in the arena and hundreds of others online as a silent voyeur.  

While reading all those excited comments, she had no intention to join the live chat. She had even gone as far as to create new burner accounts everywhere, just to be able to keep tracks without being seen. She had already learned the power of gossip with the two of them still here, and things only got worse after they left, all because of one smudgy photo made by some fan from Warsaw.

It happened early on during their stay. The two of them were just helping Agnieszka with some groceries when a girl approached them and they reluctantly agreed to take a photo with her, well aware that things could get much worse if they refused. Much to everyone’s relief, nothing really happened afterwards, even though the picture circulated through the online space for a few days. It was just a photo of the guys “on vacation”, location unspecified, with both of them hiding under their hats and behind their sunglasses. They were probably just taking some time off after the recent media shitstorm, people concluded. Joshua needed to get out, and Jake was there to keep him company. 

It was only after the fans started discussing possible reasons for and creating their own theories about Josh's mysterious injury and why the tour got postponed when the girl posted another photo on Reddit that ultimately caused a huge uproar. The picture showed the three of them leaving the supermarket, location specified, with her confirming that the dark-haired woman who seemed local was indeed there with them. And since it was a clear violation of the guys’ privacy, the girl got roasted for it immediately and deleted it shortly afterwards. But the harm was already done, the photo quickly appeared on other platforms and fueled people’s imagination.  

Things got a bit out of hand in early October. At one point, she even martyrously tried to convince Joshua not to come back and just forget about their little affair, but he was adamant, unwilling to let anyone ruin his life any further. 

And now Jake only made things worse. The fourth song just started, and the people in the chat were still discussing his strange behaviour. To say that it made Agnieszka feel uncomfortable would be an understatement. Of course she knew they were supposed to sing those lines together, as she had spent the last two months watching every video that there was. Official material, fan footage and old interviews became her everyday bedtime stories. She even fell asleep while listening to Joshua’s guided meditation a few times. 

It always made her feel like an Alice in Wonderland, unable to comprehend how she came to know these talented and flamboyant people. She had dined with them, got drunk with them, kissed them and developed an intimate relationship with one of them. 

Was there really any relationship at all? As those strangers kept wondering, they were asking questions to which she had no answers. No, she wasn’t lurking backstage; no, she didn’t know how he labeled himself, because she never cared to ask; and no, she had no idea what was going on between him and Jake.  

Pcheh. Their ‘intimate’ relationship…

What was it, if not a folly?

Everytime she found a new gray hair – which seemed much more frequent after what happened up on Koscielec – Agnieszka would ask herself what am I doing? And then she would continue doing that. There were plenty of other men willing to be with her if she only let them, and she had the freedom to do it if or when the opportunity presented itself, but she just couldn’t. She kept waiting for the phone calls and Google Meet rendezvous. 

One such face call was scheduled right for after the show. Agnieszka had to wait for Joshua to get back to the hotel, which would take a while, so she just lay back on the pillow and enjoyed the moment of peace, as well as the warmth of her soft comforter. The house was now half empty and eerily quiet during early hours. No one wanted an early breakfast at this time of year; the few adventurous hikers and alpinists who dared to conquer the icy trails mostly kept to themselves. A calm before the Christmas storm, one would say. 

Even the sounds of the waking town coming from the outside were strangely muffled by the falling snow. Minutes dragged, and boredom and restlessness started to set. Agnieszka tried to kill the time by watching other newly posted videos from the show that just ended. 

Eventually, she dozed off waiting… 

She was walking along the ridge that separated the northeastern valleys from the southwestern ones. It was a dangerous path between two seemingly different worlds, covered with frost and ice, forcing her to consider every step carefully. To her left, everything was sprinkled with white and with mist lurking at stony rims. To her right, where the hillside was blessed with more sunshine, the autumn still kept flaunting its fiery colours. The setting sun behind her back illuminated the landscape and enhanced the visible split of seasons. 

Agnieszka couldn’t tell how she got up there. Just a moment ago, she was safe in the warm bed, awaiting a new day, from which she now couldn’t remember anything. The only thing was certain – the winter was coming and once again, another sun-like light appeared on the eastern horizon, disrupting the age-old alternation of day and night and sending chills down her spine. 

She heard three voices calling her name simultaneously. 

Together, it created an unearthly sound… then suddenly, their voices turned to deafening ringtones…

Olalla

Veela

Neszka

Agnieszka needed to take a few seconds to find out where she was and what happened. With the sleepy haze still clouding her brain, she looked around to see that the sky outside turned to steely blue, making outlines of furniture in her bedroom already visible. The phone, which she still held in her hand, kept on buzzing.

Still feeling weird from the recurring and yet ever changing dream, she pressed the accept button, squinting at the oppressively bright screen. Sexy…

Joshua, on the other hand, was his usual flawless and charming self: freshly-showered, rosy-cheeked and with his short damp curls slicked back. “Oh, hello darl… did I wake you up? I thought you said you were going to…”

“Oh yeah, yeah, I was. I just fell back to sleep after the livestream ended, I guess. But I saw everything,” she responded groggily while rubbing her left eye, before she adjusted the pillow behind her so that she could sit. 

“Oh, cool. It was a hell of a show, wasn’t it.” He greeted her with his usual bright, toothy smile, but Joshua’s face was an open book and Agnieszka already knew that face she caught a glimpse of behind the smiley mask quite well – when she could read a lot of conflicting things in his eyes, all of them centering around uncertainty and self-doubt. A simple twitch of an eyebrow always gave him away. She knew how nervous he was; he had confided to her prior to the show.. It was the first US show since he got outed and his personal life became a tabloid shitshow. And while the band was indeed greeted with rapturous ovations and they did put on a ‘hell of a show’, the undercurrent of doubt on both sides ran deep and the fact that his own brother seemingly threw him under the bus right when he felt the most vulnerable didn’t help at all. 

False consolations were not her nature. “Joshua… when I said I saw everything, I really meant everything.”

He sighed and started rubbing the back of his neck. “Was it that obvious?”

“What? That something is obviously going on between the two of you? Yeah, I would say so. At least to everyone who’s familiar with your stage behaviour. It shouldn’t be a big deal, I suppose, but I saw your face, and so did everyone else. It was pretty clear you didn’t expect that. The people in the chat spent the next half an hour making assumptions. Some of them even mentioned the ‘dark haired stranger’ that allegedly drove a wedge between the two of you.” She added the last sentence for comedic effect; to lighten the mood a bit. However, it had the opposite effect and Joshua’s face turned to stone. 

“Well, you shouldn’t really worry about that.” He sounded strangled, and for the first time turned his gaze off the screen. 

“Are you ok, Joshua?” 

“Yeah! Yeah…totally fine,” he replied absentmindedly. “We’ve had a few disagreements, but it’s nothing serious. Promise. I, eh… I wish you were here, sweetheart… So, anyway, what did you think of that lill’ insertion after Danny’s drum solo, birthday girl?” he chuckled, trying to change the subject. 

“You mean ‘My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean’? Yeah, that was very subtle. Everyone thought so…” She didn’t even try to hide the annoyance in her voice, unable to comprehend how he could think that it was a good idea. Obviously, he didn’t share the sentiment. 

“Well, I did that on purpose. And since people already talk… Well, I just hoped you’d like it. So, how was your special day?” 

“Pretty uneventful, just like all the other days here.” As it always was. She stopped celebrating her birthdays a long time ago. Joshua was probably the only person on Earth who tried to make a big deal of the uninteresting fact that she was now thirty three. Well, him and Maya. “I went for a walk, I got a new backpack, I actually had a massage…that was nice and pleasant… and I got my IUD replaced… that was much less pleasant.”

“Well good to know!” He made another funny face and she had to laugh back. Most of her former lovers would be grossed out by the bold remark, but not him. He was just… different. 

For example, he couldn’t just sit still, which was in fact often pretty cool and entertaining during their face call as he always inadvertently gave her a tour of whatever place he was currently at. So, as he walked around, she could see glimpses of his suite. “Wow, that’s a fancy hotel room. Very different from the dingy attic one.” 

“And cold,” Joshua replied irritably. “It’s really the worst part of the deal, to be honest, and no amount of luxury could possibly change that. I’d give anything to be back in that snug attic room if it meant I could feel your soft skin again.” 

“Soft…”

“Yeah, like satin. Go on and touch it if you don’t believe me.” With that, he finally hopped on his bed and leaned his back against the headboard. He must have untied his bathrobe in the process, as she could see his bare chest now, knowing too well where this was going. They had tried a few times in the past and always ended up giggling. Yet he kept on trying. “Are you naked?”

“Hell no! It’s November. I’m wearing button-up pajamas.”

“Unbutton it then.”

She couldn’t help but laugh. His incessant attempts to coax her into having phone sex with him were always so… cute. “I think I’ll need a bit more convincing.”

He closed his eyes and exhaled harshly. Agnieszka couldn’t see his other hand, but she knew very well where it was. “I’m imagining your palms right now, so callous and coarse from all the hard and honest work, like the finest sandpaper…”

She was just getting comfy and he made her burst out laughing again. “You’re an idiot.” 

He chuckled with her. “All right, all right, let’s try again. I was serious about your skin. So soft and warm, and when my fingers travel further down… come on, travel with me… it feels like a velvety cushion, and it smells like honey and hay. Can you feel it too, baby?”

“Yes,” she moaned involuntarily. Hearing him talk about it like that really did create a good illusion. “I imagine your fingers. Say more, because I swear I can almost feel them”. 

He was breathing heavily now, which turned her on even more. He told her more about the things he’d do and she followed his directions, sliding her middle finger inside. “I wish I could touch your cock.”

“And I’d give anything to feel your lips around it right now…”

She bit her lip when the question popped up in her head. It wasn’t the first time, but she never mustered enough courage, until now. Still not sure if it was ok to ask that, she took a deep breath first. “Do you ever imagine a man doing it to you, Joshua? I mean, do you still…?”

He seemed unfazed, just a little annoyed. “Why are you asking me now?”

“I think it’s sexy,” she cooed. “Besides, if this is supposed to work, we shouldn’t keep secrets from each other.” Saying that, she felt a pang of guilt even before she finished the sentence. 

“Sexy, you say?” he asked huskily and she could hear the unmistakable sound of slapping flesh. Judging by the movement of his shoulder, it was more than apparent what he was doing. It made her heart beat wildly. If only she could be there with him…

“Yeah… you were always in control when we were together, hardly ever letting me take the lead, even when I wanted to. And I just wondered…because…” The sound of him clearing his throat interrupted her in mid-sentence. 

“It just felt natural. You’re so delicate, like baby deer…”

“No, I’m not…”

“Yes, you are, baby. Compared to most of my previous lovers, you are… You’re strong, but still a flower… I just…just can’t stop looking at you… So, erhhm, to answer your question -  yes, I do.” 

This was all strangely exciting. 

“Tell me more.” 

“Are you still touching yourself?”

She was. Because she didn’t lie. It made her slightly anxious, but the fact that the idea also turned her on couldn’t be denied. Also, learning to know his desires seemed like the best policy against the anxiety which was almost crippling at times, and today was no different.  Seeing him wrapped in satin, adored by hundreds of people, and not all of them women, made her feel like an onlooker, forced to remain in the distance. She didn’t want that.

And so he told her, with reluctance at first, but seeing that she didn’t stop and wanted more, he went on. Slowly, they guided each other towards their respective climaxes. Even though separated by thousands of miles, for a split second they felt closer to each other than before in the aftermath. 

“What time is it there right now?” he asked groggily after a while, when she could no longer hide her weariness and yawned expressively. 

“Almost eight thirty.”

“Can you perhaps go back to sleep for a while.”

“I guess so.” She had no real responsibilities until after lunch, so the idea of staying in bed for a while seemed quite agreeable. 

“I think you should, then. And I should try to get some sleep as well. See you soon, love.”

“Good night, Joshua.”

Agnieszka tried to follow his advice, but after a while, she grabbed her phone again, quite sure that a certain person wasn’t asleep just yet…

Jake

Jake in fact did try to go to bed early-ish this time. He also tried everything that was supposed to help him accomplish this special mission. He had a few drinks, a soothing shower, late night sex… and if that wasn’t enough, skin-to-skin cuddles were expected to do the trick. 

However, half an hour later, his mind was still racing, and it had nothing to do with the person now sleeping so peacefully right next to him. The person who – in fact – was also the one who had tried to persuade him that he should improve his sleeping habits. Women. So, instead of grabbing a guitar or a book, he was now lying in the darkness, watching city lights painting pictograms on the ceiling above him. He didn’t dare leave the bed, afraid that it would wake Lisa.  

Suddenly, his phone lightened up with a familiar notification. He kept most of them muted, so he knew immediately. And surely enough…

Veela: Care to explain what the hell happened?

Jake knew immediately what she meant, and it made him feel both pleased and angry with himself at the same time. What the hell happened, indeed. It wasn’t deliberate. It wasn’t out of spite. He just didn’t want to play the song. And he certainly didn’t want to sing it… with Josh, no less! For years, it had been ‘their’ song, and it didn’t mean anything else. They wrote it before Josh really started caring about the meaning of the lyrics he was writing. The stupid ditty suddenly got a brand new meaning and Jake just couldn’t stomach it. 

He certainly didn’t want to make people wonder, or to make her angry… or maybe he did? Either way, there was no way out. 

He quickly scrambled out of bed – afraid that he would wake Lisa – and took the phone with him to the bathroom where he sat on a closed toilet seat, feeling sneaky. 

Kuba Starlight: “I just wasn’t in the mood for singing, thats all. No big deal.” 

The response was immediate. 

Veela: Is that the only reason?

His thumbs hovered above the keypad for several seconds before he finally typed a brief answer.

Kuba Starlight: Yes. 

He watched the three dots moving while rubbing his chin, anxiously awaiting her next jab. It took her a while, leaving him wondering what kind of indictment she was drafting. 

Veela: Because I just talked to him and it didn’t seem like a “no big deal” to him. And people noticed too. It’s no.1 gossip right now. I’m slightly jealous. You’re trying to steal my spotlight, no doubt. :p

The last remark made him smile. Perhaps she wasn’t that angry after all. 

And so am I, he thought. Wonder how you did it. 

Kuba Starlight: People will always talk. One day I forget to comb my hair and the next day they start a rumor that I’m a depressed drunk.

Kuba Starlight: Josh is quite oversensitive these days. 

He expected her to continue pestering him about the stupid ‘stage incident’, but she switched back to her caring and understanding (and nosy) self instead. 

Kuba Starlight: In fact, I have. 

Veela: You shouldn’t blame him. 

Veela: I know you were worried about the show too. Maybe you two should just… talk?

Veela: What about my previous suggestion? The room is still available. 

Veela: I just really don’t think you should spend Christmas alone. Unless you’ve found someone to spend it with…

He couldn’t even tell why answering truthfully suddenly made him feel so irritable. Perhaps because he wasn’t really truthful. 

Kuba Starlight: Nothing serious. Just a casual acquaintance. 

Veela: OK. That’s good news. 

Is it?! He watched – all hopeful – as the three dots appeared again. 

Veela: It might get serious eventually. You never know. :)

That only made him feel worse. And there were no more dots after that. Obviously, she dropped the subject, which in turn made his stomach drop. It was always like that, with him being torn between ‘honey, don’t feed me’ and ‘why aren’t you talking to me?’ She was convinced they were friends – bless her heart… and damn his. He kept feeding her this idea only to keep in contact with her, knowing too well it was both self-destructive and toxic. 

He shouldn’t want her to keep persuading him; he in fact shouldn’t be having this conversation in the first place, but that wretched creature inside his head always prevailed. The truth was that he had considered her suggestion – his heart even skipped a beat when she first mentioned it as a possibility  – and the wretched creature wanted him to say yes. 

It was right after right after Josh casually informed her that their parents were taking a long-desired trip during Christmas, and she immediately thought about him being left alone, bless her big heart. 

So yes, he wanted to say yes, it just wasn’t justifiable up until recently. Now he had a perfect excuse, so he quickly started typing another message. 

He re-read the blabbery he just sent and groaned again, loudly this time. Not only because he didn’t really think it through yet, it was still just a vague idea. But also because of all those typos he always made when he was in a rush. 

Kuba Starlight: But she asked me if we could go sking, so maybe we could come together.

Kuba Starlight: You know… to keep an eye on him. 

Kuba Starlight: Not that I don’t trust you… but, you know…

Kuba Starlight: But don’t worry about our stay. I’ll find us something else. Somthing with jacuzzi and champange. 

And she never commented on it. She never judged him. 

Veela: :D

Veela: Oukey then! I’ll be happy to see you again. And to meet your new girl. 

December 18th 2025, Nashville; Josh

They made it. The first part of the tour successfully completed, Christmas was finally here and the atmosphere in the city already satiated with the holiday mood. Just a few more days… and then he would see her again. 

There was one last thing that Josh desperately needed to do, and so far it had prevented him from being able to join and enjoy the festivities. He had been sitting in their favorite cafeteria for more than an hour now, more and more convinced that he had been stood up. The idea weighed like a huge stone on his chest and it grew heavier with each passing minute. 

But at last, he appeared. Effortlessly charismatic as always. Lean and tall, with his hair neatly braided this time. He spotted Josh immediately, but remained standing by the door for a few excruciatingly long seconds before he finally made his way towards Josh’s table. 

Josh stood up and made one hesitant step forward, but Christopher quickly stopped him with his outstretched palm. A simple gesture that felt like having a bucketful of icy water tipped over his head. 

Josh knew that it was absolutely foolish to hope for a hug, but after all those years, it was just like a conditioned reflex. He had spent so much time hugging that man that it seemed unnatural not to do it, even under the current circumstances… “Please, at least sit.” He sounded defeated.

Christopher took the chair opposite to Josh and leaned back with his arms crossed. It wasn’t going to be easy, that was certain. “Ok, spill. What do you want?”

“I… the idea that I’d never see you again was just unbearable…I mean…”

Christopher cocked his brow exasperatedly. “Spare me.”

Josh started to panic. It was so hard to tame the thoughts in his head so that he could transform them into a coherent sentence. Christopher was well aware, but also unwilling to make it any easier for him. Josh had spent hours looking into those eyes. Somewhere behind them, there used to be a place that felt like home. Now he could clearly see that he was no longer welcome there. So, instead of trespassing, he lowered his eyes and opted to tell it to the coffee cup. “No… I mean, without, eh, I cou..couldn’t stand not to see you again and…and not to tell you how sorry I am.” 

A few more excruciating seconds passed before he dared to look up again. Christopher was rubbing his lower lip with the tips of his fingers – something he always did when he was searching for the right words. The silence made Josh’s chest tighten.

“I gave you quite a lot of freedom,” Christopher said at last. 

“I know…”

“And you said you’d never do anything that would hurt me. And I trusted you.”

“I know…”

“And you betrayed that trust… twice!”

“We were no longer together when I… I didn’t expect you to…”  The sound of Christopher’s palm slapping the wooden desk right in front of Josh made him jump. 

“YOU TOLD ME…” Christopher raised his voice menacingly, but quickly tried to calm himself down when he saw Josh’s startled stare. They were in public, after all. He knew the rules, and it affected him too now. So, he took a deep breath before he continued: “You told me that it was not even a possibility, so naturally, I feel like everything you EVER said was a lie.”

“I didn’t lie. I…I didn’t know it was a possibility, Taffy,” Josh’s voice faltered. He squeezed his eyes shut in an attempt to fight off the stinging sensation, but it was no use. He was crying. “I’m so sorry,” he sobbed. They sat silent for several seconds; thankfully, it was enough for Josh to pull himself together and Christopher mercifully granted him that luxury. 

“The thing that happened with David…,” Josh cleared his throat and continued, fully determined to say everything he wanted to: “I know no apology could even make it right. The worst thing is that it really meant nothing. I feel like I’ve lost control of my life even since, which…I guess…I fully deserve. Like a drunken boat. You remember the poem? And now she… she’s both the anchor and the sea. And it happened so fast. I… when you came to the hospital  with mom and Jake, I felt like being stuck between two cogwheels. But the thing I said, it hasn’t changed. I never stopped loving you.” 

Josh so desperately wanted him to understand it. Even if he would never see him again, even though he knew Christopher didn’t want to accept it, Josh just needed him to understand that some people are like tattoos, and there’s always enough space for more than one. Sweet Olalla understood…

Christopher slowly leaned forward and, with his elbows now on the table, he put his hand together and started rubbing his lip against the fingertips once more. Josh waited patiently. Whatever the outcome, at least he knew Taffy was giving it a thought. 

“How’s your head? Are you well?” he finally said. 

Josh looked at him in confusion. Did Christopher think he’d gone mental? “I…yeah, it’s healed pretty nicely. I still have headaches sometimes, but… why?” 

Christopher took a deep breath. “Because I’ve been fucking worried, jerk!”

December 22nd, Zakopane; Agnieszka

Just like the last time, she was restless since the early morning. But unlike the last time, she didn’t spend hours waiting in the freezing cold. Also, no separate room for him this time. Joshua was just going to stay with her. Eulalia was basically home to him now. 

Jake and his girl rented a private chalet on the opposite hill, right next the main ski slope. He was supposed to drop Joshua around five and then they’d all meet in town for dinner later. That was the plan. 

It was already half past five when the bell above the main door finally chimed and a familiar figure stepped inside. She quickly jumped out of her seat behind the reception desk and ran right into his arms, nearly knocking him off. 

“Ugh, sweet girl, easy!” he chuckled, hugging her back. He buried his face in her hair and stayed that way for several seconds, which wasn’t strange at all. However, she soon began to wonder about how silent he was… that was definitely strange. 

Breaking the embrace at last, she was finally able to take a good look at him… and froze. 

There was a nasty bruise on the left side of his chin, and his lower lip was split and swollen, making him look like he had been in a fist fight. 

“Joshua, what the hell happened?”

@thewritingbeforesunrise @fleet-of-fiction @writingcold @lvnterninthenight @its-interesting-van-kleep   @takenbythemadness   @edgingthedarkness @myownparadise96   @gvfstuddedmajesty @josh-iamyour-mama @jazzyfigz @tripthelightfantastix @sanguinebats @wetkleenex-gvf @peaceloveunitygvf @kiszkas-canvas @fleetingjake @lizzys-sunflower @hollyco @emojakekiszka @gvfmarge @dayumclarizzel @lipstickitty @clownstarr @musicislove3389 @i-love-gvf @blankvz @psychedelectable

[yourlovelywriter]

Bound by violet

Okay have mercy guys, I’ve never done this before….. so I hope it’s good….

The first thing you noticed when you woke up was the scent of lavender and something sharp, like ozone. Your head pounded, and your arms felt heavy. It took you a moment to realize why: you were bound—not with rope, but with shimmering violet threads of energy that pulsed faintly against your skin.

“Ah, you’re awake.”

The voice made you jolt, though you couldn’t turn your head to see. A familiar one—too familiar. Then she appeared, stepping into view with a predatory smirk.

Agatha Harkness. Or “Agnes,” as you had thought of her until now.

“What… what is this?” Your voice was hoarse, your pulse hammering as you tugged against the magical restraints.

Agatha tilted her head, studying you with an amused expression. “What does it look like, darling? I’ve brought you somewhere safe.”

“Safe?” you spat, glaring. “This doesn’t look safe to me, Agatha. It looks insane!”

Her smirk faded, replaced by a glimmer of something softer. “I’m not insane. I’m protective. There’s a difference.”

You struggled harder, ignoring the way the magic tightened with each movement. “This isn’t protection! This is—this is kidnapping!”

Agatha sighed, brushing a hand through her hair. “You’re so dramatic. I saved you, sweetheart. That ridiculous hex? Wanda’s magic running wild? It’s dangerous, and you don’t even know it. You should be thanking me.”

“Oh, thank you for tying me up and dragging me into your creepy dungeon!” you snapped. “How could I possibly repay you?”

Her lips twitched, almost forming a smile, but her eyes remained sharp. “Oh, don’t worry. I’ll come up with something.”

——————————

Hours passed—or at least, it felt that way. Agatha sat across from you in a plush armchair, sipping a glass of wine like this was the most natural thing in the world.

“You can’t just keep me here forever,” you said finally, breaking the silence.

She raised an eyebrow. “Can’t I?”

“No! People will notice I’m gone. They’ll come looking for me.”

Agatha chuckled, swirling her wine. “Oh, darling. You’re in Westview. Nobody notices anything they’re not supposed to. And even if they did, who do you think they’d believe? Me, the charming, helpful neighbor? Or you, the person who’s suddenly vanished into thin air?”

Her words sent a chill down your spine. “Why are you doing this?” you asked quietly. “What do you want from me?”

Agatha set her glass down, leaning forward with an intensity that made your breath catch. “I want you.”

Your heart raced, but you forced yourself to meet her gaze. “Why? What did I do to deserve… this?”

“You existed,” she said simply. “You existed in a world full of noise, and somehow, you were the only thing I could hear. The only thing that mattered.”

You stared at her, stunned into silence. Agatha’s expression softened, her usual smugness replaced by something raw and unguarded.

“I’ve lived a long, long time,” she continued. “I’ve seen empires rise and fall. I’ve wielded powers you can’t even begin to comprehend. And yet, none of it ever felt real. None of it ever… touched me. Until you.”

Her confession left you reeling. “So your solution was to kidnap me?”

Agatha rolled her eyes, her smirk returning. “Oh, don’t act like I’ve locked you in a dungeon. You’ve got food, books, a comfortable room. I’m not a monster.”

“You’re acting like one.”

Her expression darkened, and for a moment, you thought you’d gone too far. But then she laughed—a low, humorless sound.

“You think I don’t know that?” she said, standing. “You think I don’t look at you and wonder what’s wrong with me? Why I can’t just let you go?”

“Then let me go,” you urged, your voice softer now. “If you care about me, Agatha, let me go.”

She stared at you for a long moment, her jaw tight. “I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t trust the world to keep you safe. And…” Her voice faltered, just for a moment. “Because I don’t trust myself to survive without you.”

————————

The days that followed were strange. Agatha didn’t keep you tied up after that first night, though the magical barrier around the house ensured you couldn’t leave. She tried to make your captivity as comfortable as possible—bringing you meals, sitting with you to talk, even laughing at your sarcastic barbs.

One evening, as you sat across from her at the dinner table, you asked, “What’s your endgame here? Do you expect me to just… fall in love with you?”

Agatha leaned back in her chair, a smirk tugging at her lips. “Would that be so terrible?”

You glared at her. “Yes. Yes, it would.”

Her smirk faltered, and for a moment, she looked almost… hurt.

“Look,” you said, softening slightly. “I get that you’ve been through a lot. And maybe you think this is the only way to protect me, or whatever. But you can’t force someone to stay with you. That’s not love, Agatha. That’s control.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You think I don’t know the difference?”

“I think you’re scared to find out,” you said, surprising even yourself with your boldness.

Agatha didn’t respond right away. She looked down at her hands, her expression unreadable.

“Maybe I am,” she said finally. Her voice was quiet, almost a whisper.

For the first time, you saw her not as the powerful, conniving witch, but as a woman who had been alone for far too long.

And despite everything, a part of you began to wonder if there was more to her than her obsession.

Well….. what do we think.. hope this does well

[catreginae]

Thou Shalt Not Fall: Recovery

Warriors was safe but far from okay, but Hyrule is determined to do everything he can to help. I am hoping this chapter is actually okay. I think I read it too much so I genuinely can't tell if there are problems or if it's only boring to me because I had to read it so much.

When Hyrule woke up, it was dark out and somebody was shaking him. His hand felt for his sword but then he felt that now familiar magic from the first vampire, so he relaxed a little. Their presence still made him jumpy but he knew it wouldn’t be long before he could put his guard down, at least while he was in this estate. The vampire was holding a lantern so he could see of her face, along with the fact that she had dark hair and rounded ears. It struck him that she looked especially young, probably around Wind’s age or a little younger.

“Elena is ready for you guys downstairs.”

Ah, a downstairs. That made sense now. The vampires didn’t live with the giant windows, they were underground where the sun would never reach them.

He got ready quickly and followed her down. He was the last one of the group so he awkwardly just sat down between Legend and Time, who were sitting at the very edge of the rectangular setup of fancy couches. The vampire who led him down quickly left the room, leaving what he guessed was two other vampires sitting on a couch on the other side of the room from them. One was a tall guy with red hair and rounded ears and the other was a Hylian was long, wavy blonde hair. The man was sitting up straight with a wide eyes while the woman was scanning all of them from her relatively laid back position. In particular, she seemed to be very interested in Wind but Hyrule wasn’t sure if Wind noticed.

“This is all of us... except for Warriors, of course. Er, Link,” Sky added quickly.

“I’m Elena and this is Walter.”

“We’re all Link. Different heroes from different points in history,” Time said. “You all have nicknames based on our titles, so the Link you’re familiar with is called Warriors. We can introduce our nicknames later.”

“I’ll keep calling him Link, if you don’t mind,” she mumbled before she straightened herself. “Link will be fine. We just don’t know how long it will take for him to be fine. We’re going in blind here since no vampire would have survived... what was it you said, Walter? A pool of light magic?”

“It was a spring where a light spirit resides so the spring also has properties of light magic,” Twilight chimed in. “I’ve used water from those springs to heal wounds but it did the opposite to him.”

“That would be a quick death to a regular vampire. There wouldn’t even be a body left to find,” Walter mumbled, shaking his head. “The fact that Link is here and already had a little bit of blood is kind of... miraculous, actually.”

Wind frowned. “Can we visit him?”

Elena nodded. “You can visit anytime you want but I have one rule – none of you are to feed him, even if it’s from a bottle. Please just leave that up to us. We can look into blood letting if any of you are truly interested in providing blood but we will be the ones to make him drink, got it?”

“We won’t feed him,” Time agreed with a nod. He didn’t look happy about it though and quite frankly, none of them did. However, Hyrule was inclined to trust the vampires to take care of Warriors. Warriors’ injuries were the most extreme they’ve ever been since they first got together and the vampires were more familiar with regeneration than any of them were. Hyrule wasn’t even sure if his magic was even doing anything. What else was any of them supposed to do?

Suddenly, she stood up and motioned for them to follow her. “I’ll show you where his room is so you can drop by whenever you want, even if we aren’t around,” she started as she walked to one of the hallways. Everybody hopped to their feet and followed her down a long, dark hallway until she came to a door that had a sign hanging from a nail on it. Hyrule couldn’t read Warriors’ script but he could recognize their shared name in it. He saw Warriors write his name down enough times to know it was their name on that door. It didn’t look like Warriors’ writing though and somebody even drew some stars and hearts around it.

Elena opened the door and walked inside. They followed her, slowly filling up the modest sized room. Warriors was on the bed, completely wrapped up like a gibdo. The only exceptions were his head, where he only had bandages around his eyes, and his feet which only seemed mildly burnt. The parts of his face that Hyrule could see were charred and Hyrule could see his fangs through the holes in his cheeks.

“We had to redo the bandages since they soaked up more water but you guys did a good job helping him out,” Walter said from just outside the door. Twilight and Time turned their heads to look at him, clearly alarmed. “I’m just a little burnt, not nearly as bad as Link! I just need another day, I’m fine.”

Twilight and Time looked at each other and then turned his attention back to Warriors.

Wind’s lip quivered. “He looks really bad.”

“He’s still here though,” Elena said quickly. “Vampires don’t die slowly. It might take a while but he’ll bounce back. At this point, the only way he could die is if he starved to death and with all of us around, that won’t happen. I’m not going to let the only other Hylian vampire die. You have my word that he’ll recover.”

“Okay,” Wind said quiet with a nod. He still looked upset but he also looked very determined at the same time. “If there’s anything we can do to help...”

“We’ll let you know, of course. For now, all of you are extra eyes. If you notice anything weird with him, let anyone here know, vampire or Hylian.”

“Sounds easy enough,” Legend mumbled.

It sounded easy but Hyrule had his doubts.

The next day, Hyrule was feeling pretty good. He had a lot of rest and a lot of food, so he had a lot of energy to dedicate to Warriors. He couldn’t see his magic doing anything when he last tried but he hoped that since his feet weren’t completely wrapped, then he could try healing the minor burns and see if his magic was actually doing anything after all. He knew his magic helped minor burns because he healed Warriors’ sunburns all the time, even if Warriors whined about him ‘wasting his magic’ later.

He didn’t really see the others upstairs where the most of the Hylians stayed but he found some of them downstairs by the fireplace. Wild, Time, and Wind were all engrossed in some sort of conversation with Twilight lounging on one of the couches, his eyelids drooping as he stared at the ceiling. Hyrule gave them a quick wave and moved to Warriors’ room. He was surprisingly alone but maybe that was for the best.

Warriors barely moved since the last time Hyrule saw him but he didn’t expect anything different. He wouldn’t want to move if he was in Warriors’ position.

Hyrule took a deep breath and moved to the end of the bed where he could see his feet, the least burnt part of him. Maybe his boots had something to do with that. Regardless of how his feet managed to be relatively unscathed, Hyrule got to work and focused his magic. In the first positive sign he saw since he woke up that initial night, the red burns began to disappear. His magic was doing something then!

With his feet looking better, Hyrule decided to move to the other side of the bed. Warriors’ face was far too burnt for the life spell to really help and his ears fared no better – he was missing the tips and what was left was mostly red and black. It was a miracle he still had his earrings in and there was enough of his ears left to keep them from falling out.

But it wasn’t the part of his ears that Hyrule could see that he wanted to heal. He wanted to make sure Warriors could hear them, that he had some sort of link to the rest of them. Hyrule focused again, channelling the rest of his magic into his ears.

“What are you doing?”

Hyrule didn’t stop the spell but he did turn around to find one of the vampires watching him. She looked like an older version of the young looking vampire who brought him downstairs, though she seemed much more serious than that other vampire did. In her hand was small vial of blood. It looked to be about third of what Warriors would get if he drank from the one of the bottles Wild gave him. He reminded himself that he had to trust the vampires.

“I’m trying to heal his ears,” he answered. “I have healing magic. It helped with some of his minor burns before so I’m hoping if I can heal his ears enough, he can hear us.”

The woman looked bored when she came in but her expression lightened up when he spoke about magic. She walked inside the room, tilting her head slightly. “You can heal others with magic? I thought magic was more reserved for the royal family in Hylians.”

“People outside of the royal family have the capacity of magic and some of us are pretty good with it! There is just magic that only certain people in the royal family can do,” he answered as he pulled his hands away from Warriors. He would use a little more magic but he wasn’t going to interfere with Warriors getting the other thing he really needed to heal. If it seemed like a small amount, he still needed it.

“Can you go pinch his toes? That’s the best way to wake him up.”

Hyrule simply nodded. Apparently, Warriors didn’t like it when somebody touched his feet because it only took about five seconds of touching for him to start trying to pull his feet away with a rumble from his chest. That was all the woman needed to lift his head slightly and pour the blood into his mouth.

“That’s it, huh?”

“Yup, little vials of blood several times a day since we don’t know what shape his stomach is in. I hate babysitting, especially because he needs a lot of it, but Elena’s attached to him so we’re all pitching in. Except for Marcus, he’s not back yet.”

He could understand the reason why Elena was so cautious about feeding him them now. They must have him one some sort of schedule, drinking little vials of blood until they more comfortable.

“My name is Audrey, by the way. I think you’ve met my little sister too? Her name is Beth. I imagine you’ll be here for a while, otherwise I wouldn’t bother with introductions.”

“My nickname is Hyrule. We’re all Link so...”

“What a strange nickname. It makes no difference for me though. I’ll see you around,” Audrey muttered as she capped the vial again and promptly left the room. Hyrule spared Warriors one more glance as he settled back to sleep and left his room too.

They ate dinner together upstairs and together went downstairs to go visit Warriors again. However, when they got there, Hyrule noticed that there was a vampire he couldn’t recall seeing before. He looked young too, probably around Four’s age but he was definitely taller than him. His hair was light blonde to the point of it being nearly white and it was long enough to just touch his shoulders. His eyes were a light blue that seemed to shift to a light purple depending on the light. Was he the Marcus that Audrey mentioned?

He was talking to Elena and Walter around that fireplace and didn’t seem to care that people could herar them. Audrey and her little sister were nowhere to be seen.

“I also have a hitchhiker,” the small vampire muttered as he opened his jacket to reveal a little blue fairy sitting in one of the inner pockets.

Walter’s eyes went wide. “A fairy! I’ve never seen one in person before! You’re prettier than the books said you would be.”

The fairy flew out of his pocket and immediately flew over to Time to settle on his head. It took a second for Hyrule to recall but it was Proxi, the fairy at the castle that was friends with Warriors. Of course she would come for him if word about his injuries got back to the castle. He wasn’t sure if Warriors could hear yet but he had no doubt that Warriors would appreciate her presence once he became aware of it.

“Well, thank you! You guys are okay but I like my vampire the best,” she chirped happily. “Where is he, anyway?”

“I’ll show you,” Time said as he promptly walked towards Warriors’ room with Proxi still sitting on his head.

“Marcus, has Zelda sent a message or just the fairy?” Elena asked as she watched them walk away.

“Mostly just the fairy,” Marcus answered. “They all insisted that the fairy come with. Zelda just wants us to let her know when he’s feeling better though.”

“I see. Thanks for making the trip, Marcus.”

Marcus simply nodded, then walked away. That meant that Elena and Walter were turning his attention to him now.

“Your nickname is Hyrule, yes?” Elena asked. “Do you know the fairy? I don’t think I’ve ever seen a fairy willingly come hang out with vampires before.”

“That’s Proxi. I don’t know their exactly relationship but she’s pretty close to Warriors. I think they’ve been together before he was cursed. It’s a good idea to have her around.”

“Of course, the only time a fairy wants to be around a vampire is because they’re already friends,” Walter said with a frown that honestly made Hyrule feel kind of bad for him. He knew why fairies avoided vampires – their magic took some getting used to – but they weren’t bad people or anything. A fairy who actually who stuck around even with the weird way to their magic felt would figure that out.

“Well, if you want to see to hang out with more fairies, talk to Warriors when he’s feeling better. He’s got some sort of snack that they like,” Hyrule said. He wasn’t truly a fairy himself, he was just somebody who take the shape of one, but even he thought that those snacks smelled pretty good. He was sure a fairy would stick around long enough to actually listen to a vampire if Warriors was around with his bag of fairy snacks. “Vampire magic is intense to be around but food always helps smooth things over.”

“They really do like those snacks,” Time mumbled as he walked backed into their common room. “Proxi will likely stay with Warriors until he’s back on his feet. If something is wrong, she knows to find one of you. I’m sure she’ll talk to you if you visit her in his room.”

Walter looked between the two of them and suddenly dashed towards Warriors’ room. Elena smiled and shook her head as she watched him leave.

“This is probably the most exciting decade he’s had since we moved here.”

“Why did you move to Hyrule?” Time asked. “You have to hide who you are. Wouldn’t it be more comfortable to stay abroad?”

“I missed home. That’s all. The Hyrule I came back to isn’t the one I left but it feels more like home than Labrynna ever did. At least in Hyrule, I don’t stick out as much, even though I’m a vampire.”

“I get feeling like you’re the odd one out,” Time mumbled.

Hyrule could too. Even in a group of heroes, he wasn’t exactly like the others, both in background and ability. He could use a lot more magic and spells that the others couldn’t and his era was also very different. No one ever made him feel bad about the stark differences. In fact, they did the opposite. However, sometimes Hyrule had a time not focusing on those differences.

He couldn’t blame Elena for wanting to go home.

Hyrule made a point to come down as early as he could and heal Warriors as much as he could before he made himself dizzy. He can handle being exhausted so long as they didn’t have to travel or leave the estate. All he needed was to able to make it to one of the couches and nap it off until lunch. He also made sure that he brought some sugar water for Proxi, knowing that Time often got her more to eat later on in the day.

According to Proxi, who had yet to leave the room since she arrived, he was slowly improving. Slowly. Hyrule didn’t see much of a difference, other than some of the very minor burns fading away but since she was with him so often, he didn’t doubt her words.

On the fourth day, Hyrule ventured down to his room and did what he what he always did – brought Proxi her sugary drink, then focused his magic around his ears. Between watching for any changes and focusing his magic, he didn’t notice Warriors waking up. He only heard Proxi fluttering by his face, mumbling comforting words. He broke his concentration for a moment and found Warriors holding up one of his hands.

“Warriors, relax. You’re seriously injured. Don’t move too much.”

And he actually listened, slowly lowering his hand. Then his lips moved, trying to mumble something but no words came out his mouth. He seemed to realize and stopped.

“Link.. you can hear us, right?” Proxi asked. “Wiggle your toes if you can.”

Hyrule turned his head quickly to watch his toes. Warriors didn’t really wiggle them but he did move them. He could hear them.

Proxi continued, “you’re safe, Link. You’re in your room at the vampire estate. We’re all going to make sure you get better but you have to relax and get as much rest as you can, alright?”

Link tried to mumble something again.

“I’m not surprised that everything hurts. You have third degree burns everywhere except for your feet! I don’t think third degree burns even describe all the burns you have! They’re worse than that! That’s why the only thing you have to worry about is resting, okay? Even trying to talk is going to hurt, so stop doing that for a bit.”

“You can hear him?” Hyrule asked, raising an eyebrow. Warriors shifted again but this time, it looked like he was just trying to get more comfortable. Either he exhausted himself or he decided to follow their advice and go back to sleep.

“There’s more to it but one of the ways I translated for him when he lacked the confidence to speak for himself is through his lips. I know the gist of what he says, even if he can’t move his lips much,” she answered with a tone indicating that she wasn’t going to say anything more on the matter. “Maybe you should go to sleep too. You’ve been exhausting yourself trying to heal him. Now that he can hear again, you should take a little break! You did really well!”

“I guess I should.” He did finish what he set out to do – he helped Warriors hear again. “I’ll head out while I have the energy to get back to bed. You share the good news, okay?”

“You got it!”

Hyrule kept his promise and didn’t use any of his magic on Warriors the next couple of days. In fact, he didn’t go into Warriors’ room at all, knowing that it would be hard to resist healing him if Hyrule was in the same room. However, he didn’t really know what to do with himself.

Part of the problem was that he just wasn’t comfortable in the estate, even though Elena and the Hylians who worked in the estate tried their best to be welcoming. Hyrule was used to smaller and simpler places. His favourite cave was basically his home, even though he could stay with the Zeldas if he really wanted to but like this estate, he was never truly comfortable at their castle.

The other part was just that it was never quite easy to relax when one of them was injured, in pain, or ill and there wasn’t a lot he could do about it. He wanted to help so he felt like he should be doing something but at the end of the day, all Warriors needed to regenerate was just blood and sleep. The vampires had the blood part covered just fine and Warriors couldn’t really do anything but sleep. While the magic helped, Warriors didn’t actually need it and the others would get mad if they thought he was using too much of it.

Hyrule was brought out of his thoughts when he spotted Four, Wild, and Legend at the giant window. Sky sitting on the other bed, trying to keep his eyes open as the rain beat against the windows rhythmically. Wild didn’t sleep in this room, so Hyrule wasn’t sure why he was there, or even when he got there but with the way he was watching the rain, he didn’t think he was leaving any time soon.

“Do you think the full vampires could go out in weather like this?” Four asked out loud. “Technically, there isn’t any sunlight.”

“I wouldn’t risk it if I was one. Weather can change suddenly. I think they would be fine in this weather though.”

“We would be but you’re right, most would not risk it. My apologies for barging in.”

Sky nearly fell out of the bed getting up so fast. “Elena, Beth, nice to see you two,” he said quickly as he recovered.

“You’re either here for good news or bad news,” Legend mumbled. Beth walked into the room first, though she stayed close to the bed post with the curtains.

“I wouldn’t call it good news or bad news. Just news,” Elena said as she closed the door behind her. “I’ve spoken to the others downstairs already so I’m glad the rest of you are here. In short, Link is regenerating more than we thought. We figured this out when he threw up what we think is the damaged lining of his throat and stomach. He has more of appetite now so getting rid of that must have helped.”

Wild nodded along. “That’s kind of gross but it doesn’t sound bad,” he mumbled, before he suddenly winced. “Oh... the rest of his burns might be similar.”

“Yes, we think those burns need to be debrided now. We left his burns alone because we didn’t know how his body was going to regenerate but it’s clear to us now that his body is not going to use or repair the burnt flesh. If we help him get rid of it, he may regenerate faster.”

Hyrule could see the logic but he also didn’t enjoy the idea of taking bits of Warriors off, even if it helped him. It shouldn’t hurt him as much as getting staked did but the thought of it still made him shiver.

“He shouldn’t feel much of it, right?” Four asked slowly. “Like, if his skin is black, it’s dead, isn’t it?”

“It shouldn’t hurt too much if we take it off but even if it did hurt, I believe it’s still necessary to do. Unless any of you want to help, there is a Hylian doctor in the estate who is aware of the situation and has the expertise to help him. I just wanted to make sure you were aware.”

Hyrule swallowed hard but didn’t say anything. “When are you planning on doing this?”

“Soon. We might as well get it out of the way. If there are no concerns, I will go get that doctor.”

They all mumbled no, so Elena left with a promise of letting them know how Warriors fared. When the door closed, Wild let out a deep breath.

“I wish I went on that walk with him or told him to stay. He always wanders off for a bit and comes back so I wasn’t worried when he left,” Wild said with a sigh. “How was I supposed to know it would be different?”

“You didn’t. It’s easy to feel bad and hard to accept that you can’t change it,” Beth mumbled from behind the bed post. Hyrule looked to the window but it was still raining. “I see the older vampires in Holodrum beat themselves up all the time. They look at vampires like Audrey and I and they feel intense guilt about the fact that they didn’t stop the vampire who turned us against our will. They always question what they could have done differently because they feel responsible... but we don’t blame them at all. They can think about what they could have done all they want but it’s now that matters.”

For a moment, nobody spoke. Hyrule had a feeling that her words sunk deeper to the others than it did for him. He didn’t have a lot of regrets that he brought from his home – his era was a work in progress and he was kind of proud of the progress it was making. It was slow but it was continuous. He supposed most his regret came from what he could or couldn’t do for the group but even that seemed to come and go.

“About being turned against their will... why is that significant?” Hyrule asked when nobody else seemed willing to break their awkward silence.

“No matter which country we’re in, vampires take consent very seriously. We don’t drink from people unless we get their permission to do so. We don’t turn people unless they ask for it. It’s part of the peace agreement we have with non-vampires... You guys don’t know a lot about vampire culture,” she mumbled, like she was just realizing that she was talking to Hylians.

“We don’t have vampires where or when we come from. At least not any that we’re aware of,” Wild muttered, putting a hand on his chin. He seemed a bit better but Hyrule decided he was going to watch him.

“Except for Legend, who saw vampires and didn’t know it,” Sky said with a smirk.

“Hey! None of you were supposed to know about that! Ravio’s getting a talk the next time we see him.”

Beth laughed. “Well, I should get going since I don’t want to be around when the weather decides to change. You guys are free to ask us questions though! Well, Marcus is a little grumpy so maybe it’s best to avoid him but ask the rest of us! We’re happy to talk!”

She didn’t wait for them answer and dashed out. Hyrule looked out to the window again. The rain stopped, though it was still cloudy. Huh, maybe they just had a sense for that sort of thing.

[viciousrocket]

Vicious watched the kid's reaction to the ball, wondering if the surges were worse than what he was led to believe, then again, he didn't blame the kid either if he was downplaying it. He was alone in a scary world and the most helpful adult in his life was working for the mafia....That was a depressing thought if he ever had one.

His hand reached over to the kid and patted his head, careful not to knock the hair loose this time.

Then he heard the dad comment. He patted for a bit longer, looking away, trying to hide his blush, but failing, judging by Weavile's snickering. Judging by the teen's cough, it was probably something sarcastic or a slip of the tongue so he wasn't going to call the kid out. "That's good then, if that works then the phone I have for you should work, nothing too fancy since I used a pokegear as the base, but it can take calls and store maps if needed, though it's not compatible with a rotom." he admitted as he finally pulled his hand back.

"I sometimes break normal pokeballs, so I make my own. If you want, I can make a few spares for you if the test catch works, and no worries; it won't be a permanent catch. I respect your choices on things. He's still too little to go out, but if you become friends, you're welcome to pick the little guy up in a month or so. Garr keeps bringing me his eggs for some reason."

It felt a bit weird to call the Pokemon by his name, but it was fine for now. He wouldn't use it during work or battles, but around the place, it should be fine. Weavile had shuffled a bit closer to the teen as well., probably more curious about the other now, given Vicious's reaction to the slip-up.

"I'll go get the little guy and get him outside, he's probably terrorized the room I left him in, but I don't want him roaming around outside without someone watching him, because his sister constantly had to be rescued." he admitted with a sigh, "Larvitar are stubborn things but earn their trust and they are loyal for life I find."

As soon as the man dipped inside to get the phone and the Pokemon, Weavile turned to Altra with a smirk. "Did you mean it when you called him dad?"

The teen jumped the moment the ball was tossed to him. Mostly concerned cause he had witnessed pokeballs explode in his hands. He would catch it, his eyes shutting to a close as if bracing for some sort of eruption..

But.. nothing came.

Thus he opened one eye cautiously, then the other and looking down to the pokeball in his hands. Well, to Altra's rather.. freakishly large hands it looked small. But there was nothing. No smolder, no frantic sparking. Altra looked bewildered to have something his mother hadn't made specifically for him... not blow up.

He was almost lost in amazement before Vic's words snapped him back. Though it was clear he wasn't entirely all 'there' in the moment. Panic, mixed with the sudden realization that he didn't destroy something he touched?

That was why Vic's entire bit of 'accepting he needed help'.. ended with the Teen almost looking defeated, shoulders hunched and eyes down.

"Yes Dad..." Though he quickly caught himself and coughed. But then latched onto talk of 'Leal' instead. Trying to shove past his slip due to his distraction.

"It.. feels.. fine? It hasn't sparked, I haven't heard anything screaming from it.. That happened with a Rotom phone I once held." He winced at that. He'd confident that ONE instance is what caused all Rotom's to despise him. Even if it wasn't his fault, at least he believed so. It's just a dumb curse.. right?

"I mean.. I think so? I'm not gonna try to crush it if that's what you mean?" It did feel really sturdy though. And considering he barely blinked when punching and destroying builders to get them out of his path, he didn't know if a pokeball could stand up to THAT kind of force.

"At least it doesn't feel like it'll get crushed.." He rolled it in his hands a bit curiously.

[mblue-art]

out w these tall clowns 🌲🌸

[oklotea]

Sooooo I haven't moved on from the trolls world tour bounty hunters.

The reggaeton trolls and their really cool designs and music....

Hickory and Dickory's entire thing with playing the long haul in trying to get close to poppy to steal her string.......

THE KPOP TROLLS AND THEIR MISSED POTENTIAL AND AND THEIR DESIGNS AND THEY'RE REALLY CUTE AND LOVELY

And CHAZ THE FUCKING SMOOTH JAZZ TROLL!??!??!??!?! need I say more. I mean just look at him.

I am going to start. A fandom. Surrounding these guys. Just watch me.

They are so silly and I love them

[dbphantom]

Hate having adhd went to go work on my fallout modpack, got distracted while going to disable the steam overlay, ended up in the points shop, went to go edit my profile, decided to change my pfp, found a buried folder I forgot existed, found some old Veneer art I forgot existed, spent 45 minutes looking at all the old photos, STILL HAVE NOT TOGGLED ONE SIMPLE OPTION THAT SHOULD'VE TAKEN 30 SECONDS AT MOST

[tacticalthaumaturge]

I'm starting to see seemingly unironic posts to the tune of "Biden's useless because he's not taking advantage of the 7/1/24 presidential immunity decision to persecute his political enemies" and

Is that *really* the hill the tumblr left wants to die on? Is it really? That authoritarianism is good, actually, as long as its one of "our guys" doing it?

All I'm saying is that if we're gonna clown (because we gotta process somehow), just be mindful of Poe's Law. And if you're being serious here... the idea that unchecked power is a good thing, actually, is one I don't see compatible with a pluralistic society, and I'm curious why you think it is.

[longagoitwastuesday]

I actually like the last chapter. I think the ideas are very good. I have my qualms on how some things were managed, as I always do, but I think shonen authors get tangled in the expectations of a shonen to the point it jeopardises their writing, often even when they're not lacking in skills

[carcarrot]

i did tell you people i met a they might be giant right.

[toytulini]

Disclaimer im just processing some thoughts im not cancelling the show

have almost thoughts about how i find the like....narrative on here that if you have chronic "zebra" conditions youd want a doctor like House and wouldnt sue for malpractice bc at least youd have a doctor that cares about whats wrong with you but lets take it one step further. so often he does NOT give a shit about the patient and actively endangers them frequently with his god damn heoric era of medicine approach? non zero amount of times he gets a diagnosis but it comes too late, or he gets a diagnosis after their first wrong 3 guesses of the episode shut down the patients kidneys and they either have to get a transplant or they are just, doomed due to other preexisting conditions etc? idk. i know ppl are almost certainly exaggerating and just letting off steam about the very real failures of our current medical systems and the ableism baked in and All That Shit. i just think its weird how ppl romanticize House who STILL, FREQUENTLY, MULTIPLE EPISODES will actively dismiss shit in the exact way that is a problem in our current system, especially when hes being Forced Against His Will To See Clinic Parients, he loves to be dismissive as fuck of symptoms and if he was a real doctor i think he'd be fucking 50/50 on cases he Notices Something To Dig Into vs cases he dismisses as an Anxious Hysterical Woman Who Wants Attention, the only reason he's Right so frequently in his snap judgements is cos it reinforces the narrative. its like a crime drama that has the mastermind serial killer masterfully using "loopholes" and lawyering up all sneaky and dodging Justice and if only our poor little cop protags were allowed to do A TEENY BIT of Justified Police Brutality, they could Save Lives!

and like sometimes in the show they will have a patient die despite his efforts to narratively punish him. not to mention, i think its been at least mildly brought up and glossed over how much they absolutely do not think about insurance costs for these ppl for the insane amount of tests that find nothing and Wrong Medications To Force A Diagnosis they use? i think it was brought up once in the episode following a day in the life of cuddy where she had to fight a lawsuit bc a guys insurance like didnt cover his thumb being reattached but chase reattached it anyway while in surgery cos it was The Right Thing To Do and the guy didnt have the money to cover it and the insurance wouldnt pay unless he sued the hospital or whatever. thats like the only time its come up. whereas like frequently the doctor I go to for osteopathic manipulation tries to check in with me and make sure im covered by insurance etc and that im not going to go broke or get buried in medical debt seeing her.

idk. just some Thoughts. not a defense of our current system and all the flaws it enables and enforces etc. his approach to medicine is really reminiscent to me of what I know of the Heroic Era Of Medicine which i dont...love? and hes framed on here as being an asshole but would kill for his patients to get them a diagnosis etc. but hes definitely extremely paternalistic to patients ? and despite some good clippable lines about ableism and being against eugenics, it honestly feels like his stance on that is kind of a toss up.

[flovverworks]

after a billion yrs i added a lil line about my gbf verse.....<3 one day i might flesh it out to something in-universe, but since gbf is so "oh ure from another world? ya that happens..." i....am gonna keep w that..........(also cuz i do think discussing the different ways of magic, moon-enemy & this n that is more fun like this

[moonsidesong]

played the fangame danganronpa another with a friend and i didn't really like the ending but i very much enjoyed mekaru bc she's just woman byakuya togami. i'm going to talk a lot in the tags now

[viulus]

I just finished the Big Encounter tm in Disco Elysium, and... Jesus fucking christ, man

[gatheryepens]

Week 2 of exams done one more week babyyyy ;)