#17 June 2024

[northgazaupdates]

17 June 2024

Photographer Osama Abu Rabie speaks with 9-year-old Mohammad, who is spending Eid Al-Adha alone after the murder of his father by the occupation. Mohammad tells Osama what he wishes he could tell his father. English subtitles in video.

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A post shared by OSAMA A RABEA (@dn_osama)

[shevvys-pictures]

'Studies Show Study Shows' from June 17, 2024. I really, really, really, really adore this piece.

[card-of-the-day]

Today's Card Is: Sigil

[royalarchivist]

Phil: [While talking about places he and Kristin want to visit] "Mexico?" Yes. In fact, I talked to Big Q just the other night, and he is– he says that we are in his bad books because we have not gone to Mexico yet. [Laughs] I was catching up with him, and he was like "King, when you coming–" I was like, tellin him like, my plans, and he's telling me his plans and stuff, just like, shooting the sht, and he said, "So no Mexico?" and I was like, "Dude, we will I promise," and he's like, "No, you're in- you're in the bad books now. You and Kristin." [Laughs] I was like– "Dude, we're coming! Don't worry."

Phil: He wants to like– he wants us to go to Mexico City so we can like, literally get the grand tour from him. He wants to show me his house, which I thought was quite cute. I've seen pictures! I've seen pictures of the inside of his house. That is– that is a lot of brick! If that sht falls– fck dude. [Laughs] It's a lot of stone and brick. Also– wouldn't it get really fcking hot? Isn't that just gonna heat up like crazy? I don't know, man.

Phil: It's– it's on the cards, though. It's on the cards. We do want to visit. I think it'll be very cool. And what better way to visit Mexico than to have Big Q just fcking take us to all the wicked spots for food and drink and just like, hang out. I think it'd be really cool.

[genevawrenn]

Veterans Duo agreeing the baby zombie spawners are a personal 'fuck you' from Mojang against Philza Minecraft.

Veterans Duo just have such an amazing history together, I will take any iterations I can get. I miss them, please game together again.

Stream date is June 17, 2024

[ldshadowdoodles]

[209] A little love heart from lizzie.

-🐌

[miyrumiyru]

Thinnest goth girl showing her gothic wings.

(F) 검은물잠자리 (Atrocalopteryx atrata)

[shes-some-other-where]

June of Doom Day 10, Day 12, Day 17

“Can you hear me?” | Fear | “You don’t want to do that.” | Struggle | Grief

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Contains: royalty whump, restraints, death mention, murder mention, fantasy drug/potion, threats

WC: 620

Mark my words

A door creaked open. Light flashed, illuminating his prison: a dark dungeon cell with a single door, thick wood with only a tiny, barred opening through which a guard might peer to inspect his prisoner and ensure he still drew breath. It swung wide, swaying on its rusted hinges. The seer flinched at the door’s ominous croak.

In stepped a man he’d never seen before.

“Seer-prince,” said the stranger. “Or, rather, former prince.”

The seer thrashed in his chains, choking on words he didn’t have the time or wherewithal to plan. Stifled words of rage and confusion—and fear.

“Your family’s line is ended, and you are a prisoner,” said the stranger. He folded his arms, watching the seer’s struggles coolly. “The former king and queen are dead. You serve a new queen, and a new crown prince.” He smiled. “Me.”

Dead. “No,” he tried to say. “No!”

“Yes. Killed, too, is your brother. And your court. Nothing remains.”

“My . . . brother . . . ?” Only seventeen. Brave and brash. Dead.

“Slain with my own blade. I slit his throat.”

The grey eyes glinted, as if he knew was the seer would ask next. As if he anticipated it.

“My . . . sister . . .” He coughed, forcing out the garbled syllables, as shock and panic burrowed into him even more.

Dead?

The usurper grinned. “Alive.” He chuckled. “And she will remain so, if you do as I say. So, listen well.”

Too much, too fast. His parents and brother, slaughtered. His sister, living—but where? Hurt? What had happened to her? Had she witnessed the murders? Had this killer really kept her alive? To what purpose? Was it too much to hope for? What if this so-called prince was lying?

And how was he to know, locked in a dungeon, with no memories to fall back on because he’d been too much of a coward to face his visions every night?

“I said, listen, seer.”

The voice was cold and cruel, sneering and harsh, but it was not wrathful. It did not shout. Its patience was wearing thin, but that patience endured. For now.

With no other option, the seer looked up. The usurper’s image swam and wobbled.

“I own you now,” said the usurper, “and your fascinating little magic trick.” He smiled. “Ah—yes—I know about your visions, and how you chose the path of weakness to avoid them. There will be no more of that. All you see? Mine to know.” He stepped forward and crouched, and though he lowered his voice, the words only seemed to grow louder. “You will spill every secret, and your precious sister lives another day.”

The revulsion, the thought of coping with the visions every night for the rest of his life until they finally destroyed him, had him shaking his head in horror.

“Oh,” said the usurper softly. “Mark my words. You don’t want to refuse me. I will not make this kind, merciful offer again. So. In case your soft, drug-addled brain didn’t comprehend the first time, I will repeat myself once. Do you hear me? Only once.”

The seer stilled, bile burning hot and rancid in his throat.

“You are mine to wield and to control. There will be no more suppressing of your visions. If you don’t learn to control this gift of yours, and if you refuse to share what you learn with me and the queen you now serve, I will kill your sister in front of you, and then it will be your turn, and your family’s bloodline will be ended once and for all.”

The tears in the seer’s eyes spilled over, soaking into the heavy muzzle that rendered him unable to acquiesce. The chains fell still and silent.

The usurper prince smiled again.

June of Doom Masterlist

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@juneofdoom

All my writing is original. Feel welcome to interact/comment/reblog. Pls don’t steal or repost.

[montammil]

June of Doom Day 17 - "You don't want to do that."

| Struggle | Blackmail | Desperate Measures |

Characters: Rowan, Sawyer

I think this counts for desperate measures?

Also I got a little too into this writing and got some ideas for making a similar scene like this canon soon >:D If it looks like I rushed at the end you're totally just imagining things (spoiler: yes i did end up rushing the ending--)

CW: Heavily implied noncon, yandere/intimate whumper, forced marriage, depressed whumpee, multiple whumpers(?), failed escape

...

Sawyer had managed to get on Rowan's good side again recently. It wasn't easy, and it took a lot of effort on his part, but he managed to convince him he wouldn't run again. And to a certain degree, he meant it.

He didn't want to run because he didn't want any other innocent people dying, or just getting tortured in the basement. Even the thought of getting locked in that damn shed again made him feel sick.

But still, the desire to escape and return to his normal life plagued his mind. He craved human interaction. He missed his friends, and even the creeps at Indigo. At least those creeps made him money.

And over time, he grew depressed. No matter how many times Rowan assured him he loved him, he didn't feel loved. He felt like a prisoner, a doll he liked to play with. Their relationship had changed drastically; now that he was no longer had the motivation to rebel and escape, Rowan would rather coax him into getting things over with instead of forcing him.

He no longer felt like a person. He wasn't allowed to do anything for himself, and he spent most of his time doing chores or sleeping.

He tried talking to Rowan about getting back to work at Indigo, just to sing on the weekends, but it only earned him a harsh scolding.

"Good evening, darling!" Rowan sang as he entered the kitchen. He went straight for Sawyer, kissing the top of his head. "How was your day?"

Every day, Rowan asked the same question. It was pretty funny, considering he knew how his day was, considering he'd only leave him alone for ten minutes at a time.

Today Rowan gave him a little extra privacy, since he spent a while outside. It was odd behavior, but he thought nothing of it. "You know how it was." He gave a little shrug. "When you were gone, I just cleaned the kitchen."

He'd already done it twice today, but he was bored out of his mind. Being stuck here had turned his life from mildly boring to unbearably mundane.

He barely had any hobbies outside of singing, and he hated whenever Rowan caught him even humming. So his only form of entertainment was cleaning.

Rowan sighed, but kept smiling. "Don't sound so glum! I have a surprise for you outside by the dock."

"A surprise...?" he repeated slowly. He felt like he was being tricked, but he had been on his best behavior. There wasn't any reason for Rowan to be deceitful. He hoped.

He wrapped his arms around his waist, lifting him up from the chair. "Yup, and it's a special one too." He took Sawyer's hand and walked with him through the sliding door. They stepped through the grass, passing by the empty garden. It wasn't the dock itself Rowan was talking about, but what was close by the dock, the overgrown gazebo Sawyer recognized from his early captivity.

Fairy lights had been hung up, shining brightly under the darkening sky. He saw a small table with two chairs. There was a glass vase filled with roses, and a bottle of wine sitting in the middle.

"We're eating outside?" Sawyer guessed.

"Yes," Rowan chirped. "But that's not all, come on." He tugged Sawyer's hand to make him speed up. Rowan was too excited, and Sawyer was worried. He guided them to the steps of the gazebo, leading him up them.

Sawyer took a seat once they got to the tables. He watched Rowan fidget with something with his back turned, but didn't have the energy to worry.

Worst case scenario? Rowan would shoot him. Best case scenario? Rowan would shoot him.

He sat back in the chair, closing his eyes for a moment. He inhaled, and the crisp night air felt good. It was actually sort of nice to be outside, but it didn't do much to calm his nerves. He listened to the quiet sounds of the outdoors.

It was peaceful, despite the fact he had no idea what Rowan wanted from him. Sawyer looked down at the spaghetti on their plates. Rowan must've made it when Sawyer took a quick nap on the couch.

"What's the occasion?" Sawyer asked. Rowan finally turned to him, pocketing whatever he was messing with.

"Can't a man want a romantic dinner with his boyfriend?" Rowan chuckled. He pulled his own chair back to take a seat.

Sawyer didn't even have the energy to laugh. 'Boyfriend'. Yeah, right. More like stalker, abuser, kidnapper. The list went on and on. He prodded at his food. "I appreciate the dinner." He didn't feel like eating, but he knew that'd upset Rowan. He learnt how to pick his fights over the past few weeks. "But why are we eating outside?"

Rowan popped the cork of the wine. He filled their glasses, then drank from his own. "I just had a feeling that you would like this," he answered. "It's healthy to get some fresh air every now and then. Plus, look at this view."

He gestured to the sunset in the distance. It was breathtakingly gorgeous, Sawyer had to admit. He'd never seen such a picturesque scene before, yet he had no enthusiasm towards it.

It was like a piece was missing. He didn't feel excited or happy or free, he felt numb.

It was almost scary, how quickly his mindset had shifted. He went from being a hot headed spitfire who was determined to escape, to a broken shell of a man who did everything in his power to appease his deranged kidnapper.

He supposed being isolated for so long did that to a person.

He managed to force himself to eat some of the food, just to get Rowan off his back. It felt like a rock settling in his stomach. It was even worse when Rowan kept touching his arm, rubbing small circles over his skin.

It felt so wrong, yet Sawyer couldn't do anything about it. He didn't even try to pull away anymore. It was useless.

The silence between them felt like a vice grip, squeezing tighter and tighter. Rowan kept stealing glances at him, but Sawyer didn't even notice.

The sound of Rowan clearing his throat snapped him back to reality. "Do you like it?" he asked. He reached out to brush a stray hair from Sawyer's cheek, tucking it behind his ear.

"Yeah." Sawyer nodded, only because he had no other choice. "It's amazing. Thank you."

That made Rowan smile. "Good." He finished the rest of his wine, then stood up and reached back into his pocket. Sawyer could hardly see what it was because Rowan had the small object held tightly in both hands.

Then, suddenly, he knelt. Sawyer's brows knitted together, confused. This couldn't be good.

"Sawyer." Rowan cleared his throat. He took a deep breath, holding out a ring box. When he opened it, a band of silver rested inside, shining in the fairy lights above. "Will you marry me?"

Sawyer had never been so speechless in his entire life. He almost couldn't breathe, he had to swallow to keep his mouth from hanging open. His hands clenched into fists, digging his nails into his palms to keep from tearing his hair out. Of all the things Sawyer thought he would do, this wasn't one of them. This was far beyond insanity.

But then again, Rowan had never been stable to begin with.

"Sawyer, my love, please say something." Rowan's voice was almost shaky. For once he didn't look cocky, he looked scared. Maybe scared wasn't the right word. It was more like a plea.

He really cared about the answer, and Sawyer had no idea why. If Rowan wanted to get married, he could easily force it.

Then again, Sawyer was starting to realize Rowan didn't want to be forceful. He wasn't a (completely) sadistic man.

He really wanted Sawyer to love him. It was sad, almost. Rowan was so pathetic in this moment that Sawyer almost felt bad for him. But that was hard when he remembered the murders and abuse and torture.

"Do you actually care for what I have to say, or do you just expect me to say yes?" Sawyer spoke slow and soft, a stark contrast to Rowan's tense tone.

Rowan looked ready to cry. "If you don't like the ring, I can get you another one! I-I was stuck between silver or gold, but you seemed to like silver more. Am I wrong? Or we could do something entirely different! Something unique, like you. I wouldn't mind, this one only cost me a few thousand." He was rambling, which was almost amusing, in its own morbid way.

Sawyer sighed heavily. He wasn't in the mood to deal with this bullshit. It was ridiculous how much Rowan tried to force this illusion of a loving relationship on him.

An idea popped into his head. "Where would we have the ceremony? Or, uh, the honeymoon?"

"Anywhere you want."

He was surprisingly agreeable, given how protective of him he was. "Could I invite my family and friends?" Not that his family would willingly come. They'd probably be happier to come to his funeral than wedding, even if it was a real wedding.

Rowan hesitated. "I can't do that, honey. It's not worth the risk. But I can bring some of my family! They'd be supportive of us. You would like them." His tone was hopeful. "My cousin is a preacher, so we don't have to go through the trouble of finding someone."

The response was exactly what Sawyer expected. "Great," he said flatly. Maybe this would give him a better escape-route. "Then... I accept. Your proposal, I mean."

He didn't mean for it to come out like they were making a business deal, but he didn't see it as anything else. It was a terrible decision, but one that he felt he needed to make in order to keep what little sanity Rowan had left.

And even if he couldn't get an escape out of it, being legally married wouldn't change much for him.

Rowan didn't seem to notice Sawyer's lack of enthusiasm. He slipped the ring onto Sawyer's finger, then kissed the back of his hand. "Perfect fit," he whispered. "I love you." He kissed his hand again, staring up at him with watery eyes. "I love you so so much."

...

Their "wedding" was being held at a vineyard, since apparently his sister owned one. It took just two months to plan, but it was planned to the nines.

Everything was perfect to Rowan.

For Sawyer, it was the opposite. The flowers weren't the ones he wanted. The decorations were tacky. He was dressed in a suit that made him feel like he was being choked. And to make things worse, the guests consisted of people he never met before. Rowan explained that they were distant cousins and aunt and uncles, but that did little to comfort him.

If he could just find the right moment to escape or beg for help when Rowan finally left his side, then maybe everything would be okay.

He found it slightly odd how accepting almost his entire family was of this. None of them commented on how fast they were getting married, or the fact they never met Sawyer before and now they were just jumping into getting wed.

He assumed they had a little knowledge of his tendencies beforehand.

"Rowan!" a man called.

Sawyer glanced over. It was a guy who was just a few inches taller than him, having messy light brown hair and pale blue eyes. He wore a black dress shirt, and jeans. He seemed to be in his mid-20s. The man embraced Rowan in a tight hug.

"Griffin! Good to see you," Rowan said as they parted. "Where's Felicity, by the way?"

The younger man crossed his arms. "Wooow, that's all I get? Anyway, she's trying to make sure Jessica doesn't try to ruin everything." He laughed. Sawyer noticed Rowan scowl at the name, but didn't get any time to think about why, as Griffin was already making eye-contact with him. "So is this Sawyer?" He flashed a smile. "Damn, Rowan, you picked a good one." He pretended to be hurt when Rowan hit him across the head. "Ow! I was joking! I hope Sawyer knows he's about to marry a dick."

"Sawyer," Rowan started. "This is my little brother, Griffin. Don't mind him, he was dropped on his head as a baby."

Their bickering gave Sawyer some kind of illusion of normalcy, but it was quickly shattered when Rowan gripped his shoulder. Sawyer hadn't even noticed him move. Griffin waved goodbye before leaving, and Sawyer watched him go.

They walked a while to their destination. There were some other people mingling in the halls, and even more outside in the garden.

Some of the other guests took notice of the pair and congratulated them, and Rowan would thank them and dismiss himself as politely as possible.

Sawyer thought he'd only be seeing Rowan after the whole ceremony, but apparently he seemed to have no issue breaking the typical wedding traditions.

Who he assumed was Felicity greeted them both. She looked the most similar to Rowan, having a darker shade of hair and darker purple eyes from behind her glasses.

"It's lovely to meet you, Sawyer," she said, her voice more reserved than her brothers'. "I'm sure you'll take good care of my little brother, won't you?" She offered a teasing smile.

"Uhm, yeah, I'll try. He's been great to me," he lied, forcing a smile back.

"Oh, by the way, where's Jess?" Rowan cut in. He still hadn't let go of Sawyer's shoulder.

"Right here."

Great. Another one. Sawyer was getting tired of meeting new people already. She had long brown hair and green eyes, wearing a knee-length emerald dress.

She didn't look too happy to be here, but it was hard to tell when she hardly showed any emotion. "What? Got a problem?" She swirled what appeared like white wine in her glass. "I thought this was a party."

Sawyer almost wanted to laugh at her exaggerated 'rich person' voice. Rowan did not. "It is, and it's a celebration for my marriage. I hope you don't go making yourself the center of attention like you did at Griffin's graduation party."

Jessie's nose wrinkled. "You'll never live that down, will you?"

It was moments like these that Sawyer was reminded Rowan was human. It was sweet to see him care for his brother and sister, and the rest of his family (save for his aunt). Sawyer reminded himself to not feel guilty for planning an escape. Rowan did not deserve his pity.

After a while longer of mingling, Sawyer and Rowan separated to put on their actual wedding clothes. Sawyer was dragged off by Felicity, and Rowan by Griffin. He watched Felicity grab a white suit with a black dress shirt and tie out of the closet. The white fabric was covered with delicate lace designs. It looked custom-made and beyond expensive. He didn't even realize he never saw his suit until now.

As much as Rowan liked to pretend he cared, Sawyer's opinion didn't matter to him.

"Rowan sure has a lot of family," Sawyer exhaled. He got into his suit while Felicity turned around. He had no idea why she was here, but maybe it was a good thing. He could finally get some help.

She hummed. "Yes, it's quite a lot, and most of them didn't even show up. Rowan has been wanting to get married for a while now. I'm happy he's finally found someone. He's always been a lonely guy, so it's nice to know he's going to settle down."

Sawyer finished dressing in his suit, wondering if he should rip the bandaid or not. He felt like he was on a timer and needed to get this done now. He tried to steady his breathing. "Rowan kidna--"

Felicity stepped forwards to fix his crudely done tie. "Did you know he told me that he first saw you when he was visiting that club you sing at? He wouldn't stop talking about it. I had to cut him off an hour into our call to tell him I had to go. Every time he'd call me from that day, you were always the main topic of conversation. He's tried to talk about you with Griff, but he's more interested in doing... whatever it is he does."

"So did he tell you... um..." No way he told her, right? She had to be oblivious, no way--

"He kidnapped you? No, but I figured it out pretty quick. He's had a history of obsessing over people, he got in trouble for it a lot in high school," she chuckled, as if this was funny. "And the way he described you, well... I gathered you weren't very interested in him romantically. Or at all."

Sawyer swallowed hard. "And you're treating this like it's normal?"

With a sigh, she nodded. "Listen. I know you think you don't want this, but when you get to know him, you'll see he's a great guy. His heart is in the right place, and I'm tired of seeing him so depressed and self-destructive all the time. He needs someone to balance him out. Maybe that person can be you. It already seems to be working, honestly."

He gaped at her. "You... you can't be serious..." He shook his head, desperate. "He doesn't need me, he needs fucking therapy! If not that, then prison! He killed a man, did he tell you that too? He's insane and--"

"I can see that you're not very open to this," she cut in. "So I'll give you a little advice. Just don't bother fighting it. Things will be better for you if you go along with it, and it'll be easier for everyone."

She left the room, leaving Sawyer even more distraught than he was before.

Fuck that. He had to get out of here.

Sawyer peeked out the window. There was a decent drop, but it looked like he could climb out and reach the ground safely. He didn't care about damaging the suit, he just wanted to escape.

He scrambled to the window and threw it open. It didn't have a screen, luckily. He hoisted himself up and was about to make his escape when a voice resounded the room.

"You don't want to do that," he heard Rowan say.

Sawyer's heart raced. He didn't know what to say, but it turned out he didn't need to. He was just glad he was still facing away from him, he didn't want Rowan to see his tears.

"Come back in. Close the window, then turn around and face me." Sawyer didn't move. "Or else I'll just postpone the wedding because you mysteriously broke your legs."

Sawyer gritted his teeth. He knew Rowan's threats weren't bluffs, so he reluctantly pushed the window back shut.

He turned to him, but refused to make eye-contact.

"Good boy." Rowan walked over to him and pulled him into his chest. Sawyer hated how natural it felt to be there. "Are you scared, love? Do I frighten you?" Sawyer didn't respond, but it didn't seem like Rowan expected him to. "It didn't have to be this way. I thought you would've realized this by now. But that's okay." His breath ghosted his lips and his voice turned into a hissing whisper. "I'll just reserve my anger for our honeymoon. I'm not letting this night be ruined."

He heard footsteps approaching and turned his head, just as the door opened. "Rowan?" Griffin called. "We're about to start."

Rowan released Sawyer and smiled. "Coming!" He reached down to hold Sawyer's hand, dragging him out with him.

The ceremony was just a blur for Sawyer. He tried his best to zone out, but he still felt Rowan's heavy stare on him the entire time. He said his vows without stuttering, but he was a wreck on the inside.

This was something he never wanted to do. He wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

Rowan's grip on his hands was almost bruising. "I do." He squeezed even harder.

"And do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, 'till death do you part?"

'Till death do us part', Sawyer thought. For some reason, it felt like he was selling his soul to the devil in that moment. He bit down on his lip to the point it bled. "I do."

"I now pronounce you husband and... husband. You may kiss the groom."

The kiss was chaste, but it still felt like a million bugs crawling all over his body. Rowan seemed to have no remorse, he was practically beaming. Sawyer had tears running down his eyes, but it seemed everyone around him thought they were happy tears. He let his shoulders slump and he tried to get out of Rowan's grasp, but Rowan would never allow that. He held his hand throughout the reception, as well. Sawyer just stopped fighting a while ago.

The cake was nice, and he drank a shit ton of alcohol to try to dull the pain. Everyone just thought he was nervous. Rowan's family was too happy to assume anything was wrong, and Sawyer just couldn't bring himself to speak up.

Griffin was the only one who asked if he was okay, but he was quickly pulled away to go dance by Rowan.

Sawyer could only silently dread waiting to find out what Rowan meant when he mentioned saving his anger for their honeymoon.

[northgazaupdates]

17 June 2024

Journalists Abed Alqadr Sabbah and Karam Naji distribute toys to children around north Gaza in celebration of Eid al-Adha

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A post shared by عبد القادر صباح (@abd.sabbah)

[itsallmadonnasfault]

Paris Is Burning 🔥🔥🔥

[littlemixdaily]

perriehq: Performing live as a solo artist for the first time to a cool casual 80,000 people? No problem for @ perrieedwards 🔥 @ capitalofficial #CapitalSTB 💧 Who’s ready for Tears??

[royalarchivist]

Dono: Wasn't Roier saying if you go to Mexico, he'd show you a good time too? love that everyone in QSMP wants everyone to have a good time in their countries

Phil: Oh yeah, I guarantee– I guarantee the Mexicans will just like, fcking teleport in, right? That's a crazy sentence. [Laughs] I guarantee the Mexicans would teleport in as soon as we said like, "Oh, we're gonna show up at this time."

Dono: The mental image of you guys getting off a plane in Mexico and then [they] suddenly appears out of thin air is hilarious

Phil: Yeah, I imagine they'd be standing like this– [Phil stands up and does a 🧍 pose] like, in a line. All together in a line, guarant– like, that's how I imagine it. [Laughs] Right at the airport.

[serickswrites]

You Don't Want to Do That

Warnings: referenced kidnapping, referenced torture, black mail, referenced restraints

Caretaker rummaged in their desk drawer for their bottle of anti-inflammatories. Their head was pounding from lack of sleep, but they couldn't stop their search. They had to keep going. Whumpee was counting on them.

Whumper had taken Whumpee two days ago. Taken Whumpee and left a note warning Caretaker what would happen if Caretaker went for help. Left a note with a picture of Whumpee, tied up and bruised. Left a note with a threat and a promise to make good on the threat.

Caretaker couldn't let that happen. And so they had to do exactly as Whumper asked. Even if it destroyed their reputation, they would do anything if it kept Whumpee safe.

The first day they quit their job. Whumper had been insistent on that. They had sent Caretaker photos of Whumpee hourly until Caretaker confirmed that it was done. Whumpee's looks of terror and pain haunted Caretaker.

The first evening, they withdrew twenty thousand dollars from their bank. It was the largest sum of money they had ever touched. And likely would ever touch. But Whumper demanded it. And Caretaker would do anything to get Whumpee back.

The call today, however, had given Caretaker pause. "You are to pick up the package at the train station and pass it off to my colleague in the park," Whumper had ordered three hours ago.

"I....I don't know, Whumper."

"You don't want to do that," Whumper drawled, "you don't want to tell me know. Whumpee will pay the price. Do you want them to pay the price?"

"No! No! I'll do it. Hold on. Let me get a pen to write this down," Caretaker said hurriedly as they heard Whumpee's squeal of pain in the background.

"Good. Good. Remember, Caretaker, you tell me no, you don't deliver what I ask, and Whumpee is as good as dead. Or at least they will wish they were dead."

[austinslounge]

Austin will be on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Monday, June 17th! 😁

😃

[miyrumiyru]

𖤓 ʚїɞ ☼ ʚїɞ