#BUT ANYWAY I like how ya drew em for being your first time drawing old fards! Proud of yas gamer!!

[clownsuu]

it is i, one who drew mob rob for your other blog. remember when i said i couldnt draw old men? yeah apparently i fuckiNG LIED-

what happened to me. first gilf ive ever drawn. i drew these both in one sitting. this man has consumed me. i like his hair but drawing it makes me wanna cry. probably helps that i found a new lineart pen. i like drawing his hands. im writing fanfic about this motherfucker. thanks for infecting me im having a great time. thanks im losing my shit fr fr

WHEEEEEZE CONVERTING GAMERS INTO OLD MAN ENJOYERS LMAOOOOOO

[lnarizakis]

thanks for the food! | m. osamu

masterlist | cards against humanity x haikyuu!!

pairing: miya osamu x gen!reader

foreword: this took so long for me to get out omg but i hope you enjoy!! 💕

look out for: manga spoilers

“sorry for staring, mister. it’s just that i ain’t ever seen ___ before.” + “soup that is too hot.”

“You know, you should really eat something other than cold take out and cup ramen.”

(Y/N)’s roommate Chiba Sumiko sighed, resting a hand on her forehead. She watched (Y/N) sitting at their small kitchen table, currently chowing down on a half-empty box of take out from last night’s dinner. Disappointment washed over her as they let crumbs fall from the corners of their mouth.

“But you know I’m broke—“ (Y/N), with food still lodged in their cheeks, started. As the words left their mouth, they knew what Sumiko—who had a part-time job—would counter.

“Let me treat you. No, I will treat you,” Sumiko decided, sitting down next to (Y/N). The scenario was similar to a father sitting his son down for “The Talk.” Though, in this case, it was Sumiko lecturing (Y/N) that as a college student they should take better care of their health. This included eating a proper meal; eating only take out and cup ramen was definitely not beneficial to her health. As someone studying health and nutrition, they should know better.

And so Sumiko and her boyfriend planned a date, with (Y/N) unfortunately tagging along as a third-wheel. They decided on Onigiri Miya, a tiny restaurant near their campus. It was a quaint little restaurant, and the owner had just recently released their new line of ramen soups. It had been very well-received by the general public, at least the ones who had come in to try it out. Based on those reviews and the fact that they had never eaten there before (Sumiko claimed they had to “expand their horizons,” whatever that meant), the three decided that that was the perfect place to have lunch tomorrow (specifically, at 3).

—

The next day, (Y/N) arrived at the restaurant a little bit later than the couple, not wanting to be the first person to arrive. As they entered the restaurant, the aroma of ramen broth, vegetables, and rice flowed into their nose; the overall atmosphere just felt warm. It was a homely environment, one that (Y/N) would want to visit time and time again. Small talk filled the air, and the one person behind the counter, currently brewing new broth for any incoming customers, casually talked with the patrons that sat around the table. (Y/N) could hear the faint sound of the television sitting in the corner of the restaurant, playing a rerun of a two-year-old volleyball game.

“Ah, welcome in,” the restaurant owner called out to the three, a faint smile on his face. He was, for lack of a better word, extremely hot. (Y/N) could feel a slight blush painting their cheeks, and that most likely wasn’t because of the warm air of the hot food that filled the room.

(Y/N) sat down at the counter along with Sumiko, who had suggested they do so, and her boyfriend. From behind the counter, the man rolled up his sleeves and crossed his arms, handing (Y/N) three plastic menus, which they were to pass along sideways.

Promptly, he said, “Just let me know when you guys are ready to order.” The man pushed a small bell towards them, wordlessly telling them to signal him when they were ready. He turned back to the broth on the stove, also tending to the noodles in a pot beside the broth. He sighed contently— this was the life. He could have never pictured himself playing volleyball beside his brother, who was currently on the television screen, silencing the jeering crowd.

(Y/N)’s eyes scrolled through the menu. What were they to order? There was an array of onigiri to choose from; after all, she was in an onigiri restaurant. However, their eyes drew themselves towards the listing of newly released ramen labels. Why not stick to something they were used to eating?

“(Y/N)-chan, what are you going to have? I’m gonna get the spicy salmon onigiri. The ‘lil picture they have for it on the menu makes it look so good,” Sumiko said. Her words caught the attention of the restaurant owner, stirring the broth absentmindedly, letting out a chuckle. Being the kind partner he was, Sumiko’s boyfriend was content with having her leftovers.

“I think I’ll have the tonkotsu ramen,” (Y/N) stated, still scanning through the menu, making sure there wasn’t something that caught their eye even more than the ramen did. Luckily, there wasn’t, however, so they folded the menu back up and placed it atop the other two menus that Sumiko and her boyfriend had finished using.

Sumiko lightly tapped the bell, and the man behind the counter promptly turned around to collect the menus and finalize what they were going to have.

“I’ll have the spicy salmon onigiri and,” Sumiko pointed to (Y/N), “they’ll have the tonkotsu ramen.” The man nodded.

“Ah, yes. Those are good choices. I know so because I‘m gonna cook ‘em,” the man flatly said, earning a laugh out of the three customers. He set the menus away and began to work on their orders.

—

“Your salmon onigiri,” he said, after some fifteen minutes later. Four onigiri stood proudly on the plate he was holding side-by-side, just waiting to be eaten. The rice was still steaming. He presented the plate to Sumiko and her boyfriend, with an astonished gasp at its delicious appearance. Onigiri Miya was renowned for their aesthetically pleasing food designs.

“Your tonkotsu ramen.” The man then presented the bowl of ramen towards (Y/N), pushing it towards them. The hot steam of it rose up into their face, warming it up. (Y/N) breathed in the aroma of the soup, taking in everything all at once; looking down at it, the soup itself was presented oh-so perfectly, from the cut hard-boiled egg to the seaweed stacked atop each other along the side of the bowl, slowly mixing in with the broth. (Y/N) was practically mesmerized— they hadn’t seen anything like it since... they don’t remember when.

After some time, the man asked with concern, “You good there? You’re starin’ off into the abyss of the bowl.”

“S-Sorry for staring, mister. It’s just that I ain’t ever seen soup that is too hot before,” (Y/N) stuttered. Well, of course they had seen soup that is hot before. They mentally face-palmed themself. To their surprise, however, he laughed. Resting his (notably muscular) arms on the counter some distance away from where (Y/N) had set their phone down to eat, he had his full attention on (Y/N), smiling at them.

“That’s not what I meant. Y’see, I’ve been a little... not eatin’ properly. Simply put,” (Y/N) corrected themself. Taking the chopsticks into their hand, they began eating, looking down in embarrassment.

“Nah, I get it. My brother’s like that. Or, well, he was, in high school,” the man said. “His name’s Atsumu,” he continued, as he pointed to the screen, which currently displayed Atsumu setting for his teammate. The two of them watched the screen until the play ended. Atsumu’s team won the rally, earning them their point. His twin brother in front of (Y/N) pumped his fist, quietly cheering for Atsumu, even though he knew the outcome of the match. It was a two-year-old game, after all.

“I’m Osamu.” Gray eyes glanced over in (Y/N)’s direction, who was taken aback by the sudden introduction.

“Ah, uh, I’m (L/N) (Y/N),” they said, with a half-full mouth of food. Setting down their chopsticks, they wiped their mouth with a napkin. The ramen was so good, so warm, and just so affectionately cooked that (Y/N) gave up all their cares to messily eat the food in front of them.

“I can see you’re enjoyin’ it, (L/N)-han. I’m glad it’s that good.” Osamu watched (Y/N) enjoy the bowl in front of them. Their hunger was akin to his brother’s hunger to improve in volleyball. He felt a pang of familiarity in his chest.

“I love it, Miya-han. What do ya think, Sumiko-chan? How’s it for you?” (Y/N) turned their head towards the girl, taking her time with every bite of her onigiri. Her boyfriend held his own in his hands, ravishing down on it. His cheeks were red due to the warmth of the food. Sumiko turned towards (Y/N), smiling. She gave a thumbs up, a sign of her satisfaction. (Y/N) returned their own small smile.

“Looks like we’re all happy, Miya-han. Thanks for the food.” (Y/N) continued to eat, and Osamu departed from the counter.

—

“That was really good!” Sumiko exclaimed, walking out of the tiny restaurant. “We should go there again someday!” The two others beside her agreed.

(Y/N) shoved their hands into the pockets of their jacket. It was quite cold—colder than usual, at least—for a January afternoon. Though, the pockets of their jacket seemed to be emptier than normal. But (Y/N) paid no attention to that.

“Anyways, (Y/N), don’t you think that store owner was cute? I sure think he was. But you’re cuter, Ichiro, don’t worry.” Sumiko turned towards her boyfriend, giving her a small smile in return. Aw. Their relationship was so cute. (Y/N) wished they had a relationship at least a fraction as affectionate as theirs.

“Yeah, he was pretty cute, I guess,” (Y/N) started, drawing out their words. Though, they didn’t really know how to put it all together; there was just something about him that made them long for his affection (they didn’t know it at the time, but it was definitely his cooking). They hummed, trying to piece together what they were trying to say.

(Y/N)’s roommate looked on in curiosity. “Is there somethin’ wrong? Can ya feel your heartstrings tugging? Is this the sign of true love?” Ever the romantic she was. She’d been rooting for (Y/N) to find their one-and-only since the beginning of their first year of graduate school. Ever the supportive friend she was, as well.

“Agh, I’m just— I just can’t believe how much I stuttered around him... and ate so messily in front of him, too, and—“ (Y/N) sighed. Sumiko clasped a hand on their shoulder.

“It’s alright, (Y/N); you hit it off greatly with him! Didn’t you see it? He definitely did. I mean— the longing look in his eyes while he was talking to you was phenomenal! Ichiro, why don’t you look at me the way—“ Sumiko’s scold was cut short by a familiar voice calling out from behind them. It was Osamu. He held (Y/N)’s phone in his hands, as he made his way towards them. Ah, so that was why their pocket felt slightly emptier than usual.

“(L/N)-san. You, uh... you forgot this,” Osamu said, looking down at the phone. (Y/N) held out their hand, as he gave them back their phone using both of his hands.

“Oh, thank you, Miya-han,” (Y/N) replied with a little more fluster than they had before.

As they put their phone back in their pocket, Osamu whispered something under his breath, just barely audible. (Y/N) asked him to repeat what he had just said.

“I hope you don’t mind,” he started, “but I added my number to your phone.” (Y/N) smiled, their cheeks reddening—totally because of the cold January weather (yep, totally).

“No, I don’t mind at all. Let’s talk more often, and maybe you can cook something else for me as well.”

—

cheese + general taglist (you can ask to be removed 🌝): @akaashichigo @drainedjaz @haikkeiji @annalyn-annalyn @mlkytobio @sosugasweet @cali-writes-sometimes @simping4ratsumu @shishinoya @ushiwakaa @from-left-to-write @akaashit-baeji @kxgeyamasmilk @agaassi @hanibuni @cupofkenma @kawanisshi @milkandc00kiez @thiccbokuto @shinsukestan @sufiawrites @wakaitoshi @skyguy-peach @fern-writes-ig @briswriting @airybby @kawaiikraykray @bubbleteaa @miyuswriting @raevaioli @ouikarwa @hakueishirei @pineapplekween @estherwritess @keiji-n @achoohq @bbytenma

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #276

“all the other kids with the pumped up kicks, you better run, better run, outrun my gun.”

Favorite dried fruit? Dried fruit is fucking disgusting. Would you rather wear a dress or a suit on your wedding day? A dress. If you chose dress, will it be long or short? I prefer longer wedding dresses. If you chose suit, will you wear a bow or a tie? Hypothetically I’d wear a tie, probably. Have you ever wanted to be a police officer? No. Do you have a nut allergy? No. Do you accessories with chains? Put chains on fucking EVERYTHING and it is an improvement. How often do you cook dinner? If you’re excluding the microwave, like… never. What have you given up on recently? Nothing important; the only thing I can think of applies to a game. I was after the way-too-fucking-expensive dinosaur mount that is very soon going away in World of Warcraft, but the stress it was causing me wasn’t worth it. The time investment and how it was only a “maybe” of getting it in time Favorite condiment for fries? Ketchup. Ever had bangs? I did as a little kid. Do you know any Italian people? Well yeah, people of Italian descent are common in the U.S. I don’t know like, someone straight from Italy though. Have you ever dated someone LGBTQ+? Yeah, a demisexual. What color would you like your future bathroom to be? Uh… I don’t really care. It would depend on the house. Do you add sugar to plain cornflakes? No. Are skeletons cool? Skellyboiz are dope. Favorite Selena Gomez song? I don’t know any. Do you like coffee flavored cake? I don’t like coffee, so guess. Is that even a thing, though? Do you still watch your favorite kid shows/cartoons? I don’t watch TV. I would though, sure. Do you like going on walks? What's your favorite thing about them? How far do you normally walk? Ugh this question is gonna be embarrassing considering I went through muscle atrophy in my legs from being so sedentary. When we move (HOPEFULLY the start of October, a wrench was kinda thrown in our plans), I intend to absolutely start walking in small intervals now that we’ll be in a nice little neighborhood with a sidewalk. And a PokeStop nearby to bait me lmfao. Plus the weather will be cooler, so I intend to make a lot of progress. BUT ANYWAY I like just listening to either music or the sounds of what’s going on around me. Last time you had a hot drink? That’s a good question. Idk. Have you ever lived in a city? Was it crowded? Never like… a “real” city. Just small towns or in the middle of nowhere. Would you prefer to live in a big city or the woods? THE WOODS!!!!!!1 THE WOODS!!!!!1!!!!1111!! GIMME THAT SHIT!!!!!!11!11!!!! Have you ever climbed a mountain? No. Do you hear owls or crickets at night where you live? LOADS of crickets and toads during the summer. Ever run away from home? When I was a stupid pre-teen. I was mad at my mom and she wasn’t home, so I took Teddy and left. I had my phone though and Mom – when she got home – threatened to call the cops, so yeah, I came back. Are you scared to ride public transport alone? Why? No. Is marriage on your mind? No time soon. Did you own a dollhouse when you were younger? I didn’t, per se, but my younger sister did, and we would play together. Does the room you're in have a tiled floor? No, it’s carpet. How many pairs of earrings do you own? Not that many, not too few. Are you looking for a boyfriend/girlfriend? I’ve never thought *looking* was a good idea, so no. I think bonds of any kind need to come naturally to avoid lack of genuineness, force, or rush. I don’t think me having an s/o is a smart idea right now anyway. Do you prefer a call or a text? Don’t call me unless you’re dying or something. Do your parents drink coffee every morning? Mom almost always does. I don’t live with Dad, so idk. Have you ever donated blood? Yes. One song that's meaningful to you? UM a LOT. Most meaningful, probably “Stairway To Heaven” by Led Zeppelin. I physically can’t listen to it. Like I refuse to. Are you addicted to anything? Technology, big oof energy. What were you last listening to in the car? Something on my iPod, idk. When was the last time you sang out loud? I don’t recall. I rarely sing. What did you have for breakfast? A microwaveable sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit. Mom is currently out of state with her mother because she’s literally on her deathbed, so she STOCKED ME THE FUCK UP on groceries. The freezer is literally jam-packed, so I’m focusing on eating food from there. Did you have a nap today? Yes. I almost never, ever make it through the day without one, especially now with having nightmares every fucking time I sleep. Are you named after anyone? No. Well, not my first name, anyway. “Marie” is a middle name theme in my family, though. What kind of music do you like? Metal, rock, alternative, indie… stuff like that. What’s one hobby that you’d like to take up? Ugh, I miss a LOT of my old hobbies. I’ve lost interest in so much. I wish I drew way more than I do, which is almost never. What did you think you wanted to be when you grew up? The first job I ever wanted was a paleontologist. I was obsessed with dinosaurs. Still love ‘em. What’s the biggest project on your to-do list right now? It’d be great if I could finish designing Ashley’s cancer tattoo, but again, yeah, drawing motivation. ;_; If you weren’t in your current job, what would you want to be doing? I’m unemployed. Is the last person you kissed older than you? No. Are you happy right now? No. Haven’t been “happy” for a while now. Who makes you happiest right now? Probably my cat tbh lol. Especially being home alone for so long, he’s keeping me company. In school did/do people put a label on you? If so, what is/was it? I was considered one of the “emo” kids. Do you laugh every day? lol wow no. What is the last thing you laughed at? This Spongebob meme I saw on Facebook got me fuckin good. Have you cried today? If so, why? Nah. When was the last time someone saw you naked? Been a long time; even when I’m going in or coming out of the shower I do all I can for Mom to not see me because I hate my body a fucking lot. What is the greatest loss you've endured? My first boyfriend. When was the last time you did something you were embarrassed by? WOW I do this like every fuckin day, fam. What was the last thing you lied about? I’m not sure. What type of a drunk are you? Never gotten to the point of drunk, but I was more talkative the closest I got. What is your philosophy on life/how do you generally choose to live or conduct yourself? What a big question. I personally think you should do all you can to make a positive impact on the world – make it better than when you entered. Don’t contribute to the bad, treat people how you want to be treated… all that jazz. When was the last time you were up all night and why? I can’t remember quite why, but I remember doing that with WoW some time ago. Idr what I was doing that had my attention that long, though. That’s rare now. What is the worst thing you've done to yourself? What is the worst thing someone else has done to you? Part one: hand over all of my worth to someone else. Part two: show me exactly why I shouldn’t have in a very unhealthy way. What is the most personal thing you're willing to reveal? I dunno??? Can ya give me a topic?? Is there a situation or person you haven't been able to get over/forgive/what have you? I honestly doubt I’ll ever be entirely over Jason. Who was the last person to yell at you? Did you yell back? Probably Mom, and idr. Doubt it. Just probably raised my voice. Where did your last injury come from? My cat, rip. What is the worst thing you have said to another person? Something along the lines of “thanks for sending me to the ER (or mental hospital?) again.” Fucking disgusting. Do you wear your seatbelt in the car? Without fail, always. Please wear your seatbelt. Are you scared of flying? Not really. What do you sleep in? Men’s pj pants and tank tops. Who was the last person you kissed? Sara. What are you listening to? I am fucking HOOKED on 3TEETH's cover of "Pumped Up Kicks." Do you prefer soupy noodles or noodles without the broth? Without. Have you ever missed someone but felt like they had other friends and didn't miss you as much as you did? This. Is the story of my motherfuckin life. I feel this all the time to a very deep level. Who, out of all your friends, do you hang with the most and could never get tired of him/her? Sara. Do you like the taste of white chocolate or does it taste kind of fake? Nooot a white chocolate fan. Too sweet. How would you react if you just found out your mom had an abortion before? I would be VERY surprised just given who she is and her adoration for children. Are your pets spayed/neutered? Yes. Hottest guy you know and actually talk to? I don’t regularly talk to any guy I consider “hot,” but the closest to that would be my friend Leon, whom I’ve always seen as very attractive. It is fucking UNCANNY, his resemblance to Leon Kennedy from the Resident Evil series. Like he’s dressed as him before and it is astonishing. Name sharing is a coincidence, too. What time of day do you like to shower? I don’t have a favored time anymore. I just do it when I feel like it at some point during the day, but pretty much never night anymore. I do think starting the morning with one though is great, though. When you go out to eat, what sides do your order with your food? Fries are almost guaranteed, but of course it depends on the type of food, too. What do you spend more money than necessary on? I don’t and never have had a stable source of income to answer this, really. What video game or computer game are you best at? Uhhh I’d probably be rusty with the Shadow of the Colossus controls by now, I’ve don’t have the maps or every puzzles memorized from the Silent Hill games, so I guess my answer’s World of Warcraft if I’m on my hunter. Not to flex but I’m a bomb-ass beast mastery hunter. Been my main in the game since I started in MoP. What do you keep your keys on? They’re in my purse on a keychain. Is your favorite color different than your favorite color to wear? Oh yeah. Do you buy books or get them from the library? Buy them. What section of the food pyramid do you neglect the most? Veggies for sure. What do you use your stovetop for most? Well, I don’t ever. Can you focus on studying if there's music on? No, I need silence. In what types of situations do you demand absolute silence? Well, see the above answer, for one. Also going to sleep. Well, maybe not, as I have a fan as kinda like white noise, but I can sleep without it. Did you do well at fitness testing in grade school? I didn’t score bad, but I wasn’t exceptional either. Do you own more shoes or less shoes than the average person? Less, I’m sure. Do you still have anything from when you were a baby? Yeah, up in the attic. I think my mom has some stuff that’s super important to her in a case somewhere. Do you use hairspray much? I never do. Are art museums interesting or boring to you? I enjoy them. What subject in school do you feel is the least necessary? Well, this is a difficult question to answer when you consider I think depending on your career focus as well as personal values and interests, this answer changes from person to person. Like for me, I could say I don’t give a shit about complex math, but advanced math courses would be valued by certain people down specific paths. But anyway, I’ll bite and say least necessary for *the most* people, in my opinion anyway. Gym. It’s very discriminatory towards people with more limited physical capabilities (and I don’t just mean literally disabled), and it’s also just very uncomfortable and/or embarrassing to some people. Like I’d fuckin cry if in my current state, I was forced to “run” a mile, because I physically couldn’t come even close. A person, a younger one especially, should never be subjected to humiliation at the hands of a class schools deem “necessary” when it absolutely is not. Okay I’m in a talkative mood and this is turning into an essay so I’mma move along now. When you were a kid, what games did you always play on the playground? I think for as long as I had recess, my go-to was ALWAYS the swings. I fucking loved swingsets. I loved playing 4 Square or whatever it was called. And then of course there was me digging tunnels in the sandboxes because I wanted to feel like a meerkat lmfao. Do you enjoy power outages or do you get annoyed? For some reason, I still have this childlike excitement *early* into a power outage. Especially when it’s dark and we have to get out the candles, and I might play my old GameBoy or Nintendo DS, or I’ll probably just chill talking with Mom. However, that phase is pretty short nowadays, being a snake mama. My mind very quickly goes back to “Venus needs her lamp,” so as time passes, I get more anxious than annoyed. Basically, I’d rather not have one. Do you know how to use an ATM? … no lmao How about write a check? No. Are you pretty politically correct? To a degree I consider reasonable. Personally I find political correctness as having gone too far by now, but it’s certainly appropriate in some instances. What is one fashion trend you'll never understand? I… don’t really care to think much on this. Wear what makes you feel confident in yourself. There are things I think don’t look good, but they may look great to you, and it’s on your body, so guess whose opinion matters. What do you wear when you exercise? Oh yeesh. Just sweatpants and a tank top, normally. What is usually the last thing you do before you go to bed? I turn the brightness on my phone waaay down. I’m always going to wake up throughout the night and check the time, but I don’t want to be blinded.

[chibikinesis]

Another ModernAU short draft ♥ ♥ ♥ 1700-ish words.

Another fairly uneventful day was finally coming to a close. The clock signaled the arrival of the final quarter of Edward's shift, and he gazed longingly out the window and into the courtyard. Days like this made for easy money, but he'd be damned if he wouldn't rather be just about anywhere else on such a beautiful day.

"Don't worry, Ed. You're in the home stretch now." Daniel chuckled, making his way into the room with two mugs of coffee. He placed one of them on the desk near Edward's elbow, and sunk back into his chair with a grunt. "What, two more hours?"

"That'll probably feel like another eight." Edward sighed tiredly, lifting the ceramic to his lips and taking a sip.  "Thanks for fresh cup.”

"Hey, no problem." Daniel pulled an excess of creamer and sugar packets from his pocket, and Edward chuckled. It was far from the first time it'd happened, and he was sure it'd be far from the last either. "Y'know... whoever said cargo pants are useless was a goddamned fool."

"Solid point." Edward smirked. "I mean... what'd you manage to squeeze into all those pockets? Half the coffee bar?"

Dan laughed wickedly. "Smartass."

Edward sighed, a contented smile on his face as he looks around. His attention was seized by a figure drawing nearer to the window; a slender woman with a trendy blonde bob, his age or a little older, and wearing an outfit that he could pin as neither casual nor dressy. 

She took little notice of him; her gaze had immediately honed in on Daniel, who had just taken notice of the peculiar look on his coworker's face. When he heard a gentle tapping on the glass, he turned to greet this new guest.

"Hey, you old codger." She grinned, laughter in her voice. "Still working here?"

"Heeeyyyy, nice to see you, too." Daniel laughed that ornery laugh of his, rising to his feet and striding over to the window to greet her. "How the hell ya been, kid? Been a while!"

"Doing well, actually. Finally found a nice little place to settle into nearby."

"You back in town then?"

"Yep. Have been for a few months now, actually. Finding my footing, settling in, what-have-you. Finding a decent job, and don't even get me started on the moving process." She sighed, as if to recall just what a hassle it had all been. "What about you?"

"Still here. Can't complain." He smiled warmly. "Don't do any good even if I do, so..."

"Doesn't hurt to try, at any rate, does it?"

Edward watched the exchange in silent confusion, sipping at his coffee. Daniel certainly seemed familiar with the young woman, and that wasn't a terribly common thing to see. He was becoming more and more curious as to how she knew him.

"You're more optimistic than I am." Daniel grumbles. "But, hey, I doubt you're just here to shoot the shit with this old codger, right?"

"It's been nice, Dan, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't come here to see someone else."

"I figured as much. Lemme get 'im on the horn."

Daniel turned and walked a few paces to grab his radio, and the woman leaned in just a bit to survey the security room as she waited. Her wandering eyes stumble across Edward's pensive form and she does a double-take; it took her a moment to place it, but she was certain that this was the man she'd seen in Jack's company during a fair few of her shifts. She smiled warmly at the recollection, and offered a small wave, which he awkwardly returned.

"'Ey, Jack, you copy?"

"Daniel? What is it?"

"Ya' got a visitor down here."

"A visitor?"

"Yeah. Waitin' down here by the security office."

"Now who on Earth-"

Daniel quickly switched channels on his radio, knowing that Jack was about to barrage him with a slew of questions he didn't particularly feel like answering. Plus, he had no doubt the resulting anger would make the doctor's trip downstairs even more hasty. The old guard smirked confidently. "He'll be right down."

"That's one way to do it." The woman was impressed by just how bold Daniel had gotten since she last saw him. If she was being honest, she found that she quite enjoyed it.

As if on cue, they could hear the grinding of the staff elevator descending; with a loud ding, the doors slid open, and almost immediately, they could hear Jack's angry, nasally voice spilling out.

"Daniel, what have I told you about cutting me off like that?!" he spewed. "I can't always afford to come down here on such short noti-"

He came to an abrupt stop when the woman stepped into view, a calm smile on her face. "Hey, Jack."

"Em-..." He stopped dead in his tracks. It took him a full moment to digest it all; he looked as though he'd just seen a ghost, and seeing him that way left Edward feeling a little uneasy himself. "Emogene."

"Since you don't seem like you can be bothered to respond to any of my texts or calls," she spoke, a meaningful undertone in her voice. "- I thought it might just be easier to try stopping in to talk, one-on-one."

Jack sighed, guilt etched on his features as he nodded feebly in agreement. "Let's... follow me."

Daniel and Edward watched as the two walked out the nearby set of glass doors and into the courtyard outside. Daniel's gaze strayed, and he studied Edward's worried face for a moment before shifting his attention back outside, and back again. He smiled knowingly.

"Ed."

"Hm?"

"You can un-clench your buttcheeks now." Daniel chuckled. "Emogene is Jack's sister."

Edward tried to brush it off, but they both knew better. His cheeks darkened, and he waved his hand dismissively, both of them shifting their attention back to what was going on outside.

“Look, I know you’re on the clock right now, so I don’t want to keep you too long, I just...” Emogene drew a long breath and huffed a defeated sigh; or at least as defeated as she’d let herself sound. But Jack knew. “I miss you, Jack. I know I hurt you and mom when I took off back then, but I there were just some things I needed to do by myself, for myself. And I did, and I’ve grown... so much. I’m doing so much better now, Jack, and I’m trying to be a better sister, if you’d just give me that chance.”

“I told you, we could meet up some time-”

“Oh please, Jack, you’ve been making excuses and putting me on the back burner for three months now. You know, when you’re not outright ignoring me.” She crossed her arms and tapped her foot. “I see you having lunch all the time and you don’t even bother to say hello. “C’mon, if you can make time to have lunch with your guard in there like... three times a week, you can squeeze in some time for me-”

“Wha- how...” Her mouthfuls were loaded with accusations, none of which he found he could really refute, and her brother’s cheeks darkened in shame. The last one stung a bit more than he thought it might, though. He’d have stolen a glance back at Edward if he wasn’t concerned he’d be too obvious. “How did you...?”

“Because I’m the head event coordinator at the mall and I’m there just about every day. If you actually talked to me you might know that by now.” Her voice was scolding, but not excessively abrasive. Perhaps a sign of that personal growth she’d hinted to. “Look, I know that if you’re anything like you used to be... which, you probably are...”

Jack crinkled his nose at just how correct she was in her assumptions.

“ - that you’re probably just going straight home after work, and shutting yourself up in your study, and being a hermit for the rest of the night. Or entertaining mother’s whims.” Jack could detect a small bit of venom in her tone when she mentioned Wilhelmina, but she quickly recovered. “- I’ve got a pretty nice apartment now, and I’d love to have you over for dinner. I ... really wanna’ catch up. Hear what’s been going on with you. Maybe fill you in on what’s been up with me, if you give half a damn.”

The doctor’s stance softened, and his lips curled into a small smile. All this time and she could still read him like a book. But her idea was sounding... tolerable.

“I know a break from her did me good. Probably wouldn’t hurt you, either. I think we could finally act like... functional siblings for once if she’s not helicoptering over us and stirring the pot.”

Jack raised an eyebrow and cocked his head ever so slightly, and Emogene shrugged.

“... maybe. That might be asking too much. It’s worth a shot.” Her nose wrinkled at the thought, and she gave a playful shrug. “But if you come over and decide you still don’t really want to associate with me, I mean, I... guess that’s fine. At least you can say you gave it a shot.”

There was something a little heartbreaking in that last sentence, and it registered as a small ache in Jack’s chest. Had he really made her feel so alienated with his behavior?

“Just... give me that chance, Jack.”

He wasn’t sure he’d ever heard more sincerity in her voice in his whole life; it wasn’t delivered without her signature Emogene Cynicism, of course, but it was definitely there and more tangible than ever. She was letting her walls down enough to let him in. She was taking the initiative to repair the bonds that had been broken. And he was dodging her like a plague.

Who’s really the bad sibling in this situation, when I really think about it? He pondered for a moment. He didn’t like the conclusion he drew, but it was one he needed to accept. You need to do better.

“Actually, Emogene, that sounds... great.” He smiled weakly at her. There was a lot more he wanted to say to her. He had a lot to apologize for, for starters, but he supposed that could wait until he visited her apartment later. He supposed the lapse would give him more time to mentally prepare and rehearse it all. Besides, he was still on the clock. “What time?”

“Seven... ish?” She gestured vaguely. “But, uh... don’t tell mom about me. I’m... not ready for her to know I’m back home yet.”

Jack nodded solemnly and understandingly at her, and she beamed him a genuine smile.

“I’ll text you my address, okay?”

“I’ll actually open it this time.” her brother chuckled.

“Cute.” She snarled. “Anyway, I’ll be holding you to that. You better be there tonight.”

“I promise.” 

[the-pan-ace-writings]

Chapter 6 The start of a Fire

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   The sun had just started to warm the sky when Riona moved off the couch in the room and started to collect her armor and dried clothes from the restroom. She cleaned up Dogmeat as best she could without completely soaking him and sent him to wake up MacCready. 

   “Hey! Dog! Get off!” She heard MacCready screeching and caught him fumbling to his feet as she entered the room. 

   “Folks round’ here said there was a detective in town, Mr. Valentine a cross town” Riona was finishing attaching her armor as she spoke, MacCready just grinned and collected his items Dogmeat following at his heels as they all made it down to the city center. It took them a small bit of wandering till they found the neon pointing down a narrow alley. 

   She heard rustling around and furniture being scattered about, she pressed her ear to the door and heard a woman in a frantic panic. She glanced over at MacCready, drawing her sword and stepping into the small office. 

   What she found was a woman tearing the place apart like a chicken without her head, but no one else was present in the room.

   “Uh ma’am, everything okay?” Riona lowered her sword and pushed the muzzle of MacCready's Rifle as he entered the office behind her. The woman startled sharply moving to look at them making a quick judgement. 

   “You gotta help me, my Boss, the detective is missing. He's working a case on a kidnapping case, Skinny Malone’s gang took a young woman he tracked the gang to park street station, there's an old vault down there that they use as a base. I told Nick he was walking into a trap, but he just smiled and walked out the door like he always does” she was clearly distressed and near tears as she was speaking, Riona didn't even think twice about agreeing to help her find the detective, Riona probably needed this man as much as this woman did. 

   “Doll, I'll find him, but why don't you tell me your name so I can tell him who sent me?” Riona put her sword back on her hip and tried not to look as intimidating, MacCready grumbled about having just been nearby and why we needed to help him, Dogmeat shoved his weight into the sniper causing him to stumble. 

   The woman blinked at her, seemingly surprised at how quickly Riona accepted, she was silent. “Ma’am I'm Riona this is MacCready” she pointed at them both before looking back at her unexpectedly. 

   “I'm Ellie, I'm his secretary, I would come with you but someones gotta clean up this mess.” She turned to start cleaning up the office before she tossed some stimpacks their way. “Don't you go dying out there too, bring him back” 

   “Well get ol’ Nicky back for you” MacCready grumbled behind her and started for the door, taking the stimpacks into his pack. Riona followed closely after him. 

   “Why don't you ever want to help people?” Riona asked, it was clear in her tone that she doesn't approve of his attitude. 

   “Why do you charity work?, I could help you find what you're looking for without trying to find Nick.” he tugged his cap down and started back towards the gateway of Diamond City.  

   “Because you don't look qualified to find people, and why are caps so important to you anyway? I'm already paying you and you get half of what we find.” 

   “Don't worry about it.” He sped up his pace, walking away from her. She scowled and moved in front of him, jabbing her finger into his chest forcing them to stop near the gate. 

   “Don't you dismiss me. I hired you, if you get in my way ill cut you lose and then your precious cap stream i'll’ be gone! This is too important for you to be an ass Cready’.” She stared at him.  He shook his head and almost stepped pass her before meeting her eyes again. 

   “I left someone behind and they need it.” his eyes darted away and he pulled his duster closer to him. “The vault is back near Goodneighbor” 

   Riona took the lead, pulling up the coordinates on her pipboy marking so she could follow it on the radar. It was silent between them on the way to the vault, Riona took the most direct way there and they had to clear out about three raider camps, they arrived and it was clear that Riona was in no good mood, tired and bloody from traveling there. MacCready was going to suggest trying to find a place to camp out before entering the vault but Riona just threw the doors open to the subway not even looking back. 

   The subway station was filled with Malone's goons, and traps. It took them a moment to make it through the first room as MacCready had to cover her as she disengaged some traps and collected the small parts. But once the room was safe for combat it was like a switch flipped in her mind, her sword hummed as she cut through the goons, she barreled through multiple men with sub machine guns, her armor absorbing what she wants to be able to avoid, and where she did neither she never even flinched.

   When she found the vault door she froze momentary, flashes of having to enter 111 and what happened there coming to mind. It was only a moment but MacCready noticed, stared worriedly at her and was about to say something when Riona shook her head and opened the door with her pipboy, anxiously waiting for the door to swing open where she could enter. 

   Once she crossed the threshold of the vault a shiver ran up her spine at the dimly lit and half built vault. But she was back in action as a triggerman rounded the  corner, shouting firing a pistol, it struck her shoulder plate. She snarled before taking the head off his shoulders with her sword, MacCready made a disgusted sound as warm blood splashed on her. 

   Through her wandering she found the overseer’s office, guarded by a dumb looking man who was yelling through the door at someone behind the door. Riona ducked back behind the corner and looked over at MacCready. 

   “Cready’ could you get that please.” her voice was falsely sweet, almost as if she took the nearing death of the guard humorous. He nodded and peaked around the corner, it took him seconds to silence the guard and go hear the thud as his body hit the ground. Riona clasped his shoulder before walking over the door. 

   “You the detective?” She called through the door. 

   “Yes, and who do I owe the honor too?” his voice was rough, she looked through the window and meet golden eyes, She started on the door trying to unlock it. 

   “Riona and MacCready, your secretary sent us. Said you've been missing a while.”

   “I've been cooped up in here for weeks. Turns out the runaway daughter I came here to find wasn't kidnapped. She's Skinny Malone's new flame, and she's got a mean streak.” He backed away from the door as it opened and they entered. “She got worried didn't she?” 

   “Yeah she was tearing the place apart when we got there.” MacCready reported to him, Dogmeat giving an affirmative boof. 

   “I assume you didn't just come out of the goodness of your heart now did you?” The more Riona observed the Detective it became obvious that he was one of the synths that everyone had been giving her warnings about, but he was dilapidated, wires and exposed metal apparent in holes and tears in his synthetic skin. 

   “I'm looking for someone. They were kidnapped by a mercenary, I need help and was told to find you when I was in town. Went an awful lot outta the way to get to you, so let's hurry this up before we get swarmed, i'm sure people heard all the commotion when we broke in” Riona didn't even wait for a response from Nick, she just walked out and towards the exit, she had noticed the floor plan of this vault was similar to the one she came from, though hers lacked an atrium, she supposed you didn't need a congregation area when all your guests are frozen dinners. 

When they entered the exit hall, they had been met with muzzles pointed at them. Riona quickly judged that that they were too close to even survive at this range. A fat man dressed like a stereotypical gangster from the ol’ time and a dame to match stood at front, with two triggermen guarding their back. 

   The man she guessed was skinny Malone spoke towards Nick, having ignored both her and MacCready, who had not yet entered the room. Riona tuned out the conversation between Nick and Malone, instead trying to figure out how likely they would make it out alive from the vault. She had lowered her hand to bury it in the scruff of Dogmeats neck when he walked up and stuck himself between her knees defensively. She could feel her undershirt starting to stick to her abdomen, she felt a sharp sting on her left and she realized her time of rampaging the vault she must been struck. She tried not to focus on it but it was near impossible after things had calmed down from the previous combat.   She only was brought back to the conversation when she heard a shrill voice interrupt, angrily. 

   “Skinny why don't we just kill em’, it be real easy” Her voice stuck a cord in Riona, and she felt her lip pull in a twitch and turned to look at her. She had a bat that she kept swinging and edging closer to her. Riona reared back when she drew her bat too close for comfort nearly buckling her knee doing so, Dogmeat let her lean on him. 

   “Nick, seems like talking isn't gonna work.” She snarled 

   “Why don't you shut up lady! Ain’t nobody talkin’ to ya.” 

   Riona raised her sword back up, the humming of the electrified blade filling the room as it went silent, she pulled up her bandana across her face. Skinny raised his gun towards her, the room erupted as MacCready’s rifle range across the room. Skinny dropped and his dame was next as the sword sunk into her gut, Nick had pulled out a pistol and took care of one of the triggermen, Cready’ caught the last one in the thigh and Riona had finished him off. 

   She pulled the bandanna down and let MacCready collect caps after she nodded to him. She fained helping him but instead took a moment to bind a crude bandage to her side that was slowly seeping more blood. She handed Cready some of the items she pulled off a trigger man and met his eyes. 

   “Thank you.” She pulled her attention back towards Nick. He wasn't in the best mood, clearly written on his face. 

   “I had that, there was no reason for that. Coulda bought that girl back home” 

   “Dames like that don't change, you were right she had a mean streak, I just took care of it for you.” He sighed and led them out of the vault. 

   “I suppose I owe you at least, no telling how long I would have been locked up in there. Once we get back to my office I can take your statement and help you find who you're looking for.” 

   “We gotta find a place to rest first, traveled all the way through from Diamond City to get here. We should stop back at Goodneighbor, it's not that far from here” MacCready spoke up after slinging his rifle on his shoulder and glazing over to Riona who was looking pale and started to sway. He made eye contact with her and she just shook her head, and straighten. He took point leading them to Goodneighbor, her and Nick had chatted for a little before she fell quiet trying to put all her energy into just making it back to Goodneighbor. 

   When they got the Riona had almost all of her weight on the oversized dog, MacCready stood nearby. Nick had gotten them two rooms as a thanks for saving him, and when he disappears into his room and they made it into theirs she nearly collapsed on the ground only to be caught by MacCready who helped her over to the couch. 

   “Was there a reason you felt the need to wait this long to take care of this? Or tell anyone?” Cready was stern as he addressed her, already digging around her ruck to find the small med kit she carried, he’d have to clean up the wound before using a stimpack on her to ensure infection wasn't trapped in. 

   “It wasn't safe, I was fine-” her nails dug into her palm as he poured the remaining liquor on to her wound, she could feel some of it soaking into the cushions under her adding to her discomfort which was soon was amplified to a near shout only covered by his hand over her mouth as he dug for the bullet lodged in her still. He was half sitting on her to keep her down and unmoving on the couch trying his best to be fast about it. 

   When he was done Riona was pale sweaty and out of breath, she was floating in between consciousness. A stimpack helped it close over a bit more when he was done cleaning the wound, and once it was bandaged he lifted her from the couch to move her over to the bed trying to slip her out of the rest of her armor. 

   Dogmeat had climbed up onto the bed and curled up next to her, and he couldn't tell if she was just compact or if the dog really was that large. Regardless he tucked her into the bed and looked down at her thoughtfully before shaking his head and leaving the room. 

Next

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[cryptidhill]

IMRE

Synopsis

Life was simple for Arabella Imre, a young witch with the tendency to feed homeless creatures at night. Then it wasn’t.

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Keep reading for Chapter One

Chapter One

It was another chilly winter night that left the windows fogged from the inside out, frosty on one end but steamy on the other, and the heat that circulated throughout each room had made its rounds to that of Arabella, a thin girl of small stature who lay in her bed with a decorative looking book in her hands. Propped up on her elbow, her eyes danced along each line of words as her warm, fleshy hands caressed the smooth leather cover of the novel. A bedside lamp on the desk nearby provided a gentle, warm light that enveloped her and illuminated her pale beige bedroom walls. It was a peaceful feeling, almost euphoric, and it kind of reminded her of memories of staying warm by the fireplace downstairs as a young child. She could almost smell the sweet, grassy aroma of her aunt’s renowned herbal tea. Witches from all over their small forested community knew of Aunt Willow’s homemade beverages and potions. Imre’s Elixirs was practically a household name.

Their warm cottage rivaled the brisk, biting coldness of the winter season rearing its ugly head outside. Fresh, powdery white snow covered the frozen ground from the storm that had rolled in and out within an hour or two earlier that day, and though there was something beautifully romantic about the purple sky and silence it brought with it, Arabella always felt something eerily off about the winter storms.

The book she was reading was really starting to strike her fancy. She hadn’t expected to like it so much, seeing as it had been a gift from Aunt Willow after a trip down to Barnaby’s Books and Trinkets, but it was growing on her. It was a story about a young witch on a journey to find herself, and it was written in the language that most witches used when speaking to each other — a formal language often referred to as Scireic that had been developed by one of the first witches many eras ago. Though it wasn’t common for modern witches to interact with creatures outside of their covens, on the occasion that it did happen English was their next go-to. In spite of this, some older generations of witches knew little to no English and chose to keep to their covens with no interest of associating themselves with any foreign creatures. As a kid, Aunt Willow had taught Arabella to leave it be. She’d always been the daring type, to her aunt’s dismay, but if there was one thing she wasn’t ever going to test it was tradition.

Arabella’s dive into witchy fantasy was interrupted by a curt tap on her windowpane. The girl looked up from her book and over at her windowsill. No longer was the bright, blue moon glaring down at her exposed room and lighting up her wooden floor with fluorescent, natural light like it had been only moments earlier, as now there sat a lumpy looking shadow in its path of trajectory. Her porcelain skin that had been blue in the light of the vibrant moon was now only yellow in the light of her bedside lamp. She set down her book of reverie and swung her legs over the side of her bed. Getting to her feet, Arabella felt the cold wood under her toes and brought herself over to the windowsill. Pulling back the curtains of lavender lace, the girl breathed a sigh and twisted the lock to push open the pane of glass. “Come on,” she spoke softly, trying to ignore the icy nip of the winter wind.

As Arabella stepped aside to welcome her nighttime visitor, the figure crawled through his entrance as if he’d done it plenty of times before. He made himself at home on the girl’s bed as she pulled her window shut and drew the curtains. The creature breathed out a frozen cloud. “Whooph. S’rough out there tonight, Belli. You’ve got it pretty easy in here.”

“If you came to bring me another one of your rat heads, I don’t care whether it’s on a string or in a jar — I’m not taking it.”

“You kidding? I’d be lucky if I could find any rats out there tonight. Unfortunately even they’re smart enough to go back home and get warm. Sucks, man. A guy’s gotta eat.”

“Jarv, I don’t really know what you expect me to do,” Arabella huffed. “I can’t exactly sneak downstairs and bring a whole deer platter up for you to gorge on.”

“You have deer? Shoot Belli, there’s no way that’s fresh. How long have you had that for?” the Jarv boy asked.

“Dunno. Not that long. Don’t act like it’s that big of a deal. My aunt got it from the butchery in town. I’m sure you could go down there and get some.”

The boy just cocked a sideways grin. “You’re funny, Bel. Get a load of that one. ‘A vampire walks into a butcher shop...’”

Arabella was getting annoyed. “Jarvis, I’m trying to help you. I know you’re hungry but you can’t always come to me in the middle of the night and expect me to be able to feed you. How often do you come around here when I’m sleeping, anyway?”

Jarvis hesitated and glanced down at Arabella’s desk. “No idea. Hey, what’s this you’re reading?” He picked up the book and flipped open the cover, but before he could get a good look at any of it it flipped shut again in a hurry. Jarvis let out a startled yelp. “Ah! Your weird book just cut me!”

Arabella leaned up against her windowsill. ���It’s a witch’s book. It’s not going to let you read it. It’s enchanted, mouse brain.”

Jarvis was sucking the blood from his hand where he’d been struck. “Yeah, well it didn’t need to cut me. Someone should throw that thing in the pond. It’s gotta be like fifty eras old, it’s doing nothing but collecting dust!”

“Oh, stop it. Keep your voice down. Do you want to be thrown out into the snow? Besides, I’m actually reading it, so it’s not collecting dust. It’s kinda good. You wouldn’t be able to understand a word it says anyway. It’s written in Scireic.”

“You mean that fake language I hear the the shopkeepers yelling in? Didn’t know you could fill up a book with that many curse words.”

“Cut it out, Jar. Look, forget the book. Did you only come here looking for food or was there something else you wanted?”

“I mean it was mostly for warmth and food because that snow storm was gnarly. Did you see that stuff coming down? It was heavy as bricks to fly in!”

“Why were you up so early?” Arabella questioned, one eyebrow raised.

“Huh? Oh. I’m an early riser.”

“No, you’re not.”

“As of tonight, I am.”

“Jarvis,” Arabella groaned in growing agitation, “as much as I love having you over when I should be asleep, you’re starting to waste my time. I know this is your afternoon, but this is my midday. You’re making me sleepier the longer you sit here and chat with me.”

“Yikes. You’re in a funk tonight, Bel. I get it, though. You want me gone. I get it. I’ll go.”

“It’s nothing personal, you know? It’s just super late for me. Like, a witch needs her beauty sleep. I’ll tell you what; come back tomorrow night and I’ll have some snacks waiting for you. I’ll go out and buy some meats just for you, okay? Then we can talk forest gossip and all that fun stuff.” Arabella was still sitting on the windowsill awaiting Jarvis’ response. The boy sat staring at her in contemplation.

“Belli,” the boy finally started in reply, “the moonlight really brings out that red hair of yours, you know?” He smiled a toothy grin. “I’ll be back tomorrow night. If I don’t see any rabbit’s feet, I’m gonna be pissed! Remember, keep ‘em as raw as possible!” He got up and eagerly bounced over to sit beside his friend. Jarvis sighed. “It’s getting harder out here for us ‘creatures’, ya know? These witch shops keep popping up faster and faster nowadays. Sooner or later we might not have much land to ourselves. Food is more scarce because of the storms, and the little that there is is being trapped and sold by the shopkeepers. Look, I get it, witches are trying to make a living and all, but us carnivores gotta eat too! Those fauns have it easy. Man. Anyways, I’ll get going. Rest up, Bel. We’re gorging ourselves tomorrow!” He turned and gave the girl a peck on the cheek before he turned halfway and pushed the window open. One minute he was next to Arabella, but the next he was taking a dive head first out the window. It unnerved her every time to watch him take such a risky move, but she knew he was used to it so she had no clue why she always worried so much. As she started to close her window pane and place the lock back where it was, she watched the bat whose fur was black in the moonlight fly off further and grow smaller against the sky.

Drawing her purple curtains, Arabella sat back on her bed and pulled her feet up onto her mattress. Considering her options, she decided it was just best to hit the sack now. The young witch reached over to her bedside table and fixed the book that her friend had tampered with. With a final glance at the blue moon outside of her window, Arabella flicked off her nighttime light and leaned back in her bed. Resting her head on her comfortable pillows, her eyes no longer fought the urge to close.

[thatcrazyfanfictionwriter]

Secret of the Sewers: Hunter Games

In a small apartment in New York, a figure sat in front of his television, watching the news with a vicious scowl.

"And in other news, the turtle creatures remain at large, despite police efforts to bring them in. Because of this, Chief Vincent is offering a reward for anyone with information that could lead to their capture."

The figure smiled maliciously, rising from his seat and turning off the television.

"I wonder what yer offerin if ya manage to bag one." he remarked, walking over to a rifle he kept on a shelf.

He gave it a look over before brandishing it like a hunter, a large smile poking out from under his thick mustache.

...

Down in the sewer, everyone was looking over a map of the entire sewer system, several red x's dotting it. Donny had a red marker in his hand, already adding yet another x.

"This tunnel collapsed last month, so crews are still down there trying to clean it up." He reported. "That means this entire section is off limits."

"So that's out." Leo replied. "What about the north-west tunnels?"

"We already scoured that section for anything usable." Raph declared. "Nothing big enough."

"Well, there's that old drainage junction." Hisako offered, pointing at it on the map.

"Not structurally sound." Donny shot down. "Floor could give out beneath you."

"How about this section here?" Mikey suggested.

"Too close to the old lair." Leo argued. "Even with the Foot no longer a threat, I'd prefer not going there any longer than we have to."

"Especially since that's where I got arrested and cops will be checking the place out." Hisako added.

"So we need somewhere isolated, away from anywhere we've been sighted, and structurally sound." Donny listed off.

Mona Lisa let out a sigh.

"When I asked for suggestions on where to find a place of my own, I did not expect it to become such an ordeal." she declared.

"Hey, I promised we'd help you and we will." Raph reassured. "Unfortunately, the sewers weren't exactly meant to be lived in.

"And yet, here you all are." Lisa pointed out.

Before any comments could be made on that, Splinter walked in.

"What is going on here?" he questioned.

"We're searching for somewhere for Lisa to set up shop." Hisako answered. "Unfortunately, real estate in the sewers is lackluster at best."

"I see." Splinter observed. "Lisa, you know you are welcome to stay with us for as long as you need."

"I appreciate the offer, but I desire my own place." She explained. "That, and using your absent daughter's room is… disconcerting. I feel like a trespasser."

"Well, if I may offer my opinion, there is the abandoned reservoir station on the west side of the city." Splinter offered, pointing at it on the map. "It's far from anywhere we have been sighted and long forgotten by the city. You will be safe there."

The others looked at the location in contemplation.

"That… could work." Leo declared.

"All the tunnels leading there are in good condition, and there's are multiple routes to get there as well." Donny noted. "It's perfect!"

"Excellent!" Lisa proclaimed. "I will go and prepare my new home immediately."

"I'll come with you." Raph offered. "Leo's pretty insistent on the buddy system, and you don't know these tunnels like we do."

"Fair enough." Lisa conceded. "I would enjoy your company anyway."

Raph hopped up, grabbing his sai and sliding them into his belt. Donny tossed him his shell cell, then Raph hooked arms with Lisa, heading out of the lair.

"Be careful!" Leo warned. "And if you run into trouble, call us!"

"And don't stay out all night!" Mikey called out.

Raph shot him a glare as he left, Hisako letting out a groan as she rolled her eyes.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Mikey."

"We live in the sewer." Mikey replied. "Where else is it supposed to go?"

...

In another part of the sewers, the two lovebirds weren't the only ones lurking around. The figure from before stalked through the stagnant water, his grip adjusting on his gun. He stepped into the light of a storm drain opening, revealing himself to be none other than Marlin.

"With those freaks being on the run, the only place they'd be safe is down 'ere in the gutter." He declared. "And lucky fer me, I'm the only one that thought to look here."

He peered around the corner, making sure the coast was clear before continuing on.

"I'd hate fer anyone else to get them before I got my chance." he went on. "Those freaks humiliated me, made a fool outta me back in Northampton. I lost a prime chance at making it big by catching Bigfoot. Now, they'll be my ticket to the big time, all of them."

…

Meanwhile, Raph and Lisa continued to make their way through the tunnels and were making casual conversation along the way.

"I must admit, when you told me your family lived in the sewers, I was skeptical at first." Mona Lisa began. "This begs the question, why do you constantly fight to protect the humans above you?"

Raph took a minute to answer, surprised by the question.

"Well… because it's the right thing to do." Raph responded.

"But they have done nothing to merit such treatment." Lisa rationalized, hopping up onto the wall. "They hunt you, ridicule you, and force you down here. You have no reason to help them."

"It ain't really about what they've done for us." Raph told her, following alongside her. "We knew from day one we were different, and that the surface world would never accept us. However, we also knew that it was just human nature. Humans are a superstitious and terrified bunch of idiots, but that doesn't make them evil or out to kill us."

He then stepped on something hard that made a beep as he did. The noise stopped them both in their tracks, their eyes slowly drifting down to the ground. Under Raph's foot, hidden in the stagnant water, was what could only be described as a mine bomb.

"What the shell?" He let out.

"Raphael." Mona Lisa said quietly. "Whatever you do, do not. Take your foot. Off that mine."

"Noted." Raph replied.

She surveyed the tunnel, spotting several more mines dotting the water. She cursed, remaining perched on the wall.

"This entire tunnel has been booby-trapped." she informed him. "Someone is aware of your presence down here."

"That ain't good." Raph let out. "It's bad enough we got everyone huntin for us up there, we don't need em down in the sewers."

"Worse than that, I cannot get close enough to you to disarm that mine without setting off several myself." Lisa lamented.

She looked around, trying to come up with an idea. After a moment, she got one.

"Stay here." she insisted, crawling up onto the ceiling high above him.

Raph watched her go, more than a little worried about the mine under his foot. Before he could get too worried, something long and pink stretched down and wrapped around his arm. Suddenly, he was yanked upward, into the grip of Mona Lisa as the bomb went off below. This set off all the other bombs as the two clung to one another on the roof. The two waited until the last bomb went off, then looked out at the scorched tunnel. Raph let out a whistle at the sight.

"Nice save." He remarked.

Lisa unfurled her tongue from around Raph's arm, retracting it back into her mouth. She spat a few times as she did.

"I knew you were lying when you claimed you took a shower the day before." she accused.

She then dropped him, the ninja landing on his feet easily as she dropped down next to him.

"Ok, we gotta find the whack bag who's hunting us down here and shut him down." Raph declared, punching into his hand.

"Agreed." Lisa said with a nod. "If they are searching down here, then they may know where your family resides, and I fear mines may be the least of our worries."

"No kidding." Raph replied. "Let's check the tunnels surrounding the lair."

They shared a nod, then darted back the way they'd come. Unbeknownst to them, their actions had been caught on some secret cameras hidden in the tunnel.

...

In another part of the sewers, Marlin watched the two run off on a tablet. He swiped the screen, showing a different part of the tunnels as a grin grew on his face.

"Tis a shame they dodged the mines." he lamented. "Still, they'll lead me right to the whole family. I'll get those turtle freaks, and have a giant salamander to boot."

Marlin put the tablet away and readied his gun, moving through the tunnels.

…

Back with Raph and Lisa, they continued making their way through the tunnels. As they ran, Lisa's foot snagged on a thin string hidden in the water. She yelped as she felt it, drawing Raph's attention. He turned just in time to see thin metal turrets rising from the water. Raph thought fast and tackled Lisa out of the way before the turrets opened fire. They caused several high intensity lasers to fire, closing in on the pair.

"Run!" Raph screamed.

The two got up and ran away from the onslaught of laser blasts, the lasers closing in. Thinking fast, Raph drew a bunch of shuriken from his pocket, striking several of the laser turrets. Lisa also pulled out a laser sword and used it to deflect some of the lasers. This sent the blasts right back at the source, eliminating them all. Raph glanced over at her sword, blinking in surprise.

"Since when did you have that?" he asked.

"It was G'Throkka's." she explained. "I held onto it."

"Whoa." Raph remarked.

With the last of the turrets dealt with, the two took a moment to breath. As they did, Raph caught a glint of something hidden in the shadows. His eyes narrowed in suspicion as he stalked towards it, spotting a tiny camera hidden there.

"Looks like we got an audience." Raph noted.

Lisa perked up at that.

"It seems our hunter is craftier than we anticipated." she mused. "Perhaps they were hoping to follow us back to your home, or at least learn its general location before we met our demise."

"He's good, I'll give him that." Raph admitted. "But he's not gonna get us that easily."

He got up right in front of the camera and gave it a big grin.

"Hey!" he shouted. "The pansy hiding behind some cheap tricks and a camera! Why don't you come out here and fight us mano y monsters! That is… unless you're a big chicken!"

…

On the other end, Marlin growled in response to Raph's comments. He shut off the tablet again, stomping towards where Lisa and Raph were located, determined to take them down at any cost. He pulled out his phone, opening a speech app and speaking into it.

"Alright Turtle-boy." he declared. "You wanna showdown? I'll give ya a showdown."

...

Both Lisa and Raph jumped when they heard Marlin's voice echoing from down the tunnel.

"Hello freak." He called out. "Ya caught onto my scheme sooner than I thought you would."

"You'd be surprised how quick turtles can actually move." Raph remarked.

"Oh I know firsthand just how slippery you freaks can be." Marlin told him. "Though the salamander is a surprise. Perhaps I'll mount her head right next to yours!"

"Try it, and you're in for a world of pain, pal." Raph swore.

"Then come stop me, monster." Marlin challenged. "Unless all that bravado is just an act to impress the lassie."

A noise came from down the tunnel Marlin's voice had been heard.

"Oh, bring it on, pal!" Raph declared, running after the noise.

"Raphael, wait!" Lisa tried to warn.

Raph didn't hear her, intent on going after Marlin. He darted towards a fork in the tunnel, heading to the left. By the time Lisa reached the fork, he was already gone. She cursed under her breath.

"Rakkan frood!" She exclaimed, taking off to the right on a limb.

...

With Raph in the left tunnel, he eventually came across Jack Marlin. The Hunter was leaning against the wall, running a cloth over his gun while his hat covered his eyes.

"Well, well, ya finally caught me." he announced. "Too bad the lizard took a wrong turn."

"Probably for the best," Raph remarked. "You can barely handle me, both of us would have just been too much."

"We'll see about that, freak!" Marin challenged.

The cloth dropped from his hand and Marlin fired at Raph. Raph brought his sai up in just the nick of time, blocking a dart from hitting him.

"That all ya got?" Raph taunted.

Marlin just growled in response as he continued firing, Raph spinning his sai to block each dart. Marlin grew more and more impatient with each shot. Marlin continued the assault though, hoping to wear the turtle down and get a shot in on him.

"Ya know, I was hopin for the blue one." Marlin admitted. "Still, yer bettah than nothin'."

"Well, he ain't here." Raph told him. "You're gonna get your butt kicked by me, so deal with it."

Raph pressed forward, swiping at Marlin with his sai and forcing the man to dodge. Marlin noticed the hard edge to his voice, as well as the fire behind his attacks. A plan forming in his head, he got to work.

"At least that one put up a decent fight." Marlin jeered. "I've seen declawed kittens fight harder than you."

"You want a fight, pal?!" Raph cried out, throwing one of his sai at him.

Marlin dodged it before shooting again. The shot rebounded off his shell, but he was getting closer.

"Ya call tossin yer weapon at someone a fight?" Marlin challenged. "How ya managed te survive this long I'll never know. I woulda had you stuffed and mounted on my wall inna heartbeat, right next ta tha rest of ya freaky family."

"That's it!" Raph declared.

He charged forward at Marlin, looking to skewer him. Marlin leveled his gun with Raph and fired. This time, the dart hit him right in the neck. Raph suddenly dropped to the ground, his sai's slipping from his limp fingers as he collapsed into a pile.

"All too easy." Marlin remarked.

…

Lisa continued to follow the left tunnel, searching for any sign on Raphael. So far, she had come up empty and was beginning to realize she had gone down the wrong tunnel. Her suspicions were confirmed when she reached the end of the tunnel to find that is dropped off into a drainage junction, one with no alternative exits.

"Rakka-rakka!" She screamed, pounding on the side of the wall. "Curse this incomprehensible labyrinth!"

She immediately turned around and ran back the way she came. When she reached the fork, she grabbed the wall, making the turn as tight as possible before heading down the left path at top speed. As she ran, she stepped on something hard that made her yelp, stopping in her tracks. She went to kick the offending hazard, but stopped short when she realized what it was.

"No..." she let out.

It was one of Raph's Sais, stuck in the mud and half sunk due to her stepping on it. She bent down to pick it up, noticing the fishing line attached to it a second too late. The line pulled taunt and a net gun activated, catching Lisa and suspending her partially in the air.

"What the-?!" She let out.

She struggled in the net, trying to get her bearings. When all she did was entangle herself further, she stopped, taking a few breaths to calm herself. She then gripped Raph's sai and began using it to saw through the ropes. As she did, she could hear footsteps approaching, which only spurred her to work faster.

"Come on…" she muttered. "Come on…"

Finally, she cut a hole big enough to dump her back into the mud. The second she landed, she scrambled to her feet and dove for the shadows, mere moments before Marlin rounded the corner. He looked at the torn net, rubbing his forehead in surprise.

"Blimey." He let out. "The other one must've bolted. Then again, if this salamander is anything like 'er friends, she'll be comin' fer the red one soon."

With that, Marlin left, allowing Lisa to slip out of her hiding spot.

"You will see how like my 'friends' I am soon enough." Lisa swore before following after him.

…

After letting out a slight groan, Raph slowly came to. He became aware that he was moving, and that he was heavily tied up. His eyes opened and he found himself in a cage being dragged through the tunnels on a dolly.

"What the…" Raph let out.

The dolly stopped and the cage was suddenly dropped into an upright position. Before Raph had a chance to regain his senses, Marlin bent down so he could look into the cage.

"Well, well, yer awake." he mused. "Bout time. Was worried I juiced ya too much."

"Don't worry, I'm still gonna kick your ass when I get out of here." Raph reassured.

Marlin laughed.

"I don't see how that's possible, mate." Marlin informed him. "I doubt even you could weasel yer way outta them ropes, and even in ya did, dis cage is locked by an electronic remote. Ya ain't getting out unless I want ya to."

"You think you're the first nut job to lock me up?" Raph remarked. "Trust me, this is nothing compared to what I've been through."

"Yer right." Marlin agreed. "Cause unlike the saps from before, I actually caught ya, and I intend ta keep ya. At least until I hand ya over to the coppers for that sweet reward. Yer gonna make me a very rich and very famous man."

"Ya couldn't do that by hosting a reality show or something?" Raph jeered.

Marlin kicked the cage hard, jarring Raph slightly.

"Let's see how smart that mouth is when yer on an autopsy table." Marlin sneered, grabbing the dolly and continuing his trek. As they continued along, Raph struggled in his ropes, trying to get them to loosen. They held fast, which only made Raph struggle harder, kicking the bars of his cage.

"Let me out of here, you weasely son of a cockroach!"

"I think I liked ya better asleep." Marlin muttered. "Ain't too late to fix that before goin after yer little friend."

"Leave them out of this." Raph demanded.

"Fat chance ah that." Marlin promised. "Yer time in this city is done."

…

The two eventually exited the tunnels, reaching a large drain that led to the Hudson. There, Marlin had parked his van, the back doors open in anticipation for his captured quarry. He got Raph's cage loaded onto a special lift that pulled it into the back. At this point, panic was truly beginning to set in, and he feared that Lisa wouldn't find him. However, as Marlin slammed the back doors shut, he saw something discretely stuck in the storage pocket of the door. It was a kunai knife with a red tassel, one Raph had given Lisa earlier in the week as a gift. He smirked, realizing what the message was.

"Alright, freak." Marlin called out as he got behind the wheel of his car. "Say goodbye to yer freedom."

He then tried to turn on the car, but all he got was a click of the transmission. He tried it again, but the same results happened.

"Wha' in blazes is goin on?" He let out.

"Aww, what's the matter?" Raph teased. "Car trouble?"

"Can it, you!" Marlin called out, getting out to check the engine.

He opened the hood, reeling back when he found that his engine had been torn apart with a laser sword.

"What the devil?!" He exclaimed.

Suddenly, the hood came crashing down on his head, disorienting him. He stumbled back and saw Lisa standing there, seconds before she punched him in the face. He fell and Lisa quickly searched his pockets, finding the remote for the cage. She then threw the doors of the back open and used the remote on the cage. The door swung open as Lisa grabbed Raph by the ankles and dragged him out.

"Why is it that I am always saving your life?" She questioned.

"Hey, I ain't complaining." Raph remarked. "Just glad you found me."

Lisa grabbed her kunai from the door and was about to cut Raph free when Marlin suddenly came up behind her. He grabbed her from behind, trying to wrestle the knife out of her hand. The two tussled for a bit, trying to gain the advantage over the other. As the fight continued, the knife fell out of both of their hands, sliding towards Raph on the ground. He grinned, working his way towards the knife as Lisa continued her wrestling match with Marlin.

"You are strong… for a humanoid." Lisa admitted, struggling to keep him at bay. "I'll give you that."

"You should see me against a crocodile." Marlin remarked.

"I'd like that." Lisa told him. "I know one who would eat you in a heartbeat."

As this went on, Raph finally managed to get ahold of the knife and began sawing away at his bindings. Marlin meanwhile managed to punch Lisa in the face before throwing her to the ground.

"Sorry love." Marlin told her. "But it looks like the hunt is-"

Before he could finish, Raph sucker punched him across the face, the remains on the ropes dangling from his wrists.

"Nobody hurts my girlfriend." He swore before offering Lisa a hand.

Lisa took the hand and they both got up. Shaking his head in pain, Marlin drew a pistol from his belt, aiming it at the two. Raph noticed this and quickly tackled Lisa out of the way before a shot rang out. It collided with the side of the van as the two scrambled for safety.

"I wanted ta bring ya alive, but I guess that ain't gonna work!" Marlin shouted, letting out two more shots. "Guess tha coppers will have ta settle for ya cold, dead bodies!"

"Or you could just surrender!" Raph called back.

That got him nearly shot in the foot. He yelped and they kept moving, Marlin keeping them pinned behind the van.

"Well this is a fine mess we're in." Lisa muttered. "How do we get out of this?"

Raph thought for a moment, then saw they were on the side where the gas tank was. He grinned, then grabbed Lisa's plasma sword.

"I've got an idea." He told her before using the sword to cut through the tank and allow the gas to leak out. "Alright, now when I say run, we run."

Just then, Marlin came around and aimed his gun at the two of them.

"Run!" Raph cried out.

The two bolted just at the hunter fired his weapon, the sparks from the gun igniting the gas fumes. Everything suddenly exploded, forcing Lisa and Raph into the ground. The two slowly pulled themselves up and looked towards the smoking wreck of the van.

"That was your plan?" Lisa questioned.

"Well… for the most part." Raph replied.

"What's the other part?" Lisa asked.

"Getting the hell out of dodge before the cops come and pray Marlin's either dead or in a coma." he answered.

"Good plan." Lisa agreed as they got up and bolted back into the drainage tunnels.

…

A few minutes later, Marlin came to. He'd suffered serious burns and a massive concussion, but was still alive. He was being tended to by doctors who were all wearing surgical masks and glasses to obscure their faces, and men in black suits were all over the scene. One of the doctors noticed his movement and turned towards the men.

"Agent Bishop, he's awake!" they called out.

Marlin turned his head slightly as Bishop came up to him.

"How are you feeling, Mr. Marlin?" Bishop inquired.

"Like a croc chewed me up and spit me out." Marlin answered. "But I'll feel better once I nab those freaks."

"I'm afraid that's not going to happen." Bishop told him. "It is clear that you are a danger to yourself and to the city."

"What?!" Marlin let out. "You can't be serious!"

"Very serious." Bishop told him. "As of right now, you are in EPF custody. Leave the turtles to us."

The doctors tending to Marlin then pushed him onto a gurney, strapping him to it. He fought as hard as he could, but it just wasn't enough. He was loaded into the back on an unmarked van before the doors slammed shut and he was carted off. Bishop then sighed, looking at the burnt-out wreck of Marlin's van.

"This situation is escalating far faster than I had anticipated." Bishop realized. "If we're to resolve this, we're going to have to act."

…

Meanwhile, the two fugitive mutants finally reached Lisa's new digs. The reservoir station, while dusty and in need of some TLC, was in surprisingly good condition.

"So, what do you think?" Raph asked.

"I imagine making this dwelling suitable for living will keep me busy, but I am certain it will be worth the effort." she answered.

"And you won't be doing it alone." Raph reassured, taking her hand.

"The sentiment is appreciated, but you must return to your family." she reminded him. "They will no doubt be worried about you, and someone must inform them of Marlin's death traps."

"Yeah…" Raph agreed hesitantly. "I just… I don't like the idea of leaving you alone again."

"Raphael, I promise I will be fine." she assured him. "You are needed elsewhere. Besides, it is not like I am a galaxy away this time. Once things settle down, we will see each other again."

"I know it's just… that might be a while." Raph lamented.

"And it will be worth every moment." Lisa reassured before kissing him.

They held each other and embraced, and for a brief moment, the worries of the world melted away, leaving just the two of them.

[xi-xxx-mmx-blog]

TRIGGER WARNING: The following content contains graphic writing on the topic of sexual assault including the act of, as well as the aftermath.  Please proceed with great caution if such matters are triggering to you in any way.

I was fourteen years old.

I stared at the man who had been my father figure for the last four years as he explained to me how life on the road worked.  ‘Time is money, sweetheart, and food ain’t cheap.  We’ll take turns.  I work while you sleep and you work while I sleep.’  It didn’t make sense to me as he explained it not an hour outside of Kansas City.  I listened intently, eager to do my part, right up until he explained to me what my part would be.  ‘Ya see, men are on the road for weeks on end, sometimes longer, just as you’ve seen me be.  They drive hard to get where they’re goin’, leavin’ their families and friends behind ‘em.  It gets lonely out on the road and from time to time, a driver needs a little company.  Ya following me, girl?’  I thought I understood, giving up a nod of my head.  ‘Very good girl.  So that’s the part where ya get to workin’.  You’ll go to their trucks and offer your company.  They’ll pay ya what they feel you’ve earned and then you’ll bring it right back on to me.  Ya hear?’  I nodded my head again.  

The arrangement was set and I was more than happy to help pay my own way.  I knew keeping me fed would be an expense and therefore I wouldn’t hold any fear within me when he told me it was time to go to work.  ‘Now ya see that truck there?  The one with its nose in?  That is a driver who is lookin’ for a nice little girl like you to come and keep him company.  It might be an hour or it might be a couple of hours, but ya just do any old thing he’d like to do, and ya don’t complain ‘bout it, and he’ll pay ya when he’s ready to go to sleep.  Now don’t go gettin’ mixed up and thinkin’ ya can sleep there, cuz ya can’t.  Ya come right on back here and ya get your sleep where your daddy can protect ya.’  I nodded my head and reached for the door handle before I’d hear my name.  ‘And Kate, I mean it, don’t ya complain and don’t ya dare cry.  I’ll be right here waiting for ya when ya get done.’

I eased out from the rig of the truck and made my way to the truck right beside ours.  As I walked up between the trucks, they seemed so much bigger than when I was inside of my ‘father’s’.  I lifted my hand to tap gently at the bottom of the door.  I had a brilliant white smile and porcelain, untouched skin.  As the driver opened the door, revealing himself to be in his mid to late 40’s, he looked down at me like I was a lost kitten.  “Hi.  My name is Katya.  I was wondering if you might like some company?” I asked, sincerity and naivety dripping through my words, prompting a true smirk from the man within the rig.  I never had seen a smirk quite like it before, not in real life anyway.  He jumped down from within, offering me a hand up as he steadied me from behind, welcoming me inside where I’d find my way towards the passenger’s seat.  ‘Nah, lil lady.  There’s more room back in the back,’ he’d instruct me, to which I went with ease.  His bed was far nicer than mine was and I noticed the moment I sat against it and didn’t feel bars against my boney ass.

He climbed up in a moment later and within moments, his hand was against my inner thigh.  “My father said that you might like some company.  That you would already know what you’d like to do.”  Even with his hand on my thigh, I looked to him with an innocence that screamed out the fact that I’d never done such a thing before.  ‘Yep.  I already know what I’d like to do.’  Within a moment he was there against me, pressing his lips to mine.  As I drew back, he brought his hand to the back of my neck, securing me to his lips as he unfastened his pants with his free hand.  ‘Don’t be shy sweetheart.  When you walk outta this truck, you’ll be a woman.’

I squirmed, trying to get away, but his belt would serve as a harness to strap me to the bunk by the throat.  Another was placed at each ankle to do the same, leaving me nowhere to go.  “Please don’t do this.  Please.  I wanted to keep you company to help pay for my food.  Please don’t do this.”  I begged.  I pleaded.  The tears cascaded down my cheeks in a flow that I was unfamiliar with.  His smirk only seemed to widen as he looked down at me, nodding his head.  ‘Yeah, keep right on beggin’.  Ya feel this?’ he asked, grabbing my arm by the wrist, forcing my hand around his cock as I closed my eyes and tried to turn my head to the side.  ‘You feel how hard it makes me to hear you beg like that?  You can cry too if ya really wanna get me goin’.  I pay extra if ya cry.  But it’s gotta be those real tears, not none of that fake hollarin’ business.’

And I cried.  I cried as he straddled over me, pressing my shoulders into the bed.  I cried as he demanded I keep my eyes open to look up at him as I choked against him.  When I threw up against him, he only seemed to enjoy it more as I choked against him and my own vomit.  When finally he’d had enough, he drew back, his hands taking to my wrists, pinning them against the bed as he found his way between my thighs, entering me all in one thrust that had a full scream passing from my lips as those tears continued.  He commented on how tight I was.  How I was the best fuck he’d had in a long ass time.  How he could feel how wet I was for him.  How I was the most beautiful doll he’d ever seen.  How my cries and tears were getting him right where he needed to be.  And when he had came inside of me, he smirked, smacking the side of my thigh as he stated something about hoping I was on the pill or I’d be having a little Earl nine months down the road.  Earl.  His name was Earl.  Somewhere in the midst of it all, I stopped crying.  My eyes went dark and I just stared up at him as he caressed my face.  ‘Such a good little girl ya are,’ he assured as he drew up his jeans and withdrew his wallet.  ‘Now you see your way out and don’t spend it all in once place,’ he stated as he tossed two twenty dollar bills against my bare stomach.  Reaching to draw my skirt back down into place, he’d then unfasten those straps that had held me down as he went on and on about just how good I’d done for him, giving him everything he liked and then some.  I had kept him good company.

As I sat up from the bed, my body was trembling and I struggled to my feet.  ‘Now go on, girl, get outta here before I take some of that money back.’  I didn’t say another word as I gripped the bar to help myself out of the truck and to the gravel of the parking lot.  There, in the truck beside this one, was my foster father’s face in the side view mirror where he’d watch me take each slow step forward from the truck I had just been in, up the side to the front where I’d walk around to my side to open my own door and climb back within.  There on my seat was a small bag containing a change of clothes and my bathroom things, with further instruction.  ‘Ya don’t get back in my truck with that filth on ya girl.  That’s what makes ya a slut.  You go wash that shit off and then ya put yourself to bed.  And I meant it.  No fuckin’ cryin’ to keep my ass awake.’  I lifted the two twenty dollar bills up towards him, which he instantly scoffed at.  ‘Don’t ya worry.  You’ll get better and you’ll make more.  It’s not that bad for your first try.’

I remained silent as I made my way into the truck stop, being stared at by the woman at the counter until I finally remembered what I was to do and asked for a shower.  ’Ten minute wait, sweetheart.  Busy night.’  I nodded my head and took my things to the women’s restroom where I locked myself in a stall, waiting for my shower number to be called.  I sat against the toilet in utter shock at just what had happened that night and the realization that it would have to happen again and likely again.  As I glanced down, the toilet water flowed red from the blood leaking from within me, to which I would tend to as best as I could.  The feeling of the toilet tissue sent shocks of pain through my lower region as I attempted to wipe it away.  My jaw ached and my throat burned.  It was in that moment that I finally fell apart.  Tears flowed down my face as I leaned over against my knees, praying it would never happen again.  I didn’t understand how my foster father could have sent me in there knowing what it would be and I didn’t understand the perversions of the man who jumped at the opportunity to take it from me.  In his own right, it was a bought service, and it was in that moment that I realized it would never be viewed as rape.  On some level, in taking that money, it had stood as my consent.

I hung my head even lower as my shower number was called and I walked into the shower room to the allotted shower assigned to me.   I scrubbed my flesh raw that night before I returned to the rig once again.  My father was already in his bunk and the sound of his snoring could be heard the moment I opened the door.  I reminded myself not to cry, telling myself that I’d gotten it all out in the shower and should I need to cry again, I’d need to get another shower.  I took three showers that night and slept a total of forty-one minutes.  Every minute of which was filled with the flashbacks of just what I had done.  What I had allowed.  It was then that I decided I’d have to find a way to deal with this if this was what it was now.  Natali.  She would need no surname as no one would ask one of her.  In truth, Earl hadn’t asked my name to begin with.  I had offered it.  I had heard him moan it into my ear throughout.  I had heard him pair it with obscenities.  And I never wanted to hear the name Katya again after hearing it on that man’s lips.  From this point forward, I was to be Natali when the sun went down and it was my time to go to work.  Katya would be safe.  I would make sure of it.

-October 9, 2017