#I had to fight for my life to narrow it down to just ten. Yikes.

[drivinmeinsane]

My top ten favorite shots of Driver's hands.

[ateezmakemeweep]

richboy!seonghwa (part 22)

word count: 4k

angst, fluff, smut

(part 21) (series masterlist)

you had thought that after a few weeks, you and yeosang were gonna start to have hiccups. that your old banter and fighting and animosity towards one another would somehow rise to the surface, push past the sexual tension and attraction and show it's true colors again.

but your two-month anniversary was only a few weeks away and you two were still going strong. still exploring each other's likes and dislikes, annoying habits and quirks and finding out more and more that the unique magnetic pull between you two seems to be something very real.

if you guys weren't out on a date, walking through the park or trying out a new cafe, you were at his house, giggling and kissing one another before the night inevitability turned hot and heavy.

"you know, i don't think... we've ever finished a movie here," you tell yeosang breathily, the boy's strong hands on your waist as he kisses down your neck.

you had been testing him all night, curling yourself on his lap and wiggling with just a little too much purpose. wrapping your arms around his shoulders and ghosting your lips over his. running your fingers through his hair and letting your nails lightly scratch his scalp.

because you just love his reactions, love watching him smirk and try to ignore you until he eventually snaps. but he only hums against your skin, grounding you down more on his hardening groin causing you to let out a shaky gasp.

"maybe because you can't keep your hands to yourself," he says before pushing you down on your back, pressing his body against yours and taking your wrists in his hand.

you smirk at the sight of his red, puffy lips and messy hair; this is what you've been waiting for. his grip on your wrists as your arms stretch above your head, his ticking jaw and dark eyes shooting a jolt of excitement and warmth through you.

"you play with me on purpose, don't think i haven't caught on."

you lick your lips before pressing them into a firm line, attempting to show a look of indifference as you shake your head innocently. "i don't know what you're talking abo-"

his lips crash down on yours and you smile against them, arching your back in his hold before wrapping your legs around his waist. his hand tightens around your wrists ever so slightly at the new position, his tongue peeking out to invade your mouth.

you guys hadn't gone that whole way regarding sex but you've definitely done more than make out. because the amount of times his fingers have slipped inside your thong on this couch, your chest pushed flush against the fabric of the couch as you kneel between his legs and take his length in your mouth, was just a little embarrassing to think about. it had gotten to the point where he immediately invested in a set of blinds for the glass door.

and your teasing proves to be a success because, with your wrists still in hand, he's quick to pull down on your leggings and underwear with the other and circle around your clit. you moan out his name and it only spurs him on to apply more pressure before his pinky finger slides in your wet entrance.

"yeosang," you whine. because he knows that's not enough even though he already has your legs shaking.

"shut up," he growls, something hot and tingly burning deep in your stomach; it's incredibly ironic (and actually a little shameful) how quickly you listen to his harsh commands when you're under him opposed to in your normal day-to-day life.

"you do this to yourself every time, baby," yeosang mumbles, awarding you another finger when you do indeed shut up, before bringing his face to yours and placing a kiss on your mouth. "now you're gonna sit through the punishment."

"a punishment you say?" yunho says, throwing his arm around you as he guides you to your 4th period class that following monday. "and what exactly did that entail?"

"wouldn't you like to know," you tease, bumping into him playfully before squinting your eyes at him. "i'm sure mingi could show you it firsthand though."

you were 99% sure the boys were about to start dating and was 100% sure they both had crushes on each other.

because it was so sickeningly obvious, their banter and touches and gazes that always look far too sweet and loving for them to claim they're best friends. you had always noticed it but it became increasingly obvious after the day at the amusement park, when mingi had come back with seonghwa.

his gaze never left the boy, his rare hint of smile only appearing when yunho looked his way or said something funny.

"him giving me a punishment?" yunho laughs out, "i'd love to see him try."

"why?" you squeak, poking him in the side as you wiggle your eyebrows up at him. "because you have a crush on him?"

"no, my love," the boy says simply, humor in his tone as he watches you lean against the wall outside your classroom. he looks side to side, making sure the boy didn't somehow just appear, before he leans down to whisper in your ear. "because he's the biggest bottom i've ever seen."

a loud laugh erupts from you as you hit your friend in the arm, "yunho!"

"what! i'm just saying, y/n."

"so you've thought about it, then?" you ask, brewing with excitement at the budding romance between your two best friends. but he only rolls his eyes and shakes his head, insisting it was as easy to pick up on as the sky being blue.

"but...i couldn't tell that," you say, eyebrows pulled together in confusion and then even more when yunho throws his head back in laughter. "what is so funny!" you whine.

"nothing," he teases, biting his lip before a familiar looking face catches his eye. seonghwa passes the both of you quickly, your eyes meeting as he greets you both with a small smile and wave before he disappears into the classroom.

"yikes," the boy says under his breath. "and how's that going?"

you let out a sigh, shrugging your shoulders because that's the only way you can describe it. your relationship will probably never be the way it was before, just talking about anything and laughing with one another carelessly; because now you're lucky if you get more than ten words out of him when it's just you and him together.

"he'll say hi and stuff, ask how my weekend was and if i'm doing okay with my work," you tell him, "but apart from that...eh."

yunho quirks his lip to the side in dismay, frowning at the sight of you dejected. "it's still hard for him, i guess."

"i guess," you sigh, "but i should go in. i don't want you to be late." he smiles softly at you, tucking a piece of hair that fell out from your ponytail before nodding. "i'll see you at lunch."

you nod your head quickly before walking into the room, taking your usual seat in the back and passing seonghwa who never did move back to the empty one in front of you. you sit down and take your books out, ready again to look at the board and ignore the sight of the back of the boy's head mocking you.

but if you thought that was mocking, your teacher's words ten-minutes later completely rendered you a speechless fool.

you had known about the presentation due the day before christmas break and you had known that it would be with a partner - but you didn't know that she'd be picking them and you certainly didn't know you'd end up with no other than:

"park seonghwa," you hear right after your name is announced. your eyes widen as your teeth sink into your lower lip before you notice the boy two seats ahead of you stiffen immediately. you know this is probably the last thing he wants and that he has every right to be uncomfortable but the reaction still hurts your feelings.

you hear the girl next to you let out an annoyed scoff, turning your head to see her eyes narrowed at you with a fire you were once so used to building behind them. it's been quite some time since you got bullied, everyone deeming you harmless and not worth their time for which you were grateful; you had even almost forgotten everyone and their mother thinks you're a poor beggar.

but perhaps that's because now they've switched up their material.

the teacher dismisses the class five minutes early, sharing far too much about the amount of drinks she had this morning and her weak bladder, leaving all the students free to chat and pack their things up before the bell.

and that's when the girl and her minion take their chance, sit on their desks and spin themselves around as they cross their legs in a lousy attempt to box you in.

"you must be pretty happy about your partner," one of them says, tone and smile sweet as candy but you know these antics far too well by now to think she's being genuine.

"and why's that?" you ask, not about to beat around the bush or entertain her juvenile behavior.

and apparently it pisses her off that you didn't go all doe-eyed and feign innocence the way you used to, hit her with a naive 'of course i am, seonghwa's one of the top students.'

"because isn't it time to bounce back to him now?"

your eyebrow raises at the comment in surprise, turning your head to the side in confusion. "what?"

the girls look at each other and share a snide laugh. "really? you were up his ass the first month and a half of school," the other girl chimes in, her eyes ghosting over seonghwa who's talking to the boy in front of him. "and then all the sudden you drop him and start dating yeosang, his best friend nonetheless?"

"i wasn't up his ass, we were just..we're friends."

but the sinister, bitchy smirks on their faces don't care to hear that.

"we were just innocent little friends," the girl mocks with a laugh before a hard, serious look crosses her face. "like you weren't a second away from dating him before another boy looked your way."

"sounds like you're a whore to me," the peanut gallery chimes in again.

"a total whore," the girl says, smirking as she looks at you with tears brimming your eyes as anger and hurt stir in your stomach. "it was very distasteful, y/n, playing the two of them like that. you could've ruined a friendship."

"i wasn't dating, seonghwa," you say quietly, the same way your mind has repeated that statement to you over and over and over again these past few months.

"but you would've," she's quick to add, "because everyone knew how much he liked you." the girl's eyes again graze over to seonghwa who's head is turned straight in his friend's direction. "but you really messed up with your whoring around, huh? since he's not over here defending you."

"how sad," the girl says, "but if he did, i'm sure she'd be with him next week."

"they share her. gotta making herself money somehow."

and that's when you've had enough, wiping a tear that's rolled down your cheek before your chair scrapes on the floor and you quickly make your way out the door. you text mingi and yunho, praying that one of them can get out so you don't have to have this breakdown alone.

and it's a breakdown seonghwa knows you're gonna have which is why he immediately jumps up from his chair and over to the girls, the look on his face so angry and full of rage they almost regret messing with you.

"how many times do i have to tell you bitches to leave her alone?"

their faces drop at seonghwa's profanity, looking to one another in shock that seonghwa can only roll his eyes to.

"we were just trying to stick up for y-"

"just shut the fuck up, how 'bout that?" the boy growls, "you two don't know shit."

the girl's look at him in fear, getting more and more nervous at the anger directed at them; but it does nothing to simmer the boy.

"she's been through enough from all of you and she doesn't need anymore. so just stop. fucking. talking to her."

the girls can only blankly stare at him, the rest of the class sensing drama and falling silent.

"do you understand me?"

the girls swallow nervously, not sure if seonghwa even noticed how much he got in their face.

"forgot how to talk?" his loud, harsh voice growls out.

and lucky for them, they remember how to and quickly rush out swears that they won't talk to you anymore. but he only rolls his eyes and sneers at them, plopping back down in his seat as his foot jerks anxiously in hopes to get out of this room.

and lucky for you, mingi gets out of his class immediately. he ushers you into the nurse's office where you spend the next period crying and venting to the boy. asking him if those girls were right and if you were using both of them during that time. because you've even thought to yourself how you were once so sure about liking seonghwa and convinced you'd want to be with him.

"you were allowed to be confused, y/n," mingi tells you softly, "you had one hot guy and another..cute-ish guy after you." you pout and hit him playfully when even during a pep talk, he still finds time to make a dig at yeosang. "and you hadn't even be here that long and they were both coming on strong. it was exciting and there was no right way to handle it."

you let out a tiny sigh, leaning your head on his shoulder as he pats your back in awkward but comforting mingi fashion. "you hadn't given yourself to either of them, you weren't indebted to be with seonghwa just because he was nice to you."

and deep down, you know that, you've known that. but it hurt hearing it from an outside source. which mingi is quick to clarify that they didn't know what they were talking about, that they only said those things to hurt you and that you shouldn't let it work.

"besides..." the boy says after a few minutes, after you've smiled and wiped your tears. "it's not like you kissed both of them or something."

your face falls when you see the shit eating grin on mingi's face, who's quick to take your face in his hand and squeezing your cheeks teasingly. "that was mean," you mumble out, words morphed by his hold on your jaw before you rip your face away.

"it was kind of funny," the boy says despite the smile not dropping from his face. you both hear the bell ring for next period and you watch mingi's eyes light up at the sound. "c'mon, are you hungry? i'll willingly share my food with you."

"fine," you grumble out, eyes narrowing at him as you pick up your things. "but like i'll get a chance, yunho eats all the fruit in two seconds."

a scoff leaves the redhead as he nods his head, throwing his arm around your shoulder as you both make your way to the library.

and in a sick, twisted fate, the two girls who attacked you in class pass you by. they're quick to look at mingi, his harsh glare and lip curled in disgust causing them to advert their gaze to his hand on your shoulder before looking you dead in the face.

"great, that's just great," you whine to the boy next to you, "and my body count raises to three. i can't wait for the shit they're about to say tomorrow, probably gonna tell the whole class i have an std or something."

a snort leaves mingi as he shakes his head and tightens his hold on you. "i love you but i don't know if i'd ever kiss you."

a sarcastic laugh leaves your mouth as you shake your head, being sure to look right at him when you say "that's because you're a bottom!"

he stops in his tracks and his arm falls from your shoulders when the words leave your mouth, a mix of shock, embarrassment and amusement on his face. "what..what did you just say to me?"

"don't think i don't know these things," you say to him, "it's as obvious as the sky being-"

"y/n."

the deep voice immediately causes you to turn around; you haven't heard him say your name like that in months. seonghwa's looking at you and mingi almost apprehensively, an unsure look on his face probably due to the fact he heard people ream into you about being a whore and using him...but who's to know really.

"hi, seonghwa."

the two of you hold each other's gaze amidst the busy, bustling hallway, the both of you waiting on the other to respond or say anything else. but mingi's quick to break the tension, despite his own confusion about being called out less than a second ago, telling you he'll give you two a minute and will see you in the library.

you and seonghwa both nod before walking off to the side, out of harms way from bustling students and oversized backpacks smacking into you. he's leaned against the wall, teeth between his lip as he watches you look at the floor and play with your hands nervously.

"are you okay?" he asks and the scene is so familiar, it brings the slightest pang of pain to his chest.

his eyes move further down, brows knitting as his stomach sinks because just the mention of this party has you nervous, has your hands folded into one another and fingers fiddling nervously; he feels the familiar feeling of guilt start to creep in his veins at that moment.

"come with me?" he mumbles suddenly, placing his warm hand over the both of yours and rubbing them calmingly before taking one in his grasp.

"are you gonna be okay tonight?" he asks quietly, taking a step closer to you and causing you to bite the inside of your cheek nervously, "i...we can do something else if you want."

a shy smile makes its way on your face, you heart warming at the gesture and the sincerity in his eyes. because it's so thoughtful and sweet and your heart continually melts when he shows time and time again how considerate he is.

but you don't wanna ruin the fun nor do you want that event to taint any other experience you might and will have. it appears though that even with your positive and strong thoughts, it doesn't translate to your body's natural nervous reaction. doesn't stop your stomach from feeling queasy or your mind start to race with the hazy memories.

you're suddenly very interested in the pictures on the wall behind him, eyes darting to take in the drawings and snapshots of the ski lodge throughout the years. the picturesque town, an overview shot from the ski lift at sunset, snow-covered tree, the-

his warm hand on your jaw moves your face ever so slightly so your eyes immediately fall back on him, your tongue darting out to lick your lips nervously and you don't miss the way his eyes follow it.

"y/n?" he hums, head cocked to the side as he looks at you, his gaze gentle and patient.

"no, i can...we can go, i'll be okay," you stutter out, your head turning to look at the table of excited boys throwing crumbs at each other.

"are you sure?" he asks, noticing where your gaze shifts and letting out a sigh, "they won't mind, you know."

"thank you," you say softly, turning back to him face, "but i promise it's okay, i...i think it'll be fun. we can dance."

a soft smile makes its way on his face and he has to suppress a laugh thinking about the kind of dancing you think is appropriate at a party.

"you're two left feet say otherwise," he quips, letting out a laugh when you smack his chest lightly.

"shut up!"

"yeah," you say quietly, ripping him from his memories as he finally notices your eyes on him. "i'm just...i'm sorry you had to hear that. it was embarrassing."

"they're just stupid," he says to you, the angry growl seeping back into his voice. "and they don't even know what they're talking about."

you swallow down the lump making its way in your throat as you nod at him, feeling grateful he's not standing here and yelling at you that they were, instead, absolutely correct. there's a few moments of a slightly awkward silence before a strangled giggle leaves your mouth.

"hey, at least they stopped calling me your poor maid."

and to both your surprises, he lets out a laugh as he shakes his head to the side. "i forgot you were my maid."

"hm guess i've been doing a shitty job, then."

another chuckle leaves his mouth and your eyes meet again, the guarded glint in his eye making you falter ever so slightly. but it only lasts for a few seconds, him quickly moving his gaze to the library before he mentions you guys being partners for the project.

"oh...yeah," you say, your voice dragging out at the end because you don't wanna say the wrong thing and make him feel weird. because is he gonna suggest asking the teacher to make a switch? or be completely fine and start talking about topic ideas and meeting places?

you don't wanna presume anything but then you're pleasantly surprised to find out it's the latter, him telling you it'll probably be best to meet in the library after school one day.

because he doesn't think it'll be...appropriate to have you back over his house or in his bedroom. and he also doesn't hate himself enough to try and put his weepy, fragile heart through that.

"so we'll start meeting next week after school?" you confirm, your bright smile causing his heart to constrict.

"yeah," he says, meeting your smile with one of his own and for a split second, you remember why your stomach and heart used to flutter to a dangerous degree.

you send him one last smile and take a few steps before he calls out your name again. you quickly spin back around to see his tooth in his lip, his hand on the back of his neck that you remember is a nervous tick.

"i'm not mad about anything," he tells you, "i know i've been awkward and distant lately but i...just need you to know i'm not mad at you, okay?"

you feel stupid tears sting behind your eyes, his soft voice and softer words causing you to smile and nod at him. and because you don't think you can get any other words out, you can only get out "okay."

"okay?" your voice confirms sweetly and a smile of his own finally makes it's way on his face. it's small but it's there and your stomach is fluttering at the sight of it.

"okay."

a tiny giggle suddenly bubbles out of you and he looks at you strangely, eyebrows furrowed but eyes holding a certain fondness at hearing you laugh after such an intense few minutes.

"did you see that movie?"

his eyebrow raises, eyes looking at you questioningly as he removes his hand from your face and a gasp falls from your lips.

"hazel and augustus? terminal cancer? the anne frank house?"

his look of confusion only deepens, looking at you as if you've spoken another language.

"i wish i had any idea what you were talking about," he says, sarcasm dripping in his tone and a scoff leaves your mouth as you roll your eyes.

"ugh and the stupid rich boy is back," you tease sarcastically, eyebrows shooting up playfully as you poke his chest daringly.

he smirks thinking back to you muttering to yourself in class with your flushed cheeks and babbling and he can't help but scoot a little bit closer to you in the bed.

you know the memory smacks you both in the face when your eye contact breaks, you taking a few steps back and him shaking his head as his gaze hits the floor. "see you tomorrow," he says gruffly and then before you can even respond, he's gone and around the corner.

you walk into the library with a sigh, plopping down in your usual seat and running your hands through your hair until yunho's bubbly voice pierces your ears.

"you told mingi he was a bottom? where did you ever get that idea?"

(part 23)

[capri-ramblings]

Yikes,I know there's bound to be questions but trust me, chapter 3 will answer most of them. Aha,I'm sorry if this chapter is kinda confusing at first,I'm not good at planning out thoughts or stories systemically,it kinda makes it harder for me to write whenever I try to. But here,the second chapter of Raptured! Thank you for reading! ( ꈍᴗꈍ) ♥️

[ R a p t u r e d ]

Chapter 2: Banter

In the moment Riddle had finished telling his brothers what conspired with their human captive, the first to speak up was Azul.

"They offered what?" His words were a mix of shock and amusement, gaze fixated on Riddle who seemed almost flustered from how red his cheeks were.

The red haired sighed, sending him a narrow eyed glare before crossing his arms.

"The head of their own brother"

"By their own hands?" Kalim asked aloud, his features scrunched up worryingly. "Isn't that bad? Why would anyone want to kill their own brother so suddenly?"

From the chaise across the room,Leona let out a scoff, lips upturned into a smirk.

"What are you? A five year old? If you give a herbivore the chance of freedom,they'd leave their entire fleet open to make sure they survive. Humans aren't so different."

"Indeed" Vil joined in with a smile of his own. "Humans are very fickle things, they live out their life struggling and as a result they stink of repulsion."

"They can barely even stand on their own.." Idia added thoughtfully and as the gazes of his brothers turned to him, the flames on his hair flickered and he looked away.

"Maybe the isolation's got to their head?"

Riddle let out a scoff, his lips upturned in a sneer almost too vicious to be formed on such a delicate looking face.

"The cottage they were in was secluded from the rest of the village,they were already a reclusive. Why should it bother them now?"

"Maybe Idia has a point" Kalim interjected then "Before they were on their own by choice...and they weren't exactly trapped in a tower either"

"It's all the same" Leona snapped " Damn herbivores will always be too fragile."

"Though, our soft-shelled brothers have a sound reason" Vil's lips curled in an effortless smile,his ever sharp gaze glinting like jewels.

"At this rate our small hare is going to die before the homage from her brother, and that makes all of this pointless."

The room went silent then. Each males having their own thoughts wrapped around the situation.

When they came to a decision to face the hunter who killed their family beast, he was nowhere to be seen and left tending to his cottage was none other than their captive human, a young sibling unaware of what their fool brother had committed. They opted it was easier to simply kidnap them and have their brother come looking since neither one of them wanted to wait around. There was also the fact that the death of the beast had affected their Mother's health greatly, and all seven brothers fumed with rage.

"Our methods doesn't matter anymore" Riddle spoke up, "What's done is done. We can't exactly just put them back where we found them."

"I agree" Azul said "Though if the human dies in our care now, when we're fully able to change their situation, I fear the price of that loss would be great."

"What? Are the humans going to chase us around with pitchforks?" Leona sneered,his sharp fangs visible as he leaned back into the chaste. "You saw how further in their cottage was, chances are the herbivore doesn't even go down to the village often enough for people to notice them missing."

"They can't die." Idia drawled the words out this time,his gaze sharp and harsh as he stared down Leona who all but grinned at his brother.

"Why? Because you like them?" The laugh that barked out from Leona was cruel and Idia flinched.

"Go ahead and save the poor herbivore then,Prince Idia of the lands of burrowed moles. You think they'd ever look at you fondly?"

"Enough." Riddle came between the fight with his own ire and before he sent a glare towards Leona, he let Idia catch the solace in his.

The situation was getting worst. They needed a decision quick.

"You're not a five year old as well,Leona, so keep that tongue of yours tamed"

"What are you? Suddenly playing the role of the Eldest when you can't even reach his height?" Leona scrutinized Riddle with an aggression that seemed ready to claw him in the face, but Riddle kept his own spite and promptly choose to ignore his brother.

Instead,he turned to Azul.

"The hunter should've came back and see his sibling gone, you even sent those eels of yours to make sure he got the hints. Why hasn't he made a single move? It's been two months."

"Maybe he's forgetful?" Kalim chipped in, eyes glowing. Riddle wanted to tap the side of his face and gently tell him to shut up but Vil patted his head instead.

"A forgetful hunter managing to kill a wild beast is unlikely, mein bruder"

Azul crossed his arms,gaze narrowing.

"They've sent word that they have information regarding our human and the whereabouts of their brother"

"And?" Vil prompted.

"I told them to come meet us as soon as they can, which shouldn't be long."

The moment those words were uttered, a dull thud came from the would-be-entrance of the tower, and a familiar voice calling out.

"My Princes! Open the door please!" The urgency of the voice had all the present Princes turning their head, though the one who seemed genuinely surprised and concerned was Kalim.

"That voice..." He said, turning to Azul "Is that who I think it is?"

Azul's lips curled into a knowing smile and with a flick of his fingers, the sound of a door being swung opened then slammed shut could be heard within the tower itself,followed by light rapid footsteps approaching them.

Out of breath and desperately panting, a young girl made a hasty bow as she came before the Princes, though the way her legs slightly trembled suggested that she was near collapsing.

"It is her!" Kalim's eyes grew wide with familiarity, the worry in his voice replaced with joy as he came up to place his hand on the girl's shoulder.

"The last time I saw you, you were still learning how to walk!" Kalim's loud voice seemed to make her flinch but the girl met his gaze with warmth before she bowed her head again.

"Pleasure to meet you again,Prince Kalim." She's heard stories of him, the Prince Fae known to give out bits of his treasures to those who come wishing at his well. It seemed odd to act as if she's known him, but she knew better than to put logic before courtesy. He was one of the seven Princes after all. Acting too smart with them was a fool's mistake.

Before Kalim could say anything else, Azul stepped forward and the girl promptly met his side with a suddenly serious demeanor.

"I'd ask you for the information I had you fetch but I wonder why you were running in the first place?"

The girl laughed dryly if not nervously.

"Floyd wanted to see who could win in a race in getting here,your Highness."

Azul frowned, internally sighing.

"Why on Earth did you agree to that?"

Again, the girl laughed. "He terrifies me,my Prince."

Riddle couldn't place where he's met her, but hearing her words had him internally sympathising her. Azul's leeches were a pair he'd gladly avoid for eternity as well.

"So,you got a changeling to be at your beck and call as well,Azul?" Vil sounded amused as he turned to Azul, but the degrading glance he gave the girl bellied the smile coyly sitting on his lips then.

"She's indebted to us anyway" Azul stated simply "Why not put her to work?"

His gaze returned to the girl.

"What do you have about our human then?"

It took a full ten minutes for the young changeling to inform them of what she's managed to compile on their human and hunter. Turns out they aren't related by blood but by marriage. Apparently most of the villagers knew of the hunter but rarely saw the younger sibling as they took more liking in staying indoors. There was also talk that their relationship with one another was never close and answered Riddle's question as to why he hadn't showed up yet.

"So, he's just going to leave his sibling at our mercy?" Kalim asked,he had his expression scrunched up with worry and pity again but Leona shared none of it and only growled with distaste.

"There won't be mercy if they're left with us a second longer"

Riddle caught the flicker of Idia's flames and instantly reacted.

"Threaten to murder our captive one more time and I'll have your head,Leona."

"Hah, you're trying to scare me,Riddle?" Leona sneered,fangs glistening with malice. He's been irritated by the whole situation since the beginning. Taking in a human in hopes that another would appear to save them, it was all a damn fairytale. Leona knew humans were selfish, his brothers should've had that piece of common sense drilled into their heads as well. No one was going to play hero for their captive.

Riddle gritted his teeth and again instead of lashing out senselessly, he swirled around to face the changeling. Every bit of his anger flaring in his grey gaze.

"Where's the hunter now?" He asked,though it sounded painfully like a death threat.

The changeling bowed her head.

"He's at the human King's palace,Prince Riddle. King Aothor ...of Nostorne"

The words sent the entire room tilting, and Riddle would've gripped her by her neck if Azul hadn't stepped forward.

"King? Since when did the humans have a King?" The last time they came to the world,their mother's shrine was built almost everywhere to acknowledge her ruling. Had times changed so drastically since their absence?

"Yes. It's been this way for years now. A dukedom raised after Her Most Divine's departure from the human realm and ever since then a lineage of human nobles have taken the throne as the Human ruler."

"My, how futuristic, and here we were in the guise that we still sat on the top of their world" Vil was laughing but his words cut into the tension of the room like a blade coated in venom and the changeling girl shifted uncomfortably.

"It seems like the order of the slaughtering was made by him and ultimately fulfilled by the hunter. His name is Cyril and he's being celebrated by the King for his bravery."

Leona heaved a heavy sigh,leaning once more into his chaise. He looked ready to fall into a deep slumber already but his irritation kept him awake.

"So,we have information. Now what's the plan?"

***

Jade and Floyd,two of Azul's trusted companions came into the situation while the Princes were sorting out their thoughts and opinions (Which all greatly contradict one another) and brought word that their hunter had refused to save their sibling in a conversation Jade overheard him had with another hunter right before he was called on by the King.

"He said he knew of the Fae's trick and that by taking something of theirs as his own, he'd gladly give anything they took from him as compensation." Jade explained in his usual matter-of-fact tone,his mismatched gaze still and knowing.

Riddle clicked his tongue, brows furrowing. Idia's was the most sympathetic along with Kalim while Leona and Vil seemed ready to send a fleet of their army to storm into the human villages.

"I'm not really surprised though" Floyd spoke up lazily "He seems like a guy who'd do that kind of thing anyways"

"But now the Princes are stuck with keeping a human captive in their care", Boe,the young changeling from earlier, pointed out grimly.

"What if we sent you to negotiate with him in our stead?" Idia suggested which earned a rather hasty look from the girl.

"Human royals don't take too kindly to my kind,Prince Idia. I doubt he'd even let me enter"

Leona let out a menacing growl. One that reverberated through the tower walls.

"This is going nowhere. Riddle, go up to that damn herbivore and have them beg their brother come and pay his homage so we can give them back."

Riddle frowned.

"You heard the changeling,Leona. If their relationship with their brother is as bad as we've heard, do you really think they'd beg for him to come save them?"

"Couldn't you talk some sense in them?" Azul had eyes turning once more to the young changeling who all but reluctantly slumped her shoulders.

"I don't see how me being the one talking will get them to cooperate..."

"Clamshell,you should at least try,right?" Floyd's smile was sickly sweet and when he attempted to sling his arm over her shoulders, she avoided the outcome by shifting close to Jade.

"What would you want me to say to them?"

"The offer they gave" Riddle said "Have them elaborate more on that. I'm not going into a deal without knowing why it was proposed in the first place."

There was hesitation in her eyes but it was swiftly changed to a silent resolve as she nodded her head.

"I'll see what I can do."

[scientifically-strange]

Avengers mess with time and Danny (as clockworks apprentice) has to set them straight? (If that's okay?)

“Daniel.”

Clockwork didn’t bother turning as Daniel, his apprentice, entered the room. He calmly floated over to Clockwork, looking at him expectantly.

“Yeah, what’s up?” Danny asked, popping his gum.

“There is a team of super humans that are time traveling, and ironically enough I don’t have time to intervene. And you need experience. I want you to take care of it.”

It was probably one of the only times he had never been cryptic with Danny (After all, he did love a good riddle), but this was far too important.

Danny tapped his staff on the floor twice and disappeared in a swirl of whatever shade of blue his cloak was. He was very picky about his shades of blue.

------

When Danny landed, his stomach was swimming, and apparently, so was he.

He had landed in some sort of river, slowly going downstream. It was odd seeing no trees or buildings. It kind of reminded him of a desert.

At least, until he was lifted out of the water.

He didn’t notice it at first until he blinked and he was suddenly in the air without having to fly. He looked down and yelped, almost falling off of...

A dinosaur?

His whole body was smaller than its head, and the thing’s neck was freakin’ huge. But that would explain the lack of buildings. And people. But he could see trees further off into the distance, along with something...Smoking? If people weren’t around during this time, and there was no lighting, and it was just cool enough to not cause a fire, then that smoke should in fact not be there.

He lifted off of the dinosaur’s head (it started with a b, he knew, but all he could think of was Long Neck) and flew towards the small trail of smoke, ignoring the way his pants pinched from the water.

He stopped about twenty or thirty yards away, invisible and intangible for convenience, and slowly glided over. He didn’t want them to know he was there just yet.

There was one guy with his head in a ship that had a large red A on it, being griped at by a blonde guy with a bandage on his nose and stitched up gash on his forearm.

“We’ve been here for three days!” He whined. “What about my dog? Even worse, what about my coffee?!”

“Clint, calm down,” the other guy said. “We’ll be out of here in no time, all I have to do is build the whole ship from scrap parts because we’re in freaking dinosaur land!”

So obviously there was a bit of tension between these friends. Probably because they had been stuck in dino land for three days, but hey, Danny wasn’t going to jump to conclusions.

“Will you two knock it off?” A woman with curly red hair approached them, her hips swinging back and forth. She looked beautiful but Danny wouldn’t touch her with a ten foot pole. Behind her was another blond guy who was taller and broader than the other one, with torn American spandex. Yikes.

“Nat’s right,” he said. “Besides, at least we beat Kang. And this problem is solvable. Right, Tony?”

The guy who was in the ship stuck his head out and wiped his brow, smearing grease across his forehead as he did so. “I don’t know, Steve. We could be here a while. I only have so many materials, and there’s no way I can use any prehistoric thing to make the ship go and time travel. Except for fuel, maybe, but it would take us weeks to get us even that.”

“What about Thor?” Clint asked hopefully.

“He’s MIA in our home time. He ain’t answering anytime soon now,” Steve replied. Clint didn’t put any effort into hiding his disappointment. Danny almost felt sorry for him, but he knew of Kang the Conqueror, and if they beat him, well, they truly are a force to be reckoned with. He stepped through a tree, losing his invisibility half way through it, and greeted them.

“You guys beat Kang? How?”

Okay, so maybe not as politely as he would have thought, but he still wasn’t mean, and that was the important part.

They all immediately hopped into a fighting stance, but nobody tried making a shot. He waved them off.

“Relax, I’m here to take you back to your own time. See the staff with the little hourglass on top?”

They still didn’t back down, and he was pretty sure the guy named Tony was going to throw his wrench at him.

“How?” Nat asked, eyes narrowing.

“I...I don’t know how the power works, I just kind of do it. Now do you want to go home or not?” He put his hand on his hip and gave them an irritated look. Clint was the first to drop his fighting stance, looking utterly exhausted as he did so.

“I do,” he said. He raised his hand and fell onto the ground, sitting cross legged and looking like he wasn’t gonna stand up again unless his life depended on it.

“Close enough.”

Danny tapped his staff on the ground twice, and the whole site disappeared in a swirl of rainbow colors.

-----“Where are we?” Steve asked. “And who are you?”

“I am Phantom, Clockwork’s Apprentice, and you are all in the Ghost Zone. Which is how we knew you guys needed help. This place is kind of the gateway to lots of other dimensions and time because of all of the natural portals that pop up,” he explained. “Anyway, you guys are super heroes, right? What’s your name? The Justice League?”

“Who?” Clint asked.

“We are the Avengers,” Tony but in. Danny made an ‘o’ shape with his mouth, nodding in understanding before he opened his hand and opened a portal with it. In it was their beloved city and Tower. They could see Thor on the roof, looking slightly confused but not dead so that was always a good sign.

“So we just...?” Clint asked, letting his sentence trail off.

“Walk right through, pretty much. Anyway, try not to do any more time travel, please. Deal?”

“We’ll do our best. Thank you,” Steve said, patting his shoulder. He stepped through the portal, and the others followed one by one, leaving Danny by himself. Even though he only knew them for a short time, he kind of missed them.

Maybe he could talk Clockwork into letting him hang out with them more.

[gulescamisade]

New York: Day 3

ROSE: -She steps out of their temporary base in the alleyway to examine their surroundings-- some of the humans and paler, lumpier humans are milling around with a lot more purpose than before. Tugging on door handles and banging on windows, still silent and still with those awful, rictus grins. The blimp is flying lower than ever before, low enough that it'd almost seem like it would snag on the red towers high above them.-

JAMISON: =Has a bat now, he probably found it. 5 bats. Everyone gets a bat, but he watches the blimp=

JUDE: -ENHANCE ZOOM on his binoculars, eyeballing that blimp...-

ROSE: -holding a bat-

ROSE: ...Jamison, why on earth do these appear to be deemed contraband?

JOHN: -he's eyeing all the towers in the area. did they decide a place to land the zepp if they get it?-

JOEY: =She has one of those heavy duty flashlights in one hand. It is off, so as not to draw attention, but it's solid enough to whack a mole if need be=(edited)

KANKRI: -Peeping out from behind Rose at the blimp lowering. Yikes, whoever is driving it is not very careful.-

JAMISON: I haven't the slightest but I can say they've got a bit of a heavier hit if you catch my drift! =nudge nudge=

ROSE: I... yes. I gather. ROSE: I'll keep that in mind.

ROSE: Something feels off about this.

[ ALSO: REGARDING ZEPPLIN PLANS: mostly to get out of the city. They'll find that it's VERY large, and mostly consisting of buildings too hostile to tether it too, and, worst of all, with some pretty steep walls penning everyone in. ]

JAMISON: I believe it's fair to say plenty is off here, however they are rattling things in anticipation.... I wonder if some sort of drop off is going to be made from the blimp to the masses.

ROSE: ...Do you suppose that would make this an ideal time?

JAMISON: Better than any I'd say!

ROSE: -She looks towards John, and nodding.- Right then. ROSE: We will try to non-violently depose the blimp captains and-- see things from there.

JOEY: =she nodded= agreed

ROSE: Presumably see to taking things violently, if our past experiences are any indicator.

JAMISON: =Lifts net= Right-o!

JOHN: allllrighty.

JOHN: -rubs kankri's back for luck.-

JOEY: =sighs= i was somewhat hoping for the utilization of stealth, but =hefts the flashlight in her hand= lets do it!

ROSE: -She's gonna hold her hands up, attempting to lift Jamison and Joey with her, psionically.- ROSE: We can certainly try. Don't hold too much hope.

ROSE: This scheme is well in the vein of harebrained.

JOHN: if something goes wrong don't be afraid to scatter. we have our comms!(edited)

JAMISON: =THINKS LIGHT THOUGHTS to try and help her= We'll be fine and have it swung about in two shakes Missy! :D

[ They begin to RISE INTO THE AIR. It's probably fair to mention that the air is a bit... hazy, perhaps. But it isn't the typical kind of smog, even if it stings the lungs a bit as they ascend. ]

JAMISON: =HIS LUNGS ARE READY=

[ Something does, however, seem to be very off. The people still aren't paying much attention to them, but some seem to have given up on trying to maintain their grinning faces and broken into an outright fleeing panic, as the lights illuminating the massive flavortown blimp turn red. ]

JOHN: -Although Rose's psiionics lift them up, John is helping support with the Breeze, which billows under them. It feels light, fresh and tingly, helping to dispel some of the dirty feeling of the grease and haze.-

[ It does alleviate the stinging sensation! For a few moments, anyways. Something on the underside of the blimp seems to visibly open, slots visible even from their relatively low altitude as, rather suddenly, a massive, thick cloud of red smoke billows towards the ground with tremendous force. ]

ROSE: Wh-

JAMISON: =TAKES A BREATH, BRING IT. TOSS HIM IN!=

JOEY: =she's coughed from all this dirty air, but once the people below began to scatter, she glanced around wildly for the source=

[ It hits VERY SUDDENLY and very hard, stinging the eyes, nose, and any open wounds, if they have them, with a gale force to send them tumbling directly back onto the street. It smells of-- well, a lot of different kinds of spicy peppers, with disturbing chemical aftertaste that's incredibly hard to place. ]

[ The haze seems to absolutely COVER the ground as they hit it, no less, nothing visible scarcely ten feet in front of them, in all directions. ]

JAMISON: =Good thing he doesn't have eyes but he does cough because GOODNESS that sure is something. Spits out what got into his mouth and goes to stand back up, looking down at himself= E-gad! We've been SEASONED!

JAMISON: =Shakes fist at blimp= YOU BEST COME TENDERIZE THIS BEEF, IT'S MIGHTY TOUGH!!

JOEY: =wheezes, coughing, eyes watering= fuck is this

[ Some of the ambient noises of the city grow a bit... rhythmatic in their movements. It's still painful and difficult to see-- but something IS coming. ]

JOHN: -Oh no. Thsi is the exact opposite of a good thing for John. He feels like he's drowning, like his brain is shutting down. For a second he almost drops out of the air.-

JOEY: going out on a limb here....maybe we should run too?

JOHN: -But the Breeze catches him. Thakfully it has a bit of a mind of it's own.-

JAMISON: =Wipes his glasses and looks around, READY 2 TUSSLE= Run from what??? NEVER.

ROSE: -She's too busy coughing to add much input, as slowly shambling figures begin to become visible through the sickly red haze.-

[ If the other ones were zombies... then these creatures were a lot more zombier than that. It's hard to tell through the smoke, but their bodies-- golden brown, like they've spent a round in a deep frier-- with chunks of skin replaced entirely by breading, and dripping some kind of hot sauce or marinara. It's very hard to tell. If it wasn't hot sauce before, it was now. ] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3diEBFsjo8&feature=youtu.be

JOEY: =she feels a bit sick, actually=

JAMISON: =He's gonna charge in and fight them, there's no.... wait... his kids..... ERR......= Hop on up to the roof my ducklings!! I've got this!!!

JUDE: -WHAT THE FUCK ACTUALLY-

[ You've got THREE WHOLE ZOMBIES ON YOU, ACTUALLY. ]

JOEY: =um no????=

JOEY: =high kicks a zomboo in the FACE=

JAMISON: =PUNCHES ONE IN THE MOUTH= Chew on this you battered nightmare! =Kicks another one=

[ The zombie's come apart in a cloud of even more spicy dust, even as they continue to circle around the group in what can plainly be called a HORDE. ]

JOHN: -FWOOOOOOSH. For a sec, he focuses on BLOWING ALL THIS SHIT OFF HIMSELF. So he can see, and breath and think. The wind he summmons is so powerful that it also rockets him forward. Then he ROCKETS BACK DOWN TOWARDS THE GROUND, intent on dive bombing one of those zombies.-(edited)

JOHN: -he brings along with him a wave of air.-

JAMISON: =Brandishies his bat and SWINGS= HA! All dus-! =COUGH COUGH, SWINGS BAT AND SMASHES WHILE COUGHING=

JOEY: =laughing at her dad's antics= hahaha-=coughcoughcough= haha!

JOEY: =she bonks another zombie with her flashlight=

[ The air brings some THANKFUL RESPITE from the stinging cloud, even if it's already seeping back down in incredibly thick waves. A breath of fresh, untainted air and a moment of clarity from the haze, and the group can see some manner of vehicle on the west end of the street-- it doesn't look like the trailers ferrying meat before, but there are distinctive headlights and large, thick tires for plowing through the horde. ]

JOEY: (nope nope nope nope nope nope) =she's out, she's shoving and kicking zombies out of the way while trying to make a break for it away from this truck. Grabbing Jude's hand - she wasn't planning on getting separated from him again, Joey peered though the painful haze to try to get to a narrow enough alley the truck could not access.=

[ Joey can find alleyways, SORT OF, but the rapidly diminishing sphere of clean air makes it hard to judge how wide they are. ]

JUDE: -reeling back in whatever direction is AWAY from the vehicle, but his hand seems to instinctively reach out to take joey's-- like they had the same plan. he gladly follows her.-

JAMISON: =!! He's going to get out of the way= Quick suggestion, we take that truck there! It seems very useful!

JOEY: =She takes one anyway, taking the first turn she can, continuing to weave through the streets in order to lose the truck. Is anyone following? She's not turning to look.=

JOHN: -He just hates everything. This spicy hell is fucking up hi swhole life. he won't feel right for quite a while after breathing all that crap in. and the headlights cutting into his eyes is the last straw. he YELLS ANGRILY and charges, a little ways above the truck, swept along by all the wind power he can muster.-

JOHN: -Iiiiiiit's hammertime-

[ IS HE HITTING THE TRUCK ]

JOHN: -ye-

[ I AM GONNA HAVE TO ROLL A DICE FOR THIS ONE ]

JOHN: -ROLL FOR MICHAEL BAY-

[ It's not quite Michael Bay, no, but it's something PRETTY SIMILAR if nothing else. ]

ROSE: -She is not following, actually, she is probably going with jamison TOWARDS the truck.-

JAMISON: =Time to take the truck, but yes, he's running for it. What are the doors on this bad boy like?=

[ John's hammer collides with some sort of armored windshield-- it's plain from the force of the impact and the explosion of shards that this isn't just any kind of street cleaning vehicle, that's for sure. There's a troll inside, in fact, whose eyes go wide as he sees John, Rose, Jamison and the chemicals seeping in, letting out a loud "O|H| FUCK!!!!!" as he whips out something from his side-- something that looks like a gun, but with a bit of a sci-fi kick to it. The sci-fi kick being something analogous to a tazer mixed with a bolt of actual lightning.]

[also, the doors are, unfortunately, slightly too far away. The breeze moved John REAL dang fast to the truck.]

JAMISON: =HE HAS A GUN TOO MOTHERFLIPPER, a POTATO GUN. FWUNK!! Fires at the window=

JOHN: -practically meets eyes with the guy. hi there! :O but when he sees he has a gun, he dislodges his hammer (jn a spray of broken glass) and swiftly retreats to the TOP of the truck, not doing naything else for a moment while he tries to catch his balance.-

JUDE: -peeps out from the alley, squinting to try to get a better sense of what's happening out there- hhhhnng...

KANKRI: -He's wheezing because zombies and pepper haze but also john what the FUCK-

JOHN: what? he's HELPING.-

JAMISON: =John your buddy seems worried=

KANKRI: -You better not get yourself killed or hurt or anything, Kankri is a nervous wreck in the alley.-

KANKRI: -Hes all the way at the edge of it watching in horror.-

SOME GUY: AUG|H|!!! -The troll ducks, slamming something on the console of his truck. A big red button by all appearances. The ground under John seems to shift-- something beginning to open up under his feet. It's rather fast, swinging upwards, and looking like a large metal bin-- with a swift scooping motion it would slam John into its empty insides, before attempting to slam DOWN on top of Rose and Jamison, penning them all in.-

JOHN: -YELPS IN SURPRISE AND DISMAY. THER EHE GOES.-

KANKRI: -HHHHHHHHH.-

[ They're all probably dismayed. AND IN A BIG PILE ON TOP OF EACH OTHER. In a weird metal bucket coffin. ]

JOHN: -PROBABLY COUGHING IN THEIR FACES, HIS EYES STREAMING. sorry he can't help it.-

ROSE: -it's ok she's pretty bad too here-

JAMISON: =CONFINED.= Oh of all the! =How HEAVY? is it? Jamison is going to immediately try to hoist it back up with his weird old-man strength=

JOEY: o_o

[ PRETTY. The machine groans and struggles, but it seals shut underneath them, too, before swinging upwards and tossing them into the back, like a REALLY SHITTY GARBAGE TRUCK. ]

JOHN: -FLWUMP-

[ It is a disorienting tumble for everyone involved, even as the troll driving it can be heard coughing and cursing and rousing the truck to move again, faster. Bashing into the sides of buildings as he convulses a bit. ]

JOHN: -ENRAGED YELLING- HEY LET US OUT YOU -COUGH- PILE OF CRUSTY TAINTS!!!

JAMISON: =Dumped in here into this garbage. What's in here?=

[ Oh, they're still in the bin. It's just that the BIN is dumped in the back. It appears to have gotten a new bin attached to the front as it wobblingly and shakily lurches on its uneen path forward. Gonna attempt to run down Kankri and scoop him TOO. ]

JOEY: psst!!! JOEY: jellybean!

JOHN: -SLAMMING ON THE WALLS AND COUGHING AND SCREAMING- your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!!! also, you're a fuck face!!!!!!

KANKRI; -This is not good. This is so far from good, what does he DO?? He takes half a step out of the allyway because John is in trouble and he needs to do SOMETHING-- Oh wait, nope here comes the vehicle. Hes going to try and run, but lets all be honest with ourselves, hes not fast enough to get away. Hes getting scooped.-

[ SCOOP. He tumbles into the back, and his container bashes into the other three's.-

JOEY: =jellybean, nooooo=

JAMISON: =UGHHH, actually stops and thinks when they're BASHED=

JOHN: -shuts up for a sec because he's slammed with a kankri bomb-

KANKRI: -SORRY GUYS.-

JUDE: oh JESUS

JUDE: they're going to deep fry us too!!

JUDE: AND THEN THEY'RE GOING TO EAT US -clinging to joey still-

[ The ominous headlights pull into the alleyway. The truck seems to fill the ENTIRE THING, JUST BARELY. It's almost as though the city designers build them to be traps like this.]

JOEY: RUN!

JUDE: -HE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN!!!-

KANKRI: -He presses his back to the wall of the container hes trapped in and is dead silent as hes listening for any sound from the others trapped in the first container.-(edited)

[ IT IS TOO LATE. They, too, are scooped. ]

[ A final clatter flings them all into the back. ]

JOHN: do you think that's them??? -panicked slightly, because he's imagining them run over by those big tire treads T___T

JOHN: HEY GUYS. CAN YOU HEAR ME? IS THAT YOU? ARE YOU ALIVE?

JOEY: gah!! nooooo!

JUDE: -JUST. YELLING.-

JOEY: =they're alive=

ROSE: It... sounds like them, yes.

ROSE: -taps on the side of the container.-

JOEY: =deep inhale= NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

KANKRI: !!!! -Hears the yelling and tapping and moves over to the wall closest to everyone else.- Yes!! F9r the time 6eing yes.

JOHN: OH....GOOD!

JOHN: UH, DON'T WORRY! I'M SURE WE'LL GET OUT OF THIS! -muffled-

[ The back of the truck, the air smells more of the chemical than the spices. It's... a much more sedate feeling. Maybe a little bit TOO sedate. The kind that makes you just want to... completely pass out unconscious for a few days. No biggie. ]

KANKRI: (I feel like I have d9u6ts a69ut that...) Are y9u all 9kay in y9ur c9ntainer-- -Wheezes and starts coughing, the spicy air back here was so much worse then it was outside, he feels dizzy. And its not long before hes blacking out.-(edited)

JAMISON: OH NO SIR! NOT MY BABIES! =goes down literally swinging=

JOHN: WE'RE...WE'RE FINE I THINK. EXCEPT...THE AIR. -cough cough cough- I think it's....uh........-Loses his train of thought. FWOOSH. He tries to fill up the small confined space with fresh air, but he only manages it once. He's already breathed too much.-

JOEY: uh....... =cough= izzit just me or do things feel a little funny to you

JOHN: -ALREADY PASSED OUT-

JUDE: -definitely passed out after screaming so much...-

[lurkofficial-blog]

Chapter Ten

~~~ Trevor's POV ~~~ Trevor steps out of the Quick Pickup, his work, or, better yet, Hell. He hates his job so much, but no other jobs in this tiny town were hiring, and, even if they were, he knows they wouldn't take him. Still in his work clothes, he walks out to the side of the building and pulls a cigarette out of his back pocket. He lights it, putting it between his lips. Trevor's apartment is so close to his job that he never brings his car; there's no need to waste gas. That's just another thing he'd need to pay for.

He begins to walk home, remembering he broke his earbuds and can't listen to music. He kicks idly at an empty soda can, the loud metallic sound of it echoing down the street. Kick. Kick. Trevor glares at it when it rolls off to the side, getting caught in a storm drain. Once he arrives at his small apartment, he knows, he'll just sleep and restart this cycle in an endless loop of madness. Work in retail is going to drive him insane if he isn't that already. His boring life has led him to become suicidal, yet he's too lazy to commit. Even though existential questions that you could even call depressing always lurk inside his messed-up head, he's never been one to do anything about them. He's too lazy to get a better job, too lazy to leave the town, too lazy to kill himself--though he certainly won't mind death coming to him--and certainly too lazy to check if he's actually messed up in the head. He can list more, of course, but his thoughts are interrupted by a loud rustling coming from the woods next to him. His head turns towards it. The sound is too great to have been made by an animal like a rabbit or a squirrel. It's probably just a raccoon or something. Fight or flight isn't kicking in, though. He isn't scared. He isn't brave, either. He just doesn't care. Trevor turns his body and squints, trying to make out what's under the thick trees above. He takes the cigarette from his mouth, lets it drop to the ground, and stomps on it, staring into the woods. ~~~ Colin's POV ~~~ Colin exchanges a worried glance with Ren. The sound hadn't come from the middle of the street; it had come from the path nearby, the one that leads off the sidewalk. He begins to creep cautiously towards the noise, then promptly freezes up in fear. He gasps and runs behind a confused-looking Ren again to hide. "Ren, I----I think I smell a h-human over there," he stutters, pointing past the trees with one of his stubby fingers. "And---They're nearby!" Ren flinches noticeably, suddenly looking rather panicky. "Uh---E-Exxy?" she says, turning to him. "Yeah, I know," Exxy replies, looking around with his eyes narrowed. He briefly sighs before continuing to walk. "Just stick to the shadows; the setting sun will help give us some cover." He looks up briefly at a house, Colin's eyes following and noticing that the lights are on. Exxy brings his vision down and keeps walking. Nightfall laughs from where she stands behind Exxy, making Colin jump. "Haha, there's probably nothing to worry about! I mean, who cares about humans?" she says cheerfully and quite loudly. Colin flinches; he hopes the nearby human hasn't heard her. Colin follows Ren, staying close behind her, trying to be as cautious as possible. After all, there's probably someone standing right----he suddenly stumbles forward, nearly knocking Ren over. He'd looked between the trees and momentarily met the eyes of a human. That person is standing right there, just behind the row of trees--Surely, he can just look back and see them! Colin is instantly flooded with fear at the thought and he freezes again, rooted to the spot. "Ren," he whispers, "I t-t-think that person might've seen me!" Ren puts her hand on Colin's shoulder and pulls him back gently to where she stands. "D-Don't worry. A hu-human wouldn't hurt us," she says, though she sounds unsure herself. The young man tilts himself very slightly within Colin's line of view. He makes eye contact. "Oh, hello," he says in a calm voice. Cameron's blank white eyes widen as he hears the voice. "ABORT, ABORT!" he screams before launching himself off Exxy's back, running directly into Colin and knocking him over. He quickly rebounds, leaving the small shade on the ground, and runs into the fence next as Colin rolls over to watch him. He manages to get over it, falling on the other side, and lays there, frozen. Exxy pinches the brink of his "nose" and shakes his head. Colin gets up as quickly as possible, wiping leaves off his hoodie as he does so. How did he speak to us so casually? he thinks wildly. Isn't----Isn't he afraid of us? Afraid of me? Doesn't he think we look scary? He stumbles back into a tree, then forward again, until he's just a few inches away from the direct sunlight peeking in from the treetops. He gets behind one of the trees so that only the left side of his furry face and his worried slitted eye peek out. "Um---Ex-Excuse me, mister, but---were you, uh----talking to----us?" he says quietly to the young man standing there. The human gives a confused look to Cameron on the ground before looking back down at Colin. "Yes, and uh, is... is your friend okay there?" he asks with concern and curiosity in his voice. "Sorry about him, he'll be fine," Exxy says calmly, matching the man's tone and approaching him a bit more as well. He looks very thoughtfully at him, picking his words carefully. "Why aren't you trying to hide from us? Don't we frighten you?" The human shrugs and replies, "Well, I didn't exactly see you all go out of your way to attack me, so why would I be frightened? You haven't given me any reason to be afraid of you, and I'm not exactly the kind of person to kill someone just because I don't understand them." Colin steps into the light a bit, curiously emerging from behind the tree. "So---you're not going to hurt us, mister?" he asks, his ears perking up. The young man narrows his eyes at him and replies instantly, "No, of course not!" His expression begins to soften as he continues speaking. "Why would I? You haven't done anything wrong, at least not to me." He bears a gentle smile as he walks into the woods without hesitation. He sticks his hand out in front of Colin, waiting for a handshake. "I'm Trevor. What's your name?" Ren instantly flinches once she sees the human reaching for Colin's hand. She swiftly brings her own hand forward in front of Colin and grabs Trevor by the wrist. She holds her grip for a moment before quickly letting go, hand dropping to her side. "Um, don't. He's a shade, which means touching your skin will hurt him." She pauses. "Sorry." Colin blinks at Trevor as his face flushes purple, and he sinks down into his hoodie a bit. "Y-Yes, mister---sir---Trevor," he stammers, "I, uh, c-can't touch humans, or their skin at least, and it hurts--really bad, mister, I'm sorry." He perks up a bit and rushes to make up for the missed handshake. "But---Don't worry, it's still very very nice to meet you, really! My name is, uh, Colin, by the way. Oh--- yeah, and----this is Ren," he says, pointing at her. "She's my very good friend, mister." Trevor chuckles in response. "Mister? You don't need to call me that, dude. It's fine, really." "Oh----y-yikes, I---Gosh, I'm sorry, sir!" Colin exclaims before realizing his mistake and blushing some more, looking down and scooting back to hide behind Ren almost completely. "N-Never mind---I'm sorry," he says quietly. Cameron's head suddenly pops up from behind the fence. "Hey, don't forget me!" He shouts, making everyone turn towards the sound of his voice. He trips back over the fence and runs into Exxy, not even fazing him. "My name's Cameron Di'Algerez, and I'm the coolest uncool kid you'll ever meet!" "And, uh," Exxy says as he picks Cameron back up and sets him on his shoulder, "I'm just... Exxy. I was one of the only lurks in the forest for a while before these guys came along. I definitely don't mind the company, though." "Well it's nice to meet you all," Trevor says with a smile. "But, might I ask, what are you doing so close to town?" "My sister who isn't a lurk is in the hospital because I crashed a motorcycle coming here," Cameron says, adjusting himself on Exxy's shoulder, wrapping his arm around his neck. "At least... we think so. Do you have any clue where she would be? I'm blind." Nightfall suddenly leaps over Exxy from behind, landing in a crouched position again. "Did you guys see all those crows taking off over there?" she asks enthusiastically, grinning widely and jumping to her feet. "It was sooooo cool!" She looks down and sees Trevor staring up at her. "Why, hello, there!" she says, her entire face lighting up. "Awwww, did you guys make a human friend??? See, I told you there was nothing to worry about!" She bows down slightly, leaning over him and accidentally blocking the sun from his view. "What's your name, little guy??" Trevor looks up with a skeptical expression on his face to be greeted by the rather frightening lurk, who seems all too enthusiastic."I-I'm Trevor," he claims, astonishingly keeping his cool. "And- uh, who are you?" "My name's Nightfall!" she shouts, breaking into a high-pitched giggle, as if this were very funny. Colin shifts uncomfortably in the background and inches behind Ren a bit more. She somehow stifles her giggling after a few long seconds and beams at Trevor, her teeth glinting. "Oh, how nice that you've made friends with my friends! Humans are unpredictable sometimes, aren't they?" She nudges Trevor's arm playfully. "Ohh, never mind! Hey, Cameron, what's the deal with this nice little guy?" "I have no clue," Cameron replies, looking deep in thought. "And I thought we looked extra terrifying today." Exxy narrows his eyes at him. "But you cannot see." "That's the point," Cameron says. Trevor lets out a small chuckle and keeps the conversation going. "Well, I'll admit, you all are kinda scary-lookin'!" Colin looks down sadly and sniffs a few times when he hears this. "Anyway... back to the point," Trevor says, addressing Cameron, "I do know where the hospital is. It's on King Street, but that's a little far from here; it's all the way across town." "Then, what are we waiting for?" Cameron chirps excitedly. "The earlier we leave, the faster we get there." He raises an eyebrow. "And I thought the last human ally I'd have would be Dr. Alius. Ah, what a party that guy was." Cameron stands up on Exxy's shoulders, holding on to his tallest horns. He taps him on the head before yelling, "TALLYHO, X-MAN!" "Wait, guys," Colin says quickly, speaking mostly to Cameron. "What--What about getting a c-car, like you said you would earlier?" His eyes tear up a tiny bit. "If we try to---to cross the whole town on foot, people---will--people will see me, and I don't want them to be scared! And, plus, it'll take a long time, won't it?" "This problem has been addressed," Exxy says calmly, speaking directly to Cameron. "We won't be seen, because we'll be in Ren's car. Speaking of which..." He looks over at the fox girl with an eyebrow raised. "Uhh---yeeeahhh. We should probably do that," Ren says quickly. "My house isn't far from here." She begins walking determinedly towards her house, Colin assumes. He follows closely behind Ren, putting his hood up and pulling the strings as tight as they can go without pushing up against his ears or his tiny horns too much. It probably won't do anything to hide him---his feet and tail are still very obvious---but it still helps him feel a little better. Behind him, he hears Nightfall giggling and falling into step alongside Exxy and Cameron. He suddenly remembers Trevor, the new guy, and turns back to him. "Uhh---'Scuse me, mister--er, Trevor, uh--do you wanna come?" he asks quietly. Cameron stands up on Exxy's shoulders with an excited grin. "Yeah, man, you should come with us! You can meet Melina and we can talk about things." "Heheh, yeah," Exxy says, wrapping his claws around Cameron's legs to keep him from falling. "It's nice to know that some people won't hate and fear us." "Oh, uh, sure! I don't really have anything else to do... I mean- definitely nothing as exciting as hanging out with a bunch of... wait, what- what are you guys called again? Or, uh...what are you, exactly?" Trevor asks as he begins walking with them. Colin looks to make sure Ren isn't leaving him behind before he addresses Trevor timidly, waiting for him to catch up. "We----We're called lurks, mister," he says in a small voice. "I'm, uh, a shade wolf, which means I'm---m-made of darkness, but--that doesn't mean I'm bad!" he clarifies quickly. "And--I'm not really a wolf, I'm---human!" Trevor smiles softly at the chubby little boy and slowly replies, "Ah. Well, you sure don't seem all that bad." He pauses and glances at his shoes for a moment before continuing. "So, have you... have you all been like this for a long time?" "Uhh--" Colin trails off and watches his feet as he falls into step with Trevor. "I---I think Cameron and Nightfall have been like this the longest, and Exxy's still been for a long time, too, I think, but---" His voice grows quiet. "I've only been like this for f---for f-five days." His eyes widen as something suddenly occurs to him, and he turns to look worriedly up at the young man. "Excuse---Excuse me, Trevor, but---you---n-never happened to hear about a boy going missing in the past few days, did you?" Trevor's head instantly whips from where he was and stares to Colin. "A boy... missing? I think... I mean, I think I've heard something about a missing boy, but all kinds of crap have been floating around. Lots of lies being spread." "Oh---right, I---you're probably right," Colin mutters, his voice losing any volume it had had before. "I--I just hope that---they don't pin it all on us. After I was---kicked out of my neighborhood,  I--overheard people t-talking about how I'd gone missing and might have been---m-m-murdered, and they thought---that I---was the culprit, mister, they blamed m-me, they thought I was dangerous." He hangs his head sadly. "They saw me, Trevor, they called me a monster." "Jesus Christ, dude. That's terrible." Silence instantly falls upon the two as they walk. Nightfall suddenly rushes to the front of the line, with only Ren in front of her, so that she can walk beside Trevor. She gazes down at him as they go, staring intently into his eyes. It looks sort of creepy, and it's probably just making him uncomfortable, but she doesn't seem to notice. She giggles. Trevor anxiously gazes upon the tall girl, seemingly unsure of what to say. Colin sees Trevor inch away from her, sneaking a glance at his watch. Colin stares straight ahead as they walk until they approach a shadowy house with only one light on in an upper window. He runs up to Ren and peeks out shyly from behind her shoulder. "Psst," he whispers to her, "uh, is that your house? W-Where's your car?" He pauses. "Uh---how are we gonna even--get--your car? Don't you have a--a dad?" "Yeah, I- uh, I do. And we'll need to watch out for him, too. My k-keys should be in my room, which is upstairs. Hopef-hopefully, my window is unlocked. Oh, and my car is in the garage, which I don't think will be a problem." Ren speaks confidently, more confidently than she normally does. "Okay, so---how do we get into your room?" Colin pauses again as an anxious thought enters his mind. "What if---What if he sees you, Ren? Your dad? You disappeared this morning---It's been an entire day since he last saw you!" "I'll keep watch," Cameron says sarcastically. "Shush," Exxy replies before turning to Ren. "I can lift you up into the window, but, as far as that goes, you're on your own. I think I hear him somewhere downstairs, so hopefully he won't bother you." "Oh, yes, and I'll stay out here with Cam-Cam and the little guy and Wolfy!" Nightfall beams at Colin, and he shrinks down, uncomfortable.  "There, there, you little cutie pie!  We don't have to go all the way up there!" She says, giggling. When Colin makes a soft whimpering noise and begins to inch away, she beckons for him to come back. He does so reluctantly, but, once he's next to her, she ruffles his hair and starts stroking his head again. His tail starts wagging. Exxy sets Cameron down next to Colin, eyeing Trevor very briefly, and picks up Ren like a knight rescuing a maiden. He leaps up onto the window sill, hooking his spikeball tail onto the gutter, and placing her gently inside. He jumps back down, making as quiet of a thump as he can manage, and everyone watches as Ren disappears into the room above.