#Is now sent to a small rural town

[shidraoftheworldpillar]

So I started hyperfixating on biblically accurate angels again so now y'all gotta deal with my own versions of each type of angel just so yall know this is probably not bibically accurate lol

Seraphim: big serpents made out of pure golden light. they have six pure white wings, two on its head and four on its body, the wings have many pupiless blue eyes on them. They dance around God's form in intricate patterns, singing his praises in otherworldly voices. They can compress their forms into more humanoid ones when interacting with lesser beings, one pair of wings folded up in a way that makes them look like a feathery robe, another completely covering their head, and the third used to fly and interact with stuff (like arms)

Cherubim: humanoid with four heads, a man, a bull, a lion, and an eagle. The eagle head is on their chest (their robes are very low cut so the eagle doesn't get a beak full of fabric) they have four white wings with fiery orange tips, they have the legs of an ungulate (like a satyr or however you spell it) and cow tails. They can't change into a monstrous form much like a traditional chimera but with more wings and fire. They are the secret service of god, acting as his body guards.

Ophanim: 3-4 interconnected and spinning golden rings with eight white wings and many many eyes, with one big eye in the center which the rings rotate around. Like the seraphim they can compress their forms, with the center eye and one ring acting as the 'head' with four wings around it, one ring acts as a halo, and the other two are wrapped around the torso. One pair of wings stay unchanged so they can fly and the 8th pair turns into a pair of arms.

Second choir

Dominions: they have the face of an owl, big manes and wings made of stars with pristine robes that look like the northern lights. They uphold the laws of the universe and make sure the second and third choir are doing their jobs.

Powers: they have two heron heads with rabbit ears and rabbits feet, with the tail of a scorpion. They are ever vigilant, four eyes and ears always watching for danger and ready for action. They have wings of steel with feathers as sharp as swords (in fact many heavenly weapons are made with the feathers of a power). They serve as heavens military and fight off any stupid demons that dare cross them. They are often seen holding a spear and a shield.

Virtues: graceful beings with the legs of a deer and wings made of leaves, with antlers intertwined with plants (the specific plant depends on the individual). They have four eyes, one for each element (a blue eye, a silver eye, a brown eye, and an orange eye) they rule over nature and maintain its balance

third choir

Principalities: spider like angels with eight fluffy limbs (four arms, four legs) and six eyes. They watch over human settlements which could be a small town or an entire country. Sometimes they have very colorful wings that look like stained glass, the bigger and more powerful their territory is, the bigger their wings are.

Archangels: individuals who act out God's will in the mortal world. mostly human with a single pair of wings, the color depending on the individual. 12 total.

Angels: anything that doesn't fit in the other categories, includes guardian angels and angels of death. Really just humans with wings, but their appearance depending on the type. Usually trained by an archangel

[reiding-writing]

For a Halloweeny fic you could do like a bau!reader and Spencer going to a haunted house while away on a case.. you could make it more fluffy or more a thriller/drama thing, whatever you're feeling like <<3

HAUNTED HOUSE — SPENCER REID!

you and spencer search a ‘haunted’ house, that might actually be haunted.

a/n — a little halloween blurb, thanks for the idea !!

masterlist.

You and Spencer are sent to investigate an old, crumbling house on the outskirts of a small town in rural Illinois, a place that even the locals keep their distance from.

Supposedly, it’s haunted—whispers of creaking floorboards and flickering lights drift around like the dust in its empty rooms. But it was also a likely suspect for where kids kept going missing around the area, so it couldn’t be left unsearched.

Spencer looks slightly pale as he stands beside you, adjusting his flashlight, gaze fixed firmly on the front door like he's trying to psych himself up. He’s heard the rumours too, and you know how superstitious he can get.

“Ready to meet our resident ghost?” you ask, a grin twitching at the corners of your mouth.

Spencer tries to hide a frown. “I don’t believe in ghosts, you know,” he mumbles, a touch of defensiveness in his tone. “But historically, homes like these… well, they do tend to have unusual histories.”

You give him a mock-solemn nod, widening your eyes dramatically. “Right. Unusual histories. Very rational.” And with that, you push open the door, stepping into the cold darkness beyond.

The house is dimly lit, with thick shadows pooling in every corner. Your flashlight beam skims over a musty rug, tarnished wallpaper peeling at the edges, and a cracked mirror that only reflects your flashlight’s weak glow. It’s quiet. Too quiet. You see Spencer shiver slightly as he steps in behind you, his expression determined but slightly uneasy.

You let a silence hang between you, just long enough for him to start looking around nervously. Then, slowly, you lean in and whisper, “You feel that, right? Like… something’s watching?”

Spencer visibly tenses. “Don’t start,” he murmurs, but his eyes dart around as if he’s trying to catch sight of something shifting in the shadows. “There’s no statistical evidence to support hauntings—”

A floorboard creaks sharply underfoot, and Spencer’s voice dies. He goes completely still, clutching his flashlight like it’s a lifeline. You suppress a laugh, barely.

“What was that?” he whispers.

You lean in, voice low and conspiratorial. “I heard that the ghost here likes to knock… three times…” You knock three times against the nearest wall. The sound echoes through the empty house.

Spencer flinches, his face a mix of surprise and mild horror. He opens his mouth, probably to throw some scientific reasoning at you, but then, down the hallway, another knock answers. A hollow, soft thud—just once, but loud enough to reach you both.

You raise an eyebrow, turning to Spencer. “Was that you?”

He shakes his head slowly, eyes wide. “No. That… that must have been… the house settling.”

“Right, right,” you say, not buying it one bit. “The house settling. Just like all those stories about people hearing whispering voices or seeing strange figures here. Probably just… wind, right?”

You watch his face, noting the way his brow furrows. He’s still holding onto his skepticism, but only by a thread.

You press on, deepening your voice and dropping into your best spooky narrator impression. “I heard the ghost is a woman who lost her eyes in an accident… can’t see, but they say she walks these halls… blindly searching for her next victim.”

Spencer’s mouth opens slightly, but he’s too tense to even object now. He flicks his flashlight down the hallway as if daring the ghost to appear.

The moment is perfect.

You slip behind him as he takes another cautious step forward, and in a low, breathy whisper, you murmur, “Spencer…”

He spins around, eyes wide with sheer panic. His flashlight beam swings wildly around the room, and he barely contains a yell. He narrows his eyes, catching your grin, and lets out an exasperated breath. “You— You’re impossible.”

You chuckle, but before you can answer, there’s a soft scratching sound from somewhere upstairs. The mirth fades a little from your expression. That one didn’t sound like it came from either of you.

Spencer glances at you, his look equal parts accusation and genuine fear. “You… didn’t set that up, did you?”

For a second, you almost want to tell him yes, that it was just another part of the prank. But the scratching continues, persistent, and… you can’t deny the chill creeping up your spine.

“It’s probably just a rat,” you suggest, not as confident as before. And, Spencer’s nod is just as unsure.

“A rat, right….”

[kitkats-and-kittens]

A very batty Christmas

Don’t know if anyone’s done this before, but Batfam getting sucked into a generic hallmark movie due to villain shenanigans ft StephCass, cause duh.

Stephanie is the protagonist, because she’s blonde. She’s the big city girl who’s moving to gingerbread village because her evil boss (Bruce who is very confused and not sure why Wayne Enterprises is suddenly an evil bakery shutting down company) is shutting down the local bakery.

After a quick conversation with her now fiancée Tim Drake (they are both disgusted), she’s off.

She arrives in gingerbread village and is immediately accosted by the local Christmas spirit, read: Carollers (Duke and Jason, who were lucky enough to be cast as side characters. They are sitting back and enjoying the drama)

After throwing a quick middle finger at them, she is saved by none over than the local bakery owner. Cassandra Cain (she has never baked a thing in her life, and now her business is in jeopardy because she’s burnt all the Christmas cookies and she has quite litteraly no understanding of customer service).

She takes Steph to the local inn, run by none other than a very upset Dick Grayson (he knows he isn’t built for the rugged look and no matter how many times he changes his outfit the plot always forces him into a flannel)

She checks in and the next day begins reporting on the local bakery, because big evil company has sent her to shut it down. (Bruce has no memory of this he calls Stephanie several times to try tell her that she can just come home, but small rural town=no cell service.)

Finally she arrives at small town bakery and she enters to the smell of burning. Cass is handling it, but in the mean time she is introduced to Damian, who is not thriving. Its cold, without service and he’s stuck living above a bakery of all things, playing the resident child who exists to say something childish and quirky that’s actually super wise and gives the main character an epiphany somewhere towards the end of the film. At least he has a random golden retriever with him. He misses Titus though.

In the meantime he has to deal with Cass’ disastrous attempts at making cookies.

They aren’t entirely sure why the plot demands they live together. Are they friends? Siblings? Mother and son? Estranged Aunt and Nephew who was taken in after his parents death in what was probably a planned hit by evil big city corporation in order to further their goals of building a mall or a parking lot or whatever it is their building? No one wants to know, least of all them.

Steph moves on to the kitchen to see what’s going on and she and Cass get to talking about the local Christmas cookies baking competition on Christmas Eve that if they win will give them just enough money to save the bakery!!!!

She is offered some cookies but they don’t look edible so she declines returning to the inn.

Dick is chopping wood and not looking at all happy about it as he informs Steph of the impending snow storm that will no doubt overcome gingerbread village.

Steph however is too rattled with guilt at having to shut down this small town bakery to hear him.

The next day she returns (unwillingly, the plot forced her) to the bakery, but oh no. What’s this? Impending snow storm that she was totally warned about???

Well she’ll have to bunk down in the bakery, so she is invited in which is weird right cause they’ve known each other for like 2 days in universe and who gives a fuck. It’s Christmas!!!!!

Cue bonding montage where they go on walks, talk about their childhoods and Cass attempts to teach Steph how to bake, except neither of them had present enough parents during their childhood to teach them so they’re both sort of floundering. Steph bonds with Damian (read they sit next to each other once, he calls her fat, she throws a shoe at his head)

But there’s love in the air or whatever, until dun dun dun despite not having service, she gets a call from her evil boss, (read Bruce asking if she’s alright), who wants her to shut down gingerbreadvill bakery, (he has no intention of doing that, why is everyone so insistent on him shutting down this local business?) followed by her evil fiancée, (Tim who’s just as confused as she is to realise he’s booked a ticket to come see her for some reason)

She puts down the phone and oh no, small town bakery owner overheard her and knows her true motive. (Cass doesn’t care, she’s more interested in eating cookies than making them) but plot demands the third act misunderstanding so Steph leaves in shame.

The magical snow storm has magically vanished. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and her deadline to shut down the bakery, but what’s this? There’s carollers outside her window giving her hope. (Jason and Duke who didn’t realise their true importance to the plot, standing outside her window in the freezing cold singing a plot relevant Christmas carol or something)

Well she throws caution to the wind and returns to the bakery, but Cass isn’t there, Damian is though and he gets to have his moment and give her some great advice (“she went to that one place you had your intimate moment in three scenes ago, now fuck off”)

She finds Cass and explains how she doesn’t want to shut down gingerbreadvil bakery anymore, but oh no, it’s already Christmas Eve, what to do?

Well they return to the bakery and probably get Dick, Jason and Duke and some other local town members to come together and make cookies (cause it’s Christmas guys!!!) they submit them to the local Christmas cookies baking competition on Christmas Eve, three people vomit and one of the judges has to be taken to the hospital for food poisoning but the plot demands they win.

They kiss under the moonlight and Tim arrives just in time for Steph to hand him back his ring (they are both incredibly relived) the story ends and everyone lives happily ever after.

The batfam are freed after the plot ends and all agree to never speak of the incident again.

Except neither Cass nor Steph are as upset as they probably could be and maybe if they try baking cookies for real this time, (with strict recipes and guidelines) and go walking under the moonlight together and generally being a cute cringy hallmark couple then nobody needs to know.

[justsomerandomfanfic]

Say It Once, Say It Twice - Beetlejuice (Musical) X Female Reader

Title: Say It Once, Say It Twice

Beetlejuice (Musical) X Female Reader

Additional Characters: Lydia (Mentioned), a Mugger, Delia (Mentioned), and Charles (Mentioned)

WC: 4,306

Warnings: Musical Beetlejuice, and Beetlejuice in general, teasing, banter, flirting, suggestive, italics, cursing, mentions of death, very brief mention of snakes, nicknames, Reader gets almost mugged, crying, mentions of knives, self mentions of insecurement, fear of abandonment?, mood ring hair, slight angst, and fluff

Ever since you had a near-death experience as a child, you've been able to see ghosts. It was terrifying. And funnily enough, your first ghost was your grandmother, whose spirit had been attached to the house you, your mother, and your father lived in. Only after then, did it get worse.

You'd spot a ghostly ghoul trapped to walk down the same sidewalk over and over; shards of glass embedded in his pasty skin, someone had hit him with a car. There was an older woman, doomed to sit on the same bench she died on; heart attack while feeding the birds. You had witnessed and even spoken to a lot of trapped ghosts in your life, and this eventually led to you becoming an outcast to most of society. 

As you grew up, school was difficult, especially when you were younger ranting on and on about ghosts you could see and talk to; which led to a-many parent-teacher meetings. As you got older, and the stories continued, your parents tried taking you to a therapist, and psychologist, but nothing seemed to help you. For years you went to these doctors, and they always said that you either had an overactive imagination or you needed pills. 

At some point, you realized that by hiding your strange 'superpower', and pretending you were just making things up for attention or whatever, you were able to stop seeing those doctors; convincing your parents that you were fine. But that was well into your high school years, and at that point, you were considered... Odd. It was hard to make and keep friends. But you got to the point that you didn't need companionship. You did well in school, getting great marks, and graduated early, moving straight on to college. 

You were able to finish college and get your degree, before finding a well-paying job. Though, this well-paying job forced you to move to rural Connecticut; not that you really cared about moving, you could have a fresh start on life. New people, who didn't know about your odd past, about the ghosts you sometimes see, or anything else. 

So, in your early twenties, you moved yourself out to a small town in rural Connecticut. You were able to find a small home - oddly decently priced - thankfully, you had been saving up your savings ever since you were little, in hopes of possibly moving out and getting your place someday. Still, this small home was marked pretty low, and you thought that maybe it was a pretty big fixer-upper, but it was actually nice inside. It was bare, yet liveable. 

When you first moved in, you had noticed that you lived right next to this really pretty black, Victorian mansion. Well, the mansion sat on a high hill, looking over the town, and you were below that hill, off to the side, next to a side road that led to the main road. 

Well, after a couple of months, living in your new small home, you started to feel like someone was... Watching you. It was a feeling that sent shivers down your spine. This feeling wasn't all the time, no, but it happened every other day, or so it felt like. And whenever you felt it, you'd look around to see if anyone was watching you, but nobody was there. It unnerved you, to say the least. 

It wasn't until a couple of weeks later, that you finally figured out what was causing that unnerving feeling. It was no wonder why the house you now lived in was so cheap, compared to other houses around the States. The town was haunted by a demon. And this demon rarely left you alone. 

You felt like you were cursed. 

"Babes!" You heard Beetlejuice whine, hovering behind you as you sat at your desk, working on something for work. "Babeeeeeee!" He whined again, this time more forcefully.

You groaned. He's been whining in that tone for a while. But you were working, and you really wanted to get your work done, continuing to type away at your computer. "Beej," You muttered, still typing. "I'm working right now. I need to get this done for my boss."

Appearing on your desk, Beetlejuice sat beside your computer, glaring down at it before looking at you; a soft pink rising onto his hairline briefly at the nickname. Crossing his legs, he bent to rest his hand on his cheek, "Why don't I just get rid of your boss for you, then you don't have to work anymore."

"Nope," You began, popping the 'p'. "Then I wouldn't have a job. And no job means no money."

Beetlejuice pouted dramatically, rolling his eyes. "Money, shmoney. Who needs it? I can conjure up anything you need with a snap of my fingers!" He snapped his fingers, and a shower of white, green, black, and purple confetti burst into the air, though it did little to aid your concentration; you blew a piece of confetti off your nose.

Your... Relationship with Beetlejuice was... Interesting to say the least. In the beginning, you were incredibly annoyed by him, but soon found yourself warming up to his bizarre antics and unconventional charm. Beetlejuice was like no one you had ever met - or rather, no one you had ever been haunted by.

At first, his constant interruptions, crude jokes, and mischievous pranks drove you up the wall. You were sure he got a kick out of seeing you flustered and annoyed. However, beneath all the chaos, you began to see a different side of him. He was surprisingly attentive, and he never crossed any real boundaries that you had put up.

Slowly, your annoyance turned into reluctant amusement. His antics started bringing a smile to your face, even when you were trying to stay mad at him. You found yourself looking forward to his visits, wondering what kind of chaos he would bring next. He had a way of making the mundane interesting, and his unpredictable nature kept you on your toes.

Though, at that very moment, you just wanted to have some peace and quiet. Sighing, rubbing your temples, you spoke, "Beej, I really need to focus. This report is due by the end of the day."

He floated in front of you - upside down - blocking your view of the screen, his eyes wide with exaggerated innocence. "But babyyyy, I'm so bored! Entertain me!" He exclaimed, giving you an over-the-top puppy dog look.

You arched an eyebrow, unamused; though you felt heat rise up in your cheeks. "Why don't you go scare the neighbors or something? I'm sure Lydia's parents would love to entertain you or something.”

Beetlejuice grinned wickedly; streaks of red slowly appeared in his green, untamed hair. "Oh, you know they would! But I'd much rather be here, with you. It's way more fun!" He leaned closer, "Come on, just a little break? We can play a game, maybe we can play 'Truth Or Dare.'"

You shook your head, chuckling despite yourself. "Beej, if I don't get this done, I'll get in trouble, and then you'll have to deal with me being grumpy."

He smirked, returning to sit on your desk, and leaning in closer. "Come on, babes. Just a little game, pretty please?"

Without thinking, you reached out to push him away, your hand passing right through his ethereal chest. A shiver ran down your spine as your hand met no resistance, just cold air. Beetlejuice grinned wider, clearly enjoying your discomfort. "Forgot I'm not solid, didn't ya?" At your groan and eye roll, he continued, "Fine, fine. But you owe me some quality time later. Or..." He trailed off, his mischievous grin reappearing, the dark green in his hair spreading, "You could be a dear and just say my name so we can have some real fun."

"Nope, not gonna happen. I am not summoning you." He groaned again, and you got right back to work, "Sorry, Beej, but I know that if I do that, you'll probably try and take over the world. I'm so glad I spoke to Lydia.”

“Damn kid.” He muttered, staring out your window, pouting once more, crossing his arms over his chest. Returning his eyes to you, he grinned that grin of his, "Take over the world? Me? Come on, babes, you know I'm more into causing localized chaos than global domination." He rolled onto his back, staring up at the ceiling with a mock wistful expression - his legs hung off the side of the desk, kicking back and forth in the air. "But imagine the fun we could have together! Ghost parties, haunting the living, pranking everyone... It would be legendary!"

You chuckled, shaking your head as you continued typing. "Legendary, maybe. But I've got responsibilities, and I can't just abandon them to become your sidekick in a supernatural escapade."

Beetlejuice sighed dramatically, floating up to sit cross-legged in midair. "Alright, Miss Responsible, finish your boring work then. But you better make it up to me later. Maybe then we can play a game of 'Truth or Dare' then, and I promise to keep it... Relatively decent."

You glanced at him, smirking. "Relatively decent, huh? I'll believe it when I see it."

He winked, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Oh, you'll see it, alright. Just you wait."

With a final dramatic - and somewhat creepy - giggle, Beetlejuice vanished in a puff of green smoke, leaving you to your work. As you turned back to your computer, you couldn't help but frown.

You wondered if Beej really did like spending time with you - annoying you and flirting with you - or if he was just doing it to try and convince you to say his name. That possible realization made your chest hurt. You knew that if you did say his name, you'd be giving him a lot more power than you were comfortable with.

What would happen when he got what he wanted? Would he really cause chaos like he always promised, or was there something more to his constant presence? Deep down, you had gotten so used to him always being around that the thought of him leaving after regaining his power scared you. He'd have his powers and forget all about you... The uncertainty gnawed at you, and you couldn't shake the feeling of being used, despite the strange bond that had formed between you two.

~~~

That night, after finishing the day's work, you kept your promise to Beetlejuice and played 'Truth or Dare' with him, which you immediately regretted doing. To make a long story short, Beetlejuice didn’t really follow through on his promise to keep the game 'relatively decent.' ‘If you could kiss anyone in the room, who would it be?,’ - you and Beeltejuice were the only ones in the room - you ended up letting out an irritated huff and crossing your arms.

Seeing that you were actively ignoring him, Beetlejuice raised an eyebrow and leaned in with a mischievous grin. “Oh, come on, babes! It’s just a game.”

You rolled your eyes, trying to avoid looking at him. "Yeah, well, you said you would keep it decent. This is the third question."

He tilted his head, his grin faltering only slightly "Actually, I said 'relatively'." At your silence, he continued, “Alright, alright. I get it. I’m sorry, babes… How about this? You pick a movie, and I promise to behave.”

“You?” You looked at him, raising an eyebrow. “You promise to behave?” 'Ha, fat chance.' You thought.

Beetlejuice crossed an 'x' over where his heart would be, "Cross my heart and hope to die.”

"Beej, you're already dead." You sighed deeply.

You quickly found yourself sitting on the one end of the couch, eyes fixed on the movie you had chosen. It had been silent except for the ambient noise of the TV for what felt like thirty minutes or so. Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed Beetlejuice fidgeting. His leg was shaking rapidly up and down, and his hands twisted around each other restlessly. You knew that he wasn't good at sitting still for long periods of time. Though he was trying to stay focused on the screen, his eyes kept drifting to you, unable to stay away.

Beetlejuice, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, slid closer, the proximity making your pulse quicken. You could practically feel the warmth of his presence, even though you knew it was just a trick of the mind. You tried to ignore the feeling of his presence. 

He glanced over at you with a teasing smirk. “You know, babe, if you said my name right now, we could really make this night more interesting. Wink, wink.” He actually said ‘wink, wink’ out loud, adding an actual wink. "Come on..." He trailed off, leaning in close, "Just for tonight. I can make it worth your while." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. 

"Beetlejuice," You lightly warned, making his eyes light up at the possibility of you saying it two times more, "No." His wicked grin quickly dropped into a pout.

Groaning, Beetlejuice flopped over your lap, though he phased right through you. Why did you still feel his presence as if he were truly there? And why did you have the overwhelming urge to touch his hair? “Babe! Babes! Toots! Baby! Babycakes! Puddin' Pie! Pumpkin! Pumpkin Pie!-” His insistent nicknaming made your cheeks flush as you tried not to make eye contact with him. “I’ll do anything!”

You looked down at him, a mix of frustration and curiosity in your gaze. “Anything?” you asked, tilting your head.

Beetlejuice sat up, his eyes gleaming with enthusiasm. “Anything! You want a puppy? I’ll steal you a puppy! Or an elephant! Ya like elephants? Oh! Maybe we can get you a giraffe! Or a tiger! Or-”

You bit your lip, staring at him as he continued listing off animals he could ‘steal’ for you in exchange for his ‘freedom.’ Each offer sounded more outrageous than the last, and yet it was his eagerness that struck a chord with you.

A familiar unease settled over you. You couldn’t shake the feeling that Beetlejuice’s insistence on getting you to say his name was just another ploy. The thought that he might only be around because you could see - thus set him free - made you feel used. The idea of him disappearing from your life after all this time was more than unsettling; it was devastating.

Despite enjoying most of your time with Beetlejuice, your trust in him was fragile. The fear of him leaving, combined with your history of loneliness, made you wary of fully opening up. Having Beetlejuice in your life felt like a rare - if unconventional - source of companionship, and the thought of him vanishing after you’d let your guard down was almost too much to bear. You felt selfish for holding back, feeling like you were keeping a genie trapped in a bottle, but you also knew that not saying his name was a way to protect others from the chaos he could and would unleash.

“Beej,” You said, your voice steady despite the turmoil inside, “I appreciate the offer, but you know I can’t just-”

Beetlejuice cut you off with an exaggerated sigh, sitting up. “Oh, come on! Just say the magic words, and we can have some real fun. You know you want to.” He sing-songed.

You shook your head, trying to keep your emotions in check. “It’s not that simple. There are... Reasons. I can’t just-” You let out a sigh, rubbing your cheek with a hand, and casting your gaze down to your lap; your heart was pounding in your chest. “I’m just going to... Get some air.”

You retreated to your room, shutting the door behind you and leaning against it for a moment. The quiet of your room was a stark contrast to the charged atmosphere you’d just left. You tried to calm your racing heart, grappling with the overwhelming emotions Beetlejuice stirred up in you. As you sat on the edge of your bed, you let out a deep sigh, your hands coming up to cover your face; your palms fiercely pressing into your eyelids, and tears burned the backs of your eyes.

~~~

When you did finally emerge from your room the next morning, you could almost feel the absence of Beetlejuice. He was nowhere to be seen, and the house felt eerily quiet. You went about your day, glancing over your shoulder as if expecting him to appear at any moment; almost waiting for him to appear with a giant grin on his face - maybe try and scare you in addition to some suggestive comment. Beetlejuice’s absence was both a relief and a source of unease... You even sort of... Missed him. And you couldn’t shake the feeling that he was either giving you space or plotting his next move. 

However, nothing happened at the beginning of the day. No pranks, no sudden appearances, nothing. You continued on, getting ready for work, walking to work, working, and then walking home. As you did every weekday. It was dark, but there were a few street lamps that illuminate your path. The streets were silent, and you seemed to be the only one walking down the block. You often found yourself the only one, and it was nice most nights, just listening to music on your headphones as you enjoyed your evening stroll back home. 

Passing a couple of small businesses, you fiddled with the strap of your over-the-shoulder bag before you felt someone grab your upper arm, pulling you into the nearby alleyway. A shiver of fear ran down your spine, your eyes wide as you were harshly pushed up against the brick wall of a building. You felt your body suddenly feel cold, a chill running through your veins as you stared up at the man before you, pinning you to the wall.

He smirked wickedly, a grin that would probably give you nightmares. Raising his free hand, he pulled the headphones off of your ears, letting them rest around your neck before he raked his eyes across your face. You felt like you were going to be sick, and even more so when you noticed the glint of a knife as he pulled one out of his back pocket. You tried to swallow, but your throat was super dry, and you tried to speak, only for the evil stranger to tut you, shaking his head.

"Uh-uh-uh, pretty. I have something to say." His voice was dripping with venomous honey, he raised the knife, and it glinted once more in the moonlight. "Now, this is how this is going to play out. I'm going to take your bag, whatever valuables, and maybe... If you're lucky, maybe-" He glanced down at your body again, licking his lips as he grinned wolfishly, "I'll let you go." His knife brushed along your collarbone, rubbing the fabric of your shirt slightly.

You felt panic and bile rise up in your throat, trying to think of something - anything! Suddenly, you had an idea. A crazy idea. "Beetlejuice." You muttered, making the man before you raise an eyebrow, his wolfish grin becoming slightly confused.

"What?" He darkly chuckled out, twisting the knife.

"Beetlejuice." You spoke again, more clearly, the man blinked.

"Beetle-whatnow?"

Swallowing thickly, narrowing your eyes, you stared up at the man as you spoke, "Beetlejuice."

The man before you let out a laugh, staring at you as his grin returned, "I don't know what you are trying to pull, or saying, but I would suggest you just let me take want I want and-"

“Nice knife you’ve got there,” A voice suddenly said, his tone dripping with mock admiration as he appeared behind the mugger. The man jumped, turning around to see a man dressed in a tattered black and white stripe suit. The mugger narrowed his eyes, eyeing the strange red, untamed hair, and pale complexion, and the odd bits of green on his face. 

"Who the living Hell are you?" He growled, still trying to sound and act tough, despite being a bit unnerved by the strange man's sudden appearance.

“I'm your worst nightmare,” Beetlejuice said with a sinister grin, his eyes gleaming with malicious delight as he took a menacing step closer to the mugger. His voice was laced with a chilling amusement that seemed to fill the alleyway with an unsettling energy. The mugger’s eyes widened in shock and confusion. Beetlejuice continued, his gaze fixed on the knife in the mugger’s hand. “As I said, nice knife you’ve got there. It would be a shame if something were to happen to it.” With a snap of his fingers, the knife began to twist and writhe, its metal surface rippling as it transformed into a black-and-white striped snake.

The mugger’s face went pale as the snake slithered around his hand, hissing and wriggling with an almost sentient anger. The mugger let out a high-pitched yelp of terror, dropping the snake and stumbling backward onto the ground. He scrambled away from the hissing, writhing creature, his eyes darting around in panic as he tripped over himself, desperate to get as far away from Beetlejuice as possible.

Beetlejuice watched with a satisfied smirk, he chuckled darkly, his laughter echoing off the alley walls. “Run along, you little creep!” Beetlejuice called out with a mocking tone. “I’ve got better things to do than play with you.” He waved dismissively, and with a snap of his fingers, the snake vanished into thin air, leaving only a faint shimmer of green smoke in its wake.

The mugger, now thoroughly panicked, scrambled to his feet and bolted from the alley, his screams fading into the distance. Beetlejuice grinned; nobody touched his breather. Beetlejuice turned his attention back to you - seeing your still-wide eyes, frozen frame, and somewhat slack jaw as the adrenaline coursed through your system; this was your first time having witnessed Beetlejuice so… Devious. His grin softened slightly at you, expressing as he approached, his hair returning to its green, with streaks of red; and hints of purple. He was worried that you were scared of him.

“Well, that was entertaining,” He said, his tone shifting to something more gentle, though still edged with his usual mischief, and you felt yourself finally breathe. "You rang-?" Beetlejuice's words were cut short when you suddenly threw your arms around him; all his worries flew out the window.

You clung to him, tears streaming down your face as the reality of the situation hit you all at once - not even taking into account his almost rotten and dead flower smell; you nuzzled your face closer. Beetlejuice was caught off guard and hesitated for a moment before wrapping his arms around you. The touch was new, comforting in a way you hadn’t expected; but you still feared that he might vanish into the air if you let go. He wasn’t just a ghostly presence anymore; he was solid, tangible, there. His usual bravado faltered, replaced by a hesitant, almost clumsy attempt at offering comfort. He held you close, feeling the warmth and weight of your embrace. He shut his eyes, digging his nose into your hairline, before teleporting you back to the safety of your home.

When you opened your eyes, you found yourself sitting beside Beetlejuice on your couch. Reluctantly slipping out of his cold hold, you wiped the heels of your hands onto your eyes, brushing away the tears; and sniffling. Beetlejuice's hands fidgeted, the overwhelming need to reach out and hold your hand was bubbling up inside of him; he bit his bottom lip with his sharp teeth. He waited for you, waiting for you to start talking. Anything to break the heavy silence between the two of you. Finally, after a long while of hesitation, you spoke.

"I- I didn't know what to do," Your voice was soft, barely above a whisper. "I had to summon you... I- Thank you..." You bowed your head, and the realization that he was now free, free to leave, "You probably want to go off and do your own thing... Right? You're finally free to wander and roam and cause chaos."

His green eyes studied you, staring down at the side of your face. “Free to roam and cause chaos?” He scoffed, rolling his eyes dramatically as you looked up, your confused, wide eyes meeting his. “Oh, please, babes. Do you really think I’m just gonna waltz off into the night and leave you high and dry? Where’s the fun in that? I’m not going anywhere, so you might as well get used to it. Can’t get rid of me.” His tone was teasing, but his eyes were softer, betraying a hint of sincerity as he looked at you.

"Really?" You asked, sounding somewhat unsure, "You won't- you won't leave me alone?"

"I won't leave you." He spoke, surprisingly serious, before he spoke up again - dark pink began to appear in his hair and beard - his grin growing, "Consider me your own personal demon, baby! And if you’re ever feeling lonely, well, let’s just say I’m always up for a little... Late-night company." He wiggled his eyebrows, making a giggle leave you - back to both of your old ways - you went to push him, half-expecting for your hand to phase through him, only to press against his chest. Your smile softened as he wrapped his arm around you, pulling you close to his side. 

Feeling his cold lips press a somewhat sloppy kiss to your temple, you pulled away from him slightly, looking up at him as his bright eyes met yours. "Now that you're free... What else can you do?"

Beetlejuice grinned, the mischievous glint returning in his eyes, "Oh, baby," He almost growled, "You're in for a show!"

---

Main Masterlist | Beetlejuice The Musical Masterlist

[leonstoenailunderhisbed]

A Southern Myth

Summary: Leon had been sent to a rural place in Texas where sightings of a BOW were reported. But upon entering the forgotten town, he began to get entangled in a horrific twist of events involving a religious cult. Things escalate and now he must survive with the help of a girl who doesn’t believe in anything.

Warning: horror. religion. mentions of blood and gore like description. cult activities. violence. swearing. reader is fem. there is no romance/smut.

A/N: omg I’ve never written something like this before🙈 CAPCOM should hire me for script writing.

“You believe you're on the righteous path, you believe you're a force for good, but you're not.” - John Seed, Far Cry 5

“Come forth, my children. Let your souls become pure under His guidance.”

“Let us rejoice in purity as we bathe in this sacrifice. Let us become one for Him, for He has been waiting.”

-

The sound of the dirt rolling under the car’s wheel made the road feel bumpy for Leon. The heat was intense the further he went into the rural side of what was once a town named Giligand in Texas. Once a lively town that had become a ghost town.

Until a group of religious settlers took over the desert land and claimed it their new home. They built their own society, far away from modern civilization. The orange and dried plants surrounding the new town as the wind blew hard. The sun intensified and caused Leon’s sweat to trickle down his body.

Right in the middle of nowhere is where he got sent- yet again. The D.S.O has assigned Leon a more haunting mission. The government division found in Texas’ own legislation had found weird signs of an unknown entity roaming around the dried up land. He found himself standing in front of an agent in Austin telling him about this entity.

“Our homeland security experts have raised a few concerns regarding a secluded town in Western Texas. They believe that this could be related to the virus incident that presided in other countries,” The senior agent stated as he gave Leon a stack of papers containing pictures and files of the sightings.

The abnormality was big and round. But its eyes were the only visible thing in the dark of night. Pure white eyes protruding from the creature’s face, sending a wave of uneasiness to Leon. The monster seemed tall, definitely more than 9 feet tall. Leon couldn’t tell exactly what it was but he guessed there were some sort of horns coming out the creature’s skull.

Leon had finally reached the town, being greeted by a yellowing sign. The sign written in Times New Roman “Welcome to Cunstacin” on the bottom “previously Giligand” and then near the border edge “Pop. 189”

Such a small town for a big state. Leon didn’t think much of it. He wasn’t aware of how much his life would change the minute he passed the sign without seeing those pure white eyes watching him from behind his truck.

The town itself was small but seemed very busy. The roads were flat with gravel. The houses were old and barren but still usable. He wondered how people were able to make a living of such an abandoned place. As he neared a motel, he was met with the leader of the town. A tall man of tan skin, hair long enough to reach his shoulders as his beard grew to his neck.

He approached Leon’s truck and greeted him with a polite smile, “Ah, you must be the new guy they sent here.” Leon nodded as he turned off the engine and jumped out of his car.

The man walked up to Leon and patted his shoulder, “Hope the road wasn’t too tedious. The distance between here and the city is pretty stretchy.” The man chuckled and looked behind him where two young women stood. “Go fetch his luggage and take it to his room. We don’t want to make our esteemed guest work too much now, don’t we?”

The two ladies nodded and walked over to the trunk of Leon’s truck. They both carried the brown and thick luggages to the motel, their silhouettes getting lost in between the halls.

The man then gently forced Leon to walk with him, “I’m sure you’re tired and you might want to get some rest, but there’s an afternoon mass the town wishes for you to attend. The people want to meet the new guy in town,” the man laughed again and gave Leon’s chest a lazy slap.

“I appreciate the offer but I’m here for work- strictly for work,” Leon replied as he looked at the man and then around the area.

The man chuckled and took his hand away from Leon’s shoulder, “No worries- I get it. You’re a busy guy and your work ethic is commendable,” the man leaned towards Leon’s ear to whisper, “But if you find yourself in need of His words, do come to the church behind the Great Willowed Forest.” The man leaned back and gave him another toothy smile, almost unsettling. “Make yourself at home.” That was the last thing the man said before he began to walk away.

Leon exhaled through his nose. He already got the creeps from the background check he ran on the town but meeting the people in person made the whole experience much more precarious.

He began to walk along the town, trying to find any other civilians. He saw an older woman with two children outside a two story building.

“Excuse me,” Leon said as he jogged to the three individuals. One of the children, a little boy with a bowl haircut pointed to Leon and exclaimed, “Look, meemaw- ‘tis the new guy!” The older woman slapped the little boy’s head, “Pointing at strangers is rude.”

Leon cleared his throat, “It’s alright,” he looked down at the kid before looking back at the older woman, “I’ve heard there were some strange… sightings around this town-“

“Ah, yes-“ the woman cut him off, “You’re talking Tervin.” Leon immediately furrowed his brows. They had named the potential B.O.W?

“Tervin?” Leon asked and the woman nodded, “Yes. He was sent by God,” she looked up at the sky and then back at him.

“He was kind enough to send us a messenger. My boy, the end is coming. We must cleanse our souls of our sins in order to enter our Eden.”

Leon immediately felt a weird sense of unease in his lower stomach, the bottom pit sinking down after the woman spoke.

The woman took a step forward and cupped Leon’s face, “He is our savior. He will bring us to an eternal peace. Time is ticking, we must proceed with His plan.”

Leon took a step back, taking deep breaths. What was this feeling? His heart was hammering against his rib cage and he could feel his head become light. Maybe it was heatstroke or maybe it was fear.

The woman stared at Leon, seemingly in a trance. He swore he saw her eye color vanish for a moment, not right before she “came back” and smiled at him. She then took hold of the two children’s hands and walked away. He could only stay there watching as they got further away.

He exhaled shakily as he ran a hand through his hair, this would be harder than he thought.

-

For the next following days, he’s been trying to talk to these people but everyone said remotely the same things.

“Monster? He’s no monster. He’s our salvation.”

“God sent him, it is His gift to us.”

“We must act quickly, the end is nigh”

Leon was currently sitting on the edge of the bed in the room he was currently staying. His elbows rested on his knees as his gaze fell on the picture of the creature he had in his hand. Pure black, except for the eyes. Something felt sinister- almost too evil. But he couldn’t pinpoint what. Everyone looked normal-ish.

He left the motel and began his 15th round of research. He was so sure he’d get kicked out if he kept asking the people questions. His mind traveled back to what the leader said, something about attending mass.

He didn’t want to but he knew that he had to try. Maybe there was something that could be useful in the church.

So that’s where he was headed. To the Great Willowed Forest. A forest full of tall trees and tall grass. The sun was setting and the church came into his line of vision. A tall Victorian structure that was adorned in white and gold. A bell sitting on top of the highest tower peak of the religious establishment. He slowly walked up the freaking and old steps of the church. Muffled talking from just the other of the door. With a light inhale, he pushed the door open with gentleness and stepped into the church.

The inside was much more beautiful. The benches were neatly fixed in rows as the windows were stained glass depicting stories of their God. The church was packed and the leader stood on the podium, preaching about their path to salvation.

“We must obey the Lord’s rule. For we are His children as well as His servants. We must makeup for the loss of His journey.”

Leon found himself an empty seat at the very back. No one seemed to have noticed him enter, they were all focusing on the town’s leader words. Almost as if they were bewitched.

“Tonight, we must bring our sacrifice and cleanse our souls. We must savor the taste of blood as He has given us a vessel from his sacrifices. We must show him our devotion.”

The mass lasted for an hour and a half, and he didn’t find anything remotely useful. He sighed in defeat as he felt like he wasted his time, yet again. There were no signs of any B.O.W and these people were most certainly convinced that the monster was their key to heaven.

It was nighttime when Leon had left the church, walking aimlessly through the forest. His mind preoccupied with thoughts about potentially lying to the D.S.O and telling them it was just some southern myth.

Until he hears clinking sounds coming from behind a bush. His agent instincts activated and he quietly walked towards the bush to see what was behind it.

To his surprise, he’d found another person. A girl working on a garden. She had been couched down on the floor as her hands worked through the soil.

As he walked towards you, his boots crunched against the twigs lost in the grass. Your attention had been drawn to the sound and you quickly spotted the new man in town.

You furrowed your brows as he approached you, “You’re the new guy everyone’s talking about.”

Leon nodded curtly, “The one and only,” you hummed in response and resumed your duties.

“Can I ask-“

“No.”

He was caught off guard by your immediate answer. You didn’t even look back at him. He could only stare at the back of your head as your hands worked through the soil.

“You didn’t even listen to what I had to say,” he approached you and crouched next to you, glancing at the plants you’ve been planting.

“I don’t need to. You’re asking questions about this stupid and fake thing everyone claims to be salvation or some other bullshit,” you grumbled.

“Not necessarily-“ he sighed and looked at your side profile, “I’m not here for that-“

“What do you want me to tell you? That there’s some sort of monster roaming around the forest?” You turned your head to look at him, “Because I won’t. I haven’t seen anything and I do not believe it even exists. Those lunatics are hell bent on their stupid… belief,” you scoffed as you turned your attention back to your plants.

“Bunch of bullshit if you ask me,” you muttered. He looked at you some more before looking back down at your hands covered in dirt.

“So you aren’t with those people?” Leon raised a brow as he analyzed you. You shook your head no, “Hell no. You don’t know what they do to those who don’t believe in their God… you don’t know anything.”

Leon remained silent as your words settled down in his mind. There was more than what you led on and both of you knew this.

“Then tell me,” he replied quietly. You sighed and looked at him with an annoyed expression, “Doesn’t matter. Just go back to your shit and mind your business.”

He didn’t say anything, he just watched you for a few minutes before he stood up and left.

He went back to his motel room and laid down on the bed. Staring up at ceiling as he thought about the events that took place. He still couldn’t shake off the strange feeling he felt about this town. Something felt odd but he just didn’t know what. He sighed and decided to just sleep for the night.

-

Leon woke up early in the morning and tried to find the leader of the town. Surprisingly, he was at the church. He was sitting down on a bench, silently praying. Leon walked up to him and sat next to him as he waited for him to finish praying.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t our visitor. To what do I owe the pleasure?” The man said as he noticed Leon’s presence next to him. Leon cleared his throat and pulled out a picture of ‘Tervin’

“I need you to tell me about this. What do you know?” Leon’s brows were furrowed, he was serious. He didn’t come around to play. The man took the picture and stared at it. Something in his aura had changed upon seeing that picture.

“Where did you get this?” The man asked as he looked at Leon with an unreadable expression. Leon shrugged, “I can’t say.” The man hummed and looked back at the altar in front of them.

“Tervin is a gift from God. He was sent as a warning of impending doom,” the man replied in a flat voice. “If he isn’t satisfied, then he seeks blood. We must cleanse this town of impurities and relay a message to God that we are worthy of his Eden paradise.”

Something in that caused a shiver to run down Leon’s spine, but he didn’t show it. He remained serious and calm. Leon nodded once and stood up, feeling like no one will actually tell him anything.

“Thanks,” he muttered before he left the church. When he walked out, he nearly crashed into you.

“Watch it,” you hissed at him. He looked down at you with a raised brow, “I’m pretty sure you meant ‘excuse me’” he crossed his arms over his chest and kept blocking the doorway.

You sighed and looked at him unimpressed, “Excuse me.” Leon rolled his eyes and stepped to the side. As you began to walk past him, you noticed the picture in his hands. Your brows pinched together and you quickly pointed to it, “what’s that?”

Leon looked down at the picture and then back at you, “I’m supposed to investigate this… thing.” He watched you closely, trying to gauge your reaction as you stood there silently thinking.

“You’ll get yourself in trouble if you keep putting your nose where it doesn’t belong,” you warned before stepping inside the church. He saw you walk up to the leader. He exhaled and walked back to the town. When will someone actually help him?

-

It was somewhere past 11 pm, he was staring at the files he had about this town and his objective. It was impossible to think how he didn’t have any leads. It was the Leon S Kennedy! He always saw that the job got done, always.

He groaned defeatedly and began to walk around the town, he doesn’t even know how many times he’s done that.

The town was awfully quiet. There was a fog occupying most of his vision, making the place look eerie and unsettling. He heard the rustling of the trees and grasses but he paid no mind to that. Not right now, at least.

He saw you sitting on a fountain, staring at your reflection deep in thought. Why were you the only one out here. He walked over to you and spoke in a soft voice, “What are you doing out here?”

You looked over at him and then back at the water, “Could ask you the same.”

Leon sighed and scratched his head, “I just- I wanted to ask questions but seems like everyone just… disappeared.”

You hummed in response as your fingers played with the water, “They didn’t. They’re at the church praying or something.”

His ears perked up, praying at this time? He didn’t want to question it but it still lingered in his mind.

After a few moments of silence, he couldn’t help but ask, “You said you didn’t believe in God, why is that?” He asked in a quiet voice.

You looked at him before motioning for him to follow you, “It’s better if I just showed you.”

You led him through the dark forest, twigs snapping under your shoes and wind howling soft whispers as the moonlight glimmered down you two.

“This town ostracizes those who don’t believe in God. Do you know what happens to nonbelievers?” You looked behind your shoulder to glance at Leon for a brief moment.

“No, I don’t but do tell,” he followed behind you as his eyes scanned the forest for any threats.

You sighed and stopped walking once you’ve reached an abandoned cemetery, you walked up to one of the gravestones and stared down at the name, “Jeffrey Clyle. 1987-2024.”

“Sacrifice,” you whispered. Leon heard you and walked up next to you, your eyes distant and your expression solemn.

“Ever since rumors of the “messenger” started, they’ve been capturing and targeting those whose faith has been faltering…” your gaze remained down at the gravestone and Leon remained silent as he let you talk.

“They’ve been doing human sacrifices in the name of God. They believe that God would forgive them if they kill those who oppose him…” your voice trailed off for a moment before you turned your face to look at him, “It’s evil. Punishing people for not believing in something is inhumane. They’re all slaves to their own fucking religion, that God is not kind and I will never believe in it.”

“Then what are you still doing here?” Leon asked as he stared into your eyes, searching for an answer.

“Because my father is the fucking leader of this whole thing. I can’t just leave,” you mumbled and looked away. “I already get judged for not believing- imagine what would happen to me if I left?”

He remained silent once again. Your father was the preacher and the leader of the town? That makes things even more interesting. Leon never pictured himself to be in this kind of situation- not since Spain, at least. It all seemed the same to him. Religion controlling people, is that all it will ever be?

Then he remembered something from mass he attended,

“Tonight, we must bring our sacrifice and cleanse our souls. We must savor the taste of blood as He has given us a vessel from his sacrifices. We must show him our devotion.”

Leon’s eyes widened as he began to finally realize what might happen. He looked down at you, “You mean to tell me… that your father participates in human sacrifices? Why?” His eyes were narrowed as his breathing became faster.

You looked at him with narrowed eyes, “Because his idiotic self thinks that sacrificing people will help him and his goons reach their heaven.”

Innocent lives were being used for this town’s religion. This didn’t sit right with Leon. He quickly ran out of the cemetery- his heartbeat speeding as his legs carried his body towards the church.

Under the embrace of the moon and the night, a gathering assembled at the edge of the churchyard, shrouded by the shadows cast by the townspeople. Their faces unrecognizable under the dark night, their chants in hushed tones as they circled around a sacrifice.

Bound by chains, a person writhed in resistance, their muffled cries stifled by a potato sack over their head. Leon stood behind a tree as you came behind him to look at the scene unfold in front of your eyes.

The leader of the town emerged, wielding a sacrificial blade gleaming under the moonlight. Each stroke of the blade sent shivers down your’s and Leon’s spine, as the victim's anguished pleas echoed through the night, a haunting presence appeared through the tethered night.

“We give this sacrifice to you, our Lord. Let us repent for our sins and wash ourselves with the blood of those who’ve been cleansed.”

The creature- otherwise known as the B.O.W- emerged from behind the forest and entered the churchyard. Its stature was 11 feet, towering over everyone. Its black glistening skin reflected the moonlight as its pearly white eyes penetrated the group of believers. Its horns swirled upwards, reaching up to the sky. The townspeople all bowed to the creature as they chanted its name, “All hail Tervin.”

Leon’s eyes widened as he saw the B.O.W while your eyes widened at the fact that this “messenger” was indeed real. Leon took out his gun and aimed it at the B.O.W. You quickly pulled his arm down and whispered in a harsh tone, “Are you stupid? That thing could be dangerous.”

Leon narrowed his eyes at you, “I’ve fought those things before, I know what I’m doing.” He shook your hands away from his arm and aimed the gun back at the beast.

The beast approached the human sacrifice and with its claws, it picked up. Almost instantly crushing the human, letting the blood fall down like rain on the townspeople.

“Thank you, Lord, for this blessing”

The B.O.W then ate the human sacrifice after the townspeople showered in their blood. A scene so horrific and disturbing, it twisted your stomach upside down. The creeping sensation of the fact that it could’ve been you in that situation only made it worse.

To feel your rib cage cave in, piercing your lungs and heart as blood trickles down your mouth. Its claws clawing into your body, letting the blood flow like water.

It only made you shiver and writhe in disgust.

Leon then began to shoot at the B.O.W with his gun, drawing the attention of the townspeople. One bullet shot the creature’s eye, causing it to stagger backwards in pain. The group of believers all turned to look at you and Leon.

Their faces unrecognizable- their faces foreign as the creases and eyes all felt like distinct people. The group slowly began to walk towards you two as the monster howled in anger.

“God, forgive those sinners. They haven’t sought your guidance. Let us illuminate their path,”

The leader spoke as they approached you and Leon. Anxiety coursed through your body as you saw the B.O.W swing its claws at the group of believers. People flying left and right. The leader turned around and observed in delight.

“Yes, God, yes! We shall sacrifice ourselves for Eden.”

The whole group then began to chant, “For Eden. For Tervin.”

The B.O.W only had one goal in mind- and it was to kill the person who injured it. As Tervin kept walking towards you and Leon, Leon took hold of your wrist and began to ran. He dragged you through the forest back to the motel he was staying in.

He looked the door to his room and turned to look at you, “What the fuck was that!?” Leon was stressing, all these emotions resurfaced and he felt overwhelmed. Why was this happening, how was this happening?

“I told you, they’re fucking evil when it comes to their God,” you replied harshly.

“Yeah I wasn’t exactly expecting your father to be the leader of a cult with that thing as its dog!,” Leon replied as his hands traveled through his face and hair.

You scoffed and crossed your arms over you chest but just as you were to speak, the ground shook. Heavy footsteps were heard and Leon rushed to the window. He peeked through the blinds and saw the group of believers walking over to the motel with Tervin in following them. They kept chanting as they kept walking.

“We need to get out of here now-“ you said as you began to hurry out the door. Leon, however, stopped you.

“I can’t just leave, I have a mission to do and it requires me to kill that thing. I cannot go home until it’s dead,” he said as he stared at you with a resolved expression.

You could only stare at him in silence for a few moments before sighing defeatedly, “Fine, do whatever you want.”

“Stay here,” he instructed as he took his gun and walked out, leaving you alone in his motel room.

In the flickering glow of the moonlight, amidst the eerie chants of the cultists, Leon stood there, gun in hand as he scanned the group. He needed to be smart. They had a B.O.W to their advantage.

As the first cultist lunged forward, knife in hand, Leon countered with swift precision, deflecting the blade with a punch to the gut. His movements were a blur of calculated strikes and evasions. As he killed and wounded the cultists, they grew more frenzied, their chants escalating into desperate cries of fury. Yet, undeterred, Leon continued fighting.

“We must bring him to God!” They chanted as they kept lunging at Leon.

Amidst the chaos, the B.O.W stepped forward, its twisted features contorted with rage as it charged at Leon. With the gun pointed at the beast, he shot bullet after bullet, causing it to slow its movements.

“God, please forgive our brother for he has sinned. We must cleanse him.”

Leon ran out of bullets and just as the B.O.W was about to strike, he saw you throw a pitchfork at it. The blades piercing the creature’s skin, stabbing it right in the chest.

The B.O.W let out a screeching scream, “No! Our messenger!” The leader spoke in anguish as he watched the creature stumble back, falling to the ground with a thud. Leon reloaded his gun and began to shoot again, this time aiming for the head.

As Leon became busy, your father glared at you and it was like something turned in him, “You bitch. I’ve had just about it with you. You will submit to your God and you will repent!”

You’ve never heard him speak to you this way, so much malice in his voice that you didn’t recognize the man that used to be your father.

He lunged at you, his hands trying to reach for your neck to strangle you. You took a nearby torch and set his clothes on fire. He stood back and tried to set the fire off of himself- to which he fails. He screams and cries in pain as he began to get engulfed in the flames of his sins.

“Forgive me, my children!”

You finally understood everything. There was no God because your father believed he was that God. The flames burned up in hues of blue and orange right before the sparks flew into the night sky.

His skin melted, his eyes became a blobby mess and he fell to the ground. His screech becoming more faint as the life in being burnt away from his body. The flames expanding over the dried wheat of the town, engulfing the town in a pit of fire.

Leon had been too busy to even notice that you killed your father. He’s been shooting the B.O.W, making sure to blow its head off once and for all.

After two rounds of reloading, he finally was able to kill that damn thing. Watching it fall to the ground, sending harsh vibrations to the floor as silence overtook the ghostly town.

Heavy panting overtook the two of you as the silence grew deafening. You turned to look at Leon as he stared at the B.O.W all lifeless. You looked around and saw the bloodbath. Everyone was dead.

Pools of blood stained the gravel he once stepped, the lifeless bodies of the townspeople growing cold. The flames being the only source of light under the dark night.

Leon turned to look at you for a brief moment before looking up at sky as he tried to take deep breaths. He couldn’t believe what had just happened. He couldn’t believe what he was brought into. But he was glad it was over. For now at least.

Leon packed his things and went over to his truck, he looked at you, “Aren’t you coming?”

You looked at him and then back at the town- or what remained of the town. You nodded and walked over to his truck.

Both of you driving down the lane of the rose, exiting the town. Passing by a sign that read, “Please visit soon!”

Unaware of the presence with the white eyes watching you two leave the town.

[ronearoundblindly]

Forgive me if I sent this ask before... I don't remember if I did 😅 but if not just know that I thought about sending it in since you started this series 🙈

For who would:

If you just hand them your baby niece or nephew or a baby you're watching for a friend (just any baby lol) who would hand it right back to you, silently hold it with a sheer look of panic till you come back and take it or be a natural and not give it back to you at all?

I love this bit of fluff and silliness for a Sunday; excellent question!

James Mace

He asks a lot of questions about what needs done or should be done. Is it changing time? How much head support should he provide? Is this a DND (do not disturb, D&D is for his own kiddos) baby ready for a nap? Is this play time? Should he be engaging the baby or keeping up conversation with the group?

Now, as to whether or not having the baby in his arms gives him any ideas: not any more than he's already had. You two have plans, you've talked about this and are on the same page, so his interactions right then have to do with that baby at that moment. He doesn't necessarily have stronger feelings when handling other people's children.

Curtis Everett

Curtis does not trust himself around babies especially. He goes extremely stiff and extremely quiet. He stares intensely. He will not do anything unless you tell him to do something with the baby. Even then he is not truly comfortable.

Babies bring up a lot of memories and emotions for him, and theoretically he knows he isn't in the same place/headspace as when he was younger, he knows babies aren't in as much danger as the old days, but he still gets so overwhelmed by it.

Yes, Curtis is even like this with his own children. He counts the days until his child is old enough to not be considered a 'baby' anymore. In fact, Curtis enjoys the memory of their infancy, pictures and videos, etc, more than he can enjoy being with them as infants.

Jimmy Dobyne

Honestly, a total natural. Small towns and rural areas mean closer-knit families, neighbors, and friends. They all help each other out. A bunch of kids shuffle around to spend afternoons here or Saturdays there. Babies get passed around to let parents get errands done or go on dates. It's not a big deal; it's just a way of life.

At this point, Jimmy has cleaned up after and fed a dozen different species of 'babies.' He's fine with it. He doesn't play much though, not with babies. Jimmy prefers when they're old enough to run around for catch or sports, etc. That's more his wheelhouse.

Johnny Storm

Fucking terrified to handle babies but LOVES entertaining them. Will do absolutely anything to make that baby laugh. To a fault sometimes because Johnny will get so animated he knocks shit over in the house or wherever you two are.

You give him credit for trying though.

Jake Jensen

Sits that baby up on his lap and continues to watch whatever screen he's focused on.

Jake isn't necessarily bad with babies, but he prefers to continue to enjoy the more adult entertainment/interactions around him. Like Jimmy, he will be more than hands-on excited once that baby can be active with their own interests (sports or otherwise) because he will participate and support 100%. Babies are just a bit too floppy and unreadable for him.

Lloyd Hansen

Thrilled to let those tiny baby fingers try to hold the grip of his switchblade. Adores how fucking angry the parents (or you) get when he plays with knives around them or has them play with the knives. Lloyd secretly finds baby facial reactions to be the funniest things on the planet--but, no, he doesn't actually like babies.

Ari Levinson

Ari is a playful papa through and through. Has more than once strapped that carrier to his chest and wondered around with someone's kiddo for whole parties. Endlessly entertained and entertaining when it comes to babies.

However, Ari really, really doesn't like when babies get grabby and pull at his hair. That shit hurts, and he hates it. Also he's oddly squeamish about spit-up and/or vomit. Technically, he is not a fan of diaper duty, like very, very, very not a fan.

Ransom Drysdale

The absolute fuck are you handing him a baby for??? Bitch, are you insane?! Be real. Seriously. Just don't.

There isn't even much improvement in this behavior when it's Ran's own child. Not a fan of the 'baby' stage, this one.

Steve Rogers & Bucky Barnes

Lumping these two together because they do exactly the same things. Steve and Bucky physically treat female and male babies differently; they are sweet and cooing with girls, and then they talk about or mimic sports things with boys. They don't mean to be presumptive in this behavior, just do it be default.

Neither is afraid to roll their sleeves up and help with feeding or changing. They'll give equal attention to the baby and the group around you. They will both happily sit/stand/walk around with a napping baby in their arms--although they aren't thrilled to be unable to help with other stuff while they have no available hands.

Thank you for asking!

[Main Masterlist; Who Would...? Asks List; Ko-Fi]

@supraveng @1950schick @patzammit @whiskeytangofoxtrot555

@yiiiikesmish @ashesofblackroses

@brandycranby @buckysprettybaby @ellethespaceunicorn @late-to-the-party-81

@bigtreefest @mistressmkay @astheskycries 

@rogersbarber @blogbog710

[candycandy00]

So I thought I’d introduce the concepts for my JJK Fairytale AU. Some of you sent in some interesting suggestions, but in the end I decided to go with the most famous fairytales that would fit. I’m already writing the first one, Gojo x Cinderella. You’ll notice some of these ideas are more developed than others. Here are the others I plan to write. 

Please vote for which one you’re most interested in! I’ll write them all but I’m curious about how much interest people have. It might affect the order I write them in. 

Geto x Little Red Riding Hood

Reader is a young woman traveling through the dangerous woods to reach a safe house. This is a kingdom ravaged by war, and she’s a medic. She has medicine and supplies that she needs to bring to a military safe house to treat some injured soldiers there, but there’s a big bad wolf (Geto) stalking her. He was an enemy soldier she saved once, now turned into a werewolf, and hungry for her in more ways than one. 

Toji x Snow White

Reader is a beautiful young woman living in a small rural village. There’s a huntsman who lives close by (Toji) who is a lot older than her, but she has a bit of a crush on him. For his part, he thinks she’s pretty but also thinks she’s too young for him (she’s like 20, he’s late 30’s). So he mostly ignores her. He’s known for being an excellent hunter and gets hired to go hunt dangerous animals in the woods. The evil queen hires him to take Snow White into the woods and kill her, but once he actually spends time with her, he might decide to just keep her. 

Choso x Rapunzel

Reader is gathering herbs in the forest and stumbles upon an old watch tower inhabited by a cute but antisocial hermit (Choso) who seems sweet and keeps talking about his brothers who are “out” and will be back any minute. She starts visiting him regularly because she likes him, but she suspects his brothers might be dead and he just can’t face it. One day she gets attacked by a wild boar and injures her ankle. Choso finds her and takes her back to the tower. She faints and wakes up to find that he’s locked her in the top of the tower and won’t let her leave, because he’s afraid she’ll leave and never come back, just like his brothers. Choso as a classic Yandere. Reader’s only plan is to grow her hair out long enough to make a rope with it to escape. 

Higuruma x Little Mermaid

Reader is a mermaid in love with a lawyer who lives in a coastal town and specializes in shipping contracts (Higuruma). She makes a deal with the sea witch and signs the contract to get human legs in exchange for her voice, but when she formally meets Higuruma, she ends up showing him the contract. He’s flattered that she did all this for him, but (like in the original story) the new legs cause her terrible pain, every step feeling like walking on glass (seriously the original story was fucked up). Will this genius lawyer be able to find a loophole in her contract and free her? 

Sukuna x Sleeping Beauty

Reader is a princess who was cursed at birth. If she ever pricks her finger on a needle, she’ll fall into a deep sleep/coma. Her parents recently died, leaving her as the young ruler. Her first step is to hire a new captain of the guard, a mysterious and powerful man rumored to be a murderer (Sukuna). She’s instantly attracted to him, and despite her obvious flirting, he rejects her everytime, smugly saying a dainty princess like her couldn’t handle him. But when she ends up pricking her finger, Sukuna recognizes the curse, and knows that she’s still aware of everything, can still feel and hear everything. And the only way to break the curse is to fuck her. 

Nanami x Beauty and the Beast

Since multiple people mentioned wanting Reader to be the Beast, I’m going for it! That’s right, Beast Tamer Nanami! Reader was cursed by a witch to be a beast (she’s still cute though, more like a lil bunny girl lol) and her royal parents are ashamed of her so they banish her to a secluded castle. Then they hire Nanami to take care of the place (and Reader). 

[unhappy-last-resort]

The Puppet In A Forest (Yandere Roland x GN Reader)

Warnings: forced kissing, bone breaking, drugging, implied minor surgery performed without readers consent, tracking

A/N: I apologize for any stiff writing or grammar mistakes. This was literally just supposed to be this short little 1 AM thing for his birthday and it fucking spiraled into this

Status: edited

You wade through crystal waters, fireflies twinkling around you like little stars in the night and comforting you ever so slightly, the quiet chirping of crickets in the distance is calming enough to make you almost forget there was an ongoing war outside this place, but unfortunately not enough to make you forget why you're here. The letters you received six hours ago have led you to an rural town in the outskirts of Kowloong, to a pond with bamboo growing in its edges.

You suck in a breath and steady your grip on your gun. You really shouldn't be here, not for the reasons you're weaving through towering rods of bamboo, anyway. Your heart tussles with itself, one part saying that you should turn back, the other telling you to push forward. Meeting an Ascendant isn't just dangerous to your prestigious position as Gray Ravens commandant, but also physically.

You're going to the coordinates you found inside the Russian dolls Roland sent you and the thought that it's just a trap has never once left your mind. Roland is a trickster, murderer, manipulator, and an actor, there is absolutely no reason you shouldn't have forwarded those letters to Hassen and Nikola, no reason for you to be here alone, and no reason for you to feel a painful tug in your heart when you read the last line of his second letter.

"I'll be waiting for you and gladly accept whatever you have for me, whether it's a bullet, a restraint, or an Activation Date gift."

In your uncertainty, you've prepared all three, your gun loaded and drawn at any potential danger, the restraints dangling off your hip, and a small box of chocolates sitting securely in your bag. It's unconventional for a birthday gift, but you don't have time to look, or make something more appropriate and frankly, there's no reason for you to put more effort in. You're enemies, not friends, and you don't owe anything to him.

You keep moving, the mud of the ponds floor squishing beneath your thigh high boots, the water beneath you littered with fallen leaves from the bamboo above you. Gradually, the bamboo starts to thin out, easing you into a small empty space. There's a rock sitting in the center, bathed by the moonlight as fireflies dance around it.

You can't see anyone, or a sign that anyone was here to begin with, although it's not like you'd find much in a shallow pond at night. You carefully feel out the ground ahead of you before stepping forward, it's easy to fall for the illusion of ground beneath you and end up much more wet than you intended and it'd be much harder to explain your little trip to your team if you came back dripping wet.

You reach the center of the clearing and look around. No one's here, it's just you. The water sloshes and ripples with every movement you make, announcing your presence to the surrounding silence...was it always this quiet?

Plunk.

You whip around, gun pointed in the direction of the sound as you glare into the dark, as if the very darkness itself would somehow lift to reveal what hides inside it. You stay like that for half a minute, ears and eyes straining for movement, but there is none. No more noises, just silence. It's only now do you realize that the fireflies that were here have disappeared, as if they'd been scared off by something, but what could scare a bunch of bugs?

You look around again, re-observing your surroundings. You look down and see these tiny little black dots in the water, confused you reach down and scoop one up in your palm and bring it close to your face.

It's an insect, it looks like a firefly. Your eyebrows furrow and you check your terminal, scanning the air quality...nothing. Punishing levels are low, and nowhere near fatal for a human, and there are no other toxins present in the air. You rack your brains, trying to think of anything that might cause a bunch of bugs to just die like this, but you come up with nothing.

You inspect the bug again, as if there's anything else a simple big would be hiding-

Wait.

There are tiny, inconspicuous little ball joints on each of its legs, and a very thin seam where the body connects to its abdomen, which on closer inspection is just an LED light trapped in a casing. It's mechanical. It's a fake. You've been surrounded by hundreds of mechanical bugs since you came to the clearing, maybe since you first stepped foot near the pond.

You drop it from your hand, it's body making a small plink sound as it falls into the water. You sigh and look up, only to find yourself caught in the gaze of a pair of eyes.

A figure clad in black and white with grey hair stands as still as a statue. His hair is undone and pulled forward, his long locks falling over his shoulders, his eyes glow like jewels in the moonlight, the cool tones of his outfit making his eyes stand out even more.

"Prefiero un minuto contigo a una eternidad sin ti." He whispers, the silence around us making even the quietest whispers apparent. "I never thought you would come. Hah...I thought I'd made myself a fool again."

You sigh through your nose, your grip on your gun is tight, but pointed at the water. In your shock you hadn't pointed it at him, your mind still trying to fathom how many fake fireflies there were and what else around you was an illusion that, you hadn't thought of giving yourself a defensive position. And getting into one now may escalate things.

"You're always a fool." You mutter ruefully, keeping your eyes on his. "Why would you think your enemy would respond to you?"

A grin stretches across his face, growing wider until he bursts into a chuckle. "Well, you did, didn't you? Besides," He pauses, smile dropping into a deadpan. "I did say I wanted to get you out, no matter what. Didn't I?"

"What would you have done if the letters hadn't worked, then?"

Another chuckle. "Oh, wouldn't my little rabbit like to know? Tell you what, if you can win my game, I'll tell you."

Roland starts moving towards you, he moves silently, so much so that if you hadn't seen the water moving you would have thought he was a ghost or a figment of imagination. It was like he was one with the space around him, seamlessly fitting in as if he belonged there- as if he was always there.

You breath, feeling more anxious by the moment as Roland closes in at a steady pace. "What game?"

"It's just a simple question, if you answer correctly you win, if you don't..." He smiles again.

"...What happens if I lose?"

"Hmm....I get to take a present from you." He stops at arms reach from you, smile still plastered on his face and an undeniable glee glinting in his eyes.

"I already brought you one though." His eyes widened in surprise, his smile faltering for a moment.

"You really brought me a gift? Here I was expecting you to restrain me and bring me back to Babylonia."

You watch him for a moment before reaching a hand into the bag at your hip, Roland's eyes flickering from your hand to your face, the flurry of emotions behind them tells you he's as desperate as he is distrusting of you right now. Slowly, you pull out the chocolates and hand it to him.

"Aww, do you really have to be so stiff?" He chuckles, tilting his head slightly, it felt half mocking, half curious as he graciously took the box from you and gingerly opens it.

"Oh my, this is quite a romantic gift. Could it be the Gray Raven Commandant is harboring feelings for an Ascendant?" He muses, feigning shock.

You roll your eyes and attempt to snatch the box out of his hand. "I can always take it back."

He leans back, looking almost offended, keeping the chocolates out of your reach. "Of course not! Anything from you is treated with the utmost care."

"But this is the first time you're getting something from me?"

He smiles, popping a chocolate in his mouth before tucking the box away in his coat. "Well now, should we start the game?"

"You didn't answer my question."

"Is this place real, or an illusion?" He stares at you, smile still on his face as the question hangs in the silence.

"...What?"

"Is it real, or an illusion?"

His expression is indiscernible, emotions hidden behind the thick curtain of a jester's smile. The silence of the area you're in is deafening, the previous chirps of crickets had long gone, leaving you and Roland in a pool of knee deep water, sprinkled with mechanical bugs on its surface.

As much as those things may have been fake, you were certain the rest couldn't be. The lake, the bamboo, those things had to be real. The amount of materials required to do something isn't something Roland would have access to, not to mention the time required.

"It's real."

He looks pleased, too pleased for your liking. "Is that your final answer?"

You hesitate. Are you wrong? Or is that just what he wants you to think? Indecision rips at your mind, your thoughts circling each other over and over, never getting any closer to an answer. Is he playing a trick, or are you overthinking? But he looked so happy when you said it was real, so you must've gotten it wrong, right?

"Uh...No!" You fumble, almost out of desperation. Your answer swings like a pendulum in your mind.

"No?" He drawls, putting a hand to his chin as he watches you.

"No...it's fake." You breath.

Roland raises a brow. "Are you sure?"

You suck in a breath, if you take it back again, you'll just be stuck in a never ending loop of second guessing yourself. "Yes."

Roland laughs and it makes you flinch, it feels especially loud in your ears for some reason. "Alea jacta est. Congratulations, my dear little puppet."

He announces with all his usual bravado as he closes the distance between you two. Alarmed you move back only for his hand to grip your wrist, rendering your hand with the gun useless. You pull at your arm as hard as you can, but you only succeed in earning a chuckle from him.

He pulls you close and before you can realize what's going on you feel lips press against yours in a greedy, pawing kiss. His teeth nip at your bottom lips, his tongue swiping over and attempting to push through your lips. You resist, refusing to open your mouth and using all your strength to break yourself free.

"Quit struggling." Roland grunts and twists your wrist unnaturally, a snap sounding up your arm and you open your mouth to scream, only for it to never make it out into the world and being swallowed by Roland instead.

His tongue explores every inch of your mouth with a fervor that speaks of an untold longing and desperation, an insatiable need that quickly overwhelms you with the pain in your wrist.

You feel drowsy, the edges of your vision blurring as continues his forced affection. You try to fight it, but you can't, your vision fading on a string of saliva between you and eyes of amber and ruby aglow like flames.

You gasp, your heart pounding as you stare at the wooden beams above you. It takes you a moment to realize you're in the abandoned tea house, the one you and your team decided to camp in.

You sit up slowly, your sleeping bag rustling quietly as you move. Your head hurts and you feel woozy just from sitting up, it takes you a moment to realize one of your wrists is bandaged, although it doesn't feel like it was done well despite it appearing to be wrapped properly.

You groan, how did you end up hurting your wrist again? Everything feels so foggy in your head that you can't remember.

"Hey Command- what the hell?" A captain dashes over to you, you vaguely remember his name being Casper.

Ah, that's right. You were sent on a mission to Kowloong to help assist a team that had gone for artifact retrieval. The battle ended a while ago and your team agreed to wait until day break to return to Babylonia.

Casper looks flustered, gently bringing your arm up to inspect your cast.

"Hey, Didi! Get Mao and have him dress a wound the Commandant got!" He yells to the door before turning back to you. "How did you do this? You should've asked one of us to help you if you didn't know how to wrap your injury."

You consider saying something, but instead you give a half-hearted smile and apologize. You don't want to cause them more grief than you likely already have.

An airy chuckle dances in the wind as the transport craft from Babylonia lifts off with its passengers. Pointlessly, Roland waves it goodbye as if you could see it- not like you'd appreciate it even if you did. Maybe you'd even hate him by now, if you hadn't before.

Still, like a fool he clung to the hope that you'd be someone he could count on. No, that's not quite right. Something he could own, a person he could claim for himself and not share with others.

As much as the temptation to whisk you away as you rested unconscious in his arms was deliciously enticing, he would be a fool to think he could protect you from Babylonia's lackeys, let alone in this old frame. Without a doubt the best of the best would come from you and he had difficulty enough with just Gray Raven, and that Kamui fellow and his original have been a pain too. The only way he'd be able to do that now would be to go to Der Meister himself and he made his skin crawl. He would never trust the likes of him with Luna, or you.

For now, he'll just have to settle with knowing where you are. He did his best to make sure everything was sterile when he made the incision, although he was still worried that it might get infected...Oh well, even if it did and that tracker got discovered, there are still others among your things, so it won't be that big of a deal.

"La vie est une fleur dont l'amour est le miel. 'Til we meet again, my dear."

[reidswrite]

One of each

Spencer Reid returns home after another exhausting trip working for the FBI, where he has spent most of his life. Now, on the verge of fifty-three years old, he finds himself thinking about Ethan and the life they could have had if he hadn't turned that love down to become an FBI agent almost 30 years ago.

Warnings: Alcohol/Drugs use, mention of suicide (not from main characters).

Word count: 2.4k

Turning the door handle slowly, the cold air in the apartment was the first sensation Spencer felt. It was empty, dark and quiet, almost as if he lived somewhere in the back of a library, on the shelves that aren't visited by students or readers who seek comfort between pages. He liked it. He liked the silence, the tranquility, the feeling of having a world of his own. Having joined the FBI just over 30 years ago, some cases were still hard to deal with, like the one from the last three days that sent the team to a small town in rural Texas. Arriving back at the apartment after dealing with so much chaos and adrenaline was like turning off the noise in his mind for a moment.

Dropping his cross-body bag on the floor next to the sofa, he headed towards the cabinet that held an expensive old whiskey and a couple of crystal glasses. Reid had promised himself that he would never give in to the habit of drinking away his own thoughts, but after all this time, so much loss and so much trauma, he no longer cared about old promises. He could feel the first sip burning down his throat as he leaned back in the armchair taking a deep breath. The street outside was illuminated by lamp posts and a few people were walking around. He liked to observe all those strangers and spot the small things about them, definitely a very profiler way of spending free time outside of work. After a few seconds a well-groomed young man walked by fidgeting his hands and breathing quickly. If Spencer could take a guess he would say that he was probably nervous for a first date.

Reid smiled to himself as he remembered the times when he used to feel like that. Anxious to see him. Breaking out in a cold sweat when he looked at him. His heart leaping out of his chest every time their lips met. God, he missed it more than anything else.

They were both 19 when they first met in graduate school after university. Two prodigies, the youngest in their class. Spencer had to deal with the awkwardness of not being the only genius in the room, something that had never happened before in his life. If that wasn't enough, they were roommates. Apparently the director of the dormitories decided that the best idea would be to pair the two youngest up together because they would “get along more easily and become friends”. He hated that director for three whole months. He hated the overbearing way Ethan spoke. He hated how he assumed he knew everything. Hated his voice, hearing him breathe, watching him sleep. Hated how he left his shoes untidy and his side of the closet a mess. Hated sharing his space, both physically and academically. Hated him so much that he was not even able to detach his lips from the brunette's when Ethan came into the room slightly stoned after a Halloween party and confessed that he couldn't stop thinking about Spencer. And, after that night, he hated every second of his life in which he wasn't with him.

Their relationship began hesitantly, with neither of them truly understanding how to deal with what they were feeling. Neither of them had even realized that they liked men until they started to love hating each other. Neither of them had had that experience. Two nerds who graduated from high school too early to be invited to parties with cheap alcohol poured into red cups where teenagers learned how to kiss in guest toilets. Together they discovered how to love, in every sense of the word. They spent every Friday night on the balcony of their apartment, Ethan with a weed cigarette between his fingers while Spencer read and talked enthusiastically about thousands of different facts that his superhuman brain had stored for years because no one had had the patience to listen to him talk. No one until then. The brunette smiled as he released the smoke through his nose. Every word that left Spencer's mouth mesmerized Ethan, almost in a hypotonic way. He couldn't imagine anything he liked better in the world than listening to his boyfriend talk.

Yes, boyfriend. It became official after almost two months when a girl hit on him in front of Spencer in a coffee shop. He tried to hide his jealousy but couldn't hold his tongue as he responded with false sympathy that the other man wasn't available. Ethan found it so adorable that he couldn't help but laugh, interlacing their hands as they walked back to the dormitory. The next day, when Spencer came home from his last class, a single rose and two pairs of colorful socks were laying on his desk. The first pair was striped in vibrant green and orange while the other was completely red with some animated animals drawn on it.

- One of each. - He was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of Ethan behind him.

- What? - Reid asked, still confused.

- One foot from each pair. - the brunette said as if it were obvious and sat down on the chair, putting the striped sock on his right foot and the red sock on his left.

Spencer made a funny expression, still not quite understanding what he meant.

- All my life I felt like an intruder, like someone who didn't deserve to receive the love I saw others getting. I felt weird, I was excluded, I was bullied. I believed for years that no one would be able to love me because of my personality and who I truly am, but you have shown me otherwise. With you I don't feel like an intruder, I feel at home, like we were meant to be. - made a brief pause reaching for the remaining socks. - This one is weird like me. - he pointed to the striped one. - And this one is weird like you. - he pointed to the other foot. - Together they're even weirder and perhaps others will never understand, but we don't need others' comprehension to make this meaningful. I love you, Spencer. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.

Today, thirty years later, he still remembers it each morning when he puts on his mismatched socks. He couldn't help but think about how that crazy peculiar proposal gave him the confidence to be who he wanted to be, even if others didn't understand. Ethan taught him that he didn't have to diminish himself, hide or try to fit in to be part of something. In the right place he would be appreciated exactly for who he truly is, he didn't have to hide his interests or the way he thought. In fact, his genius brain saved more lives than any of the frat idiots who made his life hell in college could ever imagine. Dr. Spencer Reid. Agent in the FBI's behavioral analysis unit.

But if he began to think about all the implications his career has had on his life, he'd need three more glasses of that whiskey.

Not that he didn't like it, on the contrary. He was proud of each and every case he solved, his studies, the methods he developed, his awards and even of the time he spent wrongfully incarcerated. He was proud of the work he had done during all these years and the people he had helped, but not of the implications it has had on his life. Witnessing the death of friends, the sufferings of people he loved, experiencing more traumas than he could possibly count, not attending his own mother's funeral because sinking into his work seemed like an easier way to escape. Losing Ethan and the life they could have had together.

And although he loved the stillness of that apartment, Spencer couldn't help closing his eyes and imagining coming home to the aroma of the delicious Italian food that only Ethan knew how to make.

He would leave his shoulder bag by the sofa and hug his husband from behind, placing a kiss on the back of his neck while whispering how much he had missed him. They would be interrupted by the two kids (not so kids anymore) coming into the kitchen chattering loudly. Anna would be a senior in High School while Luke was just starting middle school. The daughter came first, adopted by the couple at two years old and named after her grandmother Diana who was the most affectionate granny on earth. Luke came later, adopted when he was just a few months old and named after Ethan's father, Lucas, who would fly from Italy to the United States whenever he had the chance to visit. Anna would tell her fathers about the stress she was under when it came to choosing colleges, while their youngest would talk excitedly about the goals he had scored at soccer practice that afternoon. Spencer would laugh at the jumble of voices trying to pay attention to everyone at once, only to be interrupted by the barking of the dog who also wanted to be part of the family moment. Kiky was an almost seven-year-old golden retriever, originally called Rocky but Luke couldn't pronounce the full name when they adopted it.

He would work at the local library and they would spend the weekends with the family in a park, Ethan playing with the children while Spencer read something enjoying the wind swaying his already long hair. No long work trips, no trophies, no students or lives saved, just a comfortable, happy domestic dream. Reid found himself lost in this imaginary scenario far more often than he would ever admit to anyone. It was his escape from all the scars that his choice had given him. That choice he really wished he could go back in time and make everything different.

- I don't want to. - Ethan said, running his hands through his hair. - I can't do this, I can't join the FBI, I don't want to live in fear of dying. I can't be like my mother.

- Babe please, think about it, it's the chance of our lives. - Spencer insisted, wanting to cry.

- I love you, Spencer. I love you like I've never loved anyone else and that's exactly why I can't do this. I want to have a home, build a family, be happy like we are now. You know I grew up watching what being a cop made to my mom and I promised myself every day that I would never do that with my life. - He said with tearful eyes before mouthing the phrase that would change their lives forever. - I'm not going to hold you here, if that's your dream then you need to go, but you're going by yourself and our story ends right now.

And he left. Spencer packed everything needed and looked at his now ex-boyfriend one last time before never looking back. He knew that neither of them was wrong, they had different ideas on how life should be and they weren't going to deprive each other of that. Ethan witnessed his mother drowning in an alcohol addiction as he was growing up, every loss at work, every new scar, every day with that badge pushed her a little further down the glass. Of course he admired her. He admired the work she did and knew that someone had to do it, but the price to pay was too high. She lost her marriage and later lost custody of her children. She gradually fell out of touch and finally, on a Thursday morning in December, she lost the chance of seeing them grow up forever. On the letter next to her body, she asked for forgiveness for not being the mother she should have been and confessed to a life full of self-blame. A heroine who nobody realized also needed to be saved.

When the FBI offer came, Ethan didn't think twice before turning it down, but something in Spencer was ignited. He saw an opportunity to save people. A good psychologist would probably say that Reid's obsession with saving everyone derived from the fact that he subconsciously knew he would never be able to save the one he truly wanted, his own mother. And there, for the first time, the couple entered an impasse that was greater than the love they felt for each other. Two inner children who were hurt and traumatized in different ways and who sought healing through opposite paths. There was no resentment between them, only the question of what it would have been like if things were different. Spencer often wondered if Ethan also imagined the life they would have had together. He wondered if Halloween was also his favorite holiday because it reminded him of that first kiss. He wondered if he still wore mismatched socks, if he left his sneakers untidy and his wardrobe disorganized. He wondered if he still had dimples next to his eyes when he smiled and if he still breathed heavily when he slept. He wondered if he thought of them whenever he saw the moon and remembered all those Fridays on the room's balcony. He wondered what life could have been like if he had chosen love over his career.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when a car braked sharply in the street he was observing, almost hitting a pedestrian and causing a bit of a commotion that soon subsided. Spencer took a final sip of the bitter liquid in his glass, grimacing and trying to remember when he had started to like it, probably an inheritance from David Rossi. He took the cup back to the kitchen and when he found the dark room again, he decided that maybe this was the moment to do something about all of it. Blaming the alcohol in his veins, Reid picked up the phone and dialed the forbidden number in his contact list, finding it ironic that his heart was racing faster in that moment than it had been during the last three days when he was hunting a serial killer.

The call rang three times before a very familiar voice answered, more mature and huskier than he remembered, but still close enough to send shivers down his spine.

- Hi Ethan, it's Spencer. - He breathed for a moment trying to gain confidence, after all he hadn't actually planned to do that. - I know it's been a while but can we talk?

[renataroshu]

The Soarers and the Beans OUT NOW(ish)

BUY IT HERE

When she is abruptly sent from London to her mother's native Transylvanian town, thirteen year-old Wendy gets to explore the unknown half of her heritage: a rural setting, a new language, a peculiar Grandpa, and twelve magic types. As much as she misses her father, Wendy is determined to partake in the culture of "soarers". She activates her magic - teleportation - which brings with both opportunity and risk. Wendy uncovers not only the rules and history of Zbor, but also the mysterious plan orchestrated by the ruling family.

The book includes:

Color illustrations of maps and other sketches ✔

Teens with magical powers depending on their zodiac sign ✔

References to the Romanian folklore and culture ✔

Rural and small mountain town aesthetic ✔

A floating couch ✔

Running through the woods at night ✔

Emotionally traumatized characters ✔

Roma characters ✔

LBGT characters (except there's zero romance in this volume so don't count on details) ✔

[writerfae]

Christmas movie AU Advent Calendar 🎄

Day One: 🧊Icicle🧊

Christmas special tag list: @bunnymermaidsblog @deadlycupid @dustylovelyrun @ladywithalamp @sleepy-night-child @theguywithnonickname

Talon was trapped in his personal little Christmas nightmare.

And he had no one to blame but himself. Or rather, his desperate need to proof himself to his father and his inability to say no to the man.

If it weren’t for this, he could sit in his warm office now and continue to work on that one case he was on before his father came to him with this “special task”.

He could come home to the quiet solitude of his even warmer downtown apartment and continue working there, too, because really, when did he ever not work.

Working for Cyrus Hawkins wasn’t easy after all, not even as his son. Especially not as his son.

As future successor of his father he had to proof himself. So he had to make a good job.

Which was why he found himself here.

In a snowy smalltown in the middle of nowhere, with the task to get some Christmas tree farmer to sell his property to their company’s rich client Mr. Ashwood so he can build a luxury resort or something like that.

For whatever reason one would like to build that in a hicktown like this anyway was a mystery to Talon.

The freezing cold of December settled into his bones the second Talon left his car.

He cursed himself for not bringing a scarf or something. Winter in his hometown was cold too, yes, but never that cold.

Of course, after all he now wasn’t in the big city anymore, but in a rural town deep into the country. Naturally it was colder there.

You should’ve thought about that, he berated himself, as he put his coat tighter around himself.

The town itself… was and at the same time wasn’t what he expected from it.

What he did expect were the rather small town square area, the lampposts that looked like someone had to light them and put them out manually and little houses that Talon’s friend Halea would’ve surely labeled as cute, with snowy roofs with icicles hanging from them.

What he didn’t expect was that the town was decorated like it was out of one of those cheesy romance movies that were everywhere on TV during Christmas time.

Garlands and blinking lights were everywhere, lining the streets and decorating the houses.

Talon felt like someone was pulling a prank on him. No way does a town do this in real life. This must be a fake town, a set for a Hallmark movie.

If his father wasn’t such a serious man, Talon might have thought that he was joking, that his father sent him here for a laugh.

He almost expected Christmas music to start playing any second.

Talon grabbed his phone out of his pocket.

“He must be joking,” he said as soon as Halea’s face appeared on his screen.

“Who?” his friend asked, confused.

“My father,” said Talon, “he must be joking.”

“Did your father ever joke? I’m not sure if he’s capable of doing that, like, physically,” Halea confirmed what he was already thinking himself. But then…

“Then why do I find myself in a town that looks like “A Christmas Set Up” was filmed here?”

It was quiet on the other side of the line, then Halea started laughing.

Talon pouted. “Stop laughing, this is serious.”

He turned the camera to give Halea a view of the town that lay before him.

The laughing stopped almost immediately and was replaced by a sound of delight. “Aww, that is adorable. Talon! You landed in a little Christmas town.”

“I landed in Christmas hell.” Talon turned the camera back and Halea was met with the all too familiar sight of her childhood best friend’s face distorted in distaste.

That made her laugh again. “Don’t be like that, Tal. I’m sure it will be fun to be there. It is almost Christmas after all. And since you’ll most likely stay over the holidays anyway, you should try to make use of it.”

“I don’t have time for that, Halea, I am here for work and work only.”

To underline his words, he got his bag out of his car and started to move, not wanting to lose any more time freezing his butt off and started making his way to the Inn he’d be staying at.

“I just hope that I can get Mr. Hunter to sell the farm quickly, so I can leave this place.”

This whole town seemed a little fishy to him, all this Christmas atmosphere made him uneasy.

Talon hadn’t been a big fan of the holiday ever since his uncle had passed. His family didn’t really celebrate anymore, and the last few years Talon buried all Christmas-y thoughts under tons of work, like his father had taught him.

They were both so great at dealing with feelings.

“That icicle of a man really had the nerve to sent you away over the holidays instead of letting you be with your family,” Halea complained about Cyrus.

She may be working for his father, may have known him since she was a kid, but that didn’t mean that she liked his way to go about things.

Unlike Talon, Halea was still a big fan of Christmas. Working during the holidays to her was close to blasphemy.

“I don’t mind that. I just wish he would’ve sent me somewhere nice and not into the middle of bloody nowhere into some corny smalltown that-”

Talon sidestepped an old man that looked like a bad copy of Santa with his long beard and worn red coat. What a joke.

Suddenly a body collided with his own.

Someone had run into him, resulting in Talon landing in the snow and his phone and bag with him.

“Oh no,” a voice said. “Sorry I-” But Talon didn’t let him finish.

“Watch your steps, damn it,” he snapped, picking himself up while knowingly ignoring the hand the person he collided with held out to help him up.

He picked up his stuff and knocked off the snow that had landed of his coat.

“Idiot.”

The stranger withdrew his hand immediately.

“Excuse me?” he sounded offended. Good. “You ran into me.”

Only now did Talon spare a glance at the stranger.

When this town looked like the setting of a Christmas romance movie with an almost insultingly big budget, this guy looked like he was the guy in the leading role that taught the busy city girl the true meaning of Christmas.

He seemed to be about the same age as Talon, just a little shorter and sturdier than him.

And way more appropriately dressed for the cold, scarf and hat and all.

Objectively speaking, Talon had to admit that the man was attractive, at least from what much of his face he could see – hence Talon’s first allusion to the Halmark movie love interest.

Said pretty face was twisted in a sort of pissed expression that irritated Talon so much that he had to fire back.

“Clearly it was the other way around,” he said, though it probably wasn’t.

He had to save face though, his pride didn’t allow him to lose an argument against an annoying smalltown dude.

Even if he was attractive. Especially then.

“You should pay better attention next time, not that you bulldoze another person.”

The other man snorted, a humorless sound. “Says the one on the phone.”

At this point, Talon was glad that he could blame his red face on the cold, so his embarrassment wouldn’t be given away.

“Whatever. I have better stuff to do than argue with some blunderer.” He shouldered his bag.

The stranger grimaced. “City slicker,” he grumbled, like it was the worst of all insults he knew.

His angry gaze flickered over Talon one last time, then he huffed and went his way and so did Talon, grumbling quietly.

“What… was that?” came Halea’s voice from his phone.

He had forgotten that she’s still been on the other end of the line this whole time.

“Some idiot ran into me.”

Halea seemed amused. “I saw that. But he was a cute idiot.”

Talon’s ears colored red. Again, he found himself grateful for the cold.

“I don’t know what you are talking about.”

Oh, but he knew really well, and Halea knew that he knew, so she didn’t reply and just smiled knowingly.

“I hate it here already,” Talon said, but she kept smiling.

“Lighten up Talon,” she said, “maybe it won’t be as bad there as you think.”

Talon wasn’t so sure about that. Only time could tell.

[undertale-fic-librarby]

Hiya! I just read your pinned post, i actually didn't know librarby exist in tumblr and honestly- its really helpful for me as someone who often forgive what kinda plot but don't know what its name is. 👉👈 (Ack pardon grammars)

Also- If its still possible for asked this, do you have any completed fic for undertale sans x reader? :0 or deltarune sans is okay too! I've been wanting to read that has most fluff and slice of life with less angst xD i might found something that i haven't read yet, the long chapters the better, altho its actually not necessary, so its up to you!

Take your time and I hope you doing well!! Thank you for exist 💙

Howdy, thanks for asking! Here are some fics that might fit what you're looking for!

Save Point by JuniperJoy101 (Teen And Up, Complete)

Moving from a backwater town to a city bustling with human and monsterfolk alike, some things begin to change both for the better and the worse. What was left behind comes back to bite at you in the most unexpected times, current progress being put in danger as a result. It's hard to move on, though it's equally difficult trying to stay loyal to what you believe is right. With an adoptive seven-year-old son and the remnants of a recent divorce in your hands, your goal is to move on and adjust to life with monsters, these becoming an important part of your life -- one of them in particular reigniting the spark you thought gone with your ex spouse. • • • The following story is a re-write of the first UT fanfic I ever managed to publish on the Internet. Undertale belongs to Toby Fox. You belong to yourself.

A salting feelings by EvergreenEmerald (Teen And Up, Complete)

You cleared your throat loudly to get their attention; they jumped at the sound, turning to face you. You felt just as awkward as they did. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you, though I do owe you for the nice trip you sent me on earlier.” You pointed to the disarrayed suitcase that had been tossed around by your stumbling feet. They giggled as you motioned for them to come inside. They pulled their suitcase into the house, but paused in front of you, turning their head up with an adorable smile. You started to wonder if you had seen this kid before, they look so familiar. Maybe they remind you of one of your parents? *You are a family court lawyer with a dark past that caused you to be separated from your sibling years ago. Now they are placed in your care out of the blue because the government didn't like the idea of a monster raising a human, you have to deal with speaking to your sibling about your shared past and lost parents, the courts who make life hard, new monster friends, and this skeleton that won't stop interrupting you and being a nosy jerk

Curious laughter by SpiffySiffy (Teen And Up, Complete)

Sans is just keeping an eye out on his brother's friends. You have a strange personality and he finds it interesting. Suddenly he finds he's getting more and more curious about you and your thoughts on certain topics.

My Princess by Kyra1416 (Teen And Up, Complete)

(Y/N) was always a shy child. She was slowly to trust others and was scared of almost anything. This made it hard for her to form bonds and keep those bonds intact. She lived on Mt.Ebbot with her family. The story of monsters kidnapping children and eating their souls made her to scared to ever leave the house. Her whole life changed forever the day her parents where murdered right before her very eyes. While running from the killer, she fell into the underground. It was there she descovered her stange powers, and meet a certain punny skeleton.

Winter In Your Bones by cryptid_jack (Mature, Complete)

You're a modestly successful fiction writer living in rural Alaska; just you, your dog, and your horse in a small cabin on a large piece of property in the shadow of a mighty mountain range. You're used the the quiet, enjoy it even, but when you start having recurring dreams of a strange skeleton visiting you in the night you wonder if the solitude might be starting to get to you…at least until you realize you're not dreaming at all because Sans is, in fact, a real, live monster. Friendship, romance, and shenanigans ensue.

[thenixkat]

Mundane AU!Laios thoughts

Note:

Probably contains spoilers

Mundane au= no magic and no fantasy 'races' (like... little people are a thing, they exist in reality, some people just have dwarfism. The elves are just skinny racist and xenophobic Europeans like? And there's already parralells made with the demi humans so if I do anything the orcs are Afro Native and Kobolds are somewhere African or Arab. And for the ogres... gigantism is a thing that exists in real like and totally a teen girl would just wear some horns.)

Thoughts:

The Toudens are European-born. From somewhere cold as hell, really isolated and conservative, that's close to some mountains, that's racist towards the local indigenous people.

(The sibs, but especially Laios got chewed out about some shit and has been trying to be better, slips up every now and then but takes criticism well so long as folks tell him what he did/said wrong).

Local weird kids put off vibes that the rest of the village didn't like, Laios and Falin grew up bullied and ostracized. Falin got sent off to schooling in the big city and later to a university in Italy where she met Marcille.

Laios dropped out of high school and joined the military as soon as he was able to b/c he wanted to get the hell out of dodge. Served for a few shitty years b4 just... deserting and backpacking across Europe just straight up homeless and working whatever odd jobs he could find. Man was going through it. Wound up in the same city where Falin was studying at a university in and decided to visit her. She took one look at him and refused to let him just go back to what he was doing, so Laios started couch surfing with her (very much against dorm rules but he looked terrible and Falin wasn't about to let anyone stop her from making sure her brother has a roof over his head and food).

Eventually, she takes him with her when she does a work-study in the USA for her ecology degree and they ended up staying/Falin kinda maybe sorta dropped out and got a job with a vet near where she was doing her work-study.

Laios and Falin are technically illegal immigrants but they're white so no one really questions their citizenship (their working on getting citizenship/papers)

Laios gets a GED. Does some self-study from Falin's textbooks and online stuff but that's about it for his schooling.

Laios definitely, like, lives in Falin's basement. Falin is the primary breadwinner in this household, Laios is aware of this and has learned to accept it even tho he would like to take care of his baby sister and sometimes feels bad about not being able to. They used to share a room in a cheap apartment but after building up enough savings they managed to buy a suspiciously cheap house in a rural town bordering a reservation and not far from a national park.

Laios still works odd jobs, mostly physical labor and stuff where they won't ask for a degree. Has worked retail, where his customer service was trash but he's darn good at just stocking and shelving shit.

Met Chilchuck while working retail, Chilchuck introduced him to the concept of a union which Laios thinks is really neat.

The town where the Touden's moved has a sizable population of people with dwarfism, Chilchuck is a notable member of the little person community in the area. The Touden's go to Chilchuck for help with paperwork (they pay him a small fee) and he doesn't ask too many questions about why they don't have this or that piece of documentation.

Laios enjoys doing citizen science and bird watching. During the tourist season, he runs a small wilderness guide giving campers and hikers tours in the local national park.

There's a hermit that lives in the national park illegally (Senshi) that Laios and Falin made friends with. They love his cooking.

Laios is active in the online furry community. He does commissions, mostly of digital and physical art or people's fursonas and vore stuff. He does great ferals, and decent anthros, but his human art is not good (he's working on it).

Laios is decidedly chubby in this, his weight goes up and down depending on the season and how much physical activity he's doing. But ever since he reunited with Falin, she's been making sure he doesn't skip meals if they can afford to eat. And ever since he met Senshi he's gotten heftier since he loves that man's cooking.

[skyfallslayer]

The Black & White Lie || Chapter One

-Modern Day!Eddie Munson x Wheeler!Reader-

Series Masterlist

🦋Summary: Ah, College. A time where you can finally spread your wings and enjoy a little bit of freedom. And you’re even spending it with your best friend, Jonathan. You shouldn’t get too lonely… right?

🦋Pairings: Slow burn! Eddie Munson x Wheeler!Reader; (Past) Jason Carver x Reader; Platonic! Jonathan Byers x Reader; Jonathan x Nancy

🦋Rating: Teen

🦋Word Count: 3,248

🦋Date: 2/18/24

🦋Warnings: Brief mention of underage drinking; Brief talks of sex - of losing virginity; Slight Reference to a panic attack. Read At Your Own Risk!

🦋 A/N: If you recognized the summary for this story, this is actually inspired by the movie 'Son-In-Law'. When I watched for the first time the other day, for some reason the love interest reminded me of Eddie a lot and- *Ding*Ding*! Lightbulb moment! And then before you know it, every idea came flooding in and then this was born. Hopefully it turns out like it did in my head. Lol. Enjoy!

In a small rural town in Hawkins, Indiana, is where this strange adventure begins. Born 18 years ago is our main protagonist of the story, Y/N Wheeler. Y/N grew up with a loving family that owns a farm, consisting of her twin sister, Nancy, her younger brother, Mike, and baby sister, Holly; and of course her parents. 

When she wasn’t helping out on her parents’ farm, Y/N was the typical “all american” girl. She dawns lovely clothes, is mindful and full of manners, a cheer captain and top of her classes throughout the school years and earned many straight A’s that steered her in the right direction for a bright future and career. Which leads to her very big day…

.

.

.

Now here you are, dressed in hunter green silk and caps, the seniors waited around on the bleachers of the basketball court, diplomas in hand as they listened to their principal speak from his heart, telling them that he was very proud that you made it this far. When he finishes everyone claps and soon the spotlight falls upon you as the class valedictorian. 

You stood up as your name was called, hearing everyone applaud and your family cheer from you in the stands; You even heard your boyfriend, Jason, shouting your name. You step up to the podium with a smile, proceeding to recite the speech that you’ve replayed thousands of times.

“Today, I would like to talk about change. It’s all around us.” You feel your family’s eyes on you as you begin. “Change. It happens whether we want it or not. Change. Are we ready for it? I think so. We are poised and prepared for the future, ready to embrace new people, places and ideas. In short, we are ready for the challenge of life. Lady and Gentleman, take a good look at us. We are the future. We are the Hawkins Tigers. Here us roar! We did it!”

“I give you the class of 20XX!” Your principal sent just as everyone sent their caps into the air while jumping with joy.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

“We fucking did.” Your twin, Nancy, said once everyone was settled down into their friend’s house for the party. She passes you a drink and gives you a wink to silently tell you this was a… special fruit punch.

You laugh quietly. “Thank you Mr. Hopper.” You smile and take a sip before sighing with relief. “Four long years and it’s finally over.”

Nancy hums. “And you’re the one who’s jumping right back into it.”

You quirk your eyebrow up. “Hey, pot-kettle? You’re going to college, too.”

“Not willing…” She sighs. “I wish I could have gone to the same school as you.”

“I know.” You frown a little. It was always hard to not stay attached to your twin, especially when you’ve done pretty much everything together. However, you try to keep both your hopes up by saying, “But, hey… you can’t pass up a scholarship. Indiana’s instate school is still just as great as California’s. Not to mention, Indiana U has the best journalism courses, this is your dream! Your calling! You’ll be great.”

You see your sister smile, happy with the outcome just as someone came up and slung their arms around both your shoulders.

“How are my favorite girls doing?” Jonathan, who was your childhood/best friend, asked, with the biggest grin on his face. Whether that was from drinking or feeling the high of not being in highschool, you were unsure of but glad to see he was enjoying himself.

“Pretty amazing, actually.” Nancy replies to her boyfriend (Yeah, her boyfriend. Whom she should thank you for that). “You?”

He lets out a blissful sigh. “Fantastic! The nightmare is finally over.” 

You snorted and teased, “You really didn’t like it?”

“Hell, no. You think there’s room for a nerd like me? I never fit in.”

“Awe.” Nancy said, squeezing his cheek. “You’ll always be our nerd.”

“Thanks.”

“Hey, hey! Y/N! Jonathan!” You both turned around to spot one of your brothers’ friends, Dustin. He smiles with his goofy toothless grin, making you heart melt (He was always your favorite one. Don’t tell, Mike). “Hey, if you find a cute girl around my age in Cali, send her my way.”

“Dusty!” His mother said, catching his conversation when she walked by.

“What?”

Jonathan laughs. “We’ll try. I promise.” He said, ruffling the kid’s springy hair.

He holds his hand to his chest, all moved. “What about you Nancy? Any cute girls in Bloomington?” 

“I will definitely try, Dustin.” She promises as well, crossing her heart. It must have been enough for the boy before he ran off with some friends to the backyard.

“What do you think Cali’s like?” Jonathan asked, genuinely curious.

“Hmm, don’t know.” Nancy said, knowing just watching shows from there and reading up about it wasn’t enough information.

“I mean, sun, sand, ocean, uh–” 

“Baywatch, The Hollywood sign, uh, Nickelodeon, um–” You started naming off things and couldn’t hide the fact that you were about to laugh at your own antics. Both your sister and friend were on the verge of doing the same.

“Nickelodeon?” Jonathan muttered, surprised.

“Y-Yeah, uh, Regular Show, San Andreas fault, Chris Pine, Comic Con, Pet Rocks–”

“Pet Rocks?” Nancy asked, confused.

“Hey, they were invented in the state, look it up. Uh, Universal Studios, Barbie, The San Diego Zoo, Alcatraz–”

She chuckles. “Y/N, Stop.”

“Never.”

“Oh, kids!” Jonathan’s mother, Joyce, called out, getting their attention. 

Well, I guess that’s your guys’ cue to take some photos.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

You were all packed and ready to go for the next day. Since Nancy didn’t start school till next week, your family decided it would be nice for all of you to pack in the old van and drive to your new school. Your Dad says it was for… safety, but you knew better; They were all going to desperately miss you. Which leads to this conversation that’s been going back and forth for a few moments now.

“-California is a long way off just to go to school. Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider going in state?” Your father, Ted, asked, and just when you were about to ‘go to bed’.

You laugh lightly, trying to calm his nerves. “You know I want to do this. Besides, I won’t be alone. Jonathan will be there with me.” 

“Well– that’s true. But uh, Y/N, I’m not sure if I’ve really prepared you for what you’re gonna run into out there. Uh–” He clears his throat as you raise an eyebrow. “What I mean is… the boys are different from what they are here. They’re uh–”

“Dad?”

“Hmm?”

You smile. “I’ll be fine. You know me.”

He nods. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” He knows you well enough that you won’t do anything too crazy. “Now let’s try to get some shut eye.”

“Okay.”

“Goodnight.”

“‘Night.” 

And when the door shut, your closet automatically flew wide open (and you pray that it didn’t make too much noise).

“He’s officially calling it a night?” Nancy asked, dressed in street clothes which you were also wearing under your robe. She was skeptical as she stared at the door wondering if he’ll just waltz back in here without warning.

“Yep.” You reply, shedding your coverage and standing tall.

“Oh, finally! He gave the same talk, and I don’t leave for another week!” She smiles. “Thanks for letting me sneak out.”

“Hey, we both got to see our boyfriends before we leave, right?”

“Just–” She grabs you by your hands. “Be careful, alright?”

“Right back at you, Nance.”

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

You found yourself in the barn that was far away from your house. Laying on the hay bales, you were kissing Jason passionately, your hands in his hair and slowly moaning his name as he slowly undoes each button on your blouse. But your worriedness got the best of you, making you squirm a bit from his touch.

“Jason.” You whisper, feeling his fingers skim across your bra straps.

“What?” He said back, ghosting your ripe lips.

“Slow down.”

“Why?”

“‘Cause I-I want it to be right.” You reply, a twinge of guilt courses through you as he stops his actions, looking you dead in the eyes with concern and softness.

“Well, when is it going to be right?” He asked, sounding like a lost puppy. “You’re leaving tomorrow.”

You almost laugh at the face he was making. “You act like it’s forever.”

“Well I’m not going to see you for three months. What if everything changes?”

“Nothing is going to change.” You shake your head, cupping his face and stroking his cheeks with your thumb. “I’ll go to school, you’ll work at the co-op, and we’ll see each other every single vacation. And when I’m done–” You smile. “We’ll be together.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

“Okay.” He whispers, fully under your spell. “I guess I can wait.”

You hum in delight. “Now…” You pull him closer again. “Where were we?”

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

“Dad’s going to blow a fuse if we don’t leave soon!” Nancy says, barging into the bathroom where you were finishing up doing your hair.

“I know, I know. I’m finishing up.” You said, sparing your twin a glance. You can see her button her collared shirt all the way up, making you grin like the cheshire cat. “Oooh… I didn’t know Byers was a biter.”

She blushed and lightly smacked you in the arm. “Do not tease me. I mean he always is.”

Your eyebrows shot up. “Always?”

“Yeah.” She locks eyes with you, face still red before realizing. “Wait… You and Jason still haven’t done it?”

Now it was your turn to blush. “W-Well–”

“I thought you surely were going to do it last night?”

“I-I don’t know, I got weird.” You shrug, breaking eye contact. “I told him we should wait, you know, when the time’s right.”

“So you’re going to be like a 40 year old virgin?” Nancy teased, copying your grin from earlier.

“Hey.” You said, smacking her this time. 

“Joking, I think it’s sweet. Y/N Wheeler, the purest of all Wheelers.”

“You know they think you’re pure too.” You said as you followed her out and down the stairs.

“Ha, ha.”

“I’m serious, Nance!” You reply, feeling around your pockets as you do so. “Oh, crap. I forgot my phone.”

“Well hurry up! Dad’s a ticking time bomb.” She yelled back and hustled out of the house. The conversation she foretold was being presented in front of her.

“I don’t get why we’re driving. Flying would be much easier.” Mike complained as he loaded his backpack into the car with a sour expression.

“We’re just trying to spend some quality time with your sister, Okay?” Their mother, Karen said, giving him a look to tell him to stop.

“Oh, good, Holly’s here.” Ted said, as he spotted the four year old climbing into the van. “Mike, where’s your sisters?” 

“I’m here!” Nancy said, while fixing her hair to cover her neck.

“Okay, where’s Y/N then?”

“Maybe she’s still in the barn with–” Mike snickers, before getting whacked in the back of his head by Nancy. “Ow! Mom!”

“Kids, stop fighting!” Karen shouted back.

“Y/N!” Ted called out, upon seeing his daughter still up in her room through her window.

“Coming!” You called back, double checking you have everything before you go (I mean I guess your family could mail anything you need to you but that’ll be a hassle for them; And maybe kind of a dick to do that to them?).

“Well hurry up! Time is of the essence.” He sighs. “I swear, the Byers are going to beat us there.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

And sure enough…

They did.

Parking pretty much right next to each other, you stood their basking in front of the school along with Jonathan and his sister. The younger girl was looking at it like she’s never seen such a big building before.

“Bitchin’.” She says, and both you and Jonathan hold back a laugh.

“Language, young lady.” Jim, or who you like to call, Hopper said to his daughter who gave him a strange look.

“You say it all the time.” 

“Think she’s caught you there.” Jonathan said, throwing salt into the wound.

“You’re not helping your sister here.” He points to the car. “Now I’m going to make my kids grab your own bags.”

“What?!” They said, which resulted in some light bickering, which was kind of happening with the other family beside them.

“Y/N! Get your head out of the clouds, and let’s find your dorm.” Ted said, and you hurry over. 

The families grabbed the belongings and headed straight first into the hectic crowd. This was definitely a culture shock for them, especially for the Wheelers. The hallway was crowded with rowdy young adults, cracking jokes, makeout sessions, and even the occasionally streaker. You locked eyes with your sister when it happened, who was trying to hold back a smirk as your eyes just stayed wide. Your dad ushered you to keep moving until you found your dorm, overhearing a conversation while you passed.

“Uh, this was the– uh, opportunity that you wanted for your daughter?” Ted said, as Karen tried to hold back her feelings on her face (Which was hard at this point).

When you finally got to the room at the end of the hall, room 408, you noticed the left side of the room was empty, free for you to use. The other side was already occupied, filled with a few movie posters and cheer pendants. You smiled and wondered what your roommate would be like (and was excited that she likes cheerleading like you. At least you have a good conversation started).

“Hey, why don’t you see where Jonathan’s at?” You tell Nancy who complied and dove back into the crowd.

“Well this is very cozy, sweetie.” Karen said, trying to stay positive.

“It’s a shithole.” Mike replies, plopping on your bed.

“Mike!”

“What?”

“It’s… not bad. I’ll do.” You said, also trying to keep your head up high. But your brother tries to say something else and you were fortunately saved by a cute ginger girl entering the room.

“Hello, there. I’m Chrissy, your roomie.” She said, slightly shy as she gave the family a wave.

“Hi.” You said, waving too. “I’m Y/N.”

“Sorry to bother you, Chrissy, but it seems we forgot the key to her trunk.” Ted said, gesturing to where most of your belongings were. “Do you have any idea where I can get some tools?”

“Oh, yes. Uh, our resident advisor should have something.” She points across the hall. “He’s right across from here.”

“Oh, perfect. Thank you.” He was secretly happy that his precious daughter would be across from the advisor. He pushes himself past some people, knuckles brushing against the door. He knocked a few times afterwards when he didn’t get a response, wondering if maybe it was too loud to even hear it or he’s not in. So, treading carefully, he opens the door to peek inside.

This was not at all what he was expecting.

He was blasted in the face with ‘Iron Maiden’, and a room that screamed heavy metal. Stickers and posters laid across the wall, all consisting of either some kind of band or horror film; A record player-CD combo on the shelf, instruments of every kind, sheet music on the floor, leather jackets and boots hanging off from the windows and ceiling. This was not…

Resident advisor material.

Did he walk into the wrong place or–

“Hello!!” A voice shouts before he dangled upside down in front of the older man. Ted nearly has a heart attack as he startles and falls back against the door. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you, I’m just trying to get the creative juices flowing. You know?”

“Uh– s-sure.” Ted said, still trying to process this. He keeps his eyes on him and not the fact that this boy was hanging from a pipe. “Um, I need to borrow a screwdriver.”

The boy, who’s hair was long and curly and orbs of cinnamon, raised an eyebrow. “Sorry, I’m all out of vodka.”

“N-No, I need an actually screwdriver. My daughter’s trunk is–”

“Oh, you have a daughter! Is she cute?”

“What–”

“I’m just kidding.” He smiles and holds his hand out. “Name’s Eddie. I’m the resident advisor.”

Make that a second heart attack for Mr. Wheeler, who’s face paled as he tried reaching for the doorknob behind him. “Oh, shit. Oh, shit.”

“What? Where are you going?” He asked, with a snort. “Don’t leave me hanging.”

But Ted was already hustling back over to the room where they were still talking to Chrissy, who was getting them up to speed on how this place ran. He comes over to his wife, pulling her aside and discussing what he just witnessed and how he’s not liking this. Meanwhile, Nancy had just returned while stringing along her boyfriend.

“Oh, Chrissy, this is my twin Nancy and my friend Jonathan.” You said, as she waves to them.

“Hi. You guys coming to school too?” Chrissy asked, your sister shaking her head.

“I am.” Jonathan said, before looking at you. “Y/N/N, this is awesome.”

You tilt your head. “Really? I still think this is a bit overwhelming.”

“I admit, it is, but my roommate, Argyle, is a trip.” He smiles. “I’m so going to love this place.”

“See, honey–” Karen said, loudly. “Jonathan’s staying.” She holds her hand up to stop her husband from talking. “And yes, I’m sure Joyce has some words about this place too, but the kids can’t pass this up. They got on a scholarship here.”

“But Karen–” He tries to protest.

“They. Have. A. Scholarship. They’re staying.” Her eyes trailed over to yours. “Right?”

You flash your dad a smile. “Don’t worry, Dad. It’ll be fine. And you know I can always come home.”

“See, Ted?” Your mother points out, finally defeating him. He mumbles an ‘okay’, satisfying her.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

“Mom, you’re suffocating me.” Jonathan said, after yet another hug and kiss from his mother. She was holding back some tears at the thought of leaving her oldest child behind in another state. 

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’m really happy for you, I promise.” 

“I know, Mom, I know.” He takes her hands in his. “I promise I’ll be okay.” She opens her mouth to speak. “And I promise I’ll call every once and a while.”

Joyce smiles at the answer. “You’re going to do great.”

The family of five shared a hug afterwards, wishing him the best of luck. Meanwhile, the Wheelers were doing the same, squeezing the life of You and nagging you to make you call, or at least text them here and there. You of course promised them too, which was a good enough answer.

The last person to hug you was your sister, giving you a small squeeze of reassurance, knowing you like the back of her hand.

“I know you’re nervous about fitting it, but don’t sweat it.” She says, pulling away. “You’re going to do fine. If not, you can always go home, or…” She smirks. “You can nag Jonathan.”

You chuckle. “Of course I can nag him. It’s not like I’ll be alone.”

You have Jonathan, and you even have your chill roommate, Chrissy. You shouldn’t get too lonely.

.

.

.

.

Right?

(TBC)

A/N: I promise the next one will be longer :) - Thanks for reading!

-Taglist Is Open-

[cxtxclysmics]

(  avan  jogia  .  cis man  .  he / him  )  .    ⸻  ajay  “  jay  “  desai  ,  a  twenty  -  seven  year  old  ,  has  survived  another  day  in  red  creek  where  they  have  lived  for  three  months  .  the  wayward  is  known  for  being   steadfast  and  enigmatic  and  is  often  associated  with  the  whirring  engine  of  a  getaway  car,  a  cigarette  tucked  behind  your  ear  for  later,  the  stubborn  refusal  to  ever  feel  regret .  in  a  small  town  where  they  work  as  a  mechanic  at  white  pine  auto  garage  word  travels  fast  .  it’s  hard  to  keep  a  secret  ,  and  it  looks  like  the  boogeyman  knows  that  redacted  .

𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆 ... ajay desai .

measures of success were different for jay when he was growing up. his mom didn't pin a+ pieces of homework to the fridge, and his dad didn't come along to sports games to cheer him on. plagued by hyper-focused realism, his parents worked long hours to make ends meet and their success was in how they functioned as a unit. ajay's independence served as a blessing, happy in his own company from as early as middle school. life in his ' shitty dead end ' rural nothing town wasn't the kindest to jay. opportunities were few and far between, wages stagnant as he watched his parents take on longer hours to deal with rising costs of everything else. kids were mean about how different he looked, how broke he was, how little he cared about what they thought. he was somehow an easy target, and also one they couldn't quite hit. after school activities introduced him to his love of music, isolation at lunch times making him eat in the music room and consequently get free music lessons from the teacher who was always around. high school was when jay came into his own. he got a job at fifteen as a busboy, walking an hour into work from the other side of town. he put all his money aside to buy a secondhand guitar when he and his friends dreamed of starting a band. more money aside as he saved to buy a shitty car that he repaired himself, self-taught from youtube tutorials and with a guide thanks to the friendship he'd drawn up with the school's automechanic. he started carving a life for himself, always getting into trouble with his friends and adopting that dumb life motto of being ' here for a good time, not a long time '. he scraped by in academics, average at best, but excelled in anything creative. junior year he and his buds started performing, flashing shitty fake id's to secure slots to play at bars around town. senior year, he met savannah who sent his whole world into a spin. he's never had a reason to try before, now all he wanted was to be good enough to be seen at her side. she seemed to like everything that mattered to him: his music dreams, his sly humor and patchwork quilt of warnings from local cops. he was different, edgy, and had a house that was always empty that they could build their own world in. poetically, her leaving seemed to bring both that world and his own world crashing down. life went on, his relationship with his parents becoming ever more vacant. in his early twenties he moved into a shitty apartment with his band buddies, when they eventually made enough money to support themselves .. kind of. there were desperate times where they turned to not-so-favorable methods to get by. following a ... mishap, jay's spent the past three years moving from town-to-town. he never settles in one place for long before moving on, refusing to stay still and further refusing to build roots in any one town. there's a comfort in the quiet, and red creek will do ... for now. if you told them there'd be something here to make him stay, he'd laugh at you. but life's strange sometimes.

NICKNAME(S): jay . AGE/DOB: twenty seven . september 2nd . ORIENTATION: bisexual / biromantic . RELIGION: athiest . LIVING ARRANGEMENTS: wc a roomie in a shitty-mid apartment . PET: has a 1 year old giant orange maine coon cat called scooby doo . HAIR: dark, curly, has had 837893279 styles over the years . EYES: brown . HEIGHT: 5'10 . TATTOOS: some shit stick n pokes his friends did when drunk, a couple decent ones from his travels [X] . PIERCINGS: one small hoop per ear lobe, lip ring that's currently healing over . DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS: resting bitch face, always has a hair tie around his wrist, faint scars on his hands from work . SLEEPING HABITS: usually runs on a few hours until he crashes, light sleeper . EXERCISE HABITS: lifting cigarettes to his lips, active in work . EMOTIONAL STABILITY: 5/10, hot headed with wild abandonment issues . SOCIABILITY: 6/10, depends on the day . DRUG USE: weed regularly, takes other drugs rarely . ALCOHOL: regularly . BAD HABITS: doesn't talk things through, laughs at inappropriate moments/discomfort, never lets people get close . WANTED CONNECTIONS: roomie, someone he regularly throws hands with, flings, rivals preferably for a stupid reason, colleagues, party friends, terrible/good influences, ex friends .

[mariacallous]

Vovchansk is a small Ukrainian town that sits just three miles from the border with Russia. Dotted with farmland and Soviet-era factories, it carries the memory of successive invasions and occupations. During the Second World War, as the Wehrmacht and the Red Army fought relentlessly in and around nearby Kharkiv—control of that city changed hands four times—Vovchansk was occupied by Nazi forces for more than a year. Today, two years into Russia’s war in Ukraine, as the Russian military has managed to shift momentum in its favor, the town is again at the center of decisive battles.

The story of Vovchansk’s present-day occupation began on the first day of the invasion, in February, 2022, when Russian units streamed across the border. They took the town without much of a fight, but they were eventually worn down by insufficient troop numbers, disorganized command, and a lack of air and artillery power. That September, Ukraine mounted a surprise counter-offensive, leading Russian forces to retreat from Vovchansk and dozens of other towns in the Kharkiv region.

On May 10th of this year, with the war in a very different phase, Russia attacked again. The so-called “meat storm,” in which wave after wave of foot soldiers are sent into the line of fire—Western intelligence services estimate that the total number of Russian dead and wounded has surpassed half a million—remains a grim hallmark of Russian operations, but the military has adapted. The Kremlin has replenished the armed forces by way of a military draft and financial incentives, recruiting as many as thirty thousand new soldiers every month, and is spending a third of the national budget on defense and security. According to nato estimates, Russia produces three million artillery shells per year—more than double the number that all nato member states combined can provide Ukraine. The Russian Army has become adept at using drones and electronic countermeasures to stymie Ukraine’s own battlefield innovations, and the Air Force has retrofitted Soviet-era one-and-a-half-ton unguided “dumb” bombs with wings and G.P.S. navigation to create “glide bombs,” which are used to level troop formations and entire city blocks alike.

Meanwhile, Ukraine is facing perhaps its toughest moment yet in the war. For months, recalcitrant Republicans in Congress blocked the passage of a new aid package, and Ukrainian stocks of everything from anti-aircraft missiles to artillery shells grew scarce. Ukrainian commanders estimate that Russian forces now have a ten-to-one advantage in artillery rounds. With air defenses depleted, Ukrainian cities—Kharkiv most of all—endured the most sustained assaults since the war began. Missile strikes knocked out power grids across the country. In late April, Congress finally approved a sixty-one-billion-dollar arms package, but the war’s momentum had already turned, and, in any case, heavy-weapons systems and armaments can’t reach the battlefield overnight. Last week, for the first time, the government in Kyiv ordered nationwide blackouts.

But a lack of arms is only one of Ukraine’s problems; the military is also short on soldiers. In the early days of the war, there was no shortage of people looking to sign up to fight, but finding eager recruits has become far more difficult. Discontent is rising as the draft affects mostly those who tend to bear the brunt of fighting in any war: people from more rural regions, the less educated, the relatively less well off. President Volodymyr Zelensky had no ready solution to this dilemma, and the parliament failed to pass a mobilization law for more than a year. Last month, Zelensky finally signed a series of laws expanding the draft and, his administration argues, making it more transparent and efficient. But there is still no process for demobilizing troops, so those who are called up fear that they are being handed a one-way ticket—not an attractive prospect in a grinding war of attrition that, according to U.S. intelligence, has killed seventy thousand Ukrainian soldiers. And, as with the long-delayed influx of U.S. arms, the new laws will take time to change the reality on the battlefield.

It was within this window of opportunity that Russia launched its current offensive. Fighting continues in the streets of Vovchansk, as Ukrainian commanders speak euphemistically of units that have “moved to more advantageous positions, as a consequence of enemy fire and storming action,” and less euphemistically of a Russian “tactical success.” Russia’s incursion is what’s known in military parlance as a “fixing” operation—a way to tie down forces in one area of fighting to create advantage in another. Vladimir Putin’s immediate priority remains the capture of the entirety of the Donbas region, in eastern Ukraine.

When Putin’s initial war aims—the sacking of Kyiv and the overthrow of Zelensky—failed in the invasion’s early days, it seemed as if a prolonged war would favor Ukraine. Zelensky didn’t flee. The Russian Army was in disarray. The West proved more united than Putin imagined. But that logic reversed long ago. Even with a year’s worth of U.S. weapons on the way, Ukraine cannot count on future aid packages, particularly if Donald Trump becomes President again. And for all the talk in Washington and in European capitals of the existential nature of the fight, they have not used the past two years to seriously upgrade or expand arms production.

The Biden Administration, out of fear of escalation, prohibits U.S. weapons from being used against targets in sovereign Russian territory. (Last week, Russia staged drills near the border, simulating the use of tactical nuclear weapons.) But, Ukrainian officials argue, that is where Russia is now launching its strikes. Zelensky thinks that Putin’s nuclear posturing is essentially just that, and in a recent interview with the Times he said that Russian forces “proceed calmly, understanding that our partners do not give us permission” to use Western weapons to hit back.

If Vovchansk falls, Russian artillery will again be within firing distance of Kharkiv. The campaign to render Ukraine’s second-largest city—with a prewar population of 1.5 million people, the size of Amsterdam—functionally uninhabitable would gain force. Putin has indicated he believes that if Russia applies enough pressure, destruction, and misery, the West will end its support of Ukraine, which would lead to political change in Kyiv, with Zelensky replaced by figures sympathetic to Moscow. But that outcome is not inevitable. As the story of Vovchansk shows, the trajectories of wars can change many times.