#Sal is basically a cat

[entomolog-t]

The Shadow We Cast

Author Notes: Content warning, but the CWs make it sound far scarier than it is. Unless you struggle with any of the topics its fairly lighthearted. 

Another finished a G/t July Prompt; Bird! This takes place after Sal and Mark meet for the first time (Loosely based on this comic that I will inevitably redraw) acting as a sort of Chapter Two. The Title for their story is still up in the air and I am more than welcome to suggestion. 

Word Count: 3184

Next Chapter: Chapter 2

CW: Adult language, mild gore (blood, hunting, animal death), derealization/questioning sanity

---

The warmth in the air was uncomfortably muggy. I could feel myself break a sweat and I’d barely started my trek to the outskirts of the property. It reminded me of whenever he got too close. The way he radiated heat… the way he seemed to use up all the air around me, leaving the air feeling used and wet with his breath. Stretching my arms skyward I couldn’t help but chuckle at the memory of the strange human; The shared shock as we saw one another, the way he fumbled over himself to assure me he wasn’t a danger… and that hilarious scream he’d let out at the sight of my innocent little spider. I couldn’t wipe the smirk off my face. I’d never imagine I’d talk to a human, let alone spend the better part of an hour trying to get one to calm down!

The image of him, face flushed and sputtering had been comical. He’d been so embarrassed. Rightfully so. Why would a creature like him be scared of such a sweet little spider? Ridiculous. Picking up my pace, I began to jog towards the tree line, hoping those masked birds hadn’t yet found the berrying tree. Chewing on my lip, I found my mind being drawn back to the human. He’d called himself Mark. Once he’d calmed down he’d apologized up and down for his outburst. He was strange. I had sat down on his window sill as he asked question after question. What was I? Where had I come from? Why was I trying to get into his house?

His… Mark’s house had been empty for so long… was I not supposed to take my chance to see humans up close? There's something invigorating about even just being in the presence of people… When was the last time I’d even seen another being capable of conversation, let alone had a conversation? Sure, it's not like I planned on popping up directly in his line of sight, but … despite my better judgment, I found myself happy I did. I’d had my first conversation in years, and for some strange reason I was feeling as if it had left me bursting at the seams with renewed energy. Whether it was from the interaction or maybe from the strange food the colossal coward had given me… an Or-we-Oh? Was that what he’d called it? It didn’t really look like food… more like two disks made of soil with something unnaturally white between them. While it may have looked wrong, it had tasted far better than it looked.

My stomach growled at the memory. Whether it was the human food or the conversation, I’d made up my mind. I was going back. Though, not empty handed. These stupid tree-berries were always such a hassle to get. 

The trunk of the tree was thinner and smoother than what grew deeper in the woods making them profoundly annoying to climb. Worse yet, the stupid branches only really broke off in a convenient fashion after a sizable climb, and even then, they grew at an such an angle that I could never just stand. The lack of hand and footholds along the lower portion of the trunk always left me exhausted, but the deep red berries were, regrettably, worth the effort. 

Hand over hand and feet pressed firmly on the trunk I climbed up the tree, letting my weight hang downwards effectively anchoring my grip on the trunk. I grit my teeth. Climbing like this was always a pain. I could feel the muscles in my arms swell and ache as I made my way up the trunk. Better sore than hungry. I thought, as my hands finally gripped onto a branch. Hoisting myself up, I surveyed the scene. Those stupid birds had definitely gotten here before me, with one or two of them still darting on and off the branches. Even still, those smooth deep near purple berries were still relatively abundant.

Those stubborn pests ignored my shouts and attempts at shooing them away as I maneuvered along branch after branch, filling the sack I’d brought until it was nearly overflowing. If I had any hopes of trading that human for more of their strange food, I would need more than just a couple berries. 

I sat, letting my feet hang over the edge of the branch as I tied the mouth of the bag. This was weird, right? Wanting to see a human? To spend time with them? I shook my head, ridding myself of doubt as quickly as it came. Mark had been weird, sure, but he could talk!! An unwelcome thought seemed to bubble to the surface…

How long has it been since I’ve heard a voice other than my own? 

Yeah, no. Bad thought. No time for those. Rising to my feet, I heard the sudden flutter of wings as those pesky masked birds took flight, swooping away from me and deeper into the woods. Figures, they’d leave now that I- 

My thought was interrupted by a resounding screech.

Fuck. 

---

The sticky summer air struck like walking into a wall. I made my way out of the sanctuary of my air conditioned house, and into the frying pan my porch had become. Was this real? A tiny man... There had been a tiny man in my house. Sal… that was the name he’d given me. He was a rough looking creature, and I had no doubts after just one glance at him that he had been living outside. He had warm, sunburnt skin, and was covered in an unsightly layer of grime. I found myself wishing I had got a closer look at him, but there was no way in Hell I was getting within arm's distance of that creepy little spider he’d had accompanying him. I shuddered at the thought. The image of it crawling liberally all over him as we spoke made my skin crawl. 

He’d laughed at my reaction too, as if I was the one being weird. 

He’d told me he’d bring me back a treat in exchange for the Oreo. I’d half heartedly tried to tell him there was no need but… if I’m gonna be honest? I wanted him to have a reason to come back. 

I stared up at the sun. The strange little man apparently wasn't very familiar with the concept of hours and had told me he’d meet me when the sun was “around there in the sky” as he pointed vaguely at an angle that seemed to suggest sometime around noon? Maybe?? I took a seat. 

This was crazy. Was I crazy? I mean… a little man… a tiny yet full grown man had just pulled himself up onto my window sill? I ran my hands through my hair, my loose grasp on reality making my stomach knot. It had felt so real… but it couldn’t have been… and yet here I was, sitting on my front porch in this awfully muggy weather waiting to rendezvous with something, someone rather, straight out of a fairy tale. 

The minutes dragged on lazily, as if the muggy weather made time itself move sluggishly. Fuck, was I actually losing my grasp on reality? I mean, I had seen him, heard him, but I hadn’t touched him… I had no pictures, no proof to fall back on. I felt my brow furrow as I swallowed dryly. I’d fucking lost it. Staring up at the sky, I watched as a hawk circled lazily overhead. I’d go into town tomorrow and see if I could get in with a doctor. A solid two days away from the city and I’d managed to develop some form of cabin fever. Just fucking great. 

I closed my eyes and leaned back. Man, it was hot. Somewhere above, the hawk screeched, seemingly in agreement with my thoughts. I thought about going inside to get water… or better yet, a beer, but I couldn’t leave my spot. It was as if I was holding onto a shred of hope, desperate to prove to myself that the miniscule little man had really existed. 

The longer I thought about him, the more doubt seemed to surface in my mind. His voice, while relatively quiet, had been deep. Did that make sense? Surely someone that small would be pitched up? Thinking back, he may have had pointed ears, but everything else seemed perfectly human- 

A strange cacophony interjected into my rambling thoughts; another shriek from the hawk, although this time, much closer. There was the rustling of grass and the puffing sound from flapping wings. I cracked my eyes open and sat up. I knew they were skilled hunters but I’d never seen one in action, and although morbidly curious, I wasn’t so sure I wanted to see the aftermath of whatever poor little creature ended up in its… talons.

Poor little creature…

SAL. 

I sprung up. Reality be damned. What if… what if he really was real… what if he’d been- 

I pushed the thought from my mind as fast as it had surfaced. Don’t think. Just go. I ran down the stairs and out towards where I’d heard the sound, begging that the hawk had just picked off one of the little finches or waxwings that flitted about the property. 

When I saw rustling in the grass it was as if my heart was trying to crawl out of my throat. No. No. No.

Please be alright… My head spun with worry as I moved aside the grass, heart sinking at the sight. A red tailed hawk moved awkwardly on top of something… something small. No feathers were scattered about, no flapping of wings beneath its grip... 

Oh God… 

My throat felt tight. I lunged at the creature, hoping desperately that whatever damage was done wouldn’t be fatal. 

A yelp. 

I nearly fell back from the soft sound of shock that came from beneath the bird. Everything seemed to slow as my brain struggled to keep pace with what I was seeing. There he was. That tiny little man… Sal… Covered head to toe in blood. I felt as my own blood drained from my face, bile rising up in my throat. He was soaked. Oh God, was it fatal? What was I supposed to do? Who was I supposed to call for help? How could I-

He smiled. 

His teeth were bright white against the gruesome crimson that covered him. Why was he… smiling…? The limp weight of the hawk in my hand suddenly felt a good deal heavier. I looked from the hawk, to him and back to the hawk. 

Had he…?

“Well?” He said, placing his hands on his hips and craning his neck to look at me, “Fair trade?”

Things were moving too fast for my brain to keep pace. To start, I wasn’t losing my mind. The tiny man was real… and he had killed a hawk… a dead hawk which I now held in my hand. I swallowed the urge to gag. What had he meant by trade… Oh- Oh no. 

---

His face. Oh man, his face. That near death run-in was worth every cut, scrape and bruise to be witness of the realization dawning across that massive face. He turned his head back and forth between me and the redtail hanging limply in his grasp in rapid succession. He looked uneasy. I felt my smile grow even wider. There was disbelief in his eyes. I liked that. I wanted his gaze on me to stay that way. Looking at the bird in his hands I could only feel my pride grow. Fuck those stupid berries, now that was a meal fit for a human. 

“Don’t worry,” I chuckled, trying unsuccessfully to wipe the bird’s blood from my face, “I’m not that rude of a guest. I’ll prepare it for you. Can’t go bringing unfinished gifts, now can I?” 

I stared up at him, awaiting some kind of response. Wow Sal, that's incredible! Or Oh man, that's a pretty big bird, I doubt I can finish it all, or- 

“Prepare…” The colour drained from his face. I snorted. The last family that lived here hadn’t seemed to have to do much with their meat either. Sure, it wasn’t the most pleasant experience but someone had to do it. He crouched down, staring at me with a strange expression; his brow furrowed and his lips pursed. 

“Dude, that's gross. I’m not eating hawk?”

Oh. 

That simple remark seemed to puncture something in my chest. I felt deflated. My smile wiped away in an instant. Did humans not eat redtail…? Why... why was it gross? That strange expression on his face suddenly seemed to come into focus in my mind; disgust. 

Not wanting to look at that expression any longer, I busied myself with looking around the grass. 

“Ha, oh yeah, that’s… I had something else. Um,” I felt heat rise to my face. I didn’t get what was wrong with it? What was I missing? “It should have fallen around here somewhere…”

Fuck, I felt small.

I was all too aware that even as I cast my gaze downward, he could see every movement I made. His presence loomed over me. Small. What had felt like an insurmountable feat just a few moments ago was a dismissable nothing to someone like him.

A cruel voice seemed to rise from the ether within my mind. So are you. 

---

Shit. 

He had been really excited, hadn’t he? He’s done the equivalent of slaying a fucking dragon, and how do I react? By saying it's gross?? I mean, the idea of eating a wild hawk most definitely is gross, and questionably legal, but… My thoughts trail off as I stare down at the crestfallen little man. He doesn’t meet my gaze. That borderline uncanny confidence seemingly eviscerated by a single tactless comment. 

I chew my lip and groan, albeit, internally. 

“Sal…” he doesn’t look at me, but I catch him flinching at his name, “You know… Now that I think about it, it’s probably pretty similar to turkey.” His head snaps back to me, eyes full of hope. I offer him a smile. 

“I’ll give it a shot. Can’t let a great catch like this go to waste.” 

It’s as if a switch goes off, and suddenly he’s beaming, his cocksure grin even wider than before. It would be an adorable sight…  if not for the fact he was drenched in the blood of his prized catch. I cringed internally as I offered him my hand. He took a step back, as if unsure of what I was doing. 

“You can use my kitchen to prep the meat, but only if you wash yourself off first…” I paused, “Please.” 

His grin never faltered. 

“You got it, Tree-Top.” Despite absolutely dreading his meal, I couldn’t help but grin right back at him. 

He took a hesitant step onto my open palm, looking back and forth between my face and my outstretched hand as if asking if it was okay. I nodded encouragingly, repressing the urge to gag as I saw the tiny bloody handprint he left on my thumb. Gross. Gross. Gross. 

Instead I focused on the absolutely wild sensation of holding small… human…(?) in my hand. The sensation was beyond bizarre. Nothing like holding a small rodent or lifelike doll could come close to comparing. I could feel how intentional every movement was, as if I could sense the human intelligence behind each carefully placed step. The thought that I was quite literally holding a life in my hands was overwhelming, and I teetered back and forth between excitement and anxiety.  

I stood.  As he rose upwards in my cupped hand, he gripped onto my thumb with an unnerving amount of strength for a being of his size. Looking down at him, my own stomach lurched. With seemingly no instinct for any form of self preservation, he leaned over the edge of my palm on his hands and knees, watching with rapt excitement as the ground disappeared beneath him. He turned his attention to me briefly, shooting me a cheeky little cocksure grin, before going back to watching the ground pass by in awe as I made my way back towards the house. 

In those moments, I was all too aware of every item I had ever dropped in my life, and suffice to say it was more than a few. My heart felt as though it would beat itself out of my chest as he let himself nearly dangle off the edge of my palm. Slowly, I leaned my palm against my chest and curled my fingers inwards. Sal was unphased with the change in position, absentmindedly shifting to standing, his feet perched firmly on my pinky while he leaned precariously over my index finger.

His excitement only seemed to grow as we entered the house. His head was constantly on a swivel, taking in every detail he could catch. Which arguably wasn’t much as I hurried toward the kitchen counter, the sticky feeling of quickly drying blood on my hands leaving my skin crawling. Ew. Ew. Ew. 

“Stay right there.”

Placing him and the bird beside one another on the counter I hurriedly turned on the sink, letting out a deep sigh of relief as the rush of water cleaned my hands. The last thing I needed was a bloodied little man exploring the area where I made my food. I bit my lip, trying my hardest to keep the disgust from forming on my face, not wanting to upset my gruesome little guest. 

“Here,” I grabbed a table cloth and wet it, offering it to the little man. He didn’t hesitate to begin wiping himself down. As I went to lay out a cutting board, I paused, my stomach sinking. Fuck, I thought, am I going to have to … I grimaced. 

“Um, hey man, are you going to need me to-” He cut me off with a wave of his hand, shooing me away as he strode over to my knife block as if this were his kitchen. 

“No, no,” he said dismissively “I got it.” He smiled over his shoulder as he yanked out a serrated knife from the block. Nope. Don't wanna see this. I turned to leave, but a small shout made me pause. Sal stood atop the hawk, knife slung over his shoulder like an oversized video game sword, waving me down with his free hand. 

“Can you grab me a bowl?”

“Why do you-” he cut me off,

“Organs.” I gagged and silently prayed he didn’t notice. Right. Gross. I tried to hide the revulsion as I plopped a bowl down on the counter, averting my gaze from the carnage on the cutting board. I needed a beer. Or four. Not wanting to wait around in case Sal thought I could make myself useful I disappeared down the hall, now more thankful than ever that I had kept my college mini fridge as a beer fridge away from the kitchen. 

[signed-loni]

Makeout session with sally face after he found out he liked you

⚠️Warnings⚠️

Cussing ofc

slight angst?

fem reader

make out sesh

ever so slight nsfw

ONESHOT VERY SHORT

You, sal, and larry were all just hanging out and about in nockfell trying to figure out what to do since there was jack shit to do there.

You all decided that ding dong ditch was the best way to go

First house, a man in his mid 40s, a very very mean man.

You decided you would go first to ring the doorbell

Ding dong

“Who is it!? What do ya want!?!?” You heard a man yell from inside. You ran away behind a nearby bush along with Sal and Larry. The man swung the door open and cursed under his breath when he realized what happened.

Seven doors later

You all decided it got boring and you all basically got the same reactions so you stopped.

You three went back to the apartments and you wanted to go to sals place since your mom wasnt back yet. You greeted sals dad and alerted him tha you were there, which he didnt mind, you were basically family

You and sal headed towards his room and you grabbed gizmo

“Sally, i can never get over how cute your fucking cat is” you said “thats what you say, u til you realize all he does is sit around and watch T.V.” You heard sal respond and a hiss from gizmo.

You jumped onto sals bed and adjusted yourself. You flipped on your back and put gizmo on your stomach. Soon enough, you were alseep

Sal barely noticed how much he was staring at you. He thought for a moment. He knew he liked you as a friend, maybe a bit to much. He liked whej you came over, even more so when you fell asleep like this, and he liked how you complemented his posters and art he made, it made his heart flutter when you complemented him in general. Then it hit him.

Sal fisher, was in love with you

he thought again

maybe he just really, really, really liked you as a friend

But nope, he liked you

His gaze fell back on you, lying there with gizmo cuddled up on your stomach.

God you had no idea how you made this boy feel

He sat next to you, and reached his hand to your cheek, feeling how warm it was

What he didnt know, was that you were awake, and you knew how he felt.

You opened your eyes and locked eyes with sal

a slight blush crept on his face

“I- i- uh- its not- i didnt- im sorry” he finally uttered

you moved closer to him and his blush grew brighter

you reached your hands behind his head to take off his mask and before you did, you gave him a look that said “is this okay?” Sal nodded and you proceeded

his mask fell and you admired his scars. The cartilage on sals nose was wiped clean off, and part of his mouth was torn up so that you could see his teeth. His jaw was an uneven shape, but you really didn’t mind. All you wanted to do was kiss the boy

Your faces grew close and you could feel his breath. You pressed your foreheads together and finally kissed. It didn’t take long for the kiss to escalate into a make-out session. Sloppy kisses covered you and sals face. You grabbed onto his hair and he moved his hands down your hips and got on top of you.

The kiss was cut short due to sals dad calling you both for dinner. “Shit” sal said panting. “So does this mean were… a thing then?” He asked. You chuckled softly and said “only if you want to be sally”. “I do, I really ,really do” he responded “ok lover boy , you dont need to ask twice” you chuckled out.

[ryverbind]

Faceless Fixation (Sal Fisher): The Path We Tread [25]

Sal's freshly folded Breaking Benjamin hoodie is soft in my hands. I haven't washed it, but I figured I'd return it after accidentally stuffing it into my bag the other night.

I set it on top of the cat carrier that's prepped and housing a cheerful Gizmo who purrs like a fully powered motorboat. And he's too cute, too happy to see me, so I grin down at the orange feline and brace one hand on Sal's car door and lean down to give the little guy some scratches.

He purrs against my hand, big green eyes closed as he shoves his head into my palm and basically pets himself. I can't help but huff out a laugh, smile widening because of the little fur ball.

Yesterday, The Faces and I spent the day visiting with Henry and Lisa. Since they aren't moving to LA with us, considering they have their music store here, we wanted to spend as much time with them as possible. Especially Larry and Sal.

"Are you done coddling my cat?" Sal gripes behind me. I sigh a bit disappointedly, rubbing under Gizmo's chin before zipping the carrier closed.

Turning to the cat dad, I back away from the black Camaro. Sal gives me a not-so-serious glare before placing himself in my previous spot, snatching the hoodie I'd just laid down and unfolding it. So particular.

"He likes my coddling," I murmur, tipping my head to the side as I peer at Sal both out of curiosity and admiration. The sun beating down on him, illuminating all the shades of blue in his hair. It's still chilly here, Nockfell's norm. 

Which explains why Sal starts pulling the hoodie over his head, but I still have to try my best not to gape. What happened to him being terrified of my cooties?

"No one likes your coddling," he responds, deadpan.

I regard him nonchalantly, pursing my lips. "Your mom does."

Sal's eyes go wide, the action setting off a warpath of alarm bells in my head. I watch him warily, but then the corners of his eyes crinkle and he whips his head away from me to choke on a... giggle.

My mouth twitches in a smile that I desperately attempt to stomp down. His laughter is so symphonic, so heavenly, so rare. Worst of all, it's infectious. And, most concerning, the joke wasn't that funny. So I hesitantly inquire, "What?"

Sal takes a breath, tucking a strand of cobalt hair behind his ear. Like he's purposefully trying to display that damned dagger that haunts my every sleeping and waking moment. "There's a punchline to that joke," he croons, eyes alight with such mischief that I brace myself, hold my breath.

"My mother is dead."

The breath I held punches past my lips, expelled in a gag-cough tag team on my lungs, my throat, my fucking brain. My cheeks flush scarlet, the warmth of my embarrassment rippling through my body. Sweat beads at my forehead as utter dread courses through me.

His mom is dead?

"I— I'm sorry, I didn't—" I sputter, rushing to get the apology out as soon as possible. Because, while I wouldn't bat an eye if my own mother left this plane of existence for eternity, I certainly would if my father did.

Sal shakes his head, eyes shutting and head tilting forward as if to say he accepts my apology. "You didn't know," he says nonchalantly. "Besides, it's nice not to have to talk about her so seriously. I wish people didn't tiptoe around the topic."

"They tiptoe for a reason," I hiss, although halfheartedly. I'm just relieved he isn't suddenly snapping at my heels with rage again. "Because it is serious."

Sal shrugs, a calm and relaxed glow to his cerulean gaze. For once. I almost forget that he's public enemy number one for a moment. "Yea, well," he sighs dramatically, hands stuffed into his pockets. "Gave me a reason to scare the shit out of you again. Seeing you ready to kiss my feet and beg for forgiveness is just such a lovely sight."

He does all of this on purpose. And screw him for using me as his comedic act constantly. "Suck it, Fisher," I sneer, feeling the terror in my veins finally transform into muted contempt. The anger isn't so bad, not like it used to be.

His gaze snaps to me, and just like every other time we look at each other, I can't tell what he's feeling as he murmurs, "So long as you consent."

I gulp, ditching what wrathful thoughts had gathered in my fortress of a mind. It's all quickly replaced with a throbbing in my very bones, another tinge of color to my cheeks, and a wild replay of all the times he had his head buried between my legs recently.

Hands clamp down on my shoulders and I flinch with the agility of a cat who just lost it's second to last life-- since Sal has taken all my other damn lives.

"Hey, angel," Ash coos from behind. I peek over my shoulder to see her grinning down at me. But her happy expression doesn't quite meet her eyes. "Sal's going to drop us off at the airport. As much as you two live to hate and loathe each other, we need to talk."

Oh, no. Oh, fuck. We need to talk? That statement never, ever ends well. Does she know about us? Is she about to kick me out of the group— or Sal? Or is there going to be this brutally mortifying conversation about how she knows but she'd never tell anyone and she absolutely requires an invite to the wedding?

I suppress a shudder.

Instead, I purse my lips, tongue cemented to the roof of my mouth as every one of my four limbs goes completely rigid. "I'd rather hotbox in a car full of Larry's farts," I declare, more than ready to do just that. He ate about half his body weight in tamales last night.

Ash's eyes go wide, her brows furrowing as a guilty smirk quirks her lips. "You would rather—" she cuts herself off, shaking her head and looking up at the sky to avoid the giggles she would no doubt conjure up if she looked at me for too much longer. "Just get in the car, y/n," she commands, voice wavering with hidden laughter.

I look back to Sal and take note of the lack of color in his eyes. Seconds ago, they were bright and full of mirth. Now... they're empty. Grave. Numb.

It snaps a little bit of clarity into me, so I do as Ash said and climb into his back seat, right beside Gizmo who chirps a greeting to me. I give the orange cat a smile as Ash shuts my door, but I'm roiling with too much anxiety to do more than that.

Ash is about to have a meeting with me and Sal. The three of us. She's either going to ball us out for fighting so much, or she knows that we're fucking. And if it's neither of those, then I don't know what else it could be. I think the unknown scares me more than the other options.

Ash plops herself into the passenger seat, using the 'oh-shit' handle to adjust herself before shutting her door and buckling. She throws her head over her shoulder, grinning at me. "So," she says giddily as Sal climbs into the driver's seat. "Hot rod, old ass, family heirloom. How are we feeling?"

I raise an eyebrow that she can't see. "It's a car."

"And a treasure," she finishes thoughts I did not have, watching me with eyes that say I should cherish this gift of a ride. "How are you not tweaking with excitement? This thing is older than you!"

"Because it's a car," I repeat, narrowing my eyes at her. I don't want to kill her short-lived joy, but I'm too paranoid.

The car suddenly roars to life and maybe— for a split second— I understand Ash's elation. It might be older than my grandpa (bless his heart) but it purrs like a newborn kitten. I'll give it that much.

Sal mumbles something I can't hear then situates his hand on the back of Ash's headrest, head peering over his shoulder to back out of the driveway. His eyes meet mine for a short moment before they avert to the window, making sure Henry's car is down the road before beginning to back up.

Oh, if I was Ash with his hand behind my head like that, I'd be feeling a lot of things. Horny being the most prevalent. I definitely wouldn't admit that though. 

"Hey," Ash mutters, eyes on Sal who switches gears and begins driving behind his dad. "Are you... are you sure?"

So it's something they both know about? A spear of unease slashes through my gut, a clear reminder of this conversation we're about to have. The acknowledgement of it makes the inside of Sal's car grow thick with tension. It's almost unbearable— even Gizmo's purring has halted.

"Just get it over with," Sal grumbles, eyes on the road and fingers wrapped around the steering wheel.

I swallow thickly, watching the way Sal completely checks out of reality. Something about his position, his unblinking gaze tells me he's drifted somewhere foreign. He isn't here right now— he's simply driving.

"Okay," Ash whispers before turning to me. Her glossy lips are stretched into a tight line, a shadow of grief darkening her angelic features. "Listen," she starts, normally light and airy tone morphed into something a bit apprehensive, sad. "I'm not going to get into the details of this because it's not my story to tell. But Sal, Larry, Todd, and I agreed that it would be in everyone's best interest to give you a heads up... and somewhat of an explanation."

I swipe my tongue along the seam of my lips, my mouth suddenly dry with the worry that skitters along my spine. I say nothing, simply wait for her to continue.

"We are moving to LA to be closer to opportunities, and since it's more fitting for our streaming careers," She tells me, viridian gaze zeroed in on mine. "But there's another, more pressing reason as to why we're moving."

I nod along, waiting, biting my tongue in nervous anticipation. This is where I crumble to ruins, right? When every bad decision I've made comes crashing down around me. I mentally brace myself, fingers closing around the door handle a bit tighter.

"There's a... woman." Sal's hands tighten around the steering wheel, unknowingly mimicking my own actions. "She really hurt Sal. She was put in prison for two years, but... she's being released next week. We don't want Sal to be near her, nor do we want to be near her."

Every bit of air leaves my lungs upon hearing Ash's words. Two years? What the hell did she do to him? I glance at Sal through his rearview mirror, noting how he stares disinterestedly through the windshield.

A kind of emotion I can't quite explain rushes through me. It's understanding, shared grief, fury, sorrow. None of it is aimed at him. It's for him. And part of me aches to avenge him, to find this girl and make her hurt the way she made him hurt.

The truth of it is painful, like some part of me is slowly being ripped apart from my body. It's all so unfamiliar. I can't understand why I feel so strongly about it, especially since I don't even know what this unknown woman has done. The sudden influx of emotions and undeciphered realization that's suddenly hit me overpowers every one of my brain neurons, but I make quick work to try and break everything down.

Now, I understand why he was willing to give me anything so long as I agreed to sex the other night. It was as much of an escape for him as it was for me. I wasn't the only one who needed a distraction.

I feel everything so deeply right now, and assessing the depth of all this emotion makes me realize that I must care for Sal a lot more than I originally thought I did.

Ash lets me mull over the information before speaking again. I feel my heart rumbling, echoing through the hollowness in my chest as she spills more to me.

"The reason we're telling you this at all is specifically because there are people shipping you and Sal together online. Of course, the focus on whatever the hell is going on with you and North has taken some of the heat away from you and Sal— but there's still enough going around that it's worth warning you." I suck in a shaky breath. "This woman has been known to target other women who have a close relationship to Sal. It's all via stalking online and harassment, but it's something I don't want you to have to go through. Something none of us want you to go through."

I'd take it all if it meant I'd get to enact revenge. For myself. For Sal. For both of us. I don't know.

Ash must see it on my face; the tidal wave of emotions that keep crashing into me relentlessly. She gives me a knowing look, a sad smile as if to say she understands. "So, keep us in the know, okay?" She says sweetly, reaching back with her hand, opening it for me. I blink, clutching her warm palm in mine. "If anyone messages you and it's really shitty, or if Sal is mentioned or something, tell us. We'll figure it out." She squeezes my hand, thumb running over my skin. "You aren't alone."

My eyes flit over to Sal again, trying to catch his gaze in the mirror. It almost seems as if he's avoiding me. I try to tell myself it's because he's driving, obviously, but it doesn't feel that way. He doesn't even bother to check if there are any cars behind us, just robotically stares ahead with the air condition gently ruffling his hair. Sleeping with Sirens softly playing on his radio.

My gaze drifts to him throughout the rest of our thirty minute drive to the airport right outside of Nockfell. I can't help myself. Can't help the weight that burdens me.

Eventually, Sal looks down from the windshield to shift his car to park once we get into the parking lot. Then he looks to Ash, gestures for her to get out of the car. And Ash, ever the goddess, snorts before opening her door.

I turn to Gizmo, stick my finger through a slit in his carrier, and scratch under his chin before parting ways, preparing to leave through the door that Ash has opened for me.

"Okay," Ash sighs, a cheery lilt in her voice. "Enough of the bad, more of the rad. It's moving time."

Sal throws open his door before it can even fully unlatch, a man desperate to escape the horrors of his past. The sight causes a twinge of pain in my chest, but I ignore it. I can contemplate this conversation when I'm safe on our plane and have nothing better to do.

I warily walk into the parking lot, surfacing beside Larry who has a blanket bunched in his arms and a pair of headphones around his neck. Something tells me his flight is going to be nice.

Larry takes note of me and throws an arm over my shoulder, offering me a sleepy grin that I try my best to fully return The comfort of his somewhat embrace is needed though. I'm still feeling the whiplash of the conversation I sat in on for the ride here.

I gently grab Larry's wrist and hold on, his thumb comfortingly rubbing over the inside of my palm.

"I think I've got everyone's bags ready to go," Henry says with a little sigh, hands on his hips and cheeks colored pink from handling everyone's luggage. I spot the backpack I came with and watch as Neil scoops it up, throwing a strap over his shoulder.

"I can't believe we're leaving," Ash mutters from beside me, frowning at Henry and Lisa. Her parents didn't come along to tell her goodbye. I hadn't asked her about it because the stress of moving is already enough on her shoulders, but I can't begin to imagine how painful the situation must be for her. I remember how tough it was for me to realize my mom didn't want to be a part of my life anymore-- at least, she 'wanted' to be a minuscule part of my life but not for the right reasons.

Henry smiles warmly at her, walking over to ruffle her hair. "You've said that about fifty times in the last 24 hours, squirrel." His dad chuckle follows and I find myself subconsciously smiling at their interaction. Henry became a stand-in dad for Ash the same way Lisa became a stand-in mom for me. Realizing this brings me some solace. It's a little sliver of light in the darkness of my overwhelmed mind. 

Ash smacks her lips then purses them, trying and failing to hide her affectionate smile. "I know, I know," she fusses, running lithe fingers through her chestnut hair. "It just... doesn't feel real. I've lived in Nockfell for so long."

"And I would be failing all of you if I let you stay here any longer," Henry says gently, helping Ash with her hair by tucking a strand behind her ear. "You're all blowing up. Your options and resources are astronomically limited here. We, as parents, don't raise you to walk in our footsteps. We raise you to walk beyond the path we tread. You're all doing that." Henry's gaze passes over all of us, his eyes watery with a mixture of torment and pride. "So I want you to thrive somewhere that you have a chance to exploit your gifts--" Another sweet smile and I'm getting emotional alongside him. I didn't think I'd wake up this morning with a constant lump in my throat. "Just come visit every once in a while, 'kay?'

Larry's arm flexes around my shoulders and I blink past my tears, squeezing his wrist in my hold. I watch as Sal walks up beside Ash, a hand grasping her shoulder as her bottom lip begins quivering.

I didn't expect this to be so... hard. I knew it'd kill me to leave Nockfell a second time, but taking my old friends with me and having to part with people who have slowly become family is deeply gut-wrenching.

I've learned a lot on this trip. I saw so many things that make it hard to leave because I'm afraid of never seeing them again. I found out that Sal Fisher has a heart, and it's a pretty good one. He has issues, some of which have no doubt influenced his personality, but he's not soulless. He can be kind, he can be funny, he can be a friend. And Henry has clearly been a large influence on the good parts of Sal-- his father is the most selfless person I've ever met, gentler than a mother with her newborn. He has a heart of gold with morals and values that defy modern humanity. The moment Sal took my face into his hands and averted my attention during a panic reflected all the things his father has taught him-- all the warmth he has that he's hidden for so long. Hidden from me.

Looking at Sal now, noting his hand that tenderly runs over the back of Ash's head in nearly the same way Henry did, just reinforces the difference I've observed.

Ash wraps Henry up in a crushing hug, squeezing the man close to her. And he doesn't seem to mind-- in fact, he holds her just as tight. The man presses a kiss to her hair before moving over to hug his son.

We all hug Henry and Lisa, our parting about as heart-wrenching as an ASPCA commercial. But the bright side is that we know we'll see each other again. With our jobs in the streaming industry, we'll have enough money to make frequent trips.

Lisa holds me for a long time, her head rested atop mine and her fingers threading through my hair. Giving me the mother-like comfort that I crave every now and again. And Henry, he presses a kiss to my head the same way he did for everyone else. It's a soothing relief to know that I matter as much to him as the rest of The Faces do.

As I break away from my embrace with Henry, I watch Sal pull Ash to him, his hand cupping the back of her head and holding her close. I can't quite describe the kind of emotion that zaps me when he pulls his dad's signature move and presses his prosthetic lips to Ash's forehead. It's such a precious moment to witness. Ash's response makes it even sweeter; she playfully swats at his arm before leaning down a tad to kiss the cheek of his mask.

I can't help but smile fondly at their sibling-like affection, even if it echoes a bit in the hollowness inside me. I want to be cherished so badly in this moment, to be loved the way this family loves each other.

Sal moves around, hugging Larry, Todd, and Neil before taking a step back as everyone prepares to say their final goodbye's.

The disheartened smile doesn't leave my face as everyone mutters saddened parting words. But I spare a glance at Sal to find him watching everyone the same way I am. His eyes are squinted, the sole indication of his smile beneath that prosthetic.

My breath catches when his eyes, a crystal clear image of the overcast sky today, meet mine. He simply looks at me for a moment, then holds up a hand, middle finger on display.

I blanch, oxygen rushing back into my lungs, filling the void I've refused to acknowledge. Compared to his refusal to even come to the airport in Vegas, I'd say this is a step up.

I bite down on my bottom lip in an attempt to disguise the smile that pulls at my lips and the fluttering in my chest as I flick him off in return.

·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ���¨*:·

Dragging my backpack onto this rickety airplane takes a lot of guts. It's so run down and beat up that I can't help but wonder if Amelia Earhart was the last person to sit in the pilot's seat. But hey, if I go missing, I'd be solving a lot of problems. Win-win?

I walk down the skinny aisle, pausing to find my seat-- only to realize that Todd and I are riding together for this trip.

I smile warmly at my dear friend, scooting past him and toward the window seat.

Sighing, I plop into my seat and fasten my seatbelt. "Hey, Todd. It's a shame you and Neil got separated."

Todd tips his head in a silent greeting, a little smile on his freckled face. "Not a shame at all. This is his punishment," he replies nonchalantly. I simply blink at him while fighting off an onslaught of giggles. They seem like the type to have random arguments and disagreements every once in a while. They're totally the couple that fully believes their hiccups make their relationship fun, too.

"I stand corrected then," I chuckle as I pull my phone from my pocket. "Just so you know," I continue, leaning toward him to whisper, "I'm on your side."

Todd laughs, the sound much like bells tolling on a lovely spring morning. He pats my wrist, gives it a little squeeze. "As you should be."

I give him another quick smile before looking at my phone.

I probably shouldn't message Sal. I should just leave it be. I'm not obligated in any way, shape, or form, but... the whole situation is weighing on me. I won't be able to stop thinking about our conversation until I extend my hand-- in whatever weird way that I can given this situation Sal and I have found ourselves in.

And, yes. Of course my messaging him is a split second decision that I'm bound to regret. I feel... closer to him. Like we've bonded somehow. 

Famous last words.

This is a true fool's rose-tinted glasses because Sal is complicated. All of this is complicated and I'm probably mistaking my relation and guilt for his traumas as us forming a connection. 

I swallow over the nerves that ravage me whole and pull up discord, clicking on Sal's and my private messages. His last text to me altered our entire situation. It started all of this:

SALLYFʌCɜ: i wouldn't have made the promise if i didn't intend on keeping it. watch what you say and give ash five minutes to remember that you're in the room. actually, give her brain a boost. SALLYFʌCɜ: come here.

I chew on my bottom lip, contemplating his last message to me before typing up a quick message. I want it to be simple, easy, done. Without considering the past too much.

But I end up typing, deleting, and retyping up until our pilot announces that all passengers are boarded.

My fingers quake as I type up my last attempt and use every bit of willpower to refrain from deleting it all over again. My thumb hovers over the 'send' button and I force myself to look away, quickly smashing the button and pursing my lips as embarrassment rips me to shreds.

I spare a glance down.

VIOLETVIOLENCE: i'm good for more than just fucking if you need a reminder

Why the fuck did I say that? Why couldn't I be normal and just tell him I'd listen to his problems?

He starts typing.

I slap my phone face down onto my thighs and refuse to breathe for a full minute and a half. I take the time to build up the confidence to look, give myself a pep talk. I don't really care how stupid it was. It's done-- I can't change it. It doesn't matter and I don't care.

So with my heart knocking on my ribcage, I hesitantly lift my phone and look down.

SALLYFʌCɛ: i know. SALLYFʌCɛ: thank you

The guiltiest grin blooms on my face. I try my absolute hardest to smash the expression down, to tell myself that his appreciation isn't that serious. That this is just basic human decency. But, damn, something about the way he bothered to say 'thank you' instead of just 'thanks' or even nothing at all...

I put my phone on airplane mode then shut it off, look out the window as our plane begins to power up.

"Hey," Todd suddenly says, his voice inquisitive and a little concerned. "So, sorry if this is prying too much but it's kind of fucking killing me."

I turn my head to look at him, brow raised at his tone. "Don't worry about it," I murmur. "What's up?"

His dark eyes stare into mine-- deeply, investigating my soul like some kind of spiritual detective. I can't help but squirm beneath his heavy gaze, waiting for him to share his thoughts.

He starts slowly shaking his head. "I can't tell which one you're fucking."

Mentally, my eye is twitching.

I catch the shocked cough that almost escapes my mouth. Fear claws its way up my spine as I search through filing cabinets full of words in my head. "Uh," I intellectually start with. "Who says I'm fucking someone?"

Todd blinks, something like clarity morphing his features-- like he just got his answer. "Because you have North bricked up in the supply room of Henry's music store and Sal tracking your every movement like a dog salivating over a steak."

My mouth opens and closes silently up until my mental filing cabinet of words flies open and forces unintelligible sounds and words to fly through my mouth. I choke over my panic and slap a hand over my mouth, watching him with wide eyes.

Part of it is absolute amusement and disbelief over Todd's claims, but the other half of me is petrified by the fact that he sniffed me out immediately. Well, he's trying to, at least.

"I'm sorry?" I snort, my words muffled due to the hand that stays clutched to my mouth.

Todd gives me a no-bullshit look. "I won't say anything," he promises with a shrug. "I know I outted you in Vegas, but that's why I'm discussing the situation with you first this time."

"I'm not--" I pause, dropping my hand from my mouth to properly speak to him. I'm trying to school this and keep the terror out of my gaze, but I think he already knows. "I'm not fucking anyone," I declare, tilting my head down to accentuate my claim.

Maybe he'll buy it. I need him to buy it, actually.

It's not that I don't trust Todd, it's just that I know what he's going to say. It's the same thing anyone in The Faces would tell me-- the same thing Sal has insinuated repeatedly. That I shouldn't be fucking him. I want to avoid that because I already know. I don't want anyone else burying themselves in whatever the hell is going on because I don't even fully understand it myself.

This group is tight-knit. They care. They care so much that they would immediately tell me and Sal to end things and forget it ever happened because fuck buddies are 'toxic' and we 'hate' each other. But with Sal and me, it transcends all of that. We don't have half the issues we started out with, not to mention, our arrangement is working fine. And I'll admit that Sal is the farthest thing from shallow. There are so many twists and turns in his maze of a mind that I'm urged to navigate through it.  

Maybe we're nothing remotely close to normal, it's the complete opposite of what constitutes as tradition. But everything before this pales in comparison. God forbid he hear my thoughts, but Sal is becoming a friend. I had to quickly accept that notion the moment I got defensive over his trauma. 

Todd smacks his lips, a clear sign that he doesn't believe a word I've said. "Fine," he sighs. He seems a bit disappointed... but understanding. Todd loves drama, but he's thoughtful as well. He won't push me to talk if I don't want to. And let's face it, I'm sure he's already set on his opinion of the topic. The only thing he doesn't have is my confirmation. 

"Just be careful, okay?" Todd's brows furrow a bit, a small frown pulling at his lips. "I know it isn't my business, but some secrets are a lot worse than you'd imagine. Fuck who you want, just don't get close enough to get wrapped up in feelings you'd regret."

Apprehension wraps its bony, ashen fingers around my heart and chokes the life out of it. I stare at Todd with wide eyes that have reacted of their own accord. I clench my teeth and think hard about how to organize my thoughts into something comprehensible. 

"Is there something I should... know? About either or both of them?" I decide to ask, clearing my throat when my words come out whispered and hoarse, tangled with anxiety.

Todd presses his lips together, showing off his short temper. "I literally just told you they have secrets and to watch yourself. Read between the lines, y/n. Shakespeare should have taught you as much."

The pounding of my heart dies down a bit at Todd's rushed, frustrated sarcasm. The tension and fear are slowly dissipating, so I'll take Todd's claim to mean that he's just worried for me. North's and Sal's secrets can't be so bad-- everyone has baggage. And I mean, Sal's quite literally been through the wringer. An accident so bad it marred his face, a shitty woman who hurt him, and a dead mother. It can't get that much worse, can it?

I scoff playfully. "I hate Shakespeare. He was the worst person to choose for a comparison, Todd," I say gently, giving him a hesitant smile.

That sets Todd off. For the rest of our two hour flight, he argues with me about Shakespeare's genius. He made some pretty legit claims, saying that Shakespeare knew just how to throw backhanded comments to petty royals who didn't have smarts to decipher the true meaning. That Shakespeare was damn lucky he didn't get killed-- unless he was! 

Yep, a whole debacle on his death came from that. It kept me entertained though. More importantly, it distracted me from Sal who, now that we've landed and are heading to our new apartments, I can't help but worry about.

Ash is sitting beside me watching the buildings of LA pass us by. She squeezes my hand here and again, smile widening when we come across landmarks she spent her own time searching up. It's so sweet-- all the places Ash couldn't visit on her first trip here are all available to her now.

Meanwhile, Larry's animatedly chatting with our Uber driver-- somehow he happened upon the topic of Speedos. Interestingly enough, our driver seems more than happy to let our friend talk. Neil chimes in here and again to add to Larry's outlandish remarks, making the driver nod in agreement or chuckle.

I watch the streets, slowly beginning to recall all the times I've walked these sidewalks within the past year. All my surroundings are starting to become familiar. 

It's comforting knowing I won't be walking these streets alone anymore.

·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:·

I set my backpack on the floor, taking in the wide expanse of Sal and Larry's brand new living room. It's enormous; tall ceilings to accompany the loft to one side of the room, then a wall of windows with balcony doors across from me. As modern as it is, it has a nice, darker touch to it. The floors are grey oak, the walls a charcoal color, and the ceiling is bright white— a perfect contrast to the shade crawling upward.

I lick my lips, trying my best not to gape at the only room I've seen so far.

Larry whistles his adoration for the place, standing in the center of the room with his hands on his hips, inspecting every nook and cranny of his new home. He's but a speck of dust in a fancy cave. "This shit's pretty hardcore," he murmurs.

Neil places his bag on the floor beside mine, clapping a hand on my shoulder. "Didn't you check the place out already, Lar?" he asks, a cheery edge to his voice.

Larry, in response, snorts and waves Neil's comment off. "Duh," he sarcastically answers. "This place has too much pizazz for me to not admire it like a middle aged man admires his new lawnmower. This is ejaculation material, bro."

Todd sighs obnoxiously, but Neil nods his head beside me, handsome smile on his face as he says, "Fair enough."

I seem to have found myself quite the group.

Ash glides her way through the entrance, giving the big room a once over and an approving nod that says she likes the apartment. She glances over at me, gestures with her elbow. "Looks pretty similar to ours, Vee," she chirps, viridian gaze glittering in the lovely sunshine that filters through the big windows. Sal and Larry didn't get an apartment, these dudes bought a house. In the sky. This thing is too extravagant to be undermined with the term of 'apartment.'

And then Ash's claim spins around my head, hitting all sides of my cranium to solidify the fact that we have a near identical home.

My eyebrows bunch together and I blink at Ash. "Wait, what?"

Ash simply shrugs, little grin plastered on her lips as she scrolls through her phone and plops herself onto the floor. She sits criss-cross applesauce and drags my backpack over to her, tucking it into her lap like a pillow. "I'm calling Sal to let him know we made it," she mutters, clicking on her phone a couple times before putting it on the ground in front of her.

I see a pig-tailed, really tiny Sal on her phone. His contact picture. He and Ash are standing side by side, both of them holding up bunny ears behind each other's heads. Ash looks exactly the way I remember her as a teenager. Sal looks the total opposite of what I thought though.

Part of me expected him to be this super lanky, scene kid. I mean, the hair said enough. But he just looks awkward and childlike here. His eyes are big and bright, happy. He's on his tiptoes to try and add some height to his small stature, so he doesn't look quite as short next to Ash. It's refreshing— clearly, he hasn't always been so... closed off, mean, and unhappy.

The call suddenly accepts and I'm forced back to reality, especially when someone who absolutely cannot be Sal Fisher answers the phone.

"Hey, sweetheart," he starts warmly, tone cosplaying as a literal cinnamon roll. Gooey, sweet, and cozy. "Did you guys make it safe?"

What brain slurping alien has taken over his body? There's no way that's him.

I think back to our night in Nockfell-- he called me sweetheart. He's calling Ash the same. Is this the true Sal? Laid back, caring, and gentle? Is that what he was trying to portray to me when we acted as distractions to one another?

"Sure did, mi corazón," Ash replies in a sing-song voice, rocking back and forth. "How are you and Gizzy? Staying safe? What's the ETA?"

I hear a low, content chuckle from the phone and swear I've been thrust into an alternate reality. "I'm fine, Giz is great. He's napping on my lap while I drive. Staying as safe as an eyeless guy can. And we should be there around midnight tonight."

Ash frowns. "Midnight? Why don't you guys stay the night at a hotel? Kinda risky to drive for so long."

Sal hums in contemplation. "My chances of finding a pet-friendly hotel are scarce. It's more trouble than it's worth. I don't usually go to bed 'til early in the morning anyway— you know that. I'll just get our bags down when we get there and save the unpacking for tomorrow."

"Let us know when you get here then," Ash murmurs worriedly. I grab my phone and check the time. It's six in the evening. Is he really going to drive for another six hours? "And please, drive safe. Don't forget to eat and stay hydrated. You literally take, like, two weeks off all our lives the longer you aren't around," she adds, tone much like a grandma fussing.

Sal laughs heartily on the line and my lips quirk up at the sound. "I will, I will," he replies to her, voice lovingly tender. "I'm about to stop to pick up dinner and feed Gizmo. I'll update you later, 'kay?"

"Okay," Ash chirps, satisfied with Sal's promise. "Ik houd van jou!" She kicks her feet after speaking, pinching her lips together and staring at the ceiling excitedly, waiting. Ash and her languages... I have no idea which one she just spoke, but usually if it's not in English, she's saying 'I love you.'

"You too, darling." Sal knows her as well as I do. This interaction is too precious-- I should not have been present for it.

Ash ends the call then looks over at us. "He's in such a good mood," she whisper yells, exhilaration scrawled across her face. She looks like she just did a line of coke. "He never says he loves me too!?" She whips her head to Larry, eyes narrowing as she inspects him. And Larry, he balks; holds his hands up in surrender to accompany his saucer-sized gaze. 

"Is he on drugs? Did you give him something?" Ash asks, raising an eyebrow but never letting up that little glare she has going. 

"No!" Larry exclaims, voice cracking. His surrendering hands turn upward in an exasperated shrug. "Why the hell would I send him on a road trip with drugs? We're talking about Sal."

"Exactly. We are talking about Sal. Sal who likes to party with you. See where I'm going?" Ash counters, tilting her head to accentuate her point.

Larry opens his mouth to argue, but then his brows furrow and he snaps his mouth shut, looking off to the side contemplatively. I'm still reeling over this news about Sal supposedly liking parties. "Okay, I see," Larry grumbles. "But seriously, I didn't give him anything. Hell, I don't even have anything."

"I wonder what the hell has him so cheery then," Ash mumbles to herself.

"It's trauma, dude, I swear," Larry declares passionately, pointing at Ash with one hand while the other buries itself into his hair. He's just had an 'aha!' moment. "He's fucking coping. Let the man cope."

Ash stuffs her face into her hands. "Larry," she says darkly, voice muffled. My hair stands on end at her tone and I note Larry grimacing beside me. "That is not funny."

Larry purses his lips and takes two steps back. I watch him struggle, cheeks going red as his mouth works. Like he's trying so desperately hard to not say something. But when can he ever keep his mouth shut, right? This is King Cockblock. Emo Buff Daddy.

"Sal would've laughed," he says softly, wincing when Ash's head snaps up and she sends him a cold glare. 

I giggle when Ash launches into a full frontal attack, heading straight for Larry who squeals like a piglet. Todd simply sighs, pinching Neil's arm who laughs at our friends.

As unclear as everything is, I know that I can rely on the people here with me. The excitement on their faces just from knowing they have a new start, surrounded by one another. This is solid, this is good.

Ash and I eventually find our way three stories above Sal and Larry's apartment to our own apartment. It's at this exact moment that reality sets in. Not only will I be beside Ash every single day from here on out, but the rest of our friends are in the same exact building. For as long as I've felt alone, I feel stuffed with company and I love every bit of it.

She wasn't wrong either. Our apartment is essentially the lighter, more feminine version of Sal and Larry's. The floor is a dark, mahogany color but the walls are eggshell white, creating a lovely contrast in the room. Our ceilings are still stunningly tall, but unlike Sal and Larry, we don't have a loft. Just a lot of fan room, as Ash joked. 

We spent time having our 'ooh' and 'ahh' moment, exploring our spacious three bedroom apartment and its bathrooms. And not long afterward, we set up the one blanket I brought with us in the middle of our living room. We ordered ramen and had a picnic beneath the moonlight fluttering in through our balcony windows. 

It's a girl's night that I've been craving since the moment I first left Nockfell all those years ago.

Ash ends up dragging me and our little blanket out onto our balcony so we can stargaze. In fact, we're in the middle of discussing Twenty One Pilots's new album when pale hands suddenly drop onto Ash's shoulders. 

She and I both yelp, Ash's arms flailing and her eyes squeezed shut in absolute terror as she flings herself off our blanket. I flinch, spinning in my sitting position to see Sal who's absolutely grinning beneath his prosthetic.

I look past him, noting Larry and Neil hovering in our living room with bags and suitcases surrounding them.

Oh, an important note, all three men are completely shirtless. Even better, they're a little sweaty too.

"What the fuck, Sally!?" Ash yells, sighing exasperatedly as she lifts herself from the ground and walks over to Sal, wrapping him up in a tight hug. "You're lucky I'm relieved about you being here because I would so twist your dick if this were any other situation."

"Thanks for sparing me then," he chuckles, hand splaying across Ash's lower back as they break their embrace.

I've found myself wordless all day. I feel like a spectator-- like I'm not even here with them on this balcony.

Ash ignores his remark. "Why are your nipples out? Why do you smell like a wet dog?" she asks instead, wrinkling her nose and leaning away from him.

Sal rolls his eyes and moves his arm away from her. "Because I've been unloading. Why else?" He steps aside, ushering Ash back into the apartment with a gesturing hand.

She follows his unspoken command, walking through the balcony doors and beholding the sheer amount of smelly men in our new home. "You should have called us for help," Ash murmurs, hands on her hips as she comes to a stop before Larry and Neil.

Sal doesn't answer her immediately. Instead, he looks over at me with his bright eyes that have been phenomenally captured by the moonlight above. He tilts his head toward the door, silently telling me to follow Ash's lead.

Gulping, I lean down and quickly gather my blanket in my arms, trying my absolute best not to express the nerves ravaging me whole. Sal's here. I don't really hate him like I thought I did. And he hasn't spewed insults at me yet. It's awkward and I feel... shy?

I start walking to the door, making absolute sure not to look at him. 

As I pass through the threshold, I can feel the very tips of Sal's fingers brush along my side. Even in LA's smoldering weather, chills suddenly erupt along my skin. I don't know what kind of touch it was-- a greeting or a reminder of his presence-- but it was certainly something. 

I suck in a quick breath, counting my steps so as not to trip over my feet as I walk further into the room. 

Sal follows, shutting our balcony doors behind him and moving to point at all the luggage on the floor. And, oh, thank God, someone was either smart enough or kind enough to bring an air mattress. "This is all your shit, Ash," Sal sighs sarcastically, though there's some amusement beneath his facade.

"How did you manage to fit all of this into Sal's trunk?" Larry asks, gathering his hair into his hands, a ponytail between his teeth. "Everyone else had, like, three bags. Here you are, bringing your entire closet and then some."

"Uh, yea." Ash's attitude comes out full force, a glint in her forest eyes that says she's ready for this argument. "I brought my entire house, dude. I just moved states away, if you didn't know."

Neil cackles, grabbing onto Larry's shoulder for support. "I'm so glad we all moved together. I never get tired of you guys."

Someone get this man out of the room. Neil's a really handsome mouse surrounded by vultures, especially shirtless like this. Sal blinks at him then turns away and-- honestly-- I'm not far from having to do the same.

Ash smirks at Neil, shifting her weight to one leg to accentuate her little sassy pose. "You're going to get tired of us when we finish unpacking our stuff. After that, we're going pack up all of y/n's stuff to haul it here."

Neil tries to mask the way his face suddenly falls at the reminder that we're moving me here too, but he miserably fails. His quivering lips say enough and the group of us can't help but burst into laughter.

"It shouldn't be too bad." I send Neil a reassuring smile. "I'll rope Nate into helping us somehow--"

"Your hot LA bestie?" Ash squeaks excitedly. She turns to me with her hands fisted beneath her chin, her previous attitude mist in the wind now.

My brows furrow. "You think Nate is hot? You? Ms. Scissoring Expert herself?" I can't help but pick on her a bit.

Ash's excitement morphs into flattery at the name I came up with for her. "Oh, come on. It's not that shocking is it? I indulge in men sometimes."

"Yea, every three blue moons," Sal chimes in, watching us with a tilted head and narrowed eyes.

Ash sticks her tongue out, mocking him before she focuses back on me. "Definitely invite the hottie," she tells me with raised brows.

Whatever Ash wants, Ash gets.

I grab my phone without another word and start typing out a message to Nate. Ash watches over my shoulder, her coconut and poppy scented hair brushing along my chin.

Me: hey, i'm moving. help pack???? pls???? :DDD

Nate: I swear I wasn't serious about revoking your brownie rights. You don't have to leave.

Me: LMAO i promise that's not the reason the faces just moved to la & ash invited me to live with her soooo

Nate: So you hate me is what I'm hearing.

Me: --_--

Nate: Lol. Kidding. You know I'm happy to  help with whatever you need.

Me: this is why ur my favorite ex <33

Ash gasps. "You dated the hottie?" I fling my head around to look at her, forgetting she was in on this entire conversation.

"Woah," Larry adds, hands waving like he's washing windows. "You dated the guy who tried to kill you before our stream?"

I shake my head disappointedly, glancing down at my phone to see if Nate fixed my fuck up. And he has, so I show everyone the message.

Nate: We've never dated. I'm not your ex.

Me: but you're clingy like one so you  might as well be... plus you literally drop everything to help me

Nate: Have fun packing on your own.

Me: I'M SORRY I WAS JOKING

Larry's cackling by this point, watching the conversation over my other shoulder. "I'm so proud of you for inheriting my good humor," he squeezes my shoulder in his big palm, causing a grin to split across my face.

The boy's start talking about something that I don't care to listen to. I just spare Sal a couple glances, noting his unfazed and easygoing persona right now. All day, I went against all that my DNA has decided about him. I've worried and sympathized, battled myself constantly at the expense of my own sanity just because he showed some of his truth to me once. 

Nockfell changed things. 

I left LA lustful and I've returned with a friend.

-----

A/N::::: WHO'S READY FOR THE GANG TO MEET NATE OMGGGGGG

so sorry it's been fucking FOREVER guys >~< this was kind of a hard chapter to write. i had a general layout with certain scenes and whatnot but i've had to do SO many transitions, as you can see. I kinda hate that cuz i'd much rather stick with one theme and gently lead into side pieces in one chapter rather than bouncing ALL over the place. but, as you can tell, this chapter was needed to address some of sal's issues, y/n's thoughts and feelings as of current, as well as the way their relationship has changed a bit :3

ofc the other reason i've been gone is cuz of that stupid accident i had o_O for those who don't know, the summary is that i hit my foot so hard it made me faint and i literally shmacked my head on the floor HAHAAAAA here's the update: it's been two weeks and my foot hurts even more than it did when the accident happened. the day of, i got x-ray's and my doc said that i just had a bruise but i'm going to another doctor for a second opinion. i'm literally not even bruised anymore, but still swollen asf and can hardly walk sooooo that's tomorrow's agenda. i'll update you guys again when i find out more!!! (psa, if my foot is broken/fractured before my beach trip in two weeks, the hospital i went to better start counting its MONEY not its DAYS because guess who'll be going to fucking COURT with my DISCHARGE PAPERS AND WORK EXCUSE STATING THAT I AM HEALTHY AND OKAY TO WALK AROUND??????????)

tell me how i can improve! how could i make my transition smoother? what are some thoughts and/or actions i could add in to make things more entertaining and personal? also give me some fun words!! i need to expand my vocabulary >.<

anyway, as always, i love you guys with all three of my working limbs, even my janky foot. smooches and squishes my loves <333

(p.s. sorry for the long ass note)

(p.s.s. sorry for the shorter chap </3)

[stereorebel]

salvis headcanons:

travis is gay and ace

sal is bi and trans

travis had found out sal was trans from visiting his apartment in the early morning one time (travis basically lived in sal's apartment before he moved out every saturday so he could get away from his dad) and sal answered the door in pajama pants and a binder

sal kept a first aid kit in his backpack so if travis arrived at school hurt from his father, he could get help easily

travis was always asking sal discreet little questions like "what's your favorite color" and "what's your favorite animal" so he could gather information for birthday presents

travis pretended to hate gizmo in front of sal, but always snuck in short little cuddle breaks with the cat while sal was getting snacks or going to the bathroom

[eddieismypimp]

My love, are you okay?

Chapter 1: I haven't seen you around before

Wanings: definite grammar errors, cussing, cringe lowkey, probably major spelling errors. nothing to major or serious. That will be happening in the later chapters.

A/N: This is quite literally terrible but maybe it's because I'm rusty. I haven't wrote in a while. I hope you guys enjoy anyway and I hope it gets better in the future chapters.

My POV:

Five days. It's been five days since I officially moved to the little, weird town of Nockfell. Five days since I started my job at the record store, and five days since I've had any interaction with anyone I actually ENJOYED conversing with. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I made the decision to move out on my own, I love my job, but I didn't realize how lonely I would be with no one here. Today has been especially excruciating considering my manager only had me scheduled today and there's only been two customers. I looked at the clock... I still had an hour and a half until I can clock out and go home to cuddle with my cat Dior. She was a cute, fluffy black cat. She's a cuddle bug too. I slumped over the desk with a groan. I would kill to be at home relaxing with Dior right now.... Just as I was daydreaming about being home in my comfy bed, watching netflix, I heard the chime of the front door. Oh thank god. I thought, standing up straight, looking towards the door. I saw a group of about 5 people walk in. "Hi guys!" I said. Getting a chorus of hey's, and hi's in return. "Welcome in, let me know if there's anything you need help with" I say. "Alright, thank you!" A guy with long brown hair responded barely even acknowledging my existence as they explored the store. "No problem!" I said, walking around the store, putting records away, pretending that I had been working the whole time. I took some time to observe the people who came in. There was a guy with long brown hair, a boy with dark skin with his arm around the shoulders of a boy with bright orange hair, a pale girl with long dark brown hair and a very pale guy with long blue hair and.... a mask? I looked at the person in interest and confusion. Then they spoke to the guy with the brown hair. "Larry look, they have it!" He said holding up a record, I couldn't see the artist though. Damn... he's got a deep voice.... lowkey got some muscle to him too... I don't know if this is my mask kink talking but he's kinda fine..."Hell yeah!" The guy he called Larry shouted, walking over to him. I decided to walk over to the two, maybe I could even make friends with them so I wouldn't be so lonely here. I doubt it though, I'm absolutely terrible at making conversation. "Hey, you guys finding everything okay?" I asked with a smile. You couldn't have thought of anything more basic? I thought, scolding myself internally. They paused for a moment, both giving me a once over. A few seconds go by neither one of them saying anything until the guy with brown hair nudges the guy with blue hair with his elbow. He cleared his throat. "Oh, uh, yeah. We're good." He says. Damn...I thought, Boring ass response. "Okay." I say with a smile and beginning to walk off, accepting the fact that these people probably did not want to be bothered by the worker. "Uh, wait.." I heard one of them say. I turned around. "What's up?" I asked politely.

Sal's POV:

Larry, Neil, Todd, Ashley and I decided to go to the record store today. Sanity's Fall released a new album a couple days ago and we were hoping the record store would have it. We were greeted as soon as we walked in. We all let out a hey, or a hi. I looked over to see who the voice was connected to and my breathe hitched. Holy shit.....I've never seen her before...she's gorgeous... "Welcome in, let me know if there's anything you need help with" She says. "Alright, thank you!" Larry responded, going to walk in the opposite direction. "Larry," I said walking up to him. "What's up?" He asked looking through records. "Bro, look at the worker, shes so hot." I said pointing to where she was standing putting some records away. She had brown skin, black super curly hair, a lip piercing, both sides of her nose done, her septum done, her eyebrow... multiple tattoos on her arms and legs. She was wearing a maroon corset, black skirt with two chains hanging from it, and black platforms. My god.. Larry chuckled. "She is hot bro, go get her man, go talk to her." Larry said nudging me towards her. "No man... she's way to hot for me." I said pushing him back. "Shut up." He said laughing. Then we split off into our own directions looking for the Sanity's fall record. After barely even a minute of looking I found the Sanity's fall record. "Larry look, they have it!" I said. "Hell yeah!" Larry said walking over to me. "Hey, you guys finding everything okay?" I heard. I turned my head. I knew it was her but I was still taken by surprise to see her standing so close. I took her in, seeing her piercings and tattoos up close. I saw a tattoo of a pumpkin on her wrist and bats going up her arm. There was alot more but those are the main ones that caught my eye. I didn't realize I was just staring until Larry nudged me. I cleared my throat. "Oh, uh, yeah. We're good." I say, internally cursing myself for that boring ass response. "Okay." She said with a smile, turning to walk away. I couldn't let her walk away, I had to say something. . "Uh, wait.." I say nervously. Nice one dumbass.. She turned around! Thank god. "What's up?" She asked politely. Think Sal, come on... "Are you from here? I haven't seen you around before?" I asked. She smiled. "No, I'm not from here," She said, "I actually just moved here like five days ago." "Oh, that's cool!" I said a little to enthusiastically, "Do you have family or friends here?" I hope she doesn't think that was creepy.

My POV:

"Do you have family or friends here?" He asked me. I smiled slighlty, glad he's attempting to continue the conversation but also not knowing if I should answer truthfully or not. Considering I still didn't even know his name. Yes he's hot but he's still a whole ass stranger. Fuck it.."Nope," I decided to answer truthfully, "I decided to move out on my own. I don't know why I chose somewhere with absolutely no one that I know." I say, nervously chuckling. He chuckled a little too. I noticed that the Larry guy had walked away to join his other friends and left the blue haired guy here alone to converse with me. "Doesn't that get lonely though?" He asked sounding genuinely concerned. I sighed. "Yeah, it does get pretty lonely, and boring," I say, "It's just my cat and I." "You have a cat?!" He asked excitedly. "Yes! Her name is dior." I said with a smile. "I have a cat too, his name is Gizmo." He said. "Awww, I love cats." I said in adoration. "I do too," He said, "So, whats your name?" He asked, he semed a little nervous or anxious. Glad I'm not the only one. "My name is y/n," I said, sticking my hand out. This feels way to formal, why the hell did I stick my hand out... "My name is Sal." He said, thankfully taking my hand in his and shaking it, making me feel less awkward. "Hi Sal." I said sweetly. "Hi y/n." He mocked in a playful way making me chuckle a bit. "Well.. if you ever need someone to hang out with or something... my friends and I would be down.." He said, looking down, putting a hand on the back of his neck. I damn near let out a squeal. Fuck yeah.. thank you god. Okay, okay y/n, compose yourself. Keep your cool. "Uh, yeah," I said smiling, "I would love that!" To enthusiastic girl come on now...He chuckled. "Cool.. can I have your number?" He asked, holding out his phone to me. "Sure." I said, taking the phone from him and putting my number in. He took his phone back. "I guess I'll be texting you." He said. "I hope so." I said, looking him up and down, trying to sound flirty. Hopefully that was sexy and not dumb as shit. "Y-yeah," He said, turning to go join his friends again. "I'll see you." "Yeah, I'll see you." I said, walking back to the register.

Sal's POV:

I actually asked for her number, fuck yeah. Go Sal. "I guess I'll be texting you." I said, trying to sound confident. "I hope so." She said looking me up and down. My god that was sexy. "Y-yeah," I said. Goddamn stuttering. "I'll see you." I said, turning around to head back to everyone. "Yeah, I'll see you." She said with that sweet voice of hers. Fuck... my jeans are tight...

[littleroaes]

( 🌷 ) ❀˖° — ‘ ACQUAINTANCES ‘ — a list of my MOOTS ( writers and non ) who I have interacted with and fic RECS.

( 🌷 ) ❀˖° — AUTHORS NOTE : a list of my acquaintances here on tumblr! as I’m very timid, I don’t have too many interactions with some users. but the net of people here is very sweet and sincere. please please give them love!

I will update it as I get to know new people, read past works/ new works!

• LAST UPDATE : oh my god! it’s done! I think I have gathered all? don’t feel afraid to comment or something else if I missed you! It’s pretty rushed at parts, but I’ll improve on it, for the time being, I’m released it’s finally up!

➵ @blue-rainydays 💙

➵ @cloverdaisies m.list personal rec ➤ HEY CHAT! ∩^ω^∩ ↳ no one loves this fic like I love this fic! reread it a lot because it genuinely makes me so happy! i wrote it in my reblog but im so sad this yn and hj arent together lol. i would be the biggest minecraft fan if they were real →

➵ @cupidjyu m.list personal rec ➤ he’s hopeless! ↳ the fluffiest fluff that has ever fluffed! kicked my feet all the way through! juyeon's character is so entertaning to read! → other: detention for romance

➵ @everynewiee m.list ( @adorablehyunjae ) personal rec ➤ Honey - Dew Cat Cafe ↳ so cute! juyeon wears an apron and owns a cat(do I need to say more?) their pet bring them together!au !!! →

@floatingpluto

➵ @from-izzy m.list personal rec ➤ this summer… ↳ hyunjae is so patient! real love im telling you! that giddy feeling of when you feel special! It's what it gives! I wish to have someone like this hyunjae →

➵ @haet-sal m.list personal rec ➤ Cinderella Boy ↳ really creative fic! i loved the concept, had me in my seat the entire time! youre gonna feel so bad for juyeon though →

➵ @heemingyu m.list personal rec ➤ Serenade ↳ so feel good! I absolutely adore eric's and sunwoo's dynamic in this one! eric is down so bad, and i love it! → other: Rainy Days

➵ @hyungseos-cafe m.list personal rec ➤ the thought of you ↳ love this series! very easy to read since all of them are pretty short, but each one is so distinct and cute! I especially like changmins and erics! →

➵ @juyeonszn m.list (@fawnieszn/ @jungwonszn @yeonjunszn @eunseokszn )

personal rec ➤ BLAH BLAH ↳ I feel like there’s a lot of coincidences between me and this fic lol. but I do truly love it. jacob is 🫠🫠, basically all fawns fics make me feel 🫠🫠 lol →

➵ @kimsohn m.list personal rec ➤ polaroid & hearts on your sleeve ↳ polaroid is such a cute one! makes me want a jacob for myself even more! hearts on your sleeve is heart-aching, but I find it so creative! →

➵ @kpop17

➵ @leaz-kpop-life

➵ @onceuponabloom tag system! personal rec ➤ taste your lipgloss ↳ I’m so bad at describing things! but kicking my legs! very typical flirty, oops, heart fluttering vibe but I love it! →

➵ @o-onikix m.list personal rec ➤ Enchanted ↳ was some time since I read it, but I remember enjoying it! First time I wish to end a relationship with hyunjae →

@seolboba m.list personal rec ➤ 8:36 AM ↳ not tbz, but very cute! I really like rin (oc)! though I’m a kevrin stan, I really like Felix and her in this one. chans immediate leadership/ family ship is amazing! →

➵ @sungbeam m.list personal rec ➤ ain’t no romeo ↳ listend to it in speechify! a fic with so much to explore! there's so many good dynamics between characters and different elements! from humor, cutesy, fluttering and mysterious! →

➵ @winterchimez m.list ( @midnightfantasiez ) personal rec ➤ Make or Brake ↳ love changmin childhood friends to lovers! he fits it so well for some reason. really feel good fic! → other: criminal,

➵ @zzoguri m.list personal rec ➤ of linked arms and bruised hearts (you are the reason i keep on going) ↳ a long one, but the ending is so satisfying. every moment feels well-earned! again, changmin fits f2l so bad! I love their friend group, and jacob lowkey broke me lol →

[boyswillbedogz]

headmates that are active on our socials

as of august 2024

☀️: Lennon he/they/it • host well mannered if not frequently distressed. if you wanna become friends with us collectively your best best is be nice to him and the others may accustom themselves to you.

☀️: Autopsy cohost / ASPD symptom holder / prosecutor • he/it/mutt/bark/snarl slightly destructive dead dog & mildly source connected sal fisher fictive. somewhat flat & blunt when you first meet him. if youre a dick hes probably who youll have to answer to. mostly fronts when Lennon's annoyed or overwhelmed but sometimes hes just around.

💫: Socks ADHD symptom holder / cohost ??? • h3/h1m source connected ben drowned fictive with very unclear purpose. he's pretty friendly, has a typing quirk, and likes video games and typical teenage boy shit. he likes scenecore as an aesthetic but his music tatse is kind of a mess. sparkledog.

☀️: Lokii cohost / ADHD symptom holder • he/they/splash mildly source connected sebastian (pressure) fictive. outgoing theatre kid, can be snippy and "a bit much." less likely than Autopsy but he'll chew you out. fronts basically any time Lennon can't and Autopsy wont.

💫: cypher & wyll unknown ?? he / it / gold / any a mostly source disconnected tumblr sexyman bill cipher & will cypher subsystem. came back from dormancy recently and we dont know why. cypher is an extremely unhinged theatre kid & wyll is a sopping wet cat with no morals. 💫: Saide syskid / soother he / pup little dude, also a hunter fictive. usually runs our agere account. rarely fronts without Luka or Mori in cofront but he can hold his own 💫: Lukotomy "Luka" protector / soother / caretaker he / it / they a golden lab service dog who usually fronts while we're at school or supervises the littles. 💫: Mori ex gatekeeper / soother • fae/he/they/it friendly and polite extremely source disconnected revivebur fictive. an angel, fond of lower life forms but not particularly sociable. 💫: Voidal stress holder • they/any volatile chunk of void. on our socials often but not very personable, you basically have to talk to them like a scared animal or theyll flip out and trigger Autopsy. 💫: Unname unclear • mew/they/it/any Pretty well rounded source disconnected ranboo fictive. pretty well rounded person, does most of our chores and may pop in every now & then 💫: Mystic / Mythic "Mys" Gatekeeper • He/hym + they/it Pretty blunt and flat, exists mostly to do behind the scenes and occasional damage control when Mori cant. Polite but not very sociable.

[soulaansugar]

𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

hello!! call me malentina or mal . i'm a young writer who simply writes for fandoms im in since i can never find the exact stuff i want.

dni if you're a proshipper, nsfw account, racist, homophobe, or transphobe. basically the basic dni criteria

my request are currently: closed!

𝐅𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐎𝐌𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐈 𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐑

𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐓𝐌𝐍𝐓

Leo Donnie Raph Mikey April future!Leo future!Donnie future!Raph future!Mikey future!April Casey Jr. Lou Jitsu

𝐓𝐌𝐍𝐓 (𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟐)

Leo Raph Donnie Mikey

𝐃𝐄𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐈𝐓:𝐁𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐇𝐔𝐌𝐀𝐍

Connor RK800 Markus North Josh Hank Luther Kara Simon The Jerry's

𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄

Wally Darling Julie Joyful Poppy Partridge Sally Starlet Eddie Dear (only for male!readers, he's gay!!) Howdy Pillar Frank Frankly (same for him, pretty sure he's also gay.)

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐔𝐒

part II!Ellie Williams (only for fem!readers) Joel Miller Abby Anderson Tommy Miller

𝐒𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄

Sal Fisher Larry Johnson Ashley Campbell

𝐌𝐘 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐎 𝐀𝐂𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐀

Izuku Midoriya Ochaco Uraraka Dabi Shoto Todoroki Mirio Togata Katsuki Bakugo Denki Kaminari

𝐂𝐔𝐏𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃

Cuphead Mugman Ms. Chalice King Dice The Devil

𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐎 𝐂𝐔𝐏𝐒

Mugman Cuphead Chips Bettigan King Dice Lucifer Cagney Carnation

𝐁𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐘 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐈𝐒: 𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐊 𝐌𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐄

Bendy Mugman Cuphead Felix the cat

𝐌𝐔𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐌𝐀𝐘𝐇𝐄𝐌

Leo

Raph

Donnie

Mikey

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐖𝐎𝐍𝐓 𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄

𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋

fluff angst slight yandere light gore(vague descriptions) slightly suggestive scenes platonic relationships romantic relationships male!reader fem!reader gender neutral!reader (specific body)!reader

𝐖𝐎𝐍𝐓

smut pedophilia heavy gore abuse S/A of any form self harm (specific race)!reader (UNLESS it's a black!reader, since thats what i am. i dont want to risk offending anyone.) trans!reader (same thing, since i'm personally not trans i dont want to upset anyone by getting something wrong.)

this is prone to change in the future!!

[tiredemzz]

ANON/Y/N SLENDER HCS IN MY AU:

-Anon likes to eat Mac and Cheese with a glass of Apple Juice :)

-Anon likes to explain her problems to ether Slender or to any of the pastas if she chooses to :p

-Anon loves to quote memes or vines that she sees sometimes, makes her laugh :3

-Anon isn't really a huge person on kids, kids annoy her sometimes due to them being loud or bratty

-Anon plays games on Roblox, especially dress to impressed and sometimes a few obbys, tycoons here and there

-Anon decided to kill Ben's dad as revenge, she basically hates him + Ben's bullies

-Anon owns two pets named Darkness aka her pet crow and Smiling Cat, who's basically Smiling Dog but as a cat

-Anon watchs shows like Steven Universe or Adventure Time, sometimes MLP and SpongeBob. She also watches Saiki K as well.

-Anon's favorite movie series is Bill Nye bc she's a science nerd + space nerd lel

-A space nerd, loves rambling and talking about space

-16 yrs old, about to become 17 this whoop whoop!

-Not much into shipping, she's mostly not into ships. She's a chill daughter of slenders.

-Hates one of slenders brothers aka the pervy one. (Yall, he's dead in my AU bc nobody likes him in my AU)

-Doesn't mind EJ, mostly gifts him liver everyday 24/7 lel

-Study's space 24/7 in her room sometimes, not offen

-Shockly can drive a car bc of owning her permit and actually owns a car, thanks to Slender <3

-Is a fall and winter girlie, doesn't like summer ether due to hot weather.

-Likes to play video games with Ben sometimes, favorite video games are sega, nintendo games. Owns a switch, 3DS in her room :)

-Does online school sometimes during the fall, spring and before breaks, such.

-Smart girlie, doesn't mind studying at a library.

-Owns a phone but mostly owns a walkie bc of Sal hehe

-Doesn't mind making friends with other people.

-Bisexual, she/her pronouns :]

-Wears comfort clothes :)

-Doesn't like swimsuits that much, makes her uncomfortable.

-Doesn't mind playing dress up with Sally, loves playing dress up :)

-Has a bit of trust issues once in a while..

-Legit listens to space podcasts or just music in general, I dunno lel

•

•

•

Yall- just a reminder that in my AU that Anon isn’t a pick me, she’s just a normal person. Not the Y/N in the fanfics, Ty.

Hope yall enjoy the hcs <3

[decarabiandivorce]

#old Mondstadt probably loved short stories like A Monkey's Paw and uses those types of metaphors a lot#a promise from their god of love and safety being twisted so... so they find ways to twist up the twist

Thinking about Decarabian's story later being told as a cautionary tale against a controlling suffocating 'love', and the role Amos would have played in such a narrative....anyway I'm curious what you think of Decarabian and Amos' relationship specifically as 'lovers' 👀

HELLO! I, TUMBLR USER DECARABIAN DIVORCE IS TOTALLY NORMAL ABOUT THESE TWO AND THEIR FAILURE OF A RELATIONSHIP.

COME CLOSER

I WILL NOT BITE

oKAY SO

My interpretation of Decarabian and Amos is that of two people that really cared about each other and so thought that perhaps they should be romantically involved with each other. I have a couple writings about how I think they would first meet (Left in my bestie's ask blog like a cat)

But! To understand that I must share how I interpret Amos! She is my babygirl and I think about her a nooooormal amount. Okay so Amos was a hunter at the start of the archon war, but thanks to her courtship she was basically cursed to have the same lifespan as Decarabian. This sounded like a completely sane and normal thing to agree to at the altar, a literal til death do we part. She had been alive for centuries by the time of the rebellion, and when her husband's 'heart' stopped so did hers.

Decarabian on the other hand, has been alive even before the time of the archon war,,, cause ya know,,, he needs to found Mondstadt. Now the city itself wasn't the only place that Decarabian reigned from. The snowy mountains had villages such as Sal Vindagnyr, and he was there to witness the celestial nail be dropped. He saw the horrors gods could inflict on other beings and this shattered his trust in any other divine being. Such a tragedy also made him think about how fragile humanity is, and thus he vowed he would keep Mondstadt safe. At all costs.

They both had a couple of friendships before this all went down, I like to hc Deca as knowing Kairos and thus when she went MIA it only fueled his parania. His closest neighbors were Liyue, and he did not trust a single god from there, and we all know he and Andrius had beef.

Amos, however, was a pillar of Mondstadt's community. She was a hunter! She was strong and powerful and in present-day Mond terms she would be as reliable as Jean or Noelle. However, Mondstadt wasn't as.... free as present-day Mondstadt. With her parents dying when she was about 20 or so, many people kept implying for her to start a relationship.

She.. hated disappointing them. She had never felt the need to take a lover before, but a companion? A friend she coudl share secrets with and be by her side? She craved warmth.

It only got worse when the war started and Decarabian is like "oh shield time everyone! :D " and now she was Stuck. Stuck and unable to go out to hunt. She felt like a burden. A testament to her name. She would spend long days helping out the city as best she could, telling every one of her friends that were concerned for her lifestyle that she was simply too busy for a relationship.

She... never felt an attraction to a person before. Never felt Cupid's arrow sting her chest and cause her to yearn. She had close calls, but could never imagine herself in an actual relationship with either of them.

Yet days in the timeless city still moved on, and the storms cradled the city in their razor-sharp embrace. She dreamed of the forest and of the hunt. She dreamed of those foggy memories of joining the hunting party. She dreamed that someone would understand that she didn't need a lover to be happy.

If this was a story told in the future, this is where the Monkey's paw would curl.

One day, she met a man in the armory and he was so kind and polite to her. No one in the city had seen their god's face, so she just assumed he was a noble or a guard. They talked for hours. He wanted to meet a person that people kept talking about. She would go silent as he mentioned those words, but in the end they became friends.

Yet... she was still troubled by her friends. It sucked have to sit through conversation after conversation about her future. How that having someone by her side would be good for her when she gets older! How having a spouse was a wonderful thing.

After many nights of pressure and debate, she asked out Decarabian. She wanted to experience this. Perhaps she was wrong! Perhaps she was just missing out! He was her friend, so it would be just like hanging out.

Before she knew it, people were happy for her. She was happy that they were happy. She was happy seeing Decarabian smile at her. But was she happy?

It felt like an item on a list being crossed out. An obligation she had to fulfill. She got what she asked, but...

...

Its fine! She is fine! Its...

its nothing.

don't worry about it.

(^ doodled them while writing this all down ehehe)

Years later, she and him were wed. Everyone was so happy. It felt like a dream walking down the aisle. The type of dream that you don't remember happening. The type that fogs the mind as you try to recall it. There are rings on her fingers now. It's a cold feeling, the metal against her skin. The ornaments in her hair are heavy. It's... its fine.

She is glad her husband feels so happy looking at her.

As lovers, they didn't really date. Neither of them found the point of all of it. They were basically roommates+ that slept in the same bed. Amos found out she loved to cuddle him as she slept. It's been so long since she had felt a loving embrace, and he had never felt a hug before.

She taught him a lot of things about romance, not quiet understanding him at times but they managed! She yearned to be held, and so Decarabian did! He was doing such a good job at this! He loved the ways she laughed. He loved her dedication to her crafts. He loved looking at her.

Yet the years went by, and soon Amos wasn't leaving the tower as often. Her friends had lives of their own, and she should have a life of her own. Despite having someone by her side, she never felt so isolated.

Before long, she was the only one left alive from that friend group. Decarabian put his arms around her waist, happy that his beloved was spending more time with him. She seemed sad.. so a hug should do the trick!

They never.. talked about this. They never talked about anything! They just existed with each other after a time, enjoying the other's presence but something was missing.

She felt safe. She felt a strong bond between her and Deca. She felt... happy? Complacent. It was nice being in the tower... but it was as dull as the grey sky.

It was only centuries of this limbo before she would meet a duo that would bring that spark back in her eyes.

So yeah tldr neither of them should have been dating each other in the first place but the norm that people who are close together should be lovers pushed them into a situation neither of them was prepared to tackle. Neither of them communicated their needs and thus suffering was caused. At the end of the day, they do care deeply for each other, and this only made it all much more painful. F in chat

Anyways links to my writings and a couple hcs pals and I have about the two

The Sun Post <- THE MAIN ONE TO READ

Bestie's commentary on it (^^^) that I rotate and I think everyone should see

Gifts

Expressions and Metaphors 

Everything is fine!

Amos means Burden thing again <- This one is a lot more short story -ish

The one Ring to rule court her

The basics in Language

How they got together

You know other men?

Touch

Should have communicated better oof

Average Deca compliment

The reveal

Speedrunning this huh?

[iicloudyiiddyy]

I saw that you wanted requests, and then I saw that you write for sally face and I rushed right over! Currently thrown back into my sally face obsession lol. Anyways, could I request some platonic headcanons for a fem reader being part of the main gang? Basically just what it's like to be friends with them and being part of their group, what kind of shenanigans reader gets into with them, just friendship stuff if that's okay ^^ and feel free to throw some romantic stuff in there like who is most likely to develop a crush on reader. Hopefully this isnt too much I'm sorry if it is

ᴀ/ɴ : AHHHH! I WAS SO EXCITED WHEN I READ THIS. LIKE IM BEAMING WITH JOY AS I WRITE THIS. DON’T YOU DARE APOLOGIZE!! I LOVE SALLY FACE AND HAVEN’T GOT A SF REQ IN A LOOONGGG TIME AND IM JUST SO HAPPY TO HEAR SOMEONE FROM THE OTHER SIDE AGAIN LOL! This isn’t too much at all and I’m so hyped to write this! Please enjoy! ♡︎

INTRODUCTION 

I feel like it is Ashely who originally introduced you to the group

You two were originally pretty close friends and she decided to bring you more!

Now for the first impressions…

Larry would immediately warm up to you

you two would hit it off as if you didn’t know what the word stranger was!

Todd would sorta be indifferent to you originally

smiles and nods at you but goes on with tinkering with his projects 

But I feel like sally would be awkward at first with you..

Like how he reacted when he first saw Ashley…imagine how he reacted with you! 

He was originally worried on how you would react to his prosthetic 

But you never showed any negative expressions!

You had nothing but love and support to give!

And you were funny and pretty!

How was he supposed to react to that?

But as you guys hung out more and as Todd and sal saw how you interacted with the other half of the group they would warm up considerably more!

   NOW WITH THE GROUP!

I feel like it would be so hectic…

But so fun at the same time..

You and Todd would so have study sessions together! 

Sometimes Larry would join but we all know you never get any work done with him around

Todd and you could talk for hours about the most interesting topics! 

Larry would most definitely put his two cents here and there and it would always crack you up!

Todd would always be exasperated but Larry means well!

Larry and you would be the best of twins.

When I say you two get into the deepest shit together I mean it.

He’s your partner in crime what can you say?

With Ashley I can see her having painting sessions with you and sal would just be in the back struggling..

You guys definitely have treehouse hangs!

If you got into some demonic shenanigans that treehouse would be your go to.

You and sal would be smoke buddies, if he can’t hang with Larry than it has to be you

He finds you so endearing 

NEVER LEAVE THAT MAN ALONE WHEN HES HIGH

he can get so scared if his own thoughts…(ᗒᗣᗕ)՞

But one day you two are just chilling high asf and his munchkin of a cat comes crawling over 

Immediately you cherish gizmo and he cherishes you. 

Probs likes you more than sal

Sal already liked you but seeing this?

A fellow cat person?? Say less 

As soon as sally saw that he was never letting you go.

Now for the shenanigans you guys get into….

I can just see larry convincing you guys to try out this goofy Oujii board with cheeto dust he saw off E-Bay

And Todd’s like “ it would be good data..”

So here you guys are speed running through the halls because the demons wasn’t in the mood to deal with 5 emotionally traumatized teenagers..

May or may not have accidentally let more demons in Addison apartments

You and Ashley have friend ship bracelets. It’s just a fact!

Feel like you, Larry and sal would go to a gas station in the ungodly hours of the day and create the worst abominations with candy, Gatorade, packets of sauce, and yogurt and have you guys try them.

Probably pranked Todd with some of the worst ones..

For romance I would feel like Ashley would love to draw in you if you were her S/O 

(TW) : if you had sh scars are any scars of any kind she would draw hearts and stars on them

Same thing with sal, he loves kissing them,

making sure you feel the love he never got

For the one who would be most likely to develop a crush… 👀 

I think sal would..

If you showed never wavering love and devotion to that man he would just melt 

actually tears up if he showed you his face and you didn’t recoil back 

Like what did he do to deserve you?

Nothing bbg it’s all you

*sobs* give him love!

If you were with Larry I imagine you guys having late night drives…

Listening to ear fracturing death metal as you talk about your guys hopes and dreams..

Tʜᴀᴛs ɪᴛ ғᴏʀ ɴᴏᴡ! I ʜᴏᴘᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏ ᴍʏ ʜᴇᴀᴅ ᴄᴀɴɴᴏɴs!! I ᴡᴏʀᴋ ʜᴀʀᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴋᴇᴇᴘ ᴍʏ ᴀɴᴏɴs ғᴇᴅ! ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʟᴇᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴋɴᴏᴡ! ɪ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ ᴅᴇʟɪɢʜᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ᴀ ᴘᴀʀᴛ 2!

ᴏɴᴄᴇ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀɴᴏɴ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʀᴇǫᴜᴇsᴛᴇᴅ ᴛʜɪs! ɪ sᴍɪʟᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡʜᴏʟᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ I ᴡʀᴏᴛᴇ ᴛʜɪs! ᴀs ᴀʟᴡᴀʏs ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ʙᴇ ᴀғʀᴀɪᴅ ɪɴ sᴇɴᴅɪɴɢ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʀᴇǫs! I ʟᴏᴠᴇ sᴘᴇᴡɪɴɢ ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛs ᴏᴜᴛ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ! ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ʟɪᴋᴇ, ʀᴇʙʟᴏɢ , ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴛ, ᴏʀ ғᴏʟʟᴏᴡ ᴛᴏ sᴜᴘᴘᴏʀᴛ! THANK YOU ♡︎

[fluffyzoey]

EGG FUCKING SALAD

So I wanted to let y’all know about this…headcanon? Oc? Idk but he’s a thing.

✨Egg Salad✨

Basically, in my RtC au, Uranium is kind of a trashy town with basically no pest control, meaning stray cats kind of run rampant. That’s where a few of the Potts family’s 14 cats came from actually!

One day our angry boy Mischa is wandering home from school when he hears meowing coming from behind a cardboard box in an alleyway on main street, which turns out to be a scrawny-looking grey and white cat. He “rescues it” (read: pries it away from the box as it scratches his arms in pure anguish) and takes it home. His initial thought was to give the little guy to Ricky, because Mischa is more of a dog person.

That changes quickly.

He names the cat “Egg Salad” because it smells. Really bad. At all times. And also because of Bad Egg but mostly the smell tbh. It’s actually great repellent for his foster parents, because Egg Salad hates everyone except Mischa (but only sometimes, usually Egg Salad or Sal for short is kind of a dickwad) and they don’t like the stench of this garbage monster.

So yeah, I gave Mischa a cat, and this is how it happens. Sometimes Egg Salad features in his raps and videos (not always on purpose)

Ricky is like the only one who actually likes the cat. He comes over and, despite Sal’s insistence on being a little shit, plays with him.

[iceflwers]

𝓫𝓮𝓷𝓳𝓪𝓶𝓲𝓷 “𝓫𝓮𝓷” 𝓫𝓻𝓪𝓭𝓼𝓱𝓪𝔀 !

˚✧ ₊˚ʚ THE BASICS !

— ❥ FULL NAME: Benjamin Jeffrey Bradshaw.

— ❥ NICKNAMES: Ben (most commonly used), Benny, Benji, Bradley, Bradshaw, babe (by Matthew only), sweetheart (by Matthew only).

— ❥ DATE OF BIRTH: September 9th, 2002 (Virgo).

— ❥ BIRTHPLACE: Miami, Florida, United States.

— ❥ CURRENT RESIDENCE: Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada.

— ❥ SPOKEN LANGUAGES: English, Spanish (not fluently), German (not fluently), Swiss German (not fluently), Swedish (not fluently), American Sign Language (not fluently).

— ❥ ORIENTATION: Homoromantic, homosexual.

— ❥ GENDER IDENTITY: Cisgender male (he/him pronouns).

— ❥ OCCUPATION: Center for the Vancouver Canucks.

— ❥ FACECLAIM: Kit Connor.

˚✧ ₊˚ʚ PERSONALITY !

— ❥ HOGWARTS HOUSE: Hufflepuff (loyal, hard-working, compassionate).

— ❥ MYERS-BRIGGS TYPE: INFP - The Mediator (empathetic, open-minded, self-isolating).

— ❥ ENNEAGRAM TYPE: Type Two - The Helper (warm-hearted, sincere, sentimental).

— ❥ MORAL ALIGNMENT: Lawful Good.

— ❥ LOVE LANGUAGES: Physical touch for receiving, quality time for giving.

— ❥ SKILLS: Hockey, skating, cooking, memorization, playing acoustic guitar, dancing.

— ❥ LIKES: Cozy sweaters, fantasy novels, lying on his bed listening to music in the dark, winning hockey games, spending time with his teammates and friends, warm and Sunny weather, petting cats, cuddling with Matthew, comedy movies, doing puzzles, skating on fresh ice.

— ❥ DISLIKES: Losing, thunderstorms, being ignored, talking to his parents, scratchy fabrics, people who mistreat public servants, rainy days, any kind of discrimination, fake people, bugs.

— ❥ FEARS/PHOBIAS: Being left alone again, being hated, drowning, snakes.

˚✧ ₊˚ʚ RELATIONSHIPS !

— ❥ FAMILY: Lydia Bradshaw (mother, estranged), David Bradshaw (father, estranged).

— ❥ FRIENDS: Elias Petterson, Joseph Woll, Brock Boeser, Quinn Hughes, Luke Hughes, John Marino, Jack Hughes, Thatcher Demko.

— ❥ ACQUAINTANCES: Remainder of the Vancouver Canucks roster, Mitch Marner, Nico Hischier, Fraser Minten, Connor Dewar, William Nylander.

— ❥ ROMANTIC INTERESTS: Jackson Harlan (former crush), Charlie Brighton (first boyfriend), Sal Ahmad (brief fling), Brock Boeser (brief crush), Matthew Knies (current romantic interest).

˚✧ ₊˚ʚ FUN FACTS !

— ❥ While Ben would never classify himself as a bookworm - he doesn’t really have enough time to read a lot because of his career - he does like to read, and always makes it a mission to read three books during the off-season.

— ❥ Ben’s favorite form of physical affection is holding hands with someone, or even just linking pinkies with them - he loves having that feeling of connection and not being able to be separated from someone in public.

— ❥ He is, unsurprisingly, very popular with queer hockey fans. There are plenty of edits floating around on the Internet calling him a queer icon and highlighting moments during games and media that the creators think showcase that, and honestly, he kind of loves it.

— ❥ Ben is also a proud feminist, and a huge supporter of women in professional hockey. He attends all the PWHL games he can get to, often bringing Matty and Joey with him, and consistently posts in support of women in professional sports and praises women’s hockey teams in interviews when he can. (Quinn is a very proud captain for him because of this.)

— ❥ Despite mainly being a student athlete, he really liked his classes in college, especially the Creative Writing course he took - Matty always jokes that he’ll have to become an author after retiring from hockey.

tagging @lovings4turn, @hiya-itsamber, & @theopenlocker !

─┈ ♡ copyright © 2024: you do not have permission to copy, translate, or repost my works, nor to use my oc ideas or plots.

[ryverbind]

Faceless Fixation {Sal Fisher}: Simon (Sal) Riley [14]

Fingers threading through my hair, gentle and soft, summons me back to life. Seconds ago, I was consumed by the deepest sleep I've had in weeks. Months, really. I mean I really slept good. I didn't have a single dream. It was just bliss.

I blink my eyes open and glance at Ash who's staring down at me with a grin that's holding back a series of laughs. Mirth dances in her jade eyes and I'm really curious as to why she looks like she's about to laugh at me.

I take a deep breath through my nose then sit up, closing my tired eyes while I do a long and well-deserved cat stretch. "What's wrong?" I murmur, my voice hoarse.

"Nothing," Ash whispers, standing to her full height. She's still in her pajamas, which consists of a pair of Hello Kitty sweatpants and a black sports bra. The epitome of comfy, basically. "You were snoring, for one. And I mean it sounded like you were choking on some really good dick. Sorry if I interrupted any kind of-- hehehehe-- dream, but I wanted to make sure you were alright." While she obviously couldn't help but giggle, she does seem a bit concerned.

I grimace. Was I really snoring? That hard?

"I'm fine," I rasp, shrugging while trying to keep my eyes open. "I wasn't even dreaming. Was just in a deep sleep." I smack my lips, swallowing thickly over the heavy cloud of exhaustion that hovers over me.

"Okay, hun," Ash says softly, pushing a strand of hair out of my face. She tucks it behind my ear then cups my chin in her dainty, cold hand. "You can go back to sleep. It's only nine in the morning. I'll be moving to the living room, so you can have the bed to yourself."

I shake my head. No way am I going to sleep my day away-- it's my last day in Las Vegas. I want to spend it with my friends. "No," I tell her, trying to perk up a bit. "It's my last day. I want to spend it with you guys. I just need some coffee, or something."

Ash giggles. "Whatever you want, sweetness." Then, she stands with a little sigh, stretching her arms out. "I'll send Larry to go downstairs and get us a few cups of coffee then."

"That sounds wonderful," I reply, yawning loud and proud. No matter how hard I try, I can't jump over this sleepy hurdle. I've gotten about six hours of sleep so I shouldn't be this tired.

Ash puts on some slippers and I secure my mask onto my face before we walk out. I stop by the bathroom to brush my teeth quickly, only to nearly choke on the toothpaste frothing in my mouth upon seeing the half open shower curtain.

I have to face Sal Fisher soon.

Oh, boy. I genuinely don't know how this is going to go. I want to act like nothing even happened-- that feels like the safest route. But if he acts awkward around me, then how am I supposed to work around that?

I rinse the toothpaste out of my mouth and stand there with my hands on my head for a moment, reeling over the situation I've put myself in. I don't regret any of it. Sal really did show me a good time and I slept good as fuck afterward. If I'm being completely honest, I'd do it again.

His touch was so addictive. I've never had such a visceral reaction like that in my life. Just a brush of his fingertips had my brain practically vibrating.

He's special, talented. That's for sure.

I'll figure something out, but I'll cross that bridge when I get there. For now, I'm in the clear because, as far as I know, Sal is still sleeping in his and Larry's shared room.

I finally decide to rid myself of the memories for now and walk back out into the living room.

Ash and Todd are sitting beside each other at the dining table, seemingly reviewing the rest of their work plans for this trip. I know that they didn't just come here to party, based on what Ash told me a few days ago. Apparently they had some things to do.

I walk up behind Ash and lean over the table, holding myself up with a hand on the back of her chair. "What's going on?" I ask, attempting to stop myself from yawning yet again after the last syllable falls from my lips.

Ash turns her head, her hair brushing the back of my fingers. She smiles gently at me, her eyes flitting across my undoubtedly sleepy face before looking forward again.

Todd glances up at my intrusion, giving me a nod and a smile. I return both, following up with, "Morning, Todd."

"We're trying to figure out which time is the correct time to go to a meeting later. It's just Todd and I going. Sal and Larry did theirs already. One email says that it's at 10:30am, the other says 11:30am," Ash informs me, voice slowing with confusion as she talks.

I tilt my head curiously. "Huh," I voice. "That's weird. Did the email say anything about a time change?"

"No, that's the most frustrating part," Todd answers, turning the laptop back to him. "And I emailed to ask for a correct time confirmation, but I haven't gotten anything back."

"That's awful," I admit, frowning at my two friends. I'm stressed for them. "I mean, I'd hate for you two to have to sit there and wait for the meeting, but it wouldn't hurt to go at the earliest time, you know, in case. Just a suggestion."

Todd sighs in response, pinching his lips together as his eyes glance back and forth across the screen in front of him. "Yea. If I don't hear back before 9:45, that's what we're going to have to do. It's just extremely frustrating. I like to be punctual and this is entirely unprofessional on their end."

A little amused smirk quirks my lips. Todd has so many admirable qualities. One of them is that he hardly ever gets mad-- so seeing him on the border of it is just a bit goofy to me. I'm witnessing the impossible. Either way, I really do feel bad about the time mix-up and he's right-- it is unprofessional.

"I get it. They need to be on top of their shit," I say matter-of-factly, moving over to the white couch that Sal and Larry were gaming on yesterday. I sprawl out on my stomach, stretching my legs out until they can't anymore. Damn, this feels nice.

Ash and Todd get back to talking, so I grab the TV remote and switch it on. Hopefully there's something good playing.

I scroll through channels, humming softly to myself when all I see are soaps. I really don't feel like sitting through The Young and the Restless.

Eventually, I settle on a rerun of Two and a Half Men (which isn't bad at all, I was excited to see it) and lay my head on my arms. It's hard to get into a comfy position with the mask, so at least my arms acting as a stand prevent my mask from pressing into my face.

But as I lay there, exhaustion lulls me into more sleep. I try to hold it off, and I will. I'm stronger than this. It won't hurt to shut my eyes for just a second though. Not at all.

Within what feels like mere seconds, I feel my legs being lifted then gently placed back down on top of someone else's thighs. It takes a moment for me to realize that I actually managed to betray myself and fall back asleep, but I don't even have the strength to open my eyes, so I let myself fall back into a deep sleep.

But again, it feels like hardly anytime has passed when I feel my phone vibrating beneath me followed by the piercing sound of a ringtone. It shocks me awake, much to my disappointment.

Without opening my eyes, I yank my phone out from under me and somehow manage to accept the call.

I slap the device to my ear and grumble out a raspy, "What do you want?" I couldn't care less about who it is.

"I don't see my screwdriver."

My eyes fly open and my heart seems to pause. I throw my upper body forward so I can get my face out of the sofa, using my arms to keep me upright as panic grips me in its ugly vices.

"Okay," I squeak out. "Wait, I can explain--"

"I told you what my conditions were," Nate replies, cutting me off. His deep, monotonous voice turns my blood to ice.

I whimper disappointedly, frowning at the empty dining table next to the kitchenette. "Nate, please," I say sadly, trying to make him feel bad. Anything to convince him to forgive me. "I'll have your screwdriver back tomorrow, it's a promise."

"It's too late. You told me I'd have it back..." he trails off thoughtfully, "Oh, yea. Yesterday." His reply is so snarky that I wince.

"Please don't take away my brownie privileges!" I say quickly, my voice high pitched as I scrunch my eyes shut. "I mean no harm, I swear. I just... decided to stay in Vegas longer."

"Your problem, not mine," he says nonchalantly, deep voice rumbling through the call. Fuck. No mercy, I guess. "No brownie's for a month. Oh, and your dad's the one who sold you out."

"Of course he sold me out," I hiss, pulling my bottom lip between my teeth while shaking my head. "Dammit dad," I murmur. "You're really taking the brownie's away?"

"Yes. Bring me my screwdriver and then we can talk about maybe lessening the punishment."

I groan, plopping my head onto the couch under me. "Wait. Nate--"

But he's hung up.

I sigh, shoving my face into fabric and letting my arm fall off the side of the couch. My phone slips from my hand and clatters to the floor. Well, that was a wake up call if I've ever heard one.

"Who the hell is Nate and why is he taking your brownies away?"

My head flies up again, eyes wide as I look behind me and see Larry sitting at the other end of the couch with my legs thrown on top of his. Ah, so that's who sat beneath me.

He has an Xbox controller in his hands, gaze focused on the TV in front of him. No shirt on, red sweatpants. My eyes almost roll into the back of my head. These men need to stop walking around shirtless. I'm going to combust if I'm subjected to this much hotness any longer.

I take a deep breath, keeping my eyes on his handsome profile. "Nate is my neighbor. He makes the best brownies I've ever had. Unfortunately, I won't have them for a while because I was supposed to return his screwdriver yesterday," I answer Larry's question, blinking the remnants of sleep away.

"Well that's just rude," Larry scoffs, eyebrows furrowing for just a moment. Then he places his controller down and looks to me, a grin forming on his pretty lips immediately. He puts a hand on my bare calf and squeezes gently. I'm going to evaporate. "I'll make brownies for you."

That makes me giggle lightly. "Thanks, Lar. Very appreciated."

It's time for me to get up. I didn't even mean to fall back asleep in the first place.

I sit up, grabbing my phone to glance at the time. 10:45am.

With an obnoxiously loud yawn, I pull my legs off of Larry who pouts. "I liked those there, you know," he grumbles.

"Sorry," I laugh. "I need to get up and eat something. It's almost lunch time."

"But you didn't have to move those gorgeous, silky legs, dude. Sal would have gotten up to grab you some food," Larry complains, frowning at me when I turn to look at him.

"No I wouldn't have." Sal's nonchalant and uncaring reply makes me flinch. Has he been here the entire time?

I swing my head to the side, noting his presence. Sal's laying on a chair, his legs hanging over the arm. And, for fuck's sake, he's also shirtless.

"Have any of you heard of shirts?" I breathe, unable to help myself as I turn back to Larry.

He throws a sexy smirk my way in response. "Shirts suck. They take the attention away from our hotness."

I pinch my lips together and roll my eyes to pull the attention away from my damn blush. Fuck this. I can't stand this bullshit.

"By the way, though," Larry says, turning back to whatever game he and Sally are playing. "I grabbed a chocolate croissant and a caramel macchiato for you when I went down for breakfast this morning. Ash told me your order."

I hope Ash gets her titties sucked. I'll do it for her if she can't find someone-- but she really deserves it.

"Thank you tons," I say happily, rolling off the couch and hissing at the cold tile flooring beneath my feet.

Just going to ignore Sal's presence in the room for as long as I possibly can. If I acknowledge him or the reminder of last night I'll probably have a panic attack.

Larry grunts, grabbing my wrist before I can even take a single step away from the couch. His warm fingers yank me toward him a bit, so I turn around and watch him with what I hope is a questioning look.

He tilts his head in a way that beckons me over, so I walk closer to him, wondering what on earth he stopped me for. I'm hungry.

Once he leads me to a stop directly in front of him, he releases me and scoots closer to the edge of the white sofa. His long, tanned legs cage me in and he looks up at me with lightly furrowed brows. I gulp, a wave of heat enveloping my face.

"Lean down," Larry whispers so seriously and softly that his voice goes raspy, eyes flitting across my face the entire time.

Oh, holy hell. "Wait, Lar," I say, moving to back away, but the serious expression on his face suddenly makes way for an eye roll.

"Just lean down, Vi. I'm not trying to pull you onto my lap or something. Just trying to fix your hair," then he raises one perfectly arched eyebrow and waits for me to move back to where I was.

I gulp. I'm not sure if I can handle that. Not only is Larry obnoxiously hot, but hair-fixing is a little too intimate to me. It may not be intimate to him, but even the thought makes little pink butterflies seep into my peripheral vision. I don't need confusion when I sat on top of Sally Face Fisher's dick last night.

But as I stand there and stare at Larry with wide, hesitant eyes, he seems to look a little wounded. So with a metaphorical knife pointed at my chest, a take a quick step toward him and lean down so that we're eye-level.

I don't have to lean much, and it thankfully appeases Larry. The hurt expression leaves his face immediately as he lifts his hands and runs them through my strands, shaking my hair out and untangling where he can.

My eyes are glued to his. They're such a dark, gorgeous brown. The sunlight hits them directly right now, making them just a bit brighter than they normally seem. Melted dark chocolate. Autumn leaves scattered on top of the Earth. Fresh soil. Clay molded to absolute perfection.

Larry sighs and pulls away from me with a content smile. I blink at him, my eyes still trapped in his pretty irises. How does this man not have a girlfriend?

Thankfully, I'm not fluttering into oblivion. I'm honored and blushing, but I don't love him any more or any less than I did before. That's good.

"Go ahead and get your brekky, Vi," Larry tells me, manspreading right in front of me as he picks up his Xbox controller to start playing with Sal again. Well, okay then.

I purse my lips to contain an amused grin and walk toward the little kitchenette thingy majigg that's going on in the suite. I mean it's really just a small cabinet with a mini fridge, microwave, and a sink with a couple plates, cups, and utensils. Then right next to it is a giant dining room table that's way too large and elaborate for the lack of normal kitchen-required things.

But yea, right on top of the behemoth table that could totally be Larry in furniture form is a little bag and a cup of coffee.

I pop the top off the cup then mix my macchiato with the straw, lazily looking around the room that's contributed to Larry and Sally's The Hangover lifestyle. It's nowhere near as large or gorgeous as the suite from the movie. It's lacking the Grecian architecture, lavish furniture, statues, and fun floors. It's way too fucking white, a bit plain for my taste, but it's still beautiful in its own way.

White fabric furniture and walls, birch tables, marble cabinets and flooring. The only real intricate part to this room is the carvings on the ceiling-- and even that isn't extensive. Maybe I'm just too dark to truly admire this setting, I'm not sure. I have a love/hate relationship with it right now.

I take a sip of my heavenly coffee and break my croissant in half. It's the largest I've ever seen and chocolatey as all hell. I can already tell I'm going to love it.

But I also have some matters to tend to. And I hate that I have to handle anything at all right now, but the truth is that I owe Sal something. He apologized to me in his own way and made me cum twice, the least I can do is give him a bit of closure right?

I open up my phone and pull up the unknown number that I don't have the balls to save. I think about my message-- I just want to let him down easy, keep him away from Lexi. Make him hate her or something, I don't know. Just something to make him not pursue her anymore.

Me: hey sally! sorry for the late reply but i'm really in kind of a weird spot in life right now... i owe it to you to at least give you a reason why i haven't replied. i shouldn't get into any relationships for my health and honestly yours too. i'm sorry to let you down, but it's the best i can do for both of us :(

I feel borderline terrified as I reread the message over and over again. This will probably crush him and I'm going to feel terrible. But I just... I need him off my back, especially since he's going crazy with VioletViolence right now. Actually, I'm really not sure what any of this means. He texted Lexi and we did a lot last night-- maybe he's a fuckboy.

With that thought in mind, I send the text and wait.

With half my breakfast in one hand and the cold cup of coffee in my other, I finally and anxiously return my attention to the boys occupying the rest of this large suite with me. Sal's still perched on the love seat like he hasn't a care in the world. Meanwhile, Larry's got a mean glare on his face as he aims his controller at Sal.

"Hey, fuckhead," Larry grinds out, leaning his arm back.

I puff out my cheeks as I watch Sal turn to acknowledge the other man in the room. The second his prosthetic comes into view, Larry launches the controller at him.

I hold my breath, my entire body going stiff as the entire scene plays out in slow motion. My eyes widen just as Sal's head rears back to avoid impending doom.

Oh, fuck. It's going to hit him in the face. His fake face is about to get pummeled and for once I actually feel bad. Maybe I feel bad because I know my text might crack his tiny little heart.

I pull my bottom lip into my mouth and cower a bit. He's going to be pissed for the rest of the day and we all know I'm constantly on the receiving end of his bad moods.

But just as the controller is inches away from his face, Sal's hand slaps the plastic, altering its trajectory entirely.

The entire room is still while Sally shakes his hand out, no doubt feeling some pain from it. The controller has clattered to the floor and Larry's groaning at his miss. And I can't understand why he threw the controller to begin with.

Why am I colluding with the enemy?

My brows furrow and I wait. No more thinking about who was wrong or right.

"Do you feel better now?" Sal asks condescendingly. "Do you ever feel better after chucking a hunk of plastic at me?"

"No and I'm starting think I never will," Larry grumbles, folding his arms over his chest. "You effectively block it every time. What are you? A cyborg?"

"Wouldn't that be nice," Sal mutters tastelessly before turning back to the TV. "Least I'd have a face."

Ooookay, this is getting a little... too deep.

Sal looks down at his phone and suddenly scrambled to grab it, knocking his own controller to the floor. I feel my heart skip a beat as his eyes flit across the screen, and then his fingers fly across the keyboard.

I'm shocked for a second, he had almost no reaction other than urgency. No sad expression, no pause. What?

My phone vibrates in my hand but I wait a couple seconds to look down at it. I don't need Sal sniffing me out already just because I checked my phone at the wrong time.

When I feel that I've waited long enough, I lift my phone to my face again.

Unknown: yea, no. that's perfectly fine, lexi i was actually going to say the same thing. I just feel bad for insinuating that i wanted a relationship a couple weeks ago just for me to text you now and say that i've changed my mind. i feel a lot better knowing that you feel the same way though. would you still want to be friends?

Well, this outcome is much better than I expected it would be. And maybe he's not going to go fuck a bunch of other girls while he and I have this going on. I mean he obviously is interested in Lexi, but still decided not to pursue anything with her. Is it because he and I are...

But now I have to slowly distance myself from him as Lexi because I'm way too fucking nice to just outright say, "No, fuck you, I don't want to be your friend." even though he would absolutely say that to me...

With a quiet sigh, I type out a message.

Me: sure! :) glad we're on the same page!

It feels so odd to be nice to him, and for him to be nice to me. Honestly, that text message he sent is one of the few nice things he's done and/or said to me. Like, one of five instances, I think.

But I'm going to block it all out for now. I got the big worry out of the way.

I take quick steps over to the couch that Larry's sitting on again, smiling awkwardly at him. "Hey," I say, hopefully distracting both boys from whatever's going on between them and pulling myself away from the text conversation I just had with Sal.

I'm not sure if what I witnessed between Sal and Larry is typical step-brother behavior or if they have some kind of feud that hasn't been directly acknowledged. Either way, it's hard to be a spectator. "The croissant is really good. Wanna try?"

Larry raises a perfectly arched, amused eyebrow at me, lips pulling into a little smirk. "Yes I do wanna try, thank you, ma'am," he chuckles, leaning forward and pulling off a piece of the pastry. He pops it into his mouth then stands up with a satisfied little groan-- knees cracking and all-- then starts walking toward Sal.

A little flash of anxiety pulses within me as I turn to watch the two. Are they actually going to keep this up?

"By the way, Vi," Larry says, his voice a bit monotone. "I wouldn't do anything to hurt Sally. Sorry if that left you freaked, but it's been a little thing of ours-- as crazy as it may seem." He takes the controller from Sal's outstretched hand. "This dude can block anything that comes his way. You'd be shocked."

My eye twitches. A little thing of theirs? Is the little thing to give everyone around them a fucking heart attack?

"Anyway," Larry continues, ruffling Sally's hair. The bluenette grunts frustratedly in response, kicking his dumpling sock-clad foot into Larry's knee. Lord Metal Head himself cackles wildly as he stumbles over to me. "Take my spot, I'm gonna force Mr. Angy to practice since he can't seem to do it himself today." Larry's voice turns into a sarcastically taunting baby voice as he hands me the controller.

I watch my friend with wide eyes. Surely he must know that Sal is going to either metaphorically or physically kick his ass. But Larry simply sends me a sly wink and waits for his brother's response.

"I hope you choke on that fucking croissant, cunt," comes Sal's timely response, aggressive and filled with malice as per usual.

Larry snickers, nudging me with his elbow. He wiggles his eyebrows at me as if to say 'watch this.' And while I'm terrified to watch, I'm also very intrigued.

"It's moist, I think I'll be fine. Ever had anything moist before, Salamander?" Larry asks, shit-eating grin plastered on his face despite his faux-innocent tone.

It's official, Larry is literally insane. I've always suspected it, but he's genuinely a shit stirrer. I don't now if that's fun or damning.

"Had something moist last night," Sal murmurs.

I curl in on myself like a fucking dead spider. Ever seen the first season of American Horror Story? I'm Violet's dead body.

Did he have to say that? How the fuck is he going to play that off because if he's expecting me to get into defense mode, he's never been more wrong. Such a damn idiot. He's obviously trying to spook me, but he's going to get us caught in the process.

"You know," I start, scooting into their tense conversation. "Speaking of moist, I had a wild dream last night." I'm hoping this distracts them enough to the point that Larry drops the subject. I really can't do this today.

But Larry whirls on me, an animalistic type of excitement on his face. He sends me a terrifyingly pretty smile, eyes widening significantly. "Oh? Did you?" He asks, intrigued. "You know, Sal has some pretty interesting dreams too. You'd be shocked."

My own eyes widen, but this time it's in a good way. Larry's reminded me of the conversation I heard last night while hiding in the tub... and the way Sal's head snaps towards us shows me that he knows he's in for deep shit.

I've been wanting to quiz his ass about this ever since I heard Larry bring up Sal's supposed wet dreams about me. Key letter: S.

I smile at Larry, tilting my head as a rush of exhilaration runs through me. Sal watches us, sitting up quickly once he realizes the exchange isn't going to die off. "That's interesting," I chirp, turning my attention to Sally who looks like he might flip his shit in a moment here. "Why don't you tell us about those dreams? Are they fun? Are they moist? Because wet dreams are fun. Ever had one of those? I can't imagine you wouldn't." I turn back to Larry, unable to keep the maniacal grin from enveloping my face. "Does he have wet dreams?" I whisper loudly, leaning a bit closer to the giant man.

Larry's jaw drops in psychotic delight. "How'd you know!?" He bellows, voice caught between a holler and a giggle.

"Why am I the target today? Can you two fuck off?" Sal grounds out from behind clenched teeth. I turn to watch him just as he stands up, taking a slightly intimidating step toward us with his arms crossed over his chest.

My eyes follow his that are aimed at Larry. It's sad to say, but even with Sal's smaller stature, his presence is still just as overwhelming and intimidating as Larry's. I guess it doesn't really help that both men are taller than me. I'm just unlucky.

Sal's gaze cuts to me and when our eyes meet, his narrow in silent warning. I throw my hands up in surrender-- not that I mean it in any way. He had this coming and I'm really relishing in the karma of it all.

"Fucking diabolical dicks," Sal seethes, sending Larry another look before he pushes past us.

I shrug at Larry, looking to Sal who trudges off to his room. "That's what she said!" I yell, which ultimately causes Larry to let out a resounding guffaw.

One of the best parts about whatever's going on in this group we have is that I get to connect with Larry and piss off the one man who's ever managed to make me feel like I'll commit mass homicide. I know he heard what I said, but he's so wounded right now that he ignored it. That's another point in my book, thank you very much.

I leave Larry as close to a sobbing mess as he can possibly get, giggling as I walk over to his previous spot on the couch. I flop onto the plush fabric and take a quick sip of my macchiato then start a new game of Dead By Daylight. I'm going in solo-- I'm in the mood to kill.

And unfortunately, Sal resurfaces in the dining room mere moments later which makes me turn to look at him despite my brain yelling for me not to. He's bearing that gorgeous, shiny, blood red guitar that makes me take pause. That same guitar in the picture that Larry was shitty enough to send in Discord.

Sal is the epitome of aggression and frustration right now. The strap is around his neck-- one hand is wrapped around the middle of the neck of the guitar while the other hangs over the body. He taps the red coat with his black nails-- an action that's probably the only thing preventing him from blowing up.

And he still doesn't have a fucking shirt on. I feel like I'm watching that photo in real time.

Now that he's standing up and I can see all of him, I get a good glimpse of that tattoo peeking out of the waistband of his sweatpants. I still don't know what it is, but it's hot regardless. He has tattoos on his arms and neck, but other than that he's bare-- I think. After all, I haven't seen his legs yet and based on the tattoo hiding on his hip, maybe there's more.

When I look back to his face, his striking blue eyes meet mine rather suddenly. They only seem to hold even more aggravation than they did a couple seconds ago. My guess is that he's pretty salty over the way I brought up his wet dreams about me. But, hey, I'm flattered! Really, I am. But the memory alone makes a grin work its way onto my face and I have no doubt that he can feel how smug I am from across the room.

With a click of my tongue, I snap my head back to the TV screen and hope that I can fight the urge to ogle his hotness.

"Awe, I'm so proud of you for listening, little guy," Larry coos. I snort almost immediately, only taking a second to wonder if I heard him right. Larry knows every little pet peeve of Sal's and that's blindingly clear now that I've been around both men long enough.

"Shut the fuck up," Sal hisses out, "Do you want me to practice or not? I was going to wait until we got back to Nockfell and I'm close as hell to reverting back to that plan." Poor guy, he's not pleased.

I don't feel bad, by the way.

"I'm sorry, kitten," Larry's voice is extra pouty and I really need to know how he's keeping it together right now. I'm about to burst at the seams-- I can't even get a single kill on DBD right now. "Lord Lar didn't mean to upset you."

"Now it's really just fucking weird," Sal grumbles, taking a few steps toward the chair he was perched on when I woke up earlier. A quick glance in his direction shows me tense shoulders and clenched, veiny hands as he plops onto the furniture. "Save your BDSM talk for someone else, that shit's disgusting."

Okay, so, sure. It's disgusting in the sense that they're step-brothers-- but what a fucking hypocrite. Like Sal wasn't handling me in a similar way last night.

"Weird would be actual BDSM talk, dude," Larry says, voice turning into something more thoughtful. "What, do you want me call you a dirty little slut? That's when things take a funny turn."

I don't even bother to pause my game. My head turns to Larry so quickly that I'm a little worried I may have given myself whiplash. My eyes are wide to the point that it hurts. I can't not give the man a look though. Did he really just say that?

"Dude..." Sal whispers. I can't see him, his head is turned to Larry so I'm only able to see the back of his head, but the desperate concern in his voice is enough for my jaw to drop.

Larry, on the other hand, grins satisfactorily. "Too far?" he asks, narrowing his eyes curiously. He's proud of himself for that one.

I blink at the situation, but ultimately decide it's probably time for me to return to my game and pretend I never witnessed that interaction. Just the thought gives me giggly shivers.

But just as I'm going to turn my head back to the television, Larry averts his gaze to me. He tilts his head, grin spreading. "Vi, are you blushing?" he says teasingly.

I flinch backwards. What? No, I can't be. "How would that even be possible? You can't see my cheeks," I remind him.

"But I can see your ears and your neck," he informs me, taking a couple steps toward the couch I'm on. "So why don't you tell me what the fuck kind of freaky shit you're into."

Hell no. "Sorry, I don't know what you mean. I'm killing people," I grumble, trying to focus on my game yet again. It feels like I've been more focused on focus rather than actually playing. Not only that, I'm fighting for my life right now. Larry is about to scratch the surface of a little secret. A secret I would prefer to stay a secret.

"Oh, no." Larry takes quick steps toward me and Sally starts snickering as the giant man grows closer in my peripheral vision. I'm so going to get back at Sal for this later. "I was just fucking with Sal but now it's getting personal."

"I refuse to speak," I tell him shortly, growing distracted by the poor soul I'm chasing in my game.

"Awe," Larry says, not a single amount of remorse in his deep voice. "Sucks to suck."

The loudest and most obnoxious guffaw I've ever heard echoes through the room. I don't have to look, but Larry throws his head over his shoulder to look at Sal. The bastard is giggling on his chair, running his fingers along the strings of his guitar.

He must consider this to be good payback for the way Larry and I ganged up on him earlier. He's getting a good little ha-ha out of Larry's regurgitation of the same words Sal and I exchanged last night. And really, I know I can't blame Sally. I deserved this. But fuck does it make me angry, and most of all, I'm really fucking embarrassed. If Larry looks at me again, he's going to really start wondering why I'm so red.

"I didn't think it was that funny," Larry mumbles to himself, watching Sal as he quickly tunes his guitar then starts running through a few chords.

Sally simply shakes his head at Larry's words, choosing to ignore him as his chuckling dies down. He repositions his hands on the neck and body of his guitar, probably getting ready to play something.

I bite into my bottom lip and hang someone up in-game, effectively killing them within the next few seconds. It's my first kill of the game, but I'm not even excited about it. I'm more worried about the shirtless men using me as a metaphorical punching bag right now.

I feel cornered and I don't like it much. I didn't think too hard about getting into this situationship with Sal, but I should have. I really should've thought about why I should stay away from him-- I'm hiding from my friends and suffering from embarrassment that no one understands. Is this even really worth it?

My conscious was flooded with possibilities at the time, I had no regard for the consequences. And here I am, caught between a rock (Larry's teasing) and a hard place (Sal who is a walking red flag).

Larry's still watching Sal. He hasn't returned to heckling me about why I was supposedly blushing-- I still think he's lying about that-- but he's watching the guitar closely.

"I'm gonna try 'Carrion' again," Sal murmurs quietly, glancing up at Larry.

Larry nods in response, all seriousness as he says, "Alright. I'll stop you if you hit a wrong note."

"No," Sally cuts him off with a short shake of his head. "Don't stop me, I'll know. I can't learn if I can't catch it myself."

Good point.

I mindlessly continue my game, failing to catch and kill players even if I am genuinely trying. I'm more focused on Sal's gorgeous introduction to 'Carrion' by Parkway Drive. It's good, it's perfect, and it takes every little nerve and all the pride I have to not watch him play. Because I know he looks good. I know he's playing that guitar so professionally that it just looks incredibly hot. I've never seen him play, and I don't want to. I think I'd spontaneously combust almost instantly.

There's a kind of euphoric bliss that I get from hearing really good music. It's a type of stagnant and continual happiness that I've only felt either while listening to or making music. I feel it now, listening to Sal makes goosebumps rise on every inch of my skin. There's a hum that passes through my body, a vibration of sorts. It's not happiness or excitement, just contentment. It's beautiful.

The one thing I've always regretted about having to move to the little apartment that dad and I are in now is that I can't practice music anymore. The drum set I used during my time in band in high school followed me around for a while, but I had to pack it up for good last year. I haven't felt the cathartic release that comes with creating unique sounds in months. I miss it so incredibly much. I can't play guitar, but I'd steal that instrument from Sal just to feel that relief again.

As I'm reminiscing, I unfortunately lose my game and also unfortunately, Sal hasn't finished his song.

My eyes nearly water while I try to fight off the painful urge to steal just one glance. There's an unignorable weight on my chest that will only be relieved if I get just a little glimpse of him. A yearning in my soul that won't be appeased until I watch him.

Refrain, refrain, refrain.

But my eyes go to him either way. His fingers move so quickly, expertly along the neck of the guitar, his other hand copying the movements on the body. The red coat on the instrument glistens in the sunlight, casting a pink glow on his pale, bare chest. HIs eyes move quickly to keep up with the notes he's playing.

I suddenly feel like I can't breathe. There's so much happening in my mind that I can't get a good breath of air in and part of me doesn't want to. I just want to sit here and watch him play forever. To watch his intense focus, his fingers, the way he moves his entire body with each note he plays.

This type of feeling is unhealthy-- for me, at least. There's a fluttering in my chest that doesn't work well with whatever's going on between us. Of course, I'm interested in finding pleasure in Sal, but I don't want a relationship. He's the shittiest person I've ever met. I absolutely refuse to get butterflies over someone who called me a slut yesterday... no, it doesn't matter if I enjoyed being called that.

As I'm watching, his electric blue gaze slides up to meet mine and I feel my heart stutter. The light catches the bright color of his eyes so well, captures the hue and imbeds it into my memory forever. I feel caught, stuck. The exchange was so short that I'm not even sure if it was real, but that cerulean color will never leave my mind. It had to have happened.

He's getting to the end of song, mainly just replaying the same few notes since the song kind of just fades out, but there's a slam on the front door that causes him to play a wrong note. His soul nearly leaves his body too if the sudden flinch tells me anything-- but he stops, glaring at the door.

Not going to lie, it scared the crap out of me too. Sal can be mad about not finishing his song, but I'm more worried about dying within the next second.

The sound had to have been a boot against the thick wood keeping us safe in this room. The door has the equivalent to fucking four-factor authentication but that doesn't matter if someone has an ax or some shit right?

The bang comes again, this time with three more to follow. I flinch into the back of the sofa, watching the door with furrowed brows and a pounding heart.

None of us say a word. We just watch and wait as silence ensues yet again.

I glance at Larry, he glances at me. Larry glances at Sal, Sal glances back. I glance at Sal, regret it when he glances back at me.

The silence is so loud that I can hear my rapid heartbeat. At some point, I start to wonder if it's mine or someone else freaking out just as hard as I am. There's just so much quiet that the little voice in my head sounds like a whisper beside me-- and that only fuels the panic, truth be told.

I let out a little yelp when I hear, "Can you dumb motherfucker's get the door? Please?"

It's Ash. Ash was the one banging on our front door like the fucking police.

I can't help but sigh in relief and start walking over to the front door with quick steps. All that worry for nothing. I undo the locks and then throw said door open, glancing up at a disgruntled looking Ash and an agitated Todd.

Thankfully, Ash's expression changes when she sees me. She brightens up a bit and smiles, grabs the sides of my mask, and plants a quick kiss onto the plastic protecting my forehead. "Hey there, lovebug," she says cheekily. It feels like all the anxiety and embarrassment I felt just a couple minutes ago washes away. With just a simple touch-- it's all gone.

"I wish I got that kind of greeting from everyone," I tell her, smiling back as a little giggle falls from my lips.

"I bet," Ash says, scrunching her nose up cutely. She's adorable. "You're just my exception. Ask the boys-- I'm a bitch!"

Ash looks past me, scooting over a bit to let Todd in. Her face instantly turns to stone, so I follow her and notice the way Larry instantly changes his stance. He goes from calm and collected to on guard, wary, and with the most hilarious horrified look on his face. "What?" he asks, voice monotonous like he's expecting the worst. "I swear I was gonna get the door."

I hear Ash sigh, so I look over and catch the way she rolls her eyes tiredly. "It's no one's fault," she says. "It's just that Todd and I couldn't shoot down this offer. You all need to go get dressed. Now. Vi included because we aren't just going to leave her here on her last day in Vegas."

I'm shocked when Sal only narrows his eyes at Ash's command. I expected him to fight tooth and nail to keep me cooped up here while they go do whatever it is they need to do, but he stays quiet.

"What's changed?" Larry asks, relaxing his posture now that he knows he isn't in trouble. He does have a serious expression though-- eyebrows bunched together and a little frown pulling at his full lips.

"You guys won't believe it." Ash takes a big breath then puffs out her cheeks as she lets it go. "Just put your shirts on," She pauses, her mouth suddenly dropping open. "Actually, why are you two shirtless while we have a guest in the house?" There's a little bite in her tone that has Larry immediately turning on his heel.

A guilty grin forms on my lips when Larry disappears into his room without a word. He really is terrified of Ash, and I mean I would be too. She's nearly his size in height and has already thrown me around like a rag doll on multiple occasions. She could totally bring Larry down. 

Sal's eyes are still on Ash. There's a look in his blue irises that spells out concern and intrigue, but it all mixes up to create a scary little glare. 

His gaze meets mine without warning and I choke on my own spit-- joy. I try to hold in a cough, tears springing to my eyes as Sal's brows furrow just a bit more. He examines me, pretty eyes flitting across my face quickly before he turns around and walks off to join Larry. 

The way he looks at me, that angry and predatory look in his eyes, makes my body warm. I can't quite explain it. He communicates so much without words, but then again, I can never get a good read on him either. It's like the only emotions he can express are negativity or desire. No in-between-- I've never seen a happy face on him.

Well, there was that time when he was talking with his fans. Other than that though, he's only been the equivalent to a really hot gripe. And that doesn't even make sense.

I huff out a breath, trying to recover from the buzzing in my brain thanks to mere eye contact with Sally. It's a little pathetic at this point. The only thing holding me back is the intense disdain I feel for him. Maybe it's the same for him, too.

The group of us get dressed quickly. Ash pushes us to move quickly, so I end up in her Dark Autumn Complex shirt that she wore to the concert yesterday and pair it with the last clean skirt I have. I have limited options.

I throw on my Vans just as everyone's beginning to walk out of the door. I hop toward the entryway, yanking on my last shoe and trying to tie it with each step I take.

I pass Sally with a little grunt as I finish tying my laces. He shuts the door behind me and murmurs, "You're just a walking piece of caution tape, aren't you?"

My teeth clinch. I still have so much against him right now for earlier. And what's worse is that I seem to be a constant target for him. I don't understand why, but he isn't going to get lucky by being a prick all the time. "Says the jogging-- no, running-- actually, flying red flag," I grit out, throwing him a look as he walks up next to me.

There's a nasty, disapproving glare in his eyes that only fuels the argumentative fire in my soul. "And you think you aren't a red flag?" he asks. "You call yourself an anarchist."

"And I wasn't fucking lying," I inform him confidently, finally standing up straight once I'm comfortable with the way my shoes are tied. He gets me heated so quickly. At least his attempts to make me upset or turn me on are effective-- the process is good for him but, fuck, it only manages to piss me off.

A flat look develops in his eyes, one that calls me a dumbass without words. I match that gaze with a little sneer, but he only tilts his head. "Oh, really?" he says, voice intrigued in the way a professor finds it funny when their student thinks they know more than their instructor does. It's a 'try me' type of intrigued. "Anarchy's going to kick your ass."

"It hasn't yet, so I'll stick to it," I tell him, prepared to walk past him and move to the front of the group with Todd. I know he has it out for me right now, courtesy of my teasing earlier, so I want to stay as far away from him as I possibly can. 

Sal has other plans, as always.

I take one more step forward only to be met by a pair of Doc Martens meeting my leg really aggressively-- kind of like he was attempting to sweep me off my feet, but definitely not in a romantic way. A yelp is ripped from my larynx as I stumble forward, tripping over Sal's boot again with my other foot.

I somehow manage to catch myself before I fall, holding my hands out for balance while I try to come to terms with the fact that Sal actually just tripped me out of spite.

He thinks he has so much audacity, doesn't he? I may have deserved a good verbal battle, but this shrimp dicked fuck nugget actually tripped me without an ounce of concern for my wellbeing.

He's beauty, he's grace, and apparently he'll kick you in the shin when he doesn't get his fucking way. Little bitch. Can't belive I was worried about crushing on him earlier.

Sal walks up beside me just as I'm beginning to recover. He leans down, his azure hair brushing against the top of my head. I feel a spike of pure, unadulterated anger grip my soul and I genuinely have to hold myself back from punching him into the backrooms. "Another one bites the dust," he whispers in that raspy voice of his. "Sucks that my little foot fucked up your path, right? Anarchy's going to get you in much worse predicaments." He stands to his full height and I look up at him, trying to communicate just how much malice I'm feeling through my gaze. He only meets my eyes with amused cerulean irises.

"If you were so worried about my life choices," I hiss, "You wouldn't have tripped me."

"Your mistake is thinking that I'm worried about you in general." Sal shrugs and passes me up. We're piling into the elevator now. "Only giving you an unfriendly word of advice. Stop fucking with me."

"Is that a threat?" I ask, knowing he won't answer me because he probably didn't even hear me in the first place. That, or he's going to ignore me regardless. His last statement was comprised of parting words.

Fucking dick.

Why did I decide it was a good idea to get into this situation with him? He's such an asshole and such a waste of my time, but he's good at what he does. That's the most I can give him, but I can't even remember how good he was to me last night-- I'm that pissed off. Leave it to him to cloud my judgement and my memories all at the same time.

We travel through the lobby and catch a taxi in the parking lot. Everyone was silent the entire way through Caesar's Palace, except for Larry who was bothering Ash with questions. I don't blame him, I've been curious about what's going on too.

"Okay," Ash huffs as we settle into the back of a taxi that's really just a suburban that could fit a family of eight. It's like a fancy, black, soccer mom van. "We have a couple minutes to talk about this now. But basically, we're heading to The Venetian--" Oh, hell yea. Dad wanted me to go there. "--for a photoshoot."

Larry groans, rolling his eyes. Sal doesn't have a reaction.

"Another one?" Larry asks, exasperated. "I hated the first one, why a second?"

"Wait," I cut in, my mind blazing with surprise. "You guys have done a photoshoot before?"

"We went to one earlier this week. It was just something for a magazine," Todd tells me, blinking his inky eyes at me, face emotionless. He has that little curl falling onto his forehead again while the rest of his hair is set perfectly into place on the sides and back of his head. How does he get it so perfect? "This is different though. This isn't for a magazine."

"What is it then?" Sal speaks up, seemingly tired of the way everyone's beating around the bush.

Ash pinches her lips together, a little flash of nervousness flitting across her features. "Don't freak out," she starts with, holding a hand out in a stop motion. "But, Treyarch wants us. Something about promoting Modern Warfare III."

Oh. My friends are about to model for Call of Duty.

I think that fact has to sit on all of us for a minute because both Sal and Larry are completely silent. Totally still. It feels impossible. This is probably the biggest thing to happen to The Faces since they first started streaming. This is exciting-- it's unbelievable. And it's all happening rather suddenly. Ash, Todd, Larry, and Sally must be incredibly surprised right now.

I'm starting to think that the rest of our little three minute drive is going to be spent in shocked silence, but Larry and Sal turn to each other just as we're pulling into the parking lot at The Venetian and they start yelling. All ecstatic and exhilarated for this opportunity. I can't tell what they're telling each other-- I don't even think they know what they're telling each other. But it's kind of adorable to see them so excited. Their words are incoherent and rushed, but they're gripping each other's hands and bouncing around in their seats like children who were just told they were going to Disney World.

Picture two men, both of which have at least decently defined or completely ripped muscles with tattoos covering every inch of their skin. Now put classic, long, emo hair and dark clothes on top of that. Finally, complete the image with a side by side of the men and puppies being presented with bacon. That's exactly what's happening right now.

I look over at Ash and she smiles softly at me, a sweet look in her eyes-- admiration. "They've been waiting for this for years," she says quietly. "They became friends because of metal and Call of Duty. Getting to work with the company is, like, the ultimate accomplishment right now."

My attention returns to the boys again. They're both squished in beside Todd who looks like he'd rather be anywhere else than here, but he doesn't interrupt Sal and Larry's excited banter.

Soon, we're all piling out of the taxi and fighting our way through The Venetian which is as beautiful as it is absolutely packed to the brim. It's gorgeous with all kinds of art and statues, but there are way too many people for my taste. We're hardly even able to get to the reception desk.

Ash takes the reins and talks to everyone for us, all up until we're escorted to some room that's hidden away from the main part of the building. When we walk in, it's a basic, dark cement room that's filled with a ton of photography equipment-- cameras, backgrounds, lights. The works.

I feel like I'm floating when a photographer drops a handful of clothes into everyone's hands-- except for me-- and sends them into another room to change. I nearly salivate upon realizing that The Faces are going to walk back out here in full tactical gear. Yummy, yummy. I'm getting fed well today.

I can't help but bounce on my toes while I wait for my friends to come back. I spend the few minutes of loneliness watching the photographers move things around and set up specific scenes. I couldn't explain how much is going on even if I wanted to, but it's a lot for sure.

But as I'm starting to get a little anxious, Ash and Todd walk back into the room.

Ash is in camo cargo pants and a black turtle neck with a black armor plate over her chest. It shows off all her curves and expresses her femininity in a way that makes metaphorical drool drip from my mouth. There are straps around her thighs, one that holds a knife and another that holds a fake hand gun. She looks really good. And Todd is in almost the same getup, but with a camo jacket hanging over his shoulders and a little hat on top of his head. It's clear that the photographers are going for a Captain Price look for Todd. The issue is that he's absolutely not having it.

"The hat stays off," he tells a photographer who walks over to adjust the belt at his hips. There's a little frown on his lips that says he's less than pleased. I'm used to expressionless and unfeeling Todd, not actually upset Todd. The idea makes me grimace.

The door to the next room opens again and I look over, noting Larry who walks out with the biggest grin I've ever seen.

He's also wearing camo cargo pants, but he has a black cargo jacket to go with it. All the clothing skin tight on him, accentuating all of his unearthly muscles. Still can't believe Larry's jacked to hell. Anyway, he's wearing a tan armor plate with a bunch of ammo and other gear planted around it. I don't want to call that cargo too, but let's be honest. Then there's knee pads and elbow pads. To put it simply, he's decked out and he looks damn good.

I shake my head at Larry, unable to take my eyes off of him as he skips over to us.

"Dude," he says, looking at Ash and Todd. he puts a hand on my shoulder and jiggles me around in excitement. The action makes me laugh, he just can't contain himself. "Sal fucking looks like Ghost. I can't stress it enough."

"You do know they've got you dressed up like König, right?" Todd asks nonchalantly, folding his hands over his chest.

Larry grins, doing a little dance before he answers. "Damn right they do," he says, twirling a strand of his hair between his fingers. "They know I'm hot. I'm hot, right, Vi?" Larry turns to me with that ever-present grin of his.

"Yes, Larry," I say happily, smiling brightly at my dear friend. "You're hot."

"Fuck yes," Larry yells, fist bumping the air, wrapping his free arm around my shoulders. "The one and only VioletViolence approves of my look."

Heads suddenly start turning to address the commotion and I sink in on myself just a bit. I don't like having attention-- unless it's from The Faces, I guess.

I'm a little nervous when a photographer walks up to us again because her eyes on me. And she has a pile of clothes in her hand. My heart starts to race and my palms grow clammy. I don't want to get my hopes up and think that I'll get to participate in the photoshoot, but why else would she be walking over here like that?

"He just said your name right?" The woman asks me upon finally reaching us. "VioletViolence?"

I swallow thickly over the nerves, nodding quickly at the lady. My heart is about to sprint out of my chest. Holy crap.

"Good. Get changed," she says, dumping the clothes she was just carrying into my arms and instantly turning away. Okay?

I struggle to keep all the gear in my arms, looking at each of my friends with wide eyes. I don't know what to do and there's an obsessive kind of urgency and exhilaration building up inside me. I'll bet that this is exactly how Sal and Larry felt earlier.

Ash squeals, patting my head since she can't exactly hug me with all of these clothes in my arms. "Go, babygirl!" she says excitedly, giving me a little shove toward the door she came out of just a couple minutes ago. "The changing room is just down the hall. And don't be too afraid of the creepiness, the room you'll get to is a lot better than the freaky hallway."

I nod to myself thoughtlessly, taking quick steps to the door that will lead me just a step closer to the event that's going to change my life. I haven't been online in days, but Treyarch still wants me to model for them? I am so going to explode.

I slip past the double doors, a little guilty grin on my face. I've got an entire pile of tactical gear in my hands and I'm more than happy to have the opportunity to wear it. Who knew I'd get so lucky?

The hallway is dim. The walls on either side of me are cement blocks stacked on top of each other, painted white. There are little chips in the paint, showing off the grey color of the stone beneath the thin coat. The floor is shamelessly cement. The two rectangular lights above me flicker in time with one another. It's a bit eerie, but I don't have to be here long.

My feet tap against the ground. I'm used to the sound of my steps against hollow ground, with a room beneath me. But here, the sound is a high pitched echo around me. The sheer creepiness of it makes me pause for a moment.

Ash did warn me, but I wasn't expecting to be this spooked. This feels like a scene straight out of Resident Evil.

I've got this though. The changing room is literally just ten or so steps ahead of me. I see the door to my left. I'm brave, I'm strong, I am the epitome of feminism. I can do this. I lived in Addison Apartments, for fuck's sake-- of course, I can do this.

I puff out my chest a bit, all an ineffectual ploy to trick myself into feeling confident. It doesn't work at all. But I take a step forward anyway.

Before my foot can touch the ground again, the door I was just talking about opens. The metal squeaks on its hinges, mimicking some kind of heart-stopping siren.

I'm crouching in fear for a moment, but then Sal steps out of the room. Unfortunately, I only feel relief for half a second.

He stops just outside the door, letting it swing shut with a resounding, hollow thunk. The man shakes his blue hair out of his eyes, examining the fingerless gloves adorning his veiny hands. He pulls the straps around his wrists loose, fixes them, then flexes his fingers out in front of him.

And I watch. Oh, I shamelessly watch. I watch while he drags that hand through his pretty hair, setting it into place atop his head. He stands straighter, giving me a better view of the black jacket he's wearing with an armor plate on his chest, then his black cargo pants. There are straps around his thighs to hold up all the gear that goes with the costume. And then the black fucking combat boots.

I shake my head in disbelief. He was already hot enough, this didn't need to happen.

Sal lifts his head and his ocean gaze clashes with mine. His eyes seem wary and so much brighter and I quickly deduce that the reason for the change is because of the eyeliner around his eyes-- the black brings out the harsh blue of his irises.

He breaks our short stare, looks off to both of his sides. But when he tilts his head to the left, I get an unfortunate glance at the damn tattoo on his neck. It's something about the neck specifically, I don't know what it is-- truly.

His eyes meet mine again. This time, his gaze is a bit calmer, a tad predatory. I know that look.

"I know that look."

I flinch at his words. What a mind reader.

Swallowing thickly, I readjust my standing position and try to hold his gaze. "What?" I ask, pathetically trying to keep my voice monotone. It comes out too forced though and he can see it-- it shows in the amused tilt of his head.

Instead of standing there and keeping things as PG as it can possibly get for both of us, Sal sighs a little obnoxiously and starts walking toward me.

The way his gear moves with his body has me at a loss for words. The holsters on his hips quietly clank against the belt holding his pants up. Every little sound and movement attracts my gaze and I don't know where to look first-- I'm stuck, panicked.

Sal is gorgeous in this moment, I mean he always is, but there's something about him obviously being in his element with the perfect style to suit him that makes him glow. Makes him look like he's walking toward me in slow motion.

"I know that look," Sal repeats, pulling me out of whatever admirable trance I previously found myself in. Must remember he's a total ass. "It's a look full of slutty intentions." His voice is suggestive, teasing. I recognize it as part of the act he plays when we're alone. When we have room to do-- in his words-- slutty things.

I keep my mouth shut. If I speak, too much will leak. I didn't think it was possible for him to be even hotter, but he constantly proves me wrong.

My brows furrow as my gaze travels down his body before I can stop myself. I quickly look into his black-lined eyes again, but they narrow in my direction. The silence he greeted me with for a moment is gone as soon as it came.

"Words, Vi." Dark, raspy. He changes the tone of his voice so well, so easily. How could I possibly disobey him?

Haha, kidding.

My lips remain sealed until the toes of his boots are brushing my shoes. Even then, I try to refrain from letting my damning thoughts become vocal. I can't give into him, especially since it's so fun when disobedience seems to rile him up.

I was way too compliant with him last night.

Sal tilts his head up, making him seem even taller than he normally would be. I can tell he's thinking, wondering, waiting.

Then his gloved hand grips onto my wrist. The coolness of his fingertips is a stark contrast to the warmth of the fabric covering his palm. His digits trail along my skin— up my arm. Slowly in a way that makes me shiver.

I can't stay silent much longer.

A quiet huff can be heard from him just as he gently grabs onto my chin, his thumb caressing the underside of my jaw. My heart thumps wildly against my rib cage and a chill erupts along my skin. His gentle, warning touch is so, so good.

"Tell me why you're looking at me like that," he says lowly, eyes dancing across every inch of my face.

I run my tongue across the front of my teeth, doing my best not to give into him so quickly. He's being gentle— he must think that'll coerce me into behaving, but it won't. It never will. But his tone is a bit mouthwatering, that's the only thing I'm worried about for now.

Neither of us move— I don't even breathe while we look at each other, still waiting.

There's no visual difference when Sal decides he's done playing nice, but I can practically feel it radiating between us. The sudden change in energy, the way the coolness of his touch fills me with excitement instead of little butterflies.

The gentle touch on my jaw does a complete three sixty. He moves his hand, getting a good grip on my jaw. His fingers dig into my cheeks and he pulls me closer, then leans down just a tad.

Sal's cerulean hair brushes my chin and neck, and he watches me closely.

"I don't see why you're still standing."

------- A/N:::::: okay i'm not gonna lie i kindaaaa lowkey hate this chapter :,)) i obviously struggled with it since it's been like a full MONTH since i've posted like wtf????

i'm pretty sure the next chapter will be a lot easier for me to get out though! it's another smut chap ;)

anyway, i'm sure most of you know that i put out an announcement about my health about a week ago. i was really struggling with my mental and physical health and was really stuck. anyway, i went to the doctor and basically he told me i'm so stressed out that i'm making myself physically sick SOOOOOO cheers to me finally getting put on anxiety meds. i'm hoping this improves my health all around and helps me focus on what matters most: you guys and writing <3 i start my meds tomorrow so hopefully it all works

until next time, my babies. all my love to you as always <3333

update: THEY GAVE ME THE WRONG FUCKING PRESCRIPTION LOOOOOL

[cherokeegal1975]

The Complete Al's Baby

I discovered this comic in one of my deeply bored out of my mind internet searches because sometimes I go to weird places just to find something entertaining. Rarely does searches pan out with something even vaguely interesting but on rarest of rare occasions something odd pops up that catches my attention. This comic is one of them. I have never let anyone know I have this comic on my bookshelf and it remains hidden between some nonfiction tutorial books on drawing and crafting. I did have it hidden in a cabinet but one of the cats sprayed it and the pee went inside it and damaged my book a little bit. I had to peel apart several pages very carefully because of it. So it hides higher up. Fortunately no one bothers my books… though I sometimes wish they would because I want to share most of them.

Anyway this supposed to be comedy that doesn’t make me laugh is by the same authors who wrote Judge Dredd. A character I’m only familiar with through the movies that I never got to watch so have no opinion on them.

I don’t usually like gangster stories, but I took exception to this one because I was very bored and curious enough to try it. Keeping in mind that I think that the majority of mpregs are awful and this one isn’t too bad. So my compliment really means something. P.S. - Check out Noonibean here on DeviantART for her work and writing. I like her story though I haven’t gotten around to reading more than the first chapter and I don’t know why I haven’t. But I keep her writing in mind so I’ll eventually come back to it.

Anyway when I read this comic I can “hear “ the voices of the characters. Low, gruff any gravely for Al. High and nasal for Sal. Wheezy for their boss.

Al’s wife is a horrible singer and the one scene I really dislike in the book is the panels featuring a cat committing suicide with a gun because Velma was singing on stage. I am fond of cats and never want one to come to harm for any reason.

Now the plot is basically Al wants to be Godfather and will do anything to get the job. The current Godfather who is in poor health wands a grandson to secure the line and will grant Al’s wish to take over his mob if he has one. Velma refuses to be the one to have the baby and suggests the Al have it instead. Velma is even more ferocious than her mobster husband and since the Godfather threatens to end Al’s life if he doesn’t produce an heir, he has no choice but to undergo a procedure that will enable him to carry his baby to term. This isn’t the end of the story, there’s two more parts to it. But I’ll leave it here.

Normally I wouldn’t recommend a book like this but, I am doing it now. It’s surprisingly a good story. The artwork is great if a bit gory at times. I’m never going to be happy about the poor cat, even though I am aware that those panels are symbolically demonstrating just how awful Velma is on stage with her singing. This book is supposed to be a comedy, but it never made me laugh. But to be fair, it takes a lot for something to strike me as funny in a story. It’s a weird adventure with mob wars, one fearsome guy with ambitions enough to do anything to get what he wants. Literally anything, even having a baby himself…twice. So, check it out see what you think, buy it and hide it in your bookshelf too. Because unfortunately it doesn’t come in anything other than a large paperback book. A nice one, but I do wish it came in Kindle too. Or at least find a neutral dust jacket to cover up the cover art. It certainly gets attention, but if the people in my household ever find out I have this book, I can get a lot of grief about it.

[iamaweretoad]

I can't believe you were hiding an OC! :D

Now that the cat is out of the bag - tell us about Ariel! Who are they? What's their story? Share a screenshot or a drawing, please? ^^

Haha! 😄 Thank you so much for the ask! And sorry for taking so long to reply, I wanted to do a little drawing of him to include

Ariel is my Durge. He's a human fighter who keeps finding increasingly bigger axes to fight with XD (he recently upgraded to a halberd). He is also a sleep deprived mess whose sanity is hanging by a thread. He is so scared, all the time. He is trying his best to resist, but his control keeps slipping and it's getting worse.

I think, prior to visiting Moonrise, there was still a part of him clung to the hope that the Dark Urge was a result of something that was done to him, that it was forced into him, and that he'd had a life and a self before that, a life and a self that he could maybe reclaim if he could just remember. And then he gets to Moonrise and starts to remember bits and pieces from his past and realizes that no, this horrible thing inside him is who he's always been and also he was actively working with the bad guys in some capacity and just basically

He's uh..... he's not taking it well.

But the others (mostly) have his back. Especially Sal.