#all of the brain went into paying for the fancy apartment

[hermette-historian]

This week in "Wynn got a fancy studio apartment, this is the first time she's lived on her own, and also she's a little bit stupid" we have:

1) spent six days, three trips to the leasing office, one embarrassing call to security, and several emails to IT attempting to figure out why the key fob worked on every single door except the parking garage. Mother solved the problem within twenty seconds of looking at the door by just. Moving the key further up on the reader. 2) Spent the first five days after getting the keys on the air mattress (planned) shivering (not planned) at war with the thermostat which was set to well above 70 and had No Right To Be This Cold, only to find out (again, immediately after the parents arrived) that the thermostat was working but the wall unit was…unplugged. 3) Set up the kitchen, got unreasonably excited about making rice for the first time in eighteen months, and immediately realized that someone had packed the full set of pots and zero (0) pot lids. The source and the solution to this conundrum both remain a mystery. 4) Forgot to turn off the oven. Twice. 5) Forgot to add soap to the dishwasher. Once. 6) Set up several christmas decorations and still can't find a phone charger. Priorities.

I am a fully functioning adult and I am perfectly capable of living on my own. thank you very much. I've been here for two (2) weeks.

[capricornlevi]

inevitability- nanami x f!reader

tags: friends to lovers, salaryman!nanami, breeding, unprotected sex, fingering, missionary, mating press, creampie, mild cumplay

cw: alcohol (all sex sober & consensual!), pregnancy mentions, rough but v v consensual sex, reader and nanami are both in their late 20s/early 30s

word count: 5.3k

a/n: in which your decide with your good friend of many years that it's time to get you pregnant <3 this has been festering in my brain and i know it's pretty different than what i usually write but ! here it is! ahh! sounds of me screaming!

//

"this is weird, y'know?" you blurt out, watching as nanami hangs up his jacket by your front door before settling down beside you on the couch. he keeps a respectful distance, resting his hands on his broad thighs and smoothing down the fabric of his slacks, clearly nervous. "this is very, very weird. like, weird at levels i don't think people have achieved before."

"i know," nanami replies diplomatically, as if he could be anything but excruciatingly aware of how unconventional this is. "are you having second thoughts? because i completely understand --"

you shake your head abruptly. "no, no, just ... thinking aloud, i guess. just getting used to this, because it's really ... um ..."

"weird?" nanami offers helpfully, and you turn to nod.

"weird."

because what else do you call agreeing to have a baby with your platonic friend of 10 years?

you first met nanami on the second day of college and knew right away he'd be a good dad, even back when having kids wasn't even a consideration for you. it was obvious; he was already a good dad back then, with how he looked out for his underclassmen even as he progressed through his degree. how he stayed sober when he knew people would be going overboard, not sleeping until you texted him to confirm you'd gotten home safe after a party.

he helped you study at the weekends and, in return, you provided him with a discount at the local cafe where you worked. through this time spent knocking back americanos and proofing each other's work, you grew close.

even with all his responsibility and good sense contrasting your exuberance and recklessness, you found yourself enjoying being with him. and he could be funny, too, delivering sharp and witty quips when you least expected it.

you became inseparable. insufferable, some would call it; the matching-halloween-costume type of insufferable, a borderline codependent but obliviously happy friendship that can only be fostered on a college campus.

then right after college, when you had dived straight into your quarter-life crisis and dyed your hair every colour under the sun, got piercings in too many places, slept with questionable people and dated some even worse, nanami had gotten himself a decent, impressive, well-paying job. it was a job that had him wearing tailored suits at 23, paired with fancy glasses that cost more than your rent, and you'd laughed at him, at how serious he looked. but you also worried at how the bags under his eyes grew deeper and darker, how the amused lilt to his voice started to dissipate as time went on.

his 9 to 5 turned to an 8 to 6, and then he was working weekends and skipping movie nights, missing out on meeting new boyfriends of yours, fading into the periphery of your life with you unable to do anything about it.

as with all relationships in your twenties, it was hard to stay in touch. the higher he climbed up the career ladder, the further you grew apart.

soon, it was only on holidays or birthdays when you both would reach out, cordial and civil but achingly unfamiliar.

then, on your twenty-ninth birthday, drunk at a bar and having taken a couple minutes away from your raucous friend group, you had stepped outside to grab some fresh air only to walk head-on into nanami's firm chest.

you had spluttered apologies, lifting your head to see who you had headbutted, only to find your old friend looking down at you with an amused look on his face.

and just like that, things picked up where they left off. you spent the night talking, catching up over drinks and laughter.

with a tone that was only half-teasing, you had asked him what brought him out tonight -- it was hard enough to get him to come out for drinks when you were both in college, much less now with his big fancy job.

but he had laughed in that gentle, airy way you'd heard a thousand times, explaining that he had been out socialising with clients who had just left minutes before. he was just on his way out before running into you.

perfect timing. painfully perfect.

you stayed talking until last call, making exhilarated promises to get in touch the next day.

and to your surprise, you both actually stuck to that.

in the ten months since then, you've met up every sunday for breakfast at your favourite cafe. over lattes and freshly baked croissants, you fill each other in on the details of the half-decade spent apart. he had a serious girlfriend, serious to the point of moving in together, but she'd gotten spooked and left him last summer to go travelling. he was hurt, obviously, but understood her perspective in that annoyingly calm, measured way that is just part of his nature.

and on your end -- despite the drunken circumstances in which you'd been reacquainted, which is all part of moderation, after all -- you've actually calmed down considerably since your early twenties.

you have your own apartment. you have a rescue cat you care for immensely, even when he tries wriggling out of your arms to go stare out the window at passing cyclists. you have a retirement fund, started yoga, learned to bake your own bread.

you're not boring, you still have fun and let off steam whenever you can, but you're having the sort of revelations about life that nanami seems to have had years ago.

fun is good. fun is important. but it can't be everything, because then it starts to come at a cost.

truthfully, the birth of your nephew is what prompted you to make some changes. you didn't want to show up to babysit hungover. you wanted to have funds to hand in order to treat him to little toys and sweets when your sister allowed it, and soon found yourself amazed at how his little face lit up every time he saw you.

it made you grow up, and fast.

in the course of your cafe hangouts, you had mentioned your nephew to nanami. showed pictures of the boy's pudgy little hands reaching for the camera, told stories of how he could tell the difference between new episodes of Bluey versus reruns, and how he's changed your entire life without even realising.

soon, talk about your nephew turned to general musings about your own future.

then one night, when you decided to switch your meetup location from the cafe to a cocktail bar, you shared something that you had barely admitted to yourself.

you wanted to have a kid.

this realisation wasn't borne from some crisis about entering a new decade, it wasn't something forced on you by others or general societal pressure. it was something that grew organically, inspired by the honour of watching your little nephew grow up.

to your surprise, nanami didn't scoff or dismiss you. you figured he'd have rolled his eyes, laughing off your confession since you weren't in a committed relationship.

instead, he expressed similar sentiments, but for slightly different reasons.

"i'm sick of work being my whole life," he had mused quickly, sipping an old fashioned with a funny look in his eye. "it was only when we started hanging out again that i realised how much of my life I've wasted at a place that wouldn't care if i lived or died."

"do i need to be worried about you having the type of rebellious streak the rest of us went through ten years ago?" you asked, smiling and fidgeting with one of your rings without thinking.

he waved off your suggestion with a fond roll of his eyes. "i'm not impulsively quitting or anything, don't worry. just want to take a step back, i suppose, or find something with shorter hours. i just think there's more to life than endless hours slaving behind a desk."

you toasted to that sentiment, knocking back the last of your cosmo.

nanami continued, watching you set your empty glass back down with a soft grin on his lips. "the whole family, kids thing ... i get it, you know? it makes sense."

"yeah?" you pried carefully, interested to see where this is going.

"i'd be lying if i said i didn't think about it, too. i have a nest egg saved up which means i'd be able to take time off to help with a kid, to actually be there to see them grow up. and it's not that i want to have one just because i think i need to -- i think i'd be decent at it, y'know? the whole parenting thing."

you obviously agreed. you'd thought the same for a while now, and getting reacquainted with the man has only spurred on those thoughts.

he really would be perfect.

the issue wasn't discussed further that night, but it was brought up again at coffee the following sunday, then at the bakery the week after that, and before long, it was your birthday again.

after a massive party with all your friends and family -- and a little too much wine -- nanami had stayed behind to help you clean up, because of course he would, and you got to talking again, got to revisiting that topic that had been at the back of both of your minds.

you can't remember the exact wording of the discussion or how many bottles of prosecco fuelled the conversation, but what you do know is that when you sobered up, you didn't regret agreeing to it.

you were gonna have a kid together.

you and nanami.

coparenting.

as outlandish an idea as it might seme on the surface, when looking at it a little deeper, it made sense to you. this wasn't decided on a whim. this was something that had momentum building behind it for months and months, perhaps even years, without you even realising.

when meeting up for coffee the following week, you both gave each other an out. said there'd be no big deal if things were called off. but neither one of you took it, despite laughing for what felt like hours about how bizarre it all felt.

still, no sign of backing out.

which brings you to tonight, the agreed-upon date of when you'd start trying.

nanami had suggested using artificial fertility methods if that made you more comfortable, but you politely turned him down, thinking it unnecessary. he wasn't a stranger -- plus, you'd be lying if you said he wasn't objectively attractive -- so if he had no objections to trying things the old-fashioned way, then you didn't either.

and he obviously didn't mind too much since he's now here on your couch, folding his arms and then unfolding them as he waited for you to make the first move.

he looks good, despite all the nerves. he's filled out over the years, though he was always strong, with every muscle in his body well-defined and perfectly proportional. his hair is still blond but with the faintest specks of grey, his skin brighter and more well-rested than that night you got reacquainted.

his deep brown eyes stay fixed on you and your skin heats as his gaze traces over you.

"do you want me to kiss you?" you break the silence, the words tumble messily from your mouth.

he looks taken aback, as if this was something he'd vaguely considered but never thought would actually happen.

"do ... do you want to?"

his earnestness has you smiling, cutting through the tension, and you meet his eyes properly for the first time since he arrived tonight. he always has this way of making you feel comfortable, his presence alone is like an embrace that calms the racing thoughts that constantly occupy your mind.

it's only now that you're close, so close, you realise that maybe you really do want to --

"i wouldn't suggest it otherwise," you murmur softly as if your heart isn't hammering against your ribcage, shifting nearer to him on the couch but keeping that last bridge of distance for him to close.

his tongue swipes over his lower lip, almost subconsciously demonstrating his wishes as his line of sight drifts down to your mouth. he nods then, dipping his head, only a couple inches of space between you now.

"yeah -- yeah, okay."

you can see how his pupils dilate as you reach out to slip his glasses off, setting them down on the coffee table, cupping his face in your hands.

he returns your smile at that gesture, just the slightest hint of nerves in his eyes that disappear when he finally decides to press your lips to yours.

his lips are softer than you imagined ... though until this very moment, you hadn't even realised that this was something you had imagined.

he lets you set the rhythm but doesn't shy away; he meets your movements, your energy at every kiss, letting you stop for a moment to adjust yourself as things progress.

this should feel weird, right? you should have some lingering feeling of awkwardness at making out with your best friend, at taking his hand in yours and setting it down on your thigh to show you want him to touch you?

this was supposed to be a relatively unromantic event, after all. it wasn't meant to be the start of anything. though it was never clinical or unemotional -- you're technically starting a family together, after all, if an entirely unconventional one -- you never foresaw it going down like this.

this feels like something that was meant to happen.

he pulls back ever-so-slightly, lips still grazing against yours as he asks softly, "this okay?"

you nod by way of answer, not wanting to waste another second not kissing him. nanami captures your lips with his again, and with renewed enthusiasm, slips his tongue into your mouth, probing gently and barely hiding the low rumble of a groan deep in his throat.

all thoughts of propriety start to fade into the ether. his hand on your thigh burns hot, shifting up and down the exposed skin. you'd worn a nice dress for the evening, unsure of the dress code for an event as strange as this, but you find yourself grateful for choosing something that fell so far above the knee.

his hands are rougher than his lips but not in an unpleasant way. you figure it's from his only out-of-work hobby that doesn't consist of hanging out with you; his renovation group. nanami is part of a volunteer organisation that helps build and renovate houses for those in need -- as if he couldn't get any more painfully perfect, obviously.

you stay like that for a few more minutes, exploring these new sensations and becoming increasingly more aware of the ball of anticipation burning in your lower stomach. everywhere he touches you feels warm, every soft nip against your lips feels electric.

then, against every instinct in your body, you force yourself to pause to take a few steadying breaths. nanami responds in the same way, pulling his hands back to his own thighs, adjusting his stance on the couch.

he's hard, you can see as much from the awkward way he shuffles in his seat. not to mention the bulge very obviously visible in the front of his slacks -- just seeing it fills you with want, with the need to touch and be touched.

this is moving more fluidly than you had expected, arriving at each decision without a second thought. in that vein, you decide to ask:

"want to head to the bedroom?", hoping you don't sound as desperate as you're feeling. "if you're ready -"

"yes," he responds before you've even finished your sentence. you feel grateful that the eagerness is not one-sided as you get to your feet, taking nanami by the hand to pull him up with you.

when you've reached your room and the door is shut behind you, revealing the modest set up of your freshly-made bed and a single scented candle -- any more than that felt a little too forced, too awkward -- you marvel at the feeling of nanami's hands on your hips, somehow gentle and firm at the same time, manoeuvring you onto the bed with a pre-rehearsed confidence that never verges on forceful.

your head hasn't even hit the pillow before he's kissing you again like he's starving for it. it's messy this time, the gentle exploration from before giving way to something more primal and urgent.

you have to remind yourself that this is your nanami you're kissing. the nanami who was there for you through the most painful college breakups. the nanami who knows your coffee order, who helped zip up the back of your graduation dress.

but now, with his tongue against yours and the stiffness pressing against your stomach, all you can think is why you didn't do this sooner?

just as you're about to combust underneath him, he pulls back, balancing himself on an elbow as his eyes flick down to see how your dress is bunched at the top of your thighs. he closes his eyes, his breaths ragged and unsteady.

"i don't know how--" he whispers, tongue gliding over his kiss-slick lips, "how ... technical you might want to go about this."

you let out a little laugh, craning your neck to kiss his jawline so he knows it's not at his expense.

"i never really thought about the technicalities, but it doesn't have to be too clinical, or anything. i know you, you know me. we can just ... have sex."

"have sex," he repeats slowly, eyes open again, the hint of a grin on his face.

"yeah, have sex!" you answer with a chuckle. "or is there another way you'd like me to phrase it?"

he laughs then too, looking at you again as he shakes his head softly.

"what?" you press him with a mock indignance. "it's rude to laugh at my suggestion, actually. i felt it was pretty accurate."

"i'm not laughing at you," he says gently, lips still curved upwards. "just ... i must have pictured you saying those words a thousand times, and i never thought it -- it's just funny to hear out loud, is all."

it takes you a second to fully comprehend the words as they wash over you.

you'd be ignorant to say that the realisation never dawned on you, but it was something you thought was a relic of your college years. he had blushed a few times too many whenever the topic of sex came up at parties, had a hint of jealousy in his voice when giving advice about one particular ex-boyfriend. at your apartment complex's winter party in senior year, you can tell he was thinking about kissing you.

but that was when you were young and naive, inexperienced with life, and the thought of this nanami desiring you, of picturing you in his life, of imagining what you'd look like spread out underneath him like this --

you lift your head and grab his shirt collar, yanking him in for another kiss. when he's settled back against you, your hands weave down to unbutton his shirt. you feel him smile against your lips as he starts to unzip your dress in return.

you're a mess of limbs as items of clothing get strewn across your bedroom carpet. before long, it's all skin-on-skin, the heat of his body pressed against yours before he grabs your waist and flips you over until you're straddling him.

you feel the length of him pressed against your stomach, hot and painfully hard, but from the way he cups his hand against your neck and starts to kiss your throat, you know he's not going to rush this.

just as you gasp out his name as his teeth nip against your pulse point, he brings his other hand to the apex of your thighs, fingertips resting just over your pubic bone, barely brushing against the sensitive skin.

"want me to touch you?" he mumbles quietly against your throat, the way his breath fans over you making you shiver.

you nod pitifully, hips canting towards him, but he doesn't budge.

"need you to say it," he says low, quiet, thumb shifting down by the millimetre, "need to know how much you want it."

"i want it," you gasp, the arch of your back deepening the closer he gets to your aching core, all concerns about appearing desperate evaporating with every press of his lips to your skin. "i want it, kento, p- please touch me."

nanami obliges, fingertips trailing down until his thumb is brushing over your clit. he slides his hand lower, fingers slipping through your damp lips, and then uses your own wetness to start rubbing you in earnest.

any form of articulate thought slips from your mind, replaced with only those that can get you more of this -- nanami's fingers playing with your clit, the other hand possessively resting at your nape, his cock pressed between you with precum beading at the tip.

you want it in your mouth. you want it inside you, and as you go to shift your hips, nanami shifts his back.

"want to see what you look like when you come first," he says, slipping his middle and ring finger inside you as if to prove he's going about it the right way.

and he really is, because after only a few strokes of his fingers, your vision is getting hazy. you've never been this turned on so quickly before, never felt this desperate, all-consuming urge -- but then again, you've never had a man look at you like this before now either.

you try to focus on the sensation of his fingers stretching you open, his thumb still stroking your clit in the perfect rhythm, but your mind wanders to the thick cock pressed up against you. you want to rub against him, let him fill you up, make him feel good too --

but looking at his face now, pupils blown and lower lip raw from biting down on it, you can tell this is as much for him as it is for you.

less than a minute later it hits you, the explosion of warmth radiates out to every cell in your body, rendering you a boneless mess in nanami's arms.

he holds you as the aftershock subsides, strong arms keeping you steady even when your legs feel as though they've turned to jelly. when you feel capable of supporting yourself, you slide ungracefully from where you were perched on his thighs and fall back against your pillows, head spinning blissfully.

nanami leans down next to you and kisses your forehead, whispering words of praise that fill you with a strange sensation you can't quite place.

"want to take a break?" he ask after a few moments have passed, "or if you're tired, we can try again later --"

"no," you cut him off, turning your head to look at him directly, face splitting into a smile through the post-orgasm haze. "i just need a second is all, i still -- if you want to --"

"i do."

and so to ease yourself back into it, you kiss him slowly, intimately, bodies gently intertwining as he shifts closer to you on the bed. you guide his hands to your chest, gasping as his thumb circles a nipple.

"you're just ... beautiful in a way i don't really have words for," he mumbles, watching you squirm pleasurably under him.

"nanami kento lost for words? a first time for everything," you manage to quip through it all, earning a pinch of the other nipple that turns your laugh into a moan.

"we've plenty more firsts to get through tonight."

at that, nanami shifts halfway down the mattress and gets to his knees, hands gripping your thighs as he spreads them open. he takes his cock in his hand and slowly drags the head through your folds, up and down but not yet penetrating you, appreciating how you're almost sucking him in, the eager way you pull back your legs to accommodate him.

he stays like that for a minute. every time you think he's about to sink in, he holds himself back as if transfixed by the obscene sounds that come from playing with your pussy, of using you to stroke himself off.

he looks to be on the verge of a choice, like his brain is fighting between two options: taking you slow and gentle like you deserve, or sinking in and fucked into you desperately, filling you up until he knows he's bred you, that you're his and only his.

you soon glean that he wants you to actually say it out loud, wants to hear those words he's fantasised about for so long.

"fuck me, kento."

now utterly unable to hold off any longer, he heeds your request, lining up and thrusting inside you in one fluid motion.

it's a pleasant stretch; he's still careful to let you adjust to his size but you're soon relishing the feeling of being so full, and the fucked-out grin on your face spurs him on.

his hips shift back inch by inch until he's almost fully pulled out, letting out a low groan as he sinks back in again, and at that, he knows he's a goner, completely lost to the feeling of his entire length buried inside you.

this is nanami at his most possessive, fucking into you as you're caged in by his strong arms, your knees now pulled back as far as they'll go. the skin on the back of your thighs is raw from your nails digging into them but you don't care, single-minded in your aim to keep the head of his cock brushing against that perfect spot inside you.

your shoulder blades press into your soft pillows as you try to keep from writhing too much, wanting with all of your might to avoid upsetting this perfect rhythm.

above you, nanami's perfect cheekbones are flushed, his brows knit tightly together, your silky walls wrapping tight around his cock in a way that's driving him to the brink sooner than he'd like. against all better judgment, he slows down just slightly, allowing himself to indulge in the sensation.

"you take my cock so well, y'know that?" he mumbles in between quiet grunts, "with that pretty look on your face when i fill you up... you're trying to kill me, i swear to god."

you both laugh breathlessly before yours breaks off in a moan, slurring his name as he speeds up subconsciously. he presses his lips to every inch of your neck, jaw, collarbone, thrusts unrelenting but never too much.

if you weren't already aware of how soaked you are, the slick sounds of his cock sliding in and out of you provide more than enough proof, melding with the soft squeak of your bedsprings to just about cut through the muffled sound of your moans.

your body now guided more by instinct than intention, you slip your hand down to where your hips are pressed together, two fingers circling the swollen bud of your clit. the angle of his ruts means his cock grazes your fingertips as he pulls out, the desperate rubbing of your hand between your legs spurring him on.

"still want me to come inside you?" he says then, strands of hair coming loose, sticking to his forehead, "want me to fill you up?"

you nod feebly -- the answer clearly not sufficient in itself, since he leans in, pressing his forehead to yours as he meets you for a wet, messy kiss. continuing his question with his lips still touching yours, he asks;

"want me to take care of you? want to be my pretty wife, hm, wanna -- fuck -- wanna be mine, yeah?"

you slur something unintelligible, focusing on the second orgasm gathering quick and hot in your core. you lose your grip on your thighs and fumble to pull your legs back up.

nanami helps to hike your legs back up -- but not in their original position. instead, he guides them until your ankles rest on his shoulders, and after taking just a second to press a kiss to your calf, he sinks back to the hilt. feeling him bottom out, your vision nearly goes white; this new angle allows him to slide in so deep it's practically splitting you open, so deep you can tell he's serious about breeding you.

somehow, the sensation remains just shy of too much -- it's not too much of a stretch or causing too much sensitivity -- it's more than you've ever taken but you honestly feel you could stay like this forever, taking nanami's cock like you were made for it, with him looking down at you with a mixture of reverence and pure lust.

you want him like this for the rest of your life.

"i'm gonna need you to answer, cos I'm pretty close," he half-pleads as if reading your mind, his voice deep and strained, firm chest heaving as the thrusts get messier and less coordinated.

though your mind is near-blank and your lungs feel they can't get enough air, you manage to mumble a "fuck, yes. want -- want you to come inside, kento ... please."

that last word tips him over with you following almost immediately after, clenching around his cock as you feel him pulsing inside you, feeling more full than you've ever felt in your life. his head tips back as he cums, moaning beautiful praise you can just about make out, strands of sentences about you being the only one he wants taking his come, about how he's going to keep fucking you full for as long as it takes.

sparks of electricity reverberate through your body, hips pushing against his as you ride out your orgasm, pretty little whimpers harmonising with nanami's continued praise.

you stay like that for what seems like forever, basking in the wave of pleasure that's just swept you away effortlessly.

everything is just ... warm. purely and blissfully warm. the warmth of his hands still gripping your legs, the warmth of your own breath fanning over your sweaty chest, the warmth between your legs that starts to dribble down the backs of your thighs when nanami pulls out.

for good measure, nanami uses two fingers to push some of his come back inside, grinning as aftershocks pulse around the digits.

you lower your tired legs to rest on the mattress, thighs aching from being bent practically in half, but it's easy to disregard any physical exhaustion when you feel this level of contentment.

nanami's arms are soon wrapped around you, pulling you to rest on top of his chest where you spend some moments of perfect silence.

you can hear his heart beating in his chest, skipping a beat when you angle your head up to meet his gaze again.

"well?" you ask, a smile imbued in your words. "still lost for words?"

"just thinking about how every second of this was worth waiting for," he replies without missing a beat, eyes crinkling at the corners as he watches how his answer flusters you.

with one hand behind his head as he rests of the pillow and the other wrapped around your shoulders, nanami looks more relaxed than you've maybe ever seen him.

this is a man who looked on the verge of a nervous breakdown when you reconnected less than a year ago; he's almost unrecognisable now, the dark circles under his eyes have faded, his face filling out a bit more, the smile on his face entirely genuine.

and in this moment you feel a burst of clarity, a sudden realisation that's eluded you since that first night you met in college.

maybe -- just maybe -- you're as good an influence on him as he is on you.

[lucilleslore]

lovesick snow really really really scratches a part of my brain that i cannot have the words that explain it and have to go the library of babel to find it. he'd be more easy to manipulate in that state, especially how vulnerable he is to you and how willing he'd do anything for you. like you said in one of your first posts, i'm in love with the idea of it of how powerful the reader is if you want to add more backstory to them.

ok so i went with your idea and gave manipulative!reader and snow the backstory they deserve for the little au we have going here!! i hope you love it <3

➸ so as a kid i see manipulative!reader as a bit of a daydreamer and what do lots of little girls dream about?? their wedding. for you though it wasn’t necessarily about the day, not even the fancy dress or the colour scheme but the person. let’s just say you’re already from quite an influential family but it’s not enough - you want more.

➸ you wanted a husband that’s powerful, motivated. he had to be important and charismatic - someone who could really get you what you wanted from life. you weren’t completely unbothered by the idea of romance though and hoped that’d you’d manage to get them utterly devoted to you, willing to do anything to protect you and make you happy. it’s not a hard thing to ask for, right?

➸ you’d always been aware of coriolanus snow but there always seemed to be better candidates for your attention. then he comes back to the capitol and you can sense the change in him - the unhinged, power hungry aura that seemed to surround him and as he quickly started making a new name for himself, you thought he could be the one.

➸ coryo would never be an easy person to get close to however. so you had to subtly start placing yourself in his life. it was a slow process but you were diligent. ‘bumping’ into him just outside his apartment, having the same social calendar as him, even showing an interest in the games so someone would set up an appointment between the two of you to discuss.

➸ then there was one moment. one that not even you - seemingly the mastermind of your own life - had planned out. it was raining that day, pouring and you were alone rushing back to your apartment. you weren’t paying attention to where you were going and when you stepped out onto the road you weren’t prepared for the onslaught of screeching tires or horns. or for the strong grip that wrapped around your wrist and pulled you back.

➸ coryo was there just as drenched as you were but with a kind of frenzied, panicked look in his eyes. ‘you should watch where you’re going,’ he’d urged. it was the way he said it, the way his hand squeezed at your wrist that had you thinking maybe he’d been noticing your efforts after all. he’d tugged you closer to him as if you’d be safer there and it was probably the most genuine moment you’d had in years, as you blinked up at the blonde man who’d just saved your life.

➸ honestly after that you decide to back off, feeling a little guilty about your scheming but seemingly the universe wanted the two of you on the same path. or maybe coriolanus did. suddenly he was there at family functions, taking meetings with your father, charming your mother at all costs. he’d come to dinners hosted at your families estate and his eyes would never leave you from across the table even when he was in a conversation.

➸ so when your family told you about the marriage proposal you weren’t that surprised, just giddy. everything was finally falling into place. you knew you’d have to be careful. to you snow was charming, doting in a sense but you’d heard the rumours. he could be dangerous and you’d have to make sure you were never in his firing line.

➸ in the beginning of your marriage you try and play coy, let coryo take the lead in things. you like to let him know how you rely on him, always holding onto his arm in public and letting him speak first. basically just playing up to his male ego but something about seeing you feeling so safe with him and letting your guard down has him letting some walls down too. which is exactly what you want.

➸ he’d start to confide in you after a while because you’re just such a good little wife! bringing him drinks in the evening in your pretty dresses, loosening his shirts and playing with his hair. it isn’t his fault he ends up telling you things about his past, things he plans to do in the future - a lot of things that he probably shouldn’t tell you especially since you’ll remember each and every one.

➸ kinda dark but i love the idea of you being able to read people really well and always hyper aware of who coryo surrounds himself with, always sussing out their intentions before he does. you give it a little while but if he’s still not catching onto them you’ll simply make something up. maybe they’re giving you dirty looks or maybe their gazes are just lingering a little too long for your liking, in places they certainly shouldn’t be looking. maybe they’ve flirted with you, maybe they’re making nasty digs but you have coryo eating out the palm of your hand by this point and he’s possessive, protective in a mad, feral way. you’re flat out lying but he eats it up and whoever you want gone doesn’t last much longer after that.

➸ maybe that’s how you get your power. by simply having his ear. people know that they can get what they want through you and by the time coryo is president you have people visiting you nearly everyday. hoping you’ll let them into your inner circle, offering you things in exchange for a word whispered in his ear.

➸ and maybe coryo comes to rely on you this way. you’re a capitol darling, their perfect first lady but behind closed doors you’re separating the good from the bad. the people who can help your husband and the people who’re out to damage what he’s built. people begin to see you as a powerhouse in your own right, someone with a good side they need to be on. or else.

[creepyclothdoll]

There's this thrift store at the old strip mall up the highway.

You go to the earrings first. You love earrings, but you’re always losing them.

This place has most of them in a wicker basket up by the register, but there’s more on a rack nearby and some of the fancier stuff is behind the glass under the table. But who goes for the “fancy” stuff at a thrift store? Thrift is the point. These earrings, the ones in the wicker basket, are stuck through blank, white cardboard squares with neon price stickers. 

All of them are under $10, lots under $5. You rifle through them, registering at first only that the colors and styles are very pleasing to you. Your favorite colors. The right size. Then the familiarity sets in. You are struck by a weird, uncanny feeling, which you don’t immediately place. Your body reacts to the surprise before your brain even has a chance to register what it is.

These are your earrings. Not all of them, but lots of them. Here’s a pair you bought from a different thrift store during your first year of college, gaudy wooden hippie-ish disks with flowers painted on– old and tacky, but you felt like you were cool enough to make them work– which you lost when you moved out of your dorm. Here’s a pair you lost in your last apartment, which you didn’t even realize you hadn’t seen around for the last two years– two fairly pricey and elegant-looking sapphires that your parents got for your 30th birthday, when you got promoted to Marketing Specialist. Here’s a pair you forgot you ever owned until now– some dangly red stacked beads that you wore for one Florida vacation in 2011 and then never again. Because you probably left them on the plane. 

“These are all mine,” you say out loud. You can see your reflection in the slim mirror built into the rotating sunglasses display. The earrings you are wearing today are a completely different style– the sort that a Marketing Specialist wears on the weekends, still arty but much more subtle than the sort you wore back then. That doesn’t mean you wouldn’t wear these dangly red things now. You just… don’t, really.  

“Oh, that’s interesting,” says the employee. She is short and dark-haired and named Beth. She is reading a paperback at the check-out and ignoring you. 

You look at the price tag for the sapphires. $15.99. That’s a steal. 

But they’re mine, you think. I shouldn’t have to pay fucking money for these. They’re mine.

Your eyes drift down under the mirror to the sunglasses rack. The first pair there is child-sized, with a blue frame that has a faded Little Mermaid logo on it. You recognize the sunglasses from a photograph of yourself when you were a child at Valley Fair that was pasted to your mom’s fridge for the longest time. They’re $2.99. 

In the “fancy things” area under the glass, you see an old, heavy camera. Could that be the one your grandma made you bring to high school for show-and-tell, the priceless antique World War II era camera, which went missing after you left it overnight? You got in so much trouble for losing that thing, even though you never wanted to bring it to begin with. It’s only $500. You have to buy it. There’s also a tote bag with your old work logo plastered on it which, you know, is packed full of cannabis. You decided to stock up during a trip to Canada because you didn’t know anyone who sold it while you were living in North Dakota, making ends meet while you tried (and failed) to get scholarships to animation schools. You never got to use any of it, though, because that bag got shoved under a seat in your car when you were crossing the border and you just sort of didn’t retrieve it for long enough that, eventually, you forgot you had it, and by the time you remembered, you couldn’t find it again. 

How did it get here?

There’s a deck of gen 1 Pokemon cards that you took to the park one day in 2000 and left on a slide. You’re sure you had some back then that would be really, really valuable now. 

“These are all mine,” you say. “Can I have them back? They were mine originally, I mean. I didn’t give them up on purpose and I don’t know how they got here.”

“You can’t just take things,” Beth says. “But yeah, if you want to buy them, you can have them.”

“But they’re mine. That’s my grandpa’s World War II camera. I lost it in ninth grade and I feel terrible about that.”

“It’s $500,” Beth says, pointing to the sign. You sigh and pull out my credit card. But then you see the rack of jackets. Among them, you see a terribly familiar jean jacket. 

“That’s my mom’s!” you shout excitedly. You run over to it and pull it off the rack. It’s a 1980’s Levi’s jean jacket that she saved up all her money to buy. She wore it everywhere, and kept it for decades until she could pass it on to her daughter. You had it for two months. You loved that jacket. It symbolized your mom’s trust in you. And it made you feel cool. You were in middle school, and being cool was very important, and you got a lot of compliments on it. Then one day, you went with your little brother to the park, and it was hot out, so you took it off and left it on a bench. When you went home, you weren’t wearing it anymore. But you didn’t realize it was gone until your mom asked why you hadn’t worn it in awhile. The fact that you were so careless as to lose something so important to her broke her heart. You used to search the closets in your house compulsively, hoping it might just turn up one day, and your mom would forgive you. But it never turned up. You checked that park bench, too, every time you went to that park for the rest of your life. The jacket never returned, of course. 

But now, here it is, on this rack. 

If you’re going to take anything back from this place, you know it should be this. 

And then you see grandma’s quilt. 

It’s draped and pinched with clothespins on a different rack, with the tablecloths and scrap fabric. 

Your grandma made you this quilt when you graduated college. It has her handwriting on the corner and the year she made it– 2014. She spent months making this in your favorite colors, picking out fabrics she thought you would like. She knew you really well. You loved that quilt. 

Three years ago, you took it to the laundromat. You set it on a table while you did the rest of your laundry first, so you could cold-wash it separately. But then, a crazy guy came in, yelling and acting all erratic, and it was night and you were the only other person in there, and he kept asking to buy your hair, and you rushed out of there with your wet laundry dripping. You forgot about the quilt until the rest of your blankets finished drying on your apartment banister two days later. You called the laundromat and they didn’t have it. Last winter, your grandma passed. 

You grab the jean jacket and beeline for the quilt, adding it to your pile. 

Two of your old pillowcases are on the rack too— you didn’t even realize those had been folded up with the quilt the day you lost it.

In the children’s toy section, you see your favorite stuffed raccoon, Dorothy. You haven’t seen her for years. She used to go on lots of adventures with you and your brother. You don’t remember losing her, but now you realize that yes, she– and all these other stuffed animals– are lost. Somewhere along the line, you saw them for the last time. 

A scarf you wore in tenth grade. A pair of pants that don’t fit you anymore. A snowglobe with a picture of your middle school friends in it. A nice sports bra you got from a hiking gear store when you thought you were going to get fit four years ago. A piggy bank shaped like Spongebob. Dozens of Goosebumps books. A decorative halloween skeleton. A purple sweater that you forgot was your favorite.

You grab all these things and add them to the growing pile in your arms. 

What am I gonna do with this piggy bank? You ask yourself. But then you remind yourself that it’s yours. It doesn’t matter what you do with it! It’s just supposed to be yours!

The worst thing is that you don’t remember the loss of most of these things. You never grieved them. They mostly just slipped away quietly, and you moved on. You stopped buying scarves that looked like that because your favorite color changed and you sort of realized you didn’t really like scarves that much. But that doesn’t mean you don’t want it back. 

That scarf reminds you of the time you wore it to homecoming. A crisp autumn day that was made better by a good hot dog and worse by Rachel and Drew making out on the bleachers in front of you. You were happy that day. Not about homecoming– you lost the game, not that you cared much, but because of the weather, and your friends, and the hot dog, and because you didn’t know to be depressed yet. 

You want it back. 

You want it all back.

You take the scarf. You take the toys. You take everything. You take the christmas ornaments and the ukulele and rope strings of necklaces over your arms and purses over your shoulders. You take printed mugs, good water bottles, old halloween masks, trophies you won in elementary school, your second prom dress (the one with the glitter), happy birthday cards from relatives who died when you were little (they loved the little you! You were so loveable), a jello mould in the shape of a chicken you bought as a joke with your first real girlfriend (wish it ended different), a pair of ladybug-print rain boots you left outside when you were three, VHS family movies from the late 90’s, a phone you dropped in a lake, an old tamagotchi you also dropped in a lake, a book of self-portraits you did as a series in college (you look nothing like her now but you still want it), your old journal filled with comics (remember when you wanted to be a cartoonist?), your old skateboard (remember how you used to play?).

It’s the little trinkets, the things you don’t even think you liked very much, but which maybe you could have made better use of, that you want back the most. You aren’t done with those things. Unfinished, all of them. 

In a stack of blue bins against a wall are a thousand little things you drew or wrote over the course of your childhood– gifts to your parents, homework you never turned in, little stories about your friends, drawings of your grandma. Some of it is still pretty funny (remember when you wanted to be a comedian?). Animation cells that you made and stored away in the basement when you were telling yourself your scholarship hunt was just “on pause” (these ideas are still good, you can still use them!) What the hell are these things doing here? How dare these people?

“Excuse me, ma’m,” Beth says, only now looking up from her paperback– which you now realize is also yours– with a mix of irritation and deep concern. You spin around, covered head-to-toe in your things. 

“What?!” You snap. You are wrapped in the quilt, draped in ribbons and purses and medals and sweaters and scarves of all shades from all eras of your life. You look like a giant slug made of closet debris. 

“There’s no way you’re gonna buy all that,” Beth says. 

“Like hell I am!” You shout. “I shouldn’t have to buy any of it! It’s all mine, and I want it back!”

A little orange plastic treasure chest with two of your baby teeth inside– you used to be so little, so innocent. Your Girl Scout sash– you had so many friends. The orange yo-yo you got at a carnival when you were one– the first thing you consciously remember losing, remember how sad you were? A note you wrote to yourself with a funny song lyric on it last thursday (you might record it someday). A Mickey Mouse photo frame of you with your best friend Anna in elementary school (you loved her so much, why don’t you talk to her anymore?). 

“I want it all back,” you say again and again. 

There was a version of you who wore the red bead earrings. There was a version of you who played with the stuffed raccoon with your brother. There was a version of you who appreciated those nice sapphires. There was a version of you who was happy in a scarf at homecoming. There were versions of you with more friends, versions with fewer troubles, versions that were thinner and stronger and healthier and younger, versions that had all sorts of dreams and visions for the future, versions that strived for completely different things than you strive for now.

You can still have them back.

You pull the sunglasses display over, grabbing every pair and stuffing them into your many bags. You grab the hat rack that used to sit in your childhood bedroom and start dragging it toward the door. 

“Ma’am, I’m going to call the police if you don’t stop,” Beth says. You do stop– just long enough to walk back to her and take the paperback murder mystery out of her hands, which still has your library info as the last check-out glued inside the cover. 

“See?” You laugh bitterly, pointing at it. “Me!”

The nest of stuff has swelled around you, trailing behind you like the tail of a huge worm. 

Beth is already calling 911. You move very slowly toward the door, exerting tremendous effort to lug all of your precious memories toward the glass pane between you and the outside. You tell yourself that you can already feel the feelings coming back to you– all those other versions of yourself, just by proximity, are waking up again inside of you. The young woman who believed she was going to be something different, the child who was happy in the rain, the future artist before the future evaporated– all of them are coming back now. 

You don’t fit through the door. Beth is talking fast to the operator. In a small town like this, they’ll be here soon. Breathing heavy, you back up and slam into the open door frame, wedging yourself firmly inside. The little mermaid sunglasses shatter. Something crunches. You grunt and scream, pushing with all your might. Something rips. Something scrapes. 

“She’s trying to take everything,” Beth explains hurriedly. “You will? That’s great. As fast as you can.”

You have one last hail mary– you leap forward, letting yourself– and everything you’re wearing– fall to the ground. The enormous mass of things around you crunch down around you, crushing the air out of your lungs, pinning you to the cement. But you’re out. You did it. You took it all back. It’s yours. Yours again. 

By the time the police arrive, you’re gone– lumbering up the freeway, backward through traffic, a massive snakey worm made of tangled fabric and papers and trinkets. The “you” that walked into the thrift store is only a tiny piece of what you are now– a YOU freed from the burden of forgetting. Cars swerve around you to avoid hitting you or any of the things dangling from your massive, hulking form. 

Where are you going? To be everything you meant to be. To fulfill every possible future. It’s not too late. Not now that you have all of it back. 

You march forward like time.

[gamerwoo]

Hyunjin: Age-Restricted (Part Seventeen)

Characters: Hyunjin x female reader (ft other skz members)

Genre/warnings: nanny!reader, ex-porn star/neighbor!hyunjin, generally inexperienced and painfully shy virgin!reader, angst, humor, fluff toward the end (ur welcome), sorta hurt/comfort i think???, mentions of porn and sex work (minors dni!!!)

Word count: 3,937

Summary: You think it’s luck when the new family you nanny for is so stupid rich that they rent you a fancy new apartment just so you can live closer to them. You think it’s luck when the guy across the hall is the most beautiful person you’ve ever seen in your entire life and makes an effort to talk to you. But that’s just about where your luck runs out, because Hyunjin is more out of your league than you could ever imagine, and you’re just some hopeless virgin who never had good luck in the first place.

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Changbin walked into the house with the brownies in one hand. He found Hyunjin leaning against the counter by the stove while his girlfriend cooked dinner for the three of them. He couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Of course she would decide to cook despite working that day. She’d rather cook and be sore than let Hyunjin anywhere near the stove.

“You could’ve ordered something,” Changbin spoke up, letting his presence be known to the pair. Hyunjin looked up from his phone but Kit didn’t even turn to look at him. “Or you could’ve asked me to grab something.”

“It’s fine,” she hummed, not sounding bothered in the slightest.

“It’s not fine, she complained as soon as she got home that everything hurts,” Hyunjin stated, throwing her under the bus.

She turned her head to glare up at him, “You try being folded into a pretzel all day.”

Hyunjin just gave her a blank look before she just sighed and mumbled, “Yeah, I know.”

“So you weren’t the one doing the folding today?” Changbin chuckled. “Sorry to hear that.”

“Being the pretzel is far worse,” she huffed. 

“Then why are you standing and cooking? Go lay down.”

“Oh, and let Hyunjin cook?” she finally turned around to face her boyfriend. “Why don’t we just give him some gasoline and matches while we’re at it.”

“Order something, Kittery,” Changbin chuckled.

“I don’t wanna,” she whined. “I want home cooked.”

“Lucky for you, these are,” he smiled, holding out the container of brownies.

The pair’s eyes went wide, having forgotten about Changbin’s promise to bring home brownies that day. Kit eagerly took them from him and immediately popped open the lid. As Hyunjin got as close to her side as possible to grab one, Changbin walked over to him and nudged him before he could get one, taking the yellow paper from his pocket.

“This is for you,” he said, giving him the folded square.

Hyunjin’s eyes furrowed, but he turned to take the note and unfolded it. Almost immediately, his face fell.

Kit had turned around and was on her tiptoes by Hyunjin’s shoulder, trying to read, “What is it?”

Changbin shrugged, “It’s from _____.”

Kit looked at her boyfriend with wide eyes, but Hyunjin’s were still scanning down the page as he read.

‘We both know how we feel about each other, and I’m not your charity case. I’m not yours to worry about. You’ve reminded me plenty of times. Stop paying for my apartment. I’m moving out either way. 

Fuck you.

_____’

Kit gasped loudly before exclaiming, “YOU’RE PAYING FOR HER APARTMENT?!”

Hyunjin held his ear closest to Kit, flinching away from her. But he didn’t even bother replying to her or scolding her because his brain was elsewhere. Instead, he glared at Changbin.

“How the hell did she find out?!” he demanded.

Changbin shrugged again, “I don’t know, she just ran into me when I went to get the brownies. She was at the front desk and gave me the note. I’m just the messenger, okay? I didn’t even know you were paying her rent.”

“Why are you paying for her entire fucking rent?!” Kit continued. “Hello?”

Hyunjin looked obviously stressed as he ran his fingers through his hair, finally looking at Kit, “I don’t know, okay?! It felt like the right thing to do!”

“You don’t even like her, that doesn’t make sense, Hyunjin!” she pointed out.

“Just because I’m mad at her doesn’t mean I want her to be homeless!”

“So you still care about her?” she pressed.

“I don’t know!” he whined. “I guess!”

Her eyes widened as everything clicked, and she got a wide smile on her face, pointing accusingly at him. “You love her! Hwang Hyunjin, you’re in love! You can’t tell me you’re not, I know you are! You wouldn’t pay thousands of dollars a month for just anyone!”

He let out an annoyed sigh and threw out his hands, “Okay, so what if I am?! Who cares?! Not her! Because she fucking hates me!” he let out a sigh, trying to calm himself down, but he looked and sounded defeated when he spoke again. “It’s too late now. I mean, I ended things, and then she said she only wanted me so she could lose her virginity.”

“If you know she doesn’t actually care about you, why would you pay for her stuff?” Changbin wondered.

Hyunjin just shrugged, “I don’t know. Because…I do love her even if I don’t want to… Even if she hurt me…”

Changbin let out a small sigh and looked up at his friend seriously, “Hyun, is there any way that maybe this is all just some big miscommunication?”

“I heard what I heard,” he stated surely. But he rolled his eyes like he just wanted to forget about the whole thing before he grabbed his keys off the counter and headed for the door.

“Where are you going?” Kit asked him, following behind him.

He turned and waved the note, “I have to take care of this.”

“What’re you gonna do?” Changbin questioned. “Tell her it’s not you?”

“Yup.”

And then the door slammed behind him, leaving the couple stunned in their house.

Kit suddenly whipped around to Changbin and gave him an accusing look, “You lied to him. You absolutely knew what that note was.”

Changbin just smirked, “Yup.”

“But now he’s gonna go lie and make it worse,” she pointed out.

“I have a feeling the truth will come out this time. He’s worked up and so is she. It has to come out.”

“Doesn’t that just mean they’ll blow up at each other?”

Changbin sighed, “Lovebug, I’ve known Hyunjin for years. I know how he works better than he does.”

“But you don’t know _____ that well. What if things get worse?”

“I had a chat with her about her side of things. If they want things fixed, I’m willing to help. But they need a chance to do it themselves.”

Kit’s eyes brightened as she looked at her boyfriend, “Tell. Me. Everything.”

-

“He what?!”

Suddenly, there were double the people on the screen, all trying to cram in to look at you. Chan and Jisung were overpowered by Minho and Seungmin, but all four of them looked absolutely flabbergasted at what you’d told them.

“Your rent is being paid with that porn star money!” Minho gasped.

“How did he even switch the payment over?” Chan wondered.

“I kinda forgot to ask at first, so I had to go back downstairs and ask Jihoon,” you admitted, running your free hand that wasn’t holding your phone through your hair. “He said the parents came back and paid to end the lease early, which meant the apartment went back up for grabs basically immediately. So that means Hyunjin had to buy the apartment after that. So he already paid for the first three months of rent because that’s the policy for renting here.”

“Holy shit,” Minho breathed. “Are we sure we don’t want to try again with him?”

“No, we hate him,” Jisung stated, giving him a disgusted look.

“But I sent Changbin with a note to give him basically telling him to fuck off and stop paying for it, and if he doesn’t listen, I guess I’ll have to figure that out,” you continued. “I guess I could just…move out anyway. It’s not my problem if he’s wasting money on an empty apartment.”

“No, keep the free boujee apartment!” Minho insisted. “Ooh! Or let me secretly move in! You can just take my room.”

“Why would he even do that, though?” Seungmin questioned. “Is this really the same dude who was using you? Why would he drop that much money to keep you from getting kicked out?”

“You think I know?” you huffed. “I’m just some silly little jobless i–”

“And bitchless,” Minho chimed in.

“Jobless and bitchless–”

There was a knock at the door and you immediately looked straight at the door. Part of you wondered if it was Jihoon with your eviction notice. You wondered if he just did the work for you and removed Hyunjin from the billing information because he knew you were pissed off about it.

“What?” Jisung asked.

“Shh!” Seungmin hissed.

“It might be Jihoon,” you told them, but you kept your voice down just in case it was someone else. “I’ll call you guys later.”

“But we’ll be quiet,” Minho whined.

“Just let her go,” Chan sighed. “Jesus.”

Then he ended the call before any of them could protest.

You got up from the couch, leaving your phone there as you went to the door, going carefully and quietly. You looked through the peephole and your heart jumped into your throat.

Hyunjin.

He stood in the hallway, still looking perfect as always. His hair that you had once bleached blonde for him and the roots had grown out, was now completely dark brown, almost black. It was in the typical half-up, half-down, and he was wearing a white Adidas tank top that was tucked into black Adidas joggers.

You hated that you still found him to be the most ethereal looking person you’d ever seen, even in such a basic outfit that he had probably just been lounging around in.

Either way, you decided to carefully step away from the door, turning back around to go hide away in your room for a while.

“_____, I know you’re in there,” you heard him call like he knew you had just turned around.

You stood there for a moment, frozen and silent, considering ignoring him again.

“Hanni already told me you’re up here,” he stated when you didn’t reply.

She’s really on a roll today, you thought to yourself.

Finally, you let out a sigh and turned back to the door, “So?”

“So open the door,” he demanded, not raising his voice but definitely sounding angry and frustrated.

Well, you didn’t really have many other options. If you continued to ignore him, he’d probably just keep yelling through the door. Hell, he’d probably go downstairs and get a spare key since he was the one paying for the apartment. He was the owner of it now so what kept him from being locked out?

Reluctantly, you pulled open the door.

Immediately, Hyunjin stepped forward, so you stepped back, and he held up the note you’d given to Changbin, “What the fuck is this?!”

The only other time you’d seen him mad was when he’d shown up at Chan’s apartment, and it kind of scared you because you hadn’t seen him mad before. This time was no different, but you refused to back down. Your anger you felt toward him wouldn’t let you cower and stand there without speaking.

“What do you mean?” you asked, your voice quieter than his but it was unwavering. “Didn’t you read it?”

“Yes, that’s why I’m asking,” he stated in an exasperated tone.

You shrugged, though the building anxiety from the confrontation was making your hands start to shake already, “It’s pretty self-explanatory then.”

“Why would you think I’m paying for your apartment?” he demanded, his voice getting louder.

“Drop the act, Hanni already slipped up and told me.”

Like a switch was flipped, Hyunjin’s hand dropped to his side and he let out a deep sigh, rolling his eyes before he started grumbling about how he made all the front desk workers promise to keep it a secret, and then something about money.

You quirked a brow, “Didn’t Changbin tell you? He was there.”

He groaned and dropped his head back as everything started clicking.

“Of course he didn’t tell me!” he said with an annoyed smile. “Why would Changbin tell me when he obviously wanted me to come talk to you. That would be stupid of him.”

You chose to ignore his annoyance because honestly, that wasn’t your problem.

“So why are you paying for my shit, exactly?” you asked, changing the subject back to the original issue. “Where did you find the audacity to think it was fine for you to do that? Actually, what made you think I would want you to do that? What made you think I wanted anything to do with you, actually?”

“I’m the reason you got fired, so I’m responsible,” he told you like it was obvious. “Hence, I should make sure you don’t end up homeless.”

You let out a sigh of your own eyes rolling out of how tired you were of having to tell him this.

“You don’t have to be responsible for me!” you burst. “You said it yourself: we’re not dating. I’m not yours to worry about. I already told you I quit because of my morals, not because of anything to do with you!”

You could feel hot tears wanting to burn your eyes. You felt so many emotions while you argued with Hyunjin about the same shit again, and saying the things he said to you just made them sting all over again. And all you could think about was the one thing he said to you that you couldn’t get out of your head.

“I’m just some stupid loser virgin or whatever, right?” you mumbled, looking away from him and crossing your arms over your chest, trying so hard not to cry in front of him. That was the absolute last thing you wanted.

Hyunjin’s stance relaxed slightly when he saw your eyes get glossy. He let out a sigh and his anger seemed to fade, at least mostly.

“I didn’t mean it when I said that,” he admitted, his voice softer now. “Honestly, once I cooled off a little, I really regretted even saying it. I know how much it bothers you, and in the moment, I just wanted to hurt you like you hurt me.”

“That’s not fair,” you grumbled, still not meeting his eyes. You sniffled to try to keep the tears back. “I never said a-anything mean about you.”

Your voice broke, and the tears started coming. But you quickly started wiping them away, refusing to break down just yet. Not while Hyunjin was still standing only a few feet away from you and basically in the doorway to your apartment. 

“You and I both know I heard what you said when you were at your old apartment,” he reminded you.

“Okay, but you didn’t hear all of it!” you burst, your lower lip quivering. You wiped stray tears away and took a deep breath before continuing. You were honestly trying to not have an entire panicked breakdown having to confront Hyunjin like this. “We were trying to just make light of the situation because I was so tired of just crying all week, and I thought joking about it would just make it less…sad? Embarrassing? Whatever. I just wanted to joke about it because it felt so shitty and embarrassing, but I never once used you for anything. I mean, you’ve literally seen me panic over a fucking kiss, and you think I could even try to use you? The amount of times you had to calm me down to do anything– How would that even make sense? I didn’t even know about the porn thing until the day you fucking ended everything!”

While you talked, you could see the gears turning in Hyunjin’s head. You could see the way your words were starting to add up with the things he’d heard, and everything was starting to make sense.

You took another deep breath to calm yourself because you were getting too worked up again. Then you continued, “The guys joked about how I fumbled you, and I went along with the bit. I was using humor to cope because you used me and I felt embarrassed because I fell for it, and I felt gross because I was just some corruption kink to you. I was just some stupid fucking loser who still had her virginity, and that’s all I was. I liked you a lot, and you never felt anything. It’s fucking embarrassing, Hyunjin. But…yeah. That’s it.”

You weren’t looking at him, so you didn’t see the way his heart absolutely shattered hearing you talk. Not only about how you thought he hurt you, but the way you talked about yourself. It hurt him to hear that, and it showed on his face.

“_____, I was never using you,” he told you softly, taking a step forward and reaching his hand out like he wanted to cup your face. But he thought against it, dropping his arm and letting the note you’d written him fall to the floor. “_____, I ended things because I found out you worked with kids and I knew what would happen. Someone like me shouldn’t be involved with someone in that field because of the possible repercussions. I just wanted to protect you. And then the mom found out and threatened to tell you, and I thought you didn’t know at the time so I– I panicked. I was scared you’d think I was disgusting or that you were disgusting for doing anything with me and I–” he sighed, shaking his head helplessly. “I just wanted to protect you the whole time. I wanted you to keep your job because I knew how much you loved it.”

“Yeah, well, we ended up here anyway,” you stated, lamely throwing your arms out to the side and letting them fall back down to your thighs.

Hyunjin let out a chuckle. You looked at him, surprised that he was capable of laughing right now, but he was actually laughing quietly as he nodded.

“Yeah, I guess it was kind of all for nothing,” he shrugged.

Then it fell silent. Neither of you made any move, just standing a few feet away from each other. Everything was out on the table now.

It made you feel better knowing Hyunjin never used you, but you were still mad at him. You couldn’t place why, you just were. It was like when you had a dream and got mad at someone in your dream, but then you woke up and still felt mad at them. It was a residual mad.

But you also felt sad. You were sad that Hyunjin worried about telling you about his past in fear that you’d feel gross being with him. You didn’t like that that was something he even had to worry about. You wished you’d made him feel more comfortable so maybe he would’ve told you.

Then all of this would’ve been avoided.

“_____,” he took another step toward you, completely in your apartment now. Cautiously, he raised his hand to see if you would swat it away or move away from him, but when you didn’t, he put a bent finger under your chin and made you look at him. “I fucked up. None of this would’ve happened if I was just honest from the beginning, or at least came clean when it started to catch up and just let you decide what to do. And I’m so sorry for everything.”

“I wouldn’t have hated you…” you mumbled, casting your eyes down again.

“I panicked. I should’ve done the smart thing but I chose the coward’s way out instead, and it only made you hate yourself, and probably hate me even more than the former would’ve. Honestly, I wanted to ask you out the day I brought you lunch, but then I saw the kid and found out you were a nanny and I just spiraled.”

You knew the part you fixated on – the part that made your eyes go wide and meet his brown ones again – wasn’t the main point to what Hyunjin said. But that was the part you held onto anyway.

“You were gonna ask me out?” you asked.

He chuckled seeing the way you looked at him, moving his hand to cup your cheek and rub the skin with the pad of his thumb, “Well, duh. I mean, I– …Okay, if we’re gonna do this whole honesty thing, I’m just gonna– Okay. I was gonna ask you out because I realized I loved you. I mean, I do love you. I love you. That’s what I’m trying to say. I love you currently. Still. Hence the apartment thing.”

“But you thought I was using you.”

“I know, and I was mad at you,” he nodded, “but it didn’t make me stop loving you right away. That would’ve definitely taken some time. A lot more than the time we’ve been apart. Think of it like a couple who lives together, and they get into a big fight but they both still pay rent because they love each other. They’re mad but love trumps mad, right?”

You went quiet, trying to consider everything. There was a lot of information to take in and a lot was happening all at once – on top of Hyunjin dropping the “L” word a lot. You went from believing Hyunjin used you and was actually a disgusting man that you unfortunately still had feelings for, to realizing he was just trying to protect you and was afraid of letting you know who he really was in case you didn’t accept him for it, and you should still have feelings for him because he was just a sweetheart who couldn’t communicate due to fear.

But you still felt the residual anger.

“I don’t know what to do…” you told him just above a whisper, eyes casting downward again even though Hyunjin still held your face.

“What do you mean?” he murmured, tilting his head to one side and trying to move his head to get you to look at him. He moved his other hand to cup your other cheek to help with trying to get your gaze to meet his.

“I’m still mad at you…” you admitted in a mumble, finally meeting his eyes.

To your surprise, he smiled softly and shrugged, “That’s okay.”

Your eyebrows furrowed, confused by his reply, “Then what do we do?”

“You can still be my girlfriend and be mad at me. I was mad at you but still in love, so,” he shrugged again.

Finally, a small smile broke onto your face, and it only made Hyunjin’s smile widen. He hadn’t seen your smile in so long. He missed it.

“That sounds good,” you decided.

Hyunjin’s face went closer to yours, but you pulled back, away from his hands that cupped your face, and his lips looking to meet yours.

He looked absolutely appalled and moved back to study you.

“I said I’m still mad. No kisses until I’m not mad.”

“Good thing I’m good with loopholes,” he smirked before he cupped your face once again and attacked your face with kisses and dramatic ‘mwah!’ sounds.

Another thing Hyunjin missed, maybe more than your smile, was the sound of your loud laughter – especially when thrown in the middle, you’d giggle, “Hyunjin!”

He definitely missed hearing you say his name.

“Hang on,” he suddenly pulled back.

Your eyes widened slightly as you looked back at him, “What?”

“I told you I love you,” he stated. “Where do you…stand? So I know where we’re both at. We need to get good at this communication thing.”

“...Honestly, it sounds really dumb and cheesy but, I’ve, uh–”

“You’ve never been in love before?” he guessed with a small smirk.

You shrugged, “Yeah. So I could’ve been feeling love or infatuation. I’m not too sure what love feels like, y’know?”

He smiled at you softly, “That’s okay. I’ll wait for you to figure it out.”

————✧♡✧————-

tag list (italics are unable to tag): @hyuneyeon @ack-aashi @rindomo @ihopeitrainstonight @castledy @broken-glowsticks @smollquokka @yeetfellx @fwess @zoe8stay @fleeingreality @might-be-a-rat @sluttysohn @eliserbt2001 @catskpop @diamondsvts @minaamhh @jaspriv @sankyg @straydhampir @hyunsungbased @7miroh @animefreak2112 @junsjuly @drrramaaaqweeen @accalus @bakedlilgoonie @So_Pe07 @drugerlime @shmooooo @hwangshoneycake @notmebutyouu @vampjin0 @stay-berry @kiribirien @beombeomlovesme @lockeansonder @jisungsbff01 @ppiri-bahng @hyunniethepooh @peachessandhoney @kpopssuregi @moondustmemories @artistic-rendition @lolli4me @s-u-n-z-e @levislifeline @certifiedmarkleetrash @simpxxstan @second0325 @linosjureumi [be added to the taglist by filling out this form!]

[puella-peanut]

The Waiting Room

@landslided

Hi there! Happy late New Year! I am your Secret Santa for @cksecretsanta 2024! This is part one of The Waiting Room, a LawRusso fic that explores Johnny's feelings if Daniel had been stabbed instead of Kwon at the Sekai Taikai. Once completed, I will be linking you and posting the full fic on my A03! I'm so very sorry for the delay, unfortunately my job peaks for me during holiday season, and it's been awhile since I've written something other than a drabble. And longer since I've written anything for LawRusso, so I was rusty. Anyway, I hope you like this first part and the rest of the fic that will follow! 

The Waiting Room

Part 1

The Prologue—A Summary Of Circumstance (And Blood)

Thing is, it’s not like Johnny Lawrence hasn't seen blood before. 

In his line of life, both past and present tense, blood was (is) an active participant. In childhood it was a near-constant companion for him, moreso when Mom married way up and his Interest of the Week (roller-skating, hockey, wrestling, boxing—the whole violent collection) got bankrolled by Sid.

(The belittling was provided for free.)

In this grudgingly funded way, the bloody messes continued even when those hobbies dimmed and faded into obscurity with the shining onset of karate; the crowning laurel of Johnny's interests. But when the gold of that trophy itself faded to a second-place bronze, and its former glory was shoved pell-mell into a cardboard box and dumped in the back of his closet (while his failure at that One Thing He Was Great At took the shape of a sore-spot that would bruise and fester and sting like a bitch for over thirty years)—the blood still remained. 

(He needed a job after all, and sulking didn't pay the bills though it went down smooth coupled with Coors and misery. Handyman it was, then.)

But getting into the trades and the rough nature of the business only meant that the cause of bloody company shifted and changed from scraped knees and injuries acquired on the mat—to monthly misaimed hammers, the certainty of electrical shocks, near-decapitation by ugly, rotting palm-trees. (And that trip to the emergency room in '09 that depleted his already non-existant savings and had him running to fucking Sid for a cheque and the groveling humiliation knotted around it like a barbed and baited bow.)

Being a handyman barely paid the California bills, but it paid them nonetheless, and it was good work, steady work, honest work. Though sometimes, most times, Johnny hated it so much; hated it like how he hated Sid, like how he hated being a middle-aged loser, like how he hated that second place trophy in his shitty apartment, like how he hated...

...him.

But like these things tend to go, one day all that hate just boiled and bubbled up from under his skin and spilled on over, coating everything in real-life consequences. All because that bitch with the wrong wall TV happened, and then Johnny losing his temper happened, and getting fired happened, and beating those little shits outside the corner store happened. 

But mostly because LaRusso happened, just like he’d been happening for three fucking decades with his corny commercials and his cheesy bonsai and the fact that he lived rent-free in Johnny's 1984 frozen brain while Johnny was barely making it in the real world. LaRusso stepped out of his nighttime frustrations and into his daytime troubles after Johnny's car was towed to his fancy dealership with his stupid suit and his dumb smile and his earnest used-car-saint charm. And his beaming offer to give Johnny a new car when Johnny shoulda wiped the floor with that holier-than-thou-rabbit-toothed smirk three decades ago.

(The lattermost of which hadn't happened outside of booze-fueled pipe dreams that led nowhere but to a hangover from the hell the following day.) 

What did happen though, was that Johnny got back into Karate and opened up that box of Pandora, and then Miguel and Kreese and Robby followed, and Things Happened and Kept Happening. And the happenings got better and then they got worse, but what remained, always, was the karate, and the blood—and LaRusso. 

Daniel. 

The Thing that...Happened.

(Fuck.)

Circumstance And Blood And Daniel Fucking LaRusso 

So...

...this? The Sekai Taikai. Broadcasted globally on that stream-thing so everyone had tickets to their living-room seats to witness the bruises, the brawl, the brutality.

(And the blood. And Daniel.)

It shouldn’t faze Johnny, what happened, then. It's nothing new, after all. Blood on the mat, blood on the white gi. He's seen it all before, it's not like he's fresh meat or bright eyed and bushy tailed or anything. 

It shouldn’t faze him.

(Except that it does.)

Fazes him so much that he doesn’t even move from where he watches it all happen, fresh and thrumming like an engine from fighting that ancient ponytailed prick backstage. Doesn't move as he watches how that fucking Iron Lizard kid or whatever rushes up to the other Metal Lizard kid, the way too tall one, with a knife, and Daniel—

 —fucking rushes. Gets between them because he's got to be the hero, he's gotta save the evil little shit, gotta worm his way in through whatever cracks he can. Defense, offence it doesn't matter; he finds a way to slip through the muscle and the bones and the grit of it all just like he did to Johnny. (At school and at the All Valley and for thirty-five years while Johnny licked the salt from his wounds and paced night after night with the company of beer and that dark-eyed, scrawny ghost.) And Daniel did it—does it—so easily, so quickly; this slipping in-between the cracks. Makes himself stick and stay and take the brunt of it because he's small and stupid and too fucking nosy to live, and too great of a Sensei to not care, and too kind of a person to stop and think of himself and what it would do if—   

—if something happened. 

Except this time, that if turns to certainty, to absolution. Turns to the worst case scenario that becomes fact in an instant.

A fact that leaves an empty, Daniel-less space on the mat, the knife that did the deed useless by the unoccupied space, and the blood that followed the bullshit all bright and wet and hideous under the stage lights. And Johnny just stands there by the curtains like a fool who has forgotten that it’s his turn to go on stage and act his part and do something. Anything.

But he just stands there as both Lizards are escorted off and the crowd is pushed back and the paramedics arrive and take LaRusso away from the scene. From the Sekai Taikai. Maybe from this shitty fucking planet too. 

(And from Johnny himself. Of course.)

The circumstance and the blood. 

Nothing new, right?

Right?

(Until it is.)

[athena-writes-i-guess]

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Reader

Prompt: “It may not be much but…”

A/N: Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope you’re having a great day and maybe this little fic will put a smile on your face ❤️ I love you! Will you be my Valentine? (Please ignore my first ever attempt at a collage I made in 5 min)

“Sorry buddy, we’re all out. It’s 5pm on Valentine’s Day after all.” The florist said through the receiver.

Eddie felt his heart drop, “Okay, yeah, thank you so much for checking.” He responded before hanging up the phone. He rubbed his face and eyes anxiously as he groaned loudly, trying to wrack his brain for anything that he could do to save the night.

Tonight was Valentine’s Day, your first one as a couple after almost a year of being together and Eddie had planned so much for you; he got you your favorite candy from Indianapolis, driving there and back while you were out with your friends one night. He got you flowers from the local florist, pretty red roses, and a giant stuffed bear that took up the entire bench seat in the back of his van, all of which he was going to give you on your way to Enzo’s for a nice dinner. He had saved up his money for weeks, making as many extra sales as he could so he could make this a special night for you. But everything that could go wrong did.

He had gone to the grocery store to get a few last minute things for the two of you for later tonight and had decided that since he would only be in there for a few minutes, it would be no issue to park in a no parking zone as it was close to the door. He would be quick! He just hadn’t anticipated there would be so many people there today also getting last minute items for the night and by the time he finally got out of the store he froze just outside of the door as he watched his van, with every gift he had gotten for you in it, be towed away.

He quickly ran to the nearest pay phone and called the trailer in hopes that Wayne would be there. Lucky enough, he was, answering just before the last ring with a little, “Hello, Munson residence.” Eddie had explained everything to him, ending with Wayne agreeing to come pick him up and get him to the tow company to get his van back. But that’s where the luck ran out as Eddie could not remember which company it was, and by the time they made it to the right one and could see his baby trapped behind the gate, the shop was closed for the rest of the night. Now Eddie had no ride, no gifts, and no idea how he would explain everything to you.

“Fuck!” Eddie groaned loudly, looking at the clock and seeing that now on top of everything he was going to be late for your dinner too.

“Hey, boy, calm down now.” Wayne soothed, placing a comforting hand on Eddie’s shoulder. “It’s gonna be alright, you know Y/N wont care if you show up with nothin’ but a smile.”

“But I wanted it to be special.” Eddie sighed, his brown eyes sad as he looked to his uncle.

“And it will be, because you two are together.” Wayne said, a small smile pulling at the corner of his lips. “You could always do what I did when I couldn’t afford flowers.” Eddie’s head tilted curiously. “Well, I couldn’t afford all those fancy real flowers and they died anyway, what’s the point? So I just went to the general store and got some of those fake silk flowers. They look nice and they never die.”

Eddie thought on that for a moment, before a small smile broke on his face, “Can I borrow your car?”

“Go on boy.” Wayne said, patting Eddie encouragingly.

“Thanks Uncle Wayne.” Eddie sighed in relief.

~

You adjusted your sweater as you checked your outfit in the mirror for the 3rd time that night, nervous excitement coursing through you as you waited for your boyfriend to arrive. You beamed as you heard a knock on the door to your apartment and scurried to the living room to yank open the door. Eddie stood there with his arm tucked behind his back looking a little disheveled, as a large, adoring, smile brightened his face. “Hey sweetheart, you look so beautiful.”

“Thank you, handsome.” You flushed, welcoming him in. He walked in after you, his arm still behind him as he kept whatever he was hiding out of your sight.

“I wanted to start by saying that I had so much planned for tonight but the universe decided to fuck me over today.” He chuckled with a disbelieving shake of his head at everything that went wrong. “I‘ll explain more later, but even though I don’t have everything that I wanted to give you today, I do have these.” He said, pulling out a bouquet of multicolored silk roses in your favorite colors. “It may not be much right now, sweetheart, but I wanted you to know that I will love you until these die.” He smiled, a small blush coloring his cheeks as he watched a love-sick smile pull at your lips.

“I love them so much Eddie!” You gasped out as you took the bouquet, “Thank you so much pretty boy!” You exclaimed as you threw your arms around his neck and pulled him into you. “You know you didn’t have to get me anything Eds!”

“I know, I wanted to baby. Happy Valentine’s Day sweetness.” Eddie beamed, nudging your nose playfully with his.

“Happy Valentine’s Day Eddie.” You giggled back just as Eddie quickly captured your lips in a searing kiss.

Taglist: @srapalestina @yvonneeeee @aroseinvelaris @anaisweird @mrslovesmayahawke @harrys-tittie @becca-alexa @catacina

[vibratingskull]

Sugar daddy Thrawn

ThrawnxF!reader

Is not interested by your age, could totally go for a baby older than him (even if that defeat the purpose)

You're here to keep him company, but you have to be pro-active and actually be curious about his interests. If you're here only for the money he will lose interest instantly.

Didn't use a website to meet his baby, he actually met you at an art galery : you asked him a question about one piece and you actually listen to him rent for a solid hour and a half about it, even took some notes and references. You took a coffee together to prolong this agreeable conversation and he learns you got some money problems recently

Have so much money that he just... gave you the amount you needed? Why? Because you listened and you were really polite and indulged him in his fancy

You, on the other hand, were dead ass serious about paying him back so you exchanged numbers and it trinckles down from here.

It starts pretty little at first and grows from here : he saw a book you might like and buys it, then its a nice dress, then its a jewelry, then it's a collar with actual diamonds, ect...

Of course he will pay for your studies, education is so important after all, what man he would be if he deprived you of that? Don't have the money for an apartment and aren't keen on the colocations at uni? Don't worry, he will find you a very nice place to live in, he will rent it obviously.

What does he ask in exchange? Not so much, just you accompanying him at exhibitions, he just wants to talk to an other art afficionado

One day he calls you because a super select party for the upper hand of Coruscant demands he comes accompanied. Would you be a doll and appear at his arm? He will pay you a nice dress for the occasion.

He ends up paying you several dresses, as much shoes, perfume and a complete sets of jewelry with big shiny diamonds Was it too much? Probaly. Did you refuse? No.

You walked in the grand room holding on to his arm, all doll up and pretty. He presented you his "friends" and extended your network. You walk out with stars in the eyes.

Is it because he felt exceptionnally lonely that night? This is the night he kissed you for the first time and took you to bed.

It was mind blowing, pretty much ruined you for any other man.

It then became a habit, he treats you to a nice dinner with a nice gift, then he fucks you whole night.

You very much don't complain. You got a friend, expensive gifts and a good lay in one go!

But's it's not always rose and shiny...

You're here to listen to him vents about his colleagues and subordinates, about what went wrong in his campaing, about his fears for the future, ect... You have to tell him everything will be okay with your head on his chest, slowly caressing him with the tip of your fingers, hum him a tune, say to him you will remain with him whatever happens, that you'll be waiting for his return whenever it is... He sleeps with you pressed tighly against him, embracing you.

He cheats on his solitude with you, he got so little time to spend with you he has to make the most of it.

Actually met your parents, they now know him as the really nice gentleman that helped you for your studies, nothing suspicious here.

Really likes to fuck you in all your jewelry, it's so beautiful so see your tits bounce in so much shiny pearls and diamonds.

Calls you "pearl", "doll", "treasure" and, yes, "baby" or any equivalent in Cheuhn.

Personally decorated your flat with only the finest of arts.

You always go to your apartment or a hotel, you never got to see his place.

Doesn't really realize he's a sugar daddy? To him you're a valuable friend he likes to fuck and buy stuff for and you don't have the heart to tell him.

You would remain with him even without all that, that is just a nice plus.

Is not ashamed to hold your hand, even in public. Is proud to have you at his side.

@al-astakbar this is your fault I have those ideas rotting my brain!

@bluechiss @thrawnalani @justanothersadperson93 @al-astakbar @thrawnspetgoose @readinglistfics @elise2174 @debonaire-princess @twilekchiss @pencil-urchin @ineedazeezee @mssbridgerton @dance-like-russia-isnt-watching @Cortisolcosplay

[landsharkbite]

In the lobby of one apartment building in Archimedes and sometime in the last hour or so, a pattern has emerged around the incoming foot traffic. A resident would enter through the double doors, stroll to the closest elevator, punch the button and wait for it to open only to very quickly back away from what waited inside. They’d change course all but immediately, rushing to try their luck at the only other lift available which would invariably respond at one tenth of a snail's pace. Not many residents would be willing to challenge the marathon of a stairwell, not in this tall an edifice.

Were the very bored-looking concierge paying more attention (god forbid they look up from their monthly edition of Radiale’s Digest), they might do their due diligence and at least try to tell off the party responsible— namely you.

Ever since the cabbie picked you up at the edge of that unnerving crater in the center of town (it had to be artificial, you know from experience that no natural excavation is that uniform) you’ve been in what you can only describe as a fugue state, swimming through fog enough in your head to fill a valley. The man dropped you off in the pristine parking lot out front, told you to pick up your key at the desk, and after you stepped out into the sun he drove away, seeming somehow bored of the entire affair. Such a bizarre, trivial thing, but your brain can’t help but latch onto it. Why didn’t he seem surprised to see you?

Your confusion mainly stems from having seen that the vast majority of pedestrians you passed by on the ride here were human, or they seemed human. There are those like you who pass among them (you count a few among your acquaintances) but you didn’t see any telltale cautious head-swiveling in the crowds to fit the bill. You don’t remember being exactly welcomed among humans before, nor do you recall ever clamoring to be. Did you crack your head falling off the wagon somehow and lose time to the ether? When did that change?

The concierge handed you an impressive, ornate key, told you in a sleepy voice to take it to the top floor and went back to their reading material. It sounded like a prank. You’ve never been summoned to the top floor of fancy building like this save for when you were to be reprimanded by a superior.

The glass exterior of the elevator would soon show you a sprawling landscape of the ward, dotted with sparkling buildings of whites and off-whites in stark contrast to what you assume are three other wards of different cultural and architectural climates. You're struck by the sight... until your gaze drifts to focus on the lines of your reflection in the glass, made faint with blazing sunlight.

It takes a moment. Something is wrong. You freeze, then all at once you can't shed your jacket fast enough to confirm your suspicion. It's your arm.

Where the hell is your arm.

Panic cut through the cloud in your skull like a hot knife through butter and dropped you like a ton of bricks— you've been glued to the carpet since, pale with a pounding heart and a stomach twisted into knots. No matter how many times gravity shifts with the elevator's demands or the door slides open to welcome ultimately no one, you're too weighed down in your stupor to move. No wonder frustration is mounting on the ground floor. But you can't bring yourself to care, not when you've been beaten over the brow with a unknowable jigsaw puzzle and only a scant handful of pieces with which to put it together.

What are you forgetting? How long have you been here? What about your work? Just how much time are you missing? Are there any other body parts of yours scattered over this city that you don't know about?

You wither and shake your head, staring at your unnatural set digits as if they would up and spill their secrets all at once if you glared at them hard enough.

“What the fuck is going on?!”

Your head spinning, you finally drag yourself up and out of the lift once and for all— but not before quickly smashing your palms over each and every button on the directory panel in a petty fit of pique.

[scryptids]

katie douglas / she/her  ———  no way is that COPELAND POYNTER.. they’re a 23-year-old HUMAN notoriously known for being FRIVOLOUS  &  RESERVED but there are some people who have seen them being CAUTIOUS  &  INDEPENDENT.  if you ask me, they remind me a lot of stacks of books in each corner of the room, a poorly-lit apartment with nothing but a singular mattress and a tv, thrifted clothes that are almost threadbare, and the smell of stale cigarettes, but that could just be because they’re considered the FORGOTTEN around town. just keep an eye on them  &  see if their true colors shine through..

TW: death mention, overdose, abuse, drugs

full name: copeland virginia poynter birthdate: october 19th age: 23 height: 5’0” occupation: bookstore employee ship status: closed bio:

nothing about copeland poynter’s life has ever gone to plan, and the universe always makes sure that she knows that

born in roswell, new mexico to two young parents who didn’t want her, things went downhill from the very beginning

her parents were always too preoccupied with other things — mainly drugs and alcohol — to pay any attention to their baby daughter

copeland was usually left with a babysitter or someone that said ‘sure’ when they were asked to keep an eye on her

her parents weren’t picky about who they left her with, just as long as they could go off and do as they pleased

even when she was being looked after, she wasn’t paid much attention to, only her bare minimum needs taken care of on a good day

copeland developed a sense of independence the second she could walk, doing everything she could by herself that a baby could feasibly do

her parents still didn’t seem to have the time for her, and she got lucky with one or two babysitters that actually cared what happened to her

it was those individuals that taught her how to talk and read, not wanting her to suffer by the time she was ready to start school

soon enough, copeland took her care into her own hands, an impressive feat considering she was still very young and surrounded by people that barely knew she existed

it was her first day of kindergarten that marked the trajectory of the rest of her life, and not in a good way

the morning started out normally: copeland exited her bedroom with the intent of making herself pancakes

but when she came upon the living room and found both of her parents lifeless and in the middle of the floor, she knew something was wrong

she saw dozens of cops, investigators, paramedics, and a few state workers flash before her eyes

nobody wanted copeland poynter, and so she became a ward of the state

she was placed into her first foster home almost immediately, and it didn’t go over so well

there were three other children in the household, all of whom made it known that they’d been there first

within days copeland had blended into the background, not seeking attention from her foster parents for fear of the other kids retaliating

it didn’t take long before she was back in the state office, ready for a new placement due to “unforeseen circumstances”

the pattern of being placed in a home for a few months and sent back continued on until copeland was twelve years old, and by that time she requested to stay in a group home until she was eighteen

at school, she took to hiding in the library most of the time, shoving herself into a back corner so she could consume whatever story tickled her fancy at the time

copeland didn’t bother trying to make friends; she was known as the foster kid that wore crappy hand-me-downs, and people steered clear of her anyway

what she lacked in a social life she made up for in her grades

she was almost making high honors, figuring if she wasn’t going to interact with the people around her, she may as well put her brain to good use

most of her efforts went unnoticed, but she didn’t mind; she got those grades for herself and nobody else

it was in high school that she met tannen, and for once, things felt like they were falling into place

copeland was a sophomore and tannen was a senior, and he very quickly made her his entire world

he gave her an excuse to slip out of the group home at night, taking her to whatever party there was in a sketchy part of town and keeping her close by the whole time

copeland liked how well they fit together, and she really liked how much he seemed to love her

her junior year is when tannen began talking to her about leaving roswell and going to texas

she was hesitant to say yes; she’d spent her entire life in the same place, and she was only a few months away from being able to get out of the foster care system

but tannen was relentless and convincing, and one night after everyone had already gone to bed, copeland packed up all of her worldly possessions and slipped out of her bedroom window

they didn’t have anything to their names apart from each other, and yet it was the happiest copeland had ever been

she was with the love of her life and away from the hell she had grown up in, and she didn’t see how anything could go wrong

their arrival in texas saw them staying with one of tannen’s friends in a less than desirable part of the city

copeland was quick to get a job at a nearby bookstore, wanting to start a savings so she and tannen could try and find their own place

but no matter how many paychecks she brought home and how many pennies she pinched, she could never seem to get ahead

her bank account drained faster than her check could get deposited, and so she went to tannen to ask what was happening

the hostility she received in response left copeland cupping her cheek to try and soothe the burning pain he’d sent through her whole body

it was the first time he’d ever laid a hand on her in that way, and she was scared

the entire time they’d been couch surfing, he was siphoning their money away, always making it so she was dependent on him for one reason or another

copeland didn’t know what to do; she knew she couldn’t stay, but she was too scared to leave

every night, tannen would touch her in some way or another, whether it was while they were in bed together or just because he claimed she looked at him funny

she was always covered in cuts and bruises, all of which she found clever ways of hiding

and since she didn’t have any friends, she really didn’t have to answer to anyone besides her coworkers

needless to say, she was an expert storyteller to the point that she started to believe her own lies

the longer copeland stayed with tannen, the worst things seemed to get

he was always making sure to take whatever he wanted from her before going off to do his own thing, and that left copeland alone in a foreign place

it took her almost too long to escape from tannen, doing what she’d done at seventeen and packing all of her things up to leave when he wasn’t around to stop her

she blindly made her way to dallas-fort worth, but this time she was more prepared

she got herself a teeny little hole-in-the-wall apartment; it was big enough to hold a few of her larger things, and that was all she needed

copeland applied to a few jobs before finding a position at a nearby bookstore, and that was enough to let her know that things would get better for her

but she still had nightmares every single night, and instead of sleeping, copeland found the dive bar life

she was just barely twenty-one, and she figured out that if she batted her eyelashes a little and made a few broken promises, she got whatever she wanted

soon enough, copeland was drowning herself in drugs, alcohol, and mindless sex, and it was working for her

she was finally in control of her life, and she simply could not get enough

[wafflesinthe504]

If Love Had Come To Me I Wouldn't Recognize It (Now Every Time You Smile Its a Little Priceless)

@flufftober

Rating: High T/ Low M: Fade to Black scene

Fandom: The Rookie

Prompt Fill: 🌹 and "You are my person."

Title from One Life by Dermot Kennedy

____________________________________________________________

For the first time in years Tim was excited for Valentine’s Day. He had been planning and preparing for his first Valentine’s Day with Lucy since the last week in January. He hoped that tonight all of his preparations for tonight would finally pay off.

Tim was finishing the final touches of the main course when Kojo got up from his bed and started barking at the door wagging his tail and turning around in circles. A moment later his suspicion was confirmed when the door opened to reveal Lucy in the green dress from Angela’s wedding. He’s glad that he went with a dark green shirt and black suit jacket for the evening.

Tim is too stunned by Lucy to form any words let alone focus on anything other than her. He takes her in as she sets her things down on the couch before focusing her attention Kojo who had been prancing around her feet from the moment she stepped into the house.

“Hey, sorry I’m late. Traffic was crazy. I left my house twenty minutes early and LA traffic still managed to be worse than I could have imagined.” Lucy says as she continues to pet Kojo.

Tim means to respond. Really, he does but his brain can’t seem to get over how easily Lucy makes herself at home in his space. He can’t wait until the day they move in together officially.

Tim is snapped out of his thoughts when he hears Lucy ask him something.

“I’m sorry. What did you say?”

“I asked if you were okay. You looked pretty lost in thought there for a moment.” Lucy says, her brows pinched together, as she walks over to Tim placing a hand on his arm.

Tim smiles. He loves how she always checks up on him. He’s so used to taking care of people it’s nice to be taken care of. “I’m good. I just forgot how breathtaking you are.” Tim kisses away the worry lines on Lucy’s forehead and places his hands on her hips.

He watches as Lucy blushes at his words, a smile breaking out over her face.

“Thanks, you’re not too bad yourself.” Lucy teases.

“Not too bad?”

“Alright, you are very handsome. Better?”

“Much.”

Tim leans down and kisses Lucy gently before placing a kiss on her nose and head. He and Lucy rest their foreheads against each other closing their eyes and simply enjoying each other’s presence. Well, that is until Lucy’s stomach growls.

They both laugh as they pull away from each other.

“Lucy?

She hums in response.

“Did you forget to eat lunch today?”

“No, it was just cut short when me and Aaron got a urgent call that needed an immediate response. So, I’m sort of running on a taco and a half right now. By the way everything smells amazing. What did you cook for tonight?”

“That is a surprise. Do you mind taking Kojo out to the backyard? I haven’t been able to give him a proper walk this evening and I’m sure he needs to run off some energy. Everything should be set up once you get back.”

“Ok, is there anything I need to grab for him before I take him out?”

“No, his outdoor water bowl should be full and I fed him a few minutes before you got here so he shouldn’t be hungry.”

“Alright. I’ll be right back.” Lucy says right before she Kojo over to follow her outside.

Tim watches as she grabs one of Kojo favorite chew toys and brings out with her. He has to stop himself from staring again so that he can get the table ready. Tim sets out a fancy tableware set that Angela had brought him a while ago. Next, he gets the nice bottle of red wine out of the fridge and sets it in the middle of the table along with two wine glasses. Finally, he plates up the main dish of the night and sets the side dishes on either side of the wine bottle.

Tim dims the lights and lights a few candles that he had seen at Lucy’s apartment and bought a few days ago.

Tim stands next to the table as he waits for Lucy to come back in. Lucy’s laughter fills the house as she comes back in. He hears her say goodbye to Kojo as she closes the door behind her.

“You were right Kojo definitely needed to run off some energy. I feel a little ba-.” Lucy pauses as she reaches the dining room.  “Oh, wow! This is amazing. How did you manage to set all of this up? I was only gone a few minutes.”

“A lot of preparation beforehand.” Tim pulls out her chair and gestures for her to take a seat. He relishes in the short but sweet kiss that Lucy places on his cheek. Tim returns the gesture before taking a seat in the chair across from her. 

Lucy stares at all the food laid out on the table.

“Tim everything looks and smells delicious. You know you didn’t have to do all of this.”

“I know, but I wanted to. This is our first Valentine’s Day together and I wanted to make sure it was special.”

“Thank you. Seriously, this has already blown all of my previous Valentine’s Day out of the water.” Lucy takes another look at the food in front of her smiles. “Wait is this the vegetable lasagna-.”

“That you told me about a few days ago. Yes, it is. You seemed so excited about it so I thought that I would surprise you with it for tonight. Hopefully, I did it justice.”

“If it tastes as good as it smells I’m sure that it is going to be amazing.”

“And as the sides I made some garlic bread and I tried my hand at making those seafood dumplings that you made a few weeks ago.”

Lucy adoringly stares at Tim. She starts and stops to say something multiple times before shaking her head and leaning over the table to kiss Tim.

“Wow, I didn’t think I’d ever manage to render Lucy Chen speechless.” Tim teases against her lips.

Lucy chuckles and rolls her eyes as she leans back in her chair.

“Well, consider the impossible done. I am without words for everything that I’m feeling right now.”

“All good I hope.”

Lucy smiles and nods. “All good.”

As Tim and Lucy eat they converse lightly about their day, family, and friends. Their conversation is lively and full of laughter. Over the course of the dinner Tim feels the stress of the past few days melt away. He knows that him and Lucy are still in the early stages of their relationships but he already knows that he wants this for the rest of his life. Coming home to Lucy or Lucy coming home to him and relaxing in each other’s presence. He knows that everyday won’t be perfect and they’ll still have their arguments but he’s ready for that too because Lucy, their relationship and their future family will always be worth fighting for.

Its almost funny that today’s the day that he has the gut punch realization of what he’s feeling. There’s 365 days in the year and of course he figures out that he loves Lucy Chen on Valentine’s Day. Its probably the most cliché thing that has ever happened to him in his life and he really can’t find it in himself to care. Tim quietly chuckles to himself and shakes his head at himself.

He's not surprised that Lucy notices and it just makes him smile harder.

“What?” Lucy asks, a light smile crosses her face as her brows draw together.

Tim swears that his heart grows bigger and he thinks it might explode from all the love he has for Lucy.

“I’ll, uh, I’ll tell you after we clean up. I want to tell you right and I think I need a few minutes to figure out to do that okay.” He says meeting Lucy’s gaze.

“Okay. I’ll get the dishes and you get Kojo. I’m sure he wants some one on one time with his dad.”

“Luce I was going to get the dishes.”

“I know, but you did all of this for me today. Let me at least help with cleaning up.”

Tim reaches across the space between him and Lucy and lays his hand, palm side up, on the table. His hand is quickly enveloped in hers.

“I did this for us, Luce.”

“I know Tim. I know.”

Tim watches as Lucy stands and walks around the table. She sits in Tim’s lap, looping her arms around his neck. Tim wraps his arms around her waist holding her close him. He can’t help but to rest his head in the crook of her neck. He loves how Lucy’s hands feel as she gently runs her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. Tim places a gentle kiss to her shoulder before lifting his head to look at her.  

“Let me get the dishes Tim. I appreciate everything you did for us today, so just let me do this. Trust me putting some dishes in the dish washer isn’t going to ruin Valentine’s Day for me.”

“Okay, I’ll get our dog ready for bed while you get the dishes.”

Tim kisses Lucy one last time reluctantly breaking their embrace to go get Kojo. He changes out of his dress clothes and into a pair of sweats and t-shirt before going to Kojo. When he steps outside he sees Kojo laying in his dog house lazily biting one of his chew toys. For a moment he considers just bringing Kojo inside but he knows from previous experience that if Kojo doesn’t have a proper night time run the dog will be up all hours of the night wanting play.

Tim calls Kojo over to him who runs over happily barking and wagging his tail.

“Hey, who’s a good boy.” Tim says as he kneels down to Kojo to give him some rubs and cuddles. “You ready for your walk buddy? Yeah? Alright, come on lets go.” He says as he hooks Kojo’s leash into his collar.

Tim takes Kojo for a run around the block two times. By the time he and Kojo arrive back at his house nearly half an hour has passed. When they enter the house Kojo goes to his bed. Tim locks up the house and sets the alarm. He calls out Lucy’s name when he doesn’t see her in the kitchen.     

“In here.” Lucy calls out from Tim’s room.

The sight that greets Tim when steps into his room stops him in his tracks. Lucy’s night clothes are laid out on his bed. She’s already started to change. Her shoes from earlier are off and her dress is partially undone.

“See something you like?” Lucy teases as she turns to face Tim.

“Yeah, I do.” Tim says taking a step toward Lucy. “May I?” He asks gesturing towards Lucy’s dress.

Lucy nods, turning back around to let Tim access the zipper. “You sort of have great timing because the zipper got stuck and I’m not really in the position to unstick it.”

Tim chuckles as he gently tugs the zipper to unstick it. Eventually the zipper comes free and he’s able to unzip the dress. One side of the dress slips down Lucy’s shoulder. Tim presses a kiss into the shoulder that’s now exposed. He feels her shudder against him.

“Is this, okay?”

Lucy nods imperceptibly. “Yeah, better than okay.” She leans into Tim’s embrace.

Tim carefully helps Lucy out of the rest of the dress, kissing every inch of skin that he can along the way. It isn’t until he pulls back from Lucy that he notices the matching set of underwear that she’s wearing. Once again, he’s rendered speechless. When Lucy turns in his arms to face him, he gladly accepts her kiss his hands landing on her hips, his thumbs rubbing small circles into her side. He feels her hands land on his shoulder before they run down chest and continue their way down to the hem of his shirt only to push the shirt up as far as she can.

Tim breaks the kiss to take his shirt off the rest of the way and throws it off to the wayside.

“Lucy, you are the most amazing and beautiful person I know and I am so lucky to have you in my life.” Tim says in-between peppering kisses along her neck and shoulder.

He leans into Lucy’s touch when she caresses his face and lets her guide his head so that he meets her gaze and when he look into her eyes he sees a multitude of intense emotions swirling around.

“Tim, everyday that I’m with you is one of the best days of my life. You are so strong and kind. I am so happy to be the one you chose to be vulnerable with. Thank you for letting me in.”     

He wants to tell her right now exactly how he feels about. How much he loves her and can’t wait spend the rest of his life with her. How she was the one to help him re-learn how to be open and vulnerable to those he cares about. He wants to explain to her that over the last few years and especially these last few months home stopped being a place and started being anywhere she is and that he’s most at home when he’s in her arms.

Its all bubbling right at the surface, but he doesn’t think now is the right time. He doesn’t want her to think that he’s saying it because they’re about to have sex and its his lust filled brain taking over. Tim wants her to know just how much he means every word he wants to say. So, he waits.

Instead, he kisses her trying to convey every emotion he’s filling into the action. On some level she must understand because she kisses him back with the same intensity and Tim is sure he’s never been happier about the fact that they don’t need words to communicate.

Tim picks Lucy up and brings her over to the bed laying her down. He hears her confused whine when he pulls away from her. Tim notes the way the whine turns into a giggle once she realizes what he’s doing.

“Alright, good call. I would have hated for my clothes to get ruined.” She says as she watches him put away her dress and the clothes that she had laid out earlier into her bag that was now sitting next to the bed.   

After he’s done Tim makes his way back over to Lucy and covers her body with his own. Over the next few hours Tim makes it clear with his actions how much he loves and adores Lucy. Tim is more surprised than he should be when Lucy returns his affection and so much more.

__________________________

Its not until late the next morning that the conversation that he wanted to have last night is brought up again. They’re sitting on the couch eating breakfast that they decided to DoorDash since neither one had the energy to cook with both of them still being tired from last night’s activities. A rom-com that Lucy had chosen plays out in front of them with Tim only half paying attention As the credit begin to roll Lucy mutes the tv and turns to him.

“I know that there was something that you wanted to talk about last night after dinner, but then we got… distracted. Do you still want to talk about it?”

This is his chance to finally tell Lucy that he loves her. After months maybe even years he finally gets to tell her, but when it comes to saying those three words out loud he freezes. He knows that rationally there’s nothing to fear because he’s pretty sure that Lucy feels the same way. And for a moment he considers changing the subject or making something up, but then he remembers how Lucy had told with such reverence that he is strong and brave last night and he musters up the courage to tell her.

Tim pulls Lucy into his lap, guiding her so that she straddles his waist and looks into her eyes.

“Lucy, you are my person. The one I want to be with on my best days and worst nights. The one I trust more than anyone in the world to have my back or call me on my BS. I know that we’ve only been dating a few months, but I am in love with you and I hope I get to share the rest of my life with you.”

A moment passes as Tim waits for Lucy’s response. His heart is beating so hard he swears its going to beat out of his chest and he knows that Lucy can feel his heart beat from where her hand is resting on his chest. He’s nearly taken off guard by the way Lucy surges forward and kisses him.

“Tim, you are my person too. You are my home and my safe place. I love you so much and I can’t wait to build a family with you one day.” Lucy says against his lips. She kisses him one more time before settling her head in-between the crook of his shoulder and neck. Her hand rests over his heart.

Tim kisses her head and wraps an arm around her waist while his other hand reaches up to hold her hand. He doesn’t know how long they stay like this and can’t really find it in him to care because as long as he’s with Lucy he’s home. He can’t wait for their next Valentine’s Day together and all the other moments in-between.

[luckyduck0]

🜸ultra comet fire🜸

“So, you mean to tell me that in the span of one hour,” A voice says, holding up their pointer finger. “You served a guy named Nyxx, coffee, and then got saved by him from a giant mutant lizard-scorpion-whatever, and then he took you to the hospital?”

Nodding, Xen stared sheepishly at the person in front of her. “Yup, that about sums it up.”

The person in question was Xen’s friend, Sandy, who was treating her to a fast-food dinner after hearing about her hospital visit.

“Jeez, how’s that work? Did he just leave ya there?” Sandy asks, stuffing a fry into her mouth.

“No, no!” Xen denies, shaking her head. “He stayed until the doctor said I was good to go. Then he actually…drove me home?”

“What?!” Sandy exclaimed, slapping her hands on the table. “You let some random guy drive you to your house?!”

“He’s not random! And he was just doing it cause he was nice!”

Sitting back down barely containing herself, Sandy breathed deeply. Now, Xen was going to get an earful, as well as a long parental lecture about boys.

“Alright, alright. So, he saved you?”

Arching a brow, Xen answers hesitantly. “Yes?”

“And you sensed no ulterior motives?” Sandy questioned, looking Xen in the eyes.

“Of course not.” Xen replied, stern.

She may have only know him for a short while, but Xen could tell Nyxx was different. A good different. He saved her, went of his to get her help and make sure she got home. He was mysterious and a little standoffish, but he still did so much for her.

“Then…I guess there’s really nothing to worry about.” Sandy said, slumping back against the booth seat. “Just, call me next time you get into danger, alright? This city’s got a shit ton of problems, I don’t need you getting kidnapped by a league of evil-doers as one of them, got it?”

Sighing with relief, Xen nodded happily. “Will do, San! Anyway, wanna go see a movie? There’s this new one that just came out, it’s about like, aliens or something!”

“Yeah, sure.” Sandy agreed, pushing up from the table with Xen.

—

(Fifteen minutes earlier)

Smoke fills the air as a fire raged inside a burning building. Police and firefighters had rushed to the scene, conveniently not noticing a tall figure jump out of a third-story window.

“Didn’t I tell you not to make a mess this time”

Ada’s voice pierced through the comm, making Nyxx wince from the sound.

“It was tougher than expected.” He replied, landing on the sidewalk and easing through the crowds.

“Clearly! You knocked down a building, Nyxx!” Ada yelled.

“I didn’t knock it down,” Nyxx stated, turning into an alley. “That stupid Flame Ghoul was stronger than I realized. A lot stronger than Intel told us. Not my fault he’s a lousy informant.”

With ease, he climbed up an apartment buildings’ fire escape and landed on a roof.

Ada groaned and Nyxx could practically hear the pinching of her nose. “Listen, we just got another report that says those damn Imps are out and about again, so get to these coordinates and I’ll meet you there. We’ll talk about your…screw-up with the Sergeant later.”

“Whatever.” Nyxx replied, cutting the comm off.

He glanced at his wrist, where a fancy, high-tech looking watch set. A hologram appeared as he jumped from roof to roof, coordinates showing what looked to be a location not far from where he was.

Great, he thought, now I’ll get a lecture in person too.

Ada was sort of his superior, in a way. She was a third year at EDEN and had lots of experience under her belt. She was the one recruited him in the first place, actually.

However, that didn’t make her mom-ing any less annoying.

—

Xen hadn’t thought about that night very much. In fact, she’d barely thought about it at all! She had much more important things to worry about…

…is what she would have said, if her near-death experience plus also getting save by a really hot guy hadn’t totally turned her brain into mush.

When he brought her to hospital, he insisted he could pay for any expenses. She wanted to object, but she was also a poor, fresh-out-of-college graduate and had eight dollars to her name. Then after that, he insisted to take her home himself, as she could still possibly be in danger.

“I’ll get ya home, least I can do after all this. Oh, and…hold on..” He mumbled, pulling out a piece of paper and writing on it. “Here ya go, it’s my number. In case anything happens, call me. I’m not sure how that monster behaves yet, so it’s possible it might come after ya, so keep it handy.”

Did she keep the note and memorize it and reread it a million times? Maybe.

But she also didn’t have a phone, as she lost it on the train. She was mainly hoping nothing bad would happen, cause she definitely did not have a device to call him on. At the same time, though, she really wanted to see him again.

And who could blame her?

Nyxx was kind and strong, and very, very attracted. And you don’t get saved by those kinds of people everyday.

“Uh, hello, Earth to Xeeeennn?” Sandy said, snapping her fingers in the other’s face.

Flinching, Xen flashed back to the present and turned to Sandy, who looked a bit put-off.

“Oh, sorry, what were you saying? Is the movie starting?”

“Uh, no, it just ended.” Sandy furrowed her eyebrows. “Jeez, you can be such an airhead sometimes. Were you sleeping with your eyes open or somethin’?”

Noticing everyone else is in the theatre leaving, Xen felt a little embarrassed. Could she really be that distracted by Nyxx?

“Ugh, whatever. Let’s just go, I already see the cleaners rollin’ in. Come on.” Sandy took Xen’s hand, leading her to the doors.

They threw away the trash and walked into the lobby. Sandy waved to one of her friends working at the counter, then stretched and yawned.

“That movie was pretty good, all things considered. Hey, wanna come over tonight? We could paint our nails and talk about our crushes!” Sandy said, posing dramatically.

Xen laughed, covering her mouth. “I’d love to, but I’ve got the opening shift tomorrow. Maybe next time.”

“Ughhhhh, why do you work so much? Try living a little, Xen. Maybe going to a few parties might loosen you up.” Sandy poked at her, smirking.

“I’m perfectly fine the way I am. Besides, the whole life of the party slash laidback misfit is way more your style.” Xen stated, nudging the taller girl.

Sandy chuckled, stuffing her hands into her pockets. “Yeah, guess you’re right. No one can compare to my utter brilliance.”

Xen just laughed, pushing past the front doors and into the parking lot.

Approaching Sandy’s beat up, Scooby-Doo-style van, the girl’s are stopped by a scream.

“Look at that! In the sky!”

“What the hell?”

“Run!”

“Holy shit!”

Both Xen and Sandy turned to the commotion, noticing a large green object heading straight toward them.

Launching many expletives out of her mouth, Sandy ran to the van, hopping in and starting the engine.

“Oh crap, we gotta go! Gotta go gotta go gotta— Xen? Xen?! What the hell are you doing?! Hurry up!” Sandy commanded, shouting from her place in the driver’s seat.

But Xen was frozen, staring up at, whatever it was. She couldn’t move. This wasn’t like the fear she got from the lizard-mutant, no, this was way different. Not even her fight or flight response was kicking in. She was utterly helpless, and there was a sick feeling that she wouldn’t be saved this time.

Xen probably wouldn’t have even had enough time to call Nyxx, let alone find some way to communicate with him.

Another shout from Sandy came from the van, but Xen didn’t hear it. A weird static was filling her head, like the buzzing when a TV stops working right. It was all she could do to keep staring, to keep calm, to accept it.

Before she can think, however, Xen is yanked away before the green thing hits the ground.

—

(All the way on the other side of the city)

Nyxx strolled alongside as Ada led him through a warehouse. He, unfortunately, had to listen to another one of his upperclassmen’s tirades.

“Oh, and don’t even get me started on your lack of discipline! You think because your so strong that you can just run around all half-cocked and then get sympathy when you fail! Like, obviously! Did you not see him prioritize getting soda over killing the damn Leech Ghouls?!” Ada complained, stomping down the poorly-lit hallway. “What’s even worse, literally nobody calls you out on it! Not even Red or Stein! And Stein is the nit-pick of the century!”

Nyxx just rolled his eyes, leaning his head back to look at the ceiling. The only reason they were in this place was because they got a report of the Imp Ghouls running around terrorizing the place. Pain and Panic, loyal servants to that damned Devil.

“Ya know, I think you’re over-thinking this. I’m pretty sure the reason nobody gets on my ass about stuff is cause I make the right calls. Ya told me to save people, Ada.” Nyxx said, pointedly looking at the woman.

“Ugh, I know what I said, but that doesn’t mean you can just abandon missions. That Scorpious mutant is still out there, probably running around in the sewers. And I’m the one that gets blamed for it, remember? Cause everyone thinks you’re my protege. Bullshit..”

Nyxx only shrugged, all he had to do was bring down Ghouls and bring their souls to be exorcised or judged. It wasn’t his place to decide their fate, all he had to do was capture them.

Sure, maybe he wasn’t doing too good a job of that recently, but people still understood why.

He just wished Ada could as well.

For all her hot-headedness, Ada was very smart and talented. She was one of the top students at EDEN, and her combat skills were incredible. She claimed she could do anything, and so far, she made good on that claim. Out of most people at the academy, Ada was definitely one of his favorites.

Except for her nagging. That was one quality he could live without.

“Ada! Ada, do you read me?” A voice from her watch questioned, urgently.

“Intel? Yes, what’s up?” Ada stopped, putting a hand on her hip.

“Listen, I need both you and Nyxx to go to downtown, quick. Something big just exploded in a theatre parking lot and we’re not entirely sure what it is. We need you to get a read on the situation, hurry.”

“Shit, okay, I got it. We’re on our way.” Ada closed the call and swiftly turned around. “Nyxx, let’s go.”

Nyxx only nodded, breaking out into a run to follow her.

—

When Xen came to, her ears were ringing. Everything around her was a dizzying haze. All she could see what a greenish smoke, and what looked to be rubble on the ground. Something warm drips down her face and before Xen can register it, she’s being dragged across the ground.

“Dammit, Xen! Wake up! We need to go!” A distant voice yells, one she slowly recognizes as Sandy.

“S-Sandy?” She coughed, pain wracking throughout her body.

What happened? The last thing she remembered was leaving the theatre.

“Oh my god, holy shit, are you okay?” Sandy stopped, kneeling down to hold Xen steady.

“I—” Another cough, this one feeling worse than the last. “I don’t know.”

Sandy was in utter distress at this point, looking around wildly, shouting for help. But Xen couldn’t concentrate, there was this buzzing under her skin. Her head felt like it was on fire and being beaten like a drum at the same time.

Suddenly, flashes of memories fly into her mind. They aren’t her memories, though, she’s awake enough to know that. There was a picture of a desert, then a stark-white room with medical supplies everywhere, and then fire. Green fire, all around, everywhere. It consumed everything it touched, including people who looked like doctors or scientists. A sharp pain enters her head, along with what sounded like high-pitched screaming.

“Gah!” Xen shrieked, squeezing her hands over her ears.

“What? What’s wrong?” Sandy panicked.

Xen couldn’t answer. The burning feeling was worse, it felt like it was through her entire body now. The screaming only became louder as her muscles seemed to ignite more and more. Almost to the point of an exploding sensation.

She doesn’t know when it happened, but quickly, her entire body became enveloped in flames. Green fire, just like the memories. Just like the thing in the sky.

Her screams were agonizing now, and they mixed well with the ones in her mind.

Xen knew Sandy was freaking out, but she couldn’t stop it. Her entire being was in complete pain overdrive.

She can’t tell when it stops, when the screams go silent and the fire goes out. What she can tell is, is a cold darkness covering her. Whispers of something she can’t quite grasp, until she’s completely enthralled in darkness.

—

On the outside, there was Nyxx and Ada. Nyxx was cocooning Xen inside of shadows, seemingly stopping the flames. Hopefully.

“Is she alright?” Ada asked, standing above the scene with a grimace.

“I don’t know, it looked really bad.” Nyxx replied, his tone uncertain.

He hadn’t expected to see Xen again, especially not under such horrible circumstances. It had only been a week since her last brush of death, and he was certain she was out of residual danger.

Nyxx would be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about her. His mind had wandered to the girl a few times, wondering if she was alright. He’d ordered one of the EDEN cadets to keep an eye on her, in case that mutant came looking for her before he could find it. The whole reason he even gave her his number was so he could help her out if need be, so why hadn’t she called?

Was he too late?

Had he failed to save someone again? Someone counting on him?

Nyxx hated that feeling, it scared him.

“Is she gonna be okay?” A girl asked, rubbing her nose as tears ran down her face.

She must be a friend of hers, Nyxx noted in his head.

“I’ll do everything I can to help her, I swear.” Nyxx assured.

He wanted to say everything would be alright, but he couldn’t say that. Empty promises were much worse than harsh truths. All he could do now was try his best to save Xen.

Nyxx didn’t get very far, though, because something exploded out of the crater in the middle of the parking lot.

Both he and Ada quickly turned, standing to attention at…whatever the hell was crawling out of that thing. They looked like a bunch oozy slime balls, but he could see their exoskeletons, which were clearly made of metal.

“Now what in the hell…” Ada faltered, gagging at the way they moved. “They look like worms, but worse!”

Nyxx glared at the scene. The weird neon-colored worms kept coming out of the iron rock thing that blasted into the concrete. And they were also, forming? Into each other. Honestly, Nyxx just wanted to wipe them from the Earth immediately.

Summoning shadows, he turned them into spikes and shot them like arrows at the slime worms. They just consumed them, though.

“Well, fuck.” He swore, running out of ideas.

“Great, now I can put, defeating a giant slime monster on my list of accomplishments to hold over your head.” Ada cackled, unlocking her bo-staff and running at the things with swiftness.

Her efforts are in futile though, every hit just slides through the worms. Nyxx, whose great at multitasking, tries to figure out both what it is and how it can die.

“Okay, seriously, can we please get out of here?!” The other girl pleaded, yanking her hair in frustration.

“I need to help Ada, but how. I can’t just leave Xen…” Nyxx mutters to himself.

Ada continues her struggle with the slime monster, occasionally throwing rocks and car pieces at it.

“God! Why isn’t anything working?!” She shouts, grinding her teeth.

Nyxx doesn’t get a chance to do anything though, because the slime monster finishes forming. A loud roar emanates from its mouth, and now it looks more like a four-legged snake with multiple heads.

“Fucking fantastic.” Nyxx rolls his eyes.

“Shit, what should we do?!” The girl asks, causing Nyxx to turn back to her.

“You shouldn’t do anything, just get out of here. I’ll take care of Xen.”

“What?! No! I’m not— wait, how’d you know her name was Xen…?” The girl asked, looking at him with suspicion. “Wait a second. Tall, white hair, white coat, and an attitude…holy shit! You’re him!”

Nyxx stares, puzzled. What……?

His confusion is short lived, as a loud blast comes from the other direction. Ada, having jumped out of the way, barely missed being crushed by a slimey hand. It retracted back into the mass of ooze, which totally wasn’t gonna haunt Nyxx’s dreams or anything, and slowly came toward them.

Ada sprints back to him, barely needing to catch her breath. “Okay, okay, Nyxx, call backup. I have no idea how to kill this thing and it doesn’t seem like a typical Ghoul.”

Screeching from the monster interrupted him, though, as his attention is drawn yet again to the monster. Knives stick out of its green slime skin, but they don’t fall away, and seem to be extracting some kind of poison into it.

But just from the make of the knives, Nyxx knew exactly who it was.

Turning around, he was greeted by the sight of Red. In full EDEN uniform attire, he stood on the top of car, holding a spectacularly sharp knife.

“Red?!” Ada exclaimed.

“Intel told me you two might need some help, so here I am.” He spoke, his voice flat and monotone as usual.

“Hey, Red.” Nyxx nodded at him. “I assume you’ve got a plan?”

“The makings of one, why?” Red questioned, walking toward the group.

“Cause I need to get her to Tsubaki and the other girls at the school so they can heal her.” Nyxx stated, looking from Red to Xen, who was still wrapped in shadows.

“Right. Well, hurry it up. Ada and I can handle things here.” Red dismisses, walking past and gesturing Ada to follow. “Do be quick about it though, I can almost smell all the blood she’s lost.”

Nyxx winced, but hurried to pick Xen up and find the quickest way out.

“We’re taking her to a hospital, right?” Xen’s friend implored.

“Something like that, but we need a ride.”

“Ah. I have a van.” She states, pointing to a an almost replica of that one van from the ghost cartoon.

“Great, let’s go.” He rushes over, using a shadow to tank the back doors open.

The other girl jumps into the front seat, starting the van and pulling speeding out quickly.

Nyxx looks down, unveiling some of his shadows to see the girl. She was trembling, and her face was scrunched up in discomfort. Vein-like lines trailed from her eyes to her neck, like an infection. Nyxx didn’t know much about human diseases, but green stuff on the face really shouldn’t be there.

His arms instinctually tighten around the girl, a feeling of both anger and worry settling over him.

“Don’t worry, Xen. You’ll be alright, I’ll make sure of it.”

—

ANOTHA ONE FOR MY GIRL @3xen ENJOY LOVELY

[bluepenguinstories]

(Anxious) Mouse Vertigo 5: “Country Mouse, City Mouse”

Petey Oliver lived with her sister in a two room apartment. If she got her way, it would have been one room. After all, why not? They had been inseparable since birth. There was no particular reason: she didn’t feel overly dependent on others because of bad parenting, and in fact, both sisters would agree that their parents were good people. Mother only had kind words, and father was soft-spoken, even at times, looking back, Petey wouldn’t have blamed him if he snapped. Their parents gave equal attention to both sibling, never wanting the other to be left out, and even helped save up for the two to attend the same local university.

So it was only natural that Petey would always be with her sister. For the rest of her life, if she could.

Lately, however, Millie Oliver had been restless.

Yes, until the end of time, her and Petey would be there for each other. Or at least, in some sense. But that didn’t mean that Petey had to be present at all times. Some days, she wanted to take a walk in the park by herself, or go grocery shopping without wondering if her sister would hug her in the middle of the aisle and get stares from the other customers. More than that, Millie wanted friends.

It wasn’t that she didn’t have friends in high school, or that the two sisters would have their fair share of friends while at university. But once the two graduated, with separate degrees, in fact (Bachelors of Architecture for Millie, Bachelors of Music for Petey), one found a lucrative job planning blueprints for houses, the other tried to start a rock band with the few friends she made at university, and although they performed a few songs in a rented-out storage space, they never found success and those friends all went their separate ways. Petey was out of work, and after a panic attack one night, refused to leave the home. Millie canceled plans with her friends. Eventually, she lost touch with them.

Sometimes, someone at work would ask her out, be it a hangout, or perhaps something more romantic. She declined every time, as when not at work, she was home with Petey to make sure her little sister was okay.

What Petey did at home, when Millie wasn’t around, was try to eat leftover food that Millie made the two, and write song lyrics for songs she would never make in her journal. She’d even give them fancy titles. Petey journaled a lot, and in some ways, she thought of her journal as her third sister, who was there even when Millie couldn’t be there.

One journal entry went like this:

7th of December:

I have little peace these days. I know I shouldn’t be this attached to my sister, and yet I am. Some would call it courage, others insane. I don’t feel that way, about either. I am full of fear, and very sane. If there ever was a time when my sister didn’t live with me anymore, I don’t know what I’d do. My world may as well shatter. She pays the bills, she pays for all the food. I know all this time she’s devoting to me, it’s love, but what if someone else loves her and decides to take her away from me? Could I even fight back? Look at me: I don’t have a job, and all I try to do is write song lyrics that don’t go anywhere. Stuff like:

‘Little Police Academy For Shriveled Fetuses’:

“Cracks in my brain, it’s the rats again

they’ve carved their shapes into my walls.

The walls move, and talk to me

and I never wanted them to.

It’s like.

It’s like...a curse, the curse of the rat imprints.

Some day,

I fear,

they will find their way inside my body

and carve their shapes into me.”

Yeah. That’s about as far as I got. I couldn’t think of any more words. I wonder, if she was here right now, could she inspire me?

Millie never read from Petey’s journal. Even as she wished to respect her sister’s privacy, Millie was having trouble respecting her own. Even at crucial moments, she instinctively declined. She swore to herself that she would change that habit.

Petey found a job, delivering pizza on a motorcycle. It was during the break between graduating high school and entering university that Millie and Petey learned to drive. However, it came to no use, as Millie had the car. Once, Petey used Millie’s car, to run some errands, when she thought she saw the shadow of a person in the backseat and braked the car hard in the middle of the intersection. She almost got hit, and when she looked behind her, she expected to see a man pop out with ill intentions, but there was no one. Because it was always no one when it wasn’t her sister.

So riding a motorcycle all day, with husky wheels and screeching tires gave her a rush that she didn’t feel at home unless she was thinking about her sister. She got to think of other things besides her sister, and there were no images of shadows chasing her, or rats staring at her from across the street to freak her out. She had her helmet and a pair of earplugs while she rode the motorcycle.

A few months of pizza delivery and Petey could afford to buy a nice looking motorbike with its thin, blue shell and memory foam seats. Not to mention the thin, ribbed tires which enticed her when she spun them around at the dealership. She rode on her days off, in the middle of the day, and let the winds brush past her. She felt freedom, or as free as she wanted to be. Whens he carried it up the second floor of her apartment complex and hung it up by a string on the roof of the back patio, she felt an aching yearning for the wind and the road.

One day, Millie meets a boy with blonde hair at work, a newbie. His name was Zircon Myers, and he and Millie soon formed a habit sitting with each other at lunch and talking about their lives. Millie was self-conscious, as she thought she had little to share. But the more Zircon talked, the more she wanted to share.

A few months of lunch breaks and Millie, Sara, Tiphereth, and Zircon laughed from stories they told each other. One day, Zircon took Millie aside and asked her for a date. A night out, to be specific, at an expensive restaurant, which he refused to name. That he did so sounded mysterious, seductive, to Millie, and so she accepted: under the condition that Petey come along as well. With a smile, Zircon accepted.

Before the date, Millie told Petey about the good news.

“I’m going on a date with a young man, and you’re invited. It’s going to be at a fancy restaurant, and you can order whatever you like!” Millie greeted when she got through the door.

Petey looked up, as she was doing yoga, in her underwear, with a tube of nail polish on her mouth (the cap on) while playing video games next to the television set mounted on the wall. Upon hearing her sister’s words, Petey’s jaw dropped and the nail polish dropped to the floor, the lid coming loose and spilling on Petey’s ankle. Tears began to well up in Petey’s eyes.

“You’re leaving me? For a man?” Petey asked, sobbing.

“No, not at all. I just wanted to see how it goes on a date with him.”

“So you’re not moving in with him? Or kicking me out of the apartment?” Petey tilted her head. It made Millie flinch.

“No, I don’t think so. For either,” Millie said slowly.

Petey lifted her shirt up and smudged it all over her eyes until they were red, but also, there were no longer any tears. Her face shook and wobbled, and she felt like she could enter a crying fit at any moment, but still, she managed to smile.

“Thank you, I would love to go with you two,” she said in the best cheerful voice she could muster. Their parents always said her voice sounded more like dry cement being drilled away. It was meant as a light joke, but if truth must be told, Petey never liked it much.

“I love you,” Petey said, as her smile, however distorted, stayed on her face.

“I love you, too,” Millie sighed out those sweet words.

 On the afternoon of the date, a thin, long black car rolled up with its roaring engine and screeched to a halt outside Petey and Millie’s apartment complex. The sisters heard the sound from inside and gathered their things. Millie ran down the stairs first, and at one point, almost tripped. Petey wanted to reach out to her sister, but before she could, Millie stood up just fine and continued running until she got in the back of the car. Petey had her journal in her leather jacket pocket. Even if she wasn’t on her motorcycle, if she closed her eyes while in the car, she could imagine…

...imagine a crash.

It was unusual for her to bring her journal outside with her, but there was some tugging sensation in the back of her mind which insisted that she do so. As much as she tried to resist the pull, it wouldn’t let go until she picked up that bumpy, scaly leather bound cover.

Millie also had a jacket on. It wasn’t leather, however. Polyester, if Millie were to guess (she was always too careless to read the tags on her clothes. They could have all read ‘arsenic and asbestos’ for all she knew, and as long as she lived in ignorant bliss, she never needed to know. Just like Petey’s jacket, though, it was black, and long. It matched well with Millie’s murky, brown skinny jeans.

When Petey reached the bottom of the steps and walked toward the car, she heard dogs barking nearby. There was a park which she used to visit when she was younger, but didn’t dare anymore. Further out, she heard ambulance sirens.

Petey sat in the backseat, Millie in the passenger side, right next to Zircon. It was so foreign for Millie to sit anywhere except for beside Petey. It was like someone took her precious sister and replaced her with a stranger who also happened to look the same as Millie, and share the same name. Petey wanted to ask Millie whether she was really her sister or some cruel mockery, but was interrupted by the date.

“Hi, I’m Zircon,” he glanced back and reached out his hand.

Petey examined Zircon’s hand, rather than shake it. She couldn’t see anything wrong, and it looked like a clean enough hand, with contours and creases where they ought to have been. But even still, she imagined all the bacteria which must have taken residence on his hand. Little germs and microbes floating about, anchored by every pore on his skin.

What if he’s the type to wipe his nose with his hand when he has a runny nose? What if he had a runny nose today?

Just the thought made Petey recoil and let out a pig-like squeal.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Zircon apologized, “you don’t have to shake hands. I was just trying to be polite.”

“Don’t mind her,” Millie slapped Zircon’s forearm in a playful manner, “she’s not good with new people. She used to be better, but I don’t know what happened…”

“Millie. Please stop talking,” Petey requested in a harsh tone which sickened her to hear coming out of her own mouth.

“Ah, sorry. I meant no offense,” Millie waved her hands about.

Zircon started the car and began to drive through the neighborhood. They hadn’t even entered the main road yet when Petey leaned over in her seat and saw from the front-facing window a dog leap into the road ahead.

“STOP THE CAR! STOP!” She yelled.

Zircon slammed on the breaks without question.

Everyone leaned forward in their seats.

“What is it?” Millie turned back and asked.

“We were about to run over that dog!” Petey pointed.

Both people upfront looked forward.

“What dog?” They asked in unison.

“Um…” Petey blinked, and saw no dog. “I...this isn’t good. Am I hallucinating? Now, of all times?”

“Now, now, sister, maybe there was a dog and we didn’t notice, and before we could notice, the dog ran into the bushes,” Millie tried to explain in the most plausible manner she could muster. It still didn’t help. If there really had been a dog in front of the car, surely everyone else would see it as well.

“If it helps, you can close your eyes until we get there,” Zircon suggested.

He thinks I’m crazy, too, Petey thought, but nodded along.

She wasn’t new to hallucinations, as every now and then, she thought she saw giant rats staring up at her, or shadows chasing her, or even hums in the air which drove her to agitation. None of those events occurred when her sister was present, so Petey believed that Millie was the anchor that kept Petey in reality.

However, if that dog was one such hallucination, and Millie was with her, what did that mean?

Maybe it’s because of that man. The outside factor.

Still, she tried to do her best. If need be, she’d write in her journal. She tried to close her eyes, as if doing so would prevent any sort of interference, even if some auditory oddities may have still snuck their way in.

Somehow, Petey fell asleep.

When she woke up, the car was parked in front of a restaurant. Millie had to tap Petey awake.

“Hey, sis, we’re here,” Millie whispered and smiled.

Petey opened her eyes and wiped her mouth, noticing that she had drooled in her sleep.

When all three left the car, Petey looked up and saw that the restaurant was Toaster Oven – a diner at the edge of the city, and a popular hangout which happened to constantly be packed. The exterior looked like a steel microphone lying on its side. It also resembled, well, a toaster.

There was a car in every spot in the parking lot. That was the last thing Petey noticed before the three entered the restaurant.

“Nice place,” Millie tried complimenting Zircon’s date choice.

Really? It’s hardly a fancy restaurant. My sister deserves so much better than, what? Waffles? Petey thought in bitterness.

Nearly every seat was taken, just like the parking spots Petey noticed outside. Petey always did think there were too many cars in the world, and too few motorcycles.

Three seats weren’t taken: stools at the counter. It was as if destiny called to all three of them. Petey sat at the leftmost booth, Zircon in the middle (acting as the wall dividing the two sisters) and Millie on the right end.

While Petey mulled over what to order, Zircon fixed his attention on Petey’s sister. Or at least, someone who shared her voice, face, and name.

Petey ignored most of their conversation. She focused, instead, on the crowds of people conversing and eating. All these moving bodies in what amounted to a tin can.

And I’m no different. Even if I’m not talking or moving, I’m still one of those bodies. We’re all packed in here.

When the waitress came over, all three ordered: Millie, a steak and mashed potatoes.

Zircon, a plate of biscuits and gravy with green beans on the side.

Petey, a plate of french toast, sausage, and scrambled eggs.

After ordering, the two on their date resumed their conversation while Petey continued to stew in her silence.

Millie, or whoever this woman was, seemed to be having a good time. I couldn’t interrupt that, even if I was with them. I just have to accept...accept that I may soon be alone. What should I do? I’ve had my job for a little while now. It doesn’t pay much, but it must prove that I can be independent in some way, right?

Maybe I could start a new band. We could write songs. Find somewhere to record. Land some gigs. Maybe my life could start to look up…

...if I too could bring myself to meet people.

Maybe I could write my own songs, solo. Like, I could get a computer, record some songs onto my computer, mix it there. It doesn’t even need words. It could be wholly electronic. What songs could I do? Even if they lacked lyrics, songs need titles. Maybe something like…

“Foot fetishists want me to put my best foot forward,” she said aloud without even thinking. Both Zircon and Millie turned toward her.

“Huh?” Zircon asked.

Startled, Petey leaped in her seat and blood rushed to her head.

“I...I...It’s the title for a song I just made up,” Petey rushed to defend herself.

“Oh, and here I thought you were quite the comedian,” Zircon joked.

“Are you thinking about making music again, sister?” Millie leaned over and asked.

“Again?” Zircon asked before Petey could get a word in.

“Yeah, she used to be in a band, but started having panic attacks and quit the band,” Millie began to explain while Petey dug her nails into her arms and clenched her jaws.

“I was entertaining the idea,” Petey groaned. “Doesn’t mean anything will happen. Right now my job is enough.”

“If your job gets to be too much for you, you could try going on disability checks,” Millie suggested.

The very thought made Petey feel like worms were wriggling across her skin.

“I. Do not. Have. Any. Disabilities,” Petey growled. Her nails dug deeper, leaving imprints, but still not deep enough to make herself bleed.

“Well, what about the panic attacks or –”

“Shut up! Those are nothing!” Petey shouted and tears began to form in her eyes.

Faces around the diner turned to her, and Petey looked back at them, and in terror, wanted to shout at them, “WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?!”

But she couldn’t. She had already done enough damage.

She just focused on her food, and tried to eat what little she could, even though her hands shook when she lifted her fork, and a draft filled the air which left her in a dizzying shiver.

All three ate their meals without another word to each other. When Zircon footed the bill and the three walked out, there was a palpable intensity to the air both in and outside of the restaurant.

---

Null and Minnow wandered through the forest in the middle of the afternoon. Some sunlight poked through the gaps between branches and leaves of the trees. Their previous hideout had been found by beasts, and they were forced to hide out elsewhere, then flee once the beasts moved on. They were now in search of somewhere new to hide.

However, their sluggish steps may have given off the impression that they were in no hurry, despite the danger both women knew themselves to be in. That too had an explanation: they were also in search of food. Having gone at least a couple of days with little to no sustenance.

They dragged their feet along the dry and dusty forest floor, examining each tree, hoping one would bear fruit, and be disappointed when one of three scenarios occurred: 1) there was no fruit 2) the fruit was unidentifiable to the two women, and thus could have been poisonous or 3) the fruit was rotten.

“I bet I sound real creepy right now,” Null groaned in a hoarse voice. “I feel like a zombie.”

“You’re just hungry. I’m hungry too,” Minnow reassured Null.

“I wish I had a granola bar right now…”

“You survived over a year, right? How have you gotten by before?” Minnow asked.

“I would loot snacks from abandoned convenience stores,” Null explained, then felt a tinge of regret, “I mean, it’s not really stealing if there’s no one alive to make me pay for it, right?”

“Right,” Minnow agreed, “besides, you needed to make sure you lived. I would have done the same.”

“Well, what about you? How did you get by?”

“I’d pick fruits from trees, I’d loot left behind backpacks,” Minnow explained, and thought, I’d loot corpses.

“Right...I’d do the same if we came across a backpack or something right now,” Null bobbed her head. Her stomach growled. Every time she exhaled, it felt like she had swallowed glass, “I want apples. I want pastries.”

“If I could summon apples and pastries from the sky right now, I would,” Minnow groaned.

“Could you? Oh, but imagine if an apple hit me in the face and my head was crushed and splattered into a bloody mess...maybe it’s better that you can’t.”

“Right. Wouldn’t want to damage your pretty face.”

Null spat, even with her dry mouth, she still found it in her to react.

“Now’s not the time for jokes. We’re going to die of starvation out here,” Null shifted her eyes about and thought, if a beast doesn’t get us first.

“Just a little longer. We’ve survived this long. I’m sure we can survive longer,” Minnow tried to encourage Null, or even herself.

Both women were used to starving at various points throughout their lives for different reasons. That didn’t make it any easier to deal with.

It was about an hour later when an oasis of sorts opened up: a small pond of water, and a few pear trees which overlooked it.

“It’s not apples, but…” Minnow stared at the fruits.

“I’m so hungry that if I had to wait any longer, I’d have considered cannibalism,” Null groaned, still slouched, and turned to look at Minnow.

“I would let you eat me if it meant you would live longer,” Minnow smiled.

“Please say you’re not serious. You deserve to live more than I do.”

“On the contrary,” Minnow shook her head, “I already have your life, and I can tell just by holding it how valuable it is. If anything, you deserve to live just as much as, if not more than, me.”

“Uh...right,” Null was too exhausted to think of the logistics of that statement. She leaped up and grabbed a pear. She sank her jaw into the juicy, soft fruit. However, the thought of something lurking within the fruit caused her to spit some of it out.

“What? Is it rotten?” Minnow pursed her lip with worry.

“N-No. I just started thinking, what if a worm was in it? And then I got scared,” Null admitted.

“So? Was there one?”

Null shook her head.

“B-But...that doesn’t mean there won’t be a worm if you eat one.”

“I’m willing to take that risk.”

Minnow tried jumping up to catch a pear, but just couldn’t reach any. She grunted, and began shaking the tree, but none of the pears would budge.

“Come on…” Minnow pouted.

Null watched Minnow struggle, took another bite, then closed her eyes and smiled.

However, when she opened her eyes and saw Minnow continue to struggle, she gulped down a chunk of pear and her face flushed.

I’m going to let her starve if I don’t do anything, and then it will be my fault if she dies. I don’t want that on my hands, Null thought.

She walked over to the tree Minnow stood at and plucked a pear off of one of the branches. While looking away from the headstrong brunette by her side, she handed her the pear.

“Thanks,” Minnow mumbled, “I would have gotten it eventually, but...yeah, thanks.”

“Oh. If that’s the case, I could have just let you be,” Null jolted back upon the realization that maybe her assistance wasn’t really needed.

“No, I mean, I’d like to think I would have gotten it eventually, but...I don’t really know for sure. So, again, thanks. You really are kind, Null.”

“I just…” Null paced about, huffed, and bit into her pear, “I’m not kind at all. I just don’t want to walk around and look behind me to see you drop dead. It would be really inconvenient.”

“So is it convenient for you that I’m alive? I was worried I had been slowing you down,” Minnow sat down next to the tree and looked up.

What can I say that wouldn’t come off as mean? Because truly, there’s nothing that I could consider ‘convenient’ when it comes to me, Null thought.

“I mean, loneliness isn’t very convenient, either, so...maybe I’m a little slower, so what?” Null let out some nervous laughter, and joined Minnow under the tree.

Minnow smiled.

“I’m glad. I was lonely, too, before you came into my life.”

“Right. It’s hard not to be lonely when the majority of humanity has been wiped out,” Null agreed.

Minnow took a bite from her pear, then added, “even when there were billions of people, it was quite lonely.”

I know that all too well, Null thought, but I can’t just say that, can I?

Null nodded along.

Before the two could get too comfortable, they both heard a shrill howl erupt from the woods. In a hurry, Null swatted as many pears as she could onto the ground and Minnow packed them into her backpack.

Some of this strength may be the beast on my arm aiding me. After all, was I ever strong enough to knock fruit out of a tree? Null wondered.

They hurried, but didn’t run, so as not to make too much noise. When they returned to the main path they were on, their worries of what their next meal would be was diminished, but one worry still remained: whether they would find a place to hide before a beast appeared, and especially before nightfall.

“Hey, since there’s still a handful of people left in the world, do you think there are other animals, too?” Null asked.

“Hmm...I can’t see why not,” Minnow pondered that. She hadn’t encountered any animal other than human, unless the beasts counted. But she wasn’t even sure if they should.

“Maybe we’ll come across monkeys,” Null suggested.

“Did you see monkeys before the calamity?”

“No. Well, yes. Sometimes. At the zoo. I used to go there when I was little. I had some relatives who would take me.”

“So it seems unlikely that we’d come across a monkey,” Minnow dismissed the idea just as soon as she had considered it.

“Well, maybe the animals at the zoo left their enclosures? Maybe we’ll come across a rhinoceros or an elephant.”

“If any animals did leave the zoo, they may not have survived long against the beasts,” Minnow pointed out.

“What about the scary animals? Like lions, tigers, or bears?”

“Bears already existed in the woods pre-calamity, and I haven’t encountered a single bear out here. It’s beasts all the way down.”

“That’s sure to disrupt the ecosystem,” Null felt a tinge of sympathy for all the other animals that may no longer be around.

“I think we’re well past the ecosystem being disrupted.”

After a brief bout of silence, Null continued from where she left off:

“I’d like to see a giraffe,” she said.

Minnow didn’t reply.

“What about you, Minnow? What animal would you like to see?”

“Null,” was all Minnow said. She had stopped moving, but Null took no notice and continued to walk on.

“What? But you can already see me.”

“Null. Stop.”

Null turned around and waved her hands in shock.

“Sorry! Was I annoying you? I’ll shut up now!”

Minnow shook her head.

“Not that. Look,” Minnow pointed beside a tree.

Null looked in the direction that Minnow pointed at, but didn’t notice anything.

“What? Is it a beast?” Null asked.

Minnow scowled.

“If there was a beast so close by, don’t you think it would be unwise to stop where the beast could attack us?”

“Yeah, but a beast could attack us at any moment…”

Minnow shook her head.

“Walk over here, and then see where I’m pointing,” Minnow huffed.

Null walked over, clutching her right arm in shame. Every now and then it twitched, and Minnow didn’t seem to take notice. Null did, however, and she knew what it meant, as well: that her blood was being drained. Every time her arm twitched, she felt a stinging sensation go along with it, and with the lack of nutrition she’s had over the last couple of days, she was bound to faint if she wasn’t careful.

“Sorry,” Null said while sensing annoyance in Minnow’s voice, “I really, really should know better, but I’m just so stupid.”

“You’re not. But I do need to caution you not to –”

“Aah!” Null yelped, and Minnow covered Null’s mouth before she could let out a shrill shriek.

In front of the two ladies was a withered corpse seated next to the side of the tree. Almost skeletal in appearance, and whatever scraps of skin remained on the body looked less like flesh and more elastic, or peeled-off paint.

On the top of the skull was tufts of hair flowing down, but only a few strands of what must have once been a full head of hair.

The corpse wore a leather jacket, covered in a rusted red. There were patches where a faded black pigment could be spotted on the jacket, and underneath the jacket was a camisole, also covered in red. Despite having no smell, both ladies knew what the red meant.

“Skeletons are so scary...what if they get up and start attacking us?” Null asked in a hushed tone as soon as Minnow uncovered Null’s mouth.

“It’s a corpse, not a skeleton,” Minnow corrected.

“Corpses are scary, too! What if they get up and start attacking us?” Null looked around, frantic.

“You mean, like a beast? I’ve never seen a corpse walk up, but…” Minnow thought back to when her siblings were taken from her and shuddered. “I can see that happening. I guess we need to remain cautious. I’d like to believe that this one, at least, is just that: a corpse, without any pretense.”

“No pretense? But corpses don’t just grow on trees.”

“Sorry, Null. What I meant was, this corpse isn’t scary on its own. But that’s not to say we shouldn’t be afraid. After all, there’s at least two questions we must be asking ourselves: what caused this person’s death, and how long have they been dead?”

“Probably a beast,” Null shrugged her shoulders. Once she got over the initial shock, even as she felt a twisting feeling in her guts, she was able to relax, even just a little bit.

Minnow nodded.

“Most likely a beast, if this person died sometime after the calamity. Though judging by how withered they look, they may have been sitting there longer than a year. I’ve not heard of a beast that could dry out someone’s insides so fast.”

“Um...about that…” Null muttered.

“What?” Minnow turned to her.

“I mean, it’s possible. We don’t know what kind of beasts are out there, right?”

Minnow walked over to the corpse.

“Um. Minnow? What are you doing? What happened to remaining cautious?” Null leaned in and tried to stop Minnow before she did anything foolish.

Minnow crouched down and picked up an object from the ground. When she stood up, Null noticed the rectangular object.

“it’s a...book?” Null tilted her head.

“A journal,” Minnow corrected and opened it up to the first page. “It could give us an idea of how long this body has been sitting here. Let’s see… ‘My name is Petey Oliver. My sister is Millie Oliver. I have short, black hair and like to wear leather jackets. My sister has long, black hair, and likes to wear polyester jackets. We live together and are always fated to be together. This I know for sure. We are inseparable.’ Nope. This tells me nothing. I should see if there’s an entry for the day of the calamity.”

“I feel like we’re invading someone’s privacy…” Null looked away in shame.

“It’s a corpse, Null. I’m sure it won’t mind us reading through this journal,” Minnow reminded her.

“Their name was Petey.”

“Was. Whatever life they led...it doesn’t exist anymore.”

Null hung her head low.

“It is sad, Null. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply that it isn’t. I’m just so used to seeing dead bodies by now that, I…”

Null shook her head.

“I’m not sad. Just scared. What if I had a journal and I wrote in my most private thoughts that I didn’t want anyone to know, and then I died, and someone read it? That would be the worst, don’t you think?”

Minnow let out a chuckle.

“I guess so. It’s hard for me, being someone who doesn’t have much to hide. But I think if I was one who wanted a place to write down my most private thoughts, I’d not want anyone to see them, even if I was dead,” Minnow sympathized, even as she skipped through the pages of the journal.

“Aha!” Minnow exclaimed with delight as she found a page dated a couple of days after the calamity.

“What is it?” Null asked, and leaned in. Curiosity overtook any sense of fear for violations of privacy.

Together, the two read the entry:

This may be my longest entry.

After this, I don’t know how well I’ll be able to count the days.

Let’s see…

My sister and her date, some blonde haired boy with a shine in his teeth, walked out of the restaurant. I followed behind, but didn’t say a word. They walked over to the black car, and...we all fell to the ground. I was barely off the stairs.

I must have blacked out. When I stood up, I had small scratches and cuts from the fall. Bruises on my knees and forehead. My head ached, but my personal pain was the least of my worries when I saw the damage done to the restaurant: it was crushed, with no indication as to what did so. Smoke billowed out from atop, and through the shattered windows, I saw arms hanging out, blood on the glass, and smoke filling up the inside.

It was dusk. Evening. Nightfall. Whatever suits your fancy.

My dear sister, Millie, and her date stood by the car. I ran over to them and asked them what happened. “I don’t know. We blacked out and we just woke back up. This is all so sudden,” was what one of them told me. All so sudden indeed.

“For now, let’s get you two back home,” the boy Millie had seen suggested. We had no better judgment, so we just nodded along and got in the car. Along the way, we saw many buildings demolished. The whole city looked like it had been pressed down by a giant french press. When we got to our apartment complex, it had somehow remained intact. The whole place was silent. It was strange.

Millie’s date stayed with us for the night. We thought we were safe.

The next day we woke up to hear ear-splitting screams. We checked on the other apartments, knocked on each one, but no answer. Millie’s date forced himself through some doors, only to find the apartments empty. Were the people evacuated or…? It’s really hard to tell, and when I look back, it’s even harder.

What was I doing the whole time? Just watching. It was all I could do. I can’t stand myself.

We walked outside, and nearby stood something I could only describe as a monster, even if it was humanoid in shape: its whole body looked like it was made up of pulsating, red worms. It had imprints on its head to make up the shape of eyes and a mouth.

It advanced toward us. “Get in the car!” Yelled Millie’s date, and the two got inside. I was too slow, and they drove off rather than wait for me.

The creature walked toward me. It let out a hissing sound as several worms erupted from its mouth. I couldn’t believe it, but I knew that if I didn’t run, I would be in danger. But as much as I tried to run, my body wouldn’t move. It was like I was stuck. I heard shrieks all around me, but they didn’t seem to be coming from anyone.

However, the creature stopped walking toward me and turned around. As if a delayed reaction, and its true target was my sister and her date. I wanted to yell, “take him, but not my sister!” But no words would come out until the beast was out of sight. By the time I was able to open my mouth, all that came out was a feeble squeak.

“I have to warn them,” I thought as I ran back into the apartment and grabbed my motorcycle. I raced toward where the car drove to. I didn’t have a clue where they were headed, if they even knew. But I had to warn them. In the distance, I saw a giant, white and metallic looking octopus-like creature slither atop buildings and smash them. I considered myself lucky I didn’t have to deal with such a thing.

My phone rang and I answered; it was Millie. “Hey,” she said, “sorry for leaving you behind. We didn’t mean to. We’re holding up at a hotel. There’s no one here, but also we’re high up enough that I think we’re safe from that monster.” I asked her, “where at?” And she said, “big golden building. Can’t miss it.” I knew exactly where she meant.

When I got close to the hotel, the same beast that had frightened the three of us stood in the middle of the road. To avoid hitting it, I braked and crashed my motorcycle. It slid against the beast, but it just stomped its worm-filled foot against it and crushed the machine. My knees were bloody. I was sure I had broken a leg and I swore I could see bone sticking out from my knee. I thought to myself, “I’m done for,” but Millie’s date showed up and leaped at the beast with a lead pipe. It...did nothing to the beast, and instead, the beast’s worm arms turned into piercing claws and it shoved its clawed hand into his shoulders. He screamed, and fell to the ground. I yelled for him, and he was able to limp over. He grabbed onto me and we hurried off into the hotel.

Millie was there, sitting atop a bed. He sat beside her. She wrapped a bandage around his wound. It was a miracle he was alive at all, and I was grateful that he came for me, don’t get me wrong, but neither of them noticed my own injury. “Thank you for coming for me,” I told them, and he laughed and said, “of course! We wouldn’t forget about you!” I couldn’t believe he said that, because they already forgot about me once.

The beast showed up at the hall near our hotel room. We thought that since we were so high up, it should have at least bought us some time. But it broke through the door and opened its mouth wide to reveal many snake-like appendages which shot out and almost impaled Millie’s date from where he sat. He got up in time and took to the balcony where he jumped down. I’m sure he thought he could escape that way, but from the height he jumped from, it was needless to say that…

Millie and I were what was left. She ran into the beast, and I didn’t know what she was thinking. I even yelled out, “what are you doing?!” But she didn’t listen, and when it stabbed through her, she gasped out one word: “run.”

I still have a broken leg, but I ran anyway. I wanted to protest, but her life was already taken from me. I was sure that gesture was her last way of telling me that she loved me. If only she had done so in a different way.

There was an entry for the next day:

All I have is my journal. I’ve been going on foot, but I’m still in a great deal of pain. I still don’t understand anything. Last night, as I escaped the city, I saw Millie. Yes, it sounds crazy. Like, was it just another hallucination? I don’t know. Maybe the whole world had turned into a hallucination. But she stood there not far from me and laughed. I turned and asked if it was her. She said, “I’ve always resented you. Because of you, I never got to have a life. You are the cause of all this.” I asked her what she meant, even though I knew what she had said was true. It had always been true.

Rather than answer, she grabbed each end of her head and pulled. She split herself in half and masses of blood and organs spilled onto the ground. I let out a scream. It’s strange, though, in hindsight, as I didn’t see anything like a brain or a bone structure. So whether it was her, one of those monsters, or a hallucination...I couldn’t tell.

I’ve been on the road since then. I doubt I’ll survive much longer. My legs ache and it’s not getting any better. I haven’t had food or water. I’m just glad I have a pen and my journal.

A few days later:

There haven’t been any more monster sightings. I’ve been in the woods. I really wonder whether the world is ending around me, or if this is all in my mind. If it is, I don’t think it matters, because my life is ending either way.

I found a tree to sit under. I don’t mind the bugs. Sometimes it rains. Sometimes I think I see rats in the nearby trees. I’ve tried to get up and continue walking, but my leg just won’t move. I really think this is the end for me.

Another few days later:

I’ve been having dreams where something crawls into my eye and burrows its way deep. Every time I have that dream, I wake up and check my eye. It’s recurring. I can’t prove it hasn’t already happened. There hasn’t been any sign of that worm-infested monster. If it shows up, I don’t think I can run. I already know I can’t defend myself. If it kills me, I just hope it does while I’m asleep.

Minnow flipped through several blank pages. She had already gotten her answer that Petey had died probably a week after the calamity. Still, curiosity took over, and she wanted to see if there were any more entries. Toward the end of the journal, there were three words written, with no date labeled atop:

I’m wide awake.

[habizuh-studios]

ehhhh so this concept was rotting in my brain so i might as well let it out into the world.

okay basically there's this girl and she's like a SUPER amazing artist. people pay millions to see her work, theorize about some of their meanings, commission her, etc, etc. she took a break for a short while, but afterwards, she opens a modeling thing so she can paint portraits and get more inspiration and stuff.

cue girl #2. she's out here looking for a job, her goal is to become a photographer (or novel writer idk) but she doesn't really have that much money and she's barely living day to day in her cheapass apartment.... BEFORE she went broke though, her older brother supported her financially and she was able to buy shit so she could keep going to college, and along the way she saw girl #1's paintings and they were so amazing to her and she bought some. all fine and dandy (until her older brother went missing) and she also found herself and idol and inspiration at the time (which was girl #1)

cue #2 looking at the modelling job opening. she can't fucking believe her luck!!! apparently it's been open for a while, and #1 has been letting quite a few people in, though a LOTTTT less than those who applied for the job. #2 decides to apply, not thinking much of it, showing some pictures of herself and then sleeping.

two days later, she forgets about it entirely until she got acceppted??? for the job?????? which is wild. anyway she ends up in this super fancy but kinda bleak and lifeless house which is where #1 lives. #1 is nothing but welcoming although a little distant and snappy. she never really smiles but that's okay. #2 goes on with the modeling job, occasionally chatting with #1.

this process rinses and repeats for a week, although they do get closer as time goes on. suddenly #2 knows #1's favorite foods, dreams, how she started out, etc. she has stopped seeing #1 as this untouchable idol; rather, a friend! and she can't really believe it! the paycheck is REALLY HIGH too, so she gets to chill and even buys one of #1's paintings :>

In between that week when #1 was out doing whatever, #2 explores the house. it's NOT creepy, okay?! It's just so lifeless- feels like a model home rather than an actual place people would live in. And everything is so uncomfortable.

She ends up finding a few knick knacks and a key, but doesn't think much of it. where does the key head to, again...? well, there WAS a lock on the basement door, but #1 didn't make a big deal out of it, so there's probably nothing special in there. the lock came with the door and #1 had never used it- or so she says. Day 7, last day of the week, #2 continues talking with #1, mentioning her missing brother and not thinking much of it. #1 comforts her and stuff, though something comes up, and #2 has to leave early.

Day 8 of the job is when things start going a little more... interesting. Suddenly, #1 is jumpy and anxious around #2, though she doesn't know why. Maybe something happened over the weekend...? Well, it doesn't matter. but #2 can't help but feel like something is off... so when #1 leaves for whatever reason, she decides to unlock the basement door. It smells kinda weird, like... vaguely rotting? or like dried blood. The place is so eerie, #2 is half wondering if this is even the same house.

She reaches the bottom of the stairs- there's NO light in here, none whatsoever?? so she pulls out a flashlight (that she got from an earlier day) and looks around. There's a cute little rat in the corner and some reddish brown stains on the walls, but-

It's not until #2 sees the picture on one of the desks does she realize.

That's her fucking older brother.

The one that's been MISSING for over a month now.

And there's... hah.... blood on the polaroid.

There's a creak behind her and #2 almost SCREAMS, until her world goes dark. The last thing she remembers seeing is #1's face, uncharacteristically furious. ----- She wakes up. Eventually. Wrists and ankles suddenly aching from being tied up to a chair. There's a gag in her mouth. She feels like shit.

#1 kinda just stands in front of her. #2 has no fucking clue what's going on, so when #1 notices that she's awake, she tries asking what's going on- but all that comes out is an "mmphh," and yeah, that's about how it should have gone.

#1 takes the gag out and questions come pouring in like a waterfall. #2 has some tears in her eyes, sore all over and just plain confused.

so, uh, the important parts of their conversation goes something like this:

2: "why did you tie me up?"

1: "well, i wasn't originally PLANNING to, but then you went in the basement... and anyway, i had been thinking about it, because i really need you, haha."

2: "why would you need me?"

1: "You're... different. ... eh, throughout my life, i've never been able to imagine things."

2: "you're... an artist?"

1: "yeah. that sounds like a problem, doesn't it? it's been driving me fucking crazy. everyone says i'm talented, i'm this, i'm whatever, when they are able to picture things of infinite beauty in their heads. it takes TIME to put thought onto paper, but i have none. they call me creative, but i'm a fraud. i didn't want to be an artist anyway... it was just some stupid legacy thing. i hated every second of it. that's why i took a break. but when- well, i opened the modelling thing, once i saw some rumours going around about- stuff. research. to find someone that would be different. who would INSPIRE me, like they said. the human brain is beautiful and i wanted to experience what... it would be like. to imagine something otherworldly. there's a beauty in that, i think."

2: "that's why people have been fired so quickly?!"

1: "hah.... yeah. but you- you- you made me THINK. all this time, words were floating around in my brain, never colorful or artistic or meaningful. but you... opened my minds eye. gave me a vision, allowed me to IMAGINE. and i was thinking of having you,,, of keeping you here. so i could- we could stay together, and i could imagine with you, only you. and we could..."

2: the more she talks the more messed up i feel holy shit

2: "then what about my brother?! what did he do?!"

1: "god, he certainly was. i couldn't take him anymore. he was..... better than me and shit. it sounds stupid. i wouldn't want to tell anyone."

2: "you MURDERED him because he was BETTER than you!?!?! you were JEALOUS??? of what, the fact that he could picture things? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU??"

and suddenly tears and streaming down her cheeks as the false hope she had about her brother being alive out there, coming back,,,

1: "i wish i knew. maybe then, i could... whatever. i'm going to get [something]. i'll be right back~"

ermm and depending on what stuff she has #2 could escape and report to police, escape and nawt report to police, stay with #1, get murdered, get murdered, or stay with #1. doubles of that are variants, lmao. i'm kinda tired i don't feel like continuing this but i'll tag it w something because i kinda want to keep this alive. flesh it out a bit, yk?

also toxic doomed yuri potential

AND I'M A BIT TIRED I GOT A BIT TIRED AT THE END SO.. IGNORE CRINGE DIALOUGE..

UHHH NOTE I AM *NOT* TRYING TO LIKE. DEMONIZE? PEOPLE WITH APHANTASIA. IT'S A REAL THING BUT IT LITERALLY HAS NO EFFECT ON UR MORAL COMPASS OR WHATEVER.... #1 is just built different

[as8bakwthesage]

i had a nightmare while i was napping

well, first it was a dream about me kissing and holding a man i didnt recognise. only for him to disappear while im doing something else. my mom and i are house-sitting for someone and it is a very fancy apartment with my cat.

and then, i think i went looking for this guy and i left the apartment

while I was out and about, It was night-time, and I started seeing people run into the trees and out of sight. I heard planes fly over me and a message appeared in the sky written in plane smoke.

"You are all dead" / "you are going to die" or something like that, it wasn't fully legible.

and for some reason, i knew that there was something horrible about to happen, so i ran too. the end of the world kind of scenario. i definitely heard bombs go off in the distance. i was terrified and ended up running and i ran into a park, where there were people just walking. i though these people didn't know what was going on, but i managed to sneak into a tram. i did that because i saw a panda across a field run into the forest

so im on the tram and it does a bunch of weird shit (including come off the tracks and go onto snow) until we end up at this place where there are military personnel. one of them asks us if we are Mammoths. The girl next to me says "no im from Harvard" and some other girls agree or disagree. the military guy says something like "it doesn't really matter, your families are paying us well to shoot you"

obviously, this is a mistake because i think in this dream i know those are family names or places where really rich people go, so me and some other people flee. only one girl stays. i think the reason why the families were paying for the girls to be shot was to avoid causing them any further suffering in what was about to happen to all of us. the commander tries to get us back but i manage to hide and get away. i do this because for some reason, even though it should be physically impossible, i can hear what he is saying to the soldiers and i know to take a different door to escape.

im back in the field and i decide to make my way back to the apartment to find my mom. (the vibes of this world was a weird mixture of old tech, new tech, and baroque/rococo architecture). i manage to get to the same neighbourhood and im wandering a very rich part of it. i text my mom and ask her if she is okay. i dont get a response as i wake up at that point

its one of those dreams that i think i know why i had it - thinking about world ending scenarios after listening to horror youtubers talk about them. but also, im sure it definitely has to do with current day events and my anxieties about all of us being able to save our planet

overall, 8/10, it was a wild dream and proper scary. i think it was the fear that i knew something was about to happen, the world as we knew it was ending, and people were doing insane shit like having their children killed to "protect" them. i didn't know what was happening, and even in the dream i was too focused on running to ask anybody what was going on. i think until i heard the bombs go off, i didn't fully believe it. but in downtown, people were completely fine and nobody seemed to care or notice. maybe this is my brain metaphorically telling me that "irl the world is going down the drain and so many people dont seem to care or notice"

i doubt our world will end suddenly. if it does, it is going to be slow

[astroprompts]

✧ —𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐓𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐒 [𝐀𝐂𝐓 𝟏]

𝐀𝐀𝐑𝐎𝐍 𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐑, 𝐒𝐈𝐑

“Pardon me, are you [name]?”

“I'm at your service.”

“I have been looking for you.”

“I'm getting nervous.”

“I may have punched him. It's a blur.”

“I wanted to do what you did.”

“He looked at me like I was stupid. I'm not stupid.”

“Can I buy you a drink?”

“While we're talking, let me offer you some free advice.”

“Talk less, smile more.”

“Don't let them know what you're against or what you're for.”

“You can't be serious.”

“Fools who run their mouths off wind up dead.”

“If you stand for nothing, what'll you fall for?”

𝐌𝐘 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐓

“I am not throwing away my shot.”

“I'm young, scrappy, and hungry.”

“I probably shouldn't brag, but dang, I amaze and astonish.”

“The problem is I got a lot of brains, but no polish.”

“I gotta holler just to be heard.”

“Only nineteen, but my mind is older.”

“Don't be shocked when your history book mentions me.”

“I will lay down my life if it sets us free.”

“I'm with you, but the situation is fraught.”

“If you talk, you're gonna get shot.”

“I think your pants look hot.”

“Let's hatch a plot blacker than the kettle callin' the pot.”

“Oh, am I talking too loud?”

“Sometimes I get over excited, shoot off at the mouth”

“I never had a group of friends before.”

“When you're living on your knees, you rise up.”

“I imagine death so much it feels more like a memory.”

“I never thought I'd live past twenty.”

“We need to handle our financial situation.”

“For the first time, I'm thinking past tomorrow.”

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓

“I may not live to see our glory.”

“I've seen wonders great and small.”

“Raise a glass to freedom.”

“Let's have another round tonight.”

“I didn't think that you would make it.”

“I came to say congratulations.”

“Now, be sensible.”

“From what I hear, you've made yourself indispensable.”

“Well, I heard you've got a special someone on the side.”

“What are you tryin' to hide?”

“I'll see you on the other side of the war.”

“I will never understand you.”

“If you love this woman/man/person, go get her/him/them.”

“What are you waiting for?”

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐔𝐘𝐋𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒

“There's nothing rich folks love more than going downtown and slumming it with the poor.”

“Daddy said to be home by sundown.” / “Daddy doesn't need to know.”

“Remind me what we're looking for.”

“I'm looking for a mind at work.”

“There's nothing like summer in the city.”

“Your perfume smells like your daddy's got money.”

“Why you slummin' in the city in your fancy heels?”

“Some men say that I'm intense or I'm insane.”

“Look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now.”

����𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐄𝐑 𝐑𝐄𝐅𝐔𝐓𝐄𝐃

“They have not your interests at heart.”

“Oh my God, tear this dude apart.”

“Chaos and bloodshed are not a solution.”

“Don't let them lead you astray.”

“They're playing a dangerous game.”

“It's hard to listen to you with a straight face.”

“Chaos and bloodshed already haunt us.”

“Honestly, you shouldn't even talk.”

“My dog speaks more eloquently than thee.”

“If you repeat yourself again I'm gonna scream.”

“I'd rather be divisive than indecisive.”

“Drop the niceties.”

𝐘𝐎𝐔'𝐋𝐋 𝐁𝐄 ����𝐀𝐂𝐊

“You say the price of my love's not a price that you're willing to pay.”

“Why so sad?”

“Remember, we made an arrangement.”

“Now you're making me mad.”

“Remember, despite our estrangement, I'm your man.”

“You'll be back, soon you'll see.”

“You'll remember you belong to me.”

“You'll remember that I served you well.”

“You'll be the one complaining when I am gone.”

“Don't change the subject!”

“I will fight the fight and win the war.”

“I'll love you 'til my dying days.”

“When you're gone, I'll go mad.”

“Don't throw away this thing we had.”

“I will kill your friends and family to remind you of my love.”

𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒

“You got me helpless.”

“I have never been the type to try and grab the spotlight.”

“You walked in, and my heart went boom.”

“This one's mine.”

“Where are you taking me?”

“I'm about to change your life.”

“By all means, lead the way.”

“Thank you for all your service.”

“If it takes fighting a war for us to meet, it will have been worth it.”

“My life gets better every letter that you write me.”

“I'm just sayin', if you really loved me, you would share him/her/them.”

“There's nothing that your mind can't do.”

“I don't have a dollar to my name.”

“Your family brings out a different side of me.”

“My love for you was never in doubt.”

“I've been living without a family since I was a child.”

“I look into your eyes, and the sky's the limit.”

𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐅𝐈𝐄𝐃

“I just might regret that night for the rest of my days.”

“I'll never forget the first time I saw your face.”

“This is not a game.”

“You strike me as a woman/man/person who has never been satisfied.”

“I'm sure I don't know what you mean.”

“You're like me, I'm never satisfied.”

“I have never been satisfied.”

“Where's your family from?”

“There's a million things I haven't done.”

“So this is what it feels like to match wits with someone at your level!”

“I'm a girl in a world in which my only job is to marry rich.”

“I'd have to be naïve to set that aside.”

“I know my sister like I know my own mind.”

“You will never find anyone as trusting or as kind.”

“May you always be satisfied.”

“I will never be satisfied.”

𝐖𝐀𝐈𝐓 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐈𝐓

“Love doesn't discriminate between the sinners and the saints.”

“There are things that the homilies and hymns won't teach ya.”

“My mother was a genius, my father commanded respect.”

“When they died they left no instructions, just a legacy to protect.”

“Death doesn't discriminate between the sinners and the saints.”

“If there's a reason I'm still alive when everyone who loves me has died, I'm willing to wait for it.”

“I'm not standing still, I am lying in wait.”

“Life doesn't discriminate between the sinners and the saints.”

“If there's a reason I'm still alive when so many have died, then I'm willing to wait for it.”

𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐘 𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄

“There’s only one way for us to win this.”

“Hit ‘em quick, get out fast.”

“Stay alive ‘til this horror show is past.”

“We’re gonna fly a lot of flags half-mast.”

“Yeah, he’s not the choice I would have gone with.”

“What are you doing, [name]? Get back on your feet!.”

“History will prove them wrong.”

“We have a war to fight, let’s move along.”

“I can’t disobey direct orders.”

“You're the closest friend I've got.”

“Don't throw away your shot.”

𝐓𝐄𝐍 𝐃𝐔𝐄𝐋 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒

“If they apologize, no need for further action.”

“Time to get some pistols and a doctor on site.”

“Duel before the sun is in the sky.”

“Pick a place to die where it’s high and dry.”

“Pray that hell or heaven lets you in.”

“Can we agree that duels are dumb and immature?”

“Your man has to answer for his words.”

“Okay, so we’re doing this.”

“Look ‘em in the eye, aim no higher.”

“Summon all the courage you require.”

𝐌𝐄𝐄𝐓 𝐌𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄

“Do you yield?”

“You shot him in the side.”

“Yo, we gotta clear the field.”

“This should be fun.”

“What is the meaning of this?”

“Meet me inside.”

“Don't call me son.”

“We called his bluff!”

“Watch your tone.”

“I am not a maiden in need of defending.”

“They take your name and they rake it through the mud!”

“My name's been through a lot, I can take it.”

“We need you alive!”

“I am more than willing to die.”

“I need you alive!”

𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐖𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐁𝐄 𝐄𝐍𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇

“How long have you known?”

“You should have told me.”

“I'm not sorry.”

“You deserve a chance to meet your son/daughter/child.”

“Will you relish being a poor man's wife, unable to provide for your life?”

“I relish being your wife.”

“The fact that you're alive is a miracle.”

“Just stay alive, that would be enough.”

“I don't pretend to know the challenges you're facing.”

“I'm not afraid.”

“I know who I married.”

“So long as you come home at the end of the day, that would be enough.”

“We don't need a legacy.”

“We don't need money.”

“Let me be a part of the narrative.”

𝐆𝐔𝐍𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏𝐒

“Yo, turns out we have a secret weapon.”

“I'm taking this horse by the reigns.”

“And so the balance shifts.”

“For this to succeed, there is someone else we need.”

“No one has more resilience, or matches my practical tactical brilliance.”

“You wanna fight for your land back?”

“I need my right-hand man back!”

“If you join us right now, together we can turn the tide.”

“The world will never be the same.”

𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐇𝐀𝐒 𝐈𝐓'𝐒 𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔

“I was younger than you are now when I was given my first command.”

“I led my men straight into a massacre.”

“I witnessed their deaths firsthand.”

“I made every mistake and felt the shame rise in me.”

“History has its eyes on me.”

“Let me tell you what I wish I'd known when I was young and dreamed of glory.”

“You have no control who lives, who dies, who tells your story.”

“I know that we can win.”

“I know that greatness lies in you.”

“Remember from here on in, history has its eyes on you.”

𝐘𝐎𝐑𝐊𝐓𝐎𝐖𝐍 (𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐄𝐃 𝐔𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍)

“Immigrants, we get the job done.”

“'If this is the end of me, at least I have a friend with me.”

“We gotta go, gotta get the job done.”

“We move undercover and we move as one.”

“We have one shot to live another day.”

“We will fight up close, seize the moment and stay in it.”

“We had a spy on the inside, that's right.”

“We're in the shit now, somebody's gotta shovel it!”

“When you knock me down, I get the fuck back up again!”

“And just like that, it's over.”

“The world turned upside down.”

𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐎𝐃𝐎𝐒𝐈𝐀

“I'm dedicating every day to you.”

“Domestic life was never quite my style.”

“When you smile, you knock me out.”

“We'll bleed and fight for you.”

“When you smile, I am undone.”

“Pride is not the word I'm looking for. There is so much more inside me now.”

“You outshine the morning sun.”

“When you smile, I fall apart.”

“My father wasn't around.”

“I swear that I'll be around for you.”

“I'll do whatever it takes.”

“I'll make the world safe and sound for you.”

“You'll blow us all away.”

𝐍𝐎𝐍-𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐏

“Are you aware that we're making history?”

“Why do you assume you're the smartest in the room?”

“Soon that attitude may be your doom!”

“Why do you write like you're running out of time?”

“I've seen injustice in the world, and I've corrected it.”

“Now, what I'm going to say may sound indelicate.”

“Why do you always say what you believe?”

“Every day, you fight like it's going out of style.”

“Can we confer?”

“What do you need?”

“I know I talk too much, I'm abrasive.”

“You're succinct, persuasive.”

“Hear me out!”

“We have to start somewhere.”

“You're making a mistake.”

“What are you waiting for? What do you stall for?”

“What if you're backing the wrong horse?”

“For once in your life, take a stand with pride!”

“I don't understand how you stand to the side.”

“I'll keep all my plans close to my chest.”

“I'll wait here and see which way the wind will blow.”

“There's no one who can match you for turn of phrase.”

“Don't forget to write.”

“If I could grant you peace of mind, would that be enough?”

“They're asking me to lead.”

“I'm doing the best I can.”

“I'm asking you to be my right-hand man.”

“I know it's a lot to ask, to leave behind the world you know.”

“Look around! Isn't this enough?”