#also the rags are making a story happen about his being homeless again

[larrylimericks]

6Nov2023

Hairless Edition Many tears, like the curls, have been shed. “He’s acting!” “He’s balding!” they’ve said. At U2’s Vegas home: A shiny, sleek dome ... Not the Sphere — Harry’s freshly shorn head!

Homeless Edition The internet’s taking-the-piss-ing: Harry’s house and his hair have gone missing. Ol’ Ben’s attic shuffle’s Now hotels with Russell, While his husband squawks on about chicken.

[lady-literature]

Accidental Crime Boss Marinette

Okay so,, I have this AU in my head, right? (not surprised) and I’m lacking any real direction for it (still not surprised) but it basically goes like this:

Marinette moves to Gotham.

She’s drawn there for whatever reason and the kwami are saying something about balance and being a Guardian and her sacred duty and something but Marinette isn’t really listening. She’s too busy trying to find a shop front where she can open a bakery without having to worry about getting mugged every time she steps outside.

Chloé comes with her, obviously, because they’re friends and Chloé has a business degree she puts to good use actually running Mari’s bakery and online boutique while Mari gets to bake and fuck around basically. Adrien, Luka and Kagami are not there, but that’s mostly because they travel too much to settle down and keeping an empty apartment in Gotham is just asking for trouble.

Kagami is a world-renowned fencer and Luka travels the world for his music company. Not touring, but soaking up cultures and ways of life so he can make soundtracks to movies and tv shows. Providing the background and life to a film is more his style than touring the world ala his father, Jagged Stone.

Adrien is having the time of his life being Kagami’s trophy husband. He has no pressing responsibilities he doesn’t take on for himself and he gets to fuck with the world’s elite with little to no consequences. He spends most of his days donating far too much money to charities and orphanages and then causing minor scandals that land him on the cover of magazines.

He has much the same kind of ‘dumbass with a heart of gold’ persona to the media as Bruce Wayne does, only without the playboy bits.

(There is a wall in the back of the bakery, where Chloé and Mari carefully cut out and frame every headline and ridiculous picture Adrien has. He is very much delighted when he learns about his ‘wall of fame’.)

Anyway, Marinette finds herself with a bakery not overly far from crime alley, much to Chloé’s chagrin.

(“What do you mean it ‘just felt right’?! I swear to kwami, DC, you’re going to get us robbed and sold into slavery.”)

They do not get sold into salvery.

In fact, despite their less than stellar choice of locale, they do pretty well for themselves. The only problems they have (according to Chloé) is the army of children Marinette accidentally attracted.

When asked, Marinette tells everyone that it was an accident. Meanwhile, Chloé, standing behind her, will shake her head and insist there was literally never any other option for them the moment that first kid came in looking to nab some cash and a few pastries.

Mari lives by the phrases, ‘kindness breeds more kindness’ and ‘do unto others’ and all that other nice person shit. Chloé just lets Mari pseudo-adopt her strays and makes sure that they don’t steal anything too important in the time it takes her to gain their loyalty.

The kwami stay staunchly out of any arguments involving the kids (and eventually the homeless all along their street and every working girl in a five-block radius). They do so with a special brand of amusement that never means good things for either of them. (After all, the last time the kwami looked that amused, they moved to Gotham.)

The first kid is named Serrure, as Marinette comes to learn over the next month after he returns again and again, getting closer and closer like a feral cat. Other kids come during that time, all of them too small and too thin and too guarded for Mari's tastes. She wants to wrap them all up and tuck them into bed but she can’t. She has to be patient, has to be gentle. These kids are just as likely to bite her hand as they are to accept help.

Serrure becomes an almost permanent fixture at the bakery after that first month. Mari’s not quite sure what she did to get through to him, but she did, she supposes. He can’t be much older than eleven and looks nine, but after getting settled, she and Chloé discover this little slip of a boy is just as mischievous as Trixx and has all the dramatics of their favorite black cat.

The kwami, when talking about him, only refer to Serrure as Loki, even after Marinette scolds them for it. She eventually gives up trying to correct them, it’s not like Serrure talks to them anyway(yet)((that she knows of)).

There’s an apartment above the bakery, which is where Chloé and Mari and all her strays that grow to trust her enough live. It’s three bedrooms, and at first, Mari just buys as many bunk beds as she can fit into the spare room and calls it a day. The kids feel safe in her home, which isn’t too surprising. Everyone thinks the bakery feels safe, feels like home or comfort or whatever else eases their minds.

And Marinette should hopes so. She certainly put enough time and effort and magic and energy into the wards around this place for that to happen. To protect her and the children and all her strays that no one else will help.

But, she eventually amasses too many kids to fit into the one room. Chloé throws a fit about having to share with Mari again—“I had enough of that in university thank you very much”—but she relinquishes easily enough.

Mari buys more bunk beds, and Serrure has taken to sneaking into her room to curl up in her bed anyway, and sometimes the smaller kids who have nightmares will come in and pile on as well.

(There are only a few that Chloé will allow to do the same with her. It is considered a high honor and breeds a playful kind of jealousy that Chloé finds amusing. Mari scolds her for pitting the kids against each other.)

That only lasts them another two months.

“This is getting ridiculous,” Chloé tells her one day before the kids wake up. Mari is at the stove, cooking and baking for a small army while Chloé balances the books. “There’s not enough room for us all, DC, and the only reason someone hasn’t come barrelling down on us about the abundance of children is by the grace of your absurd amount of luck.”

“Well I can’t just kick them out, Queenie! What do you want from me?”

“Either we need to buy more real estate in this city—which I’d rather not do—or you open up the grimoire and start building pocket dimensions. I know you can. I’ve read the chapter.”

Marinette looks at her. “That is such a bad idea.”

They do the idea.

And then Mari adds about a thousand more wards to the bakery, carved into the wood and counter and anything that’s a permanent fixture. Doorways become particularly ward heavy, what with them being the entrances and exits to the hidden realms and children’s’ rooms.

The apartment above the bakery isn’t quite infinite but it gets pretty damn close some days.

This also means, of course, that all the kids definitely know about magic now. Some of them—Serrure—have known about it for a while she knows, but it’s different now. The kwami followed her around most of the time and she doesn’t keep them trapped in the Miracle Box like Fu did, but now that the kids know, they don’t bother staying hidden.

The children, at least, love them and the kwami adore them with all the ferocity a god can give. After Chloé gets over her ‘ew children’ phase, she throws herself into their education (on top of actually running the businesses Mari keeps, mind you). She has the help of the kwami, who act as personal tutors to the children, and it’s not long before the kids start to joke about her being the Principal.

(Some tried to call her Warden, but that joke didn’t last long.)

Marinette has also been telling the kids bedtime stories ever since this started. Old stories of the Guardian and Chosens who fought back the darkness, she shares all she knows of the Orders history with these kids and it’s not until Wayzz points it out to her does she realize what she’s doing.

“Ladybugs are known for renewal. It is no surprise that you are rebuilding what was lost.”

Rebuilding the Order using children was certainly not her intention but, well. She supposes there’s no place safer for her kids than what is shaping up to be the new Miracle Temple. It’s the only haven where they can learn to harness their Gifts and powers, it’s the only place where they can be surrounded by others like them without being thrust into superhero-dom.

Context: about a month into this whole circus, Marinette had realized there was a significant—almost all of them really—amount of metas and Gifted in her little hoard of strays. Which is… odd. Especially with how few metas there are in Gotham.

She had asked the kwami about it, and they have that amused look again. “You are their guardian.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re their guardian. True, you are the Guardian of us, of the ancient ways, but you are a guardian at your soul too. You protect what is yours, and they are yours whether you realise it or not. The children can sense that, so they flock to you.”

And, huh. She supposes that makes sense but that’s also really kind of strange and weird and she doesn't want to think about that anymore actually.

So things are… fine, Marinette supposes. The bakery is doing well, and she has about two dozen-plus helpers running around underfoot to help tend to the customers or run to the store or help in the back with the baking. And every kid of hers has new clothes, their street things thrown out for being too ragged and replaced with something fresh made by Marinette’s own hands.

She embroiders little fairy wings into the clothes normally, because that’s what her cloaked wards look like most times and the kids like it and its technically the logo for the bakery and there’s a million reasons she does it.

It is, perhaps, her first mistake.

(“It was certainly not your first,” Chloé will snark one dayin the future.)

Because now Marinette has an army of magical children learning to wield their powers and not fear them and they’re all wearing what can be considered her insignia and uh oh, it looks a lot like Mari is some sort of up and coming mob boss who uses kids and prostitutes and the homeless as runners. People on the street start calling her the Pixie, start referring to Chloé—her second in all things just as Chat had been her equal—as Wasp, as Yellowjacket, as the Unseelie.

(They cannot seem to pick a name for her, but Pixie is all but engraved in stone. Mari is not sure who coined it, and she doesn't think she wants to know.)

The first time the whole situation is brought to her attention, she punches the idiot who dared even imply such a thing so hard she knocks him out.

Because look. The kids are hers right? And she watches out for the people near her, makes sure the working girls are treated as well as they can be and offers the homeless extra food and a dry place to wait out the storm. She offers her hand and gives them all a place to rest, to eat, to exist without expectations or consequences.

She does that because she’s kind, because it hurts her to see people in need, to see them suffer, not because she’s hoping to gain something from it.

The fact that most of them repay her in gossip or information or bend her ear about the newest goings on in the corrupt elite or filthy underworld is strange, yes, but it’s nice to know what’s going on in the city, she supposes. And one time, Kathy, who works on the corner of Brookes and Gilmore, warned her of a drug raid that saved her an unnecessary trip to the police station so it’s not like it doesn't have it’s uses.

But mostly, Mari doesn't really think about all the information that’s unintentionally or otherwise passed onto her. She remembers it all, because it’s rude not to listen when people talk to her, but nothing comes of normally.

Not until Serrure—now twelve and well versed in the magic of illusions and glamors and knows almost as much about this city as her or the Bats—bursts into the bakery one day and grabs Mari away from the front counter right in the middle of a customer ordering. She should, perhaps, be a little angry at that but Tony, one of the older boys and just shy of sixteen, steps into her place almost immediately, so.

And then Serrure speaks and everything is pushed aside in favour of the next words to fall from his lips.

“Someone took Sophie,” he says and she nearly sees red.

After Serrure, Sophie has been here the longest. She is the youngest of them all, only seven, but oh so clever and kind and while she looks nothing like her, everyone calls her Mini-Mari. If Serrure is her beloved first son, Sophie is her treasured daughter.

She’s out the door in the next moment, storming her way to their base. She has Sophie and a handful of extra kids back by sunset, a little frightened, but no worse for wear. She doesn’t make a big deal out of it, besides making sure that the idiots who dared cross her never do so again, but word gets out.

Soon, her kids and teens and adults begin giving her more than just information, they begin giving her problems. Ones she’s meant to fix because she’s Pixie. She’s safety, she’s protection, she’s the one the people start to turn to for help.

And enter stage left, one Jason Todd who’s all snark and charm and smiles wrapped up in a nice leather bow and tall enough that Mari likely could climb him like a tree. If that was something she wanted, she guesses.

(She wants. She just won’t admit.)

He becomes a regular at the bakery and befriends most of her kids.

Mari’s wary when he first takes an interest in them. They’ve been hurt and a lot of them are still adjusting to being safe and it doesn't matter that this man is hot enough to burn, if he steps even a toe out of line with her kids she’ll make him wish he was never even born.

But, she stops worrying eventually. The kwami like him well enough, but seem to think something’s odd about him—but its Gotham, who isn’t strange?—and both Serrure and Sophie take to him like ducks to water and they’re both good judges of character.

There’s a certain intuition they both have that reminds Marinette just a bit too much about herself and pure magic. Not for the first time does she wonder if they got such strong magic from their parents or if it cropped up in them randomly, fostered by fortune and chance and the magic that’s so deeply seeped into the bones of her bakery it’ll be here long after she’s gone.

And, okay, so she was a little right to be wary because Jason was mostly there to investigate her. Far too many people respect her and are loyal to her and she has a veritable orphanage in her pocket and also Harley and Ivy like her and it just- it doesn’t look good right?

But Jason’s a good detective and it doesn't take him long at all to see that Mari is just as sweet and kind and loving as she appears to be. Not long after that, Red Hood declares Pixie and all of hers, under his protection. She, of course, is more than capable of taking care of her and hers, and the underworld knows this, has seen it, but he does it anyway.

The news, of course, gets back to Mari and she is… confused. Why would the Red Hood do something like that? She’s heard talk of him being sweet on kids, but to claim her? They’ve never even met.

Bonus points for Jason being there when she’s told about it. He kind of raises his eyebrow at her because, huh, that was fast, and then spends the next few minutes talking up the Red Hood to her much to her utter bafflement.

He actually keeps doing that too, talking up the Red Hood. Mari thinks he has a crush on the man for the longest time because of it. Until he reveals he is Red Hood, then she just wants to punch his stupidly handsome face for being such an idiot.

Shit happens from there and things go down and the two spend a couple of months dancing around each other and intentionally and unintentionally ruling the criminal underworld and at one point Marinette definitely punches Bruce and Batman in the face—separately, much to Jason’s unending joy—and she also definitely adopts Duke/Signal as well because that poor boy needs to know he’s not alone.

And it’s just them being domestic and badass and lowkey raising an army of children and falling in love while the kwami and the kids and Chloé are all in the background just yelling at them to get together already!

Which, they do. Eventually. After all the secrets come out and Jason knows about the magic and Order and meets Mari’s other friends, ie Kagami, Luka and Adrien who are all intimidating for wildly different reasons. And Mari finds out that Jason died and came back (which earns him the nickname firebird btw) and that he was a Robin once upon a time but is now Red Hood and oh my kwami it all makes sense now.

Jason confesses like three times via classic Victorian romance novel quotes because he’s a fucking literature nerd but it’s not until he basically spells it out for Mari does she really understand. it’s all very sweet and heartwarming and then the pair duck into one of the empty pocket dimensions they have lying around and aren’t seen for three days.

(No one really goes to look for them tbh)

Chloé definitely teases them about early honeymoons and things but besides the two being even more ridiculously lovey-dovey than usual, life goes back to normal. Or as normal as it gets for them. 

And they all live happily ever after the end.

[cupcakes-and-pain]

(I have no self control and Kim is being really mean so Celeste needs some comfort.)

The vampire doesn't know where it is. It's in a city, that much is obvious.... there are cars, and people, and so many buildings. Its slowly healing eyes can make out the gray light of morning in the sky. It has a time limit. There is only so long before the sun catches it, regardless of whoever else might find it.

It's still wearing the rags and muzzle that its previous owner kept it in. There's no way anyone wouldn't know it was a vampire. On top of that, it still can't walk, let alone run.

What is it supposed to do?!

(Modern AU Celeste shows up in the Presents universe. She's got basically all the injuries she had at the beginning of the story, including the cut Achilles tendons, but her eyes have healed enough that she can see just a little. For simplicity's sake, Tobias isn't part of this. I have no idea what kind of community Roy lives in, so she has landed somewhere of your choice, whether that's a vampire community or a human one or a mixed community, assuming those exist.)

(I’m already having many ideas so no rush obviously but also I have a hard time getting inside Celeste’s head so I’m interested as to how she’s reacting to all of this.)

Roy was taking a walk early the morning after the party, deep in thought about what he should do about what was basically two living meals in his apartment when something caught his eye. In an alleyway near by, something was… moving? Ew, must be rats trapped in a garbage bag or something. Or, were those rags maybe?

His curiosity got the better him and he got a closer look at the pile. Upon further inspection, it looked less like a random pile and more like a person. Homeless, perhaps? Oh, poor thing, they looked wrecked. There was so many burns all over them and arms were definitely not supposed to bend like that.

“Hey, are you alright?” The person flinched back from his voice. “Hey, it’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you. Do you need me to call anyone- oh jeez, is that a muzzle? And your arms and legs, good god…” Roy had to hold back being sick. If anyone had the right to vomit here, it was this poor person. They looked like they’d were ran over then dragged behind one the car. The only sign of life was the fact that they had frantically shook their head at the prospect of his help and tried to scoot away. Who on Earth would do such a thing to another living creature? This was everything that was wrong with the blood bag industry all over again. Only he could be sure this one wasn’t

“Look, I know you’re scared, okay? But you need medical attention and quickly. You might die within the hour with injuries like those.”

The person snorted, almost like…

“Did you just laugh? This isn’t funny! Look, I’m going to- can I pick you up? A damp alleyway is hardly a place for someone as close to death as you. But first, don’t be scared, let’s just take your pulse, okay? Easy, easy now. Oh dear, you’re freezing!”

Roy continued talking to them, hoping his chatter would somehow ease the person. He’d have to get their name soon. As he was thinking of something else to fill the silence with, his mind ran through the facts. Temperature was way below what it should be. At least, he was pretty sure, as part of the cold feeling could just be him. Far too many wounds to survive for long. Pulse was at zero. And-

Wait.

“Oh my, did you die?! Are you dead?” His shouting startled the person significantly and they shot backwards, trying to escape again. Definitely not dead. That, plus the frozen skin and burns only meant one thing.

“Okay, so you’re a vampire.” Based on that extreme reaction, it was confirmed. “Hey, hey, calm down. I’m also a vampire, see the fangs? Hey, shh, whoever did this to you is probably bad news for me so here’s what’s going to happen. We go to my house, get you as fixed up as we can in a few hours, then we run like hell from this town. There’s no way I’m staying longer than I have to in a city with, what, hunters? At any rate, come on. Let me pick you up, my house isn’t too far from here.”

This wasn’t great. His house had gone from one person to four in the span of a single night. Speaking of, Drop and Dew were surely going to hate this. Nothing he could really do about that, it’s not like he could leave any of these guys in their vulnerable states.

@kim-poce (incase you want to be tagged)

[sinistershepherd]

MY BAD MY BAD HI HELLO I'M TRYING I HAVW HORRID TIMING 👍

MAYBE GOIN RIGHT FOR THE FEELS TONIGHT BAYBAAAYYYYY

WHAT IF A LIKE, OLDER TEENAGER WALKED INTO THE DAYCARE AND THEY LOOKED AS IF THEY WEREN'T IN THE BEST LIVING SITUATION?? HOMELESS EVEN??

BARK BARK WOOF WOOF AROOOOOO

-Story format again cause it’s easier. Also, I am separating them in this cause I can-

—————

Sun and Moon have seen PLENTY of teenagers walk into the daycare- asking for jobs, to volunteer, or even for prices so that their younger siblings had a place to go while the rest of the family was busy.

Every once in a while, however, someone comes in with a particularly hopeless look in their eyes, covered in ragged, worn clothes. Both brothers usually quietly discuss who should approach them first, but today, the kids are being especially quiet and calm, so both of them decide to question the teen.

“Helloooo dear friend! What brings you to the Superstar Daycare?” Sun asks first, leaning forwards expectantly, as Moon hangs back with a concerned look on his face. The teen pauses, looking dubiously at both the attendants.

“Just…um…here to help clean up, I guess.” They reply mindlessly, setting their dirty backpack down behind the security desk.

“Oh! I didn’t know we had a new hire!” Sun exclaims, rays spinning excitedly. Moon moves forwards, hand coming to rest on his brother’s shoulder as his eyes narrow into thin red slits.

“We don’t.”

The teen freezes at that, like a statue caught moving in broad daylight.

“I-I just applied this morning and- they got back to me fast, so-“ Suddenly, words rush out of their mouth in a frenzy. Their eyes are wide, scared, as if they have been caught doing something, being somewhere they shouldn’t.

“You don’t need to lie to us, friend.” Sun’s voice is softer now, a complete contrast to his previous cheerful, boisterous tone he used only a few moments ago. The teen fidgets nervously under the twin’s keen stares, as if regretting some monumental decision that neither brother would ever understand.

“How old are you?” Moon’s voice is curt. Speaking as if this adolescent is his equal.

“Nineteen…” They reply in a timid tone, earning Sun’s sympathy and Moon’s curiosity.

“What’re you doing in a daycare then, silly? You should be out there doing…um…adult-ish things!” Sun is not convinced that this young person is aware of where they should be going. This must be so confusing. He may not understand much about kids their age, but he does know that this part of the growth process is fairly complicated.

“I’ve been…struggling to do ‘adult-ish things’ lately.” The teen replies, crouching down in front of their backpack, looking through it with a carelessness that Moon deciphers as a distraction.

“Struggling how?” Moon’s question makes the teen give pause. They simply kneel there for a while, silent, letting the gears turn in their head as they try and find a good explanation, answer, anything.

“My college application was rejected. My parents kicked me out last year. I’ve been in and out of jobs for the past few months, and haven’t lived in a house for at least six months. Finding food and fresh clothing is becoming difficult. I heard that employees here get free lunch and a company issued t-shirt, so…I was going to apply.” Mumbled, sad, and so, so defeated. Sun frowns the longer he listens, and Moon becomes frustrated. How can the rest of the world just sit and let this happen, such a young person, struggling so much this early on?

“We need some new security. Think you can do that?” Moon speaks before Sun even has a chance to think of an appropriate reaction. The teen looks up with the most heartbreakingly hopeful expression.

“Really? You- yeah, yeah I can do that! I can defiantly do that!! I’ll even do extra hours if you need me too- promise, I’ll always be on time and- and I like never get sick, so that won’t be an issue either-“ They start to ramble, but Moon cuts in before they can finish.

“Don’t worry about all that. There’s applications there on the desk, fill one out and pick a room.”

“A room?” The teen looks absolutely stunned.

“Yeah, a room. Employees without housing are provided with a company issued apartment a few blocks from here- you’ll have it payed off for the first few months, but after that you are required to move out and find somewhere else to stay. Shouldn’t be a problem though, we know all sorts of realtors in this area. Just ask if you need some recommendations.” Moon explains, and the longer he speaks, the more this poor kid’s eyes light up like stars. It looks like this is the best news they’ve heard in a while.

“Oh, yeah! Those protocols are so nice, you know? I don’t think they have a name for them yet, but I just call them the Happy Houses! Always seems to put a smile onto someone’s face!” Sun adds, earning a warm smile from his brother.

“When do I start?” The teen asks in a rush, standing up as if waiting to be told their first duties. Moon chuckles.

“Sign the papers first, kid. You’ll start after training.”

“Training?”

Moon’s smile turns devious.

“I train the new security guards.”

The teen blinks. Once, twice, three times. Then, they offer the world’s most nervous smile, under the eyes of their new employers.

[michals]

Klaus and Luther during the time the latter is in a coma so he's kinda a semi ghost maybe?

Congrats, you get the long one!

-

When Luther opens his eyes it takes a moment for him to realize something’s off. Something’s…wrong. The last thing he remembers is an explosion and an intense, burning pain all over and then suddenly just, nothing. He recognizes the ceiling above him, he’s in the infirmary. So he had been hurt, but he feels fine now. Fine enough even to sit up, swing his legs over the side of the bed and get to his feet.

Only he doesn’t, he can’t have because he’s looking down at himself still on the table, asleep. That’s definitely wrong. There’s a strange prickling in the back of his mind, a thought that can’t break through the wall of cotton wool in his head. What he does register is that the him on the table’s beard is too shaggy and his hair at least an inch longer than it should be. He never lets himself go like this, he needs to ask mom for a haircut.

His skin’s different too. There’s patches of scarring across his chest, shoulders, all the way down his torso and up his neck but the texture’s not right, and it looks almost gray. And his muscles don’t really look like that do they? They look too bulky, deformed somehow.

He looks down at his hands, his hands, not this sleeping version’s. They’re too large, too blunt, too strange. He thinks he should be concerned; maybe behind the wall of wool there’s a spark of panic trying to catch but it just…doesn’t. Maybe dad’s around, he’ll know what’s happening.

The house is dark as he walks the halls, the clock in the foyer tells him it’s nearly 3 A.M. So dad’s asleep, Luther shouldn’t bother him. And mom and Pogo are sleeping too. It’s fine, he’s not worried. He doesn’t think he’s worried.

He stands in the foyer, in the spill of light from the streetlamps through the windows, when he feels a strange sensation in his chest. It’s as if something’s pulling him, not roughly but firm, like there’s a rope around his heart. It doesn’t hurt, just feels odd, but it’s the strongest thing he’s felt since he woke up. It wants him to do to the door. He’s not sure why he goes, he just knows he should. When he reaches up to turn the doorknob his hand phases through it.

Oh. That’s wrong.

The rope gives a tug, he steps through the door.

He doesn’t know where he’s going, just follows the lead, putting one foot in front of the other. He’s barefoot. He hadn’t noticed that. The ground’s wet but he doesn’t feel it. He knows that because of his powers he doesn’t get cold or hot like normal people, but he should be able to feel puddles. Concern scratches distantly at the edge of his mind, sharper now. It’ll make sense when he gets where’s he’s going, won’t it?

The streets are mostly empty, only occasionally does he pass someone waiting for a bus, a man sweeping the sidewalk, a couple of homeless people sleeping in doorways. No one notices him.

He’s got to be pretty far from the house by now. He doesn’t know the city but the pull’s getting stronger; he’s close to wherever it is he needs to be. It leads him around the corner of an alleyway, a dim lightbulb burning over a backdoor to a convenience store where a figure stands hunched over, trying to light a cigarette.

“Fucking useless thing,’” the man mutters, trying to hold the lighter still with shaking hands.

The rope drops away, a knot untied. Luther knows him.

“Klaus?”

Klaus looks up, peers at Luther from behind the greasy curls in front of his face, then turns back to the uncooperative lighter. “Sorry man, don’t have anything for you, last five bucks went to this pack.”

Luther takes a couple steps closer, hesitant. He hasn’t seen Klaus in at least…5 years? Has it been 5 years? “Klaus, what’s going on?”

Klaus looks up again, irritation on his face until he pauses and actually gets a good look at him. “Luther? That you?” Luther just nods. Klaus barks out a laugh that echoes in the alleyway.

“What in the hell are you doing here?! Didn’t figure this for your kind of scene, if I’d known you were coming I’d have cleaned up a bit.” He giggles again, high and giddy. Luther takes another step into the light and Klaus squints at him, rubs his own chin. “Looking a little scraggly there though bro.”

Luther reaches up to touch his beard. He’s surprised he can actually feel the scratchy texture of it.

“Lose your shirt too? And your shoes?” Klaus asks, then teasingly, “Aah! Have you been gambling Luther Hargreeves? What would daddy say?”

“No, no, it’s not that,” Luther says. “Something else happened. I think.”

Klaus flicks the lighter again. Finally it catches and he gives a little cheer of triumph as he lights his cigarette. When he turns Luther’s way again, face now lit by the glow of the cigarette, Luther can see how his eyes are glassy, pupils wide.

“You weren’t, like, looking for me were you?” Klaus asks.

No, Luther wasn’t. Actually: “No, you were calling for me.” Because he realizes now that’s what it was, what was leading him here.

Klaus’s face scrunches in confusion. “Huh? No, don’t think I was.” He points this thumb towards the door that goes to the store, “They don’t let me use the phone in there anymore and besides, I don’t have two nickels to rub together.” He turns out the pockets on his ragged jacket to prove it.

“No, it wasn’t like that. Something pulled me, it was you-” Luther shakes his head again, wishes he could clear it of the haze inside. It’s not as bad as when he woke up, if only he could break through it, if that spark could just burn away the wool…

Klaus stills, his eyes go wide and skin paler than it already is. He holds out shaking hands. “No. No, hold on, wait. Luther – fuck – Luther what was this thing? This-this thing, the something else happening thing?”

“There was an accident,” Luther says and there’s a faint sensation of stinging across his chest, a vague memory of shocking pain. “An explosion-”

“No,” Klaus slouches like his strings have been cut, “Oh fuck no. Come on! Not you too! This is-” He clenches his hands in his hair. “This is bullshit! You can’t be…you can’t be dead too!”

Wait, no, that’s not right- “I’m not dead,” Luther says. “I- I’m pretty sure I’m not.” How can he not know?

Klaus looks at him with narrowed, cautious eyes, takes a step forward and holds a hand out in front of him. He doesn’t touch Luther, stops just a few inches away but the fear and panic washes off his face, replaced with confusion again.

“You’re not,” he says. And with that Luther knows he isn’t either. A sudden certainty.

“You’re not like the others,” Klaus continues, “I can just…tell. Also usually when I’m this far gone I can’t even see-” he stops, eyes darting around the alleyway. He shakes himself. He gestures to Luther’s chest, “What is this by the way?”

Luther looks down at his chest, at the off-color, coarse skin. “I don’t actually know.” A spike of concern, finally. Each second that passes he feels like his mind’s coming back to him.

Klaus sighs heavily, scrubs his hands across his face. “So you’re like, visiting? Or some out of body shit. Or this is a very weird trip I’m having. You came because I called for you?”

“Yeah, it was like,” Luther pauses, “like you reached out for me.” It had felt nice, actually; he woke up so confused but the pull had felt so secure.

Klaus pauses, the cigarette slowly turning to ash between his fingers. “You know, actually- come here.” He tilts his head and gives Luther a wave indicating for him to follow.

Klaus’s boots splash in the puddles pooling in the holes in the asphalt, Luther walks through them and doesn’t even create a ripple. Klaus stops at the mouth of the alleyway, points across the street.

A yellow and orange sign announces the modest little diner sitting there as ‘Griddy’s’. Luther hadn’t even realized he’d made it this far through town.

“I saw that,” Klaus says, leaning against the wall of the building, “got hit with a whole bunch of memories.”

And so does Luther now. Images of him and his siblings crowded around a box of doughnuts at a cheap laminate table, arguing over who got the last one, making up stories to the waitress about their uniforms and why they were out so late. He can even hear the chiming of the bell on the door clear as anything.

“And the one I thought of most,” Klaus says, watching Luther from the corner of his eye, “is after that fight with the Murder Magician that I fucked up. Remember? Almost got shot?”

Luther remembers. Klaus had missed his cue in the plan, a henchman got the drop on him. But Luther’d gotten there quick enough, knocked the guy across the room, but he’d rode a wave of adrenaline and dread for the rest of the night at the thought of Klaus being shot.

Klaus continues, “And dad laid into me as soon as we got home. He was so pissed.” Klaus puts on a mock Reginald accent, “He said ‘what do you have to say for yourself?’ But before I could say anything you said…‘I’ll try harder next time’.”

“Because I should have,” Luther says without even thinking, just like back then, “I didn’t explain the plan well enough, I was supposed to make sure you knew what you were supposed to do.”

Klaus tilts his head against the wall, something breaking through the mist in his eyes. “You threw him off so bad, he didn’t know what to say. So he just sent us to bed without dinner. In all the years that was the only night that it was your idea to go to Griddy’s.”

Klaus had walked next to Luther the whole way there and back, made sure Luther got first pick when the box came to the table.

A low roll of thunder comes from far off, heralding the first few drops of rain. In moments it becomes a steady drizzle. Klaus pulls his jacket up over his head, looks around for any kind of cover, makes a dash for an awning up the block. Luther follows slowly, still can’t process the fact that he can’t feel anything, the rain falling right through him.

Klaus stumbles as he hits the stoop of the building, flails unsteadily on his feet before catching himself. His head wavers dizzily. Luther almost reaches out but knows he won’t be able to help.

“Why that memory?” he asks.

Klaus gives a half-hearted laugh, waves his hand flippantly. “Oh ya know, no real reason. Not like I’m bothered when some shrink calls me ‘hopeless’ anymore.”

The rain gets stronger, louder. Luther doesn’t know what to say.

“Same old same old. Guess he got sick of me. When they kicked me out of the rehab he said, ‘what do you have to say for yourself?’” Klaus finally looks at Luther, “Then I came across Griddy’s. Guess it made me wish you were there.”

The haze in Luther’s head is turning into static now, not enough to choke his emotions anymore. When Klaus says that a stab of emotion shoots through clear and sharp. It’s something like regret. Regret that he hadn’tbeen there, but of course he couldn’t have been.

“How’d it happen?” Klaus asks, “the accident?”

Luther takes a harsh breath in, but his body tells him he doesn’t actually need to. When he speaks he’s surprised to his hear his voice is rough, “It was a mission. Chemical factory, a vat exploded. I didn’t move out of the way in time.”

Klaus’s brow furrows. “A mission? You still go on those?”

“Of course. I’m still in the Academy.” He is the Academy.

Klaus opens his mouth but stops, he sways on his feet again. After a second he comes back. “By yourself?”

Luther just nods. He looks out into the street, at the convenience store, at Griddy’s, at the way the rain hits the tops of parked cars. His mind is settling, like the rain’s washing away the rest of the static. He feels far away from the him back in the infirmary, asleep on the medical table. He rubs his thumb over his knobby knuckles, thinks again that something’s wrong.

“Well maybe next time I’ll tag along,” Klaus says, “Dad’ll let me, right?”

He absolutely wouldn’t and asking would go horribly, but still Luther feels himself smile.

Klaus sees this and grins wide, “Tell you what! We’ll do the same thing: I’ll distract the vat of acid and you take it out.”

That makes them both laugh, but Klaus’s is high and manic and he throws himself so off balance he falls back hard on the concrete stoop. Luther drops to a crouch next to him, concern replacing amusement.

It takes a minute for Klaus to settle, for his eyes to refocus. The smile he gives is loopy but there’s guilt in it. “Lu, I have to be honest with you. Just before you showed up I, eh, took something, and it’s starting to kick in. I’m probably gonna lose you here soon.”

Oh. Luther nods. He looks back out into the rain. Wishes he could walk out and feel it. He’s never stood in the rain on the street.

“Hey, hey,” Klaus says, pulling his attention back, “how about I call you for real? Like on the phone, not in my weird ghost-y way.”

Luther doesn’t know why his heart constricts so suddenly and painfully. He’d like that. A lot. “Tomorrow?”

Klaus nods enthusiastically. “Yeah, tomorrow. Dad never answers the phone anyway, mom or Pogo will definitely let me say hi.”

“Okay, yeah, tomorrow,” Luther says. His voice is shaking. Why’s his voice shaking? Why’s he so scared all of a sudden?

Klaus’s eyes are glassy again, his cheeks are red, he smiles weakly but he’s already getting further away. “Alright Lu.”

For a second the world seems to stop, Luther sees blue light at the edge of his vision.

-

Grace works quickly to administer the antibiotics into Luther’s IV, checking the line and the intravenous fluids. She’d noticed his blood pressure drop earlier, took care to take some tests. When they came back there was too little oxygen and too much acid in his blood. Sepsis, no doubt from the nastiest wound on the left side of his chest. She’d caught it just in time and she reassures herself that he’ll be alright, and besides the serum Reginald gave him will surely heal that completely soon. Luther doesn’t wake up tomorrow, or for four more months.

-

Klaus passes out on the stoop, gets woken up at dawn by an angry tenant shoving him to the ground. He’s just barely cognizant enough to find his way to a shelter down the street. Someone else shoves him into a bed. He wakes up hours and hours later to Ben berating him. He’s been on a bender, he hasn’t seen Ben in days. Klaus rolls his eyes at him, almost says something that’s on the tip of his tongue, but whatever it is he can’t grasp it.

It was a weird dream right? A weird trip? He’d been talking to someone he couldn’t possibly have been talking to, whoever it was. And there’s something he’s supposed to do. It might have been important. It bothers him for the rest of the day but he never remembers.

Neither of them ever remembers.

[magmahurricane]

Assorted IDW thoughts

Let me preface this by saying Ian Flynn is not a perfect writer. 

I personally believe his greatest weakness is in writing this long, spanning arcs. We’ve seen this even in Archie with the Mecha Sally arc, and in post-reboot with the Shattered World Crisis arc. And it’s reared it’s ugly head again with the Zombot arc in IDW.

He also has a habit of favoring certain characters and trying a little too hard to argue why they’re good/likeable - this was especially a problem with Sally in his early run. 

With that said: I mostly enjoyed the Zombot Arc. I am someone who has been absolutely exhausted by media’s fixation on Zombies, but I found the Zombot arc... endearing, actually. 

The Zombot concept was a fun, fresh take and arguably more nightmarish than the average zombie, in that they were largely indestructible and you’d only need the slightest touch to be infected. And again, they couldn’t be put down.

An unfortunately common criticism I hear about the series is that this arc was “too dark” for a Sonic the hedgehog comic, which I find to be an odd take.

The Sonic series has always dipped its toes into darker concepts. We have the bad ending from Sonic 2, and far less implied is the death of Maria Robotnik in Sonic Adventure 2 - in which we witness, as part of Shadow’s backstory: an unarmed, terminally ill 12-year-old girl being shot and killed.

In that same game, Eggman acquired a super space Fuck You cannon and destroyed a part of the moon, and made a very clear threat to fire it at the Earth.

Sonic Adventure 1 showed us an entire civilization that was wiped out after harming a bunch of innocent Chao and angering a god. Perfect Chaos leveled an entire populated city - even if you make the argument that an evacuation was put in effect and nobody died (which I don’t believe), that’s still an entire city’s worth of people who are now homeless.

There was also Sonic Battle and Emerl’s entire plight, which saw the entire main cast coming together to raise this robot like a sibling, who all loved him and were loved by him in turn, and ended with Sonic having to kill him. 

Sonic and The Secret Rings had Shahra die on-screen. I mean, she got better but still.

And don’t get me started on all the fucked up things that happen during the events of  the Shadow the Hedgehog game.

The point is, the Sonic the Hedgehog series has always had these bleak, dark moments. I don’t feel like the Zombot Arc was any darker than what we’ve already seen in this series. We’ve seen these characters backed into corners, we’ve seen on-screen deaths, we’ve seen these characters break before.

I feel like this criticism is misdirected; I think when people say the arc was too dark, what they mean is that it’s too long.  If we’re counting the Zombot saga starting at issue 15 (when Rough & Tumble got infected), this story arc has been going on for... 14 issues. With delays in mind, this arc feels like it dragged its feet horribly. 

Now, with regards to Characterization...

I think we all can agree SEGA’s recent takes on Shadow’s character are ass. There, I said it. Taking away all the development he had over the course of SA2, Heroes, ShTH and other instances - and making it so he apparently doesn’t consider Rouge and Omega his friends - is such a mind-numbingly stupid move.

Ian usually writes a good Shadow (seriously, Sonic Universe arcs “The Shadow Saga”, “Treasure Team Tango”  - both pre-reboot arcs - and “Shadowfall” + “Total Eclipse” from the post reboot were really good!) but these mandates on Shadow’s character kill me. 

But unfortunately, Shadow isn’t the only character who suffered during this arc. Eggman started off the arc really well, but his choices and lackadaisical attitude towards how rapidly his plan spiraled out of control was so wildly OOC and frankly, dumb. It was frustrating to read through and didn’t feel like Ian’s usual mastermind Eggman.  It read as though Ian hit a bump in which he realized he needed a work around for why Eggman wasn’t doing anything about losing control over the Zombots and  decided to just have him not care. I can’t remember if a reason for this characterization was ever given. 

 Now, this on the other hand...

This is a scene I’ve seen people rag on for being OOC for Tails, and even comparing it to the abysmal portrayal we got in Forces. 

Here’s the thing: I don’t think this was OOC for Tails. 

Lets look at Tails’ characterizations in, say, the Adventure-era games. His entire character arc in both was him realizing his own potential as someone who can stand on his own two feet, without needing to rely on Sonic. And he did it! By SA2, Tails has achieved his own independence. 

When he believes Eggman has truly killed Sonic, Tails is sad, but he’s also determined to stop Eggman, to keep fighting no matter what and hold his head high, because he knows he can do this. He won’t let Sonic’s faith in him be misplaced. 

... But this isn’t like that situation, now is it?

Lets review Tails’ ploy over the course of this arc: He studied Sonic to the best of his abilities to try and discover how to cure his friend. He was confident and certain he could figure it out.

But the infection kept spreading. People - innocent people - were being claimed by the outbreak, and the pressure began to build. People Tails knew and cared about were being turned. The situation was growing more and more desperate. 

All the while, they slowly lost faith in Sonic, who was showing signs of fatigue. We also know from when Tangle was infected that the transformation into a Zombot is uncomfortable, if not painful. 

People around Tails were suffering, losing loved ones - and we, as the audience, knew that nobody was actually dead from this, but the characters don’t. Silver came from a future where the whole world became infected.

And just as soon as Tails came close to solving everything, it was all cruelly ripped away. Every time they thought they had a solution, it was lost. 

When the Zombots reached Angel Island,Sonic was at the point where he could hardly fight the infection off anymore. Zavok was advancing. They’d lost poor little Cream. They lost Knuckles. 

And Tails was slowly succumbing to the infection. 

I don’t think this was OOC. I think it made perfect sense, because the world was literally falling apart right in front of Tails’ eyes, and unlike SA2, there was nothing he could do about it at this point. He’s being infected and watching his friends fall while knowing that Silver’s future is a possible outcome.

He’s having to resort to pleading Sonic to succeed because this poor kid has watched the world fall before his eyes - and worse yet, he came so close to having the means to save it. 

I don’t agree that strong characters breaking makes them OOC. I think this serves to show just how broken Tails is by everything that’s happened, how bleak the situation is, and how genuinely scared he is. And who could blame him?

In conclusion, I think IDW Sonic has its flaws - Ian has some serious faults as a writer, but he’s also really good and has a clear passion for the series and characters. 

I enjoyed this arc for the most part - I just wish it had been trimmed down some. 

[snarkwrites]

09 | gangsta; sweetpea

Notes:

SO.. I uhh... Got super into writing this recently. I just really liked where it was heading after part 7. Yes. Yes, I realize that literally no one asked for more of this but.. I wrote it. Might as well share it.

I warn in advance. There as a graphic and detailed fight in this chapter. Also. There is a LOT going on in this chapter. A LOT.

This is the second of four parts I have already written and waiting to go. I know, I know.. Literally no one asked for this. But you’re getting it anyway.

Warnings:

loosely canon compliant - this is the biggest warning, so if you’re into things that follow exact canon plot you are… definitely not going to like this. angst & slow burn, heavy sexual tensionstarting now, actually - this is just so everyone who started reading this thinking the smut would transpire in a hurry knows that apparently, it is not. violence / swearing & fighting, possible underage drinking and other shenanigans- look.. it’s high school. shit happens. also apparently, my ofc Alyssa uses the word fuck like all the time?…eventual sexual content / a virgin original character- this one is self explanatory. yes, i plan to write a smutty chapter in this at some point. when? i don’t rightly know. it’s got a while before we get there.

Pairing:

Andrews!Sibling OFC, Alyssa x Sweet Pea

Other Parts:

[ one - two - three - four - five - six - seven - eight -   soundtrack ]

Other Stuff:

[ faq - tag list doc ]

Tagging:

@brithedemonspawn​ is the only person on my Riverdale tag list. If you’d like to be tagged for this story by all means.. Please let me know. Please, I beg. It’d make me super duper happy!!!

                                          NINE.

“What do you mean Hiram asked you to go cut their chains? Archie, this is not your place. They’re trying to fight back against this bullshit. Because that’s what this is, in case you’re wondering.”

“You need to make other friends. Literally anyone but them, Al.” Archie answered calmly. I glared at my brother from across the dining table. My father surprised me when he spoke up.

“You’re still friends with Jughead, right? How is that any different than your sister, being friends with Toni? Or that Fogarty kid? Or the other one, the moody one.. What’s his name?” my dad asked.

“Sweet Pea?” I questioned, taking a few more bites of my cereal. Grumbling about Hiram Lodge as I did so.

“He’s trying to help this town.” Archie muttered.

“What he’s doing is making people homeless. I bet you wouldn’t say that crap if he were trying to run anybody on this side of town out, Archie.” I snapped, pushing my chair away from the table, standing abruptly.

“Okay you two.” my father warned, glancing from me to my brother. Adding quietly, “Your sister has a point. That’s exactly why I’m going to talk to Hermione today about terminating the contract to build the housing.”

“Dad, you needed that contract.” I protested. Going quiet.

“I don’t need it bad enough to watch people gettin run out of their homes, tiny. I can find other jobs.”

“Dad..” I started, but he shook his head. Judging by the way his jaw was set, he’d made his mind up on this. I sighed, going quiet. Assuming that it was probably my fault he even made the decision that might just cost him the construction company in the first place. I think he could tell I was worried, because he caught me on my way out the door for school after Archie had stormed out, bolt cutters in hand to go and do Hiram’s bidding.

“I chose to do this on my own, okay? I just want to make sure you know that, Al.” my dad searched my face, waiting on me to give confirmation that I understood. I wasn’t entirely sure it was true, because for the past twelve hours, the fight had been ongoing between my brother and I.

“Actually, it was your mom who kind of reminded me what getting mixed up with the Lodges might bring on me. Has nothing to do with you and your brother fighting. But I wish you two would sit down and talk.”

I nodded, sighing. “I wish I knew he’d listen. But he’s changed so much since he started taking up with Hiram…” I shook my head. For the first time ever, I was actually kind of disappointed with my big brother.

If he weren’t under Hiram’s thumb right now, I have no doubt in my mind he’d either be helping Jughead with their protest, or he’d be doing everything he could to call attention to the issue.

“I know. Happens sometimes, tiny. All we can do is hope this whole thing is a phase and it doesn’t backfire on him. Be there for him when it does backfire.” my dad advised, pulling me into a hug.

As I went to step out, my dad tossed a brown bag towards me and I caught it. He smiled and shrugged. “Pretty sure when your friends get to school today, they’re gonna be starving. FP said they hadn’t eaten since 8 last night. This was some kinda hunger strike. Tell Fangs to share the bacon. I know he’s a growing guy, but shit.”

I laughed and smiled, doubling back to hug my dad. Really giving him a good squeeze.

“I love you too, kid. Now you need to get going.” my dad laughed when the hug broke, walking to the door and leaning in it, watching me til I got to the end of the street.

I spotted Cheryl waiting at our usual spot as of late and I made my way over. Opening the bag and letting her take out a biscuit. “Dad sent food for the others. That is, if Hiram doesn’t insist that my brother, idiot he is, escort them all straight to the police station.”

“Has your mother gotten back to you at all on the legality of what Ms.McCoy did before she stepped down as mayor?” Cheryl asked. I shook my head. Watching the sidewalk from the direction that Toni, Fangs and Sweet Pea normally came from intently.

“Where are they?”

“Toni texted me a few minutes ago. They’ll be here.”

“So Hiram didn’t make my brother and the other guys on the wrestling team take them to the station? Because if he thinks for a second I won’t dig into my college fund to post bail, my brother’s a bigger idiot than I ever imagined. Because I will.”

Cheryl was smiling at me. Giving a soft laugh as she bit into the biscuit she’d taken from the bag in my hands. “ Take deep breaths, lioness.”

I took a deep breath, deadpanning at Cheryl, “Happy?”

“It will suffice.” Cheryl’s grin broadened when she caught sight of Toni.

I let out a ragged breath when I saw our friends heading our way, fuming in anger. Sweet Pea seemed to be the angriest, arguing loudly with Jughead and Fangs about how they should’ve just let him go and not held him back or tried to stop some fight.

Toni, Fangs and Sweet Pea came to a stop in front of Cheryl and I. I held out the bag to Toni and she grabbed it, not wasting a single second. Grabbing a biscuit and groaning as she practically inhaled it. Then grabbing a few strips of bacon. “Oh my god, I love your dad too.” 

“There’s enough in there for everyone. Fangs, he said you had to share the bacon, man.” I laughed at the way this made Fangs pout a little.

I stopped in front of Sweet Pea who was still angry, almost shaking at this point. I grimaced at the bruise forming on his jaw. Stepping a little closer. “Are you going to eat, Hulk, or nah?” I teased, shaking the bag at him.

“I’m too fuckin pissed right now, Cherry.” Sweet Pea answered, a harsh tone. His jaw setting.

“Oh.” I muttered. I realized just how close I was standing to Sweet Pea and suddenly aware of that, I stepped away a little and let Fangs take the bag because I was tired of holding it. As we started to walk to school, I found myself walking right next to Sweet Pea all over again when Kevin Keller caught up to us and chose to walk next to Fangs, putting me in between Sweet Pea and Fangs by the time we’d all sort of formed a line.

“Kevin, don’t you own a car?” I teased gently, giving him a knowing smirk. I’d kind of picked up on the fact that he might or might not have himself a little crush on Fangs.

“It’s broken right now.” Kevin answered my question, nodding towards Sweet Pea covertly as he smirked at me. I bit my lip, glancing over at Sweet Pea as I shook my head. Because I knew what Kevin was about to assume and I knew that at best, Sweet Pea only tolerates me because of Fangs and Toni.

“Dad’s supposed to take me out to let me try getting used to driving his truck this weekend.”

“I’ll be sure to let my dad know so he’s on standby.” Kevin taunted, making me stick out my tongue at him. “I’m not that bad.”

“I’d like to agree, but I have Snapchat, so I know about your driving. I saw the go-kart thing. I had no idea  you could make a go kart drift, if we’re being honest. You drive like a lunatic, woman.” Kevin taunted. I pouted at him, folding my arms. “I do not! I just wanted to win.” I pretended to be annoyed, holding my hand up at him.

Sweet Pea’s hand brushed against my other hand and I glanced down. Curling my pinkie around his. Giving it a squeeze. I didn’t dare to look up at him as I did this, of course. When he didn’t pull away, I didn’t either.

He was upset. I considered him a friend. I tried to tell myself that my hopes in doing what I was doing were to calm him down. Nothing more.

But deep down, I was starting to realize that this might not exactly be the case. That maybe I felt things…

Things I knew he’d never feel in return.

Things I knew I needed to get over.

XXX

He bit his lip when he felt her finger curl around his. A glance over at her revealed that she wasn’t even looking at him, instead, she was buried in something Kevin was showing her on his phone. He’d almost swear that she didn’t even realize she’d grabbed hold of his finger again, but then, she gave it a little squeeze a few seconds after she glanced up from Kevin’s phone.

She still hadn’t looked at him. Or let go of his finger.

Every part of him knew he should let go but he didn’t want to. And he kept telling himself that more than likely, it wasn’t anything more than just her, trying to be a friend because he was madder than hell and it was obvious.

Oh but he wanted it to be so much more than that.

Their sides brushed again and his breath caught in his throat a little.

Fangs had a good point the night before when they’d been talking. It was getting harder and harder to hide the way he felt.

The fight he’d gotten into with Alyssa’s brother came back to him and he used Archie’s words as a reminder as to why he needed to forget the way he felt.

Because Archie did have a fair point when he pointed out that Sweet Pea wasn’t good enough for her and sooner or later, Alyssa spending so much time around them was going to get her in serious trouble or worse yet, hurt somehow.

But then what Fangs and Jughead both insisted the night before came back to him too and their advice made him want to fight. To act on the way he felt. To prove her brother wrong. To be with her. Be the guy who made her laugh. The guy she cuddled up with on a rainy Saturday to watch her horror movies. The one she came to when she was hurt or scared or just needed him.

They were making their way across the parking lot and she still hadn’t let go of his finger. To be fair, he hadn’t let go of hers yet, either. The connection was keeping him calm. Giving him other things to think about beyond the way he wanted to lose his entire mind over the fact that he was losing everything and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

He felt powerless. He hated the feeling.

But the way she linked her finger through his and left it there gave him something else to focus on for a change.

And now, thanks to it, all he could think about was just how hard it was getting to keep his feelings himself.

“Alyssa?”

“Yeah, Kev?”

“Are you going out for the play? Come on, you have to.” Kevin pleaded.

Alyssa mulled it over, shrugging. About to shake her head before Kevin frowned. “You have to.”

“I’m not good at the whole getting up in front of people crap. We’re lucky I can manage cheering at the games without freaking out, Kev. Or have you forgotten the fairy debacle from Kindergarten?”

“It wasn’t that bad!” Kevin was giving her the pleading face.

“Kevin. I left the stage and ran to my dad. In front of the entire school.” she shook her head, laughing. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. Besides, me singing? The sound of cats dying. I am not going to put people through that.”

“Oh come on.”

“Nope. Not happening, man.” she shook her head, smiling.

“Toni and I are thinking about it.” Cheryl spoke up.

Toni raised a brow, laughing as she nodded. “Thinking is the key word here, babe.”

Sweet Pea took a deep breath. Willing himself to either let go of her finger first or push things a little further. Maybe grab hold of her hand. Or brush his hand against her hand. He grumbled in frustration when he couldn’t make himself do either thing.

After a second or two, he managed to find a way to graze his hand against her hand and make it seem as if it were an accident. To his surprise, before he could pull his hand away, she’d linked her fingers between his.

She glanced up at him for a second or two, licking her lips. Giving his hand a little squeeze. They were almost to the doors of Riverdale High by this point. He figured she’d let go of his hand, but she hadn’t yet.

Everyone else split off, going to their own classrooms. He let go of her hand to push open the door, letting her step into the room as he held it open, letting it close behind him. As they took their assigned seats, she sank down in her chair, digging around in the pocket of her jeans.

Holding out a pack of chewing gum to him. Sweet Pea took a stick of the gum, unwrapping it. Popping it into his mouth.

After opening the text books, their teacher spoke up, addressing the class.

“We’ll be doing a bit of a different assignment. We’ve been studying genetics and I feel that it would be interesting to give this a try. You’ll be given dice.”

Sweet Pea chuckled when one of the other Serpents in class with them muttered an audible, “Finally, somethin I fuckin know about.”

Mr. Keaton glared at the other Serpent, silencing him. And then Mr. Keaton continued. “You will then roll these dice to determine what physical traits that offspring between yourself and your lab partner would inherit. You will chart the results and write a detailed summary. If you choose, for extra credit, you may draw this offspring.”

Sweet Pea coughed, shifting around in his seat awkwardly. Because all this entire project brought to mind for him was a mental replay of a particularly dirty dream he’d had about Alyssa not too long ago. The silent acknowledgement that he felt this magnetic pull to her and the harder he fought it lately, the more it refused to stay buried. The way it felt when her finger curled around his or the way it felt when he’d taken hold of her hand on their walk to school.

Every single touch, accidental or otherwise as of late.

Alyssa fidgeted a little herself, he noticed. He found himself wondering if she was fidgeting because she was suddenly regretting being paired with him for the term, or if she was fidgeting for the same reason he’d been fidgeting.

,, There’s absolutely no way she’s into me.” his mind taunted.

Mr. Keaton passed out dice and once they’d gotten their dice and the list of physical traits that Mr. Keaton compiled they’d be rolling for, Sweet Pea cleared his throat.

“Wishing you’d made a fuss about now, hm? Gotten switched to work with no brains over there?” he said it only half jokingly.

“Why? Are you?” Alyssa asked, gazing over at him, a brow raised. Laughing softly. “It’s just an assignment, Sweet Pea. And you’re not like.. You’re not a leper or something. I mean, I could do a lot worse.”

“If you’re fine with it, what the hell.” Sweet Pea shrugged, chuckling to himself quietly. Trying to fight back the sliver of hope that chose that exact moment to rise to the surface. The fact that she wasn’t switching, while surprising, didn’t necessarily mean anything. He had to keep reminding himself of that.

From the back of the classroom, Reggie spoke up. “Mr. Keaton, I’ve been thinkin… Maybe I should switch partners with Sweet Pea.”

Sweet Pea tensed.

When he knew Alyssa wasn’t looking, he shot Reggie an angry glare.

Reggie smirked at him, daring him to say something.

Mr. Keaton looked from pair to pair, rubbing his chin. “Amanda? Alyssa? Would either of you want to switch?”

Mandy was just about to speak up. He felt Alyssa tense up beside him and heard her mumble to herself, “Not today, Satan..” as she turned in her seat, giving Mandy an angry glare.

Mandy glared right back at Alyssa before giving their teacher the sweetest smile she could muster. “I’d love that, Mr. Keaton. Reggie’s an idiot. I’m sure even that Serpent is so much smarter.” 

“The Serpent has a name, bimbo. You wouldn’t like it if I only called you bimbo, right?” Alyssa whirled around in her seat to snap at Mandy before she could stop herself. “Anyway, Reggie’s no stupider than you. Kind of a perfect fit if I do say so myself.” 

Sweet Pea rolled his eyes at Mandy, but he cleared his throat, tapping Alyssa’s shoulder so she’d turn around before she got into trouble. He found himself super focused on the way she got heated just now because Mandy hadn’t bothered saying his name.

“If he makes me switch, I swear to god, I’m unleashing my wrath.” Alyssa grumbled to herself. Making Sweet Pea take a shaky breath or two.

Why did this matter so much? 

Sweet Pea found himself a little surprised. He honestly thought she’d be jumping at the chance. He assumed she’d be happy to get away from him.

“Alyssa? Your thoughts on the matter?” Mr. Keaton questioned.

“ Nope. I refuse to have that absolute pig be the  father of  my non-existent children, sir. I’m fine where I am.” Alyssa answered, turning to shrug at Reggie as she said it.

Reggie pouted a little.

Sweet Pea smirked, shrugging at Reggie when their eyes met. Reggie glared at him, finally turning around when Mandy cleared her throat.

“You could’ve switched, Cherry.”

“ I realize this. But I didn’t want to.” Alyssa answered, finally meeting his gaze. Biting her lip. “Unless you wanted me to switch?”

“No, no. Fuck no.” Sweet Pea’s answer tumbled out in a rush. Alyssa laughed softly, managing a little smile. “In that case, we should probably get started. This is a pretty long list. Oh, while I’m thinking about it.. We’re trying to avoid my shitty eyesight, red hair and skin that burns at even a hint of sunlight.” she muttered, glancing over at him.

Sweet Pea caught himself doing it again, getting caught up in her eyes. Staring like an idiot. He nodded. “Okay, since we’re going there, Cherry. We’re trying to roll with the hopes that this kid doesn’t knock their fucking heads off every time they walk through a door.”

“I mean, it’s better than climbing shelves and counters to reach things your idiot brother puts out of your reach deliberately, but hey.. Go off I guess.” she teased gently, smiling at him. Holding out the dice.

“You roll first. I am.. Not good at dice.” Alyssa pleaded. Sweet Pea chuckled and shook his head. “Oh no. No, you first.” he smirked at her, he couldn’t resist it.

Alyssa pouted but  took the dice and rolled.

“Okay, so.. Doubles..” Alyssa announced when both the dice settled on the side with one dot.

“Twins.” Sweet Pea consulted the list. “We were rolling for a number of offspring just then, right?” he asked.

“They better have given me good drugs.” Alyssa joked, filling in the chart. “I’ll roll for one, you can roll for the other?” she asked. Sweet Pea nodded. Silently hoping to god she hadn’t noticed him staring yet again. He answered in a daze, “Yeah.” as he took the dice to roll again. This time they were rolling for hair color.

“You better roll again, sir. Remember? We’re trying to avoid red hair.” Alyssa nodded to the dice settled on the top of the desk between them.

“Actually, no. I’m not. You are, but I’m not.” Sweet Pea smirked, the smirk growing when he saw her pout a little about it. “Deal with it, Cherry.”

“Well, we’re off to a great start. Can’t even agree on hair color.” Alyssa teased, noting that they’d gotten the red hair trait from her.

She took the dice back. “Come on dark brown and functional brown eyes..” she muttered, smiling when she rolled for Sweet Pea’s eye color, but scowling a little when she managed to roll that yes, they’d have vision trouble. “Poor kids.” she shook her head, laughing. Holding out the dice to him.

Sweet Pea had been in a daze yet again. Luckily, he managed to pull himself out of said daze when she placed the dice in his hand. He rolled. Grumbling when he got himself for the height gene.

The bell rang a few seconds later. Alyssa gathered her books and started for the door. Sweet Pea caught up to her. “Wasn’t so bad.” he mused. Carefully.

Alyssa smiled, shaking her head. “No, it wasn’t.” hiding a laugh as Reggie and Mandy made their way past in a very heated and angry argument. She nudged Sweet Pea, nodding towards them. “Some people should never be allowed to procreate.”

“They really shouldn’t.” Sweet Pea answered, swallowing down a lump as it formed in his throat. Letting his gaze linger for a few seconds. “Hey, if you want.. We can finish this tonight at the Wyrm.”

“You’d be okay with me showing up at the Wyrm.” Alyssa eyed him carefully.

He shrugged. “It’s not any different than all the times you came with Toni.” 

“I’ll be there, then. Oh and Pea?” Alyssa turned back to look at him. He chuckled. “What?”

“Your name is coming off the top of the Mortal Kombat leaderboard. Tonight. Better bring your A game, sir.”

He bit back a groan at what she said. There was just something about the look in her eyes just now.. Teasing and playful… that combined with her calling him Sir definitely gave him a reason to need the walk to his next class.

Because he needed to pull himself together. He needed to get his head around everything and more importantly, he needed to really stop and think if he wanted to keep fighting whatever was starting to happen between them.

Because he’d been fighting it since he’d seen her around town for the first time. And he just couldn’t anymore.

Fangs caught up to him. “Didn’t you hear me yellin at you, man?”

“I was thinkin.”

“About?”

“Maybe you were right. About what we were talking about last night?”

Fangs smirked. “You’re gonna go for it?”

“I want to. Doesn’t mean I will. But I can’t keep saying I don’t.. Ya know.. When I do. Because it’s driving me fucking insane, man.” 

“Want her?” Fangs filled in the blank, snickering when Sweet Pea gave him a dirty look but nodded. As they made their way into class and took their usual seats in the back, Fangs leaned across the aisle. “For what it’s worth… I think she’s into you, man.”

“Yeah. I doubt that.” Sweet Pea looked at his best friend as if Fangs were losing his mind. He wished that were true. He wanted it to be true. But he doubted that it was.

“You’re blind.” Fangs chuckled, turning his attention to the note Kevin had slipped into his locker. Chuckling and rubbing his chin in thought as he debated on what his response was going to be.

XXX

Practice had just ended. I made my way over to my locker in the girls locker room and I opened the door, thinking I’d grab the clothes I bought to change into after practice. Clothes that were nowhere to be found.

I grumbled to myself, annoyed. A quick glance around the locker room put me onto the fact that Mandy and her little army of skanks were circled up, looking at me. Whispering and laughing. Mandy was bold enough to call out, “Missing something, are we?” as she held up my clothes, laughing… Slinking over to the door that lead into the hallway.

Tossing my clothes right out in the middle.

I turned and glared at her. “You bitch.”

“Aw, are you upset right now? What are you gonna do, Alyssa? Go cry to big brother? Go sic your Serpent trash loverboy on me? I’m so so so scared.” she nudged her friend Kaylie. “I bet she doesn’t do anything. I bet she just sits there and fumes like usual. I’m surprised she had the nerve to call me a bimbo earlier in class if we’re being honest.” Mandy smirked as she said it, glancing at me. Nodding towards the door. 

“If you want your clothes, sweetie, they’re right there! All you have to do is go get them…. Unless you’re afraid? Don’t flatter yourself, Alyssa. Nobody wants to see you in your underwear. Absolutely no one.”

I clenched my fists and took a deep breath or two. Mandy and her friends were all staring at me, waiting. Gazing from the hallway, where my clothes were piled up, back to me. Smirking and laughing because they were starting to think Mandy was right. That I wasn’t going to do anything. That I’d just turn and ignore Mandy’s attempts to goad me into a confrontation and shove down all my anger like I usually did. 

,, she wants you to turn the other cheek like you’ve been doing until lately. If you do that, you’re basically telling her she can get away with this crap.” the thought came and rather than shove it out in favor of being the bigger person, I leaned into it.

Because today was not the day and I was not the one.

I stood and walked out into the hallway. Right as the bell to dismiss final class for the day rang and the hallway was starting to flood with students. One of them being Sweet Pea. We locked eyes as I walked past, calmly going to the Riverdale crest on the floor that she’d tossed my jeans in the center of. Bending to pick up my jeans. Sweet Pea’s arm shot out.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing, out here like that, Cherry? Have you lost your mind entirely?”

“Nope. I’m getting my fucking clothes. Since Mandy the thundercunt scattered them all over the hallway.”

Sweet Pea growled quietly, his fists clenching and unclenching. He took off his Riverdale polo, holding it out to me, but I shook my head, biting my lip and smirking as I did so. “Oh no. No.. see, if I don’t do something major now, she’s never going to fuck off. So thanks but no. Now put your shirt back on before you get in trouble.”

Sweet Pea eyed me. Shaking his head. I tapped my foot impatiently, holding his gaze. “Sweet Pea… Put the goddamn shirt back on. I know what I’m doing, okay? This is to prove a point.”

“What good is that gonna do when you’re caught by a teacher and you wind up in detention, huh? Take the fucking shirt, Cherry. Take it now.” Sweet Pea used his firmest tone, but I was too angry. It didn’t do anything to me.

“Put the shirt back on, Sweet Pea. Now.” I muttered firmly. A hand on my hip. “Do it. I’m willing to stand here until a teacher spots me if that’s what it’ll take to keep you from doing something that we know might get you expelled.”

“Goddamn it.” Sweet Pea gave up arguing, finally realizing I wasn’t going to budge one way or the other. Not until I’d done what I came out to do. And the less he argued with me, the quicker I could get it done and get back in the locker room.

I spotted my favorite Motley Crue crop tee near the girls bathroom. And totally zoned out, so angry that I was actually shaking a little, I paid not one single bit of attention to the fact that a few people were staring.

I was too pissed to be embarrassed and that is probably a good thing. Because if I wasn’t so pissed, I’d have wanted the floor to open and swallow me whole.

I spotted the red and black plaid shirt I’d been wearing over my tee shirt hanging over the rim of a garbage can and I calmly walked over, plucking it out. With my clothing gathered, I went to step back in the locker room, ignoring the one or two whistles and the Ghoulie who felt the need to comment something so gross that I debated heavily on walking over and twisting his dick in my hand until it twisted off.

I flung the door of the locker room open wide and when I did, it connected with Mandy’s face because she’d been standing there. Probably recording the whole thing to post on her socials later.

Because that’s totally something girls like her do for funsies.

She stumbled back, holding her nose as blood began to slowly pool between her fingers. And before she had a chance to react, I was slamming her against the lockers immediately to the right of the door. My forearm against her throat to hold her there.

“You’re going to erase whatever video you just recorded. Don’t fucking test me, you diseased thundercunt. Erase the video. I know you recorded the whole thing.”

“You little bitch, you broke my nose!” Mandy slammed her head into mine, causing me to drop my forearm from her throat and grab for my own nose. Once she was free, she threw a punch. I ducked it and came up swinging. Connecting with her jaw. And before she could even recover from the punch, I was grabbing her by the hair and shoving her head at the locker door.

She charged at me, knocking me on the ground. I grabbed hold of her face, trying to go for her eyes and once she was trying to block that, I flipped it and reversed it so that I was straddling her hips now. The first thing I did was grab hold of her phone and throw it on the floor a few feet away as hard as I could. When she tried to reach up and choke me, I choked her back and she rolled us so that she was on top this time. Fists were flying again. The benches that ran the middle of the locker room were being moved out of place. Lockers were being hit as we made full use of the floor in the girls locker room.

Her friends tried to rush over to help but Veronica and Cheryl stopped them from getting close as Cheryl called out to me, “Get her! It’s about time!” and she told Veronica firmly, “Lock the doors. Nobody gets in or out. Amanda has had this coming for a while now.”

Veronica nodded, locking the door to the locker room. Betty held off Mandy’s friends with Veronica and Cheryl’s help. Determined to let the fight keep going. At least until one of us or the other calmed down.

 I stood up, pulling Mandy off the floor. Pulling her towards the showers.

Turning on the water full blast and as cold as I could get it. Shoving her into it and as soon as I had her cornered, I leaned down to her level. Grabbing hold of her white and yellow Riverdale Vixens ringer that now had blood spattered on the front of it.

“You better hope that video got erased, Mandy, or this is just a preview of what your life’s gonna be like, honey.”  I said it quietly and calmly. “And if you think for even a second about messing with me again… Remember this.”

“You’re actually insane.. You crazy little bitch. Just wait. I’ll get back at you. This isn’t over, Alyssa.”

“Oh, I’m counting on that, you diseased mega skank.” I shrugged as I walked away from her, facing her. My middle finger up in the air. “You might want to clean yourself up, Amanda. We can’t have anybody thinking we were up to no good in here, now can we?” I challenged.

A teacher was pounding on the door and it started to click into place what I’d just done. I sank down on the nearest bench, panting to catch my breath. Trying to calm down. Letting the anger and everything subside.

Cheryl made her way over, Veronica and Betty in tow. Stopping to unlock the door as they went. Whatever Cheryl told the teacher had the teacher satisfied that nobody was up to anything bad in the locker room and leaving and once they had, Cheryl shut the door quickly. Leaning against it with her hand over her heart. “Whew. That was so close.”

Veronica sank down on the bench in front of me, the first aid kit we kept in the locker room open and across her lap.

“This is going to hurt, Al. I’m sorry in advance.” Veronica winced as she started to apply hydrogen peroxide to the few scratches on the side of my face and cheek.

All I could do was nod. Because I was still coming down from the adrenaline.

“If she messes with you again after this, she’s clearly an idiot.” Veronica spoke up after a few seconds. I shrugged. “Oh, she’s not done with me yet. But it’s okay.”

“I’m sorry we couldn’t stop it before all hell broke loose.” Cheryl spoke up, wincing as I looked up at her and laughed it off, shaking my head. Trying to flinch away from Veronica as she came at my face with a cold and damp washcloth to clean the blood away from underneath my nose.

“Cheryl, trust me. I’m fine. I can handle myself. You guys were trying to count the votes, it’s not a big deal. Besides. I needed to stand up for myself.”

“I know, but if I’d been in here, I could’ve stopped her.” Cheryl butted in, gently but firmly.

“I should’ve stood up to her way before now, if I’m being honest. Take the high road, they said. It’s better in the long run, they said. That’s a load.” I grumbled. 

“Ouch fuck ouch hey.. Can you wipe less painfully?” I pleaded with Veronica.

She grimaced and muttered an apology.

“I can’t wait to hear about this crap later. Or try explaining it to my dad and Archie. Archie’s going to take the chance to spin this so that somehow, it’s anybody’s fault but mine.” I grumbled, shaking my head, disgusted at the thought.

“He’s just being a protective brother.”

“I wish sometimes he’d not do that.. So much. Did you know that he just stood back and let Reggie and Sweet Pea fight earlier when the team went to cut everyone loose?”

“I’m still angry with my father about that.” Veronica muttered, adding a second later, “But, that’s typical of him, though. He’s not happy until he owns everything and everyone.” Veronica fumed, shaking her head with a disgusted look on her face.

I bit my lip, nodding. Keeping my own opinions on the subject to myself. Because it’s not like she can control what her parents choose to do. And she tries to be better, she tries to make it so that there’s a very clear and obvious difference between herself and her parents, but with parents like hers, you wind up having to get your hands dirty sooner or later.

I’d just finished getting dressed and stepped into the hallway, finding Sweet Pea leaning against the wall.

“What the fuck was going on in there?”

I shrugged.

Mandy walked past with her friends and Sweet Pea looked from Mandy back at me. Grimacing as he caught sight of my face. Stepping closer. 

“Did she do that?” he eyed me in concern. Tensing up a little. The soft edge to his voice had my heart fluttering a little, but as fast as that started, I was quick to shove it down. Reminding myself that Sweet Pea only tolerated me because we happened to share two friends in common. His hand raised, gingerly touching at a bruise forming along my jaw. Hissing as he shook his head. I tensed a little because now that the adrenaline was completely gone and the shock I’d been in or whatever for the duration of my fight was wearing off too and now everything just plain hurt.

“Mhm.” I answered quietly, swallowing down a lump as it formed in my throat. Gazing up at him. I blinked when my body brushed up against his, not aware that I’d stepped closer to him.

“Did you do.. All that?” he nodded to where she stood at her locker in the hallway, glaring daggers in my direction, her friends flocking her.

“I hope you’re prepared to pay for Amanda’s broken nose, you crazy witch.” Kaylie called out calmly. “Her mother is going to make sure you pay for the fight.”

Mandy smirked at me. “I can’t wait to tell my mother everything. I’m almost as excited to talk to her about the way you’ve been bullying me as I am to post the video of you wandering the hallway of our high school in underwear.”

I tensed, taking a step away from Sweet Pea and forward in the hallway. Sweet Pea reached out quickly, grabbing me up and away by my hips. Putting me behind him as he eyed Mandy calmly. “You really don’t value your life at all, do ya?”

Mandy eyed him, gulping.

“It’s a simple question, Mandy.” Sweet Pea shrugged, smirking a little.

“What are you gonna do, Serpent? I can make one call and have you arrested.”

I growled from behind Sweet Pea. “Try it you fucking gremlin. Try it.” I threatened.

“Enough.” Sweet Pea’s tone was calm and firm as he looked from Mandy to me, folding his arms over his chest. I went quiet and Mandy’s lip quivered a little as she gazed up at him. 

“What you’re gonna do, Mandy… Erase whatever you recorded. If you don’t, you’re really not going to like what happens.” Sweet Pea stepped closer to her, giving a menacing scowl as he towered over her.

Just the way he said it had a slow and lazy heat settling in the pit of my stomach. Had my breath catching in my throat because of just the tone he took… You’d think he was my actual boyfriend. He was acting more like one than any of my past boyfriends, Reggie included.

If I were more hopeful, I’d almost want to say he meant every word of the threat he made to Mandy.

Mandy hurried off and Sweet Pea turned, settling his gaze on me. Eyeing my nose critically and grimacing. “It’s not broken. What the hell happened?”

“She was practically leaning against the damn door so when I threw it open, it hit her in the nose. She went to swing at me, I threw her against a locker… Then it kind of spiralled out of control from there?” I shuffled my feet, going fidgety under his intent and concerned gaze.

“Who locked the door?” Sweet Pea asked, admitting a few seconds later, “I tried the handle when I saw Mrs. Ellis heading for the locker room. I heard all the yelling and every time somebody hit a locker or the wall, so I figured something was going on in there… I was gonna warn you...”

“Oh, that was Cheryl. She wasn’t going to risk anybody going to get a teacher to come in and break it up.” I gave a soft laugh, shaking my head. I nodded towards the doors at the end of the empty hallway.

“We should probably get going. The last place I want to be locked in overnight is here.”

“Yeah, I was waiting on Fangs, but apparently, he ditched me.” Sweet Pea shrugged. I raised a brow, because that wasn’t like Fangs. Usually if he said he’d be somewhere, he was there.

“I haven’t seen him since lunch, come to think of it.” I spoke up after a few seconds.

“He probably bailed. He’s probably already at the Wyrm.” Sweet Pea shrugged. I nodded, agreeing.

“So.. ready?” I asked. Trying my best not to get my hopes up. Preparing myself for Sweet Pea to suggest going to my dad’s or to Pops instead of going to the Wyrm. Shocked more than a little bit when Sweet Pea smirked and nodded.

“Yeah. Just so you know, Cherry… If you think for one second you’re wiping me off the leaderboard, not gonna happen.” he chuckled as we walked down the hall and he paused to push the door open for me.

About halfway to the Wyrm, my hand brushed against his. I glanced down, biting my lip. Debating heavily on just grabbing hold of his hand.

Because friends held hands, right?

I mean.. I held hands with Cheryl and Toni all the time.

Except deep down, I knew that was not even remotely the real motive behind holding Sweet Pea’s hand. The simplest truth was that I just… Couldn’t stop myself from doing something. Anything.

I took a deep breath and carefully, I slipped my hand into his. Gazing down for a second or two after I’d done it. Shocked I’d actually had the damn nerve to go through with it. Even more shocked when Sweet Pea didn’t immediately scowl, tense up or let go.

Instead, his fingers laced with mine.

And like this morning, neither of us really mentioned it. But that tension that seemed to hang around us like a heavy cloud recently?

It got so very much thicker.

He pushed open the door to the Wyrm and I stepped under his arm, into the building. He stepped in behind me, nodding to a table with two chairs towards the back. Where it was a little quieter.

“We should be able to get everything finished back there, Cherry.”

I nodded. My eyes darted around. Finding it odd that the same people staring at me currently never even gave me a second look when I wandered in with Toni and Fangs.

I shoved the thought out of my head.

We were just two classmates.. Two friends.. Meeting to finish an assignment for school.

We made our way to the back of the bar, taking a seat at the table. At one point, while we were deep in rolling and making notes for the chart we’d been given and for our report we’d have to write later, FP wandered past.

“That’s good kid. Nice to see you actually takin school seriously. Don’t give Alyssa a hard time, buddy.” he flashed Sweet Pea a smirk and Sweet Pea nodded. Smirking right back at FP.

“People are looking at us like you’re doing something wrong.” I leaned in and whispered when I just couldn’t take the way people were watching like a hawk anymore and it had me curious.

Sweet Pea glanced up and around, shrugging. “ Most of the older guys think it’s impossible to be friends with a girl and won’t bring one around unless they’re involved with her. Is it bothering you?” he gazed at me, that concerned look in his eyes again.

I shook my head profusely. Taking a sip of the wild cherry pepsi that FP had brought over to us to drink earlier and wanting to kick myself for even mentioning it, because I had a feeling I’d probably just made things awkward.

And that was the very thing I was trying to avoid. 

We finally finished rolling for genetic traits and I finished up the sketch I’d been doing.

“Okay. If you laugh I swear to God.” I gazed at Sweet Pea nervously as I shoved the sketch pad across the table to him.

“Did you just do this?” he asked, staring at the sketch.

“Yeah. I’m not the best.”

I reached for the sketch pad. But not before it flipped a few pages and settled on a drawing I’d done of Sweet Pea when he hadn’t been paying attention one day while we were all hanging out in here, playing the Mortal Kombat arcade game.

Lucky for me, he saw that I’d done sketches of Toni and Cheryl sharing a Twizzler at lunch one day and Fangs working on his motorcycle in the parking lot before school one morning. When he got to the sketch I’d done of Reggie, he scowled a little.

“I wanted to burn that too but Cheryl convinced me if I ever decided to actually get off my ass and apply to art school after I’m done with Riverdale High, it’d be good for my portfolio. She literally tried to throw herself on the fire to stop me from burning all the sketches I did of Reggie.” I laughed quietly, wincing as I shook my head.

Every time I caught myself thinking about the fact that I’d been taken in by a charming smirk and flirtatious mannerisms and the charisma of one Reggie Mantle, it only reminded me how gullible I was. How soft-hearted.

You’d think that getting involved with a guy who all but stalked me and tried to spread nasty rumors and suggestive pictures of me that I never should’ve sent in the first place when I finally got smart enough to break it off with him before leaving Chicago would be enough to teach me.

Apparently, it wasn’t. Because I came here and what’d I do? I got involved with Reggie Mantle. And now, that was over and I was starting to feel things for Sweet Pea, a guy who probably only tolerated me because we shared friends in common.

That was another huge reason I was not keen on opening myself up too quickly all over again. I might not always make the best choices, but even I had the common sense to know that I needed time… I needed to bounce back. Figure things out on my own.

And all of that was another  huge reason I was determined to keep whatever I was starting to feel for Sweet Pea close to the vest. The more I could keep whatever I felt at bay, the better off I’d be. Because realistically, I just didn’t dare hope.

I was starting to realize I just couldn’t trust my own judgement when it came to emotional things. Until I got to a place where I could, I was doing the best thing I could for me.

Something tells me this is going to be so much harder than I could ever imagine though.

The door to the bar flew open and Toni barged in. Over to the table Sweet Pea and I were sitting at.

“Have you talked to Cheryl at all this afternoon?” Toni asked in a rush. 

“I tried to call her earlier but it kept going to voicemail. And we were just saying earlier that Fangs is MIA too…” I rubbed my  temples. I had the sneaking suspicion that I knew exactly what might have happened to Cheryl, because not so long ago, her mother had kind of caught wind of her relationship with Toni. And her mother was not thrilled.

I grumbled, digging in my jeans pocket for my phone.

It clicked for Toni that Sweet Pea and I had come to the Wyrm. Alone. Without her or Fangs present to act as a buffer.

“You’re here together, fuck. I’m sorry. I’m just.. I’m freaking out right now.” Toni glanced from me to Sweet Pea and then back again. “Are you two finally going to stop being snipey assholes and get along though?”

Sweet Pea shrugged, giving me a teasing smirk. “Maybe she’s not so bad… For a princess.”

“Maybe you’re not so bad either. For a giant grumpy asshole.” I teased right back. Feeling my cheeks burn hot just a little at the look in his eyes and the way he put emphasis on the word princess.

Because no, that did not help my current ongoing mental dilemma at all.

“You’re staying with me until we figure out this situation with Cheryl, right?” I asked Toni. Toni nodded, stealing a sip of my Pepsi. “I swear to God, if her mother’s hurt her…”

“If her mother’s done anything to her, she’s going to answer to both of us. I’ve got your back, Topaz.” I spoke up, giving Toni a reassuring look. I tried to call Cheryl again on my phone, but it went straight to voicemail too. I frowned at it, putting my phone away.

Toni eyed me and then glanced in Sweet Pea’s direction as if she were indicating that she wanted details later tonight when we were back at my dad’s place. Mouthing to me, “Well?”

I shook my head, shrugging. “We were just finishing that thing for Biology.” I mouthed. Glancing at my cell phone. I was not getting a good feeling at all. And the more Cheryl’s phone rang and went to voicemail, the more that bad feeling grew.

“It’s going to voice. He’s normally here already if he ditches.”  Sweet Pea swore to himself and shook his head.

“Wait.. he got called to the office right after lunch.” Toni spoke up. Swearing when she tried to call Cheryl yet again and the call went to Cheryl’s voicemail as it had just done for me. She shoved her phone into her pocket and took a few deep breaths. “Maybe she just went to sit with her Nana. They haven’t let her out of the hospital yet, I don’t think.. That has to be it.”

The door flew open again and this time, my brother and Jughead were rushing in. Stopping to talk to a few of the other Serpents we went to school with who were present. Whatever Jughead told them had them rushing out the door in a hurry. I eyed them but quickly turned my attention back to the situation at hand involving our two missing friends. Trying to retrack the events of the day. I remembered it then, Fangs had been called to the office during lunch and after that, I hadn’t seen him again.

We had the second to last class of the day together. He hadn’t been there. 

“You guys have to get out of here. Get everyone out of here and out of this side of town now. They’re about to raid the Wyrm.” Jughead and my brother rushed over to us. My brother let out a ragged breath when he caught sight of me. “Thank god. There you are. I was worried when I couldn’t find you. What the hell happened to your face, pixie?”

“It’s a long story. I’ll explain later.. You guys. Explain. What the fuck do you mean we have to get out of here? Archie, what’s going on? What have you let that jackass talk you into this time?”

“Nothing! It’s something I overheard, okay, look. I know you’re still pissed at me. But you guys need to get everyone together and get the hell off of this side of town, okay? Just trust me. Do it. I told Dad what was going on and he said that we could put people up until FP figured something out.”

Sweet Pea eyed my brother with a wary look. I eyed him too, wondering briefly if this were some kind of a trick that Hiram put him up to. Wondering how the hell he managed to get Jughead in on it if it were.

“What the hell is going on tonight?” I wondered aloud after a few seconds.Not even ten seconds later, one of the older bikers wandered in, getting a hold of FP, taking him to the back to talk.

“Are you makin this up, Andrews? Is this a trap? Because to me, that’s what it feels like.” Sweet Pea tensed. His fists clenched at his side and my brother shook his head. “No. This is me. Trying to make up for all of the other stuff, okay? Look. Hiram set the whole thing up this afternoon after he got done arranging to have Fangs arrested earlier.”

“He’s not lying. I just went down the the station, man. Fangs is there. They’re holding him for questioning and they won’t say a fucking word about why he’s even there. And while I was there, I heard some of the guys in the break room joking about how fun it was going to be, cracking some Serpent skulls tonight. If we leave now, they have nothing. They don’t get any evidence, they can’t make any arrests.” Jughead explained impatiently. “We have to go. We needed to be gone ten minutes ago, if you want the honest fucking truth, Pea.”

“Dad really said he’d let them hide in our house. You’re not lying.” I questioned my brother, gazing up at him. Standing taller. “Because I swear to God, Archie, if this is a trap.. If any more of my friends get arrested because you have a burning desire to be Hiram Lodge’s long lost son or whatever the fuck it is you want to accomplish.”

My brother cut me off. “I’ve been working undercover. I wasn’t supposed to tell you anything. I wasn’t supposed to say anything to anyone, actually. Getting close to Hiram is… for the greater good.”

“Uh huh.You mean like the actual greater good or the oh look, pops bought me a ferrari for christmas because I’m a good little fucking stooge greater good?” I questioned, a brow raised and my hand on my hip.

“Al, we can finish this argument once your friends have their shit and they’re heading back to our side of town. I’ll gladly finish this discussion then. Dad sent me and Jugs to get everyone away from here.”

“I don’t know..”

Sweet Pea cleared his throat. “I’m not saying I trust you, Andrews. But I’m willing to take what Jugs says with a grain of salt. He is one of us now.”

Toni and I exchanged a surprised look, but then everyone started to rush around and gather their things as quick as they could. And as soon as we were all out in the alley behind the Wyrm, the first of at least six police cars came flying by, blue lights flashing and sirens blazing.

I let out a ragged breath and glanced up at Sweet Pea. When I caught on to the fact that he was both angry and silently freaking out, I reached down, gently grabbing hold of his pinkie finger with mine. Giving him a weak smile when I glanced up at him.

He didn’t smile back, but as we rounded the corner and promptly had to find another alley to go down to hide because another cop car rushed past, I felt him squeeze my pinkie finger with his more than a time or two.

Almost the second we crossed over into the North Side, I realized just how eerie and quiet it was.

Too quiet.

Nobody was saying anything. We were all too tired from running. Hiding. 

At one point, Toni reached down and grabbed the hand of mine closest to her, giving it a squeeze as she muttered into my ear quietly, “I hope Cheryl is okay.”

“We’ll get up to my room and figure something out, okay?”  I promised in a whisper.

And on the other side of me,  I felt Sweet Pea’s hand lazily close on mine. A squeeze so light that I honestly didn’t think he even realized he’d done it.

It took a few seconds, but I dared to glance down. Eyes fixing on the way his hand engulfed mine. His fingers laced between my fingers. Before I could stop myself, I dragged my thumb knuckle lazily over his palm. Gave his hand a similar light squeeze as I glanced up at Toni to pretend I wasn’t aware I’d done it.

Once we were all in my dad’s house, FP showed up. Explaining that he was currently trying to figure out somewhere everyone could go. Letting people who’d gotten separated from family during the whole scramble to leave whether their people made it and were incoming or at another place that FP had taken the other half of South Side to keep the cops from finding everyone at once or whether they’d been caught and were going to need bail.

My dad and Archie took over the kitchen with the help of FP and Jughead, making food for everyone. Once everyone else was set up and occupied and there wasn’t anything else I could do to help my dad and my brother, I went to go find Toni and we slipped out of the chaos downstairs, retreating up to my room.

The second the door was closed behind me, Toni spoke up.

“You don’t think Penelope killed her.”

“Toni, no. But I do think that she’s keeping her somewhere. Remember Cheryl telling us that she needed to tell us something important? I think that whatever she was going to tell us is the reason we can’t find her right now. Her mother makes Joan Crawford look like a fucking saint.” I fell back across my bed and stared at the ceiling. Sitting up a few minutes later.

“Hey, that girl in my English class… her mom’s a nurse. I can ask if Cheryl’s been there to sit with her nana.”

I dug my phone out and texted the girl in question. Frowning when the girl answered that she’d been there earlier, but she’d left to go home.

“She’s not there. Okay, I do not like the way this feels.”

“Me either.”

We sat in silence on my bed for a few minutes, trying to figure out a way to find out what happened to Cheryl. As I tried to think of places she might have gone or hidden at, I texted my mom about Fangs being kept at the station.

She texted me back, asking if I knew why they were holding him and I texted her back that we were trying to figure out why and we were hoping she’d call and scare someone into giving some form of an answer.

I frowned when she called a few minutes later and explained that she hadn’t been able to get anything. She asked what the hell was going on in town tonight, telling me that while she’d been talking to the secretary at the station, she’d heard a lot of yelling and angry chanting from outside. And a lot of whispering and hushed laughing.

I told her about the raid and I told her about Midge’s body being found during the school play. I told her that people had been starting rumors for whatever reason that Fangs might have done it, because Midge and Fangs had something going on.

“You’re staying out of trouble though, right? With your brother going through whatever it is he’s going through, sweetie…”

“About that.. I kind of got into a fight. But none of the teachers know. Nobody saw it.”

My mom sighed and I frowned, tensing up a little at a possible lecture incoming. When it started, I sat there with the phone away from my ear, letting her go on for a few minutes before I explained calmly, “I’m not going to stand back and be a doormat either, mom. And since Archie is doing all this and showing his entire ass, I need to take care of my own problems. Mandy was a problem, I solved it. End of discussion.”

“First of all, don’t take that tone with me. Second of all.. Does your father know? Did you tell him any of what you just told me?”

“No. I only told you what I just did to get you off my back. Mom.. I’m.. I love you and I’m sorry. I can’t be perfect and I can’t be something I’m not.”

“I’m not asking you to be perfect. I’m asking you to stay out of trouble.”

“It doesn’t feel like that though.”

We exchanged tense goodnights and goodbyes and I ended the call, tossing my phone at the top of my vanity as I flopped back against my bed.

“Ever feel like the black sheep?” I wondered aloud. Feeling bad about it after I said it, because I realized that Toni literally only had the Serpents, Cheryl and her grandfather and me. I palmed my face and shook my head, ashamed. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine. I get it. My grandpa and I argue a lot.” Toni gave me a sympathetic nod. 

I shook my head at myself. “I swear, my mom and I are constantly butting heads. It’s part of the reason I never understood why she insisted I was the one to go to Chicago with her and that Archie stay here in Riverdale with Dad.”

“Probably because trust me. There are some things that men are not equipped to deal with.”

“I mean, true, but…”

Toni laughed quietly. Stretching a little. “Maybe Cheryl just wanted some space. I haven’t found anything out from anyone else.”

“All I know is what she told me before she left practice. She was going to see her Nana Rose again.”

“Yeah, she told me that too. But she’s been jumpy all day. Like she’s scared.”

“I noticed too.” I agreed, nodding. “Maybe she’ll be at school tomorrow. If she’s not, we’ll ditch and try to find answers or something.”

“Yeah. I’m too wiped to think anymore right now and if I do, I’m going to drive myself insane. And if I do that, we both know I’m going to go off and do something fucking dumb.” Toni admitted as she pulled back the cover on the other side of my bed.

“You’re cool with sharing a bed? I mean, all things considered.”

“Please,I know you have a very specific type of red-head and it ain’t me... Besides. You’re my friend. I’m not making you sleep on the floor.” I answered, gathering my things because I figured that everyone who was planning to shower tonight had probably done so already.

I made my way down the hall, reaching for the handle to the bathroom door right as Sweet Pea pulled it open from the other side. With a towel wrapped around his waist. I spun around, immediately going red in the face. “Shit, fuck. I’m sorry, I.. I thought everyone had already gotten a shower and gone to sleep?” I called out without daring to turn around and face him.

He cleared his throat. “Nah. I told Archie to go before me. I’m the one staying in your house. Didn’t want to intrude.” he tapped my shoulder when he’d pulled on his jeans and I turned around. He took a step forward to come out the door at the same time that I took a step forward to go in the door. We wound up body to body in the hallway. I gazed up at him, licking my lips.

He grimaced as his eyes settled on the bruise on my jaw from the fight earlier in the afternoon. “Did you show your dad? That looks a lot worse now.” His voice took on a concerned tone. 

I shook my head. “Nope. I already had more than enough lecturing about it from my mom earlier when I called to get her to see if she could find out anything about why Fangs was arrested and being held.”

Sweet Pea raised a hand, dragging it through damp hair. A droplet of water trickled down his forehead. Then dropped onto his nose, rolling down it’s slope. When it dripped down and rolled down his lips, my eyes were glued to it’s movement.  He cleared his throat, repeating the question that he’d asked me I apparently hadn’t heard. “Did she find out anything?”

“Just that they’re holding him until they have to let him go. If I had to guess though, it’s because people were saying crap about him and Midge having a thing going..” I muttered quietly. Shuffling my feet against worn wooden floorboards. 

“At least you tried.” he muttered quietly, gazing down at me. His eyes darted to my bruises and scrapes from my fight with Mandy earlier and he cleared his throat. “You should go tell your dad what happened. Just in case she is dumb enough to upload anything she might have recorded and we can’t coerce her into taking it down on our own.”

“If she does, she does. Won’t be the first time something like that happened.” I blurted it out, going quiet as soon as I realized I had. Tensing a little because I really hoped that he didn’t pay it any attention. Or that he didn’t push to know what I meant.I wasn’t even sure why it slipped out. I fidgeted a little, nervous. He eyed me, but luckily, he didn’t ask for further details.

The last thing I wanted right now was for him to know exactly how stupid and pathetic I was and still am. If he knew I’d been dumb enough to sext Dave and Dave had turned and used the photos against me or any of the other shit that I got into in Chicago… I pushed the intrusive thought out of my head.

“Cherry?” Sweet Pea muttered quietly. His eyes fixing on mine. Hints of a smirk playing at his lips. As quickly as the thought came ,, he has literally no idea just how devastatingly handsome he really is, I swear to God.” I hurried to shove it out. Bury it way down deep. Try to ignore the way I felt the slightest flutter of my heart. Or the way my throat seemed to close up when I realized that we were migrating closer to each other and that his hand was brushing against my hip just barely.

“Yeah, Pea?” I finally managed to pull myself together enough to get out the words. Gazing right back up at him, falling in right over my head and virtually powerless to stop it from happening.

“Night.” he yawned as he stepped out of the doorway, making his way back downstairs. From the sound of it, my brother had dragged out one of his old gaming systems. And apparently, he and a few other Serpents were sitting up, playing some long forgotten game. I made my way away from where I’d been peering down the stairs just to make sure that things weren’t tense between everyone and I turned, slipping into the bathroom.

Turning on the hot water and leaning against the wall, letting it cascade down onto my body from above. Just… trying to process the entire craziness of the day so far.

By the time I slipped into my side of the bed, Toni was already asleep, wearing my black velvet eye mask over her eyes. I found one of my other ones and slipped it down over my eyes.

And it seemed like in literally no time, I was out like a light. Exhausted from everything that had gone down in one day.

[starring-movies]

Killing Eve: Episode Analysis

*SPOILERS*

Season 3, Episode 6 - End of Game

The episode begins by continuing on with the storyline that got left off in S3E4, and we find that Niko has survived the ‘pitchforking’, is on a ventilator and is not able to speak. We also find out that Niko’s father, Maciek, doesn’t like (and has never liked) Eve because he thought she would be a “great big ball ache” for Niko - which turns out to be an understatement, considering everything that he’s been through since being with Eve.

We then carry on with Villanelle, who we find out is back from Russia, and attending the meeting with a representative from The Twelve, which Dasha told her about in S2E4.

When Hélène (the representative from The Twelve) arrives, she’s in the middle of a phone conversation with her daughter. From their conversation we are told that Hélène’s daughter fell off her scooter and hurt her “minou”, but Hélène says to her mother that she doesn’t “have time for this”, that her daughter is just “doing all this to get our attention” and she should just “put some cream on it, that’ll calm her a bit”.

This conversation that Hélène has with her daughter is a reflection of how she, and The Twelve, are choosing to deal with Villanelle. Villanelle is equivalent to Hélène’s daughter, who is in their opinion “doing all this to get our attention”; and so they “put some cream on it” by only pretending to promote her to a keeper, just so they can placate her and “calm her a bit”.

Hélène’s conversation, with her mother and daughter, is obviously also a sensitive subject for Villanelle, who is still dealing with having just returned from killing her mother. Listening to Hélène’s conversation (with three generation’s of her family’s women: the grandma, Hélène herself and Hélène’s daughter), will remind Villanelle of the maternal gap in her life; and Hélène will especially remind Villanelle of her own mother, due to the lack of concern and understanding that she gives to her daughter after falling over.

In this scene, it’s also clear that Villanelle is not her usual self, not only from her ragged appearance, but also as she asks Hélène up front, “are you trying to seduce me?”. Ordinarily, Villanelle would revel in the attention that she’s getting and join in with any flirtations. However, the blatant way in which Villanelle just asks Hélène if she’s trying to seduce her, after thinking that she might be, demonstrates how she’s not in the headspace to want to partake in or enjoy any games and is just looking to get straight to the point of the meeting.

When we return back to Eve, who is now back at Bitter Pill investigating who pitchforked Niko, we get a little glimpse at how much Eve and Villanelle have come to know and understand one another. Jamie asks Eve if Villanelle would have stabbed Niko “to torture” her, but Eve says “not like this”.

Eve never even entertains the idea that Villanelle could have been the one to harm Niko, because she knows Villanelle well enough now and she knows that Villanelle knows she’s not allowed to harm Niko - she also knows that Villanelle knows that this is not to torture her, as she’s been torturing her since they met and she knows that her “torture” of Eve is more flirtatious and like a game between the two of them.

Out of anger and frustration, Eve then goes to the building’s vending machine to buy an out of date muffin, and as she’s assaulting the machine for a KitKat, Bear tells her that “sometimes you need to just let it win”. Bear is referring to everything going wrong in Eve’s life - that she was tricked into going to Poland just to watch Niko being stabbed, that she’s alone, that she’s homeless and that her friends are dead - but his advice can also be applied to Eve’s darkness and her acceptance of it. Eve’s been fighting off and pushing away the existence of her darkness for the last two seasons, but like Bear says, “sometimes you need to just let it win”, which is what Eve is finally able to do at the end of S3E8.

After Bear gives Eve the advice “to just let it win”, the KitKat finally falls out of the machine. It wasn’t Eve’s persistent battering of the machine that made the KitKat drop down; but it was her submitting and letting the KitKat win, after Bear told her that that’s what she should do, that led to her getting the KitKat. In the same way, this scene suggests that once Eve gives in and is able to accept her darkness, which she finally does in S3E8, everything will similarly ‘fall into place’ for her.

We then see Konstantin and Villanelle discussing Konstantin’s escape, and Konstantin asks her if she realises she will have to leave everything behind, “the clothes, apartment, and her” and Villanelle tell him “I know”. We can see from this that Villanelle values her freedom above everything and now (after everything that happened in Russia) considers Konstantin to be her only family; and she’s willing to leave Eve behind forever, if it means that she has her freedom.

It isn’t until S3E8 that Villanelle realises that there is no-one that cares for her as much as Eve, and so she decides that Konstantin is not her family and by not choosing to leave with him, she makes the decision that Eve is worth sacrificing her freedom for.

When Villanelle goes to visit Irina at school, she asks “is he a pervert” about Irina’s mother’s new boyfriend. This is a little reference to S1E8, when Irina asks Villanelle “are you a paedophile”.

We can also see the influence that Villanelle has on Irina and how alike they are becoming. Villanelle frankly suggests to Irina that “if he’s that bad kill him”, but she is the one who takes Irina driving (to try to find out where Konstantin is planning to escape to) and Irina ends up killing her mother’s boyfriend by running him over in a car.

Another small detail is that In S1E8, Irina tells Villanelle “I don’t know yet” when she is asked if she’s a “bad person” - it seems the answer may now be becoming apparent.

We then move on to Carolyn’s interrogation of Konstantin, concerning his involvement with Kenny and Geraldine. After Konstantin tells Carolyn that Kenny supposedly asked him if he was Kenny’s father, ‘Dido’s Lament’ (aka. ‘When I am Laid in Earth’) from the opera ‘Dido and Aeneas’, starts playing. The opera is based on the epic ‘The Aeneid’, by the author Virgil. The story is about Dido who falls with Aeneas and kills herself from grief, when she is subsequently abandoned by him.

Carolyn’s silence after Konstantin reveals this to her, suggests that there’s a possibility that Konstantin is Kenny’s father. We know from S3E8 that Konstantin went to go see Kenny because he had been investigating The Twelve’s amounts, but it’s still likely that Kenny also did ask if Konstantin was his father (just like how Konstantin tells Carolyn that Geraldine kissed him, which was true, but omits that he perused her to find out information on what Carolyn was doing). ‘Dido’s Lament’ was also used in S3E2, to portray Carolyn’s grief over losing Kenny as well as her guilt at being unable to investigate his death. Whereas in this scene, the song is used once again to portray Carolyn’s grief, but it’s also used this time for her probable guilt for Kenny being Konstantin’s child and her not telling him.

We also get the parallels of two interrogations taking place in cars. Villanelle takes Irina driving, in order to find out that Konstantin in planning on escaping to Cuba; and Carolyn takes Konstantin for a drive, in order to interrogate him about his involvement with Kenny and Geraldine. The choice for Villanelle and Carolyn to use cars (cars are thought of to be fast and dangerous) to get the information they’re looking for, highlights the urgency as well as the danger and risk, that is linked with the information that they’re trying to find out - Konstantin’s escape plan is risky and Konstantin associating with Kenny and Geraldine is dangerous for them.

When Eve goes to Barcelona, to have a game of bowling with Dasha and ask about Villanelle, Dasha tells Eve that Villanelle is a “perfect killing machine, that’s all she’s there for, that’s all she knows” and be says “I don’t think so”. Just like Eve’s comment to Jamie - that Villanelle wouldn’t torture her “like this” - her comment that killing isn’t all Villanelle’s good for, or is all she knows, again emphasises how much more Eve has come to understand her.

Before Dasha leaves, she tells Eve that it’s the “end of game”, which is the title of the episode. This is a triple entendre: for Dasha saying that it’s the end of Eve’s game with The Twelve because she will never be able to win against them, for it being the end of their game of bowling, and it also signifies the end of Villanelle and Eve’s cat and mouse game because they eventually decide to accept that they have to be a part of one another’s lives.

After Villanelle’s disastrous kill in Romania, Dasha finds her back in her Barcelona apartment, where she’s having a breakdown and trying to attend to the stab wound in her arm. Villanelle tells Dasha “I don’t want to do this anymore”, which she said exactly in S1E5 and again repeats to Eve on the bridge in S3E8, saying in similar words “I don’t want to do it anymore, any of it”.

We also get an overhead shot of Villanelle as she’s sitting on her bathroom floor, contemplating where her life is leading her. The shot evokes the imagery of the tarot card, the Hanged Man. The definition I found here was, “The Hanged Man calls you to release the old mental models and behavioural patterns that no longer serve you so you can see your world from a new perspective and embrace new opportunities that would have otherwise been hidden from you. The Hanged Man can sometimes reflect that you are feeling stuck or restricted in your life”.

From this we can see that the choice to use this imagery, is to show us how Villanelle has come to a point where she wants to move on from her old life and what used to make her happy, as she has a new perspective. However, because of her working for The Twelve, she is stuck in her situation and can’t see a way to break out from their control over her.

We then get a short scene of Eve choosing to visit Niko in hospital one last time and then presumably leaving him forever, which is what Niko asked her to do at the beginning of the episode. The scene is very short but has a lot of symbolism in it.

We see a shot of Eve, from outside the hospital room, as she watches Niko sleeping and then turns and leaves. Her reflection can be seen in the glass of the hospital room wall, as if there is two of her: her past self (or an alternative self), who is in the hospital room with Niko and looking back at her; and then there’s her actual self, who stands outside the room, separated from those on the other side by the wall.

Her reflection in the glass is washed out and faint, showing us how her past self was merely a shade of the person she actually is; whereas her actual self is obviously much more vibrant (because it’s real), showing us how this is who she really is and who she’s always been deep down. Her decision to walk away from Niko and her past self is a very significant one, as it marks her active decision to move away from her old life and her final acceptance of the person that she has been trying to push away, for her whole life.

When Eve decides to let go of Niko, the song playing over the scene is ‘Boy and Girl’ by Unloved. The lyrics that can be heard are:

“There was a girl,

Who loved a boy,

And then they lived,

And then they laughed,

'till the time they cried,

So they fell,

Out of love,

To the depths,

Of the sea,

Where lovers tears,

Swell and swim,

Together for,

Eternity”

The lyrics that we hear communicate the journey of Eve and Niko’s relationship and how it has run it’s course. They were once happy and fell in love with each other, but then they gradually grew apart to different paths and fell out of love.

You can read my previous Killing Eve posts here:-

First Introduction to Villanelle

First Introduction to Eve

S1, E1 - Nice Face

S1, E2 - I’ll Deal With Him Later

S1, E3 - Don’t I Know You?

S1, E4 - Sorry Baby

S1, E5 - I Have a Thing about Bathrooms

S1, E6 - Take Me to the Hole!

S1, E7 - I Don’t Want to Be Free

S1, E8 - God, I’m Tired

S2, E1 - Do You Know How to Dispose of a Body?

S2, E2 - Nice and Neat

S2, E3 - The Hungry Caterpillar

S2, E4 - Desperate Times

S2, E5 - Smell Ya Later

S2, E6 - I Hope You Like Missionary!

S2, E7 - Wide Awake

S2, E8 - You’re Mine

S3, E1 - Slowly Slowly Catchy Monkey

S3, E2 - Management Sucks

S3, E3 - Meetings Have Biscuits

S3, E4 - Still Got It

S3, E5 - Are You From Pinner? [Part 1]

S3, E5 - Are You From Pinner? [Part 2]

S3, E7 - Beautiful Monster

S3, E8 - Are You Leading or Am I? [Part 1]

——————————————————————————

[animemangastuffidk]

All of the Touya theories

(UPDATED!)

So for a while I wanted to sort out all the touya/dabi theories I could think of and state the evidence supporting or going against them. I’ll be separating this into two sections, the first being how did Touya “die” and the second being what happened after (What’s he been doing until now).

 I’ll state a couple of base assumptions first, that being Touya died at age 12-14  and for some reason became involved with Enji after being tossed aside as a failure. (The evidence for this being: 1. His school uniform 2. Everyone thinks Enji killed Touya and 3. Enji implied he trained Touya as a kid, but he’s seen to be playing with the other ‘failed’ siblings.)

also! Just a reminder that all this theory crafting is for fun and shouldn’t be taken too seriously, I don’t expect any of these to be 100% accurate.

So how did Touya die?

Theory 1: He was pushed too hard by Enji during training and died from his flames

Evidence supporting this: 

Natsuo saying “Touya has always told me” (maybe he’s talking about the abuse/unethical training?) 

Dabi’s scars match Enji’s flames, possibly a result of a failed technique Enji tried to teach Touya.

Evidence against this: 

Todoroki’s flashbacks imply Touya was not being trained at the time of his death. We know the death happened shortly after Todoroki got burned, and in the flashback we see Touya playing with his siblings. The only way this could make sense is if Touya himself asked to be trained (maybe in place of shoto after the burn incident), or if Enji suddenly decided to train Touya again, despite knowing he was a failure.

Wouldn’t the police have investigated Enji if he trained Touya to death? A death would need to be explained to the cops, especially if he was burned. This wouldn’t count if the police were that corrupt or if Enji told them it was suicide.

Other than Natsuo, the other siblings don’t seem to have strong emotions tied to Touya’s death, which doesn’t make sense if they witnessed it as a horrifying training related accident.

How could Touya escape if he was confirmed to be dead? The only plausible answer is if when they brought Touya to the hospital, the doctor lied to the family and gave them a fake body. That could tie in directly to Ujiko. (this also applies to theory 2)

Theory 2: He attempted or or faked a suicide by his flames

Evidence supporting this:

We have never heard Todoroki mention his brother, even when talking about how horrible Enji was to Deku in season 2. If Enji killed Touya through training, it would make sense to mention that when talking about his backstory but he didn’t. 

The entire Todoroki family has avoided Touya’s cause of death when talking about him. Suicide in the family can be a pretty taboo subject in Japan, and it makes sense that they would avoid the subject.

 Natsuo believes Enji killed Touya, but the other siblings have seemed to have moved on. This can be explained if Natsuo believes that Enji drove Touya to suicide instead of Touya acting on his own, like the rest of the family seems to believe. Fuyumi even mentions that Rei has “gotten over it” which wouldn’t make sense if it was some sort of mysterious accident. I think she would have wanted more answers.

A suicide would also explain why the police haven’t been involved.

Evidence against this:

(The last point in Theory 1 also applies to this one.)

If Touya actually attempted suicide instead of faking his death, how did he get emotional support after? 

Something that’s important to note: this can be combined with theory 1. It’s possible that he was pushed too hard during training and set himself on fire as a result.

Theory 3: Enji sent him to the HPSC and he died there

Evidence supporting this:

Dabi knew Hawks’ name, in which there are only a limited number of ways he could have known. Hearing it directly from Hawks is one way. If they were friends, it might also explain why Dabi let Hawks in the LOV despite not trusting him. 

We know the HPSC is secretive and shady, so they might have used quirk enhancing drugs on Touya, resulting in his scars. If Touya escaped, The HPSC wouldn’t want to be exposed so they sent the Todoroki family a fake death report. 

The Todoroki’s haven’t specified how he died and talk in vague terms, this would make sense if the death happened out of the house and none of them witnessed it, so none of them know what really happened. They just know that Enji was the one who sent him there. Natsuo is the only exception for this.

Evidence against this:

Why and how would Enji know of the HPSC’s special program? They could have approached him first, but without knowing more about the HPSC this part of the theory gets a bit hazy.

Why would the HPSC agree to train Touya if his quirk was defective? I only see this happening if Enji asked them to “fix” him, and gave them a bunch of money.

Wouldn’t the HPSC recognize Dabi as Touya if Touya succeeded in escaping? They would probably send someone like Hawks to capture him so they can keep their cover-up a secret.  

What did Touya do after?

Theory 1: He became homeless and lived on the street

Evidence supporting this:

Dabi has a “lone wolf” attitude, he likes to go off by himself, it could be a force of habit if he’s lived by himself since he was 14-15.

It could explain his cold attitude, and ragged clothes we first see him in.

Evidence against this:

How did he get all his piercings? Even if he’s homeless people still need money to survive and he doesn’t seem like he would ever beg for money. So how did he make money? 

Theory 2: He lived with Doctor Ujiko

Evidence supporting this:

If Ujiko was the one who faked Touya’s death, it’s possible he kept Touya around for the reason that he was Enji’s son so he could be used as blackmail or turned into a powerful nomu.

If Touya was on the brink of death, or in fact did die, Ujiko is the closest person that could revive or heal him. He could also get piercings safely if he was with Ujiko. (Seriously how did those not get infected)

Dabi not remembering Ujiko could be explained by Ujiko erasing his memories (although there’s no reason to do so) or by Touya escaping once he was healed, and never actually interacted/seen the doctor much.

Evidence against this:

There’s no evidence suggesting that Ujiko and Dabi even knew each other before the events of the Liberation arc, nor anything hinting at it. Unless they wanted to keep it a secret? Horikoshi is the type to really build up plot points so I doubt this is the case

Why would Ujiko keep Dabi around if he didn’t experiment on him or turn him into a nomu? Again, maybe Dabi escaped from Ujiko and then forgot about him.

Theory 3: He lived with Thief Takami (Keigo’s dad)

Evidence supporting this:

There is a chance that Takami actually cared about his son, but once the HPSC found out he was a criminal, they forcibly removed Keigo from his care. This guilt could have motivated him to take in Touya since they’re the around the same age.     

This is another way Dabi could have known Hawks’ name, if he heard it directly from Keigo’s dad. This could also explain why Dabi let Hawks into the LOV despite not trusting him, maybe he felt like he owed it to his father, or was simply curious as to what Hawks was like.

Takami was arrested by Enji 7 years ago, which would make Dabi around 18 if he is 25 now. This would mean Takami took care of Dabi during his teenage years and by the time he got arrested, Dabi would be old enough to take care of himself. Since Takami was a thief, he could have left some valuables to Dabi in which he could use the money to live off of.

Since Takami was arrested by Enji, it would fuel Dabi’s anger towards him even more, seeing how he took away an actually good father figure. There would also be a parallel with Hawks’ being close to Dabi’s father and Dabi being close to Hawks’ father. 

Takami is from Kyuushuu, however was arrested by Endeavor who seems to only work near the fictional city Musutafu, where bnha takes place. This could mean that Takami followed Keigo to Musutafu, (assuming the HPSC is also located there) which would allow Takami and Touya to meet.

It’s possible this is why Dabi refuses to get too close to anyone in the LOV.

Evidence against this:

Dabi has never mentioned anything alluding to this, nor has anything been hinted at this in the story.

Dabi almost killed Hawks, which wouldn’t make sense if he was on good terms with his dad. It’s possible Dabi never intended on killing him (For a person that can incinerate people instantly he was taking a long ass time), or he was too angry over Twice’s death. 

So this last one got a bit long because it had the most potential but I doubt we’ll be able to guess what actually happened but it’s still fun to try! Let me know if I should add something

[the-homicidediaries]

Teka Adams

TW: cutting, baby abduction

•

•

•

I feel like this is such a crucial story to tell.

Fair warning, it’s very, very graphic and gory. The worst of the worst.

(Also very long, oops.)

This is the story of Teka Adams.

(The episode of I Survived is from Season 5, Episode 16.)

This story takes place in Upper Marlboro, MD in 2010, but I do want to give a small back story.

When Teka was younger, she defined herself as a rebel. She made some not very good choices and ended up living on the street due to her choices. Once she hit rock bottom, she knew she had to change her lifestyle, so she began staying at a homeless shelter to help get herself back on her feet. There, she met a young man named PJ. They fall in love and get married.

Fast forward to 2010, Teka and PJ are still living in the shelter.

When Teka is 7 months pregnant, she begins receiving phone calls from an unknown number. Even after she ignored the calls, they still continued. Reluctantly, she answered.

The woman on the other end said her name was Stephanie and she worked with a program that helped get homeless pregnant women clothes, car seats, clothes, anything a new mother needs. She tells Teka she has a warehouse full of new baby items and she would love to bring Teka by to let her pick what she would like for her baby.

Teka was so excited. This would be a huge help to someone like Teka who was at the lowest point of her life.

Immediately, PJ thinks something fishy is going on. He warns Teka to not rush into anything she doesn’t know about.

But Teka is so excited and tells him to have a little faith.

A couple of days later, Stephanie meets Teka at the homeless shelter. In the episode of I Survived, Teka said Stephanie was very, very nice and very soft spoken. They get into Stephanie’s car and begin driving towards the warehouse.

Teka begins confiding in Stephanie on the way to the warehouse, telling her how she’s so happy now that she’s married and she’s going to have a baby and she’s so grateful Stephanie was willing to help her.

But because Teka is talking to much, she realizes she hasn’t paid attention to where they were going and she has no clue where they are.

They end up at Stephanie’s apartment. Stephanie brings her up the steps and puts Teka in an unfurnished bedroom (😐), sits Teka down, and begins playing a movie.

Teka gets a call from PJ and he asks, “Where you at?”

Teka assures him she is fine because the truth was.. she didn’t know where she was. She didn’t want to worry her husband, though.

She soon realizes what a huge mistake she has made and begins to frantically worry.

Once the movie is over, Stephanie then puts on another movie.

As Teka is watching this movie, Stephanie comes up from behind her, throws a heavy blanket on her, and begins beating her over the head.

Teka suddenly jumps up, throws her hands up, and she said all she can see is blood.

She then starts running towards the front door. It’s locked three separate ways, so Teka was not able to escape before Stephanie grabbed her and dragged her back. They fall to the ground and begin fighting when Stephanie wraps her arm around Teka’s neck and begins to choke her. That wasn’t knocking Teka out, so Stephanie then grabs a fire poker and begins.. (😭) hitting Teka in the head about 40 times.

Teka passes out.

Teka comes to a couple of minutes later and she can feel Stephanie dragging her by her ankles to the kitchen.

Teka hears Stephanie rattling around in the kitchens drawers.

Next thing Teka knows, she feels a sharp pain in her side. She looks down and sees Stephanie holding a box cutter, stabbing Teka.

Even more blood starts pouring out of Teka.

As Teka is bleeding out, after being stabbed with a box cutter, Stephanie goes to the kitchen to pray.

“Lord forgive me, I’m a sinner. I’m so sorry.”

Teka has lost so much blood she is unable to move, but Stephanie begins to scrub the floor, cleaning the blood.

She asks Teka if she can get up, and when Teka says she can’t, Stephanie picks her up and carries her to the back bedroom, laying her on the mattress.

Stephanie then takes away Teka’s cell phone and turns it off.

Thankfully, Teka stops bleeding.

She starts thinking she can talk her way out of this situation and begins to try to talk Stephanie down. She tells Stephanie she wouldn’t tell anyone because she doesn’t believe in breaking families apart; Stephanie has children of her own.

Stephanie begins pacing in circles and murmuring to herself. Teka thinks she’s beginning to talk her down at this point.

(Plot twist, she definitely hasn’t.)

At this point, Teka has been nearly bleeding to death in this woman’s apartment for three nights.

On the third night, Stephanie comes into the bedroom with a metal bowl full of ice, rags over her shoulders, two box cutters, and a knife.

(This is where it gets so, so, so grim. I’m extremely sorry. If you’re squeamish, stop reading now.)

Stephanie proceeds to wrap Teka’s head in duct tape until Teka can barely breathe.

The way Teka describes the next part of this story in I Survived is:

“She just starts cuttin’.”

Stephanie starts at the top of Teka’s pelvic area and just starts cutting upwards.

Doing all of this with box cutters and a knife.

Teka states in the show that she can feel everything being done to her.

At one point, Stephanie was having a hard time cutting through Teka’s skin, so she started picking at it and then began cutting through Teka’s muscle.

Also, while all of this is going on, Stephanie was playing Michael Jackson’s This Is It documentary in the background. Stephanie kept rewinding to the songs as she’s cutting Teka up.

Teka, again, passes out.

When she comes to, she notices Stephanie is laying in the fetal position on the floor asleep in front of the door.

Teka realizes this might be her only chance to get away.

As she is trying to roll off the bed, the metal bowl is still on the bed with her and her wedding ring hits against the bowl, making a ringing sound.

Teka freezes, waiting to see if Stephanie will wake up or not.

Stephanie doesn’t.

Teka pushes herself up and begins quietly walking across the room, stepping over Stephanie, blood dripping over Stephanie. She froze again, for sure Stephanie would wake up this time.

Stephanie doesn’t wake up, so she begins tiptoeing down the hall to the front door.

Ask Teka is walking up the hallway, leaning to one side, all of the organs in her upper torso fall out of her body.

Teka picks up her organs and keeps going towards the front door.

She unlocks the three locks and finally gets out of the apartment!

She starts yelling for help and knocking on the other apartment doors, but unfortunately no one is coming to help.

She makes it to the bottom of the stairs and passes out again.

And who should show up and see Teka passed out at the bottom of the stairs?

Yup.

Stephanie.

Stephanie makes her way down the stairs, places her arms under Teka’s, and begins trying to drag her back up the stairs. Teka says she began fighting and biting Stephanie as she’s screaming for help.

Finally, a man comes out from his apartment and Stephanie proceeds to tell him that Teka is very sick, delusional, and she’s only trying to help her, that they’re sorry they were bothering him and to go back inside, everything was fine.

Teka looks up at him and says, “Help me, she’s trying to kill me.”

And although Teka had lost so much blood, and literally her organs, she man was staring at her in confusion because she was wearing a Navy blue shirt, so the blood wasn’t showing through the shirt.

So what does Teka do?

She raises up her shirt and shows him how her organs are falling out of her.

He quickly runs in and calls the police.

Stephanie looks at Teka with a death stare and runs away.

The EMTs showed up and nearly passed out when they saw the damage to Teka’s body.

She’s rushed into surgery.

When she wakes up, PJ is there.

She frantically asks the nurse if her baby is okay.

The nurse answers her, saying she gave birth to an eight pound, two ounce healthy baby girl.

(The baby was balled up all the way to the top of Teka’s womb as she was being cut and Stephanie was not able to reach her.)

Teka named her baby Miracle because they both survived.

What happened to Stephanie?

Wellllll

Her real name is Veronica Deramous and she called the cops on herself. She plead guilty to assault and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

(They couldn’t prove attempted murder because Stephanie spun a story about offering to buy Teka’s baby for $5,000 and there was “no evidence that Deramous was trying to kill her.” So idiotic.)

Teka and Miracle face Veronica at the preliminary trial, mean mugging Veronica the entire time. She was not asked to testify against Veronica.

The most amazing part of this is that Teka made a full recovery.

At the end of the episode, Teka said she survived because she was coming to a point in her life where she loved and respected herself and cherish life. She said she loves God and her support system loves her.

“God looks after babies and fools. I had a baby, and I was a fool.”

Teka, PJ, and Miracle now live in an apartment in Washington, DC.

[duker42]

Can i plz request yandere levi x shy reader where levi just finds her almost starving to death in the underground city but he’s just amazed by her beauty and shyness and becomes possessive over her and stuff but the reader is just quite and submissive to levi so levi decides to take care of her even after he becomes a captain he keeps her next to him all the time fluff and smut plzz (i hope my request wasn’t too much and thank youu sooo much for all the stories you write your writing is amazing)

Sorry it has taken me so long!!!! Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoy it!

*****WARNING*****NSFW

💜Forever💜

The first time Levi saw Y/N she was half staved and huddled in an alley. He had been about to pass her by, there were plenty of homeless kids wasting away in the Underground. She looked up dejectedly and he caught a glimpse of her face.

She was beautiful. Even dirty as she was, her eyes captivated him. He had thought she was younger when he pulled her to her feet and pulled her away from the filth and despair of that narrow alley.

She didn’t speak the entire way to his house. Every time Levi looked back she averted her eyes from him shyly. He knew she was curious about this, was wary of him, but her timidity provoked something protective in him.

It wasn’t until he had drawn a bath and ordered to to strip those dirty rags off did he discover she was more woman than child. The baggy clothes had hidden a beautiful albeit malnourished figure of a woman, her breasts small but high. Her hips bony but had the feminine curve Levi liked. With decent meals, she would be stunning.

Over the course of the days to follow, he found himself more and more possessive of her. Isabel and Farlan has teased him, but Levi refused to let Y/N sleep anywhere other than his room. He had already decided she was his woman.

When they were captured by the Survey Corps, Levi had nearly killed the one to touch Y/N. When he finally yielded to Erwin, his one stipulation that Y/N was to stay with him at all times.

The day Isabel and Farlan died, Y/N had been by Levi’s side, him unwilling to let her out of his sight for a moment while outside of the walls. In the end it was her salvation as their entire squad was wiped out, their friends killed.

~~~~~

“And this is Y/N. Before you get any ideas about hitting on her, she’s Captain Levi’s second in command, but most importantly she’s his woman.” Ness explained to the incoming recruits that had chosen to join the Survey Corps.

Y/N smiled and took the cadets from there, showing them the various areas of the base that they would utilizing, all while very aware of a pair of grey eyes watching carefully.

When she got back to their quarters that night, she smiled as she entered the room, the bath was already running.

She quietly stripped off her clothes, placing them in the dirty bin as she moved to join Levi.

“Strip down, brat.” Levi looked up and smirked. She was so good, already anticipating what was to come.

He lead her into the bath and began to wash her, sitting behind her in the hot water. As his hands and the soapy rag trailed over her skin, he asked his question.

“Find anyone better among those brats?” His voice was gruff, the vulnerability behind them lost in his tone.

“No, Levi. No one could be better than you.” Y/N murmured, aware that his jealousy had come out to play. It happened every time new Scouts were brought in. He would be careful to make sure that no one bothered her, his own personal brand of possessiveness.

He scooped water over her hair and lathered it up, enjoying the soft sighs of contentment that came from her. He wasn’t stupid, he knew that Y/N was aware of his need to control. Her own submission being a perfect fit for the pair. He would calm down once those brats were aware they shouldn’t fuck with what was his.

His cock hardened against her back, just like it always did when she was in his arms. Tonight would be passionate and rough, his marks clear for all to see throughout the day. Y/N didn’t seem to mind, letting him do whatever pleased him.

He started with her neck, harshly biting and sucking the skin. A combination of red blood blisters and purple bruises left in his mouths wake. Both sides were marked up for the world to see, hard to hide beneath her uniform shirt, not that he would let her.

His hand slithered down to reach in between her legs, pleased to find her already slick like always. Two fingers swiftly pierced her core, drawling a delicious gasp from her as her head fell back against his shoulder.

As her one and only lover, the past ten years of sex had taught him everything about her body, no portion of her left unexplored.

As he pumped those fingers in and out, his other hand came up to roughly palm a breast, his calloused hands causing her to shudder against him. Pinching and pulling the nipple, she jolted, causing water to splash out of the tub.

He picked her up and sat her down on his cock unceremoniously, her arched back and throaty cry signifying her pleasure at his invasion. He hiss at the tight feel of her around him, the walls pulsing around him enchantingly. She also knew what he liked after so long and began to flex around him.

He began to thrust up, his hands on her hips, directed her pace as the water splashed all around them. He didn’t give a shit about the mess at that moment, just his and the woman in his arms pleasure. She arched against him, her breasts thrust in his face as she put her arms around his neck.

He latched on to her chest, nipping and sucking wherever his mouth could may purchase, happily marking her skin as his. She was his obsession, a fever in his blood that even if he knew how to cure it, he didn’t want to.

For long minutes the room was filled with the sounds of splashing water and her moans rising above it. His grunts were quieter, muffled by her skin and his own need to let her voice ring out louder. Her hips circled over his waist, riding him like the siren she was.

He throbbed as she pulsed, their motions and pace in sync as they crested the wave of pleasure together. Her walls tightened around him, as he pushed into her deeper. Her cry was loud, his name ripping from her throat for anyone nearby to hear. He gasped as he came, teeth clamping down on her shoulder, his hand pulling her down against him harder as he rose to meet her. He released deep inside her, marking her again as his.

One day when those shitty Titans were gone, he would plant a child in her belly, maybe. He didn’t know if he was willing to share her, even with a child of their making.

Holding her against him, he whispered. “I love you, Y/N. You’re mine. Forever.”

He smiled against her neck as she whispered back. “Forever, Levi.”

Mobile MasterList

[nejitenforlife]

NejiTen Month 2020

Day 11 - Pirate AU (Part 2)

Please read part 1 if you haven’t already, before reading this part of the story. The final part will (hopefully) be out tomorrow. I hope you enjoy this part of the story! 

Word Count: 2,612

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Tenten instantly felt the change of temperature upon awakening. Where she was warm in the storeroom, she could not stop shivering in this new location. After opening her eyes, she realized she had been moved to the brig, a revelation that angered Tenten more than frightened her.

How dare the captain put her behind bars! She was a lady—a woman of station—and he had no right to show such disrespect to her person. Of course, she knew she didn’t look like a woman at the moment. No, she looked more like a homeless person from the streets, not the wealthy young lady she was.

Which was for the best. Tenten refused to give her real identity away to this man—even if he decided to torture her for it. Telling him would equal death—not just her own, but his and his crew’s as well. Not that Tenten should care one bit about what might happen to him or his crew members, but she didn’t want to be caught up in more of her father’s—and his—mess than necessary.

Tenten wondered if the captain would be willing to let her go once he reached his destination in exchange for her working on board. It would be preferable than being kept in this cold, damp cell. But even if she must remain here, if he promised to let her go once they reached land, she wouldn’t complain. Hell, she even contemplated warming his bed for the duration of their journey if that was what persuade him to let her leave without harm. For surely by now her fiancé knew of her absence and was rallying his men to find her.

Tenten would take her chances with these pirates over being handed back to that man.

So no, she would not tell the captain who she was, and she would do everything in her power to leave this ship and make a new life on some unremarkable small town, somewhere her fiancé would never find her.

“Are you awake?”

The voice startled Tenten and she jumped, her head whipping around to find the speaker. A man stepped into the dingy lamp light, holding a tray in his hands.

“The captain asked me to make sure you had enough water, since you seemed dehydrated,” he said, letting himself into the cell and placing the tray in front of her with a kind smile. “He also told me to get you some food. I’m sorry it is only basic. The captain would flog me if he found out I fed you anything other than what he told me to.”

Tenten didn’t care. The piece of crusty bread and watered down soup looked like heaven compared to the raw vegetables she had been eating every day. She would have loved some stew, or something with chunks of meat in it, but she wouldn’t complain. This was more than she had expected to receive from the pirate captain, and she would be an idiot to be ungrateful for it.

“Thank you.” Tenten smiled at the kind pirate, wondering how such a man found this sort living.

“My name is Rock Lee, but you may just call me Lee. I am the first mate to captain Neji Hyuga of the Crimson Night. What is your name?”

Tenten had heard of the Crimson Night. The crew weren’t as vicious as other pirates, but they were still ruthless, and they revelled in looting other ships, pirate or otherwise. Tenten supposed she was fortunate to have found herself onto a ship that took captives instead of killing all their enemies, and she had never heard of stories of the crew of the Crimson Night raping people. But just because she hadn’t heard of it, did not mean it didn’t happen…

“Your name, miss?” the first officer asked again, watching her with shrewd, guarded eyes. Tenten got the feeling that although he was kind to her, he wasn’t one to be trifled with.

“I’m nobody,” she replied. She grabbed the jug of water off the tray and took a huge gulp, not wanting to keep eye contact with the pirate. Although the water tasted slightly stale, she felt as though she could cry as it ran down her throat to settle in her belly. Nothing had ever tasted so nice.

“Even so, you must have a name.”

She shook her head. “I don’t want to say.”

“If you are unwilling to say, I can only assume that you are a lady of means and you are afraid we will recognise the name and hold you for ransom. That, or you are running from someone and do not wish for us to spill your secrets to them.” He spoke in an amused tone, as though he was just making it up, but Tenten knew he meant the words, and she had to stop herself from panicking at just how close to the truth he had come—on both counts.

“Does it matter what my name is?” she snapped, using anger to hide her fear. “You can only be planning to either kill me or let me go, and I don’t see why my name is relevant in either case. If you want to kill me for stowing away on your ship, just do it. I’d rather not have my imminent death dragged out. And if you’re planning on letting me go, then we won’t see each other again so what’s so important about knowing it?”

Lee held her gaze and Tenten had to fight not to squirm under his perusal. There was no way she was going to back down from this. As soon as they knew who she was they would attempt to benefit from that fact. And yes, she realized she could have lied, but this man seemed smart—smarter than perhaps he let on to others—and she wasn’t a very good liar to begin with. It was best for her to just keep her mouth shut so as not to incriminate herself any further.

“Very well then.” He stood up, gave her another long look, then nodded. “I must go. Maybe you will feel like telling the captain.”

Tenten didn’t think a sentence so innocuous could be said in such a threatening way, and she decided to re-evaluate the nice-guy image she had in her head of him. Of course he wasn’t a nice guy. He was a pirate for goodness sake! There was nothing good about pirates.

The first mate locked the cell behind him, taking with him the only lamp and leaving her in complete and utter darkness.

.

.

.

“Captain,” the female captive said from her place on the floor. She was still wearing men’s clothes, and it allowed her to move freely inside the cell, instead of being encumbered by so many layers. Still, Neji wouldn’t mind seeing her in her usual attire—clothes that would hug her body instead of sitting like a shapeless rag.

“Lady,” he nodded in reply, coming to stand at the outside of her cell door.

It had been two days since she was taken to the brig, and Neji had to admit that she was looking better. Not a lot cleaner—he had only allowed her some water and a rag to wash her face and hands, and was still yet to see a bath—but her face held colour once more and she seemed brighter, more alert than when he had found her.

“Is it lunch time yet?” she asked, eyes darting behind him in case Lee was following with a tray of food.

Neji wanted to snort at the gall of her. She was his prisoner; she would be fed when he deemed it appropriate. Hell, he had every right to withhold food from her since she was withholding information from him.

“Lee will bring something shortly,” he replied instead, unable to deny her.

Neji had been visiting his prisoner since the first day she had been transferred to the brig, and each day he found himself looking forward to seeing her. She was a breath of fresh air on this testosterone filled ship, and she didn’t seem intimidated by him. More than once he found himself butting heads with her, but he found her wit and intelligence attractive.

His captive smiled, and not for the first time Neji wondered what those lips would feel like against his. “And a bath too?”

Her eyes were twinkling as she asked, but he detected the hopeful note in her voice. A smirk tugged at his lips. “You get a bath when you tell me who you are.”

She pouted, her shoulders slumping under the blanket he had provided for her on her first day in the brig, after he had noticed how her body shivered in the dark room.

“I’m kind of hoping you get so sick of the stench of me that you have no choice but to order me to take a bath,” she admitted with a grin.

Neji raised an eyebrow at her. “I was not aware that I had the ability to order you to do anything.”

She laughed at his words, the noise feminine and utterly enchanting. “True. Not many people can get away with telling me what to do.”

Not for the first time, Neji had to tell himself why it would be a bad idea to enter the cell with her. He wasn’t worried she would attack him, but he was worried about his own reaction to being so close to her, seeing as though he already felt attracted to the mysterious woman. He pulled up a chair and sat by the door, knowing he would be there a while despite his mind telling him he had more important things to do.

“Captain,” Lee appeared at his side, too early for lunch to be served.

“What is it, Lee?” Neji didn’t want to be annoyed at his first mate, but he also didn’t like being disturbed when he was speaking with his captive.

“Kiba has spotted a ship in the distance, travelling in our direction. It could be nothing, but he wanted to make sure you knew either way.”

“Pirates?” If they were, Neji would be more than happy to fight them head on. Otherwise, he would rather continue undisturbed, not only because their arrival at their destination was time sensitive, but now because he didn’t want to risk any harm coming to his captive if a fight broke out.

“Nay, Captain. It’s a navy ship.”

“Keep an eye on them but let them be. We are too busy to have a skirmish with the navy right now.”

“Aye, Captain. I will inform you if anything changes.”

Neji nodded, satisfied that his men would do their jobs properly. He didn’t believe the navy ship would bother them, but he wasn’t going to be caught off guard either. “Good. You may go.”

Turning back to look at his pretty captive, Neji was startled to see the colour had drained from her face and she was shaking even more than on her first day in the hold, when she had been freezing. He frowned, worried that she had suddenly become ill.

“Are you well?” he asked her, trying to keep the concern from his tone. It wouldn’t do him any good if his captive found out he had taken a shine to her.

Her eyes met his, wild and… frightened? What did she have to be frightened about?

“Don’t engage with them,” she said with an unsteady voice. “Please. If they came after you, don’t fight them.”

Was she worried about a battle? No doubt, if this was her first time on a ship, of course she would be a little apprehensive.

Neji tried to give her a comforting smile, though he wasn’t sure it worked. “You do not need to be afraid. My men are skilled fighters, and I will not let harm come to you.”

But his captive was shaking her head, her body shaking uncontrollably. “No, no, no, no. You can’t. Please!”

He wasn’t sure why this was upsetting her, and Neji didn’t know how to comfort her, so he tried to change the topic. “I am getting tired of calling you ‘lady’. Will you tell me your name so I can call you appropriately?”

Her head snapped up to his, as though it was the first time he had asked her the question. She paled further, making Neji more concerned that something was ailing her. “No, I won’t tell you. Maybe…” she paused, thinking, and then met his gaze. “If you flee from them, I will tell you.”

What made her so certain that the navy ship would attack them? Lee had said they were a distance away, and naval ships rarely tried to fight pirates if they did not have backup—they knew pirates had a reputation of fighting dirty. Neji wasn’t worried, but his captive seemed to think it inevitable that a fight would ensue.

“I am afraid that I cannot make such a promise,” he told her. “I am a pirate; if someone wishes to go against me then they will regret it.”

She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could do so Neji heard feet pounding down the stairs to the brig.

“Captain! They are turning astaboard and readying their cannons!” Lee’s voice was loud and urgent in the quiet of the room, but Neji was still able to make out the sharp intake of breath from inside the cell.

“Ready the cannons, then. If a fight is what they want, then a fight is what they shall have.” He stood, knowing his men needed direction, though he didn’t want to leave his captive alone in her cell. A part of him wanted to stay with her and reassure her but he knew he couldn’t. He was the captain of his ship, and it was his duty to make sure they came out victorious from this fight—he needed to be with his crew.

“Wait!” His captive scrambled to her feet and clutched at the cell doors, just inches from where he was standing. Her eyes held fear like he had never seen before. “At least give me a knife or a dagger to defend myself. I’ll die otherwise!”

Neji frowned, not only because she wanted a weapon to defend herself against the navy—people she should be overjoyed to see at that moment—but also because of the finality of her voice. Did she truly believe she would be killed in this skirmish?

“I will not let you die. You will be safe here.” Neji longed to do something more, to prove he would keep his word. But what would it look like to his first mate if he reached through the bars to caress her face? No, that would not be a good idea.

“I will keep you safe,” he promised, his voice low. He fixed his eyes on hers, willing her to believe him, but she shook her head and stepped away from the grates, a look of defeat on her face. She didn’t believe him. Neji was surprised at how much that hurt, but he couldn’t fault her for not trusting him. They may have formed a rapport over the last few days, but she was still his prisoner.

He turned his back on her and made his way up the stairs, his first mate hot on his heels. He would take care of this problem, but he wouldn’t stay away from his captive for long.

It was about time they got to know each other better.

[butwhyduh]

If you are still doing the Friday smut requests can you do something like a pre-bitten peter sub?

I’m gonna assume you mean a universe where peter is an adult when he gets bit by the spider because I don’t write teenagers like that.

Peter Parker was nothing special. He took photos for a small local newspaper. Okay, calling it a newspaper was a bit much. It was a rag print that ran conspiracy theories for most of it. Last week the cover was “Queen of England: Lizard Lady.” But that (along with delivering pizzas on the weekend) paid his bills as he went to college.

The current photos he was sent to get was Captain America and Iron Man on a date. He didn’t think they were dating much less hitting fancy restaurants together. So a challenge. But if someone could find a photo of the Queen of England looking a little green he could find something romantic about the two superheroes.

Your desk was right across from his, much to your dismay. He constantly had paper and old coffee cups everywhere. Sometimes a pile of papers would slid on your desk. He’d show up late and you’d have to watch the drama as the editor would yell at him. Again.

But all in all he was a really nice guy. He would walk with you to your car when it got late despite the fact that he probably couldn’t win a fight if you paid him. It was the thought that count. It also helped that he had adorable brown eyes and curly brown hair with a sweet smile that would make anyone want treat him well.

Today he sat with his head in his arms on the desk. A literal red string covered bulletin board sat mocking him in the corner. He was nowhere near finding the proof of their love. He hasn’t even gotten a single snapshot of the two in the same area. He smelled like coffee and dispair.

“Hey,” you said softly. He quickly looked up and you jumped. “Sorry. I was just- Uh you- don’t take this the wrong way but... you look like you need a break.”

“Oh... uh maybe? I don’t know. I have to find this today or else I won’t get a check this week and then I’m homeless. You didn’t need to know that. Sorry,” he said turning red.

“Do you want help?” You offered.

“Aren’t you busy?” He asked. You looked at your finished article. Not exactly the height of journalism you had aspired to as a kid.

“No. I think I’ve got my article down. Not much research involved in “Installing Shower Grates Protect Woman From Sewer Gators.” It kinda wrote itself,” you said with a smile. “I also want to get out of here before they give me another assignment.”

“Yeah that makes sense,” he said with a laugh. You grabbed your bag and stood up. “Wait, where are you going?”

“To get your scoop. Come on,” you said. Peter quickly grabbed his backpack and followed. You hurried out the door and down the stairs before anyone could call you to do more work.

Ten minutes later you stood in front of the fire escape of a small 3 story building. Peter stood panting. His thin shoulders moving with effort of trying to keep up with you. He smiled embarrassed. You went to climb the ladder hanging from the fire escape.

“Wait. What are you doing?” He asked.

“Climbing up. There’s a Stark Benefit coming up and that’s your chance to get the shot if there is one. It starts in an hour. So we better hurry if we want you up on the roof before they get here,” you said pulling your self up a rung. “You coming?”

“Yeah, okay,” he said dancing around a little like he was psyching himself up. You rolled your eyes and climbed up to the roof. Peter struggled up the ladder before climbing as far from the roof as he could. He heaved out of breath.

“Come on if you want your shot,” you said laying on the ground near the edge. Across the street a fancy art building was decked out for an event. It looked like the event was to raise money for prosthetic limb research for children. Peter slowly crawled to edge. His face strained nervously.

“Not a fan of heights,” he admitted.

“I thought you got a picture of the Vulture downtown,” you said frowning. “That was quite a ways up.”

“Don’t tell anybody but I paid this punk in a red hoodie carrying a can of spray paint to do it. Bought him some street tacos for it,” Peter admitted. You laughed.

“I guess that works too. Well now you’ve got to get your shots up high today. Limos are arriving,” you said. Your attention was back on the building in front of you. Peter pulled out his camera to look. “Even if you don’t get your shot some other paper might buy the pics from this event.”

“Why can’t we be down there with those photographers?” He asked.

“You need an event badge and they won’t give one to a paper that called the Queen a lizard,” you reminded him.

Thirty minutes later and no Tony Stark or Steve Rogers, your energy was starting to deflate. And Peter shifted. A lot. He couldn’t seem to sit still. You ignored it hoping that the next car would hold them both. An hour later Peter was literally pacing.

A shiny new red sports car rumbled around the corner before stopping in front of the building. “Hey, I think it’s them. Or at least Stark.”

Peter quickly clambered beside you, almost dropping his camera in the process. You gave him a look before he fixed it. He took a few shots of the car before Tony Stark climbed out. He fixed his suit before opening the passenger door. The lovely Pepper Pots climbed out. Peter took a few shots. Rumors were common that the two were dating.

Out of the backseat popped a head before long limbs followed. Peter took photos as Captain America, Steve Rogers almost fell out of the backseat. You weren’t even sure how he fit back there. Peter quickly snapped shots of him glaring at Tony Stark before smiling at cameras. A driver got in the car and drove it off.

You gasped as Tony Stark pat Steve Rogers on the bottom before smiling for the cameras. “Did you get that?” You asked. Peter was grinning.

“Definitely. I can’t believe that’s real. I didn’t think- are they dating?” He asked surprised.

“Maybe? I mean, they’re really close,” you said. You suddenly realized how close Peter’s face was to yours. His freckles on his nose and cheek visibly beautiful in the early evening light.

“Thanks. I really need this,” he said.

“Yeah for rent, right?” You said with a smile.

Sigh. “Yeah, just don’t mention that to anyone please,” he said turning red.

“It’s cool. I work at the same paper as you. I’m not exactly rich,” you said pushing your hair behind your ear. Why did you do that? Are you flirting with him? He’s probably just being professional. No, he’s looking at your lips.

“I don’t wanna be weird but you’re really pretty,” he said before turning red again. You flushed and smiled.

“It’s the sunset really. Anyone looks good in-“

“No. I mean, you look pretty at work too,” he said. You looked at him for a beat before leaning in to kiss him. His thin fingers slid to hold your side. You pushed him to his back where he made a soft “oof” sound. You climbed on his lap and Peter pulled you closer by the hips. Your fingers curled in his hair.

You took advantage of the moment. You had a crush and who knew when something like this could happen again. You rubbed against him. The delicate material of your dress pants felt divine against his coarser pants. You felt him get hard under you. Your clit rubbed the tip of his cock through your clothes. You grinded against him while making out for a while.

A siren passing by made you jump. You pulled away and you both laughed. “It’s just an ambulance....And a second. I probably should follow it. It might be a lead...” you said getting up.

Peter sat up adjusting his pants to hide his erection. “Yeah. Okay. I need to get these photos developed. See you around?”

“Yeah for sure,” you said already climbing on the fire escape. “Call me.”

As you climbed down you texted your dad. “Thanks for that. The pat really sold it. I owe you.”

Headline the next day:

Ironman and Captain America: Secret Lovers Behind Pepper Pots Back

Will Stark Industry fall over this?

[mythologymonsterlover]

Male! Vampire boyfriend

This story was pretty fun to make, and I liked how this Monster boyfriend turned out to be! 

Warning: cussing, sexual content

Female reader X Male monster

My feet hit the ground as fast as my legs can move. My breath is coming out ragged, and my stomach feels like it’s about to come out my mouth. I keep running not looking back behind me, since that's my past not present moment. My vision become blurry and i’m sure to lose consciousness at any moment. This has to be the end of me. Yet, before I could lose it totally the coach blows the whistle. “Alright, times up runners!” I collapse on the ground, not having the strength to keep my body up. My friends rush over to help me stand and I’m more than grateful to feel their arms around me. “You did awesome!” Lucy says excitedly while wrapping her big arms around my neck, and Tom has to yank her off so I can breathe again. “Lucy chill! She just finished running!” I let out a breathless laugh as both of them start to quarrel over who is right or wrong. My friends have been here for me since my mother died, and knowing that they both look out for me each day is a blessing. Ever since I decided to do track for our final year of high school, they both supported my goals. It’s been so much fun to be able to move my restless body to be more active. I’ve been running since I was a little girl, and I felt the need to join the team ever since our first year. My teammate's are a little dysfunctional, but we all look after one another so it makes everything alright. This was actually my first day of training, and Tom and Lucy came to cheer me on. I managed to finally get enough air into my lungs to finally speak to them. “Hey, since I’m done for today, let’s get something to eat.” Both stop arguing and look at me, and with big smiles on their faces, they nod their heads. I laugh happily while I tell them to wait so I can get my stuff. When I get to my locker door I see one of my teammates also grabbing his stuff. His name is Eddie, and even though he's quiet, he is the strongest in the team. I look at him once and he nods his head but turns around back to his stuff. As I grab everything I need, I feel a hand on my shoulder. Turning around, I see Eddie staring me down with a blank expression. “Oh, uh, what’s up Ed?” I say casually, and he leans down to my ear making me flinch at his closeness. He usually is very reserved, not even speaking to anyone, so this makes me feel weird. “Be careful.” He says, and I back away while looking at him confused. We stare at each other silently, without saying a word. Then just as suddenly, he heads out the door leaving me more stunned. What the hell was that about? I just shake my head, not really sure what to think. I don’t want to stand here all day, so I head out to see my friends. They both grin at me, and I smile back not really sure if I should share with them what just happened. Over a couple of minutes of walking away from the building, I decide I should just drop it since I don’t want to make a big deal out of nothing. Ed was probably just trying to say have a good day, in his own weird way... We decided to eat at Subway, and I ordered my usual. We talk about how the school year is gonna be hard work and the gossip we heard recently. Tom then went on to talk about Ed, and that’s when me and Lucy stopped eating. Sighing, I already know where this is going to lead. “I’m telling you, that Eddie is a creep!..The other kids say his homeless because he ran away from home..” Tom eats while saying this, but looks at me for a reaction. Lucy intervenes though with a shrug of her shoulders, and continues with what she was saying to distract him. “Er...Anyways! I learned today that one of the sophomores pranked a teacher by putting balloons all over the classroom!” I laugh at knowing full well who did it, but Tom shake his head and looks away from me. I know what Tom is trying to do, but to be honest it’s not helpful. Him and Eddie never really got along, and because of that it always put tension between the two of them. He especially got angrier when I talk to Eddie and joined the same team with him. Me and Lucy got away from the subject by talking about funny stuff, which Tom totally loves to hear. After we eat and calm down the tension in the air, we all headed back to our homes to call it a day. Lucy was the first one to be dropped off from the bus, and then Tom. I waved him goodbye, and he waved back but with a look of a strange longing in his eyes. It made me feel uncomfortable, but he eventually went off as the doors closed. I looked at him through the window, and as the bus drives off he disappeared around the corner.

…

When I made it home, I was utterly exhausted from such a long day. I went into the shower first, and after that straight to bed. My room was filled with pictures of mom, friends, and dad. When I looked at them, it brought a sense of relief that was hard to feel in my day to day life. I never knew why, but when I use to see dad and mom together I especially felt wholesome. letting my thoughts dissolve as my body wraps around the blankets, I slowly make myself more sleepy. I was losing consciousness fast, until I heard a knock at my door. I get up with irritation from being disturbed, but force myself to walk from my room to the door. I look through the keyhole, and I stop myself from breathing for a moment. Their on the other side is...Tom? I shake my head in confusion, not understanding why the hell his here so late at night. “Umm..Tom? Is that you?” I say while backing away from the door. I hear a deep laugh, and he responds with a, “Duh, yeah?” I let out a sigh not knowing what to do, since dad isn’t home at the moment to keep me company. I know Tom though, he wouldn’t do anything to me. Sure he's been acting strange, but he would never hurt me. Knowing that I’m safe, I unlock the door to let him in. “Geez, took you long enough!” He says playfully, and walks over to sit on my couch. I just laugh sheepishly, still not knowing what his doing here. I go into the kitchen to make us some drinks, thinking he's probably thirsty. I was bringing the glasses out when a sudden loud bang came from the door. I almost drop the cups as I rush over to see what just happened. I hear Tom run from the couch to stand beside me, and he looks really irritated. “Tom, did you invite Lucy over as well?” I ask, my voice shaking with fear as the door keeps being pounded on. He looks at me for a moment, and I notice his eyes look weird. They almost look...Red? I was gonna ask whats wrong with his eyes, but before I could, the door flies off its hinges. We both ducked in time as the door is thrown through my hallway, and lands on the other side of the wall. I then hear a small growl from next to me, and when I look over, I see it’s coming from Tom. Shocked, I notice he doesn’t look like himself anymore, but a monster. He developed fur, sharp teeth, and red beady eyes that glow brightly. I scream while backing away, and as I look over to the door frame I see another guy looking down at us. Not just any guy though, but Eddie. He looks like a giant bat but stronger, furrier, bigger, and his eyes simmer with so much hate that I freeze in complete utter fear. Wh-What the hell is going on?! The person I think is Tom, lunges toward him on all fours with incredible speed. Eddie snarls as Tom jumps at him, causing them both to fall to the ground rolling. I sit their terrified as they both bite, scratch, roll around, and punch each other in the face. Not being able to handle what’s happening anymore, I close my eyes and huddle my body into a tight ball. I don’t know how long I stayed like that, an hour or so, until I heard the fight stop from a single crack. Everything went silent, and I start to sob hysterically as I knew that one of them must have broken the other's neck. I was ready to get up and run, even though my legs felt like jello. Yet, before I could a hand was on my back. it caused me to cry all over again, and I forced myself to not shake. I felt two hands go underneath me and i’m lifted up into strong arms. I keep my eyes closed, as I don’t want to look at the creature carrying me. It walks down my hallway into my room, as I feel it lay me down on my bed. Then it laid down next to me. I felt the creature wrap it's strong arms around my waist. We both stay silent for such a long time, I heard my heart pounding. Being finally brave enough, I open my eyes to see a simmering black pair staring at me. It was Eddie. I pulled away to look at him fully, and could see the blood an the scars on his body. Our eyes locked and I could see his sadness. It made me feel sympathy yet strong fear of him at the same time. “What- why, did you kill Tom?” I whisper, feeling like I was his next victim. He lets go of me as he moves to sit on the corner of the bed. He looks human again, and I notice his hair to his shoulders look beautiful, and his dark skin shines brightly against the moonlight. Finally I hear him sigh, and he turned his body to face me. “Tom was going to kill you.” He simply states. I feel my heart stop beating for a moment, and new tears fall down my cheek. Was he telling me the truth, or was he just trying to lie to me? Why would Tom of all people try and kill me? “Why would he try and kill me Eddie!?” I raise my voice, feeling anger at his words. Yet Eddie just shakes his head, and with a forlorn look he shuts his eyes while getting up to leave. “Wait, where are you going!?” I yell after him, but know it’s useless since I can't even chase him while i’m shaking in fear. When he finally goes down to the front door, he turns to glance at me one last time. Without saying a word, he disappears right at the spot. I was left there alone, with only my thoughts to keep me company.

…

Weeks go by after the incident with Tom and Eddie. Tom’s family just disappears and I assume it’s because they don’t want to be discovered, or never existed. As for Eddie he hasn’t shown up to school for weeks now. Me and Lucy morn for our dead friend, and I refuse to tell her the truth. I refuse to tell anyone actually the real truth of how Tom died. My father ask how the door broke down, and I had to lie and say I didn’t know. It feels crazy for me to lie, but it’s crazier to tell the truth since no one will believe me. It consumes at me every night, day, and I’ve been losing weight from not wanting to eat anymore. However, this night strangely, I find flowers next to my window. I asked my dad if he left them there, and he said no with a very confused look on his face. Soon, it’s not just flowers that are left there but jewelry, stuffed toys, and sometimes candy bars each night. I wanna laugh at what I get, but the feeling of dread for my dead friend drains me more. One day in particular, I was walking home alone when I saw a figure under a streetlight. Not even a half a block away from the person, I knew it was Eddie. My anger rises up throughout my being, and I have to control myself to not yell at him. “Where have you been Eddie?” I say being right in his face, and he looks at me with a blank stare. He straightens up his posture though and puts his hands in his pocket. “I’m sorry I haven’t been around, and I’m sorry about your friend, Tom..” he looks down while saying all this to my face, and I just let out a small laugh not believing this shit. “Sorry is not gonna fix it, you need to explain everything to me, now!” He keeps his eyes cast down, but he nods his head and turns to walk down the street. I hesitate for a moment knowing I should have called the police, but I follow him down a couple of blocks until we're right in front of an old broken house. It's gray, and it’s windows are dirty with years of neglect. We walked through the door - well, what’s left of it anyways - and go down to a single room. There in the room is a bed, a couch, and a desk with a lamp on it. “Go ahead and sit wherever you like; are you hungry?” Eddie says, and I shake my head while walking over to sit in the chair at the desk. He shrugs, and lays down on the messy bed. “I guess you want to know the full story, right?” I nod in response, and that’s when he begins to speak. Apparently, The Tom I knew died a year ago. The last time I saw what looked like Tom was actually a creature called a changeling. These type of changelings go after people with strong hearts, and I was apparently one of them. Eddie knew from the beginning that the old Tom was gone, and he knew this because of his sensitive smelling, that only vampires have. Others like him hunt down bad spirits and evil creatures that try to eat humans for their life source. By doing so he earn an income, and free governmental protection. I barely hear what he says after that as my head feels like it will burst. He eventually notices my face, and can tell I’m not buying any of this shit. “ I’m not lying to you, in fact, I can show you.” Eddie stands up from the bed, and he does something that makes my skin crawl. He grabs a knife from under his bed, and he cuts down his arm. He leaves a severe laceration and a trail of blood pours down. “Stop that, what are you doing?!” Startled, I get up and grab the knife out of his hand, throwing it out the window. He just looks at me annoyed, and rubs the back of his neck. “Well, that was rude of you.” I was about to slap him across his damn face for saying that, but before I could he held out his arm to me. I could see that the arm he hurt was all healed up in a matter of seconds. It’s was like he never even cut himself at all. I slump back in the desk chair while rubbing my temple between my eyes. You gotta be fucking kidding me.

…

After that day I visit Eddie more, and we talk about other creatures that are out to kill people. He tells me usually to mind my own business, and it’s not safe to get me involved. Yet my friend did died a year ago from a paranormal creature, so I tell him it is my damn business. Since he can’t get rid of me, we usually go out patrolling during the night to see if there’s any monsters out. I actually start thinking he's kinda cute - even though he can be a jackass - his kinda sweet. During the day he shows up to school again, and I usually sit with him during lunchtime. Lucy doesn’t really understand why I’m doing this, but she started to join us during lunch as well. Tonight I was thinking of bringing him some dinner since the last time I checked his fridge, he had only old take out. I decided to come unexpectedly, because I wanted to surprise him. I walk to his front door and unlock it with a key he gave me. As I stepped inside I see that all his clothes are on the floor. Rolling my eyes, I picked them up and carry them to his bedroom. I call out his name a couple times, but Eddie doesn’t respond. I was starting to feel a little worried, until I heard water splashing upstairs. Not really surprised, I walk up to where the bathroom was and saw that the door was halfway open… I see him fully naked, and he doesn't look human any longer but his furry monster bat form. He has his head hanging back, and I look down his body to where his hands are resting at. I have to clasp my hands over my mouth to stop myself from gasping. He growls under his breath as he keeps moving his big hands up and down his dick. I feel bashful from seeing him like this, and as quietly as possible I go back downstairs. Walking to his room now feels very strange, as my body makes me painfully aware of how turn on I am. I wish I hadn’t seen that, but I try my best to calm down for it to not show. The minutes goes by until I hear footsteps come down the stairs. Eddie opens the door, and when I make eye contact with him I feel myself melt all over again. Their, with only a towel around his waist, I see his defined muscles on his stomach and arms. He has an average build, but with how the water makes his skin shine I have to look away. Timidity, I smile up at him to cover my shot out nerves. “Hey Ed! What took you so long?” Eddie nods his head at my response and looks at the door behind him. He then looks back at me, and he gives me a look that makes me gulp. “You saw me, didn’t you?” Eddy says in a low, but surprised voice as he walks to where I’m sitting. I flinch as he sits right up next to me. His so close even that water droplets fall on my pants. I could also smell the shampoo from his body, which is a mix between his man smell and strawberry smell. I feel my hands tightened around the sheets as my core heats up. I can’t even look him in the eyes anymore. “Well, it wasn’t on purpose…” I managed to lie forcefully, and I get up to walk away. However, I don't get that far as he wraps his arm around my waist and drags me down to the bed again. He leans over me, and our faces are only inches apart. “Do you know why I was masturbating?”  His gruffly voice closes into my ear, and I can’t even speak but shake my head. Eddie smirks, and I feel one of his strong hands go on my leg to my skirt. “I was thinking of you..” he says finally before placing his lips on mine. I feel myself melt under his touch when his hand goes all the way into my underwear, fingering my most sensitive spot. My breath comes out in shudders as I grind on his hand.  “Ed..” I mummer out, gripping his hair as he trails down his kisses to my stomach. Soon instead of hair, I feel fur underneath my hand. I look at Eddie to see he transformed into his bat self again, which is frightening but attractive at the same time to me. His eyes are all black now, and his fur shines a deep night sky color that I find breathtaking. His ears are pink and pointy, as well as his little snout. I hear him growl as I buck my hips, and he responds by grabbing my sides down with a strong grip. He looks me in the eyes as he moves up slowly to my face, and something heavy dropped on my stomach. His shaft is as big as half my arm, and seeing it vainly lines makes me want to touch it. I reach out, and hold his cock in both my hands and pump it up at a slow pace. “Ahhh..shit..” Eddie mummer now with a gravelly voice, and he bucks his hips to reply to my motions. Feeling my core ache, I can’t hold back any longer and move down his shaft to my pussy. Feeling my wetness make his shaft slippery, I lay my hands on his chest and ease on his dick carefully, taking my time to stretch myself out. Once I’m situated, he pushes deep inside with a thrust that causes me to scream, and before I can recover he thrust into me again. My insides feel like mush as our skin slaps together in the room making it echo off the wall. Eddie puts me on my stomach and rest his claws up against the wall. He then brings down his face to mine to say possessive words into my ears. “Your mine now, do you understand? You can’t ever leave me..” He thrust inside deeper, and my body shakes uncontrollably as my vision turns white. “E-Ed…!” I cry out, feeling my climax consume me as I cum all over his dick. Soon Ed moves at a rugged pace and with a low growl, I feel his cum all inside me. He bites my neck then, leaving a vivid red mark to mark me as his own. I lay down on the bed for awhile, not being able to move my aching legs. He gently pulls me down to lay beside his hairy body. While curling up, he shrinks back to his human self. “Are you okay?” He nuzzles my neck, and I pat his head with a lazy smile. “I’m more than okay.” giggling, I wrap my arms around his neck keeping our bodies close. “Will you stay with me, my lover?” He said hesitantly, and not feeling the energy to talk I just kissed his mouth, letting him know I’m more than happy to be his forever.

[fanfixsavelives]

Hooked [Dean Winchester x Reader] {Part 1}

You both knew what you were doing was going to come back and bite you in the rear end. After all… you were a witch, he was a hunter. Your father would kill you if he found out. Sam would definitely kill Dean if he found out. 

  It was supposed to be a one time thing. You’d even made a blood pact stating that it would be a one time deal, and then you would both return to your proper spots on the “food chain.” 

  It had started when Dean walked into the diner your family owned. You had taken a job there almost eight years before, when it was clear that your father (who was also the head of your coven) was not going to let you leave. From the very moment he walked in, he’d been giving the look. Your father had warned you about men like these- arrogant, cocky, sexy, and a little homeless looking. “These men could be hunters, poppet.” He’d instructed. Just to be rebellious, you’d made sure to gesture him over to the counter so you could serve him. He came over with a cocky swagger and a sexy smirk. He was wearing a suit with a tie that no doubt complimented his green eyes. You smiled at him and propped your elbows on the counter.

  “How can I help you, Mr. …?” 

  “It’s Agent, actually. Agent Wasowski.” His voice was surprisingly low and gruff.

  You chuckled. “You know you have a one-eyed Disney monster named after you?” You joked, taking a rag and wiping off a spot that had previously been taken by the town drunk- why he frequented the diner that only served him one beer when you were off-duty, you had no idea, but he never failed to show up. 

  Agent Wasowski rolled his eyes playfully before chuckling a little. “I’m sorry. That was a little childish. What can I get you Agent?” You asked. 

  “Actually, I need some information about the owner of this diner.” He sighed. “But if you wanted to get me a slice of pie over there and charge it to this card that I’m just gonna leave sitting out right here… accidentally? I wouldn’t arrest you.” 

  You rose an eyebrow. “Not supposed to eat on duty then?” 

  He shook his head. “Not when I’m interrogating the waitress. No.” 

  You winked and turned to the pie plate. After cutting a generously large piece of cherry pie, you set it on a napkin. “Whoops. I’m not supposed to put those on napkins! Oh well. We wouldn’t want it to go to waste, now would we?” You handed Dean a fork and pulled out the whipped cream. His eyes twinkled when you sprayed a huge dollop on his napkin, then on the pie. “On the house.” You offered. 

  “So, do you know the owner?” He asked before taking a large bite of pie. 

  You popped your hip out, placing a hand on your hip and blowing wisps of your hair out of your face. “I would hope so.” You answered with a chuckle. “Has he done something wrong?” 

  Dean shrugged. “He is a suspect in our case, but we don’t have anything concrete right now.”

  “Well, ask away. I’ll help anyway I can.” You smiled. You figured he was talking about a money mishap that your father had eventually had fixed. 

  “Did Mr. Y/L/N ever have any contact with Zachary Pillmouth?” He asked. Ah. So this is about Uncle Zac’s murder? 

  Your face fell a little before answering. “Of course. He ran our finances here. They were very close- grew up together you could say. He was like an uncle to me- to a lot of people in this community.” You were wiping the counter again, mainly to avoid the feelings that surfaced and distract from the tears that were trying to surface. 

  “Did he and Mr. Y/L/N ever have a falling out?” .

  You thought about it for a moment. “The more I think about it, the more I remember that they weren’t really talking anymore. Neither of them would tell me what happened, but I know Uncle Zac showed up here with some bruises. I never really thought about it, Zachary liked to box on the weekends.” 

  Dean pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. “Did you notice anything weird about either of them before?”

  “Well, Zac came in here the morning before he died… but he didn’t say anything. He didn’t even drink the coffee I gave him. I chalked it up to fatigue or a fight with Rita.” 

  “Does this symbol look familiar to you?” He asked, sliding a piece of paper across the table. You squinted. 

 “Um… yeah. That’s the symbol at Y/L/N manor. It hangs up everywhere. It’s ridiculous.” You scoffed. That symbol represented every negative feeling you had ever felt. It represented all of your failed dreams to travel. It represented the lineage that you hadn’t bothered to memorize, but all 9 of your brothers- being the suck-ups that they are- “had” to memorize. 

  “What do you know about Mr. Y/L/N?” 

 You shook your head with a sigh. “He was born in Liverpool, grew up in a boarding school, mostly. As soon as he turned 18 his parents sent him here with money and privilege. All he had to do was find a wife, settle down, and build the family business in the states.”

  “The family business of diners?” Dean chuckled. 

  You shook your head. “The family business of investing. The diner was an investment. In the town, in food, and in family.” You quoted. Your father had only told you that every time you complained about working a long shift. 

  Dean nodded, looking around. “You seem to know a lot about Mr. Y/L/N.” He observed. 

  You nodded, raising an eyebrow while wiping off another spot on the counter. “Well, I would hope so. My father has only told me those stories every night since I was old enough to understand words.”

  Dean choked on his pie. “Your father? Your father is Mr…”

  You chuckled. “Yup. Y/N Y/L/N.” You shrugged, holding your hand out with a huge grin. 

  Dean struggled to swallow his pie before reaching out to shake your hand. “I thought your dad only had boys?” 

  You shrugged. “I’m the only girl. Youngest of 10. I get left out a lot. But I’m also the most protected. It’s a complicated family relationship.” 

  Dean gave you a forceful smile. “I bet.”

  You looked at him in confusion. “Did I upset you?” 

  Dean shook his head. “What? No! Just a little suprised Mr. Y/L/N has his… daughter working as a waitress at a diner he owns.” He was lying. You could tell.

  “Well, after I turned 18, I tried to leave town, but my father wouldn’t allow me to. He said my family needed me to stay. So I got a job here. My plan is to eventually have enough money to at least move out of the house my father let me borrow.” You sighed. “Get my own place. One my father can’t barge into anytime he wants.” 

  The front door opened, and another tall man in a suit came in, looking around. “Dean, I got more information on Zachary. He was at the Y/L/Ns the night of his murder. And apparently, Zac had just outed Mr. Y/L/N for witchcraft.”

  Your heart dropped. Your father hadn’t told you that Uncle Zac was betraying the family secret. That probably meant that- your heart plummeted. You and Dean shared a look. 

  “Yeah. That symbol that we found on the body? It’s the Y/L/N family crest.” 

  You cleared your throat. “I’m sorry for interrupting, but if I understand this right, you’re accusing my father of murder.” 

  Sam sighed. “I thought Mr. Y/L/N only had boys?” The strange agent asked. 

  “It’s a long story.” Dean scoffed. “Look Y/N, I know it’s a lot, but-”

  You shook your head and held up a hand. “Listen, I know this may be strange- coming from his daughter of all people, but it’s not that far fetched.” You bit your lip, looking around. 

  “What do you mean?” The other agent asked, leaning in. “Are you saying that your father is capable of-”

  “Not here.” You whispered. You took your order pad and wrote your address down. “Meet me here at 7. I’ll explain more then.” You slipped the sheet of paper in between two napkins before sliding it over. “I’ll have to throw you out now, if you don’t mind. It avoids suspicion.”

  Dean pouted. “Can I at least finish my pie?” He asked. 

  “I’ll make you a whole pie later.” You offered before throwing them out.

[peace-coast-island]

Diary of a Junebug

Dining out at the Majestic Cafe!

We’re popping out the champagne bottles tonight for a majestic dining experience! 

Today’s the third year anniversary of the cafe’s grand opening. The place is run by Julie Nargarkar and Enid Zuberi. There’s also Hana, who prefers to be behind the scenes so we don’t really see as much of her but she deserves credit too. It was an idea that started out as “what if?” and then it grew into something big. 

The story of how they came together adds to this cafe’s charm and appeal.

First there’s Julie, who was an aspiring reporter. A few years ago, after graduating college, she landed what seemed to be a promising position at a trendy news site. Writing articles about pop culture isn’t really something she aspired to do but it was a popular website, it paid super well, and gave her connections.   

Although working there gave her a boost in her professional life, the environment at the office was terrible. Being one of the very few women in the office - especially a woman of color, Julie was subjected to a lot of shitty treatment by her colleagues and bosses. She held out for as long as she could before quitting a year and a half later right after the company won a web award. And by the company, it was actually her - reporter of the year. 

Publicly resigning from your work after winning an award was a power move and one that the company never recovered from. Basically when Julie went up to accept the award, instead of thanking her colleagues, she called them out on their misogyny, racism, and hypocrisy before announcing that she was glad to end her time at the company on the high note. 

Of course, the speech went viral. More women spoke up about how they were mistreated by the company, which led more people to come forward about how they were screwed over by how some of the reporters failed to give credit or outright stole from creators. So the company ends up shooting itself on the foot while denying everything and hasn’t recovered since. 

I have mad respect for Julie for taking them down like that.   

Not long afterwards, Julie and a friend started a lifestyle blog called Typewriter Keys. The blog updated twice a week - Julie on Monday and Leah on Friday. After the whole media blowout with her resignation speech, Julie debated pushing back the blog’s launch in case a bunch of trolls decided to crash the website. But in the end she decided to proceed as planned, assigning a couple of friends to moderate comments and block anyone who tries to stir up trouble. Within a few months the trolls stopped coming in hordes. 

Going from a toxic workplace to running your own business where you call all the shots was a refreshing change of scenery for Julie. Instead of drowning in deadlines and writing about clickbait stuff, she was free to pursue what she wanted to do. And the fact that the blog was super successful was rewarding itself. 

But at the same time, Julie felt something was lacking. As much as she enjoyed writing blog posts, she preferred it as a hobby. Although she puts in 100% in her work, it was getting harder and harder for her to sit down in front of her computer and write. 

Whenever she started feeling burnt out, Julie would go to a cafe to clear her mind and hopefully get out of her writer’s block. Most of the time it works and she’s inspired again. But as time went on, her writer’s block worsened and while being in a busy cafe helped her de-stress, she was uninspired to write, which then stressed her out again, leading to an unhealthy cycle. 

Eventually she decided to take a short break from the blog, which turned into six months. During that time, she found herself drawn to cafes and began taking an interest in the business. She would often travel out of town to explore different coffee shops, which is how she met Enid. 

Enid’s led an interesting life. She was a rags to riches story, though in a bit of an unconventional way. She was originally a waitress at a run down diner and then suddenly she was whisked away to another country as a possible suitor for a prince. Although she got along well with him and his friends, Enid couldn’t see herself living life as royal. Instead, she fell for Lady Hana Lee, a duchess and childhood friend of the prince. 

The next few years were a bit of a wild ride for Enid. From going on royal adventures, falling in love, and dealing with political/family drama - it was unreal! But after three years, it was getting tiring. The prince was cool but his relatives weren’t the best to get along with. Dealing with royal stuff was suffocating and it was taking a toll on Enid and the others.   

Although the whole purpose of bringing Enid and other women to the castle was to find him a bride, he instead chose his two best friends - a stablehand and a bodyguard. Did I mention that the elders are really homophobic and classist? 

Knowing that their families disapprove and have the power to ruin their lives if they don’t conform to their standards, the five of them snuck to another country to elope. Two other friends risked their status to help them carry out the plan. So as a result, a former waitress, a stablehand, a bodyguard, and four royals were banned from the country.   

None of them regret doing it. Mad respect to them as well. 

While the media was having a field day, the gang went globe hopping, meeting up with many friends who supported what they did. A few months later a princess and her friends followed suit after being inspired by them. Once the media attention died down, the gang felt that it was time for them to get on with their lives. As much as she loved traveling, Enid wanted to settle down so she and Hana moved to the coastal town of Willowdale while the husbands continued to travel the world. 

Adjusting to life in Willowdale was a lot easier said than done for Enid, and especially for Hana. They were able to get by so finances wasn’t an issue, which helped a lot. But they didn’t know what to do after spending over a year traveling. On one hand, it was good to take a break from a hectic lifestyle to reevaluate what they wanted out of their lives. But after a while it was getting stagnant and they were stuck in a rut they didn’t know how to get out of. 

Like Julie, Enid and Hana found comfort in coffee shops. They happened to run into each other in Silverkeep, a city near Willowdale. From there they became fast friends and would meet up at a new coffee shop at least twice a month. 

While getting to know each other, Hana wondered what it would be like to run a cafe. Willowbrook was a nice town to live in, but it was in need of a coffee place. Then that led Julie to think, why not? Enid, who has experience from working in food service, thought, it’s possible. Before they knew it, they were going back and forth on ideas about their imaginary cafe. 

And then one thing led to another, making their dream a reality. It wasn’t easy and they needed a lot of help along the way - but it was worth it! Julie, a coffee and tea aficionado, found that she enjoyed being a barista. Enid and Hana were content in the kitchen coming up with recipes.   

Along with food, drinks, and top-notch service, another important thing to consider is the environment. Being someone who often hangs out at coffee shops to either wind down or get productive, Julie wanted the place to be able to convey that. It’s more than just a cafe, it’s a safe space you can go to when you need time to yourself or need to escape. So that’s why there’s two sections - the main floor where it’s bustling with activity and an upstairs where you can get some privacy. There’s also a bulletin board with various resources and hotlines for those who need help. 

Three years on and Majestic Cafe is becoming one of the go-to places to visit in Willowdale. Julie and Enid have been featured in a lot of lifestyle blogs, podcasts, and vlogs - which is how I found out about Majestic Cafe. Also I enjoy hearing stories about people living their dream lives. 

While talking about what lies ahead for the future, Julie said that they’re working with a mental health clinic and a homeless shelter. The bulletin board with resources and hotlines has helped a lot of people over the years so she wants expand on that. A number of people have said Majestic Cafe literally saved their lives because they happen to walk by the board and see a suicide hotline or domestic violence hotline. So the cafe wants to expand on that by working closely with the clinic and shelter to bring help to those who need it. 

I’m so proud of Julie, Enid, Hana, and the Majestic Cafe team for their accomplishments!