#also. this book is very long and I can imagine if I weren’t listening to the audiobook it would have dragged a bit

[aroaessidhe]

2024 reads / storygraph

Where Sleeping Girls Lie

YA mystery/thriller

a girl who’s been home-schooled all her life attends prestigious boarding school after her father’s (last family member) death - and her roommate disappears the first night

as she starts to investigate with the help of her roommates best friend, she catches the attention of the most popular girls in school, and some of the popular boys.

she starts to uncover secrets about students at the school while the disappearance is dismissed by the school and authorities. But when a student turns up dead, things start to get more complicated.

sapphic, Muslim MC, twisty but slow-paced

[coral-melon]

Heya!! CM! (Get it your user!)

Its 🍓 again :3

Would you be able to write imagine/hc thingys how they would react to seeing your human form for the first time when you go to the human world with them! Im thinking along the flustered fluff/ possibility suggestive thoughts about mc =^=

Any of the brothers/dateables u want! But if your looking for specific just mammon & levi as personal preference :3

(AFAB preferred but No description of gender js cool too :3 )

Aghhh sorry this is worded so weird I’m not the best leaving suggestions i feel too askyy ;^;

Your writing is lovely and i can’t wait to see more!!

- 🍓

Hello again -🍓! Love the ‘CM’ nickname! And by all means, ask whatever you want and however much you want! I’ll always make the time to write any requests~

Also sorry for taking so long; I really wasn’t too sure how to write this, and I’m sorry but I kinda tweaked it and lil bit.. ^^’ I was going to make everyone but I ended up only doing Mammon cuz I thought it would’ve been a very long post. BUT! I can most definitely make separate posts for each of the brothers if that’s something you and others want!

A and as always, if it sucks just lemme know! Constructive criticism is always welcome >;)

Cotton Surprise

Obey me! Mammon x Sheep!MC

Genre: Fluff, crack/shenanigans, slightly suggestive

What’s it about?: Seeing your human form for the first time!

Not that many but They/them pronounce; mainly AFAB

A throwback to Lesson 19 from the original game but tweaked it as well

Edit: ((There were minor changes cuz someone made a comment that pointed out to me how maybe some people didn’t understand what I was telling. Totally my fault ^^’🙏))

None of them ever understood why you turned into a sheep. It happened as soon as you first arrived to Devildom. But the more time they spent with you, they got used to it — some even forgetting you’re a human all together.

One day, most of the Brothers were sitting together in the living room. It was mostly quiet until Asmo brought the question: “Hey, What do you guys think MC looks like if they weren’t a sheep?”

It left them a bit dumbfounded that they hadn’t even thought about it. They got so used to you being a sheep so it kinda just slipped their mind. It also got them to start bickering a ton of what they thought you’d look like.

— “What’s with all the commotion?” A voice interrupts their conversation. Lucifer walks in with you in his hand, talk about perfect timing!

— “We were just talking about what MC looks like if they were in their human form.” Beel explains.

— “Oh right.. none of you have seen them.” Lucifer remarked, chuckling softly under his breath.

— “What does that mean?” Satan says with already irritation in his voice.

— “Well, it’s only right that I know what MC looks like. I was the one who picked them, after all.”

This got many of them heated! Jealous that Lucifer was pretty much the only one that knows. Mammon, Levi and Asmo were whining about how that’s not fair, Satan was gritting his teeth, and Beel along with Belphie just sat quietly watching the scene. They quieted down once you said, “I could just describe what I look like, y’know.”

All of them gathered around like a bunch of kindergartners getting ready to listen to a story book. They payed such close attention to every detail you said and tried to visualize it in their head to the best of their ability. It only made them even more eager to see you for themselves.

And it didn’t happen until the very last moments before you had to go back to the human realm..

… With a true loves kiss! >;D

Cliché, I know. - -’

Mammon

After dipping the House of Lamentation, he ends up in who knows where but more importantly, away from Levi. After he was done huffing for air, both of you start laughing from the absolute fun of stupidity you guys had. You couldn’t help but think about how odd it must’ve look from someone else’s perspective.

You two eventually eased off and took the time to catch your breaths. And then realize the beautiful view you guys have of Devildom. He sits you down gently on the thick stone fences while he rests his body on it. There was a short, soothing silence between the both of you — a soft, cool breeze blowing while you watching the city lights together. Mammon eventually brakes the silence and says,

“Y’know what? It’s always fun whenever you’re around.. I’m always smilin’ and laughin’ when we’re together. There’s never a dull moment..” he says softly; when you look up at him, he’s not looking at you but can tell he has a blush decorating his cheeks.

You smile at him warmly, before looking down at your tiny trotters. You were a sheep till the very end.. you had fun, but you can’t help but get a little sad thinking about it. Like just now, you would’ve been able to run away with him instead of being carried like a pillow.

“W-Who needs the human world, eh? You don’t gotta go back! I want you right here in Devildom, I want you here with me, all the time..!” Mammon looked straight at you, you perked up at him once he said that. He looked at you as if you were the greatest treasure he’s ever had. He wasn’t kidding around, such an unusually serious and determined face…, you felt butterflies in your stomach.

There was a silence again, you looked at him with in awe eyes. He slowly leans in, you leaning slightly forward.. letting whatever was going to happen, happen. Until finally, his lips reached you.

☁︎ —Poof— ☁︎

Light clouds suddenly surrounds you, Mammon was completely taken aback; and then he just freezes. When the clouds disperse, it revealed you.

You felt.. different. Blinked a couple of times before you looked down again. And to you completely surprise, the troopers you looked at but merely a few seconds ago were replaced with hands! You touched your face, your hair, your legs.. they were all back! You give a yell for joy, your curse has been broken! But then you also realize how you didn’t have any clothes on… you looked at mammon — who had his face completely red and eyes glued on you, completely frozen in place. Which made you freeze for a moment.

(Him)→ ╭( ⸝⸝๐_๐)╮ (○□○) ←(you)

— “AAAAAAAHHH!!!”

— “AAAAAAAHHH!!!”

You tried to cover yourself to the best of your ability; but first of all, you can’t really cover much. Second, he already saw everything! Both of you were very flustered, embarrassed, and still shocked by what just happened. You weren’t a sheep anymore! What’s up with that?!

Thankfully, Mammon at some point finally snaps out of it and covers you with his uniform’s blazer. You grip onto it tightly and covering yourself to the best of you ability. You mutter him a ‘Thank you’ under your breath. But both of you were still quite frantic, looking at each other with wide eyes while huffing to calm you nerves.

“Aha! …Found you!” A voice suddenly says from a short distance. It was Levi!

“Oh shit..”

“Mammon, Give me back my moneeey!!”

“Yikes! Time to go!” He says, lifting you up into his arms and making a run for it. And man did he run! He probably ran faster than when he was being chased by Lucifer. Levi didn’t see it coming’.

You were in a daze, you’ve been carried by him countless times.. but today you felt like a princess that’s been swooped by Prince Charming — a very peculiar one, but still charming.

He — at some point — stops running and hid in whatever corner he thought was good enough so that Levi wouldn’t find you two. With his back to the wall, he collapses to the ground. With you still in his arms but making sure you didn’t fall. You can’t help but laugh and pull him into a tight hug.

Mammon felt like his face was going to explode any second now, he just couldn’t believe that he was holding the actual you — and naked at that! But whatever was going through his head completely perished once he heard your lovely laugh. You were so happy.. embracing him with all your new found excitement. It felt like it was only the two of you in the whole word, so nothing else mattered.

“You broke my curse, Mammon!” You say. When I say this guy’s ego got inflated, I mean it. He felt like nothing could stop him now. That’s right! The great Mammon just did that! No one else!

He takes a closer look at you face; he always kept in mind all of the details you said that day, but you looked way better than what he had imagined. He couldn’t believe his eyes…

You suddenly pull him in and give him a passionate kiss; and oof, was he over the moon! After that one, he starts feeling greedy. Just one kiss isn’t enough..!

—☁︎

Later on, he bought you a few clothes since, of course, you didn’t have any. And decide to go back home.

When he went back to the House of Lamentation, he wanted nothing more than to just sneak in without his brothers knowing. But much to his dismay, Levi was already waiting for him at the gates. And when he realizes that the person he’s holding is you, he goes hysterical and now the rest of his brothers know..

“Oi, that’s enough! Step aside! Can’t ya see MC needs to get to their room??”

He’s always looked out for you.. from beginning to end. You felt like you were falling in love with him all over again. It was hard to believe that life here was coming to an end.. You want to make the most of it before having to go back home. But at the moment, you just wanted time to stay still, just for a moment..

End

I had a lot of fun writing this! So tysm for requesting it -🍓. Tho again, I’m sorry for not really completing what you asked for.. I still hope I was able to put a smile on your face! Take care~

[actual-gremlin]

If you've read tsats what did you think about it :))

I am so sorry it took me this long to reply!!

I personally loved it! I know there’s been a lot of discourse over it, but I personally thought it was very well written. I also went into reading it knowing that I was not the age group it was targeted for. (Like all of Ricks books, it was targeted for preteens and young teens). I think that’s a key difference between me and some of the other readers.

:readmore:

I had a few favourites moments, so here they are!

Persephone and Will in her garden. That was a HUGE turning moment in Will and Nicos relationship, even though Nico wasn’t involved in the conversation. It was so meaningful! This was the start of Will actually getting character development!! I could honestly make a separate post about this interaction.

I also LOVED hiss-majesty looking up to Will. Like that was so sweet! Imagine you’re Will. You’ve met the trogs before and you weren’t treated with any respect. But you’re used to that. You’re used to being pushed aside and only being pulled back when you’re needed for something. It’s happening again. And not just to you. It’s happening to someone else, and they turn to you of all people to help. To look up too. Like I would just melt into a little puddle and never recover! And the ending where Will sees Hiss-majesty wearing the same Cheese Hat that he was wearing?? Literally SOBBED. (Can you tell I love their dynamic and I want more of it??)

Nico and Will escaping on the boat and kissing while Bob cried?? Please I was dying😂✋🏻 they’re having a moment, and then there’s Bob just wailing in the background!

Will and Nico calling Percy and Annabeth and telling them their plan to head to Tartarus and Percy and Annabeth looking at each other like 😳🙊 ‘maybe they mean Tartar sauce? For fish? Yup that’s what they mean!’ They were in so much denial and it was so funny for no reason? Anyways.

I (obviously) love the Cocopuffs! Their introduction was definitely weird and off putting, but- and listen closely folks- THAT WAS THE POINT!! IT WASNT MEANT TO BE PRETTY! OR NICE!! BECAUSE TRAMA IS NONE OF THOSE THINGS!! The whole point was that it made you feel icky and uncomfortable! I could make a whole separate post about this (please ask me too) but the design of the scene was to be uncomfortable, and it hit its mark. anyways the Cocopuffs are lovely 🫶🏻

I also adored the ending where Nico talks to Bianca and his mother Maria and gets closure. Was it canon compliant? No. But it was still a sweet sentiment and I enjoyed it.

I think Rick and Mark Oshiro did a fantastic job with this book. also thank you for this ask, because now I need to go reread TSATS! If I find anything else, I’ll be sure to reblog this post with the additions!

Thanks for the ask!! (Please send me more! I swear I won’t forget them in my drafts like I did with this one!)

[writingforatwistedworld]

Feedback would be great as I am still very insecure in my skills writing longer fics.

You can find the first part here on AO3.

Otome au

I do not take any responsibility for you reading this no matter which age group you are from!

WARNINGS: Yandere themes, stalking, obsession, possessiveness

Sweet poison-Pt. 2 (preview)

If Vil could turn back time he would.

Hearing something tear the young King looked down at the paper laying in front of him, his writing feather piercing through, leaving a giant tear in the document. If he had known how hard it would have been making sure that he would survive and come out as the winner, the survivor, on top was something he had imagined a bit easier. And it was easy, at the beginning at least.

When Rook told him that smaller Nobles were starting to get dissatisfied with their as good as non-existing influence over the political happenings he had laughed. This had been the moment when he had thought that thing would come and go. Fast and without any trace once this was over. But no. A new player had entered the stage, involuntarily involving themselves with the plot, his plan.

He had started watching you out of pure curiosity. You had become something unpredictable in all of this. A green contrast to his own purple. But ok. Good. He was flexible. Vil thought that you would be just like any other servant, minding your own business but then you got close to Neige. And you didn’t even mean to.

To show his brother that the world was much darker than he thought it was, always seeing everything in a good light, Vil had ordered him to work. Being the shunned one out of the half-siblings Vil had always known that the servants would use you whenever they saw it fit and you would let them. Sooner than later he was instead of just polishing silverware cleaning the entirety of the courtyard. Foolish brother of his.

And then you came and helped him. In the beginning it was just a nice gesture. Helping him collecting all the small branches that had broken off of the trees but soon there was something akin to a friendship between the two of you. Neige, in his usual ignorant ways, brought books to read with you after the two of you were done.

Usually, commoners weren’t able to read so Vil thought that Neige ended back then his only friendship, you seeing this as something offensive. As if the young man was trying to put himself over you in social standing. But there you were, reading it to him without any struggle. That was when Vil saw that you weren’t like the other servants.

And this was also how he started to watch you more and more, through his mirror of course. You could only stare at a person so long until they noticed. Soon this became one of his daily activities. Laughing at the jokes you made, listening to your worries and making sure that you were at least treated politely by the others. Not like anyone was rude to you in the first place but one does never know.

Then the day came. The day on which Neige gave you his name. Only his first one, even his brother had enough sense to stop himself from giving you his family name since those were only reserved for people with titles. But Vil saw that you knew. That small slip-up was enough for you to realize that the person in front of you was at least of somewhat importance. He also knew that you would be even more of an enigma for him if you didn’t share things about yourself with Neige, and also with him, Vil.

The small distance the dark-haired male had to you was something that ignited the fire in his stomach even more. He as an onlooker could only dream of getting this close to you but it wasn’t like he could change anything about that. “Rook, I know that you are there. Come out.”

Appearing seemingly out of thin air the famed hunter made himself present. Vil never showed it but as always he was impressed with the skills of the blonde. If he didn’t know any better he might have confused him with an assassin sent after his head. “Oui? Is there something I can do for you?”

Placing his hand against the glass the king looked down at his brother and the individual he was so interested in. “Separate them and whilst you are already on your way, bring Epel here. There is something I need him to do.”

And oh, was it a glorious moment when your gazes crossed for the first time. To be fair, it couldn’t be a good thing for you, panic evident on your face, stumbling back into the castle all whilst thinking that you would be safe from his gaze in there. But you weren’t. You never were. All those times he watched you, you being oblivious to the eyes gazing through the mirror upon you whilst you traveled through dreamland.

And even Vil could see that his behavior wasn’t exactly “elegant” or “gentleman-like”. In fact, he sometimes was disgusted by himself but a desperate situation calls for desperate measurements. Apparently watching you like a hawk was one of those. But this couldn’t go on for all eternity (or rather as long as the two of you lived. Not everyone was like the king beyond the roses).

Turning his gaze towards the servant in the corner he took note of his position. But of course, he was close to him, always ready to do what he wanted, and easy to monitor. Perhaps this was the solution. Perhaps he just needed you as one of his closest servants. Perhaps this waste of space behind him was not as loyal as he claimed? Well, not that Vil card anyways. Soon that position would be free and you were ready to fill in.

Motioning with his fingers forward the poor soon-to-be framed commoner stepped closer. “I think it is time for us to allow others to rise in their qualifications. Did you see them? Train them. Do not waste time. I do not want to hear an excuse why you can’t.”

As he heard the door shut behind the man another standing right beside Vil took his attention. Smiling he focused on the violet-haired individual. “Epel, I think there is something I need you to do and prepare for…”

[maverick-werewolf]

Werewolf Fact #69 (dude!) - Ancient Egypt

Well, I thought this month would be about something else, but my patrons spoke differently! And I always listen to my patrons when it comes to folklore facts.

So, without further ado, let’s finally get back to werewolf facts! This is a big one, as it’s a lifelong favorite topic of mine!

An ancient Egyptian mask worn by a priest during rites performed for the dead, who would have “taken on the aspect” of the wolf-headed god Anubis

Let me just open by saying that I absolutely love ancient Egypt. It’s fascinated me since I was a small child and I was reading a tiny children’s book about cats, and ancient Egypt was discussed. Naturally, when I found out about Anubis, I was even more interested. Then came games like Age of Mythology and many movies... especially The Mummy (1999), of course. Anyway!

Ancient Egypt didn’t have a negative opinion of wolves. In fact, several important deities had wolf heads and were associated with wolves. Let’s begin with something that’s always interested me, which is the city of Lykopolis (as it was called in Greek)...

More under the cut, since this post got so lengthy!

Lykopolis (ancient Egyptian transliteration is something like “Zawty”) was an important city located on the western bank of the Nile, capital of the Thirteenth Nome of Upper Egypt during about 3100 BC. The primary deities of the city were - as you might imagine - Anubis and Wepwawet, both wolf-headed gods. Mummified wolves (golden wolves, not jackals; more on this momentarily) have been found in various excavated chambers throughout the city ruins, of which very little still survives.

The city has a very fun story behind it, as told by Greek historian Diodorus Siculus. In the first century BC, an army of Nubians invaded from the south - but they were repelled by packs of wolves. These wolves drove the army from the southern borders of Lykopolis and then back beyond the borders of Egypt. According to Diodorus, this is why Lykopolis was called “the city of the wolf” and revered wolves and wolf-deities so greatly.

Some sources claim that these wolves were summoned by the god Osiris, who was also worshiped as a wolf in Lykopolis, and had also, at one point, taken the form of a wolf. I will admit I personally haven’t read this source, as it’s in French, so I can’t fully attest to that element of the story - I haven’t seen that one cited very often in various specifically ancient Egypt history sources. Regardless, it’s fun if true. Either way, the tale of the wolves driving back Egypt’s enemies was definitely recounted in detail in a primary historical source!

By the way, you’ll hear a lot of people refer to these deities as “jackal-headed.” It’s very popular still to call Anubis the “jackal god.” We now know, though, that the animals in question were in fact not jackals - they were indeed wolves. Scientists for a long time asserted that they for some reason knew things better than the ancient Egyptians and Greeks who actually lived during the time period and retroactively dictated that they weren’t wolf gods, they were jackal gods.

However, the Egyptian jackal was discovered to be a species of gray wolf. You can read a lot about that here in this article, regarding how people didn’t believe wolves lived in the area during those time periods, but we found out they did, and we also found out that the mummified wolves in Lykopolis were - yes - wolves, like their contemporary cultures said.

A quote from the article: “the Egyptian jackal is in fact a gray wolf. ‘We now know that wolves were indeed in Africa in the days of the ancient Egyptians—and long, long before,’ says Stenseth.”

I honestly don’t know why everyone thought wolves couldn’t have lived in the area during these time periods (when we know perfectly well a wide variety of animals inhabited regions they no longer inhabit, and that we discover new species in the deserts even to this day) or decided the ancients didn’t know what they were talking about, but anyway...

Another fun fact, by the way, is that the word “jackal” didn’t even enter the English language until the 1600s, borrowed from French, which in turn was most likely borrowed from Persian - not Egyptian. The animals in Egypt were wolves, and we now know that they were also wolves scientifically. In fact, some scientists even believe it’s possible that jackals (as in actual scientific jackals, not golden wolves) didn’t find their way into the Egyptian region until much later, when these wolf gods would have been well-established. They may have followed travelers out of Arabia. This is speculation, though, but regardless, the long-believed-to-be “jackals” of ancient Egypt were all wolves. So it sounds like we should’ve believed the ancient Egyptians and Greeks in the first place, huh?

Long story short - Lykopolis was indeed a wolf city, wolves drove invaders out of Egypt, and Anubis, Wepwawet, and Duamutef were wolf gods. Not jackals.

Please note that there are those who would argue with me that some of them are jackals and some are wolves, or that they were all jackals, or whatever else, but in my personal opinion (and the opinion of many historians and scientists), it’s very clear across depictions, mummified wolves, historical accounts from both Egyptians and Greeks, etc., that these many Egyptian wolf-related beings were what we now call “golden wolves” or “Egyptian wolves” (and sometimes referred to as “jackals” still despite their genetics), which are indeed gray wolves, and not a species of true (genetic) jackals. There also exist theories that these wolves are something that no longer exists, and also that the modern animals we have are interbred wolves and jackals. Theories abound, whatever the case.

Then of course there are those who say that Anubis was the jackal-headed god and Wepwawet was the wolf-headed god, due in no small part to inherent biases that wolves only come in “gray.” I think those are all very silly, especially as we already know that colors in ancient Egypt were highly associated with ritual and meaning, rather than directly stating that Anubis’s head was black because he’s some kind of black-backed jackal - which don’t even have black heads, anyway. We have multiple associations between Anubis and wolves, and just because Wepwawet was often depicted with a grey or white head doesn’t make him a wolf and Anubis something different. Therefore, I personally will continue to refer to all of these as wolf-headed gods, and I apologize if that bothers anyone.

Sorry. Brief Mav-rant there. More important things to follow, because we haven’t even talked about those deities yet!

So now let’s talk about these gods themselves...

Anubis in the book of the dead (which was not actually a book)

Easily my favorite thing in all of ancient Egyptian mythology, Anubis (known by many other epithets, including but not at all limited to "Lord of the Sacred Land," "He Who is Upon his Sacred Mountain," "Master of Secrets," and "He Who is in the Place of Embalming”) is the god of the dead. He was the protector of graves, guardian of the dead, the shepherd of souls passing into the afterlife, and many more roles, including the ever-important Weighing of the Heart (as seen above), the results of which would dictate whether or not someone was allowed to enter the afterlife - or if their heart was devoured by the monster Ammit and their soul destroyed forever.

Anubis was depicted with the black head of a wolf. His head was colored black because black was the color associated with life, the life-giving soil of the Nile River, regeneration, and embalmed bodies, and he, of course, is also the god of mummification. Anubis is one of the single most important deities in all of ancient Egypt, depicted and mentioned very frequently, even more than most any other deity - however, despite this, there are almost no stories actually involving him.

But no, Anubis was not “evil,” as much of modern pop culture would have you believe! (Sorry The Mummy Returns, I love you to death, I really do - but it was super rude to make Anubis evil.)

Long story short, Anubis was freaking awesome, and there’s way too much to say about him and his awesomeness for just one post. Maybe I’ll do a separate post all about him later, because he’s a personal obsession of mine.

Anubis’s brother (at least, he is considered to be this by some) was the god Wepwawet, another wolf-headed deity. Wepwawet was a man with a white or grey head of a wolf (though some think he may have also had a black head like Anubis, but others claim that is not the cause and the coloring was on purpose as we have seen it in too many different places - still more claim it was just the artist’s preference; it’s hard to know any of these things for sure)...

Wepwawet with Pharaoh Seti I (try not to read that in Ardeth Bay’s voice, I dare you. I don’t know why you wouldn’t want to, though)

Like basically all deities of ancient Egypt, Wepwawet is a complicated god, a deity involved in some funerary rites, but especially associated with war and royalty. Wepwawet means “opener of the ways,” and he was depicted as a man with the head of a grey or white wolf, as well as wolf at the prow of a solar boat, sometimes said to lead armies, to scout, and even to have the honor of going before the pharaoh himself. He is also known by the title “one with sharp arrows more powerful than the gods.”

A very important god, Wepwawet is one of the oldest gods of Egypt ever recorded, and he was always associated directly with royalty and specially the pharaoh. He was said to accompany the pharaoh on his hunts, as well as protecting the pharaoh in life and the afterlife - he is a symbol of divinity of rule and of kings in general. He is, for certain, a very good deity, rather than some kind of evil wolf of Western literature.

And lastly among the prominent wolf-headed deities, we have one of the four sons of Horus, Duamutef...

The four sons of Horus were depicted upon the canopic jars (jars containing certain organs of the mummified dead) starting in the First Intermediate Period of Egyptian history, which was around 2181-2055 BC. Each deity protected a different important organ; Duamutef, the wolf-headed god, always protected the stomach and represented the direction of the east. Please note he was not always depicted with a black head like Anubis; sometimes he also had a white or grey head. It varied. Likewise, in later periods, the forms of these various gods were sometimes mixed up, and a different son of Horus would have the wolf head. These deities were depicted not only on the canopic jars, but also on many other funerary artifacts, including the sarcophagi that would contain the jars.

So we have all these wolf-headed deities... but does any of this tie into werewolves at all?

Well, it doesn’t, really. There seems to be no indication that Anubis, Wepwawet, Duamutef, or anyone else did any particular shapeshifting, and they certainly weren’t cursed. They were gods. Anubis and Wepwawet are both sometimes depicted as simply a wolf as opposed to a wolf-headed man - as many of the Egyptian gods are depicted as their animal counterparts, including Ra, Horus, Hathor, Sobek, and many, many others - but that’s merely his animal aspect counterpart. Depictions and aspects of the gods of ancient Egypt (and also, later, how Rome and Egypt intermingled some of their deities during the Roman occupation, such as Hermanubis) are extremely in-depth topics. I’ve always loved studying them, but they are immensely complicated - certainly far too complicated for this post! So let’s get back to the matter at hand...

I’ll be honest, I have yet to find a credibly-sourced legend that talks about anything like an ancient Egyptian “werewolf.” I’m pretty darn sure they didn’t have anything remotely like what we consider among actual werewolf legends, my friends, and especially none that meet my personal criteria. The ancient Greeks, however, absolutely did, as you probably know if you’ve spent time browsing my werewolf facts masterlist (link at the bottom of this post!).

Wolf-headed gods, however - yes, they definitely had those, and no, they were not “evil gods.” In fact, some of them were very highly revered and associated directly with necessary aspects of life and death, as well as with pharaohs.

Speaking of, if you love ancient Egypt (and also adventure movies), you should absolutely check out my new novella that came out just this past June - Wulfgard: The Tomb of Ankhu!

It is the first of two short novellas that tell an exciting tale about adventure, an ancient curse, mummies, memorable characters, and last but not least lots of Anubis and other legends, all of it set in the vast ancient-medieval dark age fantasy realm of Wulfgard: a world where all myths are true.

Every book release means the world to me, and this one is no different. I’m very proud of this story, and I really think you’ll enjoy it.

Deep in the southernmost deserts of Wulfgard lies the resting place of Pharaoh Ankhu the Endless, one of the greatest evils the land of Kemhet, or the world, has ever known. So terrible was his power that the gods themselves cursed him, sealing him away in an underground labyrinth. Ankhu rises with each darkening of the moon, a walking mummy, wandering this tomb in search of his own still-beating heart, without which he can never reach the afterlife.

Over untold ages, Ankhu’s tomb remained undiscovered, a secret protected always by the loyal Medjai, an order sworn to guard Kemhet from all threats. And now, a new threat has arisen: Lord Tefnahkt the Red, a powerful warlock, drives his cult and his many slaves to uncover Pharaoh Ankhu’s resting place and steal the mummy's power.

While a small group of Medjai desperately work to stop Tefnahkt’s plans, one slave may become the key to putting an end to this evil once and for all: Djedar Rath. In a race against time, Djedar must lead the Medjai to prevent Tefnahkt from opening the tomb of Ankhu before the coming of the new moon, when the undead Pharaoh will awaken once more. For, if Ankhu escapes, the world will never survive his wrath.

Inspired heavily by real-world ancient Egyptian and other mythologies - but with many original additions and elements - as well as the classic character-driven adventure genre that mixes aspects of action, thriller, and horror, with a tasteful sprinkling of levity, The Tomb of Ankhu is a tale of non-stop adventure and excitement that will leave you on the edge of your seat! Now available in ebook and paperback!

Go here to purchase on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C8897R1K

Readers have been really enjoying this one! The second one has been in the works for quite some time already, so expect news about that in the coming months, as well.

Hope you enjoyed the werewolf fact this month, even if it was kind of more a wolf fact. But, myself, I have spent my entire life captivated by ancient Egypt, so I love this kind of stuff.

Thanks for reading, and until next time!

( If you like my werewolf blog, be sure to follow me here and check out my other stuff! Please consider supporting me on Patreon or donating on Ko-fi if you’d like to see me continue my works, including my folklore blog and writing my own novels, werewolf and otherwise. Every little bit helps so much.

Patreon — Personal Website (new and improved! Great starting point!)  — Ko-fi — Wulfgard — Werewolf Fact Masterlist — Twitter — Vampire Fact Masterlist )

[the-mighty-mittens]

Incorrect end roll quotes yippee

Gardenia: I dare you-

Yumi: Russell is not allowed to accept dares anymore.

Gardenia: Why not?

Russell: "I have no regard for my own or others personal safety", as some would say.

Russell: Thanks for pulling the fire alarm, you saved me from giving an oral report about The Scarlet Web.

Gardenia: You were too lazy to read the book?!

Russell: I was too lazy to watch the movie.

Cody: So I can either do something dumb that could very well get me injured or I can listen to Dogma and not do the thing,

Cody: Well there’s a clear right answer here.

Cody: *proceeds to throw five packs of mentos into a barrel full of diet coke*

Tabasa: You're ignoring all your problems.

Russell: I know.

Tabasa: You also know it's an unhealthy coping mechanism?

Russell: I'm ignoring that fact as well.

Tabasa:

Cody: Who the fuck-

Dogma: Language!

Cody: Whom the fuck-

Dogma: No.

Informant: *slams books down in front of Russell*

Informant: Boil up some Mountain Dew. It’s gonna be a long night.

Russell: You could of said literally anything else.

Informant: Cauldron boil and cauldron bubble, Baja Blast to fuel my trouble.

Russell: I’m going to just stop challenging you when you say random shit. I won’t win. I realize this now.

Russell, playing a video game: How do I play?

*Russell has drawn first blood!*

*Russell is on a killing spree!*

*Russell is on a rampage!*

*Russell is unstoppable!*

*Russell is dominating!*

*Russell is godlike!*

Russell: Don’t worry guys, I figured it out.

Chris, holding in their laughter: Hey, how do you ask a glass of water what it’s doing?

Russell: A glass of water is an inanimate object. Therefore, it's incapable of having a thought process or understanding basic human language.

Chris:

Chris: Water you doing?

Chris: Welcome to my very first vlog, in which I try different hair products!

Chris: *sprays hairspray in their mouth*

Chris: Well, right off the bat I can tell you this one is not very good.

Chris: So I got this amazing plan!

Russell: We fail almost every time you say that.

Chris: Well this is the same! But with a hamster involved.

Chris: What do you have?

Russell: A KNIFE!

Chris: NO!

Chris: Life is like Russell. It's short.

Chris: I don’t go looking for trouble. Trouble usually finds me first.

Russell: Sometimes, I don’t realize an event was traumatic until I tell it as a funny story and notice everyone is staring at me weird.

Russell: I’ve been described as a ‘heartless villain’ and a 'little shit’, but I prefer… 'has alternative ways of having fun’. (Note: Russell... No)

Russell: Of course I have a lot of pent-up rage, you fool! I've been the same height since I was twelve! (Note: I already did this joke but here it is again)

Gardenia: You look mentally ill.

Russell: I am. Let’s go.

Russell: Well, well, well, if it isn’t the consequences of my actions.

Dogma: My life is a little too much panic and not enough disco.

Gardenia: My life is a little too much fall and not enough boy.

Kantera: My life is a little too much chemical and not enough romance.

Russell: My life is a little too much imagination and not nearly enough dragons.

Cody: Did you have to stab them?

Russell: You weren’t there. You didn’t hear what they said to me.

Cody: What did they say?

Russell: "What are you going to do, stab me?"

Cody: That’s fair.

Kantera: What's wrong with you?

Russell: Off the top of my head, I'd say low self-esteem, a lack of paternal affection, and a genetic predisposition for anxiety and depression.

Gardenia: iuegrukfhoeuhfeoruhf

Dogma: What is that?

Gardenia: it’s a keyboard smash

Dogma: How do I do it?

Gardenia: just press anything

Dogma: 7

Gardenia: Seriously, Russell, how many people would you have killed if we’d asked you to?

Russell: That’s not important

Gardenia: I DISAGREE.

Cody: Russell, what do you have?

Russell: A KNIFE!

Cody: Okay, have fu-

Yumi: NO!

Cody: Fruits that do not live up to their names; passionfruit, grapefruit, honeydew and dragonfruit.

Cody: Fruits that do live up to their names?

Cody: Orange.

[acopenhagenarmy]

PART EIGHT

Pairing: Namjoon x Reader

Warnings: bad words and such, a shit ton of fluff as usual, hints of smut? (very very very pg though)

A/N: This is an updated version of chapter 8. I’ve also taken the liberty to change a few details throughout the story, so I would recommend a fresh read before starting on this one. 

Wordcount: 2,4K

/ Moodboard / Teaser / One / Two / Three / Four / Five / Six / Seven / Eight / Nine / Ten /

Taglist: @purpletaehyung92 @just-call-me-trash-can @undiscovered1personality

The staff had made sure you’d get a seat where you had a good view of everything, You could see them dance around and have fun but without being distracting. It was fun sitting there, army bomb in hand listening to the exciting conversations of those sitting close to you. 

It was in the VIP section, and despite having a private toilet and a little more comfortable seats, the difference between you and the rest in the arena weren’t that prominent. 

You sat down at one 

“Are you here alone?” The person next to you asked. 

“Yeah kind of, first time” You smiled at her. 

She was beautiful, full lips, long hair, stilettos and a dress. Looked like she had been plucked out of a movie, the kind of woman who anyone would love to be best friends with. 

“Well you’re in for a treat! I can tell you that much! They’re amazing on a stage, every single one of them” She was all smiles as she spoke, the pride of being their fan was very visible. 

You couldn’t help but think about how kind all the people in the stadium seemed, helping each other, giving out freebies, dressing up and singing along to the songs that were played on the screens while they waited for the concert to begin. 

“I can imagine” You answered as you looked over the crowds. 

“So who’s your bias then?” She asked curiously as she took a sip of her wine, offering you a glass in the process, which you happily accepted. 

“Namjoon, no doubt” 

She looked you up and down. “Yeah, I can see that” 

“Really? How?” You asked curiously. 

You wanted to know just what about could make a stranger think you’d be somewhat connected to the man. She shrugged and smiled even wider. 

“I don’t really know… Might just be your energy. It seems like you have passions, good friends that surround you. You’re grounded in a way” 

She wasn’t wrong, but you were also a little scared that she had been that good at reading you, despite only just meeting you. 

“Damn…” you said. 

She laughed: “Yeah I’m pretty good at these kind of things” 

“So who’s your bias?” You asked, trying to read her like a book as well. 

“Oh I’m Jin all the way, always have been, always will be” 

There was a sparkle in her eyes that seemed somehow familiar. The same sparkle Namjoon had in his eyes when he talked to you. It made you curious, and you wanted to pry her for more information, but instead you just made a mental note. 

“Seen them before?” You asked instead. 

“Yeah, I try to watch them whenever they tour in whatever country I’m in. I travel a lot for work, and from time to time they’re doing concerts in London, Osakar or LA when I’m there as well.” 

“Uh! It’s starting!” She said before you had a chance to answer, and clapped her hands. 

The music was loud, and the lights from every army bomb lit up simultaneously. It looked beautiful, and it was definitely a new kind of concert experience. The video’s then started on the screen and not long after he was there, on the stage performing. 

You cheered him on, smiled and screamed more than you would like to admit. You could feel how your heart was bursting with pride. How could you be so lucky that your man was so talented. 

His song was beautiful, and he somehow looked like he was glowing when he was on stage. The lyrics were so beautiful, and you suddenly realized that ‘forever rain’ might not be the first song he had written in your honor. And the “I live so I love” definitely felt like it was for you. 

People around you cried as they said their goodbyes, and Namjoon couldn’t help but drop hints to the fact that he was in love and had found his special person in the city that never sleeps. 

You said your goodbyes to the woman you had met, a little lost on just where to go now that the concert was finished. But as soon as you had left the door there stood a security guard ready to escort you back to your man and his friends. 

He was somewhat sweaty, but it somehow suited him perfectly. He felt right at home in the chaotic mess that was staff running back and forth trying to get a hold on Jungkook who had decided he wanted to see his fans leave the venue. 

He smiled as soon as his eyes found yours, leaving the stylist behind who tried to remove both necklaces and earrings from both him and Jin at the same time. 

He pulled you close instantly, just holding you, resting his cheek on the top of your head, inhaling the scent of you, enjoying having you here with him. 

“How was it?” He mumbled quietly. 

“It was perfect, you were perfect! You all were” You said and looked up at him. His hands were resting on your cheeks, caressing you or as you would say, driving you insane. You wanted so bad to kiss him, especially like this with pride in your heart. 

“I’m glad you liked it, we gave it a little extra since you were watching” He smiled and his eyes almost disappeared as his dimples reappeared. Cute. 

“Did you meet any people?” He asked, searching your eyes and your emotions for the smallest hint of sadness and loneliness. 

He had been a little nervous if you’d feel left alone and maybe needed someone to share the experience with. Normally he would have you bring your friends, have you in your own booth so you could all talk openly, but everything had happened so quickly. Next time. He thought. 

“No it was great, I sat next to an amazing woman. Jin biased.” You said and looked towards the oldest. 

“Ah yes of course she was! Beautiful I suspect as well?” He said and sent a wink your way. 

“Yeah she was, she dropped a shit ton of confetti though, don’t know why anyone would carry that in their bag” You laughed. 

“You never know,” Jin said, smile on his face, but the tone seemed a little sad. 

“We should get going, wanna come back to the hotel with us?” He asked you.

He was nervous, you could feel it. Afraid he was moving too fast, afraid you have had enough new experiences in one day and just needed your own bed, time to yourself. 

You took his hand and gave it a squeeze. 

“I’ve been alone long enough Joonie, I wanna stay by your side for as long as I can” 

You could see the blush that painted his cheeks as he looked down on your hands, afraid his heart would explode if he looked in your eyes. 

“Okay, good, I’m glad…” 

“Let’s go!” 

He never let go of you. Not in the car, not when you had to go to the elevator, not when he ordered you food. It wasn’t before he stood outside hit hotel door, he let go of you hand just to be able to open the door for the two of you. 

His hands were shaking, but you would be lying if yours didn’t do the same. 

The room was somewhat big, clothes spread throughout with a gorgeous view of the city. But it smelled like him, it was pleasant. 

You threw yourself down in the bed and he laughed. 

"What? This is a must in every hotel bed you know” You said, big smile displayed. And not even a second later he came flying towards you, resulting in you quickly rolling to the side, if you didn’t want to be crushed by the weight under him. 

The happiness you both felt in the moments you shared together was nothing you’d ever experienced. It was true happiness, it was love. No doubt about it. 

He pulled you close, the two of you laying on your sides, staring into eachothers souls. You were slowly creeping closer and closer. Both were too afraid of moving too fast, afraid to wake up and realize that it was all a dream. 

Before you knew it your noses were touching, and you could feel his warm breath on your face. Every hair on your body stood up. It was like there was electricity in the air. 

His eyes searched yours for permission, and all you needed to give him was a small nod, before he moved a centimeter, finally connecting his lips with yours. 

The kiss was soft, slow, and perfect. It felt like your souls became on. He didn’t rush, he savored every second. Sliding his tongue on your bottom lip as to ask for permission which you granted him in an instant. 

It earned you a groan from him and he instantly pulled you close to him. Your legs got instantly tangled with his, as his arms pulled you as physically close as your bodies would allow. His hands were rubbing circles on your skin, slowly yanking up your shirt earning him access to the skin on your hip. 

It felt like he lit your skin on fire, and you pulled him on top of you in an instant, resulting in him trailing kisses from your lips to your collarbones, as his hands yanked your shirt higher and higher, leaving goosebumps behind. 

His hands were warm, strong, and you’d never felt more safe than in that exact moment. 

Having the mark had so far only brought you pain, but being able to feel the excitement, desperation, pleasure he was feeling in this moment was worth it all. 

He laid himself on top of you, resting most of his weight on his arms, as to not smother you. Your legs instinctively flew around his hips, pulling him even closer, resulting in him grinding into you. It stole a moan from the both of you.  

But you were too consumed with the pleasure to even think about anything other than chasing the high both of you felt. 

That was until it knocked on the door and Jimin's voice said: “Hey guys, I have your dinner?” with a sweet voice. 

Namjoon pulled away from you and laughed. 

“I feel like a teenager who just got interrupted by my mother” 

You laughed as he got off the bed. You followed close behind him, not wanting to be too far from him. 

He opened the door and revealed to Jimin the two of you with red lips and messy hair. Big smiles on display. He laughed at the two of you. 

“Oh wow that’s a lot of snacks!” You sat as you saw the two ‘Ben&Jerry’s and four bars of chocolate in Jimin's other hand. 

“That time of the month?” Namjoon asked. It seemed like a pretty normal occurrence, but you couldn’t help the puzzled look that painted your features. 

“Pain mark” Jimin just said as an explanation. “She’s on her period so I try making it as comfortable as I possibly can for her” 

“I’m sure she loves that very much Jimin” You said and sent a smile his way. 

He nodded as he handed you the food, once again leaving the two of you alone. 

“Hungry?” Namjoon asked as he brought the bag to the bed. “I ordered you some of my faves, so I hope you like it” He was a little sheepish. 

“So what are the boys' marks?” You asked as you sat down on the bed, helping him unpack the feast that he had splayed out in front of the two of you. 

“Eh, Jins is lost things?” He laughed. 

“Lost things?" You asked as you took a whole dumpling in your mouth. 

“Yeah, whenever his soulmate looses something he wakes up to it on his pillow next to him. I have no idea how you loose a shoe, but, what do I know” 

You laughed. “Wow okay! That’s a new one.” 

“Yoongis is taste, that's why you’ll never see him order coffee from the same place twice. We’re pretty sure they’re a barista of some sorts. So he constantly search for the perfect flat white who tastes like the one she’s always drinking.” 

“Aww that’s cute” 

“Hobi’s is dreams” 

“So he dreams of her?” Namjoon made a face as he had just stuffed it with a giant piece of meat. 

He didn’t care, he already felt safe with you, at home. So he just kept talking: “No more like he has no dreams until he touches her, and then he’ll be able to see where she is, and if they’re asleep at the same time, then they can communicate” 

“Damn… That must be a difficult one” 

Namjoon nodded. “It is, so if you ever see him bump into strangers or poke people, just let him do his thing. He’s getting a little desperate” 

“Tae has wings?” 

You almost spit your food out right then and there. 

“Wait like small wings, or?” 

“No they’re huge” He spread his arms out to either side. “It’s completely insane, he prefers to hide them though.” 

“Wait what color?” 

“Black” 

“So like, Angel?” You asked, almost in chock. 

“Exactly like her, they’re in contact but because of her schedule and our tour they haven't been able to meet yet. He’s just waiting patiently. But we’re pretty sure that she’s the one” 

“Oh wow, and what about Jungkook then?” 

He sighed and started to fittle with the food that stood on the bed in front of him. “He got his mark covered” 

“I’m sorry what?” Your eyes were big, mouth open, jaw hitting the floor. 

“He wants to be able to choose his love himself. It’s why he’s over Star. She however wants nothing to do with him” 

“How come?” You took a big bite of the noodles, making Namjoon smile in the process. Seeing you enjoy his favorite foods made him happy. The two of you really were meant to be. 

“Her marks is tattoo’s, and she has already met her soulmate, he just doesn’t want her” He shrugged. “So she’s just doing her thing, working with what she loves, traveling the world with us!” 

“Enough about them! Tell me about you!” He said, as he sat back, ready for you to tell him his entire life’s story.  

[livvyofthelake]

what were the biggest differences btwn the book + the movie and did you feel like there were parts the movie did better than the book + vice versa 😋

girl from the summer i turned pretty tiktok sound voice oh my gosh i love this question!!!!!! ok. obviously the MAJOR difference between the novel and the film are the like. tenses with which the story is presented. and by that i mean the book is very past tense and reflective where the movie is very present tense and focused on the ephemeral moment. which is SO AWESOME btw. literally genius choice for adapting. many are not brave enough to do such a thing but thank god luca guadagnino was of our world would look very different. could you imagine if that movie came out and we had to read all that discourse for a movie that was also BAD? like i’m always saying this but at least no matter what we can always look back on that horrible era for being online and think well at least the movie wasn’t bad. but it could have been Very Very bad. can i drop a horrible piece of trivia on you all. actually i don’t know if we’re ready for that nevermind. anyway we move on. so the initial idea for the film was to have a narrator and i cannot even express how glad i am they didn’t do that. i think it makes the performances so much better that they did it all without the crutch of narration. which is not to say narration is always bad but in a lot of book to movie adaptations it really is a crutch and it sucks a lot of the time and it would have sucked a lot here so i’m glad the movie took the approach it did. like. in a book you can get into the protagonist’s mind a bit easier than with a movie but i think the movie makes it easy by really grounding the story in the moment. it’s summer and the world is beautiful and people are hard to connect with and it’s scorching outside but water is suddenly the best thing you’ve ever tasted in your life!! it’s a good movie guys trust me i wouldn’t lie to you. and i don’t even like armie hammer (me and my 12 year long beef i will never let go of. i don’t even know what’s happened with the man recently i know there was some kind of Cancellation or whatever but i don’t even care. he was cancelled to ME already before his career ever even meant anything). who narrated the audiobook which i listened to btw. so we’re all aware of the direness of the situation and just how forgiving and saintly i am. he unfortunately did kinda slay the audiobook it must be said. as much as it pains me to say.

as for other differences. a huge one to me is that in the book when elio cums in that peach oliver literally eats it. the movie was LAME AS FUCK for only having him joke about eating it. literally make him put that thing in his mouth i’m not kidding. another one is how the movie did part three and four, essentially cutting a lot of it for the sake of keeping the story present which we already talked about. but also there was just a lot of crap that happened in those sections that was boring and i liked that the movie was just like yeah they went to rome <3 like real say less! and the goodbye scene in the movie was also muchhh better for the movie i feel… i understand why the book didn’t get into it, because it was meant to feel like they weren’t actually saying goodbye and felt they would in many ways always be with each other if only in memory or whatever. but i liked the finality of it in the movie being this whole Event and he has to call his mom to pick him up from the train station bringing you back down to the crushing reality that he’s still only 17 and despite getting to like play grown up for the summer with oliver he literally still has to go back to high school in a month and he’s sad and he wants to call his mom to take him home… like that was crazy stuff wowie… i love it when timothee chalamet cries in a car. you guys should watch hot summer nights. it’s a terrible movie <3 i digress.

ANOTHER change i wanna talk about is that frankly the movie never gave misogyny vibes to me with how it treated the women in the story. where the book. well i said this earlier but. i don’t think andré cared about any of those women he wrote. elio’s mother in the book is so nothing and i loved how the film made her more of an active participant in both her son’s life and her own marriage. like she’s not perfect and she was never the weirdly omniscient figure her husband is but she’s presented in the film as very loving and kind and real where the book i swear literally forgets she exists. and then there’s marzia, elio’s sort of girlfriend sort of friend. it’s complicated. it’s not like he ever cheated on her that would imply they had an exclusive relationship understanding that was literally never real. that being said her involvement in the book was like. purely sexual and it was odd. now. this is a book about sex in many ways that must be acknowledged like. elio is like. incredibly horny the entire time and he’s so fucking annoying about it and i love him dearly. but marzia is reduced to a Female Body in a way oliver is never quite reduced to a Male Body and it comes off strange. like oh my god elio we get it you’re bisexual shut UP people like you are why people are biphobic jesus christ. that was a joke but also so real. marzia’s involvement in the movie is a lot more like. she’s a person with her own inner life. which i love naturally because it literally makes a narrative more interesting and juicy when the side characters are also human beings. not all men understand this.

my FAVORITE change from book to movie however. the “is it better to speak or to die” scene…. here’s the rundown. there’s a book elio reads about a princess and a knight who are friends but also in love, and she asks him “is it better to speak or to die?” wondering if he would rather die in peace and honor before getting to experience the love story they could share, or speak the truth and face consequences but finally have it known that he loves her and maybe get to experience even a brief moment of being truly known and loved. you guys all get it. you must submit to the mortifying ordeal of being known to get the rewards of being loved!! anyway so elio reads this book and then talks about it with oliver as a subtle reference to what’s between them as friends with the potential to be more. this is like an act one scene btw i should have clarified that earlier but you understand. anyway in the book it’s just that elio reads this book and tells oliver about it and then they spend the day together inching towards Talking About The Implications before they finally get into it. in the movie the book is read TO elio by his mother, which functionally changes nothing about the plot but EYE like way more because we get elio saying to her “i’d never have the courage to ask such a question” and then we cut to him trying to ask it but skirting around it and using the pretense of just making conversation about a book… also i think the movie’s way of doing that whole deal goes harder because we actually get to see oliver react to it. where the book is very elio focused the movie can have a lingering shot on oliver’s face as he reacts to what elio says from ten feet behind him… it’s my favorite part in the movie genuinely but it was kinda lame in the book… if it had been shot in a way that lent itself to the timeless video it would have been in the timeless video but alas :( like that scene is the whole reason they made it into the timeless video for real…. like IS it better to speak or to die!!??? let’s get into it!!!

something i liked about the book though that’s not in the movie is the inclusion of this character who’s like a little girl that lives near them. and she has like cancer or some horrible illness sorry to her i do not remember but she was friends with oliver, and frankly it made him in the beginning so much easier to forgive for the way he acts there. to be fair this was intentional she’s literally written to personify his redeeming qualities in the midst of elio’s hatred in the earlier stages. where the movie didn’t need her because film has the ability to show things a book can’t. but i liked having her hanging around :) her bailey the sisterhood of the traveling pants realness!

i probably have more to say but these are the big things i’m thinking of right now and this is already so long wow. i literally TOLD y’all i was gonna have boatloads of shit to talk about !!!

[bluethepineapple]

10 and 11 for weird writer asks!

10. Has a piece of writing ever “haunted” you? Has your own writing haunted you? What does that mean to you?

The most recent bit of work to haunt me is from @whinlatter's Beasts (which I highly recommend)! Specifically this piece:

They tried, I think, but couldn’t manage it. Some of them are really upset.’ Hermione leans down to try and pick up Crookshanks. He mews at her, before trotting meekly away. ‘Where were you tonight, anyway? You weren’t at dinner?’ ‘No, I went to Hagrid’s.’ Ginny leans down as Crookshanks approaches her, weaving himself between her legs before trotting off to settle down on the end of her bunk. ‘He made a pie. It was almost edible.’ Hermione, it seems, is not really listening. Instead she watches Crookshanks stretch his front paws out on Ginny's old blanket. 'What happened to them?’ she asks, after a pause, gesturing at the other beds. ‘Your dorm-mates?’ Ginny glances over at the bunks, bare, save for Crookshanks and her beloved Nimbus. She points at the bunks in order. ‘St Mungo’s, after Azkaban. Transferred to Beauxbatons. Dropped out, maybe being home-schooled, though I doubt it. And - still missing.’ She looks soberly at the last bunk. ‘No-one’s heard anything from her in months. Her parents are Muggles, they must be going spare.’ They’re quiet as they both get dressed for bed. As Ginny finishes feeding her owl, she looks over at Hermione, sat up in bed. There's a Muggle paperback book open on her lap, though she doesn’t seem to be turning many pages. Her eyes, instead, are fixed on a sleeping Crookshanks on the other side of the room.

For such a quiet scene, it felt so suffocating. Her relationship with Crookshanks here is this very tangible evidence of Hermione no longer fitting into her previous life. There is that very deep sense of having been left behind, of being replaced, of no longer fitting into her home. I will be honest, I found this part difficult to read. There is this very visceral sense of lostness and missing that I felt keenly with Hermione, and I have been thinking about it ever since.

For my own work, I recently re-read Sweet Summer Scents, and two lines come to mind for me :

“I can cook,” she said, willing and failing to keep her voice from choking. “It could even be delicious. Potions need quite similar skills to cooking I would have you know.” She brewed a NEWTs level potion at thirteen. Curry could not possibly be more complicated. She could do it. She could help. They still had time. They must still have time. “Of course.” He hesitated. Then a look so soft came over his eyes, as if she had revealed something precious to him. He smiled at her fondly. “I’m also quite certain you would rather be getting on with your book.”

As well as

There was a rustle of leaves and stupidly she wished that it was her dad coming back. Maybe a scream did escape her. Maybe he would demand the truth, and she would not lie. Maybe he would carry her up the stairs and tuck her into bed as if she were five and with a fever. As the pulse in her side turned into a full-blown blaze, she wondered if she could smell her own corpse again. She hoped her dad would not have to. In the pain, her hand spasmed. The wreath broke, her wilted privets scattered in the wind. The pain eased. There was no one.

The intensity of Hermione's longing is haunts me I suppose. It's that ghost of a home. The fact that her father is right there but is nonetheless unreachable to her anyway makes the resulting loneliness so visceral to me.

11. Do you believe in the old advice to “kill your darlings?” Are you a ruthless darling assassin? What happens to the darlings you murder? Do you have a darling graveyard? Do you grieve?

While I love imagining such scenarios, I have never actually written one. I think I would if it would serve the plot or the theme, but I've never actually tried, so I can't say for sure!

[bookaddict24-7]

REVIEWS OF THE WEEK!

Books I’ve read so far in 2022!

Friend me on Goodreads here to follow my more up to date reading journey for the year!

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235. Answers in the Pages by David Levithan--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I was intrigued by this book because of that first page--especially since we live in a society where so many books are being challenged by parents. The fact that a parent took a paragraph so incredibly out of context and made it the martyr for her fight against what is "safe for children to read" is the perfect example of someone put their opinions on something that could be innocent in nature. I also liked how Levithan wrote a warning at the beginning of the book because he knew that that text would be twisted into the cookie cutter version of "problematic" that the MC's mother wanted it to be. I will say, however, that the constantly shifting POVs were a little bit of an overkill. I understand why they existed, but at times it felt like it was a little too much and took me a bit out of the story. In the end, I understand why it was necessary. I just found it to kind of ruin the flow of the story a little (and I know these chapters also serve as a way of making the already thin book a little bit thicker.) I do recommend this book to kids who are thinking of coming out to parents, who are struggling with their own identities, or have simply witnessed an adult trying to censor a book they are reading and/or have read. I think it's important to have these conversations because it can open the world to a bunch of "why's" that some kinds might truly need.

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236. I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Listen, before you read this book, I would heavily suggest looking at trigger warnings if you have specific triggers you try to avoid. This book was a ROUGH read. It was fantastic, but it was rough. Jennette McCurdy is someone that I knew of in passing because the tv shows she was in weren't really on my radar since I was already older when they were coming out. But after reading this book, I'm left wondering if I would have looked at her during her busiest parts of her acting career and wondered what her life was like. One of the saddest things about this book, other than the obvious, is how this story is not 100% unique to her experience--there are so many kids who live with abusive parents who profit off their acting abilities. So many adults in Hollywood were raised with parents like hers and knowing this, some of them breaking down makes a lot more sense. What happens when your complicated relationship with your mother leaves you numb to the abuse, but also fearful of not making her happy? The candid way that McCurdy writes makes this question jump off the pages as she continuously tells us each horrible thing her mother did to her, but also every moment where she just wanted to please her. I was listening to the audiobook and there is a moment where McCurdy (who is the voice of her audiobook) starts to fight back tears. It was such a jarring experience because she read the majority of her book in a kind of monotone way--like a person who is distancing herself from the experiences she wishes to not associate with anymore, or experiences that one is trying to heal from. With all of that being said, trust me when I say that the title is extremely justified. I can't even imagine the mixture of grief and relief she felt after her mother passed away. I highly recommend this one, but again, please handle with care. This is EXTREMELY triggering.

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237. The Haunted Bridge by Carolyn Keene & Mildred Benson (Ghostwriter)--⭐️⭐️⭐️

I haven't read a Nancy Drew book in a very long time, but the books I own in the series have been giving me the stink eye for a while, so I finally picked one up. (Thank you to those who helped pick this one over on my Instagram). This was a fun mystery! I do love how Nancy never lets the spooky fully scare her off a mystery--especially when one or both of her best friends try to remind her that the situation is, in fact, terrifying. There were some points that were a little bit unbelievable and convoluted, but it was a fun ride nonetheless. Also, props to Nancy for having such a great moral compass. I can see why she would be such a great role model for so many young readers!

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238. Love On the Brain by Ali Hazelwood--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Unpopular opinion (maybe?), but I enjoyed this a hell of a lot more than THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS. It was so much fun and full of so many cute, funny, and sexy moments. Also, hello, the feminism? Bad ass. The STEM? Awesome. I loved the relationship between the MC and her twin sister. I loved how her voice would change when faced with a cat. I loved the love interest and his awkward way of getting all flustered around her. I also low-key loved the misunderstanding between them when they see each other again. They just worked so well together (even though she was one of those women who don't know how beautiful they truly are. The end surprised me, but I should have figured it out but I was too distracted by the blossoming love between the characters. This is a standalone, by the way, so I highly encourage you to enjoy this book even if you haven't read The Love Hypothesis or any of the STEM novellas!

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239. The Pool Boy by Nikki Sloane--⭐️⭐️

I won't lie--the age gap got me when I first came across this book. I was intrigued by it and thought it would be the perfect summer read. But I took it with me to Cuba for my two week vacation and...didn't even finish it then (I finished it a month later and by listening to an audiobook.) This book, while it had some very spicy moments, was...boring. I was bored at times and I think that's why I never found myself fully invested? The storyline was kind of meh and there were instances where other storylines could have been introduced but in the end, those moments felt kind of pointless? This was just meh and I'm kind of disappointed because I expected more. I do want to read the first book in this series some day, but now I'm a LITTLE wary.

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240. Hello Forever by Sarina Bowen--⭐️⭐️⭐️

While I enjoyed book one more (it’s one of my favourite romances), this was still enjoyable in that “I need to pass the time with some spice.” I think, much like the first book, this dealt with some pretty intense homophobia and I’ll say that you should check for trigger warnings before you read this. This was a quick read and it being a bit quicker than the last book made it so that the build up of the relationship was a little less powerful than the first book. I would have liked it to be a little longer so it didn’t feel as rushed. I’d definitely recommend this duology—especially book one!

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Have you read any of these? Would you recommend them?

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Happy reading!

[iobsessoverfictionalmen]

It's a highway to hell but, oh the things we do for love (6)

This fic is a Greek mythology au. This fic includes: betrayal, attempted human sacrifice, violence, choking, character death, cursing, forced marriage, mentions of nightmares, references to Greek mythology, enemies to lovers, and manipulation.

Tagging: @imwithyoutiltheendofthelinebucky, @greep215

Chapter 6

While it was helpful to have a suit of armour escorting you to the king’s throne room because a small part of you appreciated the small comfort of having a little bit of company, having the stubbornly silent suit of armour walk beside you did not ease your nerves about what Hades’ judgement would be.

“You didn’t kill her,” a voice whispered in the back of your mind.  “You simply transformed her and you protected Abigail, Dave, and Thanatos from her future schemes.  They still have their home because you took action.”

“Is there any chance of convincing Hades of that?  What proof can I offer?  If I don’t have any proof, it’s merely hearsay.”  You thought.

The voice was silent.

“Thanks for the help.” 

You heaved a sigh as you walked through the open ornate doors.  Unlike the last time that you visited the throne room, the king was standing in front of his throne and watching the doorway.

“I have found the spell to dissolve our marriage and send you back to Earth.”

Bewildered by the turn of events, you forgot why you had originally come to the throne room. 

“Oh?  Where was the spell?”

“On the back of the drawing that you had that Hecate showed me.  The page was the one that had been torn out of the book and an illusion spell had been cast on the back of the drawing to hide the words until my presence broke the spell.” Hades uttered dangerously, clasping his hands behind his back.  Many possible responses to the king’s statement came to mind but you couldn’t bring yourself to utter any of them as your mouth went dry.  Luckily, it appeared that the king was not waiting for a response and he continued talking as your mind reminded you as to why you had journeyed to the throne room.

“I shall begin the preparations tonight.”

“Your majest--”

“Thankfully I have all the necessary ingredients in the Underworld and there is no need to wait for any particular mystical moment like a full moon.  This isn’t the movies.”

“But--”

“It shall be better if you leave as soon as poss--”

“HADES!” Your patience snapped and the god’s name left your lips in a shout.  It was hard to tell who was more surprised at your exclamation, you, or the god.

The god raised an eyebrow, “I trust that whatever you need to tell me is important.  Otherwise you would be exceedingly foolish to interrupt me.”

You breathed in deeply as you lowered yourself to your knees and stared up at the god, “I wish to report that I committed a crime in regard to Minthe.  I will accept any punishment you deem sufficient.”

The king paled, “You did what?”  He asked menacingly.

Fearing that your bravery would desert you if you waited too long to explain what had occurred and since there was also the possibility that Hades would smite you if you didn’t explain yourself very quickly, you launched into your recount of what had happened in the gardens.  You weren’t even midway through your first sentence when the king held up his hand.

“Enough,” he commanded in a harsh tone.  “How do I know you are not lying to me?”

You shook your head, “If you could see my memories, you would know that I’m not lying.”

Relief passed across Hades’ face so swiftly you thought you imagined it, “Fortunately for the both of us, I can.”

Some of your nerves abated after you heard his statement, “What do I need to do?”

He stepped towards you and you fought the impulse to shuffle back as he drew closer, “Put your palms flat on the ground and concentrate.  Create a picture in your mind of the gardens,” your heart leapt at the confirmation that he had been listening to you, “and I shall take care of the rest.”

You rested your palms flat on the ground like the king had ordered you to.  Speaking of the king, he too lowered himself to his knees and with a gentle finger, he raised your chin so that you were staring into his eyes.  They were such a deep shade of brown and you knew that you would melt if he gazed at you softly long enough.

The king withdrew his finger from your chin and you had to fight the whimper that threatened to leave your mouth at the loss of contact.  Your pulse stuttered as he rested the pointer finger and his middle finger from his hands against your temples.

“Focus on the garden.”

Your brain took a few moments to process the order as it was preoccupied by the way the king’s breath fanned across the lower half of your face.  Eventually, the rational side of your brain won out after it reminded you not to keep the king waiting and you followed his low order.

It was hard to tell how long the both of you remained in that position.  You continued to focus on the mental picture of the garden and just as your legs were starting to become numb and your attention began to waver, Hades pulled away from you and climbed to his feet.

“I have seen enough.”  He stated.

You also ascended to your feet.  If you were going to die, you would not cower away from it.  Plus, if there was even a sliver of mercy in your afterlife, you would still be able to communicate with Dave, Abigail, and Thanatos.  Hopefully, you would be able to convince them that you had tried your best to keep Minthe away from them and they would believe you.

“We appear to be at a crossroads.  The first option would be for me to proceed with the spell.  You would return to your former life with no memory of the underworld and what has transpired these past few days.  I cannot guarantee that you would be safe from being persecuted by Demeter or another god as a result of your justifiable actions towards Minthe despite your absence of memories.”

“You mentioned a crossroads.  What is my other option?”

Hades scrutinised you, “The second option would involve you placing your fate in my hands.  You would remain in the underworld with me for the rest of eternity and you would be crowned Queen of the Underworld.”

You frowned, “I’m sensing that there’s more to this option than you’re saying.”

The critical expression didn’t leave the god’s face, “More of the immortals on Olympus would become aware of your existence.  I highly doubt the Olympians are ignorant of your presence now.  Their interest will only grow as the minutes pass and without the protection of the underworld and my protection, you would not last long in this world.”

At first, the god’s words seemed unnecessarily harsh and a rebuke was poised at the tip of your tongue but then you realised that you were reacting as if you were dealing with another mortal.  You weren’t.  You were dealing with a god.  Not only were these gods millennia old but they had powers that you could only dream of and you knew Hades was right.  There was a very high chance that some Olympian gods would seek retribution for what you had done to Minthe. 

With a start, you registered that Hades was looking expectantly at you.  Your heart dropped when you suddenly understood that Hades wanted an answer at this very moment.  Your brain froze, how could he expect you to make such a life altering decision?  On the one hand, he was giving you what you wanted with the first option; freedom from him and the underworld.

“Is it really freedom if you can’t remember why you’re alone and being persecuted by gods?”

You squared your shoulders and made your decision, “I choose the second option.  My fate lies with you.”

[literaturessound]

People in Nature - Celine Karg

As I was reading my book on a bench by the water, I started noticing different sounds merging together - the rapid feet of runners, revolving bicycle tyres, a mother pushing a pram, the familiar sounds amplified and changed by the gravelly path, growing in loudness the closer they got and dampened by distance.

Slightly further away but still audible  enough to catch my attention a ferry passes, the paddle of a kayak repeatedly and rhythmically hits the water and waves ricochet long after the initial movement has ceased.

​​This is a place very familiar to me, and so are the sounds. Yet listening intently, they reach a different quality. They begin to sound like they are being made just for me, just for the purpose of being heard and noticed and recorded by me. They must always be there, and yet you stop noticing them after a while. The sounds are hardly novel, but I found myself drawn in by how they changed in quality on the sandy path, little pebbles being catapulted into the bike spokes and pinging off with a metallic clang or being crunched by the soles of the runners and walkers alike. The sounds are human in their nature, irregular and rhythmic all at once. You couldn’t stop them from happening even if you tried. They were as certain as the laboured, quick breaths of the runners and the happy chatting of the baby in the pram.

In the span of 5 minutes, I counted 17 people going past - walking and dragging their feet across the rough terrain. Cycling, either alone or with others, talking or silent. But while they all differed in their modes of transport, there were some noisy constants: the breathing, heavy or easy, but all about as natural as it gets. It felt like the world was waking up after a day filled with rain, taking deep breaths to absorb the entirety of their and my surroundings. They must’ve had the same idea as me - enjoying the day outside - and I can’t help but wonder if they notice the same things as me. Did they also try to locate the sound of the paddles in the water and the flapping birds in the  sky? Did they notice me noticing them?

It feels like I can hear the rays of light coming through the treetops (one of those things that surprisingly doesn’t make a noise, at least one that mere humans can’t understand), a sound that should be as audible as the whistling of the wind. I store the question of what sound the sun would suit away, to occupy me for another day. The world felt too noisy to commit to serious thinking. Even though the sun wasn’t very loud, today it was accompanied by strong gusts of wind, making the usually silent river into a lively vehicle of constant sound. But still, this part of the city wouldn’t be half as noisy if it weren’t for the people occupying it. 

Humans add noise to everything. Nothing we do is ever silent. I imagine the tiny insects, from their perspectives, aren’t quiet in their movements either but their physical impact on the earth is so miniscule that we can rarely hear anything apart from maybe the vibrating wings of the flying varieties. How odd, then, that animals as imperative to the environment as insects leave so much less of a physical trace of their existence compared to us unimportant humans (in the grand scheme of things), their bodies so light we don’t even notice them crawling on us. I hope they don’t get too annoyed at our constant array of noises.

Behind me the more soothing and calm sounds of rustling grass and chirping birds. I wish my knowledge of birds was better to properly identify them, but I find joy in listening to their familiar songs anyway. When they communicate with each other they provide a kind of noise that I expect to hear everywhere I go and one I would find myself missing dearly if it suddenly disappeared from the world.

Oddly, this reminds me of bell hooks’ idea of discovering your own voice as an act of rebellion in order to convey personal beliefs and to bring about societal change, which she mentions in the chapter “When I was A Young Soldier for the Revolution”: Coming to Voice in her book Talking Back: Thinking Feminist, Thinking Black. I begin to imagine the passers-by's lived experiences and I’m certain they, but especially the mother pushing her child have faced struggles they were or weren’t able to vocalise, and if they will use their voices to impact others. Like hooks, I often find myself turning towards poetry, not because I write it myself, but because it seems like an honest expression of life in a way that doesn’t hide from itself. In its concision it conveys sureness and encourages to look inwards and express like-minded thoughts. But I reckon nature doesn’t particularly care about how scared we are of speaking our minds. And yet that fear is persistent, even in this tranquil space, where insects are scuttling by oddly noisily (or maybe I’m just beginning to imagine things) and little woodland animals are rustling behind me amongst the bushes. Which, now that I’m thinking about it, all feels like the sort of experience Mary Oliver would write a poem about.

Just as I could feel my mind spiralling, my attention was grabbed by a bumblebee buzzing almost mechanically next to me. They are fascinating creatures and my brain can’t help but be drawn to the fitting name of the bumbling bee - like a tuba is providing its very own soundtrack every time they clumsily fly past you. 

My listening was rudely concluded by a man emerging from the park, accompanied by roaring music. I noticed that the bumblebee hardly seemed bothered by all the noise. I didn’t quite relate to that sentiment, so I decided to put on my own music, albeit through my headphones, and started walking.

[campbluelake]

This Could be S’more Fun | Trial 1.1 | Eri | Re: Mason, Warrick

When Eri had expressed her desire to experience a campfire, she didn’t exactly picture it under these circumstances. There aren’t any smores ingredients, for starters, and also someone is dead.

No, not just someone— Niko Moralis is dead, his life taken from him in what Eri can only imagine was a very painful way to go out. And now they’re gathered around this campfire not even to mourn him, but to discuss who here’s responsible. Because one of the other 19 people here is the murderer… which is perhaps the most fucked up part of all.

She’s never enjoyed murder mysteries, yet here she is, living one… as is her best friend Kyousuke. As she drapes a blanket over the two of them where they sit on a bench, she can’t help but wonder how well he’s taking all this. It’s hard enough to believe the guy she was trying to set up with Kyousuke is now dead, so she can only imagine how he must feel.

Once this is over, she’ll have to ask. For now she settles on watching the fire and listening to the others begin their discussion. 

…Though honestly, she could do without everyone bringing up just how battered Niko was. To think he had to die in such a painful way made her blood boil. He was just a normal guy, after all— not deserving of such a twisted fate.

Still, when Mason brings up the insulin, Eri makes the mistake of looking over at him. She stares at him for a few long seconds before a lightbulb finally goes off in her head.

“Oh, shit, you’re right.”

She then listens to Warrick’s theory, before nodding.

“I guess there’s a chance the murderer is diabetic, right? But I agree with your idea instead— that the insulin was gonna be used to kill someone. Except, uh, maybe that someone was Niko from the start?

“The cabin’s door was knocked down, right? Why would the murderer bother doing that if they weren’t going after Niko? Or Suzy, but uh… well, I think it was always Niko.”

It is now time for her to draw upon what little she knew about the dearly departed victim.

“We found those two sets of pills in the infirmary, right? Benadryl and then Vicodin. Niko was from New York, so maybe he had allergies out here. If anyone can confirm that, it’d give him a reason to be taking the Benadryl, right? As for the Vicodin… Well, I ain’t a full-blown nurse like Sayacchi, but I’ve done enough sports medicine shit to know mixing meds that makes you tired is a bad idea.

“So I’m wondering maybe whoever did this was in the infirmary with him trying to knock him out, so they could use Insulin to kill him in his sleep or somethin’, yeah? And Niko caught on and booked it outta there, and that’s when things went south… ‘Cause like, if you had to hide somewhere here, why not go to your cabin?”

Not that it saved him, she thinks with a grimace. But then again, no matter where he ran, she’s not sure Niko would’ve stood a chance against whoever killed him. Especially if the state of his body is anything to go of off…

Man, why did they have to end up in such a nightmarish situation? She huddles closer to Kyousuke, wishing their reason for being around this campfire were anything but this.

[erin-bo-berin]

can I have an imagine where it’s set in the Steve x singlemom!reader, they just bring home the new baby and daughter is very upset and thinks you guys will forget about her and she tries to run away to Joyce and Hopper’s? Packed with all the usual stuff a kid would pack, a stuffie, coloring books, crayons and maybe a change of clothes? 😂 and Reader and Steve feel terrible for making their baby girl feel so unloved, if you could, make it kinda angsty, but end it fluffy? I’m so sorry this is so long 😭

Omg poor little baby girl 😭 also, if you haven’t read the latest full length fic that describes the pregnancy journey with baby #2, oldest girl is now Abbie and baby is Arabella. Just to make things less confusing. For the sake of this story, let’s pretend that they live in the neighborhood of Hopper and Joyce because she ends up there lol

Anyway, to the angst!

It’d only been a week since you’d brought Arabella home from the hospital.

People weren’t kidding when they said how big of an adjustment it was to go from one kid to two. It was rough.

But things had just went from rough to absolutely, catastrophically bad.

“Steve, I can’t find Abbie anywhere!”

You raced into the nursery where he was feeding Arabella in her rocking chair and he looked up, panic immediately contorting his face.

“What do you mean you can’t find her?”

“I mean, I’ve looked everywhere for her and I can’t find her.”

He stood, accidentally knocking the nipple of the bottle out of Arabella’s mouth causing her to fuss.

“Sorry sweetheart,” he murmured, placing it properly back in her mouth.

He followed you, hungry baby still in his arms as you led him towards her room.

“I checked her room, the bathroom, our bedroom and bathroom, downstairs. Hell I even checked the closets! I was hoping she might be with you in the nursery.”

Steve shook his head.

“I haven’t seen her in hours.”

“Hours. Oh my god,” you felt faint, “How long have I not noticed that she was missing? What if something awful happened to her?”

“Don’t panic,” he assured you, “Why don’t you go check the front yard and I’ll go check the back yard? She’s probably just outside playing.”

“Okay, good idea,” you nodded, not having considered that possibility.

You flung the front door open and went and checked the yard. You looked high and low, even checked behind bushes and trees, but there was no Abbie.

“Any luck?” you asked, quickly growing frantic again when you met Steve inside.

His serious face made you aware that he’d had no luck either.

“We gotta call Hopper,” you said, rushing to the phone.

Before you had a chance to pick up and dial, the phone rang. You grabbed it up.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Y/N, it’s Hopper.”

“Oh good, I was just about to call you. Listen, Abbie’s missing.”

“About that,” he said, “She’s here.”

“Here? Here where?”

“Over here at me and Joyce’s house.”

You sank in relief, clutching the wall to keep you upright.

“What is she doing there?!”

“She said she ran away from home.”

“Oh god, I’m so sorry. We’ll be right there to get her.”

“Take your time. We’ll take good care of her, I promise.”

When you hung up, you turned to Steve’s expectant face.

“She’s at Joyce and Hopper’s.”

“What’s she doing there?” he asked, just as you had moments before.

“Hopper said she told them she ran away from home.”

He sighed, eyes closing, relief washing over his face.

“Let me finish feeding her,” he nodded to Arabella, “And then the three of us can go get her.”

•

It wasn’t a long walk to the Hopper household. Thankfully so since your three year old had walked all the way there by herself.

“Abbie!” you exhaled, rushing towards her when you stepped inside.

“Mommy!” she ran into your arms.

“Sweetheart, don’t ever do anything like that again, okay? You scared me and daddy to pieces.”

“I sowwy,” she frowned, hugging your neck.

Arabella was asleep in Steve’s arms, but he bent towards Abbie carefully to not to wake the infant.

“Why did you run away from home?”

“Cause mommy and daddy like Bewwa more den me.”

Abbie had a hard time pronouncing her sister’s name so she called her Bella, in her own little kid talk.

“You fowget bout me,” she frowned, lower lip trembling.

“Oh honey. We don’t love anyone more than you. We love you and Arabella equally,” you said.

“We could never forget about you princess,” Steve said, tapping her nose with a finger, making her smile a bit, “It’s just hard because Arabella is little and needs help with things that you as a big girl can do yourself.”

“Like eat and sit by yourself and you don’t wear diapers anymore like your sister does,” you pointed out.

“I big girl,” she nodded.

“Then why don’t you come to us if you’re feeling lonely, next time okay?” Steve said, “Besides, you can be mommy and daddy’s little helper and help with Arabella. How about that?”

She smiled, bending over to kiss Arabella sweetly on the head.

“Otay.”

You straightened, seeing Joyce and Hopper come into the room, having given you the space your family needed to settle the matter.

“Imagine how surprised I was when the doorbell rang and I found her on our doorstep,” Hopper laughed.

“Here’s the backpack she brought with her too,” Joyce opened it so you could see inside.

Inside, Abbie had packed her bunny stuffie, a coloring book, crayons and a change of clothes. You chuckled at your daughter’s insight. She was way too smart for her own good.

“Thank you for taking care of her,” you thanked them, taking her backpack and picking Abbie up in your arms.

“I not gonna run away again,” Abbie told them firmly.

“I’m gonna stay home and be da best big seester ever.”

[purplelupins]

Sweet Dreams

|The Black Phone|

Part I Part II Part III Part IV Part V

Part VI

Grabber/Albert x fem!reader

Summery: Getting away from her life as a human punching bag took her somewhere she never could have imagined. But it seemed that even a basement with a masked man watching her could become home.

Warnings: depictions of physical and verbal abuse, manipulation, pet names, power imbalance, sexual tension, mild swearing, mentions of medical trauma, nsfw

Note: PLEASE READ

This is a nsfw DARK story so if you are a minor DO NOT ENGAGE. If you are offended or triggered by the mentioned material, DO NOT ENGAGE. Simple as that. Please note that I do not condone what the Grabber has done in cannon, and I am only using him as a character in my story. If you message me with negativity or harassment, I will not respond. This is Tumblr, not Twitter. Please block the Grabber x reader tag if you are disgusted.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

The first few days went the same.

He would bring her breakfast, she would talk and ask non-invasive questions, and then he would leave for the day. She could tell that she was starting to grow on him judging by how he stayed longer in the evenings and how his shoulders weren’t so ridged. She was glad he was feeling more at ease.

By the fifth day, he gave her a book.

By the eighth day, he gave her a tennis ball, which she used as her exercise.

By the ninth day, she had pestered him enough to know he grew up during the Second World War, and preferred music from the 50’s and 60’s over the newer age. He wasn’t married, and had a liking for listening to the news. He enjoyed driving and walks in the woods, and he also didn’t sleep a great deal.

On one Monday, she had had a fairly uneventful day. It was all very much the same as it always was, but there had been something nagging in her mind. That evening when he brought her dinner, she had a burning question that she had to know the answer to. A question she honestly only half wanted answered.

The man placed the tray of dinner on her lap and sat beside her like he did almost every night.

“Did you have a good day?” She asked him a little absentmindedly as she built up the courage to ask him that question.

“It was hot…think I got a sunburn on my arm.” He glanced down at his veiny arm that was indeed pinker than usual. She found herself staring a moment too long at the limb before going back to the food on her fork. He noticed.

“You should put some ointment on it.” she murmured then sucked in a breath, “Can I ask you something, Mister? It’s not about you this time.” She joked lightly having asked him millions of questions.

“Go ahead.” He said patiently in a sing-songs tone. At this point they both knew that if he didn’t want to answer the question, he wouldn’t.

So she took a deep breath.

“Has…has anyone been looking for me? Is there a search?” She asked. Of course it sounded pathetic, but she wanted to know.

The man seemed to think about it for a moment. He contemplated telling her that no one was looking for her. That she was on her own. But he knew she wouldn’t believe him, and having her trust was of upmost importance if she was going to be his completely.

“For the first four days. It was called off six days ago.” His blunt honesty was a surprise to her. She had figured he might have sugar coated it or just said he didn’t know. Regardless, she was glad they had stopped looking, but she worried that her father would still try and find her on his own. And that meant no police and no police meant unlawful measures to find her.

“Can I…can I stay a little longer?” She whispered, afraid of his answer.

What if he was tired of having to entertain and feed me?

She already started to form a way to brush off her own question, ready to tell him that she would be fine on her own if he wanted her gone, but his answer stopped her in her tracks.

“Of course you can, bunny.” He cooed, rubbing her back. She looked over at him, and couldn’t help but lean into his touch; something that did not escape him. “All done?” He nodded to her empty plate.

Y/n breathed out a sigh of relief, and felt the sting of grateful tears in her eyes.

“Yes. Thank you.” She placed her fork down.

The older man patted her back a d took her tray as he stood. “Let’s get you cleaned up.” He said.

The more he cared for her, the more she noticed how much she enjoyed him treating her so childishly; it had been something she missed out on. If he offered to wash her she probably wouldn’t object. She followed his direction and just as she always did, she kept close to his side. Only this time, after wanting to for over a week, she took his free hand as they walked up the stairs.

She was afraid of him telling her to not touch him or yell at her, but he had been fine with touching her; he stroked her hair, rubbed her back and would squeeze her hand sometimes. So that night, she metaphorically bit the bullet and held his large hand.

The man paused on the step he took, and looked down at her little hand in his. She grew nervous as his silence stretched on, and began to pull her hand away. But then he reached out and took her hand in his, holding it tighter than she had held his. She smiled shyly and they continued their routine as usual, only with their fingers locked.

She washed and dried herself off and was guided around again by the man to return downstairs. He played with her hair as she laid on he mattress and spoke about the world.

However, when it came to resting, she barely slept at all. She had indeed had a pleasant day, and had nothing happen that would trigger her, but it seemed that good day or not, her dreams turned into nightmares.

She was plagued by images of her father whipping her, and his fist in her ribs. His hand in her hair as he dragged her to the hospital-

She shook all night with her knees against her chest and tears streaming down her cheeks. By the time she heard birds chirping, her eyes were dry and her teeth hurt from clenching her jaw.

Another few hours passed, and she heard the door unlock. A sense of relief washed over her as the door opened, and she tried to pull herself together, but he noticed her state immediately. She was scared. Every nerve in his body was suddenly alight. He snapped his finger for Sampson to stand at the top of the stairs and shut the door behind himself incase she tried to get away.

“What happened?” He asked as he walked to her, a little more urgently.

“I just…couldn’t sleep.” She said, avoiding his eyes from under his smiling mask. He knelt down and placed the food on her thighs.

“Why don’t you tell me about it?” He asked gently, though if she had looked at his hands, she could have seen his white knuckles from how excited he was; he hoped she had had a nightmare about him. She should. And if she was afraid of him, then he could start playing with her.

But that was far from what she had dreamed of.

“I kept remembering my dad…what he used to do to me.” She whispered, poking at the egg.

“What did he do?” He asked a little darker than usual. His morbid curiosity began to take over.

She didn’t say anything. Instead, she placed the tray beside herself, and turned around on the bed so her back was to him. Then, she lifted her shirt up to show him her back.

He was silent at first, then she felt a gentle finger trace the scars and bruises that had yet to fade. There was one particular cut that had yet to heal, and was still quite painful; he brushed the surrounding tissue far tenderly than she had thought. After a moment she heard him clear his thoat, and when she turned around, she swore she saw the remains of tears in his eyes.

“I’ll never let him find you.” He whispered intensely. She wondered if he had experience with abuse as well; seeing her injuries might have brought back memories.

“I know you want to help but you can’t promise that…I can’t stay with you forever-“

“Why?” He asked, his voice lowering.

“You have a life, Mister. And I’m very capable of looking after myself.” She said. Having her was a burden- if not now, then at some point in the future she knew he would realize that.

“Do you want to leave?” He asked, his fists tightening in his lap as he readied himself to grab her.

But she shook her head.

“No. No I don’t…” she whispered.

His hands relaxed, and he looked away for a moment.

“Good.”

With that, he joined her on the mattress, and he asked her about her hobbies while he played with her hair. Occasionally he would take the fork from her and raise a piece of egg to her lips for her to eat. She found it endearing. Odd, but endearing.

That day was uneventful again. But as the sky darkened, she found herself slipping back into those intrusive thoughts that had begun to plague her.

It started with her remembering the man who called himself her father, but slowly morphed into her imagining what she would do to him if she could. As her thoughts progressed, she became unsettled that she would even think those things.

When he brought her dinner, she found herself eating a little slower just so he would stay longer because if he was there, her thoughts were gone, but eventually she finished.

To her surprise as they went upstairs for her shower, he grasped her hand in his and pulled her along behind him without a second thought. That was the first change she noticed that evening. The second was when she was expecting him to take her to the washroom, and instead he pulled her deeper into the kitchen to a cabinet, and placed the hand of hers that he had been holding on his arm as he used both hands to retrieve something. She held him tightly and waited.

When he turned back and took her hand again, he was holding a chocolate.

“Open.” He said.

She opened her mouth obediently and smiled when she tasted the sweetness on her tongue.

“Come on.” he cooed and pulled her along, “Shower time.”

That night, as he took her to sleep, she felt the effects of not sleeping properly the night previous. Her eyes were heavy.

“Sweet dreams, bunny.” He murmured, brushing her hair away from her face gently.

But she did not have sweet dreams.

She did sleep, but it was a morbid depiction of her father again, but he was three times his size and seemed to find her no matter where she ran. Fear pumped through her, and her heart felt as if it would burst completely.

She woke up in a sweat, and looked around frantically out of fear that it was real. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, however, what she found was certainly not her father.

In the doorway just beyond the light, she saw that familiar mask in the soft glow that came through the small window by the ceiling. She knew she should have been frightened, but it was the last thing she felt. She surprised herself by the feeling of comfort that came with seeing him there.

She was surprised more by the fact that he only wore the bottom half of the blank mask. Her curiosity was peaked when she noticed it.

He was watching her.

Testing her next move.

But she didn’t know that. For all she knew he was just checking on her.

“Mister?” She called out to him meekly.

He tilted his head to the side.

She swallowed her pride and stared out at him hopefully. “Would you…would you sit with me? Just until I fall asleep?”

He seemed to think for a second before walking into the room fully and shutting the door.

Y/n felt her cheeks burn when she realized his button up was open and she could see his chest fairly well. She looked away quickly, trying to not stare at his chest. He was in much better shape than she thought.

He sat down by her feet, but she scooted over to the other side so he had space to sit right next to her. His eyes crinkled at the side, and she wished she could see his smile.

“Looked pretty scary.” He said gently as he sat up against the wall while she placed her head on his thigh. His hand came down to her hair, and he began to play with it absentmindedly.

“My dad again…” she whispered, but recalled a better memory to tell him about. “Did I ever tell you about the time I thought I was an explorer and got lost in the mountains when I was twelve?” She asked.

He chuckled at that. “I don’t believe you did.”

“They brought out sniffer dogs and everything…when my parents found me the hugged me so tight…a year later my sister was born. Everything changed after that.” Her smiled faded away. “I really like music…do you like music?” She knew he liked music; he had told her as such. But they both knew she tended to ask repeat questions when trying to change a subject.

“Come on who doesn’t like music?” He replied patiently, looking down at her.

She smiled. “I dunno…a crazy person.”

They stayed quiet, and she clutched at the fabric of his pants by her chin like a safety line. He breathed a little heavier at the contact, and very nearly lost the control he had so carefully created. He had to remind himself that she wasn’t like the others. If he did this right, he might never have to hunt again. Never have to chase that feeling of control he craved. And so because of that, he remained by her side even after she fell asleep.

Every night became the same after that. He would let her shower, place a chocolate in her mouth, then take her to sleep and stay with her until she drifted off. At first, he would slip his belt out and hold it in his hand just in case. There was one night where she bolted up and he nearly struck her, but she had clung to him and cried into his shoulder. He hadn’t known what to do at first, especially with his adrenaline pumping, but he had relaxed eventually, and comforted her before he slipped from her grasp to disappear upstairs to figure out his thoughts.

Strange, strange girl.

He had anticipated that she might try and escape by then, but she had made no move whatsoever to do so.

By the fifth night of him staying with her, he no longer took his belt out, but he paid close attention to her and kept Sampson at the top of the stairs. Always waiting for her to run off.

But it never came.

On the seventh night, after a particularly long day, coupled with the excessive August heat, he was very tired. He had come home and made a simple dinner for the both of them, and brought hers down after finishing his. She had been playing with her tennis ball against the wall at it almost hit him, to which she apologized profusely.

He hadn’t had the strength to be terribly alarmed or angry, so he had just shaken his head and told her to be careful. He listened to her prattle on about the book he had brought her, and while he listened, he felt his eyes grow heavy. He took her upstairs, cleaned her up, and brought her back downstairs, but when she bid him goodnight, and he watched her, he did something he hadn’t done before. Once she was asleep, he laid himself down beside her and let her curl up into his arms; he told himself that he would just lay there for five minutes, then leave. But within two minutes, he too fell asleep against his will.

When he had awoken, he looked around frantically to ensure that nothing had happened, and he chided himself for slipping. When he wrenched himself from her side, he found himself not wanting to, but he chalked it up to her being the longest guest he had had; he spent the entire day stuck in his head, thinking. Trying to understand why he was being so clumsy.

It happened again a week later.

That time however, he had not waken up before her to leave her unaware. Y/n awoke quietly in the wee hours of the morning after having a dreamless sleep. What she had found, however, was that her cheek was not on a pillow at all. Under her head was a chest- a bare one. She had lifted her head carefully and looked up only to see the man who had welcomed her into his home with open arms.

His half-mask was slightly askew, and she couldn’t help but stare at how handsome he was, especially when he slept. Those deep lines in his forehead that she loved were relaxed and his breathing was hypnotic. It was then that she realised that she had been resting on his bare chest, and her cheeks burned so much she was afraid it would wake him.

She didn’t sleep anymore that morning, but pretended when he woke up, and she noticed how he stiffened. She listened to him sigh, and pull himself from her, then disappear until breakfast. She found herself missing his presence, but her embarrassment was too much to even think of that.

Y/n hadn’t been able to look him in the eye for the rest of the day.

A month passed.

He brought her a portable cassette player and a small stack of tapes. The collection slowly grew as he would bring her a new one every so often and he would watch her listen to it. She would tell him her favourites and what they reminded her of; a person, a place, a feeling. Anything.

And he soaked it up.

One Saturday morning, he came down to find her dancing to a new cassette tape. Her eyes were closed and her arms and hips swung to the tune flooding her ears. He liked watching her like that- she was so unaware and innocent.

No idea that the man feeding her could snap her in two if he wanted to.

But she wouldn’t know that, she was a good girl.

He tilted his head to the side as he stared her; she alternated between his shirt and her pyjamas depending on what needed a cleaning. That day it was his shirt day which meant no shorts and no shorts meant he could see her cute peach coloured panties from under the top when she raised her arms up.

He loved shirt days.

Especially when it was the weekend. A shirt day on the weekend meant he could spend hours with his pretty girl while she wore his clothes and almost nothing else. She would forget to close her legs or to be careful when bending over and he could see the fabric cling to her.

Y/n finally opened her eyes halfway through the song and gasped, jumping out of her skin when she saw him. She slipped her headphones off her head and laughed to herself. “Hi! Sorry, you scared me a little there.”

He tilted his head to the side and chuckled in that airy way he did, “Who? Me? No.” He teased her, walking with the tray.

She hit his arm lightly, trying to ignore the muscles exposed; he wore a t-shirt that day. She also noticed that he only had the bottom half of his mask; a rare occurrence during the day.

“Yes you.” She smiled and sat with him.

“What were you listening to, bunny?” He asked, nodding to the cassette.

She swallowed the egg and looked over atthe player.

“Oh that one you got me last week- Hard Day’s Night from the Beatles. I was listening to Can’t Buy Me Love! It’s such a fun song.”She thought aloud.

He gazed at her for a moment, drinking her in.

“By the way you were dancing I would have to agree.” He said, and by his voice she could tell his was smiling. “When the first round of tapes came out I waited in line for hours to get one…wore it out within a year after listening to it too often.”

“Which one did you like the most?”she asked, sipping at the coffee.

“You Can’t Do That.” He nodded as he remembered, “It reminded me of my girlfriend at the time.”

Her brows shot up at the confession. “You had a girlfriend?” Her voice must have been more shocked than she meant it to be because he looked over at her, his brows and eyes unamused and sharp. She had struck a nerve. The young woman almost choked when she tried to explain, “Not that I don’t think you could have a girlfriend or anything I mean you have beautiful eyes and you’re handsome from what I can tell but I just was surprised is all, I don’t know much about you and you surprised me by telling me something like that…” the words rumbled out of her embarrassingly.

“What?” He asked, he asked after a moment, and she could tell he was holding in a laugh.

“Oh come on…you know …you’re a good looking man. You’re really sweet too…” she said softly, poking at the eggs

“Do you think so?” He asked, leaning a little closer.

Y/n looked back up at him beside her, and felt her breath catch with him being so close.

“I do…” she whispered, then cleared her throat. “What happened to her?” Anything to change the subject.

“Hm? Oh she died…not long after we broke up. She…cheated on me.” He said simply.

Y/n, however, nearly spat out her coffee. “Was she stupid?” She blurted out, “It’s just…I don’t know I’ve been hit on by married men my whole life and I’ve never understood how someone can cheat. If you’re so miserable then just get a divorce.” She placed her fork down without finishing and sighed. “I’m sorry…I hope it didn’t hurt you too much.”

He stared at her for a moment and unconsciously tightened his hands into fists at the memory of the woman’s windpipe snapping under his hands. “It was alright. I suppose it’s that whole saying of what goes around comes around.” He said with a lightless and a shrug.

She nodded along.

“True…it can be hard to feel anything for people who have hurt you…” she said. Her eyes glazed over for a moment, and while she didn’t say and he didn’t ask, he knew she was remembering her dad. He had seen that look before, but in a mirror when he recalled his own past.

“Are you finished?” He asked and nodded at her half done eggs.

“Yeah…” she nodded, “They were great as always, but I think I just lost my appetite…thinking about him.”

He smirked under his mask at his own accuracy with her thoughts. He was starting to know what she was thinking.

“That’s okay,” he chirped, “You’ll forget about him sooner than you think. I’m sure of it.” His voice seemed to deepen slightly at the end, and y/n looked up at him as he stood.

“Mister?” She asked when he took a few steps to return upstairs.

“Yep?” He called, turning back.

She didn’t say anything, but she did run up to him and wrap her arms around his torso. He froze for a moment and stared down at her before wrapping his free arm around her. It was unexpected, but he had to admit it felt fucking euphoric.

She took a deep breath of his smell and let it cloud her mind. Her pulse began to thud in her ears, and she could feel a dampness between her thighs. When she realised her body’s reaction, she let go quickly.

“Sorry I just-“

“Shh…you can hug me anytime…” he cooed to her as her cheeks burned. “I might not look it but I’m a big softy!” The smile of his mask deceived her of his true motives. To her, he was just a nice guy with some eccentricities who was helping her. And best of all, she had no reason to not believe him.

“Okay…thanks again for everything.” She fidgeted with a small hole in the shirt.

She felt his hand atop her head, ruffling her hair a little, then he disappeared again just as he always did. And to her surprise, she craved him.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

@theroadreader @dogmatic255 @funandfancyfree @tuttifuckinfruttifriday @lxdyred @ethanhawkestan @honeycovered-bandaids @eth1calcannibal @ratpackash @doc-blu

[landoncrris]

hey - I have a request and I think you’ll be the best person for it! Can you do a fic where you’re Sophia’s friend from Germany who‘s visiting Soph + Kai in London? There, reader and Mason meet and hit of immediately. It’s by your choice if it’s fluff or smut - I just leave it to your imagination 🥰 thanks bestie!

anon thank you sm for requesting this!! hope it’ll meet your expectations <33

no doubt - mason mount x reader

REQUESTS ARE OPEN // MASTERLIST

warnings: english is not my first language

word count: 2.5k

It was the first time you were able to visit your best friends Kai and Sophia in London as your job usually didn’t give you more than one Sunday off, keeping you in Germany. But now, luckily, you had a week off, and when Kai told you that he and his teammates had planned a little party to end the season with properly, and that he could bring two more guests — Sophia and you — you couldn’t help but say yes.

You’ve met some of his teammates briefly before when you were at a game with Sophia, but it never went beyond a “hello” and an introduction from Kai. That, and the fact that Kai assured you several times that they were the easiest people to get along with ever, calmed your nerves a little, because normally you didn’t feel very comfortable in a room with lots of people you don’t know.

So this was how you found yourself stepping out of the car right in front of his teammate Ben’s house, whose wealth was already intimidating you again. Coupled with the feeling of still being unsure about your outfit, which consisted of a plain black jeans with a top that was neither too short nor too long, as you didn't know what else to wear, but you certainly didn’t want to draw too much attention to yourself.

“Just stay with me, you’ll be fine. And I promise you that most of them are really nice.” Sophia said in your ear as you made your way to the front door while wrapping her arms around you, which also confirmed that she wouldn’t leave your side. “But what about Kai? I don’t want to be the clingy child you brought.” you laughed nervously, but she just squeezed your arm comfortingly and nodded beside her, where Kai was already engrossed in a conversation with Timo and not paying any attention to you at all.

“Believe me, I’m glad you’re here. Otherwise I’d have to listen to them talking about some weird video games all night.” you had to laugh at that, grateful to have her by your side and you trusted her completely when she said that she wouldn’t leave you alone. “Wait here a moment, I’m gonna go looking for Ben.” you heard Kai say to both of you, giving his girlfriend a kiss on the head before he and Timo left, leaving you to stand in the entrance hall waiting for them to return.

“Is he nice?”

“Who?”

“You know, the pretty one.” you shrugged, because you knew next to nothing about football and didn’t know the names of the people you didn’t met yet. But when you went to some of Kai’s games, there was always one particular person on the pitch you couldn’t take your eyes off. Unconsciously, that was probably one of the reasons you wanted to come here, even if you have never met him, he was ridiculously good looking. “So that’s the reason you accepted the invitation?” she asked, reading you like a book, as you didn’t tell her, you just asked her about him at the games.

“Maybe.” you shrugged with a growing smile on your lips, to which Sophia snorted, “From what I’ve talked to him, yes, he’s nice. I’ll ask Kai to introduce you two.”

“No,” you said quickly and gave her a light pat on the arm, your cheeks heating at the thought. “That’s embarrassing. Besides, Kai would never let it go.”

“Then I guess you have to introduce yourself.”

“Maybe he’s not even here.” you muttered, part of you hoping he wasn’t, because now that you’d told Sophia, there was definitely no getting around talking to him, and you weren’t entirely sure you were capable of it, especially not completely sober. But unfortunately for you, you heard her humming and surreptitiously pointing her finger at someone across the room. You could only see his side profile, but it took you a moment to recognise him, as you only ever saw him from a distance, but from what you saw, he looked even better. His hair fell in soft curls and the dimples in his face were clearly visible through his broad smile.

But before your conversation could continue, you saw Kai and Timo come back out of the corner of your eye, but this time with Ben at their side. The latter greeted you both with a brief hug and informed you that you could take any of the drinks from the kitchen but “without getting pissed and breaking anything” — a concern that was understandable, because his furnishings looked like they had cost a hell of a lot of money. And just before he went on his way again, the man you had admired just a few minutes ago approached your group and greeted Timo, Kai and Sophia before stepping closer to you and holding out his hand for you to shake.

“Hey, I’m Mason, nice to meet you.” he said politely as you shook his hand, not missing the way his eyes scanned your figure, even if he tried to do it as quickly and stealthily as possible. Just the small action made your heart beat faster, and you only managed to croak out a quiet “Y/N” whereupon he nodded and smiled.

“Mase c’mon, need you to be my wingman.” Ben said, pulling him back by the shoulders as his hand left yours, but his eyes stayed on yours for a few more seconds that felt much longer than they were, like everything was in slow motion. When he smiled one last time at you and turned away to follow his friend as he groaned out a “Seriously? Again?”, everything around you went back to normal.

As unknowing as Kai was, he completely missed the look Sophia gave you, coupled with a little nudge to your shoulder, which you returned with a shake of your head and a roll of your eyes. But you couldn’t deny how he made you feel, even though you hadn’t even really spoken to him yet, you felt more nervous than ever at that moment, but at the same time you set yourself a goal for the day, which was to talk to him again, and more than just one word.

“Can we have a drink please?” you asked, but were already on your way to find the kitchen when the words left your mouth. The next few hours were filled with you trying to get the right amount of drink to feel safe, but not too much to embarrass yourself, while listening to Kai’s bad jokes and Sophia trying to tell you to go over and talk to Mason. But since he was logically always with other people, you just couldn’t do it, especially not after you awkwardly walked past him after coming out of the bathroom while he was waiting for it to be free.

“You two want to play beer pong?“ asked Kai as he settled down next to Sophia on the sofa some time later, putting his arm around her shoulder and pressing a kiss to her cheek, while interrupting your conversation. “Have you had enough of Timo already?”

“Nah, he went home because his girlfriend isn’t feeling so good.” he answered Sophia’s question, to which she hummed. Before she looked at you with a questioning look, quietly asking if you wanted to play, whereupon your gaze went back to Kai, “With who?”

“What do you mean?”

“We need an even number of people to play.” you laughed at his drunken state, which made him even more out of his mind than usual. “Oh, yeah, right...” his eyes searched the room for a moment, his gaze wandered over the faces of his fellow teammates, considering who he could best play with.

“Mase!” he shouted a few times across the room, trying to be louder than the music, until he had the attention of the other man, who raised his eyebrows to ask him what he wanted. While Sophia just shook her head and hid her face in her hands as his shouting got almost everyone’s attention, although luckily there weren’t many strangers around so she wasn’t too embarrassed. But instead of shouting more words, he just pointed repeatedly at the beer pong table, his hand swaying a little so Mason came over shaking his head, not understanding what he wanted.

“What?” asked Mason with a smile at the state his friend was in at the moment, for he had never seen him so drunk. “Beer pong? You in?” he nodded and put a hand on Kai’s shoulder as his gaze drifted to you and Sophia with a gentle smile,

“So, what are the teams?” he held out a hand to Kai to help him stand up, “Boys versus girls, of course.” and you watched as Kai put an arm around his shoulder to support himself as you and Sophia walked right behind them, while she sent you a confident smile and a thumbs up to silently tell you that this is your opportunity to talk to him.

“Great, so I’ll be in the loser team.”

“Loser team? I’ll play with my girlfriend then, at least she wants to be on a team with me,” Kai said dramatically, pushing Mason to the other side of the table when you got there, which made him chuckle into his hand, “Right?” Kai turned to Sophia and planted a big, greasy kiss on her cheek, making her want to escape him, if it weren’t for his arms around her.

“Do you want to come with me?” asked Mason close to your ear to make sure you heard him, which startled you a little, at which you turned to him with furrowed brows, “To refill the cups?” he added as he raised them to make his point.

“Oh, yeah, sure.” you nodded, to which he winked at you, making you pray in your head not to fuck up as you followed him into the kitchen. “Shall we have beer or something stronger?”

“I think Kai has had enough for today to be honest. Might fill his just with water.” you laughed as you leaned against the counter and watched him get a few things from the fridge, “Water really isn’t a bad idea. I don’t think Ben would be happy about him throwing up in his house.” he mumbled, already filling a couple of cups with water so Kai wouldn’t notice, while he tried to take the opportunity to talk to you as he too had been thinking about it all night.

“So you’re one of Sophia’s friends?” he asked, looking at you briefly and waving you over as the music was a little too loud for the distance, “Yeah, we went to school together.”

“That means you’re from Germany, right?” he filled up the last cup of water, thinking it was enough for the moment, before turning around, leaning back against the counter too and watching you nod in response to his question. “Yes, I’m just visiting, but I plan to move here too when I graduate next year.”

“What are you studying?” he asked politely, trying to stifle the remark that he was looking forward to seeing you more often, “Psychology.”

“So beauty and brains.” he quickly replied as if he already had it in his head, which made you laugh nervously, but at the same time you felt comfortable with him and your continued conversation felt like you had known him for ages, as you don’t usually manage to hit it off with people straight away and talk to them so easily. Whereas he felt like you were actually interested in talking about him because the topic of his job didn’t come up once, like it did with every other girl he met. And during your conversation you completely forgot why you came here in the first place, so Sophia tried to deal with an impatient Kai and stop him from interrupting the conversation, which was ultimately unsuccessful.

“What are you two doing?” Kai’s voice rang out in the room as he approached you where you were standing at the sink and took both your arms in his hands to pull you with him, “I thought we were going to play.” he groaned when you didn’t move,

“Take these,” Mason muttered as he handed him the empty cups to carry and you the ones filled with water. “We were hoping you’d forget about it and go home.” he teased Kai, earning a fake laugh and a punch to his ribs.

“Are you good at playing?” Mason asked you when you had arrived at the table and had everything set up, while Sophia winked at you and raised her eyebrows the whole time, “I’m an uni student.”

“Right.” he laughed, watching you successfully aim your first throw at one of the cups filled with water for Kai to drink, “and you?”

“I’m good with balls.” he said, watching Kai miss his throw as expected, “Just usually at your feet.”

“I’m good with my hands too.” he sent you a glance, gulping at the ambiguous statement as you watched him run his tongue along the inside of his cheek as he waited for Kai to pick up the ball. “Prove it,” you muttered riskily and watched him smirk and look away with one eyebrow raised, throwing the ball and also successfully aiming it at one of the cups filled with water.

The rest of the game passed without much conversation, just the two of you making fun of Sophia and Kai while you made a great team and almost didn’t need to drink anything. “Another round?” asked Sophia, looking at you and Mason since Kai was barely playing anyway. You answered with a shrug and out of the corner of your eye saw Mason pull out his phone and look at the time.

“I’d love to, but I’m gonna go to the bathroom real quick and then head home.”

“Already?” you asked, looking at the time yourself, which just read 12am, “Yeah, have to get up early in the morning.” he replied before disappearing into the bathroom, Sophia quizzing you in the meantime.

“Alright Soph, see you around,” his voice rang out again as he came back to the three of you and gave her a quick hug, and patted Kai on the shoulder while saying a “Cheers, mate,” before walking over to you and hugging you as well, putting one hand around your waist as you felt the other sneak something into your back pocket, and the feel of his fingers on your bum made you shiver.

“Text me.” he whispered in your ear before he said goodbye to you with a final wink, watching him leave and say goodbye to the others as well. Pulling out the note immediately because you were too impatient to wait, you saw his phone number written on it, along with a “;)” that made you smile to yourself for the rest of the night.