#and hope the links and mentions don't get eaten

[starlostastronaut]

SUNSETS AND BUCKET LISTS

han jisung × reader - fluff, childhood friends to lovers, college au - 1.8k

summary - spending your last day with your best friend before school should be sad, but this time it took an unexpected turn

cw - use of yn?

links - masterlist

so! i'm almost late but, still made it in time. i guess you could call this ji's bday fic (tho there will be more sunshine twins content coming soon), but most importantly, happy birthday katsy!! ( @catiuskaa ) this one is for you <3333

and shout out to my mars who saved me several times writing this. not proofread and idk what is that ending, but i hope you like it! <3

“Morning, sleepyhead,” Jisung whispered into your ear, his hot breath spilling over your skin, making you shiver and instantly startling you awake. Or mostly awake. Still half asleep, your brain only registered that someone is in very close proximity to you and we do not like that, before your hand tightened on your plushie and you whacked Jisung in the face.

“Ow, what’s that for?” he whined, dramatically holding his palm to the right side of his face. His mischievous grin was replaced by a scowl and he looked at you like you just stole his dog, not simply hit him with a stuffed cat. With your consciousness finally catching up to speed, you realized that it was not an alien coming to abduct you, but it was Han Jisung, your best friend since you were three years old. And he carried the title proudly, always mentioning your sixteen years long friendship to anyone who (did not) care.

“Sorry, Ji, oh my god!” You swiftly rose up on the bed, it was a miracle your head didn't collide with Jisung's as well. “I thought you were, I don't know, a pervert or something.”

“YN,” Jisung sighed. “It's literally just us two and our parents. There's a security system in the house. How would a pervert even get in?”

He was right. Growing up in the same town, just three houses away, your families have known each other very well. It was a tradition that started when you and Jisung were old enough to travel and actually understand a vacation. Your families always rented out the same beach house to spend the last two weeks of summer holiday together.

By now, you knew the place front to back, being able to move around while blinded and you would be just fine. So Jisung was right, but you couldn’t possibly let him have the win so easily.

“I don't know,” you shrugged. “They always find a way?” Jisung gave you an unimpressed look. “Okay, okay. But it's still your fault. You shouldn't have woken me up like a creep.”

“Blah, blah, blah.” Jisung rolled his eyes and grabbed your hands, quite literally dragging out of bed and out of the warm comfort of the covers. You hissed and a shiver ran over your skin as your, due to the summer heat barely clothed, body made contact with the cold floor. “Come on, get up, we have so much stuff to do!”

Jisung let go of your hands, bouncing around happily. You shook your head, amazed at the amount of energy he had so early in the morning. Had he eaten just sugar for breakfast?

You slowly stood up, rummaging through the closet for some clothes. “Turn around at least, perv,” you laughed, smacking him over his chest with a shirt. Jisung laughed, but left the room, giving you privacy to change. Not wanting to keep him waiting, you put on the first shorts and shirt you found. It's not like you were going to meet many people so who cares, right? On your way out you grabbed a hoodie too. The summer was in fact nearing its end and the mornings were often chilly. And knowing Jisung, you will have breakfast outside.

As per your prediction, the small outside table was full of food, with Jisung impatiently waiting for you, bouncing his leg and playing with a fork.

After a quick breakfast, Jisung shared his plan for the day. You listen in disbelief, wondering how he wanted to fit all of that into one day. Despite your doubts, you were going to do everything for it to happen though.

This was your last day together. In pursuit of your respective dreams, you and Jisung not only attended different universities, but in different cities too and the distance made it even harder. In order to visit each other, you would have to spend several hours traveling, and that was a luxury you couldn’t afford. You tried, but then a test came up, or a friend's birthday party or Jisung was sick… After three months you gave up trying, resigning to seeing your best friend on Christmas and summer only.

It was hard enough to leave him last year, but you called each other a lot. In the beginning that was. Once you got your bearings and university properly started, you were often so exhausted you fell asleep on the video call. Or didn't call at all, because Jisung forgot to charge his phone in the whirlwind of classes and deadlines.

You never knew it was possible to miss someone so much. Being without Jisung felt like someone was slowly tearing off your limbs. And when you saw him at Christmas, it felt like the puzzle finally found its missing piece. A week later, in your dorm room with friends and soju, some revelations were had, but by the time summer came around, your mind was in a completely different place.

And this time, knowing what kind of year you were up against, letting go of Jisung for another several months suddenly felt impossible. Knowing this shared vacation was coming, both you and Jisung made a list of activities to do and places nearby to visit. But with how excited you both were, you put off checking boxes in favour of lazing around, watching anime, going to the pool and talking for hours.

So there you were, left with a list impossible to complete by the end of today. Yet nothing would deter you from trying.

“I think I'm actually gonna die.” You fell onto your towel, lying motionlessly on the beach. Not even having enough energy to watch the sunset, which you would have taken countless pics of any other day.

By some miracle, you managed to complete Jisung's entire checklist for the day, which left you completely exhausted. You were seriously thinking of asking Jisung to carry you back, because unlike you, he seemed as if powered by the air he breathed - he hadn't run out of energy the whole day.

“Noo, you can't die yet. We still have to check off the paddleboard at the sea,” Jisung said. And there it was, he actually brought the paddleboard down to the beach. You saw it lying next to your things when you sat back up.

“Ji, seriously?” you laughed. “You can't swim? And it's dark.” The idea seemed a little funny and a whole lot crazy. It was one thing to be at the pool, where there was a bottom and a limited amount of water. To go to the wild, open sea, in the dark, and tired after the whole day? k

“Actually… I can. Kinda. Lix taught me,” Jisung admitted. You knew who he was talking about, Jisung wouldn't shut up about his roommate and new best friend Felix, he actually mentioned him in about every conversation he could. It was kind of cute actually. You were worried Jisung would struggle, being an introvert with social anxiety, but Felix waltzed into his life and saved him for you.

“Okay…” Felix teaching him solved one problem at least. But you still didn't feel like it was a good idea. “Ji, do we have to? What if something happens? We're tired, we're alone here…”

Jisung’s shoulders slumped. “Right, yeah you're right. I just had this plan and I wanted to… nevermind.”

That wasn't fair. Now you felt bad. God, why was Jisung so cute? “Maybe we could… I don't know. Put it just by the shore and sit on it?” you suggested, wanting to make Jisung happy. You would do anything to make him happy, even go out on the sea when you thought about it.

Alone together on the beach, the sun setting over the water, the atmosphere was romantic. And thought your brain, because all your feelings that you pushed aside to focus on quality time with Jisung, now came rushing back all at once.

Jisung's face lit up. “Yeah, we can do that. I guess it counts as completing.” You helped Jisung push the paddleboard just behind the first waves, sitting on it with your feet in the water, still in the safe distance to the shore.

You looked over the horizon, the sun reflecting on the water begging to be photographed. “Selca?” you asked. Jisung nodded and leaned closer, posing for the low quality picture. With barely any natural light left, the photo was bound to be blurry and dark, but you always liked that kind of aesthetic anyway.

Feeling daring in the moment, you pressed your lips to Jisung's cheek. Barely, just a few seconds, but enough to capture on your phone.

“YN…” Jisung whispered. If it wasn't so dark, you would see the pink dusting his face.

“Sorry, I just… I just had to,” you said. What did you have to lose anyway? You were leaving tomorrow morning and wouldn't see Jisung for another few months. “I had to know what it feels like,” you whispered.

Jisung lowered his gaze, choosing to look at the waves rather than looking at you. Somehow, the silence was scarier than a rejection of your implied confession.

“Say something Ji, please,” you begged, not knowing how to bear the crushing weight of the silence anymore. You feared what message it carried.

“You crossed the last box for me.”

Before you could ask what it meant, Jisung took out a crumpled piece of paper and handed it to you. His checklist of activities for the vacation. When you unfolded the small ball of paper, your eyes skimmed over the completed activities, all the way to the last one.

Kiss YN in some super romantic moment.

“I planned to tell you,” Jisung spoke up. “How I feel. I guess you beat me to it.” He lifted his head to look at you. “I did understand it correctly, right? It wasn't a platonic friend kiss, because Felix sometimes gives me those and if it was then forget everything I said because-”

You surged forward, interrupting his rambling with your lips on his. It was a wonder you didn't fall off the paddleboard, with how much force was used. You felt him freeze and smile, as he slowly kissed you back, overcoming the initial shock and surprise.

And you kissed, until there was no sun in the sky and your parents had to go look at why you took so long. That night, you laid in Jisung's bed, making promises and wishes for the upcoming year, already making plans, determined to not give up this time.

Somehow, coming back to campus and the insanity your university could be sometimes, wasn't as hard as it was last year. This time around, you had something new to look forward to in the darkest moments of endless texts and assignments. You had a boyfriend and a promise to keep. No giving up this time. And you both dutifuly kept it.

Jisungie <3

still alive after that test?

YN <3

barely

i'm dead inside and lonely

my roommate's out this weekend on a family thing

leaving me all alone in this dorm

Jisungie <3

good thing i have no classes this friday

see you then ynnie <3

taglist: @stayconnecteed @hanjsquokka @starseungs @starlostseungmin @ivaneedssleep @143horny-core @lakoya @rylea08 @caitlyn98s @oddracha @sweetbokji @feybin @qwonyoung23 @jiaaabbahng @hope69world @palindrome969 @alicedawitchbish @hyunjinshairband7 @nattisbored @ermahgerd-larry-and-ziam @kayleefriedchicken @extrhotjne @kirakombat @kmgfeels @freyjhasdesiredreality @dazzlingjade @boldy-49 @naarmzz @rei-reia @cookiesandcreammy @urfavblondy @chlodavids @armystay89 @btskzfav @vegetablesarefuntables @tearzzuu @ch4nn13luv @kisses-too-the-moon @mellhwang @lolareadsimagines @missmajdastark @drewsandsebastianswife @mitchii @chillichillicrabcrab23 @laniminchanlix @dearly-somber @greyyeti @linosazuna @na-tas-post

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© starlostastronaut 2024 | do not repost/translate my work without permission

[edgeray]

mygod that siren Arlecchino fic you did is *chef's kiss* IMMACULATE!!! might i request a continuation, mayhaps? Arle mentioned that she'd follow the reader as they sail, so maybe she misses them and either tries to climb onto the boat or the pier where they're docked to see them again? either hurt/comfort or fluff, the rest is up to you!!! love your work and thank you for fueling my Arlecchino obsession :] also i might pop back in here once in a while, may i be moth anon?

The Sea's Calling Pt. 2

(Arlecchino x Fem! Reader)

A/N - Part 1 link here. Yes, you definitely can be a moth anon! Hi :D. I already added you to the anon list. To other anons that have requested and I haven't gotten to, I do see your requests and if you gave yourself an emoji/name I already added you ^^. Anyways, back to moth anon. <333 I'm so glad you enjoyed my siren Arlecchino fic! As my first request I was kind of nervous about it but I'm glad that you enjoy! I'm also really glad that you sent this request! I did always want to write a part 2 but didn't have the opportunity until now. Thanks moth anon, for the reuqest and for enjoying my works!!  If you couldn't tell, I love the idea of found family pirates. One Piece did this to me. The ending turned out to be self-indulgent, forgive me moth anon ;) Even though it's short, this ended up being one of my favorites. Hope you like this one! Content warnings / info - monster x human, arle is ooc bc she's a siren, fem! reader bc pt.1 has fem! reader, suggestive at the end, 1.2k words

You used to think that the most beautiful thing out there was the sky and its stars–to you, nothing was more mesmerizing than them. They are so alluring despite holding this mystique, and they've guided humans on their naval journeys and inspired all kinds of stories of their origins. The stars were all that kept you company, even on the lonliest and coldest nights.

Now, however, the stars aren't your only company. 

“Guys, I'm going to go back to the ship. Don't wait up on me too much,” you to your fellow pirates as you stand up from the stool. You drop off some extra coins on the baa counter, in order to compensate for the plate that you will be ‘borrowing.’ You pick up the plate of your half-eaten slice of meat pie and sandwich and head towards the exit before one of your crew mates stops you, placing a gentle hand on your shoulder.

“Turning in already? C'mon, stay a little bit. We've got enough money for a few more rounds of beer,” he says with a boisterous laugh. You chuckle lightly but shake your head. 

“No can do, sorry. Got something to do.”

“Uh huh, like your little siren girlfriend?” Another crew member states, her teasing smile widening as you flush. 

“One more? Jackie hasn't finished his story!”

“Let the darned woman go see her darn girlfriend, Goldie,” another gruffed with a shake of his head. 

“Fine, fine, go on ahead. Tch, when will I get my own smoking hot siren girl?” Goldie huffs, and you snort. Likely never, but you don't tell him that.  

“Thanks, I'll be back,” is all you say before rushing out of the door, nearly tipping over the plate before you balance it again. You wave them off and you make your way back to the docks. The walk is both short and long, and each step you take is filled with the excitement that buzzes through you. 

Even after these months, being able to spend time with her feels like bliss, like you have just found treasure. Sometimes, you forget she's a siren, she's ever so endearing and follows you around like a puppy. Oftentimes, when you're on the boat, you talk to her as she lingers by. The night after you first met the siren your crew had banned you from jumping into the waters because you had developed a cold which infected a good chunk of the crew; the cold wasn't severe for anyone but still. Since you can't be in the water, you often just talk to her from the railings and she answers. 

It's only when you're docked when you can finally touch her, but those times come rare. It can take days, sometimes weeks to reach an island to dock at, but when you do, you always take the time to sit by the shore. 

Finally, you arrive at the pier. “Arle?” You call out, and you see a ripple in the water. Grinning, you walk to the ends of one of the docks, setting down the plate a bit away from you. You remove your shoes and set them far away. Perching on the dock, your feet dip into the cold waters and you shiver.

You see something gleam in the corner of your eyes, the familiar shine of her scales. You then remember the food, and you start. “Wait, Arle don't splash–”

Too late. Something erupts from the waters and launches into you, a cold, heavy weight thrusting into your body making you tumble on your back on the dock. Pressed between the wooden planks and the creature that straddles you, you can't help but laugh and raise your hand up to her face, the now drenched food forgotten entirely. 

“Hey gorgeous,” you say as you stroke her cheek gently. She's the most beautiful treasure that you found among the seas. Arlecchino gazes down on you, her red pupils glistering as her arms wrap around your torso. She purrs, little fangs apparent as the tip of her tongue peeks out with her open-mouth smile. 

“Missed you,” is the first thing she says, before she leans her body against you, nuzzling her face into your neck. Your clothes get soaked from her, but you pay no mind. You stroke her wet hair, carding your fingers through her strands before kissing the top of her head. 

“I missed you too. Did you eat recently?” 

Sometimes she'd disappear for a few nights to search for another wandering ship for her meals but she never fails to find your ship again. You haven't seen her for a couple days before you docked her. 

Arlecchino nods. “Human food?” She questions. Her tail flicks, thumping against the wood out of eagerness. Although she enjoys the taste of cooked meats, beef especially, you don't believe it's as nutrition dense as… well, the main source of her diet, and it's hard to serve her cooked meat while on sea due to the issue of storing meat on ships. So, cooked meat has always been a treat for her. 

You nod. “You want to try?” 

She lets out an affirmative purr, and you help her sit upright in your lap. It's always a bit difficult considering she has a tail instead of legs, but she maneuvers her tail to encircle your waist, and you support her back with one of your arms. You silently mourn for your now soggy sandwich as you reach for the plate, using her tail as a flat surface. 

“What is it?” 

“Meat pie and a sandwich.” You take the fork and dig out the meat from the meat pie. Balancing the tender piece of beef on your utensil, you carefully guide it to her mouth. 

“Careful, it's hot. And don't bite the fork this time,” you gently warn her as she eats it. She squirms a bit in your lap, an indicator that she's pleased with the taste. 

“More?” You chuckle, adoring the cute plea in her eyes. 

You scrape out more of the meat until she's eaten all of the pie filling, leaving you to eat the pie crust. You're still peckish, so you start eating your sandwich, but not before fishing out the thick slice of ham from it, and giving it to her. If it meant you could watch the way her expression lights up again forever, then you would endlessly eat ham-less sandwiches and savor every cheese and vegetables sandwiched in between wet bread. 

“Did you like it?” You ask in between chews as she leans her head against your shoulder. She nods, and leans up again to place featherlight kisses on your neck. With the cold droplets of water and her frigid lips, it tickles you and you giggle. So adorable. 

You freeze up when you feel her fangs prick your skin and she looks up to you for permission. Another mating bite? You nod, wordlessly giving her permission, and you suck in a harsh breath as you feel her teeth sink in. Purrs vibrate coarse through her mouth as she pulls away, lapping at the mark and the texture of her tongue invokes a throaty groan from you, your body trembling with pleasure. 

Arlecchino leans away, but in her eyes, hunger burns in them. Her hands take purchase on your hips and she pushes your back against the planks. Her tail unwinds around your torso and instead coils around your ankles, securing them together.  

“H-here?” You question, flushing. Her hands wander lower, the sharp nails trailing lower to your thighs, where faint scratches scatter. 

The night that you first met her, she sang so beautifully for you. Tonight, you repay her back, singing out her name so tastefully. 

[ynnova]

( I LIKE KISSING YOU. ) hongjoong x ninth member!f!reader ✶ poly!ateez

──── you and hongjoong are in paris together after the vivienne westwood show, and hongjoong decides to treat you.

september 2024 ୨୧ word count : 1.6k ୨୧ warnings : mentions of food/eating, making out, gets a little suggestive but nothing too scandalous, hongjoong calls yn "doll" ୨୧ mdni

when you stepped out of the elevator at your hotel, you immediately found hongjoong waiting for you in the lobby. even with the busy and high profile people walking around, your captain and boyfriend easily stood out. call you a lovesick fool, but he never failed to make your heart skip a beat whenever you see him.

hongjoong gives you a smile as he watches you approach him before brushing the stray hairs out of your face. "hey doll, have you eaten yet?" he asks as you wrap your arm around his and allow him to guide the two of you out of your hotel.

"not yet," you tell him. honestly, you were hoping the two of you could go somewhere to eat before going shopping. "have you?"

"no," he says, shaking his head as you both walk down the street. your shoes clicking against the sidewalk in a nice rhythm as you walk.

"i have a few places saved that we can look at," you tell him before pulling your phone out, trusting hongjoong to guide you safely and not into a streetlamp. you start listing off the places you have saved, going over the food each place has before you both agree on a restaurant.

"that shirt really suits you," you tell hongjoong as the two of you sit across from each other in the restaurant. you were both currently waiting on your food and while you waited, you couldn't help but admire the male as he sat across from you. he took off his jacket and so the gray vivienne westwood sweater could see daylight.

or well... the lights of the restaurant. same difference though.

however, along with the sweater, you also took notice of how nicely it hugged his chest.

"my eyes are up here, doll," hongjoong's voice breaks you out of your thoughts and you feel a little flustered for being caught staring. however, hongjoong can't help the smile that overtakes his face as he watches you. you let out a small huff before rolling your eyes.

"don't tease me, oppa," you tell him, your foot gently kicking his leg making him laugh.

"sorry, i can't help it," he says with a small laugh and you can't help but pout at him. hongjoong smiles at you before he's reaching his hand across the table for your own. his fingers graze over yours before gently running over your team ring. "i didn't get to tell you this last night, but you looked gorgeous."

"you're just saying that, oppa," you say, trying to brush it off, but nonetheless you couldn't help the smile and the butterflies in your stomach.

"i'm being serious!" he says, linking your hands together. "everyone kept coming up and complimenting you and telling me how beautiful my group member was. i felt so proud of you," he says and he's about to say more before the waiter appears and places your food down in front of you both. you both thanked the waiter who smiled and walked away leaving you both alone again.

"and of course i had to listen to all these different people tell me how beautiful you were. i was getting so frustrated that they were able to see you before i did," hongjoong says as you both eat. "like you were purposely hiding from me," he adds before taking a bite.

"i wasn't hiding from you," you say with a smile, "i just kept having people come up and talk to me. i had about seven different people come up before i even made it to my seat. and its not like you were any better, mr. balmain prince, you were popular at both shows." you tell him as your foot gently comes up to nudge his leg.

"still, i would have liked to been able to sit next to you though."

"its probably best if we didn't cause who knows if you could have kept your hands to yourself the entire show," you tease him making him let out a sarcastic laugh.

"not my fault i love my girlfriend," he says as you feel his foot gently run up your leg. "or that she was the prettiest one at the show. some of the guys texted me last night telling me how jealous they were that i got to see you dressed like that in person. really stroked my ego."

"of course it did," you say before rolling your eyes. you can only guess which one of your boyfriends had messaged hongjoong. you wouldn't put it past wooyoung, even though you did just see him, san also wasn't out of the question too, and mingi was also a good contender seeing as how he does like seeing you a skirt or dress no matter the length.

either way, hongjoong's ego was stroked and nothing could bring him down now.

you're thankful that the rain decided to go easy on you all and not absolutely pour down as you all walked from the restaurant to the vivienne westwood store that was nearby. you're also glad the two of you got to shop a little bit before heading back to korea.

it was always nice just to spend time with your boyfriends, no schedule to worry about or large cameras being shoved in your faces. of course you still had to be careful when in public, one wrong movement and someone could take a picture and post it all over the internet.

and sure, it was okay to be all lovey with san because that's who the public knew you were dating. but hongjoong? wooyoung? jongho? anything more than what seemed like close friends or teammates and the internet would blow it up. you hated it honestly, but that's just how the idol world worked. never in your favor.

"what are you thinking about, doll?" hongjoong's voice snaps you out of your thoughts as you look from the rack of clothes and over to hongjoong who was looking at you with a soft expression. "you looked a little distressed."

"sorry, i was just thinking is all," you say before going back and flicking through the different pieces of clothing.

"about?" he presses coming to stand next to you to look at the pieces you would slide his direction.

"just how nice it is to be able to spend time together like this," you begin, "but also how i hate having to be careful as well. sometimes i just hate fighting the urge to kiss one of you. i like kissing you."

hongjoong lets out a small chuckle, "i like kissing you too, doll."

"good," you say, biting back a smile, "i would be upset if you didn't."

"here, you should try this on," hongjoong says as he takes a dress off the rack in order to hand it to you. "if you like it, i'll buy it," he says with a wink as you take the dress from his hands and head towards the dressing room.

"oppa, please help me with the zipper," you call out to hongjoong from behind the curtain that separated you from the rest of the dressing room.

"i'm coming, y/n," you hear him reply before the curtain is being pulled back and hongjoong is stepping inside with you. you have your back to him and moved your hair so hongjoong could access the dress's zipper easier.

you feel a chill run down your spine as hongjoong's fingers trail down your skin before you feel him grab the zipper and pull it up the rest of the way. his hands wrap around your waist as he locks eyes with you through the mirror, taking in your appearance.

"so pretty, i knew this dress would suit you," he says pressing a kiss to your shoulder before turning you around to face him. "atiny were right when they said that every color is your color," he adds with a smile before he's cupping your cheeks and leaning over to kiss you.

you happily welcome the kiss and how his lips feel great against yours. your own arms wrap around his back and clutch his sweater in order to bring him closer to you. you open your mouth and hongjoong is quick have his tongue slip in and begin toying with yours. you felt hongjoong's hand trail from down your face to your body.

his hands wrapped around your body and the dress that hugged your figure nicely. you let out a small hum as you felt his hands trace the outline of your body before one of them wraps around and moves up to the zipper. hongjoong tugs on the zipper, slowly having it come undone and you felt the material of the dress slowly begin to slip off your shoulder, off your body.

hongjoong hummed against your lips, as he moved to press you against the wall of dressing room. you can feel his warm hands roam across your skin as you both continue to kiss. your tongue heavy against his the longer you both kiss.

"miss, are you finding everything okay?" you honestly completely forgot where you are until you hear the voice of a saleswoman breaking you from your kiss haze. hongjoong breaks the kiss first pulling away just enough to give you room to breathe.

"i-i'm fine! thank you!" you reply back, feeling flustered that you and hongjoong were almost caught. god, the scandal that would have caused.

"alright! please let us know if we can help you with anything. oh, where did your friend go?"

"he, he went to the bathroom. said he would be right back," you lie as you make eye contact with your 'friend' who grins at you. the saleswoman replies with something you don't catch before you hear her walk away.

you give hongjoong a pointed look making your boyfriend let out a laugh before he attempts to pull you towards you. "don't even, mister. that could have ended badly," you say pushing him away lightly before shooing him out of the dressing room for you to change.

"just know that i'm definitely buying that dress for later."

note : something short and sweet, i haven't written anything in months so sorry if i'm a little rusty. thank you for reading, hope you enjoy!

[proboblynotstriaght]

Part 2 of my episode 40 screenshots! Despite Andy not being in this episode Torbek has been mentioned a lot.

speaking of which...

spoilers for episode 40 under the cut

Nikkie : You walk back into the room and Torbek is sitting on the pot *Immediate regret followed by everyone making toilet jokes*

This lasted a full minute

"That wasn't a funny joke" *insert in character laugh here*

"Would you do it for a Torbek snack?" they can't go a single episode without a childhood show reference lmao

Nikkie : Torbek is also allergic to cheezit's he knows because everytime he eats a full box he can't shit for a week, that's how I found out

Derek in Torbek voise : oh, Torbek should have also not eaten all those marshmallows

"I mean based on how much this smells like a Dutch oven I think they've been roughed up enough"

"Frost you better be takin' notes" "I got my brain" "I'm taking brain notes" gosh is heart beat sound is really realistic

"Torbek, stop your first pumping and lets get out of here" "How long have you been doing that?" "Torbek doesn't keep track"

"Torbek is getting mixed messages" poor Derek just took a big sip of his drink and now he's playing try not to laugh

"Everybody else passes Rich, you fail, 24 was the failed number"

"Dirty natural dot com"

Derek is legitimately looking it up LMAO

We gotta full minute and a half of Gideon trying to teach Twig how to type a rope

"No I was thinking, 'Oh shitterwiz'"

Link to part one here! Hope you all enjoyed, I don't know if I'm going to take as many screenshots of episode 41

Hope You enjoyed!!!

https://www.tumblr.com/proboblynotstriaght/760417191584759808/i-put-far-too-much-effort-into-my-shitposting-and?source=share

[valley-of-headcanons]

Can you write a fanfic where Harvey saves and counsels his nephew who is struggling with his alcohol addiction. Harvey later seeks solace in the farmer (Richie is on Nexus btw nexusmods com stardewvalley/mods/19654)

don't overwork yourself, doc || harvey x farmer oneshot

at a time of need, harvey needs a friend to go to for comfort.

warnings: alcohol addiction mention (+ talk of relapsing), harvey has some self-hating inner dialogue, severely heavy tone. a reverse comfort (?) fic if you will. friends to lovers :)

requested by: anon! hii, thank you so much for requesting! this a pretty specific one, so i apologize if i didn't do it justice! i started the fic with harvey interacting with the farmer, if that's okay! but, i tried and i think i made a pretty cute fic out of it. hope you enjoy! :) mod link is here if you wanted to check it out, i didn't get a chance to but it looks pretty interesting!

The night was young and you had finished your work for today. It was calm, but it wasn't necessarily peaceful. It felt eerie, living alone on your farm. It wasn't the best feeling, but it could be ignored. This feeling seemed to be interrupted when you heard a gentle knock at your door. Raising up from the couch you had plopped yourself upon, you wandered towards the door. “Who is it?”

“Hey, it's Harvey ... if you're not busy, would you mind talking to me for a second? I need a second opinion ...” the voice behind the door trailed off. Stressed poured from the usually collected voice. This was definitely odd coming from him, as he usually had everything put together. Something was wrong.

You opened the door with a small smile that soon fell after seeing the disheveled man in front of you. His clothes were wrinkled, his tie loosened and practically falling off. His green coat was missing, only wearing his now un-buttoned white shirt. His hair looked like he had raked his hand through it several times due to stress. The most alarming aspect was his eyes. They had such a far off look in them, like he was scatterbrained. It seemed as though, for the first time in his life, he didn't know what to do.

“Harvey ... please, come in. Are you alright ...?” you asked, taking him by the hand and leading him to your couch. You rushed to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water before sitting down beside him, placing the bottle in his hands and unscrewing the lid. He looked so weak, you wondered if he had been taking care of himself enough.

Harvey leaned back against the couch, taking a sip of the water and closing his eyes. “I haven't slept in a few days. My ... my nephew is struggling. I'm trying to help as much as I can, it's my job as a doctor! But your job is supposed to come before emotions- and the relationship I have with him is preventing that. I- ... I'm so worried.”

You rested a hand on his shoulder. You felt his tensions ease under your hand. “Harv ... you need to rest. You look exhausted,” you said gently.

He opened his tired eyes, raising forward and resting his face in his hands. “I-I can't! There's so much to do still- I have to keep caring for him! I haven't done my laundry either, I look like a wreck! I haven't eaten in two days- I don't think I could! I feel sick and I just- ... I don't know what to do,” he said with a sigh.

You thought for a moment, raking your mind for solutions. “Let me call Maru and explain the situation. She can watch over him for the rest of the night and tomorrow. Let me take care of you until you feel better,” you said as stood. You were about to walk towards the phone before Harvey tried to object.

“Don't worry about me, I'm fine ... he just fell asleep and my legs just ... kind of ... took me here. I didn't really think about it, I should go. I shouldn't be burdening you,” Harvey muttered, standing as well.

You grabbed his hand, not letting him go. “You're working yourself to the point where you're putting your health at risk. You're a doctor. You should know better. Now sit, I'm gonna call Maru. Drink your water,” you said sternly, sitting him back down on the couch. Then, you stepped over to your phone in the other room to call Maru.

Harvey took off his shoes and laid down completely on the couch, attempting to calm himself down. He noticed how aggressive his heartbeat was and how sweaty his palms were. He took deep breaths. In ... hold ... out. In ... hold ... out. His mind was cleared, but he was still shaking a little. He needed food. He felt like such a defenseless child who couldn't take care of himself. But everyone deserves to be taken care of, right?

You walk back into the room and head toward the kitchen. You know that Harvey enjoys pickles, so you make him a sandwich with some pickles and bring it to him. Sitting down beside him, you offer him the plate.

Harvey takes the plate silently, taking a bite. He shows a soft smile. You were so thoughtful, it warmed his heart. It was probably the most relaxed he had been all day. “Thank you ... I'm sorry for coming over with no notice. It's so unprofessional, I apologize,” he said, taking another bite afterward. He was starving.

You shake your head, your brows curved and your frown evident. “No, don't apologize. You needed a friend, and that's okay. No need to be professional,” you say with a smile. You thought for a moment before a lightbulb struck. “Can I give you a massage? You can talk about all your worries, and you seem really really tense.”

Harvey's face shifted to a gentle pink, letting out a nervous laugh. “I mean ... sure. Just be careful, I don't want any nerve damage,” he said, shifting to where his back was toward you. He tried his best to let his shoulders relax, stretching them slightly before reverting back to the same position.

As you put your hands on his shoulders, he felt himself begin to relax. He let out a breath of relief before beginning to open up. “My nephew has been struggling with alcohol abuse for some time now. I believe it's comparable to Shane, but I can't be too sure. I know that it's horrific, and it's been worrying. I thought I was making some progress, but he relapsed when I was dealing with another patient. I went to his room and I- I freaked out. He was lying there, a bottle in hand. Asleep, thankfully. I automatically assumed the worst, though ...”

More shuddered breaths left Harvey's mouth, his eyes closing tightly. He took another sip of water because of the dryness in his mouth. “I-I got him to wake up, but he wasn't all there ... not sober anymore, for sure ... I sobered him up enough to make sure it wasn't alcohol poisoning. He looked like he was doing okay, but my nerves were out of control and I almost had a panic attack. When I made sure he was asleep, I just ... walked out. I couldn't handle it, and my legs took me here. I think I blacked out, I may have had a panic attack on the way up here ... it's the first one I've had in a really long time ...”

You stopped massaging his shoulders for a moment. You wrapped your arms around his waist and hugged him from behind, resting your forehead on his back. “You're safe here. Everything will be fine, Harvey. You hold too much weight on your shoulders, distribute it if you can. Let Maru take some of this workload. You need your rest, please. Call in sick tomorrow and stay here,” you practically begged, worried for his health.

He tapped your arm, asking you to release him. He turned around quickly, wrapping his arms around you and hugging you. There were tears threatening to fall down his cheeks. He was really trying to keep it in, but he'd wanted to hear those words for a long time. “Thank you,” was all he could say.

You both stayed there, a few tears falling onto your shoulder. You laid back on the couch, adjusting so that Harvey was laying on your chest. You didn't mind that your shirt was tear-stained, you could just change tomorrow. All that mattered to you right now was that Harvey felt safe enough to open up to you and relax. He was always working so hard, just like you. Maybe you both need to take a step back, focus on yourselves for once. Or focus on one another.

Harvey couldn't make eye contact with you. He was embarrassed, but at the same time ... he was more comfortable than he had ever been before. He sniffed a little before clearing his throat. “Do you mind if I just ... stay here, all night? I- ... I don't mean to intrude or anything ...” he trailed off.

“Harv, it's fine. That's what I've been asking you to do! Just stay here, get your mind off of things for once. Fall asleep right here if you'd like,” you suggested, rubbing soft circles into his back.

He gave you a soft nod, letting out a quiet “thank you” before holding you a little closer. That was the last thing you heard from him that night, aside from a few quiet snores and mumbling in his sleep. He was so comfortable in your presence; he could not be moved.

You pressed a small kiss to his temple as he slept, whispering a soft goodnight to him before closing your eyes. Your cabin felt much more like home with Harvey around. The quiet wasn't as eerie, it was peaceful. You both were hellbent on protecting each other, nothing could happen to either of you in the moment. Maybe everything could be alright.

[empressgeekt]

Trolls - Burning Branches Au - Role Reversal Au (part 2)

Okay, so I highly suggest reading the first part. Underneath the same title, just make sure it's labeled "Role Reversal Au (part 1)"

Links to OG AU posts, 1, 2, 3

Char = Branch

And Creek hasn't betrayed anyone...yet...

Char has complicated emotions, about letting the Pop trolls on board. On one hand he wants to help them, but he isn't sure if it's because they were in trouble or because he's a pop troll too. He's always had issues with his genre identity, always worried about what people would think if they knew about his bio-genre. He's not sure if helping these people is a way of his instincts finally coming back...he decides he'd blame it on the fact that the Princess had a little kid with her. He's soft on kids.

On the other side of things, Poppy and the others are getting looked over by a field medic/nurse, an oddly shiny dark blue troll named Jovi, who is much more talkative then the rest of the crew on board. Poppy decides she likes him, even if she felt a little weirded out when he bowed to her, and addressed her formally. The others tease her slightly, about her reaction to it. Creek comments that it was odd. Jovi asks why shouldn't he be respectful to a Princess, as he had no right to address her casually, and also takes a chance to warn them about addressing Char or Barb in such a way. They all have minor burns from the hot ground, but Guy continues to get travel sick. Jovi leaves to call his aunt about an incoming patient, making everyone worried about Guy. And Val walks in to take Poppy to Char.

Poppy's worried about meeting the Prince again, but Val calms her worries, saying that Char only really gets violent in public settings, and that he's much more chill with private ones, besides Poppy was equal rank to him so she didn't have to worry much about getting hit with a guitar. This doesn't comfort Poppy in the slightest. They arrive to a room with a bunch of ripped up couches and a sloppy throne on the far side of it.

Char is in there talking with Demo, but he dismisses both him and Val once Poppy is there. Letting his guard down, and relaxing, then offering her a drink. It's a shift that Poppy wasn't expecting. They talk. Char said he doesn't approve of her choice of diplomat when he mentions Creek. Poppy apologizes for him, once again stating that they truly do need help. Char said that he understood, but he needs more context. Poppy tells him all about the Bergens and Char, is trying really hard not to freak out, by connecting a lot of dots between his childhood nightmares and the current sitaution these Pop trolls are in. Poppy asks for help trying to save everyone from the bergens.

Char: you mean all the people who are most likely eaten? You honestly think their still alive?

Poppy: I don't think their alive. I hope their alive and that's enough.

Char thinks she's crazy for this, but he says that it isn't his call if they storm the bergen kingdom, and that Poppy will have to plead to his sister for that, but he has connections that he can use to look for other pop trolls, and he'll keep her friends safe in the city.

Once inside the city, Char takes Poppy to Barb and Thrash. Poppy is a bit thrown off at how violent the Rock queen is, and how formal the siblings first appear to each other, but she likes Thrash, finding the old man sweet. She also likes Riff, dude just happily there.

Barb doesn't know what to do in this situation, never has a genre nearly gone extinct. (with exception of disco, but they never had a string so it didn't matter) Thankfully, Thrash is mostly conscious that day, and is able to advise, telling his children to consult with the the Black Sabbath, the Rock Troll's religious leader/historian on options. The Black Sabbath, asks Poppy about the state of her people's string, but she has no idea what he's talking about triggering a history lesson by the elder troll, eventually revealing the Rock string for the princess to see. Poppy asks what does she do, and the Black Sabbath says the first step is to secure her people's string, the second is that they find a place/way to establish a place for any survivors to flock too. Char can tell that the older troll has a way to do the second part and asks that he spills. The Black Sabbath tells them that the most obvious, way would for the Prince and Poppy to tie the knot. And even after he explains how this would unite both genres ensuring the safety of both groups, it doesn't change the awkward atmosphere he's created.

Later, Poppy rejoins the rest of the Snack Pack at the hospital, where they were sent to recover. Everyone is happy to see her, all of them now clade in boots and gloves to protect their hands and feet. Keith practically climb up her leg. Guy's teary eyed on a gurney, but it for a good reason. The doctors confirm he's pregnant, and even if Guy wishes his partner was here to know about it, its the first bit of good news they have in a while. Creek says that despite their rather unsettling appearance Rock Trolls are good enough hosts, and then he asks what happened with the Queen. Poppy simply, says "I'm getting married" much to the confusion of everyone.

However, once she explains what the plan is going forward. Everyone is rather upset. With exception of Keith. Creek especially. After all his work to befriend and charm the princess would be for nothing if she married someone else. Poppy, says that she doesn't want to do this, but it's their only option going forward, if they wanted help restoring everything they lost to the Bergens then this needs to happen, and as princess it's her job to make it right. Creek turns up the silent treatment, and it makes Poppy feel bad, but she's too busy with help her friends settle, and they are more then will to help with her wedding, the twins volunteering to make her dress and Biggie wanting to be the photographer.

Living in Volcano Rock City is certainly an adjustment. the city is nearly five-times as large as Pop Village, and its baffling to not know everyone around you as a friend. Rock trolls are also more quiet and stoick, at least not when their raving. There aren't three holidays a week, no one breaks out into song and dance. There are concerts but it isn't the same, they have instruments on stage and there music is far more expressive, with emotions such as sadness and anger being expressed rather then just joy. Creek calls them barbarians, and it makes Poppy upset. Could he not bite at the hand that's feeding him? The twins, find work at a seemtress' shop, but they are a little upset with the lack of color choices. Biggie also finds work at a photo shop. Smidge and Fuzzbert are probably the ones thriving most, construction requires a lot of strength and smarts with dealing with a large city of made of metal and rock. DJ, ends up as a stage hand due to her knowledge of music equipment, working with a nice rock troll named Demo. Guy stays at the home with Cooper and Keith, waiting for his egg to arrive and keeping the others out of trouble.

Poppy has no idea was Creek is doing, but her days are filled with study and planning. Apparently, getting married to a prince of rock is a lot more complicated then it seems. She needs to understand the inner workings of the rock tribe, as well as what they know of the other tribes, because Barb has ordered that they start reaching out to the other genres to ensure stability. Not to mention she's looking for any surviving pop trolls. Ironically, she's completely forgotten to get to know her new fiancé.

So, Poppy askes to follow him around for a day. She learns a lot, apparently, deep down he's really sweet and considerate, but he puts up a harsh front because that what's expected from him, and he's not comfortably showing himself to strangers. Poppy also feels very touched, when she meets the K-pop gang and Reggaetón trolls and learns that Char asked them to find other Pop trolls. By the end of the day Char invites her over for dinner. She accepts and finds herself in a much more casual setting then she anticipated. Char and Barb both cook dinner talking with their father in the kitchen, Poppy tries to help, but she doesn't know half of the ingredients. After the meal, they gather in a game room, and play through out the night. She laughs at the competitive sibling banter between Barb and Char. She also laughs at all the pictures of little Char doing kid things.

After Barb takes Thrash to bed, Char takes Poppy to his room to talk. Poppy asks why they didn't have any pictures of him as a baby, and teasing asking if he burned them all. Char shook his head and began explaining his adoption, and that they didn't know where he came from. Poppy takes this info in and is suddenly even more impressed with their family dynamic. It also reminds her of how close she was to her dad, and how she will most likely never see him again. She tries not to break down, but Char allows her to sob and grieve. She wakes up in his bed the next morning, with Char sleeping on his sofa nearby.

The others were worried about her when she didn't come home that night, but the girls coo over how sweet Char had been with Poppy. Creek comes in, still annoyed about Char, and says that her father would want her to be happy. Poppy thanks Creek, but something about that statement doesn't sit right with her. The others decide that it's a good idea to invite Char over for dinner to repay the favor.

Char accepts the invitation, after Poppy said it was casual event. And arrives early, Keith greeting him at the door. Poppy would find, Char and keith inthralled in a conversation, and Char even makes the trolling laugh, which is astounding to Poppy. Keith was always blank to her. Char shrugged when asked how he managed that, saying that he knew what it was like to be that weird kid and sometimes they just needed to be heard for who they are. Dinner is an odd mix of joy and slight discomfort. Char's dry sense of humor isn't really what they understood as jokes, but they eventually get into the swing of things. Especially when Biggie mentions issues with his boss, apparently the old troll was letting pre-justice towards pop getting to his head and hasn't been paying biggie equally. Char says that shouldn't be happening and says he'll take care of it, but Biggie needs to learn to stand up for himself. Creek chimes in saying that fighting a work place won't help the situation, Biggie would be better off befriending his boss. This strikes up a tense conversation where Char and Creek shoot quiet jabs as they discuss...which is bought to an abrupt halt when Guy Diamond suddenly goes into labor. Tiny is born on their dinning room floor, not even 15 minutes later, barely enough time for Biggie to rush Keith out of the room, much less call a doctor. When Barb asks Char how the even went, he'd forever relish the expression she made when he said, "It went great, talked a lot, ate good food, made a kid laugh, and delivered a baby."

Eventually the Reggaetón Trolls would stumble upon a golf-course full of near feral pop trolls. Viva welcomes them in, Clay by her side. Tresllio asks that they speak in private, and then explains the situation about the Pop genre to the Puttputt leaders, and the offer that Queen Barb has to start a new pop settlement near by the Rock kingdom. Viva starts freaking out her PTSD kicking in when she hears that and entire village, the friends and loved ones that they all thought lost years ago, had been found again and most likely eaten. However, Clay listens more closely and learns about the type of weapons and protection that the Rock trolls offered and how it was better then anything the golf-course had. it takes a lot of convincing, and one mention of Poppy for Viva to agree to meet with Queen Barb, and the condition that Clay comes with her for moral support.

Meanwhile, Floyd is kidnapped off the streets by the K-pop gang. He wakes up in a van and giftwrapped to the point of being paralyzed. He doesn't get as well of an explanation other then that they were told to find pop trolls to preserve the genre from near extinction and that doesn't make him feel more safe. While traveling they pass through the Neverglade trail and kidnap one John Dory, who also is giftwrapped and sat next to his brother like a little pile of presents. He's less annoyed with the situation then Floyd, because it means that one of his brothers is alive. Now Floyd has to deal with being kidnapped and a brother who's trying to hug him despite his arms being tied down.

The day of Char and Poppy's wedding comes all to soon. It's a grand event, the entire city in attendance and televised for those who couldn't make it. Cooper would walk Poppy down, and Keith is the ring bearer. He and Char had grown really close since the night of the "Eventful" dinner, becoming a big/little brother duo, Barb getting in on the action even joking about adopting the kid. The ceremony goes smoothly, but all three royal (+keith) are all called away from the reception, because other Pop trolls have been found and are waiting to meet them.

Viva and Clay arrive the same time and JD and Floyd do. Clay and Floyd have a happy reunion with Viva clapping on the side lines. JD's happy to see clay alive, but his younger brother is still mad at him. Barb greets them first, thanking them for coming. Viva jumps straight to the point wanting to know if her sister is here. Barb tells the guards to bring in Poppy, and that leads to a freaky reunion where Poppy learns about Viva. The wedding is brought up in convo, and Viva feels awful about missing it and making Poppy leave in the middle of it. Poppy reassures her that's its fine and then Viva asks to meet her husband. Char walks in holding Keith.

Clay, Floyd and JD freeze, all of them believing at some point that their little brother was dead, and now ere being presented with an adult around the right age and having the exact same eyes as their baby sibling. JD not reading the room, starts calling to "Branch" and greets him with rather confusing and inappropriate gestures. Barb grabs him and gets him off of Char before he either falls over or drops Keith. Clay tries to greet Char too, but quickly realizes that he doesn't recognize them. This makes JD goes straight into denial, not wanting to believe that his brother would forget them. Floyd comes up and asks Char if he knows them. He's the only one that Char vaguely recognizes, but he doesn't know from where. The stress of the situation makes him collapse, only barely handing Keith over to Poppy before going down.

While waiting for word from the doctor, confrentations happen between the families. Brozone is shocked to hear, Barb call herself and Keith, Char's "Brother and sister" and Barb gets pissed at them when she learns why Char was left alone at such a young age. Poppy and Viva watch the drama from the side-lines until Cooper shows up wanting to check on his sister and new BIL, leading to Viva learning about her own adopted brother...and what happened to her dad. When Char wakes up only Poppy, Keith and Barb are allowed in the room.

They contemplate the situation...and I'm out of plot ideas from here.

Probably their would be interactions with the other tribe leaders in a way to create stability, and try to patiention for creature rights with other giant beings. And of course reuniting the Funk family, but I don't really have a major plot for this right now. Hope yells enjoyed.

[shams-of-the-wild]

Cooking Prep with Wild.

———

| [Ao3 Link] |

The preparation of food, especially of breaking animal carcasses into edible meat for cooking, is something that is consistent across all the eras of Hyrule.

Time, as a farmer, is more than familiar with this process.

Wind is not.

Wild, is arguably, even more familiar with this process. What he considers edible meat, however, is not just limited to animals.

Time and Wind, have questions.

{Written during the hour long, first sprint prompt of the Linked Universe discord — Prompt: Cooking}

Word Count: 646.

Warnings: Non graphic descriptions of processing a (monster) carcass into meat for cooking/mentions of monsters being eaten as food, mentions of blood.

A/N: Honestly this was not going to be the first fic I was going to post for LU/LoZ but as soon as I saw the prompt for the sprint, I immediately knew I had to put my niche knowledge of unusual medieval—victorian era cooking knowledge to use. And since technically consuming monster parts is both canon and a viable option in BotW/TotK, I couldn't resist the urge to take some creative liberties and add a little dungeon meshi vibe to Wild.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this very short oneshot.

———

“Wild?” Time asked in a tone, that Wild had roughly worked out was meant to express resignation.

 Wild hummed in response, too busy focussing on carving into the bokoblin. Well carving off parts would be the more accurate description but waste not want not! It had been ages since he'd had the chance to do this since there hadn't been a chance to test the edibility of the monsters from the other eras yet. The fights had been far too efficient and destructive, sure part of that was his fault with his improvised time bomb arrows and whatnot but he was hardly the only one with bombs or bomb arrows!

 Wind scrambled over the broken monster fortifications to reach him and Time, immediately attempting to poke the bokoblin with a stick as soon as he was in range. “Whatcha doing?”

 Huffing, Wild finely sliced off the ears of the bokoblin, inspecting them in the dying light of the sun. “Harvesting.”

 “For your potions?” He eyed the monster parts curiously. “So you were telling the truth, potions are really made of monster parts?”

 “Elixirs. And no, this is for dinner.” Wild grunted, snapping his carving knife into its skull and cracking it like a palm fruit, before scooping out the brain.

 Time stared unimpressed at Wild.

 “The guts and horns are for elixirs because they contain higher quantities of malice which means they have to be boiled thoroughly before they're consumed, otherwise you risk getting minor gloom poisoning.” Wild explained, grinning slightly, as he chopped off the nose. “Nothing some sunshine or sunny foods can't fix, of course but it's inconvenient if you're regularly travelling, like us, and can't set up something like a Hunter's pot to stew them until they're safe to eat. Besides, usually these parts are kept for emergencies because elixirs can't use any old monster part so it's better to save them in case you need to whip up more elixirs, or if there's a particularly bad farming season and you have to make the most of what you've got. Which is usually when the community comes together with all their saved offal and bones, and whatever fruit or veg can be spared to build a perpetual stew.”

 Time pinched the bridge of his nose. “Usually people don't use monster offal or bones. They're not considered safe, or clean, to eat. It's only game or livestock that we use all the parts of.”

 “Well that's a waste!” Wild grunted, scooping out the bokoblin's eyes before eyeing the rest of the battered head as he crossed his arms and grumbled slightly. “Monsters are an excellent delicacy in my Hyrule, in fact since the end of both the Calamity and the Upheaval we've had flocks of visitors from our neighbouring countries eager to taste our unique cuisine.”

 Wind poked at the skull with the stick again. “Yeah but they're probably there for your recipes like pizza! Or the Goron curries! Or the weird purple monster foods you can make!”

 He paused, eyes lighting up. “So what do you do with the head? Do you use the skull as a goblet filled with blood?”

 Wild made a noise between a cough and snort. “Nah, blood's better used for making blood sausages but this guy's lost too much for me to get any worthwhile amounts from 'im. Better to let his blood fertilise the soil instead. Besides I'd need someone else to hold the cooking pot beneath the monster whilst I slit its throat.”

 “Ooh! Next time you find one with enough blood, can I help!” Wind pleaded, eyes widening as he pouted at Wild with his classic puppy dog eyes.

  Wild thrust his fist towards Wind for a fist bump. “Of course! It's been ages since I had a chance to make them!”

 Behind them, Time groaned, he hoped next time wouldn't be any time soon.

———

Thank you for reading! Hopefully you enjoyed this short oneshot!

Likes, reblogs, replies/reblog comments, and asks are all much appreciated!

I shouldn't have to say this but due to previous comments I've received in other fandoms: — Criticism and/or rude comments are not welcome regardless if you try to soften them with compliments/compliment sandwiches. I write and share my fics for fun. Not to be degraded or criticised as if this was homework or literature coursework.

Otherwise, I'll be over the moon to receive any comments, whether it's as short as <3, emojis/kaomojis/emoticons, extra kudos, or as long as a whole fic reaction comment! No matter the comment, you'll have my undying love and gratitude.

Also, if you'd like me to write some more cooking monsters with Wild fics, then just yell down in the comments!

[nellie-elizabeth]

The Legend of Vox Machina: The Frigid Wastes (3x05)

I might have a bit of a hot take about this one! Buckle up.

Cons:

This is a small thing, but shouldn't the episode be called "The Frigid Doom"? I loved that the Umbrasyl fight episode was called "The Hope Devourer." It feels like it's breaking the precedent. And I wonder if we'll have "The Cinder King" and "The Diseased Deceiver" as episode names coming up later? It doesn't matter, but I just wondered!

So, my hot take. I really loved this episode, I think it holds up in quality with the season and the show in general, I think it's wonderful as per usual. BUT, I think this section, where we're having more and more significant changes from the original canon, is bringing up some question marks for me here and there. I was a little startled in the last third of this episode to realize that yes, we were killing Vorugal in this installment. I had sort of thought that maybe he'd harass them and get away, and we'd have the real death in episode six or something. The reason I thought this is that Vorugal being in a position to kill felt kind of too... random and lucky? I really missed the planning aspect. The goristro v. dragon showdown in the campaign was one of the most clever moments of forethought that Vox Machina ever had. Here, it was just sort of a happy accident, and that was a little bit of a letdown.

I also think giving the emotional arc of one of the dragon kills to Kima is kind of strange, just because there are seven main characters on this show and making room for them all is already a bit of a challenge. I liked the Kima and Allura stuff here, but that bit where she goes off to solo-engage Vorugal didn't hit the right emotional beat for me because I didn't understand the emotional or the strategic payoff for why she had to run out there alone, and then call in the reinforcements. It's a small detail, but that big epic moment of her charging down and using Mythcarver to stab the dragon in a weak spot, it was definitely cool but I was also like "why"? She should have had the ranged attackers covering her as she approached instead of rushing off without any strategic setup in mind.

I really don't mind that this is different from the show, but given that I know the big events that are coming down the line, I also wanted to mention that not having Raishan around for the Draconia arc makes her presence and ally-ship with Vox Machina feel a little more muted? Maybe we'll get a check-in with the good ol' Diseased Deceiver in episode six. I also recall feeling like Vorugal's ultimate fate was much more... tied to the future of Draconia in a concrete way, in the stream? Like, in the past couple of episodes, we haven't really seen any of the Dragonborn around except for the one traitor lady who got eaten. It made the fight feel like it was happening in this isolated icy wilderness. Umbrasyl's fight happened in a cave, sure, but the outcome of that was deeply and convincingly tied to the fate of the entire city of Westrunn, and the Herd of Storms specifically, in a way I liked. They tried to give Kima and Allura more of a character tie to this place through Dohla, but that's a pretty weak link.

Last complaint, and this is a smaller one but it bears repeating: not only did Vox Machina part ways rather unceremoniously in episode three, but they reunited rather unceremoniously too, in the midst of the Vorugal and Yenk chaos. It seems wild to me that the twins at the very least weren't checking in with each other or having a significant glance of relief that the other one was okay.

Pros:

My hot take basically boils down to: there were things here that were not how I was expecting them to be and I kind of miss some elements of what originally happened... but that's not the same as thinking that the episode has any serious flaws. This was still a pretty kick-ass episode of a kick-ass show, and the combat stuff here was... whew. All-time. I don't know how they keep one-upping themselves with the animation, but they really, really do.

Let's start by talking about the Kima and Allura of it all. We open with a flashback that shows them with their original adventuring party. We learn that they were something of an enemies to lovers arc, always bickering and disagreeing with each other's plans. Then, we see them take on combat together, each saving each other's lives, and Kima taking risks but ultimately being a bad-ass and saving the day. We get to watch the moment Allura starts to appreciate Kima for the amazing person she is, and that felt very special! Just, overall, the care and concern these two have for each other, all the beautiful romance, it felt really rewarding and special to see. The voice actors are killing it. I loved the part where Kima explains that she doesn't have a death wish, but her running towards danger is a way to keep Allura safe! I also feel like seeing what an established relationship looks like in the context of an adventuring party is a fun way to further explore the themes we've started touching on with Vax/Keyleth and Vex/Percy.

I'm trying to think if there's anything else to even talk about before I just spend the rest of this review praising the combat sequences... oh, some good comedy beats with Pike losing her hair: "I don't want to die bald!" and "Cram it, de Rollo, I'm having a day." I also want to specifically call out Percy's line of dialogue "fuck it, let's get weird," which is a 100% Taliesin Jaffe special; I love when the show can capture the blend of the characters and their creators in fun little ways.

But let's get into it: the big highlight of this episode was the stellar combat. I feel like I could just spend the next several paragraphs listing moments that were cool, but I shall try and restrain myself a bit.

Fighting the demon on the Hell-side of things while the other group fights Vorugal on the Draconia side, waiting for that portal to open, was a really cool setup for the tension in the early part of the episode. I wish it had been a plan to bring through Yenk for that kaiju fight instead of just a happy accident, but that's ultimately probably a nitpick. I loved Vax going in close while the others call him crazy, then Grog and Scanlan having to go in to get him out of the scrape. Keyleth is on portal-opening duty so doesn't get many hits in here, but Pike gets to do what Pike does best, being a shield, and now she's got her fancy new Vestige! I loved that we got to see it in action here for the first time, hopefully as a tease for things to come.

Over on the other side of the portal, the Vorugal fight is more about growing tension. Kima is missing, Allura is losing her mind, Percy and Vex are trying to keep cool heads. They get to be bad-ass with Vex's broom, with Percy taking his moment and using Bad News for a devastating shot that saves Kima at the last second. We then also get the pairs splitting off differently, with Percy and Allura running from Vorugal, while Vex goes to save Kima from falling down a cliff. There's a great moment when Allura is trying to apologize for not being more cautious, and Percy tells her to forget it, then says "let's go find our ladies." I loved that. The Percy/Vex relationship stuff here is so funny and perfect because Vex is the one all flustered about things and Percy's just like... whatever, you said we aren't together, so we aren't together! I know it's an act, but it's a fun inversion that he's playing it cooler than Vex, at least for now.

And then... the portal is open, the gang from Hell is spilling through, and a demon is hot on their heels! The visual of this is intense - the fire, the ice, the collision in the middle, a showdown of EPIC proportions. I loved every minute of it, and I loved how Grog and Scanlan were actually geeking out about the fight and placing bets on who would win. It really earns the epic-ness of Vorugal's eventual defeat when you see him take down such a formidable foe. And I think this fight with Vorugal did better what I wish they'd done with Umbrasyl in one way: the damage done before Vox Machina gets in there and starts the final push, really does make Vorugal weaker and thus more possible to defeat! We see the direct impact of Yenk grievously wounding him, then we see Kima exploit a weakness, and then everyone else is able to run in and finish him off.

The Keyleth and Vex combo killing is so cool! If we're keeping track, we've got Grog getting final hit on Brimscythe, Scanlan getting the Umbrasyl kill, and now I guess we can call it a three-person combo with Keyleth enhancing Vex's shot, Vorugal on the verge of death, and then Kima putting his lights out. So that just leaves Thordak and Raishan... really curious what changes happen to their deaths as well.

This is one of those combat sequences where it's just like... kaiju fight, so cool! Vox Machina and Kima and Allura getting in the mix, so cool! Just go watch it, what are words going to do to convince you?

This episode ends with something very exciting for fans of the stream... Scanlan introducing us all to his Magnificent Mansion! I'm hoping that means episode six has some actual downtime where everyone can breathe and have a chat, before we turn our attention to other things. I can sense Glintshore coming for me, and I'm not sure I'm ready!

8/10

[brutal-nemesis]

Since you suggested asks for the demon Castys AU...

I'd love to see if Neteri would let him outside like she did with Erebus, and how he would act during the outing, and find out what his reasons might be for not stubbornly fighting her at every turn. Or maybe he does take the chance and run for it? I'm mostly just curious how that scenario would play out.

Sorry this took so long but it's 3.5k words of these two being goobers so I hope that makes up for the wait!

←Previous - Castys & Terror AU Masterlist - Castys Masterlist

Ingredients: some dehumanization associated with slavery, threatened vivisection, noncon touching (unsexy), mentioned noncon surgery, mentioned aphobia

"I thought this was supposed to be, like, a good day for me."

"It is!"

"Put the fucking leash away, then."

"Maybe if you actually behaved for me, I'd consider it, but you're not exactly the most trustworthy, Castys."

Castys rolled his eyes, grumbling. Neteri was the one who'd fucked up his crazy arm surgery and let that creepy bitch H-something come in and nearly strip him naked, but, sure, he was the one being ridiculous. "I guess, but I never even said I wanted to leave the palace. I just wanted delicious street food. You're the one who's deciding to take me outside."

Neteri sighed. "Have you ever even had street food?"

"…No. I just, uh…" Castys scratched the back of his head. "It…it always smelled good from the window of the castle. But my parents wouldn't let me go and try it. Said it was 'unbefitting of my station'." He snorted. "Like I'd ever been up to their standards anyway."

Neteri gave him a sympathetic smile. "I figured it was something like that. Well, what you don't know is that it's best to eat street food when it's fresh. It wouldn't be as good if I just brought it back to you. Plus, I think part of the experience is eating it on the street! Well, not in the street, you don't want to get hit by carts-"

"That much was obvious, thanks." Castys weighed his options. Stay here and think of something else he wanted, or agree to humiliation and eat delicious hot food on sticks? Sure, his magic tongue made everything taste good, but what he wanted was variation, something he'd never tasted before. Those mysterious smells that always wafted up to his window. Fuck, he was already salivating a bit. It didn't help that he hadn't eaten much last night in anticipation of today. "Fine. We can go."

"Great! You won't regret it, I promise!" She said that like Castys wasn't already regretting it a bit, feeling the weight of the chain as she attached it to his new metal collar. The weird red arm she'd given him turned the same shade of brown as the rest of him pretty soon after he got it, but after a few days he'd managed to make it turn red again and grow claws when he wanted it to, and the first thing he did was use the claws to rip his stupid collar off. Neteri didn't exactly appreciate that, and, after spending the night with his wrists chained behind his back, he was gifted a thick metal collar in the morning, which was just…lovely.

Maybe she was right about him not being trustworthy.

"So, what, we're gonna walk around and I'm gonna be your little slave boy?" Castys asked as they made their way through the palace's hallways.

Neteri shrugged. "Something like that. People aren't really going to pay you any mind. Slaves are common enough here."

"Do other people take their slaves for walks like dogs?"

"No, because other people aren't as nice as me," Neteri said proudly.

"Right, of course. I'm very grateful that you cut my arm off and then did a shit job of putting a new one on."

"Okay," Neteri sighed, "I get it. How about I turn the leash invisible, is that enough for you?"

Castys didn't give much of a shit about what random city people thought, mainly just bothered by the pull of the thing on his neck, but…"If you do are you still gonna drag me around by it? It'd look pretty fucking stupid."

"I guess not, so…here." She grabbed his right hand, the links of chain sort of balled up between their palms. "That's not too much touching for you, is it?"

"I can live with it." It was a hell of a lot better than the alternative, and he didn't mind his hands being touched, really. He had to shake a lot of hands with a lot of random people back in his old life, so he was used it. Neteri did her invisible-leash magic, and they continued on their way.

Outside was bright, which was not surprising, but he still had to blink a few times. Fuck, he…he forgot how nice the sun felt. He hadn't even considered the actual outside part of being outside, and it was pretty nice. The sun, the birds, the salty sea breeze, the little lady tugging him along to somewhere…

"So where exactly are we going?" he asked, glancing down streets as they passed them by.

"The seaside market. They have the best food stalls in the city. I don't really have a particalur one in mind, though, so if you see something you want just let me know."

"Sounds good." Castys's stomach grumbled, and he found himself feeling a bit excited. He was going to get good food and get to look at the ocean, which he'd always had a fascination with. He made trips to the seaside when he could back home, but there was always a part of him that longed to hop on a boat and sail away. He…he could do that today, if he played his cards right. Get away from Neteri somehow and stow away until he got discovered and then be forced to work so he didn't get thrown overboard-

Wait, why did his escape daydream end in him basically being a slave again? Could he really not imagine just being free? He tried, but he realized he had no idea what he would do. Freedom to do what he wanted was sort of a foreign concept, now that he thought about it. Most of his life had been dictated by his parents, his future set in stone, never allowed room to even dream of another destiny. But then that other destiny came and it was a brand on his chest and a metal collar around his neck and he still didn't have control over a single fucking thing.

And you would think the idea of finally having control would be attractive but it wasn't it was overwhelming and nauseating and he was a little relieved when the ship's captain caught him and told him to scrub the deck because at least he knew what he needed to do he didn't have to sit there and try to come up with something he'd never had to before he probably wasn't even good at it he wasn't built for it he was just supposed to be-

"-ou alright? Castys?" Neteri was looking up at him, concern in her eyes. She'd pulled them into a quiet side street without him realizing it.

His mouth was dry, and he wondered if he'd been breathing quickly. He swallowed. "Um, yeah, I think I just…got overwhelmed for a second." He plastered a smile on his face. "I'm fine now."

Neteri frowned slightly. "If you say so. Just let me know if this is too much and you want to go back, okay?"

Castys huffed and rolled his eyes. "Trust me, I'm not gonna want to go back."

"I suppose you won't. But, just so you know," she took a step closer, and then another, backing him against a wall as her arm rose up to pin down his neck, "if you try to run, there will be consequences." All the kindness was gone from her voice, her words as cold as her gaze. "No one will help you, and, if they do, they will be breaking the law. You are legally my property, no matter if you believe it or not. And when you are caught, which you will be," her other hand slid under his shirt, pressing against his stomach, and Castys couldn't help but tense up, "I will cut you open and take a good, long look at all of your organs." Her fingers slid upwards, the lightness of her touch making his skin crawl. "Is that clear?" Her hand stopped above his heart, which was pounding a lot faster than he'd like it to.

His eyes darted around, searching for someone, anyone who was watching, who saw him being fucking threatened in broad daylight. But no one gave a shit. That stupid fucking collar was all they needed to see, and suddenly this was okay. He was less than human, after all. Left with no other choice, Castys looked Neteri in the eye and nodded. "Y-yes. Yes, ma'am."

Neteri's demeanor changed completely, and she stepped back, beaming. "Good boy!" She took his hand once more, pulling him along like none of that had just happened. "We're almost there! I'm sure you're hungry."

Castys's appetite had disappeared, but smelling things would probably bring it back, so he nodded. "I'm known for my huge stomach, so you better be ready." This was supposed to be his day, so Neteri better be ready to get him whatever he damn pleased.

Just as soon as he shook off the feeling of her hand under his shirt.

Finally, the buildings gave way to the vast expanse of the ocean, the docks stretching out into the blue crowded with sailors and workers, crates of cargo and coils of rope, the stalls lining the edge of the street busy with vendors advertising their food to hungry passerby. All it took was for Castys to lay eyes on a beautiful, glistening skewer of beef for his appetite to come roaring back. He pointed at it, excited for the first time in ages.

"I've found our first target."

They wove through the crowd, waiting in line after line as Castys saw another thing he'd like to try, only stopping once they couldn't carry any more. They settled down on a ledge by the docks, and Castys took a moment to go over their haul.

His first love, the beef skewer, which he'd had a few bites of in line for other food. The meat had melted in his mouth, juicy and spicy and just pure bliss. Then, there were fried shrimp with a curry sauce all wrapped up in a flaky flatbread, a bowl of noodles stir-fried with pork and vegetables, sticks of crispy potato with a garlic sauce, and a thick mango and yogurt drink.

Every bite was better than the last, and Castys couldn't help but kick his legs back and forth a little bit as he chewed. Neteri watched him with a warm smile, clearly enjoying her food as well. Castys's eyes wandered as he ate, and he ended up watching a strong sailor lady unloading some cargo. She made moving those heavy boxes look effortless, unless they were empty and it was actually effortless. Either way, she had a cool headband and some awesome fire ink designs of sea monsters on her arms. He'd be happy to serve under her in his new sailor escape fantasies.

"You have good taste in women." Neteri was following his gaze with a dreamy sort of smile. What did she mean by…oh, that kind of taste. That kind of tracked for her, now that he thought about it. But as for him…

"Huh? Oh, I just thought she looked cool. I…I don't really have a taste in women."

Neteri cocked her head slightly, smiling openly. "Taste in men, then?"

Castys swallowed. She probably wouldn't care, right? It's not like it mattered for her experiment. "No, I just…don't." He stared at his feet, not wanting to see her reaction.

"Well, nothing wrong with that." Neteri said casually, taking another bite. Castys blinked, slowly turning to look at her, mouth falling open slightly. Nothing…wrong? Neteri noticed him staring and gave him a concerned look. "You okay, Castys?"

"I…" he leaned back, looking at the sky. "No one's ever said that to me before. My parents…it was the one thing that upset them that I wasn't doing on purpose." Their words echoed in his head, the yells that he was broken and faking it and not a real man hurting far more than any insults directed at him for bad behavior. "Are you sure there's not something wrong with me?" he asked quietly.

Neteri huffed, shaking her head. "Of course not. That's just how you are, and you're not the only one who's like that. You don't have to like people or get married or anything if you don't want to. It's perfectly normal."

Normal. He wasn't sure if he even knew what normal was, between his royal upbringing and his demon body parts. Still, while Neteri's opinion of things wasn't always the most trustworthy, maybe…maybe she was right about this. He'd rather believe her over his parents, anyway.

"Have you…have you ever actually met anyone like me? I just always sort of figured I was the only one." It sounded silly now that he said it out loud, but it's not like the topic ever came up when he met people.

"I have! My little brother doesn't really experience attraction, either. He just wants to live with his best friend forever. There are a few people I met in medical school who feel that way, too. So you're really not alone, okay?"

Castys couldn't help but smile, warm relief replacing the tension in his muscles. "Thanks." He didn't want to get too sappy, so he shoved noodles in his mouth. Thinking more about that could happen later when he was in bed and also by himself.

Neteri was impressed when he finished all of his food, and the look on her face when he said he still had room for dessert was priceless. Even so, she insisted he needed a little time to digest, giving the excuse that there were better sweets stands to be found along the cliff face at the back of the city.

So off they went, wandering through the maze of streets, stopping to look at whatever weird things she thought were significant, which included a dusty-ass bookstore, an old poster that she thought was hilarious for some reason, and, the coolest thing, a bunch of different rocks from around the world. If dealing with foreign representatives had involved more cool rocks, Castys might have actually paid attention to the discussions he'd sat in on growing up. Alas, it was all trade agreements.

Finally, they reached the market along the cliff face, and the bustle here was even more overwhelming than the docks had been. There were all sorts of crafts and magic tools and baskets of spices and, best of all, sugary fried stuff.

Castys examined his options carefully, in the end deciding to go with sweet little fried dough balls that came with a creamy vanilla dipping sauce. They were amazing, but his hands and face got all sticky, and Neteri laughed at him for getting custard on his nose. He got his revenge the moment she grabbed his hand again, rubbing his sticky fingers all over the back of her hand.

"You have got to be the grossest prince I've ever met," Neteri mumbled as she used her water magic to clean them both off.

"I try my best." Castys grinned, taking the insult as a compliment. His eyes wandered as she cleaned in between his fingers, a particularly colorful stall catching his eye. If that's what he thought is was…he could at least ask, right? "So, you know, I've been a very good boy, I think."

Raising an eyebrow, she looked up at him. "For the most part."

"Right. So, like, I'm full, and I'm very grateful for all of the food, but if there was, um, something I could get to have later…?" He flashed his most innocent smile.

Neteri relaxed slightly. "Such as? I don't know what's going to keep well, except for…" she looked around, stopping and smiling when she realized what he was talking about. "Sure, I'll get you some candy."

"Epic." Castys eagarly pulled her over to the candy stall, already weighing his options, wondering how many pieces he could get, and what he even wanted.

"You can get five," Neteri sighed, almost sounding like a tired mother. Five was enough for Castys, and, despite his initial idea of getting a wide variety, he settled on five different flavors of candy sticks. They were decently sized, but not so big he couldn't fit the whole thing in his mouth, which was important. You had to be able to have a hands-free enjoyment experience, but be able to take a break and talk or something using the stick to take it out. Castys usually kept the stick in his mouth long after the candy was gone so he could feel like one of those cool guys who sucked on grass without actually having to have grass sticking out of his mouth.

"I get the other flavors, but you're really getting one with a cricket in it?" Neteri asked as they walked away from the stand, putting his candy sticks in her bag.

"I've never eaten a cricket. I want to see what it's like to be a lizard."

Neteri giggled, giving him a slightly confused look. "I guess it's too bad I'm not turning you into a lizard then, huh?"

"If you were I would accept my destiny more readily." Which was true, he would enjoy laying on a warm rock in the sun for extended periods. He looked over at the stripey cliff face, wondering how many lizards were skittering around on there. For the first time, he noticed all the people gathered around the base of it, laying their hands on the dark crystals randomly embedded in the surface. "What's up with that?" he asked, pointing.

"Oh, that's where people send their energy and prayers up to the Midnight Sun." Upon seeing Castys's blank expression, Neteri continued. "That big symbol in the cliff. It lights up at night thanks to people's energy. It's believed that prayers said while touching one of the stones are sent up to the sun. Do you want to try it?"

Castys had never been the spiritual type, but he was curious about the wall itself, so he could think some thoughts to the ball in sky while he was at it. "Sure, I guess."

The cliff was sandstone, upon closer inspection, which wasn't shocking, but the crystals in the surface…he wasn't sure what exactly they were. Definitely added by people, at the very least, and probably fire element minerals since they made shit glow. Which was why he was here.

Castys put his hand on one of the crystals, thinking. This was basically like making a wish, right? He was apparently too much of a little bitch to run, so wishing for freedom was stupid. Maybe he should wish for some fucking direction on…on anything. Or he could wish to be a lizard who just got to scuttle around and eat bugs and not be expected to do anything. Or he could wish for a million more candy sticks. Or he could wish for something that was remotely realistic, just in case it might come true.

Dear the sun, please make it so I don't have to wear this stupid collar for the rest of my life. It's uncomfortable. Also I want to go on a boat at least once. Sincirely, Castys.

Good enough. He stepped back, a tiny bit woozy from leaving his hand on the crystal for too long. Neteri had already finished, so with that done, they headed…back towards the palace. It was getting sort of late, and he'd known they wouldn't stay out all day, but…

"Did you have a good day, Castys? Have enough good food?" Neteri gave his hand a squeeze.

"Yeah. I'm very full and in a little bit of pain but it was worth it." Manners might be a good idea since Neteri cut him open all the time. "Thanks for the food and stuff."

"Of course! I hope this makes it up to you after that whole mess with your arm."

"Nah, that'll take at least a hundred more candy sticks."

Neteri laughed. "I'll keep that in mind. Now I know where to buy them."

"I expect regular deliveries. No excuses." Maybe he'd be a better test subject if he got little treats more often. He could certainly be persuaded.

"Understood. I won't let you down." Neteri opened the door to the palace, gesturing for him to go first.

After taking one last glance at the city behind him, Castys turned and walked inside, the collar around his neck shifting as he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

The day outside was over, and his chance to escape was gone.

He wished he was a little more upset by that, but as Neteri led him back to his cell, all he felt was relief.

AU taglist: @vampiresprite @whump-in-the-closet

Castys Cult: @as-a-matter-of-whump​ @blackrosesandwhump @fanmanga1357-blog​​ @thehopelessopus​ @just-a-whumping-racoon-with-wifi

@hearse-song​ @muddy-swamp-bitch @whumpasaurus101 @yet-another-heathen​​ @galaxywhump

@starnight-whump​ @his-unspoken-words​ @misspelledwitch​ @suspicious-whumping-egg​ @pumpkin-spice-whump 

@painsandconfusion @i-can-even-burn-salad @befuddled-calico-whump​ @whumpinggrounds​ @whump-queen

@whumpedydump

[thevegandarkelf]

Finding Myself, Finding You: Chapter Seventeen

Masterlist

AO3 link

Let me know if you want to be added to the taglist <3 (18+ only, MDNI)

Story is 18+ for mature content/themes, minors do not interact please

TW/CWs for this story--implied/referenced past rape, canonical violence, non-canonical violence, blood, gore, referenced past suicide, swearing, surgery, excessive drinking, nightmares, panic attacks, mention of scars, vomiting, amputation, medical procedures, non-con medical procedures, referenced past medical torture, referenced past drugging, attempted sexual assault, panic attacks, mental health struggles, referenced sibling death, referenced parent death, PTSD

Each chapter will have its own TW/CWs listed

This story, Lydia Vector, her family & bestie (c) me, TheVeganDarkElf

TWD & its characters (c) AMC & Robert Kirkman, the writer of the comic series

TW/CWs for this chapter--swearing, discussion of excessive drinking to numb painful emotions, PTSD flashbacks, panic attack, mention of scars

Word count: 2.8k

Sleep eventually came that night, and I felt hellish when I woke up in the morning. "Hellish" was putting it lightly. My head was pounding, my eyes burned, and my entire body was sore, aching like when you have the flu. My chest was heavy, and it felt like it was taking a lot of energy to simply breathe. I don't think I'd ever felt so drained before.

It took a few moments of being awake for me to remember what had happened during the night. I blinked rapidly and looked at the other side of the bed. I remembered Daryl had to be out early for a day of hunting, so I wasn't too hurt when I saw it was empty. Still, I wished he had stayed just long enough for me to wake up.

This day was unusual for me in that I didn't have anything planned, at least not until the evening. There was going to be a community dinner. Everyone was supposed to make something, and we would eat out in the grass by the garden and drink late into the night. I likely wouldn't see Daryl until then, unless he got back early from hunting. I already couldn't wait for him to get back so I could wrap my arms around him and thank him for everything.

My day was going to consist of taking care of myself as best I could after last night and making food for the dinner, maybe seeing if anyone wanted help with theirs. I started by pulling myself out of bed. At first, I just slid out onto the floor. But I got myself out of bed, and that was a start. I didn't quite have the energy to stand, so I crawled over to my dresser and pulled out my clothes. I had decided a few days ago that today was finally going to be the day that I wore that dress Daryl got me weeks ago, back when we hardly knew each other. Not only was I excited to wear it, but I was excited for him to see me in it.

I sat on the floor for a while, letting my body reserve as much energy as it could so I could get myself down to the kitchen. Having not eaten since lunch the day before certainly wasn't helping my situation. After a few minutes, I pulled myself up, steadying myself on the dresser. I looked in the mirror. My eyes were still a bit red, and my lids were swollen, but they weren't too bad. My face felt puffy, and my hair was a mess of bedhead. I would've taken a shower first if my hunger wasn't demanding I make my way to the kitchen.

Daryl had left a container of food for me in the fridge. On the lid was a sticky note with my name on it. Judging by what he wrote, he would've had to leave it this morning before he went out on his hunt.

Vec

Hope you're feeling better

See you tonight

I put the note on the counter so I would remember to put it in my notebook with the other one. Eating helped me to feel a little better, but I still mostly felt like a pile of garbage. The note also put a little smile on my face. After I ate, I lugged myself into the shower in the hopes that that would help me feel less like garbage.

Unfortunately, it had the opposite effect.

As I washed myself off in the shower, stills from my nightmare flashed through my mind. It was like my brain was flipping through photos of the incident to taunt me. It made me feel an otherworldly level of gross, disgusting, like the only thing that could cleanse me of the feeling would be to skin myself. I could hardly stand to touch my own skin, to look at my own body, and I ended up curling up into a ball on the floor of the tub and sobbing some more. I wasn't sure how much more of this my poor eyeballs could take.

I don't know how long I spent like that, curled up in a pathetic little ball in the tub, but it was long enough to ride out a panic attack that felt like it lasted for days.

Once the panic attack had mostly subsided, I did my best to finish washing myself off before standing back up. I continued to take deep breaths as I turned off the water and stepped out, grabbing my fresh towel and tossing it around me like a blanket. I couldn't even look at my hands for fear that seeing my scars would send me into another spiral.

One thing was for sure—I was going to be numbing these feelings with alcohol.

I had never blacked out before, as I was a lightweight and didn't even like getting to the point that I was dizzy. I didn't know what I was going to be like, or what to expect, but I didn't care. I couldn't handle these feelings anymore. They'd been creeping up on me more and more the last few weeks, and last night was the catalyst for my impending drunken state. I could only hope I wouldn't make a total fool of myself and ruin things with Daryl.

I sat on my bed, trying to focus on my breathing and calm my nervous system down. I had talked patients down from panic attacks before, but talking yourself down from one was different. After some time, I was breathing normally again, and my heart rate had returned to a steady beat. I dried myself off and got dressed, and the sight of me in the stunning dress Daryl picked for me made me smile.

I did a small twirl in the mirror. The dress fit perfectly. The hem sat right around my ankles, and the slit came up to my mid-thigh on my right leg. It was nice and flowy around my lower body and hugged my waist and chest just right. It was like it was crafted just for me. I couldn't wait for Daryl to see.

I didn't need to start preparing food until later, so I thought I would go see if anyone needed help with preparing theirs or needed help with anything else. I grabbed my bag, put my boots on, and headed outside. It was a gorgeous day, nice and sunny and perfect for the evening's activities. People were bustling around, busy completing their daily tasks so they could relax when dinnertime came around. It was wonderful to see people getting excited about something and coming together so that we all could have a normal, non-apocalyptic experience.

I started off at Glenn and Maggie's. I hadn't spent time with Maggie in a while, and truly, I was less concerned about seeing if she needed help and more so just wanted to hang out. Maggie had become like a sister to me. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed spending time with Daryl. But I also was in desperate need of some girl time.

"Hey. I just wanted to see if y'all needed help with anything for tonight. And I missed you," I said.

"Yeah, long time no see," she said. She stepped out onto the porch and gave me a hug, acknowledging my dress as she pulled away. “Whoa, where'd you pull that out from?" She opened the door and ushered me inside.

"Oh, it was a gift," I explained. She had an inquisitive look on her face.

"From...?" Maggie asked. I looked down at the floor and smiled. Her quick response let me know that I didn't need to explain. She knew. "No, really? That's so sweet!"

"Yeah. He said he thought of me when he saw it and thought I would like it. It's my first time wearing it." I looked back up at Maggie, whose jaw was nearly on the floor. “He tried to tell me that he just got lucky and didn't remember that my favorite color is blue, but I'm pretty sure he remembered."

"Oh he never forgot," she gushed, starting to walk away towards another room, "hold on, I have just the thing to add to your look." She returned a minute later with a curling iron in her hand. "Look what I found the other day. Can I do your hair?" She sounded so excited at the idea, I had a hard time saying no.

"Sure," I said, following her off to the bathroom, "why not? I have a lot of hair though, I hope you got time."

"Glenn can make the food for tonight. We got all the time we need."

We spent hours in that tiny bathroom, chatting and laughing and giggling like old friends. It felt like getting ready with a girlfriend to go out to the club on a weekend. It was times like this that made things seem normal, even if it was just for a few hours. We only took a break at one point for lunch, and Maggie explained to Glenn that he would be cooking for tonight's event. He was less than pleased.

"Are you gonna dress cute tonight?" I asked Maggie as she was moving on to the last chunks of my hair.

"I may have found something nice to wear," she said, a little smirk on her face and laughter in her voice.

"Oooh, you'll have to show me when we're done. We gotta make sure Rosita and Michonne do too. Ah I'm so excited!" I gushed.

After she finished the last piece of my hair, I stood up and looked in the bathroom mirror. It was somewhere between soft waves and tight ringlet curls, and despite being curled, it still reached down past my chest. Having my hair done was just the confidence boost I needed.

"Maggie, you killed it," I said. I twirled around and gave her another hug.

"You look great. Daryl's gonna have a hard time taking his eyes off you," she said. I caught myself turning red in the mirror, and her chuckling at me indicated that she had caught it too.

"Well, he can look as much as he wants," I gushed.

"Will he get to do more than just look?"

"Maggie!" I gave her shoulder a gentle shove, and I could feel the red on my face becoming brighter. She only laughed more.

"C'mon, let me show you what I picked out," she said, grabbing my hand and pulling me out of the bathroom to go upstairs.

Once I left Maggie's, I went over to see Rosita and then Michonne. I wasn't able to find Rosita, but I did tell Michonne about what Maggie and I planned, and it didn't take much convincing to get her to join us. She showed me a cute little cream-colored dress that she had but hadn't worn before, and I gushed over how pretty she would look in it. It felt good to be able to hype up my fellow women.

I took a little stroll around the community before going home to make food for the eventful evening to come. After I finished making the food, I hand-washed some pots and pans. I had squatted down on the floor to put something away in a lower cabinet when I heard the front door open. I figured it had to be Daryl. The butterflies in my stomach awakened. I was both excited and extremely nervous for him to see me all dolled up.

"Hey, there's my bonafide badass," I said as I popped my head up over the island in the kitchen. His chocolate hair hung in front of his face, obstructing his eyes from my view, but I could feel that they were on me. He had taken off his bow and his jacket, both of which had been tossed on the floor, and he had started walking in my direction. “How did the hunt go?"

"Real well. Probably the best in—wow." He cut off his sentence as I got up and walked around the other side of the island. My heart was pounding. "Ya wearin' it."

"Yeah. I, uh, finally found an occasion to wear it," I said, taking a few steps closer to him and giving him a couple of little twirls. “What do you think?"

He didn't say anything at first, just eyed me up and down, which I didn't mind. Like I told Maggie, he could look as much as he wanted. He stepped closer to me and wrapped his arms around me, giving me the tightest and most gentle hug I could imagine. I wrapped my arms around his neck in return. He was a little sweaty and dirty from being out in the sun all day, but I didn't care. My knees felt weak, and I practically melted into him as he pulled me closer.

"Ya look real nice." His sweet Southern accent right in my ear sent shivers down my spine. "Dress fits perfect."

"Thank you. The hair is courtesy of Maggie. It took hours."

"She did great," Daryl said. We spent another few moments like that before Daryl released me from the hug. But he still kept me close, running his hands up and down from my shoulders to my elbows. His work-worn hands caressing my bare skin felt immaculate. “How ya feelin' after last night?" I kept my gaze on his chest. I was finding it difficult to look him in the eye when I thought about what happened the night before. I was still feeling ashamed.

"Alright. I had some...moments throughout the day, but I'm ok." I could feel him looking down at me. He only had three, maybe four inches on me at most, but he still had to peer down to look at me, especially when we were this close. I twiddled my thumbs together anxiously. "I'm sorry about what happened. I feel bad for keeping you up, and I feel like such a baby for how I acted."

"Don't apologize. Nothin' ya did wrong. Just glad you're ok," Daryl said. His voice was always so silky soft when he talked to me, and it made me melt even more. "Wanted to stay with ya 'til ya got up, but I had to leave early. Sorry 'bout that." I leaned my head forward and rested my forehead on his chest. Being this close to him, wrapped up in his arms like this...it was my own personal heaven.

"That's ok, it's not your fault. Thank you for everything you did for me. I—" I cut myself off before using the word I considered. I lifted my head to look at him, our eyes locking immediately. Those stunning blue irises made me weak. "I appreciate you. A lot."

"Anytime sunshine," he reassured, and I gave him a big grin in return.

"I should get the food outside. Wanna come with me?"

"Ya go on. I'll be out soon," he said. I skipped over into the kitchen and grabbed the slow cooker, and Daryl went upstairs. I propped the appliance up on my leg and let myself outside.

Someone had taken one of the infirmary tables and set it up in the grass, and plenty of people had already brought their dishes out and were gathering together. There was also a separate table set up for alcohol. I went over and sat the slow cooker down on the infirmary table, and I could see Rosita bouncing over towards me.

"Dude, you look hot," she exclaimed, giving me a hug as she approached me, "your hair looks amazing. How long did that take?"

"Thank you. Maggie did it. It took literal hours," I said, "and so do you. You look so cute. I wish we had a way to take pictures."

"Thanks. She caught me earlier and told me you all planned to dress up, told me I should join in."

"Oh good. I tried to find you earlier to tell you, but I couldn't," I explained. I tapped my foot on the ground and crossed my arms over my chest. "Rosita, I need you to do me a huge favor. I'm looking to get drunk tonight. Like really drunk. If you think I might start saying something about Daryl, something that he or anyone else shouldn't hear, I need you to punch me in the stomach as hard as you can." Her expression changed to a confused one. "I mean that. Don't hold back. Knock some sense into me."

"Vector, I'm not gonna punch you. But I will stop you from saying something you'd regret. How much do you plan on drinking?"

"You don't wanna know."

Taglist: @raddydaddydude

[rayslittlekitten]

Rich Girl Mood

“Toff Girl” (aka “Damsel” Universe) Masterlist

A/N: I started writing this a long while ago but have been sitting on it because I was still trying to figure out the end game (I still am) but I'm a little closer and I think however this series ends, this chapter I think is still solid for what it is so I finally finished it. This I think gives more insight of the reader character than her relationship with Ray. Title and chapter inspired by "Rich Girl Mood" by Dounia and Kehlani (YT link below)

Rating: T

Word Count:  3,294

Pairing: Raymond Smith x F!reader

Plot: Another year, another birthday party.

Contains: angst, recreational drug use, hurt, jealousy, light mentions of D/s relationship, collars, cursing

After your cryfest in your car, you cleaned yourself up and went in to see your parents briefly and sort of lied about a missing pair of shoes. You then feigned looking in your old bedroom which has become a bit of a storage closet for you. You also act surprised when they hand you the gift box Ray mentioned. You told them you would send Mickey and Ray a thank you card.

You're now back at your flat staring at the big Tiffany blue box while stuffing your face with your favorite pastries from Astrid's Cafe and Bakery. You put the mostly eaten slice of cake down and pull the shiny black ribbon loose. Of course it feels so soft. Ray probably spent a good quid on the ribbon alone. You wouldn't be surprised if it was made of actual silk. Only he would do something so extra.

You take a deep breath and finally lift the lid. This asshole even took the time to wrap your things in tissue paper? You roll your eyes and huff. You grab the small cream-colored envelope sitting on top of the neatly and carefully folded white delicate sheets. You flip the envelope open and pull the card out.

Hi love,

I hope this letter finds you well. I figured you'd eventually want your things back, especially your shoes. I know they were one of your favorites. I even took the time to polish them for you since last time you had scuffed them. There are some things in here that I also thought you should have as I have no more use for them.

Take care,

Ray

You gently tear open the tissue paper and as expected, you find your heels looking shiny as new. You see what else is inside the box and find a few things like your toothbrush, toiletries and some clothing, neatly folded and stacked in true Ray fashion. You know he had your clothes washed, dry cleaned and pressed as well, including the outfits he picked out for you. You look through them and choke up a little seeing your collars carefully placed between the perfectly folded clothing. They're all there, including his favorite, the one with a little bell on it. You tilt your head curiously when you find a small velvet box. The rock in your belly is creeping back in. You stare at it for a moment before reaching for it. You nervously grip the box between your fingers as you take your time flipping the lid open. You let out the breath you'd been holding when you don't see a ring, but instead you feel your heart breaking all over again seeing your day collar. The same one you ripped off your neck and threw at him.

Your eyes blur up for the millionth time today and you swipe your fingers over them. In the corner of your eye, you notice another envelope sticking out from under the clothes. You reach for it and pull it out. Flipping it around, you notice it's completely unmarked. You open it and pull out two business class plane tickets to Greece. Confused, you look in the envelope again and find a folded piece of paper. You pull it out and open it up.

I had planned to whisk you away for a week for your birthday, but I can't use these anymore so I thought maybe you can. Enjoy your birthday, my love.

-Ray

This isn't fair. This isn't fucking fair. Not fair to you, not fair to Ray. You don't know how much more your heart can take.

***

Over the next few weeks, you go on a date or two with Fred just to get out of your flat. You've been sulking and comfort eating and sniffing Ray's cardigan long enough. The dates were fun, but if you're honest with yourself, while Fred is a really nice guy, he just doesn't do it for you romantically. You had to be upfront with him as you didn't want to string him along. He deserved to know the truth, but thankfully he took it with ease and understood. You did invite him to your birthday party though and you know someone who would actually pair real well with him. You usually don't play matchmaker, but you think you've got this one in the bag.

Speaking of birthday parties, you just wanted something small but your parents insisted on throwing something for their only child. They do this every year, but you let them because you know it's really just an excuse for them to throw a fancy party to show off to their fancy friends. You know after the first hour or two of greeting people you either don't know, don't remember or haven't seen since you were a wee child, you're going to disappear into the garden shed to get sloshed on expensive liquor and smoke the best weed in all of England with your closest friends like you did when you all were younger. Growing up around so much money, you've always hated the posh snobby kids who thought they were too good for anyone, but you have a small group who were never like that and you always stayed close to them. Everyone else at the party can fuck off and freeload on the booze and food.

You do a once over glance in the mirror to check your makeup and hair. Your hand touches your bare neck and after a moment, you get up from your vanity chair and slip on your heels and smooth out your sickeningly expensive dress. It clings on to your every curve and dip. That’ll sure get some lookers. You still feel like something is missing though.

"Darling, are you ready? Guests are waiting!"

"I'll be right out, mummy!" you shout back.

You quickly go through your overnight bag and pull out a box. You open it up and look at the jewelry for a moment before putting it on, then take one final look in the mirror and you're satisfied with what you see. It doesn’t hold meaning anymore, although it’s sentimental to you, but it has always comforted you, feeling it snug around your neck. It was like your security blanket. It made you feel safe because whenever you wore it, you always knew Ray was close by.

Ray dominating you wasn’t just some kink. It wasn’t just about being in control, or rather giving it up. Being his sub meant he would love you and protect you deeply. It was a shared bond. He brought you pleasure in so many ways and made you forget when you had a bad day, but most importantly, he made sure nothing can hurt you. You completely allowed your heart, body and soul to be delicately encased by his own design.

You take a deep breath and polish off the whiskey you've been nursing while getting ready before putting your face on for the crowd. 

When you reach the bottom of the long grand staircase, you’re greeted by your parents and some people you don’t recognize. You plaster on a smile and shake their hands, thanking them for coming. As you walk off to go greet more people, you grab a flute of champagne and down it, placing it back as quickly as you snatched it up when a server walks by with a tray. You’re reminded why you hate these big parties.

You almost spit your champagne out when you spot Mickey and Ros. The nerve. Of course your parents invited them. You know Mickey only does anything if he’s getting something out of it so while it appears he gives a shit about your birthday and respecting your parents’ cordial invitation, he’s probably rubbing elbows with people who can be potential partners. Wouldn’t be surprised if he’s already negotiating and sealing deals while he’s here. You now wonder if Ray is somewhere around this giant house.

You walk over to the Pearsons to greet them with the least fake smile you can manage to put on.

“Hi, Mickey.”

“Hello, there. The woman of the hour!” Michael turns to you with a smile. “You’ve met my wife Ros, right?”

“Yes, pleasure to see you again.” You and Ros greet each other with a kiss on the cheek. She might be the only one in his posse you actually don’t mind. Her and Bunny. That gentle giant.

"Thank you both so much for coming!" You try to stretch out your smile but your facial muscles can only go so far.

"Happy birthday, love,” Ros smiles.

Although, you know Rosalind is probably on the up and up on what goes on in Mickey's world, including what happened with you and Ray. There is no way tea didn't get spilled on her.

"Thank you," you slightly bow your head. “How are you doing? Business is going well I assume?”

“Ah, let’s not talk about business. We’re here as guests, not salesmen. How are you doing?” Mickey returns the attention to you.

“No business? What a surprise,” you try to jab subtly. “I’m doing well, thank you.”

“Sweetheart! There’s someone I want you to meet,” your mother suddenly comes out of nowhere.

“Excuse me,” you tell the Pearsons. "I hope you both enjoy yourselves.”

They nod at you before being whisked away by your mother.

***

After being introduced to a bunch of random people including some suitors, you sneak off into a secret side room to get a breather. You used to hide here a lot when you were younger when you wanted to isolate yourself when everything felt too overwhelming.  Especially from these parties. It always felt so performative when you just wanted to be a kid and play with your friends, but you were expected to be prim and proper, until you were old enough to realize you didn’t have to do any of this. You still remember those long boring etiquette classes and sometimes still use the wrong utensil on purpose as an act of rebellion. 

You feel around your body and realize you left your joint and lighter in your bedroom. Letting out a heavy sigh, you savor another moment of silence before marching back out into the wild. As you make your way to your bedroom, you round the corner and smack right into a hard chest.

“Oh my gosh, I am SO…” You look up at the man and your voice dies.

"Kitten…” Ray gasps quietly to himself when he sees your day collar sitting against your neck.

You can't get away from this man now, can you? Ironically, it feels like you're actually seeing him more often than you did when you were together. Like muscle memory, you plaster your cookie cutter smile on your face and greet Ray and the woman standing next to him.

"Hi, Raymond." You mentally kick yourself for overdoing your enthusiasm.

"H-hi."

You never thought there'd be a day you'd make Ray all flustered and stumble over his words. Mr. Calm and Controlled, my arse.

"Didn't expect to see you here tonight, but thank you for coming," you say, still with your painful smile on your face. You’re pretty sure it’s going to be permanent by the end of the night.

"Uh, just here for Michael," Ray quickly comments and nods. "Um, this is–”

“I know dear ol’ Rebecca.” Both you and Rebecca greet each other with air kisses on each side of your faces. “How are you? Haven’t seen you in quite some time,” you tell her.

“I’m doing very well. My company nearly doubled its revenue last month so I can’t complain,” she beams.

“You mean your father’s company?” you clarify.

“Yes, but he made me the president of the company a few months ago so it’s really mine too,” she explains. “He’s retiring soon so I’ll be CEO any day now. Anyways, how are you? I don’t really see you around much,” she shakes her head.

“Oh, I’m just always so busy,” you reply. Avoiding the lot of you. “I was actually thinking about taking a little trip to Mykonos next week. An unexpected birthday present.”

“I hear it’s fabulous this time of year,” Rebecca says. “And the men there are gorgeous.”

“Really?” you ask curiously. “I should probably go then.” You quickly glance over at Ray to see his reaction, seeing him shift uncomfortably.

You spot Fred in your peripheral vision and instantly grab his arm, pulling him in close to you.

“Freddy, love. You remember Raymond, right?” you ask him. You look back at Ray and can see his jaw ticking.

“Oh, hey! Good to see you again, mate!” Fred puts his hand out and Ray reluctantly takes it and as soon as he does, Fred pulls him in for a hug. Ray grimaces and lightly pats Fred on the shoulder. There is some actual genuine joy behind your smile now. 

“Freddy, darling! It’s been ages!” Rebecca exclaims.

After Freddy pulls away, he greets Rebecca.

“Bloody hell, Becca! When did you get so tall?” 

While they hug and catch up, you and Ray stare daggers at each other.

“Wait, are you two dating–” Freddy starts but you interrupt him.

“Um, Freddy,” you loop your arm around his again. “I think I’m ready for…” you vaguely gesture your head, nodding in a general direction towards the garden.

“Oh! Sure, yeah. I’ll meet you there after I stop by the loo,” Freddy says. “It was nice seeing you both again. Excuse me,” he says to Ray and Rebecca before walking off.

“Well, hope you’re both enjoying the party,” you say, clapping your hands together. “Excuse me. I have something I need to do.”

You walk off, not even bothering looking back as you make your way to your bedroom.

***

“Oh my gosh, Sophie, you have to tell that story about that time we pulled that prank on Lit’le Henry. Remember Henry?” you laugh, after taking a puff and passing it to Fred. 

“I don’t think Antonia here has heard about this story.” You wink at Fred. You introduced Antonia to Fred and they seemed to be hitting it off really well.

“‘Enry was a lit’le shite. It wasn’t a prank. It was revenge,” Sophie starts.

Sophie proceeds to tell the story about how a mutual friend kept getting bullied by Henry so the group of you teamed up to exact revenge on him. It was originally Fred’s idea but in the end he also took the fall for all of you. However, Henry never dared to bully anyone ever again.

“And I’d do it again,” he boasts.

You were finally able to sneak off with your friends to go hide in the shed to have a party for yourselves. No pretending, no masks, no manners. Just laughs. For those few hours, you were able to actually enjoy your birthday. You can’t remember the last time you had this much fun or laughed this hard. 

“Oh, fuck. I must have dropped my stash when I went to the toilet,” you say when you realize you can’t find the spare joints you rolled up. “I’ll be back. I’ll also get another bot’le of wine.”

“Love, it’s your birfday. Get one of the servants to fetch it for ya,” someone jumps in.

“They work for my parents, not me. Besides, I can use some fresh air,” you chuckle before bursting out of the shed.

As you cut through the long garden to make your way back into the house, you notice Ray pacing back and forth off to the side of the house while talking on the phone.

“Yes, boss. I understand.”

When he hangs up, he looks up and sees you cautiously walking trying to avoid being seen. You nearly twist your ankle as you tiptoe around and miss a step but Ray quickly catches you instinctively. So much for trying to dodge him.

“Are you alright?” Ray asks, looking into your eyes.

You stare back for a few moments, breathless. It might be the weed and alcohol but you want nothing more than to wrap your arms around him and let him hold you and never let go, but your daydreaming gets interrupted.

“Oh my! Looks like someone’s had a bit to drink tonight. You always know how to throw a party,” Rebecca comments as she walks over. “Ray, I’ll be back in a few. Need to powder my nose,” she winks before walking off inside the house. 

You quickly remove yourself from Ray’s grip and straighten yourself out.

“Are you alright?” Ray repeats.

“I’m fine,” you reply and start heading towards the house.

“Wait!” Ray takes a step in front of you, stopping you in your tracks.

“What is it, Ray?” You ask, now annoyed.

“Just so there’s no misunderstanding, Rebecca and I are not together. She’s just here with her parents and it’s my job to keep her entertained while her parents and Michael have an informal meeting,” Ray tells you.

“Ray, it’s really none of my business,” you shrug. "But I'm not surprised that's part of your job. I just hope she doesn't take it too hard when you're done with her and tell her to fuck off." You then try to maneuver around him but he side steps you.

“I know it’s none of your business but it’s important to me that you know. I don’t want you to think I’m trying to hurt you in any way because that’s the absolute last thing I want,” Ray shakes his head, ignoring your snide comment. “I don’t want to be at this boring party as much as I know you don’t either.”

“OH!” Your eyebrows shoot up to your almost perfectly coiffed hairline. “I’m so sorry my party isn’t dramatic enough for you.” You cross your arms under your breasts which are now accentuated by your arm placement.

Ray’s eyes begin to twitch as he realizes what he had said.

“No, that’s… that’s not what I meant—“

“No cunt to punch in the face. No damsel for you to save,” you say as you raise your arms above your head and wave them around.

“Can you please lower your voice? I was genuinely concerned for you. That cunt put his hands on you!” Ray snarls.

“It’s my fucking party so I’ll be as loud as I want!”

Ray looks around nervously to make sure they don’t draw any attention.

“You just can’t go around punching every bloke who puts his hands on me! You’re not my boyfriend anymore!” You push right past him with all your might and shoulder check him out of your way.

“Well, your actual boyfriend should have, but he left you all alone in a crowded pub full of drunk men!” Ray growls. “That would have never happened with me. I would have protected you!” 

You stop in your tracks and twirl around.

“Oh, please! You weren’t protecting me. You just don’t like seeing someone else’s hands on me!” You walk up to him and poke your finger into his chest. “Why do you even care so much? You’re the one who broke up with me.”

“I still care about what happens to you,” Ray adjusts his glasses. “Kitten…”

You start shaking your head.

“Just because I can’t love you the way I want to, the way we want to, it doesn’t mean I automatically stop caring for you.” Ray’s face and voice softens.

“No!” You growl into his face. You grunt out of frustration and rip your necklace off for the second time and throw it at him. “I don’t give a shit what you do with that. Just don’t give it back to me.” You spin around and stomp away towards the house.

[echantedtoon]

A Rock And A Hard Place Part 2 Douma

This is inspired by @melon-cream-enmu Demon Slayer- Program Au. (Warnings: Their blog does contain NSFW elements and themes that not everyone may like or be comfortable with. Just a heads up. But this WILL STAY Sfw.) I did ask if they were fine with someone writing drabbles inspired by their au before writing this, and they mentioned that they were fine. This is probably not gonna have a lot of chapters and it's from the perspective of a female reader.

B.P. Au- @melon-cream-enmu

Demon Slayer- Koyoharu Gotouge

Demon Designs for this done by @flanelltees linked below.

https://www.tumblr.com/flanelltees/694082545792450560/i-forgot-i-didnt-post-this-cuz-i-think-i-didnt?source=share

Mostly Akaza x Reader x Douma with some Rengoku x Reader.

Warnings: Douma IS his own warning. Possibly some innuendos.)

"My answer is a big fat NO."

Footsteps followed you down the hallway. If you weren't weighed down by the giant cart of cleaning products and objects you used to clean up, you would've been booking it down the halls for your life as fast as this ridiculous rubber suit would let you. Unfortunately there was little you could do to escape the bluntly smiling woman following behind your squeaky cart.  You partially wished her long clean white lab coat got caught in one of the doorways and slowing her down enough for you to get away.

"Oh, I understand that you may have concerns about it! You'd be a part of an amazing break through in demonology history! There's still so much we don't know about them! You'd be a part of something extraordinary!"

"Oh! Well if that's the case let me change my answer." You shot her a scowl. "HELL NO!!"

Her expression didn't change but her eyelid twitched slightly. "But won't you reconsider? It'll mean so much to us."

"If you're so desperate for volunteers why don't YOU go play matchmaker with those things!? I'm not about to throw myself to the wolves hoping I won't get eaten!"

"That's a stereotype of demons! They don't actually eat human meat like popular belief." She sped up until she got in front of you and grabbed onto your cart forcing you to stop. "And I don't any any qualifications for the task that we're asking volunteers for."

"'Qualifications'?" You gave her a look of disbelief. "Do I look like I have any 'qualifications'? I'm not a scientist and I'm not a researcher!" You gestured to the rubber hazmat suit you wore. "I'm a dam janitor. If the floors dirty I go sweep it. If a toilets clogged I used a stupid plunger. If someone spills coffee again for the hundredth time, I always go clean it up! The only 'qualifications' I have is taking THIS-" You grabbed the mop hooked up to the side of your cart. "-and using bleach on the floor. I don't involve myself in things I don't have any business with!"

Shinobu inhaled slowly like she was holding back anger before she let go of the cart in defeat. "Fine. I can't force you and I can't change your mind." Glad she finally got that through her thick head. "If you don't want to volunteer for the program then I'll respect your choice on the matter, but I'd like to still give you an offer." You rose a deadpanned brow. "It's not a part of the program! If you could swing by the holding wing later tomorrow so we could see how the ice demon reacts to your presence, it'd be a good experiment."

"So you still want to use me as an experiment? Or is it bait? I can't decide which one I am at this point."

"Neither! You wouldn't even have to interact with the demon! All we want to do is see what happens when he senses you're around! Maybe we could figure out why he's acting like this and put a stop to it. You'd even be paid."

"....How much?"

"Three hundred to your next check!"

"...Forget it. I'm not going to be involved in this. Go find another woman to con."

Again the woman sighed but nodded and stepped aside finally. "Alright then. But if you should happen to change your mind, you'll know where to find us."

You said nothing as she walked away and you angrily pushed the cart away. Who did she think she was?! Using you like some guinea pig! Ha! No amount of money would make you agree to something like that!!...Then again. You slowly came to a stop.. It would be nice to have some extra money to help with the bills. It would sure make things easier and she mentioned you wouldn't have to do anything...

**************

"Don't say anything or else I'll change my mind and leave now!"

Because of your greed or because you were dumb, you had ended up showing up to the hiding wing of the facility. This time without the obnoxious rubber suit and just in your casual clothes not knowing what else to wear for this. When you shuffled in there was at least four people in labcoats. Two you recognized as Shinobu and Rengoku but the other two men you didn't. One wore a security suit and had short white hair with scars across what exposed skin there was and the other had what was essentially a nurse's scrubs and mask over his lower face. His hair was black with Mitch matched eyes.

"AH!! MISS Y/N!! SO GLAD TO SEE YOU CHANGED YOUR MIND!!," the loud red head shouted loudly making you and a few others wince at his loud volume. "You've arrived just in time to join the others!"

A hand reached up to rub your ear but paused when he spoke the next few words. "...Wait." you looked right at him wide eyed. "Others??"

He nodded. "Yes! You're not the only person who volunteered for the new program!" His body stepped aside allowing you to look down the hallway and you were surprised to find MANY more people in labcoats and a lot more people in those security suits standing in front of different windows looking into different cells. "There are others who also volunteered for the M.C.M.A.R.R. program! The staff and security are here to help monitor the interactions between the demons and volunteers!" He then looked back to your surprised face. "Which reminds me, you've probably never met the others before!" He gestured to the two men you never noticed before. "This is Sanemi, he's head of security at the facility and Obanai. He's mostly in charge of monitoring the health of our subjects here but he comes here on standby whenever there's interactions between them and our human volunteers."

"Uh..." You gave each man a look before nodding at them. "Hi. Nice to meet you."

The man named Sanemi hummed and looked you over before looking at Shinobu. "Are you sure this is a good idea? She's pretty vulnerable."

"She's not even going into the enclosure," Shinobu waved him off with a smile. "She's just here to see if the ice demon will come to the window as a trial run."

Rengoku nodded. "Indeed. It's up to her to decide if she wants to continue after a trial run! Any volunteer can quite at anytime!"

Sanemi sighed but shrugged his muscular shoulders. "Alright. Don't say that I didn't warn you."

You jumped as Rengoku slapped you friendly like on the back and beckoned you forward. "COME! I'll explain to you how this works!" You hesitantly allowed him to walk you down the hall you've cleaned multiple times. "Shinobu probably already explained what this program researches but allow me to elaborate. This program tests the multiple interactions between demons and other demons but also demons and humans."

"So...you also study demons interacting with each other? Not just humans?" 

"Precisely!!," he shouted, "We only use human volunteers with their absolute consent and they can quite anytime if they don't wish to be in the program for any reason anymore." That was good at least. "What we do is match you up to a specific demon we think you'll be able to make at least friendly interactions with. We start out with just watching from the other side of the window,  but we've been successful in having direct interactions later." He stopped in front of one large window. "Like this one there!"

You looked where he was pointing. There was another woman in a labcoat calmly writing on a clipboard and every so often looking up through the window into the cell. It took you a minute to take in what you saw. It was one of the cells that you weren't assigned to clean. You've never really paid much attention to it otherwise but it looked like a miniature library! There was stacks of books, a curtained bed, and a few other luxuries. In the smack middle of the room was two women. One was clearly not human with those slit pupil eyes, and the pointed ears. The one who was human was standing there and just watching as the other female demon made these strange almost cooing sounds and gesturing at a page of an open book in her hands.

"KANAE!!" You again jumped at the loud voice of Rengoku calling at the woman who only calmly turned her smile on him. "How goes the usual meeting?"

"Just fine," she replied back, "This is the second to last meeting they'll have before Red Eyes is released again."

"Red Eyes?"

"Yes. That's the nickname we gave to the demon. You see demons have their own culture and their own language. We...still haven't dephiered it so we give them nicknames to keep track of them. It's easier than saying Demon Number Fifty Four don't you think?" He gestured to the two ladies inside. "Red Eyes has been with us for a little over two years. The CEO decided he'll be released back next month to make way for different demons."

"You release them all?"

"It's all in accordance with the conservation federation. We capture but have to release after a while."

You gave another look in the cell and found the black haired wo-....MAN?! You blinked. "Wasn't that demon female just a minute ago?"

"Oh yes. That's why he's one of the more fascinating ones. You see he has the ability to switch genders at will." He then chuckled. "He seems awfully taken by Ms. Rei over there. She's the only one who he'll willingly interact with."

You gave another look inside the cell seeing the red eyed demon letting the human woman caress his face before Rengoku moved you along. Further down the hallway and towards the cell window you usually had encounters with.

"You see we've had a successful few interactions. Red Eyes and Rei are one of them. The dream demon with another. More recently we've been successful able to have interactions with a six eyed demon we've nicknamed Six and another volunteer named Haruhime. The one who we're going to try and interact with you is one we call the Ice Demon."

Your brows rose. "Ice demon?"

"Yes. We call him that because he can create structures of ice. He was found in the coldest parts in the mountains near a town. Apparently in those parts he used to be reveared as a deity of sorts. I thought it was just another old legend like unicorns until we accidentally came by him. It took the capture team a lot of darts to sedate him enough to bring in."

"And why do you think I'm good bait?'

He made a long 'eeehhhh' noise rolling his wrist. "Well...You see some demons are really picky when choosing who they interact with. Most of them absolutely refuse to even interact with the science team or any of the staff members. That's why we have volunteers come in. The demons seem more willing to interact with humans that they don't recognize as their captors."

Ah. That makes sense to why Shinobu kept insisting on you being the one that came here. "Ok. What does that have to do with me and this demon?"

"Like I said some demons are very picky on who they'll interact with. Ice Demon seems to particularly like interacting with female demons and lady staff members. The problem is that he's been trying to get out."

Your f/c widened. "Get out?!"

Rengoku nodded. "Yes. Besides Ice it seems our cold friend here has a charming effect to seduce the opposite gender. We did a little research on your first interaction with him. He noticed that you were a woman when you removed your hood while cleaning the old cell in front of his, but he couldn't get your attention until the second time you met. We think he was trying to hypnotize you into opening the door to his cell and letting him out." He looked right at you. "But you didn't fall for it."

"And that's surprising?"

"Yes! Because it seems that his charms don't work on stubborn women with a strong attitude like Shinobu and yourself!"

"Is that supposed to be a compliment or insult?"

"SEE?! You're perfect for this! Now then..." He stopped just in front of the cell you knew all too well finally letting go of you. "Let's see if he's in there." He left you standing on the side out of view as he looked down into the enclosure. There was a room large enough to be a ballroom with large chunks of snow and ice everywhere. "Hm. He seems to be keeping to himself today."

You also poked your head out raising a brow. "Maybe he's asle-"

B A M!!  

You shrieked out and jumped back along with Rengoku as something hard slammed against the glass making it vibrate against the frame but didn't break. You froze as you came face to face with a widely smiling mouth full of fangs and bright rainbow eyes. There was silence as others turned to you both and silence fell as everyone stared at the creature pressing its palms against the window. There was no movement for a stunned moment before the tall demon made a happy trill sound and pressed his cheek with no shame. Smooshing his face against the glass as if he could get closer to you. Behind him a long tail with a platinum blonde tuft of hair wagged behind him.hoho

"... Incredible!" You jumped whirling back to Rengoku who smiled brightly. "This is possibly the most upfront and open interaction yet!" He looked at your stunned face. "Quick! Do something!"

"What?!"

"Anything! Compliment him!"

You slowly looked at the demon who eerily stared unblinkingly and still pressed against the glass leaned over to be eye level with you. And gulped. Even safely on the other side of the glass he was a bit intimidating but..you still rose a brow. Could it even understand you? This was ridiculous!

"Um...You have beautiful eyes?"

SCCCCRREEEEEEEEEE-!!! 

You again jumped at the loud half screech half squeal the thing gaze before it grabbed its cheeks pulling away from the window giddily swaying back and forth. As if lovestruck before going back to the window again.

"Incredible. Speak to it more, Y/n!"

That's how it all began. Your first meeting consisted mostly of awkward talk as the thing just stared at you intensely until you felt uncomfortable enough and left as it followed you with it's gaze. Rengoku giddily thanked you as Shinobu happily looked over the notes she silently took the entire time she was there. You were invited back to the program same time next week and when your paycheck came in you found a whopping three hundred dollars added to your balance. 

That's how it started. For the money you kept going back once a week every Wednesday to o spend a few hours at the window either talking to the thing or letting it jabber on and on and ON in some kind of grunt, trill, chirp etc language you couldn't even understand. But he didn't even seem to notice or care about that fact. Other than your meetings, you didn't pay attention to him. Why would you? You were getting paid for the meetings, you weren't getting paid extra outside them. Which was hard to do when he walked in 'agony' and annoyed you whenever he senses you were nearby. You often thought about ending the meetings because he was annoying you so much but the extra three hundred dollars in your paycheck every week kept you coming back. But that was it. 

After around six months of this behavior Shinobu offered you a new deal. "You both seem to be getting along quite well. We were talking about it and we were wondering if you'd try an in person session with him."

"What?! No! I agreed to be on the safe side of the glass! How much money do you pay people to risk their lives like that?!"

"Three hundred dollars for a shielded session. A thousand dollars per in person session."

"......"

The metal doors opened before you. A breeze of absolutely chilling air washed over you through the cracks making you shiver. The heavy duty metal reinforced doors only opened enough to allow you to squeeze through to prevent the much larger demon from escaping. 

"Remember Y/n," Rengoku's voice sounded out through a speaker system attached into the cell. No doubt he was looking down through the window. "If you feel uncomfortable or in danger at any time or decided you had enough just wave at me with both arms. The security team will be right in there to retrieve you. Whatever you do, remain in a nonthreatening manner and remain calm. The goal is to avoid unnecessary aggression."

"Gee. Thanks." You mumbled under your breath.

You'd better be getting that thousand dollars for this crap. Slowly you looked through the crack..You didn't see anything. Slowly you poked your head inside and looked around. Still nothing. Your body squeezed through until you stood on the other side jumping as the door closed shut behind you. You were trapped inside here by yourself with a demon now. Great-

THUD!! 

You shrieked as something large landed behind you and two arms wrapped around your body pulling you up and into a burly chest. You continued to squeal out as the thing held you close to him. After a moment a lovestruck chittering entered your ears as you froze up. Rengoku watched as you were cuddled like a teddy bear by the demon before it plopped itself down and you sat in his lap.

"Y/n! Give us a thumbs up if you're alright!"

You were stunned by the coldness of the area and body against you but managed to give the window a thumbs up. "I'm fine." You pushed at the body. "Put me down!"

The thing only chuckled and nuzzled his nose into your hair.

"Hey, hey, hey!" You reached around as best as you could reach out to push at it. "Cut that out you freak!"

It made a cooing noise but held up his arms allowing you to scramble from him and stand. You turned to glare at him but he only giggled again and laid his head in his hands. 

"Geez. Clingy much?" 

It nodded yes at you....

It nodded...yes...at you...

You pointed at it looking at the window. "That thing just said yes to me!"

"Good. Communication is key."

"You're not helping!!" You whirled around back to the grinning thing. Jeebus. Even sitting down you could tell he was huge! He must've been six or seven feet tall with an obviously muscular build and you didn't like how pointy those fangs and claws were. Or the intense state he was giving you. This thing could rip you apart in a second... You had a problem with accepting money. "... You're not gonna try and eat me are you?" A head shake no. "That's good at least."

You shifted uncomfortably staring at him before looking around the cell. Ice sculptures were everywhere and in different shapes. A boat. Table and chair. A few random nicknacks. And a dancing ballerina mid pose. Did he make all these? Snow crunched under your feet leaving foot prints everywhere he stepped. He seemed to take notice cuz he thrummed gaining your attention and held out his hands.

You stared at him. "Uh..What are you doing?"

He chuckled at you. Holding up his hands turning them over showing they were empty before clapping them together. After a moment he slowly pried them apart and showing something in his palms. A little bitty bitty ice swan was nestled in his hands and he held it up to you. 

"...Oh. Is that for me?" He nodded. You still stared before slowly reaching out and picking it up from his hands. You looked over the little bird. It was like a glass figure only made of very cold ice. "Oh. It's very pretty. Thank you."

It trilled in happiness again clapping in approval you accepted it.

"Thanks...But can I ask you why you've been bothering me so much?" It tilted it's head. "Why are you so interested in bugging me I mean."

It stared at you more before again seductively posing where he sat with one hand pressed against his chest.

You deadpanned. "....Man. just..Just don't. I don't think that's gonna work on me."

He then perked up at you and pointed.

"....Oh. so you already figured out that part?" It nodded again.

"I think it's trying to say it's interested in you being not interested in him!"

"Gee. Thanks, Rengoku. You really help here."

"Just trying my best!"

The meeting persisted for another twenty minutes before you decided you couldn't take the cold anymore and waved both hands at the window. Rengoku nodded and a moment later the metal doors opened a crack again with a few security guys on the other side. You decided to leave the ice swan on the ice table knowing that it'd probably melt once you went out of the cell and left. The thing got up and followed you stopping a few yards from the door and watching you disappear again. You were more happy that you could get warm again. Rengoku considered it a success and offered you again to come back for more in person sessions.... Your wallet really got stuffed over the course of the next three months.

You would continue your meetings, and have one on one sessions with the demon which usually only lasted about an hour with how could it was inside the cell and the demon would gift you small ice sculptures which you always left on the table with the others because they would melt outside of the room. Sometimes he even sculpted the giant ones in front of you watching you watch in awe. Other times he insisted on holding you much to your dismay and laughed watching you struggle. But he always let you go once you gave Rengoku or Shinobu the signal to leave. O R particular day he wrote letters in the snow spelling out something.

"Douma?"

He squealed out in delight clutching his cheeks hearing you say that.

"Is that your name?"

He nodded. The scientists were also thrilled about seeing you on name based. 

"This is fantastic!" Rengoku cheered as you huddled in the jacket you brought with you. "It's revealed it's name to you! That means you earnt it's trust!" Your head throbbed from his loud voice and you hissed. You've been dealing with a headache all day. "You're getting along rather well!"

"Keep it down..my head hurts."

"Ah. My apologies for that. But this is truly thrilling!" He stepped in front of a certain cell where you were trying to relieve your head and a pair of golden irises narrowed at the flame haired man. "Are you feeling alright? Obanai has some pain reliever in his kit for whenever Shinobu needs it. I can get you one if you want?"

You didn't even get to reply. Something ran at the window. The frame shook and Rengoku jumped as a ferocious pink haired demon SLAMMED it's shoulder into the window not breaking it but sure as heck rattling it. Large fangs snarled as it hissed raged at the other man. Both stared at one another. For Rengoku this wasn't an odd occurrence. This thing often tried to threaten hi-

BAM!! 

Angrily, you whirled around. Balled up fist slamming into the glass catching the demon on the other side of guard as you stared at him dead in the eyes with such anger.

"SHUT!! UP!!" 

The pink haired demon froze stunned at the tiny female yelling at him before you turned away to cradle your throbbing headache mumbling to yourself and walking away. Leaving behind the stunned men...until the pink haired demon blinked and turned his head watching as you left.. before his ears perked up and head tilted in interest.

[strangertheories]

Why did Henry Creel kidnap Will?

First Shadow Spoilers!

I haven't seen the show yet but I really hope this isn't true, like I know Vecna's a pretty petty villain (like spending years trying to take down an 8 year old cause she beat a man in his 40s at a fight) but kidnapping a child because his mom was a bit shouty to him one time seems just next level weird.

There were so many Will/Henry parallels in the play, imo. Henry Creel was a child who disappeared at a young age and came back "wrong" (+ a link to the supernatural). He was in love with someone but knew this would be frowned upon as it was an interracial relationship, similar to how Will was in love with Mike but knew the gay shame that came with that. When battling what is seemingly the Mind Flayer taking over and giving in to it, Henry is able to regain control with the help of the person he loves. I don't think I need to explain how Will relates to that.

The way Will was taken to the UD heavily implied Vecna was stalking him, not to mention how Will wasn't immediately eaten like the other victims. I like the idea that Vecna-ified Henry kidnapped Will because he reminded him of himself so thought he would be the best vessel to use to take the UD into Hawkins and end the society that rejected him. Maybe he thought Will would get powers, just like he did. Maybe he was trying to create more super powered children as he was unhappy with the way El turned out after previously being satisfied with her.

I understand the purpose of Will/Henry parallels could purely be for the purpose of showing Will has a supernatural link and/or powers. But I think their years-long link to each other ending in a reveal that Henry targeted Will because his mother called him out for murdering animals(/people) would just be underwhelming. That has nothing to do with Will.

I guess I could be somewhat satisfied with the idea that's why he initially took Will but after Will froze the Upside Down, he has much bigger plans in place for him which will culminate in a S5 battle where Henry explains their similarities and why Will should join the dark side with him. But it's just less compelling to me than the Henry inside of Vecna feeling some sort of kinship to Will.

Any thoughts?

[mywordhaven]

The Road Ahead - ch 2 | Frankie Morales x female reader

Previous Chapter

Throughout most of your married life, you've dedicated yourself to waiting for Frankie. After each deployment, you patiently anticipated his return home, longing for the moment when he would be by your side once again. You yearned for him to open up to you during those nights when nightmares consumed his thoughts, hoping that he would find solace in sharing his pain with you. And as his addiction spiralled out of control, you hoped that he would recognize his problem and seek help. Yet, despite your countless protests and pleas, you now find yourself waiting for him once more as he ventures off to Columbia doing God knows what.

But this time is the last. Resolved, you make a solemn promise to yourself: You will never wait for Frankie again.

Rating: M for Mature (18 + / no minors allowed)

Word Count: 4.8K

Warnings: Applicable to the entire fic / PTSD, drug use and addiction, postpartum depression, abusive familial relationships, self-hatred, hard relationship to food, unhealthy coping mechanism, explicit sexual content, violence, mentions of suicidal thoughts, super angsty guys (more warnings will be added if necessary).

Summary: Frankie breaks the one promise he swore he never would.

Notes: Hey everyone, thank you very much for the sweet comments/reblog/liked, I appreciate it so much :D I was totally not expecting it. I really hope you enjoy this one, it's got that sweet, sweet angst that I think we all love. After this chapter, we are getting ourselves right into the nugget of the action between Frankie and his cielo. Lmk what you all think xxx

Ao3 link

Broken Promises

You’ve never been this tired before. It’s a strange feeling like you are experiencing a sort of out-of-body experience, looking straight at your bone-tired self barely holding on. “My kingdom for a full night of sleep,” you think, before scanning the room. A rumpled bed, a mix of dirty and clean laundry scattered over the floor, and a half-eaten pack of Oreo cookies on the nightstand “Not much of a kingdom” you sardonically judge. As the minutes tick by, exhaustion takes further hold of you and your eyes begin to shut. You start to nod off, but just as your chin touches the top of your collarbone a small fist slams onto your left cheek, and a loud cry pierces the silence of your bedroom.

"Shhh, Ella, shhh, sweetheart, please be good for Mommy," you softly plead. Weary from the ongoing battle to lull your baby girl back to sleep, you slowly rise from the rocking chair nestled in the quiet corner of your dimly lit bedroom. It's been a relentless night since the clock struck 1:30 a.m., and Estrella seems to have taken it upon herself to ensure you stay awake for as long as possible.

You had hoped that the rhythmic motion of the chair, the gentle sway, and comforting whispers, would coax her back into the land of dreams. Yet the soft lullabies and soothing strokes proved insufficient in settling your little girl. The minutes ticked by, and the hand of the clock slowly etches its way into the night.

You slowly stroll around the room, swaying back and forth while cradling the warm bundle in your arms. As you gaze down at the tiny face nestled against your chest, you tiredly ponder, "Perhaps I should start calling you peanut, don't you think, Ella?" Your fingertips delicately trace the contours of her tiny, discontented face. The sight of her scrunched-up, red face reminds you of those spicy peanuts that Frankie enjoys munching on.

Frankie. It has been an agonizing seven days since you last heard from your husband. When he informed you about his departure on one of Santiago's reckless ideas (damn it all Santi), you pleaded with him not to go. You had tried everything, even resorting to playing dirty by reminding him of his promise to never leave again! And how it would surely negatively impact Ella considering her formative age. You emphasized how important it was for Ella to have her papa with her. How much you needed your husband. You had kept going until the morning, and your voice had faded to a hoarse whisper, but Frankie did not budge.

Instead, Frankie had held you close. Listening to you argue and rage while whispering reassuring words about how everything would be just fine. And as the argument heated up, he switched up his strategy. Instead, sternly stretching how thin money was right now. Like an artist, using his words as brushstrokes, he painted a clear picture of the challenges you were both facing, reminding you of the growing financial strain. Ella, remaining in the background of the conversation, both acutely aware of your responsibility as new parents. He’d coaxed, cajoled, and did his best to persuade you that his leaving was the right course of action. He stressed that, although Pope needed him for this mission, the money he would make would provide the opportunity for you to finally take time away from work to be with Ella. When he saw you start to relent at his words, he doubled down and further pressed how, upon his return, there would be enough funds for him to both appeal his drug sanction and for you to stay home with the baby.

Frankie knew exactly what he was doing. With the precision of a former military man well-versed in analyzing and exploiting the vulnerabilities of his enemies, he exerted pressure in the very areas he knew would make you yield. Nobody understood you better than Frankie, after all. He knew that the prospect of staying home with Ella would be sufficiently alluring. You had returned to work a mere two weeks after giving birth and with Frankie grounded from flying, you hadn’t been able to take any additional time off. At the time, you had bitterly thought that if Frankie had opened to you instead of falling heads first into a puddle of cocaine, he would have never been suspended in the first place. You could have stayed home with Ella, and you wouldn't be so exhausted. You wouldn’t be so sad all the time.

Estrella's piercing cries escalate, reverberating in the air, and echoing through the room. With every decibel, her frustration intensifies, mirroring your own mounting agitation. You struggle to steady your breath, attempting to reclaim a sense of calm amidst her loud wails.

"Please, please, Ella," you implore, your voice quivering with weariness and desperation. "Mommy needs to sleep tonight. Mommy has a long day at work tomorrow."

Estrella's cries momentarily ebb, her searching gaze locking onto your face, her innocent eyes reflecting what you think is a flicker of comprehension. But before a heartbeat passes, her tiny face contorts once more, the weight of her frustration crashing upon your ears like a tidal wave, each cry more piercing than the last. Desperately, you put Ella back in her crib at the foot of your bed and you quickly flee the room, the weight of your emotions propelling you forward. As the door shuts behind you, you let out your own loud sob. You are so tired of always crying.

As you attempt to regain control of your breathing and try to halt the now-intensified flow of tears, a wave of nausea overtakes you. You only just manage to hastily make your way to the nearest bathroom. Sinking to your knees, your grip on your own hair tightens as waves after wave of nausea engulf you. Dry heaves wrack your body, futilely attempting to expel remnants of a dinner that never met your lips the night before. The searing pain of acidic bile creeping up your throat only serves to intensify your desire to blink yourself out of existence, if only for a fleeting moment, escaping the overwhelming cries and suffocating anxiety. As soon as the thought arrives, however, the tears start to swell even further. What kind of mother are you, you silently question, your self-doubt echoing in the quiet corners of your soul. What kind of mother entertains the notion of vanishing from their own child's life? A wretched one, you conclude.

You rise slowly, mustering the strength to rinse your mouth, eager to rid yourself of the repulsive taste of bile. Spitting out a blob of toothpaste into the sink, you catch a glimpse of your reflection in the mirror and recoil from the sight of that hollow husk staring back at you. “What the fuck," you whisper to yourself as disbelief floods your thoughts. You hadn’t found the time to look yourself over in the last few weeks, too busy with the baby, work, and Frankie’s license appeal. You kind of wish you hadn’t looked yourself over right now. You look like a ghost, an exhausted ghost at that—gaunt and fatigued, your skin stretched thin and devoid of life, bearing an ashen hue. Dark circles encircle your eyes, stained with redness from endless weeping. Your hair hangs greasy and limp, the last time you washed your hair was likely before Frankie left, you speculate.

Your mind drifts back to that night, two years ago when Frankie returned home for good (or was supposed to return for good). The unfolding reality had completely shattered the idyllic story you had woven into your mind that night. Frankie tried; goodness knows he tried his hardest. But even within the comfort of your shared home, he couldn't elude the relentless demons that haunted him at every turn. It pained you to witness his withdrawal, but he insisted, left and right, that he was fine—that it was normal for discharged soldiers to struggle with readjustment. He assured you he wasn't the first, nor would he be the last, and that all he needed was a little time for everything to work itself out. "You worry too much, mi cielo," he would say before leaving the house each morning, following yet another night plagued by nightmares.

The whole facade of “getting better” quickly lost its lustre when, in an uncharacteristic fit of rage, Frankie had aggressively confronted a young man who had set off firecrackers on your street, nearly beating the poor guy. You had seen the anger and fear contort his normally gentle features, and you were certain that if you hadn't intervened, the situation would have turned violent. Afterward, with tears streaming down both your faces, Frankie held you. With his face tucked in your chest, he had apologized and begged for your forgiveness, promising that it would never happen again. And, in a rare moment of vulnerability, Frankie quietly shared how it sometimes felt like a dark presence consumed him from within—he could be walking down the street, only to be transported back to whatever hellhole his mind had conjured especially for him.

He had gone on about how he couldn’t do any of this without you. In the end, you had forgiven him. But not before making him promise this kind of violence would never happen again as you wouldn’t tolerate it. To his credit, Frankie never exhibited any violent behaviour again. Well, at least not in your presence.

After that day, you tried your best to be firmer with him. You had pleaded with him to seek therapy, thinking that the moment he opened to you was an overture. But Frankie mostly shut it down. Always founding excuses to delay by finding new reasons for not making an appointment each and every day. The cycle persisted with you nagging and him delaying until one afternoon when you returned home to find him on the couch, a distant and ashamed look in his eyes. The mere sight of him caused your heart to plummet. It turned out that Frankie had chosen to self-medicate. At that point, you were three months pregnant with Ella, and to this day you wonder if you would not have been better to walk out that sunny afternoon.

You knew Frankie carried immense guilt from that day. You could see in his eyes how much he despised himself for what he had done. He vowed never to touch cocaine again, promising to put in the work and pleading for you to stay. He wept and wept, and in the end, you chose to remain by his side only if he finally committed to therapy. This was the last strike, you told yourself, and had decided not to give up on him. In sickness and in health, right?

But to your joy, throughout your pregnancy, Frankie's support had exceeded all your expectations. He not only tended to your needs but also went above and beyond to ensure your comfort. From keeping your favourite snacks within reach to massaging your tired feet without even needing to be asked. Yet, among all the beautiful moments, one memory stood out as the most cherished. It was when the two of you would settle on the couch, engrossed in a shared TV show. During these tender moments, Frankie would lovingly rest his head on your gently rounded belly, hoping to connect with the little life growing within. Softly, he would speak to your baby, already creating an intimate bond that filled your heart with warmth.

Those blissful months, both during the pregnancy and in the ensuing months, were magical. Despite the challenges, what mattered most was that Frankie was with you, supporting you and sharing in the journey which made every hardship feel insignificant. It was in those moments that you truly felt that Frankie had come home. As if on a rocket launch, Frankie also seemed to have gotten his mind together following his suspension. He had managed to secure a job at a garage, but the hours were minimal, and the pay meagre. But, despite it all Frankie had been determined to persevere and make the most of this opportunity, all the while preparing for his license appeal.

 However, everything crumbled a week ago. Like every second Friday, Frankie joined his friends to watch and cheer on one of Benny's fights. But as Frankie arrived home late that night, his expression of guilt etched across his face sent an unsettling shiver down your spine. The following day, Frankie was gone.  The only detail you could scrounge from him was that he would contact you three days after the mission concluded. Now, seven days have passed, and anxiety gnaws at your core more violently with each passing day.

After splashing water on your face, you make your way back to your bedroom, where Ella's cries have diminished, leaving behind traces of fatigue on her tiny, reddened face. Bending down, you scoop her up into your arms and begin to hum a gentle lullaby in Spanish. It's the only one from Frankie's repertoire, a sweet melody he had learned from his Abuela during his childhood. As you hold Ella close, her cries gradually subside, replaced by the comforting rhythm of her soft breath against your shoulder. It soothes your heart to witness her drifting back into slumber. So sweet and innocent.

"Oh, my poor little star," you whisper, your voice filled with tenderness as you gaze at Ella. "You miss your daddy, don't you? I miss him too, and I know he misses you just as much." Leaning in, you plant a gentle kiss on her tiny forehead. "I'm so sorry, Ella. It breaks my heart that you're stuck with me. You deserve so much more."

Placing one final kiss on her tiny nose, you carefully lower her back into her crib. As you slowly tread back to your own bed, you feel its emptiness and coldness, a constant reminder of Frankie's absence. Yet, in this moment, you're uncertain if you would even welcome his presence. Slipping beneath the covers, you glance at the clock: 3:30 am. A sigh escapes your lips. Four more hours before you must get up for work. It's not much, but it's better than nothing.

______________________________________________________________

You are abruptly awakened by a jarring, high-pitched beep. Unsettled by the noise, your drowsy eyes struggle to focus on the clock, revealing the time: 5:15 am. You hastily spring out of bed, desperately hoping that Estrella won't stir from the ruckus. Clumsily grabbing your phone, you stumble out of the bedroom, nearly hitting your head on the frame.

"What kind of deranged person calls at this hour?!" you vent, frustration mounting as you spy a string of numbers on the screen that holds no significance. "Hello? Hello?" your anger is met with silence. "Seriously, if this is some sick prank, it's not fucking funny! Some of us have babies who are trying to..." Before you can finish, a voice on the other end of the line interjects.

"Mi cielo..."

"... Francisco?" you gasp, barely able to catch your breath.

"It's so good to hear your voice, cariño," Frankie softly replies, his tone strangely subdued.

" Oh my God, Frankie are you okay?! Where are you?"

"Somewhere in Peru," he quietly responds after a pause.

"Peru?! My God are you safe?" you ask, concern lacing your words.

"I am, mi cielo," he replies, but his tone betrayed him. You know he isn’t okay.

"What happened, Frankie? Are the others with you? I was worried sick, you told me three days, it's been 7!" you cry out, your worry pouring through your words.

"I know, mi cielo, I know. I'm so sorry. Shit went from bad to worst. I never wanted to worry you like that. The others are fine, I mean..." Frankie stumbles over his words before weakly admitting, "Redfly is dead."

"What? Tom is dead?!” you interject, shock and confusion mingling in your voice. You had seen Molly just 2 days ago, she was with the girls at the grocery store. Tom’s oldest had even played peekaboo with Ella while you were confiding your worries to Molly. She had assured you that for all his faults, Tom was a devoted CO and would look after your Frankie.

"While we were making our way back through the Andes, we encountered..." Frankie begins to explain.

"What do you mean you encountered? What were you guys doing walking through the Andes?! You said it was going to be a simple in-and-out!" you interrupt, baffled.

After a weighty pause, Frankie reluctantly continues, his voice laced with culpability, "Our transport failed, it was my fault. There was an accident, and Redfly didn't make it. We carried his body so that Molly and the girls could say their goodbyes."

"Oh, Frankie I am so, so sorry,” you whisper, overcome with a mixture of grief and sympathy.

"I should have listened to you! This entire mission was doomed from the beginning, a disaster waiting to happen. I never should have gone. Maybe if I hadn't, Redfly would still be alive, and I would be home with you and Estrelita," Frankie ranted, his voice quivering with tears.

"Frankie..." you begin, the weight of his words sinking in.

"I'll make it up to you, mi cielo. I'm never leaving again. I never want to leave my girls ever again."

"You said that before..." you quietly whisper. You know it’s unfair after everything he’s been through, but you can’t help yourself. Pain and resentment have made themselves at home deep within your heart, and it’ll take more than a phone call to dislodge them.

"Cariño..."

Wiping away the tears that have started to traitorously stream down your face and with exhaustion seeping into your bones, you keep going, "Estrella is well. She still can't sleep through the night, but Mrs. Hu says she is the loveliest baby she has ever seen. She misses her daddy though." After a brief pause, you add, "We both do."

"I'm so sor..."

"Please, Frankie, I beg you, stop apologizing. Just make sure you come home as soon as you can, alright? We'll figure it out when you're home safe with us," you plead, vulnerable.

"I promise mi amor, I'll be home as soon as possible. I'll be on the first flight today and be home before you know it."

"Good. Please be careful, Frankie."

"Cariño..."

His words are cut off by Estrella's cries from the bedroom. A tightness grips your throat as a lump forms, and you speak with a strained voice, "Can you hear her? It looks like she's ready for her daddy to be home." You tightly press your fist against your mouth, attempting to stifle your sobs.

"I'll be home soon, mi cielo, I promise," Frankie pleads. "Te amo. Te amo. Te amo." He repeats it like a prayer, softly uttered at your altar.

You are unable to speak, your throat too constricted. "Me too," you weakly respond. "I have to go check on Ella. Please be careful."

You end the call and take deep breaths, attempting to steady yourself. The room spins around you, and Estrella's cries echo in the background. As in a trance, you make your back to your bedroom.

"Daddy is coming home, my sweet love," you softly coo, your voice filled with anticipation. Estrella's tired eyes meet your teary gaze, and you can't help but laugh through your tears as Ella sucks on her tiny fist. "My little peanut, Mama will always take care of you. No matter what comes our way, even though you deserve so much more, I promise to be there for you and do my best," you pour out. As Ella drifts back into the realm of dreams, you reach out to the bed and grab Frankie's worn green blanket, hastily tossed aside in your haste. Holding it close, you settle into the rocking chair in the corner, with Ella snuggled against your chest, softly snoring. You drape the scratchy duvet over both of you, the feeling of the coarse blanket bringing some comfort amidst the whirlwind of emotions. Enveloped in its warm embrace, you surrender to drowsiness, cradling Ella in your arms and gently whispering sweet nothings into her ear as you drift off to sleep.

______________________________________________________________

Frankie's gaze remains fixed on his phone, staring at the now empty screen as if willing for your phone number to appear. He yearns to hear your voice again, to hear you reassure him that everything will be okay. He longs for the warmth of your embrace, your fingers gently caressing his hair while he tenderly kisses the back of your neck. The more he stares at the phone, the more a sense of desperation and self-hatred wells up inside him. It's not directed at you, never at you. You and Ella are the only sources of goodness in his life, and he feels he's managed to ruin it all, just like he always does. He has always strived to be a better man for you, always felt unworthy of your love.

He is a man hunted by years of military service and he is acutely aware of his shattered spirit, his inability to adapt to the mundane civilian life. At the VA, he had witnessed the procession of broken men and women, who sacrificed their very beings for their nation, only to be spit out by a system that didn’t give a shit. If not for you and Ella, he fears he would have joined their ranks.

After retiring from active duty, which feels like a lifetime ago, he lived in a perpetual state of limbo. But you were there, his beacon of sweetness, compassion, and patience. For half a year, he held his breath, anticipating the day you would wake up and realize the mistake you made when you said yes and married him. You would finally leave him then and Frankie would be alone, as he deserves. But you never did. You stayed, defied his expectations, and shattered his self-inflicted prophecy. He knows you want him to open his pain to you, to unravel his sadness at your feet, but he is trapped in a prison of his own silence. Unable to be the man you need him to be for both you and Ella.

His subconscious tortures him with these anxieties every other night through relentless nightmares. In some of the worst renditions, he finds himself behind you, following you from a distance unable to touch you. As he tries to catch up, he must crawl through mud, blood, and gore, dragging him down as you seem to float away from him. He screams, but you can’t hear him. When he finally catches up to you, he reaches out his hands and notices their bloodied state, realizing how repulsive he is and how he doesn't deserve to hold you. He always lets his hands drop, watching you walk away with that radiant smile of yours that still brightens his heart, even after all these years. You always call out to him, "Come on, my love, you're falling behind." And he knows he is. But he can't take your hand, can't subject you to his darkness.

His grip on the phone tightens as the tormenting voices in his head grow louder: "She'll leave you now, for sure," "You're unworthy of her," "She'll take Ella and walk away, and you'll deserve it," "Good-for-nothing addict." He hurls the phone across the room, shattering it into pieces. The room feels too small, Frankie feels himself suffocating by the 4 walls, a perfect representation of his dark thoughts closing on him. Quickly, Frankie rises and heads downstairs. In the lobby, his eyes catch sight of the open café bar. He enters and makes a beeline for the imposing counter. Taking a seat on an unsteady stool, he addresses the man behind the counter:

“¿Todavía estás sirviendo alcohol?”

“Sí, lo estoy.¿Qué te puedo servir?” responds the burly bartender.

“Un café y 3 shots de whisky.” Answers Frankie.

“¿Noche difícil?” the bartender asks.

“Vida difícil.” Frankie replies.

“Jajaja, ¿asumo entonces que estás casado?” he queries, as he places the three shots in front of Frankie and begins preparing the coffee.

Frankie swiftly downs the first and then the second shot. Taking a deep breath, he responds:

“Ella y el bebé son lo único que hace que esta maldita vida valga la pena. Y lo arruiné.”

Shaking his head, the bartender goes on, “Dile cómo te sientes, discúlpate y ruega. Si la amas tanto como dices, al menos te escuchará.” Frankie looks away guilty at those words. He knows you and he knows he is being unfair to your love.

“Gracias por el consejo.” Frankie acknowledges.

“De nada, es un placer. Va incluido con el café.”

Frankie lets out a laugh before finishing his last shot, while the bartender attends to the bustling morning crowd. There is no sign of Will or Benny, not even Pope who lives in these kinds of places.

From the corner of his eye, he notices a slick, well-dressed man settling onto the stool beside him, promptly ordering a large black coffee. The man's gaze falls upon the three empty shot glasses before emitting a sly chuckle, locking eyes with Frankie.

"Rough night?" the man inquires, his voice laced with a sleazy undertone.

"You could say that" Frankie responds, attempting to shield himself by burying his face in his cup of coffee. He'd rather not air his problems for all of Peru to see. The lingering buzz from the shots slowly warms him from within. God, he's so exhausted. Sleeping on the cold ground of the Andes for the past week has taken its toll. He isn’t as young as he used to be, age crept up on him. Now, all he craves is to be back home, wrapped in your loving embrace with Ella between you two. Damn it, he even misses that green itchy blanket.

Unfortunately for Frankie, the man seems oblivious to his cues and continues to pry.

"Well, my friend, I think I have just the thing for you," the man remarks, reaching into his side pocket and producing a small baggie overflowing with white powder. Frankie's body freezes.

He hasn't touched that shit since the day he got busted. He promised you he would never use it again, and he has kept that promise. The only one he has kept so far.  A cold droplet of sweat glides down his spine as he becomes entranced by the sight of the little baggie, its contents tempting him with the promise of quieting the voices in his head, numbing the guilt he carries for you, for Ella, for Tom, and for all the other fucked-up things he has done.

"So, you interested? You look like you need it. I'll even give you a discount, my man!" The man slaps Frankie on the back while jiggling the baggie as if to intensify the allure.

"Take it," his conscience whispers, taunting him. "You've already screwed up; what's one more mistake for the road? She won't even find out, and you know what they say, ignorance is bliss.”

Frankie shuts his eyes, and in the darkness, he envisions you—holding Ella in your arms with that disappointed frown of yours. But the moment his mind conjures your image, it fades away, replaced by the haunting sight of Tom's lifeless body sprawled on the ground. A bullet in his head.

The conflicting scenes play out in his mind, like a relentless tug-of-war between his love for you and his hatred of himself.

“Final chance, my man. If you're not interested, I'll find someone else," the well-dressed man leers, his voice oozing with sleaze. The allure hangs in the air, teasing Frankie. Should he yield to one more mistake?

Frankie's trembling hand reaches out, fingers quivering as they inch closer to the small bag before him. At that moment, a surge of regret and guilt floods his senses, clawing at his conscience like relentless demons. His heart aches with the weight of his past mistakes, the pain he has caused, and the promises he has broken. The promise he will break.

Frankie clenches his fists as he seizes the bag, his fingers tightly closing around it. Doubt swirls in him as he wrestles with the bitter truth—he wasn’t a good man and he sure as hell wasn’t worthy of redemption. What difference would one more mistake make?

So, Frankie surrenders. He abandons the fight and lets himself fall. As he pays for the chemical release that will soon free him from himself, he feels your arms holding him tightly and your mouth planting gentle kisses on his face, providing the comfort he so desperately craves. But reality sets in; you're not there to catch him. So, he makes his way to the nearest bathroom, and three words echo incessantly in his mind, like a broken record: “Ignorance is bliss”.

He fucking hopes that it’s true.

[stayarmytinyzenmoa-l]

NCT Spooky Season [Day 17]

Bone App The Teeth

TW: Man-Eating Monsters, Language, Semi-Mature Themes(?) Genre: Romance, Comedy Pairing: Huang Guanheng x Reader YN Pronouns: Not specified Word Count: 0.6K Prompt: “Take them they’re tastier! … I would know!”

[NCT Masterlist] | [NCT Spooky Season Masterlist] | [Yesterday] | [Tomorrow] [Ao3 Link] | [Wattpad Link]

Notes: I LOVE WHEN THE PROMPTS LINE UP WITH THE MEMBER LMFAOOOO Disclaimer: Please remember that this is an AU and a work of fiction, obviously the idols mentioned/written about in this story would never partake in these actions. The idols mentioned in this work are meant to be seen more as face claims rather than the actual idols themselves.

Feedback is greatly appreciated!! Thank you for reading!

Well!

You know what they always say!

The odds of getting eaten by a man-eating monster are low but, in fact, never zero.

"Oh my god!" Your shout seemed to echo across the forest while you and Hendery bolted through the dense wood. "Why did we come here again?!"

"To make out in a secluded area, duh!" Hendery matches pace with you, looking over his shoulder every now and then to see how far the monster was.

"This is what we get for being horny, huh?"

"C'est la vie!"

"I don't think you're using that right," you both turn a corner and continue running. Of course, the one time you needed it to work, Hendery's car decided to stall and die, leading you and him to make this run on foot while the monster, very menacingly, walked toward you both. "Did we lose it?" The not-so-distant howl answered your question. "Oh, we are fucked!"

"We'll be fine!" You and Hendery skid to a stop in front of a dead end. "Nevermind, you're right, we're fucked."

"Christ, Hendery, of all the ways to die, right?" You groaned into your hands. The monster's heavy footsteps become apparent and you both turn over to look at it.

"Who knows, maybe it can be reasoned with?"

"Sure, you try talking to the monster who looks ready for dinner."

"Yeah... uh..." Hendery looks around, as if trying to find some sort of inspiration. "Hey, Mr. Monster," the beast snorts and Hendery swallows down a nervous sound, "look, look, I'm not tasty. I mean, I'm all sweaty from running, my skin's tough from all these gains, and also I'm too gorgeous to be eaten, am I right?" He nudges you.

"What about me?"

"Take them, they're tastier!" Hendery makes a move to run and your jaw drops. "Trust me, I would know!" He bolts and you take off after him.

"Hendery you little-" you run faster and he does too, now escaping your wrath as much as the monster's hunger. "When I get my hands on you Hendery-"

"Save it for when we're out of the forest, baby!"

"That monster is going to be the least of your worries, I swear to god!" You were gaining on him and he ran faster, muttering silent prayers as he did so because only the lord would know that you were right.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck," Hendery keeps cursing to himself as he hops over rocks and twigs, and soon a beacon of hope appeared before him. "Over there! We're almost out of the woods!" And, for a moment, you forgot your own anger and you followed him out and back into society. "We made it!"

"We're alive!" You both hold each other tight and with relaxing muscles, then you push him off. "You're such a dick for that!"

"What? Was I wrong?" He shrugs.

"You are so embarrassing, you told a whole stranger about our sex lives!"

"Hey, whoa, you're the one making assumptions! You know I bite when I get overly-excited!"

"That's true, you do," you nodded, "but still! If I wasn't so pissed I would've- oh my god, if I wasn't so pissed we'd be dead right now."

"Bingo."

"Oh you sly little man!"

"Gotta think outside the box, (Y/N), that's how you survive horror movies."

"I'll give that one to you!" You and Hendery stand still with small smiles. Until you hear the snort of the beast behind you. "It's behind me, isn't it?"

"Yup."

"Fuck."

"Fuck."

General Tag List: @stopeatread @bat-shark-repellant @raeincitizen @umbralhelwolf @yangsrose @kazooms @sadcoffeecritic 

NCT Tag List: @cherrylovr @minjiville 

If you want to be added to either tag list or removed just send me a reply to this post, and ask, or a DM and I’ll add you as soon as possible!

[mentallyrecovering]

Choose Your Own Adventure

(So each of these polls are coming out to one full page on google docs so a little long like I said. Links to the past chapters are at the end)

The group has a pretty important decision to make! what do you choose? Each choice will take the story in a different direction!

The residents of Brisketville may not be as friendly as you think, or are they?

Long story after the page break

if you have any suggestions of plot or feedback feel free to message or send asks! I would love to know how you feel about the story!

The group awoke the next morning, after staying in the same room, to a knock on the door. Rowan looked through the peephole and saw that it was Anna with a cart of food by her side. The group, as irritated as they were to be woken up, opened the door. Anna was as chipper as can be for eight in the morning. She rolled the cart into the room and unveiled a full breakfast spread of pancakes, toast, muffins, fruit, and coffee. She excitedly exclaimed, “I hope you enjoyed the room. I still don’t know why you chose the same room but I am happy to accommodate you and breakfast is on the house.”

Everyone in the group, except Hazel, was happy to have a full breakfast in their room. Hazel thought it was odd, Why would a dying town’s inn serve full breakfast for free? Why would this strangely cheerful woman spend so much money on us? And on top of that, she hasn't even asked for money for the room. She didn't even want a card on file. Hazel was unsettled but didn't want to tell the group.

Sam, Rowan, and Taylor scarfed down their food and looked up at Hazel wondering why they weren't eating. Rowan teased, “what you suddenly don't like breakfast?” Haze reluctantly ate a bite of a blueberry muffin. Rowan went on about how they hadn’t eaten breakfast so tasty in their life. The whole group talked about how addicting the food was, how nice it was to get everything for free.

When they finished breakfast they went downstairs to see if their car had been fixed. Anna was waiting for them at the desk. “I hope you enjoyed breakfast, sorry I woke y’all up. Is there anything else I can get for you?” Rowan replied back, “Yes, we need to talk to Jared about our car being ready.” Anna’s face twitched for a split second as if she didn't know what to say before she replied, “oh Jared told me it would be a couple days actually, something about the coils and cylinders misfiring. But don't worry he will fix it eventually. Why don't you take a look around town?’

Hazel turned to the group after they had walked out of the inn and said, “this is really messed up. How do you not see that? Everything for free? Why are they pampering us?” Rowan, who was quiet this whole trip agreed adding, “It feels like they are setting us up for something.” Taylor and Sam on the other hand just thought it was an act of kindness and brushed off everything that had been said. The group continued to walk around town. 

Al man approached the group. Hazel noticed a weird tattoo on the man's right hand; it was an oval with a snake in the middle showing its fangs, Rowan noticed too. The man offered to show them around town and mentioned taking them to a vineyard right outside town. This time the whole group was hesitant. A vineyard in this area? The man repeated his offer. Do they…

Go with the man

Decline and continue walking around on their own

https://www.tumblr.com/mentallyrecovering/716212039957315584/i-have-to-add-that-there-will-be-reading-in-the?source=share (starting post)

https://www.tumblr.com/mentallyrecovering/716334914436497408/choose-your-own-adventure?source=share (1st post)

https://www.tumblr.com/mentallyrecovering/716427608586321920/choose-your-own-adventure?source=share (2nd post)

https://www.tumblr.com/mentallyrecovering/716427608586321920/choose-your-own-adventure?source=share (3rd post)