#anything to get a doppelgänger in your pocket

[vicontheinternet]

Elijah still give me the ick from when he kept call marcel boy and refused to use his name. What is this the 1960’s.

[bueckersleftbraid]

pazzi as moms!!

An AU one shot in which Azzi and Paige both play for the Los Angeles Sparks and have a daughter.

wc: 2.9k (sry its short!!)

pls leave live reacts I will love you 4ever!!

p.s. I would possibly be down for writing a part 2 of like this scenario or the flashback?? lmk! <3

“But mommy I don’t wanna!” The little girl whined, her brown curls messy as she had just gotten out of bed. She looked just like her mother- except for those icy blue eyes which some how always persuaded Azzi to give her what she wanted.

“I know Abby baby, but you don’t really have a choice. If you want to see mama and mommy play this weekend, you have to go to school.” Azzi spoke, her voice soft but firm, as she looked down at her mini doppelgänger. The name Abby had come for a sweet girl that was a friend of Paige and Azzi when they played at UConn, someone who they both held close to their hearts. She was a light to all of the girls on the team- and ever since she had met her, even before she passed, Azzi was sure that Abby would be the name of her child in honor of the special girl. Paige had been totally on board with the idea, and didn’t hesitate to agree as Abby was also a memory she would never dare to let go.

“Hmft!” Abby plopped down on the floor, crossing her arms with I pout, “I want mama!” Abby’s voice was whiny, and Azzi knew the little girl wouldn’t give up until she got what she wanted. Plus, she could never say no to the eyes that looked almost identical to the ones she fell in love with years ago.

“Okay baby, how about we give mama a call while you get ready for school?” Azzi pulled out her phone from her back pocket and Abby’s face immediately lit up, her arms falling to her side to push herself off the ground. Azzi clicked on the pinned contact and the phone rang only once before a familiar voice echoed through the speaker.

“Hi, what’s up Az?” Paige spoke through the phone. She was clearly in the middle of something, walking swiftly through the city of Los Angeles, car horns and voices bustling around her.

“Abby wants to talk to you while she gets ready, she’s been a real pain this morning. If your busy we don’t-“

“No. No don’t even finish that sentence. I am never to busy for my girls.” Paige said, cutting her off. Azzi gave her a soft smile before handing the phone over to Abby. “Hi my sweet girl. Are you giving mommy a hard time this morning?” Paige cooed through the phone, a smile melting onto her face as soon as she saw her daughter on the screen.

“Nooo mommy wants me to go to school- mama tell her that I don’t have to go to school.” The little girl demanded, a pout still evident on her face.

“Well Abbs, school is important- but how about this? Mommy and I will take you out for ice cream tonight if your good allllll day?” Paige always had a way of annoying Azzi by giving into more than what Abby had asked for. 

“Really Mama? Your gonna buy me ice cream??” The little girl sounded ecstatic, her eyes immediately lighting up and the words ice cream. 

“Sure sweet girl, anything for you. Now listen to Mommy and get ready for school.” Paige spoke, her face looking up from the phone every few seconds to check her surroundings. Azzi set up the phone against the bathroom mirror before taking a brush and some hair spray to try and tame the toddlers messy curls. 

“Mommy I want braids like mama today” Abby spoke as she watched Paige intently through the phone screen, noticing that the blonde had her signature hairstyle in. Paige gave the girl a small smile as she heard her request.

“Okay, and how about a pink bow to match your outfit?” Azzi suggested. Paige and Azzi had both agreed that their daughter would have the best style—no matter where she was going- because she was their daughter after all. Paige and Azzi both being known for their pregame fits, and sometimes accompanied by their daughter— who always wore a matching bow in her hair—had made it their goal to make their daughter an icon in the fashion world before the age of 12. And sometimes accompanied far, they had succeeded. 

“Abbs guess who you get to see this weekend?” Paige said, the same smile that had been on her face since she answered the call only growing.

“Who mama?” The little girl said her voice a mix of curiosity and excitement.

“Well this weekend mama and mommy’s team are playing the Mystics. Do you remember who plays for the Mystics?” Paige said, as she looked down at the phone to see her daughter’s reaction. Abby thought for a second before her face lit up.

“Auntie Lili!!” Abby exclaimed, as Azzi tried to keep her head still so she wouldn’t pull on her hair. The girls chatted until Azzi finished Abby’s hair, and then Abby went to get dressed, leaving Azzi alone in the bathroom with Paige still on the phone.

“I like that color on you baby,” Paige spoke as she stared at Azzi through the phone. Azzi was wearing a brown set, which complimented her skintone perfectly. Really, she had worn it because she knew Paige liked it, but she would never admit that fact.

“Thanks P,” Azzi smile softly at her wife through the phone, “What time do you think you’ll be home? I wanna go for lunch” Azzi spoke as she pulled her hair up into a bun.

“Um.. probably 10? I should be back on the road in a few so maybe even before that.” Paige and Azzi had made the conscious decision to buy a house about an hour away from the city, in Calabasas, wanting a quieter life. Even though they had to go into LA often, they enjoyed having a homier neighborhood to raise their daughter in. Azzi was also very adamant that her daughter not be exposed to the craziness of the city before she was old enough to understand it. So, whenever they went to games, it was a quick in and out.

“Okay, any ideas for lunch? I’m sort of craving a salad.” Azzi had always been one to eat healthy. Paige on the other hand hated vegetables—or anything of the sort. She would much rather have a greasy fast food meal any day of the week.

“How about I take you to Erewhon? My treat.” Paige said, knowing that the store would have something for both of them—despite the high price tag. Paige had been begging Azzi to bring her recently anyway because she was dying to try their Mac and cheese.

“That’s fine with me, just text me when you’re almost home so I’ll be ready” Azzi said as she picked up the phone from the counter and walked into Abby’s room. “Abby baby say bye to mama” Azzi said, handing the phone off to the toddler.

“Bye mama! I love you!” Abby said as she waived to Paige through the screen.

“I love you too sweet girl, be good for mama okay?” Paige said as she looked at her daughter, now dressed in a pink tshirt and jean shorts, and of course wearing her cross necklace to match the ones that adorned both her parents necks daily.

“I will!” Abby said as she handed the phone back to Azzi before scurrying to grab her backpack.

“Safe driving, love you P” Azzi gave her wife a soft smile, taking a second to admire the way the California sun made the blondes blue eyes glow.

“Love you too Az” Paige before hanging up the phone.

——

The breeze of the mid July wind felt perfect against Azzi’s face as they drove on the road with the rolled down. It was the perfect day. The sun was shining and it wasn’t to hot, but just the right amount of warm. Paige’s hand rested against the exposed skin of her wife’s thigh, softly squeezing it every now at then, her thumb subconsciously rubbing against the soft skin. Azzi’s gaze landed outside the passenger window, gazing at the gorgeous view of the coast as they took their favorite drive. They rarely got to take this adventure anymore, since having Abby they’d become busy at every turn. But today was the perfect opportunity, considering Abby was at school and they both had a free schedule. Driving was one of their favorite activities early in their relationship and it always gave them both flashbacks to when Paige had first driven Azzi around Storrs.

Flashback - Summer 2020

“Come on Az, I promise it’s worth it.” Paige had been practically begging Azzi for the last hour to let her take her for a drive around Storrs. The town wasn’t exactly the most exciting place, but Paige knew every corner of it—every shortcut, every hidden gem, every quiet escape. And more than anything, she wanted Azzi to see it the way she did.

She wanted her to see UConn as home.

Azzi sat cross-legged on Paige’s dorm bed, absently scrolling through her phone. She could feel Paige’s gaze on her, those piercing blue eyes, the ones she was slowly falling deeper for by the second, filled with mischief and anticipation. The truth was, Azzi never could resist her.

“Fine. But only a short drive- 30 minutes tops.” Azzi huffed, finally caving. 

Paige grinned, triumphant. “You’re gonna love it.”

Azzi rolled her eyes, but her lips curled slightly at the sight of Paige’s excitement. There was something about her energy, something contagious, something that made Azzi’s carefully built walls lower just a little every time they were together. Paige had a way of making the world feel smaller, like it was just the two of them, like nothing else mattered. And that terrified Azzi more than she was willing to admit.

Paige and Azzi were currently in what one would like the call ‘the in-between’. It was obvious to anyone that there were feelings, and sure, they had made out more than a few times… and maybe more… but, they weren’t dating. Nor had they addressed the butterflies that erupted in their stomachs when they caught each others eyes from across the room, or how the quiet and intimate nights spent together when Paige would visit Azzi in DC felt. They were just… them. Paige and Azzi. P and Az. They were just figuring it out.

Azzi slipped on one of Paige’s many UConn sweatshirts that she had collected through her past few months on campus. 

“Hmm.. you look good in husky blue Az,” Paige said, a small smirk growing across her face as she saw Azzi in her sweatshirt, her eyes drifting up and down her figure.

“You think?” Azzi said, not even noticing the smirk on Paige’s face as she looked at herself in the mirror. The choice had always been sort of obvious to Azzi. I mean, playing with 3 of her best friends, Amari, Caroline, and Paige, plus it all being at the Basketball Capital of the World? How could she say no? But she had also been swayed by Maryland—it being close to her family— as well as UCLA, considering it had always been a dream of hers to live in Los Angeles. But despite not telling anyone, her mind was pretty set on UConn. Mostly because of a certain blonde, but she would never admit that.

“Come on Az, let’s go” Paige said, her voice soft as she took Azzi’s hand in hers, intertwining their fingers and pulling her out of her thoughts. Paige always had a way of making the brunette feel safe with the simplest of gestures. And that? That was dangerous.

——

“Paige we’ve been off campus for 20 minutes, where are we going?” Azzi spoke, her voiced tinged with a hit of annoyance, though they both knew she didn’t mind these quiet moments alone with the blonde.

“Almost there, promise.” Paige squeezed her hand softly as her thumb traced over her knuckles. 

Eventually, Paige pulled off the main road onto a barely visible dirt path. The car bumped along the uneven ground until they reached what looked like a small, secluded parking area. There wasn’t much to see- just tall grass swaying in the breeze, a hint of water glistening beyond the trees.

Azzi furrowed her brows. “Are you planning to murder me in the woods? Because if so, I’d like to know beforehand.”

Paige laughed, shaking her head as she unbuckled her seatbelt. “Just get out of the car, Az.”

She made her way over to the passenger door, continuing the tradition of opening Azzi’s door for her whenever she gave her the chance. She reached out a hand to help her step down from the car and Azzi accepted it, not letting go when she reached the ground. Paige led her down towards the darkness, but then suddenly a dock was illuminated in the distance by a few stands of hanging lights.

“What… what is this?” Azzi’s voice was soft as she looked around. She had never seen or heard of this dock, which was as odd considering it seemed like a pretty nice spot.

“It’s nothing really, Geno’s family owns the lot, but their away right now. He said the team can come here whenever so… I brought you with me.” Paige spoke as she led Azzi down the dock towards the patio furniture that sat at the end. 

As they reached the dock Paige sat down, pulling Azzi into her, but Azzi was hesitant.

“Come on Az. No one’s around, just let me hold you,” Paige’s eyes were pleading, she needed this. She needed Azzi. Her Azzi. 

The brunette gave in, leaning into Paige’s body- well more like melting into it. She had craved her touch, the closeness that they had lacked since she had last spent a night with Paige. 

“I’ve missed you so much Az, more than you’ll ever know” Paige muttered into the cool summer air. Azzi instinctively moved closer, her arms finding their way around Paige’s waist from the side as she inhaled the familiar sent of the blonde. They sat in comfortable silence for a moment before Paige spoke again, noticing how quite Azzi was. “What’s on your mind pretty girl?”

Azzi exhaled softly before responding, melting impossibly further into Paige’s touch.

“I think I’m gonna commit.” Azzi spoke. Her voice was quick, like she’d been dying to get these words off her chest for weeks.

“Wait Az- seriously?” Paige sat up, meeting her eyes. 

Azzi nodded. “Yeah. I mean, I haven’t told anyone yet. You’re the first person I’ve said it out loud to, so you can’t tell anyone yet, okay?” 

For a moment, Paige didn’t say anything. Then, suddenly, she was moving- wrapping Azzi in a tight embrace, burying her face in the crook of her neck.

“Oh my god, Az,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

Azzi felt a dampness against her skin and realized with a jolt that Paige was crying.

She pulled back, cupping Paige’s face in her hands. “Hey... are you crying?”

Paige let out a watery laugh. “Shut up.”

Azzi smiled, her thumb brushing away a stray tear from Paige’s cheek. “I didn’t think you’d be this emotional about it.”

Paige sniffled, but her grin was unstoppable. “Are you kidding? I’ve been waiting for you to say that since the moment I met you.”

Azzi’s heart flipped in her chest.

She didn’t respond—she didn’t need to. Instead, she leaned in, closing the distance between them in a soft, lingering kiss.

It tasted like promises. Like the start of something real.

And for the first time, Azzi wasn’t scared.

——

Present - June 2031

The engine hummed softly as Paige pulled into the daycare parking lot, easing the car into a shaded spot near the entrance. Azzi sat comfortably in the passenger seat, her head tilted back slightly against the headrest, eyes half-lidded from the warmth of the afternoon sun. The remnants of their afternoon drive still lingered—the salty ocean breeze in their hair, the faint scent of sunscreen on their skin, and the shared laughter that had filled the car as they cruised down the Southern California coast.

It had been a perfect day.

Lunch had been as predictable as ever—Azzi with her fresh Cobb salad, something light yet filling, and Paige with her usual combination of comfort foods. Mac and cheese, strawberries, and grilled chicken. She had barely glanced at the vibrant array of fresh vegetables Erewhon offered, much to Azzi’s amusement.

“I don’t understand how you survive without eating real greens,” Azzi had teased, twirling a forkful of her salad.

Paige had only grinned, popping a strawberry into her mouth. “These count.”

Now, parked in the lot, the golden California sun cast a soft glow across Azzi’s skin, making it nearly impossible for Paige to look away.

The way the sunlight kissed her tan complexion, the way the warmth made her eyes just a shade lighter, like pools of honey—it was almost unfair. Paige had seen Azzi in every possible setting, in every lighting, in every moment of exhaustion, excitement, and everything in between. But somehow, she never got used to how effortlessly stunning she was.

She let out a small breath, shaking her head slightly before speaking.

“You look so beautiful, Az,” Paige murmured, her voice dipping into something softer, something more raw. Her eyes traced every inch of the girl beside her, like she was committing the sight to memory.

Azzi turned, her gaze meeting Paige’s, amusement flickering in her brown eyes at the sudden intensity. But it only lasted a second before something more tender settled in her expression.

“Thank you, baby,” she hummed, reaching out to brush a strand of blonde hair behind Paige’s ear.

Paige swallowed, her heart skipping at the simple touch.

God, she was in so deep.

Azzi’s thumb traced lightly over Paige’s cheekbone, her touch featherlight, but the effect was immediate. Paige felt her breath hitch slightly, her pulse thrumming in her ears.

“You’re staring,” Azzi whispered, tilting her head slightly, her lips curling at the edges.

Paige smirked, but she didn’t look away. 

“Can you blame me?”

Azzi laughed softly, shaking her head. “You’re ridiculous.”

“And you’re perfect.”

Azzi rolled her eyes, but the warmth in her gaze betrayed her. Paige could tell she liked hearing it, even if she pretended otherwise.

For a moment, they just sat there, the hum of the world outside the car fading into the background. It was these moments Paige cherished the most—the quiet in-between, where nothing needed to be said, where everything they felt was just understood.

A soft buzz interrupted the stillness, Azzi’s phone vibrating against the center console. She glanced at the screen and sighed, stretching slightly before unbuckling her seatbelt.

“Time to pick up the little monster,” 

Paige groaned playfully. “I was really enjoying just staring at you.”

Azzi laughed, leaning over to press a soft kiss to the blonde’s cheek. “You’ll survive.”

Paige sighed dramatically, but a smile tugged at her lips as she watched Azzi step out of the car, the sunlight catching in her curls.

Yeah, she was definitely in too deep.

____

“Mommy! Mama!” Abby’s excited voice rang through the warm afternoon air as she sprinted across the small daycare yard, her tiny backpack bouncing with each hurried step. Her curls, wild from a day of play, framed her beaming face as she launched herself toward the two women standing at the bottom of the steps.

“Hi sweet girl” Paige cooed as she took her daughter’s backpack and slung it over her shoulder. 

“Ready for ice cream Abbs?” Azzi hummed, lifting up her daughter and carrying her on her hip. 

“Yes Mommy! Can we go to the beach ice cream shop? So I can see the seals in the water?” Abby said excitedly. She had always loved the ice cream shop that sat across the street from the coast, Ted’s. Coincidentally sharing a name with UConns on campus bar, which Paige and Azzi frequented during their years in college.

As Azzi held Abby close, the little girl wrapped her arms around her neck, resting her head on her mother’s shoulder. Paige reached over, smoothing a few stray curls from Abby’s forehead as they made their way back to the car.

The afternoon sun had started to dip lower in the sky, casting a golden glow over the daycare lot. The warmth of California’s breeze wrapped around them, carrying the distant scent of saltwater and summer. It was one of those moments Paige wished she could freeze in time—the three of them together, no rush, no stress, just this.

After buckling Abby into her car seat, Paige slid into the passenger seat while Azzi took the wheel.

“Alright, Ted’s it is,” Azzi said, turning on the car.

“Yay!” Abby cheered from the back.

Paige turned her head for just a second to catch the girls eye, before turning back to the road. “What flavor are you getting, Abbs?”

“Umm…” Abby scrunched her nose, deep in thought. “The chocolate one with the rainbow sprinkles. And the cookie on top!”

Paige gasped playfully. “No way! That’s the best one.”

Abby giggled, kicking her little feet excitedly. “Mommy what are you gonna get?”

Paige glanced at Azzi, smirking. “Let me guess… vanilla?”

Azzi scoffed, crossing her arms. “Excuse me, I have taste.”

“Do you?” Paige teased. “Because all through college, you only ever got plain vanilla or maybe chocolate if you were feeling wild.”

Abby burst into laughter at that, and Azzi rolled her eyes. “Okay, Mommy, what are you getting then?”

Paige shrugged, smirking. “Mint chocolate chip, obviously.”

Azzi groaned, making a dramatic gagging noise. “You would. That is the worst flavor ever.”

Paige gasped, feigning offense. “Oh, we’re breaking up.”

“Too late, you’re stuck with me forever,” Azzi shot back with a mischievous smile as she waived her left hand in the air, flaunting her wedding ring.

Paige shook her head, laughing, as she reached for Azzi’s hand, squeezing it as she drove. It was the simplest of gestures, but it made Azzi’s heart flip, the same way it had when they were just kids navigating their feelings all those years ago.

As they pulled up to Ted’s, the familiar hum of the ocean filled the air, waves crashing in the distance. Abby practically bounced in her seat, eager to get her ice cream and see the seals.

Paige turned to Azzi, watching as she smiled at their daughter, her eyes filled with nothing but love.

This- these little moments, these small but infinite pieces of happiness- this was everything.

And Paige wouldn’t trade it for the world.

[thoughtsandmusingsandideas]

I had a thought for a creator but they didn't believe they were the creator and could influence others into believing it too.

The two characters are Sara kujou and yae miko

@mastadon64 here you go!

Gaslight, Gatekeep, Godboss - Kujou Sara and Yae Miko

Kujou Sara

Cw: Sexual innuendos

-Honestly, waking up in Teyvat, you had a hard time convincing yourself you weren’t dreaming

-(It took you tumbling down a hill and slamming into a particularly sharp rock to realize it was not a dream. Also, ow)

-(You ignored the way your blood was golden. You were pretty sure you’d never seen the Genshin characters bleed anyways. It was probably just censoring. Totally.)

-Some way or another, you ended up in Inazuma

-Honestly, it wasn’t as bad as you were expecting

-Most of the creatures were pretty chill, and as long as you avoided the people, you didn’t get in much trouble

-And then you kicked a Tenryou commission officer in the face and got arrested

-You know, jail wasn’t as bad as you expected either!

-Your cellmates weren’t too bad either- one of them asked you if you were god, which was weird, because you didn’t look anything like the Shogun, but you gave him a stick of dango and he shut up

-(You might not have been a god, but the fact that you managed to keep your inventory from the game was the closest thing to a divine blessing that you could imagine. Who needs a gnosis when you have your own pocket dimension?)

-It’s about half an hour before you’re taken from your cell for questioning

-You walk into a small interrogation room, shock igniting in your chest as you spot Kujou Sara

-Wasn’t she important?

-Was kicking that guy in the face really such a grave offense?

-“Are you the Creator God?” She asks, deathly serious

-Why did people keep asking you this???

-You’re pretty sure you don’t look too godly, garbed in stolen clothes that you’re ninety percent sure you put on wrong, a fading bite mark on your arm from when you tried to pet a rifthound, leaves in your hair. Honestly, you looked pretty disheveled, and…

-“Is that your way of saying you think I’m hot? Like… godly or whatever?”

-Considering the way the Tengu’s face turns a vibrant red, you’re either very right, or very wrong

-It’d be funnier if you were right though, so you press on

-“I mean, not that I’m not into it, but I’m feeling kinda iffy about the power dynamic here- prisoner and cop is a cute trope and all, but not all that smart in real life, I mean I get it if it’s a kink or whatever, I know handcuffs are attractive, but as of right now it’s immoral-”

-“Shut up. Please.” Sara mumbled, covering her red face with her hand. Her hair has more volume than usual, tiny sparks of static dancing between the strands

-“… I mean after I get out of prison I’d totally be down to go on a date, and if you feed me well enough I might even let you handcuff me.” You add.

-The silence in the room is heavy

-“Get out.”

-“Yes ma’am. Hm. No. Yes Mommy? Yes Master-“

-You’re cut off by an electrically charged arrow striking the wall beside your head.

-“Out.”

-“Okay!”

-You’re released from prison three days later, now with a whole gaggle of new friends from criminals

-(You ignored the fact that some of them made really important sounding speeches swearing their fealty to you. Also the small shrine they were building in your honor. If you didn’t acknowledge it, it didn’t exist)

-You were surprised that as soon as you left, you were met with a glaring Kujou Sara, who takes your hand in her own

-“Am I being arrested again?”

-“… I’m going to take you on a date. And then I’m going to handcuff you.”

-“Yes Mommy!”

-“I Will Shoot You Again.”

Yae Miko

-You had to admit, stumbling upon a small shrine that seemed to be dedicated to your doppelgänger was creepy

-But you had also just been Isekaied to video game land, so you were pretty adaptable at the moment.

-Or high on adrenaline.

-You pick up one of the Sunsiettas from the shrine, biting down and relaxing, until-

-“Your excellency?!” A voice squeaks, and looking up you see a very frazzled shrine maiden staring at you.

-“Uh. No?” You say, swallowing the Sunsietta.

-The shrine maiden starts sobbing. “Your excellency!”

-“Oh- no- I’m- uh- I’m like you? You know? I’m uh… a messiah? Priest? Prophet? Whatever gets you to stop crying?” You awkwardly pat her head.

-“You- you’re the Creators chosen one?” She blubbers.

-“Uh. Yeah. Totally. Stop crying.”

-“CHOSEN ONE!” And she’s crying again

-After a lot of crying, you’re led to the Grand Narukami shrine, where you’re introduced to the head shrine maiden as the chosen one

-“… Are you sure she’s not just the creator?”

-“You flatter me. I’m just gods favoritist and most specialist little princess.”

-The Kitsune likes this. Perhaps too much, but we’ll let her have her fun

-And thus, the war to get you to admit that you’re the Creator begins, hidden under the guise of her introducing you to chosen one duties

-She takes you on a pilgrimage all across Inazuma first, going to the most dangerous places possible just to put you in danger and save you at the last second, disappointed that you never use godly powers to save (read: reveal) yourself

-She meditates with you, and paints obscure markings on your face when you fall asleep, which you have to pass off as messages from the creator

-She takes you to meet the Shogun, but after leaving you alone for five minutes, returns to you teaching her poker and robbing her blind. You cited divine luck and she pretended she didn’t notice the cards stuffed inside your sleeve

-It ends pretty anticlimactically, actually

-She’s introducing you to the local foxes, when you trip over a rock and face plant into the floor

-And get a nose bleed

-Miko can’t help but doubling over in laughter at the sight of your pout as golden blood drips down your face

-“And how are you explaining this one, Oh revered Chosen One?”

-“Genetic condition.”

-The laughter doubles

[hueningsloverr]

౨ৎ carbon copy !

pairing: non-idol! huening kai x reader summary: although you loved huening kai, he loved someone else. count: 1.2k extra: perhaps i'm setting this up to be tyun x reader... who knows

it’s hard to feel good about yourself when the boy of your dreams is staring at your carbon copy. 

a girl who looks just like you, with a few changes. her hair was a singular shade different, and she was barely three inches taller. she shared your smile, and went as far as having your style, yet she was the one with him. it was impossible to compete - it was just so unfair that she was everything you wished to be but never dared to attempt.

he was able to find someone who looks like you - another version. a doppelgänger. it was like you were living in a dream, so close yet it wasn’t you.

she’s perfect in every way, the kind of girl who could never be anything other than effortlessly beautiful. sun-hee, that’s her name, though you don’t even need to know it to know her - she’s always around. always with him. with kai.

and there she is, sitting next to him, her head resting on his shoulder, as if they were made to fit together. she’s everything you aren’t, and yet, she’s the one who gets to be with him. the one who gets to live the dream.

you stand at the edge of the bleachers, hands shoved into the pockets of your hoodie, watching them from a distance. kai, your secret crush for as long as you can remember, laughs at something sun-hee says, his eyes crinkling at the corners. your heart does this painful twist - half envy, half longing - because it’s not you making him laugh. it’s never you.

you’ve known for a while now that you’ll never be the one he notices. you’re not the kind of girl who can just be seen, the kind of girl who can stand out without trying. you don’t have sun-hee’s flawless beauty or the ability to speak in a room full of people without freezing. you’re just… you. and that’s not enough. not for him.

“hey, you okay?”

the voice startles you, and you look up to find taehyun standing beside you, his brown eyes soft with concern. he’s your best friend, the one who’s always been there. the one who doesn’t know about your crush on kai - at least, you don’t think he does.

“yeah,” you mumble, turning your attention back to the game. “i’m fine.”

he doesn’t buy it. “you don’t look fine,” taehyun says, sitting down next to you on the bleacher, his presence calm and easy.

you sigh, the weight of it all pressing in on you. you try to focus on the game, but your eyes betray you, slipping back to kai and sun-hee. they’re laughing again, his arm casually draped over her shoulders. the way he looks at her - it’s like she’s the only person in the world.

“i just don’t get it,” you admit, the words slipping out before you can stop them. “why her? why is she the one with him?”

taehyun follows your gaze, glancing briefly at the pair on the field before looking back at you. “what do you mean?”

you gesture vaguely at sun-hee. “she’s perfect. everything i’m not. she’s beautiful, and funny, and confident. i can’t even talk to him without stumbling over my words. it’s like she was made for him. she’s everything i wish i could be.”

taehyun looks at you for a long moment, like he’s trying to figure something out. then, slowly, he shakes his head. “you’ve got it all wrong.”

you frown, not understanding. “what do you mean?”

“she’s not perfect,” he says quietly. “no one is. you’re just... comparing yourself to a version of her that doesn’t even exist. you’re looking at her from the outside, seeing what she wants you to see. but you don’t know her. not really.”

your chest tightens as you absorb his words. “that’s easy for you to say. you’re not the one sitting here watching him laugh with her. you don’t know how it feels to be invisible.”

“i do know,” he insists. “i know exactly how it feels to be ignored, to feel like no one sees you. nut that’s not what’s going on here.”

you turn toward him, confusion written across your face. “what do you mean?”

“look, sun-hee might seem like the kind of girl who would catch his attention, but you don’t know what kai is looking for. you don’t know what he sees in her. you just think you know. and maybe - maybe you’re selling yourself short.”

you shake your head, feeling a bitterness rise in your throat. “that’s the problem, tyun. i’m not enough. i’m not beautiful enough, i’m not confident enough, and i sure as hell don’t fit into his world the way she does. you’ve seen how he looks at her. he doesn’t even know i exist.”

taehyun doesn’t say anything at first. instead, he sits there, quiet, letting your words hang between you like a heavy cloud. finally, he speaks, his voice soft but certain.

“maybe he doesn’t see you the way he sees her right now,” he says. “but that doesn’t mean he won’t. it doesn’t mean you’re invisible. and it definitely doesn’t mean you’re not enough. you’re enough just as you are. and if he can’t see that, then it’s not your problem. it’s his.”

his words land, but you can’t quite wrap your head around them. you’ve spent so long thinking that maybe if you could be like sun-hee - if you could just be a little more of what kai wanted - then maybe he’d notice you. but taehyun is right. maybe you’ve been looking at everything all wrong. maybe you are the one who needs to stop doubting yourself, who needs to see your worth, whether kai sees it or not.

the game continues, but you’re no longer paying attention. instead, you’re thinking about what taehyun said, the weight of it settling into your chest. maybe you don’t need to be someone else. maybe being yourself - being the person you’ve always been - is enough. maybe that’s the version of you kai needs to see.

later that night, you’re lying in bed, scrolling through your phone as the world around you fades. you see a new post from kai: a picture of him and sun-hee, smiling wide at some restaurant, their arms around each other like they’re part of the same world. his caption reads: “my best friend and the one who makes me feel like i can do anything. Love you, sunnie.”

your heart aches as you stare at the screen, your thumb hovering over the post. it’s not just the image, but the reality behind it - the certainty that they belong together in a way that you can’t touch. for a moment, you want to put the phone down, to bury the hurt. but then something else happens. you pause.

maybe it won’t happen today. maybe it won’t even happen this year. but one day, someone will look at you the way kai looks at sun-hee. one day, someone will see you for everything you are, just as you are. and that someone will love you because of it.

you take a deep breath, set your phone down on your desk, and close your eyes. 

tomorrow’s another day. and maybe, just maybe, you’re starting to believe that you’re worth more than just a carbon copy of someone else.

authors note : so literally no guy i've liked in the past two years has liked me back and they've all gone off and gotten girlfriends that look just like me

©2025 — all rights reserved to hueningsloverr , please do not plagiarise or translate any of my work

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Ｔ ｕｒｑｕｏｉｓｅトルコ石  

* * * * *

Elements

But enough about me. Have you ever noticed that your mind is everywhere and nowhere you look or grope, and that it’s odd how clearly you can see yourself not seeing yourself at all?

This raises the inevitable question: What’s your policy on fog? When it gets in bed with you, who’s on top? Dances with you, who leads? And if I admit that it’s my doppelgänger, that I aspire to its humid spiritualism of touching entire skies and horizons at once, that I am transparent in my lack of clarity vis à vis the faces of likewise apparently solid but actually silkily composed and wispy beings, will you, as a fellow wisp, recognize that fog is the truest biography of the species, and cling to me and get lost in my embrace as I cling to your diffuse and unbearable yearning?

I’m sorry. We just met. Interrogation isn’t the way to get to know someone. Sometimes I simply want us all to meld together, and fog has more magic up its sleeves than I have magic or sleeves, is unified and glorified and uncuttable with a knife or remark and reminds me that I am a constant presence in my life sometimes, since I am elsewhere now and somewhere often and usually everywhere missing a screw or faith, for though I want to believe in life after death, I struggle to believe in spring after winter, roses after tulips, and that stuffing my pockets with fire and dried leaves to burn myself down and start over with ashes to fashion a new day will lead to anything more lasting than bones made of smoke that know better than to stay.

[Bob Hicok]

[pomegranate-belle]

WIP Folder Game

RULES: make a new post and share with us the titles of your documents in your wip folder(s) and some detail if you wish, no matter how old, random, or disconcerting. Sort as you see fit (or don't). Ask the person who tagged you a question about the title(s) that most intrigue you from their list, and tag as many people as you'd like to join the game!! Have fun :)

Thank you to @daisytarget for the tag!!

—

First off I keep my WIPs mainly in my phone’s Notes app, and I have 160 in the Daredevil subfolder alone so. This is obviously not going to be anywhere close to everything, lmao — I’m also only going to list things that don’t have chapters posted already.

—

What Do We Burn Besides Witches? (LOTR): an attempt to poke at the MGiME trope with bonus “Westron is not English”, but the MG gets immediately imprisoned because Denethor is deeply suspicious, lol

Free-Range Dumbasses of Middle Earth (LOTR): another MGiME, this time lampshading the “Valar brought the MG to Middle Earth to save more people” and instead the MG is brought to Middle Earth by Sauron in an attempt to fuck up the timeline and our heroes’ victory. It’s also my excuse to bring in an Uruk-hai OC for the lulz, godspeed Kazoth buddy you are going to facepalm so much.

Claudeleth RomCom (FE3H): Claude and Byleth arranged marriage except drop in some Disney-Sleeping-Beauty-style identity shenanigans where neither of them knows the other is their betrothed and they fall in love with each other and angst about it :)

Chrobin Role Swap (FE13): Chrom’s the amnesiac, Robin gets a cool sword, Naga is evil, and Grima is just trying to perpetuate the natural cycle of life and death.

The Parable of Kestrel and Nightingale (Storm Hawks): Insert Dark Ace backstory here.

Graham Lives AU (OUAT): Graham doesn’t die in S1, and everything changes as a result.

The Nickel Samurai (PW): A random mishmash of scripts, cast interviews, and novelizations for the Nickel Samurai show.

Wrong Miguel (ATSV): an AU where the Miguels met and pulled a Prince and the Pauper, but Spidey!Miguel is the one who ended up dying, and Normie!Miguel has to try and take his place.

200th Work (Marvel comics): currently a misnomer since I’ve now hit 200 works, this is a college era AU where Matt is a public identity superhero. And also secretly a vigilante.

Pushing Daisies/DD Crossover (Pushing Daisies & NMCU): Matt and Foggy end up in Papen County to look for Elektra, and also to deliver a suspicious brass pocket watch to a certain pie shop owner.

Break the Window, Smash the Lock (NMCU): MattFoggy rival thieves AU!

MikeLoki Fantasy AU (Marvel comics): Loki is a god of lies imprisoned for hundreds of years, Mike is a mirror shade (doppelgänger creature created by standing too long in front of a magic mirror). They make a deal.

Terrible DD RPF (NMCU): Foggy finds out about RPF fanfiction of Daredevil and can’t help but read it.

Watching the Sentinel (NMCU): College era, Foggy introduces Matt to 90s TV show The Sentinel, about a guy who gains enhanced senses. Matt tries not to freak out and give anything away.

Tagging @missmoochy, @blissful-thinker, @inkforhumanhands, and anyone else who wants to do it :3

[fatkish]

Thank you to those who replied to my ask about villains for my MHA story. And thank you (sorry I forgot your username otherwise I would have put it here) for leaving me with this:

Instead of basing off of other characters, my suggestion is to think, "what are the themes and needs of the story?" Or put another way, "who are these villains meant to oppose?" Toga exists to foil Ochako. Dabi foils Todoroki. Shigarakil foils Deku. Kurogiri foils Aizawa. AFO foils and opposes All Might. Spinner, Compress, Magne, etc. exist in the story to provide support. So, who are your protagonists? What plot do you want to tell with them?

So now I have a different question.

[mxckiemxn]

Hi I have an imagine request if you don't mind 🫰🏻

OK so it's gonna be a supernatural / shapeshifter au

-Reader and any member from hyung line are on a holiday- maybe in a forest cabin- or a wooden house in forest

And the Reader starts seeing weird stuffs like

1● seeing the same looking person as her boyfriend

2● feeling as if someone is around 24/7 since you guys reached there(but avoiding the feeling of it)

And add anything else you like to make it a little more spooky 👻

Thank you so much for your request! I honestly had so much fun writing it haha. I hope that you enjoy it, love! ~Mackie 💜

Pairing: Yoongi x reader

Warnings: horror themes, swearing, smoking (cigarettes), mentions of alcohol

Word Count: 2,365

@rkive-joonie

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You giggled as you looked at the pictures you’d taken of your boyfriend as he drove. The first couple were normal, but once he realized what you were doing, he began making the weirdest faces possible. You two had taken the weekend off to go on a trip to a cabin for your anniversary. You were super excited to get some proper alone time with him. You both had such busy schedules that it made vacations like this nearly impossible.

“This is a good one.” You said through a laugh as you added one of the pictures to your favorite's album.

“I probably look crazy.” He joked; eyes still glued to the road.

“You are crazy, baby.” You told him, laughing harder as he rolled his eyes at you. “Hey, how much longer until we get there?” You asked.

“We’re about ten minutes away. I’m going to stop at the gas station really quickly.” He told you as he pulled into the parking lot.

Once parked, he stepped out of the car to start pumping gas. You sat in the car for a moment, admiring the clear view of the mountains before deciding to hop out and take some pictures. You smiled to yourself as you found the perfect angle and began snapping as many photos as you could.

There was a slight gap in between the trees, and you wanted to add it to your collection. So, you moved to the other side of the parking lot to get a better view of it. You began messing with the filters on your phone and aimed the camera towards the trees to see how they’d look. You froze for a moment, swearing that you could see someone walking in between the trees. You began zooming in a bit to see what they were doing. They stopped walking for a moment and stood eerily still as they kept their head facing forward.

“What the fuck?” You said to yourself as you attempted to zoom in more. From what you could see, they seemed to be wearing clothes that were almost identical to Yoongi’s.

You rolled your eyes as a car flew down the road, blocking your line of sight. Once they were gone, you brought your phone back up and zoomed in again. Chills ran down your spine as you realized that the person was now staring directly at you. You quickly shoved your phone back into your pocket and got back into the car.

“You ready?” You jumped as Yoongi’s low voice pulled you from your thoughts.

“Y-yeah let’s go.” You said through a shaky voice as you tried to calm your nerves.

“Are you ok? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” He asked you sweetly as he placed a hand on top of yours, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“I’m fine. I just saw someone standing in the woods.” You said between deep breaths.

“There may be hiking trails down there. I wouldn’t worry about it. Besides, it doesn’t look like anyone is there now.” He comforted.

“I know, but this person looked so weird. Their movements seemed so robotic in a way. Actually, they kind of looked like you.” You told him, finally meeting his gaze.

“So, you’re telling me that you saw my doppelgänger and he likes hiking?” He lightheartedly joked in an attempt to ease the tension.

“You’re so dumb.” You laughed as you playfully smacked his arm.

“Hey, at least I don’t get freaked out by seeing people exercise.” He joked, raising his hands in defense.

“Shut up-“ you said through a laugh. “Come on, let’s get going.”

You weren’t on the road for long before you finally reached the cabin. It was absolutely gorgeous and although its age showed, it just gave it more character. You sat your bags down on the floor as you admired the interior decor. You smiled as you felt two, strong arms wrap around your waist.

“It’s so peaceful here.” Yoongi whispered, as he placed a few kisses on your neck before burying his head.

“It’s perfect.” You told him, turning around to face him and connecting your lips with his.

“How about we check out the hot tub?” He suggested.

“That sounds amazing.” You said, giving him a gentle kiss before heading upstairs to change.

You placed your bags on the bed and began searching for your swimming suit. You began to remove your clothes, pausing for a bit and looking around the room. You couldn’t shake the feeling that you were being watched. The curtains were open, allowing some sunlight in which made you assume that’s where the feeling came from. You closed them and proceeded to change.

The cabin was completely secluded and surrounded by trees, so it was unlikely that anyone could see you. The nearest cabin was miles away and this isn’t a hiking area. After changing, you made your way back downstairs.

“Baby, could you grab a couple of glasses of wine before you come outside?” You asked Yoongi who was searching for his swim trunks.

“Yeah, I’ll be out there in a minute.” He told you.

As you made your way outside, you smiled at the sound of birds singing. You felt as if this trip would be perfect for you and Yoongi. You didn’t have much trouble in your relationship per se, but things had gotten hard recently. You barely had time to see each other, and when you did, it was often spent sleeping or silently watching movies as both of you were too exhausted to speak. You missed him, even though you still had him.

You slowly crawled into the hot tub, feeling your shoulders relax as you sank into the hot water and allowed your eyes to close. You let out a deep sigh as you felt two hands began massaging your shoulders. You didn’t hear Yoongi come outside so you assumed he wanted to sneak up on you.

“Are you going to get in?” You asked softly, letting out a small laugh when he didn’t respond.

You opened your eyes and turned around once you no longer felt his hands. Your heart sank to your stomach as you looked around, realizing that no one was there. You jumped as you heard the patio door open.

“Sorry I took so long. Namjoon called to make sure we made it.” Yoongi said as he made his way to you, carrying two glasses of wine.

You didn’t say anything. You just looked at him with wide eyes, trying to make sense of what just happened. You began glancing between him and the trees behind you.

“Were you not already out here?” You asked as he crawled into the tub and handed you your glass.

“No.” He stated, although it sounded like more of a question. He looked at you with concern written all over his face as he saw how anxious you were. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, it’s just…I just-“ you tried to speak but there was nothing you could say without sounding crazy. So, once again, you pushed the uneasy feeling away. “I’m fine. I think I’m just tired from the trip.” You finished.

“Well, come relax then.” He told you with an empathetic look as he extended his arms for you to join.

You rested your back against his chest, closing your eyes once more as he began playing with your hair.

“We should watch a scary movie tonight.” He suggested.

“You hate scary movies.” You laughed.

“Yeah, but you like them.” He stated simply, causing you to smile.

“I love you, baby.”

“I love you too, Y/N”

You two remained in the hot tub for a while, loving the way the hot water eased your sore muscles. Once you got out, you both went upstairs to take a shower before heading back down to the living room. You searched through movies on Netflix while Yoongi finished up dinner.

Once he was done, he brought you your food as he settled beside you on the couch, laughing a bit as he saw the title of the movie you picked.

“Cabin in the Woods?” He asked.

“Yeah, it feels fitting.” You responded as you started the movie and began eating.

Yoongi fell asleep towards the end of the movie, head laying on your shoulder as soft snores left his mouth. You smiled as you watched him, placing a gentle kiss on his forehead before gently lifting his head and placing it on the cushions. You got up and went outside through the patio door and lit a cigarette.

You leaned against the railings as you admired how clear the sky looked tonight. You turned your attention to the trees as you heard rustling. The sound caused you to stand up straight and squint your eyes as you tried to get a clearer view. You could’ve sworn that you saw something, but it wasn’t moving anymore.

You jumped as you saw a man peek his head out from behind the trees. It was the same man as before. The one who looked like Yoongi. You dropped your cigarette and ran inside, slamming the door shut and locking it before shutting the curtains.

The sound woke Yoongi up, causing him to run towards you.

“What happened?” He asked, placing his hands on your shoulders to steady you as you were shaking.

“There’s someone out there, Yoongi. You need to call the police.” You said, panicking, as you released yourself from his grip and began searching for your phone.

“What are you talking about?” He asked, following your every move as you ran around searching for the device.

“There’s fucking someone out there, Yoongi. And he fucking looks like you.” You faced him as tears began falling from your eyes.

“Baby, please breathe. You’re scaring me.” He said softly in an attempt to comfort you.

“I’m fucking scared, Yoongi. Fuck, it was the same guy I saw before, and he looks exactly like you. All this weird shit has been happening since we got here, and we need to leave.”

“What do you mean? What else has happened.” He asked, voice slightly raised. You didn’t need to fight, not right now. You pinched the bridge of your nose and began taking deep breaths.

“There was the guy in the woods, then I felt like someone was watching me when I was upstairs changing, and then I felt you massaging my shoulders outside only to find out that you’d been on the phone with Namjoon the whole goddamn time, Yoongi.” You told him, slightly screaming towards the end.

He stared at you in disbelief as he tried to make sense of everything you told him. He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times as if he wanted to speak, but the words wouldn’t come out.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” He asked you in a hushed tone.

“Because I didn’t want you to think that I was crazy. I thought that I was just tired from the trip and that my mind was just playing tricks on me-“

“Y/N-“ he attempted to cut you off, but to no avail.

“You said that there were hiking trails so I brushed it off-“ you continued, hands moving around frantically as you began pacing back and forth.

“Y/N-“

“And I thought that I just felt like I was being watched because the bedroom curtains were open-“

“For fucks sake, Y/N! Listen to me!” He yelled, causing you to pause. Yoongi never yelled at you. No matter how angry or frustrated he was, he never yelled, and it took you by surprise.

“I saw something too.” He told you.

“W-what?” You asked, barely above a whisper.

“When I was on the phone with Namjoon, I looked out of the kitchen window and I thought that I saw you by the car. I didn’t think anything of it and assumed that you were just grabbing something, but I walked towards the patio, and you were already in the hot tub.” He told you with a look of guilt on his face.

“Baby, you should’ve told me.” You said, as you walked over to him and cupped his face gently.

“I know. I just didn’t want to ruin this trip. I’m so sorry, Y/N.” He whispered as tears began forming in his eyes.

“Don’t apologize. You didn’t know.” You comforted, as you wrapped your arms around his neck.

“We need to call someone.” He reminded, warranting you to pull away, as you nodded in agreement.

You two began walking towards the living room, unsure if either of your phones had managed to slip between the cracks of the couch. You both paused and looked at each other as you heard a knock on the front door. You opened your mouth to speak, but you were quickly stopped by Yoongi as he put a finger to his lips, shushing you.

You both tiptoed to the door, careful not to make any sounds as you looked through the peephole. Your blood ran cold as you saw them. Two people who looked identical to both you and Yoongi. You wanted to back away. You wanted to stop looking, but you couldn’t. They knew you were in there and unbeknownst to you, they knew that you were looking right at them.

They both smiled eerily as they stared directly at the peephole with no sign of life visible within their eyes. Their faces began to warp and their limbs began contorting, and soon enough they no longer resembled you or Yoongi.

You backed away from the peephole, eyes wide and full of tears as you looked at Yoongi. You opened your mouth to speak, but came to a halt as they began banging on the door again, slightly knocking you back in the process. This time much louder and forceful. Yoongi pulled you behind him and began backing up. With each bang, the door pushed inward.

You frantically looked up at your boyfriend who was also crying but doing his best to maintain composure for you. His eyes met yours for a moment, and once they did, the loud thud of the door hitting the wooden floor echoed throughout the house. You both looked up, and within a second screams began filling the walls.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[stars-and-darkness]

WIP WEDNESDAY!!!

week #5

since posting a snippet of the amnesia au last week, i have doubled the word count on that fic, mostly due to the intense regime of bullying from my beloved friends who want to read it, so in celebration of that, here's another:

“So,” Rebekah says, sauntering into Caroline’s space with a smile on her face that betrays her anxiety to those who know her well enough, “I may have fucked up.” “You’re admitting to having fucked up?” Kol asks, raising his eyes from a grimoire. “Sound the alarms; she’s been replaced by a pod person.” “Letting you read that book was a mistake,” Rebekah growls. “I don’t disagree,” Caroline sighs. She rubs at her temples. Vampires are unable to get migraines, and yet … “What happened?” “Right,” Rebekah says. “So, I was talking to Nik, and—” “Did he not want to hear about your exploits with that red-headed broad? Because if so, I can—” Rebekah smiles sweetly. Too sweetly. “Shut up, Kol, or I’ll drive your aluminium bat up your a—” “Bekah!” Caroline waves her arms about like a lunatic. “You were saying?” She sighs. “Right. Anyway, we got to the topic of the doppelgänger, and I was trying to explain how she was turned into a vampire—” “You mean, when you ran her off the bridge—” “—but in order to do that, I had to explain about Mother’s little Enhanced Original pet—” “—horrible man, daggered me and ruined my chances with the sexy, older doctor? I’ll never forgive—” “—but I never actually got to the dull history teacher, because I—” “Guys, guys, guys!” Caroline interrupts them both, rubbing rhythmic circles into her temples. “Kol—wait your turn. Rebekah—please?” “Well, I happened to mention that we, er, know he was the one who killed Mother.” “The plot is thickening!” Kol shrieks, too delighted by this development, while Caroline’s shoulders slump. “That’s … great. Great. Fuck.” “Well, he ran away before I could say anything else!” Rebekah protests. “And the bloody wanker is faster than me!” Kol snorts. “Ah. Well. Fortunately, darling Caroline can use her womanly charms to persuade him to—” Caroline smacks the back of his head. “Worth it,” he snickers. “He likes to hang out on the roof when he’s upset.” Her head falls into her hands. “Right. I’ll just—” Blindly, she makes her way out of the room. She tries to listen for him, but comes up with nothing. With no better plan than Kol’s suggestion, she tries the roof. He’s not there. “Just great,” she mutters to herself, descending down the stairs. “What is so great?” Elijah, who appeared out of nowhere as he is wont to do, asks. After glaring at him appropriately for startling her, she sighs. “Actually, you could be useful. Do you hear Klaus anywhere? Your hearing is better than mine. Apparently, Bekah let it slip that we all know what happened to Esther, and, well …” He frowns, but cocks his head. “I can’t. But he knows how to be quiet.” He considers for a moment, then pulls his phone out of his inner pocket. “I have a reason to suspect he stole his phone back.” The corner of his lip curves into a fond smile. “Maybe …” Klaus, old man that he is, actually has his ringtone on. You know, like a lunatic. She hears it sound off downstairs, and then both she and Elijah are running towards the library. There’s nothing there, except a phone, and bloody stain on the carpet. “Well,” Elijah says, casting his eyes towards the city skyline. “I think it’s safe to say that’s not good.”

[spiteful-opossum]

———Later, back at the cave———

Danny woke up in a dark empty room with an aching nose and a throbbing headache. Luckily he remembered the events of that night so it wasn’t hard to imagine where he was. He tried to get up only to realize that he was tied down to his chair. He thought for a moment deciding it was better to play along than have the bats figure out what he is and call the GIW or his parents.

He moved around what little he could while tied up in his chair to make it clear to whoever was watching that he was awake. He waited a few minutes before deciding that whoever was put on guard duty wasn’t paying too much attention. To be fair he probably would still be out like a light if he didn’t have a bit of a healing factor. But he was getting bored and needed to do something. So he yelled, “HEY, I’M AWAKE IF WANT TO INTERROGATE ME NOW!!!! I’D KINDA LIKE TO GET THIS OVER WITH SO I CAN GO HOME ALREADY!!!!!”

That must’ve done something because he immediately heard a commotion somewhere outside the door. The door opened and a hand switched on the lights, nearly blinding Danny who had gotten used to the dark room. When his vision finally cleared a grumpy Batman, though he always looked grumpy, and a wary looking Red Robin both stepped into the room. Instantly a lightbulb went off in his head.

“So Batman, or would you prefer Mr. Wayne, can I assume you’re gonna be paying for my medical bill?” Danny absolutely would not be going to a hospital, but they didn’t know that. “Also, what do you want with me? I promise I’m not gonna tell anyone.”

Oddly it wasn’t the Bat who spoke first but Red, “Why and how do you look like that?”

“Okay that’s just plain rude.”

“Not when you stole my face.”

“I didn’t steal shit, you stole my face. And either way I don’t really think we look anything alike.”

“Who are you?” Batman interrupted. And finally an actual question.

“Danny Nightingale.”

“That’s a fake ID. Who are you really?”

“Why should I tell you?”

“Because we’ll figure it out eventually and you’re not leaving until we know who you are.”

“Fine, Danny Fenton. I’m on the run from my ‘parents’ who decided they didn’t like me anymore so I came to Gotham. Can I go now?”Danny figured that was close enough to the truth to be convincing and still believable.

At that Batman grunted and left. That left him alone with his doppelgänger. When he looked back at him Red had pulled out a cotton swab. From one of his many utility belt pockets he also produced a little device with a bat symbol on it. Just as Danny opened his mouth to ask what the hell he was doing, he shoved his hand into Danny’s mouth. He was very tempted to just bite him right then and there. He did eventually pull his hand out and stuck the swab into the device.

“Dude, what the hell?”

“Sorry, but if I’m right you’ll thank me later.”

“Thank you? For what, shoving your hand down my throat so you can steal my spit?”

“For setting you free of whoever programmed you. I just needed to run a DNA test.”

“And you couldn’t have just asked why?”

“Because you probably wouldn’t have let me if I told you why.” And before Danny could fire back at that, the machine beeped 3 times and flashed a little green light.

Red’s face went through a slurry of emotions really quickly. In order it was anger, realization, confusion, disbelief, anger again, concern, alarm, and finally a look like he just accidentally kicked a puppy and didn’t realize it until afterwards. That was all followed by a resounding, “FUCK!”

Now Danny was intrigued, “Well, you gonna with the class?”

“I’m sorry. I thought you were a clone sent to replace me. It’s more common than you think.”

“Oh is that why I’m tied up? I just thought you were kinky or something.” Danny instantly regretted saying that when he saw the look of disgust and abject horror on the vigilante’s face. “Hey woah you good dude? It’s just a joke.”

Then he turned the device around so Danny could see the screen. As he read it he realized just why Red reacted like that. And honestly same. Danny himself felt like he was about to vomit at the shock of what he was seeing and in disgust at what he just said.

Right there on the screen it said in big bold letters “DNA match: 97%”, below that was “0 clone markers found”, and under that was “Most likely: Identical Twins.” Danny’s entire world had just been flipped upside down.

Please let me do my job

Danny somehow manages to get a job working as a server during a gala event. The uniform sucks, but he wasn’t about to complain when he was desperate for any job right now. He had to flee from Amity after his parents discovered that he was Phantom with almost nothing, but the clothes on his back. So the uniform was definitely worth it with how much he was getting paid. 

What wasn’t worth it though was the amount of rich fruitloops that have approached him. Everytime he turned around someone was there and wanted to ask him questions. Asking things like why he was dressed as a server, and calling him by the name of Tim. It wasn't hard to figure out that everyone thought he was Tim Drake-Wayne. 

He knows that the Waynes are known for black hair and blue eyes, but for him to be getting this much attention for it is just getting ridiculous at this point. Danny would have just brushed it under the rug as it being a rich people are just weird thing. If it hadn’t been for the fact that Dick Grayson, the oldest Wayne child, had grabbed him coming out of the kitchen and into a secluded area. 

“Tim, what are you doing; why are you dressed as a server? Everyone here knows your face, now is not the time to be going undercover!” Dick whispers while looking for anyone that might be watching them. “Go change back into your normal clothes. Well talk about whatever this is back in the cave ok?” 

The fact that Tim Drake goes undercover was probably not something Danny was supposed to know. Also, did he say cave? As in the Bat-Cave? A rock settles in Danny stomach as he realizes that the Wayne's are the bats. Which is definitely not something he should know.

Before Danny can think of anything to say that will get him out of this situation without any problems a voice is already calling out, "Dick! What are you doing back here?"

The owner of the voice is of course none other than Tim Drake himself. This wasn’t going to end well Danny thought to himself as he watch Dick looked between himself and Tim.

How did this become his life.

[koreoftheearthss]

Grocery Shopping

I didn’t proofread this. 

The fridge light turned on, revealing to Kenji a variety of grapes (courtesy of Cassandra), a barely full carton of milk, and enough condiments to have their own section at a farmers market. It was definitely time to go shopping again. Last time, they waited too long and every takeout place in the area started saving their number. All of the college attending members even began swiping their meal cards for other members of the group. Personally, Kenji’s favorite was the old lady at the burger grill. If he smiled and tilted his head just a little, she gave him extra fries.

“Yo Kenj, making dinner tonight?” The kitchen door slammed behind Cassandra, making noise together with the beads in her hair. A pack of grape-flavored candy hung from her jacket pocket. Honestly her entire personality was grapes. She even smelled like grapes. Or at least artificial grape flavor. Kenji took a small step to the side, showing her the embarrassingly empty fridge. “Never mind. I forgot we’re poor,” she said. Kenji rolled his eyes before closing the fridge. 

"We're not poor," he said. "We've just been too busy saving the town to go to the store." He reached into the keys bowl to find his own key, and quickly patted down his pocket to make sure his wallet was there. "I'll send a message in the group chat. Picking up everything except personal snacks. Between the seven of us, snacks cost more than most people's entire shopping list.” 

Cassandra rolled her eyes and took a seat at the island. "Your girlfriend buys seven different brands of fruit snacks, but sure my addiction to grape gum is what's using up our money.”

“I already told you and your evil doppelgänger that me and Belle aren’t dating,” Kenji began typing out the message, hoping the group would respond faster than last time. “We’re just us right now.” The response received a raised eyebrow. 

“Probably shouldn’t argue with the girl that can see into the future. I’m tryna help you out. By the way, don’t get her food from the new Chinese place. Throwing up together from food poisoning isn’t as hot as it sounds.” Kenji ignored her and sent the message. “You should cook tonight. I bet that would really turn her on.”

Before Kenji could even question why she was here instead of at her own place, he received a text reply. Then another. Soon, he was putting his phone on do not disturb because Luca loved to send several small messages instead of one list. He was pretty sure he got that habit from texting Juniper. For a girl who hated reading, she made sure everyone else did their fair share of it when it came to texting her. 

Maybe he could just wait until he got to the store and make a quick list from the messages. Honestly he could’ve just made his own list and made a trip to the store. It’s not like anyone other than him really cooked anything. Arabella bakes sometimes but not enough to buy anything based on that. Honestly she cried so much the last time she tried to make macaroons that Kenji was sure she wouldn’t bake anything for a couple of months.

“Your girl just messaged me. She wants to know if you plan on cooking tonight or if it’s just a regular grocery trip.” Kenji shrugged before making his way to the door. He honestly wasn’t planning on cooking but if Arabella came over he could butter her up for another road trip. Last time they ended up at a weird gas station with a eight-fingered cashier that flirted with Arabella through the car window. He checked the group chat one last time. Enough people responded that his wallet suddenly began feeling heavy.

~

Grocery shopping had to be Kenji’s least favorite thing to do for the group. The others decided since he wasn’t getting their snacks, they would find someone who would. And that someone ended up being Arabella, who was currently grabbing three family sized boxes of her favorite fruit snacks. Honestly probably the worst person to be shopping for the group. She constantly tried to give the most of whatever she was asked for. The first time they met, Kenji thought she was an ass. In his defense, she was screaming at him for not properly separating his trash and recyclables and how he was killing the earth. He would never tell her that though. Despite her constantly telling him how much of a pain in her ass he was on a daily basis.

“Hey Kenj,” Arabella tossed the boxes into the cart before continuing. “We should have a movie night. You know, grab some popcorn, make some ice cream sundaes, and sing along to some Disney movies. Or I could sing. Last time you sang in the shower, the water turned off.” 

“I already told you Luca turned off the water trying to be funny.”

“If you say so but if I was the water I would be turned off too. No amount of tattoos can save that. I mean your hair is nice and you smell good sometimes so that’s a plus. But something about your personality and addiction to rice krispie treats gives off definitely don’t date vibes. But your height gives you a slight bonus so that’s-.” A hand covered her mouth and glanced up to an annoyed look on Kenji’s face. According to him, the only other people to get that look was his older sister and Luca. Which wasn’t a fair comparison in her opinion because Luca made it his life’s mission to annoy Kenji.

“Please stop talking. I promise I’ll watch any movie you want tonight if you just stop.” Arabella nodded before turning back towards the popcorn selection in front of her. She knew Kenji didn’t do well with too much talking but someone had to carry the conversations every once in a while. The last time she tried to let him take the lead in communicating, they didn’t talk for three days. Sure they hung out but it was just silence. She thought it was absolute torture while he thought they were finally bonding and was pretty content. Until Cassandra told him to stop “fucking up the future” and to go talk to her.

She finally decided to get the caramel flavor. Not her favorite but it was the only one Kenji would eat and she usually stuck to eating the candy anyway. The two moved to the next aisle and Arabella wondered if the group was going to come over or if they could do that movie night tonight. Tonight would definitely have Anastasia. She was pretty sure he had never seen it and was definitely betting that he would cry at least once. Which was a huge bonus. Not that she liked seeing him cry, but he was always so serious that it was nice to remember he was actually human. 

“I think that’s it. Unless you want something specific for our night.” Arabella said. She was really hoping that was a big enough hint to throw at him. Sometimes he was oblivious and a complete dumbass. And sometimes he just wanted her to say exactly what she wanted. Both were annoying to her but the latter was just plain embarrassing. Mostly because Kenji was a huge flirt and she didn’t know if he was being serious. She could just ask but overthinking constantly got the best of her. Cassandra could look into the future and see what happens but she refused to tell her. She’s pretty sure the girl looked into the future multiple times just to be spiteful.

“Nope. Unless you mean actual food. You know, the thing I’ve been trying to get the past four hours while you dragged me around this store.” Arabella glared at him. 

“I wouldn’t even be here if you weren’t so stingy when it came to buying snacks.” 

Kenji gestured to the cart that was pretty close to being overfilled. Despite his so-called stinginess, he didn’t protest anytime Arabella added the group’s snacks. And he was still willing to pay with only slight complaints.  

“I’m not stingy, I just think we should be a little bit smarter about buying snacks we don’t really need.”

Arabella did a quick glance towards her fruit snacks before looking back at the boy in front of her with squinted eyes.

“Are you talking about my fruit snacks? Cause there’s no complaints when I share with you.” 

“The only time you share is if I’m cooking. And you pick the ones you don’t really like to give me.”

“But I share them! That’s more than I can say about you.”

Kenji rolled his eyes as they approached the register. 

“You don’t even like rice krispie treats.” 

“Who the fuck doesn’t like rice krispie treats?” Arabella deadpanned. She began moving stuff from the cart, making sure to leave the heavier things for Kenji. Could she lift them just as easily? Probably, but this way is slightly more annoying towards Kenji. Who seemed to ignore the fact she was trying to annoy him and just reached for the items she left behind. He shrugged at the previous question and swiped his card.

 The trip back to the car was pretty quiet, with Arabella occasionally muttering to herself about something she forgot to buy. Normally she would go back but she was starting to get hungry herself. She wouldn’t say anything out loud. But she would make a quick walk to the Chinese restaurant they were parked near. Maybe even get Kenji something. Without a word, she walked towards the restaurant hoping her friend would wait for her.

[hellsaint7w7]

(4) Witchcraft

••Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh!••

Full disclosure, I have only ever watched the OG anime (English dub because I legitimately can't find the Japanese version no matter what platform I check), and I haven't seen/read anything else. So if I have characters wrong because they act differently in the manga or movies or other series, I am sorry.

Potential Trigger Warnings:

Ritualistic sacrifice, descriptions of injury and death, and psychological horror.

—————

Third Person POV

Bakura sat on the bench as he usually did, reading his book. The weight of the Millennium Ring hung around his neck, he didn't bother hiding it despite the fact someone might want to steal it. All his attention was focused on the book in his hands.

He didn't like sports very much and he had no friends. Some people around him were playing Duel Monsters and don't get it wrong, Bakura also loved Duel Monsters and spent hours and hours researching it, but he had 3 cards to his name and no one to play with anyway. Bakura stuck to himself, he always did.

"Hey, I saw a symbol like that before!" Shouted someone, sitting next to Bakura. The teenager was so shocked to be talked to that he didn't register what the blonde said. And when he did, he had to think hard to realize what he meant. "Your necklace! My friend has a cool necklace just like it. But different, more triangular and bulkier."

Bakura took a moment to mentally reset. How long had it been since he last said a single word? "O-Oh, yes. My father bought it for me."

"Oh, you do talk! People say you're mute." The other teenager said. "I am Joey."

"I am Ryo Bakura." He said, shaking the blonde's hand.

"What are you reading?"

Instead of answering, he closed the book and turned it for Joey to see the cover. It was a book about the origins of monster legends. Specifically, it was about ghosts and Doppelgängers.

"Jeez, isn't that scary? And it's kinda weird to be reading at school." Joey said.

"Are you scared of ghosts, Joey?" Bakura asked playfully. Immediately, Joey's attitude changed.

"What? No! No, of course not. Not at all. It's just a silly book anyway." Joey said. He stared at the book's cover once again. "What's a... Doppelgänger?"

"It's German for double walker or double ghost, and it's said that everyone has a Doppelgänger in the world; someone unrelated to you that looks similar if not identical." Bakura said. Joey nodded, listening intently. It was nice to have someone to talk to about this stuff, he never had that before. "However it's said that if you see your Doppelgänger, your life is marked."

The look on Joey's face was priceless. Bakura had been researching this stuff so much that he became numb to it, but this was amazing. He liked talking about things that interested him, even if his throat hurt from talking so much.

"And... Is that real? Like... uh..."

"Who knows?" Bakura said mischievously.

"What else do you got in that spooky book of yours?" Joey asked.

When the bell finally rang after several minutes, Bakura's voice was gone. He'd spoken more in that one conversation than he did in the entire last two months. But Joey was fun and listened to him ramble.

  "Which class are you going to next?" Joey asked as Bakura put away his book.

  "Uh... E1. Japanese history." Bakura said.

  "E1?! I had that teacher last year and she sucks!" Joey said. "I turned in a paper the next day after it was due and she threw it in the trash can! And then she took 4 months just to grade our tests."

  "Yeah, I am not the biggest fan of hers either, but I have a good grade in that class so I can't complain." Bakura said.

  "Yeah, well- Ah!" Joey moved to put his hand in his pocket, but then his Duel Monster's cards fell out and all over the hallway. "Oops!"

  Bakura and Joey quickly bent down to collect all the cards. He picked up one off the floor and looked at it before adding it to the group he'd already picked up. "Alligator Sword? That's a nice card. Pretty good attack and defense."

  "Do you like Duel Monsters too?" Joey asked, eyes metaphorically glowing.

  "Yeah, I do. I haven't played before because I don't have a lot of cards, but I read a lot about it. I've also seen most Duel Monsters competitions if they were uploaded to the internet."

  "So you're a Duel Monsters nerd too? You'd be great friends with this buddy of mine, Yugi. Have you met him?"

  "No, I think I have heard his name before... we might share some classes." Bakura said.

  "Next time I see you, I'll introduce the two of you. Anyways, we need to hurry to class."

  Bakura nodded and they parted ways. He didn't end up seeing Joey for the rest of the day. After Japanese history, he had one more class before the day ended.

  When Bakura got home, it was deafeningly silent. With a sigh, he dropped his backpack on the couch and took out his homework. He needed to do his homework first before he did literally anything else. If he even thought about doing something else first, like getting something to eat or taking a shower, he'd completely forget about his homework. So that's what he did.

  He finished his homework and took a shower before sitting on his bed to read. Hours ticked by in silence. Only Bakura's breathing and the flipping of pages filled the space. Usually the quiet didn't bother him as much, but after today he felt suffocatingly alone. Which he was of course. His father was almost always gone, he left for days at a time and was only home to shower and sleep before leaving again. It started when Bakura was about 7 years old and got worse the older he got.

  When he couldn't take the quiet anymore, he turned on the tv for background noise and started making dinner. Even that wasn't enough to take away the loneliness, but at least he was distracted. The bright side was that he went to bed excited to go to school tomorrow.

-

  Bakura woke up in the dead of night, and he had no idea where he was. There were trees all around him and he was soaked to the bone. It was raining! Why was he out here?

  The last thing he remembered was falling asleep on the couch. Being in the middle of the woods was completely impossible! You'd be walking for a good 3 or 4 hours just to get out of the city or else you'd need to drive here. Bakura didn't remember even leaving the house! This had to be some weird dream.

  A stick cracked and Bakura snapped his head around to see what made it. It was dark. Rain poured all around, mud and drowned grass clung to his shoes. Not even the starlight could touch the forest floor, just intense darkness that seemed to swallow him whole.

  "Hello?" Bakura said quietly. He didn't really want a response, but if it was an animal then his voice would scare it away.

  The rain continued to hit the ground and the trees, a constant flow of noise without disruption. Bakura's eyes were locked on the dark bushes, trying to make out shapes. His mind started to play tricks on him, but anything he thought he saw was gone when he blinked.

  And then he heard something behind him. Bakura turned around as quickly as he could and suddenly felt his breath robbed from him. Ice filled his veins even as red hot tears bloomed in his eyes. Standing in the dark was him.

  A Doppelgänger.

  Bakura ran as fast as he could. The cold stung his eyes as he ran and he kept getting caught on branches and twigs. Breath was pulled from his lungs in a constant stream and he couldn't seem to get it back. No matter how hard he tried to suck in oxygen, he never seemed to have enough.

  Water and mud splashed his pants, he must look like a mess. All around were noises, so many noises. The forest suddenly seemed alive, as though the trees wanted to ensnare him.

  His arm caught on a branch and he felt his skin tear. A startled cry left his mouth as he stumbled to the ground. Mud soaked his clothes, it splashed his already icy cold face.

  Bakura scrambled onto his back and turned around to see if he was still being followed. His breath came in heavy waves, the darkness was thicker than fog. Thicker than blood. All he could do was stare, he couldn't even blink.

  And suddenly, a golden glow blinded him. His necklace was floating in midair and glowing, burning his eyes with the sudden light and faintly illuminating the Doppelgänger behind the ring. Bakura made a pathetic noise, but he couldn't move. The only warmth he felt was blood dripping down his arm and pain pulsing through him with each beat of his heart.

  "Don't you know, Landlord?" The voice asked. His voice. A slivery smile emerged from the darkness, plastered on his own face and bathed in golden light. "You can't run from yourself."

-

  Bakura gasped, sitting up quickly. He glanced around with wild eyes and saw that he was back in his living room. Some horror movie was playing on the tv at a low volume.

Slowly, he calmed down. That had to be a dream, an absolutely crazy dream. Maybe he should stop reading about scary things.

The nightmare felt so real though. Bakura got up from the couch and went to wash his face. The details were beginning to fade as cool water hit his skin. And so, he decided to get dressed and ready for school.

He changed from his home clothes to his school uniform, looking outside the window to see that it was later than he normally woke up. Maybe his alarm didn't go off. That's not too uncommon, he'd knocked his alarm off the nightstand enough times that if the cheap alarm started malfunctioning it wouldn't be surprising.

But then Bakura looked at the Millennium Ring sitting on the counter. A sudden shiver of fear ran down his spine as he remembered the nightmare. It was ridiculous to be scared of a piece of jewelry! Reminding himself that it was just a dream, he grabbed it and put it on. This time, he hid it under his shirt.

Now that he was ready for the day, skipping breakfast because he usually did anyway, he left for school. He walked a little faster so that he wouldn't be late. But for some reason, perfect attendance wasn't the biggest thing on his mind.

-

Today when he saw Joey again, the blonde introduced Bakura to his friends. He'd seen them all before, but never spoke with them. Bakura was more than anxious to meet them, but the fear faded quickly. They were all so nice and fun to hang out with.

He watched Yugi and Anzu play Duel Monsters together. Occasionally, his eyes drifted to the Millennium Puzzle that Yugi had around his neck, he'd never seen another Millennium item before. Bakura idly wondered how many of these weird items there were in the world as he watched the two play.

"I don't think I can win with the cards I have." Anzu sighed. She played a card face down. "That's all I have."

"I'll play Dark Magician," Yugi started, placing the card on the desk. "And then I'll attack your Fairy Dragon with dark magic attack."

"My face down card is the trap Waboku which prevents me from having my monsters destroyed this turn." Anzu said, flipping her card over to show the art on it.

From where Bakura was sitting, he could see Anzu's cards. She truly didn't have any card that could protect her. Most of them were monster cards that weren't strong enough to take out the dark magician and she was quickly running out of cards to play. So it wasn't crazy when Yugi won on his next turn.

"Good game." Yugi said.

"Yeah, I tried." Anzu laughed.

"Hey, Bakura, do you play Duel Monsters?" Yugi asked. Bakura hadn't expected to be talked to and was caught off guard. Only for Joey to step in.

"He's a big Duel Monster's nerd! I am sure he can play well!" Joey said.

"I appreciate that, Joey, but I don't have many cards." Bakura said. "I think I have three or four cards and I left them at home."

"Oh, my Grandpa owns a game store where he sells Duel Monsters cards." Yugi said. "You can always come by and buy some!"

"Really? I'd like that. I love Duel Monsters." Bakura said.

"You could come with us after school." Honda said. "We were heading there anyway."

"Oh... I'd love to, but I don't have the money for it right now." Bakura said. The only money he had came from his father whenever he'd occasionally stop by. His father hadn't been home in 3 months and his money was running dangerously low. "I could go with you guys, but I can't buy anything."

"Alright, that's fine. We can just hang out." Yugi said kindly. He was a very nice guy. Bakura was grateful to be invited, he liked having friends. It was something he wasn't used to.

-

  Bakura couldn't remember the last time he had this much fun. He had a great time with the group at the game store, he even had dinner with them even though he felt bad he couldn't pay for himself. Yugi's Grandpa even gave him a free card. He went home very happy that night.

When he laid down, homework completely forgotten, he was ready to sleep. Until pain started radiating from his arm. He sat up, completely confused, and pulled up his shirt sleeve.

There was a cut on his arm. It wasn't bone deep or anything, but it stung. Fear ran through him.

It wasn't possible. He didn't remember getting cut all day long. But last night...

Bakura shook his head and laid down, squeezing his eyes closed. He couldn't believe that was real. He didn't WANT to believe it. Maybe he'd deal with it tomorrow. Or maybe not.

It took a while to get to sleep. When he did he had no dreams, not really. There were vague images of Yugi's puzzle floating through his mind, but they left soon after. And when he woke up, he was even more tired than before he went to sleep. But his alarm was going off, so it was time to go to school.

He got ready for school in a daze. Bakura was so tired that he wasn't thinking straight. Terror plagued his thoughts. There were only a few answers to explain what was happening to him and the most logical answer was that he was going crazy. It was the only thing that made logical sense, but if this wasn't something logical than it was somehow even worse.

Bakura tried hard to distract himself, and for a while it worked. Days past without anything else happening. He threw himself into studying even harder, whether it was for school or the occult. He checked out a lot more books from the public library, Bakura wrote down things that didn't make sense so he could research it later, he also wrote down things that may pertain to what he experienced. And for a while, things seemed normal again. Sure, sometimes he'd wake up on the couch when he fell asleep in bed (or vice versa) and sometimes things in his house would move around for no reason (like when he lost his backpack for a week but found it stuffed under his bed) but he could always dismiss that as sleep walking or forgetfulness.

But one day, he woke up feeling so miserable that he regretted waking up. Bakura fell off the couch and slowly got up. His legs hurt, his knee felt scraped, but his face felt worse.

He walked to his bathroom, his vision blurred, and looked into the mirror. The entire left half of his face was bruised. It looked like Bakura had been hit in the face by something heavy. His eye was bloodshot, he was starved and his mouth was dry. It felt like he hadn't eaten, drank, or slept in months on top of being beaten. What the hell happened to him?

Bakura didn't think he could go to school, which is why he was glad that today was Sunday. He dragged himself back to the couch and debated getting something to eat. He was starving, but that meant having to get up and cook which he didn't feel well enough to do. Slowly, he closed his eyes and let his head fall to the back of the couch. Good half of his face pressed against the soft-ish fabric, it was hard to not sleep.

A few minutes later, he woke up with a jolt and looked around wildly. Whatever woke him up stopped. Maybe a loud car?

With a sigh, he turned on the tv. It was on some news station. "That's all the updates I have on the ongoing situation here. Back to you in the studio for the weather." The anchor said.

"Thanks Cameron. Today, we have rain advisory from today all the way to Friday." She said. Bakura idly looked at the screen, but then fear hit him. The screen showed that today was Monday.

Bakura sat up. How was that possible?! Yesterday was Saturday! How did he somehow skip an entire day? Maybe this head trauma caused him to forget what happened yesterday?

Oh god, who was he kidding? This was bad and denying it was only making things worse. His eyes filled with helpless tears.

Miserably, he got up from the couch and got ready to go to school. He was already late, so he didn't rush, but he didn't know what else to do. He nearly laughed at how ridiculous it seemed to go to school after all this, but he didn't know what else to do.

He got stared at when he went to school, but no one said anything. That is until Joey came up to him as he was reading in the hallway. And by 'reading' I mean staring at the page because he was too distracted to process the words.

"Hey, Bakura!" Joey said. Concern flashed in his eyes when he saw the bruise on Bakura's face.

"Oh, hey, Joey." Bakura said.

"What happened to your face? That looks painful." Joey said. Bakura couldn't talk for a moment before he closed his book.

"I don't know." He said honestly.

"You don't know?" Joey asked. Bakura shook his head. It was the truth, a truth he didn't want to accept. Joey looked a little uncomfortable, but he sat down on the floor with Bakura. "Uh... You know you can tell me if something happened. I may not look like it, but no one keeps a secret better than Joey Wheeler."

Bakura felt confused for a moment. He'd never heard Joey speak so sweetly. It was nice, Bakura needed someone to be nice to him today. But it was very confusing. And suddenly it hit him. Did Joey think this was a domestic issue?

"That's very sweet of you, Joey, and I appreciate it very much. But I don't think you and me are on the same page." Bakura said. Now Joey looked confused. Could you blame him? What could Bakura even tell Joey? He didn't know what was going on. And if told Joey about all this craziness, would the other believe him? Maybe he'd think Bakura is losing it (which he might be) and leave him alone again. Bakura didn't want to be alone again. "There are periods where my memory blacks out and I don't remember anything. Yesterday it-... yeah. I wish I could tell you more, but it's not what you're thinking."

He didn't want to look at Joey. That was such a non-answer, avoiding the question. But for the most part, it was true, he was just leaving out a few details. Still, he stared at the ground so that he didn't have to see Joey's expression.

"Well... that's alright. How about we go to the nurses office and get you an ice pack or something?" Joey suggested.

Bakura was a little surprised. Joey wasn't prying for answers and instead was offering a good idea for the pain. He couldn't help but smile and nod.

-

There had to be some explanation. Bakura thought about it as he walked home. If he was going crazy, he might as well go completely crazy. Maybe confronting 'it' was the best option.

Bakura was good at ignoring things. He could pretend everything was fine startlingly well. He could pretend his dad cared about him, he could pretend like he wasn't haunted by memories of a family that no longer existed in this world, and if he pretended hard enough he could almost imagine his family at home waiting for him. Confronting things wasn't what he did. He never asked why his dad was always gone, he didn't ask why his world had been so cruel, he just pretended it wasn't. And maybe if he kept pretending, these weird blackouts and strange dreams would become normal too.

But he didn't want that. He didn't want any of this to become 'normal'.

  He closed the door to his empty apartment and dropped his backpack on the couch. Bakura looks around, but he doesn't know what he expected to see. Awkwardly and more than a little nervous, he cleared his throat before he spoke.

  "Whatever is going on, spirit or Doppelgänger, just talk to me. What do you want?" He asked out loud. He pulled the Millennium Ring out from where it was hidden and stared into the eye. "I don't know what's going on, but maybe we could help each other? There must be a reason why you're doing this."

  Silence. Cars, wind, and then...

  "Did you figure that out on your own, or did someone tell you?" Said a sarcastic voice. His own voice. Bakura looked over and saw someone who looked like him, the Doppelgänger from his dream. His Doppelgänger had darker skin and different eyes, plus the scar over his eye, but other than that he looked like Bakura.

  "Who are you?" Bakura asked.

  "My name is Bakura."

  "Well, that doesn't really help our situation."

  The Doppelgänger blinked in surprise before he laughed. "You actually have a sense of humor? That's surprising." He said.

  "Just call me Ryo, and I'll call you Bakura." Ryo said. The Doppelgänger nodded and leaned against the wall. This was all so strange. "What is it that you want?"

  "I don't remember much of my past, my memories are slow to return, but I do remember that I need to acquire the 7 Millennium items. Like the one around your neck that I currently possess." Bakura said.

  "Like the one Yugi has?"

  "Yes. But I can't just steal them, I need to win them in a duel." Bakura said. "And I don't care whether you help me or not, but I need to get those items back where they belong."

  Ryo stared at the Doppelgänger for a moment. He wanted some jewelry back? By the sounds of it, they were once his anyway. If that was all, he had no issue helping out.

  "As long as no one is hurt, I'll help you out." Ryo said. Bakura smiled and nodded. "That includes me. I don't want to keep waking up with bruises."

  "That was an accident." The spirit said. "I wouldn't intentionally injure our body."

  'Our body'. That phrase sent a creeping chill of wrongness down Ryo's spine. Of course it made sense that they shared a body now, but it just felt wrong.

  "Look, I am not happy about this either." Bakura said. Ryo blinked. Did he say that out loud? "I would prefer to have my own body too, but we need to compromise."

  "Can you read my mind or something?"

  "No, but your dopey face tells me all I need to know. You look like a frightened rabbit."

  Ryo quickly wiped the emotions from his face, feeling more than a little embarrassed. No one has ever told him how easily readable his facial expressions were. Was that true or was the spirit just very good at social queues?

  "Listen, I don't want to be here anymore than you want me here. The second I get the Millennium items, I'll have the power that I deserve and you'll have your body back." His demeanor suddenly changed to be much more serious. There was an anger in his eyes that terrified Ryo.

  "Alright, fine. We have a deal then. No one gets hurt, and everyone gets what they want." Ryo said, his body was completely stiff as if the spirit might attack him at any moment.

  "Then we have a deal."

-

  With every day that passed, Bakura gained more of his memories and with it came his lust for revenge. When he was first awoken, all he knew was Ryo. The child was the barer of his ring in which his soul existed. He knew the child's name, he knew he wanted to get something back, and he knew that he died some 5,000 years ago.

  After that, memories started to come back. Through Ryo's books he saw stone buildings and tablets that awoke something deep inside. The place was called Egypt and he was born there.

  Soon, when he and Ryo were at the graveyard for Mother's Day, another memory unlocked. He remembered his own mother and his father, and most of all his baby sister.

  Even standing in a field of death, Bakura felt peace as he relived those memories. He closed his eyes and could almost smell home. It was like he could feel the stone under his feet.

  "Remember to be careful of her head, Bakura." His mother said. Bakura could feel the weight of his sister in his arms. "That's it. She'll grow up looking up to you, you need to be a good big brother and protect her."

  He remembered what his home looked like, how it smelled, and the people in his home. And for a moment he felt more content and sure of himself than he ever did. And then of course confusion set in. Why did he feel such a strong pull to revenge when he had everything he could ever want right here with him? (In the past of course)

  After that day, the nightmares started. Bakura couldn't sleep anymore because anytime he closed his eyes or let his mind wander, all he could hear were screams. The smell of blood was so strong that it made him gag.

  "No, please! Not my daughter, please, she has done nothing wrong!" His mother cried. Bakura couldn't move but tears fell from his eyes as he watched from inside of the chest he hid in.

  "Let go of the child!" The soldier shouted. He stomped on the woman's arm, making it crunch. Bakura's mother cried, but just curled up around his sister to protect her. "In the name of the Pharaoh, you will relinquish your souls to us, you foul demons!"

  In the name of the Pharaoh. The Pharaoh. You foul demons.

  He watched as his mother and sister were dragged out of the house. Bakura couldn't move, not until he heard the screams of the other villagers fade in the distance. All the sudden, his pathetically weak voice worked.

  "N-No, wait..."

  Bakura got out of his hiding place and followed the glow of torches retreating further into the night. He kept out of sight but remained close. Everyone he'd ever known was funneled into an underground area, the smell of blood was so thick that he couldn't breathe.

  The images were burned into his mind. Each and every one of them were sacrificed, beheaded. The stones under him ran red with blood and the aura of death. Bakura couldn't move.

  He was too weak, too young. What was a child to do about an army sent by the Pharaoh? And so he did what any pathetic coward would do: he ran. He ran into the night crying like a baby. Because he wasn't strong enough.

  Never again. Never again! He promised himself he'd never be weak again, he'd have the Pharaoh's head on a pike.

  "Spirit?" Ryo said.

  "What?" Bakura snapped, pulled from his unpleasant thoughts. Ryo flinched.

  "Jeez, all I did was try to get your attention. You've been glaring holes in the wall for thirty minutes." Ryo said.

  Bakura huffed in annoyance and crossed his arms roughly. "Who cares? I need those Millennium items. I need them, but what can I do? I need a plan."

  The horrors of the Massacre of Kul Elna was his and his alone. Cursed upon him by the Pharaoh, the Pharaoh who got to sleep peacefully at night even knowing what he did. Bakura couldn't stand for this. He needed to make him suffer. Bakura's anger was alive, it had a pulse and was burning in his chest, demanding royal blood.

  "You're going to drive yourself insane if that's all you think about, Bakura." Ryo said.

  "Who cares?! Who cares about any of this?!" He shouted with far more rage than he had before. Ryo recoiled, startled by the spirit's outburst. What happened to them working together? Something must have pissed the spirit off.

  Just as Ryo thought that, the spirit grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. Suddenly, gold flooded Ryo's vision as the Millennium Ring started pulsing. As if the ring had a heart beat.

  "We have work to do, Ryo. And I'll make that foul beast that calls himself 'Pharaoh' relinquish his soul!" The spirit said. Unhinged laughter was the last thing to echo through Ryo's head before the world went dark and silent.

(4935 Words.)

[cosmicangel888]

The Spiritual Community is Not Competition ~ Vibration Speaks for Itself ~ 5D Discernment

My name is my name, owning and of my name, my vibration, born to me, and those that had done thieving, schemes, plots plans to erase me, and take my spot, take my place, is simply in need, from the story line, of deep healing -

RECLAIM YOUR POWER, LIGHT LIFE --> KNOW THYSELF

How is it that entire secret societies, judicial, banking, community - #corruption masonry groups - an innocent, earth angel, that teaches loved and light, been doing my work for 16yr without a blemish, devoted mother and wife until I found about underground secret life and estranged for 7 yrs, celibate for 13yrs - and all that I have worked for, earned, got copied, taken, thieved, by my ex, groupies, covens, and false spiritualists that targeted me, human testing, tortured me, then targeted me spell casted ever greater - when I speak out - and not 1 person ever talking to me, asking me, and nor verifying my signatures, nor verifying anything - forensic account will see - where is the money coming from; where is it going -

How can thieves with any level of integrity take what is mine of sacred - the communities, spirit, source, God will assure all - every person paid, every person spell casted - all will be shown, known, and God will assure all are returned equal - #discrimination #healingabuse

Not 1 penny coming to me, yet a lot of monies made off of me -

Not 1 penny - yet all blaming, targeting, intimidating, discrimination because I will not sit down, I will have all returned to me, and I walk with a society far greater the deep pockets of corruption -

Be weary and discerning of any person, offering any false spiritual wisdoms, copied, doppelgänger, vibrational falseness, and synthetic vibrations that stalk the spiritual community for advice and wisdoms and ideas by those that do the work, but then take it further through fraud, through falsifying paperwork, signature, thieving work ideas business templates and foundations - all is my work, none were ever invited nor offered into my foundations, because source, spirit showed me none are aligned and nor would, could be in alignment for their choosing to not to the work -

Therefore, they are unable to integrate the codes, understanding, and processing of the light - I reclaim my power, energy, life, and those that have made my life hell - consistently that are addicted to my energy, life, output and that simply false narrate in deceiving, thieving, and copying, and defaming, while taking then blaming me for speaking up on the abuses;

There will not be reunions, reuniting on any levels with any of the past - the past is closed forever, and never to re-open; damage has been done and will not re-open.

I deserve what I have earned, and what I have worked for and created and I sever all ties, all those that deceive and warp, and twist, manipulate every person so they can get their way - while taking what is not theirs - Spirit will assure what is not meant not honouring you not caring or giving to you;

Let people show you who they are - trust that -

Stolen from once - they will do it over years and then they will blame, take, expect, entitlement - this is narcism and any person that takes without giving - shady nefarious - leave and sever all ties -

This same activity for years and simply those are not getting it - either you move or God will move you - respect thy word =

I owe none and certain will connect with authorities for those that think they have stolen will come back and entitled to more - they will be placed with restraining orders - harassment, discrimination, years of spell work, abuse - God is not having it -

Communities that take, thief, harm - spell and confuse and warp, twist - that put you down because of who you are but only offer love, light - discrimination -

Not only was there years of abuse, stealing, targeting and the sick, toxic pimp vibration of thinking the victim wants more - it is truly in need of learning and clearing what this was - it was torment, hell, and vibrational torture - I would never ever allow any that treat any life in this way - into my life, circle - there is a lot of work to do and so much karma - that the innocent did not deserve adults that were not acting like adults and harming the children -

Relentless spell work, relentless deceiving to community, the intentions to erase my name, place within our planetary importance for ascension and yet - are not practicing nor care about ascension and yet take my monies, my work, my ideas, and then target me further - death to all previous cycles, energies, experiences of the past, secret lives, and secret patterns and behaviours behind closed doors that affect the children - and all have to live with their choices and karma - Spirit sees all - I rebuke, return, and denounce all past energy and will never ever carry an ounce nor care to ever speak to any of the past - it is forever closed; take accountability. #calgary #corruption #falseprophets

Don't return, it will be blocked.

Remember - any spell work done in the house home of children, ESP, mental manipulation does affect the children and all is adding to the karma that as the adult you chose to create loving safe space for children - - and when you go against this - is karma - all have a choice.

None were ever given agreement or permission - my work is my work and those that thieve are not aligned with ascension work - evidence and all will be shown, standing on stage with me and all will be seen;

Proof is - truth is -

My business, my work, my ideas, my sessions, my videos all that I created belongs to me and spirit will assure all will be blocked from further stealing from me - I will press charges - Source, God will assure balance, justice, and returns are made - what occurred, still occurs is not fair and tormenting on every level.

I owe none - thieves know nothing about sacred energy and stealing what was not theirs yet stole for years while I was in poverty and tortured by their spell work and manipulation and harm -

The karma is equal, those that know what is going on, watch, paid to silence, and do nothing - all is equal - judgment called on all -

My work is none but mine; and any that claim so - they are liars and thieves - and I will press charges -

I will start to bring names if this is not closed and Spirit will assure all named will be seen for who they are - leave me be.

I know what I experienced - I know who did what to me; God knows and what occurred was pure hell.

THE PAST WILL BE BLOCKED - period.

I deserve peace, and sacred honouring people in my life.

blessings & light,

Joanna

JoannaCosmicAngel@yahoo.com

DONATIONs; PayPal link here; paypal.me/JoannaLRoss

#ascension #enlightenment #awakening #healingcorruption #healingourchildren #healingblackmagic

[daturas-are-pretty]

BSD Fake Quotes

Chuuya: How'd you get in here?

Dazai: Oh, it was easy. I just seduced an old lady upstairs, came down the fire escape, jimmied the window open...

Chuuya:

Chuuya: You could've just

Chuuya: called me.

Dazai: I didn't kill the lady upstairs, if that's what you're worried about.

Chuuya: I wasn't. But now I am.

~~~~~~~~~~

Dazai: Ugh, I should've known we'd lose Chuuya. He's so pocket-sized, he could be hidden anywhere!

~~~~~~~~~~

[Everyone decked out in Kunikida's clothes to act as doppelgängers for a case specifically targeting him, unbeknownst to Kunikida.]

[It was Dazai's idea.]

Dazai: Anyone else feeling the urge to lecture themselves? (Mimicking Kunikida) "Dazai, what the hell are you doing"?

Kunikida, from behind him: Dazai, what the hell are you doing?

~~~~~~~~~~

Dazai: [After giving Atsushi advice] You can power through this because you are the strongest person I know.

… Wow, that was weird, I just said a bunch of real things consecutively. [Turns to Kunikida] Are you proud of me?

Kunikida: You're ruining it.

~~~~~~~~~~

Kunikida: How'd you manage to steal the case file from government police?

Dazai: Easy. The sergeant manning the desk by the files was a lady, so I just turned up some of that old Dazai charm ~

[What actually happened:]

Dazai swaggering into the file room: Hey there. (In a low seductive voice) Some dude yarfed in the men's restroom. Could you please find somebody to, uh, clean that up?

The sergeant lady: Ugh. (Gets up from her desk)

-

Dazai: There was no yarf.

Kunikida: Yeah, I figured.

~~~~~~~~~~

Kunikida: All our contacts are dead. This case is 11 years old, I doubt anyone remembers anything. Maybe we should -

Atsushi: Climb out onto that ledge to see how the perp got in?

Kunikida: I was going to say give up.

Atsushi: I think we should give it a go! Who knows? We might uncover new leads!

Kunikida: Atsushi, we're ten stories up.

Atsushi: Kunikida-san, I'm not afraid of heights. I'm scared of bees, I'm scared of snakes, I'm scared of being locked in a supply closet for long enough that I start seeing eyes manifest in their dark corners, but I'm not scared of heights!

[Two minutes later out on the ledge]

Atsushi: WE'RE GONNA DIE WE'RE GONNA DIE WE'REGONNADIEWE'REGONNADIEWE'RE -

~~~~~~~~~~

Kunikida: Why are you of all people so hellbent on solving a case that nobody's even bothering to solve? It's been dead for years.

Dazai, for once fixated on his computer and surrounded by milk cartons and half-eaten bananas with their peels still on: Kunikida-kun, I am way too sleep-deprived to deal with your negativity right now.

~~~~~~~~~~

Dazai: I stayed up all night going through the crimes that happened from 1996 up till now to look for a pattern. That led me to this.

(Chair-wheelies his way to a board with a map of Yokohama studded with push pins, all random colors)

My conclusion? There is a lot of crime in Yokohama. No-one should live here.

[leossmoonn]

Temptation

masterlist

pairing - silas x forbes,fem!reader

type - fluffy smut, angst

note / request - “can i request a silas fic where the reader is Caroline's lil sis and Silas likes to annoy her, and he likes her a lot. Then Care and Damon are always into protective sibling modes where silas is around y/n. So one day they catch y/n making out w him, and then theres a lot of banter again” this was really fun to write! im not gonna rewrite background info lol so make sure to read the request. also the timeline of events is a little fuzzy so i apologise if i make a mistake. enjoy :)

summary - damon and caroline find you making out with the enemy, who just happens to be silas 

warnings / includes - language, sibling fighting, steamy make out, sexual tension heheh, you’re in your senior year of high school, suggestive

————

*gif isn't mine*

“Hello, doll face,” Silas greeted behind you.

You jumped at his voice, but quickly settled down. “Hey, Silas,” you said dully.

“Why the long face, princess?” Silas asked. 

“Because you’re here,” you said. “Oh, that’s so mean. You’ve hurt my feelings,” Silas pouted. 

“Well, I’m not supposed to be talking to you anyways,” you stated matter-of-factly. 

“Ugh, you are such a goody two shoes. It’s cute, but annoying. Why not break the rules? I know you want to,” Silas said, leaning over the top of the couch, his face going right next to your’s.

You inhaled deeply, your heart pounding against your chest. You were attracted to him, no doubt about that, but if you even considered shaking his hand, Caroline and Damon would kill you. And you definitely didn’t want that.

“I can read your mind, Y/n. I know you want to kiss me, so go ahead,” he whispered. 

You didn’t turn your head, but your eyes wandered to the left. You got a good view of his lips, which made butterflies flutter in your stomach. It was so tempting to close the gap between you two, but you knew better than that. You turned your head the other way, standing up from the couch. You packed up your school work, deciding to leave the Salvatore house and go to your own. 

You were at the Salvatore house because Damon had offered to help you with your history homework. You took the offer and you two had been studying for a few hours. He had left you for 30 minutes to go and get you two lunch. In those 30 minutes, Silas had wandered into the house, looking for you. 

You pulled out your phone, texting Damon to go to your house instead of back to his. 

“Where are ya going?” Silas asked. 

“Home,” you mumbled, keeping your head down and walking to the front door. 

Silas stood in front of the door, making you look up at him with an annoyed frown. 

“Please let me go,” you said. 

“No, I’d rather see you beg,” Silas smirked. You rolled your eyes. “Please. Damon is waiting for me at my house with food.”

“Oh! Well, why don’t I just go with you, then? I’d love to see Damon.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” you chuckled. “Why not? I can just pretend to be his brother! I’ve fooled lots of people already,” Silas smiled. 

“I think Damon will notice. Especially if I’m there,” you said.  “I’ll just sneak in then,” Silas suggested. 

“No, Silas! I just want to go home alone. Leave me alone,” you said sternly, looking him straight in the eyes. You went to push him out of the way, but his hands grabbed ahold of your wrists. His strong grip made goosebumps rush up your forearms.

Silas couldn’t help but smirk. You rarely ever had outbursts. He thought it was incredibly sexy and cute when you put your foot down. Especially when it pertained to him. 

“You are so adorable when you’re mad. You're so small, too. I can’t help but not take you seriously,” Silas chuckled. 

Your eyes went wide and you opened your mouth to say something, but nothing came out. You masked your embarrassment by groaning and running your fingers through your hair in frustration. “Just let me go! Please. I’m hungry and tired and really need to study for my test.”

“What is your test over, anyways? History? Cause if so, I could help you out. I bet I know more than Damon,” Silas said. 

“No thanks, bro, she’s all taken care of,” Damon said from behind Silas. 

“You tattled that I was here! So naughty of you,” Silas glared at you playfully. 

“Step out of the way, Silas. Otherwise I will snap your neck,” Damon sneered. 

Silas sighed. “Fine! I’m only obeying because I want to kiss you before I die.”

“Fat chance of that. C’mon, Y/n. I got you a burger and those onion rings you like,” Damon said.

“Thanks, Damon,” you smiled gratefully at him. 

“See you later, doll face!” Silas called out as you walked to your car. 

“I’m sorry about him. I should make you the owner of the house,” Damon said. 

You shrugged, “It’s alright. He would never actually hurt me.”

“Well, we don’t know that,” Damon said. 

“Yes, we do. Sure, he might threaten to kill me sometimes, but his liking for me trumps any chance of him killing me. I don’t fear him, he’s just extremely annoying,” you said, getting in your car.

“Agreed,” Damon said. 

You two drove to your house, eating lunch and studying for a few more hours. Caroline and Elena then came home, talking to you and Damon about a party at the Grill. 

“Can I come?” You asked. 

“Um, yeah, sure,” Caroline nodded. 

You smiled excitedly. You barley went to any of these parties. You usually were at home studying or hiding away in your house because Caroline and Damon were always worried for you, but Caroline figured that since she and Damon and everyone else would be there, they would be able to protect you. 

So you took a quick shower and got ready for the night. You put on ripped jeans and a black, spaghetti-strapped top with a jean jacket. You put on heeled boots and put on some silver jewellery, as well as lined your eyes with eyeliner and painted your lips red with lipstick.

“Oh, you look so cute!” Elena exclaimed as you walked out of your room. 

“Thanks, Elena,” you smiled at her. 

“No, go change,” Caroline said. “Why?” You frowned. 

“Because Silas could be there and that outfit would tempt him even more,” Damon explained. 

You rolled your eyes. “So when Klaus was here, Caroline could wear anything, but I guess since I’m younger and a human, I can’t? That’s so unfair.”

“She’s right, guys. I hate Silas as much as you two, but let her dress how she wants. We’ll be there to protect her. Plus, if Silas thinks she’s hot, then good for her. She is,” Elena agreed with you. 

You smiled at her. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” she smiled. 

“Ugh, fine! But no drinking, okay?” Caroline said. 

“Ay, ay captain,” you said. You four went out to Elena’s SUV, driving to the Grill. 

Loud music blasted into your ears as soon as you stepped inside. You smiled as you saw everything dancing and having the time of their life. 

“Shots?” Caroline suggested. 

“Hell yeah!” Elena squealed. 

“Iced tea for you, Y/n?” Caroline asked. “Yes, please,” you nodded. 

“Alright, you guys go to the pool table. I’ll be back,” Caroline said. 

“Where is Stefan?” You asked, looking around the bar and walking to the pool table that was conveniently empty. 

“Right here!” 

You turned around, smiling once you saw Stefan in a grey shirt, jeans, and his leather jacket. You went to hug him, but Damon stopped you. 

“Ah, ah, ah. How do we know it isn’t Silas?” Damon asked. 

Stefan rolled his eyes. He pulled out a blood bag from his pocket, taking it and drinking it quickly. 

“Alright, alright, we know it’s you. Cool it on the blood, brother. Don’t want to go into a bloodlust,” Damon said, taking the empty bag and throwing it in the trash. 

“Well, I don’t really know how else to prove I’m not Silas,” Stefan sighed. “Can I get that hug now?”

You smiled and nodded, wrapping your arms around him. 

Between everyone else, Damon and Stefan were your best friends. They were like the brothers you’ve never had, protecting you and teasing you whenever they felt like it was necessary. You hadn’t seen Stefan in a while since he was found in the safe, but you were glad to see he was okay. 

“Glad to see you’re okay, Stef,” you said, pulling back. 

“And I’m glad to see you haven’t fallen victim to my doppelgänger,” Stefan smiled. 

Caroline came back with shots, pleasantly surprised to see Stefan. 

“Stefan! You’re here! Oh, my God the whole gang is here!” She squealed, putting down the shots and engulfing Stefan is a big hug. 

“I’m excited to be here, too. This is the first time I’ve really gone out for fun. I hope nothing goes wrong,” Stefan joked. 

“Well, if any of you spot Silas, make sure to not let him get close to Y/n. We don’t know what he could do to her,” Caroline said.

You rolled your eyes at her concern, but didn’t say anything. You knew it would end up with you two arguing and that was the last thing anything wanted. Forbes were very controlling and heated when they got angry.

You took your tea and sipped on it as Damon downed the first shot. 

“Wait, are we playing in teams?” You asked. 

“Yeah, which one do you wanna be one? Damon and I’s?” Stefan asked. 

“Definitely yours,” you said. “Oh, what! You know I win all the time,” Damon said. 

“Yeah, but when you lose you get so mad. It’s hilarious,” you giggled.

“True, it is cute,” Elena smirked. 

Damon rolled his eyes. “Whatever. You two are so annoying.”

You smiled and played with your friends for a little while. It came to a time where everyone was too tipsy to where they could barely walk, so you were in charge of getting the drinks. Damon and Caroline, despite being pretty much drunk, stayed close behind you. 

“Hey, Matt,” you smiled at the boy working behind the bar. “Hey, Y/n! Let me guess, more shots and another iced tea?” He asked. 

“You guessed right,” you chuckled. 

“So, how is school?” He asked. 

“Pretty good. History is kicking my ass, per usual. It’s weird because I’m surrounded by history buffs,” you said. 

“Well, I know you have Damon helping you, but Stefan is a lot better at tutoring, in my opinion. I know he’s been having a rough time, though,” Matt said. 

“He has, which is why I should be your tutor,” Silas smirked next to you. 

You jumped slightly, surprised to see him there. You looked at him, seeing him wearing a dark navy shirt and jeans. Your eyes stared at his biceps and his strong, broad shoulders. Once you noticed him smirking at you, you looked back to the drinks Matt was filling. 

“Now I get the silent treatment? C’mon, not fair,” Silas whined.

“You shouldn’t be here, man,” Matt said. 

“Yeah, and what are you gonna do about, it huh?” Silas taunted, looking at Matt with narrow, menacing eyes. 

Matt rolled his eyes, putting the tequila shots and your drink on a tray and handing them to you. 

“Thanks, Matt,” you smiled.

You took the tray, ready to turn around and walk away from Silas. He put his arm up, planning to grab your arm to stop you, but Caroline and Damon used their vamp speed to push him back. 

“Don’t you dare touch her,” Caroline sneered. Veins were circulating under her eyes and she bared her fangs. 

Silas smirked, not at all fazed. “Oh, please, I could kill both of you so fast, you couldn’t have chance to say bye to Y/n. Now, let me go, Damon.”

Damon’s grip on Silas’s arms tightened. “Not a chance. We’re going outside and I’m gonna make sure you are far away from here.”

Damon then took Silas to the exit, Silas looking back at you and giving you a wink. Caroline groaned in disgust and took the tray away from you. 

“You okay?” She asked. 

“I’m fine, Care! He wasn’t going to hurt me,” you glared at her. 

“You don’t know that! Why are you defending him? Doesn't he annoy you?” Caroline asked. 

“Yeah, he does,” you said, your voice trailing off at the end, alluding to something else.

Caroline stared at you intensely, gasping once she put the pieces together. “You… You like him? Ugh, why! He’s a monster.”

“I don’t like him! God, why is that always your first assumption?” You asked.

“Because you obviously are having physical reactions to him. We all see the way you look down in shyness when he flirts with you, and we can hear your heart racing. We just hoped you wouldn’t give in,” Caroline sighed. 

“I’m not! I don’t like him in any way, okay? Just because I defend someone doesn’t mean I automatically like them!”

“That’s what you always say! You need to get rid of those feelings, Y/n. He’s not a good person.”

You closed your eyes in frustration, sighing roughly. “I’m going to the bathroom to cool down. When I come out, you better not say anything else about me liking Silas.”

You spun on your heels, storming off to the bathroom. You washed your hands, putting them to your forehead to cool yourself down. 

“Feelings for Silas, please,” you scoffed to yourself. 

“She’s right. I know it, you know it. Everyone does.”

You looked in the mirror, jumping once you saw Silas behind you. You turned around quickly. 

“H-How did you get in here?” You asked.

“I knocked Damon out,” he shrugged. 

“What?! Is he okay?” You asked. “Yes, he’s fine. I know that you would hate me if I killed one of your friends,” he said.

You sighed, “I have to go. They’re waiting for me.” You went to the door, but Silas once again blocked the entrance. 

“You gotta be quicker, Y/n. Someday you might find yourself in real trouble,” Silas smiled down at you. 

“You are real trouble,” you retorted.

“Oh, we both know that’s not true. If I was then you’d be screaming for your life. But you’re just standing there, looking so incredibly kissable,” Silas said, shamelessly looking at your lips. 

Your cheeks felt like they were on fire, and you looked down to hide your face. “No, I just don’t want to make a scene,” you mumbled. 

Silas put his hand on your chin, making your eyes meet his. “While that is true, you also having feelings for me.”

You stepped away from him, his hand falling to his side. “I don’t. You’re evil and cheated on your girlfriend. No girl wants to be with a guy like that.”

“Elena practically cheated on Stefan emotionally, you’re still friends with her,” Silas stated. 

You furrowed your brows, not sure what to say back. He was correct, but you knew that wasn’t the point. You needed to get out of there otherwise Caroline and Damon would freak out. 

Silas walked towards you slowly, like you were his prey that he was stalking. You turned around, not wanting to look at him. Silas grinned, seeing as his plan would work out even better now that you were facing the mirrors. 

He put his hand on your bare arm, dragging his fingertips up your skin. 

“I’m so glad you took off the leather jacket. Your outfit looks so much better without it,” he murmured. 

You immediately froze. Your eyes were glued to the two of you in the mirror. You watched as his hand went up to your shoulders, pressing down lightly on your muscles. 

“Shouldn’t you be running, Y/n?” Silas asked, moving. your hair out of the way so he could get a better view of your neck. 

You knew you should, but his touch felt so good. It weirdly calmed your nerves down, but also made you flustered as hell. You would be lying if you said you didn’t want to stay in this bathroom and let him take you. Silas smiled at your thoughts, lowering his lips down to your shoulder. 

“I can totally take you right here if you want,” he whispered, his lips making contact with your skin. 

You inhaled sharply, finding yourself stumbling back into his chest. His other arm went around your waist, holding you close to him.

“Your skin is so soft, doll face,” he said while kissing up your neck. 

You watched him in the mirror, your stomach doing flips. Your legs felt weak and heat gathered in between your thighs. You had honestly wanted to kiss him this whole time. You decided a few more minutes in the bathroom couldn’t hurt. 

So you turned around, crashing your lips onto his. Silas smiled as you kissed him, his hands trailing down to your legs. He lifted you up with ease, taking you to the sink and placing you on the counter. Your legs wrapped around his waist, your hands running themselves through his hair. 

“Silas,” you breathed out as you felt his hands on your thighs, going higher and higher. 

“You like that, princess?” He hummed, his fingers going higher until they reached your clothed entrance. He pulled away, grinning and looking you in the eyes. 

“Uh-huh,” you hummed, pulling his face close to yours roughly.

Your lips collided again, your heart and brain exploding. Kissing him felt like heaven.

Silas mirrored your neediness and put his hands on your waist, pulling you impossibly closer. You pressed your chest up to him more, your hands going down from his head to the bottom of his shirt. You lifted it up, Silas pulling away so you could pull it off of him. You sat back and admired his abs and muscles, excitement growing in between your thighs. 

You dove down to his neck, kissing and sucking lightly. Your hands explored his chest, tracing along his prominate abs. Silas breathed heavily into your ear, groaning as you found his sweet spot. 

“Oh, Y/n,” he panted. 

You smirked against his skin. Before you could put your hands on his belt, the bathroom door burst open. You saw Caroline and Damon standing, eyes huge and mouths agape. 

“What the hell!” Caroline shrieked. 

Your eyes widened and you pushed Silas away from you, getting off the counter. 

“Really, Y/n? You pick him to make out with in the bathroom?” Damon groaned. 

“It is just happened,” you shrugged sheepishly. 

“Yeah, she’s a really good kisser,” Silas smirked. “I never would have expected it since she’s shy and all, but man, she is wil-”

“You shut the hell up. And you,” Caroline pointed to you. “Are going home. now.”

“He wasn’t hurting me, Care,” you said. 

Caroline looked at you two incredulously. “You’re making her say this! You pressured her, didn’t you!” She pointed to Silas. 

“He’s not! I was the one who kissed him first,” you admitted. “Yeah, but I helped a little,” Silas smirked. 

Caroline made her vampire face and lunged at Silas, to which Damon pulled her back. 

“Alright, blondie, why don’t you take Y/n home and I’ll deal with Silas, okay?” Damon said. 

Caroline huffed and nodded, grabbing you by the arm roughly. 

“We’ll continue another time, doll face!” Silas exclaimed. 

“No, you will not,” Damon glared.

————

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Rose: Awaken==>

...You Wake rather abruptly, midstride, as sometimes happens, inevitably causing you to fall flat on your poor poor face as the mental feedback of memories new and old makes you miss your stride. The last thing you recall is an onrushing wave of blue fire that made things twist into shapes that should not be. The last thing you remember is setting out from town before the superstitious locals discovered you practiced "magick most foul" and decided they needed to burn you lest you invite some manner of demon or horror into their midst. Damn backwaters and their isolationist attitudes, even the minor cities are allowing branches of the Scholarium del Arcana to set up shop these days. After all, well educated mages are safe mages. Not that you'd know anything about that, because, of course, you're not a mage. Not even close.

The in-loop memories seem rather unusually potent this time, and you get the feeling that wherever you are, it's gonna be a long one, especially given the distinct lack of mental pressure from your branch's local patron deity and her micromanaging ways. You purposely crash the loop one time and she fucking never lets it go, even if she did later agree it was very deserved. Then again, not having her ever-present watchful eye is enough to leave you nervous. What could possibly be so important that Ananke would loosen her grasp on the reins even slightly? You decide you don't want to know, and in fact, you don't want to consider it further lest you draw in her attention.

You take a few more moments to let the pain of both the hard fall on your face and the migraine of integrating with the self you just got put in the shoes of before trying to dig a bit deeper into your loop memories, trying to figure out what, precisely, you are. It takes a few minutes but soon you think you understand it.

As is your wont, you decide to think of it in terms of tabletop classes and tropes, and the nearest you can recall is that you're a Kineticist, a living conduit between this plane and the elemental chaos. Specifically, your primary affinities are to Air and Light, manifesting as the ability to draw out raw elemental essences of lightning and radiance and use them to accomplish a myriad of magic-adjacent effects.

Though you've got a marked affinity to these two specific elements, you feel the others swirling just out of reach, and know that you could grasp them if you simply reached for them... but somehow you also know it would be a bad idea to force them, and after a moments consideration you realize why. Your body is currently heavily saturated with your affinity elements, and from this you gather that your flesh is still very much mortal, and that you have had to take the time to acclimate your body to the elemental forces you can wield through gradual exposure to them, and further that while you could force other types of energy through and survive, it wouldn't be pleasant by any means unless you introduced them in a similar manner.

So, for the time being, your repertoire seems to consist of powers drawn from Essence of The Sky and Essence of Light. Well, that, and things your Unawake self managed to figure out how to do with them. Among others, you can form your essential energies into simple objects, mostly weapons, ionize and compress the air about you to cushion a fall, not unlike the "icarus system" from Deus Ex, or infuse someone with healing light to mend their wounds. A fine place to start, though the limits of your powers will require rigorous testing.

It's been so long since you've gotten to try something wholly new, you can't help but feel a bit giddy at the idea. It's only then that you think to check if you can reach your Pocket, and you find that, though it takes a bit more effort to get to for some reason, all your things are still safely stored in the pocket dimension forged from your excess of soul energy, exactly where you left them.

You pull out your phone from your Pocket, ignoring the anachronisms of using it in a High Fantasy loop, and... why is tumblr installed...? You don't remember making this account! What the actual FUCK is this?! Multiversal contact?! Mages from parallel realities?! Androids?! A previous incarnation you don't remember?! Doppelgängers?! SOUL FRAGMENTS?!?!

Your name is Rose Strider and you are absolutely fucking pissed. You can almost hear that Someone Upstairs is laughing at you.