#ariadne ross

[just-horrible-things]

Been hopping back and forth between the things I intended to write not managing to get more than 100 words in before getting distracted, but yet another different AU? 7 pages one sitting.

I guess I was in the mood for shoddy caretaking.

---

'Verse: Resistance, co-author @whump-sprite AU: Alt to Chewtoy Scenario: The Resistance have taken chewtoy!Ari prisoner while breaking Anders out of (brief) federal custody and interrogation

Needs A Wash

The prisoner’s at the back of the cell when Ross walks in. She doesn’t seem to see him at first, she’s preoccupied with kinda – rubbing her back against the wall? It puts Ross in mind of a dog with fleas rubbing its flank against a fence. 

When she spots him she freezes, eyes comically wide.

“Time to decide if you want to live, fed,” Ross opens. “‘Cause if you do, you’d better be willing to answer some questions.” “Yes,” she agrees breathlessly, “sir.” Anger flares, and with a swipe of his hand Ross throws her sideways against the wall. She yelps at the impact, and crumples. “Don’t give me that shit,” Ross snarls. “You’d spit on me if I wasn’t holding all the cards.” The bitch curls up, arms over her head, and doesn’t respond.

She’s left a mark on the wall where she was rubbing against it – a smear of red against the concrete. No one told Ross that she was injured. In fact he’s pretty sure they actually said she wasn’t – but then again she’s been down here a few days. Maybe someone’s taken a bit of petty revenge. Taryn won’t like that, but Ross wouldn’t blame them.

There’s blood on her skin, too, where her shirt has ridden up. Holding magic in one hand ready to lash out if she tries anything, Ross opens the cell and steps inside. She doesn’t move, even when he crouches right over her. She just whimpers, screwing her eyes shut like she thinks she can hide. 

Ross pulls the edge of her shirt up to reveal more of her skin – and finds her ribs covered in open wounds – deep lash marks like you expect to see on the feds’ victims, not on them. 

“Alright,” he asks, “what the hell happened to you?” “My – my boss, s-sir –” she stammers out, “– I-I – punished –” “Talk.” “I will – I – yessir – please –”

She talks alright, but getting straight answers out of her turns out to be more difficult. She gibbers and pleads and honest-to-god sobs at Ross but she prefers begging for mercy to actually answering the questions. “I told you,” Ross snaps at her, “I’m not one of you sick fucks. I’m not gonna torture you if you answer the questions, so stop begging already and answer the fucking questions.”

He gets her name out of her, and her boss’s name, and a bunch of her colleagues’. She admits to being a torturer – an interrogator – and she admits to being a part of torturing Anders, along with probably hundreds of other witches and warlocks. “And you think you deserve my fucking sympathy?” Ross scoffs. “Nosir, no, I don’t, I’m sorry.” “So –” he presses a thumb over one of the cuts, just firmly enough to make her gasp “-- cut out all the whining.” She swallows, and nods.

And she does whine less, but even without the continuous pleas Ross still can’t make head or tail of half of what she says. He can’t follow her attempt to explain why her boss has whipped her to ribbons. More importantly, he also can’t decipher any of her answers about 17 and the remaining prisoners. She starts in the middle of sentences, she talks in numbers and codes, and without prompting about every thirty seconds, she keeps drifting off topic.

It’s when she tells him, apparently totally earnestly, that she’s “not real, sir, m’not – not real”, that it occurs to him to check her temperature. She stares up at him, bewildered, as he presses a hand to her forehead. “Ah, fucking hell.”

He flips her onto her front, and she makes pitiful squeaky noises, but she doesn’t fight it. Ross peels her shirt up her back to get a better look at the damage – and yeah, her back is way worse than the cuts he saw over her ribs. The skin between the cuts is puffy and red with infection, and pus leaks from between ragged scabs.

“Fuck,” Ross mutters. “You’re not gonna be any use like this, are you?” “Sorry,” the fed whimpers into the floor. “If I get you cleaned up, you’d better still be willing to talk when your temperature comes down.” “I will,” she promises, “I will, I – hate him, wanna, wanna talk, I swear.” “Yeah, I bet you do. Alright then, c’mon.”

She yells and flails a little when he drags her up off the floor, but he uses magic to take some of her weight and it isn’t difficult to pin her arms against her sides as he carries her. After a couple of seconds she goes limp in his arms, and he has to double check that she hasn’t passed out. Her eyes are still open, locked onto Ross without a trace of understanding.

He sighs.

Taryn is upstairs, working. “The fuck is this, Ross?” she demands as he climbs the stairs with his arms full of shaking, crying, uniformed fed. It’s a good fucking question. “She needs a wash,” he explains shortly. “And probably medicine or something. She’s not dangerous, she’s a wreck. Besides, if she tries anything I’ll make her regret it.” “Won’t, sir,” the prisoner whimpers into his shirt. Still looking somewhat baffled, Taryn nods. “Sounds good,” she agrees.

So he takes her up the next flight of stairs to the bathroom, and dumps her into the tub. She chokes on a hiss of pain as he sets her down, but she stays put.

“Clothes off,” Ross tells her. “Can’t get you clean with them on.” She obeys, starting to struggle awkwardly out of her shirt. She seems reluctant – or unable – to lift her arms above shoulder height, so Ross takes a hold of the fabric to hold it in place while she wriggles out of it. There’s really a lot of blood soaked into the cloth. It’s practically stiff with it. He chucks it into the corner of the room to deal with later.

Under the shirt, her sports bra is practically embedded in the swollen skin. Ross hisses sympathetically. The prisoner looks apprehensive. She doesn’t pull away when he reaches for the bra, but as soon as he tries to lift it from the skin she makes a sharp sound and jerks forward – then apologises. “You’re alright,” Ross tells her.

He gets his pocket knife out. Milonas tracks the blade with very wide eyes until it’s out of her sight behind her back, and Ross can hear her breath catch and stutter in her throat, but he isn’t about to feel too bad. Whatever her own situation, she hurt Anders. And a shitload of other people.

The elasticated fabric cuts easily. The prisoner grits her teeth and hisses, but she doesn’t flinch again. As the fabric peels away, it leaves angry indentations in her flesh.

“Alright, boots next.” Her shaking hands are clumsy and she’s understandably unenthusiastic about leaning far enough forward to reach her boots, so Ross leans over the side of the tub to get them for her. The first one comes off without too much trouble – and is tossed into the corner with the rest. 

But when he lays a hand on the second, she gasps a sudden “please–!” “What is it?” Ross pauses with his hand on the ankle. Damn, he can feel the heat of her fever through the leather. “It’s – swollen –” she confesses breathlessly. “ – broken? Sorry. I’m – sorry.” Ross sighs. “Alright,” he agrees. He supposes he can be careful.

The laces already aren’t tied, but he takes the time to unlace them altogether to see if it makes a difference. Not a lot. The boot is pretty firmly stuck, and she squeaks every time he tests it. Ross gestures her to spin around and she shuffles awkwardly in the tub until he can get her foot up over the edge. She whimpers, and presses a hand over her own mouth to cut it off.

Ross grimaces at a pang of unwelcome guilt. “It’s gotta come off,” he tells her. “You know that.” She nods, hand still over her mouth, but she doesn’t stop begging with her eyes. “Brace,” he orders, and she reluctantly lets go of her face to brace both hands against the bottom of the tub.

He knows it’s gonna suck for her, he’s not stupid. But what he hopes will happen when he pulls is that she’ll pull back against him, and the boot will come off. 

What actually happens when he pulls is that he just yanks her forwards and upwards by the leg. There’s no resistance at all. She falls back and cracks her head against the wall behind the tub as she just fucking slides. “Shit,” Ross swears, “fuck, sorry.” The prisoner flails, flopping like a fish, as he hurriedly dumps her legs back into the tub. Her eyes are wide open, unfocused, her lips peeled back and teeth parted as if screaming. He’s glad she didn’t fucking scream – Taryn would think he’s torturing her up here or something.

She writhes for a second more, then goes limp again. There are tears streaming from her eyes. “That – didn’t work,” Ross tells her uselessly. “M��� – s-sorry –” she chokes out “– please, si-ir – ca-an’t –” “Alright, new plan.”

She doesn’t flinch away from the knife this time, but she does sob when Ross picks up her booted foot again. He doesn’t think he can cut the leather without enough force to cut her too, but what he can do is pick at the seams. The tip of the knife digs under the threads until they give way, and little by little, the boot opens up along the seam. Milonas lays in the bottom of the tub, an ungainly sprawl of limbs, and stares at the ceiling, shivering hard.

Ross expects to be able to get the boot off once he’s opened it up from top to sole, but it’s not her ankle that’s swollen. It’s the foot itself. There aren’t any convenient seams running the length of her foot, but he takes apart the sides of the boot until it practically opens like a flower. Her foot is still stuck in the tube of the foot part of the boot, but there’s nothing left around her ankle and the bit behind her heel isn’t attached to the sides any more. When Ross tries to kinda bend the sole to free her heel, there’s a bit of give.

Milonas groans, pressing her hand over her mouth again, and her leg twitches against Ross’s grip as he wiggles the remains of the boot off the swollen foot, but she doesn’t really fight it or beg him to stop, which he figures is about the best he can do.

He cuts the sock off her, expecting that to be simplest part, but it’s stuck to the sole of her foot with yet more blood. When he gets it free with a bit of water, he finds lacerations underneath.

“Fucking hell,” he mutters, hissing through his teeth. “M’sorry,” the fed repeats.

The rest of the process of stripping her is trivial by comparison. He peels the other sock off – more whip marks, but no swelling – or barely any. She lays passively and lets him peel off her pants, and then her underpants. They’re all caked with her blood and who knows whose else’s, and too tight against cut and swollen skin. The whip didn’t stop at her waist, the cuts carry on all the way down the back of her thighs. 

Just handling her has painted red smears all over the inside of the bathtub. She lays there shivering and looking pathetic, and Ross is certain that she’s not a threat. Not in her current state, at least.

He runs the water lukewarm – fiddling with the temperature until it’s just a little cooler than what her blood temperature ought to be. She’s shivering hard, but she’s not really cold. Her skin’s still burning hot. When Ross takes hold of her upper arms, she cooperates, and he sits her back up. 

The water turns rusty as soon as it touches her. As soon as there’s enough in the bottom of the tub to get a handful, Ross scoops it in cupped hands and pours it over her skin. To start with she just lets it happen. Then, moving slowly, she starts rubbing the grime from her arms. Ross dispenses some shower gel onto a washcloth and hands it to her, and she uses that.

He has no problem letting her wash as much of herself as she’s able, but there’s no way she’s going to be able to reach her back, let alone clean it well enough to make a difference to the infection. 

She flinches when he touches it, and he thinks for a second that he’s gonna have to explain to her that it has to happen, but then she shuffles round again to sit awkwardly sideways, giving Ross better access to her back.

It’s not his first time cleaning out whip wounds. He’s no healer, but he knows that the cuts need to be clean. Milonas knows it too. 

When he gets started in earnest, she braces her forearms against the back wall, palms flat on the tiles. She shudders and gasps and makes muted, miserable little noises, but she doesn’t make a fuss. After her begging earlier, Ross is kinda surprised by the sudden stoicism.

He does his best to make it quick and no worse than it has to be. But it’s not a quick job. Halfway down her back, she starts sobbing quietly. “You’re alright,” he tells her. “You’re okay. Easy now.” “Yeah,” she repeats back, voice thick, “m’okay.”

When he reaches the waterline around her waist, she tries to get up on her knees. The bath isn’t wide enough for the length of her shins, she can’t possibly kneel that way round, but she keeps trying, wobbling and flinching as she tries to figure out a way to put her legs that will work. It doesn’t seem to occur to her to face a different way. Ross has to guide her to shuffle down the bath to the end, and brace against the other wall instead. She practically flops forward against the wall, heedless of the faucet digging in near her hip.

By the time Ross is finally done, she’s not sobbing quietly anymore. She’s just outright crying into the tiles. It’s pretty much what he’d expect from anyone, though, so he’ll cut her some slack on that. She’s held still, more or less, which is impressive enough on its own.

Ross pulls the stopper from the plughole, and Milonas apparently takes it as a signal to collapse. She lowers herself clumsily down back into the opaque, red-brown water and settles, panting, on her side. Miserable, reddened eyes turn up at Ross as if looking for some kind of approval.

“Yeah,” he says awkwardly, “just gonna get you rinsed off, then you’re all done.”

Fucking hell, she’s a torturer and a murderer. He doesn’t need to talk to her like she’s a child. She needs medical care, sure, but she doesn’t need his sympathy. 

As the filthy water drains from around her, Ross turns on the shower head to rinse her off. If he could be gentler about it, she doesn’t protest. He lifts her out of the bath and sets her down on the bathmat to towel her off, one limb at a time, while she sits passive and lets him do it. He leaves her broken foot alone, and only dabs carefully at her back.

He was going to put her back in her clothes, before he saw the state of them. He looks at the discarded pile, then back to her. She looks at the pile, and back to him. He shrugs awkwardly.

—

Taryn is starting to wonder what the hell Ross is doing up there by the time he re-emerges. He’s carrying the prisoner again, but this time she’s naked, wearing nothing except a towel, which she is holding closed with one hand while the other arm clings to Ross for stability. She looks utterly shell-shocked, and she is bleeding.

“She needs a wash” replays in Taryn’s head as her mental image abruptly updates from some vague notion that he’d turn the fed loose in the bathroom, to a vivid picture of him stripping the woman and scrubbing her down himself.

Ross, you fucking numbskull.

“What the hell happened to her?” She knew he might be rough with the prisoner but she didn’t think he’d fucking torture her – but no, this isn’t Ross’s doing. Someone’s taken a bullwhip to her, looks like. “Apparently her boss likes to use her as a stress ball.” Ross tries to shrug, and the motion makes the woman in his arms flinch. She’s clinging to him tighter now, watching Taryn with wide, frightened eyes. “He didn’t have enough people to whip?” “Guess not.”

Taryn shakes her head, trying to shake off the incredulity. The more she looks, the more injuries she sees. “What else did she tell you?” She’s hoping for more context, but all she gets is, “Not a lot we can use, she’s not important enough to know much.” The supposedly-fed cringes, ducking her face against Ross. Taryn doesn’t like that. “A few things about her colleagues,” Ross is continuing, “some names. Honestly she’s got a fever and she’s not making a lot of sense.”

“Alright,” Taryn declares, trying to regain control of the situation. “Let’s discuss after we get her some clothes.” Ross looks down, as if it’s occurring to him for the first time that her nakedness might be a problem. Goddamnit Ross. “Her old things are gross,” he offers by way of explanation. “She needs new.” “Why don’t you put her down, and go get her some. Does she need a healer?” “Hell if I know. She’s a mess but I don’t think she’s dying.”

He casts about for somewhere to put her, and settles on the chair by the bookshelves. “Don’t think she’s going anywhere,” he remarks. “No,” Taryn agrees. “Go get her some clothes. And a first aid kit. These cuts need dressing.” “I know that,” Ross protests. “I was gonna do it once I put her back downstairs.” “I’ll do it,” Taryn tells him firmly. “Leave her with me.”

The prisoner watches him leave, and shrinks back against the chair once she’s the only target for Taryn’s attention.

She’s thin as a starving cat, out of her uniform. It’s hard to believe she’s actually a fed – but Ross did say she was talking about them as her colleagues, her boss. It shouldn’t really be a surprise if they abuse each other as well as everyone else.

“You know who I am?” Taryn asks. “Yes sir.” “Tell me.” “Taryn Morgen.” “Mhm.” Taryn nods. “Alright. You cooperate, and things will be better here than with your old boss. You understand?” “I’ll cooperate,” the woman insists, urgent and afraid. “I understand, sir.”

With how they’ve treated her, she probably won’t have any trouble selling her “colleagues” out.

“Anything broken?” Taryn asks her. “Internally bleeding?” “Some,” swallow, “some breaks, sir. I-I think.” “Where?” She gestures at her obviously swollen foot, then more hesitantly to her ribcage, on the right. “I don’t know a-about internal bleeding, I’m sorry.”

Taryn crouches to take that foot – gently – in her hands. The prisoner makes a choked sound of fear, but doesn’t pull away. More stifled whimpers follow as Taryn probes carefully with her fingers, feeling bones shift beneath the flesh. “That needs a fucking healer,” she mutters, half to herself. Another whimper as the leg twitches and tugs the foot against Taryn’s hand. She lets go, promising, “Alright, alright, I’m done.”

She’s about to check the ribs – or at least ask more questions – when Ross reappears with the large first aid kit and a bundle of clothes.

“Go to the hospital and ask when they’ll have a healer free to fix a broken foot. I’ll take care of this one – what’s her name?” “Milonas.” “First name?” Ross hesitates, and glances at the prisoner. “Ariadne,” she supplies nervously. “Alright, Ariadne. I’m going to put some bandages on your cuts, and then you can put some clothes back on.” “Yes sir,” Ariadne agrees. “Thank you sir.”

[loganlermanstanaccount]

Just to kiss me (Part 5)

pairing: Finnick Odair x reader

64.media.tumblr.com

(AO3 mirror)

Part 5, My Hunger Games Masterlist

summary: The days begin to blur. Finnick provides some light.

warnings: angst, some suggestive language

required reading: The song "We'll never have sex" by Leith Ross <3

a/n: ....Reading SOTR and I remembered I had a draft for this fic lmfao. mb 🌚

taglist (comment if you'd like to be added <3): @agent-grey-fics, @starhastoomanyfandoms

wc: 3.9k

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

If I said you could never touch me

You'd come over and say I look lovely

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

“I want to look…. council-womanly.”

There are blank faces. And with the click of a pen, a room full of suits fall over themselves to reassure your mother, Council-woman Arachne, of her status. Her poise, her grace, the flair with which she ties up her hair - all without fault. 

In the midst of it, you lean back and tuck yourself even further into the wall. The slight raise of an eyebrow is all you can muster. Indifference; or at least, you hope it comes across that way. A week of filming had been taxing, protesting her insistence at your presence even more so - appealing to the shred of human decency she had left. Of course, it had been to no avail. A child pawing at her skirt; sticky-fingered, fervent; was all she saw. 

As. Always.

“Mother.” You had said - or whined, maybe, it was hard to remember in such a stuffy room. “I've been working through the weekend. You have people you pay for their opinions - you can’t just ask me to take a whole week out for your campaign!”

“I'm not asking. It's important you stay by my side.”

“I would rather die.”

She tuts. “Always so dramatic. Must everything be a death knoll for the end times?”

She gets more verbose when stressed, you had noted. 

“Mother–”

“I need to be able to count on someone. Someone with your eye - these things are finicky; you know how Capitol people can be.”

“My eye?” You spat.

Her appeal to your ego had been shameless, and you curled your lips with disgust.

“Your–” She came closer, bony hand on your shoulder. It still burns with the touch, and like frost creeping up glass, she had made her way to your cheek. “Your eye. Like your father's; you see things my team won't be able to.”

You shove down fire and brimstone, resisting the urge to spit in her face at the mention of a man you never had the chance to know. You had met him only in whispers, in her faraway glances and the slight shake of her voice. For a second, she thawed, and like the snap of elastic against skin; your mother quickly pulled away.

What a load of shit.

You don't say what should, then and now. Your mother looks too shiny and manicured, especially in the glow of a holo screen. Billboards and magazine covers - hell, there was talk of cup holders and table runners. Ariadne, a face you can trust. In her bid for Overseer, it came across as insincere - as blatant as the propos The Academy passes off as history. A spotless history written by victors, white as falling snow.

She looks to you in a sea of fawning faces.  Lips tight, shoulders drawn back. Admittedly, you find yourself tempted to hiss and kick off. To do what you have always wanted to, a staunch middle finger at her bid to stir media frenzy. Council-woman Arachne clicks her pen. And like a well trained dog, you are quickly brought to heel.

“It's desperate, Mother.” You say it under your breath as the last dregs file out.

She huffs, the closest thing to a laugh she can manage. You think her body isn't built for it; her ribcage too tightly wound, without the space for joy. 

“It's… pertinent.” 

You read between the lines. They're too stupid to understand anything else. 

“It's fake.”

“Don't be stupid.” She sighs. “Of course it is.” 

You're drawn back to a night that seems so far-away. To clear waters and untouched beauty, wild and fervent Mother Nature tucked away somewhere in the capitol. To Finnick and his eyes, glassy and rehearsed. Fake. In the same way your mother is, you suppose, but with him there was something under the surface. Rusty and a lot less yellow-gold, but it was something.

“May I be excused?” It sounds pathetic, but a week of incessant nagging has taken its toll. 

Curt, she nods. Spun on a heel no higher than 1 and a half inches, she storms past; leaving with a click-click-click on cold marble. 

You're exhausted. A higher power takes you through the kitchen, past mock-ups and coffee-stained mugs. You thought you were used to the dozens in and out of your house; stumbling through meetings and tete-a-tetes at odd hours. Now it seems no different, and you are greeted by cushions out of place and chairs strewn into a circle. You push them aside and make your way up ornate stairs, limbs heavy with sleep.

There's a buzz at your wrist. Your heart skips a beat and you don't have the energy to clamp it down. It could be Vonnie, but you want it to be Finnick – so, so desperately.

You're bursting at the seams with his… friendship? That rings hollow. Nights spent on the phone, talking until your voice is hoarse and well into the early hours of the day. Friendship doesn't seem to span the width and depth of your feelings - as new and exciting as they are.

“Hey, sweetheart.”

His voice is impossibly warm. Tension at your temples melts away with its honey.

“Hey, Finn.”

It echoes in an empty hallway. It doesn't quite have the same timbre as his, and you find yourself worrying - do you sound tired? Haggard? Do you sound as bright as that first night on the balcony?

“Long day?” He posits.

You hum, trudging into your room. Every step feels like treacle, and so you collapse into bed, still in the day’s clothes.

“That's one way to put it.”

And he chuckles - in that way that brings heat to your face.

“So tell me all about it.”

“I–” Can’t. A word that rattles around in your head like pills in a little tin. “Just work. Like always.”

“You know, I've been thinking…”

“That never ends well.”

“Let me finish.” He titters. “I think you should quit.”

You snort into soft sheets. “You're just tired, Finnick.”

“And you're projecting, but I’m not being rude about it.”

“Yeah, well, maybe I am. Maybe I'm so tired that I've started hearing voices telling me to do stupid shit.”

“I'm being serious.”

“You're never serious.”

“Not true. I'm a very serious person–”

“Tell that to the Flickerman airing out your personal business every Friday at 10.”

A guilty silence follows. 

“Something about snake venom and hair dye?”

“It wasn’t– It was–”

“Fake?” You hiss. It comes out with more bitterness than intended, swiftly followed by regret. Wincing, you brace yourself for impact. But there isn't a crash-bang and sharp words, as you expect. Instead, he chuckles drily.

“It's horseshit, actually.” Now, he sounds tired, shuffling around wherever he is. You imagine him tossing and turning in a 4 poster bed with gold thread sheets, tossing away decorative pillows in frustration. 

“How do you do it?”

“Do what?”

Calling it lying feels a little mean, so you opt for something more… tactful.  

“Tell a story.”

He hums, intrigued. There's a click on his end and your comms chime.

“Finn, I haven't even showered.”

“Don't care.” He says simply. “I want to show you something.”

“Finnick–”

“Please?” He says it so softly you almost miss it 

Fuck. 

“Fine.” 

Through gritted teeth, you sit up and accept the video call. In an instant, he's there,  shiny and moonlit in a modest bedroom. 

“Wow.” He says, eyes sparkling. “You look–”

You giggle, a schoolgirl laugh that echoes in your room. Your room, crystal white and bare, seems to glow. It feels like Finnick’s warmth - but more likely, it was just the light from his holo.

He's smiling now, wide and sincere.

“Look,” He says gently, holding something up. “This was my mother's.”

It's a blanket, similar to the one you wrapped him up in that night. He cradles it in his palms, careful that gaudy rings don't catch at the threads. Turning it this way and that…. it sparkles in the light. 

“She made it for me when I was a baby. Would wrap me up in it every night.” 

The weaving is intricate, with every stitch revealing another, tiny threads that captures light like diamonds. It reminds you of Cinna’s dress; crystalline and light, draped like woven silk and water.

Simply put… “It's beautiful.”

“It is. I used to have these nightmares… drowning, if you can believe it.” His smile turns bittersweet. “And every time I would wake up screaming and gasping; she would bundle me up in that blanket and rock me to sleep.”

He doesn't look at you. Instead, he's engrossed by its shine, ethereal in dappled light. And.. is that a tear? He turns away; embarrassed, maybe, as if you've seen too much. 

Your heart hurts in a rush to comfort him, and you find yourself unable to find the right words.

“Finnick.” You start. “I–” 

It's sudden. A grimace, and he clears his throat. Whatever was there, crystalline, disappears in just a second.

“Real or not real?”

You blink twice, hard.

“...what?”

“Real–” He says simply. “-or not real?

Your throat is dry. “I don't understand.”

He smiles, a blinding one that doesn't quite reach his eyes.

“My mom's long gone. Died when I was born. I'm good, aren't I?” 

His eyes are puffy and smeared with shiny grease, and rosy blush kisses his cheekbones. You didn't notice before, but even his collarbones are peppered with bronze, patchy and orange gold. Maybe you weren’t the only one who had a rough night.

“I suppose.” You're curt.

“Experience is the answer, love.” He taps his nose, and stack of rings clinking with a flourish. “A shit ton of experience.”

~~~

There are nights Finnick falls asleep to the sound of your voice. That one was no exception, and he finds himself amongst a mountain of sheets. Morning light streams in, warming a face shiny with nothing but last night's sweat. He's grateful, although a little sticky, for some nights off - a far cry from last week's onslaught of debauchery and watered down wine. Monday was a press release; Tuesday was a cosmopolitan soiree; Wednesday, another Flickerman appearance; and so on, and so forth.

Somewhere in between the hangovers - which was new, he doesn't usually let himself drink more than a glass of ambrosia - was you, sleepy and shy. He liked seeing you blossom as the nights pass; opening up like the feathered petals of a lily. The musings of an overworked assistant turned poet, he thinks. You talk of Hadrian and his dull meetings, the latest music, and gossip from the shadows of council parties. Sure, he prides himself with his talents as a good listener, and an impeccable memory to boot; but God, his brain turns to mush. For all his charm and wit, all he can think about is your laugh. The way his heart swells when you begrudge a stupid joke, or roll your eyes at his sharp tongue.

In the morning light, he thinks of your hand at his cheek and swells with something else. How soft your lips must be, and how gently you would lay amongst amber sheets and woven blankets. He traces circles in his flesh; down, down, down, and past bruises still healing from other forays. You would touch him like this, he thinks, hand splayed against tan skin, lips brushing past his navel.

He sighs. 

A fantasy. Indulgence. Lips cherry red with sickly-sweet fruit and drink. Some of them bite, in his dreams and out of them. He scratches at scars carefully covered; the half-moon of fingernails pressed into skin amongst tawny constellations. He grimaces at a not-so-distant memory; shrill laughter like splintering glass. 

Freckles? She had said, an actress, or something - he chooses not to remember. How quaint. 

It makes his stomach turn, but you make his heart ache with what he decides is worry. Self-preservation, wrapped up in spindles of dandelion, soft and quaint. 

Would it be like that with you? Would he take that chance?

“Finnick?” It's Annie, yelling from somewhere downstairs. “Stannis is here!”

He stirs, unable to break away from that fantasy. He hopes it fades with the morning light.

~~~

Your days are a blur. Campaign prep makes your mother terse, wound up in the red string. It was odd to see her like this. She was… unsure. Unsteady, like she was wearing someone else's slimy skin; in a gaudy suit instead of her usual trim-and-proper linens.

Today was one of such days, and you are left at the dining table, picking at imaginary lint. Upon your mother's insistence, you have been dressed in something similarly over the top - ruffles and glitter and a tasteful show of legs. You've been bronzed and aggressively buttered; before interrupting the bedazzling with firm defiance, of course.

Clearly, your anger is displaced. There's a buzz in the air, assistants and suck-ups streaming in and out of the front door, setting up too-bright lights in your front room. There’s even talk of a camera crew, and a Flickerman - all before you've had your breakfast. 

As usual, you are ignored. Save for a pitiful glance or two, there is no explanation for the storm brewing in your house. The floorboards seem to rumble, and expensive crystal shakes in the cupboards at the footfall. Your usual passivity doesn’t suffice. After swallowing bitter pill after bitter pill, it seems you've reached your limit, with one question rattling around in your head…

…what the fuck is going on?

You manage to flag down a stray assistant - a familiar face, but you barely remember his name.

“Excuse m–” 

He holds a metallic finger up, before furtively typing at his wrist.

“You can't just–” You stop yourself, clamping down a quiet rage. “Excuse me.”

“Yeah?” He grimaces.

“What’s going on?”

“You haven't been given the schedule? Interns were meant to check in about a half hour ago.”

You're taken aback. Which vapid nepotism hire did he mistake you for? 

“I'm Councillor Arachne’s daughter.” 

A beat passes, and it's only when your lips press into a fine line does he see the resemblance.

“Oh!” Eyes wide, he fawns, ushering you to a chair tucked into the corner. “This is – well, you should've been debriefed, but – we're setting up for your mother's first TV appearance.”

“TV?” You're confused.

“Live television! I secured… I mean, I helped to secure the morning slot on Capitol+.” He beams, expecting congratulations. 

It doesn't come. He continues: 

“Introductions, mostly. The main thing we've learnt from the test groups is that the Councillor seems too much like a career politician – they didn't trust her, you know? At first, TV was out of the question – you know your mother – but we think this will help her seem more grounded. Less of the serious stuff. How does she do her hair? What perfume does she wear? And, of course, we let the capitol see her home, meet the family… you've seen the segments, right? The first of many, we hope.”

“W-Wait, the family? Will I be filmed too? Am I expected to–”

“He's here?” He taps at an earpiece, engrossed. “One second.” 

And then he's gone, whisked away by something or the other, leaving you flailing in the aftermath.  

You have a lot of questions - none of which were answered, frustratingly. Brushed aside yet again, it's all you can do to stalk off. Furrowed brow, you dig around in a kitchen drawer; poking at the corners. You find a pipe and tobacco, its edges smooth with use. A smoke break, away from the chaos. Exactly what you need.

There's a spot outside, shrouded by neatly trimmed hedges and stone. Once upon a time, as a reckless teen, you'd sit amongst the bramble and hope your mother couldn't see the smoke from her ivory tower. In an itchy dress, a size too small instead of too big, you do the same now.

The pipe was your father's. Made of bone – whale, she had said once, and hand-carved. It's small, compact, fits in your hands just right. You wonder how it fit in his. The tobacco burns roughly, cheap shit from a market your mother would never be caught dead in. A few unsteady puffs; shaky, but it's not the nicotine; and you lean back onto the wall, tucked into a corner. Something washes over you…. relief, maybe?

You cough, clamping down the noise lest someone hears. No, not relief. Acceptance, you realise grimly.

There's rustling, and a body slips in to the corner you've hidden away in. 6ft, tanned, with cropped sandy hair - he presses a finger to plump lips as if to say hush. Finnick - here, in your home - and it is all you can do to suppress a surprise splutter.

“Finnick?”

He hisses, eyes darting through the hedgerows before turning to you.

And then it happens - a wave of recognition crashing towards him at breakneck speed. When he says your name; confused, barely a whisper; you want to cry out. It's too much to explain, much too quickly - but you don't even get the chance.

The buzz of comms. The click-clack of dress shoes on concrete. A half-dozen interns, PR reps choosing that very moment to rush past. A crescendo, punctuated by your mother's voice, you think - and then they are gone. Quiet, at long last.

You sit back amongst the dirt, eyes looking up at the sky. 

“What are you doing here?” He’s exasperated.

“Smoke break.” You say simply, unable to help yourself. “What about you?”

He sighs, scooting closer. His hand is outstretched. 

“Smoke break.” He says.

Wordlessly, you pass him the pipe and lighter; watching as he takes shaky breaths. Better than last time, for sure, but he smokes like a teenager fearful of punishment: eyes on a swivel, hands restless. 

You keep your head trained to the sky, tracing outlines of clouds. Squinting, of course, lest the bright glare blinds you - you could keel over from Finnick's watchful gaze alone.

He sets the pipe down.

“How are you here?” He strains. “Is Hadrian here too?”

Your mouth goes dry. You’re drawing blanks, unable to come up with an excuse quick enough. 

“He… I’m working.” You decide to keep it short.

“Working, or hiding?”

“I could ask you the same thing.” You huff, batting away tobacco smoke and desperately avoiding eye contact.

He says your name, leaning closer. “Look at me.”

There’s something about his tone that makes you shiver - and so reluctantly, you comply. He sounds the way you feel; gravelly, fraught, and with an edge you can’t quite place. Sea-green eyes turn to steel - with a cold, murky depth akin to a swirling ocean. It’s intense, uncomfortably so. You catch the way his hands creep across to dig into the dirt next to you, the clench of his jaw, his furrowed brow. His body betrays him, as yours fails you. Your chest seizes as the facade drops. 

“Are you lying to me?” Your walls fly up at his tone: accusatory, like he doesn't lie for a living. 

“I’m–” You hesitate. He is no longer your Finnick; easygoing, charismatic, witty. He transforms: strong, corded muscle and wild eyes. 

He holds you down with a grip firm enough to cage you in.

“Who are you?” He spits. “Are you working for him?”

Your mind races at its implication. Who? Hadrian? The press? 

“Finn–” You start.

“Is he listening?”

“Finnick–” His grip tightens.

“Does he know?” 

“Fuck, Finnick.” You gasp. “You’re scaring me.”

Like the break of waves across a swollen sea, he seems to melt away. He dissipates, backing away, hands tight and drawn into his body. A moment passes, and he crumples, head in his hands to rake at blonde locs. 

“Sorry.” He mumbles. “Can’t help it, sometimes.”

Rooted to the spot, you can still feel the rush of blood to your head, pounding at your temples. With the way he shakes, with every laboured breath; you think he feels it too. But you’re scared to name it, you think. Fear. The kind you’ve seen once before: a little blonde boy covered in blood, gasping and panting with a trident in his hands. Only this time, it’s not sandwiched between the 8 o’clock news and Flickermann interviews; you can’t change the channel and hide behind its black mirror. 

“She’s my mom.” You say carefully, unable to reach across the chasm that falls just past your feet. He doesn’t seem to react, so you clarify. “Councillor Arachne. That’s why I’m here.”

He doesn’t look up. “Real or not real?”

You move towards him, and he flinches. Now, the feeling that grips your chest is guilt. It tastes sour, like the bile that rises up to the back of your throat. 

“This is my house, Finn.” You say quietly. You paw at the foliage. “These used to be roses. Pink and white; my mother used to grow them. I’ve been sneaking off to smoke here since I was fifteen.” 

Why doesn’t he say something? Fuck. 

“And I didn’t lie, Finnick. I work for Hadrian, but not because of my mom. I worked hard to get a job, and I do want to help people at the council, and–”

“It’s okay. You don’t have to–”

“Real.” You say, a little too desperately. “I swear.” 

Finnick nods, finally looking you in the eye. It’s your turn to melt, withering in the heat of his gaze. But what right does he have to judge? Why must he know everything about you? You simmer and stew, lips tight. You must look like your mother, you think bitterly; turning away.

“Look at me.” He says it softer, this time, hand tracing your jawline.

“Why?” You try not to, but are drawn to him - a moth taken in by flicker and flash. “You sure I’m not a crazy fan?”

“That's not funny.” He shakes his head, decidedly not amused.

“Really?” You’re incredulous. “Was it funny when you said it?”

“I know, I know.” He sighs, shaken. “I'm an asshole. I’m sorry.”

He is an asshole, you decide. A beat passes. And then, with fingertips glancing the shell of your ear, he says with a soft smile: “Real.” 

With the way he looks at you, you falter. Tears well up - the embarrassing, blubbering kind - hot and threatening to spill over. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” He avoids the word ‘lie’, you note. 

With links to a prominent council member, there was no telling who could be listening, who could want the information you have access to. You tell yourself it's for your safety; and not guilt at the blood spilt to get you there in the first place. Hissing and spitting, it slithers up from the cracks; shame, bearing your last name and it's heavy weight. For safety, you want to say, but it rings hollow in the grounds of your gated home. 

Swallowing roughly, you croak, “It was nice to be someone else for a while.”

He nods, and you rest your head on his shoulder. It is warm from the light peeking through hedgerows. 

“Okay.” He says simply. Finnick tucks himself into you, closing his eyes to match his breath with yours.

Like the sun, you suppose, heat radiates from his chest. Rumbling and steady, you watch as it rises and falls. Drawn towards each other, he runs his hands over your bare arms, before they come to rest in yours. You gasp. A red welt peek out from his sleeves, angry and swollen. As if on instinct, he shifts and it is swallowed by linen hem. You watch carefully, tracing the freckled skin on the back of his hand. Like a flower preserved in amber, he seems so fragile, like this.

And so you bite down dangerous questions, too scared of its answers – or worse, his distinct lack of them. 

_

_

_

[changingplumbob]

My 𝐓𝐨𝐩 24 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐬 from 2024- P2

@igotsnothing told me in their post I could do another lot so just try and stop me! But they're not in order this time just numbered...

1 - Glenn being playful with Silver

2 - Johnny and Elena's selfie contest

3 - Your favourite gymnast

4 - Cheeky Byron and oblivious Layla

5 - Rain in the Bay

6 - Bob Pancakes evolving in to Bob Ross

7 - Aliens in Oasis Springs

8 - New house time for aliens!

9 - Best place for Pollock to get a milestone

10 - Silas's birthday time

11 - I just like my aliens okay

12 - Calista attempting nectar making

13 - Grouchy Viola

14 - New Year with the Chopras

15 - Erratic Mercedes

16 - Marta is just so pretty

17 - Obsessed with this gallery build

18 - Ariadne adopted!

19 - Alfred judging me

20 - Devin teaching Joey knitting tricks

21 - Villareal snuggles

22 - Another snowboarding shot

23 - Chilling in bed

24 - Crushing Ariadne and distracted Carson

I found it so hard to get an initial 24 so of course I'm posting more! If you have not already been tagged then TAG! YOU'RE IT!

[best-character-named-x-poll]

Best Character Named X Poll

I'm doing a series of "Best Character Named X" polls where all the characters have the same first name but are from completely different media, feel free to send in name/charcacter suggestions, I'm posting one poll a day. New polls scheduled for 1:30PM BST everyday.

If your favourite character is not included in the poll very sorry i have either never heard of them or actively chose not to include them as theres only 6 characters per poll. Characters will only count of that is their first name, surnames do not count. Official characters in canon only, please do not submit OCs.

Round 519: Mike

Round 520: Mira

Round 521: Ragnar

Round 522: Melody

Round 523: Roman

Round 524: Tanya

Past Polls

Poll Ideas under the cut

Names that I have a complete list for*

Katya, Miriam, Bianca, Aurora, Ramona, Kala, Madeline, Marian, Lena, Cora, Irene, Hilda, Marissa, Lenore, Winona, Una, Marnie, Mirabel, Olympia, Rue, Leslie, Celeste, Pauline, Darcy, Ella, Yukari, Tanya, Briar, Akira, Marlene, Letitia, Koichi, Carina, Yuki, Dee, Sasha, Zain, Edith, Candy, Yumi, Sakura, Suki, Amelia, Sonny, Brianna, Norma, Tristan

Names I have an incomplete list for (welcome to send character suggestions)

Yasmin, Chase, Rudolf, Adeline, Jem, Jude, Bellamy, Nemo, Addison, Adelaide, Candace, Abraham, Destiny, Hero, Drew, Wallace, Jean (feminine), Cheryl, Shane, Tegan, Matthias, Ellis, Josie, Bailey, Eden, Giselle, Keith, Wilfred, Blaine, Pam, Sabine, Kalina, Mindy, Monet, Zara, Elias, Glen, Farah, Faith, Enid, Ross, Antoinette, Elodie, Mallory, Kay, Renee, Willow, Albert, Howard, Clem, Howell, Rowan, José, Christian, Ravi, Dev, Valerie, Jolene, Carrie, Casper, Septimus, Rosalind, Rosamund, Rosie, Rosa, Gerald, Geraldine, Gerard, Ariel, Ariadne, Anya, Ida, Rocky, Mal, Solomon, Sol, Vera, Vincent, Nolan, Sage, Jojo, Calliope, Roxanne, Silver, Noel, Stacy, Lloyd, Alba, Virginia, Eva, Amos, Petra, Marla, Gretchen, Rhydian, Russ, Tate, Tatum, Morris, Ambrose, Grant, Graham, Ivan, Paris, Doris, Rain, Sora, Helga, Garth, Constantine, Courtney, Jamal, Niall, Cecil, Cecilia, Cat, Katherine, Ophelia, Laurie, Lori, Bernadette, Lauren, Angela, Angelina, Angelica, Janine, Austin, Niles, Catriona, Katarina, Octavia, Octavius, Octavian, Eliza, Elisa, Buffy, Bruno, Cyril, November, Winter, Colette, Mercy, Gertrude, Juri, Anton, Edgar, Franklin, Kai, Nash, Blitz, Varrick, Esteban, Damon, Wilbur, Alexis, Siobhan, Killian, Iris, Kaoru, Buttercup, Nero, Dimitri, Sawyer, Tamsin, Aya, Coco, Lucien, Ursula, Avery, Tyrone

Feel free to send more suggestions

*subject to change, you can still submit a character if there is no strikethrough if you think theres a character that its an absolute crime i dont add. Please don't suggest anything for the names with a strikethrough as they are polls that are already in my queue waiting to be published.

[lindholmline]

lindholmline reading log!!!!!! 🍓🥂🤍

hiiiiii!!! saw one of my favs ( @scorebug ) do this and i love reading so i thought this would be fun!!!!!

similarly, i’m going to * my favorite book of each month

currently reading: first-time caller by b.k. borrison and attached by amir levine

january 2025:

a river enchanted by rebecca ross*

a fire endless by rebecca ross*

babylonia by costanza casati

fourth wing by rebecca yarros

iron flame by rebecca yarros

onyx storm by rebecca yarros

the unmaking of june farrow by adrienne young

(i absolutely adored the elements of cadence duology)

february 2025:

ariadne by jennifer saint

hera by jennifer saint

[yaellaharpe-blog]

Detail of a magnificent Attic red-figure lekythos from Taranto (Magna Graecia), dating to 470 BC.

(English / Español / Italiano)

It depicts the goddess Athena commanding Theseus to abandon Ariadne, who is asleep and seemingly dreaming of something pleasant, judging by her smile.

Perhaps she is traveling somewhere in her dream, as indicated by her soul depicted in the top left, appearing as though it wishes to go somewhere. On her head sits Hypnos, ensuring she does not wake before her time and her new fate—becoming the eternal companion of the god Dionysus, who pleaded with the other gods to make her immortal. At her feet lies a mysterious figure of a young man.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Detalle de un magnífico lekythos ático de figuras rojas procedente de Tarento (Magna Grecia), fechado en el 470 a.C. Representa a la diosa Atenea ordenando a Teseo que abandone a Ariadna, que duerme y parece soñar con algo agradable, a juzgar por su sonrisa.

Tal vez esté viajando a algún lugar en su sueño, como indica su alma representada en la parte superior izquierda, que parece querer ir a alguna parte. Sobre su cabeza se sienta Hypnos, que se asegura de que no despierte antes de tiempo y de su nuevo destino: convertirse en la eterna compañera del dios Dioniso, que suplicó a los demás dioses que la hicieran inmortal. A sus pies, la misteriosa figura de un joven.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Particolare di una magnifica lekythos attica a figure rosse proveniente da Taranto (Magna Grecia), risalente al 470 a.C. Raffigura la dea Atena che ordina a Teseo di abbandonare Arianna, che sta dormendo e sembra sognare qualcosa di piacevole, a giudicare dal suo sorriso.

Forse sta viaggiando da qualche parte nel suo sogno, come indica la sua anima raffigurata in alto a sinistra, che sembra voler andare da qualche parte. Sulla sua testa siede Hypnos, che si assicura che non si svegli prima del tempo e del suo nuovo destino: diventare l'eterna compagna del dio Dioniso, che ha pregato gli altri dei di renderla immortale. Ai suoi piedi giace la misteriosa figura di un giovane uomo.

Source: The Archaeologist

[realmackross]

PARTIES: The Allgoods, @longislandcharm TIMING: July 29th (Evening/Night at Mack's Mojo Dojo Casa House) SUMMARY: The Allgoods and Winter come over for a Barbie themed sleepover at Mack's house. Good wholesome fun is had by all! :) WARNINGS: Unsanitary tw (what's new), mental health tw, alcohol abuse tw

Mackenzie was excited for the sleepover. She had made invitations. Made sure there was enough food for everyone. Had blankets and pillows at the ready. It was going to be a great night, and something she had needed for a long time. And with Winter having somewhat forgiven her, it was almost going to be like being back home. The invitation had said 6:30 pm, but at this point, as long as people showed up, it didn’t matter.

—

Alex was still surprised to receive a party invite that was extended specifically to her. She supposed she was actually doing the whole making friends thing now, which while scary, was kind of nice even if the car ride over had been a fairly quiet affair. Not that she minded all that much. Staring out the window while listening to Phoebe Bridgers was in fact a vibe. When they arrived at Mack's, she approached everyone who rode in Ariadne's car, keeping particularly close to Cass. When they walked up, she appreciated all the pink decor. A Barbie-themed sleepover was probably filling in the gap for some missed childhood experience. She waved to Mack as entered. "Hey," she greeted, "Thanks for throwing a sleepover... and inviting me. Hope you don't mind, I brought my guitar!"

—

Ever since Metzli's announcement that they were leaving, Cass had been... well, maybe down wasn't quite a strong enough word for it. She was devastated. Everything felt heavy and gloomy, the same way it always did when someone left. But this time, she had something she'd never had in the past to soften the blow: friends. The car ride with Nora, Aria, Wynne, and Alex had been quiet, but not uncomfortable. Cass already felt a little bit better just being with them. As they pulled up to Mack's house, she prepared to put on a happy face for the evening. The party wouldn't fix her... but it might distract her. She offered Mack a small, uncertain smile as they approached. "Hi," she mumbled, hoping the movie star wasn't still angry with her for the mime fiasco.

—

Ariadne hadn't entirely expected to play chauffeur to anyone except for Wynne, but Ariadne had been more than happy to drive Nora, Cass, and Alex. Especially since Nora and Cass (and Wynne) especially seemed miserable. She did her best to tap into who she was before everything, and had tried to cheer them up, with purple slushies and ham and avoiding overly peppy music. She pulled up to Mack's house and gave her a wave. "I - thanks for inviting me, even if we haven't talked a lot other than the whole dance thing I - this is nice of you." She wrapped her hand around Wynne's waist and pulled them close to her, pressing a kiss on their lips.

—

Nora didn't want to go. Didn't want anything. Wanted to sit in the pool of her own self-pity, writhing in anger and confusion. But Nora also needed something to grab onto, to believe. So when her friends asked her to go, more than one, she pulled herself out of the hell hole of her own creation and got into the car when Ariadne came to pick them up. Nora should have known this was a mistake when they pulled up to Mackenzie Ross's pink-decorated house. She shoved her hands in her pocket and forced herself not to think of it. "Sup." She mumbled, shoving past the front door and walking into the manor.

—

Milo hadn't been to a sleepover in... Well, it had been a while. And while he hadn't been feeling the best lately, he had somehow landed an invitation to a sleepover at Mackenzie Ross' house. There was no way he wasn't going to that, especially since Mack had been so nice to him so far. He was a bit nervous about who else would be there, but the last party hadn't gone terribly, and he could use some fun, honestly. He arrived at the massive manor home armed with some snacks and drinks, and an overnight bag. "Hey," Milo greeted the group. "Thanks for the invite, Mack. Your place looks amazing!"

—

When Mackenzie got the alert on her phone that people were pulling into the driveway, Mack couldn't help but let out a squeal of joy; reminiscent of her old self. All she had wanted was a nice evening where it didn't feel like life...death was complete shit. Already dressed in her pink pjs ready for the night, she went outside and started to greet everyone. It was like she was a completely different person, "Hey guys! So glad you could all make it! There's a few more people coming, I think, but go ahead and go inside and make yourself comfortable." She had been surprised to see Nora show up, but the past was the past, and she was trying to turn over a new leaf with the girl.

—

Alex smiled as Mack spoke despite the fact she felt a little nervous. A slumber party was unchartered territory and she wasn't sure what all this would entail. The decorations did fit the mood she assumed their host was going for. She was pretty sure she had just literally walked into Barbie World. "You really went full on Barbie Dreamhouse and it's giving," she told Mack. The effort was awesome and so was the fact they were all hanging out again. "Hey, Milo," she greeted as he approached with a wave. She still felt a little out of place, but she was surrounded by familiar faces who were becoming more familiar.

—

Winter hadn't been so sure about showing up at Mack's place for some party since she wasn't exactly over the girl disappearing on her but what else did she have to do? The ghost on her tail was also unenthused about this whole night which was clearly written on his face. Too bad that made Winter want to go even more. She loved to annoy him. Pulling up to her house, she rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath about this being typical Mack before making her way inside to find blobs of pink obscuring her vision. "Don't say shit about me being late. This is an assault to the eyes by the way." She gestured around them before moving further into the room towards the others she didn't know. "Winter...nice to meet you all."

—

"Winter." Nora repeated the name without much affect in her name. Most people here were familiar. Milio was here, Nora wondered if today was the day she should scare him. It could be fun, but the more she thought about it, the effort to scare someone seemed like a lot of work. Maybe she'd sit at this party and be normal, and do normal party things like stand around and eat chips from the chip bowl. "Where are the snacks?" Nora asked, disappearing into the first doorway she saw to try and find the kitchen.

—

The inside of the manor was even more impressive. Milo had only ever lived in apartments, this place was an actual dream house. He was relieved to see the familiar faces, especially those of Cass and Alex. Even if the latter had made him eat soap, he had become somewhat friendly with them. He smiled at them, offering a friendly wave to the newcomer. "Nice to meet you, too. I'm Milo."

—

Alex waved. "Hey, Winter!" Her tone almost matched the vibe of the decorations. She still felt worried after her meeting with Nora in the mines, but by all indications, she'd been truthful when she said that Alex had helped. There wasn't anything in her mannerisms that was especially cold toward her either. She'd gotten the same characteristic monotone from Nora that everyone else had gotten though the bugbear had quickly gone to find snacks. So she returned her focus to the group around her and gave Milo a playful grin. "Promise I won't make you eat soap this time, bestie."

—

"I'm Ariadne," she gave a nod to Winter. "This is Wynne. My partner." She didn't let her hand leave theirs. "I brought a lot of candy, if anybody wants? I'm not the biggest fan of salty snacks. I'm much more of a sweets girl." Said with perhaps more enthusiasm than was necessary, perhaps, but she'd gotten decent at faking that this past year. The house was exceptional. She'd never been in a place this big (at least invited on purpose). "Hey Milo," she offered him a small smile.

—

Milo laughed. "I'd appreciate that, thanks." He greeted Wynne and Ariadne. "I also have salty covered," he said, holding up the bags of snacks. "Also, rum, if anyone wants drinks."

—

Mackenzie followed everyone inside, "Thanks, Alex. I just wanted to match the vibes you know? Thought we could all use something fun." All things considered in this town...She heard Nora ask about the snacks, "You're headed down the right path, Nora. Just keep going." She had heard Winter's snarky ass comment and was honestly surprised that she had showed up after their meeting at the drive-in, "Fuck you too, Bestie." She moved into the living room and somewhat relaxed, "It's been a while since I've thrown a sleepover, so if there's any games or whatever...throw 'em out. This is a night of fun, even for you Winter, you crotchety old bitch."

—

"Nice to meet you, Winter!" It felt like a battle to glue that smile onto her face, but Cass liked to think it was a convincing one. It wouldn't fool Nora or Alex or Ariadne, but it might fool some of the people who didn't know Cass quite as well. "I'll take some snacks, definitely! And, um, games would be fun. I know we did truth or dare last time, so maybe never have I ever to keep things fresh?"

—

Miyeon wasn't surprised that she was fashionably late. For someone with meticulous organization and a well-penned planner, she still found herself running late for pretty much everything that wasn't her morning show. She was surprised she got an invite to this but she was pretty sure it had to do with Mack trying to keep Miyeon from digging too far into her. Like you don't tattle on your friends or whatever so that made sense enough. "Hey,' she said as she peeked through the door. "I brought nachos. And sangria. It's pink! Well, the sangria. Not that nachos"

—

Winter waved absentmindedly at everyone introducing themselves. She'd never remember all these names. The mention of all the snacks hadn't peaked her interest until she heard"rum" and then later "nachos" and "sangria." Her ears perked at that, the girl ignoring Mack's digs at her age as she smiled at the two who had brought the alcohol. "Anyone with liquor is immediately a friend. I'm always down for Never Have I Ever if it's the drinking game version."

—

"We can do the drinking game version," Cass agreed. Her experience with alcohol was fairly limited --- technically, she wasn't even old enough to have it in the States --- but she thought it would probably help with the vibes here.

—

Seeing everyone mingling made her happy, but there seemed to be a certain sadness hanging in the air. They needed something to pep up the night. Mackenzie wasn't sure what was going on with everyone, because most of the time she lived under a rock, but Cass and Winter's idea sounded fun, despite not being able to drink or taste anything. "Yeah, let's do it! I'll go get more alcohol." She wasn't against spicing things up as long as people could have some fun.

—

"I could drink," Nora called from down the hallway. Alcohol didn't seem to work for Emilio, maybe it would work for her.

—

"I - don't really drink, but..." Ariadne, "my cousin says I should live a bit more, so... sure. Or I'll just stick with Dr. Pepper, or something like that." The nerves were setting in, now, and even though she knew that she was here to support Wynne, she found herself incredibly grateful that they were here, too.

—

Miyeon followed Nora towards where the snacks seemed to be and set down the nachos and the jug of sangria. "Hey, Nora," she said with a wave. "If you want a drink, rose sangria is a good place to start." She winked and grabbed a solo cup and started to fill it up for herself. "Never have I ever could definitely be interesting with this group."

—

Nora gave a slight shrug, filling a solo cup up with sangria. She downed it in one and filled it up again. "Never have I ever kissed someone in public." She stated, knowing full well Ariadne and Wynne had just kissed in public.

—

Alex threw a smile in Miyeon's direction when she entered the manor. It was shaping up to be a good crew and all of the faces were familiar, which made relaxing easier. Rum would also do the trick in that department. "Drinking game never have I ever it is," she exclaimed. She turned to Cass and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Any drink preferences? I can grab one for you."

—

"Whatever you're having," Cass replied to Alex with a soft smile that was a touch more genuine than the one she'd been sporting so far. "I'm not really picky." And she didn't really know enough about alcohol to know her preferences.

—

Ariadne raised an eyebrow, once again thankful she couldn't blush. She grabbed a cup of something, hoping Chance would be proud of her, and downed half of it. "Never have I ever... snuck out of my house without my parents knowing."

—

"Never have I ever is always fun," Milo nodded in a agreement. There was something in the air, vibes slightly off. "You can definitely stick to soda if you're more comfortable," he said to Ariadne. "Can also just add a tiny bit." He shrugged, giving her a smile. "I don't usually drink much myself."

—

Miyeon laughed. "Alright, damn. Make sure you have some water, too," she said as she watched Nora inhale a cup of sangria. She did in fact have to take a drink at her first declaration. "Uh yeah, no shame in that one." And then again, Ariadne was making a statement that had Miyeon drinking again. "Come on, give me one second to breathe oh my god."

—

Nora stares at Ariadne. Did Ariadne know she was a runaway? Nora hadn't mentioned that, had she? She downed the drink again. Running away was sneaking out to an extreme, after all. A buzz pulsed over her skin. Maybe things weren't so bad.

—

Mackenzie left the room and went downstairs to get more alcohol in a spare fridge that didn't contain her food. She had hoped people were enjoying themselves, but she couldn't really tell anymore. Maybe it hadn't been the right time for a sleepover.

—

Alex grabbed two solo cups full of sangria for her and Cass, immediately taking a sip from her own for Nora's statement. It was a little convenient that Ariadne had just said hers too. No one would know which she was drinking for and who didn't love a little mystery. "Here you go," she said taking a seat next to Cass. She looked around the circle and tried to think of a good thing she'd never done. "Never have I ever eaten soap," she grinned, knowing that taking a sip from his drink early on in the night would be way better than eating soap.

—

Wynne took a drink because they did sneak out that one time :/.

—

Milo mixed some of the rum with soda, and quickly took two drinks, catching up.

—

Cass took a sip for Nora's statement, lowering the cup as Ariadne made hers. Hard to sneak out without your parents knowing when you'd never known your parents to begin with. Swallowing, she shifted. "Um, never have I ever left the movie theater before the credits finished playing. Gotta catch the extra scene. You know?"

—

Winter followed the nachos. They looked delicious as well as the pink sangria that was placed next to them and soon she had a solo cup in one hand as she ate with the other. She eyed the room, noticing that a lot of these people didn't seem so into the idea until she heard the first couple of Nevers uttered, prompting her to drink both times. "Sangria's good...props on that." The third Never uttered made her raise her eyebrows though, making a point to lower her cup.

—

"Never eaten soap, but Lush has the prettiest soap I think I've ever seen. Like, way prettier than most soaps," Ariadne looked over to Cass apologetically, "I have, but I won't ever again, okay?" She nestled herself against Wynne, running her fingers against their arm.

—

Nora took another drink. She'd left movies halfway through the movie because they were boring. Her eyes followed Winter as she came to stand near Miyeon and her. "Yeah, the sangria is good." Nora agreed. There was a light flush pressed against her cheeks. Maybe tonight wasn't so bad.

—

Miyeon noted who was taking a drink and who wasn't. "Looks like we have a lot of rebels in here. Good to know." She smiled. She also took a drink at Cass's statement. She was very sweet and maybe a little naive. Miyeon made a note to look out for her if the moment arose. Ariadne, too. Didn't have to drink for the soap one at least. "Never have I ever... gone viral online."

—

Milo: And quickly added a third, throwing a playful look at Alex. "I see how it is." He took another drink at Cass'. "Never have I ever gone skinny dipping."

—

Nora blankly stared at Miyeon. A new suspicion rising. She downed the drink again. As she went to refill her cup, she wondered if the world was spinning a little. Some sticky alcoholic liquid fell on her hand, she stared at it for a minute, trying to decide how she was going to deal with this new and quickly evolving problem.

—

Wynne leaned against Ariadne and drank despite it not applying to them. They just wanted another sip.

—

Cass took another sip of her drink at Miyeon's statement. Technically it was Magma who'd gone viral --- a short video clip that the internet later decided was definitely fake --- but Cass was pretty sure it still counted. Milo's statement actually drew a quiet giggle from her, and she finished the rest of her drinks. Nymphs didn't tend to see much importance in bathing suits.

—

Alex took a drink at Milo's statement. She was pretty sure rinsing off in rivers and lakes when they didn't have a place to stay counted as skinny dipping anyway. She noticed Cass drink at going viral and looked at her curiously. That was a story for another time, she was certain. "Never have I ever seen a movie in theaters."

—

Mackenzie came back upstairs with more bottles and sat them on the counter. Pouring herself a solo cup full of the strongest liquor at the party, she went and took a seat somewhere near the circle. She noticed Miyeon had arrived, but prayed nothing happened that would give the girl scoop for her next radio show, "Never have I ever won an Oscar."

—

Wynne asked, "What is skinny dipping?"

—

"Never have I ever been a f-" Nora managed to swallow the word as her slowed mind realized that this was maybe something she shouldn't say. Her mind stalled, blanking on what she was supposed to say. "Uh. Been a uh. Movie theater." She took a drink because she had been to a movie theater like Alex stated. Then Mack was stating never have I ever won an Oscar, cause once more everyone in the room needed to know she was a famous actress. Nora's blank gaze turned to Mack. Who was supposed to drink to that? Herself?

—

Three more drinks down and Winter had to wonder how young these people actually were. She was only two years older than Mack but suddenly she felt like the crypt keeper. Still, she wasn't throwing out any of her Nevers just yet as she got a feel for who she was dealing with. Her eyes drifted to her ghoul who looked so bored he could die for a second time and Winter snorted softly before looking around at the others.

—

Alex laughed. "Unless someone in this room is secretly William Bowery, I don't think anyone here has an Oscar. Maybe an uncle Oscar or something."

—

Cass refilled her drink only to take another sip at Alex's statement, flashing her a curious look. They'd have to change that, wouldn't they? "I don't think anyone here has won an Oscar," she agreed with a quiet laugh. Looking to Wynne, she added, "Skinny dipping is swimming without any clothes on."

—

Miyeon also noted who was taking a sip during her own statement. "A room full of internet superstars, too." She noticed that Nora was looking a little wobbly. "Hey, you might want to slow down a little there," she said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I don't want to hold anyone's hair back tonight if I don't have to." Wait, was she about to say the word fox just then? Alright, Miyeon was already planning to find a hair tie, they were gonna need it.

—

Wynne nodded at Cass and took a long drink. Though they weren't sure what an Oscar was, they had never won one.

—

Ariadne pressed her lips against Wynne's ear. "I know a place we could do that sometime, if you ever wanted." Shaking her head, she refocused on the group. "No Oscar for me either, I don't think -- who's William Bowery?" She asked Alex.

—

Mackenzie caught sight of Nora glaring at her, "Does it look like I'm drinking, Nora." She looked over to Alex, "Sorry, it was the first thing that came to mind." She looked over to Winter, but also to the man sitting next to her. That was new.

—

Milo looked between Mack and Nora before taking a long drink. Yikes. He'd certainly been to the movies before but no Oscar or viral videos for him.

—

Alex answered, "It's a pseudonym... co wrote a few Taylor Swift songs. Sweet Nothing, exile, betty... and I think those are it." She looked to Nora who did in fact look like she was drinking faster than the rest of them. Her head tilted with concern, but she wasn't sure how to press as much. Getting a good read on people was how Alex usually navigated social situations and Nora was hard to read. Maybe that'd change with time. She found she hoped it did.

—

"Sweet." Ariadne grinned at Alex. "Still getting my Taylor knowledge to exist at all. I like exile, even if it's way sad." She looked over to Nora, offering her a look that wasn't sympathy (as she didn't think Nora would be receptive to that), but was comforting, she hoped.

—

Milo took a handful of chips before casually offering the bag to Nora.

—

Mackenzie looked back over to Nora, "Are you okay?"

—

Nora doesn't like that more people were giving her attention. Looking at her while she looked like this. Nora's blank expression, still well practiced, stared back at each of them in return. "Fine." Fine, she'd slow down if they all stopped looking. "I am okay. This is a fun party, Mack." She took the bag of chips and somehow fumbled a few into her mouth. "Good chips." She answered, swaying slightly in place.

—

"Thanks, I'm glad you're having fun." Mackenzie wasn't sure Nora was, but she was concerned for her well being. "Eat all the chips you want. There's a couple of different dips in the fridge too if you're into that sort of thing."

—

Miyeon would make sure to check that Nora wasn't curled up in the bathroom later that evening. For now, she downed her drink and poured another. She had to catch up after all. Also, things were getting too serious or whatever. Time to lighten the mood. "Never have I ever not done wolf girl jumps at a party." Her words were slurring a little but she was pretty sure that made sense.

—

"I prefer using the name William when talking about him, his real name doesn't deserve to be in conversation." Winter drank again but only because she needed to get drunk to deal with this much longer, something that also prompted the next Never out of her mouth so that she could gulp down the rest of her beverage while still being in the game. "Never have I ever had my Julie Andrews moment and mattress surfed down the stairs."

—

She could sense Wynne's quiet unease, even if they weren't entirely showing it, and stood up, giving their arm a small tug. "We'll - uh, we'll be back in a little while." Ariadne pulled them along, off to find a quiet, empty room where they could just be together. Once said room was acquired, she gave them a deeper kiss, pulling their body close to hers. "Figured we could use some time just the two of us."

—

Milo laughed, drinking at Miyeon's statement, only to grin at Winter. "Oh, man, what an iconic scene. I always thought that looked so fun, but we didn't have the stairs to try to do it at home." He took another drink, thinking back on watching Princess Diaries with his sisters.

—

“Sorry I’m late, but I brought Dippin’ Dots,” Chaisai called, juggling a handful of flavors of ice cream novelty cups as Chaisai breezed through the door.

—

Mackenzie heard the door open and saw Chai enter, "Hey! Welcome to the chaos that is Never Have I Ever. Kitchen's that way." She motioned with her head, "And while you're there grab a solo cup and come join the fun."

—

Alex looked to Cass, assuming she'd know what the heck Winter was talking about. "Julie Andrews moment," she asked in a whisper.

—

Miyeon was intrigued by this proposal by Winter. "Okay I've never done that but like, there's no time like the present, right?" She looked over to Mack to see if she was going to go for it.

—

"It's totally fun, you really should try to do it at one point." Looking at the new arrival, Winter contemplated following just for the ice cream of the future but then she spotted the stairs not far out of eyeline. "Actually, Mack has a nice set of stairs there."

—

"Oh! Can I grab a mattress?" The idea did sound like the sort of thing that would cheer her up. Maybe when Milo was done, Cass would take a turn of her own. She turned to Mack, flashing her a hopeful look. She didn't think the movie star was her biggest fan, but... Maybe she'd be okay with this. For the sake of the party and all.

—

Nora nodded, still swaying lightly on the spot. "Mack has a good set of stairs." Then Cass was getting excited about it, Nora thought. And Nora was happy because Cass was happy, and found something she wanted to do that looked fun. And Cass deserved to have fun at a party. Nora gave Cass a thumbs up.

—

"Uh, considering I haven't done anything crazy daring lately..." Except kill a huge spider... "Count me in!" Mack stood up and walked over to Cass, much like she had at the last party, "Let's go grab a mattress." She reached out her hand with a smile.

—

"Oh, fuck yes," Milo exclaimed. Mattress surfing and Dippin Dots? ...he might be feeling the drinks a little, but he was so in.

—

Ray entered for the first time

Ray left the chat

—

Mack was reaching for her hand, and Cass smiled, glad to see that things did seem to be mending a little between the two of them. "Save us some Dippin Dots," she ordered, taking Mack's hand and letting the movie star lead the way to the nearest mattress to be repurposed for stair surfing.

—

Alex was starting to put two and two together with the whole mattress surfing thing. Cass looked so excited that she couldn't help but catch some of that thrill herself even though she would decidedly not be surfing on a mattress that night. "Go do mattress beach, Barbies!"

—

Chai entered the kitchen and poured himself a drink and unceremoniously deposited the Dippin’ Dots on the counter before returning to the heart of the party. “Did I hear mattress surfing? Like that princess movie?”

—

Ray arrived a little late to the party after his shift at the restaurant. He'd had a few drinks on the way over to curb his anxiety in the crowds and was proceeding to try and keep up with the rest as they drank more and more. even drinking to ones he'd never done to fit in a little. "That sounds fun."

—

Mackenzie had let go of the frustration she had been harboring with the younger girl. It had been more of a concern than anything, but here they were about to mattress surf and make good memories! Mack led her upstairs towards one of the spare bedrooms, "We can grab this one. I think it's perfect for mattress surfing." She started taking off the comforter, pillows, and sheets.

—

"I've lived out my Princess Diary dreams, you guys have fun. I'm going for the dots." Maybe not eating the way she was supposed to this past month was starting to catch up with her because all of this food seemed to be calling her name. Being a little buzzed didn't help either. Winter made her way to the counter with the ice cream and grabbed a random flavor before she came back to watch the goings on. She playfully reached over with her spoon towards the ghost at her side just to annoy him before she took another bite. "Thank you for bringing these."

—

Milo got up to help the girls. "Hey, Ray!" he called over his shoulder.

—

Ray smiled at Milo and moved to put his bottle down to come to help as well "Hey dude, you going to surf too?"

—

Alex waved and said, "Hey, Soup!"

—

As the others mingled, Cass helped Mack grab the mattress. It was big. Bigger than she'd really expected it to be. She had an embarrassingly limited experience with something as simple as mattresses, had only ever really slept on cots and couches when she could find them, and the ground when she couldn't. It felt heavier than she'd expected, too, but she wouldn't let Mack see it. After the mime fiasco, she desperately wanted Mack to think she was cool and normal and nice. She'd do anything for that, especially now. "Okay," she grunted, nodding. "I got a grip. Come on!" Afraid she'd drop the mattress if she took too long with it, she rushed forward pushing both Mack and the mattress along.

—

That zombie strength would have come in handy right about now. Mackenzie could tell she was footing a lot of the weight, but it was okay. Once they got it to the edge of the steps, they'd be good to go. The night was definitely going so much better than she could have imagined. Everyone was having a good time, and Mack was able to let loose for once and not feel so paranoid. As she moved forward, she could tell Cass was using all her strength and it was causing Mackenzie to stumble, "Hey, Cass, slow down just a little will you?" Okay, maybe they should have just drug the thing instead. As she kept walking, she felt Cass push again, but this time Mackenzie couldn't control the additional weight, and before she knew it, she was pushed into the railing, before the mattress gave her the final push she needed to go over the railing. Everything suddenly flashed back to the day she died on the set of Dropped. And as much as she wanted to scream or try to better prepare herself to land safely, all the training in the world couldn't help her. Instead, she hit the hardwood floor head first cracking her neck and back for the second time with a hard thud. And once again, the world went dark.

—

"Sorry, sorry. I'm just trying to..." Cass trailed off, unable to focus on both supporting the weight of the mattress and carrying on a conversation. She grunted a little, shoving the mattress forward again. This was the problem with having a huge house, right? So much more ground to cover. She didn't mean to shove the mattress into Mack... but that was exactly what happened. And then, Mack was losing her footing, was stumbling over the edge, and was hitting the ground with a crack that Cass thought would live in her mind forever. Her breath caught in her throat, and she dropped the mattress to run to the edge of the railing, looking over with a nauseous feeling tugging at her gut. There was Mack, laying on the floor below with cracks rippling out from the tile around her. Not moving, not breathing. For a moment, Mack was Kuma, was Debbie. Cass thought she might be sick. "Oh my god," she said, panic gripping her. "Oh my god. I didn't --- I didn't mean to. Oh my god. Nonononono."

—

Miyeon's hands clasped to her mouth, gasping as she saw Mack tumble over the side of the balcony. The sound of her neck cracking, the thud to the hard floor echoed through the house. For a moment, Miyeon was frozen in place, stunned by shock. Had she just watched someone die? Had she just seen Mack Ross /die/? Her heart was pounding in her chest and she ran over to see if the host was alright. She reached down to her splayed out wrist, trying to feel for a pulse. There was nothing. She could feel panic grip her, her breaths growing shorter. She didn't know what to do and, for once, she had no idea what to say.

—

If he’d have blinked, he would’ve missed it. But he hadn’t. It happened almost I’m slow motion. One second Mack was tipping over the railing, and the next she was crumpled on the floor below. “Oh, shit!” Chaisai exclaimed. Mack didn’t look good, but he couldn’t bring himself to step towards her. He could not be the sober one here. Responsibility was not his strong suit. He downed the remainder of his glass before taking a single, deliberate step towards his friend. “Uh, hey, Barbie. Get up, please. Please?”

—

One minute Winter was eating the delicious ice cream and enjoying the buzz and then the next all she heard was the sickening crunch of Mack literally landing on her head after falling from the balcony above. Everything went into slow motion, the Dippin' Dots slipping from her hands and landing on the ground while she stared at her friend laying there. She watched as one of the others went forward and checked for a pulse, rooted to the spot, and when it was obvious that there wasn't anything to feel she let a whimper leave her lips.

—

Milo had been going up the stairs to assist Mack and Cass. He wasn't incredibly strong or anything, but he figured another pair of hands couldn't hurt. He was about halfway up when he saw Mack tumble over her railing. There wasn't enough time for him to even try to react before she had hit the ground with a horrifying, stomach turning crack. He stared wide eyed at her body at the ground, neck bent at an unnatural angle, frozen for a moment before he came to his senses. "Oh my god," he breathed. This wasn't happening. This could not be happening.

—

Ray was turning to greet Alex as well when he heard the creak of the bannister, head swivelling back around he caught the very moment that Mack hit the ground. A guttural yell escaped Ray as he registered the bones he'd heard crunching and the sight of Mack on the floor. Dead. She had to be dead. He was stock still and unmoving as he whispered to Ryan in his head "Is she gone? Can you tell?" Looking to Miyeon as she checked for a pulse.

—

Nora knew she was drunk. Nora knew that alcohol buzzed in her vein, clouding her thoughts much like her time in the mines. But as Mack's neck cracked against the wooden floor, she had trouble grasping it. This couldn't be real right? This was just a joke? Wasn't Mack proud of her acting skills? "Get up Mack, come on, it's not funny." Nora's words slurred as she spoke them. "Mack?" Nora tried to take a step forward, but the world was spinning around her. "Fuck." She said finally, sitting down on the floor, giving up on movement. "Not again."

—

Alex had been sipping her drink and watching Cass from afar as she helped Mack get the mattress over to the stairs. Everything happened so fast that she couldn't even get a word out before Mack was tumbling over the balcony and a crack was echoing in her ears. She automatically tuned in on Cass, who's heartbeat was moving more rapidly with every second and quickly leapt up to go over to her. It was an accident and Alex was a bit stunned that someone was dead but she had to make sure Cass was alright. "Hey," she said softly, "You didn't mean to, it was an accident. Just breathe slowly, ok?" She placed a hand on Cass's back and tried to rub soothing circles despite the fact she felt like she was going to be sick. There was a slight tremble in her fingertips that she hoped wasn't felt by the oread. The whimper that left Winter's lips told her everything she needed to know.

—

Alex was there in a heartbeat, standing in front of Cass and telling her to breathe. Breathe, like Mack wasn't. Because Cass had killed her. The panic was all-encompassing, to the point that she didn't hear Nora's muttered 'not again,' didn't register Miyeon checking Mack for a pulse, and didn't take note of Winter's whimper. All that existed was the body on the floor and the fact that Cass had put it there. She tried to look at Alex, but she couldn't tear her gaze away from the corpse. She couldn't focus on anything else. "I killed her. I killed Mack Ross. Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god."

—

Miyeon had never seen anyone die. She couldn't comprehend it. It didn't make sense. One moment Mack was there and now she wasn't. She was gone. And all that was left was a dead body that Miyeon was crouching next to. Oh god, that was a dead body. She scooted away on the floor and wrapped her arms around her knees, pulling herself in on herself. "Wh--what do we do?" her voice cracked even at a whisper. "She-- she--she..." Miyeon gulped trying to find her next words. "She's dead." Miyeon couldn't tell if she wanted to scream or cry or simply curl into a ball and disappear. Maybe all of them at once.

—

"What do we do?" Winter was still rooted to the spot, her voice a horse whisper as if anything above that would break even more in the room. What did they do? When Mack disappeared from her life months before she had been pissed at the girl but still thought she would see her again and now...now she was definitely gone. She could feel tears welling up but she refused to let them fall. No, they had to figure this out. There was no time for crying.

—

Another crisis for Cass. Nora was grateful Alex was there helping her. Nora wanted to help too, but her legs had buckled under her. Why had she drunk so much? No one else had drunk as much as her? That was so dumb of her. "We dispose of the body." Nora answered. Cass wasn't going to jail for this. They weren't going to jail cause of a dumb accident. "And we never talk about it again." Which, in her drunk slur, sounded silly and not at all serious like the moment intended.

—

He didn't know what to do, wasn't sure he was breathing. Everything the others were saying sounded muffled under the sound of his blood rushing. This couldn't be happening. She had to be okay. There was no way they had all just watched Mack Ross die. He stumbled down the stairs, wanting to check her pulse- Miyeon had to be wrong- but once he was standing there, staring over at her, he couldn't get himself to move any closer. No. No, no, no, no, no. He wasn't sure if he had said it aloud. He couldn't- This couldn't be happening again. His head snapped up at Nora's suggestion, though. "What?! We can't just- This isn't- We have to tell someone! I'm not going-" Milo couldn't get the words out. He wasn't going along with this, this wasn't going to be another fucking death pit situation.

—

Of all the things that could have been suggested, that was not what Winter had expected. Immediately she snapped, her eyes finally leaving Mack as she turned her head towards Nora. "What the fuck? Maybe we call a fucking ambulance? We could be wrong, right?" Even if they weren't wrong, and there was no way they were, Mack still deserved more than a fucking body dump.

—

Alex had hardly had anything to drink, but the suggestion still made her feel sick to her stomach. Even if it was an accident, they'd been underaged and drinking and she couldn't see it shaking out well for Cass. It felt shitty. Mack was her friend. It was new, sure, but they were giving the whole friendship thing a try even if it was new to both of them. But it was Cass and she couldn't let her go to jail. All she could do was nod and move her hand to take Cass's in her own instead. The silent gesture said more than words could, it let her know that Alex was going to be there no matter what they had to do.

—

Ray finally got control of his feet but couldn't get them to do anything useful - especially when all his body really screamed for him to do was run away. But he always ran away. He had to stop. But what were they going to do? Were they actually going to dump a body? "Is that the only way?" he wondered quietly looking to Nora and finally tearing his eyes away from the corpse.

—

Everything was muffled. Words were jumbled. Nothing made sense. But there was a brightness. The lights above. Mackenzie could recognize light. She could recognize that there were other people around her, but everything felt off. She couldn't move. At least not at the moment. But she knew her body was doing something - healing itself. And with the healing came an insatiable need to feed. She was soooo hungry. Food was all that mattered and the room she was laying in currently held many options. Easy pickings. Who first? The little one on the floor? The two on the balcony. She could make out blurs of shapes as her eyesight started to come back. The ones on the floor would be the easiest, because right now her legs and neck were not working. Groaning slightly, she started to move her arms. Things were starting to work, but pitifully. Grunting, Mackenzie began crawling towards Nora. Fitting, since she had just suggested dumping her body, but Mack didn't hear that. All she knew was food. Nothing logical, since she was still in her infancy and dumb as a box of rocks.

—

"I don't want to go to jail. Oh god. Oh my god. They're gonna --- They'll put me in ---" She couldn't even form a thought. What would happen to her? This wasn't some random person Cass had killed. This was a movie star, someone famous, someone loved. There was no way they'd do anything less than throw the book at her. The public would hate her. She'd rot in prison. And then what? What even happened when someone not human was arrested? Were there protocols in place, rules? Would they lock her in a special cell, or would they just kill her? She didn't want to find out. "We can't! If we call for an ambulance, they'll --- We're going to get in trouble and I don't --- We should --- We should promise not to tell. We should..." The body groaned. Mack groaned. And moved. Crawling towards Nora, looking... hungry? "What the fuck is happening?"

—

Of course, Mack had been acting. What kind of fucking play was everyone working on? Nora watched as the body groaned and started crawling towards her. "Come on Mack. We get it. You're an actor, you're sooo good at playing dead. What is all of this?" Because Nora, despite accepting the supernatural, despite being trained by a slayer, wouldn't consider something as supernatural as the undead at a Barbie's Dream House Party.

—

“Dispose of the body?” Chai echoed, incredulous. “Cave girl, we cannot do that. We should probably—we should—I don’t know what we should do.” Should they call the police? It was an accident, no one should get in trouble for that. But the potential for underage drinking was there, he figured, looking around at the group. Would that be a problem? “We can’t throw her away,” he insisted. A feeling of dread snaked its way up his spine. images of his friend being struck by lightning flashed across his mind and he closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he looked back towards their friend— their dead friend—and suddenly the corpse moved. “Holy shit. Nope. Nope.” With that, he turned away, heading for the kitchen. He was definitely too sober for this.

—

Fuck. Milo plopped onto the ground. He was shaking and his chest was stuttering and he wasn't breathing properly, and already he could feel that familiar tingling underneath his skin. He needed to breathe. He couldn't lose control here. But then Mack's body started moving, scaring the ever loving shit out of him, and a lamp went flying across the room, shattering against the wall. "What the fuck?!"

—

Alex usually hated her sense of hearing, but in that moment, she was grateful that she was quick to realize Mack was moving. She had been dead and now she was moving with a hungry look in her eyes. She honed in on the sounds coming from Mack and notably a heartbeat was not one of them which could only mean one thing. Shit. Mack was undead and while she didn't know much, that meant she was probably as ravenous as Alex was on the full moon. Did she know she was undead? Alex hoped so, that would mean she had a stash of food for herself somewhere, but she had to be quick. "Cass, Nora," she directed, "You keep an eye on Mack. Do not let her get close to you or anyone else until I get back. Got it?" If anyone could handle a hungry undead, it would be the giant bear and the superhero, even if the former was more than a little intoxicated and the latter in a state of shock.

—

Again, a noise had her head snapping in another direction only to find Mack moving. How the holy… Winter couldn't wrap her mind around what was happening right now and even with Nora's words she felt her stomach drop. Even if Mack was an actor she knew better than to think she would pull something like this on everyone here. Winter might have but not her, right? The lamp flying across the room elicited a scream. With everything happening she was super jumpy. "What the actual fuck?!?"

—

Ray muffled a scream when the body started to move again. She'd been dead. She'd been confirmed dead. In a panic, wanting to get everyone away from whatever was happening he rushed for Nora and scooped her off the floor and moved them rapidly away from Mack. "What's going ON?"

—

A lot was going on. All of it was confusing. Fear was an intoxicating snack for Nora, and she reveled in the sweet snacks of her friends as they all freaked out. For what? Mack's acting wasn't even that good. She just fell and played dead. A sober Nora, one who could read a room and pay attention to many facts, may have picked up on the true seriousness of this situation, but Nora was really into making a fool of herself lately. Ray was picking her off the floor and pulling her away from the crawling Mack, but Ray was a runner. He would be scared of anything. Nora patted his arm gently, there, there. This wasn't even scary.

—

Alex figured if there was a stash of blood in the manor, it wouldn't be in the main fridge she had guests going into. If that had been the case, someone would have already called Mack out on it. There had to be another fridge somewhere. Maybe her bedroom, basement, or garage. The size of the house had seemed cool before, but now it seemed overwhelming. She was 5'1" and while she was quick, that was a lot of ground to cover. She wasn't sure she'd be able to pick up on the smell, but maybe she'd be able to hear the hum of another refrigerator. She normally tuned that out, but she ripped her ear plugs out and closed her eyes to get a sense of what direction to go in. She ran as fast as her feet could take her down the stairs, shuffling around rooms until she found the two refrigerators. In a rush, she ripped the doors open on both, breaking the door off the one that seemed to be for human food. Well, at least if she had this many fridges it wouldn't be an issue to replace later. She quickly gathered as many containers of brains and body parts as she could and flew back up the stairs. As she reached outside, one of the containers fell on the ground, but she couldn't be bothered to stop and instead raced toward Mack. She quickly knelt down and took the lid off one of the tupperware with brains. She handed it to Mack carefully. "Here," she said softly, "You'll feel better after you eat this. I can grab and send someone down to crab more, too. Cass or Nora won't be freaked out by it."

—

Mackenzie heard the voice yelling at her. She still couldn't make out the words. The only thing on her mind was eating. She needed her strength. She needed food. Nora looked like a mighty tasty blur. As she pulled herself forward with her arms dragging herself across the floor, Mackenzie groaned louder, before the word food escaped her mouth. She saw another human figure scoop up her prey. Growling in anger, Mackenzie felt her strength grow along with a healing crack of her back. Pushing herself up off of the floor to her knees and then to wobbly feet, the actress grabbed her head and cracked her neck back into place, "Hungry..." Looking around, her eyes hazy and glazed over, she spotted Winter and started to move towards her.

—

Miyeon thought she was shocked before but then the dead body moved. Mack Ross was dead on the ground one second and then standing up the next. She didn't move. Other than her jaw hanging open in shock, her eyes stuck to the girl who was definitely up and walking after she snapped her neck. She was frozen in place, trying to hold her legs tighter to keep from shaking. She was one second away from just turning into a fox. It might be the only way she could figure out how to move. "Someone t-tell me what is going on?" she whimpered. A lamp crashed and made her jump out of her shock. Yeah, fuck this, she didn't care who knew or who saw what. A burst of smoke surrendered Miyeon and in her place was a small fox, scurrying away to Nora, hiding behind her legs.

—

Keep an eye on her? Why? Cass wasn't thinking logically, but she trusted Alex. "I'll make sure she's okay," she said, moving towards Mack cautiously. She crouched down next to the movie star, reaching out to put a hand on her arm just as Alex rejoined the party with... tupperware? "I don't think she wants a snack, Alex," she said with uncertainty.

—

Winter was having a psychotic break, that was the only explanation. First a ghost was following her around, one who looked decidedly amused at this point, and now her friend was coming back from the dead and snapping her neck into place while things flew across the room on their own. She had to be in some room back home making this up in her head. Did she miss Mack that much? Now a person was a fox? Yea, she had lost it. That was all there was to it.

—

Alex realized how close Cass was to Mack and whispered urgently, "You need to back up, Cass. She needs the snack. It's not a human thing."

—

"Alex, I don't think this is a good time for flirting," Cass replied uncertainly. "She's hurt."

—

Chaisai pounded a glass and re-entered the crime scene in time to see Alex return with…leftovers. He turned to ask anyone else what the hell was happening when he saw something that caught him off guard. “Is that a fox?” he asked no one in particular. “What is even happening tonight?” All of this had to be some immense prank, and it wasn’t very funny. The fox seemed out of place, too.

—

Milo saw Alex returning with tupperware, and noticed the one that had fallen had opened to reveal what appeared to be a brain. Fuck this town. "What the fuck is wrong with this town?" Milo shuddered at the sound of Mack's neck snapping back into a normal position, pulling himself up and away from the zombie??? Only to see Miyeon disappear and a fox to appear in her place. What the fuck?!?!?

—

Alex shook her head. "I'm not flirting with you, Cass," she retorted in a hushed voice, "Mack is a zombie. If she doesn't eat what I just gave her she's probably gonna eat everyone at this party. And no, still not flirting. I mean literally, not in a fun way."

—

Ray felt Nora pet him on the arm but he was very busy watching Mack for what she was going to do next. He didn't let up his hold on the bugbear for a second, she was clearly too far gone and needed to stay away. This wasn't right, there was something going on here. The sickening crack of her neck going back into place made his stomach turn as the others started to put themselves between Mack and the Party.

—

Nora's head swam. Ray was panicked, Miyeon was a fox between her legs, Winter, that was her name right? Her ghost looked like he was having fun. That was nice. Ghosts deserve to have fun. Alex was giving instructions. Did Nora need to go get something? What did Nora need to go get? Maybe she would never drink again. Maybe having control of her conscious thoughts was a lot better then the fuzz that settled it now, even if it worked. In this confusion, she'd forgotten to think about her body and the mines.

—

A zombie? Mack Ross was a zombie? Had she always been a zombie? Cass's brow furrowed as she looked at the tupperware in Alex's hands a little closer. Brains. Okay, so the zombie thing wasn't a new development. Her eyes scanned the room --- Nora, drunk and confused with a fox that... probably had to be Miyeon hiding behind her. Winter, having a breakdown in a way that was totally not how Cass liked to meet new people. Chai and Milo, both looking more than a little lost. Ray, watching it all unfold. Was this what parties were always like? "Um, okay. Mack Ross is a zombie. Cool. Okay. Sure. What the fuck?"

—

Mackenzie had noticed Cass coming towards her. Food that was right in her path was so much easier than the person freaking out on the other side of the room. Reaching out, she moved in the direction of Cass before grabbing her and pulling her in closer with extreme strength. Leaning her newly healed neck to the side, she opened her mouth wide and laid into Cass's shoulder with a hard bite. However, whatever she bit into wasn't budging. Mack growled in frustration as she gnawed on what felt like a rock. Angry, she pushed Cass as hard as she could out of the way, before smelling the brains that Alex had brought up from downstairs. Turning her attention on the werewolf, she started moving towards Alex, "Brains..." She reached out trying to grab the food that wasn't quite in her reach yet.

—

Nora picked the fox up. The fox was soft. Nora buried her face in the soft fox coat. This was a fun party, she thought, enjoying more tasty fear snacks.

—

"Hey!" Cass screeched in a damn good impression of a banshee, jumping back as Mack Ross's zombie teeth tried to take a bite out of her shoulder. "You're gonna rip my shirt!" She hadn't broken the skin --- Cass's skin was pretty hard to break, after all --- but her shirt was all wet with zombie slobber now. Gross. At least the brains seemed to spark something. Cass grabbed the tupperware from Alex, much more content to put her hard-to-bite hand in the line of fire than risking Alex meeting the zombie's teeth, and thrust it towards her. "Here!"

—

Alex rushed towards Cass when she realized Mack was about to bite her only to let out a breath of relief when that didn't go according to plan. Even though Cass always had a certain radiance about her, it was easy to forget that she was stone and magma underneath it all. Before she could reach out to nudge the container towards Mack, Cass was already doing so. She was grateful the oread had caught on and she quickly looked to inspect her. "Are you ok?"

—

Miyeon was moving. Oh god, the world was moving and she was getting taller all a sudden. Then she realized there were hands grabbing her. Hands that smelled like Nora's. Oh, okay, she was petting her. That was fine. She snuggled into her friend. It definitely felt like the safest option. The wolf girl and rock girl could take care of the not dead girl.

—

"I'm okay," Cass assured Alex, turning to let her look at the shoulder in question. "See? No harm done." She directed the last part towards Mack, too, knowing that if their roles were reversed, she'd want to make sure she hadn't hurt anyone. Glancing over to where Nora had Miyeon, she was pleased to see the both of them safe, too. And the boys all looked alright, which mostly left... "Um... Hey, Winter? Are you, uh... How are you doing?"

—

Mackenzie yanked the brain out of the container and started to sloppily shove it in her mouth. Dropping to the floor, she consumed the brain without savoring it knowing it wasn't going to do much considering she had just died AGAIN. When she was finished, she could automatically feel things start to make sense again, but she still had a need to feed, "Alex...food. Want more food." She looked up at the person she knew to be Alex.

—

Ray was stunned as things started to seem to wind down again. It felt like a fever dream. "Uhm excuse me but ...what the actual fuck?"

—

The sight of Mack biting another human was the icing on the cake of this whole night, Winter leaning back against the wall and nodding at whoever was talking to her. "Oh, I'm so good right now." Even in times of crisis sarcasm tended to take over but there was less bite than usual in her tone. Her gaze kept flicking between Mack and the fox and then to the person Mack had bit. Cass...they were the one who had asked, right? "What is going on?"

—

Milo knew necromancy was a thing, but he wasn't sure what the fuck all of this was. This seemed proper Night of the Living Dead zombie shit. "Yeah, seconding that. What the fuck? Also, she just bit you, Cass???"

—

Now that she was a tall fox, Miyeon was able to see the ghost floating around Winter. Her little kitsune stomach started to grumble. And the nachos were not going to cut it. She tilted her little head and made a small little yip, asking to be let down. She wanted a snack, too. And she didn't want the gross-smelling whatever it was that Mack was eating. She was just going to eat a little bit of the ghost, it would be fine.

—

“She, um, she didn't bite me very hard! Didn't even break the skin!" Cass rubbed at her shoulder, pretending it hurt. "It'll just be a bruise, that's all." She looked to Mack with uncertainty. She thought she was probably up to speed now, but it wasn't really up to her to tell everyone else, was it? If Mack wanted a lie... well, she'd need someone other than Cass to tell it.

—

Alex was relieved that the only damage done was some slobber on Cass's shirt. "Okay, good," she said, reaching to give Cass's hand a squeeze before returning her attention to Mack. Cass was checking in on the others and Mack was devouring the brain from the container. Alex quickly grabbed another and shoved it towards the zombie. "Here," she said. She looked for Nora in the crowd and saw her holding a... fox? The fox girl thing suddenly made sense. Huh. And everyone else had a lot of questions that Alex had no idea how to answer, so she looked to Mack, hoping she'd have her fill enough soon to give whatever the PR reason for this would be.

—

Nora, face still pressed to the softest fox she'd ever held, was sad to let Miyeon go. But Nora had always lived by the motto, animals only stayed as long as they wanted. That went with her new friend too. Nora put the fox down. "It wasn't very cool of Mack to bite Cass like that. They should take away her Emmy. Crimes against Cass."

—

"Also, can we address the fact that Miyeon turned into a fox because." Fuck, she had said something about a fox girl at the last party. Milo had thought she was just a furry, he didn't think he meant she was a literal fucking fox!

—

Alex looked around and shrugged, "Uh.... We're all just really drunk?"

—

Milo gave Alex a look. "Bestie..."

—

Alex stifled a laugh under the pressure. "Okay, you got me there," she relented, "But I am very specifically not Mack Ross' PR so I will let her explain her stunts."

—

"I had one cup." She whispered the words, now spotting the fox nibbling on the ghost following her around but Winter wasn't very concerned about that even if he seemed to be. Wait, the fox was biting the ghost? Was that normal?

—

Ray made a face and leaned down to mumble to Nora "Are there other people here that are...like you and stuff too?"

—

Chaisai could feel the anxiety begin to ebb away. “This is a really weird prank.” Something deep in the pit of his stomach tugged at him, told him that something stranger than a prank was at hand here. “Wait, where did she go?” The fox could not be their friend. “I’m not drunk either,” Chai said, agreeing with Winter. “So are we all like, weird here, or is it just…” He let the question hang in the air, looking from Mack to the fox and back.

—

Fox Miyeon was running towards Winter, which seemed like a bad idea. Winter was already having some kind of a breakdown. Cass wanted to tell Miyeon that maybe she should take it easy, but... There was so much going on. It was a little hard to figure out what she should be focusing on. She looked to Mack, chewing her lip for a moment and offering her a small nod. However Mack wanted to play this, Cass would follow along. She owed her that much after tossing her off a balcony.

—

Mackenzie consumed the other brain enjoying all the meaty bits of it. Finally, something more satisfying was happening. She started to feel like her old self. Memories came flooding back. Names started to slowly come back. And when she realized where she was at and vaguely what was happening, she knew she had to go back downstairs. If she didn't eat enough, they were all going to be scrambling for their lives again, except Cass, who was surprisingly tough. Looking around, she could feel emotions again and that sucked harder than the fox sucking on the ghost. Without words, she stumbled downstairs and towards the room with the fridge. The door was gone, but that was okay. It didn't matter at this point. She just wanted the contents.

—

Miyeon trotted off towards the ghost, but it was a little too far away. She leaped onto a chair and then hopped onto the table and was about to take a little nibble of plasmic energy when she heard her name and her ears swiveled towards the source, turning to see that it was Milo. Oh. Right. Whoops. She did sort of shift in the middle of a party, didn't she? She hadn't even thought about it long enough to weigh the consequences. Between the not-dead dead body and the flying lamp and the buzz of the sangria, she sort of didn't have the time. Cool cool cool. She should probably shift back. But her clothes were in the middle of the room. Uh, the tablecloth was going to have to do. She nuzzled her nose under the edge of the fabric and shoved as much of herself as she could underneath it before poofing back into her human form, wrapping the tablecloth around her to try and cover up as much as she could. "Um, don't ask. Can you hand me my clothes, Milo? Please?" She saw the looks she was getting. Yup, okay, this was fine. "Literally don't worry about it. What's going on with Mack? Is she dead? Is she not? What is going on?"

—

"Fair enough, I guess." Though Alex did seem to be the one who knew what the fuck was going on. Seeing another poof of smoke followed by Miyeon poking her head out from under the table just confirmed his suspicions. She had definitely turned into a fox, then. And Mack had just wandered off??? "Seems like we're all weird here, yeah," Milo nodded, a bewildered look on his face as he gathered Miyeon's clothes. His hands were still shaking, but the events of the past few minutes were so fucking weird that he wasn't freaking out as much. That was a plus. As he neared the table, he averted his gaze, feeling incredibly awkward as he held out the bundle of clothes in his hand.

—

Chaisai covered his eyes out of respect, despite this bewildering turn of events.

—

Nora watched Mack consume a brain. Maybe this wasn't acting. Maybe this was. Nora didn't know, but Miyeon was naked now and it felt like a real television party suddenly. Nudity was always included in those.

—

Miyeon said "Thanks," and took her clothes back and ducked behind the counter to quickly throw them back on.

—

Mackenzie made her way through quite a bit of the food she had stored up, and when she was finished everything felt normal again. Well as normal as dying in front of your friends, coming back and trying to eat them, and then consuming brains in front of them could be. FUCK. They had just seen all of that. They knew what she was. Winter knew what she was. Walking back upstairs, she quietly stood at the doorway. With "Dance The Night" from the Barbie soundtrack blasting in the background, Mackenzie knew she had to follow the lyrics of the song and present herself with poise. She had done this before, right? This was part of life in the spotlight. Fuck, fuck, fuck. "Hey guys...so, uh, what'd I miss..." Her smile was uneasy; mouth covered in slime and other things; skin pale; and her eyes still somewhat white and glazed with the skin on her neck bruised from previously being broken.

—

"We're all weird here..." It was all starting to sink in and Winter glanced at her ghost in time to see the fox had turned back into a person. If she had a ghost and he had been told all of her life about mediums it would have been ignorant to think that other things didn't exist, right? It was a lot all at once so she let her body slide down the wall so she could take a seat and breathe a little. "What did you miss?"

—

Milo couldn't help but laugh. "Well, you died, and freaked everyone out so much that someone turned into a fox, so." He snorted. "I'm so sorry. This is just fucking nuts, and I've felt like I've been going insane lately. Came here to get away from that, but I should've known better in this town." He took a few breaths. "Sorry. I'm glad you're okay? I guess? Also, sorry about your lamp."

—

Ray finally let Nora go, taking a deep breath. It seemed Mack was back to...normal felt like too big of a stretch for the moment. Everyone had secrets it seemed. He wanted to go to bed. He didn't quite know what to say to Mack or anyone really. "There's bits of glass on the floor from the lamp watch out?" he offered instead of anything of substance. "Got a brush?"

—

Alex nodded as the group seemed to acknowledge they were all weird in some way. A few years ago, that would freaked her out and even though she struggled with how she saw herself, something about this band of weirdos made her feel a little more okay about it. "Guess we are," she said nonchalantly. She gave Mack a knowing look as she returned and simply nodded. They could discuss *that* later.

—

The fact that this had all been happening while the Barbie movie soundtrack had been playing was just the icing on the disaster cake. Milo rushed to help Ray as the other went to clean up the mess. "I can get it. My fault anyway."

—

Miyeon tilted her head as she looked back at Milo. "Wait, that was your fault?" she asked. She had kind of assumed it was the ghost. "Okay so like you missed a lot. Sort of maybe because you died. I don't know. But like there's a lot going on here. Clearly." She looked over at Milo, Winter, Nora, Cass, Alex, and her gaze landed on Mack last. "Um, but, I guess everyone's okay? Mostly? Are we good? Is it time to keep partying now?" She wasn't sure what she hoped the answer was going to be if she was honest.

—

Chaisai sighed. This night got weird quickly. “Alright. Never have I ever died. Anyone else? Never have I ever turned into an animal. Can we talk about what the fuck is happening? Where’s Ashton, ‘cause it feels like we’re being punk’d. Is this Celebrity Pranks?”

—

Ray dropped to a knee next to the shattered lamp and shook his head lightly "Don't worry dude it's-...your fault? What do you mean..." he trailed off for a second before mumbling to the other "I need something to do with my hands anyway, I'm still a bit spooked to be honest." he showed Milo the slight tremble in his fingers with an awkward smile. "I'm not made for excitement like this..."

—

Winter pointed to Chaisai. "That. All of that."

—

Oh, shit. Well. He hadn't really been thinking when he'd admitted to that. "Uhhh... Don't worry about it?" His voice was uncertain as he repeated Miyeon's earlier words. Milo nodded at Ray, raising one of his own shaking hands. "Me either, dude." Chai's words made him burst out into another fit of laughter, though. "Again, I'm sorry, I don't mean to laugh."

—

Mackenzie was ashamed, embarrassed, but more than anything scared. Would they know that she was the one who killed Brody? If she had a heartbeat, it would be pounding so hard right now. She watched as Milo and Ray went to clean up the lamp, "It's fine...It's uh, don't worry about it." She glanced around the room seeing the mess and chaos that had ensued while she was out of it. Everyone was stressed and scared and laughing? Barbie Sleepover had gone to Barbie Nightmare in a heartbeat. Ironic choice of words of course, "Um...look I know...I know this is probably a shock to you all..." She noticed Nora looking unamused, "some...I just, I'm asking if you guys could not tell anybody...please. My life depends on this being kept quiet. I did some things that I hate myself for, and...it's the whole reason I'm here in Wicked's Rest. You don't have to talk to me...or acknowledge my existence anymore after this, if you never want to see me again, but...all I ask is if you...could just please, please not say anything..."

—

Alex was glad she didn't have her drink on her, though on technicality, she wasn't sure a werewolf counted as an animal. That was definitely more turning into a monster. She chuckled nervously and found her way back to Cass. They were all a little weird, but she wasn't sure she was necessarily ready to broadcast that she was a werewolf specifically.

—

Mack was upset. And Cass still felt a little responsible for it, given the fact that she was the one who'd knocked the movie star off the balcony. If she hadn't done that, no one would know anything at all about what Mack was. So Cass looked at her friends, and nodded. "Okay," she said decisively. "Everyone has to promise. Right here, right now. Look at me, and promise not to say anything about this to anyone not at this party."

—

Nora may have still been drunk, but she trusted Cass. So when Cass gave an instruction, Nora was the first to look at her and make the promise. Nora knew Cass was only asking this for a good reason.

—

Ray looked up with a handful of lamp shards "I promise."

—

Chaisai looked at Mack, confusion crossing his face. His brow furrowed. He didn’t quite understand what was happening here if he were being honest, but he nodded slowly. “Sure. Promise.”

—

Miyeon nodded. She knew that there was no way she was going to put any of this into any sort of journalistic anything. And not even just because they could all blackmail her with the turning into a fox thing. No, this was the sort of secret that you just kept. Supernatural stuff. Her parents may have kept most of it from her but they did tell her that much, that things were safer when the whole world didn't know about the strange things lurking just beneath the surface. And who was she to argue? "I promise."

—

Alex didn't need to be asked twice. She vaguely understood the binding thing, but even so, it didn't matter. Cass was asking her to make a promise and if Cass asked, then the answer was always yes. "I promise," she said without a shred of hesitation.

—

Milo narrowed his eyes, thinking back to the death pit. He didn't want to say anything, not that anyone would believe him if he told them that Mack Ross was a fucking zombie, but whatever magic Cass was using... Mack was clearly anxious and feeling miserable, though. He nodded. "Promise."

—

Winter was staring at Mack while she spoke. She wasn't planning on saying anything about this to anyone anyway but how could she when her friend was obviously very upset about all of this and needed some reassurance. She rolled her eyes at the other asking them to promise, still a little shaky about it all, but she nodded anyway. "Promise."

—

Tears barely came out of Mackenzie's pale eyes as she watched everyone around the room promise not to say anything, "I'm so sorry. I just...wanted this to be soft and fun, and I fucked it up." Stammering and looking down for a minute, she took a beat and made a decision, "You can all go. Just...yeah." Mackenzie was defeated. Looking back down, she left the room leaving everyone to decide if they wanted to leave or stay. She didn't care anymore.

—

"And I promise, too," Cass added, nodding to each of them in turn. She crafted the bind carefully, tying the metaphorical knot around each person who'd said the words. They'd be safe now, just like they had been when she'd used the same method to ensure no one would ever find out about Debbie. Mack would be safe. Turning back to her, Cass ached with the look on her face. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I'm really sorry." But Mack left the room, and everything felt a little emptier than it had been before. "I, um... I'll go get Aria and Wynne. Tell them the party's done. I think we should all go home."

[orlissa]

End of the year book-reading ask: 6, 8, 22?

6, Any new favorite authors? Oh, Laura Wood, definitely. I kind of wnna say Rebecca Ross as well, but I actually read her Queen duology about two years ago, and she got me bad back then as well.

8, If someone were to ask you what your top ten books for this year were, what would you choose? In no particular oder, and not counting rereads:

Ghosts: The Button House Archives

Ashley Poston: Hawkeye – Bishop Takes King

B.B. Alston: Amari and the Night Brothers (& the second book)

Laura Wood: The Agency for Scandal

Rebecca Ross: Divine Rivals

Bonnie Garmus: Lessons in Chemistry

Laura Wood: A Single Thread of Moonlight

Jeff Zentner: Rayne & Delilah’s Midnite Matinee

Mary Mcmyne: The Book of Gothel

Catherine & Elizabeth Corr: Daughter of Darkness

Honorable mention: Demon in the Woods and They Called Us Enemy

22, What are some books you discovered this year that you added to your tbr? *Checks tbr quickly* Ariadne by Jennifer Saint, House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland, A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft, The Power by Naomi Alderman

[bermudianabroad]

2023 Reading Roundup

Everything what I read in 2023

I read a whole bunch.

Heartily Recommend Visceral Bleh Reread *Audiobook*

Fiction

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (where is the fucking humidity in your swamp, Delia??)

Days Without End by Sebastian Barry

Lot by Bryan Washington

Mr. Loverman by Bernadine Evaristo

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas

Trust by Hernan Diaz

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway

The Unquiet Dead by Ausma Zehanat Khan

It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover

By Nightfall by Michael Cunningham

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantell (but everyone is called Thomas)

Verity by Colleen Hoover (awful but wacky and hilariously awful)

Katalin Street by Magda Szabo

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng

Animorphs #24 The Suspicion by KA Applegate (a trip)

Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli

The Island of Forgetting by Jasmine Sealy

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

The Trio by Johanna Hedman

At the Bottom of the River by Jamaica Kincaid

The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera

Libertie by Kaitlyn Greenidge

Silence by Shusaku Endo

When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill

Babel by RF Kuang (was so disappointed by this one)

The Bass Rock by Evie Wyld

Island by Siri Ranva Hjelm Jacobsen

The Gold-Rimmed Spectacles by Giorgio Bassani

Must I Go by Yiyun Li

The 1,000 Year Old Boy by Ross Welford

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker Chan

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

The Singer’s Gun by Emily St. John Mandel

Memphis by Tara M Stringfellow

The Whirlpool by Jane Urquhart

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

A Country of Eternal Light by Paul Dalgarno

Yellowface by RF Kuang

The Country of Others by Leïla Slimani

The Grass is Singing by Doris Lessing

American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld

All Passion Spent by Vita Sackville-West

The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng

Game Misconduct by Ari Baran

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

Uprooted by Naomi Novik (sorry Naomi :/ )

The Foot of the Cherry Tree by Ali Parker

The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

Matrix by Lauren Groff

The Twilight World by Werner Herzog

Wild by Kristen Hannah

*The Fraud by Zadie Smith*

The Mountains Sing by Nguyen Phan Que Mai

The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

This Other Eden by Paul Harding

The Kraken Wakes by John Wyndham (weirdly, one of the best depictions of a marriage I’ve read)

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

Against the Loveless World by Susan Abdulhawa

North Woods by Daniel Mason

Shadows on the Rock by Willa Cather

The Tiger’s Wife by Téa Obreht

Animorphs: The Hork-Bajir Chronicles by KA Applegate

Roman Stories by Jhumpa Lahiri

Animorphs #13 The Change by KA Applegate

Animorphs #14 The Unknown by KA Applegate

Animorphs #20 The Discovery by KA Applegate (snuck in two more under the wire… #20 is when shit REALLY kicks off. From there it gets darker and darker).

Poetry

Black Cat Bone by John Burnside

Women of the Harlen Renaissance (Anthology) by Various

The Analog Sea Review no. 4 by Various

The World’s Wife by Carol Ann Duffy

Non-Fiction

Besieged: Life Under Fire on a Sarajevo Street by Barbara Demick

Atlas of Abandoned Places by Oliver Smith

Novelist as a Vocation by Haruki Murakami

Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe

Wanderers: A History of Women Walking by Kerri Andrews

City of Laughter: Sex and Satire in Eighteenth Century London by Vic Gatrell

The Lazarus Heist: From Hollywood to High Finance by Geoff White (fully available as a podcast)

The Entangling Net: Alaska’s Commercial Fishing Women Tell Their Stories by Leslie Leyland Fields (very niche but fascinating. Transcribed interviews)

Free: Coming of Age at the End of History by Lea Ypi

Hijab Butch Blues: A Memoir by Lamya H.

Freedom by Margaret Atwood (just excerpts from novels repackaged)

*Born a Crime by Trevor Noah* (Noah’s narration is superb)

The Slavic Myths by Noah Charney and Svetlana Slapšak (was expecting stories, but it was mostly academic essays)

Manga, Comics, Graphic Novels

Safe Area Goražde by Joe Sacco

The Way of the House-Husband, vol. 1 by Kousuke Oono

SAGA vol. 1-6 by Fiona Staples and Brian K Vaughan

Top of the Top:

Born a Crime was probably my favourite non ficition, and most of that probably is due to Trevor Noah's narration skills. It was very entertaining and heartfelt.

Less uplifting but just as gripping in a different way was Empire of Pain. Excellent book that went deep into the why and what and hows of Purdue Pharma. Anger inducing.

Lazarus Heist is great and available as a podcast. The book is more or less the podcast word for word.

Fictionwise: I read Trust at the start of the year and it was a bit soon to declare as favourite of the year, but it's stil made the final cut. Just very imaginative and intriguing. Just my kind of MetaFiction. Clever without being cleverclever.

Demon Copperhead I read right off the back of Empire of Pain so maybe that coloured my experience. I've not read any Dickens so loads of references no doubt flew past me, but the language was acrobatic and zingy. I loved it.

Wrapped up the year on a high with North Woods. That was so unexpected and entertaining. Again with the playful language, memorable characters and a unique approach to tying all the various stories together. One that sticks in the mind and makes the writer in me wonder how I can replicate his style (with my own personal twist of course.)

[just-horrible-things]

Dark!Resistance x Chewtoy!Ariadne Interrogation

The ka-clunk of the cell door is final. 

One day I'm gonna close this on you for real. 

Ari sprawls shuddering and gasping on the concrete where hundreds have shuddered and gasped out their last painful breaths, where they have broken and screamed and pleaded for mercy that never ever comes.

Their ghosts are in the concrete with the stains with the echo of their screams. The cell is hungry for pain and death and Ari is just the latest in a long long line of victims and she's choking on her terror and the nightmare hasn't even started. 

There are so so many ways to ruin a human body and she is guilty of so many of them and if they do to her even a fraction of what she's done to their kind she will lose her mind she will be nothing but pain and pain and terror and desperation and they don't have to stop there. 

How much more to fear when they have every tool she's ever used and then magic besides, when they could set her alight with a gesture or strip the skin from her flesh or a hundred hundred things she can't even imagine and they can keep her alive as long as they like. 

She hopes for Riven, for the feds to drive out the invaders because even if they make her a traitor and a prisoner and Riven gets to kill her slowly at least it will be finite, at least she knows he can't keep his toys alive forever. 

She hopes for a warlock angry enough that they'll kill her then and there and she should have died fighting, should have done everything she could to make them kill her because she might have died screaming but at least it would be minutes or seconds not months or years. 

She has no sense of time passing. She is sobbing onto the concrete and then a little later she is just hyperventilating and then later still she is just panting and snivelling. Her arms went numb at some point. The sounds outside get clearer as her ears recover but she can make little sense of the clamour. It's all voices and gunfire, screams and orders and banging and then it is quieter and then louder again and it all rattles around indecipherably in her skull with the terror. 

It doesn't matter what's happening out there. Nothing matters to prisoners except when there will next be pain. Her world is this cell now and she wasn't ready, no one is ever ready, she should have done something anything everything differently to end up anywhere but here but maybe she's been falling her whole life and she was never going to end anywhere but here. 

When the door finally bangs open she doesn't get time to beg for mercy. An unseen force throws her against the back wall. Her arms – still pinned behind her back – do a little to cushion her back, but the jolt to straining, burning shoulders is not worth it.

The sound she makes is less a yelp and more just the ooff of the air knocked out of her. When she's dropped – hard impact on one shoulder – she has no breath for anything but a comedic squeak.

The warlock’s boots – brown, scuffed and starting to fall apart – stop close to her face. With her arms pinned, Ari can't even shield her face. She gasps, and gasps, lungs refusing to fill. 

“No fight?” the warlock taunts. It cuts through the fog of panic just a fraction. Words, she should use words. “-- no, sir –!” “No sir,” he echoes, imitating her breathless squeak. “Wow, am I sir now I'm the one with the keys?” “Yes. Sir. Please –” He makes a disgusted sound in his throat, and kicks her in the stomach. 

It's about as hard as Riven would kick her. It hurts but it could be harder. Hope flares. “Whadyouwant?” she forces from empty lungs, “I'll, I'll – coop’rate – sir.” “Pathetic.” He drawls the word. If it's meant to sting she's too scared to feel it. Pathetic doesn't matter. 

She twitches in an instinctive bid to curl up, and the pain creaks audibly in the shoulder underneath her. She makes a pitiful sound in the back of her throat.

“Alright, bootlicker.” That same whole-body force takes her in its invisible grip again. She yelps as the ground falls out from under her. “Give me a good reason not to take you apart just to hear you scream.”

He sets Ari on her knees, and she very nearly falls back over immediately. To catch herself she doubles forwards – back splitting, shoulders searing – over her knees. 

“I'll – I'll talk – you want talk? or –” Anything else he could want is worse but god what does it matter. “-- whatever you want I'll – suckyourcock or – f’lloworders or – anythingwhateveryouwant.”

Anything if it isn't paying in screams for everything she's done to his kind, anything that isn't him ripping her to pieces right here right now anything to put it off just a little longer.

Another snort of disgust. Ari flinches expecting another blow. She knows exactly what she looks like. Coward selling out under the slightest pressure, torturer fucking terrified of torture, faithless spineless traitor to everything and everyone. She doesn't care. She's all those things and she doesn't care.

“Talk’s a good start,” her interrogator finally concedes. Ari could sob, she could kiss him. She has something he wants besides screams. “Start with your friends. Who's who around here, who's in charge.”

So she talks. She trips over her tongue trying to talk faster than her stupid stuttering panic will let her. Most of what she says is fucking useless she's sure – he doesn't even bother writing much of it down – but he lets her talk.

She can tell he doesn't think much of her eagerness to throw her colleagues under the bus but fuck them, fuck every single one of them. If Ari's dying a bad death here so the fuck are they. Every single one of them could have helped her and did nothing.

When she runs out of things to say about her ““friends”” the warlock quizzes her on the layout of the building. She doesn't understand half the questions, all left-from-the-right and double-doors-this and practically every door in the building is a double door which doors does he mean? 

He gets frustrated trying to match her gibbering to his questions and his anger makes it harder to think, he's going to start hurting her any second and she can't –

He slaps her. 

When that doesn't shock sense out of her he slaps her again. Ari’s lungs loosen a fraction, enough to pull in deeper breaths, enough to get more words out. 

She has time. He's not escalating fast. Her eyes are wet from the sting in her face. She keeps on trying to answer his questions. Gradually he hashes out sense from her confusion.

She tells him where all the locks and alarms and security centers she knows about are. She tells him everything she can remember about security protocols that are 100% not relevant anymore if he's here holding the keys and interrogating her but he listens. He lets her talk. It's something to say to appease him.

She gets the impression he's curious how much she can come up with. Dread keeps her babbling. When she runs out of information, he runs out of reasons not to take her apart. 

He asks for her login to the IT systems. Ari starts to tell him without hesitation but when she gets to her password she cannot remember. She just stops, mouth open, feeling the gears jam insie her head. She types this shit every fucking day, multiple times a day but there's just a gaping fucking hole in her thoughts where the answer should be.

The warlock hits her, harder than before. A solid punch across her jaw that sends her sprawling. For a few seconds her face and the shoulder she lands on are the only things she feels, bright and sharp enough to numb out everything else.

“I, I can,” she promises, “I will I just – forgot – I just – needasecond – just –”

He gives her a second. Several, while she pants against the concrete and rattles frantically at the empty space in her head. 

He taps his foot impatiently, very close to Ari's face. 

“I c-can’t remember – I’mtryingIswear – I could – type it, giveme a keyboard I could type it–”

He kicks her, and keeps kicking her. Ari yelps, and squirms, and howls, and the world narrows as she thrashes trying to roll and failing. There’s nothing else only his feet and her fragile body and the snap of ribs caving in and her panicked pointless squirming and he puts a boot on her back and wrenches her arms up til she’s shrieking.

“Sorry! SorrysirI'msorry! Please!” “Oh shut the hell up. What are you, a child? Cut the pitiful crap, we both know you don't deserve a shred of mercy.”

Ari fights back sobs. He's going to rip her arms out of their sockets and that's only the start. It's only the start he's going to take her to pieces and she can do nothing.

The pressure relents, if only a fraction. Ari chokes on another sob. She’s breathing. She’s still breathing. Her ribs aren’t broken or – not many, not badly. She isn’t drowning blood. She’s breathing. Her arms are still attached to her body.

“Still can’t remember that password?” “No – sir – I’m sorry –” “Shut it. Fine. We'll come back to it.” It’s mercy. If he was Riven she'd thank him. He doesn't want to hear it. She doesn't know what else she can say. “Let's get to the important shit.” A fraction more pressure, forcing her to try and arch her back under his boot. Just a reminder of the power he holds as if she could possibly forget. 

The important shit is plans, protocols, overarching policy that Ari has mostly never even heard of. Even when she has some idea what he’s talking about she knows only the faintest outlines of what the rest of the department, the rest of the fucking government get up to.

He asks questions, and she guesses, or she lies, desperately trying to fill in the gaps. She isn’t any better at lying than at anything else. She tries to be vague to cover for her ignorance and he doesn’t want vague he wants dates, times, names. Raid plans, emergency protocols, heads of sub-departments. Where backup is likely to be coming from and when and how many.

“I don't know,” Ari is forced to admit. She knows it’s the wrong answer but her head is too blank to invent anything better. “I don’t know sir, I’m sorry, I’d tell you, I don’t know I don’t have clearance.”

She repeats it over and over. She stammers it into the concrete. She wails it as he leans pressure on her bound shoulders yet again and the joints creak and grind and spasm and threaten to give way. She sobs it frantically, pitifully as his temper climbs.

He throws her at the wall again. He kicks her. He hauls her up by her arms only to hit her and send her sprawling. He crushes her face into the concrete with the blood-soaked sole of a boot.

None of it is too far none of it is breaking her she knows he’s holding back and giving her a chance but she can’t tell that to the fear inside of her. The panic is out of all proportion, out of control, clawing wild through body and mind and leaving her thrashing and fighting and sobbing apologies all at the same time.

“Cut it out,” the warlock is growling. She’s face down again, his bruising grip on her arms trying to hold her. “Cut it out, stop squirming, shut the fuck up and listen to me.”

She wants to, she means to, she knows she needs to obey or he's going to really hurt her but the fear has other ideas and she doesn’t mean to but she kicks out at him again and even the spike of pain as her heel connects is barely felt, it's nothing to what he's going to do she needs to stop–

Her arm gives way – not at the shoulder where she expects it but the forearm – a sick crack and pain – real tearing serious pain as bone snaps. Every twitch is now – hot white pain – pulling – broken bone grinding on bone and – even the mad animal in her doesn’t take long to understand to hold still. 

Her head is ringing. Her breath is burning in her throat. Someone on the other side of concrete – someone not her – is screaming.

“Do I have to keep breaking things or are you going to lie fucking still?” Ari doesn't trust herself to answer without babbling again. Is laying fucking still answer enough? His grip shifts, and a high, thin whine slips out of her. “None of that. Answer the damn question. Are you gonna talk to me, or are you just gonna thrash and scream on the floor?” “Talk,” she manages. Her voice is a croak. “Sir.”

He drops her arm – both her arms – and despite her promise she bucks and kicks at the floor again in a futile, instinctive bid to escape the knives through the break and through both shoulders. The warlock steps back and lets her thrash.

He gives her time. He waits until she can see again, until she’s able to swallow back the pathetic sound she’s making, until she’s still. 

Numb fingers twitch at her sides, felt only as spikes up and down the nerves. Ari pants open-mouthed like a dog, and lies fucking still, and waits for instruction.

“Let's try that again.”

Again, and it will be worse this time, and worse, and worse, over, and over, until she is nothing but a twitching, suffering lump of meat. She chokes on nothing, desperate not to start panicking again.

“Pull yourself together.” Contempt drips from his every word. “I've barely hurt you. You've done far worse.” Ari tries to breathe deeper. He's right, she knows he is. Her breaths come ragged and choppy but she manages at least a little control. “Up. C’mon, let me get a look at you.”

Her broken arm drags, but she doesn't need her arms to get up on her knees. The warlock looks down at her – her blotched, sticky face, the fresh tears in her eyes – without sympathy. 

“God, you're for real, aren't you.” Ari snivels, and says nothing. She doesn’t know what he wants. “I didn't know they made ‘em this fucking weak. I thought you were supposed to be… elite special agent whatevers. Well. Chill the fuck out. You stop fucking kicking me and I won't break any more bones. Capiche?” When she nods, the world blurs around her. “Yes, sir,” she whimpers.

“So talk to me. Tell me how you expect me to believe you don't have “clearance” for anything.” “I’m – I’m just a grunt, sir. It’s need-to-know – everything’s need-to-know it’s – I don’t – I don’t need to know so they don’t tell me – anything, sir.”

Under her fingers, through the sting of reawakening nerves, she can feel the edge of the bone pressing at the inside of her skin. If it was Riven he wouldn’t have let go, he wouldn’t be letting her cradle the arm against her chest. He wouldn’t be giving her the space to put her words in order. She tries to hold onto that.

“It’s, it’s in our files,” she volunteers. “There’s, somewhere there’s files on all of us and it says what clearances we have – there’s, codes for everything, different teams and, operations, and ranks, and – you need someone more important than me, sir, I’m sorry, you need, Maclauren or, or Bloome, or – someone more important than me. I-it’s in our files, it says what we’re allowed to know.”

The warlock sighs, and pinches the bridge of his nose. He looks at Ari cringing on her knees, and she swallows back more apologies. He doesn’t want to hear it. She can practically hear his thoughts – great, the only one who wants to talk to him and she’s fucking useless – well they don’t put people like her in charge of anything, do they. She isn’t brave enough to say so. He’ll figure it out himself or he won’t.

He has a few more questions for her. She’s still no use, but he doesn’t hit her again. She starts to hope that maybe he believes she really doesn’t know – and she dreads the thought too, because if she’s not any use for talking, she is only good for entertainment or revenge or – whatever they want to call it. There’s no good outcome here. All she can do is try to earn less-bad.

“We’re not done with you,” the warlock tells her as he leaves. “No, sir,” she agrees miserably. “I’ll cooperate, I swear I’ll keep cooperating.” “Yeah,” he says, “We’ll see. Don’t forget I want your fucking password.”

The door swings shut and locks with a ka-clunk.

One day this door’s gonna close on you and never open again.

Ari shuffles herself to the back corner of the cell. She leans her less bad arm against the wall. She expects to cry, but there are no tears. Just full-body shudders to keep her broken arm burning no matter how she tries to hold it. She rests her head against the wall’s cool concrete, and she breathes.

[imgonnago]

˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚ ERIS NOTT — next generation era

family: daughter of theodore nott and daphne greengrass; twin of ares nott and little sister of nicolas nott

ARES NOTT — he/him, slytherin

NICOLAS NOTT — he/him, slytherin | friend group: ross warrington, rafael zabini, troy goyle, montgomery vaisey

hogwarts house: slytherin

love interest: james sirius potter (he/him, gryffindor) — best friends to lovers

friend group: ares nott, ethan mclaggen, freya parkinson, nathaniel montague, apollo malfoy, leo finch-fletchley

꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷

— OTHER PEOPLE

* adelaide carrow (slytherin)

albus severus potter (slytherin)

alice longbottom (ravenclaw)

* anastasia carmichael (hufflepuff)

* apollo augustus malfoy (slytherin)

* ares nott (slytherin)

* ariadne elizabeth pucey (ravenclaw)

* caterina wood (hufflepuff)

* charlotte juniper (ravenclaw)

craig bowker jr (slytherin)

* dane rookwood (slytherin)

dominique weasley (ravenclaw)

* ethan mclaggen (slytherin)

frank longbottom ii (hufflepuff)

fred weasley ii (gryffindor)

* freya parkinson (slytherin)

* henrico wood (gryffindor)

hugo granger-weasley (gryffindor)

james sirius potter (gryffindor)

* jaqueline towler (ravenclaw)

* jeremy macdougal (ravenclaw)

* jordan adam macmillan (gryffindor)

* julian flint (hufflepuff)

karl jenkins (ravenclaw)

* katelyn peakes (gryffindor)

* keith calahan (ravenclaw)

* leo finch-fletchley (slytherin)

lily luna potter (gryffindor)

lorcan scamander (hufflepuff)

louis charles weasley (hufflepuff)

lucy minerva weasley (gryffindor)

lysander scamander (hufflepuff)

* malyna brown-patil (ravenclaw)

* marcus lovegood-zabini (ravenclaw)

* martha goldstein (ravenclaw)

* mavis flint (slytherin)

* michael clearwater-burrow (ravenclaw)

molly weasley ii (gryffindor)

* montgomery vaisey (slytherin)

* nathaniel montague (slytherin)

* nicolas nott (slytherin)

polly chapman (gryffindor)

* rafael lovegood-zabini (slytherin)

* raquelle macavoy-preece (gryffindor)

rose granger-weasley (gryffindor)

* ross warrington (slytherin)

* rowan finch-fletchley (gryffindor)

roxanne weasley (gryffindor)

* samuel sloper (slytherin)

scorpius hyperion malfoy (slytherin)

teddy remus lupin (hufflepuff)

* tobias chang-dooley (slytherin)

* tristan jordan (hufflepuff)

* troy goyle (slytherin)

victoire gabriella weasley (ravenclaw)

* xander thomas-finnigan (ravenclaw)

yann fredericks (gryffindor)

* yvonne crabbe (slytherin)

[randomestfandoms-ocs]

Oh no you can't reblog that much crossover ask games I'll be tempted to send you thousands 😭🥺

🔁

well since you asked (also be tempted do it my inbox is open ask limit is fake)

but this list is still too long to it's under the cut!

I did the super mega long version that I sent you that was head empty just vibes, this one is slightly less head empty but still all vibes (still down for any of those but this is based a bit more on knowing more about the ocs now! also took off the ones we've talked about more bc they're set in stone now no escape)

Mike Lore & Jem Skeates

Mike Lore & Cressida Brantley

Mike Lore & Crystal Solace

Mike Lore & Victoria Blofis

Mia Barnes & Evelyn Rogers

Mia Barnes & Mia Pierce

Mia Barnes & Tyler Barton

Elliot Walker & Betty Fabray

Elliot Walker & Demi July

Elliot Walker & Jeremy St James

Elliot Walker & Joy Schuester

Elliot Walker & Kendall Pierce

Elliot Walker & Savannah Evans

Nathaniel Simmons & Abbie Hudson

Nathaniel Simmons & Betty Fabray

Nathaniel Simmons & Jeremy St James

Nathaniel Simmons & Joy Schuester

Nathaniel Simmons & Kendall Pierce

Nathaniel Simmons & Savannah Evans

Victoria Vill & Alvina Strange

Victoria Vill & Ava Potts

Victoria Vill & Diana Moore

Victoria Vill & Wendy Parker

Victoria Vill & Jaden Jameson

Victoria Vill & Pippa Ross

Elys Herondale & Adina Lightwood

Elys Herondale & Alya D'Angelo

Elys Herondale & Annabelle Bane

Elys Herondale & Ariadne Blackthorn

Elys Herondale & Astrid Roseflare

Elys Herondale & Cassiel Fell

Elys Herondale & Clem Wayland (if I can ever find a Clem fc that reinspires me)

Elys Herondale & Evanna Garroway

Elys Herondale & Hannah Dawnwell

Elys Herondale & Rebecca Wayland

Kayla Winchester & Elle Winchester

Kayla Winchester & Esther Colt

Kayla Winchester & Phoebe Winchester

Kayla Winchester & Trix Stilinski

Kayla Winchester & Rachel Winchester

Eden Rosier & Adriana Flores

Eden Rosier & Eurydice Crouch

Eden Rosier & Gemini Black

Eden Rosier & Holly Evans

Eden Rosier & Rosalind Greengrass

Rosalind Potter & Adriana Flores

Rosalind Potter & Eurydice Crouch

Rosalind Potter & Gemini Black

Rosalind Potter & Holly Evans

Kit Barton & Anya Barton

Kit Barton & Bianca Davis

Kit Barton & Cora Royce

Kit Barton & Dominique Barton

Kit Barton & Elizabeth Barton

Kit Barton & Ezra & Nicholas Barton 

Kit Barton & Kassandra Maximoff

Kit Barton & Peyton Parker

Kit Barton & Sabina Maximoff

Kit Barton & Sammy Barton

Kit Barton & Tyler Barton

Jess Hearts & Eliane

Jess Hearts & Hannah Westergaard

Jess Hearts & Harley Hook

Jess Hearts & Raina Gold

Jess Hearts & Rosabelle Legume

Jax Hearts & Beatrice

Jax Hearts & Eliane

Jax Hearts & Fitz Rider

Jax Hearts & Gloria Gothel

Jax Hearts & Hannah Westergaard

Jax Hearts & Harmony

Jax Hearts & Hero

Jax Hearts & Keto Jones

Jax Hearts & Raina Gold

Jax Hearts & Rini

Miles Henderson & Angelica Hopper

Miles Henderson & Camila Nelson

Miles Henderson & Heaven Orella-Munson

Miles Henderson & Jacob Hopper

Miles Henderson & Jessica Wheeler

Miles Henderson & Kaylie Hopper

Miles Henderson & Kimberly Harrington

Miles Henderson & Rhiannon Ballard

Miles Henderson & Serena Brenner

Miles Henderson & Sidney Hopper

Miles Henderson & Stacey Byers

Miles Henderson & Valerie Rush

[dopesotherstuff]

Silly and Cute VTMB Headcanons and OC Details 1

Ariadne is switching to a ghoul dog soon. She then wants to learn Animalism specifically so she can talk to her doggie. She probably won't admit to that.

Jeannette watches the auras of others a lot. Not only does it help her read people, but it's one reason she doesn't care about physical good looks. Everyone is full of pretty, shiny light.

LaCroix misses horses, not just because he enjoys riding, but because of their goofy personalities as well.

Strauss has developed a good working knowledge of geek culture and magic in modern media just from dealing with apprentices who walk in with a thousand amusing misconceptions.

Beckett has occasionally found himself in situations where he had to pretend to be a large, friendly dog. He denies this if asked about it.

The Southland Slasher (has anyone ever found out this guy's canon name?) completely babies his dog, and locked him up when he started getting visits by vampires so he wouldn't try to protect his Daddy and get hurt.

[ocmerunaway]

Ella Ross, a favored harlot, finds herself caught between Lady Repton & Lady Fitzwilliam....can she keep both?

[gryptids]

do all your ocs know each other or do they have subgroups?

EEE thank u for asking!! The OCs I tag for on Tumblr generally fall into three universes/stories. (Also I had to rewrite this like 3 times bcuz Tumblr's ctrl+z function is broken and I kept doing it reflexively, so apologies if this makes no sense lol)

As The World Caves In (#culecore): A 70s-inspired eldritch horror romcom about a woman on the verge of a nervous breakthrough. When a one-night stand leads to world-shattering revelations about her connection to a distant eldritch god, Cara (far left) must confront love, loss, forgiveness, and her community in order to halt an impending apocalypse. Dealing with centuries of relationship drama from her demigod paramours is just the icing on the cake. Messy, queer, and unapologetically indulgent, this is essentially a creative sandbox that I play in almost 24/7!! I love smashing together these terrible little bitches like dolls :]

From left to right we have Carolyn Klein (main character, cuntress supreme, can easily whip a dish that will bring you to tears), Saoirse Ross (not-really-tortured artist, grappling with the world's most protracted identity crisis, eldritch splinter of Chaos), Jude Collins (walking Leyendecker illustration, Captain Autismo, eldritch splinter of Light), and Victor Ward (depressed line cook energy, massive flirt, eldritch splinter of Void).

Threads of Gossamer and Glass (#tgg): A high fantasy political thriller about what comes after survival, reinventing your mind upon meeting someone new, and trying to not break the world in half a second time. This is a novel-length work I'm currently working on, which means I have a novel-style blurb for it LOL:

"Maria has worked her entire life to secure a seat in the Artea Crea, an artist's guild that serves as the highest governing body in her home nation of Trevigi. But when her sister's illegal magical abilities are discovered, she's given an impossible choice; play diplomat in a suicide mission to a land of savage mages, or see her sister hanged. However, Maria quickly discovers that there's more to Peykangraz that meets the eye; deadly games of magic and politics, a mountain range that appears to be shifting, and a powerful mage who is as confounding as he is alluring. With every new ally, deal, and discovery, she begins to glimpse the buried truth that lies between the land and her mission. But what is she willing to risk -- and to lose -- in pursuing what she believes in?"

(art by the lovely @dying_anniris on Twitter!!)

&Lavender (#&lav): In a story that extrapolates the machinations of the fae courts onto high-class mob politics, Lav finds themself walking the razor edge between worlds when their quiet life collides with the unknown. As a jeweler specializing in intricate gem faceting, Lav creates flashy pieces for humans and fae alike, performing humanity for their clients through a combination of glamour magic and ascerbic wit. The Courts ignore them, and they ignore them right back. As a wyldfae -- too unimportant to be considered Seelie or Unseelie -- they're used to the lack of interest. But when a dangerous artifact comes into their possession, they must risk everything and forge an alliance with a member of the Unseelie Court to protect it. What follows is a saga of lust, destruction, and all the terrible things that happen when you understand how much you're truly worth.

Plus, I've got a few miscellaneous OCs (including Beverly, a waifish Texas cannibal, and Ariadne, a vampiric Oath of Conquest paladin) who fall into their own individual universes! Together they form the Insane Blood-Splattered Women Brigade <3

TYSM for asking!!! I love the chance to talk abt my guys... feel free 2 ask more questions abt them if you're curious!!!!

[shadowworldwanderers]

Masterlist

Stories on AO3

Old Intros

Introductory Pages:

Morvant-Adjacent Babies:

Sunny ‘Rose’ Sonnshine

Lilah Reed Nyx Bloom Chuck Dourif Helena Reese Matheson-Adjacent Babies: Emilie Mayson Adelaide Dean Deanna Louis Ellie Sutton Marisol Swinton Delilah Symonds

Merrilees Marston Candice Castor Samantha Marston Calleigh Dean Amanda Matthews Judith Ellison Desmond/Desdemona Mercury Matilda Westwood Charlotte Jessica Burlingame Alexia Mill Hannah Hardstone Willow Walker Barbara Dean

Jessike ‘Sike’ Logan Elvie Ellory Cassidy Cole Elen Ellis Carlie/Carl Connor Essie Ellory Jenni Oriel  Jessamyn ‘Jess’ Oriel  Jessika ‘Sika’ Oriel  Josie Oriel Jodie Oriel  Jazz Oriel   Jemima ‘Jem’ Oriel Jemma Oriel Jade Oriel  Jasmine ‘Mina’ Oriel  Jo Oriel  Janine Oriel Juliet Oriel     Coralee ‘Cora’ Matthews Millie Meadows Joey Jackson Josh Jackson Gia Wolfe Darla Wolfe Arlene Wolfe Brigitta Wolfe Donna Amato Gina Amato Jeanne Amato Aria Amato Willow Amato Carla Amato Fiona Amato Fiamma Amato Isla Amato Inga Amato Anton Allegro Vincenzo Lombardi Solina Ramirez Lolita Sanchez Marisol Espinoza Jodeyne Morrison Ellory Masterson

Mallory McMichaels

Raffaela Romero Malina Ramirez Lina Markov Candida Crowe Adelaide Marconi Emilie Porter Dervla O’Brady Ava Viva DiLorenzo Jessica Dallas Melissa Madison Katrina Archibald Abigail Novak May Southerlyn April Meadows Julie-Anne Callas Pippa Galston Thea Tallis Kate Isles Lily McQueen Jewel Estella Richardson Alexia-Mae Cathstone Eliza-Beth Leigh Izzy ‘Six’ Sexton-Richards Alice Anais Andrews Britta Roslin Julie Dark Alexandra Jane Castle Jodie Noelle Richards Tallie Marx Michaela Philippa Kingsman Love Aniston Jessie Cole Tali Rice Hollie Mann Madison Mitchell-Mann Roslyn Hall Cariad Hall Joe-Lee Parton Bobby Parton Jim Parton Sonny Parton Lupa Wolfe Anne Rose

Belle Rose Jade Orton Jennifer Orton Jessica Orton Mirabelle Orton Judith Amato Angel Croft Brittany Walker Julietta Day Billy Bristol-Ives Tony Bristol-Ives Julianna-Rose Winstanley Sam Salmon Joe Vattore Danny Richardson-Drake  Mickie-Stephanie Cullen Megan Valentine Millie Maus Mattie Maus Georgina Thompson Finnley ‘Finn’ Shore Sera Shore River Morrison Max Willows Savannah Morrison Lola Claus Mira Claus Mellie Claus Maxie Claus Mirabelle Claus Missy Claus Maura Claus Maisie Claus Mindy Claus

Morella Claus Jack Wilson-Patterson

Bindi Wilson-Patterson

Freya Dalton

Michaela Swallow Elizabeth Walker

Edward Woods

Nadira Richards & Cyrene Roberts Britta Pike

Marguerite Beaulieu Agnes Guirale

Agnetha Guirale

Anya Mazur

Joelle ‘Joey’ Sink Jessica Mae Faust Ginny & Joey Brixton-Masters Honey & Jake Brixton-Masters Katie Fine River Swallows Roan Swallows Reese Swallows Shadow World Babies: Angelike Kirk Eliana Olivier Marisol ‘Sunshine’ Corazon Annabella Sciorra Gianna Fioretti Rhiannon Ellis Cara Sutton Kat Trellis Kimber Bell Marisol Lees Ria Leigh Delilah Daae Hanna Weiss Mindie Swallows Kismet Christian Juliette Loomis Vanessa Myers Arielle Sea Ellie Dewey Lace Belle Esme Innocent Katie Rollins Cherie ‘Cherry’ Garcia Jessie Wolfe Erin Willows Suzannah Davies Emilia Loss Melanie Jeffries Meredith Greylek Kelly Greylek (No relation to Meredith) Cassidy Rubirosa Candice Banks Kendra Copper Ariadne Todd Desdemona Hex Raven Rose Candace ‘Candy’ Caine Angelina Haven Mina Schiff Callie Dennis Esme Ross Susanna Johnson Consuela ‘Connie’ Sanders Raffaela ‘Raffi’ Angeles Ariel Warton Syren Sirena Hela Helios Anne Dread Rose Rayes Hope Evans Faith Hopkins Elizabeth ‘Eliza’ Eames-Olivet Alexandria ‘Alex’ Eames-Olivet April Dawson June May May Engel Augusta Haim Billy Wolfe Savannah Stanley Stanley Cyprus Kellie Cyrano Bella Wolfe Mina Marston Nadiya Corazon Annalise Sciorra Samantha Southhall Amelia Borstein Elena Greenwood Elizabeth Preston Suella Randall Marienne Rubirosa Lilith Morningstar Saralee Rayes Destiny Dracula Martha Curatola Solina Dracula

Valentine Dracula Queenie Annabeth Queen Lily Sharpe Isobel Rubirosa Rose Wolfe Lily Marigold Savannah Rider Marigold Rose Baby Baker Mami Morrison Sugar ‘Sweet’ Sunshine Melody Eros Allie Gayson-Enders Pippa Gayson-Enders Michaela Orville-Hampton Janet Orville-Hampton Mariposa Shadows Lolita Mayhew Tamberlyn Alexara Sukila  Arielle Denver Suzanne Denver Thalin Chelsea Heart Jessica Brisbin Henna Jenkins Dora Jessop Kathleen Shore Samantha Carson Sarah Carson Karen Nielsen Belinda Andrews Amelie Ellis Sister Tatjana Nichols Madison ‘Sugar’ Fuller Daniel Rabebe Angelika Rabebe-Cortez

Lady Liandrin MacBeth Juliet MacIntosh John-Ross Croft Annchi ‘Angie’ Croft Morgana Addams Angeline ‘Angel’ Verna Lane Eulalie Tamerlane Poe