#both chasing each other all the time rattling the bars of my cage IS THIS SYMBOLISM

[daisychainsandbowties]

shin and sabine are really caught together in a homoerotic vortex of “too stupid to live too stubborn to die”

[thebookreader12345]

From Real Wife to Work Wife

Pairing: Jay Halstead x reader

Summary: Y/N and Jay, who have recently gotten married, must now discover how to leave their relationship at the door of the district when they become partners in the Intelligence Unit

Requested: Yes, by anonymous

Warnings: kidnapping, mention of guns and killing, light swearing

Word Count: 2,025 Words

“Ugh,” I groan as Jay and I stopped in front of the district. “I hate this stupid ‘leave your relationship at the door thing.’ Why couldn’t Voight keep Hailey with you instead of pairing her with Vanessa?”

Jay shrugged. “Don’t know, but come on, I know you’ve wanted to be my partner since the day you got up here.”

I laughed and pushed my satchel higher up on my shoulder. “You wish. I’ve been partnered with Kevin since starting in Intelligence, and I love it with him.”

“Uh-huh. All right, give me a kiss,” Jay said and opened his arms.

I smiled and fitted my body in the space between Jay’s outstretched arms. Jay pulled my body closer to his chest, wrapping his arms around my waist as I tugged at his shirt to bring him down closer to me. As I pressed my lips to his, Jay strengthened his grip around me, and our lips moved in sync with each other. When we finally disconnected our lips, Jay held me close to him, resting his chin on top of my head.

“Well, I guess it’s time I become your work wife instead of your real wife now,” I declare, causing Jay to laugh.

“I guess so. Lets get to work,” Jay stated.

Inside of the district, Jay and I walked up the stairs side by side without holding hands, which we usually would have done, but not couldn’t because Voight said so. The only thing that kept me from getting through this was the fact that Voight said Jay and I would only have to be partners until Vanessa had gotten used to being with the team. When I entered the bullpen, Kevin was waiting for me, and he extended a cup of coffee in my direction.

“Thanks, Kev. You’re the best,” I confess and give him a hug. Kevin was way taller and bigger than me, but that made our hugs even better. It almost felt like I was being smothered, but in a good way.

“Anything for you, Y/N. Hey, any word on when we’ll be partners again?” Kevin asked me.

“Not yet,” I reply. “For now, you’re stuck with Adam and Kim and I’m stuck with Jay.”

“You make it sound like that’s a bad thing, which it isn’t,” Jay pointed out and took a seat at his desk.

“I know, but I liked the way things were before. Kevin and I have the same connection you have with Hailey. We just work,” I say.

“Hey,” Adam spoke and poked his head out from the hallway that led towards the stairs and garage. “Voight wants everyone to suit up.”

“Copy that. We’ll be right there,” I respond.

...........................................

Jay held his radio up to his lips. “Anyone got eyes on our suspect?” he asked.

“Negative. Rojas and I are going to check out the side entrance,” Hailey replied.

“I’m going to make my way towards the middle of the factory. Maybe Mike is hiding out there,” I inform Jay.

“Okay. Be safe,” Jay told me, giving my hand a small squeeze.

“I will,” I say and emerge from my hiding spot with my gun raised, scanning the surrounding area. So far it was quiet, and from what I could tell, there was no one here. Maybe we had the wrong location? I continued walked into the factory, and soon, I was out of everyone’s sight. Just then, someone came up from behind me and slapped my gun from my hands, causing it to clatter against the cement floor feet away from me. I went to call out for backup, but Mike wrapped his arm around my neck, pressing his forearm against my throat. With his other hand, he covered my mouth and began to drag me away from the direction of Jay. I kicked and struggled in the arms of my captor in an attempt to get away, but nothing worked. That’s when I came up with a plan, but it wasn’t a good one. I bit the hand that was covering my mouth, and Mike cursed, shaking the pain out of it.

“Jay! Help!” I scream out into the abandoned factory. I was really hoping that Jay or someone would hear me because I did not want to be taken by our suspect, who, by the way, was a serial killer. As Mike was distracted trying to cover my mouth again, I managed to free myself from his grip and lunged for my gun. However, I came up short, and as I went to reach for my gun, our suspect grabbed my leg and dragged me back towards him. 

“Get off of me!” I shout and kick at his body as he got me back into the same position as before with one of his arms around my neck.

“No can do, lady. You’re my ticket out of here,” Mike admitted. At that moment, Jay came around the corner, and when he saw the position I was in, he aimed his gun at Mike, who tightened his hold on me/

“Let her go,” Jay spoke.

“You’re going to let me out of here,” Mike stated. “Or else I’m going to blow her brains out.” That’s when I felt cold metal being pressed against the side of my head, and I knew it was a gun. I could see Jay strengthen the grip on his gun, his finger hovering over the trigger. “I would think twice about firing” Mike said and clicked the safety off on his gun.

“Jay, its okay. I’m okay. Just put your gun down,” I say.

“Y/N, he’s got a gun trained to your head. I’m not putting my gun down,” Jay explained.

“Please,” I beg. “Just put it down.”

Jay sighed, but followed my order, placing his gun back in his holster. “Now its your turn,” he told Mike. Mike did the same and placed his gun away, but kept his arm around my neck. “Let her go, Mike.”

“No. She’s coming with me. Lets go,” Mike snapped at me and started dragging my body towards the back entrance, the only entrance that was unguarded at the moment since Hailey and Vanessa had moved to the side of the building.

“Y/N,” Jay called out after me, but it was too late, because Mike had already yanked me out of the building.

Jay’s POV

“Voight, Mike’s got Y/N. I’m going after her,” I explain over the radio.

“Halstead, you can’t. What did I tell you? Leave your feelings at the door. We’re going to get her back, but you chasing after a psychopath with a gun is not going to help Y/N out. Stay put,” Voight asserted.

“But Sarge,” I protest.

“Stay put, Halstead,” Voight demanded.

Y/N’s POV

“Where is everyone?” I mumble and glance through the bars of the cage I was sitting in. Mike had taken me back to his “secret lair”, which was in the basement of some other abandoned factory. Then he had taken anything off of me which could, according to Mike, “prove to be harmful.” That meant he took my handcuffs, pocketknife, and for some reason, my jacket and shoelaces. What made things worse was that he used my own handcuffs to keep me situated in the cage.

At that moment, Mike walked into the room with a backpack and started packing his things up. He grabbed clothes, money, and all sorts of other supplies, meaning he was going to run. I just hoped the team could find us before Mike took off.

“Hey,” I announce and rattle my handcuffs against the cage bars. “You said that I was your ticket out of that other factory, so why haven’t you let me go yet?”

Mike turned to face me at the sound of my voice, and he smirked. “Sorry sweetheart, but things change. I’ve got other plans for you now. As soon as I’m done packing, I’m going to have to kill you.”

“W-what?” I stutter. 

“I’ve got to tie off loose ends, and you are one big loose end. If it makes you feel better, I’ll let you choose how you go out. Would you prefer to be shot, strangled, or stabbed?” Mike asked me.

“None of those sound very appealing,” I grumble as I recounted that those methods were how Mike had killed his previous victims.

“Well, I’m done packing, so either you choose, or I’m going to choose for you,” Mike informed me.

“I’m not choosing. You’re not going to kill me,” I say.

“Stabbing it is,” Mike spoke and reached for the knife next to him before kneeling down in front of the cage I was in. When he opened the gate, I backed myself up as far as I could go, which wasn’t far seeing as the cage wasn’t that big. As Mike reached for my foot to drag me towards him, I slipped my foot free of his grasp and kicked him in the face. “You bitch,” he spat and lunged for me.

With my hands cuffed behind me, I was at a severe disadvantage, and I knew that if I didn’t do something, I was going to die down here. “Help!” I scream at the top of my lungs, still kicking at Mike to keep him at bay. “Help!”

“Shut up,” Mike barked at me and grabbed me by the leg, tugging me towards him.

“Let me go!” I cry out and attempt to get out of his grip. But it was no use because Mike now had me pinned down, the knife twirling between his fingers.

“Drop the knife. Drop it!” Jay shouted and appeared behind Mike, his gun trained at the back of Mike’s head.

Mike growled, and instead of putting the knife down, he stabbed it down towards me. That’s when I heard a gunshot, and just before Mike could reach me, he fell limp in my lap. I kicked his body away from me, but not before the blood had already stained my jeans.

“Hey. Are you okay?” Jay questioned as he went around the back of the cage to uncuff me.

“Yeah. I’m good. I’m fine,” I answer. Right when Jay uncuffed me, I climbed out the cage and threw myself into his arms. “Thank you for saving me.” Jay rubbed his hand up and down my back as I inhaled his familiar scent, and that’s when Voight walked into the room.

“Jay, I thought I told you to wait out back,” Voight chided and looked around the room, spotting Mike’s body almost instantly.

“Look, Sarge, I know you want Y/N and I to leave our relationship at the door, but I can’t. We can’t,” Jay clarified. “She’s my wife, and I would do anything to protect her.”

Voight sighed. “Okay,” he finally said. “I’ll lift the ‘leave your relationship at the door’ rule. But if I do that, I need you both to promise you won’t let it get in the way of work.”

“We promise,” I confirm.

“Good. Jay, take Y/N to the hospital to get checked on, and then head back to the district once you’re done,” Voight ordered.

“With all due respect, Sarge, I’m fine” I challenge. “I’m not hurt.”

“Knowing how Halstead is with hiding his injuries, I’m sure you’re not. You’re bleeding,” Voight pointed out and gestured to my leg. I looked down, and sure enough, I had a gash on the front of my right leg. I must’ve gotten it when defending myself from Mike. “Hospital. Now.” Voight demanded.

“Yes sir,” I say and take Jay’s hand, leading him out of the building.

“So are we heading to the hospital?” Jay asked me as we climbed into his truck.

“Hell no. I can just bandage this up at home. Voight won’t know the difference,” I respond.

Jay laughed and started up the engine. “You really are the best wife ever. Did you know that?”

I smiled. “It may have occurred to me once or twice. Now, lets get home. I don’t want to bleed all over your seats. I know how much you love this truck.”

“Yep. Best wife ever,” Jay stated.

______________________

Tag List:

@prettypyschoinpink @securityfriendly-jay @scarletsoldierrr @lorenakaspersen @virtualreader @carnationworld @caitsymichelle13​ @dreamingmanip @campingmonkey @winterberryfox @nevertoofarfromivar @anotherfan07 @giagma @mrspeacem1nusone @i-like-sparkly-things

[slashersins]

saving grace

part four

( part one ) ( part two ) ( part three )   ( part five )

brahms didn’t linger in the kitchen with cole too long after you took off . he shouted a bit more , slammed against the walls , hoping to scare the other man off . and when he looked freaked out just enough , brahms took off after you . 

there wasn’t a place in this house you could ever truly hide from brahms . but to someone who didn’t spend the entirety of their life inside these halls and walls , he knew this ‘ cole ’ would have a harder time in finding you . and find you brahms did . hiding in the closet of his own room , trying to open a situate his doll with shaking hands . 

“ y/n ? ” you almost choked , scared from the sudden quiet of only your panicked breathing to hear brahms call out . " y/n , i don’t like that man . i want him to leave . ” your shaking fingers skittered over his hair and porcelain cheeks as you pressed him closer to the wall in the small closet . 

“ i - i know . i want him to - ”

“ WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU , YOU STUPID BITCH . I’M NOT PLAYING THIS FUCKING GAME WITH YOU ! ”

you tried hard not to let out a frightened sob , you had to be strong . you had to protect brahms . be strong for brahms . be strong for greta . be strong and hide . “ i want him gone too . but don’t - don’t worry , okay ? i’ll - i’ll make sure he leaves . i won’t let him stay . okay ? ”

“ i want to help . let me help , y/n . i’ll make him leave . i can make him go away forever . ” brahms was pleading , wanting nothing more than to shove you inside of the closet with his doll self and lock the door while he took care of the current problem . “ i’ll make him leave . ”

“ brahms . . . sweetling , no . no , you can’t . he isn’t - brahms , i’m so sorry . but i’m going to have to break the rules . i’m going to have to leave you alone . okay ? you have to stay here . cole will try to hurt you if he sees you . he doesn’t - you have to stay hidden , okay ? promise me , please ? when cole’s gone i’ll come back and get you , i promise . just - you’re just gonna have to stay here , ”

brahms wanted to claw out of the wall . wanted to tell you the words you spilled out to him . how , when you were so utterly terrified of the stranger in the house , were you so willing to face him ? if it’d been any other kind of situation , he would have felt so special to know how important he was to you . but not now . right now he could only think about what kind to things that man could do to you . how he could hurt you . he had to convince you to stay hidden too . 

“ don’t leave me , please , y/n . i’m scared . hide with me ? please don’t leave me alone ? he won’t find us here . please ? y/n don’t leave me alone ! ”

“ Y/N ? ! ”

“ brahmsy , i can - ”

“ y/n , please . please ! i’m scared . i’m so scared . ”

it’s the way he begs , the way he sounds like he’s crying . the way that cole’s heavy steps seem to get closer . you can’t leave him . even if you wanted to . even to get cole to chase you in the opposite direction and keep brahms far away , you can’t leave him . with a shaky nod you climb inside the cramped closet , holding brahms close and petting over his hair . “ i’ll stay . i’ll stay . don’t worry brahms . i won’t leave you . don’t be scared . it’s - it’s gonna be okay . ” you only half believe the words . you know what cole can do . but you need to say it . you need brahms to believe you . and you need to believe the words yourself too . 

it’s only a few minutes , but it feels like hours . you pressed against the wall of the closet , trying to meld into it and disappear . brahm’s on the other side , pressed so close that he could feel the old wood start to splinter from the weight he put on it . you’d been able to hear cole tear up the house from your hiding place . been able to hear his curses and yelling and shouting as he tried to find you . but so far you were well hidden . your ears strained to hear the sound of the front door , the sound of a car , anything to tell you that greta and malcolm were back , anything beyond cole’s rage .

brahms was doing much of the same . his focus on you while his ears picked up on every little noise in the house . anything that would have him telling you to run . he could just leave you here by yourself , go find the intruder and end him . but the fear in your eyes , the hiccups you tried to hide from forcing yourself not to sob out , it made him stay . it distracted him . it made him focus on you instead of the sound of footsteps coming closer . and then closet door was flung open .

“ COLE , NO ! STOP IT ! LET ME GO ! ”

“ will you shut the fuck up ? ! ”

you were clinging to brahms , holding him desperately and trying to cage him under you . even as cole grabbed at your hair and arms and tried to drag you out of the room . brahm’s own child like cries demanding him to let you go seemed to echo from the walls . cole only growing more and more furious as he managed to get you into one of the parlor rooms . 

“ get away ! get away from . y/n ! ” brahms was screaming , hitting the walls and looking around the room . he needed to get to you . needed to stop this man from touching you . from hurting you . 

“ cole ! what the hell are you doing ! stop that ! get off of them ! ” greta . 

“ hey , get off them ! ” malcolm . 

you let out a relieved sob , as greta rushed to your side , dragging you close as malcolm took a swing at cole . shaken up and hurt and scared , you couldn’t find the words . you couldn’t make out to greta that you should all go . that you all needed to get away from cole . but the look in greta’s eyes . the fear and fury in them told you that she already was well aware of what needed to happen . 

and then malcolm hit the floor with a groan . both of you startled greta instantly flying to malcolm’s side as you stayed rooted in place . eyes moving between the man wheezing in pain on the floor from a fight he couldn’t have won even if he’d been prepared , and the the man who was now turning his furious attentions to greta . 

“ where the fuck have you been greta ? trying to run out on me . stop being a fickle bitch and come back home . you don’t belong here . this , all of this , it’s your fucking fault . i didn’t want to do this , greta . you made me do it . do you want it to get worse ? well ? answer me . ANSWER ME ! ”

“ shut - shut up , cole ! you did this , you fucking monster ! ” greta barked the words at him , each syllable seeping with venom as she got malcolm into a sitting position and held him close . she barred her teeth at cole . he’d been so cruel , made her believe so many terrible things that weren’t true . made her blame herself . and it had you , and recently even malcolm , that helped her heal from all that pain . she wasn’t about to let cole bring her this low again . and she wasn’t about to go down without a fight . “ don’t you care come any closer to any of us you bastard ! don’t - ”

this was a side of greta that cole had never seen before . she never stood up for herself . for others . she never had the guts . she was supposed to be weak and submissive and under his heel at all times . but this . . .this was completely opposite of what he’d hoped . just some harsh words and a few slaps to the face should have been more than enough to get greta into his arms again . but instead . . . and he knew who to blame . his furious gaze landed on you , where you tried to stand up , still clinging to doll brahms like a life line . this was your fault . greta was like this because you brainwashed her into thinking she didn’t need him . well . . . maybe he could return the favor . 

you had no time to brace yourself for cole reaching over to you , grabbing one of your arms in a bruising grip while he yanked on the doll with another . the audible ripping of seems echoing in your ears as you cried out and tried to reach for brahms . cole merely tossed you into a near by coffee table , not caring how you sobbed out in pain . 

brahms was back to nearly destroying the walls when he saw you fall . hurt as you were , you still held an arm out in the doll’s direction . it had brahms seeing red . soon his demands were rattling the room . his fists on the walls making them creak and thud and splinter . “ get out of the house . don’t touch , y/n . get out . i’ll make you go away for ever . get out of the house . go away . i’ll kill you ! ”

“ cole , let him go , please ! cole , don’t ! ”

“ cole , put him down ! you don’t know what you’re doing ! ”

both you and greta shouted out to the man in panic . both of you starting to scramble to get closer .greta out of fear of what brahms would unleash if his temporary body was broken , you in fear that brahms would be lost forever if his vessel was destroyed . but cole only laughed at the pair of you . he laughed as he raised the doll over his head and tossed it harshly towards the ground . he laughed when brahm’s hit the hard wood shattering . he laughed as he heard you scream . 

for a few moments there was only shocked quiet . greta frozen in fear , clutching malcolm as she stared between cole and the broken doll . it was so quiet . too quiet . even the way you seemed to let your hands flutter over the broken pieces of brahms porcelain face , the way you tried to hold all the pieces to your chest and wept made no sound . it was quiet . so terribly quiet . 

then the mirror broke . it was enough to catch the attentions of the room . all of you looking wide eyed at the now broken mirror , the shattered pieces scattered over the floor and hanging jaggedly to the frame . for another moment there was nothing . just silence and harsh breathing filling the air . then a hand , curling against where glass was once stuck to the frame against the wall . a leg moving to step on and break the glass on the floor more under it’s weight . the rest of the body followed , leading to the sight of a porcelain face . 

“ oh . . . oh my god . he’s real . ”

“ he - it’s - ”

“ brahms ? ”

if it had been any other circumstances , brahms would have acknowledged you . but he was seething with unfiltered rage at the man who’d hurt you . at the man who had you sobbing on the floor . who tried to destroy his home . brahms felt guilt eat at the back of his mind . he should have come out sooner . he should have taken care of this problem . he should have , he should have , he should have . . . but he hadn’t . he let that guilt add coal to the fire , let it pick up intensity as his shoulder’s heaved with heavy breathes . in his hand was a fire poker , his fingers twirling it lazily as he watched the man who’d turned this evening into a nightmare . 

“ what the fuck ? who the fuck are you ? greta , what the fuck is going on ? ” cole didn’t get to ask any more questions as brahms moved forward . swift , fast steps and he was bashing at cole with the fire poker , grunting as he tried to beat him down . cole was strong , but brahms was smarter , angrier . getting him to the ground was the first step . he needed him down , stabbing and waving the fire stick wildly , death in his dark eyes . 

greta was screaming , fight or flight telling her to save cole from the man who came from the walls . malcolm had enough sense and strength to keep her by his side , grabbing at her and trying to get her to stand so they could run . you were stuck in place . mind moving a million miles a minute as you watched how the man from the walls savagely beat cole down . 

it was brahms . the boy you’d been taking care of . the one you would spend hours with talking , reading , listening to music . the one you fed and put to bed and cared for . this wild beast of a man , tall and dangerous and so very much alive . it was brahms . and you couldn’t look away . rooted in your spot you watched as brahms held cole’s face to the floor and took a broken shard of his doll’s own face to stab him in the neck . you watched as cole’s body twitched and then went limp . you watched as brahms , your brahmsy , your sweetling , turned , chest heaving , hands coated in blood , and looked down at you . the broken body of the doll still held close to your chest .

it was surreal . and your breath caught in your throat . you could see the danger wildfire in his eyes . the way they seemed almost glazed with adrenaline . and you couldn’t stop yourself . you reached out , lips parting to call his name , to call him closer . and brahms took a step forward .

and then greta grabbed your hand , tugging you us and towards the door , the scream of “ run ” echoing in your ears as she pulled you away from the room . away from brahms .

[perseusjackson-jasongrace]

Empires on the Horizon XII

Jason is a CEO: Part XII

Here’s my masterlist for the next part and my other stuff

Just wanted to say thank you for being so patient with me. It means more than you could ever know. I love you guys! Please enjoy.

TW: violence

I hope you understand

you need your own love

more than they do.

-Dhiman

Good day this is Jason Grace. I’m currently unavailable. Please contact my office if you need to get a hold of me.

The music blasted in his ears, rattling every cell in his brain, shutting down each transmitter, pounding against every cage. It was not loud enough, he could still feel his heart, could still hear things. The treadmill under his feet beeped as he increased the speed again. Why wasn’t this working? Why was he still here? He’d been running so long he should be on Mars by now.

Good day this is Jason Grace. I’m currently unavailable. Please contact my office if you need to get a hold of me.

FUCK.

He jumped off the machine and flung his phone across the room. He couldn’t do this. He wasn’t strong enough to do this.

His phone went off again, and he’s annoyed he didn’t break it in his rage. Apparently even destroying something was an impossibility for him. The thought was so pathetic he couldn’t help but let out a sharp laugh.

Good day this is Jason Grace. I’m curr–

“Okay!” He yelled, “I’m answering the fucking call. Just shut up.” He stabbed at the screen until the dial tone started up again.

“Jase?” Annabeth Chase sucked in a breath.

“Yes, what is wrong?” He knew he was being rude but he didn’t feel like it. Didn’t want what was about to happen.

“Can we come in?”

“You guys are outside my apartment?” He scowled.

“Uh yes,” She winced, “We tried knocking but you didn’t answer.”

He cut the call and walked to the front door, yanking it open with enough force to rattle the hinges.

“What do you want?”

Leo Valdez just levelled his gaze at him and stepped into the room.

“Guys, I know you mean well but I really don’t have the energy for this.”

They both ignored him, putting down the shopping bags on his kitchen counter and shoving stuff in the fridge. Leo hit the button on the coffee machine and grabbed three mugs from the cupboard.

Jason didn’t even have the strength to ask what was going on, he just collapsed onto a bar stool and put his head to the cool marble. His friends moved around him in silence, putting things away, washing the minimal dishes in the sink, and straightening the pillows on the couch. Eventually he felt them come nearer, leaning against the counter and looking at him.

“Jase,” Annabeth said softly, “Please look at us.”

He debated pretending he was asleep, but he knew they wouldn’t fall for it. With a deep breath he raised his head and stared into their matching eyes of love.

“Stand up,” Leo requested, voice gentle.

He felt his lip wobble, felt his throat close up. But he stood.

“Come here my darling.” They held out their arms.

He looked at them and collapsed to the floor, sobs catching like swords in his chest. They enveloped him as his tears soaked their clothes. He heaved with heart ache and loneliness, betrayal.

“I can’t do this,” He cried, anguish a serrated edge on his tongue. “I can’t do this.”

The just kept holding him. His friends for these years. His family through it all. They sat on the floor trying to catch all the pieces of him that broke off with each sob, not a word to interrupt his grief. And when the day blackened as dark as his lungs, they held each other by the light of the moon, and let the stars witness the destruction they caused.

***

Jason walked into his office for the first time in a week and pretended to be on a call as he avoided the chatter his employees would undoubtedly try to engage him in. A tight-lipped smile and an apologetic motion at his phone left them in their seats and far away from him. He wouldn’t be here for long. No he just had to sort out a few things and then he was packing up his crushed elation and taking himself to a place no-one save for the birds would be able to talk to him.

His office was just the way he left it, some documents neatly piled on his desk waiting for his approval, the blinds half closed so the sun still filtered in but didn’t blind, and his computer opened to the email he had been typing to Zoe about a holiday they should go on. It took everything in him not to smash the screen with the little cactus paperweight Hazel had bought him.

“Boss,”

Think of the assistant and they shall appear.

“Yes,” He didn’t bother to look up as he shuffled through the awaiting files.

“How-“ She gulped, ‘How are–“

“Levesque,” His voice was cold but it was the only way to get through this, “I mean this in the nicest way possible. Please don’t ask me that. Thank you for being concerned.”

She nodded, jaw-snapping shut, but he could see all the questions burning in her eyes. Instead she released a shaky breath and asked, “Will you be back at work full time? I just need to know if I should be transferring calls to you or putting in an out of office notification.”

He frowned, mulling it over. He could work, he should work. But everything reminds him of his failures. Of the things he didn’t see coming. And his job was nothing if not full of surprises. As he’s about to tell her his decision his phone rang.

His sister’s name flashed across the screen and he knew he couldn’t keep avoiding her.

“Fina-fucking-ly.” She grumbled, “Gees Jase. It’s like you’re purposefully ignoring me. Are you ready for today?”

He was so caught off by her question he forgot all about telling her the news. “Today?”

“Do not tell me you forgot,” She sighed, “We’re supposed to meet Octavian today. Give the idiot a piece of our mind.”

“Oh,” He muttered eloquently, “Are we still doing that?”

“Well I don’t know about you but I’m pretty pissed he dared to hurt one of our own so yes I do think we’re still doing that. Also this is the only day Bianca has so get your ass out of your office and meet me outside Titan Industries in twenty.”

With that the phone gave an obnoxious beep and the screen went dark. He scrubbed a hand over his face, trying to gather the scattered thoughts in his mind.

“We’ll talk later,” Hazel, still waiting at the door, nodded before waving a goodbye and disappearing into her office.

Sighing he gathered his things and trudged down to his car. Might as well get this over with and then tell his sister about Zoe. No matter what had happened between them Octavian still deserved whatever was coming for him. What he did was abominable.

The Titan Industries building loomed over him as he parked the car in a loading zone and hopped out. He was being that dick today, but he just couldn’t bring himself to care. Thalia swerved in next to him and behind her an array of cars stopped. A team of suited people poured out, black glasses, and head pieces to match. It looked fake enough to be comical. But then a woman in four-inch heels, a gunmetal coloured suit and a smile made from terror stepped out and he knew it was anything but fake. Or funny. She was the single scariest thing he had ever laid eyes on, and he knew what his sister looked like angry.

“Bianca!” Thalia jumped excitedly, racing towards the woman. They embraced with a laugh and a quick catch up. She fist-bumped a few of the bodyguards and then walked towards him.

“Di Angelo,” She smiled, “Please meet my brother Jason and the reason we’re here today.”

“Oh I know all about Jason,” Her voice was low but clear, like everything she said had purpose.

“You do?” He tried not to let the shock take over his features.

“I know everyone who hangs out with my brother. If they don’t get clearance from me they disappear.” She said it with such casualness he would have thought she was joking if the gleam in her black eyes didn’t hold a challenge.

‘Well,” He laughed awkwardly, “Glad I meet your approval.”

She just tilted her head and looked at him. A panther waiting to pounce. A competition waiting to be won.

Thalia who looked entirely too amused clapped her hands, “Shall we then? I wore my blood-stained pants for this.”

“Period stains or other stains?” Bianca asked, mirth dancing on her lips.

His sister just snorted and pushed open the Brobdingnagian door. None of Bianca’s bodyguards followed them in but he knew it didn’t matter. Between her and Thalia he doubted they would be needed.

“We’re here to see Octavian.”

The receptionist gave them a sickly-sweet smile, “Do you have a meeting?

“Tell him it’s Jason Grace from Anemoi Empires.”

Moments later they were being escorted into an elevator and taken up to the big boss himself.

“And what do we have here?” An oily voice grinned, “An intervention? Interrogation? Investment?”

“Octavian Haruspex,” Bianca drawled, examining her long black nails briefly.

“And who might you be?” He snooted, giving her a filthy look.

She smiled slowly and Jason swore the temperature in the room plummeted.

“Does it really matter who I am?”

“Greatly,” The blonde sniffed, leaning against his desk with arrogance, “I prefer to know who I’m speaking to.”

Her laugh was razor sharp as she focused her glittering eyes on him. “Bianca Di Angelo.”

Those pale blue eyes widened, shuttered, blinked. That was all the surprise he would show.

“And what is the Queen of the Underworld doing in my building? With these,” He pulled his face into a look of distaste, “With company such as them.”

Thalia growled, “I’d watch how you speak boy.”

He deigned to laugh, “What are you going to do? This is my empire. You’re just visiting.”

“She’s right,” Bianca said softly, moving to stand by the window.

“What do you want?” He scoffed, “I have work to do.”

“Piece of shit.” Jason muttered, fingers curling into fists at his side.

“I’m not the one who strung your company along for weeks only to deny them the greatest investment opportunity money could buy.” That greasy smile was back.

It took everything in him not to reach over and smack it off his face. “We’re not three-year olds Octavian. Sometimes business doesn’t work out. What you did–“ He breathed, anger making the room red, “What you did was disgusting.” He can feel the exhaustion tugging in his spine. Like a weighted chain wrapping around him.

“What I did?” He raised a bleached brow, “And what exactly did I do Jason Grace?”

“Okay,” Bianca sighed, like she was already bored with the conversation, ‘I’ve had just about enough of this.”

Before anyone could blink a dagger was embedded in Octavian’s table, millimeters from his fingers.

“Bitch!” He cursed, ripping his hand away from the shining blade. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

“We don’t believe in lawsuits Octavian. It’s no necessary when people like you deserve to rot at the bottom of a sewer.” Thalia spat.

For the first time since they came in, Jason could see a flicker of fear in the man’s pale face.

“Fuck you,” He grunted, “You can’t prove jackshit.”

“We don’t have to prove anything.” Bianca grinned, “That’s not how street justice works.”

And before he can say another word, she was standing in front of him a second dagger titling his chin up and laughter playing in her eyes, “Now listen, if you ever, and I mean ever touch Jason, his associates, his family, his friends, the person he blinks at on the sidewalk, ever again I will have you erased so violently history will not be able to string the letters of your name together.”

A tiny drop of bright red blood fell to Octavian’s crisp white shirt as his glared at the woman in his space. “Fuck you.”

“Not even if it meant I could rule heaven,” She giggled coldly.

Her face pulled taut, “They are under my protection, from now until the Ouija boards can longer summon me in my grave. If you or your own ever go near them.” She snapped her teeth at him, “Well let’s just say my bodyguards are very creative with their outdoor activities.”

A dark stain spread over Octavian’s grey pants and Jason had to clamp a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing. Fucking coward. Can order a person to stab someone but cannot even handle a little threat.

“Don’t bother doing business on our side of town again.” He hissed. The man didn’t say anything as they turned away. The dull crack of a bone echoed behind him and Jason turned to see his sister leaning over a bloody Octavian, shaking out her hand.

“That was for stabbing my friend, you fucker.”

Through his red teeth he grinned at her, “Your friend huh?”

“What the fuck does that mean?” His sister spat.

The vile man turned towards him, “And has she broken up with you yet?”

Jason wanted to strangle the smirk of his face, wanted to throw up. “It’s none of your business.”

“Isn’t it?” Octavian smiled.

“Come on Jase,” Thalia tugged at his arm, “He’s not worth it.”

He let her drag him away, but the businessman’s unsettling grin played a loop in his head. There was something distinctly wrong about the situation. He had the eery feeling he wasn’t done with Octavian Haruspex just yet.

When they finally made it outside, the sun was still shining brightly as if what occurred could never stain the glory of the world. They said their thank you’s and goodbyes to Bianca and her team of people, Thalia promising to come around soon.

“So,” She grinned at him, “How do you feel?”

“Tired,” He rolled his shoulders, “That wanker got what he deserved but it didn’t make me feel better.”

In a rare moment she opened her arms, a silent offering. He stepped into them without hesitation and drooped onto her shoulder.

“Thals–“ He mumbled, trying to keep the tears at bay, “Zoe and i–“

“I know Jase,” She hugged him tighter. “She called me. Said to tell you she’ll never be sorry enough.”

The dam inside him burst, “Everyone is always sorry. But does anybody actually care?”

She stroked her hands over his back and carried his burden on her shoulders too.

“I think,” She said after a moment, “I think you should go away for a little while. You haven’t had a proper break in nearly three years.”

“Where will I go?” His blue eyes were blurry with tears.

“We have that house in Panarea.” Her voice was soft, soothing in his ear. “Maybe go there for a little while.”

“And what about Project Hestia? And the company? You know I’m starting the Conservation Conversations initiative after Hestia and there’s still so much to close up for the mini projects, and I have that water–“

“Jase!” She frowned, her blue eyes matching his glinted with sternness, “Your company will survive without you for a week or two. Hell it’ll survive for one or two months. But you aren’t going to survive another day if you don’t get some rest.”

“I just–“ He sighed, “I feel bad for abandoning everyone.”

“If you don’t stop, you’ll abandon us permanently and I will literally bring you back to just to kill you myself if you do that.” She squeezed him, “So just go to Italy for a little while. If you want, I’ll stay here and keep things in line. I’m sure Leo and Beth know what to do where I don’t. And Hazel is more than competent enough. Not to mention Frank.”

He took a deep breath, letting the options buzz around in his mind.

“I swear if you come up with one more excuse I’m going to duct-tape your mouth and ship you off myself.”

He gave a burst of laughter and wiped at his eyes, “Okay, okay. I’m going to Panarea. But you have to let me get my life sorted first. I’m not just packing up and taking the first flight out.”

“Deal,” Thalia smiled, and when she gave him one last hug, he realised there were some things in the world he would never want to control.

***

“Okay,” He popped his head around the door, “Flight is booked for two weeks from now.”

She gave him a thumbs up, “And you’re sure you’re okay to go?”

“I’m fine, you worry pot. I promise I’m not going to crumble to dust.”

“Okay,” She looked dubious, “It just seems like you got over all of this really quickly.”

“It was coming for a while,” He shrugged, “She is magnificent, but she isn’t mine.”

“I’m just worried you’re suppressing your feelings and as soon as you have five minutes to breathe, you’re just gonna break down instead.”

“I promise if I breakdown I’ll call you to come get me,” He laughed, “Now, how about we go over the checklist for the trip. And don’t forget to book a hotel for me please.”

“Where are you going again?”

Gorgeous eyes glittered as he caught the sunset lighting up the room in dainty colours. Gods he loved the sun. Loved that no matter what it rose and fell every day and the way it changed colours each evening and again each morning. The way it astounded him no matter how it looked.

“Daydreamer?” Rachel prompted.

“Oh,” He blinked back into the world, “I’m going to Panarea.”

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

What in the world is going on?????

Tags (if you want to be added to/ taken off the tag list just let me know, all my channels of communication are open):

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@leydiangelo​​

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[abused-sides]

No [Whumptober 2020]

Note: I’m doing whumptober as a series. Check out the tag #whumptober 2020 v on my blog to read in order. Also on ao3.

Prompt: No. 12: I Think I’ve Broken Something [Broken Trust] 

Synopsis: Janus and Virgil run into the perfect opportunity to escape

Trigger warnings: Cults, gaslighting/manipulation, restraints, kidnapped, non-con, humiliation, treating people like property, blood, knives, violence/beatings, a person in a cage, guns, body horror/gore, reference to murder/hate crimes/child death/minor character death, vomiting, non-consensual drugging, burn scar mentions and brief descriptions, off-screen dumpster diving, major characters talking about potentially dying (but I don’t write major character death so no worries there), let me know if I missed anything 

This particular fic could be seen as unsympathetic Remus, but it was not written that way. Remus is sympathetic in this au. 

Word count: 614 

October 14th. 9:32 am. 

“Breakfast!” 

Virgil cracked his eyes open as Remus unlocked his cage. Janus rolled out his shoulders, watching in confusion. 

Virgil settled into Janus’ side as Remus handed them both their plates. They ate silently, Remus sitting to the side and scribbling in his planner. 

“Where’s Styx?” Virgil finally asked as he set his empty plate down. He curled under Janus’ arm. 

“They’re in a meeting.”

Janus raised an eyebrow. “Who’s in a meeting?”

He shrugged a little and looked at them nervously. “Everyone.”

Janus and Virgil glanced at each other. “Everyone,” Virgil said, “like everyone?” 

He shook his head. “No. There’s a few guards wandering around. Please don’t get any ideas.”

“Don’t get any ideas?!” Virgil jumped to his feet, pulling Janus with him. “How long will they be busy?” 

“A few hours,” Remus said reluctantly. “But you can’t leave.” 

“Why not?!” 

“You’ll get caught,” he insisted. 

Virgil laughed and shook his head. “You saw how close we got with all hands on deck. All we’ve gotta do is avoid a handful of guards, and with your help, we could be miles away before they even realize we’re gone!” He looked to Janus for help, eyes wide. 

Janus bit his lip. “It’s a good opportunity,” he settled on. He looked at Remus with begging eyes. 

Remus rose and dropped his planner. He stood between them and the stairs. “I’m telling you,” he warned, “you’ll get caught. Please trust me.” 

Virgil barked a laugh. “Right. Come on, Janus, let’s get out of here.” 

He tugged Janus past Remus, Janus following helplessly. Remus grabbed Janus’ other hand. 

“Please,” he begged. “Please don’t leave-”

Remus cried out as Virgil punched him in the jaw. He stumbled back, Virgil and Janus racing up the stairs. Remus pulled something out of his bag as he chased after them. Something clicked, and Virgil gagged as he nearly fell down the stairs. 

Remus dragged him back into the room by his leash. 

“What are you doing?!” Janus froze, looking between the door and Virgil. 

“Go!” Virgil cried as he stumbled towards his cage. ���Run, go get help!” 

“Remus, let him go, please.” Janus’ eyes watered as he inched back into the room. “Why are you doing this?”

Remus wouldn’t look at either of them as he stuffed Virgil into his cage and chained it shut. “I can’t let you go. You’ll get caught.” 

“You’re full of shit!” Virgil snapped. “You’re a fucking liar, and you’re just like them! You’re too scared to come with us but you know Bates will kill you if we leave on your watch! Fuck, Janus, run!” 

“Please get back in your spot,” Remus begged in a hushed voice. “We’ll both get in trouble. And they’ll hurt Virgil again.” 

“He’s lying. Please go, get out of here.” 

Janus wiped his eyes and shakily sat in his place. Virgil growled as Remus chained him to the pipe. 

“I’m not leaving you,” Janus mumbled. “We’ll get away some other time.” 

“Thank you,” Remus sighed. “Thank you. I know you don’t trust me anymore, but I promise, I swear, I’m protecting you.” 

“Just get out,” Virgil snapped. “Leave us alone.”

Remus’ watery eyes fixed stubbornly on Janus’. “Please tell me you know I’d never hurt you.” 

He swallowed. “If I was in your position,” he whispered, “I’d do the same thing.” 

“But that’s not-”

Virgil slammed his hand against the cage, the bars rattling. “GET OUT!” 

Remus turned and snatched his bag as he rushed up the stairs. The door slammed behind him. 

“You still trust him?” Virgil grumbled bitterly. 

Janus closed his eyes to keep in the tears and tipped his head back. “No.”

Kofi and commissions, 1 coffee = 300 words of your prompt  

[ducktracy]

104. buddy’s lost world (1935)

release date: may 18th, 1935

series: looney tunes

director: jack king

starring: jack carr (buddy)

the first of the buddy cartoons that includes a shot of his smiling face (à la disney), a tradition that would be carried on with the beans cartoons and a handful of porky cartoons. though i suppose you could also count the numerous “bugs bunny in”s, too. considered the first entry of the dinosaur cartoons, a popular genre in the looney tunes universe, buddy and his dog bozo discover the “lost world”—a prehistoric haven whose novelty wears off rather quickly when its dangers are exposed.

buddy’s all set to disembark on his quest, his sail advertising “CAPT. BUDDY’S EXPEDITION TO THE LOST WORLD”. he greets a cheering crowd by shaking his fits proudly, eating up the attention. he starts the motor of his boat (meaning the sail is entirely redundant, which i love) and rockets off. unfortunately for his crowd, he forgot to untie the rope anchoring him to the dock. the entire dock plummer’s into the waters as his fanbase all try to swim to shore.

a nice back angle of buddy and his pal bozo riding in the boat, heading for land (buddy excitedly proclaiming “land, bozo! land!”). if i’m not mistaken (it’s been a few months since i’ve seen the cartoon), the same shot would be reused with porky in fish tales, another jack king short. a wave propels them to shore, the boat screeching to a halt. buddy and bozo disembark, bozo yapping happily while buddy unravels a map. he yells “oh boy, it’s the lost island! hooray! oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!” buddy sounds like an actual kid here. i‘ve seem a source or two list child actor jackie morrow as a voice credit for buddy, but i can’t attest to its validity. so, for the time being, jack carr will be a placeholder name until i figure out elsewhere (like the johnny murray/max maxwell situation with bosko and his changing voice, especially in his later WB cartoons)

elsewhere, bozo spots a pair of footprints. he sniffs them out, causing them to inch forward slightly. more sniffing, more inching. he follows the footprints through an area decorated thickly with trees, continuing on. the trees are no trees at all, but the legs of a massive dinosaur—good staging. the dinosaur angrily stalks bozo, who is stalking the footprints. only when the dinosaur snorts does bozo realize he’s being followed. terrified, bozo zips away, whirling past a woman jump roping.

in the midst of his panic, bozo comes across a caveman digging at the dirt like a dog. ...interesting. the caveman growls at his uninvited visitor, both of them circling each other on all fours. finally, the caveman dips into his hole and brings out a giant bone under his protection. the caveman runs away, and bozo, now curious, digs at the ground.

bozo finds a bone... and plenty of them. he unearths an entire dinosaur skeleton, getting trapped inside its ribs. he yowls for help, catching the attention of buddy, who had been wandering the island. he spots his shanghaied pooch and tries to tug him out, but to no avail. he meanders to the skull of the dinosaur, prying open its jaws and whistling for bozo to come to him. bozo gratefully darts out of the dinosaur’s mouth and covers buddy in thankful kisses.

back to the caveman/dog hybrid, who now has a tail? he didn’t before, which is odd. i wonder if that was an additive or a subtractive—was he originally supposed to have one and they forgot? or was one of the animators putting his own flair on things? he’s sniffing at some bushes, scratching behind his ear with his foot while buddy and bozo discreetly observe. unable to stand it any longer, bozo launches after the caveman, buddy chasing behind.

bozo and the caveman take their chase into a cave, buddy getting the short end of the stick and slamming against a rock that closes the entrance off. unbeknownst to buddy, a hungry plant licks its lips and looms behind him, a good setup as buddy obliviously calls for bozo as the plant comes in for the kill. buddy realizes he has company, but too late. the plant swallows him whole. buddy tumbles through its inside, a rather creative segue as he pops out of another plant attached to a cliff.

it’s just as well—buddy stumbles across civilization. the underscore for this scene is... confusing. it’s “lullaby of broadway”, from the musical gold diggers of ‘35 (not to be confused with gold diggers of ‘33. and, of course, the cartoon gold diggers of ‘49). it’s a catchy song, absolutely, but a song whose lyrics entail “the rumble of the subway train, the rattle of the taxis” doesn’t quite fit the mood for a prehistoric village. maybe that’s the point, though, and i’m just thinking too far into it. likely it was probably used as for advertising purposes for the movie, like a discreet merrie melody. the village is thriving, villagers playing croquet, with wishbones serving as the wickets.

buddy is mesmerized and takes a closer look, sliding down a tree trunk that actually turns out to be a happy dinosaur. meanwhile, three prehistoric caricatures of the three stooges pop up (wonderfully weird) and observe buddy. larry shushes curly, who sneezes, and the typical eye poking slapstick ensues. back to buddy, who feeds his dinosaur companion an apple.

larry devises an incomprehensible plan, sneaking away from the group. funny how larry’s the villain, you’d think moe would be the one. larry spots bozo, who’s tied up to a tree (did he escape?). larry unties him and ties him to what appears to be a giant mousetrap.

bozo cries for help, and buddy, still playing with his dinosaur friend, hears him and runs to the rescue. buddy attempts to free his pooch, but to no avail. instead, he activated the trap, metal bars enclosing the two as larry approaches his victims. moe and curly come sauntering over, larry signaling for them to push while he pulls. moe gives curly a sock in the head for good measure before pushing the cage.

who knew the three stooges were cannibals? buddy and bozo are in a boiling pot while the once happy villagers are chanting on the ceremony. we have a collection of gags to lighten the mood. after all, it is a feast! a man presses down on a dinosaur skeleton’s teeth, chimes reverberating against the ribs. elsewhere, two cavemen do a waltz, intermittently hitting each other on the head. the same gag would be reused in naughty neighbors, executed in a much funnier manner. probably the most amusing part of the cartoon (though porky’s poor attempts to harmonize with petunia in “would you like to take a walk?” is also a highlight). nevertheless, it’s still a funny gag.

buddy cries for help as the pot begins to stir, and his dinosaur friend hears his shrieks. i love the perspective on this shot. in motion, it’s a little wonky—as though they didn’t know how to truly commit to the perspective all the way through the scene. this is the best it looks in this single key frame (though i’m sure that’s also the result of a different animator for the inbetweens). i applaud them for trying. jack king’s cartoons aren’t my favorite, but i do like that he has an eye for cinematography, like a predecessor to frank tashlin. the dinosaur approaches the crowd, grabbing a caveman (who i think is supposed to be larry) and tossing him towards the camera, much to the delight of buddy and bozo. he tosses another identical caveman, a random rock appearing and disappearing from the scene.

the dinosaur dips its head into the pot and scoops up both buddy and bozo. buddy slides down the dinosaur’s neck and lands comfortably on its back, the dinosaur gingerly placing bozo beside him. buddy crowns the dinosaur with his captain’s hat, and we iris out as buddy gets covered in kisses by both bozo and the dinosaur.

as far as buddy cartoons go, this one wasn’t too bad! still rather mediocre, but less mediocre than others. i wasn’t too excited about this one, but i’m always glad to be proven wrong. having the three stooges as three cannibals was a very interesting plot point i never woukd have guessed in a million years. speaking of plots, the weird caveman/dog hybrid... i guess that was just there for the sake of being there? it felt too extended to be a gag, like a plot point in itself, but also feels too loose and discombobulated to the actual plot at hand. nothing very exciting in the cartoon, but it was cute. maybe worth a watch just because of how strange it is. i’ll always value absurdity!

link!

[dead-inside-mcgee]

The doctor and the demon Part 1

This is the longest fic I’ve ever written, pray for me. This is basically, Beauty and the beast, but with Antistein and a touch of Darkstache.

________________________________________________________________

Once upon a time, in a far off country, there lived a humble farmer and a medic. The two were as close as brothers. Chase Brody and Henrik Schneeplestein.

Together to two friends ran a farm and lived happily. Chase would trade Crops with merchants and neighboring towns. Henrik would help anyone who was injured, Chase made enough to support them, so Henrik rarely charged for his treatments. He knew many couldn’t afford to.

As winter drew nearer, the demand for crops raised. The two grew enough food the last the winter so Chase would bring a cart of their harvest to the next town over, to see what they would trade it for.

Every time, as Chase slipped on his coat and prepared to leave, he gave Henrik a kiss on the forehead and asked one simple question.

“I am leaving soon. Do you wish me to bring you anything, back?”

And every time Henrik would answer with the same request.

“I only wish for you to come home safely.”

Chase smiled and hugged him. He insisted, that Henrik should ask for something, anything.

“Will, if you insist on bringing me something. All I request is a red rose.”

“But you ask for that every year,” Chase exclaimed.

“And every year you bring it,” Henrik leaned in to kiss Chase goodbye.

Chase saddled up the horse, and with a little help from Henrik, attached the cart of crops. He road off right as the sun began to rise.

“I’ll be back before the first snow, I promise!” Chase called.

“I’ll be waiting,” Henrik called back.

As the sun fully raised into the sky, the roster stood upon the roof of a house and crowded it’s morning call. The town began to wake up, as children poured out of houses to head to school, and adults began to open up their shops.

As much as Henrik wanted to go back to sleep and rest till Chase returned, he knew injuries were quite common in the small town, and many would need his help.

The day went by as usual. There were fewer injuries today than Henrik thought there would be, so he supposed he could make a trip to the bookstore and return a book he borrowed. Unfortunately nothing could ever be that simple.  

Henrik was stopped by a tall, looming figure. He slowly looked up to see the man's face. The man was lean, and buff. He wore black pants and a black coat. His skin was pale, almost gray and his hair, a raven brown. Before the poor doctor stood the town asshole, Dark Iplier.

Next to Dark stood Dark’s henchman. Wilford Warfstache. Wilford was slightly taller than Dark, he wore a yellow, button up, with pink suspenders. His hair was bright pink, and as far as Henrik could tell, he was always drunk. Wilford trailed after Dark like a dog expecting a treat. It was kind of sad.

Henrik would be the first to admit, that he found Dark attractive, but other than that, Dark didn’t have much to go for him. He would never understand why every single, man or woman in this town seemed to be head of heels for him, or why Dark seemed to be Head over heels for the doctor himself.

“Hows my little doctor doing?” Dark said in a condescending voice, that made Henrik want to vomit. Dark put a hand under the doctor’s chin as if he were about to pull him into a kiss.

“I’m doing just fine. Thank you very much,” Henrik said trying his best to keep his cool. He slowly pulled away from Dark’s hand.

“What are you doing out on a day like today? Usually you stay inside and read like nerds do,” Dark said. Henrik wasn’t sure if he was being intentionally insulting, or if he was just an idiot. Judging by the look on his face, it was probably the latter.

“I’m going to return a book to the bookstore,” Henrik stated. He stiffened and hoped that if he showed no emotion, Dark would get bored and leave him alone.

Luck wasn’t on Henrik’s side as Dark snatched the book he was holding, out of his arms.

He opened the book to a random page, and flipped the book upside down. “How do you read this, there's no pictures?” He held the book at a different angle, as if that would do anything.  

Henrik clenched with fists and concentrated on staying calm. Luckily before Dark could do anything else to set him off, Wilford intervened.

“Com’s on Darky. Give ‘em ‘iz book back,” Wilford’s drunken’ state caused him to slur his speech and stumble over his feet.

Dark growled at the man, before begrudgingly giving Henrik’s book back to him.

“Thank you, Wilford. At least one of you is decent,” Henrik mumbled the last part.

Wilford grinned and leaned on Dark’s shoulder to steady himself. While Dark was distracted with Wilford, Henrik slipped away.

Dark push Wilford off of him and watched him fall. Once he realized Henrik left he shouted.

“Look at what you’ve done, you pink fool! He’s gotten away.”

“I didn’t do anything. You were the one you was buggin’ him over a book,” Wilford seemed to be more sober.

“I wasn’t bugging him. I simply wanted to ask him out,” Dark tried to defend himself.

“Yeah, sure,” Wilford unsteadily, stood up. “Why are you pinning after him anyway? He clearly doesn’t want you? Why don’t you go for someone who does?” He sounded like he had someone in mind.

“Because, you pink haired imbecile. He’s the only one in this town who matches my intelligence and good looks,” He said was if it were obvious. Dark wandered away to find a bouquet.

Once he was out of earshot Wilford muttered, “Intelligent, my ass.”

Meanwhile Chase was traveling down an old path. He swore that he knew the way to the next town, but as time went on it was clear that he was getting more and more lost.

It was getting dark and the forest was getting thicker and more twisted. Soon Chase had to go grab the lantern from the back of the cart.

“Maybe we took a wrong turn at that cross road,” Chase said to no one. The horse neighed in response.

It got darker and darker and soon the little lantern wasn’t going to be enough. In the distance a wolf howled.

Chase shivered. He hoped he could find some sort of shelter before those wolves found him. If not, he was dead. He couldn’t die, how would Henrik support himself. He shook his head, he will make it home and everything will be fine.

A wolf howled again, this time it was closer.

“We should turn back,” Chase said, his body shaking, not just from the cold. The horse neighed, Chase took that as a yes.

 He pulled the reins, right as he began turning he saw a figure move right on the edge of his light. He called out.

Twelve hungry looking wolves surrounded him. His horse buckled in fear, knocking Chase off and running away with the cart.

Ten of the wolves ran after the horse, the other two began advancing on Chase, who laid helpless on the ground.

When his horse knocked him off, his lantern smashed and set a branch on fire. In self defense he grabbed the branch and swag at the wolves.

He wasn’t injured, so flaming branch in hand he ran.

Chase was never a good runner, he knew that. After only a short sprint he was already growing tired. Right when he was about to lose hope and accept his fate he saw a fence and an open gate.

With a final rush a adrenaline he made it past and quickly shut, and latched the gate. A wolf scratched him through the gate, nothing to big, but man did it hurt.

Starting from the gate, all the way to a castle, there was a cobblestone path, lined with statues. The statues made Chase want to turn around and take his chances with the wolves.

Each statue was a detailed, and very terrifying monster that seemed to be staring into his very soul. They stood like they were waiting for him to pass by so they could snatch him up and eat him.  

Chase shuddered.

Walking down the path, the air around him seemed to get colder. After passing six statues, on both sides, Chase could see his breath.

The statue that stood above the doorway of the castle, made Chase change his mind about going inside. Instead he began circling around the side of the house, hoping he could curl up in the horse stable or something.

Along the side of the house, Chase found a garden. It was almost as big as his farm, full of plants he’d never seen before. The wind seemed to whisper to him.

Don’t go in the garden. It seemed to say. Chase waved it off, believing he might be going insane.

He wandered about, until he came across a field of white roses. In the center, there was a bright red rose, like the one Henrik requested.

The red rose, seemed to glow, or maybe it was just the moonlight reflecting off the drops of water that clung to the petals.

Almost in a trance, Chase trudged through the field. He was aware of the thrones, pricking him, but at the moment he didn’t care. If he couldn’t bring back anything from the town, he would at least bring back the one thing Henrik wanted.

Slowly and carefully, Chase pulled the rose up by its roots and held it up like it was a price he’d won.

In the blink of an eye a figure appeared before him. It was tall, far too tall to be human. Slowly he looked up, to see the figure’s face.

Chase was to frozen in fear to scream. The figure before him looked exactly like the statue above the doorway.

The monster lifted him up by his coats collar, and pulled the rose from his hand.

“Ten years,” The monster growled. “Ten years, I’ve guarded this rose, and you think you can just take it?”

“I’m sorry! I didn’t know!” Chase pleaded. He was shaking, tears began spilling from his eyes.

“You’ll learn soon enough,” The monster said. It dragged Chase through the field, scratching up his coat and back.

Through the door and down a flight of stairs, until they came to a dungeon. It walked to the first cage and throw Chase inside.

Chase called for help, and rattled the bars until his throat hurt and his hands were sore. Defeated, Chase curled up on a pile of hay in the corner of the room and tried to sleep.

It was so cold he could see his breath. His ripped coat provided little warmth.

He didn’t know how much time had past, but later in the night, Chase saw a light coming down the stairs. He hoped someone was coming to save him or let him out.

Instead he saw, what looked to be, a floating candle. Chase was sure he was just tired and hallucinating. That was until the candle spoke.

“Hey! You there! In the cage,” The candle called. Now Chase was sure he was insane.

“What the hell?” He muttered.

“I want to help you,” The candle said entering between the bars, “I can keep you warm.”

“Are you gonna do that by setting me on fire?” Chase asked.

“No, no. Of course not,” The candle giggled.

“I must be going insane,” Chase said.

“Oh,no. You’re not. We’re were all cursed into becoming house things,” The candle explained. “Our master got it worst of all. He was the one who put you in here. You’ll have to forgive him, that rose is our last chance of becoming human.”

Chase groaned, too tired to really understand what the candle was talking about.

“I’m Marvin, by the way,” Marvin the candle introduced. “You should sleep now.”

Chase still wasn’t sure if this was real or not, but he did feel warmer so he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.