#but i'm kinda back because yeah .. i desperately need to be distracted when i'm not busy working or doing voluntary service

[sunfyredarchive]

just reminding you that i deleted the rotting asks in my inbox so consider this a revamp. if we had a thread going on that you'd like to continue, please let me know in private ( and send me a link if you can i literally lost everything ), thank you for your patience & understanding. p.s. i can also be found at @helbroth & @summerkng.

[think-dry-thoughts]

holy shit I woke up from the hottest piss dream I've ever had and I haven't yet recovered 😳

in the dream I was taking a nap with my partner and work up be sure he kept moving around. I opened my eyes to see him squirming there on the bed, his hands wandering around near his thighs and a massive bladder bulge above the waist and of his pants

So naturally first I'm like "what's wrong baby? Are you okay?"

and he goes "no, someone is in the bathroom right now and I think they might be getting in the shower. I has like a gallon of water before bed."

And so yeah even in the dream I'm incredibly flustered so I'm just laying there stroking his hair trying to help him relax

but then the squirming gets worse and his hands shoot to his crotch and he pretty much squeezes himself into a teeny ball

and I'm like "sweetheart, are you sure you're gonna be able to hold it?"

and he just kinda shakes his head and whimpers in pain and he just looks so sad and needy

so when the bladder contraction eases up enough for him to relax a bit again, I ask him "do you need a distraction?" and hesitantly he nods at me

NSFW BELOW THE CUT

So I pull his clothes off and immediately get my hands on his dick. I look up to him.to make sure it's okay, but he seems so happy just to have the relief of his dick being held that he doesn't seem to mind one bit.

Slowly I begin to play with him and get him hard, and little moans start to join the whimpers of desperation. I pull my hair back, stoop down to his dick, and lick it all the way upward, kissing his bladder when I hit the top. He whimpers at me in what is either pain or confusion, and I just smile and begin to give him head.

As it goes on I know I can't get him too close, because he won't be able to hold it if he gets off, so I have to take breaks to calm him down and tease him.

At this point he's kicking and squirming and doing everything he can not to piss, even trying to hold onto his dick that is very much not accessible to him right now.

"Please," he whines at me, "or I might piss down your throat."

I keep sucking anyway, enjoying the tease and making sure to give the base a good squeeze every once in a while to help him hold.

He moans my name as his thighs shake and his hands continue to squeeze open and shut on his thighs. He hasn't safeworded, so I just keep going on him. I can see tears starting to drip from his eyes as he struggles to contain the rest of the flood.

All of the sudden, it's like a switch is flipped, and he starts breathing really harshly, grabs my hair, and rips me off his dick just in time for a teeny spurt of piss to come shooting out onto his chest. He's panicking, and I'm just taking in the lovely scene before me.

As he panics, I can tell he's about to completely ruin the bed, and as much as I would love to see it, I know he would be mortified. I calmly get up and grab a large insulated cup from across the room, then slink back over and sit down with him, screwing off the lid.

"Here baby," I start, trying to get his forceful grip away from his cock so I can help him. "I have a cup baby, let me help."

He looks at me with such guilt and fear, and I simply kiss his forehead and guid the cup into position, grabbing his dick so he doesn't have to hold it. He leans back against the headboard like he's trying to relax, but it just isn't happening.

"Sweet boy, relax for me," I coo at him, rubbing his bladder gently with one hand and sturdying the cup with the other. His thighs still shake with need, but not another drop comes out. He looks like he is absolutely miserable.

"I love you," I say to him, and he tries to mumble it back.

"I'm really sorry for what I'm about to do to you love," I say, making sure the cup is completely stable.

I rub his bladder over gently once more before pushing into it hard, sending a gorgeous whine out of his throat and a burst of piss speeding out of his cock.

"That's it baby, now don't let it stop," I say, firmly massaging his bladder now.

He's shaking now, and his bladder is barely trickling, but at least it's progress. It's a few more seconds before his body seems to get the message that oh, this feels really good. I watch the tension drop from his shoulders, his eyes rolling back into his head as the trickle becomes a forceful stream.

He fills the cup for what feels like forever, panting and moaning softly. When his bladder finally slows, the cup is nearing the brim, but I don't want to make him stop so I just don't bring it up. It trickles to a stop with just enough space to close the lid, but I hold it there for a second. He shivers for a moment, and I push into his bladder, forcing the last little drops of pee to trickle out of his poor tired bladder.

I close the lid and look to my sweet partner, who is now half awake and entirely defeated. I set the cup on the floor, roll over to my love, and take him into my arms to finally relax.

It's at this point that I wake up, my partner actually in my arms, and spend the next 15 minutes pondering how much of that was real.

[bougiebutchbinch]

You know, if I weren't lazy I could give you an essay on how comic Wade is either closeted transfem or wants to at least medically transition even if he stays using he/him pronouns. I'd even site my sources in MLA format for you. I'd just have to find some very specific events, and it also relies on the idea that the scars are psychosomatic (which was implied in one of the Deadpool and Spiderman comics).

The only problem is on a good day I'm wishy washy about liking that (a physical representation of his poor mental health that people either ignore or out right demonize? yes please) but on most days I don't really like it as a concept.

oh goshhhhhh I am soooo here for transfem Wade!!!!

Should you ever have the spoons to deliver that essay, I for one would love to hear it.

She (or he, I think they're pretty fluid with pronouns, like Deadpool always is!) is the transfem who makes her gender identity A Big Joke for years and years and years, always laughing about 'haha what if I was a girl what if I was your girlfriend what if my pussy got wet whenever we fought what if I wore a maid dress for you what if that hahahaha wouldn't that be funny'

to the point where

everyone can kinda tell

it isn't a joke

but Wade's almost too afraid to acknowledge that it isn't? Like, she's been keeping her barriers up with comedy for so long, and especially growing up with her dad and then in the military, a BIG part of her is fucking terrified about what it means to acknowledge how she really feels about herself, let alone embrace it.

Anyway, I think one day someone (Vanessa?) would listen to Wade doing his usual bit about 'lol what if I was a girl' and would just say "You could be, you know."

Her tone is kind, gentle, and completely fucking serious.

And Wade suddenly gets

very

very

quiet.

For all of a minute.

"Yeah," he manages eventually, hoarser than ever. Flashing Vanessa a bright, cheeky grin that doesn't quite reach his (her?) eyes. "But then you'd have competition for being the hottest woman in this polycule, and we can't have that."

But maybe next time he takes Vanessa up on her offer to do his nails and make up, she catches him looking at himself wistfully in the mirror, and presses a little kiss to the side of his head.

"I'm ready for that competition whenever you are," she promises. "But you'd better bring your A-game. I'm not gonna go easy on you just because you're a newly minted girl."

Wade chokes out a laugh. She jerks away from her reflection like she's scared that she's been caught - then, tentatively, glances back again. Looking at herself, scars and high cheekbones and thin eyelashes darkened with mascara, and more scars, and all - before her nervous, sickly yellow eyes flit to Vanessa's.

Vanessa can see the want there. The yearning.

And she can see, just as clearly, the fear.

"Rain check?" asks Wade, fake-breezy. "Not that I'm not ready for you to kick my ass at the art of hot-girlhood, but you have had a lot more practice."

Vanessa finds her hand - fever-hot as ever, and just a little sweaty. She gives it a tight squeeze.

"Rain check," she agrees, not because she wants it, but because Wade needs it. Then, distracting her, because there's a fragile set to Wade's mouth, like she's letting something she so desperately wants slip between her fingers - "What colour should I paint your toenails?"

"Ooh!" Wade perks up immediately, clapping her hands in delight. "Wolverine-costume-yellow? Nonono, gunmetal grey for Cable! And Colossus. Okay, so maybe one yellow for every two grey? Hey, I'll do yours too~ We can match!"

She's adorable when she's excited. Vanessa drops another little kiss on one of the textured ridges that divides Wade's skull into continents of scar tissue. "Sounds like a perfect girls' night."

"Girls' night," Wade repeats, smile small and precious. Then, bouncing up from the chair in front of Vanessa's vanity - "Okay, game plan! I'll go put on the Golden Girls and make popcorn, you get the nail polish and the files. Sound good?"

"Sounds amazing."

[ronance4everbrainrot]

MMMMore incorrect quotes from Merlin Academy! (with ships) Long post

Maleficent: Listen, we’re done, we’re over! Okay?

Hades: Whatever bitch, you ain’t never gonna find no one like me.

Maleficent: Yeah, that's the point shithead!

(gasp the IT-couple has broken up. I have a feeling it could be like Jade and Beck but they are both Jade)

---

Fay: Fight me!

Hades: Ha, look at your size! What are you gonna do, kick my ankle?

*Later*

Morgie: Why is Hades crying?

Maleficent: Fay kicked them really hard on the ankle.

(Maleficent was impressed)

---

Fay: Why are we friends?

Maleficent: Poor decisions on your part.

(like either of you don't like each other. Ha ha)

---

Fay: So, I heard you like bad girls… I time travel in Animal Crossing.

(I don't even know what that means but okay)

---

Fay: Maleficent.. I'm gonna cry!

Maleficent: Please don't.

Fay, crying: Request denied.

---

Maleficent: I never understood why people cared so much about their dumb friends until I got a dumb friend myself.

Maleficent: *Picks up Fay*

Maleficent: I’ve only befriended Fay for a day and a half, but if anything happened to them I would kill everyone in this room and then my self.

(Only she is allowed to bully Fay)

---

Uliana: I'm bored.

Maleficent: Wanna commit first degree murder?

Uliana: Sure!

Ella, hearing them: No- Stop, don't do that! Put that knife down! Put Bridget down!!

(She is the mom of the group for some reason)

---

Ella: Don’t say a word.

Bridget: Fergalicious.

Ella: Bridget, I said no words.

Bridget: Oh, I see how it works. Two weeks ago, we’re playing Scrabble, it’s not a word, now suddenly it is a word because it’s convenient for you.

(Canon)

---

Bridget: Can you cut me some slack, Ella? I’m sort of in love.

Ella: I’m sorry, but that’s really not my problem.

Bridget: I’m in love with you.

Ella: *blushes* Oh. That brings me in the loop a little.

(duh)

---

Charming: The moon looks beautiful, doesn’t it?

Bridget, looking at Charming: Yeah… but do you know what’s more beautiful?

Bridget and Charming in unison: *sighs* Ella

(🎶I'm sorry that you 🤭 seem to be confused 🤔 she belongs to me 🧐 that girl is mine 😑 🎶 honestly that song has been playing in my head for a while for no reason) (it's now making me realize how Bridgella is kinda giving "it's over isn't it" idk why)

---

Ella: A mouse!

Maleficent, pulling out a knife: Go back to where you came from or I'll stab you.

Hades, pulling out a frying pan: It'll make a nice meal!

Bridget, giving the mouse cheese: You deserve a treat, little guy.

Morgie gasping: It's Ratatouille!

Hook: His name is Remi, dummy.

Ella: ...I was going to say to just trap it and throw it out the window... what is wrong with you people.

(I just had to. Also she is excluding Bridget from that statement)

---

Hook, to Morgie: I'll be under the mistletoe when you start feeling desperate!

(yeah)

---

Uliana: Oh, so when crows remember people who wronged them and hold grudges, its “intelligent” and “really cool”.

Uliana: But when I do it, I’m “petty” and “need to let it go”.

(I mean that thing with the flamingo feathers was your fault 🤷)

---

Bridget: Hey, Ella, have you thought about having children?

Ella: ...

Ella: Does looking over you and the others not seem like I already do? Because I promise you, it sure feels like it.

Hook: But we're not childr-

Ella, already distracted: HADES, PUT THE FIRE DOWN!

(again. She is the mom of the group for some reason. Give her a rest)

---

Morgie: Hello friends!

The Squad:

Morgie: You might be wondering why I’m taped to the ceiling

(you'd think it was Hades and Hook. But they are just as amused and surprised. Idk how Morgie made that happen)

---

Uliana: I should've left you on that street corner where you were standing.

Morgie: But ya' didn't!

(canon? It is now)

---

Hook: You know my motto: carpe diem, carpe noctem, carpe coles.

Ella: Seize the day, seize the night, what’s the last one?

Hook: Seize the dick.

(Slay King Slay)

---

Bridget: *Gets down on one knee*

Uliana: Oh my god! It’s finally happening!

Bridget: *Collapses*

Uliana: The poison’s kicking in!

(Yeah. Honestly. It's got something. But idk)

---

Fay: Where have you been all day?

Bridget: Oh, just dealing with things way beyond my maturity level.

(like having broken up without actually dating because it was just a one sided homoerotic friendship)

---

Ella: When you said 'Magic in Bed', I wasn't expecting this...

Bridget: *pulls out card from deck* Now, was this your card?

Ella: Holy moly-

(See what I mean. Also canon)

---

Hook, Hades and Morgie in the back of Ella's car: MCDONALDS! MCDONALDS! MCDONALDS!

Bridget/Fay: We have food at home.

Ella/Uliana/Maleficent: *pulls into the McDonald's drivethrough*

Hades/Hook/Morgie: YAYYYYYY!

Ella/Uliana/Maleficent: *orders one black coffee and leaves*

(Ha Ha. Sad)

---

Hades: Legend says that when you can’t sleep, it means you’re awake in someone else’s dreams.

Hades: When I find out who you are, I’m going to punch you in the face.

(um. It's not me....I swear)

---

Uliana: I love sarcasm! It’s like punching people in the face, but with words!

(not like you can easily punch others with your eight arms)

---

Uliana: Stop failing.

Hades: Don’t tell me what to do! I'll fail right now!

Hades: *Succeeds*

Hades: Dang it!

(he finally realized he's a god. But still failed not to listen)

---

Bridget: Morgie told me that brown is just navy orange, and I have never been more disappointed with something I agree with.

(omg I'm a navy ginger)

---

Ella: *sneaking in through their window*

Bridget: *turning in their chair and flicking the light one* You want to tell me where you've been all night?

Ella: I was with Charming?

Charming: *turning in their chair* Wanna try again?

(Gasp. What was Ella doing 👀)

---

Ella: I can’t believe we have to be stuck in this room together!

Uliana, swallowing the key: Truly (poor) unfortunate (soul).

(oh. She was stuck with Uliana...ALSO WHAT- ULIANA?! THE KEY? 😭 Nah)

---

Uliana: I thought you were going to give me a book recommendation or something.

Ella: *laughs* Book recommendation? I can’t read!

(new HC: Ella can't read. Or more like, has a hard time with it. Idk lol.)

---

Ella: I’ve come to a point in my life where I need a stronger word than fuck.

(absolutely)

---

Morgie: Don’t mansplain this to me!

Uliana: Wh- I’m a woman! I can't mansplain anything to you!

Morgie: …Well, I’m a feminist, and I believe a woman can do anything a man does!

(he's got the spirit)

---

Hook: I made lightly fried fish fillets for dinner.

Morgie: Dude, It’s 1:15 am, what the fuck.

Hook: Do you want the lightly fried fish fillets or not.

Morgie: Well, I mean yeah.

Hook: So come downstairs while they’re still hot.

Morgie: Wait, you just made them?

Hook: Yeah, I wasn’t tired so I decided to make lightly fried fish fillets.

Morgie: Say lightly fried fish fillets one more time James.

(Morgie uses Dude romantically. And when he's annoyed at Hook he calls him by his first name)

---

Bridget: My level of gay has reached “sighing deeply whenever anything extremely heterosexual happens near me”.

(that's me with movies/series. She's definitely not talking about Ella and Charming)

---

*The Squad when asked about their earlier confession of love*

Ella: Yeah, you're lucky. I like you.

Bridget: I'd understand if you didn't feel the same way...

Fay: *has a panic attack* What confession?

Hook: *winks* I know, babe. You like me too.

Hades: So what? Are you going to date me or not?

Uliana: It was a dare.

Maleficent: Your smile is like a magic spell, and it's annoying me daily

Charming: Let's flip a coin. Heads I'm yours. Tail you're mine.

Morgie: Relationships are like a walk in the park. Jurassic park.

(I added the last three myself because I wanted them all to have one. What do you think? Accurate?)

---

Ella: Here's two facts about me.

Ella: 1. I hate hot people/royalty

Ella: 2. I'm a hypocrite.

(canon)

---

Fay: You saved me! Why?

Hades: People would think I murdered you if I didn't.

(people being Maleficent, also Ella and Bridget)

---

Hope you liked it!

Does Uliana have a crush on Ella? Maybe. Does Ella like her back? Absolutely not.

Ok byeee

[steddieas-shegoes]

firsts and seconds

for @corrodedcoffinfest day one prompt 'firsts'

rated t | 1000 words | cw: alcohol mention | tags: i would die for gareth emerson, i don't think you understand, bisexual king gareth emerson

🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸

Gareth is the baby of the group, always has been, always will be. He's a year younger than Jeff and Frankie, and four years younger than Eddie. He was behind in everything, but it just was how it was.

He was a drummer and they needed one. The fact that he was the best drummer in a 100 mile radius helped.

But because of them hitting the ground running the moment he graduated, he didn't really get to have much of a regular young adult life.

He didn't really have much of a rockstar one either.

He had three extremely overprotective big brothers constantly by his side making sure he didn't do anything dumb, but they also made sure he didn't do anything at all.

"Promised your mom we would watch out for you," Jeff said.

"Last thing we need is you getting involved with some girl and ruining the band," Frankie said.

"Don't rush it, man," Eddie said.

But Gareth was now 20 years old and had never even kissed a girl. Or a boy, he didn't know what he was into. How could he? None of them would leave him alone long enough in the bars he was technically too young to get into to try.

Tonight. He would find a way to shake them tonight. He'd find a girl in the crowd, he'd buy her a drink, and he'd hope that she'd at least be willing to check this one thing off his list.

If he was gonna be a rockstar, he should get to kiss someone.

They were playing a smaller venue tonight, opening for a band that was bigger than them in theory, but not in talent. Story of their lives.

Hopefully, everyone would be distracted by the main act to not pay attention if he slipped off.

He was dripping sweat, cursing the fact that these small venues never had decent ventilation or fans for them to cool off, and the stage lights were always too close, building up a furnace on the stage.

His drums were packed, his shirt rolled up to help him cool off the best he could while he sipped on water. He hadn't even gotten a beer tonight, a nervous flutter in his stomach that he didn't want to make worse with feeling bloated from the combination of hops and heat.

"Gare!" Jeff's voice interrupted his walk towards the bar.

Dammit.

"You wanna head out? We're all so fuckin' hot."

"Yeah, yeah, let me just grab another water. Feeling kinda lightheaded."

That was definitely not the right thing to say. Jeff's mouth turned down in a concerned frown.

"Well, let's get you outside then. You need some fresh air. Eddie!" Eddie yelled back in acknowledgement. "Get Gareth a water!"

"I'm okay, I can get it." He argued, desperate to let his plan work. "You guys head out, be there in a few."

"Like hell am I leaving you alone when you're not feeling good," Jeff wrapped his arm around his shoulders and started pulling him towards the door. "You gotta speak up sooner."

"Jeff. Please."

Something in his voice must have alerted Jeff to the seriousness of his plan because he quickly pulled his arm away.

"What's going on?"

"I just need to be alone for a bit. Please?" Gareth wasn't afraid to pull out the pout. The pout worked on his mom every time. It had to work now, too. "Just for a little bit?"

Jeff searched his face, probably trying to see if there was something he should be worried about.

"I'll distract them for 15 minutes. But that's all I can guarantee," he finally agreed. "Whatever it is you're planning, please be safe. Please."

"What the hell could I possibly get up to in 15 minutes?"

Jeff sighed. "Don't ever ask that question to Eddie or Frankie."

He walked away and Gareth watched as he convinced them both to walk outside, probably to get some fresh air. He probably didn't have to be that convincing.

God, it was so hot.

The bar area of the venue was crowded, a lot of people taking the break between sets to throw back a shot or chug a beer. He genuinely did just need a water, so he forced his way through the people and got the attention of the bartender.

"Not a fan of beer?" A woman in a black dress and leather jacket asked him. She was smiling, sipping on something that could be water, might be a vodka tonic. The lighting wasn't good enough to see bubbles.

"Not a fan of being hot," Gareth smiled.

"Awful confident of you."

Oh. Oh shit. Was she flirting with him?

"Trying something new tonight, I guess."

"Oh? Anything in particular?"

Gareth liked her smile, her eyes. She seemed a few years older than him, closer to Eddie's age.

"Well…I've never actually kissed anyone before," Gareth figured honesty was the best policy.

"Never?" She didn't believe him, but that was okay. She'd figure it out if she let him make a move.

"Never."

"Let's give it a go then."

So he did.

She leaned in, closed her eyes, and he was having his first kiss. He didn't know her name, he was surrounded by hundreds of people, and he was certain that stars were exploding behind his eyes.

She pulled away after a few seconds, smiling, winking, and walked away.

"Damn, she didn't even give you a name?" A guy to Gareth's left asked, watching as she walked away.

Gareth shook his head. "Didn't need it."

The guy touched his arm and smiled at him, much like the woman had before.

"I'm Evan. You're the drummer, right?"

"Sure am."

"You wanna have a kiss with someone you know the name of?" Evan asked.

Gareth wasn't about to pass up this opportunity, so he nodded.

When Evan kissed him, he saw fireworks.

Stars and fireworks.

"Wanna come outside?" Evan asked.

Gareth shook his head.

Firsts and seconds were enough for now.

[hollowed-theory-hall]

I love your Voldemort analyses! I don't think I've seen anyone approach his character quite like you do.

That's why I'm curious to see what you think of the trope of Voldemort finding out Harry is his horcrux. How do you think he would treat him? Do you think it'll change depending on how many horcruxes he has left?

Actually, why do you think Voldemort was never able to sense that Harry was his horcrux in the first place? I've read your horcrux creation theory too and it was fascinating, so I want to see how you fit it in there.

First of all thank you! I'm glad you liked.

As for the questions, yeah I think Voldemort would change his treatment of Harry if he knew he was a Horcrux. Voldemort doesn't hate Harry personally, especially not at first — he hates failing. Once Harry is his Horcrux instead of his failure there is no reason to kill him but a lot of reasons to keep him alive.

The thing is, Harry being a Horcrux is still Voldemort's mistake, in a way. He's going to see it as such, which would make him quite bitter about it. And if it's after he tried to kill Harry, he's going to blame himself for not realizing Harry is his Horcrux and almost killing his own Horcrux — another mistake he'll eat himself up over. So, Harry still represents a lot of his failings even as a Horcrux, which will definitely color the way Voldemort treats him.

Honestly, it could go a multitude of ways depending on when in the books it happens. Not only due to the different number of Horcruxes he's got lying around, but also his opinion on Harry and the prophecy that changes every time he fails to kill Harry. The thing is, at least initially he's still not really going to see Harry as a person, he's going to see him as a Horcrux, and a not-great one at that.

See, Voldemort hates himself, but he also thinks he's better than everyone else. Harry, in his mind, would not be an exception to that, Horcrux or not. Like, he'd be slightly better than the average wizard since he has a piece of Voldemort in him, but it isn't going to affect how Voldemort sees him too much. At least not on its own.

But the when and how Voldemort discovers Harry is his Horcrux will definitely affect how he treats him. For example, if most of his Horcruxes are destroyed, and he knows it, he'll be more desperate to keep Harry alive, and therefore would be very controlling and want to know Harry is safe at every given moment (like the control freak he is). Kinda like what he did with Nagini in book 7. The problem is that, unlike Nagini, Harry probably isn't going to roll with that.

And that's the other really big factor in this hypothetical scenario — how and when Harry found out. Because Voldemort's treatment of Harry would definitely change depending on Harry's response to the fact he is a Horcrux. And, well, I can't imagine many situations in which Harry takes the fact he is a Horcrux well.

It just really depends on the circumstances of finding out, and when, and if Harry and Voldemort know Dumbledore knew Harry was his Horcrux all along (because he knew, and Harry is going to have a response to that).

Honestly, I think Voldemort might decide to throw the towel in on the whole war if he doesn't need to kill Harry since that's the only motivation he has for the war. But again, it'll depend on when we are at the books, what the Death Eaters are doing, has he already freed the ten that were in Azkaban, is Dumbledore still alive, and what Harry's doing. He might continue the war, but go back to what he was doing in the first war — magical experiments while the ministry is distracted. Because I think he'll still be interested in his magical research and if he doesn't need to kill Harry, he isn't going to obsess over killing Harry.

I don't see him leaving Britain though, at least not if he has a choice. he's sentimental and there's a reason he keeps coming back even when he has no physical ties there. He might make a new identity for himself if he decides he's done with the war, but that will again depend on so many different factors (including opportunities for his new identity, as hardworking as Voldemort is, he isn't going to like going back to square one. He'll want to be in a position of power and control whatever the case, so, he might stick to the war just for that. He enjoys having people bend to his will).

As for the second question, well, Voldemort senses the Horcrux in Harry the same as he senses any of his other Horcruxes. That is to say: barely at all. Like, he can't tell when his Horcruxes are destroyed. I expect it's due to the soul really being separate. As I mentioned in my Horcrux theory, he really takes out a piece of soul, but he still has a full soul. The main connection is between that soul sliver and the item that is chosen to be the Horcrux. Magic, theoretically, works according to the microcosm macrocosm concept that exists in alchemy and occult theories and philosophy in general. What it means is that a small-scale example of something will affect the larger, true-scale version of that thing.

For a Harry Potter example that isn't Horcruxes: you wave your wand and say Wingardoum Leviosa — so you essentially "act out" how you want the feather to levitate with your wand and incantation. Then your magic causes the same to happen to the feather. Your wand and incantation are the microcosm and the feather floating is the macrocosm.

A Horcrux works similarly. The reason they stop you from dying is that a microcosm version of you, the soul shard, is bound to the mortal plain and can't die. So, by the microcosm macrocosm logic, you won't be able to leave the mortal plain and die either since you are the relevant macrocosm.

Essentially binding the soul pieces in the Horcrux to Earth binds you too, to Earth. But you aren't bonded as strongly to the Horcruxes. That's why he can't sense them. They bind him to the world of the living, not so much to each one of them.

The reason I'm saying that he is bonded to them but not as strongly is actually because of Harry. Well, the fact Harry can see into Voldemort’s mind and sense when he's nearby (his scar hurts). Not only that, but Harry could see into Nagini's (another Horcrux) mind. Which proves there is a connection.

And Voldemort does sense Harry is his Horcrux, in a way. He sends visions to him and he possesses him without a spell, both in OOTP. Both are things that are only possible because Harry is his Horcrux. The reason he doesn't realize Harry is his Horcrux is due to his own bias.

Accidental Horcruxes is one of these things that just never happens. Magic is a very intentional thing, so it doesn't even cross Voldemort’s mind that his connection with Harry is that. He sees the odd connection and the weird things it does magically and shrugs it off to Harry surviving the killing curse and the prophecy. Both are unheard-of feats of magic that create an incredibly unique never-before-seen scenario, so these reasons might as well be the cause of all the magical weirdness. The reason he doesn't sense Harry is his Horcrux is because he just doesn't consider it as a possibility.

[toomuchracket]

i know we've talked about jealous office nerd but what about girlie? like imagine they ran into his ex or a girl tried to flirt w him or smth

the girl who gets a trial week at the magazine before marianne decides if she wants to hire her - you're not particularly bothered initially when it transpires she's an art writer and thus will be in your and matty's department, but when she LATCHES onto your boyfriend and the questions go from "so is this word limit, like, set in stone? i just have so much to say" at the start of the week to "you know how i've written for frieze? well, i have an in at the team running the art fair, and i think you should come with me this weekend - they've given me a hotel suite we could stay in" at the end of the week... you can't even hear matty's reply from the desk across from yours because your rage is making the blood pump faster into your ears, and luke from film reviews just slides you a pack of cigs and whispers "i think you should maybe go and have one of these. you look murderous, mate" lmfao. but he doesn't have a light on him, so you actually do need to go up to matty and cut the girl off (while blatantly ignoring her) to say "matthew, i need to borrow your lighter" and respond "nope" when he offers to come for a cig too; you're not annoyed at him per se, other than the fact he hasn't told the girl he's with you (although tbf you don't tend to with new people for a minute, because you want to make the magazine seem strictly professional lmao), you just need to decompress alone. you do tell marianne what just happened, when you run into her on her way in, and she just rolls her eyes like "for fuck's sake. don't worry, her work's shit, we're not keeping her on. and don't worry about matty, either - he loves you, babe, and he's not about to throw that away for the frieze fucking art fair". she's right, of course - you don't know what he told the girl, but when you go back in matty moves to sit next to you and asks "can you take a look at this for me, please?", and on his laptop screen is a word doc saying "i love you. sorry about her. i didn't know how to nip her flirting in the bud without being a dick/ruining the professional relationship, and she took it too far. obv i'm not going with her to frieze (this year looks really shit anyway, would've taken you otherwise) and i told her the hotel room thing was inappropriate. and then i didn't hear any of what she said because i got distracted thinking about the inappropriate things we got up to in hotel rooms and also i booked a night away for us tonight so we can recreate them lol. but yes i love you so much xx". it's actually so cute, and you nod at him like "yeah. let me just..." and add a reply like "i love you too. just got a bit upset seeing her like that with you. but i'm sure you'll cheer me up at the hotel xo"; i mean, you do inadvertently end up edging him while you wank him off when you get there, just grumbling about the girl so much you stop moving ("'ohhhhh look at meeeee i've written for frieze ooh!!' i could fucking write for frieze if i wanted. she's not special" and matty's crying desperate to cum nodding like "you definitely could, baby, you're such a good writer FUCK please please just let me cum" lmfao), and while matty's fucking you you're giving it "nobody else feels as good as me, do they, baby? nobody else you wanna fuck, is that right? just me. you're mine, and i'm yours" and he's moaning into your mouth like "just you, only want you, only NEED you. love of my life". it turns a bit sweet at that point, honestly, murmured i love yous and kisses and all that, but it's still a dirty, dirty fuck that ends with cum in you and on you and matty practically passed out from how hard he went to prove you were the only one for him. kinda obsessed actually <3

[vacantgodling]

i'd like to say that this year was more of a planning year than a writing year; not to say that i didn't write; but i spent a lot more time on outlining, worldbuilding, and a new skill that i've added to the fold -- conlanging(!!). because of that, i didn't hit all the goals i made last year but tbh that's aight. without further ado tho:

TOTAL WORDS WRITTEN [january 2024-november 2024]

111,535 (as of 11/15)

once again, if this was all in one place, that would be a full novel but. speaking of full novels:

2024 GOAL STATUS

❌ reach 150k words written overall ✔️ finish cage like it’s GOING to happen i will it ❌ finish the first draft of paramour!!!

so i'm only 1 for 3 and tbh i'm not that mad about it. finishing cage back in february was one of the biggest writing highlights of this year because i showed myself i could do it, i CAN finish something of novel length if i really put my mind to it.

(and yeah, i really did go and get it printed out lmao)

and more than just the accomplishment of writing 82k in one piece, it's also helped me really understand and work out what systems and processes i need to have set up prior to writing to make it work. this is why outlining has been such a huge undertaking for me this year, in varying levels of success (lmao). having a fully fleshed out outline with the literal beat by beat playout of how i want the story to go helped me TREMENDOUSLY in pushing through cage. even on chapters that were rough for me, having that outline to fallback on made it so much easier to stick to a every week one chapter system. and its something i plan to implement with my original wips too.

the only issue is, because original work inherently requires more work since there's no framework except what's in your own head... its been a bit slower for me writing wise. BUT next year i will be operating out of a desperate need for whimsey so i think i'm going to make my goals much.... less stressful than i did this year.

2024 WRITING HIGHLIGHTS

FINISHED CAGE! biggest accomplishment in my life right now tbh. seriously if you haven't and you have any interest in overwatch at all go read it and leave me nice comments while you're at it lol. technically i am working on the interlude piece between cage and its eventual sequel, schism, but that's been kinda slow going as i don't have much motivation to do it right now. first chapter of it is also up on ao3 though -> interlude - quiet

created a conlang??? in a very bizarre turn of events i have created a conlang for my wip with the working title HE WHO SMITES THE SUN (under the tag #s: ph). the language itself is called dzonime'si and if you want to see more of that process check out my #ren fights linguistics tag :)

finished the entire "first draft" of my wip betwixt thumb and forefinger--which is actually an idea that i only thought of this year so that's fun. for the uninitiated it is a gothic reimagining of twilight but with a shit ton more body horror and prochoice commentary. the reason first draft is in quotations is because it is technically a 16k word long outline that i am considering draft one. draft 2 is literally me going bullet point by bullet point and expanding the draft into something more akin to prose. i do have the first few paragraphs of draft 3 started, which is where i'm going to attempt actual prose writing for the first time. pretty much, btaf is becoming a very lengthy process but it's my first "test drive" on how this new outlining to written prose for my original projects will go. i've just gotten... distracted by other wips since then.

2025 GOALS

to be honest, i don’t know if i have many hard goals for next year. mostly because of *gestures at the state of the world right now* :))))))) it’s blatantly obvious that when things are tough, it becomes more difficult to do the things that you want to do that bring you joy. amid trying to just survive the day to day, there’s also my desires to get more involved in bothering the FUCK out of my senators, looking into ways i can be more involved locally (without burning myself out) and just generally trying to not let the state of the world get me down.

i think there’s a lot of things i want to do. i want to finish a bunch of outlines for my wips becuase i can’t tell you how REWARDING it’s been to be able to fully just go back and reread btaf’s outline whenever i like (and have the AMAZING multi leave comments on it like that’s actually another huge highlight of this year thank u friend 💛) and get excited about telling this story all over again. it motivates me to keep doing it! i'd also love to finish btaf's draft 2, maybe try and finish interlude - quiet etc. but—long story short. i don’t think i’m going to put myself on for any particular goals. next year is going to be about celebrating wins in any and every capacity. so all i wanna do is give myself wins.

looking forward to seeing y’all next year, crying about our ocs as usual

💛 ren 💛

[key-rk]

Have you ever thought of exploring Drake & LP’s friendship beyond their work of being hero & sidekick?

Mmmm, Personally, I don't think it would change much if they're working or not, since Launchpad tends to be pretty true to himself. Drake not so much, but around Lp, he tends to be quite honest with himself as well. I'm gon ramble a bit about something that bothers me a little when it comes to how the franchise sometimes treats their dynamic. n then go back to the q at the end! (⁠◔⁠‿⁠◔⁠)

One thing I've noticed, and it was incredibly apparent in the new 'Darkwing Duck' comics; was how easily Launchpad is dismissed. In one of the earlier issues (can't remember each one SOZ) Drake states he was going to retire his hero work again and in response to that fact, Launchpad walks out–to find a 'job' elsewhere. Which I think is incredibly absurd. But what's more absurd, is the fact that Drake AND Gosalyn just let him walk out. (DID WE FORGET THE EVENTS OF 'U.F.FOE' OR 'INHERIT THE WIMP'. Gosalyn was so upset by the idea of Launchpad leaving her life, to the point of tears / close to tears.) I just think it's out of character, even if they don't follow the same universe.

The second thing is the episode of 'Dead Duck'. 'Drake dies' and Gosalyn and Lp are left alone. While it isn't explored too much, Gosalyn is now entrusted to Launchpad. Pair that with the fact that that entire episode was Drake's subconscious (unconscious state), it means Drake is actually relying on Lp. He knows something might happen, and he trusts Launchpad to keep his little girl safe. Even if in another episode (?) Launchpad states he'd do just that "take care of Gos as if she were my own" and Drake is hesitant. "Don't give up your day job yet, buddy." Even if he doesn't acknowledge just how important Lp is to him, subconsciously he relies on his friend a lot.

Lastly, it's the episode of 'Time and Punishment', which honestly deserves its own post to ramble about but anyways. Just after Gosalyn disappeared, we were shown Drake in an awful state. Barely doing anything on his own, depressed and grieving. Launchpad stayed and tried hard to distract him (which is a good idea tbh, because a couple times has 'distracting' himself been a way to cope. Especially in this episode.) We also see Launchpad free, roaming amongst the patrolled streets of St. Canard. Which I think is interesting. Darkwarrior has locked away so many people for the most mundane things and yet he allowed Lp to roam free for so long. Subconsciously, at least for a while–he still cared a little for him. Even he, DARKWARRIOR didn't completely throw him away. (I'm a BIT salty about that comic volume😮‍💨)

Anyways.

I think, beyond their hero work, they'd be incredible close. They're a family and that's been expressed a lot. They need each other too. Even if we were to erase the hero/ sidekick job for one second, their characters go beyond that. They both have their desperate need to be needed and wanted, and not to mention how well they bounce off each other. With Lp not taking much to heart and often letting Drake rant and sulk without complaint. Drake needs someone like that. Drake needs someone in his corner to help him out of his little depressive episodes, give advice, to remind him of mundane things like PT meetings. Whereas Launchpad needs to be needed and to help (which was explored). And he would most definitly be needed in a family setting.

They really are a lot more than just Hero/Sidekick. They're family and it's hard to break that bond. The trust in one another is very strong. Drake would keep Launchpad around, raising Gosalyn because he's just as important to her as Drake is. Both characters bring out the best in each other, so I don't think Lp would be quick to leave, nor do I think Drake would be quick to let him go.

uhh yeah

basically, i feel their dynamic would remain the same. If anything, the hero/sidekick thing makes it stronger. Hope this answered it okay, ik I kinda went off and rambled about something semi-related, but I think it was important to point out :)

[perpetualproductions]

If We Were Vampires (Pt. 4)

- Jordan and Marie have a talk.

- Jordan gets told off.

- They make out a bit.

CW: Bloooood, mentions of violence

~2k words

<-Previous | Next->

Jordan sat on their bed, anxiously bouncing their leg as they waited for Marie to arrive. They honestly thought she'd sprint over to their dorm, but they turned out to have more time than they thought they did. Not only did they have enough time to hide their evidence of vampirism, but they also had time to pick up a bit. All the nervous energy was making it hard for them to sit still. 

Coming up on six minutes is when a knock finally sounds from their door. In the blink of an eye, Jordan found themselves at their door. They looked back at the bed they were just sitting on, very confused. “What the fuck?” Jordan quietly mumbled to themself. They were currently in male form, so they didn't have their super agility. At least they shouldn't have their super agility right now. So how the fuck did they get there so quick-

Their train of thought is broken by another knock at the door, the loud noise bringing their attention back to the person on the other side. Deciding to deal with the sudden super speed later, Jordan pulls the door open, genuinely smiling when they see Marie. “Hey!” 

“Hey!” Marie echoes, meeting them with a smile of their own. She quickly looks them up and down. They don’t look as bad as they did this morning, looking cozy in a black hoodie and gray sweats, with their hair a bit messy. Marie found it cute. Unfortunately, she was here to have an important conversation with them. She needed to know what happened to them last night that caused them to freak out. “You seem a lot better.” She comments as she walks in and stops in the middle of the room. 

“Yeah, Thanks.” Jordan scratches the back of their head nervously, using it as more of a grounding technique to distract them from the scent of Marie's blood. Jordan wasn't particularly hungry at the moment, having eaten not long ago, but the sudden presence of fresh, flowing blood still caught their attention.

Jordan clears their throat. “So… how was your day?” 

Marie sighs, going to sit down on the couch. “I've had better.” She shrugs “kinda hard to have a good day when you're too busy worrying about your partner…” 

If Marie's goal was to make Jordan feel bad with that sentence, then she succeeded. Jordan moves to sit next to Marie, letting out a breath once they sit down. They reach for her hand, interlocking their fingers and resting it on Marie's thigh. “I'm an asshole. And I'm not the best at communicating my emotions. And…” Jordan lifts their intertwined hands and places a gentle kiss. “I'm so sorry you spent the whole day worrying because of me.” 

Marie gives their hand a gentle squeeze, looking up at their pretty brown eyes. “Okay. First off, apology accepted.” She too kisses their intertwined hands, making Jordan smile. Marie's about to continue, but stops when she notices the new ring on Jordan's hand. Jordan stills as they see Marie adjust her grip on their hand to better look at the ring. “What's this?”

Jordan laughs awkwardly, desperately trying to think of an explanation. “That is a ring.” they say sarcastically, attempting to brush it off.

“Yeah, well, no shit.” Marie rolls her eyes. “I mean I haven't seen it before. Definitely would have noticed with a stone like that.” Marie gently rubs the blue stone with her thumb.

Jordan breathes, trying to steady their heart rate before attempting the impossible… lying to Marie Moreau. Jordan switches to their female form and gently pulls their hand away from her, now fidgeting with the ring themselves. “It was a gift.” 

“A gift…?” Marie looks at Jordan, who's currently avoiding eye contact with her. She listens to their heartbeat. It's weird. Has been since she found them this morning. She didn't know what it was, it was just… different. She decides to revisit her original talking point. “What are you afraid of?” 

The straightforwardness of the sentence shocks Jordan, pulling their eyes back to her. They were not expecting her to say that. “What are you talking about?” They say with genuine confusion. 

“I've known you for a while now, Jordan. I can tell when you're scared, and your heart's been weird in general ever since this morning.” Marie places a hand on Jordan's arm. “Come on, Jordan. Whatever it is, we'll deal with it together.” 

That there is exactly what they didn't want. Marie Moreau involved in all this Supe-vampire bullshit. They're still yet to identify the other vampires on campus, one of whom killed them. They needed Moreau as far away from that as possible. At least until they have the situation under control. 

“Moreau…” Jordan breaths, turning their body to face her completely. “It's me. I'm what I'm afraid of.” 

If there was any feeling Marie related to, it was being afraid of themselves. After what she did to her parents, she's always been terrified of what she was capable of. But Jordan was the most in-control person she knew. So them saying this made her worry about what actually happened that night. “What do you mean?” 

“Last night… I honestly don't remember much of it, but, I'm pretty sure I got into a fight and… it got ugly.” Jordan did their best to tiptoe around the truth, hoping it was enough for Marie to buy this separate narrative. “I don't remember who it was with, all I know is that there was a fight and I hurt someone. I'm the one who made it back here without a scratch on me.”

Marie gives Jordan a sympathetic look. “Do you remember what the fight was about?” She asks, gently.

Jordan shakes their head. “No. Most of the night is a blur. All I know is that I'm really not proud of it, intoxicated or not, and… I was worried that you would look at me differently.”

“Hey…look at me.” Marie gets Jordan to look up at her. “I know you Jordan. I know the kind of person you are and I know you would never hurt someone unless they deserved it. And the fact that you feel bad about it at all shows how good of a person you are.” Marie rubs their arm, reassuringly. 

“And as hotheaded as you are, or however drunk you were, I'm sure you didn't hurt them so bad that you killed them.” She says as if it's something that Jordan would obviously never do. And they wouldn't, not unless the person was trying to kill the people they care about. But the problem was that they did. And worse, it was someone who, as far as they knew, didn't deserve it.

“Heh, yeah. Obviously.” Jordan can't help but wonder if they told her the truth, about who they actually hurt and how, if she'd really not look at them differently. Like a monster. Cause they certainly felt like one.

“Thanks, by the way. That means a lot coming from you.” Jordan offers her a nice smile.

Marie mirrors their smile back. “Of course. What are girlfriends for?” She moves to wrap her arms around their neck, pulling them closer. 

“I can think of a few things…” Jordan whispers suggestively, closing the distance between them with a passionate kiss. It lasts a good minute before they pull away, leaning their forehead against hers. 

“I really did miss you. Even though it's only been a day.” Marie lets out a breathy laugh at the thought. Not being able to help herself, she goes in for another kiss, digging her fingers into Jordan's hair and giving it a light tug. 

Jordan moans in pleasure as Marie attacks their lips, but then, Jordan feels it again… the feeling of an empty stomach, yearning to be fed. Being this close, Jordan is overwhelmed by the scent of fresh blood flowing just beneath Marie's beautiful skin. They instinctively move their kisses to Marie's neck, sucking and licking, itching to take a little nibble. The rush of arousal and excitement fuel their hunger as they feel that ache in their teeth, fangs growing out and eyes darkening.

They don't know what it is, but they feel themselves hesitate, as if a part of them was trying to pull them out of the haze. A little voice begs them to look at who they're about to feed on. Jordan tries to hold on to that bit of humanity, poking through the darkness, before they do something they'll regret for the rest of their life. 

Using all their strength and willpower, Jordan manages to pry themselves away from Marie. They quickly force themselves off the couch, shifting into male form as they make sure to turn away from her so she can't see their monstrous appearance.

Marie is taken back by Jordan's sudden movements. She looks up at them worryingly, noticing just how much their heart rate spiked. “Are you okay? Did I pull too hard?”

Jordan took deep breaths, in and out, trying to ground themselves. They don't even register Marie's words, too focused on tuning out the sound of her blood flowing through her veins. They thought they'd last a bit longer before they had to feed again. They should have been more careful. They almost bit into her neck, literally seconds away from doing so. Holding on to that little bit of control, they slowly begin to pull themselves together, but they still couldn't ignore the hunger, slowly becoming more prominent. They needed to eat.

“Jordan?” Marie stood up from the couch, beginning to slowly move towards Jordan. “What's wrong? What do you need?” 

Jordan's breathing finally steadies, their face going back to normal. Their stomach was still screaming at them, but they managed to compose themselves enough for now. “Sorry about that.” Jordan sighs, turning back around to face Marie. “I think all the emotions just got to me.” They tried to reason. 

Marie sighs, closing the distance between them. Jordan gulps nervously as Marie grabs their hands and looks up at them. “Look…You're obviously really going through something right now, and it's okay if you don't want to talk about it yet, but you gotta stop lying to me.” She speaks seriously. “I'm here whenever you're ready to talk, but until then, be honest with me. It's not up to you to decide what I can and can't take. You don't need to protect me from anything or anyone. Even from yourself. Cause I can take it, Jordan. You of all people should know that.” 

Jordan was at a loss for words, truly taken back from being called out like that. “Marie–” 

“Don't. Just– I'll see you tomorrow, okay?” Marie reaches up to cradle Jordan's face with her hands. 

Jordan closes their eyes, leaning into her touch while also fighting off their aching hunger. Marie slowly pulls Jordan in, landing a soft kiss on Jordan's lips. Jordan instinctively chases after her lips as she pulls away. They finally open their eyes, being met with equally emotional, brown eyes. “I'm sorry…” they breathe out.

Marie nods, “I know.” 

She drops her hands from their face and makes her way to the door, Jordan turns, watching regretfully as Marie opens the door, about to walk out before stopping one last time. “Bye.” With that, she leaves. 

As much as Jordan wants to run after her, hold her, kiss her deeply, they know they can't. Not while they can't control themselves. They hate that the first thing they do once she leaves is rush to the mini fridge and pull out a blood bag, desperately opening it up and drinking. 

The immediate relief that fills their body doesn't stop the ache in their heart. They slowly get up, taking the blood bag with them as they make their way to their bed. Jordan slips under the covers, leaning back against the headboard. They sip gently, trying to savor every drop. They had to practice restraint, and get their cravings under control. They also needed to find whoever did this to them and make them pay. And to do that, they're gonna have to learn more about vampires. Unfortunately… They currently only know one other vampire on campus.

… Fuck.

--

Thanks for all the support guys. Part 5 is in the works. Hope you enjoyed 😎👍❤️

-PB

[alexanderlightweight]

hello~ wensday prompt: what happens if alec was 6-7 years older. he wouldn't be parabatai with jace because he will be 18 and jace like 12 ? or he start date magnus much earlier before clary show up?

I hope you doing great! also have you seen "bodies bodies bodies"? great comedy horror. recommend to see it~

thank you for writing all of these prompts 💕

Hello! you are not the only person to be interested in that idea and i love it! in my opinion, an alec who was 6-7 years older than izzy wouldn't be raised by maryse and robert. alec and jonathon were born during the circle, after they left. so this is part of a universe called walls of adoration, claws of desperations

there is another porition of this written and jsyk it's alec and magnus secret relationship.

also valentine wants soldiers and experiments, he'd encourage his soldiers to keeps the kids, maybe even convince them. but maryse wouldn't take a toddler or a baby with her, it would be a tactical error and distraction.

in my opinion and headcanon, alec is left with the trueblood or lightwood grandparents and if i'm going to go with either, i'm gonna go with the trueblood tbh. i'm biased cause i like maryse better than robert. alec has been living in idris with the disgrace of circle member parents because this is before its hidden. he's about to get his first rune and he's been raised loyal and to disdain his parents because they're traitors.

he's going to refuse to go with them and he's about to get his first rune and maryse is pregnant and will have another heir and the truebloods need one.

so yeah, thats kinda my meta for the background and hows and whys of this.

i am doing great! thank you so much for asking and today has been lovely and i have so many prompts i'm excited about.

I really am enjoying them so you're welcome and thank you for sending in a prompt

also i have not but it is now on the list!

<3 lumine

-

Alec prefers the parts of his life that are him living in the outskirts of Alicante. His grandparents have passed and while he is sent to train hunters at Institute’s across the world, he’s had no real interest or reason to officially be called to serve as a Commander.

At least until now.

With Maryse and Robert Lightwood being recalled to Idris, Alec is the only one related who has the qualifications and the right background for it. Robert and Maryse won’t be able to claim the clave is trying to strip the Institute from their family, not when Alec is heir to one of them.

Which is fine, it’s not the worst thing Alec has done and while he dreads the tedium of bringing an entire Institute full of hunters up to his personal standards, it’s not the worst thing he’s done.

It’s a bit annoying to have to stop his current study and projects and while Aline promised to keep him updated, Alec hopes that Sebastian will help remind her. Otherwise, he’ll be hearing about things once every six months.

Alec isn’t interested in politics the way his parents are.

He’s seen what they did to Maryse and Robert and now that he’s older, he understands things better and dislikes them more.

So, it’s with indifference that he goes to New York and it’s with prejudice that he kicks shadowhunters back to New York.

Izzy thinking she’s a shadowhunter informant at fifteen and that she can seduce information from seelies is the ridiculous thing Alec’s ever heard and while she wails and begs, he ignores her petulant whining. She’s her parent’s princess and he knows she’s rarely been told a ‘no’ that she didn’t ignore.

Jace is just as stubborn and the third time he gets himself and other shadowhunters injured, Alec has him with Izzy, Starkweather, and about a fifth of his Institute ready to be shipped back to Alicante.

“It’s a conflict of interest.” He tells Jia with a smirk over the video call that night. “They’re my precious little siblings, Jia. How could I put them through the same kind of training as the others?”

“You just don’t want to deal with them.” Jia accuses, having apparently already found out how much of a headache the two are.

Alec merely raises a brow because it is a conflict of interest and Jia knows it. Everyone knows it, which is why it’s hilarious that she’s still trying.

“Fine. But did you have to send us Starkweather? This is a mess, Trueblood.”

Alec simply hums and signs off, because at least now it’s not his mess.

[thollandsgirl2013]

𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐚 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧

Parings → Vampire! Tom Holland x Reader

Warnings → blood

Summary → Tom's stubborn but you know how to make him to do stuff.

You sighed, pacing back and forth in your flat as your phone lay on the coffee table. Five missed calls. Seven texts. Not a single reply.

Tom had a bet going on with Harrison, to see who's gonna last longer without any blood. Tom didn't want you near him while the bet was going on because he didn't want any distraction. Yeah, you're kinda his blood bag. The first three days of Tom’s ridiculous bet with Harrison had gone smoothly enough. He had been his usual playful, teasing self—face timing you late at night, sending you flirty texts, and keeping you updated on his progress. You had told him from the start not to participate, warning him that it was reckless, but Tom was stubborn. He loved competition and hated losing, especially to Harrison.

Now, it had been two whole days without a single word from him. You were worried. Something didn’t feel right, and you weren’t the type to sit around and wait. Grabbing the spare key to his flat, you decided it was time to take matters into your own hands.

---

As you pushed open the door to Tom’s flat, you were immediately hit with darkness. Even though it was broad daylight outside, Tom had somehow managed to make it night inside. Curtains were drawn tight, blocking any hint of sunlight.

"Tom?" You called out, your voice echoing through the unusually quiet space.

A low grunt came from the living room. You followed the sound, finding Tom sprawled out on the couch, his face buried in a pillow. His hair was a mess, and the normally vibrant energy he radiated was replaced with something…off.

"Babe, get up," you said, standing over him with your hands on your hips.

Tom’s muffled voice whined from the pillow. "Nooo…"

You rolled your eyes. "Come on, Tommy. Get up."

"No," he groaned again, this time flipping over to face you, though he squinted as if the faint light from the hallway was too much for him. "I'm too weak... I'm going to die..."

You raised an eyebrow. "Really? You’re dying? What is this, a dramatic one-man show?"

Tom let out another exaggerated groan, draping an arm over his forehead. "I'm serious! I'm burning up. I’m going to turn into ash. I can feel it. My body is crumbling."

"Stop being a drama queen," you said with a chuckle. Walking over to the nearest window, you yanked the curtains open.

Tom instantly threw the pillow over his face, shrieking. "Oh my god, close it, close it please! I’m melting! My skin! I’m gonna—"

"Tom," you cut him off, striding back over to the couch and sitting beside him. "It’s just sunlight. You have your daylight ring, you’re not dying."

He peeked out from under the pillow, giving you an exaggerated pout. "Feels like I am…"

You shook your head, but as your hand brushed his, you stopped. His skin was ice cold. Even for a vampire, Tom usually kept some warmth from his human side, but now he was paler than you’d ever seen him. His face had lost its usual mischievous glow, and his eyes were dull, lacking their usual spark.

"Tom," you said, more softly this time. "Have you really been like this for the past few days?"

He nodded slowly, his face still half-covered by the pillow. "I thought I could handle it. I thought I could win the bet, but I haven't had a drop of blood since this stupid challenge started, and…" He sighed heavily. "I didn’t think it would get this bad."

You placed a hand on his cheek, feeling the chill beneath your fingertips. "You should’ve called me, Tommy. I was worried when I didn’t hear from you."

He closed his eyes, leaning into your touch. "I didn’t want you to see me like this. I thought I could tough it out."

Your heart softened, and you couldn’t help but smile at how stubborn he was, even now. "You and your need to win," you teased. "It’s not worth making yourself sick over, babe. You have to let this bet go."

Tom’s eyes opened, and he looked at you with a hint of desperation. "But Haz… he’ll never let me live it down if I back out now. I can't lose to him. Not again."

You sighed, shaking your head. "Who cares about Haz? You’re not doing yourself any favors by starving. Look at you—you're practically living in a refrigerator." You pressed a hand against his cold chest to emphasize your point. "And besides, he wouldn’t want you like this."

Tom groaned softly but stayed silent. It was clear the stubborn part of him didn’t want to admit defeat, but his body was betraying him.

"Tommy," you said gently, "you need to drink. You’re not going to make it another day like this."

He closed his eyes, his expression conflicted. "I don’t want to hurt you," he murmured. "I’ve been craving your blood this whole time, and if I—" He paused, swallowing hard, as if just the thought made him weak.

You smiled softly. "You’re not going to hurt me. You never have."

Tom’s hand reached out to yours, his thumb brushing over your wrist where your pulse beat steadily. He licked his lips, hesitating. "I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop if I start."

"You will," you assured him, leaning closer until your lips were brushing his ear. "I trust you."

Tom took a shuddering breath, his resolve weakening. His fingers tightened around your wrist, bringing it closer to his mouth. You watched as his eyes darkened, the veins beneath them becoming more pronounced as the hunger inside him took over.

He pressed his lips against your skin, his cool breath sending a shiver up your spine. "Are you sure?" He asked, his voice low and strained.

"Yes," you whispered.

And with that, his fangs slid into your skin. The familiar sharp sting was brief, and soon replaced by the warm, almost comforting sensation of Tom feeding. His grip on your wrist tightened, but not painfully, and you could feel the tension in his body easing as he drank. His pale complexion began to regain some of its usual warmth, the deep hunger fading from his eyes.

You began to feel lightheaded after a moment, and you gently placed your free hand on his shoulder. "Tom…"

He pulled back immediately, his eyes wide with concern. "Shit, sorry," he muttered, licking the last drop of blood from his lips. "I didn’t mean to take that much."

"It’s okay," you said softly, leaning back against the couch and taking a few deep breaths to steady yourself. "I’m fine. Just a bit dizzy."

Tom moved quickly, pulling you into his arms. "You shouldn’t have let me do that," he said, though his voice was softer now, less frantic.

"You needed it," you replied, resting your head against his chest. His skin was warm again, and the familiar comfort of his embrace made you relax. "Besides, I told you—I trust you."

Tom’s arms tightened around you, and he pressed a kiss to your forehead. "You’re too good to me," he murmured, his voice filled with guilt.

"I know," you teased, smiling up at him.

He chuckled softly, the sound vibrating through his chest. "Thank you," he said, his voice sincere. "For coming here. For…saving me from myself."

"Someone had to," you replied, poking him playfully in the side. "You’re hopeless."

Tom grinned, his eyes lighting up with amusement. "Hopelessly in love with you."

You rolled your eyes, though you couldn’t stop the smile that tugged at your lips. "Alright, drama queen. Let’s just cuddle and take it easy, okay?"

Tom didn’t need any more convincing. He pulled you closer, wrapping you in his arms as you both settled into the couch. With his warmth surrounding you and the faint sound of his steady breathing, you felt yourself begin to drift off, the exhaustion catching up with you.

Tom kissed the top of your head one last time, whispering, "I love you."

"I love you too, Tommy," you mumbled, snuggling deeper into his embrace as sleep finally overtook you.

°:. *₊ ° . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ° .•

[mermaidsirennikita]

What’s some of your fav of the marriage after compromise trope?

"Trap you into it" compromise books because I just love a trap:

A Rogue by Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean. Bourne is such an asshole, and he uses childhood relationship with Penelope to lure her into that estate and then he does go down on her and her dad does find them the next day and then they just have to be MARRIED. And he desperately wants to not love her! It's just a marriage for revenge reasons! But nope.

The Madness of Viscount Atherbourne by Elisa Braden. This one has the hero literally want revenge for the death of his BROTHER who was killed by the heroine's brother and he does it through compromising the heroine by way of giving her a NIPPLEGASM IN FRONT OF ONLOOKERS. Poor girl lmao.

When a Girl Loves an Earl by Elisa Braden. One of my favorite Elisa Braden books, and it's a heroine compromises him book, which I also love. She's fucking obsessed with this giant motherfucker (she's me fr) and he refuses to be with her for Reasons, so she sets it up to look like he compromised her. This is the "PUT YER FILTHY SCOT INSIDE YE" book.

Tempt Me at Twilight by Lisa Kleypas. Because unexpectedly on the relisten I like this a lot lol!!! Harry literally traps Poppy in every possible way and sets her up to be caught getting macked on by him by again, like, an entire ballroom lmao. It's frankly very sexy to me.

Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas. Annabelle doesn't want to compromise Simon Hunt, but she accidentally does and I love it!!! I love it so much! He's like [begrudgingly] I guess I'll secure my own lifetime happiness I GUESS.

Non-Entrapment:

Wicked in His Arms by Stacy Reid is a really fun one. The hero is super cold and the heroine doesn't take any shit from him, but she's staying at his estate while she looks for a husband. They end up in what's basically a close together, have impetuous sex (her first time) she runs out of there like crying, he runs after her... and they run straight into his mom, both like reeking of sex lmao.

She Tempts the Duke by Lorraine Heath. This one is fun because they're childhood sweethearts, but were separated because he had to run away to avoid his murderous uncle. He comes back, but she's about to marry another man... and shit happens!

Goddess of the Hunt by Tessa Dare. This one is actually so underrated! The hero is the heroine's brother's best friend, and he basically agrees to court her to distract her from the other friend she claims to be in love with, on behalf of the brother and said friend. What's funny is that when he's like "I need to marry your sister" the brother is like lmao yeah dude you don't need to pretend anymore and our hero, who absolutely very much deflowered her, is like ".... I don't think you get it''

Fiona and the Enigmatic Earl by Grace Callaway is wild lol. The hero and heroine are both basically vigilantes by night, and they run into each other and he like, gives her an orgasm against a wall? And I think that after that they both kinda are like "well this makes sense and it's easy" not think they'll fall in looove.

Ravished by Amanda Quick. This one is a classic in that they get stuck in a cave together and can't get out and he's like "well, I'm gonna have to marry you after they find out we spent the night together anyway so we might as well fuck while we're here". And she's all "... sure". Which was the correct call.

The Truth About Cads and Dukes by Elisa Braden. The heroine is actually compromised by the hero's brother, and they really did nothing together at all. But the brother sucks and he won't marry her, so the hero steps in to offer. And he's SUUUUPER into her, which is oblivious about.

[sunnyie-eve]

20 | A Fake

Series: Never Leave You | OBX

Paring: (JJ Maybank x OFC! Rafe Cameron x OFC!)

Word Count: 2.1k

Warnings: light angst, near death, desperate for help

MASTERLIST

The next day JJ and Callie head to Kiara's house as she tries to tell her parents everything and about the cross but of course they didn't believe her. Mike was pissing Callie off with how he was talking then Kie asks help from the other two.

"Ward's alive in the Caribbean. He's living off the loot that he stole from us, and uh, yeah, he's flying across to Wilmington." JJ lists off.

"Give me a break man." Mike tells him.

"You're right. What do I know, though? Just saw with my own two eyes. So did Kiara and Callie, but whatever. Oh, not to mention that the Cameron's kinda kidnapped, Callie." JJ tells him.

"I'm skeptical, okay? I am skeptical, JJ, as in I think it's all bullshit. Really the Cameron's kidnapped Callie? They kidnapped you?" Mike looks at her.

"Yeah, Rose drugged me then I woke up on a boat with Sarah." Callie nods her head.

"I think you've been led astray, Kiara. And Callie you must have been high." Mike tells the girls making Callie scoff.

"And you JJ. Let's get this out in the open. Let me tell you something. You need to understand that I do get it. Do you hear me? I do. I like you, JJ and I bet you're fricking fun to hang with, and ditch school with, go down to the break, because I was once just like you, bro. I didn't think that anything mattered. Thought I could make up any bullshit story and these stupid Kooks would believe it. But then I learned the hard work and about what really mattered. All I care about, all that I care about is my daughter. That's it. All that I know is that she was a lot better off before she met you and your friends."

Kie and her dad start to argue and Callie grabs JJ's arm to keep him cool, "No, these Pogues have ruined my daughter's life." Mike gets in JJ's face.

"Didn't mean any disrespect, Mr. Carrera. Y'all have a good day." He walks off so Callie follows him out getting in Callie's car waiting for Kie to join them.

Sarah convinces Topper to help them with his truck to steal back the cross. Once night comes they find the part of the train that had the cross. The train teaks off with Pope and Cleo on it so Kie goes with JJ while Callie gets in Topper's truck with him and Sarah. Succeeding stopping the train and getting the cross into the truck they take off with cops following them.

"What are you doing?" Callie asks in the back of the truck with Pope, Cleo, and the cross as JJ rides next to them.

He has Kie jump into the truck so they help him get in safely while JJ distracts the cops so they can get away. "He's going to kill himself doing something stupid." Callie gets worried. "Stop the truck!" Callie yells at Topper so they all tell him to go back to get JJ.

As they watch him on the overpass a huge crash happens and JJ's bike hits the bottom. They all jump out looking for JJ worried. "JJ!" Callie starts to panic with tears running down her face.

"I wish I could say I did that on purpose, but that was the gnarliest powerslide I've ever done." JJ shows up.

Pope hugs him first happy he was alive. Sarah walks up to him shoving him before giving him a hug. Kie then walks up just telling him to never to that again. He looks over at Callie was wiping her tears away before as he walks up to her.

"Second time now I was close to losing you." She stares at him.

"We're even now." He gives her a smile so she pulls him into a hug, "You do anything that stupid ever again... I'm going to kill you." She says before they rush to get in the truck getting called out from above.

As they were driving faster hitting a bump the cross falls out of the truck and they get out to see it was a fake decoy the whole time. Pope was upset just they had to leave as sirens were heard in the distance.

-

The next day when the Pogues go to see John B and his dad they hug Big John happy to see him. "Look at you, Callie. You have grown so much. It's so good to see you again." He hugs Callie tightly.

"It's good to see you too Big John." She smiles hugging him back.

They all talk about what each group has done catching each other up but they could tell John B was keeping some things to himself.

"I'm going fishing. Thanks for the beer." JJ gets up leaving John B, Sarah, Callie, and Big John since the other three left.

John B looks at Callie looking down while JJ walked off. "I'm gonna head home." Callie gets up walking away so John B chases her.

"What's going on between you and JJ? You two are usually glued at the hip."

"Umm. We're not together anymore. I told him I need some time. Before you ask long story short he and Kie almost kissed but Pope interrupted them. They didn't tell me so Pope did. And don't ask if I'm fine because I'm not but I'm still going." She explains to him.

"Will you forgive him? And get back together? Callie, I know you still love him."

"I don't know. I still need time to think things through and over. But we're still friends because we're Pogues for life. Enjoy time with your dad." Callie hugs him before heading home.

"How was getting the cross back go?" Tess asks as Callie walks in.

"We got a fake box because Barry got to it first. Also, we thought JJ died because he didn't something stupid and dangerous. Luckily he's still breathing. Just visited John B and Big John. It's weird seeing him." Callie sits down on the couch.

"If Barry got to it first then don't you technically know where it is?" Tess gives her a slight smile.

"What are you hinting at? Thought you want me to stay out of trouble." Callie laughs.

"Pogues for life." Tess gives Callie a wink heading out with her purse.

Callie runs outside getting on her bike heading to Barry's but no was no one there so she checks Tannyhill and they weren't there either. She thinks of the boat so she heads in that direction exhausted from biking around.

When she gets there she sees the two walking around so she makes her way over to them getting on the boat not knowing JJ was watching from afar. "Finally found you two dicks." Callie tries to catch her breath.

"Why are you looking for us?" Rafe gets up getting off to join her on the dock.

"You know exactly why I'm looking for you two." She says making him smile.

"Of course I do. I heard the news of y'all trying to steal the cross. How was it when you opened it and there was no cross?" Rafe smiles down at her and JJ was fuming watching Rafe so close to Callie.

"Pissed your buddy got to it first."

"I want you to see something." He motions her to follow him so she does, "Come down here. You too Barry, you're not going to believe this shit." They head down so JJ gets in the water swimming to the boat to listen.

Callie watches Barry open a case and sees two different shapes of melted gold. Her eyes widen as they talk about making money off the gold, "You melted the cross? The priceless cross? Pope's cross!" Callie shouts at Rafe, "I can't believe you did that! Why am I even surprised you did that shit! Of course, you would! You're Rafe fucked up Cameron!" Callie yells at him and JJ swims off to tell Pope.

"Really?" Rafe gets up again standing chest to chest with her.

"Really." She glares at him.

"I really don't want to see you kiss." Barry makes a face so they look at him, "Don't look at me like that. I feel the sexual tension between you two." Barry gets up leaving them, "See you around Country Club, Pogue Princess." He gives them a wink.

"I know you don't care but JJ could've died last night when we were stealing the fake. He was getting the cops to follow him and a crash happened. I watch his bike fall off the overpass with no JJ in sight." Callie sits down putting her head in her hands.

"You care about your ex, who broke your heart, almost dying?" Rafe scoffs.

"Yes, Rafe! I still care about him and love him." She picks her head up.

"You still love someone, who wanted something to happen with someone else who wasn't his girlfriend? Callie, Kie isn't just some random girl, JJ wanted to kiss. She's your friend." Rafe leans down to her.

She looks away from him out at the water, "I know that." She sighs getting ready to leave the boat.

"Then be the smart girl I know who doesn't put up with stupid shit." He speaks making her stop for a second before leaving.

As soon as she gets home walking in Tess rushes to Callie with a bag, "Bad news, you can't be here. I left for the legal stuff going on with Will, right. He got the right for you to live with him somehow even though you're 18. I think he made something up about your mental health and stuff. I don't know, they won't tell me. They're coming to get you tonight to take to him. I'm not done fighting for you. I'll get you back home, I promise honey. But you need to keep an eye out. Go anywhere where they won't find you. Will have them a list of everyone so if you go to one of them just do g be there for when they search. Just keep in contact with me by your phone. I love you." Tess rushes Callie as she explains everything and they hear a knock at the door.

Tess goes to peak and it was the people along with Will, "Go out." Tess whispers so Callie sneaks out as Tess lets them in.

Callie runs away fast trying to figure out where to go, "Fuck!" She heads where no one would ever think to look. By the time she gets there it was getting pretty dark, "Rafe." She calls out to the boat.

"Come back to give me more shit?" He walks out looking down at her, "What is it this time? The gold or your stupid ex you still love?"

"Neither, I have a favor to ask actually." He waits for her to continue, "Will got the right for me to live with him so my aunt told me to run. They're going to check everywhere for me... They won't ever to think to look at you." She looks up at him, "Can I kinda crash with you so they can't find me? Please Rafe."

"Yeah. I'm heading home after some more business so you can get on right now." He motions for her so while she gets on he goes down to her.

"Thank you. Even though you have reasons why you shouldn't have to." She walks inside with him.

"True, but you need a place to stay. Knowing the past with your dad, who knows how he will be with you after everything. I'm not going to risk anything happening to you. Plus last I heard, Joey visits him a lot. When Rose drugged you and called, Joey was living with him for a while." Rafe explains to her.

She slightly smiles at him caring about her with her father and Joey, "Thank you, again." She tells him so he smiles.

"Yeah, but one rule. No talk about the cross and what I do with it melted or I'll kick you out." He gives her a look.

"I'll try to bite my tongue." She gives him a smile.

When John B gets home after his father was taken by Singh, he finds JJ waiting for him so he explains everything to him. "Callie told me." John B says after he and JJ say they will figure out how to get John B back.

"I know I fucked up. And I regret it, I do. Kie knows that's too, but Callie still needs time. I broke her heart. I hurt her and I'm supposed to be the one person who should never hurt her." JJ looks down at the ground.

"You did mess up and at least you know that. JJ, I know you two are meant to be. I knew that growing up. I always saw it happening at some point. At the right time, everything will go back to how it was between you two. I know that for sure. You just have to wait for it like I did with my dad coming back." John B tells him. "She loves you to death, JJ. I'm sure she'll never stop."

[casspurrjoybell-17]

Heart’s Choice - Chapter 16

*Warning Adult Content*

- Carlos -

Alejo is a few years younger than me, a few inches taller and has the hardened physique of someone you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley late at night.

He has closely shaved hair, unremarkable brown eyes and wears rings on his fingers and studs in his ears.

Under his clothes, he's covered in tattoos (I remember little of our night together but I remember that) and a scar bisects his left brow.

He tends bar at his dad's pub at night and works as a personal trainer in a gym during the day and I seem to remember him telling me he wanted to leave Spring Lakes, head for a big city, Chicago or New York and open his own club.

Other than that and the fact he's not great in bed, that's all I know about him.

As he sidles closer to me and snaps the tags off my shirt, however, I discover one more thing, he seems to be one of those unfortunate people born without the ability to take a hint.

As the service commences, I try to ignore him and listen to the priest talk about the afterlife and all that but it's hard to pay attention with Alejo whispering in my ear.

"Why you never text me back, bitch?" he whispers. "You leave me hanging like that."

I nod at the plain, unadorned urn resting atop a pedestal, waiting to be interred.

"I been busy. Little distracted, you know. How did you know Kyle, anyway?"

"Went to high school with him," Alejo says under his breath.

"I thought you said you were twenty-six?"

"I am. Kyle was a freshman and I repeated twelfth grade. Kinda lost touch when he went to juvie but we reconnected recently. He came by my dad's bar, begging for work."

"He did?"

Surprised, I fail to keep my voice down and draw several 'shushes' and angry stares.

As far as I knew, Kyle hadn't been a 'go-getter' and would have happily sat in his room, playing video games for the rest of his life if his aunt hadn't forced him to get a job and forced me to give him one.

As it was, he'd barely managed to hand me the right spanner when I asked and couldn't tell nuts from bolts.

Working in a fast-paced environment like a bar didn't seem like his style.

"Yeah," Alejo says, once everyone's attention is back on the priest, who's reciting a bunch of psalms. "He wanted night shifts. Earn some extra dough on the side. Seemed desperate to get out of this town. Or to get away from his creepy old aunt, anyway. Guess he got his wish."

Alejo laughs and I cast him a disparaging look.

"Have you talked to the police?"

"Huh?"

He blinks at me in surprise.

"Why the fuck would I do that?"

"Because it could be important. I didn't know Kyle needed money, more than usual, anyway. That could mean something."

Shrugging, Alejo finally gives his attention to the service.

"Who knows? He probably just wanted to impress some chick or something."

I let my mind wander for the next half hour, during which the priest somehow manages to make Kyle sound like an angel.

Sadly, it's probably the most nice words anyone's ever said about him and as far as I can tell, he's not around to hear it.

I come up with a few nice things to say about him, myself, expecting that the attendees will be invited to speak but once the priest concludes his eulogy, Kyle's aunt rises with the assistance of her nurse and hobbles away.

This clearly signals that the service is at an end and the rest of the guests follow suit.

Knowing Kyle's not listening anyway, I follow the pitifully small crowd back down towards the parking area.

The wake will be held at Lucille's house and I'm looking forward to the chance to observe the other guests in a more relaxed environment.

Nobody wants to speak their mind in front of a priest but get some finger food and few drinks in them and the tea starts to spill.

"You get a ride here?" Alejo asks, scanning the vehicles lined up in the lot.

I glance at the white sedan where Sergeant Nguyen sits drinking a cup of coffee and looking at something on his cell-phone.

"Uh... Yeah. I took an Uber. My truck's in the shop. Battery trouble."

Alejo laughs rudely.

"The mechanic has car trouble, now that's ironic."

I frown.

"You think doctors don't get sick? Or dentists don't get toothaches? Or..."

'Or that a kid born into a family of exorcists can't get possessed?'

I shake my head, wondering where that intrusive thought came from.

It almost didn't feel like mine, which isn't a good sign.

At the same time, a chill breeze rustles the leaves of the old maples standing guard over the parking lot and a trio of crows take flight from the lower branches of the nearest one, rowing the air with silent wings.

"You okay?" Alejo asks, inconveniently deciding to be perceptive, for once.

"Yeah, I'm fine. See you at the wake."

I start to walk away but Alejo catches my wrist and nods towards Nguyen's car.

"Hey, tell that guy to fuck off. I'll give you a ride for free."

He winks.

I barely restrain my expression and force myself to smile.

"Sure. Thanks, man."

I jog over to Nguyen's vehicle and knock on the window.

"You get all that?" I ask when he lowers it.

He gives me a thumbs up.

"All good. I'll follow and park down the street."

Waving as if to thank and dismiss him, I trot back towards Alejo, pasting on a grin that I hope doesn't look as much like a grimace as it feels.

"Thanks, man," I say as I follow him across the lot.

I stop in surprise as he unlocks a matte black Camaro ZL1, a car that retails for at least 70k, possibly much more, given the package.

He sees my expression and laughs.

"Don't worry, I didn't steal it. Get in."

I obey, admiring the black and crimson interior despite myself and noting how clean it is.

All else aside, Alejo knows how to take care of a car.

He shows off a little, accelerating out of the parking lot and taking turns hard enough to make me grip the handhold but I can't deny it's a little bit fun and thrilling.

I get the appeal, the call to go wild and be reckless, light the match and see what burns.

I get a little anxious when I realize we're off course 'taking the scenic route' would be putting it generously but Alejo seems to anticipate this and looks over at me with an easy grin.

"Relax, I just don't wanna piss off the old ladies. Besides, this gives me a chance to spend more time alone with you."

As he pulls up to a stoplight, drumming his fingers on the wheel to match the base throbbing from his premium sound system, I work up the courage to be honest.

"Um... Hey, you know, I uh, I had a good time with you. But the truth is, I met someone recently and..."

"What?"

He leans towards me, hand cupped to his ear.

"Say that again."

I swear under my breath and raise my voice.

"I just wanna be clear with you," I half shout. "I don't wanna lead you on."

He squints at me.

"Lead me where?"

I reach for the volume control on the dash but at the same time the light turns green and Alejo stomps on the gas, thrusting me back against my seat with the force of acceleration.

Giving up, I sit through the rest of the ride in silence.

Finally, he pulls to a screeching halt, parallel parking between two other cars with admirable precision, pops his door open and hops out.

I feel old just watching him and he's only three years younger than me.

Getting out as well, I follow him towards the old house and up the front steps.

The door is propped open, the guests gathered inside (notably greater in number than were present at the burial) and we join the assembly unnoticed.

Alejo heads straight for the buffet and open bar, while I attempt to infiltrate the crowd.

My forays are largely unsuccessful, however, as Mrs. Peters snubs me and I fail to make inroads with anyone else.

Finally, Alejo reappears at my side, drink in hand.

"Hey. This is depressing as fuck. You wanna get out of here? I'll take you for a real spin. Even let you drive, if you want."

Part of me stirs with interest at the offer.

Alejo is clearly immature in some ways, desperate in others, and dealing with his own world of shit.

We have that in common and if I can just get it through his thick head that I don't wanna fuck him, maybe we could even be friends.

In the meantime, Kyle's aunt is eyeing me with a murderous look that makes me really glad she's physically infirm.

I can't imagine how an old lady could have done to Kyle what happened to Kyle and yet there's something about Lucille I just don't like.

Not to mention the strangely sterilized state of Kyle's room, the way she barely seemed to care he was dead or the new info Alejo had given me about Kyle's desperate desire to get out of this place.

Struck by an idea, I decide I need to take one more look at Kyle's room.

He'd used a lot of energy trying to communicate with me but I hadn't seen a trace of him for almost a week.

Sometimes but not always, spirits have the most power shortly after death, when they still have strong connections to this world through their physical body.

Kyle's body was cremated, which, in most cases, would release all ties to this world and allow his spirit to transmigrate to another form or another realm, wherever the journey took him.

More rarely, a spirit stripped of power but unable or unwilling to leave this world, will retreat to the place to which they are most strongly bound.

In Kyle's case, that would be here.

"Okay," I say, giving Alejo a hopefully platonic smile. "Just give me a minute. I wanna check on something upstairs."

"Sure thing," he winks. "I'll grab you a drink."

Hoping he means something nonalcoholic, given his offer to let me drive, I make sure Lucille is distracted before I turn and trot upstairs.

Kyle's room is exactly as I saw it last, not a speck of dust in sight.

I sit on his bed, the cheap mattress and frame creaking beneath my weight and take a breath, opening myself to the other side as much as I dare.

"Hey, Kyle. If you're here, I'm here to listen. I am so sorry for what happened to you and I want to help. So, help me to help you, okay? Gimme a sign or some shit."

I wait but no sign is forthcoming.

The room remains cold and empty and I don't even feel a hint of a presence.

I've been in fast food joints with a spookier vibe than this, which is weird, given the overall 'Haunted Mansion' look of the house.

Giving up, I rise and make one more attempt.

"Kyle... Look, man. I know we weren't friends. We barely knew each other. I was your boss and I wasn't that great of one. But you came to me for a reason, right? Because you know I can see you. So... talk to me. It was your aunt, wasn't it? Somehow, she's behind this. Just give me something to go on, okay?"

I wait again but nothing happens.

The gauzy blue curtains framing the window remain unruffled by any inexplicable breeze and the temperature in the room remains stable.

I even risk a glance at the mirror on the back of the door and find only my own dark-eyed reflection staring back at me.

Sighing, I cross to the door, take one more look at the room and step into the hall.

It's not until I reach the top of the stairs that I feel the change.

The air drops from 'uncomfortably warm old-person house' to 'outdoors in the Siberian winter' in the space of one breath.

That's a lot of heat energy and as I turn and find myself face to face with an angry-looking Kyle, I understand he's taken everything he can get to manifest.

"Kyle? Whoa..." I raise my hands. "Hey, I'm here to help you, bud. I'm not..."

"GET OUT."

The words are less heard than felt, almost like a seismic shock or a rumble below the range of human hearing.

I stare into Kyle's black-hole eyes as, with a rush of arctic wind, he pushes me so hard I find myself hanging in thin air.

Then, as gravity demands, I fall and tumble down the stairs.

[tearfest]

ㅤㅤto say that geun was overwhelmed would be an understatement. he'd had some wild nights in his college years, but he can't recall a time he'd ever had two women in his house as equally beautiful as the two that were here now. it was like his attraction for shayla had only doubled, and then split in equal halves between her and her unnamed friend. how his heart hadn't just burst out of his chest and onto the floor in front of them, he didn't know. his smile was big and bright albeit a tad nervous as he feebly tried not to stare, but the way their sexily matching workout gear hugged their bodies perfectly, emphasising each curve that he was growing increasingly desperate to get his hands on... geun may be a physically strong man, but he was mentally weak. he was simply hoping that his moral compass would be strongly enough aligned to keep him from pursuing two married clients. he'd spotted the ring on kiarah's finger, too.

ㅤㅤ" no, no— there's no need to apologise, really. i usually offer out free starter sessions, so doing you both at the same time— " cheeks reddened at his own wording, but he powered on. " — it, um— yeah, it kills two birds with one stone. " his gaze was alternating between the two, boyish grin dimpling his cheeks when he gave his new guests small hand a firm shake, stepping back with a gulp to lock the door behind them. fuck, was his hand sweaty? her question was a welcome distraction as he walked behind them, eyes tracking the movement of their hips before clearing his throat; circling around them to grab the two freshly made shakes off the side to offer. " i've been doing this for nearly nine years now. i started pretty much straight after college— i enjoy it, though. it's kinda like one of those jobs that doesn't feel like a job. " big, awkward smile never leaves his lips as he placed the drinks back down on the counter nearest the beautiful distractions. if he was this overwhelmed now, he didn't want to even imagine how he'd feel mid warm-ups. "sorry, i don't think i got your name? and, shayla— how's your husband doing? i haven't heard from him in a while. which usually means i'm doing a good job. " which was a good thing, because geun could barely talk to his boss without thinking about how badly he wanted to rail his wife. and now her friend? he felt like he was being tested.

⸻    for    starters,    it    wasn’t    like    shayla    truly    needed    a    personal    trainer.    had    started    the    routine    more    as    a    means    to    escape    trivial    time    with    a    lousy    husband    she    could    care    less    about.    further    encouraged    to    keep    up    with    that    routine    because    she    couldn’t    stop    swooning    over    her    personal    trainer.    started    at    first,    by��   scrolling    over    his    business    page.    a    pretty    face,    bulging    arms    and    a    broad    torso.    upon    their    first    couple    of    meetings,    a    gentle    personality    to    win    her    over.    a    gentle    giant,    had    been    the    exact    way    he’d    presented    him    to    the    unexpected    guest    stood    at    her    side    once    the    door    opened.    the    duo    gift    wrapped    from    head    to    toe    in    matching    nike    pro    gear.    fit    snug    at    the    dip    in    their    hips,    following    each    gracious    near    perfected    curve    down    their    bodies.    sports    bra    hiked    up    ever    so    slightly    to    reveal    the    bottom    of    encouraging    breasts.    ❝    sorry  !    i    figured    that    she    might    wanna    just    tag    along,    she’s    thinking    about    signing    up    for    your    services.    ❞    pearly    whites    danced    along    the    swell    of    her    lower    lip,    supplementing    the    grin    on    display.    happier    than    ever    to    once    again    be    in    the    beefcake    trainers    presence.    

❝    girl…    rude,    she    didn’t    tell    you ?    ❞    stepping    forth,    kiarah's    petite    palm    fit    snug    into    the    larger    palm    which    engulfed    it.    unhable    to    help    but    wonder    how    snug    it’d    fit    around    the    small    of    her    neck.    innocent    bat    of    eyelashes    trained    up    towards    him    as    they    walked    forth.    hips    swaying,    spandex    on    both    women    strained    to    near    failure.    ❝    duh…    i’ve    heard    the    greatest    things,    how    long    have    you    been    training    people    now  ?    ❞