#but im glad red still had her humour

[janewaykove]

Kate Mulgrew as Galina "Red" Reznikov in Orange Is The New Black (S7E12, 2019)

You look like shit. I almost didn't recognize you.

[diwtara]

The locals were throwing them a feast in thanks for saving the village. With music and booze and meat - what more could they ask for?

The chief even brought out a local speciality.

"This drink," he explained, "will compell you to go to your friends and tell them something honest." He went on to explain that though it might not be something you would normally say out loud, it very rarely led to hurt feeling on either side - it did of course happen ocasionally, but the drink was made specifically to celebrate and help strengthen bonds.

When offered the chance to try it, no one was surprised that Luffy took the opportunity. Their cook was next, having caught a wiff of it Sanji insisted he needed to learn the flavour profile. Franky was the third and final volunteer, claiming that honesty was SUPER.

The stawhats kept a close eye on their captain as he bounced around chatting with everyone in his vicinity, though it was hard to tell if the drink had taken effect yet, or if Luffy was simply being Luffy.

"Nami-swan!" Sanji called running eagerly up to the red head, with a bright smile on his face.

She greeted him in turn with a polite smile, allowing him to take one of her hands gently in his own

"Nami-swan, you are such a strong, amazing person and I am so glad that we met. I am so happy that we are friends!"

Namis eyes widdened as a blush spread across her cheeks. "Oh!" That wasnt what she had expected him to say at all. Now she found herself stumbling over how to respond.

"I see the elixer has begun to work, cook-san" Robin cut in with a soft smile.

"Robin-chwan!" He cheered taking her hand in his free one. "You are so brilliant and wonderful. Im always excited for you when we find ruins for you to study, or a poneglyph for you to read. I love seeing you happy!"

It was Robins turn to be left speachless. She knew the strawhats were okay with humouring her passion, but it still caught her off guard that they were people, that there could be people, who genuinely cared about her happiness.

Movement off to the side caught Sanjis attention and he took off as quickly as he had appeared.

"Usopp!" He cried, wrapping the man in a hug.

"Oof. Okay okay, you can let go-"

"I know how brave you are Usopp! I see it every time you do what you need to despite being scared! But i will still always do my best to protect you whenever I can!"

Usopps eyes watered for a moment before he threw his arms around the chef. "Sanji!!"

Zoro doesnt know what draws the blondes attention his way, hell maybe its just another special property of the drink, makes you zero in on the people you know one by one. He sort of wishes he hadnt been noticed though.

"Zoro!" He tried not to squirm or duck away as he was approached.

He didnt need the cook rushing over to - what? Tell Zoro that theyre friends? He knows theyre friends, its not something either of them should have to say out loud. Thats not what they do.

Or worse, the curly-browed idiot could decided to say something like 'you're strong', or 'you're a good fighter', or 'I respect you'.

That would just be uncomfortable for both of them. And the cook would probably regret it in the morning.

And just how would Zoro be able to respond to that? Zoro sure as hell cant respond in kind to that sort of comment. Hes not the one who drank a truth potion after all.

He could pick a fight of course, make fun of the blonde for coming over and smiling and talking with complete sincerety. Laugh at him for willingly taking the drink and spilling out his feelings everywhere.

"Oi! Zoro!" The cook was grinning at him in a way he never did, or at least he was until he tripped on something on the path and a look of concentration replaced the smile as the man focused on staying upright while stumbling the last few feet forward. This had Zoro fighting off a smile of his own. The staggering blonde was a stupid, and maybe slightly endearing, sight.

Sanji caught himself with one hand planted on Zoros chest, staring down at it in complete fascination.

"I think about kissing you all the time."

What.

Zoros breath caught.

"I would really like to suck your cock." Sanji continued, licking his lips, "Maybe tie you up first if you'd let me."

What?!

The blondes eyes slowly traced up from his hand on Zoros chest to meet his eyes. When he did, whatever he saw there, he seemed to realize exactly what he had just said.

Zoro watched as his mouth opened and closed several times, a dark blush racing across the mans face.

Finally Sanji snatched his hand away and turned on his heel before running back the way he came. Zoro almost chased after until he saw the blondes path change so he could scoop Chopper up in his arms.

The bright smile was back on his face, the blush fading. Whatever he was saying to Chopper had the reindeer wiggling and delightedly calling him a bastard.

Zoro watched the group - Franky was now openly sobbing while Nami pat his shoulder awkardly, Luffy was fully wrapped around Usopp - while he tried to catch up with what just happened.

How the hell was he supposed to respond to that?!

He sighed and decided he could confront the cook tomorrow. (Maybe.)

For now he needed a drink.

[stopbeingrude]

Hi guys , how are you doing ? I hope you had at least a decent day. I was really surprised by how many people were interested in my story. (blush) Im so glad As promised, here's chapter 2 ,, I like the rain, it always seemed like the only thing that was like me…" Chapter 2. ,,Thank you for being here" Juvia looked at the object in her hands that she found while packing for their trip to Tempeville. A tiny umbrella , white with smiling suns printed on it .She remembered vividly the exact moment Jerry had handed it to her. - "Here, this is for you, I couldn't bear to hear you whining anymore,"- said the golden-haired man, handing the little girl his gift. -'' I've told you many times, that in time you would be able to control the rain around you. It's normal for water to behave strangely around water mages, and I had a problem with it too….- said Jerry. The man thought for a moment, then added. -..I'm pretty sure I told you how I nearly drowned my ex girlfriend….I told you, right?.. "- little girl nodded-"...Of course I did…haha..If only you could see that bitc...yh...lady's face….Where was I at again?............Oh right!... If only you were just a bit more patient, little froggy.." -"I told you not to call me that, you dummy! "- shouted the seemingly angry Juvia. It was obvious that she wasn't angry, but if those were supposed to be birthday wishes , then that this old slacker could have tried a little harder. -''Oi! Brat....I'm trying my best to wish you a happy birthday and you act like this? -" What kind of birthday wishes are these supposed to be!?- the girl exclaimed. -..Unbelievable! Young people these days are so ungrateful….Ugh .."- he complained, but eventually gave up. -" Heh... Alright….Im sorry... Happy Birthday Juju…- he said with a grin. He couldn't stay angry with his baby for too long. - "...I wish you happiness, health,...I hope you'll grow up to be a decent and intelligent woman ... because remember this..., it's not how you look that counts, it's what's in your head…. - the man poked her forehead lightly, causing the girl to giggle. Despite the tough character of her ..guardian ...? I guess you could call him that… despite his difficult sense of humour and his biting remarks, she knew that she was important to him, just as he was important to her. He just had a strange way of showing affection... Juvia laughed lightly despite a few tears that flowed from her sapphire eyes. It was for moments like this , she's been able to endure the bullying of other children , she knew that every sad experience ended with a visit from Jerry. Every visit ended with one of his strange ideas that always put a smile back on her face, like that one time he took her out for hot dogs at 10pm. Juvia was never able to forget the look on the orphanage ladies' faces when Jerry walked her back at 1 am. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice when her fiancé appeared in their bedroom. -" I've never seen this one…"- he pointed at the umbrella- ''.. I'm guessing it's a special one then" -he stated, handing her tea. - "Thank you... "- she took a sip-"...Yes you're right... actually it was a present for my birthday. HE gave it to me…" After packing the last things, they both sat down on the bed. Neither of them was quite sure how to start a conversation. Gray didn't like the strange atmosphere that had prevailed in their apartment since yesterday. But most of all he did not like how distant Juvia seemed to be. That wasn't his Juvia. Devil Slayer rested his head on her shoulder. When Blue-haired woman began to gently stroke his hair, he immediately relaxed . He missed that... After what for him felt like ages , she decided to speak. -"Juvia is sorry that she didn't tell you anything...Juv….. I was just trying to forget about it... it's not like I don't trust you....Please don't be angry…"-she said in an uncertain voice. -"I'm not angry at you….I'm just a little disappointed...I thought you felt comfortable enough with me to tell me everything…"- he admitted. It was silly to admit , but he didn't

like the fact that Juvia wouldn't tell him something. He knew that everyone had the right to have their own secrets, but his desire to find out what was in her head was much stronger. After a while he decided to ask her more - "Is there anything else you haven't told me about yourself?" He needed to know. -" No. Everything else is true…About my childhood, about Phantom Lord...and mostly about my parents..." …………………………. -".........What happened to your parents...?"- he asked quietly. He contemplated for a moment whether he should ask her this question. After all, he didn't know what kind of reaction this would cause.. -" My mother died when I was about 2 years old.... I don't know who my father was... Jerry said he never met him…about my mother.."- Juvia looked as if she was thinking very hard about something, and after a moment she added-"..Jerry once told me that even she couldn't remember who he exactly was….not that she cared about it or about being pregnant …"- said Juvia weirdly. Wait , what? -"..L-let me get this straight…...you're trying to tell me….that she didn't really care that she got pregnant...and that she wasn't even trying to look for your father? ' Wait, what !?' -….ymm... that's....." - the man persistently tried to choose the right words. He did not want to offend his fiancée's mother by any means (If not for her , Juvia wouldn't be there in the first place, so she obviously deserved to be at least respected)....But everything Juvia had mentioned sounded...How to put it?...Concerning? -" It's not normal... I know... you don't have to hold back Darling- she said with a slight smile- "Her name was Eliana and apparently she was always like...that..., she was...well DIFFERENT.."- that's how Jerry would always describe her-"....She didn't really care about anything, she didn't talk too much, she rarely showed any kind of emotion....She was one big secret, even for him. Juvia never fully got it. Why would she be like that with the person she supposedly was…… ..ymm…..Close.?"- he didn't miss the way she said the last word, but he kept quiet about it. After all ,the relationship between two strangers wasn't his business. Gray decided to change the subject a bit. -"You know..., I think it's really great of him to take care of both of you.…"-despite the fact that the night before Gray had felt a lot of anger towards the aforementioned man, right now he was grateful that he had taken both ladies under his care.- "He must have been an amazing person. It really sounds like you are telling me about some hero or saint"- ice mage smiled - "He was "- said blunette with a smile - "I will always be grateful to him...But Saint ? No, no ,no...That's probably too much of an exaggeration." - she added with a giggle. Gray was glad that she was laughing again, he couldn't help but laugh a little too. They are slowly returning to normalcy... - "He was the laziest, most stubborn man you could find on this planet….He was untactful , brutally honest and worst of all, sometimes he could be so awfully mean and grumpy , especially when it was Tuesday...Juvia never got that...why Tuesday?….Dear God , he could be so unbearable...."- Juvia stopped for a moment, then smiled playfully.- "Honestly you two are pretty similar in that case" - "Ekhem....So.. you're suggesting that I'm mean and grumpy ? Oh ..Alright... I'll remember that when you want something from me..."- Gray said, pretending to be offended and trying hard not to smile. Juvia laughed loudly, then wrapped her arms around his neck and placed a sweet kiss on his lips. After Jerry disappeared, she was sure she would never get attached to anyone again. She didn't want to suffer more. But as we all know, life likes to surprise us, and "never" is not eternal. First she met Gajeel , with whom, by some strange coincidence, she found a connection. Funny, considering how different they were. Even then a quiet voice in her head, similar to Jerry's, whispered to her to not get too attached….that it didn't make sense. On that day, for the first time in her

life, she decided to ignore it, and thanks to that, she gained a wonderful friend. The same situation happened again after she met Gray and Fairy tail. The insistent voice kept reminding her of the past. 'Just because you've miraculously found a friend who hasn't left you, doesn't mean that it will happen again...' 'So what if he stopped your rain, one day you'd be able to deal with it by yourself…..Besides, don't you remember what happened the last time you felt something for a guy? It's just stupid, meaningless crush, just get over it....' But as time passed and she became more and more attached to the guild mates, more and more in love with Gray..... The voice in her head gradually faded and after a while the only sound she heard was the laughter of her loved ones. Despite the suffering of the past, Juvia no longer regretted anything. She would go through it even 100 more times, just to be happy with her new family. -"Oi ! - she felt Gray lightly tap her nose- Juvs don't fall asleep, we have a train in about two hours….. Remember? "- he asked amused - "You're right! Juvia's sorry, she got lost in her thoughts…" ****************************************** - "Are you going on a mission ?" asked Mira Jane cheerfully, as the couple informed her of their departure. Gray didn't necessarily want to share with her the reason for their trip. After all, it was a rather sensitive topic. - "Yyyy it's more like..... a..vacation...?...Right Juvia?"- he turned to his fiancée - "Oh!....Yes, yes..."- nodded the woman. The barmaid looked at them with a huge smile. She still couldn't quite believe that these two were finally together.… - "In that case I wish you a wonderful time, lovebirds" - she giggled as she saw them both turning red. - "Ooh vacation? That's awesome, wish you a great time guys." -they heard Lucy's voice behind them. - "They are such a beautiful couple."- added Erza proudly-" I can't believe that our Gray has grown so much..I hope you'll have an amazing vacation." - '"I also wish you an amazing time'' -said Wendy happily. -Ohhh..young love…- sang Happy, flying over their heads. - " And where are you two going anyway?"- asked Natsu curiously while finishing his lunch. - "We decided to visit my hometown,"- said Juvia. Her friends didn't need to know more... - "Oh cool..Where is it?" -continued Natsu. He never really thought much about where his guild-mate came from.. -" I don't think that's your business Flame-brain. Besides you probably wouldn't know where it is anyway." -said Gray, slightly annoyed. He was slowly starting to get on his nerves. Why does Natsu always have to meddle in things that are not his own? - "I asked Juvia ,not you Icy-pants" said Natsu teasingly. Jeez what's wrong with Droopy eyes today , he just asked a simple question. - "Calm down both of you "- said Lucy. She didn't like where this conversation was going. -'' Lucy is right, there is no point in arguing....Natsu if you really want to know, Juvia was born in the town of Tempeville, in the south - said Juvia, trying to calm down quickly. - "Oh, I've never heard of that place," Natsu said, surprised. Looks like there's a lot of towns he didn't know about. - "See, I told you so,"- said Gray. "Now if you'll excuse us, we have a train to catch. So let's get going… - "Hey Lucy, Happy, let's go with them...I'd like to see what that place is like "- said Natsu suddenly, dragging the blonde with him. His girlfriend looked at him in horror. 'Natsu, what are you thinking? Are you trying to ruin their trip?' - "The hell?! "- shouted Gray. And then he thought that everything was going well…'Please no….' - "Natsu, that's their private vacation! "- exclaimed Lucy, knowing very well that they should leave the couple alone- "Besides, they said they have a train coming soon!" -"Then let's go , we have to get ready quickly…...!" "LEAVE US ALONE !!' - desperate Gray shouted as loud as he could, unintentionally focusing the attention of practically the entire guild. They all looked at him, disapproval clearly written on

their faces. - "Gee..Buddy..you don't have to be so rude," - said Max. - "My God… what's with you?- whispered Lisanna - "Exactly Gray, what kind of behavior is that? "- Erza asked in a stern tone- "If you don't want Natsu to come with you, just tell him politely. The Devil Slayer wanted to disappear... It wasn't supposed to be like this. He turned his gaze towards his fiancée, silently asking for any kind of rescue. However, he was met with the same horrified gaze. After a moment, the girl bowed her head slightly and said to the rest of the guild. -"Everyone , please forgive us, especially Gray. I don't know what's going on with him lately...." - ' Huh ?'- Gray must have heard that wrong….There is no way... -"....He's been very tired and stressed lately, probably because of work, that's why we decided to go on vacation…..Juvia didn't know what to do...." said Juvia, brilliantly pretending to be distraught. 'Stop making me out to be some kind of aggressive freak,' Gray shouted in his mind 'Juvia is sorry but this is kinda your fault'- thought blunette , while taking a look at her lover. - "Relax Juvia, you don't have to apologize to us... To be honest Natsu tried to force his way into your trip" - said Lucy, looking at her partner with an annoyance. - Sorry Juvia….-said the pink haired boy meekly-"...but the ice princess can kiss my ass. I won't apologize to him.." -he added quietly. - "It honestly sounds like an excuse to leave you alone so you can shag in peace" -said Cana under her breath. She wanted to add something else but then she felt a murderous gaze of the black-haired man and decided to shut up. -"True!"- added Gajeel, receiving a look full of indignation from his best friend. -"That's so MANLY" - "How could you blame them though….." -laughed Macao. -"GOODBYE !" - shouted Fullbuster blushing furiously ,as he headed straight to the door, dragging his equally embarrassed lover with him. As they walked towards the train station, dragging their suitcases behind them, blunette suddenly asked… - "Did you really do this...to be all alone with me....?" asked Juvia innocently. Oh how she loved teasing him like that... -"JUVIA ?! "- At this point Gray was close to having a heart attack. A very amused girl could not stop laughing for a while , until they got on the train and they sat down in one of the wagons. Their journey has just begun. ****************************************** Very random/ unnecessary bonus . Remember this, Lovelies! Never doodle under the influence of alcohol, you will get wierd ideas lol. ,, Do you see this sh*t Juvia? People are fighting over fictional characters… Humanity really is getting dumber and dumber...."

[wincore]

sweet tooth | dong sicheng

pairing: vampire!sicheng x reader

words: 2.8k

summary: out of all the inconveniences a vampire boyfriend could pose, there’s about two tonight: a) him losing it at the next person who compliments his fangs, or b) you losing it at sicheng’s 100% blood alcohol content

genre: vampire!au, boyfriend!au, college!au, (tooth-rotting) fluff, comfort, humour

warning(s): mentions of blood, alcohol consumption, college halloween parties

song rec(s): candy - baekhyun // wish you were sober - conan gray

a/n: let’s pretend it’s halloween pls <3 also im sorry it’s so short and more drabble-ish but i wanted to write something gentle and comforting so!!! yeah ^^ also there is no plot. eep.

It’s two in the morning.

Or rather, it feels like two in the morning. 

A frat party is a horrible substitute for an actual Halloween party. The alcohol content is through the roof and the number of pairs making out is enough to make you feel queasy. You never knew horror themes had the innate ability to make people so flagrantly horny—you’re half glad you’re not, god forbid, single. Most of your friends were too busy, however, to organize the close-knit party you usually have each year—so here you are, with an invitation from a friend of a friend (of a friend). Your boyfriend might be the only one feeling more out of place than you are.

You glance at Sicheng from the pool table, the cup frozen against his lips while his eyes scan the room from corner to corner. You don’t do crowds and neither does he; though he does have the unwitting ability to charm any crowd he’s in. You’re not quite sure if he’s still unaware of that.

You watch as a girl you can easily recognize from your campus approach him, all smiles and giggles. She says something and you scoff, almost completely certain about what it is she said.

Sicheng might be unaware of it—but you are, and painfully so.

She looks at him starry-eyed and the scent of rum wafting around her. A part of her jacket is off her shoulder, a faint blush covering her cheeks that you can spot even under the dim lights. She’s definitely flirting—you know that because rumours go around faster than assignments in this university. Choi Joohee has a very public, very open crush on your boyfriend.

It’s not like it bothers you. Not at all.

Just a little bit.

Jealousy has never been your thing and you’re half certain what you’re feeling isn’t even jealousy—just a taste of alcohol and the proximity of a Halloween house party.

Speaking of which, the only thing harrowing about this place is the amount of alcohol everyone seems to be consuming—including your boyfriend. Ten dragged Yukhei home a while ago and a part of you is still not confident enough to handle a boyfriend with very pointy fangs and midnight cravings for blood (or juice, as Ten disgustingly phrases it). 

Sicheng nods along to something Joohee asks, an eyebrow raised quizzically on her and you assume he’s been zoning out the whole time. The urge to laugh surfaces and you swallow it whole. He’s so cute, even in this state. The lights dance across his face; candy blue, rich purple, saccharine red. The colours don’t help him stand any straighter, or slur his words any less.

You think it’s time to help your boyfriend out. However, the moment you walk through the swarms over to them, Joohee’s face sours. Of course, as the only competition (is it a competition if you’ve already won?) to the object of her affections, you don’t rank too high in her books. It made you a little upset at first, but you got used to it. (“She’ll get over it,” Sicheng had reassured several times. “Don’t worry.”)

People grow, and with that thought, you let it be.

“I’ll talk to you later,” Joohee tells Sicheng and walks away, like he’s supposed to follow her.

You roll your eyes and turn to Sicheng, who’s had a very delayed response to Joohee’s departure. His head is tilted to the side, eyes half-lidded and you’re almost afraid he’s going to drop to the floor right there and then. This is bad. The thing about vampires is that they absolutely should not, under any circumstance, have alcohol. Calling your boyfriend a lightweight is beyond an understatement.

“Sicheng,” you call softly. 

He turns to you, taking a moment to process, before pulling his lips into a wide smile. His fangs poke out even when he presses his lips back together, a contemplatory look over him.

“I thought you left me here.” He forces a sardonic smile.

Drunk off his ass and Sicheng still manages to be annoyingly sarcastic.

You open your mouth and close it again. It’s not like you can chide him without letting your fondness show. The Adonis features that grace his face don’t help. Flushed all the way to the neck, a drunk Dong Sicheng is very rare. The last time this happened must have been at least two years ago (and though you weren’t there then, the way Ten and Kun freeze up at the slightest mention, you decided to not ask).

“Why did you drink?” you ask, huffing. “You can’t even smell alcohol.”

There’s a short pause.

“Because you were ignoring me,” he replies, leaning in.

Heat washes into your cheeks. You forgot how unrestrained he gets with alcohol in his system.

Sicheng seems to have enough consciousness left in him to feel somewhat embarrassed, standing up straight and fiddling with his thumbs. You slip your hand into his without delay and pull, trying your best to navigate through the crowd. Is an ordinary Halloween party too much to ask for? Just when you can finally spot the front door, Sicheng stops abruptly, making you stumble backwards into his chest. He smells like the old deodorant he’s been using for a year underneath the smell of beer and… is that blood?

“Where are we going?” he asks sharply.

“Home, Sicheng,” you whine. “You can stay in my bed.”

He stays rooted in place stubbornly, and you wonder what it is now. This is the time you have to wonder if you’re dating a (potentially) immortal creature or a recently birthed baby.

“We should enjoy more. You’ve hardly smiled the past few weeks,” he mutters.

Your heartbeat spikes for a moment, when he brushes the hair from your face. All this time and he hasn’t changed the words he offers to you in private, the care on his lips and fingertips. A room full of people who aren’t listening is the best place to talk.

The first time you saw Sicheng was in the middle of the night, in the dark hallway of your shared apartment building, blood staining his jaw from a bag he’d acquired from med student Wong Kunhang. (You’re very sure that’s illegal.)

Needless to say, you’d fainted immediately after. When you came to, you were met with a man with pretty eyes and fangs poking out his mouth and in a bed that wasn’t yours. There was no blood this time but you screamed anyway, cut off by the man’s hand over your mouth.

“Calm down,” he said, voice surprisingly deep. “It’s not like I’m going to kill you.”

“You were planning to kill me?” you asked, panicking.

“I just said I wouldn’t,” he replied quietly, eyes wide and almost as stressed as you are.

Sicheng heaves a sigh, massaging his forehead. You shake yourself off the memories, tugging at his shirt so you can sit somewhere at least. The alcohol must have numbed his ears too. The low R&B tunes make no sense on Halloween night; even less when they’re played a few bars above the acceptable volume. If you’re not out of here soon, you might lose your hearing altogether.

The couch is slightly less stinky than you would have expected. (You grimace as you think to the last time you were at a frat party and in particular, the vomit.) Beside you, Sicheng mumbles about something you’re not quite sure of, a quiet rant with one-track emotions. It makes you giggle and for a moment, you forget the predicament of being stuck with a drunk vampire boyfriend who has just finished teething.

“Hey, guys.”

You look up to see Jihoon, the very friend of a friend (of a friend) who had invited you to this mess. It’s not like you harbour ill feelings towards him; but the guy has approximately zero ability to read the room. It’s mostly funny.

Sicheng makes a vague gesture that you assume means ‘hello’, sitting up straight so he doesn't look noticeably tipsy. You make light conversation with Jihoon, Sicheng’s arm around your waist tightening reflexively. You don’t plan on party-hopping, no matter how much Jihoon urges the two of you—seriously, does he not see the look on Sicheng’s face? He looks more zombie than vampire.

“You know, you don’t actually have to wear costumes for this, right? We didn’t set a theme,” Jihoon remarks, tilting his head to face your boyfriend. “The fangs are really cool, though. Holy shit. Dude, they look so real.”

Sicheng’s lips twitch but he forces them into a smile, trying to move as far away from Jihoon as possible. The fangs are usually not out and about in the open, slightly retracted during the day. The night, however, keeps him on edge. Sicheng hates the spotlight that only ever shows up for the wrong reasons, and he’d much rather graduate without having to deal with horny vampire-lovers. (It’s not that sexy; and you know from experience.) 

The way Sicheng looks makes you wonder how many people have pointed out the fangs tonight. You purse your lips to keep yourself from laughing.

“Thanks,” he responds, voice his usual deep baritone. 

Jihoon leaves after being unable to draw any more conversation out of Sicheng, some peace gracing you despite everything.

If you ever write a book on how to deal with vampire boyfriends, the first rule would be to never kiss him at night. The fangs are not as withdrawn then and they hurt. (The second is, of course, to never let them get a whiff of alcohol.)

When Sicheng first kissed you, it was midnight and you were at the convenience store to buy a few lunchboxes and instant coffee mix. You’d yelped when his fang had pricked your lower lip, alarming the worker and around fifteen minutes of (dishonest) explanation later, the two of you had left without buying what you came for.

After fretting for a while, Sicheng had kissed you once more with careful consideration—till the damn fangs got in the way again. It was sweet for a moment—like candy—though, the metallic taste of blood had invaded it afterwards. No matter how awkward or painful it was, your elation outweighed the rest. 

Kisses weren’t the only thing interrupted by fangs.

The turtlenecks and scarves certainly raised an eyebrow in your circle of friends. There was concern at first, then teasing and then a whole lot of inside jokes which made you want to smack each and every one of them. (“They’re hickeys, I swear, not vampire bites,” you had informed Ten. “Ew. I did not need to know that.” “Shut up.”)

Even so, Sicheng is warm—always has been, and not on the skin.  

You feel pressure on your shoulder, his hair tickling your neck and you adjust yourself so it’s more comfortable. 

“Tired?” you ask.

“Not at all.”

You shake your head at his lie. Gently pushing his head away, you get up from your seat and pull him up with all of your strength. Linking your arm through his, you smile at him when he raises an eyebrow. It’s time to get home, you’ve decided and these are times when one vote is enough. 

When you reach the front door, stumbling out with your suddenly talkative boyfriend, the autumn breeze hits you. Under the moonlight, the rosy hue over his cheeks is clearer and even more so when he smiles.

“It’s like our first date,” he says. 

You smile back at him.

“You were so embarrassing,” he adds.

Your smile drops and you smack his arm, eliciting a soft complaint from him.

Your first date was the only normal thing in this relationship—a date at the amusement park on Halloween, a bunch of kids mistaking your now boyfriend for Count Dracula and caramel popcorn smeared over your fingers. 

Sicheng sighs, lowering his head to rest his forehead against your shoulder. The two of you stay like that for a moment or two, the party music finally fading and Sicheng’s warmth seeping into you. You fix the lapels of his jacket absentmindedly, fingers tracing over the material. His hands rest lightly against your back yet still secure. 

A kitten lick at your neck jolts you back to reality. You gently push him by the shoulders, finding his fangs bared already. He stays unmoving for a few seconds before closing his mouth and going back to leaning against you, breath falling in waves against your neck.

“I’m not your juicebox, Sicheng,” you snap, frown deepening.

“But you have so much blood,” he mumbles, his forehead hot against your shoulder.

“Sicheng.”

He sobers up a little, pulling back with a stream of pouting apologies. You bite your lip to keep yourself from smiling. Despite everything, your boyfriend is such a child sometimes. There’s a short pause.

“But wait, don’t go biting someone else’s neck,” you quickly add, flustered.

Sicheng suppresses a smile.  

“So I can have a little—”

“No.”

Sicheng pouts but agrees enough to follow you, the two of you moving soundlessly over the sidewalk. Being alone with him has always been easing; you don’t need a crowd for comfort. 

With fingers interlaced, you walk alone with him as the orange street lights cast shadows on the buildings lined up. A few more blocks and you’ll reach your apartment, get to push Sicheng into bed and pray he doesn’t throw up at your front door—and yet still, you walk as slow as you can as if the autumn wind will be gone as quick as it arrived.

The number of people shrink the further you get from the party, and you heave a sigh of relief, glad to be away from, what you and your friends call, the rich neighbourhood. The familiar path to your apartment, no matter the pricing, has much better air to breathe in. It’s past midnight and yet, you can see the city lights in the distance, the ones that never sleep—for the living or the dead.

Something runs into your legs and you jump onto Sicheng, who in turn flinches away with a strangled yelp. 

You look down to see a giant golden retriever in a white blanket which you assume is meant to be a ghost outfit. It wags its tail, sniffing around your boyfriend’s legs, making him giggle as he crouches down to pet the creature.

“I’m so sorry!” 

You look up to find a young girl holding a pumpkin almost as large as her head, an apologetic look over her head. Some part of you is happy to see a costume, considering you were robbed of yours. (Sometimes you dream of matching costumes but again, the damn fangs.)

“Piri loves people, I’m so sorry if he bothered—oh hey dude, cool fangs.”

Sicheng offers the fakest smile ever, accompanied with a thumbs up gesture. You sigh, apologizing to the girl before parting ways. 

“That’s the eighth time tonight,” Sicheng says, scowling almost. “I counted.”

You laugh, squeezing his hand. Calm, relaxed Dong Sicheng tends to lose it at repetitive comments with only three sips of beer.

When you reach the apartment building, clouds cover the moon and you draw your jacket closer to yourself. You think for a moment about the inevitability of time and whether you’re even allowed to fall in love this way. You push the thoughts aside almost inevitably. When the time comes, you will have a decision to make—and after everything, it is love which turns people. 

For now, you can enjoy this Halloween night with your (literally) one-of-a-kind boyfriend.

You fumble around with the keys, Sicheng looking at you with sleepy eyes as he leans against the wall. He must be worn out from the alcohol by now.

“Hey,” he calls, the words more muffled than usual. 

You raise an eyebrow, tugging him inside all the while maintaining your balance.

“You know my favourite blood type?” he continues.

You shake your head. “If you’re thinking of feeding, I’ll get some blood bags from Kunhang.”

Sicheng pouts. “You ruined the line.”

“Huh?”

“Yours. Yours is my favourite blood type.”

Despite the terrible execution of his so-called pick-up line, you find yourself shaking with laughter. You’re not sure if it’s the late night or the October air—the two of you share the silliest of laughter at the doorway to your apartment.

Within the moment itself, Sicheng leans in to kiss you and your hands move to run through his hair out of habit. The taste of beer and the prick of his fangs makes you pull away. You look at each other for a moment before you give in anyway and kiss him against the doorframe.

October ends with memories—your first date, Sicheng’s cooking disaster, and now this. It’s blissful for the few moments the two of you let it be. That is, until Sicheng opens his mouth.

“Oh, by the way, can you apologize to Ten for me? I think I bit him thinking it was you.”

“Sicheng, what the fuck?”

October ends with proximity, sweet as candy and warm as toast—stumbling into bed with all that and more.

[carllisle]

I audibly gasped at "I hc that her first human kill was a child" omfg you're so mean 😭😭😭😭

Don't get me wrong the story potential is 👏👏✨👌✨ & I'd read it but at the same time 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

im glad you brought that up cause i been DYING to talk about it 👌

Here’s an edited extract from This New Life. Esme’s first human kill was a young child. Content warning for blood and suicide ideation. 

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

Edward returned to the house not long after Carlisle left, shaking the snow from his hair on the back porch and removing his dirty boots outside the back door. Esme was still in the sitting room but now in the chair Carlisle had occupied for a short while, as content as the other had left her. He could feel the happiness in her thoughts and it warmed him. Hopefully, this would cheer her even further.

“There’s a large pack of wolves not far from here, Esme,” he called out to her as he hung up his coat on the stand in the hallway. Ice melted in the warmth of the house from his trousers and began dripping on the wood floorboards, and he heard her make a mental note to see to it soon. “Come with me, let’s hunt!”

I’m not sure.  

“I’ll race you.”

It’s not as fun now you always win.

He smiled at the humour he felt in her thoughts. “Not always!” Edward protested, although she was almost right. Newborn strength waned in her, and now more often than not he ended up outstripping her, but she was right in that the winning was less sweet when the challenge was less great. “You need to feed.”

I know. There was a tinge of sadness to her thoughts now, and guilt. They had been through this before.

Edward sighed as he combed his hair in the mirror in the hallway. It was a struggle to get it to lie flat after such a fast run.  “It’s not as simple as that,” he reminded her kindly. “It takes time, not practice, to need to hunt less. Your needs are changing, and try as you might, that is not something you can control.”

It took less than a second for him to appear in the sitting room, and the speed of his arrival made Esme’s hair lift in the little breeze created. She smiled nonchalantly at him. 

“Please be kinder to yourself,” he added. He leaned against a bookshelf close to her. “Come hunt with me. You’ve never tasted wolf, and change is good.”

I’m not sure…

“Please?”

And he looked at her with such angelic eyes, dark though they were, and Esme could not refuse. She was quickly learning that she would refuse Edward practically nothing, especially if it brought her his smile. He heard her thoughts and smiled now, so brightly it could eclipse the sun. “You have me wrapped around your little finger, do you know that?” she laughed in defeat.

Edward grinned and held out his pinky, stretching it towards her. Shaking her head slightly, laughing again, Esme linked hers with his and they shook in a silent promise. “As you’re around mine, Esme.”

It took only moments for Esme to change into clothes that were old and plain and that she could afford to lose should any wolves fight back, and there was a part of her that was excited for it. Never one for violence, it had surprised her how much she enjoyed the hunt. One day Edward had caught on to this thought, and together with Carlisle explained that it was just a side effect of her new biology and wasn’t a reflection of a fundamental change in character. After that, Esme had just accepted it.

Trees and ferns and the ungrowth rushed past them as they flew across the forest side by side, and Edward began weaving in a wider path around them. Esme laughed as his joy at the run infected her too, and he instinctively mirrored her when suddenly she changed course and dug her fingers into the thick trunk of a tree. Faster than sound she leaped up it, and then just as suddenly she flung herself to the next tree, and then the next, and the next and the next, until she was soaring from branch to branch and sending snow drifts cascading to the floor in her path. Suddenly they caught a fresh trail of wolf scent and Esme dropped to the floor and sprang forward silently. Edward followed suit. They were still a few miles off, they couldn’t hear the thudding of predator heartbeats yet, but the focus of the hunt set in.

Letting the hot, wet scent pull them forwards was easy. Already, Esme could feel venom fill her mouth, and red crept into the corners of her vision, and her throat was aflame. At her side, she kept Edward in sight, her senses reminding her that on a hunt he was a threat. Whenever he crept too close in her path, she couldn’t bite back snarls and he always heeded them. 

A mile away, and Esme could hear the pounding blood in the large pack. Her lips pulled back over her teeth, a hiss escaping her in anticipation. In response to the temptation, her body tensed like a coil and she held it back for as long as she could. Edward and Carlisle had tried to teach her to hunt with control, and she tried hard now to hold back, but she wasn’t strong enough. Like an explosion, the tension within her was released. She was wild, excited and hungry and suddenly so desperate to sink her teeth into flesh that she couldn’t control where her legs took her. Half a mile.

The woods thinned out and she could see where the pack rested in a clearing. Twelve grown wolves, a handful of younger ones, blacks and greys and browns. Esme couldn’t believe her luck. She left Edward to approach from the east, and she circled around, meaning to come at them from the north. Not that they stood a chance against either of the vampires, but it kept Esme away from Edward enough to feel safe when she feasted.

Edward’s cry of “No!” came out a moment before the wind changed. The western wind fanned over her face, and her feet changed course. A scent sweeter and richer than anything else she smelled before called to her like a song, and with it, the world disappeared. It felt heavenly, to be pulled across the earth towards it. Esme went gladly, and within seconds, two heartbeats sounded in her ears. Human. The smell was growing stronger with every step. Not once did it even cross her mind to stop. Why should she stop? This was why she was created. For this very moment.

“You need to be more careful!” a man’s hushed voice scolded, followed by the scrape of metal. “We’ll need to clean that cut before dirt gets into it. That’s how your grandfather lost his hand, is that what you want to happen to you? To become One Hand Henry?”

Esme saw them from a distance, and as fast as she could she came before them. The young boy, no more than nine or ten, was laughing in response to the question, and waving his bloody palm towards him. The man looked exasperated, but he didn’t want to ruin their fun.

“Esme!” came Edward’s ear-splitting roar not far behind. “Don’t!”

She barely heard it. Even when he had caught her in his arms and locked tight around her, she easily freed herself from steel. The boy didn’t feel any pain. Not with how quickly she grabbed him and crushed his throat against her lips. The little body was drained quickly. Never had Esme felt relief like it. She tasted the sacrament on her tongue, savouring the bliss, the way it made her body and soul sing. She was glad to be alive.

What little blood he gave her could not slake her need, and she caught up with the man shortly after. His distraught face flashed across her eyes, his sobs and cries for his boy echoing in her ears, but he didn’t have to suffer for long. One gentle squeeze of her fist and his skull cracked, her fingers sinking into the softness underneath, and life was gone from him quicker than he could have ever felt. His blood was good, but it was nothing on the divinity of his son. Still, it filled her and satisfied her. Finally she had slaked the thirst.

-----

When the world began coming back to her, Esme couldn’t have guessed how long she had been standing frozen. It returned slowly, the red and white haze that had blanketed her in bliss fading first at the corners, and then making their way inwards. At first, she was aware of Edward standing guard over her in a tree a short distance away. Then the sweet aroma of blood finer than any animal she had smelled washed over her. Turning her head this way and that to find the source, she realised it was on her. She licked her lips and tasted it drying there. One flex of her fingers and she knew it caked her arms and body.

“Where are the wolves?” When she drew in breath, for the first time in this life, her throat did not burn. She was soothed. She felt strong. But it was wrong.

“Gone.” He sounded wary above her.

“Is this what wolf blood tastes like?”

“No.”

“Oh.”

“Esme?”

She broke her frozen stance and looked up at him, eyes wide. Don’t say. Please don’t say it.

His own gaze was agonised. “I’m sorry.”

The taste of the boy was still in her mouth. His father’s bone clung to her hair. A violent scream tore itself from her, and the sound of ripping metal echoed when she dragged her nails down her face. Tearless sobs filled the air, and Edward was frightened.

I want to die.

“Esme-”

Her scream was piercing, shattering, tearing through the quiet forest. “I want to die!”

[dg-fragments]

I never thought I’d fall for someone again but turns out I did and it’s really deep. We’ve been talking for almost a year now but just as friends and he doesn’t know I’ve caught feelings for him. I realised I’ve feelings for him when I’d get jealous and I feel like I don’t have the right to?? We have a really really really great bond, he can talk to me about literally any and everything. I can’t say the same but that’s okay I don’t wanna be selfish. he’s glad he has someone whom he can rely on and trust and he said that because I met him while he was at a very dark phase in his life and Im still sticking with him through it I’ve honestly gotten so attached to him that I’d put him above myself. he’s gotten played by girls twice and he got out of his second relationship a few months ago. Now sometimes I do think there’s hope for us having a future apart from just in my head bcz of the way he talks to me, hed send me cute things from time to time like a tiktok with “send this to the most beautiful soul you know” or tell me that I’m the only girl he regularly talks to. but then He was telling me bout this girl at his uni and I feel like he’s taking interest in her, he said “ she’s too pretty, she’s wayyy above my league, I’m not saying anything now but I’ll like her if she’s similar to me, if I can vibe with her, and if she has good humour” I have that with him but ig she’s too pretty thatShitHurtsSoooooo it literally physically disabled me for hours i mean maybe he’s just physically attracted to her but then if he was at all interested in me he wouldn’t ever take interest in her yeah? Be it physical attraction. Like yeah sure u see prettier people but u only have eyes for that person and you don’t have to force urself to; it’s natural what I mean is when U’re genuinely Into a person you effortlessly are all bout that person , right?? ( in the sense of emotional loyalty). he’s said I’m pretty but I feel like he maybe lied and fake complimented?? He has some toxic traits too but i never picked on them just to rub them on his face to bring him down. Instead I’m patient with him to grow out of it, like grow together. There r traits u have to be patient and traits u should view as a red flag and run. But I can’t watch him be into someone else, Its a shitty soul piercing feeling watching that person take interest in someone else, it wrecks me.I can’t afford to be this hurt, I don’t have in me to. we all deserve someone who’s sure about us and is all bout us. Now idk what to do,should I just cut him off? If I dont let this end now itll be like scratching deep into an open wound on a daily. I don’t wanna do one of those things where he went to sleep and woke up blocked, that’d be very immature and it’d be like I abandoned him so should I just be clear about my feelings for him before cutting ties so he knows why I cut him off?? Should I even cut him off at all, keep my feelings to myself to love him as a friend and bear with him be for someone else ? I don’t wanna lose him but more importantly I don’t to take away the emotional security I’ve given him and the only reason I hadn’t opened up bout my feelings earlier is bcz of how insecure I am bout myself, he’s good looking and girls chase him focusing on his physical attributes but that’s not at all why I like him and plus I don’t wanna get into haram relationship, I think that if people wanna date for physical benefits then they don’t respect u at all ( just my opinion). Idk if you’ll read this cz it’s too long but if u do I really appreciate it. Thank you

Oh well, I actually had to read it multiple times to make sense of everything. You've got quite a lot of stuff going on there and most of it isn't particularly very healthy for you. Firstly, I wouldn't advise you to put him or his feelings above your own and think that you have to be there for him, yes of course you'd like that but considering what you've described about him, it feels like its becoming more burdensome for you and yes I don't know him or his feelings but he might just be taking advantage of your emotional attachment. Besides, calling someone pretty doesn't exactly mean they love you or wanna be with you and you've yourself said that he's been considering other girls (even when they may be out of his league, which is just absurd) and on top of that, you also say that he got out of his second relationship just few months back. From this, at least I would be mindful in catching feelings or even remotely considering any possibilities, and yes you might say that we can't control our feelings and while that may be true, we can't always get what we want and not everything we want is beneficial for us. Personally, I don't think how can this situation be healthy for you. Yes, so you don't wanna lose him because he will lose the emotional security that you've provided him? I mean that doesn't even make sense, because you've gotta think about yourself here; if he was considerate about the emotional security you've provided him, you wouldn't really be thinking about all this. Then you say girls chase him because of his physical attributes and you don't, and I'm like how do you know they also don't wanna lose the emotional security that they think they provide him? Yes, you don't want to cut him off because that might come off as rude, and I don't really want to advise you to open your feelings to him because from what you've described it doesn't seem like he'd be interested, but I can be wrong for sure. And then you say you don't wanna be in a haram relationship, I mean like all of this isn't exactly right, is it? Like I'm not even sure what is the point of all this, and if you wanna make it right then I guess you'd wanna ask him to marry you but from what you've said about your situation, I wouldn't exactly suggest or even advise that.

I'm sorry I am not entirely sure what you were expecting from me and my apologies that I can't really be of much help here.

[1-1snailxd-art]

The Shield to your Sword

Masterlist ———- Chapter 4

Warnings: swearing, crude humour?, suicide implied in a statement, blind character, mild injury, discomfort around abuser (please message me if more need to be added)

Tag Support Team - Thank you for your support 💜

@small-reptile-cake @daflangstlairde @quoth-the-sparrow @it-me-the-phi @soul-of-a-vixen  @the-real-wholesome-bitch  @phe-purple-parade-ts  @littleladynightshade @thequeensphinx

Summary: Different places. Different people. Though they are all connected.

Beginning note: 

Just FYI, I’m uploading this on my iPad and without my normal spelling/grammar checks so sorry for any mistakes in advance.

Also, have you seen the art in the previous chapter? 😱

Update: added art to this chapter from @fanartfunart Click the link to view it and send them some love* 

——————————

Chapter 5 - The views of many 

The forest looked peaceful from the tower window. The view could almost be considered beautiful if it wasn’t for the fact that it was forced, and the viewers had been condemned to look at it for the past 4 years.

Wind caused Snake’s hair to shift in front of his eyes, and he was quick to swipe it away and slick it flat into place. Pushing away from the windowsill with a sigh, he looked down at the tattered rags he called clothes; rough thread-pulled pieces of brown and grey fabric stitched together and scratched against his skin. It was hard to see himself in these clothes, compared to what he wore in his astral form. He wished he could spend all his time outside of his tower prison but shifting into astral or animal form was a risky process.

  With a sigh, Snake scratched at his yellow scales and turned to look at the still figure on the bed in the rooms centre. They had been out for almost 5 hours and he was beginning to worry that something had gone wrong. As if on cue, the man jolted upright with a gasp; arms flailing around as tears streamed from grey eyes.

*click here to give some love to Firefly for their wonderful art of Snake* 

“Snake? Snake?”

It took two steps and Snake was by his side, grabbing their hands and pulling them up to his face. “I’m here. It’s okay. You’re back.”

Vacant eyes stared ahead as the man ran his fingers across Snake’s face, feeling the change from skin to scales and scales to skin, before accepting it was his friend and slumping heavily against them.

“You were gone for a long time,” Snake held the man close and as he tried to catch his breath, “Did you learn anything?”

Nodding, he kept his head pressed against Snake’s chest; long grey hairs falling across his eyes.

“Did you find your brother?” There was another nod and they burst into sobs again. “Shhh. Shhh. It’s okay. Everything is okay, Spirit.”

Though they were lies, he knew the words would help Spirit calm down and he desperately needed news before their captor arrived. Stroking his grey hair, Snake hummed softly until Spirit’s breathing calmed slightly.

  “I-I-I got to s-s-see Logan a-again.” Spirit smiled recalling their face and the feeling of their magic healing his leg.

“Are they okay?”

“Yes.” He nodded against Snake’s chest and wiped the tears away from his cheeks. “They looked healthy and happy and the forest was immaculate.”

“I’m glad to hear that. What else did you learn?”

The smile faded from Spirit’s face. “Virgil.”

“What!” Snake fruitlessly pushed Spirit back to look at their face clearly. “Virgil was there?”

Silent tears fell again as Spirit shook his head. “He wasn’t there. Logan only spoke of him, and it didn’t sound good. They worry they won’t get to him in time. Someone is already hurting him, Snake, and all I could do was cry and run away. I’m sorry. I should have done more.”

“No, no, no,” pulling him close again, Snake rocked slowly to quell their sobs. “I’m sorry. I need to do more. And I promise I will. We will stop your vision from coming to light. You have my word.”

  ********************

  In a puff of black smoke, the crow appeared inside an unlit fireplace with a squawk and ruffled feathers. Flying out, the bird perched on the edge of a chair as a man burst through the door dressed in a green blouse with black lace trimmings and purple eyeshadow ringing his eyes.

“Squawk squawk birdie!” he cried, dancing over to the bobbing bird. “What has been done? Something fun I hope.”

Cawing and bouncing its head, the bird watched as the man mimicked the action before running out the door with flapping arms. Pausing briefly to shake its head, the bird took off to follow the man down the stone halls.

  A wooden door burst open, slamming against the wall with a shower of dust as the man spun into the room and stopped with a bow in front of the rooms two occupants.

He smirked up at the tired looking man and disgusted woman, wiggling his upper lip to make his obviously fake moustache wiggle.

“Hellooooooooooooo, lady and germ.”

“Who is this?” The woman asked, screwing up her face at the scene before them.

“I’m what the cat drags in.” He replied, rising back up to his normal height. “And who are you? The monkey’s uncle?”

The woman fumed and the gentleman beside her sighed in exasperation. “That will do, Remus. Wren, you are excused.”

“Oh, I thought someone farted, but I didn’t want to point fingers at anyone.” Remus giggled, fanning his nose as the woman huffed and stormed out. “See ya, stinky.”

“Shut up, Remus, and bring me the bird.”

“Sure. Fresh or fried?”

“Remus!” The man demanded, fixing them with an angered gaze.

 “Fried it is.”

Clapping and hopping on the spot, Remus scanned the room and spotted the crow sitting on an upper rafter. With a giggle, he summoned a flaming dagger and threw it towards the bird; singeing its feathers as it fell from its perch and into his awaiting hands.

“One magic fried birdie for the wicked old hag.”

  A glass spine slid into Remus’s shoulder, producing only a widening smile in reaction.

“Stab me harder, daddy,” he laughed and lit his eyes up green to match that of the crow in his hands.

“What do you see?” The man growled, pushing the spine deeper into the others shoulder.

“Wow, oh sweet sheep suckling on sweet corn, this is goooood.”

“Speak, simpleton!”

“Wellll, my brothers got himself a hot little boy toy to play with. I mean, 10 out of 10 I would do him on hard gravel. Such a wasted opportunity for my innocent sibling. He’s practically naked and he’s just rubbing his arm. Rub lower, brother. Kiss ‘im! Tear his pants of and suck that-“

“Remus!” A second spine struck his other shoulder as the man roared. “I’m not interested in learning about your sexual fantasies. Facts only.”

“Calm ya farm; big dog bro is being let off the leash. No babysitters anymore. Got his big boy pants on and taking some time outside alone.”

“And Thomas? Any news on the artefact?”

“Hmmm, don’t know, don’t care.” Eyes returning to normal, Remus shrugged, and glass quickly passed his face and sliced a fine line along his cheek. “Shame your wit isn’t as sharp as your glass, Leon.”

“Maybe I should just kill you and shut that trap of yours permanently.” A thick glass blade slid from their wrist and pressed against Remus’s throat.

“Go ahead, oh ancient one. I really don’t mind. I’ll even start you off,” he lent against the blade, eyes daring Leon to go through with the action. “But what would you do without me, I wonder.”

  Both men remained locked in eye contact; a trail of red colouring the clear glass against Remus’s throat. With a squawk, the crow flapped out of Remus’s loosening grip and began snapping at Leon’s hand, causing him to recoil before any skin was broken. Laughing, Remus removed the spines from his shoulders and smashed them on the stone floor with great glee.

“Such a shame, master.” The crow perched on his shoulder, and Remus carefully removed the scroll from its leg. “Knight still had some special stuff left over from our little rat.”

Leon looked confused, but realisation dawned on him as he read the scroll Remus had offered.

“Shame to lose our eyes on the inside.”

“Oh, don’t worry; Knight will still make trips and the only squeaks the rat will make is when he’s opening those pearly gates.”

“I hope your word is true.”

“I’m not one to be trusted at all, Dark one, and you know it.”

“Indeed,” Leon turned and walked over to a metal table to pour themselves a glass of amber liquid. “Unfortunately, that is what makes you the most trustworthy, Remus.”

“Flattery will get you know where, sir. I’ve seen the package you are working with and I am not interested.”

“You are excused, Remus.” They groaned, downing the glass and massaging their temples as Remus released a loud fart.

“Why, thank you for that honour.” The drinking glass struck the back of Remus’s head as he ran from the room; crow flapping alongside the wide-eyed man. “And they say I have a twisted and sadistic mind.”

  ********************

  The dining room had a calm feel despite Val’s fingers nervously strumming a guitar in time with her performing partner. From the moment she entered the room, she knew tonight was going to be tense from the King’s stiff demeanour alone; Virgil also wary and sitting perfectly straight in his chair. In stark contrast to everyone else, Roman was glowing; smile never faltering as the Queen entered and took her seat to the King’s right.

“Pleasure to join you for a meal again,” Alexandra nodded at her husband and son before noticing Virgil’s placement at the far end of the table. “Are we expecting more company?”

“Not this evening, my dear,” The King gestured for the staff to begin the service. “I thought it best not to risk a large audience while you are still unwell.”

“If that is the case, then Virgil,” the Queen gestured to the seat beside her, “would you please move closer. It seems unfair to be seated so far away from the conversation.”

After watching for the King’s slight nod of approval, Virgil stood and relocated to the position beside the Queen.

“Thank you, my Queen.”

“Oh, please Virgil. Those formalities are not required during a basic dinner, right Rupert?” Virgil swore he could see the disgust flair in the King’s eyes before he nodded.

“Of course. Virgil knows that he doesn’t have to be so formal during dinner.”

Virgil was about to apologise when Roman let out a breathy laugh. “He is always formal at dinner, Mother. Don’t dwell on it too much.”

Joining Roman’s laugh, Alexandra reached around to give Virgil’s back a loving rub; noticing how he stiffened at the action.

“You have always been such a well-mannered boy. If only manners came as easily to Roman as they had to you.”

“Hey,” The Prince whined, “I got better.”

“You did,” she giggled, “after Virgil joined our family. That truly was the best decision I made for us.”

“I second that,” Roman declared; raising his goblet of wine in agreement.

“Thank you…” the King’s gaze sharpened, and Virgil swallowed to dispel the rising bile in his throat. “Mother.”

Satisfied, Alexandra returned her hand to her lap and sat back as the staff entered to serve the meal.

  The dinner shifted into silence as the group ate, Val keeping a watchful eye on the King as he glanced at Virgil’s slowly clearing plate. Tired of the silence, Roman cleared his throat and started talking between mouthfuls of food.

“So, father has given Virgil and I permission to venture beyond the city unescorted and take on more advanced missions.”

“That sounds exciting,” Alexandra breathed deeply, reaching for her water to clear her throat. “What are your plans now, boys?”

“Well,” raising his elbows to rest them on the table, Roman placed his hands together and rested his chin on top. “I have a few ideas. First, I just want to take Stella out for a good long ride. Then, I absolutely must take Virgil to see the Guardian Falls - oh - and possibly visit the village he’s from too. Beyond that, it comes down to what other missions Father decides to assign us to.”

“Well…that sounds wonderful.”

Val’s brow furrowed as she noticed how the Queen’s face dropped at the mention of Virgil’s village. She made note to talk to him about it at a later point and returned her observations to the King.

“And what have you been up to, Virgil?” Adjusting her position, Alexandra turned in her chair to get a better look at her adoptive son.

“Nothing of interest, Mother.” The lie was sour on his tongue as his mind pulled his recent torments to the surface. “I’m sure Roman, on the other hand, has much more to tell you.”

Deflated, Alexandra returned her attention to Roman as he thought of what to talk about. His mind ran through possible ideas, but he gathered that Virgil wasn’t in a storytelling mood and didn’t want to talk about anything that involved him.

  “Well, I did have a crazy dream last night about a dark sorcerer.”

The King and Queen straightened in their chairs simultaneously at the mention of the sorcerer.

“You didn’t mention that this morning.”

Roman shrugged at the King’s statement, “I didn’t think it was important or anything. It was just a dream anyway. This snake faced guy droned on about me being arrogant and meeting the same fate as my brother; which is all utterly ridiculous, I’m sure you would agree.”

Fear gripped Alexandra’s chest as the memory of the fates warning returned to the forefront of her mind; reaching for Rupert’s hand under the table to hold for comfort.

“Yes,” Rupert accepted Alexandra’s secret hand and took a long drink from his glass. “I’m sure it was nothing but a ridiculous dream, Roman. No sorcerer would be close enough to perform such mind trickery; I have made sure of that.”

“Yeah, and I don’t believe in the fates, so they hold no power over me regardless.”

“Don’t ignore all of the fates warnings, Roman,” his mother warned, “not all their words are untrustworthy.”

“Your mother has a point. When you are King the fates will seek you out more and you will need to consider their words carefully.”

“Maybe that’s how you two work,” Roman pointed between his two parents and lent back in his chair,” but I don’t. I refuse to be driven to madness and kill myself like Grandmother did.”

“Roman, it isn’t that simple.” His mother pleaded, squeezing Rupert’s hand tighter.

“Seems pretty simple from where I’m sitting. You’re with me, right Virgil?”

  All eyes turned to the thin man that had been enjoying blending into the folds of his chair. Eyes searching each staring face, trying to work out the best answer to calm them all; deciding it was best to just stick with the truth.

“I’m rather indifferent on the matter.”

“Oh, come on, Virgil!” Hands tossed in the air in exasperation, Roman lent forward in irritation. “Honestly, just pick a side already.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because the fates speak in your dreams.” Virgil’s voice cracked with emotion on the final word. “H-how can I honestly pick a side if I don’t even know if the fates have ever even spoken to me. I won’t pick a side without reason.”

“Agh,” Roman drooped back into his chair again, “this is just like our debate about sorcerers. You really can’t just pick a side?”

“What was that about sorcerers?”

  The music skipped a few beats and blood chilled in Virgil’s veins at the King’s tone. The servers cautiously cleared plates, eager to escape the growing tension in the room. Virgil silently cursed Roman’s loose lips, knowing this wasn’t a subject that would be let go lightly.

“Virgil won’t say whether he is for or against the sorcerer ban for that exact same reason.”

“I-I just don’t think it’s fair to-to make a judgement on something without evidence.”

“So, you disagree with my ban against sorcerers?” Rupert questioned, leaning closer and resting his chin on clasped hands.

“I’m not s-s-saying that.”

A deep laugh from Roman sent chills down Virgil’s spine.

“By not choosing a side that is exactly what you’re saying, Virgil. Can’t you see it? Just say your truth; I have.”

“I have said my truth, Roman.” Voice practically begging his friend to stop pushing the matter. “I’m indifferent on matters until given reason to believe otherwise. Can’t you just be satisfied with that?”

“No, I cannot.”

  “Roman, stop.” The Prince froze at his mother’s small voice. “Virgil, are you okay?”

“May I be excused?” Virgil looked at Rupert for approval; hands clenched in tight fists to prevent their trembling from being too obvious.

The moment the King nodded, Virgil left and Roman watched with an open mouth before requesting his leave as well. After planting a brief kiss on his mother’s cheek, Roman headed out and left his parents in the dining room alone.

  “Glad I could experience a complete family dinner.” Alexandra admitted sadly, accepting Rupert’s assistance to stand and head out of the room. “Is this what you always do without me?”

“No. Virgil is usually much less vocal.”

“I’m glad to see he has a strong voice.”

The King scoffed in disgust. “He should align his beliefs with the King that houses him.”

“Don’t be like that, Rupert. Virgil is good for Roman. He will keep him safe and I’m sure the fates will agree; though that snake message is new.”

“Roman’s dream was nothing more than a dream, Alexandra.”

“But he spoke of his brother.”

Rupert sighed as they rounded the corner and got closer to their chambers.

“He could imagine that detail easily.  Don’t over think this, my dear. We have ensured Roman’s safety since the day he was born. There isn’t a sorcerer around and the fortune of the fates will not come to pass. Trust me.”

  Nodding, Alexandra allowed the journey to continue in silence. Sorcerers were not what concerned the Queen, it was the type of Sorcerers that caused her fear. Accepting her return to her chambers, Alexandra was happy to have her husband’s assistance in preparing for bed; only needing a brief visit from Clara before slipping into sleep.

“Stay close this evening.” Rupert commanded when Clara went to leave. “I want you within earshot should anything go wrong following this evenings events.”

“Yes, your majesty.”

After Rupert left the room, Clara moved to the side room and set up for another evening of sleeping away from her family; hoping all would still be well in the morning.

  ********************

  Virgil and Roman didn’t see each other for the rest of the evening; both emotional from the discussion. Roman turned to knife throwing in his room to quell his thoughts; frustrated that Virgil’s views didn’t match his own. He felt that Virgil almost purposefully avoided agreeing with him on all matters. Sorcerers, the fates, sutures, red or green apples; Virgil never agreed with him and it hurt. He used to think Virgil would grow and eventually see that his beliefs were superior, but he was starting to think that just wasn’t going to happen. Blades struck wood repeatedly as Roman replayed conversations in his mind and tried to piece his friend’s motives together.

Virgil on the other hand, simply drank the potion Logan had been kind enough to leave and tried to calm his mind enough to sleep before his early morning duties. Unable to find peace, he turned to the books in his side table and started reading the text Logan had lent to him; thoughts quieting as he took in the information text on rune marked animals. He was almost halfway through the book when his eyes started sliding closed and he allowed himself to drift off to sleep.

  ********************

   The full moon cast a light across the lands. Silver beams glittered off reflective surfaces and the natural magic of the land surged around the city as the fates whispered into the ears of the chosen.

  One saw a wolf falling in love with a deer, before the wolf had its back plastered in a rain of arrows.

  Another saw red berries blanketing the shore of a stream and heard the promise of a plentiful harvest. But the plants wilted and shrivelled away to reveal a stone grave.

  A woman stirred with the warning that death was approaching someone close to her.

  A snake slithered across a horse’s path and the horse wasn’t afraid; lowering its head for the snake to meet its eye. The word ‘trust’ echoed through their ears as the snake slithered away.

  Flames filled a room of the castle and a figure with glowing eyes stood in the centre. A sword and shield discarded in the flames beside a cloak bearing the royal crest.

  The final person blessed with the fates fortune struggled to see their message. Screams drowned out their words and a blinding light hid their vision. All that remained was a feeling. A feeling of loss and  achievement. A burning pain that danced across their skin before being chilled by ice.

  Each blessed soul woke with differing reactions. Some fear, some ignorance, some sadness, and one with a cry that had a Prince fleeing his chambers to find their closest friend.

Next Chapter

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End Note:

I’m sorry I disappeared for so long...but it will happen again. I’m not gone gone, just busy. But I’m always watching for comments or trying to post something else (maybe having multiple WIPs was a bad idea). Also, make sure you are checking out the art for the previous chapters. They look so good. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. It really hints to a lot of stuff I have planned. Can you work out how everyone is connected? Have you guessed everyone’s motives yet? (Oh the suspense is killin’ me) 💜🐌

Don’t forget to check out the art Firefly did for me and send them some love 

——————————

Looking for more Snail 💜🐌 writing? Check out my writing master post 

Or check out my main blog @snail-giggles for fandom reblogs and whatever 

[manlyypudding]

My thoughts (spoilers!!!&POSITIVITY)

I just needed to kind of talk about endgame. It’s been awhile since i’ve posted ANYTHING remotely fan related on my tumblr. Excuse all the grammatical and spelling errors. I just came back from watching endgame.

There was a lot going on in the movie and i can say that after all that, i’m actually pretty happy with it. It was overall, extremely bittersweet. Not only are we seeing seeing the end of the original avengers team, but we’re seeing the end of an era (in my opinion that is). The fight sequences, the comedy, the drama, the music.... A+++ I mean there a few tiny... loop holes but i can just ignore that for the sake of the movie.

This is pretty much me writing out my thoughts into a post because i’m still trying to process the movie.

- Clintasha/Natasha: I loved the movie (even with all the death and sadness). i’m extremely shocked about natasha’s death. I’m quite bitter that her death was kind of glossed over near the end. I was hoping she’d come back somehow, but she’s never coming back. I’m not okay with that AND the fact that they one of them had to die, and they would have to sacrifice the one they loved most... I cannot even. I was so excited to see them teaming up, it completely went over my head where they were actually heading. And i was thinking the entire time “NO... no no no no”. THEY JUST REUNITED. HOW COULD YOU. Even though clint has a family, a very beautiful one at that, im a clintasha fangirl all the way. Their relationship and dynamic... i can’t help but ship them from the very first avengers movie. How could you not??? The way their foreheads pressed together while they realised that one of them would have to die... utterly tragic... but so beautiful. 

- Pepperony/Tony/Morgan: Morgan was BLOODY ADORABLE. I actually cannot even. She was so cute, and it made my heart swell when i watch the interaction between daddy!tony and morgan. And the fact that due to Tony’s passing, you won’t get to see their interactions while she’s growing up. She’s 5... she cant process her father’s death properly AND SHE WANTS CHEESEBURGERS. “i love you 3000″. I’m actually still in shock that Tony sacrificed himself... i mean not surprised because i kind of saw it coming BUT still very much shocked. I love his ‘funeral’ montage. My heart breaks for pepper, who has to raise her baby on her own without her father. ALSO, HOW BADASS was the scene when pepper comes in in the final fight scene and kicks ass with Tony. Although i would prefer Tony very much alive... i can’t say it was a bad ending for Tony. ANNND He even got to meet his father, Howard, in the 70s. And they got to kind of connect.

- STEGGY/Steve: Okay, i think this is what really made the movie for me (asides from all the badass fight scenes). I cannot even begin to explain how happy the end made me feel. It just felt so right??? I don’t care what anybody says. They can complain about how Steve belongs with blah blah or steve’s characterisation was ruined, because i know for a fact thats BULLSHIT. I’m not here for shipping wars and hate because, frankly, im over that shit? Grow up. I wanted to come onto Tumblr for some positivity and fangirling. However, i had come onto find some toxic nonsense and im not having it. If someone reads this and sends me hate, i ain’t even going to bother with you :)  bye. OKAY, onto talking about steggy & steve. I think it was the most perfect way to end Steve’s arc. It was full circle, and the fact that he got to experience the life that he always wanted with the love of his life, is literally PERFECT. He’s happy. He’s been through enough. I can see why Steve would stay back, experience what Tony has, and be with his girl (one who he did NOT stop loving). Yes, i’ve watched Agent Carter. You can still be the badass heroine and keep your personal growth WHILE still being with the love of your life. ANNND the scene that zooms into old!steve’s hands when Sam asks who IS SHE...where you see a simple wedding band and then transitions into the cute house with the old music playing in the background. Peggy in her red dress, while steve holds her tight. They’re swaying and just in the moment, And you see peggy and steve’s face of contentment and they’re leaning in for that kiss. PERFECT. MAGNIFICENT. MY HEArt. (Speaking of music, can anybody tell me what it was? because i’m in LOVE with it. EDIT: “It’s been a long, long time” by Harry james. THANK YOU TO THE PERSON WHO SENT ME A priVATE MESSAGE ABOUT THIS). Also that scene, where the mjolnir/hammer was slightly quivering as thor was getting beat up... and went into STEVE’S HANDS, so steve can beat the shit out of thanos... HE IS WORTHY! the whole cinema clapped when that happen. One of the best cinema moments i’ve experienced.

- Wanda: You know one thing that kind of slipped my mind the whole time was the fact that wanda will never get vision back. I didn’t realise how ... final his demise was. She’s been robbed of happiness her whole life... this girl deserves some happiness. I’m not much of a vision x wanda fan but you can’t help but feel for the girl. 

- Thor: Oh man, his scene with his mother made me so emotional. The poor baby ): His dad bod tho... HAHAHA took me completely by surprise.

- Peter: My sweet, sweet boy.

- Carol/Captain Marvel: You go girl!! Badass.

- Scott: Honestly, so hilarious. Gotta love his humour. It must be such a shock to miss out 5 years of his daughter’s life. But they’re together now and that’s all that matters. 

- Bucky: My love. I’m always so happy when i see him. Honestly my favourite marvel character. I’m glad to see he got a few scenes in this movie and near the end, before Steve left for his final mission, you can see the realisation and acceptance on his face. He knew steve was going and he’s happy for him. Say what you want about the interaction between them being short, but i think it was perfect for their friendship/love/whatever because they don’t even need many words to express what they really need to say. Im excited to watch how his friendship with sam plays out in the future.

- Sam: CAPTAIN AMERICA.

Annnnd... that’s all for tonight & WAKANDA FOREVER.

[daysswithyou]

Fallen Chapter 3: Eyes on you

previous / next

Characters: DAY6 Young K x OC (Rachel)

Genre: angst, fake dating, high school romance, fluff, romance

Warnings: Mentions of aquaphobia (fear of water)

-----

It’s been a month and a half since the incident happened so people would have forgotten about it. We’re all mature young adults so no one is going to make a big deal out of this. I can go about my daily life in school without having to worry about what others think of me. Or The Incident.

But that’s just what you think. And reality is often disappointing.

That bad breakup made you a scarlet letter in school. Whenever someone saw you, their eyes would lower, not-so-subtle fingers began to point in your direction and hushed whispers would fill the hallways. From now on, your name could no longer be dissociated from Im Jaebum’s.

Girl dumped by Im Jaebum.

Crazy ex that went on an assault rampage.

Loose play thing for Im Jaebum.

These were just the tip of the iceberg, and you know that more hurtful lies are probably spreading around like wildfire amongst the school population. Yet you also knows that now, more than ever, you need to keep your head high and show them that you will not back down. You will not lose a fight to Im Jaebum. You have too much pride and dignity to bow down to him.

With that thought in mind, you square your shoulders and look straight ahead at the crowd. They can run their mouths all they want, but you are never giving them the satisfaction of seeing you tremble under their gaze. Your stern expression softens when Esther hooks an arm around your neck, a soft smile lifting the corners of your lips.

“Pay them no attention Rachel, you’re above that. Let’s go set up the class booth and have fun later.”

You nod your head at Esther’s statement, determined to not let anyone ruin your good mood today.

---

The annual school carnival is on at full swing right from the very beginning, music blasting from the school’s sound system and students trying to compete with the blaring music by screaming at the top of their voices to aggressively promote their class store. An ensemble of two to three other classmates typically follow behind as walking advertisements with huge boards hanging down the front and back of their bodies. Some “competitors” even go so far as to advertise right in front of your class store, and Esther has to good-naturedly shoo them away before they steal all of your business. With all the mess that you’re associated with now, you opted to help out behind the scenes. It would be better if you didn’t show your face to more people, it would give people less opportunities to talk about you. What’s out of sight is often out of mind. Even so, people still sought you out for the sake of targeting you. From your seat behind the counter preparing ice cream sodas, you get the occasional side-eye and unsolicited comments on your relationship with Jaebum but you swallow the discomfort. You have better control of your emotions now, and you knew it would not be wise to pick a fight. Esther does her best to shield you from prying eyes, and her encouraging smile keeps you going for the rest of your shift together.

“Alright you two, shifts over. Go have some fun!”

Both of you turn at the same time to look in the direction of the familiar booming voice, your homeroom teacher and school discipline master Mr Kim soon coming into view as he strides over with big, purposeful steps. He chases you and Esther out of the class booth as the two of you pass the work for the incoming two classmates to take over, your joints popping in places all over their bodies as contented sighs leave your lips. Esther breaks out into a whole stretching routine behind the class booth to loosen her stiff joints, using the tentage as support. You simply stand by the side, content with laughing as you watch your goofy friend.

“Let’s get food, I’m hungry!”

Esther hooks her arm around yours, attempting to drag you away to the food stalls at the back of the field but you wouldn’t budge from your spot, your eyes fixated on the structure right in your line of vision: a makeshift pool. It was being filled with water, the water level rapidly rising higher. You feel your breath catch in your throat, the airway becoming constricted with each passing second. Flashes of images begin to fill your mind, and your grip on Esther’s arm tightens to steady yourself.

Flailing arms…

Lungs being filled with water...screaming but you can’t hear a sound...

Grasping for something you can’t reach...a mop of hair before it gets dragged underwater... your vision fading to black.

Your legs almost gave way under you but the sudden assault of your memories are broken by the sound of someone yelling right beside you, your ears ringing from the sudden loud noise.

"WHO DO YOU WANT TO SEE GET DUNKED? COME FORWARD TO PUT THEIR NAMES! BUT DON'T FORGET TO GET THEIR PERMISSION FIRST AND RAISE ENOUGH MONEY TO SEE THEM GET DUNKED!"

Jackson pushes through the huge crowd, armed with nothing but his loudspeaker and his booming voice. A steady line forms behind him, all of them clamoring to put down names and raise enough money to see teachers and peers get dunked. How the game works is as such: simply get the person's permission to get dunked, then raise the necessary amount to see the person get dunked. It was always the most popular booth during the annual school carnival; others saw it as a form of entertainment but you saw it as a form of humiliation. And you have every intention to steer clear of that booth.

“Rachel, you ok? Your face is really pale now.”

“Huh? Oh yea, I’m fine Esther. The blood rushing to my head just made my vision swarm just now, happens all the time. Sorry for scaring you.”

“Can you walk now?”

“Yes I can. What do you want to eat? Kebabs?”

“Aigoo you know me so well! Let’s go!”

You follow closely behind Esther as she takes off towards the food stalls. You were just glad to be far, far, far away from the water.

---

You promptly forgot about the dunking booth and water, simply enjoying your time eating and winning prizes from the games you played. But soon, it was time for your second shift and you had to leave all the fun behind to get back to the grind again.

We have to pass the dunking booth again on our way back. Don’t look Rachel, remember to not look.

You and Esther approach the dunking booth with minutes and you can see Im Jaebum standing at the top of the podium, reading off names of those about to be dunked. The closer you got to the booth, the faster you walked. Two of the things you hate the most in the world are at the dunking booth: Water and Im Jaebum and so, you have every intention to pass the booth as fast as possible.

But fate has a sick sense of humour and you were the victim of its’ joke once again.

“Oh! We have a surprise addition to the list: Rachel from Class 1! Rachel, where is she? Could you kindly come up to the podium now?”

Jaebum’s words sound sweet and polite, but you can hear the mockery in his voice and see the smirk on his face. You wanted to walk up and punch that smirk off his face, maybe knock a few teeth out so he can never smile again but you were powerless in your situation. Physically assaulting him again would only give people more reason to talk about you when all you wanted was for people to forget. All eyes were on you now as the crowd of people parted like the red sea, making a clear, unobstructed line for you to pass through to reach the podium.

Except that this wasn’t the path to salvation, but the path to imminent death instead.

You wanted to bolt from the scene, but you knew the silent insinuation behind that move.

It would mean that you’re afraid of Im Jaebum.

It would mean that you’re bowing down to Im Jaebum.

Im Jaebum had already crushed your dignity with his hideous lies, and you had no intention to let him trample over your self-esteem now. He had nearly reduced you to nothing in the eyes of the school, and you will not give the whole lot of them the satisfaction of seeing you crumbles to ashes.

Fine Im Jaebum. Two can play this game. You will not see me crumble. Never.

With all eyes on you, you march to the front with your head held high. Yet each step felt like an eternity.

You were deathly afraid of the water, and you were not sure if you would be able to survive this challenge you had so foolishly decided to take up.

[sassysatsuma]

may i so kindly ask for a kassandra and brasidas where they patch each other up after a tough battle where they came out more cut and bruised than before? for them to talk about being worried for each other (and also a little bit scared when one of them gets knocked down) during the fight? (i can see this being angsty/heartwarming fluff and im ready for you to slay me with your writing askdfghjkllslsjl :'D)

Eeeek, I’m a bit nervous about this drabble fill because it ended up deviating a little from your original idea, I hope that’s OK! There’s angst at the start and fluff at the end, so I hope you enjoy friend! :-)

Prompts: Accepting

Rating: Teen

Words: 1699

AO3: Here

In amongst the spilt blood and bone of the battle for Pylos,Kassandra’s heart had stopped in her chest.

It had beat once, forceful beneath her ribcage, her eyes fixedupon her lover as he tumbled to the floor, a ragdoll at the end of Alexios’blade. His body had been still, hauntingly so, blood staining his armour as itseeped from his wounds and into the earth. The world had stood still then, heldin place by her bated breath. When he continued to be still, she had willed herown heart to never beat again if he had truly been taken from her.

There would be nothing left for her in a world that didn’thave him in it.

But then Brasidas groaned, writhed in pain and suddenlythere was hope. A reason to fight, areason to survive and a reason to win. A reason to cross swords with her ownflesh and blood. Kassandra had not been in control of her own legs as she hadrun headfirst into that fight, throwing aside every ounce of battlefield guileand cunning that their father had fought so hard to teach her.

Alexios hadn’t been her brother then. He had been Deimos, the Cult’s right hand and theepitome of everything that she despised. With his blade coated in Brasidas’blood, it was so easy to fight him amongst the fire and smoke, too easy toforget the bonds that bound them. He had tried to take her heart from her and inher wrath, Kassandra would have happily cut his still beating from his chest.

It didn’t come to that and in truth, Kassandra was glad. Herbrother’s blood would have forever stained her hands, never to be scrubbedclean. Instead, the Gods had granted them a chance reprieve, Deimos caught beneatha felled tree, badly damaged in the battle’s flames. In a moment of brief clarity,she’d run to aid him, but before she’d been able, he’d been recovered by Atheniansoldiers, hauled from the battlefield still screaming for her blood.

With him gone, her world shifted focus, feet carrying her toBrasidas’ side. He was still lying as he’d fallen, the strength that she bothloved and admired fading fast. With him in her arms, nothing else had mattered,his blood warm and sticky as it coated her hands. She’d heard the Spartans callfor surrender over the clamour of battle, had screamed at the top of her lungsfor the soldiers closest to come to her aid. With Brasidas draped across hershoulders, his dead weight pushing her down into the earth, she’d retreatedwith the soldiers at her flanks, defending her from any Athenian fool enough tochase them down.

The Spartans were lost, routed without their general. Manyhad seen fit to follow Kassandra and they had pushed further into the cover ofthe woods, running as far as their legs could carry them until the bloodthirstyAthenians finally called off their pursuit.

From that moment on, Brasidas’ fate had been in the hands ofhis healers and of the Gods. Kassandra had never placed all that much faith inthem, had always chosen action over prayer. But that night, cold and alone, shemade offerings to both Apollo and Asklepios, entreating the father and son tointervene on her behalf, to save the one man she couldn’t bear to exist without.Hands coated in the mixed blood of Brasidas’ and the goat she had sacrificed onhis behalf, she’d held her hands to the heavens hopelessly, truly begging forthe first time in her life.

She’d never cared to ask the Gods for anything, but that nightshe would have given anything for them to hear her prayers.

The Gods answered come the morning, after a night filledwith feverish sleeplessness. As a blood red sun rose higher in the sky,Kassandra made her way into the makeshift healing tent the Spartan’s hadconstructed, silently terrified of what sight might greet her.

Instead, she was met with a smile, strained across, pallid features,but his smile nonetheless. It hadbeen that smile she had first fallen in love with, all those months ago, amixture of creased skin and softness that pulled at her heartstrings in a waythat no other could.

“I’d stand but…” Brasidas was joking, albeit weakly. Heshifted awkwardly on his makeshift bed, batting away the healers who attemptedto help him. “They tell me my leg isn’t strong enough.”

“And you listened?” Kassandra cocked an eyebrow, the joke atleast helping her hide her true emotions.

“The pain helps…” He shrugged but then immediately winced,his hand reaching up towards his right shoulder, wound up tight in bandagesthat covered where Deimos’ first blow had struck. His next words were less goodhumoured, directed at the healers that littered the tent like flies. “Leave us.Anything I need now, Kassandra can surely provide.”

She smiled at that.

Shielded from prying eyes, she could finally hold him. Movingtentatively to his side, she leaned over his body, ever careful that she didn’tpressure his injuries. Kissing him didn’t feel real in her sleep deprived mind,her lips pressed firmly against those which she’d feared lost barely hoursbefore. It was difficult to tear herself away, her mouth greedy for more of himto reassure her heart. In consolation she kept their faces close, her foreheadpressed against the top of his head as her hand stroked gently at his cheek.

“I thought I’d lost you.”

“Hades didn’t want me.” He chuckled softly, bringing herhand to his lips so that he could kiss her palm. “Or so the healers told me.”

“You were lucky.”

“I don’t feel it.” He shook his head, watching her closelyas she moved to sit at his side. “But at least your brother missed my swordarm.”

“He cut almost everything else.”

“Many of my men suffered worse.” Brasidas shrugged, almosthiding the wince that followed the movement from her gaze. “He fights with thesame fire as you.”

“You should have left him to me. He’s my burden… not yours.”

“Is it wrong for me to want to spare you that?” He looked ather seriously, his brow knitted in concern. “It’s a heavy thing, to fightsomeone you once loved. I thought that if I fought him, killed him then you would never have to.”

“… You’re a general first.”

“And he was cutting his way through my men too. I had justcause to confront him. But it’s hard to pretend that you had no part in mydecision either.” He smiled, taking her hand in his. “As you are a part of everydecision I make these days.”

“You’re a fool.”

“Perhaps, but it was the Fates who decided that I would fallin love with a mistios. Who am I toargue?”

Kassandra was at a loss how to reply, her words stolen fromher by his smile and the warmth of his hand around hers. Instead, she pressedcloser again, kissing him with every emotion that consumed her thoughts. Her lipslingered against his, tasting as much as she was able, her left hand mussingthrough the short hair atop his head. Her other hand found his bare chest,fingers splayed above his still beating heart, finger tips grazing through theshort hair that covered his skin there. Beneath her touch, Brasidas shuddered,his skin pebbling into gooseflesh. Breaking their kiss at last, Kassandracouldn’t help but smile, returning the love that filled his eyes with thegesture.

“I love you.” Her words were plain, almost stern, butBrasidas understood her meaning entirely. “But take risks like that again and Iwill march into Hades myself and drag you straight back into the land of theliving.”

“You do have a habit of achieving the impossible.”

“Only when fools like you make it a necessity. I’d prefer aneasy life, somewhere quiet with plenty of wine.”

“Quiet? You?” Helaughed, groaning when the shaking of his chest tugged at his tight bandages. “Isthere room in this wine filled dream for two?”

“You’ve been a part of that dream for a while.” Kassandrawatched the amusement in his features shift into something more in response toher words. “You’re the future I’mfighting for.”

“And you say that I’m the fool.” Brasidas’ voice was hoarse,his eyes filled with love. “But you know that I want nothing more than to stayby your side.”

“Then maybe next time don’t be so quick to leave it. I’mnothing without you, Spartan. Perhaps it’s about time we both learned to acceptthat.”

There were no more words after that, simply more feverishkisses shared in the dim light of the tent. As the sun continued its journeyupwards into the sky, Brasidas tired, falling into a heavy slumber as his bodyfought to heal. His ever-present guardian, Kassandra stayed by his side,smoothing the hair from his forehead and bathing his sweat coated skin with adamp cloth when it was needed. When he did awaken, she made sure he drank hisfill of water, leaving his bedside only to refill his animal skin and bring hima plate of food to pick at when he was able.

When night returned, she slept by his side, her head pressedagainst his shoulder, body curled against his to protect against the cool nighttime air that filled the tent. It was the most soundly she had slept in sometime, her dreams consumed with thoughts of the shared future they’d spoken of.

In the morning, there would be decisions to make andjourneys to consider. The consequences of Pylos couldn’t be outrun forever. Butin the darkness of their shared tent, Kassandra was content to let thoseconcerns fade. With Brasidas still by her side, there was no choice too great,no future too unnerving to contemplate. He was her strength, her heart. Her peace. For the moment at least, shecould rest easy in the warmth of knowing that he was still ever present at herside.  

[kookieschronicles-blog]

POOL DAY ~ Choi YoungJae x Reader

I wrote this originally for a book I have going on my wattpad at the moment but thought it might be okay enough to post here? if you want check out the lame books I write: 

MY WATTPAD

SHIP/TYPE: YoungJae x Reader

CATEGORY: Fluff

WARNINGS: offensive humour?

WORD COUNT : 900 words 

Sure ill be there in half an hour!

I put my phone down on the bed and opened my wardrobe.

"I don't really want to wear a bikini I'm wayyyy to self conscious to wear them around the boys, especially YoungJae, maybe a one piece, yeah good idea," I said aloud not realising.

"Going out?" My best friend leaned against the doorway to my room.

"Yeah going to the pool with a couple friends be back later, feel free to have dinner without me if I'm out too late.

"Oooooo saucy." She smirked.

"What des that even mean?" I grabbed out my one piece, an oversized shirt and a pair of shorts, and headed to the bathroom passing my roommate.

"Nothing, just don't come back pregnant." She moved out the way letting me through.

"Omg you know what I'm not even going to reply." I screamed form in the bathroom trying to put the bathers on.

"You just did." I could hear her yelling from the bathroom.

"Omg." I walked out of the bathroom back into the bedroom grabbing my ba with stuff in it and grabbing my phone just before walking into the kitchen

Just about to leave now be there soon

"Anyways I'm leaving, i'll try not to get pregnant." A sarcastic smirk came over my face but a this point I didn't care.

"Good." She barley spoke through the noodles that were in her mouth.

"BYEE!" I yelled as I shut the door and headed for the boys.

.....

"YOUR'E HERE!" I could hear Bambam before I could see any of the boys, how does he do that.

"SHES HERE SHES HERE." Now I could hear Yugyeom, yep they were here.

I walked around the corner and saw the boys in the pool, and my face turned red. Marks and Jacksons tops were white, which = see through.

But more importantly Youngjae's oversized shirt was wet, so it started to slip off his shoulder and I saw a lot.

"(y/n)!" Youngjae shouted as he got out of the pool with a giant flamingo. That hair flip could kill anyone.

...

The day had started to come to an end and the boys asked if I wanted to stay for dinner.

"Pleaassseeeeeee!" Bambam begged then smirked. this seemed fishy.

"You totally should! right Mark?" Jackson kicked Mark to get him to pay attention, but to what? Jackson was smirking too this wasn't good.

"Yeah totally." He rubbed the back of his neck. I could see how my best friend liked him, now to get them together...

after more pestering I finally gave in and headed off to dinner with them.

"Hey boys can you come with me I have a new song to show you, Youngjae you can stay I've already showed you the song." Jinyoung came out form inside the house just before we headed off to dinner.

"Butttt Hyungggg." Jackson and Bam started to whine.

"Now." Jinyoung ordered heading back inside with the boys following after him.

Now it was just me and Youngjae. My heart stopped.

"I knew something was up." I could see Youngjae was nervous so I decided to try and start conversation.

"What?"

"The boys have been smirking and now were alone together.." I started to Drabble on before Youngjae interrupted me.

"you're smart. but um I was wondering if we could talk about something." Oh god Youngjae did the same neck thing Mark did but somehow even better.

"Okay." I had to physically force that word out my mouth."

"Im going to be heading to America soon, I have to do some voice training but the boys don't know, don't tell them okay I don't want them worrying."

"Yeah of course, you know you can always trust me right." I put my hand on his back. Then the scariest thing in the world happened. he took my hand from his back and intertwined his hand with mine. I didn't say anything he probably didn't even mean anything of it.

"I know, which is why I have a couple things to ask you."

oh god.

"Shoot."

"Well I was wondering if you weren't busy would you want to come with me, you don't have to do training of course." He sighed a breath of relief,  but it wasn't over yet.

"You don't have to answer right away either I don't leave for two weeks, and the second thing was.." It went quiet. awkward for sure but somehow I wasn't around him.

Instead of Youngjae asking his second question his lips suddenly met mine. my soul left me, that was the day my soul left me.

"Yes." I happened to smile as our lips disconnected.

"huh?" He couldn't stop smiling like a lunatic either.

"I will go out with you, I'm just assuming you wanted to ask me out... and if you didn't this has now become very very awkward. Also ill come to America with you."

"im glad you're coming to America, but the second question I was going to ask is if you had any gum.." It went silent. Until his infectious laugh started.

"Im joking, yes I was going to ask you out and.."

"HAS IT HAPPENED YET?" JB yelled from around the corner.

"YEAH HAS IT?" Bambam followed, the boys all came out from around the corner.

"Yes." The word escape my lips again, with my hand still intertwined in Younjae's.

[wincore]

YES I SAW HER GRAMMY PERFORMANCE IM SO PROUD OF HER!!! i recently saw a comment on a youtuve vid of her performance that said “i feel like she’s exactly the person that she’s wanted to be for so long” N IT MADE ME TEAR UP BC TRUE!! my fav albums r red/1989/folklore wbu!! FAV SONGS RN ARE ALL TOO WELL, CHAMPAGNE PROBLEMS, CLEAN!! lover & betty too. august. cruel summer. so many. pls share urs.

BUTCHERING HIS CHARACTER??? OMG NEVER!! I ALWAYS LEAVE UR FICS THINKING ABT HOW DIFFERENT & ENJOYABLE UR CHARACTERIZATION IS!! its v v refreshing omg u dont need to worry abt that at all. 😐😐 this is my favorite emoji and i agree that’s him DJJWJDJ i think u really nail the subtle humor!! im not an introvert heh but the way u write sicheng is so relatable and makes it really easy to understand where he’s coming from when reading!!

“HE IS THE HIMBO CAMPUS SWEETHEART BEST FRIEND EVERYONE DESERVES” WOULD PAY GOOD MONEY TO GET ME ONE OF THESE 😔

“i’d feel too guilty if i robbed sicheng so jaehyun it is” LMFAOOO WHY ARE WE THE SAME.. it’s that scorpio solidarity. they really give us nothing 95% of the time but u are a wizard and somehow manage to turn that into fun humor so jaehyun needs to fill ur bank acc asap!!! he should feel honored 2 be written so charming

- tata

oh my god im tearing up at that comment too now i agree so much!! i love to see her look actually happy?? i’m glad she’s reached this point in her life!!! i’ve been listening to reputation a lot bc it gives me confidence but in particular im still obsessed with dont blame it’s so :oo and i love the whole feel of the song!! (i don’t support obsessive relationships or whatever but like. it felt so compelling.) i love the evermore album ok i had it on repeat morning to evening for like two months after release 😭 also illicit affairs and wonderland and miss americana and the heartbreak prince actually wait the whole lover album adskjdsgjd <3

AHH THANK YOU SO MUCH TATA PLS IM SO 🥰🥰🥰 im SO happy it’s enjoyable !!!! (and that i’m good at the subtle humour) the introvert experience is just rethinking ways to gain energy from social burnout and hoping no one sees you lying on the bed and watching puppies doing yoga videos or something :p i’m so glad he’s still relatable 😊

me too but i need money for that. i would literally rob a neo for a himbo rental service </3 jaehyun pay me asap.

HONESTLY IDK why he’s even charming in my fics. he is a literal himbo. the vibes are kinda different though. like he seems stupid (im sorry) and buff but something is missing. he gives off ominous energy at times. he would fuck up but still get away with it and i don’t like that. also he has clumsy hands. >:( 

[alicedoessurveys]

loooooong survey

Childhood

Did you spend your childhood time with mostly real or imaginary friends?: real. I spent most summers/half terms with my cousins and my neighbour’s grandkids. Did people consider you an odd child?: not odd, just shy  Do you have memories that go back to when you were only a few months old?: nope Do you remember any thoughts you had when you where very young?: not really nope  

Were they intricate or simple thoughts?: probably simple but I can't remember 

If you answered “intricate”, give an example of one of those thoughts: n/a

Were you dreams very vivid as a child?: yes, still do. I also used to get really bad night terrors a lot as a kid What is the strangest memory you have from early childhood?: can't think of anything strange.. Were you a child prodigy or did you display any gifts at a young age?: I drew a lot, but I was no prodigy What was the most “grown-up” thing you ever said as a child?: I have no idea What were your favourite TV shows in early childhood?: I grew up on Fairly Odd Parents, Rugrats, Tracy Beaker Were you afraid of monsters?: yes, especially zombies Did you believe that fictional characters were real?: yes Were you more quiet and artistic or loud and physical? quiet and artistic  Issues and stuff Do you eat meat?: yup, but only beef, chicken and bacon/sausage  If you do, what is your justification for it?: I dont feel I need to justify it, just like I wouldn't expect a vegetarian to justify why they dont eat meat. each to their own.  If you could legalize 3 things in the US, what would they be?: I dont live in the US, I dont really know their laws and I dont really care  Do you believe in the death penalty?: nope Did Mumia do it?: do what..? If you had a choice, which country would you have chosen to be born into?: I like that im English, I just wish I was born in a different part of England cause Birmingham is a shit hole What are your opinions of Michael Moore?: I dont know who that is  Describe your feelings about marijuana legalization: I think it should be for those who need it for medical stuff Red, White and Blue is a ghastly color combination, right?: nope What television news coverage do you detest the most?: all of it, I dont watch the news What will you do if Bush is re-elected? Im British, I dont care  Which state do you think will drop off into the ocean first?: idk Who do you consider “American Heros”?  I feel like these questions are very aimed at Americans  Completely Obtuse And Silly Questions Have you ever taken something apart just to see how it worked? yes  Do you ever yell at the television while you are alone? Reason?: not yell, but talk to the telly yeah. and not even just while im alone.  Name a few things (if any) that you bought on Ebay recently: I cant remember the last time I bought something off eBay  Are the Muppetes sinister? Think about it.: nope... o.O Do you watch the Science Channel (Discovery) on a regular basis?: no ive never watched it  Ever gotten into an “in person” argument with a total stranger? Discuss: yup. basically I was at this event thing where they had boats and pretty floating lights and shit on a river. we had waited all day to see them and when they were finally coming past we couldn't see them because it was so crowded and there was a “security guy” stood in the way. There was kids infront of me who kept saying they couldn't see because of him so I yelled “MOVE” and he turned around and started arguing with me. Long story short, he eventually moved out the way and found a space where he wasn't blocking anyones view and the people around me thanked me. I felt so awkward after cause im not a confrontational person at all but I was so tired & irritated that I just snapped.  Sugar or Honey?: Sugar What’s on your desk right now?: im not sat at my desk atm  How many e-mails do you recieve a day?: about 20 Do you think that time travel is a possibility?: no Are you slightly addicted to online tests and surveys?: not addicted, I just enjoy doing them to pass time San Francisco or New York City?: ive never been to either, but I would like to go to New York  What are your favorite color combinations?: grey and light blush pink looks nice Close your eyes and type the first random image that pops into your head: I cant because im listening to hairspray so thats all I can see right now  Do you enjoy night or day better?: depends what im doing  Favorite animal: Dogs   Have you ever been to a protest?: Nope, but ive ended up in the same place as a protest was taking place and it was horrible Aggravated a cop on purpose?: No Ever gone train hopping/ridden the rails?: Nope If you could choose a time period in which to live, which would it be?: I’m fine with this one Ever put your hand through a window?: no List a few words you hate the sound of: the c word And a few you like the sound of: idk Are you sick of this survey yet? not really  Emotions And Such Have you attempted suicide more than once?: No  Cutting?: Yes Do you get violent when you are angry?: Not with people, just with myself or just like throw stuff on the floor like a brat  Which emotion are you most consumed by?: fear Are you highly emotive?: Yes Do you discuss problems or keep them to yourself?: keep them to myself, and if I do discuss them I downplay or make jokes Do you fall in love easily?: not in love, but I do fall for people too easy What age/year was the most difficult for you?: around ages 19-now How do you channel your anger/sadness?: shut myself away and cry  Ever been addicted to alcohol or drugs?: No

Ever been homeless?: No List a few simple things that make you happy: playing sims, Tumblr, theatre When were you most recently your happiest?: hanging out with nick and Addison the other day  Do you consider yourself empathetic?: yes Friends Do you have friends that are drastically different from each other?: my main group of friends is only like 3 people and they have their differences but not drastic differences List a few key traits that all of your friends have in common: my friends are all into gaming, watching films & eating Do you keep in touch with friends from high school?: yes, two of my best friends are from school Have you lost touch with many of your friends?: almost everyone I become friends with end up losing touch in the end but ive been friends with Addison for 10 years and Rhys for 20 years Are they mostly local or long distance?: local  When you go out with friends, what kinds of things do you do?: usually go to the arcade, cinema and get food Have you ever been betrayed by a close friend?: yes If yes, are you still friends with that person?: no Are your friends mostly your age, younger or older?: rhys & Addison are 23, nick is 25, I am 22

Do you have a hard time making friends because most people bore you?: no, I have a hard time making friends because im socially awkward Do you like to hang out with friends one-on-one or in groups?: groups, it takes the pressure off in conversations Which of you online friends do you have the most in common with?: I dont have any online friends Family Are you close to your family?: yes What traits are you glad you inherited from them?: faithfulness & a good sense of humour  What sitcom does your family most remind you of?: I cant think of anything other than that me and my mom are a lot like Miranda and her mom from the sitcom ‘Miranda’ Does your family live locally or far away?: local Have you ever stopped speaking to someone in your family?: yes Have either of your parents died?: no, thank god Is your family very much like you or are you opposites?: a lot like me  How many siblings do you have?: one older sister Has your family ever thrown food at each other?: yes, every christmas season we throw chocolates at each other from the Quality Street or Roses tins Are the holidays a nightmare or a time of joy?: I love Christmas Day and I normally love christmas shopping but this year I found it all very stressful because I was so busy at the theatre and I had no money to buy gifts  Do you look like your parents?: ive been told I do List one interesting fact about your family: apparently my dads side of the family is descended from royalty Lovers Gay, Straight, Bi-sexual or no idea?: Straight Married/partnered?: Single Ever gone out with someone you were embarrassed to be seen with?: no Ever broken someones heart?: someone I “dated” in infant school told me when we reunited in senior school that I broke his heart. but I didn't actually do anything so I dont know where he got that from  How many serious relationships have you had?: none Have you ever lusted obsessively over someone you knew you couldn’t have?: not obsessively lusted, but I have fancied guys that I knew nothing could ever happen.  Do you believe in the theory of soulmates?: yes Ever cheated?: No Been cheated on?: No Thrown someones stuff out on the lawn/stairs/etc.?: Nope Had your stuff thrown out on the lawn/stairs/etc.?: Nope Most important emotional qualities of a lover?: someone who makes me feel happy and can make me smile, makes me feel comfortable, is caring, trustworthy, honest, affectionate  Most important physical qualities?: I dont think physical qualities are super important but I do fall for peoples eyes & smile Food & Drink Non-alcoholic beverage of choice: cherry coke or caramel hot chocolate Alcoholic beverage of choice: cider Foods you crave on a regular basis: chocolate

Salsa and Chips or Pita and Hummus?: neither Meat or Tofu?: Meat Soup or Salad?: soup Soda or Juice?: Soda Can I get you anything else?: You didn't get me anything..? :’) Favorite candy:: chocolate in general Favorite food to make: lasagne 

Food brand that you hate?: idk Do you try to buy all organic?: nope  Favorite fast food?: mcdonalds Final Questions Ever had a great song ruined for you after it was used in a commercial?: yes

Ever yelled at an SUV?: nope A Hummer?: Nope Ever faked being sick to get out of going somewhere?: yes If you could turn back time and change one thing, what would it be?: stay in college Bambi or Nemo?: Nemo List 3 things that are worrying you right now: 1, money. 2, a meeting I have to go to next week that im absolutely dreading. 3, I have this constant annoying anxiety that tells me my friends dont actually like me and that I get on everyones nerves.  Do you think you’ll ever have children if you don’t already?: not my own now, but I hope to adopt Do you think there is life on other planets?: no Have you ever broken a leg or arm?: nope Would you rather stay in the house or do things outside: depends on my mood David Letterman or Jay Leno?: I dont know who they are  Last words?: Bye

[ts-hvv4]

EPISODE EIGHT: “MERGE! Oh bitch how tasty” - Kurt

So after Trent walked there was silence for a long time, and an announcement came out (well two). The first was the Trent announcement (RIP we will avenge you!) At the bottom it announced he was the first member of the JURY! This excites me for three reasons. First off, I never made jury on my original season in Easter Island because I won and during my second season (darksided Generations) I was a self proclaimed (with heavy delusion) pre jury robbed goddess. The second reason that I almost shit my corduroys that jury stage was here was because if I was a pre merge juror, I would not under ANY circumstance vote for someone’s game I did not see. I also know Trent is personally rooting for original Armonia villains which is a vote in my pocket if I end up at the end. My final reason that I was excited was that I was happy that Trent got to participate in the jury stage because he deserves it. He played a phenomenal pre merge game and I’m happy he gets to at least have a say in the winner, regardless of the outcome.

I was getting to my other point, the second announcement came minutes later....MERGE! Oh bitch how tasty. I was stoked because we’re officially at that point. It’s also a little scary because there’s only five original Armonia left with Trent going. I’m also scared because I know Andreas and I have bad blood from Easter Island when my alliance bullied him all season long. I have a lot of ass kissing to do and I hope I have some good acting skills because this is going to be a chore. Actually the more I think about it, the only bright side of merge is that we’re that much closer to making it to the end. Oh and NED. Hydra is reunited and oh it feels good.

MERGE!! Yes! I’m so happy, and better yet—the people I wanted out most are gone! Olivia, Keegan and Trent. They were all coming for my head, and I LOVE they left one by one. That’s karma for you. Don’t get me wrong, I like/love them all on a personal level, but game wise I’m so happy they’re gone and I’m glad Trent is fine. Now I’m meeting the final batch of people. Sarah I already know but I need to catch up with her! Nikolas unless he’s just not there is online and hasn’t responded in an hour or so, but he was cool to talk to. Lukas and Matt however I do like the most right now! Matt I feel I’m connecting with a bit and same with Lukas. Kurt and Sharifa I still feel connected to, but Kurt said he can’t trust anybody right now due to what was going on, and him and sharifa were feeling me in on everything. Basically Olivia’s antics with going after me really messed her and her group up and it got her caught with her strategy like I knew she’d get caught eventually. I peeped her and Trent way before the curve, mainly because they were that fucking obvious. Jake I have to KEEP my eye on. Because they said he was upset with Olivia going but he’s saying he heard what Olivia was trying and was happy she’s gone. So imma have to feel him out but for now I think he’s lying due to what I’ve heard. As for the heroes I love them all and I really hope we stick together or they’ll just pick us all off. And that I don’t want to happen. At all. And I just hope for once I can chill and not have my name thrown, but you never know. This could be the start to a very messy round. I usually sleep late but I might sleep early because I feel I might be getting sick and I know as soon as I take this medicine I’ll be drowsy so we’ll see!!

Whew Chile... what a moment yesterday was. So the morning after me sharifa and kurt are plotting to blindside Sarah, I see that kurt called w nicklas and downplayed our relationship which nicklas didn’t buy but wasn’t too shaded by it. But I decided to tell sharifa and kurt that I know nicklas so they trust him more Which resulted in kurt going AWFF thinking that his game was ruined or something? Idk i was shaking but we talked it out and he was calm Then the plan for Sarah gets scrapped because trent decides to quit! It sucked because he would be a number for us, but it’s best to respect his wishes.... So trent goes and then we MERGE. Lord help me. I ain’t ready for this shit S O S

We merged....... im so happy because i could not stay on the heroes for much longer. We were getting too small and it was scary honestly. Of the 12 people in the game, there's 3 I haven't played this season with yet, which isn't terrible! I'm not meeting a bunch of people. I've also had a lot happening in my personal life so that's been impacting my ability to interact. One thing that is noteworthy is that Ned, Sarah, and I have reunited finally and we are about to run this game !!!!! Let it be KNOWN!!!

So these are my thoughts on everyone: Sarah: Love her, would die for her, we are co-winning this game together with Ned. Ned: Love him, would die for him, we are co-winning this game together with Sarah. Chris: So I know I've been 'working with him' but I don't trust him because I think he's a lot closer to Malik then I think. He is good for my game but I'm only working with him because I need to. Dennis: Similarly to Chris, I am only working with him because I need to. I think he might be reading into that more then Chris is... but I could be wrong. I think he presents as more of a target then me. Malik: I think he would turn on me if it meant saving his ass. But I think he's an asset to have around because people are mad with him. Lukas: I like him, he's funny and nice. I haven't been able to play with him alot because of the swap but hopefully we can. Nicklas: I think he's very smart as a former winner, so I am careful but I think we have a decent enough connection. Matt: Me and Matt are both playing each other and it's the funniest thing ever LOL.... anyways he's smart and will shoot himself in the butt for it. Jake: Don't know him much but I heard he is a snake so I want him OUT. Sharifa: SO DANGEROUS !! I think she's really dangerous but a good ally to have around maybe (?). I have a lot of respect for her coming back and being her true self so that's very empowering. Kurt: So the thing about Kurt was we played before but I wasn't really worried about that.... but I have found out from multiple sources that he worried about that. And no amount of me talking to him has changed that? So looks like I am now worried about that? UGHH Anyways this merge should be fun.... i just want single digits 

Okay so we merged and yeah now I’m feeling really grateful to have made it to this point, jokes aside. I am really grateful to have had the opportunity to not only play with Sharifa again but get to know her as a person so much deeper. She is such an admirable person and she really touches my heart. I know I’m sappy about her a lot but she truly is one of my closest friends in my real life.

The way my current relationships stand right now is ranked (w/ reasoning as so)   1.   Sharifa (duh) 2. Jake (my fellow f@ggot) 3. Ned (boy you lucky for Hydra) 4. Lukas (he thinks he’s my #1, I love him tho) 5. Malik (as much as I know his act is a facade, he thinks were close so) 6. Nicklas (we had a good talk and basically compared notes, very intelligent) 7. Matt (neutral, I trust him a bit to stay villain strong but only for so long) 8. Sarah (same feelings as I have toward Matt) 9. Andreas (we spoke and I apologized and he accepted, progress people) 10. Chris (seems friendly enough but Ned told me he has an idol so kinda sketch) 11. Dennis (hard to read, nice enough but know he’s heroes strong) & HOSTS 1. Nicole (my fav host sorry boys) 2. Owen (picks up the slack) 3. Andrew (quality humour but our fight sis :( ) 4. Monty (idk her....bc she’s intern & not around much) Love y’all ❤️

So Jake came clean to Sharifa and myself about having a relationship with Nicklas. This raises serious red flags for us because it’s like we’ve been questioning if Jake is truly with us or not this entire time and have wanted to believe he was. He claims he is closer with us and Nicklas is just the equivalent to like my Lukas. Sure, that’s a fair comparison, but the difference is that I told The Cock Destroyers about Lukas. Nicklas was Jake’s best and worst kept secret. Now I’m second guessing everything I say to him but I still want to truly believe we are sisters till the end. If he fucks us over I will be absolute heartbroken. Like, he’s my amigas cheetah.

Of the four newest people I’ve met, I feel the most connected to Lukas and slightly Matt. Nicklas before comes on or messages and Sarah only messages a couple of times and then vanishes. She’s someone I also know so I could use that bond but idk if I can trust her yet or not. The only one I feel I can trust atm is lukas but I’ll have to see how that goes.

Malik is a lot. I play along with most of his flirtation and advances but it’s solely to get myself in his good graces to ensure I have a loyal ally and someone looking out for me. It’s also because I made the mistake of purposely approaching him and almost like lead him on. Now he’s so attached and I can’t for the sake of my game just be like “not really into it please stop”. And I know there’s other boys who are uncomfortable by it too. Unfortunately right now he is our Phillip and we have to keep him around for now....Fuck im so mean. I make him sound so bad, he’s actually fine, I’m just a huge asshole and Malik when you see this I’m sorry dude.

K i guess i should update you When we swapped i connected with matt and sharifa the most Hated trent bc he tried to spread my name but we decided to vote kage out bc hes crazy-anyways now that we have merged sharifa wants to form some fucking majority alliance with the villains since we have majorty Only thing is that i like chris and dennis ALSO andreas, ned and I are in a f3 together and they know I have the idol. So anyways this isnt gonna work, i need to play secret spy but its gonna be hard deceiving sharifa. I got her to confide in me that she has the idol and I told her i have the idol as well -i regret telling her Also andreas and ned told me chris has the idol so im 100% certain the 3 of us know where all the idols are. Anyways, this is messy, im still a bitch and I need to figure something out. Wish me luck bitches ‘

I don’t like Matt anymore. He keeps reading my private messages and is talking in main chat and isn’t saying much or a word or reacted to me or anything. So I feel like he’s going to try to message me once immunity is over and I’m going to just roll my eyes and laugh so hard. I thought the guy was cool, but I spoke too soon. I did feel like something was off from the gate anyways with his first responses. I just won’t message him until he messages me but rn the only villain I like from the other tribe is Lukas. Sarah step it up sis I wanna say positive things about you!! On the other hand, Teen Titans all think we’re in trouble, so I’m thinking about snatching Kurt since he doesn’t trust anyone from his tribe and see how that goes. I would do Sharifa too, but I feel she’s likely connected with the others. But if I leave her out of a vote she could very well not trust me anymore. But the only original tribe members I trust are Ned and Kurt. And I trust the Teen Titans, we just need one more number incase they come for us. Maybe rocks I see?!

Sarah says something after I mention that she hasn’t been too talkative? Hmmm

Looking at the merge, I am PUMPED and NERVOUS and ready to LOSE! A lot of different scenarios can play out here- Heroes vs Villains prevail or Armonia vs Molysmeno. I have faith it won't end in the latter, in fact, I suspect lines may be a little blurred, but maybe not in the first tribal council or two. Having that said, a lot of people are surprising me this round in a good way such as Lukas,, Kurt, and Sharifa! Whereas my old pals of Sarah and Matt might have slipped in some people's eyes, I have to keep them in mind when figuring out what happens next. Jake may be targeted but I'm not gonna count on it just yet. All in all, I think I prefer Teen Titans more than Mystery Incorporated because it feels so genuine, but we'll see!

It would seem Malik's talking to Kurt/Lukas on turning on the villains. I'm not too sure how I feel about that. In order to fully trust that, I'd have to look into those 2 actually giving a name instead of wanting us to. Having that said, Dennis does not trust Kurt, Matt is sheeping to avoid 3-peating his merge boot status I suppose, the rest of the villains I guess dropped the whole Ned vote campaigns, and everyone else playing the Waiting Game like time is money so yeah

I do feel it is a little intriguing how the villains are acting coy and facetious when they have a majority, not to mention, hold more people than others. It's pretty telling that this group is pretty passive. Nevertheless, my intentions are to get the scoop and solve this mystery

Guess who is ready to lose their mind ???????????? So Malik is trying to get Kurt and Lukas to vote with the heroes which I know for a fact is not happening because Sarah told me that Kurt said that wasn't going to happen. Now im going to call Kurt because he's being shady and says he wants to vote the villains ? Kurt WHAT ARE YOU DOING

My goddddddd. I hate this merged tribe. The smart thing to do would be to stick to the villain numbers, but I know each villain has like 20 connections each outside of the villain tribe. I don’t like Andreas. He is fake to me. Idk why. I’m working so hard on making Malik like me, but he’s sketchy too. I love Dennis but I don’t think he loves me that much. Ned is a ghost. As of now I’m just going to sit back and let people handle this shit without me. I don’t think I’ll be the target if the heroes seize control, so that’s good. Shall be interesting.

Just got off my hour long call with Kurt and I felt good about it, I think we can trust each other. But then DENNIS messages lukas and sends a lie to him that Malik getting Lukas and Kurt is a ploy??? WTF ???? What is happening right now

Remember when I said I was going to lose my mind? YUP thats still happening. just about to hop on call with sharifa to show im willing to work with the crazy villains

Honestly? This vote sucks ass. As mentioned in the video, Nicklas was nice enough to tell me whats "actually" going on and I honestly feel like its best to just let it happen, because no matter what. One of my allies goes home. Either crackhead Malik, who has a big heart and is just trying his best, or  big heart chris who shared his idol with apparently the entire world and has to pay the price for it. I've been contemplating about this for the past 3.5 hrs and idk, as bad as this sounds, it just feels like it is better to not properly warn him. I've tried to give him hints that something isn't up or right tonight, but I can only do so much to hopefully not completely crucify my game. Of course there is the chance that I am actually the one who is going home or they are trying to send ned home anyways and bait an idol like that, but idk. I don't know why Nicklas would lie to me, when I am a valuable number to him. IF I survive I just need to start over and get my social game going properly. If you read this Chris and you actually went home tonight, I am heartbroken and sad, I would've gone as deep as possible with you and Andreas too, if he wasn't close to others aswell.

Im getting this weird feeling in my stomach that the tribal won't go as planned. Malik has gotten really quiet, and when he does that it normally means he is mad. I'm not surprised and honestly if someone didn't run their mouth I'd be surprised. Maybe I am the one going home ?? Who knows

It's gotten like wild quiet? Am i going home ? Randomly really nervous

[missmeltycat]

24. favorite scene you’ve ever written

Asks for fanfic writers

24:

That’s a tough one. I’ve written a number of scenes that I still grin over. It’s not very often I like my own work, but a few do spring to mind. The majority of them I actually co-wrote with others.

I’ll add a couple here.

Conflict of Interests

A fic based on the old fan Inspector Gadget series Go Go Gadgetinis. This was a collab between me and @thatredheadedchick12

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15563118

As Gadget heard the ruckous die down, he relaxed a bit more. “Actually it isnt so bad after you get past the initial metallic bitterness. It has a very unique after taste.” He smiled before taking another healthy pull, as his brain already began to grow a bit cloudy around the edges.

“Good, I’m glad you like it. Just be sure to take it slow. If you aren’t used to drinking then it could go to your head fast.” She relaxed and braced herself on the bar with her elbows. “So…” She peered at him under the brim of his hat. “Tell me about your gadgets? I am curious about them. What kind of stuff do you have in that there body of yours?”

He set his glass down from another healthy pull as he listened to her. Something about taking it slow? Oh. His gadgets! “Well there isnt a lot I dont have. I actually have a mobile phone in my right hand. Keys, pen, helecopter…” he went on listing each gadget hidden within him as he looked at her. He was happy to tell her about himself. As he was happy to listen to her talk about herself. She was a very interesting lady and he very much enjoyed how he felt around her. They barely knew one another for 24 hours and yet he felt as though he had known her a lot longer. The way she acted around him… So… Unique. She was something else and as his head began to cloud a bit more he nearly lost track of his gadgets he listed. “So that is basically all of it. I think I forgot one or two but im sure I will remember them before the night is out. Wowzers this is good.” He took another pull, as her voice telling him to take it slow sounded deep within his mind. However a louder voice was yelling at him to drink the beautiful liquid faster as each sip tasted better than the last.

“So, you’re quite the package, huh?” She raised her glass to her lips once more. “You really are as amazing as they said you are.” Prince offered a wink before having another good swig of her ale. He was fascinating. She’d never met anyone like him before. In the back of her mind there was a prickling sensation, but she tried to drown it out by downing the rest of her glass in one go and ordering another. “You good, or are you up for another?”

As he drained his glass completely, he hiccuped rather loudly. “I… Yes! Yes another. If you dont mind?” he asked as the cloud began to take hold. It was so delicious! He couldnt help himself!

She patted him on the back and gestured for two to the bartender. “Wow, I’m glad we did this! I got to introduce you to something new and it’s been fun!”

Dick had been spying around the corner and saw her pat his back and then snake her arm around his shoulder. His brows knitted together as a pang of jealousy washed over him. That was not right…

Digit was having very much the same issue as he looked inwards through the mucky old window and almost slipped and fell off the dumpster he was stood on.

Gadget tried to swallow the lump in his throat as she threw her arm around his shoulder. “Y-yeah. You know what? I am glad we did this too. I was honestly afraid you would reject the idea of dinner with me after all the stuff I had done this morning.” His face turned instantly red as he recalled the details of his face between the twin peaks. “I… Uh… Yeah. I am glad you accepted.” His speech was slightly slurred, but not to the point of being unintelligable. As the barkeep brought their drinks he clapped his hands like a giddy school boy in a chocolate shop before he took a good swig of his beverage.

Prince let out a loud and hearty laugh as she watched him down his drink. “Think nothing more on this morning! It’s all water under the bridge. I know you didn’t mean any of it.” She joined him in downing the ale, her own brain now comfortably fuzzy. “It’s best to forget… Especially if we’re working together for a while. And you know what? I like you! You’re the best partner I’ve had so far!”

He smiled stupidly as his face took on a pink tinge from the alcohol. “And you know what?” he said before taking a few more swigs. “You…. Are amazing yourself. And not bad on the eyes.” The fuzz completely took over. He downed his stout in no time and pushed his glass forwards. “Nmmn I think I have had… ‘Hic’….. Enough…” He said as the slurring became a bit more prominant.

Easy on the eyes? Her face suddenly flushed a vivid red colour over the compliment. “Oh! W-Well, thank you, I er…” She chugged the rest of her stout, not really knowing how to respond to such a comment and placed it back down with a wobbly hand. “Me too. M-Meee tooo. I think… We… Uh… Did you wanna go? Or stay a while?”

“I… I am up for whatever you are up for. We can uh… Head back to the hotel if you want.” he said as he picked up his glass and slammed the dregs before returning it to its coaster. He attempted to get up, but ended up tripping on the bar stool and fell backwards, causing the row of chairs behind him to fall like a line of dominoes. “Heh. Whoops.”

That was strangely funny and she found herself laughing so much she couldn’t even stand up straight due to her stomach muscles tensing. She offered a shaky hand to him, still chuckling over the perfect way the chairs had fallen. “You stupid arse!”

The landlord, however, wasn’t impressed and gave them a glare.

Dick watched as Prince made for the exit with Gadget and felt a tug at his heart. It wasn’t fair… He couldn’t even speak to her. If he did, he’d risk everything.

Gadget hardly even registered the dirty looks as he took Prince’s hand and stood, nearly toppling over again. “Yes. I say we go back to the hotel now.” he said as he walked rather wobbly over to the doors and attempted to hold the door open for Prince, which was actually the only thing keeping him from faceplanting into the sidewalk.

She skipped her way awkwardly onto the pavement outside and moved quickly to Gadget’s aid as she could see him wobbling rather badly. She caught hold of him around the chest and propped him up as best as she could. “Wooooah now, hehe. You gotta stay upright! I’m not strong enough to carry you.”

“Never fear dear lady for I am…. I can walk!” he announced a bit too enthusiastically. Fortunately the hotel was a block away. “Is it hot out here?” he asked as he loosened his tie a bit. He felt… Amazing. Laid back. Relaxed. As though all his cares just melted away.

She still had hold of him, but adjusted herself so that she kept one arm around him under his own. She wasn’t feeling too steady on her legs either. In fact, the pavement was looking a bit uneaven. “It’s n-not far!” She giggled as she swayed and then came back against him with a thud. “Someone needs to tell the street to stop it.”

“It is a lot more uneven than the last time we were through here. Obviously the earth shifted!” Gadget stated as he held on to Prince.

It was a hell of a trek, but they had made it back to the hotel and Gadget had finally gotten her safely back to her room. “Welp… Prince… I ‘ave had a 'hic’ wonderul evening. I… Thank you.” he said with a silly smile as he turned to look at her, reaching up to caress her face and nearly missing.

She reached out, the night air having enhanced the drunken effects and patted his face back in return the same way as he was doing with hers. “You too! This was… Like… SO fun. We need to do it again. Because, we… I mean… We won’t get long to like… Work together and stuff. You know?” She swayed a little and used her free hand to brace herself on the wall that joined onto her bathroom.

Inside the room by the window, Data and Scooter were on recharge mode and that meant they were dead to the worldand Prince glanced over quickly to make sure they hadn’t woken up.

“Yes! Oh yes. Please. I mean… If you want. I quite enjoyed tonight. I… Yes. May I do anything for you before I turn in for the night?” he asked in his gentlemanly fashion. He probably wouldnt have been able to do much in his current state of mind, but he would try none the less.

Prince wobbled a bit again and used her other hand to grab his jacket. “I think… I think it’s… That’s all. I mean… Unless you can tell the room, the floor and my bed to hold still.” It was unusual for her to feel so woozy after just two pints, so her theory about the cask sitting for a while must have been correct. What was originally just over 6% was probably closer to a 9%.

“I… I mean I can try!” he said happily as he walked, no, staggered into her room. “Listen here room! Prince isn’t in a mood for your incooperative nature! Behave!” he said as he shook his fist at the room and it’s general contents.

Prince wobbled inside a bit as she watched him order the room to stop its shenannigans. “My hero!” She clapped playfully and laughed as he waved his fist around. The fact that he was trying was brilliant and she was glad he had a sense of humour. She’d hate to have been saddled with a partner who was as funny as a brick to the face.

“All 'n a day’s work m'lady” he said as he struck a heroic pose as he attempted to bring her in for a hug. What was the worst she could do? Push him away? He felt… Bold. He supposed they werent kidding when they called alcohol liquid courage.

She didn’t put up a fight, in fact she was still chuckling and hugged him back in return. It was a pity his threats hadn’t stopped the room from moving around so much, but she could live with that. She snaked her arms around his chest and held onto him tightly. “Are you a knight in shining armour doing battle against the evils of spinning rooms and shifting floors?”

“For you, anything.”

King of Iron Fist Tournament 8

A fic in collaboration with @thatredheadedchick12 again. NSFW WARNING

https://archiveofourown.org/works/13810308

Inside her room Rae breathed a sigh of relief as the hammering on her door stopped. She didn’t fancy the maid stumbling across her bloody corpse, after all. She slowly slumped back onto her bed and let out a large sigh. Great, now she’d definitely screwed up and made an enemy. Maybe he wasn’t malfunctioning after all.

Raihiko leaned against her door and let out a sigh. She could hear the muffled argument going on outside, but at least she couldnt see is anymore. Dear god. That thing should be registered as a weapon!

Bryan, however, wasnt going to waste any more time. He reared back and punched a hole near the handle and quickly unlocked and opened it and stormed right in.

“You want to fucking die- you!” he snapped as he recognized the heap on the bed.

Rae flailed as she heard the splintering of wood, as she sat bolt upright on her bed, her leather jumpsuit around her waist. “THE FUCK!?” There, stood in his white underwear, was Bryan looking exceedingly miffed. “You call that fucking knocking!?”

“I fucking knocked.” he growled as the fact that her jumpsuit was around her waist completely went over his head. “The fuck is the big idea?” he hissed as he stepped closer, letting the broken door swing shut behind him.

Meanwhile Raihiko had grabbed a cocktail glass and was listening in. If he was going to throttle her new friend she would be ready to jump in, but she felt if she barged in there that very second she would only make it worse.

Rae grabbed a nearby pillow and held it in front of her. “The hell are you even talking about!? I was minding my own business trying to cool down and having a banging contest with whoever was next door! And now this? Now my door is busted and people can see in!” She hurled her pillow towards him in frustration. “I don’t want any old git seeing me change!”

Bryan growled as he caught the pillow from out of the air and tossed it to thw side.

“Yeah! That was me telling you to shut the fuck up! I’m next door.” His voice rumbled as he stepped closer.

“That was YOU? Oh for crying out loud. Why didn’t you just yell? You do enough of it as it is!” She tried to battle with her jumpsuit again, her skin sticking to the fabric again making it hard work. “How was I to know that thud was you saying that?”

Sergei had been disturbed from his poetry reading by the commotion and has ventured outside of his room to see what was going on. If it was someone who had come for him, he would deal with it. As the shouting continued, his eyes narrowed. No. It wasn’t for him. But whoever it was they were sure being overly loud and loutish.

Rai’s eyes widened as she tossed the glass on her bed. She grabbed her Tonfa from the top of her bag as she moved to her door and quickly opened it to see she was not the only one disturbed by the happenings. She looked to the man across from her before she moved to Rae’s door. She noticed the big hole near the handle and swallowed hard. She didnt want to use her weapons. She wpuld surely be disqualified from competing if she attacked another competitor, but she wouldnt let this brute harm her new aquaintance. She stood by the door, listeing as he tonfa rested against the back of her arms, the end blades past her handles resting on the back of her thighs. She was ready if she was needed.

Sergei simply regarded the other woman who had joined him in the hallway. When he caught sight of her weapons, he gave her a very subtle shake of the head.

Raihiko tilted her head at the man in the doorway.

“What? Am i supposed to just let him tear her apart?” she whispered harshly as she backed up to her doorway. Was he nuts? Though…. Maybe he was right? Maybe she shouldny poke the bear with her weapons.She gave them a professional spin before she retreated to throw them on her bed for now before she ran back to the hallway to listen.

Bryan narrowed his eyes. She was certainly testing his self restraint, and there wasnt much there to begin with.“An idiot would know a knock to the wall is a sign of shut the fuck up!” he yelled as he balled his fists. He was on the verge of seething. This woman was jump roping with his last nerve.

Sergei simply stood with his eyes on the broken door. He was conflicted with regard to the other female voice he could hear coming from inside. This was the King of Iron Fist. If she was unable to defend herself, why would she be here? But if he allowed Bryan to go ahead and kick seven shades out of her, what sort of gentleman would he be? Not that he would ever really speak about such things, but he had strong opinions. He glanced over to Raihiko, moved forwards and leaned against the wall next to Rae’s door, his arms folded across his chest and one boot on the paintwork.

Rai blinked as the man stood besides her and leaned against the wall. Wait, would he help her take bryan if he tried to take out Rae?

“Can you see anything?” she asked in a whisper as she tried to peer around him. Wait. Could he ever understand her? She couldnt quite figure it out yet. He hadnt said a word. She didnt even know his name! She nearly tripped on her own foot as she tried to move around him to get a better look.

He held out a gloved hand to stop her toppling over, but to also stop her revealing herself. The hole in the door was large enough to be able to see movement through, after all. He slowly raised a digit on his other hand up to his lips. He didn’t want to do anything if it was not needed and he certainly didn’t want them to know they were there.

“An idiot!? Rich coming from someone who just goes around destroying things for no god damn reason and then expects me to magically know via telepathy or some shit that a bang on the wall meant shut up when he is CLEARLY capable of using his brutish, overly loud voice!” She shot to her feet. “And another thing! What gives you the right to even enter my room?”

Bryan ground his teeth as he tried to keep his cool.

“You know what? Fuck you.” he said as he turned on his heel to leave. He was pissed. And if he didnt leave now, the maid would be scraping her off the walls.

“Try to keep it the fuck down in here.” he growled before he ripped open the door.

Rae felt her stomach churn as he turned to leave and watched his retreating form until the door had slammed shut behind him. Something didn’t quite sit right again. Why was he being so passive? It wasn’t that she wanted to die horribly. But she couldn’t help but wonder what was happening to the man… If he could be called that. She scrunched her eyes shut and flopped back down on her bed as images of his white underwear assaulted her mind. She would find out, though. She had always enjoyed watching his fights, so if he was breaking then surely someone needed to be informed.

Outside Sergei stood bolt upright as Bryan left the room, the door slamming, but swinging due to the broken handle and lock.

Rai slapped her hands over her mouth to stop the sudden gasp that nearly escaped her lips. “Arigato. I am normally not so-” but she was cut off by the form of Bryan plowing through the door. She suddenly pressed her back against the man, trying to make herself small as the brute trudged back to his room.

Bryan didnt even register that he had a mini audience as he ripped open his own door and entered before slamming it shut, causing Rai to flinch. She finally let out the breath she didnt realize she was holding.

He was pissed. He grabbed his pack off the table and lit up a smoke as he began pacing. He needed to let off some damn steam. But how? That bitch next door to him had really lit a fire under his ass.

Rae was also pissed. She scrubbed at her face furiously and rolled off of her bed. Once she was on the floor she shuffled to the adjoining wall and punched it making sure it made as much noise as possible without damaging it. “NEXT TIME WEAR SOME DAMN CLOTHES, YOU FUCKING ASS!”

Currently Untitled

An FF7 fic with no title I started years ago and never finished. It’s so old and terrible, But i enjoyed writing the comical dialogue.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/2836442/chapters/6363332#workskin

Seeing the city in the distance, they both swallowed loudly. It was a beautiful place, but they only saw it as a place of evil.

“DAMMIT”, cried Cloud punching at a near by shrub, “Why!?”

Cid decided to follow suit and began to strangle a small sapling, but to no avail.

One of them needed to get a grip, as flying off the hook in such a manner was really not going to do them any good. So, Cid, seeing he was getting no where in his attempted sapling strangulation, took a deep breath and tried his best to calm Cloud down.

“I don’t get why. I mean… I do! But, WHHHYYYY?!”

“Get a grip, man… DAMMIT!” Cid gave him a good thwack across the face, to which Cloud responded by sniffing.

Wacky Races 2004 - Chapter 14 (Chapter 6 of DD’s Ending - Survivalists)

A fanfic I started in 2002/2003. One chapter in particular stands out, as I wrote it with my husband.

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9018259/1/Wacky-Races-2004

The wind howled against the side of the car causing the snow to form large drifts. The windshield had been smothered blocking all view to the outside world. Rachel shivered into her coat and laughed at Dick as he struggled to get to the back seat over the stick and hand brake.

“Drat! Double drat! Last time I opt for a manual!”

In his frustration he forgot to balance his weight and keened forward.

Raising a brow Rachel placed her hands on her hips. “Hey, careful of the upholstery. I jus… What do you mean YOU? It’s my car you fool.”

Another laugh echoed through the car, but it was cut short as he lost his balance.

“Ah. AGH!”

His head was caught in a dizzy whirlwind where images of planes and pidgeons assaulted his mind. He thought how lucky he had been to have his fall suppressed by the vehicle’s air bags but then…remembered that was at the front of the car.

“Oh…my…”

Rachel let out a surprised shriek, pushed his shoulders back and leaped backwards in her seat. She wasn’t sure how to feel and flushed red hot. “Aiiyaah, c-careful where you stick that nose of y-yours!”

It suddenly felt very warm in the car and it wasn’t anything to do with the heaters.

He reflexively touched his nose in response to the comment. The assertion blocking out any guilt of having accidently violtated his fellow racing competitor.

“Look Felicity Funbags! I happen to have a nose of character! What occured was an accident - pure and simple!”

She had adopted a somewhat fetal position in the corner of the car, her knees up to her chest.

“What did you just call me!?”

Her brow furrowed, but it was difficult to tell due to the lack of light in the car.

“And, yes. I suppose I should expect it from you. Mr Accidents-R-Us!” She scoffed and flailed a finger in the dim light towards what she hoped was his face. “You’re so accident prone it’s a wonder people don’t follow you in an ambulance!”

“Accidents? Those were fully intentional schemes gone awry to secure the lead posi-” He stopped and brushed a finger over the tip of his nose. “Uh, yes. You’re right accidents.” He chided, settling into the back seat opposite her.

“Hmph.” She pulled her coat on tighter even though she was radiating heat. “Anyway, you’re here now. I told you that the front seat was no good for sleep.”

The wind howled louder, subsided and then got up again as she paused for a moment to figure out just how close he was sitting.

“I told you there was room for two.”

“Then how did you fit back here?”

He smirked to himself twisting his moustache around his index finger then realised Muttley was not there to be present to his jest. It felt a little depressing not hearing that familiar snicker.

“I beg your p…” she certainly was not going to stand for that comment.

She swung a punch satisfied that it would at least land somewhere that hurt.

Removing his plump hat and toying with it in his hands as he thought on the absence of his cohort and was suddenly surprised to see a fist punch through it’s crown.

“Eegads! My hat!”

“What?”

Rachel struggled to see in the dim light and could just make out the outline of Dick flailing with his hat.

“What about your hat? Nuts to your hat! You insulted me!”

“Getoffgetoffgetoffgetoff-!”

In his panic, he yanked his hat towards himself trying to get the fist through it out but through lack of planning yanked the entire arm and body of Rachel onto him.

“Oof!” She landed with a thud, face first onto his chest, her fist still stuck through his precious head gear.

A moment passed as she attempted to get up, her free hand slipping off the side of the leather seat every time she tried to push herself up and landing on Dick each time she aimed wrong.

“Agh! Eep! Let go!”

Dick froze with his arms paralyzed above his head holding the hat aloft as the aggressive woman continued to rise and fall onto him. Thoughts were a luxury his male biology couldn’t afford right now.

Rachel felt him tense under her and this made her realize just what sort of a predicament she was in. She took the opportunity to attempt to get up. Each movement was slow and exaggerated to be sure she didn’t make the situation any worse.

He lay stiff like a board, watching her arm slip easilly out of the hat despite having created the awkward situation earlier.

After managing to sit up once more, she fanned herself with a hand and squinted towards her racing companion.

“A-Are you OK?”

He seemed to still be rigid and she began to get a little concerned.

“Hey! I s-said are y-you OK?” She prodded him lightly and as best as she could in low visibility in the hopes of stirring some sort of reaction.

“Fine as wine!” He squeaked out.

He still didn’t move. Her body atop his prevented any thoughts of movement.

She slowly slid herself off and returned to her corner. He certainly didn’t sound fine, despite what he said.

“Are you sure?”

She drew her knees back in towards her chest and gave him some room.

“I didn’t hurt you or anything, did I?”

He pulled the hat back over his crown to hide the heat in his cheeks as he rose to sit much like she did opposite him.

“Not at all! Perish the thought!”

“Oh phew!” She let out a sigh of relief. Though she wanted to punch him for that comment, it was only going to be a light punch. She didn’t want to cause too much harm to him. After all, she was fond of the idiot.

“Uh, so, er…” She twiddled her thumbs. “Nice weather. Shame about all the frostbite.”

He chortled nervously.

“Eheh, why yes. It’s very…” He looked out the window with a sigh. “Bitey.”

“Bitey?” Rachel shuffled around a little. “Yes. Bitey frostbite. Mmm.” It seemed as if she was just blurting out any old thing that entered her head. She felt awkward and was not sure what on earth she should do about it. There was no escaping the car, not unless she wanted to walk miles back to the hotel and probably freeze to death on the way.

“Uh…I uh…” He noticed her shiver and removed his purple coat, holding it out to her. “It’s pretty cold so…”

She watched as he took off his coat and hold it out to her. Almost taken aback, she stared at it for a few moments before finally managing to form words. “Oh! N-No, it’s fine. Don’t worry. I don’t want you getting cold either.”

He put it on her and crossed his arms, huffing out a cloud of frosty air.

“H-Hey! Now you’ll get cold.” She started to take it off again to return to him.

He shook his head and laughed.

“You kidding? When I didn’t sleep on the floor the living room in my childhood home was colder than this! Ahah!”

Rachel tilted her head and pulled the sleeve back on. “Living room? Wait, sleep on the floor? You didn’t, did you? When was this? Who made you do that?” Her voice took on a shocked breathlessness as her mind tried to process what he had just said.

“Mother. I think. I just remember a woman who told me what to do. It wasn’t very fun.” He stroked his moustache nostalgically.

“Oh. That sounds rather horrendous. So, it was cold?”

“I suppose. It was the forgetting to feed me that mostly took it’s toll. Oh. The floor. Yeah. It was.”

Rachel lowered her gaze to the floor. “I had no idea. Wow.” A small smile spread across her face. “Well, things are better now, right?” She patted his shoulder. “I mean, you’re a Wacky Racer, after all.”

“It’s alright. I don’t remember much. I can only recall finding a runt in a cardboard box and nursing him back to health.” He touched a finger to his chin, thinking back. “After that it was just schemes and dreams.”

“Dreams? You had something to hope for? I take it that was the goal of winning, right?” She reclined back in her seat and rested her knees against the back of the drivers seat.

“Hope for? No. No nonsense like that. I just kept coming up with reasons to laugh with that stupid mangy hound.” He chuckled despite the remark.

“Heyyy.” She nudged him with her elbow. “He’s not so mangy.” Muttley was indeed a favourite of hers and she found herself feeling terribly sorry for him whenever one of Dick’s plans would backfire. “Is that all you do it for?”

He scratched his chin idly in thought. “I used to believe I was achieving something back in my hayday, but the more I failed. The more I realised I didn’t want to succeed. It was more fun that way.”

“You didn’t want to succeed? But, what about winning the races? Being crowned the world’s wackiest racer? The sponsorships, money, fame?” Rachel’s brow furrowed. “I don’t get it. You always seemed so driven to win.”

He turned to her rather somlemnly and spoke slowly. “But what happens when you do win?”

“I guess,” she looked at her hands, her fingers were nervously linked together, “I guess that you win the money, the title, go on with sponsorships and…” She paused for a moment. “Wait for the next race?”

He nodded not turning away. “And then what?”

“I don’t know. I never really thought about it. I guess people just go on with their lives.” She shrugged her shoulders. It was true, she hadn’t really thought about it. Like everyone, she had just been focussed on winning.

“I don’t want to win or I have nothing left to…what’s that word you used? 'Hope’ for.”

She reeled back in shock. “What? I find that somewhat hard to believe.” She began chewing on her lip anxiously. What he had said had jolted her internally. “Everyone knows who you are and what you do. You could probably do anything you wanted.”

He chuckled and fell back in his chair forgetting the cold for a second. “Haha, my dear, that is precisely what I am doing!”

“But, as you say, then what? What happens when this race is over? What will you do?”

“I would have won and would no long be the dark horse underdog of the Wacky Races. Why would I give up that thrill so easilly? People never think I’m going to win, so it makes it all the more fun when I finally do.”

“So you want to win eventually? Have you thought about when that might be? I mean, you’ve been winning the last couple of races no problems.” She leaned back and rested her head against the seat. After removing her cap, she tossed it into the front and awaited his reply.

He smirked scratching his chin idly with a finger. “Heh, like you…I don’t put much thought into it. I just make sure I’m having fun with it.”

“Like me?” She raised a brow and chuckled under her breath. “What makes you so sure I don’t think about what I do, Mister?” She jabbed him on his shoulder. “I may be smarter than you think.”

“Because if I’m not mistaken when I asked the purpose to winning, you answered and I quote: 'I don’t know. I never really thought about it.’”

Rachel shook her head. “Agh! Damn it. Heyyyy, fine. Come on. It’s late and cold. My head is in a mess.” She chuckled again. “I can’t help it if I’m spouting bollocks. It must be, what… 3AM?” She craned her neck to see her dashboard.

Dick’s Head was lain back under his hat. “Snooooort!” The sounds of his nostrils flaring from exhaustion resounded through the vehicle.

“Hey! HEY!” Rachel jabbed him in his ribs. “Wake up! That’s not fair, you’re not supposed to fall asleep while I’m talking to you!”

He snorted and sat up at attention “Huh whu whassat?”

Unfortunately, when he sat up his head collided with hers. “OUCH! Ooyah!” She grasped her head and keeled over. “Nrrrgh!”

He grasped at his head in pain. “Yeow yeowzer yeow!” He then blinked momentarilly afterward and rather then insult the girl; “Are you alright?”

Rachel just let out a low 'hnnnnn’ sound as she rolled back and fourth on the seat. She now wished she hadn’t removed her hat as it may have stopped or cushioned the blow.

He glanced at her forehead and chuckled “Now, now it isn’t all that bad. Just think we can call it a beauty mark tomorrow!”

She peered up at him with a furious expression, still doubled over on the seat. “I’ll give you beauty mark. Just be glad it wasn’t my eye! How would we explain a black eye?”

He stopped to think a moment then grinned. “Mascara?”

“I don’t wear that crap!”

He smirked. “Oh yes yes, quite. My bad.”

She hit him again, this time harder. “HMPH!”

“Owch! I see your mother passed some wonderful traits onto you,” He said nursing his poor arm.

“OH, we’re talking about mothers, are we?” Her eyes narrowed as a strange smirk spread across her face.

“Yes, well if you ever meet mine I’m sure she’ll be sporting a wicked attitude and moustache herself,” He retorted

That did it. Just the mental image alone. Rachel sucked in air, choked a little and fell about in hysterics. Her mind instantly imagined Dick in a dress.

Dick could only imagine what she was laughing about but he had a pretty good idea.

She attempted to catch her breath and leaned forwards resting her chin on the back of her hands. “Oh man. That’s funny. That’s good stuff.” A tear rolled from the corner of her eye from all the laughter and landed on the seat.

He smirked and tipped his hat at an angle over his eyes as he sat back and cross his arms. “Laugh it up, I know I would.”

After wiping at her eyes with her sleeve she shook her head and pulled on Dick’s coat over her, bundling up like a sausage roll. “You know nothing.”

“Uh huh” was all he could manage. The fatigue dragging his eyes down like weights.

“Ah ah ah!” A hand shot out from under the coat and prodded his ribs. “Are you saying I’m boring?” After sitting up straight she unfurled the coat from around her shoulders and handed it over towards him. “Here. Have it back. You don’t want to end up with a crick in your neck or something.”

He glared unfavorably at her. His eyes stemming red from the lack of sleep he was getting. “Are you capable of shutting up and going to sleep?”

Her brow instantly furrowed and her lips thinned to a small line. “Fine! Take your smelly coat!” She threw it at him. “Telling ME to shut up. Especially after that little stunt at the hotel earlier. What was all that about, huh?” Her voice trailed off into a low mumble as she continued cursing under her breath, turning away in a huff and folding her arms.

He flinched as the coat slapped against his side but just sighed and tried to drift off, ignoring her frustrations.

“And budge over.” She ignored his sighing and pushed her butt into his to shove him further to the side. “Taking all the god damn room. How am I supposed to sleep like that Mister I-Love-You-Shut-Up-And-Go-To-Sleep.” She fidgeted some more and folded her legs under her to take up more room.

He chuckled and made a fake groan. “Oh lord, is that the moon falling? What could this crushing weight be?” He reached out and grabbed a hand full of it to emphasize his point.

Rachel instantly yelped and jumped over to her side. “Aiiie! Watch where you’re grabbing!” She slapped a hand around in his general direction in case he was still trying it.

He had already moved his hand and watched her swat out of corner of his eye, only replying with a chuckle.

“Grabbing ladies butts. You should be ashamed of yourself.” She turned her head and stuck out her tongue. “First you’re all moody then that! HMPH!” She shuffled noisily, trying to make as much noise as she could on purpose.

“When I see a lady…” He yawned. “I’ll be sure to do so.” A wicked smirk arose on his face.

Rachel shot upright and glared at him. “I beg your pardon?!”

He once again lapsed into a bout of snoring under his hat.

“How dare you!?” Her voice was high pitched as she grabbed hold of his hat and began to pelt him with it over and over. “Insult me, will you? Tell me to shut up, will you? Say my ass is as big as the moon, will you!?”

He flailed and twitched under her assault but found himself laughing regardless.

“Stop laughing, you nit!” She continued to swipe. “It’s… not… funny!”

He finally gave in, sat straight and grabbed her wrist in mid attack. “I think you’ll find, my dear, it is.”

“Ouch!” She scowled at him and wiggled her nose in disgust. “Careful how you g…” He kissed her cheek and smiled at her cutting her sentence short. “Don’t… Don’t you try and butter me up, Mister!”

His smirk only widened. “That I can accomodate you with at a later time.”

“Wait… What?” She blinked in confusion, her brain trying to figure out what he had just said. When it finally registered her grimace transformed into a wide, goofy grin. “Now, that’s just dirty.”

He released his grip, twiddling his moustache as he sunk back into his chair. “Dastardly one might say.”

She picked up his coat and flopped it on his lap. “Seriously, though. I’m OK. Take it back and keep warm. I don’t want you getting hypothermia or something.”

“You know” He said, still twiddling his moutache. “They say the best way to keep warm in circumstances like this is to share body heat.”

She blinked again, leaning forward on the seat with her hands. “Wh-What?” She slipped off the seat and quickly caught herself. “They do? Who is this 'they’?”

He only continued in stroking his moustache. “Oh, you know, survivalists.”

“Oh? You know some survivalists?” She gave him a sarcastic grin and yanked at the other side of his mustache.

“Yeah, I contacted them shortly after falling for you.” He mired back at her.

She tilted her head. “What?” An eyebrow raised again. “What are you talking about?”

“Oh nothing you have to concerned about, my dear.”

“Now you said that I can’t HELP but be concerned.” She folded her arms in a huff and sat back roughly.

He replied by only smiling in a dastardly way and snuggled down into his seat.

Silence fell again as Rachel pouted. She hated not being in the know and she was sure he was doing it on purpose. After a while she couldn’t resist piping up again. “So, what else did these survivalists say?”

“About what in particular?” He said gesturing in a quizzative way.

“Well, you said they told you about this whole body heat thing.” She narrowed her eyes. “What else did they say?”

He smirked. “Oh lots of helpful survivalist..things.”

“Liiike?” She leaned forward on her hands and urged him to continue. She did not intend on letting it go.

“Hey look, a sudden distraction!” He pointed wildly in a panicked state at the window.

“Hm?” Her head whipped to the side. “Oh yeah. Snow. Great.” She narrowed her eyes again and slumped back into her seat again. “Fine. I get it.”

He stretched, flexing his fingers infront of him while casting an innocent smile.

Silence once more. Rachel hated uncomfortable silences. She kept giving Dick sideways glances hoping he’d start conversation again. When certain it was a lost cause she sighed. “So, yeah. About Max…”

Dick raised a brow awaiting the end to her statement.

“I didn’t encourage him, you know. That’s not the type of person I am. He just got,” she paused for a second and rubbed the back of her neck. “Clingy.”

This Doggy Bites

Still going RP between me and @dagurlicious

https://www.wattpad.com/story/54795952-this-doggy-bites

Below decks, Dagur had taken to picking at a wooden table with a small blade, mumbling incoherently to himself and occasionally rubbing at his arm. When he heard footsteps his head snapped up to see who dared disturb his brooding time and saw Rae. “What do you want, wench? Can’t you see I’m busy?” He saw the deer on her shoulders and frowned deeper. “I thought I told you to leave that to the men!?”

“Yeah? Well, I didn’t.” She dumped the deer right onto the table that he was picking at and stood with her hands on her hips. “Unlike some, I actually like to pull my weight around here.”

Dagur flinched as the deer hit the table right in front of him with a violent thud. He scowled up at Rae with an unimpressed glare and slammed the blade into the wooden surface. “There you go with those jaded insults again, wench! How about you say what you really mean?” He pushed himself away from the table and circled it until he was face to face with her.

Rae stared up at his face and wrinkled her nose at him, a small smirk on her lips. “You couldn’t handle it if I did, wussboy.” She shoved him playfully. “You can’t even handle a little punch. You whine and complain like a baby!”

She had touched him again. Made physical contact. It may not have been as painful as a punch, but it still caused him to shoot her a nasty look. “Don’t call me that!” He gripped hold of her tunic again. “So help me, I will crush the greedy milk from your bones with my teeth!”

“I haaave noooo idea what you just said, but it sounds brutal and awesome.” She reached her hands up, grabbed hold of his hands and attempted to remove them from her clothing. “Easy on the clothes, Wussboy. Yeesh! I only have this set on board.”

He kept his grip firm despite her attempting to pry his hands off of her attire. “What did I just say!?” He virtually roared in her face, spit flying out of his mouth as he shouted. “I can only take so much of your crap, Rae! Only so much before I-” He began to chuckle, his face breaking from his frown into a psychotic smile. “-Before I snap and teach you a lesson.” He let go of her tunic with one of his hands and moved it to her throat. “Go on. Call me Wussboy again. I dare you.” He moved his face in closer, his nose touching hers and hissed. “I dare you, wench.”

Rae didn’t know how to react. The fact that he had his hand around her throat was one thing, the fact that he was in such a close proximity that she was being tickled by his breath was another. And now he was daring her to call him names again. She tried to avert her eyes to focus her thoughts and continued to attempt to pry his hands off. “I… Well… Why should I? Not on your command. I’m not a trained dog!”

He tightened his grip on her clothing and moved his hand from her throat to her chin, tilted it upwards so that she was looking him dead in the eye and laughed. “Not so tough now, are you? …. Little doggy?” He made a barking sound to tease her further and continued laughing to himself.

Such a mockery, although expected, was not something Rae wanted to let him get away with. She reached her hands out to either side of his helm, yanked him closer, leaned her face in and sunk her teeth into his lower lip triumphantly.

“YARRRGH!” Dagur’s eyes flew open as her teeth sank into his lip in the most agonizing way. The pain was sharp, piercing and intense and he felt tears form in the corners of his eyes. He shoved himself backwards in an attempt to get away from the crazy wench. Unfortunately, that only served to stretch his lip and, in turn, caused more pain and broke the skin. He flailed around and managed to yank his lip free, stumbled back tripping over his own feet, landed against the table and grabbed at his mouth protectively.

Rae wiped her mouth and spat onto the floor. She had not known how he’d react to her doing that and her heart was racing, ready to defend herself should he have retaliated right away. “This doggy bites!”

[eliniei]

Those Hard Days - Chapter 9

Summary: Rae’s brother always made sure she was tough as nails. But when her father flips her world upside down, will she find that there’s a limit on how strong she can be?

Warnings: Rape/Non-con (non-graphic, fade-to-black), child abuse, underage drinking, underage smoking, drug use, violence, major character death

A/N: this is kind of a weird chapter? I dunno if it makes much sense, but you meet another key player in the story and it sets in motion a lot of the rest of the story so I didn’t want to get rid of it. As usual, I hope you love it!

AO3: here Fanfiction.net: here

Masterlist

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Chapter 9 - Note

When Rae came to, first thing she saw was the swirls of Steve's hair. He was sitting on the floor of the Curtis’s front room, leaning his back against the couch, watching some late-night show. Her eyes shifted to the clock, but the room was too dark, even with the light of the television.

She shifted, trying to sit up on one of her elbows. Steve must have felt her movement, because he was turned in an instant, forcing her to lay back down.

“Nuh uh- don’t move.”

“What happened?” she croaked, her throat dry. “How’d I end up here?” Pain flared in her head and she winced. She lifted her hand to feel her temple, but he grabbed her hand and laid it back across her stomach. Really, with as much abuse as her head has taken lately, she’d be surprised if there wasn’t some kinda damage.

“Don’t touch. What do you remember?”

“Not much.” She didn’t want to think. “Losin’ my cool earlier. Punchin’ a wall.”

“You ran off. We thought you just needed to let off some steam, but you never came back. Soda got ahold of Darry and he said we’d meet here after work and look around town.” She made to sit up again, the pounding in her head making her feel like she might hurl. “Please don’t sit up.”

"No. I'm alright." He didn’t look convinced, but he helped her into a sitting position. “And then?”

“We got here and Dally had found you. Someone had knocked you out cold, reopened the wound where your father had...Anyway, we got you cleaned up and here we are.”

“Dally was here?”

“Oh yeah, still is. We made ‘im take a break and sleep in Soda’s old room.”

“And what time is it?” Steve turned and squinted to see the clock.

“‘Round two in the mornin’.” He yawned.

“Don’t you got work?”

“It’s okay, you’re worth it.” Rae felt a warmth spread through her body that she hadn’t felt in a long while. She also felt an overwhelming need to hug him.

“I’m sorry about earlier,” she said, her voice muffled against his neck.

"None of that, kid," he said, wrapping his arms around her back. "You asked me to stop and I didn’t. I shouldn’t have pushed ya.” He released her and took on an air of authority. “Now, go back to sleep." She obeyed her friend and fell back onto the couch.

When Rae woke again, daylight had started streaming in through the windows and Steve was gone. Slowly, she sat up. The throbbing in her head was still there- but it was reduced to a dull roar. Dally walked in from the kitchen without a shirt, holding a steaming mug and still looking drowsy. When he saw his sister, he seemed to snap awake, instantly.

“Hey kid,” he greeted her. She made a repulsed face.

“Put a shirt on, man. No one wants to see that.” He smirked, set the mug down on the coffee table and knelt in front of her.

“Nice to see your sense of humour ain’t gone. Let me see.” He motioned towards her head. She obediently turned around and could feel his hands in her hair. It made a chill run up her back. “Looks okay now. It was bleedin’ like hell yesterday.” When Dally was finished, she turned back around to face him. He tugged on the pink lump still stuck in her hair. “How’d you manage this?”

“Some Soc gettin’ back at me for the spitballs,” she answered him as he picked up his coffee again and sat down next to her.

“Never gets old, does it?”

“I’ll get ‘em back good soon. So, where’d you find me?”

“You were near Shepard territory, actually, in that little middle class area,” he started. “Tim an’ I were out drinkin’ and liftin’ some ‘caps when we found you sittin’ against the wall in an alley. You were barely awake, and said your head hurt.” Rae narrowed her eyes, thinking back to the day before. She couldn’t recall any of it.

“I don’t remember ever goin’ out to that part of town yesterday. Maybe I was headed to see Curly?” Dally shrugged and took a long drink.

“No idea. We loaded ya into Tim’s truck and brought ya here. You sure were bloodied up real good. Looks like whoever did it tried breakin’ your nose but they didn’t hit ya hard enough. They probably heard us comin’ and scrammed. You always did have a mighty hard head. Sure do look like hell, though.”  She sighed through her nose.

“Gee, thanks. Can’t we go one day without anythin’ happenin’?” Rae complained. He leaned back and stretched his arm out behind her.

“Nah, then it’d be too boring.” She shrugged, took the mug from his hand, and took a large swallow. The liquid was hot and seared her throat on the way down. Once she’d handed it back, she leaned into his side.

“I should probably get a shower.” Neither of them moved. They both watched as Darry walked into the kitchen, seemingly unaware that they were sitting on his couch. He made a few sounds as he prepared to make his brothers breakfast, but came out holding the mostly-full glass carafe. He looked at them, confused.

“Dally, did you make coffee?” he asked, bewildered. The three of them looked at each other for a few seconds and broke out into soft laughter.

After breakfast, Rae sat on the edge of the bathtub while Soda helped her wash the blood and gum out of her hair. His hands were gentle on her head and she closed her eyes, relishing the feeling.

“What happened to Steve?” she asked as he massaged her scalp.

“Found him passed out in my bed when I went to my room to get some clothes. Dally must’ve switched places with ‘im. Alright, all done.” He handed her a towel and she went to work drying her hair. “I’d better go wake him up, anyway.” He stepped out of the bathroom so she could finish up.

She pulled a clean t-shirt over her head. It wasn’t her normal style, but it was either wear a shirt borrowed from Ponyboy or wear one with blood all down the front. Whatever- she could wear her jacket all day, anyway. When she looked in the mirror, her nose was an angry red, and there was a bruise coming in under her eyes. She caught herself staring at her face and her chest swelled. A little progress.

Rae put her hair up so it wouldn't sway around and aggravate the wound on the back of her head and left the bathroom. Ponyboy was standing in the front room, trying to dust off her jacket. He handed it to her and she examined it. There was dirt all over it, and the collar had a bit of dried blood stained on it. Nothing they could do about it now. She slipped it on, hand catching on the fraying cuffs, and left for school with a quick wave to her brother.

Two-Bit met them in the hall and handed over her backpack.

“Glad to see you’re feeling better,” he observed, elbowing her softly. “You still look like hell, though.” She rolled her eyes.

“You an’ Dally sure know how to compliment a girl.” A balled up piece of paper hit her right on the forehead. She looked up towards the person who threw it.

"That dirt looks good on you, grease," a Soc boy laughed, trying to provoke her. She frowned, but didn’t rise to the occasion. Two-Bit shoved him along.

“Oh, get outta here,” her friend commanded. The kid went on his way, still snickering to his friends. From there, the trio started heading to their classes.

"So, do you remember who did it?" Ponyboy asked as the walked down the hallway

.

"No, I-," she started. "I don’t remember much. I thought I heard a girl’s voice but I really ain’t sure.”

"Man, I’da been scared to death if it’d happened to me," Ponyboy confessed.

"I didn’t really have the chance to be scared, I guess. Whoever it was made sure I was knocked out before they fuckin’ punched me in the nose. Coward.” Rae went to touch her swollen nose, but recoiled and hissed from the pain. She really regretted not popping a couple of Aspirins before she left this morning. “But, someone told me that I can’t let it drag me down, so I’m going to give it my all." Pony nodded, watching her out of the corner of his eye. She stopped outside an open door. "This is me. See ya’ll later." He and Two-Bit said their goodbyes to her and quickly went to find their own classrooms before the bell rang. She turned on her heels and walked into the room.

When she reached her seat, a small girl with dirty-blonde hair pulled back in a bun was sitting on her desk, facing away from her. With a playful smile, Rae dropped her bag on the floor under her desk and got up real close to the girl.

“I see you made it back alive,” she breathed, right into the girl’s ear. To her credit, the other girl didn’t jump, but a visible shiver went up her spine. She turned and a wide smile broke out onto her face.

“Rae!” She jumped up and excitedly wrapped her arms around her friend. Rae winced a little, but let it happen.

“How ya been, Carrie?”

“Oh, alright. Wasn’t much of a vacation, really, just a good ol’ visit to see the grandparents. Buck said it was gonna be borin’ and didn’t wanna be away from the bar and the rodeo for that long so it was- What happened to your nose?” She opened her mouth to answer but their teacher walked in the room. As they both sat down, Rae motioned with her pencil. Carried nodded.

As the teacher started class, Rae started passing notes to her friend. She’d started from the beginning, with everything Carrie had missed out on while she was gone. As the story went on, the notes from the girl in front of her came back angrier and angrier.

"Miss Winston?," the teacher drawled, three quarters of the way through class. She looked up from her note to find him standing at her desk. He held out his hand. "Give it to me." Rae looked around. Everyone was staring at her. She debated tearing the damn thing up, shoving it in her mouth- anything. He must have realized what she was thinking because he reached out and grabbed it before she could act. She cursed herself. The teacher read the note to himself, then looked down at her. "Out in the hall. Now," he ordered. She glared up at him, but left the room.

Rae leaned against the lockers on the other side of the hall and stuffed her hands in her back pockets, silently summoning the spirit of her brother to possess her. A few minutes later, her teacher came out, holding the note in one hand.

"Anything else you'd like to tell me?" he asked. She shrugged.

"Stay out of it," she said, nonchalantly, keeping her voice even.

"I'd say that I'm pretty involved, now," he said, holding up the note. "I’m going to have to tell the principal about this. The police will most likely be informed as well." She gave him her best tuff, wild Dally smile.

"Don't get involved," Rae repeated. "Or you’ll be sorry." She saw movement behind him and watched as Carrie snuck out the door and snatched the paper out of his hand. “Ain’t nothin’ to a hood, right?” Her friend handed it to her. She ripped the note up and put the pieces in the back pocket of her jeans to dispose of somewhere else. A few seconds later, the bell rang. Students started piling out of the room, dodging their dazed teacher. Rae gave him another dark smile as another greaser girl handed over her backpack.

“Thanks, Chrissy.”

“No prob,” she answered with a red-lipped smile. With a wave and a pop of the gum in her mouth, she headed for the cafeteria to find her boyfriend, large hoops swinging from her ears as she turned.

At lunch, Rae told the boys what happened.

"This is bad," Soda stated. “Can you see if you can get moved to another class?”

"If your teacher tells the fuzz, they could take you away," Steve noted, as if she didn’t already know. "They could take you far away."

"I know. I wasn’t thinkin’,” she groaned.

“Well, that’s obvious,” Steve said, flatly. Soda elbowed him. “What? It’s true.”

“You don’t need to be so blunt.”

“What, you think she wants to be babied?”

“Well, no, but-”

"I been thinkin’ of swiping some foster parent paperwork. Ya know, in case it happens. Mom would take you," Two-Bit announced, his mouth full of candy. At least, that’s what she thought he said.

"Don’t you think you should ask her first?” Rae wondered out loud, unable to help the giggle that came out of her mouth.

"Nah, it don’t matter. She wouldn’t say no to you."

"Anyway,” Soda interjected, serious written all over his face. “We'll talk to Darry and Dally when we get home," Soda said. “They’ll have some ideas.” Well, that sure wiped the smile right off her face.

“Dally’s gonna kill me,” Rae sighed.

“Better to get a good yellin’ than not tell ‘im and get taken away,” Steve concluded.

"Alright, alright," Two-bit said. "We gotta get going. Lunch is almost over."

Rae stared out the window of the passenger seat on the drive back. Johnny, sitting in the seat behind her, placed a hand on her shoulder.

“It’ll be fine. We’ll get it worked out, yeah?” She placed a hand on top of his and squeezed.

“Thanks, Johnny.” She appreciated the sentiment but she wasn’t sure she felt any better.