#folie blinking at me in the corner: you just said WHAT

[septembersghost]

patrick stump. sir. honey bunny. what did you put in these melodies what siren power is in your voice we need to TALK. plus the instrumentation the arrangements the intricacies the contrasts happening between the raw lyrical emotion and the soaring layered sounds here...the more i listen to smfs the more convinced i become that it's some of their all-time best work

[juletheghoul]

Mysticus Chapter 1

Ezra x F!Reader Soulmates AU

I've had this idea bouncing around in my head for a while and after reading all of the AWESOME writing on this website and with some really lovely encouragement from some of my favourite people here I've decided to give it a go. Always open to constructive criticism!

Pairing: Ezra x F!Reader

Word Count: 1649K

Warnings: Language, tension? (Smut later on)

Literally my first fic, willing to tag if that's something you'd like!

Masterlist Chapter 2

--

“Stay away from Thomas”

The words were out of your mouth before your brain had a chance to stop you. Fuck. The girl you whose palm you held in your hands frowned.

“My date? Why?”

How. How did you always manage to shove your foot in it? You had been doing so well! A steady trickle of patrons to your admittedly shabby little stand. Okay, table with a glittery table cloth and a couple of folding chairs but nevermind that.

“Uhhh, yeah. I’m not sure why but I’m getting a really bad vibe. Is this your first date with him? Where is he?” You asked. You could feel the fear creeping in, like a drop of ice cold water that slides down your spine.

“It’s our first date, he’s grabbing us some food.” She responded, brow furrowed slightly, you could see she was having doubts about her safety.

“What kind of vibe are you getting?” The fact that she didn’t laugh you off right away let you know that she most likely wasn’t as comfortable as she should be on a date.

Your dog looked up at you from her place on the floor, seemingly interested in how you were going to explain yourself.

“Look, I don’t really know what to say I just feel like you should get away as fast as possible. I think you know what I mean, and I think you felt a little weird before you sat down.” You say plainly. You had broke your only rule. No bad news. You could feel her fear now, a wave of anxiety washing over the both of you all at once. In the corner of your peripheral you could see a handsome young man walking towards the both of you with food in both hands. Nothing particularly scary about him but you could feel the hackles raising on your normally silent dog. A low growl came from her direction and you put your hand on her head to calm her.

“There you a-“ he started but before he could say anything else the girl was up, dropping money on your table and hastily making a phone call.

“Sorry Thomas – my mom just called, there’s been an emergency and she’s on her way.”

He frowned. “I can drop you off-“

“No need, thanks for everything and hopefully we can do this again” she quickly called over her shoulder and then she was off.

He stood there for a few minutes dumbstruck. Then you saw something. A glint in his eye maybe? A trick of the lights flashing either from the rides or the games on the either side of your pathetic ‘booth’ and then it was gone. When he seemed to realize that you were sitting there, he gave you a smile and walked away. You shivered and noticed your dog was up and ready to pounce.

“It’s okay girl we’re good.” You reassured her and she once again took her place at your feet, but you noticed that she followed him with her eyes until he was out of sight. Fuck you really needed to work on thinking about what you said before you said it. At least she listened instead of telling you to fuck off, little victories.

“What do you say girl, think it’s time to go?” The dogs ears perked up as you scratched behind one, she responded by standing, her signal for yes. You grabbed the box you had stashed under the little table and started putting your makeshift booth away. The sign which read palm readings $5, the table cloth and the can with your earnings for the night. Slipping the end of the dogs leash around your wrist you folded up the table and chairs and stacked everything neatly and made your way to your Jeep. Tomorrow will be better.

Next day

Carnivals had always freaked you out. A lot of places that were supposed to be fun and whimsical freaked you out. You weren’t entirely sure what it was about these places but it made your skin crawl. The music playing gave you the creeps, the smiles of the people around you seemed wild rather than happy. There was a feeling of something bigger underneath it all, something hungry. Predatory. Patient.

It was a last resort in order to make some quick money with your palm readings, but it always seemed like you were walking into the jaws of some huge monster when entering the grounds.

The dog made you feel better. You had found her in a shelter a couple of years ago and had instantly bonded with her. The staff had told you that she’d been in there for a while since she was notoriously unfriendly but she seemed to tolerate you. You suited each other. What they took as unfriendly, you understood as selective, which was fine. You were selective too. You’d had to make a little sign saying please do not pet the dog but it was a small price to pay for her companionship. She - much like you - was an excellent judge of character.

You spotted a group of teenage girls eyeing your booth, and you perked up. Tried to turn on the charm as it were, usually teenage girls were your best customers. You were usually really good with them and these girls were just what you needed to reach your goal for the night. You smiled along and told them just what they wanted to hear, and seeing them walk away giggling with a spring in their step made you happy. That and the cash you were putting into your coffee can.

Just then you felt it. Something prickling at your skin, like static before a rainstorm. Blood rushed to your ears and it seemed like everything was somehow louder. Something in the pit of your stomach was roiling and you were afraid you might throw up when someone approached your table.

He smiled an easy smile but it held something in it, something that said he knew something secret and you weren’t in on it. You weren’t sure if it intrigued you or scared you. You looked over expecting the dog to growl but she was calm, sitting quietly by your feet. Okay. Weird. She usually didn’t like anyone except you and the occasional small child. She usually hated men in fact but no reaction. It was throwing you off a bit if you were honest but all of a sudden he was speaking to you and you felt like you could barely focus.

“Well birdie, seems like you’ve utterly captured my attention and I simply must know what knowledge you can ascertain from my palm.” He smiled and sat down.

You blinked. What the hell was going? Why did your skin feel feverish? Why wasn’t the dog freaking out like she usually did? Why aren’t you answering?

He patiently waited with his palm upturned and you tried to get your shit together as you slowly reached over and took his hand. He was handsome sure, but never had you been rendered so speechless by anyone before. His rich brown eyes bore into you as you traced the lines in his hand.

“You’re going to meet the love of your life.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“Now that’s interesting, I don’t suppose you’d be able to go into specifics about how or when this fateful meeting is to occur?”

You watched his mouth as he spoke, and he noticed. Curling it into the same secret smile from earlier and you felt the blood rushing to your face. His eyes crinkled when his smile deepened it took everything in you not to smile back at him.

You noticed the blonde birthmark and for a moment you had the wild urge to run your fingers through it. You quickly suppressed that while clearing your throat.

“I don’t have a time and date for you but it’ll be real soon.” You looked back down at his palm and noticed something. There was a little mark. Nothing crazy but aside from yourself, you’d never met anyone else with the same mark on their palm. You tried very hard to keep your breathing in check.

“Is this a scar?” You asked as casually as you could manage.

“That particular mark as afflicted me since birth, curious is it not?” He asked with a tilt of his head. His drawl a little more pronounced. Is it getting hotter?

“Somewhat-“

“Has anyone ever had the privilege of reading the no doubt fantastic future in your palm birdie?”

“That’s the second time you’ve called me that” you responded focusing on the pet name he’d given you.

“It suits you, I ask again- has anyone ever been fortunate enough to read your palm?”

“No.” You responded flatly, reluctantly releasing his hand and sitting back in your chair. He stated back at you and it felt as though he was looking through you, you felt curiously naked.

“As enchanted as I am basking in your presence, I unfortunately must depart. Will you be offering your palmistry services tomorrow night? I should like to see you again birdie.”

“Uhh.. yes, I’ll be back tomorrow.” You’re not even sure why you said that, you were planning on leaving town tonight.

“Wonderful, until we meet again birdie.” He rose smiling, he took your hand in his and pressed a light kiss to it. You stared up at him in shock, your skin prickling where his lips brushed it.

He smiled down at your dog and before you could even think to warn him he reached down and scratched behind her ear. Your jaw dropped as she happily licked his palm while he murmured something into her ear before promptly rising to his feet and striding off into the crowd.

You stared after him long after with the same dumbstruck look on your face. Who the hell was that?

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

Tag list: @foli-vora @frannyzooey thanks for being patient with me ladies, this ones for y'all <3 @freak-nasty-thick-dick-mando

[nishigo]

hold me close. // hawks / keigo tamaki x reader.

hold me close. // hawks / keigo tamaki x reader.

yo ! i have always wanted to write for hawks, and since everyone has been super infatuated by him, i took a leap of faith and wrote for him! :D hope you enjoy a romantic night with keigo~

words: 1314

tw: kind of angsty beginning , but i’m a wimp so it’s not that bad haha! fluff for the rest of it though!

request status at the time of posting: open!

in which some nights were lonely without him, but he decides to make it up to you in his own way.

————

He was always working, always constantly on his feet (or wings.) Keigo was always running through your mind, especially on late nights like these, where you were all by your lonesome in your shared apartment meant for two. He was barely home as hero duties kept him busy, so it always felt as if the place was too big with just you in it.

It was frustrating, sitting here, watching the TV with your favorite movie playing, an array of snacks laid out perfectly. It was wishful thinking, believing he would be home so early into the night. Keigo always came around midnight, brushing you off sometimes as he shuffled towards the bathroom for a shower and then laying down in your bed together, falling asleep in an instant. No talking, no questions on how your day was. Just a smile and arms loosely around your waist in bed, you being the only one awake. Those nights hurt them most, but you couldn’t help but be sympathetic. He was meant to do this. He was a man of the people. It just made you a tad frustrated and sad, being by yourself so often. Sometimes it felt as if you were just a burden in his life, someone in the crowd.

You wished silently that you he was a normal person. Not famous, not a hero, not Hawks, just Keigo Tamaki. You could go out on sweet café dates, walk around the park together, travel the world with him by your side and no extra fans here and there, no stalkers, no photographers. You could publically kiss him and hold him closer to you, he could take your hand and you could cup his face and sweetly look into those honey brown eyes that made you fall in love in the heat of the summer. Oh, how you wish you could make that dream of a reality.

Slowly blinking, you glanced at the clock above the window and sighed. Looking at your snacks on the table, you got up, beginning to take the aluminum foli and cover the snacks up and place them back into the fridge. Who were you kidding? As if he would be back in time before the food got cold, as if he would want to eat before sleeping, as if he wanted to sit down and watch your movie when he was so tired it practically was weighing him down. Soft tears began to brim at the corners of your eyes, and you responded back by harshly rubbing them and shaking your head frantically. You signed up for this when falling in love with the second most powerful hero in Japan, what did you expect?

Stifling your cries in an attempt to stop, you were so preoccupied, you didn’t notice the window opening up and your boyfriend flapping his wings outside, watching the scene unfolded as his heart began to break. You poor thing, all this time you had been so strong for him while he was away, it must have been too much to handle. Frowning, he propped his head up on his hand and leaned in towards the inside of the shared apartment.

“Baby~? I’m home…” He tells you, watching as you whipped around with your tear stained face and froze. Time seemed to stop as you looked at him, all worn out as his red feathers and blonde hair ruffled in the gentle wind outside. It was a scene right out of a movie, and it didn’t take you long before you walked up to him and sniffled, smiling as Keigo pushed some of the hair out of your face and behind your ear.

“You must have missed me, didn’t you? So many late nights, so many times when I didn’t give you the love you needed. What a shame...so let me make it up to you tonight.” You tilted your head slightly, watching as he laughed and extended his free hand towards you.

“Let’s go on a date. I set up everything we need on the rooftop. Coffee, sweets, candles, plants, and me! You deserve it. And I prefer you by my side up there than just sitting all by my lonesome with the stars.” Shared silent came between you two as you grinned, sitting up as he returned the smile and took you into his arms bridal style.

“Hold me close and hold me tight, Kei. I want to savor this moment.” You mumbled, leaning into his chest as he blushed like a schoolboy. You looked glamorous in the glow of the light and especially in his arms. Keigo wondered how he had gotten so lucky to be with someone like you. And with that thought, up you two flew.

Letting you go, your eyes wandered around, clearly shocked as you looked at the scene in front of you. A table for two, covered in white silk. Two candles were in the middle, along with a single rose in a skinny vase. The smell of coffee drifted towards you in the wind, along with the scent of fresh baked chocolate croissants and french macarons. A few plants were scattered around, and the whole display was surrounded by white sheets draped over laundry lines with dangling fairy lights all around, making it feels as if it was just you two in the world. You excitedly pulled Keigo over to sit down, which he did so willingly as you clap your hands together and sat down on the other side of him.

You sip your drink and delicately eat your food, babbling on to him about your day and all that you did. Everything that you couldn’t tell him came out, and Keigo couldn’t help but smile at the way your eyes lit up as you two spoke with each other. He relaxed his wings and stared at you as you spoke, smirking as you never once let your happiness fade. Your words strung together like a love song, and he couldn’t help but think how he was transported into another world simply by just having you here. He extended his hand towards you, and you took it into your own happily, continuing to talk into the night, stars seeming to smile and the romance between you two.

“Can it always be like this?” Keigo tilted his head slightly at you, taking off his glasses as he propped them up onto his head.

“Like, this euphoria of you and me and the stars. It would never get old. You know, life is always moving. Leaves fall, snow melts, fame dies.” You sighed, looking as the features on his face relaxed and he gently nodded for you to go on. Four simple words came from your mouth.

“Grow old with me.”

Keigo seems to ponder it for a moment, what life would be like if he retired. When he would get old, when the world would forget about him as his time fell and others came into the spotlight instead.

“And when the day comes that we can’t walk anymore, we will still have these two seats together. I’ll still call you baby and Kei, all your nicknames, so could you...stay with me?” You glanced at him with a soft glint of hope and happiness, your smile wide as you held his hand tighter. And life seemed at peace for a singular moment as he nodded his head with that charming grin of his.

“Of course baby, the pleasure is all mine. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with a beauty such as yourself.” A world of roses seemed to appear as he said that to you, your heart pounding as you get out of your seat and came closer to him, casting a spell on him as you kissed his cheek.

Forever and ever, it was just you and him.

[goldeneyedgirl]

Happy December + 12 Days of Christmas

Hello everyone! Another unscheduled absence. I hope everyone is having a peaceful holiday season. In honour of Christmas - and I still hope to get one more chapter of Shadow to Light posted before 2020 - I presented ‘12 Days of Fic-Mas’: 12 extracts from current WIPs, abandon pieces, random ideas etc. Because, guys, I have SO much unposted fic, it’s ridiculous.

One will be posted every single day until Christmas. All of them will be about Alice, or Alice and Jasper. If you like it, let me know - whilst Shadow to Light, and Memento Vivere are top priorities, I like to know which projects to continue and which to shelve. These fics are unbeta-ed, and as-is. I haven’t decided whether I’ll publish this compilation on AO3 or FF.Net yet. And if another wants to join me in Fic-Mas, please do! I’ll do a round of post of my fics, and any other contributions after Christmas (tag it TwilightFicMas2019, and probably @goldeneyedgirl so I don’t miss it!)

So, Happy Christmas, and welcome to 12 Days of Fic-Mas ;) 

Day 1. Folie A Deux

(In which Jasper is human, and Alice is not; I do love this trope and found a total lack of fics with this specific dynamic.) 

He sees her out of the corner of his eye and when he turns, he can only stare.

She is exquisite, like a china doll, with alabaster skin and ruby lips, soft black hair brushing her cheeks in soft waves. She wears loose black pants and an oversized white t-shirt. She doesn't smile, just collects her books and shuts her locker.

“Don’t get your hopes up.” He blinks, turning to see Mike and Peter appearing at his side. “That’s Alice Cullen,” Mike continued. “She doesn’t date. Hell, she doesn’t talk to anyone. None of the Cullens do.”

“Why?” Jasper asked. Alice had sidled up to the red-haired boy. The boy quirked a smile at her, but neither of them said a word as they turned and walked down the hallway.

“Too good for us,” Mike said, an edge in his voice.

“Don’t be a dick,” Peter interrupted. “Alice, Edward and Emmett are all foster kids, they live with Dr and Mrs Cullen. Rosalie is Mrs Cullen’s niece. And Mike’s just sore Alice and Rosalie shot him down. It was kind of hilarious, actually.”

“She’s dating the dude she lives with. Her brother practically. It’s weird,” Mike grumbled.

Jasper’s eyebrows rose.

“Rosalie and Emmett are a thing,” Peter said, scowling at Mike. “And Edward’s dating a girl called Bella, she’s in my history class. Leave ‘em alone.” He turned back to Jasper. “Alice isn’t dating anyone we know of, but you won’t get within a foot of her without Edward appearing.”

Jasper looked back at Alice Cullen, slipping away with her red-headed brother. “Whatever.”

--

Something about the Cullens fascinates him. Especially Alice Cullen.

Even within her family, she stood out. The entire family are gorgeous, yes. Rosalie Hale belonged on a runway, in expensive designer clothing and towering heels. Her brothers, too, are the kind even Ava looks twice at. But the smallest girl, she lacks something. As if she is only half there. She wears neat clothing, but with a sense of carelessness, as if she isn’t really paying attention. She is insubstantial, yet magnetic.

She is quiet in class, sitting in the middle of the class. She doesn’t ever look like she’s paying attention, but never misses a question from sharp-eyed teachers, and her notes are perfect. She doesn’t talk to anyone, and the only person who approaches her is Edward – her lab partner in Chemistry turned out to be Bella, Edward’s girlfriend, and she seemed ill at ease with her beau’s sister.

At lunch, she sits at the end of the table, a soda open at her elbow, and a sketchbook open, her pencil floating over the page. Occasionally, she will lift the soda to her lips, but she doesn’t engage with her siblings, with Bella.

Jasper wonders what she’s thinking. He is entranced by her red lipstick, her enormous golden eyes, the way she moves – like a dancer. By her soft voice, her articulate responses to questions.

He sits with Peter and Mike, and are later joined by Peter’s girlfriend, Charlotte, as well as Ava, Jessica and Angela. Ava is still in a foul mood over having to add a few Junior classes to be able to graduate but seems to like Jessica and Angela.

“You’ve gotta stop staring, man, or Emmett Cullen is going to bury you in a shallow grave,” Peter said, snagging fries from Charlotte’s plate.

“Shut up,” Jasper said, flicking a piece of lettuce at him.

“Staring at who?” Ava said suddenly, whipping around to look around at the Cullen table.

“Alice Cullen,” Peter said with a grin. “The small one.”

“Is she a freshman?” Ava said, a twinkle of mischief in her eye.

“Just a very tiny Junior,” Jessica giggled.

“She’s in the foster system, Jess. We don’t know how bad her life was before the Cullens took her in,” Angela said, frowning. “She’s quiet, but nice. I have Art with her.”

“Baby brother has a crush,” Ava crowed, grinning. “She’s pretty, Jazzy.”

“Jazzy?” Peter jumped on that.

“I hate you,” Jasper said conversationally to Ava, before turning back to this lunch and trying not to think about the golden-eyed girl.

--

“Jasper Whitlock?”

He shuts his locker to see the giant Cullen – Emmett – standing there, looking fairly affable.

“Yeah?”

“Emmett Cullen. I’m here to tell you,” Emmett began, speaking very precisely, like the choice of his words was important, “that you should probably leave my sister alone. That it’s a really bad idea to pursue Alice.”

Jasper frowned, repeating the words in his head. “So, are you telling me you don’t want me to go near your sister?”

“No, I’m just here to tell you that you need to stay away from her,” Emmett said, looking frustrated.

“So… this is someone else’s advice,” Jasper leant against his locker.

“It is a general consensus that it would be a bad idea,” Emmett continued.

“Consensus? Okay, so I’m guessing your brother sent you,” Jasper said, irritated. “Was Alice polled on her opinion in this ‘consensus’? Because that’s pretty much the only person who gets an opinion.”

Emmett grinned. “I told them you were a good one. Good luck, man.”

[halloweennut]

Confessions (The Kiss Redux) (Part 4)

back at it again kids! the last part of Folie a Deux. We get that good good ending y’all! 

Felicity and Don Karnage have a last dance. 

It slowly dawned on Felicity that she had moved on from the initial infatuation and actually fell in love with her former rival(?) after a few months of them seeing one another. The realization happened so casually that it took her a minute to react in shock. The feeling was a long time coming though - it grew and grew with every dance, and kiss, and late night talks that were never planned on.

She never said it aloud. What would be mean then? How would everything change with three words? What would people say if they went out in public about it? What would her grandfather do? But more importantly, what would Karnage say in response?

Fortunately, she wouldn’t have to ask.

Don Karnage had snuck into a charity gala she was performing at, hair and ears slicked back and dressed in a probably pilfered but high-quality tuxedo. No one seemed to recognize him a first - not even Felicity, at least not until he got close to the stage where she was standing. Felicity nearly missed a cue from the band behind her when she realized who it was, but continued singing, watching him for the rest of her set. It was partially because she just wanted to watch him, part to make sure he wasn’t stealing anything.

But no, he just meandered through the crowd, sipping champagne but not talking to anyone. Felicity had told him about the event weeks ago, but she hadn’t expected him to show up to it - it was a pleasant surprise, but she was more surprised he hadn’t picked anyone’s pockets. Once her set had finished for the hour, Felicity made her way through the crowd to him, gently saying no thank you to asks for a dance and sharing only a few words of conversations until she was at his side.

Don Karnage slipped an arm around hers wordlessly as she gently began to lead him to a quieter section of the room. The band slipped into a slow dance that the two just as easily slipped into, smoothly gliding across the floor.

“I didn’t expect you to come tonight,” she said, leaning close. “You surprised me.”

“I like watching you perform, songbird,” he laughed, leaning her back into a dip. “And I didn’t have to break into this. They really let anyone in who looks the part. No one recognized me.”

“We should have a chat with security then,” Felicity smirked. “But seriously, with the Beagle Boys in Duckburg?”

“Good point, but they’re nothing compared to me,” Karnage replied smugly, bringing her back to standing. “But maybe next time you can bring me here yourself.”

“Perhaps…,” she murmured. Felicity pressed her forehead into his shoulder. “I would like to, really, but someone will recognize you eventually. What happens then? What would we do? There could be fall-out.”

“Who cares? I usually get away,” Karnage replied.

“But what about me? I couldn’t get away with you,” she snipped. “Imagine what everyone would say? ‘She’s the starlet who was seduced by a pirate’, or they’ll think I helped orchestrate robberies in Duckburg...I hate to sound selfish but my career would be over.”

“Is your career more important than a relationship?” he asked, staring at her incredulously.

“Don, we haven’t even discussed what this is!” Felicity exclaimed as quietly as she could. “What even are we then?”

“We’re - I don’t know. This isn’t exactly the best time to break that down, Felicity,” Karnage replied.

“We keep pushing this off and off, and by all means, we should have ended the infatuation months ago,” she hissed, looking away from him. Before it became something else. “We need to end this before one of us gets hurt.”

Karnage’s grip on her tightened, and she looked back at him. He was scowling, visibly as angry and upset as she was. “Fine then! If that’s what you want so badly.”

“It is,” Felicity choked out, hoping he didn’t see her blinked away tears. Karnage’s lip curled up, angry as he turned away to look at the band on stage. The slow dance was dying down.

“Before this ends, one last dance with infatuation.” He demanded, turning his head back to her. “Then we can go back to fighting like before. You can at least let us have this.”

Felicity’s mouth was dry, unable to speak, but she nodded. It wasn’t what she wanted. She wanted nothing more than to close the gap between them and kiss him, make him know that she wanted them together and that his mouth was hers and hers alone to kiss, to apologize and say a thousand things that she wanted to but she convinced herself that this was the best thing. The band struck up again, and she recognized the song - it was the one she used to escape the airship and the one that started everything. She managed a ghost of laugh, distant and faint, as they moved to position again.

The dance was different this time. It bordered on anger, regret, a goodbye and the last attempt at romance. Felicity didn’t begin a chase, content to stay in his arms as they moved across the dance floor, wanting to communicate what she verbally couldn’t. Karnage kept his eyes on her only, just like the day they kissed for the first time, and conflict was visible on his face. The dance seemed to last only a few brief minutes this time, and it ended with a low, drawn-out dip, his hands steady on her back and hand.

“I love you.”

The words slipped out of his mouth in a whisper only she could hear above the quieting din of the band and the murmur of the crowd. Felicity stared into his eyes in surprise and felt her heart leap in her chest and the world fell away for a moment as she moved her hand from his shoulder to his cheek. Like normal, he pressed into the touch, but never broke eye contact, waiting for a response, for anything.  Her mind went blank and only one move entered her mind.

In one swift motion, she pressed her hand to the back of his head closed the distance between them, desperately kissing him like it was the end of the world. This is what she wanted - full surrender and claim of everything she could hold onto. It was an apology, an acknowledgement of everything and anything that had happened between them. When she pulled away, she moved her hand back to his cheek, admiring the look of surprise on his face.

“I love you too, pirate.”

The was a round of clapping around them, snapping them from their moment. They scrambled to stand, looking at the crowd who had been watching them dance and their kiss. Don Karnage, ever one for praise, preened under it while Felicity blushed, hiding her head in his chest. His heartbeat was racing, but so was her’s. When the crowd died down, she pulled him outside onto a little window balcony.

“I take everything I said before back,” Felicity admitted. “Not the ‘I love you,’ that’s true, and I’ve wanted to say it for weeks. but god I was so...freaked out and paranoid, and I thought-”

She pressed her head on his shoulder. “I was worried about what would happen in the fallout. With people, with you...I thought if I put an end to it, the less we’d both get hurt. But what I felt after I said everything-”

“Forget the world. Let yourself have something you want, I usually do,” Karnage suggested. “How much do you give? How much do you take?”

“I don’t want to be selfish, even when it comes to you,” Felicity laughed pitifully. He pressed his nose to her head.

“If I can be selfish, so can you,” he replied. Karnage pecked her forehead and pulled back. “You said that you wanted to know what we are. I think that’s a good thing to start being selfish with.”

“Dating. We’re dating,” Felicity stated. “Boyfriend, girlfriend, lovers, songbird and pirate - I don’t care what we call it. Just as long as I have you.”

“I like songbird and pirate,” he replied, nuzzling her cheek. “Let’s go with that.”

“Pirate,” she laughed, kissing the corner of his mouth. “Let’s head back inside. I have to sing soon, and I want you there.”

“Wouldn’t dream of missing it, songbird.”

[just-a-touch-of-sass-and-fandoms]

Sanity is Relative Chapter 7

Catch up on this series!! 

Characters: Darby, Ema, Sam, and Dean

Word Count: 2050

Written by @uttertrash--butlikecutetrash and @just-a-touch-of-sass-and-fandoms

Chapter Seven

Dean

Ema and Darby didn’t even hear us leave. We got halfway down the hall, and  hit Sam in the chest. “You make up with her?”

“Yes. We figured it all out. We’re on good terms.”

“Well good,” I smiled. “Because if you piss her off, then you piss Darby off, and then you piss me off, and we both know how that goes.” When Sam rolled his eyes I just laughed it off. “But what I do want to know is how they got your file.”

Sam stopped dead in his tracks. “Did we lock the door back up after we broke into the records room yesterday?”

I bit my lip and thought for a moment, “No?” Sam sighed and shook his head. “But what business did those two have breaking into that room?”

Sam waved his arm broadly between the two of us, “And what business do we have breaking into that room?”

“We are trying to find “information” for this “hunt”.” I clarified in a smug tone.

“What’s with the air quotes dude?”

I stopped walked and turned to look at my little brother. His eyes were sunken in, he looked more miserable than I had ever seen him, his hair was greasy and unkempt. I chewed a bit at the inside of my mouth before I answered. “I don’t think there is a job here. I think you made it up to get help,” Sam opened his mouth to speak but I just kept right on talking, “and that’s fine. But I think we are searching for nothing because you are trying to keep me happy in a situation I don’t really want to be in.”

“What about the power surges? The staff disappearances? What about that night that we were knocked onto our asses by… something.” Sam shook his head and sighed.

I just shrugged at him, “Coincidence?”

“Okay,” Sam exhaled before moving closer to me, his mouth next to my ear, “but what I want to know is how in the hell Ema knew about Jess.”

My head snapped to the side, my brow furrowing as I stared at Sam. “Is that why you called her a schizo? Because she brought up Jess?” Sam’s eyes dropped to the floor. He weakly nodded causing me to scoff and give him a quick snack to the chest. “Dude, she’s probably just psychic and doesn’t realize it.”

“What?”

“Psychic.” I repeated, “Did it happen after she touched you?” Sam nodded. “Dude, she isn’t schizophrenic, she is unknowingly psychic and they tossed her in the looney bin because of it. Mystery solved.”

I continued to make my way down the hall to my room. It wasn’t as cozy as my room in the bunker but it would do for now. Until Sammy gets his head on straight again. And if in the meantime I flirt mercilessly with Darby to pass the time, then so be it.

I could hear Sam taking long strides behind me to catch up. Once we made it to my room he spoke again.

“She still sees people that aren’t there.”

I shrugged and flopped onto the bed. The mattress was hard and shitty, definitely not memory foam.

“So she is psychic and schizophrenic. I dunno dude.”

Sam ran his hands through his hair as he began to pace. “I know nothing about this girl and now her and your new girlfriend know way too much about me.”

“New girlfriend? Darby is not my girlfriend.”

In proper Sam fashion my brother rolled his eyes and let out a judgmental sigh. “Oh so you two spent all night together last night talking?”

“We did actually.” I said as I crossed my arms. Sam gave me a disbelieving look. “We did! Most of the time she just kept telling me I was a smug asshole and that I annoyed her.”

Sam pinched at the top of the bridge of his nose, “If she thinks you are annoying and smug, why did you spend all night with her?”

“It wasn’t all night. It was just until lights out…” Sam narrowed his eyes and looked at me like a disapproving mother. “Because I kind of like the fact that she hates me. I dunno man. The mean shit she says is enjoyable. Last chick who talked to me like that was Jo, but even Jo was nicer than Darby is.”

“That’s fucked up, Dean. Even for you.”

I smiled slightly and shrugged, “Maybe, but it’s fun.”

Sam let out a groan and layed down at the foot of my bed, the springs in the mattress cried out under his weight. He ran his hands up and down his face and sighed. As he was lost in what I could only assume was deep thought, I pulled out the two manila folders I had hidden under my pillow. I placed one on Sam’s stomach and patted it.

“There you go little brother. Mysterious Ema’s file.”

Sam looked down at the folder and then back to me, “When?”

“Yesterday,” I stated as I opened the other file in hand, “when we were looking I came across Ema and Darby’s…. So I took them.”

Sam sat up and opened the file, “How did you even know their last names?”

I licked my lips quick and spoke in a quieter tone, “The night we found those pieces of shit trying to…” Fire rose inside of me and I exhaled trying to calm myself. “I read their names on the police report.”

Sam just nodded before becoming fully engrossed in the file. “Ema Lucille Hansen… who are you?”

Finally looking down at Darby’s records, I was met with a picture paper clipped to the inside. I let out a low whistle as I looked it over.  “Darby Geraldine Declan.”

The photo had to be at least five years old. She was wearing an old, holey Jimi Hendrix T-shirt and torn black jeans. Her long, dark hair was swept to the side and she was smiling widely. But her eyes… the smile never made it to them. I noticed too that her arms were covered in far less scars than they are now. What sort of life was she leading that she felt the need to mar herself is such a way?

I put the photo back and started to read.

“Her dad was artist Gerald Declan. He….”

“He was an abstract artist who was at the height of his fame when he killed himself in a gallery. Called it his last great masterpiece.” Sam said, looking up from the folder in front of him.

I blinked at him in shock. “How did you even know all that?”

Sam went to speak but was cut off by a voice from the doorway.

“Obviously, your brother takes girls on dates to art museums.”

I looked passed Sam to see Darby leaning against the doorway. Her long, slender body propped against the frame of the door. Her hair tied back in a messy bun. A small, unamused smile playing on her lips.

“Am I right?” She asked, tucking a piece of stray hair behind her ear, “you go on dates to art museums?” Sam nodded. Her grin spread a little bit, “Damn, I love being right.” She started to walk away but quickly turned back, “Oh, and he hung himself in his art studio that happened to be upstairs from the gallery. And his death wasn’t his last great masterpiece….” Darby exhaled quietly and I watched as a small tear snuck down her cheek, “I was…” She let out a small chuckle and waved, “You boys enjoy looking through our files. Hope you find what you are looking for.”

Then she just left.

———

Darby

I swiped at the tears rolling down my cheeks and I pulled my blankets up tighter to my chin.

“Will there ever be a time in my life when I don’t cry uncontrollably when my father is brought up?” I ask aloud to the walls of my room.

“I didn’t talk for a few months after my mom died.” A voice said quietly from the doorway.

I turned my head slightly and saw Dean standing just inside my room. He chewed a little on his bottom lip and stared at the floor before he spoke again.

“Look,” He said with a weak smile and a scratch at the back of his head, “I know you don’t like me around, but I just… you looked upset when you left so I wanted to check on you.”

Unsure of what to say next I just kind of blinked at him. With tight lips and a nod he headed back out the door. But an empty pang in my gut hit me and I don’t know why but I couldn’t watch him leave.

“Dean!” I called out and he poked his head back into the room, “Stay. Please.” That stupid grin of his was back as he walked in and sat down on the floor opposite of me. “Don’t look so smug.”

He made a face of fake shock, “Me? Smug? Never.”

I glared at him which only caused Dean to smile wider. Just this big, cat-ate-the-canary grin, the corners of his eyes crinkling with it. I wanted to remain glaring but I couldn’t. Even with tear stained cheeks I couldn’t help but chuckle and smile back at him.

“So tell me about your dad.”

So I did. I told him everything I could possibly think of about my father, my mother, my life growing up. And Dean did the same. Our stories were almost uncomfortably similar. Parent dies suddenly and tragically, remaining parent goes a bit off the deep end and relies a bit too heavily on alcohol to cope. We both moved constantly as our living parents drifted from one place to the other dragging us with them. The only real differences were that my mom shacked up with rich boyfriend after rich boyfriend leaving me to raise myself while Dean’s dad dragged them from fleabag motel to fleabag motel, leaving Dean to raise himself and Sam.

At this point, I had slid off my bed and sat down on the floor with Dean. Still cocooned in my blankets I watched his face as he told his story. Every word that left his lips I hung from, utterly fascinated by his life of tragedies and misadventures.

“But wait,” I interrupted, “what I’m still confused about is how the fire started that killed your mom.”

Dean’s face grew serious. His big, green eyes searched my face before he spoke again.

“She was murdered by a demon.”

I shook my head and blinked, “I’m sorry, a what?”

“A demon.” He sighed, “His name was Azazel.”

“Azazel… Like from the Bible?”

“Kind of….”

I looked away from Dean’s face then, exhaling in shock. He does suffer Folie à deux with Sam.

“I what?”

“What?” I asked, confused.

Dean narrowed his eyes at me, his lips creating a thin line. His nostrils flared as he spoke, “I suffer what with Sam?”

I let out a nervous chuckle, “Shit, that was supposed to be internal monologue.” The unamused look on Dean’s face intensified and I shrank a little bit more into my blankets. “Your records said you suffer Folie à deux with Sam. The madness of two.”

Dean scoffed and rolled his eyes. He began to pick at a callus on his palm. His tongue darted over his bottom lip. It was slightly chapped but still somehow managed to look soft and plush…

….Darby stop thinking like that.

“We aren’t crazy.” Dean said defiantly, his voice rougher than normal. “Sam and I… We have been through a lot, but we aren’t crazy.”

“Dean, your brother talks to Satan.”

Dean shrugs, “Okay, so Sam is a little crazy but he’s getting better.”

He continued to pick at the calluses on his hands, eyes never returning to my face. Even when I put my hand on his shoulder.

“The only monsters that exists are other humans. The only demons in this world are the ones inside ourselves.”

Dean let out a laugh then, finally turning to look at me. A small, sad smile playing on his perfect mouth. “Oh Darby. I wish that was true.”

Sanity Tags

@growingupgeek @emoryhemsworth @love-kittykat21 @oneshoeshort @supernatural-fangirl13 @wayward-ella @bunnybaby121115 @kazkingdom @winchesterprincessbride

[davedimartino]

NEW THIS WEEK 12.15.08

It would be foolish to envision a bunch of sweating accountants pacing up and down the halls of the world's remaining record labels, warning executives high and low that unless certain albums see release before year-end, their numbers will be at an all-time low!

And who in the world could imagine a scenario wherein matters of "overall musical quality" and "not cutting any corners" were overlooked merely in order to meet a corporate deadline?

Nope! Coincidentally, just one week before the holidays, everybody finished making their new albums at the same time!

And guess what? I'll be meeting them all at Applebee's on their way to the mall! You're welcome to join us! 

 Soulja Boy Tell'em: Souljaboytellem (Interscope) I am nearly rendered speechless by this, my favorite rap album ever--a veritable smorgasbord of sonic delight dripping with profundity on countless levels! With a charming variety of repetitive honks, beats and bleats, Soulja's latest contains 16 tracks of surrealistic, half-garbled phrases largely revolving around the wonderful song titles! Just look at them!: "I'm Bout Tha Stax," "Booty Got Swag," “Wit My Yums On," "Whoop Rico," and--best of all--the revealingly titled "Soulja Boy Tellem"! A careful listening can't help but remind you of that peculiar sensation of being halfway between sleep and wakefulness: familiar words take on new meanings, nonsense phrases make startling sense, and, as always, you suddenly realize that you're not wearing any pants! I would say that my unqualified favorite here is the startling "Yamaha Mama"--which also features the distinguished Sean Kingston and may represent the all-time apex of both artists' storied careers!  In short: anyone who does not instantly love this record is either flawed as a human or simply hasn't heard it yet!

 Fall Out Boy: Folie A Deux (Island) Though I don't count myself as one of Fall Out Boy's biggest fans--I saw some guy at their recent LA show who had to be at least 6'8"!--I was pleasantly surprised by this album! First, I liked its title! French is great! Secondly, cartoon covers are always good! Thirdly, in case you've forgotten, Fall Out Boy is one of those bands who don't employ that same pinched-nose, nasal singing style that Blink-182 popularized and the godlike Yellowcard took to ultimate perfection, so they don't sound stupid and old-fashioned! Finally, there seem to be some real songs on this album--good pop songs--and even Elvis Costello drops by to sing on a track! Wow! Plus one of these guys is married to Ashlee Simpson, so it has to be good! I wish all album reviews could be like this!

 Anthony Hamilton: The Point Of It All (So So Def/Zomba) Returning for his third "official" studio album, singer Hamilton remains one of today's finest R&B singers! He's highly respected, works with many of today's best new artists, and enjoys a stylistic versatility that surpasses many of his more commercial peers! Among the tracks here is "Cool," featuring David Banner! Sadly, he's too good to make fun of--so there's no point in mentioning that he looks like he's about to throw up in a sink on this album cover!

 All-American Rejects: When The World Comes Down (DGC/Interscope) They're a good-hearted bunch, the All-American Rejects, and they've spent the past few years methodically building up a large and loyal fan base that are sure to love this brand new album! They've opened for Bon Jovi, they've promoted milk in a national publicity campaign, and they even covered Britney Spears' "Womanizer" for Yahoo! In short, they're simply perfect human beings and deserving of all your support financial or otherwise! Don't reject them--as they clearly expect on the basis of their name--but instead embrace them! Sure, why not?

 Keyshia Cole: A Different Me (Geffen/Interscope) A highly regarded R&B vocalist who's actually referred to her previous two albums as "painful"--no time to put that in context!--returns with a whammer-bammer showstopper that features a guest appearance by Tupac Shakur as well as Monica (the singer, not the veterinarian assistant) and should sell by the boatload if her well-meaning supporters have their way! That said, this habit of today's most popular vocalists deliberately confusing their money-bearing fans with such album titles as A Different Me and I Am…Sasha Fierce is disturbing--it's harder than ever for consumers to focus these days, gals, so start going with things like Hey Clerk, File Me In Front Of Natalie and I, Beyonce, Would Like You To Buy This! Nice cover, though!

 Plies: Da REAList (Big Gates/Slip-N-Slide) Could it be true that this is "the Ft. Meyers, Florida-based rap superstar's third full length release in just under 16 months"? Hard to believe, considering the extraordinary amount of time the admirable fellow spent penning such new favorites as "Me & My Goons," "F**k U Gon' Do Bout It," and the near-anthemic "Pants Hang Low"! Those wondering how this near workaholic manages to retain his sanity need go no further than the surprisingly candid "I Chase Paper," in which the rapper details how his sadistic school friends often used to bully him while he was earnestly folding newspapers for his paper route! No, wait--that was Fall Out Boy!

 Ghostface Killah: Ghostdeini The Great (Def Jam) There's no denying the enormous influence and impact the Wu-Tang Clan have had in the world of popular music, so this new greatest hits CD/DVD set by founding member Mr. Killah should certainly be welcomed by those who care! Featuring remixes with new verses--it is said--this album is only handicapped by its trite and ubiquitous title, recently employed by the likes of Hilary Duff, Willie Nelson, and Morrissey in just the past six months! Dude, I, Ghostface wasn't taken!

 Saliva: Cinco Diablo (Island) Like you, I've often wondered what it would be like to write about this album while listening to Gerry & The Pacemakers singing "You'll Never Walk Alone"! Boasting--if indeed inanimate objects can actually boast--one of the finest album covers of the year, Saliva fans will likely be "drooling" over the hot sounds on display here! Between you and me, if I were writing its product description for a well-known retailer, I'd probably call this "the ultimate alt-metal post-grunge must-have CD this twisted holiday season!" Then I would get fired and listen to the new Soulja Boy album in my car a lot! Yes, it's that good!

 Jamie Foxx: Intuition (J Records) The second album by actor/singer Foxx, this collection features guest appearances by T.I., Lil Wayne, Kane West, T-Pain,  Ne-Yo, Timbaland, and The Dream, and is highlighted by the stunning cover picture of the singer wearing sunglasses! I don't know, there's just something cool about guys who wear sunglasses! And when you consider the album title--it's like he knows you're intrigued by him! You should definitely buy this!

 Ha Ha The Moose: Alce En Vivo De Los Muertos (Fatboy Records) Years from now I will fondly look back at the time I actually wrote about an album by someone called Ha Ha The Moose! What will you be doing?

[sky-on-blog]

What’s your favorite zoo animal? Do foxes count as zoo animals? If not, then probably lynxes, elephants, or turtles.

How is your hair currently styled? It’s not styled -- I just got out of the shower a little while ago, so it’s just down and, like, wet.

How long are your showers (on average)? Fifteen minutes, I’d say -- give or take.

Do you have any plans for tomorrow? Yep -- Jeremy and I are going out for post-Valentine’s dinner. Not sure where yet, though. Somewhere with steak.

Are you multitasking at the moment? Not really, no.

East or West? I don’t know. I live on the east coast, but I’ve never been to the west, so I can’t really judge. It seems cool, though; I’d probably like it better than the east. Also, West is my last name. 

Do you prefer iced coffee or hot coffee? Iced. I loooove iced coffee.

What time did you wake up today? I woke up at around 11:45 at first, then went back to sleep until about 1:30. It’s my day off.

Would you rather be taller or shorter than your current height? I’m pretty okay with my current height. I guess I’d have to see how a change in height would affect my appearance either way. Like, if being taller would make me look more slender, I might choose that.

What was the last ‘family gathering’ you attended? Probably my going-away “party” before I left Delaware, a little over a year ago.

What’s your favorite soap smell? I have basically no sense of smell, so I have no idea. One thing I can smell, though, is Lush’s Ocean Salt scrub, and it’s soooo good. It smells like the ocean.

Are you wearing perfume right now? No. I never wear perfume, because, like I said, I pretty much can’t smell.

What did you do last night? Watched stuff on TV with Jeremy.

What’s worse: working in fast food or retail? I’ve never worked in fast food, so I’m not sure, but as bad as retail is, fast food seems equally terrible.

Do you have any college or future plans? I already went to college, and unfortunately, I don’t have any future plans. I basically just have to see what comes up.

What was the last consumed alcoholic beverage? Vodka that I mixed with lemonade and mango-flavored La Croix. It wasn’t as good as I thought it would be.

What do you spend most of your money on? Food, ugh. I have a problem.

Describe your room. Pretty small. One bed, a dresser, a small nightstand. Walk-in closet. Attached bathroom. White walls with some posters. Jeremy’s family crest on one wall. Storage tubs stacked against another wall, beside a door leading to the patio we never use. Trixie’s litter box in one corner. A bookshelf full of manga.

Wood floors or carpet? Carpet.

What color is your toothbrush? White and turquoise.

Are you wearing socks right now? No.

Is your most recent ex seeing someone right now? Yes, he is. Damn, I had to think for a minute.

What’s your favorite physical feature? That’s a good question. I’m not sure if I have one in general, though; I think it depends on the person. Maybe lips?

Shopping: love it or hate it? I love it, but I’d love it more if I had the money to actually do it.

Do you have any political affiliations? Liberal democrat? Left? Progressive?

Lose weight or gain it? I need to lose it, but it’s basically stagnant at this point.

Favorite album of all time? Oh, so many...“Vices and Virtues” by Panic! At the Disco, “Take Off Your Pants and Jacket” by Blink-182, “Folie a Deux” by Fall Out Boy, “Old World Underground, Where Are You Now?” by Metric, “How I Learned to Stop Giving a Shit and Love Mindless Self Indulgence” by Mindless Self Indulgence, “Songs” by Regina Spektor...

How long does it take you to get ready for school/work? About fifteen minutes, usually, but it depends on whether my hair is cooperating that day. Sometimes it’s more like twenty.

Would you ever go vegetarian or vegan? I don’t think so. Meat is like, a huge part of my diet. But, I mean, I could if I had to or if, for some reason, I really wanted to. Like, I wouldn’t die...but I’d be really miserable, at least initially.

Any irrational fears? Bugs, I guess. I’m not afraid of being poisoned or hurt by bugs, just of being touched by them, lol. I’m also terrified of heights, but not because of being injured from falling, just because I hate the falling sensation.

If you have a problem, who do you turn to? I don’t know. Google.

Do you need to do laundry? Nope. I just did it recently.

Are you wearing any jewelry? Just my engagement ring.

Where is the last restaurant you’ve been to? It’s less than a mile away.

Did you exercise at all today? Nah. I never exercise.

What color are your eyes? Green.

Do you like your music loud? Yeah. I always have to turn it down when other people get into my car. I like to drown out the rest of the environment.

Who has inspired you the most in your life? Probably some people I’ve never met, or met briefly and didn’t find me nearly as inspiring.

Do you believe that high school years are the best years of your life? I guess they can be for some people, but they definitely weren’t mine.

How old do you want to be when you get married? It doesn’t really matter how old I am. I’d rather be able to afford the wedding than have it early and not do what I wanted to with it.

What’s your favorite part about the fall? Halloween, the clothes, and the leaves changing -- even though we don’t get that down here in Florida. :/

Are you craving anything at the moment? No. I’m not really hungry.

Beer or wine? Beer.

What are you allergic to? Just dust.

Where do you get most of your groceries from? Walmart, and sometimes Publix if they have good sales that week.

Is there a place where everyone who lives near you tends to hang out? I don’t know. I don’t know anyone else who lives near me, lol.

Are you into Twilight? Nope.

Breakfast, lunch, or dinner? Lunch. Cheaper deals at restaurants.