#gavin made me crack up in this moment

[fallenspirit]

jack thinking that shakira is australian is the funniest thing ever

[ifwebefriends]

TRIGGER WARNING: misogyny and mentions of transphobia and bigotry in the video above

Comic dub of this ace attorney fan comic by @runby2 with permission from the artist

Huge thanks to runby2 for letting me dub their comic! Please go support them, he makes great stuff! This is one of my favorite Ace attorney fan comics. I know the sound quality on my voice is bad and I said the wrong word at one point but I did my best. I hope I did it justice (no pun intended).

[Video ID. A comic by tumblr user runby2 vocally dubbed by tumblr user Ifwebefriends. It is a fancomic based on the ace attorney games featuring Apollo Justice, Klavier Gavin, and Kristoph Gavin. Apollo looks determined at the floor with his arms crossed as he says “Klavier, I have to tell Kristoph that I am trans. I know you said if he hired me he already knows but,,, I want to be honest with my mentor!” Klavier, standing next to him and looking worried, waves his hands and says “nein,,,, nein forehead,,,” Apollo looks worriedly at Klavier and says “wait is he ,, transphobic??” Klavier responds “nein,, it’s just,, confusing-“ Apollo says back “then I want to tell him, klav! I made up my mind!” Klavier responds “I’ll,, come with you,,,” The scene changes. Apollo looks determined as he says “Mr. Gavin!!! I have… something to tell you!” Klavier, standing next to Apollo, looks dejected with his arms crossed as he says “ah here we go,” Kristoph is sitting behind his desk and looks concentrated and confident with two fingers to his temple as he says “ah, Justice. There is nothing you can tell me that I do not already know.” Apollo points confidently as he says “well, actually sir, how about THIS?” He then grabs his bicep and looks concerned as he says “I’m transgender” with a voice crack. All three of them are silent for a moment. Kristoph says “but, you ARE a man, yes?” Apollo looks worried as he says “well- yes! … technically -“ Kristoph interrupts “no.” Apollo questions “I- ‘no ‘?” Kristoph clarifies “you ARE a man, Apollo.” Apollo smiles and says “I- !! Oh! Thank you, sir!” Kristoph continues “thank god you’re not a woman. I despise women.” Apollo looks shocked and dumbfounded. Klavier silently puts his hand on Apollo’s shoulder while Apollo looks confused. Kristoph continues “that is why I too, became a man.” Apollo, curious and emboldened, exclaims “wow! Wait! Mr. Gavin, you were born ‘a girl’ too?” Kristoph responds “no. I was born a man. Keep up.” Apollo looks even more confused and Klavier looks away disappointed as Kristoph continues “I chose to become a woman to fully understand what it was like to become a woman. i choose my fate, justice. then when i fully understood what it meant to be a woman, i became a man again. that is why i am the best defense attorney, because i have conquered all gender and i fully understand what it means, to be both a misogynist and hate men. NEVER. assume you know more than me,, justice. i chose you for a reason.” Apollo replies “what abt nonbinary ppl,,” Kristoph looks smugly to the side before saying “‘nonbinary’… hahhah… Justice,,, do you SERIOUSLY think that I am a man, RIGHT NOW?” Kristoph turns to flash a smug smile with two fingers by his eyes as he says “i am more than a man and a woman. I identify as a man solely to fool the idiots who do not understand the spectrum of human existence. i chose YOU, justice, because you understand what it means to become more than what you were born as. I, right now, am a god among men. My gender has evolved past that of a simple male, or a simple female. I understand the binary and I use it to my advantage. I have both joined and fought against the bigots that run this government, yet they could not track me as I did so. I have handled what you understand as the gender binary and distorted it like a fine clay. That is what it means to be a lawyer. Do NOT forget that, Justice.” An endcard comes up that says “comic by @runby2 dub and sound editing by @ifwebefriends End ID]

[aberyli]

“The pack weeding”

By redacted audio

---

1. That deep conversation that David and Ash had had me in a chokehold. I love the way both just said everything they've been holding back. David pouring out all his feelings to Ash just shows how strong their bond is. “You’re the other side of my coin.”

2. The little moment that David, Ash, and Milo had was also just chef's kiss. All of them just hugging each other, then having their individual hugs, and of course Ash with his jokes. “I love you, Milo.” “I love you too, asshole.” // “Now give me a hug, David.”

3. Milo’s and Sam’s small moment was something I would have loved to hear more about. But Sam giving Milo reassurance about talking in front of people was a cute thing. It definitely shows how much Sam is loved by them, and him doing the same. “It doesn’t have to be perfect, it has to be real.”

4. Milo’s speech was everything. He was so worried about embarrassing himself but ended up giving the most heartfelt speech. Plus, I love how he still cracked a joke, making the family at the wedding laugh. Milo really loves his boys and their mates, and it shows. “I only had one question for them: How much does it pay?”

5. Ash and David’s vows to their mates made me cry. Both made sure to pour out their feelings even more than they had already been doing. Both having a different approach but still very heartwarming to hear. “I wake up every day so incredibly grateful for you.” // “You’re the best part of me, and I’ll spend the rest of our lives showing I’m worthy of that and you.”

These moments had me in a huge chokehold, hearing all the love they all have for each other, their respect, and the new beginnings in their lives. Also, those silent moments with the mates on the bus and for the vows made me laugh. It gave me flashbacks to when Lasko introduces Dear to Huxley, Damien, Freelancer, and Gavin.

---

[summertimebabez]

Heartbreak- Rafe Cameron-Angst-Part 1

Y/N'S P.O.V.

I woke up from my slumber. Last night I fell aleep straight away due to the party last night. It was at my boyfriend Rafe Cameron's house. I was currentlly laying next to him in his room with his arms wrapped around my waste. I then felt that I had to pee. Shit. I didn't want to wake Rafe but I knew if I didn't escape his graspe I would pee the bed. I went to get up and his grip tightened around my waist. " Where do you think you're going? " Rafe asked with his husky morning voice. " I have to pee. " I replied. " Oh, shit. Sorry baby. " I leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the lips. " It's okay, my pretty boy. " With that he got a phone call. " Shit, it's my dad, i have to take this. " That's all I heard before I closed the bathroom door.

When I came out not even a minute later, Rafe was getting ready to go. " Where are you going? " I asked Rafe. " My dad needs me to do..... " Rafe hisitated in continuing his sentence. " With what? " I asked curiousity taking the best of me. " GOD Y/N, WHY ARE YOU SO DAMN NOSY. I AM HELPING HIM WITH BUISNESS. THAT'S ALL YOU NEED TO NOW. DON'T ASK ME ANY MORE QUESTIONS." Rafe shouted at me.

At that moment I was scared of him for the first time. I went up to him and put my hand on his arm to confort him but he grabbed my wrist tightly and gave me a daring glare. " Rafe,stop it.  You're hurting me let go. " After that he released his tight grip. " Rafe when..." I was cut off abruptly by a sharp sting to my cheek. He slapped me. I was in shock. " I TOLD YOU NOT TO ASK ANY MORE FUCKING QUESTIONS. " With that he left slamming the door.

Rafe's P.O.V.

I couldn't believe I slapped her. The only person who I'd ever there for me. The only one that gets me. Why would I do that to her? It's fine, she will be there when I get back and I will talk to her and make it up to her. For now I need to help my dad cover up the body of Gavin.

Y/N'S P.O.V.

After he left, I packed my things. I looked in the mirror and there was a large hand print were he had slapped me. I took my foundation from my bag and covered it up as best I could. After I left, I went home and changed into this with a light colored bikini underneath.

I went to see the pogues. We then went to the beach. We were all hanging out when Sarah asked " So, how are you and Rafe? " After Sarah made that comment I looked over at JJ and his jaw was clenched. Was he jelous? No, he doesn't see me like that,  at least I don't think he does. I knew I had been quiet for a second to long. I had to say something. I would just lie. " We're great! " I said with all the fake enthusiasm I could muster up. That's when Pope and John B came from behind me and threw me into the ocean.

When I came back to shore, everyone was looking at me with shocked faces, but Sarah looked like she was on the verge of crying. I was so confused. Then it hit me the mark. Foundation. Water. They all could see what Rafe did earlier. " Did Rafe do that to you, Y/N? " Sarah said, her voice cracking. " Uh, Ya.  " I said, looking away from the group.  Sarah abruptly ran off, and as if on que, Barry showed up his bike shouting my name.

[gogogodzilla]

𝙹𝚊𝚗𝚞𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝟻, 𝟸𝟶𝟹𝟸, 𝙰𝙼 𝟶𝟼:𝟸𝟽:𝟹𝟼

Summary: A series of attacks against androids leads you and Gavin deeper into your investigation with more questions than answers masterlist ✩ ao3 ✩ wattpad ✩ previous chapter ✩ next chapter ✩

In the early hours of the morning, you’re awoken by persistent knocking sounding throughout your apartment. The sun has just barely risen above the horizon and a soft glow bathes your bedroom. You slowly blink awake, clumsily attempting to gather your thoughts and force your body to get up. 

Your steps toward your front door are uncoordinated and you stumble a little as you wipe the sleep from your eyes. You open the door a crack and your eyes meet Gavin’s. 

 You can barely process the thoughts running through your head before you slam the door shut and hurriedly attempt to make yourself look halfway presentable. You freeze as you’re running your fingers through your hair. Why were you acting like this? It’s not like you cared about what Gavin thought about your bedhead. 

You shake your head in an attempt to wake yourself up. He just caught you off guard, that’s all. Once satisfied with your rationalization of your actions, you open the door again, calmer this time. Your brows furrow at Gavin’s grim expression and before the question can form on your tongue, he’s answering you. 

“Another one showed up this morning.” 

You sigh as your heart sinks, all qualms about your appearance quickly thrown out by the dread that fills you. Androids began showing up mutilated and dumped like garbage in early December shortly after the break-in at the Cyberlife warehouse. This normally wouldn’t concern you or Gavin, and you’d just brush it off as someone mistreating their android. There was no shortage of that these days. However, the way these androids are showing up isn’t normal, and it’s too frequent to be pure coincidence. 

 You open the door wide enough so he can enter your apartment. He wordlessly crosses the threshold, and his gaze immediately darts around to take in his surroundings. The open floor plan of your apartment gives him a view of your living room and kitchen with a hallway to the left leading to your bedroom and a bathroom.  

“Nosey,” you tease, grinning despite what waits for you once you leave the sanctuary of these four walls. A small part of you wants to stall– to do anything to avoid the lifeless eyes of another android.  

Gavin immediately moves his gaze to the floor and then to your eyes. He looks almost bashful for a moment, but you wave him off. 

“It’s okay, I don’t mind,” you assure before returning to your bedroom to get changed. Your apartment is still sparsely decorated, so it’s not like Gavin had much to look at. You haven’t exactly had much time to shop for decor while chasing some crazy criminal. 

After a few minutes, you’re dressed and ready to go. Snow covers the ground outside, and you make sure to grab your good boots. You exit your bedroom and are hit with the smell of freshly brewed coffee. 

You raise a brow as you head toward your kitchen island where Gavin has taken up residence on one of your bar stools. A mug occupies one hand and his phone occupies the other. 

“You certainly made yourself comfortable,” you comment as you lean on the kitchen island. 

He slides a travel mug toward you, not looking up from his phone, “I made you a cup.” 

You hesitantly grab the cup, warmth flooding your cheeks at the unexpected gesture. You take a sip, and your eyes widen. It’s perfect. 

“Don’t look so surprised, sweetheart,” he says, sarcasm dripping from his words. “We’ve been partners long enough for me to at least learn how you like your coffee.” 

You can’t help the flutter in your chest as you take another sip. It takes you a moment to regain your thoughts. “I just didn’t think you paid attention to that kind of stuff,” you shrug, avoiding his gaze. 

He scoffs and nudges you as he heads toward the front door, “You should know better, sweetheart. It’s my job to be observant.”

Now. it was your turn to scoff before following him out the door, coffee cup clutched tightly in your hand. 

You easily settle into Gavin’s passenger seat and take a sip of your coffee as Gavin pulls out of the parking lot of your apartment building. “What do we know?” you question as Gavin navigates through the streets of Detroit. 

“Body was found early this morning by a nurse getting off the night shift, hence the wake-up call. The responding officers already took his statement and let him go,” Gavin mentions as he drives. He taps absentmindedly on the steering wheel. 

You nod, “How bad is it?” 

He’s quiet for a moment. “Just as bad as the others— insides on the outside, covered in gashes, missing limbs.” 

You grimace as your stomach rolls, “Poor bastard.” 

The rest of the car ride passes in silence as you mentally prepare for the scene waiting for you. Your mind flashes back to the first android that showed up like something out of a horror film— you lost your lunch as soon as you got a glimpse of it and Gavin made fun of you for weeks afterward. You couldn’t help it though, not when they look so lifelike. 

Finally, you reach the crime scene. Gavin parks haphazardly on the other side of the alley where the android was found, and you quickly exit the car. The freshly fallen snow crunches under your boots as you follow Gavin across the street. He holds up the yellow caution tape surrounding the scene and you quickly duck under it. 

He lets out a low whistle as he catches sight of the android, “Be glad you didn’t have a big breakfast, sweetheart.” 

You give him a dirty look but brace yourself regardless. 

The android looks like all the others that have popped up within the past few weeks, and you frown. You kneel beside the android and examine her wounds, attempting to breathe through your nose and not gag at the scene. 

Thirium covers her remaining limbs and abdomen, which appeared clawed open, exposing her mechanical insides. Gavin hands you a pair of nitrile gloves, and you take them gratefully. Your eyes scan the android’s wounds, before briefly landing on her features. Her eyes stare lifelessly at the sky, and you can’t help but feel a pang of sorrow for her. You return your gaze to the open gashes on her abdomen. It’s always unsettling how much the androids look like humans. 

“Do you think she was killed here or in another location?” you question as Gavin kneels beside you.

“I don’t think whoever did this would care enough to dump it in another location. They probably just grabbed it straight off the street and dragged it over here. We won’t know about the thirium splatter pattern until your people from Cyberlife get here,” Gavin answers. 

“Any security cameras in the area?” 

Gavin scoffs, “Sure, but whether they work or not is a different question. Most shop owners in the area just have them for decoration.” 

“It must’ve been a blitz attack to take down an android. They’re pretty strong, even if they’re not fighting back,” you comment and Gavin hums in acknowledgment. 

“It’s too messy to tell for sure, but look at the cuts along its abdomen,” Gavin says as he points to the outer rim of the android’s gaping wound. “They look almost surgical.” 

You furrow your brows and take a closer look. He’s right. The cuts are too straight, too perfect. Someone who’s attacking in a hate-filled rage usually resorts to overkill, which definitely wouldn’t lead to such precise cuts. 

You pick up the android’s remaining arm and look at her fingertips. Gavin watches you and raises a brow. 

“What’re you doing?”

You pull her arm closer to you, “What if she didn’t want to die? What if she fought whoever attacked her? If she did, we could get some DNA from under her fingernails.” 

“Do androids have self-preservation protocols? Sounds like something Cyberlife would add to save themselves money.” 

You shrug, “It’s not impossible, I guess. She wouldn’t feel pain, but androids have been able to have human-like reactions to their biocomponents being damaged. What’s more human than trying to save your own skin?” 

You flag down one of the scientists collecting forensic evidence and request them to swab under the android’s fingernails. The look they give you causes Gavin to fight back a laugh, but they do it anyway. You give them a grateful smile as they return to their normal duties. 

“So, if it’s not people destroying their androids, what sicko is going around dissecting androids and then dumping them on the side of the street?” Gavin questions as you head back to his police cruiser. 

“The same sicko that broke into a Cyberlife warehouse and stole specific parts. They must need them for something,” you ponder as you open the car door and sink into the passenger seat. 

“Or someone,” Gavin murmurs as he starts the car. 

You blink for a moment, asking yourself how you could be so stupid. What if this person isn’t stealing these parts to sell on the black market? What if this person is stealing these parts because something, or someone, needed them? 

“You’re a genius, Reed,” you declare, breathing out a laugh. 

Gavin nearly swerves into the next lane at your compliment as he looks over at you. “What did you just say?” 

“These parts aren’t for some crazy science project or to sell on the black market. What if the person who’s taking these parts is doing it because someone else needed them?” 

“Sweetheart, I think the long hours are finally getting to you.” 

“I’m serious, what if we’ve been looking at this all wrong? Think about it, all the parts stolen from Cyberlife were biocomponents and processors. There were at least ten other things in that warehouse that were a hell of a lot more expensive than those parts.” 

Gavin is silent for a few moments, and you can practically see the wheels turning in his head. 

“So, what? What could someone possibly need biocomponents for?” he questions. 

“Maybe they’re trying to build their own android? Regardless, we have to stop them before more androids show up like this one and the dozen before it.”

He sighs, “We can think more about it once we get to the station.” 

“We should head to Cyberlife. Maybe this person is looking for something specific and we’re just not seeing it. The engineers there would know what to look for,” you suggest and look over at Gavin. 

“Look at you, thinking like a cop and not a scientist,” he says, and he’s grinning as he looks over at you. 

That same fluttery feeling from weeks ago fills you as you avoid his gaze. “I’m not just thinking like a cop, I’m thinking like you.” 

[itsyourstarboy]

Freebound

(Redacted Audio fanfic—1247 words)

Summary: Its the moonbound solstice, and Freelancer is freebound. Watch them cause chaos, on accident and on purpose.

Read here on Ao3

—

I.

The sunlight streamed through the curtains above the bed, cascading a golden glow across the room. Gavin, still dazed with sleep, stretched out an arm to pull his deviant close. His outstretched hand met cold sheets, and his brow furrowed as he felt around, cracking an eye open in confusion.

“Deviant?” He softly called.

When he was met with silence, he got up. It wasn’t like them to leave him in bed all alone. Quickly finding his pants that were discarded the night before, he exited their bedroom. Where were they?

As he neared the kitchen, he picked up on their aura. It was bouncing off the walls, feeling strong one minute, and practically nonexistent the next.

“Deviant?” He softly called, again.

They turned to him, a small smile on their face, “g’mornin’.”

The kitchen was… well, it wasn’t a mess, per say. It was… different.

“What are you doing in here, love?” Gavin asked.

“I’m rearranging the cabinets.”

“At 7am?”

Freelancer stared at him for a moment, “yeah.”

Gavin suppressed a chuckle, “may I ask why?”

“Well, I woke up this morning and I felt like I had bees in my bones, so I went to the grocery store down the street to buy six pounds of butter. Then when I got home, I accidentally set the couch on fire. Went shopping for one online, but I think I ordered 20.”

Gavin was speechless. “H-how long have you been awake?”

“1:14 am,” they laughed out in a sigh. They looked so tired.

“When you told me the solstices were often… interesting for you, this is not what I expected.”

“There is never a way to predict what may happen, I am a slave to my core for the remainder of this solstice. I think I just caused the large oak tree outside to become an even larger oak tree.”

At that, the ground shook, and Gavin’s eyes went wide.

“How about we go back to bed for a bit?”

II.

Lasko was doing paperwork on his coffee table. Nothing too strenuous—he was sunbound after all—just some stuff to keep him occupied while he felt like a dry apple slice.

Freelancer walked in the door, “hey, Lasko-babe.”

“Wh- oh. Hi, Freelancer. What are you doing here? And why didn’t you knock? N-not that I’m upset you're here, I mean, I-I’m always happy to see you, it’s just that you’re not exactly the type to just invite yourself into someone’s apartment… At least- at least I think you're n-not… are you?”

They sighed with a tired smile, “yeah I know, m’sorry. I would’ve knocked, but it’s too… too much. Too noise. M- no- that’s not… words.”

Lasko stood as his friend swayed on their feet, “are- are you f-feeling? Alright? Pft- no, what am I saying? Of course you’re not, it’s the solstice. Com- come sit down, how did you even get here, anyway?”

“Mmm,” Freelancer hummed as Lasko forced them to sit on the couch. They immediately sunk into the cushions, “I was feeling up, an’ I wanted to come hang out with you, but halfway here I felt not-up.”

“Not-up?”

“Yeah.”

“I mean- I guess that makes sense? Y-you are a freelancer, so you’re going to feel all kinds of… ‘ups’ and downs. M- Magically, anyway.”

“M’yeah, my magic has been ups and downs,” they mumbled, leaning into Lasko as he sat next to them. “I used psychokinesis to launch my phone into orbit.”

III.

Huxley was laying on his side, his head propped up on his arm, and his fingers threading through Damien’s hair. He was happy taking care of him like this. Right here, in this moment, with his boyfriend curled up next to him.

There was a knock at the front door.

“Are you gonna get that?” Damien mumbled when Huxley made no attempt at getting up.

“No,” he sighed contentedly, “whoever it is can just come back later.”

It would turn out that Huxley wouldn’t need to get the door, as whoever had knocked opened it for themself.

“The heck…?” Huxley said, sitting up slightly.

A familiar voice rang through the house, “Huuuuux? Damiiii?”

The two boys sighed in relief, glad that the home intruder was just Freelancer. Sweet, innocent Freelancer-

“Are either of you here? I think I drained the town's water supply.”

Huxley immediately sat up, telling Dames that he would be right back. The fire elemental could only let out an affirmative hum in response as he tiredly laughed at the freelancer's antics.

Entering the front room, Huxley found Freelancer hovering by a window.

“Freelancer? Dude- why are you all wet??”

They turned to him, panting heavily, “I was walking here from Damien’s place, and the Dahlia Spring decided to start chasing me, so I started running, but that made the water faster, so I jumped into your neighbor's pool to escape.”

Huxley slowly approached the window, “holy shi- Freelancer, the entire street is flooded!”

“I knowww,” they whined, “I’m sorry. I would clean it up but I’m afraid I’ll level the entire neighborhood.”

“Okay, well… let- lets just get you dried off,” Hux said, taking Freelancer’s hand to lead them to the bathroom.

“Wait, wait,” they pulled away, “is Damien here?”

“Uh- yeah, he’s resting in the bedroom.”

Freelancer made their way to the room and peeked their head through the doorway to see Damien all bundled up, “oh god that’s adorable. Is he wearing your sweatshirt??”

“Shut up,” Damien groaned, his voice all muffled from the blankets. “Why are you here?”

Huxley appeared next to them with a towel, “jeez, dude. You’re freezing.”

“It’s the solstice,” Freelancer answered, stubbornly trying to push Huxley’s hands away as he desperately tried to dry them off. “I remembered that you’re sunbound, so I was like ‘Fireboy must be feeling like shit right now, and I, too, feel like shit,’ so here I am, to feel like shit with you.”

Freelancer paused, hissing in disapproval, as Huxley ruffled their hair dry.

“I went to your place first, though. Let myself in. I cleaned everything.”

Damien sat up a little, propping himself against the pillows, “you… cleaned everything?”

“Yeah,” they wavered, leaning against the wall, “and then I remembered I was looking for you, so- oh god-” they keeled over, “I’m gonna throw up-”

Before either of the boys could react, Freelancer had run to the bathroom.

IV.

Damien’s phone buzzed with notifications from the group chat.

Gavin: does anyone happen to know where the freelancer is? I swear I left them alone for five minutes

Lasko: yeah don’t worry they’re here at my place

Lasko: they randomly showed up and eventually passed out on the couch

Lasko: sorry I would have told you but I was doing paperwork

Gavin: it’s alright as long as they’re safe

Damien: Lasko, I think you should check your couch.

Lasko: what?

Lasko: why?

Damien: Just do it.

Lasko: um…

Gavin: ???

Lasko: I’m so sorry

Lasko: they’re not there

Lasko: I lost them

Gavin: how did you lose them!?!?

Lasko: how did you???

Damien: Calm down, they’re here at Hux’s place.

Damien: They showed up a couple minutes ago.

Damien: They’re puking in the toilet.

Gavin: oh thank god

Huxley returned to the room, a sleeping Freelancer in his arms, “Dames, they tried to escape through the window, and when they couldn’t they said, ‘I’m going to stop existing now,’ and passed out.”

Damien looked back at his phone.

Damien: Please come get them.

—

[bratshaws]

through the hourglass 288.brb x oc

a/n: i have no idea what im doing. also i managed to write this WITH MY NAILS IM SO HAPPY (comments and reblogs are super welcome and encouraged!)

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: none uwu

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

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-

Beatrice slowly stirred from her slumber, her senses gradually returning to her. The room was bathed in soft, early morning light, and for a moment, she lay still, savoring the rare silence that enveloped the house. With the addition of the twins and the bustling activities that came with raising three children and three dogs, moments of tranquility were indeed a rarity.

And its only been a few days.

As she blinked her eyes open, she realized that her initial wakefulness was not merely coincidental. A feeling had tugged at her, an unexplained sense that something was amiss or perhaps needed her attention. Her instincts as a mother were finely tuned, and she couldn't ignore this gut feeling.

Carefully, Beatrice disentangled herself from the cozy cocoon of bedsheets and sat on the edge, “Roos?”  Beatrice's hand instinctively moved to her side of the bed, feeling the emptiness that was usually occupied by her husband. It was a reminder that he was currently deployed, and the sense of longing for his presence tugged at her heart, heavily.

As she shook off the remnants of sleep, she became increasingly aware of the stillness in the house. The twins' cribs were silent, it wasn’t a rare occurrence given they were wonderful while asleep. 

It was the middle of the night and it was drizzling, she could hear the raindrops hitting the windows.

Beatrice took a moment to collect her thoughts. She knew she should get back to sleep. The twins were soundly asleep, and Nikki was in her room. She could hear the soft snores of the dogs in the living room. Everything seemed as it should be. Yet, that persistent feeling of unease continued to nag at her.

With a deep breath, she swung her legs over the side of the bed, the cold floor sending a shiver up her spine. She wrapped herself in her warm, oversized robe, feeling its comforting embrace and knowing that the weather was about to turn considering she felt really cold already. The house was a blend of darkness and dimly lit rooms, the only sources of light coming from the streetlights outside and the faint glow of the nightlight in the hallway.

As she made her way to the twins' nursery, Beatrice peeked at them through a small crack on the door, Jolene staying with them since her pups stayed with Nicole. The pittie slowly lifted her head when she saw Bea at the door but remained lying down.

She gently pushed open the door to the twins' room, and the soft, warm light from the nightlight revealed the peaceful slumber of her children. Twin cribs sat side by side, and Beatrice couldn't resist the urge to check on them.

Aurora and Gavin were nestled in their cribs, their tiny chests rising and falling with each peaceful breath. While Gavin was peacefully sleeping on his back, Aurora was probably dreaming about fighting someone since her little fists were moving rapidly.

Her attention turned to the soft lullaby playing from the baby monitor on the nightstand. It was a calming melody that usually lulled the twins to sleep. She sighed in relief; everything seemed to be in order in their nursery. The unease that had gripped her was starting to feel like an overreaction.

Beatrice decided to leave the nursery, pulling the door gently closed behind her. As she stepped back into the hallway, she hesitated for a moment, her heart still not fully at ease. It was the quietness of the house that had struck her as unusual. “Well, it is the middle of the night.” she tries to tell herself, “It’s okay.”

With a resolve to quell her restlessness, Beatrice moved towards Nikki's room, careful not to make a sound that might disturb her sleeping daughter. She eased the door open and peeked inside.

Nikki, was sprawled across her crib, her stuffed giraffe down on the floor on top of a sleeping Jack. The dog truly didn’t seem to care about it.

The soft, rhythmic rise and fall of Nikki's chest reassured Beatrice. Her little one was in deep slumber, her tiny fingers still clutching a corner of the crib's blanket. It was one of those precious moments when she looked so angelic, the innocence of childhood casting a glow on her cherubic face.

Beatrice couldn't help but smile at the sight, feeling a wave of love wash over her. She had become accustomed to checking on Nikki during the night, ensuring her daughter was comfortable and safe. And now she had the twins to worry about too.

As she gazed at Nikki, Beatrice's unease seemed to ebb away. The sense of something amiss that had pulled her from her sleep began to lose its grip on her. With a sigh of relief, she quietly closed the door to Nikki's room and tiptoed down the hallway.

The house was silent, save for the soft patter of rain outside, which had intensified into a soothing downpour. It was the type of rain that,as her nonna would say it, cleaned the world.

Beatrice's next destination was the living room, where she saw Jolene trot to before she closed the twins’ door.

Beatrice continued down the hallway, heading toward the living room. The soft glow of the nightlight illuminated her path as she walked, her steps measured and quiet so as not to disturb the sleeping household.

The living room was dimly lit, the streetlights outside casting a soft, golden glow through the curtains. Jolene, was waiting for her by the couch, tail thumping gently against the floor when she saw Bea walking in.

Beatrice approached the couch, Jolene wagged her tail enthusiastically and gave a soft, contented woof. It was as if the dog sensed Beatrice's need for reassurance. She knelt down and gently scratched Jolene behind the ears,smiling down at the pitbull

"Hey, girl," Beatrice whispered to Jolene, her voice a hushed murmur in the quiet of the night. "Did you hear me pacing around the house? I guess I'm just feeling a bit restless tonight."

Jolene nuzzled her hand and gave a soft, reassuring whine. Beatrice settled onto the couch, her fingers still running through Jolene's soft fur. The rhythmic sound of the rain falling outside was a soothing backdrop to their quiet moment. The unease that had gripped her earlier was fading, replaced by a sense of peace.

Maybe she just missed Rooster.

Beatrice sat there on the couch, lost in her own thoughts, with Jolene's comforting presence by her side. She stared out of the window, the rain continued to fall, its soft pitter-patter creating a calming ambiance. 

Jolene, sensing her owner's mixed emotions, nuzzled her hand and let out another soft whine. Beatrice gave the dog an affectionate pat and whispered, "Thank you, girl. You always know how to comfort me."

The house was still, and Beatrice couldn't help but listen to the outside, it was…very soothing. It was good and she was still confused why she woke up.

The rain continued to fall outside, each drop a soft percussion of the night. Beatrice closed her eyes for a moment, savoring the sound and the sensation of Jolene's warm presence beside her.

Everything was quiet and she was used to quiet.

Then why did she lose sleep?

She didn’t know, and well, since she wasn’t tired…she should do something. Maybe have some tea?

Beatrice rose from the couch, gently patting Jolene's head as she got up. She had a sudden craving for a cup of tea. The soft, rainy night seemed like the perfect backdrop for a calming drink. She left the living room and entered the kitchen, the dim glow of a nightlight being the only source there.

Se didn’t want to turn on the lights.

Beatrice filled the kettle with water and set it on the stove. As she waited for the water to heat, she reached for her favorite tea blend, a fragrant chamomile and lavender mix that always helped her relax.

While the water was heating up, Beatrice took a moment to glance out of the kitchen window. The rain was falling steadily, creating silver curtain of water droplets. She found herself entranced by the sight, the way the raindrops clung to the leaves of the nearby trees and the soft ripples in the puddles on the ground.

She shakes the packet to loosen the leaves a bit as she waits for the water to heat up.

The steam from the kettle slowly began to rise, and Beatrice retrieved her favorite mug,the Ponyo one and carefully, she placed a tea bag in the teapot and waited for the water to reach the perfect temperature. The anticipation of that first sip, the way the aroma of the tea filled the kitchen, was a small pleasure that never failed to bring her comfort.

The whistling of the kettle interrupted her thoughts, and she quickly turned off the stove. She carefully poured the hot water into the teapot, watching as the tea leaves danced and unfurled, releasing their calming aroma into the air.

After setting a timer for the tea to steep, Beatrice decided to return to the living room. She felt a sudden urge to be near the window again, to watch the rain and listen to its soothing cadence. Jolene followed her, her tail wagging softly as she settled by Beatrice's side on the couch.

She sighs softly, looking back to the sky with a small frown, “I hope Roos is okay.” she tells herself while rubbing her wedding band, wondering if that was why she woke up suddenly.

-

Her husband was okay,  but he was annoyed.

He was very annoyed.

He was just staring down at the files with his brows furrowed, trying to understand what the hell was he reading.

Rooster sat at the desk in his quarters, bathed in the dim light of the room's lone desk lamp. 

He stared down at the files scattered across his desk, his brows furrowed in concentration. The documents contained detailed intelligence reports related to their current mission, but the more he delved into them, the more perplexed and frustrated he became. It wasn't the complexity of the information that bothered him; it was the nagging feeling that something was amiss.

"Something doesn't add up," Rooster muttered to himself, leaning back in his chair and running a hand through his short-cropped hair. He had always prided himself on his ability to analyze and assess data, but this particular set of reports left him feeling like he was missing a crucial piece of the puzzle.

The mission was of utmost importance, involving high-stakes operations and potential threats.The success of the mission hinged on the accuracy of the information they were working with.

But as he pored over the reports, Rooster couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. He had learned to trust his instincts in the field, and his instincts were currently screaming at him to dig deeper.

He picked up one of the reports and scanned it again, trying to pinpoint the source of his unease. The information was detailed, but it lacked the clarity he was used to. There were inconsistencies in the data, and some of the sources seemed unreliable.

Rooster continued to sift through the documents, his frustration growing with each passing minute. He knew that he couldn't afford to dismiss this feeling of unease; lives and the success of their mission were at stake.

With a frown, he decided to reach out to the other pilots. Rooster couldn't shake the feeling that a fresh perspective might help him make sense of the reports. He opened a secure communication channel to the team.

Aka the group chat

Rooster (07:09)

Hey, guys.I've been going through the mission reports, and something feels off. I can't put my finger on it, but I need your input. Can you review your copies and see if anything stands out to you?

Payback (07:10)

Like what?

Rooster (07:11)

I can't be sure, but the information in these reports just feels...incomplete, and some of the sources seem questionable. I need a second opinion. Maybe it's just my imagination, but I can't shake this feeling.

Silence hung in the virtual space for a few moments before Jake’s response appeared.

Hangman(07:13)

It is a bit weird, man,we’ll take a look into it.

As Rooster awaited further responses, he continued to scrutinize the reports, hoping that something would jump out at him. The information was vital for their mission's success, and any discrepancy could have far-reaching consequences.

Phoenix(07:15)

I'm on it, Rooster. Let's see if we can figure out what's bothering you.

Phoenix (07:15)

You sure you aren’t just missing Bea?

Rooster (07:17)

I miss her every moment, but I know she's holding down the fort back home. I trust her to handle things, but I can't shake this feeling about the reports. 

Hangman (07:18)

You're right, Rooster. There are inconsistencies in these reports. Some of the sources are vague, and there are gaps in the data. It's not your imagination; this information is unreliable.

Payback (07:20)

I've been looking at it too, and I agree with Jake. These reports are shaky at best. We need to find out why.

Rooster (07:22)

Thanks, guys. Let's cross-reference with any other sources we have access to. We need to confirm the accuracy of this data. I'll reach out to HQ and see if they can provide additional intel.

Main question was, who was responsible for this?

With the reports flagged as potentially unreliable, the pilots set to work on cross-referencing the information with any other sources they had access to. The urgency of the situation was evident, and the potential consequences of relying on faulty data weighed heavily on their minds.

Rooster reached out to HQ, hoping to acquire additional intelligence that could shed light on the discrepancies in the reports. 

The response from HQ was swift, and they were provided with supplementary data that they could use to verify the accuracy of the mission reports. The pilots set to work comparing the new information with what they already had, meticulously checking for inconsistencies and unreliable sources.

As the minutes passed, it became clear that the original mission reports contained significant errors. Some of the sources had provided false or misleading information, and critical details had been omitted. The team's meticulous analysis had revealed the extent of the problem, and it was clear that someone had deliberately tampered with the data.

Rooster was deeply troubled by this discovery. He couldn't fathom why anyone would jeopardize a mission of such importance. The safety and success of the team were at stake, and the consequences of inaccurate information could be dire.

Rooster (08:27)

I think we can all agree that the mission reports were intentionally manipulated. This is a serious breach, and we need to find out who's responsible.

Phoenix (08:28)

Agreed. We can't proceed with unreliable data. We need to trace the source of these reports and determine how they were tampered with.

His eyes dart to the outside for a brief second where he sees Mark walking past the door…there was no way,right? He shouldn’t be thinking like that just because he didn’t like Mark.

But he sure was quiet in the group chat.

[zozo-01]

"round and round on a horse like a carousel."

Here we are!! We finally got this massive fic out and done! I've always wanted to write a fic with Sam and Gavin, anddd my official bodycount is now up to two (thousand)!!! Special shout out to my lovely 'zo keeper' @gingerbreadmonsters who is enjoying some perfectly desrved R&R on the other side of the world!!! Thank you for letting me play with your theory and shoving Sam and Darlin' into it!!!

 CW: Angst, Multiple Major Character Death (most of it is shown but only one is described), Grieving Characters, (they are not handling the grieving process well), Hopelessness and Despair all around, Ambiguous Ending, Manipulation, Slight Coercion, Follows Ginger's "Echo is Gavin" Theory, Multiverse (kind of), Poor Sam is going t h r o u g h it, Echo doesn't care, Despite everything Echo does care for Sam, Mentions of Alexis invoking Sam to kill Darlin', You need to read 'have and hold' and 'reeling' to understand what is going on

click here for the ao3 link!!!

--

“Well you’re as handsome as the day I met you.”

He didn’t know what he let out, if it was a chuckle or sob. To be quite honest, he couldn’t hear anything except for the voice of the raspy shifter in bed. He needed to hear them, for what limited time they had left together. If he can’t go on with eternity with them, then at least let him burn their voice, their magical laugh, in his head. For the nights (or days he suppose) when everything is too much and he feels like he’ll burst, the memory of their voice will bring him back. Calm the angry threads that are barely bursting from the seams.

Although, one could argue that the memory of them in any capacity would shatter him more than what trivial and worldly matter will plague him.

“And you’re just as beautiful, Darlin’.”

Darlin’s hoarse chuckle led to a series of coughs. Realistically, Sam knows that their lungs aren’t what they used to be, but every cough had his core pulsating with the need to heal them. Not that healing magic would do them any good.

Another moment of silence passed, the clock ticking becoming louder. 

“I’m sorry, Sammy.”

He shook his head and repeated the same phrase once again. “It ain’t your fault.”

With a stubborn glint, one that had weakened with time, Darlin’ replied, “But I don’t want to leave you!” Their eyes were watery and their voice strained with pain in their chest. Part of him was scared that they were wasting precious energy trying to stay strong for him. Leave it to them to not rest in their final moments.

(Wait a minute, was that crack in the corner always there?) He wiped their tears, feeling his own build up, not that he’ll ever let himself cry when they needed more comfort than himself. He’ll have all the time to be selfish later. “I understand, you didn’t wanna be turned, I get it more than anyone else.”

But his words weren’t enough to change their mind. He’s long accepted that fact yet he continues. “We both knew this day was going to come. And listen to me,” he kneeled on the ground and held their hands, “I had the time of my life with you. You’ve made me the happiest man I could be, and to this day I still think I don’t deserve it. But I am the luckiest man ever to call you my mate.” He kissed their temple. “I love you, Darlin’.”

They gave a weak smile. “I love you too, my Nashira.” Their breathing slowed and they relaxed on the bed. “I’m tired, baby…” Their voice drifted off and Sam accepted the worst.

“Sleep, my love, you deserve to rest.” He kissed their forehead for the last time and watched them take their last breath. 

(Seriously, the hospital was brand new, why were there cracks in the ceiling?) Now that he was confident they were gone, he clutched onto this body, sobbing into their shoulder and mumbling about how they deserve peace in the afterlife. 

But it wasn’t fair.

Why couldn’t he have been made human so he could at least join them soon? A selfish part of his wishes that Darlin’ was turned into a vampire so they could be immortal and happy. Whatever the case, why must he lose his love when everyone else can have theirs? Why must he have a bad ending after being dealt a bad life and bad death? 

His mother always warned him to always be careful of what he wished for, but right now, he’d suffer any and all consequences just to meet them again. 

(Ok this is getting concerning now, because now the entire ceiling is gone-)

“What a shame. Another iteration, another failed attempt.”

Sam had wondered if a foreign voice could sound so familiar. It was cold and distant, like a scientist viewing the results of an experiment. But it had a sense of sorrow, a type of exasperation. Whoever this ‘scientist’ was wanted his experiment to work, but something told Sam that he was used to failure. In a weird sense, it sounded like a mixture of every voice he heard in his life. A strange concoction of dialects and accents and tones that left him unsure who to pin the owner of this voice. 

(There was one person that came to his head, but he shook that thought immediately. The voice in his head was too cruel to be him.)

There were other voices in his brain too. The ones that belonged to one of the few friends his mate made in their youth. (They’d always called it their Starboy era.) 

An incubus that they had met in one of the many clubs they adored and his partner that he worshipped over anything else.

“You’re my sky, deviant. The space between my stars… In a lifetime of sensing the emotions of others, I never imagined I could feel like this... This much… And I am so grateful for it, and for you.”

Who the fuck was that-

Gone was the bed where his Darlin’ passed in their sleep, the world had cracked and broke around him, only for them to be replaced with a clear sarcophagus and an eternal night sky.

Inside was the body of the Freelancer that was once adored by his incubus friend. 

(Wait a minute, didn’t he see them last week?)

Before he can think any further, from the neverending nothing, a body emerged. It was an incubus, that much Sam could tell from his aura, but instead of the pink colouring that most incubi had, this one was all black. The tips of his horns were a midnight shade, without any of the stars that make the night sky beautiful. His eyes were devoid of any light, and he had the feeling that something ripped the light from his eyes and used it to paint the stars. 

There was something else that was off with him. Sam couldn’t keep his eyes off the outline of the not-so-incubus incubus, puzzled by the glitching effect that surrounded him. The false sex demon (or at least, he thinks it’s a fake) was outlined with a pink and white hue, not like the usual red and blue glitches he’s seen before. He was causing disturbances in the otherwise stunning galaxy themed room. It was clear that this… Whatever this being was, he didn’t belong here. Sam had an inkling that this irregularity hadn’t come to give his condolences for his mate’s death.

(He could never understand how the term incubus, a term referring to creatures of light and fun and sex could also refer to a dark and twisted nightmare.)

(He was about to find out soon.)

The demon smiled, leaning his arms against the sarcophagus and chuckled, “Hello Nashira.”

Sam bared his fangs at the stranger, distrust filling his body. “You don’t get to fuckin’ call me that.” There were only two people who could call him that. One of them was dead. And the other was about to become dead inside. (Shh. Don't tell Sam that, this is our secret.)

The demon pouted, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Oh? You don’t remember me, Samuel? We go all the way back.” He gave a sly smile that Sam found all too familiar. “Your mate loves- oh, excuse my language, I had forgotten, loved having me around.”

Sam growled, “Don’t you fuckin’ talk like that around me.” He glanced at the dead or sleeping freelancer in the sarcophagus. “Or else you’ll be seein’ my mate and that partner of yours real fuckin’ soon.” Sure it was a low blow, but this incubi impersonator struck first and Sam’s never been known to hold back any punches, especially when it comes to his mate. In his anger, he even forgot the contradiction presented by the body in the sarcophagus. 

(Came. He meant when it came with his mate. No one tells you how hard it is to change the tenses in his words, let alone his mind.)

The impersonator raised an eyebrow, his eyes becoming darker, but that smile remained on his face. “Samuel, Samuel, Samuel. It’s adorable that you think a vampire can overpower a demon, but I shall let you feed your own delusions.” 

The demon paused for a minute. “You know, you and I used to get along so well,” he sighed. “Though I can’t blame you. It’s been years since we last saw each other, after all.”

“As if I’d befriend a prick like you,” Sam scoffed. Ok, maybe pissing off a demon isn’t a good idea, even when he considers his own immortality, but man oh fucking man, this demon’s a dipshit asshole and he wants to knock him down a peg.

The demon barked out a laugh, and Sam wonders where he’s heard that before. “Alright, then I’ll just have to remind you, Nashira. How about a trip down our memory lane?” 

It was a deal. With the way his voice sounded, it seemed like the impersonator made countless deals in his lifetime. The tone came to him naturally, he definitely has used it before. (Sam wonders if he was one of this creature’s past deals). Everything in him was screaming at him to turn away from this devil’s ploy, but his morbid curiosity craved the apple the demon was offering. 

“Alright, I’ll bite.” …The pun was honestly unintentional, but by God, if this demon is going to make a comment about it, he’s going to-

The smirk from the demon said it all. “You vampires sure love to bite things don’t you. Am I the next thing on your ‘to-be-bitten list’?”

“Shut up, demon, and get on with your story,” he grumbled, fully knowing he walked into that himself.

“Alright, alright, I’ll get off your case, Nashira,” he said, the sly smirk faded into a small smile, his eyes giving away that he was reminiscing on a memory. “I brought them, your darlin’, home one night. They had decided to get absolutely inebriated, so I had to carry them.” He walked around the sarcophagus and in front of Sam. “You chastised them for going above their limit, and they insisted that they were absolutely fine and it didn’t matter because I was there.” 

He went silent for a moment, a fond smile on his face. “They were always so stubborn…” His voice was quiet yet filled with adoration. Why was he talking about Dar-

The demon shook his head, breaking his trance and continued. “After you put them to bed, we caught up and I told you to be careful with their heart, that you were their ‘Nashira’. And you promised that-”

“That I’d burn the world and kill anyone in their way to make sure they’d never suffer another day again…” Shock filled his body, mouth hanging open and eyes embedded onto the demon. “How did you know?”

There was no way. His darlin’ was asleep and now permanently so, so they couldn’t have somehow told this stranger. And there was only one other person in the room that night. So it has to be him. But it’s impossible, there’s no way. The demon in front of him was far more cruel than the one he shared that sentiment with. Although… The body was similar to him, bar for the glitches and black colouring… And his voice was eerily similar, easily discernible from the cacophony of voices when the demon opened his mouth… And even that fucking bite joke is so him…

So then…

“Gavin? Is that you?”

There was a wistful smile on the stranger's face, almost happy by Sam’s attempt at discerning his identity. He let out a hollow chuckle, eyes glistening for a quick moment. “Ah, it’s been a while since someone has called me by that name, I almost forgot what it sounded like coming from another person’s mouth.” 

Sam stared, aghast. Surely it couldn’t be possible.

The shadow-man continued. “I only hear that name within the fleeting memories I torment myself with, willing to endure the pain so I can hear my name with their voice, just as it should be.”

He paused, mockingly bowing in front of the vampire. “So thank you, Samuel, for reminding me of that accursed name, but you are mistaken, my Nashira.” He cruelly smirked, eyes becoming blacker than black, whatever sliver of light that remained had gone, leaving the bitter and powerful entity. “The Gavin you knew is dead within the stadium walls, along with my deviant and your mate, all those years ago in the Inversion.”

A friend, wearing a stranger’s face. Familiarity and foreignness mixing together in an uncomfortable manner. 

“These days, I go by Echo.”

(Ok, that’s impossible. He can clearly picture his Darlin’ charging through the crowd in the aftermath in their gorgeous wolf form, and he remembers watching them like they were an angel sent from above. There was no way, no fucking way, that they could have died.)

(They weren’t even in the wards during that god forsaken day.)

Gav- Echo stood straighter, like he was proud of the person he’s become. Sam still couldn’t believe it. The incubus he knew was sweet and kind, with a heart of the purest gold that’s ever been mined. He was the type of man who’d carry old ladies’ purses while they cross the street, or make funny faces at the baby in the stroller. 

He loves unconditionally, becoming immortal not by the magic flowing through his veins, but by the magic he leaves behind in the hearts of the people he interacted with.

But this person… This echo of the demon he knew… He was the furthest from what he remembered of him. 

Echo chuckled at the puzzled thoughts that shone in Sam’s eyes. “This still is my favourite part, reminding you of our mission and updating you on how close I am to finishing it.”

Sam furrowed his eyebrows. “What the fuck are you talkin’ about? What mission? I didn’t agree to shit. And that still doesn’t explain what the hell happen to you Gavin! I saw you last week with your partner at the hospital! So how are they in that glass coffin!”

Echo snarled at his old name and raised his voice. “I told you, I go by Echo now.” He caressed the clear sarcophagus in a gentle way, like a lover caresses their partner’s cheek. “Gavin died when they did,” he whispered, like it was a secret between the two men. 

Sam understood it, recognized that pain. Part of him died with Darlin’ and now he might hurl any time someone not them calls him ‘Samuel’. It was their name to use and now it’ll have no use.

He furrowed his eyes, taken aback by Echo’s statement. But they were alive, he spoke to them last week. Despite their equal old age to his mate, them and their Gavin (the nice one, not this monstrosity in front of him), would constantly come by the hospital to see how Darlin’ was doing. It was nice, the support they, the clan and the pack provided was vital for him to keep his sanity.

Despite every logical sense making it seem like Echo is lying, the pain in his voice, the despair in his eyes, it was too real. The flinch his body did when he called him ‘Gavin’ was way too specific for it to be a simple mimicry of other grieving lovers. Whatever this version of the Gavin he cared for was, he’d experience the loss of his Deviant.

Either that or Echo should be given an Oscar for his performance tonight.  

Perplexed by this paradox, he opened his mouth to ask. Surely he deserves some answers as to what’s going on in this fever dream. “But they’re alive… I saw them breathin’.” He dared to step closer, a small part of him wanting to comfort Echo over their shared pain. 

A bittersweet smile graced his face, and yet again, it was too raw and real for anyone to fake. “They won’t be alive for much longer, Nashira.” With a wave of his hand, the starry night scene that they’d been in had morphed into a house.

This was Gavin’s and Freelancer’s house.

Sam looked over to the couch to see the human and incubus sitting there, laughing at the TV in front of them. Of course they were watching ‘Pingu’. He still couldn’t fathom why on earth either of them adore that show, but you can bet that their nights had consisted of curling up in their Cinnamoroll pajamas and laughing at the absurdity of the penguins on the screen. It was cute and wholesome and the exact domesticity that both of them deserved, so he never said anything. He can appreciate cuddles and a show to laugh at, even if he didn’t agree with the entertainment itself. Besides, it was nice to see the tradition be continued all these years later.

“I don’t even know why I loved that penguin show, but it’s just too damn loveable to not be obsessed with it,” Echo mused, walking towards the older version of his freelancer. “Admittedly, the pajamas were also my idea. I know, I know, seems out of character for me, but I digress. I do look damn good in a Keroppi onesie.” He chuckled and knelt before the older freelancer, caressing their cheek, even though Sam had a feeling the freelancer couldn’t feel his touch. His iconic glitches had calmed, and he became more grounded in reality.

Sam wondered if the freelancer calmed Echo’s rage, the same way Darlin’ did for him.

He felt a bubble of smugness burst through him, happy at the thought that for the first time during this fever dream, he got a leg up on Echo. “See? Told you they’re still alive, so you can cut the horse shit and tell me what the fuck is goin’ on here.”

A beat passed and Freelancer fell onto the ground, clutching their heart in deep agony.

Any and all pride that Sam felt a few seconds ago gave way to dread, forgetting that once again that darker incubus had been right again. He rushed forward, instincts taking over to try to heal his friend, only to be stopped when Echo put a hand on his shoulder.

“There’s no use, Nashira, they’re already gone.” His face had a hardened look, like he’d watch this scene happen over and over, but his voice had a resigned sadness in it. That despite expecting this result, he wished it would end differently. 

Wish carefully, listener. Actions have consequences. And wishes granted have a cost.

He tried to plead, struggling against the demon’s grip, “I can help! It ain’t fair that he loses his partner too! Send me back and let me save them-”

“Do you think I haven’t tried that?!” Echo responded with a question that Sam was sure rhetorical. His voice kept a steady tone, but it didn’t do much to hide the rage from his voice. “I have tried every single variation, every single possibility, changed every single variable but it leads to the same fucking outcome. Your mate dies and my deviant follows them to the River.” He pulled the vampire up on his feet and whisked them both back to the starry room that they began this conversation in. “How dare you be so arrogant that you think you can change this? If anyone can save them both, it will be me.” He seethed every word, and Sam could finally see the total toll it had taken on Echo.

That still didn’t explain what he had gone through, and Sam wanted to understand. Whether or not he could comprehend it was up to how well Echo explained everything to him. 

Echo sighed, rage leaving his face and replacing it with apathy. “Apologies Samuel, I know you don’t remember anything. But can you blame me for losing my shit when you’re being, and I’m putting this gently, a goddamned idiot.” He looked back at the sarcophagus, affectionately rubbing it once again. 

(Come to think of it, the way Echo rubs the coffin reminds him of the window cleaners on the skyscrapers he’s seen. He can even picture the cloth in Echo’s hand, methodically wiping it clean. Huh, no wonder why the sarcophagus is all sparkly and shiny.)

Sam had taken offence of the insult, but he remembered the ache in his voice a moment prior. He could see the gears turning in Echo’s head, a restless mind coming up with another plan to achieve his ultimate desire. 

An unconscious part of him wanted to help the former incubus (the jury is still at the stands) succeed in his goal. Was it because despite evidence to the contrary, Echo looked and spoke and moved like his best friend? Or was it in his nature to heal people, lend a helping hand to those who needed it? 

(Was it because his Darlin’ would have jumped at the opportunity to help a ‘friend’ out and he needed to keep their soul tethered to the mortal world for a little while longer?)

(But maybe he’s always been a selfish man, and this was his way to get his Darlin’ back permanently.)

Apple firmly in his hand, he weighed the consequences of taking the fated bite. His mind screamed that indebting his soul to the devil is a terrible idea. But he needed to get some answers, to understand the clusterfuck chain of events that leads him to this very moment. A deal with a devil never killed anybody, especially if he knows that the devil was once an angel. 

“You mentioned earlier that we been through this before?” Sam recalled.

Echo nodded thoughtfully, choosing his next words carefully. “Are you sure, Samuel? You don’t understand what you’re asking to learn.”

“More than anythin’ in my life,” he confidently answered, stamping out any fear or uncertainty from his voice. His mate would’ve been disappointed in him. They hadn’t gone to law school just to see their mate agree to a contract without seeing the terms.

“If you’re gonna sign your ass away, at least do it with consent and knowledge, Sammy.”

God, he missed their voice. He wanted to hear it again like a dark forest craves the sun.

The far-too-demonic incubus narrowed his eyes at the vampire, his scowl growing deeper. His cold voice spoke, “Well fine, I’ll make that decision for you.” He stalked closer to Sam, the once pink and white glitches surrounding his body becoming more intense. The distortions seemed to respond to Echo’s emotions, and by the looks of it, he had a fury that rivaled the most spiteful Gods. 

Had his teeth become sharper? His horns larger? Sam didn’t have time to answer these questions because faster than he could perceive, Echo stopped within striking distance of the vampire, snarling in disgust and rage. 

“Absolutely no.”

Sam opened his mouth to retort, “Hold on, ain’t you the one who just said that we been through this before?” If there was anything he hated more than a two faced, back-stabbing, lying bitch ass, it’s a motherfucker who goes back on his word. 

Echo pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering an ‘I don’t have time for this’ under his breath. “Look, I get it. You want to save your mate, really I do. But learning the grander plan at play would only bring you more pain.” He placed both his hands on Sam’s shoulders and gave them a comforting squeeze. “We can do this without you having to bear the weight of this knowledge. Let this be my burden to carry.”

Fuck that shit. Sam had never been the type to let someone else solve his problems, especially when it comes to his mate, and no dimension-breaking asshole imitation of his mate’s best friend is going to change that. 

“Gav- Echo,” he said hesitantly, “I wanna help you save both of our partners, and me knowin’ will just help your cause.” Sam felt the urge to get on his knees and beg, just so he can understand what the fuck is going on. “Please, I need to know.”

He let go of Sam’s shoulder and takes a step back. Echo’s face conformed into a cold fury, a far cry from the comforting tone he used a second prior. “I tried to make this as painless as possible for you, Nashira,” he spat out, with an effort to remain as calm as he could. But with every word Echo said, his composure wavered, a strained frustration creeping into his voice. “Yet you clearly, want to make things harder for yourself.” 

Sam watched as Echo’s glitches threatened to rip apart the reality they presided in. Tears appeared in the night sky and the stars were falling on the “ground” they stood on, crashing and exploding into a brilliant white light. For each star that descended from this makeshift heaven, Sam could hear Gavin’s voice from a life from long ago.

“I can be both a good man and a very bad incubus all at once.”

“You can let yourself feel everything right now, and I’ll weather this storm with you. Just like you did for me.”

“Now, there’s an idea. You know I’m a sucker for a callback.”

(Sam also noted that the sarcophagus carrying Freelancer’s body had vanished. Where to? He hadn’t the faintest clue, but something told him that even in death, Echo didn’t want his deviant to see him in this rageful state.)

His pondering was cut off with Echo’s booming and well, for lack of a better term, echoing voice. “Do you have any idea how it feels to carry millennia worth of memories that no one but I understand? How it kills me to know everything about you and your mate and Damien and Lasko and Huxley and them, but knowing all you will only exist in my life for a fraction of the time I’ve spent observing this world?”

A moment of silence passed.

Everything stopped.

Sam half expected for Echo to evaporate into non-existence. (What that meant he had no idea, but he didn’t have time to contemplate existentialism right now.) 

Instead, Echo composed himself. He waved a hand and every fallen star rose back into the sky and the reality-breaking tears stitched themselves back. “If you wish to become a stubborn, unnecessary martyr, then be my guest. But don’t you dare regret this decision later on.”

Sam couldn’t get a word in before Echo spoke once again. The room went dark again, but before he could panic about the sudden blindness, Echo spoke directly into his mind, a cacophony of every voice Sam has ever heard blanding into one harmonious tune. 

"Wish carefully, Nashira. Actions have consequences. And wishes granted have a cost."

(Glad to know Echo keeps the talks-a-lot-incubus tradition alive.)

On an unrelated note, Sam’s eyes felt heavy, like he hadn’t slept for eons. Sure he’s not known for his impeccable sleep schedule, but he’s never one to turn down the chance at some shut eye. Besides he’s had a hard life, let him lay down… And get some sleep… Maybe dream of them if he’s lucky.

(When has Samuel Collins ever been lucky?)

…

You know how when you fall asleep on a bus? Or on the train? (Or the tube as the British call it.) You don’t know when you fall asleep, and you know for a damn fact that you shouldn’t be sleeping in public where anyone can just… You’re sleeping on a train, you can fill in the rest.

That was what Sam experienced. Should he be sleeping in front of an omnipotent being that’s only one step away from a God? Absolutely no, but he did it anyway. Though on the bright side, at least he’s been blessed with a dream. 

But it's not them. 

“Samuel, I promise there’s a way to bring them back! But you have to believe me!”

“How Gavin!? How the fuck am I supposed believe when you say you’re gonna bring them back? I saw that shade fuckin’ drain ‘em! I saw the life fade from their eyes! You’re either delusional for thinkin’ you can save both of’ our partners, or your bein’ cruel for no goddamn reason.”

“Well you better believe me, because I can. But… It means watching them die over and over again until we get it right. Can you do that? Can you fall in love with them, only to know that you will only be guaranteed eternal happiness once?”

“...You do it everyday with your freelancer, don’t you? Why shouldn’t this be any different?”

“I’m not asking for me. Are you able to handle that kind of pain?”

“Lord knows I’d endure a thousand hells for them. I’ll do it in a heartbeat.”

“Alright, my dear Nashira, just remember…

…Actions have consequences. And wishes granted have a cost."

Oh right. He agreed to a deal. There was no point in wondering if he was making a deal with the devil because he bit the damned fruit long before he could even remember it.

A snapping sound slowly drags him back to consciousness, and a harsh reminder from Echo brings him back all the way. 

(Come to think of it, Sam didn’t even think he fell asleep. He just disassociated so hard that he felt his soul leave his body and relieve that past memory. Or maybe it wasn’t all in his head? Great, add time travel to the weird shit that’s happened so far.)

“Wake up, Sam,” he says with a harsh tone. If Echo had the same mannerisms, and everything tonight (or today?) proved that to be true, then Echo calling Sam ‘Sam’ and not some nickname or ‘Samuel’ or ‘Nashira’ meant that he’s pissed. Not in a ‘Freelancer not giving him affection for more than five minutes’ kind of way, but in a more ‘watching some professor antagonize Damien for being a fire elemental’ way.

Sam just hoped that perhaps Echo will have more mercy on him than the scarred professor.

(Emotionally scarred. She wasn’t worth having to deal with all the paperwork from D.U.M.P.)

“So you finally remember everything?” He may have posed it as a question, but the mocking undertone was a clear indication that he already knew that answer. It was silent for a moment, only to be broken when Echo clasped his hands together. “Well it’s always wonderful to speak to you, Nashira, but we have partners to revive, which if we’re being honest, would have been done quite earlier if someone would keep his reckless wolf alive.” 

What… No, he can’t…

Again? He had to go through that again? How on Earth did Echo expect him to go through the same love story for the thousandth time? If the definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over and over again, then he has long gone past the deep end. He didn’t even know what possessed him to agree to this fucking deal those lifetimes ago. God damn it, he should have never bit the apple. Bringing people back? From the dead? The closest anyone has gotten to that is a vampire’s turning, but he knew his Darlin’ would rather die than give up their wolf. So he has to find a way to keep them immortal without turning them.

Cool. No pressure. When you boil it down to a simple sentence, it seems doable. 

That was before he had to watch them die a thousand times, and having to prepare himself from watching them die a thousand more.

He remembers it all now. The doomed timelines, the sinking and permanent dread that accompanied him around their death, the constant beratement from Echo whenever he failed. Given that he’s still here, talking to Echo and not enjoying immortal bliss with Darlin’ goes to show how much he has failed.

How dare Samuel Collins be so arrogant as to think as he could reverse an event so vital to the timelines he has the privilege of residing in. Does he not know his misery keeps his world spinning?

(Of course he knows why he agreed to all of this. Echo… Gavin’s voice held so much conviction, so much belief, that this plan could work. To call it a plan is giving it more credit than it deserves. It’s more of a hypothesis. However, theory can only be made fact if there is evidence behind it. At this point, it’s proving to be more fictitious everyday.)

In a meek voice, not out of fear but hesitation, Sam spoke for what seems to be the first time in a while.

“No.”

Echo halted. No, scratch that, the entire room just stopped. 

Before the stars and little clouds in the sky moved, twirling and twinkling in the false night sky.

The room seemed to forget how to breathe. Sam had to remind himself that despite his undead status, he wasn’t allowed the luxury of forgetting.

Echo scoffed, once then twice. Then he started cackling, bending over and clutching his stomach in a failed attempt to control this burst of joy. Or perhaps the absurdity of the entire situation has finally caught up to him. 

The ground cracked underneath the demon’s feet as he stomped around the room-dimension thing. “Of course, of course! I should have known that this would happen!” He muttered to himself. “Every single time we meet like this, you try to bail out because of your bullshit morals. Morals, that mind you, you only have because of them.” The stars heated up as his glare intensified. “Need I remind you how you treated Fred’s progeny?”

Sam was still living with the guilt of how he treated them and how they're relationship fell apart. 

If only he met Darlin' earlier-

“That's exactly it!” He yelled and the room shook with his fury. Did Echo just read his mind? “You’ve always based your decisions on what they would want you to do.” He scoffed, the temperature dropping as ice laced his voice. “Not that it ever stopped you before.”

Sam didn’t know if the chill down his spine came from the cold of the room or the cold hard truth his deranged friend was speaking. He was right. Sam will whine and cry about morals and standards and questions and thoughts of ‘what would Darlin’ do’, but it didn’t matter. In the end, he’d continue on with Echo’s mad experiment to save them. (Save them both.)

Bite the apple from the snake, suffer the consequences of the sin, go back to the Garden of Eden and do it all over again.

(Does that make his darlin’ the Adam in this story? Convincing him that eternal damnation wasn’t worth the pain of immortality? It wasn’t that Darlin’ didn’t wouldn’t agree with the plan. His Darlin’ was as selfless and kind as the Saints he was forced to pray towards. Death was nothing to them if it meant they could be the cause of that salvation that saves their friends. No, they’d disagree with the plan because they couldn’t bear seeing their beloved in constant, perpetual and unavoidable pain.)

(Or maybe their mercy  makes them Jesu’? A martyr destined to die over and over and over for the sins of those who have ruined them? If that’s the case, then he’s Judas, the fool who damned Jesus with a kiss.)

The demon rolled his eyes back in the dramatic fashion that he was known for. With a wicked smile and a faux concern dripping from his voice, he taunted the vampire, “Come on, Sam, we both know what you want.” Any and all anger was gone, replaced with the smug satisfaction of a man (or interdimensional magical being) who knows he’s been right in every scenario. Why, of course he is. Echo has had this same argument a thousand times over.

And he’s won every single time. 

(What can he say, he’s had a lot of practice.)

“Do I need to remind you of the times where you were the one who killed your precious mate?” He asked to continue to poke and infuriate the vampire.

Of course he didn’t need to. There have been timelines where Alexis had invoked him to kill his wolf out of petty revenge. (Let it be said that the actions of these Alexises are not indicative of the Alexis you are familiar with.) He remembers the taste of their blood when he killed them. It wasn’t of fear or disgust, it was of acceptance and peace. Like he was making love to them in their bed and not violating their body. They had always said, “If I wanted anyone to kill me, I want it to be you, since you’ll make sure I’d be loved in my final moments.” 

He wished they had hated him instead. The wild fire, the raging blizzard, within their blood hurt more than any acid in this or any world. 

Echo, satisfied with the memories that were returning to Sam, put the final nail to the coffin carrying Sam’s flimsy convictions. “You don’t want all of that pain and suffering they had to endure to go to waste, don’t you? So I ask you again, Nashira, don’t you want to have them again?”

The most infuriating part was that he was right, so fucking right. This is what Sam wants.

He wants to drag his Darlin’ from the river by the hair he loved to pull when kissing them and hold them close and keep them safe and alive for all of eternity. Wants to gently place them down on their bed and play with his hair and tell them that nothing will hurt them. His arms were the shield they desperately needed after a lifetime of fighting. To make up for all the pain he has caused them in multiple timelines and create the most perfect future possible for them, just for them. Helping Echo with his own predicament is an added benefit.

The sunk cost fallacy is a phenomenon where a person is reluctant to abandon a strategy because they’ve invested everything ounce of themselves to see it succeed. Echo and Sam were becoming too familiar with the ocean floor.

Quiet resignation and deep laughter filled the room, with the demon wiping his nonexistent tears from his eyes. “It’s always fun to break you, Nashira, but we have work to do. And this time,” his eyes darkened and the stars flickered out, leaving the two men visible, “I expect results.”

Sam nodded and an apple appeared in front of him. When he takes another bite, the cycle of pain will continue, and it will end with him. And he will end it.

He has to.

If not for his happiness, than for the happiness of the twisted demon he once called a friend. 

–

Now that the cycle restarted and Sam was sent back to the beginning, Echo remained in the room. Alone and perfectly still, like water that hasn’t been agitated.

The false memories always work. He gave himself a pat on the back for coming up with that idea after the first few cycles, when Sam was becoming resistant. 

The ‘multiple timelines’ that Sam had experienced were really just simulations that Echo created to cycle through in order to find the perfect solution. Each one contained a different ‘what if’ to reveal more information about how this world works. 

What if Alexis was a petty and jealous ex?

What if David turned on Darlin’ and let Quinn take them? 

What if they had a normal life and died of old age?

They all had a different purpose, but none of them were real enough to have any lasting consequences, but lovely Sam didn’t need to know that.

In truth, while Echo can make all the alternate universes or lifelike dreams he wants, he can only reset the prime universe, the one we know and love, only once. So he had to make absolutely, one hundred percent sure that he can manipulate the right factors to create his desired outcome. And he finally thinks he did it. After years of self-isolation and watching his friend be tortured, he finally broke the crystal.

(Whoever gets that joke has quite good taste in TV shows.)

Echo looked up at the black void and smiled. “Are you seeing this?! You said I could never and I fucking did!” Silence was his only response but he didn’t mind.

It took him much too long to learn about the secrets of turning humans into concubines, but better late than never. Considering that Darlin’ is a shifter, a human that is closer to a demon than a freelancer, it only makes sense to make them his first and successful attempt. (Mark his words, he will succeed.)

From his pocket, he held a photo in his hands. It was taken in front of the local cowboy club in Dahlia and the incubus and shifter were smiling. Happiness coursed through their veins and unbeknownst to neither, more was on the way. Echo studied how lively and youthful Darlin’ looked back then. Before Quinn had forced them to let go of themselves and the carefree nature that made them loveable. While he thanks Sam for bringing that side out of them, he was going to make sure they stay like that.

Permanently. 

He took a deep breath and braced himself. Once he saves them, he can save his beloved deviant.

He was going to see his beloved deviant again.

And he will make sure they all live happily ever after.  (But do you know what they say about those who try to alter destiny? The fates will not take kindly to anyone to change their plans and will do anything to get back on the right track. Certain events can never change, lest the universe unravels on itself. But Echo would relish that type of destruction, wouldn’t he.)

[jinx-on-mars-19xx]

Falling For Each Other

Red Leather and Running Mouths x Danger's Bitch x Soda, Cigarettes, and Broken Glass x Broken Doll x Bitch Barbie Cooties and Golden Fountains x Fuzzy Gazes and Bruising Grips x Choking on Truth x Wilde and Free x Hated Together

Dom x Colson (Yungblud x Machine Gun Kelly)

Warnings: dom Dom, sub Col, fighting, insults, drug use, drinking, hangovers, getting outed, MF hate, the f slur, boys being dumb, teasing, edging, blow jobs, anilingus, falling, blood, sexual accidents, boys being dumbasses, nervous Dom, d/s undertones, breaking shit 🚬 rating: explicit

There it was, the truth was staring them in the face one morning when they woke up. A million alerts on their phones and a hell of a hangover from the night before. They'd gone out and partied, needing to cheer each other up and maybe one too many beers had them making out in the back of a darkened club. They hadn't meant for it to happen and the moment Dom saw it his heart dropped- a picture (or ten) of the punk slowly pushing Col's hand into his undone pants. Fuck.

What worried him most wasn't just the fact that they were exposed so boldly, he knew he could calm his pet down about that but Megan of course used it to her advantage, breaking her promise. 'I knew from the beginning but he lied so well and I loved him so much. I just hope he doesn't hurt Dom like he did me.' The back of his tongue tasted sour and the longer his boyfriend didn't speak the faster his heart beat.

They'd been in a tenuous place for a week, the song releasing had brought them closer but Kells was still so worried to hurt him. He knew the man might keep his feelings quiet just to further protect him but he'd beat it out of him if he had to. "At least we look good, yeah?" He hummed softly, his cock twitching at the sight. There was nothing incredibly explicit, it wasn't like his dreaded Billboard picture with Billie Eilish, Colson had slipped his hand into his pants and behind his shirt so nothing was showing. But their expressions… If he didn't know any better he'd say he almost looked in love with the brat.

"I don't like 'ow you look like the bloody top. Why'd I let you 'old me like tha'?" He huffed softly, annoyed that everyone would think he was the bitch.

Finally there was a deep breath and a sigh. "You were shitfaced. Besides, no one would believe this anyway." His tone wasn't as teasing as his words were and Dom swallowed a whimper as the man tossed his phone down hard and pushed himself out of bed. It automatically felt colder without him and he tried not to shiver. Maybe he just felt colder.

He watched as the rapper grabbed a joint and a lighter and made his way to the bathroom. When the door shut between them it felt final but he wouldn't allow that. Not again. Not now that they could finally be honest. He growled low and picked up a cigarette, lighting it and taking a deep drag before opening his phone again. He fought himself to make a long post about them, he knew better than to act too soon. The door opened just a crack and something small flew at him and smacked him in the chest. He jumped but whispered his thanks to the closing door when he found a prescription painkiller. Yeah, that should take the edge off.

He took it gratefully and swallowed half the water in the glass his boyfriend had left for him the night before and as he scrolled through his texts the back of his mind was screaming to fix it. Colson hadn't let him say anything against Megan before and while she was keeping her word he dealt with it but now? Of course she used what should be a moment between them to further herself. He was just thankful a few of the comments were seeing the truth. Some people were asking if she knew, why had she tried to steal the man. Some were even calling her a homewrecker. If they only knew.

Gavin had tried calling him, Tom's name was in all of his alerts, any way he could be reached, Adam just sent a string of what appeared to be obscene emojis in context with a thumbs up at the end. His friends were special. "Turn it off." His lover shouted from the bathroom and he huffed softly. He sent one text out before doing what was asked, he had to at least let Tom know he was alright. He'd deal with everyone else.

"Wha' makes ya fink you can tell me wha' to do?" He asked, rubbing his temple and taking another drag. His eyes felt fuzzy and his mouth dry but at least the oxy was soothing the pounding in his head. He had to admit the pharmacy his sub kept was helpful in some situations. "Would you get your arse out 'ere? You know I don't like talking like-"

"Like what? You don't like giving me a hint of fucking privacy?" The bastard interrupted and his brow raised even though his eyes stayed closed.

"Careful luv." His voice warned, there was an edge that promised he was dancing on Dom's nerves. He knew whatever their problem is wasn't about his fucking lack of privacy. Well, it might be about them not getting any but Kells didn't want space from him. If anything he craved to be closer. Always.

"Fuck careful. You wanna be careful now? After you fucking outed me?" Even hidden behind a wall Dom could feel the moment Col tried to swallow his words but they were already out. He could hear the man trying to rush through pissing to get back to him. He still couldn't help the anger that built in his chest. How dare Kells blame it all on him?! Before he could stop himself he was gripping his empty water glass and throwing it across the room to smash against the wall keeping them separated. The way the stream paused before resuming even harder would have made the boy laugh but he was far too upset.

"You wanted to crawl under the bloody table if memory serves, at least I kept you from looking like a bitch!" He snapped, hissing when his angry movements made his cigarette ash on his belly. He was trying to swipe it off as the door slammed open and his man stalked out to stare down at him. The cloud of pot smoke followed him but thankfully Colson flipped on the fan. They might be fighting but the man was always careful with Dom. Always.

"I still look-" He paused, finally catching himself before the wrong thing came out but it didn't matter. The implication was clear.

"Like a fag? Tha' wha' ya scared of luv cause let me fucking tell you. Let me let you in on a secret-"

"Don't-"

"Don't tell me 'don't'! You is one Colson. The great and badass Machine Gun Kelly renown for 'is pussy game is a great big bloody fruit. A bottom even. A sub. You begged me on ya knees since day fucking one! You me bitch Cols. Why is it so bad everyone fucking knows it?" Dom's voice was raising as he pushed himself out of bed and stood to face his lover. The moment he was exposed Colson paused, his gaze dropping to his half hard cock. He couldn't help it, he was always drawn like a moth to the flame.

"But… why? I don't like anyone else." He huffed softly, hip checking the doorframe. He was still upset but the fight was draining out of him. It always did when he saw Dom naked.

"Fine, maybe you pan or summat, I don't care. I don't fink most of your fans give a fuck. You know wha' I been seeing? Support Cols. Your true people sticking up for us. A lot of 'em are calling 'er a 'omewrecker. Saying 'ey called it from day one." The punk smirked, he honestly wondered how it took them as long as it did.

The way the rapper's face calmed and almost went sad hurt his heart. The man had been so careful of him for too long. "At least no one thinks you're queerbating now huh?" He tried to tease and Dom laughed but it was a soft sound. They were scared of the unknown and this made their whole futures that. Colson walked closer slowly until he finally reached him and dropped to his knees, wrapping himself around his dominant.

Dom sighed and put his cigarette out before he tangled his hands in his boyfriend's hair and pushed him against his thigh. "I got you. Always got you." He soothed, scratching his blunt nails through the messy blonde locks. He could feel him trying to kiss over his skin and his dick started to fill at the attention. His brat had talked back to him though. "No. Go work your aggression out first. You ain't taking it out on me." He snapped, yanking rough at the man's scalp.

Colson whined, nuzzling his stubbled cheek against his lover's cock, his lips teasing over his tight balls. "I can work it out just fine right here."

Dom's answer was to push him back hard with his foot and to leave the room with his phone in hand. He had to punish his pet somehow and he needed to check in with his friends. Kells was left whining on the floor, his cock hard and leaking against his thigh. He wasn't surprised exactly, he knew raising his voice would get him in trouble but Dom rarely edged. He hated it.

Thirty minutes later Kells was hanging from a bar in his gym, his muscles burning from overuse. He was drenched in sweat and feeling far better than he had. His Daddy always knew exactly what he needed. He made it to forty upside down sit ups before the boy wandered in as naked as he had been before. He walked around as the rapper kept going and kept an eye on him but he could feel himself being watched. "One-hundred." He lied and his lover giggled, shaking his head as he finally made his way closer. It was certainly an interesting angle but Dom was near his dick a lot.

"Don't get down." The punk purred, his fingers tracing designs in his sweat. He couldn't help but shiver though he tried to obey. When the kid wrapped his fist around his shaft he almost slid off but he tightened his hold and felt his blood fighting where to rush.

"Dizzy." He panted, licking his lips and trying to blink the sweat from his eyes. Everything was fuzzy but with Dom standing over him he blocked all the light. The rapper had to rely on scent and that was all his boyfriend. The heady musk of dried cum was still stuck to his skin. He never cleaned up the night before.

"Good." Dom purred, stroking his lover. If he stood on tiptoe he could suck him off but he didn't want to give him too much too soon and that might actually make him fall. "Ya know, we could turn 'is into a lovely dungeon." He hummed, looking around. He could still remember the sex room Col had in his old house but of course Megan hadn't allowed that. Bitch was more vanilla than his mum's baked goods and twice as dense.

Kells whimpered, trying to put his arms down to ease the strain in his legs but Dom pinched his fingers between his toes until he stopped. If this kept up long he knew he'd pass out but it certainly wouldn't be the first time. Dom would take care of him. "You're all red." He teased, staring down at Col's face and the rapper laughed.

An idea struck him, he knew he wasn't really allowed to make decisions or ask for things, especially when he hadn't been a good boy but he hoped his lover would allow him something. "Spread your legs?" He was drastically thankful for how long he was as the boy surprisingly did as he asked. He could feel Dom's confusion as his arms pushed between those plush perfect thighs. The punk squeaked when Kells pulled him up off the floor. The palm around his cock tightened almost too much but after a moment his Daddy seemed to get the point and he wrapped his legs around Col's ribs as tight as he could.

Colson couldn't breathe but for a moment he didn't need to, his palms groped rough at pale freckled globes and his tongue searched out Dom's sweet pink hole. The flavor was musky and heavy, sweat and old cum and whatever just made Dom, Dom. A soft whimper escaped him as he tried to bury his tongue deeper but the boy struck, curling his mouth around Col's cock and that was fucking it.

Dom realized a moment too soon that his act of need was a mistake but he couldn't do anything about it. The man's legs slipped from the bar and they went tumbling, thankfully his ankles protected the rapper's head but his dick speared deep in the boy's throat and he choked hard, pulling off and spluttering. "You good?" The man rasped, his voice muffled between soft cheeks and Dom nodded but he knew he couldn't see. Fuck what a mess, but Kells didn't care, his boy could destroy him and he'd still beg for more. "What do you need?" It was a gentle beg and a way to show he was handing control fully back to his dominant but for once Dom just giggled and shook his head.

Normally he'd be embarrassed after something like that, normally he'd need to prove he was top. Instead of doing any of that he turned around and hovered over his still pink lover. "Oof, you bite ya lip on the way down?" He hummed, tracing Col's mouth where it bled.

"Probably more than that." He sighed, smiling up at his boyfriend. He was sure he was a mess but he didn't care, not when Dom stared at him like he was.

"Mmm, you fink blood works as lube?" He teased, he was sure some of it was painting his ass but he'd been allowing his man inside him far too much lately. The brat might be forgetting his place. "Suppose tha's why you ain't meant to work out naked."

Colson laughed, he was sure Dom was right but they'd been doing a little more than working out. He still hoped they would do more. "Why'd you turn around?" He pouted, making the boy smile.

"Wanted to look at you." He shrugged, flicking his tongue over the crimson covering his lover's mouth. There was a phrase floating around in his head and it turned his stomach to sharp winged butterflies. No matter what people thought he wasn't exactly soft, he couldn't be, not with all he'd been through. Still though there was something about Colson that had him thinking pretty words and slow sex. "Let me make love to you?" He asked before he could lock the words down and he fully expected the bastard to laugh.

Instead Kells froze under him, his blue eyes blinking fast for a moment as if he had to process the sentence. It sure as shit wasn't something he ever thought he'd hear from the boy. He wanted to ask what the game was but with Dom's heavy gaze on him he didn't think there was one. "Like… how?" He whispered, suddenly everything felt soft and loud at the same time.

Dom grinned slowly, he could feel himself shaking but Colson was trembling too. "Like me cock in tha' tight lil ass of yours like every night. Jus'... Slower. I fink." He hummed. Honestly he was just as confused by what he wanted. It wasn't something he'd ever even asked a girl, he didn't know what the fuck it entailed.

"I've never-"

"I know. Me um- me neiver. Wanna figure it out? Wiv me?" He stumbled over his words, for the first time he wasn't completely sure of himself and he tried to cover it up by standing up and reaching a hand down for his man.

"Yeah? O-okay." Shit, they were both nervous but neither knew why. The air felt electric though and every breath felt like fire. "Take me to bed?"

Author's Note/Tags: @hollywoodxwhore @jaxbreaker @manicpixiedreamb0y @iamnotanearthlingmotherfucker @fenoy7 @cole-way-iero28 🖤

So this wasn't as rough as this fic normally is but I thought I'd let them get a little closer. I'm not even sure if these boys can make love but 😂 we'll all find out together ❤️‍🔥🚬

[angel-shaw]

Tidbit Tuesday!

Ahhhh I was taggeedddddd!!!!! (I may be a little excited)

@dollscircus was the one who tagged me:3 (yes i know im a day late shhhhh)

Part of what i have for my Gavin/Darlin Fic!

Gavin wasn't planning to stay the night with the wolf, he knew he wasn't really welcome. But somehow he couldn't bring himself to leave, once the wolf fell asleep holding him with the show playing quietly in the background he was there to stay. At least for that night. 

     In the morning Gavin woke up to a hand running through his hair. He could feel his tail thumping on the bed softly. He shifted a bit to look up at the wolf, who was looking at their phone, scrolling casually as their hand ran through his hair.

     They looked stunning, the small streams of light coming in from the curtained windows perfectly falling onto their face and body. The moment lasted far too soon for the incubus’ taste. Tank's hand stopped running though his hair as they looked down at him. “Good morning sleepy head, how did you sleep?” They asked, their morning voice rough and hella attractive. 

     Gavin let out a small humm as he pushed his fluffy hair into their hand, trying to get them to resume petting him. They got the message and resumed their petting, their strong hand running smoothly through his hair. After a bit, audible purring was able to be heard. Tank didn't say anything nor did they stop petting him, Gavins tail still thumping comfortably on the mattress.

       They stayed like that for a while,neither one wanting to move from the warm comfortability they had achieved. Gavin felt their arua was much calmer than the night before, not nearly as much worry and stress. He knew he couldn’t stop it from coming back but he was glad he could keep away the worry in the quiet minutes of the morning.

     That was until a computer screen lit up across the room. An email Gavin assumed, whatever it was, it made the wolf's anxiety, and surprisingly a little bit of anger, come flooding back into their arua. They kicked their legs out from under the covers and pulled away from Gavin. He found himself mourning the warmth they provided.

 As an Incubus he ran hot but they did to as a shifter and he wanted their warmth back. He was glad it was in the cooler months as it didn’t affect them cuddling together all night and under a nice warm blanket too.

     He watched them cross the room to their deck, in their underwear . From what he saw they didn’t have a chair for their small desk so they didn’t take a seat. He could feel knots forming and tightening as they stared at the computer. They typed something and stood back up straight, taking a deep breath and turning back to him with a smile on their face. 

     They stared at him for a minute, similar to how he did them just a few minutes ago, before they yawned, stretching their arms above their head, making their back or arms audibly pop in the few different places. “God I’m kinda hungry,” they said as they twisted their torso, making their back crack more. “I could go for some eggs or something, what ‘bout you?” They asked casually as they stopped cracking their bones and walked to the small dresser. 

     Gavin didn’t respond right away, he was still red faced after the show of their body they had just put on. They didn't even mean it to be hot, it just was. The way their muscles flexed as they stretched, the way their face pinched the slightest bit, it was all hot. Only in their underwear too,so he saw everything. 

They stopped stretching and looked at him, waiting for his response. “Ya, eggs sound nice” he said quickly before face planting himself onto their pillows out of embarrassment. Why was he blushing? Why was he embarrassed? He's an incubus for goodness sake.

Tank smiled and walked to the bed, leaning onto it to kiss Gavin's hair. “I'll be out in the kitchen, come on out when you get up.” He lifts his head when they walk away, he sees them grab their computer and then they walk out. Still in just their underwear. 

After a few minutes Gavin sits up, he feels his face be normal again opposed to the bright red it had turned.  He smiled to himself, it had been a long time since he's felt this happy and full. Being an Incubus he only fed off of sexual pleasure and feelings but he couldn't help but, for at least now, think he was being filled by their kindness to him. 

 He kicked off the covers and ran his fingers through his hair, he never had to worry about knots in fluffy hair which is a blessing whenever someone, particularly this wolf, tugs on it. He stretches and smiles to himself, debating whether or not to put more clothes on before meeting the oh so lovely wolf in their kitchen. He ends up just magicing on fluffy socks to match with his boxers because goddamn it their floors are cold and he would be damned before he opted not to wear fluffy socks when the opportunity presented itself.

[paranormeow7]

Sooooo ive been wanting to Write smthn abt my oc Gavin and his backstory bc he makes me SO INSANE. This has been in the works for maybe like 2 weeks and ITS FINALLY DONE SO Without further ado, here’s this lmao (this is my first time tryin 2 do smthn like this, any critiques r very welcome!!)

CATSKIN

an oc story. by meeee :3

tw: parental abuse, detailed depictions of gore, disturbing imagery, death, animal harm, substance abuse, vomiting, possible dermatillomania trigger, religious trauma, etc

disclaimer!! Part of this story takes place in a fictionalized, static version of the 1950s-60s where racism/transphobia/etc don’t really exist/exist as they do now. Putting that there to clear up any confusion. I swear there’s a worldbuilding reason for this I’m not just doing it to get away with having a trans MC in a story set in the past i prommy-

word count: WHO KNOWS but its kinda long lol strap in

What would you do if you found out everything you thought about how the world worked was was wrong? Would you freak out and retreat back to your comfort zone? Or would you take it as an opportunity to escape, no matter how much pain it caused you?

A sunny April afternoon in a cookie-cutter American suburb. Rows of houses, some with trash cans kicked over, or dented/nonexistent mailboxes. Egg stains on the brightly colored vinyl siding. Lousy teenagers.

The house on the back end of Maple Street, in the sleepy old town of Lockroot, Who-The-Fuck-Cares America was a tiny yellow shack with a beat-up blue roof and dark stains running down the siding. Behind that wooden door with its chipped, blood-red paint, a calendar on the wall read April 14th, 1956.

The buzzing fluorescent kitchen lights shone down on an eleven year old child with wavy brown hair and sunken black eyes. It reminded him of divine light, but there was no god waiting for him that day. All the lights did was accentuate the frown painted across his pallid face. His mother sat across him at the table, looking livid, as per usual. She was always mad at something.

“Chie, do you appreciate all that I do for you?” He stared at the dusty white lucky cat on the shelf, its eyes vacantly staring into space, golden coin growing dull, a painted grin upon its wooden face.

Mocking him.

He always hated cats.

“Yes, Mother.”

She stared him down, her perfectly ironed poodle skirt and white blouse a betrayal of her anger. God, please just let me leave. Let this go fast today. “Are you sure, Chie? Because last I recall, attempting to go into the forest that I specifically told you not to visit wasn’t the way to show it.”

He suddenly became hyperaware of the dirt on his knees. The forest was on the edge of town, blocked off by a barbed wire fence. No one thought about it. It was like it didn’t exist.

“Do you want us to look like a family of ruffians with no self control? Do you want to disgrace our name? Does that sound like fun to you?”

The child shrank back in his cracked leather chair, suddenly finding a great degree of interest in his scuffed brown shoes. He’d gotten them for 3 dollars at a neighbors garage sale, the very same sale they’d gotten the chairs at.

“Rich of you, calling us a family since Father’s gone.”

The child knew he’d made a mistake the moment the words came out of him. He didn’t even know why he’d said anything to begin with. Me and my big mouth. However, what was said could not be taken back. He would just have to live with it.

The color immediately drained from his mother’s hollow, freckled cheeks. Her eyes narrowed into piercing blue slits. “What… did you… just… say to me…?”

Her son braced himself, making himself small, preparing for what he knew was soon to come.

“What did you just FUCKING say to me? You ungrateful little RAT?”

The cold, bony hand came at him like so many before, grabbing him by the hair, yanking him up. His scalp felt like it was on fire, his long brown hair coming out in chunks. pleasestopimsorryiloveyoumommy. After this, he’d chop it all off in front of the spiderweb cracks of his bathroom mirror.

“I do EVERYTHING for this family! I buy your food, your clothes, I send you to school, I brought you into this world!”

Thank you, Mother.

“What have you EVER done for me? NOTHING. ZIP. All you ever do is take from me. Youre just like your no good, mangy dog of a father.”

He thought back to the family portrait that had stood on the mantel of the house, until around 4 years ago, when his dear Father up and sped off in that shiny red Mustang convertible. God, how the child had loved that car.

Afterwards, Mother had taken all the photos of him and burned them in their backyard with the trash. He suspected she wanted him to forget what he looked like. Well, too bad, since in the bottom of his junk drawer, he’d saved the family photo, from their mantel. Aiko. His fathers name was Aiko Nakamura.

At seven, he failed to notice the wild look in his eyes, and how much he tended to glance at the fenced-off woods. But at eleven, it was all he could think of as he nursed his brand new shiner and stared at the cracks in his bedroom ceiling. He knew he’d seen a shape in the darkness that day. It almost looked like a matted, skeletal gray cat. Smiling at him. Just like the lucky cat in the kitchen.

Father got out. He knows the secrets of the woods. Of a life beyond this. Maybe one day I will too.

7 years later, the child, now called Gavin, opened his eyes to that very same ceiling, covered in posters for horror flicks, stolen from the newly opened theatre. No matter, he liked the old drive-in more anyways. His mother was always threatening to take them down and throw them out, but she knew that even if she tried, he’d always bring home more anyways. At any rate, she wasn’t home right now. He rolled out of bed, taking a moment to stare at the autumn leaves outside his window. Orange was always his favorite color, but he didn’t have a time to linger. The phone was ringing.

He wandered out to the living room, picking up the shiny red rotary telephone. “もしもし, Nakamura household.” His mother never answered the phone with this greeting, but his father had taught it to him as a child, and he liked it. “Gavin, babe! Hows tricks?” He could hear the smile on the other end. “Hi, Valley.” His face lit up along with hers. They had started dating almost a year ago. “That doesn’t answer my question, but its no matter, you can answer it in around 10 minutes from now!” He was puzzled, for a moment, but hearing sound of a key jangling in the background, he got it. “Val, you don’t have to. There’s barely any food in the fridge, hasn’t been full for weeks. You got your own posh little house to sit up in, don’t ya?” Gavin didn’t like Valley coming to his house. Its not like there was anything to do outside of watch their outdated cabinet television or throw his old baseball around, and Val was rich. He didn’t want her to feel like she owed him anything.

“Too late, doll! I brought snacks for the both of us, anyways. Catch ya later Gav!” “Val, wait just a-“ She blew a kiss into the receiver, and the call disconnected. Gavin rolled his eyes, hung up, and threw on his favorite brown bomber jacket. Val had always been so caring.

I don’t deserve her.

He didn’t have time to wallow, hearing the sound of a window opening. He ran up to his room and opened the door, right as Valley fell through the window, landing on her butt with a loud thump, along with a case of strawberry soda. My favorite… At the sight of the chubby, dark skinned girl in his bedroom, Gavin ran to help her up. “Ever the gentleman, ain’tcha?” She set down the basket she was holding and situated herself on the bed. Her matching red skirt and cardigan, and floor length locs that must’ve taken ages to style, were already gathering dust. Why’d she have to come here?

Gavin suddenly became aware of the mess in the room. Dirty clothes on the dresser, books stacked near the bed, and dozens of loose papers strewn across the floor, each adorned with sketches, paintings, collages, poems, anything his mind could conjure up when he couldn’t sleep. Blushing, he attempted to sweep them away, but not before Val took notice, and picked one up off the floor. “Your art is so lovely, Gavin. What’s this one?” Taking it from her and stashing it away, he responded “Nothing in particular, just couldn’t sleep. You know me, haha!!” He was bright red this point. Change the subject, will you, dear?

That she did. “Sooo, what are we gonna do for your birthday this weekend? You’re gonna be eighteen! Far out, huh?” Oh. Right. Eighteen. He didn’t know how to feel, if he was being honest. “I dunno, maybe we can go out and see a movie.” Val put her head on his shoulder and laughed. Gavin winced. The shoulder was bruised. However, thats what love was. Wasn’t it? “That’s what we always do!” Val chirped. “Ain’t much else in this town, is there?” Gavin quipped. But, if he was being honest, he knew exactly what he was going to do.

Gavin sat up and stared out his cracked bedroom window, past the pretty orange leaves, past the cheesy Halloween decorations, past the shops and diners and gas stations. All the way to the forest surrounding their little town.

Nobody thought much of it, which was true. Nobody that is, except the kids. While the adults were content to sit back and live their monotonous American dream, the children would whisper across the town, stories of what could possibly be on the other side of that barbed wire fence. “My cousin said there’s monsters out there. He says they have no skin, and they’ll cut you up and eat you bit by bit while you’re still alive. They start with your eyes.”

“My sister said that if you fall asleep out there, you’ll never wake up again and have horrible nightmares for the rest of your life. The spirits out there keep you asleep so they can eat your dreams.”

Run of the mill horror stories. But among the bolder, or perhaps the more beaten down, those with less to lose, the woods offered something else. A fortune beyond comprehension. Godlike power. Freedom. A new life, a new start. All sorts of wonders, waiting for those who knew where to look.

Maybe that’s what the adults were afraid of, because every once in a while, a new person would get this look in their eyes, like they knew a good secret. They would become more and more withdrawn, or excitable, or any suspicious change that could happen in a person. Then, after a little while, around a few days to a year, they would disappear. Sometimes it was a business trip, an inheritance, a need for a change of scenery. And sometimes they would just.

Vanish. Without a trace. They were there, and then they weren’t. Of course, they would send out search parties to comb the town for them, and reassure everyone who asked that they were doing the best they could. But of course, everybody knew. The seductive call of the woods was not to fall of deaf ears. After a while, their “MISSING PERSONS” posters were taken down and discarded, and they lived in the town only through the gossip of the children. Gavin had quite a collection of salvaged posters on his bedroom wall, hidden behind his dresser. His mother would blow a gasket, he thought.

When his mother wasn’t reading him the Bible, Gavin’s father used to tell him old Japanese folktales about fox spirits, yokai, kaibutsu. He recalled his stories of creatures known as Kaibyo when-

“Hey, spaceboy. Whatcha thinkin about?” Valley waved a hand in front of his face, bringing him back to reality.

“Nothing, doll. Absolutely nothing.”

Laughter. Then, a kiss. Warm hands caressing his cheeks, on his waist, through his short brown hair. It was 1963, the love decade was soon to kick off, there was a girl in his bed and the world was beautiful, if only for a little while.

At some point, Valley left, and Gavin picked up the piece of paper that she’d asked him about. Clinging to his tarnished silver first communion rosary, a chill ran down his spine, for no reason he could discern. On the paper was a sketch of an emaciated gray cat, with a wide, yellow toothed grin.

Two days until his birthday.

He fell asleep rather quickly that night, which was unusual for him, but it was a shallow sleep, dreaming of nothing but black water, fur, and two piercing, blue eyes.

CAUTION-CUIDADO-ATTENTION

あなた以外に神はいない

Waking up in a cold sweat, Gavin rolled over in his creaky bed. He looked over at his alarm clock. 2:18 AM.

for fucks sake.

Staring at his beat-up wooden desk and the piles of paper and pencils sitting at it, it occurred to him that he didn’t feel like drawing that night. It was a pretty night, with a lovely moon in the sky.

Some fresh air would do me good.

He’d fallen asleep in his clothes. Motor oil stained white T-shirt, frayed black pants, and of course, his brown leather bomber jacket. It had seen a lot in all the years he’d owned it. It had been patched twice, one on each elbow, in different colors. He wanted to paint something on the back, but he didn’t know what he wanted yet. He hadn’t thought about it.

Tiptoeing as not to wake his catatonic mother, who was sleeping on the couch in front of the TV, Gavin almost stepped on a shard of broken glass.

Beer bottles.

The living room floor was carpeted in them, in sparkling amber and green, casting moonlight all over the room, in the multifaceted reflections of the tired faces residing within it.

Beautiful… so beautiful…

He’d never drank alcohol before. He knew a lot of kids at his school who would. Theyd throw big parties at their parents houses while they were away, cut into Daddy’s brandy, and go rampaging around the neighborhood, TPing trees, streaking through the park, smashing windshields, all kinds of juvenile delinquent shenanigans. It was always the worst on Halloween, which was coming up. It was October, the month of playground rumors, teenage pranksters, and a chill of anticipation in the air.

Gavin put down the bottle, grabbed a bolt cutter and walked outside.

A cold wind immediately blew into his face, making him shiver and sneeze. A shower of damp orange leaves fluttered into his hair. As he plucked one out, he glanced toward his favorite thing he’d ever owned, his escape from all of his troubles.

A shiny motorcycle sat in the driveway, waiting. He’d rescued it from the scrapyard a few years prior and had it painted red, just like his father’s old car. His mother was always telling him to scrap it.

���Lets go, old girl.” Revving the engine, stepping on the gas, and taking flight. Wind in his hair, leaves in his face, he drove, and for a little while, he forgot all of his troubles. He passed by each and every cookie-cutter house, with their perfectly trimmed lawns, covered in tacky Halloween decorations. Bright, glowing jack-o-lanterns. Wispy plastic spiderwebs. Cartoon witches and ghosts.

Snarling black cats with brightly colored eyes.

Blue eyes.

Gavin looked away and kept driving all the way up until he reached his destination.

The edge of town, and the entrance to the forest, the sign-covered fence surrounding it, like a dare.

CAUTION-CUIDADO-ATTENTION

It had an eerie air about it. While the trees in town were decorated in all the fiery reds, oranges, and yellows of fall, the trees of the woods were all painted in the strange shades of evergreen leaves. They seemed to fade from green to what looked like blue the further you looked. The bark was white, like birch wood, but with an odd, almost pearlescent sheen if you looked too hard. And were those… eyes…

Hello.

Jerking him out from his troubled thoughts, was a voice, from behind. Human. What else would it be, silly? He turned around and almost fell backwards at the sight of a silhouette of a woman, we standing over him. “SHIT!!” he declared. A giggle in response. Oh…

“Hi, Valley…” Gavin exhaled. It hadn’t occurred to him that he was holding his breath at all. She took his hand and squeezed it. He smiled. Her hands were warm. “Why do you look so afraid? Did you think you were the only kid who came out here?”

His heartbeat slowed. Maybe she would understand. Maybe she wants to go with me. Maybe we can see whats on the other side together.

He glanced at his motorcycle, at the bolt cutters, and began to speak.

“Remember when I told you i didn’t know what I wanted to do for my birthday?” A puzzled expression danced across Valley’s face. Exhale. “Val, how would you like to see whats on the other side with me? We can get away from all this. Together. Just like we wanted, right?” His eyes shined in anticipation.

Valley’s expression changed to a warm smile. She leaned towards him and kissed him. Her lips were soft and she tasted like the strawberry soda she brought him the day before.

His heart fluttered. His face got warm. Was this happening?

She pulled away.

His hands felt so cold all of a sudden.

“Oh, Gavin, doll. You know theres nothing out there, right?”

“what…?”

“There just isn’t. All the folks that go out there just die. Everybody knows. Please don’t tell me you believe all the stories the kids tell. I love you and I support you, but I can’t agree with you on this.

Don’t you remember what happened to your father?”

The mention of his father made his blood run cold. Sure, he left him and his mom to fend for themselves, leaving them poor and hungry, but whatever was on the other side of that fence had to be worth it, right? He wouldn’t have done all this for nothing, right?

He can’t be dead. He’s out there somewhere. He has to be.

He hadn’t noticed that that familiar haunted look had passed over his own face, the way Valley had. He felt a strong, warm hand gripping his sleeve.

“Gavin, please. I know you want to find out what happened to your dad, but I’m really worried about you. I’ve been trying to support you no matter what, and I know you’ve been going through a lot, but I can’t let you go in there-“

“let go of me.”

“w-what…?”

“please, I-“

“Gavin, you’re scaring me. Please come back with me, I love you-“

“I SAID LET GO.”

Gavin pulled away with such ferocity that Valley fell backwards against his motorcycle, toppling it over. Breathing hard, he turned back towards his girlfriend. The look in her eyes was indescribable. There was so much hurt, so much fear, so much worry for him.

He couldn’t handle it. He had to run. Gavin knew he probably should have just turned back and ran home, but he just couldn't deal with the anger of his mother, the worry of his girlfriend, and everyone, all of Lockroot watching, knowing. Seeing the look in his dark brown eyes.

There goes another one.

He dropped his bolt cutters and clambered over the fence, ignoring the barbed wire digging into his hands and the warm blood gushing down his cold wrists. Ignoring the sobs and begs of his girlfriend. Ignoring them as they stopped completely. Getting to the top of the fence, he threw himself over, no hesitation. Landing hard on his side, a shot of pain burst through his hip, causing him to let out a moan. It didn’t matter. He just needed to get away. Gavin got up with a pained grunt and took off, deep into the mouth of the dark, cavernous woods, not daring to look back.

As he ran, searing pain throbbed in his side and the deep gashes in his hands left an obvious trail of blood behind him. Gavin’s injuries were getting harder to ignore, threatening to throw him back into the rotten leaves and worm infested dirt. He had to keep going. He didn’t know what he was running from or where he was trying to get. He just knew he didn’t want to fall. He was afraid that if he did, he’d pass out, never wake up, and rot alone out there in these God forsaken woods, his lean, sallow body slowly falling to pieces and filling with maggots, beetles and flies. Picking at his soft flesh. Eating him, bit by little bit.

The air had grown moist, tepid and suffocating. Gavin started to gasp and heave for breath. Wasn’t it October? The eyes on the tree bark were growing sharper and darker. Scrutinising him.

Stop looking at me.

He couldn’t fall. He couldn’t surrender. There were whispers in his ears, so faint that he didn’t know if he was really hearing them. The voice was indescribable, neither male nor female, young or old, but filled with desire, desire for something beyond what it had. Something it shouldn’t be allowed.

lie down here with me, will you? you’re a handsome one. why don’t you stay a while…

He felt paws all over him, grasping at his thighs and his stomach, pulling at his hair. It felt familiar.

keepgoingkeepgoingdontstopyoucantquitnow

In the end, his undoing was a regular old, run of the mill, medium sized gray rock. The kind you’d find in your backyard. His foot hit the stone hard and he went down, right on his bad hip. Crack. He lay on the ground for a few minutes, not even mustering up the energy to scream. The only thing that came out of his dry, cracked lips was a soft, pathetic moan, followed by a choked-back sob. What had he been thinking? Valley was right, there was nothing out here, and now he was lost and all alone. His girlfriend was gone, his mom was gone, and now he was going to die out in these horrible woods just like his father.

Blood gushing from his hands and tears flowing from his eyes, Gavin slowly sat up and tried to brush the dirt off of his soiled leather jacket. At that moment, he noticed a horrible smell.

Like a garbage dump. Like rotting meat. Like death.

The stench was overpowering. It assaulted his sinuses and made him gag. Gavin swayed, doubled over and vomited what little was in his stomach. The smell of it mixed with the nauseating air, threatening to make him throw up again, when all of a sudden, a shadow fell over the forest.

Gavin looked up, and his eyes met with a monster.

ねこまた nekomata

It was hard to discern in the pitch dark woods, but it must have been around 15-20 feet tall. The space around it rippled with what looked like dark, matted fur, two impossibly long, mangy tails danced behind it, and its drooling, slavering mouth held rotten, yellow teeth the size of small trees. A deafening buzzing noise could be heard near and around the monster, with Gavin realizing that this demon was shielded in a dark, undulating cloud of flies.

The worst part was it’s eyes.

Two soulless, pitch black holes, deep as an abandoned well, with two piercing pricks of bright, nuclear blue in their centers. The creatures gaze was blank, filled with nothing but hunger. Staring at Gavin like a bloody slab of steak. Like a tiny mouse in a trap.

It began to move towards him, calmly, and ever so casual. Gavin couldn’t cry out. All he could do was sit, stunned, in a rancid puddle of his own vomit. This can’t be real. God wouldn’t let this happen. At that moment, he realized that he had lost his rosary. The monster drew closer, until it’s head was just inches away from Gavin’s, it’s breath blowing into his face. He noticed large chunks of rotting flesh festering between it’s teeth, being fed on and burrowed into by the army of insects surrounding the creature.

I guess that explains the smell…

Gavin was frozen. He wished he had a weapon, wished he could attack the thing waiting in front of him. He wished he could move, so maybe he could try to escape. But instead, he was still as a stone, unable to do anything. How many times have you been in this position?

Gavin tried to brace himself for his death as the monsters mouth began to open. He waited to feel claws to rival his monster movies on his body, cracking his bones in half. He waited to feel teeth ripping his skin away from his muscles. He waited for the feeling of bodily fluids mixing and flowing and filling his lungs and his eyes and smothering him.

It never came. Maybe it would’ve been better than what followed.

Instead of devouring Gavin and leaving his bones for a stray dog to chew on, the monsters eyes rolled back into its head, and it’s face began to split down the middle. A viscous black liquid gushed out of the seams.

It almost looked like motor oil.

Gavin almost gagged as the creatures face slowly tore apart and peeled away, revealing a shiny white skull filled to the brim with millipedes. The oil-like substance dripped onto his clothes, further staining them, the black mixing with the red and green of the blood and vomit. One of the millipedes crawled out of the monsters gaping mouth and fell onto Gavin’s arm. He watched in horror as the insect burrowed into the gash on his hand. He could see it moving under his skin. He could feel it’s little legs poking at his muscles.

あなた以外に神はいない

do you understand?

Gavin promptly blacked out.

The next morning, at the end of Maple Street, the sun shone through the small yellow house’s windows. The birds were singing, and the paper boy was making his rounds as if nothing had happened, nothing at all. The calendar read October 16th, 1963. A certain young man’s 18th birthday.

Gavin woke up, at home, in his own bed, with his mind full of fog and the worst headache you can imagine. It felt like a jackhammer was being drilled into his brain.

Was it all… a horrible dream?

His jacket and t-shirt were lying on the floor next to his bed, but his jeans were still on. I need to stop sleeping in my clothes.

His side hurt. His hands hurt. It's nothing. I probably just fell, maybe cut myself on one of Mother's beer bottles...

As he rolled out of bed to get a shirt on, he noticed his drawings, rather than being scattered across the floor, were stacked up next to his desk. Looking through them, he saw they were all of shadowy, grey cats.

"Ugh..." He wondered if he'd been drinking, and that was why his head hurt so bad. Never mind that he didn't drink. That was his mother's habit. It's just that there was no other way to explain what had happened the night before.

Speaking of which...

"Gavin. Get down here. We need to talk."

A "Happy Birthday" would've been nice.

Ambling down the stairs, Gavin braced himself. Did she find out where he'd been, somehow? That would mean he'd actually ended up going, and the events of last night had actually played out. He wasn't ready to accept that truth.

His mother met his face, standing in the middle of their glass covered living room floor, which no one bothered to clean up. Her auburn hair looked like it hadn't been combed in weeks and her green sweater was covered in stains. She looked like she hadn't slept a day in her life.

"The sherrif found your motorcycle down by the outskirts of town, and your little girlfriend wouldn't say anything, but she seemed pretty damn shaken. Is there anything you'd like to say for yourself?"

no... it was a nightmare... nothing more...

"I don't know what you're talking about."

under his skin, something moved.

"Oh, i think you do. For eighteen years now, i've fed you, clothed you, provided for you and the ONLY THING i've asked in return is for you to STAY AWAY FROM THE WOODS. This is how you thank me? For EVERYTHING IVE EVER DONE FOR YOU?"

The woman was livid, blue eyes burning with rage, face locked in a snarl. She grabbed Gavin by the hair and pulled his face up close by hers. There was a distinct stench of alcohol on her breath. He'd heard this song before, many times over.

"You were looking for your father, weren't you."

He felt something running down his scalp. Blood? Something more viscous, perhaps? Motor oil?

Your father is dead. Maybe the "evil spirits" in those awful stories he told you did him in. At any rate, it doesn't matter anymore. Go into the woods if you want, because you're not welcome in my house anymore. If you want to be like your father, then be like him. Leave. Don't ever come back."

"Mama-"

"JUST GO!" The woman threw her son backwards, landing hard with a sickening CRUNCH into the floor's coating of broken glass and booze bottles. His mother's sorrow would find yet another way to hurt him, he thought, as he felt the shards dig into his back. This was it. Gavin would need to find someplace else to go. Wincing as he got up, blood rushing down his back, he limped back upstairs, grabbed his jacket and was just about to leave before he noticed several full beer bottles from her mom's stash. Nothing left to lose...

His mom couldn’t punish him for anything anymore. It was oddly freeing. He took a couple bottles and stowed them away. With everything he needed stored in his bag, there was one more place he figured he could try. If it didn't work, he would have to find someplace else.

Valley had spent the entire day up until that point talking to the police. They wouldn't get anything out of her, she didn't even know what had happened herself. Besides, everyone in town knew that these investigations were for show anyways. No one ever came out of the woods, and after a while, everyone forgot. Valley would have to as well.

At that moment, lying on her blue silk sheets, the doorbell rang.

"Listen Officer, i already told you i haven't got anything for you-"

Her eyes met not with a blue clad member of the force, but with a ghost. If possible, Gavin looked even worse than he did the night before, when she watched him jump the forbidden fence like a man possessed, seemingly sealing his fate. His clothes were covered in bloodstains, some looking old, some looking new. Valley couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"H-how? You’re not... no one is supposed to... I saw..."

"Hey again, Val."

How could he just show up on her doorstep like nothing happened at all? This wasn't how these cases were supposed to go. The posters would stay up for a while until they got taken down, and no one would ever talk about the missing person again. Maybe it was messed up, but that’s how it had always been.

"Gavin, i can't believe you're..."

"Alive? Yeah... i'm having some trouble believing that too."

Valley rubbed her temple and sighed. It was obvious she was very stressed. And why shouldn't she be? Her boyfriend of almost a year had seemingly gotten himself killed right in front of her, she'd spent the entire day talking to the cops about the incident, and now he'd showed up on her doorstep out of nowhere? Maybe it'd have been better if he hadn't come back at all. Maybe he should've just stayed gone. All he ever did was hurt others anyway...

Valley looked up, finally. "Okay, what do you-" Nothing. He'd already gone. It was like he hadn't even been there to begin with.

I’m such an idiot.

Val walked back upstairs to her room, flopped down onto her expensive silk sheets and screamed into her pillow. “That fucking ASSHOLE! How could he be so casual about this? I thought he died!! And now he leaves me all over again, with no explanation??” Valley was tired. This wasn’t the first stupid thing Gavin had pulled, and now he was crossing into genuinely dangerous territory. “That’s it. I’m done. I don’t need to worry about him anymore. Let him go back into that forest. See if I care.”

She decided it would be best to try to go to sleep, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something terrible was about to happen.

“You wouldn’t actually go back there… would you?”

Meanwhile, Gavin knew he needed to find his motorcycle. It could have either been taken by the police, or it was still out there by the woods. Somehow he doubted the cops had touched it. There was probably yellow tape around it or something. He didn't want to go back to the forest, but somehow, some way, he knew he had to.

His hand itched, and there was still something squirming beneath his skin. It felt like it was trying to get out. To go back into the forest, and take him with it.

Was he marked?

At that moment, Gavin remembered the bottles he’d taken from his house, if he could call it that anymore.

Maybe it could help me get my courage back.

He took one swig, then another. The first drink was awful. It tasted like hatred and burned his throat, but he kept forcing it down, because he was desperate to feel SOMETHING. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea…

He kept going anyways.

After a while, it started to get better. Or maybe this was what being drunk was like. Before he knew, he'd burned through nearly half of the bottles he'd stolen, and each sip sent fire down his throat, burning away his inhibitions. How did i never try this? How do people not do this every day? His head swam and his thoughts blurred, and all he knew was that he felt good, and that a new chapter of his life was about to begin.

Follow me.

A voice rang out from seemingly nowhere in particular, taking his hand, dragging him along for the ride. Whatever was under his skin felt like it was trying to tear it’s way out and lead him to the woods. Maybe he was marked. Marked for this journey.

Follow. I know what you’re looking for. I can take you there. You’re going to see something beautiful…

And what else could he do? The alcohol in his system was preventing him from thinking straight anyways. Gavin felt himself almost being pulled forward by some external, seemingly invisible force. He felt fur all around him. It was almost nice. Comfortable. He could hear disjointed voices, seeming far away.

“Hey, isn’t that…” “It can’t be. He should be dead...” “They never come back.” “Is he okay?”

Pay them no mind… we’ll be here soon.

Two glowing blue pinpricks. Jack o lanterns outside of cookie cutter houses. Follow the lights. This is your destiny.

Destiny?

Gavin had never thought of destiny before. When he found his motorcycle, that felt like destiny. When he started dating Valley, that felt like destiny.

I guess none of that matters now.

Everything itched.

Suddenly, he was back by the fence, in the outskirts of town. Didn’t it usually take longer to get here, especially by foot?

There was a hole in the fence, seemingly cut out just for him. Did I do that? And right in front of it, there it was.

His motorcycle. It hadn’t been moved since the night before.

There was a path slicing through the forest. He didn’t remember that from the last time he was there.

The bike was fueled up and ready for him. Gavin knew what had to be done. Whether or not this was real or an alcohol induced haze didn’t matter to him. Getting on the bike and finding out what was on the other side of those woods was all that mattered.

Any horrible monsters or demons be damned.

He revved up the motorcycle and back through the woods he went, and with his inhibitions drowned out of his body, Gavin could finally see how pretty it was out there. The almost supernatural blues and greens of the tree leaves complimenting the pearlescent bark. He could see the shadows of impossibly large creatures rustling behind the trees. This time, the atmosphere of the woods felt less like a warning and more like a new beginning. But sometimes, new beginnings can be just as terrifying.

He didn’t see the cat until he’d already hit it. He’d been swerving through the path, and had come pretty close to a crash several times over, just barely missing any stray trees or rocks. However, his drunken reflexes weren’t going to be enough to save him for long.

A jingling bell. Glowing, fearful blue eyes on gray fur. A animals shriek. A thud, a splat, and a swerve. Too late. The damage had been done, and both the bike and the boy were thrown aside by something that seemed far larger than a roadkill cat. Something that threw them a long way before they landed, and they landed hard on what seemed like pavement. why would there be pavement way out here in this forest?

Gavin skid across the ground, feeling something pop out of his face theysaidmyeyesweresobeautiful, well, what was left of his face, as he felt his skin scraping off the side of his body pleasemommyitburnsitburns, and as he felt the shattering of bones upon impact that’smorethanjustmyhipisn’tit and the broken glass shards embedding in his flesh feelslikehome, it all came to him. It came to him as he realized his bike was pinning him to the ground, as he felt his limbs bend the wrong way, as blood and piss and oil flowed from seemingly every opening on his body.

I guess this is it. I’m dying.

I didn’t even get to see what was on the other side.

Was there even anything on the other side?

Was this what happened to Father?

I can feel the glass in my back.

All I am is glass. I want to go home.

I want to see Mother. God, maybe, if I’m lucky. Something tells me if I’m not lucky.

招き猫 maneki-neko

All I am is glass.

The last things Gavin heard as the black washed over him were a pained, stilted meow, a blood gurgle (my first victim’s? my own?), and the skittering of something crawling out of the cavity where his eye used to be.

all for nothing…

all for...

Fur. Fur, all around him. Again. He was beginning to get sick of this feeling. Or was it becoming comfortable? He didn’t know. The feeling reminded him of his mother’s old habits. Not like he had any time to dwell on her, because the moment he opened his remaining eye, he was met with a massive feline skull, seemingly coming out of and from the darkness around him, with two blue pinpricks for eyes.

Welcome, old friend.

I know your voice. Who are you?

That doesn’t matter. You want to get out of here, don’t you?

Yes. I never got to see… I never got to see what was…

I can do that for you. I can bring you back. I can get you out.

How?

A massive paw with claws like butcher knives materialized in front of him. What was the saying? Don’t deal with the devil?

Was this even the devil? Or was this something else entirely?

Take my hand. Your transformation will come with pain and hardship, but it will help the both of us. I promise.

Gavin didn’t want this to be for nothing. He didn’t want to go back into the darkness. He really didn’t.

You don’t have to. You can always just stay where you are. Forever.

His journey, his pain, his losses, his discoveries. He wanted to know where it all would lead.

What is your final decision, old friend?

He needed to know.

He put out his hand, hesitated for a moment, and then forcefully connected it with the gargantuan paw splayed out before him. No going back now.

So it shall be. Thank you, Gavin.

The gray fur melted around him and gathered into his hand. It began to spread and grow from there, covering each inch of his body. His arms, his legs, his torso, his face. It blinded him, and as he lost his senses one by one, he felt it flow into the cavernous empty eye socket left by his recklessness.

Curiosity killed the cat.

But satisfaction brought it back.

After hours, or days, I can’t tell anymore, Gavin woke up changed, someplace else. Everything hurt. He felt like every part of his body was bleeding. His injuries might have healed by some supernatural force, but it sure didn’t feel that way.

He opened his eye and the first thing that struck him was that instead of a forest, he was met with a sprawling junkyard, filled to the brim with piles of garbage as tall as buildings, against a stark red sky. An all manner of dilapidated mechanical gadgets. People’s weeks-old trash. Horrible smelling organic matter that Gavin didn’t want to look at or even think about. Salvage heaven? He couldn’t tell, but it felt like everything anyone had every thrown away ended up here.

Have I been thrown away, too?

Gavin attempted to get his bearings and try and survey his new surroundings, but every move he made felt like a thousand knives as hot as the sun were being inserted into his flesh. He knew he had to do SOMETHING, though.

I need to see what happened to my body. I need to see the results of this “transformation.”

There was a reflective pool of a familiar black, viscous liquid seemingly a few feet away from him, his estimate as his depth perception had all but disappeared. Maybe that would work. Abandoning all dignity he might’ve still kept at this point, he put his death-razed arms out in front of him and dragged himself to his goal.

Is this what I’ve come to? Is this the culmination of all my 18 years of life? I never even saw my senior prom.

Gavin would see something else, however. Mustering up all his strength, he made it to the metallic puddle and attempted to stand. A thousand sickening cracking noises resonated out of his body, as if he was 81 rather than 18. The pain was so unbearable he almost puked his literal guts out into the looking glass puddle he’d just worked so hard to reach.

However, what he saw in it made him hurt in a different way. He didn’t know whether or not it was worse than the pain of all the injuries he’d agreed to endure. Whatever I just struck a pact with must not have been powerful enough to get rid of any pain I might be feeling, even if I’m now able to live through it.

Before him was a face he didn’t recognize, a face he might’ve expected from the horror movies he used to sneak out to see. His skin appeared ash white, like all of his blood had drained from his body. The skin he had left, anyways, as the right side of his body, the side he’d landed on after the accident, had barely any at all. He’d never really thought of what human muscles looked like underneath skin, but now was as good a time as ever to find out. If he could even still be classified as “human”. His teeth were an odd red color and had seemingly all been replaced by canine incisors, giving him a terribly offputting grin on top of everything else concerning his new appearance that might scare a person off.

His jacket sleeve was completely torn away, his black pants ripped to shreds, and his hair had turned that same familiar shade of gray, with no trace of the brown his loved ones had run their fingers through. His remaining eye was glassy and pale, with a jaundiced yellow look to it, and the cavity where his other eye used to be was so badly shredded that some of the bone could be seen. His eyelid seemed to have suffered the same fate, leaving the gaping hole in his head open for all to stare at and wonder about. His limbs had grown bushy, tangled gray fur, and at his fingertips were retractable, cat-like claws.

The most noticeable new features, however, were marked by new weight at his back and on the sides of his head. Two large, alien looking, cat-like ears had grown over Gavin’s old human ears, with lumps in places were imperfections seem to have occurred. His right ear was deformed and stunted, seemingly due to the damage he had suffered in that area. It gave him the look of a stray cat that lost the tip of it’s ear in some kind of turf war. And at his lower back danced two long, ratty, almost mangy gray tails. They seemed somewhat non-Euclidean, appearing longer and shorter depending on where you looked at them, and adorning them were two concerning markings that looked a bit like teeth.

As the boy stared into his reflection, the heavy realization settled over him like a wet cotton blanket. The old Gavin, the one that had listened to his fathers folktales and eaten at the local diner and gotten into fights at school and drawn on his arms and snuck his girlfriend into movies, was dead. He had died in an accident in the forest like so many others before him, and his replacement was this ungodly chimaera-like creature.

For the first time since he was in elementary school, Gavin knelt to the ground, threw his gaze to the red, smog-filled sky, and let himself cry. Heaving, painful sobs. The culmination of all of his life’s mistakes. No one would be there to see him, anyways.

Who’s going to love me, looking like this?

Will God forgive me for becoming something so unholy?

Was any of this even worth it?

A familiar voice rang out inside his head. Something told him that this was where it lived now.

You’re not ungodly, my disciple. In fact, you are far from it. You came back from the dead, something many saints couldn’t accomplish. There’s something divine in that, is there not?

Is that who you are? Are you God?

Laughter. And with that, the voice in his head, in his heart, went dormant.

Gavin strained and threw up a little, but managed to get up. Looking around the endless expanse of the junkyard, he noticed something, standing out from the rest of the wreckage.

A cherry-red Mustang convertible, smeared with long-dried blood. Laying next to it, a page out of fairly recent looking calendar, with the date reading April 14th, 2163.

Suddenly, the junkyard didn’t seem so endless anymore. Gavin could see what looked like a cityscape in the distance. Mustering up all the strength he could, he began to walk.

I guess this is my new beginning.

For a brief moment, the spirit’s voice came back into his head.

あなた以外に神はいない

There is no god but you.

A young girl tacks a missing persons poster to a telephone pole. What have you seen? What have you found?

Would she ever find out? Who else did?

the end LMAO ✌🏻 I hope you liked this I worked my ass off on it. If you didn’t that’s okay!! I’m not sure if I like it, either!! But at least it’s done. YIPPEE. Now go drink some water.

[lesbianwyllravengard]

Hell yeah i got some recs!! Most of mine are going to be more Hank and Connor or Reed900 centric, so keep that in mind.

From it's Own Wreck by Jivvin is my current favorite! It's a ghost au based on the film Just Like Heaven (2005) and it's full of gorgeous writing and has lots of great moments in it. I can't recommend it enough. It is incomplete, but the author regularly updates and it's a few chapters away from being finished.

Deviating and Solving Crime with 100% Human Detective Connor by CaptainKenway. Exactly what it says. You're solving crime with a 100% human detective, nothing else. Nothing suspicious about him. 0_0 It has some good angst and funny moments, and i really enjoyed reading it.

Detroit 07 by Rhinozilla is INCREDIBLE! It's a 38 part series (i know, im stilling working through it) and it's got so much angst, found family, comfort, crack shenanigans, and just as much plot as there is silly oneshots. It's got some OCs in it that are amazing and fit so well into the story, and it does deviate a little bit from the norm (different name for Nines for example, and no reed900) but it's still really good. Since there are so many parts to it and two of the parts are over 400k each, here are some of the smaller oneshots that can be read easily by themselves:

Color Wheel: Connor sustains minor damage to the hardware controlling his appearance. Everybody in the bullpen is united with one singular mission: do not let Connor know that his hair keeps changing colors.

The Breathing Graveyard: The DPD sends Connor to talk down a volatile deviant that's holed up in a trailer near the android scrapyard. It doesn't go the way any of them expect.

Bubbles: Connor gets stuck watching a lost little girl while they wait for her parents to come pick her up at the station.

And then i'd recommend Chapter 51 of Camaraderie if you're up for a wholesome father-son moment.

Through Your Veins by AceEmerson: Nines gets hurt and Gavin takes him back to his apartment to patch them up. There is also an android cat, first kiss, and TENSION

Secret by sv962: Role-reversal Reed900, first kiss. Tis very good. Semi-short at less than 5k and you want a good little role reversal, i recommend it.

The unexpected benefits of having a therapist terminator by texs_sins: Undeviated Nines decides to become Gavin's therapist to help improve their work partnership. 'Surely exposing himself to human emotions won't make a difference, after all nothing has ever made him deviate, right?' it's a fantastic fic and i love their take on Machine Nines and Deviated Nines. (fair warning because it's not listed in the tags, there's a little bit of smut in the last chapter, but easily skippable if you aren't up for it)

Beautifully Unique and Strange by cliffhanging: autistic Connor oneshot because we need more autistic Connor fics

Only Skin Deep by the AsexualofSpades: pre-relationship Reed900, where Nines tries to hide as much of his androidness in response to his anti-android partner five times and the one time he doesn't. It has a nice follow up fic too and i recommend it!

i think that's a fair amount to stop at, oh my god. And thanks again for your recs!! I'm gonna get reading to them tonight!! <3<3<3

Ahhh hell yes! Thank you so much!!

I have read the texs_sins fic (and most of theirs) but I'd definitely reread them bc I love them a lot so thank you for reminding me!

I am ALWAYS DOWN for more father son content with Hank and Connor, thank you SO much. It's so hard for me to find any these days.

Detroit 07... Almost sounds like a kind of Brooklyn 99 AU? In which case idk if I should read it just yet because I am also writing a dbh brooklyn 99 AU and I don't want to accidentally steal ideas or be influenced by someone else, but maybe after I post my own work I'll check it out! (two cakes!)

These all sound super fun thank you for the recommendations!! <333

[snorky]

Wildin' in Detroit

Hey y’all! This is a rewrite of an older Detroit: Become Human work that I had uploaded to AO3 sometime last year. I hope you guys enjoy this work of fiction, and keep in mind, this fic isn’t meant to be taken seriously, just a fun little story. Reader is gender-neutral in this with they/them pronouns. Let me know if you want anything! :)

Word Count: 912

Warnings: Alcohol Consumption (of legal age)

—

—

They had just gotten off of work at a quaint bookstore in the center of Detroit a couple of hours ago, and their friends, Hank, Connor, and Gavin, had just gotten off of a shift at the Detroit Police Department. After a couple of moments of deciding, they decided to text them about some plans that they have considered.

Hey y’all, would you guys be down for some food at Biggie’s? Think it’d be fun to have a little night out this Friday.

Yeah, I’ll be there in about 10 mins. Connor is coming along too. - Hank

Read 6:48 by Gavin

They showed up at Biggie’s a couple of minutes after 7, the music already making the place livelier, along with the scent of savory foods, and laughter from the crowd of people. Dim lighting set the place up for a feeling of something so serene, and yet alive. A dream-like haze in a way.

Hank showed up with Connor alongside him a couple of minutes later, spotting them sitting in a booth near the back of the restaurant.

“Hey kiddo! Sorry for leaving you here all alone for a bit.” He sat down in the booth and smiled. “Are you doing alright?” he asked politely.

“No, yeah I’m alright Lieutenant,” they responded. “What about you? Hopefully the Detroit traffic didn’t slow you down too bad,” they laughed.

“Nah, don’t worry about me, I made it here in one piece.” Hank shrugged.

The music continued to float through the air, a generic top 50’s hit humming in the background of the now crowded restaurant. Buffalo chicken wings and some refreshments made their way to the table by Connor, and Hank thanked him for it. They all sat there in silence, sipping their drinks, enjoying the atmosphere of a warm Friday night in Detroit. 

“Hey, guys! Sorry I’m late.” Gavin said as he sat down in the booth. “Detroit traffic got to me.” Hank rolled his eyes at him.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever Reed.” He took a sip of his drink.

Gavin eventually got up and out of the booth to get a drink at the bar, leaving Hank and Connor with them. 

“You look like you’re enjoying those chicken wings Lieutenant. They must be appetizing,” Connor said with a soft smile.

“Damn straight! You can’t find these anywhere but Biggie’s.” He said as he finished the last of his wings.

A couple of minutes passed by and Reed was nowhere to be found yet. It seemed eerily quiet at the table without his banter and complaints about seemingly anything, and the music playing in the restaurant over the silence didn’t help.

“Hey uh,” Hank started, “does anyone want to check up on Reed to make sure he didn’t start a fire or something?” he chuckled looking at Connor.

“Sure thing Lieutenant, let me just run a scan of the—”

“Howdy partners! How are y’all doing on this beautiful night?” Gavin said over-enthusiastically in a southern accent.

“Hey Reed. Quick question, how much did you already drink?” they questioned.

“None! I’m just living my life!”

Connor looked at him skeptically, “My scans indicate that your BAC levels are higher than sobriety,”

“Damn, robocop got me there,” Gavin sighed, “but I have a wonderful idea.” He smirked.

“Oh god Reed, it’s never a good idea if it comes out of your mouth.” Hank groaned into his palm.

Gavin chuckled, “You wouldn’t believe it old man! My ideas are masterpieces!”

Hank sipped on his beer quietly while Gavin continued giggling for a while. He wasn’t usually this giggly, his facial expressions consisted of a stale frown or a blank stare.

“C’mon Reed spit it out, what got you cracking up and sounding like a hyena?” they asked.

“Why since you asked, why don’t you join me in the honors of singing some karaoke with me?” He stuck out his hand as he got up, stumbling a little. 

“No thanks, I’d rather not make a fool out of myself to ‘Superman’ by Eminem,”

“Why thank you for the song recommendation,” he smiled. “Now let’s get to singing!”

They looked back and saw Hank chuckling to himself while recording this on his phone, while Connor sat there observing the scene in front of him. The beginning of the song started to play, and people moved their attention to the karaoke machine near the center of the restaurant. Whistles and cheers started up as the song progressed further.

“You high, baby?” They started off.

“Yeah…” Reed continued with a smirk.

“Yeah?” 

“Talk to me…” 

“You want me to tell you something?”

“Uh-huh,” 

“I know what you wanna hear.”

Both Gavin and them sang that part at the same time, making each other lose their composure for a quick second.

“I know you want me baby, I think I want you too.”

“I think I love you baby!” Gavin hollered with an embarrassing voice crack. Hank was sitting hunched over, and dying of laughter. Connor lost composure as well, his smiling lighting up and his LED a spinning yellow trying to process the situation. 

After what seemed like hours, the song came to an end, and the four of them walked out of the restaurant. The cool air helped Gavin sober up a bit and calmed the rest of them down from their laughter.

“Hey guys?” Gavin started, “you guys aren’t going to remember this, right?”

“Remember this? No totally not,” Hank said sarcastically.

“M’kay just wonderin’,” he smiled dumbly.

[cat-arsenal]

Hold Me Like a Grudge (Gavin x Lasko Royal AU) Ch. 13

Plot?!

Gavin perches on his desk, handing his latest diplomatic letter to Lasko to read over. He watches Lasko's brow furrow with focus, mentally traces the lines around his eyes, his nose, the slight purse of his lips. When Lasko looks up, he carefully turns his longing expression into one of academic interest.

"It sounds great," Lasko tells him, handing back the letter. Gavin grins.

"Not coming on too strong?" he asks. Lasko shakes his head.

"Just strong enough, I think. Dahlian people respond well to directness. Along with previous discussions, this should all but guarantee a meeting with leadership, if not an immediate alliance." Gavin hums, placing the letter in a sleek envelope and sending it on its way, into a puff of pink smoke. Then he fixes sharp eyes on Lasko, head tilted coquettishly.

"Is the same true for you?" Lasko blinks.

"Is...is what true for me?"

"Responding well to directness."

Lasko laughs, nervous and sweet. He looks away, hand running through his hair as he searches for a response. His aura is lovely, embarrassed and excited, and Gavin wants to devour him.

"Um, well, I-I certainly prefer it to subterfuge!"

Aw. Politics.

"So do I," Gavin replies, disappointment hidden with ease. Lasko is happy, and that's plenty. If it's always like this with them, playful and affectionate but not like that, then that's plenty. It's already more wonderful than he thought it could be.

They have dinner in Gavin's room, Gavin stealing bites from Lasko's plate and laughing at Lasko's pleased sighs.

"How is all the food here perfect?" he asks amid a satisfied stretch.

"Magic," Gavin says, wiggling his fingers. Lasko nearly chokes on his drink.

They clean up and settle into Gavin's bed so they can continue the book they'd been reading. Rather, the book Lasko had been reading and Gavin asked him to read aloud so he could listen. Lasko had been thrilled to share it with him--a rare old tome about dragons and dungeons--and while Gavin doesn't completely understand it, Lasko's bright-eyed enthusiasm is more than worth a little confusion.

"Remind me, Precious," he says from his position with his head in Lasko's lap. The nickname never fails to make Lasko blush, and he smirks. "Are these stories fact or fiction?"

"It-it's not totally clear," Lasko says after clearing his throat. "The authors treat it like real, lived experiences, and a lot of the dates match up to actual historic events, but whether or not there were actual dragons and demi-gods in attendance is, uh, debatable. It could just be mythologized, or exaggerated, or something completely made up! The mystery is part of what I like about it."

Gavin hums, closing his eyes and soaking up Lasko's happiness. It's one of those rare moments where his feelings aren't tinged with anything negative, just the joy of his interests, and of sharing them with someone. He realizes belatedly that Lasko has stopped speaking, and cracks open an eye to see Lasko watching him, expression conflicted. Gavin winks.

"See something you like, Lasko?" he teases. Lasko swallows.

"Um. Y-yeah." The admission makes them both pause. Then Lasko scoots away, leaving Gavin staring at the ceiling. He rights himself, sitting up in time to see Lasko stand.

"Don't leave," Gavin blurts.

"I'm not leaving," Lasko says quickly, hands running messily through his hair. "I'm just-just steeling myself." Gavin blinks.

"Steeling yourself for what?" He thinks he has an idea, but tries to tamp down the hope just in case.

"F-for what I...what I've wanted to do for a while now." He turns back around, head ducked, face red, and puts one knee on the bed. "Gavin," he starts, dragging his eyes up to meet the demon's. Emotion swims in his eyes and in his aura, so much fear and affection and hope that it makes Gavin feel dizzy. "Can I, um...can I kiss you?"

"Fuck," Gavin breathes, immeasurably relieved. "I thought you'd never ask."

Lasko laughs a little before leaning in, one hand on Gavin's cheek, and presses the softest kiss to Gavin's lips. It feels like the most delicious explosion, all the months of anticipation culminating in a chaste brush of skin that still makes him shiver. Lasko looks at him, amazed and adoring, and gives him another gentle but lingering kiss. This time, when he pulls away, Gavin follows, not quite meeting him.

"Lasko," he murmurs, "can I kiss you?"

Lasko laughs again, so much joy and relief that there are tears in his eyes.

"Yeah, please."

Gavin draws him closer, kissing him slow and hot and causing a quiet whimper to leave the man. Gavin smirks and leans back, pulling Lasko onto the bed and rolling them so he's partially on top of him, then kissing him all over his face and neck.

"Gavin!" Lasko yelps, shocked by the tone shift. Gavin chuckles, breath ticklish on Lasko's skin, and kisses him a few more times before letting him up and pressing one last little kiss to the bridge of his nose. "Betrayal," Lasko pants, though he's smiling.

[godza]

*cracks my fingers* i want to write an actual review of the books i just read, all of us villains + all of our demise. both books were read within a month, and i fucking devoured them. i did most reading when i had time during school, and rarely got to sit down and devote large blocks of attention to the book, so some parts may be disjointed in this review. hi @see

ok, 4/5 stars. i take that star off for literally one reason! spoilers for the sequel below

WHY THE FUCK DID ISOBEL AND REID START DATING? WHAT ON EARTH? it confused me so bad. like yeah stressful situations create bonds but reid kidnapped her and she was terrified of him for days. and we’re just going to accept that she starts liking him? i dont like reid at all. sometimes he was entertaining, but he mostly served as a bad comic relief. to be honest, i did skip some scenes with them bc i found the relationship so annoying. so i mightve missed something, but i dont believe in relationships stemming from kidnapping. yeah they kidnapped each other, (times reid was kidnapped count is at 3) but man. isobel does not have a good track record with boys. she was one of my fave characters but i feel like her end with reid didnt do her plotline justice. the characters are hero, villain, princess (damsel?), and underdog. (not my words i got that from another post) and the beginning of isobels story subverted the princess stereotype wonderfully, i liked the media aspect and how she was manipulayted by her family and friends (story wise. not a good thing) but her final choices never made sense. after she returned to the tower her story went off course. isobel whyyyyyyyy

ok now for other aspects of the story. alistair and gavin were a wonderful pair. it was very unexpected after the first book since they barely interacted, but very nice. i was reading the romantic moment in the middle of class so i didnt get to abosrb the words a lot but i thought their story was lovely. who doesnt love a kiss when someones dying! it was kinda funny that they were making out while there was a corpse on the ground and who knows if the attackers retreated. their epilogue ending was. sure. but it was fitting for them both. i liked their character development and i miss hendry so bad i loved his character. i liked the entire cottage living part. it was rlly funny that well briony and the others were fighting for their lives up in the tower they were fucking cleaning. just fucking cleaning but cleaning to the death. imagine how fucking mad briony would be if she heard that.

speaking of briony....... i guess it was expected. i didnt think all 5 of them would survive. fucked up that she died in the castle though. i think if she died then finley shouldve been focused on more, but briony sacrificing herslef seemed like a fitting end. she played the hero till the very end, sacrificing herself in the house of the villain. ohhhhhhhh brionyyyyyy.

ok overall great modern fantasy story. i loved the media aspect and how the world is watching the brutality like hawks. a fantastic work in the ya genre. thank you ms mac for not caring that i was always on my phone reading instead of doing work. ok thats enough of my thoughts i was more focused on the characters. bye bye goodnight

[j-graysonlibrary]

Heartbeats; Paradise XIX

Title: Heartbeats; Paradise

Author: Jay Grayson

Word Count: 112K

Genres: Psychological thriller, drama, sci-fi, LGBT+

Available on: Kobo and my website

Synopsis: Melvin Hardy and Kade Axel appear to be a match made in heaven. After a meet-cute in the rain, the two quickly find themselves in a burgeoning, wholesome relationship.

Yet, things feel…off. It isn’t the ghosts of their pasts that resurface to test the strength of their partnership—no—it’s something nebulous. Something indescribable. Melvin can’t put his finger on it but, the more time he spends with Kade, the more he starts to wonder what’s real and what’s pure fiction. 

XIX:

It’s the same place!

I grab the nearest body to me which happens to be Kade. Like when Gavin and I fell through, we’re all on our assess so I know I have a moment to stop everyone before we walk into the same trap.

“Wait,” I say as the fear from my past latches back onto me. It’s evident in my voice.

“What?” Kade asks and frowns. I don’t know if he’s realized our change in scenery yet or if he’s just choosing not to acknowledge it. Knowing him, he’s figured it’s useless to mention it.

“I know this place.” I let him go and stand up.

“You do?” Starla asks, also standing. She looks around with confusion etched onto her face but she’s not noticeably perturbed.

Oz stands as well as Kade and I look to Oz who is, other than me, the most distressed by our situation. He frowns as he pokes at a nearby leaf.

“Are we in the real world then?” he asks before turning to settle his gaze on me. “You remembered this from your past, right?”

I nod. “I don’t know if this place is the real world though.”

“Where the fuck are we then?” Kade follows up with less care. He looks up as a bird flies overhead.

“I…don’t know exactly.” I gulp when I realize I’m contradicting myself. Everyone stares at me with expectance but I only have one thing to really bring to the table. “This is just where I died. Me and my husband both died here.”

Oz steps closer and grabs my shoulders. “What?” His stare is intense and, while I’m used to it, with all the other emotions coursing through me, I’m rendered speechless.

“Give him some space,” Starla suggests, “He looks like he just remembered.”

Slowly, Oswald lets me go and steps back. “Sorry…Melvin, can you talk us through what you remember?”

I give a slight nod. He and Starla continue to watch me, anticipation clear on their faces, while Kade starts to pace about and nudge the plants around us with his axe.

After I swallow the lump in my throat, I do my best to retell what happened. The most important aspects, I make sure to stress.

“Whatever that flower thing may be, it’s strong. I don’t think we stand a chance against it.” I can’t watch everyone I care about be cut down by that monster and I’d very much like to remain in one piece as well.

“I don’t see a way back,” Starla says with a sigh.

It’s true that the crack we entered through seems to have been a one-way trip but I can’t overstate how much I don’t want to run into that flower monster again.

“We can look for something together,” Oz responds and offers a fleeting smile for me.

“I can chop the forest down,” Kade suggests and swings his axe around.

Oz points at him. “No.”

He rolls his eyes but sets his axe back in its holster. Starla silently chuckles and I wish I could enjoy the moment as well but my heart still hasn’t restarted and my muscles refuse to relax.

We begin to search the area for anything suspicious. It’s much easier said than done on account of how everything here looks suspicious. I start to touch every plant I see, hoping that the exit will work like the entrance does. Maybe I’ll be sucked back and spit out wherever Kendra is if I just touch the right item.

“I hear running water,” Starla mentions after we’ve been searching for a while. She picks up a rock and inspects it before dropping it to the ground.

“I heard that last time too,” I say with a frown.

“Maybe we can find the source and follow the stream? If this is connected to civilization, we’ll find people eventually, right?”

It’s not a bad plan under regular circumstances but I don’t think, in this case, it’ll be too helpful.

“But if this is a separate reality then it might not work that way,” Oz actually says what’s on my mind.

“I don’t see why we can’t just confront this thing,” Kade mumbles and crosses his arms. “It’s a plant, you said. I’ll just chop it down.”

“And if we need it to let us out?” Oz asks.

“Then we should be seeking it out anyway.”

I don’t like either of their stances even if I feel Oz has a point. I already know how that thing reacts to intruders. I’ve clung to a sense of optimism before, sometimes ignorantly so, but this time I can’t pretend that if we just try really hard the result will be different.

“Melvin?” Starla gets my attention.

“…Yes?” I’m sure I’ve missed something with the way she and the other two look at me.

“We were wondering if we should find the flower thing and try to talk to it…?” She winces prematurely, as if she’s expecting me to yell at her.

I don’t have the strength to do that or the will. My shoulders sag and I close my eyes. “I…Gavin tried talking to it before.”

“Melvin…” Oz steps closer. He reaches out as if he’s going to grab me but he thinks better of it and lets his hands hang at his sides. “We can’t stay here forever just looking for an exit. We should be proactive.”

My stomach sinks. I’m being outvoted, like usual. “…don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“I won’t let anything happen to you,” he responds, sounding as serious as ever but that just hurts me more.

“That’s what Gavin said too.”

No one responds right away—Starla even looks down.

“Well, we’re not Gavin,” Kade states the obvious as he stares at me, “And you’re not Liam anymore.”

I can’t tell if he’s sick of me holding everyone back or if he’s genuinely trying to make me feel better. I’m so confused by his tone and intent that I almost snap completely out of my fear induced funk.

“I…I know that,” I say.

Kade shrugs. “Then don’t let their fate dictate yours. We could have a chance—you don’t know.”

I find myself jealous of Kade in that moment. Not only do I wish I could think the way he does but I also want to have no memories of my past. They have given me a sense of self but, right now, they do nothing but harm me. I’m not even sure that the lack of a past bothers him or if he’s just creating his personality as he goes.

There’s something freeing about that.

I’m too chained to Liam to understand it.

“Fine,” I concede.

“Lead the way then,” Kade demands and gestures his hand out toward me.

Oz sighs loudly and pushes him in the arm before returning to my side. “I’ll walk with you.”

I nod and let him keep me company as I begin to walk the path of my past destruction. Each step fills my body with dread and I find every movement closer harder—heavier. My lungs strain to keep full and my heart hammers so hard it’s starting to hurt.

The clearing comes into view and I grip Oz’s wrist immediately.

That flower is still there, as I knew it would be, and it’s in a near identical position as last time. It’s lying on the ground and the roots spread out around it, a few arching up over the grass.

“That is a big ass flower,” Kade mentions as he takes it in. He and Starla had been keeping close behind us but, now that we’re where we need to be, he walks out and forward.

“Don’t provoke it,” Starla warns her brother as if she knows exactly what’s on his mind.

Kade sighs and I spot him retract his hand from the handle of his battle axe. “What do we do then?”

“Last time, it awoke at the sound of talking…” I say despite the fact that doesn’t appear to be the case anymore. Otherwise, it would already be up and, probably, trying to dismember Kade if I were to take a guess.

Oswald nods curtly and pries my hand off of him. He shoots me a soft look before walking even closer to the red bud.

I want to yell and tell him to stop but I can’t force the words out. I just reach out and wince.

“We do not mean to enter your home,” Oz says with a loud, clear voice. “I know this is no excuse but we just want a way back to where we came from. Though, preferably, we’d like to be placed into the real world. If you can…we would be most grateful.”

My eyes dart between him and the flower and I watch with a churning gut.

As soon as the flower stirs, a jolt of adrenaline runs through me but I can’t do anything with it. I have to just stand there and endure.

“Ho—ly—” Starla murmurs.

The flower rises up and displays itself the same as before. “You trespassers are back…? No…only one of you returns.”

Everyone glances over at me and, while I notice that from my peripherals, my eyes are stuck to the plant. How does it know it’s still me? I don’t look anything like Liam.

“I sense your confusion. I can simply read your energy,” the flower continues, “What brings you and even more of your kind here?”

“As I said,” Oz replies with the same tone as before. It’s amazing to me that he’s showing no signs of terror. There’s no way he’s not feeling it. “We came here by accident. We just want to leave.”

“I thought I fixed the rip in the world…”

“…Who are you…?” Starla asks, staring at the flower with awe in her eyes.

“No one of your concern,” it responds easily.

“Hey, don’t talk to my sister like that,” Kade warns and I tense even more than I thought possible.

Starla doesn’t miss a beat, however, and comes back with, “Are you the source of IVAR’s power?”

I had not even thought of that. I’m so taken aback by the connection I almost can’t feel my terror anymore. It would make sense. I was killed by this thing and then awoke as Melvin. If it was the heart of IVAR, that would explain how I ended up here when none of the memories I’ve received from Liam show me using the system.

But the flower responds in audible confusion. “Who is Ivar?”

“The system, IVAR,” Starla clarifies. “It stands for Immersive Virtual Alternate Reality. It’s where we entered from.”

“…What…?”

We all exchange glances. I guess that theory is out since the flower does not even know what we’re referring to.

“That’s a bit beside the point,” Oz brings us back to the main problem; “We just need to leave. Could you help us?”

The rumbling that emerges from the flower sends me back and I brace for impact. This time I see the vines whip up around the flower but they don’t slice anyone just yet.

“And why should I?”

“Because he asked fuckin’ nicely,” Kade antagonizes even though I mentally beg him not to.

The blur of green through the air is faster than my reaction time. I’m yelling only after it’s struck down toward Kade. I recoil, expecting a bloody mess when the vine retreats but I find Kade, perfectly fine and in one piece.

He’s…dodged it.

“Ha!” he shouts and takes the axe from his back.

“Kade, no!” I scream but he starts hacking at the roots of the monster anyway.

“Stop!” Starla begs.

Another vine whips toward him and, this time, I don’t think he’ll be able to move quickly enough. Oz still tries to run to Kade regardless and I watch as far too much happens far too fast.

I can only register what’s happened after it’s over and the images lag in my brain, shambling into place. Oz does jump over and Kade is in the midst of swinging his axe against another root. I don’t believe Oz will reach him in time but I had been assuming he was trying to shove Kade out of the way.

He didn’t.

He’s thrown himself in the way and been cut across the middle. As he falls to the ground, Kade finally realizes that we’re all trying to get him to stop.

Kade drops his axe and a second tendril follows the first—a move I don’t even see until it’s slashing him down the front.

When he falls is about the time I absorb everything I’ve seen and I cry out in agony. I knew this would happen again!

I knew I’d lose to this monster again!

Starla’s screaming mixes with mine but not for long as she’s struck down next. I close my eyes and drop to my knees, knowing I’m next.

The searing pain in my chest isn’t even surprising.

But the suddenness of it’s absence is.

My eyes flutter open and I glance down to see the green vine retreating from my torso and, in it’s wake, static and colorful squares fill my wound and I feel much better. I whip my head up and look around at the others who are all stumbling up, their injuries also glitching back together.

“You…aren’t alive?” The flower asks and the bud lowers toward the ground. “Yet you aren’t properly dead either…”

Oz checks his hands as if he’s expecting blood but he then he looks away to stare at the flower. “I guess not.”

The red blossom twitches and I expect another attack though I’m no longer as afraid of it. Instead of a second assault, the petals of the flower begin to bloom and I’m amazed by how much larger it becomes as it opens.

That light I noticed just before Liam’s death shines out but then recedes as more and more of it is revealed. In the center of the flower is a strange shape and I don’t get a good look until the light draws back to just illuminate the form.

It’s like two humanoid creatures embracing and their bodies are glowing. One stands behind the other, wrapping its arms around them and resting their head in the crook of their partner’s neck. The one in the front bears two sets of arms—one pair holds their partner while the other stretches out, slowly swaying on either side of them. The petals fan out around them and, from the being in the back, emerges six wings that vary in color but blend into the petals. Their feet rest on the snake-like stem and, at some points, the stem looks as though it might be a part of their bodies as well.

The sight renders all four of us silent.

It’s a lot to take in.

“You cannot return to the world of the living but you cannot stay here—you are not permitted.” The humanoid in the front says and I can tell because their mouth opens, releasing more light as it does so.

“We can’t go back into IVAR,” Starla counters.

“The news of this IVAR greatly troubles us…” they continue with contemplation in their voice, “If others like yourselves can reach this place through it then it must be dealt with…”

“Hey, you listening?” Kade balks.

To my surprise, they chuckle. I don’t know if it’s just because I am now faced with a more humanoid shape but I swear the flower sounds more pleasant now. I suppose it does help that they aren’t trying to kill us anymore.

“Yes. I cannot give you much but I will do this: I will bestow bodies onto you that will give you access to the larger world. In turn, you must never return here.”

“Deal,” I say without a second thought.

The light from their form starts to grow again and it gets to a point where I have to cover my eyes with my hand. There is warmth in the light and all of my fear and even my hatred for the being are washed away as it passes over me. I almost don’t remember why I ever despised this place.

But it’s gone in a flash and we’re falling into a much darker space. I hear someone let out an “oof” upon contact with the cool, hard floor. I have someone’s knee in my back and I grunt and try to sit up but Kade is over my lap.

“Guys?!” A new voice calls out and I crane my neck up and look around.

It’s still dark but there is a blue glow coming from a computer that sits on the floor a few feet away. And, beside that computer is a large woman. I can only see her outline but I know I’m not familiar with it. Despite this, with her next words, I feel I do actually know her.

“How in the hell are you here?! I was still working on getting you out…what happened?”