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the-oblivious-writer · 1 year ago

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Let the Light In |6|

Tara Carpenter x Fem!Reader

Chapter Six: Knight In Shining Armor

Summary: Tension rises between you and Tara when you, once again, find yourself protecting her—old habits showing themselves

Warning(s): Swearing, angst, Fr*nkie, grief (if you squint), intoxication, mentions of social anxiety & underage drinking

Notes: Took a while but it's finally here! Also throwing it out there that my face claim for Charlotte is Sofia Wylie

Masterlist|Previous Part|Next Part

Tara was walking down the streets of Manhattan, finally done with her classes for the day. It had been a long week and Tara was just thankful it was finally the weekend. She walked with one earbud in while her other hand subconsciously clenched her keys in her right pocket. It was a habit she had picked up not too long after what happened back in Woodsboro; that plus the pepper spray, taser, whistle, and expandable baton Sam always made her take before leaving the house, meant she was more than ready to defend herself if needed.

As she continued to walk, she felt something fury brush up against her. She looked down to find a gray cat, brushing itself against her. Tara smiled to herself before crouching down to get a better look at the cat. “Hey, there…do you have a name?” She looked for a collar but didn’t find one.

Just then, the sky let out a loud grumble. She looked up at the gray skies then back at the cat, thinking. “I can’t just leave you out here to get drenched. Come on, let me take you home,” she gently picked up the cat, who didn’t protest.

By the time she got home, she was soaked. Her mascara was running and her hair was damp. She was freezing cold; she had wrapped her jacket around the cat so he wouldn’t get wet.

Sam began to walk out from the kitchen as she spoke, “Hey Tar– you’re soaked.”

“Yeah no shit, Sam.”

“Is… Is that a cat?”

“...Yes…” Tara said with a sheepish smile; she had completely forgotten about the ‘needing to convince Sam to keep him’ part.

“Tara, no.”

“Sam, yes.”

Sam sighed as she made a quick trip to the bathroom, coming back with a towel and wrapping it around Tara. “You can barely take care of yourself–”

“Not true!”

“–How do you expect to take care of a whole ass cat?”

Tara rolled her eyes, still holding the cat protectively in her arms. “Come on, I’m not a kid. I can take care of a cat. I’ll buy his food, change his litter box—all that stuff!”

“I don’t know…”

“Please, Sammy,” Tara begged, pouting out her bottom lip. She gave Sam the same look she’d give her whenever she wanted more cookies when they were younger.

“Alright—alright, fine, you win,” Sam huffed and an excited smile broke out on Tara’s face.

“Yes!” Tara looked down at the cat victoriously.

“But Tara, I swear, I better not step in cat shit.”

“No cat shit. Got it.”

—

Dook.

That’s what Tara named her new found cat—named after the Babadook. It had been only a few days since she found him and he’s earned the title of, “my little menace,” from Tara. In the few days Dook has been here he has scratched Chad five times, ripped up Mindy’s sweater in five different spots, and constantly hisses at Sam during the most random times. Why? Sam has no idea, but Tara made the theory it was, “just to mess with her.”

So far, the only person Dook has been even remotely soft to was Tara. She didn’t mind that at all; she enjoyed coming home to Dook’s company—her room feeling less empty than it usually feels.

It was the following Tuesday; she sat not too far from the door as she re-watched Fear Street 1994 while waiting for you. Just as she was about to check her phone for the time, she heard a couple knocks on the door. Before Sam could call out for Tara to answer it, Tara jumped up and made her way to the door. Sam only raised an eyebrow before going back to what she was doing.

Tara counted five seconds in her head before opening the door.

“Took you long enough,” she said with a slight eye roll.

“Afternoon to you too, Carpenter. So, you're gonna let me in or…”

“Well you’re as patient as ever,” Tara remarked sarcastically as she opened the door wider, letting you inside. You placed your bag down, sitting on the couch and taking out your notes as Tara sat a couple cushions over.

“So, I was thinking we could start with Friday’s notes and work our way to today since I couldn’t make Friday—” You suddenly heard Tara let out a dry chuckle, causing you to raise your eyebrows as you looked at her.

“Is there something you’d like to share with the class, Ms. Carpenter?” You quipped, looking up from your papers and at her.

“Oh nothing…just that you’ve been missing a lot of study sessions lately and–”

“I wouldn’t call two a lot–”

“–and I don’t know why I have to suffer through extra work all because you wanna swap spit.”

You let out a dry laugh, looking at the younger Carpenter before realizing she was dead serious.

“Oh—Oh you’re serious? Well, how about those two whole weeks you missed over some petty reason—I don't know what the reasoning was, but I know for a fact it was a hundred percent petty.”

“You know what, screw these notes,” Tara said before grabbing your binder from you.

“Hey—Hey! Wait just a minute there—what are you–?”

“We’re watching a movie,” she informed—not asking—after shutting your binder, putting it somewhere you couldn’t reach unless you stood up and walked to it.

“We're a week and a half behind on study sessions.”

“Not my problem.”

“It’s literally your problem—our problem, actually.”

“Gosh, could you just not stress out for, like, two seconds? You’ll be fine. Now, a little birdy told me you like The Nightmare Before Christmas?” Tara told you, reaching for the remote.

“Yeah… I do.”

“Great. We’ll watch that.”

You didn’t need to know how boring she found the movie; she wasn’t looking at the screen much anyways.

—

Sam sat in her room, reading her book as she enjoyed the silence—wait. It’s silent. Why is it so quiet? It’s never so quiet when you’re over. The most she’s heard in the last thirty minutes were hushed voices, but nothing loud enough she could make out. She suddenly started to think about what could possibly be going on in the other—unsupervised—room. She could no longer concentrate on her book as her protective side took over.

You slightly leaned forward as you watched the screen with all your attention. Tara couldn’t help but wear a small smile when she noticed your intense focus. She pulled out of her gaze when she noticed you make a double take at your foot; just then, she saw a certain furry haired animal brushing up against your leg.

To her surprise, Dook didn’t claw at you. As a matter of fact, he seemed…fond of you?

“Hello, there…” You greeted Dook before gently picking him up. If anybody else had picked him up, they would’ve been clawed at in seconds. Tara furrowed her eyebrows as she watched you interact with her cat; the same cat who’s been an absolute ass to anybody who wasn’t her—well, before now.

You scratched him behind his left ear, causing him to let out a satisfied purr. It was then when you finally said something to Tara. “Since when did you have a cat?”

“Got him pretty recently, actually. He was just roaming the streets of Manhattan and had no collar so that’s how he ended up here.”

“Well, does this adorable face have a name?” You asked, looking at the cat as you complimented him.

Tara failed to fight another smile, showing off her dimples as she answered, “His name’s Dook.”

“Like, Babadook?”

“Yeah…” She watched as you continued to be sweet with Dook; he sat comfortably in your lap, looking a lot less grumpy than he usually is.

Suddenly, Sam abruptly enters the living room, causing Dook to hiss at her before moving back into his original position on your lap.

“Sam, hey. Something wrong?” Tara asked her older sister.

“Uh, I just wanted to check up on you guys; it’s been pretty quiet.”

“Oh, yeah, we decided to watch a movie instead.”

Sam looked at the scene, recognizing the movie—her curiosity increased.

“Nightmare Before Christmas? But I thought you–”

“Have no harsh judgment regarding the movie? Yeah. I know.”

“No, I mean, don’t you find it really bor–”

“Entertaining? Yes, Sam. We know this.” Tara let out a dry cough, hoping Sam would just drop the topic all together.

“Okay…well I’m going to order some pizza. Are you staying over for dinner, Y/N?” Sam inquired, moving on, much to Tara’s relief.

You looked at the time, thinking as you did, before looking at Sam from where you sat. “If it’s no trouble.”

“Of course not. I’ll order it right now,” she said before walking away, pulling out her phone as she did so.

“What was that about?” You asked Tara with a raised eyebrow, referring to what her and Sam were going back and forth about.

Tara opened her mouth, not even sure what she was about to say, when she heard someone knocking. “Oh, I should probably get that,” Tara quickly got up to make her way to the door, relieved at being excused from answering.

“What are you guys doing here?” She immediately asked after opening the door to find Chad, Mindy, Anika and Ethan on the other side of the door.

“Good to see you too, T,” Mindy quipped.

Tara rolled her eyes, “I just mean, I wasn’t expecting you guys today.”

“We made plans last week for movie night.”

“And since it’s my turn to choose, we’re watching 10 Things I Hate About You,” Anika added in a cheery tone.

“Um,” Tara looked over her shoulder to you, before looking back at her friends, “One second.”

“Wait, who were you loo–” Before Chad could finish his question, Tara shut the door, making her way towards you.

“So, uh–”

“Heard the whole thing.”

Tara lightly nodded, holding her wrist in her other hand behind her back as she continued. “Does this mean… you’re going to go?”

You were about to say yes but the words caught in your throat when you finally looked at the expression Tara wore.

You thought for a moment, putting down the bag you were just packing.

“Do you want me to?”

“Well…want’s a strong word–”

“Yes or no, Tara,” you said, looking at her.

Tara mumbled something incoherent, looking away from your gaze.

“You’re gonna have to speak up, mumbles,” you teased the younger Carpenter.

She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. “I wan—I want you to stay. Happy?” She huffed, not even sure why she puts up with you.

You smile smugly at her, “Fine. ‘Guess I’m staying.”

—

It was awkward—at least, for you, it was. Tara and her friends seemed to get each other, which is great for them, but you felt almost like a chaperone the entire time you were there. You tried to distance yourself as much as possible and when you did find yourself surrounded by the group of friends, you stuck by Anika.

You always found yourself gravitating toward a familiar presence whenever you got caught in social situations like this. You spent most of your own fourteenth birthday party—that you didn’t even want—attached to Henry’s side, following him around like a puppy. You often stuck by people who you found comfort in. You’ve known Henry since daycare years and Anika has been there since she’s entered your life.

You look at the time to see only an hour has passed as you sigh to yourself. Why were you here again?

“Hey,” you heard Tara say, opening her bedroom door to find you on her bed.

Oh, that’s why.

“Hey.”

“You’re not enjoying yourself,” she said as a matter of fact, feeling a little defeated for some reason.

“Hm? Oh no—no this is, uh, great. Yeah, I just love hearing about the same football story over and over again while your curly haired friend continues to make passes at me…so fun,” your voice couldn’t be any more sarcastic. It started out as you wanting to lie, telling her it was going alright—truly! But you can’t help but be your usual sarcastic self, especially around Tara.

“You’re having the worst time ever, aren’t you?”

You looked at her apologetic expression, exhaling as you adjusted your posture a bit. Tara walks over to sit across from you.

“Look…Tar, it’s nothing personal. I’m just—I’m just not good with this stuff.”

“What do you mean?” Tara inquired genuinely.

You sighed, pressing down on your thumbnail with your index finger as you spoke. “I’m not good with…unfamiliarity I guess, or whatever. And—and socializing and all that shit just doesn’t come naturally to me—at least not like it does for people like Anika, and Chad—or you.”

Tara continued to listen to your words, giving you her full attention as you opened up to her. You blinked back at Tara, feeling like you just overshared far too much.

“This was stupid. Forget it.” You got up to leave but just as you reached for the door handle, you felt slender fingers wrap themselves around your wrist.

“It’s not stupid,” you heard Tara speak. You turned your head to look at her. “If you ever want to talk about it more… I’m here. That won’t change.”

You swallowed, taking in Tara’s words as you processed what she was saying. You didn’t trust your voice, only settling for a light nod before leaving Tara’s bedroom.

By the time Tara also left—waiting a couple minutes, wanting to give you some time—you had already made your escape.

When you got home that night, the feeling of dread took over you. It felt like there was barbed wire wrapped around your throat as you tried your hardest not to cry, because you knew if you did there was a chance you’d never stop. Memories of him flashed through your mind as you tried to shake them away, but it was no use. No matter how much you tried to escape it, Dewey's voice continued to ring in your head.

Dewey placed a comforting hand on your shoulder, looking at you with genuine eyes as he spoke, “I’m here. That won’t change.”

—

Tara looked around with furrowed eyebrows, looking at the sea of people. She was currently at a Halloween frat party; she chose to go with a pirate costume this year.

Tara was feeling indecisive about her costume this Halloween but then she got the idea when she remembered something you told her; for your first seven Halloweens, your mom had you dressed up as a pirate. Tara could tell you would not be wearing a pirate costume again any time soon.

Because of your high-sea past, Tara thought dressing up as a pirate would be a fun way to mess with you—well, if you were actually here. You were nowhere in sight. Tara squinted her eyes as she tried looking through the crowd—still no sign of you.

Mindy noticed her friend looking around the room from her seat, which was odd. By this time Tara would be drinking, dancing, or even playing beer pong with Chad—but not sitting down.

Before Mindy could ask anything, Tara turned to Anika, asking her something that answered Mindy’s unspoken question.

“Hey, where’s Y/N?” Tara asked, her voice was slightly raised due to the blaring music.

“At home. She couldn't—or rather refused to make it,” Anika answered the younger Carpenter.

“Oh,” Tara let out, turning to look ahead.

Mindy and Anika glanced at each other, already being on the same page. “Why? Missed her?” Mindy inquired, smirking behind her beer bottle right before taking a sip.

Tara lightly scoffed, “Pfft no.” Tara dramatically rolled her eyes, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair.

“Y/N?” Tara heard Anika say; she immediately sat up, uncrossing her arms and fixing her demeanor. Her expression instantly dropped when she saw who you were with.

She did not know much about Charlotte. She seemed nice though. Nice enough. Tara heard from Anika that you’ve been “hanging out” with Charlotte for a few weeks now but haven’t exactly assigned labels yet. That made sense; you were never one for labels.

She suddenly snapped out of her gaze when she realized you and Charlotte were walking towards them.

“Hey, guys,” you said in an anything but enthusiastic tone.

“Hey, Y/N. Thought you weren’t coming,” Anika pointed out, not unkindly.

“Me too but this one,” you pointed with your thumb to Charlotte, “is quite the debater.”

“I was captain of the debate team back in high school,” Charlotte smirked.

“Of course you were,” there was a slight teasing tone in your voice as you and Charlotte shared a look. Tara didn’t like that. She didn’t like that at all. You teased her. You gave her looks nobody else knew the meaning behind except you two.

Tara cleared her throat, causing you and Charlotte to look away from each other and at her. “So, you're gonna actually act like you’re here as a college student or a chaperone?” Tara joked and a small but soft smile grazed your face.

“The night’s still young, Carpenter,” you replied, the smile she had been missing never faltering.

“Oh! Daisy’s here, I’m going to say hi. Catch you later?” You heard Charlotte speak from beside you.

You looked over at her and lightly nodded, “Okay.” She placed a quick kiss on your cheek, catching you off guard, before going to her friend.

You sat down in the seat between Tara and Anika—who was sitting in Mindy’s lap—and exhaled, already exhausted from being here.

“You’ve got,” Anika said, pointing to your cheek where there was a lipstick stain. You raised your left hand to your right cheek as your roommate shook her head.

“No the other—” You, once again, completely dodged the spot she was pointing at and Tara groaned.

“Dude, you’re helpless,” she said with an eye roll before reaching over and wiping the spot for you. She softly rubbed your left cheek as you looked at her. It didn’t take long for you to notice how close her face was to yours.

“There…” Tara trailed off, suddenly growing shy when she too realized how close her face was to yours.

Mindy and Anika look at each other before getting up. “We’re gonna dance. You kids behave,” Mindy said before walking away with her arm wrapped around Anika.

“Let me guess… you’re a homicidal maniac?” She looked at your casual attire.

You smiled at her, tilting your head back and turning it to look at her, “You know me too well.”

You both shared a short laugh before it went silent again. Suddenly, you two realized this is the first you’ve both spoken to each other since that night at Tara’s place.

“Hey, so, uh, you didn’t say goodbye…” Tara said sheepishly, refusing to meet your gaze as she played with the hem of her costume. She didn’t have to specify what she was talking about, you just knew.

“Oh yeah, I was just tired so I decided to call it a night.”

Tara nodded understandingly as you looked down at her hands that toyed with the fabric of her costume.

“So…was this,” you gestured to her costume, “planned or…? You both laughed again before she answered you.

“Course’ not. I just…happened to have decided on being a pirate a couple days after you told me your ‘first seven years of dread’ story.” Another laugh was shared between you two.

“Well, you look good,” you complimented. Tara couldn’t fight the heat that rushed to her cheeks as the compliment hit her ears. She was about to respond when suddenly you felt your phone vibrate.

You pulled out your phone, reading the text to yourself before putting it back in your pocket.

“It’s Charlotte, she wants me to meet her by the pool.”

“Oh. Yeah, totally.”

“Don’t get into too much trouble while I’m gone, princess.” You smiled at her as you sat up from your seat, Tara’s head tracked your movement.

“Me? I would never.”

—

One thing.

You asked her for one, very simple, thing. And now? Now, Mindy and Anika were calling you back inside because apparently Tara had the luck of being near Frankie of all people tonight.

By the time you made your way inside—as quickly as you possibly could—you could see Chad also trying to stop the situation. You made your way over to the staircase, appearing from behind Chad.

“Let’s stay down here,” you said—not asking.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that,” Frankie said, causing you to let out a humorless chuckle.

“Uh, yeah. Yeah, you did,” you remarked, feeling your hands start to ball up into tight fists. Before you could say anything else, Tara walks down a couple steps and is now standing in front of you as Chad keeps a careful eye on Frankie. “No, Y/N it’s fine. I want to,” you heard her say in a drunken voice. Far too drunk to consent.

Frankie walks down, getting close to your face as he wears a disgusting grin. “Yeah, see Y/N? It’s fine. She wants to.” He turned around, roughly grabbing Tara’s arm. His grip causes Tara to let out a sound of pain, tripping on the stairs.

Without a second thought you pull him by the collar of his shirt, pushing him roughly against the wall; picture frames come crashing down but don’t give them a second look as hear glass shatter.

“Who the fuck do you think you are?!” You pushed your right arm harder against his throat, pinning him against the wall as your free hand tightly gripped his shirt. “Serousily, where the fuck do you get off!”

Chad checked on Tara as you had Frankie pinned to the wall. You wanted to hurt him. You wanted to hurt him so bad. What was stopping you? You could do it. You look down at the shards of glass, itching to grab a piece. Suddenly, you saw that sinister smile. His sinister smile. That’s why you couldn’t.

But when you looked back at Frankie, you quickly forgot about everything that was stopping you. All you had to do was press into his throat a little harder and–

“I got it from here, Y/N.” You turned around to see Sam holding a taser. You immediately got the hint, getting off of Frankie.

“Hi! Sorry to interrupt, I'm just going to tase you really quick,” Sam said before tasing Frankie right in the crotch.

“Fuck!” He dropped to his knees, holding onto his stomach as he groaned in pain.

“You bitch!” He yelled, earning a swift kick between his legs—making the pain worse—from you.

“Watch your mouth,” you said before making your way towards Tara. “You okay?”

“It’s that psycho girl from reddit!” Someone shouted from the crowd that surrounded you.

“Hey, don’t you have something better to do rather than stand around here all day?” Anika shouted at the crowd as Mindy shooed them away.

—

Tara walks ahead of the group as she feels her frustration take over. Sam tries to catch up to her as she calls for her, “Tara, will you stop!” Tara rolls her eyes, refusing to stop as she responds. “I cannot believe you did that, you embarrassed me!”

“I was trying to help you!”

Tara suddenly turns around, “And look what happened!” Her voice raises as it runs hot with anger. “You're out of my life for five years then you can't even leave me alone for five seconds,” Tara shouts with a throw of her arms.

“Because you're not dealing with what happened to us. Have you ever gone to see the counselor at least once?”

You looked at Tara, studying every expression she wore on her face. You wanted her to be okay. You knew it wasn’t that simple, but you still couldn’t help but want it. You hated seeing her like this. You never liked seeing her like this.

You checked up on her when she was at the hospital, relieved she was asleep when you got there. You didn’t want her to think it meant anything. You were just making sure she still had a pulse. Who else would you get into fights with? That’s what you told yourself, 'cause it’s true! You weren't overly concerned or anything. But it was the bare minimum amount of concern to have when you found out somebody you knew was recently used as somebody else's pin cushion.

She’s Tara Carpenter, she’ll bounce back in no time, you told yourself. You can still remember the shock on all her friends' faces when they saw you sitting by her hospital bedside. They entered the room and when you saw them, you immediately stood up.

“Sorry, I just found out about what happened and wanted to check on her.” You put your hands in your pocket, feeling uncomfortable with the eyes on you. You couldn’t tell what was going through their heads. “But she’s breathing, so I’ll get going now.” When you’re about to walk out the door, Chad puts his hand on your shoulder which causes you to stop. Was he about to punch you? “You’re welcome to stay, dude.” Oh.

You were welcome to stay. Did you want to?

You shook your head,“No, it’s okay. You guys should spend your time with her—unbothered.” You said before walking out of the hospital, not waiting for a response.

Maybe you cared little more than you’d ever admit.

You snap out of your thoughts as you hear Tara’s voice again.

“Because I know what mine is—I’m going to get my degree, become a lawyer, and live my life, my life,” Tara’s voice was firm. Certain.

—

Two soft knocks could be heard from the other side of the door. Tara was about to tell whoever it was to go away, but then she realized who those knocks belonged to.

“Come in.”

“Hey,” you greeted, carrying a bottle of ibuprofen and a cup of water.

“Hey,” she replied, head tracking your movement as you put the items down and got closer to where she sat at the edge of her bed.

“Mind if I…” You gestured to the open spot next to her and she patted it. You sat down, knees touching hers as you looked down at your hands that rested in your lap. Tara’s gaze from you only broke when she felt the feeling of embarrassment all over again.

You noticed a change in her demeanor, causing you to finally glance at her. “I don’t think she meant for to…make you feel embarrassed or anything,” you tried to comfort. You were never good at this kind of stuff.

“I know… I just—I just completely embarrassed myself out there. You guys probably think a lot less of me now…”

You lightly nudge her shoulder, getting her to look at you again. “Hey, no, okay? We just wanna make sure you're safe,” your facial expression matched your honest tone as you spoke.

Tara turned her head away, a smirk slowly growing on her face. She turned back to look at you, ignoring how close your faces were. “We?”

You rolled your eyes as Tara kept hers on you, smirk never falling. “Don’t let it get to that big ass ego of yours.”

“Aww, you caree about me,” Tara teased. You felt your cheeks warm up as you grew flustered.

“I care about you the—bare minimum amount,” you said unconvincingly.

Tara shoved you a bit, “Liar.”

You shoved her back, “Most honest person you’ll ever meet.”

Tara shoved you back again. “Liar.”

“Oh, you really wanna play this game?” You inquired, turning your head to her.

Tara still smirked as she responded, “I could do this all night.”

Your faces were, once again, inches apart. Tara’s eye line meets your lips as tension builds in the room. Then suddenly the door opens, causing you and Tara to pull apart.

“Oops, sorry I didn’t mean to cock block you,” Quinn said as you and Tara silently cringed.

“Please...don't say cock," Tara said while slightly grimacing.

Quinn shrugged then looked at you. “Don’t believe we’ve officially met. I’m Quinn,” she held out her hand. You glanced at Tara before accepting the red head’s hand.

“I’m–”

“Y/N? Yeah, I’ve heard lots about you.” You couldn’t tell what that could’ve meant, not noticing the shared look between Quinn and Tara.

“Don’t you have, like, a guy to see or something?” Tara asked, trying to get Quinn out of here as soon as possible.

“Well, Tara’s right, I should get going,” Quinn said, immediately getting the hint. “See you around, Y/N,” she winked at you.

“That was…” You trailed off, not able to meet Tara’s gaze.

“Embarrassing? Oh, extremely.”

—

“Is Tara okay?” Charlotte asked over the phone. You held your phone to your ear as you grabbed a box of leftover pizza from the fridge with one arm.

“She will be…” You thought about the younger Carpenter as you spoke.

“I’m glad.” There was a beat of silence before she spoke again. “I uh… didn’t know you could fight like that.”

“What do you mean?” You placed the box on the table, sitting down.

“You had Frankie pinned. A man with his frame and build was completely defenseless under your hands. It was impressive,” her last words came with a flirty tone.

“Oh, yeah?” You decided to match her tone.

“Yeah… Do you want to come over tomorrow? My roommate's visiting his boyfriend so I’ll be pretty lonely—some company would be nice."

You bit your bottom lip, thinking as you looked at your calendar. “Yeah—yeah, that works. What time should I stop by?”

“Six good?”

You looked at your calendar again.

“Can’t do six…” You said, looking at Tara’s name on your calendar. “How about eight?”

“Sounds good. I’ll see you then, super soldier.”

You let out a light laugh, “Yeah, yeah. See you then.”

—

Tara was on the phone with Mindy, intensely debating over American Psycho, when she heard a couple knocks on the door.

She got up from the couch as she said goodbye to Mindy, hanging up. She opened the door to see you standing there with your bag on your shoulder.

“Hey.”

Tara realized it had been a full ten seconds since she opened the door. She moved to let you inside, and you sat in your usual spot.

“So, what’s on the agenda today?” Tara inquired as she sat, hugging her knees.

“He didn’t really give us much to work with on Friday so, uh, just whatever we missed last time,” you said, not even looking at her as you looked around your stuff.

“Looking for something?”

“Yeah my pen. It was here five seconds ago–”

“This pen?” Tara said, pulling something from behind your ear. You looked at her and realized she was holding your pen. She hands it to you as you let out a timid chuckle, embarrassed at your lack of attention.

“Are you…alright?” She asked, looking at your features as you spoke.

“It’s just exams and stuff. I’ve kind of been all over the place trying to prepare—but that’s why I’m here. To study. So let’s begin,” you pull out your binder, flipping to the right folder.

Tara hesitantly followed along, keeping an eye on you.

After an hour and a half, you looked at the time and silently cursed as you got up and gathered your things.

“Leaving already?”

“Yeah, I’m meeting Charlotte around eight. So, I gotta get going,” you packed everything, racking your brain for anything else you could be forgetting.

“Oh..okay…”

You turned to look at Tara, “What is it?”

She cleared her throat, slightly shaking her head. “Nothing, have fun—oh, and don’t forget your pen,” she dismissed as she held up said pen to you.

You wear an embarrassed tight lipped smile, slowly taking the pen from her. “Thanks,” you put the pen in your bag before zippering it up.

“Uh, hey,” you heard Tara call out.

You stopped your movement, turning back to Tara. “See you later?”

You lightly nodded, a small smile on your face. “Of course.”

—

Tara found herself blasting Lana Del Rey as she wore a pout. Why was she wearing a pout? She had no idea. It was just there, and for some reason she was in a sour mood. She also knew she despised you. Possibly more than she did before; she was just starting to adjust then you had to go and make things even more confusing for her.

Tara looked at her ceiling as she laid in her bed, petting Dook who rested beside her. She suddenly remembered the beer in the fridge.

Sam was in therapy, Quinn was seeing another one of her hookups—what’s the harm?

Five beer cans later and she was more than buzzed. The urge to call you was getting harder and harder to resist with each can. She knew she shouldn’t, but she just couldn’t stop herself from opening your contact.

“Tara?” You asked, confused as to why she’s calling you so randomly.

“Y/NN,” she slurred into the phone. “Have I ever told you you’re so gorgeous it actually hurts?”

“I—uh, where are you right now?”

“Hommee. Where else?” She said, followed by a hiccup.

“I’m coming over.”

—

You knocked two times; you could hear Tara struggling with the door knob from the other side before finally opening it.

“What are you doing here?” Tara inquired with a raised eyebrow. It seemed she forgot about your call from just ten minutes ago.

“Goodness, you’re drunk.”

“I am not drunk.”

“Oh, yeah? Then tell the time,” you crossed your arms as you looked at her. She turned to the nearby clock, “I am not drunk!” She literally told it.

“Jesus,” you pinched the bridge of your nose. “Come on, let’s get you to bed,” you walked over to her but then unexpectedly felt a shove to your chest.

“I don’t—I don’t need your help.”

You exhaled, knowing all too well about the venomous look she wore. “You don’t mean that, come on.”

“I do! I don’t even want you here,” she slurred as she shoved your chest again.

“Too bad then. Cause’ I’m not leaving you like this.”

Tara had used up all the energy she had left to shove you, so she couldn’t even fight you off as you tried to walk her to her bedroom.

“Fuck you,” she gritted.

“I know.”

“No. You don’t know!” Tara yelled. “I don’t need a knight in shining armor,” she continued as you looked down at her. “I’m not a princess who has to be saved all the time.”

“Come on, I know you’re no–”

“This is what you do,” she pulled her arm away from you, “you just swoop in when everything’s fine and completely ruin shit. You think you’re pleasant to be around? Just when I think I have my life figured out, you have to come in and ruin it,” Tara spoke with pure conviction, no slurring in her voice.

“I—I don’t know what to say.”

She let out a dry laugh before saying, “When do you ever.”

“You’re drunk, Tara… Please just let me get you to bed so you don't say anything else you’ll regret in the morning.”

“I don’t regret anything—and I’ll bring my own ass to bed.”

“Okay,” you softly said. You watched as she walked down the hall and to her bedroom. You waited a few minutes, getting the ibuprofen and water ready, before entering her bedroom carefully. Just as suspected, she was already asleep. You silently place the medicine and water on her nightstand before looking at her resting demeanor.

Oh Tara, what am I gonna do with you?

-----------

A/N: I 100% know you guys aren't expecting the family member reveal I'm gonna do for R at some point (clues are scattered...)

Taglist: @t-wylia @lesbianpepsi @jennasfav @alyciaddict @justafoolinlove @steffido1993 @niqmandu @severelyuniquereview @darklron @ravenousinferno @smut-religiously777 @beautifulmongerbanditsalad @vanatalye @alexkolax @andsoigotabutterfly

#tara carpenter x female reader #tara carpenter x reader #tara carpenter x you #tara carpenter x y/n #tara carpenter x fem!reader #tara x reader #tara carpenter #jenna ortega x reader #jenna ortega #jenna marie ortega #scream fic #let the light in au

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sabi0229 · 3 months ago

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DARIUS HEAD CANNONS PART 2:

He sleep talks and sleep walks

Once he sleep walked into Kenji's room and Kenji not knowing what to do got Brand and by the time they got back Darius took Kenji's mattress ( trust me when I say he would do this if he was awake too) so guess who slept on the floor that night.

Yas teaches him to draw

Him and Sammy had their own YouTube channel for a while and they would giggle non stop

If Kenji or Ben is not around Darius will just follow Yas like a duckling and stick to her side until it's night

Darius is sometimes found sleeping with Yas or Ben mostly during stormy nights on Nublar (not Kenji because he snores)

Only chews gum when he has a nervous breakdown

Doesn't like gum that much that why he's only has some for a certain reason

When he gets a snow cone he'll put whip cream on it

On a hear me out cake he put down a dinosaur just to bug everyone on purpose ( he wouldn't actually want a dino guys....or would he?....Nah)

fave soda is cola, more specifically Cherry cola

Takes Ben's lollipops

in chaos theory he becomes allergic to strawberries

Will never eat lettuce for a year after their boat trip to Africa

Slaps ben and Kenji on the back of the head whenever they do something stupid

has lots of scars on his back because he hit many trees and was dragged around a lot and I mean a lot

Our baby is bisexual ( you can't prove me wrong guys he has that look)

Favorite holiday Halloween and Christmas

Least favorite Christmas thing to do is the shopping cuz he has no idea what to get anyone

Least favorite soda is ginger ale he's not a big fan of Ginger at all

Least favorite color is gray brown and gray

during high School people kept coming up to him asking questions about Nublar and that's when he decided he wanted to drop at immediately but his mom wouldn't let him

Does not like doing homework

Does not play as many games anymore when he got back from Nublar

Watches Arcane

Him and Sammy would make slime

Still had nightmares after Nublar

In CT he doesn't get nightmares anymore instead he sometimes hallucinates

Drank underaged a few times ( .....in CT not while he was 13 he's too smart for that)

After Brooklyn's death he doesn't eat a lot anymore also hallucinated Brooklyn

Loves blue raspberry ( I want some now crap)

Listens to Britney Spears and Ayesha Erotica

Has a dog while Kenji got a cat and not to anyone's surprise their pets fight exactly like them ( great parental example guys)

Loves warm and fluffy Blankets but doesn't like to sleep with them because he gets too warm.

When he first saw the dino from the last ep in season 5 of cc he definitely went to tell his family and they all went outside to see and kenji just got daja vu

Bookworm

Has a garden full of his favorite flowers

Can actually cook amazing burgers and that's the only thing he makes edible

Can write with both hands

Hates loud noises. It triggers him :(

Has social anxiety

Can ride a motorcycle ( we all know who taught him)

Visited Brandon and his mom every 2 months before the accident

Sometimes when he hallucinates it's gets super bad that he'll accidentally destroy stuff

Gets into fights

has anger issues

Had a TikTok addiction

Loves the beach

#jurassic world chaos theory #darius bowman #Darius head cannon #Jwcc #Jwct #Jurassic world camp Cretaceous #Chaos theory #Camp Cretaceous #Jurassic world #Darius Bowman jwcc #Darius Bowman jWCT

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jurassicshields · 8 days ago

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Chaos Kids

Darius: Goldheart. Brown and yellow tabby tom. A few darker spots when older.

Kenji: Skystride. Gray and white tabby tom. More white markings when older.

Brooklyn: Brook"star". Brown tabby she-cat with darker spotting. Dyes fur. Has more darker spots when older and shorter fur.

Sammy: Cowbird. Tan and red tortoiseshell she-cat. Lighter fur when older+lighter red fur around face when older.

Yaz: Quickleg. Brown tabby tom with white markings on the tail. Gets white "pants" markings when older.

Ben: Fernfire. Brown and white tom. Less white when older.

#warriors #warriorcats #cat #cats #fanart #jurassic world chaos theory #jurassic world camp cretaceous #chaos theory #jurassicworld #jurassicpark #catified

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noh07 · 2 months ago

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updated list of mixed name ideas (jan 30, 2025)

in this list, there's any type of names (mostly for english-speaking people though): typical first names, noun names, mythology names, etc.

i sorted them into three categories: androgynous, feminine and masculine.

if you have more ideas of names for trans folks, writers, etc, just lemme know! (Can also be not-so-cool names for the writers, we need them for the asshole side characters :3)

i will update the list every time I have a lot of new name suggestions. you can always find the newest list under the tag #updated name list on my profile, which is currently this one.

(alphabetical list with 806 mixed names under the cut)

--- androgynous ---

Addie/Eddie

Aki

Alex

Alexis

Alix

Alli/Allie/Ally

Am/Em

Amethyst

Archer

Ares

Ari

Artemis

Ash

Asher

Aster

Azure

Basil

Beluga

Bennie/Benny

Bermuda

Bev

Beverly

Billie

Blair/Blaire

Calypso

Caramel

Cat

Cave

Celeste

Charlie

Chrissy

Clay

Coco

Crimson

Crow

Diamond

Edie

Eli

Ellori/Ellory

Emerald

Emerson

Emi/Emmie/Emmy

Evie

Ezra

Fern

Finn

Flo

Forest/Forrest

Frances/Francis

Garnet

Gem

Goldie

Gray/Grey

Harper

Hayden

Hunter

Indigo

Jackie/Jacky

Jade

Jamie

Jess

Jessie

Jupiter

Kai/Kay

Lark

Lenny

Lori/Lorie/Lory

Lou

Louie

Lyle

Mag

Maggot

Marcy

Mars

Mauve

Max

Meadow

Maple

Mercury

Mika

Miko

Mizu

Mo/Moe

Moss

Neptune

Noah

Nori

Nyx

Ollie

Onyx

Opal

Paris

Quinn

Rafa

Rain/Raine

Raven

Reg

Remi

Remu

Robin

Rocky

Ronni/Ronnie/Ronny

Sage

Sammy

Saturn

Shilo/Shiloh

Silver/Sylver

Sky/Skye

Skylar/Skyler

Snow

Summer

Val

Venus

Vin

Vinny/Vinnie

Wilson

Winter/Wynter

Wither

--- feminine ---

Abby

Abigail

Adelaide

Adeline

Agatha

Aileen/Eileen

Aimee/Amy

Alana

Alena

Alessia

Aletha

Alexa

Alexia

Alexandra

Alice

Alissa

Alli/Allie/Ally

Alura

Amalia

Amber

Amelia

Amelie

Amethyst

Amity

Andromeda

Anela

Angela

Angelina

Angeline

Angie

Anika/Annika

Anisa

Anita

Anna

Ann/Anne

Annie

Anastasia

Andrea/Andreea

Antheia

Arabella

Aria

Ariana

Artemis

Ashley

Astra

Atlanta

Audrey

Aurelia

Aurora

Autumn

Azura

Bailey

Becky

Bella

Belle

Beluga

Bernadette

Beth

Bethany

Bettie/Betty

Bettina

Beverly

Billie

Brenda

Brie

Calypso

Candace/Candice

Caramel

Carla/Karla

Carmen

Carol

Carolina

Caroline

Catherine

Celeste

Celestia

Celina/Selena/Selina

Celine/Selene/Seline

Charlotte

Christina/Kristina

Christine/Kristine

Claire

Clara/Clarah

Chloe/Chloé/Cloe

Cindy

Cissy

Cora/Corah

Courtney

Dana

Daniela/Daniella

Danielle

Dalia/Daliah

Daria

Darla

Debbie

Debora/Deborah

Delilah

Diamond

Diana

Dianne

Dora/Dorah

Dorothy

Eburia

Eclipse

Eda

Elena

Eleanor/Elenor

Elina

Elisa/Eliza

Elise

Elizabeth

Ella

Elodie

Eloise

Ember

Emerson

Emery

Emi/Emmie/Emmy

Emilia

Emilie/Emily

Emma

Esme

Esmeralda

Euphemia

Euphoria

Eva

Evie

Evelyn

Felicia

Fenya

Finya

Fia

Fiona

Flo

Flora

Florencia

Florence

Florentine

Florida

Francisca/Franziska

Freya

Fuchsia

Gaia

Georgia

Gina

Ginny/Jeanie

Hanna/Hannah

Harmony

Harper

Hayley

Hazel

Heather

Hecate

Helena

Helene

Hera

Hestia

Holly

Hope

Iana

Irena

Irene

Iris

Isa

Isabel/Isabelle

Isabela/Isabella

Ivonne/Yvonne

Ivory

Ivy

Izzy

Jade

Jane

Janice

Janine

Jasmin/Jasmine

Jenna

Jennifer

Jenny

Joelle

Joelina

Jolene

Julia

Julianne

Julie

Juliet/Juliette

Juniper

Kahlani

Kaia/Kaya

Katarina/Katharina

Kathy/Katy

Kelly

Kira

Kristen

Lana

Lara/Larah

Laura

Lauren

Laurel

Lavender

Lea/Leah

Lena

Leia/Leya

Leona

Leonie/Leony

Levina

Levinia

Lia

Liana

Liara

Lilac

Lili/Lilli/Lilly/Lily

Lilian/Lilien

Lilith

Lisa

Liv

Livi

Livia

Liz

Lizzie/Lizzy

Loanne

Lola

Lorelei

Lori/Lorie/Lory

Louisa/Luisa

Louise/Luise

Luce/Luz

Lucy

Luna

Lydia

Maggie/Meggie

Meg

Madeline

Maira/Myra

Malia

Mara/Marah

Margaret

Marge

Marla

Marlene

Maria/Mariah

Marie/Mary

Marina

Martha

Mauve

Melanie

Melissa

Mellie/Melly

Meryem

Mia

Michelle

Milly

Mina

Minerva

Minnie

Miriam

Molly

Mona

Monica

Naira/Nyra

Nancy

Natalia

Natalie

Natasha

Nellie/Nelly

Nessie

Nina

Noelle

Nora/Norah

Nori

Nyx

Oliv/Olive

Olivia

Ollie

Ophelia

Paige

Paris

Pascale

Patricia

Paula

Peggy

Penelope/Pinelopy

Penny

Petunia

Philippa

Pia

Piper

Pippa

Polly

Poppy

Queenie

Ramona

Rania

Rebecka

Regina

Robin

Rose

Roxana

Roxanne

Ruby

Sadie/Zadie

Safira/Saphira

Sandra

Sauntheria

Sara/Sarah

Sari

Serena

Silvia/Sylvia

Skyla/Skylar

Sofia/Sophia

Sofie/Sophie

Soraia

Stella

Stephanie/Stephany

Summer

Tara/Tarah

Tatiana/Tatyana

Tess

Tessa

Tia

Tiffany

Tiana

Tina

Valerie/Valery

Vanessa

Vela

Velina

Venus

Vera

Veronica

Victoria

Viola

Violet/Violette

Viona

Vivian

Viviana

Willow

Xandria

Xenia

Yana

Yasmin/Yasmine

Zehra

Zoe/Zoé/Zoey

--- masculine ---

Achilles

Aiden

Aion

Alex

Alexander

Alvin/Elvin

Amon

Andrew

Angelo

Angelino

Anthony

Anton

Arcturus

Ares

Arian

Ariano

Asher

Audrey

Ben

Benjamin

Bennie/Benny

Benson

Bill

Billie/Billy

Bob

Bobby

Brendan/Brendon

Brian

Bruno

Calvin

Carl/Karl

Chad

Charles

Charlie

Chase

Chester

Chris

Chrissy

Christopher

Conan

Cosmo

Damian

Dan

Daniel

Dave

David

Davon/Devon

Dionysos

Don

Donald

Dorian

Dylan

Elia/Elijah

Elio

Eliot/Elliot/Elliott

Emerson

Emilio

Eric

Erion

Evan

Ezra

Felix

Flo

Florent

Florian

Fred

Freddie/Freddy

Gian/Jan

Gus

Hannibal

Hansjoerg/Hansjörg

Harald/Harold/Herald/Herold

Harry

Hendrick/Henrick

Henry

Hunter

Ian

Icarus

Jace

Jade

Jack

Jackie/Jacky

Jacob/Jakob

Jaden/Jayden

James

Jamie

Jasper

Jay

Jeremy

Jerry

Jim

Jimmy

Jimothy

Joe

Joel

Joey

John

Johnny

Jona/Jonah

Jonas

Jones

Julian/Julien

Julius

Jupiter

Justin

Kai/Kay

Kevin

Lance

Larry

Laurence/Lawrence

Lee

Lenny

Leo

Leon

Leonard

Leonardo

Linus

Logan

Lori/Lorie/Lory

Louis/Luis

Louie

Lucc/Luke

Lucas/Lukas

Luigi

Malvin/Melvin

Marc

Marcel

Marco

Mario

Mars

Max

Mercury

Michael

Mickey

Mike

Milo

Nathan

Neptune

Nick

Nico/Niko/Nikko

Nixon

Noah

Noel

Oliver

Ollie

Orion

Paris

Pascal

Patrick

Paul

Pete

Peter

Philip/Philipp/Phillip

Ray

Raymond

Reg

Reginald

Regulus

Remi

Remus

Rick

Ricky

Rob

Robbie/Robby

Robin

Ron

Ronald

Ronni/Ronnie/Ronny

Rubeus

Sam

Sammy

Samuel

Saturn

Sean/Shaun/Shawn

Sebastian

Simon

Sirius

Skyler

Stephan

Steve

Steven

Theo

Theodore

Thomas

Tim

Timmy

Zimothy

Toby

Tom

Tommy

Tony

Valentine

Victor

Vince

Vincent

Wilson

Xaver

Xavier

Yan

Zach/Zack

Zeus

If you want me to add meanings, origins, etc., just tell me ^^

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justsimplytalented · 20 days ago

Note

SAMUEL SEO STORY PULEASE 😭😭😭😭

Hm, Samuel Seo? Sounds fun, I can try! Enjoy this fic!

Peach-Tinted Persistence

Juice-obsessed childish oc x Samuel Seo

The rain hammered against the corrugated iron roof of the abandoned warehouse, a rhythmic percussion that should have been soothing. But it wasn’t, not to Samuel Seo at least. He’d chosen this spot specifically for its isolation. A place where the city's clamor faded into a distant hum, a place where he could be left alone.

But he was wrong, very wrong.

“Sammy!” A bright and annoyingly cheerful voice cut through the drumming rain. It was a voice he’d come to dread, a voice that always seemed to find him no matter how obscure his hiding place.

He sighed, a low, guttural sound that was lost in the storm. “Go away, Yejin.”

Yejin Kim, a small figure drenched and beaming, her shoulder-length peach-colored hair plastered to her face. There was a small rectangular carton in her grip. It was a peach-flavored juice box.

“I brought you a present!” She announced with a squeaky sound, her voice filled with unshakeable optimism.

Samuel’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t want it.”

“But it’s peach!” She insisted, shaking the carton lightly. “Your favorite!”

He’d never admitted to liking peach juice. It was a childish drink, something he’d abandoned years ago. But somehow, she always knew. She always knew where he was, what he supposedly liked, and she always had a peach juice box. It was unnerving.

“I don’t have a favorite,” he growled, turning away. “Leave me alone.”

Yejin didn’t budge; she simply stepped closer, the rain dripping from her soaked coat onto the damp concrete floor. “But it’s raining! You’ll catch a cold. And you haven’t eaten anything all day.”

He didn’t need her concern. He didn’t need anyone’s concern. He was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. “I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not,” she countered, her voice surprisingly firm. “You’re always hiding. And you always look sad.”

He scoffed. “Sad? Don’t be ridiculous.”

“You are,” she persisted, her big green eyes filled with a childlike earnestness that made him want to look away. “You’re like a grumpy cat," she said, pointing to him.

“A what?” He turned back, his brows furrowed. "And get your tiny hand away from my face," he said with a grunt.

“A grumpy cat,” she repeated while giggling as she drew her finger away from his face. “All prickly and mean, but secretly soft inside.”

He didn’t know what to say to that. He wasn’t soft; he wasn’t anything like a cat. He was… he was just Samuel Seo.

“Just take the juice,” she said, thrusting the carton towards him. “It’ll make you feel better.”

He stared at the juice box, its bright pink color a stark contrast to the gray, damp surroundings. He hesitated for a moment before snatching it from her hand.

“Fine,” he muttered, tearing open the straw. “But don’t think this means anything.” He said as he brought the straw to his lips.

She smiled, a wide, innocent smile that made his stomach twist in a way he couldn’t explain. “Okay, Sammy!”

He took a sip of the juice, the overly sweet but natural peach flavor filling his mouth. It was… surprisingly good. He quickly finished the juice, throwing the empty carton on the ground.

“Happy?” he asked, his voice flat.

“Very!” she said, clapping her hands together. “Now you won’t be a grumpy cat anymore.”

He rolled his eyes. “Whatever.”

The rain continued to fall, the sound echoing in the vast, empty warehouse. Yejin sat down beside him, her small frame shivering slightly. He glanced at her, then looked away.

“You’re going to get sick,” he said, his voice softer than he intended.

“It’s okay,” she replied, her smile unwavering. “I like the rain.”

He didn’t understand her. He didn’t understand why she was always so cheerful, so persistent, so… annoying. But he also couldn’t deny the strange warmth that spread through him when she was around.

Days turned into weeks, and Yejin’s persistence never wavered. She always seemed to find him no matter where he hid. She always had a peach juice box, and she always had a bright cheerful smile.

He found her in the abandoned arcade, amidst the flickering neon lights and the ghostly echoes of forgotten games.

“Sammy!” she exclaimed, waving a juice box. “I knew I’d find you here!”

He was starting to believe she had some kind of supernatural tracking ability. “How do you always find me?”

“It’s a secret,” she said, giggling. “But I always know where you are.”

He didn’t bother arguing. He took the juice box and drank it in a few gulps.

“You know,” she said, her voice thoughtful. “You should smile more.”

He scoffed. “Why?”

“Because you’re pretty when you smile,” she said, her cheeks flushing slightly.

He choked on the remaining juice. “Pretty?”

“Yeah!” she said, nodding enthusiastically. “Like a prince!”

He stared at her, his face a mask of disbelief. “A prince?”

“A grumpy prince,” she corrected, giggling. “But still a prince.”

He didn’t know how to respond. He’d never been called pretty, or a prince, or anything remotely positive. He was Samuel Seo, the supposedly cold and calculating strategist. He wasn’t supposed to be pretty.

“You’re weird,” he muttered, turning away.

“You’re weird too,” she retorted, sticking out her tongue. “But that’s okay.”

He couldn’t help but crack a small smile. He quickly suppressed it, but he knew she’d seen it.

One day he found her sitting on a park bench, her face buried in her hands. He approached her cautiously, his usual gruffness replaced with a hesitant concern.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, his voice barely a whisper.

She looked up, her eyes red and swollen. “I lost my favorite toy,” she sniffled. “It was a little stuffed peach.”

He felt a pang of something he couldn’t quite identify. Guilt? Sympathy? He didn’t know.

“I’ll help you find it,” he said, surprising himself.

They searched the park, their eyes scanning the grass, the bushes, and the playground. After what felt like hours, he spotted a small, fuzzy object under a slide.

“Is this it?” he asked, holding up the stuffed peach.

Yejin’s face lit up. “Peachy!” she exclaimed, grabbing the toy and hugging it tightly. “Thank you, Sammy!”

He felt a strange sense of satisfaction, a warm glow that spread through him. He didn’t understand it, but he didn’t dislike it.

“You’re welcome,” he said, his voice gruffer than usual.

She looked up at him, her eyes filled with gratitude. “You’re not so grumpy after all.”

He looked away, his cheeks flushing slightly. “Don’t get used to it.”

Months passed, and the pattern continued. Peach juice boxes, unexpected encounters, and a growing unspoken understanding between them. Samuel found himself looking forward to her visits, even if he’d never admit it. He started to hide less, to linger in places he knew she’d find him.

One evening, he found her sitting on the rooftop of an abandoned building, overlooking the city lights.

“Sammy!” she said, her voice soft. “The city looks pretty from here.”

He sat down beside her, the cool night air brushing against his skin. “It’s alright.”

She pulled out a peach juice box, offering it to him. He took it, his fingers brushing against hers. He felt a jolt, a strange electricity that made him pull his hand away.

“You know,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. “I like you, Sammy.”

He stared at her, his heart pounding in his chest. He didn’t know what to say. He’d never been told that before, not in that way.

“I…” he began, his voice failing him.

She smiled, a small, shy smile that made his breath catch in his throat. “You don’t have to say anything.”

He took a deep breath, trying to steady his racing heart. “I… I like you too, Yejin.”

The words were out before he could stop them, a confession he didn’t know he was holding back. She leaned her head on his shoulder, and he didn't pull away.

The city lights twinkled below, a silent witness to their unspoken understanding. He didn’t know what the future held, but in that moment under the starry sky, he felt a sense of peace he’d never known before. Perhaps the so-called grumpy cat had finally found a little warmth. And it tasted like peach juice.

As always, thank you for deciding to read this! If you like it, don't be afraid to give me a suggestion on what I should write next! My requests are always open!

#lookism #lookism manhwa #lookism headcanons #lookism webtoon #fanfic #fanfiction #samuel seo #samuel seo x reader

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gunsatthaphan · 1 year ago

Text

~ Monthly BL Breakdown: April 2024 ~

🌷 Happy May!!! ☀️

Disclaimer: ALL shows can be streamed here or here, as well as on Youtube and other platforms. For more info on where to watch what, check out this post!

New breakdowns are coming at the end of every month - feel free to add stuff! -> previous breakdowns

What came out this month? (green = seen/currently watching)

🌟 Love is Like a Cat - April 1st (South Korea / Thailand)

🌟 We Are - April 3rd (Thailand) ✅

🌟 Memory in the Letter - April 6th (Thailand)

🌟 Living With Him - April 11th (Japan)

🌟 Gray Shelter - April 11th (South Korea)

🌟 Beating Again - April 13th (Thailand)

🌟 Blue Boys - April 15th (South Korea)

🌟 At 25:00 in Alasaka - April 18th (Japan)

🌟 GMMTV2024 Part 2 (lineup event) - April 23rd (Thailand) ✅

🌟 Boys Be Brave - April 25th (South Korea)

🌟 CHANGE2561 2024 lineup event - April 25th (Thailand) ✅

🌟 My Stand-In - April 26th (Thailand) ✅

🌟 City Boy Log Vol. 3 - April 30th (South Korea)

New series & movie announcements

🎥 The Fridge - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Flavor of Us (starring Benjamin B., Dome W. & others) - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Children's Day - Date TBA (Taiwan)

🎥 Blue Time - Date TBA (China, possibly censored)

🎥 Bad Guy My Boss - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Oriental Magician In The Ent. Circle - Date TBA (Taiwan)

🎥 Under the Oak Tree - Date TBA (Vietnam)

🎥 Invitation - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 The Love Matter - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 I Saw You in My Dream - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 I Wish You the Best - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Impression of Youth - Date TBA (Taiwan)

🎥 Meet You at the Blossom - Date TBA (Taiwan)

Other news from the BL world

❗️ The production company Studio WabiSabi announced that their actors Boun N., Prem W., Santa P., Sammy C., Yacht P. and Stamp P. have terminated their contracts and will no longer be artists under the company on April 15th. Shortly after, GMMTV announced the 6 of them as newly signed artists, along with the disclosure that BounPrem's upcoming BL Vampire Project is now being produced under GMMTV, who now also own all broadcasting rights; WabiSabi will function as a co-producer. New S. stated on Twitter that the decisions had been long in the making, as well as the fact that WabiSabi no longer functions as a management agency for actors and is now a mere production company. He also denied the rumors that the company is shutting down. Shortly after the transfer of the Wabi Sabi actors, actor Fluke Jeeratch (formerly Pongsakorn) joined GMMTV as well.

❗️ The Filipino BL Gameboys is getting a third season. An air date has not been confirmed.

❗️ P Ekkapop and Pan Jirachot, the lead actors from Kiseki Chapter 2, have announced a new project together. Details are unknown.

❗️ Actor Barcode Tinnasit has announced his departure from his agency Be On Cloud.

❗️ After some confusion, the Korean production company Studio X+U announced that their upcoming series Fragile - which was initially advertized as a Korean SKAM remake - is in fact not connected to the Norwegian web series and is instead a standalone series, which focuses on the life of a group of teenagers. According to ZUM News, there was supposed to be a Korean SKAM remake based on the Norwegian original, which was however cancelled due to unknown reasons. Fragile was created as a substitution.

❗️ GMMTV held their 2024 part 2 event on April 23rd. The following BL projects were announced:

The Heart Killers (starring FirstKhao & JoongDunk)

Perfect10 Liners (starring ForceBook, PerthChimon, JuniorMark)

Heart That Skips a Beat (starring EstWilliam)

Revamp (starring BounPrem, formerly known as Vampire Project)

Sweet Tooth, Good Dentist (starring MarkOhm)

The Ex-Morning (starring KristSingto)

❗️ The production company CHANGE2561 held their 2024 lineup event on April 25th. The following BL projects were announced:

This Love Doesn't Have Long Beans (starring SailubPon)

Goddess Bless You From Death (starring PavelPooh)

I’m The Most Beautiful Count (starring PingSupanut)

Pit Babe Season 2

Upcoming series & movies for May

👉🏻 You Made My Day (starring Tar A. and Bom T. from I Will Knock You) - May 3rd (Thailand)

👉🏻 Inverse Identity / Upside Down - Mary 3rd (China)

👉🏻 Wandee Goodday - May 4th (Thailand)

👉🏻 A Balloon's Landing - May 10th (Taiwan)

👉🏻 City of Stars: Special Episode - May 10th (Thailand, cinema release)

👉🏻 The Time of Fever (Unintentional Love Story spinoff) - May 15th (South Korea)

👉🏻 Blossom Campus - May 16th (South Korea)

👉🏻 OMG! Vampire - May 19th (Thailand)

👉🏻 Manji Reverse - May 24th (Japan)

👉🏻 My Biker 2 - May 28th (Thailand)

#doreens monthly bl breakdown #thai bl #bl drama #upcoming bl #update #bl news #decided to do my likes/dislikes in the tags in case some entitled 'fans' are coming for my throat again #my Monthly Like goes to My Stand-In because sorry but the first ep slapped #the story is really interesting also i missed my boy Up so much??? I havent seen him in like 3 years 🥺#Ming is a red flag lmao but up is doing really well and I also didn't think he would act again since he's been producing lately #but I'm so happy he's back!!!#and I really hope the show stays at that level bc the 1st ep was more than solid #the other guy is pretty good too #another Like is going to the gmmtv lineup bc I feel really good about it!!#so many promising projects it makes me excited 😊#my Monthly Dislike goes to Love is Like a Cat bc wow it's terrible lol #good to know that Mew's lakorns aren't paying his bills anymore lmao #I dropped it instantly #its SO bad #kinda sad for Mew though #in other news this korean skam situation is confusing me so much lmao #like there was supposed to be an adaption but that got cancelled for whatever reason so now they're making a new show that's.....the same?#make it make sense lmao #also what up with all those gmmtv tranfers lol #whos next??#dmd hand over ur gays jhgkfd #or maybe dont #can u imagine the dmd boys at gmmtv #they would get fired for public indecency #jhdsfkd

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cevans-is-classic · 8 months ago

Text

18+ Only, please. Fluff with some bad language, but just fluff.

My Masterlist is here

My budding Destiel one is here

The sudden sway of Baby veering to the side of the road startled him awake. Dean jerks the wheel in time to avoid the ditch the rumble strips vibrating beneath Baby’s tires and making his teeth itch.

He straightens on the road, patting Baby’s consol in apology.

Fuck, he’s tired.

Exhausted.

He’s long past the ability to stay awake about thirty miles ago. Every time he blinks his eyes droop becoming harder to keep open, but each time Baby veers it reminds him how close they are.

Dean thinks about waking Sam to swap, but one look at his little brother changed his mind. Dean looks at the man, he frowns, seeing Sam curled to rest against the window. His body sags into the seat with his face sticking to the glass. The left side of Sam’s face is all torn up thanks to a date he had with some gravel. The right side ain’t any better with an eye swollen shut and a bruise that’s gonna hurt like hell.

He almost feels the headache he’s gonna have tomorrow.

Sam’s asleep beside him, forehead rubbed raw, lips pressed into a frown. The black eye loks worse each time he peeks.

He almost asks him to wake up.

Forty minutes has never felt so long. He doesn’t dare turn the music on, despite it helping keep him awake. He’d rather not wake up Sam until they’re home.

He doesn't.

Sammy needs the rest and they’re only forty minutes away from the bunker.

Twenty minutes.

His bed will feel amazing.

He’d put his throbbing feet up, rest his aching elbow, and refuse to move until Cas agrees to rub his shoulders and never wake him up again.

Fuck, missing Cas was the worst part.

“Someone must stay with Jack.” He was right.

Coming home to a three-year-old, tow-headed little boy sitting on Cas’s hip in the kitchen leaves him gobsmacked.

They are dads now. Actual dads.

Things needed to change

Jack was a real child now.

He’s still powered up, the little nugget; making the Winchesters the new and approved Three Men and a baby running 24/7.

They didn’t hunt as often, passing any cases off to the younger guys. When they’re asked to help, they spun ideas until deciding someone must stay with Jack. They started switching off after that.

Dean knew raising a kid was exhausting.

He was a damn kid himself trying to raise Sammy with nothing to help.

Jack is different, but not so much. He’ll always be the sweet guy with a bright smile and an awkward hand wave, but that doesn’t stop him from being a graced-up nuisance. Once the kid realized he knew how to open doors, they had to baby-proof everything they could.

Do you know how hard it is to baby-proof a hunter organization bunker?

Thinking of baby-proofing the bunker seemed to wake him up some

It brings forth the image of Jack running into the living room with a small lion club. That had been a damn shock. Jack proclaimed, loud and proud, that he’d turned his stuffie into an actual cat.

That took Sam’s life several decades, giving Cas gray hair.

Dean thought it was funny.

A week later, he did it again only with his bee stuffie, and ran around with it as it tried to get a taste of Dean.

Dean didn’t think it was funny.

Sam and Cas did.

They learned early on the best thing to do was distract him and get the kid focusing on something else, like a trip to the water park or a promise to get another snake. It’s easier to calm him down when he changes his new friend back.

The control Jack has over his powers is another shocker. The kid was three years old and could teleport them to his favorite park as easily as he could tear a hole in the wall when he forgot Cas was now human.

Thankfully, healing powers are a part of the package, too.

Potty trainone Nephilim to get a free pool in the basement.

When he pulled into the garage, he felt his body sigh in relief.

He’s so close.

Waking Sam up takes a while. It took three tries before his brother cracked his eyes open, groaning when he saw the light of the garage.

Dean feels bad for the poor guy. He had to drug him to the gills to get him into the car.

He helps open his door, ignoring the pain in his arm and the pang when he bends his knee. He gets Sam to his feet and catches him — barely.

“Come on, little brother.” He yawns. jaw cracking. “Let’s get you to bed.” Shuffling Sam up the stairs through the doorway isn’t as easy as it used to be. He used to lean Sam close to him, keeping him propped and safe like the best big brother he is.

Now he’s a lumbering giant who doesn’t know how to operate his feet.

Sam drops from his hands the moment his shins hit the bed. A loud groan followed by whimpers and Dean sighs.

“Alright buddy.” Dean slips his boots off, removing his socks, then struggles to get the sasquatches jacket off.

Sam doesn’t flinch or give any sign he's aware of his brother tucking him in — well — getting a pillow over his head and laying a sheet over him. Dean knows the nightmare that’s Sam’s night sweats and didn’t want to listen to him complain about laundry.

He makes a mental note to check on him through the night.

He bypasses the kitchen and keeps walking until he hears low voices. His door is open, a crack wide enough to let the television light streak the floor.

He follows the thin line, shrugging his jacket off and unbuttoning his shirt.

Something squishes between his fingers.

He jumps, shaking his hand erratically until whatever it has gone the fuck away.

His door opens, painting the hallway with blue and yellow light.

Cas steps around the door, raising a brow at Dean.

“Hey.” He whispers.

Cas closes the door behind him. “You’re home.”

“Yeah.” He spreads his arms out, shaking them and flinching at the dull ache in his muscles.

Cas rolls his eyes, stepping in the circle of his arms and nosing his chin. His hair tickles Dean’s nose, more salty than dark. The shampoo he uses smells like apricots; at night he tucks closer to Cas and breathes it in.

“You need a shower.”

“Yep,” Dean knocks his head back, “I know. I’m dead, though, man. I think Sammy’s got a concussion, and my elbow is not in the right place.”

“Well,” Cas hums, “Where’d you leave it?”

He grins, squeezing his angel closer.

Kissing Cas is the greatest thing he’s ever done.

The day he tugged the man towards his chest, twisting his stupid trench coat in his hands.

When Dean Winchester said fuck it to Chuck, Lucifer, Death, and anything and everything that has ever taken the angel away from him.

That day, Dean Winchester, saw the light.

He’d spent over a decade staring into vibrant blue eyes, feeling his heart burn in his chest. Too long he pushed and pushed Cas away, kept himself from touching the angel and it was over.

Nothing could top kissing Cas

Well, Cas kissing him back for sure does.

“Come on.” The man pulls back. “Let’s get you undressed and cleaned off.”

“I’m down for the undressing.” He winks.

Cas rolls his eyes. The door opens, peeking his head in. Dean waits until he gets a nod and then follows his boyfriend into their room.

Jack is on the bed.

Jack is taking up the bed.

How a five-year-old Nephilim can take up a whole queen-sized bed, Dean will never know.

“He slept in his big kid bed for nap time, but he wanted to wait for you.”

“Look how that turned out.”

Even asleep, the kid looks like Cas. His brow furrowed, mouth pressed into a line. The arm thing he gets from Sam, he’s the only other creature he knows that sleeps with his arms straight out.

Full spread eagle.

“Guy knows how to sleep, I’ll give him that.” He toes his boots off, groaning when the pressure releases.

Cas lifts Jack off the bed, resting him over his shoulder. “I’m going to put him in his room. You get undressed, and I’ll help you shower.” His eyes trail down his body and back up, holding his own.

That’s a look.

Then he’s out the door, Jack’s face pressed onto his shoulder, mouth open with drool dangling from his mouth.

Dean groans when he undoes his pants, letting them drop to the floor. The only thing left on him was worn-out briefs. He’s not even sure these are his briefs, not completely sure these are Cas’s either.

Doing laundry is hell around here.

He looks up at the bed, hoping to see the remote. He saw Jack’s blanket and sippee cup instead.

The little Avengers one Eileen got him for Christmas.

(That had been an argument he thought he’d won. Who gets him Marvel shit? Batman, dude, Batman.)

It’s scratched from several encounters with walls, floors, and people standing in its way.

Literally.

Jack will cry for it and the damn thing will come flying out of nowhere.

“Ah yes,” Cas takes the blanket after straightening, “wouldn’t want him to wake up without his protective blanket.”

Knocked Dean off his ass once and had him running after with a gun.

Cas is crouched down, leaning in to look into Jack’s play tent. Dean ain’t gonna lie, looking at his angel’s ass? That’s an old habit that will never die.

“Heaven forbid.”

Cas drapes the blanket over their son, smoothing out the wild hair near his ear, and bends to kiss him. He stays down there for a moment or two, whispering over Jack, a protection spell he uses every night.

Dean doesn’t understand the words but when Cas speaks them, brushing his finger over Jack’s nose, it makes him think of the last time he saw Jack, and his heart aches. The kid deserves more than they can give him, but damn if he, Sam and Cas are gonna do their fucking best.

“Come on,” Cas moves past Dean, “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

He follows, feeling his legs drag, eyes growing heavy. Between one blink and the next, he's beside the bed. Cas, helping him strip out of his clothes. His shirt is a bloody mess, mud caked into the stains, and there’s a long tear where he missed a knife to the gut just so. Cas shakes his head at him and helps Dean shed the shirt.

His fingers follow the path of blood trails, over bruises on his chest and a gash on his side. For how tired he is he didn’t get it as bad as Sam.

Cas hums “You’re not as hurt as I expected. Tired?”

“Should go check on, Sammy. He’s been to the butcher and back.”

“Exhausted.” Another hum. Then he’s kneeling to help Dean kick off his jeans. His boots are heavy when Cas lifts his foot. He drops on the bed, sinking into his beloved memory foam. It’s conforming to him, drawing him in, and he has enough forethought to lift his hips before sinking deeper.

“You know,” He yawned, “I might take that shower tomorrow. We’ll change the sheets.” His body is heavy, weighing down to the bed, the blanket soft under his hand, and he knows if he curls up with his pillow he’ll be out in seconds.

Cas doesn’t respond, but he helps scoot Dean further up the bed. He moves him carefully enough not to disrupt his injuries.

Dean blinks, slow and long.

Cas is gone for a moment, seeding panic into his chest until he feels his hands trail over his chest, dragging a cold cloth.

“You sleep,” He said faintly. “I’ll clean you up, then I will check on Sam.”

All Dean heard was sleep.

He tries to mumble somewhere along the lines of I love you, but he’s not sure what came out.

Castiel checks on Sam after cleaning Dean up and discarding his underwear.

He makes sure that Dean is comfortable and sleeping before he ventures to the younger Winchesters’ room. The light is still on, giving Castiel a clear view of the oversized man sprawled out.

Spread Eagle.

Just like their son.

#destiel #destiel fanfic #destiel moment #dean and cas #dean winchester #castiel #sam winchester #baby jack #jack kline #found family #deancas #castiel/dean winchester #The Winchesters #destiel fic #sam dean and Cas are jacks parents

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lexsiyette · 2 months ago

Text

any sanders sides fans?

too bad heres mine

imagination/creativity (Alex)

The oldest Side

Hobbies

- Writing

- Performing

- professional daydreaming (yeah thats the gist)

- ideas! ideas!

Adjectives

• creative

•imaginative

•egotistical

•cocky

•stubborn

//Relations\\

Sexuality

- Aroace/Maverique

Crush

- None

Best Friend(s)

- Passion

- Humor

Other

- The oldest of the sides

//Other\\

Favourite colour(s)

- Orange, shades of dark pink/blue

Favourite band/artist

- It's on and off, but now it's Book of Mormon and MST3K

Favourite song

- "Man Up" from Book of Mormon

//OTHER\\

the MOST LIKE myself in real life, but kind of the best? (he's like my dream self, ignore the flaws)

oh and he sleeps really late because of another side's antics with the body so he sleeps really late and when he does that the body has creative block and the other sides wake him up so he can give motivation to Lexsi :D

Maturity/intelligence (richard)

Hobbies

- Math, evaluation

- Reading

- The body doesn't like it, so in his bedroom he likes trying on new clothes

Adjectives

• Mature

•Intelligent

•Logical

•Hogger (of control, of dreams, of paths)

• easily annoyed

//Relations\\

Sexuality

- Unknown

Best Friend(s)

- Imagination. When he's stressed, he goes to Imagination for help.

Other

- His twin brother is Humor/Wit. What a bunch :D

//Other\\

Favourite colour(s)

- Black

Favourite band/artist

- He likes listening to Brian Regan (yeah. the comedian. ironic)

Favourite song

- Tbh, One from Chorus Line (he likes the inensity)

//OTHER\\

Despite representing Maturity, he formed shortly after Imagination and a few other Sides, making me a very mature little brat for my age (i get this a lot)

He calls everyone their emotion representation instead of their names, because he's a formal guy.

He has a very tight schedule, but everyone's made him promise he won't enforce it on their host

The host often has social cues missed due to himself thinking he's of highest standard, so the scar is a few tear streaks for her low self esteem

humor/wit (chaz)

Hobbies

- Improvising in shows

- Jokes

Adjectives

• Witty

•Humorous

• Funny

•Desperate

•Natural Leader

//Relations\\

Sexuality

- gay, non binary

Best Friend(s)

- Passion and Imagination

Other

- twin brother of Maturity

//Other\\

Favourite colour(s)

- Surprisingly, they like muted colors such as white, gray, and black

Favourite band/artist

- Sammy J, Randy Feltface, Eddie Murphy

Favourite song

- Beach

//OTHER\\

Is the only one allowed to call Maturity "Richard"

Has a nickname for everyone, but they're not mean

Very low self esteem.

Collaborates with Imagination frequently, especially while Lexsi's in improv classes

Cowardice (Sparky)

Hobbies

- roleplaying online

- coping with food

- having the host go to the mall

-ocd vibes

- talking and talking and talking and googling and talking

Adjectives

• cowardly

•fearful

•stressed

•frantic

•heart of absolute fragile gold

//Relations\\

Sexuality

- demiboy

Best Friend(s)

- Temper and Insomnia

Other

- None

//Other\\

Favourite colour(s)

- Muted purple hues, but sadly his closet isn't full of that

Favourite band/artist

-as long as he feels like crying its good

Favourite song

- "We'll Meet Again" or "Happiness"

//OTHER\\

Formed right after Imagination, right when the Host started to trust and mistrust aspects of the world

he's triggered into controlling the host's emotional state by the mention or sound of the mentioned fears above

oftentimes, he's gaslit by the other sides (mainly Anxiety) to take control because they need something

agere dreamer :D

temper/sensitivity (Blue)

Hobbies

- playing with cats and geckos. The host doesn't have them, but he sure does. he loves playing with them

- Watching Mission Impossible

-Talking with Maturity about how stupid people can be

- Being a therapist for all the sides, especially Cowardice

Adjectives

• Short tempered

• vunerable

•sensitive

•sentimental

//Relations\\

Sexuality

- questioning

Best Friend(s)

- Maturity

Past lover?

- Anxiety

Other

- He enjoys being truly alone, just like the host

//Other\\

Favourite colour(s)

- red

Favourite band/artist

- ???

Favourite song

-???

//OTHER\\

Was created due to the rising temper towards rule breaking classmates during a theatre production that Passion really took hold of

He's kind of the host's go-to side in hard times

Crying in the shower? Aight bet.

Passion (Anthony)

Hobbies

- Collaborating with other sides

- Hyperfixating

-Surfing the internet for fanart/fanfics

- scrolling on youtube for a specific movie scene

-watching tv/musicals

Adjectives

•passionate

•talented

•over friendly

•stubborn

•gate-keepy

//Relations\\

Sexuality

- Gay

Best Friend(s)

- Imagination :D

Other

- None

//Other\\

Favourite colour(s)

- Yellow! All things Yellow and warm and happy!

Favourite band/artist

- You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown

Favourite song

- Not a song but the '66 concept album of said musical. Whole thing. makes him squeal.

//OTHER\\

formed last, mainly during the time when the host discovered musicals and MST3k. he became the pure phase-giver for this girl :D

his first duty to hyperfixate on was Godspell/Hamilton

fanfiction? main focus? procrastination? oh hes got it.

anxiety (Xavien)

Hobbies

-reading

-using his ability

-attempting to understand people

Adjectives

•anxious

•manipulative

•snarky

•stubborn

•socially unaware

//Relations\\

Sexuality

-omni

Best Friend(s)

- Temper (anxiety loves annoying him)

Other

- Insomnia is his twin brother

//Other\\

Favourite colour(s)

- blue

Favourite band/artist

-Pippin, mST3K

Favourite song

- hobgoblins

//OTHER\\

he can't help not getting along with everyone, it's just his personality

has a book titled How To Understand People, he annotates it, but it's bad advice since the book is written by knowledge from the brain

he usually force-triggers others out in order to get things done for himself

Insomnia (Hypno)

Hobbies

- sleeping/not sleeping

-watching youtube

-playing pretend

-reading fanfiction

-googling random stuff

Adjectives

• restless

•tired

•sleep deprived

•giddy

•easily bored

//Relations\\

Sexuality

- trans (MTF, but doesn't mind being called a brother)

Best Friend(s)

- Sparky

Other

- Anxiety is her twin brother

//Other\\

Favourite colour(s)

- deep cyan

Favourite band/artist

- The Buggles

Favourite song

- Video Killed the Radio Star

//OTHER\\

When she's asleep, the other Side's use their life force to keep the Host awake during class

her dollie represents the Host's actual real life doll (Maggie is my best friend :D)

there are four Maggies in the Mind Palace, but her Maggie is the one she carries around all the time. the others keep their dolls in their room for sleeping only

#sanders sides #ocs #sanders sides oc #fanders sides #yay

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whump-me · 1 year ago

Text

Obscure: Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of Obscure, novel-length interrogation whump about a rebel leader who can erase memories with a thought, an interrogator who can see inside his subjects’ minds… and the connection they share that neither of them suspects.

Masterpost | the Mind Games universe | Read the completed novel on Patreon

---

Elias

Every day, the hard metal chair bit into Elias’s legs a little more. Every day, the reflection of the harsh light off the table stabbed a little deeper into his brain. Every day, the world felt a little foggier, his thoughts a little muddier. A product of his lack of sleep. That cot in his room—or call it what it was, his cell—was no better than sleeping on the floor. When he did sleep, he dreamed of Sammy, or occasionally of Max. His dreams were not restful.

It was a small consolation that Kirill looked as if he hadn’t slept well either. His eyes had lost a little of their sharpness, his stance a little of its rigidity. Of course, he had put on that act before. Elias had vowed not to fall for it again. But this time, it looked like Kirill was trying to hide his exhaustion. And that told Elias it was likely real.

What was keeping Kirill awake? Elias hoped it was his question—the question the man hadn’t been able to answer. Who was he under his endless number of masks? Who was this person who had joined PERI willingly to work against his own kind?

Elias didn’t let himself think too long about why he wanted to know. He didn’t let himself wonder who else he was trying to understand.

“Sammy.” Kirill let the name hang in the air. He said nothing else.

As if the name alone would be enough to make the memories spill out of him. But even as he thought it, the memories came, half a dozen in quick succession—birthday party, a skinned knee, a mouthful of baby food spit clear across the room.

Elias blinked away the images and focused on Kirill’s eyes. “A child like you,” he countered. “But you don’t know who you were as a child, do you?” Tit for tat. If Kirill wanted to play press-the-emotional-button, it was only fair for Elias to play, too.

“Not like me,” Kirill said. “I joined by choice. It was an act when I said otherwise. One you fell for.”

“I won’t make that mistake again.”

“You won’t need to worry about it,” said Kirill. “Everything I say from now on will be the truth. We’ve recalled your son from his current operation. He’s here right now, waiting to find out the reason for his change in assignment. We can tell him his recall was an unfortunate mistake, and administrative error, and send him on his way.” He paused. “Or we can hurt him.”

The words were a knife. They tore open Elias’s memory center, and Elias bled.

He bled images of Sammy as an infant, and the woman curled in the corner of his bunker with burn scars up and down her arms.

He bled Sammy at two years old, and a man dragged away screaming through an abandoned industrial park as Elias watched helplessly, the man’s eyes warning him to stay hidden.

Sammy at four, and a corpse facedown in brackish water, her skin pockmarked with electrical burns, her eyes gouged from her head.

Sammy at six—

Elias took a shaky breath. Then another.

“I shook you up that badly yesterday, did I?” His voice trembled. So did his hands.

“Don’t give yourself so much credit. I set the recall in motion yesterday morning, before we spoke.” Kirill gave him a thin smile that wasn’t a smile. “I told you I wouldn’t let you play cat and mouse forever.”

The memories kept going. His shaky breathing exercises couldn’t hold them at bay. He tried anyway.

Inhale for four, exhale for four.

Sammy at eight.

Inhale for four, exhale for four.

A man staring into his eyes in the bunker, eyes haunted. I was with them for two years. Do you know the kinds of things they do to make a person cooperate?

Inhale. Exhale.

He clung to his breaths like a rope thrown to a drowning man. The rope slid from his hands like it was only more water. So he clung to something else instead. Those pale gray eyes. He reached for Kirill’s mind, clawing his way in, all subtlety gone.

The electric shock, when it came, was a relief. It burned the memories from his mind, along with his concentration.

For a few seconds.

“No more of that,” said Kirill. “If you try it again, I’ll make sure your son gets every shock I delivered to you.”

“You’ll hurt him anyway,” said Elias, even as he knew he would never try to obscure Kirill again.

“Only if you don’t cooperate.” Kirill’s voice cut like a knife through the images flashing through Elias’s mind. But it did nothing to stop the memories. “I’ll need the names of everyone who works with you, in order of seniority. The locations of your safehouses. The different branches of your network, their responsibilities, and the complete chain of command for each.”

Safehouses. His mind was already in the bunker, and it stayed there, all the details sharpening until they stood out sharper than real life.

He willed his memory to remain in the bunker, tried to concentrate on every detail—reading the titles of the books in the bookshelf, counting the squares of the quilt. But his treacherous mind, fueled by emotion and steered by Kirill’s suggestion, moved on.

It moved to the second floor of a small doctor’s office in a strip mall two states away. Elias had never been there personally, but he had seen pictures. Those pictures flashed through his mind now in a series of still images. Half a dozen cots; cabinets crammed full of scavenged medical equipment. Scarred patients with haunted eyes.

On the rare occasion they could rescue someone from one of PERI’s research facilities, that was where they sent them for treatment and rehabilitation. Their survival rate was almost sixty percent. Elias was told that was impressive.

His memory moved on again, to a circle of cabins at the end of a logging road, deep in a forest so thick the sunniest days were shadowed. A community where people could stay over the medium-term—one year, two, sometimes even five—when they didn’t have the resources to flee, or wouldn’t be safe even under an assumed name.

Elias had visited a handful of times. It reminded him a little of home, even though his home had been wide-open meadows and long, low ranch houses built from scratch. Every time, he had wished he could stay. But it would have put the people there in danger, and they were at enough to risk as it was. And he had his own life waiting for him at the farmhouse.

That thought brought his memory to the farmhouse. He clung to the familiar images with relief. Walking inside with Laina for the first time, carrying her across the threshold like she was a new bride, even though they had been married for almost five years by then. The first breakfast he had cooked in that kitchen, eggs and bacon, presenting it to Laina with a flourish and saying they were real farmers now. Laina had laughed at him, reminded him that he had bought those eggs and that bacon at the grocery store, and that they were growing apples, not keeping chickens or pigs.

Their first fight in the farmhouse, two weeks later, when she had broached the subject she had sworn not to bring up, dropping hints about how the house was awfully big for just the two of them. He embraced the memory. He would take anything, no matter how painful, as long as Kirill couldn’t do anything with it.

Then he breathed away the memory, and let it go.

He had won.

This round.

“Spoken answers would save us the trouble of tracking down those locations,” said Kirill. “The more you give us, the less your son will suffer.”

At the mention of Sammy, the memory-wound tore open. Elias struggled to breathe. “You’d hurt him so easily? I thought he was one of yours now.”

“He is. But your information is worth more. And we have a plan in place to handle the aftermath.”

The last word, spoken in the cold tones of Kirill’s current persona, curdled Elias his stomach and set loose another gout of fear-memories. “Aftermath? You mean the body?” He pictured Sammy, the age he had seen him last, but lying on the ground cold and dead. The image that had plagued his nightmares until he found out the truth.

But that was imagination, not memory. So Kirill got nothing. His pale eyes remained clear and focused.

Kirill shook his head. “PERI prefers not to waste valuable resources. We won’t kill him. Not unless you make it necessary.” He smiled. It didn’t reach his eyes. “Maybe not even then. He’s more useful to us alive, even if we’re only using him as a weapon against you. Once he’s dead, there’s nothing more we can do to him.”

Elias stared into those cold eyes. There had to be a person in there somewhere. There had been once. That child Kirill claimed he didn’t care about remembering. The one who, in the grip of grief, had made a Faustian bargain.

“Is that how you see yourself?” Elias asked. “As a resource? There’s no difference between him and you, you know. Or do you think they see you differently because you joined voluntarily? They don’t.”

Elias didn’t have to know Kirill personally to know that much. He knew his enemy. He had studied them for the past fifteen years.

Kirill showed no reaction. “The addresses of your safehouses,” he said. “The names of your subordinates, and their areas of responsibility.” He nodded down at Elias’s wrist. “For your son, we’ll start with a shock bracelet like yours. Then we’ll move on to worse.”

“You don’t need to give specifics. I’ve seen what you can do.” Elias forced the words out like a talisman against memory. A distraction. It didn’t work. The memories squeezed out around the edges of his focus.

Lark Albright, who had only agreed to go into hiding on the condition that she could join his work. Annemarie and Nabor Eichmann, who had lost their child and wanted to make their loss mean something. Kevin Kasperski—

Elias kept talking. “Do you think they wouldn’t do the same to you if they thought it was worth their while?” Each word was a struggle. Each syllable was a pebble placed in a dam, an attempt to hold back the river of memory. The current washed them away almost as soon as he could place them.

“I’m too useful to them,” said Kirill. “And there’s no one left alive who cares about me.” There was no emotion in his words.

Elias struggled to focus on those cold eyes. Not to obscure Kirill—he wouldn’t do that again, not after Kirill’s threat. Just to give himself something to focus on besides the fear and Kirill’s questions.

His eyes were as pale as Max’s. Was Max working in a facility like this somewhere, staring into a prisoner’s eyes with a flat, empty gaze?

And Sammy. What had he been doing for PERI before they had recalled him? Were his eyes as cold as Kirill’s now?

“You’re not focused enough,” said Kirill. “Let me change that. We can snap the bones in your son’s hand, one by one. He doesn’t need them for his work. I could demonstrate on you, so you know what your son will be facing.”

Elias’s hands involuntarily twitched away from Kirill. Memory surged through him—a reddened, wrinkled infant hand, impossibly small in his, less than a day old. A bigger hand, but still small in his, clutching his index finger as they walked across the street together—Sammy had been too proud to hold hands the way he used to. A scraped palm, tears, tweezers picking out the bits of gravel from the wound.

“Your contacts,” Kirill said, like Elias had known he would.

Elias dug through his own memory ruthlessly, throwing out images like roadblocks. A man bleeding out in his arms. A woman facedown in the water. PERI had already killed too many of his people. Now the dead could shield the living.

“Your active contacts,” Kirill said implacably. “And you don’t have to wait for me to pluck the memories from your head. Give me a thorough accounting, out loud, and guarantee that your son will be sent back to his current assignment with no knowledge of your presence here.”

Would his name mean anything to Sammy? Did he remember him? A sharp pang of grief. His son disappearing onto the school bus, its accordion door swallowing him.

“Your active contacts,” Kirill repeated. His voice showed no hint of frustration.

And Elias’s memory obeyed. Despite his attempts to throw up roadblocks, despite the pebbles placed in the roaring river of memory, Kirill’s voice steered his thoughts expertly. He pictured Mikyla Cogburn, a bored mother of three who had occupied herself by hacking into government systems and discovered one of PERI’s research projects by accident. Fleming Hammerberg, a weedy and freckled man who Elias had tried to recruit for the better part of a year for his rare distance-telepathy skills. Hayat Jalil—

Elias breathed in and out. He stared at his hands, and willed himself not to think of broken bones.

But that was the wrong approach. Resisting pain only ever brought more pain.

There would be pain. There would be grief that would never fade, and wounds that would never heal. That was the way of the world.

He stared his grief in the face until it looked away.

The river slowed, then stilled.

“You’ll do what you’re going to do,” he said, his voice even. Almost as if he meant it. “I can’t stop you.”

He tried to tell himself it was the truth. Pain was inevitable. Grief was inevitable.

But Sammy’s suffering was not. Elias could save him, send him back to his life as a cold-eyed PERI resource. If he traded away everyone who had put their trust in him.

Maybe tomorrow he would do it. Maybe the day after. Maybe the anticipation of Sammy’s pain would be too much for him, and he would give in and hate himself for it later. Or maybe his moment of weakness wouldn’t come until he saw Sammy in front of him, and heard his son’s adult voice for the first time in the sound of an agonized scream.

But not today.

He took another breath. And another. The memories didn’t return.

There would be more rounds. He wouldn’t win them all. Kirill had already handed him a few painful losses—and others would feel that pain in his place.

But for the moment… for the moment, he had won.

Kirill’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Maybe hurting your son isn’t the right strategy after all.”

Elias restrained himself from flashing Kirill a smile of triumph. But he felt it in his heart. If his victory had shaken Kirill, maybe it was more significant than he had thought.

Then Kirill’s thin lips curved into a smile of his own. “An account from your mouth would be the most efficient method of gathering information,” he said, “but for now, it’s not necessary. I got more than enough from your memories alone in the last few minutes.”

The flame of victory in Elias’s heart turned to ash.

His victory had been no victory at all. Kirill hadn’t backed down because Elias had successfully held the memories at bay. He had backed down because he had gotten enough to satisfy him for now.

Kirill stood. “We’ll discuss the remaining unanswered questions another time,” he said, already turning toward the door. “Maybe you’ll change your mind about talking to me. If not, we have plenty of beds. Your son can stay here as long as we need him.”

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