#grow elephant garden

[sarahgrows]

My son did so well in his Kidstrong class today, I obviously HAD to get him a plant. I love that when I ask him he actually gets excited. He picked a couple of different ones at first but settled on this gorgeous Sansevieria Moonlight 🤩 I saw this gorgeous Alocasia Polly I believe it is. She has new leaves sprouting and just looked too good to leave.

I'll be moving his ogre ear and moonlight into his room. After all it is his collection!

[closetgardener]

Just know that when a recipe calls for two cloves of garlic, these are the cloves I’m thinking of. But umm… Does anyone know if this:

Is just a funny-looking clove or if it might be a seed? It was buried deep within the rest of the cloves so it may just be a Super Tiny Baby Clove but ohhh… How excellent it would be if I got to try my hand at raising giant garlic…

[illwilledomen]

Adults n’ babies.

Info below.

Villagers (and all Testificates)

- Children have tufts of hair, and bald during puberty.

- The darker pigment in their proboscis occurs during puberty. They also grow into their noses.

- Kids are kind of scrunkly and wrinkly, like Sphinx cat kittens. They’re also very small, and have huge growth spurts once they hit their teenage years.

- Adult villagers are incredibly tall, and lack much visible hair aside from fine body hair, light facial hair (like stubble) and eyebrows, which are bristly and whisker-like. Another noticeable feature is their short philtrum and near lack of a visible upper lip. Their noses are as sensitive as human lips, and are typically used in the same way for affection and gesture. Villager proboscis can scrunch, wrinkle and twitch, moving to follow scents like the noses of elephant shrews.

- Villagers have much keener senses of smell than humans, and can produce a wider range of sounds.

Piglin

- Much like villagers, piglets start fuzzy and bald into wrinkly adult piglin.

- Piglets learn to vocally emote first, then sign phrases later on. Piglin use vocalisations as emotional context cues for the more complex sentences they sign.

- Piglin sows have litters of up to six piglets. Most of these piglets will die, particularly if it’s a nomadic horde, so they only receive proper names at one and a half nether years, or when they begin to grow out of their camouflage stripes.

- Piglets are born with stripes and an earthier pigment to help them hide from Infernal predators.

Endermen

- Endermen give birth through their mouth. They do breed asexually, though some Endermen do recreationally partake in what is possibly intercourse. It’s hard for Enderologists to tell.

- The offspring spends ten years inside of a nutrient sac before emerging as an Ender-child. The Ender-child will slowly develop features like limbs and a complex digestive system, though it begins with only a torso, a brain and a pair of eyes. These eyes are non-functional as psionic communicators, which is their secondary purpose in adults.

- They excrete an oily substance that repels Endermites and keeps them moisturized enough to move. As the larvae matures, it will develop the velvety exoskeleton of an adult Enderman. It will also begin to omit psionic frequencies, though these begin as nonsensical bursts of information.

- They mature at 100 years old. Most of this 100 years is spend engorging on chorus fruit, stem and endstone mineral salts. They have no emotional connection to their parent, as eventually they will develop enough to join the Chorus and become one conscious Being. Alternatively, they can worship a void God and become an Endersent.

Players

- Players were primarily constructed by Rana of the Elphar Senate of Builders, or artificers under her command. Most players were raised either in the Garden, an enclosed sterilized “meadow” next to the Senate building, or within the ancient city.

- They have three brains. The Animal, aka a normal human brain, the Purpose, an information tablet which dictates their robotic instincts, Basic Information and function, and the Soul, which enables emotion and sapience.

- Steve was constructed as The Builder, Alex was constructed as The Hunter, and Hero was constructed as The Friend, but is commonly referred to simply as the first. Hero destroyed two other players before he was supposedly decommissioned.

- Players begin existence as entirely androgynous beings, and may transition into genders upon discovering them. Gender is not encoded onto the Basic Information tablet, so they may struggle to understand it. Steve has adopted a masculine identity, enjoys it, though expresses confusion at being called a “male”.

[vixemi]

A/N: love this man but also love me some 🎶 angst 🎶

———————————————————————————

You had always known Gambit and Rogue shared a complicated history, but you never imagined it would lead to this. It started innocently enough – a lingering glance here, a playful smile there – but soon, it became impossible to ignore the growing tension between them.

One evening, as you walked into the common area of the X-Mansion, you found Gambit and Rogue deep in conversation, their laughter filling the room. But as you approached, their smiles faltered, and you couldn't shake the feeling that you had just interrupted something.

"Hey, what's going on?" you asked, trying to ignore the uneasy feeling gnawing at your gut.

Gambit glanced at Rogue before turning to you with a nonchalant shrug. "Just catching up, chère," he replied, his tone casual as ever.

But you could see the tension in Rogue's posture, the way her eyes darted away from yours. Something wasn't right, and you couldn't shake the feeling that you were being kept in the dark.

As the days passed, you couldn't shake the feeling of unease that lingered between you and Gambit. Every time you caught him stealing glances at Rogue or sharing inside jokes with her, it felt like a knife twisting in your heart.

Finally, unable to contain your frustration any longer, you confronted Gambit one evening in the training room. "What's going on between you and Rogue?" you demanded, your voice trembling with anger and hurt.

Gambit's expression hardened, his gaze meeting yours with a mixture of defiance and guilt. "It's nothing, chère," he insisted, but his words only fueled your anger.

"Nothing?" you scoffed, feeling the tears stinging at the corners of your eyes. "Don't lie to me, Remy. I see the way you look at her, the way you flirt with her. Do you think I'm blind?"

Gambit's jaw clenched, his hands curling into fists at his sides. "It ain't like that, okay? Rogue and me, we got history, but that don't mean nothin'."

But his words fell on deaf ears as the anger inside you boiled over. "I can't do this anymore," you cried, the pain of betrayal cutting deep. "I can't compete with your past, with her."

And with that, you turned on your heel and stormed out of the training room, leaving Gambit standing alone, grappling with the consequences of his actions and the realization that he had pushed you too far.

———————————————————————————

For days, the tension between you and Gambit hung thick in the air, neither of you willing to address the elephant in the room. Every interaction was strained, every word carefully measured, until it felt like you were walking on eggshells around each other.

But despite the distance that had grown between you, Gambit couldn't shake the feeling of regret that gnawed at his insides. He knew he had to make things right, to prove to you that you were the one he truly cared about.

So one evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon and the X-Mansion grew quiet, Gambit sought you out, determination burning in his eyes. He found you sitting alone in the garden, the moonlight casting a soft glow on your face as you stared off into the distance.

"Chère," he began, his voice gentle yet filled with sincerity. "I messed up, and I'm sorry. I should've been more mindful of your feelings, of what this – what we – mean to each other."

You turned to face him, your expression guarded yet hopeful. "And what about Rogue?" you asked, your voice barely above a whisper.

Gambit sighed, running a hand through his hair as he searched for the right words. "Rogue and me, we got history, but it's just that – history. You're the one I want, the one I care about. I'll do whatever it takes to make things right, to earn back your trust."

For a moment, the air between you was heavy with uncertainty, the weight of the past and the pain you both carried threatening to tear you apart. But then, slowly, you reached out to take his hand in yours, the warmth of his touch melting away the walls you had built around your heart.

"I want to believe you, Remy," you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper. "But you have to show me, not just tell me."

And with that, Gambit pulled you into his arms, holding you close as he vowed to do whatever it took to make things right, to prove to you that his heart belonged to you and you alone. And as you melted into his embrace, the weight of the past began to lift, replaced by a glimmer of hope for the future.

[sweetsweetjellybean]

A night out with friends turns into a surprise welcome home party for the man who broke your heart, Eddie Munson.

Masterlist Listen to Scar Tissue Here

What to expect: Second Chance Romance set in 2012 Chicago, with flashbacks at the beginning of each chapter.  Eddie and Steve are in their 30s. Fem!Reader is given a pet name from each of the guys. No other name mentioned. No use of Y/N. No physical description. Reader does have a bit of personality, as I find it nearly impossible to keep her blank for such a long fic. You may find yourself at times making choices that you wouldn't normally make, but I hope you can put that aside and enjoy the ride. Sensitive Content. 18+ Guaranteed happy ending. This is my love letter to Eddie Munson.

WC:5162. Beta'd by @superblysubpar

“Have a good day,” your mother calls out as you shut the front door to the gray clapboard-sided home that your parents had fallen in love with the moment they laid eyes on it. You hadn’t even gotten past the front steps before she appears in the doorway, pulling her purple terry-cloth robe tighter around her shoulders as she calls you back. “You don’t have to come right home after school,” she tells you, pressing a few folded bills into your hand, “Go out with your friends. Have some fun.”

“Thanks, Mom.” You muster up a smile, shoving the bills into the front pocket of your Levi's, certain they will end up in the ceramic pink elephant bank that sits atop your dresser, just like the money she gave you last week. She watches you walk down the steps, giving you a wave before she turns away, shutting the door behind her. 

She tries her best, but she doesn't understand that friendships in the seventh grade aren't made as easily as they were in kindergarten, and you can't tell her that in the six weeks you've been enrolled at Hawkins Middle School, not a soul has spoken to you unless asked to by a teacher. 

This was the life that your parents had chosen, a career that demanded constant relocation and upheaval. "It's an adventure," they'd tell you as your things were being packed into boxes. But the older you got, it felt less like an adventure and more like a test. A test to prove yourself over and over. There’s a phrase your mom has uttered so often over the years, that it's surprising it's not embroidered on the throw pillows. Bloom where you're planted. But here, in this town, you're only a weed in the garden.

Hawkins isn't any worse or better than any of the other ten places you've lived in the last seven years, but these kids have been together since birth and aren't eager to welcome newcomers into the flock. Pouring your efforts into being confident and friendly, projecting a cool and unbothered facade, the constant exposure has left you empty. The mask is too heavy, and you’ve been wearing it far too long. If this were one of the comics you kept in the box under your bed, you'd be discovering your superpower–Invisibility. They don't see you here, and maybe they never would. 

The edges of folded bills in your pocket press into the meat of your thigh. Adding them to your total should give you enough for the new Elastica CD.  With a bit of luck, you might be able to talk your dad into driving you to Tower Records in Indianapolis this weekend. A few houses away, the battered front door of a small yellow cape opens with a click and thud, drawing your attention. The house was more run-down than the others on this street. The grass was left to grow a little longer before being mowed, and a few nights a week, you could hear the yelling coming from inside before seeing the slow flash of lights of a cruiser parked in front. 

A boy with curly shoulder-length hair bounds out from inside the house, slinging on his worn backpack as he hits the sidewalk.

Right on time this morning. 

The scuff of your white Doc Martens falls in step with the crunch of his black Converse hitting the pavement. The chain running from his back pocket to his hip sways with his movements. It’s more of a determined bounce than a walk. Your eyes stay trained on the frayed holes of his Jansport, corners of textbooks and papers pushing through. You keep waiting for physics to kick in and the thing to give way entirely.

“Quit following me.” 

His voice floats over his shoulder, shattering the quiet of the morning. Your head swivels from side to side, looking for whoever he is speaking to. His body turns until he’s walking backward, both hands gripping the straps of his backpack, casting his expectant brown eyes on you. 

“Me?” You ask, touching your chipped painted fingernails to your chest.

“You’ve been following me for weeks, and it’s creepy.”

“I’m not following you,” you say incredulously, “We’re just going to the same place.”

“Well, walk on the other side of the street or something,” he says, turning back around, continuing on his way like he assumes you’ll comply.

“No.” 

Your defiance comes out flat and solid, drawing a line, sick of him and this whole town.

“Yes,” the word comes back without a glance, utterly unbothered by your show of determination.

“No,” you repeat louder, your eyebrows pulling together in a scowl, “If you don’t like it, you walk over there.”

“I was here first.”

“Seriously?” The anger in your chest turns to heat, rising up your neck and settling in your face. Your mouth opens, ready to unleash the venom sitting on the tip of your tongue when he stops walking.

“Might as well walk beside me then.”

Surprise melts the words in your mouth as your feet carry you forward until you’re close enough to see the freckles covering his nose. His eyes stay forward as his stride lines up with yours, moving forward at a more relaxed pace. A light breeze rustles the leaves of the Maples lining the street. The sound of your footsteps is interrupted by the occasional passing car. 

“You’re in seventh, right? You got Schnider?” He asks, his eyes darting to your face.

“Yeah.” You nod, looking down at your boots.

"Bad luck. She's a real bitch. I had her last year."

Answering with a shrug, you risk a look back at him. Long eyelashes framing big doe eyes, a sweet face he tries to hide with a hard shell. He wears a mask, too. 

Your brain’s on overload for the rest of the day—thoughts of the boy coloring away the hours like a secret, overanalyzing every bit of your interaction. When the shrill sound of the final bell rings, you join the current of students, gathering your belongings and exiting the building in a wave.

The fresh air is a welcome escape from the stuffy classroom as you cross behind the school past the football field, heading toward the path through the woods where the boy is lingering just beyond the gate, digging through his pack but coming up with nothing like maybe he had been waiting. Without a word, he falls into step beside you. When you look at him, this time, he meets your eyes. The sunlight flickers through the swaying leaves as your footsteps resonate through the trees as you continue together.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow," his voice cuts the quiet air when you reach the front steps of his house, his tone revealing a hint of uncertainty. 

"I'll be headed the same way," you answer.

He turns away from you, pausing with his foot on the top step, looking up at his house before looking back at you. 

"I'm Eddie, by the way," he offers, his cheeks pinking at the vulnerability his words carry.

"I know," you respond, a small smile gracing your lips as you continue home.

"Shit. Shit. Shit," you mutter, tucking your phone into your clutch and bolting up the marble steps to the second floor of the Kimpton Grey Hotel. Composing yourself as you pass through the lobby and open the double doors into Vol.39. The bar exudes timeless elegance with its dim, warm light shining on the dark-wood accents. Vintage jazz playing through hidden speakers, sounding like smoke and liquor. Everything here is steeped in leather, old money, and sophistication. It's no surprise that Nancy chose it. 

"You're late," Nancy says flatly, no amusement in the blue eyes framed by the blunt cut of her black, sleek hair as she glances at her watch with disapproval.

"Sorry." You slide into the open seat on the tufted couch across from her, adjusting the material of your dark emerald midi skirt so the slit wouldn't be showing off too much thigh, "There was traffic." It definitely wasn’t the extra half hour you spent with your feet up on your desk at Stax listening to the new release from Band of Horses.

"This is Chicago. There's always traffic," she counters, keeping her voice low enough that it doesn't travel past the lit bookshelves lined with leather-bound encyclopedias framing the seating area that your friends are currently occupying. "That's why I gave you a time a week ago. So you could plan ahead."

"She’s in a mood," Argyle says from the corner of his mouth, his hair falling around him like a curtain as he leans closer from the velvet upholstered club chair beside you. 

"Where's Steve?" Nancy demands, setting down her crystal tumbler on the gray marble table in the center of the space.

"He's not here?" you ask, scanning the bar. "It was Robin’s turn to watch him."

"Me?" Robin exhales from the other end of the couch she shares with Nancy.

"You're his best friend," you point out with a quirk of your brow.

"Yeah, but you're his–"

"I don't know why I bother to organize nights out for all of us if no one is going to be on time," Nancy cuts off Robin, huffing as she crosses her slender arms over her chest.

"It will be fine, Nance," Johnathan reassures, coming back from the bar carrying a flight of martinis he sets down in the center of the table. "Just relax. Everyone's going to be here in plenty of time." He takes the seat beside her, comforting her with his arm around her shoulder. 

Nancy and Johnathan have been on again-off again since she left Hawkins for school in Boston. Rekindling their relationship when she moved to Chicago and accepted a position at Spectrum Media, where she still works as their vice-president of content strategy. 

"Plenty of time for what?" You ask, leaning forward to choose a martini, picking the Astoria with a knot of lemon. 

"There's a mystery guest," Robin says, wriggling her brows and hooking her thumb towards Nancy. “Full of surprises, isn't she?”

"Where's Flora tonight?" You ask Robin, noticing she is without an escort. 

"Flora?" She asks, picking up a drink for herself, "That was over a week ago." She dismisses her with a wave of the hand before running it through her wavy blonde streaked locks, "Sadly, she left for a goat herding commune in Sacramento. I've been seeing someone new, a painter named Taylor. She's on exhibit at Magnolia. Her florals are really dreamy." She bites an olive off the end of her toothpick, sighing. 

Smiling around the lip of your glass, you shake your head. Robin works as an exhibit coordinator for Magnolia Gallery in Wicker Park, falling in and out of love with artists as quickly as she sells their pieces. You give her credit, she's having fun. 

"Did you text him?" Nancy asks, her lips twisting with impatience. The tense clench of her jaw has you setting down your drink and reaching for your clutch with no arguments. "Do you know how hard it was to get this reservation?"

"Then why are we here?" Argyle complains, gesturing around the room while he slumps back in his chair, swirling the amber liquid in his glass with the other. "You know I own like six bars, right? No reservations required."

"But then you'd be working," Nancy explains, as Argyle smoothes out his handlebar mustache.

"I'm always working, babe," Argyle says with a smirk, looking the part of a restaurateur and music promoter in his shiny flat-front trousers and short-sleeved silk shirt. 

Argyle is a new friend - meaning not from Hawkins. The California transplant, whose family owns a chain of successful pizza restaurants, has breathed new life into the Chicago music scene. Booking up-and-coming acts as well as big names into his bars and venues all across the city. He's a good friend to have, especially in your line of work–a music journalist for Stax the city's premiere music, arts, and culture magazine.

“He’s on his way,” you inform them, setting your phone face down on the table before settling back on the couch.

“On his way or leaving now?” Nancy shakes her head, knowing with Steve it’s probably the latter. “Why didn’t you ride with him?” She asks, turning toward Jonathan.

“I wasn’t in the office today. I was on a shoot,” he says, pulling his arm away from her and setting his drink down harder than necessary, his patience with her at an end. 

Jonathan, like you and Steve, works for the conglomerate Second City Media. Nancy likes to think that she permits the three of you to work for her competitor, but Steve had already gotten his foot in the door, securing himself an entry-level position at Metro Sports division before she was even out of grad school. Jonathan had been doing alright freelancing as a photographer, but when Nancy started at Spectrum, Second City recognized their competitor would wind up with an edge and hired him on as full-time staff. Everyone knows it's better for their relationship not to be working in the same place, especially with Nancy as his boss.

“Give us some clues about this mystery guest,” Robin interjects to lower the temperature between the couple, which is ready to boil over.

"Okay, I'm here." Steve comes from behind you, his voice alerting you to his arrival before you see him. His tie is already missing, the first three buttons of his starched shirt undone beneath his midnight blue suit, and his hair tousled from a day of running his hands through.

"Really, Steve? You couldn't be on time just this once?" Nancy scolds him, rolling her eyes.

"Meeting ran late. You know how it is," he leans down to kiss her cheek,"Or maybe you don't. I heard things are a bit slow over there at Spectrum," he teases, earning a smirk from Johnathan. 

Steve worked his way up from the sports division to chief content officer for Second City Media. The position puts him just shy of the power Nancy holds at Spectrum, fueling the pair's competitive and ambitious nature until their bickering often drives everyone else crazy.

"Steve," Robin draws his attention before Nancy gets the chance to respond, "About tomorrow–"

"Just a minute, Robin. I haven't gotten to kiss my beautiful wife hello." He steps over Argyle's legs and gives the man a quick handshake in greeting before sitting next to you on the sofa.

"I'm not your wife yet, handsome," you tell him as his strong hands cup your cheeks, tipping your head up toward him. 

"But it sounds good, doesn't it?" He asks before soft lips close over yours, his thumb pressing on your chin, asking for access to deepen the kiss beyond the line that's appropriate in front of company. 

"Niiiice," Argyle hums as the others snicker. Steve takes a hand off your cheek, holding it in front of you to block some of their views as his mouth moves hotly over yours. 

"God, you two are sickening," Nancy's remark is probably accompanied by an eye roll, but you're too occupied to notice as you tighten your grip on the front of Steve's shirt, drawing him nearer.

Four of his fingers curl down, giving Nance a one-fingered message as he continues to kiss you until he's had his fill. Breaking away with a gentle peck. "How was your day today, Ace? Did you write me a Pulitzer?" 

"You ask me that every day."

Despite teasing you, he wouldn't be surprised if you had what it takes. That's how much he believes in you. He takes your hand, bringing your knuckles to his lips to place a kiss next to the glittering diamond he put on your hand a little over two years ago. 

"Excuse you." Robin climbs over Argyle's legs that are still stretched out in front of him, taking up all the space between the chairs and the table, and walks over to the couch, squeezing her way onto the sofa between you and Steve, "Best friend privileges." She winks before launching into a conversation about the next exhibit she's putting together.

"You two crazy kids set a date yet?" Argyle asks at a volume higher than you'd prefer. Raising your index finger to your lips, eyebrows drawing together as your eyes flick over to Steve.

"I'm just making sure my invite didn't get lost in the mail," he says, sipping his drink. "I love weddings, man—all those tiny little versions of regular-sized food. Maybe I should open a restaurant like that, where everything is tiny. Tiny little kebabs and tiki drinks with tiny little umbrellas. I don't know what's taking you so long. You need to make an honest man out of him." His voice grows louder at the end of his sentence, earning him another look from you, a distraction that diverts Steve's attention from his conversation.

The waitress chooses that moment to appear, saving you from another conversation about setting a wedding date. It's not that you don't want to marry him–you do. Someday. Decisiveness has never been your strong suit, along with dressing up in big puffy dresses that look like frosting and being on display for everyone you have ever known and their plus ones. 

While Steve squints down at the drink menu, fondness warms you like the opening notes of your favorite song. Reaching across Robin, you tap his chest. He looks over at you as he pulls a pair of glasses from his breast pocket and slides them on his nose.

Your lips move without sound–I love you.

You too, he mouths back. His mossy eyes softening as he smiles just for you. 

You're happy. Why change a thing?

“I’ll have an old-fashioned. Top shelf. Please,” Steve tells the waitress after she had gone around taking orders for small plates to share and more cocktails from the others. “Another Martini?” He raises his eyebrows at you.

“Yes, please. An Astoria,” you tell her as she finishes scribbling everything down on her pad and heads off toward the bar to put in your orders. 

“The ladies?” You tip your head at Robin, who nods, getting up to follow you. Steve squeezes your hand as you walk by as he continues his conversation with Nancy about the effectiveness of paywalls on digital content.

“God, she’s in rare form,” Robin comments as you enter the empty ladies' room, each of you closing yourself into a stall.

“Are she and Jonathan fighting again?” You ask once you’ve finished up and moved to the sink to wash your hands. The echo of your voices bouncing off the black and white hexagon tiles.

“When aren’t they fighting?” She pulls a few paper towels from the machine bolted to the wall and drys her hands. “It’s like foreplay for them at this point.”

You laugh, checking under your eyes for make-up smears. “Any ideas about this mystery guest?”

“No idea.” She tugs the brass handle of the door open, and you follow her back into the bar. “Maybe her brother?” 

“That would be nice,” you say, your boot heels tapping on the dark chevron floors, “He just got married, right?”

“So young, practically still a baby,” she tuts, her head shaking from side to side.

“Robin, he’s not that-”

Robin's hand clamps onto your forearm, a squeal escaping her mouth as excitement radiates through her. She bounces on her toes, leaving you in her wake. Whoever elicited such a reaction is being blocked by Steve and Jonathan. When she gracefully maneuvers past them, you catch a fleeting glimpse of dark curls before the two men shift back into place, obscuring your view once more. The clinking of glasses and chatter from the other patrons swells in your ears. Your feet carry you forward, curiosity resonating like the reverb of a guitar. Steve feels you coming up behind him and shifts to the side. Without warning, rich chocolate eyes are locked onto yours. Eyes you haven’t seen in eleven years when he left you a mixtape instead of a goodbye. The eyes of the man that shattered your heart into so many pieces, all the edges are still sharp. 

“Hey, doll.”

The breath trapped in your lungs forms a suffocating bubble, its dull, aching pressure stifling any movement in or out, causing your body to lock in protest. You're tugged forward, unable to fight it, until your body collides with his. The faint but familiar scent of him embraces you, lingering beneath the spicy notes of expensive cologne. Triggering a flood of a hundred painful memories, like songs you’ve overplayed and can’t bear to hear again. They jar your instincts into overriding the shock, compelling you to push him away. Eddie's solid frame absorbs the force. To your relief, the others haven't noticed as you retreat to your seat. Your trembling hand raises your martini to your lips, taking larger swallows than you normally would, but nothing with this situation is normal. 

"Desperate times," you mutter under your breath, tipping back your glass. By the time everyone has settled back into their seats, your martini glass stands drained, the lingering taste of its contents  bittersweet on your tongue.

Steve directs the waitress to bring another drink for you and a double Mescal for Eddie. The others' voices are a distant buzz in your ears, but their words don't breach the barrier of your thoughts. The chords playing in your mind are more discernible now. Their lyrics printed onto the faded photographs of a boy that you struggle to reconcile as the man before you. He's older, but you are too. His long hair is much shorter, the dark curls a richer brown pushed away from his face. A few lines grace the corners of his eyes and forehead–a reminder of the life he's lived without you. 

Steve's comforting hand wraps around your shoulders while the other finds a home sliding between the soft skin where your legs are crossed, exposed by the high slit of your skirt. Eddie's eyes are on you, his stare focused on Steve's big hand covering half your thigh. Your left hand moves on top of Steve's, adjusting to make sure the sparkling rock on your finger gleams with brilliance in the soft, ambient light.

"Well, this is a blast from the past," Robin notes, her voice full of whimsy as she dangles her cocktail glass between two fingers, swaying it gently like a pendulum.

"Aren't you all glad I forced you to come out?" Nancy quips, much more relaxed now that her plan has come to fruition.

"You did good, love," Johnathan murmurs. His fingers tangling with hers before giving her a quick peck. 

"Absolutely. I wouldn't have wanted to miss this," Steve agrees, "How long has it been, dude? Three, four years?"

"Yeah, I think that was the last time you were in L.A." Eddie scratches at his chin, covered with just enough scruff to almost be a beard. 

Steve keeps in touch with Eddie? Had he told you when you hadn't been paying attention to him, your mind wandering with the words you would write for other people's songs?

"Now, I know that I told you only old friends," Nancy says, angling herself towards the plaid upholstered chair that Eddie occupies. "But Argyle knows all the local talent, and I thought he'd be a good connection to have since you're moving here."

"What?" You ask, as if a sudden vacuum has just sucked the air from the room.

"You're moving here?" Robin's eyes light up with excitement at the prospect of all her friends in the same city. She was the original connection that brought you together all those years ago. 

"When you say here. You mean Hawkins, right? You're moving back to Hawkins," you clarify.

"No. I mean here. I'm moving to Chicago," Eddie says, leaning back into his chair, his long legs spread in his tailored black suit, the black v-neck underneath giving off a laid-back California vibe. "I told those corporate studio fucks I was done. I'm opening my own place to record music that's actually good, not just the kind that will sell. I'm surprised you don't know all this, doll. Isn't it supposed to be your job or something?"

“Fu–”

"Why Chicago?" Jonathan asks, cutting you off before you let loose a very appropriate response to his question, "Why not stay in L.A. or New York. Aren't there music scenes bigger than here?"

Eddie tips his head to the side, his fingers tracing the rim of his glass. "You know, L.A.'s lost its charm for me. Too many fake people made out of plastic. And, well, Wayne's not getting any younger. Thought it's about time to be closer, you know?"

“You'd be much closer in Hawkins. Bet you could find a place downtown real cheap. You should go look there.” You cross your arms over your chest, drawing a line in the sand. 

“Hawkins doesn’t really scream rock ‘n’ roll, and I already got a place, but thanks,” he says, unconcerned as ever by your tone.

“Look at you two,” Robin says, clapping her hands, “Just like old times, back to your usual banter." Her mischievous grin widens, "Remember when she had that massive crush on you, Eddie? You’d stroll into Musicland during our shift, and she’d follow you around with those big heart eyes.”

Your ears ring as heat rushes up to your neck to your cheeks,the whole world spinning. Eddie looks down, swirling the remnants of gold liquid in his crystal-cut glass.

“You’re exaggerating, Robin,” you sputter, reaching for your drink, hiding behind the lip of the glass, “We were just friends. And it couldn’t have been too major. I don’t even remember it.”

“Oh, come on,” she protests, “Everybody knew.”

"I didn't," Steve's voice cuts through her teasing, leaving an awkward stillness in its wake. The distant sounds of high-pitched laughter and the faint scrape of utensils against plates fill the void. Your friends exchange uncomfortable glances, even though there was no malice in his tone.

“Hey, it’s no big deal, though,” his smile puts everyone at ease. “Right, Ace?” His head dips, brushing your lips in confirmation. You nod as he continues, “Robin, remember when we both went on dates with the same girl. What was her name? Brenda.” His fingers snap with the recollection.

“That’s right, Brenda! Brenda Mackenzie!” Robin laughs and begins to regale the group with the story.

When you lift your eyes, Eddie’s stare remains fixed on you, amusement replaced with an intensity you can’t read. An unfinished sentence or lyric. Words hanging between you like a question that you can't answer—one that you don’t want to.

“I’m going for another drink,” you say to Steve, picking up your empty glass. 

“Do you want me to come with you?” He asks, brows drawing together.

“No, I’m okay,” you tell him with a plastered-on smile, “You want anything?”

He shakes his head no. “I let my car service go early. I’ll drive us home in your car.”

With gentle fingers, you sweep aside a stray lock of hair that's draped across his forehead, planting a tender kiss on his lips before making your way to the bar. 

There is a soft creak of the leather as you seat yourself on a high stool in front of the polished wood bar. A bartender with an easy smile takes your order and leaves, giving you a much needed moment alone. Your lungs expand and contract without releasing any tension. You study your reflection in the mirror behind the rows of brightly lit bottles. If you could rewind the tape to a few hours ago, you'd have happily stayed in your office. Calling Nancy tomorrow to grovel for forgiveness for messing up her plans. But you can’t and the song plays on. It’s always the music that hurts the worst.

You release an audible sigh, your breath escaping through parted lips, as he settles onto the stool beside you. With a casual tap of his rings against the bar, he signals for the bartender, raising a single finger, his tongue peeks out, grazing his bottom lip as he gestures toward his empty glass.

"What’s the matter, doll? You really that unhappy to see me?" Eddie drawls, a half-smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"It’s been eleven years, Eddie. Sorry I’m not organizing a parade." You settle back into your seat, glancing around as if you're bored.

The bartender lowers his eyes as they deliver your drinks and wisely retreats to the far end of the establishment.

"I didn’t come here to fight," Eddie replies, his tone softening. He shifts his weight slightly on the stool, one arm resting casually on the counter, the glint of a gold chain around his neck catching the dim light.

"Then why are you here?" Your eyes narrow as your fingers trace the condensation on the side of the full glass.

"A fresh start. To build something of my own." He looks at you with determination, his dark eyes reflecting the soft glow of the bar lights.

"Then build it somewhere else," you respond curtly, your words laced with frustration. You pick up your drink and down half of it in one go, the chilled liquid leaving a slight burn as it slides down your throat. Setting the glass back down, you turn to leave.

He stops you with a gentle hand wrapping around your wrist, his touch causing your pulse to quicken beneath his fingertips. "There are some things I want to say to you. Let me take you to lunch unless Harrington has got you on too short of a leash."

You pull your wrist back, the feel of his touch lingering like smoke in the air. "Whatever you have to say has waited this long, try again in another decade. Unless you're dying."

"Would it make a difference if I was?" He meets your gaze with amusement playing on his lips.

"Let me think about it… nope." Your reply is quick and sharp, meant to cut.

"I know you're mad–" 

"No. Mad would imply some kind of emotional attachment. What I feel is indifference. In case you don't know the definition, that means nothing at all." Your voice stays cool and detached as you hop off the stool. "It's a big city, Eddie. There's no reason we have to see each other again." 

"We'll have to see about that," he smirks. 

"Have a nice life," you say a final goodbye to your past and turn away, walking in the direction of Steve when he stops you with one more question.

"Did you listen to it? The tape, did you ever listen?" 

The lie comes without hesitation. 

“No.”

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Read Song 2. here

AN: I hope you had as much fun reading this as I did writing it. If you have a song that you think Eddie would have recorded on the mixtape send it to me in an ask and it might be included. Anything before 2001. I'd love to hear from you. Comments and Reblogs are always appreciated.

[blackhistorystoryteller]

AFRICAN PROVERBS AND THEIR MEANINGS

This is a message to my black brothers and sisters

Learn about African proverbs and know your culture is filled with poetry

1) Only a fool tests the depth of a river with both feet.

Meaning: You don’t jump straight into a situation without thinking about it first.

2) Knowledge is like a garden: If it is not cultivated, it cannot be harvested.

Meaning: If you don’t make efforts to acquire knowledge then you would not expect to have it and if you do not put the knowledge you have to use, you cannot expect to gain anything from it.

3) Sugarcane is sweetest at its joint.

Meaning: Good and sweet things of life may appear difficult to achieve but in the end, it is worth it.

4) If you offend, ask for a pardon; if offended forgive.

Meaning: This is as simple as it sounds: If you upset someone, apologise to him or her. If someone upsets you, forgive him or her because what goes around, comes around.

5) Don’t set sail using someone else’s star.

Meaning: Avoid copying someone else. Just because someone has been successful in what he/she does should not be what will make you to do the same thing and expect to be successful.

6) The best way to eat an elephant in your path, is to cut him up into little pieces.

Meaning: The best approach to solving a problem is to take it bit by bit; one at a time.

7) A restless feet may walk into a snake pit.

Meaning: If someone is busy doing nothing or is involved in what he does not know about, it is easy for him/her to get into trouble.

8) A chick that will grow into a cock can be spotted the very day it hatches.

Meaning: You can easily foresee the future of something through the character and tell-tale signs it exhibits today.

9) After a foolish deed comes remorse.

Meaning: Feeling sorry always follows a foolish act.

10) A man who pays respect to the great paves the way for his own greatness.

Meaning: What goes around, comes around so whatever you sow, you shall reap.

11) He who does not know one thing knows another.

Meaning: No one knows everything, but everyone knows something.

12) A roaring lion kills no one.

Meaning: You cannot achieve or gain anything by mere sitting around and just talking about it.

13) Do not call the forest that shelters you a jungle.

Meaning: Do not insult someone who is taking care of your responsibility or taking care of you.

14) When a king has good counsellors, his reign is peaceful.

Meaning: What defines a man is the circumstances and people around him and if they are good, he turns out good.

15) It takes a whole village to raise a child.

Meaning: The society is responsible for the moral characters it creates and everyone in a community should be responsible for helping to train a child irrespective of who the parents are; offering correction where they are needed.

16) If a child washes his hands he could eat with kings.

Meaning: If you prepare and allow yourself to be well trained when you have the opportunity, you will achieve a lot and be favoured in due course.

17) The Rain does not fall on one roof.

Meaning: Trouble comes to everyone at one time or another.

18) Life is like a mist or a shadow; it quickly passes by.

Meaning: Life is too short, and you only live it once.

19) Wherever a man goes to dwell, his character goes with him.

Meaning: What defines a man is his character which is, inseparable from him and follows him everywhere he goes.

20) Do not look where you fell, but where you slipped.

Meaning: Don’t look at your mistakes; look at what caused your mistakes, otherwise you may repeat the same mistake again.

He who sees an old hag squatting should leave her alone; who knows how she breathes?

Meaning: You should never interfere in someone's issues, particularly when you do not know anything about them.

Anger against a brother is felt on the flesh, not in the bone. Meaning: You should forget and forgive anything your relatives did to you.

Maize bears fruits once and dies because it is not rooted in the ground. Meaning: You will never get to the top and stay prosperous without a good foundation.

He who will swallow the 'udala' seed must consider the size of his stomach. Meaning: 'Udala' seed is an apple seed. It is never digested in the stomach

[backside-into-the-heavenly]

🌿 Purple Elephant Ear (Colocasia 'Black Magic') 🌿

Majestic, deep purple leaves that create a striking focal point!

Light: Partial shade to full sun.

Water: Keep soil consistently moist.

Soil: Rich, well-draining soil.

Temp: 65-75°F (18-24°C).

Humidity: Prefers high humidity.

Fertilizer: Monthly during the growing season with a balanced fertilizer.

This bold and beautiful plant adds a dramatic touch to gardens and indoor spaces alike! 🌿🌺

#houseplants #Plants #garden #leaf

[pestorik]

Hello! Can you give some crumbs on Trey in the twst adventure time AU? I love his concept so much and I want to hear more on it even if it isn’t a lot 💚

-Starved Trey fan looking for crumbs :>

i aim to please, anon!

there would be an episode where garden prince, ace, and deuce all go to treys house for a sleepover, in an effort for GP to live out all the childhood experiences he never got to have bc of his mother. it is then revealed trey snores like a hibernating grizzly bear and the rest of them are unable to sleep so they stay up all night playing party games.

treys employees seen in the character art are: spike the potted plant, marigold the bird, cay cay the carrot (i wonder who named him), and dan the durian. in one episode dan the durian gets broken open and smells so bad that he drives away customers and trey guiltily puts him on leave until his shell grows back. cue dan storyline where he wanders Ooo searching for a way to mask his stench.

it is revealed at some point that he has an entire armory hidden under his bakery, which he seems embarrassed of.

garden prince at one point coerces him into taking up the position of a knight in service of the garden kingdom. trey considers himself a pacifist (he's not, its just an excuse to not get involved) so he's very reluctant. he spends the entire episode walking around the kingdom looking for knight stuff to do, at the end of which he and GP agree that the garden kingdom doesnt really have any threats and he goes back to his bakery.

people think cater was the one who ended their relationship bc he cant handle commitment but really it was a lot more complicated on both ends. most ppl dont know the full details, including riddle, who is wary of cater bc he thinks he hurt trey. cater and trey remain awkward friends without ever addressing the elephant in the room, lowkey avoiding each other.

has a weird friendship w rook, nobody understands it not even trey. rook stops by at extremely inconvenient times asking for favors. there isnt any obvious reason for the favor (a carton of eggs, a sack of flour, etc) and trey doesnt ask questions. in exchange rook doesnt cause problems for him.

recruited deuce to deliver for him bc he knew deuce was trying to be a better person and felt like having a job would help him. ace also frequently calls him to get them out of trouble, he's like their big brother who has to pay their bail.

his parents are retired and he took over the bakery from them.

at one point he has to visit a neighboring kingdom to get some special ingredients. he doesnt usually travel so needs transportation. cater offers a ride on his skateboard but trey doesnt like heights so ace and deuce let him borrow their caterpillar. entire episode is him not knowing how to direct the caterpillar and it takes him through the woods where he gets beat up by nature and does not get his ingredients.

that's all i got for now! give me enough time and there will eventually be more

[ppnuggiexxx]

-> PROLOGUE | CHAPTER ONE

•| you just wanted to buy groceries ,, though it seems you made a contract with the devil instead. strange how things happen, especially when an angel is after your life. maybe god truly has it out for you?

•| taglist :: empty

it wasnt often that his creations could see such beauty. the garden, full of life and everlasting love. visions of creatures that hadn't existed until now. greenery growing from the ground, covering the area in vivid color. beings covered in soft warmth, spotting different colors and roaming free with one another. they had no names, the being unsure what to call any of them.

and then came man. the first of them, made in his own image, adam. his heavenly father had called upon a few of his previous creations to view such beauty. gabriel and satan, two of his favorites. he would have called lucifer, though said archangel was preoccupied with other angels.

" isn't it beautiful?" his father asked, smiling upon the garden. adam had started naming the different creatures, running around freely among the garden's grass as he called it. " look at them all. they live in pure harmony and love, everlasting peace." he said.

" why is he alone?" satan asked, pointing at adam scavenging for berries provided by bushes. plump and sweet, the berries filled adam's stomach. hunger was of no concept to him, yet he enjoyed the purity and sweetness the berries provided him. he thanked the bush, than his heavenly father for such a treat.

his heavenly father hadn't answered satan, thinking amongst himself. he had given the creatures all another of themselves, yet adam remained alone. it wasnt right, how the lions had more of their own, or how the elephants roamed together as one. "i shall make adam another, one of him. as any of my children, he deserves to have another to love," he said.

        gabriel to the side of his heavenly father only glared down at adam in disgust. he wasnt sure why his father decided that having man would be good. he knew father could see all, the whole future lying ahead. gabriel wondered what would happen should man be corrupted, tempted away from his heavenly father. would he look down in disgust like him?

        as the sun in the sky started to settle and the moon rose, gabriel watched as adam scurried away to hide in a burrow. how cowardly, he thought, for a creation of father to hide away from darkness. how man could never see the everlasting light of heaven. maybe man would never see the beauty of heaven. there was no green or vivid flowers. there were no animals, no towering beings other than his heavenly father and the archangels themselves.

        this garden of eden only reminded gabriel of hell. the wretched place itself only soured his mood more.

        " i'll protect mankind," satan spoke. " i'll protect adam and eve. i'll protect garden of eden, father." the large being beside them, taller than that of a mountain, only smiled down at satan. compared to adam and eve, his heavenly father was enormous. satan and gabriel were large in size, that of what would be the chariot his heavenly father rides upon. to them, man was only a tiny creation.

        "thank you satan, but there is no need for protection. the garden is of everlasting love and purity. though, there is knowledge that they don't know of, there is no need for protection. it is their own choosing whether to continue living in purity and love, or to discover knowledge of impurities. it is their own free will," his heavenly father explained. satan only tilted his head to the side, but nonetheless nodded to father's words.

        gabriel only pondered about what father said. knowledge of impurities? would man betray father and fall to corruption? he looked to the largest tree in the garden, towering over all of the land. fruit bright and red grew from it, shining in the glow of dawn. the new man walked around the garden, naked and shaped differently than of adam.

        this must be eve that satan mentioned. what an interesting name for that of man. gabriel watched as adam and eve talked, unsure of what they were saying. he could tell that they loved each other immediately, tending to the garden together. how interesting it would be to see them crawl upon their bellies, wriggling around and limbless. would father love his creation then?

        how strange of father, to create mankind.

________

        "eww, what even is this?" you grumbled out and pinched your nose, pulling a strange and wet clothe from a wooden box. minhyeok only raised an eyebrow at the object before gagging at the stench it gave.

        "im not sure why mom had that, but that is absolutely foul," you quickly put the wet clothe in the trashbag beside you, careful not to touch it with your other fingers. you continued to scrumage through the box, looking for anything of value. you werent sure why minhyeok insisted on spring cleaning today, but you were dreading him for it.

"anything over there by you?" you asked him as your eyes squinted into the box. apart from the cobwebs and spider sacks full of eggs, there wasnt much in there worth anything. or anything interesting for that matter.

minhyeok only sighed and shook his head. "i've only found a small handheld mirror worth keeping. most of the stuff here can be donated." he shrugged before leaning back on his heels. "same here, unless you want to donate spider babies," you raised a brow at the college student with a smirk. "im sure any kid who picks up this box would be thrilled!"

minhyeok only rolled his eyes, "or have a heart attack." he looked around the attic. most of it had already been cleaned out before, donating most the large furniture pieces that wouldn't be of use to either of them.

"hey, what time is it?" he asked. you shrugged your shoulders, "not sure, why?" minhyeok pulled his phone out of his back pocket, opening it up to view the time; 5:24 pm. "i gotta make dinner here soon. how about you go get us ingredients?" the boy rose to his feet, ducking his head as to not hit it on the ceiling.

you quickly stood up too, ready to get out of the attic itself. it was boring having to go through everything, not to mention how dusty everything was. "sure, it'd get me out of this mess."

"you say that like you were dragged here against your will," minhyeok replied, climbing down the ladder. "um, because i was? or do you not remember ripping the covers off of me when i was sleeping?" you remarked. you didnt here a reply from minhyeok, taking the time to look around the attic once more.

you both got a bunch of work up here done fast, but as the hours dragged on it felt like you were there for eternity. you're sure the spiders would appreciate you not ruining their webs. just as you were about to climb down the ladder, a strange paper stuck out from underneath the box you were looking through earlier.

you crouched down, lifting the box up and grabbing the slip of paper. it had intricate markings all over it, in a language unknown to you. it looked like something you'd see on a jiangshi, covering their faces in those old horror movies you'd find at a beatdown dvd shop. "are you coming?" minhyeok yelled from below.

you stuffed the slip of paper in your pocket, hurrying down the ladder before he called for you again.

________

minhyeok placed a $50 bill in your hand, "make sure you just get ingredients for dinner tonight. i'll make whatever you're craving, but don't get anything else." he warned you, his pointer finger up and reprimanding you. you rolled your eyes, smiling at the boy, "dont worry. i'm not gonna bring home a cake again for dinner. i've learned my lesson from last time."

he crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at you, as if to say 'really?' "okay okay, i promise i wont," you sighed, "though it would be good for dessert." you murmured under your breath. "what was that?" minhyeok raised an eyebrow at you.

"nothing! im going now, ill be back soon." you waved him goodbye and quickly left, not staying any longer to face what wrath he may have. the last time you brought a cake home for dinner he was outraged and scolded you for a long time. he even went over all the lack of nutrition it would provide and how you need more than just fat and 500 calories. you still wondered how even remembered all the nutrition facts a human being needs.

the sun was starting to set, painting the neighborhood a beautiful gradient of orange to pink. the air was warm but moist, birds chirping softly and flying around. the clouds were streaked across the sky, painting the whole world as though it came from a renaissance painting.

you turned the corner and walked into the small market. memories from when you were younger came to your mind. when your parents had died, minhyeok's were more than happy to take you into their family. most of your own family wasnt alive. your parents were single-children, having no siblings. their parents had died and you had no idea if you had any cousins.

though despite what happened, minhyeok's parents gave you a wonderful childhood. growing up with them allowed you to still have a somewhat normal childhood despite the tragedy of your parents.

________

"thank you!" the lady at the register said as you walked out the door. hopefully minhyeok was okay with having chicken alfredo. after all, there wasnt a whole lot you could get from $50 at the store, even the one cheapest and closest to the house.

even thinking about food alone had you hungry, your stomach already grumbling from how empty it was. it seemed working around in the attic took more energy from you than you had thought.

the sky had turned black, the stars appearing softly in the sky. if you squinted your eyes hard enough you could've made out the big dipper, maybe find the north star if you paid enough attention. though you didnt think you'd spent that much time in the store.

the streetlights weren't on yet either, making the road quite dark and hard to see without any source of light. pulling out your phone and turning the flashlight on, you followed the sidewalk and tried to navigate your way back. it was strange, how often you'd come at night and know the way home like the back of your hand. but all the sudden, it was like you had been here for the first time ever.

your skin was cold, goosebumps forming as you looked around. nothing felt familiar, rather everything was foreign to you. you couldn't recollect where to to turn or how far along the sidewalk to go.

"how unfortunate for you." a voice murmured, making you whip your head around. there was no one standing there, yet it sounded as though it came from right behind you. as though someone had whispered it into your left ear.

"hello?" you called, eyebrows knitting together in confusion yet your heart race increased slightly to the paranoia. were you lost? was someone following you?

"be not afraid, child of our heavenly father. thou hast sought protection, and protection has cometh to thee." the voice said as one streetlight turned on. there was no one underneath it, but it showed how foggy the area had become. the fog was so thick you werent able to see any buildings in sight, not even a shadow or two casted upon or from them.

"be not afraid, for i am one of our heavenly father's servants. i shall provide thou light, as thou see fit. i shall provide protection, as thou shall see fit. i shall provide guidance to thee."

you werent sure what it meant, or what exactly it was saying. something about its tone made you uneasy, your feeling of hunger gone and your blood pumping through your veins. something about the whole situation made you feel weird, your gut telling you to run yet your brain was confused. mixed signals were sent all about your body, confusion evident in your legs as to run or not.

"follow my voice, child of our heavenly father. for i am one to guide you home." something about it made you slowly walk forward, your legs ignoring the warning signals you were getting from your heart. your amygdala was telling you to run, yet your legs continued walking towards the voice unwillingly.

it was like your body wasnt even yours anymore, rather you were a vessel within it.

"yes, come to me my child. for i shall provide what you seek most." it whispered, though this time it was as though it was said in both your ears at different times. like someone said it in your right ear first than repeated it in your left. echoing amongst the street itself, it remained softly as though it was spoken in a cave.

"come closer to me, innocent lamb of mine. fear not of me, for thou hast no need." the voice sounded closer this time, almost embracing you. until a harsh grunt came from it, and soon the fog cleared from your vision.

lied in front of you, wings long and covering the whole street itself, covered in white stained with red was a humanoid figure. their head was bent down, gasping for air as their hands held onto their stomach. behind them stood another being, dressed in white and eyes narrowing at the one on the ground.

"disgusting how you call yourself a servant of god yet destroy his creations." the person sneered. they had a saint peter's cross in their eyes and on their forehead.

their eyes flickered from the one beneath them and towards you, widening upon seeing your form. as though a wave of recognition had hit them, they quickly ran towards you. your body was stuck in place, unable to run anywhere or turn your head away.

"is it really you?" they whispered, dropping the scythe in their hand. it was long and red, yet dripping of a red substance. their hands hovered over your cheeks, yet not touching them before the being dropped to their knees. "child of solomon, his wisest and greatest, i have found you at last."

the being started to laugh, almost crying at the same time. "child of solomon, how happy i am to see you. the key to all success and to hell's future!" they praised, grabbing at your shoes and staring up at your face. "please, child of solomon! theres no time! i need a contract with you, please!" they pleaded.

"gabriel will rise again soon! he can only be stopped for so long! please! make a contract with me, child of solomon, and i shall protect you from him!" they pleaded, hands moving from your shoes to your legs as they nuzzled their face into your stomach.

just as they had said, the being called gabriel had started to breath again without gasping. white scythe beside him, he grabbed at it and started to stand. his wings flexed themselves out and stared at you with fury in his eye.

"fine! fine!" you yelled, taking the person's head in your hands. "how do i make a contract?" the person smiled widely, "you draw a pentagram on my tongue, and i shall receive the strength needed to protect you." he said before opening his mouth and sticking his tongue out.

you wondered if it was a trick, yet it seemed as though gabriel wasnt going to wait around forever. he was already raising his scythe and stumbling over to where you stood. quickly, you made a messy pentagram with your pointer finger on their tongue. the lines started to glow white on their tongue until the full pentagram was painted.

bright light seemed to cover you both, as their body shook and their eyes rolled to the back of their head. their eyes glowed white as they smiled widely. soon the light dissipated and the being before you jumped to their feet. they grabbed the red scythe beside you and rushed at gabriel.

you looked away from the fight, bright white clashing against red as yells and grunts from gabriel rung throughout the air until their was no more sound.

you looked back, only to find that gabriel was no longer there and the being left stood heaving. a burning pain etched into the palm of your left hand. a sigil displayed itself, a pentagram; the mark of satan. your eyes looked back to the person, before asking, "who are you?"

"i am satan, embodiment of wrath one of the seven kings of hell." he smiled, eyes returning to red with black saint peter's crosses for pupils. "there's no time to explain, come to hell with me! i will explain everything there, but hell needs you, child of solomon!" he held out his hand for you to take.

[jujutsukgojo]

Disobedience

Summary: Unfortunately, Zenin completely slipped your mind. He was never on it to begin with. How were you supposed to know that your interaction meant something? Or that he would remember you, someone who he met once several years ago?

an: this is inspired by Stalking Laura (1993) which is a movie based on a true story. So, there are notable similarities that this has with the movie. tw: gun violence, stalking, assault, sexual harassment, criticizing makeup and weight (implied?), misogyny

All it took was one meeting. One look for you to immediately come to the conclusion that Naoya Zenin is repulsive. He’s nothing but an insecure joke. For someone who claims he’s strong, he sure as hell is worried about it. Hiding behind a macho facade that is practically leaking out a fragile and overinflated ego; shoving his ideals about women and not giving a damn about humanity or humility.

  It began when your parents went over to the Zenin household when you were about ten or so years old. Even at that young of an age you marveled at the Zenin’s house. Truly, it’s a beauty. Elegant and traditional without it being outdated. As you were admiring the house and walking in the garden, a boy with blond hair with dark ends appeared behind an elephant statue. 

  You ignored him and walked past him. He didn’t like that at all. Immediately, he yanked you backwards and pushed you against the statue. “Women should walk three steps behind a man.”

  You gasped at his sudden action and opinion. Feeling petty, you look around. "Where's a man?" He looked aghast, shocked by your quip. What did he expect? He just pushed you into a statue and believes that women should walk behind him. Did he think you’d take that easily?

His lip curls and eyes fill with rage. His face changed to red.  “You bi-”

You quickly cut him off before he can finish. “If you’re talking about yourself, then I’ll remind you that you weren’t even walking.”

  Just like that, he stopped. What you thought would be this random boy going off on you ended up with him giving a scowl. You took the opportunity to run away. He called out for you only to find silence.

  Throughout the visit, the boy stared at you intently. Following his eyes, his father, Naobito, introduced him as Naoya. Even when his father spotted Naoya's attention on you, Naoya still insisted on studying your every move, making you too nervous to enjoy your meal. Your mother noticed how tense you became, and in a whisper, she asked, "Are you okay?"

  Everyone turned to look at you. Despite wanting to out his staring, you shake your head yes. It's not that looking at someone is cause to get him in trouble, it's the way he's doing it. Like he wants to hurt you. 

  So busy looking at your hands, you don't notice that the adult to your left had switched seats at the boy's request. The adult cooed and awed, complying to his request. It isn't until a plate of cake is put in front of you that you notice the change. "You're going to eat this with me."

   His father laughs at it and...cheers? The newly greying man slurs his question, reeking of alcohol. "Growing up to be a man so soon?" 

The adults laugh with him, praising how well he's developing into "someone to take charge" and is a shining hope for a family. In the corner of your eye, you see him smirk with a twinkle of pride in his amber eyes.

It all goes over your head but doesn't sit right with you. You look at the plate in front of you. Although you love a good dessert, you don't touch it. The evening continued on without you picking up on his growing curiosity, rage, and infatuation. 

  Of course, you parents talked about the prospect of the two of you together. Apparently, they noticed him eyeing you from across the table and how "smitten" he was. You simply answered, ‘no’. 

 That was the last time you talked to or about him or any of the Zenins. As the years went on, your parents worried about your future and marriage. You brushed them off time and time again, much to their irritation. It got to the point where they were even threatening to cut off your college fund for it. Needless to say, you left. No one gets to decide shit for you. 

  With the help of some friends and a caring teacher that you remained close to, you were able to have a temporary shelter until you could get on your feet. It took months of saving and odd jobs but in the end, you were able to get assistance for college. 

  It was all liberating. Working hard and thinking for yourself. Being free without being proper or worrying about a stain or two. The blood, sweat, and tears were all worth it. Years later, you graduated at the top, opening hundreds of windows of opportunities. 

  Unfortunately, Zenin completely slipped your mind. He was never on it to begin with. How were you supposed to know that your interaction meant something? Or that he would remember you, someone who he met once several years ago?

     You woke up in a good mood, having dreamt of memories, strangely. You remember how excited and nervous you were when you got hired at your job. Leo, your boss, is a boisterous and kind man who's larger than life. Despite this, he is stern in his rules and direction. It makes you chuckle on how your first day went exactly one year ago. After only a few minutes after meeting you, he decided to 'manifest’ that you'd get a higher position. Now, a higher position is open, and you are one of the people who are thought to be considered for it. Of course, you aren't banking on it. You've only been there for a short time and there are plenty of people who have more experience and do an overall better job than you. 

It's nice to be thought of for the job even if you aren't really up for it. Not officially, at least. However, you have worked hard for a better position. 

  It's only been a year when you got hired and met all of your friends. At work, you clicked with Yuki, a woman with a gorgeous smile and has goddess braids that she herself put in (she made sure you knew that). When you first met her on your first day at work, she took an immediate liking to you. She talked animatedly about her dress for her sister’s wedding. As it turns out, Yuki does not like pink taffeta.

 

  “It’s like she’s trying to make me ugly! Look at this. This is what I’m supposed to wear.” Her slim fingers scroll through her phone for you to see a bubblegum pink taffeta dress with one sleeve on the shoulder and lavender lace on the waist. The dress is form fitting until the bottom fluffs out in magenta tulle. 

  “Oh my God.” Lord, help her this is ugly. “Exactly! I’m not wearing that, screw it.” You pop a french fry in your mouth. “So, what're you going to do?”

  Yuki stops for a second then puts a wicked smirk on her glossy lips. Her mocha skin glows in the sun from the window behind her. Her eyes gleam mischievously. “Wear a wedding dress.”

You nearly choke on your food. “Yuki!”

“She’s doing this on purpose. Look at the other bridesmaids.” She shows you four silk, Grecian like, gowns with subtle and elegant designs. “See? And I get stuck with that.”

   You chew on your burger. “Could it be a joke?”

“No. Not unless my mom’s in on it which wouldn’t surprise me. She’s always been like that with us.” Yuki sips on her pop. 

  “This may be bad advice but go for it. Be the belle of the ball.” She laughs. “Yes, yes, yes! I knew there was a reason I liked you.” 

 Now that you think about it, yesterday was her sister's wedding if you remember right. You wonder if she went through with it. 

You stretch and get ready for work, looking forward to the possible talk you'll have with Leo about the promotion. Not only will you be accomplishing a goal, but you'd also get higher pay which would make Em, your roommate, happy. 

  "Morning, Em." She gives a light wave, clearly not fully awake yet. Confused, you look at the clock. "Shouldn't you be at work? It's seven."

"Hired a morning worker, remember? So, I shouldn't be working at four in the morning everyday thank God."

"Amen." You say and start making coffee. Although she is the owner of an excellent cafe, you usually make the coffee in the morning. It's your way of giving her a break from it even if only for a moment. You start to lightly chuckle as you notice the green jar. 

"Don't you even think about it. I'm serious!" Em warns. You shake it a little. "You don't want decaf?" 

  She puts her hands on her hips. "It's seven in the morning. I need the hard stuff." You put the decaf down and grab the regular. "I wanted the hard stuff, too, remember?"

Em looks at you questioningly. "When I applied for the apartment? You served me decaf."

"Ha! That's the same jar too." 

The house was of a decent size and clean. The outside didn’t look like much but the inside was decorated nicely if not a little quirky. In front of the entrance is a rug that looks like the carpet in The Shining. A clock on the wall in the shape of an apple, throw pillows of different designs and some look homemade. The paint on the walls is different in each room. Could she not decide on which color?

  “Alright, where are you from?” The woman who is about your age with long hair asks. Her eyes are warm, and she has a few freckles. They’re cute, you note. 

   “I wasn’t born here, if that’s what you mean. I was raised in Kyoto though.”

  She nodded, taking in the information and understanding your wording. You don’t want to talk about that. Lucky for you, she’s easy going and aware. “Okay, I get it. I don’t like thinking of that shit either.”

  You look around the kitchen, secretly looking at the corners and the trim, wondering if you’ll see anything. So far, there isn’t a big hitch. “What’s the catch?”

  She hums and looks up at you. “It’s a little too good to be true. I mean, sharing a house for this price?”

  She scratches her face. “No catch. My old job helped me keep up the place, then I got fired and was able to finally get my cafe together.” She takes a breath. “I make enough now to not rely on my savings so much but not enough to pay for and take care of a house.”

   You nod. “I get it. Y’know, getting started late.” You truly understand. After high school, it took you a hot minute to get to college and get hired for jobs. 

“Exactly. Everything is overwhelming so I decided to risk my life and take my chance on a potential serial killer. Anything to save a buck.”

   “If it helps, I’m not one. I’m quite normal,” You shrug. “Terribly, boringly, normal.”

She pats the counter in an upbeat rhythm. “How unfortunate. Coffee?”

  She holds a pot. “Sure. Thank you.” As she finishes pouring you a mug, she looks up at you. “It’s decaf by the way.”

You stop mid sip. “Why would you do that?” You make her laugh to herself. 

“By your reaction, I already like you. You’re quiet but a go-getter. Don’t sell yourself short.” You don’t touch your decaf again. 

Em scratches her head. "That shit's got to be expired, toss it." She stops scratching and studies you. "What made you so nostalgic this morning?" That's a good question, honestly. "There's something in the air, I guess."

"Well don't bring that shit over here. It's way too early to think about my past, hell. I need something a little stronger than coffee if that's what we're doing." You roll your eyes at her. "No, Em, that's not what's happening."

  You pour her a cup and place the cream and sugar before her. "It's possible that I get that promotion, y'know? I'm not fully qualified but it's possible. I'll be making more money..."

"That reminds me, your half of the rent is due." 

"Em! I'm serious." She nods. "I understand what you're saying," Em looks at the clock. "Can we table this? We both have to get ready." 

As you exit your car and walk into the building, you notice a familiar looking vehicle. For the life of you, you can’t place it. So, you ignore it and continue on. “Good morning, Rue.”

  You wave at the receptionist who has the phone against her ear. She gives you a quick wave before exasperatingly answers whatever was asked over the phone.

  “Ah, (L/n). This is the new hire, Naoya Zenin.” The name sounded so familiar to you. His hair is distinct, and eyes are very catlike. You can’t pin it, but you know him from somewhere. The little tick in your mind is pushed back. If you can’t recognize him then it doesn’t matter. 

  The man pats Leo on his back. “Transfer. Nice to meet you.” He shakes your hand with a firm grip. “So, I was about to give him the tour, want to join?”

  “Leo, I already know my way around.” Your boss looks at you incredulously. “I distinctly remember you having to ask for directions to the bathroom.”

  “Fine.” You scoff, a little embarrassed that he knew that. Leo leads the tour. Naoya asks questions about the departments and officials. Leo answers with ease then adds, “Then again, you aren't in this department."

  "You misunderstand, I am not in a department. I am the future CEO." Your eyebrows raise. Leo copies your expression sticks and his hand out. "Oh, well, nice to meet you!" 

"Did you not know this, Leo?" You whisper to him. "No, one of the higher ups asked me to. I didn't think anything of it." 

 The transfer pays no mind to you. You didn’t get the vibe that it was intentional though. You break off and head to your cubicle. From the corner of your eye, he studies you as he and Leo walk away, with Leo explaining the company in his usual light tone. 

  “I did it!” Yuki runs up to your cubicle. “What?” 

She pulls out her phone to show her selfie she did in a stark white wedding dress in a bathroom. The dress was studded and had a mermaid silhouette and a sweetheart neckline. In usual Yuki fashion, her makeup was elegant and had a dramatic lip stain to her full lips. 

  “I can’t believe you went through with it…” She slides through the photos. She had the gall to take a picture of her throwing peace signs as her sister cries in the background. 

  “Hey, you told me to!”

“Oh come on. You were planning this before I…well, encouraged it.”

“Uh-huh! See!” You roll your eyes at her flamboyant demeanor.  “Anyway, I didn’t stay long or was dramatic about it or anything.”

  You side eye her and raise a brow. “Really?”

“I wasn’t! I felt too much like a lady. Look at me with my opera gloves.” She points to one of her pictures in her gown.

   “Since you weren’t dramatic, do you think your family will take that into consideration?”

“Nope. My mother sided with her through it all and my dad then walked me out.” Yuki and her father are close. So, to have him escort her out must’ve hurt a little. “He said I looked pretty then he shut my car door.”

  “Are you okay?” You whisper, noticing that her gaze went a little far. She blinks multiple times and lightly slaps her cheeks. “Yep! Oh, here’s Junie the other day!”

  You respect her wishes to drop the subject and go on to coo at the image of her daughter, who shares her name. Rather than calling her Yuki as well, it was decided to just nickname her Junior. 

---------

 At lunch, you, Yuki, and a few others decided to go to a small mom and pop pizzeria. It’s small and dingy but by the Lord in heaven, they make excellent pizza. Per usual, you argue about the toppings. No one can make up their mind or compromise. You groan at the thought of ground beef being on your pizza with no cheese. 

   “Rue, I swear to God-” 

“What? I’m lactose intolerant!” 

  The chair next to yours scrapes, causing you to look up at the transfer, Zenin. “We’re getting separate pizzas. It’s the easiest way, don’t you agree.”

 His tone and words rub you the wrong way. Getting separate personal pizzas is an easy route, but how he worded it sounds wrong. Like he’s telling you. Rue raises her brows in a welcomed shock. She elbows Yuki, who is still looking at the menu for her toppings. Your friends might see this as a turn on, but it’s off putting.

   Leo joins the group and explains that he and Zenin were at lunch when they were told that you and your friends went to the pizzeria. The waitress looks at you. “Crap…” You look over the menu, having forgotten what you wanted. Unexpectedly, Zenin pipes up once again and orders for you. 

  “We’ll share. It’s on me.” Zenin tells you. “Thank you. You didn’t have to do that. Seriously.” 

“Hear that? It’s on Zenin!” 

“Should’ve got extra toppings…” Rue whines. 

   Thirty minutes after random conversation, the pizza is out. Zenin puts a slim slice on your plate. 

You’re in mid bite when he talks to you. “It's a fitting size for you." What the hell? 

"Meaning?" You talk to him lowly, not drawing attention from the rest of the table. He shrugs and answers, "Meaning, it's the right size." 

That didn't clear up shit. 

-------

  Since Em has decided to hire new staff and use some of her extra time with music classes, you hang out at her cafe alone. As you sip on your drink and read a book, someone takes a seat in front of you. You perk up and look up at the person. You end up meeting Zenin's cat like eyes. You are still unhappy and uncomfortable with how he acted at lunch a few days ago. 

  "What're you reading?"

"A book." You cross your legs. He sighs like he's dealing with a child rather than an adult who just wants to be left alone. "Did you not like the pizza?"

"Barely remember it since it was basically bite sized." He scratches his ear. "I only did that because Rue said you were insecure and watching your portions. I was just trying to support you."

That never occurred to you. It's not like you hate yourself or think low. You're just trying to watch it. "I'd appreciate it more if you didn't do that." 

He freezes for a second. "Me doing and saying that must've come out wrong. Let me buy your coffee." You shake your head no, denying his request. "It's fine. I already paid."

 “No, no. I’ll get your money back and pay for you. My treat.”

You stare at him blankly. Honestly, you have no idea what the fuck is going on. “I already paid. I don’t want you to.”

  “It’s the proper thing to do.” He lightly grabs your arm, rubbing circles on it. 

You scoff. “I don’t want you to pay. Think of it as a thank you for covering the pizza.” You get up and leave. There is something deep that’s making you flinch as you walk away from him. This dread and anticipation from a predator. 

  “Stop, don’t be dramatic.” You whisper to yourself, shaking away the feeling. There’s nothing to be weary of. This is a colleague, for crying out loud! Not some man in a white van. 

  You don’t tell Em what happened at her cafe since it was nothing to worry about. At least that’s what you tell yourself. Through the night the encounter ran through your mind. For some reason, it’s not leaving.

-------

  Nevertheless, you head on and go to work the next day. 

You enter your office thirty minutes before your time. You flick on the lights and see Naoya sitting in your chair with a coffee in his hand. He gets up and gives you the warm drink. You notice that it’s warm, not hot. 

“What are you doing here?” Figuring that it may not be best to come off as accusatory or aggressive, you ask him with a smooth voice. “Well, with that report coming up, I guessed that you’d show up early,”

   He spots something on you, staring intently at it. Naoya isn’t the most imposing man physically. What he lacks there is replaced in his demeanor and behavior. Naoya touches your face.

  “Women shouldn’t wear so much makeup. It’s unbecoming.”

“What I do is none of your business, Naoya.” His eyes darken ever so slightly then clear up. 

“Just be careful. People might get the wrong impression.” He touches your chin slightly. His eyes move to your lips and wipes them with his thumb. You stop breathing. You want to jerk your head away and fight but God…

 “Enjoy the coffee.”

You can’t stop shaking.

-------

At lunch, you tell your friends what happened. “What?”

“Yeah. The coffee was warm, too.” You tap your foot. 

  Rue smacks her lips. “So what? He thought you liked warm coffee.” She takes another bite of her sub. You rub your temples. “No, I mean he was there for a while. It wasn’t warm like hot but lukewarm. He was there, in my office, in the dark, without my permission. He was waiting for me.”

   The two of them stop eating. Speak of the devil and he’ll appear, the man walks in with a group of his colleagues. You couldn’t help but glare and make an annoyed face. Yuki points it out first. 

  “Honey, if you keep staring at him like that he won’t pay for your coffee anymore.” She says teasingly.

  “I say take advantage of it, personally.” You roll your eyes at Rue and turn to Yuki. “That’s what I’m hoping for.” 

Leo comes up to your table. “What are you three clucking about?” You scoff at the man who seems to never get rid of his smile. “Rude. But to answer your question, (Y/n) over here has some news.”

  Rue, you discover cannot hold water to save her life. Suddenly, he gets serious after she spills. 

“You can take this up with HR. They can take care of this.” You sigh. “Don’t worry, I can handle him.” 

After work, you head home. Nothing’s different or out of place in the routine. The neighbors still wave at you and the dogs still bark. Em isn’t at home, like normal at this time. Everything seems fine. 

  You get out of the car and lock it. Before you can even take the first step, another car pulls up. It’s sleek and black, clearly expensive and well taken care of. Out of the car is Naoya. You can’t hide the shock from your face. 

He followed you home. You didn’t even see him.

He comes stomping towards you with a cup in hand. “I assume you didn’t drink the first, right? Here. Since you’ve acted like a brat all day and need coffee to behave.”

   “This is seriously inappropriate! What are you doing here?” You don’t take the coffee from his hand. “If you don’t take it, I’m not leaving, I swear to God.”

  You take it hesitantly. It’s iced and is slowly melting. “Since you don’t know how to act, I’ll have to teach you. Lucky for you, I’m a forgiving and patient man.”

  He pulls out a folded piece of paper. “Read it. And drink.” He turns around and leaves you and slams his car door.

Dear, 

When I provide, let me. It is not an option to deny a protector his darling and for you, my Summer sweet, to reject what I give.  This letter is for you to know that the innate primal instinct is forever in your name even though you disrespected me. 

Nevertheless, I will be here. Let me show you what a man’s supposed to do a few times. Denying an advance of a beautiful relationship speaks volumes of your pain that I wish to heal. One date at a time, one night at a time. All that is needed is your obedience. 

  “This letter…baby this is a threat. It’s…what’s the word? Crazy? Obsessive? You have to do something about this.”

“Rue said something about his position that worries me. His superior is his father. He’s got me over a barrel.”

“Yeah, he seems like a spoiled ass. What's this about your obedience? A night at a time? The guy’s a pig.” She tosses it on the counter. “This man can’t be reasoned with. He followed you home, broke into your office, followed you to my cafe-this is serious!”

  You know that. You know that this guy is growing scarier. “I can handle it. I’ll tell him to leave me alone.”

“Baby, he asked you out in a threatening letter. Love? Being a provider and protector? This is insane. You have to tell your boss. Go to HR, something.”

“Leo knows of how he’s acting. But he’s out of the loop about Zenin following me home,” You walk through the kitchen for a mug. “Besides, HR is going to think we were together! They won’t believe me. Not when he’s sitting in a fancy chair that daddy gave him. I’ll handle this.”

"Why would HR think you're together?" She puts her hands on her hips. "Because it's a romantic poem-"

"There is not a damn thing romantic in this trash. At all." She rubs her face. “What’re going to do? All you did was not drink a coffee and he followed you home and wrote a threatening letter. This is serious!”

You pour a cup of coffee, not even wishing for the one Zenin gave you. “I can do this. Trust me.”

--------

At lunch, you tell your friends what happened. “What?”

“Yeah. The coffee was warm, too.” You tap your foot. 

  Rue smacks her lips. “So what? He thought you liked warm coffee.” She takes another bite of her sub. You rub your temples. “No, I mean he was there for a while. It wasn’t warm like hot but lukewarm. He was there, in my office, in the dark, without my permission. He was waiting for me.”

   The two of them stop eating. Speak of the devil and he’ll appear, the man walks in with a group of his colleagues. You couldn’t help but glare and make an annoyed face. Yuki points it out first. 

  “Honey, if you keep staring at him like that he won’t pay for your coffee anymore.” She says teasingly.

  “I say take advantage of it, personally.” You roll your eyes at Rue and turn to Yuki. “That’s what I’m hoping for.” 

Leo comes up to your table. “What are you three clucking about?” You scoff at the man who seems to never get rid of his smile. “Rude. But to answer your question, (Y/n) over here has some news.”

  Rue, you discover cannot hold water to save her life. Suddenly, he gets serious after she spills. 

“You can take this up with HR. They can take care of this.” You sigh. “Don’t worry, I can handle him.” 

After work, you head home. Nothing’s different or out of place in the routine. The neighbors still wave at you and the dogs still bark. Em isn’t at home, like normal at this time. Everything seems fine. 

  You get out of the car and lock it. Before you can even take the first step, another car pulls up. It’s sleek and black, clearly expensive and well taken care of. Out of the car is Naoya. You can’t hide the shock from your face. 

He followed you home. You didn’t even see him.

He comes stomping towards you with a cup in hand. “I assume you didn’t drink the first, right? Here. Since you’ve acted like a brat all day and need coffee to behave.”

   “This is seriously inappropriate! What are you doing here?” You don’t take the coffee from his hand. “If you don’t take it, I’m not leaving, I swear to God.”

  You take it hesitantly. It’s iced and is slowly melting. “Since you don’t know how to act, I’ll have to teach you. Lucky for you, I’m a forgiving and patient man.”

  He pulls out a folded piece of paper. “Read it. And drink.” He turns around and leaves you and slams his car door.

Dear, 

When I provide, let me. It is not an option to deny a protector his darling and for you, my Summer sweet, to reject what I give.  This letter is for you to know that the innate primal instinct is forever in your name even though you disrespected me. 

Nevertheless, I will be here. Let me show you what a man’s supposed to do a few times. Denying an advance of a beautiful relationship speaks volumes of your pain that I wish to heal. One date at a time, one night at a time. All that is needed is your obedience. 

  “This letter…baby this is a threat. It’s…what’s the word? Crazy? Obsessive? You have to do something about this.”

“Rue said something about his position that worries me. His superior is his father. He’s got me over a barrel.”

“Yeah, he seems like a spoiled ass. What's this about your obedience? A night at a time? The guy’s a pig.” She tosses it on the counter. “This man can’t be reasoned with. He followed you home, broke into your office, followed you to my cafe-this is serious!”

  You know that. You know that this guy is growing scarier. “I can handle it. I’ll tell him to leave me alone.”

“Baby, he asked you out in a threatening letter. Love? Being a provider and protector? This is insane. You have to tell your boss. Go to HR, something.”

“Leo knows of how he’s acting. But he’s out of the loop about Zenin following me home,” You walk through the kitchen for a mug. “Besides, HR is going to think we were together! They won’t believe me. Not when he’s sitting in a fancy chair that daddy gave him. I’ll handle this.”

"Why would HR think you're together?" She puts her hands on her hips. "Because it's a romantic poem-"

"There is not a damn thing romantic in this trash. At all." She rubs her face. “What’re going to do? All you did was not drink a coffee and he followed you home and wrote a threatening letter. This is serious!”

You pour a cup of coffee, not even wishing for the one Zenin gave you. “I can do this. Trust me.”

--------

At work, you avoid him like the plague. You even go as far as to change your schedule, much to your friends' dismay. Anytime he was conveniently on your floor for some fake ass reason, you leave. This behavior is becoming suspicious to your friends. They know of how he acted towards you but not to the extent that it has gotten. 

  Hopefully, he’ll stop coming towards you. He’ll stop breaking into your office and leaving coffees. If this continues on, you will go to HR. 

  You park your car and head inside the shabby little building. The lights flicker outside, fighting the dark. Its bold red print on the sign is fading and the parking lot only has a few cars. It is a writer’s class that you found with an excellent and self published writer for a teacher. All of your peers eagerly wait for her to come in. 

“Hey! Did you get something down?” You ask Ren. His thick hair gets in his face before he moves it. His dark eyes trail to find yours and have a sparkle of excitement in them.  

“A chapter! Like, a whole chapter. I couldn’t believe it.” You gasp and pat him on the back. “Getting out of your slump! I can’t wait to read it.”

  Suddenly, the door opens and reveals a devil. Naoya Zenin waltz’s through in his casual clothing. The teacher introduces him to the class. You are the only one that doesn’t welcome him, earning a curious look from Ren. The teacher goes on and asks for anyone to present. Zenin stands up with his catlike eyes gleaming and a smirk on his face. This can’t be good. 

  He clears his throat. “My dearest dream weaver, my heart’s sake divine. I’ve wondered about these streets for years, hoping for a moment of clarity from you. Alas, there isn't a thing to make you go away. Did you know this when you saw me, you with a beautiful face?

 You, my nightmare who keeps me up, a ghost of a heavenly past. I gave you words of my declaration yet you turn away from me. The turn of your face and hidden eyes aren’t what’s terrible in my mind. It is the question of what’ll happen after.”

The class is silent until the teacher praises his poem. He stares into your soul, a cold wash scaring you. After class, you get up and practically run outside. “Hey, let me drive you home!” 

“No!” You shout at Zenin. You need to get out of here. To run into your home and hide. “Don’t be difficult!” 

You drop your keys on the pavement right as you try to put them into the slot. Your hands shake.  “Shit, fuck!” 

“I just want to talk!” 

You hear a car and see bright lights. No one drives a fancy car like that except for him. 

“Please, please…” You get inside and lock the doors. Wasting no time that God has given you, you drive like a bat out of hell. 

  “I need to go…” You come to the decision. 

--------

 You tap your foot, nervous about this meeting.

“What are you talking about? Naoya Zenin is the son of Naobito Zenin. It is said that out of his brothers, he'll be the one to inherit,” HR is an older woman with pristine white hair in a bun. Her lipstick is a bit dry but otherwise impeccable. Her voice is so proper it makes you want to take classes to clean yours up. "This is not some run of the mill employee. What happened?"

  “He’s followed me home twice that I know of, to my writer’s class, given me coffee and letters. He even read one in the class.”

  “Perhaps you misunderstood the writer’s class letter. It could’ve been his genuine assignment.” She sits in her chair and gestures for you to follow. You sigh as you sit down. “No, it was his first time. He couldn’t have known about any assignments. Ma’am, please. He stares at me while I’m working and hovers through the entire floor until he finds me. I’ve even had to change my schedule to avoid him.”

  She brings out a paper, a form for her to fill out. You begin to smile when you see that. “Did you have a prior relationship?” 

“No, no. I don’t know him.”

“Spend time outside of work at any point?”

“His first day, I think?” She writes in perfect writing. “But everyone went. Actually, Rue and Yuki were with me at the time. We were already there when he and Leo showed up. He paid for the meal, but that’s it.”

  Her eyes don’t look right to you. You smile anyway. Once she moves her eyes from the paper to you, a perfectly trimmed eyebrow raises up. “Do you always smile like that?”

  Your face drops at the question and your heart aches when she writes it down. 

You cry in the bathroom. Seeing your makeup smudging, you desperately try to save it at the same time. 

“(Y/n)? What’s wrong?” Yuki comes in. Looking at her concerned face, tears start to shed again, relentlessly trailing down your face. Without hesitation, you spill everything. You don’t have the letters with you at the moment, but you insist on the legitimacy.

“I believe you.” You throw your arms around her neck and hug her. Her vanilla scent has always been fragrant and sweet. Yet never has it been sweeter and more welcomed than now. 

  “Come on, let’s go out to lunch. How about your friend’s cafe? She makes excellent muffins.” You chuckle and wipe your tears. “How can you think of food at a time like this?”

“Easy,” She looks you over, inspecting your state. “Oh honey, you’re a mess. No way am I going there with you.”

  “The hell?” You look into the bathroom mirror and see what she means. Your mascara is running, foundation is suffering and various other things. You laugh as you side eye her. 

  “Come on, let’s fix you up.” 

You bring out the only touch up makeup you have in your purse and do the best you can. 

At the cafe, you see Em and wave. She hurries to you and Yuki. “Is everything okay? Is it the creep again?” She rubs your back gently. 

“We’re just hungry and here for a ‘pick me up’.” Yuki smiles. Em pats her chest. “I was about to say. That creep is a menace. Do you know?”

“Yeah, she told us that he was in her office. I just now found out about the legit stalking when I found her in the bathroom. I knew he was being weird, but this is crazy.”

Em nods and turns to a barista with bright blue eyeshadow and full lips. “I need muffins, coffee, chamomile tea, cookies-”

“That’s not necessary, Em.” You touch her hand to get her to stop since she is still going. After she’s finished, she sits down and asks you, “So what happened? Why were you crying?”

Yuki nods and thanks the barista who sees your red, puffy eyes and gives you a sympathetic smile. You take a sip of your coffee and then clear your throat. The thought of the meeting that you just had makes your lip wobble. 

“Apparently, I smile too much.”

---

The next day you attend work, the elevator door opens to a bouncing Leo. “You’ll never believe the news I have for you.”

  You step out and walk alongside him, passing your colleagues and unattended Dahlia plant on a random desk. The receptionist on the floor scrambles to his phone and answers it with a professional, yet tired, tone. It matches Rue’s perfectly. 

  “What’s the news?” 

“You’re up for the promotion.” You halt and gasp. “Me? Are you serious?”

“Dead. Come with me.” You follow him earnestly with questions on your tongue. “Why? There are people who’ve been here a lot longer. Surely, there are people who are better.”

You knew that you were talked about, but for you to be put in front of the line is crazy. He opens the door for you to enter his office. “Enough with the questions. Listen, this is a prime opportunity and you are way better than you give yourself credit for.”

You sit down on one of his chairs. “Leo, I’m serious. There must be a mistake.”

“Nope!” He sits behind his desk. And turns his pencil holder twice. 

“Who would take that risk? Yes, I work hard. Yes, I am driven. But I’m not experienced enough. I knew it was possible for me and I’m excited! But for me to be actually getting it?” You bounce your stocking covered leg. “Something’s wrong. What is it?”

  Leo turns his pencil holder again. “It’s a promotion with numerous benefits. Higher pay, a better office-”

You interrupt. “Who’s taking that risk, Leo.” Your suspicion is growing. Not just because of the proposition, but the way he turns his clay pencil holder with his daughter’s sunflower painting on it. The way he avoids the answer and has a wide smile on his face that is now looking forced. 

“A promotion is a promotion…right?” He sounds so unsure, almost as if he’s asking you for the answer and permission. The answer to this riddle is right there. A name and a face deep in your gut. “Zenin?”

  Leo and the whole office knows about him now. It was Yuki’s form of being petty. No one has said anything to him or the higher ups, though. “Yes.”

  “Leo! No, no I won’t accept something he has to offer. If I get promoted it will be fair and square.”

“I know it’s not ideal, but the rest agreed on you. Even though he brought you up, it was unanimous.”

  You shake your head, now completely disgusted. “Leo, I won’t. I’ll never owe him a damn thing.”

  Leo stands up. “I’m with you then, kid.”

------

You go to H.R. again. “Ma’am, look into it again. He’s now getting in the way of my job.”

She scoffs and takes a deep breath. “This promotion-”

“Isn’t right. I take pride in my work, absolutely so. What Zenin is doing isn’t fair to anyone. If I get a promotion, it’ll be on my terms. I won’t win unfairly. I won’t let him bypass all the others that deserve a chance at getting this position.”

   She studies you and your conviction. “I will never owe him a thing. Here are his letters,” You slam them down on her desk. The thick wad of paper slaps against it, showing just how bad it has gotten. “And these aren’t even the ones he’s written in my class.”

  She licks her lips. “I know this is odd. But men in his position are a bit eccentric anyway as far as I can-”

You interrupt her. “I also wrote down all of the witnesses including those on my floor. He walks through it and stares at me, following me. Tries to make conversation even when I say no. He’ll touch me in harmless ways that have more meaning than they look. He’ll break into my office! Lord only knows what sensitive information he’s touched."

  You put your hands on her desk. "Ma’am, I’m unrelenting on this. He’s still following me home. You have to do something.”

She nods subtly. “I can suggest counseling to the higher ups and show how this has become. I cannot guarantee what’ll happen.”

   It’s better than nothing. “What if they say he has to go and he doesn’t? He has a high position, also.”

 “Yes, he does. But a unanimous decision trumps him anyway. May I keep these?” You say yes and push the letters to her. “And if there are any photos, emails, phone calls, anything, give them to me.”

---

 When coming home, you decided not to go to your writer’s class. You haven’t dropped out, though. Breaks are good. They’re exceptional even. Perfect for mental health. This is the lightest you’ve felt in a while. Things were being taken seriously and the ball is rolling. You exit the car and are met with a furious Zenin, who comes from behind your home. 

“How dare you. How dare you!” He stomps over to you. His hair is still in place and his suit is still pressed. “I hand you the answer to your prayers and you bite.”

“I’m not taking that promotion, Zenin. I want to get it fairly, without help.” 

“Naoya. Call me Naoya.” There's a lilt in his voice. He stands perfectly straight and unbothered. He takes a deep breath. “Perhaps you didn’t understand me to begin with. (Y/n),” His voice is back to a serious tone. Zenin clasps your hands gently and stares into your eyes with sincerity. “Our relationship is simple. You are my woman; all I require is your obedience.” 

He caresses your cheek. You can’t breathe. 

“No.” Is all you can muster. You run inside to find the door unlocked and Em sitting in the living room. Quickly, you lock it securely. “Is the back door unlocked?”

“What?” She props herself up. “Is it unlocked?!”

“Don’t yell at me!” She drops her magazine on the coffee table. Your breath is ragged, too scared to work properly. Em makes her way to you and is gentle. “Everything’s locked up. Why? What’s wrong?”

“He’s out there. He thinks we’re together. It’s not a crush. He genuinely believes we’re in love.”

  Em peeks out the window and sees him in his car, clenching his cellphone. The home phone that Em insists on keeping, rings. She answers it, not bothering to look at the ID. Suddenly, a wicked voice speaks through. 

“Put her on the fucking phone now!” 

“How the fuck did you get this number?” Em is way calmer than you. Way, way, calmer. “Put her on-”

“No!” She hangs up. The black corded phone rings again and again. “I can’t stay here, Em.”

“I’m going with you. No arguments.”

The two of you quickly found a new apartment with new numbers. Even the cafe’s number changed. The apartment isn’t the best. It’s a cheap one with bad neighbors and a shady landlord. All of it is temporary and honestly, you feel safer here. What you feel bad about is Em’s house. She still owns it and is trying to find new renters or if it comes down to it, buyers.

-----

 It has been days, weeks, since you have had to be subjected by Naoya’s presence. Although the first day was refreshing, you can’t help but wonder if this growing anxiety is from his absence or from impending doom.

  “Okay, you guys. I’m going to the bathroom. Be right back.” 

Your friends, Em, Rue, and Yuki sit at a little round table waiting for the loaded nachos appetizer. You head to the bathroom and dodge the plenty of people in the popular bar. The smell of cigarette smoke and cold beer is slight. The dim lights still work and help you find your way. 

   Finally in the bathroom, you touch up your makeup. Not just for yourself but for a man at a table who has been eyeing you since you came in. Strange thick white hair, sparkling blue eyes, and perfectly sized lips. His long fingers gripped the beer glass, completely wrapped around it. How his round eyes peered over the glass just to look at you made your face incredibly warm. 

  It has been a while.

You finish swiping your lipstick when a loud bang shocks you. A furious Zenin charges towards you. His eyes are bolder and eyebrows so furrowed that you could swear they’d stay there. He is growing redder by the second and his hands twitch with anticipation. 

  “What did you do? How could you?”

“I need to go-” You try to brush past him. 

“Don’t take another fucking step, I swear to God.” He comes a little closer. “How could you? Lie about me to the office and my colleagues? Force me into counseling to talk to a quack about our relationship? After all I’ve done to show my love, this is how you act. You embarrass me?”

  “I never wanted to embarrass you. I just want you to leave me alo-” He smashes the mirror with his bare hands and yet has no scratches. You shriek when the impact occurs, your instincts realizing that you may die here. That he really is a man on the edge.

  “Is everything okay?” A woman with dull red hair and bright green eyes enters. She looks at the two of you curiously and gasps at the mirror. 

  “Get out!” He screams at her. She screams and takes off. “Help me, please!” You yell before the door closes. You pray she heard you in time. To get some kind of help or to at least come back to save you. 

   “How far do I have to go? For you to remember our love? To accept it and how much of a man I am? Why do I even have to prove it?!”

“You don’t have to prove anything! We are not in love!”  He backs away slowly. “Don’t make me lose my temper. Do not push me there. Take the promotion, work with me. I have to keep you on a leash since you won't behave on your own. Your rightful place is by my side, (Y/n). As your fiancé, I demand it.”

  “I’ll go to the police, Zenin. I swear I will.” Tears stream down your face. You slowly back away. He opens the door. “If you do, I’ll show you what I’m capable of, God have mercy on you and me.”

When the door closes quietly, you faint, hitting the pink tile. 

--

 You walk to HR with the red haired woman’s number and statement in your hand. Along with it is the manager’s, and multiple people who heard your cry and saw you being carried out unconscious by the white haired man. 

   “Here. You wanted evidence. All of these people are witnesses on how far he will go. He trapped me in the bathroom, threatened me, broke property and-and-” Air is being slowly taken from you as you try to talk. A clenching feeling in your chest threatens to burst. 

   “This. I’ve had to move, change my number, I can’t go back to my writer’s class without him being there, convincing everyone that the letters are from his love rather than his psychosis.”

  Her eyes become wider by the second as she reads everything. “I encourage you to get a personal restraining order. I’ll bring this to the higher ups but I cannot guarantee a company one. He has already been told to stay away from you unless necessary.”

You shake your head as tears fall. “I can’t. He’s threatened-”

“That matter is up to you. I will go by company protocol. This alone will not be enough, (Y/n).”

---

“What are you saying? Do you know who I am?” Zenin bounces his leg slightly, determined to not show that this is getting to him. The bright room with several elders at the rectangular table stare at him. Not a single thing in this is comforting. 

“You do understand how serious this is, don’t you? Phone calls, stalking-”

“We’re in a relationship. We have been since we were kids. Our parents arranged our betrothal. I’m merely acting as a man should with his future wife.”

  “No, no that’s not how it goes, Naoya.” A woman sits straighter, observing his behavior, catching every little thing. Naoya taps his fingers on the wooden table. “That’s the proper way a married couple acts. This isn’t stalking, this is making sure she stays in line.”

  “She isn’t some fiance of yours. She’s an employee. Our employee.” A man with greying hair gestures between the higher ups. Naoya sits straighter. “Am I not a part of that?”

   “Depends.” The woman states. He can’t help but glare at the woman. “As a shareholder, a man of the future position of CEO,”

“This will halt that, Naoya. That’s what we’re telling you.” 

  The world stops. He can only hear the faint buzzing noise. “Are you taking this company, my inheritance, away from me?” He’s burning hot. 

“We want you to stay, Naoya. But this behavior has to stop. This is serious.”

Naoya stiffens then with the calmest tone says, “I have weapons like you wouldn’t believe. If I lose my job, my heritance, because of my woman’s dramatization, I’ll end it. Not just me but everyone.”

  “Are you saying, if you lost your job, you’ll kill us?” The woman stiffens. “Everyone. I am Naoya Zenin, a man who will not be rejected.” The air is sucked out of the room. 

----

 “Naoya Zenin has been fired.” HR comes to you personally. “I want you to take a couple of days away. Not just to your home, but elsewhere. Just for a few days.” 

“What’s happening?” Leo asks. He stands next to you, curious and cautious. 

“It’s been handled. (Y/n), this is not our problem anymore. The ball is in your court.”

  You stand up, smoothing your pencil skirt. “Thank you.”

“For your safety, I suggest a restraining order immediately.” She leaves. Leo looks at you with a frown on his face. "What the fuck happened?" You shrug, not wanting to know the answer. 

  “Mother?” She’s the first thing you see when the door opens with a suitcase in your hand and a forced smile on your face. “What’re doing here, child?”

“I just need to sleep here for a few days. Is that okay?” You didn't want to bring Em, Rue, and Yuki into this. You thought it was best to leave the apartment for a bit, so it didn't disturb anything. 

“No. Not after all of this,” She closes the door and steps onto the porch. “Why now? After your independence.” 

She crosses her arms and looks at you condescendingly. You want to scream. “A man at my job is stalking me. He just got fired because of it and they suggested I hide.”

“What?” She uncrosses her arms and gently touches your arm. “It was one of my bosses. He’s completely delusional.”

  “W-well, who is he?”

“Naoya Zenin? You probably never heard of him. He was a big shot at the company but he assaulted me-”

“Child, who did you say?” You repeat his name that tasted foul on your tongue. “Why would you do this? He was almost-”

“What? You know him?”

   “You do too. Then again, it has been a long time. Back then, he was smitten with you and we tried to set the two of you up. Never did I think he’d go this far. Especially when it was denied. Both of you went your separate ways.”

  Your mouth falls as you process her information. “Mom…this can’t be. I don’t remember him at all. Did he know of your plans?”

“Yes, he did. His father was joking about it. Nothing was to come of it.”

You drop your suitcase. Is this why? He deluded himself or possibly love you in a psychotic yet childish way? “What do I do now?” You whisper, totally flabbergasted that he remembered you and held onto this. Something that was to never be. “Ha, actually, you’re the one who rejected him-”

“Mom! What do I do?” Her lips go to a thin line, contemplating your problem. She looks up at you with an intense stare. “Get a restraining order. It was a bad idea to do all of this but now you have no choice.”

The way she put it stings but the answer to the problem is a restraining order. It’s exactly what you did. Called a lawyer and got a temporary restraining order until trial.

--

 It goes downhill from there. 

The trial is set for this week, which you prayed that the day would come soon. Only for it to be met with gunshots. The first floor is the first to meet him. You hear them clearly while in your office. The window looks great to jump out of right about now. Before you can think anymore, Naoya bursts the door open with a bang. You stand up, terrified of not only the gun but how blank his expression is. Like this isn’t fazing him in the slightest. 

There's no air in the room just pressure. Time is frozen as the two of you have a stare off. A buzzing noise comes from the broken lights in the hallway, the metallic scent of blood is too much. There are red splotches on his clothes and on the large gun. He carries more on him, more disgusting violence and stupidity. 

  “Naoya, no!” You grip the edge of your desk, hurting your finger. Perhaps the pain from it will wake you up from this nightmare.

“As my wife you should’ve known better. A restraining order? Against your husband!”

“I didn’t remember-”

He curses at you and fires a shot. Your body topples back from the impact. He stares at your unconscious figure, then goes to leave. "I know you're not dead yet. You better live because I'm not through with you." 

  When you awake, the shots are still firing. Screams are still heard, and the nightmare continues. “No, no, God, please…”

  Your upper arm was hit, the bullet clean through. The blood is all over your shirt and even on your bottoms. You take your jacket off and press it onto your wound. Shakily, you stand up and slowly walk out. Reo, the receptionist on your floor, is the first you see. Slumped over his desk with a phone in his hand. The red dahlia plant is shattered.

  Next, are two colleagues who worked at the other side of the floor, shot in the back. You quickly walk away, doing it as quietly as you can. 

  With every popping sound you flinch harder and harder. The phone on someone’s desk is untouched with blood or a dead hand. You pick it up and call for the police, somebody, anybody. “My name is-”

A smooth and stern voice interrupts. “This line is for-”

“Please, please save us. I’ve been shot.” You whimper. His tone changes to one of complete sympathy. “We can’t storm in right now. Just sit tight and hide. Where are you? What’s your name?”

  You tell him what he wants to know. “He’s on the third floor I think? I can still hear him.” 

   “Thank you so much. Now, (Y/n), you have to hide. Put pressure on the wound and hide.”

“I’m doing that already. Please get me out of here-” You hear another shot that is closer. You duck behind a barrier, hearing the devil enter. The phone rings and Zenin answers with annoyance in his voice. “Before you say anything, you need to know that this is all because of her. My wife.”

“Who?”

“(Y/n) Zenin. Had she just listened, accepted me as her husband and a man, we wouldn’t be here. It’d never have come to this. This is all her fault.”

  You silently cry at the truth. It is true right? Maybe if you just caved and went to him, accepted his love and left everyone out of this, they’d be alive today. “I will blow this building to hell if you don’t back off.”

Not bearing to hear it anymore, you crawl out the best you can. Worried for your friends, for everyone. "She's missing. I think she's walking around or escaped. If you see her, tell her I'm coming for her."

  You hit the stairs as quietly as you can. He’s still ranting about you to the policeman. Hopefully the love of his own voice overpowers the sound of your footsteps. You see the sign for the lobby and push the doors open to it. Glass is everywhere in the lobby and blood coats the walls. To your right is Rue, laying on the floor with her eyes open in horror. Her red lipstick matches the blood on her chest. You touch her face with an apology on your tongue. 

   “Forgive me, forgive me…” You leave her and exit this hell you created. You pray that everyone else escapes it. You pray that time rewinds and you alone are punished with this. For Rue, for everyone.

   The ambulance hauls you in. The corner of your eye Yuki stands with an officer, desperately hanging onto him, crying. You’re on the bus before you can apologize. 

 It takes hours of surgery to fix your arm. You’re ordered to stay for a little while. The small white room smells of bleach and cleaner. You can't close your eyes, or you will see Zenin, standing at the door waiting for you. It changes every time you blink. He'll have a gun and another he'll be completely unarmed and leaning on the door frame, smirking. You can't get rid of his image. 

In the room comes Em and surprisingly, Yuki. Right as you see them, you beg for forgiveness and your apologies fill the room. You look Yuki in the eyes and are reminded of Rue’s death. Her bloodied corpse and horrified face will stick with you forever. 

 “Enough!” Yuki yells. She sports a cut on her eyebrow but otherwise looks alright if you don't count the slight shaking. “It’s over. All done.”

“He’s not out there anymore. He can’t hurt you.” Em says sweetly. She comes to your side and holds your trembling hand. Her warmth tries to bring you a comfort that you reject. “It’s all my fault. All of it. Every single-”

“No! This is on him and him alone. You have the right to say no. You did what you had to. It’s no one’s fault but his.”

  “Yuki…” You can’t finish your sentence, choking up. Yuki’s eyes are watering. “We’ll survive this. He won’t win.”

“Ever.” Em affirms. Yuki grabs your hand, too. The guilt will always be there. But his hold will fade away one day at a time, and every time you will spit on his grave.

[megamindsecretlair]

The King and I, Part 5

Pairing: King Ghezo x Virgin!Black!Fem!/ Plus Size reader

Warnings: 18+, Minors DNI, You are in charge of your own reading experience. Intentional use of AAVE. SMUT AND FLUFF. Fingering (fem receiving) and oral (male receiving), breeding kink if you squint, all consensual. Doesn't follow canon of the movie.

Summary: Time has passed. Enough time for your heart and head to catch up to each other. You found room in your heart to accept the King's love and accept your new life. And there's no place else you'd rather be.

Word Count: 3,169k

A/N: The final part! Ahh! I debated if I should add some more drama in here, but I'm just not that great at angst. I just want some sweet fluff and lovin' LOL. Thank you, thank you, thank you for reading and supporting this idea. I love ya'll, more than words can ever say! Please, please consider commenting and reblogging to help support writers! And please put ages in bios! Or get blockt!

Masterlist | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Taglist: @planetblaque @browngirldominion @notapradagurl7 @honeyoriginalz @gg-trini @eggnox @naj-ay444 @sheepywritesfics @westside-rot @twocentuar @pinkpantheris @tchallasbabymama @sevikasblackgf @slippinninque @abeautifulmindexposed @neawarren @monaeesstuff @blackerthings @melaninpov @1-800anklebully @mogul93 @softimgyu @henneseyhoe @blowmymbackout @softscorpio17 @theunsweetenedtruth @we-outsiiiide @thecookiebratz @badassdoll @kinginwithbreezy-blog @chrishy973 @skyesthebomb @blackelysian @yayasworldview @wakandamama @thadelightfulone @iv0rysoap @puppykitt

Six Months Later…

“Our husband has been away too long,” Sade said. She wobbled in the sun room, finding a seat next to the window where the sun hit the chair just right. She was further along than Ayi and you and she was not taking to it well.

Truth be told, neither were you. You were only four months, your belly starting to harden and your breasts getting more sensitive with every passing day. You were excited, hoping you’d give the King a son, but you’d be happy with a healthy baby either way.

Ayi was behind both of you, but she was used to this part. Her sons played near her feet with carved wooden blocks. “Probably has something to do with the Oyo, again,” she said.

“Filthy pigs,” you spat. You sat closest to Ayi and you looked down at her sons, wondering if your own children would favor the King too. How was it that women did all the work growing the little miracles and they turned out looking like their father anyway? Couldn’t women get a little more credit?

Watching Ayi with her children made your heart ache. You tried to stop thinking of your parents. That life was over forever. You would never see them again and you truly hoped that your father did not give you a little sister. You’d mourn for that child till the end of your days. 

“We should ambush him,” Sade said. 

“Tackle him in this state? You can barely make it to the door,” Ayi said and snickered. Sade playfully pouted and looked around for something to throw. Coming up empty, she sighed against the cushioned seat and kicked her legs out.

“I think he gave me an elephant and not a baby,” she said, love shining through her words as she stroked her belly. 

“Two elephants,” you said, rubbing your own belly. You couldn’t help it. You wanted to meet them already!

“The King grows an army, not children,” Ayi said, looking down at her sons. “They are too damn big!” 

You all erupted in riotous laughter, dissolving into fits and giggles as you pictured a giant army of the King’s children. The King himself was larger than life, why should his children be any different?

“We should ambush him, he’s been working too hard,” you said when you were all done laughing.

“How about a picnic? We used to have them often before the children and his duties increased,” Ayi said.

“Oh, I love that! I can ask the kitchen to make his favorites,” Sade said. 

“We can use the main garden too!” Ayi said. “I’ll find some blankets big enough for all of us.” 

“I’ll make sure he comes,” you said. You grinned thinking of just how you were going to keep him distracted long enough to not notice where you were taking him. Maybe a little teasing was in order.

After what he did last night, you were entitled to a little payback. 

“This afternoon?” Sade asked.

“Wouldn’t be an ambush if we scheduled it,” Ayi said with a smile. She climbed out of her chair with ease, heading to the door to summon some servants to take the children for their lessons.

“See you later, my evil sisters,” Ayi said and rubbed her hands together. Her ringing laughter could be heard all the way down the hall while she went in search of blankets. Sade was struggling to get out of her chair so you got up and helped pull her up. 

“Are you sure you don’t want me to get the kitchen started?” You asked.

She waved her hand. “It’s just a little pregnancy, I will be fine,” she said and giggled. You looped your hand around her elbow and helped steady her to the door.

She made a soft noise that made you look at her face. She had a small frown that worried you. “Hey, what’s wrong?” 

“I’ll be a good mother, right? I see Ayi and she looks like she just has it all down so easily,” she said.

“You will be a great mother. Why would you ask that?” You asked. Over the last few months, you tried your hardest to approach Sade with an open mind. It wasn’t her fault that she was traded to another man like property. All in all, if she had to go to anyone, you were glad it was someone as fair as the King. It could have been much, much worse.

“My mother…my mother was a handful. Demanding, mean, and nothing ever satisfied her. I don’t want to be like her,” she said. She turned watery eyes to you and you pulled her into a hug. It was a little awkward considering the state of your bellies, but you managed to wrap her in your arms. 

You kissed her cheek and looked her in the eyes. “You will not be your mother. I will not be like mine either. We have each other. We’re sisters,” you said.

Words you never thought would come out of your mouth. When you were forced to deal with your feelings, staring at the crossroads between remaining selfish and reaching out a welcoming hand, you realized that it wasn’t her that you hated. You hated the notion that you’d have to compete for the King’s love like you had to compete for love at home.

That you were subjected to another life of trying to be perfect only to have it thrown back in your face, efforts wasted and unappreciated. You thought that more wives meant less time for you. And yes, you were selfish with that time. You craved it.

But there was no need. The King could not spend every waking moment with you, true. But you were free to stand on your own two feet for once in your life. There was no fighting here. There was no need to guard yourself or your heart every passing moment.

And you fell more and more in love with the King as you realized what a gift he gave you. You were the one who reached out to Sade to learn more about her and her kingdom. Her family. Her customs. You all enjoyed breakfast together and forged a deep sisterhood you had been craving since you came into this world.

You were not alone. 

Sade smiled and wobbled off down the hallway in search of the kitchens. If you knew your husband, by this time today, he was in the council meeting discussing the security of Dahomey. That was always the topic of the meetings. Blessfully, since you were all with child, you were spared from attending if you didn’t want to.

You set off in that direction, clashes of steel and spears reaching your ears from the training yards. You were spared from the heat of the sun, but the air was still thick with it. Your purple dress had to be let out to accommodate your growing belly and it swished across your ankles as you walked.

The closer you got to the council room, the louder your husband’s voice boomed from within. You approached carefully, looking around the corner. Your husband paced the room arguing with one of the council members about what to do with the Oyo prisoners. Your husband looked stressed, rubbing his neck and arguing back.

Definitely time for a break.

“Husband!” You called out. You rushed into the room, holding your stomach.

“My Queen,” King Ghezo said. He crossed the room in an instant and grabbed your hands, pulling you into his strong embrace.

“Something hurts, I-I don’t know what to do,” you said. You turned doe eyes toward him, poking out your bottom lip and let it quiver for maximum effect.

“I’ll call the doctor,” he said. 

“No! I just want you, please?” You pleaded with your eyes that it was him or no one else. He looked torn, looking back at the council meeting.

“Why don’t we break for the day,” one of the members said. The rest agreed and began to pack up. You could tell they were reluctant to do it but you didn’t care.

“What is it, my love?” The King asked. He placed his hand on your stomach and looked into your eyes with such concern, you almost felt guilty about your little fib.

“I’m sorry about your meeting,” you said.

He smiled. “We were going nowhere fast. Are you in pain?” He asked.

“Yes, so much pain! Maybe I need to lie down,” you said.

“Come then, we’ll make sure you rest,” he said. He held your hand and walked you out of the council room and down the hall towards your room. 

Now…to keep him occupied…many scenarios ran through your head. You had become quite the talker here using every opportunity to discuss things like literature and philosophy with the king. Such things you were not permitted to discuss before.

However, you were still greedy for your time with him. Besides jokes and the occasional overshare, you and the other wives had agreed to keep your personal time private. What you did with the King was between you two. And right now…

You pulled him into your room and locked the door behind you. He walked over to the bed but you stopped him. He gave you a funny look.

“Did you change your mind? Do you want a doctor?” He asked.

You grinned and shook your head. Since learning about this particular move, you employed it often. The King always said that you didn’t have to if you were unaccustomed to it. But it was a perfect way to let him know how much he meant to you. To even begin to repay all that he had done for you.

You pushed him backwards until his legs hit the bed. You tugged on his golden trousers, moving them down off his hips. You didn’t have too long until the others were ready, but this would be a great distraction. 

His hands stopped you. “Are you not in pain?” He asked.

“I have a pretty big ache. Only you can fill it, my love,” you said. You pecked his lips as you freed his dick. When the cool air reached him, he hissed. When you palmed him, he groaned. 

You stroked his dick, slowly, running your fingers across the length of him. His voice grew rougher. “My devious Queen,” he said with a strained chuckle.

“You’ve been working too hard, husband,” you said. You used your other hand to push his open robes off of him. The material fell to the floor revealing the expanse of his body. You licked your lips, wishing you had more time to fully explore him before your stomach got in the way.

“Have I neglected you? Forgive me?” He asked.

You pushed him onto the bed. He bounced lightly but then scooted to the edge and spread his legs. You knelt down and placed your hands on his thighs. His dick twitched mere inches from your face.

“There is nothing to forgive, husband,” you said. “I only wish you’d take care of yourself more.” 

You wrapped your lips around his dick and licked the tip of his dick. He sighed and leaned back on his arms to steady himself. You looked up at the pleasure on his face. Pleasure you were giving him. Your heart burned in your chest with pride and satisfaction that you could do this for him.

You reached your right hand down to fondle his balls. His hips jerked off of the bed. “I should not have taught you that,” he groaned.

You squeezed the heavier one, rolling it between your fingers. He continued to moan and praise you as you sucked him. Your slobber coated his dick and ran down the length of him. You took him all the way to the back of your throat before releasing him to catch your breath.

“You beautiful Queen,” he sighed. His hips continued to jerk. He wanted to grab your head and push you down further and faster. You could tell by the way he flexed his hand on the bed. Gathering your blanket in his fists.

You shifted on the floor to find a better angle and then you took him how you knew he liked. Your head bounced up and down faster, spit mixing with the saltiness of his precum, and sucked him down as much as you were able. He was so thick, he stretched your mouth.

Your pussy ached with an emptiness that always stole your breath. One minute, you could be fine and going about your day. Until you remembered the delicious burn of him sliding in and out of you. Holding you to him and whispering how much he loved you. Craved you. How he thought of your voice often. 

“I’m close,” he groaned. 

You sucked him harder. You gagged on his dick until he was screaming out his release. You swallowed his climax until he was completely empty and throbbing inside your mouth. You moaned around him and began to slowly withdraw him from your mouth.

He made the most adorable, tortured sounds as you licked the underside of his dick. He was still sensitive and his eyes were crossing.

“You tease,” he moaned and licked his lips. 

You finally let him go and wiped corners of your mouth. He helped you stand and then placed his hands on your hips and looked up at you. You played with his beard and fanned your thumbs across his cheeks.

“How do you always know exactly what I need? Hm?” He asked.

“Because I need it far more than you. I like seeing you like this. Relaxed,” you said. You stroked his forehead, smoothing away the worry lines there. He dealt with so much. It was expected of him, but you didn’t care what others said. He did not have to die in service to this kingdom. The kingdom needed him here, alive and safe while he protected them.

He made you sit in his lap. “I have another surprise for you, husband. We will be late,” you said.

“Do you expect me to steal my pleasure from you and not give any in return?”

“It is not stealing if I give it freely,” you said. You settled onto his lap. He pulled up your dress until he exposed your pussy. He pulled it a little higher revealing your rounded belly.

He kissed your stomach and his lips lingered a second too long. “You are a treasure,” he said.

He looked up at you. “You are everything to me,” he said. You grinned and kissed him. As you did so, his fingers explored your damp curls. 

The more his gorgeous lips met yours, the wetter you got. You were flooding his fingers by the time he pulled away from your lips. 

“You are so beautiful. More beautiful carrying my child,” he said. 

You moaned and nuzzled his nose. “As soon as you’ve had your rest, I will put more in there. I want you full of me all the time,” he said.

You giggled as he planted kisses along your jaw. “You can’t mean all of the time,” you said.

He slipped his finger deep inside you and made a come hither motion. You began to convulse on his fingers, body shaking uncontrollably. If it weren’t for his strong hand against your back holding you aloft, you would have fallen to the floor. 

“All of the time. You are radiant with child,” he said. “So full of me. Full of life we created together.”

You cried out in his ear as you finally climaxed, thighs trembling. Your arms were wrapped around his neck, holding him close to you. This. This was where you always wanted to be. In his arms, safe and sound.

He kissed your jaw and neck, planted kisses above your breasts as you calmed down from such a powerful climax. You reluctantly climbed off of him.

“Come or we will truly be late!” You giggled as he tried to pull you back into his lap.

“Are you sure I cannot entice you to stay?” He asked.

“Don’t be cruel, you know I cannot resist you,” you said. You fixed your dress and he hung his head with a smile. He stood up and retrieved his clothes.

It was painfully obvious what you two had been up to, but well. You couldn’t help it. Looking somewhat presentable, you held hands with him as you walked down the hallway towards the palace gardens.

“Is this it? Have you finally decided to end my life?” He asked.

“Would I really answer yes?” You asked. He lifted an eyebrow at you and you grinned evilly. You placed your head on his shoulder.

“Husband, you are safe from me today,” you said.

He leaned down to kiss your forehead. “Where you are concerned, I am never safe,” he said. “You slay me where I stand with one look from you.”

You nudged him as you entered the gardens. Ayi and Sade were already there with Ayi’s sons. Three large blankets were spread out on the ground. Sade sat in the shade of the tree, leaning back on her hands.

“What is this?” King Ghezo asked as you approached.

“A picnic with your wives. You have been an absent husband,” Ayi said. She grinned at the two of you. 

“Will you forgive me?” He asked.

“Only if you sit and support Sade. She will roll on out of here if you don’t,” Ayi said.

The King chuckled and kissed your hand. He helped you sit. Then he sat down in the shade, pulling Sade to lean against him instead. She sighed with relief and you grinned at the look on her face.

You shared a knowing look with Ayi. She took in your rumpled dress and the King’s wrinkled robe. You snatched a grape off of a plate in front of you and shrugged your shoulders. She was perfectly aware of how addictive the King was. She was on her third child with him.

The rest of the afternoon was spent with laughter and jokes. The King playfully admonished all of you for conspiring against him and neglecting his duties as King. Sade tapped his shoulder and said he deserved it. 

“What good is being king if you cannot play whenever you want?” She asked.

And she was right. As the years passed, you kept up this tradition. Inviting more and more wives to picnic with you and King Ghezo. Babies were born many times over and still you reached out your hand to every single one of them.

All but perhaps one. His latest wife was a nightmare. Campaigning too hard to be Woman King. That was alright with the rest of you. The rest of you knew. Knew that deep down, all that mattered was that you had the King’s love and he had yours.

The Secret King Ghezo Files | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

[kaccvcate]

Can we get more detail pics/explanation on everything you've modded on your van? It's insanely dreamy.

you mean THEE Crazy Horse? This might take more than one post. I'll give you the grand tour

here she is from the outside of course. the rear seal on the back of the engine is broken, plus some small things I fucked up figuring that out (lol.) for now she rests, my noble steed

my little brother kenny made this bracelet for me. Obviously the inside of my car has to be red, maybe it sounds silly to some but for me there is simply no other way. That's why I painted it with house paint.

when I got the van there was a lot of trash from children's toys, candy wrappers, some hay and bits of livestock feed, crayon drawings on the walls, and this earring. Oh, and a johnny cash cd in the player (hell yeah)

lots of stickers from various friends (they tend to peel off but sometimes I glue them back on if I remember in time)

the fresh roses were from a funeral Matt Cockrell's mom provided flowers for, there's some carnations he gave me from her shop when we were together as well, and some type of beach growing succulant flower from my friend Fang in San Francisco. Also my little crawfish and some crystals given to me by an extremely talented mechanic who worked on my car in Mobile, Alabama

he also gave me this hood ornament, which she'll wear someday. I'd love to have one of the ones actually shaped like a cat as well (ideally I have a large amount of jaguar hood ornaments on her, in the garden of my mind) The sticker on my steering wheel I got from a roadside zoo called Tiger World

One night I slept in the cemetery, and a big storm came through and blew the flowers off a lot of the graves. I picked up some of the best ones to keep. The little elephant was from my friend Joey in new york (the one depicted as a bald eagle in one of my comics)

talisman from Silent Thunder

(to be continued)

[dietmimo]

999!gang h/c

- KNW and OD go on playdates a lot. Sometimes LHS or LJH join in. But usually it's KNW and OD.

- SP has a small corner dedicated gardening. He likes to tend to his plants, or sit on his plastic stool and take in his home grown nature.

-OD has a designated elephant watering can (not pictured) that he uses to water the tomatoes in SP's mini garden.

- SP's hope is that by having OD take care of said tomatoes, OD will grow to like eating them. Growing what you eat. Will it work? Only time will tell.

- LJH is the only one that knows how to drive a moped.

- No one knows how to drive a car (kkomas included). Except for OD. Who can barely reach the pedals and only remembers because of fuzzy memories of a past life eons ago.

- When 999!gang were moving to a bigger place, everything and everyone could NOT fit in their rented car. And they refused to make this a 2 round trip. So they improvised.

- A pair of platform shoes and a sprinkle of probability for camouflage makes for....questionable outcomes.

- OD driving the car in platform shoes w/SP at the front passenger seat and KNW tetrised in the back with their boxes and bags.

- The heels of the platforms have water, glitter, and toy fishies in them. They belong to LJH.

- LJH driving the moped. LHS hanging in for dear life (and choking on hair) Uriel hanging out on the stack boxes that didn't fit on the car enjoying the breeze.

- Yes, they probably could have somehow teleported everything instead of doing their current arrangement. (All of em wanted to see OD drive. Uriel wanted to ride on the moped)

- They got there safely thats all that matters.

[ramayantika]

Sakal Ban

Oh look how the streets have been adorned with colourful banners and flower boughs. The flags of my kingdom fly high on the beautiful carved towers, showing the grandeur of my city.

It's the time of the Spring festival. The fields look as golden as the sun with mustard flowers sprouting from the brown soil, their slender stalks flowing in the flower-laden spring breeze, and maidens wearing colourful robes with chiming anklets on soft red-dyed feet run through the golden fields.

I used to be one of them ages ago. These young girls donned in light shaded robes look as beautiful blooms of the royal garden, which used to be a place for my secret trysts with the handsome young lover, who is still elegant and regal as ever, but alas, no longer mine.

Mango buds hang from the branches, and little children play with stones and pebbles under the young tree. Somewhere in the distance, in the extravagant places of the courtly dancers and musicians, I see a lovely maiden adorn flowers in her braid.

Oh, honeybees, you traverse in circles

around the lone nectar-filled bloom in vain.

When you have the whole garden behind her head

Why go for the single little flower of a shrub?

I make my way through the crowded colourful streets once again like I do every Spring Festival, every year and pay my respects at the Nizamudin's shrine.

Dusty paths permeate with a fragrance of jasmine and lavender, and the bazaars are teeming with sweet shops, with small vendors selling savoury snacks. A husband gently feeds a milk sweet to his wife who glows with the little child growing inside her.

I clutch my stomach, and my heart grows fond but also silently weeps at the fate that I was shown but mercilessly snatched away from.

The chitter-chatter of the streets grow louder. In every courtyard, poets and singers sing verses of lovers and romantic union in spring. The patronisers of art fling their gold and silver in fine silk bundles.

And finally the Royal trumpet blows. The crowd stills. The garden girls with large flower garlands stand on the sides, their smiley faces glowing under the pleasant sun. I smile too.

The palanquin bearing the queen enters the street to the shrine. I caress the ring on my finger, a metallic symbol of a broken promise of yesteryears.

The soldiers cheering the empress's name flank the palanquin. Her maidservants and handmaidens donning simple shades and cotton skirts that lightly flutter in the wind walk by. The crowd amazed at all the riches, power and grandeur swoon in delight.

And then the announcer announces the arrival of the empress. He rules over everyone. He rules over our hearts and souls, but foremost mine, even when I can no longer claim his heart, forget the soul anymore, but some springs before, he was all mine, body, heart and soul, where we claimed each other in the golden fields of mustard blooms.

And fate is a popular jester, its jabs hurt the heart at times, but you have to keep smiling, keep laughing, for the show must go on. Life must go on.

An old singer sings:

woh mohe awan keh gaye ashiq rang aur beet gaye barson, sakal ban, phool rahi sarson sakal ban

The emperor hasn't once seen my eyes in all these years, and I never crossed my fate with his. Not all wishes come true at the shrine, and not all promises can be kept.

For some hearts, there is never warm beautiful spring

All they get is a merciless cold winter until death claims their breath,

With Death granting an illusionary hope of a sweet union in the afterlife...

Fate, a cruel jester! The emperor's eyes meet my steely ones. A lone drop falls and I drag the thin veil around my face. The Spring breeze burns my flesh, it's cool winds freezing my once warm and hopeful heart.

But the show must go on, and the Emperor of my city, the lovely Prince of my youth, the sole Ruler of my heart walks away majestically on the royal elephant.

Not once does he turn back and I feel the sharp chilly winds of winter enter my heart.

*＊✿❀　❀✿＊**＊✿❀　❀✿＊**＊✿❀　❀✿＊*

Tags: @alhad-si-simran @houseofbreadpakoda @swayamev @arachneofthoughts @krishna-priyatama @navaratna @inexhaustible-sources-of-magic @madoucesouffrance @jessbeinme15 @kaal-naagin @aesthetic-aryavartik @krsnaradhika @krishnaaradhika .

Um so I have been listening to Sakal ban from heeramandi. Looked up to the translation a little and I am writing this inside my Pharmaceutical analysis lab before viva which I am actually not prepared for but we ball.

Please please tell me how it was okay. I haven't written, read and danced due to this continuous shower of exams and it feels so restless and suffocating. I was desperate so wrote this on my phone. So, yes, do leave reviews, comments etc.

Maybe I will post a dance cover after internals later on.

Also, if there are others who wsnt to be included in my writing taglist, do let me knowm

[jillraggett]

Plant of the Day

Monday 18 December 2023

The slow-growing Kalanchoe beharensis (elephant's ear kalanchoe, felt bush) was part of this stone sink garden planting at Great Dixter, Sussex. This succulent is native to Behara in South Madagascar and is not frost hardy.

Jill Raggett

[mapplesand]

About me

because i've never actually introduced myself properly oops

Basic Stuff

Aypa - he/they - 22 - autistic - french

I live in France and I write my stories in french first (duh), I was an english major and i'm currently doing whatever the fuck i'm doing in my master degree

I'm a writer so I obviously love writing but I also like psychology and the wonders of how human work (because I'm autistic so instead of masking in an effective way I just started analysing everyone around me)

For now i'm writing Morbid Minds, a coming of age story about weird guys in high school, but most of the time I write fantasy, just not now, my brain is focused on these idiots

I've got a few others stories in my head that I never talked here (and that are older than Morbid Minds) but there's Midnight Whisperings, a fantasy story about anthropomorphic cats and oppressions (in a medieval era with kingdoms, banned magic and religion, this story has been there since 2017), Chronicles of a Broken World about getting out of a cult-like facility that wants to use you for your power (in a 80s urban fantasy setting and a pinch of the "indigo children" myth from the New Age movement, there's 3 arcs with different main characters every time) and Teenage Headache, a coming of age story similar to Morbid Minds but the teens are french this time

so if someone is curious you can ask about one of them too ! Maybe i'll make post about it idk

Interests

Video Game : Pokemon (especially Pokemon Mystery Dungeon), Zelda, Animal Crossing, Night in the Woods, Minecraft, Danganronpa, Deltarune, Hades, Cult of the Lamb,

Movies : Coraline, Zero Day, Heathers, Fight Club, The Dirties, Elephant

Shows : Gravity Falls, The Owl House, Over the Garden Wall, Smiling Friends, Arcane, My Little Pony, Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts,

Manga/Anime : Fullmetal Alchemist, Mob Psycho 100, Dorohedoro, Beastars, Steins Gate, Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun, Black Lagoon, Witch Hat Atelier,

Books : Wings of Fire, Lockwood & co, An Unkindness of Ghosts, The Broken Earth series, The Gilded Wolves series

Bands : Grandson, KMFDM, Nothing More, Bring me the Horizon, Hollywood Undead, Mother Mother, Of Monsters and Men, Lemon Demon, Starset, And One, No One is Innocent, Woodkid, Kinkin Park, Imagine Dragons, Marina and the Diamonds, IAMX, Caravan Palace, The Living Tombstone, NF, Ado

I have what I call a "evil special interest" on Warriors Cats because it was my special interest growing up but now the writing and inconsistence piss me off so I will rant about it if provoked and that's not a joke, that's a threat

but the real evil special interest I have is about crimes because i'm not gonna go far in society with this one but oh well at least I can incorporate a lot of details about criminal cases in my story

Links

my strawpage

Morbid Minds intro

AO3

art tag