#have our main character find another character's dead body

[swan2swan]

BROOKLYNN IS DEAD.

[deadboyween]

DEADBOYWEEN PROMPTS!!

Text-version Prompt List and inspiration below the cut!

Oct 21st: Day 1 - Colours

We made sure to include a few vaguer prompts for a wider range of creative ideas!! Colours could really be anything: Niko while she's possessed by the sprites, a different character having a run-in with a similarly colourful creature, or even something that just uses colour connotations or symbolism!! Get creative!

Oct 22nd: Day 2 - Comfort

One of the non-spooky prompts for day 2. It could be the boys comforting each other after a particularly difficult case, or a character study about something they find comfort in, or even just characters having a well-deserved day off from the Horrors

Oct 23rd: Day 3 - Disguise

The obvious one here would be Charles and Edwin's human disguises, but there's so much to play with. Works could perhaps feature the group going undercover on a case, or maybe the Cat King causing mischief again with his shapeshifting

Oct 24th: Day 4 - Orbs

Okay, you just know we had to put this one in there, everyone needs more Orbwin and Chorb content in their life right? What are our favourite glowing balls of light up to now? Why are they orb-ed? Is it a willing transformation or a result of exhaustion?

Oct 25th: Day 5 - Family

Family can mean a lot of things. Blood family? Could be an introspection into Charles's family back when he was alive, or Crystal trying to reconcile with her parents, Niko's grief, Monty's relationship with Esther... Or could be found family: the group choosing one another over everyone else, forming their own bonds more important than blood. Works can encompass many different character dynamics so go crazy!

Oct 26th: Day 6 - Casefic

The group are on a case!! Works could be a retelling of one of the show cases, or maybe one from the comics, or an entirely original one. It could be a simple run-of the-mill haunting or perhaps one that runs deeper, one that affects one or more members of the agency in some way

Oct 27th: Day 7 - The Endless

In the show we meet Death and Despair, but this prompt could feature one of the Dead Boy Detectives characters meeting one or more of the Siblings. Maybe they visit the Dreaming, or have a run in with Desire

Oct 28th: Day 8 - Free Day

No prompt for this day!! Works can be anything you like, unconnected to any of the suggested themes!!

Oct 29th: Day 9 - Myths / Legends

Charles referenced Orpheus and Eurydice in episode 7 but there's so much to work with with mythology from all over the world. These works could be a retelling of a story from an ancient mythology, or imagining the characters meeting a creature from a legend

Oct 30th: Day 10 - Hell

Really getting into the Horrors of the event now. Hell is such an important part of the series, especially for Edwin. These works must simply incorporate Hell in some way. Perhaps it's set during Edwin's 73 years in Hell, or maybe another character has an experience in the place, or with one of its many creatures. Really looking forward to seeing the potential body horror with this one

Oct 31st: Day 11 - Halloween

Day 11 is the main event. For such a spooky show, there's got to be a lot of Halloween inspiration. What do ghosts even do on Halloween? Do they dress up? Party? Haunt the living? It's entirely up to you!

Nov 1st: Day 12 - Psychic

These works must involve something psychic. Whether it be Crystal and her powers, another person with similar abilities, or any other creature that really gets in the head of the characters

Nov 2nd: Day 13 - Pre-Canon

There's so much to work with before the 2023 setting of the show. Over 30 years of the Dead Boy Detective Agency, the ghosts' lives, Edwin's Hell. Even for other characters: what happened during the Cat King's first two lives? What has Esther been up to for the last several hundred years? What's the Night Nurse's job like when she hasn't got two tricky ghost detectives to deal with?

Nov 3rd: Day 14 - AU

The only rule is: put those characters somewhere else. It could be a different time period, or characters could be different in some way. What if the Alive Girls were the Dead Girls? Or Charles and Edwin were Charlie and Edith? So excited to see everyone's ideas for every prompt, but especially this one, this fandom is so creative when it comes to AUs!!

Happy creating!!

[buckets-and-trees]

Any thoughts on Mafia bucky and Steve? Love ur works!!

I thought I didn't really have any thoughts other than that I pretty much am always weak for them.

But then I got struck with this idea about an hour ago, and the muse BOLTED with it...

Title: Little Lark Characters/Pairings: Mafia!Bucky x Millennial Female!Reader x Mafia!Steve Word Count: 950 Summary: You were already in a dangerous situation, but one meeting may drive you into far deeper waters than you're ready to swim in.

Content/Warnings: non-con, non-main character death, vaginal fingering, non-explicit PIV and oral (male receiving), use of pet name (little lark), mild degradation, implied praise kink, dacryphilia

Author Notes: Catching up on week seven of @buckybarnesevents Hot Bucky Summer - using the COLLARS prompt - and filling my November box for Build-a-Bucky Bingo with OBJECTIFICATION.

↠ Masterlist | Aspen's Ask Box | Field Guide to the Forest

You flinched at sound of the gunshot and looked away.

Somehow you didn’t think they would do it, but they did.

You didn’t need to look to know your boss was dead.

You would be relieved, finally free from the debts and blackmail that had held you captive to work for him and keep your family safe, but you didn’t know if you would truly fare any better with the men in front of you now.

Bucky Barnes and Steve Rogers had come from Brooklyn to Atlanta to make a deal with your boss only to find out he had tried to cross the two men before they’d even sat down to negotiations.

“You have a choice to make,” Steve said.

Hesitantly, you turned your head back to look at the most handsome and intimidating men you had ever seen – it would be your opinion even if you didn’t know the things you already did about how dangerous they were, and you were sure you didn’t know even half of what they had done or what they were capable of.

Steve unlocked and flipped open the briefcase he’d brought in for the meeting, then turned it to face you. “You’ll walk out of here wearing one or the other, but it’s up to you.”

You frowned, looking at a leather collar on the left and a silver chain with a stunning sapphire pendant. Then you looked back up at the men.

The choice seemed too obvious.

“What’s the catch?” you asked.

“No catch. Your ours now, but you can pick what that looks like,” Bucky explained.

“I’m not–” you tried to protest, but Bucky cut you off.

“Unlike your idiot boss, we thoroughly did our homework before this meeting. We know you only worked for him to keep your family alive.”

“So, let me go! The debts owed were to him, not to you!”

Steve smiled, but it was cold, calculating. “But we don’t want to. Why would we squander a pretty little asset like you?”

Your chest tightened and you could feel angry tears welling up. “It wasn’t like that! I was only his assistant!”

“The only decent thing about him was that he never cheated on his wife,” Bucky admitted, “but his intentions for you were never innocent. You were on the list of things that could be part of our potential deal.”

An object, not a person. There was a sudden pit in your stomach now, too, but you tried not to react in any other way.

“Neither of us need an assistant, but we have other needs we think you’re well-suited for,” Steve took over explaining the situation, and made no attempt to hide the way his eyes roamed your form.

“Again, your choice,” Bucky said, “or we choose for you. You can be either our whore or our companion.”

You were quiet for another moment, then you dropped your eyes and softly murmured, “Necklace.”

The modicum of dignity would be minimal, but maybe you would be afforded at least some semblance of humanity as a companion.

Bucky took the necklace from its velvet case and strode around the desk and the dead body on the floor. He motioned for you to stand so he could put it around your neck. As he fastened it, you couldn’t help but notice the sound and feel as there was twisting and then a click.

The chain fastened with a permanent lock.

“Aw, our little lark is trembling,” Bucky cooed, tracing his fingers along the side of your neck.

“In fear or anger?” Steve asked.

You looked at him sharply.

He smirked. “So, it’s both. Good.”

Bucky didn’t move away from behind you, and his hands reached to tug your skirt quickly up around your hips. You yelped in protest when he pushed his hard bulge up against your ass and groped the fleshy globes.

And somehow Steve was suddenly in front of you, moving before you could even register. He took your chin in his hands even as Bucky’s fingers moved down between your legs, invading your panties to start playing with your folds.

“Bucky and I have always shared everything,” Steve said. “It’s why no one can beat us or come between us.”

Bucky suddenly found your clit, and it made you jump and whimper.

“Mmm, give her more of that, Buck,” Steve said, a wicked glint in his eye.

“We’ll make your body sing for us,” Bucky vowed, “don’t fight it, little lark.”

Your breath hitched, and you fought back a sob.

While Bucky kept tormenting your clit, his other hand went to the small of your back, urging you to arch and present your hips more readily for him. You couldn’t do anything but comply.

It was Steve who nudged your legs further apart with his foot edging your right to move out to a wider stance. Then he stepped back, and Bucky continued to push you forward. You almost stumbled forward, but Steve caught your hands to steady you.

And then he put your hands at his belt.

“Go on,” he urged, looking down at you, “be our good girl. You know what to do.”

Disobedience could mean death – maybe not yours, but someone else’s. They’d killed your boss in front of you without hesitation. You didn’t want to test them in the slightest. Your fingers worked open the leather belt and zipper in front of you while Bucky peeled your panties down over your ass and let them fall to the floor.

One cock in your pussy, one in your mouth, you tried to ignore their degradation and praise as they worked your body into unwanted bliss, tears falling down your cheeks and their collar hanging around your neck.

You were theirs.

↠ Masterlist | Aspen's Ask Box | Field Guide to the Forest

READ THE SEQUEL: BIRD ON A WIRE

When I tell you these mean mafia men really came and took over my creative brain about an hour and a half ago, I'm not lying. Start to finish, they were direct, brutal, and exacting in what they wanted.

[wiltedivinity]

ıllıㅤ𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 ; all you saw was red. the blood in his hands, the blood on their bodies, the blood on your own, and the color of the roses you're engulfed in. he wondered at the fact on how far you've brought yourself to get away from him, physically and emotionally, knowing you won't even get to escape a few meters. but you wondered... why?

ㅤ⨯ if any of the following trigger you, please click off: dead dove: do not eat ; non-con ; female!reader ; violence ; (minor character) deaths ; assault ; possessiveness ; yandere themes ; choking ; toxic & unhealthy relationships ; forceful actions ; suggestive themes ; semi-smut ; threats & insults ; angsty? ; childe is an asshole ; not proofread

ㅤ⨯ archive :: taglist :: inbox / appeal information :: 18+ ONLY

Why… Why… Why… You wanted to ask. You wanted to scream out till’ your lungs give you in. Your feet were planted on the ground firmly, refusing to move an inch as you watch the Harbinger pierce his blades into the chest of your mother repeatedly, the water of his weapon slowly being stained with dark blood, blood that’s mixed with different victims that have witnessed his wrath. Including yours. You eye the wound on your arm, the red liquid was still dripping and staining the ground under you. “Why…” it barely even came out as a whisper, more like a simple breath of the wind most people would ignore but not to him. What can you expect from a man that made You, a person he should have cared less for, his main priority in his life.

“Why…?” you sobbed out, bringing your head up from the floor to find him staring right back at you. The Harbinger stands up and carelessly lays your mother figure to the ground before kicking it out of his sight, dissipating his water blades into thin air as blood continues to stain him and maybe you in the process. “‘Why,’ you ask?” Childe hums, making his way towards you, raising his hand to meet your cheek but you slap it away before he could even touch. “Answer me.” you grit your teeth at the man who was smiling sadistically at you.

“Wow, what a feisty girl. Didn’t know you had it in you, love.” he chuckles, his hand coming in contact with your hand, gripping it and dirtying it with mixed blood. You groan and pull your hand away from his grasp and land a hit on his face. You leave him breathless for a second before his pupils dilated, touching the very spot you slapped him on and caressing it. “You’ve changed quite a lot.”

“I could say the same for you, Tartaglia.” you scoot away from him, your fists clenching in case he makes another move on you. He simply just laughs, each breath he takes, his laughter goes lower and lower until he is glaring at you with that very same sinister grin on his face. “As much as everything you do makes me breathless,” he says through his smile, “You speaking my codename isn’t it. Change that up, hun.”

“Nothing you do will make me change what I feel about you.” A hint of resentment was visible in your eyes, your pupils decreasing its usual size. You tried… Tried to seem threatening but to him he adored it. Even if you managed to intimidate him, he wouldn’t really back out, can he? He knows he’s stronger. He’s a survivor of the Abyss, the Eleventh of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers. Even if he was the Eleventh, the title of being a Harbinger alone is impressive and shows a symbol of great power and strength.

“You think so?” Childe sniggers. “I know so.” you reply boldly, attempting to stand back up only to get knocked down by the stomach by Childe’s elbow, “Oh, we’re not done yet. You’re staying here until our business is done.” you glare at his response, what does this man mean by business? If he means torturing you more than you know that seeing your family die before your eyes is more than torture. You attempt to dart away from him if standing wasn’t an option but he stops you by gripping your ankle.

“Get your fucking hand away from me, Tartaglia.” you sneer but it doesn’t stay for longer when he has his hand around your neck and pins you down, using it as a leverage. You can see his eyes darkening from your lips simply saying his title. “Like I said… You’re staying here until our business is done, [Y/N].” he emphasized with a growl at the end of the sentence as he quickly squeezed your throat. You felt the wetness in the corners of your eyes drip as he pushed you further into the ground. Eyes widening instantly when you realize he’s blocking your airway by choking you, his grip on your neck was unbearably tight and if he continued to stay like this you would–

You can’t breathe, you’re letting out panic and quick pants from your mouth as you try to get his grasp from your throat by pulling his wrist away but he’s stronger… You know that. So why not give up? You don’t want to. You can’t either. You try to kick him off with your legs punching his gut, Childe only groaned and laughed. “Hah,” he sighs, but that quickly turns into loud laughter.

“Haha!” he jests, pushing you on the floor as your consciousness slowly slips away from you. “Go on! Keep trying, it makes the job easier. Just look at you, turning blue from my hand around your throat.” he muses, a grin forming on his face sinisterly. You want to argue, but not in this situation. You could barely breathe and voicing out your thoughts will worsen. But in the end, you’d faint from the loss of breath and he would win in the end. He can easily overpower you anytime he wants. That’s a perk of being a Harbinger trained under an unknown woman from the Abyss.

“Sleep well. I’ll be waiting.” he coos lowly, your eyelids drooping lower as you let out your last breath before you faint. Once you do, he slowly pulls his grasp around your throat and admires the handprint on it. A nice dull, desaturated red. Almost the color of the blood of his opponents. Childe brings your unconscious body into his embrace and carefully stands up, looking back to see the limp figures of your family members laying on the floor, all bloodied and dismembered from his hold. If he could be honest, it was their fault, they disapproved of him ever since he was a member of the Fatui and the idea of their precious daughter to get associated with him was something they’d never want. You were okay in keeping contact with him and didn’t think much of his status. But that didn’t go through with your family. They even go as far as to separate the two of you and cut all ties with his family in order to keep you safe and away from him.

Oh what a bad decision they made.

.

.

.

Your eyes groggily open, and your body twitches beneath the mattress you were sleeping on. Your hand tries to touch your brow, but something prevents it. You examined your wrists and discovered that it was connected to the headboard of the bed, leaving you vulnerable and unable to move. You struggle under the restraints, desperate to be freed but a door has already been opened before you could move any further. "Ah, you're awake," says a familiar voice from the other side of the room, as footsteps approach your bed.

“I hope you don’t mind the chains. I didn’t want you escaping so this was a better alternative!” A glee came from Childe, that broad and boyish smile of his not wavering one bit when he sees your harsh glare. “Let me go,” you growl, shuffling on the bed aggressively but it only worsens the pain on your wrists.

“Oh come on, don’t get mad at me now. Be thankful you got chained in my bedroom instead of something much brutal.” He grabs your chin to stop you from moving too much, his grip is tight, one wrong breath and he’ll tighten it more so you sit still.

All of the sudden, his grin widens, but not in a good way. “Or maybe you’d like what I originally planned more.” The dark glint on his eyes becomes evident, “But let’s get you fed first. It’s been hours since you’ve passed out and you must be starving after that long!” And it switches up all too suddenly. It’s as if the man forgot that he kidnapped you and did monstrous things to your family.

He then places the tray on a desk near the bed. Childe eyes the handcuffs on your hand and shrugs, “You’ll get used to this.” He assures you, taking the hot, steaming bowl of soup and placing it near your face, the spoon already scooping the broth and placing it in front of your lips.

“Come on. Say ‘ahh’” the ginger-head instructs, blowing air on the spoonful of stew so you’re able to consume it. You wanted to protest but your stomach grumbles before you can do so, making the harbinger chortle. “Might as well open your mouth. It’ll make things easier for you… And your stomach.” He points out.

You purse your lips, shaking your head. This causes Childe to frown heavily, “You really are stubborn, aren’t you?” His jaw clenches, “You’re lucky I’m a patient man. Now, eat.” He shakes his hand, a little too aggressively but not enough to spill the bouillon. “No,” You furrow your brows, turning your head away from the spoon. “You heard me the first time.” You argued back, your fists already clenched. You would’ve thrown a punch on him if you could if it weren’t for the handcuffs.

“You really don’t know who you’re messing with, [Y/N].” The way he spoke your name was strong, almost intimidating. “I can shut the fucking mouth of yours if I wanted to. Hell, I’ll do that right now.” Childe smiles grimly, the sinister gleam on his eyes shine, the hand that was holding the spoonful of soup placed inside of his mouth, his free hand clutching onto your shirt and pulling you raspingly into his lips, forcing you to drink in the hot liquid.

You feel his tongue penetrate through your lips, forcing them open. Your chin was trapped between his fingers and he uses this to tilt your head backwards so you can drink the broth that he pours. You feel yourself coughing into Childe’s lips but he doesn’t budge one bit, only pushing you down the mattress with his arm behind your neck. Your attempts in pushing away were fruitless, so your only choice was biting his lip until it bled.

Fortunately that worked, though he didn’t pull away instantly. He let his tongue explore your mouth before doing so, it seems like he was enjoying how the soup tastes mixed with his blood. Childe lets out a few breaths before looking down at you, the corners of his mouth still stained with a bit of red liquid and dried up broth. “Don’t you think I’m done with you. You barely finished a portion of the soup.” He chuckles, his hand making its way to the bowl to scoop more fluid into his mouth until your foot kicks his thigh, making him freeze and look towards you.

“I-I’ll eat… Just not from your mouth.” You try to reason with him but he continues to drink up the liquid, his cheeks puffing a bit from the soup taking up the space inside of his mouth. You just know that he wasn’t going to do it your way by the way he’s leaning down on you and pressing his lips against yours. Pouring in whatever he has in your mouth yet again. You furrow your brows as tears flow down your cheeks, the taste is bitter. It leaves a bad taste on your tongue and a fog in your mind.

.

.

.

You pant heavily, your chest was visibly rising from up and down as you stare up at Childe without breaking eye contact. The man didn’t show one bit of remorse for what he’s done to you. That shit-eating grin that was spread across his face shows it. He shuffles and rises up from the bed, taking the half-eaten bowl of soup before walking away. The moment he’s at the door, he turns his head to look back at you, eyes watching you from head-to-toe before nodding and walking away, seemingly amused.

You shake on Childe’s bed, throwing your head back as you sob. What have you fucking gotten into? Your eyes are squinted tight, your wrists are still painfully wounded from how forceful Childe was when handling your body not too long ago when you’re trying to set them free from the chains. To set yourself from things getting worse. You couldn’t stop wiggling your body on the mattress in an attempt to loosen yourself from the handcuffs.

This could’ve ended differently… Maybe if you knew and saw the red flags in his letter or the way he acted when he was around you, you would’ve escaped. But you should doubt that. The man’s a Harbinger, a child who fell into the Abyss, a striving and unmatched warrior and most importantly, a manipulative companion who always gets what he wants. And you being a long-time friend only worsens it since the both of you knew each other more deeply than anyone else. He knew your weaknesses, your likes, dislikes and everything.

And you don’t know any of his weaknesses. It was hard to guess. You only knew a few and it was you. But being his weakness also means being his strength, you know how you get him. You were his source of motivation. If you weren’t then he wouldn’t be torturing people to tell him about your whereabouts ever since your family cut ties with him.

“Don’t sleep on me now~ We still have yet to clean you up!” Childe chimes in the room once again, a towel in his hand as he approaches and kneels on the floor. His arms are on the mattress of the bed, his head firmly placed in between them as he stares at you. “I haven’t bathed you properly and seeing the stains on your shirt, you wouldn’t be comfortable sleeping in something dirty, right?” He attempts to sway you. “I may be a bad guy, but I’m no monster.” You wanted to laugh. What the actual fuck does he mean by that?

You decide not to protest. You were too tired to do so and your lips could barely sound out a breath. “Good girl.. You’ve finally learned your lesson!” Childe grins at the wig hut of your tired face, the blush on your cheeks evident from the messy and hard kisses he’s been giving you. He trails his finger on them, slowly moving them downwards until they reach your neck, carefully grasping it, causing you to choke on your deep breaths.

“Good girls deserve rewards, correct?” Childe tilts his head with that stupid grin on his face. He must be proud at how much of a mess he’s made out of you. How much control he has over you. He knows you know it, he’s laughing to himself right now. “So let me reward you..” His smile drops, as well as his voice.

He didn’t waste a millisecond to bring his right arm under your knees and his left arm beneath your back. Shaking you a bit so that you wouldn’t sleep when he bathes you. “Stay awake for me, pretty. Don’t want you drowning.” He snickers with a teasing grin on his face. He takes quick but careful steps to the open door that leads to the bathroom. He sat you down in the bathtub and prompted you to take your clothes off. You can feel the embarrassment bubble up inside of you as well as your jaw tightening. “Come on, now. Don’t get too shy~ You’re gonna get used to this soon enough.” he traces the shape of your cheek before he lets his finger move lower to your neck to unbutton one button of your collar.

“You’re a big girl now, right?” He murmurs softly, grabbing your hand and placing it on your shirt, silently commanding you to undress. “But I don’t mind if I could do it instead. I’d be more than happy to see you trust in me in this.” Childe was trying his best to go easy on you. He knew he wouldn’t go anywhere if he continued to torture you.

He’ll make sure he’s all you can rely on. The only person you can trust in this dim cabin in the middle of nowhere.

“No.. I can do it.” You push his hand away as you slowly unbutton your shirt, each time you show a bit of your skin with each button, his gaze intensifies. He couldn’t help but put his hands on the sides of your stomach, his thumb brushing the soft and bare skin. He leans in and uses his teeth to drag the collar of your shirt to the side to reveal more of your figure. “So pretty..” he praises, licking a stripe of your shoulder. You sat there, frozen and clutching onto his shirt, attempting to push him away.

He notices this and controls his urges. He’s not gonna do anything, yet. “Undress the rest of your clothing for me.” He pulls away and stands up to discard his gloves. You do as he says and unzip your jeans, kicking them off. You were only left with your undergarments and the way he eats up every bare skin of your body makes you feel unsafe to what he’s gonna do next.

Childe really has a hard time breathing at the sight of you. God he’d just take you there right now but he slaps himself to the thought of it. “Not yet..” He scolds himself internally. He’ll do it once the time is right. For now, he needs you cleaned up. “Take those off too.” You swore you heard a low grunt at the end of his sentence but you didn’t dare question it. You unclip your bra from behind, struggling a bit from taking it off before finally letting it fall off your shoulders and onto your lap. 

Childe stares at you, admiring every curve and contour but he snaps out of it once your hands lowered to take off your underwear too. His eyes were stuck on your lap and at the sight of your cunt. He lets out a heavy huff he didn’t know he was holding for so long and grabs your undergarments, placing them in the sink. A moment later, he turned on the water faucet and washed your naked body with soap. Occasionally brushing the scars (that he made) with his thumb to soothe you (as well as admiring it as if it’s a work of art.)

It didn’t take too long to finish bathing you. It’s probably the first time you’ve behaved around him but that doesn’t mean you’ll tolerate him for long. Childe gently grabs your chin and tilts it upwards for your eyes to face him. You thought he’d do something he wasn’t supposed to but he just simply caressed the bruise on your cheek. You could only sigh and hope whatever he wanted to do just finishes.

“Let’s get you settled..” Childe gets up from his kneeling position and grabs a white towel. He turns his head and gestures to you to get out of the tub. You did what he commanded and stood up from the water and stepped out of it. You cringe at the cold breeze meeting your skin as the water droplets sticking on your drop to the ground.

You notice the ginger-haired man’s hesitance when seeing your bare body in all of its glory. The water made your skin glisten a bit, all he wanted to do now was mouth your neck, your collarbone, literally anywhere. He wasn’t being picky at this point. He just wanted his hands all over your body.

He couldn’t contain himself much longer and dropped the towel as he desperately strides towards you to wrap his arms around your waist and pull your wet body on his clothed one. His hands obsessively ravaging your hips and your back, “Fuck… So pretty for me, yeah?” He grunts at the feeling of being so close to you, chest-to-chest, trapped in his arms with no escape and no choice but to deal with his horrid affection. “All for me…” His fingers pat your bare hip until it reaches your ass, squeezing it lightly. You froze and clutch onto his shirt, “Stop… Please..” You plead, but he growls. “Fine..” he responds but doesn’t let you distance yourself from him.

Childe grabbed the towel that fell on the floor, he turns to you again and dry your body up, periodically brushing your intimate parts with his lips, saying it was to quicken the process. He wasn’t even trying to make a better excuse.

With one last stroke of the towel around your breasts, he pulls away and admires his work. “I’ll get you some clothes. Come with me.” he places the towel on a towel rail and leads you to– most likely– his room.

He sits you down on the edge of the bed as he explores through a closet of clothes. Maybe… Just maybe you could knock him out. He was really distracted at the moment but you don’t have anything to attack him with. Even if you did, you’d be dead. He’s not that weak nor does he have slow instincts to sense what’s wrong.

“Hey..” Childe snaps his fingers in front of your face, snapping you out of your trance. Your eyes widen and blink a few times before looking up at him, confused. Childe stares at you for a moment before letting out a chuckle and sighing, amused at your act. “Done daydreaming, sweetheart?” he teases before handing you some folded group of clothes. “You’ll catch a cold if you stay like that for too long. But I don’t mind such a sight either way… I’ll think of other ways to heat you up if you let me.” He smirks and you internally cringe at his remark in trying to bed you.

“I’ll be fine. Thank you, Childe.” You grin awkwardly at him and attempt to grab the clothes from his hands but he refuses to give you it. “[Y/N].” He spoke your name. He sounded mad, as if you did or said something wrong and offending. “Yes, Chil–”

“Don’t call me that.” He cuts you off with a stern tone. The way his eyes narrow at how your lips voiced out his name— his codename to be specific. A name that’s normally used by either enemies or acquaintances that he's barely close with. “It’s Ajax.. Just call me that, [Y/N]. It’s just two syllables and four letters.”

“...”

Childe notices your silence and sighs, feeling frustrated. “Just this once at least.. Please?” he begs and you swore he looked pathetic like that. You can’t believe this is the exact same man who just committed manslaughter yesterday and got rid of your whole family. “...Ajax.” You mussitate,  a hint of annoyance within your tone from his persistence.

You were unable to catch the self-satisfied smile he had on his lips. Childe lets out a content hum as he places the pile of clothes on your hands and pushes you to sit on the edge of the bed. “That wasn’t so hard now, was it?” He expresses his mirth fatuously, “Get dressed. I’ll take a bath. Behave for me, alright? Don’t go out without my permission.” He spoke softly, holding your shoulder, his grip was threatening but soon enough softened, taking it out of your body. He stared at you for a moment, his gaze on you didn’t waver as he studied every detail on you.

With a turn of his heel, he left and entered the bathroom, closing it and locking it as water started running inside.

You sat on the bed's edge. Feeling overwhelmed, the sound of his voice, the way his touch sends shocking shocks through your body. You were overthinking what had just happened and didn't see how your body began to shake from the cold. You wore the long-sleeved sweater and pajamas gently, shaking the thoughts out of your head. It strangely fits... Did he get your size while you were sleeping? But it didn't appear brand new if he did manage to get your size and buy clothing for it.

You stood up and walked onto the exit door of the bedroom you were in, looking towards the door where Childe was bathing. When you're close enough, you palm the knob and turn it slowly so as not to create too much noise.

The corners of your lips raise a bit when you successfully open the door but it soon drops when you hear another door creak behind you. “What do you think you’re doing?” an austere voice rumbles from a few feet. Slowly turning your head, you’re met with the sight of Childe’s bare chest that was dripping with hot water.

You were so distracted by his sudden closeness that you didn’t notice his hand closing the door while leaning in front of you so it couldn’t be opened. “Be a dear and get out of the way.” his tone wasn’t as gentle as before. You warned yourself not to get him mad or else you’ll face something you’ll regret. You let out a sigh as you take a step to the side and awkwardly walk towards the bed to sit there again. Childe seems to calm down from the way his shoulders slump as he locks the door. He turns to look at you before making his way over to the bed, “Look at me.” he commands, gripping your chin harshly.

Once making eye contact with you, he stayed silent. You knew what he was saying from how his eyes were narrowing while he let out uneven, heavy breaths.

It didn’t take long for him to pull away in pure silence so he could dress up. Once finished, he crawls over to you and forces you to lay down on the mattress with his arm wrapped around your waist to keep you locked within his embrace. You feel his nose brush up against your nape, breathing in and familiarizing your addicting scent. “You smell divine..” The man murmurs from behind, his hand palming your stomach in a loving way. He feels the way you tense up from his touches and he hums, grinning from the feeling. “Relax… I won’t do anything yet.”

His ‘reassuring’ words only served to stiffen you up. Childe sighs before his grip tightens around you and wraps a leg around your pair. He decided to just stay silent, assuming you’ll get used to his presence around you soon enough. It’s not like you have a choice either way.

.

.

.

“Dear…” Childe murmurs longingly as he turns his body to face yours. He’s been tossing and turning all night during his sleep and he didn’t notice that until now. He opens his eyes tiredly with a sheepish smile as his arms wrap around the soft figure in front of him, “I’m so sorry about that… Did I wake you?” he asks, his tone tinged with a bit of guilt.

No response.

Childe purses his lips as he shakes his head and sits up, gripping what seems to be your shoulder and forcing you to look at him.

But it wasn’t you. It was just a pillow.

Upon his realization, he quickly got up and searched around the house for you. It’s not like you’ve gotten far, right? Not to the point you’re outside the cabin he’s trapping you in. All the doors were locked, windows closed shut so that your weak body couldn’t open it.

That is, until he noticed the front door lock on the floor. He wouldn't have seen your escape if it weren't for the gleaming metal flashing in the dark. As he slammed the front door wide, he noticed footsteps, footprints pointing towards the woodland that encircled the lodge. He grits his teeth before donning the dark, heavy coat that had been hanging nearby before stepping out to get you and take you back inside.

Even though everything was dark, he could see where he was going. Where you were going. It won't be long before he catches up with you. He realizes you didn't go very far. You're too lost in this forest and you'll end up back where you started(. There’s a reason why he set up this specific forest when trapping you). Do you really think you can escape him that easily? He chuckles to himself. It’s amusing. It’s good to have some determination, some hope at least, but it’s also good to be realistic. 

.

.

.

You ran and ran as fast as you could, away from the cabin in the woods, away from the creature within it. Your feet hurt severely. You’ve underestimated how harsh the winter of Snezhnaya is, how the breeze alone causes your whole body to turn numb from the cold. What’s worse was that you couldn’t stop moving no matter what. Even a single second counts, driving you closer to your escape.

You struggle to breathe after all that movement, causing you to stumble against a thick tree root. You pant, taking heavy breaths to regain your composure but you can’t really be calm in a situation like this, can you?

You stood up, dusting the snow off your clothes as you continued forward, trembling a bit from feeling the sudden warmth rising up your body. Fuck… This is gonna be the death of you..

You hear footsteps tapping behind you, approaching you slowly and surely. A howl can be heard from behind that was soon followed by a growl. You slowly turned your head in search of the source of the sound and quickly regretted it. The sight of the darkish Rifthounds glaring at you sent a shiver on your spine. They were quite far but it didn’t take awhile for them to start noticing your presence and preparing to teleport or sprint at you.

You saw the Rockfound Rifthound instantly turning its body, disappearing for a second before appearing right in front of you, about to swing its tail to attack you. You shriek out loud, your legs instinctively move to the opposite direction only for you to instantly get knocked forward when feeling the tail make contact with your back. Groaning, you attempt to get back up, ignoring the sights of the Whelps drawing nearer towards you.

You clenched your fist before grabbing a big enough rock and throwing it at the Rifthound that just attacked you to catch it off guard. Seeing it roar in pain and the Whelps looking towards their leader, you took this chance to escape from the creature's grasp.

Never have you felt this much adrenaline rushing through your vines. You felt so dead yet so alive right now…

Out of the corner of your eye, you spot a static of Electro rotating over to you. The projectile makes an impact on your side, causing you to get pushed and injured in the process. You grunt gutturally, clutching your hip and left arm, hissing as the sting worsens the more contact it has with your hand and other solid things.

You look over to your side, spotting a Thundercraven Rifthound nearing you along with its accompaniment of Whelps. Your hands swiftly touch the ground swiftly, moving it in hope to find another rock but to no avail.

You were trying to think of a way to escape this but there was no way out. You were surrounded by the mobs, and they looked like they wouldn’t let you off the hook easily. You spot a current of Electro and what seems to be aiming at you. You pulled your arms to your face, blocking whatever was about to touch you.

You hiss at the feeling of the electrifying scratch on the small reveal of your skin and twitch when hearing the wail of the Rifthounds around you. Another guttural sound erupts not so far from where you sit, causing you to press your face deeper into your arms.

“Get up.” Someone spoke, their tone serious and authoritative.

It took about a few seconds to do exactly that. You spot that the Rifthounds were gone, only leaving parts of their body left behind. You knew you weren’t strong but it did surprise you that every single one of them was taken care of. “T-Thank you, mister–?”

“I said– Get Up.” His voice booms through you, causing your ear to ring a bit. You perk your head up with your eyes squinted, “Apologies… I–” A breath was taken away from your lungs upon feeling the man’s hand wrapped around your neck, dragging you from the ground up to the sky. The hand squeezes your throat tightly, making you swing your legs on instinct to kick whoever was holding you. “All under my mercy now, huh? What happened to your acts of disobedience? Did it all get thrown out the window once I teach you your lesson?” The man scoffs, harshly dropping you on the snowy ground and kicking you on your stomach, making you turn and tumble down into a group of bushes.

You hiss, the feeling of small pricks picking into your skin, causing small but nasty scars that leave you groaning. You couldn’t see, some even scratched near your eyes and for you not to get blinded by them, you squint your eyelids shut.

“Please– I’m sorry! Let me out!” You sob, trembling in fear, in the stinging pain of the pricks. “Oh, are you now?” The man walks towards the bush, tapping his foot as he watches you struggling. ”Do you mean it?” He plants his foot on top of the bush, slowly but surely deepening its form to strangle you more.

“Yes– I do! Agh–”

“Beg for your life if you mean it.” He deepens it once more. Even if you were under this confined space of a bush, you can spot the sadistic grin plastered on his face, clearly enjoying every second of your suffering. “P-please… I plead.. For mercy. Please.. I can’t br–eathe-hah!” You breathe heavily in between your words, the form of the bush only trapping you little by little. “Do you promise… Pinkie promise to not escape out of my grasp? To obey my every command, dearest?” You feel your hand being taken out of the bush and into the cold air outside. You whine, feeling the small pricks touch your skin in the process.

A pinkie awaits to intertwine with yours, “I’m waiting.” He reminds by delving his foot deeper, causing you to cry out in agony and wrapping your pinkie around his, “I promise! Please!”

“That’s my girl.” He jests in amusement as he pulls away, cracking his knuckles and stretching his body to dive in and carefully but surely pull you out of the spiky bush. He cringes a bit once spotting the small spikes in your skin. He sighed and decided to take care of them later since keeping you warm was his priority right now. Taking his jacket off and wrapping it around you, he made sure the pricks didn’t bother you on the way back to the cabin. He takes a look at the rose bush one last time before picking one of it up and placing it on the chest of his jacket.

He caresses the petals before his fingers meet your chin to tilt them up, “C’mon.. Rest. You’re gonna need it.” He hushes you quietly before forcefully closing your eyes.and pecking your forehead. You couldn’t soften up in his presence even if you wanted to but the way your body just betrays you, forcing you to go limp to gain rest it needs, it gave you no choice to stay awake even if you wanted to.

.

.

.

“You’re awake, I see..” A voice spoke from above. You twitch, turning your head to the source and furrowing your brows upon spotting the oh-so familiar, scarred and freckled face that was right in front of you. You attempt to push him away by nudging your knee against his abdomen but that was countered from a sharp pain coming from both your legs. “..Ahah–!” You let out a roar of discomfort. Chidle grins and jests upon seeing your face contort in displeasure, “You should think twice before doing that. I still haven’t fully catered your body yet.”

He pulls your leg lightly which is enough for your body to get dragged onto his lap. “Don’t move.” He commands, emphasizing it with a squeeze of your thigh.

You internally whimper when you feel him slowly but surely take the thorns out of your skin. “How cute.” he laughs softly, patting a wet, warm towel on the small open wound. “You’re doing great. Just as you should. Continue behaving for me, will you? It’s not like you’re going anywhere with these.” He plays around with the chains around your ankle that was connected to a wall. “It fits you well, don’t you think?” Childe murmurs lovingly, as if he’s admiring the work he’s done on you… Trapped, under his mercy, with no escape.

After finishing up the wounds on your left leg, he leans in close to your face, his hand cupping your waist to bring you closer to him, close enough to place a kiss on your forehead. “There we go… Such a behaved little thing.” Childe jests before standing up and dusting his pants. “Hopefully this will be enough for you. Sleep well, alright?” He pats and ruffles your hair, his hand sliding down to your cheek and caressing it. “Don’t try escaping me. Because next time, you won’t even get to be sleeping under this damnation.”

You tried to bite his palm because it was so close to your mouth, but he took his hand away and quickly brought it back to hit you, turning your head the other way as your cheek erupted in pain. His hand catches your chin and angles it violently in his direction as you hiss. He's grinning viciously, his eyes twitching with annoyance at your attempt to turn the tables on him again, “Still being a bitch? Thought you learnt your lesson… Maybe I should’ve left you to rot.” He snarled, gripping your chin tighter.

“Waste of fucking breath.” He pushes you against the wall and lets go of you, standing with a displeased expression and turning to take his leave as you groan in pain. You clenched your hands into a fist as you watched him climb up the stairs and reach for the door. Childe looks back, glancing upon you one more time before smiling in content to himself and shutting it, following with the sound of a key locking in.

You were now by yourself. But then again it was much better than having to be breathing the same air as the man who just hit you.

You side meets the dirty mattress under you as you hug your knees, seeing as he didn’t give you a blanket to keep yourself warm. You were unable to muffle down your silent sobs, clutching onto your own cheek as it continued to sting. You question… You wonder, why?

…Just why?

°

Ouch… Huh?

You groggily opened your eyes, the feeling of something biting your neck. A wet sensation was followed after and you instantaneously snapped out of your tired trance to grab whatever was in front of you. “Ah– Geez… Relax, will you? This mattress is dirty enough.. Wouldn’t want blood to stain it too..” Childe groaned, his hand groping your hip harshly to make you pause. He pulls his face away from your neck, wiping the saliva dripping from his mouth. “H-hey! Have you not had enough already?!” You screeched and tried to get him off of you but were unable to. “Shut it.” he scoffs, shutting your mouth by forcing his lips onto you.

He slips his hand underneath your shirt, touching every part he wishes. “You feel so divine.. I wonder how you’d feel around me, yeah?” He grins against your lips. His tongue intrudes into your wet cavern, drinking in your moans and muffled noises. The wet sounds of his mouth against yours, showing how desperate he is for your taste.

You whine, feeling Childe’s hand exiting your shirt to enter your shorts instead, rubbing the pad of his thumb against your clothed cunt. He sighs, pulling away from the kiss, admiring the string of saliva connecting your lips. Licking his lips, he brings his face close to you until you are nose-to-nose. 

“Wanna try that out with me, my dear?”

© wiltedivinity 2024. reposting, plagiarizing, translating, claiming authorship or any form of unauthorized use is strictly prohibited. legal action may be taken against violators.

[dex0s]

💋MY DEAD HEART • ZOMBIESukuna X Gn reader WARNING: DEAD DOVE DO NOT EAT , NON-con/rape, main character death, cannibalism, humiliation, bad ending, public?, gore, animals, DARK CONTENT, age-gap, small plot/smut, violence mention, lazy ending, not proof read, MDNI 18+

A/N—hello.. how have u been.. that’s good. Bye! *disappears for 4 months*

You had studying subject 01 King of Zombies or what he calls himself Sukuna with some other scientists and as you can imagine it not a pretty sight to see. Like the normal things you would think of a zombie is he will human or animal flesh but yet he can be picky with it or he can do something disturbing to the flesh.

Flashback

You were walk to subject 01/ Sukuna test area. It was a huge metal door about 8ft tall with electrified bar along side with talismans all over.

“Good morning Mx.name” one of the security welcoming you, “you doing a check up on subject 01 today?” Finished the guard.

“Yes you are right. I have to check out what that 01 did with our experiment…” walking towards the door, one of the guards scanned his badge unlocking the door to the lab room. Yet before you could take your first step the other guard turned to you a said, “ I would be care in there even if there’s another door… the night guards told me that they heard some freaky shit coming inside.”

“Well thanks for the warning” you finished, walking in the lab the door closed behind you. Looking at the window in front of you the fake forest seems empty but you know better. Getting closer you can see a deer and when examining closer you can finally see what that disgusting creature did… it fucked the deer to death.

Cum spilling out of it hole, the poor hole was stretched on the unimaginable size, you can also see bites taken revealing the flesh underneath. Writing down this information not knowing the something so sneaking up on you.

*boom*

Quick turning to the sound you can see subject 01 smiling at you and what you assume to be deer blood on his face and hands.

“Do you like my master piece doc?” Sukuna asked. Going back to you notes you continue writing. After a few seconds Sukuna started to get annoyed that you were responding, “you think you can just ignore me doc!? I know you can hear me! Don’t go thinking your better then me, I’m the king and you are the peasant—just wait until I get out of here, you are going to be my first victim!?”

End of Flashback

You still remember the way he spoke to you—hate and disgust. Yet that didn’t stop you from coming back to work. The pay was good and you can live your happy ever after.

Parking in your spot. You walk up to the building, once you give in the doors you see no one at the front desk. Looking a around seeing if you can find someone. You captures something you wouldn’t want to see in a million years.

Over the counter of the desk, there lay a woman with bite marks and a chuck of her head bitten off. “I- what the hell happened here?” You asked yourself. Going around the desk you check the body, yet before that the body started to shake violently. Moving away and hiding you behind the desk. Trying to stay quiet you can hear movement then sudden silence.

Hearing Growling on top of you, quick looking up you can see the “woman” looking down at you with a hungry look. Quickly getting up u run towards a door that requires your key card. Looking back the “woman” is running at you full force.

Scrimmaging through your lab coat you found it. Briskly you open the door and just how quickly it opened it quickly closed. Hearing the bangs behind you. U decided to move away before that thing breaks in. With red lights going off and on you can somewhat see that all the subjects doors are open. Due to that u started to walk quietly. Once you get to subjects 01 door their are body’s littering the floor.

Before u can get away you get slam to the ground. “Look who we have hear” you know that voice… that’s the same voice that said that you would be their first victim. Feeling your clothes getting ripped off u try to break out but you know that wouldn’t happen.

Before you can even start to think Sukuna slam his two cocks in your ass/pussy. Hollering and screaming you kick your feet. Grabbing your feet he saids “I told you that u would be the first and then I will move on to the next women/male/person. Enjoy this time while you can because after this your time will be over”. Moaning in pain you can feel Sukuna bit down on your neck.

Feeling that harsh bite you scream due to the agonizing pain. Not thinking straight you see him eating something. Skin. Your skin. With Sukuna still thrusting in you and the pain from your wound you can feel yourself about the black out.

Around you hearing of feet pattering u see subjects looking at you. Laughing at your pain, laughing at your tears, “look at that you have a little crowd laughing at you” Sukuna mocks you. Not able to hold your bladder is piss on his cock/stomach. “Ew did you just piss on me?!” Making sure the people around you can hear. The laughter starts to get louder and louder.

Crying is all you can do, you can’t yell for help because nobody cares, you can’t get out of Sukuna hold because your weak, feeling your end approaching. you called out forgiveness for your sins hoping that when you see the golden gate that you will be forgiven. Closing your eyes for the last time your ears pick up something…

“see you in hell bitch” was the last words Sukuna said before cumming his load in you.

[anthurak]

So I have a hunch that we’re going to find out that Ruby actually has some… special connection to the Relics.

See, let’s consider for a moment the fact that as of the end of Volume 8, all three of Jinn’s answers have been questioned. Which, according to everything we know, means that it should be a hundred years before more questions can be asked, and by extension, before we could see Jinn again.

Now the thing is, I think we call all agree that it is EXTREMELY unlikely that this is the last we’re meant to see of a character like Jinn in RWBY. If for nothing else than it feels like we’re meant to get at least one more vision from her in a big ‘Once More, With Clarity’ reveal.

Like you know the theory that the main reason for the Unreliable-Narrator nature of Jinn’s vision in Volume 6 was because Ruby’s question was ‘What is Ozpin hiding from us?’, meaning that Jinn’s answer was framed ENTIRELY around what Oz knew, or BELIEVED, ie; all the info/propaganda he was told/fed by the God of Light about what happened while he was dead.

So I think it feels like a pretty natural step that we could wind up seeing someone, likely Ruby again, doing a redux of that moment where she asks Jinn a far more direct question, say; “What happened to Old Humanity?”, to get the TRUTH of what really happened.

Which all means that our heroines are somehow going to get MORE answers out of Jinn. And since a hundred-year timeskip seems… unlikely, to say the least, that leaves us with really just two options:

Time-manipulation shenanigans to ‘speed up’ the normal hundred-year recharge, which we don’t have any kind of precedent for at the moment.

Or, it turns out that there are ways of BYPASSING Jinn’s normal three-question limit.

Which brings us to Ruby, who just so happens to have a mysterious inborn power apparently originating from the very being who CREATED Jinn and the other relic spirits.

Basically, I’ve got a hunch that Ruby’s Silver Eyes, possibly as a result of developing/realizing more of their powers, turn out to give her what is essentially ‘administrator access’ to the Relics, allowing her to bypass their normal restrictions.

Like getting more answers from Jinn.

And the funny thing is, we’ve actually ALREADY seen Ruby get both relic spirits we’ve met thus far to, shall we say, skirt the rules a bit.

Ruby got what was essentially a freebie out of Jinn to get herself more time to use her Silver Eyes against the Leviathan: “And while you do not seek knowledge, just this once I was give it freely.” Also note that Jinn’s warning was merely that she would not be summoned ‘without a question’ again. What if it turns out that Ruby is actually capable of asking Jinn more questions? It’s also worth noting that this instance feels distinct from what we saw later when Hazel and Emerald summoned Jinn seemingly for free: Unlike Ruby, Hazel was ‘seeking knowledge’ when he summoned Jinn, and the fact that the so-called ‘password’ worked gave him all the answers he needed, which in turn satisfies Jinn’s mandate to answer questions. Which again feels rather distinct from the outright FREEBIE that Jinn gives Ruby.

And then of course there’s the whole bit where Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang got Ambrosius to SUPER-skirt his own rules to make Penny a new body. Which we’re still a bit hazy on HOW they got that to work. Again, given that it was Ruby who summoned Ambrosius, what if it turns out that she was able to get him to BYPASS his normal restrictions?

Another neat little detail to all this is the fact that we are actually two-for-two on Ruby being the FIRST person shown on-screen using each of the relics. She’s the first person we see using the Lamp to summon Jinn, and again the first person we see using the Staff to summon Ambrosius. So I can’t help but think we’re likely to see this pattern continue with the Sword and the Crown.

I realize some of these on their own might feel like a bit of a stretch, but taken together I think we can start seeing a pattern:

Right now, Ruby is two-for-two on both being the first person shown on screen using a relic AND getting what seems to be special treatment from both relic spirits AND just so happens to have a power that apparently originates from the very being who CREATED the relics in the first place.

I can’t help but feel like this is all going somewhere…

[leporellian]

How are we meant to look at operas, anyway? (and what are they?)

Operas are my favorite art form of them all. This is because I think they are "just really neato" and "the most interesting to study". However, if you were to go around and ask what Defines an opera? Nobody would have a concrete and true answer to the question. They aren’t ‘sung through stage works’ because many operas aren’t sung through and non-operas that are. They have no specific orchestra or singing requirements. Even determining them on a cultural basis doesn’t entirely fit. I actually think ‘art’ is too loose and philosophical a term for what they are either. (I mean, yes, they are art. But how are they so?)  

I think that while there’s no concrete definition for what an opera actually is, there ARE certain sets of… rules (for lack of a better word) that dictate how operas Are and what we should do when Seeing them. Funnily enough, the most complete rules I’ve seen for operas I found in an essay that has nothing to do with operas at all- “Monster Culture: Seven Theses” by Jeffrey Jerome Cohen. My rules for How To Look At Operas are heavily derived from that essay, interpreted in ways to best fit the art form. 

My Rules of Opera (with apologies to Mr. Cohen):

1. The Opera’s Body is a Cultural Body.

Operas are sociological and anthropological records that entail a gap in time between their composition and their performance. They contain as many perspectives as there are people aware of them. Every time you watch an opera, you are negotiating with something or someone else. And these records are always being added onto- no opera is ever truly ‘complete’. 

Operas cannot truly be escapist entertainment because they directly reflect societal problems in both the composer’s time and ours. La Traviata’s main conflict- the way sex workers are demonized and unsupported among ‘polite society’ and how societal expectations and the pressure to conform destroys lives- is something that existed in Verdi’s time, and our own. La Traviata is about the sex workers of today who can’t find work anywhere. It is also about how Giuseppe Verdi’s wife was poorly-treated by the people around her for having been sexually active before their marriage. It is also about the gap between these two events, and how one thing became (or still is) another. 

An opera production is not a recreation. No matter how ‘original production accurate’ they claim to be, they are always a negotiation. There is no such thing as accuracy, as civic law. Once one is freed of the expectation of ‘canon’ or ‘what ought to be’ in an opera, one can deal with these creatures more handily. 

2. The Opera Always Escapes.

No matter how many times Don Giovanni is dragged off to hell at the end of Mozart’s opera of the same name, he always reappears again in a fresh new staging. He never stays down there. Maybe the gates to Hell are looser than we imagine- or, more likely, this is because he represents something that cannot be defeated. What does the character represent? Abuse, sexual violence, power (with class, with gender, with religion); grief, loss, death. None of these things will go away in our lifetimes or the next, and so Don Giovanni as an opera remains relevant. 

In fact, there are no ‘irrelevant’ operas in the standard canon as we know them. Any irrelevant operas that did exist are long gone because there would be no reason to revive them. Even operas that have ‘aged poorly’, like Turandot, confront us with why they’ve poorly aged and force us to reckon with some part of our current world. We react to them in some way and therefore they are worth further looking into.

I call this the “All Dogs go to Heaven” theorem because it doesn’t argue that all operas adhere to the same standard of quality, or are even written with good intentions in mind- but it does argue that they all are worth studying and experiencing. And any opera, as long as a copy of its score and libretto exists, can come back from the dead. So just like the movie, not all of them stay there.

3. The Opera is the Harbinger of Category Crisis.

One of the most common ways to explain away what an opera is, against a musical or a straight play, is to claim that operas are sung through while musicals feature spoken dialogue. Respectfully, this is wrong and insane. Two of the most famous operas of all- Carmen and The Magic Flute- feature extensive spoken dialogue, while Hamilton and Cats (both sung through) are musicals. The notion of operas having specific orchestral or voice requirements isn’t quite true, either- each era of opera, and each opera, is a separate animal.

Is Porgy and Bess an opera, or is it a musical? It features many musical qualities with the latter, and was written by musical-writers - yet it is referred to as an opera. Sometimes it is both. Maybe at some point it could also be neither. Operas do not participate in the general categorization of their Western theatrical siblings. Musical, straight play, ballet- these art forms are immediately distinguishable as themselves. (Note that musicals, despite having a lot of variety, do not have as wild a diversity as operas do owing to their relative youth as an artform.) But an opera can be all three of these and still be an opera. Not only that but there’s so many ways for operas to be- chamber opera, verismo, singspiel, music drama, opera-in-jazz. The opera may borrow from any art, at any time. Its incorporeal form grants it the ability to shift. This is both opera’s great weakness and its greatest boon of all, maybe its most defining operative feature of them all- it can be anything you want it to be.

4. The Opera Dwells at the Gates of Difference.

With their characteristic exaggeration and other oddities, operas are immediately recognized as depicting a world that isn’t quite our own. It’s a world rooted in our own (see point 1) but it isn’t our world. We don’t sing, or gesticulate to that degree, or stab people at the drop of a hat to solve a problem. As much as opera tries to be ‘like us’, it never is entirely so, in a sort of Frankenstein way. 

In this way it is no wonder that all operas focus around difference- from each other, from society, from ourselves. Sometimes this difference is explicit- the ‘othered’, shunned main characters characteristic of the Verdi operas, as in Rigoletto and La Forza del Destino- and sometimes it is more implicit (Tamino and Calaf being strangers to the people around them, Figaro’s position of a lowly barber among Counts and Dons, even Orpheus out of place in the Underworld). The opera seeks to represent the Other. Oftentimes the opera itself is the other. We are all made to learn a new set of social rules when we come to the opera- this equalizes us as an audience, and paradoxically renders us the Other. Opera is about othering and being othered. This is not necessarily good, or bad- it is just a neutral feature. 

5. The Opera Polices the Borders of the Possible.

Every opera begins with- and then revolves around- some kind of transgression. Moral (Don Giovanni slays the Commendatore), cultural (Pinkerton marries Cio-Cio San), societal (Alfredo falls for the courtesan Violetta). The way the opera’s narrative body reacts to this transgression is what will come to define that opera’s theme and what it stands for. Even in the most comic operas, the inciting incident is always a transgression; it is up to the interpreter to detect what the transgression actually is, and from this point the opera emerges all at once like a cracked egg.

Die Meistersinger Von Nurnberg is an interesting case study in transgression. The initial transgression may be seen as Walther joining the Meistersinger contest to win the hand of Eva- he is, after all, not initially a singer, and an intruder on the world of the (educated, cliquey) Meistersingers. But this is not true. Walther initially disrupts status quo when he boldly joins them but he doesn’t stay that way- he is a literal knight in shining armor; masculine and chivalrous, the exact image of how men ‘ought’ to be. Beckmesser, the clerk of the Meistersingers, is consistently depicted as an Other, the nitwit among geniuses; he is effeminate and overconfident, we laugh at his attempts at music making. It is Beckmesser entering the contest himself as a competitor to Walther that is the true transgression in the opera, and the opera surmises this as a bad thing that must be punished through public humiliation and further exclusion. While there is no proof that Wagner wrote Beckmesser to be explicitly antisemitic, the character appears to subconsciously reflect many of Wagner’s antisemitic talking points, adding a particularly cruel underbelly to the way the opera sees the transgression of Beckmesser’s inclusion.

6. Fear of the Opera is Really a Kind of Desire.

Operas are marked by multiple features: Their otherness, their transgressions, their propensity to shift. These all give operas a certain other quality: They are a vehicle for catharsis. The fact that opera is so physically demanding adds to this- an opera is a workout in which emotions about a certain endless topic can be expressed. Salome is terrifying, but through her we can express rage and pure obsession that otherwise would have no place in society. This is also where the falsehood of opera as escapism takes root: When the opera is not given the space to threaten, its catharsis is cauterized into fantasy.

Opera is a space where we can play- already something rare in adulthood- and through the opera we are allowed to play with terror (something even rarer). It is an abstract liminal location only maybe rivaled by a rollercoaster, a playroom, or a shrink’s couch. This sheer radical expression of emotion makes it also easily-mocked by a popular culture unfamiliar with it. I suspect this is because, really deep down, operas are envied. They are so upfront, so passionate, so heartbreakingly sincere that they make those who laugh at art seem small, laughable. But the art form carries on, being unapologetically itself because it cannot be anything else. 

7. The Opera Stands At The Threshold… of Becoming.

What Cohen writes here in the original essay is maybe my favorite paragraph about literary analysis ever written so I’m just going to leave it here in its entirety:

Why do we love opera? What are we meant to do with them, and why are they the way they are? We come to the opera to find ourselves. The rest is just postscript.

[nicoline1998enilocin]

I have a request for loki x fem!reader based on wandavision, where the reader is dead because of endgame or infinity war instead of loki, and he is not taking it well like AT ALL So one day, he storms in s.h.i.e.l.d and demands a funeral for the reader but they refuse. So he drives somewhere in Westview and just full-on cries and falls to his knees cause she gone and just yells out all his anger and loss and creates a whole reality and brings the reader back. And you know his happy with her but doesn't know that he took thousands of people hostage and their feeling his pain, and he doesn't even realize it. So he likes haves kids in the fake reality, and sword tries to get him to take it down, but of course, he doesn't until reader finds out about it all sensing about how their kids are the only ones in Westview and loki tries telling her their probably all sleeping or their all in their rooms but reader doesn't believe him and since the reader was so smart before she died she realizes that he trapped a whole town to recreate her and she tells him that she has to take the whole thing down but loki begs her because he doesn't want to leave his family but she tells him that it's alright and he takes it down and sees how much pain he put the people of Westview through. And then he creates another reality where his reading THE DARKHOLD. hope this is acceptable 🙏 😌.

Living our 'perfect' life | Part 1

PAIRING | Fiancé!Loki Laufeyson x Fiancée!Female!Reader

WORD COUNT | 2.2K

SUMMARY | You won the fight against Thanos, but you weren't there to celebrate with all the others, since you didn't get to see it through to the end. Loki doesn't take it well and is hellbent on giving you the proper send-off you deserve, but when SHIELD dismisses him he goes on a warpath to get you back, and he doesn't care who he takes with him in his pain. All he wants is to live the life he desperately wanted, with you by his side.

WARNING(S) | This is your official trigger warning. Do not proceed if any of these topics upset you. This fanfiction takes place right after the battle against Thanos in Avengers: Endgame, but the events I discuss definitely aren’t canon but just my imagination. Major angst, swearing, character death, nervous breakdown.

A/N | Thank you so so SO much for this amazing request @glitteryeggalmondherring, it gave me goosebumps from the moment I read it, and it gave me so many ideas I couldn’t wait to get started! This will be split into two parts, otherwise, it would be too long and I want each part to have its own storyline.

I hope that I could do your request justice and I hope you will enjoy what I wrote. I wasn't able to get through this without crying constantly because I felt so bad for Loki, so I will apologize in advance to anyone who couldn't get through this without tears! 🖤

Likes, comments and reblogs will be very much appreciated 💜

Main Masterlist | Loki Laufeyson Masterlist | Part 2

Everyone around the two of you is celebrating, because you won the battle against Thanos. Not the two of you, however. You can't celebrate anymore, because you didn't get the chance to see the end of the fight, you were one of many casualties that happened during the fight. And your fiancé Loki was holding you in his arms, clutching you closely to his chest while his sobs tore through the entire battlefield. No one seems to notice, however, because they're all too busy with their cheers, celebrations, and their big win. But not Loki, because he would never celebrate another win ever again. Not without you by his side.

''No, no, no, darling, please! Please don't leave me, I need you by my side,'' Loki sobs as he's clutching your body close to him, his head resting on your lifeless chest. No more heartbeat to be felt, no more breath to be heard, no more movement to be seen. When he looks into your eyes he sees nothing but emptiness. Staring into nothing, cold, lifeless eyes staring back at him. Those eyes he fell in love with years ago, that always showed nothing but love for him, that looked at him with nothing but adoration, but that could also be looking so good when you were completely fucked out underneath or on top of him.

''Y/n, please,'' is the last thing he says as he holds you close to him. He can't talk anymore due to how much he's been crying, his throat is completely raw and his voice is practically non-existent. He screamed so much, heart-wrenching screams and cries could be heard for miles and miles, yet no one cared. No one but him, or so he thought. Because looking from a small distance was Thor because Loki isn't the only one who lost you that faithful day, Thor lost the woman he loved like his sister, but he's keeping his pain inside, trying to be strong for Loki. He allowed a few tears to stream down his cheeks, but he quickly got himself back together as he walked over to his brother.

''Brother, she's gone. There's nothing we can do for her,'' he says, almost matter-of-factly, and it scares Loki a little. Usually, he was the one who was cold, direct, and didn't care about what others felt. But when it comes to you, he would give everything to be in your place. You deserved to live such a long life, but you didn't get the chance. You don't get to live the life you'd always dreamt of, the one you and Loki have talked about so many times. The one that got ripped away from you without a second thought. Loki could do nothing but sob, he couldn't think, he couldn't speak, he could barely breathe. The crying has taken over his entire being as he softly places kisses all over your face as a last goodbye.

Loki knows he has to leave you behind, but he can't get himself to do it. He can't get himself to set you down, get up and walk away. Doing that would mean goodbye. And he isn't ready for that, he would never be ready to say goodbye to the love of his life. ''I can't,'' he whispers, and Thor just sits down by his side. He knows that there is no point in convincing him otherwise. Shortly after, the other Avengers are slowly sitting around the two of you in a big circle. Everyone is either crying, looking at you and Loki, or holding each other tight as they're starting to accept the fact that their teammate is no longer with them.

No one says anything, just letting Loki do what he has to to let you go. But he can't, he will never be able to let you go, because this goodbye wasn't supposed to happen. He had closed your eyes by now because he wasn't able to look at your eyes without feeling a sharp pain across his chest. He did notice all the Avengers surrounding the two of you, and he felt like your entire family was here, grieving you. He knows he isn't alone in this, but it hurts him so much, he can't think about anything else but you. Your smile, your laughter, your mischievous looks, oh how he loved those looks when you thought of a new plan to annoy or prank someone.

That is exactly the reason he fell for you, and he fell hard. Literally. Because when you were relatively new to the Avengers, you heard about the God of Mischief himself and immediately thought of a plan to prank him. It was such a simple, stupid trick but it worked wonders every single time, and you almost peed yourself from laughter when it worked. You were in the kitchen and told everyone who was there, that you hung a string in the hallway to the kitchen, except for Loki. All the others noticed it and stepped over it, but Loki didn't, and since he was in a heated discussion with Thor (who almost tripped too, thank you very much), he never noticed it and fell flat on his face, a deep groan leaving his chest as he went down, and a loud thud could be heard when he made contact with the floor.

You immediately started laughing so hard your stomach started to hurt, and you could barely breathe, laying on the floor trying to catch your breath, and it was the most wonderful thing Loki had ever seen. When he got up he wanted to get mad, but when he saw you it all melted away instantly, and he knew he was a goner from that moment on. ''So, you're the one who pulled this little stunt?'' Loki asked when you were finally able to breathe again, and you nodded with a wide smile. ''I can't believe I managed to get the literal God of Mischief with such a single prank!'' you said. ''I'm Y/N Y/L/N btw, it's nice to meet you,'' you said with an outstretched hand, which he took in his hand and brought to his lips, placing a soft kiss on your knuckles. ''Loki Laufeyson, it's an absolute honor to meet you,''.

When he thought back to that moment he smiled a little through his tears, shaking his head. ''You always loved to prank people,'' he whispered to you, as best as he could. ''And I loved you even more because of it,'' he said, remembering everything you did, either with or without him. Because when the two of you were together, no one in the Compound would be safe. ''I'm going to miss her,'' Steve said finally, and everyone agreed. ''We all love her, Loki, always remember that. She fought and died doing what she loved, and we will always love her. She will always be one of us, and I promise that she will never be forgotten,'' he then said, making Loki nod softly as he placed one more kiss on your forehead. ''I love you, darling. I promise that I will find you in every single lifetime after this one,'' and with those words, he set you down and got up. Walking away, because he couldn't handle staying there any longer.

~ One week after the battle ~

The last week has been hard for Loki, he barely came out of his room and hasn't eaten anything since he arrived back at the Compound. He hasn't talked to anyone either, he was grieving the loss of the woman he was going to marry soon. A marriage that would never take place now, and it ate away at him. The Avengers just let him be, only Thor came to check up on him every few hours. ''I'm going to get her the funeral she deserves,'' Loki suddenly says, already thinking of the plan that he was going to use. ''She doesn't deserve to just be shoved into a mass grave with all the other people that died,'' he said, tears staining his cheeks again. He has barely stopped crying, the only moments he didn't cry were when exhaustion took over his body and lulled him into a restless sleep filled with nightmares.

It isn't long after that, that Loki barges into the SHIELD headquarters, dead set on getting you the funeral you deserve, because you died a hero. He searched the entire building until he finally found the person he was looking for, the one and only Nicholas Joseph Fury himself. ''She needs to get the funeral she deserves, she doesn't get to be thrown into a fucking mass grave with all these other nameless people like she meant nothing,'' Loki said, raising his voice at Fury immediately. He wasn't fazed in the slightest, however, and didn't react to Loki. ''Do you fucking hear me? She died a hero to save all our asses, she doesn't deserve what she got!'' he yells at him and Fury finally looked up at the God.

''No, she doesn't get one. She may have fought just like the rest of them, but I know for sure she didn't die a hero,'' he says. ''She doesn't get a funeral, because no one who died that day gets a funeral, and your fiancée isn't going to be the exception to this rule,'' he says and Loki can't believe this. ''You're fucking kidding me, right? She died so we had a chance to live. She died so we could win the battle, which is more than can be said about you. YOU WEREN'T EVEN THERE!'' Loki says before storming out of Fury's office, wreaking havoc wherever he goes, destroying the building with his magic, and not giving a single damn about anyone that gets injured.

When he's outside he just opens a random car with his magic, gets into the driver's seat, and turns it on. He drives far away from New York, away from the life he once lived, the life he shared with you because it is too painful to stay there and be constantly reminded of you. He drove for hours and hours until he couldn't contain his emotions anymore, and he stopped on the side of the road in a town called Westview. He got out of the car and dropped to his knees, screaming until his lungs burn, until every single muscle in his body is giving out and he falls onto the ground, his knees hitting the pavement with a loud thud. He doesn't care however, he doesn't care about the pain, because it's nothing compared to the loss he feels.

He can't contain his tears, and turns into a sobbing, screaming mess on the verge of a nervous breakdown. When he keeps thinking about you, he tips himself over the edge and a large burst of magic bursts out of him. ''FUCK, FUCK, FUUUUCK!'' is all he can scream at this point, rocking back and forth as he's almost folded into himself, his hands on the back of his head, heart-wrenching screams leaving his chest, tears streaming down his bright red face, eyes completely bloodshot from the hours and hours of crying. The exhaustion catches up with him once again and he completely blacks out on the side of the road. His body can't take anymore, and it shut down completely to save himself.

A little while later he wakes up again and is very disoriented, but as he gets up the pieces fall into place. SHIELD headquarters, the drive, his nervous breakdown, everything comes back to him. And right at that moment a thought hit him, and he's mad at himself for not thinking about this sooner. ''I'm going to bring you back, darling. I can't wait to see you again,'' he says and he creates a huge dome around himself, trapping the thousands of people in Westview inside of it, but he doesn't realize it. When the dome is created he uses his magic to create a new reality within it. He walks through the streets and when he is walking past an ice cream shop, he suddenly spots a very familiar face.

''Loki? Is that you?'' you hear as the person who the voice belongs to walks out the door, and towards him. ''Y/N, you're here,'' he sighs and he pulls you in for a big hug. You're not real, but in the fake reality Loki created you are, and the two of you are still engaged to be married. He finds it hard to believe he did it, and that he's holding you in his arms once again. When you pull back you feel his lips on yours again, and it's like not a single minute had gone by since the last time you kissed. ''I love you, so much. And I can't wait to marry you,'' you tell him, and he nods. ''Neither can I, darling. I'm looking forward to it more than you'll ever know,'' he says, touching your face with his hands, rubbing circles on your cheek.

There is one thing Loki failed to notice, however. Everyone in this town that already lived there, is feeling the pain Loki is experiencing alongside him, because he trapped everyone inside his head, inside the reality he created for himself. All he notices is you, and how good it feels to have you back with him, right where you belong, and he doesn't have to feel his pain anymore. His most precious artifact is back, and he plans to never let you go, ever again. He can't go through the pain of losing you again, and he doesn't plan on doing so.

[rougepearl]

Chapter 1: Don't Fall,

❝𝘼 𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙤𝙣𝙚. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙪𝙥?❞

Obsessive Behavior, Manipulation, Foreshadowing, Dark Content, Alcohol, References to Drugs, Misunderstandings, Out of Character, Kissing, House Party, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Relationship Issues, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat

𝐍𝐢𝐤𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐢 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Wordcount: 15,795

“Hi this is Katy Reeves, and today police still have not given us an update on identifying said body that was just found yesterday in a gruesome attack in an empty alleyway.”

“Reports say that the body was first found on the ground around two in the morning, when a group of young high school skaters were on their way back home after being late out at night.” 

“But an anonymous witness that reported soon later after seeing our first broadcast, sent police a photo of what seems to be the body pinned onto this same concrete wall, with knives deep into their shoulders holding the body up against the wall.

 With smeared writing from the same victim reading the words ‘For’ abbreviated in the number 4 and the letter ‘U.’ 

Allegedly this victim was a close friend. What police are trying to understand is that when arriving at the scene after reports from the boys, there were no traces of blood on the wall nor any weapons found. 

But the same wounds… still in place.”

”Lets go over to Harold, to see a closer view of the current scene and what the skater boys have to say. Harold we’ll go over to you-“

You turn the TV off, you don't want to remember what the place even looks like. 

Currently, you were staying over at your other friend's house.  You're too scared to go back to your old apartment. Afraid that if the psychopath found out who you were, you'd be a danger too…

Looking over at the clock you see the time. It reads a quarter before three. “Shit…” You had almost forgotten that you had a meeting with a police detective today, even though they did tell you to try coming in early. 

Grabbing a black coat you had hanging on the edge of your bed, in an attempt to keep your identity hidden. ’Who knows who could be out there…’

Once you had arrived at the station, you made sure to check around to see if anyone had seemed suspicious. 

Walking inside you see the amount of people waiting around in the main lobby, knowing you were probably gonna be here a long time. In search for an open seat you hear someone call out your name 

“Y/n?” Turning your head over, you see a man in a dark brown suit right behind a guarded door. “Ah, there you are… I need you to come with me.” He motions his hand asking you to come along, while he holds the door open.

You walk inside, going through many rooms only to end up in a hallway with many doors. 

“-Please I'm begging you. You need to find out what happened to my son!!” The voice of an elderly woman can be heard from across. She catches your attention, holding a picture in her frail hands as she pleads to a trio of officers. 

She seemed on the verge of completely breaking down and crying. 

Slowly, you walk away but not taking big strides in your steps. “Joe, go unlock that room. Take her to room #12 and write down what she has to say.” One officer is seen telling another. as he pats his shoulder.

As you're walking, you try to get a glimpse of her ‘son’ in the photo. Almost breaking your neck in an attempt to see at least the face… “Y/n, over here!!” Cut off by another voice, the man you were supposed to follow directs you to enter the investigation room. 

He sits down in his chair, adjusting himself. ”Have a seat… Care for a water?” Shaking your head, you reject politely. “No, thank you.” You take a seat down in the chair in front of the small desk, scooting away a bit as the sun hits your face. 

“Detective Adam Freeman by the way.” He takes his hands and shakes it, kind of feeling awkward. 

“Do you know why you're here today Y/n, L/n?” He says as he's seen pulling out a small yellow paper lined notebook and a pen.

“Uhm… It's about the photo I sent the other day.” 

“Correct. Now, my team needs you to try to remember all the details possible as this might help with another case we have going on. So any information helps” He rests his arm on his desk waiting for you to speak, the pen in his other hand. Ready to jot down anything

“Oh uhm… I guess I have some things…” He nods, ready to hear anything and everything “Good. But first, what were you doing before this incident?”   You pause for a moment, staring right into nothingness.

“Well, I had gone to the grocery store earlier. Got stuff like fruits, needed a lighter for a candle and I-“ He picks up the pen and begins to write something on the paper. Shit did you say something wrong? “And…I left the store with just those things…” 

“What time did you arrive back home?” “Around 9 o'clock.” 

“Was there anything weird on your way back home?” You shake your head. 

“What about…any weird things happening before all of this?” 

Your eyes slowly jart up to meet his. “Bingo!” 

“Tell me about it Y/n… This is the place for you.” 

You swallow a bit before speaking…Knowing he would still hear the nervousness in your voice either way. “Well, I would see strange things around my apartment. Like… I would leave my laptop open but sometimes returning back it would be closed and in a different place”

“…Chores around the house mostly. My plants would be freshly watered, dishes would be clean, stuff like that.” 

His gaze on you continued, waiting for more to pour more out. But the way his contact with you… seemed heavy. And made you more curious as to whom this information could be referred to. 

“You know…This thing that keeps me up at night… I had a feeling someone would enter my house and leave before I would wake up in the middle of the night.”

“I always used to find small scraps of paper notes around, I have a feeling someone actually might be. I always try to reassure myself that isn't the case but- I just can't anymore.” 

He begins to jot down some more stuff on the paper, only hearing the smooth sound of the pen sliding across the paper. “Any bruises?” You shake your head. “Diagnosed medical conditions?” “No” 

“Where do you currently reside?” “I'm with another friend right now.” ”Any description of the man regarding your friend's death?” A slow nod 

He picks up his pen again, eager to hear more about your story. ”Whenever you're ready.”     

“He looked tall… I saw him wear all black clothing…I know it's not very helpful but it's all I know.” 

“Hm… I'm not really seeing any pattern here then…”

He sighs a bit before he crosses his arms and leans back on his chair.

”That’s okay though. I'll just set your report as a separate case. “

He rips the paper out of the notebook and begins to tidy up a bit. Handing you the white paper copy that was underneath the yellow one. “Don't lose that alright. Now… give me just a second.” 

From below he pulls out a bunch of stuff from underneath his desk alongside a grey silver folder. 

He places a medium sized box on top of the desk and takes a quick look. Making sure it's the right one.  

As he opens the inside of the grey folder, you notice the dozens if not  tens of polaroids, including a bunch of written documents that all seem to all have a small white square box on the top right corner with the fingerprints of certain people.. 

Heating the ruffling sound of the bags, he pulls out three specific bags. Eyes widening when you catch a glimpse of what's inside one of them.. 

“Alrighty’…Here we got these.”

He sets them down in a coordinated order, making sure they can be seen without being opened

“Please be aware any material cannot be taken out of this room, or even spoken of. In an attempt to do so, this room is being recorded and so is this conversation. This is also for the sake of our public's safety” His voice lowers down “… and your safety.” 

You nod, and he begins to go from left to right with the contents.

Still turning your head around the room trying to figure out where the recording device may be…

“Okay, do you recognize this?”

  “It's just a common pen with blue ink leaking everywhere?” He turns the bag to the side to further examine “Anything else?” 

”Theres- theres a jagged piece right there.”

“And this! This was found in the small pocket of their shirt. Right on top of their heart.” He says as he motions with his hands a stabbing object right into his chest, not helping much.

That must mean the death wasn't directly from injury, but maybe toxic chemicals from a pen?

He sets that one aside and brings out the one on the far right side of the desk “We’ll ignore that one for now, I'm assuming this one concerns you the most.”  He chokes out the last part out

”Yeah-Yeah, because it's mine.” “This retractable knife?” He grabs the bag from the sides bringing it up to you, waiting for an answer. 

”Yeah it's mine. They said they needed one because they were going to be late out at night in the downtown region.” Shaking your head relentlessly trying to deny any suspicions of you. 

He eyed you oddly, implicating something in his mind. Making you slam your hands on the desk and raise your posture “I would never attempt to murder my own friend, I gave it to them for their safety!” 

A voice crack can be heard. As you deeply try to get rid of that image from your head, but it only seems to replay, especially right now. 

Senses coming back to you, you sit down anguished. Darting your eyes to the side to avoid contact.

“Oh god… I'm a horrible person for letting this happen.” “Y/n, No- No you're not…” He places his hand on top of yours as he says that.

Fixing your glance to see him with tear filled eyes, He takes a deep breath, feeling pitiful for you. 

“Well catch this guy.” 

“Don't worry, we will” 

_____ 

After what had been like hours, you were finally able to leave the station. Currently you were heading to your workplace. 

Although your boss had told you to take a paid break from work, you didn't want to sit around and be constantly reminded of what had happened. 

Luckily the same button shirt you had on, could be used as a uniform.

The pants were apart of the dress code, maybe if the shoes were a darker shade of brown too, but you doubt your boss would mind.

Walking through the cold air with your head down, holding down onto your coat trying to not let any of the breeze enter through your sleeves. 

You wouldn't want to be sniffling around clients' plates.

As you arrive at the small but spacious place, you take a deep breath, preparing yourself for the rush that's about to come. 

Entering an alleyway, you walk over to a metal door, knocking on it.

Not too far away from an enormous empty bin that's waiting to be filled by the end of today.  

As the door opens you greet your co-worker as he allows you in. 

Just taking a step inside, you immediately hear a familiar voice.

“L/n, Catch!!” A bowtie is thrown in your direction falling onto the floor since you didn't react quick enough. Picking it up from the floor you adjust it onto your neck, and turn your attention back to the girl who threw it over in the first place.

“Do I look good? No flyaways, nothing?” 

“Yes, yes you do! Now hurry, those plates over there need to go to table 5 by the windows.” 

Nodding in response you head over to the counter and grab the three plates, placing them on a tray. 

Walking past the kitchen doors you instantly take in all the people seated who are laughing or doing some chitter chatter. 

That was one thing you always noticed around here. 

That there was always a huge difference in the rich and in the poor. Behind the kitchen doors, was the majority of society. 

Working ass, in hopes to make a living. 

And to the opposite was stress-free. Those that came in would have reservations ready. Sit at a table, and have a fool working at their pleasure. 

Noticing some of your co-workers coming to work tired. 

Barely alive to the point where they could stay awake.

By the time the hours shift was done, everyone would go home dreadful. 

It is also why you never picked the daytime or bar time schedule. 

It was the best if not maybe better schedule than the other two shifts available.

After giving people their plates, you head back to the main entrance of the restaurant , awaiting for new guests to seat them. 

Even if there was just an hour or two before you could leave…even if you didn't want to-

“L/n, Jen clocked out early, she had to take care of something, go take over that table by the window in the corner.” 

“But I'm still serving plates-“ “I don't see them? Now go.” You sighed in annoyance at your bosses request. Going back inside to the dining room itself, not even caring to look for the table. As it catches your attention by the young gentlemen looking around. 

“Weird…” Muttering, you walk over with a pen and a small notebook in your hand. 

”Good Evening, my apologies but I'll be serving you now, your old one had to take an early out.”  His eyes are the only thing you can pick up slightly as he is looking across the menu, almost covering his entire face

“So anything to drink for now?”

He lowers the menu down and places it on the table flat. He stares at you for a little before he looks down. With his finger he points to the corner of the menu 

“Thursday's Special please.” 

“Got that, anything else?” “No that’ll be all.” 

“Gotcha’ I'll be back in a few minutes.” You grab the small menu from the table and walk back over to the kitchen. 

As you made it back over, you and a couple others around noticed one of the main chefs going on break early. In a rush to head outside with their phone on a call. 

You looked around and saw others doing the same, wondering what was probably going on.

”Think it's an emergency?” “Probably… She usually never goes on break early.”

”I'll get on the dishes then in the meantime.”

”Ay, I need a special.” “Add an extra plate as well.” You shouted across the kitchen hoping the ones tending to the food would hear. 

“Got it.” 

Either way, no matter what you did, those around seemed to always ask why you would still show for work. 

But a work friend was always there to stop rumors from spreading

“Stop being so nosy.” 

“Y/n, you don't have to tell us anything.” He times a small pat on your shoulder before he tells you the food is ready. 

Grabbing the plate and going back out into the dining room. Instantly locking eyes with the man in the corner as you head over to his table.

“Here ya’ go. Anything else I could serve you with sir?” 

“I'm good, thank you. “ But before leaving to go and attend other tables he begins to speak again. “Your names Y/n? Right?” 

A tedious feeling overcomes you and to your stomach for a bit, as you’ve never met this man ever in your life before. But trying to keep your cool and respond with a smile on your face. 

“I've heard about you… From a friend.” He says as he grabs the spoon from the table and begins to eat his meal  ”Hah…hah… really now?” 

“Yeah… I didnt think you would work here! How splendid, I might just come here more often.” 

The smile on your face can't be contained any longer a bit, you had to find an excuse. ”Yeah… Sorry but I have to go to other tables if you could please excuse me-.” 

Just as you're about to leave his voice is heard again “Sit down, I insist.”

‘Ugh, just let me go freak.’

”Oh I wish I could but I’d get in trouble sir and I-“ “Trust me you wont…” He reaches into his inside pockets of his coat and pulls out a small folded amount of money wrapped in a rubber band.  “This should cover it right?” 

Staring at the folded money and taking a closer look without leaning in too much, you see the wrapped band to be in hundreds. 

“I guess so… But let me talk to my boss first.” He grabs onto your arm again. “Don't worry I already did. Please sit!” 

Seeing how no excuse could get you out of this, you finally decide to pull the other chair out and sit down. 

This was awkward, you were getting stares from people around who noticed the situation going on. How unfortunate 

His hand slides the rolled and wrapped band over to you, before speaking again. “From the roll, keep 400 to yourself, don't let anyone know. The rest split it evenly amongst your little work friends.”

“But isn't this too much?”

He smirks as he places his spoon down on the charger plate, creating a loud ring to be heard before looking back at you “Trust me Y/n…” 

“You'll need it…” 

____

What a creep!

As the shift ended, you began to pack your bag alongside the other workers.  As the bar shift employees started to slowly roll in through the kitchen door as the clock kept getting nearer to the twenty third hour.

Normally you'd be glad that your six your shift would be over, but all your mind could keep replaying was that man and his words. 

He made you sit with him for a whole two hours, and all he would talk about is classicals, literature, before going on a rampage about how he truly has no friends.

His whole idea of friends was using acquaintances to get his needs, and to get out alive. 

And if you thought he’d be quiet about it, you'd be wrong. He was talking loudly, making sure those around who wanted a good eavesdropping would hear. 

By the time he decided to leave, you ran back to the kitchen and everyone had been asking what happened…

But he kept you wondering what he meant by you being in ‘others hand.’

“So? Tell us!” Head out of the clouds you turn back over to the three people packing up for the night who were eager to know what happened. 

“I…-I don't know, actually.”

”Oooo I think someone has a crush!!” “God please don't say that.” 

Almost done packing your work clothes inside your bag, you almost forgot what he had told you to do.

You pull out the stash of money he had given you, handing it over to one of your peers “Here, he told me to share this amongst you guys.”  

Looking up from your hand, you see their awestruck faces “Is something wrong?”

”…We were already given 500 each for the night, I think that's meant for you… I'm not sure but keep it hidden from the others. Or else they'll fight you over it”

“Yeah… Just keep it, think of it as a 800 dollar tip!”

”You know what,,, yeah you're right.” Sighing, you place it at the bottom of your tote bag. 

“I'll be leaving then, see you guys next week” “Bye!” “Bye bye”

Grabbing your bag and placing it over your shoulder, you head out into the dark city once again.

The sky that is supposedly filled with stars that you couldn't see due to your city's light pollution. 

The hours when danger would lurk around the most.

But is it really dangerous if you knew everything and have been living here your whole life?

Thankfully the rail system in your city ran as late until past midnight. So you'd usually just wait at a stop and hop on. 

Walking alone at night wasn't that bad, it gave you time to relax and actually take a walk. 

Wander through your thoughts about life, freedom, and dignity. 

But you do have to thank your boss as well, as he knew the dangers at night. 

Which is why you and the others were provided with the dark hoodies, black masks, and any sort of garment that could cover anything specific. 

Especially since there's been recent reports of missing people.

Violence in crime rates had only increased since the last two years. 

Although nothing ever happened.

That never meant you were a hundred percent safe.

At some point,

You were always able to hear the faint footsteps of someone behind you. They always seemed to be around 20 feet away from you all the time. 

At some point you tried believing it was someone ‘protecting’ you. But one would be in delusion if they actually thought that. 

Although, you vividly remember this one night. 

You haven't ate anything and your boss gave you a small wrapped sandwich from the leftover ingredients. Eating it on your way to the station you remember encountering a stray man who kept yelling at you. 

Demanding to give your sandwich to him. 

Due to your clothes you came off as a man.

Resulting in getting a whopping ‘light’ punch on the bottom lip.

This is why you could never be left alone, because then you'd get lost in thought and lose reality for a second and later be some victim of some attack; Verbal or physical. 

Especially when it comes to people, judging their habits. Whether they were good or bad. It always led you to the same conclusion that not all people were born corrupt, but some maybe just had a bad experience that led them to that fraction in life…

But if bad experiences lead them to that demise, why are you the way you are? Should you be like the rest, or should they be more like you? 

You thought you knew a lot about people, but you couldn’t be sure. You never wanted to speak up on what your feelings were. Or ever ask any questions regarding these same feelings. 

Some days you would just ignore it. Ignore the feeling of nostalgia from doing something relatively similar years and years ago. 

It was a tender yet bittersweet thing. 

To be able to remember the past, but still enjoy the things that would soon come to the current ‘future’ you had dreamed of before. 

It was so weird, how so many years of living still wouldn't be able to dismiss the body’s soul on the inside 

Arriving at your friend's apartment, you drag your body over to the couch and take some time to finally relax. “God… today was so tiring and weird and- ugh…” 

Whilst laying down on the couch, you realized how distant you’ve been with your friend lately. She was probably asleep in her room by now. And if she wasn't it was probably because she went over to her boyfriends instead. She was always out of the house for your own comfort.

Since she wants to make sure you have your “own little place” to hang around safely for now, until you can find another apartment. Cause there was no way you were going back to your old one…

Finally turning your head over to look at the ground, contemplating on whether you should clean or not, with further inspection you see scraps of paper and dust around the center 

Maybe your friend stopped by.

Upon cleaning up with a broom and a dustpan picked up from nearby, throwing the mess away in the trash can inside one of the kitchen counters.

God your legs were sore from too much walking. 

Right now… all you wanted was rest.

Peace and quiet.

_____

Attempting to stay awake early in the morning on a Sunday isn't easy. After all, it was your fault. While your friend was about to head out, she asked if you wanted to tag along. 

But instead you decided to schedule a meet with Adam at this open cafe nearby, having the desire to talk with him about something urgent from memories from a last couple of nights 

Entering the cafe looking around, you don't see him anywhere. Still you proceed to go ahead and form in line. 

Stepping to the front of the small line you are greeted by a young girl who seems to be wearing a cute kind of hairstyle with all sorts of hair accessories.

”Hi what can I get ya’?” Looking up at the menu, the majority of it is just the same kind of coffee with extra add-ons. 

It was a cafe after all, but the fruity drinks are what mostly caught your attention. “Just a strawberry smoothie please.” 

“Gotcha, will that be all?” Nodding in response you grab the money from the back of your phone case. “Total will come out to 6 25…”

Handing her a large bill, you notice her cheerful smile turn into an awkward one.

”Oh…I'm so sorry I don't have any change right now. Do you have a smaller bill?”

“Uhm… Let me check, hold on!!” 

As you're turning a bit to the side you check your pockets, you hear the bell of the door ring a couple of times, signaling more customers coming in and standing right behind you. 

You even checked your phone case again, in hopes something might appear. 

‘Fuck’

Tough luck… Seemed like you wont be getting anything today. 

Looking back at the young girl who just stood there waiting, you sigh before uttering slowly

“…I'm sorry I don't seem to have anything-“

A man in all black steps up to the front, catching your attention

”I got you, charge mine. Make sure to add a black coffee there too.”

Not seeing anything but the back of a tall man with his phone out near the reader. 

“Thank you! Your orders will be ready in a bit!” She goes to the back and in no time starts preparing the drinks.

The mysterious man walks away from the front of the store and makes his way to the few tables and chairs. 

“Hey!” He stops in his steps, not turning around yet. 

Just as he stops, you feel a weird gut feeling about him for a second, but you still went ahead and continued on. “I just want to say thanks for paying for my drink, I don't know what I would’ve done there.” 

“Honestly it almost seems like you're an angel here to save my life.” You hear chuckling coming from the man, he turns to face you and instantly you strucken back. Eyes widening slightly at seeing him.

“It was no problem Y/n.” 

You try to awkwardly laugh it off but the small light bulb of realizations hits you… “Haha…Wait, how do you know my name?” Asking him as you point his finger at him.

‘Hm? Oh you don't know?” 

Shaking your head he chuckles lowly. Something feels off, but you arent sure. Maybe its just the idea of meeting a new person, yeah. But someone who knows your name before you even say something…?

“You submitted that photo to that news agency didn't you?” After saying that he notices the  visible uncomfort on your face. 

Lowering his voice to a much calmer one.

”News reporters found out who you were, they were just talking about you earlier this morning.” 

“Don't tell me you didn't notice people looking at you today did you?” He crosses his arms ”No not really.”  “Hm”

”One black coffee and a smoothie!” Can be heard yelled out from the front of the store.

”Here uhm, find us a seat and I'll tell you everything about it. I'll grab our drinks. Got it?” 

He assures you and walks off 

“...Mm, yeah sure.” You say under your breath as he leaves for a second.

Walking over to a small little table right by the window that shows a view of the street and the city, you can only wonder how its even legal in any way for them to have posted your name without you even knowing…

Who knows what else was shown… God this was not going to go well was it…

Just as you ponder in thought, your phone chimes. 

Seeing the message from Adam, saying he won't be able to make it, at least not today.

”Hm…” 

Swiping and beginning to type a response, trying to keep professional l with him. If only you were able to see the distressed look on your face

’Something wrong? Boyfriend issues or what?” Looking up from your phone you see the man with his drink and yours. Placing your phone down instantly trying to deny any assumptions.  “No, no. Not at all. Just a friend.” 

“Ah, just a friend? Those never go well. Just the way you were looking at your phone and stuff.”

”Oh no no no. I don't have one, at least not yet…” 

“Wow, I'm surprised. You seem like the type to have guys fawning over ya’ ”

You could only gawk at his statement, trying to not seem uneasy around him. 

“The name is Nikolai by the way.” 

“Y/n… but it seems you already know that.” You smile at him, and all he can do is only reciprocate. 

“So… Nikolai, right?” Hearing a small mhm from his lips. You proceed to continue 

“Where did you even hear about what you were telling me earlier?” 

“Oh right, I was walking downtown in some store I was at earlier had it playing”

He becomes aware of how you're hearing him closely. Not really moving your attention elsewhere.

“They were recapping stuff that had happened before. Trying to shine light on it. Then youre name and face were shown.” 

“Did they show that photo again?... You know the one with the-"   "It was censored but your name and photo id weren’t!” 

He seemed way too joyous towards the end of saying that. 

“But I've seen worse.- Uhm, not like that. I just happen to live in those lofts near. Police had shown up and said we couldn’t host anymore parties, saying it may disrupt the hunt…” 

“-Wait wait wait, the big buildings? You're that rich enough for a loft but you get coffee from here?” You speak as he grabs his cup and takes a huge sip.

“Well, the coffee is good here isn't it?” He smirks as he licks the corner of his mouth a bit. You try to ignore that part and wonder more about what this man possibly has.

“Places change, people change. I like stuff that keep true to themselves.” 

Silence fills the air for a little, while he takes another sip of his coffee and your hands are fiddling with the straw inside the plastic cup. 

Nikolai decided to break that silence by asking another question, regarding information about the situation you were going through.

”About your problem by the way, I could help you. I know some people around these areas that are well into this kind of stuff.” He spoke as his finger poked your shoulder. 

“I'm not sure… I just kind of want to do my own thing. I'm afraid they might find my new place…” 

“New place?”

”It's not actually mine, it's a friend she's uh- shes uhm how do I say this… She’s basically letting me stay there until I get this solved out. But she's usually almost never home.” 

His eyes widened a bit, looking surprised. “Really? How come?” 

“She's letting me stay like … Like an air bnb sort of thing.” 

Quick to respond he tilts his head a bit to the side “Where does she go then?”  “Usually with her boyfriend. He has an apartment and she says I'm also doing her a favor as well, since she's also been trying to move in with him as well.” You look down at your drink. Continuing to swirl it around.

You could feel his gaze upon you, but you don't mind. He sighs, proceeding to look at the window staring at the ambience ahead. But eventually his face brightens up, almost as if he had an idea. 

“Hey I got a solution for you. “ “Hm?” 

“See I don't just own one loft but I own a couple in this one place. I could maybe find a reasonable deal and get you moved in! How does that sound?” He grins, his face close to yours but you don't really notice as the thought lingers in your head. 

Leaning back just a bit though. 

“I wish, but I dont think even a ‘ reasonable price ‘ would be available in my pockets.” You joke around, letting out a small chuckle. 

Soon enough, you see Nikolai beginning to look around the place. Looking back at you trying to hint something at you. 

“Place is starting to get packed, want to go on a walk or something?” You say, looking up at him. He only smiles

While you two are walking down the sidewalks, admiring the taller buildings, suddenly you're both getting stopped by a man who seems to be in a rush. 

“Excuse me, sorry, but do you know where this place is?” 

The man shows his phone to you, with a message showing an address. 

“Oh yeah it's-.” Getting cut off, Nikolai redirects the man the other way.  “Go down the street, make a left, it's the blue restaurant.” 

“Thank you!” He says as he begins to head over in a hurry

Nikolai continues walking, almost leaving you behind. But you catch up to him and begin to walk at his pace. ”How did you know?” 

“Hm?”

”How did you know where that was at?” ”Oh that place? I have a friend that likes that place. Why something the matter?” 

He looks down slightly grinning at you, “No I was just wondering, because I work there that's why?” 

“Oh really, what are you like the cook? Bartender? Ooo owner?” He laughs towards the end, only making you laugh too 

“I wish, I'm just a waitress, a host whatever you wanna call it. Nothing special.” 

A confused look sets on his face

“...Hm, that doesn't make sense…”   “Huh? What doesn't?” 

”Last time I went I saw everyone’s face but yours? Don't tell me you're trying to impress me by saying you work at that fancy place?” 

“What! No, no… I do work there! I'm just on paid leave until you know… my situation calms down. But I do go once in a while, just to get my mind off things!” 

He hums before he speaks again, this time seeming more genuine. “ Y/n…Do you even know where we're going?” 

Looking up at him responding “No, I don't actually.”   “Great! Cause neither do I.” 

You laugh at his remark and you continue to clutch your hands around your body since it was a pretty chilly day, the sun isn't out, it was rather cloudy with the sky being a soft shade of light grey. 

But it wasn’t that cold, still you didn't bring a jacket so you were shivering like a little cold bird in the winter.

While he was talking about something specific, you weren't paying attention but much rather wondering how you’ve never met Nikolai before, like in a run-in. Or by coincidence.

Usually you're better with faces than with names. But like he said, he lives on the high roofs while you have your little tiny apartment.

Makes you wonder what he does for a living…

Maybe he could fill you in on that too

As you both continued walking, he asked if you wanted to sit down somewhere and you agreed by that one small little center in the middle of the city, where the view of most buildings were nice.

Once he had found a spot to sit at and talk about random stuff, you couldn't get this one question out of your head regarding himself.

”Hey Nikolai… Don't take this personal but what's up with the uhm…” Motioning your finger around your eyes, he took it as a shock, almost like he forgot what he even looks like. 

“Oh my eyes?” A sigh comes from his mouth, soon to be followed by a joyful smile. “Everyone asks about them. I actually don't know either. “ 

“And what about the scar-” ”Long story.” 

“Huh? You're not gonna tell a dramatic story?” 

“Nope.” He emphasizes a popping sound at the end “And ‘ dramatic? ‘ It was anything but dramatic.” 

He rolls his eyes a bit in a playful manner.

Bringing your head up, you point your finger to his head. “And the hair?… Did you dye it?” 

“What is this an interrogation?” He laughs at you before continuing  “Short story actually, it was an accident. “ 

“Accident?” 

“In my earlier years someone tried dying my hair a lavender color as a prank, which didn't work out.

”Oh… It never grew out? “ “Nope.”

Silence fills the air again, the birds chirping and the leaves swaying could be heard, until he decides to bring out a question as well

“And you? Why’s your hair like that?” 

That came out of nowhere.

“Huh? What do you mean?” Placing your hand over your head touching your hair. “It's all messy, is it a new look I'm not aware of?” 

You instantly started to pat your hair down with your hands out of embarrassment “No I just- no what!” 

Catching you off guard again, he pats your shoulder

“I'm just messing with you!” 

His laugh dies down eventually, and takes a deep breath of the cold air and breathes it out. Still giggling a little. 

While he does that you take a chance to really take a close look at him.

His eyes were really deep, you can hint that out from the side. But you can also see his nice lashes that he has. The way they compliment his mismatched eyes. 

”Not gonna say anything? What’s got you starring?” Your face becomes heated as if you didn't think he would actually notice. “I'm sorry I didn't mean to…” 

“That's why I'm laughing! God you're fun to mess with.”

The teasing only continued until you decided it was way too cold outside, and wanted to go home now. 

He heard of this and in result gave you his black coat he had on, and then asked if you wanted a ride home 

You told him it was fine, that you would walk alone. It wasn't that far away

But Nikolai insisted on taking you home

“So this is your old spot?” 

“Yeah, it's a really small place but I find it comforting…” You two gaze above at the small apartment complexes. 

“Hey it's better than nothing, at least yours doesn't have music playing twenty four-seven.” 

He begins to pick up his pace leaving you behind for a little. 

“Huh? Hey wait!” You run a bit to catch up to him 

Continuing on your way to your current place, you two talk endlessly about how different each other's lives were. 

Nikolai would always bring up how it's almost never quiet where he lives. He mentions that the people below him are always getting ‘turned on’ whatever that means. 

Until he specified in a party-like way. 

He would talk about these lavish parties that only invited people could enter, but how after one they allow anyone in with as long as they had something to contribute.  

“It wouldn't be your kind of thing honestly.” He says, as he continues to ramble on.

Especially about how he lived. 

Though it was fascinating to hear. Realizing how differently a person could live from another even being from the same place.

You did catch one thing about him though. He never once mentioned ever taking a day to go to work.  

He just decides to go to places if he feels like it . 

But he's also a man with genuine feelings. “You know, in my free time I tend to take care for these two plants I have.” 

“But they're not in my home, rather in a separate place to really preserve them.” 

“Really? What kind?” 

He ignored your question, swerving around it

“Just some special ones of some sort”

It was almost like he didn't want to talk about himself, so he would ask questions about you. 

Little questions that would soon unfold into deeper questions that you didn't even know he was playing at. 

You were glad that by the time he would ask more personal questions, you were already at your current stay. 

You had even made him let you go just 10 feet away from the entrance lobby. 

But still waited for you to get inside safely. 

“I'm home!” Not a word from your friend was ever heard. 

So you assumed she was probably staying with her boyfriend again, since she only usually updates you on certain stuff. 

As evening set upon, you had kept chatting with this ‘new’ guy you had met just before Nikolai.

From months of knowing him he seemed to be sweet. 

Though he did have a bit of an ego towards you. 

But if you remember correctly he was most likely trying to start an attorney business, of some sort…or something along those lines. 

You have gone out with him a couple times before. Most of the time it was events that happen on those nice streets, like the markets, pop ups, and just hanging around each other. But really just as friends. 

However, one time he seemed nervous around you, and that was because he was stuttering to ask you if you could be his plus one, again.

’To what?’ You remember asking him, and he had mentioned some gathering that he was invited to. 

Of course you told him yes! Even if you hated them, you just wanted to be around him more often. 

So for the next two days, you were wanting for the first of December to come by already. 

Though you were still concerned about Nikolai, what would you do with him? 

There was something about him that made him hold a special place amongst your other friends. You couldn’t pinpoint it but he was there somewhere. 

Still you wanted to keep him close. 

Maybe because you'd accidently bump into each other often, walking in and out of coffee shops or bars. 

“Need a ride home?” 

Is what he would always say whenever he would see you around at night. 

And you'd hear him rambling about how too many cars pick up ‘pretty’ girls late at night. Those talks were fun though. 

But sadly enough, those times came to an end when Adam had been calling you in more recently, including today.

Now you were here, in his office again, sitting down as he scattered through some file work. 

”Well, I got good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first?”

”The good news first.” “Alrighty…” He sat down in his chair after grabbing a folder and opened it, laying it flat out on the table for you. “See this right here” He pointed his finger to a picture in the corner, then dragged his finger across to another in the bottom left. 

“This right here is evidence!” He seemed joyous saying that. 

But your eyes kept jotting from corner to corner trying to figure out what he meant by that.

“Evidence of what?” 

“Okay see this, it's a stitch in one of the victims clothing, and this one right here, is also a sewed stitch…” 

He points his finger more closely, directly to where he wants you to see

Looking at the two pictures again, you do notice a slight difference 

“They’re… not the same…” “Exactly! This one is a little lighter, meaning it could be nylon, and this one-“ 

“The color looks darker.”

”Right, we found this hidden inside one of the city's garbage bins just around… maybe 20 feet away from the incident. And from checking surveillance cameras around, we were able to be sure that his jacket was indeed his.” 

You take a closer look at the photo, and could see that the lighter stitch seems to be around the chest pocket of the jacket. 

“That’s amazing, oh my god. I- I can't believe it!” 

Come upon, there was a hint of joy in your eyes. “That means- So you know who did all of this now right?” 

His eyebrows grew worried, a look of concern on his face. He looked down at the photo again, grabbing it out of the clear folder pocket.  “About that; The bad news… we can't identify who.” 

“Look, we checked any cameras around including those that aren't from the city… Seems our culprit had found a blind spot.” 

“What about after? Please tell me you found something!” He ignores you for a quick second and glances over to the side and reaches to turn on the small tv beside him. 

“Look, give me a second, let me get the tape. I need to show you this.”

He pulls out a small tape from his drawer and inserts it inside the bottom line of the television, and makes sure it faces the two of you. 

”Okay look right there… There!”

Covering your mouth, you continue to look intently at the screen, watching everything unfold right before your eyes, 

His hands over his chest, as he walks over to the big wall right behind him. Seeing how the figure breathes heavily, and hearing the distorted groans in the background. 

How he was basically hurting even in an attempt to walk straight. He decides to rest and sit down by the wall. Still holding his hand over his chest, until he coughs and his own fluids are being tossed out from his mouth. 

“Agh-A- Im… S-sorry ugh…”  

“…Please, dont - l-leave!” His voice can be heard becoming deeper as he looks over to his left side. Soon enough a large cry is heard, screaming with all his pain out the window. 

Clutching onto his shirt even more, he rolls onto the wall with his back against it. As the piercing cry for help just echoes.

A few more demands are heard, his begging and pleading only becoming more frantic as the tape goes on longer. Tears streamed down his cheeks. Causing a trail of dampness on the collar of his shirt. 

One last line could be heard, every word spoken only becoming quieter.

“Don't leave… me…” His voice was heard, 

one last time. 

The tape comes to an end, and you're left sitting there looking at the screen without any display of emotion. 

Just sitting there. 

Adam can see the stoic look on your face, the look of defeat that you couldn’t be there to help. 

He runs the tape a little back, and you look down at your folded hands, pressing your lips together. 

“Y/n, look here” 

A black hood can be shown in the footage before it cuts out.  

”After that none of the cameras functioned well. Once they begin to work properly we can see your ‘friend’…laying there.” 

His eyes avert to you for a second, only to see your glare at the screen as the tape continues. 

Thought filled your mind. 

Wondering who this could be… What if it was someone from work? Maybe the other waiter they fired back when you started working. The creepy driver that sometimes parks outside the apartments late at night… Or your psycho ex you had broken contact with years ago. 

“Miss Y/n?” 

Your eyes start to become tear filled

“Sorry I just- I need some time to think all of this…I- I don't know why this is all happening to me…”  

Why did it have to be you?

What was so wrong in your past life that you now have to carry this burden on your shoulder. 

”It'll work out fine dont worry come here.” Immediately as he says that, you go and hug him.

Trying not to get his collared shirt wet from your tear stained cheek, he brushes your hand and pats your shoulder. Resulting in only crying more. 

His taller structure and older features, he felt like a parental figure. 

Sometimes you wonder if maybe the reason you trusted Adam so much was because you weren’t really open with your own parents growing up. 

Maybe he did have all of this under control. 

All you wanted was pure genuine affection, even if it came from a stranger. 

_______

The evening sunset had finally gone down. It's been about an hour or two since you left the station. Adam continued to talk about the mystery person. 

He had seemed to have made a drawback to when he had noticed a similar pattern somewhere else but couldn’t remember it, thus ending the conversation in disappointment again. 

But at least you were closer to finding out who it was. Right? 

Just as you were about to head to a sidewalk and call for an Uber, you remembered that there wasn't any food at home. 

“Fuck… Where’s a nearby open market…” 

Muttering lowly as you continue to look around for an open one.

”There's one on 6th Street near the Art Walk.” A passerby yelled just before passing you. “Oh- Thanks.” 

It was already late but you needed some produce to make something later in the morning. 

”Fuck Im so tired…” Upon arriving, your legs were already sore from walking. You took a deep breath first before entering the store. 

First look and you realize… This is the wrong kind of market… 

God, no wonder it was still open…that guy gave you directions to a bodega market, not an actual market market where they sell fruits and vegetables…

Though, the guy working behind the counter kept a close eye on you. 

Probably thinking you would steal something then run out. So you stayed a little bit. 

Wandering around the little store, you picked up some frozen grapes and dish soap…. Since you did remember there was almost none back home. 

And the grapes, probably would keep you filled until tomorrow morning, and maybe you'll go to the produce market early morning, 

even if it means waking up early…

“How much?” You placed the small box of grapes and the dish soap on the counter As he counted up the price you kept looking at the window, not paying much attention to the clerk. 

You felt this strange feeling…   -nine.” 

“Huh, pardon?” Seven twenty nine.” 

You reached into our pockets and pulled up some cash, handing it over to him.  

He looked at you oddly before grabbing your grapes and the bottle of soap and placing them inside a little bag. 

Just as you were about to leave you heard the man's voice again. 

“Hey, be careful out there. Lot of people been going missing recently.” 

Turning around you face him again, just before going through the door.

“Oh, thank you sir!” 

Heading out the door, instantly the cold breeze of late November hit your face. 

Getting a strong grip of the black plastic bag you made sure your hood was on, and tried not to show your face too much as you began to walk down the streets. 

Every crosswalk and intersection you came across, you had made sure to look and glance at every place around you possible. 

You felt safe for a moment

But either way if something were to happen…

Basically no one, no one could help you right now. 

Even if your life was on the line. 

Peeping around you saw that almost all the cars around were empty. 

All except for 

…one? 

Squinting your eyes to dim the bright streetlights around your peripheral vision, you saw a tall dressed figure in all black close the trunk to their car.

They remained standing still for a second, until they opened the car doors to the back seats. 

Remarkably you were able to see a few familiar strands of hair. 

It looked like a pale yellow under the far away light that was dimming the place…

Unsure of the figure, you approached slowly. 

Walking at a normal pace but not really paying attention over to the figure just in case.

Once you got a glimpse of the face, you finally were able to recognize…

… “Nikolai?” 

Seeing them frantically turning their head around, once stopping as soon as they saw you across the sidewalk.

”Y/n?” 

‘That voice…It was him! But, why the black mask? ‘ 

”…Y/n? Why are you out here?” 

Walking over to him he stumbled over to the other side of the car, leaning on the back doors. 

He pulled his hood off and then pulled his mask down. Questioning you why you were right where you were standing 

“-I had to get something real quick I didn't have- Wait, why are ‘you’ here?” 

“I had to take my trash out because the ones by my place were too full.” He crossed his arms, his face seemingly more pale. 

You repeated his action and then tilted your head to the side, looking behind him “In there?” You said as you pointed your finger to the small garbage bin that was inside an alleyway.

He held eye contact for long, not moving a single muscle on his face. 

His eyes would advert to the sides of your face, that is until he bursted out laughing. 

Catching you off guard, you take a step back.

His arms holding his stomach as he continues to laugh in your face. 

‘Is this the same Nikolai I met the other day?’ 

“Sorry, I couldn't help myself. You just had such a serious face, what else could I do?” 

He calmed himself down before speaking again, you weren’t sure what to really do in this situation so you stood there… 

”My bad… Inside here I have some tools. Gardening tools actually.” 

“I figured why not have it in the back already so I don't have to wake up extra early.” 

“Mhm.” 

Arms still crossed, he took a quick look at you again before asking another question

“So, about your-”  “So can I get a ride? I rather not walk today.” 

Showing your hands clasped together, you look up at him hoping for an answer that'll satisfy.

Without responding, he walks over to his car and opens the passenger seat door and faces your standing body again.

“So? Prefer walking?”

During the car ride home, it seemed all he could talk about was his wonderings for you being this late out even though you had already told him why. 

. 

At every stop he would constantly look over to you and take quick glances that you did notice. 

You weren’t sure why but as much as you tried to relax your body, you really couldn't due to how stiff you were from trying not to be awkward around him.

Though it seemed like you weren't alone either, noticing how fidgety Nikolai was in his seat.  

But it looked like he was nervous about something else. 

You had asked if he had something on his mind.

There was silence for a bit, until Nikolai had asked what made you think that. 

Contemplating a bit before responding back…you kept your head forward but kept looking at him through your side view.

You noticed his eyes kept darting from the road to the streetlights to the sidewalks to the pedestrians walking by.

”…I don't know, you just seem anxious…” 

“Me? Don't worry about me!” His head gestured to look at you for a bit before turning back and continuing  

“I just had a little fight with someone earlier. “

”A fight? As in… physical?“ 

“No, no. Verbally, although…” His chest inflamed up, taking a big deep breath before exhaling it long out through his lips “Although, I was hit in the process of it. Not badly, but still got hit.” 

“Wait really where?!” 

His eyes kept on the road, but he turned his head down and leaned towards you a bit. Raising his eyebrows quite a bit

In a quick glance you were able to see the small pinkish purple bruise just near his eyebrow bone. 

Your hand went to your open mouth as you just stared there with open eyes. 

You hadn’t even noticed it when you came up to him, 

”Yeah it was a bad blow… But we ended it off in…” His eyes darted down to his hands that were on the steering wheel. 

“ I would say okay terms.” 

“What did you two even fight about?” “Oh that, just some personal hobby I like to do…” 

He stopped the car in the middle of the two-way turn lane of the road. He kept one hand on the wheel whilst the other leaned against the car seat. 

”But it's okay, they’re not my problem anymore. I finally got them out of my life now.”    ”Huh?” A confused look came upon your face

”Do you mean… you cut contact with them off?” 

“Something like that, yeah. You know, sometimes you have to get rid of those toxic people in your life before they grow on you. 

Before they cause harm to your wellbeing.” 

“Sometimes… they do more damage than good to you.” 

“Yeah, I guess you're right…” 

Turning your head over to look around the car, it just came to you where he had stopped the car. “Oh shit! We’re here already?”

”Stay there, I'll get it.” 

“Such a gentleman!” Giggling toward the end 

“I know huh?” 

Ever since last night, that's all you were able to think about. 

And the idea of starting to develop feelings kept being shuttered away by your own mind  

But you think you were starting to like him… Even if it meant he probably only sees you as a friend.

And as much as you tried not to remember him, the music that was playing out of someone's earphones nearby kept reminding you of him whether you wanted to be reminded or not. 

The older man sitting across from where you were seated on his way to work, his attire resembles his quite a bit. 

. 

Almost everything reminded him of you. And you wanted to avoid that, you wanted to deny these feelings. 

Your head said one thing, but your heart thought differently.

As the train came to a stop, you grabbed your small bag that you brought with you and got up, leaving to exit. 

It was a bit earlier than your usual morning wake up time, so a lot of people coming in and out of the big station were mostly people rushing to go to work. 

Or some crying and screaming as they latch onto people waiting outside. Assuming maybe a friend or relative who hasn’t seen the other in a long time. 

Made you wish you had someone to depend on that much. 

But as you continued to venture outside, you kept looking out for more things that were happening around. 

The small circular mini park where events happen and musicians or talented groups come together to showcase their performing arts. How they were already setting up the lamp posts with colorful ribbons and decorations. 

While the big circular kiosk in the center had small little lanterns and faux icicles alongside with snowflakes dangling from the sides. 

In this area, it almost never snows. 

Though the temperatures do drop drastically and constant rain pours, there's never snow. 

But it does make it better, because then you can walk around wherever you wish freely without any trouble. Just as you were doing so right now. 

Recently this place by a little local street has been popping up everywhere for supposedly having the best food. 

A restaurant blowing up on social media, that's normal. But being debated as having one of the best foods available? 

You just had to try this place out for yourself. 

The thing that had caught your attention was this particular dish you remember seeing someone post. 

But by the way the waiting line looked, it seemed like you weren’t going to get an open spot soon. 

Looking at the patio tables that were outside, noticing that almost if not all the tables had the same tag standing with the word ‘Reserved.’

”Fuck I should’ve done that…” You muttered as you crossed your arms in an attempt to not lose balance from how tired your legs were starting to get. 

“Y/n?” 

“Huh?” 

Looking around you couldn’t see who it was that said your name until you finally took a second look back. 

One of your co-workers! 

“Brandon? What are you doing here?” 

”I came here to get some stuff but I decided to come early to get something to eat as well… And it looks like you are too!” 

He looks up at the restaurant's sign and back at you in a playful way. 

“Yeah I-.Im just waiting around you know…” 

He proceeds to lean in closer to where you're standing, and places a hand over to the side of his mouth as he loudly whispers “Come on, I know a better spot than this…Trust.” 

“You sure?” 

He nods his head in response 

Looking back and forth, you were contemplating on whether you should leave your spot… 

“You know what, fuck it, yeah show me.” 

You got out of line, and began to laugh a little with Brandon as you two walked away. “Don't get lost now~” 

Going further down the crowded street, he took you to this one place that had a white and red color scheme. 

As you both got closer to the place, he kept rambling on about how this was his go to spot, 

That no restaurant around here could top this one.

“Trust me, this place is ten times better than the one you were going to, More authentic too.”

A smirk laid upon your face, trying to be smug towards him

“If you say so, I'll be the judge myself~” 

As you two walked in, finally, you both were instantly seated towards the front of the place; Since there was an open table there.

A young woman came over and began to take your order. “Welcome to Noche Buena, what can I get started for you guys today?” 

“I'll get that one, the one that's in the photo.”     

“Hm, I'll get the same as him.” 

She began to write it down, before looking at the kitchen staff that were nearby and turning back to you two. ”We also have a couple special, free refresher. Would you like to add that too?” 

You swore you almost choked on your own spit when you heard that. Turning over to Brandon, he gave you a slight nod. 

“Uh sorry but n-“ You cut off shortly when you felt a jab on your ankle “Sorry but no yeah!” His cheeky smile appears as he repeats it back to the waitress. 

She dismisses you guys after taking your order. Immediately hurrying to the kitchen. You on the other hand just kept glaring at Brandon.

“What? It was free drinks. How could you say no?” 

You sighed before slowly starting to grin “You know what, yeah you're right.” 

”I wonder how many people do this at our workplace.” He spoke, as he checked phone for a quick second. 

“Too many, it's so obvious!”

While you two were laughing about hilarious stuff that has happened at work while you've been gone, you took it as a chance to glance around the area real quick.

Without doubt, the place wasn't all so bad.

It was clean, the tables were shiny, and the seating wasn't worse than some places... 

Lost in thought. 

The waiter came back with a tray of the stuff you guys ordered “Here you guys go” including…”And here's the drink too!” 

She placed down the singular drink that had two straws in the center. You and Brandon just kept looking at each other and back at the drink. 

”You screwed up Y/n… Next time Im doing the talking.”    “As if, I think this is just how it is.” 

“Well… it is better than no drink…” He looked down at the cup in the center, with sad little eyes before taking a sip out of it

Rolling your eyes at his childish behavior, this was his doing all along anyways.

“Oh come on, don't be such a baby. It's no different than when everyone at work shares a strawberry refresher throughout our shift.” 

“You're right. Let's just dig in!” 

____________

By the time you both finished eating, you had decided to go walking around the area more. 

That was until Brandon remembered what he came for in the first place. 

You didn't know how heavy cleaning supplies and house decorations would end up being so heavy once it's in a bag. 

Picking the stuff up at the stores did not at all seem heavy, not until its dangling side to side from your hands in a black plastic baggie.

“Is that it?” You said, groaning at him. He looked at his long checklist he had on his phone before turning to face you again ”Yep that's practically it!” 

”Finally, thank god…”  You say as you slouch your back a bit and finally release the bags softly onto the floor.

”Hey be gentle, they could break.” 

You let this be a reminder that the next time he needs help with a few errands to give a white lie and decline. 

“Oh for god's sake Brandon, how would a plastic bottle of window cleaner break?”

”Dont tell me you came on the train too, Ill actually kill myself if I have to walk another step over there.” 

Groaning in annoyance, he began to chuckle at your voice

“I came by car today, if you want I could give you a ride home.” 

“Yes please! “ 

The entirety of the car ride was just him explaining to you a new hook up between two employees. 

And how everyone around has been placing bets on who would say something first. 

Once you had heard the entire story, you joked to him saying you'll place five dollars on the guy.

Resulting in him rolling his eyes at you before laughing with you. Man it was almost like being drunk with him, without actually drinking. 

“Watch, I'll be right”   “I wanna see that.”

You laughed a bit, before ending the conversation and almost leaving the car  “-I guess I'll see you later someday at work then!- “

“Oh about that-“ A smile grew on his face again while you were stopped in your tracks.

“Boss told me and a few others that if we were to see you we’d tell you to come in tomorrow for your paycheck, and if we didn't see you then your friend would just text you about it tomorrow morning.” 

Raising your eyebrow “But I can come in whenever I want?” 

“No duh. Now go before I make you carry more of my shit.” 

Flipping him off, you grabbed your bag from the floor of the car and left. Upon entering past the lobby doors, he instantly left. 

“What a blabber mouth…” You muttered

Walking up the stairs, once you’ve arrived at your apartment door, you notice the shit pile of mail that was just sitting in your little mail cabinet that you ordered weeks ago for your door. 

Looking through them, you find a pink envelope, opening it to see its content inside. 

As you were opening the door to your apartment by pressing the handle, you continued to unfold the envelope, it seemed to be a piece of folded paper inside. 

Like a letter! 

The letter seemed to be handwritten, and smelled of a strong vanilla peachy scent as if it were sprayed with perfume. 

Closing the door behind you, with all the other mail being held in your other arm you went to the kitchen and sat at the island counters. 

’ I’d be lying if you didnt fill the void in my heart. No matter where I am, all I can do is just think about you. 

Whether you consider yourself a star or not, to me you're the whole sun. 

You bring light and peace to my world. 

All I wish for, is if we could be more than just best friends…

Enjoy the flowers, I know begonias are your favorite. - XoXo ‘

You stared at the letters content, reading it over and over again. 

”Hm? What flow-…-ers…” Looking up from where you were seated, you just finally notice the bouquet laying down on the counter, while behind the flowers was a small white teddy bear. 

“What the hell…” Muttering as you picked up the teddy, examining it closely. 

All you wondered was how did this even get inside…? Maybe your friend had something to do with this.

Thinking of her, your regards to her whereabouts still concern you. 

You usually don't see her that often now…Hopefully she's okay with her boyfriend, all you wanted was at least a text or something to know she's okay.

Looking down at your hands, you see a little paper tag that was dangling from the teddy's bum. You opened it and saw a heart with a letter K next to it. “Who's K?...” 

“Oh god…” 

Realization finally hit that dense skull of yours. ”I forgot, I have to see him tomorrow…” 

Facepalming your head as you place the teddy down standing right side up, you immediately go to your room. 

Heading to your closet, you begin to find something you might be able to wear for the event that an old friend had invited you to. 

But there's no way he could've had feelings?

He never seemed like the type to… He was always just so, friendly. 

Nothing more

Nothing less.

None of this would've came to your mind 

Not with how he acts around you

Nurturing, that's what he was; Maybe that's why?

…God this was a shocker.

_____________

Evening has arrived, it was already the first of a new month. The coldest most rain pouring month of the calendar for you. 

Every place you went to earlier in the morning would just be filled with holiday bells. Warm nostalgic music playing at every department store. 

Even though it was the first day of the month, people had already begun to dress the style of the cold winter seasons. 

It was almost as if everyone just collectively decided to begin wearing a puffer jacket today…Including you as well…

“Hey!~” You barged through the back door of the kitchen. Immediately hearing pots and pans fall onto counters and floors.

Startling everyone and having someone drop an actual plate. 

After they realized it was you they began to curse you out for scaring the shit out of them. “Sorry… I uhm.” You stuttered a bit. “Brandon told me he'd give me my paycheck… He's said holding it around for me here somewhere?” 

A voice from behind the counter shouts to you “Oh him? He didn't show up today.” 

“Really? He said he'd be here?” 

“Well we told him not to go scuba diving in the beginning of winter… Maybe he's out sick.” 

That crazy man…

“Huh!?”

Who in their right mind thinks it's a good idea to go in the water right when the chills are about to come. 

You didn't even try to act surprised, matter of fact, this was something usual that happens all the time.    But really? Scuba diving? 

Sighing, you lean on one of the kitchen island counters seeing everyone around work, but you catch someone going to the back and unlock his locker. 

The young girl comes back and hands you an envelope that has your name in red pen. Staring down at the envelope as she gives it to you she speaks softly “Here, just take it.” 

Just as you were about to leave she grabs the wrist of your shirt and tugs you at her, leaning her hand and lips to your ear. 

“I also advise you to leave now, earlier some crazy customer walked in and asked to see you, saying he had a message to pass onto you-” 

“What!” She instantly puts her hand over your mouth trying to shush you down. Bringing her finger close to her mouth she makes a quiet “Shh!” 

She whispers to you, hoping none else hears her. 

“...I think you've served him before, he had black hair I think…We were discussing about it earlier, but the rest didn't want to say anything to you to freak you out.”

“Go now, and be careful out there.” 

She finally let go of your shirt and went back to her station and proceeded to wash the dishes that were dirty. 

All you could do was just gaze profoundly. 

Hurrying up the door, as soon as you reach to press down on the handle you turn around to see her staring at you again, nodding once at you telling you to leave.

Rushing back home, you instantly walked through your apartment door then closed it shut. 

Going to your bedroom, in order to change into a 

pretty evening dress you had. 

You were going to be a plus one for some party event that a friend had told you about.

Although you did remember them telling you to wear something nice, they had also told you not too overdressed. 

In order to really match the ‘said theme,’ you wore a thigh length dress, a flowy one. 

Until your phone rings, he was calling. Your “date” 

Picking up your phone, you begin to talk in a nervous tone

“Oh shit…Hello? Yes, yes just give me two more minutes… Okay I'll see you down there, bye.” 

Hanging up, you place your phone back onto the night stand from where you picked it up. 

Sighing as you look back into the mirror. ‘What am I to do’

The entirety of the ride to get there with him was a bit awkward, how were you supposed to talk to him normally after what he had just done. 

He barely calls you, and when he does it's usually when we need someone to be there with him for something, or usually for some kind of outing. 

This was all confusing, you weren’t really sure how to react or respond to his advances he was making towards you by leaving flowers. 

Matter of fact, you didn't even know how to bring the topic up, so you kept silent. 

Only listening to him talk about his future and his business. That the day his company blows he’ll have a reserved spot for you to work there, saying you wouldn't have to work at that grubby restaurant people call ‘fancy’ nowadays. 

You weren’t sure how to really describe his character, he was a bipolar mess in his mind. 

Sometimes he would be nice the next he would ignore you for saying something even the slightest opposite of his opinion. 

Maybe if you didn't respond back to his idea of you tagging along, this wouldn't be happening…

Once at the event, you were left alone. Tens and tens of floors up high off the ground in some nice banquet-like place. 

You were sitting by the nice couch, watching the people around you chat while they chuckled every so and so. 

Not even drinking from the glasses of champagne they were served. 

Yours was probably almost finished, just a sip or two and it would’ve been all gone by now. 

Being here made you wonder why you even accepted his request at being his plus one.

If all you were going to do was just show as his ‘date,’ look pretty beside him, and then run off and tell you to stay put somewhere. 

Almost everyone in this room knew each other, it seemed like they were all acquaintances of some sort. Like they knew each other from connections. 

So of course you felt out of place. 

You kept turning your head over to the glass windows on the right side of where you were seated, seeing as the sun sets, going lower and lower. Each hour that passes by, turning the sky into a dark shade of nocturnal blue.

Every now and then you would turn your phone on and text some of your co worker friends messages while they were on their break, asking how everything’s doing. 

Just something to get out of this boredom

Feeling a tap on the left shoulder, you turn around and get startled by his face near yours. 

“Oh god Kyrie, you have to stop doing that…” 

He leans back to his standing position, still holding a completely filled glass of champagne in his left right “I'm done with my stuff, I saw you from across the room and saw ya’ look bored.” 

“How could I not, I know no one here… And you just left-“ 

“Sh’shhh… C’mon get up, I know a much more fun place than this.” Before you could stand up, he grabs the side of your arm and almost forces you to stand up.

You two begin to head over to the door, but his walk continues to be slow, as he dismisses every colleague he knows before actually leaving. 

Once back in the car, he starts the engine of the car and begins to head over to the heart of the city again. 

You rest your head on the window looking outside, until you feel a slight touch on your leg. His arm rests lowly on your thigh, but you're too tired of his bullshit to even say anything, so you let it be…

Upon arriving, you get out of his car, and look around. Seeing how high the building was. Making you wonder if he was going to take you to another event party for his benefit. 

”Follow me.” He's already walking, and you, like a dog, follow from behind. 

The entire time with him was mainly quiet. He kept checking his phone, often texting some group chat. In the lobby, in the elevator, and outside the few doors that were in front of him. 

“Give me a second… Okay there, come on stand near me or they won't allow us in.” 

You hurried by his side, and he proceeded to walk in front of this one nice door that had faint music playing. 

Fuck, it was probably another one of his friends parties. 

God… well be ready to be sitting down somewhere again- “Hello?” 

The door opens and instantly music blasts from inside the room. He opens the door and the guy sees you standing next to him, instantly changing his tone 

“Oh my bad, come on in.” 

He opens the door wider, allowing the both of you in. 

Your eyes… Instantly widen at the sight. 

House music playing at an extreme volume, flashes of white and colored lights going around, confetti being thrown everywhere, splashes being sprayed from popping bottles around. 

Continuing to walk inside, as you kept looking around. 

“I knew this would be your kind of fun, maybe mine too…” 

He says as he drags you further to the center of the beautiful room you were standing in. 

Looking back straight ahead, your eyes catch a glimpse of someone tall, someone… familiar… 

You speed walk over to them, leaving Kyrie behind.  “Huh? Hey wait!” Hearing him in the distance, trying to catch up with you, -you get further away, almost running to the crowd.

Raising your neck to look over people's heads, you catch a glimpse of mismatched eyes. “Nikolai!” 

You see him look back and turn his head again, only to turn to look at you again. Wondering if that really was you… “Y/n!” 

Smiling at him, he begins to dismiss the crowd, having them scatter to different places, until he can come forward to you. 

He cups your cheeks, feeling your face making sure you were real and not just a delusion of his 

“H-how… What… How did you find-“  

“Y/n, who's this?” 

You hear his voice in the background. 

Nikolai stops holding your face and looks up from you to see another man standing right behind. 

Turning your head as well, at a loss for speech. ‘Shit’ 

He begins to ask questions regarding about Nikolai,

“Do you know this man? Who is he-“ 

“I'm a friend of hers, and you are?” A sly smile forms on his face while he looks at him, and talks with a much rather, softer voice. 

Not loud but clear enough to have himself heard over the loud music playing.

Kyrie tilts his head back, feeling intimidated by Nikolai’s height as he almost tries to lean over him.

Looking back and forth at the two men standing right in front of each other, you immediately put an end to this.

Dismissing Nikolai and accompanying your ‘date’ like you were supposed to 

He pulls you away from Nikolai, dragging you to where most of the drinks were being made. 

You turn your head back and look at Nikolai “Im sorry…” mouthing to him, as his arms stay crossed only glaring hard at you as you get dragged away from him.

While you were being pulled by the arm, you felt the grip let go. Turning your head back to wherever you were being directed to, -you saw yourself standing in front of a kitchen counter with many options of alcohol. 

Small bottles, big ones, tall ones, all the varieties you could think of were right there.

“Want one?” Your attention is drawn to a much older woman. 

“Here let me serve ya’ up quick!” In an attempt to refuse, she already hands you a cup filled with whatever liquid she poured into it. 

As much as you refused to accept the cup, you feel a pair of hands on your shoulders grab you harshly, slightly shaking your body.

 You flinch and tense up turning to the side to see who it was. “Give it a try, go on.” Hesitating a bit at your ‘friends’ request, he tries to pressure you into taking a few sips. “…I don't-“ 

“Just try some you'll like it~” He grabs the cup and places it near to your lips. 

The other woman, just staring with a mischievous grin on her face as she uses her hand to rest her head on the counter. 

Looking down at the filled cup and then at his eyes. He nods his head persuading you to give in.

In an instant you take the cup out of his hand with an annoyed look on your face.

“Fine, just one.” And swallow it whole without second thought.

Once it finally hits the back of your throat, your face automatically makes a sour look, sticking your tongue out coughing trying to get the taste out your mouth.

“Atta girl!” 

Hearing Kyrie say that, you turn around and face back towards the one who served you the drink.

“God what was in that thing.” 

She could only giggle and begin to talk about the look on your face once you had chugged it.

Laughing right in your face.

Nikolai, on the other hand, was resting his upper body on the balcony of the second floor of the loft. 

Where all the monochromic decorations that were scattered around the first floor kept flying up to his level from being kicked and tossed around. 

His hands were crossed, watching as ‘he’ kept trying to force another drink or two down your throat 

He had known about him, way before you had even gotten to meet him for the first time. He was trying to build his status as an entrepreneur, and recently bought a building for his new ‘upcoming company’ as a rip-off of the infamous playboy. 

Explaining all those fancy events he goes to, but he needed a plus one to prove the fact that he did have a ‘face’ already for his new upcoming, you. 

But you didn't know that, All you thought of it were to be exquisite gatherings of him and his friends.

It was a way to drag you with him, without you knowing a clue of it.

It was obvious to him from the very start

How he treated others. How he was treating you. 

Roughly about an hour had passed by already, 

He had kept his eye on you long enough, to see that by the time you weren’t being pushed from group to group, you already had far too many drinks. 

He didn't stop you though, since he wanted to see how you would respond to most of these interactions. He hadn't seen you like this 

But that was the only time Kyrie was there to stop you from doing something dumb. 

His hands were on your shoulders, yours on his arms.

“Hey! You okay? You should be glad I'm here.”

He hugged your body closely to him.

His breath reeked of alcohol. His eyebrows kept raising high at every sniffle he gave. Most importantly the way he kept touching your face trying to ‘reassure’ you.

That sorrowful look on your face, he leaned away and cupped your cheeks hurriedly. “What’s wrong…?”  He said, whispering his breath onto you. 

Your eyes began to tear up, swell every second along with the frown that you were trying not to show “…You left me behind, I- I was so scared…” 

Placing your arms on his shoulders, you grip onto his shirt hard.

”Dont…” 

“Don't what?” 

“…Don't touch- me, -get a-away” A hiccup could be heard. 

You tried shoving him away, his hands leaving you for a second, but he rapidly grabbed your face, making you look up to him. 

“I can't… I need you. Please!” His eyes were darting from you left and right, to your lips and up again.  “S-Stop, get off!” 

He was already drunk, and out of his mind. Now that his thoughts were being spoken out to you instead of his usual tone.

He forces himself onto you, latching his hands onto your waist and body, pushing you to get you on the nearest wall by the hallway. ”You're all I want, Please!” He grunts, as his hands dont stop. 

He had lured you slowly into an almost empty hallway leading to where closed doors were. 

From where he had you stopped, he pressed himself against you on a wall right beside a door. 

You wanted to break free, but you couldn’t… You were far too gone to push him off of you. 

No amount of strength could stop him off. 

With the loud music playing mostly in the main room, this place, you could hear every word he had spoken to you. “Sh sh sh. I'm not gonna hurt ya’  “

No matter how hard you tried to get him away, he suddenly gripped on your wrists holding you back from trying to resist him anymore. 

He whispered into your ear, things you didn't want to hear. And slowly his head leaned closer… and closer. 

Your side of the face pressed against the wall; eyes shut. Trying to prevent making contact with him.  

But he had no control. His breathless voice against your skin, inching closer to your face. 

He stopped for a second, taking a quick look at your face; before you feel his lips peck your cheek getting closer to your lips. 

Suddenly all the weight on you… 

Feels like it's gone. 

No more touchy hands, the elbow trying to squeeze you in. 

You could actually finally breathe.

Opening your eyes you see him scrambled across the wooden floors.

Holding his hand right above his lip. Not long before you can see a faint trail of blood following down to his chin as he tries to retain more blood from following out. 

He looked angered, brows furrowed, he was fuming. 

Not at you,  but at the person he was staring at right in front of him. 

“Get out of here.” A firm voice was heard from the hallway, but you couldn't see much as the flashing lights messed with your vision. 

Seeing Kyrie scoff at you and leave with wobbled steps, the figure in the beginning of the hallway comes closer. 

There he was. 

“Nikolai!” You turn to him in an instant.

Immediately wrapping your hands around him. 

He flinches at your reaction, but then wraps his arms around you as well. With one hand stroking your hair, and the other not too below your waist. 

He tells something to you, but you don't catch it and ignore it and continue to hug him close. 

He breaks contact and looks down at you. Holding softly both of your hands. “Let's get out of here, I know a spot just above here.” 

Nodding in agreement, you hold onto him closely by his arm, as he leads you outside the room again. 

He sighs before he takes your hand and drags you along with him, before realizing how flushed his face must be. 

Looking up at him you ask him a question regarding where he's taking you ”Where are we going?” 

“You'll see, come.”

Immediately stepping out the elevator you notice a huge change in the hallway. It's shinier, more decorations around, including plants. 

Like an actual place where people might seem to live in.

He reaches into his pocket and grabs a key, opening the door to one of the few that were in front of you. 

As he unlocks the door you're still glancing around at the atmosphere outside. Almost forgetting the whole point of why he got you outta there 

“Come in.” You hear his voice heard from inside the room. 

Trailing right behind him. 

You enter into the new place he took you, and instantly. your jaw hangs open.

The place was dazzling.

Nicely interiored, sparkling from cleanliness.

”What-…. The hell.” 

Soft music can be heard playing on vinyl nearby.

Full tall wall windows on both sides, a staircase leading to what looked like his bedroom. 

Nicely polished light wooden floors with ambient lighting all around the walls, giving the place a euphoric atmosphere. 

Gazing around, you turn to him as he's right by the kitchen prepping you a glass of water. “Was this the place you were telling me about days ago?”

He laughs a bit, coming back and handing you the water ”Something like that.” 

You're left standing there in the middle of it all, as he walks over to the staircase, telling you to come along. 

Once at the top floor which was his room, you couldn't help but look at all the nice things he had kept around. 

Touching the nice trinkets he had on his nightstand.

“ Think that's cool? Look over here.”

He rushes over to the curtains on the side wall of his bed, he opens them and and your eyes widen at the cities landscape 

“Ta~da~” He says as he makes a waving gesture with his hands

You step closer, allowing yourself to fully see it from up close. Not realizing how close you were actually next to Nikolai as well. 

His eyes looking at you, while you kept your gaze on the outside.

While looking down at all the streets, Nikolai seems to notice that faint expression on you. “ Got something on your mind? '' 

”He…He was my ride. How will I get home?”

Looking up to meet his eyes, he immediately darts, looking away and stops and ‘thinks for a quick moment,’ placing his finger on his chin.

He gets up from his little seated position and makes his way to the bed, sitting down on it. 

“I could give you this room, I'll wait until after the party, and crash the other place downstairs. “ 

He pats his hand down right beside him, almost in a way of telling you to come next to him. 

Going over and sitting there with him in silence for a bit, you let your head fall onto his shoulder.

He begins to caress your hair, holding you close, until he can hear the softness of your voice again. “Thank you…for being there earlier…” 

You raise your body up and away from his body. Then proceed to lean into his cheek. 

Giving him a small peck on the side of his face. 

“I shouldn't fall in love with you…” 

He says, but you let your arms wrap around his shoulders, looking at his eyes and at his lips.

He can't help but reciprocate your actions. 

Slowly going in, he gently begins to kiss you. Taking most of the control as his hands cup your cheeks, pulling your hair away from your face. 

You lose balance and lay flat on the bed, his face still close to yours, as his body hovers you. 

Hands on each side of you, his eyes looking everywhere. 

His face slowly inches closer to yours, as he breathes heavily. He looks as if he's going feral inside his mind.

Just as he's centimeters away from your lips, he stops

To think he was leaning in again to take it a step further, you were wrong.

Instead, leaving a small peck on the side of your lips before whispering softly “Night.” 

And proceeds to get up, as you lay there slightly curled into your own body.

Just as he's about to leave, you pull on his long black shirt… Looking up at him again with your eyes. “P-please, can you stay…Just a while” 

He’s glancing at you, for a moment it looks like he's contemplating something. 

You notice and immediately a ‘Nevermind’ comes out of your mouth.

But he hops right into the bed with you before you can say anything… He’s on his side, looking straight at you. 

“…Go to sleep now then” Kissing your forehead, you wrap your arms around him again, hugging him close, with your head just right beside his chest.

It didn't even come to your mind how close you two were.

Nodding your head, you take one last look at him before shutting your eyes closed “…Goodnight Nikolai-“  “-Kolya” 

He interrupts you, correcting you on ‘his name’ 

He continues to caress his fingers through your hair, pushing it back a little.

“Just call me Kolya.” 

[artofkhaos404]

Hobie Brown is a fantastic character.

His design, concept, uniqueness and how HOT he is make him altogether very likeable. But all these things are not why I love him so much; it's what he represents that gets me.

The symbol in modern media he is for many different types of people. For one, he's pretty awesome for people of color to enjoy. Another black hero who can get down to business is always welcome, though it's nothing new for the Spiderverse universe with Miles Morales being our main protagonist. Having a British black character makes it all the more fun, diverse and interesting!

All that being said, the thing that warms my heart about Hobie Brown is what he means for the alternative community.

Im a punk. I'm also an anarchist.

Like anyone, I look for people in media who represent me in both appearance and ideals. As a plus sized person, finding people in media who look like me and aren't part of the toxic stereotype for fat people is uncommon. Chubby characters who don't make their weight part of their personality is unheard of.

Finding characters who properly represent my beliefs and ideals is nigh impossible in my experience. Seeing a punk in modern day popular media is rare. And when I say punk, I'm talking PUNK RAWK. Musicians with colorfully laced boots and symbols painted sloppily all over themselves. Gritty political activists in homemade clothes and piercings, fighting tooth and nail for what they believe in. In truth, I don't know if I've ever seen that in popular media; not authentically.

What do we get instead? Punk coded teenagers who don't really believe in anything, pissing people off for the sake of it. That ain't us. We believe in respect, love and morals. We believe in doing whatever is necessary to achieve the perfect world, whatever each individual believes that is.

The representation is even more insulting for anarchists. Everywhere are both mature antagonists and cartoon villains parading around preaching "anarchy" and completely misusing the word. Its to the point that my political belief is now more closely related to dictatorships (the literal OPPOSITE of anarchism!) or simply death and destruction rather than the true definition: no institutions, just people.

That word has been defiled. I've had people laugh at me and ridicule me when I share my political stance with them due to this stereotype. I've had people tell me I believe what I do just because it "sounds cool."

People that were uneducated to the concept in the first place have now been reeducated by an overlord walking across a battlefield of dead bodies in some movie screaming about "anarchy." Thanks Hollywood. Really appreciate that.

But Hobie is a punk. And he's an anarchist.

He's a hero. He's intelligent. He knows what he fights for and he fights well. That alone is revolutionary for the anarchist movement.

And in a MARVEL FILM. Millions of people watch Marvel films across the globe. Across the Spider verse has pulled in 1.35 Billion dollars. This is exactly what we need.

So, as a representative of my community, thank you Sony Pictures for this gift. I hope to see more like it. And while we're at it, thank you for all the diversity in this new film between all the ethnicities shown onscreen to putting someone my size in the mask!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

(also if anyone has any recommendations for realistic punk characters in media I'd love to hear em)

[sw-33-ts-stuff]

Killer In NYC

Tara Carpenter X Reader

Part 3

Tara POV

Red and blue lights painted the scene around us as we once again went through an interrogation. After the police arrived and wrote their reports they advised us to be more cautious and to notify them of any other "suspicious" activity. Detective Brooks providing his card should we need anything.

"Don't you think you should make sure we have some protection or something?!" Sam yelled.

Detective Brooks narrowed his eyes. "Look Miss unfortunately we can't keep an eye on a group of college kids in the city that never sleeps. You're not the only one with problems so try to stay vigilant, stick together and call me if you need help."

Sam scoffed. "Great work detective. I'll let you know we need help when we're dead."

The man shook his head laughing sarcastically before walking off.

"So I guess we're on our own again?" I sighed.

"Can't be surprised cops aren't usually very helpful in horror films unless they're sleeping with the main character." Chads eyebrows raised at his sisters cadence. I couldn't help but laugh.

However our laughter was cut short by Sam's phone ringing.

"Kirby?! What? Slow down where..." she glanced to me. "Ok we'll be there in a bit." Sam hung up the phone still looking to me.

I felt my eyebrows furrow.

"What?"

Sam sighed looking to Chad and Mindy next.

"Kirby was attacked but she was able to find a safe spot before Ghostface could kill her."

Chad cheered as Mindy's eyes narrowed slightly.

"She had help from an employee at a coffee shop near by." That's when Sam's eyes went to me. "She said she's at the hospital now with the girl who helped her."

Mindy spoke up then. "Who helped her?"

Sam sighed. "She said her name was Y/n."

.

.

.

As soon as Sam parked I ran into the hospital and to the front desk.

"Y/n L/n?" The nurse looked up surprised.

"You family?" Sam ran up behind me with Chad and Mindy.

"Im her girlfriend and they're her cousins." I lied smoothly knowing I'd never hear the end of this from Mindy after.

"Room 13" I walked faster almost barging in the room seeing Kirby sitting next to Y/n knee bouncing. The girl in question sleeping peacefully with an arm sling around her shoulder. Upon hearing our arrival Kirby looked up with a bandaged nose relief shining through her eyes as she barely spared a glance to Sam.

"How is she?"

"Stable, multiple stab wounds but the doctor said she's tough so she'll make a full recovery with some rest." I sighed feeling my body sag in relief. "She saved my life."

I went to closer to the bed staring at the tubes coming from her body. Kirby looked at Sam standing up. "Can we talk?"

My sister nodded and the two went out into the hallway.

Chad going to the vending machine to get himself and Mindy some snacks.

"So girlfriend huh?" I felt myself flush a bit before turning to the girl with an eyebrow raised.

"Seriously you couldn't wait until we left the hospital?" The olive skinned girl shrugged.

"What? You know I live for gay shit and something tells me that lie wasn't too far off the mark." I shook my head.

"You do remember my boyfriend right, Evan?"

"The same dude who didn't even know you had asthma? Which brings me to another question..why did she have your spare inhaler?" I stayed quiet looking at the girl in the bed. "Tara-"

"Alright I got Funyuns, Ruffles, Cheetos, Doritos and some candies." Mindy gave me a look letting me know our conversation wasn't finished. A frustrated Kirby following shortly after with Sam and a nurse.

"I'm sorry everyone but our visiting hours are ending shortly."

"Can I stay?" I bit my lip as Kirby stared at me curiously.

"We'll we're usually not allowed but since you're the girlfriend you can everyone else will have to wait until tomorrow morning." Mindy chuckled shaking her head as Kirby's eyes widened.

Chad gave me some of the snacks he'd bought before leaving with everyone else.

I had moved the chair closer to her bed placing one of my hands on hers.

3rd Person POV

Sam was on her way to drop off Kirby to the theater where her cousin, Sasha, was waiting for her. Chad and Mindy were going to join but decided they'd "wanted to live for at least a few more minutes".

Kirby relayed the events prior as Mindy mentally tried to keep track of who the killer may be.

Exiting the car and making her way in quickly

Kirby walks in to the theater, a bucket of popcorn tucked safely in her arms. She looked around for a familiar head of blonde hair. She only found the back of her head as she was currently locking lips with her boyfriend Gabe.

"Ew." She threw popcorn at the couple making then break apart. She sat down roughly next to Sasha who wiped some of her lipstick off.

"Sorry cuz." She grinned widely grabbing some popcorn.

"Where's Joy?" The younger blonde rolled her eyes.

"She wanted to see the new Stab movie next door, and knew you wouldn't want to be involved so Gabe was keeping me company before joining her." Said boy saluted both women before heading over to the next theater over.

Hooting and hollering was heard all around as the previous Stab movie credits rolled. Everyone cheering with some even going as far to dress up as Ghostface and try to scare people.

"What's up?" Gabe had plopped down in his seat next to Joy. Who had yet to say anything. He pushed her shoulder twice before she fell forward body revealing a sharp knife in her back.

"Oh my God! HEL-“

The girls body began to shake as she laughed.

"Got ya!"

"Fuck can you not?" She shrugged looking at him.

"No popcorn?" He rolled his eyes.

"You're not my girlfriend, you can get yourself some popcorn if you want it so bad."

She scoffed rolling her eyes as the next movie begins.

A pout begins to form.

Damn it's too late now.

The girl looks to the boy again as lights dimmed and the movie began getting more cheers from the crowd.

He stared back feeling his eyes well up.

"Fuck!" He blinked first. "Fine but you gotta come back with me to see this again!"

The girl smiled nodding and clapping as she turned to the movie.

"The whole fucking series!"

Gabe ran up to the register giving his money to an acne ridden teen behind the counter.

.

.

.

Sam sat with Mindy and Chad in her living room as her phone rang.

"Samantha Loomis.."The voice sang. "How are you?"

Everyone in the apartment grew still. Mindy already dialing a number as Chad grabbed the lamp next to him.

"What do you want now asshole?"

She spoke through gritted teeth.

"I was just wondering if it was such a good idea leaving your sister alone when there's a killer on the loose?"

At the hospital, Tara slept soundly next to Y/n nothing to be heard except the beeping of the monitor next to them and the occasional squeak of a wheel chair rolling by.

The gentle rise and fall of Y/N's chest the only sign of life from the girl.

Sam shot up.

"Leave my sister the fuck alone!" She was already getting her keys as Mindy spoke with Detective Brooks.

They climbed into the car, the harsh sound of tires squealing heard throughout her apartment complex.

Detective Brooks jumped into his car, siren blaring as he tried weaving his way through traffic.

.

.

.

Joy bounced in her seat as the movie opened and the first kill had begun. She felt a body sit next to her and immediately reached for the bowl of popcorn.

"That was fast." She commented before leaning in. "And right on time for the first dumb bimbo to get slaughtered." She laughed.

The person next to her remained silent. Joy felt her eyebrows furrow in confusion. Gabe usually loved to criticize the girls on film. He also would've complaint about how he'd missed some Easter egg that he just knew would prove important later in the movie.

She turned her body to her neighbor only to see a weathered Ghostface mask staring back at her, gloved hand going over her mouth as he stabbed her.

A muffled gurgling filled the killers ears. The girl quickly tried to make her way to the front of the theater only to drop dead in the isle as Ghostface calmly stood over her dragging the knife from one ear to the other making the audience go crazier. Ghostface had picked the body up bridal style, someone else taking a picture before they’d dropped Joy and disappeared.

.

.

.

A heavy thud woke Y/n as she sat up abruptly in her hospital bed. Her eyes turning to the culprit to see Tara smiling sheepishly holding up her phone.

"Sorry." She looked down unable to look the other girl in the eye at the moment.

"It's fine." She rasped out pushing her pillows as she prepared to sit up.

Tara quickly ran over to help making the barista laugh.

"Damn if I knew getting stabbed would be the way to get your attention I would've done it sooner."

Tara stared incredulous.

"Seriously?" The other girl shrugged making the brunette give a sarcastic laugh.

"I- " a shrill ring from her phone interrupted her.

"Sam?" Y/n sat up straighter. "What?! No we're fine...we-"

A crash outside of the door made both girls look to the door and back to each other.

.

.

.

I better not have missed anything good.

Gabe walked back into the theater nearly tripping over something he looked down. He felt his head tilt as he dropped the popcorn bucket. He turned the body over feeling himself grow nauseous as he saw the body belonged to Joy.

"HELP!" He looked around trying to get someone to do something. "SHES DEAD!" He put his hands covered in blood up.

Everyone continued laughing shouting and enjoying the movie playing on screen as the boy ran out to call the police. As he reached the theaters front doors a figure grabbed him by his hair stabbing him in the chest. He pushed away running out the door and into Times Square. He tried his best as another sharp slice was made into his back.

"HELP!" The crowd around him creating a circle still watching as the screens around began to change their focus to him and the dark figure following. A knife went through his temple as Ghostface stared directly into the screen.

Everyone screaming and running once they realized what was happening.

Detective Brooks stared at the screens from his car. He quickly got out gun drawn as he tried to shove his way through the crowd. He attempted to shoot once and get the crowd to disperse but there were too many civilians too much chaos. He looked up at the big screen again seeing the boys lifeless body sit on the pavement. The puddle of blood growing quickly around him, eyes wide open still painted in fear.

He sighed as he called for the paramedic.

.

.

.

Sam ran through the dark hallway of the hospital crashing into a nurse who'd been going to change a patients IV. Chad and Mindy following closely behind stopping to help her before they continued their journey to save the younger Carpenter.

A familiar figure was trying to get into Y/N's room shoulder pushing hard as both girls behind the door blocked it off as best they could.

Chad ran and tackled the figure going to punch whoever it was when he got a glimpse of the persons face.

"David?" He coughed holding his hands up. The flowers he'd been carrying now ruined, as he groaned holding his rib cage.

"Sam texted that Tara was in the hospital I thought I'd keep her company." Mindy’s eyes narrowed as did Sam's.

The door swung open upon their arrival. Chad helping David up but still holding him close by his shirt collar not trusting him.

Y/n winced grabbing Tara's attention as she helped the taller girl get back on the hospital bed. The two accidentally turning on the TV causing everyone's eyes widening as a news reporter stood at Times Square familiar faces popping up in a box next to her.

"......Reporting Live from New York this is Gale Weathers."

[nerdieforpedro]

Our Umbra of Life

Chapter One of Fire and Fury Series

Pero Tovar x Calista (fat/plus size OFC)

My entire masterlist and blog are for readers 18+ MDNI. I do not consent to my work being used in AI, recommended on TikTok, borrowed or plagiarized.

Word Count: 2784

Summary: We meet our mercenary and dragon, both on their last legs. How will they survive? What is the cost?

Warnings: References to death, graphic descriptions of injuries, arguing, Sassy Pero, trying out enemies to lovers trope (long way off everyone), a little Spanish?, colors, time period misogyny

Notes: I wanted to try writing a fantasy Pedro character fic and figured Pero was the perfect man for the job! Thanks so much to @tinytinymenace @604to647 @fhatbhabiee and @megamindsecretlair for beta reading my first chapter for me. ☺️

Let me know what you all think! 🤭

Main Masterlist/ Pero Tovar Masterlist/ AO3 Link

Two flickering flames

I share the same sense of urgency and finality that the creature does. Can I find it in time? Do I even know how to fuse two spirits together? Are we even compatible? I may still die despite trying. But I must do something, my soft carmine glow is being replaced with pallor. That arrogant libertine believes me dead, yet I’m only two steps away from it. The smoldering one, reeks of that colorless creatin - devoid of even the kindness to kill the thing outright. He left it to suffer the same as me. It is human. No matter, it is injured, and I will need to bargain with it to keep the eternal night at bay. It will claim my soft green and slate access to the heavens, maybe I can reclaim it after this ordeal, I have lived through worse. From the human’s anguish, conviction can bloom in revenge. I may yet become we.

This means there’s still hope.

Mierda (shit)! I survived a war, countless battles, fell hundreds and men and this…being killed by a fucking dragon and now knowing that the damn things are real?! This is bullshit! What other life was I supposed to live? A sword has been in my hand since I was five years old. The coin I’ve earned, the scars my body bears, the small group of villages I finally feel welcome in. I’ll lose everything. To hell with it! I can smell my flesh cooking in my armor. That white dragon’s flames aren’t extinguishing, I still feel my insides burning. This forest’s greenery is all the same except…dammit my vision is starting to wane…water. I hear the rush of water. If I can get there and submerge myself in its healing embrace, I may be able to make it back.

Everything will not be in vain, I will live.

Iron, burnt flesh, leather and…desperation.

Two souls are on the brink of death. When they meet, is it just for survival? Can differences be bridged upon a common goal?

We wonder if they may collapse from the strain on the essence of one’s core. A soul is meant to only be tethered to a body, not stretched across two and mingled with another.

The Fall

Animals scurry away from the clear waters of the rushing river. They know that stench and it hangs in the air, growing nearer. An unknown’s demise is happening now.

The lush emerald grass crunches under his heavy boots. With each step he becomes more encumbered, dripping fresh crimson down his armor coating the green with the dark red liquid. Pero Tovar is dying. Alone. His trusted friend William is nowhere to be seen, nor is his horse for that matter. Maybe he should have given the damn thing a name. It’s not important right now. He’s within ten feet of the water’s edge. If he can just jump in, the burning to his chest and stomach will cease. It has to. He didn’t force himself from beneath the shadow of the rock that bore scorch marks from that bastard dragon’s white-hot breath just to fall short of his goal. Tovar had lived a violent life, one that began young and grew increasingly dangerous as he aged. He’s not a young man anymore. He should have been retired at this point, in his mid-forties. It’s ancient for a mercenary. A small plot of land with a house that he planned on fixing up himself waited for him. Beckoned him back to make it into a modest home. Tovar might even be able to find someone to share it with. He would need to be alive for either of these things.

With heavy eyes stained with scarlet Pero creeps toward the water, extending his sword arm. The echo from his body’s thud two feet away from the river makes him groan. He’s so close, yet, he has not the strength to pull himself forward. Tovar’s left arm remains under him, limp and burnt as he had tried to block the flames with his non-dominant hand. It was in vain. Strangely his armor only had some light burns, it was his skin that broiled underneath his supposed protection. It now caged in the heat and Pero needed both hands to remove its pieces.

“Human. Can you hear me?” It’s a soft soothing voice. Pero knows it’s either a ploy for a demon to have him sell his soul or Death mocking him for not stopping at the brothel before taking this extermination job in this village. “Human. There shall be no eternal rest for you yet. I have need of you.” He’s needed? Bah, the voice is lying. He failed to report back that the monsters are dead so what good is he now? Someone else can easily take credit, maybe William. No, he’ll come looking for him. Might he run into the white dragon too? That dumbass would and he’ll die too. Hopefully quick, not agonizingly slow like this.

Darkness is beginning to take him as is the cold. Pero cannot feel his limbs nor tell if he’s moving them. “Hmmpf, you care nothing of your life? Just to let it slip away like this. You appeared to be a warrior of some sort. Do all human warriors lay on their belly and wait for their final breath? Such a pity.” This voice, such torture before death to be mocked like this, couldn’t he have died in battle?

“I’m already in hell only hearing this voice before I die. Goddammit.” The mercenary laments.

“Are all humans fools like this? Why will you not heed my words? I am not trying to reach you for simple vexation.”

“Stop with your flowery words then. Say what you actually need. I’m not going to listen to you the entire time before I leave this earth.”

“Such arrogance from a lesser being. Had I had any other option, but I do not. I can keep you alive long enough to complete the process. It will be painful, the combining of essences. But we will both hold fast to our mortal coil yet and seek our shared purpose of revenge.”

“What do you know about my need for vengeance? Silly voice. If it means I can live, then I can find you and shut you up in addition to killing that fucking white dragon. I’ve done worse than ‘combining essence’ in my life. Whatever the hell that is. I’ll agree. I need to see, move and fight. I will not succumb without another chance at battle.”

“Counting on your need for spilling its blood was the right call. You’ll feel me enter you. Do not resist me. I shall call your name. What are you called?”

“Pero Tovar. Make it quick. There’s a bright light. I’m trying to avoid it, but it’s getting closer.”

“Do not rush me. It is my first time attempting this. Pero Tovar.”

“Just my damn luck, an amateur silly voice.”

“Call me Calista you weak mortal. I shall not suffer being called names. Once you are revived, I will teach you who is more powerful, Pero Tovar.”

“Call me Pero, silly voice Calista. Do you not know what last names are?”

“I think I shall make it hurt more just for you Pero.”

“That’s provided you can revive me and not mess up whatever essence you mentioned. You best not kill me Calista. I’ll find your idiotic voice in the afterlife and stab the throat that creates it.”

“Big talk for a mostly dead human Pero. Enough. I will begin.”

Tovar felt pressure, his entire being is forced down into the ground. He is still in the shadows and cannot see. A presence is near, that much he can tell. He notices that the aching burns from before no longer bother him, they’ve been replaced by throbbing bubbles that are pushing against whatever is pushing him down. His body feels like it’s contorting, and he screams, cursing and agreeing with some faceless voice in his final hours. Pero figured with this much pain, he could have been torn in half and not know yet. “I’m being made into a filthy demon’s plaything! Fuck!” The scar on his left eye begins to simmer, tingling before growing, setting itself ablaze. His fingers touch his face, he doesn’t feel anything causing the pain in his scar. That same voice asked how he felt with glee, this asshole was enjoying his pain. “You bastard! Kill me or revive me but hurry it the hell up!” The bubbles tingled in the shape of a hand; it was pulling at something in Pero’ chest. It didn’t feel like an organ but something even more critical.

It’s wrong that it’s being touched and bent. Kneaded with something foreign. A wave of rage and disgust washed over his body briefly before he was able to regain control of himself.

A Fighter’s Rise

His body becomes still. He isn’t sure when, but now he’s on his back and wrenching to vomit. Sitting up, Pero dry heaves before coughing. Wait.

The mercenary is sitting. The wind is on his face. He no longer smells his burnt flesh. Dull aches from head to toe, but his legs and feet are attached to him and so are his arms. The rippling waters tickle his ears as he takes in the sights. He can see everything. Out of both eyes. “Dios mio (My God)!” The gruff mercenary exclaims, slowly rising to his feet. He can stand and he doesn’t feel heavy, no pressure. “Qué pasó (what happened)?” The grass that he had been laying on is covered with different flowers. Some he could identify, others he had never seen. “Why are all of these here?”

The soldier of fortune was alive and that was the focus right now.

“I told you I could bring you back. It appears things went mostly as planned, simple Pero.” The same voice he’d been hearing ringing in his head was further away, but closing in on him. Drawing his sword, Tovar readied himself for battle.

“The flowers symbolize what has happened here. They all have their own meanings, though I doubt a brute such as yourself would appreciate their significance. Lower your weapon. Do not bite the hand that brought you back from the brink of death.” A rush of air is all that Pero’s eyes are able to capture before he’s flat on his back again, pinned by his arms with what looks to be a large woman standing on each forearm. His broadsword slices the ground next to his head, cutting a curl or two of his dark locks and drawing blood from his cheek.

Warm chestnut skin adorns her legs as a silver and mint green dress wraps her body. It’s lightweight and seemingly has no protective value. Underneath the dress he notes different shapes to her body, similar to a woman who is well nourished. Many places to hold and most appear soft. She looks to have thick thighs and legs as well, but her undergarments are smaller than what he’s seen human women wear. The skin of her thighs are completely exposed to him. Her shoulders are exposed and her fingernails are a deep crimson, almost as if they have been dipped in blood. Her eyes remind Pero of warm honey fresh from the comb with hair that calls upon the midnight hours. As she speaks, he watches her raspberry lips with shock and amusement, “Do you not see who is the greater of our pairing Pero? You will remain beneath me as the creature who is controlled by his desires.”

The mercenary grinned and licked his bottom lip, “I would say you are the one with base instincts you reptile. Pinning a man like this when speaking of desires only leads to one outcome. Whatever great being you’re supposed to be and not aware of what human men think of when a woman has her legs open in front of him.” Was he really interested? Mildly, he hadn’t been to the brothel for a warm cunt since before this latest job. Pero was trying to unnerve her since she was acting ‘mightier than thou.’ He hated those types, looking down on everyone. She is literally looking down at him though.

“You disgusting ingrate. You will not move me Pero.” Pressing the soles of her feet into his forearms, she squinted her eyes. “I am called Calista. You will show proper reverence to a dragon! Should count yourself blessed to even meet me, let alone be essence bonded with me.”

At this, his signature scowl is on his face, “I was nearly killed by a dragon and now I’m partnered with one! You damn crazy woman!” Calista drops her hips and uses her shins to continue to pin his arms. Leaning over Tovar, one hand is wrapped around his throat, her nails dug into his skin. Gripping a handful of his hair with her other hand, her breathing was beginning to quicken. The honey of her eyes became a deep jade and flames of the same color puffed out of her mouth with each exhale.

“Damn humans…degenerate, reprobate humans. That I have to lower myself to someone like you to survive…We will be together until our goal is met and Acanthus is dead - the white dragon. Be prepared lowly Pero. I shall use you until completion of my goal.”

Tovar ended up laughing at her words. He’s sure she’s serious, her claws are around his throat but the woman dragon or whatever she is, will make whatever journey this will be a funny one for sure. Huffing, Calista gets off of Pero and waits for him to stand before tossing his sword at him. The scratches on his throat heal and she clicks her tongue.

“We must discuss our predicament so you understand what I am doing for you and the both of us. Sit by the river you sought out. I will come to you shortly.”

Pero spat on the ground at her feet and nodded, claiming a seat on a large rock next to the river.

The Dragon’s Lament

Calista stood, peering up at the sky. She would miss it. She was grounded now, stuck in this human form with such a body. And tethered to this lewd and foul man. She needed to survive, but at what cost? “Great Elder Bahamut, what have I done to deserve this? Why did you only exile that vile serpent? They should have been burned to ash.” She looked at Pero’s wide back, his hair was dirty but soft and his voice was a dulcet tone that made the scales she had left vibrate.

Taking steps toward her new other half, Calista felt unfamiliar sensations. Pero made her stomach churn, she spat in the same manner he had, except blood came out with it. She wipes her mouth as her once booming voice has lightened. Still rich in its depth, but didn’t vibrate the very air. “Dammit. My wings, my voice. Does this mean my magic as well? Just to survive, just because I wanted to remain my own dragon.” The short walk toward Tovar appears endless to her, each step heavier than the next. “Weak, shifty human. Pero you must-“ Her voice cut off as she fell forward as the mercenary had in the same spot. Shivering in the resentment at how frail her body was now, Calista gasped. A boot was next to her head.

“Who is above who now, you haughty dragon? You look sick. I would be stuck with a half-dragon that can’t move.” Pero heard the thud and rose from his seat next to the water. The creature did appear to be posturing to cover for something. Now he knew, whatever she had done to keep them both alive had grave consequences for her. What did it mean for him?

“Vamos la arpía pequeña (Let’s go little dragon).” Pero slipped his arms underneath her body and turned her over. She may have been exceedingly prideful as a dragon - something to have pride in, but she was also beautiful, there were scales dotted along her skin that varied from silver to magenta. He lifted her and surveyed his area, they’d need shelter for the time being until she woke up or nightfall came. His eyes seemed sharper than they had been, he didn’t remember being able to see that far, spying a cave about three thousand feet away. “Maybe there might be something to this. Not telling her that though.”

Measured steps toward the cave gave Tovar ample time to think and consider next measures.

One who might pin Pero down…for reasons:

@tinytinymenace @604to647 @jessthebaker @megamindsecretlair @soft-persephone

@rav3n-pascal22 @iamskyereads @sherala007 @morallyinept

@soft-girl-musings @readingiskeepingmegoing @bishtrouille @yorksgirl @inept-the-magnificent

@avastrasposts @perotovar @connectioneverywhere @alltheglitterandtheroar @all-the-things-2020

Chapter Two

[abybweisse]

Hello there, I find your theory about John Brown is a supernatural being in disguise is interesting me, because I don't believe that Undertaker will be the final antagonist but will face to face with Sebastian and Our!Ciel since his main goal is to restore the Phantomhive family and we still don't know who killed Rachel and Vincent, kidnapped the twins and burned their mansion. Also, in Season 1, John Brown was replaced with Ash/Angela who was a fallen angel and the one who cause the Phantomhve family's demise. If John Brown was indeed a supernatural being and was involved with the Phantonhive's death, I imagined him being a dangerous third party like how Ash/Angela became a very dangerous villain that made both demons which is Sebastian and reapers to join forces to stop the fallen angel. I don't know if the whole "snuff out the unclean, snuff out the unnecessary and snuff out the unwanted" will became canon, but let's just wait for another plot twist in thr climax.

Speaking of season 1, in the episode "His butler: Engaging the Servants", Finnian said that birds were his only friends, and since we probably get closer to Finny's past in the manga, could it be birds symbolizes his desire for freedom? Because I always heard this simile, " As free as a bird." What do you think of this?

Also, in the last episode of season 1, Sebastian said that his true form is unsighty, disgusting and repulsive. I personally think that he wasn't wrong that his true form is quite horrible for human eyes to see, i mean, having an eldritch like body with hundred of eyes is far from the word beautiful. Not to mention that Ash/Angela's reaction and how they were terrified implies that Sebastian can easily shred them in pieces which he actually did to that mad fallen angel (and also the cultist that killed R!Ciel in the manga)

(I'm completely aware that I often compared season 1 of the anime with the manga because some of them were nearly the same. Idk about season 2)

⚠️ long post ⚠️ and re-edited ❗️ ⚠️

Hello! Thanks for the asks!

John Brown as the biggest bad

I often compare John Brown (and Ash/Angela) to a Mother game character called Giygas, who is an extraterrestrial from a very distant world. In Mother, Giygas crash-lands on Earth and is cared for by George and Mary/Maria. I'm a little confused about the details, but they apparently go with Giygas to its home planet, where Mary/Maria stays. George steals technology from the alien race and returns to Earth, where he conducts more studies. George also somehow manages to pass alien abilities to his descendants. Fearing this technology will be used by Earthlings to destroy that alien race, Giygas is sent back to Earth to stop him. But by the time Giygas gets to Earth again, George has already died, and Giygas has gone kind of insane. Giygas decides to take revenge against humanity, particularly George's descendants, like Ninten. By the time you get to Mother 2 (EarthBound), Giygas is using all sorts of methods to control people, including this kid called Pokey Minch. Ness and his pals defeat Pokey and Giygas, but Pokey escapes, while Giygas is sort of... obliterated? In Mother 3, Pokey returns as King Porky. Though Giygas isn't seen anymore, some essence of evil left behind by Giygas still seems to influence King Porky. With help, Lucas manages to defeat King Porky (without killing him). Then Lucas still has to have a final showdown with his dead and reanimated older mirror twin brother, Claus.

George is one of the parallels to Undertaker, here, assuming he's Cedric, the paternal grandfather of the mirror twin brothers (real Ciel and our earl). Taking and researching technology from another race of creatures, passing abilities/traits onto his descendants. Does the technology come directly from reapers? I don't quite think so, at least not entirely. They keep mentioning their "superiors", and I suspect those are something truly superior to reapers, not simply reapers with higher authority. Angels, perhaps. That's what Ash/Angela is in s1, though apparently a fallen one. And both characters (John and Ash/Angela) have whips....

Perhaps the John Brown we have seen in the manga is one of these superiors? Possibly an angel of sorts.

An angel who has been sent to clean up this mess with Undertaker. I can imagine the superiors trying (at first) to take care of it themselves, not wanting the reapers to know whatever Undertaker has learned. But that's failed, and now active reapers are being pulled in to help.

And, in the process, John has made a contract with Queen Victoria, much like a demon might? The way he uses that puppet of Prince Albert suggests he's controlling the queen, and it might be a lot like the offer Sebastian originally offered to our earl (to make him believe his twin had returned). This makes Victoria the main parallel to King Porky. (I believe there's another one who specifically parallels Pokey Minch, before he returns as the self-proclaimed king.)

Perhaps John, like Ash/Angela, has a completely different side to him that we haven't seen just yet? Something polar opposite of what we've seen, so far. Something intense and crazed, much like Ash/Angela is. Much like Giygas becomes.

I seriously think that our earl (with help) must defeat John Brown as the "big bad", even more so than the queen, though she's probably the one who actually orders the attack, etc.

If the Mother game series parallels are close enough, John's (or the reaper superiors') main concern might be that Undertaker could make their roles obsolete. And that's kind of what Othello and Grelle discuss in ch149. And they haven't even discussed the possibility that this deserting reaper has been passing on reaper traits to human descendants. But they are already worried he might change the nature of life itself, making souls unnecessary. Making reapers unnecessary. It could destroy the entire system of the Afterlife. Much like Giygas' species fears humans stealing and using their own technology against them.

Finny and birds

Isn't there a scene in the manga that has Finny accidentally kill the first bird he tries to care for... or was that also just anime Finny? 🤔 Anyway, he definitely says he likes the outdoors and wide open spaces because of his previous confinement. It would make sense if he's also fond of anything else that symbolizes freedom, like the flight of birds. Makes it more poignant that there's so much caged bird imagery in his current situation at the orphanage... as well as the wren and myths/folklore associated with it.

Sebastian's demonic form

I quickly started to associate Sebastian with two characters in Mother 3: Boney, the loyal family dog who helps Lucas... and the Dark Dragon, the beast that follows your will... if you wake it up and give it your "heart". Lucas is the one to wake the Dark Dragon after his older mirror twin is "sacrificed".

We've actually seen glimpses of a form this demon can take, besides all the mouths and eyes, and besides the various animals (and furniture) it can conjure from itself. We see it reflected in a mirror on the cover art for ch88.

We also see it in a couple panels in ch137. The image on the left is not as well defined, and it might be as the demon is changing forms. The head of the one on the right looks particularly similar to the reflection on ch88's cover.

The Dark Dragon is a powerful creature that can be used for good or bad, depending on who wakes it back up. Lucas has a good heart, so the Dark Dragon does everything in its power to set things right again, after much upheaval. It cannot return the dead to life, just like Sebastian.

So... the Dark Dragon never goes up against Giygas... or even against King Porky. The biggest bads are defeated before Lucas even wakes the Dark Dragon. Giygas is defeated by prayer (of all things) in Mother 2. King Porky is captured inside an Absolute Safe Capsule, invented by Dr. Andonuts.

In Black Butler, we could see a break in that parallel, simply because our earl relies so heavily on Sebastian (and because Sebastian is already awake/under contract). However, we could also end up with our earl and Sebastian witnesses to John Brown and Queen Victoria being defeated by others who have been helping them.

One of Undertaker's other parallels in the Mother game series is Dr. Andonuts... but he's not the only Kuroshitsuji character to parallel the inventor: so is Sieglinde Sullivan. Dr. Andonuts is forced to work for King Porky, and his Fascinating Chimera technology is used/abused by King Porky's Pigmask Army, but he eventually manages to get revenge by keeping Porky alive but unable to cause anymore harm. We know Undertaker doesn't like the queen, so if he finds out she wants his Bizarre Dolls as "allies", he might confront her and John. Then we have Sieglinde, who is brought to England and introduced to the queen. Soon after, we find out the queen is sponsoring Sieglinde's new (mostly secret) projects... in a house and laboratory also provided by the queen. When Sieglinde figures out the queen is using her, much like her mother used her, she might also rise up against Victoria.

If we keep really close to the game, our earl and Sebastian (as Boney instead of the Dark Dragon role) might finally confront Queen Victoria and John Brown (and Double Charles?) just to watch as they are somehow defeated by Undertaker and/or Sieglinde. Extra points if it's Sieglinde using some contraption she invented while working for the queen.

Wouldn't it be wild if Sebastian isn't (directly) the one to defeat his master's main enemies... and then he has to apologize for failing the terms of the contract? Or maybe he covers his demon ass by helping in some roundabout way, so he can still claim the victory for his master? Either way, it could really decrease the sweetness of that revenge.

Sebastian might not even need the ability to shred John Brown. We shall see....

---

And I'm completely aware I often compare Black Butler to the Mother game series. 😆 S1 of the anime has some interesting AU parallels. For all of its off-the-rails qualities -- surprisingly -- so does s2. Heck, that joke OVA about making the anime even has a scene that parodies part of Dr. Andonuts' lab under King Porky's control.

Sorry for the long delay in responding. I hope you like the reply!

[best-underrated-anime]

Best Underrated Anime Group H Round 2: #H7 vs #H3

#H7: Isekai subversion, now with more women and good writing.

#H3: Two guys time-travel through photos. Depression ensues.

Details and poll under the cut!

#H7: The Executioner and Her Way of Life (Shokei Shoujo no Virgin Road)

Summary:

Average student Mitsuki Mutou suddenly finds himself transported to another realm. Summoned by the king of this world for the remarkable power he is supposed to possess, Mitsuki is thrown out when it appears that he lacks a Special Concept. Moping about, he encounters a priestess named Menou who explains that Japanese people like him are known as Lost Ones, and such individuals never fail to have Special Concepts.

Menou elaborates that she is part of a church that helps abandoned Lost Ones integrate into society. She invites him to spend the night at her church, where the two can probe the nature of his ability. Eventually, they discover that Mitsuki's Special Concept is actually incredibly powerful and dangerous.

But is Menou's true goal to assist Lost Ones—or the opposite?

Propaganda 1:

An isekai that forgoes the usual tropes and exceedingly dull, whitebread protagonist in favor of a cast consisting more or less exclusively of varying flavors of deranged lesbians.

As a bonus, a certain scene halfway through the first episode made a lot of the worst parts of the anime community SO mad, and I feel like that’s worth something in and of itself.

Propaganda 2:

An isekai subversion that doesn’t feel like it’s subversive for the sake of being trendy! All of its unique parts have lore to explain them, and the world building of the series is super intriguing. The power mechanics are well-thought-out, and the fighting is unique and beautifully animated! Another strong part is the character relationships; I love the various dynamics between the main cast, and I love how none of them are reduced to mere tropes, as anime loves to do with its women. It’s also very funny, and the protagonist is one of my favorites <3333

Trigger Warnings: Child Abuse, Graphic Depictions of Cruelty/Violence/Gore, Suicide. Suicide is basically a deuteragonist’s goal, but it isn’t shown.

#H3: Link Click (Shiguang Dailiren)

Summary:

Best friends, roommates, and business partners Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang run a photo studio, developing pictures and the like. But that’s not all they do. The Shiguang Photo Studio has a secret extra service—they can deliver messages you never got to send and find information you never got to learn, so long as you bring a photograph, or maybe several.

Their method? A clap of the hands, and Cheng Xiaoshi dives into the past and into the body of the photographer. Guided by Lu Guang, he has twelve hours to achieve his goal, whether that is finding a secret, saying goodbye, or winning a fight.

Assisted by their friend and landlady Qiao Ling, the duo navigates a gallery of corporate lies, interpersonal drama, old regrets, and crime. In the second season, threads that began in the first episode of season one continues, showcasing the same level of brilliant writing and even higher stakes for our beloved characters.

Propaganda:

“Past or future, just let them be” is a message that is repeated throughout the show. At first, you’d think it’s just a matter of course, but after enough times of hearing it, it becomes depressing.

How can Cheng Xiaoshi be indifferent when he can feel the emotions of the person he’s possessing? When their pain becomes his pain as well? And so what if the person before him is already dead? At this moment, their hands feel so warm and alive.

This is where Lu Guang comes in. While Cheng Xiaoshi is the empathic and reckless type, Lu Guang is the cold and rational type. They balance each other out, and when they have conflicts, they face it maturely. They also care for each other so so much that the moment the other is in danger, all their principles get thrown out the window just to ensure the other person’s safety.

In s1, we watch them take on their clients’ orders. Through this, the show’s beauty is revealed: Simplicity and Sincerity.

Simplicity, because for a time-travel show, you’d expect the tasks to involve the fate of the world or something, but no. All the people Cheng Xiaoshi have dived into have been your everyday person—an office woman who gets harassed at work, a restaurant owner who’s grown estranged from her best friend, a man who wants to gain the approval of his girlfriend’s family, etc. Even when the stakes go high in s2, the core of the conflicts still lie in the character’s personal problems—which may seem small in the grand scheme of things, but they are not any less important. And I think this is nice. It’s hard to relate to grand plots, but it’s easy to relate to the day-to-day struggles that humans face.

Then Sincerity, because every single character is treated with care. Even characters you’ll never see again past their arcs manage to be impactful and unforgettable. They’ll claw their way into your heart and just stay there. I’ve rewatched s1 three times, but I still cry every time it reaches the basketball arc 😭. Then in s2, even the antagonists will grab for their share of your tears.

And you begin to question—Should they really just let the past or future be? If changing the past could save someone, is it really that bad?

The answer revealed in the s2 finale was so shocking that #link click trended for the first time ever on Tumblr after the episode aired, which is a feat in itself, considering how small the fandom is.

It has great animation, too. I especially love the 360° shots in some key scenes in s2 for they really amped up the tension. The fight scenes are also well-choreographed.

And all the music are bangers! S1 opening makes you wanna learn finger tutting, while the s2 opening is a masterpiece that leaves you in awe. (The s2 second chorus is just the first chorus played in reverse, making it sound like time is being rewinded. Fucking genius!)

If you still don’t watch Link Click after reading this, then you’ll be missing out in one of the greatest animated shows of all time. Just do yourself a favor and watch it already.

Trigger Warnings:

S1: Flashing lights in the opening, attempted and implied sexual harassment, slight panic attack, death, kidnapping, drugging, suicide, blood. Complete list of TW’s for s1 can be found here (it may be spoilery)

S2: Fast-changing images in the opening, domestic abuse, child abuse, emotional abuse, violence, blood, murder.

When reblogging and adding your own propaganda, please tag me @best-underrated-anime so that I’ll be sure to see it.

If you want to criticize one of the shows above to give the one you’re rooting for an advantage, then do so constructively. I do not tolerate groundless hate or slander on this blog. If I catch you doing such a thing in the notes, be it in the tags or reblogs, I will block you.

Know one of the shows above and not satisfied with how it’s presented in this tournament? Just fill up this form, where you can submit revisions for taglines, propaganda, trigger warnings, and/or video.

[deadsnothere]

Hi!! Could I request an Anthony Lockwood x reader fic where it is dark in the evening and the reader and lockwood are cuddling on the couch and its pouring raining and just like enjoying each others presence. Like stealing kisses and just whispering sweet nothings to each other. I would love that!!!! Please take your time!! Thank you so much!!!!

"One love, One lifetime."

Synopsis - Lockwood & Co finally get a rainy day off! but what happens when a blanket gets stolen from its rightful owner?

Request - YES!!

Word Count - 1.8k

Speak Ali! - I'm not dead, I have a theater competition soon so i probably won't be posting may anymore this week other than me ranting. but you can still definitely request shit!!!

Masterlist

We’d finally had a real day off! Whenever Anthony says we’ll have a day off I'm not sure if I can believe him. I mean we’ll have a few hours off at most but then another case comes in urgently and we’ll deal with that. So we almost never have a real day off.

Until today.

It was 8 o'clock on the dot. I finished the dishes after dinner, since I was the one to cook tonight. Wiping down the water from the counter and my hands. I've spent all day doing nothing but reading. It's amazing. I have this adventurous sort of romance book i'm reading right now, I have only 50 pages left of the 430. I got to the part where the main character finds her long lost girlfriend in this big haunted library where she's been under a sleep spell for years. I'm so excited to see how their reunion plays out!

I folded the kitchen towel up and threw it in the small hamper George put out for the kitchen wash. Passing the library, I opened the front door looking out on the rain and “gloom” outside. Lucy was ‘stuck’ at Norries in all the rain, while George was upstairs in his room. Anthony was doing the same, I’d gone up and visited them both a few times, George to make sure he wasn't stressing over our case tomorrow, and Anthony just to say “Hi”. I closed the door and backtracked to the library to finish my book.

I sat down on the chair in front of the desk, reaching back to pull the blanket I had on me earlier back to its rightful spot on my shoulders. But it wasn't there- Who moved my blanket?- no one else had been downstairs!- I stood up looking around the room, almost jumping when I noticed Mr. Anthony Lockwood himself sleeping on the long side chair. He looked kinda uncomfortable, one leg was on top of his knee, while his head was tilted back. My blanket is laying on top of him. I sighed, rolling my eyes lovingly, he is cute. I can't deny it.

“Baby, you have my blanket-” I poked him softly, but he just whispered incoherently back at me. Scrunching his face up and moving away. Oh my god, he is so fucking cute. I kissed his cheek softly, when he didn't move then I went to drastic measures. Attacking his face with kisses, leaving them all over his forehead, nose, lips, cheeks, temples. He woke up very quickly, laughing when I continued to kiss him. “A-Alias what are you doing!” I pulled back from my attack to talk to him. “You have my blanket.” Smiling at him slyly. “Is that really why you woke me up?” He groaned, pulling me into a kiss. I raised an eyebrow back, giggling when he pushed me into his lap. “Are you really that mad about me waking you up how I did?” He thought about it for a second, just shrugging.

I stood up once again to go back to my book but he didn't let go of my hand. “We could always share your blanket.” Anthony made a fair point, with his real genuine smile. Smiling back at him, I softly pulled my hand away. I think his body physically deflated when we let go of contact. but he was quick to reflate when I picked up my book striding back to him. “If you want you can lay your head in my lap while I read- Or I can lay on you.” He was quick to lean against the side of the chair, letting his legs finally stretch out on top of the soft fabric, patting his lap for me to lay down as well. “Well eager, are we?” Giggling, I finally laid down on top of him, my waist in between his legs and arms holding up my book.

We’d stayed like this for a while, Anthony was reading along with me but half way through a paragraph he’d fallen asleep. He always looked so peaceful when sleeping. No matter how stressed he was when he fell asleep there was nothing to worry about, not a care to be shown on his face. He said he used to have bad nightmares, but with me they were always “better” whatever that meant. I guess it either means I make his dreams better or I've stopped the nightmares.

He’s definitely helped me to...After the night of the Fairfax incident he came to my room to sleep, I planned to go to him but he’d beat me to it. Nothing was better than feeling his arms wrap around me (tighter than normal) He confessed the next morning that he was scared, about what happened with Fairfax threatening me, and I ended up giving them more information about my past and what Fairfax had to do with it.

Once I'd finished the book I set it down on the floor turning around to put my face into Anthony's chest. Humming the tune of “All i ask of you” from Phantom of the opera, A Musical I performed in, for a case and for fun. “My words will warm and calm you.” I placed a hand on his cheek rubbing softly, while singing to him and to me. “Let me be your freedom.” I started to hum again when he stirred abit. mumbling my name softly, and going right back to his deep sleep. “Let daylight dry your tears.” When I placed a kiss on his jaw it wasn't meant to wake him this time, more just a soft reminder I was still with him. “I'm here, with you, beside you.” I kissed his jaw again in a different place. “To guard you, and to guide you.”

I still remember how jealous he was when I was first put in the role of Christine daae. He was there every practice and every show being careful to watch how genuinely my reactions were. He's always been protective of me. But he shows it differently, protective in a silent way.

“Say you love me every waking moment.” I closed my eyes humming the song. “Say you need me with you now and always.” I felt a hand slowly lift my head up, pulling me into a kiss. It was passionate and caring, all the love in the world was behind it. “I need you with me, you're my shelter, my light.”

“One love, one lifetime.”

“One love, one lifetime.”

“I could make out with you right now, that was so romantic..” Anthony laughed at my lack of filter rubbing my cheeks with his hands pulling me into a kiss but pulling away before I could keep my words to my mouth. “Your voice is absolutely breathtaking darling.” “You're an idiot.” He smiled at me trying to keep his romantic words going. “You know you’re only saying that because you can't take a compliment.” I gasped, almost offended. (if it weren't so true). “I can take a compliment! I took the compliment show night!” Anthony looked a little too proud of himself. We both knew why he was so touchy that night, him watching me “flow, flawlessly” with another man made his blood boil but instead of getting mad at me for something I couldn't control. He just simply showed the man who’s I was. whether that meant hickeys in more than obvious places, or getting caught kissing in my dressing room. The poor actor always knew who’s I was, and Anthony was always beaming at that fact.

“Show night was different.” I scoffed, rolling my eyes. “What because you were jealous I danced in another man's arms so you just had to show me off.” He scoffed next, looking away from me with an obvious hint of “I can't protect myself” or I like to think it was that anyway. “I did not show you off. You were on the news and they asked me, how I thought of your performance. When they asked how I was close to you I just don't think they were expecting me to say boyfriend and kiss you…on live tv.” I nodded sarcastically. “My parents called me later that night asking why my shade of burgundy lipstick was being snogged off onto yours on live tv.” He laughed knowing exactly where this was going. “You're lucky they like bold people! you would be dead if it weren't for the fact.”

He swelled with pride. My parents loved him, If it weren't for quill i'm sure they would've loved him even more. “That even got me a few points with your brother.” And in Anthony's position as his “enemy” that's hard. “You don't need points with my brother, idiot.” He knew that better than anyone, if I knew my brother didn't like him for a good reason I wouldn't have joined his company or started dating him. “Alias, Darling, I know. I just feel like maybe earning his respect is still in line here, you are his little sister so I can understand why he would be protective.” He was so sweet when he wasn't wishing my brother dead after saving our asses on a case. “Well baby, I know he definitely respects you after the locket case.”

“The locket case.” During the locket case we were miss informed again. A woman showed up at our door at three am, said she was struggling with a ghost problem. As it was 3 am, George had no time to research, so we all got dressed and went to work on the case. It ended up with me in the hospital, with Anthony in the bed on the other side of the room. He was always an idiot, jumping in front of us and never caring for himself first.

“Those nurses hated us.” The nurses always got mad at us because we were never in our own beds. But we were too nervous to let the other go. Apparently my brother showed up while I was passed out. He said

“Tony sat there bleeding out refusing to room with anyone but you. I thought he was actually going to die on his statement. He was saying all the romantic shit about ‘I can't leave them alone’ and ‘I have to know their ok’. It was disgustingly sweet.”

Quill didn't say it but he respected Anthony for that, I was glad to know they could sort of get along when needed.

Wow I get lost in my thoughts easily, when being pulled out of my head, Anthony had already fallen back to sleep. His heart beat going back to a slow pace, his hands were intertwined at the back of my neck, and his head seemed to be in a much more comfortable position. He's so peaceful. This reminds me of a scene in my book but instead of me finding him in a sleep curse in a giant haunted library, he dragged me down with him.

I kissed his cheek one more time before finally laying my head down to take a nap too. George is going to be pissed in the morning when he finds us, especially since my book is on the floor.

[thatfragilecapricorn30]

I like The X-Files, should I watch Fringe?

I decided to watch Fringe because it was frequently recommended as a show for fans of TXF. I was really curious how similar it would be and would I actually enjoy it? I'm only on S2 E5, so this post will be my impressions of the first season. I'll probably write another post after watching more of the show. I'll also try to make this as spoiler free as possible so anyone can read it!

What is Fringe about? The main character is FBI Special Agent Olivia Dunham. We meet her when she's assigned to a case in which everyone on board a plane dies from a mysterious illness. The plane lands successfully at Boston Logan (due to some auto-landing feature - not sure if this is even real) and this is where we find out that Boston (aka Vancouver) is our setting for the show. Dunham traces the mysterious illness back to the research of a former Harvard professor (Dr. Walter Bishop), who is currently in a psychiatric institution, and she needs his son (Peter Bishop) to get him out. By the end of the episode, the three of them form the core of the Fringe division, a cohort of agents and consultants working on unexplained cases (sound familiar??).

How are Fringe and TXF similar?

Both shows center on a special division within the FBI that involve unexplained phenonomen.

Both are filmed in Vancouver.

Both feature monster of the week and mythology episodes.

Both have a strong female lead.

Both have the potential for romance between the two leads (Olivia and Peter).

How are the two shows different?

Fringe features an ensemble cast, whereas TXF was really only Mulder and Scully. I enjoy the relationships between the characters (like Peter and his father, and Walter and Astrid), but the show hasn't done a great job of fleshing out characters aside from the core three. Poor Astrid has pretty much no personality aside from performing lab work with Walter.

The show does not have the same atmosphere as TXF seasons 1-5, even though they're both filmed in the same locale. It might be because of film vs. digital, but the cinematography on Fringe is lacking compared to the beautiful forests we're used to seeing on TXF.

Fringe does a great job of tying a majority of their monster of the week episodes back to the main mythology. The problem with this is that it's hard to watch these episodes independently as they don't have a truly self-contained story.

The mythology storyline is well-developed and I heard that there's actually a plan for the plot (unlike TXF).

Fringe is sci-fi. There are no paranormal, supernatural, or horror elements.

Other impressions:

It took me about halfway through season 1 to start getting into the show, and it seems like that might be some others' experience (and why they may have stopped).

I find it hard to follow the cases sometimes, because they involve technology that is extremely advanced or currently doesn't exist at all, and it seems like the writers don't really understand it either.

I have a feeling we'll be seeing a romantic relationship between Olivia and Peter at some point and I think the show is doing a good job of slowly developing their bond. I've also heard that Anna Torv and Joshua Jackson did not get along on set (sound familiar??) but they have decent chemistry - not as good as David and Gillian but as we all know, there's not a fair comparison.

There's random things that rub me the wrong way, like Walter performing autopsies (someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think he's an MD, just has several PhDs), how every single case relates back to Walter's research (this man is like 10 Einsteins because he was conducting experiments in every field and all of it beyond the realm of known science), Walter touching dead bodies at crime scenes without gloves (I know this happens in TXF but it's so egregious in Fringe). Despite all this, I do like Walter's character and I think John Noble gives an excellent performance.

Olivia Dunham is a well-rounded character and Anna Torv is great. I really enjoy the relationship she has with her sister and niece.

So far, I enjoy the mythology episodes more than the monster of the week, which is the opposite of my opinion for TXF.

It's funny that there are 15 years between the premiere of TXF (1993) and Fringe (2008) and about another 15 years to present day (2024). But Fringe seems so modern compared to TXF. You can barely tell it's 15 years old, except for the lack of iPhones and I'm sure even that will change in the next few seasons.

Should I watch it??

If you really enjoy sci-fi, I would say definitely check it out. If you're on the fence, or don't like sci-fi at all, I would skip this one.

It probably sounds like I don't enjoy Fringe based on my above points. I think part of it is that I am comparing it to TXF, even while watching, and TXF is definitely better (imo). I also enjoy horror more than sci fi. But, Fringe is holding my interest for now and I've heard that it improves throughout the seasons, so I'm going to keep watching.

I'll definitely write an update post at some point - if I finish the show or stop watching it.

I'm so curious to hear the thoughts of others who have watched Fringe! Do you agree with my assessments so far? What are your opinions and how does it compare to The X-Files for you?