#he just wanted something else so much that being 'dead' to his friends afterwards was an acceptable price

[essayofthoughts]

I think another hair-splitting thing that is nonetheless VERY important is that

Vax did not want to die

Vax DID want to keep his promise.

Which utility mentions, but doesn't like. Go into the underlying detail which is... Sometimes you do things you don't want to do because it's nonetheless the right thing to do. Because you promised. Because you owe a debt. Because you have to. It doesn't mean it necessarily makes you happy.

As utility says, staying with Vex and Keyleth would make him happy if that was something he could do without breaking his promise - but breaking his promise would be at odds with who he is as a person and who is as a person is someone who is willing to make hard choices. He sold a stranger into slavery to save his sister. He fights with Percy on moral issues. He throws himself into harm's way to help his friends. These aren't things he wants to do, necessarily, but they are things he is willing to do. Things he does because if he didn't he wouldn't be himself. Because he always wants to protect Vex, because he has his moral beliefs, because he loves his friends and wants them safe. And if that costs him a night of sleep, or easy friendship, or an ounce of flesh and blood - then so be it. That is the price of being the person he wants to be and doing the things that keep with his identity and the person he wants to be.

And so: he struck a deal with the Matron. Yes, out of-game, Matt would likely have allowed Liam to make a new character of an on-par level with Vax to ensure the party wasn't hobbled in the last fight. But in universe Vax didn't know that! In-universe Vax knew that his friends and dearest loved ones were about to do something incredibly dangerous and that he was being given a chance to help and I don't think he could have lived with himself if he didn't help.

And the cost of being able to give that help was to return to the Matron and work with her thereafter. Not something he wanted to do - or perhaps, not something he wanted to do yet, something he would have happily done after a long and happy life - but something he was willing to do. An acceptable price for the thing he did want to do.

He got to see his loved ones. He got to save his loved ones. He got to tell his loved ones goodbye.

Vax knows, from his mother, just how unlikely that is to have. Of course he paid the price for it. He knew what he got for that was worth it to him.

finally watched cooldown and two thoughts:

Smart of Matt to be like "no, we will have a satisfying denouement for other major figures involved" after the collective C2 ending freakouts; like, it feels like we are pretty obviously deep in the endgame but yeah I expect there will be check-ins after the last battle with Vox Machina, the Mighty Nein, and the Crown Keepers, plus probably the Calloways; obviously Liliana will be present. Might need two post BBEG combat episodes instead of the traditional one!

Other people have noted this but yeah it's actually...fucking weird how Liam is the only person who seems to in real life accept that Vax is permanently gone and you can't like, cheat this. And it's frustrating because he is no less dead than Zuala or Will or Molly or FCG. Like, sending the ravens and popping back in does mean it's harder for Keyleth to get over it, but like. idk maybe stop trying to go on random dates and just spend time with people who aren't technically under your (benevolent) rule or also people who never really accepted Vax's death (ie, the rest of Vox Machina). I mean I enjoyed the scene with Verin, and I think there's an intriguing case to be made there anyway (high expectations in childhood, leadership at a very young age, grew up without one of their parents) but just generally...she will never forget Vax, it will always be a scar, but she can move forward if she accepts his choice even if she disagrees with it. At this point...if she can't move on, that is because she won't. And a little bit because seven years later the cast won't.

[casuallyanidiot]

can you please do a surgeon reader with pathetic rich yandere? please and thank you for making so many good fics!

Thanks for the support!

Ooooh a needy, clingy, Yandere patient.... I like your thinking anon.

Tw. For self harm mention

Yandere patient grew up as a rich, spoiled kid with plenty of daddy's money and not enough spine. He's never had someone care about him if it wasn't for his money, even his parents don't really seem to love him beyond the basic obligations of making sure he wasn't dead or feral. His friends are all assholes who are also rich, university students that only seem to like him when he's drinking past the point of passing out, or when he buys them fancy dinners and meals as gifts. He knows that they are just leeches, but he doesn't have anyone else.

Yandere patient who gets pressured into doing a stupid stunt. He was drunk at the time, so he doesn't really remember much about what exactly he did, but he knew what happened afterwards: Broken legs, a spinal injury, a shattered wrist, and 15 stitches on his cherub like face.

You're assigned to be his surgeon, as it turns out. You tell him that since his injuries are so severe, he'll need to have multiple surgeries and come in frequently to ensure he's healed.

He understands, though a bit weary and exhausted.

Through the period of time that's he's kept in the hospital, you notice how no one ever comes to visit him. Yandere patient becomes withdrawn and almost a bit despondent, and you knew you needed to do something. He wont recover if his mentality isn't there, after all.

You spend a lot of time comforting him, spending time with him later in the evenings before you go home, and you chat with him for brief periods of the day.

Yandere patient feels the most affection he's ever received while bedridden in your care. He knows that for once, it's not just about money. Yes, this is your job, but he knows for a fact that you pay more attention to him than you would some of your other charges.

Yandere patient decides to move himself into the hospital until he recovers. There's not real point in being locked away in his gloomy yet opulent room, tucked away in some countryside manor. No, he'd rather be here with you so that he may relish in your constant doting. You are a bit hesitant when he tells you the news with such a bright, beaming face. You don't want to hurt the poor man's feelings since he's been through so much already, but you'd rather prefer to see him getting out a bit more and trying his hand at socializing. Still, you don't press him too much on the issue.

Yandere patient who realizes that whenever he makes a bit too much progress, you distance yourself ever so slightly. It gives him pause, and it makes his heart race in a not good way. He can't have you leaving him. Not when he's already begun to rely on you so much.

Yandere patient who messes up his stitches constantly. He looks up at you with big, watery eyes when you find him covered in his own blood. He feigns his clumsiness, but he can't help the pleasurable shudder that runs up his damaged spine whenever you fret over him.

Yandere patient who starts to try to make you move into one of the many family manors he resides in. He'll pay you an extraordinary amount if you'll let him be your only patient. Plus, it's in the countryside! Fresh air, beautiful gardens, privacy: What more could you want?!

He tries so hard to sell you on it, but you don't budge. He pouts like a child for a while afterwards, though soon he's back to his usually smiling self.

He's figured it out. He doesn't have to ask you! A simple multi million dollar bribe to the hospital here, a scheme to blacklist you there, and soon you'll be happy to only have eyes for him!

Yandere Patient is practically beaming when you show up to his estate, bags in hand. The money, the pain, the isolation... all of it was just a small price to pay for you to never leave his side again.

[ace-and-the-rpg-horrors]

i feel like some of the fandom is a bit harsh on Monty... like, trauma is definitely not an excuse, but it does give pretty much all of his actions an understandable explanation?

like... Monty was actively being abused by Esther in practically any scene they were together. he said something she didn't like, and she yelled and grabbed him threateningly. both of the times she transformed him, from crow to human and then back again, she literally stabbed and ripped him up in a really gory way.

i sure wonder why an evil witch's familiar who's constantly treated like that would follow her orders even if he disagreed with them!!

and considering that Esther is potentially one of the only humans Monty came into contact with before meeting the others, and she's like that - he turned out alright, didn't he? he's petty, a bit rude sometimes, and takes things personally, but generally, he's a shockingly decent person.

yes, he didn't take it well when Edwin rejected him. but, as others have pointed out - how was Monty genuinely meant to know any better? he had lived his whole life as a crow in a cage too small for him, where the only person he knew was his extremely nasty and cruel owner. and then, all of a sudden, he's forced into a new body and has humanity thrust upon him against his will. he explicitly expressed this discomfort himself when Esther degraded him for getting "too emotional" for her liking.

"i never asked to be human. with all these... feelings."

even after the bitterness of the rejection, Monty never actually wanted to hurt the Dead Boy Detectives. turns out, he didn't even know that Esther's plan intended to end them completely, and was so horrified upon finding out that he made an attempt to lead them to safety, which was, by the way, putting himself at massive risk. Esther already punished him likely under the assumption that he just didn't put enough effort into manipulating them - can you imagine what she'd have done to him if she knew about his last-minute attempt to actually save them?

of course, i don't think Edwin was wrong for not forgiving Monty. he deserved that. Monty still helped in the scheme that aimed to destroy him. he also fully deserved to reject Monty if he wanted to (conversely, i do also see people say that Edwin "could have handled it better," but honestly, i don't know if it's just me not being neurotypical or something, but i genuinely do not see how Edwin could have been nicer about it? he was straightforward and polite, then afterwards, still tried to be Monty's friend until the betrayal.)

however, Monty was still very much a victim himself, and any harm he did was not from his own will, instead motivated by fear of the terrifying witch who had him fully reliant upon her, often through both verbal and physical force. Esther never hesitated to hurt him. he was painfully aware of that. she didn't care about him beyond how useful he could be. and when he failed at that, her reaction was violent.

but he didn't have anyone else.

[pinkie-quinns]

rocker eddie/actor steve | exes to ???? (they're fucking but Steve doesn't have to be happy about it) | slightly nsfw | fame au p4

p1 p2 p3 p5 interlude p6

He sees Eddie again. He sees Eddie all the goddamn time.

Part of Steve wonders if Eddie’s like, drugged him or something. He feels all itchy when he’s not around him.

He likes sex, always has. But he’s never craved it like this. Never felt out of his body when he wasn’t being fucked into.

And sex has always been easy to find for him. Ridiculously easy with the fame. He could have literally anyone. Anyone.

He only wants Eddie.

It’s like his body is being rewritten, coded and encrypted. Your dick CAN get hard but only if your asshole ex is touching it.

He goes to work buzzed. Phantom of Eddie’s hands on his skin. It’s distracting.

Everyone else feels so dull in comparison. He picks up a guy at a club. He goes on a date with a co-star’s friend.

The only good thing about that one is Eddie fucks the ever-loving shit out of him when the pictures of her & Steve end up in People.

And yeah, it only makes the self loathing calcify in his kidney.

He’s letting this happen. He’s actively pursuing it. He can’t stop even though every 3am sneak-out makes him want to drive right off the Hollywood Hills.

He’s too old for this. He is. They barely even talk when they see each other. Steve keeps that way. If they’re doing this (and fuck him, they’re doing this), it can’t be more than sex. He deserves that much. He needs to have that much respect for himself.

He’s careful about it. Has to be after the Globes.

He doesn’t stay the night- ever. It’s not like Eddie’s famous enough that he’s gonna get papped leaving his place. Maybe if it was New York- but here? It’d be a waste of TMZ resources. Still, he’s careful.

It’s gotten to the point where he’s there more nights than not. Where he’s given up on trying to see other people. It’s gotta end. It’s gonna end. Eddie’s gonna leave on his tour & all the momentum will be gone and they’ll never see each other again & Steve will be grateful for it.

It comes faster than he’s expecting. Faster than he’s ready for.

Their rendezvous have drifted later and later into the night. Eddie caught up at rehearsals. Eddie dead-tired afterwards. And nights turn into just laying there, holding each other. It's dangerous.

Eddie’s leaving for Arizona the next morning. It’s their last night. He's been so exhausted lately. He should be focused on getting a good night’s sleep. But it's 2am and he’s kissing Steve like his life depends on it. Like he’s going off to war.

There’s something different in this, as it builds, as Eddie lays Steve down on his bed. As he caresses him.

It doesn’t feel like fucking. It’s not rough and desperate and mean the way it usually is. It’s sweet. Achingly sweet. It feels almost like… almost like…

He’s murmuring nothings as he kisses down Steve’s torso.

How beautiful Steve is. How lucky he is. How he wants them to stay right here forever. Wants them to never leave this room. And it’s– Eddie’s just caught in the moment.

Steve still feels all choked by it.

Then Eddie pushes into him and suddenly he’s 18 and he’s never done this before so they’re taking it slow and laughing and in awe of each other and Eddie’s talking him through it and he’s holding him tight.

The orgasm takes him by surprise. He cries out something he doesn't mean. That he can't mean.

Eddie doesn't hold him to it. He lights his cigarette when they’re done, just like always, even though Steve mumbles about lung cancer each time. He’s being casual. Cautiously casual.

“You should come to the New York show.”

“What?”

All that faux-distance is gone in a second.

His expression twists vulnerable. “Come to the show. Please. It’d, um. It would mean a lot.”

Steve scoffs, “That’s not what this is.”

“I know. Just um, figured. No harm in asking…” He trails off. Steve knows he’s hurting. He wears it so plain on his face.

Steve fights that awful urge to reach out, kiss him, comfort him. It’s not his job anymore.

“Don’t know if you remember, Munson, but I did the groupie thing for years. Didn’t exactly work out great for me.”

Eddie shuts his eyes tight, “Yup. Sorry. I know you did.”

They’re quiet for a long while. Eddie’s arm is around him, tracing patterns at his shoulder.

“Why New York?” Steve asks.

Eddie cringes. “I’m, um. Renting a place there right now. So, you know. Privacy. I, um, I might move after the tour’s over.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.” Eddie breathes, eyes blank, laugh cold, “Don’t you worry, Harrington. I’ll be out of your hair in no time.”

There’s something awful bubbling inside him. He says, “Sure, man.”

Eddie nods in agreement, puffs his way back into silence, “Needed a change of scenery.”

And it’s fine. They’re adults. They’re not anything to each other, anymore. It's not like they're together. Eddie can do whatever the hell he wants.

But Steve can’t shake the feeling that he’s running again. Can’t shake the feeling that he shouldn’t be.

[the-s1lly-corner]

This one request may be a little out there but can I request various creepypastas walking the reader home after they notice someone trailing behind them? They don't know the reader that well, maybe they've just entered the friend stage?

Various crps walking the reader home

Ooooo love this idea sm, sm sm might YOINK this for other characters in a different post

Characters: nina, hoodie, masky, toby

Notes: reader is GN, you and the crp arent dating but you guys are friends/friendly

CWs: stalking(? Does it count if it's an isolated instance of being followed?), implied violence

NINA THE KILLER

doesnt even wait to greet you when shes close by, she calls for you and says hi as she rushes up to you from... wherever she just was-

hooks her arm around yours, and keeps her hold on you firmly... perhaps out of concern... the risk that you might get snatched by someone else and taken?

though its not likely, given that shes twirling her knife around in the air in plain sight as she practically skips by your side- talking to you so casually as if there was nothing wrong

as soon as the person is gone shes asking if youre alright- do you need her to add someone on the chopping block? because she can probably track them down and-

fully understanding if you dont want her to do anything like that, but you can tell shes still... contemplating... insists she spends at least some time with you when you get home to make sure all is well- during the time shes there shes making sure youre alright as well as helping ease yourself after something like that

HOODIE

very tall, likely towers over whoever is making you feel threatened. unlike masky, he does look back at the other person... almost as if he is sizing them up

in the light you swear you catch a shine of something hidden away in his pocket- but the need to pull it out never arises as the person keeps their distance

its dead quiet between the two of you- as expected, and he does give you some breathing room... hes slightly behind you, almost like a barrier between you and the creep

immediately stomps out any attempts the person makes at getting closing the gap by blocking their way and glaring down at them until they either go the other way or pass ahead of the two of you... and even then hes going to continue moving to keep between you and them

will come inside if you offer him, he keeps an eye out long after the danger has passed

MASKY

you were already so caught up in making a plan for what to do, that you didn't even realize Masky taking his spot next to you. He nearly scared you just as much as the person behind you, at least.. until you realized it was just him

keeps close to you, and doesn't give the one following you a look.. to further push the point that the two of you are together he wraps an arm around you and tugs you closer

for someone who is usually so adverse to touch, and being interested in keeping his personal space- he was more than willing to toss all of that out of the window to bring you even an ounce of security

you eventually lose them, but thats not going to stop him from walking you the rest of the way home. he doesnt invite himself in, but you catch him stalking around the outside of your house- as if making sure there was no other unwanted visitors

TICCI TOBY

not as quiet as his fellow proxies, and in fact will spin around to make a conflict if the person isnt dropping it as you draw closer to your neighborhood

its... hard to say its the right choice, but making noise does add in the uncomfortable fact that it may draw attention- that in of itself isnt the best for toby given his record... you know, with arson and the like..

and if the person takes it as an opening to rush forward? toby goes no where without his weapons, and if the person didnt take that into account or didnt notice them then thats on them! anything that happens afterwards is just karma!

even if it doesnt escalate to that he talks with you, making it clear that the two of you are familiar with each other- he spares no volume as he catches up with you- will flash his hatchet and perhaps drop some recent work he was meant to do for his boss

gladly takes your invitation to stay, keeps you company and you both end up having a sleepover together

[platinumrosetail]

Hey! I'm sending you a new request. Once again pokemon crossover request, but this time with Genshin Impact!

So basically Trainer!Reader lives in Alola and runs a preserve of sorts? She helps take care of orphan, hurt, or abandoned baby dragon pokemon with the help of her Primarena and Garchomp. But one day one of the babies walks into a wormhole that forms right in the middle of the preserve, leading to you to running in after it... and the other babies follow as they were scared for their 'mama', and the next thing you knew, you were somewhere else entirely.

So Trainer!Reader ends up in Teyvat, specially in Liyue, where she meets Zhongli, and he meets a human who somehow has a whole bunch of strange, never before seen hatchlings... Pokemon? What's that?

This leads to Trainer!reader trying to find a way home, traveling to different nations, always coming back to see Zhongli, and then you travel to Fontaine... Where she meets another Dragon...

Hope this request is good enough for you! :)

Wonderful!! Also wow my first Genshin impact request, hope I do a good job on it 😁. What with your request always being long in the end I would like to try and shorten it considering it always takes me forever to post your request especially if I’m busy so I’m sorry but some details will either be shortened or cut out though it’s mostly just the plot of Genshin that would be cut out I’ll make sure to add what you have mentioned for the request 😁

Warning: noob author, female reader, cuteness overload, and others.

Characters: zhongli, neuvillette.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

you didn't know how you had gotten in this situation but you did. the situation you're talking about is the fact that you're now in another world.

you were just taking care of some baby vulpix's; both kanto and alolan, before you hear the call of a baby dieno making you look to see what's happening. you see a deino fall through the ground that was caused by a wormhole being there.

quickly you ran and caught to it before it could disappear not realizing some other baby pokemon followed you until after the fact that you're now in a different world.

you had appeared while a ceremony was going on but instead of it being quiet it was filled with panic as a dead body that resembles rayquaza and dragonair but brown laid in the middle of the area you appeared in.

you had bumped into a blonde haired girl as you tried to make sense to what was happening while making sure that the baby Pokemon that followed you don't wonder off. after a few words you decided to follow her; so now you, lumine, the baby pokemon in you arms, and paimon started running again from the millelith.

while being chased by the millelith you and lumine you were saved by a man with ginger hair. he introduced himself as childe which confused you for a second as you never heard a parent name their child, childe as it's similar to child. Sadly the moment is ruined as bagon head butted childe in the leg very hard, afterwards you apologized very much but was reassured by childe that it was alright. childe took you, lumine and paimon to meet up with a friend of his named zhongli.

upon meeting zhongli you noticed that one of the baby pokemon; a noibat, started nibbling the gentleman pants leg which made you panic and apologized as that wasn't something you were expecting noibat to do.

zhongli said that it was alright and that noibat probably wanted attention so he picked it up and held as you all talked after that happened.

you all sit in the restaurant the you all met zhongli at to prove you three were innocent. you decided to share the apples you had in your bag not knowing you're all in for a interesting surprise.

one of the apples moved which made all the attention go to the basket that held them. apparently there was a applin in the apples you had order before you got teleported into this world and you didn't know it as it was asleep though the whole escaping authorities.

The others were confused about it before you had explained that it was a pokemon which came from your world, specifically a dragon and grass type.

When they found out the type of applin they were very shocked that an apple like creature would be some kind of dragon or sorts somehow.

You told them how you were after a small baby dragon that had hopped into the portal that also transported you and your pokemon here. You shared with them what the baby dragon pokemon was via your Pokédex, the pokemon in question was a deino and a very shy one at that so you hope to find it before something might happen to it.

Zhongli mentioned that he saw it around chenyu vale, you asked him if he was able to guide you through and help look and he agreed. And off you two went after saying bye before leaving to chenyu vale.

Thankfully you have a garchomp to fly to the area which zhongli spotted the lost deino at. While traveling there you and zhongli talked about lots of things, zhongli had told you shocking news on how he was morax and was testing his subjects in making sure they can finally be independent without him, you understood his reasoning and fully supported it as well agreed to keep it a secret.

After finding out that your poor deino had crossed the sea to the land of the hydro archon somehow. You thanked zhongli for all of his help and everything else, zhongli had told you that he would go if he could but there is someone he doesn’t want to see in Fontaine anytime soon so he has to say goodbye to you now.

You understand albeit confused and kissed him on the cheek as goodbye before hopping on garchomp and leave to Fontaine. As zhongli watches you leave he places a hand on the cheek that you had kissed in surprise before waving when he noticed you waving as you walked.

He didn’t know why he felt like he wanted to just keep you to himself so soon after meeting you but he would find a way to do so as he can feel his instincts wanting you as his mate.

You have travelled through the lands of Fontaine in hopes of finding deino sadly no luck at the moment. You decided to take a small break to eat and have garchomp rest as well as rest your eyes.

You also needed to keep the other baby pokemon in line and near you as they kept wanting to run off and explore.

The place you stopped to rest was an interesting area (erinnyes forest, foggy forest path) there was a blue tree that has its branches curled.

(Took this myself 😊)

After finding a dirt road and hope that your luck on choosing the right path to a city or something so you could ask if anyone had seen your poor lost deino.

Thankfully your luck has been good as after walking for a 30 minutes you’re able to see some building in the distance meaning you chose right on the dirt path.

Reason why it took you 30 minutes was that you had to keep the baby pokemon from wondering off from getting distracted which resulted in you leashing all of them to keep them near you.

You cheered a little before speed walking towards it as well as keep an eye out for deino in case it’s close by. You had also asked the other baby pokemon to keep a look out for it but to also make sure to stay close and not get off the leash.

You had finally made it close to the buildings after a few more minutes what with you walked all the way to the little entry way that has a few steps on the staircases leading up to another road made of stone.

You began looking everywhere you could see that deino might hid in or under thankfully the baby pokemon decided to behave and help look.

You got weird looks but you did your best to ignore them as they weren’t as important as looking for deino.

Sadly you were stopped while searching. You turned and was met with a little cutie though you don’t know what creature they is but thankfully they’re not one of those monsters that you saw on the way here.

The cute creature seemed to be an officer of sorts as they asked what you were doing. You seemed to have gotten a crowd of the same creatures but different color and style.

You answered, telling them that your were searching for a baby dragon by the name of deino, you also showed a dex entry of it so they would know what it looked like if they saw it before you came here.

After you showed them they became quiet which confused you before they dragged you and your baby pokemon who honestly was excited to run.

They lead you to the biggest building of this area, dragging you inside, left, and right before they finally slowed down to a room where there was another creature same as them but a different style and color.

They talked before the group that dragged you here continued more but this time towards a big door. After opening the door you see a male with long white hair in a very low bow crouched in a corner.

He noticed the you and the cute creatures that dragged you here for some reason. He greeted both you and them in very fancy titles that you only heard in kalos and maybe galar after standing up. He was quite handsome which was the first thing you noticed and that made you blush a little at the suddenness of that thought that came out of nowhere.

You took a quick peek behind him and saw a very familiar pokemon which had you call out its name that made it come towards you very quickly which made you crouch down as it jumped in your arms.

While you were comforting both yourself and deino the creatures that lead you here talked to the white haired male before you stood up again.

You bowed in thanks for finding your deino and taking care of it before you came looking for it. He asked what happened to cause you to lose it and you explained on what happened that lead you and your baby pokemon here in this world that was not your own.

After talking some more you left, the man who you now know as neuvillette offered you a room at a hotel at the heart of Fontaine which you were thankful and agreed to as you were quite tired from the journey here. You were also told what the cute creatures that lead you here were and their names, and apparently they were his daughters that he adopted which you found sweet.

While you and the melusines left he had a dark thought about you. That you were going to be his mate but first he needs to take care of this rival of his that he can smell on you.

(A/n: and done! I had to rush this as tomorrow I’ll be on a cruise and I won’t have any internet whatsoever as it costs extra but I’m so glad I finished it 😁, I most likely got neuvillettes office wrong but let’s pretend that the meulisines dragged you all the way to the right place instead to where I first had you enter that area ok? 👍 anyway hope yall like it and have a wonderful day/evening/night!!!)

[kneelingshadowsalome]

can you give me a quick bio on ghost…his personality, how you view him canon and what not

Ghost headcanons

Ghost doesn't wear a mask in public. It's easier to maintain his anonymity that way because a skull mask/balaclava would only draw more attention. The only instances he might wear it in a public place would be if he's with people he doesn't wish to get linked to/associated with (like in the famous scene where he's at a bar with Laswell & co)

He doesn't have a home, not even a rental flat. He stays at the base, stays at motels, hotels, b&bs when he's in England. Partly because having anything stable in his life is dangerous, partly because his attachment issues are so severe that even owning a place will make him feel uncomfortable. Returning to the same, dusty place with only a tv and a fridge to keep him company is depressing.

He never visits Manchester. Too many sour memories and too many people who might still recognize him when he's supposed to be dead. There's no one there left to visit either, save for a few old friends who he can't keep in contact with because he wants to protect them.

He hasn't dated since he was 20-something. He doesn't want to take the risk of losing his loved ones ever again. He's had a few one night stands but disappears before dawn, hating the man he has to be in order to protect those who might otherwise steal their way into his heart.

He's considered using escort services instead, but even the thought leaves a foul taste in his mouth because of his childhood memories and the things his father did to women. He goes to strip clubs sometimes when he has a weak moment, drinks one whiskey and then goes to his motel room and jerks himself off, feeling lousy and even more depressed afterward.

If we ignore this man's attachment issues and complex trauma and imagine he would settle into a situationship or even a relationship:

Ghost is not mean, brutal or abusive. In bed or in any non-work related circumstances (Ghost would say he's not brutal or mean at work either: he's just efficient.) He can be rough if you want and even enjoys manhandling you a little, but he would have a hard time degrading you. He's a soft dom and a service top through and through and quite the gentleman at heart.

He has a lot of money. He's not a spender and has no kids so the pile of wealth he's accumulated over the years is quite enormous. He will spend his money on you though, take you out to dinner, buy you anything you need. He does it so willingly and effortlessly that you soon get a feeling that he's your sugar daddy or at least would want to be. He pays your electricity bill if he finds it on your table and sees it's overdue, doesn't even bother to ask for your permission. And oh, do you need a gorgeous dress for some occasion? Let him buy it for you. You need a car? Sure, no problem at all.

He's paranoid to the point of not telling you when he's about to visit you. He just pops on your doorstep, looking dog-tired and ten years older than he really is. The only thing he leaves in your apartment is a toothbrush and perhaps one of his sweatshirts (if you ask nicely.)

He seems to have a sixth sense, and is very superstitious. He thinks telling you he loves you is a perfect way to attract malevolent attention and bad luck upon himself, so he refrains from being verbal about how he truly feels. You think he's indifferent, that you're just a shag for this man, but in truth he's dedicated and devoted to you and sees no one else but you, thinks about you at work so much so that he already calls you a distraction in his mind. It's dangerous, his feelings are already bringing him bad luck, and so the cycle of silence continues…

He's an incredible hacker but uses old, foolproof technology to avoid being traced. You can never call him, he always calls you. If he even calls.

He's not a drinker and doesn't like to see you drinking either. He absolutely, vehemently hates drugs.

He's embarrassed about it but he has read like 5 novels in his lifetime. All other books have been non-fiction, manuals and the like. He says he hasn't got the time to read.

He loves to see you in ultra feminine underwear. Lace, stay ups, suspenders: he loves to undress you like you're a delicately wrapped Christmas present just for him.

He loves to eat pussy. He would eat you all day, every day, for the rest of his life if he could. He especially loves it when you ride his face and he gets to feel how your thighs start to tremble next to his face.

He loves missionary. Loves loves loves to spread you open and spread his religion. You even joke about it: that his ass is so fit because he fucks you so much, and he only smiles to himself because it's true.

Ghost wants kids, but would he ever tell you that? No. He never tells you anything. You know nothing of this man, not even his favorite movie or his favorite color (which is not black, btw).

He has a terrible praise kink. He loves praising you, teasing you, making you flustered while he's inside you – but if you ever tell him he's big? He's good? That you like it when he smiles? His brain goes full error. He fucks up the rhythm of his thrusts and has to gather his breath. (Then he ups the stakes and praises you even more. Because he also has to win. Always.)

If you ever tell him you miss him, that you can't sleep without him… He disappears for weeks. Then he suddenly comes back, more touch starved and desperate than ever. Your words have gone under his skin whether he likes it or not. You can't even tell whether he's fucking you or making love to you, but you're left feeling like you just got hit by the most loving, gentle bus. There's no explanation, and it's futile to try and pry what's gone into him. But just before you fall asleep, he ghosts his fingers down your arm and whispers: "Pet… I missed you too."

[ftl-faster-than-life]

Trying to articulate the eldritch horror aspect of the Speedsters is really difficult because it's hard to put into words…You're Wally West, you're nineteen years old. You loved your deceased uncle more than almost anyone (except your aunt, but she's dead too.) You're working with a nutritionist to try to understand why your powers have changed since his death (you never needed to worry about starving to death in five minutes before.) She tells you something you don't want to hear: That power you're using came from that dead man. He wasn't human, not since before you met him, in being hit by lightning he became it. He was an energy source with a smiling face.

He was some kind of monster.

Because then he met you and you got hit by lightning, too, the accident was identical except it wasn't an accident, not really. He remade you in his image--not just with the silly tailored down costume you were happy to wear, proud to be like your hero. He connected you to him, fed you power. Made you into his companion because he was lonely in his inhumanity. Made you not-quite-human, too. You remember how much the idea that he wasn't entirely human haunted him and how he clung to the things that made him ordinary. Denial.

And now he's dead, and your powers are on the fritz, and you have two kinds of dreams: The ones where he rejects you and takes his powers back and you're left with nothing. And the other ones which are stranger (you don't have to unpack those first ones, really, the meaning is obvious.) You dream that you're talking to a dead man. He still cares about you, still wants to look after you, asks you about your week like he used to and tells you you're doing a good job, he's so proud of you. It's harder to believe these ones.

You keep looking for a way to fix your powers, you need to be faster but you can never quite push past a certain point. A man from the past tells you it's all in your head, you're afraid of being faster than a dead man, you don't want to replace him. You're damned if you're going to let anyone else do it, though. You push past that limit which you grudgingly acknowledge really was self-imposed. You nearly die anyway…but you're saved, last second, by a bolt of lightning.

You say thank you, because you know that was him.

You spend years getting faster, more powerful. You have a spiritual connection to the power that's unrivaled by anyone, past or present or future. You're the Fastest Man who Ever Lived. Sometimes you still see signs of intervention in your life, in other speedster's lives. He shows up for your cousin, then disappears again.

Then one day….he comes back. Not as a time traveler, not as a brief manifestation. He's alive and breathing and at first you feel pure relief… then you feel nervous.

What does it mean for you if he's alive?

The other shoe drops soon enough, you don't even get to the Welcome Home parties before the reveal: He was dragged out of the Speed Force by his worst enemy, who has remade himself in the process. He's not like you anymore, he's like him. They're unique, two of a kind. Connected, it turns out. It takes all of you to beat him this time.

Your uncle's got something on his mind, though--a murder over a decade old, his mother's. It's unnatural, a change to history written by his enemy. He's desperate to make it right. He wants to save her.

They fight. You're not there for this confrontation and afterwards, you aren't anywhere. He draws the entire Speed Force into himself and with it, he takes you. And your cousin, your kids, your mentor…Every other speedster.

You, your friends and family, all spend the next years in a strange state: Not alive, not dead, you never existed and no one remembers you. Then one day someone does--he does. He draws you out, fully formed and as you remember yourself (as he remembers you.) You fall into his arms and he holds you and you know the love you're feeling is real.

No one else remembers you at all at first, which isn't his fault it turns out. You're angry and you have every right to be but lashing out at him doesn't feel right either.

But you know he'll forgive you, so you let your helpless anger and grief break against that forgiveness.

Then someone, an enemy from an era you can't go back to, offers you a way to save your children. To get your life back.

All you have to do is destroy the power that is shared with you. Your uncle begs you to reconsider. He reasons with you. You can't help but see that for what it really is, a selfish plea for continued survival from that force.

You make the choice.

Because ever since you were nineteen, you've known your uncle was some kind of monster.

[bluesgrxce]

Yandere Glamrock Animatronics Headcanons

Note: This was written back in 2022 so it's a bit outdated

Glamrock Freddy

Freddy honestly doesn't know why he loves you. Like, he literally shouldn't be able to romantically love somebody, it's not in his programming. But you've snuck past that somehow and made him absolutely smitten over you. Overwhelmingly so. And now that he is, all he wants is to keep you safe. 

Since you visit the Pizzaplex all the time, he's constantly worried that something is gonna happen to you. There's no telling what kind of danger you could run into, and you could easily get hurt... No, you will get hurt if there's no one to protect you. He has to become your personal body guard, he needs to follow you everywhere or you'll end up dead. It's for your own good. 

Thankfully, he wasn't following you without your permission. (In blunter terms, stalking.) He acted more like an innocent tour guide than anything, escorting you around the area and ensuring you wouldn't get lost. When you got too close to certain places and people, he would carefully direct your attention elsewhere. He would never fully explain why he did so afterwards. 

But it's hard to hate him. He treats you so kindly, praising you for every little thing and calling you his special superstar. Heck, you're even hesitant to tell him no when he offers to carry you in his stomach hatch, despite you not being a child and having no way of fitting in there. But he'll carry you around in other ways if he must! The closer you are, the better!

Unreasonable as that may be, Freddy isn't always that way. He understands that humans need space from time to time, so he'll let you go off on your own from time to time, just as long as you're not anywhere too dangerous and he can keep watch. (Low-key like how a parent would watch their kid at the park 💀) 

He understands that you have loved ones outside of him, as well. Admittedly, he does feel a pang of jealousy when you mention hanging out with other people, but he's concerned over your safety above all else. As long as these people aren't actively harming you, he won't try to meddle. Not too much anyway. ...He can't help himself sometimes. 

Freddy's just such a soft yandere. Even when finds someone who poses an actual threat, he'll still try to be polite with them. He doesn't want to upset you or create unneeded conflict, so he attempts to settle things civilly. But if that doesn't work, well... He's fine with getting a little more aggressive. But he'd try to avoid killing unless it was needed to protect you. 

Glamrock Chica (She's underrated as hell, can you guys start appreciating her more please?)

It's glaringly obvious that Chica doesn't have any concept of what portion control is. When she wants something, she wants all of it, all at once. And she won't let anybody stop her from taking it. Usually, the thing she's chasing after is food, but now you've become her new addiction. Surprisingly, it wouldn't be too bad at first. 

Chica comes off less as a creepy yandere and more like a perky, clingy best friend. She acts sickeningly sweet in order to gain your favor. She goes out of her way to bring you gifts from the prize counter, shares all of her snacks with you (some of them originating from the trash, but it's the thought that counts) and she acts like your personal cheerleader, bringing sunshine into the darkest parts of your life. She's the one you would least suspect. 

This innocent persona has allowed her to effectively make her way inside your heart, and now that she is, you're not gonna kick her out. She makes sure you're not wasting your time with anybody else by taking your hand and dragging you around the Pizzaplex, looking for a new way to excite you. "So! What should we do now, bestie?"

Whenever somebody tries to come between your quality time, her passive aggressive side shines through. The worst she'll do in front of you is say vaguely threatening things, but when you're not around... There may just be another scandal at Fazbear's Entertainment 🙈

That wouldn't be the only scandal. The more time you lose, the more she wants to make up for it. Which includes her trying to squeeze her way into every second of your life. If you're not careful, she might follow you home. ("Take me home with you!") She'll eventually find some way to disobey her coding and leave the Pizzaplex, just so she can give you a """surprise party""" once she shows up at your door. Or more realistically, outside your window. Even more realistically, raiding your fridge and garbage cans 💀

It's either that or she'll lock you up somewhere in the Pizzaplex. Actually, has anyone else heard that one theory that says Vanny uses Chica to kidnap kids? Whether that's true or not, she could still kidnap you almost exceptionally easily. She's an advanced, athletic animatronic that is likely better than you in every way, at least physically. So you're screwed.

In the end, Chica can never get enough of you. She'll eat all of your time, drink all of your affection, and steal whatever innocence you have left. She'll just take and take, because you're hers for the taking, aren't you?

Roxanne Wolf (Roxanne, Roxanne, all she wanna do is party all night, goddamn, Roxanne, never gonna love me but that's alright /lyr)

Many would say it's a mystery how Roxy went so head over heels for you. Her narcissistic exterior makes it seem impossible for her to care about anyone else, when really, she's just trying to make up for confidence she doesn't have. When you look at it from that perspective, it makes sense why she fell for you.

She's always wanted to have certain "perfect" qualities and you seem to embody all of them. She can't truly decide whether she loves or hates you for it- On one hand, you're living proof that it's possible to be "perfect." You're extraordinary in every way, at least in her eyes. On the other hand, ugh, why do you have to be so much better than her?! What's your deal?!

Despite the mental war going on in her head, she still feels the need to gain your approval. She'll see it as another race she has to win, and we know how much she hates to lose. She'll do anything to get your eyes on her. Impressed by keytar skills? She'll give you personal performances. Impressed by her racing skills? She'll take you on as many rides as you want. Impressed by her looks? She'll give you her OnlyFans password She'll work twice as hard to maintain her appearance, freaking out if she has even a smudge from some grubby kid wiping their hands on her. She has to be flawless in your presence or there's no point. 

Everybody, and I mean everybody is a rival to her. Her insecurity is so deep-rooted and she has no healthy coping mechanisms, so jealousy is common. She growls at people who get near and barks at them to back off. This alone is typically enough to keep others away, which is good or else she might pull a Bite of '87---

Roxy's desire to impress you gets worse by 1000% whenever you start getting closer with people other than her. That makes her feel like she's losing the race, and that's when she starts to get desperate. She'll want to stick by your side 24/7 so she can have every possible opportunity to flirt with you, and you can't say no. Hiding from her is impractical, too, given her keen sense of smell and ability to see through walls. You might as well accept it. She's just trying to squeeze that affection out of you, make you prove that you still love her deep inside. 

If that doesn't work, she'll start playing dirty. Similar to how she taunted Gregory in the game, she'll harrass anyone trying to steal you away by putting them down and raising herself up at the same time. To help convince herself she's good enough for you. "What, you think they would waste their time on you? You're nothing! Nothing compared to me!"

And if that doesn't work? Well it's time for the Bite of '22---

If you ever argue with her for being a piece of shit to your friends, she'll push the blame on you and act like you're the asshole. She'll strut away, pretending as if your disapproval doesn't bother her, as if she doesn't base her self esteem completely on your opinion of her. But she does. And the moment she's alone, she'll break down crying and hate herself even more for being a failure. If you can't love her, then surely nobody will. 

Roxy is simply unstable altogether. Don't drive her over the edge, as she barely holds herself back to begin with. The only one who could be worse is... 

Montgomery Gator

Yeah, it can't get much worse than this. Ever since Monty was first activated, he wanted to be the star of the show. The one who everybody adores. But he quickly found out that he'd always be overshadowed by somebody else. He was forced into the position of a background character, when he knew that he was destined for more. He should be the one in center stage, not anybody else. 

This main character syndrome carries over to his relationship with you. He figures that he can use you as a source of approval in the meantime. He can handle not being the star of the show (yet) as long as he's the star of your heart. 

And if he already is, then things could go surprisingly well. A lot of Monty's anger stems from the frustration of not feeling loved enough, so if you can supply him with enough intimacy, he might actually calm down a bit. He'll stop using his time being destructive in favor of spending time with you, which would be much appreciated by everyone. 

But don't get too comfy. You shouldn't expect much from someone like Monty. He's insanely paranoid that your love could be stolen away, so he acts controlling in order to prevent that. If he says you're not gonna hang out with that person, you're not gonna hang out with them. If he says you're gonna go somewhere with him, you're gonna go somewhere with him. And you have to act like you love every second or he'll be offended and yell at you. Not a good relationship to be in. 

And if you didn't reciprocate his feelings to begin with... You've just put everyone in the Pizzaplex at risk for death. He'll blow his fucking lid, throwing the biggest tantrum in his life and destroying everything he comes across. Tearing apart every human and bot that walks by- He doesn't discriminate. And he's so blinded by rage that he just might hurt you too. 

If he did, he wouldn't feel much remorse. He'd just use it as an example, saying that's what'll happen if you ever try to go to someone else. Because he's going to make you love him. He'll hurt you and everybody you care about if you don't. He already took down that stupid rabbit and that jerk bear is next- What's another life mean to him?

And together...

Never mind 💀 It got much worse than that 

So let's establish one simple fact first: None of them want to share. The one who's most pissed about it is Monty, who as we've learned, does NOT want to be treated like a background character. And having to share with his bandmates definitely makes him feel like that. He's going to be the most confrontational out of all of them and will jump at any chance to hurt the others, no matter how inconvenient it may be.

Roxy would do the same as Monty if she weren't smarter. Since Monty is always causing trouble, he's often locked away in his room and left in his own little version of time-out, which Roxy knows she can't afford. She has to make the most out of every second! The race to your heart is a lot more difficult when she's competing against her bandmates, so she's got to speed up or else she'll be left alone. And just the thought of that makes her want to sob. So she attempts to one-up everything the others do and paint herself in the highest light possible, desperately hoping that'll be enough to attract you. If not, she's got a ton of arguments she needs to get into...

Remember how I said Chica won't let anybody stop her from getting the things she wants? Yeah, that still applies. Doesn't matter if it's her bandmates or not, if she wants a piece, she's gonna get a piece! But she has to be more clever about the way she handles you. She's not about to get yelled at by Roxy or torn apart by Monty, so she'll find ways to sneak you away, even from Freddy's safe grasp. Or maybe she'll just kidnap you so she can keep you all to herself. Who knows ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Freddy has changed the least. See, all this scenario does is confirm that he was right-- The Pizzaplex is a dangerous place for you to be in, and his very own friends are the ones making that true. It greatly upsets him, and yet, in a sick way... He's almost glad. Because you're too scared of the others always bickering with each other and harrassing you. This might be the best thing that's ever happened to him, because you run into his arms for protection. And he's more than willing to oblige. Just say the word, superstar. 

[twisted-wonderland-but-gayer]

I always loved the time loop theory because of the angst potential for yuu/mc. I feel it would make the most sense for the loop would start after yuu comes to twst.

So yuu is currently stuck in a loop for who knows how long, but what happens when they figure out the truth? Or when they break free from the loop? If they find a way back home?

It would all be different. Only nrc is affected so if yuu ever finds a way back, depending on how many loops they went through, maybe it’d be like 10 years? 20? 50? Idk I just can’t help but think of how angsty that would be.

For yuu, they’d be there for about a year, only to come home and see that the world has moved on without them, their friends and family accepted long ago that they will never find out what happened to them.

Coming home to see their parents much older, if they had any younger siblings, they’re now older than yuu. Their friends now grown up and living out their lives. Older relatives/family long gone…

There’s just a lot of ideas with this time loop theory that I love to look into

Oooh yess and there's a few lil ideas/twists i also thought of to add onto this! Especially with book 7 where you can see in peoples dreams. Minor spoilers? Just in case

Imagine a Yuu that talks to the seven in their dreams/the mirror. I mean they're getting dreams from somewhere right? Something something, a deal where Yuu has to bring them intel or help them get a body in exchange for their help/powers/whatever. Them coming back from the dead in the mirror after each failed attempt to save everyone. All of them saying some form of "you cant save everyone kid" just for Yuu to say they will and try again stubbornly.

Imagine in book 7 when everyone sees Yuus 'dream' which is just them in their headspace begging the 7 for just one more chance cause they got so close to saving everyone this time and getting them their bodies back. The shock of Yuu knowing the seven and what they've done to try to save them.

A yuu realizing throughout each time loop that they are the reason they can't save everyone. For everyone to have a happily ever after they must die or bargain. Maybe they can erase themselves from everyone's memories afterwards so it doesn't hurt as much.

Grim insists there was someone else in his exclusive dorm. Deuce swears he learned this studying technique somewhere but doesn't remember... Ace knows there's someone missing in the crowd at his game... hmm. Cater looking at some class photos and there's an empty space... Characters like Jamil or Riddle or Leona swearing they had someone to talk to and they're not there...

Bonus if they slowly remember them or see their shadow wandering about. How they try to follow or talk or reach out to them but they're not there. (been playing DDV and something very similar happens there so this could be a thing in TWST too and even be related to the seven...)

A Yuu on their last leg about to attempt something drastic in their next loop, hands shaking as they steel themselves to fight at the entrance ceremony.

A Yuu who's dream happily ever after is to die.

A Yuu that accumulated so much blot through time loops they're dying from it– they're the final boss. The blot itself. Yet, despite their overblot form and all the destruction at their fingers tips, they just sit there between it all, wanting to relax in their final moments.

An overblot Yuu that's being puppeteered and forced to fight against their friends even though it's so painful...

An overblot Yuu whose final attack is to latch onto someone– anyone– to hug in their final moments.

A Yuu that just wants to be understood throughout each loop.

And maybe DDV Yuu themself. Someone that was forced to be a ruler at such a young age that they never had enough time to be a child– seeing that child in their dream having to manage a whole kingdom and being relied on for everything and all the terrible mistakes their kid self made when they just wanted to dissapear and even how some members of the seven treated them so horribly. Their magic comes from helping others and yet they can't help themself.

[brxttydevil]

You dying Scenario

MHA Scenarios Masterlist (no link yet)

Characters: Toga, Eri, Miruko, Dabi, Izuku and Aizawa

Tags: Angst, Nightmares (Eri)

Toga

Toga always remembered what she said to you. She said that you two would get married afterward. She had everything planned out and just waiting till after this hero attack. When you died, it was right in front of her. You got badly injured. She tried to stop the blood but it kept flowing into her arms. So she ran somewhere else. You deserve a better place to die. All you wanted was just to be in her arms. She knew nobody could do anything. But she wished someone could.

After you died, Toga had you buried in the flower area she wanted to marry to you in. She would come regularly with your favorite flower and planted it right beside you. Every fight she did, she dedicated it to you and knew one day she would be with you

I will always love you my pretty angel - Toga

Eri

She wouldn’t have known you died until Aizawa came back without you. She would be searching around the house calling out for your name only to not get a response back. Aizawa finally had the courage to tell her you died. She broke down crying. She was crying in Aizawa arms begging him to bring you back.

When your funeral happened she wanted to stay with your body. She knew she can’t but she wished she had seen you longer. She started to have worse nightmares of her life. It would always include you and she would always try to run to you but you end up faded away and just leaving her alone. This kept happening to the point she stayed sleeping with Aizawa and Present Mic. One dream had you in it but you stayed. You actually talked to her till she woke up. That made her smile and cry.

Don’t go. Please. I miss you - Eri

Miruko

You died in the hospital. When she saw you was deadly injured after the fight she took you straight to the hospital. She stayed by your side when she could. She would always come with something new for you. And stay the whole time when she isn’t being a pro hero. You died when she was bringing you a rose and a matching ring for the both of you. And that’s when the nurse broke the news. She went towards your room and saw you there with no heartbeat. She cried and then went to Hawks house to tell him everything while crying.

Your funeral had all the pics you took with your friends and her. She also cried during this time and had to leave because she kept crying too much. She would stay at your grave and tell you things that happened. She buried your ring in with you. And wore her ring as well.

At least you are safe forever bunny - Miruko

Aizawa

He watched you die in front of him. You saved his life from behind and when he turned around he saw your dead body in front of him. His eyes went wide and he held you close to him. He would start being more closed off and sometimes forget to eat just because you usually remind him.

He would sometimes get thoughts about you. And how much you did for him. He smiles sometimes when he sees things that remind him of you and would tell Eri those sweet memories. As well as his students/children.

You still continue to shine like gold in my memories - Aizawa

Izuku

Izuku went out of it. He used his powers to the fullest because you weren't there to stop him. He wanted to defeat every single villain that was near your body when he found you. It was a villain attack.

He would just stay near your grave and Bakugou+ would have to grab him and pull him up to take him back to the dorms to eat and sleep but he would always end up where your body lies.

It should have been me - Izuku

Dabi

He had heard your scream, the last scream you had. It was you calling out for him. He burned everything in his path to reach you. But he was too late. You were halfway gone when he got there. He held you in his arms. With your last breath, you touched his face, smiled at him, and said you love him. Then your body slowly lost its will and you closed your eyes.

It made him go on a rampage and burned a lot of things down. He hunted down those who killed you and gave them a brutal death. He always remembers you and would look at the picture of you every time he thinks about you. No one could tell him what to do at this point.

You idiot. I told you to wait for me - Dabi

[steviesbicrisis]

The Choice is Yours, Steve Harrington

When Steve Harrington starts getting threatening texts from an unknown number, he tries to take matters into his own hands. Little does he know that every choice he makes could have major consequences. His choices matter, and so do yours. So, what’s it gonna be? (An interactive modern day AU! by @steviesbicrisis and @hairstevington)

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

Ugh. Hargrove.

The guy was just - he really sucked, and Steve wished he was fucking gone. Now he was threatening Henderson? No way. Steve was going to settle this once and for all. Billy wasn’t going to mess with him anymore, he’d make sure of it.

Of course, Dustin was at the stupid concert. Steve really wanted to avoid it, but obviously he would do anything to protect his friends. He headed off to the Fairgrounds, practicing his speech to Billy the whole drive.

Listen to me, asshole. You’re gonna stay away from me and you’re definitely gonna stay away from my friends, or else. Got it?

By the time Steve got to the concert, it was winding down. People were pouring into the parking lot and speeding away in their cars. Steve knew that the kids planned on sticking around afterwards in hopes of meeting the band, so he figured they’d still be there.

It was kind of scary, being there alone at night. Robin was around somewhere, though, so that gave him some peace. He could probably just say her name three times and she’d appear beside him.

He continued looking for his friends as the place emptied out, feeling chills down his spine with every passing moment.

And then, he heard Billy’s voice. He sounded angry, as always. Steve followed the voice, puffing his chest out and trying to make himself look as intimidating as possible.

“Hargrove,” he said once he rounded the corner. Billy was alone, and he smiled the moment he realized it was Steve approaching him.

“Harrington!” he cheered wickedly. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” Steve rolled his eyes.

“You’re gonna leave us alone,” Steve demanded. “Me, Dustin, my other friends, all of us.” Billy smiled, fearlessly closing the gap between him and Steve until their faces were inches apart.

“Or what?” Billy teased between gritted teeth. “What are ya gonna do to me, Steve? You think you could take me down?”

Steve swallowed. Something about Billy always brought out his worst, most violent urges. Truthfully, Steve knew he wouldn’t win in a fight with Hargrove, and yet - he threw the first punch.

Steve’s fist clocked into Billy’s jaw. He laughed in response, then tried to hit back, but Steve dodged it. He was doing well at first - keeping up, at least - and then Billy got the upper hand.

Steve fell to the floor. Billy got on top of him. There was punch after punch after punch, and then everything went black.

When Steve came to, his ears were ringing and his head felt like it was going to explode. He’d failed. He’d come here to protect Dustin, and now who knew where he was or if he was safe? Steve sat up, and that’s when he saw that he still wasn’t alone.

Billy was on the floor across from him, sitting up with his back to the wall. He wasn’t moving. Steve couldn’t see much in the dim light, so he used his phone to get a better look.

Oh.

Oh, shit. There was blood everywhere, all stemming from stab wounds to the stomach and cuts on his arms.

Billy was dead.

Steve jumped backwards, falling over and skittering across the floor to get as much distance from the body as possible. This wasn’t happening. No, this wasn’t - who could have done this?

His shaky hand went back to his phone, which he’d dropped on the floor upon his discovery. He picked it up to call the police, because that’s what he knew he was supposed to do next. Even in his shock, he knew that’s what he had to do.

He dialed 9-1-1, and then his phone buzzed.

Same poll on Google Docs

The Choice is Yours, Steve Harrington | Ao3 Next

How to follow the story

[pilot-boi]

Oddly enough, I'd wanna know what it's like when Blake or Emerald fuses with Oscar.

Oooo good choices. Fair warning, this kind of got away from me

For Blake, what really gets her is that through the fusion she can feel his fear of losing himself. His fear that through the merge he won’t be Oscar anymore

And this really sticks with Blake, because she kind of knows exactly what that’s like. To a lesser extent of course. She’s learned by this point not to compare traumas, but objectively abuse and the loss of self from that is NOT the same as getting your soul magically consumed by a person wizard

She talks to him afterward about that. Similar to the talk she had with Nora about her and Ren. It’s different, and she wishes it wasn’t, but she still tries to remind Oscar that Oz is just a part of him. Don’t forget about the rest

Now it’s time for Emerald City Siblings, my beloveds. Love these kids

Emerald is DEEPLY mistrusting of the whole fusion thing. Even Salem related trauma aside, she uses her masks as a shield. No way is she letting one of these idiots in her freaking mind

It’s only after they stop Penny from leaving and come up with the plan to break into the Academy that she finally accepts Jaune’s offer to fuse (which allows her to fuse with other people Jaune has fused with)

They do so, and it’s weird as hell, but she realizes that she’s not the only one being made vulnerable in this. So is the other person. It’s more trust and openness than Cinder ever gave her, and that stings

After RWBYJ falls, Emerald is left as one of the only good guys. And it’s still weird to think of herself as one of the good guys. Ren is trying to hold everyone together, Nora is hiding behind a wall of strength, and Emerald is left as somehow the most put together one of the bunch

Oscar, meanwhile, is deeply suffering. Without anyone to fuse with to stave it off, the merge is catching up to him with a vengeance. He feels less like Oscar every day, every hour. It’s terrifying

Emerald is a good guy now, and it sucks, because it means she actually wants to help Oscar. She wants to be there for him the way his other friends were. So SHE is the one to offer to fuse with him, after seeing him fight off a merge attack

Salem is a monster, and maybe Ozpin is too, she still isn’t sure. But no matter what, this kid doesn’t deserve to be saddled with the cost of their mistakes. Oscar accepts

It’s still deeply weird, feeling your personality vanish and become someone else. A wave of nausea hits her as neural pathways are formed and two souls try to become one.

She can feel the vibrant green magic leeching away at Oscar’s soul. Fused, it feels like it’s in HER soul. She can feel his terror, his pain, but worst of all his resignation. Emerald can feel that he’s given up and accepted that in a few weeks time, he’s going to be all but dead

She wonders what he can feel from her

But she can also feel, just for a moment, that OTHER soul that’s piggybacking on Oscar. Ancient beyond comprehension, and full of so much pain that she instinctively turns away from it

And it’s strange, but it almost feels like the longer they’re fused, the less that green magic is covering the kid’s soul

And then the moment ends, and they’re left dazed. But Oscar looks more like himself than he has since the others fell. So maybe Emerald did something right, for once

[comfortless]

how do you think König would react with an S/O who playfully fights/teases as a way to show affection? my love language is light bullying so idk if he'll be too receptive to that 😅

ohhh this is a fun/sad one, actually! 🥲 i think this would be torture for him, because i don’t see him as being someone who can take a joke well!

SO!

We are all aware König was bullied in his past. I personally see him as being somewhere on the spectrum, too.

He speaks his mind, and expects the same of you whether he voices that need or not. The people he was surrounded by as a child play a huge part in this. There was never any “playful” bullying when it came to his father, any change in tone or insult ignited a fight or flight instinct for König because of this. The children at school were even worse. His father was always easy enough to read as he had no choice but to be around him.

The fake love confessions, the mocking compliments, and the unprompted aggression were another thing altogether. If a girl called him “hot” growing up, she always seemed to be lying, laughing with her friends the second he became hopeful. If another student wanted to “be friends” it more often than not ended with poor König either showing up and sitting through a movie entirely alone or doing their homework for them with nothing in return.

König never properly mastered people, they’re all different shades of confusing. He never had the proper upbringing or chances to read them properly at all, and though he’s grown more comfortable in his own skin now, these things do still haunt him to an extent.

He would love a play fight, adores the feeling of getting to pin you and feel that flood of power. You’re smaller and weaker than him, most people are, but he doesn’t get to exert that energy anywhere else than on the field. It’s certainly not as fun when his opponent winds up dead and there’s no romantic aspect to it at all. You’re such a cute, fragile little thing in his eyes, he’s overly gentle but doesn’t hesitate in the slightest to engage. Physical touch is his love language, and the promise of getting to rough you up in other ways afterward is just a bonus!

But… say you’re playfully insulting him. Call him “ugly” or hurl any other insult at his body, and he just sort of shuts down. He’ll give you the blankest stare, avoid touching you, and likely storm off until he’s had time to calm himself down. A part of him recognizes that you don’t mean it, but the internal wounds speak much louder.

He would assume the worst, that all of this time you’ve just been pitying him and you’re only now speaking true. You’re not attracted to him, and he was an idiot for ever believing that you might be. This guy had tried and failed countless times to find himself with a pretty thing that he can love, and never would he say anything like that to you. It’s always an abundance of praise and an eternal stare. His eyes and hands never leave you. So, that stings.

Once he calms down… some, he would return with the same hurt painted across his face, ask you why through gritted teeth. Just, “Why?” Depending on if it’s something that can be fixed, maybe he’ll offer to do it for you. Make himself prettier, better built, anything so that you don’t leave him for a man you deem more worthy. He knows he sounds small and pathetic, but he can’t stop himself. He doesn’t want to lose you. It pisses him off knowing that he’s already done the work, too, only for the end result to be the same as the things he’s already endured.

He wouldn’t be entirely convinced that it was just a joke, but he isn’t the type to come sobbing to you for reassurance, either. The next few hours are filled with condescending little comments. “You like fucking ugly men, schatz?” or “Do you always get wet like this when you’re sorry?”

[heyidkyay]

And I'm petrified of being alone, now |

Part Eleven

Matty Healy x reader

Summary: She’s just trying to get by, really. What with being a single parent to her four year old son whilst simultaneously trying to kick start a successful career as a radio presenter. She’s got everything she’s ever wanted though, friends close by, a mum who’s merely a phone call away, and of course her baby boy. What else is there to wish for? But then, it’s not long before her relatively normal life gets upended and turned on its head, and she’s suddenly forced to deal with situations she’s never even thought to imagine.

What happens when one mention of a certain controversial singer on her show sends a flood of unexpected challenges her way? 

Authors Note: Hiiiiii, it's been a while:) Sorry, had a lot going on tbh very hectic and stressy but I had most of this written out before life got all messy and so I just tried my best to finish it! Hope you all had a happy holidays, whether you celebrated anything or just had a lovely few days, also wishing you a very happy new year!! Here's hoping it'll be a good one x Alsooo, a big thank you to @procrastinatinglikeapro who's an utter angel and without this part wouldn't have been finished!<3

Onto part eleven I suppose!

Masterlist

It’d been too long a day, though it had only just gone eleven. So Matty had decided to take a well earned break that no one else seemed to be fully aware of. He’d left George and Adam to themselves, the pair caught up in a heated discussion about a particular opening to a new song they’d been working on, and Ross was off in the booth playing something or other just to escape the rest of them. He’d had a late one the night before and was feeling the effects of it, poor prat.

Matty reckoned that he probably had a good while before Jamie strolled in though, or before George started getting aggy about the current chord progression, so he’d taken to one of the far corners of the studio to slink into the small sofa there and pull out his phone.

Messages now Squeaks I’m meant to be prepping for recording!! Stop distracting me.

Matty grinned to himself at the most recent text he’d received. They’d been at it since six this morning, but he’d yet to grow tired and so was already typing one back. 

Messages now Ditto babe So it would seem that you are the one now distracting me

He shook his head at the next reply that came through, but had to agree with her point; Adi seemed a whole lot scarier than the three twats he’d been burdened with. Even so, he couldn’t let her know that, could he? Or have the last word either. It was a matter of principle now.

See, it’d been a few weeks since that night at the club and the morning after in the quietness that was her flat- a place that still swarmed his thoughts during moments of the day when he felt his mind drift. He’d been so caught up in the moment back then, in her and in being allowed that close, that he hadn’t paid much mind to everything else. Too focused on watching, observing the way she behaved in a place so full of comfort. He only wished now that he had nosed around a bit more, her bedroom hadn’t given much away and neither had her kitchen, but those had been the only two places he’d been able to linger.

Still, afterwards he thought that the whole situation might’ve stirred things up for them, what with her dickhead of a mate and his waking up in her bed. Because most girls either fell arse over tit wanting to get into his trousers, or rather a chance in the spotlight, whilst others ran headfirst through the nearest fire exit door. 

Mouse though, she was something else.

She kept him at arm's length, that was for sure. Made it clear she had boundaries, even if she was open to a bit of harmless flirting here and there. But he’d just put that down to her being more mature than most of the women he’d met. She was also dead set on them just being mates, and he could do that, really, he could. He had tons of female friends, ‘cause why not, right? So he knew he could hold back. He could.

Saying that though, Squeaks hadn’t just stuck around for a short time to live within the confines of his fame-covered umbrella and, honest to God, it was refreshing just how much she didn’t seem to mind the headlines nor the fans that came along with him. She loved his music, yeah, she’d made that part known- or at least their older stuff, bit mean- but that was it. She asked for nothing but his company. 

And even then, that had been all down to him. He had sought her out. Not the other way around. So he was always wondering over it, over why and over her.

Usually, people like that were hard to come by these days, or were simply playing the long game. He’d seen it happen plenty times before, not just with himself, but with his parents too, and other people within the industry. It didn’t feel that way with her though. It was why he’d been so reluctant to share her anymore than he already had, ie. Jamie and now Danny too, he supposed. Although the latter hadn’t really asked much after her since their night out, on the low now that he feared Jamie was after his head. Matty couldn’t muster up any sympathy. 

And during the last few weeks, he had practically forced his way into her life even further. Too scared that if he didn’t, if he relaxed, that she would just play it safe and walk away, and he wouldn’t have that. So, they’d gone from texting at all hours of the day to phoning most nights now that he had a set routine in London for a short while. And sometimes, if he was lucky, they would facetime and he’d feel his heartbeat pick up at the sight of her tired smile.

It was nice. 

New.

Made him feel like a kid again, in truth. As though someone liked him just for being himself. His pushy, egotistical maybe, but simple self.

She’d probably rib him to bits if she could hear him now, all soppy like. But even so, he couldn’t find it in himself to take any of it back.

“Oi, loverboy! Gonna tell us what new model’s got you grinnin’ like that then?”

Matty’s head snapped up at the familiar lilt of George’s teasing voice, who was still seated in the cushy chair he’d long ago claimed but had since turned in to glance over at him.

“Nothing like that, dickhead.” And at George’s disbelieving hum, Matty rolled his eyes and tacked on, “Believe what you like, man. You finished sorting that section or not?”

George mimicked the action, though with less of his usual irritated flare, and cocked his head in the direction of his laptop. “Just about. Only gotta tune shit up now.” Then he glanced back at him, leaning in the chair with his hands linked across his front, “So are you going to finally tell us what’s had you so distracted lately? Feels like every time I see you you're glued to your phone. Not back on Twitter, are you?”

Matty glared at the mention of the app, because yes he was, but who the fuck was George to judge him for it? So he lied.

“No,” He scoffed just as his phone buzzed once more in his hand, it really was a great fucking struggle for him not to just go ahead and quickly check it. “Just scrolling. Why don’t you mind your business, egghead?”

It was a cheap shot, but all the questions had left him flustered. He was only fucking human, yeah?

“Ah, leave him be! It’s nice not to have him in my ear constantly.” Hann, the backstabbing twat, laughed and shot Matty an amused smile, as though that would lessen the blow. Matty rolled his eyes once more.

“Yeah, yeah. Can we get back to work now?”

George’s eyebrows rose a tad but he blew out a long breath and simply shrugged, “Whatever. Just let us know if it’s anything serious.”

Matty withheld the petulant urge to get all huffy with the lot of them and instead shoved his phone into his back pocket so that he could grab the neck of his guitar and not succumb to the overwhelming urge to have a peek.

Fucking overbearing glibs. Always wanting in on everything. 

Though he supposed he couldn’t blame them, not really, seeing as he’d kept them on the outskirts of his life for so long now. Always keeping secrets, that it was practically now his trade. But well, a drug addiction would do that, and it wasn’t like he could go back and alter things. 

This was a real change of pace for him, sure, but after all the crap that had come with the past year, Matty guessed that this couldn’t be easy for any of them either. It was definitely a shift.

He’d leave it. For now, at least. They could let him have this.

“Nah, nah, go and play that again.” Matty spoke up once he’d made his way back on over, listening to the loop Hann had just hit play on, “Who put that shit in? Sounds fucking awful!” And in turn, received a notebook to the head.

***

“... So yeah, Ads ended up putting the fire extinguisher to good use- our first go of it, too!” I felt the need to tack on, grinning at the very reminder of it as I filled up a pot to boil. “There was a crap ton of foam everywhere-”

“Language!” The woman admonished me from down the phone and I rolled my eyes around a faint chuckle.

“I’m twenty-three, mam! You can't scold me anymore and besides, I could have said a lot worse than crap, you know?”

She still tutted, displeased, “And what if Teddy were to hear? You wish for him to be spouting that the next time he’s at garderie?”

Shaking my head in amusement, I flicked on the hob and turned to pick the phone back up. “Nursery’s probably already heard it all.” I snorted, remembering the most recent mishap made by Teddy’s friend, Issie, when she had sworn in front of the entire school last assembly. “Anyway, he’s not even here! He’s been hypnotised by the tele.”

“I don’t think I will ever understand the charm behind that invention. It rots brains, ma mie!”

“Eh, so they claim.” I retorted with a meagre shrug whilst shuffling across the kitchen floor to find the pasta I'd left on the other counter, “But all it’s doing right now is keeping him out from under my feet whilst I make a start on tea.”

Even through the phone I could feel her exasperation.

“Et encore,” The woman stressed and I smiled mostly to myself as I propped my phone up against the wall again so that I could measure and still see her. She seemed to let the subject go though, because her next question was, “What are you making anyway?”

I told her and whilst I allowed her to direct me (and berate my cooking skills- even though I was her best student! As well as her only, I supposed) I prattled on about the rest of my day spent at the studio and then down at the shops after having picked up Teds from school. The little weirdo had tried to lure a pigeon in after us and failed helplessly. 

So it wasn’t too long before she finally interrupted my ramblings, in fact I’d almost finished with the sauce I was mixing.

“You’ve been glowing lately.” I heard her say and I grinned around the finger I had popped in my mouth, having just tasted the creamy béchamel.

“I am?”

She hummed quietly whilst I chanced a glance over at her, “Hm, it’s new, nice.”

I snorted, unsure on how to take that. “Thanks?”

My mum merely rolled her eyes mirthfully, a small smile flickering at the corners of her mouth, “Have you thought about Noël much more?”

Pursing my lips, I leant forward to check on the still boiling pasta- not long now, I deemed. “I dunno if we can make it, mam. Last time we took the boat out Teds was ill for days after and I don’t want him spending Christmas like that, especially seeing as I have to be here up until the twenty-third, the second if I keep praying!”

“Okay.”

I paused instantly and rocked back on my heels to frown at her, having expected more of an argument. “Okay? What do you mean, okay? Do you not want me home or something?”

Mam just shook her head, chuckling quietly, and I felt the crease between my brows deepen. “Non! It just means that the plane ticket I bought won’t go to waste.”

Blinking, I spluttered out, “Hang on, plane ticket?? Since when do you fly!”

“Since I realised that nearly a whole year has passed since I last saw my family! Too long, mon cœur.” She shot straight back at me and I felt myself chuckle softly at her, feeling my heart swell enough to override the evident guilt that stirred.

“I’m sorry, maman. I didn’t mean for it to be so long, just…”

“Life, mon cher, life carries on and it keeps us busy. You most of all, with your show and the baby.” She consoled, her face so full of warmth.

“Hardly a baby now.” I felt the urge to mumble but she simply waved me off.

“As well as this new glow of yours!” She added, confusing me enough to laugh a little and question what she meant. “Don’t play me for a fool, chéri, I raised you! There is someone, isn’t there?”

“Someone?” I quipped right back, very much bewildered by this whole new conversation we were now having. “What are you getting at?”

She clucked her tongue at me, as though she thought I was just playing at being dense, and so I watched on as she lifted her eyes towards the ceiling. “Someone new! A mystery man, peut être?”

I gawped, spluttered, and then shook my head, “No, non! Far from! God, can’t a girl just glow? I’m just happy, maman!”

“Ah, so I am right! You’re blushing.”

“Am not!”

My mum merely laughed at my petulance in return. “You are, Souris! It’s nothing to be ashamed of, if you don’t want to tell me more then I will leave it, for now. It looks good on you though.”

“Maman.” I groaned, “You couldn’t be more wrong about this.”

“I know my own child, crois-moi.” Was all that she replied, shrugging simply whilst I stood frozen in my kitchen hundreds of miles away from her. I knew she wouldn’t budge though. “But I want to know more soon! Maybe when I visit.” She proposed.

My eyes widened and it took everything in me not to pester her any further on what the hell she’d meant by it all. Seeing someone? I mean, she was out of her mind. I hadn’t spared even a glance at anyone in that way since, well since Teddy! And she knew this.

“Now, you should probably do something about that pot, amour. It’s bubbling over.”

That was all I needed to force myself back into the present and I swore up a storm as I rushed over to save the pasta on the stove. 

–

“Did you see it? Did you see it? Did you see it?”

I reeled back at the sudden presence of an overwhelming Adi, who had shot up to greet me at the studio door as I walked in, curls bouncing every which way. I laughed, more than a little surprised by the intrusion as I attempted to step around her and get further inside. It didn’t work as well as I hoped though, seeing how she scuttled after me like a baby duckling who’d just learned to walk.

“Christ, Ads! At least lemme put my shit down.” I told her, all but skidding around the settee to throw my bag onto it. “Only just about managed to escape a Teddy Tantrum on the way in.”

Even with the mention of the almost meltdown from the monster that was my toddler she still powered on, bouncing on the balls of her feet, phone clutched tightly in the hand she held close to her chest. “But did you see it!” She pestered me, the stress and excitement of the situation evident in the pitch of her voice.

Looking at her, I knew I just had to put her out of her misery. “Yes, I saw it.” I smiled slyly, shaking my head fondly whilst I moved over towards the kitchenette. “Brew?” I wondered aloud and she shot me the most scathing look.

“Forget tea! There’s no time for tea! Are we doing it, or not?!” Adi immediately fired back, eyes now as wide as dinner plates.

I tried so hard to keep my growing grin from view, messing with the cups atop the fridge, but she was nothing if not adamant.

“Mouse!”

Breaking, I laughed at her and glanced over to where she stood an arms length away, practically ready to explode. “Why wouldn’t we be?” I asked and her mouth dropped open at the insinuation of my words and the hope she’d been attempting to hide blossomed into pure elation. 

“You’re serious? You’re not just messing with me? Because I will strangle you right here, right now!”

My eyebrows rose, but I was still grinning away. “I go down fighting, babe.”

“Don’t I know it- still have the scar from when we wrestled over who got to say the first hello to Bono!”

I grinned proudly but did remind her, “And I still have nightmares about your teeth buried in my left thigh.”

“Oi, that healed!”

I snorted, “And? The trauma didn’t.”

Adi rolled her eyes and then smiled over at me. “I can’t believe you’re actually agreeing to do this.” She breathed, watching me ever so closely now.

I shrugged, feeling a little sheepish but mostly just trying not to think about the circumstances of it all. “It’s for charity- and besides, they asked. I couldn’t say no, could I?”

A crease formed between her dark knitted brows, “You could. I know I’m excited and all but, if you’re not comfortable with it…” She trailed off and I hated seeing her all mopey and concerned, it rivalled Teddy’s best set of puppy-dog eyes. An art he’d mastered since before he’d been able to sit up on his own.

“I know.” I assured her kindly as I propped myself up against the counter, “I want to do it though, Ads. It’s for a good cause and whatnot. Plus, I’ll have you there with me and it’s not like we’ll be in front of any cameras.”

“Maybe not you, but I'm soaking it all up, babe!” Adi immediately retorted and she flicked her hair over her shoulder for dramatic effect, “A face like this was made to be seen.”

I smirked and continued with the task I’d set of refilling the kettle, “And who would I be if I denied the world that chance?”

“Exactly.” She said, then chuckled, moving across the floor to shoot two tea bags into the mugs I’d gathered. “Now, all we need to do is work out what to wear.”

“And what questions to ask! They said they’re still unsure on the lineup this year. What with it being all new and whatnot.” I mentioned, having been thinking on that specific issue since the ask had come through the previous afternoon. 

It wasn’t a huge gala type event, nothing like the Met or the Brits, but it was going to be a big showcase in the leadup to Christmas. Something that was going to help provide a lot to those who were going without this year. From what I’d gathered, there would be variety acts, musical performances, comedians, dancers and the like, and it was meant to be broadcasted across the entire country. So, to say this was a big deal for us. A radio show I’d started in my bedroom! Was a massive understatement.

“I mean, an actual red carpet, Mouse!” Adi finally squealed, letting loose all the obvious excitement she’d been holding in. “Come on, even you’ve got to be looking forward to that!”

I nudged her hip slightly as I went for the milk, silently rebuking that comment, but she just laughed in turn. “I am, to be fair. It’s going to be a whole lot different from what we’re used to though.”

Adi merely flashed me a bright eyed grin, “Exactly why we need to dress to the nines, babe! Gotta show these haughty celebs that we can roll with the likes of them.”

I cackled when she did and then shook my head, extra careful not to go spilling any of the hot tea we’d brewed as we made our way back over towards the settee. This was definitely going to be one for the books.

***

“You got all that?”

The others all gave their own variation of a confirmation to their stressy manager whilst Matty’s attention deferred, eyes jumping ever so quickly from one thing to another.

“Matty mate, you hearing me?”

A barge shook him in his stance and he turned towards Jamie and the rest of the guys with raised brows before he huffed.

“Yeah, yeah- album, smiles, don’t be a fuckhead.” He listed off, already glancing away.

Ross snorted over Jamie’s head, who in turn rolled his eyes at Matty’s blatant tone. “Don’t fuck this one up, it’ll be good for your image, alright?”

“We won’t.” Hann promised him with that gentle smile of his just as George clapped the older man’s shoulder, “Try not to have a heart attack before we make it to the end, man.”

“I’ll be fucking lucky.” Matty heard Jamie mutter under his breath just before they were herded off towards the start of the carpet where a shit ton of fans and a horde of cameras waited.

“You doing alright though?”

Matty hummed at the quiet question, dipping his chin ever so slightly. He was alright. It just felt different, being at something like this stone cold sober. It had been too long, in truth. Actually, he’d begun to wonder if he’d ever not been on something since they’d first shot up to fame and been forced to attend shit like this. He lingered on that very thought even as he replied.

“Fine, just thinking over the opening.” He clasped his hands before him to keep himself from fidgeting any more than he had been. He was always fucking doing it, drove people crazy, or so he’d been told.

“You’ll ace it.” Ross whispered to him around a conspiratorial grin, squeezing Matty’s upper arm once before they were all called into the onslaught by an usher. “Show time, boys!” He added and with it, Matty forced out a breath.

Stepping onto a carpet always felt like entering a whole other reality, whether it was a black tie event or something sweet and easy. There was just nowhere that you could possibly hide to escape the cameras or the shouts and cries of people vying for your attention. It was easy to follow their directions though, ‘Over here!’ or ‘To your left!’, but it was much harder to tune out the other shit that got thrown their way.

“Matty! Matty! How was rehab?” One shouted, “Are you lot breaking up then?” Went another. “George, where’s Charli? And the after party, what about the after party?”

Matty bared his teeth and grinned through it, knowing he’d only be making things more difficult for himself if he gave them any inclination that he’d heard, let alone a real reaction.

By the time they made it off the first half though, away from all the blinding lights and constant flashing, Matty didn’t even get a chance to regroup before he felt himself already being steered towards the next horde of press.

He dragged a helpless hand down his face, bracing himself as best he could, before dozens, if not more, interviewers came into view, all eager to get their questions in, maybe find a way to have someone slip up and earn themselves a column in some crappy rag or paper. 

Typically, he didn’t mind this part. Here he got to work his magic, charm and woo whoever it was standing behind the camera and then swiftly move on. It was everything he enjoyed in an interview; three, four questions max and then he was gone. Like smoke in the wind.

Matty smiled at the notion, then stepped up in between Hann and Ross to greet the first bloke who’d reached out for them.

Somehow he managed to persevere on through and make it nearer to the end. Normally it was there that they could evade most of the microphones stuck their way and make a swift exit into the awaiting building. But just as Matty opened his mouth to suggest it to the others, his eyes caught on something in the corner, or rather someone.

“Oh shit.”

“Yeah, it’s been a bit mental. But it’s over now though, mate.” Matty heard one of the others say in response to him as they clapped his shoulder heartily, but they obviously hadn’t realised that he hadn’t been moaning about the whole ordeal, not even moaning at all actually. No, he’d just been fucking shocked to the core and all but rooted to the red carpet in surprise and that was all the words that he could let escape.

Before he could think to correct them, or let them know, he somehow managed to unstick his feet and start hurrying in a whole other direction. They called out when they noticed but he paid them no mind, flicking at his blazer sleeves and then wiping his hands discreetly to get rid of that clammy sheen they always managed to create whenever he was on edge.

Because how could he not be? When Mouse was standing there at the very skirtings of the crowd, just behind a staged barrier. Her of all people. And Matty couldn’t quite manage to tear his gaze away. Sights set as he bulldozed on through people to get closer and closer. 

She looked incredible. There was no denying that. Different to whatever he’d gone and made up in his head- something to do with a romantic dinner and them being all dressed up- but beautiful nonetheless. He found it difficult not to wonder over how no one else seemed to be lured towards her, how nobody else had gone over and asked why she was standing on that side of the barrier and not with the rest of this sorry lot on the carpet. Because-

Fuck, she was just stunning in that getup. Wasn't she? All red and pretty. Cheeks matching the sleek colour of her dress, smile unapologetic and wide. It was honestly so fucking hard to chance a blink let alone look away, worried she might not be there at all if he did.

She was talking with someone though, who had their back to him, eyes flickering up every now and again to check on the celebs heading their way. Actually, it was just as she did so once more that those eyes of hers spotted him through the small crowd near the edge, making her stutter in her stance and blink as though he was a mirage.

Matty grinned, unable to do much else, except manage a hurried jog the rest of the way, just needing to be near, to talk to her.

“The hell are you doing here?” Were the first words to spill from her painted lips, causing his grin to slip on into a full-on beam. 

God, she sounded so startled, so sweet. He realised then that he’d actually missed her voice- and it’d only been a day since they’d last phoned. A short thing, before she had gone and fallen asleep to his senseless prattling, leaving him to watch her for a minute, or sixteen, before he’d finally hung up.

“Me! How about you?” Matty immediately countered, shaking his head at her cheek, “You never mentioned it.”

She smiled brightly, mouth moving but unable to form any real words, before she was swiftly interrupted, “You never mentioned it?!”

Her head snapped over towards the voice’s owner as did Matty’s, and he was rather bewildered to see Adi stood there, looking lovely in a white ensemble.

“She never mentioned it??”

He blinked at Adi’s almost screech, realising then that the girl had been speaking to him, and so he nodded hurriedly in answer, still grinning away at the eccentrics. “No, she fucking didn’t! So imagine my surprise, hey?”

“You cow!” Adi tutted, elbowing Mouse who looked a tad affronted by it all. “How could you not tell him?”

“I didn’t tell anyone!” She immediately countered, rubbing at her arm, “And anyway, I didn’t know he’d be here! Why are you here?” She looked at him then, eyes narrowed and nose wrinkled in angry confusion.

Matty couldn’t stop the soft snort that escaped him whilst she merely rolled her eyes in turn.

“Fine- stupid question. But you never mentioned it either!” Was her semi-sort-of-valid retort. He hadn’t mentioned it by name, he could admit that, just that he’d be busy tonight doing crappy promo shit.

“I did!” He argued anyway, because he couldn’t not with her.

“Did not!”

“Oh, and what have we wandered into here then?” Came George’s familiar lilt just as the rest of the band’s steady presence followed behind him, “Not starting catfights already, are you?”

Matty thinned his lips into an exaggerated smile when he turned to look up at him, “Hilarious. No, as it turns out I do have mates outside of you lot.”

George feigned a look of scandal then snapped his gaze over towards where Ross and Hann were standing, “You hear that? He’s gone and made friends all on his own!” Then, being the condescending prick that he was, he reached out to ruffle Matty’s previously styled hair.

Matty was quick to smack his arm away, huffing at the thought of what storm would now surely follow when their stylist finally caught a glimpse at the pictures of him looking a state. “She’ll kill me, you dick.”

Knowing just who he was referring to, George barked out an uncaring laugh. “Oh give over, you’ll survive.” Then he appeared to remember what had brought them over in the first place, looking away he asked, “And who might you be?”

Matty’s eyes instantly tracked Mouse, who got all flustered at having everyone’s attention suddenly on her. Her cheeks flushed further and her eyes skirted everywhere but them before they finally found his, he tried to flash her an apologetic smile. Thankfully, Adi was able to save her before Matty could think of a way out of this whole shitshow.

“Adeline Wells,” She was quick to introduce, heavy gaze flitting over George’s tall form before trailing back to the two stood behind them, “We’re from Mouse On A Mic.”

Hann appeared to blink in recognition, a flash of surprise donning his usually stoic features, but it was Ross that replied, “The radio show that rinsed Matty?”

“That was you?” George piped up, eyebrows reaching his hairline as he stared down at Adi.

“No actually, that would be me.” Mouse felt the need to clear up with a strained smile, lifting her hand as though her admission hadn’t captured all of their attention. 

George’s face wrinkled further and so Matty was hasty in his move to slip in between them, closing the distance between him and Mouse so that now only the sodding barrier separated them.

“And isn’t she just lovely?” He intervened with a grin, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and settling there even though the harsh metal prodded into his hip unforgivingly. 

George frowned in confusion whilst Hann smiled politely, dipping his head in a silent hello to both of the women. Ross on the other hand was a whole other story, he just started laughing.

“Oh shit!” He called out, hand falling to the top of his stomach whilst his mouth and eyes widened in amusement, “This is her, isn’t it?”

Matty’s own eyes grew as he shot Ross a warning look, feeling Mouse tense a tad beneath him.

Adi was having none of it though, eager to know more. “What about her?” She pivoted on a sleek heel to stare the pair of them down, eyes narrowed enough to instil a bit of fear into Matty himself.

Ross raised his hands up in a way that intended he’d meant no harm by the comment, “Nothing! Well, nothing bad at least.”

Adi raised a carved brow in retort whilst Mouse just turned to glance up at him, he humoured the thought of pretending not to notice it but couldn’t bring himself to even try.

“What’s he mean? I thought we moved past all that.” She murmured to him, looking so small under him now that he fought to wave all her worries away.

“No, no we did. Ross is just being a pillock, babe. In’t that right, Ross?” Matty’s words were pointed and direct enough that when the twat looked back over at him he saw the urgent look that headed a warning. 

Ross, though, simply rolled his eyes. “Nah, I just meant, you must be the model.”

Matty swore he was slowly losing it, was he being serious?

Meanwhile it seemed that both girls had taken to just blanching at the massive muppet. “Sorry?”

George tutted, shaking his head as he finally righted himself, and put on a charming smile, “Ignore him, that one’s on me.” He admitted and was quick to continue further when his words showed no signs of reassurance, “I figured Matty had to have been speaking to someone, seeing as he’s nonstop on his phone.”

“Well, er- no, no model, just me.” Mouse replied almost sheepishly, then chuckled faintly, “Or maybe there is a model and he’s just not mentioned it.” She teased, earning a few laughs.

“As if.” Matty rolled his eyes, squeezing her arm as he somehow managed to tug her in even closer.

“And oi! You’re ten times fitter than any model Ned Flanders here could pull.” Adi said, putting her two cents in.

Mouse merely rolled her eyes, obviously used to her mate’s brashness, and Matty found himself agreeing with Adi before-

“Hang on, Ned Flanders? Bit harsh, ain’t it?”

It was either Ross or George that snorted, could’ve been Hann too actually, but Matty was too preoccupied in his bemusement to steal a glance away from a very obviously smirking Adi. 

“Nah, she’s pretty spot on there, mate.”

“No one asked.” Matty sniped back before pointing over at the girl. But before he could get another word in edgeways, Mouse was there, patting his chest softly.

“Ah, it’s alright. Could’ve been worse actually.” She smiled at him, tittering ever so slightly that he didn’t feel too disheartened by it, “And besides, Flanders was fit! Had abs and everything hidden under that jumper of his.” Mouse tried to comfort him, though it was immediately spat on by Ross’s next sentence.

“Not gonna find that here, love.”

He was just shy enough to escape Matty’s swiping hand, jumping away with a gleeful grin to hide behind Adam. The coward.

Matty didn’t find much sincerity in the rest of them as he turned to glance them over, the guys all snickering to themselves, whilst Adi gave Ross an appraising look accompanied by a mirthful grin. 

He was only soothed by the action Mouse had made, having hidden her face in his shoulder. He was so transfixed on it that he practically forgot that the rest of them were even still there, especially when she lifted her face up to flash him a happy smile.

“Abs are overrated anyway.” She whispered to him, her chin propped up on the jut of his collarbone.

His eyes danced between hers and he found himself smiling stupidly in return. It was then though, that they were interrupted, “So come on! Ask us a question then!”

Matty watched her blink and then look away, whilst he only wanted to rewind and stay there a moment longer. Instead, he found himself swallowing around the lump in his throat and following her move.

“Yeah, go on!” He heard himself say and was almost regretful when Mouse stepped away to switch their camera on, feeling the wind more forcefully now that she wasn’t shielding his side. But then she was grinning again, eyes twinkling as she peered over at him, quirking her head to direct him further into the frame.

“Alright rockstar, this had best be better than our last interview.”

And Matty could only grin as he shouldered in closer to the rest of the lads, his eyes never once leaving hers.

[avengerscompound]

Shared Experience - Chapter 12

Shared Experience - A Captain America Fanfic

Masterlist PREVIOUS //

Rating:  E

Warnings:  canon-typical violence, mentions of sex

Pairing: Steve Rogers x OFC Rose Astor

Word Count: 2206

Summary:  Rose Astor met her end in 1920, joining the ranks of the living dead two years after the birth of Steve Rogers.  A century later the two meet in battle - a beacon of light clashing with a creature of the night.  Despite their differences, the two bond over their shared life experiences.  Can a vampire become an Avenger?  Can two such different beings create a life together?

Chapter 12

Things had shifted between Rose and Steve.  He’d started letting her feed from him more often.  Not every day, but sometimes twice a week.  It had quickly turned into a strange almost symbiotic relationship.  Steve wanted it, and with his unusually fast healing and metabolism, it meant he recovered soon after she drank from him, and while for one day he might be slightly more sluggish than normal, by the second, he had no ill effects at all.  If he took an iron supplement after she drank from him, even that first day of sluggishness was negated.

Rose had long known of the feeling of sexual euphoria that her victims experienced.  She had thought that Steve might be resistant to it given how long it had taken for him to show any sexual interest in her in the first place.  He proved her very wrong.  He loved the feeling of her fangs breaking his skin.  The way it heightened the feelings of pleasure sweeping through him. The way it made him feel lightheaded and high.  The rush of adrenalin he got.  The way it intensified everything else.  He even loved the fact that afterward, he always slept deeply and for a long time.  He described it as similar to the feeling he had when he stepped out of the machine that turned him into a super-soldier.  Colors were brighter.  The air felt better in his lungs. It was like he was experiencing a drug high.

As much as he was getting out of it, Rose was getting more.  Drinking directly from a real human body was always better than drinking cold, bagged blood.  It wasn’t just that it tasted better or that it felt better doing it, it was more vitalizing. It was as if the life force the blood carried faded the longer it had been away from the source.  The serum in Steve’s blood had special properties as well.  It enhanced her already preternatural strength and speed.  It also gave her the ability to stay up longer and even survive the sunlight.  She was starting to stay out on the roof and watch the beginning of sunrise.  Being able to experience the brief warmth of the sun on her skin again was a gift and even a month after starting to drink from Steve she would still cry.

The one thing that she hadn’t been able to predict, was how good it felt feeding from someone you cared about.  She was so completely in love with Steve and when she fed from him, he heated her from the inside out through his own life force.  It was like completing a circuit.  Two people truly merging in a physical sense.

It was like sharing a heartbeat.

Steve felt it too and they had to be very careful about going too far.  They had both become addicted to it.

For so long she had felt alone and angry and now, for the first time since she had been turned, she had friends, a purpose, someone who loved her, and the sun on her skin.

One of her favorite things was still to race Steve home over the rooftops when they were done with training.  Now with his blood fueling her, she loved it even more.  She moved like a blur, the cool night air whipping her face, and even with the noise of the city below, she could hear the beat of Steve’s heart as he tried to keep up.

“Rose!  Watch out!”

It took her a moment to register what Steve yelled, and another to register what it meant.  As she processed what was happening a blur careened toward her from the side and as she realized what was happening, she dodged and it threw something at her full force.  She managed to catch it and as she wheeled around, tracking the thing that had attacked her, she realized that she was holding a stake.

Steve caught up to her and put up his shield in front of her. “What the fuck is that?” he cursed as the blur started running for them again.

There were a couple of things that hunted her kind that could move that fast, and as she couldn’t smell dog, the answer was simple.  “Dhampir,” she hissed.

Steve threw his shield at the shape, but it dodged easily.  Rose charged at it, colliding mid-air so they both went rolling along the top of the building.  They scrambled at each other, clawing and biting at each other.  “Blade!” she hissed.

He kicked her away and rolled back into a defensive stance and she got up into one as well.  Steve quickly took the spot beside her, the shield held out.  She had never felt more relieved for it being there.  It still repelled her, but she’d become more used to it, and right now the fact it was between her and the dhampir was a blessing.

“Why are you hunting me?” Rose hissed.  “I’ve done nothing to you.” 

“You’re a vampire.  That’s enough,” Blade hissed back, pulling two swords out of sheaths he kept on his back.

Blade charged at them, and this time Steve hammered him back, hitting him head-on with the shield and smashing it into the side of his face, sending him flying.  Blade rolled to his feet again and bared his fangs.  “You’d protect a vampire?” he growled.  “I thought you were supposed to be a hero.”

“Which is exactly why I’m protecting her,” he shouted.  “She’s done nothing to warrant this.”

“She’s a monster,” he shouted and charged again.  They came together in a clash of metal on metal.  Rose watched on, mesmerized at their smooth, practiced movement.  She saw a gap and charged in full force, slamming into Blade's side and sending him flying.  He landed, skidding over the rooftop, and nearly tumbling right over the side.  He slammed his blade into the ground to keep him from going over.  Steve pounced on him wrapping his arm around Blade’s neck and pulling him back as he pinned the hand still holding a sword to his side.

“This isn’t your fight,” Blade cursed, his fangs extended.

“Why are you trying to kill one of your own?” Steve asked in confusion. 

“She’s not what I am.  She’s why I am what I am, and I won’t rest until her kind are all dead.”

“I heard talk like that in Nazi Germany,” Steve said.  “I didn’t let that happen either.”

Blade slammed his head back, connecting with Steve’s nose.  Blood sprayed out, the scent calling to Rose.  If her fangs weren’t already extended they would have been from that alone.

Blade charged at her and she ducked away, kicking out as she did to swipe his legs out from under him.  “Blade, stop!” she shouted as he wheeled back toward her.  He slammed into her.  She grabbed his hand holding the sword and she wrenched it back, and rolled, pinning him under her, her hand holding him down by the throat.

“How are you this strong?” he panted.  “You aren’t that old.”

Her eyes flicked over to Steve and Blade’s mouth fell agape.  “You let her feed from you?!  With your super-serum?”  He spat the words super-serum like they were poison and struggled under her.

“I don’t kill,” she hissed.  “You are fighting me for nothing!”

His eyebrows knitted together.  “Why should I believe you, blood-sucker?”

She scoffed at the hypocrisy of him using the term blood-sucker on her.  He might not have the same weaknesses as she did, but he still needed to feed.  “Do you think I became this by choice?  I was turned and I have been fighting what I am ever since.  I’m an Avenger!  That should tell you something!  I’m assuming that’s how you found me.”

Blade didn’t answer, he just scowled looking between Rose and Steve.  Rose glanced over at Steve.  Thanks to the serum she was much stronger than Blade.  She was confident he would be able to get out of the hold she had on him, but they couldn’t just sit up here forever, and she couldn’t kill him.

She dug her fingers into his wrist and began to force his arm back.  He hissed, trying to fight her.  “Do you believe I could tear your arm off right now?” she asked.

He nodded.

“Then remember that.  Let the sword go and I’ll let you go and we can talk,” she said. 

He looked at her like he’d rather have her tear his arm off, but then nodded, releasing the sword with a clatter.  Steve came and took it and Rose released Blade, backing away from him.

“I’m not a killer,” she said as he stood up.  “I have killed, yes.  But I know your hands aren’t clean either.  I haven’t killed anyone who wasn’t a threat to the safety of others - humans - for a long time.  I also have never turned anyone.  I’m trying to use this - this curse, to do some good.  I know why you hate us.  I hate us.  But I’m trying.  Whatever your vendetta is for, I’m not a threat.”

“Who turned you?” Blade asked.

“Marcellus Lakatos.  Have you heard of him?”

Blade bared his fangs, clearly not pleased by the answer.  “He's one of Dracula's progeny.”  He turned his head glaring at Steve.  “And you let her feed from you?  Do you know how strong you are making her?”

“I do,” Steve said.  “And I trust her.”

Blade rolled his eyes.  “What did you do?  Glamour him?”

“No.”  It was true, he wasn't glamoured, but she conveniently left out the fact she had tried.  “Check him if you don't believe me.”

Blade approached Steve who held up the shield, ready to defend himself.  The dhampir took Steve’s chin and looked him in the eyes.  After only a few beats he pushed him away in disgust.

“You weren’t turned by choice?” he asked.

“No.  But you and I both know that doesn’t mean anything.  I’d either give in to my instincts or I wouldn’t,” she said. “I haven’t.  He turned me because he wanted a little plaything.  I have fought what he did to me ever since.”

“Can someone please explain to me what's going on?” Steve shouted.  “I’m trying to be calm and not escalate things, but I have no idea what’s going on right now.”

Rose moved to him, putting her hand on his arm.  “This is Blade.  He’s a dhampir and a very successful monster hunter.  Vampires in particular.”

Steve raised his shield.  “So we can assume that other hunters will come for you?”

“I don’t work with any of the groups,” Blade said.  “This isn’t a sport for me.  Vampires took everything from me.  They’re a plague on humanity.  If they found out, they did it on their own and it has nothing to do with me.”

Rose hissed, baring her fangs at him. “We aren’t all the same.”

“Most of you are though,” he growled back.

“What’s a dhampir?” Steve asked.

“I was born this way.  Not turned.  So I never died.  I have all the Vampire attributes and none of the weaknesses.  My mother was killed by these - things while she was giving birth to me,” he explained. 

“She isn’t like that,” he said.  “She’s been helping us.  She primarily drinks bagged blood that people donate specifically to feed her.  Whatever you have against Vampires, taking it out on her makes you just as bad as they are.”

Blade took a few steps closer to them, his eyes flicking up and down her body.  “Fine,” he said. “But I’ll be keeping an eye on you.  I’d suggest you be more careful.  In fact…”

Rose tilted her head, wondering where he was going.  “In fact?”

Blade bared his fangs and huffed.  “I’m putting my neck on the line here.  I’m trusting you’re what you say you are,” he said.  “I’ve heard there’s an amulet.  The light bender amulet.  It takes away the need to sleep during the day and weakens to sunlight.  It’ll mean you show up on film too.  You’ll still need to drink blood, but those blood frenzies your kind can get into will be negated.”

“Where can I find it?” Rose said.

Blade shook his head.  “I’m not sure.  Last I heard the Priest of Khonshu had it.”

She rolled her eyes. “Well, I guess that’s where it’s saying.”

“If I find you, the Bloodstones will be next,” Blade warned.

“If I go rolling up to Moon Knight, he’ll cut off my head,” she argued. “At least I stand a chance if I don’t go looking for trouble.”

“So take a friend,” Blade said, nodding to Steve. “Or a couple of friends.  But you know, if you don’t go find him if he figures out what I figured out, he’ll come for you anyway.” 

Blade was already running away before he had finished speaking and when he finished speaking, he jumped over the edge of the building.  Rose and Steve ran to the edge of the building and looked over the side.  There was no sign of the Vampire hunter anywhere.

Steve turned to look at Rose, his eyebrows raised. “What the hell was that?” he asked.

// NEXT