#he would likely only ever respond to michael. and it sure would be. something

[cherubchoirs]

How many fallen angels do you think there are in hell? there must be a few if Mike was able to observe the process enough to try it himself. Are they all secured in Treachery or have they been hiding from machines and angels in the other layers?

Would they welcome Gabe to the club?

oooooh yes the other fallen angels!!! in the inferno, the fallen angels are met only once the poets arrive at the gates of dis - that is, from heresy downward - so i think of them being largely concentrated in those circles (despite their sins coming from any of the layers). there are rare fallen angels that exist outside of dis and make it to the upper layers, particularly now with the angelic presence in hell much lower, but v1 never encountered them because of this scarcity. likewise, while heresy is meant to have its gatekeepers, gabrel had likely scattered any fallen angels that surrounded the cathedral before v1's arrival as the last thing they would want to deal with is a pissed off archangel lol so i have any fallen angels (after lucifer's fall) living in violence and the layers past it, though there aren't too terribly many compared to the other denizens. i actually have them very secretive by nature, ashamed in the way gabriel initially was and, like the sinners of the lower layers in the inferno, not wanting themselves known to outsiders while they can be brutal to the sinners living with them. gabriel would absolutely make them curious though - he is incredibly powerful and high-ranking amongst the choirs, but most of all he was an archangel. someone like that hasn't fallen since lucifer, so i think they would spy on him from shadows since they still don't wish to be seen by v1 (considered an outsider despite being inhuman)

gabriel really doesn't know how to feel about them, as so many of them have been warped by the cruelty of hell and have lost the sense of who they once were. it's a bit haunting really, catching glimpses of them and half-recognizing a face he hasn't seen in eons. they're all still here, all the angels that were lost that gabriel helped to expel - he expected hostility actually, but very few come out to see him. i do like the idea that he eventually speaks with some that he once had fondness for (famously, there is a watcher that was close with uriel), though they are not the angels he once knew. importantly, though, gabriel doesn't hold this against them and instead finds his anger turned on god, for allowing a place like this to exist that his children, angel or human, were cast into to be forever forgotten as they twist and rot. because he sees sparks of who they were, especially when they hear his voice, but how could they not become brutish shells of their former selves in a place like this? these are angels hollowed out, burned of everything they once were and left still alive as ashes. they are envious of gabriel, he hears it in their coarse voices, yet he wonders if he might still end up like them one day.

but i think there is a fallen angel he once knew that tells him he should go to his circle, go all the way down to the wastes of cocytus. go see him. gabriel has avoided the lucifer issue intensely, keeping away of the depths of treachery because he is terrified of what he will find, to see how god ruined him and what destroyed michael from the inside out. and that beside, what could his presence serve lucifer? but the other angel is right. he should know. so my idea for lucifer is that all the other angels that fell with him are sort of...a part of him at this point. they have no higher thought or functioning, instead only able to feel pain, while lucifer has been left mentally intact but frozen. he is a mass of angels all fused with him and encased in ice, crying out in their agony but unable to produce anything else. lucifer still thinks, still lives as himself, but while their torment is individual, he feels each and every one of them on top of his own. and he is desperately alone despite the thousands that make up his massive form (sort of in the shape of a dragon's body, but it's impossible to tell from how mutilated it is as well as how it seems to disappear into the ice). he does not speak, he does not acknowledge even gabriel's presence, though gabriel can't seem to get too close without the hulking mass lashing out at him in what seems to be pure instinct. all they do is cry, thousands of voices calling out in their suffering as they have for the countless millennia they've spent like this. but gabriel doesn't want to get close, he doesn't want to see any more even if he knows he'll never stop hearing them now and weak appeals are drowned out entirely before he has to flee. this is what god does. this was his justice against those who only questioned (gabriel has read the testaments now, they were fed lies about lucifer) and i think this just. genuinely breaks something in gabriel.

[angled-blade]

Being childhood friends with the Slashers

Slashers; Billy Lenz, Bubba Sawyer, Ghostface (Billy Loomis + Stu Macher), Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers (OG + RZ), Thomas Hewitt

To think that you were so close with them, it’s almost as if it weren’t coincidental.

• Billy Lenz

You only recall Billy as one of the only friends you had who had been so willing to try out all the weird dares back in middle school. You were fond of his strange antics, as it made you giggle at times. You kept his secrets as well, pinky promising him. Billy was really happy that day, his small hand holding yours the whole time. You never really thought you’d ever interact with him again after he had been pulled from public schooling altogether.

—

“___… ___’s here! Billy’s gotta call.. Right? Right! ___’s coming here!” Billy whispered under his breath, barely able to contain himself as he picked up the rotary right as you stepped inside the sorority home. He saw you from the attic window, your appearance remarkably the same, in which he identified in an instant. It made him giddy.

“Hello?” A voice responded. Someone that wasn’t you. Billy began to scream, his screams were calling for you all while he was simultaneously insulting the person on the other end. You were concerned, though you held the phone to your ear when one of the girls handed it to you teary eyed before exiting. 

You didn’t expect to hear someone blabbering expletives and curses on the other end as he signed off with the name, ‘Billy’. What you didn’t expect was to recognise that voice, no matter how loud and unintelligible it was.

“Billy.. Billy..” That was when you realised, shock overtaking you. “Is that really you, Billy?” You murmured. You looked around the room nervously, though you were relieved that nobody was around.

“___!” He cheered, repositioning himself on his stomach as his kicked his legs. He was absolutely delighted to know you still remembered him, a coo escaping him.

• Bubba Sawyer

You had known the Sawyers since you were little, your family having been quite close with them as your father had been working at the same slaughterhouse as they did. With the automation of the slaughterhouse, your parents decided to move in response to it, much to your protests that went ignored. After moving away, contact with them began to lessen and got a lot more harder—though you missing them had gotten a whole lot more bigger, especially for Bubba. He was always so kind to you. 

—

You didn’t expect your visit through the heart of Texas to have you running into the man you missed.

You saw that Bubba had been maskless, washing his face and his bloodied arms in the pond,  maybe he was finished with butchering meat. The pond tugged at your heartstrings, seeing that it was where he and you always went to whenever your parents were busy. 

“Bubba!” You hollered his name, your voice startling him at first. When he saw you, he was quick in running over to you. His pig-like squeals were amplified, wrapping his arms around you tightly. To the average person, those sounds from him would be unnerving—but you found it a familiar sort of assurance.

• Ghostface

  • Billy Loomis

Billy was initially distant with you when you tried to talk to him at school, though he crawled back to you at the end of the day, shyly asking to be your friend in school. He would excitedly talk to you about movies, more specifically action. You reciprocated by rambling about the movies you’ve watched, too. Billy became something of a quiet protector, though, you two were already difficult to tear from one another in the first place, as it resulted in Billy being petty in the ways he sought for your attention. This friendship continued on until you made it to Woodsboro High, Billy making sure to keep his eye on you as he continued on with his plan.

—

Billy patted at the seat beside him, a smug smile across his features as he began to eat at his sandwich. You followed suit, setting down the books you had been holding onto from the previous class. 

“How’s Mrs. Lake? She any good of a teacher?” Billy asked, chuckling at the sight of you huffing in frustration.

“Don’t even talk about it.. Anything you up to tonight?” You changed the subject, Billy catching onto it quickly, having known you for a long while. He nodded, a smile appearing now.

“I’m going to make a call tonight, nothing much, really.” 

After answering, Billy returned to his sandwich after doing so, ending the conversation right after.

  • Stu Macher

Stu had been dubbed as a problematic child long before you were even enrolled into the school. From what was honestly meant to be a day long interest in the new kid, Stu found himself quickly getting attached to you. He honestly craved the fact that you readily accepted him as he was and helped him focus on class in that really gentle way you did. Imagine his reaction when he heard the news that the school had offered you to be his aid in class, with you accepting it in a heartbeat? He was absolutely ecstatic. This arrangement continued until you two were in Woodsboro High, that fact itself had him quietly grateful. 

—

“Uh, hey ___?” You hummed softly, indicating to him that you were listening. His tone alone already had you knowing what it was that he wanted. You quickly passed him your notes for him to copy down. 

Stu smiled wide, patting your back as he always did. You knew that he couldn’t help the fact that he struggled finding ways to focus, so you always made sure to keep things easy for him to understand and recognise. By then, you always got the news from Stu as he boasted about the grades he had improving significantly.

“Andddd.. It’s all thanks to you~” Stu cooed, hugging you gently—which was uncharacteristic, but it showed how grateful he was. 

• Jason Voorhees

You were practically attached to the hip with Jason, having been promoted to being his buddy throughout the time you were in camp. You didn’t mind it all. You met him purely by accident, being far more interested at the drawings he made at the bench that was behind the mess hall. Jason’s mother saw you, and the rest was history. You didn’t understand what was it with the others attending camp, but you made sure to protect him whenever you could from those bullies. You were pulled away from camp due to complications that you never knew. You honestly felt heartbroken when you found out what really happened.

—

Years passed.

No matter how long it had been, you couldn’t help but feel as if you failed Jason. 

You shed many tears for him once you found out. If only you weren’t sick on that day, you could have stopped those cruel kids from throwing him in.

Here you were, resting white chrysanthemums on the bridge, right by the spot where it happened. It was quiet, as you would have expected, really.

You were startled by the sight of a hulking man donning a hockey mask as he stared at you.

What you didn’t expect was him dropping to his knees as if he didn’t want to intimidate you.

• Michael Myers

  • ’78/OG

OG clung onto you similarly to a cat with a toy trapped in its jaws, unwilling to let go. His possessiveness over you was as prominent as it could possibly appear, making sure that he scared away the boys and girls who shyly came up to you in an attempt to play. You were his only playmate, never to play with another unless you wanted to betray him. That fact remained prevalent even after the incident on Halloween, due to your aura seeming unwelcoming to others ever since that day onwards.

—

You watched the news, overwhelmed with emotion as you read the headline over and over.

MICHAEL AUDREY MYERS: ‘EVIL INCARNATE’ PATIENT BREAKS OUT FROM SMITH’S GROVE SANATORIUM AFTER DECADE-LONG DORMANCY

“After all this time, you decide on escaping now.” You murmured, checking the calender. You sighed quietly at the coincidence. You felt a presence behind you a good few feet away, feeling eyes on your back. Having known Michael for as long as you did, a small smile now formed on your face.

“How fitting for you. Welcome home, Michael.” You whispered, turning around to face your friend after so long.

  • RZ

RZ didn’t expect to make friends, seeing how it was his family that had him endure terrible treatment at school. He was surprised that you became someone who he felt protective over, being sure to keep an ear out for anybody who dare speak ill of you. While his size was puny in comparison to the other boys at school, he sure knew how to torment someone. RZ often pulled mean pranks, even going far to put his hobby of photography into the mix of the student’s bags. He even made sure to get the most gruesome shots to creep them out further. They stopped after a while, and he was never really caught per say… until that fateful night of Halloween, of course.

—

You didn’t know if it was purely by luck, but Michael found you as he basked in the aftermath of his murder spree. You were heading home, feeling eyes on you. You shivered, assuming it was due to a heightened paranoia ever since Michael had been taken away to the sanatorium.

You returned home, placing your keys on the side table. It was once you heard the back door creak open did you whip your head in its direction. Before you stood a man in a boiler suit who donned a white rubber mask. You remembered it all too well, knowing how it was one of a kind.

One thing that you knew especially was that mask your Michael wore on that Halloween night.

“Michael..” You muttered, his hand grabbed at his mask. He removed it, unveiling the long hair that he hid under it, further proving your statement. He stepped forward, his hand out for you to take.

• Thomas Hewitt

You were extremely close with the Hewitts, despite your parents warning you that it wasn’t for the best to form attachments; especially with people and places that aren’t permanent. You went ahead and did it anyway, being friends with Thomas Hewitt. He was the youngest of the Hewitt family and you learnt that he was really skillful with his hands in sewing. When you left you given Luda Mae your number for him to take. In exchange, he gave you a handmade handkerchief as his own version of goodbye to you right before you left, which made you cry on the spot. You kept in touch with him regularly as you moved, your relationship with him remaining as close as ever despite the distance.

—

“Guess what, Tommy!” You said, holding the phone closer to your ear as you felt your excitement course through you.

A grunt of curiosity escaped him, allowing you to elaborate on your words. He was in his bedroom, his head tilted to the right to avoid holding the phone as he sewed.

“I’m passing through Texas for something. Do you know what it means, Tom?” You asked giddily, your voice airy and light—indicating your elation. Thomas perked up at that, a few chuffs from him as if he wasn’t sure about it entirely, but a good feeling began to form. 

“I’m going to meet—no, I’ll be meeting you soon!” You answered, unable to keep it quiet any longer.

Thomas paused on his sewing, making sure he heard that right.

“We’re finally going to be able to catch up face to face after—how long has it been? Ah, it’s been so long…” You sighed as you moved on to ramble what you could do.

With that confirmation, Thomas reacted with his foot thumping against the wooden flooring excitedly.

Sure, Hoyt was annoyed, but Thomas couldn’t care in that moment.

Notice anything different with the blog?

Asks are open! :D Please refer to my pinned post before making an ask, thank you!

Thank you again for reading this, please reblog!!

I hope you enjoyed this post, have a wonderful day/night!! (:

[miyamiwu]

What names mean to Kaiser + How roses represent curses

Thank you @gachagon @hooudie212 and @blrpr for responding to my meta prompt. Your insights helped shaped mine. And now that my classes for the week are over, I felt free to ruminate on this topic while washing the dishes earlier. I’ll now share to you guys the conclusion that I came up with.

But before I start, let me just acknowledge how @gachagon made some great points about what Kaiser’s and Ness’ names could mean and how it ties together to their roles as King and Pawn.

However, all your arguments involving name meanings hinges on the premise that Kaiser knows what everybody’s names even mean in the first place… And surely he can’t be that aware? Still, it’s an interesting take on what the author’s intent was in choosing their names.

But whatever Kaneshiro truly intended is hard to guess. So in this meta, I’m gonna focus solely on Kaiser and how his mind may have worked.

Without further ado, let’s go—

Although it’s unusual in German culture, the original members of Bastard München address each other by surname:

We could just brush this off as the author’s way of appealing to the local Japanese audience, considering how some foreign players in other teams also call each other by surname (e.g. Lorenzo saying “Snuffy” instead of “Marc”). (Though, there are some who do address each other by given name, like Agi saying “Chris” instead of “Prince”, which is more true to reality.)

However, this meta isn’t about those other foreign players, nor is it about Bastard München as a whole.

After chapter 260, I find it impossible to brush off the significance of names to Kaiser, especially when his backstory literally begins with an introduction of his name:

The boy’s name is Michael Kaiser.

The chapter didn’t start with “Michael Kaiser’s childhood was something no child should want or ever endure.” It started with “The boy’s name is,” in one box all to itself, distinguishing it from the rest of the text on the page.

The emphasis of the Name on the very first page tells us straight away that names are an integral aspect of Kaiser’s character.

However, despite this established importance of the Name, throughout the rest of the backstory, Kaiser is mostly referred to as “the boy.”

The one other time Kaiser’s name is brought up is this panel:

With an alcoholic, gambling addict father beating the crap out of him every chance he got, the young Michael Kaiser grew up.

But notice how the Name is included in the sentence. The first part talks about the abuse, or the cause, and the second part with the Name talks about the result.

I don’t know how accurate this would be since I’m merely referring to a fan translation, but the way this sentence is worded, plus the sense of detachment evoked in calling Kaiser as “the boy,” is sending out the message:

Point #1: Michael Kaiser is not the boy who was abused. It was the boy who was abused who became Michael Kaiser.

This point also ties in well with the last words of the chapter:

At that moment, something in the boy snapped. No, not snapped… Born would be more accurate. That something is…identity!

He was a Boy first before he was Michael Kaiser.

With this, the Name now holds even more weight.

Further along chapter 260, context on “Michael” is given:

Paired with the first page of the chapter, this specific panel hammers home the notion that the Name is important.

Let me bring attention to this part:

‘Michael,’ the name that the mother gave the boy shortly before she left

and then this:

was never uttered by the father. Not even once.

Seeing that Kaiser had no friends, peers, or other adults around him growing up, it can be assumed that only the Mother had ever called him Michael.

But she left. She left after giving the name.

And the Father refusing to call him “Michael” precisely because it was given by the woman who left would also constantly remind Kaiser of this fact.

This makes two things clear in Kaiser’s mind:

The Mother who called him by his given name abandoned him.

The Father who refused to call him by it never left.

Point #2: To call someone by their given name is to abandon them.

Kaiser calling Isagi by given name is therefore his way of “abandoning” him—or, in other words, eliminating him. Yoichi is someone he must eliminate if he wants to live a successful life, like how the Mother who gave him the name eliminated him from her life to become a popular actress.

Kaiser not going by “Michael” also makes sense with how he wants to become a strong person who doesn’t give up easily (re: his conversation with Ness in c243). Why would he go by something that reminds him of abandonment when he’s trying to keep going?

As for why he goes by his father’s surname instead of just giving himself a new name entirely… it’s a lot more complicated...

From the same page as the previous panel, we have this:

Yet, the father treasured a rose the mother had once given him. The boy didn’t understand why the father kept something from someone who ruined the father’s life.

The Father kept a rose from the Mother who left.

In the same way, Kaiser goes by the surname of the man who had made his childhood a living hell.

Both are keeping something from someone who ruined their lives.

To understand why Kaiser goes by surname, I think we must first understand why the Father kept the rose.

As @aiulbones pointed out in the replies of this post, the unwilted rose in the glass is a Beauty and the Beast reference.

There are lots of variations on the fairytale, but from what I remember of the versions I’ve read as a child, there was no one rose in a glass. Instead, there was a rose bush or rose garden. The rose in the glass—or simply, the Enchanted Rose—is actually the trademark symbol of the Disney 1991 adaptation.

In the Disney movie, the Prince was cursed to be a Beast and must find true love before the last petal of the Rose fell. To protect the Rose and possibly slow down the fall of its petals, it was encased in a glass dome.

When Belle betrayed the order to stay away from the West Wing, she came across the Enchanted Rose, inciting the Beast’s fury:

Most people think the Rose represents Love, but it’s not. If it did, then it’d make no sense for it to make the relationship between Belle and the Beast worse.

In contrast, at the end of the movie, right after Belle says “I love you” to the Beast, the last petal of the Rose falling is shown, and shortly after, the curse is broken:

(skip to 01:13 in the video)

In short, the Rose is a representation of the Beast’s curse. It does not represent love. It does, however, also represent a search for love. And only when that love is found would the curse break.

The Father keeping the Rose represents his inability to let go and move on from the woman who left him. He hates her, but he’s also still obsessed with her. This obsession has become his curse. And like how the Beast was unable to form a deep connection with Belle while he was being overprotective of the Rose, the Father is unable to love Kaiser as his son because he is still obsessed over the Mother.

Now, let’s go back to Kaiser.

I agree with @gachagon’s idea here:

I see Kaiser using his last name as opposed to his first name as a thematic symbol of him rising above the circumstances he was born in. His surname may be shared by a man who cared nothing for him, but he can make it greater than that man ever was and have it be a title befitting just him.

Also love @pinkinsect’s thoughts:

his father never actually called him michael so i wonder if that name feels foreign to him? if kaiser is a reclamation of some sort

Kaiser going by his surname is a way for him to rise above the Father who abused him. This is nice and all, but remember, Kaiser also has a Rose—the blue rose tattoo.

Roses represent curses.

(order of images is top, then left to right. Click on the image to read.)

According to Kaiser, the blue rose symbolizes the achievement of the impossible. A symbol of defiance. But what is he defying?

I was originally a mentally weak person. I constantly gave up when I faced things I believed to be impossible.

Kaiser is defying the idea of being weak, of being helpless, of being trash—an idea instilled in him by his Father.

His curse is his childhood trauma. And the fact that the Rose is blue—representing the impossible—and even tattooed on his skin tells us that this curse is not easy to break.

Point #3: Kaiser may have thought he was reclaiming the surname, but in reality it was just a manifestation of his obsession.

The same way the Father’s obsession over the Mother is manifested in his refusal to call Kaiser by name.

Gathering all the points we have so far:

Point #1: Michael Kaiser is not the boy who was abused. It was the boy who was abused who became Michael Kaiser.

Point #2: To call someone by their given name is to abandon them.

Point #3: Kaiser may have thought he was reclaiming the surname, but in reality it was just a manifestation of his obsession.

Conclusion

Kaiser’s goal is to become impossible to define, but the irony is that his entire name—Michael Kaiser—defines a prison.

Yet, it also concisely sums up his entire life.

And to even live as just the Michael Kaiser was something he had to fight tooth and nail for:

After losing to Yoichi, Kaiser has become even more obsessed over defying the idea that he is trash.

He thinks that the only way to stop being trash is to defeat Yoichi. But this view of winning as the sole affirmation of worth is unhealthy and needs to be stopped.

Kaiser needs to realize that… he never was trash.

He doesn’t have to keep defying anything because there is nothing to defy.

Besides, he has already defeated the “impossible.”

He is no longer the Michael who was abandoned, nor is he the Boy who was abused. But until he realizes that he is not the trash Kaiser like his father, he will never be able to break the curse.

But how does one break the curse, exactly?

Roses represent curses.

But Roses… also represent a search for love.

And Kaiser is already…

...very much loved.

He just needs to realize it.

[milflewis]

Soulmate AU

1.

When Sebastian first meets Nico Rosberg — and his hair more specifically — again after the crash, he nearly pisses his pants laughing.

“I see you have a type, eh?” He asks Lewis. He runs a hand through his own blond hair.

“Tell me,” he starts, leaning forward over Lewis’s left shoulder. Bono is saying something in the seat beside Lewis. Lewis’s face is relaxed and calm.

“Did you jerk off to Michael too? Blond, German, very fast. He’d fit in your collection.”

Lewis’s face doesn’t even flicker. When he asks a question about whatever Bono is saying, his voice is steady and quiet. They could be back in their regular driver briefings. Something in Sebastian’s chest swells up, pushing at his heart and lungs, mean and sour.

“Don’t worry,” he tells Lewis. “We all did. Can’t have you thinking you are special, hmm?”

2.

There are stories — old ones — that one hears over the years.

Stories of those who don’t meet their soulmates properly in life, and so join them in death.

Sebastian used to love stories.

When he opens his eyes after going into the wall too fast and too hard, he is standing beside Lewis Hamilton.

Lewis is talking to Ted, the camera on. His eyes are shadowed and his shoulders are curved slightly inwards.

When he sees Sebastian next to him, he startles, mouth falling open. “I — You.”

“Lewis?” Ted is frowning, concerned. “Are you alright?” He has a hand up as if to tell the cameraman to get ready to stop rolling. Or to zoom in on Lewis’s face. Sebastian isn’t sure.

“Um.” Lewis blinks, swallowing. He glances at Ted and then back at Sebastian.

Never let it be said that Sebastian isn’t ever helpful.

“He can’t see me, I think,” Sebastian says, and then mimes a blowjob with his hand and mouth, tongue in cheek, in front of Ted, who doesn’t stop staring at Lewis.

“Right, yeah,” Lewis says, as shakey as Sebastian has ever heard him. “Um.”

“Funny story,” Sebastian says, furious. He wants his dad. He stays looking into Lewis’s tired shocked face. He thinks if he sees his mom, he will never be able to stop crying “Turns out we are soulmates.”

“Lewis, you okay? Do you need a minute?”

Lewis inhales. Sebastian can see him visibly remember there is a camera on him. When he smiles, it is a thin slight of a thing.

“Sorry, man, what was your question again?”

3.

Lewis gets more curled in on himself as the year goes on, face thin. Quieter too. Him and Nico snap and snap at each other’s heels. Toto nearly has a stroke keeping them from biting.

Sebastian is self aware enough to know that he is not helping. That his commentary — one sided that it is as no one other than Lewis can hear him and Lewis rarely responds, not through words nor expressions — is only making things worse for him.

He can’t bring himself to care.

It drives the cold away a little. That short spark of satisfaction and victory when he pokes and pokes and pokes and Lewis keeps a straight face through it all.

Sometimes, if Lewis breaks, either in a flinch or an aborted eye roll, or god forbid, a laugh, then Sebastian can even make himself pretend that he is still alive.

“I have a question,” Sebastian declares. He is standing over by the window, looking out at the paddock.

Lewis ignores him.

Nico is saying something in response to James Allison. He looks tense. The entire room looks tense. Sebastian rolls his shoulders.

“Did you stop fucking Nico before I died, or do you only not like exhibitionism? I could leave if you want privacy.”

This makes Lewis look at him. It is a quick glance, cutting and sarcastic, eyebrows slightly raised. He somehow manages to look pissed and amused and embarrassed, all at the same time.

Sebastian smiles sunnily at him. It is often exhausting to be around Lewis, especially when he is like this. Lewis might be quiet, packed in tightly, but he spills over most of the time. No one can ever accuse him of being small.

“You are right, I guess,” Sebastian muses thoughtfully. “I would not leave you alone. I would be too bored.”

Nico wins. Nico retires. Lewis disappears home for the break. Sebastian follows his brother around for a few months, chattering at him, even though Fabian doesn’t ever respond. It’s not that different from before if he is being honest.

There is a Lewis light in his chest, always pulling. It’s not that bad of a sore, Sebastian reasons. Only a little achey.

4.

Formula One has started back up again when Sebastian follows the tug back to Lewis.

Lewis doesn’t say anything at Sebastian’s sudden appearance in the garage. His shoulders relax slightly though when Sebastian makes a quick quip about Valtteri’s blond — Seriously, Lewis, Sebastian thinks, half fond — hair.

He looks less like a scrunched up tissue someone used to blow their nose with. Sebastian tells him this. He catches Lewis’s badly smothered eye roll in the sleek reflective black of Mercedes’ desks.

He even makes Lewis laugh, startled, when he asks him if he managed to get laid while Sebastian was gone.

“So,” Niki says, sitting down beside Lewis in his motorhome. Lewis hums, pulling out his earbuds. Sebastian is slumped on the floor, back against the opposite wall. They’re waiting to be called for the post practise debrief.

“So.”

The half grin, all teeth and eyes squishing up, that Lewis sends Niki reminds Sebastian of Formula Three. His fingers itch for a steering wheel.

“Are you going to introduce me to your soulmate anytime before I die?”

Lewis goes very still. Stupidly, damningly, his eyes dart to Sebastian before he looks back at Niki.

Niki raises his eyebrows. He, eerily, manages to look Sebastian directly in the eyes. Sebastian waves. Just in case.

Niki’s expression doesn’t change.

Sebastian’s exhale could be a laugh.

“Well?” Niki nudges. “I am not getting older, you know?”

“Jesus, Nik,” Lewis says, automatically, like it’s rote. “I’ve told you. Stop making those jokes.”

“You’re the one who calls me ‘old man’.”

“It’s a term of endearment!”

Niki stares at him down. For the first time in Sebastian’s life — and death — he watches as Lewis Hamilton gives in.

“I don’t need to introduce you. You already know him.”

“Knew him,” Sebastian corrects. Lewis ignores him.

Niki watches Lewis for a moment longer. Lewis, resolutely, refuses to look away.

“This is ridiculous,” Sebastian informs him.

“Hello, Sebastian,” Niki says, and for the second time in not even five minutes, Sebastian wonders if Niki can see him. He doesn’t bother waving this time but it is a little freaky.

“I hate you,” Lewis tells him, sulkily.

“Yes,” Niki says, patting him on the shoulder. “I know.”

“How did you know?”

Sebastian isn’t sure if Lewis is asking how Niki knew that Lewis had a dead soulmate or how he knew that dead soulmate was Sebastian.

“Hmm, last year, you were weird. Weirder after Sebastian. Not how Nigel was, with Elio, or Michael, with Aryton.” Niki doesn’t take his eyes off of Lewis. His voice and face is softer than Sebastian has ever heard or seen. “Just. Weird. And still too, after Nico left.”

Lewis swallows thickly. “Right.”

“Some of me hoped.” Niki stops. He looks over at where Lewis looked earlier, when he is steadily refusing to look now. “When James died, I looked out for him.”

He shrugs. There is something hanging heavy in his face. “We knew each other too well in life, maybe. Or that was all the time we were given. More than most.”

“Yeah.”

Lewis meets Sebastian’s eyes. Sebastian looks back at him.

“And,” Niki says. He reaches a hand behind them and raps on the wall. “These are a bit thin too. I heard you talking to someone, once or twice.”

“Fuck off,” Lewis laughs. He scrubs an open palm down his face.

Niki reaches over to pat his cheek firmly. “You are sleeping better, this is good. Keep it up.”

“Aye, cap’n,” Lewis says dryly.

5.

Jenson: you cheatying slag

Jenson: i knoiw 4 a FACT that you dont know all the wdcs off by heart

Jenson: usinh seb as your own fuckinh wiki is wrong

Jenson: always knew you were a cheater aty your core. fernando warned me about you LOL

Jenson: also. tell seb hes a nerd

[alucardens]

Yeah though seriously- you might not ship Buck and Tommy and that's okay- everyone is entitled to their opinion as long as it doesn't harm anyone- what makes it not okay is when you say things like you're being queerbaited- in a show that *literally* has a canon lesbian couple (where one half of the couple is a main character) SINCE the first episode of the show, that, 1) consistently, as a couple, have storylines that get resolved in a way that shows the writers aren't brushing the characters away, and arcs that show character growth.

2) NONE. NONE. Of the canonically queer characters have been harmed in a way that resulted in permanent death. And when they do get in harms way (which is inevitable- this is the nature of the show), it's done in a thoughtful way- their actions and risk of death/ injury WOULD add something to the plot/ storyline. Their loss would have an impact on us as the viewer. They would not be meaningless deaths. And aside from death, even queer characters who 'exit the main storyline of the show' but are otherwise alive, are still done with thought and care. I mean, (and spoilers for the first few seasons of the show,) Michael's storyline lasted (iirc) about 3-5? seasons. (We are not talking about meta events such as why they removed the actor from the show). He and his (named AND on-screen) husband, David, move to help people. His husband is literally a neurosurgeon. There was literally an episode revolving around Michael's proposal to David. Even after they've moved away, they're STILL referenced and talked about. They're not pushed away or ignored like the way some shows treat characters who aren't there anymore.

Josh (my bby fr), who's also been canonically gay since his first appearance, also has a arc that's real and very very relatable to most of us. The show takes it fucking seriously as well. And Josh is GOOD. Even as a side character, he's not reduced to the 'gay best friend'. As I said, he has his own storyline and arc, he has his own opinions, he's good at his job.

Aside from the main characters, imo, 911 also does a damn good job of showing that queer people exist. You might not like it because 'oh they're showing queer people who are in danger/ not happy/ dying.' To which I'd respond by saying that you're watching a show about paramedics. As much as we like to say this is the gay firefighter show (accurate lmao), we need to remember that there's going to be dark themes in this show.

I don't remember every call they've come across that involved queer people, but we for sure remember the 'we ever only wanted to go together' scene, with the elderly husbands. Yes it involves death. That's why we're seeing this scene in the first place- the engine wouldn't have to respond to a call if there wasn't a call in the first place. But it also fucking shows queer people growing old together and making a life for themselves. The opening scene is literally a montage of the husbands' relationship over the years. I don't know how many mainstream shows put that much fucking care in queer characters.

And then there's also the wlw couple in that car accident thing- not as significant as the husbands but like, that's the point, is it not? Not all their calls are significant- we don't even see all of them. The point is that they just show queer people existing as a general thing. It's not strange that the two women who were in the same car in a crash are both gay. There's no weird over-sexualised kiss. There's no show or mention or even hint of homophobia or confusion by the firefighters. It's fucking normal. So yeah. Do I ship endgame Tevan? Not at this moment. Do I like them together as a couple right now? Fucking yes. My personal opinion is that I like Buck and Eddie together more (at least for now), but why would I not ship Tommy and Buck right now? It makes no fucking sense not to. Buck is in a happy (queer) relationship, he's still figuring himself out as a bi man in his 30s, he's dating a masc man, who's past is messy and has since grown (oh look at that, another character arc revolving around a queer person), and they're clearly fucking happy together.

Anyway. I have a lot of feelings about this lmao. You want proper bi representation? Bro. I don't know what to tell you but you're looking at it.

[inhuman-obey-me]

Solomon, Nightbringer, and the Fight Over Humanity

(Not in that order)

So, we have plenty of things to discuss about Nightbringer.

It would be way too much to tackle it all in one post, so here we're going to focus on Lesson 9/10-A -- which provided an interesting insight on Solomon, angels and demons, and Nightbringer.

(We will, however, also be bringing up information in Lesson 11 normal mode as well, so, spoilers ahead!)

Let's start with Solomon, and his self-assigned role as a so-called protector of the human world.

Solomon, of course, is the sole human of the cast apart from MC. He is called the "Witty Sorcerer", as well as referred to as Solomon the Wise, and he's also known as the most powerful sorcerer ever to have lived. He received his Ring of Wisdom from Michael, and has pacts with 72 demons. In other words, he has ties to both realms, obtained power from both, and thus became the most powerful human magically ever to exist -- at least until MC came along. This is why he represented the human world when all the chaos was happening in Season 2, and why he is the representative for humanity now.

So, as the one who represents humans, in Lesson 9-A, he is asked to choose: Diavolo or Simeon? Demons or angels? Which road should humans follow? Protection or happiness?

In 10-A, he responds by calling it an "impossible choice." So he chooses neither.

This gives us a lot of context as to what he meant by "protector of the human world" -- someone who is trying to keep out those influencing forces. He wants the human world to be seen not as something "between" the two other realms, but as something capable of standing on its own and making its own choices. Rather than being something to be fought over between demons and angels, which have always been vastly more powerful than humans, but he wants humanity to be respected as its own neutral third party which should be left alone. Humans should be free to determine their own fates, not members of these other two realms.

(Interestingly, on a side note -- the line "I just want to be free, that's all" sounds a lot like something Thirteen would say! Perhaps that's one reason why, despite her frustrations with him and constant efforts to obtain his soul, she actually seems to understand him and be sort of close with him?)

Now, of course, this is a fake scenario, and Diavolo and Simeon themselves were not actually personally fighting over humanity this way. As he said, the place is "definitely strange" and, as he says soon after, is just a test of his convictions. Still, it effectively gets to the heart of what demons and angels have fought over since forever: control of humanity. Sure, Diavolo wants to establish peace and respect between the realms -- but outside of him, it gets at the heart of the bigger picture of the historical conflicts between the Devildom and Celestial Realm.

And that, then, brings us to Nightbringer, the character, and what their goals may be.

Solomon mentions that him wanting to be free is part of the agreement with 'him' -- and given the character he speaks to right after this scene is Nightbringer, we can assume that's probably who he's referring to. What exactly that agreement entails remains to be seen, but in their conversation we see that Nightbringer had wanted Solomon to choose a side.

Nightbringer also brings up MC, wondering if our involvement will affect Solomon's convictions, but Solomon insists that MC would make the same choice.

Nightbringer pushes the question, however, questioning whether Solomon can truly know how MC feels or what MC will do. It's no wonder then that in Lesson 11 Solomon tries to make MC promise that in the worst case scenario, MC would side with humanity. Whatever Solomon's agreement with Nightbringer is, it seems that it not only has to do with his freedom but humanity as a whole.

Which of course brings us to the big question: Who is Nightbringer?

All things so far have been pointing to Barbatos -- we see him in the opening animation and the prologue animation. We know Nightbringer has control over time, which has always been Barbatos' wheelhouse. Lesson 11 further seems to imply this, as we have an interesting link in conversations. In Lesson 10-A, Solomon says that Nightbringer "made him who he is today".

In Lesson 11, we learn a bit more about Solomon and Barbatos' relationship thanks to Thirteen. She mentions that Barbatos is the one who brought Solomon to the Reaper's Cave, and more importantly to the Fountain of Knowledge within the cave. That was also when Barbatos tells Solomon he is the "Witty Sorcerer". Thirteen also says before this that she blames Barbatos for how Solomon is the way he is because he let Solomon experience "anything he wanted".

This actually tracks with conversations all the way back in Season 3. We know that when Barbatos first met Solomon, the latter was on the verge of death after summoning Barbatos without a pact. We also know that Solomon was not known as Solomon the Wise/the Witty Sorcerer yet, but Barbatos knew he would be in the future.

(Wow, Solmare actually being consistent on something for once? Amazing.)

With all of that information, we can easily see Barbatos "being who made Solomon who he is today", and thus being Nightbringer. What version of Barbatos though, we have no idea, because it certainly isn't the Barbatos we are familiar with. But considering time travel shenanigans, as well as the fact that Barbatos seems to even have power over alternate universes, there are just too many possibilities to even begin to guess.

Now, before Lesson 11 we actually were ready to post our theory that Nightbringer could possibly be Michael. Why?

Solomon makes a mention that Nightbringer "sounds like a demon" with the threat, which is a weird thing to say to a demon

We've heard characters mention that Lucifer and Michael were both the head angels and similar in many ways, but also were in a sense opposites. Lucifer, as a Latin name, translates to light-bringer -- so Michael could be the opposite, night-bringer

Michael has previously sent us back from the past, back in Lesson 44, suggesting some degree of power over time -- although with the caveat that MC had come there via a dream, not physically as we have this time

When talking with Adam in NB Lesson 8, he mentions that he heard trumpets before meeting Nightbringer, and trumpets are often associated with angels, though Adam believed it to be a demon

Michael is the one who gave Solomon the Ring of Wisdom, also "making him who he is" in a way. You also have to complete all of Lesson 10 to unlock 10-A, and the last scene we see is Lucifer recognizing the Ring of Light on MC -- an interesting parallel, to say the least, timing-wise

However, there are plenty of holes in that theory, which Lesson 11 just seemed to amplify.

Us being us, of course, we actually would like to provide a third option for who Nightbringer could be. There just so happens to be another demon that Solomon has a pact with in the Ars Goetia that also has control over time, and is associated with the sounds of trumpets... :)

Of course, we don't actually expect the game to have suddenly put Purson in as another character in the game, but it's a fun idea. After all, Nightbringer could potentially be someone else entirely and Barbatos is just a red herring!

We'll just have to wait and see for now, and we still have hard mode to finish getting through too, but damn are we ravenous for more Nightbringer content.

[gatorbites-imagines]

Just saw that you opened the ask for slasher fics and immediately i have to ask this soo...

Michael myers with a VOICE KINK and maybe with a bit of breeding kink? I just think these kinks just fit mikey lol (us being the dom one ofc) 😏😏😏😩

Michael Myers x male reader

Headcanons

Anon, your mind.

-          Michael wouldn’t fully know he had a voice kink until he met you, maybe it wasn’t even anything he truly noticed.

-          Then maybe one late night he returned after being out and doing what he does, and you wake up because he crawls into bed with you, and you talk to him a little bit before leaning in to kiss him.

-          He hears your voice all croaky from sleep he’s like “huh,,, well that’s something” because it makes him all hot and bothered. He ends up just laying awake for a while thinking about it, and how your voice has always affected him, but he just didn’t notice.

-          After that he truly starts to notice, and it affects him more since he has accepted that its something he finds very attractive. Michael has started wearing his jumpsuit with the upper part wrapped around his waist in an attempt to hide how much it really affects him.

-          He would also listen closer than before when you speak, especially when you’ve just woken up or if your voice is deeper or rougher than usual.

 -          You wouldn’t notice in the beginning how much your voice seems to effect Michael, since he is as stoic as ever though you do notice he starts to wear his suit differently, but you don’t really question it.

-          It only really hits you one night when the two of you are getting down and busy. You have Michael on his back with his legs around your waist, his hands over his head and gripping onto the pillows and sheets like a lifeline.

-          He’s still wearing his mask, as he always does, but you can see his eyes much closer this way. Michael has never been a loud man but he’s panting and groaning softly as you thrust into him.

-          At some point you can’t keep the dirty talk from spilling from your lips, at some point leaning down and speaking near his ear, just saying the filthiest things you could. Your voice was rougher than usual, slightly raspy, from a slight cold.

-          After leaning in to growl something dirty to him, Michaels body seemed to freeze up and his back arched in a way you had never seen before. Not only that but he keened, loudly, as he came.

-          His legs around your waist pulled you even closer, making sure you finished inside of him because hearing Michael respond so vocally pushed you over the edge.

 -          The two of you stayed pressed close together until you finally pulled back, looking down at Michael with wide eyes.

-          He was panting and slightly sweaty, his chest rising and falling. His hands were shaking slightly with how hard he was gripping onto the sheets, and he couldn’t seem to meet your eyes.

-          After catching your breath, you asked Michael what happened, voice light with wonder because this has never happened before, you had never left Michael shaking and catching his breath like this before.

-          Michael still wouldn’t meet your eyes and you had a feeling he was blushing, especially when he turned his head to look in another direction. You pout and lean in close, asking in closer to his ear what had gotten him so excited.

-          When Michael shivered when you spoke into his ear it seemed to click what happened, and you couldn’t help but grin to yourself, though you decided not to tease him since Michael seemed embarrassed.

-          Leaning in you pressed kisses to his masked face and told him you didn’t mind at all that he found your voice attractive, and that it was actually pretty hot. You couldn’t help but let your voice drop a few octaves to whisper a few dirty fantasies to him, just to feel him shiver and clench around you.

-          Michael ends up gripping onto you and flipping the two of you over as you have both gotten hard again, his eyes looking slightly wilder than usual as he decides to ride you within an inch of your life, not that you mind.

[666writingcafe]

Trouble's Brewing

Michael

My heart's pounding as I walk up the steps of the mausoleum and approach the glowing white orb floating inches above the marble pedestal. By the time I kneel in front of it, I feel like I'm going to throw up.

"Forgive me, Father, for I have failed you. I will accept whatever punishment you see fit."

"Worry not, my child." His voice echos inside my head. "I should have known they would not come willingly. Were you at least able to gather information while you were down there?"

"I was. There are members of the House of Lords that are less than pleased with the prince's decisions regarding them."

"How many?"

"Roughly 25%, including those in the upper part of the House."

"That is excellent news. We only need two of them to activate the Rembandy Accord." A chill runs up my spine. That accord hasn't been used in millennia, and never in a situation like this one.

But it would be foolish of me to question Father, so I try to block out those doubts before He can sense them.

"May I ask who our representatives will be?" I ask.

"You will be one of them. I still have to decide on the second. Is it true that none of the other Seraphim helped you?"

"It is. I had to ask Simeon for assistance." He sighs.

"I imagine his loyalty is still divided. Sometimes I wonder if I have been too generous with him." My stomach sinks.

"Then again, based on your reports, he has been doing what he is told lately, even if he has reservations about it," He adds. "That is more than I can say about them."

"I believe he is trying to set a good example for Luke. Placing a young, impressionable angel under his care seems to have ensured his cooperation."

"How wonderful. Continue keeping an eye on him and reporting on his activities." He pauses. "Is there anything else you would like to inform me about?" I take a deep breath, attempting to calm my nerves.

"They have an attendant," I respond once I feel calm enough to speak. "Their name is Zephyr. I do not trust them. They appear unassuming, and yet whenever we were in the same room, I was on edge. I wanted to put as much distance between us as possible, but their presence was either requested or required by the prince beforehand, so I had to remain where I was as to not cause a scene."

"Are you able to articulate what about this particular demon made you feel this way?"

"They are hiding something. They know a lot more than they are letting on. I am not sure about the breadth or depth of their knowledge, but what I can tell you is that they saw through my illusion the moment they set eyes on me."

"How do you know?"

"They seem to possess the power of telepathy. When I shook their hand, I could hear their voice in my mind."

"What did they say?"

"You're not Raphael." He hums, clearly curious.

"Perhaps they have met him before."

"I thought that was the case, but it is not. Simeon and Luke are the first angels Zephyr has ever met. Plus, none of the other demons saw through the illusion, not even the prince. Any suspicions they might have had were directed towards the brothers being allowed to return here."

"You always have been good at blending in the shadows," He remarks. "That brings me to your next assignment."

"I am ready, Father."

"Good. I want you to return to the Devildom. Make sure your presence there is unknown, even to your brothers and sisters. Document everything you can about Zephyr and report your findings straight to me. They may pose a threat to us, so we must be prepared to take action against them if necessary."

"What about the Accord?"

"For now, leave that to me. I will let you know when I am ready for you to play your part in its execution. Just focus on gathering as much information on Zephyr as you can. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Father." He really is worried. He never refers to anyone by their name, let alone repeatedly. He even calls the most powerful demons and humans by their titles, whether it's "the prince's butler" or "the witty sorcerer".

So why the sudden change? What makes Zephyr stand out that much to Him?

I suppose I'll just have to find out for myself, won't I?

Taglist: @lost-in-time-wanderer, @fuzztacular, @dianedancer18, @sweetbrier2908, @flare-love, @completelyshatteredbrokenmschf, @thunderlightning351, @l3v1chan, @anxious-chick, @5mary5, @expressionless-fr, @tenkobitch, @interconnectedmatrix

[starlightseraph]

i, in a moment of weakness, unblocked one of the major rpf bloggers just to see how they would turn the sweet, loving smiles and pictures of the olivier awards into some intricate web of secret relationships and abusive partners, and i was not disappointed.

i think the months during which tumblr was flooding my dash with an endless stream of these posts (despite my attempts at blocking) had desensitised me to all of the genuinely awful things that get posted. i thought it was weird and gross, but i’d lost sight of just how completely tinfoil hat insane it is.

case and point:

HUH? what??

that is not what this looks like to any reasonable person. what it does look like is a conversation between them, during which georgia signals (with some urgency) that another person is trying to make it through behind them. she gestures that they need to move, and david notices. anna, facing the aisle, sees this person clearly, and tries to guide michael out of their way. michael, not quite sure where the person is, backs up first, before realising that he blocked their way more.

there. what the rpf people seem to think is michael’s agitation really only looks like he’s trying to move out of someone’s way, without being able to see them, while in the middle of a conversation. i do that head-to-one-side-then-to-the-other move whenever i’m in that situation. idk how they got “recoiling” from anna. georgia is clearly pointing to people, not desperately flapping around to get david’s attention.

i’ve watched this video several times. to form my initial opinion, to screen record, and to clip the recording. i looked out for specific instances the rpf blog mentioned, including a barely there “slap” of georgia’s hand in the first fraction of a second of the video, and i see nothing but perfectly normal body language for people standing in an aisle in a crowded room. you can quite literally see her hand formed into a pointing position, with one finger towards the group and another directing towards the isle. like it’s literally right there in the video, she’s pointing.

and here, a lovely group photo. except…

am i genuinely losing my ability to read people??because they look fine. not like they’re the most comfortable and free they’ve ever been, but they are at a crowded, televised awards show and they probably have limited time to take photos. ughhggg

then, this:

for the first screenshot, there’s a third distinct possibility: she’s poking fun at him. do these people really not understand banter in a relationship?? i would happily post about my loved ones or see them post about me with a “don’t encourage them” joke. playful annoyance and insults are super healthy, and from the way david sticks to his point in the video from georgia’s story, i’d guess he’s responding in a “watch me” way. as long as no one feels undervalued, which david’s firing back would suggest he doesn’t, it’s fine.

for the second: i cannot even imagine what would possess someone to edit a happy photo of a husband and wife, remove the wife, and edit in someone else. it has the same vibe of obsessed teenagers sticking cutouts of their own faces over photos of band members. especially with the blog’s caption, it feels like they’re implying that georgia is an annoyance or dead weight in david’s public life. she’s his wife, she deserves to be with him publicly whenever they want.

at the very least, find some real pictures of david and michael together to use as fuel for this dumpster fire.

the aforementioned rpf blog that i unblocked has spoken many times about how she’s autistic and can have trouble interpreting nonverbal cues. i can’t help but wonder if these analysis posts are, to some extent, an overcompensation, overlooking the simple explanation in favour of something complex. or maybe these people don’t have a good frame of reference for normal relationships, or they’ve spent so much time in an online echo chamber, originally spurned by some tiny notion, that they’ve forgotten how real people interact.

i’m neurodivergent myself (though not the more commonly recognised autism or adhd; i have other conditions that fall under neurodivergence). the result is that i’m hyper vigilant and often paranoid. in middle school, people would call me sherlock because i’d notice things that let me predict behaviour or work out the details of a person’s recent activities by looking at them. i’ve always found it very easy to read people and situations, and, from experience, i’m almost always right. i’ve never tried to do this, it just kind of happens subconsciously, and has for all my life. i generally don’t talk about these observations because i’ve creeped people out more than a few times by offering pens before they’ve realised they’ve lost theirs or dodging objects while facing another direction. but here i feel my observations can hold value coming from someone who has no trouble interpreting social interactions and with high situational awareness.

i really am just baffled by the insanity of all of this. “reaching” and “doing too much” come to mind. if david and georgia and anna and michael wanted us to know or say something, they would tell us. explicitly. if they really wanted people to think something, they would actually portray themselves that way, and not in a secret, can’t-hide-their-true-feelings way.

i’ve sighed so many times while writing this.

i’m actually quite proud of myself for going this long without unblocking them; when i see something i consider to be a batshit train wreck, i find it very hard to look away and i’ve gotten sucked into hate-reading many things in the past. not that i hate these blogs (although i do find their behaviour unacceptable and very confusing), but that’s the best descriptor i could come up with lol

anyways, all i really want is for the four of them to be happy and free from the amateur tmz reporters. ideally, this stuff will never reach them or have any impact on their lives, but it could, and that’s the most concerning thing to me. even if they are unhappy, i can’t imagine that seeing strangers saying that their misery is so obvious would be any less than horrible.

such brazen speculation is disrespectful to them, their privacy, and their agency to make good personal choices and share information responsibly. if they don’t tell us, they don’t want us to know, and it’s really as simple as that.

[urfavoritedcwhore]

Hii sso I was thinking if you could do a comforting/fluffy fic with Boris where he comforts reader bc she has some painful period cramps? I just thought it would be a cute idea:>>>

hello! yes i think this would be so so cute!!

comforting her//borisxreader!fluff!

warnings: just some swearing:)

not proof read

lowercase intended

you try your absolute best to be nice to boris all the time. you know his dad can be a dick, and you like being his safe space. however, when your on the second day of your period, you tend to turn into what boris calls, “the y/n potwór”.

it was about eight pm when you finally sat in bed, you had been so overwhelmed with school work that you had been sitting at your desk ever since you got home from class. you laid on your bed, curling into the fetal position as your stomach cramped tightly. it was the second day of your period and your body was not letting you forget that. you shut your eyes tight and clenched every muscle in your body as you felt the sharp pain in your lower stomach. you considering getting up to get a midol, but you decided against it when your stomach hit you with another sharp pain. you sprang out of the pain for a quick moment when you heard the front door open down stairs. “moms out of town”, you thought to yourself as you wondered who it could be. there were three possibilities: 1) your dad has finally appeared for the first time in your life and is waiting eagerly for you downstairs. not likely. you ruled options one out. you moved on,: 2) theo came by to scrounge through your fridge, which he commonly did. but theo was supposed to be out to dinner with xandra and his father tonight. or option: 3) boris is came over and is planning on staying the night tonight. option three was quickly ruled the winner when the lanky boy opened your door smiling holding a small bad in his hand. “y/n?”, he asked when he saw you hunched over laying on the bed. “mmmm”, you groaned back at him, his very presence annoying you for some reason. he walked over and sat on the bed beside you. he looked at you with a small sympathetic smile, “am i talking to y/n right now or the y/n potwór?”, he asked brushing a piece of hair out of your face with his fingers. “the second one.”, you said responding to his question. he chuckled lightly, “i think i help.”, he said in his broken English. you knew what he was suggesting, “boris, fucking only helps sometimes, i hurt too bad to even move right now.”, you said to him annoyed. “nie nie, i wasn’t suggesting sex, i suggesting this.”, he said holding up the small bad he had with him. you looked over and straightened yourself out, groaning at the pain, and propping yourself onto your elbows. “what is it?”, you asked rubbing your left temple, almost certain a period migraine was on the way. he smiled at you and began pulling out things from the bag. first he pulled out a dvd of the first season of “the office”. he loved this show. he laughed at the parts that weren’t even funny and did the worst michael scott impersonation, always using his best American accent. you looked at him annoyed, any other day you’d be thrilled to watch this show with him, but right now you couldn’t stand the thought of hearing his loud laughter every thirty seconds. still, it was sweet that he thought bringing over one of your favorite shows would help. he noticed the look on your face a reached back into the bag, “what about this,eh?”, he asked pulling out a king sized KitKat out of the bag. you gave him a small smile. honestly, even though it’s cliche, chocolate is just want you always craved on your period. he smiled back at you before putting the candy bar in front of you, “but wait there’s more!”, he said in his best american accent. you were sure he had gotten this little saying from an infomercial or something. he reached into the bag and pulled out a very small heating pad as well as a bottle of Advil. you looked back up at his as he grinned down at you, “where did you get all this?”, you asked suspiciously. “i go to drugstore and buy there.”, he said to you as he poured two capsules from the advil bottle into his hand and handed them to you. you took them and raised your eyebrows, “you bought this stuff?”, you ask taking the pills, not even bothering to grab the water on your desk. he shrugged, “buy, steal, is same.”, he said getting up and plugging the heating pad into the outlet by your bed. he walked back over to your bed and flipped you on to your back carefully, but swiftly.he laid the heating pad on your lower stomach and crawled in bed beside you, knocking the empty bag onto the ground.

you were definitely far less annoyed by him now. you smiled at him, “thank you bor.”, you said putting your head on his shoulder. he leaned down and kissed your head before grabbing the KitKat beside you, and opening it up. he handed it to you and watched as you took a bite, closing your eyes and practically moaning at how much it satisfied your craving. you opened your eyes and sat up. removing your head from his shoulder when you saw him with the remote to your tv in his hand. “whatcha doin?”, you asked with a mouthful of chocolate. he sighed before turning his head back to you, “only because i love you very much.”, he said before looking back at the tv and fidgeting with the remote buttons. confused, you looked back at the tv and saw he was on netflix typing something into the search bar. you watched the letters he pressed in until he had the full word typed out. you looked at him excitedly, “YOUR GONNA WATCH CHICAGO WITH ME??”, you said smiling at him as he pressed the play button on the screen. “is only because you don’t feel good and because i love you very much.”, he said again pointing at you. you kissed him on the cheek, “thank you baby.”, you said wholeheartedly. he smiled, “so that is all it takes to make you feel better, eh?”, he asked with a smirk, “i remember that next time.”. you giggled at this and laid your head on his chest. “i would feel even better if you gave me one of your cigarettes.”, you said tilting your head up to look at him. he chuckled pulling the pack out of his jean pockets and sliding a cigarette out of it. he lit it, took a few puffs, and held it to you’re mouth for you to drag. “go crazy.”, he said placing a kiss onto your head and laughed.

a/n: hope this is what you were looking for:)) thank you for the request<33

[strawbrryvyy]

OKOK I have an idea

Yk there's a headcanon about kaiser growing up in a poor village so I thought about reader who was his childhood friend and offered him a football that he treasured even after he left for bastard munchen (the blue rose tattoos reminds him of reader since it's their fav rose) and then after years he saw reader again!!

Can you please write about it? Thanks xoxo

okay so for this one i also had another anon requesting childhood angst , so i decided maybe change this up to yknow do both requests

"Micha! Your too fast" yelled the small child as they descended down the hillside of the village park. Ecstatic laughter rang from the boy whom they were chasing as he stopped at what seemed to be blue roses.

The roses shined under the sunlight and gave a radiant glow , next to the other tulips ,daisies and violets.They reminded the boy of his friend , they were breathtaking compared to others of his hometown and with their kind heart , it was as if to Michael ,only they mattered.

Y/n had always loved the same roses Michael admired , for her they symbolised her unspoken passion for the boy with blonde hair and sapphire orbs.

"What do you mean your leaving?" The h/c asked desperately , as she was given news of his plans to leave their poverty filled village .

"Plan to make it to the big league "was the answer she got .The boy had said this with a lazy smile as if he didnt care for her , for their friendship ,for the time they spent together. "No what about us?!you can't leave like that !"their lungs erupted,if looks could kill , y/n was sure they'd have been charged for murder by now. They couldn't believe it , the man they had given so much of their time to was just gonna leave them in the dust like that .

Before the boy had a chance to respond to his best friends screams , they had ran off , now them being the one to leave him in the dust.

its funny , he thought .Who thought that he would be at his childhood house ,years later searching for the thing that he felt completed him .'Foolish' he wasn't a puzzle , he didn't need completion. Wrong . he saw it , dusty and out of air but it was still there , the object that started the spark of passion that eventually grew into fire within him. A ball. Not just any , but one you had gifted , on it were doodles of a small rose , a blue one.

ahh , he remembers it , the rose he compared you to as children , how long has it been. four years , five . He had stopped counting. Oh the guilt he felt for leaving ate him , but he never admitted it .Why would he , Michael Kaiser ever admit to something like that. Such nonsense.

Once again he was wrong ,he thought as he sat there putting up a facade of strength while getting his neck drawn on .It hurt , but it hurt less than the fury you most likely held for him after he left. The rose that was being tattooed on him symbolised you , the thorns , your story and how it ended before you began. he called it the tale of

....his precious rose.

a/n:guys remember requests are open<333333

[hendersister]

the power of love

summary: you and steve sneak into a preview screening of back to the future.

pairing: steve harrington x henderson!sister reader

title 🎵: the power of love by huey lewis & the news

a/n: sorry i didn't know how to end this so it just like kinda ends...

“You almost ready, Steve?”

You’re sitting in the back room of Scoops Ahoy, waiting on your friend Steve. He’s in the bathroom changing out of his work uniform into some normal clothes. 

“In a minute!” you hear Steve yell from the other side of the door.

You and Steve have big plans tonight. One of the projectionists at the mall's movie theater told you that they were having a secret late night preview of the new movie Back to the Future. It’s not set to open for a couple of weeks and you’ve been dying to see it. As soon as you heard about the preview screening you asked Steve if he wanted to come along. You wish your little brother Dustin wasn’t away at sleepaway camp because you know that he wanted to see the movie too.

“Ok I’m ready! I’m ready!” Steve announces as he opens the bathroom door.

You jump to your feet. 

“C’mon, let’s go!”

You and Steve leave out the backdoor. Working at the mall has some perks. You both know all the secret passageways and found out a way to sneak into the movie theater. You aren’t the only people who take advantage of this. Dustin’s friends bug you or Steve at least once a week about sneaking them into the movies.

“Relax Y/N! We’re not going to miss it,” Steve reassures you, and then, “I’m sure that projectionist guy will hold off on starting the movie until you arrive. What’s his name again?”

You roll your eyes.

“His name is Danny and he wouldn’t do that,” you answer.

“Yeah he would! That dude totally has a crush on you,” Steve tells you.

“No he doesn’t!” you deny it.

“Trust me, he does,” Steve insists. There’s a hint of jealousy in his voice.

You shake your head in disbelief.

Steve opens the door that leads into one of the side hallways at the cinema. He lets you out first and then follows closely behind. You lead Steve to the theater. Even though this was supposed to be a secret sneak preview, the theater is pretty crowded.

You and Steve find two seats together just as the trailers start. Steve knows he has a few minutes to spare before the movie begins and he’s going to take advantage of that time.

“I’m gonna get a coke,” he tells you as he rises to his feet.

He walks away before you have a chance to respond. As you watch him leave the theater you shrug to yourself. Oh shit! I should’ve asked him to get me one too… 

Steve steps out into the lobby and approaches the concession stand. He recognizes the girl behind the counter. They went to Hawkins High together.

“Hey Steve,” she smiles. 

“Hey Jennifer. Can I get 2 cokes?” Steve nods.

Jennifer raises her eyebrows. 

“Who’s the lucky girl tonight?” she questions Steve.

“Oh, uh, no date tonight. Just here with a friend,” Steve replies.

“Sure,” the cashier rolls her eyes, unconvinced.

A few minutes later, Steve returns to your theater with the drinks. 

“Hey. What’d I miss?” Steve asks as he sits down beside you.

“A lot! There’s another movie coming out soon with Michael J Fox. He’s gonna be a werewolf that plays basketball,” you tell him.

Steve scrunches his forehead.

“Wait… What?” 

“Yeah! It’s called Teen Wolf,” you laugh, “Don’t judge me but I kinda want to see it….”

Steve chuckles and hands you one of the cokes. Your eyes widen. You didn’t even get the chance to ask for a drink but Steve got you one anyway. You’re touched by the gesture.

“Thank you,” you say sincerely.

“Of course,” Steve smiles.

The lights start to dimmer and the “Our Feature Presentation” graphic appears on screen. It’s showtime.

You and Steve watch the movie in awe. Back to the Future isn’t like anything you’ve ever seen before. You know that you’re watching something special. The movie isn’t out for another few weeks but you just know it’s going to be a huge hit.

While watching the scene where Lorraine makes a move on Marty, you close your eyes. It’s just too cringey. You impulsively flinch, accidentally taking Steve’s hand. You’re about to pull your hand away but Steve, still focused on the screen, instinctively intertwines his fingers with yours. 

You let out a deep breath. You don’t know how to explain it but holding Steve’s hand just feels right. You feel safe and at ease.

You and Steve quietly hold hands for the rest of the movie. You don’t let go until the end of the movie when the entire theater erupts into cheers. Everyone is clapping, including you and Steve. You loved it.

The two of you are hyped as you walk out of the theater. 

“That was one of the best movies I’ve ever seen! I think it's now in my top three!” you exclaim.

“Yeah! It was so good I can almost forgive the fact that the girl was trying to bang her son,” Steve jokes.

“You should go as Marty McFly for Halloween this year. I think you could totally pull off that costume,” you suggest.

“Oh yeah?” Steve smirks.

“Yeah definitely. Just don’t include those suspenders. Not many people are able to pull off that look like Michael J Fox,” you advise.

“Mhmm,” Steve nods, taking in what you just said.

“But on the flipside, I don’t think Michael J Fox could pull off your Scoops Ahoy uniform. You are the only guy I’ve seen that actually looks good in it,” you tell him.

Steve’s face perks up.

“You think I look good?!”  

You shyly smile.

“Yeah… but you look good in like everything,” you quietly reply.

Steve smiles. His heart melts a little bit. Since hitting puberty people have been telling Steve that he’s good looking. But it means more coming from you.

[lostbetweenvampiresandmusic]

requests are open right? You don’t have to do this LMA0

just David being comforted that mf needs a hug and a good cry methinks

This one has been stuck in my head - there are so many scenes and opportunities where this idea would fit and omg - thank you for requesting this because I didn't know that this was something I wanted to write/read! I hope you like this 💜

--------------------------------

For the first time in decades, the cave was quiet. No distant chatter, no music being played in the background. Even the crickets and bats kept quiet, almost as if they felt their silence was necessary.

The only one present in the cave was David. He had made a mess of things, or at least, that's how it felt. Where he had tried to turn Star, he had failed. He knew the girl was stubborn, but to ignore her own nature like that - the way she ignored her hunger, the need to feed and lure victims away so she could do so? David shook his head. He had underestimated the girl, that was for sure.

That seemed to happen a lot, lately. Underestimating outsiders. He didn't even know exactly how that had happened. Was it because he and his boys had gotten too relaxed, believing they owned the town? Was it because Star had been begging him to let Michael in? Was it because of Max' foolish plan? He sighed as he lit his - final, he realised - cigarette. Things had gotten wrong.

In the back of the cave, far away from the deadly sunlight, he kept the bodies of his fallen brothers. Every night, he fed them fresh blood, slowly but surely healing them. Marko was close to waking up again, but both Paul and Dwayne took more damage and would take longer to heal. The only reason he had even gotten out of that damned house and managed to bring his brothers along was because of an old friend of theirs.

Charlie had saved them - had saved him. Charlie had pulled him off those antlers, feeding him blood until he had healed himself. Charlie, who had a habit of running off and exploring, taking "make the most of your life" more literal than most. Charlie, who had run away after the five of them had been turned back in 1906, and only ever stopped by once every seven years before disappearing again, that Charlie - she had saved them.

"I've got some extra bodies if the boys need more blood."

David looked up, startled by the sudden interruption of the silence. He looked at her, nodded, and refocused in his cigarette.

"You can't continue down this path."

"What path?" His voice was colder than intended.

"This. This self-pity. Stop blaming yourself. You didn't do this to them."

"Sure feels like I did."

"You didn't ask for those wannabe vampire hunters to barge in here. You didn't ask for Marko to be staked. You didn't ask for them preparing for your revenge, and almost succeeding because of dumb fucking luck, did you?"

"No."

"Then why do you blame yourself?"

David was quiet for a moment, dropping what remained of his cigarette. "I'm their leader."

"On the boardwalk, maybe. In here, you're their equal."

"They followed me, because I wanted to get revenge."

"They wanted revenge too." Charlie had walked closer to him. She stood in front of him, sighing softly. "You don't have to do this alone anymore."

"I know you, Char. Within a couple of days, you'll be off to your next adventure, and I'll be here waiting to see if the boys will wake up."

"I won't leave until I know they are fine." She said, determination clear in her voice. "This, all of this, is not on you, your leadership or your actions."

David didn't respond. He just stared at the floor, trying his best to ignore her. Deep down, he knew she was right, but he didn't want her to be. Right now, he had someone to blame. Himself. He was never one for blaming himself, but this time, it felt right. All the others that were responsible were dead, anyways, and he couldn't blame them, now, could he?

"David."

David looked up, freezing when suddenly he felt her arms around him. She held him, not saying anything. She just held him, and before he realised it, he felt some tears running down his cheek. Charlie still didn't say anything. She just sighed softly, looking at him with a sad smile. She wiped away his tears.

"I won't leave you. Not until I know you are fine," she whispered finally, giving him a soft kiss on his temple.

[crumbleclub]

More Unorganized Afton Headcanons

William is actually from northern England (maybe like Middlesbrough area) but he's been faking a posh accent since he was a teenager

Michael spent most of his childhood being percieved as older than he actually was, mostly due to gaunt facial features, and later due to being very tall for his age. Because of this, adults often looked after him less, as they subconsciously registered him as more self-sufficient and mature than he actually was (and he was behind due to neglect anyway)

Elizabeth is a literal, actual prodigy, but she's emotionally stunted due to neglect as well

Evan's skills are the most behind, and he generally comes off as younger than he actually is. Emotionally, he's the most typically-responding

Michael was a college mistake that William initially didn't want to take responsibility for. William was only 21 when he was born.

It was either Henry's affection for his own family or his direct interference that convinced William to actually be involved with Mike at all (I haven't decided which yet for blips, lol)

Elizabeth and Evan were both planned. William wanted to get the whole "family" thing right, just like Henry had.

None of the Afton kids have ever met their grandparents on either side. Even alluding to the topic is completely forbidden in their household.

Elizabeth and Michael were close when they were little, but started growing apart by the time he started middle school

Both brothers were hit really hard by her death, but they responded in opposite ways. Evan became withdrawn and frightened, while Mike acted out and became aggressive

Michael and William are both unusually asymmetrical. They both have notable deviated septums, but ended up breaking their noses so that they bent opposite ways. One of Mike's legs is shorter than the other, enough to make him a clumsy runner. Their eyes don't quite level out, either. They both chalk this up to genetics.

Evan has a little bit of this. He had a cleft lip on only one side as a baby– which was surgically repaired– and one of his dimples is more noticable when he smiles than the other

Elizabeth looks more balanced. William remarked that, compared to the rest of them, she looked like a little doll

There have been a handful of occasions where William has essentially forced Michael to do something outright cruel, beyond what he would on his own, or when he's seen something he shouldn't have. Mike represses these completely, and can't access the memories even post-scoop. These were experiments on William's part, rather than any type of training with an intended goal

William drinks too much, but it's more of a binge drinking sometimes type of thing than a constantly a little drunk type of thing. It started as a way to self-medicate anxiety and paranoia

More often than not, he's actually less violent and more affectionate when drunk. The younger two sort of prefer him that way because they're so starved for affection, but Michael hates it. It's just wildly confusing to have his dad be nice all of the sudden, and it hurts way more knowing that he'll forget everything and be mean again later

Earlier in the cycle, though, ie only a few drinks in, he can be less predictable and easier to anger. Luckily for the Afton kids, he tends to be out of the house for his first round of drinks, only coming home when the bartender cuts him off

When he gets older, Michael avoids alcohol like the plague. He can't stand the smell. There were a few incidents where he tested the waters as a teenager, though, and every time he overestimated his alcohol tolerance and ended up blackout drunk and super sick

If she survived to adulthood, Elizabeth would be a wine aunt. Not sure about Evan

Elizabeth is fairly popular at school. Michael is known to be a delinquent of sorts. Evan doesn't have any close friends, but he's not really disliked, either. He's just "the quiet kid"

William, Elizabeth, and Michael all have "super charming" powers. William and Elizabeth are both charismatic and confident, so they just generally come across well. Michael is more awkward when he tries to actually talk to people, but he can get by on acting cute and playful to make people like him. He can't talk his way out of much, but a smile and a head tilt goes a long way

Evan is like Michael in that he's socially awkward, but he has no idea how to manipulate anyone. If he gets out of trouble, it's because he actually sobs himself sick

Every Afton child would be really into pokemon had they grown up 10-20 years later

Evan is a cool rock collection kid

Elizabeth is the best liar– better than William– but Michael is pretty good as well. Evan can't lie. He'll cry.

Mike was briefly in foster care when William had been arrested and was awaiting trial (he was found to be innocent). One home in particular was awful for him, and he cycled through a few others for acting out (nobody ever questioned why)

He lived with Henry for a while also. There was some healing there, at least

[petit-papillion]

Anyone who thinks Charles would be crazy to sign for 5 years with Ferrari, have you considered:

There are only 20 spots in Formula 1. Even some of the world's most incredibly talented drivers can't get a seat. And most drivers whose Dads don't own an F1 team are happy to get a 2-year contract. 5-year contracts are a rare occurrence. Ask Valtteri what it feels like to drive for years for a top team on 1-year contracts.

10 teams to pick from, with the top 5 claiming all but 2 podiums this past season. So if Charles were to leave Ferrari and not take a step backward in his career, he'd have to go to one of the remaining top 4 teams: RBR, Merc, AM, or McLaren. At Red Bull, he could get podiums and occasionally win races, but he'd never be number 1 while Max is there. Lewis could unexpectedly retire, but until he does, Merc is locked in with him. And while i think Toto would totally want to snap Charles up, if the opportunity arose, not sure I see this happening any time soon. McLaren have a pretty good lineup with both drivers having contracts past 2024. Finally, AM will only have a spot available if either Stroll Sr sells the team or Alonso is forced into retirement. Neither of which seem likely to happen before Charles's contract is up.

Charles lives and breathes Ferrari. He is a tifosi at heart. He loves driving for Ferrari for all its faults and shortcomings. He doesn't just say Forza Ferrari Sempre, he says it from the heart. He wears his Forza Ferrari bracelet until it breaks. He dedicates his end-of-season helmet to all the Ferrari team members. He points to the Prancing Horse on his suit with passion. He wears so many Ferrari clothes outside of work, we are shocked when he doesn't wear them for a while. He spends hours signing autographs for tifosi. And when they ask him if he will ever leave Ferrari, he immediately and confidently responds with, "Never."

Tying in with the previous point: the tifosi adore him. We have a priest praying for him. Grown men getting his name and/or number tattooed next to the Ferrari logo. Italian journalists waxing poetic about him. Fans singing for him under his hotel window. And a single hand gesture from Charles is enough to stop a crowd from booing Max. He gets showered with a 1,000 bracelets, and he accepts (and often immediately wears) them all with a grateful smile. This kind of adulation from the tifosi is not something he will automatically get elsewhere, and I am sure he would miss it dearly if he went to another team.

Charles has said over and over again that he wants to become WDC with Ferrari. Yes, he has mentioned that if he no longer believes in the project, he will look elsewhere. But Fred is only just starting. This year's car was inherited from Binotto. It takes a while to replace staff and to implement new procedures. Where it was possible to make quick changes, we have already seen improvements - most notably with the pit stops, but also with them bringing that meaningful floor upgrade in Suzuka. Fred has said some staff will not even work on next year's car, but on the 2025 car. Changes take time and we are not privy to as much information as Charles is. He has said he believes in Fred and what he is planning.

So to have job security for the next 5 years (btw equaling the number of years Michael Schumacher drove for Ferrari...) with a team he adores, whose fans worship the ground he walks on, working with a team principal with whom he not only has a fantastic working relationship with but who seems to share his vision for the future - it doesn't get much better than this. Yes, I can see that keeping your options open would be good, but I'm sure there will be clauses built into the contract to allow both parties a way out if things don't pan out the way they envision.

In the meantime, if the article in La Gazzetta Sportiva is true, Charles would be the definite N°1 driver for Ferrari. And with Fred also seeing him as the leader of the team, and the car being more developed to suit his driving style, without a doubt his confidence would grow, which in turn would help him become an even better driver and lead to more podiums and wins.

[divine-knight-hand]

Night of The Maneater

Part 1: The Chase

Part Two || Michael Masterlist || Full Masterlist || Read on AO3 Halloween Triple Feature Masterlist

Pairing: Michael Afton x Ghostface!Female Reader

Summary: Since the destruction of Fazbear's Fright, Michael could finally celebrate Halloween in peace, but with a new serial killer on the loose known only by the name "The Maneater", how long will his night stay that way?

Content Warnings: Stalking, mentions of death and killing, descriptions of fear and creepy scenarios, death threats, sexual themes

Notes: I don't care that FNAF lore says that Fazbear's Fright happened in the future. This fic takes place in the 1990s because I said so... Also, that time is the perfect setting for a slasher moment and no, I will not be taking criticism.

I also just looked it up and the first Scream movie takes place in 1996, so my guts were on point with this one. Trust my judgement, y'all~

Word Count: 4,352

Dividers by @animatedglittergraphics-n-more

Halloween season had an air of peace ever since Fazbear’s Fright burned down. This year, instead of fighting for his life against a group of worn-down animatronics–only one of them being corporeal, though not untouched by the stench of death–he only encountered the bright faces that came to his door in search of candy.

Michael was more than happy to oblige, complimenting the costumes of each child as he dropped some candy into their bags. Each child’s parent warmly smiled in appreciation from across the lawn, and he always reciprocated the soft expression. It was nice, seeing parents who took the time to make memories with their children. It filled him with a sense of pride, knowing he could help create that experience for them.

Once he handed out the last of his candy for the night, he turned out his porch light and headed for his kitchen to start making popcorn. He figured he’d spend the rest of the night catching up on the episodes of The Immortal and the Restless he had recorded to his VCR.

As he was searching his cupboards for an aluminum popcorn pan, the radio on the counter switched from lighthearted Halloween tunes to an emergency news report.

“We’re just getting news of a new serial killing taking place here in Hurricane, Utah.” The radio anchor announced. “Police are currently unable to name a suspect. The only information they have is that this killer seems to only target young men in their mid-twenties. They’ve since been codenamed, ‘The Maneater’. Police are advising that all residents make sure their doors, windows, and all other entrances to their homes are locked-”

“And, that’s enough of that.” Michael muttered to himself as he switched off the radio. What a buzzkill…

He rooted around in his cupboards a little longer before finally finding the aluminum pan he was looking for. He’d just put the pan on the stove when the phone started ringing across the room.

He strolled over to where it was mounted and picked it up. “Hello?”

A woman’s voice softly responded. “Hello.” A long pause followed, the only sound Michael could hear being the soft popping of his popcorn, before she asked. “Who is this?”

“Who are you trying to reach?” Michael wasn’t sure why, but he felt the need to dodge the question. Something felt off already, and he hadn’t talked to this person for more than a few seconds. After another moment of silence, he tried to shut down the conversation. “I think you might have the wrong number.”

“Oh, do I?” The voice sounded playful.

“It happens to the best of us.” Michael reassured. “Take care, now.”

He had just moved to return to the stove when the phone rang again. Since when was I so popular?

He smiled to himself as he picked the phone back up off of the receiver. “Hello?”

“I’m sorry.” The same woman’s voice answered. “I guess I did dial the wrong number.”

Michael nervously chuckled. “So, why would you call me back?”

“To apologize.” The woman’s voice was smooth. She spoke lowly and calmly, like she was reading a bedtime story to a child. “I didn’t mean to inconvenience you, tonight of all nights.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Michael breathed a sigh of relief. “It happens all the time. I’m going to go now, okay?”

“Hold on,” The voice suddenly sounded hurried. “Don’t hang up, yet.”

Against his better judgment, Michael responded. “Why not?”

“I want to talk to you for a second.” The woman’s voice purred. It sounded almost… sultry.

Michael felt a shiver crawl down his spine. He wasn’t sure whether to be afraid or enthralled. “I’m sure there are more interesting people you could talk to at this time of night. I should go now. Bye.” As soon as he hung up the phone, it immediately began to ring again.

Michael audibly groaned before picking up. “Hello?”

“Why don’t you want to talk to me?” The same woman’s voice answered, feigning hurt.

Michael was beginning to grow fed up with what he assumed was a Halloween prank call. “Okay, who is this?”

“Why don’t you tell me your name first, handsome?” If the voice didn’t sound provocative before, it definitely did now.

“Michael,” He quickly clapped a hand over his mouth. He hadn’t meant to give up that information so voluntarily. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

“Michael~” The voice sounded borderline pornographic as it tested his name. “Like Michael Myres, from Halloween. I like that.” Michael gulped, the action requiring some effort due to his suddenly dry throat. “What are you up to, Michael?”

“I- I- Uhm-” He stammered. “M- Making popcorn.”

“Making popcorn?” The voice sounded genuinely interested. “I only eat popcorn if I’m watching something. Are you preparing for a scary movie marathon?”

“No, nothing scary.” Michael felt his prior tension easing as the conversation began to seem normal. “Just my favorite show.”

“No scary movies?” The voice sounded playfully appalled. “It’s Halloween! How could you pass up a scary movie on Halloween?”

Michael bashfully scratched the back of his neck. “Not really my thing, I guess.”

“That’s a shame.” The voice sounded almost melodic. “I love a good scary movie.” After a long pause, the voice spoke up again. “So, do you have a girlfriend, Michael?”

He felt his face begin to glow red as his heart fluttered. That question definitely caught him off guard. “I- Well- Uhm- No, not exactly.”

“No need to be shy.” The voice purred. “I’m sure you’re more than a decent catch~”

“Thanks.” Michael struggled to fend off the flattered smile that was tugging at his lips. “So, uhm… Why are you asking me so many of these questions? Are you flirting with me, or something?”

“Maybe~” The voice took on an air of mischief. “I just want to know who I’m looking at.”

Michael felt his heart drop out of his chest. What the fuck?

He cradled the phone in his arms as he ran around the house, checking the windows to see if he could find any suspicious figure looking back at him.

When he couldn’t find anything, he just made sure the windows were locked before he held the phone back to his ear, returning to the kitchen. “What did you say?”

“I said I want to know who I’m talking to, silly!” The voice lightly giggled. “Everything okay?”

“N- no…” Michael breathed, the dread from earlier creeping back into his chest. “That wasn’t what you said.”

“I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree.” The voice spoke in a cautionary tone.

Michael struggled to swallow as he gulped again. “I wish I could say this was fun, but… Well… Goodnight, okay?”

“Don’t hang up on me.” The voice sounded a little more firm than the last time it asked him not to hang up.

Michael shivered. “Gotta go…” He hung up the phone and all but ran to the kitchen to take his popcorn off of the stove. He’d just finished pouring it into a large bowl when the phone rang again.

He rolled his eyes and tossed the empty pan in the garbage before picking up the phone. “Hello?”

“I told you not to hang up on me, Michael.” The voice sounded a lot less playful than before, instead bordering on angry. “That wasn’t very nice.”

“What’s your problem?” He began impatiently tapping his foot.

“I don’t have a problem with you, Michael.” The voice sounded almost as annoyed as Michael felt. “As I’ve already said, I just want to talk.”

“Well, talk to someone else, okay?” Michael hated the way his voice cracked, but he hoped he still got his message across.

“Are you getting scared?” The voice found its playful tone again, using it to tease him.

“No, just tired.” He slammed the phone back onto the receiver, making one last attempt to return to his cooling popcorn before the phone rang again.

Michael growled as he answered the phone. “Listen, I don’t-”

“NO, YOU LISTEN, YOU LITTLE BITCH!” The voice exploded. “If you hang up on me again I'll gut you like a fish! Do you understand me?!”

Michael was at a loss for words. As he tried to find the right words to say, his mouth opened and closed, like a fish filtering water.

“I’m sorry, Michael.” The voice purred after a tense moment of silence. “I don’t normally lose my temper so quickly like that. Especially on pretty boys like you.”

Michael was still stuck in an astonished silence, and the voice took that as an invitation to continue. “I don’t like being hung up on. That was rude…” The voice paused, sighing in disapproval before continuing. “I also couldn’t help but notice you locking your windows. I thought it was really bold of you to assume I wasn’t already inside.”

Suddenly, all the power in the house went out, plummeting Michael into a silent darkness. His blood ran cold as he rushed to one of his kitchen drawers to grab a flashlight.

“Wh- What the hell was that?” His hands began to shake as he clicked the flashlight on. “Is this some kind of sick joke?”

“No, no.” The voice reassured. “Nothing of the sort. I like to think of it as more of a game.”

“I- I’ll call the cops!” Michael attempted a threat of his own.

“Oh, come on, now.” The voice softly tutted. “You’re smarter than this, Michael. You know they’d never make it in time.”

He felt nauseous. “What do you want from me?”

“I want to play a game.” The voice calmly answered. “And if you play the right way, you get to walk out alive.”

Michael scoffed at the voice’s request. “You’re insane.”

“That wasn’t a no.” The voice softly giggled. “Come on, Michael. You know you want to. It’ll be fun~”

“Fine.” Michael spat. “I’ll play your stupid game.”

“Ouch.” The voice teased. “I haven’t even explained the rules yet. But, here they are. We’re going to do a little bit of trivia. I’ll ask you a series of questions. Each time you get a question wrong, I’ll walk into one room adjacent to the one I’m in. Each time you get a question right, I’ll stay put. You can move regardless, but only after you answer a question, and only one room at a time. Oh, and just know that you’ll be moving at your own risk. Got it?”

“You’re insane…” Michael repeated.

“I believe we’ve covered that.” The voice sounded amused at his apparent fear. “I may be insane, but I’m a woman of my word. I haven’t moved an inch since I got here.”

Michael silently shook his head. “I can’t believe this is happening.”

“A few last-minute things,” The voice went on. “If you hang up on me, I’ll kill you. If you try to leave the house, I’ll kill you. If you try to call the cops, I’ll kill you. Notice the trend?” The voice chuckled before continuing. “And, if I get to the same room as you? …Actually, let’s keep that a surprise for now.” The voice giggled again. “Are you ready for your first question, Michael?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” He felt defeated, and the game hadn’t even started yet.

“Good!” The voice enthused. “These questions are scary movie-themed, so I’m afraid you’ll be at a disadvantage.”

“Of course.” Michael muttered, bringing a hand up to massage the bridge of his nose.

“First question,” The voice began. “Proclaiming herself to be the ‘Mistress of the Dark’, this character hosted her own ‘Movie Macabre’ before moving on to star in her own self-titled film. What’s her name?”

Michael struggled to find an answer in his anxious mental haze. “I- I don’t know.”

“Really?” The voice sounded genuinely shocked. “What, do you live under a rock? You have to know this one! Men really love her for her huge… ratings! Yeah, ratings…”

Michael cringed at the voice's poor attempt at humor. “I still don’t know.”

“That’s unfortunate.” The voice sighed. “I’ll be moving rooms now, since the name Elvira doesn’t seem to be coming to your mind.” Then, the only thing Michael could hear on the other end of the line was the sound of a door softly opening and closing. “There we go.” 

His mind began to race as he tried to find some strategy to get himself through this game. His house was only one story high, and he only had so many rooms. When moving in, he felt he didn’t need much more than that, since he planned on living alone. He’d originally imagined that the woman was on the other side of the house, but she’d only specified that she was inside. She never told him where she was. That meant she could be anywhere from across the house to right outside the nearest door. Michael decided to stay in the kitchen for the time being. He didn’t want to risk bumping into her just yet… though he’d still be taking that risk if he stayed where he was.

“Alright!” The voice interrupted his thoughts. “Ready for the next question?”

“Let’s do it.” He did his best to summon his courage and clear his thoughts.

“Tell me the name of the killer doll from the film Child’s Play.” The voice directed.

Michael began biting his thumbnail in deep thought. I know this one. It’s that creepy ginger doll. But, what was his name?

“Tick tock, Michael.” The voice taunted. “Neither of us have all night.”

“Chucky!” He blurted once the answer finally came to mind. “The doll’s name was Chucky.”

An agonizing silence passed before the voice purred, “Well done, Michael. You’re more clever than you look. I guess I’ll be staying put this time.”

His mind began whirring again with a million questions. Where could she be? How long would it take for her to find him? What would she do to him once she did? He couldn’t just sit around and find out. Michael took the opportunity to slip from the kitchen into the living room. Since the doorway to the living room was open, he was able to make sure no one was there before entering.

“I see you decided to move this round.” The voice pointed out. “Interesting choice.”

“You know where I am right now?” He shuddered at the possibility.

“Of course I do.” The voice calmly responded. “I’ve been watching you this whole time, Michael.”

He quickly spun around, looking over his shoulder to make sure the owner of the voice hadn’t already found him. “H- How?”

“I don’t want to reveal my secrets just yet.” The voice responded.

Fuck! Michael’s heart began to pound. This obviously put him at a huge disadvantage. He needed to find a way to even out the playing field.

“Well, maybe I’m curious.” A new idea slowly unfurled in his mind as he spoke.

“Well, maybe I want to move on to the next question.” The voice insisted.

“Wait,” Michael felt his resolve slowly growing. “Before we do that, I want to change the rules of the game, just a little.”

A long pause followed, and just when Michael was worried that the voice wouldn’t take the bait, it responded. “Go on…”

“What if I could ask questions, too?” He proposed. “For every question you answer, I’ll stay still, but for every one you refuse, I move.”

This time, the voice let out a hum of consideration. “That sounds fun… I’ll accept, only if I get to move regardless, like you do when I ask questions.”

“Deal.” Michael knew this was a risky plan, but any answers he could get out of this person could help him to escape her. “We’ll alternate asking questions, so it’s fair.”

“Deal.” The voice purred. “After you, cutie~”

Michael felt his face flush as he tried to think carefully about his first question. Now is not the time to get flattered by a crazy killer in your house! …Come to think of it, why is she here?

He decided that would be his first question. “Why did you come here of all places?”

“Hmmm,” The voice paused for a moment before answering. “Because I was looking for a new catch, and you happened to be alone.”

“A new catch?” He was even more confused than before. “What do you mean?”

“Michael, Michael, Michael…” The voice tsked. “You didn’t waste any time before trying to break your own rule.” Michael could faintly hear the sound of a door opening and closing over the phone before the voice continued, softer than before. “I believe it’s my turn to ask a question.”

“Sorry,” Michael gulped. “Go on.”

“Alright, next question,” The line went silent again before the voice found its question. “Name one scary movie that came out this year.”

Michael scratched his head. He knew a lot of horror movies came out this year, but he barely paid attention to the trailers when they came on the television. Think, damnit!

He knew he had to get this one. The owner of the voice could have been anywhere in the house, and the living room had the most doors out of all the rooms.

“Michael, are you still there?” The voice softly giggled. “Oh, who am I kidding? Of course you are! Come on. Don’t keep me waiting.”

He knew there was a sequel to some Stephen King movie. What was it? The Shining? No. It? No… Cujo? No, but he vaguely remembered it involving pets. Wait a minute… Pets! That’s it!

“Pet Semetary II,” Michael breathed.

“Well done,” The voice didn’t pause before congratulating him this time. “That tracks. Looks like I’m not going anywhere.”

Michael quickly ran up to the nearest door, holding his ear up to it to make sure he couldn’t hear anyone on the other side. When he felt confident enough, he entered the room, softly closing the door behind him.

“The laundry room?” The voice sounded condescending. “That seems like a dead end to me, but if that’s what you want…”

“It’s my turn to ask a question.” Michael was anxious to get back to the point. He leaned back against the washing machine, gripping the edge with his free hand until his knuckles turned white.

“Okay, okay.” The voice conceded. “Ask away.”

“What did you mean earlier when you said you were looking for ‘a new catch’?” His voice wavered mid-question.

“That’s a good one,” The voice answered. “Sometimes, I’m not even sure, myself. I’ve chalked it up to this. The ideal catch for me is someone beautiful. Someone who’s willing to play my games. Someone strong enough to put up a good fight. But, above all, the ideal catch for me is someone clever and obedient.” After a heartbeat passed, the voice asked. “Is that a satisfactory answer for you, Michael.”

“I- I think so…” He gulped. He felt weak in the knees. What the hell was this person playing at? What was she hoping to do with him once she caught him? No, I can’t think like that. He mentally chided himself. I can’t lose this. I can’t!

But, at the same time, a new feeling rose within him. His sudden weakness in the knees couldn’t only be chalked up to fear. Hearing this voice compliment him tonight, it did things to him. How many times had she called him ‘clever’? How many times had she complimented his looks? Not to mention the thrill of having her go through all this trouble with the hopes of catching him. Part of him almost began to want to be found. Maybe it was because he hadn’t romantically been with someone in a while, but he suddenly found that the hairs on the back of his neck weren’t the only thing standing upright.

Get a grip! Michael frowned the crotch of his jeans, which was slowly pitching a tent.

A new sound snapped him out of his thoughts. He heard a door open and close, except it wasn’t just over the phone. He heard it in real life. He heard it from the next room. The owner of the voice was in the living room. His breath hitched. Oh, god! It’s over…

“Ready for your next question, Michael?” The voice spoke just low enough so he could only hear it through the phone.

Michael decided to match its volume. “Yes, I’m ready.”

“Alright,” The voice softly hummed as its owner thought of a question. “Okay! I got one. What is the name of the movie where a group of people take refuge in an old farmhouse to protect themselves from a horde of zombies?”

Now, this sounded very familiar. Michael recognized this as the plot to a movie he’d watched with his family when he was younger. It was one of the fonder memories he had with them before everything began to fall apart. But, it had been so long that he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to recall the name of it. What was it called?

“You’re killing me, Michael.” The voice groaned. “Must you take so long to come up with an answer to every single one of my questions?”

Michael’s brow furrowed in concentration. The title was on the tip of his tongue. If only he could recall it. He knew it had something to do with the ‘living dead’, because of the zombies, and it all happened at night… Oh! Duh! I’m a fucking idiot…

“It’s Night of the Living Dead.” Michael answered. “I used to watch it with my family as a kid.”

“How cute~” The voice purred. “And I thought scary movies weren’t your thing.”

“Not anymore…” He muttered.

“Do you have your next question ready?” The voice asked.

“I think I do.” Michael shuddered as he took a breath to steady his nerves. “Are you ‘The Maneater’ that the radio station’s been talking about?”

“Am I ‘The Maneater’?” The voice softly chuckled as it repeated his question. “I believe that is what they call me, yes.” After that, silence…

That was, until Michael could hear growing footsteps. His heart leapt into his throat. He’d forgotten that whenever he asked a question, she could move rooms regardless of whether or not she answered. This was it. She would open the door and kill him. It was game over. Oh god. Oh, fuck…

He couldn’t breathe. He clicked off his flashlight, but he knew it didn’t matter. She already knew where he was. The Maneater was right there.

Once the shadows of her feet appeared under the door, Michael felt tremors work their way through his body. He gulped, the heartbeat in his ears blocking out any other sounds around him.

Then, the shadows disappeared, and he heard the footsteps quickly retreat. Michael let go of the breath he was holding, a fresh wave of adrenaline coursing through his veins.

“Your fear is adorable.” The Maneater softly giggled. “No, that’s an understatement.” Her words grew breathy. “Your fear… it excites me.”

Michael willed his heart to slow down. He was convinced that, had the washing machine not been holding most of his weight, he would have keeled over.

“I could chase you like this for hours.” She ecstatically sighed. “After all this time I spent searching… I finally found the perfect catch.”

Her words were barely registering to him. Did she avoid him on purpose? She had the perfect opportunity to catch him just then. Why didn’t she?

“I have to ask, Michael,” The Maneater went on. “And I’m counting this as my next question… Do you enjoy being hunted?”

“Wh- What?” That fully grabbed his attention again.

“Do you enjoy being hunted?” She repeated. “Does our little game of cat-and-mouse excite you?”

Michael felt his face flush. It was like she was invading his mind, as well as his home. “Wh- What do you mean?”

“Don’t play dumb.” The Maneater scoffed. “I know you know what I mean.” Her voice grew sensual. “Does being hunted turn you on as much as it turns me on to chase you?”

Michael hesitated. Clearly, his common sense steered him to believe it didn’t. This woman was insane, and she’d killed men just like him. There was no way he could possibly enjoy being in such a dangerous position.

His body, however, heavily disagreed. It didn’t care about the circumstances. It just fell prey to the allure of this woman’s voice and it wasn’t as shy as he was about expressing his sudden libido. He looked back down at the evidence, growing more apparent the longer it strained against the front of his pants.

He decided to respond as vaguely as possible, seeing as he wasn’t too sure of the answer himself. “What does that matter? That doesn’t change the fact that I’m stuck playing this crazy game until you leave me alone.”

The Maneater softly chuckled at his boldness. “I should’ve expected that.”

Michael didn’t wait to hear whether or not she considered that answer correct. He knew he had to keep moving. He had to get out of that laundry room before she cornered him in it again.

He threw the door open, not even checking for The Maneater on the other side. He knew she was just a room away, and all she had to do to catch him was turn around, but he didn’t care. He was willing to take that risk. 

Michael rushed across the living room, stopping by the door to his bedroom. He already knew what his next question was going to be. He was going to ask The Maneater for her name. If she didn’t answer, he’d be able to move into a new room. If she did, then he’d finally know her by name. He just had to ask for her name and-

WHAM! A flash of pain exploded from the back of Michael’s head, and he fell to the floor from the impact. The last thing he saw was the ghoulish, dark empty eyes of a ghost-faced mask looking down at him before his vision went black.