#he's found someone who obeys him (sure it's out of absolute terror at this particular moment but sh) and for this instant he's seeing it in

[kantpattanawat]

Khaotung Thanawat as Bison (The Heart Killers, 2024-2025)

[dreadpoetssociety]

I Just Want My Brother

TW: Kidnapping, Abuse, Death, Drugs, Mentions of blood. 

Prompt: hi! i loved ur reid x sis!reader!! i was wondering if u could do one with reid x teen sis!reader and maybe she was a witness to something or got kidnapped and survived or something so they have to give her a cognitive interview and she refuses to do it unless spence is there or the one asking her the questions

Note: I really liked this request. I feel like I may have gotten off topic a littttttttle bit, but I tried my best! Also, sorry for any grammatical mistakes! 

()()()()()()

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Sister!Reader

Word Count: 3589

You were never really one to defy your elder brother’s rules, given how lenient he was with you, but it was supposed to just be one fun night out with your friends. The night scene that your friends adored was never really your cup of tea due to the horror stories Spencer would come home with. Girls getting kidnapped going on a run, girls being drugged and killed at a party, girls just going missing off the streets never to be found until it was too late, things like that. After a while, he slowly stopped giving you the gory details when he’d noticed the actual effect it had on your own life, whether or not you chose to acknowledge that when begging him to tell you more, but not knowing what was out there did scare you. Especially after stealing one of Spence’s files and looking at the photos that it held.

But, you were feeling daring on this particular night. Your friends finally convinced you to sneak out of the house. Spencer wouldn’t be back from his current job until morning, and even if you did get caught, you were generally a good kid. You bent the rules from time to time, but most high-schoolers you knew were sneaking out regularly, skipping class, doing hard drugs and even getting arrested from time to time. How bad could you be? At least, that was the reasoning your friends put into your head.

So, you thought hey, if you ever have kids, mind as well at least have one cool story to tell them. You didn’t even bother to go through the apartment window, you just walked out the door and met your friends out on the street. It was nearly midnight, but the night had just begun. 

It was hours of going to this person’s house and that person’s apartment, stopping by a random party and making noise in the streets, until finally, your friends made it to a bar. 

“You know,” you laughed a little anxiously, “maybe we shouldn’t. I mean I don’t even have a way of getting in there.”

“Y/N, chill. I know your brother freaks you into obeying the rules, but those things he sees have like a .0001% of actually happening. Like what are the chances really?” your friend, Elliot, smiled at you. 

“Actually, about one out of 300,000 people get kidnapped, which doesn’t seem like a lot, but the actual percentage is-“

“Y/N, we’re fine! Kids do this all the time. Plus, I already paid that Barry kid to make you a fake. Consider it an early birthday gift.” your other friend, Sheila, pulled out her purse and passed you the piece of plastic. Although incredibly concerned, you were impressed by how realistic it was. You sighed. 

“Fine, you’re right.” you laughed, “But there’s no way I’m convincing that bouncer that I’m 21.”

“Confidence is key. Just stroll past him like you know what you’re doing. If you look nervous they’ll know. I swear, Y/N, those dudes can smell fear.” Elliot laughed. The three of you made your way to said club entrance, and although the bouncer did seem suspicious of you, he just let you in anyway. 

The club was loud, there was a band on stage and lasers going throughout the room. Alice and Elliot didn’t hesitate to drag you to the bar first. You’d drank a little before, but you’d never gotten buzzed, let alone completely drunk. It wasn’t really your style, and thankfully, Elliot and Alice respected that. They pressured you to do a lot of things, but not anything like drugs or alcohol. They merely pushed you out of your comfort zone sometimes, and irregardless of whether or not the adults around you thought they were a good influence didn’t matter to you. 

“We’re going to go dance, but we’ll be nearby if you don’t want to join us! Just make sure not to go too far alone, Y/N” Alice stated, knowing you would absolutely not agree to dance with them. You smiled and nodded and the two went off to do their thing within your sight. 

“What can I get you, young lady?” the man at the bar caught you off guard. 

“Oh, uh, maybe just a glass of water?”

“Ah, designated driver I presume?” he laughed.

“Yeah, something like that.” you replied, “Someone’s gotta keep an eye on those two.” you nudged your head towards your two friends who were living it up with some other people in the crowd who you think might’ve been your age, too. You were sort of surprised at how easy it was to get into this club, considering so many of your peers get thrown out of it or get caught. 

The man passed you the water and walked off almost a bit angrily. Understandably, though, because water is free.  You made a note to leave the man a tip later anyway. It was the least you could do. You played with the straw, took a few sips, and watched as your friends danced the night away. 

After a while, though, you began to feel off. Dizzy even, and you couldn’t think clearly. It was a hot summer night in a hot crowded club, the one cup of water you drank all day was right in front of you, so you figured it was the heat. You decided to take a quick trip outside to try and catch some air.

It was when you left the club that it really hit you. The world was turning, and you were barely able to stay awake. 

The club was located in an area that wasn’t super lit other than the one club sign. The bouncers must’ve been in the midst of switching shifts because there wasn’t one outside. 

“Hey young lady, you okay?” a man’s voice was all you could make out of him. You could see him, but you couldn’t, and it didn’t make sense. Someone grabbed you and the world went dark.

()()()()()()

You woke up slowly. You didn’t recognize your surroundings, the walls were concrete and disgusting. The room reeked of something. 

You tried to stand, but something was holding you to the floor. Having looked down, you noticed sort chains attached to both wrists. Your heart sped up, but you didn’t scream.

How the hell. . . you thought. How did they get me here? 

The last thing you could really remember was the water. What was in the water? It was too slow to be ketamine, too fast to be rohypnol. You wondered. Oh my god, gamma hydroxybutyric acid. Or cherry meth. 

You heard someone make a noise and instantly forgot about the debate in your head. Being able to think more clearly, and your eyesight less blurred, you began to take in your surroundings. There were windows in two two of the walls without glass. Taking a look, you noticed three other women in you line of sight. One in the room with you, who was starting to wake up, and two through the left and right windows. Straight ahead was a doorway that showed a room with a table on in the middle.

It was then that you really began to understand what was happening. The exact thing you were afraid of this whole time. Your breath sped up, your heart was nearly coming out of your body, your blood ran cold. 

“Hey,” the girl was awake now, “I’m Charlotte.” you looked at her wide eyed. Here you two were, chained against a wall, she was bruised and bloodied up and down, and she decided that it was appropriate to introduce herself? 

“What’s happening?” you didn’t even think to reply back to her. She could be anyone. She could be the person who took you, acting as your friend. Your paranoid mind raced through multiple scenarios.

“Look, you’ll be fine as long as you listen.”

“Listen? Listen to what? To who? Who took us? What are they-“ 

“You need to calm down.” she whispered, “If they hear you they’ll come. They haven’t been so nice to the noisy ones.”

If anything anybody had never shut you up before, that certainly did. You could feel the fear in every nerve of your body. he other girls around you faced the floor. One was in a party dress, the other in a pan suit. Looking at them, the girls had nothing in common. One had dark hair, the other had her hair dyed a faded blue, and the last was blonde, each with a different eye color and skin tone. You tried your best to think like your brother, but you couldn’t. Unlike him, you weren’t a genius, you were just average.

You heard a door creek open and all the girls instantly looked up. Through the doorway of your room, you saw a masked man walk in. You could almost hear the other girls’ hearts pumping. You watched in terror as he began to step towards you. When he got into the room, though, he turned towards Charlotte, and began unchaining her.

“No, please!” she cried, “Please, I’m sorry.”

“Shut up.” 

Charlotte went quiet. He aggressively picked her up by her arm and dragged her to the table, of which he pinned her down onto and began to strap her in. It wasn’t long before he opened a cabinet out of your view, and pulled out various rusty tools.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” you asked. You didn’t even think out what you were doing. What the hell do you think YOU’RE doing, Y/N? you thought to yourself. Unconsciously, you knew that you can’t profile this guy like Spencer could, you couldn’t talk your way out of this, but you could protect the girls around you. How? By pissing him off. 

“Don’t speak, woman.” he growled.

“What are you going to do about it? Kill me?” he slammed a knife-like tool straight down into the table a millimeter next to Charlotte’s abdomen, “What? Did I hurt your masculinity, big boy?” 

He unstrapped her quickly. You figured what was coming for you next, and it wasn’t long before you were on that table. The leather restraints were on way too tight, there were splinters in your back already from the poorly sanded wooden table, which you figured was on purpose. And all you could do was watch, and scream, as this man did whatever he wanted to you. hitting you, cutting you, seemingly testing out tools you’d never even seen before. The camera on the ceiling told you that he was recording this all to watch later.

And all you could do was scream out your brother’s name.

()()()()()()

You didn’t know how long you were there. Hours, days, weeks, you had no idea. Time didn’t exist down there. Ever since your first encounter with the man, you tried to deter him from the other women around you any time he came around. And fortunately for them but not for you, it worked.

All of the pain and screaming left you numb, but it wasn’t until you saw him get angrier with one of the other girls that you weren’t able to comprehend your situation anymore.

She hadn’t been doing well, the one in the party dress. The color in her skin was drained, making her paler, her eyes sunk. And you watched as the man pulled a knife from his pocket, and stuck it right through her heart. The screams from you and the girls flooded the room, and it was like the air in the building was being sucked out. 

You would never forget it.

()()()()()()

You were asleep when suddenly you heard the door open again and your body began to shake. But it wasn’t the man who came in.

“Reid! I got her!” the sound of Morgan’s voice echoed in your ears. Spencer burst into the room, and while Morgan Prentiss, JJ, and Rossi tended to the other three girls, Reid and Hotch came straight to you.

“Y/N? Oh my god, Y/N, you’re going to be okay. We’re going to get you out of here.” Spencer panicked as he tugged at the chains, “Come on!” 

“Y/N, do you know where the unsub went?” Hotch asked. You looked at him, you understood his words, but all you could manage to say was,

“Liquid cherry.” 

“Y/N?”

“No, cherry E.” you were so distorted, either from the pain, or from the shock.

“Y/N I don’t understand.” Hotch said.

“Liquid cherry?” Reid repeated, “Y/N, do you mean Liquid E?” you nodded.

“Cherry meth.” Hotch confirmed. You don’t even know why you brought it up. It wasn’t important, and although that’s what the man used on you, it wasn’t even relevant at this point.

The rest was a blur. Being free had a different meaning to it for you then. But yet, you were brought into an interrogation room after the ambulance had deemed that you didn’t have any truly hospitalizing injuries, just horrible bruises along with scars that would probably never fade away. You looked down at the table.

Emily Prentiss and JJ sat on the other end of the table. 

“Y/N, we know you’ve been through something traumatic, but that man is still out there. The other two girls aren’t conscious, and you’re the only one who knows what he looks like.” Prentiss explained, “You might not remember, but we if you’re able, we want to do a cognitive interview with you. It might help you remember details you didn’t know you picked up on.” 

“I don’t want to be here alone.” you whispered. JJ sighed sadly for you, “I don’t want to do it unless it’s Spencer.”

“I know, Y/N, but your brother is personally involved now. He can’t work on this case.” she said. In your heart you knew why, and you understood completely. But your mind just didn’t follow, and you shook your head. You looked up, and the color of the room and placement of the mirror seemed to eerily familiar, and the scene switched.

There you were, back on that concrete floor, screaming out for Spencer. All you wanted was for your brother to come save you. You saw the man walking towards you. You screamed louder as he got closer.

You felt someones hands on your shoulders and the scene had changed again. You were breathing heavily, the interrogation chair was on its back, and you were in the corner of the room. Emily and JJ were crouched with concerning eyes in front of you.

“Y/N? It’s us.” 

“I can’t do it.” you sobbed, “Not without him. I won’t.”

Emily and JJ looked at each other and nodded. Emily walked out of the room while JJ sat on the floor with you.

“You’re safe now.”

“He’s still out there he’s not going to stop.” you whispered, “I just want my brother. I just want Spencer.”

She held you tight.

“We won’t let anything happen to you. Spence won’t let anything happen to you.” she reassured. 

It wasn’t long after that Spencer finally entered the room and signaled that it was okay for JJ to leave.

“Y/N,” his voice was soft, and you instantly felt safer in the presence of your brother, “are you sure you can do this?” you nodded in response. As much as it terrified you, you didn’t want that monster hurting any other girls. He was still out there somewhere. Spence helped you up and fixed your chair. You sat across from each other.

“Y/N, I need you to close your eyes.” he said. You did so, “Now think. What’s the weather like before you met the unsub? Was it cloudy, light, dark?”

“It was night. The sky was so clear.” you replied, imagining the time in your mind.

“You’re going out. Who are you with?” he asked.

“Alice and Elliot. Spencer, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have broken the rules.” you cried. Spencer hadn’t even considered the thought of you sneaking out until now, but had decided that it was a talk for another time, if he thought you’d ever be able to handle it.

“Don’t worry about it, Y/N. I’m just glad you’re safe.” he said. With your eyes closed, you couldn’t see the tears pricking your brother’s eyes. He’d seen many tragic things, done some of the most gruesome cognitive interviews, seen the most disgusting and vile actions done by the most heartless of monsters, but none of that beat this. His own sister. He’d watched the tapes that the man had recorded , and his heart sunk every time you screamed out his name, but his anger grew just as much, “Where did you guys go right before you met the unsub?”

“The club on 16th street.” you stated, seeing yourself and your friends right outside the doors, “Alice and Elliot convinced me to go in.”

“What are you doing in there?”

“Alice and Elliot went to dance. I don’t like dancing, so they stay near me while I sit at the bar?” you realized that you talked as if you were presently there.

“Who is around you? Anyone you recognize?” he asked.

“No, I’m alone with the bartender.”

“Is he talking to you?” Spencer questioned. It was then that you recognized something.

“What can I get you, YOUNG LADY?” the bartender’s voice echoed in your mind, and aligned with the man who asked if you were okay outside before you were taken. You realized that the size and stature of the man who had tortured you matched with the bartender. You gasped and opened your eyes quickly. You were visibly distraught, so Spencer grabbed your hand in a quick attempt to comfort you.

“Y/N, are you okay? If it’s too much we can-“

“The bartender, Spencer.” you huffed out, “He said something to me and spoke to me outside after I was drugged.”

“Do you know what he looks like? Or his name?” he asked. Your thoughts were so fragmented now that you couldn’t remember, and a few tears slipped down your face as shook your head, “Do you want to try to keep going? You don’t have to Y/N I don’t want to put you through this again.”

“No!” you yelled, “No, it’s okay. It’s important. I can do this as long as you’re here.” He smiled slightly at how much you trusted him, but it quickly faded.

“The bartender,” he started, “He’s talking with you, what’s he saying?”

“He asks me if I want a drink. Calls me ‘young lady.’” you replied, as you saw yourself seated at the bar. The man just looked like a blur to you, and you tried so hard to remember him.

“What’s around him?” Spencer asked. 

“Well drinks, obviously. Alcohol.” 

“What kind?”

“He’s got all kinds of fancy bottles. Jim Beam, Captain Morgan, Patron, Bacardi,” you paused, “The Smirnoff is the same color as his shirt. A red shirt as a bartender. He stands out in an odd way.”

“His shirt, is he wearing anything? A name tag?” 

“He has a lanyard. It’s got pins on it and a picture with his-“ you see his name in big black letters on the end of the lanyard, “Andrew Vaughn. The drug is started to hit me now Spencer I-“

“Hey,” his voice was soft as he quickly got up and hugged you, “you’re safe now. I’ve got you.”

“I’m so sorry!” you sobbed into his shirt, grabbing onto him. He put his head on yours.

“It’s not you’re fault Y/N. You’ve been through something traumatic, you can’t be sorry for it.” he said.

“If I hadn’t gone out like you told me, Spence! And those other girls. The one in the party dress! I watched her die! He just stabbed her and she bled out in agony, Spencer!” you nearly yelled. You almost couldn’t breathe, and your face was wet with the tears.

Spencer’s heart dropped to the pit of his stomach. Reid knew some what of what you were going through. He reminded himself of what it was like when Tobias Hankel, and tried to think of how he wanted people to treat him then when he was freed, and how long it took for him to be okay again. He never really was, and he was afraid that you would never be able to feel safe again, but understood why you wouldn’t. He just wanted to take care of you, and blamed himself for not being there.

Within the next few hours, Hotch had refused to let a very angry Spencer go with the team to the unsub’s house. The BAU, although, successfully brought your kidnapper into custody.

“You don’t have to worry now, Y/N” Morgan said to you, “We’re gonna make sure he never sees the light of day again. He’ll live the rest of his life behind those bars.” 

“Yeah.” was all you managed to say with the slightest smile as you walked through whatever precinct you were in. 

“Y/N, Garcia told me to tell you that if you ever need anything, she’s here. I think the same goes for the rest of us.” Rossi explained.

“Thanks. I owe you all everything.” you said.

“Let’s get you home.” Spencer put his hand on your shoulder, careful not to touch any of your injuries, and the two of you walked out together.

You would never be the same after that, but at least you had your brother by your side.

[jonghostation]

Dews of Twilight (Part 2)

Ship: Pirate!Jongho x Mermaid!Reader

Genre: Fantasy AU

Word Count: 2,4k

Author’s word: Finally done with part 2, and it is definitely longer than the first one. Please enjoy, or if you have some criticism in your feedback, feel free to message me or leave it in my asks! Thank you!

While it had been predicted so, still you became frustrated at the situation as you had been admonished to bits by your circle of friends. Although frankly, most of which had been forgotten. 

---

The minute you arrived, a wave of relentless admonishment surrounded you by every single one of your friends. Annie and Tessa looked worried sick with Allie pointing at you accusingly - albeit gently, Darlene was shouting as if she witnessed a murder, while Chiyo seemed eagerly ready of the spectacle that was about to happen. The noise of it all made you cover your finned ears. Since none of you were in imminent danger anymore, there wasn’t any need for telepathic communication. However, at that moment, you wished you still were doing so as your friends continued to vocally reprimand you for getting too close to the human.

Naddy silenced the group with a raise of her first. Her expression had the ability to murder one with a single glance. She then turned her focus towards you, as she lowly growled in staccato,” What.Were.You.Thinking?”

You rubbed your elbow with your eyes looking anywhere but her. Even though she did know of your endeavours, you didn’t exactly tell her you were going to get that near from the human. However, there was no point in hiding the truth at that point, so you sighed silently and started with an apology,” I’m sorry, Naddy. I shouldn’t have made you worry like that.”

There wasn’t any response from the group’s all-mother, so you decided to continue,” I just wanted to see what he was like. There was a boulder right at the shallows so I thought I could hide there and-“

“Enough.” Naddy’s voice suddenly boomed across the perimeter, “ You almost jeopardised the safety of all mermaids from what you did, do you understand that?” Her harsh tone made you flinch a little, and the rest as well. So all you did was nod in agreement. And then, with another heavy sigh, Naddy proclaimed,

“As punishment, you are NOT to leave your room until the light shines on the coral tomorrow. Understood?”

---

The damage had been done, ultimately resulting in your arrest inside your quarters for the rest of the night. And as the waters turned darker and your bio-fluorescent mode of vision activated, you watched as the many merpeople swam past your now barred window. You couldn’t believe how fast they had taken action; this was your punishment, for merely getting closer to a human.

A deep sigh released from your lips,‘I cannot believe this is happening.’ You thought to yourself as the water around you heat up to match your increasing body temperature, out of sheer vexation. For the fact that Naddy deemed it necessary to ground you like a child was absolutely absurd. You swam back and forth like how a human paces in one’s room, desperately trying to search of an idea. With all the dizzying thoughts that swirl in your mind, you placed your hands on your temples. It didn’t help that within those dizzying thoughts of yours, that human man reins supreme; a visual so vivid that it began to override your rational capacity. 

You sighed as you spoke to yourself,‘ I need to get out of here. I can’t stand it.’ Becoming more determined than ever. 

Looking around your room like a mad dog, you somehow found a broken stick at the corner. As you examined it, you hoped it would be sharp enough and strong enough to break through the bars of dense rock. A plan suddenly formed, and with your impatience, it granted no time for the details to be considered.

You stepped back to the farthest end of your room, with the stick ready in your hands. After you took a deep breath, hopeful of your not-so-thought out plan, you lunged forward, flipping your fins to the fastest you have gone. 

BAM! 

It was clear that there apparent sounds of damage, but with your eyes that had suddenly closed at the last minute, you were too afraid to look at the outcome until a few moments passed. Slowly squinting open your eyes, relief and triumph washed over you. Despite the stick receiving more injury on its sharp end, the bars of which encaged you for hours had been broken; leaving an opening large enough for your body to pass through. 

There was not a moment to waste. You carefully swam through, with enough caution to prevent yourself from getting hurt but quick enough to make a run for it. Once your tail passed through, you immediately hid behind every object imaginable to avoid being seen by your fellow people, including and especially your friends.

It took a considerable amount of time but you were able to find yourself at a cove, only different from the one earlier in the afternoon. This particular one was located at only a few yards away from the beach, practically residing right beside it. If it was thought that the previous cove led your group to be paranoid enough in being seen, then how frantic they must be if it had been this one. The thought of the latter made you chuckle silently, when all of a sudden, a rustle of dried seaweed was heard. You were able to hear this because despite still being underwater, your proximity to the surface was so close, it could be considered worrying. So you took safety into some aquatic grass that were conveniently abundant enough to cover you. 

As you waited for another sound to come, what you saw made your heart stop. Through the increasingly rowdy chatter that you hear from below, you saw two figures darkened as silhouettes. Hiding deeper into the grass, you feared they would notice your presence as per chance of your glowing purple eyes from your bio-fluorescent vision. 

The two figures were sitting on some flat rock, with one’s shoulder entangled in the other’s arms. They conversed almost inaudibly, but you were able to decipher their words.

However, it did take more effort when one of shorter height spoke with a strange, slurred accent,“Shome island, huh?” before giggling like a fool.

“Yeah..” The other replied, thankfully with more clarity.

Somehow, you felt more familiar to the voice of the second figure, so you squinted your eyes hard to make more out of his silhouette. That outline of his arms, the shortness of his hair which contrasted to the first figure’s longer one, that faint glow that illuminated from his droopy eyes..

You then realised. You had been inches away from your favourite human that entire time. 

Widening your eyes, your mouth opened ajar in shock. The utter joy you felt afterwards could have been similar to the time when you first bonded with your friend group. He appeared to be so much more alluring as he got closer, causing you to sigh. 

The human beside your favourite one suddenly stood up and spoke as he started to stumble away from the cove,

“I’m goin back, BUT! In the morning, check the sailsh, yeah? Shee if there’s any patching that we need ta do. Ohkayh, Jongho?” To which the latter responded with a short nod as he was about to help him back. The drunk one, however, stopped him, claiming that he could walk back on his own for he is the captain, or something.

From all that was said, only one thing stuck on your mind against the rest. ‘Jongho’ You repeated. Is that what he’s called? You smile unknowingly, for you thought it was a beautiful name, fititng for someone of his brawn and serious nature. Returning to him, Jongho remained in his seat, propping his knee up to hold it as a heavy sigh was released from him. His eyes became sad, looking at the dark and calming waters below him.

After seeing him make that melancholic expression once again, you decided to stay a little longer. Magnetic wasn’t enough to describe how much you wanted to comfort him, you felt an obligatory NEED to comfort him. 

Without a second thought, you decided to raise your head out of the water. The moment Jongho caught sight of another creature emerging from the water, he jolted and crawled back, his instinct telling him to scream. Panicked, you immediately lifted a finger to your lips to prevent him from doing so.

You started to put your hands out in assurance, “Please, don’t fret! I do not intend to hurt you, Jongho.” You blurted his name in plea. There was a split second that you regretted letting him know of how you knew his name but you didn’t think it was important at that moment. 

The man was still shaking in terror, with only confusion increasing into the mix. He stood up and stepped closer to the edge of the rock with utmost caution, making sure he wasn’t hallucinating, despite not having a drop of alcohol prior to the encounter. 

He took a while before he asked with apparent alertness in his otherwise quivering voice,” Wh-who are you and h-how do you know m-my name?”

Softening your expression, you heeded not of his questions but instead whispered soothingly,” Let’s calm down first. Alright?”

Jongho perplexedly furrowed his eyebrows, but oddly he obeyed, sitting back down quietly and civilly. You floated towards the edge of the flat rock, making the human flinch still. That was the signal that caused you to stop in your tracks, with just enough distance between you two for conversation.

Even as you swam toward him, you both kept your eyes on each other, holding eager interests of varying kinds. The silence was almost as palpable as the tension around the cove, so you decided to break the ice,” So, Jongho, you couldn’t see me hiding in the water?” Attempting to maintain a lighthearted tone as you always did before.

And however embarrassing you felt your icebreaker was, you heard a chuckle of the smallest volume from Jongho, who replied with another question in the same frequency of tone,” How can I when I was taking care of Sir Tipsy from earlier?” 

The quip registered itself so comfortably in your ears that you had no choice but to laugh, silently of course. His response gave you the impression that he had finally calmed down, considerably enough for you to explain some things. You had only waited for a few more minutes until he asked again of who you are, what you are and how you knew his name.

After giving it some thought, you looked up at the handsome man whose face had reflected light from the water and asked foremost,” You mustn’t tell anyone about this, promise?” 

Jongho nodded in response. You gave him another look, as if to confirm his authenticity of an answer.

Understanding so, the man drew an invisible X with his pinky finger on the left side of his chest only before saying,”Cross my heart.” 

Confused of the gesture, you tilted your head to the side, leading Jongho to realise that mermaids probably don’t know the ways of humans and their customs. So after he explained what it was to you, you smiled in enlightenment,

“That is fascinating!” You excitedly whispered. This made Jongho’s lips tug at its very corners.  As you took a deep breath, you finally stated,” I am Y/N, and as you can probably see, I am a mermaid.” Being proud of your kind, your shoulders rolled back a little.

You then continued to answer his final question,” And how do I know your name, you might ask?” As Jongho nodded, you giggled,” Because the man with the funny looking hair called you so, do you not remember?”

“Ahhh” Jongho made a sound of realisation; It had been his captain who gave away his identity some time before he could introduce himself to this enchanting specimen, of which he thought had only existed in tall tales and stories. 

“Well at least allow me to fully introduce myself; I am Jongho, a pirate of the beautiful Treasure ship. Pleased to make your acquaintance." He stood up to do a dramatic bow and wave, making you chuckle once again.

‘Is this human humour? It’s cute’, you thought to yourself as Jongho returns back to his seat. The two of you exchanged glances of undeniable benevolence towards each other; as if you both had an indescribable feeling to not be afraid of the other. 

As you continued to make conversation almost effortlessly, a voice called out to Jongho, leading you both to snap your heads towards the source. You felt a wave of panic in your chest, and as you returned your gazes on each other, you whispered frantically,”Please remember our promise,” His gaze remained unmoved, so you asked again,”Will you, Jongho?”

The latter blinked, then nodded sharply,”Your secret is safe with me. Don’t worry.” 

The unfamiliar male voice continued to call on his missing friend, and it only took a moment for you to realise that he is walking towards the cove in his search. Taking action, you directed Jongho to leave, waving your hands in a shooing motion. 

What he replied to you may seem nothing but a simple question, but its insinuation made you stop entirely whatever you were doing, for your heart started skipping a beat and your fins fluttered in reaction.

” Will I ever see you again, Y/N?”

“ I-” “JONGHO!” 

That voice suddenly felt closer than before, and in a moment of absolute fright, you dipped your head down and started to swim deeper down into the waters, leaving Jongho hanging onto your answer. 

As you looked up at the surface, the man who had been calling Jongho came into view, wrapping an arm around him like an old friend. You examined some more to see whether or not he would keep the promise he made. In the few moments of idle chatter with the unknown pirate, there hadn’t been a single change in Jongho’s facial expression that could have shown that he had exposed your existence. 

Sighing in relief, you watched as they leave the cove together, before you swam back to your room, awaiting for the worst. Within your anxiety, however, there was a hint of elation from what just happened. You have finally made contact with the human of your dreams, and it was safe to say; That you have found a new friend.

[classywastelandbread-blog]

Charred or Chard The Cat

Just a little silly thing I scribbled down today. 

I tend to collect a lot of random (and usually useless) bits of knowledge. The facts here are based on what I learned when I spent time with my aunty who was once a breeder of cats on a whim.

“Han,” Jesse said, a pained look on his face. “No…”

The…thing…hung complacently from Hanzo’s hands, its hind legs curled demurely over its groin which was a blessing because it wasn’t neutered.

…and it was hairless.

“Yes,” Hanzo said seriously. “You said you wanted children of the four-legged variety.”

Jesse sighed, running his flesh hand through his hair. “Han…I think said of the furry variety. That…thing…” he shuddered. “Hon, it looks like a shaved ball sack.”

“You would know,” Hanzo replied, much to the discomfort of the kitten’s owner. He scooped it into his arms like one would hold a baby and turned to the woman that had put the kitten up for adoption. She looked very much like she regretted agreeing to meet with them but she still smiled kindly at them. “How much?”

Jesse whined. “Han.”

The woman’s eyes flicked to Jesse. “Hon,” she said gently to Hanzo. “Maybe you should make the decision with your…friend?”

“Husband,” Hanzo corrected absently as he toyed with the cat’s paws. It was complacent enough to bat at his hands gamely; when it “caught” Hanzo’s finger, it brought it to its mouth and licked at it.

Never had Jesse wished so badly for someone to be homophobic and take the cat…thing…away from Hanzo. But the woman was a kind sort and smiled. “Husband,” she repeated sweetly. “Maybe you should ask your husband what he thinks.”

“He thinks he looks like a shaved ball sack,” Hanzo pointed out. “He made it very clear what he thought of him.”

The woman winced. “Yes, but I’d rather not cause a break in a marriage over a cat,” she pointed out. “And I’d hate to get this poor guy’s hopes up that he’d find his forever home.”

Jesse could never get used to that phrase. “Forever home”. It made sense and was kind of sweet but at the same time he thought it was kind of weird…but that was just him.

Startled, Hanzo looked back at Jesse. He groaned. “Ma’am,” he said kindly to the woman. “Y’ mind if we have some people-talk? Guy talk? Like…me and my husband?” It still felt weird to call Hanzo his husband but it was a good kind of weird that sent thrills up and down his spine.

The woman smiled and held out her hands for the cat which Hanzo very reluctantly handed back to her. “You can go in the dining room over there,” she said, pointing to the room in question. “Just give a holler if you need me.” Murmuring to the cat, she lumbered off to the couch and sat down with a groan. The kitten curled up on her ample belly and closed its eyes as if to nap.

Hanzo looked so honestly concerned that Jesse had to tug him into a tight hug. “Now don’t think that, Han,” he murmured. “If you want ‘im, get ‘im. I’m just…not on board with the whole ‘hairless’ thing. I’m serious when I say it looks like a shaved ball sack.”

“So you’ve said,” Hanzo muttered into his chest. “I just…”

Jesse tipped his head up and gave him a soft kiss. “It seems like a sweetheart,” he said. “I’m just…not confident I can hold it without being disturbed. But…if you want it…it’s yours. And I’ll support you and…it…I’ll get used to it eventually. But darlin’…never worry that I’ll make you give it up. That ain’t happening.”

Hanzo searched his eyes before gently kissing the painted thread around Jesse’s left pinkie. “I like him.” While it was relieving to hear – they had searched seemingly hundreds of shelters and ads for cats that met Hanzo’s apparently strict standards – Jesse wasn’t sure he really liked this particular cat.

“Then let’s get him.”

His husband (!!) looked so pleasantly surprised and Jesse received a truly warm kiss in thanks. It made him feel almost guilty for already hating the hairless monstrosity.

When Hanzo told the owner-breeder of the kitten that he’d take it, Jesse got a truly pitying look from her husband. Great.

“Damn,” Fareeha said as the kitten explored the common room before their weekly Chopped marathon.

Angela peered at it. “It’s ugly,” she said and wrinkled her nose. “Do all cats have that much skin? And where are its whiskers?”

As if protesting her words, the cat gave a raspy meow.

“Yeah,” Fareeha agreed. “It’s ugly and…hermano…you’re so whipped.”

Zarya tucked her legs up on her couch when the cat wandered her way. “Is unnatural.”

The doors slammed open and Rein, still a little dirty from work in the Diner, stumbled in. “I heard Hanzo’s cat was here!” he boomed. The cat in question had frozen in terror, its bright blue eyes wide as it processed the sudden noise.

“Yeah,” Jesse said as neutrally as he could. “Close the door so it doesn’t run out.”

The big man scrambled to obey, nearly smashing Ana in the process but she was quick and managed to avoid death that day. “Where is it?” Rein asked excitedly. “What kind of cat is it?”

“Looks like shaved nuts,” Zarya said flatly, eyeing the creature where it crouched under the coffee table.

Rein’s excited face froze awkwardly. “What?”

Hana giggled where she was curled up with Jesse. Bastian occupied the other side of the couch with a safe distance so Hanzo could sit beside his husband; Lucio was perched on the arm, frowning down at the cat.

Everyone’s reaction to the cat, in Jesse’s opinion, were absolutely priceless. Rein’s was no exception – his excited face fell immediately upon seeing the wretched creature. “Where is that cat’s fur?” he asked flatly.

“It doesn’t have any,” Jesse said, running a hand over his face tiredly. Hana giggled.

“Actually,” Sombra corrected, once more startling everyone with not only her presence but her willingness to talk. “They do have fur, it’s just very fine. They still can and do create dander but it’s just at a much-reduced rate and volume – why they can be called hypoallergenic.”

They all frowned at her. It was the longest she had spoken in a long time and most of the time no one knew what to do with her when she did speak or laugh. But where Sombra was, Gabe couldn’t be too far away.

“How?” Bastian asked curiously.

Sombra shrugged as Gabe entered the common area. Seeing the cat – which had begun to emerge from the table, he turned around and walked out without a word. Giggling, Sombra heckled him in Spanish as she followed. Some of her suggestions were that he should knit The Cat clothes so it wouldn’t be too cold.

It suddenly occurred to Jesse that he had no idea how to take care of it.

Is this what being a parent feels like? He signed to Hana and Bastian who turned to look at him when he began signing. Being terrified when you realize you have no idea how to take care of another life? Hana laughed and said nothing; Bastian shrugged solemnly though his clear eyes were amused.

Ana was peering down at The Cat which had slowly begun approaching her. “It looks so worried,” she said with a laugh, running a careful finger over the wrinkles between its ears. It butted its head into hers, trying to solicit more pets which she obliged. She laughed again. “It’s so soft! You should feel it!”

“Like shaved nuts!” Zarya roared, outraged, from where she was curled up. Angela and Fareeha giggled and joined her there.

Jack, who had just opened the door, paused. “What?”

“Don’t ask,” Jesse told him tiredly. “She’s talking about The Cat.”

The man visibly hesitated. “You guys finally found one?”

Hana giggled. “Yes!”

“Does he have a name?”

It suddenly occurred to Jesse that he had absolutely no idea if Hanzo had named The Thing. “We can ask Han,” he said when everyone turned to look at him.

The cat grunted when it was picked up in Rein’s massive hands but didn’t struggle like Jesse half-expected it to. “He’s so tiny!” Rein exclaimed.

“Isn’t he soft?” Ana asked, wiggling her finger in the cat’s face. He batted at it without his claws and went limp in Rein’s hands.

Jack leaned over the couch by Jesse. “That…thing…is a cat?”

“Yup!” Hana said a little too-loudly.

Rein’s booming laughter echoed. “Shaved nut sack!” Zarya roared when he tried to hand the cat to her.

“Oh!” Ana tsked. “Just hold him! Or touch him!”

Zarya didn’t look amused as he was dangled into her space. The cat’s legs were extended as he tried to keep his balance. She tilted her head all the way back in an effort to not look at the creature. “I feel like I’m violating him,” Angela said faintly, also looking anywhere but the creature being dangled in front of them.

The residents of that couch were saved by Hanzo’s return. What exactly he thought when he saw Zarya, Angela, and Fareeha cowering away from the cat which was being dangled over them by Rein, Jesse couldn’t be sure, but he seemed pleased enough that not only were they interacting with the wretched thing, but that Hana looked happy.

Jesse collected a kiss from him as he moved past and scooped the poor animal out of Rein’s massive hands. It met Jesse’s eyes over Hanzo’s shoulder and he tried not to laugh at how utterly relieved it seemed.

“He’s so cute,” Ana said and Jesse made gagging faces at Zarya, Angela, and Fareeha who nodded in agreement. “Does he have a name yet?”

Jesse’s couch was becoming crowded but privately he thought it was strange to learn after five-odd years of sitting on the same couch in the same spot that there was a recliner chair built in, but it worked in his favor because it meant that not only could Hana, Bastian, and Lucio all sit on the couch with him, but he could also cuddle with Hanzo.

Except now he cuddled with Hanzo, who sat between his legs with his back against Jesse’s chest, and Charred, the hairless cat.

Ugh.

The cat, despite still being rather young, was very mild-mannered which was nice. It didn’t run around or seem to get sick of being in one place for so long but simply seemed content to sit on Hanzo’s lap and accept scritches.

Despite Jesse’s own dislike of the ghastly thing, he loved the smile it brought to Hanzo’s face.

Worse, the thing was friendly and tried to solicit pets and scritches. Fareeha, Zarya, and Jesse were the only ones so far holding out. Angela was a little disturbed by the sensation but would occasionally pet Charred though she privately admitted that she felt bad that it was named such a depressing name.

But he was more Hanzo’s baby than Jesse’s so he really couldn’t protest the name so much but it really was rather morbid. As Sombra (and his previous owner had) explained, the strange grey-black splotches over Charred’s back were from the color of his nearly-invisible fur. If it had been longer, he’d be white with black or grey splotches but now he was a strange shade of fleshy pink with big ash-colored spots.

More than his unfortunately morbid name, Jesse felt almost bad – almost – for not giving Charred the scritches he obviously wanted from him. He was a very well-behaved cat when asking, patting the leg or arm of a person with his claws retracted and trying his best to plead with his wrinkly face.

“Looks like E.T.,” Zarya said flatly when Charred tried to solicit pets from her. “Like E.T. had baby with shaved ball sack. No.”

Charred was endearing, Jesse had to give him that. Once he got used to his…unfortunate…features he could almost find Charred cute.

He just couldn’t bring himself to actually touch him which made it hard when Charred tried his best to endear himself to Jesse.

He’d wind around Jesse’s legs when he fed him in the morning (something he volunteered to do despite Hanzo’s insistence that he could), would try to rub against Jesse and get his attention as much as press up against him with a cute little mew. Jesse always felt bad nudging the cat away with a socked foot but he just couldn’t deal with the thing.

It was insufferably cute though, to see the little knitted clothes that Ana made for him. Unsurprisingly with no fur to keep him warm, Charred needed some assistance. If he transported the cat between the Barracks and Base, Hanzo tucked him in a hoodie or in his coat with him.

Though Gabe thought Charred was disgusting, he created a lined pouch that looked like a messenger bag that would keep the cat warm while he was outside. He shrieked outright when Charred tried to rub against him, seemingly in thanks.

Two weeks after Charred came to the farm, they learned that his name was actually Chard.

Like the vegetable, which turned out to be one of Hanzo’s favorites, especially to cook with. Like the rainbow chard he had on his tattoo on his right arm.

Chard, not Charred, like he was crispy.

Huh.

For his part, Hanzo was no stranger to Jesse’s thoughts on Chard. (And Zarya’s…and Fareeha’s…and Gabe’s. Really, he could go on.) He was pleased that Jesse kept his promise – not that he doubted he would – to not mind Chard’s presence. He volunteered to feed him, would bring back toys or treats, but he still staunchly refused to touch him directly.

At first Hanzo was hurt because he at least enjoyed the feel of Chard’s fuzzy skin and he and Ana often played with the cat’s wrinkled forehead and scraggly whiskers. Yes, his junk was disturbing, but they got used to it.

(Hanzo, did, at least. He could still hear the cries of disgust when Chard flipped his tail up in a friendly greeting and treated everyone to an eyeful.)

Still, he was beginning to worry about Jesse’s reticence.

He need not have worried because nearly a full month after adopting Chard, he found the two of them napping in a golden beam of sunlight in their room. Jesse was cradling the majority of Chard’s body with his whole arm and the stump of his other. The cat’s head was tucked into the crook of his neck and one of his paws rested on the bared flesh of his collarbone through the open collar of his flannel.

From the flick of Chard’s ears as he unlocked his phone, he knew Hanzo was there but Jesse didn’t stir as he snapped a few quick pictures. Chard grunted and shifted and Jesse’s hands tightened on him instinctively before relaxing as the cat settled again.

Hanzo managed to get a few more pictures before Jesse peeked his eyes open. He smiled sleepily at Hanzo and tipped his head back for a kiss.

His thumb rubbed gently along Chard’s lower back where he cradled him gently. “L’ke ‘a shaved ball sack,” he said sleepily. It was almost smug and it was the tone that got Hanzo.

The startled burst of laughter from Hanzo startled Chard enough that he leaped to his feet and raced away. Even Jesse agreed as Hanzo cleaned them with hydrogen peroxide with Chard watching them reproachfully from the doorway that the lines of scratches over his chest were almost worth it.

Fun facts about Sphynx (”hairless”) cats I learned from my aunty (and also some things about Chard):

As Sombra mentioned, they do actually have fur, it’s just really short. Due to fluctuations in their hormones, the mama cats sometimes grow fur which is surprisingly soft. 

My aunty’s breeding female’s fur was tight and swirly for lack of a better word. It wasn’t quite curly but just the way it grew it made it look wavy. 

Even after she had weaned her kittens, she kept her fur. Not sure what happened there but whatever. 

The breeding female was more or less pure evil. She was the queen of the house and was absolutely enamored with my aunty. 

They do actually have whiskers and “eyebrows” even if it doesn’t appear that they do - they just grow in so fine and brittle that they break off. 

Chard looks kind of like this. His coloration is based off of one of my aunty’s cats and she told me recently that she had initially considered naming him “Charred” but the rest of his family’s names ended in an “O” sound so she couldn’t. 

He has blue eyes.

His attitude is very friendly and relatively laid back. 

Some cats are very amenable to training due to breeding, natural aptitude, and/or their general demeanor. Chard is definitely one of those cats. My cat in RL is not.