#honestly it will probably still be vampires next week too

[zzzssleeping]

The Other Swan

Emmett C. x male reader

Bella Swan's unexpected older brother visits and discovers he's soulmates with a vampire.

Fluff, attempted humor, ooc Bella, part two

Forks was an interesting place, just not one (Y/n) had ever expected to visit, let alone stay in. The town was constantly gloomy, the sky perpetually overcast with thick clouds threatening rain. Not that he minded. He actually liked the rain, something about it felt peaceful, but he would’ve preferred somewhere livelier, with more sun and towering buildings. More like a city than a town.

Still, he couldn't complain too much. Being here meant spending time with Bella, and really, who else was going to annoy her? It must’ve been dull without his usual antics. Though, judging by their phone calls, she had found a new distraction, some guy named Eddie? Or was it Edward? Honestly, (Y/n) hadn’t been paying attention.

Shoving his hands into his pockets, he strolled through the hallways of Forks High, catching curious glances from students who clearly weren’t used to seeing a new face. Unlike Bella, who preferred to keep to herself, (Y/n) naturally attracted attention wherever he went. He didn't mind. Flashing an easygoing grin, he waved at a few people before spotting his sister, well, the back of her head, sitting at a lunch table. Surprisingly, she wasn’t alone. So, she actually had friends here.

A mischievous smirk crossed his face. Time for a proper sibling reunion.

Light on his feet, he crept up behind her, ignoring the confused glances from the people nearby. A blonde girl at the table opened her mouth, about to say something, probably to warn Bella, except, it was too late when (Y/n) jabbed his fingers into her sides, earning an immediate yelp as she nearly jumped out of her seat. His familiar laughter rang through the cafeteria, turning more heads than necessary.

Bella spun around, her face already flushed with embarrassment. "Oh my God, are you serious?"

(Y/n) grinned wider. "Nice seeing you, little sis."

The cafeteria buzzed with quiet murmurs, but (Y/n) barely noticed. He was too busy enjoying Bella’s glare and the reactions of her friends, some looked both relieved and amused.

Forks might not have been his kind of town, but messing with Bella? That never got old.

"Wait, sis?" A girl with glasses muttered, glancing between the two siblings as if trying to spot the resemblance. "Yeah," Bella confirmed with a nod, scooting over to make room for him. Though she didn’t look particularly thrilled, she was happy to see him, it was just complicated. Having (Y/n) around meant constant teasing, something she’d endured since childhood, and way more than she would’ve liked. "The better Swan, actually," he added with a smirk, wiggling his eyebrows. Jessica giggled, while Bella shot him a deadpan look before stepping down hard on his foot.

"Ow!" He yelped, jerking away with an exaggerated huff. Scooting a safe distance from her, he gave an overly dramatic glare. "After all this time, this is how you treat me?"

"We haven’t seen each other in weeks."

"Exactly! It’s been too long!"

Bella rolled her eyes. She was already used to his antics. The two of them were complete opposites, from their music tastes to their favorite movies, yet somehow, their differences made them closer. Still, like any siblings, they took every opportunity to poke fun at each other. It couldn’t be helped.

"So," (Y/n) spoke up, glancing around the table, "who’s this Eddie guy you keep talking about?" A few of Bella’s friends chuckled, while she shot him a knowing look. "His name is Edward," she corrected immediately, bracing herself for whatever nonsense he was about to say next. (Y/n) raised an eyebrow. "Edward? Seriously?" Just from the name alone, the guy sounded ancient. "What year is he from, the 1950s?" He wasn’t judging people named Edward or anything, it just wasn’t what he expected.

Bella sighs, already regretting letting him sit with them.

"Can you not like-judge him for one second? You haven't even met him," Bella complained, exasperation clear in her voice. She wished, for once, he would take something seriously. (Y/n) raised his hands in a mock of surrender, eyebrows lifting. "Woah...easy there. I'm just giving my opinion. As an older brother, it's my duty to make sure he's not going to, I don't know...suck your blood or something." She let out a nervous chuckle, having her hand change into a fist. If only he knew. Thankfully, (Y/n) could be incredibly oblivious at times, one of the few things working in her favor right now.

"Funny," she said, forcing a smile, "but no. I can handle myself. Just give him a chance, okay?" She grabbed his arm, tugging him lightly back and forth, hoping to wear him down. As much as she hated him to admit it, she did look up to him sometimes. And this? This was important. Edward was her forever, and (Y/n) was one of the most important people in her life. If they didn't get along...well, she really didn't want to think about that right now.

"If it helps, he's really cute," Jessica chimed in mid-conversation, making heads turn her way while Angela couldn't help but nod with agreement.

"What?" She defended at her stares. "It's true."

(Y/n) groaned, running a hand through his hair as he weighted his options, he never imagined his sister having a boyfriend before him, the better looking sibling. Finally, with a dramatic sigh, he shrugged. "Okay, fine-but if he tries anything funny, I'll kick him where the sun don't shine."

As the days passed, the inevitable moment finally arrived. And, of course, (Y/n) spent the entire car ride complaining. "Why do I have to meet his whole family? Am I the one dating him?" He grumbled, arms crossed. Bella pressed her lips together, gripping the wheel a little tighter. "(Y/n)-"

"I should’ve just stayed home."

She inhaled sharply, willing herself to stay calm. Just a little longer. Thankfully, they pulled up to the Cullens’ house before she completely lost her patience and threw him out onto the street. Not that she would, Edward was already waiting for them, and she wasn’t about to test her boyfriend’s vampire speed over a sibling squabble. As soon as he stepped out of the truck and shut the door, his eyes widened at the mansion before him.

"Okay…this is a house?" He blinked, taking in the modern glass walls and pristine architecture.

"This looks like a place I’d get kicked out of just for breathing too loud." Bella rolled her eyes as he muttered to himself. "Since they look rich…does Edward have a brother?" She groaned, already feeling secondhand embarrassment. Not because of what he said, she was used to his ongoing rambling, but because she knew the Cullens could hear everything. Thankfully, she’d warned Edward about (Y/n)’s blunt honesty and zero filter, especially around people he barely meets for the first time.

"Can you not embarrass me?" She pleaded.

(Y/n) merely shrugged, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "No promises."

Bella stood there nervously as the door opened before she could even knock, no doubt thanks to their heightened hearing. A dark-haired woman stood in the entryway, immediately offering a warm smile.

"Hello, glad to see you made it safely. Please, come in."

(Y/n) hesitated for a second. He hadn’t expected such immediate warmth, especially not from someone this stunning. Esme was...well, intimidatingly beautiful. He nodded stiffly, suddenly aware of how out of place he felt in such a pristine home. Standing beside her was an equally attractive man, and (Y/n) couldn't help but feel a little weirded out. The Cullens were all too good-looking, like they belonged in a high-end fashion ad rather than a small-town house. They almost didn’t seem real.

"This is my husband, Carlisle," Esme introduced, gesturing toward him. "And I’m Esme." With that, she turned gracefully toward the kitchen, the click of her heels echoing in the quiet space. "I hope you like spaghetti and meatballs." As soon as her back was turned, (Y/n) leaned toward Bella, mouthing silently: They're gorgeous.

Bella rolled her eyes, but before she could respond, Edward approached, his dark gaze drifting toward the other Swan sibling, raising his hand for a handshake.

"Hello, you must be (Y/n). Your sister has mentioned some…nice things about you." (Y/n) narrowed his eyes slightly, clearly suspicious, he did admit that he too were similar to his parents. He finally took his hand, shaking it lightly. "Did she tell you to say that, or did she secretly complain about me? Blink twice if you’re being held captive." Bella wanted to slap him across the face as Edward’s lips twitched, almost imperceptibly, at the sight of seeing his lover so irritated, he did enjoy their unusual conversations on call.

Wanting to push further until the sound of light footsteps caught his attention. He turned his head just in time to see a petite girl, around their age with good fashion style, practically skipping toward them while dragging along a tall, tense-looking blonde. Alice beamed. "I’ve been dying to meet you! So, you’re the troublemaker Bella keeps telling me about."

(Y/n) barely had time to react before she grabbed his hands, giggling. The sudden touch caught him off guard, but he brushed it off, flashing a proud grin. "The one and only." Over her shoulder, he caught sight of her companion, Jasper, if he remembered correctly. The guy stood a few feet away, looking tense, like he was trying really hard not to be there. (Y/n) frowned slightly. "Uh…is your boyfriend okay?" He asked Alice, lowering his voice. "No offense, but he kinda looks like he’s in pain."

Esme let out a small laugh from the kitchen, clearly entertained. Alice, however, just grinned. Before she could answer, someone else cut in.

"Nah, it’s fine. He’s always like that."

The voice was deep, laced with amusement, and it sent an unexpected shiver down (Y/n)’s spine. He turned, and immediately froze. Golden eyes met his, and for a brief, heart-stopping moment, he felt his mind go blank. His chest tightened, his heart fluttering in a way he definitely wasn’t prepared for. For the first time in his life, the always obnoxious Swan was completely, utterly speechless.

Holy shit.

[driftingvoid-155]

‘Man, I really should update some of my fics’ I think to myself as I go about typing away for the newest AU my mind has decided to latch onto

[goodfish-bowl]

Bunker in White

Danny Phantom x Supernatural Crossover

Masterpost

DP Crossover Angst Week Day 1 - GIW Experimentation

Summary: Sam and Dean take up a job to go investigate a government base that had been attacked by vampires.

Warnings: vague descriptions of blood and gore

Notes: hmmm, I have never written anything for Supernatural before, but I've seen a good portion of it (years ago). Probably takes place earlier in the show.

Word Count: 2044

AO3 Link

Sam and Dean had gotten this particular lead from Bobby, who in turn got it passed onto him from someone else, so it wasn’t a surprise this particular job was a mess. 

Apparently, a group of vampire’s had decided a weird, underground, government bunker would be the perfect hideout, resulting in a bloodbath between the government goons and the vamps. It was a large group too, which was a point of concern among the hunter’s who turned down the job. No one really knew who’d won inside between the vampires and the government, but Dean had placed his money on the vampires. He honestly doubted that some government agency with an obsession for the color white had any idea what they were up against, much less the correct tools for the job. Dean got proved wrong when they came across the first dead vampire. 

The bunker’s fluorescent lights were harsh against the darkness outside. The entire base still seemed to have power despite not being connected to any sort of power grid or system. It had made it an absolute pain in the ass to find, but at least that meant Sam and Dean didn’t have to wander around in the dark. The harsh lighting and bleached interior revealed a slaughter inside, staining the white walls with both vampire and human blood, leaving very little to imagination. The humans, all agents in once-white suits, looked to have been mauled by the vamps, while the dead vampires had holes blasted through them and were covered in green-tinged burns. Dean kicked one, trying to make sure it was actually dead. Yep, dead vamp, the whole place unfortunately smelled like it too. 

Sam had found one of the more physically intact agents with a large bazooka-like weapon next to him at the back of the hallway. Rummaging through the agency's pocket’s Sam tossed the ID card over for Dean to read over, while Sam picked up the weapon. 

Dean flipped open the wallet, and huffed when the agent was only referred to by a letter and position. No personal information whatsoever. 

“This asshole is apparently ‘Agent B, senior heavy weapon specialist of the Ghost Investigation Ward’, which means shit to me,” Dean complained. 

“‘Ghost Investigation Ward’? Is that supposed to be some sort of knockoff hunter’s group? Because points for vampire killing, less points for dying,” Sam added. “Either way, they were messing around with something supernatural, and had weapons that could blast straight through a vampire. Think we could find something here?”

Dean shrugged, “I’m down to take their weapons at the least. New tactics are always appreciated.”

Sam took the bazooka, and Dean picked up any other weapons of interest, from weighted nets, to more guns, storing them in piles to collect and ferry to the car later. The ID got them access to a couple more rooms, including a security camera and file room, which Sam said he was going back to later. The deeper they descended into the base, the more spaced out the bodies were, and the more violently the agents had seemed to fight, like they were protecting something. 

“Do you think they actually managed to catch a ghost here?” Sam tossed out. 

Dean snorted, “Doubt it. Sure, you can blast a hole through a vamp, but you can’t blast a hole through a ghost. Just trapping one is a pain, let alone moving it to the middle of bumfuck nowhere, Illinois.” 

Hydraulic doors hissed as the brothers entered the next level, only to pause from the sudden change in pattern. This one opened up into a laboratory, partitioned off by thick glass walls, rather than the collection of offices and storage the upper floors had been.  

Dean’s eyes narrowed at the carnage inside the laboratories. 

“What the hell were they taking apart that bleed fucking green?” Dean cursed.

Dean completely ignored the bodies of who he assumed had been the scientists. There were tons of vials of various liquids, most of them being that same saturated, radioactive green. There were also jars, lots of jars, of what he assumed were the bits and pieces of whatever creature bled green. 

“Doesn’t look like whatever they were dissecting was dead while they were taking apart,” Sam commented, pointing out the restraints on the bloodied autopsy table. 

“Fuck, that’s sick. At least kill whatever you're taking apart first.” 

Dean watched as Sam went over to a stack of papers, filing through them quickly with a grimace on his face.

 “Well, they seem to believe they caught a ghost, at least. They definitely caught something before the vampires wiped them out. The reports refer to it as Subject P-1.”

“Think it’s still here?” Dean asked. 

“Maybe. This report is a few days old, and we know the vampires attacked within that same time frame, so it’s possible that ‘P-1’ is either still here, dead here, or managed to escape in the crossfire,” Sam guessed.

“I suppose we’ll find out. We only got one more level to go.”

Dean left the lab, going down the elevator to the last level. There was nothing there, except for a singular glass cell with what looked like a blast door as its entrance, all shining with some sort of green energy. There seemed to be automated weapons and cameras all pointing at the cell, and Dean considered it a bit extreme. But also down there was the biggest collection of dead vampires they had found so far. 

The weapons in the room had obviously activated for whatever reason, considering the number of vampires with holes blown through them compared to the agents, of which there only seemed to be two, who looked more like they had also been caught in the crossfire of the weapons, rather than becoming vampire food like most of the guys upstairs.  

“Dean…” Sam shoved him, and pointed to the cell. There was…something inside. 

Dean walked over, shoving bodies out of the way with his foot to stand in front of the cell. The green… whatever it was, shone along the glass and hummed with energy, reminding Dean vaguely of an electrified fence. The inside of the cell was a mess but in a different way than outside. It reminded Dean of a few of the cells he had seen monsters hold people in before. It was dirty, and covered in blood, both red and that unknown green. There was no cot, or toilet, or any other sort of accommodation. 

The only thing in the cell was a small figure, dressed in nothing but tattered scrubs, and covered in its own blood balled up in the corner, head between its legs. Dean could only make out pale, emancipated legs and feet, and a mess of matted, black hair. 

“Is it alive?” Dean asked, tapping on the glass, which surprisingly didn’t zapped him.

Sam had a grimace on his face. “I…think.”

“Hey!” Dean shouted. 

No reaction. 

Dean pounded more heavily on the glass with his fist, “Hey! Are you alive?”

No reaction. 

“Are you P-1?” Sam asked instead. 

This got a reaction. The figure picked up their head, placing empty, hollow, and frighteningly blue eyes on Sam. They seemed to be a young boy, face pale and thin, deep bags under his eyes. His eyes were glassy and distant, looking through Sam rather than at him. 

“Well, that’s unnerving,” Dean muttered, giving Sam a look before shoving his shoulder. “Tell him to do something else.”

Sam frowned, thinking for a moment before saying anything. “P-1, state your status,” Sam commanded. 

The boy, P-1, remained silent.

“I don’t think it talks, Sammy,” Dean snorted. 

Sam sputtered indignantly. “What do you want me to do then? We know he’s P-1 now, and that he’s still somehow alive.”

“Well, we know he ain’t human, and that he’s whatever these goons have been picking apart. No clue what he is, but in that state, I doubt he can do much. The lights are one but no one seems to be home, Sammy,” Dean said. 

It was a harsh suggestion but, “We could just put him down and be done with it. The vamps are all dead, there’s nothing here except braindead P-1 over there.”

Sam, apparently, very much disagreed with that idea. “He’s a kid, Dean! And he’s been tortured for who knows how long. We’re not putting him down!”

Dean groaned. “Do you want to take him with us or something?!” Dean asked incredulously. 

Sam was silent, apparently thinking over the idea like it was a legitimate suggestion. 

“No,” Dean immediately denied. “Nope, no way, Sammy. We’re not adopting whatever-the-fuck that kid is. He’s not a dog. We have no idea what he’s capable of, let alone if he’s dangerous!” 

 “Then we keep an eye on him! You said it yourself, in that state, I doubt he can barely move. We could even put him in Bobby’s panic room if he acts up, but honestly,” Sam glanced over to the boy, “I doubt he would even notice.”

Dean hated the idea. He didn’t want the kid to potentially go ballistic, and there had to be some reason he was locked up in the first place. But he couldn’t think of any other reasons to leave the kid there. If anything, they could figure out what the kid was so that they knew how to defeat anything like him in the future. 

“Fine!” Dean relented. “But you’re taking care of him.”

Sam seemed to untense and turned back to the boy. “P-1, move to the door,” he ordered, before more quietly adding, “We’re getting you out of here, kid.”

The boy stood up, swaying on his legs, before approaching the door, standing just outside of it. Dean watched as Sam fidgeted with the door, before eventually having to pull another ID from one of the nearby agents to get the door open. Sam led the kid out, who didn’t have much of a reaction at all. Dean frowned at how small the kid was, now that he could get a better estimate literally standing next to him. He couldn’t be older than 12. 

“Okay, we’re leaving. We got some cool things and you’ve adopted a weird kid. We can confirm the vampires all died here too. Anything else we need to grab before we go back?” Dean huffed. 

“I’m going to see what I can pull from the record room on the way back. Could you take him back to the car?” Sam asked. 

Dean looked at the kid again. Yep. No one home at all. He doubted the kid even knew what was going on. At least he wouldn’t complain about Dean’s music choices. 

“Fine, but you take too long and I’m leaving your ass here,” Dean stated. “Come-on, P-1.”

Dean took the elevator back up the entrance, still careful to check around if they had missed anything still-alive, only to have silence. The kid barely made any noise as he moved, Dean decided he didn’t like that after the third time he jumped at the kid standing directly behind him. 

“I’m getting you a bell,” he grumbled. 

Back at the car, Dean tossed his looted weapons into the trunk, glancing at the kid before rummaging into his and Sam’s duffles for some spare clothes. It looked really suspicious to have a bloodied kid in a medical gown walking around. It would be oversized, but Dean grabbed a flannel, jeans, and a belt. Bobby would probably have something from when he and Sam were that small. 

“Hey, kid, P-1, put these on,” Dean held the clothes out to the kid, who didn’t react. 

Dean groaned. “Oh come on! This is why Sam’s your caretaker. I don’t know how to dress a kid!” 

Dean approached. “Gotta fucking command him like a dog,” he muttered. “P-1, arms up.”

The boy raised his arms, and Dean untied the medical gown letting it fall to the ground. Dean froze, bile building in the back of his throat, fighting the urge to throw up. Images of the jars and vials passed behind his eyes. No wonder the kid was mentally gone, Dean couldn’t see anyone surviving, let alone living long enough to walk out.

God, they needed to get the kid to Bobby. 

[sazwritesstuff]

Halloween Movie Marathon | Logan Howlett x Reader

It's Spooky Season and one of the your favourite things to do is what some 'Halloween-y' movies. Once October 1st rolled around, the two of you made yourselves comfy on your couch as you loaded up the first film on your list. Popcorn, snacks, your favourite candy and Logan’s favourite beer on the coffee table in front of you. Each night Logan had thought that he’d bought enough popcorn, candy and beer but each night he was proven wrong. He was glad that it was only this month that he was buying so much popcorn, candy and beer otherwise he feared he’d go bankrupt.

Fluff/Fictober 2024 drabble | Pairing Logan Howlett (X-Men) x Reader (You)

Tags/Warnings: swearing, alcohol, establish relationship, domestic fluff, fluff without plot

the fic on AO3

Having been born in the early 1800s Logan had been around for the start of cinema. At first, he’d largely ignored it. There were more important things to be doing. It would probably die like most fads did. Except this one had stuck around.

He could still remember the first time he ever stepped foot inside of a movie theatre. The thrill of watching a movie for the very first time, in a room full of others experiencing the same life altering experience, was something he hoped he would never forget.

Logan had watched a lot of movies over the decades, and centuries, since then.

He’d seen the popularity of cinema and the wonder of TV grow and shift over time. Streaming services, however, still baffled him.

You’d tried to get him to use them a bit more but he still struggled using a phone to text let alone search for a film on a laptop or TV.

Whenever the two of you sat down to watch something on Netflix or Prime or Disney you were in charge of the remote. Otherwise, it was getting thrown at the wall.

Many any innocent remote had lost their lives in your efforts to get Logan used to them.

Eventually you’d had enough of having to buy new ones.

Logan had known that you’d want to watch some horror or ‘spooky’ movies on the lead up to Halloween, you’d mentioned it enough times over the past few weeks, but he hadn’t quite known just what he was getting into when he agreed to watch them with you.

You had a list. A list.

A list filled with horror, or “Halloween-y” as you put it, movies. Some of them Logan had heard of but there were others he didn’t have a clue about. (Honestly, it was nearly all of them he was just a little embarrassed to say anything.)

Once October 1st rolled around, the two of you made yourselves comfy on your couch as you loaded up the first film on your list. Popcorn, snacks, your favourite candy and Logan’s favourite beer on the coffee table in front of you.

Other night you would take one of the DVDs from the stack by the TV in your bedroom and popped into the DVD player you’d bought from a charity shop a year ago.

Every night the two of you watched one of the movies on your list. With a few extras thrown in; Logan had been relieved when you hadn’t been able to find all the Scooby Doo films online – there were only so many films he could watch with a cartoon dog in them.

The next day you came home with a stack of new Scooby Doo DVDs you’d found whilst out shopping.

Each night Logan had thought that the two of you had bought enough popcorn, candy and beer to last a week, but each night he was proven wrong. He was glad that it was only for this one month otherwise he feared he’d go bankrupt.

Until you briefly mentioned that you couldn’t wait to do this again in December. With all the many, many Christmas films you loved. Plus, all the Christmas treats you loved too.

Logan feared he’d need to get a loan to feed your sweet tooth.

The List:

Twilight

“Why the fuck are those vampires sparkly? And why the fuck are they in high school? Fucking weirdos.”

Beetlejuice

Logan had looked at you like you had three heads when you’d told him not to say it three times and then laughed like a maniac!

The Witch

“What like the Roald Dahl book?” Logan had asked, taking a swig of his beer. “No. But we should watch that too.”

Zombieland

Laughing Logan had said “Sounds like school on a Monday morning!”

Halloweentown

"Well, that was… a cute film?”

Jaws

Logan remembered watching that in the cinema. He was pretty sure he enjoyed it.

Split

"Do you think that the actor looks a bit like the Professor? Like a younger him I mean.” You asked around a mouthful of popcorn. Logan shrugged as he stole a handful of popcorn from the bowl in your lap. “Can’t say I see the resemblance.”

Carrie (the original)

“Did you know they used corn syrup for the pig’s blood?” Looking at you, one eyebrow raised, Logan asked “Do you want to make some and scare Scott with it?”

The Mummy

You’d told him that Brandon Fraser had been one of your first crushes. You’d had to tell Logan (multiple times) that you found him much sexier than Rick O’Connell. (You were only lying a little.)

Child’s Play

“This just reaffirms my belief that dolls are super creepy.” “You’re the one that wanted to watch this not me. But at least wasn’t a porcelain doll. Now, those are creepy as fuck.”

The Exorcist

Hugging a cushion to your chest as you peaked over it at the screen, Logan slowly creeped his hand up behind you before suddenly grabbing your shoulder.

Screaming you wacked him in the face with the cushion.

Alien

“First time I watched this I was shitting myself thinking the cat was going to die.”

Sweeney Todd

"Why are they singing? I thought that you said that this movie was about a guy that killed people and a woman that turned them into pies?” You rolled your eyes “Yes. But they’re singing about it.” “It seems stupid. Why would you sing about killing people instead of just killing them?” Pausing the film, you moved your head off of his shoulder and turned to him and said “Logan, please shut. It’s a musical, if you aren’t enjoying it go do something else.” “I never said that I wasn’t enjoying.” He grumbled as he pulled you back to him and pushed your head back down onto his shoulder. “It just seems a bit unrealistic is all.” “It’s a musical!”

The Addams Family

As you moved the kitchen around getting a bowl of popcorn ready, you sang the Addams Family theme tune loud and a little of key. As he watched you from where he sat on the couch, Logan grumbled to himself that “This had better not be another musical.”

Sleepy Hollow

Do you have a thing for Johnny Deep too?” “I’m surprised you know who that is, babe.”

What We Do in the Shadows

“That is the weirdest vampire film I’ve ever watched.” Logan had proclaimed, laughing, as the credits rolled.

Interview with the Vampire

“Y’know I didn’t know that they’d turned this book into a movie.” “Have you read it?” you asked still watching the screen. “Yeah, it was a’right.” “I had to study it in school. I remember getting to watch this during English, the class was divided by girls that had a crush on Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise.” “Yeah? Which side were you on?” “Antonia Banderas.” “Who?” “He plays Armand.” “Oh, right, yeah. He’s pretty hot.”

Midsommar

"That’s disgusting! Why did she put her pubes in his drink?!”

Death Becomes Her

"I don’t know who’s hotter Meryl Streep or Goldie Hawn.” “I keep forgetting that that’s Bruce Willis. He looks so different with hair.”

Scooby Doo on Zombie Island

“Scooby Doo? Really darling?” “You’re right.” You’d nodded solemnly “We should watch all the Scooby Doo movies. Especially the ones with Matthew Lillard in.”

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

“Another musical? Seriously, sweetheart?”

The Craft

“I’m pretty sure that in high school every girl wanted to be a witch after watching this film.”

Fear Street Part One 1994

Fear Street Part Two 1978

Fear Street Part Three 1666

“Don’t give me that look Logan, you can’t watch just one of these, you have to watch all three!”

The Haunted Mansion

"What are we watching tonight?" Logan asked as he moved around the couch, holding the pizza in one hand and a case of beer in the other. “The Haunted Mansion. The one with Eddie Murphy, of course.” Confused and frowning Logan asked “Eddie who?”

Scream

“The first time I watched this I had no idea who the killer was.” You said once the movie was finished “I was so surprised when it was revealed it was them two.” “Huh.” Logan said picking up the empty beer bottles on the coffee table. “I thought it was pretty obvious.” “Oh, shut up! Not all of us are hyper observant ex-super soldiers.”

Dark Shadows

“Did you watch the TV show when it came out in the 60s?” “I think I was too busy in Vietnam.” “…Oh. Right.”

Ghostbusters

“Who you gonna call?” you sang shouted in unison “GHOSTBUSTERS!”

Van Helsing

“You know the main actor looks a lot like you, babe.” You’d said holding up the DVD case to show him. “No, he doesn’t.”

Halloween

"This was the first horror I ever watched." you admitted.  "Yeah?" "Yeah. I refused to be in the house alone for a month." 

[translucentshine]

The X-Files Season 2 Rankings!!! Hi I'm still a first-time watcher and I'm finally done with S2, here's my thoughts&ratings:

Episode 1 (Little Green Men) - 7/10: it's been a while but I remember I was hooked

Episode 2 (The Host) - wtf/10: 😭 I liked that we finally saw a ~creature~ on screen but we moved on from this too quickly I fear?? like this was insane???

Episode 3 (Blood) - 5/10: it was okay but in retrospect not very strong of an episode :(

Episode 4 (Sleepless) - 6/10: was scratching my head trying to remember what this episode was about... lmao. But we got introduced to Krycek & the Preacher guy's actor was really compelling.

Episode 5 (Duane Berry) - 10/10: brilliant, I was on the edge of my seattt. really enjoyed this episode. no notes it's too good

Episode 6 (Ascension) - 7/10: I was still hooked but the storyline kinda goes downhill here lmao😭

Episode 7 (3) - 3/10: man I did not care for this episode & did not get the vampire thing BUT the scene of local loserboy mulder hooking up with a rando was kind of a treat. the 3 pts are only for him being hot and pathetic missing scully ♡

Episode 8 (One Breath) - 8/10: I was just glad for Scully to reappear lmao. liked the storyline also and more skinnerrrr🤭

Episode 9 (Firewalker) - 😵‍💫/10: release me from my suffering bc we finally have Scully back... and this is the storyline......... if I watched this show back in the 90s and this was my weekly dosis of my fav show I would be mad. it was okay...... i guess........

Episode 10 (Red Museum) - 9/10: this was the shit fr I loved the vibessss everything

Episode 11 (Excelsis Dei) - 0/10: I was so mad at Mulder for not caring about the rape case & the storyline was ridiculous. Like I would not rewatch this episode. 😭 not even scully's girlbossing could save this.

Episode 12 (Aubrey) - 6/10: I was pretty hooked so I can forgive the fact that the resolution was. kind of ridiculous. work?

Episode 13 (Irresistible) - 7/10: total nightmare fuel. too nasty... but I loved the focus on Scully (even though my girl got traumatised AGAIN.) but omfg.

Episode 14 (Die Hand Die Verletzt) - 2/10: as a german girlie I wanna like this just bc the episode has a german title but um... uh... hm. the writing was really something. yeah.

Episode 15 (Fresh Bones) - ?/10: literally don't remember anything beyond the opening scene for this episode. Surely it can't have been that good?

Episode 16 (Colony) - 7/10: yeah it was pretty good?? I don't remember this one well but I remember liking it. mind u it's only been a few weeks since I watched it. (😐)

Episode 17 (End Game) - hm/10: don't like the fake Samantha stuff it honestly kind of got my nerves. Still enjoyed watching but would I rewatch? hm. HM. (no)

Episode 18 (Fearful Symmetry) - IS THIS FR?/10 this episode was INSANEEE lmao how do you come up with a plot like this 😭😭😭 iconic. probably like a 7/10 BUT WHO CAME UP WITH THIS

Episode 19 (Død Kalm) - 0/10: I'm sorryyy I think a lot of people like this episode? But it took me like 3 days to finish it was just so boring 😭 im sorry this is the only episode where I couldn't even sit through the last 10 Minutes I skipped to the next. I usually never do this. IM SORRY.

Episode 20 (Humbug) - 10/10 I wanted to be a hater because this episode is RIDICULOUS!!!! Ridiculous! But it was so entertaining I enjoyed it way too much lmao. nothing could've prepared me for 1) who the "killer" is 2) THE KILLER GETTING EATEN LMAO... I thought it couldn't get crazier after the zoo animals got kidnapped, impregnated, kidnapped again-

Episode 21 (The Calusari) - ?/10: I need someone who's Romanian to tell me what they thought of this episode. I fear the whole episode kind of depends on that. 🤨

Episode 22 (F. Emasculata) - I don't know how to rate this episode bc I was just really grossed out the whole time.

Episode 23 (Soft Light) - 7/10: I thought this plot idea was really interesting. The actor was great.

Episode 24 (Our Town) - WTFFFFFF😭 I watched this really absentmindedly as background noise so when Mulder opened that closet I WAS TERRIFIED. Rewound the episode and paid proper attention and yep... still terrified. This episode actually freaked me out. Was great. 9/10 easily. but I'm scared.

Episode 25 (Anasazi) - 10/10: Get why so many people love this one. Mulder is perfect. Loved the grandson getting pulled into all this on a random thursday. I also like how up until this point, CSM is written as a possibly multi-faceted character. I know through spoilers he's apparently like super evil later on??(impregnating scully? 😭) and it's just such a waste. oh well! also scully has so much patience mulder would've gotten on my last nerve in this

My ratings on S1 were a lot more consistently positive than on S2. I don't think I had one or more than one 10/10 episodes in S2 but I also didn't have this many I outright disliked. S2 definitely had a lot of ups and downs for me. 😅 I feel like a lot of S2 episodes have this thing where they're all over the place sadly and some story elements just get brought up and not mentioned again etc. (e.g. the girl in Episode 14 claiming she was SAd and impregnated as a child and it's this long upsetting scene and then later on they're like "oh she saw this on TV" and then it's never brought up again??)

but I'm having great fun regardless. 🤭🥰

Sorry for being forgetful about some episodes & not rating them properly, I genuinely have health-related memory issues 🥲

[anarchic-miscellany]

Reading "One Piece" for the first time: Part 15

It's been a while so I was worried that my dodgy bootleg site keeping this thing going was going to be offline, but here we are.

I hope that the art gets better soon, it's a very... distinct style.

Anyway!

Our Idiot and Giga Chad are doing... something? The king/villain of this arc is kind of weak and kind of lame, but I enjoy the snow and the magical fun times Winter Wonderland Castle! The little old lady crone doctor (Deny. Defend. Depose) is revealing some depths, I guess? And the reindeer seems to be the next big character of this arc/crew: honestly guys, not too sold. I mean, I didn't see it coming, in the same way that I wouldn't have seen a sentient cube made of bees coming, but from what I gather this guy's a main character. So... first thoughts aren't great? I mean, he's more likable than the Idiot (massive fucking overpowered dullard with the IQ of a bucket that he is), but I was unmoved by his sad backstory about a doctor on a mountain? I don't know, I'm just a cynical bastard like that and the hype has never lived up to it. That's it? The Blue Nosed Reindeer ate a human fruit (fucking Axe Cop had better writing than this) and wants to cure disease, but then his mentor the crone sold him to (Deny. Defend. Depose) ate a mushroom and exploded? And now the Idiot heard that story and defends his flag because nobody forms immediate life or death attachments to inanimate objects and strangers he just met QUITE like Doofus Q. Dullard.

But then the villain turned into a fucking gingerbread house, and that was fucking amazing? Every time I think I build a tolerance to this author's bullshit, he pulls more out of the bag.

Whilst the crowd are gathering their torches and sharpening their forks (I gather that Blue Nose Reindeer is a popular character in the fandom. I prefer Chopper Reed or Barry the Chopper thus far, but we shall see) I will say I liked Cartographer With a Brain Cell being nice as she recovered in the castle, and appreciated very much that our companion of the week was Giga Chad: that guy is excellent, and I am happy to finally have them bench the Himbo and his Seventeen Fucking Swords, or whatever. I am forever grateful, also, that we don't cut back to the ship much, because we would probably see him arranging them in a circle for a tea party or something. Sad we didn't get more of Meme in Progress, but I liked his efforts to carry a dude (even if they were immediately shot down by The Himbo... Cut this guy a break, Shonen Edgelord Himbo Shitbag) and that the whole thing ended on a Christmas joke.

Mixed thoughts on the series so far: meh on the Blue Nosed Reindeer (I'll come up with a better nickname for him in time) and that whole shebang, but I liked the Christmas island, if not the mixed messages and perfunctory "guess we have to fight a house now" fight, but appreciate that it's par for the course in Shonen stuff, even if I was just counting the pages until The Idiot let off yet more super attacks. Seven Phases of Reindeer, however, sounds like a great L'Arc-en-Ciel album title, as well as something they should tell the Giga Chad about more: can you imagine the succulent, delicious phases of reindeer meat he could cook from 7 phases?!

Appreciate the shadowy "Baroque" villain head revealing the existance of 7 "Pirate Lords". Nice to have some actual villains hinted at, and talked about for the future, even if I am going to be underwhelmed if these are the fights on display and nothing will stop this bimbling fuckhead of a protagonist, who is starting to grate upon me. I hope that Giga Chad gets to eat a crocodile though, that would be amazing. As for who the next in the crew could be? I'm still holding out hope for a Merman or a Vampire. Also, can we have some women in the crew? It's a bit of a sausage fest. Honestly I was more interested in the grouchy old crone lady (Deny. Defend. Depose) and hoping she would join. But it's early days for Blue Nosed Reindeer, he could grow on me.

(Side note: I just spilt a cup of tea all over my desk, so maybe the universe is already damning me for not gnoshing on the Reindeer's Cock upon meeting him and his backstory)

[mysecretlittlelibrary]

Just Let Me Adore You Pt. 1

Pairing: Stucky x Reader

Word Count: 4.2k

Warnings: none here, we've just begun

Genre: mostly fluff ig

Summary: You’ve been dating your boyfriend, Bruce, for 3 absolutely blissful years. He’s a scientist and professor who is as smart as he is kind and if anyone asked, you were sure you’d spend the rest of your life with him. That is until two mysteriously charming men that Bruce swears are dangerous take an interest in you that threatens to turn your entire life upside down. I mean… what exactly are you supposed to do with two gorgeous men telling you something that suggests that basically everything you think you know is a lie? And why does part of you have enough doubt to wonder if they might be telling the truth?

Series Masterlist

***

It's a beautiful afternoon as you're wrapping up your shift at the cute little cafe/bookstore you work at.

"See ya later y/n!" Your coworker, a kid named Peter calls after you when you leave.

"See you! Have a good shift!" You wave at him with a smile. Peter's 18 and has only been working at the store for a couple of weeks, so far he's doing pretty well. Most of his shifts are in conjunction with yours and today's one of the first times he'll be working with some of the others. You trained him well so you know he'll be fine but it's kinda like leaving your kid somewhere for the first time. Your walk home is nice, late spring bringing warmer temperatures that aren't yet sweaty which you take advantage of. When you walk into your shared apartment, you find your boyfriend of three years sitting at your kitchen counter. Your boyfriend Bruce is a professor and researcher, and you moved in together almost a year ago.

"Hey y/n." He calls over his shoulder, papers scattered around him and his laptop.

"Hi Brucey. You done with lectures for the day?" You ask draping your arms over his shoulders and kissing his cheek.

"Yeah, I cancelled my second lecture for the day- they've got an exam next class." Bruce tells you.

"Ah I see. So how was your first lecture?"

"It was fine, it was my psych class and we ended up having some very interesting discussions. How was your day? You still training that guy?"

"You mean Peter right? His training is pretty much done, actually today he's working a different shift than me."

"Well how's it going for him?"

"I think he's doing alright honestly. He's a little nervous sometimes but it's kinda cute." You giggle.

"Cute, huh?"

"Yeah, the kid's a ball of nervous energy actually. Sometimes he talks like he's had too many espresso shots and it's so fast he's almost unintelligible but apparently he doesn't even drink coffee, which, I think might be for the best. It's so interesting though, I don't know many teenage boys who display energy that way." You hum.

"Maybe he's got anxiety or something."

"Hm, I hadn't considered that. He probably does." You muse grabbing a bottle of water from your fridge. "Well that's the uni update, anything interesting going on in the research area for you?"

"Oh, yeah we've got a vampire coming to the lab tomorrow actually."

"I'm not sure if I like that honestly." You hum.

"Not to worry sweetheart, it's safe. I won't even be alone with him." Bruce says.

"Right of course, not alone just- with others that are part of a vampire's diet."

"You know not all vampires feed on humans."

"What's the alternative? Animals?"

"Yes, exactly." He nods.

"And the vampire you're studying tomorrow eats animals?"

"Correct."

"And you're sure about that?" You ask.

"Well we're studying him because he's animal fed so I sure hope he is."

"Have you ever studied vampires that do eat humans?"

"Yes, back when I was a research assistant. Honestly, the hardest part about studying vampires is hunting them. Once they're caught you can sedate them and that makes it much easier."

"You hunted them?"

"I mean vampires aren't exactly jumping in line to volunteer for this kind of thing you know." Bruce shrugs.

"So this animal-fed vampire, did he volunteer?"

"Yes he did. I don't really run tests on unwilling participants these days. It's unethical."

"I know that. Sounds like your old research boss didn't feel the same." You say.

"Well, that group of researchers mostly tagged creatures to study their patterns in nature. They weren't so much running tests but it's a bit hard to tag a vampire that's trying to rip your heart out so-" Bruce shrugs.

"Alright well I'll take your word on of yours this vampire tomorrow. Be careful." You say.

"Always darling." He winks at you. In all honesty, you try not to ask too many questions about your boyfriend's research of supernatural creatures. He swears to you it's all ethical but you're not sure how well it sits with you. You've been to the lab once and the asylum-like observational rooms you saw were offputting. Stark white walls and a small bed in an otherwise empty room doesn't seem very morally sound to you despite what Bruce tells you. Granted the observational cells were empty when you visited so you can only hope nobody's been in there against their will.

"Y/n!" Bruce pulls you from your thoughts and your head snaps to his confused face.

"Sorry, I- spaced, did you say something?" You ask.

"I said I was thinking we'd order something for dinner, does that sound okay?" Bruce chuckles.  You want so badly to trust that his work is virtuous because that's what he tells you.

"Yeah that's fine with me. Did you want Chinese or Thai or there's that Italian place too, maybe pizza?" You list off some options, shaking the uncertainty from your mind. They say ignorance is bliss.

"Do you have a preference?" He asks.

"Let's do Chinese."

"Sounds good. I'll finish grading these assignments and then order in a couple hours." Bruce says.

"Yeah that's fine." You nod giving Bruce a quick kiss and leaving him to his papers. With the few hours you have to spare until dinner, you crack open your latest read, a book recommended to you by a coworker that you've been meaning to start for a while. Eventually, Bruce orders dinner and gets your attention once the food arrives. Your night is pretty relaxed, you eat and chat while watching TV together for a while before you turn in for the night. You and Bruce do have different rooms because it's important to have your own space, but most nights you sleep together in his room. You'd consider your life pretty ordinary. You have routines and habits and while you have lots of fun experiences, you'd say most of your life is very much average.

~*~*~

The tinkling of the bell over the door doesn't pull your attention from the magazine you're reading but you do greet the customer since you're at the register by the door.

"Hi welcome in!" You say with mild cheeriness.

"Hiiii y/n!" The sing-song greeting comes from your best friend and you look up when you realize.

"Wanda! Hey love." You smile at her.

"Hi! Hi Peter!" She waves at Peter, who's learning how to work the coffee bar today.

"Oh. Hi miss Wanda!" He says with a shy wave.

"I've told you sweetie you don't have to call me miss." Wanda chuckles.

"Sorry." He mutters.

"What a cutie." Wanda hums.

"Isn't he?" You agree quietly. "Anyway, what brings you here babes?" You ask.

"Is your shift almost over? I wanted to hang out today."

"Well I'm supposed to be out of here in the next half hour or so but of course, I've gotta wait for Matt or Layla to come in before I can actually leave." You shrug.

"Peter! How good are you at that coffee bar?" Wanda calls across the store.

"Uh- I- I'm alright I think." Peter says.

"Wanna try making me a vanilla latte?" She asks.

"Well I- I can try."

"Confidence honey, you've got the recipes, you can do this. Don't act like the coffee bar's gonna bite ya!" You tell him.

"Right! Confidence. Vanilla latte coming up." Peter nods grabbing items to make Wanda's drink.

"And if you have any questions I'm right here!" You call.

"I'll wait for your shift to end and then can we do something together?" Wanda asks you.

"Of course we can." You nod.

"Done!" Peter says after a few minutes. Wanda takes the coffee from Peter and drops a five on the counter for him before sitting at a table with her drink and a magazine.

"This is pretty good for how unsure you were Peter." Wanda tells him.

"Good job Petey! I told you, you got it." You smile at him and again he hits you both with a shy smile.

"Thanks." He says quietly. A few customers come in and leave before Eric arrives and you clock out, leaving arm in arm with Wanda. She seems to have a destination in mind as you walk together.

"So where are we going lovely?" You ask her after a few minutes of her dragging you down city streets.

"Well I have a date tonight and I need something to wear, so the mall." She tells you.

"A date? You have a date? Why didn't you mention this before now?!" You blink at her.

"Honestly I forgot about it until I realized it was tonight." She shrugs.

"You forgot about it? Are you even interested in this person?" You laugh incredulously.

"I am! He's very sweet, I just have been busy with other things this week."

"Alright well let's get you something to wear for this second thought date." You snort.

"It wasn't a second thought. It's just that I can only prioritize like three things at a time."

"Seriously? You can lift a plane with your mind but can't remember your date until the day of?" You scoff. Wanda's a witch. It's the only real secret you keep from Bruce. She's not totally comfortable with him knowing that information and since it's her life you have no problem supporting that decision. To tell the truth, she's not very comfortable with him in general because of the whole research thing but he makes you happy so she gets along well enough for your sake.

"I didn't forget forget I was just, you know, too busy to think about it."

"Yeah sure whatever." You laugh as she pulls you into a store near the mall's entrance. "So how do you know this date of yours? Friend of a friend? Someone from work? A dating app? One of Pietro's friends?"

"He's a friend of a coworker." She tells you.

"A friend of a coworker? Is this a blind date?"

"No. He came to a work function and I had a nice enough time talking to him there that when he asked me on a date I said yes."

"It sounds like your coworker was setting you up and just played the long game." You chuckle.

"Hang on I'd like to circle back to your suggestion that it would be one of Pietro's friends. Why would I ever do that?!" She looks at you over a clothing rack.

"Oh come on Pietro's adorable." You laugh.

"This is about his friends, not him."

"Yeah I know but I'm of the belief that hot people hang with hot people so naturally-"

"Yeah that's not. No."

"Why? Is it the fact that the halfling has mostly vampire friends? I know you have ethical reservations about the whole blood sucking thing despite being raised by a vampire." You ask as the two of you leave the store you're in. Wanda and Pietro are twins but apparently since their father is a vampire and their mother is a witch one twin got each supernatural gene, making Pietro a vampire halfling.

"Most of Pietro's friends hunt animals so no it's not that." She rolls her eyes.

"Wait they hunt animals?" You blink.

"Yeah? So does Pietro, you know that."

"I know he does but I guess I didn't think about his friends- I think one of them might be volunteering for Bruce."

"What?" Wanda's eyes widen.

"A couple of weeks ago Bruce told me a vampire was going to the lab and they were going to study him because he's animal fed and well, considering we live in New York and not Idaho I can't imagine there's a large population of animal diet vampires." You explain.

"What if he finds out about Pietro? About me?" Wanda gasps as the two of you enter another store.

"He won't. Even if this guy knows Pietro why would he put another person on Bruce's watchlist that didn't ask to be there? His loyalty should be to other vampires not to a bunch of researchers." You say quietly. The shop you're in is empty besides the employees and while supernatural creatures aren't a secret, some people are more reserved when it comes to them.

"Some of them don't accept Pietro because of our parentage. He could rat him out on purpose for-"

"Bruce isn't going to go hunting people down, I've mentioned Pietro like once so he might not even know you're related, it's not like Pietro would rat on you, and if Bruce does find out that you're twins well, you aren't a vampire. I'll simply tell him that twins of a vampire and a nonvampire split the gene, and only one gets it. Plus it's been a couple of weeks since this happened, if the vampire had mentioned Pietro or Bruce had any suspicions about you, he'd have given himself away by now. He's not going to find out you're a witch. He's not going to find out Pietro is a halfling. Your secrets are safe."

"Man I hope so." She sighs.

"Yeah well I know so." You tell her.  The two of you flip through racks of clothes for a while, pulling different items for Wanda to try on in the dressing room. "So where are you going with this guy?" You ask her when you finally reach the dressing rooms at the back.

"Dinner! Maybe something else after but we're starting with dinner." Wanda says through the door as she tries on the first dress she picked.

"Hm, what's his name?"

"Wes."

"Wes? Is it short for Wesley or- is that the whole name?"

"It's short for Wesley." She pushes back the dressing room curtain to show you the dress. "What do you think?"

"That's cute. Although maybe not right for a first date." You say. It's a short dark blue dress with lace trimming and as much as you like it, it's not a dinner date outfit.

"Yeah- maybe you're right." She looks at herself in the mirror for a moment and then closes the curtain.

"Hm, Wesley? That's not the worst name in the world." You hum.

"Y/n!" Wanda laughs.

"Look! I'm not trying to be mean, but you know, some names just don't... roll off the tongue the right way ya know." You shrug even though she can't see you.

"Now why would you say that?" She tries to scold you but you can hear her hiding her laughter before she shoves back the curtain again. "This one?" She asks. This dress is a green off-the-shoulder pick with bell sleeves.

"I think it's the wrong shade of green for you honestly." You tell her.

"Ya think so?" She hums and closes the curtain again.

"Anyway, I said it because it's true. Like I'm not saying you're going to fuck this guy or anything but imagine trying to moan a name like Bartholomew or Yolanda. Ya know? Wes or even Wesley you could probably get away with though."

"Don't be crude! I don't think anyone born in the last century is named Bartholomew but- I guess I get your point." Wanda chuckles.

"Also it's cute that your names are alliterative. Wanda and Wesley. You'll have to come up with some cute introduction when you meet people as a couple."

"It is one date. You are for sure skipping ahead." Wanda pulls back the curtain in a new dress, pointing an accusing finger at you. This one is a two-toned red and black dress.

"I mean if you think about it now you're ready for if the time comes." You shrug.

"You and your ability to romanticize things." She shakes her head. "Thoughts on this one?"

"Life is better when you romanticize things. Honestly, I think this is your dress. You should get this one. It's gorgeous on you. If he's not speechless when he sees you, leave." You tell her.

"That's dramatic." She laughs.

"It's in my nature." You shrug.

"It is a nice dress though. Should I bother trying the others?" She asks as she closes the curtain again to change back into her clothes.

"I mean if you want to but I'm pretty much sold on this one." You say.

"Excuse me." You hear a voice behind you that causes you to spin around. A sales associate for the store you're in is smiling at you when you do.

"Hi! Can I help you?" You ask.

"This is for you." She says holding out a shopping bag with the store's logo on it. Your hands fly up as if you're surrendering.

"I- didn't purchase anything so that cannot be right." You shake your head.

"Actually the items were purchased for you by someone. It's a gift."

"A gift from whom?" You frown in confusion.

"They've asked to remain anonymous."

"That- sounds increasingly suspicious. Um can you, hold the bag open for me?" You ask her.

"Excuse me?" Now she's confused.

"I am not touching that bag if I don't know what's inside it. So, if you could just open it so I can look inside?" You explain. "Wanda! You almost done in there?" You call as the associate opens the bag. Wanda rushes out of the dressing room when she hears your voice.

"Everything okay?" She asks you.

"Somebody has anonymously gifted me some items apparently." You share a look at her before looking into the bag to find a dress, a jacket, and a jewelry set each that you'd commented on while shopping with Wanda. You spin around to face Wanda almost too fast. "Holy shit it's all stuff I said I liked while we were shopping." You speak quickly and quietly to her.

"What?"

"It's the dress and the jacket that I put down right before we came to the dressing room." You hiss.

"Woah." Wanda blinks. You turn back to the associate.

"Did they pay with a card? Can you refund this person somehow? I can't just take this gift from a stranger." You tell her.

"All of the items they bought are final sale so unfortunately, a refund would not be possible, plus they paid in cash."

"So- there's really nothing I can do but take this?"

"I mean if you don't take it I'll simply sell them again. It'd be unfortunate for the purchaser." The associate tells you. You look at Wanda again.

"This is like a $200 purchase what the fuck?" You whisper to Wanda.

"Then I guess you should take it." Wanda whispers back. You mull it over in your head for a moment before turning back to face the associate.

"Alright fine. Thank you." You take the bag from the associate with a small smile. "If the, anonymous gifter returns please inform them that I appreciate the gesture but not to do it again because this is very weird." You tell her.

"I will pass on the message." She nods and walks away.

"I cannot believe you've got a secret admirer." Wanda loops her arm through yours and pulls you towards the counter with her chosen dress in hand.

"This is absolutely ridiculous. What do I tell Bruce?" You frown.

"The truth. That a stranger bought them and you have no idea who it is." She shrugs. The two of you check out and leave the store and subsequently the mall, Wanda deciding she has enough shoes to choose from at home. "Do you have any idea who it might be?"

"No. I only talk to like 5 people and none of them are spending $200 on items I only mentioned liking while we were just shopping."

"Even Bruce?"

"If Bruce did it, he wouldn't keep it a secret. So I know it's not him." You tell her.

"Well, you'll have to tell me how he reacts. I'm going to head home so I can prep for this date. I'll call you later." Wanda says hugging you tightly.

"Have fun babes." You kiss her cheek and then part ways, heading back to your apartment. When you unlock the door and kick off your shoes, the smell of food welcomes you so you head to the kitchen.

"Hi Bruce!" You say wrapping your arm around him from behind.

"Hi babe, welcome home. Work a longer shift at work or something?" Bruce asks.

"No Wanda came to my job and we went shopping once I got off. She's got a date tonight!" You tell him and Bruce turns enough to see the shopping bag sitting on the counter.

"I see you got some things too. What's in the bag?" Bruce asks.

"A dress, a jacket, and some jewelry."

"Impromptu mini shopping spree?" Bruce chuckles.

"Well I didn't buy any of that stuff actually." You shrug. Bruce frowns at you for a moment before turning back to whatever he's cooking. A past dish from the looks of it.

"Honey I know we don't really keep secrets from each other but if you're going to commit a crime-"

"I didn't steal them. Why is your first thought that I stole?" You chuckle.

"You said you didn't buy them."

"Yeah I didn't. They were gifted to me while I was shopping."

"What?"

"Someone bought these things and had a sales associate bring them to me."

"Who?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know? You didn't ask any questions?"

"I asked like a dozen questions, including if she could refund whoever it was that did this and she said no. She also told me whoever it was asked to remain anonymous, what was I supposed to do? Force the information out of her? She probably doesn't know who it is either."

"What if he was watching you? You accepted the gift he might think he has an in with you."

"How do you know that this person has any intention of doing that?"

"Can you think of any other reason that they'd spend hundreds on stuff for you? This is basically a secret admirer stunt y/n."

"Look I told the sales lady to let whoever it was know that this was incredibly inappropriate but it's too late to do anything else. Even if they're stalking me I have no idea who they are so, what do you want from me here?" You cross your arms.

"I don't mean to snap at you I'm just worried about your safety." Bruce pulls you to his chest.

"Yeah, I get that, but it sounds like you're blaming me for receiving an anonymous gift." You mutter.

"I'm not trying to blame you I promise. This is just weird and it concerns me."

"Honestly as weird as this situation is I dunno I just don't hear the alarm bells I usually notice before something goes wrong. Of course it's only one incident, things could escalate."

"Well, even if you don't feel alarmed by this, be careful anyway." Bruce kisses the top of your head.

"Always." You wink at him. The rest of your evening is quiet, you discuss work over dinner and watch TV before eventually getting ready for bed.

~*~*~

You hum along to the music playing in the store as you restock some items by the register, it's pretty slow around this time in the afternoon usually so you've got Peter in the back learning inventory stuff.

"Hi welcome in!" You call over your shoulder instinctively when the bell by the door goes off.

"Hey, excuse me." You turn around at the voice to see two men looking at you, one Black and one white.

"Hi! Is there something I can help you with?" You smile.

"Actually we're looking for someone. An employee, Peter Parker. Is he here?" The Black man asks you.

"Mind telling me what this is about?" You ask keeping a polite smile on your face although their question concerns you.

"Excuse me?" He blinks at you.

"Well Peter's a kid so I hope you can understand my reservations in disclosing information about him to men who haven't identified themselves or their relationship to him, and seemingly don't know his schedule which to me means he does not want you popping up at his place of employment unexpectedly." You cross your arms and the one who hasn't spoken quirks an eyebrow at you.

"Look is the kid here or not?"

"I'm not authorized to give out information you don't already have about anyone who may or may not work here." You tell them.

"This is ridiculous- Parker! It's Wilson and Barton come up here." The Black man calls loudly. You spin around and intercept Peter when you hear his footfalls behind you.

"Peter do you know these men?" You ask quietly. He looks over your shoulder.

"Yeah they're friends. I'm sorry if they're causing you trouble." Peter tells you nervously.

"They aren't causing me trouble but they're looking for you and I wanna make sure you aren't in any danger."

"No. No danger. It's alright, they're alright. Is it cool if I step out with them for a moment?"

"It's empty so fine but you probably shouldn't do this often."

"I swear this won't happen again."

"Go, make it quick." You wave towards the door and he leads the two men out of the store.

"She seems protective of you." Clint points out.

"She's real nice, it's kinda like having an older sister at work but that's besides the point you guys cannot just show up here while I'm working!" Peter tells them.

"That's cute, and relax you're just a cover, we were told to check on her." Sam says.

"She's wearing the jacket." Clint mutters.

"She's wearing the jacket! Did she mention anything to you Parker?" Sam looks from you to Peter.

"About her jacket? No? Why should she?" Peter frowns.

"No reason. The fact that she's wearing it bodes well for them I think." Sam says.

"Bodes well for who? Wait did they buy her that jacket?! She's been in a relationship for like three years!"

"Relax kid leave this to the adults." Sam nudges him.

"They can't just poach someone's girlfriend."

"No one's poaching anyone don't worry about it, Peter. Oh, but they do wanna see you after you get off so- head to the offices when your shift is over." Clint claps Peter on the back and then he and Sam leave.

"Sorry about that." Peter says as he rushes back in.

"Everything alright?" You ask.

"Yeah! Totally fine, I'm gonna go finish learning inventory."

"Holler if you need anything." You hum. You know it's not really any of your business but you do hope Peter was telling the truth and those guys weren't here to hassle him.

***

Part 1/???

Tagged Users: @cjand10

[beaker1636]

Donors Wanted Part 2 - Chris Motionless

taglist: @ladyveronikawrites @yournecessaryevil @talialovesmiw @cookiesupplier @bloody-delusion-expert @dominuslunae @jilliemiw86 @thechickwiththecamera @tearfallpixie

AN: I know this one is slightly boring compared to the first but I am trying to establish a bit of context and background... I promise it will heat up eventually :)

“Well, what do you want to know?” I ask him, looking over at him as he sits on my bed next to me, keeping an eye on me.  We both lock eyes a couple times but I try not to let it show that this intimidates me, makes me feel a little anxious every time this happens. 

“I think right now it is more important that you ask me what you want to know about me, this process, whatever you want to know.  I want you to feel comfortable about this all, comfortable with me because we are going to be spending a decent chunk of time together,” Chris says.  His eyes watching me closely, why I am not too sure honestly.

“I mean yeah I have some questions.  Everyone kind of rushes me into this without much explanation, which I understand given how rough you looked but yeah.  I guess just how does this whole thing work honestly?” I ask, still laying back against my pillows, feeling exhausted but that is probably a given with him drinking my blood just a little bit ago.

“Do you mean like how we meet up or the whole thing?  For how we decide when we both just stay in communication and decide when works best for each of us once a week is usually the minimum but typically twice in a week span.  Typically it would be here just so after if you’re feeling weak you are somewhat comfortable but you normally would not feel this exhausted and drained, this time is only this bad because I had to take more than I typically would have because of how weak and sick I was.  I promise you that usually I can control myself better, I just couldn’t this time with how bad I was. As for the process, you select the location on the website and then it’ll match the person with someone in need, or it’ll add you to a holding list until someone needs help.  There are several other clans that work with us across the country that use the same website which is why we have the location question in the application process,” he answers honestly, his eyes still watching me as he speaks.

I feel slightly intimidated having him watching me like this, I am not even totally sure why it is bothering me so much but it is.  It is almost like I can feel the power he holds as the leader, if that makes any sense.  I nod slightly, thinking of another question.

“Why? Why go to all this trouble when you could easily just overpower someone every time you are hungry and be done with it? Does it cause you trouble with other vampires who don’t agree with what you do?” I ask, genuinely curious about all of this.  I quickly cover another yawn with my hand as I start to chew on another cracker.

“I must say I am not used to getting this many questions, it is refreshing.  Having someone who is interested in it all rather than just the donation process.  The reason why we do it is simple, we don’t want to hurt anyone, to kill anyone, unless it absolutely winds up necessary. We do it this way because we feel strongly about that, it still sucks that we have to hurt someone to feed but we at least aren’t killing anyone, and unlike popular belief after the whole Twilight thing we unfortunately can’t rely on animal blood.   And yes, there are other clans and rogues that disagree with what we do, but it has never been a problem of anyone coming after us or anything.” He answers, and while I probably shouldn’t believe him given what he is, part of me does.  Maybe it is just because of how tired I am or something but despite feeling like I shouldn’t trust him I somehow want to.

“That’s why you got so sick, because you could have gone and just drank from someone but you refused to because you didn’t want to hurt anyone…. That’s honestly commendable.  Stupid because you weren’t taking care of yourself but commendable,” I say softly.  Realizing what I just said and flushing slightly.  I probably shouldn’t have called a vampire who could easily off me stupid.

Chris just laughs, genuinely laughs at my words, making a small smile form on my own face.

“You know, not many people would dare call a clan leader stupid.  But you aren’t totally wrong, in some ways it probably is stupid of me to do, but I feel strongly about what we do, what I do.” I can still see the amused look on his face after he finishes speaking. 

“Sorry you’ll learn pretty quick. I don't have a filter and suck at thinking before I speak, so I will word vomit things like that by accident more than once,” I admit sheepishly, a little smile of my own on my face after hearing him laugh.

“It’s refreshing, someone that will tell me like it is.  Usually people try to sugarcoat what they think or say what they think I will want to hear because of what I am, because I am the leader of the clan.  Any other questions?” He asks, his whole demeanor different now, it almost feels like he has let his guard down a little bit and it’s nice.  Honestly, happiness looks good on him.

“I, I don’t think so.  Not as of now anyways but I’m sure I will have more in eventually.  You can ask about me too, you know,” I offer with a smile.  Slowly working my way through my crackers, knowing it is for the best even though I really do not want to eat them.

“Well, can I ask why? You don’t strike me as the usual type of people who sign up to do this?” He asks, I can tell he genuinely wants to know.

“Oh Sierra had to talk me into it, I was very skeptical about it at first and almost didn’t believe her at all that this was an actual thing.  I only agreed because when she said that this person genuinely would have died and I saw her actual concern on her face, and I, well I enjoy helping people so I said fine.  And then when they brought you and I was still unsure, seeing how much they all cared about you and seeing how much you genuinely needed it convinced me.  That’s why I do pediatric nursing, I like knowing I am helping children and families.” I say, shrugging like it's no big deal.

“I think that’s awesome, in a way we aren’t as much alike as what it shows are we?” He asks, giving me another smile while also moving to pull my blanket over me when he noticed I shivered.

“I guess not, we just do so in our own ways… hey Chris, can I ask you another question and you can say no if you don’t want to answer,” I ask, no longer feeling scared of him but rather, enjoying his presence and watching how he responds to me. There is something about him that keeps drawing me in, making me interested in knowing more about him, in seeing what makes him tick. When he nods I know that it is okay to ask, even if it's personal and I know he might not like my question and I am okay with that.

“Was there a specific moment that changed your mind and made you turn towards this type of system or were you always into this? You, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I am just curious about what makes you well, you,” I say, hoping he doesn’t take my question the wrong way.  I don’t want to make him uncomfortable or anything, I just want to know what makes him tick.

“There was something that happened, that kind of turned me towards this.  I, I don’t talk about it with anyone but it… I hurt someone I grew really close to and it changed a lot of how I viewed my lifestyle at the time.  It was many many years ago and led me to develop this system.  It was a lot harder back in the day to set up these donor relationships and everything but luckily the internet became a thing and really helped us out with this,” he answers.  I notice how he looks away while talking about all of this, I can tell that whatever it was that happened was a hard moment in his life for him and it makes me regret asking it.  Without thinking about it I reach over, my hand settling over one of his for a moment, wanting to comfort him. 

He looks down at our hands for a moment, I can’t tell if it is because he is wanting to move, if I made him uncomfortable, or if he enjoyed it but he never made a move to pull his hand out from underneath mine, so I took it as okay.  We both sit there quietly for a moment, neither of us making an effort to break the silence, neither of us caring about it as we sat there together.  Somehow it was like we both were kind of stuck, enjoying the touch and comfort of the moment.

“Why did you choose nursing specifically? Did you have one who impacted you a lot in a positive way as a child or did you just think it was the right thing for you?” Chris asks quietly, still looking down at our hands and no longer at me.

“There is a reason actually, my brother had multiple life saving surgeries as a child, I spent lots of time watching the nurses help save him and take care of him, and got to see things they did for other children to comfort them in the pediatric ICU while he was there.  As I got older I never forgot the care and compassion they had for him and other children so when it was time to decide what I wanted to do in college and everything it was just the natural choice.  I love children and I want to help them so it just fits.  And now I do that for work, working in the pediatric ICU and getting to comfort, take care of, and help children everyday and I love it.” I answered, a little embarrassed that I rambled slightly, but Chris didn’t seem to care, he was now watching me speak again.  If I didn’t know any better I would say there is almost a look of admiration on his face as I share my story.

We both sit there in silence again, the exhaustion really starting to hit me harder now. I try to fight it but I am struggling, but I also am enjoying this time with him, getting to know each other.  I don’t want to let it go but I know I will have too soon.

“Hey, don’t fight it.  Go to sleep, I’ll sit here with you until you fall asleep okay?” Chris says, moving to brush some hair from my face again with a soft smile.

I try to fight it but it becomes almost too much, I eventually fall asleep laying in my bed, my hand still covering his as we both sit there in the quiet.  I feel more peaceful falling asleep tonight than I have in a long time… and that honestly scares me a little bit.

[mymoodwriting]

11.7k, yandere, vampires, memory manipulation, drugs, disassociation, needles, kidnapping, self-inflicted wounds, restraints, knives, blood (@starillusion13)

Welcome to Happy Vampire Village

    The name was silly, but you understood why they had chosen it. When the vampires revealed themselves to the world, everything changed. They were no longer a fairy tale, but a very real being that had quietly lived alongside humans for centuries. It wouldn’t be so easy to hide in the modern world, but they also saw that humans had changed. Now all they wanted was to peacefully coexist without either side living in fear of the other. Of course that was easier said than done, so this lovely little place had been set up. A small village where vampires and humans could live together, to show that they weren’t bad.

    You couldn’t really remember why you had agreed to it, but here you were. The idea was to live with them in this village for a few months and then share your experiences with the world. Although it was just you, one human living with eleven other vampires. The first few weeks were certainly awkward on your end. The boys were all very friendly with you, too friendly, in their attempts to ease your worries. Honestly you didn’t really believe they were vampires at first until you stayed up late one night with them and saw more than you were ready to handle. It seemed they came alive once the sunset.

    Their eyes had a crimson glow, and they proudly showed you their fangs. You understood they could still eat human food, and enjoy it, but their main food source was blood. They had their own specialized food and drinks that were laced with blood, as they didn’t want to straight up drink blood in front of you. Once you got to really see them as what they really were, it really helped break the tension. They were like you, they just had a different diet, and could do things that you couldn’t. Looking at it that way, you found yourself coming to terms with the fact vampires were real, and for the next few months they’d be your next door neighbors.

“Morning, y/n!”

“Morning, Sangyeon!”

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yup. My arm feels a bit sore, but otherwise I’m fine.”

“That’s good to hear. Breakfast is all set out so you can come join us.”

“Great.”

    Since the idea was for everyone to get along, you shared all your meals together. There was a big open area behind one of the houses with multiple tables put together. Everyone took turns cooking throughout the day, getting help from others as well. Although they were all way better cooks than you, which was funny considering they didn’t need human food. Still, it was a great talking point and something to make you feel more at ease around them. If you didn’t know they were vampires, you’d probably never figure it out.

“How are you guys so good at cooking? You don’t even need human food.”

“But we still enjoy it.” Juyeon explained. “Not to mention we lace it with blood, so it’s important to know how to make it right.”

“Ah, that makes sense.”

“You’re a pretty good cook yourself.”

“Thanks. I had to teach myself to cook if I was gonna be able to live on my own.”

“How long have you had your own place?”

“Uh, a while now. I’ve lived alone since my second year of Uni.”

“And what were you studying?” Eric asked. “Perhaps the arts so you could be a TV star?”

“I don’t think I’m made for TV.”

“You never know.”

“Eric.” Sangyeon hissed. “Behave.”

“I know, I know, I was just saying.”

“What about you guys? I know it’d be silly to ask how old you are, but what exactly did you get up to while in hiding? What did you do to pass the time?”

“Everything and anything.” Kevin began. “Study, learn to play instruments, or sports. With practically endless time you can fully invest yourself in anything of your choosing.”

“Lucky. I wish I could do as I please, but I was wondering if you had a job or something.”

“It’s difficult for us to have a job.” Jacob added. “We have to constantly hide our true selves, and it wouldn’t be easy to socialize with other humans.”

“You have a point. It sounds lonely though.”

“We had each other.”

    After breakfast you helped wash the dishes. There were plenty of group activities to participate in to pass the time. Although, since quite some time had passed, Sangyeon suggested fixing up the houses. A new coat of paint, adding some lights, a big group project for everyone to participate and show their personalities through their preferences. You were excited as you had never done something like this before. The first day of the project you all figured out how you wanted to proceed, picking out the colors and planning what to put where.

    When you actually started you decided to work on the painting. At first you painted the outside walls with Younghoon, both of you making conversation. He seemed to have experience in all this so he guided you on how to do it properly and have fun with it. Of course the harder to reach parts required a smaller tool. Once the walls had dried you got on a ladder to paint the undersides of the roof. You were humming and in your own little world, not aware that the ladder was unstable, not until you lost your footing. You yelled, expecting to hit the ground, but instead found yourself in someone’s arms.

“Hyunjae?”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah… yeah, thanks.”

“You should be more careful, we wouldn’t want you getting hurt.”

“But I’m okay thanks to you.”

“True.”

    No one allowed you back up on a ladder, so you stuck to the groundwork for the rest of the day. Good progress had been made so you had a campfire at night to celebrate. After roasting marshmallows you all sat around. Haknyeon handed you a glass of lemonade to cool down. The afternoons were hot, and even if the nights were cool, you could always use something more to wind down. The lemonade was always delicious, and you wished Jacob would share his secret with you. He wouldn’t but he assured you it was safe for you to drink.

“You guys live in big houses don’t you?”

“Yup.” Juyeon said. “Why do you ask?”

“You must have done a lot of redecorating over the years as new trends came to be and all that.”

“Oh yeah, it was always a hassle but fun too, just like this.”

“It’s getting late.” Sangyeon mentioned. “You should get to sleep y/n.”

“Yeah, you’re right, busy day tomorrow.”

    You smiled and wished everyone a good night, heading back to your own little house. It was easy to fall asleep as you were tired and looking forward to tomorrow. The night was peaceful and you were ready for the morning. Once again no one let you on a ladder, but there was still plenty to do. Some things were being torn down and rebuilt, so without realizing you ended up nicking the palm of your hand on something. You yelled, and then immediately started worrying. This was the first time you had hurt yourself here, and it was probably the first time they had smelled fresh blood in a while.

    You were scared, and quickly wanted to get back to your place so you could clean yourself up. As you rounded a corner though you came face to face with Chanhee, his eyes glowing red which you knew wasn’t normal during the day. His gaze was only on you for a moment before he looked over at your hand. You pulled it close to your chest, taking a few hurried steps back. You thought of running only to bump into someone else, Sunwoo. His eyes were red as well, making you all the more fearful. You wanted to say something but it was all getting caught in your throat.

“Y/n.”

    Sangyeon suddenly appeared and pulled you closer to him. He glared at the other two, baring his fangs and hissing at them. Before you knew it you were inside one of the houses, not yours, and were in the bathroom, Sangyeon having you run your hand under warm water.

“Are you okay?”

“I… yeah… I’m sorry…”

“For what?”

“My hand…”

“Are you saying you cut yourself on purpose?”

“No! But… fresh blood… Chanhee and Sunwoo…”

“I will scold them over that later.”

“Sorry…”

“You didn’t do anything wrong. It would have been a miracle to make it through all of this and not have you get hurt.”

“Still…”

“They’re still young, and fresh blood is always tempting. So don’t apologize for their lack of control. I smelled the blood immediately and would have stopped them.”

“Thank you.”

“Let’s disinfect the wound and then wrap it up.”

    Since Sangyeon seemed to know where everything was, you figured this was his place. He sat you down while he gently treated your wound and bandaged it up.

“Stay here for a bit while the blood flow slows down. I’ll have a word with the others.”

“Okay.”

    You didn’t hear anything about your injury since then, but on occasion you’d catch some of them staring at your bandages. You didn’t say anything about it either, not wanting to get any one in trouble. Things were as they were with no real changes, but celebrating a vampire’s birthday was something very unexpected. They didn’t share their age with you, but it was a good night for celebrations anyway.

“Happy Birthday to you!”

    Everyone cheered as the candles were blown out. It was gonna be a little bit of a celebratory night. You probably would have been up for hours if Haknyeon didn’t wind up bumping into you, causing you to spill your lemonade all over yourself.

“Oh shit, sorry.”

“It’s okay, I’m fine.”

“Probably need to call it a night.” Changmin commented as he came over with a rag. “You shouldn’t be in these kinds of clothes for long.”

“Yeah, I guess I should go to sleep. Don’t stay up and make so much noise.”

“We won’t.”

    You said your good nights and went home to shower and get to bed. You were tired from the day so you fell asleep easily, although you wound up waking up in the middle of the night. This was a first for you, and you were so groggy. You lazily got up and went to one of the windows that showed you the front. You could see the boys moving about, and you went over to the front door. You barely took a few steps outside before someone noticed you.

“Y/n, what are you doing awake?” Kevin asked. “You should be sleeping.”

“I… um… I don’t…”

“We’ll be quiet, okay, let’s get you back to bed.”

    Kevin gently led you back inside and into bed. He tucked you in and pressed a kiss to your head. You swore you saw a bit of red, but exhaustion pulled you under and you went back to sleep with ease.

❤

    The next morning felt like any other, and you didn’t really recall your late night stroll. No one else brought it up either, so it felt more like a dream. Everything else continued on as normal, and you forgot about the incident. That is until your next strange night. You were up late with the boys, having a bit of a festival. Jacob had given you a glass of lemonade to cool down with after some dancing, but before you could take a sip Chanhee pulled you away for more dancing. Another hour or so later you finally decide to call it a night, heading to bed. You were exhausted enough to fall asleep quickly, but woke up randomly a few hours later.

    You didn’t think too much of it, simply getting up and going to the kitchen to get yourself a glass of water. As you drank you stared out the window, doing a double take when you saw two people floating in the air. You nearly panicked before remembering that vampires could fly, they just didn’t do that when you were around. You watched them for a while, wondering what they were doing when a knock on the glass pulled you back down. Eric was standing outside with a smile on his face. He waved at you and motioned for you to open the window for him.

“What are you doing up?”

“No idea, I was thirsty though.”

“Well you should get back to sleep, don’t want you tired in the morning.”

“I could just sleep in.”

“The others would miss you.”

“As if you aren’t nocturnal creatures.”

“But we’re all together here and it’s important to socialize. This is all about you, remember?”

“Yeah… I’ll go back to bed, don’t worry.”

“Alright. Sweet dreams.”

    The glowing red eyes were something you had gotten used to, but not the flash of red. It always made you a bit dizzy, but it was nothing harmful. You went back to sleep with ease, but come morning there was something on your mind. In all the weeks you had been there so far you hadn’t had trouble sleeping until now. Even at the beginning when you were nervous to be around them you could still fall asleep with ease and get plenty of rest. Nothing had happened as of late that should affect your sleep. If anything things had gotten better, so it made this all the more troubling. It had been on your mind all day, and of course that wasn’t gonna go unnoticed.

“What’s on your mind?” Haknyeon asked. “You seem very quiet today.”

“Oh it’s nothing, just trying to figure something out.”

“Which is? Perhaps I could help?”

“Doubtful. Just had some weird nights and was trying to figure out why.”

“Maybe you slept on your arm or something, nothing to worry about really.”

“Don’t you all sleep in coffins though?”

“Occasionally… but you won’t find those here, I promise.”

You chuckled. “Would have been cool to see.”

“Speaking of cool.” Haknyeon disappeared for a moment. “Here. A little something to cool off.”

“Lemonade is the staple of this little village, huh?”

“Our special recipe.”

“Thanks.”

    Usually you get sick of things when you have them every day, but the lemonade was always refreshing and tasty. You tried not to focus on your sleep habits and enjoy the rest of the day. You turned in early, and thankfully had a peaceful night of sleep. Everyone had their sleepless nights, if anything it would be weird if you always slept well, so you stopped worrying about those nights. Even if you had troubles, you didn’t have any responsibilities that needed you to be well rested. You could always sleep during the day like a vampire if anything.

“How about a movie night?”

“Huh?”

“We haven’t had one in a while.” Younghoon explained. “Is there a movie you want to see, we can get it all set up for tomorrow night.”

“Not a bad idea, nothing scary though.”

“Fair.”

“But… how about an old vampire movie?”

“Seriously? You want to embarrass us?”

“I want your commentary.”

“Okay. I’ll ask Sangyeon and hopefully he won’t say no.”

“I’d be very upset if he did.”

“Noted.”

    You two got some lemonade and made a toast for good luck with tomorrow’s movie night. You drank first, Younghoon watching you before taking a sip of his drink. You were excited for the next night, managing to sleep well and wake up with a lot of energy. Sangyeon had agreed to your movie suggestion although the others weren’t aware of the film until it started and they all quickly looked over at you. A shy smile was on your face, but they could see that you were going to enjoy the night. Even though you had seen the movie before, you were so immersed because it was a new experience. You didn’t touch the popcorn or lemonade, just asking questions and listening intently as you got a glimpse into the vampire world.

    It was definitely a stay up late kind of night so at some point you ended up falling asleep. When you woke up you saw that you were still outside, and were all bundled up in a blanket. You looked around but didn’t see anyone else around. You managed to get up, keeping the blanket around you. Once you got up you knocked over the lemonade and popcorn around you. It had remained completely untouched so the smallest of movements made it fall over. Now that you were up you felt a bit thirsty, seeing other lemonades around and grabbing one. You only took a few sips before realizing it had a different taste. You were getting worried when a voice suddenly caught your attention.

“Y/n? What are you doing awake?”

    You dropped the drink from the fright and Juyeon quickly picked you up in his arms. His fast movements startled you, but you were alright for the most part. You were feeling a bit dizzy though, grabbing onto Juyeon.

“Easy there, are you alright?”

“Yeah… just… dizzy…”

“You should go back to sleep. You’ll feel better in the morning.”

“Hm…”

    You looked up at Juyeon to see his red glowing eyes, leaning against him. You weren’t feeling so good and shut your eyes. Some sleep would do you good, and hopefully you’d feel better tomorrow. That was the idea but you certainly felt sore in the morning. When you woke up you just stayed in bed for a while. You didn’t want to get up just yet, but you were also thinking about something else. The lemonade you had last night was different than what you were used to. Maybe it was because it had been left out for a couple hours, but something said there was more to it. There was only one way to find out really.

“Jacob.”

    After getting out of bed you went out to find Jacob. He was setting up his cute little stand so you were just in time.

“Hey, good morning, did you sleep well?”

“For the most part. I’m a bit sore but I’m okay.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“So, I was wondering if I could help you with your lemonade stand. You make lemonade for us every day and I haven’t had a chance to help you yet.”

“If you want to, I don’t mind the help.”

“Awesome.”

    You helped squeeze the lemons, although Jacob was still secretive with his recipe.  Before you even knew it he had made the lemonade, and came over to hand you a glass.

“Here you go. For all your help.”

“Thanks.”

    You gave Jacob a big smile, and took a sip. It tasted just like usual, and that’s what you expected. There were more glasses on the table, and when Jacob stepped away you went over and took one. As you feared it tasted different, but before you could really think about it Jacob came over and took the glass from your hand.

“What are you doing?”

“Why does it taste different?”

“Huh?”

“The lemonade. The one you gave me and the ones on the table have a different taste.”

“I… uh… there’s blood in it…” Jacob mumbled.

“What?”

“There’s blood… in the lemonade… except yours… the one specially made for you… that’s why it tastes different…”

“Oh…”

    You started feeling a bit sick over what you had tasted, running off before Jacob could say anything. Not to mention scolding yourself over jumping to conclusions. You weren’t alone for long before Chanhee found you. He had overheard everything, not surprising actually, the others probably knew too.

“Are you okay?”

“Fine… just feeling silly…”

“We probably should have mentioned it earlier. We just wanted the lemonade to be something we all shared naturally, but of course with our diets it would still be different.”

“I know… I just had other things in my head… I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to cause trouble.”

“You’d never do such a thing.”

    Even if you slept well you still felt silly over the whole lemonade incident. Although you didn’t really want to drink it anymore. The next day you played games all day, and focused on that. You were offered some lemonade multiple times but you never really drank it. You had lots of fun though, so by nightfall you were very exhausted. You would have thought you’d sleep through the night but instead you woke up. It was probably stress and the whole incident, but you tried to move past it. You got up and got a glass of water. As you looked out the window you didn’t see anyone around, so you decided to sneak out.

    You went over to the hillside, wanting to stargaze, but when you looked up there was a starless sky. It was all black, the only light coming from the lights by the houses. It was weird though, cause you could have sworn you’ve seen stars in the sky before. The last movie night you had came to mind, but maybe you were imagining things. You still stayed where you were, laying back on the grass and looking up at the sky. It was a peaceful night, and you were lost in your own head that you didn’t notice someone approaching. Not until they laid down next to you, looking over at you.

“Hello.”

“Sangyeon…”

“What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to stargaze, but there are no stars… I could have sworn there was.”

“Maybe you’re confusing it with a movie.”

“I think so too.”

“Anyway, you shouldn’t sleep out here. Come on, let’s get you to bed.”

    Sangyeon didn’t hesitate to pick you up in his arms, carrying you bridal style back to your place. You could never really get used to the red eyes, but you had to admit they looked nice. Something soothing to see before you fall asleep.

❤

    The next morning your arm felt sore, but you didn’t mind it. This time around you’d be helping out with breakfast, which was always quite a lot since it was for twelve. You were so busy that when you got thirsty you just grabbed the nearest drink and chugged it down. Then you grabbed another until you finally realized the taste. This wasn’t your lemonade, and the realization made you faint. By the time you came to you were in bed, and it seemed to be dark out. You looked over and saw Hyunjae and Changmin at your bedside. When they saw you were awake they jumped up.

“Y/n! Are you okay?”

“We were so worried about you.”

“Hm… what happened?”

“We don’t know, you just suddenly collapsed.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you guys. I was just lost in thought and ended up drinking your lemonade… when I realized I kind of freaked out…”

“Gosh, you really scared us.”

“Sorry…”

“As long as you’re okay.”

“Yeah… I should probably go back to sleep though.”

“We’ll let the others know you’re okay.” 

“Hold on a second.” Changmin went to get you a glass of water. “Here. You should have some water since you didn’t have much all day.”

“Thanks.”

    As you drank the water you noticed a strange taste similar to that of the lemonades. You didn’t say anything though and just thanked the two and went to sleep. Come morning your mind went back to the same issue about the lemonade. Something was wrong. You got out of bed and got yourself a glass of water. It tasted nothing like what you had last night, but presumably you got it from the same place. You couldn’t really go to any of them with your concerns, so just kept it to yourself. As you thought it over you looked back on the nights you had woken up, and if there was anything in common.

    You basically had lemonade every day, it was a staple in the little village, but now that you think about it, you didn’t actually drink it on the days you woke up in the middle of the night. It could just be a coincidence, but every other time you slept fine you could recall drinking the lemonade. This all sounded crazy to you, but there was a way for you to test it. That day you got your special glass of lemonade but you didn’t drink it, spilling it out onto the yard when no one was looking. As you feared you wound up waking up that night. It could be a one off, you needed to run more tests, so you decided to go back to sleep on your own.

    You were drifting off when you suddenly felt hands grab you. A loud scream ripped from your throat as you got up, seeing Sunwoo in your room. He screamed as well when you did, quickly apologizing though. That didn’t change the fact you were freaking out. There was no reason for him to be in your room, and all the yelling attracted attention. Soon enough the others had gathered as well, but you were still freaking out and yelling incoherently. Sangyeon came to your side and grabbed your shoulders, getting you to focus on him. As always those glowing eyes were mesmerizing, and he was getting you to do some breathing exercises with him so you could calm down.

“Are you okay?”

“I… I think so…”

“Good. Do you think you can explain to me what’s going on?”

“I… I don’t really know… I was trying to go back to sleep when I felt Sunwoo grab me…”

“Did he now? The boy must have been sleepy and thought this was his bed.”

“I… I guess…”

“He didn’t mean to scare you. Sunwoo apologize.”

“I’m so sorry…” Sunwoo apologized. “I wasn’t paying attention.”

“Okay… apology accepted…”

“There, see, nothing to worry about. Get back to bed okay.”

    Sangyeon tucked you in while the others headed out, some scolding Sunwoo under their breath. You were feeling sleepy so it was easy to just close your eyes and drift off. Although come morning, when you hadn’t woken up in a panic, and could properly put the pieces together. Something was wrong here. Last night, the incident with Sunwoo, was very strange and was making you feel uneasy. You couldn’t let anyone else know, so you did you best to act normal. You avoided the lemonade again, and just went about the day as usual. No one seems to suspect anything, and you decided to turn in early that day. You only pretend to go to sleep, waiting for the night to become quiet.

    Once you felt it was safe you snuck out. You didn’t see anyone around at all so you went out to the hillside. Truth was you didn’t trust this place anymore, you didn’t trust them. You kept low, carefully looking back to make sure you weren’t noticed. You had dressed in some sweatpants and a hoodie, hoping that would be alright. As you made your way down the hill you suddenly came to a stop. The sight before you terrified you. At the bottom of the hill, the grass just ended, the road ahead just smooth concrete leading into darkness. This didn’t make any sense, causing you to question everything you had known, but you couldn’t go back.

    You swallowed your fear and stepped onto the concrete. You gave it a moment to see if something happened, but nothing, so then it was just one foot after the other. After a bit of waking you get your phone out. There wasn’t much signal in the village, and you didn’t seem to have any here either, but at least you could use your flashlight. Before doing so you looked back, but it was mostly darkness. You turned the flashlight on and aimed it at the ground, moving slowly. You weren’t sure for how long you were walking for but eventually you came to some sort of wall. You slowly lifted up the light, seeing what appeared to be metal. You carefully reached out to touch it confirming it was real. It was a wall, which didn’t make sense, but surely there was a door somewhere.

    You picked a direction and followed it. You were scared with every step, wondering if you would find what you were looking for or not. When the structure suddenly changed you took a step back and could make out a door. You reached for the handle, feeling that this was a sliding door. You looked around in the darkness for a moment before carefully sliding it open. You didn’t know what awaited you on the other side, but it brought you to tears. Beyond the door was an empty lot, and as you stepped out you could see other buildings, but most of all you could see the sky. Stars and clouds hung above you as the tears slid down your cheeks. You looked back at the huge building you had just exited, feeling such panic rise in you. All you could do was run.

    You turned around and ran, wanting to get as far away from that place as possible. All this, being out here, those monsters had kept you locked up like some animal, playing house and acting like you were friends. For who knows how long you had been living a lie, and you had no idea how you wound up in their grasp. You just kept running, beyond the lot and finding a small town nearby. You could see cars driving on the streets, buildings, and people walking around. There was life there, although you were still too much in shock to just ask for help. You pulled up your hood and made your way over to the town, keeping your head low and looking around. Everyone seemed normal, going about their lives as if you hadn’t been held hostage nearby. Since nothing appeared out of the ordinary you thought it would be safe to find the nearest police station, but then you froze in your tracks.

“I don’t think I’m made for TV.”

    Hearing your own voice sent shivers down your spine. You looked around for the source, finding a bunch of kids gathered outside a store window. They were looking at the TVs on display in the store and you cautiously walked over to see what was playing. As you got closer you could make out the images, coming to see yourself on the screen, along with the other boys. As this scene played out you began to remember that day, mumbling the next words spoken to yourself before hearing them from the TV. This whole time your life had been filmed, and now it was on TV for everyone else’s entertainment. You couldn’t believe what you were seeing. You took a step back, feeling as if reality was fading in and out. Nothing made sense.

“Are you the girl from TV?”

    One of the kids who had been watching the TV had noticed you. He approached you, and soon the others were aware of you too. They all got closer, and one of them even leaned in to smell you.

“You are! You must be the human from TV!”

    The kids eagerly crowd around you and that’s when you finally realize their eyes were red. That shock gave you the energy to run and you bolted down the street, not looking back. You weren’t paying attention though and wound up running into a couple. You stumbled to the ground and your hood fell back, revealing your face.

“Oh, I’m sorry, are you- wait, are you… oh my gosh! Could I have a bite?”

    This time you were well aware of the red eyes the two individuals had. You ignored their words and quickly scrambled to your feet and ran off again. You had to get away from such a public area so you bolted into the nearest alleyway, but ended up tripping over something. When you looked back you saw a human leaning against the wall next to a trash bin. You both stared at each other and you noticed they didn’t have glowing eyes.

“Are you… are you human?”

“What? Never seen a homeless human before?”

    You didn’t think twice about rushing over to them, which greatly startled them. You didn’t mean to and quickly put your hands up.

“I… I’m sorry… I just… what is going on here… there are vampires… everywhere and… I don’t understand…”

“Where have you been living?”

    Even with the strange question, you got an answer. Vampires had revealed themselves to the world, but not in the way you had believed. They took over, seeing themselves as superior and basically turning humans into cattle. Some were even pets, and that seemed to answer the question of what you were.

“If humans got… taken away then how are you still on the streets?”

“We’ve avoided the hunters.” Another person popped out of the trash bin. “That’s the only way to stay out of those care homes and keep our freedom.”

“You two are together?”

“Yup. I’m Shane, and that’s Pete.”

“How long have you been on the streets?”

“A couple months now… maybe longer, honestly lost track of time.”

“So how… how do you survive out here? Can you help me?”

“Where are you from?” Pete asked. 

“It’s… it’s complicated…”

“It won’t be easy to feed another mouth.” Shane commented. “We barely manage on our own.”

“Please, I don’t have anywhere else to go…”

“Alright, fine.” Shane hops out of the trash bin and pulls up your hood. “Stay warm. We gotta lay low, that’s the most important.”

“Okay…”

“Come on then, we can stay out in the open like this for too long.”

    You didn’t really hesitate to follow them deeper into the alley. They led you into an abandoned building. They found a place to start a fire, safely as they explained to you, and settled around it. You helped find some cardboard and newspaper, needing something to sit on besides the cold floor.

“Here.” Pete offered you bread. “You need to eat.”

    This wasn’t what you were used to, but you were grateful. It was better than nothing. You took the bread and thanked him. As you ate and stared at the fire you couldn’t help but think back to the campfires you used to sit around. The fire itself was the same, burning bright and hot, but your circumstances had changed. You really tried not to cry but you couldn’t help the tears. Once you finished eating you laid down on the cardboard, watching the fire and slowly dozing off. Then you suddenly jumped up as you felt a pinch around your neck. You looked around in a panic thinking something had bit you, but then you realized you were completely alone.

    The other two were gone, as were the belongings they had with them. You pulled your legs up to your chest, feeling that fear of being alone, and worst of all abandoned. There was nowhere else for you to go and now you were really on your own. You noticed a small bag next to the fire and reached over to it, finding some food inside and a note. It explained that they couldn’t risk having someone else with them, but that they wished you luck. They don’t know what your situation was but they told you there wasn’t any shame in surrendering to the hunters and going to a care house.

    The problem was you didn’t want to go back with any vampires, so you were going to have to figure out how to survive on the streets all on your own. You really did need to sleep though, so you laid back down, trying to get comfortable when you heard a noise. Now you were on alert and looking around. You got up and found something to swing like a bat, carefully taking in your surroundings. When you suddenly felt a presence behind you, there was no hesitation in your swing. You were worried about hurting someone, but you weren’t expecting the person to catch your weapon, let alone be a familiar face.

“Haknyeon…”

    He ripped the weapon away from you, and then he had his hand around your throat. His grip was firm, and you soon found it difficult to breathe.

“You my dear, are in a world of trouble for the stunt you’ve pulled.”

“Let her go.” Sangyeon ordered. “It’s not your turn.”

    Just as he was told, Haknyeon let you go and you collapsed to the ground catching your breath. You were gasping in air when you were suddenly grabbed. For a moment you stared into Sangyeon’s red eyes, and then he was on your neck. You felt a pinch and yelled from the initial sting before you were suddenly overwhelmed by this euphoric feeling. The scream died down, replaced by a ragged moan and a dizzy feeling.

“There, that should keep her docile. Let’s go.”

“But what about-”

“Later, Chanhee. We should get home first.”

    Your vision was a blur, but you could vaguely make out Jacob picking you up in his arms. You had no idea where this home was, although all that came to mind was the village. You were taken out of the building and into another alleyway. Jacob was careful to put you into the back seat of a car, having you rest against Kevin’s shoulder. You could feel the car move beneath you, vaguely making out the world outside the window. At first you could see buildings but then that all turned to trees and soon enough you had arrived. This time Changmin got you out of the car and you found yourself before a very big house.

“… where…”

“Sh, we’re home now.” Changmin assured.

“You know where to take her.” Sangyeon said.

“Of course.”

    Everything felt like a dream as you were carried up the steps and through the front door. The house was just as big on the inside, like a mansion. You didn’t know much about luxury, but from what you could see, this place was fancy. You were taken into a room and laid down on some kind of medical table. Before you could really process you felt your arms and legs being strapped down.

“… wait… wait…”

“Just calm down, we’re not gonna hurt you.”

    Those words didn’t really provide comfort. Especially once you saw the needle and watched it go into your arm. You started pulling on your restraints then, only for them to take advantage of your distracted state and push a gel pill into your mouth. It dissolved on your tongue, and you froze upon recognizing the taste. You had this before in every glass of lemonade they had made for you. This was what they had been giving you for weeks.

“Sorry, but you need to take that.”

    You wanted to say something to them, even yell, but you were starting to feel drowsy. Without wanting to, your body relaxed against the table, and you began to have trouble keeping your eyes open. Soon enough you drifted off to sleep in a very unfamiliar place. You didn’t know how long you were out for, but when you regained consciousness your vision wasn’t as blurry. That’s when you noticed the blood bags, and looked down at your arm. They had been drawing blood from you this whole time, every night as far as you knew. It didn’t even make sense, it shouldn’t be possible.

“Oh, I see someone’s awake.” Eric smiled. “Hi beautiful.”

“… what… what is this…”

“Don’t worry, it’s just routine, but you don’t remember that right now.”

    Younghoon came over to your side and removed the needle, placing a soft kiss on your arm where a drop of blood bloomed. He liked his lips and smiled at you, sending shivers down your spine. Juyeon then came over and undid your restraints, pulling you into his arms. He carried you out of the room and to another one. It seemed like a bedroom, and you were placed down on the bed. He was going to leave you to rest but you grabbed onto his arm.

“… what’s going on… why did you lie to me… what… what’s real…”

“Sangyeon can answer all your questions after you eat.”

    A while after Juyeon left, Eric came in with a food cart. He had you sit back on the bed, placing a tray in front of you. As you moved to lift your arm you got a familiar sore feeling, further confirmation as to what they had been doing with you. Eric noticed you were struggling and decided to feed you himself, which you accepted. It was weird, but you were hungry, and feeling so weak from the blood loss. When you had your fill Eric tried to get you to sleep but you refused. You wanted to talk to Sangyeon before anything else.

“You should really get some sleep.”

“I feel like I’m always sleeping…”

“Touché. I’m rather busy, but I always have time for you.” Sangyeon sat down at your bedside. “So what is it you want to ask?”

“I want you to explain.”

“Explain what?”

“Everything.”

“Well, where do I even start?”

“You could start by telling me if anything of what I believe is real.”

“Good choice.”

    Sangyeon was honest with you, or at least you believed he was, there was no way for you to know otherwise. He told you that vampires had been living in hiding for hundreds of years, but decided to make their presence known as it was becoming clear to them humans couldn’t take care of themselves, or the planet. They’re not monsters so their methods were kind, and humans were now well taken care of and the planet itself was also thriving.

“So we’re your pets.”

“Not quiet. You’re more like-”

“Cattle?”

“You are really trying to make us out as monsters.”

“Isn’t blood your food source? Doesn’t that just make us cattle to you.”

“But you’re not animals. It’s true we do need your blood, but why would we be so cruel to our food source? Humans are well cared for. If you’d like I could perhaps arrange a visit to a care house and you could see for yourself.”

“This isn’t a care house, is it? So what am I?”

“You, well, you are our pet.” Sangyeon gently caressed your cheek. “Not every vampire can have one, but we can. You’re our special little girl.”

“Is that why I’m on TV?”

“Hm? Who told you that?”

“I saw it! My face on a screen with the rest of you! My life on display for entertainment!”

“Easy now, there’s no harm-”

“Why does that exist!?”

“Why else? We like to show you off, and it’s good money. Everyone has fun, and your blood.” Sangyeon took your hand and kissed your wrist. “It’s worth quite a lot. You’re famous.”

“So my whole life… it’s been a lie…”

“Not quiet. We’ve simply made it so you believed what we wanted you too. It’s very important as it makes the show, and your performance, all the more authentic.”

“You’re a monster.”

“You don’t mean that. You don’t even remember what your life is actually like.”

“Make me.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

“Why!?”

“We still have a lot of work to do since our filming schedule has been interrupted. It’s better for you to remain this way until we wrap everything up.” Sangyeon took a breath. “You have caused quite a lot of trouble, but perhaps something good can come out of it. But first, I need to know how you realized you were on a set.”

“…”

“Answer me.”

    A moment ago you were just having a conversation, but now Sangyeon was glaring at you with glowing red eyes. It sent a chill down your spine, making you very nervous.

“It was the lemonade.”

“What?”

“It had a weird taste… and my sleep schedule was questionable… then there was the incident with Sunwoo… and the lack of stars in the sky… I knew there was something wrong…”

“Hm. Impressive. You picked up on a bunch of little things out of the ordinary and put the pieces together. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“How did you find me though… I was only gone for a few hours…”

“It was at night. We clean up at the end of the day and take you home. It wasn’t long before we realized no one had gotten you. We searched all over, and then found one of the back doors opened. We could have just tracked you by scent but with your memories things would be more troublesome, so we used the tracking chip.”

    Instinctively you reached up to your neck, remembering that jolt of pain you had back in the abandoned building.

“I’m not some animal!”

“But you’re our pet, and plenty of owners tag their pets. We wouldn’t want to lose you now would we. You’re too precious and valuable.” Sangyeon chuckled and pet your head. “Thankfully you’re not on the news or social media, so this wasn’t as big of a mess as it could have been. You should get some sleep though, you still need to recover from the blood loss.”

    You didn’t have much of a choice as Sangyeon tucked you into bed, giving you a kiss on your head before leaving you to rest. You laid in bed and stared up at the ceiling, wondering what had happened to the world, and what had happened to you. Even if you didn’t want to sleep you couldn’t deny the fact you were still tired. You weren’t going to go anywhere, so you might as well use this chance to sleep and gather your strength.

❤

    When you woke up later you were feeling better, so you got out of bed. You looked around the room, opening the closet to find it filled with all kinds of luxury clothes and accessories. It was all your size too which made it more creepy. You quickly shut the door, not wanting to see any of that. You also didn’t want to stay in this room, so you carefully peeked out into the hall, seeing that it was empty. You made your way out, wandering around. The place was pretty huge, although you stopped to stare at a picture on the wall. The picture was of you and the boys, and you had a big smile on your face.

“What are you doing out of bed?”

    You jumped as Hyunjae startled you, having found some way to sneak up on you. Then again as a vampire it was probably easy for him to move around undetected, not to mention you were distracted.

“I’m fine.”

“You sure?”

“I’ve slept enough.”

“Then how about some snacks. There’s-”

“Who is she?”

“What?”

“Her.” You pointed at yourself in the picture. “Who is she? Where is she!?”

“Hm… well I guess you can say she’s sleeping…”

“Wake her up!”

“I can’t.”

“What is wrong with you? All of you? Did she agree to this, to be-”

“Yes.”

“What?”

“You, or I guess her, she did agree to this.” 

“…”

“What? You think we just rearranged your memories cause we can? No, this was a group decision. Even though this wasn’t supposed to happen.”

“Obviously. I still can’t believe I agreed to something like this.”

“Then how about a snack to take your mind off it.”

    Before you could object Hyunjae took your hand and dragged you over to the kitchen. It was just as big as you would expect in this place. You felt like you had snuck into a restaurant kitchen. As you looked around Hyunjae rummaged through the cabinets until he found some snacks, handing them over to you, which was surprising.

“What? The snacks were for you, not me.”

“Oh… I… I thought… you were gonna… you know…”

“We can’t all feed off you, but we can draw blood.”

“That doesn’t make sense… you drew blood from me practically every night… that’s not possible.”

“It’s cause of that pill you took.”

“What?”

“It makes you sleepy but also helps replenish your blood faster. Perfectly harmless and very effective. We can draw blood more than once every two months, and no we didn’t do it every night either.”

    Hyunjae went over to the fridge and grabbed a blood, opening it up and then hopping onto the counter top. He took a big sip and let out a content sigh.

“Your blood is so sweet.”

“Is that why you chose me?”

“No. It’s just a bonus.”

“Then… why…”

“You were very cute. We went to a care house because we wanted someone here with us since it didn’t have to be just us anymore.” Hyunjae took another sip from the blood bag. “It wasn’t easy though. The amount of paperwork we had to do just to get into the building and see you all.”

“What papers?”

“The basics, like proof that we could care for a human. That we’d be able to provide a good and healthy diet, as well as clothed them, and that we had a good environment for them to live in. Along with other things depending on the human. We had specialists all over the house inspecting it to make sure we were responsible and not lying on the papers.”

“I didn’t know you had to go through all that just to have a pet human…”

“Not everyone can just have one. It’s a big responsibility, and not all vampires have good self control. It is just our nature, and all the more reason to keep your kind safe.” Hyunjae smiled at you. “With all that done we finally got a chance to look around. That’s when we found you, all quiet and alone, sitting in the corner reading a book. When we approached you seemed so uninterested in us. You weren’t scared or anything like that. You seemed to be quite happy since you had all this time for yourself to do as you pleased. We offered you a comfy home so you could have all that and more. So you asked your cute little questions. If you could read all the books you wanted, or paint out in a garden, or watch TV all day or spend a whole day sleeping. Of course the answer to all that was yes, and you know what you said?”

“What?”

“I’ll think about it. We were all so surprised, but it made us all the more interested in you. So one of us went by to see you every day until you finally decided to come home with us. Gosh, the look on your face when you say this place, you were so in love. You had so much space, and such luxurious things. If you weren’t busy with something we would always find you wandering around the halls. Tell me, does any of that sound like you?”

“… maybe… but what about the show?”

“Ah, that. Sunwoo wanted to do something in film, and you suggested a comedy.”

“Wait, it was my idea?”

“More or less. You figured it would be fun if the theme was like a human living with a bunch of vampires and the shenanigans that would come from it.”

“No way…”

“Yeah, and it’s a big hit. Happy Vampire Village. We all did it more for fun but it was a big hit. Everyone adores you.”

“So… I’m famous?”

“Yup. And since you’re around right now, Sangyeon was thinking of taking you to this gala thing that’s coming up.”

“No thanks…”

“Well it’s not entirely up to you.”

“Yo.” Kevin poked his head into the kitchen. “What are you two doing?”

“Just snacking.” Hyunjae answered. “What’s up?”

“Nothing, just wondering if you wanted to hang out. I was gonna get some snacks and watch TV, you in?”

“Absolutely.”

    Kevin and Hyunjae grabbed some more snacks and then took you into this home theater room. They were channel surfing and you were vaguely paying attention until you saw yourself on screen. You asked to go back, watching yourself for a moment, remembering everything you saw since this was your life. You couldn’t do it for long though, excusing yourself cause you wanted to be alone. You wandered the halls, figuring you’d find your way back to your room eventually. Although you noticed a door open and heard some clicking noises.

    You slowly approached and poked your head into the room. There was low light and you saw Chanhee sitting in front of a monitor. As you looked closer you realized you were on the screen again, and apparently he was editing footage. You caught glimpses of this behind the scenes stuff. To a degree it was interesting, but horrifying as well. Every moment you had spent in the village was recorded. You had no privacy at all. That realization brought tears to your eyes and you ran off to hide, just wanting to be away from any lights or prying eyes.

“I’m sorry we can’t play hide and seek.”

    You had been curled up on the floor, hugging your knees to your chest and hiding your face when you heard a voice.  You didn’t even look at them, but could feel their presence as they sat down next to you.

“Cause of the chip?”

“Your heartbeat.”

“I hate this place.” You looked up to see Jacob. “It’s like a bad dream.”

“Sorry. We should have done better to make sure this never happened in the first place.” Jacob softly pet your head. “I promise it won’t happen again.”

“Well, I don’t want to do it.”

“Y/n-”

“How long is that show supposed to go for anyway?”

“Well, going along with your memory, I think there’s only like a month or two left. This was always a side project anyway.”

“And when it’s over? Then what?”

“We have to finish up the show first. We’ll end up erasing your memories to do that.” 

“So all this explaining is kind of pointless.” 

“Yeah, but it’s important that you feel at ease.”

“I feel like I’m gonna die.”

“I’m sorry… we didn’t mean to make things scary.”

    Jacob sat with you for a while before convincing you to go back to your room. It was probably better to be there anyway. Soon enough you were alone again just laying in bed and staring at the ceiling. You thought back on what you had been told, trying to make sense of it. Truth was that the world was so scary to you because it was foreign. Nothing really seemed to be bad. Nobody tried to hurt you, or was mean to you while you were on the streets. Then again you weren’t out there for long. Even now you were living quite comfortably, so you couldn’t know for sure what the world was like.

    You wanted to know, to see for yourself, but it was kinda pointless. Apparently you were happy here, but you just don’t remember. You were nervous and scared now, but deep down you had this sense of ease, making you wonder if you should trust the boys. While lost in thought Haknyeon suddenly came into your room. He let you know that you would be attending a gala tomorrow so they needed to figure out your outfit. You didn’t have a say in the matter as he pulled you out of bed and had you stand in front of the mirror. He went through your closet picking out some dresses and seeing what looks best.

“Do I have to go?”

“Yes. Everyone wants to see you, and you don’t have to worry about anything. Just smile and be positive. You can’t talk about the show anyway since we’re not done filming.”

“So I’m just arm candy?”

“Not exactly, but I’m sure you’ll have fun.”

“Doubtful, but I don’t have a choice in the matter.”

    The next day you were up early as you had a lot to prepare for. You were given a bath first thing. It was a deep clean and very relaxing, you honestly didn’t want to get out of the tub. Breakfast was a delight, and very filling, kind of reminding you of the good times back at the village. Although there wasn’t much time for reminiscing as you had to get your hair done, and get dressed, along with makeup and accessories. You never really had a moment to catch your breath until later in the evening. 

    The boys were all dressed in suits, looking very handsome. You thought you’d ride in one of their cars, but should have realized you’d be taking a limo. Even though you didn’t want to go, you were nervous about this whole event. You weren’t a random guest, but someone many were looking forward to seeing. As you arrived at the venue it became more apparent. All the boys reassured you that you looked amazing, and to not be nervous. Just smile and be polite, and no spoilers. The boys stepped out of the limo first, and you were the last, taking Sangyeon’s hand and being met by the flashing lights of the cameras.

    It caught you off guard at first but once you adjusted you could see more of your surroundings. As far as you could tell the venue was this museum, and the red carpet led you up the stairs towards the entrance. Many were calling your name and asking you to look towards them with a smile. You weren’t sure if you were smiling, but Sangyeon wasn’t really letting you stop to pose for a photo. You did manage to wave though, and that seemed to be good enough. Although once you entered the museum the atmosphere changed.

    The other attendees were happy to see you and said hello, but they mostly seemed interested in the boys. It made sense, they were of the same species and in here you really were more of a pet than some celebrity. You shook some hands and kept a smile, also being reminded not to give spoilers. Still, after the initial greetings the boys just kept you close while they mingled with others. Some calm music filled the air, along with business chatter. You didn’t care for any of it, but you were kind of hungry. As you reached for something on the table Changmin was quick to stop you.

“That’s not for you, sweetie.”

“Huh?”

“Vampire food isn’t good for you. I should probably take you over with the others.” Changmin took your hand in his. “Come now.”

    You were confused, but you followed behind Changmin. He took you to another part of the museum. You came across some security guards, which was strange to you, and then you found yourself in this smaller area. It seemed just like the main area, but with fewer people. Before you could ask what this was you got your answer.

“These are the other humans in attendance tonight. So mingle and have fun.”

    So this was basically the pet daycare. It annoyed you, but you wanted food more than anything so you went to get some. You feared maybe you’d get some attention here, but besides the occasional glance in your direction, no one paid you much attention. You were thankful for that, these types of things weren’t your scene. So you just sat quietly at an empty table and kept to yourself. You wished you had something to distract yourself with besides food, but soon enough you had company. Another woman came over to your side and sat next to you.

“You’re pretty quiet for a celebrity.”

“I don’t really feel like one…”

“Your fame is rather complicated.”

“Tell me about it.”

“It is weird though, isn’t it, for us all to be here. All the humans gathered in one place while the vampires have their party too.”

“Well, we are their pets after all.”

“And that’s not right. Just because those creatures think they’re better than us, doesn’t mean they are.”

“I mean… they’re pretty powerful.”

“But not immortal. They can still die.”

“Huh… you’re pretty hostile for a pet…”

“Wanna know a secret.” She leaned in close. “I’m not a pet.”

“If… if you’re not a pet… then how… what-”

“You think humans have just given up? There is still a resistance out there. We shouldn’t be living like this. We were once top of the food chain, and now this? We could have been equals with vampires but they chose to take over. They’re cruel creatures who claim to care for humans but I don’t buy it.” She leaned close and tapped your neck. “You know that’s not just some tracking chip in you.”

“What?”

    As you processed her words she took your hand and led you out of the room into the hall. It was just the two of you. Before you could ask she told you not to worry about security. They don’t see you as a problem or a threat so they won’t care about you two being out here. She stopped over by some statue, getting something from a hidden compartment. You didn’t recognize the device in her hand but you took a step back.

“What… what is that…”

“It won’t hurt much.”

    You don’t know what she did but you suddenly felt a pinch on your neck, reaching over to the area of pain.

“What did you do!?”

“I disabled your chip. Besides tracking you like some dog, it also functioned as an inhibitor. Makes it very hard to have any negative emotions or complex thinking with that thing. It keeps you docile and happy, like some kind of lobotomy.”

“No… no the wouldn’t…”

“You should come with me.”

“What… why?”

“I’m not some pet, I snuck into this event to find you, to help you.”

“… wa… what does that mean?”

“The vamps always parade you around, and with all your popularity you’re basically the face of human subjugation. You’re not some show dog.” Hearing all that started to make you feel guilty. “You can get away from this all and be free.”

“I… I don’t know… they’ve messed with my memories and I’m not sure about all this…”

“Really? That’s all the more reason to get away.”

“But I agreed to it…”

“Sure you did. Not like they have the power to compel you.”

“I don’t know…”

“Come with me. You can’t really make decisions for yourself with those creatures around you.”

    You were honestly considering her proposition. When you first discovered you were living in a false reality you wanted to run away. They caught you and took you back to a world you were unfamiliar with and this was your chance to get back out there and see the truth for yourself. You weren’t sure what the right thing to do was, and as you thought it over you heard your name being called.

“Y/n!”

    You jumped at the sound of your own name, and before you knew it the girl you were with was tackled to the ground. The security guard was pinning her down when you were suddenly flipped around.

“Are you okay?”

“I… how did you find me…”

“What?” Sunwoo questioned. “After your little stunt did you think we wouldn’t be keeping a close eye on your chip?”

“I-”

    Before you could say anything you heard a yell and looked back to find a surprising scene. The women had broken away from the guard, a silver blade in each hand. Once she was on her feet she didn’t hesitate to throw a blade in your direction. You screamed but Sunwoo pulled you into his embrace and turned you around to protect you. He held you tightly and after a moment pulled back.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah… yeah…”

“Go after her!” Sunwoo yelled. “Now.”

“Sir-”

“I’ll be fine!”

    The security guard chased after the woman, but you were wondering what the other meant. That’s when you noticed a blade sticking out of Sunwoo’s back. You screamed and started to worry, but he told you to calm down.

“You’re hurt…”

“It’s okay, it’s nothing serious.”

“I’m sorry.”

“This isn’t your fault.”

“Still…”

“Come on, let’s get back to the others.”

    Even though he said he was alright you could tell he wasn’t. He was hunching over and leaning against you.

“Sunwoo…”

“I’m fine.”

“You don’t look it… you need blood… don’t you?”

“Y/n…”

    You didn’t really listen to him, helping him down onto his knees. You apologized before grabbing the blade and pulling it out. Sunwoo yelled and threw a glare at you, eyes glowing red. He grabbed your arm holding the blame.

“Don’t… I’ll be fine…”

“I don’t trust that…”

    You pulled away from Sunwoo’s grasp. You wiped the blood of the blade and took a moment to prepare yourself before slicing open your palm. You winced from the pain, but held out your hand for him. He didn’t want it, but you knew he would need it, so you pressed your bloody palm against his wrist. Once he tasted blood he couldn’t help himself. He drank, grabbing a hold of your arm and holding you close. When he pulled back to catch his breath you could already see he was better. Although before you could say anything he lunged at you and pinned you to the ground.

“Sunwoo-”

    He sunk his fangs into your neck, making you yell before this feeling of ecstasy began to take over. You wrapped your arms around Sunwoo, your vision beginning to fade as your head swam. You tried to speak but you didn’t have the strength to form words and slowly, your world became black.

❤

“What the hell were you thinking!”

    You began to regain consciousness as sounds of yelling filled your ears. You looked around, vaguely able to make out the limo you were in, and felt the rumbling of movement.

“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to be she-”

“That’s not an excuse!”

“… sorry…” You mumbled. “… my fault…”

“Y/n, you’re awake.”

    You had been sitting on the floor, in between Sangyeon’s legs and resting your head on his thigh. Once he realized you were awake he gently caressed your cheek.

“Are you alright?”

“Hm… I was… just trying… to help…”

“Your actions were crazy. You should never do something like that.”

“Sorry…”

“Just take it easy, you’re okay.”

“… what… the other…”

“She got away, but she’s not your concern.”

“Okay…”

“You just rest and focus on getting better.”

    The next couple of days you did spend in bed. Since you hadn’t taken the pill, and Sunwoo went a bit overboard, your body had to go about recovery the natural way. You ate in your room, getting help until you could feed yourself. Once you could get out of bed you were able to walk around the house, with some help of course. You were told that the events at the gala were kept under wraps, so there was nothing to worry about in regards to that.

“I want to go to a care house.”

“What?”

“I want to see what it looks like.”

“You’re not in a condition to be going out.”

“But I need to know.”

“Hm…” Sangyeon pondered it over. “Fine.”

    You still had to wait until you were capable of walking on your own before Sangyeon would keep his word. You weren’t sure what to expect, so it was all quite a surprise. The facility was huge, and you basically went on a tour. You saw how everyone had their own room, and a few items as well. They were given so many activities to fill their time with, both indoor and outdoor. This whole place seemed like a community home.

“Vampires mostly leave the humans to themselves. We only draw blood from them once a week.”

    Everything seemed to be well, and everyone seemed happy. You didn’t see an issue here but then you remembered the chip in your neck. You reached up to touch the area, feeling a bit uneasy. They were stronger than you but from what you had seen so far they didn’t mean any harm. Humans seemed to be okay, and you saw no reason to mess with it. On the ride home you stared out the window, thinking about the world you had been discovering.

“Are you okay?” Chanhee asked.

“Yeah… it just feels like I’m so new to the world…”

“It’s cute. You’re just like when we first brought you home.”

“But I don’t get to continue like this…”

“It is upsetting, but you’re practically at the point where you originally wanted to do the show.”

“Yeah.”

    You recovered for a few more days, and once you were better you were taken back to the village. It was weird going back to that lot, no longer afraid but having a new perspective. You followed the boys into the building you had run out of once upon a time. Except this time you were going in through the front entrance. You were only in the dark for a bit before you came upon a familiar scene. The village was the same as you remembered it, but you could see it in a new light now. Suddenly all the cameras and stage lights were visible, and you could see this place for what it really was. Makebelieve. 

“How did I not see all this…”

“Cause we made it so you wouldn’t.” Juyeon explained. “Since that’s the point of all this.”

“Right.”

“Are you ready to go back?” Younghoon asked. 

“Yeah. I should see this to end. Besides, you have all put so much work into this.”

“You have as well.”

“All the more reason.”

    You walked through the village, seeing all the things that you weren’t aware of before. It was kind of funny, making you wonder how you would feel in the future looking back on all of this. When you were satisfied you went off to find Sangyeon.

“You good?”

“Yup.” You smiled. “I’m good.”

“Come on then.”

    Sangyeon held out his hand and you gladly took it. You waved goodbye to the other boys, seeing all the smiles on their faces too.

“See you tomorrow.”

[ilkkawhat]

tagged by @room-665 and @judyalvqrez, thank you both!💜💜💜💜

last song: Children of the Elder God by Old Gods of Asgard--in full. After that I was skipping through songs as I pulled into my neighborhood and driveway lol. honestly still seems like AW soundtrack music is like, the one thing I never skip since I got into it last November.

favourite color: Purple!

currently reading: House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski, have been for a while lol I gotta get back on it. My mom got a bit of a kick out of seeing me moving the book around and flipping to the back and such 😂

currently watching: Series wise, nothing really since I finished Sorjonen...I've been just kinda watching a lot of youtube videos or movies. Been thinking about getting back into Only Murders in the Building (I watched the first two seasons I think? Maybe the 3rd? See I just gotta start over lol) and then watching Poromafia for my next Ilkka series (beyond just skimming), and I'm probably gonna start Interview With a Vampire sooner or later cause it's all over my dash EDIT: FUCK i forgot I'm watching Star Trek Enterprise! very slowly, I watch it while I chill downstairs with my dog when my parents go out shopping (he's got bad separation anxiety and is not allowed to go up the stairs anymore for his safety so I just go to him)

last movie: Rewatched Hell House 2 in full, started watching Butterfly Kisses last night but couldn't stay up to finish it. Trying to get in the mood for spooky season and last year I got really into the found footage sub-genre.

sweet, spicy or savory: Savory...not good with spicy (lol says a woman who works with chipotle peppers. We mill dehydrated pods and it was so strong the other day I legit threw up on my way out) but on a mild level I'm okay with it. Do like sweet stuff but I do have limits with it.

relationship status: Single, probably always gonna be that way and that's fine lol. But if I happen to meet someone maybe I won't be as much of a coward as I have been with other potential relationships I could have had...it also sucks cause I can't say I'm surrounded with the most pleasant relationships (my parents especially)

current obsession: Primarily Alan Wake, secondary Ilkka Villi and really just the Remedy Verse as a whole--I think work's just beating me down too much to enjoy really anything right now but god do I just crave for the atmosphere and aesthetic of Alan Wake 2 right now

tea or coffee: Coffee though I'm not against tea at all and will admit I haven't drank as much coffee as I used to, I stopped during one summer cause it was too hot and I think I may have lost my idk taste? tolerance? for black coffee but I do get iced french vanilla coffee from mcdonalds like once a week lol. (really I just drink a lot of celsius for my daily caffiene fix)

the last thing i googled: Rune Factory 5 cause I saw it's on sale on the Nintendo e-shop and I'm debating getting it even though I have tons of other games I should be playing and let's be real, I'm just gonna continue playing Alan Wake 2 for the tenth time tomorrow instead of even playing the recently bought Star Wars Outlaws 😂😂 but RF5 is like, 20 bucks and that's the cheapest I've ever seen it so it can't hurt just to get it in the library and maybe start it later

breaking the tag chain but if anybody wants to do this, go for it and say I tagged you

[riderofblackdragons]

Day 4: Vivisection

Ok so first off, sorry this is late! The next few days are also probably going to be late bc of internet issues, so yay **jazz hands**

Anyways, I had to look up what vivisection even is lol, so that was also fun. It's cutting people (or animals) up specifically for experimentation btw

Anyways, I'm really glad that people seem to be enjoying so far, and I hope you enjoy this one too! It does get a bit gruesome tho, so be wary of that

There was something about it that was just a little bit pathetic. Kol watched the scalpel trace down the man’s chest, he didn’t even know his name, cutting in and letting the blood seep out. It stopped just below his breasts, letting the pain come onto him before they continued.

He wasn’t doing it alone, of course. Elijah was here, a steady presence against Kol’s back, his hand holding the scalpel with Kol’s. In another room, Enzo and Damon were dealing with some other men, members of the Augustine Society. Occasionally, scream and cries would ring out, making the man with Kol and Elijah tense up.

And, well. It wasn’t like he didn’t deserve this. He’d helped with the experiments, after all, although it had been a few years since he’d participated in anything other than the New Year’s parties. He’d held this scalpel once, or something like it, drawing it down Kol’s own chest, stopping in the same place he had now.

Elijah was holding onto it for pressure, and to make sure the knife didn’t shift around too much. He was letting his brother control where they placed it, and when they stopped, as the one who’d been the actual victim.

Eventually, the blood might stop. It could be that this man’s body would run out of blood, it all coming out from this one cut, or it could clot, and try to heal in that way. Or, it could close in the method of a different experiment he’d run on Kol in the years past - true, as a non-vampire he was impervious to the sun, but.

Well, the lighter Elijah had gotten, at Kol’s quiet request, would help him feel the same agony either way.

“Just like our siblings,” Elijah told him, holding the man down and burning his skin off. “So quick to resort to arson, little brother”

Kol didn’t reply. Most of their communication was mental, anyways, with Elijah’s gift of their mental abilities. Slipping into the surface of Kol’s mind was easy in comparison.

As this man, and his accomplices in the next room over, had found out. They’d been tormented for weeks by their own minds, long before Elijah and his companions had made it around to them. There was nightmares, which would then increase their paranoia, and then they would try to run, and find that they were trapped. And then, they would wake up, and find themselves unable to run anyways, too sleep-deprived to even find the exit to their houses.

Honestly, it was the most exercise Elijah had given his mental abilities in years, maybe even centuries! His presence enough was usually enough, even without either of his brothers around. And this was for his family, given how much Kol clung to him. As though Elijah would just vanish as soon as he let go, even though he had given his word that he would stay.

Not even their other siblings suddenly calling for help would remove Elijah from Kol’s side now, not for the world. Even if the blood kept getting on Elijah’s clothes, and Kol was still scared to drink from anything other than Elijah’s own wrist or neck. Even if he did wish for some privacy sometimes, although Elijah knew better than to ask aloud. He didn’t want Kol to freak, after all, and he knew that he would, if Elijah made any move to leave him.

The blood from this recent act of vengeance wasn’t going to get on his clothes, thankfully. Or well, they were, but that was only because Kol was wearing an ill-fitting dress shirt of Elijah’s today, and he was closest to the man they were torturing.

Knives were a favourite, although the fire from the lighter was a close second for Kol. Burning the wounds, cauterising them only to make new ones, brought screams from his former tormentors, and Kol revelled in it. Paper scrunched up into a ball, soaked in gasoline. He shoved it into the man’s mouth, letting him choke on it.

Then, Kol set it on fire.

It caught quickly, first the paper and then the man’s beard around his mouth, spreading along the hairs until his face was alight. If he could’ve screamed, Kol knew he would’ve, like how Kol had screamed when they’d set him alight via the sun. Like when they’d burned so many other vampires to dust, trying to see if they could replicate what happened with Kol.

It felt just, to watch the man burn to death, cooked alive inside his own skull. The restraints kept him there, and Elijah didn’t even try to move them away from it, understanding that Kol needed to watch. For himself, and for justice to feel as though it had been served.

“Thank you,” He would later whisper to his older brother, as they set out from the burning house.

Elijah would hum in response, but just continue walking as though Kol didn’t say anything. Like it was a given that he would go this far for him, that Kol shouldn’t even feel the need to thank him for it. And, after thinking over it for a little longer, Kol thought he liked it better that way.

[realmackross]

PARTIES: @highoctanegem, @realmackross TIMING: After midnight on April 25th SUMMARY: Jade confronts Mack after her shift at Dance Macabre. WARNINGS: head trauma tw, infidelity tw, unsanitary tw

Even at a distance, Jade could hear the slutty bass pumping inside Dance Macabre. She couldn’t recognize the track, (and Shazam didn’t have the keen ears she did) but still, Jade bopped her head from her position anyway, wishing for a second she was out having that kinda fun. It was like a fleeting thought though, cause she knew how priorities worked. How commitment worked. She knew it was more relevant than ever, after the last few Ls she took. Slaying undead always came before grinding against strangers in the club. 

Just like B.E.P said, tonight was gonna be a good night. Jade had been keeping an eye on her favorite archnemesis for about two weeks now. Learning her schedule, scouting the neighborhood. Their next (and final) meeting had to be iconic. Too much time had passed since their goo adventure (which had been wrapped up very loosely in a “To be continued” ribbon), so what better time to circle back than now? (Probably, when she wasn’t like nursing both a stab wound, and a bullet wound, but alas).

Despite the nature of this particular undead, Jade still carried her stakes (there were plenty of vampires tingling her senses in the vicinity after all). But as always, she carried the star of the night on her back. Nope, not the crossbow: A sword. It’d been Ruby’s at one point which was the only reason it had remained in such perfect conditions before it was given to her. And like, decapitation was so not her favorite way of dispatching undead, but she was excited to play with new toys. And the gun was a bust since her encounter with Monty so... Plus, she was gonna look so hot wielding it too.

And then Jade spotted her, the one and only, coming out of the personnel door. She let Mack walk, cause she wasn’t dumb (just a little impatient), she wouldn’t risk getting attacked by a horde of undead if they saw her harming one of their own. When she was isolated enough, Jade came out from where she was hiding, coming face to face with the woman who once stole her boyfriend. (She didn’t approve of going behind a woman’s back) (She was a girl’s girl after all). Her eyes twinkled in the moonlight as her gaze fixed on Mack’s. She was in such a good mood despite recent losses. “Oh wow, look what the cat dragged in…or well, out, technically. Looking good, babe,” she grinned, strutting closer. “You’re missing that goo shine though”.

—

For weeks Mackenzie had felt the odd sensation that eyes were on her. It had honestly been quite a while since she had felt like she was being watched. In Hollywood all eyes were on her 24/7. Camera lenses, fans, paparazzi, but this had felt different. This had reminded her of the one fan she had experienced that had gone too far. The one who she had come home to find lingering in her bedroom waiting for. But ever since coming to Wicked’s Rest, the eyes that followed her had slowly died out as she became just another resident of the small and extremely strange town.

But tonight, she felt it again. Felt it on her way to work and as she was leaving to go home for the night. It was someone lingering in the shadows, and while Mackenzie didn’t like the idea of being followed, at least, in the short amount of time she had been a zombie, she knew she could defend herself in more ways than one.

It wasn’t until she saw the person come out and open her mouth that the young zombie’s guard was finally let down. And with a huff of frustration, the blonde rolled her eyes, “Seriously? Are you the one that’s been following me the whole fucking time? I knew you were obsessed with me, but this is just getting ridiculous, Jade. Am I gonna have to get a restraining order for your dumbass?” Mackenzie shook her head in annoyance, “What do you want? An autograph? A picture? A lock of hair to put with your shrine? Come on, man. It’s been a long night, and I just want to go home…without you following me.”

—

Jade snorted, immediately revitalized by Mack’s reaction. It had been a while since she’d gotten the thrill of arguing with someone. What was up with that? Was that what maturing looked like? Why did it have to be so boring? “I don’t know about this whole time, that might be someone else. I’d say two weeks, maybe?“ She moved her hand back and forth, estimating. Mack’s further annoyance earned her a cackle. One Jade cut short, cause like… she didn’t want to draw too much attention after all. “Oh, babe…I’d go for someone more famous if I wanted to be a creepy stan, you’re totally safe.” Sorta. The sword she was carrying would beg to differ.

But just cause this was her favorite nemesis, and cause this deserved more flare than just getting down to it, Jade decided to answer some questions. “We have unfinished business,” she sighed, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Mack’s expression didn’t agree. “And, nope…it’s not Brody. But like, that’s still a thing that happened and makes me a little mad,” she conceded, taking two steps forward. “I’m talking about that whole…chomping on people thing.” There. Now they both knew this was justified. “I knew that first time, when I delivered your food, why even bother pretending? Then little Ariadne confirmed it, but we were pretty busy with the goo at the time, weren’t we?” She tilted her head, wondering if she should be done. If that was enough. But that hadn’t worked with Monty, so maybe she should go back to her regular style. Yapping till they had enough. “I usually like taking the ones with the…” she pointed two fingers down, signaling fangs. “But why not expand my horizons, yeah? Sorry for the exposition, it’s been like a season, I needed to recap for the audience at home,” she pointed behind her, to absolutely no one.  

And, oh… there was more in Jade’s script. “Don’t take this personally though, having a rival is like… so good for the ego. And I’m gonna miss the back and forth. Even if right now it’s a lot of forth. It’s not often I get under someone’s skin so easily,” a beat, then perfectly timed, “eh.” She flashed a smile. There was no need for this to be unpleasant. And Mack should know. “I’ll be good to you, I’m not really one for brutality. I’m here to help end this… curse you’re stuck with,” she narrowed her eyes,  “you want that, don’t you? Not having to crave human flesh. Not having to lose control and become a monster who hurts others,” her voice dropped to something more honest, her brows pinched together in concern. “I will help with that”.  

—

Mackenzie thought about the amount of time for a moment. It had been about two weeks since she had been feeling…off, “Yeah, I’d say two weeks is about right. Of course it would be you. It’s always fucking you.” She looked up to the night sky and let out a growl of frustration, “Please! For once! Can I have a break from Buffy the Fucking Vampire Slayer!?” Mack’s fists were clenched and her jaw had tightened as she looked back down with narrowed slits for eyes. If she was ever judging one to the point that she had hoped they would just disappear into a cloud of glittery smoke, it was Jade right now.

As Jade droned on and on and on, Mack found herself slowly unclenching her fists. In fact, by now she was yawning. Glancing down at her phone to see what time it was. Twiddling her thumbs. Hell, she was almost tempted to run off and grab a drink from inside Dance Macabre and come back, by the time Jade had finished talking, “Are you finished with your Holier Than Thou monologue? This isn’t a fucking movie, Jade. If you’re here to fight, which judging by that big ass sword hanging on your back, you are, then lets fucking fight. I’m probably going to kick your scrawny ass anyways.”

By now, Mack had woken up. She was popping her knuckles and cracking her neck loosening up. It had been a minute since she had actually gotten to fight somebody, and if it hadn’t been Jade she was about to face, she might have been more excited. No, the excitement would come when the bitch was laying on the ground eating her words. “And yes. To answer your question.” She already knew what Mack was anyways, “I would like to be rid of this curse of having to live off of human brains to survive, but you’re not going to be the one to rid me of it. I will help knock that ego of yours down a few pegs though.”

—

“Wow, not even one bit of regret for the people you’ve hurt? Come on… That’s pretty low, even for you. Then again, I should've expected it, after Brody,” she clicked her tongue, genuine annoyance simmering in her chest. It was always disappointing when monsters were content with their atrocities. It made it less exciting, for Jade. She felt way less accomplished taking out someone who didn’t care about what they’d done. Which, it should be the opposite, right? She should find so much joy in disposing of that type of beast. (She knew Ruby did, Jasper too). But how could she find a lost cause delightful? She always preferred helping over executing, the way she’d seen Onyx and Amber do. 

But she wasn’t gonna let Mack’s unapologetic attitude get to her head. She had this. She did. Wicked’s Rest would have one less zombie roaming the streets by the end of the night. That’s what she should be focusing on, not on whether Mack had any guilt over the whole brain eating. “Hey! That’s a step too far, like… we don’t have to lie, you know?” she rolled her eyes as Mack came for her ass. She did make one point (half a point, maybe), calling out the fact that Jade was not the most adept fighter. While Mack had done all those stunts back in Hollywood. “Besides, I’m aware it’s not a movie. Do you think they’d have two female protagonists with agency? You know Twitter and Reddit would be rioting, they’d call it woke trash,” she scoffed, looking to gain a few seconds to consider her first blow.

Mack cracked her knuckles in defiance and like, Jade had to respect that. It wasn’t a movie, no duh! but was there anything more fun than someone willing to rise the stakes and serve the plot? The script might be a little skewed in Mack’s favor, but Jade was nothing if not confident she could make this work. Even after Metzli. Even after the banshees. Even after Monty. And oh! There it was, some remorse (she should’ve skipped a few pages before bad mouthing her rival). “You should be honored, actually. Most slayers would just rip your pretty head off without giving you a chance. I’m at least giving you the time to talk. We’re totally passing the Bechdel test”. She pulled out the sword, at Mack’s request, emulating one of her greatest inspirations, CRJ. The blade shone in the moonlight. It didn’t get much use, considering zombies were relatively new in her repertoire. “Only the best for ya,” her lips curved in a challenge, beckoning Mack to draw closer.

—

She had let Brody’s name slide when she had said something before. But, now, to unknowingly claim that Mackenzie had no remorse for the people she had killed, especially Brody, had turned her annoyance into anger. She wasn’t going to play this cute little IRL simulation of a video game, Jade thought she was living in anymore. No, this was Mack’s undead life. She had to live with all the lives she had taken. Even the people she hadn’t killed, because she still survived off of their brains. The thing that made a person who they were, and everytime Mackenzie took a bite of the graymatter that kept her whole; the most important part of a human being that helped them to survive when everything else in their form was shutting down, she regretted it. Copious amounts of pepper and hot sauce could never make the remorse and guilt taste good. But this was what she was. She was far from perfect, but fuck if she was going to let another cocky hunter come into her life and try to tell her how she fucking felt.

“You don’t know a fucking thing about me or my life, Jade. I’m tired of all you motherfucking hunters coming at me and telling me that how I feel is wrong. That how I choose to live my life and how I’m trying to atone and live with myself is wrong. So you can either take your pretty sword and scurry back to your ragtag team of assholes right now. Or I’ll take your pretty sword and shove it so far up your ass that it makes a shish kabob out of your Pretty. Little. Brain.”

Mackenzie snarled as she began to inch closer ready for a fight. She had needed this ever since Jade had first shown up on her doorstep. And while she could never bring back the people she had hurt. And never apologize to Brody and tell him how much she missed him and loved him and how much guilt she felt with each step she took, she could hopefully get Jade off of her back for good; whether that meant life or death for the latter.

—

Jade took in Mack’s anger, raising her sword just a bit higher in case a raging beast lunged at her. But for now, all the bite was in the other woman’s words. And… Even when it was Mack in front of her, a woman who had stolen her boyfriend, a woman she enjoyed tormenting for the sake of it, Jade felt a soft pang in her heart. Sympathy. That’s where Mack was wrong. Jade didn’t care how every other slayer approached hunting, that was their business, she didn’t dispute other people’s codes. But she was different. Not like other hunters. She was… a good hunter (...wait!). The thought slipped out of her mind before she could cling to it, chew on it for a bit, and get something nutritious out of it, cause Mack needed to be interrupted. “You don’t have to live with yourself, is what I’m saying. Forget for a second that you can’t stand my face. If you want out of the Z-life I can give you that out. You don’t… deserve what happened to you. Or living like this. Whoever did it should’ve been taken care of, way before they got to you”.

And that was it, wasn’t it? What Regan didn’t understand, what Van couldn’t get. It was all a freaking cycle. Why did no slayer get to Mack’s maker? Who failed her? Struck young and in her prime and with so much to live for. Who neglected their oath? Was it a hunter who went soft too? Who added grey into the black-and-white world of protecting humankind? Forgiving a monster that should have never been allowed to go free? Had said monster claimed to be a good monster too, possibly? Jade couldn’t allow herself to become part of the cycle. Jade couldn’t fail Mack, or the people Mack might turn if she lost control (when. Sadly it was always when). Jade could break the cycle –this cycle– tonight. She would. The grip on her sword tightened and… wait, a shish kabob!? “Hey! That is offensive,” She narrowed her eyes, but her mouth betrayed the seriousness in her tone. Cause she totally appreciated her brain being called pretty. (Someone across the ocean would agree with that).

Alright, there was snarling now. Mack was pissed (at the wrong person, mind you), and it didn’t look like they had more pages on the script to go over. Action sequence time. She wished she had warmed up her muscles. She felt a little tight, even if her wounds were close to healing. But if she chopped Mack’s head off quickly, that wouldn’t matter. She mirrored Mack’s stance as she approached, brandishing her sword as she stared into her rival’s eyes. All she could think of before either moved, was the tragedy that was Mack’s life, all too clear in her pained eyes. Not for much longer, Jade promised, before striking.

She wasn’t sure who made the first move, things always happened fast when it came to tussling, but a beat later Jade collided with a hard body, and crap… Her original plan to go for the head went out the window. She dodged a few punches (taking on several of them as well), before finding the right angle to impale Mack with her sword. Right in the abdomen. She twisted the blade before pulling away, shoving the woman back with a kick. She would not repeat the mistakes she made with Monty.

—

Mack refused to listen to Jade’s side of the story. Even if she believed she was doing the right thing, Mack wasn’t going to be some mercy killing that the slayer could write off as a job well done. No. Despite being dead, she was still a living and thriving being with feelings and a life, and she was going to make sure the other woman knew that.

Without giving it any more thought, Mackenzie found herself charging forward towards the hunter. Fists balled, she decided to go easy at first. Punches here and there were sometimes dodged and other times not, but being in a fight with someone who had the advantage of a weapon; especially one with extra length, had always proved costly at one point or another, and unfortunately, Mackenzie met that fate early on.

Feeling the blade being impaled into her thin frame caused Mack to cry out. Though the pain wasn’t as bad as if she had been living, she could feel the pressure of the blade being lodged in her belly and then twisted for added impact. As Jade’s foot came up to meet her, the zombie felt herself stumbling backwards, but had managed to catch herself before hitting the ground.

Her eyes bore holes into the other woman as she put a hand to her stomach and pulled it away barely covered in a slow moving sludge. Now, Mack was pissed. She knew this wouldn’t be the thing to take her out, but it would enrage her, and before she would let the zombie part of her take hold, it was time for her to put her black belt in karate to use, “You’re gonna wish you had never done that.”

Poised in a fighting stance, Mackenzie lowered her head focusing her eyes on Jade, before lunging forward and knocking the sword out of the woman’s hand with a roundhouse kick, returning once more to fighting stance, before sending a blow of well placed kicks and punches in Jade’s direction as hard and fast as she could in order to keep the other woman from having an advantage on her. She knew the more energy she burned, the faster her feral zombie side was going to come out and coordination would soon be lost, but if she could just keep her mind intact long enough to take out Jade, she could deal with the zombing out stuff later.

—

She watched zombie “blood” ooze out of Mack’s abdomen, icky fluid sticking to her shirt, some of it coating Jade’s blade. It was kinda interesting, she couldn’t deny it. She rarely got up close and personal with zombies so to see their full physiology on display had Jade’s eyes going wide. For like, half a second, okay? She was supposed to be a pro. (Onyx would’ve tossed that word around ‘rookie’ if he’d seen her, right?). Speaking of being or not being qualified, her cheek throbbed where Mack had landed a few nasty punches, and she was pretty sure the warmth on her face came from her own busted lip. (That and well, the metallic taste in her mouth). But she was fine, she was cool, those were minor setbacks at most, and she could take down Mack if she wanted to. She was better off seizing the offensive than waiting for the right time to counter-attack. 

So, of course, she inched forward when Mack tumbled, lifting her weapon. Jade readied for an overhead attack, to slice with intent and speed. Hack as much as she could on the first try. She didn’t want to extend this longer than it should. (And risk getting bested in combat, again). Too bad there was no such thing as a one-person fight. Cause Mack surged forward and canceled her attack with a genius move, hitting her wrist and kicking the sword off her hand. It clattered onto the ground and Jade wasn’t quick enough to reach for it, cause again, Mack charged forward with fury. And for a moment (or two) (or three), all Jade could do was block and absorb as many hits as she could. 

But it wasn’t enough. Mack’s kicks and punches were too precise for Jade’s deficient training. If she ducked a fist, a foot hit her belly half a second later. If managed to push Mack an inch away, she returned with a vengeance. This was exactly what she’d been trying to avoid. 

A particularly strong kick knocked the air out of her lungs, followed by an arm swinging at her that made Jade lose balance. She tumbled backward to the ground, gasping for air. There was not much oxygen getting in, there was blood. Everything was blood. Her lungs burned. But two feet away: her sword. She crawled the small distance, seizing the handle before a shoe could crush her fingers. She rose from the ground and sliced forward. It didn’t matter how much of Mack she cut, as long as Jade slashed something. As long as Mack backed off enough to gather herself.

— 

Mackenzie was charging forward again hoping to get the jump on the sword that lay on the ground, but it was too late. Jade had pulled another slice through the air, this time cutting into the zombie’s neck leaving her once again pulling back on the defensive so as to not get impaled, but the tip of the sword had done enough damage leaving Mack’s neck wide open and more blood oozing out. And unfortunately for them both, it was the damage needed to send Mackenzie’s body into a panic.

Everything that had been keeping the living dead woman alive was now reverting into emergency mode, and instead of leaving her with enough sense to leave the situation, Mackenzie began stumbling forward towards Jade. Any sense of humanity that had been in the woman’s eyes before was gone, but with the lack in brain cells came an increased strength that left her with one goal in mind, food.

As she stumbled closer, Mackenzie managed to aimlessly send Jade to the ground with an increased blow to the stomach, and instinctively dropping to her knees, she crawled on top of the slayer and began pounding into her chest and face with heavy, limp fists on the brink of taking Jade’s head in her hands with one goal, and one goal only…consuming the woman’s brain.

—

Something shifted. A couple things shifted, actually. Mack’s gaze was hazy now, somehow both lost and focused on Jade. What remained of her… humanity, for lack of a better term, slipped away as she let the monster inside her take the wheel. She knew zombies got rowdy like that when they were hurt, she didn’t need the reminder. Mack’s movements were also different from the black belt martial arts fighter she’d been in the beginning. She stumbled forward, gait all wrong, all feral, looking at Jade the way Regan would look at her sometimes. (Except with none of the gayness). She was a snack, plain and simple.

But Jade wouldn’t let that happen. She wouldn’t. Becoming Mack’s meal would be so humiliating after dishing it out. The sword pointed forward as a threat didn’t dissuade Mack this time, cause there was no Mack to dissuade. It was the creature now. She aimed for the neck again, desperate to slash and tear any flesh there, until the neck couldn’t sustain her head anymore. (Her belly was sick just picturing it, she was not a butcher), but when she pounced, she was met with Mack’s response. A tackle that was a hundred percent effective, throwing her to the ground, her head bouncing as it hit the asphalt. Ouch. She saw stars, and she didn’t have to be a genius to know when something was gonna bleed. She couldn’t worry about that. Her hand was still grasping the sword, by sheer stubbornness at this point. She could stab Mack, she could if…

The zombie crawled on top of her, supernatural strength overpowering her own special hunter sauce. Fists pounded on her chest and her abdomen. Like Jade was nothing but a steak to tenderize. Or well, a peach to beat to a pulp (but peaches were a sensitive topic). And oof, she heard a crack, maybe. Jade wasn’t sure anymore. Her sword had slipped off her hand while she tried in vain to protect herself from the beating. She couldn’t breathe. She was coughing out her own blood, trying to clear her airway. She gasped, frantic, almost in vain, blocking one blow to the stomach only to get another savage fist right below her collarbone. 

Was this it? Was she letting Mack take her out? Oh, something was definitely broken, radiating pain all across her ribcage. And nope, it wasn't her heart. (That one still hurt the most, somehow). And that… Regan. Her mind inevitably shifted to the one responsible for the more agonizing pain, as she held onto Mack's wrist long enough to stop the battering. Maybe her brain was supplying comfort images before she kicked it. Kinda nice! It could only be improved if they were accompanied by a sweet saxophone in the background. She would take a highlight reel with the best of Regan if the next punch was the one to end her, thank you very much. 

She wasn’t sure how, (plot armor, maybe), but there was a split second of clarity, where Jade realized she was giving up. Which was actually? So offensive and out of character coming from her, the most determined person on the planet. Come on! She couldn’t bite the dust yet. Regan would know. She said so. Would she scream? Jade wasn’t sure how that worked. Surely there was like, a distance limit, a radio, something for that kinda stuff. A geo-block, like on Youtube. (Ireland would geo-block her death) But nope! She’d never wanna be the one to help Regan test that out. And on a real note, there was a ring on her finger that dictated she had to live for a couple more decades, actually.

Jade hooked her leg behind Mack’s upper thigh, hips bucking forward, letting muscle memory be the MVP as she flipped them over. (It would be her core strength, saving her when nothing else could). She braced all her weight onto her right palm, and for the split moment she had the zombie shook, Jade allowed herself to... well, she couldn’t breathe, but recharge, maybe. She had no punches left in her though, she was positive. Her arm was trembling, not just from holding her weight, but from the wounds she’d picked up last week. But Jade had a knife… she had a knife. She reached the back of her belt, almost dying right on the spot from the sharp pain shooting up her ribs, but her fingers worked diligently to unsheath the weapon. There was no thought behind anything. It was just life or death. It was her hand, a knife, and the promise of salvation. And at last, some survival instinct kicked in. 

She plunged the blade into Mack’s thigh, hilt deep, pouring every drop of energy left, the tendons in her arm bulging from exertion. She retrieved the weapon, going back in again, and again. The monster wailed beneath her, and Jade had to resist the violent shoving against her shoulders attempting to knock her out. And then nails trying to dig into her scalp. (Not her hair, anything but her hair). A knife and the audacity would not be enough against this Mack. She stretched (ouch) to her sword, noticing the Claddagh ring stained with her own blood. Another incentive: She had to go home to clean it. 

So Jade slashed. And she felt sick, bile (or maybe blood, it could be blood) rising up her throat with every desperate wail beneath her. How could Parker ever do this? She was not a butcher. But as long as the sharp end of her weapon met flesh, tore muscle and tendons, and severed the limb to the point where amputation might be the only answer, Jade had a chance to escape and not be chased. Regan would not scream for her tonight. 

Of course, the adrenaline of getting close to victory made her cocky. Jade thought for a second about going for the neck, finishing her job while at it. But not only was Mack clawing and scratching her shoulders, looking to hold her tight enough to chomp on her head, she was also transforming into a more unrecognizable monster. (Weren’t they both?) Nope, how about some self-preservation? She had tested Monty this week already. Jade had to pick her battles. She stabbed with the sword one final time, pinning Mack there while she crawled away from the body. Somehow, she scrambled to her feet. Barely. She felt like fainting. Blood was sticking to the back of her head, her ears ringing, vision blurry. Oh, she was not gonna be able to get too far. (And not to alarm the audience at home, but… would she even make it?). She didn’t need far. She needed away from Mack so she couldn’t hop to her. Away enough for some poor soul to become Mack’s chance at survival instead of her. That was a failure in itself, wasn’t it? Jade was putting her life above those she swore to protect. Great. She might bleed to death alone (the way she always thought she would go, anyway) and be reminded she was nothing but the sum of her mistakes? It was a little rude.

Once she reached safety she’d call Emilio. The rest of her friends would be horrified if they found her beaten to a pulp (and half of them had gone to Ireland on chill vacay, anyway). Her knees buckled and she hit the ground again. Crawling it was. Jade would do what needed to be done, getting farther and farther away from Mack, no mental power to quip a promise of revenge. And when she couldn’t see Mack anymore, when she tucked herself into an alley, back against the wall, everything went black.

[sm0lprism]

I found your BG3 fic on AO3, having no knowledge of g/t whatsoever, and found it so cute that I had to come find your tumblr to learn more! And omg the genre is adorable! I’m loving your fic: Ria herself is such a little (tiny!) badass, and the dynamics with the group are so much fun to read! Your style is really descriptive, too, and conveys a lot in the small actions of the characters.

The first chapter had me cackling at the accuracy — Ria is only alive and not-eaten because Astarion likes the sound of his own voice so much that he talked at her until Official Cat Dad Gale could notice and stop him (“What’s in your mouth? No! Spit that out! That’s people! Bad vampire!”). He literally cannot get out of his own way.

I’m so excited for the next chapter! Poor Ria, that her ally in finding Minthara is the smoothest brain in the party. And this will not be easy for Astarion to explain to the rest of the crew that *this one time* he actually wasn’t trying to eat her. So worried for our teeny friend! I guess worst case scenario… at least he’s undead? So, maybe Ria isn’t in *as much* danger, maybe? Would be kind of hilarious if Astarion knows so little about vampirism as to not even know that eating solid “food” (ie people) doesn’t agree with his undead organs.

So looking forward to Ria meeting Minthara! Ria may be small, but she’s still a tough little lass and I can see Minty respecting that.

Oh my goodness anon, you have no idea just how much this comment means to me - this has made my whole day, no, my whole week, and if I could frame a comment I would frame this one and hang it on my wall. It means even more since you had no idea what g/t was prior to reading my fic, and that is honestly so special to me that you took the time to read it (and liked it!!) and leave such a thoughtful comment. All I can say is welcome to the g/t community! It makes me so happy that you found the community through my fic and I hope you enjoy it! I have been laughing so hard at your description of Astarion finding Ria in chapter 1 and Gale being a cat-dad, like, I actually don't have the words because it's so goddamn accurate and hilarious all at the same time!! As for the latest chapter, I promise that Ria will not be taking a trip down Astarion's throat, so you needn't have to worry about that. Although if he were to swallow, it would be very bad for Ria as I believe in game Astarion can consume solid food, it just doesn't hold a lot of nutritional value for him. However, in my fic, vampires do in fact consume borrowers quite actively for their blood, so it would be a grim end for Ria if he were to actually eat her. ;w; Fortunately for her though, he has developed a small soft spot for her now so she'll be okay <3

Ria's encounter with Minthara is not going to go well. ^^; I don't want to spoil too much, but seeing as how Minthy was involved with trading borrowers for their blood in my fic, she thinks very lowly of them which you'll see in the next chapter when I get around to writing it. Anyhow, thank you so much for your comment. I actually can't stop smiling since I read it and it's probably the best feedback I've ever received for a fic, so thank you anon. <3

[lou-iz-stat]

So……. 2 MORE WEEKS!… and it still does not feel real to me that we are going to get season 2 so soon. I am sure it will destroy me and create an everlasting wound deep in my soul.

Anyway episode 6! I won’t lie this the episode that I have watched the most out of the rest. I have probably watched it over 15 times and that is not an exaggeration. It’s my fav episode because there are just so many iconic moments in this one.

Let’s not waste another moment. Get into this!

IWTV S1 E6: Like Angels Put in Hell by God

This ep starts with Louis looking real bad as he tries to recover from the drop inflicted on him by Lestat.

He definitely has PTSD from the fall 😔

At least we get the ‘cloud gift’ name drop.

We also have Dr. Fareed which is a character that is most prominent in the Prince Lestat trilogy I believe. I do not know if this is true I have not read that far yet.

We then go back to the story and Claudia is making Louis chase a goat for his recovery.

And here comes Lestat being where he is not wanted. The throwing of his coffin out the balcony is everything 🤣

When Lestat comes to give the car to Louis I must admit he looks so so good 😩 But I still don’t want Louis to let him back in! Because I know he has not changed even though he says so.

But I do believe that if Louis did tell him to leave and to never see him again Lestat would listen! But he doesn’t tell him that because he still can’t let Lestat go even after everything he has done. It’s too much!

Lestat is crazy for what he does with ‘Come to Me’ but I love when Sam sings it ❤️

And this what. I am talking about when I say that so much of this episode is so iconic! Swimming a dirty ass river to break into your exe’s place and telling Antoinette to leave HER HOUSE so that you can have violent hate sex while she is just outside listening to it all. It’s just so messy and insane! Gotta love it

Sam Reid is just so so good in the scene where they are questioning Lestat! His acting is just *chef’s kiss*

And everything he tells them of how he became a vampire is true 😭

“…I loved Lestat with a wounded one.” 😭😭😭

Yes Claudia you should baaaaaa at him!

Nooooo Claudia what he said about Magnus was true!

More Nicky name dropping this episode. And knowing the backstory with that I just wince at the whole conversation they are having. But what can I say she really is her father’s daughter

And of course he didn’t kill Antoinette being a brat so much so that he did not like being told what to do. And yes Louis he is ‘all kinds of fucked up’ and this why I love this show. Everybody is fucked up just some more than others.

Ugh the scene where Claudia tries to get Louis to leave with her breaks my heart.

Then we go back to modern day and this is where in the original interview Daniel wanted to be turned. And ohhhhh Armand is not happy that Louis offers to turn Daniel now hehe

The utter shock I had when Claudia is just sitting in the townhouse instead of on a train. 😱

But oh, oh! The train scene is everything. It is just so fucked up and scary! This show is in the horror genre after all. And that doesn’t stop this scene from being iconic.

From “Tickets, please!” To “Claudia, you left without saying goodbye…. Again” it just lives rent free in my head.

God he such an asshole to her!

And she defeats him at chess at the same time that she is plotting his murder! That’s some queen shit honestly.

When Lestat is shouting in French, if you ever look up what he is saying it is actually so unsettling

Awwww our boy (Daniel) is eeppy

I don’t care what anyone says I love the 70s flashback.

And boom! As we all know Rashid is actually someone Daniel has met before! Shocker! Yeah yeah it’s Armand we know this.

Yay! I got through another one! We only have one more rewatch then s2! I cannot believe it and again it does not feel real at all! I am sure by next week I’ll be able to write more since I won’t have as much school work left to do.

Thanks for reading

14 days!!!!! Life is worth living!

[manonamora-if]

March Check-In

Lol. We definitely were not back on track here. We tried and SUPER FAILED at going back to the schedule.

Will March be better? Let's find out together...

Onto the usual index:

Recap of last month’s progress

IF Events in the Next Month

Plan for the next month

Still long post under the break. If you want a mini version, head over to itch.io!

February Progress

Welp... there wasn't much of a list in the January Check-in, since it was the retrospective, which included the yearly plan. Still, I did make a mini one on itch. Put together we'd get:

Play more IF and maybe review. ✅

Finish the coding of Harcourt Ch5 ❌ and editing of Ch6 ❌

Fix one of the semi-completed games: ❌

Complete the Vamp/Smoochie jam entry✅

Heyyyy 50/50. Passable grade!

I've passed the very funny number of 420 reviews on the IFDB recently, mainly working my way through the French games (since there are very few reviews and French IF peeps are neat people). There are 300+ games left on that side, it will take me a while to get there but I'm making progress (almost done with 2023!). If my pace continues... I might be able to reach 2nd place in the ranking before my 1 year anniversary of reviewing games (mid-may). Also somewhat related, I've been trying to rate more games on itch too :)

I said I would finish the coding of Harcourt... and then didn't. But MelS was more productive than me, and he finished the first draft of Chapter 6 earlier than planned... which I haven't finished commenting on either... So :/

I also didn't fix any semi-completed games. So there.

But I managed to make it for the Queer Vampire Jam and the Smoochie Jam with Teatime with a Vampire ! A 20k-long trippy game with a hot vampire and a weird show...

AND AND I finally fixed my website and my itch.io profile. It has a cool feature on the front page. And we did a little AMA a few weeks ago!

Honestly, I thought I would have been done with Teatime two weeks before it actually was completed. So that threw a wrench in the rest. And probably having to moderate a few events at once...

And the extra day clearly didn't help.

EDIT: I TOTES FORGOT, but I updated DOL-OS for an extra QOL screen at the start.

What’s happening in March?

There's always something happening in the IF world. I don't think I ever find all that happens anyway... but. Here's the ones I know!

Today is the last day to submit a Spring Thing intent! (ranked)

he Queer Vampire Game Jam ends in about three weeks. Got a vampire/human story with a LGBT+ cast? Then this is the event for you! (unranked) Also they are doing a fundraising/matching donation with submissions!

The SeedComp! (Sprouting) extended the deadline for a few more days! See @seedcomp-if for more info ;) (ranked)

Concours de Fiction Interactive Francophone 2024 se termine Lundi! Viendez faire des histoires en français!! <3 (ranked, duh)

The next @neointeractives mini-jam will all be about bringing back old jams... Check out the Revival Jam !

The Text Adventure Literacy Jam 2024 just started! It will be looking for "parser for beginners" entries until May!

Note: @neointeractives will have jams all year long. One a month/or so. And the next Planting Round of @seedcomp-if will start as soon as the results are dropped.

The PLANtm for March

Busy plan once again. Here are the thing I'm hoping to do or finish this month:

Complete my French Comp entry. The deadline is in 3 days. Will I make it? Probably. Will it be good? Probably be not because I've been writing it only in the past two weeks. You can expect some "love" letters though...

Complete my SpringThing entry. It will be all about fixing typos and potential bug. The code will be ready next week anyway. Maybe slap some cool-er animations.

Play more games! Consider this done. There's the Smoochie Jam, the SeedComp! and the FrenchComp right there...

Finish the Code Ch5 of Harcourt and edit Ch6. At least one round of edits would be good. So I can put MelS to work again.

Finish fixing The Roads Not Taken. I'm so sorry babe. I'm not avoiding you I swear. I actually haven't bee on the computer with your files this month...

LET'S DO THIS! WE CAN DO IT!

~

The 2024 To-Do List:

I have done nothing here. So here's the list again for nothing.

The hopefully maybe easy to handle To-Do:

fix the bugs in EDOC + overall the French version to match

fix the bugs of TRNT + find a way to add the missing pieces (giving up on the translation)

fixing the interface of LPM and the popups + check animal interactions

figure out the One-Button JavaScrip/jQuery issue...

edit the loading screens of the completed tiny games to include the program/format logo at least.

The 'Need a Bunch of Content to update but it's planned!' To-Do:

Update my website (bunch new title - also I don't think the logo clicky thing work...) + redo my itch page

Finish TTATEH (MelS dependent - this year should be it - for real)

Finish Exquisite Cadaver (half-way mark by this summer - manif)

Finish P-Rix - Space Trucker (main path at least)

Update CRWL (it's been almost two years... I'm getting ashamed)

The Unlikely But it Would be Dope To-Do

Finish The Dinner as it was planned (and translate)

Finish In the Blink of an Eye as it was planned (and retranslate)

Finish The Rye in the Dark City

Fixing TTTT (at least fixing, maybe try adding some storylets)

And finally The 'It's impossible, but one can wish' TO-DO:

Remaster SPS IH (if I managed to start this after completing the rest... I'm going to eat a whole sheet cake).

Start the IFComp project (2025? Might end up being a ST?)

[coolbeanzeaglbones]

Fanfic chapter time! It's the one with Eagleclaw

Okay, so they started to notice the dissociation. It was really weird to see someone acting like that. Especially your friend.

One day, as they were getting ready for bed, Ricky noticed Eaglebones was on the floor right next to the bed, “What are you doing down there, buddy?” He asked, crouching down so he could look him in the eye, “Oh, cuz queen Elizabeth the first is coming to stay the night and,” he looked around, “listen, the man in the bass amp told me this and I wasn't supposed to tell, but she's a vampire and we gotta kill her.” he had a wooden stake.

Ricky laughed nervously, “H-hey, why don't I take the stake and stab her, because I can just hang down from my bunk.” He has his hand out, thinking about forcefully taking it from him, “That is a great idea!” He handed the stake to him and laid down on the floor, “Ya want a blanket?”

“Yes please.” Ricky actually went and got him one, which Eaglebones was immensely grateful for, “Thanks Mr…um,” he thought, “Mr. Samantha?” Ricky smiled awkwardly, “Close enough.” He got into his bunk.

Ricky was thinking that he wasn't getting his friend back, but he did have faith in the professor. He always knew what to do.

With that somewhat comfortable thought in his head, he drifted off to sleep.

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“Okay, just a small pinch.” The professor has Eaglebones on the examination counter. The antidote was finally ready, he just needed to inject, “Go ahead.” The professor injected his arm, “Okay, now we wait, your memory should stop deteriorating and your mind should get back on the right track in about three days.” Eaglebones nodded.

He seriously didn't like the way they were looking at him. He barely even knew who these people were, yet they were looking at him like they were supposed to be family and it honestly freaked him out.

All he really knew was his name and probably that other guy's name. It was, like, Ritchie or something like that. Probably that's what it was.

Also, his head really hurt. Like a lot. Like way too much for it to be a migraine. But he wasn't going to complain in front of people he barely knew/remembered.

From what he really remembered, these people were nice…probably. Yeah, no totally. If they weren't, he'd probably already been murdered…right?

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The professor really hated this. But, he was trying to be optimistic. He had decided not to tell them that they needed to have a stable environment. That it needed to stay more or less the same. He didn't want to worry them any more than they were.

And surely it wouldn't be that hard to find a trigger for his memory, right? They've known each other for a really long time. They should know.

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It had been a week since they had injected him with the antidote and, while the dissociation and memory loss had slowed, he was having trouble remembering their adventures.

So, as good friends would do, they spent a lot of time looking at photos, reminiscing about their past.

He actually was starting to remember things. He already knew all of their names and knew that they were friends, but he couldn't really remember why though.

So, one of the days, Ricky had an idea that was so obvious it was facepalm worthy that they didn't think of it before, “The guitar.” The commander facepalmed, “Someone grab his guitar from the car, please.” Ricky was about to grab the door handle, when the doorbell rang.

He still didn't like answering the door without knowing who it was, so he looked through the peephole.

His hand immediately left the handle when he saw it was Eaglebones’ mother and, standing right next to her, a faux worried expression written on his face, was Eagleclaw.