#i definitely get it but still i do wish we were given just a wee bit more information about him

[hecksupremechips]

I love me some homoerotic torture 🥰

[itsascreambaby96]

Summer Camp

Warnings: SMUT! 18+ mdni!!! Mentions of blood, death and stabbing, double penetration. Name calling. A little bit of somnophilia. Oral (m on f) . Pet names. Choking. Slapping. If I missed anything please let me know.

Pairings: Stu Macher x fem!reader x Billy Loomis

Word count: 5k

A/N: This technically wasn't a request. It can be read as a second part of this fic. But mainly it is its own fic no need to read the other one to understand this one. I also have no idea if the camp really exists, I made the name up. Please enjoy and leave feedback.

"You've never been to summer camp when you were a wee kid?!"

Stu couldn't believe it, neither could Billy but he didn't make a big deal out of it, other than Stu. 

You just shrugged. "I didn't. Why is that such a problem?"

"It's not." Billy said, giving Stu a look. 

"Well it kinda is! I mean every child went to summer camp so their parents could have some time off of them right?"

That did leave a little peng in your heart. Poor Stu, he always had a rather complicated relationship with his parents. 

"You really should see a therapist because of that." Billy spoke again. Stu gave him a look.

"Yeah well if I should then you should too, because of your unresolved mommy problems!" Stu was not amused and now he was dragging Billy down too. 

You had to do something quick, or your boys would definitely kill each other. 

"So what did I miss while not going to a summer camp?" That got Stu's attention back to you. He went into great detail on all the things he had to do, shooting arrows, canoeing, even making friendship bracelets, the horror stories they told in their little cabin. How he was the master of horror stories, which earned him a snort from Billy.

"You went there together?"

"Jup, I always snuck into Billy's cabin cause it was more fun there." Stu gave you a wink. "Especially when we were older."

"And I clearly remember I got the badge for best Horror Story teller." Billy grinned.

"Pf in your dreams!"

"No no I clearly remember! How you almost pooped your pants when I told the story of the guy who slaughtered every kid in summer camp." 

"First, that was just your wishful thinking. Second, it is the plot of Friday the 13th." 

"So? Not my fault those kids didn't watch the movie."

"Yeah cause we were kids!"

"I watched it."

"Because you are not normal."

You laughed softly at their banter. You were so used to it by now. 

"What else did you guys do?" And so they went on with their stories. 

You thought with that the topic would end. And you were right. But a few weeks before you guys left for college, your boys came up with a camping trip. You weren't a big fan of camping but they were persistent. You couldn't really say no to their ideas. So you agreed. Maybe it could be fun. If only you knew how much fun it would be. 

You drove 3 hours to a big forest. Billy assigned you to make a mixtape for the journey and also let you drive shotgun. 

Stu was pouty for an hour, before his good mood returned. You might have given him one too many sweets. When you arrived you parked the car at the destined spot and got out. Both Billy and Stu had packed a big backpack making sure you didn't have to carry too much. Aren't they the sweetest? Then you three were off into the woods. It was very hot and you were glad for the shorts you were wearing, though you were sure your legs would be littered with insect bites. Oh well, the fun of going camping. What you failed to notice was that neither Stu nor Billy had packed a tent. They had a much different plan. It also seemed like they knew exactly where they were going, well at least Billy because Stu was next to you talking. It wasn't as bad as you expected it to go actually. 

After 3 hours though you were getting slower, your energy was dwindling. 

"Are we almost there?" You were whining at this point.

"Yeah, there should only be another hour." Billy was still as motivated as when you started. How, you didn't know. 

You were groaning at his reply, displeasure setting in. For the next hour you were grumbling about how "this better be worth it" and how "you were going to plan the next vacation". The whole time Stu only chuckled next to you at your attitude. 

"Don't worry it will all be worth it."

"You better be right."

After another half hour, thanks to you demanding a break, you saw a big clearing, cabins littered everywhere, and a big sign welcoming you to "Camp Silver Lake." The whole place seemed to be abandoned though.

"You are kidding." You looked at Billy who, like Stu, was grinning. 

"Nope. We thought it would be fun to show you what you missed." Stu was so excited about the whole thing. It makes you question how he didn't spoil the surprise at all beforehand. 

"So is this the one where you two went?" You were not going to ruin the fun. You actually believed this could be a great few days. 

"Pf no. We were at a more … luxurious camp. Though they are all the same anyway." Billy was making his way to a cabin, assuming you two would follow him.

"The place hasn't been closed for long. Only one or two years. So everything should still be in a rather good condition." Opening the door and going in you could see he was right. But you still didn't think it would be a good idea to sleep in those beds. Sure they were infested with bugs.

"We will put the mattresses down and sleep in sleeping bags on them." Billy saw your sceptical look. You gave him a grateful smile. 

"Enough talking. Last one in the lake is a stink bug!" Stu had already taken off his shirt running outside. Billy and you gave each other a look before darting out of the cabin. Laughing you took off your shirt while running, and somehow your shorts too. You almost fell over trying to undo your boots, giving a triumphant grunt as they slipped off. Billy wasn't far behind and Stu was a few feet in front of you struggling with his second boot. You were squealing, running past him. 

"Who is going to be the stink bug now Macher?!" Laughing you didn't notice him being done with his shoe and running after you. He's almost got you but you somehow slipped from his grasp. He was laughing too and you two almost stumbled over each other. Billy used that to his advantage and ran past the two of you onto the dock and jumped into the lake. You and Stu weren't far behind jumping in. 

Emerging from the depths of the lake you saw that Stu was dunking Billy, laughing. 

You enjoyed the mild temperatures of the water on your skin, floating on your back a little. You didn't see Stu staring at your glistening skin that was revealed from the water. He was subtly liking his lips. You were effortlessly beautiful. Suddenly two arms wrapped around your middle, pulling you under. You were trashing and swam up again looking at a grinning Billy. You pushed at his chest, huffing but not being mad. When he only laughed you splashed water at him and into his open mouth. He was gagging and coughing. 

"Serves you right." It was your turn to grin. 

"Oh you will be sorry for that!" 

Squealing and laughing, you swam away from him as fast as possible.

"Stu save me!" You were climbing onto his back.

"Oh of course princess." He swam away with you on his back, Billy hot on his tail. 

The three of you spend the rest of the day like this, mostly in the water, laughing and just having a good time. 

As the sun was slowly beginning to vanish behind the trees, Billy and Stu took care of gathering wood for a campfire, while you arranged the sleeping arrangement. You made sure you were going to sleep in between them. After getting dressed, you grabbed the food and went outside, seeing Stu and Billy fighting each other with sticks. You watched them with an amused look. 

"You can't win, old man!" It was Billy talking to Stu, trying to hit him. 

Stu blocked the attack, grinning.

"If you strike me down I will become more powerful than you could possibly imagine!"

"You should not have come back!"

They continued fighting. After a little more of this you stepped into their view, distracting Stu. This was Billy's chance to strike and he did. Stu let out a painful hiss and went down. You knew your part and screamed a dramatic "No!"

That made Stu laugh full heartedly. Billy was chuckling. "Oscar worthy performance sweetheart." You bowed, laughing sweetly. 

"Thank you. Thank you. You can get autographs later." As Stu got up and dusted off, Billy gave you a loving kiss, making you hum.

"Now can we please eat? I am starving."

"Of course." 

They were going back to their task, you sitting down on a log watching them. The soft pushes and the banter they shared made you smile. The good mood stayed for the rest of the evening. After eating you guys talked and talked for hours. You were leaning with your back against Stu, the night colder than you thought it would be, but Stu kept you plenty warm. Especially after Billy denied you his sweater that he was wearing. Stu was more than glad to jump in and be your hero, making Billy roll his eyes playfully. Your eyes were closed and you were already half asleep. You couldn't really make out the words they were speaking, and you didn't really care. You knew you were safe with them.

"Do you wanna do it tonight?"

"No, she's exhausted, let's give her some rest. Tomorrow will be better."

You would have wondered what they were actually talking about but sleep pulled you in. 

When you woke up you were in your sleeping bag, Billy and Stu snoring away on either side of you. Giving them both a soft kiss you carefully stood up, getting ready for the day. While you prepared breakfast a sleepy Billy emerged. His hair stood in all directions and his eyes were barely open. You offered him a cup of coffee which he took gratefully. You turned back to your task, Billy sipping his coffee and watching you like a hawk. His eyes moving over your every curve. The swell of your ass, resisting the urge to slap it like he so often does, playful or not. Your thighs which he loves to grab and squeeze and have his head between. He was getting worked up watching you be a cute little housewife in the middle of the woods. Wanting nothing more to bend you over and fuck you silly. He put his cup down and snug up behind you. Wrapping an arm around your middle and pulling you in, a soft gasp leaving your lips. Billy nuzzled at your neck inhaling your smell. A low hum left him as the beguiling smell of you hit his nostrils. You closed your eyes, enjoying the soft moment between the two of you. He was softly squeezing your hip as he gently placed kisses over your neck. Your head lulled to the side as he bit your neck like he so often does. 

"Billy…" his name was nothing more than a whisper on your lips. He only grunted in acknowledgement not parting from your neck though. 

The moment was ruined when Stu emerged from the cabin with a more than shrill "Good morning!" 

With a sigh Billy dropped his head onto your shoulder, you softly patted his cheek.

"Morning Stu." He gave you a big sloppy kiss, making you laugh as he slapped Billy's bubble butt. "Oi! Watch it!" Stu just grinned at him. 

The three of you ate your breakfast, Stu filling the silence with unimportant chatter. 

The rest of the day was spent exploring. You saw many squirrels and got excited every single time. How could you not with their cute little faces and their fluffy tail. 

It was almost dark when you got back to the camp. You were exhausted and hungry. Stu took care of preparing something, meaning hot dogs. After scarfing down your meal you enjoyed a bit of quiet. Billy started to tell some horror stories, to give you more of the summer camp feeling. You appreciated it but some of the stories were really terrifying and you wondered where he got them from. The one about a haunted doll freaked you out the most. You were never a fan of dolls. Stu chimed in here and there because he could see how stiff you were and wanted to lighten your mood a little, but it didn't help much. That's why you stayed even closer to them while sleeping tonight. You didn't mind horror stories usually but something about being in the middle of the woods alone, only with your boyfriends made you more jumpy than usual. 

It was no surprise that you woke up when you heard something outside, noticing that Stu was not next to you, Billy snoring on your other side. Stu was probably using the bathroom. But then you heard something again right outside the cabin. You jumped and woke Billy, who gave a grunt. 

"Billy, wake up! I think something's outside!"

"That's probably just the wind. Go back to sleep." He kept mumbling, not even opening his eyes. 

"It is not. It sounded like footsteps and groaning."

"That's probably just Stu trying to scare you."

"What if not? What if someone has already killed him and now he is coming for us?!"

"I am never telling you horror stories again before sleeping." You could hear the annoyance in his voice.

"Can we please just go check?"

"Can we please go check? Are you serious? Have you never watched a horror movie in your life? That's basically a death wish."

"I know! But I don't want our boyfriend to die!" You stood up and looked around for some kind of weapon. You found an old crowbar in the room and looked at Billy expectantly. He let out another groan and got up. 

"If I die I will haunt your ass."

"I can live with that. Now let's go."

"Give me the crowbar first."

"No. Get your own weapon. This is mine." You held the crowbar close to your chest.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes."

Billy rolled his eyes and went outside without anything to protect himself. You were following close behind. 

The both of you looked around carefully. 

"Stu!" Calling for him as loud as you could.

"Shut up! Are you insane? This will lead the killer right to us!"

"I thought there wasn't one!" You whisper yelled.

"There probably isn't but you don't have to shout either!" Billy hissed.

The two of you kept sneaking around looking for Stu. That was until you bumped into something, assuming it was Billy you went to apologise but when you looked behind you, you saw a white mask with big black eyes and a wide open black mouth. You let out a loud scream as the person lunged at you with a knife missing you only by a few inches as you ran away.

"Billy!" You were running for your life, looking behind you to see if the killer was chasing you, but he was gone. Frantically you were looking for Billy. Turning around the corner you bumped into him, clinging to him. 

"There's a killer! There's a killer here! We need to find Stu and leave!"

Billy looked at you with big eyes and nodded, taking the crowbar, that you've completely forgotten about, from your hand. His eyes widened when he saw the masked killer show up behind you. As quickly as he could he pushed you behind him and went to hit the killer with his weapon. But the guy wasn't stupid and saw Billy's attack coming, taking a hold of the crowbar. Billy tried to get him to loosen his grip but there was no chance. The killer pulled Billy closer and stabbed him into his stomach. You led out a scream as you heard Billy groan. The killer then went on to stab Billy multiple times. Over and over again. You started to cry. Billy's legs gave out and he fell to the ground. Your hand flew to cover your mouth, tears streaming down your face.

You looked back at the killer who was looking at you, wiping his knife off of Billy's blood with one hand. Then he came stalking over to you. Your legs felt like jelly as you stumbled back, your back hitting the cabin. The killer was right in front of you, lifting his knife to strike you down too, just like he did with Billy. You closed your eyes and looked to the side. But after waiting several moments nothing happened. So you opened your eyes only for them to widen. The mask was lifted and sat atop of Stu's head. 

"Stu?" Your voice was shaking.

"Surprise princess." He was grinning.

Coming back to your senses you started pushing him. "What the fuck is wrong with you Stu?! Are you insane?! You killed Billy!" 

Just as you said that Billy jumped out from behind Stu, scaring you half to death. You didn't understand a single thing. His shirt was stained with his blood but he looked as alive as ever wearing the same grin that Stu wore.

"How are you alive?" You felt stupid asking him that.

Billy licked some 'blood' off of his fingers. 

"Corn Syrup. Same stuff they used as pig's blood in Carrie."

You were in utter disbelief.

"Are you two fucking kidding me?! I thought you were dead! I was scared for my life! I thought I was going to die!"

"Awww babes we are sorry. But a prank is always played during summer camp." Stu got a sheepish look.

"That was some fucking prank Stu!" You were getting more angry by the second. 

They gave each other a look. Pushing past the two you stormed back to your cabin. The two boys are hot on your heels. 

"Sweetheart, come on, it was just a prank." But you didn't respond to Billy, way too furious.

"Don't be mad at us. We love you."

"If you'd love me you wouldn't have done this fucked up shit." 

"Ok ok we are sorry ok?" Billy got a hold of your wrist making you stop. He turned you around putting his hands on your cheeks, making you look at him. "We really are sorry." 

"I don't know if I believe you. I was so scared. I thought I lost you." Tears were welling up in your eyes at the image of Billy laying in his own blood. Dead. Stu's head popped up over Billy's shoulder. Giving you his best puppy dog eyes. 

"Please forgive us. We swear we will never do that again."

"You better not." 

"So are we forgiven?" They looked at you hopeful. 

"Ask me again tomorrow…" With that you went into the cabin and back into your sleeping bag. You laid there for a while, eyes closed. Stu and Billy took a little while to come inside. You could hear them talking outside. You pretended to sleep when they came in, laying down beside you. They didn't know if you wanted to be close to them so they refrained from their usual cuddly positions. You didn't fall asleep until dawn, when exhaustion finally took you over. 

You don't know how long you've been sleeping for but a very pleasurable feeling between your legs was waking you from your slumber. A soft moan left your lips and you fluttered your eyes open. Between your legs you could make out a tuft of blonde curls. Stu was eating you out lazily and softly. So different from his usual pace. Your hand crept into his hair pulling softly but it only made him release your clit from between his lips.

"Good morning princess." He gave you a soft kiss. 

"Morning Stu. What are you doing?" 

"What does it look like? I am apologising." He grinned at you and went back to work, making you arch your back softly.

"If this is the apology for last night you will have to do much better."

"Oh princess, this is only the start. We plan to properly apologise, don't you worry. If you let us of course." Billy spoke up beside you. You looked at him, nodding. 

"Of course." Realising that they took off your clothes completely. Billy was playing with your boobs. 

Stu continued to play your pussy like he so often did before. Two of his fingers already buried deep inside you, fucking you open for them both. His lips were wrapped around your clit, the tip of his tongue flipping your little bud of nerves in his mouth. He loved being messy even  when things were going slower than normal. 

Billy's lips wrapped around one of your nipples, his teeth gazing softly. Your other  hand that wasn't in Stu's hair went into Billy's, pulling them both closer to you. It was so easy to forgive them like this but you wouldn't tell them that. Stu slowly added a third finger, scissoring them to fuck you more, curling them to find your gspot. He was so attune with your body, that it didn't take him long to find the spot that made your toes curl and an almost pornographic moan to leave your lips. Billy pulled at your nipple with his lips, making you clench around Stu's fingers. When you looked down you saw Stu was humping the ground while eating you out. This puts a lazy grin on your face.  

"Stu… Billy please." You wanted them both desperately.

"What do you want, pretty girl?" Billy looked at you with his intense eyes. Stu's mouth never leaving your wet cunt as he looked up at the both of you. 

"Need you. Need you both. Please." You were begging a little. But you truly needed to be filled by them. 

"Where do you need us?" Stu pulled at your clit letting it pop out of his mouth. 

"Inside me. Need you both inside of me. Please." You were looking at them pleadingly.

"Think you can handle us both?" Stu asked teasingly. You nodded quickly. Stu gave your dripping pussy another kiss before standing up and undressing. Billy doing the same. You kept staring at them both. The both of them started to make out, Billy pulling Stu closer, biting his lip harshly. They got lost in their little make out session. You cleared your throat.

"I thought this was my apology here." 

They parted and looked at you, both grinning. 

"Of course."

"Sorry sweetheart we got a little lost." Billy came over to you first, laying down beside you and pulling you on top of him, your boobs pressed against his chest. He started to kiss you passionately as he entered you. You moaned against his lips. Taking the opportunity Billy slipped his tongue into your mouth playing with your own. He started to thrust into you. Slow but hard. Deliberately. Making you feel every inch of him. Your gummy walls stretch around him. Billy continued his thrusting for a moment before he stopped.

Stu got into position behind you. Getting ready to push into your tight cunt too. Slowly and carefully he pushed in. Your eyes squeezed shut, the stretch almost unbearable. Both Billy and Stu groaned at the feeling, both being in your tight cunt while having their dicks rub together at the same time. They gave you time to adjust to being filled to the brim. You were panting. Billy gave you a soft kiss. 

"Are you ok?" 

You nodded. "Yeah I'm good."

They both started to move slowly. Working in tandem. You couldn't keep your moans in. It felt so good. How they knew how to play your body. Stu was gripping your hips so hard, definitely leaving bruises. Your eyebrows were knit together. Billy was groaning underneath you, Stu moaning behind you.

The slick sound of your juices mixing with your guys' moans. It was so lewd but it turned you on all the more. Billy kissed you again, sloppily. He kept sucking on your tongue. When he let go of your tongue you felt Stu leaning over your back, down, his head next to yours. He gave you a particular hard thrust making you scream in pleasure. Stu and Billy kissed again, just as sloppily as you two did. You were moving against Billy with every hard thrust. 

Somehow they managed to roll around, a squeal leaving your lips. Stu now under you. Your back on his chest, Billy on top of you. Billy gave your tits a hard squeez, now more in control of his thrusts. You felt like a rag doll how they handled you, and you loved every second of it. 

Billy laid a few quick slaps to your tits making you moan loudly. Your head fell onto Stu's shoulder. One of his hands wrapped around your throat. 

"You looked so cute being all scared last night. Really wanted to fuck you there." Stu's voice was deep, laced with lust. You whimpered at his words, his hand squeezing around your throat, cutting off the bloodstream, slowly becoming lightheaded. It only added to your pleasure. 

Billy's thumb gazed over the little scars you had on your hips, where you let them carve in their initials, while angling his hips a little differently. His thrusts only became harder. 

"You know we would never let anything happen to you princess." Billy's voice was equally as deep as Stu's. The same ounce of lust in them. 

"You are ours. And we protect what's ours." 

You looked at him with glossy eyes, the pleasure almost too much. They fluttered close when Stu's other hand went between your body's and he started to rub your clit deliberately. You didn't keep your eyes closed for long, because Billy took hold of your face, squeezing your cheeks together. 

"Do you understand sweetheart?"

You nodded dumbly, way too fucked out.

"Say it."

Stu's hand left your throat making you take in a deep breath, your head clearing up a little. Stu's thrusts got faster, your eyes rolling back. Billy gripped your cheeks harder, matching his thrusts into your soaking pussy.

"Say. It." His words were harsh, his thrusts emphasised his words, but you knew it was because he wanted his anwer.

"I'm yours. I'm all your Billy, Stu. Only yours." Your words were slurred. Partially from pleasure and partially from still having your cheeks pressed together.

"And?"

"You protect what's yours. You protect me." You were so close. But you knew better than to come without permission even if this was meant as your apology. 

"And we take such good care of you don't we?" 

You nodded, tears now streaming down your face all from the pleasure of their cocks inside of you and Stu's relentless pace on your clit. 

"You take such good care of me."

"Good girl. Isn't she Stu?" Billy looked a little behind you, directly at Stu who, in return, gave him a shit eating grin.

"Oh she is the best girl. Aren't you, pretty thing?" He gave your cheek, that Billy finally released from his grip, an exaggerated kiss. 

Billy's hand wrapped around your throat now making you gasp. Both their pace is becoming faster. Sloppier. Stu gave your nipples a hard pinch making you sob in pleasure. You were clenching around them so hard trying not to come without their permission. 

"Aw I think she is close Stu."

"Mh you think we should let her come?"

"I don't know. What do you think sweetheart? Do you think you should come?" Both their voices were teasing, condescending even. Billy gave your throat a squeez after you didn't answer immediately. 

"Please."

"Please what?" Billy's tone got harsher.

"Lemme come…" Your voice was hoarse from the moaning and screaming.

Billy looked at Stu again.

"You think we should let her?"

"I don't know man. Seems like she doesn't really want to." 

"Yeah I was thinking the same thing. But it is our apology after all."

"You are right. I think we should give her that."

They talked about you like you weren't even there. It should be embarrassing but it only got you more wet. 

"Go ahead doll. Come for us."

"Yeah, soak us in your juices."

It only took a few short moments of their hard, precise thrusts, Stu's thumb rubbing your clit the right way and Billy squeezing your throats not too tight, for you to finally come. It was earth shattering. Your legs started to shake uncontrollably and your eyes rolled back so far into your skull, your ears started ringing. You were clenching so hard around Billy and Stu that it didn't take them long to come right after you. Both groaning in unison, shooting their seed right into you without a care. They rode out their orgasms before Billy collapsed on top of you. You weren't completely back to your senses yet. 

You didn't really notice how they carefully slipped out of you, some of their joined load dripping out of you. Your thighs slick with your own arousal. 

Billy took a good look at your dripping pussy. 

"Damn. Still the most pretty pussy even all fucked out." 

You only came back to reality when the both of them started to clean you up, already dressed again after cleaning up themselves. 

"You back with us sweetheart?" Billy's voice had nothing of the harshness from earlier. 

"Yeah. That was mind-blowing. We should do this more often." Your voice was still hoarse but you kept smiling at them, utterly satisfied. 

"Sure thing, pretty girl."

"So does this mean we are forgiven?" Stu plopped down next to you, offering you something to drink. You thankfully took it and gulped it down.

"Mh I will consider forgiving you after some more mind-blowing orgasms."

You gave them a cheeky smile. 

They grinned at you in return. 

"That can be arranged."

They were on you again in seconds. You didn't leave the cabin the whole day. They really made you forgive them wholeheartedly. To be fair though you think there wasn't much of your brain left after they fucked you stupif all day

[bowsers-keep]

So because I haven't seen any aus that swap which Protagonist is from which chapter yet I'M DOING IT MYSELF FOLKS! There are so many combinations we can mess with for 8 characters but I'm probably going to be sticking with the one that's funniest to me.

Prehistory - Cube

Imperial China - Oboromaru

Twilight of Edo Japan - Oersted

Wild West - Masaru

Present Day - Lei

Near Future - Sundown

Distant Future - Akira

Middle Ages - Pogo

Sticking Cube into Prehistory is just objectively funny because they go from robot to caveman which is incredibly entertaining. Probably on the smarter side and helps Beru more cause they're nice rather then anything else.

Imperial China was a MIND FUCK to try and commit a swap with, so the prisoner and goemon are also taking the place of the other two disciples here and per suggestion of the discord server (not too sure about this myself but it's OUR BEST OPTION!). As for this Disciple Oboromaru himself, probably has similar origins to lei but his thing is more about learning how to loosen up since he's still a wee bit serious.

Oersted does NOT become an edgy little man in need of therapy, instead he gets his Shinobi arc. Very quiet because I like his stereotypical silent protag schtick and pretty good at his job! Still bit formal as well but a good person at the end of the day so probably pacifist or normal route.

So Masaru gets a gun now, he still punches people! He just also has a gun now! I've given this man too much power that he's been slapped with currently unidentified trauma to balance him out! Still cheerful and helpful because this is Masaru but uhhh he's certainly not at his best. Have fun with the homosexual tension buddy.

Lei/just any of the disciples being present day was probably the cleanest swap here. Lei is just my default for any and all Live a Live stuff. Not much to say about this one in general because of how easy the swap was, just yeah they're now a martial arts savant. Maybe any given one wouldn't actually kill Odie but not sure.

Now this one is the main reason this swap set exists, because it would be unfair of me to only let Sundown have the privilege of seeing what would happen if he were in the other's shoes. For the sake of this I will be using my fanon real name for this man of Austin Garrett although it is not Sundown Kid without the alias and since he's a teenage boy here he probably got the idea from Matsu with the whole Lawless thing. Just dumb stupid teen boy with powers and who may or may not have a death wish. I'm trying to keep backstory details mostly the same where I can so there's still some things I need to work out with this particular swap.

Akira is a little guy robot now, he's still a bastard, but he also dislikes OD-10 for what it's doing to the people that Kato likes (and Kato himself). So he's going to fuck that super computer up. The dynamic between tiny bot Akira and Cooperate Darthe is definitely going to be something that starts off with the two not liking eachother, turned into tentative allyship, before ending in mutal respect and trust. He would also try and take on the Behemoth head on at LEAST once.

Middle Ages Pogo, I quite like this one for the reason Pogo does last longer then Oersted in the not becoming evil field. Unlike Oersted however he's much more akin to a barbarian rather then a knight because I need to keep the unga bunga somewhere in. Very cheerful and no thoughts hear empty, and cares about people very much. Very heart on his sleeve. Eventually however, the tradegy of the middle ages sets in, and a different Odio is born.

Still figuring out the details for the Dominion of Hate in this AU but that may just be in the reblogs or a follow up post.

[survey--s]

653.

Do you know what the most common bird is in your area? Seagulls, pigeons, blackbirds, sparrows, robins.

What last made you feel ecstatic? Cancelling my weekend walk so I get a full weekend off without absolutely NOTHING planned for the first time since August lol.

What would make you feel happiest right now? If all my walks tomorrow cancelled but I still got paid, hahah.

How many teeth have you had extracted? Just my two upper wisdom teeth.

Do you ever read magazines? Not anymore, no.

What is something you’ve been reflecting on? Nothing in particular, really. I've been too busy lately to really reflect on much at all, hahah.

What’s something you like and dislike about the town you live in? I love the location - right by the sea and not far from the national park and all the amenities. I also love how friendly everyone is and how quick they are to help you out or support you if you need it. I do wish there was more to do though - it can be quite isolated in winter.

What’s a Halloween movie that you enjoy? I'm not into scary movies really but I do like The Addams Family movies with Christina Ricci, and The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Would you say you’re more confident now than you were 5 years ago? God yes, most definitely. Ian even commented on it last time I saw him at my old workplace.

Have you ever or would you try carrot bacon? I've never tried it but I would, yeah.

What’s the last thing you purchased that was frozen? Skin on fries.

Would you ever walk a runway if given the opportunity? If I was getting paid, sure.

When did you last do something that scared you? I honestly don't remember.

What is something that you’re curious about? Whether these calming meds for the dog will always be this effective. Honestly, it's been living having a different animal in the house today, he's been SO chilled out. It's amazing.

What time do you usually eat breakfast? During the week it's at about 8am, at weekends it depends on when I get up and what my plans are.

What is something you did as a child that you would never do now? Participate in team sports lol.

What’s been your favourite memory of 2022? Galloping down the beach in the sunshine on Joe.

When were you last inside a tall building? Uh, when we were in Manchester I guess. Our hotel was pretty tall.

Is it currently quiet in the room you’re in? I mean, it's not loud but the TV is on and I can hear the dryer running.

Is there someone you can honestly say you hate or have hated? No.

What’s currently on your mind? I kind of need a wee.

Would you consider yourself to be a messy person? No, I'm definitely the opposite of messy lol. I find mess/dirt really stressful, to be quite honest.

What makes you most anxious? When there's something wrong with any of the animals. We've had them all at the vets in the last few months and it's been both expensive and stressful lol.

When did it last rain where you live? It's raining now lol.

Do you prefer multi colored lights or white lights? I like warm white ones in general, but colourful ones are cute on the Christmas tree. Except we never have a Christmas tree because of the cats, ha.

What’s something you’d change about the world if given the chance? God, millions of different things. The world is a mess.

Would those closest to you say you talk too much or not much at all? It depends on the conversation, I guess. Some topics I can talk for hours, other times I just prefer to listen.

Do you consider yourself to be more basic or complex? In what ways are you like that? I honestly can't be arsed with a question like this lol.

Where is somewhere you’ve been wanting to go but haven’t had the chance? Tokyo, Skye, New Zealand.

Do you have a song you cannot listen to anymore due to a bad memory? No.

Have you ever had a candlelit dinner? Sure, quite a few times.

What was the last shot you’ve taken? Drink wise? Probably vodka. Injection wise, my last COVID booster.

Do you need to apologise for something or are you waiting on an apology? No and No.

What’s something you strongly believe in? Kindness to animals.

Do you have a dream that is close to being accomplished? Maybe I'm weird but I honestly don't have any specific treats.

Would you say you’re in a good place mentally? Yes, for sure.

What type of jokes are most funny to you? I'm a huge fan of dad humour lol.

Would you or have you ever had a pet rat or mouse? No, they don't really appeal to me. Plus we have cats.

Are you currently trying to make a decision on something? No.

When did you first start feeling more grown up? When I moved to university.

What kind of chapstick do you use? Vaseline or Burts Bees, whichever is closest.

How many pillows do you prefer to sleep with? Normally two, sometimes three, sometimes one.

What is something you’ve kept bottled up for a long time that you now have released? Hmm, nothing in particular comes to mind.

Have you ever broken a cell phone charger? Sure, loads of times. Especially those cheap fake Apple ones.

What’s a popular candy that you do not like? Wine Gums.

What scent is most prominent in your home? At the moment, the candle I have lit which is Pumpkin Pecan Waffle.

Have you been having odd dreams recently? Yeah, really vivid ones actually.

Do you frequently forget appointments? No, never.

What is currently sitting on top of your refrigerator? Two cats.

How many orange objects can you see from where you’re at? None.

Would you rather have extremely long hair or a very short hair cut? Long hair, I think.

When did you last use lotion? About two hours ago.

Do you currently have any prescription medications you need to pick up? No.

What’s your favorite kind of chips/crisps? Kettle Chips or Pringles.

How do you like your coffee or tea? If I'm at home, I just have them both with milk and sugar. I don't have tea out and about really, but coffee-wise I like Cappucinos and flavoured lattes.

[absotivelyplushilutely]

Oo oo I had some thoughts, hopefully it's okay to reblog this and add them, I just want people to see the info behind the thoughts. Now, of course, I won't be expecting anything for certain because that's just a good way to be disappointed but I do have one wish for what I'd love to see!

A rerelease as a way to celebrate their designs! Last year Build-a-Bear had their 25th anniversary and so each month they put out one rereleased bear from years past and they were then available for the rest of the year, they restocked a couple times and were only removed after the final time they went out of stock once the anniversary ended. It was really fun, however there were some differences between rerelease plushies and the originals im terms of quality.

Since Jellycat is different in terms of their vibe and how they do things what I think would work well from them instead of a timed vault release each month is a release of a fair few rerelease plushies on or around the day of the 25th anniversary. They'd just keep the design the same as the original releases using the same fabric or closest thing to it they could get now, and the rereleases would be available for the entire year, restocking when they run out (as well as getting plenty of stock in in the first place).

They could even go as far as opening preorders a few times through the year so you could guarantee you'd definitely get the rereleased designs you wanted if you had the money during one of the preorder periods since it'd allow them to know how many to have manufactured and then they could have a smaller number available as regular stock on release/restock days. Obviously there'd be a limit of about 2 of any given design per person (checking name/address/accounts) to help minimise scalping. They shouldn't then set their own prices higher for the rereleases, like just keeping them in line with current pricing would make the most sense to me.

I'm really hoping at the very least it'll be a bit better than that, although we could just get a social media post and that's it.

Some supplemental little things that could be fun along with this would be if they slightly altered the tag design on the new releases and the rereleases that year, and some special edition bags that mention the 25th anniversary that you'd receive your plushies in if you ordered at any time during that year. They could also have a free little ribbon in silver or something tied in a bow on each plush ordered, not sewn on or anything just a bow (could velcro together in the back like the Build-a-Bear gifting bows) as a cute little extra touch even just on specific the rereleases or just the orders placed during the actual month of the anniversary.

It'd also be more important than ever to try to keep items in stock that aren't part of the rereleases, especially popular designs like Bartholomew Bear, and I personally would like to see Really Big Sacha Snow Tiger in stock more often (if I can afford it I think the 25th anniversary would be the perfect year for me to get one actually).

(this is a tangent to give an example of a poorly done anniversary) Which would still be better than The Sims' 20th anniversary which was incredibly lackluster with just one item and a few songs added and a patch note mentioning "starting" the celebration with those things, leading people to think more might be coming when it wasn't, we didn't even get another patch at all for several more months (and this was Feb 2020 just before widespread lockdowns were happening, although maybe more was planned but couldn't happen because of everything that happened). The 25th is in a couple years so fingers crossed that'll be better because they've definitely been doing better in terms of free stuff in patches recently. (tangent over, thank you for your patience)

Lastly I'll add a wee list of designs I think could be candidates for rerelease (based on popularity and how obnoxious they are to find second hand at a sensible price)...

Fergus Frog (Little and Medium)

Dexter Dragon (Huge)

Smudges (Medium and Large)

Wilf Wolf/Bo Bigfoot/Yani Yeti/Gus Gryphon (adding a Large size might also be fun)

Some discontinued Bashfuls

Some discontinued Amuseables

Mellow Mallows (Small and Large)

Zeke/Luda/Gibbles Monsters

Bringing some of the previous country exclusives to the rest of the world

I can't think of many off the top of my head since I generally don't really look at things in terms of popularity and usually just look at things for what they are and hoe much I like them, but with some of the above designs it's kinda hard to miss how popular they are rn (which is of course subject to change but I've noticed that once prices and availability are affected by popularity the price and availability often don't improve). I don't think it should matter when they were discontinued for the rereleases as long as there aren't many/any left out in random retailers I think it's fair game. I also don't know a ton about specific Bashful or Amuseable designs that have come and gone over the years but included them since they're so iconic to the brand and well loved.

I had no idea their anniversary was coming up! I’ll have to keep that in mind for next year. I’m a somewhat new collector so I only have a few jellies, but I think I’m hooked. It’s all thanks to you!

Yes! Jellycat is celebrating 25 years next year and I'm hoping for some special releases/editions. I will definitely take the anniversary as an opportunity to look back on past collections and show how they have evolved as a brand over more than two decades!

Also, I'm so happy to hear you are hooked on Jellycats now and that it's apparently because of me! Thank you, it's always sweet to hear such feedback!

I would love to see your Jellycats sometime!

[house-of-no-regrets]

No Regrets [in the wee hours]

Took a bit longer than expected, but I’ve finished the next little story! Hopefully I’ll be able to keep a decent pace on these. No overarching plot, just little stories in the same universe with the same characters. Warning for ~*murder*~ in this one!

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

I've been all-too-easy to wake up since I was a child; I'd often needed to go from dead asleep to functional, if groggy, as soon as I heard my father demanding action or attention. While I no longer need that reaction time, the old man long since locked up to rot, my brain is set in its ways and very convinced that I need to be able to bolt out of bed and fight God if a dust bunny moves too quickly in my vicinity.

Which is how I found myself waking up in the middle of the night, the sudden shift in the atmosphere bringing on consciousness with all the subtlety of a foghorn.

My room was silent, still, but I knew without opening my eyes that there was a spirit somewhere, and I didn't even give them a chance to speak before I pointed at the sign posted on my wall, barely shifting from my comfortable snuggle in my blanket and not even opening my eyes. Yes, this happens more often than I care to admit. No, I do not enjoy it. At all.

"Resurrection hours are noon to eight. I'm still alive and still need sleep to function."

There was silence, but the presence didn't leave, so I groaned and raised my head, finally opening my eyes to see the translucent, vaguely glowing, and unfortunately blurry spirit at the foot of my bed.

It did finally speak in a bewildered voice.

"Um, I'm being murdered."

Ah, fuck.

I grabbed my glasses from the bedside table and put them on. The spirit at the foot of my bed was tallish -- I've always been bad at estimating height, maybe half a foot shorter than Yvette? Five-nine... ish? -- and seemed to be in his twenties. There was a considerable dark stain on his chest and belly; likely blood, and the cause of his death. The newly-dead tend to show things like that, as they haven't had the time to get used to modifying their form.

I really hate it when brand new ones find me. I'm not sure how it started, but it seems like more and more often, now, the dead are drawn to No Regrets before they even realize they're dead, at least if they're the type to need my help. Wish I wasn't the one who had to break it to him. I'm not great with people.

"Sorry, bro, but I'm afraid they succeeded. Where was it? I'll get the police over there."

"Uhh... my house. I think. It's a little..."

I sighed. Right.

"You're probably a little out of it still... fresh dead usually are. C'mon, I'll take you around until things look familiar."

Climbing out of bed, I headed over to grab my hoodie from the back of the chair. I learned the hard way that sleeping is not a tits out sort of occasion when you're liable to get the dead dropping in at all hours of the night, so I sleep in pajama pants and a tank top. Little too chilly for tank tops outside, though. I shoved my phone in my hoodie and my feet into loafers, then started heading out of my room and down the hall.

"You remember your name?" I asked, trying to make conversation and learn what I could.

"Uh, Davis. Craig? Craig Davis."

"Well, Craig Davis, I'm sorry to hear about your passing. You're gonna need to possess me for this little adventure, by the way, but I'll walk you through it once we're outside."

"I- what?"

Considering how often I find myself lost in normal conversations, dealing with confused new spirits is especially difficult. Still shaking off my body's angry demands for More Sleep was not helping matters in the slightest, either.

"Possession. I'll explain it in just a minute." I rubbed an eye and yawned as I stopped in the foyer to pull a set of keys off one of the hooks on the wall.

Usually, I've got a driver. Not for vanity reasons, but after three or four near-misses caused by Sudden Spirits appearing in the car with me, I elected to hire someone to drive me into and around town as needed. But it was Fuck-This-Shit O'Clock in the morning, and Graves deserved their rest. The dead don't need to sleep, but they can if they so choose -- and it does, after all, conserve energy. The same goes for Yvette and Ashby; it was too early in the morning for most people to be out and searching for a necromancer to kill, so I wasn't gonna disturb them. I could handle a simple spirit chauffeur and 911 call on my own.

The keys were to the motor scooter; it was the better choice in this situation, allowing for more mobility and no passenger seat for any extra ghosts to drop into. That did, though, mean that Craig would need to ride shotgun in my body.

When I got out to the green scooter in the driveway, I paused and looked over at Craig.

"Hey, I know you're probably still a little out of it, so Possession 101." Script time. At least having this stuff memorized made it easier to do while dozy. "Our bodies need to take up the same space, so c'mere." I beckoned Craig over.

"So like… step into you?" He asked. Good, seemed like his head was clearing up some.

"Yeah, that's part 1."

He nodded and complied, crossing the space between us and settling in the same location, the two of us clipped into each other like bugged NPCs. It always felt so weird, those moments before a spirit actually possesses you. A sort of wobbly, in-and-out feeling like physics is trying to crush you and the spirit together, or, failing that, just kick your ass to the ground so you're not both in the same place at the same time.

"A'ight, now turn around and face the direction I’m facing, and overlay your hands onto mine as best you can." It was just a moment for him to obey, and I continued. "I'm not resisting, so you're gonna start feeling like you're being pulled in and pushed out at the same time. Space is trying to equalize. Let yourself be pulled in. It's gonna feel a bit like-"

The whirlpool effect kicked in before I could finish, the sudden snap and release of tension as Craig's spirit sank into my body. I wobbled a bit and grabbed the handlebar in front of me, then shivered at the sudden chill and dizziness. I'm pretty good at taking on passengers like this, but that didn't make it any more pleasant.

"You in there, buddy?" I asked out loud. Especially with new spirits, trying to think at each other was more trouble than it was worth. My lips moved to answer, though it wasn't my voice coming out.

"Uh- yeah. Yeah I'm here."

I grabbed the helmet hanging on the other handlebar and snapped it on, kicking the stand up and plopping heavily onto the seat.

"Great. Let's go."

"Wait, why am I not in control?" came Craig's confused voice. He felt almost frustrated, an undercurrent of emotion that wasn't mine despite being in my mind and body.

"Because this is my body, and I let you in willingly. Easier to keep control when you're letting someone in. Plus," I gave a little snort. "You just died, dude. I've been letting spirits possess me since middle school."

I felt his frustration turn to grumpiness, and then the pressure in my head, like a storm rolling in, that I knew from experience was him trying to take control. I froze and let out an irritated huff.

"You stop that. I'm not dealing with you doing some dumb shit with my body. Either chill out or get out."

"Oh- uh. Just wanted to see if I could…"

"Uh-huh. Anyhow, now that you're together enough to try joyriding, do you remember much about where you were before you were killed?"

I started up the scooter as emotions rolled through my mind, detached and distant, almost like the muffled dissociation I was used to mid-shutdown. Possessing spirits' emotions always felt weird like that, both mine and not mine, held at arm's length. Craig's was especially turbulent for a new death, but given that he had been murdered… I didn't fault him for being a little confused and angry. Even if it did put me a little on edge. 

"Uh- South Pine Street, Dogwood Acres housing development."

"Baller. That's not far from here. Once we get close to your body, you should be able to feel where it is, so I'll have a house number for the police. Don't want to have them scream in all blue lights and loud sirens and have your killer go to ground before they know which house, y'know?"

The muffled flare of anger that I felt was definitely not my own. I took a deep breath, hoped that the killer had panicked and tried to clean up instead of get rid of the body first, and puttered off towards Dogwood.

The housing development was quiet, lines upon lines of identical suburban boxes lit by flickering street lights that cast the sidewalks and yards in harsh white light. The occasional house had the glow of yellow within, but most of them were dormant. Weaving my way through the maze of streets, each one absolutely indistinguishable from the one before and the one to come, I felt terribly exposed -- and alone despite the spirit currently hitching along in my body.

I turned onto South Pine and brought my scooter to a puttering stop, stabilizing it with both feet on the ground. I couldn't help but bounce my legs to replace the vibration of driving; the sudden lack of sensation would ratchet my anxiety up even if I wasn't currently letting a frustrated dead man hang out in my head to catch his murderer.

...I should be more than a little anxious, really, but half-asleep Tabby once again wrote a check that more-awake Tabby is having to cash, and more-awake Tabby is very used to having to deal with the consequences of her idiot decisions. It occurred to me that normal peoples' consequences didn't usually involve murder, but when you live with the dead, you're bound to meet a few killers.

Two houses down, I could feel- not a tug so much as a presence, an echo of Craig's spirit reacting to his body. It was the only one on the street with its lights on and its garage, while not lit, was open. There was a car in the garage, another in the driveway, and a pickup at the curb in front.

"258?" I asked Craig, though I knew the answer already. His anger flared and I felt the oncoming storm again. I snapped at him. "That's two strikes, Craig. I'm sorry for your death, but if you end up driving my body into a crime scene or, god forbid, getting me killed next, I will kick your ass to whatever afterlife you're headed for and stay there to keep kicking it for eternity."

Big words for a short fat lady, but this is, in fact, my body on the line right now. I probably wouldn't be able to follow through on any ass-kicking, but dammit, I would try.

Craig was silent, and I could feel him steaming, petulant like a child denied a toy but with the power of a grown man behind it. With my stomach tying itself in knots and my hands starting to tremble, I dialed 911, hoping it would help quell the rising panic.

"258 South Pine Street. I think there's been a murder. I don't know the state of the crime scene or if the perp is still there, but you might be able to catch them if you hurry. The victim is Craig Davis, white adult male, either shot or stabbed in the chest, likely multiple times-"

"Wait, is this Tabby? The necro girl?"

Oh god I hope that isn't what the operators call me regularly-- I know I'm a bit of a 911 cryptid, since the usual intruder calls are to the non-emergency line, but if I get known as the necro girl I might have to move to a different state.

"Yeah, uh, necromancer, yeah-" I couldn't help but stumble over my words, now, with my train of thought derailed by the interruption. "-uh, murder?"

"Right! I'll send someone."

I murmured a thanks and hung up before she could ask me to stay on the line. I already had to stay around for the cops so Craig could give a statement, and making small talk with the 911 operator was not in the spoons tonight.

I don't like cops much, but in my line of work, they're kind of a necessity. I need to stay on the police force's good side because I need them to remove attempted murderers from my property on the regular. ...and also because graverobbing is still technically illegal, even if I do have the body owner's permission to dig them up.

At least most of the locals who know of me and my employees are chill about it. It took a bit of effort to get to that point, but now at least people don't run screaming from the less-presentable of my employees…

The blue lights of the police showed up fairly quickly, followed almost immediately by the red flashing of EMS. I puttered up slowly and parked my scooter just out of range as the officers set to work surrounding the house, then hung my helmet on a handlebar and walked up the rest of the way to watch the impending train wreck. I could feel Craig's anger boiling higher and tried my best to ignore it; Craig himself seemed to have fallen silent and sullen after I called him out.

"Tabby!"

I was standing just off to the side of the ambulance when someone stepped up behind me and called my name, making me jump and cringe.

"Oh- oh dear, I'm sorry, Tabs. I thought I heard you were the one who called this in!"

I straightened up immediately, face burning. I recognized that voice, bright and smooth and kind and--

"J-Jenna!" My voice was barely a squeak as I turned to face her, looking up at the round, dark face of one of the EMTs. She was a good six feet tall, maybe more, towering above me even in her uniform flats, with a brilliant smile and full lips and gorgeous natural hair pulled through the back of her uniform cap, the streetlight illuminating her from behind like a halogen angel.

Jenna had shown up to one of my early calls for assistance at No Regrets, and then she kept turning up, not every time I was in a situation where I'd be around EMTs, but often.

Concern showed on her face as she leaned to look me over.

"Are you okay? Did you see it happen, or-"

I shook my head, buying time to sort out words by tapping my temple with a finger.

"N-no, I uh- the victim woke me up, he's in here, uh, in case the cops need somethin' from him."

"Oh… are you getting enough sleep, dear? You sound exhausted. Do you want to sit in the back of the truck?"

It took me a second or two to recover from the way she called me dear, my face burning bright red. I couldn't make eye contact even for the second or two I can usually manage so that people don't immediately think I'm being dishonest.

"I- uh- um- w-well, it's, uh, it is like 4am--" I stammered, trying desperately to find words. "I-I guess 'm sleepin' okay, uh, how're… you doing??"

I have never been a great orator and the list of why that is gets a bit longer with every um and stutter.

Jenna's face bloomed into a gorgeous, open grin.

"I'm on 12-hour overnights right now, so I'm basically at least 60 percent Red Bull at any given time. Everyone okay up there at the House? Last I heard y'all were digging up half the lawn.”

I nodded, unable to keep from grinning. At least this was a subject I could talk to her about without making an absolute ass of myself--

"Yeah! The new girl, Chris, she's gotten Daryl and Roy to help her get the vegetable garden going! It's plenty big enough to take care of all of us, and I worked out a deal with the soup kitchen so that they get any of our excess, once things are running smoothly, and I can use their account to buy from that bulk food program that's usually only open to chari- oop-!" I bit my tongue and cringed. Right. I'm pretty sure that's technically fraud and I just admitted to it in front of-

There was a commotion from the house that snapped me back to attention, and the cops were leading a man out in handcuffs. He looked pale and shaken, spattered in blood, and not quite… present, like he had just checked out of reality for his own good. That… was a familiar look. I furrowed my brow. He certainly didn't look like a maniacal killer-

"He caught me with his wife," I said. Well. Craig said. I jumped. Jenna jumped. I flushed and covered my mouth reflexively.

"N-no that was him! The victim!" I squeaked. Jenna laughed, a hearty belly laugh, and covered her own mouth, though she was doing a terrible job of hiding her grin.

"I figured! If he caught you with his wife, it would be an upgrade!"

At this point, you could probably fry an egg on my face. Hell, my glasses were starting to fog up-- I stammered for a few moments, trying desperately to find something to say, and it was Craig who saved me, if you could call it that. I was too caught up in my embarrassment and awkwardness to realize how much anger and frustration he was radiating.

"Motherfucker told me he'd have my job! Son of a bitch thinks he can get away with doing this to me, he's gonna fucking pay--"

The oncoming storm crashed over me before I could get a grip on it, and all of a sudden I was lumbering forward, snarling words that weren't my own, and dragging a gardening pickaxe out of my truck -- Craig's truck -- on my way to the man and the cops--

I let out a shriek, in my own voice, feeling the sound cutting my throat raw. I wrested control of my body back with a lurch, falling on my ass in the yard with the force of it while the silvery-blue form of Craig was ejected from my body, screaming obscenities.

I threw my hand forward, fighting for whatever thoughts and words I could find to fix this. I saw Craig right himself and move back towards me, and the first incantation -- if you could call it that -- that my brain grasped left my lips in a single desperate breath, with a dizzying rush of power--

"INTHENAMEOFTHEMOONIBANISHYOU--!!"

The force of the hurried exorcism rushed outward like a sonic boom, strong enough for even the mundanes around me to feel, and Craig's spirit let out a yowl of rage for a brief second before twisting around itself and collapsing in with a sickening crunch, crushing smaller and smaller until it was gone.

I winced -- not my best exorcism. At all.

As the flare of adrenaline dropped almost immediately and I came back to myself properly, I realized -- blurrily, as my glasses had gotten thrown off somewhere -- at least two officers had their weapons half-drawn at me, though they were looking over at where Craig's spirit had disappeared.

I collapsed the rest of the way onto the grass, shaking, and covered my face with my hands, trying with everything within me not to start crying. I should have realized he'd try something like that, why hadn't I been paying attention- I could have been attacked, I could have been arrested, I could have had to watch myself beat a man to death and I- fuck--

The sob that came out was squeaky and pained, and I pressed my hands harder against my face, like that would stop anything else from going wrong. I should have brought someone-- I shouldn't have let him possess me-- I should have been paying more attention--

Warm tears ran from the corners of my eyes, down my cheeks, to pool in my ears, making my already-trembling body shiver harder with the unpleasant sensation. I'd let myself get complacent, hadn't lost control of a possession like that in years, and- I'd almost- fuck--

"Honey, honey, sit up for me. Tabby? C'mon, let's get you up--"

Numbly, I let Jenna help me into a sitting position, where she wrapped a blanket around me and pressed an open bottle of water into my hands.

"Take slow sips. Are you okay? Just shaken?"

I nodded, some part of me grateful that I couldn't quite see her face properly without my glasses, because I didn't want to see what she thought about me after that. She sighed, though, and sounded relieved when she murmured "Good."

My whole body felt like jelly, trembling so hard I could feel the water in the bottle sloshing around, and I kept flashing from too hot to too cold to too hot again, and I couldn't even sort out my thoughts--

Jenna sat down beside me and rubbed my back. If I wasn't having a complete breakdown, I might have enjoyed it.

I don't know how long it took for me to calm down and clear my head, but the car with the other man had left, and the other EMTs had loaded Craig's body into the ambulance while Jenna sat next to me and made sure I was doing okay.

After a while, though, I blinked and shifted my torso, then opened the blanket more and cursed at the bloom of red on my hoodie.

I heard Jenna curse as well as she stood up, but I grabbed her pants leg.

"N-no, 'm okay," I mumbled, and instead of trying to speak more, I reached to pull my hoodie and tank up my stomach to show bruised, but completely unbroken skin, covered in blood, rivulets following my stretch marks and making it look even worse despite my being otherwise completely uninjured. "See, 'm okay." This was not the first time I've had a possession lead to the dead's cause of death showing on my own body. It wasn't even the bloodiest.

Jenna sat back down, and I could see her leaning in a bit.

"Well damn. Magic ghost stuff, huh?"

I nodded.

"Magic ghost stuff."

I could see the flash of white against dark skin as she grinned.

"So that exorcism… Artemis or Usagi?"

It took me a moment to parse her.question, but all of a sudden I was completely back to myself, just in time to absolutely die of embarrassment.

"L-listen, I- y-you can exorcise i-in anyone's name, i-it's the power and conviction that counts--!!"

"Usagi, then." I could hear the laughter in her voice, laughter that bubbled out moments later. I wanted to crawl in a hole in embarrassment, but- it didn't feel like condescending laughter. I knew what that felt like. She seemed just genuinely amused. "I grew up with Sailor Moon, too."

I couldn't stop the squeak that eaked out, and I covered my face again.

"G-god I hope word about this doesn't get out, people already think I-I'm weird enough, and to- to fall back on anime for magic i-in a pinch is just--"

"Cute," Jenna finished.

I squeaked.

Jenna moved away for a moment, and then she settled my glasses on my nose. I couldn't make eye contact, but I did glance over at her and sheepishly murmur my thanks.

"The officers still want a statement from you, since you made the call and tried to go after the perp, but I don't think they're looking at any charges, given…" Jenna trailed off and looked over at where Craig had disappeared. "...yeah."

I nodded, slowly, and then found myself yawning, the adrenaline drop setting in especially hard.

"...d'you think it can wait 'til tomorrow… 've kinda had a rough night."

"I think they'll be okay with that."

[ladyvader23]

The Lost Saber

Set in the Dad Vader Chronicles Universe, this short is dedicated to @silvereddaye as a belated birthday present! Silver is such a great friend. She works so hard for her Star Wars server, and she’s so talented. Her art is beautiful, and I have the privilege of playing D&D with her, where she has one of the coolest characters ever! She’s just so awesome and I wanted to write something for her and the idea of Leia stealing Vader’s saber just...seemed entertaining enough for that very occasion. I hope you enjoy Silver! 

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

Vader did his best not to panic. How many places could his lightsaber be, after all? He was certain he’d had it on his belt when he’d returned home the night before. He was certain he’d had it when he tucked the twins in bed. Leia had, after all, asked him about it, and he’d explained its properties as a weapon and companion in battle. It was an odd choice of a bedtime story, he had to admit, but she’d seemed satisfied afterwards and didn’t complain when he told her to sleep. 

Then he’d seen it in his meditation chamber that morning, and he distinctly remembered grabbing it...but now he was in the Imperial Palace and it was gone. 

And the Emperor was watching him expectantly, a disobedient moff shaking in his boots as he awaited judgement. 

The plan was to scare him before killing him by igniting his saber and casually and slowly moving towards him, letting the tip of his saber singe the ground. Then he’d stab him and let the man die a slow and painful death. 

But there was no saber on his belt. 

“Have you lost something, Lord Vader?” On the surface, Palpatine’s voice was as benevolent as ever, but there was an edge of annoyance there. Vader didn’t need the Force to tell him that. 

Vader didn’t answer. Memories of all the times he’d lost his saber as Anakin flooded his mind, memories full of Obi-Wan giving him long admonishments and lectures that...he’d basically given Leia the night before. What kind of father was he, if he couldn’t even follow what he’d told Leia? Already he could picture both of the twins losing their lightsabers and when he brought it up, they’d point out that he’d lost his and--

He crushed the man’s windpipe and he dropped to the floor. 

“That was not what we decided.” There was definite venom in the Emperor’s tone. 

“The wait for punishment had the same effect.” Vader pointed out. 

The Emperor scoffed and waved him away, irritated. “Come back when you are prepared for your job.” 

Vader didn’t argue, and he was grateful that he didn’t have to explain the embarrassing situation further as he strode out of the throne room. 

Where could it have gone? 

He racked his brain, trying to remember what he might have done that would have required him setting it down. He couldn’t think of any, beyond briefly stopping by Captain Piett’s office to have a word with him. Had he set it down there? He didn’t know why he would have…

His comm rang and without thinking, he picked it up. “I am busy, this had better be an emergency.” He snarled, assuming it was an idiotic officer with news on Rebel movements. 

“Um. Hi, this is Miss Kengall, Leia’s teacher?” 

Vader stopped in the middle of the ornate palace hallway. He paid no mind to the guards side-eyeing him from where they stood. “Is something wrong?” Already his mind conjured up a million things that could have happened--most of them caused directly by Leia. But if someone had threatened her and he was without his lightsaber...though he technically didn’t need the saber to protect his children...

This day couldn’t get any worse. 

“Well,” Vader’s jaw clenched. This woman didn’t know how to get to the point, did she? “Leia...um. She’s got your lightsaber.” 

He stopped cold.

“It was show and tell. She wanted to show your--oh, stars, she’s turned it on--” 

He heard the whoom of a lightsaber waving around, along with children exclaiming in wonder. 

An image of Leia chopping a limb off of a child, or worse, entered his mind. While he’d dismembered plenty of people with a saber, it somehow was very different when the one wielding the weapon was a five year old. 

“I am on my way.” He turned the comm off before the teacher could protest and began hurrying as quickly as he could towards his speeder. 

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

When he arrived at the school, he found Leia waiting for him in the principal's office. Apparently, her teacher was at least competent enough to get her to hand over the weapon, because it sat on top of the principal’s desk. 

“Ah. Lord Vader.” A short, portly, balding man greeted as he entered the office. “I was just explaining why--” 

“Leave.” He growled as he glared at Leia. He watched her sink into the too-big seat, as though that would spare her from his wrath. 

“But...it’s my off--” 

Vader stretched out a hand. The man flinched, but rather than strangling the idiotic man in front of his daughter, he called the saber to his grip. 

“...Very well.” The principal attempted to sound calm as he stood. “I’ll...I’ll leave you to it.” 

Vader waited until the man was gone and the door had firmly closed before he took a few steps forward. The office was small, so it only took him two steps before he was towering over his daughter. 

He didn’t even know where to begin. It was pure luck that no one had been injured because of her foolish actions. She refused to meet his eyes, too, which told him she knew she was in big trouble. 

“What have I told you about asking for permission before taking things that are not yours?” 

That seemed like a reasonable place to start, even though taking a lightsaber was far more serious than her taking one of her brother's toys. 

Leia squirmed in her seat. “I...I have to pee--” 

“You do not. Answer my question. Now.” 

He had never harmed his children. They were far too precious. But he had no qualms about using the vocorecorder in his helmet to its full intended effect when the time called for it. 

“...I need to ask.” 

“Why?” 

Leia squirmed more. “Because it’s not nice.” 

He hadn’t ever explained it that way. He was a Sith, he did not care for niceties, but he supposed it worked. “And why else?” 

“Because it’s against the law and I’m not allowed to break the law till you say so.” 

That was the reason he’d always given when explaining why stealing was wrong. 

“And did I say so?” 

“No.”

“Then you should not have taken my lightsaber.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “What you took from me is very serious, Leia. You could have hurt or killed one of your friends. You are too young for such violence.” 

“I just wanted to have the coolest show and tell.” Leia mumbled. 

“I could have assisted you with finding something far less dangerous.” He paused as a thought occurred to him. He hadn’t actually ever shown Luke or Leia what a lightsaber could do. There had been no reason to. They were too young to accompany him anywhere that would have shown them how dangerous it was, and he doubted any of their cartoons portrayed lightsabers. 

“Leia. I want you to watch closely.” He said, igniting the blade. As the hum filled the room, she reluctantly looked up. 

Just as he turned and sliced through the principal's desk with ease. 

She jumped, staring wide eyed as the metal desk collapsed, the edges where he sliced through melting. He turned the saber off and motioned. “One day you will learn to wield your own saber, but without proper training, you could have done this to one of your friends or your teacher. Do you want to do this to them?” 

Leia was still staring wide-eyed at the desk as she vigorously shook her head. 

“Do you understand why I am so angry with you for taking my lightsaber?” 

She nodded. 

“Explain it back to me.” 

She finally tore her eyes away from the desk, huffing as she did so. She never liked it when he made her prove that she understood, but she also knew he would not give in until she’d done it. “I could have hurt someone.” 

“And you could have hurt yourself.” Carefully, he knelt down to her level. It was more difficult than usual, given the room’s small size and the chopped desk in the middle of it, but he managed. Barely. He reached up and cupped her cheek. “One day I will teach you to use your own. I promise. But for now, I do not wish to see you hurt because you didn’t listen to me. Do you understand?” 

Tears welled in Leia’s eyes and she nodded before throwing her arms around his neck. 

He was still angry...but it subsided slightly with her little arms around his neck, and he patted her back soothingly. 

“You are grounded for the foreseeable future. No holovision. No friends. Not until you can prove that you’re responsible again.” He told her as she pulled away. 

She pouted and held up two fingers. “Two days.” 

“This is not a negotiation.” He pointed at her. “Prove you are responsible and we will revisit the matter of privileges.” He paused. “And I’m sure you are likely suspended from school as well. You will have plenty of time to think on the meaning of responsibility in the meantime by writing a letter of apology to your teacher.” 

Her pout deepened into a scowl, but she knew when he was unswayable. 

He stood and clipped his saber back to the belt where it belonged. “Get your things. We are leaving.” He told her as he motioned with his hand and the door to the office opened. 

Where the principal stood, waiting. 

“I...ah, assume Miss Leia understands what she did was wrong?” The man nervously asked as Vader approached, blocking his view of the office within. 

“I have dealt with it.” Vader answered simply. “How long will she be suspended?” 

The man swallowed nervously. “I...that won’t be necessary--” 

Vader took one threatening step forward and shoved his finger into the man’s chest. “I do not care for your fear of me. You will discipline my children the same as you would any other. How many days would you suspend a child for such an infraction?” 

He watched the man pale. “Uh...I, uh...thr--three days?” 

Vader’s gaze narrowed. That seemed lenient for a child who’d brought a weapon to school. He leaned forward until he was practically in the man’s face. “You are certain?” 

The man shrinked away from him. “...A-a week, but it was really--” 

By then, Leia had emerged from the office, her pink princess backpack slung over her shoulders. Vader stepped away from the man and placed a guiding hand on his daughter’s back. “She will see you next week, then.” 

Without another word, he guided Leia past the school secretary droid and to the front office door. 

He did not miss the principal gasping, “What happened to my desk?” before they left.

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

Top 5 Reasons Doug’s Pretty Great

It’s hard to believe that it’s been nine years since the first episode of S1 was released. I can still remember be a wee little lass first discovering it on youtube and becoming obsessed. At the time, I had no where to play it myself, so I watched as many playthroughs as I could until my family got an xbox. 

While the first episode in this series has a lot of memorable moments, the one that always stands out in people’s memories is the moment where you’re trying to escape the drugstore as walkers pound away at the door and windows, and you realize that both Carley and Doug need your help or they’re going to die. 

But... you can only save one, and whoever you don’t help, they end up being eaten alive by walkers and you get to feel bad about it for the rest of the episode. 

I bring this up because it’s interesting to look back nine years ago and see that... well, not a lot of people saved Doug. Which is crazy, because now the stats are pretty 50/50 with Doug even having a bit of an edge over Carley. That definitely wasn’t the case back then because the stats were more along the line of 20/80.

Why? Well, the writer’s didn’t exactly do the best job of showing how great Doug is in ep1, especially compared to Carley who has more interactions with Lee and more screen time.... which is even funnier because they did actually think they did a good job and were surprised by the results after the episode’s release.

Even back then they had a habit of making imbalanced routes then denying the imbalance... something they never grew out of. 

I guess they were a little butthurt about it since Doug is a favorite among the team given that he’s actually based on a real person, Doug Tabacco, an IT guy they worked with. This got to the point where Telltale never missed an opportunity to tell everyone to #SaveDoug over Carley.

I also love that they use the Stranger to guilt trip everyone who saved Carley by having him be like, “Doug was in a worse position! >:( You only saved Carley because she was a pretty girl!!” just.... real subtle, guys haha

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that more often than not, I choose to save Carley over Doug for many reasons, but that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate Doug and enjoy having him around in the off chance I do save him. So I thought it’d be fun to talk about Doug as a character and why he was pretty great as a little tribute, y’know? 

5. Doug’s a pretty funny dude

Now, I wouldn’t exactly call twdg a comedy, y’know? It gets dark, then manages to get even darker at times, but if the game was nothing but doom and gloom, it’d get boring and become unenjoyable. 

While other characters do get a laugh out of me from time to time, I enjoy the humor that Doug brings to the group, even if it’s not intentional and just the way he is. 

Even from the beginning, Doug had me chuckling with the fact that this nerdy dude didn’t want to bring profanity to Lee’s ears when talking about Larry, so he’s just like “ He's kind of a dick... pardon my french,” like Doug.... it’s okay, you can call him an asshole, no one will judge hahaha.

Then there’s the biscuit scene that I think we all know and love. Helps break the tension of meeting these weirdo’s who own a dairy and are totally not suspicious or anything. 

But it’s not even just that Doug is funny, he’s also a character that gets you to crack a smile when he’s talking about something he’s passionate about, or when he’s proud of the alarm he rigged up, or when he’s being adorably awkward. 

One of my favorites is in ep3 when Lee goes to ask Doug if he has any chalk, and he goes into this spiel about charcoal-- “You know, a piece of charcoal is a suitable alternative, depending on your marking surface. Since we're on the subject, did you know that while chalk is traditionally known to be calcium carbonate, what's often used in classrooms is actually made of gypsum, thanks to favorable domestic mining conditions?”

And Lee’s response is just-- “Doug, I did not know that.”

“Happy to be of service.”

It’s just really funny... and it makes you feel better after all the implications about Doug’s mental health in the episode... like you gave him a moment to flex his knowledge and get excited about it. 

But yeah, what can I say? Doug makes me laugh and he brings a bit of light to the groups constant shitshow. 

4. Doug saved the group’s ass at the St John farm

And he did so with a laser pointer. 

I always hate it when Doug/Carley leave the group at the St Johns and remain absent for most of the episode, though I chalk that up to the writers trying to make the different routes easier on themselves, y’know? 

But, at least they come back to save the day. 

In Doug’s case, he’s not comfortable with guns like Carley is, so he’s gotta get creative when it comes to getting Lee’s attention and stopping Andy from hurting Duck and Lee. 

That’s where his fancy little laser pointer comes in. 

We first see him with it during the walk to the farm, but then see it in action after Lee escapes the barn and is nearly blinded by the light. Doug claims he was doing morse code before Lee tells him and Ben that these assholes cut off Mark’s legs and tried to feed them to the group. 

Now, here’s the thing... If Doug and Ben had done what they were told and stayed at the motor inn over night, things probably wouldn’t have turned out so good for the group. Doug is the one who shines the laser pointer in Andy’s eyes when he’s got ahold of Duck, giving Lee the advantage of attack. Without that, if Lee tried anything, he would’ve ended up like dingdong Kenny with a bullet in his side. 

Also there’s just a lot of bravery from Doug, y’know? Like as soon as he finds Lee and knows the situation, the first thing he asks is what can they do to help, and he sticks around to do what he can.... even if it is just to point a laser in someone’s eye. 

No one gives Doug enough credit for savin’ the day, y’know? And if you have any doubt, even Lee says, “I never thought a laser pointer would be the thing that saved our lives.”

3. Doug’s friendship with Lee

Speaking of Lee, his friendship with Doug is underrated. The two have chemistry and work off each other well in the scene’s they’re in. While it’s not as strong as Carley’s in ep1, saving Doug and having around in ep2 & ep3 lets you see it at it’s best, y’know? 

After Lee saves his life at the drugstore, Doug is shown to mourn Carley and asks Lee why he would pick him, lamenting that he wished he had picked her over him and you can tell that Doug feels that he owes Lee a lot for saving him. Hell, he even says as much when Lee tries to give him food in ep2-- “Why don't you keep my share today. I know I said it didn't matter why you saved me and not Carley, but... I owe you a lot more than half a day's rations."

Also, I love this one line from Kenny when you’re on bad terms with him and they’re talking about going separate ways where he’s basically like “We all know Doug’s gonna stay with you because you saved him that ONE time >:(” and on top of it being such a bitchy Kenny line, it also shows that every can see that Doug is a loyal friend to Lee and would want to stick with him where ever he decides to go. 

One thing that I think people tend to overlook, though, is how concerned Lee is with Doug’s mental health in ep3. There are implications that Doug might be suffering with depression due to the situation of the walkers, bandits harrassing and threatening them, and believing that he isn’t useful to the group, stating that he feel pretty worthless. Lee asks Clementine if he seems sad, and hell, he even talks to Lilly about it.

In fact, speaking of Clementine, Doug is real sweet with her, too. Of course, he gives her those batteries for her walkie, but he also asks about how she’s doing as they’re leaving the dairy. Hell, 8 years later, Clementine still remembers him by name and how sweet he was when fucking dingdong Lilly can’t remember his damn name. That says a lot. 

Y’all know how important Clementine is to Lee, so he wouldn’t have grown as close to Doug if he wasn’t a genuinely good person who treated Clementine with kindess. 

I dunno, there’s a lot of trust and care between the two and it’s a relationship that I truly love. I just wish we could’ve seen a bit more of it but y’know...#2 happened. 

2. Doug saved Ben’s life

Yeah, I think we all saw this coming...

Look, doesn’t matter what you think about Ben, okay? Not what we’re talkin’ about. We’re talkin’ about Doug saving Ben’s life, which unfortunately meant ending his own.

Still haven’t forgiven Lilly for this one. Though I’ve always found the difference between Doug and Carley’s death’s interesting. With Carley, Lilly intentionally kills her after Carley tells her off. But with Doug, Lilly was aiming for Ben and even when Doug pulled him out of the way, she still fired the gun... even though she didn’t have a clear shot and ended up hitting Doug. 

Then she tries to play it off like it was an accident which, yeah I guess it was but that doesn’t change that you were intending to murder this 6ft tall child. 

It’s just... I dunno, man, it’s sad. I always feel more sorrow for Doug’s death, but more anger for Carley’s? Even though both make me angry, it’s just different characters, different things that led to their deaths, different feelings. This is the first real “Fuck you, Lilly” moment for me and she can spend the next 8 years wandering around for all I can. 

Doug didn’t deserve this shit. 

But, the reason I put this at #2 because it really says a lot about Doug as a character. The second he saw Lilly aim that gun, he yanked Ben out of the way. He could’ve gone into shock, he could’ve just yelled “no!”, or he could’ve gone at Lilly instead.... but no, his first instinct was to grab Ben and move himself in front and it really fucking sucks that that’s what killed him. 

And y’know this isn’t the first time Doug has put himself in danger to save someone. I already talked about him saving everyone at the dairy, but can we not forget how he and Carley met? She was gonna get eaten by walkers then our big hero Doug came in and saved her?? Didn’t know her or anything, just saw her and her crew getting attacked and did what he could to save any survivors?? 

Like... no one talks about that because it’s so played off and never brought up again and I need everyone to remember this, okay? 

Doug selflessly putting himself in danger to help those around him? Fantastic. Beautiful. Love that.

1. Look, Doug himself is just #1. His personality, intelligence, everything.

Wow, Doug’s personality being the #1 reason he’s so great? Who woulda thought?

Well, ME woulda thought because obviously.

Listen... in case you haven’t gather this from the previous four entries, Doug is an intelligent, awkward, caring, selfless, funny, and brave man, okay? He’s likable, he tries his damnedest to pull his weight for the group, he shows actual loyalty and kindness unlike some people, and when he tends to avoid the constant Lilly and Kenny conflicts, he does his best to step in when things take a serious turn, hence the Ben situation. 

No to mention the dude is smart. 

I mean, he really took a random remote and was like, “Oh it’s universal, let me just program it to work on ALL the random TV’s across the street as a way to distract these walkers!” like dude.... you just know how to do that, huh? 

Or his fun little bell trap that alerts the groups of strangers and walkers? Oh, and remember when he fixed the RV by hitting it with a fucking hammer and was like “It works now, drive!” 

And have I mentioned that he bested Andy St John with a goddamn laser pointer?? 

Oh, also wanna add that I really like his voice acting, as well. He’s voiced by Sam Joan, who does a good job at selling Doug’s soft-spoken but intelligent nature, and knows how to pull off “dorky” when needed... and I mean that in a good way, when he’s talking about charcoal Doug is being a dork and I love him.

I mean... what else is there to say?

All that’s left to do is pull a Telltale and--

#SaveDoug

---

Honorable Mentions

-Doug is a pie guy, going off of that time he named all the different kinds of pie he could thing of and I feel that.  -He’s a very fashionable person. I want that weird polar bear deer thing shirt he wears in ep1.  -also, you can’t go wrong with socks and sandals, my dude.  -He had a crush on Carley and honestly, I feel that, too. 

---

There it is, there’s my whole thing about Doug. What are your thoughts? When it comes to that choice in ep1 of s1, do you save Doug or do you save Carley? Do you agree or disagree with any of my choices for this list? Or have anything to add? I’m always down to chat.

Have any suggestions for future T5F’s? Feel free to send ‘em in! :D

—

Next week’s T5F

[thoughtfullyrainynightmare]

Hiya Laura!

So I gots another theory that came to me when waking from the clutches of slumber…

In Black Clover, a persons life is tied to their grimoire correct? If the grimoire begins to disintegrate, then it means the owner is dying. If the grimoire completely disintegrates, then that’s it and the owner has died (unless you’re Julius and come back to life)

(Linked text is just images to back up my explanation)

I don’t know why this only so randomly came to me… but remember how when it was revealed that Mars and Fana both share the same two magical attributes of Diamond Magic and Fire Magic because of their grimoires being modified and Frankenstein-sewed together during Morris’ experiments?

Look at the following images of Mars’ and Fana’s grimoires before vs after Morris modified them.

If we look at Mars’ grimoire, both before and after Morris’ modifications (Morris ➙ damn sicko), we can see it is incrusted with numerous diamonds all throughout the cover; and it is canon that a mage’s grimoire design are related to the mage’s strength of will, strength/power/skill, and magical attribute overall… so it’s no wonder Mars, a boy who was born with Diamond magic, would have literal diamonds embedded in the grimoire that chose him.

But here’s my question…

Diamonds are practically indestructible. Black Clover’s logic does use a good amount of our real world facts/principals that Tabata then manipulates to fit into his storyline, but a lot of the context of those facts/principals remain, so it stands to reason to believe that just like in our world, in Black Clover, the only thing that can crack/scratch a diamond is another diamond.

I attempted to count the number of diamonds encrusted on the front/back covers of Mars’ grimoire by combining the overall numbers I counted on both Fana and Mars’ Frankenstein-sewn grimoires. I counted about 48 or so diamonds overall (but I could’ve missed some) that would be encrusted within Mars’s original grimoire, but are now shared between Mars and Fana. That’s a pretty hefty amount of diamond embezzlement😎💍💎 (so why exactly is the Diamond Kingdom so damn poor that they pillage other lands for resources when they have a shining general who can literally make diamonds out of nothing? Mars could literally save his country from poverty by exchanging diamonds he makes as commerce with other nations… the diamond king is just a wee-but stupid missing out on that opportunity, huh?)

So if a person’s grimoire completely disintegrates upon their death, or begins to disintegrate as they are dying… remember that if Black Clover diamonds uses the same logic of our real world and diamonds are the only substance that can crack/scratch another diamond… that means the diamonds of Mars’ grimoire will never disintegrate… the rest of the book could, yeah, but those original diamonds that were there before his grimoire chose him would still remain. Unless another diamond mage (which we have yet to see or hear of so I’d bet my money on this being an incredibly rare magical attitude) who shatters the diamonds of Mars’ grimoire… do you think this could mean Mars could be near immortal? Or at the very least be very near unkillable? If the diamond parts of his grimoire remain… then the entirety of the grimoire itself will never fade away… and neither should his life-force along with it. Same goes for Fana as well now that they share each other’s magical attributes.

(Me: just realizes how that’s gonna make Mars’ and Fana’s ‘till death do us part’ vows one day all the more awesome if this theory pans out and does mean they are near unkillable/immortal)

What are your thoughts Laura?

- GrimoireGirl📚

Hiya~! ^_^

There's a lot to unpack here T^T But it's okay 😉😎

Hmmm... 🤔

Okay, well the very first thing comes to mind is my high school chemistry teacher telling us that "unfortunately 007 lied to you, because diamonds aren't for ever". They do have a half life, and thus aren't quite as indestructible as media would have us believe. Plus I mean, they do cut diamonds for rings. BUT! That's enough for the nerd in me, I'm sorry 😭

But I do like the idea that Fana and Mars are essentially very hard to kill, let it be the diamond affinity or then the phoenix thematic. And they kind of have been shown to be difficult to kill, so that would most definitely support the idea.

And this is again where I wish that we would know more about grimoires. Because we do know that grimoires are connected to a person's soul and/or life force. That's given, and undebatable. But what I find intriguing is: 1. Where do grimoires come from?

Are they made in the grimoire towers? Or do they just appear on the shelves like magic? And. Are they assigned to a person from the moment the grimoire is made/the person is born? Or do they get assigned during the grimoire ceremony? Do they just poof into existence when a person is born?

2. Where do grimoires go? If they go

Asta having Licht's grimoire makes me think that maybe... grimoire incarnation is a thing. But then again the very-heartbreaking scene of Fue's grimoire beginning to disintegrate, makes me think that it isn't. Perhaps there are components in grimoires that don't disappear. Maybe there aren't. We just don't know enough.

To me it seems like all the of kingdoms are at least... relatively poor (?). And if you have limited resources, diamonds won't keep people fed. Plus, I mean, even if Diamond would have diamonds, they need people to trade with. And since their only neighbours are Clover and Spade, maybe people are just reluctant to trade with them. Thus, they're poor. But when it comes to the kings wits... *cough* the only good King-king seemed to be Papa Grinberryal *cough* and *cough* he's dead *cough*, and Heart has a Queen *cough*.

Anyways... It could be that diamond mages are hard to crack, but it could also be that Mars' and Fana's life forces are combined, and thus in order to kill one of them, one would really need to kill both of them. 🤔

Personally I'd like to know more about grimoires (which might be that I love @firefutte 's Grimoire AU so much), and how they actually work. Tabataaaa!!! 😭😭😭 Information please! 🥺

Thank you for sharing and for stopping by 🥰

[regrettablewritings]

Okii now we can move onto . . .

Who the fuck put the Peeps in the microwave?: You both did out of curiosity. You’d been watching videos on Youtube and TikTok about bizarre cocktails and candy absorbancy and morbid intrigue crawled into your minds. However, you were both just a tad too blitzed and tired to make your way to the bodega down the block, so you had to make do with whatever you found after rifling through the cabinets and the pantry. And that was a pack of peach rings, an unopened box of Mike & Ikes that was probably past its sell by date, and an opened, stale pack of Peeps that most definitely was passed said sell by date. You couldn’t quite focus enough to try and locate the expiration stamp, but you were willing to bet it had long since cartwheeled over that line. Ah, well: Adventure waits for no bitch. You nuked those neon blue bastards for good measure, hoping that the expansion meant it would take on more vodka. It did not. Not really. It was more like a gross-ass sponge by the end of the little experiment, and the pure sugar of it was enough to make your teeth rattle in your skulls. Suffice to say, curiosity killed the cat and knowledge brought it back. But the vodka-soaked Peeps laid you both back down when your hangovers came rocketing in the following morning.

Who forgot to put the cat outside before sex?: First thing’s first, he’s not exactly your cat. Frank is (you’re both pretty sure) just some stray whom you both have taken a liking to. Enough to feed pieces of lunch meat and water, and keep your window open just a smidge to let himself whenever the weather demanded so. Which, in turn, made Frank take a liking to you both. Given that he still liked to leave and take strolls about the area, you presumed he didn’t necessarily see your apartment as his territory per se. This was incorrect, and a dubious failure on both parts. You came to learn this when in a rather, ahem, entangling position, you heard what you could only describe as “the bordest meow you ever though a cat could muster without sounding like Squidward”. You both froze, panting stilling as your eyes widened in unison. You both turned to the source of the sound, of whom had been happily lounging in the window, nearly obscured by the flimsy curtains you’d insisted upon putting up when you moved in. In your heated moment, though, he might as well have been completely invisible; and he sure must’ve felt that way, given that your noisy affair had woken him from a pleasant nap! And God did y’all wish you were invisible. Well . .  at least you had the blanket over the both of you.

Who posts Vines/TikToks of the other doing embarrassing shit?: It’s never out of malice, but Dinah has a habit of recording you when you get a little tipsy. You’re the quieter of the two of you, so seeing what happens when you get a little liquid courage in you is always a riot for her. She loves when you try and sing or dance, even if she, in her drunken state, probably couldn’t do much better. That being said, though, I don’t think she’d actually post them unless she had your permission. You both know you would be far from the stupidest-looking bitch on the app, but it’s still a sign of trust and respect to ask for your consent on the matter. Plus, getting hella views is always sweeter when you both are in on it.

Who breaks the most phones?: Dinah, if only because sometimes she forgets her phone in her pocket while slipping in a hint of Canary Wail. And also because she tends to kick a lot while fighting, and those skin-tight pants just aren’t made for holding anything thicker than an atom apparently.

Who dies first?: Dinah hated this fuckass town. It was a hotbed of crime, it was grimy, and overall she just had a right to not like it. But she stayed out of financial limitations and of obligation: After all, what would her mother think? “We don’t fly away from our problems, Dinah,” the late Dinah Lance Sr. had told her many times when she was a wee chick. And Gotham was, unfortunately, a big problem for her. Thankfully, you sympathized with her distaste of the place. It might not have been as particularly ripe as her own, but your support was noted and appreciated. You didn’t see it as “flying away from a problem” if you were to move: “It’s just flying south for the winter. But for real,” you reasoned. It seemed so dumb to put it that way, but you could’ve sold Dinah aluminum siding on a log cabin and she would’ve bought it. That was just the sort of partnership you had. Unfortunately, Gotham was envious. That you didn’t even get the dignity of dying of old age or at least surrounded by loved ones instead of in the middle of a street by a stray bullet shattered Dinah’s core. She couldn’t scream. She couldn’t cry. She just . . . couldn’t compute. And worst yet: She couldn’t leave. You were buried in Gotham, amongst so many criminals and dregs of society. But there were also innocents in there. So many, and yet so few, all consumed by the dirty maw of a city that didn’t care enough to keep them safe. Keep you safe. Dinah couldn’t leave; she didn’t trust them to take care of you, your final resting place. She could just imagine the stupid hooligans perching their filthy asses on your tombstone -- something she had to throw so much money on just to assure that there was something noting your existence in this unfair city -- and chugging 40s and rolling blunts, the dry contents spilling into the bouquets she would try to bring by every couple of weeks. Or the groundskeeper skipping town, leaving your grave to become overgrown with weeds. Or God knows what else. You being gone was a problem; she couldn’t fly away from you.

Which one I could see as being lactose intolerant: Dinah. She tries to abide by her bodily limitations, but lower-income areas tend to be food deserts that can’t exactly spare highfalutin alternatives like soy or rice or almond. Worst-case scenario, she just has to completely forgo the dairy option and get her calcium intake in other ways.

Who thinks they can do something really well but even though they can’t?: You think you can handle Dinah’s baby (aka her car). You . . . cannot. That bitch is a stick and as much as you’d like to think you can conquer her, Dinah’s baby ain’t havin’ it. Nor is Dinah, in spite of your protests and insisting that you can get it down.

Who is more likely to get kicked out of bed?: Neither. Even when she comes home late for one reason or another, Dinah’s usually too butt-tired to cause any shenanigans worth getting kicked out for. Same goes for you. You two may move around a lot in your sleep, but nobody gets literally kicked out of bed, either.

Who uses the computer the most?: You do, mainly because Dinah’s a workaholic for a job that doesn’t even use computers. Even when she’s home, she barely uses the laptop -- why did she even buy it, again?? Don’t ask her, she hasn’t the foggiest clue!

Thank you for participating and thank you for your patience!

[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

Angus Gillies

INTERVIEWS · MAY 30, 2022

Behind the Curtain: Graham McTavish

Hungry for more after our fabulous Summer 2022 cover story featuring Graham McTavish? Today's your lucky day!

You might not think it, but Trafalgar Square at 6AM is a serene place. Graham meets us underneath the giant pillars of the National Gallery. He immediately leads conversation on the book he had just closed, Crucible of Hell: The Heroism and Tragedy of Okinawa. After nearly 40 years in the performing arts, it's clear that his buoyant charm is not dampened by an early start. In the course of his career, Graham has established himself as one of the most recognisable Scottish actors of his era. After starring roles in Outlander, The Hobbit, his travel show Men in Kilts, and hundreds of other productions, Graham lies at the representational vanguard of how Scotland and the UK is perceived by millions across the world. But as we find out with Graham, the apparent simplicity masks a much more complicated process.

In this behind-the-scenes blog, here are some questions and answers that didn't make the cut for our Summer 2022 Whiskeria, but give a sneak preview into our lead feature.

Angus (Whiskeria Producer): We've explored your preference with whisky, but what is your preference outwith whisky?

Graham: I've kind of given up on beer now, I just can't do it. Occasionally I'll have a beer but I just can't take the volume of liquid, so I stick mainly with wine, now and again. Red, white, rose ... as long as it's good I don't really mind. I wish I knew more about wine! Though I wish I knew a lot more about everything, you know, not just drink. I think sometimes I've managed to bust my way through life without an expert understanding of a great deal, but somehow it managed to do.

Angus: Do you feel Scottish?

Graham: Yes definitely. Through three years in Canada, and then some time in in Scotland when I was wee, as well as England I guess I was very influenced by my father as well. You know it's a strange thing, you know, your identity I think it comes from many, many, many things, not just where you were physically born. I mean I have a Zambian friend, though you would think he's Irish. He looks Irish, he has lived most of his life in Ireland, but an extraordinary connection meant that he was born Zambian. I met somebody the other day who was Congolese, who looked about as Congolese as I do. So, identity has always been very interesting to me, and where we draw our identity from. The cultural influences on us, ancestry, the individuals who have really affected us influenced interests in our lives. All of those were really Scottish for me, partly because my extended family on my mothers side. But funnily enough, I didn't see that much of them, and they still had that influence. My grandfather wasn't alive when I when I was born. He was a big, big influence. And you realise that as you get older you are becoming these people. You realise, 'I am becoming my grandfather, and even my father!' My mother came from an Irish background, born in London, but her and her mother worked in Glasgow. They immigrated from Ireland and married before they left. Her name is Ellen, she married Jack, and they moved to Glasgow and worked not far from their Gallowgate. This was when it would have been really rough, really rough. I actually went and visited the church where they got married, and you realise that you come from this unbroken line of people on both sides of the family, and extended beyond that, people that have shaped who you are. You don't necessarily need to be educated by those people, but as long as you have their influence and their genes, it all counts. Scottish people are a different breed. You go abroad, particularly in the United States, and you find that people of Scottish descent can usually hugely identify with the country, and they really really do, more so than ever now. Something about it all. My ancestors came from Ireland to Glasgow, walked to Edinburgh to get married, and then settle down there. Like... what!

Angus: Funnily enough, my grandfather did the opposite journey. He was born in Glasgow, and walked through to Edinburgh looking for work.

Graham: They may have passed each other on the way, mine did the reverse! This would have been just after the First World War, 1919? They went out without knowing if there was any work at the end of it. Just thought, ‘well, I'm not getting anything here, I'll just walk to Glasgow’, what, 40 miles? I mean, just a totally different breed of people.

Angus: Did you find Scottish influence in New Zealand?

Graham: When you go into the South Island, there’s even more McTavish’s in central Otago than anywhere else. When they left Scotland to emigrate, they had nothing, mostly in rural poverty. A lot of these people would be domestic servants, they be they wouldn't have much they wouldn't necessarily even have a trade. But that didn’t stop them, they all just got on boats, and went as far away from Scotland as they could. And then, essentially, landed up in another Scotland. When you go to the South Island, you could be in the Highlands of Scotland.

Angus: Is there not some Scottish city somewhere in New Zealand that was modelled after Edinburgh? As in street by street?

Graham: Yes! Yes, it’s called the Gaelic name for Edinburgh, they modelled it entirely on Edinburgh. In fact we spent some time talking to a guy at the Dunedin’s Settlers Museum, these people arrived on boats and all there was bush, from the very shoreline right into the hills, and they would just have to hack their way through. Mud, trees, anything, just to create somewhere to live. Because a lot of them were sold a lie as well. They were told that there were these beautiful flat areas that they could settle in farmland, so the Scots had to dig their way into the interior and then they found gold, which was good news.

Angus: I remember visiting a small suburb in Melbourne, Australia, called Macleod. I sort of stumbled upon it, and it wasn’t until I read a small plinth in the middle of the local park that I found out that my relatives, the Macleods from Skye, had founded the town only a century or so ago.

Graham: Hell, this all applies a bit more than I thought it would! I mean the MacLeod’s were more busy hacking through other Scottish clans, rather than the Australian bush! Very famously too, I mean all Scottish clans are violent, but the MacLeod’s are way up there. They really hated their rivals, they didn't think anything of burning 300 people alive, just a normal day!

[...]

Angus: You were the first to put on a play at the National Gallery with your friend Nicolas Pace?

Graham: That’s right, yeah.

Angus: Could you tell us briefly what happened?

Graham: Well the show was called ‘Letters from the Yellow Chair’. So yeah I honestly don't think about it, because you know I'm not I'm not 20, where that kind of thing happens to you. I wondered what Van Gogh would think of all this money being made off the back of him, hopefully, I always thought he would be able to see the funny side.

[...]

I got my equity card I was performing a one-man Beckett play. I mean I remember performing to one person in an Irish pub in north London, you know. It's just doing it that I enjoy. I’ll watch myself at a premiere, but I have no interest in watching myself otherwise, because I experienced it. And that's the thing that I do. I remember that Beckett performance really well, because I thought you know one person play, you have to do it. I don’t know if you know it?

Angus: Krapp's Last Tape? I saw the version with the Irish actor, Patrick Magee?

Graham: Oh, hold on, did you see a televised performance? Patrick Magee, he was the original. He and I, funnily enough, share the distinction of being the only people to played the character of Krapp whilst actually manually operating the machine. I used to have the exact number second by second of where I had to get in, and when to press it to slow it down.

Angus: Did the one-man audience receive it well?

Graham: So, I did this whole performance to this one guy, and at the end of it I said, ‘well, do you want to have a drink downstairs?’ And I went downstairs, and I said, ‘what did you think?’ By the way, I was actually personally quite pleased with that performance! And he said, ‘I think it's better when its more staged’. Complete waste of time! An hour of my life I'll never get back.

Angus: Frankie Boyle is starring in Beckett’s End Game tonight, its being live streamed at 7:30pm. Exciting to see there are still Beckett plays being put on.

Graham: Wow! Amazing fit. A comic actor in these sort of roles works well. Beckett was a great fan of clowning, as well and there's that element with something like Krapp’s Last Tape and Endgame and Waiting for Godot, you need a comic side to you to be able to do it. I did it when I was 20 to get my equity card and you record the tape part of the performance, where the character is listening to himself as a young man. It has now occurred to me that because I still have the actual reel, that I could do it again now that I am older, and I would actually be listening to myself as a young man. I don't think it's ever been done before. I saw John Hurt do it, of course he was great. And a famous comedian called Max Wall did it he was another great, such a physical performance.

[...]

Angus: Favourite Shakespeare character to play?

Graham: I would love to play Macbeth, I think that might be my favourite. I have never played him though. I have been Banquo occasionally, and there are also a slew of other great Shakespearean roles to play. The history plays - God!

Angus: What would your death-row dram be?

Graham: Springbank is the current one, love that one. The Showrunner on House of Dragon, the Game of Thrones prequel series, also loves it. Which, fair to say, has been a rather great coincidence.

Angus: And the soundtrack?

Graham: Oh, it would have to be The Clash, The Sex Pistols, The Jam. Something like that. The Dead Kennedy’s!

After wrapping up, it was late afternoon. Trafalgar Square was back to being a loud, bustling hive of activity. After being photographed on-the-go for over six hours, Graham, who had a busy schedule for the rest of his day, took time to thank each of us. He recorded videos for our family members, took selfies, signed books, and in a flash, he was off. It is always nice to have your expectations surpassed, but it's even better to have them surpassed with warmth.

[mymelodyheart]

All I Want For Christmas Is You Chapter 7 ~The Holiday Feeling~

Picture Source

WARNING: EXPLICIT SEXUAL CONTENT

Previously in Christmas Treats ...

After Annalise had left for a night out of bowling and dinner with Willie, she'd put on her new pyjamas, a long coat so no one in the street would notice what she was wearing underneath when she walked to Jamie's cottage and a pair of Ugg boots. All the while, her stomach did a mad flip-flopped, and she continually found herself staring into space, almost tripping on the way to Jamie's house.

Obviously, she hadn't finished staring into space because when Jamie opened the door after she'd knocked, sending her hurtling back to the present, she was speechless. Rollo dashed out of the house and circled her happily, jumping on her.

Jamie grinned and opened the door wider. "Sassenach! Get in here! We have a guest."

"Oh!?"  I thought we're alone.

She pulled the coat tighter and patted Rollo's head. She remembered Annalise's word not to brace herself too hard, took a deep breath, relaxed and stepped into Jamie's house.

What she saw next, took her by surprise.

If you wish to read this on AO3, here is the link.

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 "Oh, it's alive. I thought it's a toy. What's that?" Claire asked as she stepped into the cottage and saw movement in the shoebox on the floor. Rollo flopped himself down beside it like he was the keeper and protector. "Is this the guest you're talking about?"

"One of them." Grinning, Jamie shut the door and followed her gaze. "Can't ye tell what's in the box? Harry found the poor wee thing mewling under the bushes in the park. It cannae be more than a week old. Probably wandered away from the litter and got lost. It's good Harry found her when he did. I dinnae think it would have survived tonight in this cold."

"It's a kitten!" Placing the paper bags she had on the rug, she got on her knees, picked up the ball of grey fur and held it against her chest. Half of its body was cocooned into a red child's sock, and its tiny head had a comical covering. "Goodness, it's even got a hat with earholes. I've never seen anything like this." 

Jamie beamed. "Not my doing. Harry brought it all bundled up like that already."

"Who's Harry? Another sibling?" she asked, nuzzling her face into the tiny furry body before carefully depositing it back into the shoebox.

Ach, Harry! He was here a minute ago. "No. A mate. He's here somewhere. I invited him to stay for dinner. Give me a sec." He'd been distracted by Claire's arrival, he'd forgotten all about his unexpected visitor.

Jamie left Claire in the living area and went to look for his friend. When he felt a draft of cold air, he went into the kitchen thinking Harry probably went to have a peek at his back garden. 

He poked his head out the back door. "Harry!" he called out. There was no answer. Where the bloody hell has he disappeared to?

All throughout the day he'd been looking forward to tonight after he'd spent the afternoon putting up a Christmas tree he'd bought at a tree farm and decorating it with ornaments belonging to his grandmother from his mother's side. And of all days, Harry had to drop by. Not that Jamie wasn't glad to see him, but the timing was terrible as spending some alone time with Claire was on top of his agenda. Nevertheless, he'd invited the Englishman to stay for dinner. But where the hell is he?

He scoured the yard, but he couldn't find Harry. Suddenly feeling the cold, he slipped back into the kitchen to check the pot roast. It was already ready after he'd left it in a slow cooker to cook all day.

Earlier this morning, after he'd dropped by at Claire's B&B cottage and kissed her, it had been a mammoth task to leaving her side, so he'd kept himself busy all day to make time go by faster. It was becoming apparent spending time away from her was starting to feel like the tension on a bungee cord. The longer the time they spent apart, the greater the urge to see her. And the line felt like it was getting shorter, like his threshold for not being with her was diminishing. If Harry was joining them for dinner, he hoped he wouldn't stay too long after dessert.

"Jamie?"

He glanced up to find Claire holding up a bottle of red wine.

"I splurged a bit. I hope this bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon will go with whatever you're cooking?"

Perfect! Putting the teatowel down, he grinned and approached her.

"It's a classic," he said, taking the bottle from her hand and putting it on the counter. He pulled her into his arms and brushed his lips against hers. "I'm sorry Sassenach, I havenae given ye a proper greeting."

She smiled against his mouth. "Where's your friend?" she asked when he was done kissing her.

He pulled away and ran a hand through his hair. "God knows! He probably left. Harry does that all the time. I've invited him to Lallybroch for tea countless of times, but he’s always refused. I guess he's just not a people person." Jamie decided not to worry about it. "Hungry?"

"Very." She glanced past his shoulder. "What are we having?"

"Pot roast."

"Hmmm, nice. Smells heavenly. Need help?"

"No, I have everything under control. Want something to drink?" Jamie asked, taking out wine glasses, plates and cutleries.

"Not just yet. I had a cuppa before I left the cottage." She smiled at him. "I love your home, especially that fireplace. Is it original?"

He checked the roasted root vegetables in the oven for doneness and shoved them back in again. "Aye, it's an original. This is a crofter's cottage from the eighteenth century, and I've salvaged most of the original fixtures and fittings."

"Love the Christmas tree too. Did you put it up today?" she asked glancing around the kitchen, peering out of the window and touching his collection of fridge magnets.

"Aye, I did."

"Those antique Christmas ornaments are stunning and much better than those plastic baubles you get in shops. I have a few antique ornaments myself. Just too bad, our London flat is not big enough to accommodate a proper Christmas tree." She lifted the lid off the slow cooker and took a whiff. "Mmm, this smells lovely."

He straightened and glanced at what she was wearing. "Sassenach?"

"Hmmm?"

"Why are ye still wearing yer coat? Are ye cold? I thought I put enough wood in the fire."

She grinned. "Oh, this. It's a surprise. Hang on a minute." She turned her back to him, and he waited with anticipation, watching her movements of undoing her coat. If she was wearing a negligee under that coat, he knew he would have a heart attack, and dinner would definitely be put on hold if not cancelled. But he rubbished his thoughts immediately, knowing she wasn't that type of lass. "Close your eyes!" she instructed, and he did.

"Ye're killing me."

"Patience!"

"Are ye naked under yer coat?" he teased.

"You wish!"

He heard rustling followed by footsteps.

"Right, you can open them now."

He slowly opened his eyes, and his gaze immediately landed on the front of her top. It was a Rudolph the Reindeer's face applique complete with a protruding shiny big nose. She was a bundle of red, wearing  red fleece pyjamas with plaid bottoms, and her feet were covered in thick, red woollen socks. He laughed out loud.

"Wait for this. You haven't seen anything yet." Claire fiddled with something from under the hem and pulled the reindeer antler's hood from behind. The reindeer's nose on her front lit up, and the antlers stood lopsided on her head. The hoodie was far too big for her, and it hid one eye. "Ho, ho, ho!" she intonated in a low voice.

He chuckled and pulled her against him. "Ho, ho, ho, indeed. Where did ye get this? This is something for Christmas morning. It's almost as ridiculous as the Christmas jumpers."

"I know, right? As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to get it. Bought it today in Inverness. I thought since we've been doing all sort of Christmassy things together, I'd stick with the theme."

"That red nose is not going to keep flashing like that the whole evening, will it? It's very distracting."

She pressed something from under the top. "Nope. The show's over."

He arched an eyebrow and decided to tease her. "Really? What's underneath that top?"

She blushed, but the smile never left her face. "A hungry tummy."

"Brilliant! Shall we eat then?"

"Sure! I'll help set up the table."

Claire rattled off the things she did with Annalise that day. He was glad her friend had agreed to stay until Three Kings which would buy him more time getting to know Claire better. Jamie didn't want to think of the day when she would go back to London, even though it had been lurking all day at the back of his mind. Watching her work beside him in the kitchen, he was glad she felt comfortable and right at home. He wanted to make good memories with her just in case this was all they would ever have.

They served dinner like they'd been doing it together for years, pouring red wine, plating food he'd prepared and chatting the entire time. They sat opposite each other so Jamie could see every blush, expression and emotion that crossed her face, appreciating the fact she had an appetite, a sense of humour and took a keen interest in his work, life and Broch Mordha. He might have sounded a tad bit like a salesman trying to sell a lifestyle in a remote Highland village, and if she noticed, she didn't give any hints.

When they touched the delicate subject of his PTSD, he realised it was easier to talk about it this time. Claire spoke with refreshing candour, even suggesting alternative healing such as meditation and acupuncture, which he liked and made a mental note to look into it.

Throughout their meal, Claire spoke of her childhood, and in exchange, he talked about his family. From time to time, he would reach out to squeeze her hand so he could see the blush blooming on her cheeks or kiss her, to see the shy smile spreading across her face. Every second with her was a pleasant discovery, and he knew what a lucky bastard he was. How she was without a boyfriend was beyond him but thankful that she didn't have one.

After dinner, they cleared the table and did the dishes. And when Jamie took out Rollo for a short exercise, Claire fed the kitten with a wee bottle Harry had left him.

They took their coffee, a box of chocolate Claire loved, and the unfinished bottle of red wine into the living room. As Jamie put another log into the fire, Rollo curled up next to Claire. It was quite apparent, he wasn't the only one smitten. Smiling, he plopped down next to her and turned on the TV to watch Home Alone.

..........

When the film credits started rolling in the end, Jamie turned off the volume and stretched. He glanced over to Claire just in time to see her unwrapping a Ferrero Rocher chocolate. When she realised he was looking at her, she offered him the already unwrapped sweet. 

He shook his head and smiled. "So, what do ye want to do?"

The room filled with silence as she exaggeratedly contemplated, tapping her chin and scrunching her nose while rolling the chocolate in her mouth. 

His eyes dropped to the delicate lines of her jaw. The smooth, pale skin of her neck and the movement of her throat as she swallowed wreaked havoc with his concentration. He had a very vivid image of what they could do, and they involved running his tongue along the neckline of that ridiculous pyjama top. Since that option would probably send her running out the door, he quickly dismissed the idea. "More movies?" he suggested.

"No. Had enough. Do you know how to play poker?"

"Do I know how to play poker?" He laughed out loud. "I'm a master at the game."

Her eyes lit up. "You have a deck of cards?"

"Aye, I will go and get them." He got up from the sofa and headed towards a desk in the corner of the room. "Always love a game of poker."

"Oh, good. I haven't played for ages."

"What do we play for?"

She cleared the coffee table and crossed her legs. "We'll play for pennies, how about that?"

"I dinnae think I have any loose change."

"We'll think of something else. I'm dealing."

He handed her the deck of cards, put on some classic Christmas song, and then refilled their glasses. He sat beside her and watched with amazement as her fingers expertly flew through the cards with ease, shuffling with lightning speed. While concentrating on his hand, he wondered where she learned how to deal and surmised probably her uncle, the same man who taught her to play pool.

"Alright, here we go, dealer's choice. Five-card stud, ante up."

He glanced up at her. "Wait! We havenae decided what we're playing for." 

"Oh, I forgot. You said you don't have any loose change."

"Maybe we ought to play for the family jewels."

She slapped him on the thigh. "Ha-ha! You funny man!"

His lips twitched. "Weel, any ideas?"

"Can't think of one at the moment."

"Wait a minute ...I have a verra interesting one."

Claire glared at him. "If you're thinking of strip poker, forget it."

He laughed out loud. "No, I didnae mean that. Although I wouldnae mind that." When she arched an eyebrow at him, he grinned. "I meant we'll play for favours."

She bit her lower lip. "Favours? What kind of favours?" she asked suspiciously.

"The first to win three hands gets a free favour from the other. It can be used at any time, like a voucher per se."

Her face suddenly became animated. "Can you use the favour for anything? How about the rules?"

He grinned. "Nae rules and ye can redeem yer favours on anything. Anything at all."

The challenge lured her in like a true gambler following the scent of a big stake. "Very well then, we're playing for favours."

He smothered the jubilant smile threatening to surface and quickly fixed his expression into poker-face, almost licking his lips with glee when she'd agreed.

She dealt, and he almost pumped his fist in the air at the obvious outcome, but he remained silent, watching her replace one of her cards.

After a while, he laid down his cards. "Flush."

"Cool. Two queens. Your deal." Her expression remained inscrutable. God, her poker face is good!

Jamie had to give her credit for keeping her emotions under control. Whoever taught her to play, taught her well and if it wasn't for his past experience, he felt in his guts she'd be one hell of a player to beat. Next, she threw down a pair of aces and yielded gracefully to his three twos.

"Alright, one more hand to go," he announced, subduing the mirth in his voice.

"My deal. I can count, ye ken," she said, imitating his accent. He kept his face impassive as he watched her dainty fingers flitting over the cards. "Care to share where you learn how to play poker?"

He inspected his hand casually. "Played a lot with my unit during my SAS days. Beats sitting around and twiddling my thumbs during long intervals."

"My uncle taught me," she shared. "As well as backgammon and chess."

He threw in a card and replaced it. "I have backgammon and chessboards if ye feel like playing for another time. I'm quite good at both games, in case ye're up for a challenge."

She let out an unladylike snort when she laid down her cards, displaying straight as victory gleamed in her eyes.

Jamie almost felt sorry for her. Not quite but almost.

He whistled low and shook his head. "Good hand." This time he allowed himself to smile. "But, sorry lass, it's no' good enough." He threw his cards down, showing four aces and then cockily stretched his legs out in front of him and leaned back on the sofa. "Nice game, though."

She gasped and looked at him with those beautiful golden orbs. "Jamie, the probabilities of four aces in five-card stud are ..." Her eyes widened. "Oh my word, you didn't!"

"What?"

"Why you cheeky sod ..."

"What, Sassenach?"

"Don't Sassenach me. You cheated!"

"No!"

"Yes, you did!"

He shook his head in feigned horror and tried to look offended. "Och, how could ye think that? Surely not! I ken ye're verra good at it, but this is all on luck."

Her pretty eyebrows slammed together. "No way you can get those four aces unless you palmed the cards. Admit it, because I was thinking of doing it myself, but I refrained from doing so!"

"Don't ye think yer accusation is a tad bit harsh?"

"Jamie, you cheated! I know you did. I can't believe you cheated on our date night. Oh, my God! How could you?"

"I did no such thing."

"Jamie!"

"No cheating occurred, Sassenach." He straightened up from his sitting position and smiled. "Now about that favour I won ..." But his voice trailed off when she abruptly stood up and placed her hands on her hips. "Sassenach?"

"You cheat!" Without warning, she propelled herself over the coffee table and into his arms. Air whooshed out of him as she toppled him back onto the sofa and slipped a hand under the sleeves of his sweatshirt, looking for the suspected hidden cards. Jamie grunted as the full weight of Claire landed on him, her intent on finding proof of foul play resolute. He attempted to regain his balance, but she shifted her attention somewhere else, making him fall back again. When her hands slipped into his pants pocket, he realised if she delved any deeper, she wouldn't come up empty-handed. Ah, sweet Jesus!  With no other options, he flipped her onto her back and pinned both hands above her head.

The tie holding her hair somehow became undone during the struggle, causing her chocolate brown curls to spring forth and tumble down, and a few unruly locks to settle on her face. Jamie stared at the snapping golden eyes peeking between the strands, filled with determination despite his more considerable strength. Her chest heaved against her ridiculous top, the appliquéd Rudolf the reindeer staring mockingly at him. Without meaning to, his weight forced her thighs apart, and he wondered if she was aware of both their predicament. Or at least his.

Jamie knew he would be in deep trouble if he remained where he was, as she continued to wriggle under him.

"I know you're hiding the cards somewhere. I wasn't born yesterday, you know! Admit you cheated and I will forget this ever happened."

"Will ye keep still, Sassenach" he muttered. "Ye're torturing me."

She stuck out her bottom lip and blew a hard breath, the wayward curl lifting and blowing sideways, clearing her line of sight. "That's your conscience doing that. Did you know there's a special place in hell for cheaters?"

He muttered a curse under his breath. "Don't ye ever think of the repercussion to yer actions? Ye cannae just tackle a man like that."

"Oh? What are you going to do about it? Tell Santa to put me on his naughty list?"

Her body suddenly started to shake when she burst into fits of laughter at her own words, causing the heat in his groin to surge through his body like a wildfire gone out of control. Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck! His blood buzzed in his head like a swarming fog, and even though he tried to shift all his thoughts on the fat man sliding down the chimney and getting stuck halfway, all he could only think of was the soft body beneath him. He tried not to breathe and held his body in a tight muscle lock and prayed Claire wouldn't make any more sudden big movements; otherwise, he was going to explode like a schoolboy and look like a glaikit idiot.

But when the realisation of his plight swiftly dawned on her, her mouth formed a comical O, and her face turned bright red, her previous intent on extracting a confession of his cheating, dissipating. 

"Jamie?" Her voice was husky.

He swallowed hard and ignored the fact he had a big fat boner wedged between them. "Did I hurt ye? Didnae mean to be so rough."

"No. I'm fine."

"Are ye sure?"

She smiled, and he inhaled deeply to regain his composure. She smelled like shampoo and flowers and just a hint of fruit flavoured lollies, and he could just about see the pulse palpitating on her neck. Their position made his erection harder, and the way she was looking at him wasn't helping at all.

"You're a big lad," she gulped. 

Ah, shite! "And ye're not helping," he said hoarsely, tamping down a groan.

"Shall I go?"

"No!" He took a deep breath and forced a smile. "Just be still for a moment, aye?"

"Alright."

They laid still for a while looking at each other.

Carefully, he let go of her wrists above her head and stroked her cheek with his thumb. "I can stare at ye like this for hours and never tire of it," he whispered. She smiled, and he kissed the smooth line of her jaw. When she tilted her head back, his lips trailed down of their own accord, bowing his body over hers as he worked his way to the side of her neck.

Hard as he was, he didn't move against her. He wanted her to feel safe and everything to be on her terms, letting her know this attraction went beyond sex. He held on to his control with a mental vice grip and simply appreciated the moment. 

His combed his fingers through her curls, feeling the softness of it in his hand as he kissed her softly, never demanding or pushing even if it pained him a lot.

He heard Rollo sigh from somewhere in the house and the crackling of the fire in the hearth. He almost shot out the sofa as small hands tentatively explored his chest and shoulders, before sliding around his neck and up through his hair. Then they moved down his side and waist before her palms settled over the ridges of his stomach. He loved the small sounds she made at the back of her throat and the softness against every part of him that was hard. Every movement and sigh she made, her scent drifted and surrounded him, a heady pheromone, pulling him in closer.

When her hands slipped under his sweatshirt and settled at his lower back, his breath broke and went ragged, and an instant electric tension rose between them, turning their soft, playful kisses heated and more urgent.

As much as it hurt him to do so, he tore his lips away and looked into her eyes. "We dinnae have to do anything ye dinnae want, Sassenach. We can stop right now," he whispered, his voice sounding oddly gruff in his ears. He felt his cock protesting against his boxer shorts, but he ignored the mounting discomfort in his groin.

She shook her head. "No, I don't want to stop. Kiss me again." 

Relief slammed through him as a ton of weight lifted off his back. "Sassenach, are ye sure?"

She nodded. 

He was about to kiss her again when a gentle push of her hands on his chest stopped him.

"I've never done this before," she whispered. 

"What do ye mean?" 

She rolled her eyes. "I meant sex!"

Ah, Christ! A virgin living in London! How is that possible? Even for Broch Mordha, a virgin was a rarity. He shut his eyes for a few heartbeats, and when he opened them again, suddenly she looked unsure, almost embarrassed, and he felt she needed him to step up. He gave her a slow smile to put her at ease. "Do ye come with a user's manual? Never been with a virgin before."

Her face broke into laughter, and the tension eased a bit. "No! And before you start having all sorts of notions about virgins, I'm not all that naive. I have a fair idea of how it suppose to happen."

"Weel, no crash courses needed then," he joked before his face turned serious. "But why me, Sassenach?"

She gave him an unwavering look, her chin tilting up slightly. "Because I've never felt like this before." 

Neither had he, but the wee voice in the back of his head reminded him this lass was the type of lass you brought home to introduce to your parents. Getting involved with her on a deeper emotional level wouldn't bode well for both of them as her life was in London, and he belonged here. He didn't want to hurt her. She deserved a man who could live in her world without falling down to his knees and having one of his episodes. But the gravitational pull between them was unrelenting. He needed her badly, but his conscience compelled him to offer one more out. One more, before he lost sight of the right thing to do.

"We can just continue kissing ...nothing needs to happen," he rasped, brushing their lips together. "Just say the word, Sassenach. I promise ye I wouldnae mind. I'm perfectly happy just to kiss."

Claire's breath caught as she scrutinised him, the weight of what could follow once they'd stripped each other's clothes written in her eyes. Probably in his, too. "I want this Jamie ... I'm ready."

He studied her for a long while, before making up his mind and nodding. "Wait here."

Getting up, he grabbed some blankets and throw cushions from the sofa and laid them out on the floor. And then he went to retrieve some condoms from the bedroom. After a couple of minutes fussing and finally satisfied with his handiwork, he picked Claire up and gently carried her by the fireplace. Though the fire was already slowly dying down, the embers still glowed, lending the room a cosy feel and warmth.

Claire looked up at him and beamed. "Well, I suppose this is the part where you take off your top."

He laughed out loud despite his balls almost on the verge of mutiny. What supposed to be a tense and awkward moment, was turning out to be fun. He didn't need telling twice. Grinning, he dragged his shirt over his head and was hovering over her under a split second. She looked mightily impressed as she pulled him down. "Wow, never seen anyone take their shirt off so fast," she breathed as he pressed his lips on the hollow of her throat.

"Ye should see how fast I can get yers off," he muttered against the crook of her neck. 

She laughed and gently pushed him away. "I don't want my Rudolph top damaged. I'll take my own clothes off, thank you very much."

With his heart in his throat, he watched her stand and peeled off her pyjama bottom first. She had her back to him, and he figured she was trying to hide her blush. And when she took off her top next, his cock roared back to life, and he hurriedly followed suit, taking off his sweatpants, his eyes fixed on the smoothness of her long legs. Leaving her red bra and knickers on, she swiftly slipped next to him, her teeth clattering and her beautiful pale skin covered in goosebumps.

He gathered her immediately under him, rubbing her arms and the side of her body. "How's that? Still cold?" he asked, looking down at her.

She bit her lip and nodded. "Feeling a lot warmer now."

"Christ, ye smell so good."

"And you're so hot." When she realised what she just said, her eyes widened in horror. "I mean you're like a heating pad."

He grinned at her. "I know what ye meant, but I'll take the other meaning any day. It will do wonders for my ego."

She slapped his arm. "Your ego is perfectly intact, I can assure you."

He smiled as he skimmed his hand up her side and gently cupped her breast, waiting for her reaction. When he felt her back arch a little, he brought down his lips to hers, gently thrusting his tongue into her mouth. She let out a tiny whimper, opening and taking each thrust, conscious of her fingernails digging into his shoulders.

He reminded himself to take it slow and make it memorable for her, but when she parted her knees and allowed him to settle between her thighs, he groaned out loud and changed position, so the tip of his erection pressed right into her through their undies. The slow tease of their movements was maddening, and he wondered if she was aware of it. His cock was straining against her where it would slide in effortlessly if there had been nothing between them.

He felt her hooked her thumbs at the waistband of his boxers, tugging them down. He helped her by kicking them off while putting his fingers under the edge of her knickers. He paused with bated breaths, waiting for her permission, and when she lifted her hips, he groaned and kissed her long and thorough, pushing the flimsy scrap down her thighs.

He nipped at her lips, then trailed down with his tongue to nibble her neck, his fingers unsnapping the clasp of her bra. Claire flailed her head, seemingly unable to verbalise the reactions her body was experiencing, and he watched her with fascination. Emboldened, he cupped the weight of her breast, rolling her nipple, then gently tweaking it between his thumb and forefinger.

"Oh, God Jamie ..."

"It's good?"

She nodded, squeezing her eyes shut and rolling her lips in.

Jamie lowered his mouth and sucked her nipple, his tongue flicking and never letting up the frantic pace, his fingers trailing along her inner thigh, causing goosebumps to erupt on her skin. When he touched her core, she was already wet with need, making his head spin out of control. Fighting the urge to take her now, his index finger traced her folds, rubbing her wetness on her nub. The delicate hitch of her breath hit his ears the exact time his mouth abandoned her breast. 

He met her gaze and sank into the amber depths of her eyes, so far gone with pleasure they turned to molten gold, full of feminine demand that battled past all obstacles and shattered them to pieces. The raw need etched in her features told Jamie she was past the point of no return, that she wanted him now and he knew the feeling.

"Sassenach ...are ye sure?"

"Oh, sweet Mother of God, if you stop now ..." her voice trailed off in a hiss.

"I need to hear the words."

"For God's sake, I want you, Jamie. Now."

Knocking back the reluctance to untangle himself from her, Jamie reared back and reached out for the condom he'd left beside the cushion. He quickly sheathed himself in stretched latex and prowled up her body, settling between her thighs and muffling her requests to hurry with a hard kiss. 

"The first time ye come, I want it to happen while I'm sunk so deep in ye, ye'll never forget who broke it in," he muttered, words muffled by her lips.

"Oh, dear God ..." she moaned.

"Open yer legs wider for me, Sassenach."

She nodded, her fingers running over his cheekbones, lips, chin, as she hiked her knees up. Their breaths raced out of their mouths as he reached down and guided his cock to her opening. Slowly, he pushed inch by inch, allowing her to get used to his girth. When he was finally buried to the hilt, he collapsed and dropped her forehead to hers. 

When he got his breath back, he braced himself on his elbow and looked into her eyes. "Did I hurt ye?"

"Just a little. I hardly noticed. Keep moving." She wrapped her legs around his hips, her fingernails scraping his back lightly on the way down to his arse, which she gripped with hesitation at first, then with more confidence.

With a groan, his hips started to roll of their own volition. He held his breath as heat threatened to flare up in his balls. "Oh fuck, ye feel so good."

"Don't stop ..." she gasped frantically moving her hips against him.

With a hand on her bottom, he lifted her hips effortlessly and drove himself deeper, the last shreds of his control dissolving as he fell on top of her like a dying man. His mouth travelled over hers, and she responded in kind, their tongues twining, their bodies moving in synchronicity to the erotic rhythm and dance. The root of his erection grated against her core and her hips lifted to meet his thrusts, her breaths coming out in pants. It was so breathtaking to watch her pleasure, and what his body is doing to hers, it constricted his heart.

When she dropped her legs from his hips to spread them wider, she let out a strangled moan, and his cock bore down, working her nub. He angled his body for more friction, watching and always conscious of her reaction. When her back arched, and her right leg extended further out, they descended into what felt like wanton madness. She whimpered and raised her hips to meet his thrusts, her inner walls beginning a slow, tight suction of his cock. Jamie was almost afraid to look at her, worried the sight of her would make him lose his restraint and come before her. But it was an impossibility to keep his eyes away when she looked so beautiful beneath him.

He watched her writhe and finesse flew out the window. He fell on her, grunting, sucking in huge gulps of air, pushing her thighs open as he drove faster, listening to her moans of his name, treasuring the throaty awe of them in his ears and all around him. Their mouths joined and gorged, her hands slapping down on his buttocks to pull him in deeper and push him faster. All thoughts of logic, questions and issues suspended as he dipped his head, lowered his mouth over her jiggling tits and continued to pump like a wild beast.

Her body suddenly stilled, before trembling violently underneath him in a climax accompanied by a soft moan, her inner walls squeezing his cock tight. Cursing under his breath, he yanked her legs up and drove himself with a few more hard thrusts to his own peak, a loud groan reverberating from his chest and echoing into the room. He squeezed his eyes shut as his body exploded and spilt his seed. He went from being a bundle of tensed nerves to being utterly devoid of it. 

Utterly spent, he collapsed on top of her, gathering her against him, almost smothering the air out of her. His insides were totally decimated, mind blown and floated down like confetti. 

Moments later, when he lifted his head and searched her eyes, he couldn't stop the widest grin from spreading across his face. And when she returned it with a twinkle in her eye, he fell irreversibly and completely in love with Claire Beauchamp.

..........

The next morning, Jamie got up extra early to let Claire sleep while he did a few chores around the house. He'd kept her up all night, making love and sometime in the early hours of the morning, he'd carried her to his bed. Sleep had been evasive, but this time the cause hadn't been his nightmares or one of his episodes. His thoughts had been filled with the future and its uncertainties instead of being plagued with the past. There were still some niggling doubts lurking in the recesses of his mind, and one of them was his concern when Claire returned to London.

How often had he asked himself in the past twenty-four hours if he could live in London to be closer to her? But now that he had an arboricultural business with Willie, it was doing very well and planning on expanding. He was excited about the community projects he was involved in and committed himself to working long-term. With his episodes and PTSD, the idea of being surrounded by busy streets, chaos, traffics, loud noises, and shoes on the pavement rather than fresh earth paralysed a piece inside him.

Jamie had spent the rest of the night staring into the darkness, wondering what the hell he was going to do. Eventually, some choices have to be made. And he wasn't sure if love would be enough for either of them and if Claire felt the same way.

Taking that leap would only end in heartache and worsen his condition. There had to be some other way. But he couldn't ask her to give up her life and career in London. Or could he? Could he give her what she needed? He shook his head and pushed the bugging thoughts away. They still had the time, and he should focus on that.

After letting Rollo out and bringing in more logs for the fireplace, he made some coffee, answered his emails and read some news on the internet. When his phone chirped and realised it was from his sister Jenny, he groaned. He decided to answer and get it out of the way.

Jenny: I heard all about the lass you're seeing. A city lass, no less. Have you gone mad? Haven't you learned your lessons?

Ah, fuck, I don't have time for this.

Jamie: Enjoy your holiday, and don't worry about me. It's just a winter fling. OK? She's on holiday, and she'll be going back to London. Soon. Happy now?

He left his phone on the kitchen counter and shook his head. This wasn't the text conversation he should be having about Claire. But if it would keep Jenny from busting his balls of all days, he'd play along just to pacify her. He slipped into the bedroom, and when he saw Claire still asleep, he decided to have a shave and shower.

After he was done, he walked into the bedroom and noticed the bed was already made. He searched for Claire, humming under his breath and planning what breakfast he should prepare.

"Sassenach?" he called out. 

No answer. 

She probably went back to her cottage to get a change of clothes, he thought.

He shrugged and went ahead and prepared breakfast, singing along to the song playing on the radio. All I Want For Christmas Is You.

Dear Readers,

Thanking you all for reading and leaving your feedback on the previous chapter. Very much appreciated. It's crunch time now with my writing and preparation for Christmas, but thank God, I'm still on track.

Anyway, I hope this story has given you Christmas joy so far and looking forward to reading what you thought of my latest update. Sending you best wishes and positive vibes. Take care of yourselves and until next time, much love. x

[drxwsyni]

Petrified (pt.2)

Yandere Erasermic x f!Reader

SERIES MASTERLIST

a/n: okaayy this took longer to write than i was hoping for but here it is!

4.2k words

Warnings: some harassment, light injury

It amazed you that despite the extreme overuse of your quirk in the past thirty-six hours, you were still able to hold on to a remaining amount of wavering consciousness. You’d like to think it was because you’ve grown stronger after using it so much over the past few years. In reality, it was most likely due to the chilled wind that blew against your form keeping you awake as you walked home, mind still reeling from the events towards the end of your shift.

On a normal weekday the venture back to your apartment would only take roughly fifteen minutes, twelve if you took a few less than safe shortcuts. Now however, the concept of time was not something your short circuited brain could understand. With limbs feeling like they were made of lead, you could only imagine how much longer this ordeal was going to take.

With your brain on autopilot, you let your thoughts wander in hopes that you’d just blank until you reached your destination. That was until you met the familiar alleyway to your left on the sidewalk.

Doing a quick cost-benefit analysis, you deduced that in your state, shaving off a few minutes of travel time with this detour may be crucial if you want to make it home without collapsing before you got there. Although you were aware of the shady business that went down in areas like this, the alleyway was the only option if you wanted to fall asleep in your own bed.

It was pitch black outside, a few dim street lamps serving as the only form of illumination. The alleyway was dark, but there was just enough light bouncing off the walls for you to discern the narrow path ahead.

You made a final decision, turning down the path despite the pit in your stomach that had just begun to form. I just need to focus on getting home, you told yourself, attempting to calm your nerves.

About thirty feet in and you realized just how stupid you were for ever thinking this was a good idea.

On the other side of the alleyway, the only exit to the narrow path, you could just barely see the silhouette of a tall, large figure step into the clearing. Squinting, your clouded brain slowly identified that the person, seemingly a man, was gradually walking in your direction. 

By now you were about halfway through the passage. Understanding that the man likely had bad intentions, you pivoted on your heels and sped up back down the way you came.

...At least that’s what you were going to do, but blocking your path, lazily sauntering in your direction were two more equally large statured men.

Just like that your heart sunk into the now gaping pit in your stomach, the feeling giving you whiplash. Frozen in place, you felt your heart pounding as if it were ready to burst right through your chest. It’s okay, just give them your bag and run for it if they try anything, it’s not like you’d lose much anyways.

You looked back around to see the first figure had drawn close, now standing roughly ten feet away. Head whipping to face the other two again, you found them to have closed the same distance.

One of them, you couldn’t tell who in the darkness, spoke up. “Hey there cutie, what’s a little lady like you doing out all by herself?” His voice was rough, sounding like he smoked a pack a day.

Behind you the other man joined in, startling you. “Yeah, don’t you know how dangerous it is at night baby?”

At this point he had produced what looked like a crowbar. He may have had it before, but your memory was already failing you. The effects of your rapidly increasing heart rate were becoming unbearably severe at this point. Seeing black spots forming at the edges of your vision, along with a dizziness that felt sickening, you wondered if you’d even be able to reason with these guys. 

Somehow you sputtered out a defence. “I-I swear, whatever money I have y-you can take it. I really don’t want any trouble, I promise.”

You hear a low chuckle behind you, but you didn’t turn around, or rather you couldn’t, fear taking root and holding you in place.

“C’mon now sugar, we just wanna have a little fun is all. Why don’t you just be good and play along, yeah?”

Nothing you could’ve done would make any words come out of your mouth in protest. Instead, all you could comprehend was the sudden absence of noise around you. 

The men hadn’t left, and there was still the sound of distant life outside the alleyway that could probably be heard. But none of that was being processed in your mind.

Dimly, you could see the man in front of you talking, his mouth moving to form words, but it was clear now that the surge of panic and adrenaline had incapacitated your form. Your hearing had failed you, replaced with what sounded like blood rushing through your head. 

It was time for the rest of your body to follow suit, crumbling under the severe exhaustion and aggressive response from your body trying to activate its fight or flight senses.

Knees buckling beneath your form, your body swayed slightly to the side as you collapsed hard onto the concrete. Laying there completely limp, your eyes fluttered closed with heavy eyelids. You processed that nothing you could do would prevent unconsciousness, effectively giving up.

It took a few more seconds for sleep to completely envelope you, now unable to even lift a finger in protest. Maybe it was just hallucinations from your lucid, half asleep state, but you could’ve sworn you could make out the distant sounds of loud cursing from multiple people. Maybe even a few pained grunts here and there.

But that comprehension was swiftly cut short, your body finally succumbing to its stresses, knocking you out like a light.

_______

Hizashi was seated in a cushioned armchair positioned just off the edge of the hospital bed so he could keep an eye on the figure laying in front of him. Eyes unmoving from that one spot, he watched the rise and fall of your chest as your unconscious form remained otherwise still.

For a moment he glanced at his wristwatch, seeing that he’d been looking after you for a little under two hours, now being 11:06 pm. During all this time your form had remained in what the doctors had explained as pretty much a coma, brought on by extreme strain of the body’s energy. It wasn’t likely to last long, but the reasoning behind it was concerning enough that they’d administered fluids which you were also lacking by an equally unhealthy amount.

Having more than enough time to think, the voice hero attempted to deduce any possible explanations as to how you’d let your health deteriorate so much. He’d had his fair share of experience when it came to seeing what the effects of overworking can have on the human body. This however was most definitely up there, especially for someone in your line of work.

Bringing him out of his thoughts, a nurse lightly rapped on the door before entering. “Pardon me Yamada sir, but visitor hours ended at 9 pm. I’m going to have to insist that you leave for tonight. You can come again starting at 6:30 am tomorrow however.”

Knowing he’d overstayed his welcome, the blond silently agreed, standing out of his seat and grabbing his jacket that was hanging off the back of it. He gave you one last look, inwardly wishing there was more he could do for you at the moment, before taking his leave.

Hizashi was headed back to his car when he felt his phone buzz in his pocket, pulling it out almost frantically.

From: Shouta <3

Just got back from the station. I already know what you’re going to say, just tell me when you get home and focus on driving. See you soon.

11:10 pm

It was obvious his partner was equally concerned over the state you were in, especially given how he reacted when they apprehended the thugs trying to take advantage of you. Knowing he’d have to wait so as not to irritate Shouta more than he likely already was, the voice hero put his phone away and traded it for an electronic key, unlocking the sleek, black car and stepping in.

The ride home felt like it took ages, his mind still racing whilst going over the events from that night. Attempting to ease his conscience, Hizashi decided to take the time to figure out what he’d say to his partner. Specifically, how they’d deal with you.

_____

When he finally pulled into the driveway it felt as if he was going mad, still reeling from the thoughts of what could’ve happened if him and Shouta didn’t find you in time.

Pushing those scenarios to the back of his head, the blond stepped out of the car and made his way to the front entrance. He typed in the combination to the keypad, hearing the locking mechanism shift before reaching for the handle.

It was silent in the house as he walked in, closing the door behind him. Looking over to the dining room table, he saw the bouquet of flowers you’d arranged for Shouta that night, beautifully settled into a vase.

Distantly, Hizashi could hear the thumping of footsteps above him. Knowing who they belonged to, he resolved to hang up his jacket before anxiously waiting for his partner in the living room.

On queue, Shouta made his way downstairs, hair still wet from showering. Plopping down on the living room couch with an audible sigh, he started. “I got the information of the guys who attacked (y/n) before I left. They’re behind bars so there’s nothing more we can do.”

The blond was leaning against the mantle of the fireplace, arms crossed while anxiously tapping his foot as if waiting for permission to start his rant.

Expectedly, his partner lazily waved, as if to say ‘get it over with.’ In truth, he knew what Hizashi was going to say, and he agreed, but the fact of the matter was that his partner always ended up being overzealous with his passions. The only thing that mattered right now was working out a way to properly deal with both of their concerns.

“Y’know when ya told me how tired the poor thing looked after coming home last week from the shop, I thought you meant like how you look after patrolling all night.”

Shouta disregarded the insult, knowing full well how he appeared sometimes after doing so.

“But this is just―she fucking passed out from getting scared, that shit ain’t normal Shou’.”

His counterpart let him calm down for a second before acknowledging the situation. “I know, you think it doesn’t bother me just as much?” He leaned back into the sofa, pinching the bridge of his nose for a moment. “I didn’t think it was this bad. But it could honestly just be a medical problem. Chronic fatigue, severe anxiety...or something like that.”

The blond lightly shook his head. “Maybe, it’s just… I don’t know babe, something seems off to me. And I know you’re thinking it’s me overreacting again, but would ya just hear me out?”

The frustration in the air was palpable, neither being able to settle on a flimsy excuse. “No, you’re not overreacting. I got the same feeling, we just can’t jump to conclusions right now, got it?”

Hizashi’s shoulders slumped in a mixture of relief over the mutual understanding of concern, and defeat for having to hold off on his suspicions.

As if his counterpart knew exactly how the man felt, he continued. “Let’s just wait it out for a bit. Hell, how many people have we seen go through similar things. It’s likely she’ll just have to rest up for a bit. Nothing to worry about.”

The blond sighed, “Sure, whatever―I’m still gonna check up on her tomorrow though, ‘kay?”

“Of course. Now go take a shower, I can smell you from here.” 

The atmosphere became a little less tense, having reached a conclusion.

Hizashi chuckled lightly before walking off in the direction of their bedroom, leaving Shouta to relax in the comfort of a quiet house.

_____

The sound of a steady, electronic beeping was the first thing you could make sense of as your body gradually gained back its senses. It was hard, but you channelled every ounce of energy in your body to open your eyes, albeit halfway, to assess your surroundings.

The first thing you noticed was the warm lighting cast upon a bleak white ceiling above. It felt comforting, serving as assistance to calm the growing worry you felt from not knowing where you were. It was likely late in the evening or perhaps sunrise you concluded.

Moving still proved to be difficult, so instead you opted for momentarily trying to piece together what scattered memories you had. 

Vaguely, you recall going home after your shift, noting the holes in the messy timeline from what you assume was fatigue-induced memory loss. Next was the unforgettable sense of dread you felt after being trapped by two...no, three people? There were a few lines of conversation thrown around by the perpetrators which you couldn’t quite remember the exact contents of, and given the situation maybe that was a good thing. That’s where the encounter ended, and you were left to assume that like the Saturday shift incident you had long ago, you passed out mostly from exhaustion.

With that done you forced yourself to identify the current situation at hand. It seemed judging by the sterile looking ceiling and walls, along with the telltale beeping sounding off to your left, you were in a hospital room.

It also seemed that you were lying on a somewhat stiff bed, blankets covering you from the chest down, the weight of it revealing its presence. Aching for more information, you struggled with the dead weight of your form with a low groan, moving to prop yourself up on your left elbow. 

From this position you could see the heart monitoring device clipped onto your index finger, along with an IV protruding from the top of your hand. Following the tube connected, your eyes landed on a bag of clear fluid hanging on a metal post behind you. The sudden movement catching up to you, a low throbbing formed in the back of your skull, prompting you to hold your head in the hand not secured with medical equipment.

Sighing, you weakly sat up fully in bed and saw that your clothing had been replaced with a hospital gown. You were still so out of it that the quiet sound of a light snoring noise to your right almost went unnoticed. But it didn’t, and you turned your head slowly to the source.

Awkwardly slumped in a cushioned chair to your right was a man, deep in slumber with his head hanging slightly to the side. You assessed his sleep induced state, eyes traveling over his features.

Long black hair hanging loose around his shoulders, mild eye bags, scar under his right eye.

Little by little your memory identified him as the same man who you’d assisted twice now at the floral boutique in which you worked at. What was his name again? It started with an s right? Sh...Shou….God, what was it?

“Shouta! Get up!” A loud voice boomed to your left, causing you to dizzily swerve your head in its direction. Standing in the doorframe of your single patient room was a tall, blond haired man carrying a bouquet of flowers in his right.

Present Mic, you thought, or rather Hizashi, something he made startlingly clear for you to call him.

Jarred awake at the disturbance, the once sleeping man sat up abruptly in his chair, eyes falling on your deeply rigid form.

And what exactly are they doing in your hospital room, much less alone with you while you were sleeping? 

Most likely sensing the uncomfortableness mixed with confusion in your demeanor, Shouta spoke up. “I’m sorry, we don’t mean to alarm you in your state. I take it you’d like an explanation as to how you ended up here.”

Hizashi had found his way to the right side of your bed, not after setting the flowers down on a side table first. You waited a few more seconds, collecting your thoughts before responding.

“Um...yeah. That would be nice I guess.” You ended up croaking out the response from the dryness and lack of recent speaking.

The voice hero sat down on the edge of the bed, a small but warm smile on his face almost as if to ease your nerves. “Well songbird, your lucky Shouta and I found ya when we did last night. You’d gone and passed out while some nasty ol’ guys tried to attack you.” 

There was a pause before his counterpart continued, giving you a moment to let the new information sink in. “We decided to go on patrol together for a few hours after leaving your shop. Our sources mentioned some criminal behaviour around the area you were in, so naturally we went there first.”

With these crucial bits of information revealed, you picked at your memories once again. Vaguely, the sounds of what you now presume to be fighting were the last things you can recall.

“And thank god we did. Ya must have been so frazzled that the scare put you to sleep. Can’t even begin to imagine what would’ve happened if you were alone.” Hizashi’s point didn’t make you feel better, but he was right, last night was a combination of your worst qualities happening all at once.

You must have visibly shuddered at that statement too, mind wandering to the plethora of possibilities those men could have gotten up to. “But nothing more happened, I can assure you. ‘Zashi and I dealt with the guys and called the police to pick them up. We were worried about your condition so he carried you to his car and drove you to the hospital before an ambulance arrived to save time, I stayed to wait for backup. You’ve been asleep since.”

Silently, you noted the reduced throbbing in your head, figuring the impact of your skull crashing into the pavement was to blame. And then it dawned on you, You’ve been here long enough to be changed into a gown and given an IV?

“Ah...exactly how long have I been asleep?” Your voice was shaky, weak even from just having woken up and still feeling the ache of fatigue.

Shouta decided to relay this piece of news, using a calm tone in an attempt to not alarm you. “The attack happened last night at around 9:15, it’s roughly 6:30 in the evening right now so you’ve been asleep for almost a whole day.” 

Oh...well that’s definitely cause for concern. On the bright side it’s a new record! But, if that’s the case then how long have they been waiting for you to wake up…

If it was a long time then you’d feel bad for ruining their Friday night, and all of their Saturday. This realization alone was enough to give a skip in your heartbeat.

“I stayed with ya for a bit while Shou cleared some stuff up with the police, but I ended up gettin’ kicked out not too long after by the nurses cause of visitor hours being done and all that. We both came to check on you this morning and he’s stayed here since then. I just got ‘ere to switch shifts but whaddya know, our sunshine was up ‘n awake.” 

Great...you thought, so you had ruined their day. You’d have to deal with making up for that later once you got out of this place, but for now...wait, our sunshine?

...Okay, just ignore it (y/n), he did save your life after all so a little shameless endearment can’t hurt, right?

“I’m really sorry for taking up so much of your time. You don’t have to stay any longer, I’m sure you guys are pretty busy.” You had no reason not to send them away, feeling horrible for making the two think they had to look after you. In addition to that, you barely knew the men outside of what kind of flowers they liked, so the unfamiliar circumstances were a little unsettling.

You could hear Shouta sigh at your dismissive response, to which you thought he was relieved to finally be sent home.

“If we were concerned about wasting our time we would have left a long time ago. We’re here because we want to be, not because we have to.”

Strangely, that didn’t make you feel any better. “Still, I feel bad for keeping you…”

There was a brief silence in the room, and if you weren’t currently hanging your head in shame then maybe you would’ve seen the subtle but conspiring looks exchanged between the two men.

The blond was the first to break the silence, something he seemed to be good at. “Well...if you’re feelin’ that bad there’s certainly a way to repay us.”

Your head perked up at the proposition, anxiety settling due to not knowing exactly what this repayment could entail. 

Thankfully, Hizashi didn’t seem to want to watch you squirm with anticipation. “Why don’t ya stop by our place once you get out of here. Shouta and I’d love the extra company.”

His counterpart continued after a moment. “We always end up making more food than we need for dinner, the accommodation for one night would be no trouble.”

Naturally, the prospect of being asked to spend more time with these men after you’d already been such a burden was unexpected. You’d think after all this time it would only be normal to send you on your way. Yet, here they were, continuing to leave you stunned at their actions over and over again.

If this is what it takes to appease them, then so be it. Surely you can handle having dinner with them, right?

The two waited patiently for your response. It took a second, but you managed to gather your thoughts for a comprehensive answer. “I suppose… although I don’t see how this helps me repay you in any way.”

“Nonsense, songbird. Shou’ wouldn’t admit to it, but he’s been a bit worried that you’re not takin’ care of yourself, with all the work ya do. Nothing a good meal can’t fix, ya dig?” Hizashi positively beamed at your acceptance to the request, making it hard to deny him. Especially since, although silently, Shouta wished to see this through as much as him based on the explanation.

You smiled, the reassuring atmosphere easing the tension in your body. “If that’s really what you want then I guess it couldn’t hurt.”

It looked as if the erasure hero was about to speak, but before he could, a knocking on the door stopped him. 

Waiting a moment before entering, a nurse opened the door. “I would’ve appreciated it if you two informed me immediately when she woke up.” She reprimanded the two heroes for their irresponsibility before making her way to the unoccupied side of your bed.

“I need to discuss some matters with the patient, why don’t you head home for the night.” She regarded the two without looking in their direction, instead examining the IV bag and writing something down on a clipboard.

You gave them an apologetic look, clearly they wanted to talk a bit longer than they were being allowed. 

Shouta stood from the armchair, gathering his jacket in his arms with Hizashi following suit. 

“We’ll see ya later, ‘kay sweetheart?” It seemed the blond simply had a habit of dishing out loving nicknames, and at this point you were getting used to it.

The erasure hero continued, “Get some rest, one of us will check up on you tomorrow morning.” 

You managed out a quiet “Okay,” and they were gone before the nurse could scold them for taking up more time.

Finally having the privacy she needed, the nurse regarded your current state. “Okay then, hun. Let’s see how you’re doing.”

_____

The next hour or two was filled with various exams and consultations. You were told exactly what you’d been expecting. Which was basically along the lines of blacking out due to exhaustion combined with hitting the pavement pretty hard. You didn’t bother to mention that the occurrence was most likely also slightly induced by the sudden panic attack, figuring that it wasn’t quite as important.

At the end of the day you were told that in light of the situation and your poor health, it was necessary that you’d have to remain in the hospital for another day at least. After that it was a matter of judging whether your condition had improved.

You were brought dinner, barely regarding the dull taste as your hungered state simply couldn’t care less. Frankly, the after effects of the prolonged fatigue were still causing you to feel intensely drowsy, and so the rest of the night happened in a blur.

The next thing you knew, you’d settled back down to into your bed, ready to accept another long slumber.

End of Part 2

_____

taglist: @tjhonoluluprezstitch626

[tomtenadia]

Island Dreams - Chapter 16

Chapter 16 is here. Ten more and the epilogue and the story is over. I have some lovely moments already written down as drafts and i swear there is a lot of fluff coming.

The wee holiday with Lys and Aedion is almost over. Aelin and Rowan share a powerful moment at Callanish. Then something happens and fate throws them together a bit more. And they finally go on a date.

I hope you will all love it.

Thank you to all who have liked or reblogged my fic. You are amazing.

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The next morning a sense of sadness descended on the quartet. They had a quiet breakfast, all moping because their small break was over. They checked-out of the cottage a bit later and they made their way to the ferry terminal to go back on Harris and Lewis. Once they were back on the island, Rowan, who was back at the wheel decided to drive them up via the Golden road. He hoped that the beautiful road trip would raise the spirits up a little bit. Even Aelin was a bit down. At one of the junctions Rowan slowed down a lot after a big sign alerting them of possible farm traffic. He hoped they would encounter some. He knew it would definitely cheer up the two women.

His lips curled into a smile when in the distance he spotted a big flock of sheep heading their way. He pulled over the car and relaxed. Lysandra squealed and jumped off the car as it got surrounded by the animals and Aelin joined her a moment later. The smiles where back on their faces and Rowan realised he would do anything to see Aelin with such a bright smile. “It’s like the picture you sent me.” The dark-haired woman exclaimed all excited and took out her phone to take as many pictures as possible. The two men had exited the car as well and were now leaning against the hood and enjoying the view of their happy women. “I guess for you it’s not that unusual.” Commented Aedion admiring Lysandra. “No, they can be daily occurrences for locals.” Then he stared at Aelin “but look at how happy they are.” And his voice had an edge of softness. Aedion noticed Lysandra trying to pet a sheep and laughed. He took a few photo of her. “Thank you for all this.” The man turned to Rowan “Lysandra has suffered quite a lot after Aelin left. I haven’t seen her this happy in a while.” Rowan smiled back at the man and from how he talked about Lysandra he realised he loved the woman deeply. “And I know Aelin is not coming back and on some level Lysandra knows as well but still has to process it.” “Thank you for looking after her.” replied Rowan, his gaze back on Aelin “When she arrived she was a mess. We both were to be honest. But now she is happy.” “I don’t know what magic you pulled man, but I have known Aelin for a very long time and I have never seen her this happy. Not even when she was married to officer asshole.” “She told me about him.” “I swear I had a daily need to punch the bastard. You can’t marry someone and then decide you can only love some parts of her. When you commit to someone you cannot pick and choose which part you love.” Rowan growled. “And the divorce. The bastard had been cheating on her for months. Had lied to her and told her he was working night shifts when he was screwing the detective bitch. He lied, he hurt her in a way that was unspeakable. He crushed her. I offered willingly to help her move to Lys’ place. I wanted her as far way as possible from that son of a bitch.” Rowan was shocked by the ferocity with which Aedion defended Aelin. “And before you ask, no, nothing ever happened between us. She is a very dear friend of mine. I love her like a sister.” Rowan place a hand on Aedion’s shoulder “Thank you.” Was all he said. Once the road was clear again Aelin and Lysandra went back to their men “what were you talking about?” Aelin had noticed the two deep in conversation and she was glad to see that they had become good friends in that few days away. “Aedion was telling me of his time in the RAF.” Aelin smiled and Rowan was happy she believed the little lie.

They continued the drive and they stopped at the small Harris Tweed place Aelin had discovered and Lysandra spent almost a fortune and even bought a present to Aedion as a thank you. Eventually they crossed back into Lewis and Rowan took the road to Callanish and Aelin was giddy. That was her favourite place. Once they got there they noticed there were only a few tourists. Aelin took Lysandra’s hand and guided her friend to the stones while telling her all the info she had absorbed from the book Elias had given her. They guys reached them a moment later and joined them near the stones at the circle. Rowan grabbed Aelin to him and he moved to the centre of the circle. He had imagined the moment he would be at Callanish with her a million times. He knew she loved the place and for him, being pagan and all, the site had a special meaning. Aedion grabbed Lysandra and the two decided to do some exploring on their own and Rowan for a moment was glad as he wanted to have a moment alone with Aelin. He pulled her to his chest and his arms closed around her. “ 's ann leatsa a tha mo chridhe gu brath” he whispered to her ear and Aelin wished he would speak Gaelic more often even if she could not understand him. His voice changed and it made her heart race furiously. He placed her hand on his heart “gu brath.” He said again and kissed her “On this sacred soil I claim you, mo chridhe. 's ann leatsa a tha mo chridhe gu brath.” And she squeezed him as tight as she could. She had no idea what he was saying but she could feel his love. She looked up at him “I claim you Rowan Whitethorn, on this sacred soil I declare my love to you.” She said and felt horrible. She wanted to say something poetic. Something that sounded just as beautiful as what he said, whatever it was, but that’s all she could manage. But he seemed happy, his hands went to her head and caressed it with gentleness and she felt a shift in their relationship. As if they had just taken a step much bigger than having sex a just a level below getting married. His heart raced just as much as hers.

Rowan could not let go of her. He had just told her something powerful in a magical place like Callanish. He felt as if he had just proposed to her. But she was his and he was hers. And he meant what he had said to her. His heart was hers forever. In the past few days he had realised that there was no turning back. This woman had entered his life and now he could not think to exist without her. And he thought about the Runrig song he sang to her on the beach There is no way without you. Lysandra and Aedion came back and for a moment he was annoyed. He wanted a little bit more time with her and Aelin seemed to be of the same opinion when she did not move from her position. “This place is amazing. And I can’t believe is over 5000 years old.” Rowan nodded and then Lysandra announced they were going to the visitor centre because she had to play tourist and buy a fridge magnet. Rowan kissed Aelin’s head who had not moved from her position even when her friends were here. “Are you okay?” She lifted her head and he noticed she was crying. Shit what did he do? “Hey…” with his finger he removed her tears “What’s wrong?” “Nothing,” she sobbed “You said something super amazing to me and I replied in a very lousy way and all I wanted to tell is that I love you. I want you in my life. For ever. For always. Because there is no way without you and I can’t think about another day without you at my side.” He kissed her. He lifted her until her feet left the ground and kissed in a way that would tell her that he felt the same way. “Better?” He asked when he put her down and she gave him a grin. “Come, let’s go and buy you your tacky fridge magnet.” And hand in hand they walked to the visitor centre.

Later in the afternoon they reached Butt of Lewis and their last stop in their adventure. At that beautiful place Aelin took Lysandra aside. It was time. After what happened at Callanish with Rowan she knew her decision was now final and there was no turning back for her. Which meant she had to tell her friend. They sat down at the edge of the cliff and Aelin took Lysandra’s hand. “Lys…” Aelin was now staring at the sea that over there was always angry, no matter how calm the wind. “I am not coming back to London. A part from you and Aedion, there is nothing left there for me. I can’t step back in my old life. Not after here. And…” she took a deep breath “I can’t leave Rowan. I don’t want to.” Lysandra smiled at her friend “I knew from the first moment I saw you again.” She replied squeezing the hand back “you were so happy that I knew you’d never come back. Why would you? And when I saw you with Rowan and I had the final proof.” She kissed Aelin’s cheek “I want to be invited at the wedding.” Aelin laughed “you will be the first one to know.” The two women hugged fiercely “I love you.” They said to each other. Half an hour later they were all back in Stornoway and Rowan had dropped them off at Aelin’s place. When it was time to part Aelin felt a sudden pang of sadness. She didn’t want to stay away from Rowan. “Come and say hi if you are in town,” he said to her, hugging her “I’ll miss you.” She was going to spend time with her friends, but Rowan had to go back to the shop and she was going to miss him. “Leave the other women alone, I am your only bookworm.” She felt him grin against her lips. “I’ll behave.”

Two weeks had passed and Lysandra and Aedion had to go back home and Rowan knew Aelin was going to be in a foul mood so he had prepared a task for her to keep her mind off things. He needed a revamp of the sci-fi section and he left the task to her knowing she would love it. She told him she was coming in at nine when he opened but it was past ten and there was no sign of her and he was getting worried. He also had no text or missed calls from her. It was almost eleven when she walked into the shop and he knew something bad had happened. She walked to him and sat down on her chair. “What happened?” She did not reply and instead she gave him a letter which he took and read it. “Are you kidding me?” “Nope.” She replied totally dejected “my landlord is selling the house and I have a month to move out.” She sighed “I spent the morning looking for other places but there is nothing available, unless I want to buy, which at the moment I can’t do. So, yeah I am in deep trouble. If I don’t find anything I am on the street.” “No you are not.” He said to her and turned his gaze to her “I have a spare bedroom. You can stay at my place. My house is big enough for two and for all your books.” Aelin jumped off the chair and into his arms “You are joking.” “Why would I? You need a place where to stay and I have it. Problem solved.” He was being very pragmatic but his heart was racing at the idea. “You will have me around all the time, Rowan. All the time.” “And?” Aelin huffed and lifted her hands “Just checking that you are sure of what you are getting into.” She kissed him “But I am so very grateful.” “Is my bedroom big?” She asked feeling excitement rise. “It’s normal.” He replied continuing working on what he was doing. “Will I have space for my books?” “I can squeeze them in.” “Ro?” “What?” Exasperation in his voice. “Are you ignoring me or the computer is sexier than me?” With a very slow motion he finally turned “Fireheart, some people have work to do.” “Fine. You are grumpy.” And she pinched his buttocks. Rowan turned quickly and glared at her for a second then exhaled deeply “We can move things on Sunday. Have everything prepared and boxed and on Sunday I will help you. We have two cars so it should be quite quick.” His tone flat. She threw her arms around his neck “You are wonderful.”

Ten minutes later she was back to work all happy again and Rowan had a smile on his face. They were going to live together and he could not contain his happiness at having her around all day. “By the way… the sci-fi section needs a revamp. Fancy playing a bit?” “Hell yeah, Aelin to the rescue.” By the end of the day she had redone not just the sci-fi display but also two more bookcases, explaining that they needed a bit of a spruce up as well and Rowan had let her. Her display were working and his sales had definitely increased. According to Aelin his Facebook page was being successful especially since he had started posting reviews and recommendation. “And again, ladies and gentleman, bow to the Queen.” In the distance she heard Rowan scoff. “You have any problems?” She walked to him wiggling her finger at him “No m’lady I could never tell my Queen she has a very high esteem of herself.” She grinned and walked to him and placed a kiss on his wicked mouth. “Ro?” “Yes, menace.” She snuggled and took a deep breath “There is there is a sci fi festival at An Lanntair this week and tonight they are showing Star Wars episode IV. Fancy coming with me?” Rowan was silent for a moment. “I am coming with you. But just because we are watching the original trilogy. I refuse to watch the new stuff.” Aelin laughed “Oh I’d never do that. For me only the three original episodes exist.” “You are my girl.” “Will… you know. Be okay? With Lyria?” Rowan gave her a squeeze “I will be fine.” She looked up at him with a very mischievous grin “It’s warm, I can wear a very slutty dress and show her who is the stick.” Rowan laughed “Just not too slutty. People talk around here.” “And say what? Rowan Whitethorn is dating the hot chick from London? Like I care.” He ran a hand through her hair “This chick from London is hot, though.” He grinned. “We can also have dinner together. Have a date you know.” He then added. A huge smile appeared on her face “I’d love that very much.” “So if we are going on a date, does it mean we are officially dating? Are we putting a label on it?” She leaned on the counter with her elbows and stared at him. “We can put one label if you want. We can say that we are dating.” He offered her while filing away some of the invoices he had just finished to reconcile. “But we are not boyfriends and girlfriend.” She looked at him. “I prefer a Fireheart and her Buzzard.” Aelin grabbed his face and kissed him deeply “I prefer it so much more” and brushed his hair “And if someone asks us what is means we will tell them to mind their own business and just let us enjoy our relationship how we want.” He had his eyes closed and his his face in an expression of pure bliss while Aelin kept caressing his head. Aelin even thought she heard him purr in delight. She could not keep her hands off him. She always needed to have some kind of contact with him and she was happy that he allowed it. The door opened and they broke apart quickly. She went to the customer and he continued his job at the computer while keeping an eye on he. He could not believe himself. He had just offered her to go and live with him. Last time he had done that it did not end well and a part of him was worried. They relationship was going well and all of a sudden her was terrified he had just done a stupid thing. But then he looked at her again and the rational part of his brain told him that she was not Lyria and Aelin was seriously in love with him. He sighed and hoped he was right. She came back walking with her usual swagger and with her hips pushed him away “I need to order a book.” And she started playing at the computer and Rowan was impressed how quickly she had learned all the other aspects of the job. She had been an amazing help and knowing he could keep the shop open when he was going to the school was an incredible relief. “Who gave you permission to do that?” He joked. “You did. Now let me finish before I make a mistake and then you shout at me.” He pulled her braid and left her alone with her task.

Later that evening they had finally gone home and now Aelin was trying to decide what to wear for her date with Rowan. She had texted Lysandra all excited and her friend’s reply was something that will make him regret that you are in a public place and not in his bed. The night was warm so she decided to wear her blue dress. It was very ‘50s in style with a nice flowing skirt, and sleeveless. It was one of her favourite. And it was also not slutty at all. She put some light make up on and decided to leave her hair down. it was always in a braid during the day, but she wanted to fully shock Rowan. She grabbed a jacket and left the house. They were meeting outside the restaurant. Her stomach was in knots by the excitement. She hadn’t felt like this on her first date with Chaol. When she arrived at the restaurant she spotted Rowan in the distance. It was almost impossible not to notice him. And she stopped. Damn, the man really was sex on two legs. He was wearing a pair of jeans, a white shirt under a green jumper that somehow matched his eyes. It was simple but on him it was a dream. She swallowed and walked to him.

Rowan had spotted her in an instant. She was wearing a beautiful blue dress that hugged her curves beautifully. But what caused him almost an heart attack was her hair. It was down. He had always seen her in a braid and never realised how long it was. It hung on her shoulder and it look like gold. She was the most stunning woman he had ever seen and he was positive he now had a stupid grin painted on his face. “Hey,” he said, walking to her. An arm went around her waist and he pulled her to him for a quick kiss. “You taste of strawberry.” “Lipgloss,”Aelin said and Rowan kissed her again. “Now you removed it all.” “I have no regrets and I plan on doing it again.” He smiled at her and then run his fingers through her hair. “I love this. Very, very, much.” “Shall we go in?” At the restaurant they had a great meal and Rowan told himself he should have asked her out before. But her situation was a mess before, their status confused. Now that things were finally moving in the correct direction he was planning on remedy on all those omissions and treat her out to a meal more often. Once they were done they walked to An Lanntair hand in hand and chatting away happily. At the community centre they stopped outside and Aelin noticed his indecision. “Ro, we don’t have to do it. We can go for a walk and then get ice cream. We really don’t.” He kissed her “I want to. It’s time I face it. I love this place and I am tired of avoiding because of her.” With his hand in hers they walked in and once inside they joined the queue for the tickets. Aelin had noticed a few women staring at Rowan and she had promptly glared at them marking the territory. His arm went tight around her waist and she was petty enough to turn to those women and smirk. “Two tickets please for Star Wars,”Aelin heard Rowan said and she noticed the woman at the counter. Lyria’s gaze was fixed on her. “Perhaps you want to keep an eye on the computer.” Aelin added and her arm went around Rowan’s waist in a possessive manner. And she celebrated a little victory when she noticed annoyance in the woman’s eyes. “I didn’t know you liked this kind of movie.” Lyria’s stare was now on Rowan “Do you want your usual seat at the back of the cinema? Although I doubt your friend here has the guts to have sex in a cinema.” “I have a thing called decency.” Aelin spat back now fully sick and tired by this woman. “Cash or card?” “Card,” growled Rowan. “Here are your tickets.” Then her gaze was on Aelin again “Bye stick.” Rowan turned furiously “Don’t you dare insult her again. Ever.” He grabbed Aelin’s hand and they walked to the screen. “I never had sex in a cinema.” He growled “I always get a sit at the back because I am tall and I don’t want to be in people’s way.” She stopped and turned him to her “I know. I guessed. I could not picture you like the kind of guy to have sex in a public place. Grabbing my leg and some light touching… yes. Full on sex no.” He kissed her and they went to their seats. They were finally comfy when Aelin realised she forgot the pop corn and her drink so she left him alone to go and get her provisions. She went to the kiosk and got her food and got back to Rowan. “Was dinner not enough?” Aelin shook her head “dinner was perfect but I can’t watch a movie in a cinema without pop corn.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek. The movie started and Aelin’s head ended up leaning on his shoulder. Then she grabbed Rowan’s hand and placed on her thigh. He was still to start with then his thumb slowly started tracing circles on the inner part. She smiled and parted her legs gently. Their row was empty and the one in front was the same. Everyone was seated toward the front. He shifted more to her side and his hand now was completely under her dress. She concentrated on the movie while his hand was doing wonders on her. Again, he never touched skin, but still he managed to make her tremble. At the same time her hand sneaked at his side and between his legs. It was time to return the favour. “I’ll stop before the end of the movie.” She whispered in his ear when he tried to stop her hand. She palmed him quite hard and Rowan pretended to cough to hide the moan that surely was about to escape his mouth. As she promised she had stopped before the end of the movie to give him time to compose himself and he had been a gentleman. He had mostly caressed her thighs and gave a few very light brushes between her legs. He was not the kind of person to do such things in public. And she loved him even more. She had restrained herself as well and just brushed her hand up and down enough to tease him a bit. It had been fun. When they left the cinema he had a big grin on his face “Still up for that ice cream?” She nodded eagerly. They walked to the ice cream parlour and Aelin’s mouth watered at the lovely selection of flavours. “This is the best place where to get ice cream.” “Please tell me you eat ice cream.” she looked up at him. He smiled “Only fruity flavours.” “This one is on me.” She noticed the protest in his eyes but she stopped him “No, you paid for dinner and did not allow me to give you money for the movie. This is on me.” “Fine, Fireheart.” And he placed his hands on her shoulder. They got their ice cream and they started walking along the marina and then off to Lews castle grounds. They found a bench and sat down and ate their ice cream in silence, looking at the boats rolling in the water. “Did you enjoy our first date?” Rowan looked at her. “Very much,” she finished her ice cream and then Rowan laughed. “What?” But he did not reply and kissed her. “You had chocolate moustache.” And his smile was wicked. Aelin began laughing and he stared at her confused. “Nothing.” She replied at his face. “Come on,” with his fingers he began tickling her. “No, it’s embarrassing.” “More than having chocolate moustache like a five years old?” Aelin sighed “Fine, but I warned you.” She took a breath and fought the embarrassment “I… one of my fantasies involves me… hem… covering your body in chocolate and lick you clean.” Her face was buried in her hands and avoided looking at him. He grabbed her hands and pulled them away “Considering is you, I am not surprise you want to lick something sweet off me. Want to dip me in whip cream as well? I can also have a few marshmallow stuck in my mouth.” And they laughed hard. His arm went around her shoulder and he pulled her close to him and she nestled in the crook of his arm, her hand on his chest. “With Chaol there was chemistry but we never… had adventures. It was always only in bed. I couldn’t even convince him in the shower. I think that’s why I have stupid fantasies.” He squeezed her “Lyria was… well, she was the one that once suggested sex in a cinema. She was always suggesting places where it would not have been a good idea. That’s why she calls me boring.” “I don’t think I could either. I am all for trying all sorts of places in my house and all sort of positions but out of the privacy of my house I don’t think I could.” She explained “probably in a wood or a lake if I knew there was no one around for kilometres.” She looked at him “I guess we are both boring.” “Never.” His other arm went around her waist and Aelin draped one leg over his. “Did you wait with her as well?” Rowan sighed “No. I was younger and horny and she was my first girlfriend. I was eager to get some experience. Most of the guys at my age already had plenty. I didn’t. I was too busy between uni and swimming to add girl as well. Although I had a huge fan club at uni.” “That I can imagine.” She laughed. “But no, with her the first few times were a disaster. I knew the basics but I had no idea how to please a woman.” “I would say that you have honed that skill pretty nicely.” Aelin’s hand on his chest tightened. “I… had a few before Chaol. Too many probably. They were not relationships. More one night stands. I always blamed it to the stress due to med school. It was a good way to let out steam.” She confessed and hoped he would not change his mind about her “Lys and I would go to a bar and see who could score the hottest guy. And now with hindsight I regret it.” She felt Rowan kiss her head and took it as a good sign. Eventually Aelin stood and grabbed his hands “Let’s go, I need to stretch my legs.” They walked a bit longer and kept chatting and Rowan in the end walked back to what was going to be her home for only two more days. “Thank you for tonight,” she snuggled to his chest and he wrapped his arms around her “I had a great night.” He looked down to her “I had fun too.” He kissed her and she pulled back. “Oidhche mhath, mo chridhe” she said to him. He pulled in for a kiss “Good night to you as well, Fireheart.”

[brutaledsaved]

*          𝙾𝙱𝙻𝙸𝙶𝙰𝚃𝙾𝚁𝚈     𝙸𝙽𝚃𝚁𝙾     𝙿𝙾𝚂𝚃          ?          yes     ,     i     think     so     .     first     of     all     :     you     have     no     idea     how     genuinely     excited     i     am     to     write     with     you     all          !          i     saw     this     in     the     tags          &          pretty     much     immediately     knew     i     had     to     app     .     anyways     ,     hello          !          my     name's     florence          (          twenty     -     two     ,     she/they     ,     aest     /     the     pits     of     hell     ,     either     is     fine          )          &          i'm     delighted     to     be     introducing          (          albeit     briefly          )          my     two     absolute     demons          !          a     lil     about     me     :     i'm     currently     devouring     the     grishaverse     trilogy          &          i've     got     the     six     of     crows     duology     lined     up     next          &          i'm     in     the     tail     end     of     a     degree     i     keep     forgetting     i'm     enrolled     in     .     hardly     the     most     interesting     information     ,     but     anywhom          ---          i'm     infinitely     more     excited     to     learn     about     you     all          &          to     get     to     write     with     you          !          as     always     ,     drop     a     wee     like          &          we     can     get     plotting          (          feel          free     to     message     me     for     my     discord          )          !

ekaterina     ‘     katya     ’     petronella     aronova     ,     twenty     -     five     .     tailor     .

katya's     google     doc     will     be     coming     soon     ,     rest     assured     ,     but     until     then     this     is     a     concise     little     rundown     of     her     history          &          personality          &          whatnot          !

first     ---     -     i'm     just     gna     note     that     katya     is     a     demi     girl     who     uses     she/they     pronouns          !          

born          &          raised     in     os     alta     ,     ravka     .     mother          &          father     are     nobles     whose     primary     concern     was     marrying     off     their     daughters     and     throwing     lavish     parties     .     very     bridgerton     ,     actually          /          forever     looking     for     a     new     match     ,     a     new     connection     to     make     .     quite     politically     savvy     ,     they     never     took     into     account     their     childrens'     feelings     .

ekaterina          (          katya     ,     as     she's     affectionately     known          )          is     the     youngest     of     six     daughters     .     their     parents     will     say     that     they've     always     been     trouble     ---     -     too     distracted     ,     head     permamently     stuck     in     the     clouds     .     when     they     were     younger     ,     it     was     hard     to     get     them     to     sit     still     and     focus     on     anything     .     they     were     infinitely     more     interested     in     athletics     than     studies     ;     from     a     young     age     ,     she     showed     a     penchant     for     acrobatics     and     dancing     and     had     plans     to     run     away     and     become     a     performer     had     the     inevitable     not     occurred     .

they     were     tested     relatively     young     ,     and     consequently     grew     up     primarily     at     the     little     palace     .     they     took     particular     delight     in     combat     lessons     ,     learning     that     they     possessed     a     unique     agility     and     a     dancer's     grace     in     battle     .          (          all     the     more     canon     fodder          :          if     things     go     tits     up     ,     katya'll     be     out     of     the     palace     as     soon     as     possible     and     running     off     with     a     performing     troupe          .          )          during     this     time     ,     they     grew     to     be     comfortably     popular     and     made     quite     the     number     of     friends     .     to     this     day     ,     they're     still     close     to     a     number     of     them     .               (          potential     connections     here          !          )          

in     all     honesty     ,     she     resents     not     being     able     to     do     more     with     her     power     .     she     wishes     ,     desperately     ,     that     she     were     born     a     heartrender     or     something     useful     .     she     enjoys     her     work     as     a     tailor     but     wishes     she     could     get     more ��   involved     in     battle     .     as     much     as     the     darkling     reminds     her     how     necessary     she     is     ,     it's     not     quite     enough     .

that     brings     us     up     to     the     present          !          in     light     of     the     current     situation     ,     they're     more     restless     than     ever     about     not     being     useful     enough     .     they     fill     their     time     with     combat     training     and     acrobatics     lessons     ,     but     it's     still     not     quite     enough     .

a     social     butterfly          !          katya     loves     people     and     can     always     be     found     with     a     friend     .     they're     amiable     and     easy     to     get     along     with     ,     and     will     always     make     an     effort     to     befriend     new     people     .     uncommonly     kind     ,     but     beware     of     a     sharp     tongue     .     they     do     love     a     little     bit     of     gossip          !

natalya     karine     yahontova     .     forty     .     inferni     .

just     like     katya     ,     natalya's     google     doc     will     be     coming     soon     !     i'll     update     my     pinned     post     with     her     info     when     i've     got     it     all     written     ♡

natalya     karine     yahontova     was     born     to     wealthy     parents     ,     one     of     a     set     of     twins     that     have     covered     each     other     since     the     beginning     .     she     and     thomas     are     every     bit     as     similar     as     they     are     different     ,     and     the     sibling     bond     they     share     is     almost     eerie     .     twin     telepathy     is     very     much     present     there     !    

raised     by     nannies     ,     governesses     ,     the     whole     nine     yards     .     parents     were     remarkably     absent     from     their     childhoods     and     as     such     ,     natalya     got     attached     to     the     rotating     crew     of     staff     instead     .     she     considers     them     family     and     still     makes     sure     to     visit     them     whenever     she     can     .     despite     the     strange     dynamics     with     her     parents     and     whatnot     ,     natalya     is     relentlessly     family     -     oriented     .     family     comes     first     ,     always     ;     it's     why     she's     still     so     goddamn     close     to     her     brother     and     to     the     people     that     have     raised     her     .

she     and     thomas     were     tested     relatively     late     and     whisked     off     to     the     little     palace     soon     after     .     whilst     her     brother     had     always     leaned     more     towards     books     and     creating     ,     natalya     has     always     been     one     for     fighting     .     the     first     army     has     given     her     an     opportunity     to     hone     her     craft     ,     and     make     no     mistakes     about     it     :     she's     TERRIFYING     when     she     gets     going     .    

when     she     was     younger     ,     she     was     a     little     more     raw     ,     a     little     meaner     /     she     definitely     made     herself     enemies     by     sheer     virtue     of     her     personality     .     reclusive     and     quick     to     rise     to     a     challenge     ,     she     presents     quite     the     engima     :     a     rose     despite     the     thorns     ,     desperate     for     something     but     not     quite     willing     to     let     it     in     .     she's     softened     over     time     ,     but     she's     still     venomous     when     she     needs     to     be     .

unmarried     ,     but     not     without     a     collection     of     flings     that     she     has     lingering     feelings     for     .     she     has     a     bad     habit     of     getting     involved     ,     realising     she     has     some     kind     of     emotion     for     them     ,     panicking     and     then     leaving     them     .     are     her     exes     begging     her     to     seek     a     bit     of     therapy          ?          almost     definitely     .

at     present     ,     she's     found     her     place     within     the     army     and     has     carved     out     a     place     for     herself     .     she     enjoys     training     younger     inferni     and     helping     them     to     master     their     power     ,     and     she's     gotten     better     at     being     nice     to     people     but     she's     still     relatively     secluded     .     you     won't     catch     her     talking     it     up     at     a     party     ,     let's     put     it     that     way     .

i     love     her     a     lot     n     that's     that     <3333

[psychemeanscure]

PART 18

“Boss!”

He was fresh from a secret gang bust once again that he even got a patch on his face but neither of it matters as he is still happily staring with the last text in his burner phone which only meant for her, his Sung Eunyoung. When Jae eventually comes in huffing for air.

“Yes, what is it this time Jae?”

his mere reply then as he’s attention were kept unmoved, unaware of the urgency his assistant is bringing.

“We have a problem, boss.”

“We always have a problem. Which one?”

He was in the mood, but not when he heard the final breath of the latter and utter the word that concerns him.

“Ms. Sung. I receive a call from Lee and…”

“And what?”

His full attention was in the details now as a stern impatience starts to pond him while vigorously closing the burner phone he’s holding. “She was kidnapped.”

For it was enough for him to look back onto Jae, prying more from what he needed. “Come again?”

“She was taken by several men from a meeting. Lee was trying to chase after them for he thought he can reach out easily but lost them instead.”

‘No.’ The only thought he can think of as he was dumbfounded for a while before jaws tightening for fear, piercing eyes glare in madness. He’s not in his sanity already, he’s just ready to kill anyone who harmed her. “Other than the chase, did he somewhat get a thing that might lead to the abductor?”

“He was able to sneakily knock one of them at least. That might be a help for now.”

‘At least’ he thought. Even without proof he had already a person in mind who’ll do that actually. He just wants to make sure though. “What should we need to do boss?” he was clenching his fist by then, trying to manage his anger. “Call Lee for the location. I’ll do something first, wait for my word by then.”      

“As you wish boss.” The simple reply of his assistant then before leaving him behind doors as he hastily calls for her phone after, hoping to get a bit chance of answer coming from her. But nothing, he was only answered by the voicemail instead. “Eunyoung, come on…”  for he calls her again and again, a leg moving in a motioning tapping, constant worries keep on rushing yet still, he was left unanswered.  

“F*ck this, no!”

Tossing the burner phone out of frustration, calling his assistant with full ferocity. “Jae!”

As it only takes a second for his assistant to appear from the door once again. “Assemble the gang, we are leaving. Now!”

His domineering command then as he was already standing with deafening impatience.

~

“Give me the details.”

His stone cold urge to his subordinate as it also understood in just a go for his attention never left the subject which already meets his vision the moment they arrived on the abandoned building it instructed. Bruises evident all over the face of the busted underling who’s still unconsciously lying on the ground. Seems Lee has started his job on squeezing some information by it.

“She was out from her last meeting when it happened, boss. I was about to barge in but---“

“But why is that? As far as I know your one of my best, Lee.”

He’s getting irritated indeed that a simple but alerted the urgency of his man. “I can’t, boss. For it seemed that she has been planned all along.” For it was his ears turn to perk up. “Enlighten me?” his strong impulse from the unclear information.

“I just learned that she apparently dealing the director of the Xi industry that time.”

“What the f*ck?”

He’s definitely fuck up, yes for he felt it coming the time he opened it up to her during their wee moment. He was supposed to be guilty himself for secretly following her by the assistance of his man, just to take it back after knowing her selfish agenda instead. “Again, Sung Eunyoung. F*ck! Woman.”

He doesn’t even care what the rest of his subordinates thinking of him right now. He just needed to let it out in a go. Openly cursing her without stops. “What more of it?” forcing himself for another one which he might not expected still.

“More of it, they both witnessed her abduction boss and didn’t do anything other than watching the car she was in. Because aside with the director’s presence, it somehow appears that they also been back-up by a general prosecutor so I had no choice but to follow from afar. I suppose Ms. Sung wasn’t aware of the general’s presence either.”

“Son of a b*tch. I’m not surprise. They probably sense your car and let you lose in an intersection.”

“My apologies, boss.”

The straight answer he’s seeking definitely that the only thing he could do is clench a ball of his fists while piercing eyes needed to close to control an outburst frustration. He was over-informed. He is for he requires himself absorbing every bits of details given. First, he had just learned that he’s been neglected by Sung Eunyoung once again. Then here is another one who he thought a simple sabotage but eventually not like what he expected. Then he recalled her last text to him. ‘Just one more.’ He thought, and if he confirmed it then there will be no turning back.  

“Where was she before this meeting?”

“Gyeonggi-do.”

And it did. “F*ck.” His menacing curses became unstoppable once again, yes just as how she had been harmed back then for he crouches to gradually slaps the unconscious underling, pushing it to wake up and succeeded. Meeting its worn-out eyes.

“Oy, shitty minion. You see I’m not usually patient with underlings but I might just grab chances on you. That is if you want to beg for your life either.”

But as what he predicted, he was only responded by its wobbling middle finger while showing a disdainful smile on its bleeding lips. He reciprocated. Insulted laugh crept into bargaining another consideration. The enemy’s minion is truly lucky definitely for it was rare for him to give chances that by just the knowing expressions of his two trusted men looking at each other, they are surprised.

Thus a yelp echoed the four walls of the abandoned building. Pain rejuvenates the face of the underling as its middle finger break by the infamous troubleshooter. A music for his ears, Jang was satisfied. “Minion I’m not even starting, yet you had pond yourself a strike already. Two more and your good to go in hell. So whether you like it or not, better tell me where your f*cking boss take my lady.”

“I won’t tell a soul, su--- A-ahck! F*ck.”

That another yelp came in as he bends more of its bone. “Two.” His serious countdown. “I’m not asking for a song scumbag so f*cking tell me a f*cking shit!”

Then again, the latter went to lean close to his face instead. “Shit my mouth first, sucker.”

And that’s it. He gave up. “Alright. As you wish, useless.” With Lee handing him a gun and a pull of its trigger, the minion faces his farewell. Splatter of blood were on his looks the moment he stands up gazing the slouching position of the kneeling underling, round eyes staring on nowhere, pistol still intact in its bloody mouth. 

“Jae!” That a stern call of his assistant is the mere step he could think of.

“Yes, boss.”

“Bring the f*cking Mr. Kim in front of me as well as that lifeless limp both on the underground.”

~

He gets a ride turning to their next location then while into wiping the splashed blood on his face when he sensed the confusing look of his assistant on the driver seat. “All you do is ask. So ask.”  his intuitive guess from the backseat that surely taken the point of Jae who only has to clear a throat ashamedly. “I-I was just thinking, boss. Isn’t it better if we trace the abductor first?”

The blurt out curiosity of his assistant finally as he ominously shifts his eyes through the buzzing streets of the outside. “No need. I already have someone in mind.” As it was enough for Jae to know further, nod and cover another someone to pact instead.

“So Mr. Kim as well as the lifeless underling, boss?”

For it only takes a second for him to show his proud smirk by the rear-view mirror, intentionally conversing the eyes of his man. Envisioning an awestruck idea, he had all along. “Oh. I almost forgot about it.” As if an innocent casual plan he says. “Well, let’s just say…”

“We are joining a game they were playing?”

His last verdict before a sinister smile came back, ready to pawn a dumbass king.