#i draw so much that shit just falls thru the cracks

[saphushia]

tobi dump for all my beautiful tobi voters who are getting fucking killed on the front lines <3

[glaivenoct]

NyxNoct + 💋, 🌹⛈, ⚡, 🍃, ✨ , 👑 , 🌈 , 🌹, 🎈, 💝 , 👓, 🌙, and 🍂

I'm not mobile so I hope this goes thru 😵

Wow, thank you so much for sending me so many of these! I'm scheduling this first half of answers for early morning, and will circle back to the rest of them in separate posts later today! ^.^

*cracks knuckles* prepare for Brina rambling at her finest!

💋 Who is the most physically affectionate?

Nyx. While I think they're both very physically affectionate towards each other, I feel like Nyx is the one who most often initiates it and warms Noct up to that headspace of "I like this, yes, keep going" until he's just melting like a kitten and reciprocating. Nyx is always first to take his hand, stroke his cheek, brush lips across his knuckles, kiss from Noct's knuckles up to his shoulder. And of course, scruffy neck nuzzles! Nyx is just full of love to give and bestow upon his prince!! Don't be mistaken, though, Noct is definitely the snuggle fiend between the both of them.

Bonus: In the context of older!NyxNoct and in a Fixit Fuck Canon AU, Noct's most physically affection because, listen, touch-starved Nyx. 10 years!! He needs some soft lovin' from his king and Noct definitely picks up on that ;u;

🌹⛈Who has the most nightmares and how do they deal with them?

Y'know, I think I've written (going off of posted fics only) two instances of Noct having a nightmare vs. one instance for Nyx having one. They both definitely have nightmares. But the most? Nyx, given the weight/duty of being a glaive, fighting beyond the protection of the wall and all the hard shit he's seen/endured because of it.

Nightmares for Nyx are very vivid or replays of the worst moments or the things that haunt him. He doesn't always wake up in a cold sweat, gasping and unable to recognize where he is, but when he does, Noct's go-to is touch. Taking his hand, squeezing it as hard as he can and "Nyx? Look at me. You're not at war. You're here. You're safe."

Nyx has learned over the years how to pull himself down from the panic of a nightmare. So if he's by himself it comes down to remembering how to breathe, and once he's calmer he'll probably go take a shower even if it's like 3 AM. With Noct there, he comes down from everything faster. Sits up, cradling his head in his hands quiet for like 10 mins while Noct just hugs him until he's ready to lay back down.

For the times when Nyx doesn't wake up in a cold sweat, Noct's become very atuned to how Nyx deals. Even when Noct's dead asleep, Nyx turning over to curl into him always wakes Noct up. Just enough for Noct to stretch his arm around Nyx and hold him like a teddy bear. It's big glaive tucked against smol prince loving hours and I'm not sorry about it!! Just think about half asleep Noct lazily stroking Nyx's hair till he falls asleep again with me, I beg of you.

⚡ What are their nicknames for each other?

The classic Hero, Little King, and Little Star aside -

Noct: Kitten. Drunk Nyx tends to lean towards calling Noct "Muffin" because he's "soft and yummy"

Nyx: oops I don't think I've ever thought of any other nicknames him?? I feel bad lmao. Does "Big Dumb Hero" count?

I don't see them as the type to call each other "Love/My love". Maaaybe the occasional "Babe"? Wow, I feel like I used to have a lot more nicknames, am I forgetting them??? (If anything, you can pretty much call Noct anything if you put the word "Little" in front of it)

🍃 What do they do when the other is stressed?

Nyx is very kiss to distract Noct and snap him out of it. Massages his shoulders and reminds "Breathe." Also "I'm going to cuddle the shit out of you until you calm down and you're going to like it." He will squoosh and trap Noct if he needs to.

Noct is very "I'm going to do everything I can to make the rest of this day/week/ect., easier for you." Buys Nyx his favorites for breakfast/dinner. Draws him hot baths. Checks up on him with sweet little texts like "Miss you," or "<3 you" or "Do you need anything?"

✨ Who proposes?

GHHHH. This is always so hard lol. To me they're both capable of planning a proposal out. But then they're also both so comfortable with each other to the point where it comes up casually and Noct: Are you proposing to me?

Nyx: That depends on whether or not you say Yes.

Or both being mutual fools that mutually decide "Hey, we should elope."

Or maybe one day Nyx just jokes "buy me a ring first" and then Noct actually buys a ring lmao. So many options with them. But if I had to choose my favorite, most self-indulgent proposal scenario, Nyx is the one proposing in it.

--

Thank you again for all the emojis! I can't wait to answer the rest! <3

[es05l2k5sl]

I'll never understand why WB had to redesign the Batcast for the new Bat adventures. Some characters took getting used to. But as for the villains, I'm roasting they asses cus they're ugly. Can't change my mind.

These Oswalds together look like 2 different people bruh. But we're here to talk about new Oswald. This Wimpy x Olive Oyl fusion snoody looking ass bitch. I'd like his outfit if it didn't have that lazy drawned bow tie looking like 2 triangles glued together & those fake ass MJ gloves. Also when tf did he have 10 fingers in dis universe? Also fuck that hair. Rocking a balding Mullet like ponytail before. Now it's just a boring cut down. Got dat snooty ass bitch look on face like his bird shit don't be stinking. I'll rock tf out u. Lookin like a whole ass Looney character or sum mf from the 30s.

Wot da fuck dey got Selena wearing here? Sis looking like a whole ass alien. Kid vs Kat looking ass bish. And her skin white af too? Did sis fall in some damn Joker acid too? Sis whole lower face is white as shit! Dat shit paler than crack. Like sis got the white slapped outta her and she just turned whiter. Das probably what happened. Her ass probably got on my mans Bruce last nerves one night and got da shit backslapped out her ass.

So my dude Matthew got turned a different color pal & got his neck privileges revoked? Lazy af but not the worst revamp.

You kno that meme: "upgrade, upgrade, FUCK GO BACK!"? Dis pre much sums up Jonathan here. My mans jus looks so dirty here. Looking straight outta da trash bin. Like literally dirty. Nasty ass teeth probably got dat hot ass breath blowing thru them bitches. Das a real fear toxin right there. Long ass black as shit dirty ass hair. Tryna copy off my girl from the ring w dat shit. Need to take dat dirty ass wig and mask and Amish hat tf off my dude. It is not rocking you. Dat whole worn out trashy ass outfit ain't working for you either hoe. You need to take yo ass a bath bitch cus your arms looking brown and ashy as a bitch. You can not even THINK about borrowing anything from me w yo dirty creepy stalker lookin ass. If you don't put down that damn stick like yo ass need help walking and shit I oughtta bitch ya ass with the shit fo going around dressed like dis. Take that damn rope off your neck bitch fo I do something Bruce won't do.

Bruh, you can not go up to my face and tell me these niggas are the same person in the same mofucking universe! Jervis What da fuck did they DO TO YOU MY N**GA?? N**ga looking like a damn leprechaun with special needs and shit. Rocking all dat dookie green swag but you got no swag anymore my dude. It's shit like you clothes and yo breath! Yo shits wasn't perfect and white before but them hoes looking hella worse now. What you get drinking all that damn tea my n**ga. Ol Tiny ass n**ga. Like wot. HOW?! HOW TF DID YO ASS SHRINK??? LIKE SOMEBODY TOSSED YOU ASS IN A LAUNDRY DRYER AND PROBABLY FORGOT TO TAKE YO STUPID ASS OUT. PROBABLY WHY YO HAIR WHITE AND SMALL AS SHIT YA UGLY ASS LUCKY CHARMS LOOKING ASS CRACK FEENY. If you don't hop yo ass back under a rainbow with dem skinny ass broken heel lookin ass tap dancing shoes.

Victor, bruh, they dem did yo ass so dirty in the new adventures. I ain't gonna lie that new suit kinda ok. But you looking like a whole skeleton and shit. Lookin like a young Palpatine & shit. Ol Frisky dingo looking ass! Need to put those goggles back on. The least yo (spoiler) 2003 Baxter Stockman ass can do now.

Yo ass probably looking mad as shit cus ya can't jack it no more n**ga. Dats all gon now. Long with yo unloyal ass wife. How tf she gon bounce on you after everything you did for her? After all the years and bull you had to put up with & she leave yo cold ass for another nibba? Fuck DCAU Nora. Just fuck her.

Scarface lookin like a damn Fanboy & Chum Chum character & his boy over here lookin like Chode. Next.

UUUUUUUUUUGGGHHHHHGG.

Just. UAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHH. Bruh I will never understand who tf thought this shit was a good idea?! Like who the fuck, was drawing dis nigga. Drew DIS Sus af shit. LOOKED at dis shit. And said to deyself: "Yeah dats da Riddler aight". HELL TO THE NAH DAT AIN'T NO DAMN DAS A (dick) FIDDLER! HE LOOKIN SUS AS FUCK NOW WITH THEM TIGHT AS GREEN SPANDEX AND THAT DARK AS HELL EYELINER. Looking like gay Christmas elf! Looking like a gay ass ballay dancer with them Spider Gwen ballerina shoes. You can't dance for shit nigga! Yo shit is SOOO DAMN TIGHT like I can get a good sight and shape picture of yo "Question mark" I'm telling y'all. sSSSUUUSSSSSSS. Looking like a bigasss lima bean. Skinny ass Jack skeleton moFucka. Like. They did my boy Eddy so freakin dirty with this. My mans had class, style, a nice look, HAIR. Now he. Whateverthelivingfuckdisbaldasspeterpanlookinmofuckasupposestobe. And i hate how that's how he did be lookin in almost every new Batverse when why tho? Nigg(m)a look stupid as hell. How tf he expect to be tooken seriously dressed and lookin like dis ? If I saw dis fucker in real life and he threatens me, imma laugh at his ass and beat him with his cane. Get ya Richard from Allen Gregory looking ass away from me. I can't!

Bruh it don't look that much but they did my mans Harvey dirty too. LOOK AT MY MANS FACE. good half i mean. Yall nigs kno. THESE MUHFUCKERS STRIPPED HIM OF HIS PRETTYNESS! Man. Dis version of Harvey was a pretty muhfucka. You can't deny dat shit

Even when he became Two-Face he still got dat 1 side of pretty.  And that deep af panty soaking voice to go along w it. He dat half and half package. 

Now HE LOOK LIKE DIS

WHOEVER TF DID DIS NEED DEY ASS WHOOPED! SQUARE TF UP NOW. NIGGA LOOKS LIKE EYEBROWLESS VERSION OF DOC FROM SECRET SATURDAYS. FAT ASS BLOCK NOSE MUH FUCKA.  His eye looks like traingle with a Nike logo on top of it. Lookin like a poorly drawn Dwayne The Rock Johnson. And ya other half ain't lookin that good either. Dat 1 eyebrow putting Helga Pataki to shame! I mean the shit didn't look good before but it was somewhat tamed, now the shit looking like full grownass caterpillar. And that lip black as hell. Kno that side dirty as fuuhck!

I don't even know what tf I'm sposed to say about DIS except (kinky..)

Angelica pickles looking ass. Bigass blonde captain coconut looking ass hairstyle. Looking like a blonde creepy ass Wednesday Adams. Dem black as fuck Kim possible lips. She actually looking like a family guy character with that bigass head and small body. I SWEAR she ded looking like one of Stewie's ex's right now my dude! Got  tiny ass flat ass guitar chip shoes. Looks like sis wearing fucking Zippers as shoes. Sis got that "i got something planned fo yo ass" smile. Sis look like she plotting something or did some evil shit already.

. . .

Bros I'm sorry but I'm just as confused as you like. I can't find a single thing different about Harley. Like literally nothing. Her makeup at night be looking blue sometimes, looking like a fakeass Livewire, but nah. They didn't even touch homegirl. Why tf is Harley the only character that stayed the same?????! Niggas was playing favorites. They had plans for that ass since day one. They was probs like: "Aye y'all. DO NOT TOUCH HARLEY. SHE STAYS THE SAME!" "why?" "JUST LISTEN TO ME BITCH!" "Wha bout her mans?" "Oh hell yeah fuck his shit up!" ...sigh.. Yep. It's that time...

UaaaaaaAAAAAAAHHH what else is dere to be said about dis ugly ass nigga? Dis nigga look like Yakko Warner & Freakazoid's love child! Dis nigga look like a random Tiny toons or Animaniac character! With that dookie green shirt and flower. You and Riddler's gay ass both matching them Dexter's laboratory Gloves. Why tf yo eyes eyes black as fuck tho?! How tf does one do that to theyself?! Yo ass probably snorted some shit and ya shits expanded and that's prolly yo pupils with ya cracked out ass. Nigga don't even look like a clown no more. Hell Jared Leto Joker atleast had the lipstick down. Dis nigga got dem ashy ass lips hanging out. Nigga think he owning too. Nigga you don't own shit! Broke as hell now. And yo design broke too. Joker? Man more like Broker. Got dat fairly odd parents hair. Got that Cosmo and Wanda in one. Like bitch if you don't. Just like Riddler i can not take yo animaniac looking ass serious. You do not scare me bitch! Bye!

Now see dis? DIS is Aight! A lot more fitting and & faithful to the character. No over the fucking top redesign, you can actually tell it's the same damn character as before, a little bit of swag for personality

So that's the tea. Ivy & Croc are the only good rogue redesigns in the whole series, evBody else ugly as shit.

[thecrenellations]

Return of the Thief Notes, Part One: The Book of Pheris, Volume I

Notes from my first read, October 2020. (Part Two | Part Three | TaT)

Contents:  "So, so, so” watch, Costis watch, swearing, trashing the king’s attendants, being objectively wrong, boundless enthusiasm and love 

I promise I’ve had more developed thoughts since these often incoherent ones, but I’ve enjoyed having these notes to refer to - for sentimental reasons and for  entertainment, so here they are, for others who enjoy liveblogs and/or being whisked back in time to their first read of this wonderful book.

Format: Page number. My thoughts (Context?)

Dedication, Table of Contents, Exordium:

There it is – to Sounis

Exordium – vocab #1

Interregnum?!? Alyta?

Pheris!!!

Yeah I love him from the first page

MOIRA

MOCKING COMMENTS HELP! Gen lives!

A new level of unreliable narrator

Moira, messages of Gods, Pheris, messages of __

Wtf is going on in this study? A zoo?

high king vs great king vs annux?

okie dokie dude

Chapter 1

1. Susa – Costis

2. Infirmity – who gets to be hero/tell story (I started reading right after the book launch, in which mwt spent some time talking about her writing influences and decisions connect to this question - Pheris isn’t her first disabled protagonist and storyteller, of course, but it was lovely to meet him properly directly after hearing her talk about it. Book launch foreshadowing part 1...)

Melisande?

Is this why he wasn’t taught to read?

3. Always the summer

Bees!

4. Hunting cat… hm…

Ok … shrine … 😬

5. Once again we start with a disaster or having to flee

Which Eugenides precipitated

Bite!

Little monster :(

6. Falling…

:(

7. :( :( :(

His purpose? D:

8. YIKES

Chapter 2

9. Hello there! (Gen!)

Massive chair?

10. CRACKED WATER JUG (amphora motif???)

11. Triangle from seal!

Gen that’s rude to Pheris :( (“He will fit in very well with my attendants”)

Wait. This must have happened before ACoK! (nope)

12. :(

Xikander … never made an impression before

How old is Pheris? (lol)

13. Philologos come thru!

Royal closet reappears!

14. Hello weird secondhand scene!

He is Eugenides

Marina…

15. Petrus? GALEN? OH SHIT! 

Is this why Galen was called? (nope)

16. Hell yea Petrus

Miras’ golden balls oh no

All these previously unnamed sucky attendants!

17. Ula – goddess of hearth and healing

Ok … Galen … or a god? Eugenides????? (why did these options occur to me before Mr. Shows Up At Your Bedside At Night himself)

18. Finally the attendant floor plans I crave + hunting scenes!

19. EXCUSE ME he slept through Sounis + Eddis wedding!!!

Again – high king!

20. So Ion is beautiful … hmm.

Yeah … Sejanus has facets. I like it.

21. Clearly no one would know what king would do … lol

Don’t mind me just sorting the attendants on a spectrum of awfulness!!!

22. SO SO SO – ION!!!!!

How many fucking attendants are there and how many are on my hit list!

Is “the necessaries” bathrooms or like … him stealing? (just the bathrooms ... the Gen-Pheris parallels were really getting to me at this point)

:(

23. OH MY GOD THE UNIFIED CREST

Also … frogs. Frogs.

24. Big day for Gen huh

Definitely an aura of Something as he writes about Gen

25. HELLO EVERYONE

26. Sorry Kamet, Pheris does the physical descriptions better. They’re beautiful

I’m blacking out at Eddis and Sounis

27. Jesus Christ. The bear.

Cousin time!

Under the table is the new up on the roof!

Uh… twin imagery ….

Gen’s feet!

Jesus. The matching

28. Cleon … wtf? A cousin?

A trial for Sophos?

Show! Us! Sophos’s! Shoes!

29. If u throw things out the air shaft you might hit the king

Was it a chicken?

Lol nvm the guy at night is Gen. That is … very sweet

- Showing up at night

- Accent

- Complaining about Petrus

- Swearing

- One hand

I am judging Costis and Sophos for not describing the paneling in Gen’s room!

Chapter 3

30. Was it a chicken?

An earring huh, good hand huh

31. Literally screaming “NO!” at Gen. Don’t joke about dying! I am killed by Gen on annux day. This is. My boy. Yes he is perfect. Yes he will refuse to get up. I love him. I died on page 31

Philologos is still the best of them

32. Dancing bear indeed

Always the powdered gold

Ruby!!!!! <3

Aww a smile!!! <3

Pheris he likes you!

33. They both love invisibility and lost it … I cry

Erupt like the sacred mountain excuse me!

OR WORSE return to bed! Lol

34. He’s Eugenides when he’s talking to Attolia

Ouch hero talk

! from Irene!

My queen!

Hey Phresine!

They way we do <3 he’s hating it but he’s so comfortable with her

Sister and bro mention! C’mon!

I love them

EYEBROW

35. Honestly that’s a yes (“I have no idea what you mean, my queen”)

It’s so cute they hang out in the morning … like how long was it even since they’ve seen each other lol

:( tough walk for Pheris

Is it prophecy time?

Lol how long does this construction take?!

Also … she’s pregnant, huh? but no one knows (nope)

Is befriending someone weaponized as a prank count for Gen’s enemies to friends list?

Also SHOW ME the magus. I know he’s here!

36. Pheris excuse me, why not recreate this!

Lol cast off language of history indeed

Feel the thrum of the goddess!

EXCUSE ME… a minor goddess? Mystery goddess? Or Philia?

Oh Gen

37. Well, Gen, someone is having a worse day than you.

Damn, how far we come.

Aww Sounis, babe, I love you and so does Gen

[drawing of the four of them sitting in a row]

38. Artadorus???? Pomegranate?

39. HEIRO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A friend! Also lol. Two smiles, for Pheris and Heiro..

40. Yesss Melheret joke in action.

Costis has left tho right?

Jesus, Melheret

SHE GAVE HIM A HORSE (I COULD NOT DEAL with this entire conversation, but then again I could not deal with this whole book.)

41. I love them all so much

“on that horse, you will look like a king” I can’t with her sense of humor

He sure did say that

I feel like I’m missing something with the fight on foot thing … remembering battles?

Helen called him Gen!

Sophos stop talking about yourself and bringing apricots into everything lol

Lol these bystanders don’t know how lucky they are. Nor does Pheris, yet

42. She’s protecting him

Also … Gen … you didn’t want to be a soldier.

43. Guards have capes

2 startled men … hm …

Oh Gen. The fucking brutal echoes…

44. :( :( :(

Gen tell your wife you’re sick!

The attendants are so dumb

45. So, so, so :(

Tell who? Petrus?

Wink!

Yes?

46. Bleeding! Salt! Lemon! Heck no! What is he, a piece of meat?

Oranges?

47. “savoring each bite as if it were my last” ... Same … but with this book

Hmm… Alyta! Goddess of the gentle rain! (despite this “hmm,” I did not put the pieces together)

48. Oh no Teleus! And someone?

Aw he realized <3 lemon water

49. Gen eat your broth lol

50. I love them.

Ion’s really trying to make up for what he did that one time

51. Without the approval of the great goddess HAHAHA

I love them. Cousin time! Growl?

Idk whether or not to be reassured, Gen.

Wow Cleon I do not like that. Also didn’t he die? (...)

Comma (“I am not, Eddis”)

Go smack him!

52. Gen I love you.

Helen I love you.

He’s so bad at self care but I love him

Chapter 4

55. love that our narrator just disappears and reappears

56. Attolia’s brother’s bedroom? Yikes. Ominous. A detail in a story we’ve already gotten, different every time <3

57. fucking attendants. 3 good ones. Medander you were beneath Costis’s notice before but I hate you. Costis didn’t have time for you or Xikos or Xikander and nor do I

58. interesting pawn talk!!!

59. <3 Pheris :(

The Gen comparisons though

:( :( :( :(

60. flamboyance <3

Cemphora bush

Bees

61. I love him

62. I love them

Also lol “Your majesty?”

63. Name … hm … (“I have deliberately omitted [my tutor’s] name here”)

64. more twin imagery I swear

WAIT … it was his birthday! Not just Annux day?!! Gen was born in late summer???

Attendant list thank you

65. laying it all out there, huh … (that one Gen quote)

Lol they’re the same but Pheris likes horses

66. Insellia! Hello nice to meet you

67. Gen that’s mean. (“He is hardly even half of one.”)

68. Coleus leves???

“I am Eugenides.” <3

Gen why

69. Gold cups???? Hmmmmm. Also lioness. Def invoking Costis. (they’re probably not the cups, but STILL)

Earth….

70. Moira! Hi!!! Rainbow shawl!

Like a rabbit!

Pester!

I’m … very sad he uses his Attolian accent with Helen

71. Aaah so good

Mortals

Moira knows another messenger?

Does he think he can’t die in battle?

72. hmm are they WRANGLING?! (Galen and Petrus and my Fire and Hemlock word association)

Kill that pastry Irene I love you

morning training with his … guard? (Is that the whole guard or a guard? Costis senses tingling once again.)

73. Oh gen.

Ouch! (“to send people to their deaths and not risk my own is contemptible”)

Is she implying he’s paying Therespides?

74. Interesting Cleon plan. So many doubles

OUCH. (“Only if he comes back from the dead.” I assumed Lader had died in the war; it’s a different ouch now. I love that they both accidentally say things to each other that poke old wounds, and it’s not a big deal but it’s also not dismissed! Their relationship has come so far, and I love them so much.)

75. Verimius – Lavia – Celia??? Somebody is queer in there!

A GUARD

This scene confuses me. Xortix? Layteres? Aris! but dice thing is less political … so maybe? (just wait....)

76. So many reasons to hate Medander

Hey Costis! You exist! KoA happened!

Gen is just … still so uncomfortable and miserable. He chose, he has people, but still.

RIP Clopius also WHAT

77. Lol Hilarion’s grand statements

78. Yorn Fordad Hello!

Luxurious mustache

The mighty Pents?

Besin Quedue – she’s coming 4 you watch out

79. RIP Baron Hippias

Chapter 5

80. Spring! Plays! Cenna!

81. Oh dear

Oh dear

At least they said he was pretty

83. ?!? :( wine

Uh oh. Stockpiling

85. What even.

AAAAAAAAAH COSTIS

86. Omg Irene. Hissing. I love her.

Also … Gen’s the viper

Also this scene was written by Pheris.

Damn.

87. oh no.

What better man

She fucking quoted Howl. I love them.

Also, bees (this scene killed me)

90. Falling?

Oh shit

Also … Juridius and Pheris, Susa and Costis (comparing demands for information)

93. oh my god (IT’S THE WINDOW SCENE)

Oh my god

Uh

94. She! Called! Him! Gen!

I love this and it scares me

Lol Chloe

Irene you learned from her though

95. D:

96. :(

97. water stuff

98. what the heck

OH NO (Quedue scene)

Hm

100. yikes

Omg

Wow.

102. yikes yikes YIKES

103. a blade has protruded from his chest (tbt to The Thief)

jesus

106. shit

Did Gen hit him?

108. lol Phresine

109. lol

I want genuinely every character’s reaction to this shit

Chapter 6

111. what the heck Gen.

112. like a god [crown doodle]

114. Perma?

116. Gen. Gen. Gen. Do not.

117. AAAA (god intervention)

122. Juridius to Dite

124. bye Iolanthe and Ileia! Tell us about Caeta and Silla.

125. did not expect so much Ion

Chapter 7

127. Fryst god of winter

She laughed!

They’re so married

128. OH SHIT (Costis ship is sighted and I remember what’s about to happen next)

Interesting timing

He rode the horse home?

131. Beauty and good, beauty and kind

134. The gods’ goodwill

Keep them safe <3

135. Is that his MOM?!! Wtf (it was!)

Pheris steal those earrings!!!

RING! SMASH BOX!

137. AMPHORA EARRINGS (and flowers)

138. I love Phresine

139. Why do I feel like all the game birds are pigeons

140. meanwhile Gen’s been hanging out with Kamet. Shit. I cannot.

WELCOME HOME BOYS!

HELL YEAH KAMET ATTEND THOSE MEETINGS!

RELIUS COME THRU

141. lethium soup! The reversal

Safe for you

142. of course he knew <3

143. Kamet time! I love him. We get to see Kamet!!!

Also … echo of Gen’s notes on Mede

145. very handsome. … gaycostis vindication (referring to @costis’s url at the time and this post. Little did I know what else was to come in the next chapter and then a few months later with the adaptation news...)

Do you know who I am?

Chapter 8

147. Of course he’s a cartographer

A favorite huh

148. of course she didn’t tell us his age!

149. the angsty window staring I crave

Music!

151. adventure, huh

I do have a soft spot for Melheret

152. concerned about amphora gift

153. Glad they can be well and united in spite!! (Gen and Melheret)

154. Pheris loves math and I love him

155. Hello Teleus. Hello olives

Lol Relius is not into math

156. pigeons. Inkpot!

157. yeah honestly. He tortures people. He was NOT tortured by the king

159. lol (“I have noted the elective nature of certain behaviors” ... I love Relius and Pheris.)

160. The Invitation! I <3 it

161. EXCUSE ME WHO

Legarus!

FOLKS HERE WE ARE (I cannot overstate how wonderful it was to read this page. I did not know who the poem was from, and “Someone loves me very much, even with all my faults” is even sweeter to reread, but it’s just ... his confidence is so different from the tentative consideration of a new philosophy of trust and love we see in KoA. And there is subtextual queerness in the books before this one, some more apparent and some more subtle (and what is obvious to one reader may be subtle or invisible to another, in these books especially), and there is the attendant love triangle a few chapters back, but HERE - here, Pheris acknowledges the real feeling and love in Legarus’s disastrous relationship and tells us directly that his lover was a man, here he seamlessly makes it clear how bi and poly Relius is, and he quietly ties these relationships and realities to his growing understanding of the world. It’s not subtext. And there’s a lot more to come, but this page really hit me, and sort of promised the “more to come” while assuring me that what had come before, more subtly, was there. I used to have heteronormative readings of both these books and myself, and when Thick as Thieves brought them crashing back into my heart after years away, I knew better about myself, and I saw that - or the possibility of that reading -  reflected in the new book, and it was such a good surprise. It meant a lot, and this page meant a lot, and that is why I’m writing a small essay to accompany this note.) 

Lol wow

162. Where are you traveling, man (this question remains)

163. Fuck you, Orutus

164. Stole an inkpot!

165. the map!!! (Kamet’s)

166. I love them!

167. The Math Master hmm

Am I an oracle (Nope! :) )

[the-nysh]

Murata updated chapter 172! (and somehow it's even thirstier + garou became sonic the hedgehog + his demon tan is starting to show)

!?!!?!! 👀 Hold on, I just got online and you’re unloading all this new goodness to me; I gotta see this shit for myself!

Chapter 173 of the manga was corrected, the changes being that Garou got his shoulders dislocated, then relocated with the power of Junji Ito, kicked Darkshine in the solar plexus(Murata definitely now had a preference for his drawing his, uh, lower areas), and became Sonic. Bonus him gritting his teeth from the pain being changed to steamy panting, which I’m sure you’ll appreciate.

(Oh, also Garou’s scar was added back (I wonder how Murata keeps forgetting to draw that one?) and there was a small, but nice change to Darkshine’s posture after Garou hits the ground; now Darkshine’s palm is open as if he was about to reach out to Garou as soon as he saw him fall. Gah, the S-class demonstrating the goodness of their heart in the manga is getting to me, Garou look like a true monster during the showdown.)

WHAT WHATTATA?!? Going thru update 172 (ch129, didn’t see any changes made to update 173 tho, so looks like Murata only edited Garou’s chapter this week, heh nice), here’s some differences! :O

(Original left, updated right) Zoomed in a bit more, no more knees showing but now there’s extra leg hatching, and a new Darkshine expression!

Whoa!!! :O This part is brand new! After the ‘gigantic fear’ double spread, omg Darkshine reacts with a double bazooka attack, and holy shit, Garou just tanks them in the shoulders! D8 Pushed back, lul more leg, and healed with the power of dark Junji Ito vortexes~ But omg yeah, it’s that same spiral pattern for the injuries just like on his abdomen from Orochi’s stab wound. Interesting. I feel like with too many of these on him though, his design may get overly busy, but if it helps explain the growing ‘darkness’ enveloping/healing his body, then…👀

Ooooh!! A new kick counter! :O (With the added spirals on the shoulders in the left panels too.) Actually this better explains how he was able to knock Darkshine off guard + down from before (compared to him yelling into just nailing him down by the throat.) Now there’s all these extra counter moves in between! Also lul, the literal Sonic hedgehog spin, and a new backside shot, Murata pls! X’D But you know what these two new panels remind me of?! These two previous moves he’s done before, vs the A Class heroes and Metal Bat:

Oho! Even the similar way he goes from the spin into another kick counter at the head/throat. That time Metal Bat held his ground and the move didn’t work, but this time, whoop, there Darkshine goes~ (Yup Garou’s gained some significant power compared to back then.)

^More shoulder spirals consistently added to these panels too.

(First version left, updated right) Ah! Yep, Murata added back the scar (that he somehow often forgets to draw, maybe he just defaults to clean Garou~) But yes, there’s several more changes here, including the shoulder spirals (where now it looks like the ‘crack’ sound effect is coming from them, plus the other sound effect covering his leg is removed Murata pls), more creeping black stuff on his face in the lower panel, and Darkshine’s new concerned hand gesture reaching out to him, aww. :’) It seems all of Darkshine was redrawn there too.

ALSO THIS!?!? (Dang, I didn’t save a copy of the lower panel from before to compare the change to his expression. EDIT: found it!) What the, holy shit Murata, control your thirst! X’D  His face is darkened, there’s more of that black vortex stuff spreading bigger over his shoulders and it explains how it creeps up both sides of his face now (not just one side anymore, eep;;), but also….WHY IS IT NOW ALL STEAMY!!??! Buahaha oh my god!! Murata, you just had to do it to him, didn’t you. ;D Instead of just gritting his teeth in pain from before, he’s uhhh…doing that instead, geez. Also noteworthy cause Garou’s tanked and endured a lot of pain/punishment from before, and he’s always managed to ignore/grit through it and stand back up again. But this looks like the first time it’s ever forcefully made him actually double over on his knees. D: That’s pretty !!! significant compared to just how much (the level/pain tolerance) he can usually take. (Holy fuck, why is all of this so super suggestive now, esp with the added panting, guahaha Murata you fiend!) It’s testing his limits for sure, and if Garou can manage to overcome and get thru this (and survive the collapsing room) then…..only Murata knows how much more this will affect/change his appearance from here on out!

Aha, and so I love how when it’s a week later from the last ch, and on a usual Thurs/Fri update day too, Murata decides to go back and update the previous Garou content instead (which was actually the second most recent ch he could have worked on) because of course he would. :P If Murata thinks of new Garou stuff he can add, then he’s gonna go right ahead to jump on that and do it, ahaha. 8D Thanks anon for informing me of the new updates!

[ilistenedin]

1. coffee mugs, teacups, wine glasses, water bottles, or soda cans?

Soda cans

2. chocolate bars or lollipops?

Lollipops

3. bubblegum or cotton candy?

Bubblegum

4. how did your elementary school teachers describe you?

Smart but lazy.

5. do you prefer to drink soda from soda cans, soda bottles, plastic cups or glass cups?

Soda cans

6. pastel, boho, tomboy, preppy, goth, grunge, formal or sportswear?

Tomboy

7. earbuds or headphones?

No preference

8. movies or tv shows?

Movies

9. favorite smell in the summer?

Fresh cut grass or when it’s about to rain

10. game you were best at in p.e.?

Basketball in elementary, dodgeball in middle, and sitting in high school

11. what you have for breakfast on an average day?

Nothing

12. name of your favorite playlist?

I don’t have one

13. lanyard or key ring?

Both

14. favorite non-chocolate candy?

I don’t think I have a favorite candy tbh. I don’t do sweets often. Starburst are alright?

15. favorite book you read as a school assignment?

La Casa de los Espíritus

16. most comfortable position to sit in?

Knees apart, ankles crossed

17. most frequently worn pair of shoes?

Birkenstock’s, baby

18. ideal weather?

If staying indoors; rainy and gloomy and cold.

If going out; cold with lots of clouds where the sun occasionally peeks thru

19. sleeping position?

On stomach, hugging pillow, one leg hiked up

20. preferred place to write (i.e., in a note book, on your laptop, sketchpad, post-it notes, etc.)?

Lately, in my notes app.

21. obsession from childhood?

Sharks. Horror. Cats.

22. role model?

I don’t really have one. But I do hold a special place in my heart for Gerard Way.

23. strange habits?

I don’t think I have any strange habits. I’m pretty boring.

24. favorite crystal?

Amerhysts, opal, moonstone

25. first song you remember hearing?

I have bad memory

26. favorite activity to do in warm weather?

Stay indoors lol

27. favorite activity to do in cold weather?

Just be outside. Maybe go chill in a park and drink some tea and smoke a cigarette/joint

28. five songs to describe you?

I don’t have the brain capacity for that rn.

29. best way to bond with you?

Interests. Asking questions.

30. places that you find sacred?

Book stores.

31. what outfit do you wear to kick ass and take names?

I don’t lol

32. top five favorite vines?

Oh god I don’t know lol. I love the “Adam!” one. “Two dudes chilling in a hot tub..” the one where the girl is about to play Mozart and the keyboard is on the wrong mode. And I can’t think of any other ones rn

33. most used phrase in your phone?

Probably lol

34. advertisements you have stuck in your head?

Oreilly auto parts for sure.

35. average time you fall asleep?

It varies way too much

36. what is the first meme you remember ever seeing?

Probably the forever alone dude

37. suitcase or duffel bag?

Duffel bag

38. lemonade or tea?

Tea

39. lemon cake or lemon meringue pie?

Lemon cake

40. weirdest thing to ever happen at your school?

Ummm weird is a choice of word I guess. My sophomore year some poor girls home made sex video w her bf got leaked and it was pretty fucking bad.

41. last person you texted?

Lauryn

42. jacket pockets or pants pockets?

Pants

43. hoodie, leather jacket, cardigan, jean jacket or bomber jacket?

I am incapable of choosing. I’m a slut for all of them.

44. favorite scent for soap?

I like mint, citrus, patchouli, and lavender

45. which genre: sci-fi, fantasy or superhero?

Tie between sci-fi and fantasy

46. most comfortable outfit to sleep in?

Sports bra and boxers

47. favorite type of cheese?

It’s impossible for me to choose. I’ve never met a cheese I didn’t like.

48. if you were a fruit, what kind would you be?

My friends used to call me Apple in HS so I guess an apple

49. what saying or quote do you live by?

None

50. what made you laugh the hardest you ever have?

I laugh hard too often

51. current stresses?

My life as a whole

52. favorite font?

Times new Roman

53. what is the current state of your hands?

I’ve stopped biting my nails and instead I file them (I wonder how long that’ll last) and they are a bit dry cause of the changing of seasons; this always happens. They get like, cracked and peely. It’s gross, don’t judge.

54. what did you learn from your first job?

How to drive stick shift. I was a valet.

55. favorite fairy tale?

I don’t think I have one tbh

56. favorite tradition?

Every year for my grandmothers birthday and death anniversary we go out to this famous church that over looks the Miami Bay Area and we throw sunflowers into the ocean for her. I’m not religious or anything, but the church location is great and it’s extremely important in my culture (Cuban).

57. the three biggest struggles you’ve overcome?

I haven’t overcome shit

58. four talents you’re proud of having?

I don’t think I have any talents per se. I used to drum. I have been told I can sing. I like to write. I doodle.

59. if you were a video game character, what would your catchphrase be?

“Sorry, can’t help it, I’m gay”

60. if you were a character in an anime, what kind of anime would you want it to be?

Horror

61. favorite line you heard from a book/movie/tv show/etc.?

Brain too tired to think of anything

62. seven characters you relate to?

I’m too tired to think lol

63. five songs that would play in your club?

Bad Bunny’s discography.

64. favorite website from your childhood?

Lol. Rotten dot com

65. any permanent scars?

One on my knee.

66. favorite flower(s)?

Peonies and roses and pansies

67. good luck charms?

I have un azabache on my wrist

68. worst flavor of any food or drink you’ve ever tried?

Don’t like cucumbers or raw carrots. Oh and recently I tried pickles that have been pickled in moonshine. Fucking no.

69. a fun fact that you don’t know how you learned?

Head empty

70. left or right handed?

Right

71. least favorite pattern?

My patterns in my love life 😁

72. worst subject?

Math for sure

73. favorite weird flavor combo?

Idk. I will literally put an egg on everything.

74. at what pain level out of ten (1 through 10) do you have to be at before you take an advil or ibuprofen?

8

75. when did you lose your first tooth?

No idea

76. what’s your favorite potato food (i.e. tater tots, baked potatoes, fries, chips, etc.)?

Mashed probably

77. best plant to grow on a windowsill?

Succulent

78. coffee from a gas station or sushi from a grocery store?

Publix has decent sushi

79. which looks better, your school id photo or your driver’s license photo?

I don’t have a school I’d anymore, but it was pretty fucking bad. But my license one is also pretty fucking bad.

80. earth tones or jewel tones?

Earth tones

81. fireflies or lightning bugs?

Aren’t they the same? I call them cocuyos

82. pc or console?

Console

83. writing or drawing?

Writing

[lolmouseywritings]

Cursed Child

So this is what happens when I move, have no internet access to my computer, draw mdzs and watch Paper Dolls 2 gameplay from CJU on my phone. 

I will now go back to writing the WenWuxian Au. I’ve been working on.

I hope you enjoy this, and if you’re confused, ask away. 

P.S. I wrote this to get it out of my system. First time writing a horror story.

This will be on AO3, I also added the keep reading line

dabaizi: I think this mean brother-in-law. If I’m wrong, please let me know the correct title. I was trying to be accurate.

Summary: Lan Sizhui just wanted to run away. He didn’t realize it would drag him into a curse filled history of Gusu Manor. Running from fierce corpse’s, the ghost general and Yiling Patriarch, he could only hope he can get out of this alive.

Lan Sizhui sighed, his breath fogging up the glass window. He wasn't interested in the passing background, but it was something that got his mind off, as his cousin chastised him.

"Seriously? I know that I run away a lot, but I wasn't expecting you to do it," chastised Jin Ling tugging up his jacket. The chilly air from the mountains of Gusu was unexpected, but it was the place that Sizhui wanted to go.

Twelve years ago his parents passed away unexpectantly from the accident and he was taken in by his A-die and senior. It was fine, he guessed, but in the short while, his senior's health was failing. He was notorious for sleeping in late, but it was apparent that he had trouble getting up. Then he had trouble eating. He wouldn't even drink his favorite wine. Then one day-

He didn't wake up.

A-die didn't fare well, and now he hardly moved from Senior's side.

People called him cursed.

"Come on Jin Ling, no need to be upset, he just needed some space. Right Sizhui?"

"Yeah just ignore little mistress. He was just, if not, more worried than he let on." Then there goes. Jingyi was always riling up Jin Ling. It was a mystery to how they stayed being friends.

"Shut up, you- ZIZHEN! WATCH OUT!" Without question Zizhen swerves, hitting a tree branch and stopping the vehicle.

The boys step out, zipping up their jackets, and look around.

"Hey what the hell was that?" Questioned Jingyi looking straight at Jin Ling.

"There was a deer out on the road."

"There wasn't!"

"There was!" Ignoring the argument, Sizhui looks around and groans in despair. 'Damn the tire is out.' He looks at his phone and wonders just how cursed he is.

"My phone is out, is anyone else's phone working?" Asked Sizhui as the entire group shook their heads. All phones were out of service.

"Dammit! Uncle will break my legs!" Sizhui  patted Jin Lings back.

"It's okay.” Jin Ling shakes it off and glares at him. His stance aggressive.

"You don't get to say that, when you packed up and left. I know shit's hard for you, but it's hard on everyone else too."

"Calm down," Zizhen starts. "I'm sure none of us want to be in this situation. Best bet is to go to the nearest town and call for a tow. We can also call our families and let them know where we are."

"The nearest town is Moling. It will take us at least 2 hours to walk! And it's cold and I know that none of us want to walk for that long!" Gripped Jin Ling. Sizhui and Zhizhen shared glances, thinking little mistress.

"HEY I SEE SMOKE!" Exclaimed Jingyi. The group looks up to see what looks like a dilapidated manor. They agree to separate in groups of two. Zizhen and Jingyi at the car and Sizhui and Jin Ling to walk up to the manor and see if they could make a call. Sizhui would have honestly preferred Zizhen or Jingyi. Jin Ling, however, wasn't about to let him out of his sight. He was way too much like his uncle than he cared to admit.

Not a surprised considering how close the Jiang/Wei siblings are. Walking up the mountain was a tiring endeavor as the steps seemed to never end. It was worth it once they reached the entrance until they realized that no one lived in the house.

"I guess the smoke was just our imagination?" Remarked Sizhui.

"So the four of us imagined smoke coming out of this place." Jin Ling rolls his eyes. A nervous laughter escapes Sizhui at Jin Ling's rebuttal. With a sigh, Jin Ling walks up and knocks on the door. The icy breeze passes by, causing both boys to shiver. The door opens with a creek.

With a hesitant step, Jin Ling goes in.

"Hello?" His voice echoes into the manor. Not waiting for Sizhui, he walks in.

"Wait Jin Ling." He walks up the steps ready to follow his friend. As he steps in, it took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dark. Or it would have if he didn't feel a sharp pain at the back of his head.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "You promised me!" "W̷̧̎͌̿͌͋̀́ë̵̟́̍̈́̚i̸̩̭̤̦̱̐-" "You promised me they would be okay! AND NOW THEY ARE DEAD!" "Please, listen!" "I'M DONE LISTENING! I'M DO-" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Wake up. Junior master, wake up!" Sizhui groans, placing his hand to where his head felt a throb. He felt nothing wet, so that was wonderful news. There was a however a sizable bump on the back of his head.

"What happened?"

"Quick get up!" He looks up and notices that the voice he kept hearing was nowhere to be found.

"Where are you?"

"I'll tell you but you must leave the room or else-" He hears the heavy dragging of chains. It was his only warning before he hid into an old decorative closet. He held his breath as he took a peak thru the crack.

Pale skin, clumpy lumped black hair, poor posture and old tattered clothing. The chains were black, looked as heavy as they sounded, and covered in blood. 

Sizhui had to cover his mouth to hold back the bile as the heavy scent of iron, which he was certain was not only from the chains, filtered into the air. He waited as the groans and dragging chains disappeared into the next room. He gave himself some time to get out.

"Magnificent job," he heard the voice as he looked around to discover its origin. "Take the door on your left and walk down the hallway till you reach a door. It should take you outside. Walk down the path next to the pond until it leads you to a building surrounded by bamboo,  the Hanshi. Quickly!"

Without a word Sizhui follows the directions, eyes and ears peeled for anymore unearthly beings. Thank god he didn't have to take the door that- he shivered- thing took.

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

The man sitting before him was wrapped in gold robes with a peony emblem in front. He held a certain charisma that it almost made Sizhui want to sit down and drink the tea that was sitting innocently on the table. Prepared just for him.

Guangyao, as he presented himself, had the smile that made Sizhui want to run in the opposite direction. Especially when he told him what was happening.

"What do you mean that I'm stuck here?"

"Hm, kids these days are hard of hearing, I guess." Upon looking Sizhui's face Guangyao sighed and refilled his cup. "I mean that until you can set the resentful spirits to rest, there's nothing you can do to escape. The Yiling Patriarch has us trapped here until you can vanquish him."

"And why can't you do it?"

"I tried and failed. Now the Patriarch has me trapped here for who knows how long." Sizhui let out a breath of frustration.

Great! He leaves his home because his life is falling apart, gets caught at the gas station by his friends, their tire blows out because of a random tree branch, even though Jin Ling claims it was a dee- wait!

"JIN LING! Where's my cousin Jin Ling!" Guangyao looks at him confused.

"Jin who?"

"My cousin! He was with me!"

"Ah well, it's possible that he’s lost in the manor as you, Sizhui-er. Though I would start looking. He may end up dead before the night is over."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sizhui cursed his luck for the umpteenth time. There were zombies in here, zombies that moved faster than what he would have liked them too, and some of them liked to explode! 

They sucked! 

They sucked so hard that- argh!!!! 

He hated them!

It didn't help that he met the chained zombie, a fierce corpse, as Guangyao like to call them. He saw him this time when he opened the door, thinking the room was clear, and chased him across the manor. He was lucky enough to find another closet to hide in. As soon as the creature left, Sizhui carefully climbed out and walked to another path.

Ok, so to recap he went to the library and found Elder Teacher's Scroll. It had spells for evocation, suppression, and rest. He didn't understand it much, but once he found the other items that he requested, he was sure Guangyao could help him. He placed the scroll in his back pocket, making sure it was secure.

There was still no sign of Jin Ling increasing his worry, as he hoped his cousin did not have to face those creatures.  He kept walking until he heard nothing. The crickets did not chirp and the sound of the wind was ominous. It had a haunting tune, one that spoke of longing-

"Is that a flute? No, it's a-". He looks up to see a man in a black robe, red trim sitting on the rooftop, a red ribbon holding back his hair. It was a black bamboo Dizi, the type that Senior would love to get his hands on and play. It looked like the man did not hear him until he opened his eyes, looking straight at him. They had a red glow to them that spoke of pain and suffering.

"Sen-"

"My, my, look what the mouse dragged in! Tell me, what did you do to get trapped in here?" The animosity in his voice forced Sizhui to recoil back. The laughter sent a frigid chill down his spine.

This wasn't, this wasn't-

"No matter, let's get rid of the pests, shall we, Hanguang-jun?" With a few notes from the Dizi, the room marked Jingshi bursts open and out popped a man dressed in a white robe as if he was in mourning, a white ribbon around his forehead and his long bangs covered his face.

Sizhui moved out of the way as the blade cut thru his jacket sleeve. The sting on his arm caused him to hiss. Run! He thought. He had to run so he could stay alive.

He ran to the path towards the classroom, but the man had an unnatural speed to him. He was upon him, but Sizhui did not plan to give up. He took another direction, and he was there. Another and he too was there. No matter what path he took, he was right in front of him.

Fleeing would not work, so he looked around and found an old rusted blade. He held up to block a strike from above and fell, feeling the shock to his very bones. Such a ferocious attack!

It didn't appear, as the man walked to him slowly carrying what looked like an air of serenity, but the movement and aggressiveness of his blade was monstrous. It betrayed the strength that this fierce corpse was capable of.

Sizhui couldn't even get up. It was stupid! He thought fighting that thing was his only choice to live, and now he regretted it.

He thought of the mischievous laughter and the stern but reassuring ‘Mn' from his guardians, his parents, as he closed his eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Wen Qing, Wen Ning, it's okay! I'll give them the Stygian Tiger Seal and I'll go to Gusu. When I do that, they'll leave you and everyone else alone."

"Ẅ̵̧̨̠͇̦̩̹͕̰͉̥͔̪̯̱̙́̉̅͛́̅̎̔̎́̐́̔̃̃́̏̍͑̀̃͘̕͜ͅẻ̷̤̼̭̭͍̮̝͎̪̯͕͈͔̻͍͐͒̾̌͊̆̂̓̿̋̇̾͊̾̎̒̉̆͜͠į̴̛̤̩͕̙̗̥̠̦̬̙͈̗̟̖̆̽̃́͂̀̏̀͒̊̎̔̇̎̈̃̿͑̋̄̚͝ ̵̨̛̘̯͈̻̔͋͒̀͌̀̌́̌͋W̴̨̛̖̮̖̫̗̣̫͖̣̌̌̏̃̀̐̔̐̆͛͛̆̿͆̀̈͑͂͌͑̈́̂̓̕u̷̧̖͈͕̹̬̫͓̲̠͉̭͐̈́̓͋͐x̶̳͓̪̟̯̜̯̳͙̳͇̪̳̻̳̦̺̲̝̟̓̄͋̅̈́̑̋͜͠i̴̢̨̛̛̙̱̺͍̜͚̗̟͉̗̹̘̝̦͌͑͛̌̃̎̇̔̀̋̈́̊͊̾͋̉̓̽̚͜͠͠ͅͅa̶̹͖̤̝̗̻̹͎̦̤͚̮̯̪͎͇͕̗̫͙̠̹̹̎̇̀̈́͆̃̃̈́̈̈́̈̎͜͠͝͝n̵̳͉̤͈̗̽̏͛̈́͗̊͝͠, you know we can't accept this! You paid your debt! You took us out of the camp, you brought my brother back. Don't do this!" Ẅ̵̧̨̠͇̦̩̹͕̰͉̥͔̪̯̱̙́̉̅͛́̅̎̔̎́̐́̔̃̃́̏̍͑̀̃͘̕͜ͅẻ̷̤̼̭̭͍̮̝͎̪̯͕͈͔̻͍͐͒̾̌͊̆̂̓̿̋̇̾͊̾̎̒̉̆͜͠į̴̛̤̩͕̙̗̥̠̦̬̙͈̗̟̖̆̽̃́͂̀̏̀͒̊̎̔̇̎̈̃̿͑̋̄̚͝ ̵̨̛̘̯͈̻̔͋͒̀͌̀̌́̌͋W̴̨̛̖̮̖̫̗̣̫͖̣̌̌̏̃̀̐̔̐̆͛͛̆̿͆̀̈͑͂͌͑̈́̂̓̕u̷̧̖͈͕̹̬̫͓̲̠͉̭͐̈́̓͋͐x̶̳͓̪̟̯̜̯̳͙̳͇̪̳̻̳̦̺̲̝̟̓̄͋̅̈́̑̋͜͠i̴̢̨̛̛̙̱̺͍̜͚̗̟͉̗̹̘̝̦͌͑͛̌̃̎̇̔̀̋̈́̊͊̾͋̉̓̽̚͜͠͠ͅͅa̶̹͖̤̝̗̻̹͎̦̤͚̮̯̪͎͇͕̗̫͙̠̹̹̎̇̀̈́͆̃̃̈́̈̈́̈̎͜͠͝͝n̵̳͉̤͈̗̽̏͛̈́͗̊͝͠ shakes his head.

"They have to, besides my control isn't the same as before. It won't be long before they break through the seal. At least this way I can save-" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CLANG!

Sizhui opened his eyes as he saw that the blade, ready to strike him, wrapped in chains. The howl sent a shiver up his spine as the chain pulled back, sending Hanguang-jun back to fight the fierce corpse that followed him.

'I guess they're not friends!' He thought as he looked up and saw that the mysterious Dizi player gone.  Seeing an opening, Sizhui runs into the Jingshi and looks for the instrument, a Guqin. It sat on the table next to two white jars covered with a white cloth. From the smell of the fermentation, he could tell that taking a sip would burn his throat.

He shook his head. He had no time to think of such things and grabbed the instrument. It would be too heavy to lug this around and heads to the Hanshi.

He forced himself to forget that Senior looked like the man from the rooftop, along with the laughter.

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

He told Guangyao all about the Hanguang-jun and the mysterious man from the roof.

"Great, he knows you are here. Look if you see them again just run. When Hanguang-jun died they already knew him as one of the top cultivators. As for the man you saw, well, the Yiling Patriarch is an entirely different beast on his own. His ability to cultivate resentful energy is how he can bring fierce corpse's to life." He sips from the tea, savors it, then sets it down.

"From what you told me the Ghost General-"

"Ghost General?" Sizhui receives a silent reprimand from him causing him to stop talking.

"It's rude to interrupt. The fierce corpse with the chains. They knew him as Wen Ning, the Ghost General of the Yiling Patriarch. Though I find it odd that they would be fighting. Maybe something happened?" Sizhui shrugs. Everything was going over his head. Really, the sensible thing would be to grab Jin Ling and run to the edge of the forest and find a way out.

Jin Ling was still missing, though, and Guangyao had no way of knowing where he might be. Plus, it wasn't as if he could leave the Hanshi. He’s stuck in this beautiful and dark room, a partition serving as a cutoff from the tea table and the bed.

He notices a figure sitting slouched forward.

"So you've noticed my roommate."

"Who is he?"

"The last Sect master of Gusu, Zewu-jun."

"He's alive!"

"Hardly. He’s also afflicted by the same curse as me." Before he could ask more Guangyao smiles at him. "It's best that you look for the next items on the list."

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

With supplies ready, given by Guangyao, and an old rusted sword he found, which he knew he was useless with, made Sizhui felt slightly braver. Hopefully, the talisman's would be helpful.

The Library Pavilion was tricky to get to. He knew something was following him and knowing what the denizens of this cursed place was like, Sizhui was rightfully hesitant to meet this creature.

Finally reaching the place, he walks around looking for the secret passageway. Being in the library, however, he could not help but look at an open book talking about a chord assassination technique. Backing away, he forced himself not to jump when he heard whispers.

Lan-er-gege! You can't be mad! I've called your name so many times. Sizhui stops there. Lan? That's his family name. Why would he hear his family name? He thought back about his parents saying that they had an ancestral home once. But they never finished telling him anymore than that. After all, how could they when the 18 wheeler hit them, pushing their car over-

"Find the secret passage. Find the flags. Find the secret passage. Find the flags." He tripped. Face smacking the floor.

Did he mention how much he hated this place?

He rubbed his nose, checking for blood. Thankfully, there wasn't any and looked to see his foot caught on a handle. A handle that led to a door under the library. The secret passageway. He pulls it up and walks down the staircase.

Dust and cobwebs covered the entire place. Gulping he walks forward using the sword to clear the way making sure to not disturb any of the spiders.

"Well, I know that Jin Ling is definitely not here. He would just screech at this sight." He finds a stack of flags at the end of the room next to a jar. He makes a quick count and realizes he’s short one.

"Okay, where's the last one?" Looking around, he feels a sudden vertigo.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Come to Gusu with me.

I can't. What will happen to the Wen's? You know that the other Sects want them dead.

I can talk to brother.

I- I

Please W̴̢̳̻̮̪̱̤̖̲̤̟̱͌̈͌̆̚͠͠ͅę̶̮͖͍̕ḯ̴̛͚͉̜̙͉̰̱͐͝ ̴̲̺̭̰̆̈́͐́͒̀̋̋̋̓̾̕͠͝W̴̨̛̖̮̖̫̗̣̫͖̣̌̌̏̃̀̐̔̐̆͛͛̆̿͆̀̈͑͂͌͑̈́̂̓̕u̷̧̖͈͕̹̬̫͓̲̠͉̭͐̈́̓͋͐x̶̳͓̪̟̯̜̯̳͙̳͇̪̳̻̳̦̺̲̝̟̓̄͋̅̈́̑̋͜͠i̴̢̨̛̛̙̱̺͍̜͚̗̟͉̗̹̘̝̦͌͑͛̌̃̎̇̔̀̋̈́̊͊̾͋̉̓̽̚͜͠͠ͅͅa̶̹͖̤̝̗̻̹͎̦̤͚̮̯̪͎͇͕̗̫͙̠̹̹̎̇̀̈́͆̃̃̈́̈̈́̈̎͜͠͝͝n̵̳͉̤͈̗̽̏͛̈́͗̊͝͠ come to Gusu.  I will talk to brother. The Wen's will be safe. A̷͕̯͔̖̤͖̫̼̫̹̼͛̏͆͑͆͂̏̏͊͂͂́͘-̵̡͍̗̬̯͚̹̹̱̼̰̟̘̩̖̥́̐̄̈́Ỷ̵̋̂��̢̣̮͎͚̱̗̯̘̹̓̍̇͆͗̈̃͑̐̈́̋̋̐͊̉͛̚͘͝͝ͅu̸̧̡̖͕̼̗͓̳͙͍̠̹̙̗̙̘̥͍̯͖̫̦̣͆̊͠͝ȧ̶̡̖̳̫̟͔̣̩̋̔̀̆̀̒͠ň̸̢̧̨̛̘̠̗͍͇̭̯̪̠͕̤͈͚͔̟͕͔͖̖͕͌̇̈́̿̏̈̇́̃̏̈́̎̃̚̚͜͠ will be safe-

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

A hand holds him up, and he calls out a name.

"Jin Ling?"

"Jin Ling? There is no Jin Ling, though there is a bastard with that family name." Her hair was up and her dirty black robes have seen better days. It looked burnt and ashy. She had a stern face, but oddly he felt the urge to see her smile. He shakes the thought and looks back, her face familiar, though he knows he never met her.

"Who-" She shushes him as they hear footsteps from above. It was slow and methodical. He catches sight of a white robe. Eyes widening, he hopes that his heartbeat would not betray their location. They lean back against the wall, standing still as statues. She silently signals him to follow her. He watches as she walks a few steps past the bookshelf to reveal a secret door, initially hidden by the shadows of the room. He works his way towards her.

The jar, caught by his jacket, falls with a loud crash. The woman gasps and holds out her hand. He darts to the door as Hanguang-jun breaks down the floor beneath him. As they enter, the woman is quick to close the opening making a grating rocky sound. The stone door should hopefully hold off the fierce corpse. His companion seemed to think otherwise.

"Quickly! Follow me!" They run down the passageway which leads to the forest. 

"He's still following us!"

"How do you know?" The sound of trees and branches falling behind him answers his question. Leaving him to wonder if this Hanguang-jun was strong enough to cut through the stone.

He's forced to stop when the woman turns towards him. From her robes she pulls out a needle which she uses to cut his cheek. He hisses as he watches her make a sigil. Something red and hazy appears next to her.

"You go down the path quickly, I'll meet you soon!" He didn't question her and took the path she pointed. He stopped at a dead end. For once it wasn't scary, in fact there were rabbits there. Sizhui sits down by the tree and hugs himself.

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

W̷̧̪̱͚͖̅̐̌̀́͠ȇ̶̛̹̜̐̋̀̎̈̄͝į̸̡̗̤͈̪͉̈́ ̷̟̻͔̋̋̓͂̌̋͊W̴̨̛̖̮̖̫̗̣̫͖̣̌̌̏̃̀̐̔̐̆͛͛̆̿͆̀̈͑͂͌͑̈́̂̓̕u̷̧̖͈͕̹̬̫͓̲̠͉̭͐̈́̓͋͐x̶̳͓̪̟̯̜̯̳͙̳͇̪̳̻̳̦̺̲̝̟̓̄͋̅̈́̑̋͜͠i̴̢̨̛̛̙̱̺͍̜͚̗̟͉̗̹̘̝̦͌͑͛̌̃̎̇̔̀̋̈́̊͊̾͋̉̓̽̚͜͠͠ͅͅa̶̹͖̤̝̗̻̹͎̦̤͚̮̯̪͎͇͕̗̫͙̠̹̹̎̇̀̈́͆̃̃̈́̈̈́̈̎͜͠͝͝n̵̳͉̤͈̗̽̏͛̈́͗̊͝͠. I love you.

Ah, L̷͍̣̟̬̤̹̝̜̪̮̭̈̌̀̿̑͑̈́̐̈́̐̇ȃ̵̧̫͕̪̰̻n̴͔̳͖͗̑͒ ̸̲̖̜͕̈́̀̂͌̏̐͂̇̎̚͘Ŵ̴̭͊̾̎̌̆͜͠a̴͍͉̳͍̐̓͜͜ͅͅͅn̴̜̺͖̰͉͖̻̆̂̾̓̈́̕g̸̗̈́͋͂̊̑͌̇͝͝j̸̢͓̣͎̟͠i̶͇̚! Warn me when you tell me things like this.

Mn

L̷͍̣̟̬̤̹̝̜̪̮̭̈̌̀̿̑͑̈́̐̈́̐̇ȃ̵̧̫͕̪̰̻n̴͔̳͖͗̑͒ ̸̲̖̜͕̈́̀̂͌̏̐͂̇̎̚͘Ŵ̴̭͊̾̎̌̆͜͠a̴͍͉̳͍̐̓͜͜ͅͅͅn̴̜̺͖̰͉͖̻̆̂̾̓̈́̕g̸̗̈́͋͂̊̑͌̇͝͝j̸̢͓̣͎̟͠i̶͇̚, take responsibility and hug me.

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

He wakes with a start.

That wasn't- that wasn't them.

It looked like them, but it wasn't them.

"Hey Sizhui! Wake up or I'll break your legs!" Sizhui rubs his eyes as he looks up to finally sees his cousin.

"Jin Ling, where were you?" Jin Ling scoffs.

"Looking for you! Come one let's get out of here. This place is creepy." Sizhui nods and stands up. They walk out of the grove.

"What were you doing, anyway?" Jin Ling asks, rubbing his arms up and down. Seems he lost his jacket while searching for him.

"I was running from zombies." Jin Ling stops to look at him, then laughs mockingly. 

"I'm serious! These fierce corpses were chasing me, and I had to run around getting these items. Look! I had to grab these flags to do a ritual-" He feels a sharp pinch on his arm. "Hey!"

"Can you hear yourself," asks Jin Ling as he tsks. "Zombies, rituals, really Sizhui I know you don't want to go home but stop playing around."

"I'm not-"

"Really? Then why don't you go visit jiu'jiu'-Xian? Visit-"

"I'm not playing!"

"As if! Look, I know the shit that everyone is saying. Cursed child, whatever! You just punch them in the face!"

"uh... A-die says I shouldn't."

"Your A-die doesn't even respond anymore. Coward." Sizhui turns his head sharply, eyes narrowing. Jin Ling raises his hand up. "Sorry. Low blow, but I'm serious. Everyone is worried about you and you can ignore those gossiping blowhards. They just want to say something to feel important." Sizhui doesn't even bother to get after for him.

"How did you find me, anyway? I didn't leave any notes." Jin Ling raises his eyes in disbelief.

"We sent pictures on the web and tv. Some dude caught sight of you at the gas station." Odd, he only saw granny there taking care of the counter and there were no cars around. Maybe it was a passing vehicle and the guy just saw him. It didn't matter. He tried to run because he wanted to escape. Better for everyone.

Ever since his parents died A-die and Senior took care of him as if he was their child. They still told stories about his mama and baba. A-die even taught him how to play the Guqin, though he knew he was rusty now. He stopped playing when A-die stopped responding. That was almost six months ago. Now he was the cursed kid that no one wanted to be around. Anyone that takes care of him meets a grisly end. He receives a harsh slap on his back.

"Hey, when we get back I'll stand by you and help you beat up those whinny ninnies." Sizhui snorts.

"Whinny ninnies? Have you been hanging out with Jiu'jiu-Cheng?" Jin Ling scoffs looking away, but not before Sizhui caught sight of his face turning red. It was then that they heard moans coming from one of the forked paths.

"Sizhui. Tell me you were really kidding about those zombies." Jin Ling stares at Sizhui, who shakes his head. They both turn just in time to see the fierce corpses heading towards them, now running since it caught sight of them.

With no prompting, they ran side by side to the hallways of Gusu Manor. Left, right they ran to hide from the monsters, but no matter where they went they found themselves unable to outrun them. It was as if there was a tracker on them. Letting these creatures were they were going.

Sizhui has a horrid realization.

"Jin Ling! Take this path! It should lead you to the Hanshi, you should be safe there!"

"What? No!"

"Do it! Wait for me there! I will meet you there!" He pushes his cousin and runs the opposite direction. The fierce corpses ignore Jin Ling and follow him instead.

Damn Guangyao! Couldn't he have told him that these flags were a damn beacon for these monsters! And he wanted to smack himself for leaving the sword behind. Though it would do much good since he had a horde.

He remembers the talisman and finds one that say's repress. As he runs he is quick to grab a box that was the perfect size for the flags, place them inside and places the talisman on it. It glows a light blue and slowly it appears as if he is losing them. Once he ran far enough, he found that he was further than he intended from the manor.

Luck was on his side when he caught sight of large, trumpet-shaped flowers. They were an intense blue. Finally, Sizhui was on his way to the Gentian house.

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

Arriving at the house was no trouble. It was the last item that was the issue. Guangyao had told him that at the Gentian House there should house the Stygian Tiger Seal. The only thing he found was the missing flag, which he placed in the box for safekeeping.

No matter where he looked, he could not find the item in question. Under the bed, in the desk drawer, the bookshelf with a sealed red and white urn, he even went to look under the boards, but nothing. He was about to call it quits when he heard the door open.

He hides in the closet and peeks to see the Yiling Patriarch. He looked around, confused. Crap! He’s bound to notice him.

"Aiyah! I must have left a mess. Oh, well." He sits down, pulls out a board and reaches in. From there, he pulls out a bottle that reads Emperor's Smile.

"He, he, he There's not much left so I may as well enjoy what's left." He pulls off the seal and drinks it. The fermentation strong in the air. Sizhui tries not to gag.

THUD! THUD!

He holds his breath when he sees the man stand up, angry.

"Get lost!"

THUD! THUD!

"GET LOST!" He hears the bottle of wine crash against the door, the resentful energy feeling thick in the air.

"GET LOST! GET LOST! GET LOST! DIRTY LIAR! CRUEL WORTHLESS DIRTY LIAR! MURDERER!" Sizhui almost felt faint by how much resentment was filling the air. Thick inky clouds expelled from the Yiling Patriarch. He wanted to cry, yell, anything, but all he could do was let out a pitiful sob. He sits back, upset.

It becomes quiet, the energy he felt gone. Sizhui covers his mouth. Did he hear him?

He sits still, listening. The footsteps are slow, as if trying to make the most minimal sound as possible. Maybe he heard but didn't know where the sound came from? If he's lucky he can sneak out and distract the Yiling Patriarch and maybe come back?

The door opens as a pale hand pulls him out. He screams as he's thrown to the partition.

"Oh, and look at this small mouse. Did you think I would not find you?" Sizhui crawls back, trying to get away from the man. The steps he took were still slow, but also predatory. The resentment, the ominous clouds now hung heavy in the air.

"Tell me what are you looking for mouse? Maybe I can help you?" Teased the man viciously. Sizhui is still crawling back until he finds an incense burner.

He throws it. It didn't hit him, but it gave him the chance he was looking for, which was to run to the door. As he opened the door, he barely missed being decapitated when he ducked to an opening.

"Damn that Hanguang-jun!" He doesn't turn to look back. But he could feel that they were close, which was bad. All the running was getting to him. He didn't know how long he could keep it up. He was about to trip, when he’s suddenly wrapped in chains and pulled up to the sky.

He's caught by the Ghost General. His heart, wrought in fear, goes to his throat as he faints.

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

Stop following the demonic path

Ah, L̷͍̣̟̬̤̹̝̜̪̮̭̈̌̀̿̑͑̈́̐̈́̐̇ȃ̵̧̫͕̪̰̻n̴͔̳͖͗̑͒ ̸̲̖̜͕̈́̀̂͌̏̐͂̇̎̚͘Ŵ̴̭͊̾̎̌̆͜͠a̴͍͉̳͍̐̓͜͜ͅͅͅn̴̜̺͖̰͉͖̻̆̂̾̓̈́̕g̸̗̈́͋͂̊̑͌̇͝͝j̸̢͓̣͎̟͠i̶͇̚, you have no-

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

L̷͍̣̟̬̤̹̝̜̪̮̭̈̌̀̿̑͑̈́̐̈́̐̇ȃ̵̧̫͕̪̰̻n̴͔̳͖͗̑͒ ̸̲̖̜͕̈́̀̂͌̏̐͂̇̎̚͘Ŵ̴̭͊̾̎̌̆͜͠a̴͍͉̳͍̐̓͜͜ͅͅͅn̴̜̺͖̰͉͖̻̆̂̾̓̈́̕g̸̗̈́͋͂̊̑͌̇͝͝j̸̢͓̣͎̟͠i̶͇̚, than-

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

Ẅ̵̧̨̠͇̦̩̹͕̰͉̥͔̪̯̱̙́̉̅͛́̅̎̔̎́̐́̔̃̃́̏̍͑̀̃͘̕͜ͅẻ̷̤̼̭̭͍̮̝͎̪̯͕͈͔̻͍͐͒̾̌͊̆̂̓̿̋̇̾͊̾̎̒̉̆͜͠į̴̛̤̩͕̙̗̥̠̦̬̙͈̗̟̖̆̽̃́͂̀̏̀͒̊̎̔̇̎̈̃̿͑̋̄̚͝ ̵̨̛̘̯͈̻̔͋͒̀͌̀̌́̌͋W̴̨̛̖̮̖̫̗̣̫͖̣̌̌̏̃̀̐̔̐̆͛͛̆̿͆̀̈͑͂͌͑̈́̂̓̕u̷̧̖͈͕̹̬̫͓̲̠͉̭͐̈́̓͋͐x̶̳͓̪̟̯̜̯̳͙̳͇̪̳̻̳̦̺̲̝̟̓̄͋̅̈́̑̋͜͠i̴̢̨̛̛̙̱̺͍̜͚̗̟͉̗̹̘̝̦͌͑͛̌̃̎̇̔̀̋̈́̊͊̾͋̉̓̽̚͜͠͠ͅͅa̶̹͖̤̝̗̻̹͎̦̤͚̮̯̪͎͇͕̗̫͙̠̹̹̎̇̀̈́͆̃̃̈́̈̈́̈̎͜͠͝͝n̵̳͉̤͈̗̽̏͛̈́͗̊͝͠ .

Did you forget what we promised? What's right and what's wrong?

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

Did you hear? The Jin Sect is cursed.

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

Another vision. Great. Ever since his hit on the head he tried to ignore them as time passed, but whatever happened back then seemed to want to make itself known. No matter if the audience is unwilling or not. He takes a deep breath and opens his eyes.

He awoke in what looked like a boarding room for school kids. As he got up, he’s quickly pushed down.

"You need to rest. You've had a hard night." It was the woman from before.

"No, no, I need to continue"

"And as a doctor I need you to sleep. My brother found you and saved you from those two." Sizhui’s confused.

"Your brother. He fought the Ghost General?”

"He is the Ghost General." His eyes widened as he looked around. "He's not here, but I am. My name is Wen Qing and you are?"

"Lan Sizhui." He noticed her hand stiffened for a moment, then continue with his wounds. She wrapped and cleaned his arm with a bandage and was now cleaning a wound was on the wing of his back. Funny, it must have been the adrenaline running in his system. He didn’t realize he was injured till now.

"What exactly are you doing? Running around, you should be leaving, not staying." She reprimanded as she cleaned and tidied up her supplies.

"I was told that I could not leave until I broke the curse."

"And who told you that?"

"Guangyao." Her hand freezes just as she was about to close her box.

"Guangyao? Jin Guangyao, you're listening to that beast!"

"What are you talking about?" He asked, understanding now that there was something more to his mysterious benefactor.

"He didn't tell me he was a Jin, just that his name is Guangyao." Wen Qing scoffs.

"Only because he doesn't want his crimes to be known. Listen here! You need to stay away from that man. He will only use you and throw you away once you're no longer any use to him."

"What do you mean?!" Wen Qing sighs.

"He is the reason that this curse came to be. A  long time ago our leader, Wen Ruohan, lost the war and they killed the survivors off. Only Wei Wuxian stood for us since we save him and his brother." She closes the box and puts it away.

"During the war he created the Stygian Tiger Seal. It was powerful, but it did its job, however later on he grew to fear how much resentful energy it was consuming. So he made a deal with the remaining Sects. He would give himself up and the Stygian Tiger Seal. In return, the Sects would let us live in peace." "I'm guessing that's not what happened."

"They killed us all and those remaining died without medical help. Even the smallest-" she chocked as tears fell from her eyes.

"You're not alive. Are you?"

"I died trying to hide little A-Yuan. But from what I hear, he didn't make it." She wipes away the tears.

"I don't get it. Why is it Jin Guangyao's fault?"

"It's his fault because under his father's order, he incited the other clans to attack by killing Sect Leader Nie and blaming us for it. If it wasn't for his brother, Nie Huaisang, finding out, then everyone would have believed we were guilty. I only know this because even now the remaining spirits love to whisper, but Nie Huaisang, visited  Wei Wuxian. He was heartbroken when he couldn't visit A-Yuan's funeral. They thought he was there to console him. They were friends during their schooling here in Gusu. Then a few days later he activated the curse. And now we are here, stuck in Gusu, unable to move on."

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

L̵̡̧̢̞̦̰͖͍͚͉̳͒͌̀͗̀â̵̧̯̫̦̳̟͉͖̣̝̄̆͑̆̾̑̈́n̶̥̔͋́̈̊́͘ ̸̢͉̬̞̲̘͎͊̐Ŵ̴̭͊̾̎̌̆͜͠a̴͍͉̳͍̐̓͜͜ͅͅͅn̴̜̺͖̰͉͖̻̆̂̾̓̈́̕g̸̗̈́͋͂̊̑͌̇͝͝j̸̢͓̣͎̟͠i̶͇̚ stood outside-

-wail in agony.

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

"Jin Ling! Jin Ling! Where are you?!" He pulled open the door, not caring about the commotion he was causing.

Both of them were getting out of here, he thought. They weren't staying there a minute longer.

"Sizhui-er! What's the matter?!" Guangyao appeared by the partition as he walked over to calm the teenager.

"My cousin! I sent him here. I know it. I saw him head this way."

"No, no, no, I saw no one come by. Here," he pours a cup of tea and presents it to Sizhui. It felt warm to the touch. "Drink this. You would feel better afterwards." Sizhui stared at the cup and felt a surge of anger as he threw the teacup, not quite hitting Jin Guangyao, but close enough.

"ENOUGH! Enough with the lies! Enough with the half-truths! Tell me what do my parents Lan Zhan and Wei Ying have to do with the spirits of Hanguang-jun and the Yiling Patriarch!?"

Jin Guangyao sighed, sat down, as if he was the one who ran around this damn place, tired. He looked at him straight in the eyes.

"It took a while to find all of you, you know."

"Excuse me?!"

"Lan Zhan and Wei Ying are the reincarnations of Lan Wangji, Hanguang-jun and Wei Wuxian, the Yiling Patriarch. Or rather, their half-reincarnations. So I called them. Pulled their souls over here." Sizhui punched him.

"YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT MY PARENTS ARE COMATOSED BECAUSE OF YOU!" Guangyao laughed, not a care in the world. The secret now out.

"See I made many choices, choices that led to the deaths of an entire sect, that led to the terrible descent into madness for Wei Wuxian. I didn't care. I was working my way to getting my father's approval, or at least I thought I did." He grunts as he gets up, wiping the blood from his lip.

"I was a war hero and shared the cups of brotherhood with two other known figures from the war, Nie Mingjue and Lan Xichen. Yet, no matter what I did, it wasn't enough." He gave an empty laugh. Sizhui felt uncomfortable as he felt the despair.  

"I ruined Sects for that man so that our Sect could stand on top. I killed one venerated brother so there would be no opposition, had the Wen-dog survivors blamed so we would kill them off. I destroyed Wei Wuxian's reason for living and relationship so we could appear righteous and powerful. Then I destroyed the one that truly mattered."  Sizhui gulped as the man in front of him reminisced.

"I didn't mean to, but I failed to see how much Huanguang-Jun loved Wei Wuxian. It was easy to see how much Zewu-jun loved his brother, and for him I made sure no harm would come to his little brother. Zewu-jun, he called me his equal. I wasn't some son of a prostitute, I was special to him. When I had the Wen's killed, the Yiling Patriarch cast his curse, which Huanguang-jun accepted... I saw how Zewu-jun broke down to see his brother give up, be taken willingly."

“Hanguang-jun blamed himself.” Stated Sizhui. Jin Guangyao nodded.

"Yes, and maybe he wanted to show that he would stand by Wei Wuxian's side. Who knows, that man didn't speak much, always keeping his thoughts to himself. Like I said, I didn't care about anyone else except for my father's approval and... Zewu-jun, Lan Xichen." Sizhui looks back at the man sitting on the other side of the room, hidden by the partition.

"Discovering what I did, Zewu-jun immediately blamed himself, for without his blessing's and his help, I would not have been able to do the things I did. When I tried to break the curse, the reason we couldn't was because of me. Zewu-jun could no longer trust me. So we- I failed. The only thing we did was just forcefully subdue part of the spirits." Jin Guangyao clenched his teeth, holding back the tears that threatening to spill from his eyes.

"My betrayal was too much, the pain that it wrought was too heavy, that he just shut down. I don't care wether any of the spirits here can find healing, but for Zewu-jun I want to break this curse and maybe he can finally move on." Sizhui sighed.

He just wanted to find his cousin and get the hell out. However, hearing what happened to the Wen siblings living the half cursed life. The memories of Lan Wangji sitting outside the Gentian house when he wanted to get Wei Wuxian to at least talk to him, hear him, see him. The pain when Wei Wuxian wanted to save little A-Yuan only to die. He never even got to see his body to mourn properly. Damn his bleeding heart.

"Fine, let's get started."

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

The Mingshi was musty smelling, perhaps from the mold, dark and littered with cobwebs. They worked quickly to clear it with only the light of the moon, from the broken ceiling, to guide them. Though ominous, Gusu must have been a beautiful place. He could almost imagine the foliage from the outside, how the ponds and rivers would have trickled and the birds singing.

But it wasn't. He would need his friends' hands to count how many steps he broke from him just placing the slightest pressure. He picked up the scroll and read the evocation and rest. As he told Guangyao it had been a while, but he hoped he could remember the hand placement to play these scores.

A nagging question had been on Sizhui's mind. Would the ritual work? And why? Figuring it wouldn't hurt to ask, Sizhui turned to ask Guangyao the nagging question.

"Sizhui-er, I have every belief that this ritual will work."

"And why is that?"

"Because, you have Wen Yuan's spirit." Sizhui's blank face caused Guangyao to sigh heavily.

"Part of the reason for Wei Wuxian's madness is that he blames himself for his adopted son's death. When he realizes that you're the reincarnation of Wen Yuan it may settle him down enough to allow us to play Rest for the peace that he denied himself." With all the cloak and dagger from Guangyao, his word was useless. So why go along with this?

"And if that does not work?"

"In the words of today's youth, we are totally screwed" Sizhui snorts. Guangyao side glances at him questioningly.

"You are out of touch."

"Shut up." Odd how that reminded him of Jin Ling. That is the most frustrating part. He met his cousin finally only to lose track of him.

He's startled when he feels a hand on his shoulder.

"I have it on good authority that your cousin is fine." Sizhui felt a familiar course of anger but was too tired to act on it.

"Is this something you've known for a while?"

"Not until I had confirmation." Knowing the man by now, that could have been a few hours ago or maybe right from the beginning. It was no use now.

Quickly they set the Spirit Flags and drew the sigil for evocation from the Elder Teacher's scroll. He pivots to see Guangyao holding the flute, Liebling as he called it, touching the mouthpiece, his lips pursed.

"Will you be able to play it?" Guangyao snaps out of his trance and nods.

"I've practiced, just not with this instrument, but it should be no different." Sizhui nods and takes his place.

"What do we do about the Stygian Tiger Seal?" That had been the only thing he hadn't been unable to bring with him since he had to run for his life. Really, he would do anything to not get near the madman.

He... he wanted to go home with his A-die and Senior.

"He'll bring it with him. There is no way that he would leave without it." Guangyao ignored Sizhui's glare as he puffed in indignation.

"Then what was the point of me going to the Gentian House?"

"To let him know that I haven't stopped."

Lan Sizhui had to count to twenty in order not to kill Jin Guangyao.

"You are the most aggravating man I ever met."

"Yes, Dage would tell me that often." He was not laughing. He wants to go home. Wants to find Jin Ling. Eat Lotus Pork Rib Soup and forget that this night ever existed. Sadly, he let himself get duped, he realized. He should have grabbed his cousin the first chance he found him and just ran the hell out of this place. Now he’s stuck here, baiting a madman who apparently had every right to curse this place, who held... Senior's soul. 

He realized the implication now. Did Senior not wake up because now, in his previous life, Wei Wuxian the Yiling Patriarch held his soul. It would make sense, weirdly. The doctors could not find out why he refused to wake up. There was no brain damage, no previous health problems. He was just asleep. A-Die is like that too. They had trouble waking him up, and now his appetite was non-existent.

That broke him.

He couldn't see him go down the same path as Senior. He was the one lifeline he had against, the vicious rumors that sprouted. Cursed child.

He left for that reason.

His parents died trying to get home quick to surprise him. A-Die and Senior are now dying because Guangyao called their spirits back and the only way to save them is to put the Yiling Patriarch and Hanguang-jun to rest. The doors open and the few candles that Guangyao lit flicker off, one by one. Sizhui follows Guangyao's lead as he plays Clarity. He did not understand what was happening, but he could feel the coaxing influence as Guangyao directed the energy to circle around them.

"My, my Lianfang-zun, you're still here? I would have thought you'd have wasted away," joked Wei Wuxian as he walked through the door. He wasn't alone. Behind him were scores of fierce corpses in faded blue and white robes marred with dirt and blood. They stood there as if in attention.

It became apparent why, when the Stygian Tiger Seal is pulled from his sleeves, floating in his hands.

"If I recall correctly, I wounded you."

"Yet here I am."

"Yes, very interesting. Anyway's give me back the Wangji. That Guqin doesn't belong to you." All this time Sizhui hadn't stopped playing as instructed, but felt nervous. The Guqin, called Wangji, trembled in Sizhui's hand. He didn't see how this could be a weapon, but right now he had no choice but to trust Guangyao. He played the notes on and on, concentrating on the music, trying to listen to the scene happening before him.

"Wei Wuxian, you know that it's time to stop."

"Time to stop? Funny, the time to stop should have been when I gave myself and the Stygian Tiger Seal up, the time to stop was when we locked ourselves up in Burial Mounds, the time to stop would have been after the war when the Wen's gave up. But you didn’t, did you?" He plays a harsh note and sends a red and black energy towards them.

The sound of Clarity encircling them dissipated the attack.

"Oh, and I guess you learned some new tricks? Then again, you always were so good at twisting something so good for your benefit weren't you?" Guangyao growled as he prepared to send an attack only to stop when the Yiling Patriarch moves to the side.

Lan Xichen was supposed to be in the Hanshi. Yet here he was floating, held by the dark resentful energy that the Yiling Patriarch exuded.

Lan Xichen dropped to the floor, shoulders slumped.

"And here is the other culprit."

Guangyao stilled. With a quick movement, he motioned for Sizhui to be ready to be on the offensive.

"Seriously dabaizi, how naïve could you be. Oh, wait you weren't, you were just willfully ignorant. You know Sang-Gongzi was kind enough to tell me how many times Dage tried to warn you about Jin Guangyao? He's a liar. You can't trust him outright. He's up to something. And what did you do?" He lifts the other man's chin up.

"You gave him the very thing he needed to kill him. Your action allowed him to pin the blame on the surviving Wen's and kill them. Tell me, why were you allowed to mourn for A-Yuan when your actions had  a hand in killing him." He could not see an expression from Zewu-jun, but Sizhui could see the tears.

"Tell me Guangyao, will you be willing to save Zewu-jun or will you let him die just like Sect Leader Nie?" The horde of fierce corpse's ran in and Guangyao’s forced to work double time. On one end he played Liebling to continue the surrounding shield, on the other he helped Sizhui to direct the attacks to the fierce corpses.

If they had more time. More chances to work together, their teamwork would have been possible.

It failed as a demon corpse plunged a blade into Lan Xichen's back. His body dropped.

"No!" Guangyao ran hoping to catch Zewu-jun as Sizhui let out one last attack, pushing back the fierce corpse's back. It broke the connection. Red eyes narrowed in irritation.

Guangyao held Lan Xichen's body as he wept in agony, trying to stop the blood. It seeped his beautiful white robes.

"Zewu-jun! Zewu-jun! Xichen!" Cried out Guangyao, his voice breaking in pain. Sizhui allowed himself to become distracted, not realizing that the Yiling Patriarch was right next to him. He stood up in fear only to feel him ram his hand to his chest.

It was odd as he looked down. There was no blood, in fact it didn't go through his chest, but he noticed a red energy where the hand went through. It wasn't until he felt a squeeze to his heart that he realized the terrible implication.

"I don't know how you broke the connection. A lucky strike, perhaps? It matters not, why don't you make your last amends, eh?" He squeezes his heart and Sizhui could only scream in pain. His mind blacks out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I can't-" "You should take him. He see's you as his father" "..." "A-Die! A-Die!" "A-Yuan! How is my little turnip!" Sizhui can feel himself carried and as he squeals into the air. A-Die is so fun! Alway's burying him in dirt to make him grow like the turnip he is, taking him to the market and let him play with the toys. Although he never bought him any, he never thought to beg him to buy it. He's thrown up in the air, enjoying the excitement. He could hear Wen Qing chiding him and uncle Wen Ning moving around to make sure he didn't fall. No worries. A-Die will always protect him. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Yiling Patriarch let's go as Sizhui falls back gasping for air. He didn't believe Guangyao's remark, but he could feel A-Yuan's feelings and how safe he felt. Tears fell from his eyes as he tried to get ahold of the turbulent emotions within.

"A-Yuan? A-Yuan is that you?" Sizhui looks up and see's the man in utter happiness. He looked so young, so joyful. Like he had committed no atrocities in his life. He tries to back away, but frozen from the frenzied look of Wei Wuxian. The man hugs him, his shoulder becoming damp with tears.

"A-Yuan! You're back, you're finally back! Please tell me you're here to stay. I'll protect you. This time I'll protect you from anyone that wants to harm you! No one will hurt you here. I promise! We'll stay in the Gentian House, plant potatoes and radishes, I'll play the Chenquing for you, no nightmares. Maybe if I'm in a pleasant mood, if I can trust him, I can let that man play on his Wangji. Stupid man, naming it after himself, ha, ha, ha!" With each word the Yiling Patriarch hugged him harder and harder, his nails digging into him deeper and deeper to his sides.

He tried to push him back, but he just refused to let go. It was becoming harder to breathe. The sound of the iron chain was the only warning they had before the Patriarch pushed him away.

"Wen Ning... why are you stopping me? I get it now, why you did what you had to do. You knew he was little A-Yuan, but now you're trying to take him away from me? Why?"

"Because A-Yuan died and moved on!" All occupants looked back to see Wen Qing, holding a red and white urn, the same one he saw in Gentian House, standing by the doors.

"He's A-Yuan reincarnated, but he's not our A-Yuan anymore. Wei Wuxian let it go. It's okay. You did your best." Wei Wuxian shakes his head in anger.

"No, no, no! It wasn't my best. I trusted the wrong people! I thought I was doing the right thing. I had the best intentions, and you died, granny, uncle four, everyone died. A-Yuan died!" He makes way to grab A-Yuan only for Wen Ning to get in the way. Hanguang appears and sensing Wei Wuxian's intention runs to grab Sizhui, but the extensive range of the Ghost General's chain cuts him off.

He does a sweeping arc to the two men, who’re forced to step back. Lan Wangji however changes his momentum forward when the chain passed by him, intent to accomplish the new goal.

Sizhui grabs Guqin and plays more notes, remembering how Guangyao guided him. He plucked the strings towards Hanguang-Jun. It wasn't strong, but it caught him off guard. He picks up the instrument and runs towards Guangyao and to pull him away from this place.

They failed, but they can come back and make an alternative plan! Something that'll free his guardians, free the spirits!

He forgot how fast Hanguang-Jun could be when he appeared by his side and used his long legs to trip him. His face smacked against the floor and he’s forced down when a foot pushed into his back. The Guqin landed far from him. Guangyao was not idle, though, as he pulled his blade out.

"Get Zewu-jun out of here!" Sizhui nods as he attempts to pick up the body. He didn't know if Guangyao noticed or just ignored it, but already Sizhui could tell his body had lost its warmth.

Sizhui attempts to move the man's body, but he was tall and he had trouble moving him. He looked to Wen Qing to help him, but she just stood there.

"Wen Qing! Help!" But she shook her head.

A misstep happens as the chaotic resentful energy acts up and crackles in the air. It nearly hits Sizhui, which causes the Ghost General to change tactics and steps in to protect him and Zewu-jun’s body.

The negative energy pours into Wen Ning, who lets out a howling growl. Seeing Sizhui endangered Wen Qing is quick to throw the urn passing through him. He shivered, cold and confused. Why did she pass through him? Wasn't she a fierce corpse? Was she a ghost?

He hears a scream and turns to see Hanguang-jun cut the Ghost General into pieces.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Lan-er-gege! You can't be mad! I've called your name so many times." "Shameless." The innocent sound of laughter is heard in the air of the Library Pavilion. Lan Wangji lips tilt in a smile. He hides it before Wei Wuxian catches sight of it.

***********

The Wen's took so much and now Lan Wangji’s left to wander with Wei Wuxian’s brother to look for him. He could only hope they weren't too late.

*********** "Stop following the demonic path," he laughs, surprising the occupants in the room. "Ah Hanguang-jun, right? You have no right to tell me anything. This is Jiang Sect's business." Lan Wangji leaves confused. What happened to him?

*********** "Lan Er-ge-ge, thank you for playing for me." Lan Wangji smiles and thinks everything would be okay.

************ It wasn't okay. It stopped being okay, and he didn't know what to do. "Wei Wuxian." "Did you forget what we promised? What's right and what's wrong?" That promise, they promised to protect the weak.

************ He'll protect them. He'll uphold his promise like he should have when We Wuxian first left. "Come to Gusu with me." "I can't. What will happen to the Wen's? You know that the other Sects want them dead." "I can talk to brother." "I- I…" "Please Wei Wuxian come to Gusu.  I will talk to brother. The Wen's will be safe. A-Yuan will be safe." "Can you promise me that?" "Mn." He will make the promise again if it gives him the chance to protect him and the others when he should have.

*********** "A-xian. I love you." He murmurs as he held him close. They couldn't bring A-Yuan yet, seeing as the Lan was in discussion with the Jin Sect about this. It should be fine though, as his brother promised to see things through. "Ah, Lan-er gege! Warn me when you tell me things like this," giggles his love. He looked better now. His face didn't look as pale, and though he found out his golden core’s gone, it still wasn't impeding his recovery. "Mn." "Lan-er gege, take responsibility and hug me." He does, and so much more. This moment and all other moments would become so precious to him.

*********** "You promised me!" "Wei-" "You promised me they would be okay! AND NOW THEY'RE DEAD!" "Please, listen!" How could it all go wrong?! The Wen's killing Nie Mingjue. He still couldn't understand how such a thing could happen, but all evidence pointed towards them. "I'M DONE LISTENING! I'M DONE! WHY DID I EVER LISTEN TO YOU! I SHOULD HAVE STAYED AT THE BURIAL MOUNDS! At least-" He sobs and he could only watch in pain. "At least-AT LEAST THEY WOULD BE ALIVE. WEN QING... WEN NING... A-... A-YUAN!"

********* They found A-Yuan, hidden by the tree trunk and sneaked him back here. They were too late, and they prepared a private funeral. The elders however had stipulations. "Never! His outbursts are too dangerous. Did you not see the resentful energy around him! It would only agitate the boy's spirit. It's sad that we were too late to save him from the fever, but we cannot allow him to partake in the mourning ceremony! The poor boy's soul would be endangered." Lan Wangji stood outside as he heard Wei Wuxian wail in agony. He wouldn't even answer his calls. He stood there, like he did when he was younger for his mother, but now for his A-Xian.

********* "Did you hear? The Jin Sect is cursed. Many of the main family are dead. The young madam had to move back home to protect the heir. How sad that her husband did not survive. Some say he had a hole in his ribs." He ignored the rumors, when all he cared about was whether his love would open the doors. He sat there on his knees, waiting. Waiting. He never noticed when the Stygian Tiger Seal flew into one of the opened windows.

********** Jin Guangyao arrived, claiming that Wei Wuxian stole the Stygian Tiger Seal. Lan Wangji didn't care.

********** Lan Wangji can only watch in despair as the Gentian House, the home of his late mother and now of his love, surrounded by resentful energy. The others begged him to move, to stop the Yiling Patriarch, but he knew he couldn't. He didn't trust him. Wouldn't open the door. He didn't even want to talk to him anymore. He lost that right when he could not protect the Wens. 'If I gave you my life.' He thought as he stood there ignoring his brother's call. 'If I gave myself to the curse, would you please look at me? Just once more.' Tears slid down his face, his throat closing up. 'Please look at me once more.' Jin Guangyao had to pull Lan Xichen away as he watched his brother give himself up to the Yiling Patriarch's curse.

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

"GET OUT OF HERE!" Hanguang-jun stood still, surprised that Wei Wuxian was looking at him.

"YOU DID IT AGAIN! GET OUT OF HERE!" Without a word he leaves, but not before grabbing his Guqin, Wangji. The Yiling Patriarch surveyed the area, ignoring the longing look from Hanguang jun.

The ashes were scattered across the floor as Wen Qing held her brother's corpse cut into pieces. She wept as Wei Wuxian landed on his knees.

"Wen Qing," he sobs. "Qing. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He kowtows before her. Wen Qing grabs his arm and shakes her head.

"It's okay. We've suffered enough, you've suffered enough. Let it go, it's time to rest," she utters as a golden light circles around her. Wei Wuxian could only cry as she disappears.

Both Sizhui and Guangyao leave with Xichen, allowing the Yiling Patriarch to mourn.

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

They arrived to the Hanshi in a somber mood.

They didn't succeed and Zewu-jun, who somehow lived all this time, was finally dead.

He was still curious how such a feat was possible, but Sizhui didn't even had the energy to sate his curiosity. The latest visions left a sour and bitter taste to his mouth. So much good intentions and it all lead to this hell.

Jin Guangyao fell. He waves off Sizhui.

"Go take him to his bed. I'll- I'll sit here and then join you for a bit." Sizhui nods and proceeds past the partition.

Odd that he never really walked passed here. Then again, he was never invited to the private room and with Lan Xichen mourning... it really wouldn't be appropriate.

He steps in and takes in the sight. The place was tidy. The books were in their place. A broken Guqin rested in one corner of the room with blood on its strings. It must have been Guangyao's as he remembered the conversation from earlier. The event must have been bad since it stained the wood.

Sizhui turns and finds a sight that should have terrified him, but after tonight's events he felt numbed. There on the bed was a dried up corpse. He wore the same clothes as Jin Guangyao but where the peony emblem should be, was nothing more than a hole, dried blood staining the fabric.

Jin Guangyao was a ghost too, huh? Odd how he felt real to the touch. Then again, so did Wen Qing. He wondered how that was possible, when she just passed by him, except for the urn holding the ashes. Were those her ashes?

He settles the last master of Gusu Lan to the bed, next to Jin Guangyao. Funny that Zewu-jun looked like he was sleeping peacefully. He wonders what his visions would have been. Did he and Guangyao share tea in this room? What was the relationship between him and his brother to fully entrust the safety of the now deceased Wens? He must have been a man of great integrity to have everyone trust him undisputedly.

He walks out of the room ready to face Guangyao's ghost, only to see the Yiling Patriarch standing over the fallen form of Guangyao.

"Stay away-" He stops short when he sees a sight for sore eyes. On the floor wearing Guangyao's clothes was his missing cousin, Jin Ling.

"This makes little sense."

"It does to me. I knew I killed him, I was just confused about how he could wield Liebling. After all, ghosts have no corporeal forms, so for them to hold on to anything they would need a relative or someone with a weak spiritual constitution to possess. Let me take a crack at it. A Jin? He has the same haughty look that all Jin's carry." Sizhui stood still, ready to grab his cousin to safety.

Wei Wuxian smirks.

"Don't worry, no more blood will be spilt. We have enough tragedies as it is. Question though. You are Lan, but you're not bound here. You could have left anytime you wanted. Especially when you found this one, so why are you still here?" Sizhui clears his throat.

"I can't leave till I free my A-Die and Senior. You have their souls"

"Let me guess. Guangyao? Here's the truth. He lied. Go ho-"

"You have their soul's! Their names are Lan Zhan and Wei Ying. Your laugh sounds almost like his if it didn't sound cynical and Hanguang-jun," he pauses. Unsure to tell him about the visions. "He is just as intimidating." Wei Wuxian laughs.

"Well, it makes sense why I felt out of it. It's only till recently that I feel coherent." He walks around the room taking in the sight and stops.

"You know that empathy can go two ways, right? It's hard for those that start off in the beginning, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes easier to look at the other side." He see's Sizhui's face and laughs.

"You know the visions you had. Tell me why did you run away?" It stuns Sizhui. did he know, no wait what did he know? Lying wouldn't get him anywhere, so he might as well be truthful.

"I'm cursed, or at least that's what other's say. My parents died when I was five and A-Die and Senior Wei took me in. After a while Senior Wei fell ill, with A-Die following along after that."

"Hm... and you thought running away would help?" Sizhui feels ashamed for the first time since he ran. Why did a man who placed a cursed, who almost killed him, wanted to kidnap him, now appeared to be admonishing him as if he did nothing wrong in his life? His mood was all over the place.

"Look kid you had good intentions right? Follow my advice, then. Running won't do you any good, it'll just make things more complicated. I ran instead of talking to others, confiding to others, and look where it took me." He gives him a grin, eyes appearing to water. "How about you go home and let those that love you help?"

"But the curs-"

"I'll take care of it. After all your what 15?"

"I'm 17!" He laughs lightly, painfully reminding him of Senior Wei.

"Take your friend home and leave. By the time you are walking down the mountain, we should break the curse. I just need to collect someone to help me."

"And you could have done this all this time." The devil may care smirk seemed to be a favorite face that Wei Wuxian loved to wear.

"Rule number one of a curse maker. Always know how to break said curse." He walks away, heading down the path that lead to the library. Sizhui wastes no time and wakes up Jin Ling.

"What the hell am I wearing?" As he takes it off, revealing his shirt and pants underneath. Sizhui finds his shoes and jacket in the closet, mindful to keep Jin Ling out of the room with the two dead occupants. No way would he be able to calm Jin Ling. 

Leaving no room for argument or questions, he pushes his cousin out of Hanshi and down the path that would take them down the mountain. Along the way, they met Jingyi and Zhizhen.

He answered their questions the best he could without revealing the horrors he faced. It was especially helpful when Jin Ling could not recall what happened at all. He saw Jin Ling look at him suspiciously, but figured he would explain to him at a later date. Now though was the time to leave this damn mountain.

Zhizhen was the first to hear the distant sounds of Dizi and Guqin playing.

"Wow, that sounds beautiful! Hey, are those fireflies?" The group looked around as orbs of light floated the night sky. Sizhui could feel it. They broke the curse.

Thank Jingyi who did not believe they were fireflies and urged them down the mountain.

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

The tow truck came and took them to Moling, where they called their Jin Ling's uncle Jiu'jiu'-Cheng. They could hear him threaten to break his legs if they moved from the spot.

Apparently the boys didn't ask or tell anyone they left to pick him up. He could only imagine how Jiu'jiu'-Cheng would react with him. He was always cautious about how he interacted with him, treating him like he was some porcelain doll. He didn't think that would last long after his latest stunt, though.

The next day, after a vigorous shower and thorough checkup, the injuries he had horrified his friends. He went to the hospital. The place was busy, but not as much as the one coming from his parents' rooms. Nurses were coming in and out, getting things and chit-chatting in excitement.

"What's going on?" he asked gu'gu'-li. Jin Ling's mother Jiang Yanli smiled, the joy reaching her eyes.

"Why don't you see?"

Lan Sizhui walked up to the room. It was a lot to take in.

Last time he was in this room Lan Zhan would just not move. Jiang Cheng, Wei Ying's brother, had to always come in and forcefully move him. Didn't work for long, as he always returned, until he could no longer move. He came to occupy the bed next to his beloved. He stopped coming in after that.

'That goes to show how much he loves Senior Wei.' He thought mournfully.

He didn't know what he was expecting, but the moment he came in heard  the rustling of the bed. It's been so long since he saw those grey eyes filled with mischief and glee. Tears erupted from his eyes.

"Well, there's our little rabbit." Commented Wei Ying, laying back comfortably on the pillow, his voice hoarse from disuse. He held back his gasp with a choke, foot pace quickening as he went to hug him. He felt so frail, and if he hugged him any tighter, he was sure to break him.

The sob came out, but he didn't care. He wasn't embarrassed, he just wanted to make sure that this moment was real. That the nightmares from Gusu manor were long gone. Senior Wei, he wasn't cold; he wasn't menacing and most of all broken. He was here alive! Living, breathing, and so warm. It was just so hard to let go. But he did when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked back and seeing those tired golden eyes.

"A-Die." His father turned him around.

"I'm sorry." Why was A-Die sorry? He didn't have to apologize. He was heartbroken. Lan Sizhui knew how much A-Die loves Senior Wei.

"Ah Lan Zhan, take responsibility and hug our little rabbit. Don't you see how worried he must have been." Lan Zhan agrees and hugs him tight. Lan Sizhui's eyes widened, then softened as he returned the hug.

"Don't worry about it. I know how much it hurt."

They stayed at the hospital room the entire day, reminiscing about the past and planning for the future. Jin Ling and the other's would join along. Almost caused them to be expelled, only to be kicked out when Jiu'jiu'-Cheng threatened to break his legs for his stunt. Running away had now permanently put him on the same list as Jin Ling, which said cousin cackled. Traitor.

Needless to say, Senior Wei forced him to stay the night to keep his adorable rabbit and show him all the love in the world.

Sizhui was okay with that as he slept on the couch happily. He was ready to welcome the many more days to come.

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #326

“life by life  /  waste to waste  /  i'm the harbinger: the master of decay”

When you get married what do you think you’ll put most of your focus and money into? Do you mean like, for the wedding? Probably the venue. Or possibly the photographer. Have you ever had a teacher that also taught your parents? No. What’s something you complain about frequently? My legs. Are you afraid of falling in love? Very. Are you close to any of your aunts/uncles? Not very. Do you hate it when people smoke around you? Very much so. Do you own anything that is special edition? Yeah, things like DVDs. Do you have any funky bookmarks? I have this one meerkat bookmark where the image moves when you tilt it. Did you ever watch Pokemon? Hell yeah I did. Are there more females or males in your family? Females. Does anyone in your family snore loudly? My mom does due to having gerd. Dad did too when I actually lived with him. I wouldn't know nowadays. Do you own a camera tripod? Yes. Did you ever believe in mermaids? No. Have you ever purchased alcohol? Yes. Any essential quirks/interests/other you look for in a boyfriend/girlfriend/partner? Similar interests, like being a metal fan and gamer especially, as well as a serious animal lover for sure. Any romantic gestures you really like? Okay if someone did that little bow thing while reaching out for my hand to dance, I'd melt, lol. I also appreciate love interests holding open doors, SHOWING INTEREST IN HOW I FCKN FEEL, asking permission before doing anything in sexual exploration, stuff like that. Any sexual fantasies? Are you daring enough to share one? Yep, not sharing those lmfao. Have you ever been in love? Twice. What is your favorite/least favorite word? My favorite is "serendipity/serendipitous," and my least favorite is "retarded." Have you ever been skinny dipping? No. If I actually had a body I was confident in, I probably would in privacy tho at night lmao. Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character? Oh yeah. What is your favorite thing to do? Probably RPing with my favorite OCs when I'm in a really creative mood and during a great scene. Did you go to your senior prom? Yeah, I did. Prom's honestly pretty damn overrated, but I did it and his senior prom anyway. It's the picking out a beautiful dress and taking pictures that I loved. What did you do after graduation? I don't remember. We probably went out to eat or something. Favorite home cooked meal growing up? Spaghetti. What item most embarrasses you to purchase? Nothing, really. Do you give cards to people for holidays or events? No. Name the coolest thing about one of your grandparents. Uhhhhh idk. Name two things you put whipped cream on? I hate the texture of whipped cream. Do you ever eat peanut butter straight from the jar? Sometimes if I want a snack but am trying to be healthy-ish, I'll eat just a scoop. What was the last pill you took for? Pain. Do you prefer your clothes loose or close fitting? Loose, 100%. Favorite thing you’ve ever painted? Meerkats grooming. I did it in high school on a large piece of burlap. Are there any songs that remind you of your mother? "Take It Like a Woman" by Alice Cooper, for one. How did your elementary school teachers describe you? Very smart, sweet, friendly, and nice. Game you were best at in PE/gym? Pf, none. Obsession from childhood? Dinosaurs and Pokemon. Best way for someone to bond with you? Let's talk about deep stuff regarding the world or about how awesome animals are. Top 5 favorite Vines? Oh boy. There are just way too many. I'll try to name a few: 1.) the "I can't find my berries" saga guy; 2.) *in drive-thru, asked what he would like to order* "I wanna FUCKIN DIE"; 2.) "i cOUldA DROPpeD my CroISSAnt"; 3.) "it's Wednesday, m'dudes"; 4.) "a d a m"; 5.) "I WON'T HESITATE, BITCH." God, I miss Vine. What is the first meme you remember seeing? Holy cow, I have no idea. Sci-fi, fantasy, or superheroes? Fantasy. Favorite tradition? Dressing up for Halloween, even though I don't do it anymore... Talent you’re proud of having? Writing. Favorite website from your childhood? Webkinz was unbeatable. I was obsessed. Any good luck charms? I don't believe in those. Favorite potato food? French fries. Tell me the color of your eyes, without using the name of a color: Uhhhh a cloudy sky right before rain? Ever been through a goth phase? Goth is my fucking AESTHETIC. I wish I could afford a truly gothic wardrobe, because you bet your sweet ass it's all I'd wear out. Can you remember your first phone? If so, what kind was it? I think so? It was a Blueberry, I believe. Who is your favourite character from Alice in Wonderland? Obviously the Cheshire cat. What is your favorite type of YouTube video to watch? Lately, it's been tarantula and snake channels/pet YouTubers. I still think my overall favorites are let's plays, but right now it's just stepping back a bit. What’s the next project you are excited to start? I have this pretty cool drawing I wanna do of a morbid meerkat doing a big toothy smile, doing a peace sign (but his fingers are syringes) with a crown blinking over his head. Inspired by the "Professional Griefers" lyric of "lab rat king." I just really wanna make it perfect and am procrastinating in fear of failing... Have you ever experienced a miracle? I don't think I believe in miracles. What are your top three names you like for a daughter? Alessandra, Justine, and Chloe, to name a few. Which did you like better: high school or college? High school, at least in most ways. What is the theme of your bedroom? It doesn't have a theme. My interests just kinda threw up everywhere, haha. Have you ever lived in a dorm? No. Were you raised religious? Yes. Do you do your own taxes, or do you hire a professional? I don't have to do taxes yet. What was the very first thing you ever saved up to buy with your own money? Venus was the first big thing, I think. Describe your favorite Christmas ornament: I don't know what that would be, honestly. We have so very many. What jobs did your parents have when you were growing up? Dad's always been a mailman, and he also had a second job as a carpenter for a while. Mom worked with special needs children at my elementary school as a teacher assistant. She also worked at the hospital at one point, doing some computer work. I don't remember her actual position. Are you taller than your mom? We're the same height. Would you marry someone if they were unable to have sex? Sure, that's not a big deal to me. Last reason you went to the ER? For myself, a suicide attempt/overdose. What was the last word document you typed? This survey, actually, so I could save progress as I combine them. What’s something you don’t think people take seriously enough? Global warming. Have you ever dated someone who had a child from a previous relationship? No. Is there any drama currently going on with your family? No. What was the last fruit or vegetable you chopped/sliced up? An apple. I wanted apple slices with peanut butter. What is your favorite Hostess/Little Debbie snack? Holy SHIT that is impossible. Maybe the devil cakes, but I really don't know. I love most of them. Do you/your family buy loaf from the bakery or bagged on the shelf? Bagged. White, wheat or other? Mom buys white bread, but my favorite is pumpernickel. What was the last non-fiction book you’ve read? (Not a school textbook!): I ain't got a clue. I don't really read non-fiction. What color are your headphones/earbuds? These are blue. Would you be embarrassed to find out you snored loudly in public? Yep. Thankfully, I don't snore. Do you feel guilty about killing bugs? Yep. How do you feel about coconut? Not a fan. ^ Ever cracked one open? Ha, I've always wanted to. Who did you last worry about and why? My mom. She's getting a CT scan ASAP due to chronic headaches and stomach pain, so I'm worried her cancer might be re-emerging. When was the last time you ate/drank something gross just to be polite? I don't know; I struggle to do this. If I don't like something, my face shows it. I can't help it. When did you last make up a baby’s bottle? Never. Do you have any framed black & white photos in your home? Who are they of? No. What’s the most expensive thing your car needed to get done? N/A If you had a thousand dollars to spend on a pricey brand you like but can’t really afford (until now of course), which ONE brand would you chose? I don't know. Real talk, I find most luxury brands to sell pretty ugly stuff... Do you like candy canes? Yeah. Do you still talk to any of your old teachers? Yes; one is my landlord. What color was the dress you wore to your senior prom? It was black. Ever go to another school’s prom? No. Do you like burning candles or incense? I love incense. Do you ever venture into the woods? What do you normally do in there? When I used to live in the woods, I did every now and then to take pictures. Does your significant other ever make you mix CDs? Single, but that would be so romantic. /swoons How did you dress your freshman year of high school? I was this emo/metalhead/goth creature. What is the best present you have ever received? My dog Teddy. <3 What is the best present you have ever given? I put the most effort into a scrapbook thing of well over a hundred reasons I loved my then-boyfriend Jason. Even though we're done, I honestly hope he still has it, just to remember. What is the best surprise you have ever had? Sara's parents paying for a flight up there to be with Sara for her birthday. Have you ever been robbed? No, thankfully. Ever kiss someone on the first date? No. Ever sleep with someone on the first date? Definitely a nope. Ever give someone a wrong phone number on purpose? No. What’s the strangest thing you have ever witnessed firsthand? I have no idea. It's... very morbid, but possibly dogs twitching after being euthanized. Seeing Teddy do it was such a strange, painful experience. Like there was still life in there... even though I know it was just his nerves doing their final hoorah and he was already dead. Ever seen a psychiatric ward? I've been in a mental hospital five or six times, so I'm uncomfortably familiar with them. What is the last thing you did that you didn’t want to do? Group therapy. I'm really burning out on it. Thankfully, I don't have it on the weekends. What is the last thing you convinced someone else to do? I dunno. If you could live in a different time, would you? When? Nah. Do you prefer to sleep alone or with someone else? Sleeping alone is more comfortably physically, but I usually prefer sleeping with a partner because there's this amazing feeling of safety, love, and companionship. How many pillows do you sleep with? Two. Do you prefer cold air and blankets, or warm air and no blankets? Cold air and blankets by ten miles. I can't sleep if I'm even remotely hot. How often do you dust? Sigh, not as much as I need to. What is the most "extreme" activity you have ever done? I haven't done very much that fits that description... so idk. Dr. Pepper or root beer? Dr. Pepper. I hate root beer. Last room you cleaned? Mine. Last thing you did that made you feel like an adult? Checked into the doctor's office by myself, haha... Talk about sad. What’s your favorite picture of your mom? Dad? It's not my business to actually share those pictures, but I can describe them. I fucking ADORE this candid photograph I took of my mom laughing; I will forever cherish it. It's morbid to think about, but it's absolutely a picture I'll frame of her once she's passed away. I don't have many pictures of Dad, but I do really like this picture we took together at Red Lobster once. Are you subscribed to anything (Magazines, monthly boxes, streaming sites, etc.)? Mom pays an Adobe Creative Cloud photography bundle subscription for me, but that's it. Last TV show series you finished? Fullmetal Alchemist with Sara. It was a rewatch for me, but she'd never seen it. What’s something exciting that’s happened to one of your friends recently? A childhood friend got engaged a few days back. Do you have any board games? If so, where do you keep them? We have a few somewhere. What were the last things you glued together? I don’t recall. What are your friends’ pets’ names? I'll just use Sara here since she's my best friend. She has two family dogs, Buster and Beesly, a cat named Winter, four ball pythons named Martha, Crowley, Little Dot, and Jane Marie, and Doris, a bearded dragon that I personally adore most. :') What all did you do today? I played World of Warcraft early this morning, but not for very long. I've been in a phase of being very uninterested in it lately. I've mostly just done surveys... lots of surveys. I'm just in the mood to. I've also been listening to music and watching John Wolfe play Amnesia: Rebirth periodically. If you live in a house, how many floors does it have? If you live in an apartment building, how many units does it have? It's just one floor. Would you like to live in a world with mythical creatures, even if they turned out to be evil or dangerous? Honestly... I probably would, haha. Are you scared of heights? Yes. When was the last time you lost something of great sentimental value? Did you ever end up finding it again? Never, I think and hope. What food do you find to be the most filling? Is this something you eat a lot of? Eggs or oatmeal. Not really. What do you think of people who purposefully train their dogs to fight or to be aggressive? They're fucking garbage human beings. If you suffer/have suffered with acne, do you squeeze your spots or do your best to just leave them be? Ugh, I was so bad (and still am if something pops up) about picking at it. Does your father have any hobbies? What are they? Sure. He loves sports, fishing, idk if he still plays video games, fantasy football... and I can't forget playing with his grandkids. It's hard for me to know all of them when I don't live with him and see him rarely. What did the last face mask you wore look like? It was just a white cotton one. Is there a specific song that you always request at parties? What is it? I don't go to parties. Would you rather read poetry or write poetry? Write it. Have you ever had any really infected injuries? I've had infected piercings as well as a badly infected pilonidal cyst. Is there any band out there that you like every song by them? No. Are you popular on any websites? No. What was the last song you listened to? Aaaaand now I'm hooked on "NIHIL" by 3TEETH. Are you currently texting anyone right now? No. When was the last time you played jump rope? Yikes, probably not since I was a kid. I used to love it. Who was the last person you offended? I dunno. What’s the earliest you’ve ever had to wake up for work? Not early. Do you know anyone who has changed their first name? I know trans people who have, yes. Do you know anyone who has been on life support and survived? No. At least, I don't believe so. Do your parents have a strong relationship together? They're divorced, and Mom at least can't stand him. Dad doesn't really care. Do you ever feel like you’re sharing too much about yourself online? Oh, I absolutely used to. I still might, idk. I've tried to reel it back some. How many windows are in the room you’re in? Eight, but they're just small, vertical rectangles stacked together, so it's not as revealing as it sounds. What was the last necklace you wore? My spiked choker, I think, for pictures. Or maybe the one I have with a bunch of big silver skulls. Do you think there are more dimensions than what we’re able to perceive? I don't think so, no. Does anyone in your family have schizophrenia? My half-sister on Dad's side that I've never met. Have you ever been in an abandoned house? A shack, yeah. Do you like art? I positively adore it. I could NOT imagine life without it. How about theatre? I don't care for it. Have you ever made breakfast for someone? Yes, for Sara. Do you talk to your crush? If you have one. Yeah, she's my best fren. If yes, what do you usually talk about? Nowadays I ask her almost daily how she's doing in regards to her progress of recovering from both serious physical and mental stressors. I try to always be an available ear if she ever wants to vent. Would you rather read or watch a video about something? Watch a video. In what ways have you fulfilled some of the hopes and dreams you had as a teenager? I've fulfilled none of those. What’s one stressful thing you’ve been trying to deal with lately? How have you been dealing with it? Inexplicable, chronic boredom/serious anhedonia. I've just... put up with it. I get pleasure out of essentially nothing most days, and it sucks big time. I just try to distract myself and force myself to do things I usually love, though I've been bad about actually succeeding in making me do said stuff... Is there a regional chain of store/restaurant/etc. in your area that you feel very loyal to? MOTHERFUCKIN BOJANGLE'S, BITCH. You think YOU have good fries somewhere? Oh hunny, sit down. Oftentimes, people warn us against getting tattoos or body modifications or dying our hair unnatural colors because we could be judged poorly for them. But has a more “alternative” look ever worked out in your favor? Well, I like myself better with my piercings and tattoos, and that's all that really matters to me. Do you have any daily routine/habit of that you’re really proud of keeping up? No. .-. Pick one of the following activities to do in a forest (assume you would be equally good at each one of these): Foraging for mushrooms, identifying trees, searching for specific types of bugs, trying to build something out of fallen branches and logs. Searching for bugs w/ my camera!!! But that all sounds fun. What’s the hardest class you’ve ever taken? My most recent math course that I failed horribly.

[notnctu]

(contains spoilers of when the snow falls)

i wanted to put this on my reblog of your fic but it would prolly spoil those who were curious abt it so i'm here instead. 😊

WHEN I SAID YOUR FIC SCARED ME, I FREAKING MEANT IT. i'm usually fond of angst but associating sad things with my favorite holiday was just s c a r y to me 💀 but i pushed through and when the snow falls became the first fic i read from the collab because i know i needed a shit ton of fluff after to help me recover from this one.

there was just something beautiful with the way you weaved the words together that made it an easy read (for me). it felt cinematic? like a movie playing in my head as i read and i love that style of writing. oh and the movie poster banner? definitely loved it.

but despite loving it so much, i also had to put my tab down every now and then because it made me sad 😭 plus the fic reminded me of the song "wish you were here" by neck deep. not sure if you heard it before, if not please give it a listen 😉 it just fit mc's grief over jaehyun's death. (and the song made me even more sad which is why i spent nearly an hour getting through this fic 😅)

another point of the fic that made me feel things was the climax. i know the "open your eyes" part was supposed to intimate moment but on god did i remember the 7th sense and heard jaehyun singing that line in my head. and it made me crack up but thankfully, it didn't ruin the moment for me.

because one minute i was laughing over it and in the next minute i was sobbing over mc hearing her parents wish that jaehyun watch over her because their angel didn't deserve to be alone on christmas 😭😭😭

three crying emojis wont suffice (but adding more looked eh) but i hope you have a clue over how this fic wrecked me. nonetheless, i fucking loved it and it was such a great read.

thank you for sharing it with the world! 🙆 merry christmas!! 🎄💞

Toffee omg 😭😭😭 I saw your reblog and even then I was happy to know that you left such sweet comments, but this PLEASEEEE!!! I feel so loved and appreciated, so thank you for reading my fic even tho it was difficult to get thru 😔😔

HAHAHAH THE OPEN YOUR EYES REFERENCE IDK WHY I INSTANTLY HEARD IT TOO WHEN YOU MENTIONED IT BAHAHAH :’) a little nct Easter egg it seems 😌

Thank you for leaving me this ask and hearing your thoughts made me feel so giddy and excited haha im glad to know that my fic was able to draw such an impactful feeling but also that it shall bring you a sense of optimism as well (ya I know it’s fucking sad lmao) I’ll also give the song a listen and maybe read over some of my personal fav parts to feel the melancholy 😭😭😭

merry christmas bubs 🎄💛 ur so sweet,, thank you again 🥺

[alllosersdownhere]

Pegging Penny

(Posting for @theotherbloodfart so this big boi fic can be under a cut.)

This is a request made by @lovintheclown for some soft fem dom on Pennywise. Was assisted in this behemoth by the lovely @alllosersdownhere Enjoy some gratuitous clown pegging

"Sooooooo….. You wanna?" You feel the blood heating your face as you blush from your hairline to your navel. Standing near the bedroom door and very much naked, you fight the urge to look away from the clown that lingers by your bed.

Pennywise is gazing at the objects spread out upon the mattress with an oddly confused expression upon his face. You've been pointedly ignoring these objects as soon as you'd laid them out, the idea of acknowledging their existence again making your throat feel dry and cracked. 

He picks one up. A large, thick, nylon collar in a brilliant blue. With a heavy-duty plastic clip. "You wish for me to put this on?" You blush again. 

"Yes….. I thought it might be fun……. Maybe tell YOU what to do for a change." Your nervous laughter sounds more like a series of chokes. The sound dies in your throat as he places the collar delicately back upon the bed to focus on the leash next to it. It is also made of thick nylon. And bright red. You watch as he wraps an end around each of his gloved hands. Then pulls the leash taught in a rapid snapping motion as if testing its strength. Your body jerks at the unexpected whip-like sound. 

The next thing he examines is the most embarrassing of all. A moderately sized, flesh-toned strap on. The expression on his face is wide-eyed and curious. Inquisitive even. You blanch as he sniffs it, before setting it back down and tilting his head at you. 

You feel a strange twist in your chest. He's not innocent. You know this. But the endearing ignorance in his expression brings an inimitable warmth to your fluttering heart. 

"This would please you? If I do this? If I submit to what you command?" His voice is somber, unsure. He is a predator... and that he is seemingly considering this at ALL...

"Yes, Penny." Your voice is a nervous whisper as you feel the warmth in your chest pool lower into your abdomen. Into your core. His nostrils flare and you know now he is aware, by your scent, of how much you desire this. 

His gloved hand returns to the collar, briefly hesitating before he picks it up once more. He strokes over it with his thumb as you watch with held breath, your chest thrumming. Those sun-bright eyes flick to yours.

Pennywise reaches out to hand it to you. You shudder as the silk of his glove brushes your fingertips and the hefty weight of the object presses upon your palm. This causes a wicked grin to crease his face. Knowing and dark, his expression is lascivious. 

"I await your command," His voice is now an amorous growl. "Mistress." The ‘s’ in this word is drawn out, a mocking hiss.

You can feel the blood rush to your cheeks, your mouth falling open. A soft curse falls from your lips, and suddenly you know this is not a want but a need. Your mind has painted the picture of him laid before you more than you'd ever admit; this beautiful creature, this preying beast, surrendering to you. 

"Take..." You stop and lick your lips to try again, forcing command into your tone. "Take off your suit. Strip for me." You close your eyes as your imagination rushes ahead, fiery heat coiling within your belly. “I want to see you bare.”

Pennywise’s throaty purr has your fingers clenching the nylon collar. “Yes, Mistress.”

You watch raptly as he obeys. First, he kicks off his boots, as well as a pair of clean white socks. Then he moves to the ruffle around his neck, pulling it over to leave the perfectly styled coif of his hair disheveled. It is a torturous reveal. You wish to touch and trace his porcelain colored skin. Feel the lean muscle flex beneath your fingertips. 

The clown gives you a smirk as he reaches to his chest, the ruffles on his arms pressing upon the orange puffs, as he unsnaps his doublet. You reach out and back to hold the wall, as your knees suddenly feel as if they are stuffed with packing bubbles. Flushing at the realization that you've never seen what lies beneath that silk. Well…… you've seen his genitalia, if that is what it can be called. But you've never seen his FLESH. His SKIN. 

The clown shrugs his shoulders, the thicker, vest-like material of the doublet sliding down his arms and flopping onto your bedroom floor. As Pennywise reaches up to the buttons of his shirt, your hungry mouth gets the better of you. 

"I ought to make you give me a strip tease." You attempt to cover the burning flush on your cheeks by grasping your own chin and tapping your lips with your forefinger. 

The clown freezes, his fingers stilling upon the small pearl colored buttons on the looser fitting undershirt. His retort is rapid fire. 

"The mechanics of my dance might make such a thing difficult."

The instant mental picture of him doing his wagon jig in a thong and fishnets turns your cheeks a livid shade of fuschia. You can't help yourself. Wheezes of laughter begin to whistle thru your teeth. 

Pennywise looks at you incredulously before his face darkens, his brows furrowing and molding into demonic ridges, his eyes darkening to vermilion. Without warning, he grasps large handfuls of silk in both of his hands and rips violently. You are not prepared for what you see. And the laughter dies upon your lips, already forgotten.

You had expected smooth pale flesh. You had expected an albino body of sorts. You had expected a man's body. And it IS similar in some ways. Iron tight ridges of muscle upon his belly flare into his trousers in a telltale sign of a silk covered iliac furrow. His pecs are well defined as well, tho not in an obnoxious overly muscled way. His body appears lithe and wiry rather than the slenderness you have been expecting.

But it is the skin itself which takes you aback. It appears smooth and supple, nearly shiny in its hairlessness. And yet, in certain joint areas... the tops of his shoulders, and his elbows and wrists as he lets the tattered remnants of his shirt fall away... the skin is mottled and cracked. Similar to the paint along his hairline. And yes, the color of it is as porcelain white as his face.

But there are blaring traits which you had never expected. Rising from his groin, the base of which is still covered by his trousers, are twin red lines. One in each of the dips of his hip bones, and the very same crimson as the lines which run along his face. They climb up and around his body, thicker at the base and tapering as they move upward. Several lines curve and branch from these main stems. They look as vines growing inside the pale luminosity of his flesh. Twisted replicas of the smaller lines on his face. Although the crimson color makes them appear vein like as well. 

Words are stolen from you. You can only gaze in awed silence and trace over them with your eyes as surely as you wish to do so with your palms. However you had envisaged him... had not come close to the real thing. And you have not yet seen all of him. 

With a wry, knowing smile gracing his lips, he asks, "Do you like what you see, Mistress?"

“The rest of it, Penny.” Your voice still quivers, though nerves are no longer the culprit behind it. "I want to see it all."

Rocking back on his heels, impossibly tall, he tucks his thumbs into the waistband of his trousers but does nothing more. Only smirking at you with a brow raised. He removes his thumbs again without removing his pants and splays his silken fingers, displaying them to you. Then, he reaches up and pinches the tip of the glove upon his middle finger and begins to pull at the material. 

"Stop." The word is more like a croak. The clown halts what he's doing. "No. Leave the gloves on. Everything else off."

That mischievous grin slowly unfurls yet again. He releases the garment and allows it to snap back into place, and slips his hand back to his waist, purposefully drawing one of his large palms down his belly as he does so, the sound of silk running along flesh clearly audible. He begins to urge the pants over his slim hips, his lower lip caught between his teeth. 

Your mouth is dry. He is unhurried, savoring the reveal. And gradually you see him. All of him. He steps out of the trousers and kicks them away, now completely, brazenly and beautifully bare before you. 

He is very obviously relishing in your reaction to him. Placing his palms on the back of his head, he spreads his elbows wide, his legs flexed and splayed shoulder width as if he's modeling himself to you. But quite frankly, you're too turned on to give a shit. 

At first, it appears as if he has a woman's genitalia. But then a probing organ slithers out into your view. His cock is not like anything you've ever seen before. Thick and meaty, it only half hangs due to being quite stiff. But it is still writhing. It appears similar to a tentacle yet the firmness of it prevents it from being quite as flexible. It is the deep color of venous blood, quite wet, and you can see what appears to be barbs around the head, curving back wickedly. This head is not tapered but bulbous. As if the entire organ is its own entity, slithering against his thighs, seeking some unknown prey.

"That's…….. Different……" You know your face is aflame. 

"Does this form displease you?" His brow is, once again smooth. His eyes, a glowing periwinkle blue. You can swear he sounds almost nervous. "Would you have me change?"

"NEVER." The word plows from your lips in a vehement rasp. "Come here, Penny. Come here and kneel in front of me."

Pennywise complies, moving fluidly and doing just as you say. Dropping to one knee, his arms hanging loosely by his sides, his face turned up to you, his gaze now almost childlike. Trusting. It is not often that you see him like this. Gentle. Obedient. And shorter than you. 

You gulp shyly and wrap the hefty collar around his neck, the bottoms of your wrists brushing the cool flesh of his delicately formed decolletage. His nostrils flare at your nearness and you can clearly see his muscles rope and flinch at his effort to remain still for you. 

Standing stiffly, you point a shaky finger back to the objects on the bed. "Get the leash, Pennywise. Get it and bring it to me." You are trying to sound firm and, although you are not shaking as badly as before, you realize you are feeling just a little more confident.

He complies without comment or his usual teasing, towering above you when he stands and yet obeying your words. He glides to the bed and lifts the leash within his silken gloves, turning back on his heels. You take it from him with flushed cheeks.

"Lower your head for me." He does so, and you clip the leash to the collar, allowing it to slide through your fingers to grip the end. He straightens once more, his eyes flicking to the last remaining object — the one you have fantasized about most of all.

“And the other, Mistress?” he questions, the sound dulled over the blood that rushes to your head. The thought makes you dizzy, so much more intense now that he is before you like this. “Do you wish me to retrieve it for you?”

"Not yet," you tell him, swallowing thickly. Forcing your legs steady. Soon. Definitely soon. Seeing him in this way… is exhilarating. You would not want the night over so quickly. No, you have more planned first. So much more. “Come with me.”

His bare feet pad along the floor to dutifully trail yours. On impulse, you whirl, finally feeling a carnal confidence enveloping your body.

"On your knees, clown." You bark out, this time your voice is soft and firm as velvet covering a cold loaded gun. 

Galaxies and stars of an ancient past are visible in his widening eyes for the tiniest moment. But he does not speak. Those swirling blue irises remain fixed upon yours as the Eater of Worlds kneels to both knees.

"Hands too. On your hands and knees." Your courage bursts forth at his compliance. You are practically hissing "Crawl for me, my love." You wrap the handle of the leash around your palm, much as he'd done earlier, and give a firm yet soft yank downwards upon it. 

For a moment, you are sure he'll resist. Absolutely certain he'll leap upon you and exact righteous vengeance for this callous behaviour towards him. Perhaps even hurt you. But he does none of these things. Instead, his body follows the direction of your pull, following thru with the action and command by falling forward onto his hands with a muted thud. The soft smoothness of the silk upon his palms causes his hands to slide a bit on the hardwood. You can't help but admire the way the muscle structure upon his back ripples as he instinctively uses his strength to keep his hands from sliding out from under him completely. 

As his face slowly raises to return his eyes to yours, you feel your resolve slip the tiniest fraction. He's being so GOOD. You can hardly believe it. So you tell him so.

"That's a good boy." You reach down, with your free hand, and do something you've been dying to do since the first moment you saw him. Your fingers shake as they card thru his feathery soft ginger hair. You can see the skin between his ribs flexing inwards as his chest surges and his nostrils flare. You can feel him pressing into your hand. He's definitely enjoying this. His face remains perfectly smooth, his eyes impossibly wide. 

You stand again and back away to the end of the length of the leash. "Come to me, Penny. Crawl for me."

And he instantly complies. And you are reminded again that he's not human. The crawling isn't the normal blocky surge of a human crawl. It is graceful, his bones and joints fluid as he glides forward to you smoothly. He looks like a pale, striped and collared panther. Almost feline. 

You reach your hand down to him, palm up. He needs no cue, approaching and pressing his cheek into it. "That's a very very good boy." You trace his bottom lip with your thumb. Your eyes leave his to admire his lips. Painted and plump…… you've always loved his lips. Your body quivers with sudden, almost painful arousal.

Standing, you slowly back towards the bed, keeping the leash taught, watching that fluid crawl as he follows you. All this time…… and his eyes have never left yours. As you feel the mattress touching the back of your legs, you reach down to touch his lips again.

"You have beautiful lips, Pennywise." 

His mouth curls into a smile which completely negates any innocence on his face. He looks absolutely wicked. Predatory. You straighten, lifting one leg to rest your foot upon the bed, opening yourself to him completely. 

“You can start with kissing my thighs,” you tell him, gooseflesh raised on your arms in anticipation. “Go on.”

You feel his hot breath before you feel his touch. He closes the distance, brushing those lips against your eager skin. His kisses are feather-light, so gentle they bring an ache to your chest, teasingly peppered over and over. When you’re sure you can take no more, he presses his mouth firmly over you and pulls back briefly to swipe his tongue over his lips. You know he can taste you.

“More, Penny,” you urge, reaching out to rest your palm on the top of his head. Not pulling. Not yet. “More.”

He, of course, obeys. Leans back in and licks along the length of your labia, teasing you open with his tongue, the tip of it brushing your clit and stealing the breath from your lungs. One long swipe and your hips buck, seeking more of that pretty, talented mouth.

One hand raises and settles beneath your leg. The other rests now on your twitching stomach. Soft silk against your skin in contrast to the velvet sweetness of his tongue. He dips to lap up your wetness, a low and pleased growl thrumming through his chest at the taste, a pleasant vibration that sends an electric shock throughout your body.

“Fuck,” you hiss. “You feel so good. So, so good.” Your fingers curl in his hair, though you fight it. You know you cannot hurt him, but you do not want to even try. “My clit, Penny. You know what to do. Good boy.”

His teeth graze your hood as he sucks you into his mouth. His tongue lashes over you, your vision clouding over, your body overwhelmed. He does not press down or force you still. Instead he follows, refusing to let up. Refusing to disobey. And just as he follows your every motion, his eyes still never leave yours.

“Oh, God.” A moan is viciously wrenched from your throat. You feel him smirk against you. And you know he wants to please you; that he is doing this purely because it is what you desire. Your grip on his leash is so tight your knuckles are pale. “That’s it.” Another sound, high and keening. The ability to form coherent phrases is slipping from you rapidly, but you manage one final smattering of praise: “J-just like that, Penny�� just like that, my love…”

You feel the muscles in your core clench painfully as his tongue circles just the right spot. Electric jitters of carnal energy shoot almost painfully up your spine and down your legs, making you lose your balance a bit as your toes instinctively curl. Your head falls back and you feel your center shifting. You are going to fall backwards and you DO NOT GIVE A DAMN. 

Just as rapidly, you feel his strong hands, deceptively soft and silky on the surface from the gloves, grasp your bottom. Merciless squeezing upon each ass cheek as he holds you firm and steady. Helping you to stand as you cum powerfully into his hungry mouth. The sounds of his ministrations amplify to wet slurps. 

He continues to hold you up until the last of the shudders fade. You feel tiny beads of sweat blooming between your breasts and upon your quivering belly. 

"Look at me, Penny." A foolish command, as his eyes have been feasting upon you just as much as his mouth. He pulls his face back to give you another wicked grin, a string of saliva laden liquid connecting his mouth to you. His lips and chin glisten with slick fluid. For a moment you are frozen. For a moment you literally cannot speak. 

His smile fades as he watches you, the smugness fading to predatory hunger. You can feel the tip of his cock brushing against your knees. Can feel the barbs against your knees, like wet rubbery nubs. He wants to take you. He wants to fuck you silly. Yet instead he makes the conscious choice to remain just where you'd told him to be. 

"Did that please you, Mistress? Is Pennywise being a good pet?" His voice is a dark growl, his upper lip quivers in a mixture of arousal and a sneer. 

"Yes." You cannot believe how calm your voice sounds. Husky yes. But still quite calm. "Now……. Fetch my cock." 

Still smirking, he stands, turns, and leans over the bed to retrieve the flesh-toned rubber cock. You hadn't realized you have another blush left within you, but bloom it does as your eyes brazenly ogle his flexed ass. It's a thing of beauty, the flesh and sinew starkly tightening as he stands and turns to you, offering the offending object. 

"No sir. You're going to put it on me." You lift the foot which had been sitting on the bed and wriggle the toes. You do not realize the expression upon your face is one of impish good nature. 

He complies rapidly, sliding one loop onto your leg and holding it steady as you touch that foot to the ground and adjust your balance to lift the other. Sliding that loop on as well, he then begins to pull the device up your legs. He has to stoop quite far to do this and you can't help but enjoy the view of those taught ass cheeks from a different angle. As he buckles the device around your waist, you feel yet another deliciously wicked idea.

"Suck it, Penny." His eyes widen. "Suck my cock." Your voice falters a bit on the last word.

He doesn't hesitate in the slightest, immediately wrapping those painted lips around the rubbery tip and holding them there. His tongue slithers out of his mouth, inhumanly long, to wrap around the device and milk its length before his lips follow suit. Your body is already heating again as you watch his mouth sway along the cock in tandem with his extended tongue. 

"That's right, my sweet clown. Make it nice and wet." You hear a strange thumping in your ears as your pulse seems almost too loud to bear. You watch him for a bit longer. Then, you suddenly feel impatient.

"Stop. Now." 

He pulls his lips off, his tongue following suit much more slowly, sliding back along and around to disappear into his mouth, swiping one last circle around his lips to clean them. 

"Now….. I want you to crawl into that bed. On all fours. Hands and knees. With that ridiculously gorgeous ass good and low for me." 

Again, he does just as you say. Crawls upon the bed, steadies himself on his hands and knees, and spreads his knees a bit to lower his bottom. You position yourself behind him, nearly having to stand on tip toe.

"Lower, Pennywise." Now YOUR voice is a growl. He bunches his thighs to comply. He's even prettier like this than you imagined, his own cock hard and aching and writhing. You rest your hand at the base of his back, leaning some of your weight on him, unable to resist slowly roving over his skin. Feeling the powerful muscles beneath your fingertips. An electrifying reminder that he could so easily overpower you.

And yet…

You draw your hand back to where it was, your other rising to slip around the length of the thick rubber shaft. It is then you really get to see that it is not just a cock that hangs between his thighs, but that your first impression of feminine anatomy was correct as well, flushed and dripping with arousal. 

You hiss out a breath between your teeth, a flood of want flowing hotly through your body. “Oh, you want this, don’t you?” 

"I want you to be pleased." His response is a darkling plea. And yet is a snarl. As if he is battling his own instinctive will. You shiver as you watch the muscles beneath the flesh of his back quiver and twitch. You can see just how much he is restraining himself for you. “Mistress.”

“I am,” you promise him. “Oh, you’re doing so well for me. Such a good boy. Now relax, my heart." You finally give in to the urge to squeeze and massage his tight bottom and feel every sinew loosen as he complies. You run an experimental thumb around the tight ring. Too dry. 

"Time for the good boy to get his reward." You dip you face to the more female parts of his anatomy and, without warning, begin to nip and suckle at the lips of it, reaching up to run your hands along the length of his cock. 

A low snarl erupts from him and his entire body stiffens at this. You pull you face back, releasing the flesh from your teeth with a gentle snap. "I said relax." You feel him doing so again as you continue your ministrations. Focusing first on his alien cunt before running your tongue up to lash at his bottom. His body vibrates with hissing but he remains still. 

Now that he's slick, you stand tall again and position yourself behind him. Feet firm upon the ground, you grasp the tip of the rubber cock and begin to press it into him. You go as slowly as possible, aware that you cannot feel thru this object. 

So you are very surprised when he extends his thighs, taking the cock in and fully inserting it into himself with a garbled groan. 

"Yesssss." His voice is demonic and cracked. "Take me, Mistress." 

This time it is you who complies. Grasping his hips firmly, you pull out slowly, then thrust home experimentally. The clown snarls and purrs, bringing his hips to meet the base of the rubber, the action forceful enough to leave a sting on your thighs.

"Look at you! Taking this cock like a champ! Such a good, good boy." You reach up to touch and massage his back, brushing his hair with your fingertips, allowing him this small modicum of control. Allowing him to set the pace. 

You watch him. Admire him. As he rocks himself and quivers and snarls. You cannot see his face but, judging by the sound of tearing material, you can guess that he's using his fangs to shred your bedding. He stretches out his long arms, claws snapping thru the silk of the gloves to slash and knead at your pillow. 

This time when he rocks back, you meet him with your own push. You pull your hands back as you pull out, drifting over his skin to firmly grasp his hips. You take his lead and begin to follow his pace.

He is so wonderfully responsive. So needy, loosing pleased hisses every time you bury yourself within. Being unable to feel sensation through what is only a toy allows you to truly relish in his eagerness and in the way his body responds. You cannot feel him clutch around you, but you can watch him seek out more of the cock; can see the slickness coated on its shaft each time you draw out; can see the sweat building on his back, a thin sheen that seems to make his skin glow in the light.

The sight of it is enough to force a hiss through your own teeth.

You need to see his face.

"Pennywise." Your voice is thick and husky, startling even you. Never once losing momentum, you run your hand over the swell of his ass and lean forward, using your other to touch his cheek, urge him out of the fog of lust just enough to hear you. “Pennywise, up. Push yourself up for me, my love.”

He obeys without comment, without hesitation. The bed creaks as he rises, and once he's up, you wind both your arms around his torso to goad him back. Until he’s kneeling before you and your breasts press against his back. You’ve stilled your motions but remained within him. You do not want to leave him. You’ve ached for this, and now you gaze at him and that ache spreads through your chest like a blazing flame.

His hair is mussed, no longer curving up into the styled devil horns you are accustomed to. It is disheveled and disarranged. The curl in the middle now clings to his forehead, sticky with sweat. You flick your eyes to his lips, shining with saliva, hints of sharpened teeth that telltale his pleasure. He rocks back needily, his half-lidded eyes watching yours.

Pleading.

“Oh,” you breathe. You press your lips against his shoulder. Trail them to his neck, up until you may nip at his earlobe and whisper, “look at you. Beautiful. All of you.”

“Yes, Mistress.” His speech is rough. Slow. As if he is grappling to be articulate. “As are you.”

You circle your hips experimentally, rolling the cock within him. He utters a sound much like the mewl of a kitten.

"More, Mistress………. Please………" The tiny whispering growl of his voice, and the profound realization that he has just PLEADED with you, makes you realize a brilliant truth. It does not matter that his neck is bound and tied to your supposed will. It does not matter that he is doing as you say. It does not matter that you hold him here, quivering and impaled like a fuck toy. He could end you. Turn and kill you so swiftly that you would not even know it's happening. You realize…… it is YOU who are bound. You are the servant here. The slave. You would do anything he asked. Be anything he asked you to be. And with this realization, you do as you've always done. As you will always do. You obey him.

Wrapping your arms around his torso, digging your nails into his flesh in a way that would make any mortal man cry out, you hold him. Using his body as an anchor as you thrust your hips madly. Your thrusting is crooked and imperfect, the movement of one who is not accustomed to moving in this way. But it is guttural and primal. Harsh rasping breathing leaves you as your hips make wet slapping sounds upon his bottom.

You lower a hand down his belly, your fingers slipping in the sweat which trails down in rivulets, to grasp his own writhing cock. Unlike the one in the harness you're wearing, this organ is hot and pulsing and ALIVE. You squeeze and begin long, beastly and shameless strokes. Milking him as surely as he must be milking the toy. 

You feel his body begin to stiffen. It even becomes more difficult to move the cock in and out as he is clenching so tightly. You can feel the muscles in his back stiffening to iron as you watch his arms extend and flex. The claws flailing and grasping at air. A demonic roar bubbles from him, building low in his belly, leaving vibrating sensations upon your forearms as it bursts up thru his ribcage and out of his maw to rock the very window sills in your bedroom. You know the neighbors must be hearing this just as surely as you know that you do not give a good God damn if they DO. 

His cock pulsates in your hand and you feel his hot cum pour over your knuckles and drip down onto the bed. 

You slide your hand back up his belly, not caring about the hot trail of cum you leave as you do so, and squeeze with both arms. Holding his panting body. Comforting him with gentle kisses between his shoulder blades. 

"Are you finished with me, Mistress?" His body feels fluid and almost limp as he rumbles out the question. 

"Yes. My sweet gorgeous clown. You were so good." You reach up and unsnap the collar, relishing in the dampness of the material and how you are the one responsible for it being this way. 

Suddenly, the world around you is a blur. The curtains, wall, even your shorn bedding, all a blur as, before your mind can register what is happening, you're pinned face down upon your bed, your head sticking out and suspended over the edge of the mattress directly across from the full length mirror on the wall. Suspended also, by the dull pressure of that blue nylon collar around your own neck. How had he even gotten that collar around your neck??

In your current position, you can only see his reflection in the mirror as he crouches over the length of your body, the rippling muscles of his chest and belly wet and cool upon your back. His face is monstrous, fangs extended, drool pooling onto the nape of your neck. You can feel his thick cock pulsing and prodding at your knees, spreading them wide. 

"Good. I’m glad I could be a GOOD GOOD BOY for you." His voice is a dark hiss. "And I must tell you, PET, I shall enjoy repeating this experience. Now……. Are you going to be a good GOOD girl for Pennywise?"

[ar-bi-trary]

Richie was more nervous than he let on (not that it fooled Eddie) about getting his wisdom teeth out. 

The pain was one thing. How he’d react to laughing gas? That was another thing. 

It wasn’t as if he had much to hide, the secret he fought tooth and nail to keep was now public knowledge. His boyfriend accompanying him to the dental office, hand intertwined with his, was enough proof of that. No. Richie wasn’t sure what it was that he’s afraid he might spill. But that did little to soothe his worries.

Eddie stayed with him as they got everything set up in one of the rooms. He kept a hand on Richie reassuringly, rubbing his thumb back and forth on Richie’s wrist as he listened intently to the doctor. It was a good thing he was managing to be as attentive as he was because Richie could not focus on a single word in the long speel. He only showed some response to it when they mentioned the drug aspect of it, to which he said, “Don’t worry, it’s not my first ride around the merry-go-round.” 

The doctor asked him something back but by then he was back to zoning her out. Eddie rolled his eyes as he went to explain something so he figured the joke hadn’t exactly gone through.

And then he was counting down from ten and he could not believe he was actually doing this cliche hospital drama thi- He conked out at six.

-

An hour later, Eddie returned to the office having busied himself with errands to make the time go faster. Still, his mind was cluttered with ‘what ifs’ that made him maybe a bit too frantic as he asked to go in and see Richie.

Richie was awake and clearly fine to his relief. Richie immediately noticed his entrance, even though he was in no way able to see him with his glasses off. He beamed up at Eddie’s general direction, saying a very muffled “Eddie!” and then, “He’s my boyfriend, you believe that?” to the assistants and doctors. Eddie found himself a bit flushed but he shook it away as he moved to sit beside Richie, handing the man his glasses.

Listening to the doctor explain how the surgery had gone and what the care procedures were was incredibly difficult because Richie could not stop talking. He gushed about Eddie constantly, declared him as boyfriend no less than six more times, and when he wasn’t talking about his love for Eddie he was cracking the worst jokes. It was all puns that everyone in the room clearly had heard before, but the staff indulged him with (exaggerated) laughter each time. Eddie wasn’t so pleased to be an audience member.

“Rich, you’ve gotta be quiet for a while. I really need to listen to the doctor right now so you don’t ruin the clotting.”

“Eddie, hey Eddie. What’s brown and sticky?”

“Richie, please.” 

“A stick, Eddie! A stick!”

Then he’d break out into laughter- or as close to someone with a gauze stuffed mouth could get to laughing.

-

After an immeasurable amount of interruptions, they were finally given the all-clear to go home. They were left with the reminder that Richie should avoid talking too much which Eddie could only respond with “I’ll do my best.” It was a false promise.

Richie was utterly clumsy returning to the car, nearly faceplanting down the two steps at the front door. Eddie resigned to let him lean on him on the way back to the car, praying that he wouldn’t need to come back to the office ahead of schedule. Though for how tired he felt, he did feel his heart warm a little to how affectionate Richie had gotten. The cuteness of everything outweighed the embarrassment tenfold.

Pulling out of his parking spot, Eddie stopped near immediately when the beeping tone sounded from the console. He was wearing his seatbelt so why was it- Richie. Low and behold, the other man hadn’t bothered to put on his seatbelt apparently too preoccupied with writing something on the fogged-up windows.

“C’mon Rich- that’s going to show up every time its cold out now.” 

Richie turned around with a guilty look on his face, “Sorry Eds.” But then Eddie could see what Richie had written- R + E - and his heart practically exploded. 

“No no, it’s okay. Nevermind, I’m alright with that. Just no dick drawings or whatever gross shit you’d normally do.” That seemed to cheer Richie up. “You’ve gotta put your seatbelt on though.” 

Richie seemed to finally come to realize he’d forgotten, tugging away at the strap while saying to no one in particular, “Right, Eddie cares a lot about safety- can’t be in the car with him without seatbelts.” The fact that seatbelts were necessary for all cars seemed to slip his mind.

-

The ride was fairly uneventful for a while although Richie was still talking to himself. Eddie had told him off multiple times, knowing he needed to keep the gauze from falling out. But even then he couldn’t deny hearing Richie praise him- especially given he didn’t appear to notice Eddie was in the car with him- was absolutely heart-melting.

That love quickly faded when Richie finally acknowledged his presence to announce, “Hey Eds, I think my mouth is bleeding.”

He was- and it was dripping down his face like a goddamn horror flick. Worse though, was that Richie had tried to rub it off with his hands so now his hands were stained red and real close to leaving marks all over the car. Eddie was not getting blood in his car- not when it had just been cleaned (and not ever) so he pulled into the first parking lot he saw.

“Do not touch anything. Okay?”

“How come?”

“I don’t want blood in my car- that’s why.”

Eddie took a moment to search through the car door storage, knowing that there had to be a package of wet wipes somewhere. When he finally did locate the package, he briskly grabbed a few and whipped around to face Richie.

Richie was crying, actual tears rolling down his face, and it took Eddie back. He was looking at his own hands in horror and being every so cautious that no part of his arm touched the car. 

“Eddie. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean too, it keeps spilling. I don’t wanna ruin your car. I’m sorry. Please don’t be mad.”

Fuck. Eddie forgot his agitation in a snap. 

“Hey. Rich, it’s okay. We’ll deal with the blood and it’ll be okay. I’m not mad.. I was just frustrated. It’s not your fault.” He leaned over to wipe up Richie’s stained chin but the other man jerked away.

“You don’t like blood Eddie”

“You’re right, I don’t. But it’s easier if I clean you up, so I don’t mind. Don’t worry about it.”

The next time he tried to wipe the other man’s face, Richie let him. He still sniffled a bit but he’d seemed to have calmed down which brought a wave of relief over Eddie. By the time Richie was completely clean, he’d entirely moved on- looking out the window as Eddie left to go trash the dirty wipes.

When Eddie returned, Richie practically tackled him in his seat.

“You’re the best Eddie. I love you.”

“I love you too Richie.” 

Eddie was stunned by the sudden affection but it all became clear a mere second later.

“Can we get Mcdonalds?”

“What?”

“I want McD’s Eddie- it’s right over there.”  Richie pointed out the window to the restaurant, big yellow arches nearly a minute away from them.

“Richie, you can’t eat anything solid right now. Not to mention that fast food is in no way good for you.” 

Richie pondered for a moment. “I could get a milkshake.” 

“You can’t drink from a straw.”

“I’ll eat it with a spoon.”

Eddie silently cursed Richie’s miraculous ability to still find loopholes even when he was high off his mind. 

“Richie, I don’t think that’s a good idea. I can make you something at home, we’ll be back in fifteen minutes if we leave right now.”

“Milkshake- I want a milkshake.”

“Rich...”

“Eddiee.”

Reluctantly, Eddie gave in and drove over to the McDonalds drive-thru. By all sense of miracles, the icecream machine was running. (Of course, it worked when Eddie prayed it didn’t.) 

-

When they got home, Richie was almost asleep. His feet dragged behind him and Eddie had practically carried him to their bedroom. Richie was reluctant to move even then, flopped on the bed face down with his legs hanging over the end. 

“Rich, you’re still wearing your shoes.”

All that earned Eddie in response was an entirely unintelligible response followed by Richie kicking his legs up. So in doing what Eddie swore he’d never do for anyone else, he ripped Richie’s disgusting shoes off of his feet and set them to the side of the room, scrunching up his nose at the smell the whole time.

Richie had actually fallen asleep in the midst of him putting them away- sprawled out on top of the comforter, face buried in the pillows. So Eddie grabbed a few blankets and draped them over his sleeping boyfriend, satisfied that now he wouldn’t freeze to death. In fact, Richie looked really comfy. Even if his cheeks were swollen and wrapped with an icepack, Eddie swore he was smiling in his sleep.

Eddie knew he had other things to do. He was supposed to be sorting out Richie’s medicine, planning out what he would be able to eat for the week, and that wasn’t including what he needed to get done for work seeing as he’d taken the day off to help with Richie. Despite this, Eddie clambered underneath the blankets as well shuffling till his chest was flush with Richie’s back and his arms could wrap around him. 

He deserved a break too.

-

Richie was more or less back to normal the next morning, groggy and more than a little grumpy given he could now feel the pain in his mouth. Eddie had given him what medicine he could take but it clearly wasn’t enough to numb it all out.

Even though he was moody- Richie did his best not to complain. The day prior was just fog in his head, but he knew that Eddie would’ve had to deal with whatever shit he’d gotten up too.

“How bad was I? Be honest.”

“You were perfect.”

“I said be honest.” 

“I was being honest! You were really very sweet.” Eddie gave him an honest smile at that. “Though I’ll be honest your jokes will really weak.” 

Richie glared at him for a moment but shrugged it off quickly. 

It seemed that he’d just been himself and Eddie loved him for that.

[babbushka]

Blue Moon (9/10)

New York, 1987. The air was filled with smog and the streets were ridden with crime. Just another day in paradise. Your quiet life turns upside down when a striking man moves in across from you. You’re falling, fast, into a love that could never, ever, happen…or could it?

(Could be interpreted as modern!au Kylo Ren/Reader for those who don't know who Pale is, but really this is Pale from Burn This!)

Word count: 6.8k

Warnings: N*FW Content, language, fluff (finally lol)

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

He woke up with the worst fucking headache he had ever had. Well, maybe not, but at least it was the worst headache he could remember. Where the fuck was he?

“You’re at my apartment.” You had explained, your voice warm and soft like it always was when you were talking to him. There was the smallest wobble in it, like you were trying not to cry. “We’re on the floor.”

A fragment of a memory returned to him and explained just a little – why the fuck was he on the floor?

Oh, right.

He propped himself up onto his elbows, looked around, tried to get his bearings. You were sleeping next to him, right on the fucking concrete with him. He frowned, sat up all proper.

He remembered making it to the couch before blacking out, remembered your hands on him right as he went. He looked down at himself, he was wearing none of his clothes from the night before. He was in soft sweats and a tank top, where was his jacket? He looked around – you had hung it up on the coat hook by the door.

You had also shoved pillows under his head and threw a blanket over the both of you, some sort of attempt at comfort.

He swallowed the hard lump in his throat from thinking about how you had stayed with him right there, right on the fucking floor with him, instead of retreating to your own comfortable bed. He liked that you stayed. He didn’t know what the fuck he was doing. After all this time, he figured maybe he’d have gotten a fuckin’ grip by now, but one look at you and all hope of that had flown right out the damn window.

He watched you for a bit, watched how your breathing made your chest rise and fall. He was in so deep, too deep with you. He knew that. Somehow, it didn’t scare the shit out of him.

Maybe it did, but he was too numb to feel it this time.

“I’m not afraid of you.” You had said.

It was still dark outside, not anywhere near close to sunrise.

He could go back to sleep, but his stomach rumbled too loud for him to even bother.

He stayed still, kept watching you. Fuck it wasn’t fair to wake you up, he knew that. You probably hadn’t gotten any real fuckin’ sleep as it was, watching over him and taking care of him. His chest did a little hiccup at that, the thought of you taking care of him. Nobody’d ever really done that before.

His stomach growled again and he groaned, starving but not wanting to be away from you, not for even one fuckin’ second.

“Hey.” He whispered, shook you awake a little. “(Y/N), wake up.”

“Hmm?” You asked, face pinching in a frown, your eyes still closed. Even with your brow furrowed like this you looked like a god damned angel. It wasn’t fair, he knew that, but he put his hand on your cheek and shook a little more.

“I’m fuckin’ starving over here, come with me to grab a bite to eat.” He licked his lips, kissing your face. He hoped the kisses would sweeten the deal a little.

“Mmmmokay.” You said, blinking awake, nuzzling your nose against his as he pressed little kisses all over. “What time is it?”

“I don’t know, I can’t see my watch.” He kissed and coaxed you up so that you were sitting up on the floor, your naked body shining in the light of the moon, light glinting just a little off the chain around your neck. He didn’t know how to process the fact that you were still wearing it, that you’d always been wearing it.  

It was drizzling outside, Pale vaguely remembered rain from last night. He really couldn’t remember much else. His stomach growled.

“Where do you wanna go?” You asked, drawing the covers over your chest to keep the chill away. Your nipples got hard anyway, Pale leaned forward to press his face into your cleavage, kiss and warm up the skin there.  

“There a Mickey Ds around?” He asked, and you nodded with a smile.

“Yeah like five minutes away. We gonna go through the drive-thru?” You asked, stretched and yawned and let out a big sigh.

“Yeah.” Pale said against your skin. The more he touched you, the less he wanted to go.

“Okay then I’m not putting any shoes on.” You said, giving a sleepy smile. He kissed it right off of you and stood up, the joints in his knees and back cracking from being on such a hard surface for so long.

“Okay.” He said, watching you get up too, watching you walk across the living room to your bedroom.

He watched and waited until you were pulling on a loose t-shirt and some sleep-shorts, the red ones with the little penguins all over them, nothing fancy. You were barefoot true to your word, but Pale thought you were going to freeze to death so when the two of yous walked to the front door, he wrapped his big leather jacket around you, made you stick your arms through the sleeves and bundled you up tight.

You looked ridiculous in the fucking thing, it was maybe three sizes too big, probably stupidly fuckin’ heavy, and completely hid your figure.

He never ever wanted you to take it off.

 “You want anything?” Pale asked when he pulled up to the drive-thru.

It wasn’t glamourous or nothing, but it was the only place he could think of to get shitty, cheap, greasy fast food this late. Or was it early? The clock on his car said it was a little after five in the morning. He knew 24/7 diners existed, but you weren’t even wearing a bra or panties or nothin’, no shoes. No shirt no shoes no service.

“No thanks.” You yawned, wrapped your arms around yourself even though Pale had the heat on in the car while the two of yous waited for the line to move a little bit.

The rain had pretty much stopped, it felt like droplets hung in the air, coating the whole fuckin’ city. The roads were wet, his windshield had lots of little fuckin’ water spots that better not dry splotchy on the black paint of his car. He’d bring it in to get washed later, didn’t want dirty fuckin’ rain staining nothing. The Mickey Ds was just off the main road, and occasionally the red and blue lights of a cop would speed past. Pale wondered what kinda crime assholes could get up to this early.

He couldn’t stop looking at you in that jacket of his. He couldn’t fucking explain it but something about it made him so protective, possessive. He loved your bed head, loved the way the jacket swallowed you whole, like it was some big heavy blanket made of leather and metal zips. He wanted to get you home, fuck you in just that jacket and your chain. It’d smell like sex but to be fuckin’ honest that jacket had smelled like worse in the time he’s had it. Maybe it could do with some of your sweat and come staining the leather.

He inched up until he was finally at the speaker, rolled the window down.

“Welcome to McDonald’s what can I get ya?” Some poor overworked piece of shit asked, none too pleased to be there at five a.m.

“Lemme get two quarter-pounders with cheese and large fry and a large coke.” Pale said automatically, his standard order for times like this.

“That it?” The kid asked, sounding bored.

“Yeah.” Pale replied, equally enthusiastic.

“Drive up.” The kid said, and Pale did…all of two feet.

The line really shouldn’t be this fucking long, Pale thought as he put the car in park. There were at least six people ahead of him, and he couldn’t fucking figure out why – shouldn’t all these assholes be in bed?

“Looks like we ain’t the only people with this idea.” You yawned, still sleepy in the passenger seat.

“Whatever, as long as I get my fuckin’ burgers, you know?” He hummed, leaned over just enough to put a hand on your thigh, give it a good rub. He liked how your skin felt, you were still sleep-warm.

“Mhm.” You nodded, scooching over so that you were as close to him as possible. He wished he had bench seats or something so you could get right up next to him, but his chest hurt at you tryin’.

You laid your head on his shoulder, and fiddled with the volume knob on the cassette player he had built into the dashboard of the car. Classical music softly played in the background as the two of you sat in the line, waiting for a car to get their order so Pale could pull up a bit.

“How do I make you feel?”

“Like I’m dyin’.”

He wished he could remember more. He cursed the fucking alcohol.

Once the two of you were out of the view of the window and just waiting around, Pale ran a hand through your hair, tugged your face over to meet his and kissed you real fuckin’ deep. You hummed happily into his mouth, licked and sucked at his bottom lip.

One of your hands drifted to his crotch, rubbed just a little. He was always so fucking ready for you that you only really had to look at his dick for it to get hard, so he was tensing up just at the slight brush of your fuckin’ fingers. It didn’t help that he was in sweatpants, which did abso-fucking-lutely nothing to hide his boner.

“Suck my dick while we wait?” Pale asked, and you gave an amused little chuckle, tucked your hair behind your ears.

“Okay.” You said, and Pale held his breath as he inched forward again, just a little.

You bent over completely, pushed Pale’s sweatpants down just enough to get his hard cock out, give it a few pumps. Your hands felt so damn good on him, too good. He clenched his jaw, turned the music up on the cassette in case he accidentally let a sound slip out.

Chopin filled the car as you licked a stripe up his cock, ran your tongue in the slit on the head of it, making him groan. He let one hand loosely tangle in the hair at the back of your neck, held you in place as you swirled your tongue around him.

He inched up just a bit more, four fucking cars to go.

You opened your throat and took him down as far as you could go, tongue flat and throat so fucking hot and wet – and then you sucked and he fisted your hair hard, bucked up into your mouth. His head thumped against the headrest, and he tried to even his breathing, other hand gripping the steering wheel.

“Shit honey.” He grit out, letting his eyes close for what felt like an eternity, and he could swear he felt you fuckin’ smile against him.

You bobbed your head up and down, sliding his length in and out of your throat, getting drool and spit everywhere. Fuck, it made him so hard to see you sloppy like that, and he groaned again when you used all of that wetness to slick up your hand, kiss his stomach as you jerked him off.

“Faster,” Pale grunted out, inching up.

Three more cars.

You went faster, the slick sound of your hand on his cock turning him on. He wished he had a cigarette, he was getting all fucking wound up, needed – you knew what he needed apparently, were some kinda mind reader, because your mouth wrapped around him again and you hollowed out your cheeks and took him as deep as you could, until your nose was brushing up against his dark pubic hair and you were choking, choking while giving him head in the fucking fast food drive through.

God what an angel you were.

He gripped your hair and held you down as he came, pumped your throat full of his come, wanted you to feel it slide down, and you did like the good fucking girl you were, he could feel you swallowing against him.

When the two of you pulled up to the second window to get Pale’s food, you were tucked back in your seat and Pale’s cock was back in his sweatpants, and when Pale handed over the cash, the guy at the register was none the wiser.  

 “You know, this is real shit food.” Pale grimaced, taking another bite out of the burger twenty minutes later.

The two of you were sitting out on the fire escape, waiting for the sun to rise. You, now fully awake like Pale, had dragged a couple of towels outside and laid them out so the both of yas wouldn’t have to sit on the cold wet metal scaffold of the fire escape.

You were still wearing his jacket, sipping a cup of coffee you had brewed up real fast, some instant shit, nothing good like what you made at the diner.

“Then why are you eating it?” You laughed, giving him the sweetest damn smile. He hated how much he liked seeing your smile, how much he liked seeing you sleep-rumpled and happy.

He had to wipe that smile off your face, tried kissin’ it away, but that only made the fuckin’ thing bigger. He took another bite of the shitty burger.

“Greasy food’s good for the kinda headache I got.” He shrugged, reaching into the bag and huffing, “Next time I’m gonna get two fuckin’ fries.”

“Sorry.” You smiled as you sipped your coffee, not sorry in the fuckin’ least.

You had eaten half the damn thing of fries on the way back to your apartment, even though he had asked you if you wanted anything and you said no. Learned his fuckin’ lesson with that one he did. Not that he was angry, but shit.  

“Nah, don’t be. I like when you eat up, you make me nervous sometimes.” He said around a big bite.

“I make you nervous?” You laughed, snorting into your coffee enough to make some of it splatter, hitting his bare arm.

“Why’s that so fuckin’ funny?” He asked with a frown as you tried not to laugh too loud, conscious of your neighbors.

“Because you’re the one blacking out in my living room, honey.” You rolled your eyes at him, another round of chuckles making your shoulders shake just a little.  

“Listen – ” Pale’s stomach swooped, suddenly feeling ill. He had forgotten all about that, all about everything. Were you mad? Were you upset with him? Were you –

“I don’t mind, you know?” You said quickly, reassuringly. Definitely some kinda mind reader. “I don’t mind. I’m glad you came to me, glad you knew I’d be there for you.” You pressed yourself against him, put your head on his shoulder.

“Thank you.” He said, tentatively putting an arm around your shoulders, pulling you closer, squishing you to him. “I know it ain’t easy…dealin’ with me sometimes. Thank you for not kickin’ me out.”

“What could I do you were already on the floor.” You shrugged. Pale groaned, but you pressed a kiss to his chin and smiled, smoothing the arm closest to him around his waist to hold on to him too. “I’m joking.”

“I know.” He said, a lump still stuck in his fuckin’ throat. He wasn’t going to cry, he kept telling himself that, but it was like he was chokin’ on words he didn’t know how to say. “But I mean it.”

“I know.” You nodded against him, and there it was again – that wonder at how you were so easy goin, so accepting. He didn’t deserve it, Pale knew that, knew he was a giant fucking mess right now and didn’t deserve your love and – “You gotta go to work today?”

You interrupted his internal spiral, helped him get a grip on himself. He sighed, let out a tension in his shoulders he didn’t know was even there. You rubbed soothing circles on his lower back where your hand was resting, sipped your coffee.

The sun started to rise.

“Yeah, fuckers got everything all god damned twisted with the ordering so I gotta go down to the docks and settle some shit.” Pale pinched his nose, didn’t want to have to fucking deal with that this early, but he knew that once the sun was in the sky he was going to have to go. Every single atom in his body screamed at him to stay with you instead.

“Want me to go with you?” You asked, and wouldn’t that be an idea?

Bringing you down to the docks so you could watch him threaten some jackasses into actually doing what the fuck he pays them to do. He almost said yes, almost blurted out that they’d leave right the fuck now – the sooner he got there the better – when he turned to look at you, and really look at you.

You were exhausted, he could see that. You had dark circles under your eyes that he could see now that light was bathing the city, deep gold that washed over everything and reflected off the rain on the streets. Your eyes were a little dull, still beautiful as ever, but dull. He didn’t want to drag you around the cold docks with him, not after all the other bullshit he put you through in the past couple hours.

“No baby, I want you to get some sleep. And I mean real fuckin’ sleep, no more of that on the floor bullshit.” Pale said, pinching at your cheek, your nose, making you smile.

“Hey I did the best I could, I couldn’t fucking lift your huge ass – ” You started, but he kissed you real quick.

“I’m jokin’.” He echoed your earlier sentiment, and you rolled your eyes, kissed him back.

“Ha ha.” You scoffed, stealing another one of his french fries. Pale wondered if he had enough time to fuck you before he had to leave.  

“You know, I don’t think I’ve liked a sunrise in a real long time.” He huffed, taking a sip of his soda. He wrinkled his nose at it, offended at the fuckin’ carbonation. “Start of another day and all that. Another day another problem. That’s how I used to think but right about now you know what I’m thinkin’?”

“What are you thinkin’?” You asked.

“I’m thinkin’ that you’re the prettiest god damned woman I’ve ever seen, all the gold all over you. Sunrise never looked so good.” He said, leaning down to kiss you again and again and again. Little presses with barely any tongue, neither of you had brushed your teeth yet.

“Do you remember anything you said last night? Or that I said?” You asked, looking him right in the eyes, those tired eyes of yours tinted with curiosity.

Pale’s stomach started to twist again, and he frowned.

“We were talking about shit? I thought you said I was out cold.” He went real still, wracking his brain for any sort of memory of the night before, anything at all. He was getting himself fucking frustrated, all he remembered was knocking into some furniture, and then blackness.

“You woke up when I was putting you back together. You didn’t say anything too crazy.” You took his hand, ran a finger over the bandage.

He watched you do it, always watching you. Were you real?

“Did you?” He asked, swallowing a hard lump in his throat. He did remember something, remembered but wasn’t sure if it was real, if it was just a dream his fucked up brain came up with. What a sick joke that would be.

“Just that I love you.” You shrugged, like it was nothing big, like it was the most breezy, natural thing to say in the whole fucking world. And that was it, wasn’t it? You loved him. It hadn’t been a dream.

You had welcomed him with open arms and fixed him up and slept next to him on the floor and you loved him.

“That is pretty crazy.” He said back, and you grinned.

He took another bite.

 He left only after you were snoozing in your fucking bed. He took the time to make sure you were wearing clean warm clothes and properly tucked in and wouldn’t go rollin’ off one way or the other. Last thing he needed was you getting’ a fucking concussion while he was gone.

The trip to the docks was uneventful, which Pale was more than grateful for. He had a short enough fuse as it was, he really didn’t need to be tempted right now. Not while his hand was healing anyway.

Surprisingly, the restaurant didn’t need that much attention that day. He knew it would pick up a lot in the evening, but the lunch rush wasn’t nothin’ too terrible. Cook didn’t show up, so he was stuck working in the kitchen, which was fine because it made the hours fly by.

Before he knew it, he was grabbing his jacket and heading out the door, was hell-bent on getting something accomplished outside the fuckin’ restaurant.

“I’m going on my lunch break,” Pale announced to everyone in the back. “If anybody needs me – don’t.”

The staff all mumbled a short acknowledgement before returning to their own work as the door swung shut behind Pale.

He lit a cigarette once he got to his car, breathed in the nicotine real slow before turning on the engine. He had one destination in mind, something had been knockin’ around his noggin for a while now, and he figured no time like the present to act on it.

Driving along he stole glances at the city around him. It was a hellhole, that was for fuckin’ sure, but maybe it wasn’t as bad as he thought. Maybe it was just as much of a hellhole as Manhattan, or Jersey. But maybe that was just you talking, making him soft. He’d love to fucking take you away from here, bring you somewhere real nice, for a weekend, for a week, forever.

He turned onto 34th street and parked in the diner’s lot. He knew you weren’t working today, obviously, but he wasn’t here for you, for once.  

“Pale! Good to see you again.” The elderly man who ran the joint, Fish, greeted him as he stepped through the doors.

Pale had been to the diner a fuckton of times, and every time it seemed to be jam-packed with people. This time was no exception, and Pale was impressed to see that there were so few tables open. He was even more impressed that the old man had remembered his name, just because you’d only introduced him once before.

“Fischel right? Real good to see you too.” Pale said as warmly as he could, making his way through the crowded place to get to the milkshake bar where Fish was wiping down the counter.

“Pull up a chair wherever you’d like, someone’ll be with ya soon.” He smiled at Pale, and Pale cleared his throat, puffed on his cigarette.

“Oh, I was actually wantin’ to talk to you, but it looks pretty fuckin’ busy.” He looked around, had to press himself close to the counter to let a waitress pass. “I can come back later?” He offered, but Fish waved it away.

“You want to talk to me? Oy I’m not in any trouble am I?” He laughed, “Follow me.”

Pale walked around the counter and followed Fish to the back of the diner, down a small hallway and into an office. It was kept real tidy, surprisingly. He noticed that Fish had lots of pictures taped up on the wall, of him and his wife, his family, and even a couple of you posing with who Pale could only guess were Fish’s nieces and nephews.

“Not in trouble, I actually thought about proposin’ somethin’ to ya.” Pale said, trying his best not to knock anything over as Fish got settled in the spinny chair behind his desk.

“You have my blessing to ask her.” Fish smiled real wide, and Pale almost choked on his cigarette on the inhale.

“What?” He coughed, making Fish frown and backtrack.

“Oh, nevermind, I thought – ”

“No! I mean – I – ” Pale stumbled, no there was no fuckin’ way, well maybe not no way, but definitely no way, he couldn’t even begin to get into how that could never fucking happen – “Not no, but that’s not what I’m here about.”

Fischel regarded Pale carefully, leaned forward and rested his elbows on the desk in a way that looked a little more threatening that it probably should be, coming from a man who had to be in his fuckin’ seventies.

“Before you tell me anything, I gotta say something first.” Fish said, and Pale took the hint to sit down in one of the hard chairs opposite of Fischel’s.

“Christ, am I in trouble?” Pale muttered, putting the cigarette out in the little ashtray on Fish’s desk.

“I don’t know.” Fish said, and for the first time in a long fucking time, Pale was nervous. “I’ve known (Y/N) for a long fuckin’ time. She’s like a daughter to me; she comes over for the holidays and knows my family, my wife, my brothers – everyone. And in all the time I’ve known her, she ain’t never had someone to be there for her in the way that I’m assuming you’re there for her.”

“Never?” Pale frowned, and Fish shook his head.

“Nope. She’s been doing everything on her own for as long as I can remember, for too long. And I gotta be honest, it was eating away at her. I know it was. It ain’t good to be so alone. She’s only got a couple of close friends but even then she don’t hang out with them too often. She knows everybody in the fuckin’ neighborhood and all their birthdays and all their kids’ names but at night every night she’s been by herself. That ain’t life, Pale. So to see her suddenly be so fuckin’ happy these past few months was a shock and a surprise I never knew we needed.”

“She’s happy?” Pale asked, jaw clenched. It was too good to be true, somehow, too good to be real. “Like, really happy?”

“She is. And I think it’s because she’s found someone to be close to.” He looked at Pale pointedly.

“Is this the part where you tell me you’ll kill me if I hurt her?” Pale crossed his arms, offended that Fish would even suggest a fuckin’ thing like that.

“I ain’t gonna kill you.” Fish shook his head, crossing his arms too and leaning back in his chair. “I’m gonna rip you apart piece by piece and feed you to my dogs if you hurt her.”

After a moment or two, they both broke out into a bit of a smile, and Fish held his hand out for Pale to shake.

“I like you, Fischel.” Pale smiled, somehow relieved, somehow feeling not so nervous. He really had gotten his blessing, huh?

“I like you too, don’t give me any reason not to, you know?” Fish said, relaxing his demeanor almost immediately.

“I ain’t plannin’ on it, I can promise you that.” Pale said, “She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me in my whole fuckin’ life. I’m workin’ on something for her, something special. She deserves all the good shit in the world.”

“She does.” Fish replied with a nod of his head and a quirk of his brow, “Now go ahead and tell me whatever the hell you wanted to tell me.”

 “Can I ask you a question?” Pale asked you hours later, when the two of you were in bed after dinner.

“You just did.” You responded, your head on his chest.

He hadn’t fucked you yet, but he could feel it coming soon. For once he allowed himself to just be close to you, while the dishes soaked in the sink he shed all his clothes and climbed into bed and just pulled you to him, wanted to feel your heartbeat.

“Don’t be a brat.” He pinched your shoulderblade and you laughed.

“Sorry.” You smiled against his chest, kissed at the divot between his pecs.

“No you’re not.” He rolled his eyes, and you just hummed out a little laugh again.

“Your question?” You prompted him, making it real fuckin’ hard to concentrate when you were kissing at him like that. But then again you probably fuckin’ knew that, you menace. That’s what you were, a menace.

“What do you wanna do? Like in life.” He asked, and you thought about that for a minute.

He wanted to know why you started waitressin’, if you had ever wanted to do something else, be something else. You were smart, you were talented, you could do anything. His family was so fucking connected, not that he really talked to any of them. He would though, if you wanted to do something, anything. He’d repair a whole year of damage in a phone call if it would help you realize some fuckin’ pipe dream or something.

“Is it cliché to say that I want to be happy?” You responded, throwing him a curveball.

Was that cliché? Wasn’t that what everyone wanted, in the end? He thought about the world, thought about all the shit going on, all the death and fighting and drugs and crime – and that was in his own backyard. It was all real fuckin’ bleak, if he thought about it hard enough. But wasn’t that what everyone was chasing, somehow someway? What was the meaning of life if not to be happy?

“No, I don’t think so.” He answered, and you snuggled close to him.

“Then I want to be happy.” You said simply.

“Are you happy?” He asked.

Now that Fish had brought it up, it was all he could think about.

“Are you?” You asked back, with a raised eyebrow and a frown.

“Yeah, I think I am. Don’t really know, never really felt like this before.” He admitted, the truth coming forward a lot easier now. He wasn’t sure he would have ever been able to admit that just a couple months ago, but something about you made it real easy to let the truth out. “You know my whole life I’ve been trying to make other people happy. But I think I’m finally in a good place, or I’m startin’ to get there.”

“I’m happy.” You nodded, tracing random shapes on his chest. “I wasn’t, for a long time. But then I was okay, you know? Just working hard and doin’ my best. And then I met you, and now yeah, I’m happy.”

He looked down at you, stared at you real fuckin’ serious-like.

“You ain’t just sayin’ that? Because I don’t want you to regret this, later down the line.” He said, thinking of a certain someone, thinking of a couple people who had once said the same shit, and then fucked him over anyway. “I don’t want you to wake up one day and resent me or nothing. If you ain’t happy, you gotta tell me, gotta tell me what you want. Okay?”

“Okay Pale.” You shuffled up the bed a little, straddled his waist and brought his hand to your lips, gave it a kiss. “But I’m happy, I promise.”

“Okay.” Pale sighed, smiled as you kissed his hand.

“And for the record,” You grinned against his palm, “I don’t think you’re like a sugar daddy or anything like that. I don’t love you for your money or your connections at fancy restaurants or any of that. You could be dirt poor and you’d still take up the whole space in my heart.”

You placed his hand over your chest, and Pale breathed in time with the heartbeat there.

“But I’m not dirt poor.” Pale said, slowly sitting up too, caging you in with his arms.

“Yeah I know, hotshot. I just want you to know that whatever happens, I’m gonna be there for you as long as you want me.” You said, and Pale leaned in to kiss you, his own pulse going fuckin’ wild.

“Don’t go sayin’ shit like that, I’m gonna think you mean it.” He said real soft, his lips hovering just over yours, the ghost of a kiss.

Your eyes slipped closed, and so did his, and the two of you just reveled in the closeness for a minute or two.

“I do, I do mean it.” You said, making his stomach tighten in a good way.

“Even when I’m old and bald?” He asked, could feel the huff of your laugh even with his eyes closed.

“You’re not going to lose your hair, Pale.”

“(Y/N).” He urged, and you laughed out loud, looped your arms around his neck and carded a hand through his hair that he knew he wasn’t going to lose, even if he was starting to get a few greys every now and then.

“You could be bald and fat and wrinkly and I’m not going to love you any less.” You smiled, kissed him.

He licked into your mouth, his hands spanning your back and sliding down to your hips, pulling your ass closer as you situated yourself in his lap. He slid his hands around your front, dipped one into the waistband of your sleep-pants. You weren’t wearing underwear, and you were wet for him, your pussy warm and so fucking inviting.

You squirmed in his lap as he ran his fingers lightly over your slit, pushing in just enough to tease you.

“What if my cock don’t work?” He breathed into your mouth, you pressing your cunt down onto his hand, a silent plea.

“Then we’ll be regulars at the sex shop on fourth avenue. You ain’t gettin’ off the hook that easy.” You grinned, and Pale nodded, not that he was really worried in the first fucking place. With how hard he was for you? He was sure that would never fucking go away.

“Okay.” He licked his lips, buried his face in your neck and fingered you open nice and slow for him. He could feel you sweating, could feel you getting nice and slick for his – fully functioning – cock.

“Listen,” You said, running your hand through his hair, moaning just the littlest bit as he lightly grazed your clit. “I don’t know what your marriage was like, with her. And we don’t have to talk about it now, or ever if you don’t want to. But I’m not like her, you know? I’m not going to push you away or shut you out or anything. If you piss me off, I’m going to say something. But so far, you haven’t done anything to piss me off.”

“But I’m going to, I always do.” Pale’s hand stilled, and you shook your head.

“Then we’ll deal with it like adults. I’m willing to put in effort if you are. I want you.” You said, and he smiled then – that was the first time someone had ever said that to him.

He flipped you on your back, kissed you hard.

“You love me.” Pale said, lined up his cock and pushed in in one hard thrust.

“Yes!” You gasped out, arched underneath him, all long lines and soft supple skin. He wanted to suck a thousand hickeys onto you, wanted you all red and purple and mottled, wanted everyone to know you were his.

“Say it again you slut.” He said, pulling out and thrusting in sharply, making your nipples go rock hard. Fuck he loved watching them stiffen, he kissed down your neck, pushed you around and pulled at your tits to get them right in biting distance.

“I love you, Pale.” You moaned as his hips steadily fucked into you, pushing his cock deeper and deeper the more you relaxed and spread your legs for him. “I love you!”

He growled, you were his, fuck you were so good, so warm and wet and tight for him. He pressed a hand onto your throat, felt you swallow against him as you let your eyes pinch closed, mouth open as you moaned. He spit into it, spared a couple fingers to shove into your mouth, smear it around.

He fucked you hard, balls slapping against you, the squelch of your cunt like music to his god damned ears. He could do this forever, wanted to, he really fucking wanted to. He pressed down on your throat and gripped your jaw, held you tight in his fucking fist as his other hand hiked up your leg.  

“Again.” He demanded, baring his teeth.

Your hands flew up to his shoulders, digging and scratching into the muscle there. The sting felt amazing, felt real and grounded him, grounded him as he pushed you up the fucking bed with his thrusts. Everything was so fucking good, shit you were so wet for him, how were you so perfect?

“I love you.” You moaned, face red and splotchy, chest flushed and sweating. Pale wanted to lick up the salt on your sternum, wanted to come all over you and make you rub it around, rub it into your skin, make you his inside and out. “I’m your whore and I love you – Pale!”

You yelped a little when he pulled your hips up and changed the angle, shifting so that his cock brushed right against your gspot, rubbed at your walls deeper. He could feel that he was hitting your cervix, so deep, deep enough that he was completely buried inside you.

“Fuck – ” He was so consumed by you, all the fucking time he was just completely swallowed up by you. By your cunt, by your heart, it was all too fucking much.

He didn’t know what to do, wanted to blurt out something stupid, something too much, something that he’d have to live with – and he didn’t know if he could yet, didn’t fucking know. All he knew was your pussy was so good, the best he’d ever had, he wanted to live there, wanted to fuck you forever.

He dragged you down the bed just a little, all his thrusting had pushed you practically onto the fucking headboard and he didn’t want to knock you out or nothing. But even just pulling you down had you smiling, like this was fun, like fucking him was more than just getting an orgasm at the end of it.

“Say it again.” He demanded, and you scratched up his back, his chest.

“I’m your whore and I’m in love with you.” You said so easy, moaned high and loud, toes curling and knees drawing up around his waist.

You tossed your head to the side and your chest heaved, drooling on the fucking pillow as Pale reached down and pressed hard at your clit, making you shout out his name. Fuck he loved it when you shouted his name, when you opened your throat and just fucking yelled it. He wanted you to be loud, wanted the neighbors to hear, wanted all of fucking Queens to hear.

You clenched down hard around him, cried out his name and he came, sweat dripping down the tip of his nose and landing on your cheek. It felt like it always did when he was with you – too much and all consuming and like the whole universe or the big fucking bang all at once, all right in your cunt. He emptied his load right into your hot pussy, kept your hips tilted up so none of it would ooze out.

“Don’t fucking move, not yet.” He panted as you shimmied your hips, no doubt sore and raw and sticky all over.

“Pale.” You whined, but he kept his grip.

“Just let me – ” He didn’t even fucking know what he was doing, he just wanted to savor the moment. “Gotta keep all this come safe, you gotta keep it safe for me.” Your cunt made him delirious, it really fucking did.

You smiled, blissed the fuck out underneath him. He figured it was worth it, the edges of his mind fuzzy from you, drunk off the way you smelled, tasted.

He leaned down enough to lick at your neck, toyed with your chain with his tongue. He bit down hard on your jaw, knew he’d leave a bruise there.

“Good?” You asked, eyes already slipping closed, exhausted. He really had done a number on you, but he could feel in his bones how tired he was too.

“Every time baby.” He sighed, wincing as he pulled out finally.

You pressed yourself to him, he wrapped his arms tight around you in a vice-like grip, and fell dead asleep, wondering how the hell he had gone so long without you.

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

One chapter to go! Can we believe it?? Tagging some friends, as always, if you’d like to be added or removed from the taglist, please just send me a message :)  @fullofbees @spinebarrel @dreamboatdriver @thecurlycaptain @bourbonboredom @driverficarchive @aweirdlookingtree @rosalynbair @redhairedfeistynerd @adamsnackdriver @glitzescape @adamsnacc-kler @kyloxfem @fallin-for-youreyes @kylo-renne @attorneyl

[scige-alt]

LIANA LIBERATO / CIS FEMALE — don’t look now, but is that saige beaumont i see? the 21 year old criminal psychology / linguistics student is in their sophomore year and she is a rochester alum. i hear they can be blithe, energetic, evasive and irrational, so maybe keep that in mind. i bet she will make a name for themselves living in murphy’s beach homes. ( james. 20. est. she/they. )

snjdfg these took so long i’m so sorry but anyways please LIKE and i’ll slide into yr IMs for plots !!

TW DRUG USE, ALCOHOLISM, IMPLIED ABUSE, ADDICTION, HIT & RUN.

a e s t h e t i c s

stick n’ pokes at 2am – when your drunk and giggling too much in between purposeful stabs, avoiding the cracks in the sidewalk because they’re bad luck and they’ll break your mother’s back – even if your mother doesn’t love you, because you love her, the familiar riff in an old song – one that’s got you strumming along silently; there is no guitar, only empty air lit by the christmas lights you haven’t taken down. it’s may. swallowing down shots, and by default, swallowing down problems. laughing quick, easily, constantly. skinned knees from skateboarding, despite being rubbish at it. wishes on eyelashes stuck to your cheekbones, glitter sticking, running into the ocean at sunrise; feeling at home. excuses, and the many forms they come in. telling people you love them through hand squeezes and fresh muffins, sideways glances and soft, eager grins.

general info !!

full name: saige alouette beaumont

nickname(s): n/a so give her some uwu

b.o.d. - july 7th, 21 whole yrs old.

label(s): the hedonist, the icarcian, the reveler, etc. etc.

height: 5′7″ !!

hometown: thibodaux, louisiana

sexuality: bisexual w/ a very slight preference towards masc-presenting folks

pinterest

stats

biography !!

the fallible daughter of two very infallible people: robert beaumont, US lieutenant general, and manon levesque, world renown fashion designer. both calculating, cold, and purposeful.

saige never believed she was created out of love. it was an action with a purpose, intentions to create the perfect child. the hybrid of both military genius and fashion extraordinaire, molded to their will.

it took them no more than six months after her birth for her parents to up and move, thus beginning the cycle of packing and unpacking, flying and driving, state-to-state and country-to-country. the longest saige had ever stayed in one place was two years.

kept on a short leash, homeschooled, and learning skills she had no interest in – she was more like a pet, a project, than a child. the world moved all around her, but she felt restrictively tethered to her parents.

she had always felt this way. a bird in a cage of thorns.

it was hard to keep and maintain friends – saige would be there one day, and gone the next. a ghost, a very visible ghost. even so, she tried her hardest.

running from bodyguards (nannies, in a sense. her father is a paranoid man) into festival crowds and climbing out of windows in the dark of night to swim in lakes with locals she’d meet only a few hours earlier – she absorbed as much of what she could get; this intense, undying love for a world she had always craved to see.

it was the start of something near dangerous – a phase that seemed to never end, rebellion coursing through her veins. a wild child in the making, unknowing of limits. the bad sort of crowd was the crowd she found herself landing, more often than not – introducing the sheltered girl to a world she hadn’t quite known existed

she ran away, briefly, at age fifteen with a man three years older than her – which nearly ended up in a tabloid magazine if it hadn’t been for her parents’ money. though the guilt of her parents’ disappointed weighed on her, the thrill fueled something much worse

from that point on, she became a problem child. from public intoxication to vandalism – it was clear their daughter was unraveling and nothing could contain her.

boarding school was a small attempt to stop it – she got expelled.

she hadn’t intended to go to university, either – but, by some chance – and after a mysterious year-long disappearance from public eye during her eighteenth year of life, next thing she knew, she was a student at lockwood university.

she was involved in a getaway chase from an armed robbery at a bank which then turned into a hit-and-run in washington when she was on the brink of turning eighteen. it was a situation she had no control over, not knowing her role in the scheme until it was too late to turn back. the victim survived but saige’s family has been paying the medical fees since then. her parents haven’t spoken to her since.

ever since the accident, saige has avoided causing too much trouble - generally staying out of headlines and tabloids, partially in fear of her parents finally cutting ties, and partially in fear of doing something that’ll cost another person their life.

personality !!

bubbly. so fucking bubbly. she’s got so much fucking energy on her – she goes running every morning and every night and swims like every afternoon and she’s n e v e r tired ?? the personality of a coke bottle shaken up but like if the bottle could laugh.

tries her hardest to be the Happy Fun friend, y’know, the one who can hook you up w/ some sicccc shit b/c she befriended/possibly slept with her drug dealer and now she gets discounts.

like, generally, comes off as very confident of herself and fearless and, like, yes–reckless, but like a fun reckless, y’know ??

talks a l o t, could ramble for days, hand gestures and all.

if she wants to do something, she will do it and there’s not much you can do to stop her tbh. she’s very easy-going, very go-go-go, very…mischievous, y’know? even if she’s trying to do something stupid you kinda just have to let her do it or otherwise she’ll mope for three hours and pout at you and you’ll feel ?? this weird sense of guilt ?? which isn’t the Best thing but she’s not the best person either so dfghjh

a vegetarian !! meat makes her sick, like, physically.

uuuhh her vocabulary consists of a lot of ‘likes’ and ‘ums’ and ‘y’knows’, y’know ??

i am like 99% sure she’s got adhd but she’s never been diagnosed with it b/c her parents suck with that stuff. her parents sort of suck in general.

like…she’s currently not on speaking terms with them. she’s not disowned…like, yet, but they haven’t said more than like five words to each other since saige was eighteen and it k i l l s her but they also send her a shit ton of money every month so.

owns like…four cars…..she has them all on campus…..she prolly isn’t suppose to…but she does…one of them’s a real sleek sports car, one is a jacked up pick-up truck that’s decked out in like LED lights n shit, one is the same exact fucking car from the princess diaries b/c saige is obsessed w/ the movie. the other is like. a mini cooper probably.

a photographer, her walls are covered in photographs and art and taped-down plants and in general her room is very ?? cluttered ?? like it’s very home-y but god. she’s a mess. clothes everywhere. she’s probably got a pile of instruments and other miscellaneous hobbies on a chair in the corner that she hasn’t touched in a while

speaking of !! she has a bunch of random, like, skills ?? like knitting and sewing and cooking and three different forms of ballroom dancing, and she can definitely work a gun and a car engine except she goes thru interests so rapidly and is disinterested in most of the other ones b/c her parents forced like half of them onto her.

she plays bass guitar. she loves her bass guitar. she knows other instruments but the only ones she’ll really fidget with are her bass guitar and like, her violin. everything else she’s like ~okay~ at

got really obsessed with languages at a young age and started learning them ?? her mother is like. super french, like genuinely from france, so she already grew up speaking both english and french but she’s learnt others for the hell of it and she’s still learning like three other at the same time which is a MESS but she’s a mess so like can u blame her sdfghj

but like i said, she’s v e r y reckless. very much a party girl. she uses like…quite a few drugs, both socially and alone and frankly – she’s rarely sober.

a budding alcoholic because she’s convinced that without it she’ll be Miserable and Horrible to everybody because she’s a Horrible, Awful person who is the absolute Worse and if drinking vodka mixed in with 23 crystal lite packets helps with not thinking like that then she’ll do it no questions asked

its a problem she’s been developing since she was younger, only amplified by … the situation, that happened when she was eighteen.

is essentially wearing this mask of confidence and giddiness and flirtatiousness b/c she doesnt want people to think she’s doing Not Okay.

she loves so much. she loves everything, everybody. falls in love like five times a day but nothing really sticks to her either. if ur a shitty person/come off as an asshole then she’ll be more likely to be attracted to her b/c shes Always been like this. finds them super interesting which is ?? questionable ?? sometimes i want to just. knock some sense into her but y’know what…it’s fine we’re Fine

she gets around p frequently but is also the type of person who’ll like, try n maintain a positive, good friendship with whoever she sleeps with b/c the idea of having regrettable encounters is smth that Bothers her and she just pretty much refuses.

it’s honestly a bit of a problem ?? she blurs the lines between friendship and Something, Anything More too often and with too many people b/c she just. wants to be loved. but there is never enough !

she does stick n pokes !! a whole bunch !! let her give you one !! she can’t draw for shit but i mean, who cares, right ??

uuuhh her mom sends her like…prototypes of things she designs n shit that isn’t out yet and saige 100% always gives it away or it sits in her closet and essentially that is her go-to gift for birthdays or christmas or whenever she feels like it

there’s literally sm i could say about her but i’ll stop Here b/c it’s getting too long sksksksk

wanted connections !!

give me. a best friend. just somebody who sticks by her side even though she’s a Mess

like, a ride or die ?? is that the same as a best friend ?? idc i want both :)

and just in general, like, people she’s p close to ?? she’s really friendly and is the kind of girl who’d be really popular in high school but doesn’t care abt popularity n talks to literally Everybody like she’s known them all her life.

ESP if ur muse is a lil grumpier !! she will fuck their shit up, but like, in a friendship way.

party pals, where they don’t talk that much outside of parties but inside them ?? super close. glued to the hip. hold-your-hair-back kinda tight.

frenemies ?? fake friends ?? toxic pals ?? ppl using her for her money or like, sex, or something ?? anything ??

bad influences ?? who just encourage all of saige’s shit ??

good influences ?? who are like YOINK stop being an idiot.

a tutor b/c she’s like…she’s smart, okay, but she’s also really stupid LMAO. she’s rly bad at math and science. somebody help her.

hook ups ?? fwbs ?? that one, rare one-night-stand that went weird ??

exes ?? she’s sorta noncommittal so idk how long they would’ve dated but like sjdfkbo yolo ?? ex hook-ups too ??

…somebody who just. hates her. but she doesn’t realize bc she’s a big ol’ idiot. she thinks theyre pals !!

let her b a thorn in someone’s side, just like, an absolute annoyance LMAO

gimme an enemy, or like an ex-best friend where something happened between them n it ruined their friendship

i will take literally anything i dont know

she steals ur character’s mail ?? ur cat keeps escaping and she keeps letting them inside even tho she’s allergic ??

one of those friendships where theyre always bickering like an old married couple ?? but it’s Purely Platonic (or is it ??)

an off-and-on again that just. it’s not good for either of them b/c they keep enabling each other and then getting pissed off and it’s a Mess but ?? it’s so hard to stop.

the drug dealer she keeps sleeping with even though she can just … pay for her shit. b/c it’s funner this way !

just … people where their like … relationship status is Blurred and it’s like, are they a thing? are they not? b/c she’s a mess and gets involved with too many people without intending to !

please. take her. give me connections.

[ctl-yuejie]

all of @howdydowdy‘s most loveliest tags for my fanfic, you are so wonderful i don’t know how i deserved the good luck to find you ;A;

1. #OH MY GOD!!!!!!!#it's here!! i'm gonna lose my whole entire mind!!!!!#well i hope everybody's ready for me to scream about every single installment as it comes out because this is the most important thing now#i didn't even know turnip!ah yuan was gonna be in it THIS IS THE BEST SURPRISE!!!!!#i feel so honored that my tags had anything to do with inspiring this incredible au but this is absolutely so much better#even in this short installment i'm getting such a good feel for the three characters who have made an appearance so far!#excited to see your lwj!!!#'the only thing his viewers enjoyed more than his content were the occasional take-downs Wen Qing was dishing out in the comment section'#ahahaha you are so funny#PLEASE EVERYONE LOOK AT THIS AMAZING FIC! I'M SO EXCITED FOR IT!!!!#i don't know all the things that are gonna happen but i have a general idea and guys it's such a good au#op is so creative and brilliant!!!#the untamed#ah yuan and his two dads will be the death of me#fic#these are a few of my favorite things

2. #second! installment!! time!!!#i feel like i'm a reader in dickensian london waiting for the new chapter to come out in the magazine#except there's less pollution and i don't have to put coal in an oven#why are those my associations with dickensian london? idk don't worry about it#jiang cheng makes an appearance! okay so i have never really understood him but i've been reading a LOT of fic#and i'm starting to get the picture i think#this is like...just the right amount ominous to get me super excited to see what happens next#WYD JC????#also wwx's characterization is just *chef's kiss*#<3 <3 <3 love u op you're too good to me#puns

3. #ohhhh shit everybody lwj is here! things are happening!!!!#i love all the sibling feels lxc gives me always#in every single fic i read he's like 'lwj i found another boy your age please be friends with him i love you so much'#oOoOoO the shoot will be four whole days i wonder what can happen in four days you guys...#like maybe...mister stoic guqin falling in love with disaster farmer man????#STAY TUNED#you know what just occurred to me is that lwj needs an emotion translator#i'm thinking like luther the anger translator for obama in those key & peele sketches#except it's just someone interpreting all of lwj's stoic faces#i mean lxc can read his faces so you'd think he could do it but idk if lxc himself is emotive enough#i'll have to think about it more

4. #this fic is the gift that keeps on giving#slowly introducing new characters...now we're meeting my sweet baby wen ning...i don't deserve this happiness...#also wei wuxian's carefree chaotic energy is just to die for#and what's this? jiang cheng appears on the horizon? narrowing his eyes at a tumbleweed that rolls across his path#his spurs jingling menacingly as he stalks ever closer?#hold on to yer hats cowboys i smell some Plot approaching#the untamed#fic#(okay also 'explosive arts & crafts projects' ahaha you are the best at these descriptions)

5. #oooooooo things are really coming together my dudes...#more jiang cheng content! okay he is really growing on me. grouch with a heart of gold. huge schemer. just wants to make fun of his BIL with#his brother but feels like he has to prioritize his ~responsibilities~#he loves wwx and understands what motivates him and at the same time just wants him to like. chill#the air quotes ahaha#that wwx makes them and that jc hates it#also i think my favorite image from this is the fact that one of the draws of the tv show is that all the cultivator hosts are handsome#which means that when lxc needed someone to cover for him he just went to the producers like#'no worries my little brother is also super hot so he should meet all your requirements'#'is he personable? no. does he speak in complete sentences? also no. but are the viewers gonna go batshit over his face? absofuckinlutely'#and the producers were like 'oh yeah dude say no more'#this is so fun i'm really enjoying these updates!!!

6. #not the city centre itself but a nearby mound#which sounds unusual and ominous#honey you got a big storm comin'#lwj is getting there early...oh fuck the suspense...#also 'either this is just how show business works or no one really knows what they are doing' why not both lwj??#ahaha i am cackling and steepling my fingers imagining how this is all gonna go down#babe i'm glad you decided not to give me spoilers because it is so fun watching things unfold

7. #i'm just imagining the perspective of the film crew showing up and it's a barren wasteland#they're like...wtf kind of establishing shots are we supposed to take of this??#don't worry guys the cutest child on the planet lives here. just get some footage of him frolicking in the turnip fields#the audience will lose their effing minds

8. #i love jc's logic like 'no one can find out about this or it'll be bad for the family. how to accomplish this? better get a film crew'#also i love how he's lowkey bitter that no one wants to interview him AHAHA jc you peach#and he's like 'maybe i'll watch the show. JUST TO MAKE FUN OF WWX FOR NO OTHER REASON'#wow i'm like becoming really fond of this character op!!!

9. #AHAHA love this image of lwj staring after nhs as he traipses down the street#'fancy birds? tf kinda innuendo is that??'#also lwj deciding to wear all white so that people won't approach him ahaha damn where is my equivalent outfit??#MATCHMAKER LXC STRIKES AGAIN!!!!!#did lxc even have to go out of town for real or was it all a setup to get lwj and wwx in the same place??#wouldn't put it past him tbh#lwj is so perfectly taciturn here i love it#and not just because he's not personable or something it's because he's having FEELINGS#also because wwx never shuts up lol#'he is doomed just like before because even this unknown wei wuxian he wants to be close to and find out who he is'#ughughguhgghhghhh how are you finding and pushing all my buttons???#hot DAMN i am HERE for this!!!

10. #i've now read this three times and i love it more every time!#you have such a way with words and i love how you're getting into wwx's head#it can be hard to relate to him with how dense he can be but you make it all seem incredibly plausible and realistic!!#i love him like 'wonder what it would be like to share a hotel room. it's totally normal that i'm thinking about this'#and like. you show how he got there in his thought process and it makes total sense!#also: lwj as eye candy YES EXACTLY#nhs is the perfect choice for a tv interior designer expert. that is SO what he would be doing in a universe with tv about interior design#okay and MOST IMPORTANTLY we have come to the part in the gifset!! this is the best crack that ever caught feels omg ilysm#demonic blood pool WEI YIIIIIIIING#wen ning being all yeah goth guys and blood pools two great tastes that taste great together#i love everything about this and it was so worth the wait. very excited for the next installment!!!

11. #you are LITCHRALLY killing me with this sharp characterization!! how are you nailing all their voices!!!!#nhs just in it for the hashtag drama that's so spot on omg. breaking all the rules HE wrote just so he can torture jc#all 'are you seeing this??? ARE YOU??' poor nhs and jc having to watch these two lovesick fools make googly eyes at each other#for YEARS and not REALIZE it well it's your lucky day mr. fan man because soon the whole world will see this UST and validate you#okay but what i love the most is jc the masochist being so uncomfortable he has to keep turning off the video ahahahaha#wangxian out here romancing so hard that jc needs a barf bag. or therapy. or selective amnesia.#you ever get secondhand mortifying ordeal of being known? that's what's happening for jc here#it's mortifying watching other people experience the ordeal of being known. this is the hardest i have ever related to jc#it's like oh fuck. lwj loves wwx and it's so obvious. oh my god. i'm so embarrassed.#wwx is so gone for lwj and it's right there on his face for anyone to read. i'm in agony.#ALSO 'jiang cheng can feel his head get hot and he drops the phone on the table like it personally betrayed him' THANK U FOR THIS#everything about this is the best and my favorite#ahhh i'm so excited for the next chapters and so glad they're already up so i can read them right now!!!!

12. #lxc shooting lwj pointed looks every time the jiang sect comes up in conversation for the past 13 years!!!!! he would!!!!!!#i love the way you describe wwx through lwj's eyes. the love just shines through#also you are so insightful about his character but what else is new??? you're the character breakdown QUEEN#OH MY GOD AH YUAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111111111#i am writing these tags as i read or that would have been the first tag it's SO important#i mean my tag isn't important it's incoherent but AH YUAN IS IMPORTANT!!!!!#you really want me to die. you really want me to be all the way murdered.#this image of lwj just standing there with impeccable posture one arm behind his back the other holding a sword in the air randomly#with this squirmy lil bab clutching at his clothes and reaching up on his tiptoes#okay dang i didn't know there was gonna be action! intrigue!! an ambush!!!#this fic really has it all#bamf!wwx and rescuer!lwj#battle couple ftw#NOT TO MENTION DRUNK!LWJ!!! SELF SACRIFICING!LWJ!!!!!#how am i supposed to live knowing lwj Did That#ughghughghgughgh#'at least i made him happy.' at least you made him happy???!?!?!?#just let me live for a second!!!#just one second though then i'm gonna read the next chapter

13. #awwww jiang 'I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU I'VE JUST BEEN CUTTING ONIONS' cheng gets a tear in his eye#they are...a fambly.....#my man lxc coming thru for the people!! title of my upcoming inspirational children's book: Lan Xichen Takes a Stand#op you made me love jiang cheng. i'm in it now

14. #omg i forgot that you had written this and sent it to me weeks ago so when i read it just now i was like...obviously that's what happened???#i had already just fully incorporated it into my understanding of these characters in my head and forgotten how it got there#so this was the BEST surprise#i can't believe you. putting ah yuan and bunnies in the same chapter because you love drowning me in cute#soft domestic adoptive dad content???? ugh i literally need to lie down and go into a coma.#just a lil coma. to recharge my feels.#i don't know what you could possibly be putting in the 'extra' but i am. vibrating with excitement!!!!#this is one of my favorite fics ever and i'm forever happy that you came up with this amazing idea and executed it so well#I APPRECIATE AND ADORE YOU!!!#HEART EYES EMOJI#these are a few of my favorite things#the untamed#ah yuan and his two dads will be the death of me

15. #OH MY GOD NHS MASTERMINDED ALL OF IT#this is so perfect i'm in awe!!!!#of course he did!!!!#also 'he had been very invested in this romance he had even painted themed fans for this' ahahaha#these schemes! these machinations!! he got lxc out of the way! he put the idea in jc's head! ahhhhh!#mr. fan man

[bella-ca]

An Unexpected Love- A Mobster TRR AU Crossover

Summary: Bella, the daughter of murdered King of New York Adrian Raines, wants revenge. The Rhys family killed her parents to take the throne. Now she will stop at nothing until she gets her revenge.

A/N: I was away for awhile taking care of a few personal issues thank you for your patience

This is my first time writing. This is a love story eventually but it does get dark. I was inspired by @katurrade by her Mobster Liam AU and decided to try my hand at writing. This is unbeta. All mistakes are mine. I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: All characters belong to choices by Pixelberry. I’m just borrowing them. Same with the pics they are not mine.

Warnings: violence, cursing, murder, revenge, assassination. By reading you are acknowledging you are at least 18 years of age.

Word count: 1245

Masterlist

Chapter 12

Bella got ready the next day. She kept herself

occupied most of the day but now it was late

afternoon. Liam has been texting her and calling her.

He left her several messages. She had not listened to

them yet. She did not want to hear his voice. She

loved him that part she knew. How can you love and

hate someone so much? Her emotions were all over

the place. She knew if she heard his voice it would

cause her heart to rip open again.

She opened her nightstand drawer and looked at a

picture of her and her parents. A tear slipped down

her cheek as she looked at them, anger boiling in her

veins. She needed to remember the reason she was

doing all of this. She couldn’t let Liam get in the way.

She needed to force down all her feelings. If she

didn’t it would not only be dangerous for her, her

parents would not be avenged. She closed her eyes

picturing her parents and how happy they were. How

much they loved each other. How their lives were cut

short. All for a crown, for power. She took a deep

breath and texted Liam.

Bella: Hey handsome, I’m sorry I didn’t get back to

you. I just got back in town.

She waits for his reply and her phone starts ringing.

Dammit, why couldn’t he just texted me back. She

keeps her parents photo in her left hand. She takes a

deep breath looking down at her parents photo

before answering the phone in her right hand.

“Hello?”

“Hey beautiful, I was so worried about you. Are you

okay?”

Her heart jumps hearing his voice. He sounds

like he really missed her. She could hear the worry

and relief in his voice.

“Im fine Liam. How are you?”

“Better now that I’m talking to you. I missed you so

much Love.”

Bella shuts her eyes taking a deep breath trying to

sound normal. Stay strong Bella.. She tells herself.

“I missed you too.”

“Are you at home? I want to see you.”

A tear falls down her face, the photo in her hand shaking.

“Liam, I had a really long flight, I’m just really tired. Can I call you tomorrow?”

there’s a pause before Liam asks, “Bella…..are you okay? You sound different.”

...Shit… she thinks.

“Im okay. Just tired. I really missed you too. I want to see you but I’m exhausted.”

“Let me come over, I can draw you a bath and give you a massage. I...I need to see you...please.”

Bella closes her eyes trying to keep together. Fuck why did he have to be so perfect. Don’t fall for it Bella. She glances at the picture again for strength.

“Baby, I missed you too, but really I just want to shower and go to sleep.” We can meet tomorrow, okay?

Another pause. She can hear his sigh thru the phone.

“Okay Love, I will call you tomorrow. I love you Bella... so much.”

She digs her nails into her palm drawing blood.

“I love you too Liam. I will talk to you tomorrow.”

“FUCK!!!” she screams, not bothering to wipe the

tears that fall as she grabs a shot glass and bottle.

*******************************

Liam hangs up the phone. An ache in his heart. He

really wanted to see Bella. She sounded different…..

maybe she was having second thoughts? Maybe

there's someone else? The thought of Bella with

someone else brought out a rage in him he never felt

before. She was his and his alone.

He thinks back to when he saw her for the first time

after thinking that she was dead. The joy and

happiness he felt. He knew it was fate and that they

were meant to be together forever. They way they

made love….he assumed that she felt the same way.

Could she be in a relationship? She didn’t even bother to text him once during the past couple of

days. He just realized he knew nothing about her life

over the past 5 years. Maybe she is already with

someone. Someone as beautiful as her couldn’t be

single. He was just so happy she was alive that he

didn’t even stop to consider that she might have

moved on. She said herself that she didn’t remember

him. Here he was pouring his heart out to her, how

she was his love, and she could be taken. No! It

doesn't matter if she’s with someone. I lost her once.

I wont lose her again. Bella is his life his world. He

would be with her not matter what it cost. He gets up

from his desk pacing. He needed to find out about

her, but how? He promised her he would keep her

secret. There was only one person he could trust. He

picks up his phone and makes a call.

“Hey Li, whats up?”

Drake, there’s something I need you to do. It has to stay between us…..”

**************************

Constantine is in his office reviewing the footage of

the hotel Bastien sent over. He sees the same

women that was with Tariq walk out of the hotel

alone. He can see her get into a dark colored SUV but

cant make out much more. The camera is too far

away. There is no footage of anyone else with her.

The Phoenix had to be waiting in the room already,

but how? The room was Tariq’s not hers. He tells

himself. He was trying to get info on the Phoenix but

was not able to come up with much. Most of it was

hearsay from others. Those who did see the Phoenix

face to face met their untimely deaths. He was a

shadow, a ghost. Constantine grabs the phone to

make a call.

**************************

After a few shots, Bella stands up and starts to pace

thinking how she will even be able to be “normal”

when she sees Liam tomorrow. She knows she won’t

be able to put off seeing him for another day. She

decides to train again for a few hours before bedtime

to clear her mind. Exhausted, she has a few more

drinks and falls asleep quickly.

Bella finds herself walking down the hall. She is excited and nervous to tell her parents about Liam. She decides to tell them now before the show. She gets to her parents bedroom and hears their voices, the door was open just a crack. She peeks inside and sees her father talking to her mother. “We must be careful” her father says. If it is true and he is a traitor, he will come after all of us. I have no doubt.” Her mother gets up from the bed hugging her father. “Adrian”, she tells him. “We must keep Bella safe.” I can't bear to lose her, or you.” she says sobbing. I won’t let anything happen to you or Bella.” Her father tells her mother holding her close. “Let us just enjoy tonight together as a family. “Tomorrow Constantine will be dealt with.” Surprised by what she has heard, she runs to her room. Constantine...wants us dead? She would have to wait to tell them about Liam. Their lives were in danger.

Bella startles awake drenched in sweat.

“Constantine…….. he knew. He knew my father found

out he was a traitor. That’s why he took him out first.”

she whispers.

Chapter 13

Thank you for reading!! Reblogging and comments are appreciated. It will keep me motivated to write 💜💜

If you would like to be added or removed from the tag list, let me know.

An unexpected love tag list:

@katurrade @bobasheebaby @elles-choices @furiousherringoperatortoad @hopefulmoonobject @stopforamoment @tornbetween2loves @indiacater @annekebbphotography @gibbles82 @blackcoffee85 @ownworldresident @marietrinmimi

[scigebabadook]

cisfemale — ever hear people say SAIGE BORDEAUX looks a lot like LIANA LIBERATO? I think SHE is about 20, so it doesn’t really work. The LINGUISTICS + CRIMINAL PSYCHOLOGY major is a SOPHOMORE that is from ALL OVER THE PLACE. They can be BLITHE, but they can also be EVASIVE. I think SAIGE might be a SHEEP. They are living in BALTA. ( snot goblin. 20. EST. she/they. )

hello ,,, it seems i am a sheep and Refuse to leave the herd. aka i love u all so frickin’ much ,,, and w/o further ado, here is saige !! pleathe LIKE this so i can shimmy into yr ims !!

TW: drug use, alcoholism, implied abuse ? shitty parents at the very least, addiction

a e s t h e t i c s

stick n’ pokes at 2am – when your drunk and giggling too much in between purposeful stabs, avoiding the cracks in the sidewalk because they’re bad luck and they’ll break your mother’s back – even if your mother doesn’t love you, because you love her, the familiar riff in an old song – one that’s got you strumming along silently; there is no guitar, only empty air lit by the christmas lights you haven’t taken down. it’s may. swallowing down shots, and by default, swallowing down problems. laughing quick, easily, constantly. skinned knees from skateboarding, despite being rubbish at it. wishes on eyelashes stuck to your cheekbones, glitter sticking, running into the ocean at sunrise; feeling at home. excuses, and the many forms they come in. telling people you love them through hand squeezes and fresh muffins, sideways glances and soft, eager grins.

general info !!

full name: saige alouette bordeaux

nickname(s): n/a so give her some uwu

b.o.d. - july 7th, 20 whole yrs old.

label(s): the hedonist, the icarcian, the reveler, etc. etc.

height: 5′7″ !!

hometown: thibodaux, louisiana

sexuality: firstly when aren’t my babies bi as FUCK but she also prefers masc-presenting folks

pinterest

stats

biography !!

the fallible daughter of two very infallible people: robert bordeaux, US lieutenant general, and manon levesque, world renown fashion designer. both calculating, cold, and purposeful.

saige never believed she was created out of love. it was an action with a purpose, intentions to create the perfect child. the hybrid of both military genius and fashion extraordinaire, molded to their will.

it took them no more than six months after her birth for her parents to up and move, thus beginning the cycle of packing and unpacking, flying and driving, state-to-state and country-to-country. the longest saige had ever stayed in one place was two years.

kept on a short leash, homeschooled, and learning skills she had no interest in – she was more like a pet, a project, than a child. the world moved all around her, but she felt restrictively tethered to her parents.

she had always felt this way. a bird in a cage of thorns.

it was hard to keep and maintain friends – saige would be there one day, and gone the next. a ghost, a very visible ghost. even so, she tried her hardest.

running from bodyguards (nannies, in a sense. her father is a paranoid man) into festival crowds and climbing out of windows in the dark of night to swim in lakes with locals she’d meet only a few hours earlier – she absorbed as much of what she could get; this intense, undying love for a world she had always craved to see.

it was the start of something near dangerous – a phase that seemed to never end, rebellion coursing through her veins. a wild child in the making, unknowing of limits. the bad sort of crowd was the crowd she found herself landing, more often than not – introducing the sheltered girl to a world she hadn’t quite known existed

she ran away, briefly, at age fifteen with a man three years older than her – which nearly ended up in a tabloid magazine if it hadn’t been for her parents’ money. though the guilt of her parents’ disappointed weighed on her, the thrill fueled something much worse

from that point on, she became a problem child. from public intoxication to vandalism – it was clear their daughter was unraveling and nothing could contain her.

boarding school was a small attempt to stop it – she got expelled.

she hadn’t intended to go to university, either – but, by some chance – and after a mysterious year-long disappearance from public eye during her eighteenth year of living, next thing she knew, she was a student at gifford university in a town she’d never been to before.

personality !!

bubbly. so fucking bubbly. she’s got so much fucking energy on her – she goes running every morning and every night and swims like every afternoon and she’s n e v e r tired ?? the personality of a coke bottle shaken up but like if the bottle could laugh.

tries her hardest to be the Happy Fun friend, y’know, the one who can hook you up w/ some sicccc shit b/c she befriended/possibly slept with her drug dealer and now she gets discounts.

like, generally, comes off as very confident of herself and fearless and, like, yes–reckless, but like a fun reckless, y’know ??

talks a l o t, could ramble for days, hand gestures and all.

if she wants to do something, she will do it and there’s not much you can do to stop her tbh. she’s very easy-going, very go-go-go, very…mischievous, y’know? even if she’s trying to do something stupid you kinda just have to let her do it or otherwise she’ll mope for three hours and pout at you and you’ll feel ?? this weird sense of guilt ?? which isn’t the Best thing but she’s not the best person either so dfghjh

a vegetarian !! meat makes her sick, like, physically.

uuuhh her vocabulary consists of a lot of ‘likes’ and ‘ums’ and ‘y’knows’, y’know ??

i am like 99% sure she’s got adhd but she’s never been diagnosed with it b/c her parents suck with that stuff. her parents sort of suck in general.

like…she’s currently not on speaking terms with them. she’s not disowned…like, yet, but they haven’t said more than like five words to each other since saige was eighteen and it k i l l s her but they also send her a shit ton of money every month so.

owns like…four cars…..she has them all on campus…..she prolly isn’t suppose to…but she does…one of them’s a real sleek sports car, one is a jacked up pick-up truck that’s decked out in like LED lights n shit, one is the same exact fucking car from the princess diaries b/c saige is obsessed w/ the movie. the other is like. a mini cooper probably.

a photographer, her walls are covered in photographs and art and taped-down plants and in general her room is very ?? cluttered ?? like it’s very home-y but god. she’s a mess. clothes everywhere. she’s probably got a pile of instruments and other miscellaneous hobbies on a chair in the corner that she hasn’t touched in a while

speaking of !! she has a bunch of random, like, skills ?? like knitting and sewing and cooking and three different forms of ballroom dancing, and she can definitely work a gun and a car engine except she goes thru interests so rapidly and is disinterested in most of the other ones b/c her parents forced like half of them onto her.

she plays bass guitar. she loves her bass guitar. she knows other instruments but the only ones she’ll really fidget with are her bass guitar and like, her violin. everything else she’s like ~okay~ at

got really obsessed with languages at a young age and started learning them ?? her mother is like. super french, like genuinely from france, so she already grew up speaking both english and french but she’s learnt others for the hell of it and she’s still learning like three other at the same time which is a MESS but she’s a mess so like can u blame her sdfghj

but like i said, she’s v e r y reckless. very much a party girl. she uses like…quite a few drugs, both socially and alone and frankly – she’s rarely sober.

a budding alcoholic because she’s convinced that without it she’ll be Miserable and Horrible to everybody because she’s a Horrible, Awful person who is the absolute Worse and if drinking vodka mixed in with 23 crystal lite packets helps with not thinking like that then she’ll do it no questions asked

its a problem she’s been developing since she was younger, only amplified by … the situation, that happened when she was eighteen.

is essentially wearing this mask of confidence and giddiness and flirtatiousness b/c she doesnt want people to think she’s doing Not Okay.

she loves so much. she loves everything, everybody. falls in love like five times a day but nothing really sticks to her either. if ur a shitty person/come off as an asshole then she’ll be more likely to be attracted to her b/c shes Always been like this. finds them super interesting which is ?? questionable ?? sometimes i want to just. knock some sense into her but y’know what…it’s fine we’re Fine

she gets around p frequently but is also the type of person who’ll like, try n maintain a positive, good friendship with whoever she sleeps with b/c the idea of having regrettable encounters is smth that Bothers her and she just pretty much refuses.

it’s honestly a bit of a problem ?? she blurs the lines between friendship and Something, Anything More too often and with too many people b/c she just. wants to be loved. but there is never enough !

she does stick n pokes !! a whole bunch !! let her give you one !! she can’t draw for shit but i mean, who cares, right ??

uuuhh her mom sends her like…prototypes of things she designs n shit that isn’t out yet and saige 100% always gives it away or it sits in her closet and essentially that is her go-to gift for birthdays or christmas or whenever she feels like it

there’s literally sm i could say about her but i’ll stop Here b/c it’s getting too long sksksksk

wanted connections !!

give me. a best friend. just somebody who sticks by her side even though she’s a Mess

like, a ride or die ?? is that the same as a best friend ?? idc i want both :)

and just in general, like, people she’s p close to ?? she’s really friendly and is the kind of girl who’d be really popular in high school but doesn’t care abt popularity n talks to literally Everybody like she’s known them all her life.

ESP if ur muse is a lil grumpier !! she will fuck their shit up, but like, in a friendship way.

party pals, where they don’t talk that much outside of parties but inside them ?? super close. glued to the hip. hold-your-hair-back kinda tight.

frenemies ?? fake friends ?? toxic pals ?? ppl using her for her money or like, sex, or something ?? anything ??

bad influences ?? who just encourage all of saige’s shit ??

good influences ?? who are like YOINK stop being an idiot.

a tutor b/c she’s like…she’s smart, okay, but she’s also really stupid LMAO. she’s rly bad at math and science. somebody help her.

hook ups ?? fwbs ?? that one, rare one-night-stand that went weird ??

exes ?? she’s sorta noncommittal so idk how long they would’ve dated but like sjdfkbo yolo ?? ex hook-ups too ??

…somebody who just. hates her. but she doesn’t realize bc she’s a big ol’ idiot. she thinks theyre pals !!

let her b a thorn in someone’s side, just like, an absolute annoyance LMAO

gimme an enemy, or like an ex-best friend where something happened between them n it ruined their friendship

i will take literally anything i dont know

she steals ur character’s mail ?? ur cat keeps escaping and she keeps letting them inside even tho she’s allergic ??

one of those friendships where theyre always bickering like an old married couple ?? but it’s Purely Platonic (or is it ??)

an off-and-on again that just. it’s not good for either of them b/c they keep enabling each other and then getting pissed off and it’s a Mess but ?? it’s so hard to stop.

the drug dealer she keeps sleeping with even though she can just ... pay for her shit. b/c it’s funner this way !

just ... people where their like ... relationship status is Blurred and it’s like, are they a thing? are they not? b/c she’s a mess and gets involved with too many people without intending to !

please. take her. give me connections.