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nottyourlover · 1 year

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Broken Bonds - ch 2

a/n: prolly 4 ch's now :) sorry this took 800 years i kinda put off writing this bc i didnt want to disappoint but here it is.

ALSO SORRY THERE WILL MOST LIKELY BE ~7 WEEKS OF HIATUS AFTER THIS.

series summary: as azriel leaves for a long mission in vallahan, you find that clinging onto old bonds does nothing to heal them.

contains: angst, still mental health themes, pregnant y/n, off-page death, language. slowburn ???????

word count: 8506 (oh gosh)

ch 1 // ch 3

***

Many weeks passed, and with each day, the void left by Azriel's absence grew wider, but luckily you found yourself surrounded with some of the best people in the world, you thought. As always, Feyre was wonderful; she helped you get out of bed, she re-ignited your passions. She listened to you vent about your relationship, gave you advice and she constantly surprised you, always with a little gift from a new store in The Rainbow. However, one of the best surprises you received didn't come from Feyre.

About two weeks after Azriel's departure you had received a letter from your childhood friend Aiden and his now fiance, Malakai. You couldn't believe it, because it had been centuries since you'd seen Aiden, let alone been contacted by him, but on the other hand you saw Malakai weekly. He was Cassian's right-hand man, and you learnt from him after the wedding that Aiden had become a healer who travelled around Prythian, practicing in all the courts. Their jobs were different in every way, but they complemented each other perfectly.

It was unexpected, the letter, but you couldn't have been happier to hear from them, especially because the envelope held an invitation their wedding.

The wedding was a modest celebration, but all the Inner Court members attended to show their support for the happy couple. Kai had known Cassian, Rhys and Azriel for years, since training together for the Blood Rite, and had stayed in touch for centuries after. He was now Cassian's Lieutenant General who commanded the Night Court's forces where Cassian was otherwise preoccupied with Inner Circle business. You knew him from the occasional training session, and you were glad that the two of you had gotten a lot closer after the wedding. He had become fast friends with the rest of the Inner Circle, and after the wedding Aiden also befriended them. It was almost laughable how you had managed to miss that the male Kai talked so fondly about, the healer that had stolen his heart, was your friend. Your Aiden.

Even if the last few months of your own life were less than ideal, the newly-wed couple had become your rocks, and you knew they would eventually become amazing parents since they were so doting towards you and your baby.

You were still early in your pregnancy but careful nonetheless. Although you still planned to work for as long as you could in an attempt to maintain some sense of normalcy, you quickly realised that it was going to be somewhat of a struggle hiding your pregnancy from the rest of the Inner Circle for any longer. Training was not any easier as no one suspected anything, and Mor and Cass still held their monthly game nights when they drank like there was no tomorrow.

Under Feyre's insistence, you had lessened your field work and so majority of your days consisted of writing letters to the other High Lords and leaders in attempt to strengthen alliances and unite the various factions within Prythian, hoping that it would create a better world for your child to grow up in. Due to past efforts, relations with the Day, Dawn, Summer and Winter courts were strong, and you were certain you had their support. The Spring Court with Tamlin, and Autumn with Beron were other matters, however. Perhaps you would ask Feyre to use her sway with Lucien who could convince Tamlin to at least reply to one of your letters, but you had recently heard Lucian say that he had not visited Spring in a long while, instead opting to stay with the Band of Exiles. Then you thought about High Lord Beron. He was a grumpy, disagreeable High Lord, and also a problem for another day, you had finally decided.

The first week and a half after Azriel's departure, you had rarely gotten out of bed, even when Feyre had tempted you with tarts. You felt bad that Cassian looked so regretful when he couldn't cheer you up when you neglected morning trainings those first few weeks. He thought it was because you were missing Azriel, and you were, but even more so, you were worrying over your pregnancy. When Feyre had finally managed to get you out of the house, the two of you mainly walked up and down The Rainbow, visiting the old bookstores and trying all the new bakeries.

Aiden was staying in Velaris for his honeymoon, but he still insisted on working, the kind male he was. You found happiness in visiting his healing clinic, helping him organise records and patient data. Listening to stories of his travels had inspired you like nothing else could. He told you about the catacombs under the Dawn Court, the unique architecture and history of Day.

His stories made you miss your mate, of the adventures the two of you had planned for the future, but you vowed that one day you'd travel with Azriel again. You tugged on the bond softly, something you had been doing since he left to feel connected. You weren't even sure if he could feel it though, since he never 'replied'.

Over the course of around two and a half months, you started to feel lighter. When you thought of your mate's return you started to feel optimistic. Maybe a break was the right decision, no matter how unplanned it initially was.

***

You had been spending most of your Sundays in Aiden's clinic, him helping with the pregnancy and keeping you company. You were browsing his bookshelves when you stumbled upon a book about Illyrian anatomy. It hadn't fully dawned on you yet that the child you were bringing into this world was likely going to come out with wings, but Aiden assured you the birth was not going to be too difficult seeing that you were half-Illyrian yourself. Your father had been an awful person, but at least he gave you the gift that would allow you to start a family with the one that you loved.

Obviously, a lot of trauma and pain occurred at a health clinic, but there was lots of warmth and beauty too, and it was becoming more apparent to you than ever. The young fae that lived in Velaris would occasionally come knocking to sell their sweets, or on quiet afternoons, Aiden would seek them out and give them some harmless (but hilarious) potions that would do crazy things, like temporarily turn their bodies invisible, colour their hair an electric blue, or even make them grow scales. Aiden was the finest healer in Prythian, and you were disappointed he could not stay for much longer than his honeymoon period before he needed to return to the road.

One such Sunday, the 12th week of your pregnancy had finally arrived. You were looking at your reflection in the full-length mirror, hand on your stomach.

You were showing. This was real.

You admired the swell of your stomach under the light, flowing dress. You looked... healthy. Glowing, even. Your features were not so hollowed out anymore, your cheeks fuller and eyes brighter, filled with shine. You felt better than ever.

But it was heartbreaking that your mate's absence had caused this, in a roundabout way. You closed your eyes, taking in this special moment. You reached to tug on the bond, and you swore you felt a glimmer of warmth before the string in your mind felt cold once more.

Aiden's voice dragged you out of your haze. "Y/n, are you ready to do the scan?" he asked, placing a gentle hand on your shoulder.

An "ultrasound" is what Aiden had called it. On his travels to the mortal lands, he had studied in the most advanced medical institutions on offer and was bringing this human technology to Faerie. This ultrasound was supposedly a sort of test they did on mortals with child, to verify the health and gender of the baby, and he was going to perform one on you today with the help of some of his healer magic to help.

"Just lay back on here, your dress should be stretchy enough for you to just lift it up..." Aiden trailed off as he fiddled with a tub of gel and a weird device, he explained he was going to lightly put on your stomach.

"In the Mortal Lands, they have these screens that show the mother the baby, but since I couldn't lug back a large computer, I'll compensate with a simple incantation. Unfortunately, this does mean you won't be able to keep any physical images of your baby."

You frowned slightly. You didn't even know it was on the table, to keep pictures of the little one growing inside you. You sighed a little as you readjusted the pillow and Aiden got to cleaning up. They would've been nice for Azriel to see, you supposed.

"Oh. That's okay, there's nothing you can do about it," is what you settled on saying. It had been centuries since the you had seen Aiden again, and after being somewhat abruptly pushed into each other's lives again... it was awkward, sometimes.

"I trust you," you added, "But exactly how many times has this magic-and-mortal-device combination been used for ultrasounds?"

Aiden flashed you the same boyish grin that got the two of you out of trouble when you were younger and given that your mother was... well, who she was, that was a difficult feat indeed. It was one of the reasons you had stuck with the slightly infuriating male who stood before you today; he would always protect you. Of course, this was until you had lost touch. "Well..." he pretended to do a thinking pose. You hoped he was joking.

You narrowed your eyes at him, but you doubted he could even see you. "Aiden? This is safe, right?"

"Just kidding, y/n. Of course, it is safe for use and has been trialed numerous times."

"Not funny." You muttered to yourself.

Under Aiden's instruction, you lifted up your dress until it was just under your bust. The masses of fabric were somewhat blocking your vision, but even so, you lifted your neck slightly to try see what Aiden was doing.

"It's interesting how mortals compensate for not having magic, this gel is especially interesting," he mused. He had become such an intellect, always curious and ready to learn. You were somewhat shocked to see what he'd made of himself, so different from that class clown you used to know.

You couldn't do more than make what hopefully came out as a sound of interest, as you weren't really able to see what "gel" your friend was even referring to.

"This might feel a bit cold," Aiden said, before he applied a thin layer of a wet, smooth mixture to your stomach. "It'll help this little machine to see your womb."

"Sure," you reply. What else could be said?

"Oh! Wait." You add abruptly. Aiden stopped his movements instantly. "I... don't want to know the gender." You finished, chewing your lip slightly.

"Are you sure?"

"Yet. I mean, yes. I don't want to know yet. I'll find out when everyone else does, whenever that is."

Aiden sent you a confident smile. "Okay, y/n/n."

After that, he seemed to sense your nervousness, and so after the gel was applied, Aiden placed a comforting hand on yours, which were busy pulling at the seams of your dress. The clothing suddenly felt too thick, and the breezy material no longer cooled your skin, but instead made it itch, and the back of your neck felt hot. He changed the positioning of your bed with a small flick of his wrist, in a swift motion. Slowly, your upper body rose to a sitting position while your legs stayed flat. This way, you could see what was happening.

Then you heard it, and suddenly, there was too much to say.

Unmistakably, there was thumping. Muffled thumping that seemed to echo around the room.

Aiden had big grin on his face. He met your eyes only for a moment before returning to the task literally in front of him. You realised he was concentrating hard on a small floating projection, a clear screen that showed all sorts of charts and figures. In the center of the clear screen there was a black rectangle that had something moving in it. Different shades of greys and white danced across the screen in pixelated motions but they all moved together, as if they were forming something whole.

"Is that...?" you asked softly. You couldn't get the words out, because your heart was in your throat. It was difficult to see, from the weird angle that you observed the screen in, but it couldn't have been anything else.

Just like when you were kids, he read your mind.

"Yes, y/n," he breathed softly. His fingers floated across the keyboard on the bedside table. which you suspected was somehow connected to Aiden's magical projection.

The perfect mix of fae magic and mortal engineering.

At last, Aiden spoke.

"That's the heartbeat."

***

It had been 2 weeks since that first ultrasound, and you were talking with Feyre about breaking the news to the rest of your friends. The two of you were sitting in the courtyard, the late afternoon sun casting its warm, friendly glow. You marveled at the beauty of the gardens a "Oh, I'm so excited for you! Your baby is going to be spoiled like crazy," your friend exclaimed fondly, a big grin on her face.

Hearing Feyre's enthusiasm calmed your nerves immensely, and you reached for your High Lady's hand. "I wish Az was here," you admitted, "if he was, I'd do something bigger. I think I'm just going to tell everyone at dinner."

Feyre's glance softened at the mention of your mate. "That sounds good, but y/n, I hate to mention this now but when are you going to tell Azriel?"

You bit your lip, averting eye contact. "I'm not sure, actually. Whenever's best, I suppose."

"You can be honest with me, y/n/n. I just think you should tell him."

"Of course I'm going to tell him."

"But your baby's going to be born before he gets back, surely you're not going to have him come home blind-" Feyre said insistently.

You started to get a little annoyed. "I will tell him, Feyre. He will not 'come home blind'."

But were you sure? Would Azriel even reply to your letters? Would he care enough to write more than his usual 5 sentences? A pain ran through your heart as you recalled the last time you wrote was about a month ago. He hadn't replied. You didn't want him to be distracted on the mission, or worse, hurt himself because he was worrying.

Feyre could read your expression. "Are you really thinking about lying to your mate? About your child. His child, y/n. It's Azriel's too."

You fought the urge to roll your eyes. "Gods, Feyre. You think I don't know that? Stop pushing this, it's my decision and if I want to leave it until he comes back... then that's on me." But deep down you knew she was right.

Your words just hung between you as the conversation ended. You didn't believe what you just said, and by the silence that fell, you could tell Feyre didn't either.

The two of you sat in your respective chairs and avoided eye contact, Feyre was fiddling with the sash on her dress, and you were looking into the sky, eyes squinting as you immediately regretted staring straight into the sun.

"Feyre, darling?" called Rhys' smooth voice. You glanced at your wristwatch, which indicated Feyre and Rhys' meeting was about to start. You sighed a little; you would have to apologise later.

"Here, Rhys!" Feyre quickly gathered her things but put a comforting hand on your shoulder as she passed. "Bye, y/n."

Then Rhys whisked Feyre away, leaving you alone in the courtyard.

You didn't want to keep sitting in the courtyard rethinking your conversation with Feyre. Or perhaps was it an argument? You quickly left the gardens as soon as the sun started setting, in hopes you would bump into another one of your friends. You walked towards the door to the main house and luckily, the moment you turned around after closing the door, there was Kai, gathering some items in a satchel, looking like he was about to leave.

You wondered if you should bother him as he looked busy, but before you could sneak off, it seemed that Kai used his big-brother senses because he turned around and spotted you.

"Y/n! My favourite person." He beamed, tucking strands of his golden hair behind his ears.

"I think Aiden might take some offense to that statement." You approached him smiling, yet slightly embarrassed he had almost caught you jumping over a couch.

"I'm sure he agrees with my sentiment." Your friend smiled.

"Going somewhere?"

"Just off to the Night Markets to buy a sheath for Aiden's present. It's a dagger, from my last mission overseas," He cocked his head slightly, as if trying to see if you were okay. "Would you like to join me?" Kai broke into a beaming smile. "We can get ice-cream."

You couldn't help grin as his words lit you up. The two of you used to always get ice-cream together, it was your thing. The ice-cream stores in Velaris changed their flavours daily, always a mix of aromatic spices and exotic fruits that somehow blended perfectly together. It was well-known amongst all your friends that Night Court ice-cream was one of your favourite things, and almost every birthday you got a tub of your favourite flavour, whatever it was. It reminded you of happier days, and some of your favourite memories consisted of you, laughing along with Kai over large cones of the sweet, icy treat.

"Really? I'd love to!" This is exactly what you needed to help you take your mind off your disagreement with Feyre. "I hope I'm not intruding though."

"You could never intrude. Besides, I could use another set of eyes. You've seen my wardrobe; I don't exactly choose the most stylish things." He bumped your shoulder affectionately.

You snickered. "That I have. Then you're lucky I took pity on you and offered my services to you."

Ever the drama queen, Kai lowered himself into a deep bow, "I thank you then, y/n."

Being with Kai had lifted your mood almost instantly. You had confided in him through your highs and lows, and when you had shown such intimate parts of yourself to another, it was easy to settle into comfortable companionship. He was like an older brother to you, one of your closest friends.

You watched Velaris' bustling marketplaces in awe as Kai soared through the air, his wings flapping. It had been a while since you had come out to see the signature Night Markets, but it was just as breathtaking as you remembered. There were crowds everywhere, and each store had twinkling lights. It was dark now, the light from each stall was illuminating the air around it, the mountains were shining a soft white from the snow, and you felt like you had returned home to the familiar sights, sounds and smells.

Kai led you to a few shops, and gods, it was lucky you were there. Somehow, he managed to pick out some of the strangest, weirdest designs that there were. It took almost 20 minutes of convincing before Kai discarded a sheath that was covered in ridiculous dyed fur that also had googly eyes stuck to the front, with eyebrows that jiggled when you removed the dagger.

"It's like an adorable fluffy animal!" He exclaimed.

"Kai, no. It looks like a mutilated toy rodent. I think I see bugs moving in the fur, and it smells like Cassian after training."

Kai whistled. "Harsh critic."

You shrugged, looping your arm through his to drag him back through the door. "I just saved your marriage, my friend."

Eventually you two of you picked a simple design. A sleek black design with silver buckles that was functional enough to store a pen or two, as well. Perfect for Aiden. Knowing him, he probably would use the sheath to store some of his equipment for operations, and the like.

"Thanks for helping me tonight," Kai smiled. "I owe you one."

"Don't mention it. All you ever need to owe me is some ice-cream." You almost jumped when you saw the old gelateria where the two of you frequented decades ago. Had it really been decades?

Kai seemed to be thinking the same thing because the moment the two of you sat down, he smiled, wistfully asking, "Do you remember the last time we came here?"

You hummed in thought, trying to come up with an answer. "I don't think I do. Must've been to celebrate something?"

Kai grinned. "No, not to celebrate. I remember," he started.

"Shocking how someone so old has a better memory than me." you smirked.

"Hush, y/n/n. Surely you remember, as it concerns your favourite person."

"My favourite person? So, not you then," you laughed.

"I'm wounded." Kai replied, deadpan. "No, anyway. I mean Azriel. You came to me after a big fight with Azzy."

You opened your mouth in shock. "I can't believe you still remember that!"

"Well, hard to forget," he said, dryly. "I had never seen you so upset." His expression turned pensive and worried, as if he was sensing the truth in your expression, which had turned from shocked to anxious with one sentence. He was sensing that maybe you weren't letting on exactly how saddened you were regarding the situation with Azriel. Of course, only Feyre and Aiden knew you were with child, and this factor contributed greatly.

"You know, because now you two are doing a lot more than just argue..." Malakai tried to lighten the mood, and for a second it worked. Then he did that stupid thing that mortals do; he made a "kissy face"... and then some.

Your eyes widened, but you had a big grin on your face. "Gods, Malakai! You did not just do that in public!" but your friend just smirked, innocently shrugging his shoulders. You wouldn't stay mad at him anyway. Never could.

The two of you finished your cones in silence.

"Let's walk around for a bit," Kai said, wiping his hands with a napkin.

"Okay, sure."

You and Kai walked behind the bustling marketplace to a lone bench where the two of you used to come all the time. It was your spot.

"I do have something to tell you, though."

"Oh yeah?" Kai looked as if he was trying to guess your news.

You took a breath in to steady yourself. "I'm telling you before most of the others... because I trust you. And I love you, you've always been..." another small inhale. "Maybe you can help me figure out what to do."

Kai swiveled so he was facing you more. "Of course," he smiled. "You know I'd do anything for you."

You smiled gratefully. "You may know that Azriel didn't really leave me on the best terms... Well, uh, he didn't leave me, specifically, you know, but I just mean that we'd argued before he left." You rambled. "A lot, actually. We argued a lot."

Kai put a comforting hand on your arm. "You don't have to tell me if you're not ready," he said gently, kindly.

Kai kindness overwhelmed you, but lately it had felt like Feyre was treating you a bit like a broken doll, and she was just waiting for you to finally crack. Being doted on wasn't a bad thing, but it felt suffocating especially now, and you felt Feyre's time was wasted when you realised that only one thing would make you feel better about this situation, you were too much a coward to do. It should've been easy, telling Azriel he was going to be a father. You were good at writing, letters especially. So why couldn't you tell Azriel?

Everything is just more complicated when love is involved.

You cleared your throat. "Sorry. I'm fine. I'm ready to talk about it, I promise."

"Okay," Kai nodded. "No pressure."

"I'mfourteenweekspregnantandAzrieldoesn'tknow." The words spilled out like a waterfall. A small brook, perhaps. All in one motion but in a low whisper. There was no going back now, but it seemed Kai hadn't heard your jumble of words.

"You're... what?"

"Pregnant. I'm 14 weeks pregnant and Az- Azriel doesn't know." you were dangerously close to tears, but you felt a million times better now that you had told someone else.

Kai was silent for a dangerously long time. Then his mouth curved into a small grin. "Wow, y/n. I'm so happy for you!" and then he clarified, upon seeing your slightly startled expression. "I know you've been wanting to start a family for a while now, and you're the most deserving person to have your dream come true." He took a deep breath in. "I'll admit it's difficult that Azriel doesn't know, but you're strong, and we can work through this together."

You had started to cry. "S-sorry, I'm happy too, I- I don't know what to do. I've been k-keeping it from you for so long, and I just don't know what to do." Your voice broke.

"You don't need to apologise, I get it. It's going to be difficult, y/n, but you don't need to do it alone."

"You've kept a pregnancy from Aiden before?" you sniffed.

He smiled softly, wiping a trickling tear. "No, but I know relationships take work. What you and Az are going through is only natural, and you're both the strongest people I know. I see the bond you two have, and it's like no other I've seen." He stretched over the table to wipe away a tear falling down your cheek. "It's beautiful, y/n. I know you, and I know Az. He will support you, and whatever you choose, so will I."

You sniffed again, wiping away more tears. Gods, there were a lot of tears on your face. Kai pulled a large, thick handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to you.

"Aiden makes me carry it around, the massive thing. A real inconvenience. However, I've been told it makes an excellent torniquet." the warrior shrugged.

You managed a laugh. "Thanks."

Kai's expression softened. "Are you happy?"

His question caught you by surprise. "I've been processing these part few weeks. We were fighting because just noticed Azriel got increasingly unenthusiastic about our dates. About me," you felt the lump in your throat as you spilled your heart out. "S-sometimes I feel the b-bond go cold. Since he's been gone I can barely feel it, Malakai. I have to reach oh-so-far for something that should be permanent. Something that should be natural, and easy."

Kai wrapped you up in a hug, and you rested your head on his shoulder.

You took a pause. "But am I happy? I think so. If I can work this out with Az, then I will be. Really happy." You smiled slightly at the thought.

Kai nodded knowingly.

"Looks like you've only gotten wiser with age," you noted, slightly sad. Where'd all the time gone?"

"I guess we've both just gotten busier these past few centuries. You were sorting out your... confusing friendship with Azriel," you let out a laugh at that. Confusing was certaintly one word you could use to describe the relationship you and Az had before mating. Kai continued. "Well, and then you found out you were mates, but I was busy training here while trying to keep my relationship from my parents."

Your smile dropped a little. "But they were at your wedding, are you guys still okay?"

"Thanks for your concern, but we're all good. It's just that when I was younger, I saw how the villagers treated my sister when she confessed to me she favoured females, and word got out. It was a miracle no one blabbed to my parents before she finally told them decades later," he smiled. "I'm lucky my family are so supportive."

"I have a pretty great family too," you squeezed his hand.

The two of you sat in silence for a beat, smiling.

"Wait, before you said '"most" of the others know about your pregnancy. Who else knows?" Kai asked after a moment.

"Well, Madja, obviously, and Feyre and Aiden."

"My Aiden? He kept this from me?" The Lieutenant's eyes looked like they were going to bug out of his head. Aiden was definitely about to receive a stern lecture about how his wedding vows promised no lies.

You laughed. "Well, smart guy, your Aiden is a healer, and I couldn't exactly go visit Madja because Rhys is always there on High Lord business, and Cass occasionally brings his soldiers there for checkups, you know this. Besides, Aiden's clinic is more private, and I like getting priority service," you replied, smug.

Kai sighed, "And here I was thinking that I was the only one getting that service. When you think you know someone." he tutted.

"Well, people surprise you." You couldn't help but bitterly think "Just like my mate did."

"But I know your news before Cass?" When you nodded, he did a celebratory fist pump. "I always knew I was your favourite. $5 for me, baby."

"Don't be silly, I love you Illyrian babies all equally. Wait, you guys bet on me?"

Kai snorted, choosing to ignore your latter comment, but the gleam in his bright blue eyes told you all you needed to know.

You just rolled your eyes. "When do you think I should tell the rest of our friends?"

Kai composed himself as he realised you were jumping back to serious conversation. He cleared his throat, and said, "Well, you want to tell them all together, right?"

When you nodded, he continued. "So, logically, unless you want to tell everyone while they're drunk playing board games, or drunk, dancing at Rita's, I'd say your best bet is at our group dinners, but you know, tell them early, so they're not too drunk." He gave a small smile.

"That's what I was thinking. Gods, when's the next dinner again?"

You counted what day of the week it was in your head. If you guys usually gathered for dinner on Fridays, but the Velaris Night Markets occurred on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays... but Thursdays were when Feyre and Rhys had their meetings (which you remembered Feyre had gone to that afternoon), it would mean that the next family dinner was...

"Tomorrow," Kai finished helpfully. "Friday."

"That's soon," you tried not to sound too panicked.

"Luckily you have me to help you then."

***

The Inner Circle sat around the grand dinner table in the beautifully adorned dining room of the Night Court. The soft glow of candlelight danced on their faces, creating an atmosphere of warmth and camaraderie. Feyre and Rhysand were engaged in a lighthearted banter, their eyes filled with affection, while Mor, Amren, and Cassian laughed along, their spirits high. Nesta had her hand on Cassian's shoulder, and Elain was talking with Nuala. Aiden and Kai were sitting across from you, Kai's eyes trying to meet your own. Tonight would be the big night.

As the conversation lulled, your heart pounded in your chest, your hands clammy with nerves. Taking a deep breath, you gathered your courage, your voice slightly shaky but resolute, and cleared your throat to gain everyone's attention. Feyre's eyes met yours with a flash of concern, then understanding. You sent her an unsure smile and nodded slightly, notifying her that you were ready to share the news with your family.

"I... um, I have something important to share with all of you," you began, your eyes flickering with a mix of vulnerability and determination. You looked towards Kai and Aiden; both of them looked ecstatic, and you could tell Kai was reigning in his emotions. The room fell into an expectant silence as every member of the Inner Circle turned their gaze towards you, their expressions a blend of curiosity and concern.

Your eyes darted around the table, locking with each person's gaze, drawing strength from their unwavering support. You continued, "I'm pregnant."

The room erupted in a cacophony of reactions. Cassian's jaw dropped; a half-chewed bite of food forgotten in his mouth. Rhysand, startled by the unexpected news, coughed and choked on his wine, while Feyre, caught between annoyance and concern, hit his shoulder. She caught your eye and sent you a look that apologised for Rhys' behaviour.

"He doesn't mean it like that!" she mouthed. For the first time in your life, you hoped your expression betrayed your thoughts. "I'm sorry", you were trying to convey. "I love you". Feyre nodded once and smiled, and you knew she understood.

Mor was the first one to say something. She let out an excited gasp, clapping her hands together. "Y/n, that's amazing! You're going to be a wonderful mother," she exclaimed, her eyes shining with genuine joy.

You felt everyone else's eyes on you. Amren had narrowed her eyes, and Varian was looking quite uncomfortable. Oh dear.

You felt a bittersweet mixture of relief and apprehension wash over you as you glanced around the table, searching for comfort amidst the tumultuous sea of emotions. Everyone looked pleased though, it seemed the extra 5 seconds of processing time had done wonders. Even Amren had a slight smile on her face now, and Varian looked less... strange.

Rhys, having gathered himself now, spoke next, a beaming smile on his face. "I'm so happy for you, y/n! You and Azriel deserve this. How'd he take the news?"

You hesitated, your eyes dropping to your plate, tracing the intricate patterns etched onto the fine China. You could feel the glances of Feyre, Aiden and Kai on you.

"I... uh.... haven't told him yet," and then there was silence in the room again.

The weight of your words was sinking in for your friends.

"I don't want to get into it now, and- and ruin our evening," you said, voice shaking slightly. Perhaps you'd already ruined the evening, if the heavy silence was any indication. "But we haven't exactly been on the best terms lately. We were fighting all up until he left, and I- I can barely feel the bond anymore. He hasn't written me back in a month.

With that bomb dropped, you looked up to the ceiling, blinking away tears.

"I'm scared."

Cassian, recovering from his initial shock, reached across the table, placing a comforting hand on your trembling one. "We're here for you, y/n," he reassured you, his voice filled with sincerity and warmth. "And when Az comes back, we'll figure it out together. You won't be alone in this. I can't believe it. You're pregnant." He finished with a joyous laugh.

Aiden chimed in, "We love you, y/n. As long as we're here, you don't have to do anything alone."

"You have the best support system possible; one that has been formed through years of hardship. No bond is stronger than this group bond, y/n." Kai continued. "Your pregnancy will be a beautiful thing."

Nesta spoke up next. "You can count on us for anything, y/n/n. I know you must have concerns, but now you don't have to carry them alone." You sent her a grateful smile, to which she returned.

"It'll fly by, the 10 months. Enjoy the process. Plus, you'll look great with the pregnancy glow." Feyre laughed.

Then Elain cleared her throat - daintily, if that was possible. "I'm happy for you too, y/n. Your child is lucky to have you as a mother, and... I know we're not too close, but you can count on me." She smiled; her cheeks rosy as all the attention turned to her.

You were in shock. That was the most you'd ever heard Elain speak, especially in front of everyone. You reached across the table and lightly put your hand on hers.

Surprisingly, Amren said, "You're in capable hands, y/n. It'll be such a joy having another Nyx around." The table chuckled at her sarcasm, but you knew she meant it with no malice.

"That means more than you could know. Thank you, everyone."

"You know how Azriel is. He may draw back, but he is always there for the ones he loves and trust me when I say you're on the top of his list." Mor said. "I don't know how he'll react to the news,"

Your smile dropped a little. Thanks for the confidence boost, Mor.

"But I know that every relationship has its ups and downs. You've been there for him since the day you arrived, and he's been there for you, too. I can promise you that this experience will only help the two of you grow closer." Mor's words were sincere.

As the Inner Circle rallied around you, offering support, reassurance, and a safe space to share your fears and uncertainties, you felt a flicker of hope ignite within you. Even Varian had bowed his head in respect. In that moment, you realized that you were not alone in your journey. With your loved ones by your side, you knew you had the strength and resilience to face whatever lay ahead. When the time came to reveal the news to Azriel, they would help you navigate the delicate path, giving you the support and courage, you needed.

And so, amidst the clinking of cutlery, the sound of Feyre's exasperated sigh as Cerridwen chased after Nyx (who'd run into the room looking for his mother), and the warm laughter that filled the House of Wind's dining room, you embraced the love and acceptance that you had received, finding solace in the knowledge that no matter the challenges you faced, you would never have to face them alone.

You tugged on the bond once again. Once. Twice.

And then you felt it. A pull from Azriel. Stronger than you'd felt in months.

***

"You guys really didn't have to plan all this," you smiled fondly at your friends, who insisted on throwing you a baby shower. Feyre later told you that she spent almost an hour explaining the mortal concept to Amren and Cassian, the latter thinking it was about hygiene. It had almost been 3 weeks since you told your friends at that fateful dinner, and they had embraced your news with love and kindness, just as Aiden, Feyre and Kai all insisted they would.

"Nonsense, y/n. You deserve the best baby bath achievable." Cassian beamed.

"Shower, Cassian." Feyre reminded him.

"I just showered," Cassian rolled his eyes. Nesta slapped his shoulder, and he quickly stopped his jokes when she gave him a kiss. You suppressed a snicker as you watched her. Cassian looked at her so lovingly, and Nesta, however annoyed she may be, always returned that look with equal fierceness.

You looked to your High Lord and Lady. Rhysand was sitting in a plush armchair, and Feyre was perched on his lap, his hand draped across her waist, fingers fiddling with a loose thread on her cream sweater. Nyx's addition to their family had only made them closer, and you could only pray that your little one could provide the same effect.

It was obvious to a total fool that Varian was irrevocably in love with Amren. His gaze was constantly on her, his eyes soft and longing, as if he knew something everyone else didn't. Amren rarely shared personal stories with the Inner Circle, but maybe she'd told the prince of Adriata something she hadn't yet shared with everyone else. You had a feeling Amren was going to find her eternal happiness with him. After all, he was here casually lounging with the Night Court's elite Inner Circle, wasn't he?

Then you looked to the pile of presents that your closest friends had prepared for you. The pink and blue streamers your friends had pinned around the room. Feyre said she was incorporating another tradition into this baby shower, something called a 'gender reveal', that she said was a celebration where loved ones of the mother gathered so she could make the gender of her child known. The room laughed as Rhys recited some adorable thing Nyx had done that morning, and for a second you were just lost in the haze. These wonderful people had chosen to spend time with you, and all vowed to support you.

The baby shower and gender reveal passed in a blur. It was just a mess of happy memories. You opened and accepted everyone's gifts (even the sharp "toy" Amren had gifted for "teething purposes". Perhaps Azriel would like that one.), and Nuala, Cerridwen and Elain had done an amazing job with the cake, which had either pink or blue frosting inside.

Since you wanted Aiden to keep the gender a secret, you had no idea what colour was in the cake either, and you were equal parts excited yet slightly nervous. If you thought hearing your baby's heartbeat made it real, celebrating this moment with your friends made it unreal. This was truly, really, definitely, happening.

You cut into the cake and it was...

"Pink!" you exclaimed. "Pink! She's a girl!"

Your friends whooped and cheered, Feyre rushed up to hug you, and Cassian immediately bobbed down to your stomach.

"A baby girl! Aw," he cooed. "Uncle Cass is going to spoil you!"

You laughed at Cassian, but he had lifted the mood tremendously. You couldn't believe it. You were having a girl, and you knew she would be perfect.

After the celebrations, Kai came and found you flipping through a photo album. It had detailed most of your and Azriel's relationship, and now there was a chapter all about your pregnancy.

"Thinking about him?" Malakai asked.

You smiled sadly, thinking about the huge milestone you had just celebrated without him. "I can't help it. I miss my mate." and sent another tug down the bond.

This time, it wasn't reciprocated. Something felt different, this time. You almost thought you heard a cry of pain.

***

“You know, maybe it would help to get out of here a little,” Cassian said one day at training. You were in the middle of sparring with him and Nesta, sweat dripping down your face, but you could tell they were going easy since the birth of your daughter only 5 weeks prior.

"Yeah, y/n,” Nesta smiled as she thrusted the dagger upward. "No harm in a holiday, you work so hard."

You stopped, mid-jab into where Cassian's shoulder would've been as you considered the idea. You hadn't left the Night Court for leisure in over three decades, and a small part of you did long to explore the other courts. Back when you and Az still talked of the future, the two of you had dreamed of holidaying in all the seven courts.

>>>>

"Do you ever think of the future?" you asked, playing with your mate's hair. Azriel paused his reading and thought.

He hummed softly, replying, "Of course, one with you."

You smiled, hands resuming their tousling of Azriel's hair, "I think one day I would like to travel. See all the places that the stories told me about when I was younger."

"That sounds perfect," Azriel replied, now fully sitting up and facing you. His book was discarded, and his hands were drifting up and down your arms. "I am content everywhere with you, but I hear the Winter and Summer courts are especially beautiful year-round."

You made a noise of happiness. "How much wine do you think we would need to buy Rhys for him to gift us one of his luxurious holiday homes in the Winter Court?"

Azriel's laugh ricocheted through the empty house, "My darling mate, I bet it's more wine than we can afford."

You laughed softly, "Well, I guess we better start saving. When I mend relations with Spring and Autumn, we must visit all the courts! Oh, just imagine it, Az."

Azriel's eyes softened. "Have I ever told you how much I admire you?"

You tilt your head, "You tell me every day, Az, but I think I admire you more." you said in a whisper, as if it were a secret, but how could it ever be, with a mate like Azriel?

Azriel smiled but shook his head. "Your job is amazing, y/n. Co-ordinating all these alliances, responding to our people's concerns and solving their problems. Velaris would really be nowhere without you."

You blush under Azriel's heated gaze, and say, "Well, someone's got to make the bribe money for Rhys' wine."

Azriel laughed deeply, the sound warming your soul. "Well, good thing I make up for my immense lack of income with other skills."

You watched the corner of Azriel's mouth curl up in a smirk. "Wouldn't you agree, my love? Or would you like a reminder?"

>>>>>>>>

When you named your daughter, you cried.

Cerise. Cerise Beatrice Singer.

Beatrice was your mother's name. A mortal name. She was half fae, as her mother was mortal. The courts gossiped for your entire childhood, from when you were six up until at least seventeen. They didn't even stop when she died. Seventeen was the year where you couldn't take it anymore. The year you finally left your 'family' and fled into the centre of Prythian. You travelled around from court to court for 2 years until one day, you arrived in the Night Court.

The people of your old village called her horrible names. They'd hiss at your mother as she walked across the street, throw all sorts of things at her. They were horrified that a mortal walked the streets of Prythian freely, no matter the fact she had never actually been in the Mortal Lands. No matter the fact she grew up the same as them. No matter the fact that she learnt the same faerie customs in the same faerie schools. No matter the fact that she grew up eating faerie food and wearing faerie-produced clothing.

No matter any of that.

Once, there was a rumour that you heard at school. People were saying your mother used witchcraft to lure herself a man "as great as that scum's father". You hid behind a wall, eavesdropping. The voices were muffled, the pitch all weird, but it was clear they were talking about you. Aiden was there with you. When he saw you were on the verge of tears, he told you to cover your ears and he hugged you tight. But even his hugs were never as tight as your mother's.

You are remembering thinking that you had never heard such foul language coming from 11-year-old children. You had dared a peek into the classroom, and when you saw the towering figures huddled, you realised. It was the teachers. The teachers using slurs and the teachers belittling the one woman who actually cared about you. About everything.

Decades from that day you thought of your past. You thought that, maybe it was true that once, your father had felt love for her. Beatrice bore him 4 children, after all. You knew your mother married him soon after meeting, and when she would brush your hair, back when you were young and the world was simple, she would tell you stories about how he courted her. Oh, how he courted her. Before the age of eight you used to wish for a love story like theirs. But as you grew up, it was plain to see that he felt nothing for her. In the end, one of your father's drunken rages had led to her death, and she died protecting you.

She cared for you when no one else did, in your family. Not your older siblings, and certainly not your father.

When you named your daughter, you cried.

Love and passion. That's what her name meant.

You were going to make sure love was all she felt from her family. Cerise was going to grow up with love. You loved her, your true family loved her, and Azriel would love her. You were sure.

Her raven hair was just like his, her eyes were like his too. Sometimes a piercing green, sometimes a calming brown. Beautiful, just like her father. She had your mouth though; Feyre had told you. When she smiled it was like the sun brightening the sky after a storm, and you had never seen anything better. She loved to laugh, her small eyes crinkling at the corners, her nose twitching. She was beautiful.

Cerise, she had wings. Small, baby Illyrian wings, but wings none the less. Wings like Azriel. Not wings like your father, but wings like Azriel. Majestic and powerful, with the ability to give what you had lacked; freedom.

>>>>>>>>

It had almost been 9 months since you told your friends at that fateful dinner, and they had spared no expense, treating you and Cerise like royalty.

Feyre could tell you were drained from your new motherly duties and said she would be happy to take care of your daughter for as long as you needed, but you had refused her offer.

"Oh no, Feyre, that's so kind," you smiled gratefully at your friend. "It's okay though, I will pick a place suitable for the both of us."

You had picked up Cerise from eager Auntie Mor's that morning and had decided. It was time for a holiday.

Feyre's eyes were scanning your face, waiting to pounce on any sign of hesitation. "Besides," you continued. "You have Nyx to think about!"

Upon hearing her son's name, Feyre beamed. "Yes! Oh y/n, I am so excited to have them grow up together." Her eyes softened. "It may seem hard now, but I know you'll be a great mother."

You reached for your friend and pulled her into a hug. "Thank you, Feyre. I learn from the best."

When you pulled back Feyre grasped your hands, grinning excitedly. "Now for the fun part. Let's pick a holiday destination; where are we sending you!"

Rhys walked in about an hour after you and Feyre decided to research to find Prythian's best Court for a vacation.

"How about the Day Court?" He suggested. "Helion loves you, and I'm sure both you and your daughter would enjoy the sunshine."

You looked at Feyre who was beaming.

"That sounds perfect."

That's how you ended up holding your daughter, watching as Helion - ever the show-off - had insisted you fly to the Day Court in his finest white carriage, led by the horses with manes of flame. When Rhys had heard about this plan, he just rolled his eyes, telling you that once, he had banned Helion from coming into the Night Court in that carriage, but Helion's loophole was to take you out of the Night Court in it.

"Go easy on the flying, okay? You have a post-partum mother and a baby on board," you said to Helion, only half-joking.

Helion raised one dark eyebrow at you in reply. "Of course. I promise you a mellow ride." He smiled and turned his attention back to his horses. A quick tug on the reigns from Helion, and the three of you were gone.

@ladyescapism 💗💗

edit: I ONLY JUST REALISED I DONT USE READ MORE OMLLLL

edit 2: WEDDING VOWELS LMFAO

#broken bonds #azriel angst #azriel fluff #azriel shadowsinger #azriel x y/n #azriel x reader #azriel fic #azriel x you

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walker-extended-universe · 4 months

Text

4x07 Review

The writer's threw us a bone and gave us a somewhat lighter episode this week, probably to make up for the angst coming at us in "Witt's End". That's not to say "Hold Me Now" is without its share of strife- the Walker family continues to deliver on the dramatics (and I wouldn't have them any other way).

Today, I'm going to shake things up a bit and focus more on specific characters rather than specific plots. That's just the way it's lining up in my head with how condensed the plotlines were this episode.

Let's start off with the shortest character line this episode: Abby and Bonham's Great Retirement Debate.

This one starts with Bonham complimenting Liam's PT. During this conversation, Bonham finds out that Ben and Abby are officially going into business together with their wedding planning at the ranch, something that catches Bonham by surprise. Abby can do as she pleases, but this is his ranch too and, as her husband, he should know more about what she's up to.

Later, after his and Stella's quick self defense lesson, he confronts Abby on her making that choice without him. After all, this is not his idea of what their retirement looks like. Abby rebuffs him and makes an odd comment about supporting her son's dreams and they get into a staring contest, leaving Stella in a very awkward situation.

I'm not gonna lie, this is one of my least favorite stories they've given us this season. I understand they need to give these characters something to do but this whole thing feels trite compared to what's going on in the rest of the show and it doesn't seem to fit their relationship much, especially with all the development they had. At least the other characters are having interesting reactions to it.

Moving on, let's look at what Stella was up to this episode.

We see that Stella finally recieved footage of the break-in at her dorm but there's not much to go on and campus police don't seem interested in doing anything (related too hard to that one). She's also getting more desperate texts from Witt about the necklace. When August once again points out that they should probably loop Cordell in, she again rejects it. At this point, they're in too deep and telling him would only land them in more trouble.

August makes another good point in telling her they need to play a little offense. Until they get the necklace, she's in danger. If she won't get protection from their dad, she needs to learn how to take better care of herself. This prompts her to go back home. While she was looking for Cordell, she finds Bonham and he's more than happy to give her some self-defense lessons. Let's hope that's enough.

Next, let's talk August.

This one starts off in the morning, with Cordell and August talking in the kitchen. August offers to do a make-up family dinner when Geri gets back from her trip and Cordell accepts, acknowledging that he may have been wrong about why he and Stella went AWOL. However, August is still stuck with a 5pm curfew.

This is also the day of his bootcamp graduation, which is the entire crew finishing an obstacle course. Everyone who finishes the course in under 8 minutes will be a step ahead at the military training. Durin ghte early practice run we see August is at the head of the pack and one student is struggling more than the others. Trey reminds them that it's never too late to help otu a struggling trooper as they all need to be able to rely on each other before they break to run it again.

We pick up here when it's time for the actual run. August runs the course very well, so well that he's on track to break a record. But, just as he's about to finish, we see him look behind to see the student who was struggling from earlier. After a moment of hesitation, he runs back to give the student advice and encourage him through the rest of the course. Both of them still finish on time and Trey looks on with pride.

Side note: Trey has officially made it up to August for lying to him about still being a guidance counselor way back at the end of season 2.

While everyone is celebrating, we see a brief flash of disappointment on August's face when he processes that Cordell wasn't there to witness it. He puts a smile back on when Trey comes over to congratulate him and ask if he's ready for bootcamp. For the first time, we see August hesitate a bit about his military career as he says he's not sure and that he has a lot of options. Whether this indecision is related to Cordell's absence is unclear but it's nice to see him considering other options for his life.

Up next (for better or for worse) is Cassie and her work/life dilemna.

We start with Cassie arriving at work- and Luna arriving right behind her. We also get her calling him by his first name, David. As they head to the conference room to get back to the case, we get a conversation about their potential relationship- or rather why Cassie doesn't really want to explore one publicly. Not only is she up for lieutenant, but after everything with Kevin she doesn't want to rush into another workplace relationship. Luna respects that but we still get some playful banter.

Side note: I'm glad to hear there are candidates from outside the office; I feel like that makes this all more suspenseful than if it was just Trey and Cassie.

Cordell immediately gets them all focused on the job, starting with running down the suspect lists to make sure they have up-to-date information. While this doesn't seem to lead them much of anywhere at first, Cordell points them at a potential lead which- unfortunately- doesn't lead much of anywhere. Cassie and Luna are both disappointed, but understanding. It wasn't that likely that a grainy security camera that caught a partial on a guy's face would grant them a concrete lead right away. However, they both notice that Cordell is taking this whole case very hard and won't listen to anyone who tells him to take it easy.

This only adds to how overwhelmed Cassie feels by the case. The Jackal is not going to be an easy killer to catch and now she's seen it wreack havoc on both rangers and civilians. She asks Luna for advice on how he keeps it all from getting to him and he has an idea: karaoke.

While Cassie is apprehensive of this idea at first, she's more than happy to try it out. And we the audience are treated to both of them singing in between them getting closer to each other. While it does seem like their relationship is moving a bit fast, I can't blame Cassie one bit for wanting to jump on that.

Side note: I refuse to believe anyone would cheat on Luna.

The next day, Cassie and Luna are more than willing to leave the office after James dismisses them from a good day's work. However, Cordell's reluctance to move on gives them pause. They listen to Cordell's questionable theory on the zookeeper and, when Cassie realizes he's not going going to let it go, she offers to go with him and Luna is right behind her.

The zoo search is short but intense and, surprisingly, they do find something. Whether this is related to the Jackal or not is still up in the air but it's enough to call in the cavalry and check it out. While this is all going on, James takes the time to let Cassie know he approves of her and Luna, even though it's none of his business. This gives Cassie the confidence she needs to hold Luna's hand at the crime scene, which is a very sweet moment.

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for: Let's talk about Cordell.

As we all predicted would happen the moment he picked up that notebook, Cordell is completely throwing himself into this case. It's clear he's taking his responsibility as leader seriously in James' stead and he's not going to let his old partner down again. He's not going to stop until this lunatic is off the streets, regardless of the consequences.

At least, that's the intensity he gives off at work while he struggles to make connections between their potential leads and what little they know about the Jackal. I noticed he relied heavily on James' personal notes during this episode, which I think speaks a lot to the trust between them. Even though Cordell knew this case made James a bit crazy, he's still trusting his old partner's judgement here.

While he's leading the game at work, he's letting things slide at home, missing out on family dinner in favor of eating cereal and reading James' notebook again. When Abby tries to confront him on this, he assures her that everything is fine. He just has work to do. She accepts that answer, but I doubt that will last very long.

After the disenheartening failure of their first lead, Cordell seems more determined than ever to find some kind of connection between the Jackal and their suspect list, diving down to a former zookeeper that doesn't really have any of the hallmarks they're looking for. He's so determined to find that connection that he's willing to risk missing August's bootcamp graduation to check out the old zoo, which just happens to be near the Jackal's first kill. Despite the stretch of the lead and the fact that this could wait a day, he insists on going right away and lets Cassie and Luna tag along.

Side note: I have to wonder if he really thought he could search a whole zoo and make it back in time for August.

As they search the zoo, Cordell finds footprints in the mud and soon finds a strange figure to hunt down. He gets close, but doesn't get their man, getting a concussion and a good look at his shoes instead. While it's more than they had before, he's not satisfied. He wants to catch the Jackal above all else, even at risk to his own life.

Later, he comes home with his work duffle to find Liam sitting at his dining table. And he's got a lot to say, starting with berating Cordell for missing August's event. This leads into him pointing out how he's been ignoring Stella's needs after the break in. He then goes as far as to compare this current case to the Rodeo Kings mission- Cordell leaving his kids behind for work and leaving Liam to pick up the pieces.

Cordell brushes him off, insisting that he- and his kids- are fine and Liam can back very far off. Liam leaves the house in a huff, leaving Cordell to go back to his Jackal Investigation Porch, where he drops the duffle bag. He puts on gloves and we see that the bag is full of evidence, including some rope. We then get a very odd sequence where Cordell wraps the wrist around his own wrist and gets flashes of images of similar rope going over a victim's wrists. Which leaves us with the very big question of: What the fuck?

And that wraps up this week's episode. As usual, I'm left with far more questions than answers. Why does this retirement plot with Abby and Bonham need to be dragged out so long? Why did they tease us with Liam being an addict and just drop it? Will August ever convince Stella to own up to everything? Why is Luna so perfect and does that mean he's the Jackal?

Hopefully we'll start getting more answers next week. See y'all then!

#walker #walker spoilers #walker review #s04e07 #hold me now

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argentrenard · 5 months

Note

cash - for the single-word fic prompt!

It shouldn't have had to come to this point. He shouldn't be in this position.

Argent Renard was Bertrand Blandevornne this evening (of the Burgandy Blandevornnes) and he was losing every high-stakes Triple Triad game he had played. Bertrand was a noble persona he had created, a man who owned a moderate fortune, wore hand-me-down everything from an ancient house that had lost its prestige over the years, and lived in a dilapidated mansion in Ishgard. A recently created false identity, he had not used him yet in any high-profile cons, thus he was in the early stages of building the alias' history. Eventually, once he reached Bertrand's peak reputation, he most likely would pursue a large score and then be forced to burn the boarish bastard and retire his reputation up on the shelf where all his created characters went. For now Bertrand needed to appear as a somewhat bumbling noble with more money than sense.

The difficult part he had to deal with now was tonight showcased him as a bit more bumbling than intended, and he was further coming across as having a lot less sense than the norm. He'd brought a sizeable sum to the tables at the Saucer tonight, at least 4 million gil, his winnings from a recent lucrative operation. Yet, he had only about 200,000 left. His reserves should never have gotten this low, he should have stepped away as soon as he'd lost half, but he had been feeling particularly reckless this evening. It was one of those sunsets that had spurred him to risk it all. He was sure (positive, in his gut) that something special was going to happen tonight.

So he'd kept going. He'd lost, then lost again. He nursed the remains of his now watered-down whiskey, adjusting the red ascot at his neck, and looked at his cards. Sitting in his stolen and shabby Ishgardian tailored coat and vest, at least he also looked the part of a noble who had fallen on hard times. It was just a shame that the hard times were actually accurate and not at all a scam. If word spread he had been spotted losing vast quantities of money at the Saucer, that could help him appear as bait to someone he might want to entice, but actually losing all his gil wasn't usually part of the plan.

So he mused, chewed his lip, and thought about the others at the table while he waited for the hand to play out. He'd lost what, ten times now or so? The dealer was certainly flirting with him, but she wasn't giving him any advantage. The Ul'duh merchant on his left and the Limsa captain on his right all had won at least a few rounds. They kept giving him sidelong glances of pitty. That was good for 'Bertrand's' image, but it still rankled a little bit.

He must have really pissed off the Weaver this time. He grunted. At least he was used to pissing off Gods and Goddesses.

The captain, a Roegadyn woman, leaned towards him from his right, "No shame comes from heading back home when the seas look rough, friend. Your hull has taken… quite a beating!" She guffawed and gave him a glance that suggested even though she thought he was cute, he had no chance with her.

'Bertrand' laughed, a little sheepishly, as if embarrassed. Argent did not have to strain his acting skills to accomplish this, what with how his luck had actually suffered thus far.

Two hundred thousand left. It would make sense for Bertrand to step away from the table, maybe go find a date to go home with. He'd hoped to pick up the dealer, but while she was nothing but smiles and twinkling eyes for him, she gave that look to all three of her patrons this evening. He had a feeling she was as skilled as he in flattering those she talked to.

The merchant, a Lalafell gentleman with a meticulously maintained goatee, offered some advice without even looking up from his own cards, "Were I you, I would lick my wounds so I could come back for more another time. The house has practically swindled you, my friend," and he too chuckled, placing the back of his hand over his mouth as if this made laughter at Argent's expense more polite.

Why did everyone call you a 'friend' when they sought to insult you?

The noble he was tonight, however, just grinned with them, as if completely unaware he was being mocked and assumed he was in on the joke.

"Well, perhaps… perhaps you're both right but… well it's just gil, to me. I have more than I know what to do with, as my family always said!" He laughed loudly with them, an obnoxious and somewhat buffoonish laugh. Then he went on longer with the laughter, eventually making them uncomfortable so they both quieted and returned to their cards.

"Are you going to stay with me then, and keep me company a little longer, Ser Blandevornne?" the young hyur behind the counter asked him, almost batting her eyelashes.

Argent pursed his lips, and then pushed his chips across the counter. All of them. He made it look like she had won him over with her charm. In reality, he was positive this hand would be the turnaround win he needed. He still had that feeling. A tingling that something magical was about to happen. He'd be going home with a huge win, he could just feel it.

"All in!? My my, Ser, aren't you bold and brave," she sweetly said. It was all he could do not to roll his eyes. Instead, he hung his head as if he was blushing.

The cards flipped. Argent stared. It looked like this might be it. First, the merchant lost and clucked his tongue. He'd only bet a small amount this round. Then the captain lost, and she plopped her drink down with a curse. Her wager had been a bit more sizeable this time around.

Then the the final round hit and Argent was practically on the edge of his seat as…

The card flipped over and his fortune was told.

Silence met the table for the span of a few clinks in his glass as the last of the ice settled into the dregs of whiskey.

After a beat, Argent muttered, "I'll… cash out now."

The dealer, chipper no matter the circumstance, brightly said, "Very well, Ser Blandevornne! Here you go, your cash out!"

She slid one chip across the table to him. He looked at it, then looked back to her.

"Keep it," he sighed, and tossed the last chip back to her, along with a wink. He then swept up his glass (which was now mostly whiskey-flavored melted ice), and walked away from the game table.

It wasn't a good night for him, but then again, it wasn't a bad night either. He had experienced much worse, and this evening had only left him broke with no one on his arm. He glanced about at all the patrons, from those clanking around in full armor to those wearing the tiniest of bikinis, and everything in between. Perhaps he could salvage some of the night, at least.

It was only cash, after all, and he should have known it would end up this way. The House wins. The House always wins.

#argent renard #silver fox #ffxiv rp #ffxiv #ffxiv roleplay #writing prompt #ffxiv writing #short story #prompts #Thank you so much for the prompt!

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definitelynotafurinasimp · 2 years

Text

Ganyu sending an anonymous ask about romace to her crush's radio channel

characters: Ganyu x gn!reader

AU: Radio Host AU

warnings: none

a/n: This is one part of a request from @bluesandpiper and a bit longer than usual, since I really found myself enjoying writing this. Title do be kinda stinky, but I literally cannot think of anything else.

Anyway, hope you enjoy!

Ganyu

If there was one thing that helped Ganyu through her days of work more than anything, it was listening to the radio while writing her paperwork. It drowned out the silence perfectly while not being anywhere near as distracting as letting the TV play and hearing the same Host speak and joke around made her feel like she got to know them as if they were her roommate, something made even more likely considering they were.

The truth was that there was a much simpler reason why Ganyu enjoyed listening to the same channel each time: you. While it took the secretary quite a while to get comfortable with the thought that she *might* have fallen for her roommate, she would have to perform some great mental gymnastics to continue lying to herself about it. And while trying to keep composure around you could be difficult at times, listening to your voice gave her both the feeling of not being too far away from you while also sparing her of any potential embarrassment.

All of which was to say that Ganyu wasn’t exactly the best at expressing her feelings to you. It wasn’t like she didn’t try or want to, but most of the time her efforts were drastically platonized, as anxiety always found a way to make her chicken out. Or so it was, until Ganyu found just the opportunity to at least get it off her chest.

Your channel always let people send in anonymous mail asking for advice, and while it wasn’t used that frequently, the secretary managed to scrape together just enough resolve to send one in, asking for a piece of advice. Something quickly turning out to be for absolutely nothing, as Ganyu couldn’t bring herself to tune in to the channel afterwards.

As the door to your apartment creaked open that evening, Ganyu found herself immediately looking at you, watching you slide out of your shoes and jacket before making your way over to her, a slight skip in your step accompanied with a bright smile.

“Guess what?”, you began, leaving Ganyu no time to respond before continuing, “someone sent in an anonymous message asking for advice today! But you probably already know that, of course”, by the time you finished, you had already struck a proud pose, obviously happy that the thing you fought for this much was used once again.

“That’s great to hear. Sadly I didn’t find the time to listen in today”, she tried her best to sound as happy to you as possible without giving away her little secret, only to panic somewhat when she saw you smirking at her.

“That’s a shame, but I guess there’s nothing you could do, since work probably demanded most of your attention”, you responded in a compassionate tone, all the while the same smirk still found itself on your face, “say, would you mind if I took a look at your papers? I’m just kind of interested in seeing what kind of work you’re doing this time, it’s also completely fine for you to say ‘no’ of course, no pressure”, you added after looking over at the pile of paperwork, a curious look settling in on your face.

It took Ganyu a few seconds to make a decision, fearing that you were planning something, only to eventually acquiesce, not finding any real reason to say no.

“Would you mind if I were to ramble about work for a bit?”, she quickly gave you a nod, still too anxious to even open her mouth. “The letter I got today was cute, someone was asking me for ways to confess to their roommate who they have a crush on, my heart almost melted when I first looked at it, I’m sure you would feel the same way about it”, you told her, almost absent minded as you read through the boring paperwork, luckily not noticing the blush that had started to form on Ganyu’s cheeks, or at least willfully ignoring it.

“And what advice did you end up giving them?” she asked, nearly instantaneously feeling the urge to facepalm for showing her curiosity without even attempting to mask it.

“Great question, something you would have found out if you listened to the channel today”, you gave her a smirk, only for it to quickly shift into a genuine smile as you opened your mouth once again, “I’m feeling nice today, so I’ll tell you, but first it’s your turn: what would you recommend?”

While Ganyu had managed to magically keep at least some of her composure until now, it all came tumbling down as her face turned as red as a tomato, her fingers suddenly starting to fidget with one another as she carefully thought of an answer, feeling like responding the wrong thing would cause the end of the world.

“I- Maybe… they should just confe- I… don’t know”, Ganyu averted her eyes as she admitted defeat, only to look up once she heard an approving sound from you.

“Mhm, you’re absolutely right. Speaking of confessing:”, you quickly changed tone as you forced eye contact with her, “I love you Ganyu.”

For a few moments Ganyu was convinced that she started hearing things or had fallen asleep while finishing her paperwork, only to throw that thought away once she saw you stare at her with an expectant look.

“That way you who sent in the letter… right?”, you asked, even though your voice made it clear that you already knew the answer.

“H-How did you know?”, she managed to string together enough words to respond only for you to once again flash her a smile.

“Ganyu. We live together, I know your handwriting about as well the back of my hand, considering how many papers full of it are in this apartment”, you stated, trying your best to hold back a chuckle.

“Was that why you wanted to take a look at my paperwork?”, she asked, things finally starting to add up in her head, only for you to let out a short giggle.

“No, I knew it was yours the moment I opened it, it took me a lot to not scream out of excitement”, you half joked before continuing, “I really was just curious, that’s all.”

What followed was a period of silence as Ganyu tried to process everything. A smile sneaking its way onto her face without her even noticing, only for you to drag her back into the real world as you cleared your throat.

“I still need an answer, little miss Ganyu.”

#ganyu x y/n #ganyu x you #ganyu x reader #ganyu

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juminies · 1 year

Text

before I met you,

jumin finds that writing vows is somewhat more complicated than anticipated

jumin x reader, 1038 words, fluff

♡

He draws a single line through a sentence he’s written (rewritten) 10 times already. Huffs as he puts his pen down. He had been so confident about this a few hours ago!

Elizabeth 3rd jumps up onto his desk upon hearing his displeasure; knocks the pen to the floor as she does with a disconcerting clatter that makes Jumin wince slightly. She nudges her head against his arm. He retracts it and runs his hand through his hair, pushing stray strands out of his face, then returns it to to scratch under her chin. He rests against his other hand, squishing his face into a slight pout.

“Am I overthinking it?” he asks her. She leans into his pets, purring as he continues, “I feel this would be much easier if I had someone to run it by. V would be the obvious suggestion, but he’s almost impossible to get a hold of these days. I could request Assistant Kang’s advice, but I highly doubt she’d like to be involved with my personal business”—a pause—“and I forgot I gave her a vacation. Tsk.”

The feline leisurely stretches herself out over his notes in response.

His tone becomes more of an indirect musing as he adds, “Luciel already shared that link to the strange wedding forum which turned out to be relatively useless, and I can’t see Yoosung nor my father being particularly helpful in this area for vastly different reasons. Zen could have an idea because of acting… but no. I would rather not bicker over my wedding vows.” He bends down to pick up his pen from the floor. “Maybe I’ll keep him in mind as a last resort.”

Jumin knows how he feels about you. He feels it so, so deeply that there’s absolutely no mistaking it — love resonates from his very being when he’s so much as in your presence. What you’ve done for him, what you continue to do for him, there’s no doubt that you’ve changed him for the better. He only hopes he can continue to be the same for you. But how to express it in words barely comes naturally to him after so long keeping all emotion bottled away. It still feels a bit awkward, sometimes, even confessing his love to you aloud.

“You’re good with words,” you’d told him once. “Do you know that?” He does know, he told you. Being good with words had always been one of his strongest capabilities. It’s something he’s proud of. He’s succinct, confident, persuasive. Usually. For some reason when it comes to you he often finds himself practically tongue-tied. Not to mention he’s never been put in a position that makes him feel so vulnerable.

He looks back to Elizabeth 3rd. “I can acknowledge that you won’t be at all insightful either way, but I could at least use a practice audience.”

He gently shifts her off of the paper he’d been writing on and picks up the most recent draft, clearing his throat as his eyes scan over the first couple of lines.

“Before I met you, I—”

Then he’s interrupted by a soft piano melody drifting from his phone.

“Jumin,” you chime when he picks up. Hearing you call his name immediately washes away the discontentment he’d been feeling just moments prior. “I texted you a little while ago but you didn’t respond, so I thought I'd call in case you didn't see. I just wanted to let you know I’ll be there soon. I know you don’t like sudden interruptions much.”

“Considerate as always. Thank you.”

“You better not have been working on your day off.”

He smiles. “Not a morsel of C&R related activity is going on here, don’t worry.”

“Good. I’ll see you in thirty minutes, okay?”

“Thirty?” he asks.

There’s a long pause before you admit, “...An hour.”

“Alright.” A warm chuckle. “I’ll see you then.”

“I love you!”

“I love you too.”

—

“Forty-seven minutes,” Jumin confirms as you let yourself into the penthouse. “I’ll try to be more precise next time,” you tease as you walk into the kitchen and begin to carefully unpack two slices of cheesecake from the bag you’d been carrying them in. You click your tongue upon noticing one of them is slightly messed up from the journey over.

“How was your morning?” Jumin asks. He leans to rest on the kitchen island beside you.

“I met a nice older woman while I was browsing in the bakery nearby. She stopped me to tell me I look like C&R Jumin Han’s wife.”

“Wife?” he echoes. He likes the way the word feels, he’s come to find. “What did you tell her?”

“Well I was a bit surprised. Nobody has ever told me I look like your partner rather than just asking if I am. Typically I try to avoid answering, because I don’t know who’s asking. Of course I’m proud beyond belief to be marrying you”—you bite back a smile as his face lights up—“but you know how I am with not wanting to draw too much attention to myself. I just wanted my cheesecake.”

“Beyond belief?” Jumin asks.

“Of course,” you reiterate, leaning in quickly to press a kiss to his lips before turning around to grab dessert plates from a cupboard. “But that’s besides the point! I wasn’t in a hurry, and she seemed sweet, so I laughed and told her I actually am his fiancée.”

“What did she say?”

“She didn’t believe me!”

“Oh? How dare she accuse my dearest wife-to-be of being a liar.” There’s a grin on his face when you turn back to him that couldn’t possibly disguise the fact that he finds it just the slightest bit amusing. “We ought to track her down and tell her off.”

“We could invite her to the wedding to prove a point,” you suggest as you move the cake to the plates and slide Jumin the less beat-up piece. Something about the gesture makes the idea of finishing his vows seem a lot less intimidating all of a sudden.

He switches his plate with yours before speaking again. “The more people who get to see you make me your husband the better.”

#mystic messenger #jumin han #jumin x mc #jumin x reader #annfic

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tinyywriterr · 7 months

Text

WHO WILL IT BE?

*+:｡.｡.·:*¨༺༻¨*:·.｡.｡:+**+:｡.｡.·:*¨༺༻¨*:·.｡.｡:+*

{NANAMI + TOJI + POC READER}

∘°∘♡∘°∘𝓒𝓗𝓐𝓟𝓣𝓔𝓡 𝓢𝓘𝓧 ~ 𝓣𝓞𝓧𝓘𝓒 𝓘𝓝𝓒𝓞𝓝𝓥𝓔𝓝𝓘𝓔𝓝𝓒𝓔 𝓣𝓞 𝓑𝓘𝓖 𝓒𝓗𝓐𝓝𝓖𝓔𝓢 ∘°∘♡∘°∘

⟿ Song to Go with the Chapter: Francis Forever by Mitski [Your theme song this chapter]

⟿ Word Count: around 7,400 +

⟿ introducing Toji | Nanami fluff w/ reader | st*kler Geto & Gojo

⟿ Summary: You’ve been working at the club earning a good amount of money for being a baby stripper. But, on one night you run into some people you really didn’t want to. Afterwards you are pretty shaken up and Nanami makes a proposal to you that you end up taking. Who shows up at your place of work? And what does Nanami offer you?

*+:｡.｡.·:*¨༺༻¨*:·.｡.｡:+**+:｡.｡.·:*¨༺༻¨*:·.｡.｡:+*

𝓒𝓸𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓷𝓽 𝓦𝓪𝓻𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰: contains dr*g use, inferred st*lking, pet names, fem reader, black fem reader/you, alcohol use, and etc. [please don’t read if easily trigger]

◈━◈━◈━◈━◈

𝓐𝓾𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓻𝓼 𝓝𝓸𝓽𝓮: 18+ please & please don’t copy and paste my story anywhere else. I finally uploaded this chapter and once again there’s more build up along with a new character being introduced. IT ONLY GETS SPICY FROM HERE! Next chapter will contain Nanami smut so can’t wait to post that. ANYWAYS, this is my first tumblr fic so if you leave a heart, reblog, or comment it’s greatly appreciated! If there are errors I am open to anyone correcting me in the comments or leaving feedback. I hope you will enjoy this as much as I did when I wrote it!

'*•.¸♡ ♡¸.•*'꘎♡━━━━━♡꘎'*•.¸♡ ♡¸.•*'

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*𝑀𝐼𝒳 𝒪𝐹 𝒴𝒪𝒰 & 𝒩𝒜𝒩𝒜𝑀𝐼’𝒮 𝒫𝒪𝒱✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

You’ve been juggling a lot recently from meeting up with Nanami, keeping your little secret of where you work, and along with working nonstop. You work almost every night only giving yourself Monday and Tuesday of every week to relax. You mostly slept on Monday’s to rest so every Tuesday and any other day you could you hung out with Nanami to make up for being busy. He’s been taking you all around Tokyo to vintage antique stores, book shops, and clothing stores buying you whatever you point at or showed interest in. Nanami was spoiling you not like you could complain and you undeniably enjoy it. Working at the club made you somewhat of a grumpy person being you had to stay up most nights. But, Angel made working there doable and always cheered you on making you feel better. You and Angel were fast-growing friends from stripping together, walking each other home after work, and chilling at who’s ever house you decided to that night. Angel was a tall Japanese woman with long black hair with cute blunt-cut bangs covering her eyebrows. She had a slender build that complimented your curvy build when you’d both strip together. The men loved you two together requesting private dances from the both of you. Being under Angel's wing was helping you out financially a lot as well. She always gave you advice, tips, and when you’d work together the money was amazing. You’ve made at least ¥50,000 yen within your first week which only grew as time moved on. Today you counted your money before coming in and it totaled ¥350,000 yen which was about $2,400. Your rent was due this coming Friday so you wanted to get as much money as you could until then. Thankfully, it was Wednesday night and your rent was only ¥90,000 yen which was $600 but still, you wanted to be ahead of the game rather than behind. You sit at your vanity after a couple of stages and count how much you’ve made alone tonight sadly Angel got sick and had called out for the next couple of days. ¥40,000 yen, which is not bad for 3 stages and 2 private dances along with it only being 2 hours into your shift the clock read 11 pm. You sigh softly stuffing the money back into your money bag and fixing your makeup before you hear your name being called to the stage again.

“Star, you’re up next on stage. After this stage 2 men want you for a private dance. It’ll be in private room #1 also they paid for it already,” the house mother said hovering over you and passing you another ¥40,000 yen. You count out ¥10,000 yen giving it to the house mother.

“Thank you, have this for taking such good care of me.” You say sincerely as you place the money in her hand making her smile down at you and patting your head.

“You’re the nicest one here besides Angel,” she teases walking back to her counter. You take one last look at yourself; you wore a bright pink lingerie set tonight and had your hair up in two pigtails as the men loved it for some reason. You smile to yourself before walking out to the main stage. You stroll up seductively before twirling around the pole. You do some aerial tricks clicking your heels together to get the audience's attention. A lot of heads turn or get up completely to get a front-row seat for the show. Once satisfied it’s enough people you begin your performance as a new song begins. You’ve improved from when you first started grinding and twirling around the pole as you continued to swing yourself around it. You swiftly get off the pole then bend over with your ass facing the audience and elbows keeping you steady on the stage. You start shaking your ass earning some yells of excitement and cheers of satisfaction. Money starts to be thrown at you making you more confident and it was slightly exhilarating. You smile as you look back at it noticing some prying eyes and others clapping ready for more. After 3 songs you get off stage grab your money off the floor and head towards the back to the private rooms. As you walked to the back random men smack your ass and tuck more money into your thong strap which was normal for you at this point. Once inside you notice the two men sitting down on one of the couches chatting with each other stopping as you come closer to them. It’s so dark you can’t really recognize their faces but their voices sound familiar. You stuff your money into your money bag putting it around your left wrist.

“You liked the show?” You ask sweetly as you begin to walk towards them seductively.

“Oooh, darling we’ve seen much more of you than any of those pigs will ever see.” One teased grabbing your right wrist tightly but thankful those bruises Geto gave you have healed by now.

“We just wanted to see how you were doing but I think we got our answer doll.” The other voice teases as well smacking your ass hard making the sound bounce around the little private room. It took you a second but the use of ‘darling and doll’ cemented for you who it was.

“What are you two doing here?” You question trying to turn away with your back to them and pull away from Geto’s strong grip. Doing so only makes it worse as he grips you even harder making you grimace.

“We were just going out and decided to come here but we noticed you and wanted to talk. You left us without saying anything darling..” Geto hisses in between his teeth yanking you towards him. “Dance bitch we paid for you didn’t we?” He asks devilishly digging his nails into your wrist. You nod your head ‘yes’ and turn back towards them now. Geto lets you go so you can dance freely smirking at how weak you were in this moment. You lift your hands above your head swaying your hips from side to side before rolling them. Gojo grins which you roll your eyes to and continue dancing trying not to touch either of them really. All you can think about is how it was so easy for them to find you. It made sense mainly because everything was kinda of close together the office, your house, and the club. But still, maybe it was just a coincidence an awful one at that. Why were they surprised you left? They both were so cold to you; was that supposed to make you come back the next day?

‘Our personal office slut. Do you think whores get breaks?’ Those phases cloud your mind making you close your eyes hoping you could just forget they’re here. But you feel them staring at you and then a loud smack on your ass draws you out of your thoughts.

“So disappointing, you’re just a low-level whore showing your body to these pigs for money.” Gojo says coldly sounding truly disgusted he suddenly stands up and wraps his hand around your throat. “You thought you could get away without being punished? Remember you. are. nothing.” Gojo hisses in your ear pausing to add emphasis and hurt with his last few words. You tense up under his grip making him grin and he starts to squeeze harder around your throat trying to make you light headed. You hated that grin so much now soon enough tears begin to pool in your eyes but only one falls down your cheek. Geto stands up seeing this and licking up the tear before smacking you on the cheek making you gasp in pain.

“YOUR HOUR IS UP BOYS!” Mr. Yoshida yells through the door before moving on to the next door not knowing he secretly saved you. Gojo lets you go watching you crumble to the floor holding your throat and lets out an evil chuckle.

“Tsk such a waste come on Gojo..” Geto commands as he walks out of the room and soon Gojo follows slamming the door behind him and making you jump. You stand up slowly as you try to regain your breath coughing a little.

“FUCK!” You croak out loudly balling both of your hands up into tight fists. ‘How could this happen? Why did this happen? Where they watching my every move?’ You think to yourself as you walk out of the private room; you hadn’t been called on stage but there were some empty ones. You regain control of your emotions compartmentalizing them and pushing them deep down. You still wanted and needed to work so you look at the clock and it reads 1 am. You could do this with just 2 more hours to go and thankfully it goes by fast. At the end of the night you collect all your money, tip out, and you make your way to the changing room. All the girls that worked tonight began to change into more casual or lounge clothes for their travel home. You decide to wear a gray sweatsuit set with another bigger black jacket on top. It’s gotten colder which made the walk home a little more dreadful. You look at your wrist and neck as a slight bruise starts to form which you scowl at. ‘How will I explain this to Nanami? Maybe I should just tell him..’ you think to yourself before heaving a painful sigh. You stand up and make a choice you never thought you would or have made in a while. You walk towards the girl who’s always known to have some pills to sell on her. You walk up shyly waving at her before you open your mouth to ask she rattles off all the things she has.

“I got coke, xanax, ecstasy, and percs. So, what would you like my inventory is low so buy it while it’s still here.” She says in a quiet voice not wanting to catch the house mother's attention.

“Umm xanax, 2 of them,” you ask starting to pull money out of your money bag.

“I’ll give you a first time customer and stripper discount it'll be ¥5,000 yen please,” she explains holding the pills in her hand discreetly. You hand her the money in a subtle handshake as the exchange is quick. You walk away with the pills in your hand and thank her as you walk out waving goodbye to the house mom. You stuff the pills into your jacket pockets taking your time walking home tonight processing everything that happened within this short period of time.

‘Why did I get myself into this mess? Why are they so weird now? Along with being persistent in a creepy way,’ you think to yourself before you know it you're in front of your apartment door. As you unlock the door you kick your shoes off before plopping onto the couch. You pull out your money bag beginning to count everything soon your money is laid across the coffee table. You just stare at it for a minute a total of ¥70,000 yen staring back at you. You grab the shoebox with the rest of your earnings and just swipe your arm across the table pushing all of the money into the box. After hiding the box again in your closet you walk into your kitchen grabbing a bottle of some random juice that’s been sitting in the fridge. You pull the pills out of your jacket pocket and drop them into your mouth before taking a long swig of the juice. Swallowing you walk to your record player playing the ‘Deftones‘ AGAIN and sprawl out onto the couch. You stare up at your ceiling for a while before getting the urge to smoke. Thankfully, you were able to score some weed and bought yourself a pack of smokes as well. Being at the strip club made you pick up some habits you never thought you would. Pulling out one of both a cigarette and a joint you lay back on your couch sparkling the joint first. Your mind was still racing even though the pills started to take effect making your movements slightly delayed. Taking a couple of puffs you exhale slowly happy to be able to relax finally. Today was a lot and you didn’t know how to cope with what happened; within 15 minutes the joint was out and you put it out on the coffee table too lazy to get up to grab the ashtray. You lay there soaking in every emotion you felt and begin getting lost in thought about your family, your brothers, and how they were doing. Suddenly the phone rings and you barely pick it up in time to answer.

“H-helloo..” you say slowly as the pills have a hold of you making you sleepy which the weed didn’t help with.

“Y/n are you okay you sound super drunk?” Nanami asks from the other end of the phone making you giggle softly then drop your phone as your limbs have become weak.

“I-I am fine don’t w-worry about me..” you say softly trailing off at the end as your eyes closed for real this time. You hear the phone hang up you knew saying that would not make him any less worried about you. ‘Ughhh why did he have to call me right now????’ You question to yourself chuckling again as you found everything funny in this state. What felt like seconds had passed by Nanami was already knocking at your door; it had really been 20 minutes. You stumbled across your house knocking some things over and open the door. You lean against it as you look up at Kento. His hair is not neatly done rather covering his face this time, he’s wearing what looks like his loungewear consisting of grey sweatpants, and a black long-sleeve shirt. He looks down at you worry spread across his whole face. All you can do is laugh manically grabbing his hand and dragging him in with the little strength you had. Nanami stumbles in noticing how messy your house has become from the last time he’s come in along with the smell of smoke. He’s been picking you up lately outside in your complex parking lot so he hasn’t been able to see any of this. You’ve acquired takeout bags that are scattered everywhere, dirty clothes trailing from the door to your room, and your bags everywhere. Nanami notices your stripper bag which was a big sparkly duffle bag. It wasn't fully closed so he was able to see your extra lingerie sets and your heels peaking out. Nanami kept a note of that to ask you later first he wanted to figure out what was wrong. He sighs softly before noticing you sparked a cigarette once again sprawled across the couch. The music is loud so loud it kinda hurts his ears so he walks to your record player turning it down a lot.

“Kennnn! How are you-u?” You inquire sitting up slowly and leaning into the couch trying not to slouch. “I’ve been so busy-y I’m sorry-y,” you explain whining a little before taking another drag from your cigarette and exhaling just as slowly. All Nanami can do is look at you somewhat in shock at the state you’re in. He sits down next to you grabbing your hand. You pull it away as you honestly don’t feel like being touched right now. “I’m sorry-y no-no touching tonight. I’m tired of touching-g..” you slur over your words taking another drag and exhaling towards the ceiling not wanting to get it in his face.

“That’s okay princess. Will you tell me what’s wrong?” Nanami asks crossing his arms and leaning back into the couch as well. He looks at you as your facial expression changes from relaxed to tense.

“I-I've umm been wanting-g to tell you something...” you pause before looking straight into his beautiful brown eyes. “I-I am a stripper now..that’s why I’ve been so busy-y and-and not being able to hang out.” You pause again taking a drag of your cigarette as your anxiety rises. “You can hate-hate me I’d understand I just wasn’t getting hired anywhere and I needed something fast-t,” you expound lazily still stuttering as you speak soon your leg begins to bounce slowly. There was a long silence as Nanami just looked at you he couldn't care less that you have become a stripper but there was something else bothering you.

“I don’t care about you being a stripper lovely. I noticed some shoes and lingerie sets once I walked into the door. I’m sorry you felt like you had to hide it from me. I’d never judge you princess you could never disappoint me.” Nanami explains holding back from rubbing your back as you take your last couple of puffs of your cigarette before putting it out on the coffee table. He wanted you to not have to work at the strip club but he wouldn’t stop you from working there if that’s what you wanted to do. You crumble after processing what he said a few moments later. Sobbing now you lean into him as the emotions from earlier come to the forefront. He just holds you making sure you didn’t fall off the couch. He picks you up and takes you to your bed. Like clockwork standing up wobbling a bit crying still you strip off your clothes. You still had your lingerie set on from work mainly because you were rushing to get out of there. Nanami can’t help but blush looking at your body in the bright pink set you looked gorgeous in it but he starts to feel bad as you were crying. Even as you cried you looked so beautiful Nanami couldn’t help but think. You then take your lingerie off falling into your bed completely nude. He picks up your clothes putting them in a pile by your closet where a lot of your other sets are. You quickly fall asleep within minutes and before you know it it’s 11 am of the next day. No alarm this morning and no Nanami in your room or bed. You look around and see your room is clean. Your floor is clear of dirty laundry and all your late-night munchie trash is gone. Without thinking you open your closet making sure your shoe box and tin box haven’t been moved or taken from. Thankfully everything is still there you sigh in relief as your bedroom door opens.

‘Why would I even feel like he’d steal from me? He’s rich!’ You think to yourself as you shuffle putting both boxes back and closing the closet door. Nanami smiles at you walking towards you with a mug of coffee and a short stack of pancakes for you of course.

“Get back in bed you’re resting today all day unless and or until you have to go to work. You understand?” He asks making sure you understand before placing both items into your hand. You nod your head ‘yes’ hoping your bruises can’t be seen. But Nanami noticed he was gonna ask you after you’ve relaxed for a while. When he noticed last night he could barely control his anger wishing he could beat up whoever did this to you.

“Thank you Kento…I do work today actually but tomorrow; Friday I’ll be free. You can stay here today if you want to and wait for me to get off.” You offer looking at the clock you had knowing you had to be at the club by 10 pm tonight so you had time to relax. You settle back in your bed taking a sip of your coffee hum in satisfaction.

Nanami nods softly bowing his head looking at his feet now. “I was going to wait to ask you but it’s eating me alive. What happened last night how did you get those bruises and why were you so fucked up?” He asks hoping you wouldn’t get mad or uncomfortable with the question.

You sigh painfully rubbing your wrist as it had turned a little red. “Umm, remember when my wrist was hurting and bruised a while ago?” Nanami nods staring at you now with a stern look on his face. “I got it because of two men at my job Geto and Gojo. That’s truly why I quit I started there as a secretary but they wanted more. I agreed because they were attractive and I was lonely. They took me out fed me even paid me. I thought they’d treat me right but they became manipulative. They told me the day I quit I’m just their office slut so I left. I couldn’t bear it and they were hurting me. That day I deleted their number, blocked them, and didn’t show up for work after that. So, I started working at the strip club and it was going great but last night they popped up on me. I didn’t see them in the crowd the whole night but they requested me for a private dance. I-I was all alone usually my work friend Angel would be there with me but she’s been sick. Once I realized it was them I tried to leave but Geto grabbed my wrist and they both berated me as I danced for them. Before their hour was up Gojo choked me while Geto smacked me. I wanted to forget it all so I took some pills last night; that’s why I was so fucked up. Gojo told me I am nothing and I'm a low-level whore now. I felt so weak in that moment…” you explain in a shy tone before trailing off at the end. You could feel Nanami’s rage seeping through his pores.

“Geto and Gojo they were your boss?” Nanami asks as he pulls out his phone feverishly trying to unlock it.

“PLEASE! Nanami don’t do anything I can get them banned from the club they won’t be able to bother me anymore. I was even thinking about moving just to be safe. Please, please don’t do anything..for me.” You say frantically putting everything down standing up and grabbing onto him. You bury your face into his broad chest and sob quietly. Nanami's tense now but he looks down at you and can’t help but pat your head and rub your back.

“Okay, I won’t but you must call me or something if they bother you again; okay?” He commands grabbing your face with a spare hand and making you look up at him. “You are not weak and you’re not a low-level whore. You’re more than enough don’t ever let their words hurt you.” He says smiling down at you before kissing your forehead. You flinch slightly in his grip at the feeling of affection but try to relax. Nanami hated seeing you so upset and just wanted to hold you forever. This was hard for him not to act on impulse and go find those motherfuckers but he tried, for you. “Come stay with me it’s security at the lobby and I can keep an eye on you. I want you to be safe y/n..” He offers letting go of your face. “I can pay your rent here so you can keep it. Save your money so you can go see your family. I want to help you..” Nanami offers before kissing your cheek this time he hated to feel you flinch but he knew who to blame. He lets you go completely and smiles down at you again.

“Okay..I umm I can always repay you I hate to think I owe you, Ken..” you state bashfully bowing your head again.

He shakes his head ‘no’ before speaking. “Princess you don’t owe me anything as long as I get to see you smile and know you’re safe that’s enough,” Nanami reassures you.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*𝒯𝐼𝑀𝐸𝒮𝒦𝐼𝒫 𝒯𝒪 𝒯𝐻𝐸 𝐹𝒪𝐿𝐿𝒪𝒲𝐼𝒩𝒢 𝒲𝐸𝐸𝒦 | 𝒴𝒪𝒰𝑅 𝒫𝒪𝒱✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

Like always Nanami kept his promise he paid your rent, utilities, and paid movers to pack up your things. He was happy to have you closer to him now he made the spare bedroom your closet/storage space for anything that didn’t fit in his home. You were able to convince Mr. Yoshida to ban Geto and Gojo which put your mind at ease. Looking at your empty apartment you thought about what Nanami said a while ago ‘Maybe ask your siblings to come out here.' You didn’t want to assume anything but you hoped Nanami would continue to pay the rent here you’d hate to lose this apartment. Angel has returned back to work which was a relief you were starting to get bored anyway. You’d be at Nanami's house while he was at work just relaxing before he came home. You’ve made a routine actually kissing him softly when he walked through the door, letting him pick out which set you’d wear to work that night, and letting him drop you off this routine and just really wanted it to last. Life was finally on an upswing thankfully because you really needed this. Today you didn't have to work thankfully it was the first Monday of December so you had all day to yourself. Nanami had a dinner date planned for you both later today that he told you about last night. Stretching as you sit up in the bed you look over at the bedside table next to you. You see a little envelope with your name on it so you open it frantically. You pull out a handwritten letter and his debit card he left you.

The letter reads; ‘Good morning Princess, I hope you slept well last night. I left you my debit card to treat yourself today on me. In the closet, you’ll find an outfit I picked out for you for later. If you hate it use my card and get something you like. Here’s the number for the driver I’ve hired for you. He’ll be here to take you around town will you're off work or I’m gone on a business trip. Call or text him and he’ll come by to pick you up out front. I also gave you your own door code. I should be home by 5 tonight. Nanami.’

You smile gleefully folding up the letter and stuffing it into the drawer of the bedside table. You jump out of bed skipping towards the closet to see what Nanami got you. When you moved in Nanami made space for you in his deep walk in closet; his stuff on the left and yours on the right. You see hung up and steamed a beautiful blue dress. It’s short looking like it’ll stop mid thigh, strapless, and an expense silk. To go with it Nanami got matching silk colored high heels from Jimmy Choo. You check the tag on the dress and it reads; ‘Clio Peppiatt size medium ¥200,000 yen,’ your mouth drops to the floor. ‘Why did he get this for me? It’s so expensive!?’ You question yourself still in shock, you let go of the tag and walk out of the closet.

“I guess today will be maintenance day,” you chuckle to yourself looking at yourself in the mirror. You desperately need your hair, nails, and even eyelashes done which where all way past due for a redo or touch up. You throw on some clothes you had lying around and decide to call Angel to see if she was free.

The phone rings a couple of times before Angel picks up. “Heyy girly, what’s up?” She asks excitedly on the other line.

“Heyyy I was wondering if you where free? Nanami gave me his card and said I can spoil myself today. I want to get my nails and eyelashes done do you wanna come?” You offer as you pace in Nanami's living room.

“Ooooo you gotta sugar daddyyyy! Did you give up any sugar? Or is he one of those rich guys that say ‘I just wanna take care of you, baby. You don’t deserve to live like this you’re too pretty for that.’” Angel teases cackling loudly as she says it mocking Nanami’s voice at the end.

“Oh. My. God. Angelllll, ” You say between laughter not being able to help it. “If you’re wondering if we fucked; we haven’t yet. But he did buy me a sexy dress to wear tonight maybe he’s gonna ask me out,” you say cackling loudly as well. “So you coming or not I can come by to pick you up. OH MY GOD I didn’t even tell you! He got me a driver too like what the fuck?!” You practically yell through the phone.

“Are you serious?! You gotta tell me everything about this Nanami! But hold on let me get dressed I’ll text you when I am readyyyy!” Angel also yells just as excited as you before she hangs up the phone. You go back to the room and pull the letter out Nanami left you. You find the number of the driver and text him you’d like to get picked up soon, and that you want to pick your friend up too, and want to go to a couple of spots sending a list of locations. You jot down the code Nanami gave you as well putting the letter back in the bedside drawer.

You get a message within minutes from the driver that reads. ‘okay. be there in 5,’ plain and simple.

Your phone vibrates again with a text from Angel that reads; ‘I AM READY LET'S GO SPEND SOME MONEYYYY!’ You laugh as you read the message and thumbs up the text. You run out of the house slipping on random shoes before running to the elevator. Once down in the lobby, you wave hello to the front desk lady and security as you make it outside. Thankfully you had put a jacket on with your outfit; today you wore baggy blue jeans and a thin black cropped tank top even though it was freezing outside. You see a black car pull up similar to Nanami’s car having blacked-out windows and a sleek design. A man steps out of the car once it’s in park and rounds the car opening the backseat passenger door. He was tall like Nanami also built in a similar way having a broad chest and shoulders just a tad more muscular. He wore a black tee shirt with some loose grey denim pants. You step into the car and he slams it behind you-you jump a little before he gets in the car himself. You stared at him taking in every feature from his shaggy black hair covered his face, his killer jawline, and a small scar on the corner of his lip.

“You gonna keep gawking at me or are you gonna send me the address of your friend?” He asks loudly interrupting your train of thought while looking back at you which makes you look into his eyes. They were a beautiful green which was a great contrast to the rest of his rugged look. He begins snapping his fingers at you slightly frustrated to get your attention since you didn’t respond.

“I’m so sorry, I was lost in thought it should’ve just sent right now.” You stutter out shyly while grabbing your phone from your purse and sending him Angel's address. He nods in agreement when his phone buzzes with the address and he puts it into the GPS. The car ride was quiet not an awkward kind of quiet more of a pleasant one. You both stole glances from each other looking away just as fast. Clearing your throat you open your mouth to talk but get interrupted.

“We are here,” the rugged man states suddenly as the car comes to a slow stop. You look around and you are in fact in front of Angel’s apartment.

“You can just honk the horn she’ll get the idea. Also, what is your name? My name is y/n,” you say softly looking towards driver side of the car. He smirks before turning around towards you fully to greet you.

“Fushiguro, Fushiguro Toji,” Toji says while honking the horn trying his best not to stare at you too long. Within seconds Angel was opening the other passenger side door flopping inside smiling as big as ever.

“Woooo your a hunk…You’re the driver?” Angel asks as she puts her seatbelt on raising her eyebrows at you like she’s trying to say ‘OMG THIS GUY IS FINE.’ You smile at her holding in a laugh as you nod 'yes'. “Damn, I need to find me a Nanami so he can get me a hot driver too.” Angel teases as the car pulls off swiftly Toji never responds or chimes in but continues to periodically eye you through the rearview mirror.

“We’re here our 1st stop..” Toji utters between sighs knowing today will be long. “Do you want me to get out with you guys or are you good?” He asks turning around to the backseat to look at both women.

“Aaaah we will be fine we aren’t delicate flowers. I can protect us anyways!” Angel explains flashing Toji her small switchblade. “I am really good..” she coos before getting out of the car. You follow closely behind her as you both walk towards the nail salon. You both are in there for about an hour before re-entering the car giggling and chatting to each other.

“Look at our nails Toji!” Angel commands not really giving the man a choice in the matter flashing her long acrylics to him. Angel chose a simple white French tip with some jewels on them that made them sparkle in the sun. You do as Angel does showing off your nails as well; you got long acrylics as well but got black French tips. You both decided you wanted to match somewhat but put your own twists on it. Your nails had a cute bow on both ring fingers giving a cute dainty vibe. All Toji can do is grunt in approval before pulling off again taking you both to get your eyelashes done. Once both of you are done there you get back in the car to drop Angel off. Angel continues to tease Toji the whole car ride over as they both start to grow on each other. You sat back and just enjoyed the show before you knew it you had arrived at Angel’s home.

“Bye girly, I’ll see you Wednesday night and bring Toji with you.” She whispers as she wiggles her eyebrows before turning away waving goodbye and blowing kisses in between. You laugh waving goodbye back and blowing kisses as well.

“So, do you have anywhere else you need to go? It’s 1 in the afternoon,” Toji expounds pointing around at random buildings as he drives off.

“I sent you another address it’s one of my girl friends house who does hair,” you say pointing in the general direction and he nods in agreement.

“Your friend Angel, she seems nice. You’ve been adjusting okay in the city?” Toji asks looking at you through the mirror and you can’t help but be shocked that he’s actually asking you something personal.

“Ya! She’s amazing we work together at the strip club and kinda do everything together. She’s truly my only friend other then Trina right now and yes I’m adjusting fine as best as I can honestly. Ooh, we’re here!” You exclaim pointing to an apartment building clapping with excitement as you pull up.

Toji has been smiling softly all day and he’s been eyeing you he couldn’t help it you are just so captivating. The way your skin glowed under sunlight was something he had never seen before. Your smile was the main attraction besides your beautiful body. Your hips swayed when you walked, thighs jiggling, and your ass looked like it was fighting to get out of your pants. He shakes his head as he pulls into the complex trying to get his ‘head’ out of the gutter. You open the door frantically as another black woman walks out of the complex lobby waving.

“Trina!” You yell happily running to her and basically tackling her in a hug. Being away from Trina was hard but you both had busy and conflicting schedules.

“Y/n, you look amazing come on let’s start on this hair. I can’t wait to hear alllll the tea bitch!” Trina exclaims dragging you into the apartment. You wave at Toji before turning around and letting yourself get dragged by Trina. You sat in between her legs and she began to take your braids out laughing at how you kept forgetting to put a bonnet on at night. “Ma’am with this hairstyle IMMA NEED YOU TO KEEP A BONNET ON YOU AT ALL TIMES!” She says pointing her finger to the side of your face acting like a mother. She was a great friend you both moved here around the same time and you found her on Instagram. You both kicked it off and she agreed to be your hairstylist because. ‘Don't nobody know how to do black people's hair out here LIKE ME!’ Trina said through text when you first began talking. She was the one to do your braids when you first moved and was shocked at how much your hair grew once she took them out. “So, we gonna braid this shit down and imma wash the bundles before sewing them in. Got it?!” She yelled again as she began to braid your medium-sized afro.

“I got it, MOM!” You tease sitting back and relaxing as she does your hair.

“So, anything you wanna to tell me? I see that sexy man is driving you arounddddd…” Trina inquires popping you with the comb when you start to tilt your head away from her.

“Wellll, I moved out of my apartment since working at the club I’ve had some weird encounters and wanted to feel safe. I’ve been seeing this guy and it’s at that stage just before the stage of being boyfriend and girlfriend. And he found me on a rough night offering me to live in his penthouse so I could save money to see my family. The hot guy in the car driving me around was just hired today to be my chauffeur or security.” You explain thankful you can’t see Trina's face as she had completely stopped what she was doing.

“1st, girllllll you are CRAZYYY. Do you even know the guy for real? 2nd, chauffeur? Your main got you sexy chauffeur and has been paying for everything. 3rd, where the fuck do you find these people?” Trina questions rapidly as she finishes up braiding your hair. She then gets up with bundles in hand heading towards the sink. Her questions really made you giggle but also think at the same time.

You blush softly thinking to yourself; ‘do I really know Kento? We always have time to get to know each other. We’ve grown attached to each other recently. Sleeping in the same bed but we just cuddle and talk.’ “I know enough to know he won’t do anything to hurt me. He’s been there for me during some hard times recently. Today, he has a surprise for me I think he’s gonna ask me out.” You try to explain yelling at Trina across the room over the running water of the sink. “But yes to all your other questions he’s paying for everything even giving me an allowance. The chauffeur thing was for protection the driver just so happens to be hot. And lastly I don’t know, I’ll ask if they have brothers for you.” You add and Trina hums in understanding and agreement before blow-drying the bundles as she had finished washing them. You picked a couple of plain black body wave bundles and 2 blonde bundles to put in the front to frame your face. Trina doesn’t take long finishing around 4:30 you thank her by giving her ¥30,000 yen and hugging her one last time. Waving goodbye you walk yourself out and see Toji sleep in the car. You knock on the driver's side window startling him awake. He takes a moment scanning you over while looking at your new hairstyle in ‘awe’ of how beautiful you are. Toji gets out of the car and rounds it opening the backseat door for you once again. You smile softly before sliding in and like last time he slams the door before returning back to his seat.

“You umm look beautiful Mx. Y/n,” Toji says softly trying to hide his face as he blushes slightly. This was the guy who hired him soon to be girlfriend; Toji saw how you made Nanami smile whenever you texted or called him. Toji hadn’t seen Nanami this happy in a long time so he didn’t want to stifle that. But seeing you in person and seeing how beautiful you are he can’t help the lewd thoughts crossing his mind. Not realizing it he was already in Nanami’s complex within a couple of minutes. The car comes to a slow stop and you try to hand Toji a generous tip. “No, no your ummm boyfriend already has paid me a good amount. This just feels like taking candy from a kid.” He pushes the money back towards you and unlocks the door. One thing about Toji he loves money but for some reason, he doesn’t want you to give him any. ‘Am I sick?’ Toji thinks to himself as you nod at him opening the car door to get out. You stuff the money into your purse again shaking your head at what Toji said. Once out of the car you walk towards the lobby but suddenly you turn around wanting to say ‘thank you’ but Toji is already gone. You do your usual thing waving at the security and front desk before entering the elevator. You had 10 FUCKING minutes to get ready you hadn’t even gotten in the apartment yet. As anxiety creeps in you open Nanami’s front door slamming it as you basically run to the bedroom. Swinging the closet door open you see the outfit it's still there and begin to strip. Thankfully you took a nice shower this morning and didn’t sweat at all today so you just slipped the dress on. It fits perfectly looking in the mirror you can’t help the smile that spreads across your face. You put the matching shoes on and hear the front door knob turning; you rush to put some jewelry on and opt out of being makeup on. Your lashes and new hair will make up for it.

“I am home princess!” Nanami yells from the front room as he places his belongings in their receptive locations. You walk out of the bedroom heels clicking every time they meet the ground. Nanami looking tired looks up at you as you walk towards him. His drained eyes shuffle to excited, loving, and slightly lustful. You can’t help but do a twirl to show every inch of yourself for him. Nanami smirks before walking towards you and grabs your chin with his free hand making you look up at him. Nanami leans in kissing you gently smiling as he does not being able to contain his excitement. He pulls away grabbing your hands and examining your nails. “You look as beautiful as ever. I see you put my card to good use today.” He teases playfully before kissing both of your hands softly making you shift your weight.

“Yes-yes I did I had a lot of fun I brought Angel with me. Sorry for the damage we did..how can I ever repay you?” You say in a flirtatious tone twirling his tie in between your fingers.

“Come on this date with me that'll be enough. It's a surprise location but I feel like you’ll love it. Just give me a second to change okay?” He states before kissing your cheek and walking to his room. Nanami changes into an all-black suit with a silky blue tie to match your dress. You can’t help but be excited for what’s to come.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*𝒢𝐸𝒯𝒪 & 𝒢𝒪𝒥𝒪 ’𝒮 𝒫𝒪𝒱✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

“That bitch banned us from that dingy club I can’t believe she’d do that..” Gojo says angry at the thought you'd reject him pushing him even more over the edge. Geto sits in his office chair staring blankly at his computer screen. They both compiled a list of the places you frequented even going so far as showing up at your old apartment.

“She moved but didn’t leave her job so she’s still close by just gotta figure out where…” Geto explained as he stood up slowly. “I’ve gotten some tips of who she might be with that little slut moves on quickly. His name is Nanami and I’ve had someone keep a lookout on his apartment and car. Tracking his every move so we’ll be making a visit soon. Just wanna confirm that she is living with him. I got pictures of him dropping her off at work but that’s it..”

“Why don’t we just follow them why pay someone to do a half ass job..” Gojo hisses walking out of the office and then the building as he strolls up to his car. ‘You will be mine. I don’t care who I have to go through..’ Gojo thinks to himself gripping the handle of his car door like his life depended on it.

‘I’ll make you pay for leaving us high and dry, dirty slut..’ Geto thinks as he too follows behind Gojo. They both needed you and wanted you no matter what. They are willing to go to any extreme to make sure you are their’s.

'*•.¸♡ ♡¸.•*'꘎♡━━━━━♡꘎'*•.¸♡ ♡¸.•*'

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Once again I hope you enjoyed this one! Sorry if this triggers anyone. Don’t forget to comment, follow me, leave a note, reblog and or leave some feedback. Thank you some much!

(⋑✿˘ ³˘)

[Please don't copy or plagiarize my work thank you. I don't own any rights to JJK and all photos are from pintrest or here I'll try to tag people if I can]

⟿ Link for my AO3 lovers: {also it’s 24 chapters posted on here}

⟿ I can’t remember or find the credits for the inspiration of this chapter - if you know drop the artist name in the comments

9 notes · View notes

cursedvibes · 1 year

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I love your comments on the way female characters are pushed or fridged in JJK. Cause outside of maybe Mai, and kind of Utahaime we have had little development or spotlight of the female characters despite the series being open and critical on sexism that the sorcerer society partakes. I especially hated how they fridged Tsumiki, I hated how she was used as Megumis maral compass and killed off without her actually being herself. Worse, we only knew from Megumis descriptions who consider her but a lot of fans have pointed How Toji warned Tsumiki not to seek fights, and advice that she later gave Megumi And that from the ages of like seven and onward was they state in the fan book that it was very much her who raised Megumi outside of Gojo's financial care. Tsumiki was a angry, parentifed eldest daughter, a normal in a world of sorcerers and lived with two of the strongest of them. The dismissal of the possibilities and her character makes me angry.

We do have more than Maki (I assume you meant her, although Mai is also still there kinda I guess) and Utahime. Shoko, Hana and Angel seem way more important than Utahime honestly. They're not doing much at the moment, but that applies to everyone on the protagonist side. Without Shoko, a good chunk of the protags would already be dead or have a lot less limbs. Although I have to say that it makes no sense to me that Hana had to be saved by Amai and healed by Shoko, when Angel should've been able to do all that. She is a legitimate threat to Sukuna, she has a 1000 year vendetta against him and losing an arm is what would've done her in? She gives up just like that? "sucks to be me I guess"? There was all this conflict set up with her bloodlust and justice vs Hana's wish to save people and nothing came of it. She just decided to play nice after Yuuji told her he doesn't like her attitude. I'm sure Angel is gonna play a role in the Heian flashback or otherwise there would've been no need to bring up the Fallen One business, but the way she's treated in present time makes me so mad. She explicitly said, she will only release Gojo after the protagonists help her kill Sukuna and then just decided to go against that without any comment or complain. Got reduced to a can opener because we so desperately need fish eyes back. Of course she had to be limited somehow or she would've killed Sukuna way to early, but that seems like the worst way to do it. And now she's just an encyclopedia for the others to consult.

At least Hana had an arc, a backstory and character development. You can dislike her having an obsession with Megumi, but it makes sense based on what we know about her past and the traumatic way she met him. It's even a somewhat unique situation I would say. I don't think Gege dropped her completely yet. Whatever happens with Megumi will have an effect on her too. Compared to Angel she got something going for her.

I'm sure Takako is also gonna come into play again somehow or there would be no point to have her live that long. She could've been one-shotted by Sukuna like Ryuu, but she wasn't. Her character is way too interesting for that too. Ryuu's story was already over, hers isn't. I hope she will meet up with Kenjaku. I'd like to see their interaction. If someone is gonna survive the Culling Game, I wish it's her.

God, don't remind me of Tsumiki. That was some bullshit. I came to really like Yorozu, but she was very badly set up. Just got thrown into the story randomly so Sukuna can have a power-up (suppressing Megumi and gaining some sort of weapon). And after all that build-up for Tsumiki too. A conflict between her and Megumi would've been so satisfying. He would've been forced to acknowledge that the Tsumiki he uses as his moral compass doesn't align with the real one. He was shocked, that he didn't recognize Yorozu, but all that told him was that she was a good actor and not that his sister might not match his rosy view of her. That whole conflict got clumsily squeezed into a fight that really only revolved around Yorozu and Sukuna. Megumi's crying face at the end is also very underwhelming, since we got absolutely nothing that would've deserved that, except the very vague knowledge that Tsumiki is dead now. Which she likely was since Yorozu woke up (if only we had concrete information on that). This felt like Sukuna ripped up a cardboard cutout of Tsumiki and Megumi cried about it. It had so little impact. If Megumi got submerged completely by the Bath nothing would've changed because Tsumiki was never really there and he should know that. You could've replaced Tsumiki with a dog Megumi bonded with as a child and nothing would've changed. Except there would be no one to do the housework for him and take care of him before Gojo showed up. It's really just such a waste.

I wish Yorozu and Tsumiki were allowed to be seperate characters with separate bodies (Yorozu just takes some other random person as vessel like any other reincarnated sorcerer and Tsumiki is a new sorcerer). Then we could have the conflict with Megumi, they really get to air out their differences and Megumi is forced to experience character growth, we learn who Tsumiki is as her own person, and then Megumi gets taken over by Sukuna after his confrontation with Tsumiki shook him to the core. Yorozu & Sukuna can still have their fight later.

I really wish Yorozu punched him in the face right here

To make this clear though, I really only have a problem with the writing decisions surrounding Tsumiki, Yorozu and Angel. I think the others are fine. Yes, there could be more female characters in jjk, but I think the ones we do get are handled well. I don't think this makes Gege a misogynist as many like to say. Nothing here speaks of any hatred, disgust, dehumanizing or misunderstanding of women to me (as you can see Megumi was just as poorly handled). Hayashida Q's current story Dai Dark has no women at all. Not even in the background. Just men and ambiguously gendered people. I'm not calling her a misogynist over that though, it's just the kind of story she wants to tell and world she places it in. I would like more female characters in jjk, but only if they are written well. I don't need them written and drawn like One Piece women only for the sake of hitting some gender quota. Don't think Gege would do that anyway. The way they address sexism in-universe and the queer representation we get tells me that much.

#this got very rambly/ranty but I hope it's coherent enough #jjk spoilers #asks

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booksandchainmail · 2 years

Text

Pale 3.z

this security shell is weird. cool! but weird and terrifying. It also feels like a great way to lose apprentices who aren't quite up to being technomancers

Looks like they're pulling out the big guns, if teachers are getting involved. And I guess this means nicolette got herself away from the wolf and is ok

Black tee, black leather jacket, jeans, hair slicked back in a very different way than Ray had. Some might have said it was a 50s style, but it was timeless, as far as Zed was concerned

fair enough

Nice to use this interlude to meet some people from the school, instead of being dumped in with all new characters later on. Looks like two from Belanger, two from Durocher, one from Ray, and one independent?

She was killed, and the way Black Dogs work, they punish the people that kill them with curses. Most of the time they come back again and again. She was put down for good. The curse was a big one, it was stored away, and it manifested as the Hungry Choir ritual.

hey! this was one of my theories. Or technically two, if you count the curse as part of her corpse being used. Which means the question is who manufactured this, and why?

“I’m looking forward to summer school for once.” Nicolette smiled as she said it. “Me too,” Zed agreed. “New crop of students.” “Exactly.” They were on the same page. Similar oaths. Similar awareness.

this feels somewhat ominous

“By the accords of Solomon!” Zed called out. “By the order of man, I summon you to audience! Obey or cede this territory! Black Dog Yalda, come!” “I ask a second time! Black Dog Yalda! Casualty of war and child of Famine! Come!” “For the third time, with your worth and power at stake! Black Dog Yalda!”

one of the neat things about the otherverse is that do a certain degree the magic runs on rule of cool

There was a way to challenge the ritual, and tonight, with the malice biasing the challenge, would be a great time to do that… except there was a rub. A trick. Rad Ray Sunshine had explained it at one of the rest stops. It was easy for a ritual like this to jam some hidden trick or secret into things. A magic word, a hidden verse, or a secret a way to make the animals behave. Like… playing music. Or something. Not that Zed had his.

oof. well now I'm glad they didn't try that. who gave the Kennet Trio that advice again? Looked it up and: it was Maricica. Was that one of her traps? I think at one point they guessed that some of her "minor" traps might be deadly things that she would save them from.

They couldn’t get in between her and her prize. The very being of the Devouring Song was tied into that. She couldn’t be obstructed from eating. Hurting her mid-meal did that, so the nibbling on the licorice from that king-size bag served to protect her. Any lasting harm or death was similar, because she couldn’t be kept from future meals.

this fucks. using the choir against itself

Brie’s weight pressed the Black Dog down. She kept eating.

gods this is fucked up

“Are you the murder weapon, used by others to kill the Carmine Beast?”

damn. ... I don't think I ever theorized about method

“Yes,” Yalda said. “I killed the red wolf.”

mystery solved! story over

It was one of the eight original ritual participants. The kid with the mask. He carried a gun.

what happened to no weapons?

Yalda :( The Choir was fucked up, but I can't help but feel bad for her, it doesn't seem like she ever had many options. At least she got to pass on a final message to John? I hope she was at peace.

He did have his worries, though. The degree of intent behind the Carmine Beast event… the premeditation, the covering of tracks, and the creation of something like this, implied to be done well in advance for that specific purpose?

so this plan had to have been in the works for at least nine years... that changes my thoughts on motives

#booksandchainmail reads pale #pale #wildbow

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squarebracket-trickster · 1 year

Text

15 Questions 15 Mutuals

@scribe-of-stories thank you for the tag as always!! <3 Check out their post here.

Rules: Answer the questions as yourself or as an OC of your choice @scribe-of-stories answered for both and I think that is an excellent idea.

Ever so gently tagging: @lexiklecksi @macabremoons @mjparkerwriting @ryleswwrites @sabrina-author @scribbledsilver @serafyyn @serenanymph @surroundedbypearls @talesofsorrowandofruin @lyutenw @judemoorigan @frenchywrites @kjscottwrites @dontjudgemeimawriter (and as always lmk if you want to be added or removed from the tag list)

My OC is Isadred/Adris because she is the first person narrator and this tag game seems like a good way to get to know her voice better.

Isadred/Adris's answers will be in plain text; [mine will be between square brackets.]

Are you named after anyone?

For my real name, Isadred, I do not know... Adris was a name I picked on a whim. It appealed to me because it could belong to either a girl or boy and it was a more common-sounding name. I knew a servant boy by that name back at Eiyris, where I grew up.

[My first name is a variant of my paternal grandmother's name and I share my middle name with my maternal grandmother.

Also, a note on Isadred/Adris' names: they are both placeholders and I may change them in a later draft if I come up with something that holds more thematic significance or is an allusion to a Shakespeare character. In the meantime I picked vaguely a Anglo-Saxon sounding name for Adris, and Isadred is a combination of the Germanic sounding "-dred" and the Romantic/Spanish sounding "Isa-" to reflect her status as a princess of a country inspired by Norman England, where the majority population is Anglo-Saxon but the ruling class have foreign, Romantic roots. Interestingly, I have another character in a different WIP named Immadred, going for a similar Anglo-Saxon vibe; Immadred (Ema for short) is one of my oldest OCs, I would say her character concept is around 10 years older than Isadred.]

2. When was the last time you cried?

Knuckles and I spoke earlier and I cried. He gave me some wonderful advice. He also offered to help me off my husband and it felt good to know he has my back--I am going to miss him tremendously.

[uhhh... I don't think I've had a 3am nervous breakdown for at least a week...]

3. Do you have kids?

Oh good grief! Not yet, please.

[No, but one day, many years from now, perhaps I will.]

4. Do you use sarcasm?

No... of course not. That would be quite unbecoming of a royal lady. How horrifying that you would even accuse me of such a thing! (note: this is said in the most obviously sarcastic manner possible.)

[It's practically a love language for me at this point.]

5. What's the first thing you notice about people?

I tend to look first at the way a person stands. I find it reveals much about their intentions.

[I am somewhat face-blind so the first things I notice about a person are their clothes, hair, and if their body language is friendly. I have a friend with heterochromia and I only found out three years into our friendship. I almost never notice eye colour.]

6. What's your eye color?

[redacted - the writer has not given this character an eye colour yet.

I normally say hazel when asked. My eyes are this weird tie-dye mix of grey, dark blue, and harbour-green, with a gold ring like a sunflower around the pupil.]

7. Scary movies or happy endings? Note: movies don't exist in Isadred's world so I am going to change it to ghost stories for her.

Must I choose? I think I would like to hear a ghost story told around a fire by a good friend; if we were all spooked by it and could pull pranks on each other, then even better! But I hope my own story has a happy ending--if anyone ever tells it--and stories like mine too.

[Coraline chilled me to my bones for weeks after I saw it, and though I can appreciate a good movie I have to take the scary ones in small doses. Perhaps if I had a boyfriend I could cling to for the next week (and shove in front of me in the direction of perceived danger) I would enjoy them more. I do like a good happy ending though. Makes me all warm and fuzzy.]

8. Any special talents?

I am a swift rider and absurdly lucky.

[I make better french fries than McDonald's]

9. Where were you born?

Castle Eiyris, the seat of my father, the king's, power in Etlebette.

[On Earth! If you'll believe it! I'm Canadian, but I won't be more specific than that because internet.]

10. What are your hobbies?

Oh, sewing, riding, dancing, hunting, watching tournaments, gossiping about the knights... recently I have found getting on Sorin Heelderick's nerves to be rather amusing.

[Aside from writing and reading (obviously), I play the harp and am working towards my 1st kyu in Aikido (martial art; 1st kyu is the level before Shodan/1st black belt)]

11. Have you any pets?

I have plenty of horses in Etlebette but I could not bring them with me to Arange. Saying goodbye was heartbreaking and I do not know if I will ever see them again.

[two cats, Edyline who is part-burmese and Penelope, a very small-boned tabby.]

12. What sports do you play/have played?

Well, I have already mentioned riding and dancing. Sometimes we play ball games on the lawn. I do some archery but I am feeble-armed and a terrible shot.

[Aikido is my main sport but I have started Wing Chun as a second martial art. I was a decent swimmer years ago but mysteriously stopped (due to undiagnosed chronic illness but I did not know that at the time.)]

13. How tall are you?

I do not know precisely. I am neither tall nor short for a woman.

[5'7]

14. Favorite subject in school?

I cannot say... I found something to intrigue me in everything. If I must choose then maybe studying the scriptures? They teach us what is right and wrong and that resonates strongly with me.

[English. While I was actually in school I liked social studies (history, civics, geography) best but looking back, I think my fondest memories are from AP English and AP Literature and GOD did those courses save my ass in uni. The most important skill I ever took away from high school was how to write a high quality 300 word essay on the spot in 25 minutes tops. Those were also the classes that sparked my interest in writing (as opposed to just daydreaming up stories). One of these days, if I ever publish I might dedicate a book to my teacher.]

15. Dream job?

Oh no. Do not ask me this. If I knew I would not be in this mess, would I? If I could do anything I might enjoy being a spy like Sorin, but perhaps I would find it too grim. I think a little cottage in the woods where I can sew and feed stew to weary travellers sounds wonderful, but I may get bored after a time.

[uhhhh... I really don't know at this point. I have a bunch of WIPs I would like to publish one day but I think I would go crazy if I was a full-time author and had to write on a deadline. In the meantime, I would like a nice cushy civil service job with a 35 hour week and a pension so that I can retire early and write more. It's less about the job and more about the lifestyle tbh.]

#wipvii #oc: isadred/adris #tag game

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dreamqueenkala · 1 year

Text

WHEN THE MOON RISES

Previous Chapter

Laura Kearney is my best friend and is currently missing.

Max Brinly is my best friend and is currently missing.

Ryan Erzahler is surprised by my unintentional coming-out.

Jacob Custos is concerned for my well-being and incredibly protective of me, despite his anger towards Emma.

Abigail Blyg is distasteful of me.

Dylan Lenivy finds me adorable, but is uncomfortable around me now.

Emma Mountebank greatly enjoys my company.

Kaitlyn Ka is worried for my emotional stability.

Nicholas Furcillo is protective of me but currently concerned for Abigail.

Travis Hackett has no relation to me.

Chris Hackett is in an undisclosed location.

I am alive, somewhat distraught and burned but otherwise healthy.

Tarot Visions:

Temperance

It was dark, the fire lit before me, my friends surrounding me. Jacob tossed a beer can my way, a pocket knife in his outstretched hand. I debated it for a moment as I caught the beverage, then stood and accepted the blade so I could shotgun the beer, pocketing it afterwards.

Strength

I held my breathe, back pressed to a boulder with Abigail beside me, hands over each other's mouths. A silhouette clambered above the boulder beside us, it's glowing red eyes searching the earth, snarling as it's saliva dripped against my shoulder and made me shudder.

Justice

Abigail stood with her back to a set of lockers, a shotgun in hand. As the creature leapt towards her I shoved her out of the way, taking the brunt of the force as the beast slammed me into the lockers and it's teeth clamped around my throat.

Branches:

•Skeptic BFF: Having been best friends with Max and Laura, I knew they weren't okay. With their absence, I grew skeptical of Chris Hackett and his promises.

•••

Because I stayed with Ryan and Dylan in the lodge, I discovered clues as to my friends disappearances.

•Honest Seer: Deciding to share my clairvoyance with the group, they appreciate my concern and will be more cautious.

|•|•|•|•|•|•|•|

Hackett's Quarry Fire Pit

19:07 August 22–Carter Rhodes

Gazing between the three, I felt my heart stutter and drop as I thought it over. Granted, there were things I could fix if I stayed here—with Dylan and Ryan for sure—but at the moment I wasn't sure I wanted to. And with Abigail's distaste towards me, she might not be open to any advice or comfort from me. Besides that, with my current state of mind going off alone was a terrible idea, so I was only really left one option.

I exhaled through my nose, slowly pulling myself up into my feet. I tossed one of my inhalers to Dylan, who fumbled but still caught it. "Here, just in case. I'm gonna go find Emma and Jacob." I admitted to the remaining trio, who's heads all whipped in my direction.

"You sure? It's kinda tense with them..." Ryan hummed, brows creased with worry.

"Yeah, you know how Emma feels. Jacob's a teddy bear at heart..." I shrugged, keeping my gaze away from Dylan. "He's been my support all summer. It's only fair, right...?"

Kaitlyn nodded, shifting in her seat uncomfortably. "Yeah, okay. Just be careful, alright? It's dark as shit out there." I smiled at her concern, giving her a two finger salute as I began to back towards the trail.

Branch Updated:

•Honest Seer: Deciding to share my clairvoyance with the group, they appreciate my concern and will be more cautious.

•••

I gave my backup inhaler to Dylan, whom took it without complaint, deciding to take the extra precaution on account of my earlier warnings.

"Yes ma'am!" I didn't miss the grin that pulled at her lips, nor the worried purse of his lips that befell Dylan's expression, but I didn't give myself time to linger on it. Turning on my heel, I continued into the trees, hopeful that Emma was at least still nearby. Biting my lip, my grey eyes flickered around the shadowed forest anxiously, the hairs on the back of my head standing tall. The forest here surrounding Hackett's Quarry, no matter how beautiful it was during the day, reeked of death and terror at night.

I could feel something gazing at me in the darkness, stalking me, hunting me. My breathing was already erratic and my heart was pounding in my chest, fingers digging into my pockets to grasp the two objects I so desperately needed. My left hand embraced the pocket knife buried there and I relaxed slightly, knowing I had some form of defense. My right hand curled around the two inhalers in my other pocket, knowing I had a means of easily calming down should I lose my breathe.

Yeah, I know, it's such a handicap having asthma sometimes. Especially out in the woods, of all places. I became a liability in some situations, but I made you for it with my sharp senses and my animal knowledge. Breathing slowly, I steeled my nerves and trekked on, focusing on following the path. The forest was eerily silent, I'd noticed, not even the wind was making a sound. I shivered slightly and moved a bit faster, thankfully breaking through the trees and seeing the boathouse ahead of me.

Two figures were perched on the docks, the larger of the two sitting with his legs over the edge. I bit my lip and hesitated, watching them for a moment. They seemed to be getting along, and I was tempted to join them, but Emma suddenly pulled her shirt up and over her head. I deadpanned, watching her strip down to her undergarments—not in a creepy way—and dive into the water, trying to coax the ravenette to join her.

Jacob stood and stripped his own clothes, cannonballing into the lake with a whoop of excitement, Emma's laughter encouraging him as he resurfaced. I let my expression face to nothing and stepped back, turning on my heel. He didn't need my help, he was fine. I was completely oblivious to their eyes on my back as I walked away.

Jacob appreciates that I thought of his happiness above all else.

Emma is saddened by my stubbornness when a personal problem presents itself to me.

My footsteps crunched over the dirt and gravel, my hands buried in my pockets. It kinda stung, really, that I couldn't be more helpful. I should've stayed at the fire pit. At least, then, I might've been able to fix the problems I already had. It sucked that I was so empathetic and kind-natured. A little too selfless. My life may not be so lonely if I tried to put myself first every once in awhile, but even with that thought crossing my mind, I felt guilt roll in waves in my belly.

Frankly, I should've seen it coming. Despite her shit way with words, Emma did genuinely care for Jacob. She just saw the flaws in him he wasn't ready to accept or fix, and that was unfortunately too much for her. Jacob needed a wake up call, definitely, but not the way Emma was going about it. She was really breaking the guy's heart.

Shaking my head, I stumbled slightly over a tree root, tripping and falling to my knees. "Ow, fuck—!" I cursed, rolling onto my ass to rub my ankle. Glaring at the tree root that tripped me, my brows furrowed at the card peeking from beneath it. Reaching out, I caressed the old yellow-tinted object, eyes glazing over slightly as I took in the image of the Lovers card.

A woman stood on the right dressed in puffy blue, hair tied in a bun. A man stood on the left, dressed in red pants to match the underside of her skirt with a black tailcoat. His arm was extended to the woman, who held it to her face as if to bite into it. A cupid rested above them, bow and arrow pointed at the male.

My vision blurred and I could barely make out the sight of the card burning in my hand, ash covering my palm. My ears rang, suddenly shrill and loud, almost like a scream. I whimpered and covered them, gritting my teeth as everything went black.

I groaned as my body hunched over, black veins protruding from my pale skin like spiderwebs. My fingers clenched into fists in my hair, deep growls escaping me along side my own pained grunts. My body trembled and my eyes squeezed shut, teeth bared. I tilted my head up and gold clashed with doe brown eyes full of terror. Then I snapped.

I gasped, blinking furiously as I stumbled upright, the forest slowly coming into view. "What the fuck...?" I murmured hoarsely, my heart rate rapid but slowly calming down. I shook my head to rid myself of the lingering dizziness, brushing off my jeans. That one was a strange one. Dylan looked absolutely terrified when he met my eyes in that vision, and that realization alone had my stomach rolling.

My thoughts were harshly cut short by a high pitched scream deeper into the woods, my head whipping in that direction. Abigail. I thought, swallowing thickly. That sound was one of absolute terror and that fact alone made my anxiety spike. Something was wrong here, very very wrong, but I couldn't stand there and do nothing. Steeling myself, I made a split second decision, turning further away from the path to the boathouse and the firepit, heading deeper beyond the trees.

Sprinting as fast as I could, I flinched when a gunshot went off. My eyes were wide, searching the trees and the shadows for the danger, jumping over roots and dodging low branches. Another shot rang out and I heard Abi yelp. "Abi!" I called, attempting to find her. In my panic, I didn't think rationally, worried for the girl I'd hated all summer because she was in danger. Nick might be, too, if he'd found her beforehand.

"Abi! Nick!"

"H-Help..." I stumbled to a stop, turning to my left towards a very small clearing. Pushing through the bushes, I stumbled over something and fell to my knees with a gasp, a sharp groan coming from the thing I'd tripped over. Scampering onto my back, I faced it and discovered a severely bloody Nick, his left calf torn into. Blood and viscera were splattered over his ripped jeans and the grass beneath him as he groaned and whimpered from the pain.

"Holy shit, Nick—!" I scrambled to his side, grasping his face in my small hands and searching his eyes. "Hey! H-Hey, hey! Focus on me, buddy, c'mon." His pupils were dilated and his breathing heavy, but the Aussie boy was strong enough to focus his cocoa gaze on my steel one.

"C-Carter...?"

"Right here, buddy."

"Abi...where's...she...?" His voice was soft and broken, most likely form the pain and the shock, his body twitching slightly as his brain receives the pain signals. His fingers gripped at my wrists desperately, nails digging into my sleeves weakly.

"I dunno, but I can't help her til I help you." I tensed at the sound of growling coming from deep within the bushes I'd just left. Cursing, and praying unsuccessfully the source wasn't what caused his injury, I gazed around for a moment before spotting a small ditch. Carefully, I grabbed Nick's arms and dragged him along the grass, easing him into the ditch despite his whimpers.

"Nick! Nick!" I hissed quietly, lightly smacking his jaw to wake him from his stupor. "I need you to stay as quiet as you can, okay?"

"W-Wha...?"

"Stay quiet. I'm going to draw it away from you." His eyes grew wider with alarm, his arms reaching for me desperately.

Nick is terrified by my willingness to sacrifice myself for his safety.

"No, d-don't—" He cried softly, fingers scrambling to secure my wrist. "D-Don't leave me." I bit my lip and cradled his head to my chest, hugging him as carefully as I could.

"Stay quiet and you'll stay safe, Nick. I'll find you."

With that, I stumbled out of the ditch, making a mad dash for the trail I knew was up ahead. I could hear it howl behind me, it's feet loud against the earth as the thing scrambled to catch its prey, me. I maneuvered side to side and weaves through trees and rocks, dodging roots and ditches in an attempt to escape. I should've known it was futile and useless. I should've known I would never out run the creature. I should've known I was literally inches from death. Yet, I didn't care. My friends—and Abigail—mattered far more to me in that moment than anything else.

A very heavy force barreled into me from the side, my head slamming into the ground harshly as I yelped. It rolled a few feet away as we both tumbled, settling in the grass. It growled and whined, as if disoriented, and I struggled to pull myself onto my knees. I was dizzy, my vision swimming and my mind buzzing, but I could still see it.

It was huge, bigger than any bear could ever be. It's hulking frame was thin, agile, yet massive claws rested on its humanoid hands and feet. It's ears were long and pointed, it's jaw a cross between human and canine. A long, slimy tongue unfurled from its salivating maw, blood coating it's lips and chin. It's body was stretched taut with dark, leathery flesh, patches of dark fur around its neck, wrists and belly. The most terrifying thing we're it's eyes—a sickly lemon yellow, pupils so small they were practically nonexistent.

Branch Selected:

•Midnight Snack: I chose to chase after Emma and Jacob; leading me to discover the beasts before the rest.

I felt my blood run cold as those two yellow orbs settled on my form, teeth bared as a gurgling snarl ripped from its throat. Scrambling to my feet I took off again, hand fishing in my pocket for the pocket knife I'd taken from Jacob. My fingers gripped the handle and I screamed, sharp claws digging into my back and slamming me into the earth.

I struggled against its inhumane strength, rearing my legs up and kicking at its chest. It stumbled and howled, beating its claws into the flesh of my back once again, ripping an agonized wail from my vocal chords. It rolled me over, maw agape as it's saliva dripped over my face, it's own hulking closer to my throat.

"GET THE FUCK OFF ME!" I flicked the blade out in my palm, slamming it into the creatures left eye. It yowled and recoiled immediately, pawing at its face as it struggled to remove the weapon from its skull. I wheezed as I rolled over, tearing through the trees and the bushes as best I could. I could hear it howling and growling, but it's heavy footsteps ran in the opposite direction. Another gun shot rang out and I could no longer hear it.

My vision blurred slightly, my left hand pressed to the gashes in my side that oozed thick, hot blood. My shirt was torn, barely covering anything but my arms and the right side of my chest, the hem of it rags against my bloodied and sweaty skin. The gashes that creature had caused stretched from the bottom of my left ribs all the way around my side, splitting across my shoulder blades and the small of my back. The flesh was absolutely shredded, blood caking my skin so much my acid-washed ripped jeans we're already dyed pink around my hips.

I don't know how long I stumbled through the woods, or how much blood I'd lost. I knew I was dying—I'm not fucking stupid—but I still couldn't find the will to care. I trembled and continued walking, forcing myself to become numb to the blinding pain in my back or the screaming protest of my shaking legs. It hurt. Everything hurt. I could still feel that things claws in my back, hear it's ragged hungry snarling in my ear, feel it's disgusting, hot breathe on my throat.

I slipped past a set of trees, stumbling onto a familiar path. My body hunched slightly and I found myself coughing up blood, the metallic fluid hot on my tongue and dribbling down my chin. "C-Carter!?"

My head slowly lolled to the side, blurred grey eyes settling on the group of 5 before me. They darted between each person before settling on the one laden upon the wheelbarrow, relief flooding my system knowing he'd been rescued. My eyes fluttered closed, breathing growing ragged. I opened my mouth, sputtering as I stumbled forward. "D-Dylan—" My knees gave out and I fell forward, right into someone's grasp.

The group of five are severely concerned for my life.

"H-Holy shit, his back!"

"Oh my god, how—!?"

"He's going to bleed out, Jesus, fuck!"

The voices were muffled to my senses, eyelids fluttering. I reached out to the boy holding me, grasping his shirt tightly as I struggled to stay awake, face buried in his chest. My fingers slipped from his torso and I blacked out, slumping completely against the familiar frame of the guy I'd grown attached to.

I still felt cold.

|•|•|•|•|•|•|•|

Hackett's Quarry Lodge

22:13 August 22–Carter Rhodes

I winced slightly as my eyelids fluttered, whimpering at the pain in my body. My back and side ached, a dull throbbing compared to what I'd felt before. My mouth was dry and my body was coated in sweat and blood, my shirt missing. Bandages were wrapped around my waist and left shoulder, securing the injuries I'd almost succumbed to. My eyes blinked a few times to clear the dizziness as I shifted slightly, a sharp groan leaving my lips.

The bed I was laden upon shifted, a warm hand reaching out to grasp my left hand gently, as I rested on my right side. "Easy. You're going to pull those stitches." A warm, accented voice murmured, squeezing my palm. My grey eyes flickered up to meet cocoa orbs, a soft but weak smile on the Aussie's face.

"Nick..."

"You saved me, mate. Thank you." He squeezed my hand again and I smiled through the pain, hissing slightly as my back arched with a jolt of stinging heat. "Careful—there's no more bandages. Kaitlyn used them all on you."

I nodded slowly, shifting slightly so I could sit up, legs folded and right arm wrapped around my stomach. The door creaked open and a familiar head of red-dyed hair popped into the room. She smiled at Nick, though her expression faltered slightly when she noticed me, but otherwise kept up her optimistic facade.

"Hey! I couldn't find any food, the kitchens pretty cleaned out..." She paused as if something else had just dawned on her. "Oh shoot, I left my bag—whatever, um, I brought you this. Would've gotten more if I'd known you'd wake up sooner, Rhodes."

Abigail moved further into what I now recognized as the clinic, a mug of cold water in her hands. Nick gratefully took the mug and sipped from it, whilst I took to staring at my bloodied bandages. His hand still grasped mine as we lay there, squeezing every time I twitched from what I believed to be potential nerve damage. With the tingling sensation I was beginning to feel in my left arm, I had a dreadful inkling that my left arm was severely fucked, though I decided to keep that information to myself for now.

The lights suddenly flickered a bit before fading out with a crackling buzz, leaving us in almost complete darkness. I sat up as straight as I could, my left hand in my lap and no longer responding to Nick's squeezing. My skin began to crawl, goosebumps forming on my arms as the hair on the nape of my neck stood upright. After a long moment of silence, Nick spoke softly.

"That was...Fuck, I don't even know what happened, it was all just a blur."

"How are you feeling?" Abigail cooed softly, her eyes focused solely on him. Nick shook his head, throwing the question back at her, instead.

"H-How are you holding up?"

Seemingly startled by the question, Abigail stuttered at first, her words nervous. "I-I, um...Well, I-I...I-I'm just happy you're okay. Are you okay? I'm sorry, I-I just asked you that, I—" Nick found it amusing, smiling weakly at her.

"It's okay." He murmured, his voice tired.

Somethings wrong. I thought, glaring at the closed door.

"You think Kaitlyn, Ryan and Dylan are in trouble?" Abigail inquired in a hushed tone, gaze flickering between the door and myself, though my grey eyes were locked on the door.

"Not yet..."

"That's not reassuring." Nick's comment made me scoff, though I didn't reply. My ears picked up footsteps out in the hall way, small and light—therefore, most likely Kaitlyn.

Sure enough, seconds later the short woman slipped through the door, her eyes settling on my hunched form and limp arm immediately. Though, she made no comment, her focus on whatever else she'd likely just dealt with—I assumed she'd dealt with something important seeing as there was a shotgun now in her hands.

"Alright, they're off to find a radio or something." Kaitlyn explained, shrugging her shoulders. Abigail, ever the nervous little—ugh, she questioned Kaitlyn wearily, gesturing to the weapon.

"What...what's with the—um...the—"

"Oh—uh, they found another in Mr. H's office. So...just in case." Abigail nodded at the short woman's explanation, pursing her lips.

I quickly changed the subject, eyes locked on the door again. "What happened to the lights, Kait?"

"Not sure..." Her gaze flickered from me to Nick, eying both our wrapped wounds. "Any better?"

"I'm doing okay...kinda." Nick hummed

I didn't answer, simply nudging Nick's hand away lightly with my right. He gave me a confused look but said nothing, removing his hand from my grasp.

Nick was hurt by my seemingly cold action.

Abigail turned her attention back to Kaitlyn, brows furrowed. "Wait, so, are they going to the radio hut?"

"Phones dead, they're gonna try to send out an SOS or something." Kaitlyn's voice was also tired, worried and soft, shifting her weight as she spoke. "We're holding down the fort."

I sat up straight again as dust fell from the ceiling over our heads, breathe hitching in my throat. "We're not alone." I murmured, right hand twitching anxiously. We listened as heavy footsteps made the floorboards creak overhead, creeping slowly around the second floor.

When the footsteps were far enough away, Abigail whispered harshly to Kaitlyn. "I thought you said Ryan and Dylan already left!?"

"Stay here, I'll check it out."

Nick sat up on his elbows, nodding firmly at Kaitlyn as she shouldered the shotgun. "We'll be fine. Just...be careful."

"Stay alert."

We watched as she slowly left the clinic, holding our breathes as a the door clicked shut behind her. I let myself slump slightly as we calmed our anxiety for the moment. Nick spoke up abruptly to Abigail, his gaze on his lap.

"Hey, so this...may not be the best time, per se, but like..." He hesitated and I could see him turn to face her as she gazed at him with confusion.

"What...?"

I tuned them both out, clenching at my blood-caked jeans with my right hand. My grey eyes slowly fell to my left arm, noticing how much paler it was compared to the rest of my body. My veins stood out blue beneath my almost ghostly-white skin, fingers twitching ever so slightly though I couldn't feel it. My expression saddened slightly as I attempted to move my hand. Nothing happened. At most I could move my shoulder but that caused a dull ache to spread across my ribs.

"D-Did you want something more to happen?" I tilted my head slightly at Abi's words, slowly clueing into the topic.

"Duh! Are you dumb?"

"Hey!"

"Sorry...I just mean—I did want something more to happen, I just...didn't know if you did, too."

Abigail hesitated a bit too long with her reply, and her words were an immediate red flag. "That...seems like such a long time ago, now."

Nick pursed his lips, now laying on his side to face her completely. "You did want it to happen, though?"

"U-Um, I..."

"You can tell me." You're being oddly persistent, Nick. I thought, narrowing my eyes on the door as I listened dully to their conversation.

"Y-Yeah...I-I guess."

Nick scoffed, rolling back over onto his back, glaring at his injured leg. "You're just saying that 'cause I'm hurt."

"Wha—Nick?" Abigail scoffed and let it drop, shaking her head. I moved to stand upright slowly, making my way away from the bed and closer to the window. My left side ached but I ignored it, focused on the dreadful feeling swallowing me whole.

"What is going on out there, Kaitlyn?" Abi's voice was frantic and impatient as another heavy footstep occurred somewhere above us. Growing nervous, she tugged lightly at Nick's arm. "We have to hide, we have to hide!"

"It's okay." Nick hushed her, patting her head as he moved to stand up. "I've got this."

Kaitlyn slipped in to the room in a breathless panic, shotgun lost and looking frightened. "Oh my God."

"What happened?"

Observing the fact it was missing, I questioned her gently about the shotgun. "Kait, where's the gun?"

"We have to get out!" Kaitlyn snapped in a hoarse whisper, completely ignoring my inquiry as the panic and frustration overwhelmed her.

"No! No, we have to hide." Abigail denied her immediately, her own anxiety making her reckless.

"Quick." Nick guided everyone towards the wall nearer to the window I stood at, ducking to hide. I quickly dropped to the floor beneath a table, just as the door opened. Holding my breathe, I watched as heavy boots and a pair of overall-clad legs appeared, moving slowly about the clinic.

After a moment, the man moved towards the other side of the room and I scrambled quietly from under the table. Kaitlyn exited through the window first, followed by Abigail, then Nick. I climbed out silently and nearly tripped over my own feet as I cradled my now useless arm to my chest. Successfully avoiding the giant, we tiptoed across the porch and down the steps, our next destination the radio hut.

As we traversed the path I could feel the numbness spreading, the skin around my rib cage and neck beginning to tingle. Each breath had started to hurt, becoming soft wheezes the closer we drew to the cabins. I stayed a bit farther behind the other three, determined to make sure I wouldn't become a bigger worry than I already was.

I stumbled slightly as the cabins came into view, grunting harshly. I could see Dylan's silhouette through one of the radio hut windows, though he looked almost frantic. My eyes widened as they spotted movement on the roof of the radio hut, those familiar yellow eyes gleaming in the center of its skull.

"G-Guys! Guys!" I hissed, picking up speed so I could catch up to the trio. "Fuck—Kait!"

"What?" She snapped, turning her head to face me as we moved towards cabin 7. Nick and Abigail slowed down slightly, sharing a glance as I spoke in between wheezes.

"T-There's—its—" I couldn't breathe. Suddenly, I realized, I actually couldn't fucking breathe. Deep wheezes left me and I tumbled into Abigail, reaching for my pocket and finding nothing. I must've dropped my remaining inhaler when fighting that beast. Abigail steadied me as best she could just as the PA crackled to life, Ryan's voice coming through the speaker.

"Kaitlyn get into a building now! Do not come up here. There's an animal outside the radio hut—" I struggled against Abigail's grasp, tumbling up the steps to cabin 7 as Kaitlyn frantically struggled against the locked door. "Get in—get into a cabin now! Go!"

Kaitlyn fought with the door, the knob rattling. I could see the creature tilt its head in our direction and hop down from the roof , stalking towards us. I patted Abi's shoulder and pointed since I couldn't speak. She cursed and tried to help Kaitlyn, Nick standing almost protectively in front of us.

"Fuck, c'mon! Oh my god C'MON!" She screamed, kicking the door down just as the creature reached the bottom step. Nick shoved myself and Abigail forward, slamming the door closed behind him. I could hear the creature slamming into the door, climbing up over the roof top and digging at the roof tiles in an attempt to break in. It's evil snarls were loud and hungry, a memory of what I'd already witnessed up close. I curled in a ball and tried desperately to stem my breathing issue, pressing two fingers against my trachea. It helped, oddly enough, but my lungs took in barely enough air for me to stay awake.

"Holy shit! What is it!?" Kaitlyn shrieked, kneeling and covering her head by a bunk. Abigail curled up on the lower half of one of the bunks, gazing around frantically as Nick kneeled beside her almost like a shield, arms held out protectively.

"Dunno. Dunno." I muttered, eyes closed as I leaned against the wall.

A sudden high pitched shrieking echoed from the PA system and I swear my eardrums burst, all four of us crying out at the sound. I released my trachea in favor of covering my ears, the ringing becoming a whisper again.

Silas...

It died quick and I could hear the beast scamper off away from us, fleeing from the sound. It took all of us a minute to breathe before we lifted ourselves to stand. Nick held out his arm to me, allowing me to lean against him as we trekked down the stairs.

Moving away, I turned to face the radio hut and was very pleased to find both Dylan and Ryan emerging unharmed. My breathing was still fucked and I placed my right hand on my knees, the other dangling limply to my left while I wheezed once again.

"Is it safe!?" Kaitlyn whispered in a frantic tone, tiptoeing forward faster than the rest of us.

"I think we're okay for now." Ryan replied, nodding.

Relaxing slightly, Kaitlyn explained our abrupt appearance. "We ran into one of those Hunter guys."

"Ah crap."

"Chased us out of the lodge. I think we lost them on the way up here though. You get a message out?"

"Yeah. I think so."

"Great—"

"Woah, Carter, you good, mate?" Nick hovered over my as I stumbled and wheezed harder, collapsing to my knees with a whimper.

"B-Breathe—can't b-breathe...!" I choked out, clawing at my throat painfully as my nose started to drip with blood—a side affect of both my asthma and the scarring on my lungs from birth. Dylan and Ryan whipped to face me, the former digging through his pockets. With a small cry of victory, the brunette made his way to my side, tilting my head back and holding the back-up inhaler to my lips.

"Inhale." I did so as he pressed the top down, inhaling the chemical release with a whimper. He gave me a moment to exhale before doing it again. Finally, after the third squeeze, I could breathe properly. My right hand gently grasped his wrist, trembling as I let my body relax, eyes closed.

Branch Updated:

•Honest Seer: Deciding to share my clairvoyance with the group, they appreciate my concern and will be more cautious.

•••

I gave my backup inhaler to Dylan, whom took it without complaint, deciding to take the extra precaution on account of my earlier warnings.

•••

Because he had my backup on hand, Dylan was able to save me from asphyxiation after a severe panic attack.

"T-Thanks..." I coughed, wiping the blood from my nose. Dylan nodded, pocketing the tool once more before helping me to my feet.

"Jesus...let's get the hell out of here..."

A gunshot went off and our heads whipped towards the sound, a figure chasing after a silhouette with a flashlight strapped to the gun they used. The figure dashed around the pool fence, leaping over the edge and disappearing from sight.

"Kaitlyn!" Ryan asked suddenly. "Where's your gun?"

"I lost it. One of the neighbors wanted to say hi." She snapped sarcastically, rolling her eyes. Another gunshot, and suddenly Nick, Abigail and I were sprinting in its direction. I could hear Ryan call out behind us to the figure but ignored it, leaping the fence as best I could with one working arm, Nick hot on my heels. I stumbled to a pause by the edge of the pool, steel grey eyes locked on the spreading red in the chlorinated waters surface.

Nick stood beside me, gazing at the pool with the same shocked, but somehow indifferent expression I wore, Abigail with her frightened features just a foot to my right and directly in front of the Aussie. It felt weird, staring at it. Especially as a feminine figure slowly rose to the surface in nothing but her undergarments. I didn't feel any remorse for what I was witnessing, but I supposed that was maybe due to the shock setting in from my injuries. I blinked owlishly, left arm dangling by my side limply as the others joined myself and Nick.

"Aw, shit, Dylan! What is that...?" Kaitlyn gasped, eyes wide. Abi gasped as the body finally broke the waters surface, backing up into Nick's protective embrace and burying her face in his chest. After a long moment of silence, Kaitlyn spoke up again.

"I-Is she like...one of those Hunter dudes?"

"I don't think so..." Ryan hummed, his voice distraught. Noticing his distress, Kaitlyn nodded lightly to him.

"You okay?"

Ryan opened his mouth, eyes fixated on the corpse floating in the water as if in a trance, hands twitching around the shotgun. "I don't know who that other girl was. I've never seen her before."

"Me neither...but her?"

"Yeah." He swallowed and I lowered my head in respect to the dead girl I'd finally recognized. "That's—"

"Kaylee Hackett."

Ryan's gaze snapped to me, as did Kaitlyn's and Dylan's, but I didn't respond, leaving it to hang in the air. My right hand coiled around my left arm, squeezing lightly for some kind of anchor, but I couldn't even feel the pressure anymore. My arm had gone completely numb and my left leg was starting to follow suit, forcing me to favor my right leg.

"Mr. H's daughter? I thought she went home with her brother?"

"Kaylee. Yeah. I thought so, too." Ryan's voice was broken, monotone—unlike his usual display, he now carried a great weight on his tongue. It was no secret that Ryan had always been close to the Hackett family, especially Mr. Hackett's two kids, Caleb and Kaylee. Seeing her like this now...it was no wonder he'd become so depressed so quickly.

Abi shuffled slightly beside me, pushing against Nick's chest. I gazed at them from the corner of my eye, watching the boy's expression contort into a bare-toothed snarl. A soft growl left his throat, only noticeable to myself and Abigail, who's eyes flicked to me with distress.

"Oh man...poor Kaylee."

"Nick..."

"You smell so good." My stomach dropped and I swallowed thickly, carefully reaching out with my right towards the girl. Kaitlyn, finally aware of the situation, leaned forward a bit to meet Nick's eyes.

"You alright there, bud? Maybe dial it back a bit, huh?" Nicks head snapped up and he growled at the girl, holding Abigail tighter than before.

"Fuck off Kaitlyn."

"Woah!"

Abigail started to struggle against Nick, squirming as his tongue traced her throat, his growls becoming louder and his grip strong enough to bruise her flesh. "N-Nick, what are you—"

"I wanna taste you..." He hissed. My brain flickered back to the visions I'd had and the encounter with that beast in the woods, eyes widening.

"Blyg—!" She grasped my hand and I yanked her away from the aussie's hold, stumbling back as he whipped to face me with a snarl. His eyes had gone a beady black, pupils blown and bloodshot.

Nick is blinded by rage and bloodthirst.

"SHE'S MINE!"

He lunged at me and Abigail quickly grasped his shirt, tossing him towards the pool. "Get. OFF!" He stumbled back and slipped over the edge with a splash, sinking beneath the red-dyed surface. It was quiet but for a moment, our eyes searching the dim pool for any sign of his figure. Abi, becoming worried, stepped towards the edge carefully. "Nick...?"

He burst from the water with a scream, flailing and splashing desperately as if he were drowning. His eyes were frenzied and his wails were agonized, fingers clawing at the water in an attempt to escape. Kaitlyn quickly moved to Abigail's side, grasping her shoulder reassuringly.

"Are you okay?"

She gaped like a fish, eyes locked on Nick's flailing form with terror. "I-I just wanted him to stop...!"

"Nick!" Ryan called, startled from his depressed stupor. "Dude!"

Comforting Abi, Kaitlyn soothed her with her charisma, patting her back gently. I stepped back away from the pool as Ryan leaned down to grasp Nick's hand. Hoisting him from the pool, the male curled in on himself, shivering and drenched, hair matted to his pale skin. I swallowed thickly, another sense of dread rolling over me, and I stepped back again, pressing my back to the chain-link fence. It rattled slightly, and though no one else paid any mind, Nick's eyes snapped to my form, a snarl on his teeth.

"Hey." I jumped, turning my head to the right to face Dylan, who stood beside me with concern in his eyes. "Are you okay?" He murmured, reaching out to brush my right arm gently. I nodded hesitantly, still shaken, the gold ring forming in Nick's eyes enough to put me on edge. "Carter?"

"Y-Yeah..." I nodded numbly, right hand squeezing my left arm so tightly my nails penetrated my skin unknowingly, crimson trails staining my skin. "Yeah, I'm...I'm fine."

Dylan is worried for my health and sanity.

"Stay close to me." He muttered, pressing to my side lightly, his hand brushing the small of my back. I huddled against him slightly, silently grateful for the protective gesture. Nick's eyes never left me as he lay there, Abigail moving to crouch beside him. Her fingertips barely brushed his arm before she recoiled with a gasp.

"He's so cold...!"

Ryan stepped forward, his tone urgent and his jaw set. "Okay. L-Let's get him in the pool house. Dry him off."

Abi and Ryan moved to help Nick, Kaitlyn stepping past him with her nose scrunched and her eyes narrowed suspiciously. Dylan, grasping my right hand in his, led me forward, tugging me closer as Nick growled at my feet. I leaned into Dylan's side, wincing as my knee nearly gave out, but the brunette steadied me easily.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Dylan murmured, guiding me to sit down on a bench along the wall, setting himself beside me. Kaitlyn and Ryan busied themselves with setting up a mat for Nick, Abigail focused on trying to dry and soothe Nick before having him lay down.

"No..." Dylan pursed his lips and gently grasped my left hand. When I gave no reaction his brows furrowed, examining my arm. My skin was paler than normal and my veins a vibrant blue, the muscles and nerves weak and unaffected by his touch. "I've lost feeling in it." His eyes widened and he rubbed his thumb over the thin trails of blood I'd caused with my nails, my body trembling slightly. I'd only just realized how cold I was, remembering that I no longer had a shirt on due to my bandages and that beasts claws.

"Jesus..." He wrapped me in his arms gently, coaxing me to rest my head on his shoulder. "W-We'll get you out of here, Car." I nodded weakly, unable to feel his embrace on the left side of my body. A tear trailed down my cheek and I whimpered softly. This night was going to absolute shit.

"I'm sorry." I barely heard him, his voice so quiet I was only able to make out his speech because his mouth was pressed against my hair. "I didn't mean to just...I-I know this is not the best time, b-but I can't help but think we won't make it out a-and I don't want to die with things so fucked between us—"

"Dylan, what—?"

"J-Just—I do like you. A-At least, 'Dylan Dylan' does." I snapped my mouth shut, listening to him rant quietly to me, his arms caging me in. "A-And I don't mean to be a dick, I-I just don't know how to talk to you—Ryan's easier 'cause he's so fucking quiet, a-and he's hot and mysterious—"

"That's probably not something you should say right after admitting you like me..."

He sighed and buried his face in my hair, inhaling slightly. "No, I-I..." When Dylan fell silent I felt my heart beat a bit faster, reaching over to grasp one of his hands with my right. I felt something warm and wet on the side of my head and tensed, eyes widening. His shoulders trembled and soft sniffles were muffled against me. "W-When I saw you...all torn to shreds and bleeding out, I..." His grip tightened slightly, his hand squeezing mine. "I was so scared I was going to watch you die."

"Dyl..." He shook his head, sitting upright and pulling away. A shaky smile settled on his face as he attempted to joke around his tears, shrugging his shoulders.

"I-It's stupid, I know. I mean, we could all die soon, so..." I reached over and pulled him into an awkward one armed hug, squeezing him affectionately.

"Thank you."

I pulled away just as quickly—thankfully so, as Ryan and Kaitlyn finally joined us in the corner. Shifting slightly, I grasped my left arm with a shaky hand, examining the damage done. "Fuck, I really can't feel anything."

Kaitlyn leaned over to look, tracing her fingertips over my veins lightly. "Yeah, you've definitely got nerve damage. I'm not a doctor, or anything, but if we don't get you to a hospital soon it'll likely be permanent." My expression must've fallen at that because Ryan jutted his jaw at Dylan, then myself. The brunette reached over and grasped my right hand that rested in my lap, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Settling herself down in a chair, Kaitlyn sighed. "Okay, look. We need to be keeping a record of everything that happens, for the police."

Dylan grunted slightly, sarcasm on the tip of his tongue. "Yeah...dead girl in the pool needs some explaining, huh."

"Hey, easy man." Ryan scoffed, directing a pointed glare at the brunette, whom raised his hands in mock offense.

"You mean, like, photos and stuff?" I inquired, moving the conversation along quickly. Kaitlyn nodded, fidgeting with the fabric of her leggings.

"I have a funny feeling the cops are not gonna wanna believe any of this crazy shit unless we got some hard proof."

"From now on..." Ryan added in, hands on his thighs as he shifted in his seat. "If you got your phone, and you see something, take a photo or video or whatever."

"I lost my phone when I lost my inhaler." I muttered, then glanced down at my useless appendage. "Can't do much like this, anyway." I quipped bitterly as an afterthought.

"Yeah..." Glancing worriedly to the right, Kaitlyn and I watched Abi converse in hushed tones with Nick for a minute or two. "You okay over there, Abi? Look—why don't you look around and see if you can find anything to help make Nick more comfortable." Abi did as told without a word and moved around the pool house. My eyes settled on Nick, narrowing at the harsh gaze he had settled on the redhead until she disappeared behind the corner to the showers. His gaze flickered to me immediately and I recoiled, hiding myself behind Dylan's shoulder.

"Holy shit—I don't like the way Nick's staring at me like a piece of meat." I hissed, curling in on myself slightly. Ryan glanced at him as Abi settled beside the Aussie again, shifting the portable heater we'd found closer.

"It's a little intense..."

"Something is definitely not right with that boy." Kaitlyn muttered, having yet to remove her eyes from the duo.

Dylan leaned around the corner to look, nodding with terrified eyes. "Yeah, dude is real sick."

"Did you see how he freaked out in the water?" Ryan chipped in, visibly shivering at the memory.

"He was like, a fish out of water...right?" Dylan hummed, hunched over slightly to conceal me from Nick's view. Ryan grunted and I snorted softly, grinning slightly at his boyishly dorky nature.

"You know, something was weird when I tried to clean his wounds, too. A-At the lodge." I let my eyes flick to Kaitlyn, perking up slightly since I'd been out cold at the time.

"What do you mean?" I asked, eager to learn more regarding Nick's strange behavior.

"Well all of his clothes were bloody but I couldn't find where he was bit. Or scratched or...whatever." She explained, lip quirking to the side as she furrowed her brows skeptically. "He just kept moving around, like he didn't want me to see how badly he was hurt."

"Rabies?" Dylan suggested, head tilted.

"He's not frothing at the mouth." Ryan shut that thought down, but I was quick to snap back in.

"Abigail would probably disagree." Ryan shrugged, accepting my thought without voicing his agreement.

"And isn't aquaphobia a symptom of rabies?" Kaitlyn's eyes were wide at the theory seemingly coming together, though I couldn't really back her up just yet.

"Hydrophobia. But it's supposed to be, like, the fear of drinking, not just getting wet." Ryan corrected her misunderstanding, kneading at his thighs anxiously. "This was like—"

"Like my cat in the bathtub." Dylan chuckled without any humor, Ryan and myself grunting our agreement with the statement. I tilted my head slightly at the sharp gasp Abi abruptly released, leaning around Dylan to peek. My eyes widened watching Nick grasp her arm tightly and drag her in. A deep growl left his bared teeth and he tossed her across the room with inhuman strength, her head slamming into the lockers.

"Oh my god! Abi!" Kaitlyn jumped up immediately in shock, the other two standing abruptly in a panic.

"No no no no no!" I stumbled upright, nearly collapsing as my left leg had finally gone numb, as useless as my left arm. I stumbled across the pool house as Abi struggled to get up, eyes locked on Nick.

The boy stood, snarling softly as he crouched. Slowly moving onto his two feet, shoulders raised and legs slightly bent, Abi glanced down and grasped the shotgun. "Do it, Blyg!" I begged, attempting to push past Kaitlyn, but she grabbed me around the waist to still me. The redhead raised the weapon but did not fire, biting her lip. The gun lowered slowly and Nick grinned a sinister smile, then howled in pain. He collapsed onto his back, writhing and squirming around with agonized cries and hungry snarls.

"Abi, you need to move!" I thrashed against Kaitlyn's grip, struggling to find the right footing, desperate to prevent Abigail's impending death. This is what that vision was for! I thought. Nick rolled onto his knees, growling, and then roared. His flesh tore form his body in a burst of blood and skin that coated all of us, sharp gasps of fear and disgust filling the room.

A hulking beast stood in Nick's place, it's shirt torn to rags and soaked it's his own blood, beady gold eyes glaring at Abi. I finally freed myself from Kaitlyn in her moment of fear-ridden distraction, stumbling forward. "Abigail!" My right hand met her shoulder right as the beast lunged, slamming me into the lockers in her place. The redhead skidded across the floor, gun in her lap as all eyes fell on me. Our gazes met and I watched the blood drain from her already pale face as the beasts teeth sank into the right side of my neck, obscuring her from view.

A wailing scream tore through me, body convulsing at the agony I suddenly felt all over my body. His claws dug into my sides, reopening the wounds Kaitlyn had haphazardly stitched closed earlier. Blood and viscera splattered the already caked tiles and walls, my head tilted forcefully by its large clawed hand. A gunshot rang out and the beast reared back, roaring. Glass shattered as it jumped away and out the window, but I lay there, twitching as blood poured from my open throat and my mouth, gagging on the metallic fluid.

"Carter!" Dylan raced to my side almost immediately as Kaitlyn moved to comfort Abi after she dropped the shotgun, his hands grasping at my face gently, though they trembled. "Fuck, oh my god, Carter, why would you do that—!?" I twitched in place and tried to reply, tears dotting my eyes. I could already feel the heat spreading from the bite wound over my right shoulder, black veins forming under my right eye and along my throat, the same infection that had claimed Nick. Dylan turned to Ryan, desperately begging for any form of help. The quieter boy gathered the towels Nick had laid on prior, pressing them against my wounds to stem the blood flow.

I could feel the cold seeping in, battling with the fire raging in my blood. My vision was blurring and dotted with black spots, my breathing labored and inhibited by the blood pouring from my parted lips. Dylan's tears fell rapidly, his hands pawing at my flesh and desperately trying to apply pressure to my wounds.

"C'mon, cmon, p-please! Don't d-die, please, don't die, Car!" He begged and begged desperately, his voice cracking as he fell into a frantic hysteria. I reached my right arm up and traced his cheek, watching his eyes flick to my own. I tried to speak but found I lacked the strength, so I settled for caressing his tears away, my thumb tracing his bottom lip. He closed his eyes for a moment and cupped my hand on his face, squeezing desperately to ground himself.

I don't know how much time went by sitting there with Dylan holding the towels in place, my gaze far away and my breathing consisting of deep bloody wheezes and coughs. I don't know how long Dylan stared me down as I sat there, dying against the wall, my hand still placed on his cheek. I don't know how long it was before a sharp knock rang at the door, startling the group.

I didn't get a chance to see the newcomer, or attempt to speak. Dylan, whom had faced the door and was talking to Ryan, felt my grip slacken against his cheek. His head whipped around as my hand slowly fell limp, hitting the floor with a bloody smack. My head tilted a bit more to the left, resting on my shoulder, and my eyelids drooped. My breathing faded, my heart slowing its incredibly weak beat.

Dylan was screaming something but it was muffled. Another figure moved into view but my vision had already faded. Hands gently—or roughly—shook me by my shoulders, though I barely felt their caress. I gurgled one final time before my vision blacked out and all sound died, my heart beat stilling.

...

...and then it clenched, beating again.

|•|•|•|•|•|•|•|

Laura Kearney—is my best friend and recently found our ragtag group of survivors. She is distraught at my ‘death’.

Max Brinly—is my best friend and currently missing.

Ryan Erzahler—is emotionally closed off after my ‘death’.

Jacob Custos—is worried for me, and our friends. His location is unknown.

Abigail Blyg—is feeling ‘survivor’s guilt’ due to my sacrifice.

Dylan Lenivy—is heartbroken over my ‘death’. He refuses to speak.

Emma Mountebank—is scared for me and our friends. Her location is unknown.

Kaitlyn Ka—is still registering the current events.

Nicholas Furcillo—is infected and on the run. His location is unknown.

Travis Hackett—has no relation to me.

Chris Hackett—His location is unknown.

My status is a shredded mess of gore, cold skin and lack of pulse. Currently ‘dead’???

Tarot Visions:

Temperance

Strength

Justice

Lovers

Branches:

•Skeptic BFF: Having been best friends with Max and Laura, I knew they weren't okay. With their absence, I grew skeptical of Chris Hackett and his promises.

•••

Because I stayed with Ryan and Dylan in the lodge, I discovered clues as to my friends disappearances.

•Honest Seer: Deciding to share my clairvoyance with the group, they appreciated my concern and will be more cautious.

•••

I gave my backup inhaler to Dylan, whom took it without complaint, deciding to take the extra precaution on account of my earlier warnings.

•••

Because he had my backup on hand, Dylan was able to save me from asphyxiation after a severe panic attack.

•Midnight Snack: I chose to chase after Emma and Jacob; leading me to discover the beasts before the rest.

#my stuff #fluff #fanfic #male oc #bxb #mxm #violence #gore #drama #romance #horror #psychological horror #the quarry #the quarry fanfic #mature #apocalypticnova

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