#i love him so goddamn much and he deserves to be happy like wtf

[arkhammaid]

— ˚₊‧⁺˖ THE WORDSMITH.

fandom. formula one

pairing. charles leclerc x author fem!reader (fc: none)

about. bestseller author genevieve dedicates her newest book to a special person. the internet tries to find out who it is

content warnings. social media au, not edited/proofread

notes. who doesn't dream about being a world famous author?

GENEVIEVE_UPDATES

liked by pierregasly, charles_leclerc and 10'883 others

genevieve_updates The dedication in the newest Bestseller 'When We Were Wallflowers', by @/genevieve. For the first time in her career she mentiones a partner, calling him 'my love' and surprisingly also 'mon coeur'. Who could her beau be?

user NO MOTHER IS NO LONGER SINGLE

⤷ user my life is officially over...

user HE'S THE REASON WHY WE HAVE THE BEST ROMANCE BOOK OF THE DECADE THANK YOU DAD

⤷ user parents fr 🙏🙏🙏

user "our story now forever immortal and never forgotten" AND WHAT IF I CRY

user don't know if i should cry tears from sadness that mom is taken or happiness that mom is taken

⤷ user at least he makes her happy (delulu)

⤷ user you're so right, tears of happiness then

user THE F1 X GENEVIEVE CROSSOVER IS HAPPENING??

⤷ user SO I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO NOTICED PIERRE IN THE LIKES

⤷ user charles as well???

⤷ user hello wtf is happening SINCE WHEN DO THEY READ??

user "YOUR WORDSMITH"???? am i the only one loosing my mind over this

⤷ user no. i just haven't recovered yet

GENEVIEVE

liked by pierregasly, charles_leclerc, haileybieber and 503'002 others

genevieve My summer was filled with flowers and love, so much love. It has given me enough inspiration to write yet another romance book, even if I promised to return to my beloved fantasy. Yet when the heart calls... who am I to refuse? 'Reverie, Lost in your Love' will be published in November '24!

user HOLY SHIT WE'RE GETTING FED FR

user SHE NAMED HER NEW BOOK REVERIE I CAN NOT

⤷ user reverie: a state of being pleasantly lost in your thoughts, almost dreaming

⤷ user mom is big brained fr "lost in your love"? yes, yes i will be

haileybieber I will be (im)patiently waiting, as always 💗

⤷ genevieve And I will be sending you the first draft, as always

⤷ user their friendship is so dear to me 🥹🥹

⤷ user icons supporting icons i fear

⤷ user auntie hailey better drop some spoilers!!!

zendaya We're getting another romance by our queen! Rejoice!!

⤷ user DAYA IS LIKE US FR

⤷ user WEWOOO SHE READS GENEVIEVE

user i just know the cover will be serving cunt (in the most beautiful flowers)

user REVERIE REVERIE REVERIE

user only four months left... only four months left......

pierregasly super liked by pierre gasly

⤷ user why is he so unserious 😭

⤷ user "super liked" goddamn we're finally reaching the part where he will rate posts he likes

CHARLES_LECLERC

liked by pierregasly, andferrari007, arthur_leclerc and 1'032'883 others

charles_leclerc Nothing better than summer, sun, beach and a good book in my hands. And of course good company 😉

user the tan 🫠🫠

user IS THAT A GENEVIEVE BOOK??

⤷ user oh my god you're right

⤷ user and it's one of her fantasy ones, from her fae series 👀

⤷ user charles has taste

user first he's in her likes and now he's reading her books... how do we tell him

⤷ user hear me out, genevieve and charles *gets shot*

⤷ user KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT, MOM DESERVES SO MUCH BETTER THAN HIM

⤷ user i trust in mom and i trust that she wouldn't fall for a vroom vroom man

pierregasly you already finished the other books?

⤷ charles_leclerc Breezed through them 😆

⤷ arthur_leclerc He's waiting for November

⤷ pierregasly aren't we all?

user the filter is back..

⤷ user the filter never left

GENEVIEVE

liked by charles_leclerc, zendaya, gigihadid and 3'029'746 others

genevieve "J'adore ton sourire, ma belle." I remember hearing these words for the first time, I remember his own smile he gave me back then, and I just knew, I love him. Thank you, Charlie, mon coeur, for standing by my side, for being my inspiration, my defender against the cursed writer's block. Your passion inspires me to write even more, so I'm proud to announce once again, another romance book. 'Winterbliss and Midnightkiss' will be available in March '25.

charles_leclerc Tu es incroyable, ma belle ❤️

⤷ genevieve Right back at you, my champion

comments have been limited

taglist. @lilypadlover , @adorablezhui , @peqch-pie , @namgification , @keyz-writes , @obsidianjewel , @aimixx , @themercyverse , @lem-hhn , @lupicalbestwolf , @akiraquote

DO YOU WANT TO JOIN THE TAGLIST? please send a non-anon ask to be added to the taglist. taglist can be general taglist (all fandoms and all works), fandom taglist (all works within the fandom), series (all works for specific series) or nsfw taglist (all nsfw works and all fandoms).

ARKHAM MAID 2024

[revolutionsingingintherainnn]

oscar p1 i’m so proud of him he deserves this win for sureeeee im so happy im pretty sure my neighbours can hear me screaming!!!

leclerc was also really good, and he gave such a good competition throughout the race, like oh my god, his rage is the fuel of his wheelbarrow

lando really proved that he’s got the talents and the skills because the man went from p15 to p4. the man pit stopped at lap 33 (i think?) and he managed his tyres so well for over half the race! also, the way he defended perez till oscar was out of the pit lane was beautiful! that’s called getting help from a teammate

max had so many issues with the car, i was screaming at my tv, cause red bull wtf are y’all doing

alex albon and franco colapinto, both in points, we love to see it! alex defended against norris so goddamn good. it’s a chef’s kiss from my side. williams is really getting their shit together, and i love it very much!

also, ollie scoring points for two different teams this season is crazy and i love it

that crash in literally the last lap was fucking heartbreaking. both perez and sainz drove so goddamn well, and i really thought perez would be p3, but that crash happened and it was just heart wrenching, breath stopping, hands on mouth, eyes wide kinda fear and pain.

anyways, i will not be accepting any hate for any of the drivers! which means that i’m probably going to stay off of social media! but i’m so happy i’m gonna get myself a treat!

[gothcsz]

Hi, big time fandom lurker here! For real I rarely pull up into people's inboxes, just out here on main aka in my office cube at work being secretly horny and occasionally telling my absolute favorites thank you so much for all you do. So I wanted to say the latest Unscripted Desire fucked me up so bad. I loved it. As you said, you really locked the fuck in bestie. Frankie in the Ghostface mask was the Halloween version of a Christmas miracle, so I guess just a Halloween miracle? Going to take me a second to recover from that. And really just everything about Javi. Him basically groveling but being still being Javi. I died when he said he's not popping a pill to get hard like out of principle or something and also not giving reader more out of principle, too. It is all so Javi coded! You write the BEST Javi and you're just an amazing writer in general, hope you know that, always so excited whenever you post anything.

Also, hopefully this is not annoying, but I would lowkey be remiss if I did not ask. Have you ever read Roommates by @punkshort? It is a pornstar!Joel series. I only point it out because I fully think you deserve a goddamn Pulitzer for best pornstar!Javi and she deserves one for best pornstar!Joel. No clue how that award works, but it should work that way. She mostly writes Joel so you two probably are not familiar with each other's game, BUT both UD and Roommates WIN pornstar trope in this fandom. Seriously. I would actually fight anyone who says otherwise. Nobody has done it better and I seriously doubt anyone can do it better than you two! I think pornstar!Frankie is still available for the taking though. ❤️

hey diva (gn) ! you're so real for the being horny at work bc like... same 😪 omg thank you so much what the hell !! this is so nice of you to say, i'm like doing backflips at my desk right now no joke !! i def understand the whole lurking thing, it can be kinda intimidating to interact but i finally pushed myself out of my own head and now here we are 🧍🏽‍♀️ DJHFJAKSDFHKASDF

please don't get me started on ghostface frankie bc i will slip into a tangent he's so hottttt it makes me want to peel my skin off. just picturing his voice saying the line... lord have mercy im bout to bust (rip leslie jordan) a HALLOWEEN MIRACLE INDEED! A TREAT IF YOU WILL!

dude i freaking love writing javi like his character is so interesting to me and honestly the type of character i gravitate to when it comes to writingggg and even then i still feel like i'm being a little too ooc sometimes so i have to brainwash myself with narcos clips lol arhghggh so happy to hear that you like my portrayal wtf you got me all flustered, gracias bebe i really appreciate it 😭 and that you're into my writing style too ughhhh on my knees for you rn 🖤

i really wish you guys could look into the dossiers i have in my brain abt this world (or any of my aus tbh) CAUSE LITERALLY OUT OF PRINCIPLE!! so much i could say but yes, we are on the same page.

not annoying and unfortunately i have not read that fic but now you've just given me something to binge this weekend so THANK YOUUU omg not the pppfu (pedro pascal pornstar fic universe) ikdr @punkshort i was unfamiliar with your game 🫦 and every other pornstar au out there we really out here in this subgenre killing it lol pleaseeee no fighting let's leave that to the fictional characters, we're lover girls (gn) out here.

but not seriously someone take one for the team and give us single father pornstar!frankie doing it to provide for his kid ofmgmfgmfmgf

(me to me when i ramble: we do not care)

[alipeeps]

Episode 40 (aka Hold me, I am not ready for this!! 😭)

Gods I think I love Xue Li almost as much as Xiao Heng.

And that dude loves her a LOT.

LOOK at how he looks at her. LOOK!!

"Kill Xiao Heng and we'll live happily ever after"... dude, you have completely lost touch of reality. How can you believe for even a fraction of a second that she'd do that, that she'd choose you over him? She just told you a moment ago that she'd rather die with him that be with you.

YES XUE LI!!! Put the next one through his eye please!

Actually no, don't kill him. Let him live and suffer and regret.

"Killing you would dirty my hands." You tell him girl. He's nothing. He's not worth the blood on your hands.

I reckon 75% chance he's gonna throw himself off the battlements anyway. Coward.

Ahahahaaaa he's standing on the edge! Am I right? Am I?

CALLED IT!! 😂😂

Last thing he saw was her walking away. Love that for him.

Ooooh she's gonna cut her own throat on the sword....

Shiiit where's that tumblr image of apollo's dodgeball? I'm getting too good at this.

There goes your last leverage, shithead.

Aaaaand there goes your ability to breathe anything other than blood.

Yeah baby, get your revenge.

Ey up, the wind machine's back.

Hahahaa fucking hell grandpa Xiao making Xiao Heng serve him drinks on the excuse that he was injured saving Xue Li?! I'm pretty sure Xiao Heng was actually *more* injured - he took at least 3 sword slashes in the battle with Lord Cheng!

Okay but now I am really intruiged/worried cos the rebellion is over and there's like 30-odd minutes (and the much giffed scene of Xiao Heng in his armour with the pendant in his teeth) left to go so... wtf is gonna happen now?

Oooh Xiao Heng's going north to protect the border...

Bros 4eva!

Daddy Xue's back? For reals?

"She's got a husband now, how can she go back with us?" 😂

Awww and she's got daddy's approval for this one too! 😁

What do you think she means, Su Guogong, you dumbass? You gotta make that place fit for a wife! 😁

Hahaha Xiao Heng has bluescreened again!

It's kinda disturbing how rare it is in a cdrama for the main couple to get together, both survive and get to happily marry. HOWEVER... there's still 20 minutes and that scene to go!! 😭😭

Also am i the only one that keeps getting very nervous about the combination of wind machine, billowing drapes, and naked flame candles... 😬

Is she gonna admit to pappa Jiang that she's not Jiang Li? I'm pretty sure he already knows...

Yeeeeeah that's a nice lie Xue Li but it's a lie nonetheless. She did suffer and she was in pain. But okay...

I want this to be between you and me - and all the servants that just overheard our conversation.

Shit I thought for a second there he'd stroked out and died on the spot! 😂

This feels like she's saying goodbye to the Jiang family for good. She's married into the Xiao family now and the Jiang family are leaving the capital... and she's not really related to them, she's got no real reason to see them again...

Shijie is just too goddamn good and precious.

Ooft one thing that bugs me about the subs in this is that they don't properly translate titles/honorifics, they translate everything to the person's name. So the significance of her calling him ge is entirely lost to anyone who doesn't understand at least a little bit of Chinese.

(Also they do this with single syllable names which is even more egregious. They translate didi as Zhao, they don't even have the fucking courtesy to make it A-Zhao)

Awww I am sad that the haircombing scene was just her imagination... and I'm also worried that it's some kind of portent... 😭

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO THEY KILLED LU JI!!!! 😭😭😭😭

I don't deserve this. After 40 episodes i do not deserve this how could you do this to me

Okay but Wen Ji I feel you fam I really do but Xiao Heng needs help!!

YOU BASTARDS!!

WHYYYYYYYYY??!! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO DO THIS TO ME?!! Why could they not just have a happy ending? What plot purpose does this even serve at this point?

Oh thank fuck I genuinely thought it was gonna end with it implying he was about to die on the battlefield.

I am dead. RIP me.

This was a fucking RIDE and I LOVED IT.

(Apart from them killing Lu Ji and Wen Ji for no reason 😭😭😭)

[lunerna21]

***I'm going to apologize now this is probably a long post but I just need to vent about this masterpiece of an event!***

I can full heartedly say Glorious Masquerade is giving me life again 😌

JUST EVERYONE BEING SUPER FUNNY AND NICE TO THE MC BUT I CANNOT STOP GUSHING ABOUT EVERYTHING INVOLVING THIS EVENT!!

FIRST OF ALL, I LOVE HOW MUCH OF A SWEETHEART DEUCE IS TO US!

DEUCE SPADE IS SOMEONE EVERYONE NEEDS IN THEIR LIFE HE IS JUST ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE AND I LOVE LOVE LOVEEE HIM

*cough* *cough* Unlike ANOTHER person who is a cheeky asshole who should learn from Deuce (I’m kidding I love you too Ace you stupid bastard)

The Grim and Malleus banter back and forth is fucking hysterical from us freaking out about not knowing who Malleus was previously to messing around ITS SO GODDAMN PERFECT

AND MALLEUS BEING SO INTERESTED IN SPENDING TIME WITH US LIKE ALCHENFIENDJ I LOVE YOU MALLEUS!!

(And Grim being protective of us 🥹❤️)

And Idia trying to convince Grim to sit in his lap 😂👏🏻

SEBEK ASKING AZUL TO SIT IN HIS LAP SO HE CAN BE CLOSE TO WAKA SAMA!? CRYING AT HOW SERIOUS SEBEK WAS!

I’d like to imagine we were sandwiched between Rollo and Malleus MY GOD THE TENSION BETWEEN THEM WOULD IGNITE THE WHOLE TOWN

Also, was anyone else crying and cringing deep DEEP inside when they keep saying so many good things about “The Righteous Judge”!?!

LIKE I WAS SEETHING AT THE FACT THAT EVERYONE COMPLIMENTED HIM AND KEPT GIVING HIM PRAISE

LIKE NO GRIM YOU ARE MORE GALLANT THAN THAT CREEPY OLD MAN PLEASE DON'T SAY THAT

IF ONLY THEY KNOW WHAT THAT MAN HAD DONE I HATE HOW OFTEN THEY COMPLIMENT HIM I JUST WANNA LAUNCH MYSELF THROUGH THE GAME AND DESTROY THAT DAMN STATUE

......But at least they're giving tons of lore, easter eggs and praise for both Esmeralda and Quasimodo (BECAUSE YOU KNOW THEY ACTUALLY DESERVE IT)

But Rollo just trying to convince us that there shouldn't be magic or mages....

…..Rollo honey noooooo that’s not how I see it

I mean yes, we’ve been through so much goddamn shit with the overblotters (CROWLEY AND ALSO ADEUCE ALONG WITH GRIM, I LOVE YOU GUYS BUT LIKE WTF) but to the point of subjugating people to potentially lose their magic permanently?!

Something they’ve probably worked hard for? Nah, that’s not okay

I would love to learn more about magic anything beats the curriculum in schools here in the US

THEN SEEING HOW MALLEUS ALMOST PASSED OUT FROM THE FIRELOTUSES!? THAT HAD ME REELING LIKE MALLEUS DRACONIA HIMSELF!? LEAVE THAT MAN ALONE!!

YASSSSS SILVER AND SEBEK! YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING!! MALLEUS HAS THE BEST GUARDS

BUT ONE FUCKING PART HAD ME ON MY KNEES READY TO FIGHT ROLLO!!

CARD SOLDIER!? CARD SOLDIERRRRR!?!

MY BOI IS BECOMING A MAN

MY BOI IS BECOMING A MAN

MY BOI IS BECOMING A MAN AND I CAN'T STOP BEING HAPPY FOR HIM EVEN THOUGH HE'S IN THE MIDST OF DANGER

…But anyway I’m getting psyched to see the last two parts cause this event is FULFILLING MY HAPPINESS ITS TOO MUCH

And Malleus Draconia….My sweetheart…❤️❤️❤️

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH HE IS JUST TOO MUCH I LOVE THIS MAN!!! ❤️❤️❤️

I cannot wait for the next part of the event, IM DYING TO SEE JAMIL AND RUGGIE BOND OVER USING OTHERS TO KEEP THEMSELVES SAFE!!

Now let me go daydream scenarios with all these lovable people while I wait for the next part, AND FINALLY WATCH THE FIRST PART OF STAGE IN PLAYFUL LAND! (ACE TRAPPOLA I NEED TO SEE YOUR SPOTLIGHT)

Enjoy the rest of your day, everyone~~~!!!❤️

[thatpunkmaximoff]

[Book One of...]

Story: 5 out of 5 Smut: 2 out of 5

Oh my goodness! This was such a fun, fluffy read that includes great body and sex positivity! Seriously, more authors need to include plus-size women.

Beatrix/Trixie is such a great character. I loved the idea of the hot football player/best friend falling in love with the girl whose body is not what everyone approves of. I loved watching her be comfortable in her own skin, even if she spent years finding that peace, and then facing down high school bullies before watching their own lives unravel. Ugh. So fun!

Chris is such a horndog for Trixie, but he’s a respectful horndog. You’re gonna love him. Trust me. And don’t even get me started on Chris’s family! They were all such great additions, and I can’t wait to for the next Kingman to fall in love.

* Luke Skycocker 😂 That’s a great name for a rooster.

* I love that this football player is pining after the plus-size girl. This is gonna be so cute!

* The mom sends her sex toys. What even.. 😂

* Awww. Does everyone know about Chris’s crush? lol.

* Lmao. Even the dad ships them! He wants Trixie as a daughter-in-law, for sure.

* Ugh. I hate mean girls. It’s been ten years! Grow the fuck up.

* Oohhhh. She said he was her boyfriend. Let the fake dating begin 🤗

* God. Chris is so fucking corny lol. These innuendos are hilarious.

* Ugh. Creepy Karter. Someone kick his ass, please.

* Her fucking mom telling her to use lots of line because she’s sure Chris is large. Oh my god 😂 and that she’ll be sending them something fun. I can’t wait to see what it is.

* The kiss cam! I can’t stop smiling. Oh my god. He needs to confess his feelings asap!

* Cowgirl 👀

* He told her about his feelings! Oh my god, yes!

* Luke Skycocker tried being a little cockblock lmao. Chris was not having it.

* A tentacle vibrator? Trixie’s mom sends the most interesting toys 😂 and oh my god, Chris finding the stash is hilarious.

* GOYKATTDLAGG - I’m ashamed to say I immediately knew what that was 😅

* Holy shit… Chris and all his suppressed horndog feelings really let go, huh. Damn.

* Ugh. Why do I get the feeling the press is gonna find out about Trixie’s mom’s pornstar past? 😒

* Rachel is a cunt. What does she have planned 😬

* Goddamn. In the locker room, Chris? Now I’m all hot and bothered 🥵

* “We spent the last two and half days dressing up, probably acting like our lives are better than they are, because we want our high school classmates to think we’re cool. Hell, I even asked my best friend if he would be my fake date just to show you I wasn’t just a sad, nerdy chicken lady. But if I hadn’t, I would never have found out that I loved him.” // “Or that I loved her. I have for a long time. Since high school, in fact.”

* wtf did Anthony do?! Did they record Chris and Trixie having sex?! You can’t cut to a week later like that and not let me know!!!

* I fucking knew it! Ugh. Please handle it appropriately and make those responsible pay!!

* I love the Kingman family so, so much!

* She asked him to marry her!!! And he already had a ring!!!

* They’re all so happy and Rachel got what she deserved. Dumb bitch lol.

[freedvmrouge]

SPOILERS | guardians of the galaxy vol. 3 

i just watched it yesterday and finally have my laptop open to talk about it!

first and foremost, WHY CAN’T SOMEONE JUST FUCKING KILL THE RED SKULL THIS MF IS A GODDAMN PARASITE ACROSS THE FUCKING UNIVERSE WTF

it wasn’t even surprising, man. this is fucking par for the goddamn course for that nazi asshole. of fucking course he’d find a way to travel the universe and continue his horrendous experiments and crimes against every being in existence. absolutely no one aligned with batman’s no-kill rule can ever convince me that this monster is deserving of a second chance. steve fucking rogers—the guy who said with his whole chest that he didn’t want to kill anyone, he just didn’t like bullies no matter where they come from—was fully prepared to murder johann ‘red skull’ shmidt but the tesseract transported him across the universe instead. this asshole already had a second chance. so please. please tell me the red skull finally fucking died in that explosion. i need it for closure and peace of mind.

if someone tells me the high evolutionary ain’t actually the red skull, imma look hella stupid, but alas, that is the hand i’ve been dealt.

that being said, i think this ‘plot twist’ was actually super well-done. i read somewhere years ago that good plot twists are where the information is already given to the viewer and the end result actually makes sense. it didn’t just come out of absolutely nowhere. it’s smart and clever and fun. it rewards the viewer rather than insult them coughloveandthundercough

right, so. i will admit that with the mcu’s most recent films, i was not coming into this film with high expectations. when my brother asked me to go, i really hesitated. i’m not so completely wow-ed by this film, but i am appreciative of what it is. i am also very appreciative of the fact that this stands on its own and isn’t a trailer for the next thing coughquantumaniacough and sure, you need to remember that this gamora is not the old gamora bc that one’s dead and gone, but the film addresses that really well, i think.

peter was the most outwardly grieving character in this film. gamora isn’t dead, per se, but their relationship and memories of the last few years are dead. now peter has to accept and live with and move on with the fact that there’s going to be a gamora still out there who has nothing to do with him. this was wonderfully done. and i was so happy when they parted the way they did and gamora returned to her home. the home she made for herself and the home that welcomed her back with open arms. 

addition to the above about this alt-gamora— just loving how nebula’s still in contact gamora. i think in a different, very roundabout way, nebula finally got the sister she wanted. plus she has her own family with the guardians and now all the kids/society with drax. plus her extremely abusive father is dead and gone. sounds like wins to me. okitsmorecomplicatedthanthatiknowbutlisten the important part is that nebula has moved on. she’s happy with how her life is going. she’s got things to look forward to. she’s doing great.

i think they did a great job with rocket. the story revolved around him and his history, so you might say he was the main main character and sure. he wasn’t a dynamic character bc there wasn’t exactly much of his present tense time being part of the journey of the film to grow as a character. but he did get closure for himself. he wasn’t able to save his friends, lylla, floor, and teeths, but he managed to save a whole bunch of others like him. he even confronted his abuser (which, you are never obligated to do so, just fyi) and lived. and he will keep on living to his fullest with his new and old friends/family. i’m so happy for rocket.

last notes: i’m really happy with how everyone parted. i was fully expecting core members to die off and that’s it for their actors’ tenures in the mcu, at least with this character. it seems like marvel writers finally listened lol even if we never see drax/nebula again, we know they’re off helping build a society. or peter decided to stay with his grandfather and just live on earth. or gamora’s off with the ravagers. it makes sense for their characters and their individual journies. it’s great. it’s fantastic. (though i actually wish peter died bc wtf he was without oxygen and was ready to fucking explode or smth but suddenly adam bringing him back to knowwhere is enough to revive him. ok.)

[unofficialadamtaurus]

First of all CONGRATS for finishing! It could not have been easy (I say as I remember all the times you were sore, bruised, and/or sick while trying to write a chapter LIKE BRUH), especially when each and every chapter is god tier. Seriously homie, you’re amazing!!

But FOR REAL WTF?? these dudes keep working after having infiltrated a massive fucking whale, stopped a Grimm invasion, got exploded to bits, and fought an immortal milf? Babes pls get some. Idk. SLEEP.

Naw but i really do love to see it. Also especially love to see how much they support each other through it 🥹 honestly the highlight of the chapter for me.

GOD like this moment when all of RWBY hug is HNNNNGSOZHBEHAOXH

Blake and Weiss joined the hug by some unspoken signal. Ruby melted into their embrace like so many petals and Blake's heart melted with her. "I missed you guys."

THEY ARE FAMILY OKAY AND I JUST GXHWIYZBXOYWNJ

Ruby is being particularly adorable too (the carrots line killed me 💀) but also like GURL YOU ARE LITERALLY BLIND RN STAY IN BED??

Yang nodded. "We'll get through it. Speaking of getting through things…can we talk?"

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Yang shuddered at her touch. Their lips brushed when Blake continued: "Let's skip that part this time."

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

THOSE TWO ARE SO *frantic arm gestures* YKNOW??? Im happy they got a happy ending because yeah I doubted it for sec okay 😩

LMAO at the reoccurring Oscar interruption but wait FUCK THE KID IS FUCKING DYING?? UGH god I didn’t expect the Oscar and Ozpin thing to hurt as much as it did. Ozpin deserves good things too dammit whyyy 😭😭

GODDAMN Adam and Blake conversations are always so top tier is2g. There’s something I love so much about this conversation brooo. Blake’s resolve and care towards him just 🥹 UGH. her unwavering stares? Easily expressed gratitude? Instant forgiveness (nothing to really forgive cuz like corruption feels like shit and pretty violating and traumatizing tbh fr but she does it anyway to help him feel better ANDANDAND—)? THE LETTER???

OWHXISOWHXNIWOEUDNCKEIHWKFIW I JUST LOVE IT WHEN SOMEONE CARES ABOUT HIM AND HE FEELS IT OKAY

And FUCK I love this part

He swallowed and looked away, unsure how to respond to that. He didn't want to say "You're welcome," because they weren't, and this was never going to happen again. Even if, in some small corner of his heart, the knowledge that he'd helped to save the world like some kind of fantasy hero radiated a gentle heat that would warm him for a long time to come.

YOU DIDNT HAVE TO GO THAT HARD HOMIE IM ALREADY CRYIN 😭

Also LIVING for Neo and Adam team up. Neo’s expressive mannerisms are genuinely so fun to read UGH it’s PERFECT. And the “Don’t stay too long” for Qrow OAISBXOIENWOWIDN

He clipped Blush to his belt and let the spark flare unhindered.

Homie when I tell that IM FUCKING LIVING FOR THISS

"'Part of starting over is saying goodbye. You were first; now it's my turn. If you want to, you'll see me again.

"'Goodbye, Blake.'"

OWJDNEOWHNDDIJENEIDNXIEUWNDIFUENEIDIXJNWO IM EMOTIONAL

wait omfg I think I forgot to mention to Jaune 💀 I don’t hate him I swear The way his semblance and aura are practically working against each other is a REALLY interesting and nice touch, and i don’t think ive ever seen it applied like this. And I love his “i went from nothing to nothing line” and how he’s just so glad he was able to save somebody. 🥹 it captured that part of his character so well and tbh the same goes for all the others (me @ ruby rn is going “bitch is you BLIND”). It’s a really neat touch to the chapter!!

I can't tell if you've read the epilogue yet, but either way I am injecting every keysmash in this message directly into my veins. Your reviews were one of the things I most looked forward to when writing a new chapter - I was excited to see which lines you'd specifically comment on. You're probably at least 20% of the reason this story got finished at all lol.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for never failing to bring a smile to my face when commenting 😊

[oh-surprise-its-me]

I can't stop thinking of David saving Chris through the years. like the most stupid things, to the actual dangerous one(s) after Chris got together with Ron (and Tommy). Because he was going to keep him safe anyway, but now he's so happy now, he deserves that, and to be safe. Extra safe. Extra extra safe. (Uhoh...maybe that's a bit too much?)

Omg okay we’re gonna run through the years of them together.

14- Chris never saw the curb. He tripped right over it. He threw his arms out to catch himself but was caught in the air instead. He looks up. He’s pretty sure the kids name is David. “Oh! Thanks! I’m sorry I didn’t really see it.” David smiles at him. “It’s okay! Wanna hang out?” Chris smiles. He’s just made his first friend in a long time.

15- Chris knew as he was falling out of the tree it was a bad idea. He braces for hitting the ground but instead slams into David. David who moved to catch him. Well not catch. More like break the fall. Speaking of break. Chris is pretty sure his wrist is broken. Great.

16- Chris is talking so animatedly about whatever car he’s managed to pull apart that he doesn’t see the thats car coming towards him. David does though. He shoves Chris out of the way. He gets tagged by it. It spins him around and he lands on the asphalt. Woah he’s dizzy. Chris is grabbing onto him. Chris looks extremely panicked. It’s fine though. The car didn’t hit Chris.

17- when Chris said he wanted to curl his hair David knew it was a horrible idea. He’s seen the things Rebecca uses to curl hers. That shit should not go in someone’s hair. But of course David agrees to help. Chris is sitting on the tub ledge when David curls the first piece. “This shit is going to burn your hair off.” Becca finds them 10 minutes later and is like wtf turn the temperature down??

18- the waves were beautiful big since there’s a storm rolling in. They’re staying at the beach for the entire two weeks. David has finally talked Chris into surfing the week before. He never was able to convince him before. Chris insists he’s fine to surf today. It starts out perfectly. They paddle out, everything is gorgeous. They catch a few waves with no issues. On the next one though Chris gets caught in it. David honestly doesn’t know what happens. One second he’s watching Chris laugh the next Chris is gone with his board.

David doesn’t even think before jumping off his board. He dives. The salt burns his eyes. It’s fine. He needs to find Chris. Chris who isn’t used to swimming with the weight of a board dragging at you. Chris who is currently at the bottom when David finally reaches him. They surface. Chris doesn’t start coughing right away. That scares the shit out of David. He lets the waves help carry them to shore. He lays Chris on the beach.

Suddenly Chris is coughing. Scrapes his fingers down David’s chest. “I’m never doing that again Jesus Christ.” David sits back on his heels and laughs. Oh god he almost lost Chris.

21- Chris was a pretty good drunk all things considered. Doesn’t say anything bad. Is nice. Doesn’t throw up. But goddamn is he wobbly. David has to catch him from braining himself on the concrete again. A striking parallel to their first meeting.

24- when the captain said grain silo rescue David was terrified. No one makes it out of those. It’s a scary situation. The grain will just swallow you up. Him and Chris are up there because of the rock climbing they did this summer. David watches as Chris grabs the man. Fortunately he’s only up to his waist. “Its okay! We’ve got you!”

The man stares at Chris. Suddenly he shoves Chris, “don’t want to gay man to help me get lost.” Chris lost his balance. He lands in the grain. He freezes. David lunges forward and grabs Chris. Fuck the man Chris is his priority. He manages to pull Chris up and out. He goes back for the man. He lets the man sink a few more inches before finally grabbing him.

27- “I don’t know how it happened okay? Just fix it David.” David loves Chris. No question there. Does he understand Chris? No. Not all the time. Somehow Chris was convinced by Becca that he should put on fake nails. Stupid if you ask David but hey he’s not being asked. He digs around for the clippers his ex girlfriend left.

30’s- when he gets the call from Lucas that Chris has been in an accident he freaks. Knows Ron and Tom aren’t going to be home for another month and a half at least. He drives so fast to the hospital, Lucas meets him in the ER. He grabs onto David before he can start asking questions. “He’s fine. Alive. Breathing on his own. You’ve gotta get Jake. He’s in preschool right now.” David blinks at Lucas. God he loves him. “Take care of him for me I’ll be back with Jake.”

David is one of the approved adults at Jake’s school. He picks the kid up and carried him on his shoulder the whole way to the car. Jake is swinging his legs the best he can.

David brings Jake to the hospital. He explained on the way how Jake’s dad got hurt but he’s okay. His head just hurts a lot so Jake gets to have a sleepover at Uncle David and Lucas’s house.

When he finds Chris’s room Lucas is already there he’s chatting with Chris. Jake sees Chris and starts squirming. He sets Jake down and he takes off for Chris. He’s scooped up on the bed. “God David thank you. You saved me here.” David smiles. “Anytime doll.”

[doyouknowwhoyouare13]

Nyx watches Daisy Jones and the Six

gonna be updated every week when I get the chance to watch that episode

Episode 1

oh boy

why am I starting this right after I finished crying

good lord

anyways

They look just how I imagined

especially Daisy

She's perfect

so pretty

OOOH TRACKS AS EPISODE NAMES???

so sad

GRAHAM

HELP

God those drums are so bad

I'm sorry

oh no

"I wasn't naive I was a baby"

crying

again

SHE WRITES HER A'S LIKE ME

WARREN

💀

god not the wedding

this is so sad

his father has no clue how much he messed up Billy

oh shit

GRAHAM

WTF

MARGARET???

DID I MISS SOMETHING

CAMILA!!!!!!

this is so good so far

oh Chuck...

Don't tell me they changed his story

wtf

oh not this bitch

SIMONE

God I love the outfits

Love at first sight

god I cried more about them than anything else in that goddamn book

Karen is gorgeous

HER ACCENT????????

BRO

I'M IN LOVE WITH HER TOO

STOP I'M GONNA CRY

SAY THE QUOTE

COME ON

YEAH SAY THE QUOTE

WOOHOO!!!!

GO DAISY

I love this sm

HER VOICE

HOLY

I love Camile being a photographer

that's so cute

ok took me long enough

anyways

episode 2 baby

TEDDY

HELP ROD

KAREN

I love them

oh they-

slay!!

Don as in..Evelyn?? yes or no

I still need to finish reading that

DAISY

HER VOICEEEEEE

SHE JUST LEFT 💀

HIS RUN

he's so awkward

LOU ADLER????

HOLD ON I'M SO CONFUSED

WHICH ONE IS LIKE IN EVELYNS

whatever I'll find out when I actually read it

HIS CELEBRATION

I LOVE CAMI

sam's voice my lord

HELP I LOVE THEIR DYNAMIC

oh more sex

THERE'S NO WAY

HELPPPP DAISY

Warren is actually the love of my life

oh Cami don't cry

oh god Billy is gonna start spiraling now

crying

oh she's so happy

and he

UGHHHH

breaks my heart

she deserves better

they have the cutest outfits

OH GOD

OH NO

NOOO

GO CAMI!!!!

what the what

bro

omg Billy

I'M GONNA CRY

literally tearing up rn

OH CAMI

Heartbroken

episode 3

going to rehab

as he NEEDS to

is that gonna be like a timeskip orrrr

maybe they'll talk about Daisy for this episode

oh it was a timeskip

OH BILLY

not upset over it my ass

eddie is such a salty whore

I love it

omg Billy looks like he's about to cry 24/7

SIMONE IS

OMG

SHE'S LIKE ME FR!!!!!!!!!!

OMG

I'M GONNA GO INSANE

ok so Daisy isn't her real name I see

GO DAISY!!!

omg my fav couple-

oh wait no

why so many old people

oh that's bad

VOCALS????

SIMONE MY LORD

ew men

such a cute baby

look at him

he literally likes her sm

eddie is in love with cami

OMG CHRISTMAS!!!!

HONEYCOMB

let's go baby

THE song

"the fuck is this Teddy" 💀

IT SOUNDS SO GOOD

IT JUST

AHHH

their voices

omg

just perfection

A NIGHTMARE 💀

OMG THE CONTRADICTION JUST LIKE THE BOOK

episode 4

SEVENEIGHTNINE BABY

THE WAY THEY'RE ALL SEEING IT

I LOVE THEM

HELP THEY'RE SO HIGH

I JUST CAN'T GET OVER THEIR VOICES

someone's mad

NO WAY THEY USED HER VOICE

oh no

Niccolo is gonna be here soon....

uh oh

I love this

just gonna leave it there?? bro karen 😭

their dynamic is too good

episode 5

THE WAKE-UP CALL

WHO IS THAT

THERE'S NO WAY SHE JUST DID THAT

WARREN 😭

SHE DIDN'T KNOW EDDIES NAME 💀

He's so in love with her (Graham)

GRAHAM IS WITH SOMEONE ELSE????

HER BREAKING IN 💀

look at them go!!!!

HA

SHE JUST JUMPS IN THE WATER

Them being friends??? I kinda like that

She IS pretty

pretty best friends

look at them go

she's so pretty

THEY'RE SO FUNNY

look at them getting along!

KAREN!!! GRAHAM!!!

FINALLY WOOHOO

look at them agreeing with each other

well nevermind

omg Billy

so slay

THE HUG

where are the twins

I just realized

well that might be where they are

episode 6

last one for now

this song is too good

KAREN AND GRAHAM

THE QUOTE

THE QUOTE

OMG

I don't like this photo man

DO THE OTHER QUOTE

oh you fuckers

not the Margaret thing again

AURORA!!!!!

uh oh

no Daisy

NOT THE POOL

I mean he's right

omg they're back on bad terms

AGAIN

STOP

NO

THEY KISSED

SCREAMING

BITCH

AHHH

FUCK YOU

YOU BITCH

AHHHHHHHHH

DON'T SHOW IT AGAIN

IS THAT MY FAVORITE SONG IN THE BACK??

YEP

oh no

the argument

THAT BITCH DAISY/hj

NOOOO DO THE QUOTE

slay democracy

SAY THE QUOTE NOW PLEASE

NO

omg

NO SHE LEFT

well gotta wait til next week now 😭

[valkerymillenia]

Happy Birthday! Sorry you can’t be with who you want to celebrate today, but I hope it’s a good one and you enjoy your cake 🎉🎂🥳

What did you think of s4 of The Umbrella Academy? Best things/ worst things?

Any fics or stuff you’re workin’ on now?

What are your favorite headcanons for your fav ship?

Thanks ❤️

Hey!

Sorry I took so long to reply but this whole week was hell, every single thing went wrong and I was having trouble focusing enough to answer.

Still, you're the only one that messaged me here and I'm deeply grateful 🥲

Either way- THANK YOU SO MUCH 💕💕💕

My birthday was horrible: couldn't be with my loved ones and the people I have close by didn't care, I barely slept because of pain on my wrist, got woken up way too early by telemarketing, got heavily rained on on my way to see a lawyer about the debt of house (to reason with them so they don't put us in courtb right now), lawyer turned out not to be there because she made a mistake with our appointment and went out of town, got rained on again, all my fun plans had been cancelled and narrowed down to just go with my one friend to a park with some caves (in another city) for the afternoon but the storm got so bad that the park closed down so that got cancelled too, we went to the mall to kill some time before the dinner we were going to have at the sushi restaurant but then her brother got stranded in another district and called her to come get him so all our dinner plans got cancelled too. We cut the cake in a parking lot in the rain so she could take some home with her and I ended up going home and having tasteless leftovers for dinner.

The only things I got for my birthday were the things I got for myself- cookies, cola and one single eyeshadow (couldn't even buy my meds).

It's also been a bad week in general for other reasons too (got sick, the lawyer thing threatening to make us loose our home, money issues, health issues, work issues, and so much more, just everything went wrong).

So yeah, it was terrible but that's why nice messages like this mean so much to me. Thank you.

On the plus side, I made my own cake (goth red velvet) and it was fun and delicious.

(actually made an extra cake too for my neighbors and coworkers because I had enough dough and fondant for it).

As for your questions...

Umbrella Academy s04?

Oh god, it was so bad, it disappointed me so much.

This was one of my all-time favorite shows, I even have an umbrella tattoo (helped by the fin fact that the siblings were born literal hours before me and how much I saw myself in the dysfunctionality of their lives at my age).

Here's the thing- the actors were still great, they always are and they put their whole heart into it, but Blackman fucked everything, it literally feels like he didn't actually want to do this season, the plot just felt so so so lazy and lacking in effort.

I was so happy that we were getting a final season to wrap up instead of cancellation but now I think I would have preferred the loose ends of season 3.

The bad:

Erasing character and relationship growth, the siblings grew so close and did so much to save each other but then in season 4 that didn't even want to be around each other anymore? Blackman took "dysfunctional family", threw away the "family" part and only kept the "dysfunctional".

Ray being handwaved away, Sloane being completely forgotten

Luther not even mentioning Sloane and becoming a happy little stripper, of all things?

The monkey body coming back with Luther's powers???? Wtf? His ape body mutation had NOTHING to do with his powers but they pretended not to remember season 1 at all. Plot hole right there. SO. GODDAMN. LAZY!

Everything about Diego and Lila's relationship and how much they hate their lives after children

Five and Lila???? Wtf???? And then Blackman saying it was because Five deserved love too and Lila was the easiest character to use that wasn't related to her? That's SO goddamn lazy??? And also, as if Five's live wasn't what moved the entire plot for the first season, and why does he need a romance? Ace people exist too and this romance just broke his heart anyway

Allison having no talent, not really learning anything from the previous seasons and making the same mistakes again

Klaus' whole growth tossed away for no reason, season 1 showed us why he needed drugs and season 2 showed us how he could stay sober with the new control he gained but season 4? Nah, let's nerf him, he's too well adjusted and wise now (if too paranoid), so he gets his powers back and goes straight back to drugs and terrible decisions for no real reason, his powers aren't even as terrifying and overwhelming as season 1, it's just there to cause drama

Five being willing to give up his family for a wasteland with Lila? So out of character

Ben... I don't even know where to start with Ben but honestly I could overlook his character's writing issues because of the context

Viktor always wanted to desperately to be a part of the family and then just straight up moves far away and avoids them all for years? Viktor turning so cold and distant and douchy?

Lila's fucking laser eyes? What a lazy way to nerf her character

I actually liked Abigail so much, the reasonable leash on the dog that is Reginald and actually kind, and then they give us that lazy plot twist? She could have been the desperately needed family member to actually show admiration and kindness to the siblings, something softer to lighten the atmosphere and make the ending more tragic and bittersweet but no, let's make her a manipulator

Trying to redeem Reginald not by teaching him a lesson and giving him growth but by presenting someone worse to the plot. Lazy

No musical number for the siblings, and a rather lazy (though not totally bad) soundtrack selection. I'm overusing the word lazy but it's the best word for this season

The fucking giant squid that could have been quirky and interesting but they NEVER EXPLAIN IT

Nobody really remembered the Jennifer incident but then who drew that picture of Jennifer from one of the previous seasons?

Really lazy explanations to fix plot points where they wrote themselves into a wall (including giving the siblings their powers back)

Scraping the Commission entirely

Pogo was done dirty too

The way they started calling it "marigold" as if that had always been a thing (and not a name Harlan came up with)

The "opposite magical particles" thing felt like a pretty lazy way to justify a new world ending threat too

THE GODDAMN FUCKING FLOWER ENDING????? What a slap in the face to the fans!!! Have these beloved characters go through hell and suffer so much for 4 seasons and then give us no catharsis, no balance, only more sacrifice "for a greater good"

The plot hole that even with the flower ending, all the people that exist because of the siblings are still there and their influence is absolutely not gone so why are they???

And so much more, if I keep going I'll give myself am aneurism.

Honestly, I tried to keep an open mind, I kept hoping all the bad was going to pay off in the end, that there would be a good plot twist or some degree of healing or something rewarding in the end, but there wasn't. I tried so hard to like it but by ep 5 I was just angry (should have known something was off when I saw that the episode count for this season was much smaller).

This season made me cry with how bad it turned out.

The good:

The acting was wonderful, you can feel the love these actors have for the roles and each other

The action scenes, incredible action scenes as always (but we could have had so much better one on one fight scenes)

Not awful soundtrack, it's good but still somehow feels half-assed

Reginald finally being told off and the siblings standing up to him, specially Viktor putting the asshole in his place

More of Claire! She finally gets a personality, though I would have loved more Gracie too

Finally addressing Ben and Jennifer

Interesting twists to having the powers back (that were sadly underused, wasted potential)

Klaus being buried alive was horrifying but a truly clever way to torture an immortal, that could have been so interesting for the plot and to address trauma and mental health but no, let's never mention trauma or lasting effects

Jennifer's town

Klaus calling out his siblings

Allison being a protective sister

The special effects

So yeah... I didn't like season 4 and I prefer not to think about it.

As for the other questions...

Any fics I'm working on?

Been on a bit of hiatus due to work, stress and health but I do have plans and will been posting updates to several of my fics soon.

Fav headcanons for my fav ship?

Look, this ask is long enough already, if I start talking about this we'll be here all day. Ask me again some other time 😉

[al1x00]

⚠️CHAP. 7 SPOILERS⚠️

"CW POISONED WITHOUTH YOUR KNOWLEDGE"??? KATY WHO TF HURT YOU?😭😭😭

OH SO THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED TO R'S PARENTS! They went for an expedition and never returned after that, and after that R was left with her uncle and aunt in that horror of a house😭😭 that must've been tough.

"for they only wanted to eat yet they ended up getting eaten themselves." KATY IS THIS FORESHADOWING?🤨🤨 Also ngl this sentence right here almost made me sob.

The fact that R keeps remembering that Hobie will wake up hits me like a goddamn truck, it's like the only thing that keeps R from going insane and just continue to be by his side without losing hope because if the roles were reversed, he would do the same. R continues to talk to him and saying things that have always been in the back of her mind like he could hear all of it. (SORRY I LOVE YAPPING 😔😔)

THE DREAM/NIGHTMARE SCENE WAS SO COOL LIKE HELLO?? KATY YOU'RE FEEDING US GOOD WITH THIS CHAPTER I'M LOVING IT

OKAY WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING? WHY ARE THEY TRYING TO SEDATE R?

Thomas and the others are starting to get a bit suspicious tbh, they're acting a bit too calmly for my liking. I feel like they're trying to do something to R and Hobie, maybe bring them to the lawmen for the bounties on their heads?🤨🤨

I KNEW IT I FUCKING CALLED IT THEY WERE ALL BASTARDS R AND HOBIE NEED TO GET OUT OF THAT PLACE AND BURN IT TO THE GROUND GOD ADSJKDSADSDHBS

Hobie woke up, saw that R was't anywhere near him and immediately went in "I gotta save my wife" mode LMAOO

WAIT WHO TF IS CULVER? I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER BUT MY MIND IS JUST BLANK I DON'T REMEMBER THAT MAN AT ALL😭😭😭

THEY DID BURN THE MARSH TO THE GROUND HELPP WHY IS MY BRAIN SPOILERING THE CHAPTER BEFORE I EVEN READ THE PARAGRAHPS😭😭

Forget matching clothes or anything else R and Hobie have matching mentall illnesses and scars🥰 couple goals fr /j

Okay so Hicks wasn't R's uncle until after six months that he did that horrible shit to Hobie just because he had "competition" and was basically just jealous and R's aunt was like "Let's marry this man and make this house hell on earth for my niece so I can get more money, fuck them kids🥰🥰" LIKE WTF??

"you'd break yourself, break every muscle and bone in your body, tore it limb from limb so you'd be broken together. That you'll fit right in where his jagged edges lie just like before." KATY DAKSDAKDNKA I'M SOBBING😭😭 THEY LOVE EACHOTHER SO MUCH I'M SO GLAD THEY'RE TALKING AND EVERYTHING'S ALRIGHT FOR NOW

Also the fact that they love eachother so much that they aren't afraid to show their vulnerabilities to the other, that R would tear apart every single muscle and bone just to understand how Hobie feels and learn to love him even more than before has me crying and sobbing into my pillow. R doesn't see his imperfections and actually thinks he's still the boy who used to wait her under the oak tree, maybe he's just tougher and a little more scared now for all the things he went throught.

"You are love incarnate" UIFSJAKASK KATY YOU GOTTA PAY FOR MY THERAPIST ONCE OPIN IS OVER BECAUSE THIS SHIT IS MAKING ME CRY GAHH MAKE THEM BE HAPPY FOR ONCE IN THEIR LIVES

Also the kiss at the end?? MADE ME GIGGLE AND KICK MY FEET BUT CRY AT THE SAME TIME LIKE HELLO?😭😭 Also the fact that he just kept loving R even after all those years they spent apart, even after he told himself that he was just a hull of who he was before, but R saw right throught him the moment they met again and Hobie fell in love all over again.

Katy I swear I'm gonna need to file a restraining order against you to keep R and Hobie away from you BECAUSE YOU NEED TO LET THEM BE HAPPY FOR ONCE ABJSDAKD THEY DESERVE ALL THE FUCKING LOVE IN THE WORLD LET THEM GO BACK TO THEIR OAK TREE AND MAKE THAT THEIR HOUSE AGAIN

me rn as I type this:

This was so bittersweet but I LOVED IT SO MUCH, thank you Katy for another amazing chapter❤️❤️ly!!!

Rotten Floorboards

Pairing: Cowboy! Hobie Brown x Fem! Reader

Word count: 11.5k

Tags: No use of Y/N, no specific physical description of the reader, Cowboy AU, Wild west AU, CW hallucinations, TW poisoned without your knowledge, CW violence, religious talk, CW guns, TW abuse mention, CW food mention, CW panic attack, CW injury, TW death, TW blood and gore.

Our Place In the Middle of Nowhere Masterlist

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CHAPTER 7 >>> CHAPTER 8

Skinned knees, scarred hands, and venomous words, you've endured it all back home. Survived it all— his tight, firm grip on your hand that only loosened around guests, finger always running along the gold band on your finger, a reminder of your hatred, a different reminder for him. Then your aunt's yelling in your ears until you could only hear her thunderous words at night even when you're alone. Her pen that does more than sign documents, the sharp end pointed directly on your palm, stabbing and cutting along your life line as if it could end your life right then and there— sometimes you wish it could. Then him, your uncle who had his hand in cutting your ties with the man you love, whose echoing footsteps walk outside your door at night, never giving you reprieve from the pain of being awake in that mausoleum of a home. All that pain, all that abuse you've suffered from your so-called kin doesn't compare to seeing Hobie's limp body under the monstrous weight of steel and ash.

Your heart has stayed inside your stomach since then, his green eyes closed, breathing shallow than the well that your uncle threatened to push you inside— you won't drown in it, you'll just crack your neck and your spine while you lay in tepid dirty water. You feel like that now, hopeless, blank eyes staring at the sky, seeing the world pass by from inside the well.

You've never left his side, feeling as if you'd regret it if you did even for a moment. You've regretted a lot of things, letting your parents go on that doomed expedition, and letting your aunt dictate the rest of your life. Never again. So you don't leave, you don't drink, you don't eat while the stranger who helped carry Hobie into the shabby inn treats him.

Your own wounds ache, festering under the heat of the southern sun. The humidity is clinging to your skin, making it all worse, making the pathetic bandage around your ear throb from the pain, tethering from infection. The walls of the small room they've put you in is suffocating, walls that feel like it's closing you in, dark hardwood that sweats from the sheer heat, and floorboards that creak and squeak from your footsteps. But you'd rather stay upstairs than what's below you. It smells there, especially when the day runs hotter than the surface of a boiling pot. It's probably because the whole building is old and moldy. Or there's something dead hiding underneath the rotten bloated wood.

The alligators outside your window hiss and groan, birds you've never seen before get eaten the moment they step foot inside the marsh. It's not fair, you think, for they only wanted to eat yet they ended up getting eaten themselves.

The night gives your nerves a break, the cooler air breezing through your injuries, taking the pain away for only a moment. Fireflies gather outside the willow tree that you've been staring at since you've arrived. Hobie sleeps under it all, from all the noise and the heat. You've held his hand the entire time, even with the bandages around your palms you could still feel him, feel his pulse, feel how he still breathes. Your eyes are dry and red, tears gone from how much you've cried on his bedside, and pleaded to the man to save him whatever it takes. The rickety armchair that has one leg missing has been your home, the room is your land, and Hobie has been your reason to stay.

You held his hand in yours, watching as his eyelids moved about, a sign that he still lives and thinks despite the trauma to the head he endured when the train crashed. The bandage around his head has turned red from his wound. He protected you, did everything to shield you from death. You'd cry if you still had any tears left to give.

Dawn has arrived, and you hear a knock at the door. It's quiet, almost silent as if the sound would disturb Hobie's slumber.

“Come in,” your voice is still hoarse from the noose that wrapped around your neck. It's small, barely there, barely having the resemblance of your former self.

With a creak, the door opens, and a familiar face pops out. “Just checkin’ on ya.” His southern drawl is thick, shaven face illuminated by the lamp he holds. “I need to change his bandages. And yours if you'd permit me.” Entering the room, he shakes his leather bound bag with the initials ‘T.M.’ embossed on it. The metal and glass inside clinks against each other.

You watch him carry himself with confidence, but with apprehension from his gait. “Do him first.” Moving the chair aside, you still don't fully leave Hobie.

“Alright,” his friendly eyes look at you with uncertainty. Kneeling down next to the bed, he examines Hobie's head, gently unspooling the cloth. That's the only time you look away, refusing to see him that way or it might wiggle its way into your dreams. “I’ve realized that I haven't asked for your name, miss.” You hear his bag unzipping while you stare at the outside world blanketed in deep blue. “Not your fault though, Holden brought you in haste.”

“Holden?” You ask, eyes scanning along the marsh.

“That's the big brooding man that carried him in. My name's Thomas, by the way, what's yours?” The smell of putrid ointment hits your nose, you refuse to cover the smell.

You give him a fake name, a name that isn't known to many, a name that isn't plastered in every bounty board across the country. “It's Clementine.”

“What a pretty name, I'd shake your hand but 'm occupied right now.” He chuckles, and you hold your breath while he continues to treat Hobie. After minutes of silence, you hear the rustle of fabric as he closes the bandages around his head.

You turn to look, the sight of Hobie just laying there is sobering. You've always known him as a strong person, always burying his heels in, independent in all the ways, and speaking his mind when he needs to be. The opposite of you, but right now, you have to be the one that's strong enough for him, to fight, care, and protect him if need be while he recovers. You don't know if you can do it, but it comes easily to you because it's Hobie, you've already done so a lifetime ago. You inhale deeply, finally meeting Thomas’ brown eyes.

“Thank you, for helping, you don't know us but you still helped. I promise I'm going to pay you back for the room and…” you look at the room that still bares Hobie's blood all over the floor, and his things thrown in the corner. “And everything else.”

“No, need.” Thomas smiles, eyes crinkling at the corners. Crow's feet evident in his smile. “Just seein’ him get better slowly is enough for me.” You give him a weak but genuine smile. “Your turn, miss?”

“I'm fine.”

“I've been a doctor for twenty years, and you're clearly not fine. Especially that ear of yours. I've seen better ears from pigs in line for the slaughter.”

You glance at Hobie's sleeping face, finally relenting. “Okay.”

“I'll try to be quick, I promise.” You scooch your chair closer, immediately holding Hobie's hand like his skin is magnetized. “I don't want to ask but, this injury doesn't look like it came from the train derailing.” He starts to peel off the shoddy bandage that you hastily put on, your skin feels like on fire. You don't mind it anymore, you've felt worse.

You sniff, eyes glued onto the gold ring dangling from Hobie's neck. “A piece of metal from the train nicked it.”

“And your hands?” He nods at your burned palms hidden under cloth.

“Heat from the metal when I tossed it off him.” A half lie.

“Ah,” Thomas cleans your wound with the same putrid ointment. He tugs at your raw skin, you bite your tongue on instinct. “Maybe I shouldn't ask about your neck then.” The angry mark left by the lasso still stays, you know it'll stay there forever. If not, then in your mind.

You look back at the stranger, eyes pointed and daring. “Don't ask.”

There's new cloth around your ear, muffling the sounds made by the house. “Then I won't.” He seizes his movements, eyeing your hand around Hobie's. “May I treat your hands?”

“It's fine, mister Thomas.”

“It's doctor, actually,” there's amusement in his eyes. “I’ve got a license and everythin’. You should see it, it's very professional lookin’.”

You crack a smile, “sorry, doctor.” With slight apprehension, you slide your hands away from Hobie's before laying your palms on your lap. “Do you own this place?”

“I do, sort of.” He unwraps your hands, revealing the angry skin underneath. Sucking in his teeth, you already know it's healing badly. But he still tries, for that you owe him everything.

“Sort of?”

“It's my sisters’ you see, they went on this business trip to get more funds for the place so they asked me to look after it for a few weeks.”

“I'm guessing that you had to leave your practice.” You flick your eyes over to Hobie's rising and falling chest to check on him. Satisfied, you look back at the doctor handling you with care. “That must've been horrible.”

“Havin’ sisters?” He jokes.

“No, leaving it all behind.”

His smile falters. “Don't cry crocodile tears for me, miss, I'll be back there treating the sick in no time.” His head tilts curiously at the old scar on your palm, ghosting his thumb over it. “What happened to this one?”

You want to say that it was because of her, that she did it. But this is one of the rare times that it wasn't her fault. Yet, when it was, she's good at hiding the evidence. Your aunt wasn't an idiot, she knew how to turn a girl into her personal workhorse that you whip and punch to obey without leaving any marks, without showing the world and causing them any concern for your well-being. So you tell the halfhearted truth.

“It was a long time ago, there's no cause for concern on that one.” It healed, a remembrance, telling you that everything will heal if you give it time— that Hobie will heal. You meet his eyes, finding it hard to read the old man. “How about Holden and the others I saw? I didn't get a good look at them when I entered but I saw a few guests. Are they guests?” You question him because that's what Hobie would do.

“Holden lives nearby who just happens upon the train wreck. He has a small stable in town, in Saint Denis. If you want he can take in your horses? They're mighty fine, I don't want them getting soiled by the marsh.”

“That…” you think for a second. If the horses are gone then you'd lose your only way out. Hobie would say no. “No, thank you, I'll take care of them.”

“You sure? Fine by me, there's hay inside the stable for ‘em.”

“The others? You were talking about them.” You continue to push the subject.

“Ah yes, sorry ‘bout that, old mind and all. Well, there's Eli, he's been stayin’ with us for quite a while. A priest on a mission we call him.” You listen intently, taking note of every single detail. “Then there's Lucy, she's a regular ‘ere, always comin' and goin'. Accordin’ to my sisters.”

You nod as he finishes your hands that's now tightly wrapped with bandages. Thomas begins to stand up, gathering his things. “Will he be okay?” Will he wake up?

He sighs, there's something behind his eyes that you can't quite pinpoint. “It’s hard to tell.” Your heart hammers inside your ribcage. “But he has so far survived the night, I think he'll pull through.”

“Thank you, again. I'll repay you, I promise.” You reach for Hobie's hand, letting your warmth seep through his clammy hands.

Thomas' eyes flick between your hand and eyes. “Don't mention it. I'll bring a basin with drinking water for him. Drip water onto his lips every few hours so he won't dehydrate.”

You nod in understanding. “I will, thank you ”

“Then some food and water for you.” He smiles, opening the door and looking over his shoulder to glance at you.

“No need—”

“How would you care for him when you don't take care of yourself? You need the energy. What would he say?”

You chuckle, squeezing his hand tighter. “He’d call me a wanker for not eating.”

Thomas knits his brows, turning back towards you. “A what?”

“Nothing, it's something profane.”

He chortles, wiping his hand across his nose like he smelled something foul. And you smell it too— the sourness, the moment he opened the door. Maybe a rat died under the staircase. “I won't ask then. Get some rest, miss Clementine.”

The door clicks and you're once again alone with him. It hits you again, how dire your situation is. There's a rock in the back of your mind that keeps rolling about, reminding you how close Hobie was from dying in your arms. But there's another boulder in the pit of your stomach, it tells you of a fate that could befall you now that you're here, close to the person looking for you. You'd rather jump towards the alligators than be back in their hold.

Hobie will wake up, you know he will. For now, you'd stay by his side, play the good nurse and protect him as much as you can because he would do it if the roles were reversed. You hold his ring in between your fingers, letting the cold metal melt into your warm skin.

—

You whisper to him, words that you're afraid of letting go, words that you wish would wake him up. You wonder what he dreams of, is it home? Is it something good? Or is he dreaming of you? You'll ask him when he wakes up, he'll wake up, you know he will.

There's another knock at the door a few hours later. Thomas enters with a tray that smells of something savoury, you've forgotten how hungry you are. But how could you indulge when Hobie lays there like a statue?

“I have some duck for ya, and a loaf. It's not much but it'll fill you up.” He senses your trepidation. “Please eat, you'll get weaker if you don't. ‘sides, no one will take care of him if you fall ill.” The utensils rattles as he places the tray in your hands.

You stare at the food with a blank stare. Guilt eats you alive, grief devouring what's left of you. “C-can you…” you clear your dry throat, “can you check on him? See if his breathing is alright?”

Thomas nods curtly after a moment, placing his fingers above his pulse, timing it on a watch that dangles from his waist coat. You don't touch the warm food until he's done. “His breathin’s fine, he's a fighter.”

You finally feel like you can exhale again. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” standing up, Thomas points at the bowl filled with water where a cloth floats atop it. “That's for him, from what we talked about.”

“I remember.” You're already squeezing the cloth, releasing excess water before you place the tray on his bedside to slowly let the water drip on Hobie's dry lips. With every drop, you pray to whoever is listening to will him awake.

“I'll leave you to it,” the door closes, and you're once again left in your dark thoughts where your fears have come true.

In between eating and playing nurse, your eyes start to get heavy with every bite of the succulent meat. You couldn't help but finish it to the bone, letting it fill your belly, leaving half of the loaf for Hobie when he wakes up. After chugging a whole pitcher of water and emptying Hobie's bowl by slowly but surely letting him drink, you place the tray down on the ground to lay down next to him carefully. There's a headache forming in-between your eyes, maybe you're incredibly fatigued than you thought you were. You're mindful of his injuries but not your own as you lay on your injured ear. It's self flagellation, as if everything that has happened was your fault the moment you stepped foot in the new world. As your eyes get uncomfortably heavy, mind foggy, you fall asleep curled up on his side.

You open your eyes and you're back home. The gilded walls of your room open up to you like a theater curtain. Your chest heaves, eyes filled with tears that you refuse to let go. Chiffon and velvet dress hugging you tightly, too tight, suffocating you slowly like a hand on your throat. Hand upon your chest, you rip it all off as if the garment burns you. But it isn't enough to get rid of it all, so you walk over to your table in haste, grabbing a sharp letter opener to slash and tear at the threads putting it all together. One by one, the once pretty gown is torn to shreds at your feet, from bodice to skirt, it all lays on the ground like discarded meat. In a flash, your eyes see red and bloodied muscle still writhing on the floor instead of fabric. As soon as it appears, it's gone after a beat.

You stand there in your slip, but the heaviness in your chest persists, hands and legs going numb— a testament to your shallow breathing. Your hands glide along your body to find anything tight around you, gasping and still in a panic, your hands stop around your neck that holds a string of diamonds. Without a second thought, you snatch the shiny thing away from your clammy skin, breaking the chain in the process.

Air enters your lungs the moment it's gone. Palms above your chest, you inhale and exhale whilst hot tears flow out of your eyes in a shower of sorrow. Leaning over the table for balance, your eyes meet with a familiar handwriting addressed to you. You're brought back in time the second your hand touches it, brought back to five years ago when Hobie slipped you a note during a party. You read it again, telling you that everything was ready, that he's ready to run away with you, somewhere far away and that you should pack your things.

After you read it, the letter dissolves into dark ink that drips down to your feet. You're holding the new letter again, opening the plain wax seal, you read the contents. Then you read it over and over until you get your mind wrapped around the saccharine yet sorrowful words that are all written in his hand. Hobie, the one you've been mourning since the news hit you.

His address is written hastily next to his own name, you laugh and then sob, hugging the letter to your chest. The scene shifts as if you've entered the fog and into a new world. You're in front of the docks, a large ship looming over you. You're dressed in a pair of borrowed trousers from Peter's wife, whilst the older man himself speaks by your side but you can't make out his words. It's all a garbled mess. For some reason, his hands are dripping with blood, but you don't point it out.

You tell him something, and he shakes his head with a smile, eyepatch moving as he gently nudges you towards the ship. The night hides his face, and all the secrets haunting you, even with the full moon shining down. As you wave goodbye, the ship unfurls its sails, sailors reeling the anchor up, and the captain steering the ship towards your future. You watch as Peter's silhouette gets farther until he's a mere dot in your sight.

You raise your head up to watch the swirling sky, falling stars raining down, and the moon smiling back at you. Someone whispers your name, and you instinctively turn around, expecting a fate worse than death thinking that they've found you. But you're greeted by Hobie himself, still in the same clothes you last saw him in, hair short, and face flat.

“Hobie?” You sound like you're underneath the waves.

“Run.”

You're awoken by the squeak from the rotten hinges. Sitting up, your eyes adjust to the light, seeing a silhouette of a tall, bony man in black and white. Vision focusing, you see him awkwardly stop in front of the doorway, the white square on his collar tells you that this is the reverend Thomas was talking about. He has a patch work of a beard and an aura of weariness.

“Eli,” your mouth speaks before you could think.

“That's me,” he chuckles, clearing his throat right after. His hands are behind his back, prompting you to be more wary of the man.

“What are you doing here?” You sit properly, hand placed on your gun belt, feeling the cold metal of Hobie's gun on your palm.

“I–I was…” his blue eyes flick from your gun to Hobie's sleeping face. “Thinking of p-praying for him.”

“He’s not dead yet, reverend.” Your harsh voice cuts through the man.

“I don't mean any offense.” He holds his empty hands up, you glance at his rough hands and the tattoo on his wrist revealed from how his sleeve rode down. It's something you can't quite get a good look at. Noticing your stare, Eli brings his hands down, pulling down his sleeves. “Praying for his swift recovery. That's what I meant.”

“You can pray for him outside our door. Better yet, pray downstairs.” You stare him down. “Where's your book of prayers?”

“I'm sorry, I should've knocked.” You can't place his accent. “I thought you were asleep—”

“And that makes it alright to barge in?”

He balances on the balls of his feet, your eyes instinctively flick over to his leather shoes that are too shiny, too kept as if he just bought it or cleaned it for the occasion. “We got off on the wrong foot, I'm sorry, miss…Clementine. My name's Eli.” Reaching for you, you only look at his hand without shaking it.

“I didn't give you my name.”

The reverend takes his hand back with a wince. “I–I got it from Thomas.” Your jaw tightens, eyes boring holes into his forehead. Thankfully, he reads the room and your expression. “I should go—”

“You should. Goodbye.”

The reverend doesn't turn his back on you, opening the door with what you could read as a cursory apologetic look. “I'm sorry, again.”

You grunt in reply. With the door clicking close, you stand up, taking a spare chair that Thomas always sits down on to lodge it under the doorknob. Locking the door and battening down the hatches. It's what Hobie would do, it's what he always does when he thinks you've fallen asleep.

“Wanker.” You scoff out before sitting back down next to Hobie. You don't find sleep after that. Your mind is too noisy, too chaotic to find sleep even though your body demands it.

—

Two days in and Hobie is still unresponsive, he breathes, even twitches in his sleep but he's unable to wake up. It's pure torture for you, seeing him lay there while you try your best at taking care of him. You've even tasked yourself at watching the good doctor clean his wounds and replace the bandages so you could do it yourself. You miss his smile, his laugh, and how he holds your hand. It’s just like how you've felt for those five long years, but this time you can see him, touch him, and take care of him but he doesn't speak nor look back at you. You don't know which one is worse.

Thomas says he's getting better, but you still worry. You play his nurse and a grieving widow at the same time. Everytime Hobie's breath hitches or even when his finger twitches you sit up, frantically calling the doctor to check on him. He always says the same thing, ‘he’s just dreaming,’ it doesn't fill you at ease, especially if it's anywhere near the dreams you've been having.

Three meals are brought to you every day, and each meal has brought you to sleep. You blame the trauma you've experienced, the things you've seen, the things you've done— it brings you towards the precipice of life and death each time, and without fail, you dream of him. Hobie still sleeps on the lumpy bed, body lay still, breathing sturdy and true. You don't mind the sleep, but the dreams you've had aren't always good, so you'd rather keep your eyes open than face the horrors that sleep brings.

Sometimes your mind wanders off, vision whirling to something else, something worse than him laying unresponsive to the world outside. In the corner of the dark room, you see a bloodied fountain pen with soiled grain littered around it. You turn around to look away, and you see something worse, his pristine white suit is a glaring contrast to the almost dilapidated state of the room, acting like a beacon of pain for you. He doesn't smile, nor come closer to you, he just stands there, back straight like he owns the place, light green eyes aglow like the fireflies outside but none of the comfort.

The blood in your veins runs cold at the sight, so you turn away from him as he stands guard with his judging eyes. Your eyes land towards Hobie to calm you down and bring yourself back to reality. He still sleeps, bandages wrapped around his head, eyelids twitching while he dreams. With a sigh, you suddenly see a pair of eyes under his bed, you're frozen at the sight of a large hand appearing from underneath, nails dark and rotten, wounds littered around the arm, decaying and sour smelling. You see it give you a crooked smile. Heart thrumming, the hand grabs Hobie's wrist, blackened blood oozing from its touch. With horror in your belly but bravery in your heart, you yank the hand away, finding it bursting into a cloud of smoke the moment you touched it.

“You alright?” Thomas asks, he watches you catch your breath from the doorway.

Your hand is closed around nothing, still held up in front of you, gasping at nothingness. You inhale, clearing your throat and bringing down your trembling hand to your lap. “Y-yeah, I think I'm just too hot.”

Thomas nods, eyes roaming around the room. “You've been cooped up in this room for two days. I think some fresh air would do you some good.”

You immediately shake your head. “I can't leave him. Besides, there's a window here, I get enough air as it is.”

“Pardon my bluntness but, you need to stretch around, get a different scenery or you'll go mad seeing the same walls.” Thomas crosses the gap, tentatively placing his hand on your shoulder. His palm hovers slightly above your blouse, not truly holding you. “I can watch him for you, the worst has come to pass already. I know he'll wake up eventually.”

You glance at Hobie's face, he does look better than before. There's color on his lips again, his breathing stable, skin no longer clammy and his wounds are starting to scab over. And the horses need your attention too, you have no idea how they're faring since they got here. You ponder leaving him for a moment.

“...okay, j-just for a few minutes.” But you still don't trust Thomas enough to leave Hobie alone with him. “You don't have to watch him.”

“Alright, I understand where you're comin' from. Hell, I'll give you the key to the room if it makes you feel any better.” Thomas takes out a ring of keys from his pocket, and then he takes out an old key from the metal ring to hand to you. “Just bring it back after.”

“Alright, thank you, that actually fills me with ease.” You close your fingers around the key, letting the metal press down into your burned palms.

“I'll be downstairs. I promise if I hear anythin’, even a squeak I'll come runnin’ out to get you.” Thomas smiles, back already turned to leave.

Your voice calls him back. “Doctor, you've seen death, do you think there's an afterlife?” You suddenly ask him, Thomas stops in his tracks, chuckling softly.

“I don't know, love.” You raise a brow, head turning immediately to face him. “I think it's best if you ask the reverend that. I'm sure he can provide you with an answer.”

“But you've seen people die, right? From your patients, to just…living. I want your opinion on the matter.” You push the subject, eyes heavy and tired. You can feel every bone in your body as your vision shifts, seeing iridescent light pass through the windows and shine in Thomas' face. When your eyes focus, the light is gone.

Thomas scratches his head. “From what I experienced?” You nod, “I don't think so. I think there's just darkness right after.” He sniffs, hands placed in his pockets. “I really think you should talk to the reverend, he might provide a more comforting answer.”

“Maybe I should.” Your voice drifts off, eyes blankly staring outside.

“You sure you're alright?”

“I don't know.” You don't see how red your eyes have become, or the bags weighing it down.

Thomas leaves without another word. You don't leave the room after that, and the key stays with you to hold onto, letting the metal dig into your palms.

—

Startling awake, you sit up from the whispers that have managed to slither its way inside your ears. You look over your side, seeing Hobie asleep and safe, you begin to sit up, head pounding roughly against your skull as if you've been hit by something in your sleep.

More whispers echo out into the darkness, your eyes wander around the room, finding no one so you listen closely. You glance at the floor, ears straining to hear, you realize the voices are coming out from beneath.

Slowly clambering away from the bed, hand reluctantly releasing Hobie's hand, you make your way onto the floor, laying yourself down on the cool wood. Pressing your ears, you listen in on the murmured conversation.

“She barely sleeps!” A woman's voice exclaims, it's followed by shushing. “It doesn't even work on her. I'm at my fuckin’ limit.”

“We need to be patient—” Someone says.

You press your face down closer to hear better. “We've been patient. We need to—” the floorboards creak from your movement. And they immediately quiet down.

You lay there perfectly still, but no sound from downstairs can be heard. Standing up, you check the doors if you've locked it properly this time, and you pat the gun on your hip to feel if it's still there. The unfounded trust that you've given to the strangers downstairs are wavering by the minute. But you can't leave, not until Hobie wakes up, or you might disturb his healing.

—

You gasp awake, trembling in your seat, the wounds on your palms have reopened from how your nails have dug into your broken palms. It's another nightmare, another nightmare that has kept you awake. Hobie still sleeps, and you're still trapped inside the small dusty room.

The heels of your palms rub roughly on your eyelids, washing away the nightmare and sleep. Laying your head on the back of the chair, you stair at the ceiling and the cracking paint. There's a dark red spot near the middle, it's barely noticeable but it's there. The longer you stare at it, the bigger it gets. You fight a sob as you abruptly stand up, maybe you should take Thomas on his offer by going outside. It doesn't hurt to leave for a few minutes, right? Surely no one is awake at the break of dawn, so Hobie is safe to be left for a moment. And he's comfortable with the window opened, letting the cool early morning breeze inside.

You sit down on his bedside, hands gently cupping his own. “I'll be back, alright? I just need to check on Buck and Cherry.” He doesn't answer. “Maybe they can tell me how they managed to find us. Or maybe what you told me before was actually right, that they can smell us. Like loyal hounds we had back at the manor.” Your words drift away as your eyes lose focus, staring at the raised scar on his neck. You sniff, bringing yourself back to reality. “Please wake up, I feel like— just please wake up. Yell my name when you do and I'll come running back.” You kiss his knuckles, eyes glancing at the pair of white trousers standing in the corner. “I'll be back.”

You stand up, ignoring all the ghostly eyes staring at your back. They're not real, you whisper to yourself. Opening the door and locking it behind you before you could change your mind. The key is safely tucked away in your breast pocket. A headache rushes by, you almost fall on your knees from the pain.

As you stand shakily in the hallway, the floors seem to shift and change. It stretches before you while you walk, as if it won't allow you to escape the place. You close your eyes tightly, grounding yourself by holding onto the wall. When you open your eyes, you see your aunt standing at the end of the long hallway. She's clad in black, a long coat hiding her entire body, from her neck to the tips of her feet. Her hair is stark white against the dark material, strands that are longer than you last saw her. You can barely see her face, but it's odd, like something's amiss.

“Where are your eyes, dear aunt?” You ask in a small voice, as if you've returned to the young age you first met her.

She opens her maw, a deep dark crevice of sharp teeth all lined up in rows. You hear your name escape from her unhinged jaw, it's whispered close in your ears. “You can't leave.”

“I just did.” You say without remorse, and without guilt. “Watch me leave again.” With measured steps you walk closer to the vision, as you get closer and closer, her body turns transparent until you've walked through her. And everything returns to normal. You've reached the banisters overlooking downstairs, hand clasped tightly around the wood. Shaking, but victorious. “Not real.”

You look over the railing, eyes roaming around the small space. There's a small common room where a fireplace that doubles as the kitchen lies. A large man sleeps on the single couch facing the fireplace, snoring softly, arms crossed over his chest. A humble bar is placed across it, where amber liquid in foggy glass sits on the shelves. Leaning closer, you spot a door on the floor that could lead to a basement of some sort. The surfaces have been wiped clean except for the tops of the shelves that are caked in dust. There's minimal decorations, save for a few pictures hanging on the walls. Then it hits you, the smell of the place. From sour milk to rotten eggs, you can barely decipher what it is, only decay.

You can see the place being homely after a renovation if not for the stench.

The wooden bannister creaks when you put your weight on it, you flinch away before it gives out from under you. You walk slowly down the small steps of the stairway, legs shaking from the thrumming headache behind your eyes, feet swaying like you're drunk off of moonshine. You attribute it from the vision you saw and from how fatigued you are. But your shoes barely clack against the floor from your footsteps. Your eyes skim over the photographs on the walls, yellowed paper and old frames of family. You look for Thomas in any of the pictures, but he's absent in every single one.

You finally make it down without waking anyone. The man, Holden, you surmise based on the description Thomas gave you, still snores on the couch. Crossing the threshold, you unlock the front door to go outside.

The entire marsh is bathed in blue, sun barely peeking in the horizon. A breeze passes by, goosebumps rising on your arms from the cold. You should've brought your coat with you, but it's too late now. If you go back upstairs, you think you cannot go back down.

You already feel like you're coming back to your old self. Eyes still weighing heavy in its sockets but at least the air and the greenery have grounded you back to reality. You have no idea what has befallen you, why you've been having visions of your family. Maybe it's the sleep deprivation, or maybe the living has decided to haunt you for all the things you've done to survive.

Walking along the wooden paths that prop you up from the mud, you follow it further down towards the small stable. The birds are beginning to wake up, chirping just above the canopies of tall willow trees. With every footstep, your feet sink slightly into the mud, soil swallowing down the planks of wood laid down as a makeshift path. Flies buzz around your legs, you swat away any that comes near your healing wounds.

You finally make it towards the stable, opening the door with slight force since the hinges are long rotten from the wear and tear of the moist environment. You finally crack it open, seeing seven horses in their little pens on the side. The wood inside is in the same state as the inn, bloated and decaying from age. Light filters through the cracks, dust and bloatflies flying all over the horses.

Bucky peeks his head when he hears you enter, he immediately recognizes you, hind legs stomping in excitement. You smile genuinely at the dark horse, walking towards his stable, still swaying slightly on your feet. Cherry appears from behind Bucky, coat muddy and hair tangled. You guess that they had to share a pen because of the lack of space in the stable.

“Hi, you two.” You reach up towards their faces, Bucky nuzzles your hand while Cherry huffs against your palm. “I'm sorry, I should've visited you earlier. But Hobie needed my attention.” With the mention of his rider, Buckeye neighs, leaning away, almost standing up on two legs. You think that he worries for him. “It's alright, calm down, boy. He's getting better.”

Bucky shakes his head, so you scratch the back of his ear where he always seems to like. You coo at him, whispering kind words towards the horse for finding you and Hobie amidst the wreckage with Cherry in tow. You enter their pen, brushing your hands along his fur and hair. Hobie's canteen peeks from his saddlebag on Bucky, so you take it, taking big gulps before placing it back inside the pack. You feel a lot better already.

Cherry watches you and Bucky interact. When she's had enough of Bucky getting all of your attention, she nudges your shoulder, nodding and huffing like a petulant child. “Alright, alright, I didn't forget about you.” Chuckling, you rub along her snout, you find that she likes to be pet there the most. “Have you been good? I'd give you both an apple or sugarcube but I don't have any on me.” You spot the bundle of hay near the entrance. “Is hay good enough? When we get out of here I'll give you both all the sugar cubes and fruit you could ever want.”

Leaving their side after numerous pets, you grab a pitchfork laying on the corner to grab some hay to place in their pen. Once both horses are properly fed and petted, you look around the stable for a horse brush, but the only thing you could find were more horses looking at you with curious eyes. You're more confused though, you see five horses in each pen, but there are only four guests inside the inn that you know of. There's Thomas, Eli, and Holden that you've already met. Then there's the mysterious Lucy. Whose horse is it that is alone in the corner? Maybe it's a spare? Nevertheless, you feed all of them.

“I'll be back,” you fold your knees to grab a bucket on the floor. “Let me just get some water for—”

“You're speaking to horses.”

“Jesus!” You clutch your chest from the sudden intrusion.

“Just me, sorry.” A woman stands in the doorway, hands on her shiny belt buckle, red corset tight on her torso, revealing freckles dusted on her shoulders and clavicle. She smiles, showing a gold tooth in the bottom row of her teeth. The sun has now fully risen outside, bathing her back in light, shadows hiding her face from you. “I'm Lucy, you must be Clementine.”

You clear your throat before you almost made the mistake of correcting her. “Y-yeah. Nice to meet you.”

“Why are you doing manual labor? Aren't you injured?”

“I am, but I'm feeling a lot better now thanks to the doctor.”

“Thomas?”

“Yeah, is there another doctor here?”

She chuckles, stepping forward out of the shadows. You see her chiseled face, lips full and pretty, more freckles lined around her eyes and cheeks. Her blond hair is tied in a neat braid, cowboy hat perfectly fitted around her head. There's a hunting rifle strapped on her back, and a large ornate knife on her waist.

“I'll take care of the water. Breakfast is being served inside if you're hungry.” She says with a lilt in her tone. “There's sausage, the good kind. I think you'll like it.”

“You've got their water?” You ask, glancing at your horses.

“Yeah, I've got them.” She crosses the small distance towards you, you don't drop your guard even when her hand grabs the bucket away from you. “I've been the one looking after them.”

“Oh, thank you then. I hope they're not too much of a bother.”

“Not really. Especially your Arabian there, she's real pretty.” Lucy eyes Cherry like a piece of meat on the chopping block. “How much for her?”

“Excuse me?” You scoff. “She's not for sale.”

“Alright, understandable. How about the thoroughbred?”

“No,” you stand stiff, jaw clenched. “They're not for sale.”

She grins slowly, brown eyes flat and staring at your soul. Shrugging, she begins to walk outside. “Eh, it's worth the try. Your loss, I would've bought them at a mark up.” Her voice fades away as she leaves.

You stand there with your fists shaking, you're perturbed by the people residing in the inn. You think Thomas and Holden are the only decent ones inside.

Cherry neighs behind you, you look over your shoulder to meet with her eyes. “The nerve of some people, huh?” Buckeye agrees by trotting in place.

Walking back towards the inn already has you sweating from the humidity. Once you open the door, all eyes are on you. Thomas stands behind the bar, preparing a plate. While Holden eats on one of the empty bar stools with a cup of steaming coffee paused on his lips as he stares at you. The reverend was just about leaving the basement when you entered, hand frozen on the handle of the basement door.

The doctor breaks the awkward silence. “Good morning. Did ya have a nice walk outside?”

You flex your hands on your sides, biting the inside of your cheek. “It was…pleasant.”

Eli casually stands up and then sits on the sofa near the fire and the cooking pot. He opens a large book, reading like he didn't just leave the basement as if he owned the place.

“Come have breakfast with us.” Thomas beckons you over, sliding the plate he was just preparing over to you. “I was just about to go upstairs and give this to ya.”

“Thank you, I'll eat it in my room. I don't want to disturb you all.” You come closer to the bar, fingers placed around the porcelain plate. You feel eyes on you, Holden continues to eat in the corner of your eyes. Eli is mouthing scriptures at his seat.

“No, no, come stay!” Thomas hands you a cup of coffee. The smell brings you back home. It's not a good memory. “It'll do you some good to have company, even for a moment. Please stay.”

You nod, clammy palms rubbing along your trousers. “...sure, just for breakfast though.” Rubbing your nose, Thomas notices.

“Sorry ‘bout the smell. We think there's a rat that died in the basement but we can't seem to find it.” He picks at his own plate while leaning on the other side of the bar. “That's why the reverend was down there. It was his turn to look.”

You nod, glancing briefly at the trap door on the floor. “Can I have a glass of water instead? I don't like coffee.”

His fork clangs on the plate as he lets go. “Oh of course!” Turning around he takes a pitcher of water and then he pours you a glass. While he does that, you look at the pictures behind the bar.

“Which one are your sisters?” You gesture towards the frames, Thomas still has his back towards you as he continues to pour you a glass.

“Oh, the picture that's in the middle.” You follow where he pointed at. A photograph of two smiling women in front of the inn when it was still new and shiny hangs in the middle of the bar. Their faces are flat and serious but the way their arms are around each other says that they're particularly happy in the picture. If not for the long exposure needed to take the scene, they would be grinning widely.

You tilt your head at the picture, eyes scanning their features and comparing it to Thomas' face. “You don't look like them.”

He twists around, handing you your glass of water. “I've been told.” Chuckling, he looks back at the picture briefly before turning towards you. “They got my mother's features and I got my father's. Which parent do you look like the most?” His eyes watch the mouth of the glass against your lips.

“I barely remember their faces now.” You don't drink the water just yet to answer his question. “So I don't know.”

“That's too bad.” And yet, he smiles. “How ‘bout you, Holden? Who do you look like?”

“My mother.” He says gruffly, tone monotone and uninterested.

“Ah.” Thomas picks at his plate again.

“I haven't thanked you yet for saving him.” You address the large man. “Thank you.”

“I just happened upon the place. My eyes couldn't leave the train wreck.” Holden stares at the same spot on the bar, you follow his line of sight, once you've reached the end, you see a dark red splatter on a glass of gin.

Before you could ask, Eli interrupts. “As is his will.” He's now in front of the fire even though it's sweltering inside already. “It's very lucky that Holden happens to be riding that way.” Eli says those words with humour, as if the train derailing is the funniest thing in the world.

Thomas clears his throat, “I heard no one else on the train got hurt.” You sigh in relief, knowing the real Clementine and her family are safe and sound. “A few railroad workers were injured but they're fine now, last I heard.”

“Yes, it's good that no one else got severely hurt.” Lucy appears inside the inn, smiling at you. She stalks silently around you like you're prey. Your hand instinctively slides down towards your gun belt.

“Well, except for your lad.” Thomas says, you look at him with wide eyes, blood running cold, gun now fully in your hand. The world swirls around you, your breathing gets faster, heartbeat loud in your ears. The air shifts, everyone except Thomas stiffens. “We know who he is. He's a fuckin’ legend ‘round ‘ere, but don't worry, we won't tell any lawmen. We're not like that.” Thomas continues to speak even with your world crumbling around you. He doesn't know what he just revealed. “Drink your water, we don't want you goin' thirsty now.”

“‘L-lad?’” you almost whisper, but the entire room is silent, a pin could drop and you'd hear it. Your words are thunderous compared to the fire cracking in the fireplace. “You said you're from here.”

Thomas chuckles nervously, you stand up, eyes flicking over towards the occupants. The rotten stench under the floorboards has increased ten fold in your panic, the tiny splotches of crimson on the walls and glass aren't just dirt and grime.

It's blood, and the entire inn is covered in it. Hastily scrubbed off the surface, but the mark of death remains.

They all look at you, Holden stands behind you, his shadow casting over you. Lucy continues to smile while Eli looks on amidst the backdrop of the raging fire behind him. Thomas gives you a look, shaking his head subtly.

You don't miss a beat, gun aiming behind you to shoot. But no bullet flies, you don't hit your mark for the chamber is all emptied out without your knowledge. You don't know when it was taken out but you don't have time to ponder it. Running past Lucy towards the stairs, you yell his name.

“Hobie!” You manage to get to the third step before you fall flat on your face, nose harshly landing on the stair, shoulder oozing something warm. Looking over the source, you see Lucy's hunting knife embedded in your shoulder. “No!”

Lucy giggles, and the reverend joins her side, face downturned, eyes following how your blood oozes out of your back.

“Fuck! They said don't draw blood! What the bloody hell is wrong with you!” Thomas shows his true colours, yelling at Lucy angrily. You continue to crawl up the stairs despite the searing pain. “Fuckin’ grab her! Get the key, it's on her.”

“I'm…” you still fight, elbows pressed on the rough wood, crawling relentlessly up the stairs. “Going to fucking kill all of you.” You say through gritted teeth, ignoring the seething pain as your body trembles.

Eli's voice pipes up. “We just want to get you home. God will strike you down if you do that.”

“Strike me down all he wants. He knows where I am.” With determined eyes, you keep crawling even though your arms are split apart by splinters.

You're about halfway up the steps when you hear loud heavy footsteps walk towards your form. Groaning, you dig for the key inside your pocket. The second you find it, you toss it with all your might, it flies up and then it lands and slides under the bar shelves. It's your turn to cackle. Large hands grab you, turning you over. Holden's scowl looks back at you. Puckering your lips, you spit at his face, laughing as he lets you go, desperately cleaning his face.

“Move over, big guy. Do I have to do everything around here?” Silent steps cross over to you while you try to desperately climb up. You can't feel your back anymore. Suddenly, you feel a cloth press on your mouth and nose. You know this smell, it's sweet and tart, but there's an underlying bitterness. Recognizing it from the description on the botanical books you've read, the ones that they say a proper lady shouldn't read. And you know you're about to black out within ten seconds. You try to fight back but you're weakening.

“Shh,” Lucy coos, arm tightening around your neck as she presses the concoction harder on your nose. Her own arm hits the knife still in your shoulder, you gasp in pain, inhaling more. “Go to sleep, sweetheart.”

The last thing you hear is his voice calling out after you. You're not sure if it's real or not, but you still cling to hope that it is.

—

The rope around your body is rough against your skin, the hemp seems to tighten around you as you move. You feel bandages on your shoulder blade, stab wound aching and throbbing. Entire body covered in sweat, your clothes are drenched from the heat. Your vision swirls, mind tethering between reality and fantasy. You see your aunt standing near the rake you just held, your uncle crouched in the corner, watching you struggle against your binds. And him, who sits next to you, as if he's guarding you. His face crosses your line of sight, it shifts between Hobie's soft smile, and his grinning face.

“I told you, you can't leave.” He says, hand reaching up to touch your face. You know he's not real, that he's a result of what Lucy gave you, what they've been giving you— but you still feel the air around him shift, how his palm sits on your cheek like a hot pan against your skin.

“C–Cross,” you gulp down as much air as you can amidst your state. “What did I do to deserve this?”

He could only grin at you.

“You’re awake, good. Lucy didn't accidentally kill you.” Eli stands near the doorway of the stable with a gold gun in his hand. Fingers yanking off his tab collar.

“Eli, you creepy motherfucker.” You slur your words, but you fight the haze. “How much did they pay you just to bring me back?”

He sniffs, “a lot.” The horses neigh in the background, you turn your head and you see Bucky and Cherry frantically thump and kick their hooves inside their pen.

“You’re not even a reverend are you?”

“No,” He says, turning away from the doors to face you. “I was once though.”

“Let me guess, you weren't cut out to be one.” You lean up, almost folding yourself to squint at him. “Or they fucking kicked you out.” He flinches, it's subtle, but you saw it. “They did, didn't they? What did you do, reverend?” You taunt while you try to ease your wrists off from the rope. Your skin stings from the movement, but it'll be worth it once you get your hands around his scrawny neck. “Oh shit, don't tell me it's—”

“It was gambling. I've racked up a debt.” He was quick to answer, as if he's still trying to protect his reputation. “I used all the donations.”

“That's fucked up.” You scoff, riling him up, playing him like a fiddle. “Seriously, so fucked up. And you decided to what? Scam more people by wearing the uniform?” Eli doesn't answer, you see him bounce on the balls of his feet, anxiety rolling off him in waves. “Is there an afterlife, reverend?” You say in a small, weaker voice to rag on him on more. It works when he turns towards you.

“Stop talking,” He saunters over to you, crouching down to your level. “I've already heard all those words before, you don't get to hurt me back, girl.”

“Was it all of you? Holden looked like he didn't want to be in there.”

“Please, he was the one who recruited me. He knew that Thomas needed more men the moment he heard Hobie's name.”

You chuckle bitterly. “You know that one of you has damaged the goods, right?”

“Thomas healed you.”

“Yeah, but still, you've left a mark. That means the pay will go down, that means your share will go down thanks to Lucy.” You can practically see the cogs in his head turn. Tilting your head, you turn him against his own team. “Tell me, would it hurt if you got someone out? You know, increase your pay.”

“What are you saying?”

“There are plenty of alligators here. I'm saying that accidents happen.”

Eli knits his brows, “but which one—?” The unmistakable sound of a gun going off echoes around the marsh. It's so loud that the horses are startled, panicked neighing fill the stable, birds scramble off the trees to fly away. “That came from inside the inn!” He stands up, you drop your façade as he turns away. “Shit!” More shots ring out, then a dozen more, suddenly, it's quiet in the marsh again.

Eli is in the perfect position for you, his body shields you from the afternoon sun as he stands there in a worried state. His gun is in his clammy hand, hammer pushed all the way down. Without a thought, you sit up in a crouched position slowly without startling him. And then you push him on the back of his knees with your shoulder, earning a pained groan from you and a sudden bang when he falls that has you flinching away.

Rubies pool around Eli's body, and you realize, he has shot himself when he fell on his face.

“Fuck.” The voice by the doorway says, you can only see his silhouette, the setting sun directly at his back. He's hunched over, silver gun in his bloodied hand.

“Hobie, are you real?” You could cry, on instinct, you move to get to him but your binds prevent you. Tears cling to your eyelashes as he slowly makes his way towards you. “H-how?”

You can see his face fully now, blood coats his cheeks and neck, eyebrows contorted in pain but his smile tells you otherwise. “I woke up.”

“You did.” Sobbing, you try to hold him even with the ropes around your wrist. “Are you okay?”

Hobie holsters his gun, wiping the blood off his hands on his trousers, and then he cradles your face. Thumb brushing along the tears. “‘m alright, dizzy and a bit of a headache but ‘m alright.” His viridescent eyes are aglow, trapped tears glimmering. “Are you—? Did they hurt you?” He asks in a small voice, afraid of your reply.

You frown, and he already knows the answer. “I thought you wouldn't wake up.”

“With you waitin' for me, of course I'd wake up.” Hobie lays his forehead against your own. He's real, and he's holding you in his arms again. “‘m real, love. I'll never leave you again.”

You cry in his arms even when he cuts off your binds. Your mind is still reeling from the previous event. Body free, you embrace him, face tucked on the crook of his neck. He holds you, kissing your temple, hands rubbing up and down on your back. He apologizes against your skin a hundred times. And you forgive him a hundred more.

Hobie releases all the horses from the stable, all the now riderless horses gallop out in a rush. He guides Cherry and Bucky out to hitch them just outside on the trees and away from the inn and stable. Coming by to get you, who stands in front of the inn.

“I need to get my things.” He says next to you, pinky curled around your own. “Your letters are still in there.”

“I'll come with you.”

“No, you don't need to see that.” His eyes warn you of the sight ahead.

“Too late for that, Hobie.” You thump your head on his bicep. “I’ll watch your back. Just in case.”

“Stay close, yeah?” He smiles softly, letting go of your hand reluctantly. You nod behind him, gun drawn and loaded.

The door opens, you try not to look at the bodies at your feet but your eyes seem to gravitate towards the violence that was left. There's blood splattered all over the walls, Holden's body is hunched over itself, blood seeping out from his numerous gunshot wounds. You walk a bit more, following Hobie's path. Broken glass crunches at your feet, and you see Lucy laying on the ground with her own knife shoved inside her chest. Her eyes are wide open, mouth agape in surprise. By the stairs, in the same position you were in mere hours ago, lies Thomas with a shotgun wound on his back, making you see through him.

“H-how'd you manage this on your own?” Your nails scratch along the metal of your gun.

“You were in danger.” Was all he answered.

As you stand there, you hear something on the floor next to the bar, glancing downwards even though you've had enough of the sight, you find someone who shouldn't be there.

“Culver?” You ask, and he whizzes out.

“Help. Me.” He tugs at your trouser leg, he's drenched in crimson, from his face down to his boots.

“He was hiding underneath the floorboards with the bodies of the actual owners.” Hobie says, guilt is written all over your face. “It's not your fault, love, you gave him a chance and he spat at it.”

“P-please,” he wheezes out, voice hoarse and broken, “they hired me, I-I was just following orders.”

You sniff, fists shaking. “It was my aunt wasn't it?”

Culver shakes his head, desperate to please you, desperate for you to save him again. “No, it was your h—”

Your bullet cuts him off, he lays there, now unmoving, and the gun in your hand smoking. You feel like you're deprived of air. Hands shaking, tears flowing out freely.

Hobie reaches for you slowly, you don't flinch away so he pulls you in, letting you weep against his chest.

—

The flames ebb away at the building, ashes flying off into the air as the roof collapses down on itself. You let the smoke fill your lungs, watching the fire light up the entire marsh, but it acts as a beacon to where you are. And you can't risk being found, especially when he's back on your side.

You kneel down, placing the framed photograph of the actual owners on the ground, apologizing to them quietly.

“We should go, Hobs.” You softly say, tugging at his sleeves.

He nods, eyes flicking between you and the burning inn. His palm is pointed towards you, waiting for you to reach for him. When your hand slides on his own, all his fears melt away. You're safe, and he's alive— that's all that matters.

—

Midnight comes, you and Hobie rode further north and away from the chaos you two left. Bucky and Cherry sleep next to each other, both tired from the ride. You tend to the fire while Hobie cleans his hands in a nearby river. The murky water turns a dark shade of red as he scrubs his hands clean, there's blood under his fingernails. And shallow crimson slashes on his arms. Once all the blood has been washed away, he sees a slash on his palm, identical to yours, the one he sutured himself. He winces, and you turn around to check on him. The both of you had been quiet the entire journey, preferring to look on whenever one groans in pain or when either one of you shifts on the saddle. You don't want to talk about it, and he doesn't want to either. Both thinking that it was his and your fault for everything that had happened.

He holds up a hand to you, wordlessly telling you that he's alright. Nodding, you turn back towards the fire, your vision shifts from the campfire in front of you to the burning cinders of the inn. A wet cloth on your cheek jerks you awake.

“Sorry,” Hobie flinches, taking the cold cloth away from your skin. “You have soot all over your face.”

You smile softly, hand reaching for his wrist, gently placing the cloth back to your face. He understands, wiping away the ash off of your skin. You stare at him, face unreadable, bandage still wrapped around his head. “Hobie,” he hums in reply, continuing to wipe the grime off. “You said you had to leave but you never told me how you left. Please tell me what happened that night.” Why did you leave me?

Hobie scooches closer to you, knee to knee, hand still wiping along your forehead. “Hicks did it.” You listen, hands fisting his vest to tamp down your frustration and everything in between. “He was the one who found out, told your aunt and got a group from the factory to ambush me in our meeting place.” His voice breaks but he composes himself. “He was the one who slashed my throat and…” faltering, the cloth slid downwards to your neck, rubbing along your skin. “buried me alive under our tree.”

Your heart clenches, imaging him clawing his way out of the dark earth. “Hicks, h-he married my aunt six months after you left. That motherfucker boasted that he killed you, hid your body in the woods. But I knew better.”

Hobie runs his thumb under your eye, wiping away a stray tear. He gives you a brief smile. “Fucker wasn't content in bein’ the factory manager, he had to ‘eliminate the competition,’ he said. I wasn't even participatin’.”

“I'm sorry,” you wrap your arms over his shoulders, hands holding his jaw. You apologize to him like an acolyte asking for retribution in front of the shrine. “I'm sorry, I should've done something— I could've—”

“There was nothin' you could've done, love. Just like how I couldn't fight back.” He pulls you in, face pressed on the crown of your head. “They used you against me. Told me that you didn't want me anymore. Told me I was a burden to you.”

“No, never. I'd never do that.” You pull away, holding him close, meeting his emerald eyes that reminds you of the best parts of home.

“I know that now. I knew it back then too, but my anger and frustration got the best of me.” He presses a heavy kiss on your forehead as you close your eyes, listening to him breathe. “Peter helped me get out, and all he got from it was getting his eye taken out.”

You gasp softly. “He helped me too,” Hobie looks at you, hands still cradling your face. Hands that are warm against your soft skin. “He didn't tell anyone where you were, I didn't know until now, until your letter. He helped me get on a boat.” You remember that day, it was raining, it was also pouring down back when Hobie left. Your nails dig into your palms when your mind gives you the image of him digging himself out of the flooded soil, lungs inhaling in rain water and dirt. “I–I really wanted to look for you, to run after you but I couldn't.” Hobie presses you against his chest while you heave, tears flowing down your cheeks as you feel his own drop on your head. “They had me under lock and key, they guarded my doors for years, until—” You pause, hands bunched up on his shirt. “I'm so fucking sorry.”

Hobie cradles you in place, arms holding your form as he lets his touch calm you down, accepting your apology, and accepting his faults. “You did good, love, you survived. But I'm ‘ere now, you'll never be back there.” You nod against his chest, Hobie hides his sorrow filled face in the crook of your neck, lips pressed on your skin, mumbling apologies. “When I was runnin’ away while I was still bleedin’, I thought I should at least say goodbye to you. But I changed my mind and went towards the docks while Peter hid me in his cart.” He leans away, just like back then, he doesn't want to sink his teeth into you, to bite hard and draw blood. “I thought that you deserve someone who isn't me. Someone who's not broken. 'm broken, and 'm afraid I'll never return to who I was before.”

You reach up to touch his cheek tenderly, head placed on his lap, cradling your body just like he did under your oak tree. “You are not as broken as you think you are. Not to me, never. You are everything to me, Hobie Brown.” You hug him, for you have no idea how to tell him that you know he can't be ‘fixed’, that there's nothing to be fixed. That even if there was, you'd break yourself, break every muscle and bone in your body, tore it limb from limb so you'd be broken together. That you'll fit right in where his jagged edges lie just like before. But you know you don't have to, because you're just as broken as he is.

"Is there still room left in there for me?" You poke his chest right where his heart is.

His yearning has taken a form in you, it has your face, and it has your voice. You are love incarnate.

"Always. you've never left.” He says softly, words that are only for your ears. You nod, smiling, tilting your head up as he leans down. “Let's go home, love.” He wants to carve out your name in his heart, but he'll settle for the next best thing— etching your lips upon his own.

[st4r-c0d3]

I just want everyone to know that I'm going to be practicing my writing skills so I can write fanfics :D

FOR THE SOLE GODDAMN PURPOSE OF MAKING A SERIES WHERE MINETA IS THE MAIN CHARACTER AND HE STRUGGLES WITH INTERNALIZED HOMOPHOBIA BUT ENDS UP IN A REALLY HEALTHY AND STABLE RELATIONSHIP WITH AN OC

AND I WANT EVERYONE TO FUCKING KNOW THAT I AM A FIRM BELIEVER THATE 1) MINETA DESERVES LOVE AND 2) HE'S GAY BUT JUST HAS SOOOOOO MUCH INTERNALIZED HOMOPHOBIA THAT'S ITS PAINFUL TO SEE ALL OF HIS PEERS GET TOGETHER BECAUSE THEY AREN'T PAINFULLY HELD BACK FROM BEING WHO THEY ARE LIKE HE IS

THAT IS THE GODDAMN FUCKING POST

[thatpunkmaximoff]

Story: 3 out of 5 Smut: 5 out of 5

Normally I love bully romances or romances where the male love interests are unapologetic assholes, but there was just something about these three heathens that ALMOST made me dnf this book. Fortunately, I didn't, and I ended up liking the story well enough.

Romina is the most innocent and pure individual, and I wanted to protect her at all costs. Then I realized she had to learn what she liked, and I realized she fit in rather well with the heathens after all. The overturning of Roe V. Wade and the punishment of doctors was a little too real, and I'd never rooted for devil worshippers more than I had when I read this book.

Some of the spice was questionable, especially given how innocent Romina is in the beginning, and then it was downright filthy towards the end.

I might not have liked it as much as I thought I would, but I still recommend others to read it.

Now enjoy my ramblings..

* “You call out God’s name one more time while I’m between your legs, even he won’t be able to save you, little lamb.” — THE FIRST FUCKING SENTENCE, are you kidding me?! 😂

* Father Frollo can eat a dick.

* Holy fuck! These three little shits just bought the chapel.. the chapel where Frollo is hiding Romina!

* Damn.. these dudes are dicks. Poor Romina 😬

* Goddamn. He really just pulled her into his face and ate her out, huh 😏

* Now that the boys know the truth of her living situation, they’re PISSED!

* So Corvin is the only one holding out. Felix is okay, a little obsessed and very much protective while Sonny is just a plain dick.

* I like Reesa sticking up for Romina about the “bad touch”. Too bad Romina loves their touching tho 😂

* Sonny “called” Romina? Wtf is going on?

* I normally love the guys being assholes, but Romina is too pure/innocent to be given this treatment. Idk how I feel about this book.

* That cemetery scene.. I’m just.. at a loss for words 😳

* I’m noticing an uptick of girls getting fucked with the hilt of a knife 😂 Is everyone in crack?

* And goddamn, Sonny! Did you really have to tell Romina you didn’t like her after she had to use her safe word with you? What a dick. I hope Corvin is the first one to fuck her.

* She Arlan Black’s granddaughter?! I fucking knew it.

* Yesssss! Corvin fucked her first lmao.

* Oh no. They told her about Arlan.

* And fuck you, Frollo. I can’t believe you’re giving her an exorcism. You’re so fucked, dude.

* Now fuck you, Sonny, for kicking her out! I just hope Reesa is a decent human being.

* Ohhhh. Poor Romina 🥺 Can we let this girl be happy please?! She doesn’t deserve this.

* Well at least the boys realized they fucked up and took her back in.

* These Escura boys, man.. 🥵 She was the main dish in their spot roast 😂

* Alright, who the fuck tranqed Sonny?

* Oh fuck that dude. I’m so glad they killed him.

* Holy shit. The old man wants them to marry?!

* Aww. He was a virgin lol.

* She bound herself to them!!

* Frollo got what he deserved.

* And Romina got what she deserved as well. The heathens who will worship her until their time is up.

* I can’t believe they got married 😭

[ravenoclock]

SKAJDJSKANAN ive been putting off reading this fic since i learnt of its existence cuz it’s canon compliant and all that. i haven’t even finished it yet and can SENSE my mental health deteriorating by the moment… but i feel like I’m processing it better than when i read crimson rivers and the hand that feeds (GOD THOSE TWO KILLED ME) cuz i had no one to talk to abt those fics so i was suffering in silence so tysm <3.

UR RIGHT. THE PRONGSFOOT. AGSHAHJAHAH. they’re so toxic and i hate it and i love it and it’s all so confusing because i feel sm for them and I can’t understand it all.

OKOK ON TO CHAPTER 8….

“How do you let go?”

“I don’t know”

(You never know.)

fuck. that… wow. just…speechless. i’m speechless rn.

JAMES MY POOR BABY :(( Effie and Monty dying and him just throwing himself off whatever cliff he was on and Sirius being like ‘if we go down we go down together’ too seriously (it’s literally in his name idk what I expected). Sirius being enabler of the century because she’ll love James unconditionally no matter what and the whole anything you can do I can do better thing so they’re basically enabling each other to destroy themselves and continue to destroy themselves.

JAMES HAVING FOUR SECRET STASHES. WHAT THE ACTUAL-

oh and Remus’ lingering gaze. we see you mf. (so does Sirius but they don’t know wtf it is they want).

OH AND HARRY IN THE WOMB. HARRY POTTER IS IN THE GODDAMN FUCKING WOMB BECAUSE JAMSS FORGOT THE SPELLS AND SJSBSJAJJAJAJAJAJ. they were both grieving and their hopes are all piled onto this child and it’s just so so fucking sad and heartbreaking and they all deserved to live and love and all that corny bullshit they NEVER GOT TO DO. none of them are dead yet (most of them are like halfway there ;-;) and i’m not doing that okay. SIRIUS IS GODFATHER!!! YESSSSSSSS!!! and her being like ‘i don’t know how to love i just know what it feels to not have it’ is just EJHDSHJS WHYYYYYYYY.

Sirius, who exists at ends of two extremes, no middle ground, no fixed point. He is always too much and never enough. A man who cries, and someone crying, who is not a man. Sirius doesn't get to live in absolutes; when he's at his weakest, he wishes he could, just for the ease of it, just to know something and, if he's lucky, not hate it.

hey. my (nonexistent) therapist wants to call you up for wrecking me like this. that was a fucking bomb drop. not cool. i had to take a lap around the room (or 9) after reading this or else i was gonna cry cuz DAMN. WHAT YHE FUCK.

is this like a universal experience? where everyone feels like they’re too much yet not enough at all? cuz like I think it all the time and im sure there are more people who do?? im not at all comparing my situation to that of Sirius’ in this fic, but im just curious. have you ever felt that way before?

WOLFSTAR MAKING UP FROM A NONEXISTENT BREAKUP CUZ THEY WETENT EVEN TOGETHER IS SO THEM. HAVE I MENTIONED HOW MYCH I LOVE THEM?? I DONT THINK SO. I LOVE THEM YOUR HONOR. REMUS BEING LIKE ‘THIS IS GOOD’ AND SIRIUS INTERNALLY COMBUSTING FROM HOW SWEET HE IS LIKE CHRIST SIRIUS HE WAS ALWAYS THERE AND ALWAYS IN LOVE AND ALWAYS WILLIBG TO TRY BUT SIRIUD DIDNT WANT TO BELIEVE IT (cuz of the whole ‘he deserves better and you know it’ and all his other self dialogue that isn’t exactly healthy and happy) BUT ARGEHSJSH. I CANT THINK STRAIGHT WITH THEM. THE FLUFF. LOVE LOVE LIVE LIVE LOVE LIVE LOVE. im gonna ignore the fact that it’s canon compliant rn cuz they’re happy so im happy and the whole world must be happy and allow them to be happy for the rest of time (AHEM IM LOOKING AT U BALDY VOLDY) anyways when i read chapter 9 I’ll be back :)).

@labyrinthhofmymind

the following content has spoilers for a fic called presque vu by bizarrestars.

I WILL BE KEEPING U UPDATED BECAUSE I NEED SOMEONE TO TALK TO ABT THIS. ITS TOO LATE TO BACK OUT.

ANYWHO;

SIRIUS SAYING REG AND JAMES ARE THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO KNOW ENOUGH TO LOVE HIM KILLED ME. I DIED. WTF.

OH AND THE SETTLE DOWN THING AND HOW SIRIUS FOESNT WANT TO SETTLE DOWN. AND REMUS BEING LIKE ‘YEAH I WOULD FOR THE RIGHT PERSON’ AND LOOKING AT SIRIUS AND SIRIUS IS LIKE ‘he deserves better and you know it’ NOO, LOVE, YOU ARE SOULMATES PLS PLS RECONSIDR. DJJSSJSJSJ.

also Sirius’ whole thing about not wanting to label because why the fuck do you have to label is so real. it’s literally what I tell my friends when they ask why I don’t label and they just look at me weird (except for one of them who said—to my face btw— ‘there’s so many labels just pick one’). anyways Sirius spiralling and being like ew why tf is he making me spiral (abt Dearborn) is SO FUNNY (ik it was like an angsty scene and all but they made me crack up).

Peter yelling ‘don’t forget to use the spells’ is so USHAKAKNS. WHY?! and knowing he’s a spy…. have I mentioned that I want to rip my hair out? No? currently ripping my hair out.

…the chapter ending? the ending of chapter 7??? excuse me??? WHY DID SIRIUS DO THAT. the heartbreak I could feel from Remus. WTF. also I don’t think Sirius did it (the thing with Dearborn) but again, he’s an extremely unreliable narrator so who tf actually knows. idk tho. can I say I’m neutral unless it’s confirmed that he did or didn’t do it? what do u think? wolfstar is so problematic and low key toxic but DHSHJS I LOVE RHEM SM. GAH. also the paranoia in this chapter with Sirius suspecting Remus as the spy… WHY. WHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHY??!!!!!? canon compliant fics will be the death of me I swear. they’re like a drug you can’t get enough of with the full knowledge that it’s not that good for you. anywho. also Sirius is like ‘I wouldn’t settle down not because you don’t deserve it but because I don’t’ and I find that heartbreaking. :(( Sirius you are loved.

when I finish the next few chapters I’ll post another rant. tysm for reading!!

[antiloreolympus]

9 Anti LO Asks

1. I know nothing about this, I just stumbled onto your blog and started reading, but I saw a post where (presumably) the author said that Aphrodite and Persephone... weren't skinny? They're tiny??? Wtf

2. I love long-haired men so much I never thought I would consider a long-haired man ugly. But goddamn, Hades still looks ugly even with long hair, even to me. That's impressive... are you, like, alive, btw?

3. You know, in the new currently fast pass chapter... Kronos takes over Hades and makes him say stuff to Thanatos? Right, but then he goes, "What's wrong, don't want Persephone to be your new mommy?" Which is terrible writing enough on it's own but then you HAVE to consider that PERSEPHONE HERSELF IS YOUNGER THAN THANATOS, SOMEONES WHOSE MEANT TO BE HADES' SURROGATE SON (who he treats like shit). Like, Hades is more than old enough to be a father but Persephone only JUST turned old enough to maybe be a mother! Which really makes you realize, Hades isn't old enough to be her dad, he's old enough to be her grandpa. Disgusting. Like, there can't be any defense for this 💀

4. tbh i think eris is a shit character and a hamfisted plot device. she could have been added so much better.

5. My personal criticism with LO has mostly to do with the art style. Like yes the writings kinda trashy but trashy can still be good if its coupled with great visuals and characters. The problem is that the arts just pathetically inconsistent. You can't even blame webtoon for it since she has a few assistants. I'm an artist myself and even tho I don't draw for a living, I know it's fairly easy to create simple character charts and reference sheets. Some people say it's not that bad but god the inconsistency in the characters appearances can ruin chapters for me.

For example, the fact that Persephone sometimes has siren eyes, doe eyes, full lips, no lips, extra body fat, less body fat, a button nose, or a longer nose is ridiculous. It drives me nuts when people call the art amazing, because it's just not. And it seems like all of her aesthetic details (IE wardrobe and colors) are all very surface level, aside from Minthe/Persephone and Hades contrasts.

Demeter being green and purple makes some sense, but then her daughter being neon pink ONLY is weird. Hades being blue and winter-esq makes some sense since there's no sun in the underworld, but the ENTIRE underworld being the same blue and black is just ugly. Zeus being a royal purple? Makes sense. Hera being gold? That too. They're the only color pallets that actually correspond with personality, yet they're wasted with basic wardrobes and character development.   Ares being gold makes sense GENETICALLY, but not in practicality. Same with Hermes being red. Plus, she seems to assign colors to characters at random without even seeing how they build off of each other, let alone their own personalities.

I don't think people really get how important color and wardrobe are in stories, especially visual ones. You should be able to look at a character and immediately understand what they're about, even if it's subconsciously. But Persephone is often in bright happy colors and tight clothing even in times of stress or depression. Artemis is always in workout gear or her uniform. Minthe is more in "sexy" clothing, which is fine, but her colors don't change with her mental state.

Another problem I have is again with Persephone. Her wardrobe isn't even picked out by her, it's always by others/magic. She never really gets to visually tell us how she feels other than her glaringly obvious vines and eyes. Like, I could deal with a visual crutch if the writing was good or vise versa, but when they're both lacking it just sucks.

I see a lot of people say the same things I wanted to, like how creepy Perse and Hades are, how Apollo wasn't handled well, yada yada yada. Anyway Hades is creepy and Hera, Minthe, and Demeter deserve the world ✌🏼

6. It's really funny bc I've been reading some of the scenes of Hades' problematic action (esp the latest fast pass) and he literally talks like my abusive dad and my ex groomer. Like hm maybe your male lead having the same verbal manipulation tactics as actual abusers isn't the best. But oh my bad Hades is still a perfect man /s

7. something that makes me angry about demeter is that we are supposed to see her as an abusive or controlling mother ( i know that controlling mothers is an obviously bad thing ) but all her reasons are a good part of the time valid?

Like:

She doesn't want her child dating a 40y + man who she knows for like 11 days +++ someone who was literally a horrible person with her until the point she cried .

And lets not forget about the slaver owner thing 🥺 demeter knows hades more time  than persephone, obviously. It's not something bad if you dont want your TEENAGER daughter next to a grown old man who the only thing he thinks about its her "small petite thicc pink body" 😁

8. i just wanted to say that i really love your blog, like whenever i look at it i feel better. idk if thats kinda weird since its an anti blog but it just kinda brings me euphoria. ty!

From OP: Thank you so much! I’m glad my blog can be beneficial for you. /pos

-----FP Spoiler-----

9. 220 spoiler: full fuckin disrespect, we all know Kronos wants Persephone rather than Hera as his “golden traitor”, because fuck every other god/goddess, the only ones that matter are Hades and Persephone!!