#i saw this scene and started laughing hysterically

[sansthepacifist-art]

it's her! ... ... ... ...Hikaru!

[starmocha]

OK, fuck it, I'll throw this idea out into the universe. Very, very rough. And I will never complete this story lmao ✌️ I was gonna do bullet points, but I am also incapable of making things easy for myself. 😔

Caleb/MC/Zayne love triangle AU where Caleb and MC had a secret relationship prior to chapter 4 that resulted in a pregnancy that won't be discovered until after The Explosion.

When U Come Back

All it took was one second for her world to disappear.

One moment she was speaking with Caleb outside Grandma Josephine's home, their conversation tensed because of a disagreement, and suddenly before she could even realize what had happened, she found herself crumbled on the floor, hearing flames crackling, the scorching heat like hellfire surrounding her.

There was an explosion. Her mind was in a frenzy as it tried to register the scene before her. Right, an explosion. Her hand was on the door handle. Caleb had gone in first and just as she was about to follow suit, she was blown back and now she lay there, her vision failing.

Caleb...Caleb...!

His necklace lay in front of her on the ground. No. It couldn't be.

Caleb!

She shakily reached for his necklace, grasping tightly as her consciousness slipped away.

When she regained consciousness later, she found herself in a hospital room.

Confused, completely disoriented, she barely registered the tears running down her face until the door opened and Zayne walked in, his eyes widened in concern.

"Doctor...Zayne...?" She still hadn't realized her cheeks were wet with tears, only being able to focus on the heavy pounding in her chest. "I...I had a bad dream...why...why am I here?"

Zayne drew in a breath. He steadied his own breathing, mindful of his tone as he questioned her gently.

"Do you not remember anything that happened earlier?"

A knot formed in her stomach.

"No," she said hesitantly, hoping the scene still vivid in her head was unreal. "I...I don't..."

Zayne understood the situation, knowing she was still in shock so he wasn't going to pressure her. He did know, unfortunately, that she needed to hear the truth.

"I'm sorry," he said, his chest tightening when he saw that flicker of fear in her eyes, "Miss Josephine and Caleb are both...deceased."

She started laughing, nearly crying in hysterics. "That's not a funny joke, Zayne."

He was quiet.

"Caleb and I had an argument earlier," she continued, speaking more to herself. Her words were pouring out frantically as fresh tears rushed down her cheeks. "We had an argument. We were going to make up later. We never go to bed angry at each other. We were..."

"I'm sorry."

There was a knock at the door and a nurse entered, apologizing quietly to the young doctor. She mentioned there were detectives who wished to speak with the patient. Zayne sent her away, saying the patient needed some time to calm down first.

Zayne stayed with her the whole time, feeling his own grief at losing a childhood friend as well.

Some time passed. She returned to work with bags under eyes, looking malnourished. She hadn't had much of an appetite lately, and sleep scared her. She found herself dreaming of that evening over and over again, reliving that moment when she and Caleb were upset at one another.

They were supposed to make up. They always made up. She caressed his necklace in her hand, her thumb brushing over the pendant, tracing the engraved message:

When U come back

Her co-workers chimed in that she should take time off. Captain Jenna herself even said the Hunters Association offered bereavement leave, but the moment she heard that term, she unknowingly shot her superior a look of intense hatred.

There were startled gasps around her, breaking her out of her stupor. She immediately apologized once she realized what she had done. She didn't want to hear that word, or any similar words that would remind her that Caleb was gone.

No one was angry at her. They were all concerned for her, seeing she was wasting away, destroying herself as she grieved.

Tara offered to take her home, helped her as she needed. Captain Jenna also issued this as an order, knowing she wouldn’t be able to refuse.

Before she could protest, she suddenly felt dizzy, feeling an intense migraine and a fatigue unlike any she had felt before in her life. As she collapsed, she heard her co-workers crying out her name, and in her hand, she grasped Caleb's necklace tighter, the last thing she heard before blacking out was hearing Caleb’s voice calling her:

Pipsqueak, I’ll always be by your side.

Another hospital room.

She stared at the ceiling, still feeling fatigued. It was bound to happen, she realized, knowing the many sleepless nights had finally caught up with her.

Just as she sat up, the door opened and she immediately locked eyes with Zayne.

“I’m sorry to trouble you,” she said, “I just needed to rest at home. They didn’t need to check me into the hospital—”

Zayne stopped her from getting out of bed. He was holding a clipboard, his expression hardened. “We had to do some tests to rule out any major concerns…”

She sensed something was off about Zayne’s demeanor. “What is it? Do I have an illness or something?”

“Not quite,” he said, realizing there was no tactful way to deliver his news. He continued calmly, “You’re pregnant.”

She stared at him, not believing she had heard him correctly.

A tensed silence settled in the room, neither person able to tear their eyes off the other. Zayne waited patiently for her to register the news, seeing in her eyes the different emotions passing in quick successions. He was startled when she suddenly broke down crying, her hands settled over the flatness of her belly.

“Pregnant?” she asked again, looking up at him with tears down her cheeks.

Zayne breathed in sharply and nodded. He kept his expression neutral, hiding the fact that a mixture of feelings was warring inside him, ranging from anger to heartbreak. He had always thought he would have more time with her, a chance to cross that line of childhood friends, but it seemed all of the recent outings or late nights together were simply just two old friends catching up and nothing more.

He nodded quietly. “If you need help contacting the father—”

“It’s Caleb’s.”

The silence returned, but it was broken just as quickly as it had arrived.

“It’s Caleb’s,” she sobbed again, her arms suddenly wrapped around Zayne’s torso. He stood there rigid, unsure of what to do. There were questions swirling around in his head, but they didn’t seem to matter to him as much. All he could do—wanted to do—was comfort her.

He let his arms wrapped around her, his heart breaking again as she continued to cry.

“It’s Caleb’s…”

Zayne remained by her side. That won’t ever change, he had decided long ago. For as long as she would allow him, he would stay by her side.

He stayed with her, saving her from herself as she angrily tore herself apart, guilt-ridden that in her grief, she had allowed her baby—Caleb’s baby—to also suffer.

“You didn’t know,” he soothed her, his arms around her in comfort. “It’s still early. You hadn’t done anything wrong.”

He brushed her tears aside with his thumbs, his voice still as gentle as always. “You are allowed to grieve for as long as you need to,” he said, “I know he was important to you.”

He just hadn’t realized the extent of their relationship together. Zayne quelled his jealously before it could ever simmer. This was a deceased man, and also, his own friend. He didn’t want such ugly feelings to fester inside him like this. There were more important matters at hand now anyway.

Zayne stayed. She didn’t push him away, so he stayed.

He stayed and guided her through her first trimester. He made her ginger tea for when the morning sickness came. He advised her to rest as often as she needed since these first months were going to be rough on her body. He also made her meals often, finding the most nutritious recipes for an expectant woman.

One evening, over dinner, she asked, “Are you Doctor Zayne right now or…just Zayne?”

He looked surprised, not understanding her implication.

“It’s just…a doctor wouldn’t care about his patient this much, would he?”

“That is up for debate,” he answered, “many doctors do go above and beyond for their patients.”

“Then I’ll ask again: is this Doctor Zayne…or Zayne?”

He looked into her expectant eyes before his own drifted down to her growing middle. A small bump was forming, a reminder that she was carrying a new life inside her body. Another man’s baby.

Zayne met her gaze again. “Does it matter how I respond?”

“You don’t have to do this…”

“‘Do this?’”

“Take care of me like this,” she answered, that ever-familiar flicker of guilt returning in her eyes. “I can take care of myself. If not, Tara has also been helping me out, too, so you don’t need to—”

“If I say I am Zayne, will it change anything?”

She was silent, so he continued, his tone was soft, but his words were firm.

“If I say, I want to stay with you, will you let me?”

She looked up. “I don’t want you to have the wrong impression—”

“What impression would that be then?”

“That…I am using you.”

“I don’t believe you are. I know you aren’t,” he said, continuing, “But if I say I would let you use me, will that scare you?”

She drew in a sharp breath, feeling her heartbeat quickening. He crossed over to her side, kneeling down next to her.

“If I say, I want to stay by your side, then…will you let me?”

“Zayne…”

She slipped her hand into his, that flash of hesitancy in her eyes unmissed by him, but he was not upset by it. Not in the slightest. He wasn’t demanding anything from her, nor was he expecting anything in return.

He simply wanted to stay by her side.

That night, she slept for the first time in ages, curled into his protective embrace. The weight she had been carrying on her shoulders were lightened by his presence, his soothing words freeing her from her own shackles as she allowed him to break down her wall.

“You can sleep now, I’m here,” Zayne whispered to her as she slept. The deep troubled creases in her expression relaxed, as if in response to his words. He pressed his lips to the top of her head, his words earnest: “I will always be here.”

Gradually, over time, there were many changes happening. Her belly had grown bigger, rounding out distinctively that it suddenly made everything feel so real. She was having a baby. Caleb’s baby. The tumultuous emotions that followed would always send her down a dark path.

The baby was somehow a constant reminder of the man she had lost, but at the same time also a gift he had left for her, his promise staying true. He was still here. He would never leave her.

Just like Zayne had also promised to stay with her.

In the beginning, each passing day felt like Hell, a constant nightmare she wasn’t able to escape from. Time moved so agonizingly slow, it might as well have been frozen, trapping her in that perpetual state of grief and anger.

Then, so subtly, Zayne reached into her depths of despairs and pulled her out. He was patient, empathetic, and careful. He had never overstepped any boundary, never took advantage of her vulnerability, but he still loved her unconditionally.

Hesitantly, she began to allow herself to reciprocate, genuinely touched by all of his thoughtfulness and concerns. Some days, she might even admit that she adored him. She adored the way he interacted with the children in the pediatric ward, she adored the way he enjoyed eating sweets, she adored how he always put others above himself. It made her want to take care of him herself, wanting to return the love she was receiving. She also wanted him to feel as loved and cherished as he made her feel.

The first time she kissed him it took them both by surprise.

She was nearing six months before she finally felt the baby’s first movements. After weeks of carrying this growing anxiety inside her that something could be wrong with the baby or pregnancy, the moment she felt those first few gentle kicks had her laughing in joy for the first time in months.

Zayne had just finished building a crib for the nursery when she rushed into the room in her delicate condition, throwing herself into his embrace.

When she guided his hand to her belly, his look of surprise staying only briefly before a small smile replaced it. Without thinking, she leaned up and kissed him, and instead of feeling shocked, Zayne responded immediately, feeling joy swelled in his own chest.

He had been by her side through all of this. He had taken care of her when she was sick or tired. He had been the one to comfort her through her mood swings. He was there helping her buy maternity clothes or choosing the necessary items the baby would need. In times, he realized, he had also grown to care about the baby she carried—even if it was not his.

Now, he felt a new emotion stirring inside him. She wanted him to be the first to hear the news. She wanted him to feel the movements alongside her. She kissed him. He wanted to be bolder.

He cupped her face in his hands and guided her lips back to his, relishing in the way she responded, her wall coming down completely as she surrendered to her feelings for him.

It was almost like playing make-believe.

Their feelings for one another were genuine, but sometimes they would forget. At least until someone, naively, took off the rose-tinted glasses they wore.

Congratulations. You two must be so thrilled about the baby.

Oh, what a beautiful couple. Their baby will surely be beautiful as well.

Have you picked out a name yet?

They responded to such comments with polite smiles, but once they were alone, the masks fell off.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

“Why are you apologizing?” Zayne asked, “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

She didn’t do anything wrong, but she still felt like she needed to apologize to him. Zayne had never said anything, never showed her the slightest inkling that he might be affected by such words or speculations, but she felt like she knew Zayne just as well as he knew her.

She knew he never wanted her to see when he was hurting.

“They’re just words,” he said calmly, his hand reaching over to rub lazy circles around her belly. “I will not love him any less just because he’s not my biological child.”

Zayne meant every word.

The moment the baby was born, after over twenty-six hours of labor, she watched as Zayne cradled the newborn with such tender care. Anyone who would see him hold the baby boy would never suspect that he wasn’t the father.

There were so many bittersweet feelings that lingered, the grip they had on her firm and unyielding. Never once did she dare to relinquish the guilt she carried.

She felt guilty for letting another man into her life again, feeling like she was betraying Caleb, letting the memory of him be overridden. She also felt guilty to Zayne, feeling like he was picking up the broken pieces of her and mending her back again to some semblance of a person but never completely whole. She felt guilty to both men. One for losing her heart to another and the other for never having her full heart as his alone.

“What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

She gasped when the hospital bed shifted with Zayne’s sudden weight. He sat on the edge, the baby tucked in his arms protectively. He reached out and brushed away some of her tears. She hadn’t realized that she had started crying. She was feeling so many things at once all stemming from different origins.

She was exhausted from the long grueling hours of labor. She was emotionally overwhelmed by everything that had happened in the last nine months. She knew her hormones were still out of control, heightening everything she felt to an extreme degree.

“I’m just tired,” she fibbed weakly. The exhaustion on her face was clear as day. Zayne could sense she was withholding something from him, but he knew when to not pressure her. In due time, he knew she would open herself up more to him.

For now, he accepted her benign lie.

The baby started to fuss, alerting the both of them. Zayne chuckled and gently passed the newborn over to his mother.

“He must want his mama now,” Zayne said lightheartedly. He was startled when she started to tremble, droplets of her tears falling suddenly. She was trying to hold her emotions back, but something in the way Zayne spoke seemed to have triggered her.

He gathered her into his embrace and he shushed her gently. “What’s wrong? Did I say something wrong?”

She shook her head and just cried against him. “I’m sorry… I’m just… I don’t feel like myself anymore.”

He sighed and kissed the top of her head. “Don’t force yourself,” he said softly. “You’ve been through a lot. You don’t need to be so harsh on yourself.”

It was tearing him apart inside to see her still so beaten down. He continued in the same soothing tone, “Just breathe.”

Slowly, she managed to compose herself. She stayed in his embrace, her eyes peering down at the sleeping baby in her arms, her breathing nearly stopping now that she fully looked at the newborn she carried.

“He looks like Caleb.”

“He does,” Zayne agreed, and he kissed the top of her head again, his hold on her just a bit tighter.

The baby looked like Caleb and as time passed, the little boy grew up behaving so similarly to the deceased man. She found both joy and heartbreak in this, feeling happy that Caleb continued to live on in this child, but also saddened that it was a reminder of who she had lost.

She supposed she would never let go of these feelings. It would be too heartless if she did.

“Daddy, apple!”

“Alright, alright,” Zayne said with a knowing smile as he carried in his arms the small toddler, the child’s bright demeanor and appearance reminiscent of little cherubs. He set the little boy on the counter as he retrieved an apple and washed it clean. He expertly peeled the skin before he cut the fruit up into small chunks.

“Say ‘ah’,” Zayne spoke as he guided the small chunk into the toddler’s eager mouth. He smiled as the boy clapped his hands together in pure delight at the sweet taste of the fresh fruit. “Is it good?”

The boy nodded excitedly. Once he swallowed, he pointed at his mouth again. “‘nother one, Daddy, pwease?”

Zayne chuckled and leaned down. “Can I have a kiss first?”

Immediately, the toddler pressed a wet kiss to Zayne’s cheek, giggling when Zayne suddenly tickled him. “Da-Daddy!”

Zayne laughed and hugged the child, kissing the top of his head before he composed himself again. “Alright, alright, Daddy won’t tickle you anymore. For now. Say ‘ah’.”

As he fed the toddler little bites, she walked in and stopped, her body leaning against the threshold to the kitchen with a fond smile.

Fatherhood looked good on Zayne. He had taken on the role so seamlessly, never once showing any resentment to the little boy that was not his. If anything, there was so much love and adoration in Zayne’s eyes and the way he cared for the child.

It dawned on her that Zayne had been in her son’s life from the beginning. He had cared for her throughout her pregnancy. He was the one who had spent many sleepless nights with a crying newborn so she could rest. He was there to nurse her son through his first fever.

Zayne was always there, always theirs.

So, when the little boy uttered his first word Dada, it shocked them both. When the child clung to Zayne, falling asleep in his safe embrace, they both realized this life they had come to build together was something beautiful.

They could make this work.

They could be a family of three.

It was going to be beautiful.

It had been several years since she had stepped foot back in Skyhaven, remembering old visits to see Caleb when he was studying here.

Caleb.

She sighed.

It had been a while since she had thought of him, or at the very least, in that way. There were so many things on her mind nowadays. The grief from his death would always stay with her, a throbbing pain that could never be dulled, but as time passed, she learned to live with this heartache. She had a child now—Caleb’s child—and the little boy deserved his mother’s whole attention.

She remade herself whole for her son’s sake, not wanting him to have an empty shell of a person for a mother. She also had Zayne by her side, wanting him to have someone who could love him the way he deserved. There were still so many people in the present needing her, she let herself slipped further away from the ghost of the past.

Around her neck, she still had Caleb’s necklace. It had come to be her comfort object, a charm of sorts to ground her when she was feeling lost in her head or needing some sort of reassurance.

Right now, she needed a lot of reassurances.

The current mission to infiltrate the Farspace Fleet was in jeopardy of being discovered. She had been discreet and blended in well for several weeks now, but one moment of carelessness had now secured her a place in an interrogation room where she was told the new colonel would question her himself.

Nothing, however, could prepare her when the door slid open, and a pair of old, familiar violet eyes stared her down coldly.

Ca-Caleb?

Her heart sped up, pounding against her chest as she stared in disbelief at the man before her.

“Is it really you? Ca—”

“Show some respect to the Farspace Fleet’s Colonel,” he said coldly, the authoritative tone had her frozen in her seat, her thoughts racing as she tried to make sense of this moment. The man before her was completely identical to her Caleb in both looks and voice, but the way he spoke and carried himself was not like her beloved.

Still, she wondered. Hoped, even.

She steadied her breathing before she questioned him hesitantly. “Sir, have we met before? You seem familiar…”

“You’re wrong.”

“…But you look exactly like someone I know!”

“Watch your mouth,” he said, nearly sneering. Then in a lower voice, he said, “There’s more than one pair of eyes observing you in this room.”

As this man was about to begin his interrogation, he noticed the necklace around her neck. He touched it, eyeing the pendant with an unreadable expression.

She spoke up, explaining, “…It belonged to someone from my childhood. He died in an explosion. Like the one in the Cascade District. I… I miss him.”

The colonel shifted his gaze to her, but his expression remained icy.

She continued, asking him, “Sir, can you tell me something? If that person hadn’t died, would he support me even now?”

He didn’t answer her directly, and instead redirected the conversation to the current interrogation. After placing a mood tracker on her, he began grilling her with a barrage of questions, his tone firm and unyielding.

Eventually, she managed to pass, the light in the interrogation room brightening and the colonel stepped forward from the shadow.

“You passed,” he said with a satisfied smile.

She felt irate. “You…”

“Surprised?” he asked, his tone much more lighthearted than it was a few minutes ago. He continued with that same teasing tone, “Sure, it’s been a while, but you already forgot about me?

She felt tears in her eyes, her chest tightening with pain. Her voice was shaky, in complete disbelief, as she questioned him hesitantly. “You… it’s you, right? Caleb.”

“Is there another me in the world?” he teased before his expression changed, looking worried. “Did I scare you?”

She immediately leapt to her feet, rushing to him. “It is you!” she cried out, her hand reaching up to touch his cheek, pausing at the last second as if she was afraid that if she tried to touch him, she would feel nothing, breaking whatever illusion she was seeing right now. “Caleb… I must be dreaming.”

He grabbed her hand before she could pull away, guiding it to his cheek as he smiled softly back to her. “It’s me…” he said, adding reassuringly, “It’s okay. I’m back.”

She started sobbing, falling into his arms, feeling his own hold on her tightening. It felt so warm and familiar, like home.

Like Caleb.

Suddenly, all of her heartaches and anguish disappeared.

He was alive. He was here, holding her again just like how he had always done. When he looked down, his gloved hand touched her chin, cradling it gently before he leaned forward, his lips pressing over hers in such a natural way as he had always done.

And she paused, remembering back home in Linkon, another man she had come to love was waiting for her, taking care of her child while she was away and fulfilling the role of father to her son, giving the boy a life he deserved.

She shouldn’t be doing this, but she couldn’t pull herself away. There were so many voices in her head competing for dominance to be heard. Some admonished her relentlessly, tearing her to shreds with cruel, heartless words while others encouraged her to stay, to linger and give in to the temptation of her desires and yearning.

She felt a trickle of tears on her cheek as she hesitantly kissed Caleb back, her heart still bleeding for him, still remembering that he was hers just like he had always been.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, noticing the tears. He brushed them away, his smile soft. “It’s okay, pipsqueak, I know this is a lot to take in and I will explain everything to you.”

She stayed in his warm embrace, cheek pressed close to his chest, and she listened. His heart was beating in his chest. He was standing here, holding her, his words warm and comforting.

Everything was still so surreal, feeling like she had stepped into an alternate reality, her mind still unable to comprehend this moment in time.

If this was just a dream, she wished to stay asleep for just a while longer. For one selfish instance, she wanted to disappear from the world, returning to Caleb and the secret paradise only they would ever know.

But it would never be like before.

In the farthest depths of her heart and mind, she knew it would never be like before.

Without thinking, she blurted out, “I’m sorry.”

Caleb looked down at her confused. “Why are you apologizing?”

She looked embarrassed. Quickly, she fibbed, “We had a fight before. I…we never made up.”

It took a while before Caleb remembered, nodding in understanding. “That was a long time ago,” he said, “There’s nothing to apologize for.”

She said nothing as he pulled her back into his orbit, his hold firm and secured, but in her mind, she apologized again. Whatever was brewing in the future was going to affect three childhood friends, and the ominous unknown scared her, knowing no matter how things played out, someone was going to get hurt and none of them would come out unscathed.

I’m sorry, Zayne.

Like a forbidden fruit, she greedily coveted Caleb’s kisses again, tasting sin on her lips as she began to tread down the path to damnation, willfully blinding herself to the destruction that awaited in her future.

[bumblehoneybee]

OOOUHHGHG BEGGING (/nf!) FOR A PART THREE OF "Easy smiles/Easy on the eyes" PLEASE OUHHGHH MY HEART,, YOUR WRITING IS SO <33333

And AUGH some of the angst you've written . You're EVIL in the BEST POSSIBLE WAY. GRGGRGRGR

Easier Said Than Done

Warning: bad jokes

You were. . . pretty hard to pin down when Curly actually tried. It was easy to lose you, despite how you lit up the room. Smiles and snark and suddenly you slipped away right under his nose, with nothing more than a hello tossed his way.

It drove him crazy, cause he knew how you really were now. He knew you were witty, silly, eager to please and see the smiles of your fellow crew members, no matter the cost. But you never really tried anything with him, and he hated it, cause he also couldn't really try anything with you.

Not without being so creepy, the devil in his ear whispered.

So Curly did his best to be where you were when he could be, because if he couldn't interact with you, he'd like to see you interact with the others. Admire from afar what he couldn't have up close.

"So, like. . ." Daisuke drawled, faux innocence on his face as you crossed your arms. "I need. . . your shoelaces."

Your eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"Cause I like them." Daisuke said, but there was a hesitance to his tone that Curly didn't understand. "And since you're the president, I wanna steal-"

"Don't you dare!" You shouted over him. "I don't want to hear that! You're so cringe, Daisuke!"

"You say you saw me, but what were you doing at the devil's sacrament!?"

The two of you descended into hysterics. Curly could only watch, utterly baffled by how such strange sentences could reduce you both into tears like this. It was too much to witness, and your smile was too wide and bright to ignore.

"What are you two talking about?" Curly asked.

You jolted up straight, eyes wide, cheeks going rosy. It was such a cute reaction, Curly couldn’t stare too long else he’d start blushing too.

“Don’t worry about it.” Daisuke said, wafting a hand. “It’s an inside joke.”

“A bad one.” You muttered.

“You laughed, didn’t you?”

“Speaking of!” Curly said, eager to join the conversation. If you liked bad jokes, he knew some! "Listen to this one!”

“This one?” Daisuke whispered to you.

“He’s got a joke.” You whispered back.

Thankfully, Curly didn’t hear you, already telling the joke.

“My ex-wife, she still misses me.” A large, goofy grin spread across his face. "But her aim is getting better!"

A brief lull of silence rang out as Curly puffed his chest out, obviously proud of that stupid joke. You slapped a hand over your mouth, barely containing a snort of laughter at Daisuke's expression, so. . . not impressed at all.

"Oof," he hissed, "oh man. . . So lame, Captain."

"Huh!?"

That was it. The dam burst, and you bent over, practically shrieking with laughter at the whole scene. Curly jumped back, but grinned, pleased to see that he made you laugh in some capacity. Your mirth made him want to laugh too, so he did.

"Ugh." Daisuke groaned. "You two are so lame! That joke was terrible. Hell, I bet even Swansea could tell a better joke than that!"

"I've got more!" Curly offered, eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Later!" Daisuke shouted, already rushing out the door before he could hear anything more. "Don't kill 'em, Cap!"

"No promises!"

Another rush of giggles left you. Curly could only marvel at the flush of your face, the crows feet near your eyes and the smile lines around your mouth. It was gorgeous, exactly what he'd been vying for these past few days.

Jimmy didn't know what he was talking about. You were easy to talk to, and befriending you was going to be easy too. He just knew it.

[multi-fandom-imagine]

𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐜𝐞 || 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐨𝐧 ||

A/n: on this kick again 🤭

If there was one thing Theodore James Bridgerton loved almost as much as his parents, it was his Uncle Colin. And with all the love a two-year-old could possess, Theo had made it his personal mission in life to scare Colin Bridgerton at every possible opportunity.

No one really knew how it started. Perhaps it was the infamous paint-on-the-face incident, or maybe it was simply that Theo found Uncle Colin’s reactions particularly hilarious. Either way, a war had been declared, and only one Bridgerton knew about it—and it certainly was not Colin.

The First Attack – The Surprise Under the Desk

It had been an unusually peaceful afternoon at Bridgerton House. Colin was in his study, completely engrossed in writing in his travel journal. With a quill in hand and deep in thought, he failed to notice the tiny figure creeping beneath his desk.

You, watching from the hallway, silently gasped as you spotted your son slithering like a little gremlin into the study, his small body barely making a sound as he tucked himself underneath Colin’s desk.

You barely had enough time to think as Colin, blissfully unaware of the danger lurking beneath him, dipped his quill into the ink, sighing deeply. “Ah, peace and quiet at la—”

“RAAAAHHH!”

A small but ferocious scream erupted from beneath the desk as Theo latched onto Colin’s leg, shaking it with all his two-year-old strength.

Colin let out an undignified yelp, nearly knocking over the entire ink bottle. His chair scraped violently against the floor as he practically levitated out of his seat.

“GOOD LORD—”

The entire house erupted with laughter as Colin clutched his chest, looking down to find a giggling little monster rolling onto the floor in pure joy.

You covered your mouth, shaking with laughter as Anthony walked by, not even surprised at this point. He paused, looked inside the study, saw Colin looking like he’d just seen a ghost, and simply nodded approvingly at Theo.

“Well done, son,” Anthony murmured as he walked past.

Colin pointed at the little menace, still rolling with laughter on the floor. “HE HAS NO FEAR.”

Theo gasped between giggles. “BOO, UNCLE COLIN!” The two year old oblivious to his Uncle's plight's

Colin groaned, rubbing his face. “Oh, it’s going to be a long few years.”

The Next Attack – The Closet Ambush

Colin was paranoid after the desk incident, but not paranoid enough. Not according to his younger sister at least.

Days later, Colin made his way toward the coat closet to retrieve his jacket before heading out to meet Benedict. What he didn’t know was that Theo had been placed in the closet moments before by Eloise, who had gleefully encouraged his schemes.

The door creaked open.

Colin reached inside, humming to himself—

“ROAR!”

A tiny blur launched itself at his legs.

Colin screamed.

Theo, laughing hysterically, wrapped his tiny arms around Colin’s knees while Eloise collapsed against the wall wheezing.

Anthony, walking by yet again, paused, took one look at the scene, and nodded with great approval.

“Impressive.”

Colin, clutching the doorframe for dear life, turned to Anthony, utterly betrayed. “Do you encourage this?”

Anthony smirked, scooping Theo up. “I’d be a terrible father if I didn’t.”

Theo, still giggling in his father’s arms, pointed at Colin. “I got you, Uncle Colin!”

Colin dragged a hand down his face. “Yes, yes, again.”

Eloise, still laughing breathlessly, grinned. “I think it’s hilarious.”

Colin groaned. “He’s two. What happens when he gets faster?”

Anthony’s smirk widened. “Then, dear brother, I suggest you start running.”

The Ultimate Attack – The Ghost of Aubrey Hall

Colin thought he had seen the worst of Theo’s antics.

He was wrong of course.

One late evening at Aubrey Hall, Colin was making his way toward the library when the candles suddenly flickered. The hallway was eerily silent, save for the faint sound of…

Giggling?

Colin paused, eyes narrowing. “…Hello?”

Silence.

Then—

A tiny white sheet with two poorly cut holes for eyes appeared in the doorway.

“OOOOOoooooOOOOHHHHHH!”

Colin nearly collapsed against the wall, his soul leaving his body.

“NO.”

The tiny ghost toddled forward, arms raised menacingly.

“BOO!

Colin flinched so hard that he stumbled backward, crashing straight into the wall.

Theo, delighted beyond belief, ripped the sheet off, his giggles shaking his tiny body.

“I GOT YOU, UNCLE COLIN! AGAIN!”

Benedict walked by, took one look at the scene—Colin collapsed on the floor, looking like he had seen death itself, Theo squealing with victory—and burst out laughing so loudly that you heard it from two rooms away.

Anthony entered next, arms crossed, shaking his head with pride.

“I swear, Colin, it’s as if you’re not even trying to defend yourself,” Anthony remarked.

Colin, still breathing heavily, glared at his older brother. “I am at war with a toddler, Anthony.”

Theo clapped his hands with joy. “UNCLE COLIN SAID WAR!”

Anthony smirked. “I’d surrender now if I were you.”

Benedict chuckled. “Or else you might not survive the next attack.”

Theo, eyes twinkling, pointed directly at Colin. “More boo laterrrr.”

Colin groaned, dragging a hand over his face, the man's heart still pounding in his chest.

“I have to sleep with one eye open for the next ten years, don’t I?”

Eloise, now arriving and hearing everything, smirked. “At least ten years.”

Colin sighed dramatically. “I hate all of you.”

Theo beamed. “Love you, Uncle Colin!”

Colin stared at him for a long moment before exhaling in defeat. “…Love you too, little menace.”

And so, the war between Theo and Uncle Colin continued—because for all his suffering, Colin secretly loved the chaos and most of all, Colin loved his adorable little nephew.

[wyldeking]

I've rewatched the Owl House dozens of times now and my favorite scene (excluding season 3 because that shit is magical, pun intended,) is Hunter and Amity's fight at Eclipse Lake.

Earlier in the episode, Amity and Hunter have a chat where Hunter proclaims that they both have a lot at stake, unlike Eda and King. She attempts to argue but is interrupted by the sound of her Tamagotchi-Text thing, as Luz sends a text that Amity misinterprets as Luz threatening her with leaving if she doesn't return with the Titan Blood. Hunter almost directly after takes off and gets a massive head start to Eclipse Lake.

While Eda deals with the scouts and Kikimora, Amity chases after Hunter with King by her side. She enters the room to have this exchange with Hunter.

"Don't worry. I won't pick a fight. There's no Titan Blood."

"Then why are you digging?"

"Oh, it's simple really. Belos needs Titan Blood to make a new portal key. Can't get to the human realm without it."

"There's blood in the key?"

*Amity tightens her grip around the portal key.*

"Since I failed my last mission, I thought, 'Hey, a chance to make up for it.' But I can't go back empty-handed. Not again."

Hunter is noticeably hysterical, laughing between almost every sentence he speaks.

"Long story short, this is my grave. Want me to make you one too?"

"This is really bumming me out." King says simply.

"That's just life, rat. Everyone has a use, and if you don't pbtpbt bye-bye! Your friend gets it."

With the help of King, Amity finally learns how to interpret the text. Luz had never even thought of leaving her awesome girlfriend. Almost immediately after realizing, she becomes almost as bright and sunny as Luz is. With a burst of inspiration, she decides to give Hunter the best message she could think of.

"I grew up thinking that everything was an opportunity to justify existing, but there are people out there make you feel worthless. You just have to let yourself meet them."

She offers her hand, but unfortunately, Hunter notices the key sticking out of her coat, and a battle ensues. Hunter is sweating and incredibly anxious, which shows with the way he fights. Hunter keeps dashing around, making magical sparks fly everywhere. Meanwhile Amity is holding a poker face as she almost effortlessly dodges and blocks every one of his attacks. Every attack that she throws out has a very obviously calculated plan attached.

Hunter eventually tears the key away from Amity and they end up cornering each other. Despite that, Amity still very clearly has the upper hand, with a blade pointed at the neck of the battered Hunter that is caked in abomination goo. Hunter desperately thinking of a way out to give the blood to his uncle, tells Amity, quote;

"Listen, you're strong, and I'm tired. if this continues, you'll probably escape, but here's the thing: We know where to find you and your human. So just hand over the key."

Hunter's threat to kill Amity is completely empty, as they just displayed, Amity clearly has the upper hand. But Luz? The last time she saw her she was sick out of her mind and incredibly delirious. So Amity finally slips, the key cracks as her grip tightens, spilling half the blood. Hunter wins and slips away with the key.

This scene is so damn great because the emotions of the characters make perfect sense and intertwine with everything, we've known about them up until this point. Not to mention the music in this scene absolutely slaps ass and the animation is top-notch.

[blondbrat]

★ — SLUT !! drew starkey x actress reader

summary - your dating the man of your dreams, drew starkey, your fellow cast member and boyfriend.. but like always, people have to hate on you — the only comment people ever for female celebs existing happily in their relationships ‘she’s honestly just a slut’

warnings - use of y/n, slut shaming, overall shitty comments, stressed!reader

a/n - part of a drew starkey!au I wanna start. inspired by taylor swifts song ‘slut !!’ honestly in love with drew I can’t he’s so perfect :) as someone who’s been slut shamed, I definitely wanted to empathize how hard it is, especially as a woman, just simply living your life and getting hate for it x

If they call me a slut you smiled sweetly to yourself. posting the picture with a click of ur finger, a cute outfit for a fun night ! work had been going on long lately — not that you didn’t love every second of it. it was just tiring, and you were glad u could finally take a breath. just a chill night with your cast members and drew.. god, your smile turned into a cheeky grin as a knock sounded on the door.

you sighed softly, letting the weeks weight finally fall of your shoulders as you clicked off your phone — muting your notifications was an unconscious habit of yours

—instagram / 8:34 pm saturday

y/nprimrose : basketball game group date! their really trying to bet on who’s b-ball team will win, as if it won’t be mine! in all respect, it will be 💞 @*drewstarkey @*rudypankow @*madylncline

drewstarkey baby, my love, sweetheart, we both know what team will win, mine ❤️

↳ obxhasmyheart STOP this kind of relationship >>>

↳ user1 the way he uses the nicknames for y/n 🥺

primrosefanpage how does she always have the cutest outfits?? I LOVE HER

↳ drewsactualgf1 cute, the fuck? I guess if she works as a stripper…

user2 does she always have to have her tits out tho? just like her character wow

↳ drewsactualgf1 slut on screen, slut off screen. a slut in general 🥱

↳ user3 the only reason she was able to pull drew!! like cmon over here mr.starkey, I have tits AND a personality

user5 fucking put on some clothes. drew. deserves. better!!

user4 the fucks wrong with this comment section…

you didn’t glance at your phone once — drew peaking in with his usual grin. god, he was handsome as always. before you knew he pulled you into a cuddly embrace “hi baby, saw your post, you really think your teams gonna win huh’?” you beamed ! wrapping your arms around his neck as you gave him a soft peck — that shut him up quickly ! the night was perfect — everyone riding together as you all laugh and talk, simpering even more hysterically and playfully as the ride went on.

you found urself finally about to just relax. hand in drews as you all walked into the packed basketball building. crowed and buzzing with excitement. grinning sweetly at the array of papperazzi that greeted you, you all were used to it by now ! even posing in some as u four found ur seats, taking a few pictures with fans that seemed to be frozen in shock as u all waited for the game to begin.. you loved interacting with your fans, exactly why you requested normal seats — you loved being able to get to know them, helping them calm down once the realization hits in. it was as much as an experience for you as it was for them

“you look beautiful” drew leaned over and whispered in your ear, chuckling at the bloom of blush that crept over your cheeks. he couldn’t help himself, you did!

before you knew it, the game was starting — the turnover resulting in your team making the first basket ! you and rudy cheered, pocking drew in the side laughing as he rolled his eyes playfully. once more baskets were made and sarcastic laughs extanged, he wrapped his arm around your shoulder — leaning his head against yours as he kissed you on the forehead gently. both your friends too busy joking around to notice the sweet scene.. but it made it all the more perfect. this is what u both needed, just a night to be together ♡

drews arm still around you, you chatted with madayln — both agreeing work has been a lot lately while keeping your gazes on the game. your team was winning ! and you simpered, scrunching your face in mocking triumph as u glanced down at your phone — trying to slyly see if their was only a little amount of time in the game left, which would guarantee your favorite teams win ! but your recent notifications caught your attention instead.. and all you could see were specific words instantly ‘slut’ ‘stripper’ ‘a pair of tits and that’s it’ what the hell?? your face immediately fell, and you clicked on the notifications frantically.. expecting to find a porn scene or something with a woman who looked somewhat like you (which had happened before) not your joking post from earlier.. the picture wasn’t even the main reason you posted it. and let alone.. to get all this hate. for wearing a fucking shirt??

your feed was bombarded with hate after hate. slut, slut, slut and so much worse.. your gut twisted, a strange feeling of guilt and embarrassment fogging your head !! your anxiety spiking !! drew and all your friends were destined to see the post soon enough?? drew commented on it, just before all the comments were posted.. it was humiliating. and u couldn’t help but doubt urself —would everyone agree with the comments? did everyone think of u like that, just a pair of tits?? maybe it was a bit revealing? you’d struggled with these kinds of comments before u got famous.. and after the stress of non stop filming, the one day u finally let urself breath — this fucking happened :(( it was just all too much

your head was spinning — you convinced urself you were overreacting, this happened to all female celebrities atleast once.. but fuck, you never realized how humiliating it was !! until then.. u tried to breathe, and Drew noticed ur tenseness immediately, ur pretty eyes seeming to fall in.. shame?

you shook his hand from ur shoulder, standing up instantly “g-gotta go to the bathroom” you murmured — before drew could even grab your hand you paced away, dodging cameras and people as you slammed the door into the single stall bathroom. you just needed to process.. and hiding with the hopes drew hadn’t yet seen the comments. slut. slut. slut.. for wearing a pretty shirt?

tears began to well up in your eyes, satly droplets — and you wish they didn’t !! just like everything else that seemed to be happening, you had no control over it. your breathing was hitched, fast and panicked as u paced around the bathroom. reading every hate comment like you’d atleast find one that said it was a joke.. it wasn’t.

u were staring at yourself in the golden brimmed mirror — clumpy mascara running down ur face, leaving black stains in their fall. slut. slut. slutyou had just recently came to fame.. ‘slut’ met drew, the man of your dreams ‘slut’ and still, these small (not) things effected u— isn’t it fucked up? how its drilled into woman’s brains that it’s their fault.. for simply loving their bodies and being happy?

your thoughts were interrupted by a banging on the door.. it had been there the whole time “baby! y/n open up! let me in will ya? please baby I’m worried!” your heart melted at his concerned voice, eyes softening as you tried to wipe away ur foggy tears — meeting his eyes as u opened the door. ur best friend, and love of your life instantly swooning u in his arms.

“hey, hey baby look at me ok” he whispered softly, cradling u like he never wanted to let go.. he didn’t. “you scared me sweetheart, running out of there like that.. talk to me” his body was so warm, so hard, so perfect.. your home. and before you knew it you were letting urself breath. meeting his sapphire eyes. “drew.. do you ever-ever fuck do you ever look and me and frown because I look like a… s-slut” you stumbled whispering, adverting your eyes from his. “y/n w-what?!” he squeezed you in his arms even tighter, tilting ur head up to his so gently it felt like a butterfly’s touch. “Did someone say that to you?! someone here?!” he glanced around protectively, his face furrowing intimidatly before softening when he again found yours

“n-no.. just something I posted on insta—“

he didn’t let you finish your sentence — his heart breaking at the crack in your voice.

it wasn’t long before you were leaning agaisnt the sink, still snuggly in his arms as you cried in his shoulder. whispering sweet nothings into your ears as you let it all out — the stressful week, the exhaustion.. and then finally, the post.. the comments

you knew you would never forget the moment drew cupped your face with his hands, kissing the bridge of your nose — the touch so gentle it was like a butterfly. you could see the anger in his eyes, not at your of course, never at you. the fact anyone had the nerve to say such things about his girl, but more than anything, he needed to make sure you understood they were utter lies, being spurred in jealous envy “y/n please look at me babe, they are lies.. you are a beautiful, kind, and fucking incredibly talented actress and singer” you giggled at his empasis, tears no longer streaming down your face as u finally found his eyes “and fuck, the love of my life.. I’m drunk in love with you Primrose, and if some out of millions of people can’t handle that.. do what you do best-“ the words were like soft silk against your skin — drew, smiling softly, leaned down as gave you a soft kiss. “give them the bird, baby” he whispered against your lips, his breath fanning your teary face — eliciting a rapsy laugh from your pretty lungs.. god, he truly was your home

You know it might be worth it for once

—instagram / 12:00 pm Thursday

y/nprimrose : NEW SONG OUT NOW : SLUT !! ps. call me one, it’s worth it ❤️

drewstarkey your such a masterpiece baby, so drunk in love with you primrose ❤️ always doing what you do best ;)

you didn’t bother reading the rest of the comments, to occupied with drews kissing to even care (the song becomes a HIT)

Might as well be drunk in love xoxo

[oatflatwhite]

to the substitute art teacher

buck/eddie, future fic, 2.3k, T | read on ao3 (locked to registered users only)

Midnight ticks over while they’re on a call. A girl at a house party in West Hollywood stuck her head through the bars of the third floor balcony railing and couldn’t get back through. She’s calmed down from the hysterics dispatch reported by the time the engine rolls up; when Buck meets her on the balcony, saw in hand, she’s mostly just embarrassed.

“Hey,” he smiles, trying to sound as non-judgemental as possible. “Julia, right? I’m Buck. We’re gonna get you out of there in just a second.”

Steph crouches down on Julia’s other side, setting her med bag and blanket on the tiled floor. “How you doing there? Anything hurt?”

“Just my pride,” Julia sighs. “Do you think you could—drop me home, after? My lift’s being a total douchebag.” Buck looks over his shoulder at the party still going on inside; a couple of guys are laughing, leaning into one another, their bodies angled toward the small balcony.

“We don’t really—” Steph starts to say, thumbing the radio with her free hand and meeting Buck’s eyes over Julia’s head. He lifts his shoulder in a half-shrug. “But, uh, sure? We don’t have another call to get to.”

“Guys.” Hen’s voice crackles, exasperated over the radio. Buck starts up the saw instead of answering.

Steph covers Julia’s head with the blanket while the saw makes short work of the balcony. “Dude.” One of the guys who’d been laughing inside is staring at the scene, dumbfounded. The beer in is hand is tipped enough it’s dripping onto the tile. “You’re gonna, like, pay for that, right?”

“Fuck��off, Dustin,” Julia mutters, as Steph ushers her out the door.

“Uh, yeah.” Buck hands the guy the piece of railing in his hand. “What she said.”

Hen is waiting for them out on the street, arms crossed over her chest and eyebrows raised so high Buck’s surprised she’s not giving herself a headache. Or maybe she is, and she just likes telling Buck off too much to care.

 “Sorry, Cap,” he says. “It was my call. I can take her in the ambulance, meet you guys back at the station?”

“Oh.” Julia sniffs. “It’s, um, no trouble. I can call an Uber…”

“Don’t be silly.” Hen unfolds her arms. “Surge pricing is crazy right now. Where’s home?” Julia mumbles out an address. “It’s on our way. Come on.”

Steph breaks off with t9he probie for the ambulance; Buck helps Julia up into the engine and climbs in after her. They’re halfway to her house when Ravi makes a surprised little sound. “What’s the time?”

“Twelve twenty-eight,” Hen answers from the front. There’s a smile in her voice when she says, “oh. Happy birthday, Buck.”

keep reading on ao3

[pastelchaos12]

I saw this post by @adobe-outdesign where it was batim but with Pixar style bloopers and people kept making more and more so I wanna do something like that for batdr.

- Porter saying Audrey's name repeatedly and sometimes saying it like how Wilson does until Audrey starts laughing hysterically

- Sammy just showing up in random scenes because he wants more screentime

- The Ink Demon just coughing off camera because doing that gravelly voice just kinda hurts

- Alice just straight up flirting with Audrey until she's too flustered to do the scene

- Audrey and the Ink Demon messing around on set like siblings and every time someone tells them to act serious the Ink Demon replies "we are being serious, how dare you assume otherwise"

-Alice drops the tommy gun during the boss fight and she has to go down to the ground to get it

- Little Bendy tripping over constantly and Audrey having to help him up

- Henry drawing graffiti in his cell instead of doodling on some paper like he was supposed to

- Allison doing anime poses with her sword

- Tom and Boris doing that one Spiderman meme

- Audrey and the Ink Demon bickering like siblings

- Henry slaps Joey despite them never being in a scene together

- The cast would quote random snapcube sonic fandub lines ex:

Wilson: YOU HAVE 13 SECONDS BEFORE THE STUDIO EXPLODES YOU HOT TOPIC WANNABE (Bendy) AND YOU BLUE GUMBALL SON OF A BISCUIT (Audrey)

The Ink Demon talking about Alice: Whoa she's bisexual, I didn't know that

Audrey: Haha haha one!

Henry: I miss my wife Audrey, I miss her a lot. I'll be back...

The Ink Demon: Audrey it's me the devil, I've come to convince you to do sin!

[bats-and-birds-24]

Tim acquires siblings:

Tim watched the January snow drift lazily down, a façade of calm punctuating a truly horrendous 24 hours.

He glanced down at the cast on the arm, and then at the towel that wiped off joker makeup and blood.

Tim relished the brief moment of peace in between being mother henned by Dick and Alfred. Bruce was down in the cave writing up the report.

He closed his eyes, how he managed to survive 10 hours of torture was beyond him. 

He knew that he should be furious, terrified, or a crying mess, all normal responses to being tortured, but he couldn't find it in himself to care. All he felt was exhaustion and relief that the ordeal was over.

That's fine, he didn't need to address this trauma today, right now, all he had to do was rest. Tim drifted off to sleep.

Underneath the manor, Bruce finished typing up the incident report.

He nearly lost another Robin, and to the same villain no less. Had Joker been able to complete his plan, Bruce wouldn't have known what to do with himself.

First Jason, then Barbara, and now Tim.

Bruce called Barbara, just a check in with Oracle and his job would be done for the day. He could then go to sleep on the armchair next to Tim's bed.

He brushed the hair out of his face, "Oracle report." 

Barbara's face popped up on screen, in a flat tone, she blandly stated, "There's nothing to report."

Bruce groaned inwardly, he knew what that tone meant. 

He pleads, "Barbara please."

Barbara groans, "How could you let him get away again?"

Bruce starts, "Barbara we can't kill-" only to be cut off by Oracle. "I didn't say that you had to kill, I'm not even going to question why you resuscitated the Joker, but why on earth did you send him back to Arkham?"

Bruce rubs his eyes, " There wasn't any other option."

She scoffs, " Bullshit, you could have sent him to Blackgate or even to Belle Reve if you had pulled a couple strings. But no, you had to put him back in Arkham, where he lays low for a few months, only to break out and cause mass casualties all over again."

Bruce averted his eyes.

With a sigh she says, "Goodnight Bruce." and the feed cuts off.

Bruce stares at his reflection on the black screen. He swallows his pride and prepares for his vigil next to Tim's bed.

In the living room, Dick sat on the couch, cereal bowl in hand, watching some sort of game show. 

The scene was in such stark contrast with how his day had gone so far, that he had to choke down a hysterical laugh.

Finding it impossible for him to focus on the show, he turned off the TV.

It was fine, they got Tim back safely and the Joker is still alive, and locked up in Arkham. He'd probably break out in a few months but they can deal with that then.

Dick didn't kill anyone, Bruce made sure of that.

No matter how hard he tried, his mind still lingered on the thought, "I could have killed him". But he didn't, and if there was ever anyone in the world who deserved to die, it would be the Joker.

If anything, he should be relieved if Joker died, after all that he'd done to Jason, to Barbara, and now to Tim. 

Dick shuddered, a flash of shame jolting through his body, what would Jason think of him, putting his own sense of self righteousness over doing what needs to be done?

Dick got up and went to the kitchen to wash up. Those thoughts are best left for later. Right now, he has a baby brother to care for.

He saw Alfred ever dutifully cleaning up. The only sign that the usually stoic butler was drained were his bloodshot eyes. 

Alfred reached out for Dick's bowl, only to be greeted with an apology.

"I'm sorry Alfred." They both knew that he wasn't referring to the bowl.

Alfred just sighs, "Not everyone is made to kill lad. I'm proud that you didn't break your oath." He paused, then said, "Although if the Joker and I ever crossed paths, it would end with a bullet between his eyes."

Dick nodded. Alfred looks up at him, "Get some rest lad."

Dick moved up to Tim's room and Alfred went back to the dishes.

It was going to be a long night.

[homotronserviceace]

Title: In Every Lifetime

Fandom: Lovely Runner (TV)

Tags: Jealousy, Fluff, Soft Soljae

(note: english is not my first languange and this is purely self-indulgent, so please proceed with caution)

“What? You’re going to Sunjae’s set?” Hyunjoo asks while Sol gathers her stuff from the office table.

“Yeah. We haven’t seen each other lately since his filming started.” Sol whines with a slight pout on her lips. “I already asked Dongseok and he said he’ll have a short break later.” She heaves a sigh. “I miss him so much, Hyunjoo.”

Said woman suppresses the urge to gag. She thinks she may never get accustomed to this version of Sol. She’s always been cute and affectionate, yes, but it’s like meeting Sunjae and dating him unleashed another persona in her that was locked before.

And if the lovesick way she’s acting right now is any indication, Hyunjoo can bet her car that her plan to surprise Sunjae will blow up on her face.

“Are you crazy? You do know he’s starring in a romantic film, right?”

“And?” Sol asks, actually oblivious. She looks at her watch. She has to drive now if she wants to make the most of his break.

Hyunjoo grabs at her arm, trying to stop her. “I know Sunjae loves you very much–he practically has permanent heart eyes for you– but do you really want to see him acting?”

Sol still seems to not get it. “My Sunjae is a very good actor. Why wouldn’t I?”

Hyunjoo sighs. This foolish girl. “Yeah, your Sunjae is indeed a very good actor. And he happens to play the role of a man in love with another woman. I saw the script and it involves a lot of… intimate scenes. Do you really want to see that?”

Sol, much to Hyunjoo’s surprise, lets out a hysterical laugh. “Yah,” She starts, wiping at an eye, “I’m not childish like that! I’m a very cool girlfriend–I know how to separate work from personal life!”

---

Oh, how wrong she was.

As it turns out, Sol is definitely not a very cool girlfriend. No, not even slightly. And she really, really wants to do something childish, right about now, like grab the actress ravishing his boyfriend by the neck and fling her across the room.

Sunjae is sitting on the bed with his partner on his lap. He’s got one hand on her hips and another one spanning her back. She cradles his head, tilting it back to kiss him deeper. A low moan is heard in the room. Sunjae shifts to lay her down on the bed.

It’s only when the director yells a cut! that Sol registers how tightly she’s been holding the strap of her poor bag. She releases the breath she’s been holding. She opens the palm of her other hand, surprised to see red crescent marks from her nails.

She looks up. Sunjae and the actress pull away from each other. Her boyfriend, ever the gentleman, helps her up. She doesn’t hear it, but she’s sure he’s asking her if she’s okay. He’s always been kind like that to his co-stars. Sol wishes he wasn’t.

She knows it’s unreasonable because Sunjae’s just doing his job. She’s never had an issue with it before. She’s seen his films; seen him kiss actresses countless times…

Seeing him in action, though, is an entirely different thing. Jealousy like she never felt before rises in her gut. She wants to smash something.

When the director cues them again, Sol’s not masochistic enough to stay. She turns around and leaves.

You’re right, she texts Hyunjoo when she gets inside her car. This is a bad idea.

What did I tell you, comes her immediate reply. Should I get soju or makgeolli?

I love you, Sol types. Both please.

—

This scene feels oddly familiar, Im Geum thinks, as he watches her younger sister chug soju like apple juice on their rooftop. Her wife sits across from her, looking equally as drunk. She brightens up at the sight of him.

“My gold,” She singsongs, reaching out adorably to him. He sits down beside her. The smell of alcohol assaults his senses, and he gapes at the amount of bottles on the table. Seven?!

“Yah, Hyunjoo!” Sol suddenly screams, startling the couple. “You think you’re safe? Just so you wait, sooner or later your husband will be kissing other women!”

Hyunjoo gasps, palm dramatically slapping over her mouth.

“You’re right! I can’t let that happen!”

“What are you talking about? Why would I kiss other women?”

Sol jabs a finger at his brother, cross-eyed. “When you have a girlfriend-” she hiccups, “-don’t you think you should protect your precious lips? Shouldn’t your girlfriend be the only one allowed to touch you?”

What, Geum rages, did Sunjae cheat on her little sis?

He’s about to ask her when Sol shouts again.

“Yah, Ryu Sunjae!” The finger jabbing at him earlier is now directed at the heavens. “Why did you become an actor and kiss other women?!” She downs another shot, and then mumbles, “Where’s that damn watch? I need to go back again and make sure he doesn’t become a celebrity…”

Relieved, and a little bit confused by the last bit, Geum sighs. Thank goodness. He thought he had to cut ties with his top star brother-in-law.

He gets his phone and texts Sunjae.

—

“Dongseok, did Sol come by earlier?”

Sunjae is sitting on the van, eyes fixed on the image of his girlfriend that Geum sent him. His adorable Sol, red in the face, looking like a cute angry hamster.

You dumbass, the text below the image read, why’d you let Sol watch you film a bed scene?

“Oh? Didn’t you see each other? She called me earlier asking for your schedule, and she said she’ll surprise you...” Dongseok replies, eyes briefly meeting him in the mirror.

“Yah!” Sunjae shouts, horror dawning on him. “You know what I was filming earlier!” At the front, Dongseok’s eyes widen in realization.

Sunjae looks at the photo again, and notices the alarming bottles of soju on the table. He recalls a memory from a lifetime ago– Sol wearing a trash can as a hat, a drunken shout from a rooftop, and a fallen slipper.

He orders Dongseok to drive to Geum’s home.

He’s got an angry and jealous girlfriend to pacify.

—

Sol is out cold when he arrives at the couple’s home, which is a blessing because it made carrying Sol into the van and into his house easier. He deposits her on the bed, propping her up slightly on the headboard so he can fuss over her.

He carefully removes her coat, her shoes, and the pins and bands on her hair. He makes quick work of removing her make-up, knowing first hand how awful it is to sleep with one. He was just about to remove her top to change her into comfortable sleep clothes when her eyes suddenly flashes open.

Flustered, Sunjae drops her top and falls on his ass on the bed.

“Oh, you’re awake.” He stutters out. He grabs the bottle of water by the bedside and hands it over to her. “Drink. You must be thirsty.”

Sol receives the water with complaint, drinking the entire thing without removing her gaze on him. She wipes her mouth with the back of her hand, still looking at him, gaze intent and determined. No, not at him. On his lips, particularly.

She licks her bottom lip, and Sunjae stops breathing. He gulps, suddenly feeling hot. He didn’t expect the night to go like this, given her inebriation, but if she wants…

His not-so-pure-like-oxygen thoughts are halted when she leans over and scrubs at his lips. Furiously, like she’s trying to wipe the entire thing off.

It clicks, and Sunjae lets out a chuckle. Is she literally trying to rub off the evidence of another woman on his lips?

She’s so concentrated at the task that her face forms a charming little frown. God, his girlfriend is adorable when jealous.

“Do you think it’s funny?” Sol pouts at him, and he wants to explode at how utterly cute she looks. Sunjae holds her face in both hands, squishing it into a pout.

“Im PD, weren’t you the one who recommended this script?” He asks, teasingly.

Sol heaves a sigh, then purses her lips, before leaning back on the headboard. Sunjae follows suit and sits beside her, arm pillowing her head.

A few moments pass before Sol speaks again, voice small and whiny. “But did you have to kiss her so passionately?”

He can’t help it– Sunjae laughs. Oh, how the tables turned.

“Do you believe me now, then? I told you, I’m a master of meloromance.”

Sol pinches him on his side, a particularly ticklish location, which makes Sunjae yelp. “Sorry, sorry! I’ll stop laughing now!” He grabs the offending arm, then slides his hand down to intertwine her hand with his. He places his other hand one on top of theirs, covering it completely.

The familiar feeling of joy and contentment washes over him, as it always does, whenever he’s in her presence.

“Sol-ah,” Sunjae starts, tone placating. “Were you really mad?”

Sol shakes her head. “No, not really.”

“Just jealous?”

She nods, although faintly.

“Why?”

“Because…” Sol takes in a large breath, as if preparing for a speech. “When on TV, or in cinemas, when I’m watching you, I’m also watching your character. I get immersed in your role and its world. But watching you on set, however… there is no story. It’s just you and a woman. Kissing.”

Sunjae just keeps looking at her silently while she goes on her tirade, giving her the moment to vent out her frustrations.

“I know it’s stupid. But… I don’t know. She’s so pretty… and tall… like all your on-screen partners were, and watching you two— you just looked so good together. And I know it’s your job but I just—It just dawned on me just how many attractive people you got around you in the daily.”

He’s got a lot to say about this, but he just kept his mum. Something like you are literally a goddess in my eyes and celebrities should be thankful you chose to be behind the cameras.

Sol just kept on, almost stumbling over her words, refusing to meet his eyes. “Ah, I don’t know! And you weren’t supposed to know, anyway! I was gonna get over it myself… stupid Im Geum—”

No longer able to stop himself, Sunjae kisses her. Partly to shut her up, partly because of how pretty she looks all riled up. She was about to speak when he kisses her again, this time a little longer and a little deeper. Her arms come up to his neck while his finds purchase on her waist. When he leans back, her eyes look a bit hazy.

“Sol-ah, I love you.” Sunjae says, looking deep into her eyes.

He takes a deep breath, knowing there’s no turning back once he says it. He swore he wasn’t going to admit it out loud, but he guesses she’s bound to know one way or another, anyway. In Hyuk has a big mouth.

“You’re the only woman in my life. The only person. Ever.”

Confusion paints Sol’s face, and then surprise.

“What? What do you mean only?”

“There’s no one, other than you. I never dated anyone.”

Surprise turns into disbelief.

“In this life? But… you never knew me?”

“Not just in this life. In all of them.”

Sunjae sees the weight of his confession dawn on her. Practically sees the excuses firing up in her brain. She opens her mouth, then closes it again. He continues.

“In my first life, when you mistook me for a delivery man? I knew then, the moment you gave me your yellow umbrella and those white candies, that I love you.”

He brings a hand to her face, bracing himself and her, for what he’s about to say. They haven’t really talked about this, no. “And I don’t want you to blame yourself, Sol, okay? But when the articles then said I was depressed, had anxiety and was undergoing medication? It was true. But it wasn’t because of the public, or their perception of me.”

Sunjae’s surprised about how easy the words come to him. Weightless, now that the burden has been lifted. He used to be only able to speak of it in moments of inebriation, with In Hyuk, or in his sessions with a therapist.

Sol, on the other hand, seems to be overwhelmed with emotions. He notices the tell-tale signs of her eyes reddening.

“It’s because of guilt and regret. That I couldn’t save you. That it was because of me that you got hurt–” Sol starts to protest, but he shakes his head. “--I couldn’t forget you. And while that was partly because of guilt, I know it’s also because of a love that could have been.”

Sol’s lips start quivering, and he can see how hard she’s trying to keep her tears at bay. This girl– she’s the one crying for me again.

“When I met you again on that bridge, I was glad that you didn’t remember me. That I at least have been someone who’s given you strength– that tou didn’t remember me as a person who caused you pain. ”

Like a dam overflowing, Sol’s tears fall down her face. Sunjae catches them all with his palms.

“And in another life, just when I thought I couldn't possibly love you more, I find out that you literally jumped through space and time just to save me. It was… I was gone, Sol. And I loved you for fifteen years in a life before that, even when all I had of you was a photograph and the memory of a few months to sustain me. There was just no going back for me, once we crossed paths. You owned me– body and heart and soul.”

She was full on crying now, breaths stuttering with each inhale. Sunjae soldiers on. He’s got a point to get across.

“And in this life, even without memories of you, it’s like all the love I held for you in all my lifetimes accumulated so much that it overflowed in this one. Somehow, I knew in my heart that if it wasn’t you, I would rather be alone. And the moment we met— this will really sound cliche— it felt like I was coming up for air after a long time underwater. My mind sure took a long to catch up, but my heart recognized you.”

Sol reaches up to grip on the hand on her face, holding it tight.

“All of this to say, my dear Sol– I love you. I’m yours— before, now, and forever. You literally cannot get rid of me, no matter how much you try. So,” Sunjae pinches her cheeks, “As much as I enjoy seeing you cutely huffing and puffing like a kitten, I’d much rather it not be because of jealousy. Okay?”

Sol’s face crumple with her tears, but a watery smile graces her lips. Sunjae feels the room brighten with it. Sol nods and whispers a small okay. And the she throws her arms around him, burying her face on his chest, crying some more.

“I love you, Sunjae. You’re the only one for me, too.”

He hugs her tighter. “I love you too, Sol.”

It takes her a bit more to calm down. When she does, she looks up to see his face. She traces the bags under eyes, frowning a bit. “I’m sorry. You should have been resting, but here you are…”

Sunjae smiles at her, booping her nose with his. “You are my rest.”

That must be the wrong thing to say, because Sol burst out crying again.

A memory comes back to Sunjae at that moment, making him chuckle.

“Why are you crying? I didn’t make you cry.” Sunjae asks her, a teasing smile on his lips.

She punches him lightly on the chest. “Yah! You definitely did!”

[lunerna21]

I FINALLY CAUGHT UP TO THE UPDATE FOR BOOK 7 AND I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED WITH HOW MUCH I ENJOYED IT

***SPOILERS FOR BOOK 7 JPN SERVER AHEAD! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!***

***ALSO SLIGHTLY LONG POST AHEAD! MY APOLOGIES!***

UM CAN I MENTION HOW HARD I LAUGHED WHEN SILVER WAS TELLING THE STORY ABOUT FLOYD GRABBING RIDDLE'S HAIR TO SEE IF IT WAS HOT?!

AND JADE HYSTERICALLY LAUGHING WHILE AZUL IGNORES THEM!!!!

If they ever animate that scene, I'm gonna hurl from seeing Floyd just being catapulted off screen and Jade enjoying himself 😂

Floyd being so bored of his dream and just him swaying like the seaweed was freakin hysterical 😂

It just reminded me of this for some reason:

I mean it makes sense since Floyd is always up for a challenge and isn't afraid of basically anything, so of course Malleus's vision for Floyd's dream wasn't going to be very exciting

ALSO WE CAN TALK ABOUT FLOYD HAD THE BALLS TO FIGHT MALLEUS, LEONA AND EVEN FUCKING CATER?! CATER WIPED THE FLOOR FIGHTING FLOYD BUT I WASN'T EXPECTING CATER TO KICK ASS

HELL YES CATER!!

.......And then we jump into Jade's dream...

....The moment I saw how Jade imagined both Azul and Floyd...

AND THEN SOMEONE POSTED THIS ON TWITTER AND I ABSOLUTELY LOST IT

JADE BY FAR IS THE MOST HYSTERICAL CHARACTER IN TWST AND I CAN'T BELIEVE FLOYD HAD TO SEE HIS DOOFY LOOKING FACE LIKE THAT

I don't blame Floyd for duking it out with Jade I would feel the same if thats how my siblings imagined me lol

And finally, Azul's dream!!

First of all, AZUL WAS SOMETHING ELSE DURING HIS DREAMS

Azul being a coral rush player?! AND KINDA BEING JOCKY?! I wasn’t prepared for that! 😂

(special shoutout to Idia for throwing shade at his first image of a cocky player, that was 👌🏻)

JADE JUST GRABBING POOR IDIA'S TABLET AND GETTING AZUL'S SIGNATURE ON IT 😂👏🏻👏🏻

AND IDIA JUST SLOWING MOVING OFF TO THE SIDE THIS POOR GUY HAS BEEN THROUGH SO MUCH 😂

When the mermaids started harassing everyone and knocked us over, I WASNT READY FOR AZUL TO CARE WHEN WE GOT HIT

I WAS A FREAKING MESS IM SO DELUSIONAL AND I KNOW HE'S NOT ALWAYS NICE BUT AHHHHHHHH HE WAS SO CUTE HERE (Ignore me I'm delusional and I've missed Azul so much 🥺❤️)

It was so bizarre to see Azul playing a jocky player and being popular in school, but once Idia explained that any negative moments or lessons Azul had to face (bullying, losing the contracts) were no longer a thought because of it only being a dream with no negative emotions

It’s still mind boggling how detailed everyone’s dreams are but terrifying like damn Malleus has so much power and yet he can juggle so many of them

After Azul invited us to the party and was INCREDIBLY NICE for someone like him, and Idia got suss:

I knew something was up, especially after he made everyone wear the anenomes for the party AND GRIM SHOULD'VE KNOWN BETTER HE WENT THROUGH THIS BEFORE WHY DID HE BELIEVE THIS

Floyd and Jade bouncing off Azul being a bully was soooo worth it

It's kinda scary how I preferred the old Azul, considering he wasn't a cocky jock straight from a manga/book ICK ICK ICK

AND THEN AFTER AZUL FELL INTO THE BLOT, HE WAS A PAIN IN THE BUTT TO CORNER I WAS SO IMPRESSED WITH THE PLANNING AND HOW WE HELPED DESTROY THE CONTRACTS ONCE AGAIN

But this devastated me 😭

It still must've felt pretty shitty having to go through that again, but I started to cry I'm just so happy Azul woke up from his dream 😭❤️❤️❤️

Azul's battle with himself! *chefs kiss* I love how they reference it similar to the battle from The Little Mermaid and how Azul's blot form began to grow

But let me tell you something:

I WOULD DIE IF I COULD FRAME THIS!! JUST SEEING THE GLOWING EYE AND AZUL DOING THIS POSE! PERFECTION!!!

ITS SO GOOD TO HAVE YOU BACK AZUL!!!❤️

This chapter was such a fun trip, and I'm so glad we're slowly getting closer to releasing everyone from their dreams

BUT ONE LAST THING! TWST INTENTIONALLY DID THIS TO HURT MY FEELINGS!

HOOOOOWWWWW DARE TWST FOR SHOVING THIS IN MY FACE I WANT MY BEST FRIENDS BACK SO BADLY AND THE FACT THAT THEY DO THIS CONSTANTLY AND ALSO GRIM BRINGING THEM UP IS JUST AWFUL

I MISS THEM SO MUCH I NEED TO SEE THEM AGAIN

NEXT UP, SAVANACLAW!! (RUGGIE I MISS YOU SO SO MUCH!!)

Enjoy the weekend~~!!!❤️

(Screenshots from https://youtube.com/@gasmask01?si=lpin67yaOvHDdg_c )

[valiantphantomangel]

The Party

You slowly opened your bedroom door, cringing as it made a low creaking sound, you looked around to see if anyone would come out of their room and sighed in relief when that wasn't the case.

Shoes and bag in your hand as you sneaked through the halls in your best clothes, hair up and light make up on, trying your best to stay as quiet as possible.

The ding of the elevator alerted you that someone was coming and you quickly ducked behind a corner, hoping that it was someone who wouldn't recognize you.

But low and behold, there stepped out of the elevator the three people you didn't want to see the most, The God Of mischief, The Winter Soldier and Captain America. Aka the three people who would never let you go to a party like the overprotective guys they were.

"Are you sure she's here?" Bucky asked as he looked around the hall.

"Yeah, Stark said he saw her on the camera's looking all dressed up" Steve answered as he put his hands on his hips.

You slowly started to sneak out, trying to remain as quiet as possible as you tip toe into the opposite direction.

"Did you really think I wouldn't notice you Y/N?" Loki chuckled as he turned around to face you.

Your eyes widen as you come to a hold, turning around to see them looking at you.

"Go back to bed and you'll only get a lecture" Steve suggested.

"Never" you grinned before sprinting away.

You heard the thundering of footsteps behind you as you ran like your social life depends on it, luckily you also had a gift and that was a mutated super soldier serum that you got as a child, the team was aware of it but never tested it to its full ability.

"God damnit she's fast"! Bucky exclaimed behind you as he nearly ran into Steve who shouted "Language"!! at him.

Your 'ahhhhhhh' echoed through the halls, stopping for a second and then continuing loudly, making it almost look like a chase scene from a Disney movie.

You quickly rounded a corner before running straight into a brick wall, well it felt like a brick wall but was instead Loki waiting there for you.

He immediately trapped you a bear hug before throwing you over his shoulder "Hey put me down!!" You yelled with a laugh as you punched his back.

"Now now darling no need to be so aggressive" Loki smirked as he carried you back to the other two who were waiting there with wicked grins on their face.

"You are in big trouble young lady" Steve chuckled as Loki carried you to the couch and threw you on to it gently, immediately straddling your waist with a mischief smirk on his face.

"Wipe that stupid smirk off of your face" You said accusingly as you squirmed underneath him.

"How about no?" He grinned before tasering your sides and blowing a raspberry on your neck.

You let out a squeak before laughing your head off, suddenly feeling a pair of fingers scribbling on the soles of your feet.

"God Damnit AHHHHAHAHAHHA" you screamed with laughter as you wiggle around now also feeling someone squeezing your knees.

"Steve she said a bad language word" Bucky said with a faux gasp as he continued to trace your soles.

"I'm never going to escape that" Steve muttered before laughing and squeezing your thighs.

It was God Damm torture, Loki obviously knew what he was doing as he expertly digged into your ribs.

"I'm actually quite hungry" he said with a grin before leaning down and blowing a good raspberry on your tummy right next to your belly button.

"GHAHHAHAHHAHA" you screamed in hysterical laughter as you trashed around.

"Have you learned your lesson doll?" Bucky asked as he wiggled his fingers on your toes.

"YESHAHAHAH"!!!!

"And what is it?"

"DONT SNEAK OUTHIHIHIHI" you laughed breathless as your face turned a little red.

Loki chuckled fondly and let up, same for the other two and helped you sit up as the remaining giggles left your lips.

"You know you are absolutely beautiful and adorable right darling" Loki said with a smile as he pulled you to his chest with Steve and Bucky sitting nearby with fond smiles.

You just nodded with a blush as he kissed your forehead "Now how about a movie night and when there is a party anytime soon you'll tell and you can go?" He suggested.

"Really?" You jumped up excited and Loki nodded.

"thank you thank you thank you" you giggled as you gave all of them a hug before running off to your room to change into comfortable clothes and spent the rest of the night eating snacks, watching movies and joking around with Loki, Steve and Bucky.

Honestly it was better then any party could be.

[itzpookiepooh]

Revenge alt 6

Do Not Copy My Work

When Mike and Matt came to they were all chained up in a room. They seem to be in front of a scene. Mike being to breathe quickly as he tugged at the chains. He was terrified and helpless. What could be any worse than that?

“Matt. Matt get up!” He whisper yelled making Matt groan.

“Where am I?” He groggily sits up and gazes at Mike.

“I think that fucker got us. We gotta get out of here.” He spoke quickly. Matt did his best to sit up.

“How? We’re chained to the wall.” He questioned scoping the area out.

As they conspired against the murderer the lights flicked on. They flinch away from the bright light hissing at the burn it left on their retinas. They realized they were in a room filled with some of the others. Josh, Sam and Chris were nowhere to be found. This made Mike shudder thinking of what happened to them.

When he went got on the path to the lodge it was a trail of blood. He rushed as fast he could to get back to Hannah and Matt. He didn’t know he was being followed. Everything happened so fast he didn’t know what to do.

“Welcome subjects. It’s time to face judgement.” The deep mysterious voice booms through the room.

A light shines on three chairs. One with Beth’s disassembled body, another with your mangled body and lastly one with Hannah’s limp body. Mike’s eyes widened at the sight before him. Matt shuddered at the sight making the hairs on his neck stand up.

“What have you done?” Matt’s voice shaky as his eyes never leave the corpses in the chairs.

“Not what I’ve done…what you all have done.” The voice says slowly.

“What does he mean?” Ashley panics trying to pull the chains. It was no use.

“I—I don’t know.” Mike stuttered his eyes shifting around the room for something. Anything.

“Let us out of here you fucking freak!” Emily shouts towards the ceiling.

A saw slowly emerges from the ceiling over the twins and Dove. Jessica’s eyes widened in shock. This wasn’t real. This couldn’t be happening. What could they have done to deserve this? They scrambled their brains trying to figure out what caused this karma.

“Where are our friends?!” Ashley cried. The figure chuckled ignoring her question completely.

“You have 30 seconds.” The voice interrupts the hysteria in the room. A loud ticking could be heard throughout the room.

“To figure out how to get out and save your friends.” The interference spreads throughout the room as he cuts the microphone off. The chains automatically drop from their wrists and everyone hops up to look for a key or anything to get them out.

Matt and Mike try to break the steel door down. It was bolted shut so it was no use. Emily scrambled moving scraps looking for something. Anything. Ashley could barely see past her tears as she hyperventilated and looked around the room. Poor Jessica couldn’t understand what was happening or why it was happening.

A loud buzzer goes off making everyone freeze in fear. The saw began to lower over an unconscious Hannah. The group screams banging against the door and cage that separated them. They tug on the cage trying to break it but it was no use. The saw splits Hannah’s head down to her chest in half. Emily and Ashley scream backing away from the cage as the blood splattered all over them.

“What the fuck!” Mike shouts pulling at his hair and backing away.

“I’m gonna be sick.” Matt mumbles holding his stomach.

The room goes dark making everyone freeze and shake in fear. They knew they were next. Ashely started crying hysterically falling to her knees, covering her ears. Jessica screamed bloody murder backing into the wall. The deep voice laughed maniacally over the microphone. A light comes on a shadowy figure standing menacingly in it.

“You can’t take all of us.” Mike aggressively shouted. Another light turns on and there’s another figure standing just as menacingly as the other.

“Two?” Emily silently questioned. The last light turns on and there’s a third.

“There’s three…” Matt mumbles taking a step back. The lights turns on fully. They were dressed exactly the same. The masks all distorted in different ways. Their heads tilted the same way. They pull their masks off at the same time and there they were.

Hannah, Beth and Dove.

Alive and smiling evilly. Hannah shook her hair out with a sigh before she burst out laughing making the rest of them laugh. They high five each other and cheer. They pulled it off without a hitch.

“Gotcha.” You said in a chilling tone.

Short but effective did you like it? 😌

Divider: @strangergraphics

[gard3nias]

11| An overly ambitious hedonistic seductress

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wc: 6.04k

date: 24/08/2024

mdi // masterlist // playlist

—Now playing: Ti vorrei sollevare by Elisa, Giuliano Sangiorgi ✫

Sunday and, just as the name implies, it was a sunny day and the soft breeze of the town never failed to be present. However, as autumn approached, the mornings felt colder, prompting people to grab sweaters and blankets. The chill slowly dissipated as the day progressed, and by noon, temperatures returned to the usual comfortable levels of the summer. Today, unsurprisingly, temperatures rose even further in the afternoon, encouraging everyone to spend more time outdoors to avoid using air conditioners and fans.

Daphne and Cleo's neighbourhood is always silent, having barely any household containing little children who could be playing in their gardens. The only 'disturbance' came from barking dogs, chainsaws, the hammering from workshops or the buzzing sound of tractors from the neighbouring farms.

The neighbours obviously didn't expect they would hear the hysterical laughs of teenagers, the exhausted screams of another teenager and the overall chaos coming from Cleo's home.

She'd laid out her warnings the previous day: "I have a lot of cats"—two cats in reality but she didn't want to specify just to scare them—"My brother hates noise and messy environments" she stated, firmly advising them to leave their childishness at home when coming. Still, everyone knows that giving a piece of advice is useful only if the receiver takes it into consideration.

The five friends were all downstairs in her living room and they were planning on studying outside in her backyard because of the heat so the only thing left to do was take their things outside but suddenly a supposedly five-minute thing started taking way longer than she'd ever wish.

"Damn. The fridge is full as fuck! How many people are living here?" James asked, checking out the contents of the piece of furniture. He was unaware of the mini heart attack his words gave his friend. "Don't!— Don't touch the fridge. If you need anything, tell me. We went grocery shopping just yesterday and my brother eats a lot," she dragged the vowel to enhance the word and seriousness, "So no. If y'all feel hungry, just tell me." The warning was enough for the boys to lift their hands in surrender and back away from the fridge Cleo had just violently closed and was guarding with her whole body.

The girl sighed in relief, glad to have solved the issue only for her eyes to bulge out of their sockets again when she saw Nick approach her fireplace where, upon the sill, were family pictures, most especially, her childhood pictures. Why the fuck didn't she think about removing them earlier?

"Back off, Dominic!" she exclaimed, rushing up to him. The use of his full name had him on alert since it was rare but soon he understood her body language and what she was trying to hide as a mischievous smirk rose on his face. "Oh my God. You don't want me to see baby Cleo's photos?" he excitedly teased, seeing the shift in her as he understood her intentions.

"Nick, I swear to God if you dare— Nick!" she screamed when he made his first attempt to outsmart and pass her. "Nick, please," she begged, her tone wavered between a laugh and a cry because he was laughing at her distress. "They're just pictures and you're cute as fuck now so one can't imagine how cuter you were when you were a baby," he explained in a slightly more serious tone as he tried to understand the real reason behind her worry.

"I don't care and it's not true—"

"It's not true?"

In the meantime, James continued his tour of the floor without attempting to touch any food or object, Asher was tangled in the paws of Cinnamon and Lily while Daphne simply laughed at the scene as she recorded everything.

"I never knew I'd be the heartthrob of cats," he commented, surprised at their grip on his clothes whenever he wanted to detach them from himself. Daphne didn't do anything about it, having no type of experience with cats and most especially, enjoying the new memory that would occupy space in her phone.

"Pose." She finally spoke after laughing for way too much according to Asher. "What do you mean pose?"

"Pose for a picture," she simply repeated like it was obvious. She had to insist a bit more before he complied and posed, forcing a smile through the pain as she compelled herself to take good pictures before bursting into laughs again. This would be good content for her to upload to her Instagram stories and add to her new highlight dedicated to her friends—it already contained a few things thanks to Cleo's tags. And, exactly, she left to do so, leaving Asher in his despair while she lay on the couch to edit the picture with a few doodles and tagging everyone present.

Nick and Cleo had finished their little fight of resistance and the boy was now holding one of the pictures, congratulating Cleo for being a very cute baby while the girl simply stood next to him, checking if the picture was too bad for her, rolling her eyes at the compliments as she held her smiles back and eagerly begging him to stop satisfying his curiosity.

James had finished the tour of the floor and was now bored and that was when he remembered why they were there in the first place. "Hey, guys. Let's hurry and take what we need to study," his words froze the place up. Daphne moved her eyes onto him, Asher stopped struggling with the cats and Nick and Cleo stopped their activity, simultaneously turning around to look at the speaker. "James? Everything all right?" Asher broke the ice.

"Yeah like... you fine?" Daphne joined. Nick and Cleo nodded when the respondent turned in their direction since he was so confused and looking for clarification.

"What?" he asked, receiving no reply for a few seconds before Daphne spoke again, "We're just surprised you of all people suggested that."

"Yep, surprised,"

"Super surprised," Cleo and Nick added right after her. James simply rolled his eyes, realising he was getting worried over nothing.

"What the fuck guys? I thought it was something serious—"

"Oh, he was going to be serious—"

"Asher!" And everyone laughed. James still rolled his eyes and went on with his life while the rest stopped playing around and got up to do what they initially had to do.

"Cleo? Imma need you to come get your fur balls off me. I'm losing my shit. Thank goodness I ain't allergic to their fur. I would've been dead by now."

It was a five-minute thing, taking every book and device they needed. It was almost a twenty-minute thing, taking Cinnamon and Lily off Asher who fought against wailing like a baby in frustration. And that's how they found themselves sitting around the white table they moved to the garden under the protection of the wide white umbrella standing through its centre.

Cleo's home never hosted these many people. Ever since she was a child, the only companion she had with her was her brother, her father and, briefly, her mother. She'd known Nick, James and Asher since middle school but never had she invited them over because the thought never crossed her mind—and also they already spent a lot of time together considering their moments in class and at practice after school. Regardless if she wanted to hang out with them, they would opt for a destination in town, not anyone's home.

Today, when her neighbours peered out their windows into Cleo's garden, they were greeted with an unfamiliar sight: five people sitting around a white table. Usually, when they spotted Cleo in the garden, she would either be playing with her brother, helping him out with something, swinging on the swing hanging from the big tree, or playing with her cats—certainly not whatever she was doing now.

Barely a month had passed since Daphne had moved here permanently so the images of her reading in her garden weren't long-lost memories to the neighbours anymore but rather part of their routine since Daphne had always been reading there since she came back.

When they would look out of their window and into her garden, they'd find her there, sitting and reading peacefully. The only thing changing day by day was her clothing which would get thicker as the temperatures went down and autumn approached.

They didn't know that the five people in Cleo's garden had decided to meet for school reasons although one could deduct it by noticing the books filling the table and the focus painting the expressions of the teenagers.

One could also deduct that James gave no fucks about school and has a hard time staying focused for too long hence the phone in his hands while the rest were working. He had a leg bent over the other with arms crossed and a subtle frown on his face peeking through his blonde hair strands.

They hadn't even studied for an hour and little James was already out of it. He'd sighed many times by now, gaining Asher's side glances the whole time. James couldn't notice that. The only thing he knew was that his friends were boring, this was boring, life was boring and he couldn't bear it any longer. He even looked in Nick's direction, his usual partner in crime, only to find him focused on working, leaving him shocked.

"Isn't it time to like... have a little break?" he suggested only to receive silence as an answer from all of them. They didn't notice him except for Asher who didn't hold back from rolling his eyes. He had to repeat his question a second time before someone other than Asher answered him or, better, looked in his direction at all.

"It's barely been an hour. What are you talking about?" Cleo questioned with an eyebrow lifted. "It's funnier if you remember that he was the one that encouraged us to come out and study," Asher butted in, gaining an eye roll from James.

"Sorry, I can't stay focused for too long. I'm not as braindead as you are," he spoke directly to Asher who took his glasses off, slightly annoyed at the remark.

"You call having a long attention span being braindead? It literally proves that you're the one who's braindead because you don't know what the word itself means and trust me that anyone could appear 'braindead' to you because you can only stay focused for two minutes,"

"Okay, okay. Let's end it there. You wanna take a break? Let's take a break but then you'll have to seriously work later," Daphne interrupted, getting rid of the ponytail that was already stressing her sensitive skull.

James wasn't bothered in the slightest by Asher's words since he'd got what he'd been wishing for so he simply stood up and headed to the kitchen with Cleo running behind him to make sure he wouldn't empty the fridge.

"Be a bit nicer, yes?" Daphne was now speaking to Asher who simply rolled his eyes and got up, leaving her without any reply. She was a bit baffled just as Nick by her right with whom she exchanged looks of confusion before they too got up and went inside.

—Now playing: Beautiful by Lana Del Rey ✫

Once they got to the kitchen, they found James and Cleo arguing about what they could have to eat and, being already a bit annoyed, Daphne made them settle down and excused all of them out of the kitchen so she could handle it herself. Cleo didn't object and grabbed the chance to play outside with only James and Nick because Asher didn't look down for any type of physical activity—maybe only if it meant he could go back home.

He didn't budge from his position, leaning on the counter with legs and arms crossed and staring into nothing. Daphne, on the other end, was busy exploring Cleo's kitchen to understand where to find what.

She wanted to make some sandwiches and was having a hard time finding the pack of sliced bread they'd bought the previous day. She'd already gathered the filling onto the counter ignoring Asher's presence who had stopped staring into nothing and was now looking at Daphne most especially because she had succeeded in finding the sliced bread but it was in the cupboard, a bit too high away—not the cupboard itself because the pack was placed on the top layer.

"They most likely placed it here on purpose 'cause there's no way," she mumbled to herself and she kept jumping, pinching the packet closer and closer to the edge. She'd already jumped a few too many times to her liking especially because she hoped Asher would help her out but it seemed like he was in the mood to hold grudges against her as if she'd wronged him in any way.

She initially felt good because the packet was getting closer and closer and she would manage to get it without his help but her moment of glory was shut down when she accidentally pushed in instead of pinching it closer. When she noticed, she stopped jumping, looked up at the packet and stared in disbelief.

That was when she heard Asher chuckle behind her. Never had she snapped her head around this fast to glare at someone and never had he hid his smile so quickly.

"Were you just laughing?" she questioned, eyebrow slightly lifted and eyes glaring holes in his figure. "Why would you think that?" he questioned back, mirroring her facial expressions.

Daphne wasn't hallucinating, she heard him clearly laughing in her moment of distress and he was now denying it, denying to had been behaving like a bitch because she told him to tune it down.

Yes. She wasn't hallucinating because he indeed was chuckling since he purposely let her struggle for a bit just because he felt like it. He wasn't that immature. Yes, she scolded him a bit and yes, he was a bit harsh but no, he wasn't going to act like a bitch about it. He would've let her struggle even on the best of his days. The only person who could get him back to being annoyed was James and, at the moment, he wasn't there.

Right now, he was staring dead into Daphne's eyes and she did the same with him. The tension between them soon faded away when they both got the cue that it was all in good fun but Nick didn't know this when he walked in to have a glass of water.

The room was so silent and his friends were staring at each other, both with arms and legs crossed and a crooked eyebrow. "Nice staring contest," he thought to himself and he served himself with the glass of water.

Daphne and Asher, on the other end, struggled to hold back their laughs as they could hear Nick's loud gulping sounds. Asher could see it on her face just as she could see it on his that a smile tried to creep up but they would race against the clock to suppress it. They could see it in each other's eyes, the panting, the sweat and the fatigue the race caused them but soon everything resulted to being in vain when Nick let out the loudest burp right after emptying the glass.

Asher immediately burst into laughter while Daphne's eyes almost bulged out of their sockets and rolled onto the floor at the loud sound. Yeah, it was very loud.

"Jesus Christ, Nick. It's just water," she said, laughing at the situation but also Asher's loud laugh and crumbling figure in front of her.

Nick simply smiled as he rinsed the glass and kept it back to where he found it. "Y'all never heard anyone burp before?" he simply asked, seeing how they were losing their shit.

"Nick? That was exceptionally loud especially since you drank ordinary water. Imagine if you had drunk sparkling water," Daphne explained—to be honest, she struggled to explain that because every word that left her mouth would simply increase Asher's laughter's pitch and volume. Nick didn't reply, smiling at how hilarious Asher sounded before going back outside.

"What the fuck?" Daphne asked in disbelief before repeating her question when she saw that Asher had fully turned red and seemed really in need of help.

"Hey, hey! Young man!" she called. His laughter's pitch and volume had vanished as he was silently laughing now, tightly holding onto his stomach—nothing is deadlier than that shit. "This bitch is on the verge of dying, jeez," she laughed, staring at him in hopes he would stop.

He did, a few seconds later but he did and when he came down, he took in a huge amount of air before letting it all out to ease the feeling of his contracted abdomen.

"A burp... almost killed you," Daphne joked, watching him get back up, "Wouldn't have minded anyway because it would have been your karma," she added.

"My karma? For what?"

"For fucking ignoring me and letting me make a fool of myself as I tried to take that fucking pack of sliced bread just because I scolded you a bit before!" she explained, gasping as she saw him start laughing once more.

"Ok. Yes, it's like you're really trying to kill me with laughter and no, I wasn't ignoring you for that. I would ignore you on any day. Your scolding has nothing to do with it. I was having my own type of fun," and Daphne gasped, reaching over to smack his arm as he laughed and finally complied to help her take the packet and make the sandwiches. As background music were the screams and laughs coming from Cleo's garden.

Soon, their conversation moved on to school subjects regarding their project and most especially the campaign. Asher confessed to being interested in running in the campaign but he would only entertain the idea the following year as a senior as he didn't feel ready yet.

Daphne grabbed the chance to ask him what were the requirements for such and even asked if he was interested in becoming the class president.

Their conversation was cut short by the loud scream coming from the garden. It was so loud Asher worried James or Nick had hurt Cleo somehow. Daphne, however, did not share his concern at first, but she still hurried behind him when he dashed out. They both froze when they saw Cleo and Nick wrestling over a ball, with James confused in a corner not knowing if to join in or separate them.

"Erm?" Daphne asked, side-eyeing Asher who simply rolled his eyes again and went back inside.

"Gosh, I thought it was something serious," he said, making it back behind the counter.

"It was obviously nothing serious. Anyone could tell,"

"Yeah, but I'm used to having to medicate Cleo's wounds because of how roughly they play."

"Are they always like that?" Daphne asked, "Like... in compromising positions like that?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean... if an outsider had to take a look at them, they could suspect they are more than just friends, you know," she voiced out, placing the sandwich on the tray. "Were they ever a thing? Because as far as I know, Cleo never told me anything special about Nick."

Her question wasn't a surprise to him. He knew it would've eventually popped up in Daphne's brain and now he just happened to be the person to whom she addressed the question. "Not that I know of," he simply replied, placing his sandwich on the tray.

"Yes, they do look like more than friends and if I'm being honest with you, I always thought that Nick has a crush on her. James too,"

"Really?" Daphne gasped with bulging eyes and he nodded, "But I feel like if Nick does have a crush on her, his has existed for longer. We have known each other since middle school and Nick has always been like this with her. James started only like two years ago if I'm not mistaken,"

"Which was around when Cleo started getting popular and shit, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so,"

"But also, doesn't Nick also behave like this with everyone? I mean, he's not the shy type to worry too much about physical contact,"

"Yeah, he behaves like this with everyone and that's why one can't fully say that he crushes on Cleo because he isn't any different with others but he's just a bit different when it's just us, you know. There is a Nick with Cleo in public and a different Nick with Cleo in private such as hang outs like this. I do think that if James does have a crush on her, she knows and she also doesn't entertain the idea of starting anything serious with him because two years ago I wasn't the only person thinking he liked her. The whole class did,"

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, but I think Cleo just sees him as a friend because she never really commented on the issue and it slowly faded, especially with the popularity she gained. It became easy to simply label him as a fanboy and nothing more,"

Daphne nodded and didn't speak further, looking out where her friends were. A part of her felt like her suspicions were true. Nick probably likes Cleo, James included, and it isn't surprising because Cleo is so charming. Like she'd already stated, Cleo could see the good in people, no matter the bad one could commit and she also seemed to never get sad or angry—unless you bring Valerie into the picture. Cleo is always smiling and happy. She seemed to have a social battery that never runs out and her smile was like a tattoo on her face.

Daphne hadn't seen her play volleyball yet, hadn't seen how competitive and just how skilled she was at the sport. However, Daphne knew Cleo's popularity likely stemmed from her talent in volleyball, indicating that she was genuinely good at it. 

There was just something fascinating about people being good at what they like.

All these were hypotheses that she would've changed into theories if she knew that Jungkook too fanboys over her.

"So right now, we're looking at a potential childhood crush from Nick?" she said looking at the scene in front of her.

Right in that moment, from the counter she could see Cleo and Nick going at it again, dragging to get the ball. They caught the attention of both she and Asher because Nick seemed to be giving Cleo a back hug from where he would occasionally lift her off the ground. She, on the other hand, would bend forward causing him to do the same. Another honestly compromising position.

"James is third-wheeling there," she comments before they get back to making the sandwiches.

"Worse it would be if he indeed likes her too," Asher added, gaining a hiss from Daphne as they both laughed.

—Now playing: Chiquitita by ABBA ✫

The boys left around dinner time, giving the girls enough time to finish tidying up. Daphne stayed back just for that reason.

There wasn't much left for them to take care of since they didn't mess up the place too much and the boys also helped a little before leaving to catch their bus home. Upstairs, Cole was still sleeping while noise still came from Cleo's dad's workshop. Been like that throughout the afternoon.

"Let's hurry cause I have to cook dinner,"

"You?" and Cleo nodded before turning around to sweep the kitchen. "Cole has been studying the whole morning and even after lunch. I just went to check and saw that he fell asleep so he's surely tired as fuck. My dad has been working nonstop on the project he wants to sell in his shop so yeah, I'm taking over the cooking." Daphne unconsciously nodded to the information as she adjusted the little pillows on the couch and armchair, picking up a few things from the floor and keeping others back where they belonged. As she did so, they stopped talking and completely focused on finishing their duty.

Since the boys had already helped with tidying up the living room a bit, Daphne was soon done with the work and was just roaming around, exploring the place now that she had the chance. In the meantime, Cleo was still sweeping the kitchen, trashing the packs of finished snacks that littered the counters. That was when a gasp from the living room diverted her attention away.

"Oh my god! You have vinyl records from ABBA?" Daphne exclaimed, taking the object in her hands and admiring it like it was a brick of gold. Cleo rushed to put the broom aside and went over to her overly excited friend.

"You listen to ABBA?" Daphne proceeded, taking the disc out of the packet and going straight to the vinyl player sitting next to the pile of records. Cleo smiled but the smile didn't reach her eyes. It wasn't the usual smile that painted her face, the infamous tattoo. No, Cleo struggled to smile and Daphne didn't notice.

She wanted to stop her friend, take the record from her hand, keep it back and shut everything up but that would require her to explain herself and if she failed to do so, she'd just leave a bitter taste in her friend's mouth or, worse, make her worry that there's something more. There is something more, but that more can stay in the isolated room Cleo had locked it in. She'd also trashed the key, wishing to never see that door open again. But it didn't stop the pain nor the insisting struggles as the door tried to open itself against its hinges and the lock.

Daphne maybe would've noticed this but maybe right now she was too excited to listen to ABBA or to play music from a vinyl player once again. The last time she'd done so was at Margot's place in the city but she didn't ponder much on that memory, especially now that Margot have been outcasted from her life just as she'd done to her. Daphne loved vintage things so she really had a thing for vinyl records—preferred them to the modern album packaging.

She didn't pay any attention to the song she was putting on since she was a great ABBA fan and eats up anything the group has released.

"You know how to use it?" Cleo finally spoke, her voice almost nonexistent. Again Daphne didn't notice this. Later, Cleo would be thankful for her inattention because she would've regretted dearly bringing worry upon her friend.

Daphne eagerly nodded as she backed away from the player, waiting for the music to start and it soon did as the soft sounds of a guitar started feeling the room.

"Chiquitita, tell me what's wrong?" she started singing along, gathering her hands on her chest as if the song had been produced in heaven.

"You're enchained by your own sorrow, In your eyes there is no hope for tomorrow." Cleo smiled more now. Chuckled a bit at how fondly Daphne sang along.

Her friend behaved as if she was in a music video, arms spreading out and going back to her chest at each word she sang. "How I hate to see you like this. There is no way you can deny it, I can see that you're oh so sad, so quiet."

Cleo's smile almost faded away, understanding the words, the lyrics. What a choice of song, she thought to herself but, again, Daphne didn't know this so she couldn't show any emotion or any suspicious reaction that could cause her friend to ask questions, to worry. "Chiquitita, tell me the truth. I'm a shoulder you can cry on, your best friend, I'm the one you must rely on." Cleo simply smiled. Laughed seeing how her friend struggled to get on the couch and be even more dramatic. Once she got on it, she spread her arms out again, passionately singing and pointing at Cleo as she sang the next words.

"You were always sure of yourself. Now I see you've broken a feather. I hope we can patch it up together." She didn't know that the words were resonating with Cleo, hitting a very sensitive nerve she's been keeping hidden under her sleeve for a long time now and there was no way she could've known because, unlike Taehyung, Daphne isn't a keen observer but just a good listener. Cleo was the same: different from Taehyung, yes, but she was just good at speaking, with her listening skills not as refined as her friend's. Yes, she is so good at talking but, in that moment, she preferred silence because she was scared of having others worry for her. After all, there is nothing scarier than the sudden extinguishing of the sun—and it's not an eclipse.

Cleo was still standing by the vinyl player while Daphne had already travelled around the room and was making her way back to it, back to Cleo and once she reached, she grabbed her friend's hands and dragged her into the centre of the living room to dance.

"Chiquitita, you and I know how the heartaches come and they go and the scars they're leavin'." Cleo's body was a bit tense but not tense enough to resist Daphne's force as she dragged her around. "You'll be dancing once again and the pain will end. You would have no time for grievin'" Daphne sang without caring to hit the right notes as they started spinning and jumping around. She was unaware that her free spirit at the moment eased her friend's tightened muscles, slowly bringing her to enjoy the song and hop around with her.

"Chiquitita, you and I cry but the sun is still in the sky and shinin' above you."

Daphne didn't know this—again. Not just the song but the whole musical group held a certain weight in Cleo's mind and occupied a certain space in her heart. Space she'd rather give to anything else in this world. A weight she'd gladly go on a diet to lose but this type of weight was particular. Wasn't the type you could lose either by going on a diet or starving yourself.

"Let me hear you sing once more like you did before. Sing a new song, Chiquitita," they both started singing, fingers intertwined, arms spread out and heads thrown back as they spun around, sometimes breaking into a simple dance move. "Try once more like you did before. Sing a new song, Chiquitita."

After parting ways for the verses, Daphne started first: "So the walls came tumblin' down and your love's a blown out candle. All is gone and it seems too hard to handle." And then it was Cleo's turn to become dramatic with her gestures as she started singing along to her own part: "Chiquitita, tell me the truth. There is no way you can deny it. I see that you're oh so sad, so quiet."

Again, unaware, Daphne's actions were like gauze covering the wounds lacing Cleo's body and soul. The smile spread across her face was just what Cleo needed to feel at ease.

"Chiquitita, you and I know how the heartaches come and they go and the scars they're leavin'. You'll be dancin' once again and the pain will end. You will have no time for grievin'" Linking arms and running in a circle, they sang their hearts out.

"Chiquitita, you and I cry but the sun is still in the sky and shinin' above you. Let me hear you sing once more like you did before. Sing a new song, Chiquitita." With hands linked like a couple dancing at a ball and making each other spin around, they started singing the post-chorus: "Try once more like you did before. Sing a new song, Chiquitita. Try once more like you did before. Sing a new song, Chiquitita."

As they danced to the instrumentals, Cleo realized that maybe, just maybe, she'd found a possible solution to the weight occupying her mind, to the spot in her heart and to the wounds that were yet to heal.

Daphne had wondered where her mother was the day she came here and saw Cleo surrounded only by her father and Cole at lunch. She wondered what could have happened to her mother. Was she dead? Did the parents go through a divorce? And if they did, were the kids keeping contact with the mother?

Maybe if Cleo had opened up in that moment, she would've had a little answer to all those questions. She would've finally known something. She would've learned that Cleo's mother used to be a great fan of the group, and she was behind the reason why those vinyl records were there in the first place. She would've known that the last time any song from the group was played, the father was who put it on. She would've known that every memory revolving around the group's songs was in black and white in Cleo's head, bereft of any real colour. Cleo was just waiting, hoping, they would fade away completely, with no colours left behind. Not even the outlines. But she has been waiting for years now and her hope is disappearing faster than the memories she despises.

Maybe, with Daphne back in her life, she would be able to take control and instead of waiting for time to do what it does best, she could change her story, change those memories and replace them with something better, something as nice as this: them spinning around to the ABBA song.

But she knew that Daphne's help would be given unknowingly. Cleo would never ask for help but just grab it if it presents itself in front of her. She didn't know this but it was exactly why her healing process was so slow.

All these were uncertainties because Cleo wasn't sure and never would be unless she opened up to someone, anyone. For example, she could open up to her brother: he's always been there for her, through thick and thin but that was exactly why she didn't want to open up to him. He was already doing a lot for her and the last thing she'd want to do is add another weight on his shoulders.

She could also confide in the man watching the girls from outside through a window. He wasn't done with his project which was lying unfinished in his workshop because he rushed outside once he heard the ABBA song. He's the only person in this house listening to any song from that group because they carry a different meaning to each person in his little family. A meaning that revolved around the mother, the one person who had singlehandedly ruined their family, scarring everyone on her way out.

He's been working on his wounds. 'S been trying to turn them into scars and possibly erase them completely but he'd gladly help his children too if only they would let him in.

He was grateful though to have come this far and was also thankful for Daphne's actions at that moment. She was oblivious to the darkness looming around those songs but she managed to shine through and overshadow it allowing his daughter's beautiful smile to come out from its hiding spot.

He smiled too and a tear ran down his cheek as well, but it was a tear of joy. A joy he'd been looking for ever since that day it left their home with their mother. He'd convinced himself that that joy had run away from his family for good but it was slowly making its way back. Maybe the road was too dark, no streetlights present, no guiding star or moon in the sky but thanks to this, thanks to Daphne, a streetlight had restarted working, brightening the way a bit for as much as it could.

He was very grateful for that.

⤎ previous page | ❃ | next page ⤏

[thebibutterflyao3]

Day 14 - Prompt: Devil @wolfstarmicrofic

January Daily Series - 999 words

<<<Previous Part OR Start Here

“James! Where are you?” Regulus yelled, covering his ears as the shout bounced back at him.

“I went right, then left, then right twice more.”

Sirius cleared his throat and pointed at Padfoot. Regulus let out a relieved sigh, then followed him into the winding cave. He wasn’t actually certain Padfoot could find James, but it reassured his brother enough to stop screaming hysterically.

“James,” Sirius called calmly. “Call Padfoot.”

The dog’s head perked up when a sharp whistle pierced the air. “Pads! Come here, bud!”

Padfoot bounded down the left side of the cave passageways, the opposite of where James said he went. Regulus clicked his tongue disapprovingly as he followed, looking over his shoulder at the other entrance.

When Padfoot slowed, Sirius called, “Again, James.”

“Pads! Over here!” James said, along with a smacking sound.

The dog rushed to the right with Sirius on his heels, but Regulus hesitated to go further, eyeing the main entrance worriedly. “I’m going to stay here, Sirius, to watch the tide.”

“Alright.”

Sirius hurried after Padfoot as he made three sharp turns, then skidded to a stop and leapt up in the air. The sound of his claws scraping against something soft was a good sign, but Sirius couldn’t see a thing. He whipped out his phone and opened the flashlight app.

“Ouch!”

“James?”

His camera flash flickered for a moment, then lit up the cavern in front of him. Sirius stared at the comical scene and bit back a laugh. What a twit!

James was wedged into an opening that would have challenged Sirius to crawl through. Somehow, the utter twat had squeezed his shoulders into the hole, but then stopped. Now, he was on his back with his knees bent and his arms trapped beside his head. Meanwhile, Padfoot was jumping over his belly and trying to wrestle with the bottom two-thirds of his body. Sirius quickly snapped a photo.

“Take it easy, Pads,” James chastised. “You’re going to smash my bits.”

“Don’t let Padfoot smash his bits!” Regulus ordered, his voice wavering.

Sirius chuckled as he leaned down to assess the situation. “What the fuck have you done, mate? You’re way too big for this hole.”

“I found a pretty rock in here and tried to grab it to show Regulus because he wouldn’t come in this far, but I had to reach in pretty deep and…got stuck.” James rambled as he wriggled his body, then huffed in exasperation. “A little help?”

“Yeah, alright. Pads, quit.” Sirius settled the dog, then propped his phone on a rock to shine the light at James.

Slowly, he worked James’s right shoulder back and forth while pressing down the skin to protect it from the jagged rim of the hole. After several minutes of easing him loose, James’s shoulder popped out of the hole. As he began working on the left side, he heard snuffling behind him and rolled his eyes at Padfoot’s exploring.

“Can you hurry?” Regulus asked.

Sirius pulled harder and scoffed, “I’m trying!”

James shifted his stance and forcefully pushed against the stone. A few pieces of rock fell around them, but he hadn’t budged much. He repeated the movement again, then swore under his breath.

“Regulus, are you alright?” he yelled, pausing his struggle to listen.

“It’s just that the water is up to the front of the cave and I-I’m worried we won’t be able to get out.”

“Get out of the cave, Reggie!” Sirius insisted, tossing the dog’s leash aside. “Take Padfoot with you. James and I can swim, if necessary. Go get him, Pads!”

“You know how to swim? When did you-” Regulus was cut-off by an excited yap and huffed loudly. “Hold on a minute, mutt!”

The sounds of his brother grumbling and Padfoot’s feet dancing on the stone amused Sirius for an entire thirty seconds, until he saw the cut on James’s arm. James hissed through his teeth when Sirius touched the skin around it gingerly.

“Fuck, that hurt.”

“Yeah, you did a number on it arsehole.”

James wriggled harder as Sirius turned and pressed his left shoulder to help ease it free from the sharp rocks gripping it. Every centimetre of progress was undone by a slight shift in James’s stance. The twat must have twisted his upper body to fit into the crevice.

“For fuck’s sake,” Sirius said, swatting James’s side. “Why didn’t you just take a bloody picture?”

“Yeah, well. I didn’t think of that.”

Suddenly, Sirius’s knees were soaked by a flood of water that rushed into the cave. “Shite!”

“That’s about the sum of it, yeah,” James gasped, shivering violently.

A loud thud and a splash echoed through the cave and James stilled. His chest spasmed with a shaky breath. “Regulus? Don’t come in here if you can’t swim!”

“That’s not him. He’s not big enough too-” When large hands grabbed him around the middle, Sirius startled and flailed. “Wha…who…I?”

“Out of the way,” Remus said gruffly, moving him aside. The bloke knelt in the shallow water and peered up into the hole with one eye closed. “Well, James. Stuck yourself good, didn’t ya?”

James burst out laughing, but it sounded more delirious than amused. “Fuck me. Thank the devil it’s you, Remus.”

“I’ll pass for now, thanks, but I might have to get a bit familiar with you to pull you out.”

“Whatever. Go for it.”

Sirius stared in awe as Remus straddled James’s hips, braced himself, wrapped both arms around James’s chest and yanked hard. Remus’s back muscles strained against his shirt as he repeated the move twice more with a grunt. There was a sickening pop when James finally broke free.

James grimaced as he rubbed at his shoulder and sat up. When he spotted Sirius, he offered him an apologetic grin and held out his hand. A smooth green stone with coral bits attached on one side lay in the palm of his hand.

“Do you think he’ll like it?” he asked earnestly.

Sirius rubbed his temples and sighed.

Next Part>>>

[worldsmessiestwriter]

You’re so vain.

tw - suggestive.

word count - ?

Peter Parker x Stark! reader

inspired by a scene in how to lose a guy in 10 days <3

—————————————————————————

The Stark Tower was alive with music, laughter, and expensive booze. Tony Stark’s latest party was in full swing, with glittering lights reflecting off champagne glasses and a crowd full of Avengers and high-profile guests. In the midst of the glamour, Y/N Stark stood at the bar, her drink in hand and a storm brewing inside her.

Across the room, Peter Parker was laughing with Tony, acting like everything was fine. Like the two of them hadn’t slept together just a week ago. Like he hadn’t promptly ignored her ever since.

“Unbelievable,” Y/N muttered, downing the rest of her cocktail.

Peter glanced her way—just for a second—and quickly looked away. That little flick of guilt was all it took to send her simmering rage into a full boil.

Pepper appeared beside her, raising a delicate brow. “You alright?”

“I’m fine,” Y/N said sharply, her grip on her empty glass tight.

Pepper took one look at Peter and hummed knowingly. “Got it. Well, try not to do anything.. rash.”

Y/N glared at Peter, who had just taken a sip of his drink, still grinning at something Ned said. It was like nothing had happened between them. Like he hadn’t kissed her neck, whispered her name, and—

“Ugh!” she grumbled, setting her glass down and storming toward the DJ booth.

Peter was just starting to relax when the music cut out, replaced by a screech of feedback from the microphone. His heart sank as he saw Y/N standing on stage, mic in hand, her eyes locked on him.

“Good evening, everyone,” she said, her voice syrupy sweet. “I hope you’re all enjoying this fabulous Stark party. I know I certainly am.”

The crowd chuckled politely, though most of them were already pulling out their phones.

Peter shifted uncomfortably, his Spidey sense tingling—not because of danger, but because this was about to go very, very wrong.

“This next song,” Y/N continued, “is dedicated to a very special someone in the room. Someone who clearly thinks the world revolves around them.” She pointedly glanced at Peter, and the crowd followed her gaze.

Peter’s stomach dropped.

Before he could react, the opening notes of You’re So Vain blasted through the speakers.

“You walked into the party,” Y/N sang dramatically, dragging out the lyrics, “like you were walking onto a yacht…”

Laughter rippled through the room as Y/N strutted across the stage, glaring daggers at Peter. His cheeks burned as he downed the rest of his drink for courage.

“Oh, hell no,” he muttered, slamming the glass down and marching toward the stage.

“Your scarf, it was apricot,” Y/N crooned, leaning into the mic. “You had one eye in the mirror, as you watched yourself gavotte…”

Peter snatched the microphone from the DJ’s stand. “Alright, that’s enough!” he blurted, his voice ringing out through the speakers.

“Oh, now you want to talk?” Y/N shot back, glaring at him.

“Yes, I want to talk,” Peter replied, stepping onto the stage. “Starting with what are you doing?”

“What am I doing?” she echoed, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “I’m just performing a little number that perfectly sums up my feelings.” She turned back to the crowd, belting, “You’re so vaaaaain, you probably think this song is about yoooou!”

“It is about me!” Peter exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air.

“Oh, so you admit it!” Y/N said triumphantly, pointing at him.

The crowd was in hysterics now, phones capturing every second of their drunken spectacle.

Peter rolled his eyes. “Y/N, you’re being ridiculous! This is not how adults handle things.”

“Oh, because you’re so mature?” she shot back. “Ignoring me all week like a coward after sleeping with me.”

“I wasn’t ignoring you!”

“Really? What would you call it then?”

“I was… I was…” Peter stammered, his alcohol-clouded brain struggling to find an excuse.

“Exactly!” Y/N yelled, poking his chest. “You didn’t even text me, Peter! Not even a ‘hey,let’s do it again sometime!’ or even a ‘hey, that was a mistake!’”

“It wasn’t a mistake!” Peter blurted out, his voice loud and earnest.

Y/N blinked at him, surprised. “What?”

“I said it wasn’t a mistake,” Peter repeated, lowering his mic. His face was red—not just from embarrassment but from the honesty spilling out of him. “I—I just didn’t know what to say, okay? I didn’t want to screw things up with you, so I panicked. I’m sorry.”

The room was dead silent now, save for a few awkward coughs.

Y/N’s anger faltered, replaced by confusion. “You’re… sorry?”

“Yes!” Peter said, throwing his arms in the air. “I’m sorry! I like you, okay? I like you a lot. And I handled this horribly because I didn’t know what to do.”

Y/N stared at him, her heart doing somersaults despite the lingering irritation. Before she could respond, a loud groan cut through the silence.

“Alright, that’s enough,” Tony’s voice boomed as he stepped onto the stage, rubbing his temples. “This is a party, not open mic night at the heartbreak café.”

The crowd roared with laughter as Tony plucked the microphone out of their hands.

“You two,” he said, pointing at Y/N and Peter, “go. Talk. Somewhere else. Preferably somewhere soundproof.”

Y/N and Peter exchanged sheepish looks before hopping off the stage, the crowd parting to let them through.

As they stumbled into a quieter hallway, Y/N crossed her arms. “You really like me?”

Peter nodded, scratching the back of his neck. “Yeah. I do. A lot.”

She sighed, her frustration finally melting. “You’re an idiot, you know that?”

“I know,” he said with a small smile. “But i could be your idiot.”

Y/N rolled her eyes but couldn’t help smiling back. “Come on, Parker. Let’s go find somewhere soundproof.”

“Wait, what—oh! Okay,” Peter stammered, following her down the hall.

Back in the ballroom, Tony grabbed a drink and muttered to Pepper, “I give it two weeks before they pull this stunt again.”

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yall just watched how to lose a guy in ten days and could help myself <\3