#if i disappear for a while know that I'm (probably) alive just trying to process everything and giggling at random moments

[watchingblsnowandforever]

DEAD I'M DEAD

I have been giggling and smiling constantly, my cheeks hurt and my mom thinks I've finally lost it.

WHY IS THIS SO GOOD OH GODS

SAKSJSJALMASBBSHS

THE EPS KEEP GETTING BETTER, AND THIS IS JUST LIKE 3/4 I HAVE A WHOLE PART LEFT!!!

Not gonna survive nope

[goodluckclove]

Hi Clove, I have a question. What do you think about using AI like ChatGPT for brainstorming?

I don't mean making it do everything for you but using it as a crutch. I'm a pantser at heart, but as someone whose brain can't put two coherent thoughts together, I find the process of making my thoughts legible almost impossible.

Can AI be helpful like this, or is it really not a good idea? In any case, I'm probably robbing myself of learning experience by taking shortcuts. Thoughts?

~ defeatistwriter (can't send this from my sideblog RIP)

Hi Deffy!

So I'm going to be outright and say I'm heavily biased against the use of AI in writing. I was a copywriter in a marketing agency that decided to nearly fully incorporate early ChatGPT into our workflow, essentially reducing my job from writing to just prompting. I have firsthand experience in knowing how faulty and just plain frustrating language models can be. It disgusted me so much that I quit the stable office job and started making sandwiches at the grocery store.

At the same time, I know this situation has nuance. People are using AI in creative writing more and more, and for a lot of them I can see why. Ideas can be hard to parse. I can feasibly see someone using AI as a jumping off point for their creative work in a way that still involves effort and human insight. And while i told myself I would never do this again, I respect you as a creator and I want to give an honest attempt to understand where you're coming from before I just go AI BAD.

So this is going to be a long one.

Let's fucking go.

So I started simple by asking Chat for an idea for a horror story. This is what it came up with:

How about this: The Forgotten Town: In the heart of the Appalachian Mountains lies a forgotten town, its existence erased from maps and memories. Decades ago, a tragedy befell the town when a series of unexplained disappearances occurred, leading to its abandonment. Years later, a group of urban explorers stumbles upon the town, intrigued by its mysterious past. As they venture deeper into its deserted streets, they uncover disturbing clues hinting at a dark secret hidden beneath the surface. Soon, they realize they are not alone in the town, and something malevolent lurks in the shadows, preying on anyone who dares to uncover its secrets. As night falls and their numbers dwindle, they must race against time to unravel the town's horrifying truth before they become its next victims.

Yeah that's - fine? It's fine. It's fine. But it's also a little more detailed than I would prefer to make something that's actually my idea (Of course, I could just only use a fraction of this). I know phrasing makes a big difference with language models, so I asked again and instead of "idea" I said "concept".

How about this concept: The Whispering Woods: Deep within a remote forest lies a grove where the trees seem to whisper secrets to those who dare to listen. Legend has it that the grove is cursed, haunted by the spirits of those who lost their way in the woods. When a group of hikers decides to camp in the forest, they stumble upon the grove and are drawn in by its eerie tranquility. But as night falls, they begin to hear whispers in the wind, voices from beyond the grave urging them to leave before it's too late. Ignoring the warnings, they soon find themselves trapped in a waking nightmare as the forest comes alive with unseen terrors. Each step deeper into the woods leads them closer to the truth behind the curse, but also closer to their own demise. Will they uncover the secrets of the Whispering Woods, or will they become just another tale whispered among the trees?

Wow. it's the same response format. Also, it's clear by now that Chat's concept of horror as a genre is drastically reduced into what if something happened, but it was scary? So maybe horror is not the right genre. Let's try romance!

I tried asking it for possible meet-cute scenarios. Let's see what it comes up with.

Certainly! Here are two more meet-cutes for a romantic story: Shared Adventure: The protagonists find themselves on the same guided tour of an ancient castle or historical landmark. As they explore the winding corridors and hidden chambers together, they bond over their shared fascination with history and archaeology. Their mutual curiosity sparks a series of lighthearted adventures as they playfully race to uncover the secrets of the castle, all the while growing closer with each passing moment. Chance Encounter at a Farmer's Market: Amidst the bustling stalls of a local farmer's market, the protagonists accidentally collide while reaching for the same ripe fruit or artisanal cheese. Their initial embarrassment quickly turns into laughter as they help each other gather up their fallen purchases. They strike up a conversation about their favorite local foods and recipes, and before they know it, they're sharing a picnic lunch together, surrounded by the vibrant sights and sounds of the market.

Notice how Chat said that it was giving me two more meet-cutes? That's because I cycled through about ten to find two that weren't just...boring. Like imagine you asked a couple how they met and they were like we wanted the same cheese. I'm sure it happens, but like...ugh. No.

Let's try a setting.

Cozy Coastal Town: Set in a quaint coastal town nestled between rugged cliffs and a picturesque shoreline, this setting offers a charming backdrop for a romantic story. The town is known for its cobblestone streets lined with colorful cottages, bustling seaside cafes, and breathtaking views of the ocean. With its laid-back atmosphere and friendly locals, it's the perfect place for the protagonists to escape the hustle and bustle of city life and discover each other amidst the soothing sound of crashing waves and salty sea air. As they explore the town's hidden gems together, from secluded beaches to cliffside trails, they find themselves falling in love amidst the beauty of the coastal landscape.

This is something. This is a description of a location. What I'm not a fan of is how just basic it is. Wouldn't a romantic story be more interesting if it took place someplace you wouldn't expect? Also, fun fact, Chat reused hustle and bustle of city life from a previous meet-cute prompt because language models are hack writers.

Subterranean City: Beneath the bustling streets of a modern metropolis lies a hidden world—a sprawling network of tunnels and chambers that form an ancient subterranean city. Discovered during the excavation for a new subway line, this forgotten underground realm is filled with mysterious ruins, luminescent fungi, and underground rivers. The protagonists, drawn together by their shared fascination with archaeology and exploration, embark on a journey to uncover the secrets of this hidden city. As they navigate the labyrinthine passages and encounter ancient artifacts, they find themselves drawn to each other amidst the ancient wonders and dangers lurking in the depths below. Amidst the echoes of the past and the glow of bioluminescent flora, they discover that love can flourish in the most unexpected of places.

You know what? I'll give it to you, Chat, this is a more unexpected location for a romantic story. It's also such an insane overcorrection that I have no idea what to do with it. My options here are either the movie adaption of Mamma Mia or some sewer person love story? That's the scope, here?

I'll do one more before I get to my final point. Many romantics stories have that archetypal misunderstanding, right? Can ChatGPT think of something like that?

Assumed Identity: Due to a case of mistaken identity, one protagonist, Jamie, believes that the other protagonist, Jordan, is already in a relationship with someone else. Unbeknownst to Jamie, Jordan was merely helping a friend and is actually single. This misunderstanding creates a barrier between them as Jamie tries to suppress their growing feelings for Jordan, believing that they are unrequited.

Wow. Holy fuck.

Here's the thing, Deffy. I know this probably isn't how you brainstorm. I gave it an honest shot, and now I think I can honestly say in good faith that you are a better writer than ChatGPT. You are smarter than ChatGPT. You are more creative than some language model that can only spit out what it's data-munched off the internet.

The thing about these language models is that, at least in creative writing, they have yet to produce an original concept with nuance. They can't. The software says variations of what it's seen online. In earlier versions I told my team they had to search answers to make sure they weren't outright stolen verbatim from other sources.

You've seen that Assumed Identity answer in like a billion romcoms. Same with meetings that start with two people reaching for the same anything - which, by the way, I would just let them take it and move on with my day. I'm socially awkward I'm not about to flirt with someone when I think I almost stole their cheese or pastry. Even with the ideas like the spooky abandoned Appalachian town that might not specifically be from one thing, doesn't it kind of sound like it could kind of be from like a bunch of things?

This is not me roasting you. You are not a bad person for wanting to do this. You want to write and I know can write. I legitimately don't believe you when you say you can't form a cohesive idea and if you need it I'm happy to talk you through at least creating enough of a concept to write something.

If you need to brainstorm, there are better ways to do it. Writing a horror story? There are Youtube channels that document real-life horrors - and not just exploitative true crime stuff, I'm talking niche lost media disasters, online mysteries, the kind of tragedies that are otherwise unspoken of. Want to write a romance? Maybe scroll Reddit's various relationship boards to get some voyeuristic inspiration into the trials and successes of various kinds of love.

Have no fucking clue what to write? Find inspiration in your favorite media property. Write a version of you that isn't you and change the outcome of a moment from your past, good or bad. Write a story about a mouse birthday party. Shortcuts aren't always a bad thing, Deffy, but you're capable of far more than i think you expect of yourself.

Fuck ChatGPT, by the way. Never again.

Okay one more.

sick fuck yeah.

[winters8child]

It´s been a long, long time

Chapter 116

"Here you go, some old pajamas of mine. They should fit you," I said, handing him the bundle. He took them without much thought, his gaze sweeping over the guest room, eyes widening as he took in the space. The quiet room, with its soft lighting, the mounted TV on the wall, and the big bed in the center, seemed to surprise him. It was warm, and inviting—things he probably hadn’t known for a while.

I finished tucking in the fresh covers and lit a vanilla candle, hoping the soft scent would make him feel at ease. "Thanks," he mumbled, disappearing into the attached bathroom with the pajamas.

I took the moment to pull my phone from my pocket, scrolling absently, trying to figure out what to tell Bucky. Breaking news like this over the phone felt wrong, but not telling him anything at all felt just as unsettling.

I looked up when I heard the shower turn on, so I stepped outside to make the call I'd been dreading. Taking a deep breath, I held the phone to my ear, waiting for Bucky to pick up.

"Hey, doll, what's up?" he answered casually, though there was a thread of worry in his voice.

"Hey, Buck. I just wanted to let you know that I'm staying at the house tonight," I explained, trying to keep my tone light. "It’s getting late, and I’d rather not drive all the way back to Brooklyn." Even as I said it, I knew it sounded like a flimsy excuse.

He paused, and I could almost feel his concern through the phone. "Oh... everything okay? Want me to come over?" His voice was cautious like he was ready to be there at a moment’s notice. And that’s when it hit me—he was worried I’d be alone, afraid I might hurt myself again. I didn’t want him carrying that weight, so I just blurted it out.

“I found my son, Buck,” I said, the words tumbling out in a rush. “Or… he found me. He was at the cemetery, and now he’s here, at the house.” I swallowed, trying to catch my breath. “He survived, Buck. He escaped from the lab and somehow made it out—he’s been living on the streets all this time… and now, we just ate pizza together.”

There was silence on the other end as he took it in, and I could picture him trying to process everything I’d just said.

"Buck?" I prompted gently, my heart pounding in the quiet that followed.

There was a sharp intake of breath. "Your son… he’s alive?" His voice was barely above a whisper, as though he feared the truth might slip away if he spoke too loudly. I could hear disbelief, relief, and worry woven together in those few words.

“Yes,” I replied, my voice steady but soft. “And I know you must have a million questions. I’ll tell you everything, Buck, but… not over the phone. I just thought you deserved an explanation.”

He was quiet for a beat before he responded. “All right,” he said finally, though I could sense a hint of hesitation. “But if you need anything—if he needs anything—you call me, okay?”

“I will… thank you, Bucky,” I whispered, feeling the gratitude settle deep in my chest. I ended the call with a quiet click, letting the weight of the conversation linger in the stillness.

I leaned back against the wall, releasing a sigh of relief just as the door cracked open slightly. My son’s head peeked out, his expression tentative. “Uh… where should I put my dirty clothes?” he stammered, clearly uncomfortable. “There wasn’t a basket,” he added shyly.

“Oh, just hand them over,” I replied, smiling as I reached out. “I’ll take care of them and toss them in the wash.”

He handed over the clothes with a quiet “Thanks,” and I turned around and walked into the laundry room. As I started the cycle, I noticed he had followed me, lingering in the doorway, arms crossed tightly as though he didn’t know what to do with himself.

When I faced him, he looked down, seeming smaller than before. “You’re safe here,” I said gently, stepping closer, the urge to reach out and embrace him almost overwhelming.

He swallowed and looked up, eyes meeting mine, though he stayed rooted to the spot. “I don’t even have a name,” he whispered, a tinge of shame in his voice. “Never needed one.” His eyes were hard, defensive—but his posture told a different story, one of uncertainty and vulnerability.

I started to respond, but he spoke first, his voice quieter. “What would you have called me?” He crossed his arms, looking both curious and defensive.

The truth hit hard. I hadn’t had the luxury of imagining names, of planning a future together. He was taken before I’d ever had that chance. “I didn’t get to name you,” I admitted softly. His expression faltered, a flicker of disappointment crossing his face.

After a moment, he glanced up, hesitantly. “Can…can you call me Steven? Like my father.” His voice carried an unsteady pride, and my heart tightened as tears threatened. I nodded, pressing my lips together to hold back the flood of emotions. His face softened into the faintest of smiles, there and gone so quickly, but it lifted something heavy inside me.

He shifted, glancing away. “I…think I’ll go to bed,” he murmured, though he lingered, almost as if he was waiting for permission.

“Good night…Steven,” I whispered, my fists clenched against the overwhelming urge to pull him into a hug. Just the sound of his chosen name was enough to make his small smile return. It was enough—for now.

“Good night,” he whispered, and then, with a final look back, he turned and disappeared into his room.

I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, my thoughts circling back to the same unbelievable truth—my son was right down the hall, finally here after all these years. Every time I closed my eyes, a fear tugged at me, whispering that I’d wake up and find him gone, that it was all a dream. After what felt like an eternity of tossing and turning, I gave in and quietly slipped out of bed, needing to do something—anything—to quiet my racing mind.

I began to clean, dusting every surface, and sweeping and mopping every inch of the floors. The steady rhythm was soothing, the focus a temporary relief from my nerves. As I moved through the house, I found myself in the basement, sorting through old boxes until I pulled out the Christmas decorations. Somehow, it felt right. I wanted this place to feel warm, safe, a home for him—something worth staying for.

Decorating the house in quiet solitude, I realized this wasn’t just about welcoming him but about showing him he had a place here. That he wasn’t alone anymore.

After finishing the last touch—a string of lights draped over the mantel—I finally let myself collapse into bed. For once, I didn’t lie awake overthinking, and sleep claimed me almost instantly.

It was only as I drifted off that a quiet realization brushed against the edges of my mind—I was lying in the bed Steve and I had once shared, a place filled with memories of a life that felt like it belonged to another time. But tonight, it didn’t bring the usual ache. Tonight, with my son across the hall, it almost felt like a new beginning.

The first rays of sunshine woke me, stirring a feeling in my chest that I hadn’t experienced in a long time—a flicker of hope mixed with anticipation for the day ahead. I tossed the blanket aside, slipped into my morning coat, and dialed a nearby breakfast place. I would have preferred to cook, but the kitchen was bare of ingredients.

Twenty minutes later, the delivery driver arrived with an array of breakfast foods: pancakes, waffles, omelets, sausages, and freshly squeezed orange juice. I was plating everything on the kitchen table when I heard footsteps descending the stairs.

He appeared, rubbing his eyes and taking in the delicious scents wafting through the air. “Good morning,” I said with a smile as I poured some juice into his glass.

“Good morning,” he mumbled, sitting down and eyeing the pancakes. I quickly grabbed a stack and placed it on the plate in front of him.

“Did you sleep okay?” I asked as I settled into my seat and took a sip of my coffee. He swallowed a massive bite and nodded. “Beats the cardboard box I usually sleep on,” he replied, and my heart ached at his words.

I bit my lip, trying to keep the sadness at bay. “Well,” I said softly, “no more cardboard boxes.” I reached over to slide a small bottle of syrup closer to him. “Here—drizzle as much as you want.”

He took the bottle, pouring a generous amount over his pancakes before taking another big bite. I watched as he closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the taste. Seeing him enjoy his meal in the warm morning sunlight made my heart swell.

He caught me staring and squinted at me as if contemplating what to say next. “Who was the man you called yesterday... when I was in the shower?” His tone was neutral, but there was an edge of curiosity.

I hadn’t anticipated that question, and it caught me off guard. “That was Bucky. He was your father’s best friend, and he’s my best friend too,” I explained. A familiar feeling of shame crept in—shame for being in a relationship with my best friend so soon after his father’s death. It had only been over two years, after all.

“Bucky Barnes?” he asked, his eyes widening before he seemed to shrink in on himself as if he felt he wasn’t allowed to get excited. Yet, there was a spark of admiration in his voice.

“Yes, Bucky Barnes. Have you heard of him?” I asked with a smile.

He shrugged, trying to contain his excitement. “Yeah, I snuck into that exhibit once.”

I nodded, saddened that he had sneaked into places others just walked into without worries. Then he hesitated before speaking again. “Uhm, can I meet him?” His voice was quiet as he watched my reaction.

I smiled warmly. “Of course you can. He would love to meet you.”

I found myself staring again, completely unaware until he caught my gaze. “Can I have more orange juice?” he asked shyly, nodding toward the bottle on the table.

“Of course, you don’t have to ask,” I replied, filling his glass. “This is your home, Steven. You’re home now,” I added, struggling to keep my emotions in check.

He nodded, his eyes dropping to his plate as he mumbled, “Thank you.”

Next Chapter

[crystalninjaphoenix]

Old and New Family

Shadow City AU - Chapter Two

A JSE Fanfic

Well I did not expect to post another part to this so soon, but I am going on ANOTHER trip so I figured this would be a good time to do a second part so I can actually use my free time instead of writing all the time while I'm there XD Remember, this AU is still TECHNICALLY in its concept stage, I am NOT posting this regularly yet. But hey, maybe this could be a thing, whenever I'm too busy to write something new I could post a chapter of this? No guarantees but that would be fun.

After the double-length first chapter, this is a much more reasonable (for me) 6400 words fdjsahdljkh Chase is still getting used to being dead... undead? One of those things. But there are some practical matters that need to be taken care of. Meanwhile, we get a look at what it's like being a werewolf through Jackie's experiences. Surely nothing will go wrong! Heh. Hope you enjoy!

First Chapter Found Here

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Being a ghost was very different from being alive. Well, obviously it was. But Chase didn’t really understand how different it was until he was a ghost himself.

There were the big differences. The whole ‘not being able to touch things unless you think really hard about it’ thing was probably the biggest difference of all. He was also invisible. He didn’t cast a shadow, and he couldn’t see his reflection in the bathroom mirror. But he could see his own body and his clothes... or... his ghostly clothes? Were they part of him now? It felt like they could come off, but he didn’t want to risk losing them so he left them on. Another thing he noticed was that he couldn’t go too far from his house. He could get a bit into the street, or into his neighbor’s gardens, but beyond that it felt like a tether around his chest was keeping him in place.

There was also the thing about breathing and blinking. While being alive, those processes happened automatically. Now they only happened when he made an effort to control it. And there was no benefit to doing it. Air didn’t go into his lungs. Tears didn’t moisten his eyes. Breathing and blinking were now pretty much only to ground himself or to communicate his feelings to other people. 

All of these were pretty big changes.

But there were also the small differences. Chase spent most of his first night as a ghost—after he’d gotten used to the whole ‘being dead’ thing (or managed to put it out of his head enough to function)—trying to touch things. He could never manage for more than a few seconds. But when he did, he found that things didn’t tickle or itch anymore. He then took a moment to really think about himself, and noticed that he didn’t feel any spit in his mouth. His mouth wasn’t dry, either, it was just... normal. He noticed as well that he couldn’t feel temperature anymore, or that draft that always breezed through his hallway. And when he wanted to move somewhere, he didn’t actually have to walk. He could just think about going somewhere and he would float over. But he kept moving his legs out of habit. It made him feel more... like a person.

And only after a night of experimenting, once he saw the sun rising again, did he realize that he didn’t feel tired. He didn’t have any of the dully fuzzy feelings associated with sleepiness. Which made sense, but he hadn’t realized how used he was to feeling tired until it was gone.

Out of curiosity, he tried to lie down on his bed and sleep anyway. He passed right through it and ended up on the floor. Hey, why didn’t he pass through the floor, too? That was a mystery. But if Jack really came back like he said he would, Chase could ask him. He might know. For now, he laid on the floor instead and tried to sleep...

Sleep didn’t exactly come. But something else happened. Chase had never meditated before, but he thought that this was similar. He didn’t think. He didn’t move. The world around him faded away, but didn’t disappear completely.

As evident when he heard a knock at the door.

Chase sat up, and started to head towards the living room... then remembered. He was a ghost. He went through stuff. His head was currently sticking up through his mattress. So instead, he stood up and went through the outer wall, going in a straight line towards the sound.

Jack was waiting on the doorstep. Chase went up to him, half-wondering if he should see if he could scare him... but Jack saw him coming first and turned to him. “Hey.” He smiled in friendly greeting. He wasn’t wearing the SPDFI jacket from yesterday—that must have been a uniform. Instead he was wearing a white T-shirt with a red circular design on it, and had a pair of glasses. “I told you I’d stop by tomorrow. How are you holding up, Chase?”

“I’m... fine,” Chase said slowly. “This is still… weird. It’s gonna take some getting used to.”

“Well I’m here to help!” Jack said cheerfully.

“Is that what you do? You just go around helping ghosts?”

“Uh... basically, yeah.”

Chase narrowed his eyes. “Are you going to exorcize me or something? Make me, uh, move on?”

Jack chuckled good-naturedly. “That’s not how it works. There’s not a force in the world that can make a ghost move on if the ghost isn’t ready.”

“Really? Nothing?” Chase asked, surprised.

“Well, I’m told there are spells that could exorcize a ghost from their current location,” Jack said. “Like... kick you out of your house, for example. Or if you’re possessing someone, they’ll kick you out of their body. But no, they can’t send you to the other side or wherever.”

“I can possess people?”

“If you’re a strong ghost.”

Chase nodded slowly. “Am I a strong ghost?”

“Yep.” Jack smiled. “You’re actually the strongest ghost I’ve met!” He leaned against the closed door, scanning the street—making sure that no one saw him talking to himself like a crazy person.

“Really? Huh.” Chase looked down at his hands. “What’s it like to be a weak ghost?”

“Well, the weakest ghosts out there aren’t really people,” Jack said. “They’re more like... just a presence. Like emotions that soaked into a place. To me, weak ghosts look like disembodied glowing lights that change shape. Like amoebas. But regular everydays can’t see them at all—uh, an ‘everyday’ is just a normal human without powers or anything. Anyway, as ghosts get more powerful, they become more and more human. An average ghost will act like the person they were when alive, but focused solely on their unfinished business. They look a lot, uh, wispier than you do.”

“That’s... that’s so strange.” Again, Chase looked at his hands. They were a bit translucent, but weren’t ‘wispy’ in any way. He glanced up at Jack. “I, uh... still have questions. A lot more questions.”

“I’m here to answer,” Jack said. “But first, I have some questions of my own first. They won’t be... They might be troubling, but I need you to answer.”

Chase got a sinking feeling in his stomach. “Sure... go ahead.”

“Well, I... gotta know some... legal stuff,” Jack explained. “Did you, uh... have a will?”

“...no,” Chase said quietly. “I thought about getting one, but... I-I don’t know. It felt like... giving up.”

Jack nodded. “Well, in that case. Do you want to keep any of your stuff? That’s not, uh, legally allowed, not normally, but I’m getting an idea, so I can arrange it, if you’re okay with it.”

“I...” Chase thought about it. About all the things in this house. Most of the furniture came included with the rent, so it wasn’t his to give away. And he wouldn’t need stuff like his clothes and his bedsheets. He thought about keeping things like pictures and souvenirs from vacations. For sentimental value. But... Stacy and Declan probably deserved to have those. After all, he couldn’t... couldn’t go back to them, could he? The least he could give him were things that reminded them of him. “Nothing’s coming to mind...” He decided to get off this train of thought before it got too existential. “Wh-what do you mean, you’re getting an idea?”

“Well I was looking for a new place anyway,” Jack said slowly. “So I figured that if you were okay with it, I could... move into your place. I wouldn’t change anything too much,” he hurriedly added. “I’d be more like a roommate than anything. But if you want, I could stick around to help out.”

Chase stared at him silently. His first instinct was to protest. This was his house. What if he didn’t want a roommate? But after a moment, he sighed. “Mr. Wood is probably gonna put the house up for rent soon anyway. If anyone else is gonna move in, it might as well be the guy who can see ghosts.”

“That’s the landlord?” Jack asked.

“Yeah. He’s a jackass, I’m warning you now. I bet he’s gonna charge you way too much for a house that someone fucking died in.”

Jack laughed. “God. Sounds terrible.”

“He’s a real piece of work. But he’s mostly hands-off, so there’s that at least.” Chase paused. “D’you think I could go haunt his ass?”

Jack laughed some more—then abruptly stopped. “Hey. Do you know that car?”

A blue sedan was pulling up to the side of the road... right outside Chase’s house. It was soon followed by a dark gray truck. That sinking feeling was back. “The... the truck is Mr. Wood, s-speak of the devil. The blue Accord is... is Stacy’s car.”

Jack glanced at Chase. “...your wife.”

“Yeah,” Chase whispered.

The doors to the cars opened up, and people started to get out. Mr. Wood was first, and he marched straight up the front path to where Jack was standing against the door. “This is private property, you know,” he said sternly. Mr. Wood was an older man with steel gray hair who always wore tweed. Chase had always thought he was intimidating, but that might just be because he reminded Chase of a teacher, and he hadn’t done well in school.

But Jack just smiled and stood up straight. “Sorry. I’m a friend of Chase’s. I thought I’d pay my respects.”

“You’re a friend of Chase’s?”

Chase inhaled sharply at the sound of the voice. Stacy was right behind Mr. Wood. She looked mostly the same as she always did. Her hair was a darker brown than Chase’s, naturally curly, kept in her usual shoulder-length style. She wore the same sort of outfit she usually did on her days off the office. A white blouse with puffy short sleeves and dark-colored jeans with a brown belt and matching brown boots. The only real difference from the last time Chase had seen her was her eyes. Her dark brown eyes were rimmed with red, with dark circles underneath.

And holding onto Stacy’s hand...

“Oh no,” Chase whispered. “Stace, you couldn’t get a babysitter?”

Declan didn’t much resemble his parents on the surface. He’d inherited his white-blonde hair from his grandmother—Chase’s mom—and while Chase and Stacy both had rounder features and slender builds, Declan’s tiny face was more square through the baby fat, and though he was tall for his age, he was already shaping up to be more solidly built. But Declan had Stacy’s eyes and Chase’s nose, so there was still a resemblance when all of them were together. He was usually very independent for his age, but right now he held tight to his mom’s hand, clinging to her. His blue t-shirt with the killer whale graphic was rumpled, and Chase immediately knows that he slept in it.

“Yes, I’m a friend of his,” Jack said, staying remarkably calm. “My name’s Jack. Jack McLoughin.” He held out his hand for a handshake. “You’re Stacy, aren’t you?”

Stacy didn’t take his hand. Chase laughed a bit. She was never all that fond of handshakes in the first place. “He never mentioned you,” she said slowly.

“We met, uh, fairly recently,” Jack explained, slowly lowering his hand. “I’m... sorry for your loss.”

Stacy nodded curtly, but Chase noticed the way her mouth trembled. He knew when she was holding back tears.

“Yes, well, your respects have been paid,” Mr. Wood said curtly. He walked around Jack to get to the door, opening it up. “Now if you’ll excuse us, we have business to take care of.”

Jack looked surprised at the sheer insensitivity of this statement. Chase leaned closer. “Told you. He’s a jackass.”

Mr. Wood grumbles something about the lock on the door being broken��apparently the police had to break it down yesterday to get in—and he walks into the room, followed by Stacy and Declan, and, after a moment, Jack. The living room looked the same as yesterday. Well... someone cleaned up the blood. But there was still a slight dark discoloration on the carpet. Stacy’s eyes flicked to it, an expression of horror crossed her face, then she subtly stood between Declan and the stain, blocking his view of it. “The furniture is house property, including the mattress,” Mr. Wood was saying. “Leave things that would benefit the house, like toilet paper and cleaning supplies. But you can take everything else.”

“Um...” Jack coughed. “That’s not legal, you know. If Chase bought the cleaning supplies, they should go to his next of kin, regardless of where he lives.”

“What are you, a lawyer?” Mr. Wood asked.

“No... but I do work with the police and so I do know some lawyers.”

Mr. Wood’s face immediately drained of color, and Chase couldn’t help but laugh. “Well... take it if you want,” he grumbles to Stacy.

“Thank you,” Stacy said politely. “C’mon Dec. Let’s go look at... Let’s go get Dad’s stuff.”

“I wanna stay here,” Declan said, speaking up for the first time.

Stacy’s eyes flicked to the stain. “I... don’t think that’s a good idea, pumpkin. I-I mean, what if I need help to carry everything?”

Jack coughed. He glanced at Chase, a question in his eyes. “They can have it all,” Chase said. “I don’t mind.”

Jack nodded. “If you need help, Mrs. Brody, I could—”

“Oh I don’t—I um... Stacy is fine,” Stacy said. “And that would be... appreciated, but don’t trouble yourself.”

“No, it’s no problem,” Jack insisted. “Do you have boxes?”

“I-in the car, with some bags, too,” Stacy stammered. “I thought we’d look, first.”

Jack nodded. “Yeah. Makes sense. You know, most people don’t... move stuff around at this point. This... early, I-I mean.”

Stacy shot a glare at Mr. Wood. “Apparently there’s a policy that if things stay in the house for up to a week after a lease is broken, they become house property. I figured sooner was... was better.”

Chase’s eyes widened. He knew about the policy, but he just assumed that there could be exceptions. Like someone fucking dying, for example. He glared at Mr. Wood, then leaned up and whispered into his ear. “I’m gonna haunt you for this, fucker.”

Mr. Wood jumped and looked around the room wildly. When he couldn’t see anyone, he cleared his throat and moved on. “Yes, well, go on then. Start in the bedroom.”

Stacy nodded and started to walk down the hall, taking Declan with her. Or at least trying to. Declan didn’t move. He was too busy staring... right at Chase.

Chase stares back. Declan couldn’t see him, could he? He gave a little wave, then swayed back and forth. Declan didn’t wave back, nor did his eyes follow Chase’s movements. Maybe he... caught a glimpse of him, or something? Did he hear him whisper?

“Declan?” Stacy asked.

“I wanna stay here,” Declan insisted.

Chase went over to Jack. “Uh... can kids see ghosts?”

Jack subtly shook his head. Looks like he’s also noticed where Dec was looking. “He can stay here a bit, can’t he, Stacy?” he asked. “He’s old enough to take care of himself.”

“I...” Stacy sighed. “Alright, Declan.” She let go of his hand. “Just for a bit, though.” She glanced at the stain again. Then she headed down the hallway. Jack and Mr. Wood followed her.

Declan looked around the living room. This wasn’t the first time he’d been here. He stayed over on weekends, bringing his sleeping bag and an air mattress to make Chase’s recording room into a makeshift bedroom. So he wasn’t looking around because this was new to him. He seemed to be... looking for something.

Chase stayed where he was, looking at Dec in turn. Should he... try to say something? Or would it just spook him?

After a moment, Declan reached into the pocket of his cargo shorts and pulled out a piece of paper and a coin. He sat down on the floor by the coffee table and unfolded the paper on its surface. Chase went over to look. On the paper were the words “Yes” and “No” written in pencil. Declan put the coin down on the paper between the two words. “Um...” He stared at the paper for a moment. “Dad, are you there?”

Chase realized what Declan was trying to do right away. A small smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. “Did you get this from the internet, buddy?” He asked, sitting down at the other side of the coffee table. “Hope you didn’t go onto any shady websites for it.” He looked down at the coin on the paper. Maybe he could move it? He reaches out, concentrating...

For a split second, he could feel the cold metal of the coin beneath his fingertip. And then his hand passed through the table.

“Shit,” Chase muttered. He tried again. But got the same result. He managed to touch the coin for a second but when he tried to move it, his finger slipped through. He tried a couple more times, but couldn’t move the coin a hair.

Declan was staring intently at the coin, clearly waiting. He cleared his throat. “Dad? Are you there?”

“Yes, yes! I-I’m here, Dec, I promise!” Chase said desperately.

Declan jumped slightly, looking towards where Chase’s voice was. “Dad?” He whispered. “Dad, i-if you’re here, move the coin.”

“I’m trying, I promise,” Chase said, reaching for the coin again. He just had to focus! He knew he could do it if he just focused! Maybe—maybe he could move the paper instead?! Maybe he could pick it up and cause the coin to shift?

But no, he couldn’t grab hold of the paper, either. He went back to the coin, but made no progress there either. Maybe he felt it shift slightly? But there wasn’t anything significant.

After a few minutes, Declan slumped, shoulders drooping in disappointment. He scooped up the paper and the coin and stuffed them in his pocket, then walked down the hallway towards where all the grown-ups were gathering.

Chase stayed where he was. He watched Declan go down the hallway, then slowly looked down at the table’s scratched surface. Why couldn’t he focus? Why couldn’t he do it? Jack said he was a strong ghost, didn’t he? So... why?

He was vaguely aware of people moving and talking, of the light from the open window shifting as time passed. But he stayed where he was. He didn’t think anything at all.

“...no problem, really.”

“Still, thank you. It was good to meet you. I know it’s only been one day since... everything, but you’re the first person who’s been kind about it.”

“Really, it’s nothing. It’s for Chase, you know?”

Chase finally snapped out of his trance. He looked over at the voices and saw Stacy talking with Jack, while Declan waited nearby. Stacy nodded. “Still, thank you,” she said softly. “We’ll be going, now. Are you serious about moving?”

“Well I don’t want to be.. . rude,” Jack said slowly. “But clearly this guy is going to put the house out for rent again as soon as possible. I... think it’s better than a stranger moving in.”

“Whatever helps you,” Stacy sighed. “Chase probably wasn’t too attached to this place anyway. He didn’t move in all that long ago.” She looked around the room. “Personally, I’ll be happy to never see this place again.” She opened up the front door. “Goodbye, Jack. See you at the... s-see you there?”

“Of course,” Jack said. “Goodbye.”

As they all left the house, Chase stood up and followed them. He watched as Stacy and Declan got into the car and drove off. Mr. Wood had already left, it looked like. Jack started walking down the sidewalk, but then looked back at Chase and stopped.

Chase hurried over to him before he left the range of where he could go before getting pulled back. “H-hey.”

“Hey.” Jack nodded. “Do you think everything went—”

“Can I tell them?” Chase asked.

Jack blinked. “Huh?”

“C-can I tell them that I’m—I’m still here?” Chase clarified. “Or is there some supernatural set of rules that says I can’t do that? Because—cause there’s always something like that in stories, a-and I mean, when I was alive I definitely didn’t know ghosts existed—s-so can I tell them?”

Jack’s expression softened. “That’s up to you, Chase. If you think that’ll help them, and you, then you can tell them. But... you probably can’t do that on your own.”

“I-I have to learn how to talk and stuff first, right?” Chase said. “To do that.”

“Yeah.”

“Then—then you have to help me!” Chase instinctively tried to grab into Jack’s shoulder before he remembered that he couldn’t touch things and stopped himself. “I have to—I have to figure this out!”

“Yeah, of course.” Jack smiled. “I’ll do what I can.”

Chase relaxed. Good. Good, he could... he could tell them. They would know he didn’t leave them like that. With that settled, he turned his attention to other matters. “So, uh... d’you know why I don’t pass through the ground but I go through everything else?”

Jack looked surprised, then laughed. “Ghosts can’t pass through things that are six feet—two meters thick or more, and the ground is usually thicker than that, unless there’s a basement or cave.”

Chase nodded. “Got it. Also, uh, I think I’m really starting to process that you said vampires and werewolves were real, so like, what the fuck? Are you going to elaborate on that?”

Jack grinned. “I am, but I think you should really get used to all this before I dump the whole fucking lot on you.”

“That’s fair, that’s fair.” Chase nodded. “So uh, are you going to come back sometime soon?”

“Well it’s getting late, but yeah, of course. Maybe tomorrow or the day after.”

“Okay.” Chase exhaled. Weird how he could just do that without inhaling first. “I’ll see you then.”

“See you!” Jack smiled. “In the meantime, you should probably practice being seen and such.”

“Got it. Uh, well... Bye, then.”

“Bye.” Jack waved, then continued down the road.

Chase watched him go. Then he turned back and headed back to his house. It was emptier now. But Chase tried not to dwell on it. He sat down on the floor and decided to spend the day practicing with his ghost powers. The sooner he got used to them, the sooner he could adjust to his new life. Or rather, his new afterlife.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

“I dunno, Jack, I’ve never met a ghost before,” Jackie said.

“Well Chase would be a good one to start with, then!” Jack said cheerfully from the other end of the phone call. “He’s basically just a guy who floats and disappears sometimes.”

“Hmm...” Jackie glanced around. He was currently outside the city, sitting against a tree. The tall buildings of Scuabyrg were visible in the distance, tinted orange with the sunset, but his immediate surroundings were sparse trees and rolling hills. “I dunno.”

“Look, you don’t have to decide now,” Jack said. “It’s going to take me at least a week to move into the house. You can wait until then. But if it works out, I think that having you, Schneep, and Marvin over would be a good way to introduce him to, uh, everything.”

“You don’t think it’ll be a shock?”

“I think it’ll be a shock no matter what. But he’ll have a lot of questions, and you guys would be more qualified to answer questions about werewolves, vampires, and witches than I am.”

“Speaking of which, I’m in the middle of werewolf business right now and it’s kinda rude that I’m just on the phone while it’s happening.”

“Well you didn’t have to pick up.”

“I’m not gonna just not pick up a phone call!”

Jack laughed. “You’re like, the only person I know who thinks that way.”

Jackie rolled his eyes. “Anyway, I gotta go.”

“Talk to you later then.”

“Later.” Jackie hung up and looked around to see if he’d attracted any attention.

There were eight other people out in the field with him. Seven of them were busy cleaning up the picnic they’d had earlier. But one was hovering nearby. A younger guy, with long blonde hair and big gray eyes. He looked a bit like a stereotypical American surfer guy. The impression was probably helped along by his ocean scent—not like Schneep’s ocean scent, that was closer to a candle mimicking a salt breeze. This guy’s scent was a bit rougher, like sticking your nose in beach sand. “Oh, uh... sorry,” he said. “I just—I realized I-I could hear the guy on the other end of your call. It was weird.”

Jackie smiled. “No problem, Bryson.” He stood up. “So, having fun?”

“Yeah, so far!” Bryson smiled a little. “I didn’t realize there was all this space so close to the city. Cities usually tend to all run into each other... you know?”

“Yeah. Well, the Night Council makes sure that there’s some stretches of nature nearby, where everydays aren’t gonna just walk up and interrupt stuff like this.” Jackie shrugged.

“Hmm.” Bryson looked around. “Are you, uh... sure this is gonna work?”

“Shifting while the sun’s still out? It’ll be harder than during the night, but you can do it.” Jackie patted his back reassuringly. “The rest of us are here to make sure everything goes good. I mean, not everyone, but when you have sixteen people it gets kinda hard to coordinate stuff, y’know?” About half the pack had work or other commitments today. Almost all of them had wanted to come, but this wasn’t too high a priority, so they had to bow out. They’d all meet up for the full moon in a couple weeks.

“Hey Jackie!” A woman with long brown hair shouted over at him. She wore a white scarf around her neck, as well as a cream sweater and a brown skirt with leggings. This was Lily. “Are you going to just stand there or are you actually gonna help?”

Jackie made a face at her. “Gimme a moment!” Lily rolled her eyes and continued putting tupperware containers into the picnic basket.

Bryson looked at Jackie nervously. “Are you allowed to talk to Lily like that?”

“Huh? What d’you mean?”

“Well, she’s the alpha, isn’t she?”

Jackie took a step backwards. “Uh... so, still getting used to things, huh?”

“Ohhh right, I’m not supposed to say that word, am I?” Bryson remembered.

“I mean, you can, but wolf packs have just been using ‘leader’ or ‘head wolf’ for a long time, so they’re used to it. And ‘alpha’ has some, uh... implications.”  Jackie shook his head. “But it’s not just that. Look, don’t think that you can’t talk back to Lily or make comments like that. You can do whatever. I mean, as long as you’re not a dick about it. Being a leader does ask for some respect. But if you ever find a wolf pack that actually buys into that ‘obey the head wolf without question’ ‘alpha, beta, omega’ hierarchy bullshit, try to avoid them. The leader’s probably on some... some fucking power trip.”

Bryson nodded understandingly. “I, uh... still think I’ll be nervous for a bit. But thanks. That helps.” He smiled, a bit more relaxed.

“Jackie!” Someone jogged over to the two of them. She looked a lot like Lily, but instead of long brown hair, she had bright red hair styled in a pixie cut, and wore a red tank top with slightly darker red jeans. Fittingly enough, she was named Scarlet, and she was Lily’s sister. “Have you seen Leo?”

“Leo? No, I haven’t.” Jackie shook his head. “Didn’t he have an evening shift?”

“Yeah, true...” Scarlet frowned. “But I thought he said he’d leave early so he could be here.”

Jackie shrugged. “Maybe his boss wouldn’t let him leave.”

“Maybe. Ugh.” Scarlet shook her head. “Well, we’re going to start soon. We can’t wait for him. It’d kinda defeat the purpose if the sun set. You okay, Bryson?”

Bryson nodded. “Y-yeah.”

“Great!” Scarlet gave a thumbs-up. “Okay seriously, Jackie. Come help pack stuff up.” Then she turned and headed back to the others.

“So... Scarlet is a nickname, right?” Bryson asked, trying to sound casual.

“Nope.” Jackie shook his head. “Apparently their parents weren’t very creative. The kid with red hair is called Scarlet, and the kid with a floral scent is called Lily.”

“Their parents knew their scents when they were born?”

“Yeah, didn’t the two of them tell you? Their parents were also wolves, so they’ve been wolves since birth, like the Singh twins and Tasha.” Jackie grinned at him. “They didn’t have to learn all this stuff like we did.”

“That... does make some sense,” Bryson said. “Now, uh... we really should help, I’m starting to feel bad about it.”

Jackie laughed. “Let’s go, then.”

A few minutes later, everything was neatly put away into bags and baskets. Scarlet shaded her eyes and looked over at the sun. “We better start soon,” she said. “You ready, Bryson?”

Bryson took a deep breath. He bounced up and down on his feet a couple times. “Alright. Fuck it.” Then he took his shirt off—

“Whoa!” Scarlet blinked, then laughed. “I thought we said you didn’t have to do that!”

“I like this shirt, I want to make sure nothing happens to it.” Bryson stood there awkwardly, holding the shirt, until Jackie walked over to grab it and put it in a bag with the picnic baskets.

“Remember to concentrate,” Lily advised him. “Breathe steady! You remember the exercises?”

“I do, I do.”

“Do you want us to look away?” asked another wolf—Kelly, who was around Jackie’s age.

“No no no, I got it,” Bryson insisted. He closed his eyes, taking deep breaths. The others tried to stay quiet so he could focus. Some did look away after all. Jackie’s mind drifted a bit, remembering his early days of shifting as well. It was difficult to get used to. Jackie himself really struggled with changing in the daylight hours, feeling self-conscious about changing shape while in bright light where people could see. But just like any other physical skill, it got easier with practice. To the point where shifting could be as easy as breathing.

Jackie blinked—and suddenly, while he wasn’t paying attention, Bryson was gone. In his place was a gray wolf sitting on its hind legs. The others all shouted and cheered, and Jackie snapped back to attention. “Wait wait wait, I missed it!”

“Well, sucks to be you, then, Jackie!” shouted another wolf named Paul. Two more wolves suddenly shifted form and jumped at Bryson—Jackie recognized them as Charlotte and Rodrigo, who were close to Bryson’s age—and the three of them wrestled on the grassy ground, barking and rolling around.

Lily laughed. “Alright, alright! Stop horsing around!”

“Don’t you mean wolfing around?” Jackie asked.

Scarlet made a ‘ba-dum-tss’ sound with her mouth, and Lily rolled her eyes. But the three younger wolves did stop wrestling. Bryson seemed very happy with himself, tongue sticking out as he panted heavily. “Here we go!” Lily said, clapping her hands together.

The rest of the wolves all shifted as well. Jackie stretched, blinking and shaking his head. Even in human form, a werewolf’s senses were more keen than an everyday human’s, but being in wolf form sharpened them further. He could hear birds chirping in the farthest trees, and the city was now emitting a distant hum—the sound of cars and buses and other busy things. Not to mention the smells. The enhanced smells had been the strangest thing to him when he first transformed, being able to pick up on the scents of people and animals even while in human form. In wolf form, it could be overwhelming to a new werewolf, to know that everything had a smell that you couldn’t pick up on before—sometimes multiple smells, if an object had been in contact with a lot of other stuff.

The pack all took a moment to socialize, nudging each other, wagging tails, a couple play-fights. Then there was a howl. A white wolf was asking for everyone’s attention. It was Lily, of course; she and Scarlet were identifiable by their bright coats (Scarlet’s was red, of course.) Lily pawed at the ground, then jerked her head to the side. The other wolves all barked in agreement. Then, in unison, they started to run.

Jackie had enjoyed sports and running even before becoming a werewolf, but there was something about running in wolf form that other exercises and physical activity couldn’t compare to. It was something in the combination of the wind in his fur, the feeling of the ground rushing by underneath his paws, all of it going faster, faster, faster! Jackie howled with delight, and a few others howled back in agreement.

The sun set, but that didn’t make much difference to them with their enhanced night vision. Jackie ran faster, up to the head of the pack, where Lily was running with Bryson, making sure that he was getting used to his new wolf body. Jackie barked and nudged Bryson as he ran, asking him how he was getting along. Bryson looked back at him with a big grin on his wolfish face. Jackie barked again and fell back. Lily had a handle on this.

Unlike regular wolves, they weren’t out on a hunt—though they would definitely be capable of hunting down animals if they wanted. This was just to blow off some steam, hang out with each other, and help Bryson get used to being a wolf with the rest of the pack. So, not long after sunset, the pack circled back to the place where they’d had the picnic. They grabbed the bags—which had handles for humans but also connected to each other in a way similar to saddlebags for wolves—and ran back to the city.

Jackie’s pack lived in a big brownstone apartment building called The Heartwoods Complex. Not the whole building. Just the seventh floor. There were nine total, including the ground floor, so they were pretty high up. Meaning they couldn’t just sneak into their homes through a window or something, so halfway there they all shifted back to human form. They made small talk, asking about each other’s work and lives and friends outside the pack.

But as they got close to Heartwoods, they all slowed down, falling quiet.

There was a smell of blood in the air.

Jackie looked down, noticing small red dots on the ground. A blood trail. It would have been very easy to miss if you weren’t looking for it. The others saw it too. “This way!” Scarlet shouted, darting forward, and Jackie followed,  the rest of them soon behind.

They ran the rest of the way to the Heartwoods building, and then ducked to the side, as the blood trail went down the alleyway between it and the neighboring apartment building. Lying right outside the side entrance to Heartwoods—the one that only residents had the key to—was a lump of gray and black fur. The smell of blood converged around it, nearly covering up all the other scents that came with a living thing. The musk that identified it as a werewolf, and the scent that identified the individual... which in this case was a familiar scent, something citrusy.

“Leo!” Lily gasped, running past Scarlet and Jackie. The others all seemed frozen for a bit before rushing forwards—“No no no, give him space!” Lily shouted. They all stopped. “Leo, can you hear me?” The wolf whined in response.

Jackie leaned forwards. The blood was coming from... bite marks. And scratches. An animal attack. Of course, there were plenty of werewolves in Scuabyrg, so that’s where Jackie’s mind went first. But Leo didn’t have any enemies among other wolves... why would one have attacked him? Was it just a random animal? But there weren’t many normal animals that could beat up a werewolf like that. So—was it something else supernatural?

“Someone call 9990!” Lily shouted. “Someone else call everyone upstairs!”

“I got the hospital!” Jackie said, taking out his phone. He dialed 9990 and held it up to his ear while other people took their phones out to call the rest of the pack. He could hear Paul calling Ishani, his wife, and Kelly checking on her best friend Cassandra.

Jackie’s phone call was picked up immediately. “Night Emergency, what’s the problem?” asked the operator.

“H-hi, we’re outside Heartwoods, and—Do you know where that is? Nevermind!” Jackie shook his head. They could probably figure it out! “M-my friend is hurt! He was attacked by an animal—I-I think he’s too hurt to turn human again—”

“Calm down, sir,” the operator said. “You said turn human again? What is he now?”

“A wolf—we’re wolves,” Jackie explained. 

“How severe are his injuries?”

“I-I don’t know. He’s been bleeding for a bit.”

“Alright. And where are you?”

“Heartwoods Complex��it’s flats and stuff. Do you need the address?”

“No need. We’ll find you, sir. In the meantime, do what you can to stay the bleeding. Do you need first aid instructions?”

“N-no, I think we got it.” Jackie pulled the phone away for a second. “Can we stop the bleeding?!”

One of the wolves, Nao, ran forward, taking off her jacket and pressing it to the worst of the wounds, applying pressure.

“Someone will be on your location in five minutes,” the operator said.

“Oh good.” Jackie let out a breath. “Should I stay on the line?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Okay.” Jackie looked around at everyone. “They’ll be here in five minutes.” He saw the rest of the pack relax. But the tension didn’t completely leave them. Not until the emergency services came to take Leo away, leaving the rest of the pack waiting there, nervous and confused.

[happyk44]

Thinking about that long form feral!Jason fic I wanna write but probably never will get around to doing so, and like. It would be such a disappoint to just keep my meandering thoughts in my head, right?

As far as plot goes, it'll probably end up being more character driven introspective than plot important. Like yeah there's a plot they're following because it wouldn't be PJO without a stupid quest but that's really just an excuse to bustle everyone together. Thought process is Thanatos goes missing ala SoN and Nico, flocked by Hazel and Jason, drags Percy and Thalia along to help find him because - idk, he just does. Cousin outing lmao.

Hazel is alive for no other reason than I want her to be. She was a "gift" from Zagreus as thanks for Nico helping out in the war, because he was annoyed Nico got snubbed in all the congratulations. Naturally Bianca was Nico's first thought but she was like "Nico, fuck off with that shit" and directed him to their lonely sister sitting beneath a tree and poof. Hazel.

Leo was in the Kronos army and ran away at the end of the war, because he didn't trust the gods or CHB not to kill him. He wasn't really a fighter - he just made their armor and weapons, so he wasn't technically even in the actual battle, which made it a lot easier to escape detection.

He also lives with Piper now - idk if I want to include my mute!Piper thoughts, and I'm murky on how Piper and Leo will get brought into the mix. I do know it will be a "Nico knows a guy" situation. But anyway Piper and Leo live together. Idk how they met - probably crashed into each other or caught one another stealing shit or Piper saw Leo and thought "opportunity to make my dad pay attention to me" and took him with her or whatever. Obviously it doesn't work, but Leo sticks around because Piper enjoys having a friend, and he's the one who pieces together that Piper is a daughter of Aphrodite, and warns her from ever going to CHB. Up in the air if she knows his background regarding the war and shit by this point, but they're the people they have so they're tight.

Frank's backstory is more or less the same, except after training in Camp Jupiter for a couple weeks, he's like "no. I can't do this. This is awful. How do I get back to Canada and the snow?" And then Nico pops up doing his ambassador to Pluto thing (bc while both camps know about each other now, they haven't yet started mingling and Nico is aware that Octavian has... issues).

Anyway Nico is trying to get the scope of the place, wondering it would be a good place for Hazel to live so she doesn't have to hang out in the Underworld all the time, which she doesn't mind for the most part - but she does want to socialize and make friends with living people. And Nico thinks that she'll probably have a better time with the Romans than the Greeks, because they'll associate her more with wealth.

He and Frank bump into each other and Nico realizes Frank is trying to escape camp. Offers to help him and gets Hazel and Jason who help him leave in the middle of the night, while Nico socializes publicly with the other cohorts, so that like. No one gets suspicious that Frank disappeared right after Nico showed up. On their journey back to Canada, Frank discovers his shapeshifting powers.

Currently the POVs are probably gonna be a switch between Thalia and Percy. But maybe others will join in as the story flows.

Also Jason really likes Frank's shaping shifting powers, and every time they visit him and his grandma, Frank turns into a wolf (or bear or other large predator animal) and lets Jason wrestle him. Frank does not enjoy this as much as Jason does. Jason also has to wear a muzzle inside the house as per Grandma Zhang's rules, because he "does not know to keep his teeth behind his lips". Despite this, he is a decent-ish wolf pup with her, and will grumble loudly but let her click the muzzle on with only a few pitiful whines.

[idolish7imagines]

I adore your blog ^^ thank you for keeping the i7 fandom alive! May I request a scenario of how Banri would care for a sick S/O still pushing herself to work despite likely not even able to think in coherent sentences due to a high fever among other flu-like symptoms? Some type of flu just ripped through my household, taking down roommates left and right and I'm hoping it won't take me out 'cuz I can't afford 3-4 days off from work -_- Currently wondering if Banri would be the stern type to order a sick S/O to rest or if he'd be out of his element or figuring out ways to help her complete her work-day despite the sickness.

Ogami Banri x Reader :: Fever

A\N: i hope you're better now anon! I do enjoy writing for banri ^^

::

"Let me feel your forehead." Your boyfriend asks before proceeding to do so without really waiting for a response. The bed slightly shifts at his weight as he presses a knee onto it, leaning over to get a better look at you.

You honestly hadn't even gotten enough sleep through the night, yet you were adamant on getting to your shift at the usual time. Banri had spent the night (he does so at least once a month despite his also busy schedule) and was ready to start his commute to work as well before seeing the state you were in.

Despite the room being at a decent temperature, beads of sweat still piled up on your face, a noticeable glisten on your cheeks and forehead that you wouldn't have been able to hide even if you tried.

A bit of nervousness wells up in you spotting the subtle furrow of his brows after feeling your temp, expression nearly unreadable as he stood back up straight.

"Do you think you can stomach some breakfast?" He asks.

You hardly process the question before running it through your head a couple more times, before giving a slower than usual nod.

"Just something light, before I go to work." You mutter, a slight crack in your voice coupled with your throat sounding dry.

Ban stares at you for a moment, before letting out a short sigh. "I'm not sure if you'll be able to make it to work like this, but we'll see after breakfast."

"Whaat...but..work...have to be there." Unintentionally, you sounded like whining more than an assertive statement.

"I know..let's just see after breakfast okay?" His tone was gentle. Ban was no stranger to tough love when it was necessary, but he didn't want you to be upset when you're already like this. Not like it was your fault anyway.

He disappears into the kitchen, leaving you by yourself for a while to attempt to get ready for your shift.

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

Needless to say, getting ready didn't go well.

Once Banri had returned, to his absolute shock, you were on your knees on the bedroom floor in front of your closet. A bin was toppled over, probably from your trying to grab some clothes before you fell, he assumed.

He exclaimed your name before going to help you up and back onto the bed, checking to make sure you hadn't accidentally bruised yourself.

"Ban..I just tripped..not a big deal.." You sniffle, tiredly looking in his eyes as his arms cautiously held yours.

"(Y/N)..you fell because you're weak." He tries to explain. "And you're weak because you're sick."

Your lips purse at that word, staying silent for now. Sick is the last thing you needed to be, especially to this extent.

Your boyfriend hoists you up and places you further back on the bed to properly sit on it.

"I don't think you're making it to work like this." He states.

"But Banri-"

"No buts." He was far too used to these kinds of conversations after becoming MEZZO's manager. He didn't like shooting other people down, but their health and wellbeing comes first. "I'm going to get your phone so you can call in."

Your eyes follow him going for your phone and unlocking it. Again, you were weak so you couldn't grab it from him or anything similar. And protesting against it wasn't going to work either.

The man had you to ask if there was anyone to cover your shift and notify them in advance you may have to take off for a few days (or thats what he wanted you to say at least, but instead you said you should be fine by tomorrow).

After that, he goes back to the kitchen to prepare something a bit lighter for you to handle in your current state after tucking you back in.

As much as you wanted to cuddle him as thanks, you were afraid he might get some of your symptoms, and that would make matters even worse.

The food he brings back is vegetable soup and crackers, with water. He offers to feed it to you, but you insist you're not nearly frail enough for him to have to do that.

The two of you eat together in your bedroom, and after finishing your soup, your heart nearly leaps out of your chest at a sudden realization, whipping your head to him.

"B-BAN! WORK!" You exclaim with wide eyes, words still slightly slurring.

"Eh? We already took care of it.." He blinks, startled by the outburst.

"No, your work!" You clarify.

Your partner stares at you for a beat of a moment, before chuckling and patting your head.

"Even your sense of time is off. I still have quite a bit of time to make it there." He gives a smile you can't be mad at.

Letting out a quiet 'ah...', your head hits the pillow once more.

"I should get going though, you're right." Banri stands up, taking the dishes. "I wish I could stay. Just don't push yourself alright? I'll call on my breaks, and help you figure out some plans to catch up on your work once you're feeling better."

His lips press against your temple. It was quick, but you cherished it, giving a slow wave of your hand as Banri headed out for work.

[tyrannuspitch]

oh shit okay. something which you might suspect, but which i didn't really expect to find evidence of - julius has survivor's guilt over the downfall of point blanc!!!

he says to alex that he's going to make him understand what it's like to lose your family, eg, that he's going to make alex feel exactly what he's feeling... and only moments before that, julius was saying to tom that he (alex) would "never forgive himself" if something happened to tom. so. put those together. julius feels incredibly guilty.

you could reasonably ask why, though, and there are a few possibilities.

julius didn't contribute anything to the fight at point blanc - judging from the grime on his face, the timeskip, and where we first see him, it seems like he was hidden somewhere near the lab when it blew up, and was hidden + unconscious in the wreckage while the fight concluded.

but none of the clones put up much of a fight, because they were, you know, unarmed teenagers, and there wasn't much they could reasonably do. and sure, survivor's guilt isn't always rational, so it could just be this. but also - maybe he feels responsible just because alex brought everything down, and alex is his opposite? he was the very last clone to go through the ~process~ - is there any kind of clone hierarchy thing going on there, and/or does he maybe feel superfluous? hmmm.

there's also the fact that julius starts trying to kill people to equate his feelings in alex, when he doesn't actually know that anyone is dead yet. a few possibilities here:

julius thinks the captured clones (plus greif and stellenbosch) are going to be killed by various intelligence services to make them conveniently disappear. not an unreasonable suspicion, and also fits the clone cult us-versus-the-world mindset. i can actually imagine that being used as motivation in training - "if anyone ever finds out who you are, they'll kill you. that's why we have to stick together. we only have each other."

julius thinks the captured clones et al are going to be killed by scorpia to tidy up loose ends. also pretty plausible. scorpia definitely knows he exists, though, which makes him a dead boy walking in this case.

julius thinks the captured clones specifically, dead or alive, might as well be dead because they've outlived their purposes. there's no point to them any more, and there's no possibility of a worthwhile life remaining to them. remember how greif was going to kill them all and start again? i'm not saying julius (necessarily) knows that, but that kind of ambient, unspoken mindset of disposability would probably still have an effect on the clones. and there's also the clone cult sense of superiority / perfectionism - clone!sasha (iirc) disdainfully called original alex and kyra "mundane". they can't be special and perfect any more, so what's left?

don't have a conclusion on these. all pretty interesting options. and tbh julius could easily be thinking all of them at once.

[quietplace26]

Solving the Future au (2)

It's been a whole month since Akito found himself back in the past, and he's been very busy since then.

First thing he did was tell Mari EVERYTHING. She didn't really believe him at first, but seeing how odd her brother was acting, how happy he was to see her, practically crying as he hugged her, it made her believe.

Oh, and the glowing lines on Akito's hands certainly help her believe him as well.

When she pointed this out to Akito, he was shocked to see the familar glowing lines on his hands. But that shouldn't be possible since KK wasn't possessing him anymore!

He quickly goes to test things out, seeing if it was still possible for him to be able to use KK's etheral weaving. To his shock, he could still weave!

Wind, Fire, Water, he could still use had them all! Also, unlike before where KK's etheral weaving was gold in color, Akito's was silver instead!

Mari stares down at Akito's hands in awe, lightly poking at the glowing lines in curiousity before looking up at her brother. "So what now Aki?"

Akito sighs and tugs Mari in for a hug. "For now lets start looking for a new place to live." He wasn't taking any chances of the fire happening again! "And... we'll go from there."

After that, it was a slow process for Akito. He had to get used to having Mari with him again, and that wasn't counting his aching body.

Wounds from all the visitors he fought in the last timeline now covered his once scarless body. One of which was a giant scar in the center of his chest where Hannya had shoved his arm through.

When Mari accidentally saw his new scars for the first time she cried... and then became enraged.

"So not only did he try to use MY body for some freaky ceremony, but he also hurt you! I'm gonna-" Needless to say, if Mari ever got her hands on Hannya, Akito got the feeling it wouldn't end well for the other man... Not that Akito cared.

Speaking of Hannya, it brought up the subject of what Akito was supposed to do with all the information he had. Should just stay out the way and let things run their course?

Akito... didn't like that idea. That would mean knowingly letting Shibuya fall into chaos, letting people get hurt or even killed, and... letting KK die again.

But what could he do?! There was no way he could just walk up to KK, who didn't even know him, and tell him, 'oh, I'm from the future'. The older man would probably laughed at his face and tell him to fuck off...

His answer finally comes to him one night while he was eating dinner with Mari. She suggests that maybe he should help from the shadows.

Help from the shadows... That could work! He could help KK and the older man's team from the shadows of the background!

He could do this! He could help KK, keep him alive this time!

"Mari. You're a genius!"

"I know, right? Now then, teach me how to fight monters, bro!"

"...What."

In the end, Mari wouldn't back down, so Akito reluctantly said she could fight. But only if he was their with her! He couldn't lose her again...

Now with a battle plan, Akito sets his sight on getting some weapons and talismans.

Originally, he had the bow KK leant him and some talismans, but when he found himself back in the past, both the bow and talisman disappeared from his person.

He could break into KK's apartment and steal the bow, but that was too risky, so Akito turned to the next best thing. The Nekomatas.

Using his knowledge from the past timeline, Akito quickly manages to gather up some of the relics the Nekomatas once asked for, and with Mari by his side, the siblings went hunting for a Nekomata merchent.

"Oho? You're an odd human~" The Nekomata merchent purrs out as he stared at Akito in interest. Akito just smiles, politely asking to see the Nekomata's goods as he set the relics on the table.

Akito ends up buying two divine bows, one for him and one for Mari, and a bunch of tailsmans. He even bought some katashiros just in case.

"Aki? Can we get these masks?" Mari holds up two masks that had feline like faces carved into them.

"Sure." Akito thought they looked cool, and besides, he and Mari needed something to disguised themselves with. Can't risk either KK or Hannya seeing their faces while they were out hunting!

Mari suddenly makes an odd sound. Akito glances at her in worry. "What's wrong?"

She points behind him, her eyes wide in shock. "B-Behind you."

Thinking there was trouble, Akito whips around, prepared to fight when- "Mmrr?" A tiny, TINY paw pokes at his nose. The tiny, TINY paw belonging to a tiny, TINY Nekomata. Was this a Nekomata kitten?! It was so cute!!!

Behind him Akito hears Mari squeak in delight when more floating kittens started appearing around them, all purring and very curious of the humans.

By the time, the siblings were done shopping, there was purring and cooing Nekomata kittens all over them. The kittens just seemed to adored the siblings, and neither of the humans were complaining in the slightest!

The Nekomata merchent seemed very amused by this. "Not everyday do you see humans covered in Nekomata kittens and enjoying it~"

Sadly though, the Nekomata merchant ends up having to break up the fun and shoos the kittens off. The kittens quickly start whining, saying they wanted to play with the nice 'nii-san and nee-san' more!

"Well, if it's alright with your parents, me and Mari could come back to visit you later on, okay?" Akito suggests as he looks over at the merchent and older Nekomatas for their approval.

The older Nekomata didn't mind thankfully. In fact, they even offered the humans a small job. "Watch the kittens every now and then and we'll give you a special bonus everytime you buy our goods, okay~"

Now that they had weapons now, Akito could move onto the net step. Training Mari to fight visitors. Oh, he wasn't a veteran yokai hunter like KK, but Izukis learn fast, so Akito had no doubt Mari could pick up using the bow fast like he did in Shibuya!

And learn fast she did! The younger girl had no trouble aiming, and barely ever missed! But even so, Akito still stood by decision that Mari could only fight if he was around! He had etheral weaving on his side, she didn't.

Besides training Mari, Akito also trained himself. He no longer had KK in his head to guide him this time, so he had figure out how to weave himself.

It was hard, as he had to be careful with his body. His old wounds, even though they're healed, ached, and if he wasn't too careful, he'd actually start coughing up blood!

He hasn't told Mari about this yet. Hell! He hasn't even been to a doctor yet. Like, how could he? There's no way he could explain to a doctor how he got all these wounds and sound sane!

So instead he goes to the Nekomatas and is taken straight to a healer.

"Hm... You've been through quite a lot, haven't you young one?" The elderly Nekomata healer hums as he looks Akito over, eying all the human's scars. "A normal human would've been dead with half these wounds."

Akito lets out a nervous laugh. "G-Guess I was lucky..." Or had a wraith that healed everything...

After the check up, the elderly Nekomata healer gives Akito some special medicine for him to take. A whole box of it! "Make sure to drink a bottle of medicine everyday, and the pain should go away gradually."

Akito thanks the healer and goes to pay when the elderly Nekomata wave his money away. "Bah! It's on the house! You and your sister have been a delight to us yokai folk, so considered this a gift between friends~"

Another month passes, and Akito knew it was time. They had a few months before Hannya could enact his grand plan in Shibuya, and Akito planned to do everything in his power to stop him!

He had too! For Shibuya, it's citzens, and for... for KK.

[harmonyckrs]

Day 18 of Twisted Pleasantview: Everyone Returns (mostly)

THE PREVIOUS DAY

NAME: HERB OLDIE

LIFE STAGE: ELDER

STATUS: ALIVE, FUNCTIONAL

SPECIAL NOTES: A hopeless romantic and hard worker. Mary Sue takes a lot after him.

---

Dear Diary,

Grandma really is back! And so's Mom, but that's not important. For all she knows I could be dead, and I don't care enough about her to try to reconnect now.

While we were still processing everything that happened, Grandma told Angela and I about what she had seen. Apparently she was stuck in a realm of fire, but that a fairy ring somehow appeared out of nowhere which she used to teleport back home. From this, Mr. Dreamer having a very similar testimony, and the fact that Vidcund's wish required three fairies that all passed out afterwards and just before everyone returned, I think it's safe to say that those fairies were responsible for what's going on.

I decided to share my notes with Angela, and she mentioned meeting someone back at our old school who was named Meadow. We decided to theorize about who "Chrissy" could've been, who I imagine is probably the person who's controlling the fairies or at the very least serves as their boss.

Angela and I decided to call Dustin, Dirk, Pascal and Nina separately. During Pascal's call, Vidcund butted in to tell us that there was a woman that he and his brothers used to know back home named Crystal, who dated Lazlo before he "died." He remembered Lazlo referring to Crystal as "Chrissy" a couple of times, but that she had been brainwashed during the Strangetown Takeover and was likely still under the control of the tyrant Dr. Vu.

I'm guessing Crystal is having her body piloted by Dr. Vu? That's gotta suck. I don't know how brainwashing works, but I'm really hoping she's unconscious or something because that sounds like hell

Also, not everyone had returned well. Tybalt, Ripp's chef, and Bianca Montague were all found dead, and Romeo hadn't returned. Kent and Antonio made peace since they both wanted to avenge Bianca, but this doesn't really stop everyone else in the family from being mad about their dead and missing family members.

Mercutio is now swearing to eliminate all Capulets, and Juliet wants to eliminate all Montagues. Rosaline told me that Juliet was starting to have some kind of breakdown to the point where she cut her hair and started wearing a mask like Tybalt's. Can't really imagine Little Miss Prep doing something like that but I guess I'll see how bad it is once I see her again at school

And Bella Goth, the very first disappearance, is still missing. I think she's probably just dead but I overheard Grandma mentioning that she had briefly seen Bella in her realm, but that she had disappeared as if she was a ghost. Creepy. I guess it could be a different Bella, though. She's always been mysterious, even before she got abducted.

Also I got a really weird email from Mom's work email. I'm guessing she probably had fairy madness, but it went something like this:

HELP

DESTROY NOVA AND CONVINCE THE FREELANCER FAIRIES TO LET ME GO HOME. SHE TRICKED THEM INTO THINKING I'M A THREAT

AND TELL MY BROTHERS I'M SORRY

Who the fuck is Nova? How am I supposed to destroy her if I don't even know who she is, and who even are the "Freelancer Fairies?" I marked the email as unread so I could remember to look at it again later and tell everyone else.

I wonder if anyone else got a weird email like that.

THE NEXT DAY

[synthy-sizer]

You follow Heresy into a room on the side and she sits you down on the edge of a bed. It looks like she converted it from an office to a bedroom. The walls are bare concrete like the rest, and there's a siren on the wall. A small reflector light illuminates the small space. You can't help but feel like it reminds you of a place you've been before, what feels like so long ago now. Heresy leans against the wall opposite you. "I'm glad you made it. And that I found you before something bad happened." You sit quietly for a bit before piping up. "What were they?" You look up at her. It seems like she's having trouble putting it into words. "They're people unfortunate enough to have something take root inside them." You fidget a little. "What's going on?" Heresy sighs and walks over, sitting on the bed next to you. "Apollo always knew something bad was going to happen to Earth. They exploited the afterlife for profit and this was the cost. They wanted to run from their problems. That's why they terraformed the moon." You look at her and she looks at you. The confusion on your face is apparent.

"Apollo is what we called a mega-corporation. They owned all the tech companies on the planet. They must have done something pretty extraordinary to get ahead of the pack and buy them all out, don't you think?" You nod a little. "Apollo made leaps and bounds in the technological landscape. They were able to build computers that were practically alive, and could grow and self-repair. They made all communication and information transfers almost instantaneous. They were even working on teleportation and warp technology near the end. And they did it by tapping into the afterlife itself." You stare in disbelief. "You're telling me they managed to get into Heaven?"

She shakes her head. "No, but they did get into Purgatory. They used the black sea of souls to run their data through." None of this makes any sense to you. "How do you know that? How do you know what Purgatory is like?" She looks at you seriously. "Because I've been there, Sofia." She squeezes the edge of the mattress with her hand in anxiety. "All the information of the entire internet, radio and TV shot through my mind for years. I was drowning in it. All the souls were screaming the way I was, but we were so overloaded with sights and sounds and feelings we couldn't even feel each others' presence. It was like that for….so long…" She trails off for a while. You almost want to say something, but just as you're about to try she continues.

"Eventually I managed to crawl out of the sea onto the beach. I felt like the first fish crawling out onto the land. It was awful. But also a relief. I just lay there on the white sand for so long, processing everything. No idea how long. But eventually I started exploring." She stands up and starts to trace her fingers over the wall. You realize as she does so that she's scribbled and scratched marks all over, creating a cohesive map. "There were dense woods on the land. The more I walked the stranger things got. I started finding buildings, long abandoned. There were radios and TVs and radio towers. No one had been there for a long time, though. Once or twice I would be startled by rockets appearing and crashing into the ocean and the forest, but I never found the remains. They just….disappeared." She stops for a moment and turns towards you. "It was like that for a while. I was just alone. It felt like the afterlife was abandoned. But then…I found something." She walks over to the adjacent wall, where she's scribbled some kind of spire. "Do you know what this is?" You look at it for a while. "It looks like the radio tower I saw at the radio station." She chuckles a little, and strangely you hear some sadness in it. "Yeah, I guess it does." There's silence for a while. It looks like she's reflecting on things and collecting her thoughts. "It was Heaven, Sofia. The spire of Heaven. I started climbing it. It took years, probably. I couldn't keep track. It just kept going. I walked past the homes, gardens, parks, the entirety of Heaven's civilization. It was all abandoned. Until I finally reached the top." She stops for a moment, as if waiting for your question. So you ask. "What was up there?" Heresy looks at you seriously and gets close. "God was there." Just as you're about to ask more questions an alarm starts blaring from the siren. Heresy looks up grimly. "Sorry to cut this short, Sofia. I've got to handle this."

NEXT

PREVIOUS

[akaiuchiha]

Chapter 6(English): Towards a Brighter Adventure

They went their separate ways once they reached the market place. The group disappeared while Carne and Patty decided to go help gather supplies for their departure. Zeff didn't follow them: he had to find a navigator.

He wasn't naive per se, in fact Zeff was a very down-to-Earth kind of man and he knew a navigator was crucial for his crazy plan to reach his son.

It was easy to reach the port and deck area, the vendors and the fishermen were selling their new catch. Finding someone able to navigate the Grand Line around Alabasta was something easy to do, but finding someone able to navigate the Grand Line, able to determine the best way and to keep them safe on these seas was way harder. 

However, Zeff was also realising how impossible it was for him to reach Totoland within such a short span of time. While he was looking around to see if someone seemed to crave adventure, the despair he felt deep within his chest was growing bigger and bigger. 

Why hadn't he realised sooner that some of his clients were strange? Why didn't he realise something was wrong with Sanji's poster? It was the first time a pirate was wanted only alive and not dead or alive. Even if he didn't know what was wrong, he still should have set sail way sooner.

“Come here my friend, my fish is a kind of fish you can't find anywhere else!”

Zeff turned his head to see a man in his thirties smiling at him. He sighed and came close to the stall to take a look at the fish.

“You can take two for the price of one, it's on me.”

“Why are you doing that?” Zeff questioned. That man was either really good at reading people or was just testing his luck.

“It looked like you needed someone to get you out of your head. I know I shouldn't pry and all but you know, a bit of kindness can solve everything sometimes.” The man answered.

“You would be able to solve my problems if you knew someone able to navigate the Grand line and the New World.”

“Isn't the New World a part of the Grand Line though?”

“Yes but the Log Pose is different there so not really the same thing. Anyway, do you know someone?”

“Sure.”

Relief washed over Zeff.

“Can you give the name so I can find them?”

“Well, I'm in front of you so… my name is Aryn, nice to meet you.”

Zeff was silent for a few minutes trying to process their interaction. You are telling him that he had found the person he was looking for just like that?! That wasn't luck, it was even more.

“No you're kidding, you would have known what I was talking about when talking about the Grand Line and the New World.”

“I was just confused about why you were separating them. So you need a navigator?”

“Yes but that's not the point. Did you know?”

“Did I know what?” The man asked.

“What I was looking for.”

“Erm…” Aryn glanced down at his stall and laughed nervously. “I might have heard someone mentioning it..?”

Zeff sighed again and crossed his arms. So that man had called him knowing that. But was it really a problem? Shouldn't Zeff feel relieved about that? After all, it wasn't like Aryn had tried to attack him and if he could navigate the Grand Line it'd probably be for the best if he joined Baratie.

“Would you like to join then?”

“Hell yes.”

Zeff was surprised by his reaction. With this interaction he was quite sure the man would agree but he didn't think it would be with such enthusiasm. And he clearly didn't think someone would be willing to join his crew without making a fuss before. 

Somehow, in the span of a few hours, he had been able to get a doctor and a navigator. Sure, he would tell them why they were traveling but once they were all together. It would probably be for the best if they could tell him how long it would take to reach Totoland but Zeff wasn't dumb. It would be near impossible for him to reach it before the end of the wedding. He had to rely and trust Luffy to save his son but even though he didn't help in the rescue, he would still see his son.

Even if he had to travel to another universe, he would do it.

“Hum, Sir?” Aryn waved his hand in front of his face. “Are you okay?”

“I am. Would you know how long it takes for the Log Pose to set?”

“Probably a day, maybe two. Travelers never stay much more time than that so i figured it must be it.”

“Okay then, finish your sell and come with me. We have to create the best travel to reach Sabaody Island within two weeks maximum.”

“That's almost impossible-” The fisherman was stopped by Zeff.

“We have to go to Water 7 before so that the boat is quicker. We'll make do.”

The man gave a sceptical look before nodding and returning to his soon-to-be former job.

“The boat looks like a fish, I'm going to wander a bit and see what to buy.” Zeff told him and went on his merry way.

Zeff spent the rest of the afternoon going from stall to stall and buying supplies. He had figured that his staff had done the same at the market place and he trusted them to had buy nonperishable food too. He let himself being drown by the noises and the smells around him because it helped him escape from his thoughts. 

How was Sanji? Was he hurt? Was he fighting? Was he still alive?

How was Zeff supposed not to worry when he had so little informations? If he could, he would teleport himself right in front of this shitty family, smack them in the face, take Sanji with him and leave after he had insulted their entire family tree. But he had no powers, nor had he eaten a devil fruit si his only option was to pray and wish for his son to be safe soon.

When he saw the sun setting, Zeff went back to the stall that Aryn was tidying up. A bag sat near him and it seemed that the man had sold every fish he had.

“I guess you're good at it.” Zeff remaked.

“Good at what?”

“Selling fish.”

“Ah, I guess. I didn't sell them all, though. I gave some to the other fishermen, at least it won't be wasted like that.”

“Eh. You're a good kid. Ready to go?” Zeff smirked.

“All good.”

Aryn took his bag and joined Zeff. They started walking towards the city centre in complete silence. At some point, one of the cook called him so they both joined said cook.

“What is it?” Zeff asked.

“We're done replenishing the boat chef. We're ready to go anytime now.”

“Good. We'll see if the Log Pose is set tomorrow, until now you can tell the others they have free time until tomorrow morning. I expect you all to be back at 9.”

“Understood!” 

The cook left them and Zeff and Aryn continued their walk. Once they arrived in front of the Baratie, Aryn gasped and turned his head to look at Zeff with sparkling eyes.

“Your boat is so cool!”

“Yeah it's a good one. However she's clearly not meant to sail these waters.”

“Don't worry, we'll reach Water 7 before you even know it! I've studied for years!”

Zeff smiled and they entered the ship. Once they were inside, Zeff led Aryn to the dorm for him to put his belongings.

“There are some hammocks that are free as you can see, you can choose the one you want. Another person will join soon too so you should choose quickly if you don't want to lose the one you wish to have.”

“Understood. Erm..where do I put my things?”

“There's a locker here, it's empty.”

“Thanks.”

Zeff waited outside the dorm. In the restaurant, there were different dorms with about five to six hammocks. After the expansion, the staff was able to get more privacy and everyone had been pleased by that. In this dorm, there were two other cooks, they were the most recently arrived. The chef could hear Aryn walking left and right to put his clothes and other things in the locker and when he was done, he got out of the room.

“I'm done.”

“Good. Follow me.”

They walked to his office and once they were inside, he gestured the chair in front of his desk to Aryn. The fisherman sat down and Zeff joined him.

“Can I ask you why you're so eager to reach Sabaody Island?” Aryn asked.

“My son is in a dangerous situation and I am going to help him.”

“Where is he?”

“He is in Totoland, Big Mom's territory.”

Zeff waited for his reaction but it wasn't the one he awaited. Aryn had a pensive look on his face while he thought about this information.

“That's really far indeed. If you want to get here you'll have to have an Eternal log pose. The access is not easy at all and you'll need a good ship.”

“So? What should we do?” Zeff questioned with interest.

“You should go to Water 7 just like you said and there, maybe get a log pose to Sabaody island. I think the quickest way is to take another way than following your log pose.” Aryn answered.

“Okay and? How are we supposed to navigate until then? There's a reason why we need a log pose on the Grand Line.”

“Sir, I can probably find an Eternal log pose to Water 7 in Alabasta but maps exist, even if they are not as reliable as a log pose, we can still use them.”

The chef looked at him quietly but his mind was everything but quiet. Zeff was thinking about so many things at the time and if Aryn was right and was able to do what he said, then maybe they could reach Water 7 and Sabaody in two weeks.

Maybe everything wasn't lost.

“I trust you. Do what you think is the best for us. Go and collect what you need for this journey, you're free until tomorrow like everyone.”

Aryn stood up and left the room in a hurry, leaving Zeff alone in his office.

Silently, Zeff looked out the window and sighed before he glanced at the picture on his desk of him and Sanji at the opening of the Baratie.

“I'm coming little eggplant, just wait a little while longer.”

After that, he closed his eyes and relaxed in his chair, feeling more tired than he had ever been.

[aki-chan2014]

Signal-a small bunch of happily-ever-after headcanons

In lieu of an actual second season for the original version of Signal (at least, that's the case at the time of writing this) and a lacklustre movie follow-up in the Japanese remake I have been thinking about what I imagine would happen next. TBH I finished watching Signal a little while ago, it's just taken me this long to actually make a headcanon post. I'd vaguely been thinking of writing fic, but couldn't quite pull the ideas into fic form so decided a headcanon list was the best way to go. That, and I recently finished a different k-drama and immediately thought I wanted to do some happily-ever-after headcanons for that, too. So that'll be next, eventually.

But anyway, here are all my happy ending ideas, under the cut because spoilers: (as a side note, I might still try and turn this ideas into fic in the future. I just don't know when)

There's no real way around it, in all timelines Jae-han does go missing. But, in the final fixed timeline, it's only a few years.

Most importantly, he's found alive. Injured, most likely, but alive. And he's cleared of murdering Kim Bum-joo and whatever else was pinned on him when he disappeared. The corruption in the police force and government is also exposed and there's a lot to sort out there, but steps are made to sort it.

Jae-han goes back to working as a homicide detective once he's recovered and the stuff directly tied to him is cleared, and builds a proper connection with Soo-hyun. They do start dating, but it's a very slow process. Slow, but steady. They are happy.

They do get married, eventually. They're low-key about this, but they do have a wedding to make their parents happy (esp Soo-hyun's mum, who 100% relishes getting to help her daughter pick the prettiest wedding dress). They do not have biological children, but are foster parents for a while and eventually adopt an older child. Most likely, this child is someone they meet from one of their cases, maybe a dependent of a victim or culprit who has nobody else to take him or her in. They will also probably end up having to occasionally babysit Soo-hyun's chaotic nephews, though they are less chaotic as they grow up, thankfully

Hae-young also gets married, probably either to a journalist or someone who works with children in some capacity. They have two, maybe three children together. Their names aren't directly honour names (from what I understand that isn't really a thing in Korean naming tradtions? Might be wrong?) but one kid's name will probably share a syllable with the names of Hae-young's brother and the other a syllable with girl who'd died in the bridge accident that Jae-han had known. I'm not sure who'd be a good pick for name-syllable-sharing for a third kid, so maybe just two.

Soo-hyun does end up a team leader, and of the Cold Case Team. In this timeline, it's formed in response to a completely different case but seen as a much more positive thing. There are still some snags, a few people who feel it highlights police failures to have such a team. But on the whole, the team is made with an expectation it will last-there are a whole lot of unsolved cases out there, after all.

As for Hae-young, the difficulties in his homelife didn't disappear once his brother was posthumously exonerated. His parents did get back together, and tried their best, but they had their own grief and trauma to unpack and that took a while. So he still needed to be fed by the porkhouse lady, and once Jae-han reappeared he continued to watch over Hae-young. Time would go by, and he'd decide to be a policeman just like the detective who cleared Sun-woo, not yet aware that that same detective was still looking after him.

They would eventually catch glimpses of each other during Hae-young's training. But the first time Jae-han and Hae-young properly meet is when Hae-young graduates his training.

With his memories of past timelines and all he learnt as a profiler there, Hae-young quickly garners a reputation for being 'clever' and 'well-read', 'insightful' and someone who has 'interesting ideas'. Various ways of explaining how he has knowledge someone his age shouldn't have, basically.

Jae-han introduces him to Soo-hyun socially (their first meal as a trio is omurice, which becomes a tradition, though they'll eat other things together on different occasions) she then takes an interest in him professionally and has him work with the Cold Case Team to see how he fits. She then gets the higher ups to send him on profiling courses, so he eventually becomes a profiler.

And after that, the Cold Case Team is a lot like it was throughout the series once the camaderie had been established. [side note: I loved the Cold Case Team dynamics so much they are a GREAT team]

Soo-hyun mentors Hae-young the way Jae-han mentored her. Hae-young gets called '0.25' by most of his close colleagues as a result (after all, Soo-hyun is the only '0.5' they can have).

All three of them garner reputations to be dedicated, hard-working and particularly brilliant in their departments in different ways. As mentioned above Hae-young is known for being clever, while Jae-han is known for persistence/earnestness and Soo-hyun compassion and composure in equal measures. They're all very committed to stamping out corruption and looking out for the underdog.

The walkie-talkie continues to be a lucky charm for Jae-han. It doesn't ever work again...well, not for most of their life. It only works right at the very end of Jae-han's life (illness related, when he's very elderly, so while it is obviously tragic it's more expected and natural, just as it should have been). He gets to say a proper goodbye to both Soo-hyun and Hae-young this way.

But with the goodbye for Hae-young, it happens while he's helping Soo-hyun and their adoptive child (plus one of Hae-young's children, plus possibly grandchildren of both) clear Jae-han's things after the funeral. They had shared the stories of the walkie-talkie but of course weren't really believed. Not that any of the three of them really expected them to believe it (well, maybe Jae-han did want them to, a little), because they told the stories as if they were an unusual kind of myth or something. But they hear the walkie-talkie, and talk to Jae-han one more time, and they realise it is real.

Of course, the walkie-talkie doesn't go off again after that. But it continues to be passed down between their families, and the stories shared too.

There will also be plenty of photographs, because one thing Soo-hyun becomes quite fixated on is having 'proper photographs' of all the people she cares for. It gets to the point that people assume she has a hobby of photography and start buying her cameras and camera equipment for birthday presents and things. She still keeps that silly photograph of her and Jae-han posing, but doesn't hide it behind the batman. Instead, it sits in a seperate frame next to it on her desk.

[basicallyjaywalker]

Which season would disastershipping become canon?

how would Jasmine respond to the original four's demise in Sons of Garmadon?

Additionally, what would her reaction be to Jay's near-drowning and Nya's subsequent sacrifice? Furthermore what impact does Nya's sacrifice have on the relationship between Jay and Jasmine?

And did her relationship with Nya change during hunted?

Do you have any ship children for them?

Welcome back, new favorite anon! I've had to put another cut bc this got long again but i hope you enjoy

Most likely I think it would become canon around S11-S12. The alternate event would have to be when Nya confronts Jasmine following the events of the fanseason (the WIP title in Heartline so I'm gonna refer to it as that, mostly bc it's more clear than The Fanseason) Jasmine actually fesses up why she's been pushing them away and acting weird. I think after this they'd need all need some time to process and talk about what they're going to do, hence why the relationship wouldn't actually come together until the between times. S11 would probably have some moments with the three of them to exhibit that dialogue (mainly in the Fire Chapter bc Jasmine goes off on a side quest during the Ice Chapter)

As for the OG fours disappearance at the end of SoG, she's probably freaking out. Admittedly, I've not fully plotted out what she and the rest of her team are doing specifically during Hunted, but one idea is she's been captured and/or is in hiding, so she only hears about their presumed deaths on the news and wouldn't know about the reveal that they're still alive until she either regrouped w the Resistance or got set free. So she just gets to sit there and stew in it!

For the sake of it still being up in the air, I think if she was w them during the beginning of Hunted, that her habit of blaming herself and then projecting that blame onto others would definitely come up again with her blaming Nya for Jay's death/disappearance. However those feelings continue to go in the bottle bc they've got bigger fish to fry, but it would still contribute to Nya realizing on some level that Jasmine has some antagonistic feelings towards her that she can't place why.

SEABOUND. YOU'RE SPEAKING MY LANGUAGE. I am gonna preface saying that while I try to specify when it's a character's irrational thoughts talking, i might not always do that for Jasmine because. Bless her heart she is so so deeply irrational in her thought processes sometimes. What completely unmanaged trauma and anxiety does to a mfer.

She's right there next to Nya holding Jay's hand as he almost dies. There's not much she can do. She's not medically trained beyond basic first aid and he's got water in his lungs. Honestly... small tangent okay

Honestly the whole thing would be an extra amount of tragic bc Jasmine lost her mom to illness and had a similar feeling of helplessness. This entire situation would feel like a repeat of that. It's yet another person Jasmine loves but can't save. It would eat her alive.

Tangent over.

And then Nya sacrifices herself and becomes one with the sea and relating this back to that? Congrats we've broken both Jasmine and Jay!

Normally, Jasmine (because of that feeling of helplessness. She wasn't able to save Nya. Nya's gone and she would partially blame herself) becomes even more resentful of Jay. The only reason Nya sacrificed herself was because Jay was going to die, right? So it's his fault. She wouldn't say it out loud but after Nya's funeral she takes off and no one sees her until P2 of Crystallized (long story that doesn't relate to this really).

However, if the three had been in a triad... I think it would cause a few differences. Jasmine would still feel immense guilt and responsibility for Nya's sacrifice because again, Nya did it to save Jay (and Ninjago, generally) and the only reason she had to was because Jasmine couldn't. So now Jasmine, rather than blaming Jay for Nya's death, sees it as her responsibility to keep him safe and make sure that Nya's sacrifice wasn't in vain. Jay meanwhile still kinda. y'know. gestures at the beginning of Crystallized. He's handling his grief as best he can.

They lean on each other, I think. The two of them would probably go to the Lighthouse together and live a weird parallel life. Jay is still engrossed in his paintings. Jasmine goes downstairs and uses the scraps Julien left to built a small army of mechanical sea creatures. It's this unspoken solitude they've both placed themselves in where neither really speaks to the other but there's a mutual understanding that they are in this together. Their home is full of paintings of love lost and rusting metal fish that somehow fly in schools round and round the staircase. I also think there's the cups of water, but they don't speak to them like Nya, but they're still there yk? Like by leaving them there then she's with them too, sharing in this silent solitary life. It's melancholic, almost bittersweet. Like if you squint you could see their happy ending, but there's a whale shark in the room that you know means it isn't possible.

Wow. that got dark.

Lighter note: fankids! I don't have any disastershipping fankids actually, but I do have two Jaya kids and one Jasmine kid who I all love, so I'll give you the sparknotes version of all of them (technically Jasmine's kid would be mainly a DR kid but I like to put them in the batch of fankids i have bc they're a really fun character to me)

Jaya kids:

Leila Skye Walker-Jiang:

Master of Lightning

16

she/her

goofy lil goober. Nya's looks Jay's personality

chronic tinkerer. Constantly fiddling with things. As a kid would try to make her parents let her help with projects

absolutely unserious about training her powers

loves her granny and grampy (and they let her help with projects DAD)

causes trouble on accident, definitely had to be homeschooled for a bit after blowing up a room in the school one too many times

Caspian "Cas" Ed Walker-Jiang:

Master of Water

14

He/him

insanely try hard. Has to standout all the time

bleaches his hair and it's a miracle he hasn't fried it all off

genuinely a cool guy, loves his cousins, annoys the fuck outta his sister

comes off as very irritating due to being A Lot All Of The Time, but tones in down in private

loves fish and has an aquarium he takes exemplary care of. Is actually super knowledgeable about fish and marine life

Dax Julien:

Master of Nature (eventually)

20

Any pronouns are fine but prefers they/them

oh god i took a perfectly good nindroid and i gave it. depression.

In a disastershipping situation they'd probably be doing pretty well though. They find comfort in nature and humanity and like being in parks or big cities

As the oldest and the only adult, very often is the one having to get their cousins/siblings to reign it in... that's a lie they're actively shrugging it off. if no one gets hurt it's none of their business.

would probably be a sociologist or anthropologist. or both.

if Echo is there, they're besties. I don't make the rules.

[garf-lover96]

promised Bluebell characterization:33 (yay!!! hooray!!!)

some exposition and general info i guess:

• during the period of Rowan not being alive 😬 she was taken in by Asra. thankfully they already knew each other pretty well by that point and Bluebell got along nicely with him and Faust

• she would sometimes disappear for just days at a time which never used to happen when Rowan was present. she got a little wilder during his absence

• her bad habit of stealing returned and she would hoard her little trinkets (and plenty of money) in some obscure corners of the shop until Asra inevitably found them and scolded her (just lightly though)

• once Rowan got resurrected, they had to rebuild their bond a bit. but since Bluebell was very eager and just extatic to have her dearest friend back, it wasn't a very long process

• she became extremely protective of Rowan, fussing over him almost obsessively whenever he was feeling unwell or was in any kind of danger, no matter how small it was

(there's that thing that makes the apprentice have headaches every time they get reminded of something from before their resurrection but i imagine that maybe the familiar bond would just have a way to bypass it)

then the start of the game comes:3 (Bluebell-Julian dynamics):

• she never got to meet Julian when Rowan was working as his apprentice during the plague so the start of the game was her first encounter with him

• ever since Julian first broke into the shop, Bluebell despised him with her whole being. while Rowan was busy chucking a jar at his head, Bluebell went straight for his uncovered eye to peck it out (Julian managed to shield himself and get a few words in before she would've managed that...)

• when Rowan and Julian started to get to know each other, she'd still be sceptical and observe him frantically from Rowan's shoulder, watching his every shady move

• Julian really tried to make an effort to get her to like him or at least tolerate him but it would take a whole lot of more work than he would've thought. he tried to bribe her with snacks. she wouldn't budge

• another thing she hated about Julian were his horrid leather gloves. she hated their texture. every time he'd attempt to pet her with them on, she'd try to bite his fingers

• she always got really anxious around Malak though. she wanted to protect Rowan but she wouldn't want to get into a fight she couldn't win. in her eyes, Julian seemed easy to disarm at least. but Malak's claws were bigger than hers = scary

(i already have a turning point for them in mind, i will write a fic about it once i figure out some more things!!!!!)

and some Bluebell-Rowan stuff..:

• both of their favorite food are raspberries

• Bluebell tends to sleep tangled up in Rowan's hair or cuddled up next to his neck (preens him affectionately while she's at it:3)

• Rowan uses a lot of pet names to address Bluebell. girl, sweetie, sweetheart, baby, honey, dear, darling, love, the list goes on. tends to affectionately mix up her name or add the -ushka, -ushenka suffix (slavic power) (despite all that, he shies away from using the pet names on Julian. it makes him just a little jealous)

• i'm still workshopping an idea on how they could've originally met. if i manage to figure it out, i'll probably write a fic about it... but it requires a lot of backstory crafting (hard!!! scary!!!)

also:

canonical bluebell from some english notes

[sinretrograde]

Similar to how some others have mentioned, new members showing up is precluded by some form of distress or disconnect, and that empty space that's left over by everyone else trying to escape the Bad Feeling needs to be filled by someone. So it usually happens to be characters we were fixated on at the time.

The actual feeling is awful, suddenly being New and Trapped in the front and forced to face your new existence all at once because nobody else is there to help you. I feel lucky that there's at least a baseline of memory and knowledge we get to keep, I have read some aren't as lucky to have any sense of continuity. Even with that though... All the people you are supposed to know and be friends with are suddenly more like strangers. I am no longer the person they think they're talking to, I have no real feeling of connection to them and it adds to the distress. Working through this and playing pretend until you get your bearings is crucial. Grappling with your own sudden need for self-identity while also processing and dealing with whatever upsetting thing caused the split/formation/whatever, it's A Lot if I'm being honest. So new splits/formations/whatever tend to be incredibly stressful at first.

It seems like this method ends up overwriting whoever was the previous "host" or most frequent fronter, or however you want to call it. Whoever had the most stable identity and took over most often, taking care of most daily things, whoever ended up being in the body the most essentially. I don't actually know if they're being overwritten or if they're doing dormant or the big D dead. So far, from what I can tell, none of them have really spoken back up or appeared again since disappearing. I'm currently acting as this dominant person, so I'm almost scared for my life at the knowledge that I can simply be wiped out like this so easily. I see a pattern and I don't want it to happen any more, and I want to still live and be around after the next big split. Life is so scary and stressful right now, and I'm handling it the best I can because I don't want it to become Too Much and make me disappear too. Sorry this was a bit of a tangent but it's related to how it feels, for me.

We did have other non-dominant personality splits, they're stable, but they're quiet most of the time until I get stressed out. Then they come to help, console me, take over for a while while I rest or try to rest. I have trouble giving up control of the body compared to some of the others it seems.

But back to the point, these less dominant personality splits, headmates, alters, whatever I don't even know what language I should be using for this stuff.. their existence and coming into being is less distressing and more confusing. When my (in-sys) boyfriend was first forming it felt more embarrassing than anything. "Oh you're here too now, I guess? Am I sure I'm not just making things up out of wishful thinking? How dare I do this to him." But I'm happy he's here because he's been the only one who can actually calm me down when I'm having my spirals of badthoughts. Sometimes it feels like the non-dominant members only exist to keep the dominant members in good working order so that we can keep up the facade of Being Normal and going to our job and making sure we can stay alive.

This is nobody's fault, not even our own. And it's incredibly embarrassing and incredibly distressing. But it just IS.

This is probably the fifth time I'm writing about this, and every time I get my words out I realize more things I didn't quite catch before. This is also maybe the fourth big split we've had in our recent memory, further back is just voidspace for better or worse.

April had a question that might make for an interesting conversation.

What does it feel like to you when a new head mate arrives, regardless of how that might happen? We're very curious about how other plurals experience newcomers (be they splits, or created system members, or be they spontaneous/walk-ins).

[catt-leya]

Touch Me Pt.1 || Rick Grimes

First I wish @toxic-ink a wonderful birthday and love to post the fic you asked for 💗💗💗

I've been asked before for a fic with more than one part and here we have it 👉🏼👈🏼 I don't know yet how many it will be in the end, but you can count on a small series 👀

(I won't just post the fic though, I'll keep throwing in other fics 💅🏼)

Summary: You meet a group in the forest and learn what it means to meet Rick there. (S5)

I try to breathe regularly and not to stumble over some protruding roots as I make the sprint of my life.

Hectically I take a look back and fortunately I can't see him anymore, which doesn't mean that he might not reappear in a moment.

Again and again I dodge hanging branches until I can recognize a group of hopefully living people between the bushes. Briefly I stop and hear them talking softly, so they must be alive.

I realize that they must not be good people and I can really get myself into shit, but when I hear it crack behind me, I don't think any further and break through the bushes.

I am still a few meters short of the group and I notice most of them pointing guns at me.

I aim at the person closest to me and get over another meter gasping, "Help me please."

The fact that I can speak is the sign that I am not a living corpse, and the guy I throw myself at is so surprised that he drops the rifle in his hand and I pull him to the ground with me.

We both hit the ground thudding and the impact squeezes the air out of his lungs, but he catches himself surprisingly quickly and spins me around so that I'm lying pressed on the ground underneath him and I'm already regretting showing myself to the group until I look to the side and also see women in the group who don't look like they're being forced to be here.

Every woman I can make out is carrying weapons and one guy even stands protectively in front of a young woman.

The guy above me barks, "Daryl! Go see where she came from!"

A man with longer hair breaks away from the group and walks with a woman through the bushes where I ran through.

As they disappear, I look for the first time at the guy I picked up in my sprint.

With his weight he presses me to the ground so I can't move much more than my head and geez, probably would have been better if I couldn't look at him.

His face is extremely close to mine due to the interesting position and I can feel his breath on my lips. Although his mouth distracts me a bit, my eyes are fixed on his eyes.

In this dreary world, they seem far too blue and I have to blink several times before I can break away from his face and look down his body instead.

He kneels over my hip and presses my wrists firmly to the floor with his hands. Surprisingly, while he holds me firmly in place, he doesn't hurt me in the process.

I don't know how long we stare at each other silently, but in the background I hear this Daryl guy come back with the woman and says, "Don't know what the lady was running from, but there's nothing there."

Still staring at the guy above me, Daryl mutters, "Rick?"

Now I at least have a name to go with the handsome face, but still can't bring myself to say a word. Rick doesn't respond to his buddy either, which is why Daryl kicks him lightly in the leg and says, "Dude, what's up?"

This seems to snap Rick out of his thoughts and he hisses, turning to me, "You got any guns on you?"

When I used to read novels, I always wondered what the authors could possibly mean by bedroom voice, and now I'm pretty sure I get it, what they mean. That smoky undertone of his makes me sigh softly, but I bite my lower lip just in time to not come across as a complete idiot and answer truthfully, "Two knives on my thighs."

Hesitantly, he lets go of one of my hands and reaches for my thigh.

I completely blame it on the fact that it's been a long time since I've seen a man I found as attractive as the one above me, but my whole body reacts as his hand strokes my thigh and he removes both knives from their holders and hands them to Daryl before asking, "No guns?"

I shake my head, not really expecting him to believe me. I wouldn't believe me either.

That's why I don't bat an eye as he pats me down and, of course, finds nothing else.

Apparently I'm no longer an immediate threat and he sits up before getting up from me and holding out his hand for me to stand up too.

I proudly ignore his helping hand and hoist myself to my feet far more inelegantly than he did.

I get stares from everyone and feel the need to say something, "Thank you."

In a raspy voice, Rick asks me, "What were you running from?"

Unsure, I squint again at the bushes and then shrug, "There was some guy."

The young man who had earlier stood protectively in front of a woman breaks away from the group and takes a few steps toward me, "What guy?"

Again I shrug my shoulders, "I don't know. Just a guy."

Out of the corner of my eye I see Rick tilt his head, "So you ran away from some guy and then figured your best bet was to run into the next one and kiss the ground with him?"

With narrowed eyes I look back at him, "Exactly. I thought to myself: Great, there's a new guy. The best thing for me to do is test him out and see if he'll catch me if I run into his arms."

His eyebrows go up and I sigh, "My goodness. I was taking out some of the walking corpses in the woods and this huge man suddenly appeared. As far as I could tell, he was alone and at first he helped me take out the rest of the assholes. Then I went to ask him who he was and he tried to get in my pants. As you can imagine, it wasn't my dream to have sex with this guy and when he wouldn't let up I took off. Instead of letting me go though, he came after me and no shit, the guy made a move, I had to make 3 to keep up so he couldn't catch me. Then I saw you guys and thought to myself: A group with women might be better than falling back into the guy's arms."

I point to Rick, "That's why I fell into your arms and I have to admit I knocked you off your feet pretty easily."

Of course he doesn't take the teasing and asks, "What's your name?"

I tell them my name and look to Daryl, "Can I have my knives?"

He merely shakes his head and I look to Rick with a sigh, "I could have easily stabbed you when I ran into you."

The young woman mutters, "She's right."

Still, Rick, like Daryl, shakes his head, "No, you're not getting them back yet. We'll take another look around for your ominous colleague and then move on. By 'we' I mean you, too."

Immediately I raise my hands deprecatingly, "Noooo, you can forget that real quick. I thank you guys for your help, but I'm not staying with you."

Rick takes a step toward me and I'm too stiff to react, only flinching when I feel the cool metal around my wrist.

Hectically I look down at my wrist that is encased in one side of a handcuff and can't believe the other side is encasing Rick's wrist, "What did you do that for?"

Quietly he says, "I don't trust you."

In disbelief, I throw my free left arm in the air, "And you think that's a good idea?! What if I have a group out looking for me and then take you all down?"

Rick pulls on the handcuff and says, "You don't."

Slowly the group starts moving and I have no choice but to follow Rick, "How do you know?"

Looking over his shoulder at me, he says, "If you did, you would have run to them and not strangers."

In fact, he's right, and I really don't like him for it, even if his pretty face makes up for a lot.

Still, I don't let up, "And what if I was bitten."

Again he replies, "You weren't."

These smartass answers make my skin crawl and I hiss, "Nice to know you're omniscient."

I hear him laugh softly and, unfortunately, I can't stifle a grin either and don't ask any further questions.

Again and again, some of the people disappear into the woods and I assume they are scanning the area. They don't seem to find anything that calms me down and so slowly I also get used to the fact of being handcuffed to a strange man, except that the handcuffs rub against my hand with every step.

I look at Rick from the side and ask, "Is the handcuff really necessary?"

Silently, he nods, not even looking at me, so I ask the group, "How long have you all been traveling together?"

The young woman I've seen time and time again comes forward to join us and nods at me, "I'm Maggie and most of us have known each other for a long time."

I smile at her, "That sounds nice."

We talk some more and she introduces me to everyone in the group before she is called out by her husband (I'm told) and I'm alone again with Rick and my aching wrist, "Why don't you take this stupid handcuff off me?"

He brushes a few strands out of his face and says again, "No." That's when I groan in frustration, "Come on. My wrist is burning like fire."

I can see him roll his eyes and then take my hand in his. Nothing more happens.

He holds my hand in his and just keeps walking.

I'm also too surprised to say anything, but the fact is that the metal doesn't rub on my hand like that anymore. So I walk next to him holding hands.

The longer we walk silently side by side like this, the more familiar it feels, and as I yawn, I slide my fingers through his, which catches me a quick glance from him, but he just bites his lower lip and doesn't comment further.

I have no idea how long we go on until he says, addressing everyone, "This is where we will sleep."

Everyone immediately knows what to do and I can't help but be impressed with how strongly the group sticks together and works with each other. Even in this short time, I feel safe in their midst and although I miss my knives, I don't feel like they're throwing me to the corpses.

Rick walks with me to a tree and slides down it. Through our intertwined fingers, he pulls me along with him and I plop down on the ground next to him.

Lowly, I say, "I was so snotty earlier, but I meant it about being grateful to you."

Lazily he looks at me, "You're welcome."

A small smile forms on my lips and I slide around on my butt so I can look right at him, "I'd like to know what went on in that guy's head that he had to run right after me."

The sun is slowly setting and the light that falls through the dense canopy of leaves casts advantageous shadows on his already handsome face as he wearily replies, "Some people were sick in the head before all this shit. But to a certain extent, I can even understand him."

I frown and his gaze slides along my body, "You're really pretty, which of course is no excuse for what he wanted to do to you nor can it pass for an explanation, but I can understand that he was thinking about having sex with you."

And my mouth drops open.

Did he just shamelessly tell me he wanted to have sex with me?

I should be indignant and maybe even feel some fear because I'm tied to the man, but I'm not.

Instead, I cough, "Wait. What?"

He laughs softly and leans his head against the tree trunk, "Oh come on. I wouldn't touch you in my life without your consent, so just take it easy. You can't blame me, though, for thinking about it ever since you ran into me."

To be continued...

@hail-yourselves @bean-is-reading @chanlvr2 @criminalwalkingsupernatural @sunshinevirus @toxic-ink