#im fine with either but the curiosity is killing me and i have neither the time nor the money to read the rest of the series

[cinnabeat]

sometimes you read something and youre like why am i reading this what is the point and sometimes you read something and its like there is virtually no plot but i am simply reading to see this one guy completely fail at everything

[sugurusluts]

Zuko x mercenary!reader -part one

Do people still read Zuko x reader fics?

Mostly for my own amusement bc Zukos adorable- longer than my usual stuff! ♡︎

Warnings: none

————————————————————————

They had followed our little gang around the world, so it wasn’t hard to imagine they’d track Aang here, but they didn’t seem in any mood to strike.

I couldn’t help but feel defensive of the kingdom, even if the two were doing nothing but serving tea. I worked as a mercenary for whatever town seemed to need assistance. Despite not knowing any form of bending, I had connections, and that made me an asset.

Having worked around this place more times than I could count, I knew almost everyone. Most of everyone around town were good people, the type to invite you over for dinner just for giving them a hand in the fields.

Knowing someone like Zuko was around them made me uneasy, that was until Iroh approached me.

“Ah, a mercenary! What mercenary wouldn’t want to help a poor frail old man?” He whined dramatically, from behind me.

“Iroh” my hand tightened on my sword, I assumed there was an unspoken rule that neither group would bother eachother if they truly wanted to live in peace. Maybe I misread this dynamic?

“Good to see you too Y/N, you can losen your grip, im not here to fight you. I couldn’t care less about the Avatar, you know that”

I tilted my head in confusion, what else would he be here for? I couldn’t bring myself to believe he was now a hard working humble business man.

“Would you mind talking to me for just a minute, I’ll make it worth your while” he grinned, holding out a few gold coins he scrounged out of his pockets.

I caved from curiosity, following him as he walked me through a crowd, far away from his new little shop, leading me to a small alley.

“So..why did we have to go to an alleyway for this? Are you gonna mug me?”

“No such thing, I actually have a job for you”

I scoffed, the fuck made him think I’d want to take work from him? I turned on my heel, disappointed at the lack of information he gave me.

“Zuko’s lonely!”

I stopped in my tracks, turning back to Iroh, dumbfounded.

“Zuko’s lonely?”

“Painfully so, you know how hard it is to watch my nephew be such an introvert at his age?”

I rolled my eyes, “what does any of this have to do with me exactly?”

“Well, you could possibly help the poor boy out, couldn’t you?”

“Excuse me?”

“I’m asking you to ask him on a date”

“…”

“…”

Jesus fucking Christ he can’t be serious right now.

“You want me to ask the guy who’s tried to kill my friend more times than I can count on a date?”

“Precisely!”

“…Iroh, I’m not a prostitute, I’m not asking Zuko out for cash. He wouldn’t even agree to it either, he’d recognize me.”

The man sighed, pulling out a fabric bag filled to the brim with gold coins. God Zuko was a lost cause.

“Lay on the charm, and maybe he will!”

He dropped the bag in my hand, holy shit was it heavy..

“…fine”

I never thought I’d end up asking Zuko, the fire lords son out on a date, but here we are.

I sauntered into the tea shop, greeting locals as I made my way to where Zuko was pouring.

Carefully filling the cup, he didn’t notice as I leaned against the counter he was behind. I rested my chin in my hands, looking him up and down.

It has been quite a while since I saw him last, longer hair suited him.

When he finally noticed me, he took a double take, stumbling while trying to hold the cup steady.

“…Y/N..?” He asked almost timidly, as if he didn’t want to believe I was standing infront of him.

“Hey, you remember my name, aren’t you sweet?”

He went quiet, still staring at me as if he was seeing a ghost. He pushed past me, going to deliver tea to a table. What a good little worker.

He returned to where I was standing, starting to wash dishes, ignoring my presence.

“What’s your name?”

“..what?”

“Your name, you’re not still going by Zuko here are you?”

He flinched as I used his real name, his eyes flicking between mine and his dishes.

“..Lee. Why are you here?”

“Can’t I visit my favorite prince?”

He stiffened at the praise. “…are you planning on fighting me?”

“No, the opposite actually”

He furrowed his eyebrows in a surprisingly cute fashion.

“Going from Avatar hunter to waiter must be a real boring change of pace for you, huh?”

He didn’t answer, still washing dishes.

“How about you let me make it more interesting for you?”

“..what?”

“I’m asking you out Lee”

He didn’t say anything to that. He simply blinked comedically, his eyes wide.

I gave him time, I wasn’t going to rush him. Iroh did not have the same curtsy.

“Ah welcome to our Shop miss, what tea do you fancy?”

“..I’m not the biggest fan of tea, I’m here because I fancy something else”

Zukos face turned an impossible shade of red, I thought steam may come out of ears if I kept this up.

“Oh? And what are you referring to?” Iroh couldn’t keep the smile off his face.

“Your nephew of course”

“Oh! Well a night out couldn’t hurt, right Lee?”

He whipped his head back and forth between his uncle and I in disbelief.

“Uncle, you know who this is don’t you?!”

Iroh studied me up and down.

“A humble mercenary looking for a date?”

“You’re exactly right” I smiled knowingly at Iroh, despite him technically being my enemy this exchange was a little fun.

“I don’t see why not Lee! Aren’t they cute?” Iroh gestured to me as if this was completely normal.

“Yeah Lee, aren’t I cute?” *i lean over the counter, invading his personal space.

Poor thing was absolutely floored as he whipped his head between me and Iroh trying to figure out if he was the weird one for being suspicious.

“If this is some sort of ploy to-“ he glares me, but it’s hard to take him seriously with such a red face.

“-I’ll pay for dinner, alright? All you have to do is have fun and look pretty. How about I come back at 7?” I didn’t know I had this much game until now. Why wasn’t I using this power for good before?

“The Shop will be closed by then, no reason to decline” Iroh looks up at his flustered nephew. How long would it take for the poor boy to crack?

“..fine..if you’re not here by exactly seven, I’m not going”

What a brat.. this was going to be an interesting date.

“I’ll be on time, don’t worry your pretty little head. I have business to attend to, I’ll be seeing you Lee” I wink at him, amused at how..affection starved he seemed.

He spun back around, his back facing me, but I could see the blush on his face starting to reach his neck..

Iroh was going to owe me much more than a bag of coins for this.

[second-chance-stray]

RP Log: Riylli is worried about Cravs.

Riylli Aliapoh knocks on the door to Cravs room, having grabbed some emergency drinks beforehand just in case. "...Cravs? You in there?" She called out, shuffling her feet awkwardly. "I was thinkin' we could talk a little? About the whole... plan, thingy..."

Cravendy Hound is right about to tuck into a pastry roll when Riylli knocks on the door. Panicking, she grabs the plate and hides it unceremoniously on the ground behind the bar. She then clears her throat and shouts to welcome the miqo'te in. "AH YEAH. I'm 'ere! To talk."

Riylli Aliapoh enters the room, drinks in hand, and gives it a look over. "...Huh. This place is a lot... Cozier than I expected." She muses, stepping further inside. "I was kinda expectin' it to just be a hammock. That's how you folks sleep in Limsa, right?" She asked, moving to take a seat by Cravs' minibar, realizing her grabbing drinks from upstairs may have been a little pointless

Cravendy Hound rolls her eyes. "Did ye expect my room to be an empty space with a hammock in the middle, then? Haha, yer right about 'em being common in Limsa, but mostly cause they're cheap and fit on boats." Behind her is an assortment of bottles, most half empty. She sets out two glasses and pours Riylli a bit of rum.

Cravendy Hound: "So, mind pourin' me a bit of what ye brought?" She eyes the drinks that Riylli has with her.

Riylli Aliapoh watches Cravs pour her a drink, then looks towards her own. "O-Oh, uh, this is just some stuff I grabbed upstairs... Sorry, I only remembered last minute you're supposed to bring gifts to peoples homes..." Riylli mumbled, rubbing the back of her neck. Still, she picked up one of the bottles and pours Cravs out a shot. "It's just some mead. I didn't know what you liked but you brought that bottle yesterday so..."

Cravendy Hound chuckles, but accepts the mead anyway. "Word of advice. If yer regiftin' someone somethin' ye got for free, it's best to not let 'em know. I don't care, but a fancier fella like Mivo would."

Riylli Aliapoh 's cheeks coloured a bit at the gentle scolding. "...Sorry. I don't exactly care what that pompous shitehead thinks, but I'll make sure to bring you a proper housewarmin' gift next time!" She declares with a nod, taking the first sip of her drink. A strained expression on her face makes it obvious she is clearly struggling with it, but she manages to get it all down thankfully. "It's... good." She fibs

Cravendy Hound: "Yesterday I learned the guy ain't a thoroughbred, though 'e might talk like one. But anyway, enough about 'im. Look, Riylli, I literally don't expect anythin' of the sort. I'm not the type to get wound up over 'ousewarmin' gifts or proper etiquette." She gestures over to the pile of dirty dishes stacked on top of a barrel behind her to drive home the point.

Cravendy Hound picks up on Riylli's struggle and grins. "......well, if ye like it so much, 'ow about a refill?"

Riylli Aliapoh hesitates, but nods. "S...Sure." She says, trying her hardest to be a good houseguest. "And, I still wanna get you somethin'! I don't suppose you'd accept an animal pelt or something along those lines? That's usually what we Miqo'te gift when visiting other clans. Can use it as a rug!"

Cravendy Hound: "Could use a rug. Yeah, why don't ye bring me one?" Cravs grabs the bottle of rum and empties what little remains into Riylli's glass. She thinks for a second. "...would 'ave to be pretty big to be used as a rug. Ye 'untin' bears out there?"

Riylli Aliapoh: "Usually antelope and boars, but those won't do as a gift. I could totally get you a bear if that's what you want!" She says with a grin, picking up her glass and holding it for a moment. "Though... Might take a bit. I doubt Ava will let me use one I don't catch myself." She pauses to take a deep breath before once again downing her drink, trying to swallow it before she can taste it and making another face when that plan failed. "...Speaking of. I talked to her like I said, and she seems to agree that goin' about things the legal way is probably the best path... But... I sorta... I don't know." She shuffled in place awkwardly, before closing her eyes and taking another deep breath. "I... Don't think it's a good idea to go through those... 'friends' of yours..."

Cravendy Hound: "Well, be careful? Bears are no joke, and 'onestly...ye'll 'ave the Elementals to worry about too. Stupid forest ghosts sent a buncha bees after me, even though it was just a misunderstandin' on my part." Cravs twitches and looks around herself. "They can't 'ear me in 'ere, can they? Shit. I mean, the blessed, all-mighty Elementals."

Cravendy Hound leans back and focuses on the bits of dust caught on the edge of her glass, the topic change putting her a bit on edge. She sighs. "Well, what do ye suggest then? Go diggin' for a different crime to catch Mindred with?"

Riylli Aliapoh shrunk a bit, feeling the change in the atmosphere. Though Cravs could not see from behind the bar, her tail had ended up in her lap and she was nervously fiddling with it. "I... Don't know. I don't think I have any suggestions really... I just... Don't like the idea of you getting close to them again." She mumbles, deciding the nearby plant had become rather interesting and keeping her eyes on it instead of Cravs. "But... I'm sure we can think of something, right?"

Cravendy Hound raised a brow. Was Riylli...worried? Or jealous? Both, neither, something else altogether? Either way, Cravs was having trouble reading Riylli's reaction. "Eh? Oh, uh, they're really not that bad. I'm sure if ye met 'em ye'd change yer mind. And it's not like I'm plannin' on goin' back to piratin' full time anyhow, I've got responsibilities 'ere now."

Riylli Aliapoh raised an eyebrow, not in disbelief but in curiosity. "They... Aint? But I thought..." She hesitates, not really sure how to put her words together. "Um... Tell me about them then? If they really aint bad, then we can go through them. Just... I don't want you going back to... Y'know..." She mumbled, hoping the implication was enough for her to avoid mentioning anything specific.

Cravendy Hound: "A bandit's a bandit until ye get to know 'em. Not sayin' they ain't crass, violent, or dumb as 'ell sometimes, but at the end of the day, they're just people who value....freedom," Cravs tries, as she attempts to present them in the best light possible. "Don't go lookin' for 'em yerself though. Seriously."

Cravendy Hound tilts her head as she tries to complete Riylli's thought. "...don't know if I can make any promises. I'm naturally....well, I'm not particularly good at bein' good."

Riylli Aliapoh makes a face. "Violent is what I'm worried about... There are plenty of Miqo'te clans and tribes that aren't afraid to kill if someone trespasses or goes against their laws, but... They don't go lookin' for trouble like bandit groups do." She says, before Cravs speaks again. Her frown returns, "That aint true! I know you're a good person! That's why you helped build Dirtpatch back up, and that's why you're helpin' keep Baldur safe to begin with!" She insisted, something about the Roegadyns words seeming to strike a nerve. "Your past don't matter to me, but... I can't let you go back to being bad. So... Please, if working with those people might push you back on that path, can't we just find another way..?" The anger in her voice wavered near the end as she made her plea, a hint of fear in her eyes

Cravendy Hound is silent for a moment. She downs her mead and holds her glass upside down in her hand as she looks away. This isn't the first time she's heard something like this, and every time her gut reaction is disbelief. She can't shake the feeling that she's fooling everyone. Pretending. It'd be easier if no one put their trust in her, let her flail about without pressure.

Cravendy Hound: "I am...already...that's." She shakes her head. "Okay. If we can find another way. But if we can't, well. Then I wouldn't be opposed to bringin' ye along, if yer up for meetin' some unsavory saltfolk."

Riylli Aliapoh's eyes light up. "...Really?" She hops to her feet suddenly, leaning against the bar counter excitedly and absolutely not standing on her toes to do so. "Yeah! We'll come up with a great plan! And, if not, then I'll be there with you when we meet 'em to keep you safe!" She declares, grinning wide enough to show off her fangs. "Rising can help us come up with somethin' clever I bet, I always hear those folk up in Idyllshire are supposed to be smart after all, so maybe some of that rubbed off on her!"

Cravendy Hound lets out a well-meaning laugh at the thought of Riylli and Rising keeping her safe. "Wha? Pf, if I bring ye two to meet 'em, I'll be the one on babysittin' duty! I'm worried one of ye'll rub one of 'em the wrong way!"

Cravendy Hound: "Does it work that way? Don't think I ever get any smarter from talkin' with Lin..."

Riylli Aliapoh: "Course it does! You've learned stuff about earth magic from hangin' around me, haven't you?" She asked, a question that clearly only had one safe answer. "If anythin' bad happens with them, Rising and I can handle ourselves! I aint scared of wannabe bandits, no way they can live up to what we got in the shroud! But... Anyroad. As long as they don't try to pull you back into their mess, I won't start nothing. Even if I really want to."

Cravendy Hound shakes her head with a grin. "Ayyye, I'm really startin' to regret agreein' to this...it's like take yer kid to work day. Ye'll, uhh. Ah," She pauses and a slight blush crosses over her face. "I've got a reputation to uphold in that group, okay? Ye guys see a real soft side to me, but they don't, so don't say anythin' embarassin' and leave most of the talkin' to me when it 'appens!"

Cravendy Hound: "Oi, I've done a lot of watchin', but not a lot of learnin'. And tossin' a rock with my 'ands doesn't count as earth magic!"

Riylli Aliapoh 's cheek colour. "I-I aint a kid! It'll be fine dammit!" She huffed, Cravs striking a nerve. "Though, I aint gonna let them try to say bad things about you, reputation be damned. That's why I'm goin' really, to make sure you remember that you aint that person anymore. Er... But we won't go! We'll come up with a better plan, remember? Solve it the 'lawful' way!" She said with another nod. "Or... At least a way not involvin' them."

Cravendy Hound: "Haha, yeah, that's right. Let's 'ope for the best then," Cravs answers. She doesn't want to get her hopes up, but Riylli makes that hard. "....Wait. Are ye actually a kid? I don't remember if I ever asked yer age."

Cravendy Hound: "Always thought ye were 22 or 24. But maybe...Gods, don't tell me yer actually...older than me..." Cravs trails off, pale as a sheet.

Riylli Aliapoh crosses her arms, giving Cravs a glare. "I said I aint! I'm an adult dammit, this is my twentieth summer." She mutters, daring Cravs to try and say something further about it. "Just because I'm shorter than you doesn't make me a kid. Everyones shorter than you!"

Cravendy Hound lets out a sigh of relief. Then: "Risin' ain't shorter than me."

Riylli Aliapoh: "She aint?" Riylli has to pause to think about it for a moment, it was rather hard to tell from her perspective. "Well, everyone not a Roegadyn then. My point still stands! Don't treat me like a kid just because I'm a Miqo'te, it's not my fault I wasn't born a giant like you!"

Cravendy Hound: "I think she's a little taller than me. Or maybe I'm gettin' mixed up with 'er lance. Eh." She shrugs. "I ain't treatin' ye like a kid! It'd just feel weird if ye were older than me is all!"

Riylli Aliapoh keeps her arms crossed, eyeing Cravs suspiciously for a few moments more before finally nodding. "...Good. We Miqo'te get looked down on all the time, but even if you're my friend I aint gonna let you do it too! It's gettin' late for you though, yeah? Should we make plans to meet up with Rising later to brainstorm? Can get drinks at the same time!" She said, flashing Cravs another bright grin

Cravendy Hound: "'ow else can I look at ye? Yer all the way down there!" Cravs teases, shooting Riylli a smug wink. "Hah, sounds like a plan. Best ideas come while drunk!"

Riylli Aliapoh glares back at Cravs. "Very funny. We'll meet up later then." She says, turning to leave. She opens the door only to pause for a moment, then turning to flash Cravs one final grin. "Enjoy your pastry!" She says, sending Cravs a smug wink of her own as she taps her nose and quickly disappears out the door.

Cravendy Hound 's eyes go wide and her mouth opens to shout something back, but Riylli is gone before she can get anything out. Damnit, how long did she know?! Cravs groans.

[ficstogo]

This Part in Life

Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Reader

Summary: Being a stripper was hard but you had people to back you up. You didn’t think that part of your life would ever be brought up again, especially in times like these

Word Count: 5613

Warnings: Language, Suggestive themes,

A/N: I was working on another Daryl fic and thought that that one would take long to write, so I decided to work on this one which in actuality turned out longer, both in length and time, into writing.

Your family knew of what you’ve done before the turn and they were understanding and accepting of it. You were all too busy trying to survive to go around judging each others pasts. You were grateful for it. They didn’t see you any less, if anything, they saw you as an important part of them that they need to survive as you were their go-to for defense. You needed them and they needed you and that was that.

But when Daryl found out what you have done, it was different. He couldn’t look you in the eyes, he talked to you less than before and he didn’t talk to you all that much from the start. You got sick of it and so when you two were partnered up for a run it was an awkward silence all the way there and it got on your last nerve.

“Is there anything bothering you, Daryl?” You asked in a mocked curiosity.

“The hell you talkin’ ‘bout?” He said pretending to be vigilant and safe as he looked straight ahead at the road.

“I’m sorry, I meant to say is there’s something bothering me, Daryl, and I feel like I gotta share.” You turned to him with squinted eyes that were ready to stare at him into oblivion.

“Well, it can wait when we get back, alright.”

“No no no no no. Because by the time we get home, you’re gonna avoid me as much as possible and because of that, we won’t talk about what’s bothering me. So you either let me share my feelings or I swear, I’ll knock the hell outta of ya.”

“Dammit, woman, ya gotta be so violent all the time?” He yapped back in equal attitude. If you two weren’t so hot headed and stubborn you would’ve gotten along just fine.

“Well I gotta with the way things are now and I had to with me as a stripper.” you said casually looking back at the road and then back at Daryl as you tried to bait him. There. That’s it. You can see Daryl get rigid and you knew that you weren’t imagining it. He definitely didn’t like the stripper bit.

You let out a huff and went back to giving him furrow brows and eyes that could slaughter a man. “Oh my god…” He only takes a quick peek at you as he continues to drive on. “Do actually have a problem with me being a stripper back then?!”

“No.”

“Then why the hell can’t you look me in the eyes?” You see him lick his lips and his eyes bop back and forth like a match of ping pong. “Are you that much of an asshole that what you know now has lost your respect for me?” It hurt. Usually it didn’t but this time it did and it was because this man, who was now your family, didn’t see you as the strong woman that you see yourself as.

“That ain’t it.” He responded firmly.

“Then what is it?” You ask in a calmer tone.

“It’s cause I’m trying to show you respect.”

“By not talking to me? By not looking at me as a person?”

He took a moment to think up how to word his response. “Yes. I thought if I did, I’d be invading your bubble. That I’d be invading you as a person.” That’s when you understood. He didn’t treat you that way because he lost his respect for you but because he had no idea how to interact with women like that. He was like a little boy that was caught with something naughty and was showing his mom he was a good boy. He was just showing that he was a good guy and he was trying his hardest not to make you uncomfortable.

You looked back at the road ahead and processed what he said. “Well, you’re doing a real shit job of it…” Daryl took a small peek at you as he felt his mood change. He was trying and somehow it still wasn’t good enough. What was he supposed to do now? “I know you’re a good guy Daryl and I know you wouldn’t do anything to make me feel off. I mean, you’ve never given me a reason to be nervous or cautious around you. If anything, I feel safer around you, even if I can hold my own. You’re better than the guys I use to handle and trust me, if I handled you, you’d know you’ve done something wrong.” He peeked at you once more and then nodded his head, his hand moving up to cover his mouth. He was glad that you didn’t feel threatened by him because he wanted to take care of his family and he couldn’t risk having someone run off whenever they’re stuck with him or in this case, he didn’t want to have you hate his guts especially when he was trying to make you as comfortable as possible.

“It’s just, this thing that you’re doing right now, doesn’t make me feel all that great. I feel like…one of them, like something lower than dirt and that’s not how I want to be treated.” This time Daryl fully turns his head to look at you, giving you a closer look. Of course you don’t want to feel like that and he should know better.

The rest of the ride was quiet but the atmosphere has shifted. It was better. It felt as if there was improvement.

“So why’d you try so hard to make me feel all comfy and whatever?” You asked as you scouted behind Daryl for any danger coming your way. “I mean, there’s Carol and that whole thing at the farm, Carl and Rick with Lori, Glenn, Maggie, Beth, Hershell…There are plenty of people that could use your sweet Dixon comfort.”

He shrugs his shoulders as he continues to walk ahead with his crossbow aimed in front. You had a jovial tone when asking your question so you were more or less expecting him to tease back a bit but he seemed to want to be sheltered from the question, that is until he finally answered. “I dunno know, guess ‘cause it’s probably something you dealt with for a long while, unlike the others.” It made sense now that he said it. You were ready to take his answer as is until he went further into it.

“Meryl use to make me go to the strip club with ‘im. Not really my kinda place but he used to love to pick up women there. They were okay with it but there were times I’d seen other guys get handsy with ‘em and…” He paused as he looked around the corner of the building making sure not to get ahead of himself as he went down memory lane. “It made feel weird all over seein’ ‘em bein’ treated like that ya know?” You just smiled to yourself as your assumption of Daryl were correct. He is a good guy, just the way he was talking about it was proof enough to you.

And Daryl felt he owes you an explanation. Usually he wouldn’t try but the look in your eyes when you explained how he made you feel was enough to apologize to you in that way. He understood how you felt and he didn’t need anyone else feeling that way.

“I get it. I mean, a job’s a job but I did make a few friends from it and everytime I see a guy asking them to sit on their lap when they tell them they don’t want to or how they touch them when they’re strictly not allowed too, it really does boil my blood. I’d do the kicking to the curb but then again I needed the job. So yeah, I get how it feels sometimes to stand around and do nothing.”  

It goes silent again as Daryl processes what you say. That’s what it is, wasn’t it? That he just let them rough up those girls and he didn’t bother to do anything? Because he didn’t want to ruin Merle’s fun? Or maybe because he was that much of bitch back then to try. He didn’t know exactly but he understood another bit of himself right now. All thanks to you.

After arriving to the convenient store that you both planned to scope out, killing the only two walkers that were in there, Daryl only had one question. He didn’t know why he needed to know the answer to it  but he wanted to ask either way. He just hoped you wouldn’t snap at him for letting his curiosity take over. “I noticed that whenever Merle brought them over, they always left with some extra cash….Did you ever use ta, ya know…”

“Hell no, I mean, I knew I was in hard times but I didn’t want to give myself up like that, especially to men that don’t deserve it.” He looks at you as you cross the room to look through the shelves, you not noticing his wandering eyes. For some reason there was a smirk on his face. Maybe it was the fact that you were so strong now that he wanted to know if you were the same back then. It was nice to know that even after all of the world was down the drain, some people haven’t changed themselves or their principles.

“I already gave myself up to all of them on a pole, they don’t need to take another part of me after the show.” You can feel him being shoulder to shoulder with you as you looked towards him for what he wanted.

“I don’t think any less of you. I just didn’t want to be the reason for making you weak.” This time you nodded your head and gave him a small smile. As brief as he reasoning was, it was something that got the point across. It explained and answered all the questions you had on Daryl’s intentions and although you wouldn’t admit it, it was flattering to see Dixon trying to be all sweet, caring, and shy around you.

“Thank you. I…appreciate how much you care about this little bit of me.” He only nodded having reached his limit of sharing today. You both were now solid and by the time you two got back to the prison, the laws of nature on how yourself and a Dixon were to act had now changed.

From then on, you and Daryl understood each other to a level that the others couldn’t have reached with the both of you. Neither of you had even expected that to happen but it did and you both were fairly satisfied at the dynamic shift. The both of you understood the meaning of “rough” and therefore, there wasn’t a moment where you doubted each other’s understanding of feelings and past traumas. Not only that but you two felt as if you were each other’s equals and right now, those were hard to come by.

Although you two didn’t show how close you were or talk like friends would, you both know what you have and at the moment, you were fine how things are. You didn’t care what it was or what could be because you were living in the now and whatever happens in the now, happens. Darly didn’t mind it either. He understood what the two of you have and he rather not mess it up. It was some unspoken understanding that you two had each other and whenever one of you were overflowing with pain and emotion the other was there whether they wanted to talk about it or just be in the others company and usually it was the latter.

The move to Alexandria was strange. None of them fully understood what was going on out there and therefore they didn’t understand what was at risk. You didn’t bother trying to get to know any of them, right now, your family came first in this new environment. After Woodbury, the prison, Terminus, there was no time to get all comfortable. They were inviting and kind but you’ve seen that act before and It looked safe, sure, but for how long? You understood why you were all cautious but the people of Alexandria didn’t.

Eventually though, all of you calmed your jitters down for a bit and began to adjust the way Alexandria is. You all worked your assigned jobs and soon enough it started to feel like a place to really thrive. To really protect. It started to feel normal and as of now, you were in between on either feeling ok with it or not. At the moment you were heading back from the pantry in order to make yourself and the rest of your roommates dinner for the evening, carrying a small basket in one hand.

“Hey Y/N!” You stopped and turned around to the source of the unfamiliar voice with a curious frown on your face. There came a man jogging up to you as he tried to catch up. Now looking at him, you can tell he was definitely not familiar to you. “Glad I caught you there!”

“Yyyeah,” You looked him up and down with your brows continuing its downward voyage on your face. “I’m sorry but who are you?”

“We never were fully introduced. I’m Colby. I, uh, meant to try and come by and talk to you back at Deanna’s party but you left before I had the chance.” Seems right. You only stayed there for a few minutes as you still weren’t sure about Alexandria. Crowds weren’t your thing so you left as soon as no one noticed, at least, that’s what you thought. After that, Daryl was right out front and once he knew who it was who came out, you two headed for home together until Aaron offered dinner.

He stuck his hand out for you to shake as you only looked down and then back up at him. You slowly placed your hand on his to return the gesture, not taking the cautious look away from your face. He could feel the tension that you were emitting and nervously took his hand back.

“Right…Nice to meet you…” You say in an unimpressed tone. You already didn’t like him. He struck you as a prick but you knew better than to judge anyone instantly. It was a terrible habit of yours but it did prove to be a useful skill whenever you all ran into a stranger. Somehow you were always right of their character. “Listen, I gotta get back home and start dinner, so if you don’t mind…” You say wanting to cut your chat short as you didn’t want to spend anymore time trying to make small talk with someone you obviously didn’t sit well with.

Before you go any further, Colby grabs ahold of your wrist to turn you back to look at him. You only roll your eyes to see what lame discussion he desperately wanted to let out. “Um, ok,” He lets out a nervous airy chuckle. “Let me be honest, I think you’re gorgeous and I only wanted to ask if maybe you had a boyfriend or something before I, you know…” he shrugs. You give him an incredulous look as the notion shocked you. That’s it. Time to shut this down.

“No, I don’t have a boyfriend and to be honest, I’d rather you not try to do anything to change that.” Pulling your wrist back to your side you walked to the direction of your shared home with a huff. There you go being right again.

“Right, sorry! I guess hot flings are more than what you’re used to!” He shouted from behind you as you can hear the smirk in his voice. Stopping in your tracks, you took a moment to process what he had just said. Tilting your head to the side, you processed that that was an insult.

You put the basket down by your feet, stood back up and then turned around to face him. You walked towards him with a bit more stomp in your feet. You smirked back at his pompous face playing along with what he was getting at and asked, “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Well I figured that since you used to be a stripper, you might just want one night stands. I knew a couple of strippers that were into that. I mean, obviously money’s useless now but I don’t mind just giving you a good time whenever you like.” You only smiled looking down at the ground and then back up to him as a laugh was released from you.

You stood back biting your lip with crossed arms. “Is that right?”

“Yeah. Dancing on a pole, you must be good in bed and I even bet they tipped you extra for it.” Your heart beat rapidly as you felt his hands land on your hips as he leaned in to whisper in your ear. “Olivia will do anything for me and I promise if you show me a good time, that dinner at your place would be like going to a five star restaurant.” That’s when he went to squeeze your ass with both his hands.

Your hands when to his shoulders to slowly push him away in order to  give him a flirtatious look. He only looked at you with such assurance as if he knew how this would play out.

Colby fell to the ground the second your knee came in contact with his crotch and once he landed hard on the pavement you went right on top of him, giving him punch after punch. How dare he think of you in that way. How dare that he thought you were easy pickings. He reminded you of all the men in those clubs, the ones who bothered you, who bothered your friends. He reminded you of all the men you try to start a relationship with and the moment you disclosed that part of your life, they thought you would be a piece of cake. Colby reminded you of all the people that ever looked at you differently, that talked to you differently, that wouldn’t ever give you a second chance or even chance to start with. With each time your fist came in contact with him, you let out all the years of pain and anger that you kept in you as you never were able to let it out in the old world. Right now, Colby’s face was going to be the nice little outlet for your feelings.

You didn’t realize that Colby’s cries for help went deaf in your ears and the next thing  you knew, there were strong arms wrapped around your waist and pulling you away. You thrashed and tried to fight your way back to him but as soon as sound was traveling back to your ears, you realized that it was Rick pulling you back and telling you that it was only him. He continued his hold until you were a good distance away from the crowd that you didn’t realize had circled around you two. From there, Rick told you to wait inside of the house while he try and calm everyone down.

Unlike you, Daryl was on high alert once he heard Colby’s cries. He instantly thought that a walker found their way inside but once he turned his head to the direction of the cries he noticed a crowd and he already knew what that meant. He and Merle had their fair share of fights so he went to see who the troublemakers were. Jogging over to who it was his sight caught Carl who was standing a good distance away from the commotion. “Hey, what’s goin’ on?” Carl whipped his head with startled eyes and opened his mouth to answer but before he could his father beat him to it as Daryl witnessed Rick pulling you away with limbs flying like a feral animal. Daryl instantly went to protective mode as he pushed his way through. There were people helping Colby pull himself up. A black eye, some bruises and blood coming from his nose as well as a couple of cuts to adorn his face.

“What’d you do!?” Daryl said with his chest puffed out and a shove to greet Colby. The anger was burning behind his eyes as he huffed out some air like a raging bull ready to advance.

“What did I do!? Don’t you mean what did she do!? Did you not see how she just attacked me! Look at my damn face!” He exclaimed as he pointed to it to make sure Daryl was actually looking.

“Nah, she wouldn’t do shit like that unless she had too! You done somethin’ to her, now what the hell was it!?” His fingers tightly gripped the front of Colby’s shirt as he pulled him close to his face, letting him know he wasn’t playing any games.

“The damn bitch flipped! I only asked if she wanted to hook up!”

“And?!”

“And?! Listen man, I don’t know if you heard the news but she was a stripper and God knows I wasn’t gonna let that slip by! I just offered her more rations as compensation!” Down the ground Colby went as Daryl delivered a right hook directly on his black eye. He goes at him for a bit until he pulls him back up “with his face up close to his and then gives another punch to his gut.

“She don’t owe you shit and she don’t need shit from you neither! You ever come near her again, yer walker bait!”

“Daryl!” There was a hand on his shoulder and he knew it was Rick trying to break up another fight. “Daryl! Put him down, he’s already been through the ringer once. Come on, man, let me handle this.” The only sound left was Daryl’s heavy breathing and his eyes destroying the confidence Colby once had. His fingers relaxed and his knuckles returned to their normal color once he dropped Colby to the ground.

He gives a pointed finger to Colby. “You ain’t shit. Yer just an asshole lookin’ for an easy target.” As soon as those left his lips, he spat at the ground near him. Stomping away, he picked up the basket that was left on the ground and headed towards the shared house.

Inside you were there pacing back and forth in the kitchen unaware of Daryl entering and placing your items on the counter. He didn’t announce his presence at first, he only watched you to see how you were doing and right now you seemed a lot more calmer than before. He walked up to you and placed a hand on your shoulder. You jumped slightly as you thought you were alone but calmed down once you knew it was just Daryl.

You looked down with your hands on your hips with the both of you standing in silence as Daryl decided to let you straighten up your thoughts. “How badly beaten is he?”

“Don’t think he’ll be seein’ too good outta his left eye for awhile.” He smirked. “How you feelin’?”

You shrugged and took a peek out the window. “Still feel like beating the shit out of him. For fun this time.”

“A violent woman you are…” You laughed looking down at the floor and then taking notice of Daryl’s right hand. It was slightly bruised with some small specks of blood on it.

You grabbed ahold of his hand inspecting his knuckles a little more. You only smiled as your thumbs rubbed softly against them, some of the blood smudging against his skin. You looked back up at him biting your bottom lip to hide your obvious joy. “Me? You went ahead to beat a man when he’s down.”

“So? He had it comin’ fer messin’ with ya.” He hid his eyes under his hair as you went back to soothing his knuckles with your fingers.

“Aw, you looking out for me…?” you teased.

“I am so sorry Y/N!” was the next thing you heard before Daryl had the chance to respond with both your eyes turning to a distraught Carl. You instantly let go of Daryl’s hand and took a step towards the boy scared of what exactly he was sorry for. “I swear I didn’t mean to just say whatever. I was just hanging out with the other kids and we were talking about what everyone did and I just thought that if I told them who we use to be, they wouldn’t be so scared of us and I guess Ron went and told-”

“Carl! Carl! It’s alright! I’m not mad because he knew who I used to be. I was mad because he knew what I use be and thought he could get something out of it. You didn’t do anything wrong.” You place a hand on Carl’s shoulder to comfort him. “I don’t care who else knows, If they start judging me well, it’s gonna be tough luck for them later on. You don’t have anything to worry about. Besides, I think all of Alexandria knows not to mess around with me on that.” You smirked. Carl let out the air that he was holding in as he nodded his head in understanding, his blue eyes turning from worry to calm waves in that moment.

“I’m still sorry. That was your story to tell to whoever you decide you want to talk to about it.” You only pull Carl in for a hug, upset that he worked himself up about it but happy to see that he was growing into an honest and brave man, something to definitely be proud of.

“It’s alright Carl. It’s fine.” Pulling away, you go ahead and tell him to hang out more with his friends, that dinner would be ready in a bit. He takes his leave and you stand there watching him go.

“You sure it’s fine?” Daryl asks as he watched the exchange happen in the background.

You snap out of it and turn around to face him. “Yeah. It’s fine. I’m gonna get dinner started. I’ll let you know when it’s done.” You give him a small smile. Despite your words and your movements, Daryl only thinks otherwise. You have things you still want to let out but he knew better than to push and pry, so he leaves you be with your distraction. Maybe you’ll come out with what you want to say when you’re ready.

.~.~.~.~.~.

Dinner was made, dinner was eaten, everyone had their downtime and off to their own rooms. Everyone found out what happened earlier in the afternoon and they didn’t know whether or not to bring it up and discuss but you looked to be in a better mood and in result, have simultaneously decided to not talk about it at all.

You were only in your room preparing yourself for bed but you couldn’t help but sit on the mattress and look out the window. For some reason, you thought you were okay after all that happened today. You kept telling yourself that. You even tried to forget that it happened at all but once you were finally alone with your thoughts on your bed, the facade finally came down.

It hurt. For some reason it still hurts even after all this time, even after all that’s happened. You didn’t even realized that you had tears streaking your cheeks until you heard a knock on the door. You scrambled to wipe your face clean, clearing your throat and then responding for them to enter.

You had your head away from noticing where your hands were. Daryl stepped in closing the door behind him softly. He only stood there not really knowing what to do. He never knew but it was you. And you don’t cry often but seeing you like this and knowing what it was about, it didn’t sit well with him to leave you like this. He walked up to where you sat but stayed at a distance to where you had your own space.

You looked up at him and he could see that you have definitely been crying. You just looked down in shame feeling ridiculous at how emotional you’re being. You could feel your bed dip down to the side slowly knowing that Daryl took a seat next to you with his hands clasped and his elbows resting on his knees. You only went on crying until you didn’t have anymore tears left and your sniffling subsiding.

Once the room went quiet with your crying ceased, Daryl was the first to speak up. “Feelin’ like shit, aren’t ya?”

“Was it obvious?” You said with a small chuckle as you wiped the remaining tears.

“Nah, just took a guess.” You only bumped shoulders with him so he would know you got his joke. All went silent again as you tried to gather your thoughts. You tried to pinpoint what the exact thought in your head caused you to fall apart.

“It still hurts. I mean, it’s bullshit to cry about because there are a lot more worse things that we gotta figure out but…I don’t know…it’s stupid…”

“Nah, it ain’t. You got every right to be upset. It’s been somethin’ you’ve dealin’ with for a better part of your life. I mean, I don’t know if you ever gave yourself some time to let it out but if you gotta, you gotta. It ain’t stupid, Y/N.” You only rested your head against his built shoulder, feel at ease from his words. Being the man that never really shared his thoughts and feelings as often as he should, the thought of him seeing you like this gave you the idea that he probably thought you were weak.

“I just…I don’t get it with other people….”

“Me neither.” You slithered your arm through Daryl’s, comforting yourself with his warmth. For some reason Daryl didn’t think anything of the contact like he usually would. He would usually flinch or pull away but he only melted when you touched him. He guessed it was because he knew deep in his subconcious that you wouldn’t do anything to harm him. He also took a guess to think that if he did, you would’ve taken it the wrong way and the last thing you need was having your friend wriggle his way out if your grip.

The both of you only sat there in each others comfort for a bit. Other good friends would actually talk things through but you and Daryl only needed each others company to get whatever it is you have off your chest.

“You always looking out for me?”

Daryl didn’t feel uncomfortable at the question like he did earlier. He only took a moment to think on how to answer it before he responded. His hand found yours and soon his fingers entangled with yours, gripping it tight.

“‘Course. Always have, always will. Too good to let anyone treat like shit. You deserve better,” You looked at his shy blue eyes while he looked back at yours. “Even if you think ya don’t.”

He wasn’t nervous. It was strange because he should have been. It was in his nature to be uncomfortable with affection as he never grew up with an affectionate family to teach him it was okay to display it but he wasn’t. He only felt the will and need to do so. He leaned with both of your foreheads touching and then his nose rubbing gently against yours. You didn’t realize your other hand went to rest on his cheek as your hot breath hit against his lips. And then a small peck was given to test the waters. You didn’t pull away so Daryl went in for another and then another until he left his lips against yours for much longer. You caved to this weakness and did what he couldn’t do soon enough and actually kiss him with your head tilted and taking more from him than what you thought he wasn’t able to give.

When you both pulled away, there was a sense of resistance. Neither of you wanted to back away because for some reason you felt that you both weren’t ready for the immediate aftermath. The afterthoughts. Daryl was worried he took advantage of you in your moment of weakness while you worried that you he kissed you because you looked like a kicked puppy that he needs to take care of.

At first you couldn’t look at each other in the eyes but it was too much pain in not knowing how the other was feeling, so you were the first to look up and he looked down at you. Daryl could feel your thumb rubbing against his cheek and though he couldn’t find the words to express how he felt, he simply placed his hand on top of yours, keeping you in place. You only closed your eyes not wanting this feeling to go away.

Daryl leaned his forehead against yours once more and both just closed your eyes enjoying the company that you two were in. He only gave you another small peck and then pulled you in for a well deserved hug. You held onto each other like this for awhile until you both fell asleep with yourselves still intertwined to each other.

[celestialsq]

How to enjoy sex more? I feel like I don't enjoy it as much as I could be, and it's kind of bumming me out.

Hey all, title says it all. I'm a 26 year old guy.

Sex is fun! Im in love with my partner and we are pretty regular.

I have a good time! I mostly enjoy pleasing my partner because she gets really into it.

I don't really have... that good of a time? I mean it's fun but it's mostly exhausting. I always end up sore and sweaty and halfway through I just sort of lose my drive.

It makes me want to cry. I'm incredibly in love with my partner. She's my favorite person in the whole world and I wouldn't want to be with any other human. We've been together for almost 3 years now.

There's times when the sex is great and I feel super connected. Theres been maybe 3 times this has happened all year and I have no idea what the common denominator is.

Our sex life just...missing something. I have no drive to try anything new. I barely have any drive at all. I have minimal motivation to initiate and the gaps that we've gone without having sex are getting wider and wider. I'm terrified of a r/deadbedrooms situation but that's where it looks like it's going.

I masturbate maybe once a week tops, even less sometimes. My drive is just gone and I miss being completely ravenous for sex like I was when I was younger.

I've been asked what I'm into and I have no idea, other than things I'll never be able to feasibly do, like threesomes, orgies, wild things that realistically are just fantasies and not actual desires. Neither of us could handle seeing the other with someone else. So aside from that, I'm left with nothing. No kinks, no interests, no curiosities.

It's like being asked where you want to eat and you desperately, passionately wish to be hungry but you just aren't.

She wants to schedule sex this week and I have no real enthusiasm for it, which kills me inside. I'm really excited to please her but honestly I don't derive much pleasure from it other than an orgasm, which is great and all, but it's so much hard work. To be honest, I even suggested we go to the sex shop to get some toys to help back me up, because I know I'm not going to have the stamina to keep up but I really want to make sure she feels loved and connected.

I do most of the work. I don't know how to ask her to do more, really. But it's been that way since the beginning, and I'm fine with that. She does put in effort and desperately wants to do a good job, she just has little to no stamina and can't do much without getting tired out. So I do the heavy lifting. I won't lie and say that I don't think this plays a part in my lack of interest, but the idea of her doing more doesn't really change my desires either.

I can tell this disconnect is hurting her feelings and that tears my heart out. She can feel the distance when we're having sex and I'm thinking about star wars or something.

I'm not asexual. I still have a drive, it's just incredibly muted. I've changed jobs recently but this goes back even further than that. This has been going down for about two out of the almost three years we've been together and I'm afraid of where it's leading.

I'm very happy and frankly more emotionally stable than I've ever been in my life. My new job kicks ass, life is great and I'm super happy in our relationship other than this. I'm not even remotely depressed or stressed out.

I know the answer to this is communication, but how? She's very sensitive and I so badly don't want to hurt her feelings but I HAVE to be honest here.

How do I go about doing this?

She's going to feel crushed. She's going to feel unwanted and unloved. She's a very reasonable and loving person but I know her very well and I know she's going to internalize this as her having done something wrong, which isn't the case. My beep beep button just isn't getting pushed and at this point I'm afraid I just don't have one anymore. Again, the thought of this being our sex life from here on just kind of makes me want to cry.

Any advice?

submitted by /u/letmegetauhhh [link] [comments] from Sex https://ift.tt/3aQacGf

[diogo-supertramp]

The shoes of baby Ruth (1)

First there was this silence, almost too loud. It came unexpectedly as if someone had just thrown an invisible dome over our heads, blocking any sound from the outside. Thought I became deaf. Then I looked at my brother. Percy felt it too. Everyone did. I looked up. The sky was gray and no hint of sunlight. If you want me to tell the truth, there was no hint of anything. It was one of those weird cold summer days when nothing seem to happen and you must wear at least three or four clothings to keep your heart beating. Percy had gloves and all, Im not kidding. He used to say his hands would fall off had he not wore them. I remember the news saying that summer had been the coldest ever in the history of mankind. 

When the silence came, everyone forgot that though. 

I don’t know why this happens, but when something weird is about I always look to the sky. The thing is, I don’t even know what I’m hoping to find. Maybe for some plane crashing down on my head. One night I stood outside waiting for hours; watched the stars crossing the sky and almost hopped for the moon to burst in a thousand white tears. 

Anyways, that silence was nothing like I’d ever heard in my life. It was almost material. Even the clouds seemed to be made of it. They were so dense I bet you could walk on them. Percy said “what’s happening?” His voice trembling like a trapeze artist on a thight rope. “I don’t know, but I don’t like this” I said.

Don’t get me wrong. I love me some silence. People always seem eager to fill in the blanks but I don’t. There should be a law forbidding them from speaking too much okay? This though…this was different. It was all too quiet. There were no chirping from the birds nor even the slightest wind. It was something deeply disturbing. Unnatural.

I thought it came from the sky but it really didn’t. And the gray clouds didn’t hold a candle for what happened next.

The first scream broke in. The silence shattered on our feet. I swear to god it hurt. It’s strange but it’s true. It was a woman’s and it came from behind. Everyone had stopped to hear the silence before, and now they looked scared and confused, as if suddenly awoken from a daze, oblivious of their whereabouts. The woman who was still screaming when I saw her, had been carrying a baby car. Now the car had somehow fallen to the side. She had a lot of blood on her coat. I don’t even know if her coat was white or red, that’s how much blood there was. I’m not kidding. 

I almost didn’t see her standing. She fell on her knees and then on her chest. She was whimpering by then. People started yelling, of course. People always yell when they don’t know what to do. I probably would’ve yelled too had Percy not been there. He pointed at something on the ground “Look. It’s her baby’s shoes” they really were, so small and cute it hurt seeing them there. “What of it?” I asked, too scared to think. “Why are her baby’s shoes that far away?” He asked me. I couldn’t tell. I wouldn’t even fathom how had he noticed something like that in the moment. Or why. And do you want to know the weirdest thing? They were moving, the shoes. If I’m lying I’m dying. I swear. They moved bit after bit. Hell, step after step. Baby steps okay? Only there was no baby. The shoes were literally moving by themselves, bloody footprints and all, and people didn’t seem to notice. Maybe they didn’t care anymore. In a madhouse you don’t just go in looking for who is the craziest - Either you’re nuts or you aren’t. That’s all. And now that I think of it, there isn’t that much dividing the two. Besides, does it really matter how far the rabbit hole can go? A doctor will shove up your ass a thousand theories. A mad man has only one answer: no. You’d get lost anyways. What I’m trying to say is when you stop asking yourself if your sane, you probably aren’t. These people had lost it with all that gore and it probably didn’t matter two baby shoes walking alone. If they had indeed saw them.

The shoes were getting faster. Their steps I mean. They turned a corner of a building and just disappeared. Percy pulled me. Before I could say anything, we were following their tracks. We were scared as hell but curiosity had beaten us to it. Maybe we had lost it too. 

As we ran I wished we had the old silence back. It was almost soothing just thinking of it. People yelling in fear really made my blood to freeze despite how many clothings I was wearing that day. We ran and we turned the corner with our eyes glued to the ground. The red footprints were still as visible as the first one. Unbelievable. We followed them and finally reached a stairwell which led down to the subway. There we stopped. I wasn’t in shape and could hardly breathe. My heart was pounding strong, it seemed it had had enough. My brother was fine though. “What the hell are we doing?” He asked me. 

“You pulled me”

“I know that. But what the hell are we doing?”

“We’re following the bloody baby’s shoes for godsake!”

At the time I didn’t realize he was just checking he hadn’t lost it for good. Or at least making sure he wasn’t alone falling down the old rabbit hole.

As for me, I answered too much too loud. People far from the bloody scene, unaware of what had just happened, were staring at us, thinking we’d got mad. Oh I was mad alright, and a lot has to happen for something like that. I wasn’t mad at Percy, mind me, neither at the damn shoes. I was mad because I was afraid.

We looked at the baby footprints, two on each step. It was almost funny if you thought the red was just tomato juice like they did in the old movies. Only it wasn’t juice.

The entrance to the underground was darker than I remembered. I guess the lights were out or something. We looked but we didn’t really see a thing in there. No one was coming out nor in. I guess people felt something was... off. All I could think of was turning around and be gone. I almost did it. Percy said “are you ready?” I looked at him. He didn’t seem ready at all, white faced as he was. He seemed in the brink of collapse, If you want me to tell you the truth. He probably regretted pulling me in the first place.

“What if it hurts us?” Was what I asked.

“He’s just a baby” 

“I know that much. But have you ever seen an invisible baby?”

“What are you talking about, if I saw an invisible baby?” Percy’s eyes were so wide for a second I feared they’d pop out and fall on the ground.

“Did you see what happened to that mother back there?”

“I saw her dead. We don’t know what really killed her” he told me “I say we should follow the footprints, just to see what happens” 

We nodded our heads in agreement. We gave the first steps down the stairwell, careful to not step on a bloody footprint. As if it mattered. We let the darkness embrace us, not really sure we’d ever see the outside again. Gods smite me if I say my heart wasn’t stuck in my throat. It really was.

[askpet-archive]

PET Ep 9

Ari sat up slightly, a bad feeling in her gut. She pulled out her phone and dialed Arthurs number as fast as she could move, grabbing Eras book.. WHy does Arthur only have one life, oh my god oh my god Ari flipped through the pages, letting out a squeak when noticing the others also only have one life, what the fuck was going on "Fuck! ANgy, Arthur- Vincent! whoever this is! Why the fuck are you all at only one life!" she screamed into the phone, worry in her voice Era wakes up, looking over to Ari in confusion "Wha." "ARTHURS GONNA WHAT?!" She screamed, panic in her tone "I DIDNT SET UP ANYTHING WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING TO KILL ARTHUR?! HE WAS AT OVER A HUNDRE DLIVES JUST A SECOND AGO!" Era shifts away from Ari slightly, deciding to just listen to her "Cre-creepy woman!?" Ari was starting to tear up not, shaking obvious "How is she holding him up that high? mgic? wings?? Why is my brother going to die please save him he cant die- why is she holding him up?!" her voice sounded kind of choked, she obviously had no part of this "My little brother cant die- you guys c-cant either- sa-save him and g-get away-" Era is so confused right now, the only thing she knows is that Arthur is probably going to die. She lightly pats Ari on the shoulder "Hey- hey- calm down, count to ten, and try to focus on breathing. What's going on?" She'd hug Ari right now but wants to make sure she's okay first Ari took a deep breath "what is she t-telling you t-to do? l-listen to her- if s-s-shes just gon-gonna-- d-dont-- just-- try-try and c-catch him-" she stopped, taking a deep breath and holding the phone away from her ear to stare at Era "i have to go back right now we wont be able to get there in time my little brother is going to die an-and-" she choked on a sob, tears now going down her cheeks. Era pauses, "Wait- Okay, okay," She softly hugs her "Shh, calm down, I'll go try and see if there's any way to leave before the barrier is gone okay?" She lets go of Ari, standing up "Try and calm down, okay?" Era heads inside of the Acachalla house to go ask anyone if there's a way to leave Ari put the phone back to her ear "p-please dont l-let my brother die- please..i- ill try and..ill...I cant get there in time- oh my god- Arthur--..Angy just, listen to the woman if shes saying something- dont. let. her. k-kill. him. Ill...Billy! E-Era! ask Billy!" she yelled slightly, her angry-sad tone more obvious when screaming Era proceeds to loudly ask, while inside of the house, "BILLY ARE YOU AWAKE??" Max heard all the yelling and finally took her hood off. "I-Is someone dying?" "AcTUALLY, you are correct," "Oh. Whos dying??" She began to shake Billy to wake him up, as he indeed was fast asleep. "Uhm, Arthur, maybe everyone else. Billy wake up." "Oh gosh, what are they doing back there??" Billy blinked open his eyes "mmph?? what? dying?? what did i hear bout Dying?" he mumbled, looking at the two people around him "I need to know if there's any way to leave the barrier before 8AM. We need to leave now, everyone else is going to die, they only have a few lives left." "Wait were leaving? I wanna stay here..." Max frowned, it was nice here, oddly Ari choked on a sob hearing Angy say something "Arthur- is he okay- is-- where is he- Phone- give to him--" she stred at the book as all their names joined one page, number switching to five "..H-HOW ARE YOU Sh-SHARING LIVES?!" Billy jolted when hearing that "theres no way to leave the barrier no. wait, sharing lives? what the dang?" he got to his feet and ran over to Ari to look at the book "..that shouldnt be able to happen, someones messing with their life count.." Max stood up, stretching. There goes her happy party. Era follows Billy "Okay okay, so there is absolutely, no way, at all, to leave?" "No way, at all. no." Billy sighed "I would fly one of you over there but i dont know if the barrier will let you leave tonight. only im able to get out, from what ive learned. anytime ive tried bringing someone they lost a life." he muttered Max followed, "Isnt there anyone around here who can make a portal out or something? Plus that would be much faster for us to get there.." "Arthur? Arthur??" she heard her brothers voice, and is trying to take deep breaths now "what happened. Why did you almost die, why were you at one life, why re you sharing lives!? nonono, forget all that, are you okay, are you hurt at all? i mean i understand you're probably scared to death but hurt? and if not to calm yourself down take deep b-breaths- and- and- if you a-are hu-hurt- t-try just- pressing on the wounds- an-and-" she choked on a sob "i thought id lost you Arth- oh my god--" she murmured "do you have any med packs??" shes concerned, shes just so fuc king w orr ied "Im guessing no one in this insane city can make portals? Or am I just getting ignored here?" Billy looked over "not portals out of the city." "Laaame" "Well, this is going great." "I didnt do an-anythign i swear!" she sobbed into the mic angrily "i dont kno-know whats g-going on- im just w-w-worried about y-you because a-apparently you a-almost died-" "i forgot Arthur- i f-forgot i- i didnt want a-anything t-to happen-- i-- i- Im trying to find a way to get there now- ill come find you alright? j-just- stay away f-from the crazy wo-woman- try a-and hide- and im a-atleast 80% s-sure the call w-w-was lying so- you- you shouldnt encounter a-anything- i s-swear i had n-no clue t-this would happen- i just-- i thought it was a normal call y-you and Ang co-could handle.." "..ill b-be there asap. If yo-you have to. and h-have a gun. Show n-no mercy to anything you find." she sighed quietly "...d-dont c-cry anymore, alright? y-you've got Vincent and Angy to pr-protect you and ill be there soon." she heard his voice. She didnt give a chance to respond before hanging up, stumbling to her feet "I need to go home- Now." she muttered, glaring at Billy, who just sighed "theres no way of gettin out kiddo." "Wheres the barrier at anyways, like can we just go.....right up to it right now?" Max looked at the sky, it looked weird compared to the sky anywhere shes been before.... -------- Update on Spop. She is currently trying to stitch Klondike back up, but is poking herself with the needle than Klondike Update on Ari, she sat with Billy trying to comfort her for awhile until she fricking passed the fuck out on the grass from exhaustion and tears Era pauses, having been waiting for the barrier to disappear since she couldn't fall back asleep. After a moment, she blinks, checking the time. "Ah!" Era shuffles over to where Ari was currently passed out, shaking her slightly "Arrriii wake up." Ari shot awake in an instant. She looked up at the sky and jolted, stumbling to her feet "ge-get Max and Spop-- Home- now-" she stammered, holding her head from gettin up way too fast. Billy came out of the house, looking over "...? Oh, i was gonna come tell you, its, its 8:30. but i guess you know that." he chuckled slightly "choices are car, or i can try carrying one or two of you at a time, though the second option might be a bit dizzying." Ari looked at Era with a pleading look. She had to get to Arthur as fast as she possibly could "Okay- Okay- Uhm, is the second option faster?" Billy nodded "i mean yea, i can fly pretty fast" Ari kind of just, put out an arm, so Billy, from instinct, grabbed it, gesturing so he could grab Eras"im gonna, hope neither of you are too afraid of going to high." "Haha, I'm terrified of it." She holds out her own arm "I just won't look down and I'll probably be fine. BUT, don't, go to high. Billy nodded, grabbing Era's arm "i can put you down at anytime if you wanna ditch this.. so." wings kinda just, appeared on his back, hello spawning "Max! Spop! ill be back to carry you guys soon, got it?" and up they went, high up but not to high. Ari looked down at the ground, making an inhumane noise Spop was leaning on the wall, asleep with Klondike in her arms An alarm went off, it was Maxs phone. She woke up and went to go turn it off, even though she knew she had to get up. She really didnt want to leave. Era proceeds to stare ahead, not looking down despite her curiosity Billy sped up..pretty fast. the ground was like, pretty much just a rapid blur, Ari screeched and grabbed Eras free hand for comfort, she hates this, she hates this,,, Era is trying so hard to not scream right now, gripping onto Ari's hand ------------ billy just casually drops off two females outside the building then goes back to get the other two females Ari got to her feet quickly, holding her head and looking up..it was..still night here. She checked her phone, how the fuck was it still only around 9:30 here? So Arthur would've called...15? 20 minutes ago?? okay, whatever "Okay, in...in here." she muttered, running around to one of the windows and grabbing at the boards, trying to pull it off "Era, come help me out with this!" she called, not caring a crazy lady was probably watching them Era runs over to Ari, proceeding to try and pull off the boards with her Ari heard a tiny crack and pulled on it harder, watching the wood come off and quickly hopping inside, pulling Era in before the board reappeared Era stumbles a bit when being pulled in, blinking and pulling out her flashlight when realizing it was a lot darker then expected "Okay so.. what are we expecting to see here?" Arthur's probably still just. Walking around in the darkness, pulling Angy along so he has something to cling to. His eyes have gotten used to the darkness at this point, but he's still scared to death and wants to make sure he's not left by himself. "Arthur, for one." Ari took a flashlight out of her quiver, flicking it on, keeping her hand over the light so it wasnt too bright. "Angy for two. and..maybe Vincent." "Nono, like, evil demon things. What are we expecting with that?" "Nothing. besides the crazy lady, which.. uh, we see that?..haha, we can just say goodbye" she moved a finger across her neck to show what she meant, giving a soft grin "but i doubt that'll happen." Era pauses, getting her crossbow ready as well "Well, let's hope it won't. Lets go look for them now. Since there's supposedly a crazy lady we.. probably shouldn't yell for them." Angy, her wrist still in Arthur's grip, stopped for a second for what she thought were two faint voices. "Do you hear that..?" Ari's werecat ears were useful in this situation, and she grabbed Eras arm, darting out of the room they were in and moving her flashlight around to see around "Angy?" she called quietly, worry in her tone Era follows along with Ari's movements, trying not to fall from all of the sudden being dragged around "What, the random creaking every now in then? All the other sounds my head likes to make up? Because yeah, yeah I d- oh that." He wasn't sure who that was, and didn't CARE who that was, he was just. scared. So the voice makes him cling to Angy even harder. The young girl heard a voice calling out her name, she debated to reply back, thinking it might be a trick but decided in the end to call out as well "Hello? Who's there..?" Era pauses, whispering over to Ari "I think that's them." Ari pulled Era towards the sound, not calling again. After a few minutes, they had light, from Ari shining the flashlight on them...oh, thats Ari releasing Era and throwing her arms around her brother in a hug "oh thank god your okay-" she muttered, no escape Arth, this is overly protective sister, she kind of, looked at Angy with a grateful, and worried smile, making sure to remember getting out med packs Angy sighed with relief "Thank god it was actually you, I thought we were dead.." Era walks over to them as quietly as possible "What's- what's even been happening?" He'd sCREAm AT FiRst Because holy Shit he didn't expect that, but soon just hugging back whoever this was because Shit it's still dark. Ari shined the light enough on both her and Arthur so he could see her and she could see him "Sorry for scaring you, i was just really fricking worried-" she muttered "We got tricked by that.. woman thing.. she told us to give up our stuff for the "test" Ari had made for us." Angy went up to Era "We refused and that's when she took Arthur way high up.." "Oh god, that sounds terrifying." "i had nothing to do w-with making the test. i got a call, i answered. common business curtesy. Everything she did was all her. I would never try to get Arthur killed." she kind of, thought about Arthur being high up, and just, shivered "..god i shouldnt have made you guys go on this alone, i shouldn't have left.." she mumbled He's not even respondent enough to say anything back, he's just. hug. helo. His eyes are puffy from tears too haha. Era blinks, shining her flashlight down the hallway "We should get out of here now.." Angy turned back to Ari and placed a hand of her shoulder "It's alright, we knew you wouldn't be capable to do this to Arthur, it was just.." She shook her head before continuing "The good thing is that he's okay and you're here now. Era is right, we need to leave" Ari not letting go of her brother until hes okay with it so, as far as she knows they might just hug for awhile. Shes fine with that. "Im not moving from this spot until Arthur decides to just cling to my arm or back or something." she muttered towards Era, then looked back at Arthur, oh, puff eyes. Uh. um. Shes just gonna, pick him up actually, hopefully hes okay with this. Im still questioning how this girl can lift up someone only one inch smaller then her but okay. Casually tries to give her flashlight to Arthur so she just sticks it in his pocket. "alright, ye, okay. lets go. Arth, tell me if you want me to put you down." shes ready to follow™ Era stares at the group for a moment before turning around, heading back to where they got in from "Yes please put me down-" He doesn't like this o boy it's like the whole 'getting-carried-15-feet-in-the-air' situation all over again, except it's not risking his life or at a far enough height to kill him but he still doesn't like being picked u p. He's definitely gonna use the flashlight though. Ari puts Arthur down, but refuses to let him go, so she just softly holds his arm, if he wants to cling then he can. "Era we arent getting out that way, i hope you know. Board resealed. Angy, mind catchin me up on this weird lady?I mean i know she almost killed Arthur but, is she doin anything else right now? and..wheres Vincent?" Angy quickly followed behind Era, already wanting to get away from anything having to deal with this building. Era passes by where they came out from "I know, but I kinda wanna stay in this general area considering how huge this place is." She stopped for a moment, thinking to herself "Oh no.. Vincent god dammit! He was with us and then he walked away for no reason and we couldn't go for him because it was so dark" "We'll find hiiiim." Ari nodded "Era, we cant. we barely know how much time we have to the woman does..something. So spending to long trying to find this new idiot addition to the team is a pretty bad idea." "I meant, "We'll find him while trying to find a way out on accident" because apparently that's how logic works these days." "..right, okay. anyone have any ideas? we could try bombing it from in here..but, i dont..know if that would work. like, blast the door open." "Ehhhhhhh." The boy is silent. He just wants to hide now. He's also wearing his hood over his head, probably to muffle random sounds. "I mean.. as long as you don't bring the whole building down, I think it's a pretty good idea" "alright.." she just, takes out one of her grenades, flicks off the pin, and throws it at the door, hopefully far enough away from Angy and Era "Heck-" Era proceeds to j u M P™ away from the grenade, wanting to be as far away from it as possible Oh, there goes the explosion.. they out? "Uh..cant see." softly grabs Arthurs other arm to direct the flashlight toward the smoke from the explosion, the door is open.. "out, bolt down the road." she muttered, already hearing footsteps behind them. "Stay away from us crazy lady!" she growled, pulling Arthur out of the building and tryin to run as far away from it as possible, god damn good thing its night, vampire speed. Hope the boyo isnt dizzy Luckily this time Angy didn't get crushed or nearly killed by the explosion and did a little happy dance once she saw the door open. She didn't need to be told to run, the footsteps she heard behind her motivated  her to start running like a mad man. Era paused for a moment from confusion before speeding out the door, she does not want to stay in here any longer then 0 seconds Ari probabl picked Arth up again halfway,, yea. def did. After they were a really good distance away from the building Era just, stops, heavily breathing "Okay, one, I hate running. Two, I hate running. Three, I hate running." Ari set him down once she felt far enough away "s-sorry about that, i just wanted to get you away from there as fast as possible.." she was, kinda concerned by his look, but decided not to question it "Okay, we're heading home like, right away." Aris going to go out to get Arthur more snacks and let himself lock himself in his room probably "Can I nuke the place first?" "no" "I'm gunna nuke it." Era looks over to the building in the distance "Okay guys it's gunna be nuked." "what" b OO O MM M "My job here is done." His eye twitched. He's probably just sitting on the ground now. The boy is Shook. ".....We.. should go home now." Angy took a moment to catch her breath, seeing as she was way out of shape. "Good job guys, thank you Era for blowing up that.. thing But yeah, let's go home.." Era stares at the destroyed building off in the distance for a moment before turning around "Uh-huh. Max and Spop are probably going to be back soon." "How do we get home if we have no form of trasnportation." He'd mumble, realizing they probably knew and he we just asking that question for no reason, mumbling a barely even coherent 'nevermind sorry'. Ari looked at Arthur "nono its fine, its a good question. I dont wanna torture you with my vampire speed though so, we're probably just gonna walk- if you dont want to walk i can carry you but you said you didnt want that-" "Let's just hope that lady got roasted with the building and doesn't decide to catch up to us" Angy said while starting to walk. Era stands in her place, waiting for Ari and Athur to start walking too "Yeah.." The boy gets up and just follows after Angy. Out of everyone else to trust right now, she was the only one, even if all she did was make sure he didn't start screaming and crying in the dark. Era stares at Ari, waiting for her to go as well. She wants to make sure no one is accidentally left behind Ari went in, another direction "ill meet you guys at home okay? i- im gonna go somewhere. Ill be like 5 minutes, probably will meet you there- hopefully-" Era pauses, continuing to stare at her "Be safe," she quietly says before following the others